How Donald Trump Tried to Evict Rent-Controlled Tenants

Posted by historymaniacmegan on
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This is 100 Central Park South, which Donald Trump bought in 1981. During the 1980s, he had plans to demolish it for a tower of luxury condos. Unfortunately for him,, a group of rent controlled tenants lived there.

Donald Trump may be elected president thanks to receiving about 60 million votes, the Electoral College, and help from the Russians back in 2016. But in his hometown in New York City, he is almost universally loathed. The city may be a haven for liberals and elites but remember it’s the same place who elected Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg. Yet, Trump has been disliked in NYC for decades that Sesame Street parodied him as a sleazy villain since the late 1980s. Since he and his dad were indicted by the Justice for housing discrimination in the 1970s, the people of New York City have witnessed Trump concoct his dastardly business plans and often at their expense. Over the years, Trump has preyed on them with false promises, exploited them, scammed them, and abused them for his own enrichment. He’s even inflamed racial tensions for his own benefit like his page long ad calling for the executions of the Central Park Five. At best, New Yorkers see him as a sleazy con artist who’s not to be trusted. At worst, they see him as a nightmare. If the people of New York City despise Trump, it’s not because the politics. It’s because they know exactly who he is and why he should’ve never become president.

At 35 years old, Donald Trump was the epitome of American business bravado. He had cut multi-million land deals, saved a blighted midtown Manhattan subway hub by overhauling a building near Grand Central Station that would become the Grand Hyatt New York, and was in the process of erecting the black-framed glass behemoth, the 68-story Trump Tower. After he destroyed the old Bonwit Teller Building including the Art Deco sculptures he promised not to. And with the labor of undocumented Polish workers who were paid less than $5 an hour and lived in squalid conditions.

In 1981, Donald Trump bought the Barbizon Plaza Hotel and a neighboring 14-story apartment building on prime real estate facing New York City’s Central Park. Addressed at 100 Central Park South he paid $13 million for, he had plans to tear down the buildings and replace them with luxury condos. It would be an audacious project and on one of New York City’s most desirable blocks. Two months later, he applied for a demolition permit to blow it up.

But there was one problem. In 60 of 100 Central Park South’s 80 apartments, rent-stabilized tenants already lived Central Park South building. Donald Trump describes renters as privileged, rich “yuppies” who unfairly benefitted from rent-control, claiming the rent he collected barely covered expenses. That’s why he installed cheaper lightbulbs to cut back. As he claimed, “If there’s one thing I’ve learned about the rich, it’s that they have a very low threshold for even the mildest discomfort.” To be fair, a low rent home a short walk away from Broadway theaters and Carnegie Hall is a pretty sweet deal. Dentist Dr. Michael Richman paid $700 a month for his apartment. Fashion designer Arnold Scaasi paid $985 for his mind-blowing, 6-bedroom with killer views of Central Park. B-movie actress and original Rockette Suzanne Blackmer paid $203.59 month for her 2-bedroom unit which wasn’t her primary residence. A 3-room apartment in the building overlooking the part could be as low as $436 a month. In New York City this was the stuff of legend.

In reality, while rich people did inhabit a share of these apartments, most of the tenants were either working people or middle class retirees living on fixed incomes and Social Security who’ve resided there for over 20 years. None epitomizes this like B-movie Suzanne Blackmer who’d many would think was living quite extravagantly. But that wasn’t the case for she was only living on $10,000 a year from Social Security, occasional acting gigs, and a pension from the Screen Actors Guild that she earned by appearing in over 60 films. Sure, she may have had multiple residences, but she kept that apartment as a place to stay for her job.

Donald Trump often demonized the tenants as freeloading millionaires as a way to justify his harassment against the tenants at 100 Central Park South. It didn’t matter who they were. It was about getting the New York City public on his side. After all, New Yorkers would hate rich people getting very good deals on prime real estate given how expensive the city rents are. And it helped that a noted fashion designer, an architect, and a B-movie actress had units there for cheap rents. As Trump stated in The Art of the Deal, “Rent control is a disaster for all but the privileged minority who are protected by it. As much as any other single factor, rent control is responsible for the desperate housing crisis that has plagued NYC for the past 20 years.” Ironically, we should keep in mind that Trump has amassed his fortune thanks in large part to government handouts.

