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chiseler · 5 years

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FATS WALLER: Baby Elephant Patter

Was Fats Waller put on this earth to send up inane pop songs, or did Tin Pan Alley busy itself churning out an endless supply of vapid tunes just to feed his enormous appetite for ridicule? Either way, it wasn’t a bad deal: while he was irrepressible in his vocal shenanigans and merciless in his mockery of cornball lyrics, Waller also bestowed on assembly-line songs unwarranted beauty. His touch on the piano was like a hummingbird’s wings, like sunlight scattering on moving water. The great clown of jazz, Thomas “Fats” Waller belongs, with Oliver Hardy and Roscoe Arbuckle, to that brotherhood of fat men whose girth serves to counterpoint their buoyant grace and delicacy. His music is at once thundering, voluminous, and dainty, like the “baby elephant patter,” he invokes in “Your Feets Too Big,” or like one of Disney’s hippo ballerinas twirling on pointe.

Waller’s own compositions are subtle and elegant, never hard-selling their melodies, but floating with insouciant ease and lingering like a complex perfume. His best songs were written with lyricist Andy Razaf, whose full—indeed overflowing—name was Andreamenentania Paul Razafinkerierfo, and whose great-aunt was the queen of Madagascar. Razaf’s lyrics for “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and “Honeysuckle Rose” fit the tunes so well that the words and music seem to be born from a single thought. He also wrote the bitter lyrics for “(What Did I Do To Be So) Black and Blue?” which started as the complaint of a dark-skinned woman over men’s preference for lighter complexions (“All the race fellows crave high yellows”), but which Louis Armstrong stripped down and turned into an angry lament about being judged by one’s skin color. This transformation wouldn’t have worked so well if Waller’s melody hadn’t had the depth and authority of the blues.

Fats Waller is often accused of having wasted his vast composing talents, and he never earned a full place in the Great American Songbook despite the popularity of his two best-known songs. But he turned out a lot more delightful if too little known songs, from catchy toe-tappers like “Crazy ‘Bout My Baby” and “Aintcha Glad?” to lovely, softer tunes with a pensive touch, like “Blue Turning Grey Over You” and “I’ve Got a Feeling I’m Falling.” It is proper to lament that he didn’t record more instrumentals displaying his full musical talents, and that he was forced by the commercial demands of his record label to be instead an entertainer and comedian—but his comic performances are so marvelous that I can’t put my heart into such a complaint. After all, great musical comedians are rarer than great pianists.

The triteness and sentimentality that plagued popular song of the jazz age was Waller’s unfailing spring of humor. (The glories of Porter, the Gershwins, Rodgers & Hart et al. rose above this morass, but Waller rarely got to sing any great songs besides his own.) Once you’ve heard him make light of a shopworn lyric, you will never again be able to hear a straight rendition without snickering. Above all, he gleefully skewers the melodramatic hyperbole larded into love songs: if you break my heart I’ll die. In “It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie,” Fats updates this to, “If you break my heart I’ll break your jaw and then I’ll die,” and in “Stay,” a duet with a female singer, when she sighs lugubriously, “And please believe me / Without you I would die,” he interjects, “’Course, I ain’t gonna let her die—no, I might kill her lightly…” He salvages (and savages) “The Curse of an Aching Heart,” a self-pitying bit of rubbish, with a spoken introduction: “Yeah, this is me—look at me, look at me! I look like something the cats had in the alley last night…” Then he sings the rest of the song like a drunken Pagliacci. Listen to a lot of Waller’s recordings, and the whole enterprise of the love song teeters on its throne, raising the question of whether passion can coexist with a lively sense of the absurd. (Irving Berlin wrote a song on this subject, lamenting, “I want to be romantic, but I haven’t a chance, / You’ve got a sense of humor, and humor is death to romance.”)

Alfred Appel, Jr. justly titled Waller the “King of Razz.”

All this clowning can’t conceal the iridescent brilliance of his playing, with its springy stride rhythm and gossamer arpeggios. No other pianist gave a more accurate demonstration of “tickling the ivories.” Occasionally, as though giving voice to his piano, he would cry, “Aw, the ticklin’ is so terrific!” He punctuates instrumental sections with exhortations to the band, a six-piece ensemble dubbed His Rhythm: conversing with the soloists (“Boy, would you plunk them strings? Plunk ‘em, plunk ‘em!”), and the instruments, as when he demands of a disgruntled-sounding muted trombone: “Who is you growlin’ at, woman?” He knowingly and sarcastically uses this kind of fractured grammar, so offensively imitated by white lyricists like Berlin (“It’s just the bestest band what am, honey lamb”), then turns it on its head by translating “your feets too big” into the peerlessly pompous, “Your pedal extremities are colossal.”

All the interjections, wordplay and verbal slapstick were ad-libbed, as he plowed through piles of mostly mediocre or worse songs he’d never seen before in marathon recording sessions for RCA Victor, fueled by sandwiches and gin. He veers into a prissy, whining falsetto or a goofy operatic basso profundo; scats, baby talks, reacts with surprise to the lyrics he’s singing, and enacts little spoken dramas in the background. But for all his hamming and volcanic spirit of ridicule, his teasing is never mean-spirited, and now and then he gives a straightforward, tender rendition that elevates a potentially cloying song like, “My Very Good Friend, the Milkman,” or reveals an unexpected gem like the charming tribute to a liberated woman, “A Little Bit Independent.” Despite his comic bent, Waller’s singing has far more heart and warmth than reptilian crooners like Rudy Vallee put into their high-pitched drone of seduction.

He made far fewer film appearances than one would wish, since his facial expressions are as finely calibrated for comedy as his voice. In Stormy Weather (1943) he does a duet with Ada Brown, accompanying her as she belts out a low-down blues and slipping in hilarious asides in response to her allegations of mistreatment (“Suffer, excess baggage, suffer!”), while his chubby features rearrange themselves into a mask of supercilious disdain or flinch in fastidious dismay.

Even his eyebrows had rhythm. Thick, black and extravagantly arched, they had the springy calligraphy of Hirschfeld’s pen-strokes, and when he sang they waggled up and down, saucy as chorus girls’ hips. His face was moon-shaped and, in black-and-white film, almost moon-pale, a striking backdrop for the eyebrows, the huge mouth daintily outlined with a mustache, and the round black eyes, which rolled dramatically or narrowed to sleepy, mischievous slits. A derby tilted over one eye completed this cartoon-like, yet minutely expressive face.

Alas, he died in 1943, not yet 40, at the height of his popularity. The cause was pneumonia, but his system was worn down from too much touring, too much eating, too much drinking, and the stress of legal wrangling over alimony payments. He was the son of respectable, strait-laced parents, his father a Baptist minister; young Thomas used to accompany his services on the organ, which remained his favorite instrument. As a teenager he played in movie theaters, and his recordings on the pipe organ use its vast palette to surprisingly light and graceful effect, creating watercolor-like washes of sound that still swing. His vocal mannerisms often show the influence of preaching, with call-and-response patterns and shouts of soul-fired joy. Predictably, his parents were opposed to his becoming a musician, no doubt predicting he would fall into evil company—as he did if the story can be believed that he was once kidnapped at gun-point and made to give a command performance at a birthday party for Al Capone. If true, this speaks well of Capone’s taste. It’s something to imagine, this meeting of two men who were both, in their very different ways, experts at misbehaving.

by Imogen Sara Smith

#Imogen Sara Smith #Fats Waller #The Chiseler

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tkmedia · 3 years

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Most underrated NBA Free Agency move: Mills to Brooklyn Nets

In reality, it was over in 2016. The San Antonio Spurs had a glorious run of 17 straight 50-win seasons with Tim Duncan that included five NBA championships.But even when he retired, head coach Gregg Popovich and the front office had done a solid job of bridging into the next generation. Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker were around for another season, but Lamarcus Aldridge had been brought in to fill the position of All-Star big man, and the team had a potential best player in the world under contract in Kawhi Leonard. Supporting them were a handful of role players and promising youngsters, and who knows how many more 50-win seasons the team would have managed if Leonard hadn't landed on Zaza Pachulia's foot then fallen out with the franchise? After the forward went down for basically a whole season, Ginobili retired, Parker moved on, then last year the team traded away Aldridge to a title contender.They got DeMar DeRozan back in the Leonard trade, and Rudy Gay joined the team, and he was good for them, but they found new homes this off-season after arguably regaining respect that they'd lost slightly while rebuilding their games in San Antonio.But neither of them were present for a championship season. The only player with champagne memories on the famous San Antonio riverwalk was Patty Mills. The Australian didn't start his career with the Spurs, but he added a spark to the team when he got there and they went to the NBA Finals two out of his first three seasons. He also came off the back of an incredible appearance at the London 2012 Olympic Games, which saw him finish the tournament with the highest scoring average and included a buzzer-beating game winner against Russia. He never became a stat-heavy guy for the Spurs, despite this being his role for the Australian national team, with whom he won a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after finishing with 42 points in the podium game. But he could always be relied upon for a clutch bucket, and was the perfect player off the bench, and even as a starter. Mills would do whatever coach Gregg Popovich asked of him - whether he was playing with the big three, or when the team transitioned to being built around Leonard and Aldridge before it all went wrong. Mills was the bridge between San Antonio's legendary generation, and the future championship hopefuls. And even after Leonard and Aldridge left, he was the mainstay, the culture setter, the leader, the mentor to the younger generation, the player that could talk about what it takes to become a champion.Without him, the Spurs are not exactly at ground zero, but it is officially a new start. Doug McDermott and a hopefully healthy Zach Collins are not exactly upgrades to the combination of Aldridge, Gay and DeRozan that they lost, but with the latter's deal to the Chicago Bulls, the Spurs got back two expiring contracts in Al-Farouq Aminu and Thaddeus Young, as well as a future first round pick and two second round picks.It's not a home run, but with this, and the drafting of Josh Primo, the signing of Australia's Jock Landale and the return of recent champion with the Milwaukee Bucks Bryn Forbes, you can see a direction is becoming clear. There was also a bit of excitement at Summer League when the Spurs allowed a player to take San Antonio legend David Robinson's jersey number 50 down from the rafters - for his son Justin Robinson.Added to the guard-wing rotation of Dejounte Murray, Devin Vassell, Lonnie Walker, Derrick White and Olympic gold-medal winning Keldon Johnson, as well as Jakob Poeltl and Drew Eubanks, the team doesn't look like it'll be beating last year's regular season record of 33-39, especially without the experience of Patty Mills to guide them. There is a clear indication that this team is building for the future, and who knows? Maybe Popovich will one day soon retire and hand the coaching reins over to another young person with potential in Becky Hammon? For the Brooklyn Nets, however, they have probably benefited from the most underrated signing of free agency. No, Patty Mills doesn't have the cache of Kawhi Leonard - who returned to the LA Clippers in free agency - the All-Star name of Kemba Walker, nor the fame of Lonzo Ball, but when you look at what the Nets were missing last year, they might have just found it in the Aussie.Mills is not Kyrie Irving but he can be a shot-creating point guard off the bench, backing up Irving in line-ups with or without Kevin Durant and James Harden. He might be undersized but the former Spur has played off the ball as well so can fit into an all-shooting five with the stars and Joe Harris.Harris and Mills' games are similar: they will happily run around 17 screens to spots on the perimeter and not receive the ball, but if the pass is kicked out to them, they will be open and ready to shoot around 40 per cent or better from distance. If Harris is a starter, Mills can enter for him and the team won't miss a beat. It's not like Brooklyn doesn't have champions on the roster - Durant and Irving have three between them - but there is a lack of winning experience outside of them. Mills offers a veteran presence and culture leader off the bench who can help younger players, and - for people who haven't been to the mountaintop - advice and encouragement on staying ready for big games.The Nets were knocked out of the playoffs and were immediately the favourites to win it all next season. Their championship run ended due bad health, but with their injured stars - Irving and Harden - getting a full off-season, they will hopefully return fresh and focused for 2021-22.If they can stay on the court, that's all that the Nets might need, but Mills offers greater depth. If some players don't enter the season committed to the task in hand, Mills has enough respect across the league and around the world to speak up as a leader. He can help pull people together, and be a key cog on a title-winning team. Read the full article

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junker-town · 4 years

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What the heck is wrong with the Jazz?

What’s wrong with the Jazz this season?

The Jazz have 4 big problems so far.

After three consecutive seasons where a top-3 defense in the NBA yielded postseason exits before the conference finals, the Utah Jazz made splashy offseason moves to shake things up. Mike Conley landed in Utah for a deal for role players and prospects. Then, the Jazz signed sweet-shooting wing Bojan Bogdanovic and dealt long-time big Derrick Favors.

Utah had finally pushed its chips to the center of the table to acquire the weapons to relieve Donovan Mitchell of his high-scoring demands. Jazz fans were happy. The franchise was talked up as a title contender. Trading in some defense for a boost in scoring was supposed make the Jazz scary.

But 24 games into the season, the Jazz have are 13-11, a distant No. 6 seed in the West, with some losses that have been ugly. Against top competition, Utah’s folded. In three straight games, the team lost to the Raptors by 20, Sixers by nine and Lakers by 25 points. The Pacers have blown them out by 19 points, the Clippers by 11. Opponents are outscoring Utah by .12 points per 100 possessions, a worse rate than the Magic, Pistons and Thunder. The Jazz aren’t very good right now. They might even be mediocre.

What’s going wrong?

The offense that was promised is nowhere to be found.

The Jazz added elite shooting in the offseason, yet it’s amounted to nothing. Utah’s scoring just 105.94 points per 100 possessions, six less than last season. That offense ranks No. 24 in the NBA in front of just the Magic, Grizzlies, Warriors, Bulls and Knicks.

Without Ricky Rubio, Utah’s as stagnant as ever with the ball. They average the fifth-fewest assists per 100 possessions per game in the league (21.2), and turn the ball over at the fourth-highest rate (16.3 per 100 possessions.) A lot of Utah’s offense is built with the hope that Mitchell would take a play-making leap, and Conley would be Conley, but neither is happening. They’re tough to watch.

Conley is averaging the second-fewest assists per 100 possessions of his entire career, all while his shot is fading. At 32 years old, he’s hitting his decline quickly, shooting a career-worst 37 percent from the field. His quick first step is lost, and because of it, he’s hardly getting to the rim, instead taking low percentage floaters. A career-most 23 percent of his shots are coming between 3-10 feet. He’s averaging 14 points on 13 shots. That’s Ricky Rubio numbers without the play-making.

Conley’s bad start could be salvaged by a Mitchell explosion, but that hasn’t happened. Mitchell is playing similar basketball to how he was a season ago, which was a modest improvement from a breakout rookie year. He’s scoring 25 points per game on 21 shots with nearly identical efficiency to last year (44 percent from the field and 36 percent from three). His shot selection remains questionable, as he’s taking 28 percent of his attempts between 10 feet out and the three-point line, a career-high. And his assist numbers have fallen by one dime per 100 possessions.

Yes, the Jazz are better when either of their lead guards are playing. Utah’s outscoring opponents by 5.6 points per 100 possessions when Conley plays than when he doesn’t, and 1.3 points when Mitchell plays. But those are the team’s top-two options. The Jazz can’t afford to be merely better when these two play. A shallow bench means their stars need to be dominant.

The Jazz’s lack of offensive identity is frustrating for one obvious reason

Utah’s struggles are especially maddening because they’re a great three-point shooting team. They sink 38 percent of their looks, fourth-most in the league. Problem is they don’t take many.

Utah ranks No. 20 in the league in three-point attempts per 100 possessions at 31. Six players are shooting 35 percent or better from range, including Bogdanovic’s 45 percent on seven tries per game, and O’Neale’s 45 percent on three tries, but they aren’t getting the ball enough.

The clunkiness of the offense is apparent. With limited playmakers to take the defense off-the-dribble, so many of the Jazz’s possessions go to waste. They average the fourth-most turnovers per 100 possessions, and fifth-fewest assists. With Conley struggling, Mitchell plateauing and Joe Ingles having a down, the ball hardly moves. Emmanuel Mudiay, Jeff Green, Georges Niang and Dante Exum aren’t the answers off the bench.

There’s a Rudy Gobert issue, too

The saving grace for Utah over the last few seasons, even in the midst of of ugly-looking offenses ,has been its defense. At the center of it all is the Jazz’s second-highest paid player, 7’1 Gobert, who is perennially wonderful protecting the rim, winning two Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2018 and 2019.

This year, teams have figured out Gobert’s weaknesses, and they’re exploiting them more than ever: he’s still a force down low, but struggles to defend in space. Laterally, Gobert doesn’t move well, and team’s are pick-and-popping bigs on him. Against elite teams, this has meant Marc Gasol or Al Horford stepping out and knocking down three-point shots.

And if Gobert chases to the three-point line, slashers seize an open lane for dunks and layups.

Two years ago, Utah was 6.7 points per 100 possessions better defensively when Gobert played than when he sat. Now, that line has moved to just .5 points per 100 possessions.

So what can Utah do?

The Jazz are locked in with big money invested in Gobert, Conley and Bogdanovic, and none of the three are likely to move. Mitchell should be considered mostly untouchable as he plays out the end of his rookie deal, and there’s little else left on the roster that’d command a big name via trade.

Utah should be a mid-season trade candidate though, looking to make some move to help their bench. Utah should eye a guard with play-making abilities. Maybe that’s DJ Augustin from Orlando or Ish Smith from Washington.

