When I read  about Kimberly Guilfoyle and Donald Trump Jr. I have to shake my head in amazement.  The same Kimberly Guilfoyle was at one time married to Gavin Newsom, former Mayor of San Francisco and currently Democrat Governor of California.
Kimberly, along with her trophy mate role with Gavin Newsom, was an Assistant District Attorney in San Francisco.
Her rise into the stratosphere of the MAGA Fox News Trump World orbit is mind boggling. Now Kimberly’s bright star in the House of Trump may be in line for some serious legal housekeeping.
Excerpted from Vanity Fair – Bess Levin – 1.5.2022
It’s been an eventful few days for right-wing royalty Kimberly Guilfoyle and Donald Trump Jr.
Kimberly Guilfoyle and Donald, Jr. share a moment together as the MAGA crowd looks on
On Friday, the couple seemingly revealed that they were engaged—then days later, it was reported that, actually, the spawn of satan had gotten down on one knee a year ago but for some reason the duo had decided to keep it a secret.
On Monday, we learned that Don Jr. (along with his sister Ivanka) had been subpoenaed by the New York attorney general, and were apparently refusing to comply with the order. And as the anniversary of the violent attack on the Capitol approached, we’re reminded of the ProPublica report from last fall wherein text messages sent by Guilfoyle about the January 6 rally that preceded the deadly Capitol attack suggested Team Trump was even more intimately involved with the planning of “Stop the Steal” than previously thought. Best wishes to the happy couple?
Kimberly Guilfoyle, a top fundraiser for former president Donald Trump and the girlfriend of his son Donald Trump Jr., boasted to a GOP operative that she had raised $3 million for the rally that helped fuel the January 6 Capitol riot. In a series of text messages sent on January 4 to Katrina Pierson, the White House liaison to the event, Guilfoyle detailed her fundraising efforts and supported a push to get far-right speakers on the stage alongside Trump for the rally, which sought to overturn the election of President Joe Biden.
Guilfoyle’s texts, reviewed by ProPublica, represent the strongest indication yet that members of the Trump family circle were directly involved in the financing and organization of the rally. The attack on the Capitol that followed it left five dead and scores injured. A House select committee investigating the events of January 6 has subpoenaed more than 30 Trump allies for testimony and documents, including Pierson and Caroline Wren, a former deputy to Guilfoyle. But Guilfoyle herself has so far not received any official scrutiny from Congress.
It is sad to read that Sidney Poitier passed away on January 6 at the age of 94. Of all the films he starred in the 1967 classic ‘In the Heat of the Night’ remains my favorite. Poitier portrayed a Philadelphia homicide inspector who goes to a southern town to solve a homicide. The film won several Academy Awards, including best picture.
It seems fitting that at the same time his death is announced the three white men who murdered Ahmaud Arbery in cold blood February 2020 are sentenced to life in prison.Â
Justice has a way of sometimes prevailing.
Excerpted from Vanity Fair 1.7.2022
As I see myself, I’m just the average Joe Blow Negro,” Sidney Poitier told The New York Times in 1959. “But as the cats say in my area, I’m out there wailing for us all.”
President Obama awards Sidney Poitier Presidential Medal of Freedom – 2009
That tension, between trying to be an ordinary man and having to serve as a racial exemplar, defined the life of Poitier, who died Thursday at the age of 94. News of his death was announced by Fred Mitchell, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Bahamas, where Poitier’s family hailed from, and reported first by Bahamian news sources.
Sidney Poitier was big-city detective Virgil Tibbs, who helps Rod Steiger’s racist Mississippi sheriff solve a small-town murder in In the Heat of the Night. Poitier had literally risked his life to make the film—sleeping with a gun under his pillow during the film’s Tennessee shoot while white thugs raged outside his motel—and the result was more than just a box-office smash and the Oscar-winning best picture of 1968; the scene where a racist plantation owner strikes Tibbs across the face—and Tibbs strikes him right back—became known as “the slap heard ’round the world.” There was no questioning Tibbs’s masculinity or lack of deference. With a single thwack, Poitier smacked open the door that led to a decade of macho blaxploitation heroes and, eventually, to more fully rounded and recognizably human roles for black actors.