So in order to get his luxury condos, Donald Trump wanted to get them out. After applying for the demolition permit, he fired the building manager and replaced him with Citadel Management. According to The Art of the Deal, Trump claimed he chose a company that “specialized in relocating tenants.” While most landlords commonly try buying tenants out, Trump and Citadel Management tried to get the job done for free. At first, Citadel hired agents to constantly call tenants constantly, asking to show them other properties and convincing them that they’d have to move regardless. Most tenants refused for obvious reasons.

In the meantime, they did the bare minimum one could legally get away with in terms of upkeep. These included things like removing light covers, not cleaning up the lobby, ignoring repairs and maintenance, barring doormen from carrying up packages, and putting up aluminum foil on windows facing Central Park to give the building a run down appearance. Garbage filled the hallways and elevators as rats began to swarm. And tenants weren’t even allowed to erect a Christmas tree in the lobby. According to their 1982 lawsuit, tenants claimed that Donald Trump had cut their hot water and heat during New York’s freezing winters and stopped all building repairs. One said he allowed “a rodent infestation of the premises.” Another stated he imposed burdensome new rules in an attempt to force them out. However, building superintendent Anthony Ramirez, swore in court that Trump’s building managers gave him explicit instructions. “They didn’t want any repairs done. No cleaning. No accepting of packages.” As a result of the lack of maintenance, fashion designer Arnold Scaasi’s luxurious apartment was plagued by water leaks. One imperiled his art collection that included a 1926 Picasso and works of art by Claud Monet. And he wasn’t the only one. A 10 month water leak in Apartment 14B got so nasty that 2 brothers who grew up there saw brown and white mushrooms sprouting from their bedroom carpet. One told CNN Money, “It felt like we were under attack. Trump did his best not to repair anything.” Yet, Donald Trump refused to do anything about it.

On one occasion, when Donald Trump’s new building manager reported a burglary, dentists with apartment offices were ordered to send patients to a garbage-filled service elevator. Dr. Michael Richman refused to comply, complaining in court documents that Trump “mounted a campaign of harassment.” He then added, “Mr. Trump is willing to resort to any device or tactic to drive out the tenants from the building.” Trump’s lawyers fought back, questioning whether the dentist’s office even qualified for rent control.

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This is what the eviction threat from Donald Trump looks like. And he sent this to an elderly couple, by the way.

On New Year’s Eve, several tenants received “lease violation” warning letters. The previous owners had permitted renters to knock down walls and renovate their apartment units at least 10 to 20 years prior. He reversed the exception and gave renters only 12 days to rebuild the walls or face eviction. Another time, Donald Trump sued tenant Andersen Clipper for not paying rent despite that he actually did. New York City Judge Jay Dankberg dismissed the case as “spurious and unnecessary,” as well as blasted Trump for trying to “harass” Clipper and forced the huckster to refund 5% of his rent. He then wrote, “To most landlords happiness is having tenants who pay the rent each month without prodding or litigation. However, [Trump] is apparently searching for double happiness.” According to his estranged wife Nancy who remembers the lawsuits and the refusal to fix things, “It was really a horrible experience.” She then described Trump as “insensitive, rude, and just a generally nasty man. I would never have considered him presidential.”

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This is real estate lawyer David Rozenholc who represented the tenants at 100 Central Park South. Due to his aggressive litigation nature, he’s kind of like a Michael Avenatti in the real estate world. Also, Donald Trump sued his firm in retaliation for $150 million on corruption charges.

The renters weren’t going anywhere. After all, most of them were senior citizens on rent-control and with no other place to go. In response, they hired a particularly aggressive real estate lawyer named David Rozenholc and sued Donald Trump and his company, Park South Associates. New York state judges stepped in to put Trump’s lease violation notices on hold on at least 2 occasions. Since Rozenholc took advantage of a legal flaw to block Trump’s application to begin construction. He also sued Trump for harassing his clients and having management instruct the superintendent to spy on them. In return, Trump sued Rozenholc’s firm in a federal suit for racketeering and sought $105 million in damages, which was later dismissed since it was stupid.

