Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Timeline: roots to the Summer of 2020

This timeline shows many of the extremist origins, dark money's undue lobbying influence, gaslighting and propaganda that came to create the potent and dangerous Summer of 2020. This toxic mix commingled with election fraud and tampering to continue to corrupt US democracy.

More in depth coverage of Racism to June 2020 is told here:

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2020/06/atlantic-reader-race-and-racism-us/613057/

Timeline to June 2020

2005-2006

Deeply conservative justice Alito confirmed 58-42 vote, Mitch Mcconnell voting. Supreme court tipped more conservative.

Sometime in 2008-2009

Tea party events with help from SPN's FreedomWorks as noted in the first chatper of Gaslighting America: Why We Love It When Trump Lies to Us, Amanda Carpenter.

Jan 21, 2010

Citizens vs FEC, 5-4 vote in favor of Citizens, tie breaking vote from Alito.

2012

Freedom Partners created 2012, and run by Marc Short, and I360 started in 2009
https://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/koch-brothers-rnc-113359

2013

Weakening of Voting rights act through Shelby vs. Holder, with a 5-4 vote. RBG writing a scathing descent, opposing majority view of Roberts: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/10/colorblind-justice-john-roberts-voting-rights-north-carolina/

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/07/how-shelby-county-broke-america/564707/ 

Jan 28, 2015

https://web.archive.org/web/20150128201920/http://www.stripes.com/opinion/lt-clint-lorance-could-be-any-one-of-us-1.325886
https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Sean_Parnell_(Center_for_Competitive_Politics), writes position piece supporting clemency and within days he's on Hannity to push the story. Note the date and the publisher is CVA. This is how the echo chamber is seeded, a piece from a Koch org, or related org staffer.

Jan 2016

DHS noted a review of previous highs in militia groups rise in 2009, slightly dropping till rising again. Political pressure from republicans via the Tea Party to drop the department. Concern for Tea party members to increase in militia group participation.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/09/us/politics/homeland-security-looked-past-militia-movement-ex-analyst-says.html

June 2016

Noted riffs between RNC and Trump Campaign, however, these aren’t permanent.
https://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/donald-trump-republican-national-committee-224403

July 2016

FBI director James Comey Started investigation on Trump associates and Russia.

August 2016

Steve Bannon signs on to the Trump Campaign.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/18/us/politics/steve-bannon-trump-white-house.html

October 2016

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/fbi-white-supremacists-in-law-enforcement

October 27, 2016

Brad Parscale: voter suppression, media disinformation and fundraising campaigns with the help of Cambridge Analytica, and board vice president Steve Bannon and alt-right media bubble
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-27/inside-the-trump-bunker-with-12-days-to-go

Jan 6, 2017

Freedom Partners detail what to repeal:

  • Repeal the following by new Executive order:
  • Executive order establishing a task force on commercial advocacy
  • Executive order putting a moratorium on new federal coal leases
  • Presidential memorandum requiring new federal overtime rule promulgation
  • Paris Climate Agreement requiring greenhouse gas emissions reductions
  • Proposed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) programs incidental to the Clean Power Plan
  • Proposed Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) payday and vehicle title loan rules
  • Proposed CFPB arbitration rules
  • Work with Congress to repeal:
  • Final Stream Protection Rule regarding coal mine permitting
  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM) federal lands Methane Rule
  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS): 2017 and 2018 obligations
  • EPA Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards: Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles
  • Work with agencies to repeal:
  • EPA Rule defining The Waters of the United States
  • EPA Clean Power Plan
  • HHS Electronic Health Record Incentive Program
  • HHS Establishment of Exchanges and Qualified Health
  • DOL Overtime Rule
  • DOL Fiduciary Rule
  • FCC “Net Neutrality” Rule
  • USDA Calorie Labeling for Vending Machines

“Freedom Partners will hold lawmakers who oppose regulatory relief accountable for their positions. Floor Time: Congressional leaders should devote sufficient floor time to voting on finalized regulations and putting lawmakers on record on President Obama’s most harmful regulations.

Voter Education: Network organizations will educate voters about their elected representatives’ positions on regulations that impose barriers to opportunity for hardworking families.”

Fact check? Search for Freedom Partners in the Internet archive. A source doc from their website is there.