The season is also just 24 games young. Maybe Conley can bounce back. Maybe Ingles becomes the passer he was a season ago. Maybe Mitchell’s shot selection improves.

For right now, Utah’s on track to be the NBA’s most disappointing team though. In Conley, the Jazz made the trade we’ve been waiting for, yet it’s turned a worse product. Utah’s far from title contention right now. They’re on their way to another first-round playoff exit.

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viraljournalist · 5 years

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NBA Power Rankings - Who are the league's best teams now?

New Post has been published on https://viraljournalist.com/nba-power-rankings-who-are-the-leagues-best-teams-now/

NBA Power Rankings - Who are the league's best teams now?

In our post-Finals Power Rankings, we asked whether offseason chaos was on the horizon.

Welp.

Free agency saw Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving team up in Brooklyn, D’Angelo Russell join the Splash Brothers, Jimmy Butler take his talents to South Beach, and Tobias Harris and Kristaps Porzingis sign max deals with Philly and Dallas, respectively. And that was just the first 24 hours!

The league has changed seemingly overnight, and we’re here to make sense of where all 30 teams stand heading into a highly anticipated 2019-20 season.

Note: These rankings are based on where voters think teams belong heading into the 2019-20 season, taking into account injuries and potential further player movement. Title odds for 2019-20 were provided by Caesars sportsbook. ESPN.com’s Malika Andrews, Kevin Arnovitz, Tim Bontemps, Tim MacMahon, Royce Young and Ohm Youngmisuk contributed the following information.

More: Post-Finals rankings | Moves for every team

| Free agency news

1. Milwaukee Bucks 2018-19 record: 60-22 2020 title odds: 9-2 Previous rank: No. 1

While the fabric of the Eastern Conference has changed drastically in recent weeks, the Bucks’ core has stayed largely the same. The team re-signed starters Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez as well as key reserve George Hill. What set the team apart last season was its deep bench. Will the acquisitions of Robin Lopez and Wesley Matthews be enough to make up for the departures of Malcolm Brogdon, Tony Snell and Nikola Mirotic? A strong bench to support Giannis Antetokounmpo is essential for Milwaukee to make it out of the East finals. — Malika Andrews

Key additions: Robin Lopez, Wesley Matthews

Key subtractions: Malcolm Brogdon, Nikola Mirotic

2. Denver Nuggets 2018-19 record: 54-28 2020 title odds: 20-1 Previous rank: No. 4

While the rest of the NBA world went wild, the Nuggets made a few moves along the edges but quietly had one of the best summers of anyone. Adding Jerami Grant is one of the most underrated moves of the offseason, and they effectively are adding 2018 No. 14 overall pick Michael Porter Jr., who sat out the entire season with back issues. Assuming progression from their young rising stars, the Nuggets are firmly a favorite in the West. — Royce Young

Key additions: Jerami Grant

Key subtractions: Trey Lyles

3. LA Clippers 2018-19 record: 48-34 2020 title odds: 4-1 Previous rank: No. 5

After a year of rumors of quietly recruiting Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers landed the mysterious forward after what might have been the most intrigue-filled week in free agency in recent memory. Shocking the Lakers, the Raptors and the entire NBA, the Clippers persuaded Leonard to become a Clipper by stealthily working a trade for Paul George. Though the blockbuster move cost a historic haul of five first-round picks, two first-round-pick swaps and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari, the Clippers are now instant title contenders. Leonard and George should fit in seamlessly with a gritty supporting cast and budding Clipper culture built on a low-ego, team-first mentality. Doc Rivers’ defense could be the nastiest in the NBA with Leonard, George and Patrick Beverley forming a perimeter wall. Rivers has the best second-unit combo in Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell, and role players such as JaMychal Green, Maurice Harkless and Landry Shamet might make the Clippers the best team in not just Staples Center this season but perhaps in the entire league. — Ohm Youngmisuk

Key additions: Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Maurice Harkless

Key subtractions: Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Garrett Temple

4. Philadelphia 76ers 2018-19 record: 51-31 2020 title odds: 8-1 Previous rank: No. 3

After coming within four bounces of beating the Raptors, falling with a devastating loss at the buzzer in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the 76ers went out and made some dramatic moves this summer: re-signing Tobias Harris to a five-year, $180 million deal; executing a sign-and-trade with the Miami Heat, sending Jimmy Butler there in exchange for Josh Richardson; and signing Al Horford away from the Boston Celtics with a four-year, $113 million contract. Now, thanks to Leonard leaving Toronto and the rest of the East contenders either standing still or taking a step backward, Philadelphia seems to be the favorite to emerge from the East and reach the NBA Finals for the first time since Allen Iverson led the Sixers there in 2001. — Tim Bontemps

5. Houston Rockets 2018-19 record: 53-29 2020 title odds: 8-1 Previous rank: No. 7

The Rockets rolled the dice by reuniting Russell Westbrook with James Harden, particularly considering the hefty price of the lightly protected 2024 and 2026 first-round picks they sent to Oklahoma City along with Chris Paul. “It’s risky for sure, but I believe the upside is greater than with CP,” a team source said. Westbrook’s ball dominance and poor 3-point shooting present fit concerns, but Harden pushed hard for the trade, which the Rockets hope will allow them to be legitimate contenders through The Beard’s prime, and their window was closing because of the 34-year-old Paul’s physical decline. — Tim MacMahon

Key additions: Russell Westbrook, Tyson Chandler

Key subtractions: Chris Paul

6. Los Angeles Lakers 2018-19 record: 37-45 2020 title odds: 3-1 Previous rank: No. 8

A chaotic offseason started with Magic Johnson resigning and putting Rob Pelinka on blast as well as a coaching search that saw negotiations with Ty Lue fall apart before the Lakers hired Frank Vogel. But once the chaos settled, the Lakers landed their highly coveted second superstar and another franchise superstar big man to build around for the foreseeable future in Anthony Davis. Pelinka paid a heavy price in having to send out Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart, three first-round picks, a pick swap and cash to acquire Davis and create as much cap space as possible. They then waited and failed to persuade Kawhi Leonard to come, but acted quickly in free agency by surrounding LeBron James and Davis with several experienced veterans. The Lakers believe they have addressed their mistake from a year ago by adding shooters like Danny Green, Quinn Cook, Jared Dudley and Troy Daniels. They believe they have 3-and-D guys with the additions of Green, Avery Bradley and the re-signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. And they added size with DeMarcus Cousins and re-signed JaVale McGee while also bolstering their backcourt depth and bringing Alex Caruso back. This is a roster built to contend for a championship, and anything short of a deep playoff run will be a disappointment. — Youngmisuk

Key additions: Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Danny Green, Jared Dudley, Avery Bradley

Key subtractions: Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Tyson Chandler

7. Boston Celtics 2018-19 record: 49-33 2020 title odds: 25-1 Previous rank: No. 9

Nothing went the way it was supposed to last season for the Celtics, who entered the season as the favorites to top the East — only to be drummed out of the playoffs in five games (including four straight losses) by the Bucks. The already bitter taste in the mouths of Celtics fans was made worse after Kyrie Irving and Al Horford chose to leave for Brooklyn and Philadelphia, respectively, in free agency. Irving was replaced by All-Star Kemba Walker, which some might see as an upgrade. It will be much more difficult to make up for losing Horford. Enes Kanter will likely be Boston’s starting center, with second-year big man Robert Williams III, Frenchman Vincent Poirier and German Daniel Theis behind him. They will give Boston a few ways to play, but not nearly at the same level of skill and poise that Horford, one of the league’s most versatile bigs, did. That, in turn, puts a ceiling on just how good Boston can be — regardless of how much growth the Celtics get from young wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. — Bontemps

8. Portland Trail Blazers 2018-19 record: 53-29 2020 title odds: 25-1 Previous rank: No. 10

The Trail Blazers lightly reshuffled their rotation, with a few critical role players moving elsewhere. The Blazers have the core elements back, but any progression this season will come in two main ways: 1) Jusuf Nurkic getting healthy and returning to form, and 2) Hassan Whiteside fitting in and adding rim protection plus a significant new wrinkle to the pick-and-roll game. — Young

9. Utah Jazz 2018-19 record: 50-32 2020 title odds: 14-1 Previous rank: No. 13

The Jazz might be equally as good offensively and defensively, which would make Utah a bona fide contender. Poor shooting prevented the Jazz from making their playoff series against the Rockets competitive, as Utah went 26-of-110 (23.6%) on wide-open 3s, as defined by NBA.com as no defender within 6 feet. That won’t be a problem after they traded for Mike Conley and signed Bojan Bogdanovic, who should take pressure off Donovan Mitchell to create offense and open up the floor when the young star guard has the ball in his hands. It’s up to Rudy Gobert, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year, to make sure the Jazz remain elite on that end of the floor. — MacMahon

10. Toronto Raptors 2018-19 record: 58-24 2020 title odds: 50-1 Previous rank: No. 2

The Raptors didn’t have long to celebrate their stunning run to the franchise’s first title, thanks to Kawhi Leonard’s decision to leave his throne as King of the North to take up residence at Staples Center with the LA Clippers. Still, though the Raptors don’t have a championship ceiling anymore, they have a good enough roster — built around emerging young forward Pascal Siakam, the winner of this season’s Most Improved Player award — to remain a factor in the East. The Raptors do have several large expiring contracts belonging to Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka that they could flip at the deadline for assets — or they could go into next summer with oodles of cap space to chase players who can remake their roster. Don’t expect anyone north of the border to be upset, though. They’ll be spending the season deservedly celebrating their hard-won title. — Bontemps

11. Golden State Warriors 2018-19 record: 57-25 2020 title odds: 14-1 Previous rank: No. 6

Not long after losing a physically and emotionally devastating NBA Finals to the Toronto Raptors, the Warriors watched Kevin Durant head East to join forces with Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn. But the Warriors did their best to recover by adding rising All-Star guard D’Angelo Russell to help Stephen Curry with the scoring load until Klay Thompson returns from his knee injury. Willie Cauley-Stein is still only 25 and will have every opportunity to show what he can do as Golden State’s new center with DeMarcus Cousins in Los Angeles. Steve Kerr will also try to incorporate new Warriors Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III. Though Golden State’s stranglehold on the Western Conference is over, the Warriors still have Curry and Draymond Green — two proud All-Stars motivated to show that any idea of Golden State’s demise is premature. –– Youngmisuk

Key additions: D’Angelo Russell, Willie Cauley-Stein, Glenn Robinson III, Alec Burks

Key subtractions: Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, DeMarcus Cousins, Shaun Livingston

12. Brooklyn Nets 2018-19 record: 42-40 2020 title odds: 20-1 Previous rank: No. 12

Brooklyn completed its remarkable turnaround over the past few years by signing Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan in the opening hours of free agency, lifting a franchise that had been left for dead in the wake of trading four first-round picks to the Celtics back in 2013. If Durant were healthy, the Nets would likely be the favorites in the East. But he is not, having torn his Achilles during the NBA Finals, and will miss — at a minimum — most of next season. In the meantime, the Nets will hope that things go differently for Irving than they did in Boston last year, when he and the team’s young players struggled to mesh and the Celtics disappointed. Brooklyn’s roster has a similar composition, including emerging wing Caris LeVert, that will try to push the Nets along until Durant can return — whether that’s sometime late next season or in 2020-21. — Bontemps

13. San Antonio Spurs 2018-19 record: 48-34 2020 title odds: 40-1 Previous rank: No. 15

The Spurs were snakebitten by Marcus Morris changing course and signing with the Knicks, because they not only lost him but also traded Davis Bertans to clear the way. They made a few minor moves, but getting Dejounte Murray healthy has been the primary offseason objective. The Spurs are the Spurs, so therefore they will be good, but as the West reloaded, nothing sizable enough changed that will boost San Antonio up the standings. — Young

14. Miami Heat 2018-19 record: 39-43 2020 title odds: 40-1 Previous rank: No. 22

The Heat in recent seasons have generally been better than the sum of their parts, and for the first time in a while, they’ll feature an NBA star in his prime: Jimmy Butler. The union of the intense, workaholic Butler and the intense, workaholic Heat organization would seem to be an NBA match made in heaven. Miami will feature its typically stingy, well-prepared defensive schemes and likely cobble together some clever, unorthodox looks on offense to compensate for any lack of shooting. — Kevin Arnovitz

15. Indiana Pacers 2018-19 record: 48-34 2020 title odds: 40-1 Previous rank: No. 14

The Pacers’ splashiest free-agency acquisition was former Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, who signed a lucrative three-year, $85 million contract with Indiana. Until Victor Oladipo returns from the quad injury that ended his 2018-19 season, much of the Pacers’ offense will likely run through Brogdon. The Pacers were the No. 4 seed in the 2019 playoffs. For them to be ranked that highly again, Domantas Sabonis must continue to evolve. Most importantly, when and how Oladipo returns will heavily influence Indiana’s chances. — Andrews

16. Detroit Pistons 2018-19 record: 41-41 2020 title odds: 250-1 Previous rank: No. 19

Despite being strapped for cap room, the Pistons added two proven guards to their roster in free agency: Derrick Rose and Markieff Morris. The No. 8-seeded Pistons were swept in the 2019 playoffs largely because the No. 1-seeded Bucks’ depth allowed for their starters to stay fresh. The Pistons, on the other hand, struggled to put out a seven-man rotation. In the playoffs, head coach Dwane Casey relied on heavy minutes from Andre Drummond and the injured Blake Griffin. Morris is another big body who will help ease the load of Griffin and Drummond, and Rose has the talent and experience to lead Detroit’s second unit. If Griffin can stay healthy, the Pistons have a strong chance of making another playoff push. — Andrews

17. New Orleans Pelicans 2018-19 record: 33-49 2020 title odds: 75-1 Previous rank: No. 24

The Pelicans can be competitive this season and a contender in the future thanks to some lottery luck and great work by new executive VP David Griffin. No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson and the haul of high-profile young talent and draft picks the Lakers gave up for Anthony Davis represent the promise of a bright future in the Big Easy. Adding big man Derrick Favors and knockdown shooter JJ Redick — and keeping terrific two-way guard Jrue Holiday — provide hope of winning now. — MacMahon

18. Dallas Mavericks 2018-19 record: 33-49 2020 title odds: 100-1 Previous rank: No. 17

The Mavs failed to add a proven starter in free agency despite entering the summer with almost $30 million in salary-cap space. Guards Seth Curry and Delon Wright, who have been quality reserves, came to Dallas as consolation prizes. Over the past 13 months, the Mavs have managed to add two potential long-term superstar pillars in Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, but the goal of making a major leap into the playoffs this season appears quite ambitious in the loaded West. — MacMahon

Key additions: Seth Curry, Boban Marjanovic, Delon Wright

Key subtractions: Dirk Nowitzki

19. Orlando Magic 2018-19 record: 42-40 2020 title odds: 125-1 Previous rank: No. 20

Will the Magic take the next big step forward after their first playoff appearance in seven years, or will 2019-20 be a consolidation season? Orlando is loaded up front, with power forwards and centers in deep supply (and that was the case before the Magic signed Al-Farouq Aminu and drafted Chuma Okeke, who is recovering from an ACL injury). The Magic’s fortunes rest on their capacity to get more out of their guards, with the highest ceiling belonging to Markelle Fultz. The Magic are cautiously optimistic the former No. 1 overall pick could give them some of the perimeter shot creation they desperately need. — Arnovitz

20. Sacramento Kings 2018-19 record: 39-43 2020 title odds: 150-1 Previous rank: No. 16

Luke Walton was hired to help develop De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley III and Buddy Hield. But Vlade Divac spent money in free agency to keep and add some veterans around Sacramento’s promising young core. The Kings kept Harrison Barnes with a four-year, $85 million deal. They replaced Willie Cauley-Stein with Dewayne Dedmon on a three-year, $40 million deal and added veterans such as Trevor Ariza and Cory Joseph. Walton should have a mix of young up-and-coming players to go with veterans who can help stretch the floor. Unfortunately, they reside in a division that has two of the most formidable pairings in the NBA in the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and Lakers’ LeBron James and Anthony Davis, plus the Warriors. — Youngmisuk

Key additions: Trevor Ariza, Dewayne Dedmon, Cory Joseph

Key subtractions: Willie Cauley-Stein, Alec Burks, Frank Mason III

21. Minnesota Timberwolves 2018-19 record: 36-46 2020 title odds: 500-1 Previous rank: No. 23

For a minute there, it appeared the Wolves would be making a major addition in D’Angelo Russell, and who knows, maybe they still will at some point. But it hasn’t been a great summer so far, as they decided not to match on Tyus Jones and didn’t make any significant upgrades elsewhere. There are roster-building roadblocks, such as Andrew Wiggins and his contract, but there is still a young core worth adding to, or eventually it will lead to another reboot. — Young

22. Atlanta Hawks 2018-19 record: 29-53 2020 title odds: 200-1 Previous rank: No. 21

There’s a lot of shine to the Hawks’ rebuilding project, and even whispers that the upstart Hawks could sniff the postseason next spring in a conference where 80% of success is just showing up. Joining the existing young core led by Trae Young and John Collins will be a pair of rookie forwards drafted in the top 10, a couple of functional veterans on the perimeter and a reclamation project in Jabari Parker. The biggest challenge ahead for Atlanta will be crafting a defense that can compete with the grownups if and when those games in March and April carry playoff implications. — Arnovitz