It’s an undisputed fact that American politics have been turned upside down.
Former Republican stalwart vice president Dick Cheney is one of the most unrepentant conservatives in the last 50 years. Today he was showered with love by the Democrats when he appeared in Congress to commemorate the first anniversary of Donald Trump’s attempted coup d’etat on January 6, 2021.
Most Democrats have unceasingly and with good reason scorned Cheney when he worked in the Ford White House, served as a member of Congress, a member of George H.W. Bush’s cabinet and later as VP in the George W. Bush administration.
It was Cheney who advocated the most draconian civil rights abuses in the so called War on Terror after 9/11.It was Cheney who cheer led for the U.S. to invade Iraq in 2003.
The Democrats have a short memory or are willing to forget his hard line policy positions. It’s also true that the Republican party has gone so far off the rails that someone like Dick Cheney is considered a moderate influence.
Excerpted from BuzzFeed News 1.6.2022
Dick Cheney takes a bite
WASHINGTON — Democrats lined up to greet former vice president Dick Cheney in the House chamber Thursday, a rare moment of outreach to a onetime party villain who is now one of the few high-profile Republicans to fully acknowledge what happened before and during last year’s fatal Capitol riots.
His daughter Rep. Liz Cheney is under attack by her own party as she continues to speak out against former president Donald Trump’s false claims of election fraud.
Congresswoman Liz Cheney as her dad looks on
“My daughter can take care of herself,” the former vice president told reporters.
Cheney was not the only Democratic villain of the early 2000s to make an unusual reappearance for the insurrection anniversary. Karl Rove, for years Bush’s top political adviser, wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed condemning the riot “apologists” in the Republican Party for not being honest about what happened on Jan. 6. “If Democrats had done what some Trump supporters did on that violent Jan. 6, Republicans would have criticized them mercilessly and been right to do so,” he wrote.
Republicans, instead, have been most merciless with Liz Cheney, one of two Republicans on the committee investigating the insurrection and a prime political target of Trump’s in this year’s elections. Cheney was removed from a Republican leadership position last year after voting for Trump’s impeachment.
VP Cheney in the White House with President George W. Bush
The former vice president, member of Congress, cabinet secretary, and White House official has not exactly been beloved by Democrats over the last half-century. Throughout the presidency of George W. Bush, Cheney was portrayed by Democrats in and out of Congress as the dark force driving the president and the functional Republican power center, from the Iraq War to any number of domestic political fights.
But Cheney, and his now out-of-style brand of neoconservatism, is not aligned with where the party is today.
A young Dick Cheney with Donald Rumsfeld during the Gerald Ford administration
San Francisco institutions continue to be impacted by the 2-year-old Pandemic as the Omicron variaton wreaks havoc around the globe.
The historic and world reknown San Francisco Ballet has taken a prudent step, realizing you can’t dance around the Pandemic. The White Swan pas de deux from Helgi Tomasson’s “Swan Lake” must wait in the wings off stage for the time being.
The San Francisco Ballet’s season-opening gala, scheduled for Jan. 27, has been postponed to March 24 because of safety concerns over the surge of COVID-19 and the omicron variant, the company announced Tuesday, Jan. 4.
The 90-minute program, titled “La Grand Fête,” is expected to feature the same programming as originally scheduled, including world premieres of ballets by Alexei Ratmansky, Yuri Possokhov and Myles Thatcher, as well as the stage debut of a pas de deux from Danielle Rowe’s “Wooden Dimes” and the White Swan pas de deux from Helgi Tomasson’s “Swan Lake.” But instead of opening the company’s season, which marks the last one for Tomasson as the Ballet’s artistic director, the event — now dubbed the 2022 season gala — is slated to come in between the fourth and fifth programs of the seven-program schedule.
The evening’s timeline begins with a 5 p.m. red carpet, followed by a 6 p.m. performance, and dinner and a reception at 7:30 p.m.