Jan 20, 2017

Marc Short Joins Whitehouse, promotion from Pence’s communications advisor. Keep in mind, Mr. Short has been working with Koch funded NPOs since the late 90s. He’s been Pence’s chief of staff from 2009-2011, then back to the Koch funded Freedom Partners till 2016.

https://projects.propublica.org/trump-town/staffers/marc-short

Feb 24, 2017

EO 13777, Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda: Hires staffers from former ALEC member lobbyists
Hires EPA staffers of chief climate deniers, including one with family employed by Big Oil.
https://projects.propublica.org/trump-town/staffers/category/taskforce?page=1

March 29, 2017

Trump ends moratorium on new federal coal leases
https://www.eenews.net/stories/1062507113

May 9, 2017

James Comey fired by President Trump
A week later, Robert Mueller appointed as special counsel to take over the investigation of obstruction of Justice surrounding the probe into Trump associates and Russia

June 1, 2017

Trump announces to withdraw from Paris Accord

Late June, 2017

Governors Meeting in Whitefish
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/06/us/politics/under-trump-coal-mining-gets-new-life-on-us-lands.html

June 19, 2017 

1.1 TB of data leaked from GOP voter data on 198 million US citizens
https://gizmodo.com/gop-data-firm-accidentally-leaks-personal-details-of-ne-1796211612
2016 registered voters are about 200M.

Aug 12, 2017

‘Unite the Right‘ rally, Charlottesville, Virginia
Attendees were joined by white supremacists groups to protest the removal of a statue commemorating the confederate general Robert E. Lee, resulting in the death of one of a peaceful counter protester in support to remove the statue.‘

Aug 15 2017

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/15/donald-trump-charlottesville-trump-tower-white-supremacists#maincontent
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/trump-defends-white-nationalist-protesters-some-very-fine-people-on-both-sides/537012/

Aug 18, 2017

Steve Bannon exits Trump Whitehouse
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/18/us/politics/steve-bannon-trump-white-house.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/11/us/politics/mitch-mcconnell-steve-bannon-trump.html

No love between Mcconnell and Bannon. Outlines tactics used by Mcconnell “World” to discredit opponents. Outlines rational of republican self preservation initiated from the senate compared to carte blanche Freedom Partners/AFP doctrine. Bannon was already associated to Stephen Miller, a known white supermacist. How much of this was posturing?

May 7, 2018

Americans for Prosperity draft US budget cuts:

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6810490-AFP-2018-Budget-Cut-List.html
https://twitter.com/lhfang/status/1238956214072967169

Jan 09, 2018

Steve Bannon Steps down from Breitbart

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/09/us/politics/steve-bannon-breitbart-trump.html

May 06, 2018

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/may/06/cambridge-analytica-how-turn-clicks-into-votes-christopher-wylie

Sept 20, 2018

Denver Post shows Identity Evropa linked to white supremacy increasing from 2017 and 2018.
https://www.denverpost.com/2018/09/20/white-supremacy-front-range-colorado/

Nov 3, 2018

Extremenism summary including Charlottesville
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/03/magazine/FBI-charlottesville-white-nationalism-far-right.html

Jan 28, 2019

Cambridge Analytica is founded in 2013, with Robert Mercer, Steve Bannon as board members
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-investigations/they-were-planning-on-stealing-election-explosive-new-tapes-reveal-cambridg/

Jan 29, 2019

RNC pledges support for Trump in 2020 election.

'"The Republican National Committee passed an unprecedented pledge on Friday to give Trump its "undivided support" before he's the party's official nominee.' '"The members just wanted to underscore, underline, highlight that we are here to reelect President Trump and Republicans up and down the ballot," the RNC's national press secretary, Cassie Smedile, said.'
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rnc-push-undivided-support-trump-reelection-state-leaders/story?id=60603125

March 2019

https://www.wired.com/story/cambridge-analytica-facebook-privacy-awakening/

Marc Short rehired to Pence’s Chief of Staff
https://twitter.com/VP/status/1097896017498914816

March 22, 2019

Mueller Report finished, resulting in 34 indictments, 14 criminal investigations. A redacted report was published on April 18, 2019 and made available to the public.