23. Chicago Bulls 2018-19 record: 22-60 2020 title odds: 125-1 Previous rank: No. 29

The Bulls drafted guard Coby White and added Thaddeus Young and Tomas Satoransky to the roster. Still, it’s hard to envision Chicago finishing in the top half of the Eastern Conference. Perhaps it can squeak out a playoff appearance — but with the East becoming even more competitive, it is a tall task. Expect this to be another development year for the Bulls. Their young core of Wendell Carter Jr., Zach LaVine, Otto Porter Jr. and Lauri Markkanen has some growing to do. And if an improbable playoff run does materialize, it will require that the Bulls stay healthy. Carter’s offseason abdominal surgery isn’t a good start. — Andrews

Key additions: Coby White, Thaddeus Young, Tomas Satoransky

Key subtractions: Robin Lopez

24. Oklahoma City Thunder 2018-19 record: 49-33 2020 title odds: 150-1 Previous rank: No. 11

With an apparent plan taking shape of disassembling the house and preparing to rebuild a new one, it would seem the Thunder will take a significant step back. But if Chris Paul decides he wants to stay with OKC — a hefty “if” right now — the Thunder can still be a reasonably competitive team in the West. A core of Paul, Steven Adams and Danilo Gallinari can win games, but the question is how long they might remain part of it. — Young

25. Phoenix Suns 2018-19 record: 19-63 2020 title odds: 1000-1 Previous rank: No. 28

Phoenix got the hot coach in Monty Williams, but the rest of its summer has been a head-scratcher. The Suns traded away T.J. Warren and his reasonable contract along with the No. 32 pick to Indiana to create cap space. They then traded a 2020 first-round pick from Milwaukee to Boston for the No. 24 pick (Ty Jerome) and center Aron Baynes. They traded away former No. 4 overall pick Josh Jackson and De’Anthony Melton along with two second-round picks to Memphis. Phoenix kept Kelly Oubre Jr. for $30 million over two years and signed Ricky Rubio to a $51 million, three-year deal to become its starting point guard. But it certainly feels as if Devin Booker is staring at yet another long season.– Youngmisuk

Key additions: Ricky Rubio, Dario Saric, Aron Baynes, Cameron Johnson

Key subtractions: Josh Jackson, T.J. Warren

26. Memphis Grizzlies 2018-19 record: 33-49 2020 title odds: 1000-1 Previous rank: No. 27

The Grizzlies have fully committed to rebuilding around young centerpieces Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant. Memphis’ reshuffled front office has laid the foundation for the rebuilding project by collecting young talent and future first-round picks through trading all-time Grizzlies great Mike Conley and moves made possible by that deal, such as getting a pick from Golden State by using a trade exception to take Andre Iguodala, whom Memphis hopes to flip for another asset. — MacMahon

27. Washington Wizards 2018-19 record: 32-50 2020 title odds: 500-1 Previous rank: No. 25

The Wizards are less in a rebuilding mode than a holding pattern as they navigate the future of their pricey starting backcourt — John Wall, who is recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon and unlikely to see much if any action in 2019-20, and Bradley Beal, one of the league’s elite shooting guards, who is coveted by contenders across the league. It’s likely to be a long winter in Washington while the Wizards weigh their options, develop Troy Brown and Rui Hachimura and buy time. — Arnovitz

28. New York Knicks 2018-19 record: 17-65 2020 title odds: 200-1 Previous rank: No. 18

This summer was expected to be triumphant — finally — for the Knicks. Instead, all they could do was watch as Irving and Durant chose to go across the East River and join the rival Nets. The fact the Knicks followed that up by signing a series of solid but unspectacular players — Julius Randle, Bobby Portis, Marcus Morris, Elfrid Payton and Wayne Ellington — to short-term deals did little to erase the bitter feelings with which their fans were left after the front office traded Kristaps Porzingis and then struck out on stars in free agency. Now the Knicks will struggle once again, while the Nets are the exciting team within the five boroughs. There will at least be one difference between last year and this one at Madison Square Garden, however: the presence of No. 3 overall pick R.J. Barrett, plus last year’s picks — first-rounder Kevin Knox and second-rounder Mitchell Robinson. — Bontemps

29. Charlotte Hornets 2018-19 record: 39-43 2020 title odds: 1000-1 Previous rank: No. 26

The Hornets will enter the 2019-20 season absent their top two win-shares leaders from last season and largely the same nucleus of league-replacement frontcourt talent whose contracts, one day, will expire. Depending on your appraisal of Terry Rozier, the bees either have a respectable young replacement for Kemba Walker at point guard or have once again forked over a contract of excessive value and length to a player without the body of work to justify it. Perhaps Charlotte can get a breakout season from one of its prospects: the tantalizing and sometimes confounding Malik Monk, or the promising forwards plucked in the past two drafts: Miles Bridges and PJ Washington. — Arnovitz

30. Cleveland Cavaliers 2018-19 record: 19-63 2020 title odds: 1000-1 Previous rank: No. 30

The youngster development continues in Cleveland. Watching Collin Sexton and Cedi Osman take their next steps could be entertaining, but a 2020 playoff run seems far-fetched for the Cavaliers. While top-tier Eastern teams such as the Nets, Bucks, Celtics and Pacers added big names to their rosters, the Cavs stayed relatively quiet in free agency. Cleveland continued to add to young talent, drafting Darius Garland with the No. 5 pick. It’ll also be adjusting to first-year coach John Beilein. Realistically, this year will be about chemistry building, not pursuing a playoff spot. — Andrews

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oselatra · 7 years

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Their home, too

Rasha Alzahabi is one of thousands of Arkansans whose families have been impacted by President Trump's travel ban.

On Sunday, Jan. 29, a last-minute protest organized by opponents of President Trump's ban on travel from seven majority-Muslim countries drew about a thousand people to the steps of the Arkansas Capitol. It was a large crowd for Little Rock and an especially impressive turnout considering many of those present had just assembled twice in the past week — a rally for reproductive rights had taken place at the Capitol the previous day and the Women's March for Arkansas a week before that. But while those actions were driven by anxiety over what the new president might do, this one was fueled by outrage over what he actually did with his newfound authority.

In December 2015, in the wake of the mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., by a self-radicalized married couple with sympathies to the so-called Islamic State, Trump the candidate promised supporters he would bar all Muslims from entering the United States. (One of the pair was an American-born citizen; the other was from Pakistan.) A little over a year later, on Jan. 27, Trump the commander-in-chief signed an order that kept citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries — Syria, Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Libya and Yemen — from traveling to the U.S. for 90 days. The order also suspended refugee admissions from any country for 120 days — except for refugees from suffering, war-ravaged Syria, who were banned indefinitely. The language in the order was so broad, and so legally porous, that even lawful permanent residents of the U.S. (that is, green card holders) from the seven targeted nations were initially barred from re-entry. Chaos erupted at international airports across the U.S. as the order went into effect, receding only when the ban was halted by a temporary restraining order from U.S. District Judge James Robart of Seattle on Feb. 3. The Trump administration appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which last week declined to stay Robart's restraining order; the case is ongoing.

Amid the turmoil, Arkansas has felt even further removed from national politics than usual. Because Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport receives only domestic flights, Little Rock saw no dramatic moments like those at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, where protests spontaneously erupted outside the terminal at which customs officials detained incoming travelers. However, to the thousands of Muslims who call Arkansas home, Trump's travel ban is anything but distant: It has upended hopes of reunifying families, disrupted travel plans and sent a wave of fear and uncertainty through the Muslim-American community, even with the order temporarily blocked.

Rasha Alzahabi, 31, is a lawyer and natural-born U.S. citizen whose parents immigrated to Michigan from Damascus, Syria, in the 1980s. Her husband, a cardiologist at Little Rock's John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, came to the U.S. from Aleppo in 2001 and is now an American citizen as well. They have lived in Arkansas for over three years and are raising four children in Little Rock.

"My father- and mother-in-law live with us; they're Syrian citizens," Alzahabi said. "They're legal permanent residents here, but, as you know, the executive order was so sweeping that it included denying legal permanent residents entry to the United States." Although the White House later backtracked and said the order should not be interpreted to mean green card holders were barred, the Trump administration did not change the language of the order itself. Should a court allow the travel ban to be revived, then whom exactly it affects could change with a whim of the president. That means Alzahabi's in-laws could potentially find themselves locked out of their adopted country if they travel overseas to visit family. "With what's going on in Syria, they haven't been able to visit in some time, but they have traveled to see my brother- and sister-in-law in other countries. My brother-in-law lives in Saudi Arabia. They were able to see my sister-in-law — who does live in Syria — in Lebanon last year." Now, she said, "Frankly, we're not comfortable with them traveling, given what's been going on, because we're concerned they may not be allowed re-entry to the United States, which is their home now. We really don't know what's going to happen. If legal permanent residents were being blocked from their own homes, then anything is possible."

Meanwhile, her brother-in-law's hopes of one day joining the family in the U.S. are diminishing. American immigration policy contains a "family preference system" that allows siblings of citizens to seek a green card, but it's not easy to get in the door — and the Trump administration wants to make it harder. Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican who has allied himself closely with Trump, recently introduced legislation in Congress that would eliminate adult siblings of U.S. citizens from the family preference system altogether.

"There's a long line for brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens as it stands — 12 or 13 years," Alzahabi said. "But [Syrian] brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens were one group that the Obama administration had identified as maybe getting priority in being able to settle in the United States as refugees, and my brother-in-law had applied for that program. He was just in the very preliminary steps of meeting with the United Nations folks [to seek refugee status] when this executive order was handed down. It doesn't seem likely that that's going to go anywhere." If reinstated, the travel ban would also prevent him from taking a trip to visit his family in Arkansas: "He's obtained a visitor visa to the U.S. on a number of occasions and came and visited us here. The way it's going, it doesn't seem like he'd be able to get a visa anytime soon."

It is difficult to estimate how many people in Arkansas are affected by the travel ban, but as Alzahabi's example illustrates, its shadow stretches well beyond those individuals directly denied entry to the U.S. Arkansas is home to Syrians, Yemenis, Iranians and Iraqis, most of whom are concentrated in Central and Northwest Arkansas and many of whom work in medical fields. There are not significant numbers of people from Somalia, Sudan or Libya living in the state, although there is a sizable community of Somalis and Sudanese just across the state line from Benton County in the southwestern Missouri town of Noel, drawn to the region by jobs in the poultry industry.

Soon after the order was implemented, University of Arkansas Chancellor Joseph Steinmetz issued a statement saying the Fayetteville campus included "well over 100 people from these affected countries [who] currently hold visas to study, visit and work in the U.S." The university told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Jan. 31 that two Iranian students visiting family back home were prevented from returning to the UA and resuming their studies. (Mohsen Dadashi, the president of the university's Iranian Student Association, said the two students were able to get back to Arkansas in the past week, thanks to the travel ban's being halted.) A spokesman for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock said there were 55 students at the school from the seven countries listed in the executive order. The Arkansas State University system said three students and two faculty members were from countries listed in the order, and the University of Central Arkansas said it had two students from the affected countries.

Alzahabi said the climate created by the executive order also affects Muslims whose families are not from one of the seven countries. "The executive order does say other countries may be added to the list," she noted. "I know other members of our community, people who are permanent residents, who have canceled travel plans because ... they are worried that their country will be added to the list and they won't be able to come back home. Everybody is concerned, even if they're not from those seven countries. You could say everyone is impacted, because ... everybody felt that it was a Muslim ban."

Trump insisted that his executive order "is not a Muslim ban, as the media is falsely reporting. This is not about religion — this is about terror and keeping our country safe. There are over 40 different countries worldwide that are majority Muslim that are not affected by this order." Yet Trump's previous statements undermine that claim. Alzahabi said the courts likely must confront the question of whether the ban is an intentional effort to discriminate on the basis of religion.

The 9th Circuit, Alzahabi noted, "didn't get too much into the establishment clause stuff, about religion, but it did kind of touch upon the fact that you can look beyond the language of the order in deciding whether there was a discriminatory effect. The president did say that he wanted a Muslim ban during his campaign. ... Rudy Giuliani, who worked with him on his campaign, came out and said Trump approached him and said, 'What's a legal way to do a Muslim ban?' So even though the language [in the executive order] doesn't talk about Muslims, and not all Muslims in the entire universe are banned ... you can still look beyond the language of the order. ... If the whole point was to ban Muslims from entering, that would be unconstitutional."

Dr. Mahmoud Hassanein is the imam at the Islamic Center of Little Rock, where Alzahabi is a member. Before taking the post at the ICLR a year and a half ago, Hassanein was an assistant professor of Islamic studies in English at Al-Azhar University in Cairo. He received his Ph.D. in comparative religions at Durham University in the United Kingdom.

"People have a lot of concerns ... because they don't know what's going on," he said. "I'm Egyptian. Egypt is not among the countries that are in the ban. ... But people say, 'Who knows, maybe Egypt could be added?' Maybe Pakistan — nobody knows. In such a situation, you can find rumors everywhere." Because of the uncertainty, some members of his congregation are even avoiding domestic flights, he said, despite his efforts to assuage their worst fears. "I personally believe in the American values, and I believe that America will remain American — welcoming all people regardless of their faith or their color or these things. ... But some people are getting their luggage, their things packed, they say, 'OK, we're going to leave anytime.' So many people, they don't feel comfortable.

"What I'm trying to tell people is that we support this country. We love it. And we're going to do our best to keep it strong and united. I have so many very strong relations with churches — with Christian, Jewish friends. ... I think things will be OK."

In the past few weeks, Hassanein said, the ICLR has received a steady stream of emails and flowers and cards from non-Muslims expressing friendship and solidarity. In a wall-mounted box prominently displayed in the prayer area of the mosque, the imam has mounted some of these well-wishes for congregants and visitors alike to see: evidence that tolerance across faiths and cultures can prevail. "As an American and a Christian, know that you are loved and supported by so many in our community," reads one.

"We are so sorry that you and your family are facing an atmosphere of hate and discrimination," another says. "My family will stand with you and support you. You do not deserve to be treated badly. You are our neighbors and friends, and we value your contributions to the Little Rock community."

The ICLR holds open houses every Friday afternoon to welcome visitors. "We receive delegates, groups from churches, Temple B'Nai Israel ... so I would say we've gotten very good feedback," Hassanein said. "I was invited just yesterday evening by the Second Presbyterian Church to deliver a lecture there ... so a lot of people now are interested to know what Islam is, which might be something good." He was especially heartened by the show of support at the rally at the state Capitol after the travel ban was first announced. "The most amazing thing about the rally was that the majority of the people were not Muslims," he said.

Alzahabi said she was also encouraged by the turnout at the Jan. 28 rally, and hoped for greater contact between Muslims and others. "I think that people who have interacted with Muslims will have a more positive view of Muslims, as opposed to people who don't know any Muslims and all they're getting is what they see in the media. You almost can't blame them for having an anti-Muslim sentiment."

Her own experience with encountering prejudice has been fairly minor, she said. "There's been isolated incidents where someone might make a comment ... but overall, I think most Americans are not racist and they're not bigots," Alzahabi said. "I've worked in the legal field, and oftentimes I was the only Muslim woman attorney I knew. I wear this scarf, and I've appeared in courtrooms in Wisconsin, and I worked in Indiana, and I never felt that being a Muslim held me back or that anybody bothered me. Sometimes it's hard to tell — you might get passed over by one employee because you are a minority, but there are others that want more diversity and may recruit you because you are a minority. So I think it's a mixed bag, and I always look at the positive side of things. ... There are incidents where you see racism and discrimination rear its ugly head ... but I have faith in the American people that hopefully we're going to overcome this and see past that kind of hateful and divisive rhetoric."

Nonetheless, the fact remains that Americans are anxious about the threat of terrorism and many conflate Muslims in general with violence committed by some in the name of Islam — something that most Muslim-Americans fiercely condemn. "No religion allows for the taking of life ... people of all religions commit evil acts," Alzahabi said. "Islam is a lot more similar to Christianity and Judaism than most of the American population realizes. It comes from that same tradition — we believe in Jesus as a prophet [and] the Ten Commandments. ... And it's unfortunate that we even have to go there and make that clear, but because of this rhetoric and what people see on the news, they've come to believe that there's a holy war, when that's not the case at all. I think it's simply politicians using that to push their agendas forward."

Yet paranoid rhetoric against Islam finds fertile ground in much of Arkansas. Last week, the state House of Representatives approved a bill by Rep. Brandt Smith (R-Jonesboro) that seeks to declare "American laws for American courts" and is motivated by the supposed threat of Sharia — the canonical law of Islam — creeping into the American judicial system. Although Smith could give no examples of Sharia being used in an Arkansas court, he said his bill was necessary as a preemptive measure considering demographic changes in the U.S.

Some immigrants "tend to group in small enclaves and they feel comfortable among their own people," Smith warned the House Judiciary committee on Feb. 2. "What happens is there will be some elder, some leader arise out of the group who says, 'We're here, but we're still going to run our lives based on law from our originating country,' and that puts some people who wanted freedom at risk of running afoul against their own people group after they arrive in our country."

Hassanein testified against the bill at the time, given that it seemed motivated by hostility toward Islam. But, he told the Times, it will have no real effect if it becomes statute. "I don't think it will at all ... because if a Muslim is here in America, he should abide by American laws. The word 'Sharia' has been misinterpreted in so many ways." Despite the enthusiasm among some Republican legislators for indulging Islamophobic symbolism, the imam's sentiments are backed up by Republican Governor Hutchinson, who said last week that the anti-Sharia bill was unnecessary. "I'm searching for a reason for that legislation. I've been in courts, I've litigated all over the country and here in Arkansas, and I just have not identified that as a problem," Hutchinson told a reporter when asked about HB 1041. (The measure is now awaiting consideration by the state Senate.)