In 1982 and 1983, Donald Trump put out newspaper advertisements offering to shelter homeless people offering them a dozen or so free apartments with “beautiful views.” But seeing how Trump often does seemingly charitable things on selfish motives, tenants saw the move as a ruthless attempt to drive them out. Trump denied it, telling the New York Times, “Some people think I’m just doing a number on the people in the building. That’s not true. I just want to help with the homeless problem. It’ll take two or three years to get everybody out, and in the meantime I’ll have more and more vacant apartments for the indigent.” He even offered to pay for nurses and medical supplies to treat the homeless. But New York’s Human Resources deputy administrator Robert Trobe told the Times that Trump’s offer did “not seem appropriate.” In end the city declined, questioning the wisdom of moving homeless people into a building headed for demolition. Though not without a refugee charity suggesting he house Polish refugees which Trump balked at saying his offer was only for those “live in America now, not refugees.”

Alleged spying took place, too. According to superintendent Anthony Ramirez, Donald Trump’s building manager told him monitor, “the personal habits of the tenants” and “keep a list on the tenants’ activities.” While Ramirez defend Trump on maintenance issues, spying went too far. He told the manager, “Sir, I have too many things on my conscience at this late stage in life, and I don’t need anymore headaches. I’m here to do my job and to do repairs to the building.” Apparently, Trump wanted to spy on the tenants in an attempt to dig dirt on them to use as blackmail or get them evicted. Trump denied this in a sworn 1985 affidavit. First, he claimed he didn’t directly run building owner Park South Associates (despite that corporate documents show he owned 60% of the company and was the only listed officer). Second, he swore he kept the building in tip-top shape with a previous New York housing agency inspection to back it up, finding that “all public areas were clean.”

However, the same state agency, the New York’s Division of Homes and Community Renewal went after Donald Trump, too. They sued, charging him of harassing tenants after the tenants sent a barrage of complaints alleging harassment, “drastic decreases in essential services,” and “persistent delay in repairing defective conditions with life-threatening potential.” Several even went on a rent strike. The New York City filed a similar suit months later, mentioning daily harassment, “wrongful acts and omissions”, bogus nonpayment notices, and utilities that were turned off, by Trump’s agents. The city lost the injunction in September 1985 with the state Supreme Court justice stating, The danger of irreparable harm to the tenants seems to be minimal now that the challenged activities of the defendants are under the scrutiny of the various departments of the City of New York.

Yet, there was a glimmer of peace in 1985. According to court documents, Donald Trump and the tenants’ association leader discussed a potential deal. The renters planned to team up and buy the building for $15 million to free themselves from their dreaded landlord. You’d think Trump would accept this deal and everyone would live happily ever after. But no. Instead, he used that opportunity to accuse the tenants shady behavior like using harassment lawsuits to cover their real motivations. As his attorneys claimed, tenants were “waging a ceaseless guerrilla-type war… to coerce a bargain sale of the building,” He then sued them for $150 million, escalating the legal battle. In a 1985 New York Times editorial, Sydney Schanberg called Trump a “slumlord.” Trump’s lawyers responded in an op-ed attacking Schanberg, Rozenholc, New York City, and called it a “political maneuver in a mayoral election year.”

By 1986, Trump had spent over $1 million fighting the tenants and only $160,000 on repairs. Thankfully, he finally settled with the tenants’ association that year. He then cut his attorneys a $550,000 check and agreed to let the housing agency monitor repairs for 5 years. The tenants could stay in their apartments paying their preexisting rents. As Tony Schwartz detailed in a 1985 New York Times article, “how a bunch of rent-controlled and rent-stabilized tenants in an old building… have managed to do what city agencies, courts, colleagues, competitors, and the National Football League have never been able to do: successfully stand in the way of something Donald Trump wants.” He described Trump as “fugue of failure, a farce of fumbling and bumbling.”