July, 2019

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/james-alex-fields-jr-charlottesville-car-attack-sentenced-life-plus-419-years-today-2019-07-15/

2016 elections hacked by Russians operatives:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/25/us/politics/russian-hacking-elections.html

August 06, 2019

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/08/conversation-christian-picciolini/595543/

August 08, 2019 

Mcconnell campaign locked out of twitter for posting an expletive ridden video with threats of violence. Senate Republicans, and RNC retaliate with mischaracterization of what happened and boycott spending on Twitter.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/08/twitter-locks-mitch-mcconnell-campaign-account-for-video-of-protesters.html

Oct 15, 2019

281 Lobbyists work for Trump administration, in jobs responsible for regulating the industry they lobbyied.
https://www.propublica.org/article/we-found-a-staggering-281-lobbyists-whove-worked-in-the-trump-administration

Dec 18, 2019

Impeachment proceedings of President Trump started

Feb 23, 2020

Murder of Ahmaud Arbery, Brunswick, Georgia

https://www.nytimes.com/article/ahmaud-arbery-shooting-georgia.html

March 13, 2020

Murder of Breonna Taylor, Louisville, Kentucky (Mitch Mcconnell State Senetor and Gov. Beshear)

https://www.nytimes.com/article/breonna-taylor-police.html

March 22, 2020 

Americans for Prosperity staffers lobby for opening up America and protest lockdown orders. https://theintercept.com/2020/03/26/americans-for-prosperity-cdc-coronavirus/

April 17, 2020

Domain tools software queries Internet Domain Name records show hundreds of domains registered at the same time, and their linked facebook pages have Google Analytics id that leads back to the Dorr Brothers who are astroturfing a majority of the lockdown protests websites.

April 19 2020

Hyper pro gun lobbying created by Dorr brothers, and Mn chapter headed by DeVos advisor McNeilly, peddling corona disinformation.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/04/19/pro-gun-activists-using-facebook-groups-push-anti-quarantine-protests/

April 22, 2020

Anti-lockdown protests roots in tea party and Mercer’s Convention of States, Koch big money
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-conservative-networks-backing-anti-quarantine-protests/2020/04/22/da75c81e-83fe-11ea-a3eb-e9fc93160703_story.html

May 07, 2020

https://theintercept.com/2020/05/07/are-trump-and-the-anti-lockdown-militias-itching-for-violence/

May 20, 2020

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks.html

May 24, 2020

Effigy of Governor Beshear publicly hung during Patriot Day 2nd Amendment Rally

Gov. Beshear, a democrat, a target? Why is that also the home of Brianna Taylor, to which has an open FBI investigation of police corruption? Why is an effigy being displayed in broad daylight by a III%ers in 2020?
https://www.kentucky.com/news/state/kentucky/article242972241.html

Warning, Explicit Effigy content: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2020/05/24/second-amendment-supporters-protest-covid-19-restrictions-capitol/5250571002/A

May 25, 2020

Murder of George Floyd, Minneapolis, Minnesota

https://www.nytimes.com/article/george-floyd.html

May 27-June1

DHS finds chatter from far right extremists, organizing to incite violence to start the next civil war, per boogaloo movement. No evidence is found for antifa to turn violent.
https://www.businessinsider.com/white-supremacist-telegram-channel-encourages-violence-george-floyd-protests-2020-6

May 29, 2020

DHS memo citing white supremacist organizing on May 27, and inciting to storm the Minnesota State Capitol.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/01/dhs-domestic-terrorists-protest-294342

May 30, 2020

NV arrest three, loose ties to militia:  

MN, arrest man handing out explosives, unaffiliated, used facebook to promote rioting:
https://www.peoriapublicradio.org/post/galesburg-man-charged-inciting-riots-chicago-minneapolis#stream/0

Arrests in Minnesota from May 30, about 80% of 40 ppl linked to white supremacist or organized crime:
https://courthousenews.com/minnesota-officials-link-arrested-looters-to-white-supremacist-groups/

May 31, 2020

Identity Evropa posing as Antifa on facebook to incite riots:
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/twitter-takes-down-washington-protest-disinformation-bot-behavior-n1221456

Virginia: self proclaimed KKK leader runs over protesters with vehicle:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/harry-rogers-kkk-leader-accused-driving-into-protesters-virginia-police-say/

June 2020

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/06/qanon-nothing-can-stop-what-is-coming/610567/ Qanonmous cult amplifying white supremacy planted lies about antifa (june, online release was earlier)

https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/06/the-very-fine-people-trap-and-how-to-avoid-it-today/

June 1, 2020

Peaceful protests cleared with tear gas for the president's photo op and speech in front of a church.

