I would like to take a line from the 1994 Bjork song in her first album. Aptly named “Debut”
“There’s more to life than this..”Appropriately Recorded Live at “The Milk Bar Toilets.”
Being a political afficionado I feel compelled to join the scrum.
Regrettably Trump is happily sucking up all the air in America. I am thinking back to the 2019 book “Audience of One – Donald Trump, Television, and the Fracturing of America” by James Poniewozik. A must read.
Here we are on August 2, 2023 and Trump will be indicted tomorrow. So, after taking a deep dive into the media, Mainstream and otherwise, the quote from long timescribe Walter Shapiro in The New Republic says it all.
Excerpted from The New Republic 8.2.2023
Trump, if nominated, may spend more time in 2024 sitting mute in courtrooms than he will orating to fanatical true believers in basketball arenas about âwitch huntsâ and stolen elections. Despite ridiculously premature polling showing the 2024 race neck and neck, it seems like a weird political strategy for the Republicans to rally around a thrice-indicted proven loser. The problem, of course, is that Republicans are still in the grips of a collective delusion that Trump is the legitimate president. A late June Monmouth University Poll found that 68 percent of Republicans believeâdespite overwhelming evidence to the contraryâthat Biden only won in 2020 because of vote fraud.
The federal judge in Washington, D.C. assigned to preside over the prosecution of former President Donald Trump for charges related to the Capitol riot is notorious for issuing tougher sentences to other Jan. 6 defendants than what the Justice Department requested, and put every one of them behind bars.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan was assigned to oversee the case involving Trump, who on Tuesday was indicted on four federal charges, including conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights.
Chutkan, a former assistant public defender before her appointment by President Barack Obama, has handled several cases involving individuals who entered the Capitol on January 6.
There are 2 parts to the three hour opus by Christopher Nolan.
âFissionâ – Oppenheimer, Father of A-Bomb.
âFusionâ – FBIâs witch-hunt of philosophically leftist Oppenheimer.
The Wall Street Journal MUST undergo paradigm shift & FIX its 100 year biastowards Leftists and Progressives.
I am not holding my breath.
EMPHASIZE that a wealthy connected Republican Lewis Strauss, holding an old grudge, got the American Government to revoke Oppenheimerâs security clearance.
End his career.
WSJ review downgrades âFusionâ piece of âOppenheimerâ film as less compelling: âlike grains of sand compared to a mountainâ than âFissionâ. Why? Because âFusionâ is about the FBIâs witch-hunt and persecution of left-leaning Oppenheimer during Americaâs bizarre obsession with Communism. And WSJ writes fantasies about Red Scares to this day!Oppenheimer beams before feet-stamping, applauding audience after Trinity test – A-Bomb exploding w/o ending world – is successfulScientists and their families at Los Alamos A-Bomb laboratory applaud and wave American flags for Oppenheimer after A-Bomb explosion successfulEinstein said about Oppenheimer: âThe trouble with Oppenheimer is that he loves a woman who doesnât love him – the US Governmentâ – after Oppenheimer was stripped of his security clearance & his career ended
I was in Trader Joe’s on Masconic Avenue in San Francisco the other day looking for my favorite Almond Windmill Cookies.
Seeing none I approached three TJ’s clerks huddled near the cookie section. All of whom were built like they enjoy frequent visits to the cookie shelf.
I asked, “Where are the Almond cookies?” In unison they replied, “Quality issues” without elaboration.
When will my favorite cookie return to the store I inquired.
Hopefully in the not too distant future they replied.
I feel like a disappointed Cookie Monster.
Then I learned more by reading The San Francisco Chronicle which must have reporters whoenjoy cookies, too.
San Francisco Chronicle article – Trader Joe’s recalls almond cookie varieties that could contain rocks
San Francisco Chronicle 7.25.2023
Trader Joeâs recalled two almond cookie varieties because they may contain rocks and urged customers to not eat them, the retailer said.
The company announced that it removed and destroyed âall potentially affectedâ Almond Windmill Cookies and Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies from its shelves.
The products that may contain rocks include specific âsell byâ dates, the company said: Oct. 19 through Oct. 21 for the Almond Windmill Cookies and Oct. 17 through Oct. 21 for the Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies.
A rocky deal – Trader Joe’s Almond Windmill Cookies
âIf you purchased or received any donations of Almond Windmill Cookies and/or Dark Chocolate Chunk and Almond Cookies, please do not eat them,â the company wrote in an announcement on its website.
âWe sincerely apologize for the inconvenience,â the grocer wrote.
Customers can return the cookies at any Trader Joeâs location for a refund. Those with questions can contact the companyâs customer relations department at 626-599-3817 between 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST on weekdays or via email
Tuesday evening I spent nearly five hours at San Francisco City Hall waiting to make my presentation to the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force.
Shortly after 10pm I was able to address members of the Task Force to grant my Appeal seeking documentation regarding the Fine Arts Museums refusal to provide documentation regarding its political and legal fight to destroy JFK Promenade in Golden Gate Park.