However, the harassment still didn’t stop. Donald Trump may have gave up demolition, but he decided to renovate and later convert the building into condos instead. Elderly couple Alvin and Catalina Meyer, the wife plagued with emphysema and dying of cancer. So it was a particularly rude awakening when Trump’s construction workers woke Catalina up at 7 a.m. by drilling holes in the ceiling above her bed. The construction crew also set up a workstation in the apartment next door. Mrs. Meyer complained about the dust in the air. According to court papers, she claimed, “I am a very sick woman battling for my life. I have begged for reasonableness. The landlord will not be reasonable.” After nearly a decade of nonstop fighting, tenants started turning on one another. Trump told them he couldn’t fix the building’s heating system because Mrs. Meyer didn’t give construction workers access to their apartment. Fellow tenants told Meyer to back down while her lawsuit fizzled out when her own attorney left her.

The fighting died down in the 1990s, only to pop up again in 2000 when 72-year-old Carmel Rheingold sued Donald Trump in a New York State court for overcharging her $40,000 in rent over 4 years. He paid that money back. In 1998, Trump struck a deal with the building’s remaining inhabitants allowing them to either buy their apartments at a markdown or keep renting without further pressure to leave.

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A 1988 Sesame Street episode when Oscar the Grouch signs on with Ronald Grump is said to be based on this 1980s tenant dispute.

In the end, no judge ever ruled that tenants were being harassed. After all, Donald Trump settled but he didn’t get his way. The building remains in place to this day. According to city records, Trump’s company owns 18 units and his son Eric has an apartment on the top floor. At least 2 renters actually bought their apartments. But most died or moved away. Nonetheless, as of 2016, there are still tenants who still pay rent-control rates. Meanwhile the 106 Central Park South next door offers a glimpse of what Trump would’ve built at 100 Central Park South if he had the chance: largely luxury developments sitting mostly vacant accruing value for their super wealthy owners.

Donald Trump’s dispute with the tenants of 100 Central Park South remains a defining moment that shows his character in the minds of many New Yorkers. As New York journalist and author of Trump: The Deals and the Downfall, Wayne Barrett told CNN Money, “This was a concrete choice he made, knowing he would disrupt the lives of many middle income, elderly people. He has absolutely no excuse.” In 1987, Suzanne Blackmer said of Trump, “He has such an ego. He wants to be Jesus. He wants to be Hitler. He wants to be the most powerful thing in the world.”

Looking back, you can see Trump waging a different sort of campaign but with many of the same tactics he deployed during the 2016 campaign and his presidency like the threats, theatrics, and penchant for hyperbole. David Rozenholc said of Trump in 2016, “He knows how to negotiate, he knows how to use leverage and he’s very perceptive about his opponent’s vulnerabilities. It didn’t work against me, but when you deal with Putin and Iran, these could be useful qualities.” In The Art of the Deal, Trump acknowledged that he deliberately tried driving out tenants, but claimed most of them were exploiting undeserved government subsidies. He recalled getting rid of free telephone in the building’s lobby which he claimed tenants were using, “to call their friends in Gstaad and St. Moritz.” Yet, tenant Madelyn Rubenstein and 2 other residents at the time could only remember a pay phone in the building. Nor has Trump admitted defeat as he told The New York Times, “It was a long battle, but it was a successful battle. As usual, I came out on top.” Some may think that Trump’s slumlord past has little to do with his presidency, but the episode reveals Trump’s character as a man who sees dollars and cents over people’s lives. While his callous attitude has made him a marketplace success drawing fans from all walks of life, he’s profoundly unsuited for a very humanistic job of holding the American people’s best interests.

But more importantly, Donald Trump’s clash with the 100 Central Park South tenants shows that he’s not invincible. And he can be stopped. The rent-controlled tenants at 100 Central Park South fought hard to keep their homes for years and won. They hired attorneys. They took their cause to the media. They went on rent strikes. They applied pressure to state institutions into taking action. In the end, Trump had give up his plans to demolish the building and settle with them. If we band together in solidarity and resist Trump’s monstrous presidency and his unpopular, repressive policies. We may not be able to remove him from office, but we don’t have to let him get his way. In the name of freedom and democracy, let us all unite as Americans and stop this unrespectable man. once and for all.