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/protests/tear-gas-protesters-lafayette-square-park-police-new-video-evidence/65-c39fb767-b114-41d6-bcbb-530b3823d8e7


https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/tear-gas-washington-dc-protests-st-johns-church/65-7e9a67c7-e40b-47a2-8060-3f7d908139dd

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/02/timeline-clearing-lafayette-square/

Police punching press camera of foreign media: https://twitter.com/brett_mcgurk/status/1267662905383596032

Why were American’s rights infringed with use of force by the President for a photo op?

Why is the campaign manager telling the media how to explain official white house communication in front of a church?

‘…This tear gas lie is proof of that,” a statement from Tim Murtaugh, the communications director for Trump’s reelection, read. “For nearly an entire day, the whole of the press corps frantically reported the ‘news’ of a tear gas attack on ‘peaceful’ protestors in Lafayette Park, with no evidence to support such claims.”’

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/05/reverse-fact-check-trump-his-supporters-about-tear-gas-falls-apart/

https://www.npr.org/local/305/2020/06/05/870752740/black-lives-matter-d-c-sues-trump-and-barr-over-tear-gas-at-lafayette-square

Joint Chiefs Staff Report bayonetts issued but under strict orders not to use unless further instructed, regarding orders given for riot control on June 2, 2020.

https://apnews.com/62e1aa26fe5043a63441dcacea70703
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nypd-officer-appears-make-white-power-sign-protest-prompting-probe-n1224141

June 4, 2020

https://www.npr.org/2020/06/04/869722081/journalist-explains-why-republican-leaders-back-trumps-proto-authoritarian-cult

June 9, 2020

How The Antifa Fantasy Spread In Small Towns Across The U.S.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/annehelenpetersen/antifa-rumors-george-floyd-protests

“I am hard-pressed to identify any significant Trump decision during my tenure that wasn’t driven by reelection calculations,” Bolton writes in the book, according to a news release from the publisher. https://apnews.com/c1bd22be2194dcdb16dbb052dc3d5bd4

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/airman-charged-killing-federal-officer-during-george-floyd-protests-california-n1231187

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-campaign-2020-voter-suppression-consent-decree-1028988/

Epilogue


Monday, November 2, 2020

Ways to save

I chose entrepreneurship as a way to solve hard, relevant questions. Doing a startup requires funding and well funded startups are better able to scale faster. Given seeking funding ultimately deals with economics and control, maximizing economics before hand adds leverage.

I've come up with some hacks to allow me to better save and give me as much runway as possible. Yes, the lean startup book doesn't recommend to lean budgeting as you miss out on being able to move quickly since you're too caught up saving, or from what I remember reading back around 2013. I remind myself that it is ok and necessary to still make business purchases that can be quite expensive, assuming it's justified.

This list is more personal lifestyle hacks. Food is one of the most significant ways to impact ones quality of life outside of exercise, as such this list is slanted towards food.

I wanted to find cheap healthy replacements for ramen, and soylent. I haven't tried soylent but need to be (nearly) soy free. Pea protein can be added to soups to add protein to a meal, and it kind of makes a miso-like consistency. Add in some fresh veggies, and noodles (gf optional) and curry powder, garlic powder or salt, tumeric, salt, and one can make it like ichiban ramen, only healthier depending on the noodles.

Pea protein, noodles, gelatin powder, veggies, spices, (split pea + noodles or miso like + noodles, that's more like a bone broth. Animal gelatin is still from animals, but this should have less impact than say a full animal based soup.)

Frozen fruit allows me to have fresh fruit, with a decent vitamin and nutrient profile. I do try to buy locally where possible.

Rainbow hued fruit and veggies in most meals, as I want vitamin A, Bs, C, E, K, and Ca, Mg, Cu, Si, S, Zn, etc.

Ground turkey, veggies, black beans and spices. Can go curry or chili or both. Non-ruminant animals are preferred to lessen carbon impact. Yes, full veggie is better, but I'm not there (yet).

I do fish oil (DHA extra w/EPA) and vitamin D3 supplements so I can cut back from eating fish many times a week. I do eat Alaskan salmon (as I'm California) at least once a week. I found that mail ordering supplements works fine except for fish oil. That was spoiling by the time I received it. Instead I now get it at a supermarket where they have high vitamin/supplement turnover.