Hassanein said, "What people need to do is know what Islam is and who are Muslims. Muslims are not violent people or looking for violence. On the contrary, the word 'Islam' itself, it means 'peace.' " He referenced the Jan. 29 terrorist attack at a mosque in Quebec City, Canada, in which a French-Canadian student killed six people at prayer and critically wounded five more; that atrocity should not be blamed on Christians or Christianity, he emphasized. "Evil is everywhere," the imam said. "I love my Christian friends ... and I read the Bible and I know the verses, and nothing there calls for violence. So if someone is committing a crime, it's unfair to refer to his religion. He's an evil person; leave the religion aside."

He asked the Times to end this article with a single sentence: "The Muslims here love this country, love Americans, and they are working day and night for the well-being, the progress, the development of America in general."

Their home, too

#Their home #too

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nofomoartworld · 7 years

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Hyperallergic: America Is Trembling: Jean Genet’s Answer to Donald Trump

Richard Avedon, “Jean Genet, writer, New York, March 11, 1970” (1970) (courtesy Avedon Foundation)

“What is still called American dynamism is an endless trembling.” That is Jean Genet’s prophetic declaration, written for a speech he delivered on May 1, 1970 at Yale University, before an audience of approximately 25,000.

In the wake of November’s election and yesterday’s swearing-in of President Donald J. Trump, this American “trembling” is so resounding that, 46 years on, Genet might slyly smile – or smirk — were he alive to see it.

We felt the trembling straightaway. We heard it in Trump’s racist hysteria about Mexicans in the summer of 2015. We saw it in the new President-Elect’s stupefied anxiety as he sat beside President Barack Obama in the White House on November 10, 2016. And the trembling was everywhere post-election, on the sidewalks and in the subways, in bedrooms and conference rooms, and in the faces of hoodwinked power brokers leaving Trump Tower. Remember wobbly Mitt Romney and the disconcerted Al Gore? The spooked Silicon Valley industry leaders and the humiliated gathering of news anchors?

Even former sycophants like Rudy Giuliani and Chris Christie trembled their way off the national stage. And still there is this trembling – a quaking among a docile but perturbed intelligentsia and a shuddering among the increasingly stifled presidential press corps. To say nothing of those legitimately shaking in fear about the potential cancellation of their Obamacare and Social Security and Medicare, or the coming legalized assaults to reverse their hard-earned civil rights, or their possible deportation. And the unspoken trembling about a Tweet-triggered nuclear showdown.

Still Genet’s comments from 1970 go further than predicting the current American trembling. This fearfulness, this state of general cowardice, is in his view, part of the reason why morons and goons end up running things: “Everyone [in America] trembles before everyone else” adding, “the strongest before the weakest and the weakest before the most idiotic.” If there’s a cure implied here, it’s that the strong need to stop cowering so that the weak and the foolish can be thrown out of power.

But since the very opposite has just happened, it might make for a distracting and instructive parlor game to imagine what Jean Genet would make of the ongoing American trembling he detected back in 1970.

Students in a line, holding hands during May Day demonstrations. Photographs used in the publication of the Yale Alumni Magazine, ca. 1917-1973 (inclusive) (courtesy Manuscripts & Archives, Yale University)

There are clues throughout his work. In his incendiary wartime novel Funeral Rites (1948), the collaborator Riton is willingly sodomized by a Nazi lover on a rooftop in occupied Paris, a national debasement Genet echoes years later in an interview in which he ridicules Adolph Hitler as the “Austrian corporal,” who brings a cowardly France to its knees. Genet’s drama The Balcony (1957), about the playacting and masochism of authority figures, is set in a posh brothel during a revolution in an unnamed country. Watching the news these days seems like watching that play’s revival. What would Genet make of an ingenious con man from Queens, the hapless scion of a racist developer, sworn in as President of the United States? How would he render, for the theater of the absurd, this bankrupt innkeeper who got a second chance by roleplaying his fictitious alter-ego on national television and then cashed in on his celebrity to take over the executive branch of the U.S government, as if that prize were some second-rate New York hotel? And Genet could easily unpack Trump’s fixations — about President Obama’s Kenyan patrimony, about the appeal of a Russian autocrat, and even about Trump’s self-mythologizing link between small hands and large genitalia. Most fitting for a Genet-like takedown is Trump’s messy empire, expertly tailored by its maker to showcase late capitalism’s ritualized sadism — from its pencil tower buildings and power neckties to his beauty contest carnivals and reality TV puppet shows.

Cover of playbill for stage production “The Blacks” by Jean Genet (via digitalcollections.nypl.org)

Genet’s writings uncover the perverse anarchies that operate within well-ordered hierarchies. He thought money was inherently evil and that the quest for power was a form of necrophilia. Many writers also had their finger on the overlooked diseases underlying postwar Western culture. But Genet, when he first visited the United States, was an internationally famous writer approaching the age of sixty who had a range of personal experiences that especially qualified him to detect America’s trembling.

Born in 1910, Genet was the orphaned son of a prostitute, the former ward of the French state, an erstwhile thief, vagrant and hustler who had spent nearly six years off and on doing time in various prisons, surviving, inside and outside their walls, among the most elaborate and dangerous of what we would today simply call “bullies”: jailhouse rapists, renegade Nazis, cross-dressing murderers. Genet’s highly stylized, sexually explicit works in memoir, fiction and playwriting transformed each of those genres, scandalizing readers and audiences and turning him into one of the most exasperating and profound moralists of the twentieth century. Late in his career, facing a decade-long writer’s block, his writing was reborn, first by engaging with the visual arts and, later, through writing about aspiring revolutionary groups who were fighting power from the margins. Little wonder, then, that by the late 1960s he was drawn to the trembling that was shaking the United States.

Jean Genet at the May Day Rally (photo © John T. Hill)

And so, in the summer of 1968, he entered the country illegally through Canada to cover, along with Terry Southern and William Burroughs, the Democratic National Convention in Chicago for Esquire. According to Edmund White’s biography, among many audacious acts, the older Genet, caught up in the state violence against protestors, stared down a rifle-toting National Guardsman and reassured the injured victims, many of them white kids who had never encountered police aggression. Covering the extended fiasco, Genet was a witty provocateur, denouncing the political convention as “gaudy and meaningless,” dismissing the Yippie icon Abbie Hoffman as “not bad for a professional” and, to Esquire’s outraged countercultural readership, praising the “divine” and “athletic” musculature of Chicago cops.

Man holding Black Panther flag behind police line during May Day demonstration. Photographs used in the publication of the Yale Alumni Magazine, ca. 1917-1973 (inclusive) (courtesy Manuscripts & Archives, Yale University)

Two years later, when Genet again entered the US illegally, the reactionary winds were blowing even stronger. This time he came mainly to advocate on behalf of the Black Panthers. And while a degree of homoerotic attraction fueled Genet’s initial interest in the Panthers’ paramilitary aesthetics, by 1970 Genet was savvier about American-style forms of power and state violence than he had been two years earlier. And the context of that time resembles the possibilities America faces after yesterday’s inauguration.

The law-and-order, paranoiac US President Richard Nixon had defeated a splintered Democratic Party in the ‘68 election and, by the time Genet returned in ‘70, Nixon had secretly escalated the war in Vietnam and begun blacklisting members of the press. Opponents were being spied upon; dissenters were labeled “terrorists.”

Genet, too, was on Nixon’s radar. Even when he was in Paris, the FBI had been monitoring the writer’s associations with American civil rights leaders. Under the supervision of Vice President Spiro Agnew and COINTELPRO, the Black Panthers were being targeted for elimination and the Party members were engaged in deadly shoot-outs with local police forces. The Party’s leader, Eldridge Cleaver, was living abroad in Algeria. One of its founding members, Bobby Seale, the sole African-American, was one of the original “Chicago Eight” before he was charged with contempt and removed from the proceedings, reducing the number to the “Chicago Seven.” Seale had been disgracefully bound, gagged and trussed in the courtroom in full public view. And it was at the height of this turbulence that Genet delivered his May Day speech at Yale University.

Jean Genet and Elbert Howard at the May Day Rally (photo © John T. Hill)

The speech, read in its English translation by a founding Black Panther member, Elbert “Big Man” Howard, consists of a rousing appeal on behalf of Bobby Seale, who was then on trial in New Haven for murder (the charges were eventually dropped). Genet’s oratorical strategy, a full-scale assault on the toxic apathy of white liberals, remains prophetic.

Genet blames the prevalence of racism on his Yale audience. “It is very clear that white radicals owe it to themselves,” he declares, “to behave in ways that would tend to erase their privileges.” Closing on a provocative note, he further goads the audience by comparing universities to “comfortable aquariums […] where people raise goldfish capable of nothing more than blowing bubbles.” Reread in light of the response to controversial police killings of African Americans in Charlotte, Ferguson, and elsewhere, Genet’s words bluntly spell out the diplomatically stated ideas coursing through the Black Lives Matter movement.

As relevant as those remarks on racism are to today’s situation, Genet’s extended “appendix” to the May Day Speech, first published in a special edition by City Lights Books, represents a wider confrontation with white neoliberals and their snug institutions.

Jean Genet, “May Day Speech” (1970) (© City Lights Books)

In the appendix, Genet broadens his offensive, declaring that the United States must acknowledge an inbuilt national “contempt” dating back to the country’s founding. Unless the nation owns up to this contempt, which “contains its own dissolving agent,” then that denial will cause “American civilization” to, quite soon, “disappear.”

And then he calls out those he sees as the enablers of this ongoing American contempt. First in his line of fire is an American press so prone to “lies by omission, out of prudence or cowardice” that even “New York Times lies” and “the New Yorker lies.”

As for colleges — those supposed hotbeds of tenured radicals — Genet presciently observes that inside American universities, the “only recognized values are quantitative” and thus our schools “turn [students] into a digit within a larger number” and cultivate in them “the need for security, for tranquility and quite naturally [professors] educate you to serve your bosses and beyond them, your politicians, although you are well aware of their intellectual mediocrity.”

And beyond this liberal collaboration with a culture of contempt, Genet sees an increasingly armed and alienated police force who “provoke fear” and yet who themselves “tremble” within this overall American shuddering.

No trait was more nauseating or, as Genet would have pointed out, more pompously flaunted by Trump’s presidential campaign than its unadulterated contempt: for women, for non-whites, for the disabled, for the press, and, ultimately, for the US Constitution. And yet it was the disdain of prosperous neoliberals for underpaid workers and the working poor that made Trump’s more schematized hatred more enthralling to his voters.

Genet’s May Day Speech offers no direct solutions to our current nightmare cycle of contempt. Certainly his analysis proved immediately true in 1970. Three days after Genet delivered his speech and fled the country, students protesting Nixon’s widening of the Vietnam war into Cambodia were killed by Ohio National Guardsmen at Kent State University. The rest of Nixon’s vulgar legacy is well-known and its wretched example inspires a good deal of the current President’s crude and effective stagecraft.

Perhaps Genet, being an avid reader of both Mikhail Bakunin and Marcel Proust, and thus both an anarchist’s anarchist and a writer’s writer, left the solutions for America’s trembling to the country’s own imagination.

Jean Genet’s signature (via Wikimedia Commons)

Maybe, as an expert con artist, Jean Genet assumed that language, if used with the right combination of refinement and cogency, could elicit a reckoning, just as his writing’s resolute, lyrical reenactments of real and imagined experiences validated his existential truths. If so, then, we might mimic Genet’s aggressive exactitude and ask ourselves questions that go deeper than the banalities of Sunday morning chat shows or yesterday’s forgotten tempests in a tea pot. Structural questions like: what kind of knowledgeable electorate can a nation cultivate while its primary news channels remain owned and overseen by entertainment empires such as 21st Century Fox, Time Warner, Walt Disney and Facebook? And what forms of confrontation could undo the insanity of the US Supreme Court’s decision to legalize political bribery through its Citizens United ruling?

And, finally, how to replace a two-party system representing a single power structure manipulated by financiers and bankers, one that recently fielded, on the one hand, a former childhood poverty advocate turned Wall Street motivational speaker and, on the other, a real-estate magnate who still produces a television show designed to fulfill its viewers’ need to normalize and enjoy a dehumanized economy?

Genet, a playwright and a hustler, could have easily seen through theatrics as cheap and nihilistic as Trump’s. Forced into that spectacle for the foreseeable future, the nation trembles at the potentially horrifying absence behind the role the man has been playacting. “The essence of theatre is the need to create not merely signs,” Genet writes, “but complete and compact images masking a reality that may consist in absence of being.”

The post America Is Trembling: Jean Genet’s Answer to Donald Trump appeared first on Hyperallergic.

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immedtech · 7 years

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UK mosques open up to visitors for food, tea, and a chance to talk

Mosques across the UK threw open their doors to visitors.

Image: DAVE CAULKIN/AP/REX/Shutterstock

By Colin Daileda2017-02-06 20:53:05 UTC

Imams in the United Kingdom want to talk.

Around 150 mosques across the country welcomed guests on Sunday as anti-Islamic rhetoric and crime continues to flow into everyday life in much of western Europe and the United States.

The goal of the event — organized by the Muslim Council of Great Britain and galvanized with the hashtag #VisitMyMosque — was conversation, along with some food and tea. Muslims opened up their mosques so anyone with questions could ask them, no matter the topic.

Folks that were gathered at a mosque in Birmingham asked what Muslims think of Jesus and how people there were combatting Islamic State (ISIS), according to Al Jazeera. At Finsbury Park mosque in London, Muslims answered questions about the way they pray and the difficulty of fasting from sun-up until sundown during the month of Ramadan, The Guardian reports.

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn was in attendance at Finsbury Park, where he spoke about the dangers of divisive language. “Over the past few weeks, there’s been some awful language used in many parts of the world," he said. "Awful language degenerates into awful actions. Those awful actions end up in the deaths of wholly innocent people."

He also took a shot at U.S. President Donald Trump, whom Corbyn no doubt believes is among those peddling what he described as "awful language."

Trump campaigned for the presidency partly on the promise of keeping Muslims out of the U.S., and at one point said he would "certainly implement" a system to track Muslims in the country.

His presidency was barely a week old when he signed an executive order aimed at restricting immigration to the U.S. for those with passports from Yemen, Libya, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Somalia and Syria. Detractors called the act a "Muslim ban," and former New York City Mayor and Trump superfan Rudy Giuliani said Trump initially asked him how he might "legally" construct a way to bar Muslims from the country.

Pew Research Center analysis of FBI statistics show anti-Muslim crime in the U.S. in 2015 — the latest year for which data is available — it was at levels not seen since 2001, the year of 9/11 attacks. Attacks have also spiked against people the perpetrators believe to be Arab, according to data compiled by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.

Anti-Muslim attacks shot up across the Atlantic in 2015, too. In the U.K., such attacks saw a 326 percent increase.

BONUS: Muslim MP Siddiq says Trump’s words are not funny — they're poisonous

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- Repost from: mashable Post

#ITlive #UK mosques open up to visitors for food #tea #and a chance to talk

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instantdeerlover · 4 years

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The London (Quarantine) Dinner & A Movie Guide added to Google Docs

The London (Quarantine) Dinner & A Movie Guide

Food and film is one of life’s great combinations. And though you can’t plan on which restaurant or what cinema right now, you can still invest far too much time in choosing what to stream and where to order from. Because, at the end of the day (not that we know what day it is), there isn’t much else to do. So that’s why we’ve written a guide on some of our favourite takeaway and movie combinations. With our current viewing schedule we’ll more than likely be updating this regularly.