I prevailed unanimously. The SOTF voted unanimously and ordered the FAMSF to make public its communications on this political brawlwhich riveted The City.
Following is my presentation.
Beautiful glass paneling on the 4th floor of San Francisco City Hall
Sunshine Ordinance Task Force â File 22052
Lee Heidhues-Complainant
Public Records Request with Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
July 25, 2023
JFK Promenade is now a reality. It emerged victorious with the Board of Supervisors. SFMTA. The Recreation and Park Commission. The voters by an overwhelming 63 percent margin last November. And, finally, the lawsuit filed by the FAMSF âOpen The Great Highway Allianceâ was tossed by the California Court of Appeals earlier this year.
You may ask, âWhy are you here today? You won. It is over.â
There is a simple reason. Transparency and Accountability.
I asked for everything and received nothing.
It is difficult to prove a Negative. In this instance the FAMSF is maintaining it has no responsive documents nor a responsibility to provide them.
People forget the political dynamics three years ago when The Mayor decreed JFK Drive car free as an emergency declaration on April 28, 2020. A declaration which was immensely popular with those enjoying the car free oasis in Golden Gate Park.
Liz Heidhues, a San Francisco native, celebrates Prop J victory which will keep JFK Promenade open to pedestrians and closed to cars, in Golden Gate Park. San Francisco Calif., Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022. | Camille Cohen/The Standard
There was also institutional opposition. Opposition with deep connections at City Hall and deep pockets financially. The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco was in the forefront. In 2021 there were events on JFK Promenade beginning in March and concluding with a holiday celebration in December. I was at all of them. It was common knowledge that the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco was working hard behind the scenes to end JFK Promenade.
In early 2022 there was a party on JFK Promenade during Lunar New Year in support of this car free sanctuary.
In 2022, with the Mayorâs emergency declaration about to expire, various City Boards got into the action. The FAMSF Board. SFMTA. The Recreation and Park Commission. And, finally, on April 26, 2022, when the Board of Supervisors passed an Ordinance, supported by The Mayor, which designated JFK Promenade permanently car free. On May 7, 2022, The Mayor signed the Ordinance into law before a joyous throng on JFK Promenade. I was there.
The view from the fourth floor of San Francisco City Hall
At this time, I became aware of the FAMSF deep seeded opposition to JFK Promenade. I learned that District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan, whose opposition to JFK Promenade was well known, had met with Platinum Advisors â the lobbyist for FAMSF â 14 times. Documentation I found by researching the Ethics Commission website.
I filed several Public Records Requests with both Supervisor Chan and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Because only the FAMSF is on the Agenda I will provide the dates of these transactions.
April 8, 2022 â Immediate Disclosure Request to FAMSF.
April 11, 2022 â Follow up with FAMSF. Response not yet received.
April 18, 2022 â Response from FAMSF.
April 19, 2022 â Amended Immediate Disclosure Request to FAMSF
April 21, 2022 â Response from FAMSF.
June 26, 2022 â Immediate Disclosure Request to FAMSF.
July 12, 2022 â Response from FAMSF.
The responses on April 18, April 21, and July 12, 2022, provided nothing of substance to my requests for documentation about the political battle waged by FAMSF to destroy JFK Promenade.
Megan Bourne is Chief of Staff of the FAMSF. On April 21, 2022, she wrote me that the Ethics Commission âis responsible for maintaining all records under the Cityâs lobbying ordinance.â It is reasonable to expect the FAMSF would have copies of these same records. My Records Requests did not limit themselves to just formal âlobbying.â
The hallways of San Francisco City Hall
Parfa Dea, Senior Government Affairs Manager of the FAMSF, wrote to me on July 7, 2022. She needed more time âto search for, collect and appropriately examine a voluminous amount separate and distinct records.â Five days later Parfa Dea wrote and told me FAMSF âis not involved with the âAccess for Allâ initiative. It has no responsive documents to your request.â
This assertion was made despite the fact that the FPPC Form 460 submitted to The Ethics Commission for July 2022 lists âAccess for All, Sponsored By Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums and Open The Great Highway Alliance.â
The political fight waged by FAMSF against JFK Promenade should have provided a trove of documents. They need to be provided.
Attachments:
FAMSF response to Immediate Disclosure Request â 4.21.2022
P Dea email to Lee Heidhues â 7.7.2022
FAMSF response to Immediate Disclosure Request â 7.12.2022
FPPC Form 460 âAccess for AllâŠâ â 7-16 through 7.31.2022
Platinum Advisors Ryan Blake phone message â 4.5.2022
Platinum Advisors Ryan Blake phone message â 6.27.2022
The Standard âWar for JFK Driveâ â 4.8.2022
48 Hills âThe Move to Reopen JFK Drive â 8.8.2022.
Tuesday evening I spent five hours at San Francisco City Hall participating in a public hearing.