I have to cut back on chocolate, but buying 70% baking chocolate does make it slightly better.

Motorcycle instead of a car. I needed something to zip in and out of the peninsula or North Bay if I was coming from Sonoma County or where mass transit isn't well served at all hours. I don't skimp on the safety gear, it may be bought on sale, but none of it is budget. Know the safety ratings and shop around, same goes for tires! I rock all season rain tires in dry California, as the Golden Gate Bridge is mostly cloaked in heavy fog, even while the rest of the roads can be completely dry. These tires are likely more expensive than most, but it's less expensive than Shannon pavement spackle or an ER/Morgue trip.

Living in a high walk or bicycle score area. Walking or bicycling is a great way to just keep blood moving while running errands.

Finding sale cycles for cyclical items: batch dry cleaning to the few times per year the dry cleaner emails me coupons, buy consumables like bicycle tubes during the bi-annual bicycle store sales, same with motorcycle oil, buy seasonal clothing during opposite season sales, shop a thrift store. Buy functional expensive pieces during winter or summer sales.

I did buy all of my professional wear before starting my startup. If I had to buy it again, I'd still look for one good wool suit in a basic color that goes well with my skin tone. What's the value of a good suit? My wool black suit jacket has been to more than 10 countries, has over 100K of air miles, and still photo finish after a dry clean. It was on sale, but over $150. I did have it altered, both sleeves and cuffs. It's now 11 years old. I'm in California I usually wear dressy jeans, however I do have the matching slacks. The set was heavily discounted, yet somewhere just shy of $300.

Cut out eating and drinking out. That latte budget really adds up! Buying movie tickets (pre covid/post vaccine) at reduced cost. (This may not be offered post covid, no idea.)

Pre-covid I had a gym membership. Unknown, when I can get back to one. I may have to convert a bench and get some (more) free weights. (ugh)

These seem odd, but each has given me that extra bit so I can stretch while I go work on hard problems deciding like to do science or engineering to ultimately get a product out the door.

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Racism and Climate Equity - Open Letter to OpenNanoCarbon community

There was a time when US Universities closed so students could demonstrate for US civil rights. The same is true today if they were in session. And many companies have come out in solitary with #Blacklivesmatter movement.

Although I haven't taken the time to email a letter to my colleagues till now, it should be very clear I don't support racism and pervasive injustice enacting tyranny. I do not choose those words lightly nor as hyperbole. I stand with the #blacklivesmatter movement to seek justice for all the lives we've unfairly lost. NPR Covers Lives Lost, and my personal tweets.

As Open NanoCarbon is a collection of people, if any of you don't see how racism defeats climate equity, please leave the group.

Freedom is one of the central tenets of American Democracy. US law applies to all people in the US, and fundamental is the law's application in the same manner for all people.

Additionally, here are the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals: 10, and 16:

Sustainable Development Goal 10, Reduce inequality within and among countries
10.2    By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status
10.2.1    Proportion of people living below 50 per cent of median income, by age, sex and persons with disabilities
10.3    Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard
10.3.1    Proportion of the population reporting having personally felt discriminated against or harassed within the previous 12 months on the basis of a ground of discrimination prohibited under international human rights law

Sustainable Development Goal 16, Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
16.1
Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere
16.3
Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all



16.4    By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime.

Just as justice isn't a right for the select few, nor is clean air or habitual oceans and biosphere. We can't expect the world to listen to us, if we're unable to achieve the SDGs. We can't complete our work on climate without rooting out racism.

Individually, I support organizations within the black and progressive community: Blacklivesmatter, NAACP, The Thurgood Marshal Institute via the NACCP Legal Defense and Education fund and Change.org petitions for George FloydBreonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, The Plug, Mayor's Pledge, and pipeline projects such as My Brothers Keeper Alliance, Black Girls Code and Hack the hood. (Full transparency: at this time I am unable to give financially as I'm working on unpaid climate research and research for an unfunded startup.)

Thank you, if you're a member of communities that have already spoken are working for change: Sierra Club, Carbon180, Air Miners, Xprize, OpenIDEO, Commonwealth Club, SV and SF Bicycle coalition and so many others.

If you're in software or are connected to a VC social network, please read my post on identifying bias: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/analyzing-bias-product-targeted-recommendation-shannon-fiume and share it, as I personally believe that by rooting out white bias we'll be able to end racism.