THE SPOTS Giulia Verdinelli The Camberwell Arms £ £ £ £ British , Pub in Camberwell ££££ 65 Camberwell Church St 8.4 /10

Film Pairing: The King (Netflix)

“I wouldn’t describe myself as pro-monarchy or anything, but I do loyally and unflinchingly serve my king. And if that involves rewatching all 140 minutes of The King, just to see Timotheé Chalamet emerge from the sea, sword in hand, looking like the bowl-cut lead singer of a confusingly medieval mid-2000s indie band, then so be it. The fact of the matter is that this Shakespearian butchering is actively bad, even with Robert Pattinson doing his best Monty Python-ish French accent. But it is good to look at, so you may as well make a meal of it with a medieval serving of beef, ale, and bone marrow pie from The Camberwell Arms, and enough booze to lead you confidently into war with an enjoyably subpar film.” - JM

Homeslice Pizza Fitzrovia £ £ £ £ Pizza in Fitzrovia ££££ 52 Wells Street Not

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Film Pairing: Just Go With It (Netflix)

“Let’s be real. You’re going to feel good watching anything with Adam Sandler in it. But Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston? Is it possible to feel too good? Answer no. This light, hilarious, and adorable rom-com is all about pretending. Hiring your assistant to pretend to be your ex-wife, putting on a pretend British accent, and pretending to love your fake kids. But most of all, it’s about family. So order the ultimate family sharing food, a couple of 20-inch pizzas from Homeslice and share it with your quarantine family, whether that’s your parents, your flatmate, or your house plant. And while you’re at it, order one of their bottled cocktails, add a colourful umbrella and in true Just Go With It fashion, pretend that you’re also in Hawaii.” - RS

La Mia Mamma £ £ £ £ Italian in Chelsea ££££ 257 King’s Road 8.1 /10

Film Pairing: The Martian (Netflix)

“A Ridley Scott film all about a person stranded alone, tending to a bunch of plants, and eating ketchup out of a mug. Honestly, I can’t relate. Only rather than being in a North London flat surrounded by cacti and condiments, Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is stuck on Mars after a space mission goes awry. He has 50 days worth of food left. I need to try and stop myself from eating 50 days worth of food in the next hour. Our plights, similar. But both of our problems would be solved by the huge La Mia Mamma survival kit that involves everything from charcuterie, to handmade pasta, pizza dough, wine, cannoli, and more. Although the Italian mammas behind this great little place might not have mastered intergalactic shipping (yet), they are delivering across the whole of London.” - HLB

Rob Grieg Taquería ££££ 139-144 Westbourne Grove

Film Parining: What If (Amazon)

“My reasons for encouraging you to watch this film are two-fold. Reason one: Adam Driver’s face. Reason two: Adam Driver saying the iconic line, ‘I’ve just had sex, I’m about to eat [shouting] nachos. This is the greatest moment of my life’. An indie rom-com situation following Harry Potter (sorry, Daniel Radcliffe) as he tries to work out the whole being in love with a best mate thing. Which is lovely, but again, this is about Adam Driver. Be like Adam. Eat like Adam. Order some nachos, plenty of tacos, and obviously the churros, from Notting Hill’s Taqueria. And yes, Adam would approve of ordering a hibiscus margarita too.” - HLB

Yauatcha £ £ £ £ Chinese , Dim Sum in Soho ££££ 15-17 Broadwick St 7.7 /10

Film Pairing: The Platform (Netflix)

“Although The Platform is equal parts dark, twisted, and disturbing, something about watching other people’s lives depend on how much leftovers they can eat in two minutes, makes you kinda hungry. Which is why you should pair this movie with Yauatcha’s ‘Blossom Menu for 2’. You’ll have enough dim sum to make you feel like you’re on Level 1, and it’s not on the meaty side which you’ll realise is not a coincidence once you’re about 26 minutes in. And order some cake from Yauatcha patisserie, you’ll want it when the panna cotta takes centre stage.” - RS

Hash E8 £ £ £ £ Diner in Dalston ££££ 170 Dalston Lane Not

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Film Pairing: Phantom Thread (Netflix)

“Phantom Thread is a serious film. But you don’t need to take it too seriously. Sure, you could enjoy it - if you’ll excuse me coming over a bit Sight & Sound for a moment - for the thrill of having your expectations of co-dependency in creative relationships masterfully subverted, but there’s also a lot of fun to be had. There are grand yesteryear-ish locations, a magnificent array of socks and ascots, and of course a series of intolerantly withering glances that lead character Reynolds Woodcock, played by Daniel Day-Lewis, shoots at anyone who dares to butter their toast too loudly. But then there’s that legendary breakfast order. You don’t need to use it as a basis for your selection from Hash E8 - I’m not even sure they’re delivering Welsh rarebit or pots of lapsang - but if you end your order with the totally random addition of sausages, you’re basically my hero.” - OJF

Dominique Ansel Bakery £ £ £ £ Cafe/Bakery in Victoria ££££ 17-21 Elizabeth St 7.8 /10

Film Pairing: Marie Antoinette (Amazon)

“God I wish Sofia Coppola was directing my quarantine. I’d probably have some kind of groundbreaking fringe and exceptional pillows. For now, I’ll settle for watching her film Marie Antionette - a pumped up, rock and roll take on the life of a French queen and more importantly, historical cake supporter. If you’re able to watch the trailer without daydreaming about getting a bit feral with a salted caramel éclair, then you’re a stronger person than I am. But if you do fancy a luxury cake slice and some viennoiserie stat, then Belgravia’s Dominique Ansel is delivering their signature pastries, as well as pasta hampers, and fresh focaccia. Heads up, the soundtrack is a real winner too.” - HLB

Giulia Verdinelli The Compton Arms £ £ £ £ British , Pub in Islington ££££ 4 Compton Avenue 8.0 /10

Film Pairing: Jurassic Park (Prime)

“Not everyone needs an excuse to do a dinosaur impression - my Mariah Carey-inspired velociraptor numbers are similar enough to the sound of foxes making love for them to go unnoticed - but if you’re looking for one, then order in from Four Legs at The Compton Arms. The first time I ordered their sensational cheeseburger in, I trundled up and down the stairs to collect it, caused multiple ripples, and inhaled it quicker than Samuel L Jackson does a Marlboro Red throughout this Spielberg masterpiece. Like cheeseburgers, fried chicken, and chocolate chip cookies, Jurassic Park is a classic. So it’s only right you pair accordingly.” - JM

Zia Lucia ££££ 157 Holloway Rd

Film Pairing: The Terminal (Netflix)

“A classic warm and fuzzy Spielberg tale of a man who is forced to stay within the confines of JFK after a civil war in his own country means he can’t return home or leave the airport. As you can tell, I’m quite into films that depict people living through isolation at the moment. What can I say? I like watching Tom Hanks process loneliness, so I don’t have to. Anyway, there are plenty of scenes involving Hanks attempting to create a meal out of free ketchup sachets and crackers and I immediately thought ‘dear god, get this poor man a pizza’. Instead, I got myself one. Zia Lucia are delivering their 48-hour, slow-risen pizzas from Islington, Hammersmith, Wembley, and Aldgate East. Also, clap clap clap, there’s burrata too.” - HLB

E. Pellicci £ £ £ £ Cafe/Bakery in Bethnal Green ££££ 332 Bethnal Green Rd 8.6 /10

Film Pairing: Snatch (Netflix)

“Back when you thought fake IDs and liquorice Rizla were life essentials is around the time when you thought Snatch was the greatest film ever made. And though Guy Ritchie’s Brylcream-slick style can grate the older you get and the more Nike adverts you watch, this gypsy crime caper is still a hugely watchable and quotable film. Short of eating jellied eels, a whole pie or a tray of cannelloni from E. Pellicci is the closest you’ll get to matching the geezer-ish antics on screen. Safe to say that, like Tyrone, you won’t be getting away from much after a tray of the caf’s legendary lasagne.” - JM

Giulia Verdinelli Quality Wines £ £ £ £ British in Clerkenwell , Farringdon ££££ 88 - 94 Farringdon Road 8.0 /10

Film Pairing: Sour Grapes (Netflix)

“Halfway through watching Sour Grapes for the first time round I paused, started mixing Blossom Hill with Ribena, and asked my housemate to intermittently blow cigarette smoke and crumble bits of earth into the concoction. Sadly I never sourced an empty bottle of 1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and thus my career as a wine forger ended with a muddy, blackberry-flavoured, ashtray. Minus $35 million and a few decent-looking dinners, this is, in essence, a not dissimilar story to the one told in the 2016 documentary about wine fraudster Rudy Kurniawan. It’s an engrossing (and weirdly inspiring) story that’s best matched with gildas, focaccia, terrine, and a whole lot of burgundy from Quality Wines.” - JM

The Cheese Bar £ £ £ £ American , Sandwiches in Camden ££££ Unit 93 North Yard Not

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Film Pairing: Aloha (Netflix)

“This is a dreadful film. Like, awful. But it has a stellar cast and I was ripely hungover, at altitude, when I first watched it. As such, the story of former US Air Force Officer Bradley Cooper being rehired by ex-boss Bill Murray to build some military thing in Hawaii while he battles past feelings for Rachel McAdams, and burgeoning ones for bolshy young Captain Emma Stone, holds a fond, if Bombay Sapphire-and-diazepam influenced, place in my heart. Should you watch it? Probably not. Will you? Yes. It’s linear, it’s predictable, and a fondue from The Cheese Bar feels like a suitably cheesy thing to eat with it.” - JM

Giulia Verdinelli Beer + Burger £ £ £ £ Burgers in Hackney ££££ 464 Kingsland Rd Not

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Film Pairing: Erin Brockovich (Netflix)

“Erin Brockovich is a tale of justice, redemption, determination, and the power of a push-up bra. Based on a true story about a David vs. Goliath lawsuit, it stars Julia Roberts at her curly-haired, strappy-sandal-wearing, American hero best. Order in a different American hero, the cheeseburger. More specifically, the double cheeseburger from Beer + Burger, who are delivering from Notting Hill, King’s Cross, Dalston, Willesden Green, and The O2 Centre. Bonus points if you can time it so you take a big, satisfying bite of dirty fries just as Julia knocks out the line ‘that’s all you got lady, two wrong feet and ugly shoes’.” - HLB

Karolina Wiercigroch Mr Bao £ £ £ £ Taiwanese in Peckham ££££ 293 Rye Ln 8.1 /10

Film Pairing: Midsommar (Prime)

“You don’t need magic mushrooms to fully enjoy Midsommar, just like you don’t need to join a Swedish cult, or be continually gaslit by your partner. But in lieu of those things, you’ll want to order Mr. Bao’s teriyaki-marinated shiitake mushroom bao, complete with miso mayo and crispy shallots, to add a little necessary fun(ghi) to the experience. In fact, throw in some sweet potato fries, tenderstem broccoli, and some golden kimchi and you’ll have a multi-coloured, psychedelic experience of your own.” - JM

L'ETO Caffè ££££ 155 Wardour St

Film Pairing: Matilda (Netflix)

“If recreating the chocolate cake scene from this Roald Dahl adaptation isn’t on your bucket list, then we’re going to assume that you haven’t seen Matilda. Or you were too busy trying to move the TV remote with your mind to take in just how huge and sickeningly satisfying it looked when Bruce ate it with his hands. And if eating a chocolate cake the size of a car tyre is supposed to be a punishment, then why has it been in the back of our minds since we were six years old? And where can we get one? L’eto Caffe’s Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake is where you can, and should get one. Think chocolate sponge cake, with chocolate cream and raspberry layers and a shiny chocolate glaze. Eating this cake while watching Matilda is the ultimate power move. Do it for your six-year-old self. Eat the cake.” - RS

Hide £ £ £ £ Modern European in Mayfair ££££ 85 Piccadilly 8.7 /10

Film Pairing: The Wolf Of Wall Street (Amazon Prime)

“This whole Scorsese film is basically just one big cluster fuck of greed, drugs, and Leonardo DiCaprio spitting. I love it. And you know what, there just aren’t enough films with lion cameos these days. The Wolf Of Wall Street is also about living the high life and it doesn’t get any more ‘I’ve made it’ than eating Hide’s seriously excellent fine dining food at home. I’m talking freshly baked madeleines, glazed salmon with white miso, soft-shell crab tempura, and a wagyu meatloaf. Honestly, the signature £24 black truffle croque monsieur is tasty enough to make you think ‘hmm, fraud, technically not great, but if I did dabble in just a teeny-tiny bit of money laundering, I could eat this for breakfast everyday’. Of course I’m kidding. Kind of.” - HLB

Gloria £ £ £ £ Italian in Shoreditch ££££ 54-56 Great Eastern Street 8.3 /10

Film Pairing: Nights of Cabiria (Curon at Home)

“Gloria is a ridiculous, over-the-top, life-affirming, thoroughly joyous Italian restaurant in Shoreditch that’s offering delivery or collection. Nights of Cabiria is its perfect film pairing. Mostly because it’s got all those qualities in spades, but also because it’s thoroughly heart-breaking, and who doesn’t like to cry into a lasagne for four (for one) or a tiramisu for six (also for one). Be prepared to fall in love again and again with this mesmerising and irrepressibly optimistic Italian masterpiece. Just don’t come complaining to me when every other movie you watch for the rest of your life pales in comparison to its fun and energy.” - OJF

Fish Central £ £ £ £ British in Clerkenwell ££££ 149-151 Central St 7.0 /10

Film Pairing: Four Lions (Prime)

“Before Kim Kardashian broke the internet, four wannabe jihadists from Sheffield planned to blow it up. Chris Morris’ suicide bomber satire is, like the best British films, a story of poignant and fatal farce. Crows are detonated, bleach is bought, and mini Babybels are insulted. It’s the kind of comedy that could only come from these shores and, with that in mind, a trip down the chippy feels like the most fitting combination. Fish Central offers the classics and a little more, thanks to things like skate wings, scampi, and a prawn cocktail we can never say no to.” - JM

Giulia Verdinelli Officina 00 £ £ £ £ Italian in Shoreditch ££££ 152 Old Street 8.3 /10

Film Pairing: Gone Girl (Netflix)

“This head-twister of an intimate thriller was written by Gillian Flynn, my literary angel and future marriage counselor. The question is: Did Nick Dunne (sad Ben Affleck) kill his wife? The answer: You’ll have to watch to find out - and why not eat handmade pasta at the same time, alongside enough rich tomato ragu to match the heavy-duty bloodbath scene. Go for the Officina 00 meal kit. This film is a great shout if you need a reminder why your quarantine partner might not be so bad afterall. Neil Patrick Harris fans, take cover.” - HLB

Juliet's ££££ 110 Mitcham Road

Film Pairing: The Apartment (Prime)

“I remember watching Some Like It Hot at school, but when I discovered the rest of Billy Wilder’s filmography, I had to put a firm hand on my own shoulder and tell myself to stop. Don’t gorge - I told myself. One day you’re going to need these... Little did I know that I would be right. That one day, the world would close and we’d all have stay at home for weeks on end. Fortunately I heeded my own words and have a stash of Billy Wilder films to watch and cheer myself up with. That said, I keep coming back to The Apartment. Not just because I relate to Jack Lemmon’s CC Baxter on a near cellular level, but also because it’s just so damned funny, and lovely, and lonely, and hopeful. It’s perfect. Pair it with a four-course meal kit for two from Juliet’s. It come with a bottle of wine and crumble for dessert, and you can make it a theme evening by ordering a couple of marshmallow, chocolate and sea salt cookies as well.” - OJF

via The Infatuation Feed https://www.theinfatuation.com/london/guides/dinner-and-a-movie-delivery-london Nhà hàng Hương Sen chuyên buffet hải sản cao cấp✅ Tổ chức tiệc cưới✅ Hội nghị, hội thảo✅ Tiệc lưu động✅ Sự kiện mang tầm cỡ quốc gia 52 Phố Miếu Đầm, Mễ Trì, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội http://huongsen.vn/ 0904988999 http://huongsen.vn/to-chuc-tiec-hoi-nghi/ https://trello.com/userhuongsen

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vinayv224 · 4 years

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Three State Department officials testify publicly in the impeachment inquiry; Israel and Islamic Jihad in Gaza exchange strikes, despite a ceasefire.

Vox Sentences is your daily digest for what’s happening in the world. Sign up for the Vox Sentences newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday, or view the Vox Sentences archive for past editions.

Three witnesses, almost 12 hours of testimony

The impeachment inquiry moved squarely into the public eye this week with the first open hearings, featuring testimony from State Department officials Bill Taylor, George Kent, and Marie Yovanovitch. [CNBC / Kevin Breuninger]

In his testimony alongside Kent on Wednesday, Taylor furnished one big new piece of information: a phone call on July 26 to US Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland in which President Trump was said to ask about “investigations” in Ukraine. [Vox / Andrew Prokop]

Kent also testified about a memo he wrote after learning of the July 25 phone call between Trump and Zelensky. [New York Times / Sheryl Gay Stolberg]

On Friday, Yovanovitch testified about her removal from her position as the ambassador to Ukraine in May as well as a smear campaign against her linked to Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. [FiveThirtyEight]

While Yovanovitch testified to her feelings of dismay and perception of Trump’s discussion of her as a threat, the president tweeted an attack on her — which nearly everyone agreed was a bad idea and might even count as witness tampering. [Washington Post / Rosalind S. Helderman and Rachael Bade]

The hearings pick back up next week with eight witnesses are on the schedule for public testimony, including Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, former special representative to Ukraine Kurt Volker, National Security Council senior director for Russia Fiona Hill, and Sondland. [CBS News]

Despite hours of televised questioning and statements, 81 percent of voters say that the public hearings will have little or no impact on their view of Trump. [Politico / Steven Shepard]

Dozens dead from Israel airstrike exchange

Israel conducted a military strike against Islamic Jihad positions in Gaza, in a continuation of fighting despite a ceasefire. [Haaretz]

Friday, the Israel Defense Forces admitted to launching more raids targeting the group whose top official, Bahaa Abu al-Ata, was killed in a strike on Tuesday. [Al Jazeera]

Since al-Ata’s death, over 450 rockets have been fired into Israel, according to the IDF. This is the largest rocket attack since May. [Wall Street Journal / Dov Lieber]

Less than 24 hours after the ceasefire was agreed upon by both the IDF and Islamic Jihad, airstrikes killed over 30 people. Around half of those killed were civilians. [AP News / Josef Federman and Fares Akram]

“Too often civilians pay the price for political brinkmanship by states and armed group,” said Omar Shakir, country director at Human Rights Watch. Shakir went on the call the attacks “unlawful.” [New York Times]

Miscellaneous

Texas State Rep. Alfonso Nevárez stated his intent not to run for reelection; an arrest warrant in his name was issued after being caught on camera dropping an envelope of cocaine. [Dallas Morning News / Lauren McGaughy]

Taylor Swift’s messy and public battle with her record label continued with a social media post late Thursday. [Vox / Constance Grady]

Paging Dr. Llama: why these furry South American camelids are becoming increasingly popular in the therapy world. [New York Times / Jennifer A. Kingson]

Chile’s embattled government announced a plan to hold a constitutional referendum next April. [Reuters / Dave Sherwood]

A 9-year-old from Belgium is set to graduate from his undergraduate studies, and he already knows what he wants to do when he grows up: create artificial organs after attaining a PhD in engineering and studying medicine. [CNN / Jack Guy]

Verbatim

“We thought it was important that justice be done for Kateryna Handziuk and for others who fight corruption in Ukraine. It’s not a tabletop exercise there. Lives are in the balance. So we wanted to bring attention to this.” [Former US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch testifying before Congress about how she was honoring a Ukrainian anti-corruption activist when she got the call to leave Ukraine]

Watch this: We’re melting the Arctic and reviving deadly germs

A warming planet is thawing some nasty pestilences. [YouTube / Danush Parvaneh, Liz Scheltens, and Christina Thornell]

Hurricane Katrina inspired a national pet evacuation policy. The plan could save human lives, too.