During the long wait, four hours before making my presentation past 10PM, I walked the halls of the 4th floor. Decades ago the 4th floor was the courthouse. Working as a journalist I covered trials in those courtrooms. Reporting for The Sun Reporter Newspaper, whose publisher Carlton B. Goodlett, the street in front of City Hall is now named.
Now these former court rooms are used as meeting rooms and offices for local government business.
In the evening City Hall is often empty. The quiet is very peaceful. I took this unique opportunity to memorialize my night in this beautiful building which has seen its share of historic events. Ranging from joyous occasions to political assassinations.
Sinead O’Connor will always and forever stick in my mind for one reason.
“You Made Me The Thief Of Your Heart” as the credits roll in the 1993 film ‘In the Name of the Father’ the cinematic recounting of the Guildford Pub bombings on October 5, 1974.
I watched the film at the now closed Northpoint Theater in San Francisco near Fisherman’s Wharf. I was transfixed during the entire movie. When Sinead O’Connor’s song blasted the screening room with its surround sound I was totally blown away.
Sinead O’Connor – RIP
From that moment on the name Sinead O’Connor stuck in my mind forever.
Following are two renditions of the song. A video with Sinead O’Connor appearing. The next. The actual end scene in the movie and the credits rolling with the song in the background.
Sinead O’Connor – You Made Me The Thief Of Your Heart
Jane Birkin died a week ago and the story of her iconic life continues to unfold.
At the age of 40 Jane Birkin took a turn in life. Away from the fashion pop star of Je’ Taime persona towards a more politically aware life. A decision which only enhanced her reputation and credibility for the next 36 years.
Maintaining her sense of style while immersing herself in the real World of everyday people.
British singer and actress Jane Birkin participates in a pro-choice demonstration of support for French family planning during an abortion trial in Bobigny. (Photo by Alain Dejean/Sygma via Getty Images)
But that leggy, pouty period, coinciding roughly with her relationship with Serge Gainsbourg from 1968 to 1980, will not be Birkinâs only style legacy. Her later decades, particularly her 40s, 50s and 60s, are an inspiration to women hoping to age without succumbing to plastic surgery and conventionality.
After 40, Birkin abandoned her famous babydoll look for menswear, a makeupless face and unlaced sneakers. âAs time went by, I did less and less,â she told British Elle a few years ago.
Beginning with her stripped-down appearance at the Bataclan in 1987, at left, Jane Birkin favored menswear and a makeupless face.
The less Birkin seemed to care about Fashion with a capital F, the more it embraced her as a pinnacle of chic.
In 2017, she sang at the concert hall Le Palace in Paris for a Gucci fashion show, wearing a simple suit as models in over-the-top multicolored lace and sequined looks marched around her. She often wore Saint Laurent alongside her daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg in recent years, but stuck to white shirts and black suit separates.Â
Top photo: The late Jane Birkin photographed in 1989. âI think at 40 years old, I was at my best, really,â she once said. PHOTO: JEAN-CLAUDE DEUTSCH/GETTY IMAGES
Attn: Cheryl Leger – San Francisco Sunshine Ordinance Task Force (SOTF)
It is important this information be brought before the full SOTF during its July 25, 2023 in which I will participate.
Even though the electoral and judicial battle is over, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF) whose De Young Museum stands astride JFK Promenade still needs to be forthcoming and stand in the sunshine of public disclosure. Attached you will find the following:
FAMSF Response to my Records Request dated June 26, 2022 (see pages 2837-2838) in SOTF file.
California Fair Political Practices Commission Form-460 submitted by ACCESS FOR ALL, SPONSORED BY CORPORATION OF THE FINE ARTS MUSEUMS AND OPEN THE GREAT HIGHWAY ALLIANCE-Period 7.16.2022 through 7.31.2022 ( Open the Great Highway Alliance was Plaintiff in the lawsuit which sought in Court to destroy JFK Promenade and The Great Highway Park. The litigation was dismissed by the California Court of Appeals earlier this year. ‘Open the Great Highway Alliance v. Ginsburg, No. A164797’)
The FAMSF report shows that the first contributor was Megan Bourne-Chief of Staff Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums – $250.00. The same Megan Bourne who responded that her employer had “no responsive” documents to my Spring 2022 public records requests.
The crowds at the De Young Museum. The whining by FAMSF that JFK Promenade would ruin attendance was all nonsense
In my earlier Immediate Disclosure Requests I labeled the responses by FAMSF “preposterous”. Language which still holds true today over a year later. Requests which were totally non responsive and resulted in my first hearing before the SOTF in May 2022.
Dede Wilsey – Dow Chemical scion and Political power house in San Francisco with FAMSF CEO Thomas Campbell
In the FAMSF rejection of my subsequent June 26, 2022 IDR the FAMSF is trying to, again, duck its responsibilities by hiding under a technicality. Claiming it has no obligation to provide responsive documents. This may be correct in a court of law. But in the real world of San Francisco politics it’s preposterous. FAMSF was the leader in the attempt to destroy JFK Promenade legislatively. That is the reason I filed my initial Requests.
Lee's Perspective 