Ticket holders may exchange for a different performance or request a refund from the box office by Feb. 1.
Helgi Tomasson- SF Ballet Director works his dancers in rehearsal
A company spokesperson said that Program 1, which includes the world premiere of Cathy Marston’s “Mrs. Robinson” alongside Balanchine’s “Symphony in C” and Tomasson’s “Trio,” is expected to open Feb. 1 as planned, but that the company would continue to monitor the progress of the pandemic.
The mainstream media has been making editorial noises about America’s descent into a Fascist state. The San Francisco Chronicle’s Sunday January 2 lead editorial spoke to this issue with the headline “American Fascism is Still Rising. What are You Going to do About It California?” Â Good question.
Regrettably the Democrats are fighting amongst themselves, the great mass of Americans don’t care  while the Republicans andtheir fellow extremists are laying the ground work for a Trump resurrection.
Excerpted from The Nation 1.2.2022
If 1920s Germany could punish Hitler for leading a coup attempt, why can’t America go after Trump?
A year out from the January 6 insurrection, Donald Trump has yet to pay a serious political or personal price for leading the first known coup attempt in nearly 250 years of American history. Whereas Hitler at this point was in prison, with his Nazi Party in shambles, Trump is roaming the country giving speeches and raising vast amounts of money; his Republican Party is well positioned to gain a majority in Congress next year.
But coup attempts in democratic countries, while much less common, are less perilous. They rarely involve the military, and it’s complicated to punish coup plotters who have a following and can represent themselves as protesters rather than traitors.
That is why an important point of comparison for America’s January 6 insurrection is the attempted coup led by Adolf Hitler in 1923, the so-called Beer Hall Putsch, and how it affected his march toward absolute power.
BERLIN – December 20, 1924 Adolph Hitler, once the demi-god of the reactionary extremists, was released on parole from imprisonment at Fortress Landsberg, Bavaria today and immediately left in an auto for Munich. He looked a much sadder and wiser man today than last Spring when he, with Ludendorff and other radical extremists, appeared before a Munich court charged with conspiracy to overthrow the Government. His behavior during imprisonment convinced the authorities that, like his political organization, known as the Vőlkischer, was no longer to be feared. It is believed he will retire to private life and return to Austria, the country of his birth.
Conventional wisdom has it that the blossoming democratic German government of the early 1920s botched its efforts to rein in Hitler after his failed coup, and thereby helped propel him to greater popularity. In this view, the Biden administration understands the tragic German history, and is now avoiding legal action against Trump, letting the US House of Representatives investigate the coup plot and limit its punishment to some kind of public shaming.
Yet if you review the events following the failed Beer Hall Putsch, it becomes clear that German institutions successfully sidelined Hitler for nearly 10 years, and might have kept him out of the mainstream longer except for a worldwide economic depression that amplified popular disaffection.
Moreover, Trump has raced ahead of Hitler’s timetable for recovering from an attempted coup, bringing the United States much closer to a fascist takeover than most Americans likely realize.
Throughout the World people are not concerned about being struck down with a Covid variant. Instead, the disgruntled and impatient citizens think they can resume life as normal while the Pandemic is still in full force.
It’s a sad commentary on the World condition that people lack the patience and discipline to listen to the health authorities. The people are putting themselves and their fellow humans at risk.
The impact of Donald Trump’s noxious and neo-fascist American presidency is still being felt. The fact someone unfurled a banner lauding this disgraced leader as the January 6 anniversary of his attempted political coup d’etat approaches is a frightening reminder. Â Trump and those extremists who suppport him have not gone away and are in our neighborhoods be it in Amsterdam, Washington or San Francisco.
Excerpted from Deutsche Welle 1.2.2021
Thousands of people in Amsterdam defied a ban on large gatherings on Sunday as they took to the streets to show their displeasure at restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
Protesters congregated in the city center before marching toward a park in the Dutch capital where a rally of the populist Forum for Democracy party took place.
Brief clashes
A small group of protesters briefly clashed with riot police as officers made efforts to clear the crowd from Museum Square.