Activists want Congress to ban facial recognition. So they scanned lawmakers’ faces.

The global crackdown on parents who refuse vaccines for their kids is on

Disturbing video shows an Arizona sheriff’s deputy body slam a quadruple amputee

Twitter is walking into a minefield with its political ads ban

from Vox - All https://ift.tt/2Ogs2q3

#IFTTT #Blogger

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bountyofbeads · 5 years

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1073001?__twitter_impression=true

"Republicans outsourced Ukraine policy to a private lawyer being paid by Russian mobsters. An Army vet objected to their extortion racket. Republicans are calling him disloyal."

Republicans Smear Army Vet Testifying Against Trump as a Ukrainian Spy

By Jonathan Chait |Published October 29, 2019 9:25 AM ET | New York Magazine | Posted October 29, 2019 |

Last night, the New York Times reported that Alexander S. Vindman, the top Ukraine expert in the National Security Council, will testify to the House that he expressed grave concerns about President Trump’s politicized extortion of Ukraine’s president. Vindman will be the first White House official who took part in the July 25 phone call to testify. The Republican response to Vindman’s testimony is already clear: They are smearing him as a Ukrainian spy.

The Times reports that, in his capacity as NSC Ukraine adviser, Vindman was often contacted by Ukrainian officials who were confused about the extortionate demands being made on them by Rudy Giuliani. Laura Ingraham seized upon this sentence last night:

“Here we have a U.S. national-security official who is advising Ukraine while working inside the White House apparently against the president’s interest,” said an incredulous Ingraham on her nightly show. “Isn’t that kind of an interesting angle on this story?” former Bush-administration lawyer John Yoo replied. “Some people might call that espionage.” (Alan Dershowitz, the third member of the colloquy, smiled along.)

This morning on cable news, the smear campaign continued. “It seems very clear that he is incredibly concerned about Ukrainian defense,” said former congressman Sean Duffy on CNN. “I don’t know that he’s concerned about American policy … We all have an affinity to our homeland where we came from … he has an affinity for the Ukraine.” Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade added, “We also know he was born in the Soviet Union, emigrated with his family. Young. He tends to feel simpatico with the Ukraine.”

Vindman is a decorated Army lieutenant colonel and an Iraq War veteran with a Purple Heart. That, of course, does not mean his conduct cannot be criticized. But Vindman testifies that he reported all his concerns over Trump up the chain of command, following procedure and working within official channels.

It was the object of his concern, Rudy Giuliani, who was going around official channels. Indeed, Giuliani was pressuring Ukrainian officials not only on behalf of Trump as a private client — a completely inappropriate interference in foreign policy — but also on behalf of the Russian gangsters who were paying him and running a side hustle shaking down Ukraine’s energy department.

The Republican position is that there’s no loyalty problem involved in having American foreign policy conducted by an off-the-books lawyer with no security clearance who was apparently on the payroll of the Russian Mafia. The security problem is the NSC official advising an American ally about how to deal with the goons demanding that the ally subvert the independence of its judicial system and insert itself into the American election, and also that it give the goons a little taste of the gas-import business. The Republicans’ logic is that Giuliani and his sleazy clients represent “the president’s interest,” as Ingraham put it. And the president’s interest, however corrupt or improper, is the national interest. If you are working at cross-purposes with Rudy and his thugs, you must be disloyal to America.

*********

Officials cringed as Trump spilled sensitive details of al-Baghdadi raid(VIDEO)

Some details the president has revealed are inaccurate, others are classified. Officials say they worry what to put in briefings for a man with no filter.

By Courtney Kube and Carol E. Lee | Published Oct. 28, 2019, 5:03 PM EDT, Updated Oct. 29, 2019, 10:43 AM EDT | NBC News | Posted October 29, 2019 |

IRBIL, Iraq — President Donald Trump painted a vivid picture for the world of the deadly U.S. military raid on ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, a raid that only a small number of people witnessed in real time.

A "beautiful" and "talented" dog got injured. A robot had been on standby to aid in the hunt for al-Baghdadi if needed. U.S. Special Operations Forces arrived in eight helicopters and were on the ground for about two hours. They entered al-Baghdadi's compound within seconds by blowing holes in the side of the wall. They chased al-Baghdadi into a web of underground tunnels — many of them dead ends — that they already knew existed. Before the U.S. forces left for the 70-minute, "very low and very, very fast" helicopter ride back along the same route from which they arrived, they captured some of al-Baghdadi's henchmen and seized "highly sensitive material and information" outlining the origin of ISIS and plans for future plots.

A few of those colorful details were wrong. Many of the rest were either highly classified or tactically sensitive, and their disclosure by the president made intelligence and military officials cringe, according to current and former U.S. officials.

The al-Baghdadi raid is the most high-profile exhibit of a reality U.S. officials have had to contend with since Trump took office: a president with a background in show business who relishes delivering a compelling narrative and deals daily with the kind of covert, life-and-death sets of facts that inspire movie scripts.

The president, as the ultimate authority on classification, can declassify any piece of government information simply by releasing it publicly. And some top U.S. officials — including then-President Barack Obama, who signed a law to reduce the amount of classified material — have lamented the government's tendency to over-classify information. But current and former senior U.S. officials said from the earliest days of his presidency that Trump consistently wants to make public more than his advisers think is legally sound or wise for U.S national security.

"We agonized over what we would put in his briefings," one former senior White House official said, "because who knows if and when he's going to say something about it."

"He has no filter," the official added. "But also if he knows something, and he thinks it's going to be good to say or make him appear smarter or stronger, he'll just blurt it out."

On Monday, Trump declassified a photo of the dog, revealing its breed, which was classified. But the dog’s name remains top secret. Inquiries about the dog flooded in after Trump disclosed that "the K-9 was hurt, went into the tunnel."

Trump also said Monday that he is considering releasing footage of the al-Baghdadi raid, and Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that the military is working on declassifying some images.

"We have video and photos," Milley said.

A couple of the president's statements on Sunday were inaccurate or left U.S. officials wondering where he got his information, officials said. The president said when U.S. officials notified Russia it would be entering airspace in western Syria, they told the Russians, "We think you're going to be very happy." But that phrase was not said on the call with the Russians, a U.S. official said. Trump also said al-Baghdadi was "crying and screaming" as U.S. forces chased him down, but U.S. officials said they didn't hear those sounds, and Milley told reporters he doesn't know the source of the president's information on that.

The overarching concern about Trump's disclosures on the al-Baghdadi raid, officials said, is that he gave America's enemies details that could make intelligence gathering and similar military operations more difficult and more dangerous to pull off.

Revealing that the U.S. possesses documents about future ISIS plans hurts the military's ability to use that information for quick follow-on operations, officials said. The president's disclosure that the U.S. had taken ISIS fighters from the compound complicated efforts to try to keep ISIS from knowing who is alive or dead for as long as possible while they interrogate them, officials said.

Some of the president's comments could complicate the intelligence gathering that leads to such raids because they revealed sources and methods the U.S. uses, officials said. They pointed to his saying that the U.S. knew of al-Baghdadi's whereabouts via technology, and also knew of the underground tunnels at his compound, which suggests the U.S. has infrared abilities to locate caves and tunnels.

"We knew it had tunnels. The tunnels were a dead end, for the most part. There was one, we think, that wasn't. But we had that covered, too, just in case," Trump said.

Other information Trump discussed provided America's enemies with tactical details on how the military carries out a raid like the one on al-Baghdadi, officials said, including the robot, the helicopter flight patterns and how U.S. forces entered the compound.

Some of the information, while not overly damaging, is just more than the military would like disclosed, officials said, such as that al-Baghdadi "had a lot of cash" and the president saying he was able to view the raid remotely "as though you were watching a movie."

Officials said the first major battle over disclosing details of military operations was in 2017 when Trump ordered airstrikes on areas controlled by the Assad regime in Syria.

The arguments against disclosures are usually based on concerns about revealing sources and methods or the idea that the more the president releases publicly, the weaker his argument about exerting executive privilege becomes. Sometimes he overrules them, while other times he simply says things publicly that they weren't expecting him to disclose.

Trump has since pushed the boundaries on a myriad of topics, officials said, and they don't expect that to be curtailed.

He's talked publicly about deploying a nuclear submarine in Asia, and more recently about nuclear weapons the U.S. never acknowledges it keeps in Turkey. Early in his presidency, Trump's disclosure of specific intelligence to Russian officials raised alarms among administration officials. After Trump wrote on Twitter in August that the U.S. was learning a lot about a mysterious explosion in Russia, a senior administration official told NBC News an aide would have to inform him his disclosure risked revealing sources and methods.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

*********

On Fox News and Right-Wing Web, Alexander Vindman Is Accused of ‘Espionage’

By Michael M. Grynbaum and Davey Alba | Published October 29, 2019 Updated 1:50 PM ET | New York Times | Posted October 29, 2019 |

Prominent right-wing media commentators have sought for weeks to cast aspersions on the House impeachment inquiry into President Trump, echoing the president’s repeated cries of “witch hunt!” and framing the investigation as motivated by political bias.

This week, some of those commentators opened a new front: questioning the patriotism of Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman, the White House national security official and decorated Iraq war veteran who was testifying on Tuesday that he had heard Mr. Trump ask Ukraine to investigate his Democratic political rival.

[Related: Read Alexander Vindman’s opening statement on Trump and Ukraine.]

One pundit on Fox News went as far as to suggest that Colonel Vindman had engaged in “espionage” against the United States, prompting an unusual rebuke from a Republican member of Congress.

Colonel Vindman, who received a Purple Heart after he was wounded in Iraq, is a Ukrainian-American immigrant who was 3 years old when his family fled to the United States. On her Fox News program on Monday, the conservative host Laura Ingraham sought to turn his ethnic background against him, noting that Ukrainian officials had recently sought the colonel’s advice about interacting with Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani.

“Here we have a U.S. national security official who is advising Ukraine while working inside the White House, apparently against the president’s interest,” Ms. Ingraham said. “Isn’t that kind of an interesting angle on this story?”

Her guest, John Yoo, a former top lawyer in the George W. Bush administration, agreed. “I find that astounding,” Mr. Yoo said. “Some people might call that espionage.”

The accusation by Mr. Yoo was decried by left-leaning pundits and, on Tuesday, by Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming, a Republican lawmaker. “It is shameful to question their patriotism, their love of this country,” Ms. Cheney said, calling on critics to stop questioning the colonel’s loyalties.

Still, the notion that Colonel Vindman has some allegiance to a foreign country rapidly spread in right-wing circles, who apparently sensed a useful talking point to undermine testimony that is expected to be deeply damaging to Mr. Trump.

On Tuesday, the president repeatedly described Colonel Vindman as a “Never Trumper” in a series of posts on Twitter. On CNN’s “New Day,” Sean Duffy — a former Republican representative from Wisconsin and now a pro-Trump pundit — declared: “It seems very clear that he is incredibly concerned about Ukrainian defense. I don’t know that he’s concerned about American policy.”

“We all have an affinity to our homeland where we came from,” Mr. Duffy added. “Like me, I’m sure that Vindman has the same affinity.”

His interviewer, the CNN anchor John Berman, pushed back. “Are you suggesting that you would put Irish defense over U.S. defense? Is that what you’re saying?” he asked, referring to Mr. Duffy’s Irish heritage.

“He has an affinity, I think, for the Ukraine,” Mr. Duffy said. “He speaks Ukrainian, and he came from the country and he wants to make sure they’re safe and free.”

Colonel Vindman, 44, grew up in Brooklyn, completed basic training in 1999, and carried out numerous overseas tours in the Army, including in South Korea, Germany and Iraq. In 2003, he was wounded by a roadside bomb and received a Purple Heart. He has served in multiple United States embassies and joined the National Security Council in 2018.

But online, the conspiracy theory about Mr. Vindman as a foreign agent has begun to spread.

On Tuesday morning, Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida, a close Trump ally, tweeted: “Donald Trump is innocent. The deep state is guilty.” An account tied to QAnon, the fringe online conspiracy movement, amplified his claim to 160,000 followers on Twitter, and the conspiracy claim was likewise posted to a Facebook QAnon page within the hour.

Rep. Matt Gaetz ✔@RepMattGaetz

Donald Trump is innocent. The deep state is guilty.

26.3K

9:23 AM - Oct 29, 2019

12.5K people are talking about this

Jack Posobiec, a well-known figure on the far-right internet, tweeted the falsehood that Mr. Vindman had been advising the Ukrainian government on how to counter Mr. Trump’s foreign policy goals. Mr. Posobiec cited The New York Times as his source — in fact, The Times reported no such thing.

Nevertheless, his tweet was repeated verbatim at least 50 times by over 25 accounts in the same hour, many written in response to mainstream media tweets about news of Mr. Vindman’s testimony with no reference back to Mr. Posobiec’s original tweet.

Ben Decker contributed reporting.

*********

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thisdaynews · 5 years

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How Mitch McConnell could give impeachment the Merrick Garland treatment

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/how-mitch-mcconnell-could-give-impeachment-the-merrick-garland-treatment/

How Mitch McConnell could give impeachment the Merrick Garland treatment

Sure, it would be an unprecedented move in U.S. history for Republican leader Mitch McConnell to table Trump impeachment proceedings without allowing any significant debate or a vote to convict a president from his own party, thereby removing him from office. But it’d be well within his power.

Conventional wisdom still says there has to be a Trump trial. McConnell, after all, said in March that the Senate would have “no choice” but to hold one if the House voted for impeachment.

But political conditions can change quickly in the Trump era. And lawmakers from both parties say they wouldn’t be surprised if the Kentucky Republican ultimately made the same calculation he did in 2016 when President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court — only for the Democratic president to see his pick axed by McConnell under the auspices of letting voters decide who should fill the vacancy in the next election.

“You’re going to start hearing that argument and much more loudly, because we’re not too far away from the moment when voters start voting,” said Michael Steel, a longtime GOP operative and aide to former House Speaker John Boehner. “You’ve got to make the case why it matters and why it rises to the level of removing an elected president of the United States from the White House.”

Party politics are sure to be front and center in McConnell’s decision. The Senate Republican doesn’t need to worry about his most vulnerable incumbents facing serious primary challengers. The more pressing issue is whether he makes them take a vote exposing them next November to Democratic attacks that they failed to hand Trump the ultimate punishment for his misdeeds.

Among the many calculations Republicans say McConnell has in his favor is simply the whirlwind that is Trump. Think back to the Sharpie hurricane map, the president’s overtures to buy Greenland or even the “Access Hollywood” tape. The GOP can almost take it to the bank that any outrage voters are hearing in the short term about a thwarted impeachment trial would be subsumed by something else come Election Day.

“We move onto whatever the next thing is,” Steel said.

That doesn’t mean it won’t get ugly. Impeachment is bare-knuckles stuff, and House Democrats are fuming over a whistleblower complaint that Trump in the wake of special counsel Robert Mueller’s nearly two-year Russia probe asked for another foreign country to help him win an election.

At the same time, there’s pretty much widespread agreement on a point that would be central to the debate over a Senate trial — where a two-thirds vote is required for conviction but where the Constitution itself is sufficiently ambiguous on the requirements for him to do it. In fact, the word “must” doesn’t appear anywhere in the document.

“Up to the Senate,” former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said in an email. “No way to force them to act.”

“The Senate makes the decision,” agreed Don Ritchie, the retired Senate historian.

For most senators, the default answer on pretty much every impeachment question in the Trump era has been to punt. It’s too speculative, they frequently say, even when presented with the details of something the president has done that House Democrats are willing to declare has crossed a line worthy of his removal.

“That’s way, way — that’s way, way — way down the line,” Delaware Democratic Sen. Tom Carper said this week when asked whether he was concerned about McConnell tabling a Trump impeachment trial.

McConnell himself didn’t respond when asked by reporters earlier this week whether he’d even allow the Senate to hold a Trump trial, though he did show his cards in a statement to POLITICO that the latest presidential quagmire was “laughable to think this is anywhere close to an impeachable offense.”

On the other side of the Capitol, Democratic-led investigations have started moving into a new gear with the first wave of Ukraine-focused subpoenas and depositions. While there’s no firm timetable for committee or floor votes to impeach the president, there are plenty of opinions about how McConnell will handle things should the case end up in his court.

“I trust Mitch McConnell to run the Senate, so I’m sure he would operate in a procedurally appropriate manner,” said Oklahoma GOP Rep. Tom Cole. “But institutionally, if the House votes to impeach, I don’t see how you ignore a trial in the Senate. But, again, I trust his judgment.”

Ohio Democratic Rep. Marcia Fudge said she’s bracing for McConnell to hit the brakes — just like he did with the Garland nomination.