A Profile in Courage or Cowardice

Posted by historymaniacmegan on

On Wednesday, September 5, 2018, The New York Times published an op-ed by an anonymous senior official in the Trump administration under the headline “I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump White House.” The official writes that they’re one of many “working diligently from within to frustrate parts of [President Trump’s] agenda and his worst inclinations.” To put it in other words, “don’t worry because we Trump appointees are working from the inside to stop Trump from fulfilling parts of his agenda we disagree with.” The author’s motives were immediately questioned and reasonably so. But you have to wonder why this person just doesn’t quit. Is it good for people aware of Donald Trump’s dangers to stay inside the administration in an attempt to undermine it from within?

The op-ed’s major problem is with its lack of accountability. The “senior official in the Trump administration” raises a serious question on whether Donald Trump is fit to be president (oh, hell no) before slipping past any follow-up responsibility. Instead of leading a public debate of possible 25th Amendment invocation to remove Trump from office, the writer encourages Americans to trust the administration officials in the background. The author claims, “it’s okay, we got this.” For they‘ll thwart his “misguided impulses until he is out of office.”

But how much credibility should Americans give to someone who takes shots from a secret hideaway? The alleged presence of secret saviors shouldn’t surprise anyone. Every White House adviser should see it as part of their job to smother bad ideas and save the president from misguided impulses. But anonymously bashing one’s boss is disloyal and more likely makes everyone in the organization paranoid than fix anything. Though knowing the kind of boss Donald Trump is, I can hardly blame the writer for bashing him. Yet, unlike what Donald Trump states in his outbursts, it’s not treason in the slightest. Apparently, this Trump official wants a paper trail to show the world in case things go south.

The op-ed tells us nothing that we already know. It’s already established that Donald Trump is morally bankrupt, has no coherent worldview outside the primacy of his own ego and interests, and moves from objective to objective. How many times a week do news outlets and comedians broadcast his tweets? The op-ed depicts Donald Trump as anti-trade and anti-democratic while characterizing his leadership style as “impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective.” According to the writer, Trump goes on long, repetitive rants and makes “half-baked, ill-informed and occasionally reckless decisions.” Yet, you can easily see this whenever you tune on the news. But don’t worry, these “unsung heroes” will protect America from Trump’s “erratic behavior.” If they really feel the need to subvert Trump to protect the country, why not go all the way and get that fucking piece of shit out of the White House.

The piece suggests that the United States is currently under a “two-tier” presidency. If Donald Trump wants to do something his underlings like, they go along with it. If he wants to do something they don’t, they find ways around it. This is consistent with Bob Woodward’s new book, Fear where he describes senior officials taking things off Trump’s desk to prevent him from seeing them. However, make no mistake that those working for the Trump administration and carrying out any part of his agenda are enabling him for their own benefit, not undermining him. If Trump is so incompetent that his most trusted advisers have to play peekaboo for national security’s sake, they should work to get him out of office. Not sparing us from his cruelest instincts isn’t enough, especially if they involve sabotaging Obamacare, separating families at the border, pandering to white supremacists, being way too friendly to authoritarian dictators like Vladimir Putin, getting rid of essential regulations to satisfy major corporations, and neglecting Puerto Rico and Flint. Furthermore, Trump believes that the Justice Department should allow his allies get way with crimes but prosecute his enemies maliciously for whatever’s under the sun. Like any dictator, he thinks it should be illegal to criticize or read any criticism of him. And he believes that ethnic and religious minorities he’s bound to respect. Not to mention, Trump has nominated Brett Kavanaugh for the US Supreme Court and will very well be confirmed. Yet, Kavanaugh could bring Trump’s authoritarian agenda to fruition. More importantly, Kavanaugh believes that Republican presidents are above the law and won’ answer basic questions about conversations he’s had regarding the special counsel investigation. While the Kavanaugh nomination may be less fun and dramatic than the anonymous op-ed from the White House, it will have a far greater impact on American life.