Dutch cops use canines to quell Covid restriction protests
Most people complied with the call to disperse, given via loudspeaker, from the square in front of the Rijksmuseum.
Before officers moved in, some people near the Van Gogh Museum unfurled a banner that read: “Less repression, more care.”
A group of people in white overalls and white masks held up signs, including one that said: “It’s not about a virus, it’s about control” on one side and “Freedom” on the other.
One person in attendance held up a “Trump 2024” flag.
The Netherlands is currently in a strict lockdown, which is expected to last until at least mid-January.
The local government in Amsterdam had banned Sunday’s protest, saying police had indications some protesters might be planning “violence.”
The municipality later issued an emergency order for people to leave the square. Riot police marched across the grass to clear the area, sending the demonstrators into nearby streets.
Top photo – Police clash with demonstrators as thousands of people defied a ban Sunday to gather and protest the Dutch government’s coronavirus lockdown measures, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022. The municipality of the Dutch capital banned the protest, saying police had indications some demonstrators could be attending “prepared for violence.” (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
The Crow is on Maleficent’s shoulder in Sleeping Beauty.
Crows are secretive and can count. Most Crows can count to three.
What are these birds up to?
Dressed as for a funeral, caw-caw-cawing, the Crows in our backyard have become tame. The Crows mess around in our dog’s water bowls.
The Cherokee word for Crow is “koga.” Koga acquired its black color in a futile attempt to acquire the first fire.
Loud, rambunctious, and highly intelligent, Crows are most often associated with a long history of fear and loathing. Crow’s black feathers associate them with Death.
Research has demonstrated Crows are actually very social and caring creatures and also among the smartest animals on the Planet.
The Crow also has a dark place in American culture. The 1994 film The Crow was forever cursed when Brandon Lee, son of martial arts icon Bruce Lee, died after being accidentally wounded by a prop gun during filming. The movie was released after his death and has become a Cult classic. This tragic accident has led many people to believe to this day the film was cursed.
The critical consensus states: “Filled with style and dark, lurid energy, The Crow is an action-packed visual feast that also has a soul in the performance of the late Brandon Lee.”[
Every Picture Tells a Story – Motorcycle down on the streets of outer San Francisco
Walking to the grocery store this afternoon I came upon this post mayhem scene in the outer Richmond District. I missed the moment of impact but it’s obvious that the motorcycle got the worst of it.Â
The motorcycle rider was nowhere to be seen. The SFPD was out in force to survey and analyze the carnage at 36th Avenue and Geary Boulevard.
The American media isn’t celebrating Patti Smith on her 75th birthday. It should. She’s an icon born in Chicago, raised in New Jersey and has become world reknown for her music and writing. Â
Patti Smith has now reached the world of advertising and can be seen modeling for Rimowa luggage as she continues to reinvent herself.
Patti Smith carries the Rimowa brand
Excerpted from Deutsche Welle 12.29.2021
Some have called her the Godmother of Punk, others the Grande Dame of Alternative Rock. But what Patti Smith really is, deep down in her heart, is a poet. Her music takes second.
Born on December, 30, 1946, in Chicago, Smith grew up in New Jersey together with three siblings. While her father was an atheist, her mother was a Jehovah’s Witness, raising her kids to be religious.
She wanted to become a teacher. During her studies, she got pregnant and had the baby, but gave it up for adoption. Then she quit her studies, and – not even 20 years old – found her way to New York’s art scene where she got involved in art, drugs, parties and music.
Back then, her idols were the poets Charles Baudelaire and Arthur Rimbaud, and the musicians Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones and Jim Morrison.
In clubs and bars, Smith opened for rock bands by reciting her poems on stage. She had her first big performance in February 1971. As part of a planned poetry series, Smith recited her work for New York stars like Allen Ginsberg, Andy Warhol, Lou Reed, Sam Shepherd and others, eventually publishing two volumes of poetry.
During that time she also jammed with guitarist Lenny Kaye and keyboarder Richard Sohl.