“I don’t know if it’s the correct thing to do, but I think that’s what he probably would do,” she told POLITICO. “I think there’d be so much pressure, though. I think he’d have to.”

One thing McConnell won’t be lacking for is precedent — a mishmash of historical examples on impeachment involving one senator, a Cabinet member, more than a dozen federal judges and a couple of presidents. All reach the same conclusion. It’s up to him.

In 1797, Sen. William Blount of Tennessee became the first federal official to face impeachment proceedings, though he got expelled from the Senate before his colleagues could hold a trial against him. During President Andrew Johnson’s impeachment, the Senate voted to acquit Abraham Lincoln’s successor on three House-passed articles dealing with his handling of reconstruction after the Civil War. Then the chamber adjourned and never took up the other eight.

More than a century later, President Richard Nixon appeared headed toward impeachment because of Watergate but his case never even got to the Senate. The Republican instead resigned once senators from his own party came to the White House and told him he’d be toast.

Fast forward to the late 1990s, where President Bill Clinton’s Senate acquittal was a foregone conclusion given Democratic opposition that meant the GOP didn’t have the two-thirds vote. But Republicans still forced a month-long trial that’s perhaps best remembered for the gold flair stripes that Chief Justice William Rehnquist had specially stitched onto the shoulders of his black robe.

“We had a hard time figuring out how to proceed,” retired Mississippi GOP Sen. Trent Lott, the majority leader during the Clinton trial, said in an interview. He recalled how his own lawyers had advised him that “if the House acted to impeach, we had to take it up in some way or another and consider it in the Senate.”

Lott’s Democratic counterpart, retired South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle, said in an email that he too leaned on his party’s top lawyer, Bob Bauer, for help interpreting the requirements to hold an impeachment trial. Bauer, who would go on to become White House counsel under Obama, earlier this year penned an analysis on the blog Lawfare on exactly this topic.

He wrote that “in this time of disregard and erosion of established institutional practices and norms” McConnell could very well buck Senate tradition and move to skip a Trump trial. “And he would not have to look far to find the constitutional arguments and the flexibility to revise Senate rules and procedures to accomplish this purpose,” Bauer added.

Should McConnell allow a trial, the Senate would have a chance to vote on rules covering the whole process. In Clinton’s case in 1999, during a meeting in their historic early 19th century chamber in the Capitol, the Senate hammered out a plan for how many hours the House GOP impeachment managers and the president’s lawyers would have to argue their case and pose questions.

There’s also another set of applicable Senate impeachment trial rules that would probably come into play — and they are a throwback to another era. For example, there’s a specific script that the House sergeant at arms must read aloud when presenting the articles of impeachment on the Senate floor, including a command that all senators must be silent during the reading “on pain of imprisonment.”

Specific start times must be followed for the different parts of the trial: 1 p.m. for the first Senate session on the day after it receives the articles of impeachment from the House; 12:30 p.m. to swear in the senators as jurors: noon for each day of the trial itself. There are exceptions to change the times with a vote.

And then there’s this: An official facing impeachment is allowed to appear before the Senate or send lawyers to answer to the charges. Clinton used a combination of attorneys from the White House counsel’s office, his private team and former Sen. Dale Bumpers to make his case. With Trump, the line begs the question whether the former reality television star might use his pugnacious personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani or just make the trip down Pennsylvania Avenue and defend himself.

That is, if there even is a trial.

While the decision clearly rests with McConnell and his GOP counterparts, Texas Democratic Rep. Al Green argued in an interview that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who under the Constitution presides over an impeachment trial in the Senate, could also play a key role in resolving any dispute.

“Does he want to preside over a kangaroo court, or does he want the reputation of the Senate, the Supreme Court and his own legacy to be upheld?” said Green, who has already forced three House floor votes on Trump’s impeachment. “I would hope that Chief Justice Roberts would have the concern of more than Mr. McConnell and the Republican Party within his thought processes. This is a time for us all to rise to the occasion and come to the aid of our country.”

Marianne LeVine contributed to this report.

#Foreign #Garland #Politics #treatment

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anamuseinglife · 5 years

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Iditapod: Mushing the Mighty Yukon

Alison Lifka: So very rustic and not technical but it worked!

Ben Matheson: Whatever works! I mean, you’re here

AL: Yeah!

[theme music plays]

Casey Grove: Welcome to the Iditapod, a podcast about the Iditarod where we are all about rustic and not being too technical. We are a production of Alaska Public Media, and KNOM in Nome. I’m your host, Casey Grove, that was Iditarod rookie musher Alison Lifka you just heard from. Before we fix up our sleds and get out on the trail, here’s a word from our sponsor.

[ad plays]

CG: Well, it’s the weekend. We told you Friday about Nicolas Petit, the Girdwoods musher, being the first to be at the Yukon River, winning that five course meal. And right now it’s Saturday, we’ve seen some leapfrogging at the front of the pack. As I’m recording this, Bethel’s Pete Kaiser has been in the lead for a bit. Petit’s team is right behind him heading up the Yukon River out of Eagle Island. Jessie Royer and Joar Ulsom, the defending champ, not far behind. We’re going to hear more from Ulsom here in a minute about how he is carrying the ashes of a friend of his and a former Iditarod musher, Rudy Demoski, out on the trail, that’s coming up. Ulsom was the first out of the Grayling checkpoint last night. It looked like mushers were a little bunched up there, and taking rests before setting out for Eagle Island. We had heard that planes were unable - again, for the second year in a row - to get drop bags into Eagle Island, and so mushers may have been adjusting their plans in Grayling and staying there longer than they had anticipated. The front of the pack mushers are all spread out between Grayling, Eagle Island, and Kaltag, and when they get to Kaltag, they’re gonna start heading west towards the coast where they reach the edge of Alaska, the coast of Alaska. We have more in this upcoming story from Alaska Public Media’s Zachariah Hughes about the trouble in Eagle Island. He was in Anvik, again that’s the beginning of the Yukon River portion of the Iditarod. We’re going to jump right into his story, where he talked to Nicolas Petit about how Petit has been camping out more in this year’s Iditarod.

Zachariah Hughes: Unlike previous years, Petit has mostly blown through checkpoints, opting instead to rest his team along the trail. [to Petit] How has it been for you, camping out at checkpoints along the way? Nicolas Petit: I didn’t have to deal with this, no offense, but we’re tired people and we’ve got a lot of work to do.

ZH: Is it more for you or more for the dogs?

NP: The both of us.

ZH: The ride to the Iditarod checkpoint was rough, with barely any snow and vicious tundra tussocks that kept nearly bucking him off of his sled.

NP: That was the roughest trip to Iditarod I’ve ever been on. Jokingly saying to myself, we’re at tussock level number five, probably close to the highest rating, you know?

ZH: Even with a group of reporters, vets, race officials, and spectators, Petit was so focused on his dogs that his baggy, overwhite pants kept falling to his knees as he walked up and down the line. He seemed to hardly notice, until the task at hand was over and he would hike them back up to his belly, until they dropped again. In the tribal hall next to the checkpoint, Petit sat down at a folding table to a five course meal of steak, scallops, salad, and bison chili, prepared over two camp stoves.

NP: [to people] Excellent, 2019, I’ll carry on.

[champagne pops]

ZH: Petit left for a nap, but he didn’t sleep long. He pulled out of Anvik after about four hours. Weather along the Yukon has been messy. As the next wave of mushers came in, race judges had to give Jessie Royer and other the bad news that the second year in a row, there were problems getting supplies to the checkpoint in Eagle Island.

Woman: Did you hear, um, they still, they don’t have the food to Eagle Island yet.

Jessie Royer: Oh, I just asked them in Shageluk, and they told me they did. There’s no food-

Woman: As of right now. But they’re making the effort to bring it down from Kaltag.

JR: Oh.

Woman: By snow machine. So.

JR: Okay.

Woman: So by the time you get to Grayling -

JR: I’m doing my 8 in Grayling, so

Woman: You might want to grab a bag

ZH: Although there was straw and fuel available, Iditarod crews were trying to carry in mushers drop bags with food and other supplies. Last year, weather shut down the Eagle Island checkpoint, prompting mushers to load up on supplies for the long run between Grayling and Kaltag. Now, with a similar situation, mushers are having to adjust their plans on the fly, as they begin moving north up the Yukon. In Anvik, I’m Zachariah Hughes.

Casey Grove: Well, one of the Iditarod’s pioneers is taking one last run. Joar Ulsom is carrying the ashes of longtime musher Rudy Demoski to spread along the trail. As he prepared to pass through Demoski’s hometown of Anvik, Ulsom says he’s humbled.

Joar Leifseth Ulsom: It’s an honor to do that.

CG: Demoski was a familiar face along the Iditarod trail for decades, and was instrumental in starting the Kuskokwim 300 out of Bethel. Demoski died last year at the age of 72. During Leifseth Ulsom’s rookie race in 2013, he met Demoski, who was running his final race. He was nicknamed “The Happy Musher” and Leifseth Ulsom says Demoski came to Willow a lot, to help him train dogs.

JLU: He would just sit, and have fun in the side by the side, and look a the dogs and tell stories from the old days. And yeah. I think the main thing I learned from him was just to enjoy life. He was just such a happy guy, and even the little, the smallest thing would get him fired up and laughing, and all the way to the end, you know, he was just super happy.

CG: Demoski’s roots with the race could be traced all the way back to the beginning. He ran the 2nd Iditarod, and placed 4th as a rookie. Now, back to this year’s race. The moves that we’re seeing at the front of the pack and other mushers making their way up the ranks right now, that all was setting up back when they were taking their 8 hour rests, or planning them out anyways. That dangerous chase pack of mushers was setting themselves up to capitalize on any opportunity that may come up. Speaking off Pete Kaiser, for example, he was leading the Iditarod as I record this. It’s been this cat and mouse game between Nicolas Petit and Joar Ulsom, and you’ve got teams like Pete that have been building up and building up and they’re now moving into the lead of this race. And this pack that’s chasing, that’s sometimes overtaking Petit and Ulsom, all of that shaped up before the Yukon River, back when those musher’s were planning their 8 hour breaks. KNOM’s Ben Matheson has more.

Ben Matheson: Pete Kaiser had one of the fastest runtimes Friday into Shageluk, but what he’s focused on is consistency.

Pete Kaiser: One run you’re fast and then the next run, you’re not. So, we’re trying to string more of those together in a row now, and try and get some more consistency, because the first half of the race for us has been real up and down and real inconsistent.

BM: Kaiser has often been conservative in the early parts of the race, and waited to make a big push with a more rested team. Matthew Failor got into Shageluk to time his 8 hour break to avoid the heat of the day. He’s being extra careful to prepare his team for the big runs ahead, including the longer stop in Iditarod.

Matt Failor: That gave me five hours of rest there, when other mushers were staying for four, and then I’ll stay here for 8. So I’m starting to bank rest to build up for this last leg, if you will. So, I don’t know. I’m not really thinking about other mushers, but trying to make sure that we’re doing what we’re supposed to do, right.

BM: The Yukon trails are well traveled by local snow machines, but there’s snow in the forecast that could shake things up, if the trail becomes marginal. Mushers will never speak openly about their exact plans for getting their teams to the coast, but last years Rookie of the Year, Jessie Holmes, says he has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Jessie Holmes: These dogs have the ability to go long and fast, so, I haven’t used that quite yet. I used it one time and that’s what I did all the rest and implemented all the rest for, so I could try to make big moves and if they’re suitable and the dogs are ready for them and I made one already.

BM: Fresh off his 24, Holmes made a long run from Ophir to Iditarod to climb the standings across the rugged terrain. The race is switching from the rolling hills of gold rush country, to the wide plains of the Yukon River. Paige Drobny arrived into Shageluk in the 9th position, and is eager to hit the river.

Paige Drobny: They really like trails that they can move on, and we haven’t had that for a little bit. The run into Iditarod when we would hit some ice or a road like this, then they would just get cruising along really fast, um, seems like that makes everybody really happy, than the bumpy trails where they’re constantly getting pulled on by the sled, we’re pulling and pushing constantly, I don’t think it’s probably very comfortable for them.

BM: And as more teams finish their breaks, they’ll run with fresh legs throughout the night. With KNOM, I’m Ben Matheson, in Shageluk.

Casey Grove: We’ve got more from that interview that Ben conducted with Paige Drobny, that’s posted as a bonus, extended interview here, and I may have said in the intro to that recording that she arrived in Shageluk in 10th, I think Ben said 9th, I’m not sure which one was right but she was in the top 10 either way. Also looking at posting a long version of the Martin Apayauq Reitan interview in a little bit, Reitan, he is one of the mushers who has had to do some serious sled repairs. For these Iditarod mushers, sled problems can really upend a race. They can also give a critical edge. Some mushers try out new designs or even modifications made out on the trail to give them an advantage; others have to try to patch up malfunctions and damage that has occurred out on the trail with just about anything they can find. It’s really a struggle that inspires some creative resourcefulness. Again, here’s Alaska Public Media’s Zach Hughes, with his reporting.

ZH: Jeff King likes to experiment with his equipment.

Jeff King: Pulling a Jeff King… magic trick.

ZH: He’s cranking a wrench, and augering bigger holes in wide, runner plastic that he hopes will help him float on top of powdery, deep snow. This takes a lot more effort than swapping out regular runner plastic, but he’s tried it in the past and been pleased with the results. His sled bag though, that is new. King tinkered with a design that doesn’t have zippers or velcro, and that lets him open the bag from behind like a hatch while he stands on the runners, almost like he’s checking a baby in a stroller.

JK: I love it! Really love it, because I had no idea how often I want to get in my sled and I didn’t because it’s such a hassle to get in there. I just flip it up while I’m hauling [bleeped] down the trail. Yeah, I’m in in all the time. Really like that.

ZH: So far this race, King’s equipment story is one of success. That’s not the case for everyone. And rookies in particular face a challenge when their gear breaks down, because for many, there are inevitable problems they didn’t anticipate or build a contingency plan for. Martin Reitan hit trouble early in his run during the Alaska range. A stanchin, one of the load bearing pieces of the sled’s frame, broke.

Martin Apayauq Reitan: I had to go and chop down a tree and, uh, lash it on with string.

ZH: Reitan rode his tree patched sled to the next checkpoint, then shored it up some more.

MAR: That took like three hours. To do it nice.

ZH: It was enough to get him past the Dalzell Gorge, and the burn. It sort of had to. Reitan hadn’t sent equipment down the trail for these kinds of repairs, nor did he out a backup sled in case his got busted. And, even after he finishes the Iditarod, this same sled has further to go.

MAR: And I have to bring that sled to Nome, because we’re going to Kaktovik after.

ZH: Reitan and his father planned to mush their team all the way from the Seward Peninsula all the way back to Kaktovik, on the eastern side of the north slope. But, he wasn’t too bothered about the situation. Alison Lifka, another rookie, was trying to sort out sled troubles of her own during her 24 hour rest in Takotna.

Alison Lifka: There is a certain downhill that I lost control of the team and veered off the trail a little bit, and found the stump.

ZH: The stump bent a runner and tore away a big chunk of the sled.

AL: And it’s one thing to run a sled with the back part of the runner broken, but when it’s the front part it just destroys the structural integrity, so it was like just collapsing as it ran.

ZH: Lifka gerryrigged a splint, but the sled kept warping. At Nikolai, she had some good luck, Another musher, Shaynee Traska, had just scratched, and let Lifka take her sled. But the situation was not ideal. Lifka could barely fit all of her equipement, and there was no seat to rest on. Which wouldn’t be such a problem if she hadn’t injured her back when she crashed her sled into that stump.

AL: It’s just sore and stiff, and it’s, it’s just me trying to make my next - what is it, 600 more miles? - more comfortable.

ZH: Lifka was hoping to borrow a bigger sled that another musher had left behind. Race rules allow competitors to exchange equipment with one another. And if that didn’t work out, she had been advised to try tying an upside down bucket to her runners with twin from a bale of straw. But, she said, that wouldn’t help with the storage problem. In Takotna, I’m Zachariah Hughes.

Casey Grove: There’s one very important piece of equipment out there that helps a musher stay sane mushing over hundreds and hundreds of miles. That is a way to play music. And apparently, Matt Hall out of Two Rivers, he had to buy some headphones during the race this year for that very reason. He was at a checkpoint purchasing some headphones. It might be more music, podcasts, books on tape - they kind of do it all. You hear about mushers having their friends load up iPods with different tunes that they’ve never heard before that surprise them in shuffle mode as different stuff comes up randomly. At the Takotna checkpoint, Zach spoke with two mushers. We heard from them here a minute ago, Martin Reitan as well as Meredith Mapes, who finished the Iditarod in 2018. This year, she’s not a musher in the race but helping out at different checkpoints. It turns out that they are both very big Harry Potter fans - Martin, a self-described Gryffindor, listens to the Harry Potter books on tape and by his 24 hour rest, was on the 3rd installment. Meredith Mapes, on the other hand, self identifies as Hufflepuff, whatever that means. Both insist their house values align with dog mushing, something Zach, who knows a lot more about this, asked them about. And this is a disclaimer for people like me: if you already have no idea what any of this terminology means, because you signed up for a mushing podcast not a Harry Potter fan club podcast, you should probably skip ahead about two and half minutes. Here is Zachariah Hughes with Martin Reitan and Meredith Mapes.

