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#nokings: My community gathers in peace and determination with some fun

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Seven million Americans are fed up enough with Republican political bullshit and its pedophile president that they showed up in force for the second peaceful protest. My little town of Berryville (population 4911) had an even bigger rally than the previous August iteration, with probably 2000 people peacefully gathered.

Not that we aren’t pissed. We are. Fuck ICE and fuck authoritarianism. We won’t stand for it in our own country. We are here to defend our rights. Like the right to decent public schooling FOR ALL.

But we are all disgusted with the gestapo tactics of DHS ICE. Those chicken shits hiding behind masks better keep their identities secret, because we will not forget what they are doing.

No Kings is mostly about NO to fascism. It’s not a joke. Its serious and so are we.

United we stand.

Well some of us sit I guess.

Here’s what the Rose Hill Park looked like during the protest.

A panorama from in front of the pavilion.


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JC watches moonie.

By far the most engaging and charismatic leader to speak was Justin Fairfax. Outstanding. I will support Justin an any future races he takes on.

Justin had the crowd’s full attention.

And after he spoke, I went to let him know how much we appreciate his coming out to Berryville and got a picture with Moonshine. Moonie was wearing his “No Kings, Only Good Boys” sign again.

There were lots of great signs and a very diverse crowd.

Little dudes.

Super heroes.

Winchesterites.

But by far, once again, the most popular protester was Moonshine.

Did you know that Tru.p is still surpressing release of the Epstein files? He is likely even to start a war to escape responsibility for his disgusting pedophilia. We’re taking bets: Iran or Venezuela?

One of my favorite pictures of the protest is this policeman who agreed to hold Moonshine (and pat him) while I took his picture. His presence was in no way menacing. In fact, it was reassuring. Just for the record, our county Sheriff even had some things to say during the rally. This is a community and we all feel the same way about freedom of speech and freedom of association.

There was plenty of color.

A puppy.

The TACOs were back.

As well as chickens.

Portland inspired some inflatables. The United States stands together against the ICE Gestapo.


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Faeries.

Normals.

Moms.

Babies.

More dogs.

Even mean old guitar players from the Bitter Liberals.

Maybeline made an appearance as well.

Ken Mitchell batted cleanup. We will vote for Ken again.

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No Kings. Period.

Apothecaryshed Endorses Harris for President

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The choice is beyond obvious. Time to clean house and eradicate hate. Vote for Harris (if you have not already done so).

Ken Mitchell for Congress

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We first met Ken at a democratic fundraiser in the hinterlands of Clarke county. We were recently added into District 6, so we will have new representation in Congress. There is an incumbent to defeat who looks out for corporate interests instead of the interests of his constituents. He needs to be replaced by Ken.

Ken gave a short version of his stump speech and hit all the right notes.

Afterwards we had a quick chat about BIML and machine learning. Ken wanted to learn more. Really. So he visited the house and we talked AI for an hour or two on the patio.

Then, as it was dinner time, we invited Ken to join us, first for a cocktail and then for juevos rancheros. We are now huge fans of Ken and can’t wait to see him in Congress. He shares our values. He wants to learn about ML/AI and benefit from its good. He understands complex issues and has nuanced and carefully-considered positions.

So when you vote early in Virginia for Harris, vote for Ken too.

On the Arts, Queens, and Democracy: Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía

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There is lots of politics pervading the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía which if you think about it is somewhat ironic. I mean, the place itself is named after a queen. And lots of anti-imperial politics pervades (including some well-deserved anti-Americanism). But a queen? What kind of democracy has a monarch? Or still reveres a monarch? Seriously. Those days need to be behind us as a species.

Anyway, the ill-begotten gains of monarchy are at least being spent on art and not on oppression. Or is art just an opiate slightly stronger than religion? These are difficult issues to plumb.

And are they old fashioned or what? No pictures of some of the pictures? Trapped in the past they are. The guernica room is a shrine that should be full of life, not a mausoleum. Spain still seems to have a Franco hangover.

But still, go.  The sound and the fury be damned.

 

The light is excellent.

Shadowplay.

 

 

 

 

Take a green break.

 

 

Watch mute.

 

 

And then coffee.

 

Nazi’s Out of Regensburg

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On a recent trip to Regensburg, Germany (two weeks before the national elections there), I watched the townspeople reject the neo-Nazi NDP party idiots vociferously. The police were present in great numbers protecting the Nazi’s from being ridden out of town on a rail.

Probably the most interesting phenomenon was when all of the church bells in town were rung at once to drown out the Nazi rally.

I took some video.

Democracy in action