Alas, these Trump officials are cowards too afraid of facing the consequences. While they hand-wave the notion, thus: “Given the instability many witnessed, there were early whispers within the cabinet of invoking the 25th Amendment, which would start a complex process for removing the president. But no one wanted to precipitate a constitutional crisis.” How is utilizing the 25th Amendment cause a constitutional crisis while admitting to subvert a so-called democratically elected president wouldn’t? The truth is Republicans like the “two-track” arrangement and don’t want Trump out of office. Because they’re advancing a right-wing economic agenda that any other batshit Republican president would’ve championed while preserving the popularity of Trump’s base. Everyone who works for Trump and his Republican allies knows he’s dangerously unfit for to be president. Yet, they’re willing to abdicate their constitutional responsibilities, sacrifice democratic principles, sell their souls, and leave their conscience at the door in a Faustian exchange for upper-income tax cuts, starving the social safety net, or solidifying a right-wing federal judiciary. Furthermore, the fact the author defends Trump’s policy agenda of “effective deregulation, historic tax reform, a more robust military and more,” illustrating their conservative leanings. The writer even notes in the beginning that “ours is not the popular ‘resistance’ of the left. We want the administration to succeed and think that many of its policies have already made America safer and more prosperous.” That’s not a voice of a resister, that’s an enabler. A resister like myself wants the Trump administration to go down in flames.

Nonetheless, the anonymous op-ed allows the author to have it both ways. If the Trump administration goes down in flames, they can claim to have heroically resisted the orange tyrant. If Donald Trump and his swamp toadies from the Washington cesspit triumph, they can claim to being a loyal caretaker to the conservative agenda Trump was “elected” to implement. Either way, while this self-serving cowardice might get the op-ed author off the hook, history will remember the Trump administration as a dumpster fire disaster. 2 years in, the Trump administration has led to has led to displacement and death of thousands of Americans in Puerto Rico, systematic abuse of children as immigration policy, arbitrary status revocation for black and Latino immigrants posing no threat to public safety, abdication of the federal government’s responsibility to defend the civil rights of racial and ethnic minorities, attempted subversion of federal law enforcement, and the enrichment of Trump and his affluent allies at taxpayers’ expense.
On the other hand, given the stakes up to including a literal nuclear war, there needs to be some people quietly working backstage to prevent the worst from happening. Perhaps, in the future, they will be in a position to do more when Republicans are willing to do something about Donald Trump. Of course, you can do something about that by voting straight Democrat at the polls come November. Also, you might want to call out your relatives and community for abandoning their souls to hateful and banal Trumpism and Fox News. But for now, a little resistance is better than no resistance at all.

Make no mistake that the root cause of this clusterfuck is that the Republicans chose to back an unfit and dangerous president for selfish and crass political reasons. After all, since they’re getting the policies they want, they see no reason to challenge him. Unless the Democrats sweep the 2018 midterms, there’s no reason to believe that one or several officials coming out and condemning the unrespectable Donald Trump as a threat to democracy will ever change the minds of any Republican who knows of Trump’s worst habits full well. This forces well-meaning Trump officials into a terrible choice. On one hand, they can stay and do their best to undermine him where they can. On the other hand, they could quit and potentially let Trump staff the White House with cronies and ass kissers. Choosing the latter could cause irreparable damage to American democracy, a major war, a global economic crisis, or all 3 at once.

Indeed, these Trump officials may be enablers but they’re not helping their boss implement terrible policies while trying to make them better on the margins. In fact, they’re actually blocking some of these policies from coming into existence, especially the worst ones. Not to mention, the United States is an advanced democracy with Donald Trump up for reelection within 2 years and may lose his congressional majority in 2 months. White House officials aren’t indefinitely helping an occupying power but holding the line until the legitimate political process has a chance to curb Trump’s excesses. Sure they haven’t always succeeded. And we’re not sure if the author or anyone else has even tried or wanted to try to do anything to help immigrants, refugees, Puerto Ricans, Obamacare enrollees, or any other groups of people whose lives the Trump and his administration has imperiled significantly.