The three musicians kept playing around with Van Morrison’s song “Gloria” for a long time until Smith decided to work in her famous poem “Oath” into that song:
“Christ died for somebody’s sins, but not mine (…) Christ, I’m giving you the goodbye, firing you tonight. I can make my own light shine.”
The reference to her mother’s suffocating religiosity could not be overlooked.
In 1975, the Patti Smith Group was complete. The first album, “Horses,” was created with the help of producer and Velvet Underground veteran John Cale. On the cover, Smith appeared almost like an androgynous being with a wild dark mane – slim, delicate, clad in a men’s shirt and jacket, and wearing a black ribbon looking like a loose tie.
Reacting to Smith’s wild performances, the music world put her squarely in the punk box, and even called her the Godmother of Punk. In an interview with BBC, she later said she regretted having been given all kinds of titles, like “princess of piss,” or “wild rock ‘n’ roll mustang.”
Patti Smith with Bob Dylan
After a fade in the 1980’s Bob Dylan brought her back into the limelight in the mid-1990’s. Smith reactivated her old band, and before they knew it they were opening for Dylan’s show. The audience was thrilled. Twenty years after the release of “Horses,” the band returned into the studio to produce the album “Gone Again” – a collection of somber and touching songs in memory of her deceased husband.
Patti Smith’s autobiography Just Kids. Winner of a 2010 National Book Award – pictured with Robert Mapplethorpe
Smith still continues to produce music today. Her wild mane has turned grey but the power of her songs hasn’t diminished a bit. Whether she sings her old hits attempts to cover rock classics like “Smells like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, she remains a poet who transports her verses via music.
Attn:Â All Hands on Deck to preserve car free spaces in San Francisco.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit to force the opening to cars of The Great Walkway, JFK Drive and MLK Drive have filed a Motion for a Preliminary Injunction forcing the City to open these thoroughfares to cars IMMEDIATELY.
The Motion will be heard in Dept. 302 on January 31, 2022 at 9:30AM.
The Open the Great Highway Alliance is hoping the Court approves their Motion because it would put cars back onto these currently car free spaces while the lawsuit is litigated.
The bright lights of a car on The Great Walkway 11.23.2021Car free Great Walkway 9.9.2020
You can visit the SF Superior Court website and look on the Register of Actions for case CPF-21-517641. It will provide you with all the activity in the lawsuit to date.
The City has yet to make a formal appearance in Court; i.e. an response to the Request for a Writ of Mandate filed December 16, 2021.
Excerpted from San Francisco Chronicle Editorial 12.25.2021
JFK Drive is for people, not car commuters. Let’s keep it that way in 2022 and beyond
Car Free JFK Drive rally 4.11.2021
Before the pandemic, JFK was one of the most dangerous and deadliest streets in San Francisco. There were 91 crashes on it from 2014 through its 2020 closure. That’s mostly because 75% of people traveling on JFK had no intention of visiting the park; they were simply using it as a cut-through.
This would be a policy failure for any city; for a supposedly transit-first city like San Francisco, however, it was an inexcusable display of incompetence.
Few would object to a gentle street through Golden Gate Park that enables slow, but convenient vehicle access, especially for the mobility impaired, to the park’s amenities. But allowing the main thoroughfare of the city’s marquee park to become a high-speed commuter freeway — as it once was — was a gross and too-often deadly civic failure that can never again be allowed to repeat itself.
Excerpted from San Francisco Chronicle Editorial 9.19.2021
SF jumped the gun in its Great Highway reopening. That can’t happen at JFK
Traffic on Chain of Lakes Drive on a weekday rush hour when The Great Walkway is open to cars. 10.6.2021Cars on Chain of Lakes Drive during rush hour 11.23.2021
Anecdotally, traffic on Chain of Lakes — one of the ostensible reasons given for the need to reopen the Great Highway last month, after it had been closed to cars for most of the pandemic — appears as bad or nearly as bad as it was before the reopening. Cars also still appear to be cutting through Outer Sunset neighborhoods in search of shortcuts — in defiance of another rationale given for the necessity of reopening the highway.
Lee's Perspective 