Martin Reitan: Well it depends, you know, you could be… you could be a Slytherin about it and play mind games with people and stuff, but uh… you know… sometimes you’ll do, if there’s a bad weather but you think you could do it, but then the weather’s really bad and you just do it, that’s pretty, it’s a little bit stupid but it’s also brave? That’s a very Gryffindor thing to do. And yeah. Obviously I have to be brave to even start a thousand miler.

Zachariah Hughes: Meredith, you have finished a thousand miler, but you identify as a Hufflepuff, do you think Hufflepuff is a good mushing house?

Meredith Mapes: I would say so, I think that the Gryffindors and the Slytherins and the Ravenclaws are more for the front, because they’re the ones that have the strategy and the guts and the glory, and some of the stupidity as well, as Martin was saying. And then the Hufflepuffs are those like me that are just there to have fun, to be at the back of the pack, and enjoy what they’re doing while they’re out there travelling with their dog teams.

ZH: What are, your Harry Potter litter, what are their names? MM: The three that I still have are Hagrid, Luna, and Nymphadora, but she gets called Dora most of the time.

ZH: Not Nympho.

MM: Yeah. Exactly. [all laugh]

ZH: And what, so, have you made your way through books 1-3 so far, while you’ve been listening, or did you just start at 3?

Martin Apayauq Reitan: Um…. I started listening from Book 1, so I’m on Book 3 now. I’ll probably have time to listen to all of them, but I’m mixing it up by listening to music and some other books too.

ZH: Is it also Harry Potter themed music? MAR: No [Meredith laughs] It’s quite a lot of jazz, and Arctic Monkeys, and a whole bunch of other stuff

ZH: And Meredith, did you listen to music last year, or books on tape? Or just the sound of silence?

MM: I usually listen to books on tape when I’m training a lot, mostly Game of Thrones is what I’m listening to, but I do have Harry Potter as well. And last year in the race, I listened to music on one run, on the first run on the Yukon River out of Grayling, and then after that I was just enjoying it too much, I didn’t want to mess with what I was listening to with the dogs, and with Alaska.

ZH: Now, at any point, did you scream from your sled runners “Winter is Coming” while you were mushing through a storm, last year? MM: I did not, I did not, but it would have been a good opportunity.

Casey Grove: Well now, well you know more about that. And we’d like to spread knowledge around here, that’s why we take questions on the Iditapod. This one is from Ruthan, University Heights Ohio, she writes, “is the race named after one checkpoint, or is the checkpoint named after the race? I assumed the checkpoints reflected the nearest settlement name.” And she’s asking this because there’s a checkpoint in the Iditarod called Iditarod. I’m going to let Zach Hughes answer this question.

ZH: Hey, great question. So right now, I’m standing on the Iditarod River, which goes past the checkpoint of Iditarod, on the Iditarod sled dog race, through the historic gold mining town of Iditarod in the Iditarod mining district. All of which is to say, the name has a lot of different overlapping meanings, and actually the race is named after the Iditarod trail. So, this is kind of confusing, but back when they struck gold in Iditarod, and it was the largest settlement in all of Alaska, population wise, they hoped they’d haul gold, freight, passengers through a trail that went from here all the way down to Seward and up through different overlapping trails to Nome. So, in 1973 when the race was getting started, they decided that this long, cross Alaska sled dog race would go through the historic Iditarod trail, and one of the routes that they go through - the Southern route, which we’re running this year - goes through the ghost town of Iditarod, which, looking around, I can tell you is indeed a ghost town. There’s dilapidated buildings all over the place, from back when this used to have rooming houses and churches, and a bank, and now it’s mostly just an Iditarod checkpoint with just a few buildings on a river.

CG: Thanks for that answer, Zach, from the checkpoint of Iditarod, in the 2019 Iditarod. As always, on the Iditapod, we like to take listener questions, you can send those to [email protected]. You can type them out in an email, you can also record them in a voice memo - most smart phones have an app to record voice memos - you can record those there and send those into, again, [email protected]. And you can maybe get in the podcast, and it’s always good to ask questions. And, I have some questions. I guess there are some major weather issues happening out on the race and we don’t know how that’s affecting the mushers, but also our crew out there, trying to get from checkpoint to checkpoint, the last email I got from our reporter Zach Hughes was that there was some trouble flying between some checkpoints, that Ben was trying to get to Unalakleet, and might have to skip Kaltag, we may not hear from mushers again until Unalakleet, and everybody’s just trying to be safe out there is the main thing. It’s hard to tell when you look at the map of the race, or the GPS tracker that there’s a lot of weather happening on the ground. Might be snow, wind, we’ve heard reports that it’s been pretty warm, and folks out there are getting wet just from sweat, or rain at some points. I guess Zach, he’s at Unalakleet, he found a sauna, he sounds pretty happy about that. We will be back tomorrow, we will have another episode of the Iditapod, we will explain how daylight savings time changes affect, or do not affect the race. And we will have an interview with Kristen Knight Pace, she’s an Iditarod veteran who is sitting out the race this year, but who has a new book out this year called “This Much Country”, we have a nice chat, I talked to her husband Andy Pace for a minute too. And whatever else we can rustle up in the Iditapod. Our theme music is by the band Sassafrass, I am your host Casey Grove, and until next time - happy trails.

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cksmart-world · 5 years

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The Completely Unnecessary News Analysis

By Christopher Smart

Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019

THE LIARS ARE LYIN', HERBERT'S HARANGUE & MEN WILL BE BOYS

Never Believe Nothin'

The liars are lying about the liars. OMG. Recent events in Trumpworld require more than simple analysis. Visual aids, like charts and power points can't explain what's going on. Nonetheless, here at Smart Bomb the staff has utilized special kaleidoscopic asymmetry to put things in some kind of understandable perspective: Michael “The Fixer” Cohen, who would be the Robert Duvall character from The Godfather, ratted out Don Donald on payments of hush money for sex. To avoid the cement feet treatment, Cohen then blabbed to Robert Mueller, played by Elliot Ness, that The Godfather and Beady Eyes Putin were planning a Trump Tower in Moscow. The Fixer then admitted that he lied to Congress about the Russian tower to protect The Don. Shadowy persons unknown fed BuzzFeed the skinny that Don Don whispered to The Fixer that he should dupe the dupes on Capitol Hill. But hold it, the feds revealed that BuzzFeed got buzzed, leaving them — and the entire Washington press corps — swinging in the breeze. Trump's lawyer, Rudy “Tessio” Guliani, pounced, proclaiming that Cohen is a proven liar and President Truthfulness never said nothin'. And even if he did — so what. And there you have it, plain and simple.

Herbert's Harangue

Relief at last. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has the solution to federal government shutdowns: Return all power to the states. His strategy includes “a robust federalism that leaves policy making to the states,” he wrote for Politico. Brilliant. Under such a scheme, Utah law makers could do away with all those blasted protections on federal land that is screwing up energy development, let alone grazing and logging. And we wouldn't have to listen to the federal government regarding our air. Seems like not a winter goes by that they aren't all up in our face claiming our air is far too dirty and unhealthy. Not least, every time guys like Newt Gingrich or Donald Trump shut down the government it screws up our economy because the national parks close. We'd just make them Utah parks — problem solved. And states like Alabama and Mississippi would love Herbert's proposal — they could return to good ol' Jim Crow. After all, it was the feds who forced integration in schools, restaurants and even restrooms down there. Things just work out better when government is closest to the people. Except for Salt Lake City. Utah legislators are always having to undo a lot of progressive stuff the city does, because they know best. Ain't that right.

The Trouble With Men

Donald Trump has done a great service for women. No, we're not talking about his grabbing of women's privates. Well, hold on, maybe we are. Trump's election seems to have reinvigorated something once called Women's Liberation. That dormant social movement also has been energized by #MeToo, a spontaneous uprising by women who are tired of getting their privates grabbed, among other things. Along with that phenomenon comes the inevitability of what has been labeled “Male Toxicity.” Yikes. Some men don't like the label — they fear they could be collateral damage when lumped in with toxic bastards, such as Harvey Weinstein, Bill O'Reilly, and Louis C.K. (note: Most killers are men, too.) The “masculinity pathology” even has been described by the American Psychological Association. Now you know we're in trouble. If that weren't enough, Gillette, the razor company for men, is weighing in with a TV ad that says sexual harassment sucks (no pun intended) and good guys need to hold bad guys accountable. Some men don't like the ad and are refusing to shave. According to Gillette, guys in college fraternities, on football teams and in entertainment must hold each other accountable. Right. No, it's women who've gotta to do it, because the trouble with men is... well, they're men. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.

Some Good News

We haven't even made it through January and already Wilson and the band are sick and tired of bad news. The Wall, the Shutdown — STOP! They're planning a one-way trip to Tangiers. They don't want to hear that the ice caps are melting while Trump rolls back environmental regulations. Reports about our bad air are particularly depressing, especially while Greg Hughes and his mafia plan the Inland Port aimed at bringing a lot more diesel trucks and locomotives. And if that weren't bad enough, the New England Patriots won again. There must some good news somewhere and the intrepid staff here at Smart Bomb set out to find it: On Monday, folks across the nation — even in Utah — paused to remember Martin Luther King, Jr. and the ideals he championed. That's good news. The Supreme Court denied Trump the ability to end DACA that protects childhood immigrants from deportation. More good news. In Salt Lake City, some 200 people played bingo to support the Inn Between, a hospice for dying homeless people, which has been criticized by some wankers in the neighborhood. Yes. And Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez told Stephen Colbert that she gives “zero” fucks when people tell her to “wait your turn” and “don’t make waves.” Even Wilson and the band can dig that.

Post Script

Social scientists and late night TV hosts have been unable to explain what exactly is Mike Pence. Some have theorized that he is a defective android horribly mis-programmed to act like a defective android. But not even that can explain Pence's recent TV appearance where he quoted Martin Luther King, Jr. and compared the iconic civil rights leader to Donald Trump and his insistence on a Wall along our southern border. Well, as Yogi Berra might have said, he doesn't know his ass from third base.

OK, Wilson, why don't you and the guys set aside your pale ales and gummy bears and take us out with something hopeful to get us through the week: And into this life we're born / Baby, sometimes, sometimes we don't know why / And time seems to go by so fast / In the twinkling of an eye...

Let's enjoy it while we can / Won't you help me share my load / From the dark end of the street / To the bright side of the road...

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buddyrabrahams · 6 years

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10 NBA players who could become first-time All-Stars

Last year’s NBA All-Star Game was the most competitive we’ve seen in years, as Team LeBron edged Team Stephen, 148-145. Something about having the two stars pick their squads, playground-style, got the competitive juices flowing.

The entertaining showdown featured five first-time All-Stars (including four from the East): Joel Embiid, Victor Oladipo, Bradley Beal, Goran Dragic, and Karl-Anthony Towns. So, which players could make their first All-Star Game appearance this year? Here are 10 to look out for.

10. Brandon Ingram, Lakers

The Lakers may not win the West, but adding the best player alive practically guarantees they’ll be a top-tier team. As L.A. jockeys with the Warriors, Jazz, Rockets, and company, someone is going to have to step up to complement LeBron James. Ingram is your best bet to fill that role. The lanky Duke product made a big leap from year one to two, significantly elevating his per-game averages in points (9.4 to 16.1), rebounds (4.0 to 5.3), assists (2.1 to 3.9), and blocks (0.5 to 0.7), as well as his three-point shooting percentage (29 percent to 39 percent). Though rumors are swirling that Kevin Durant may opt to join LeBron in Hollywood in 2019, Ingram has an opportunity this year to prove the Lakers already have a Durant-type star.

9. Tim Hardaway Jr., Knicks

Kristaps Porzingis is the Knicks’ star, but he’s out for the foreseeable future. There’s still no hard return date set, but it seems the Knicks will ease him into action, and it’d be a surprise if he played much before the All-Star break. Thus, the Knicks will be looking for a go-to scorer. Though Kevin Knox could emerge in that role, it’s likelier that the veteran Hardaway will do so. After receiving a hefty four-year, $71 million contract in the summer of 2017, Hardaway put up solid numbers for New York last season: 17.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, all career highs. Though his shot was inconsistent, he was still arguably the Knicks’ best weapon after Porzingis tore his ACL in February. With new coach David Fizdale in tow, look for Hardaway to crack 20 points per game early this season.

8. Aaron Gordon, Magic

Gordon was one of the guys who cashed out this summer. He signed a four-year, $84 million extension with Orlando. Gordon has a new contract and a new coach (Steve Clifford). Now it’s time for him to prove the Magic were wise for believing he could become a franchise player. Last season, he averaged career-highs in minutes (32.9), points (17.6), rebounds (7.9), assists (2.3), steals (1.0), and blocks (0.8) per game. No one has ever questioned Gordon’s athletic ability; he can get up with the best of them. It’s the rest of his game that needs development. Last season, he finally cracked the 30-percent mark from three-point range (33.6 percent). If he comes out of the gates hot, he could take LeBron’s vacant All-Star spot in the East.

7. Jaylen Brown, Celtics

Seemingly everyone favors the Celtics in the East this season – they have the second-best odds of winning the title – and with good reason. Boston has a great problem on its hands, though: it has too many good players. How can you find enough minutes to satisfy Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and Terry Rozier? It seems inevitable that Danny Ainge will end up dealing one of the final two on that list. The Celtics’ top five, however, should all be All-Star candidates (though it’d be surprising if even four made it). Brown, like Ingram, made a massive jump from year one to two – his averages ascended in minutes (17.2 to 30.7), points (6.6 to 14.5), rebounds (2.8 to 4.9), steals (0.4 to 1.0), and assists (0.8 to 1.6), and his three-point shooting surged from 34.1 percent to 39.5 percent.

6. Myles Turner, Pacers

We thought Turner was poised for a big breakout campaign last season – but that didn’t really come to fruition. Though the Pacers surpassed expectations, Turner didn’t live up to the hype. His per-game averages dipped in points (14.5 to 12.7), rebounds (7.3 to 6.4), blocks (2.1 to 1.8) and steals (0.9 to 0.6). But his shot improved, and he took a backseat as Victor Oladipo, the season’s Most Improved Player, emerged as a star. Turner was the talk of the NBA blogosphere after he shared photos showing his body transformation in June. With Turner eligible for a contract extension next summer, and his improved diet and cardiovascular conditioning, this should be the season in which he truly breaks out.

5. Rudy Gobert, Jazz

Isn’t it crazy to think that the Stifle Tower hasn’t made an All-Star Game yet? Gobert, a two-time All-Defense first-teamer and last season’s Defensive Player of the Year, qualified for All-NBA second team in 2017-18 – but he didn’t make the All-Star Game. The reason? He missed significant time with knee injuries in the first half of the season. If he were healthy, he would’ve all but certainly been an All-Star. No one is sleeping on the Jazz this season – we saw just how dangerous Quinn Snyder’s squad can be down the stretch last year, when they finished the season 29-6 – and that’s largely because they boast the most dominant defensive presence in the game. If Gobert stays healthy, he’s a surefire first-time All-Star.

4. Jayson Tatum, Celtics

Tatum is only No. 4 on this list because he’ll jockey for numbers with Boston’s four other stars. In terms of ceiling, however, I think he could be the best player in the 2017 draft. The No. 3 pick out of Duke showed far-beyond-his-years maturity – both on and off the court – last season. He has an incredibly polished game. Though he went through a bit of a funk around the All-Star break, he snapped out of it and was ready to ball out in the playoffs. Tatum briefly but fearlessly went toe to toe with LeBron James in the Eastern Conference Finals. He worked on his off-the-dribble shooting this summer – teams won’t be leaving his open around the arc this season, that’s for sure – and he has the potential to one day be the best scoring forward in the league.

3. Donovan Mitchell, Jazz

Another pick from the Jazz. Mitchell was a stud from Day One last season. It’s rare for a rookie to immediately inherit the reins to a team’s offense, and even rarer for that to happen with a rookie selected outside of the top 10. Mitchell, the No. 13 pick in the 2017 draft, was an All-Rookie first-teamer last season, and he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting to Ben Simmons. In terms of true rookies, he was the best, wire-to-wire. He averaged 20.4 points(!), 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, and he was even better in Utah’s 11 postseason games, averaging 24.4 points. No one will disagree with this: Mitchell is a star in the making.

2. Nikola Jokic, Nuggets

In a recent podcast, former Cavs general manager David Griffin said Jokic is his sleeper MVP pick. That might sound absurd, but the gifted Nuggets big is poised for a big 2018-19. Joker is known as a defensive liability, and that label will probably always follow him (much like it has for James Harden), but he – at least marginally! – improved defensively down the stretch last season. His offensive talent is enrapturing; Jokic is the best passing big man in the game today, and he also has impressive handles. The 23-year-old has been somewhat unpredictable throughout his career, but look for this to be the season in which he consistently puts up big numbers.

1. Ben Simmons, 76ers

This pick won’t surprise anyone. Simmons is a generational talent. His court vision, his ball-handling, his passing – you don’t see guys like this come around very often. After missing his rookie season due to a right-foot injury, Vegas pegged him as the favorite to win Rookie of the Year in 2017-18 – and he made that prediction come to fruition. Simmons filled the stat sheet, averaging 15.8 points, 8.2 assists, 8.1 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game – and appearing in 81/82 games, playing 33.7 minutes a night. With Philly poised for a long run of success, this triple-double machine is just getting started. It was surprising that he missed the All-Star Game last year. He won’t this season.

Aaron Mansfield is a freelance sports writer. His work has appeared in Complex, USA Today, and the New York Times. You can reach him via email at [email protected].

from Larry Brown Sports https://ift.tt/2EiJXL5

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