Nonetheless, the vast swath of bureaucracy appears to be on the dissenting officials’ side. Since they have a real opportunity to the contain the last election’s consequences until they can be reversed. Yet, given the nearly unimaginable stakes here, it’s too dangerous for anyone of goodwill to quit. We need utilitarians around to mitigate the risks of a true disaster. Remember when Donald Trump spent the latter half of 2017 threatening Pyongyang with “fire and fury?” Well, Trump’s antics undercut then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s efforts. While the Defense Department had quietly ramped up preparations for war while Trump constantly brought up the idea of attacking North Korea in tweets and in meetings. It’s certainly apparent that a war between North Korea and the US would’ve cost millions of lives. Thankfully, we didn’t get that. Instead of a globally destructive conflict, we got a summit in Singapore and a sham deal between Trump and Kim Jong Un which seems to have moved us of the war footing for now. Sure, the summit was utterly embarrassing, but at least nobody got killed. Still, there are few practical checks to the executive branch’s ability to initiate force. If Trump decided to follow through with his “fire and fury” threats, he could’ve ordered a strike on North Korea’s nukes. But somehow, he changed his mind.

The op-ed author doesn’t go into detail on how they can assert various claims in their piece as well as they’ve personally stopped some of Donald Trump’s horrendous ideas. But a couple years of concrete reporting has uncovered concrete examples of Trump’s staff “thwarting Mr. Trump’s more misguided impulses.” Last June, White House Counsel Don McGahn refused a direct order to fire special counsel Robert Mueller as well as cooperated with the Mueller investigation and sometimes didn’t tell his boss what he was doing. Then there’s White House Chief of Staff General John Kelly controlled the flow of information to Trump, blocking conspiracy theorists like Infowars’ Alex Jones or right-wing trolls like Chuck Johnson from getting into Trump’s ear. According to Bob Woodward, Secretary of Defense James Mattis had to convince Trump that trying to assassinate Syrian dictator Bashir al-Assad was a bad idea. Since the move would’ve been arguably illegal and possibly set off a dangerous confrontation with Russia.

Another incident has National Economic Council chair Gary Cohn stopped Trump from withdrawing from the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement by stealing the letter that would’ve ordered withdrawal from his desk. Since withdrawing from that agreement would’ve wreaked havoc on the alliance and American businesses. If Trump had gotten his way in these cases, we would’ve had a constitutional crisis, war, and economic pain. If it weren’t for people who understood the potential consequences, everything could’ve been much worse. Of course, this doesn’t mean Trump’s staff doesn’t always succeed nor that Donald Trump’s worst policies have all been stopped. We still got the travel ban, family separations, withdrawal from the Paris climate accords, and pointless and dangerous undercutting of Obamacare, all of which has caused real pain. But as bad as things are, it’s easy to imagine them being much worse.

Some may argue that the anonymous op-ed writer identify, resign, and present evidence justifying an invocation of the 25th Amendment, impeachment, or the first necessary step toward either outcome or a Democratic Congress after the November elections. This might be noble in theory, there’s no evidence that congressional Republicans would go along with checking Donald Trump’s power. Since they went along with him knowing full well who he is. For one invoking the 25th Amendment is far more difficult than it sounds since it would require the vice president and the majority of the cabinet to decide whether Trump is fully incapacitated. But Trump could simply refuse to accept the outcome, which kicks the issue to the GOP-controlled Congress with 2/3 voting to agree to remove Trump from office. That’s not going to happen as long as Republicans dominate Capitol Hill. Then there’s the idea of a Mike Pence presidency which Democrats really don’t want at this point.

However, regardless of what some may think, what Trump officials are doing isn’t a coup but an extension of bureaucratic politics to extraordinary times. As political scientist Naunihal Singh told Vox, “This is an extreme form of things we see often, when cabinet secretaries or military officers attempt to steer policy ‘from below’ by limiting information flow to the President.” Besides, we’ve seen this before but mainly when presidents are incapacitated or physically ill. Since it can only be pulled off only when the center’s so weak that everyone grabs power. What different is that the United States is currently governed by a man so unfit for the office that his White House functions as if he’s in a hospital. But unlike previous presidents, Donald Trump isn’t going to die or get better. The constitutional remedies for such situation like the 25th Amendment or impeachment aren’t plausible options right now. So Trump aides recognizing the reality are stuck with a quiet resistance.

If anything, the most persuasive criticism of the op-ed isn’t the author doing something wrong in the White House. But rather going public in an op-ed endangers the quiet anti-Trump insurgency back stage. As Cato Institute scholar Julian Sanchez tweeted, “If you were really concerned about protecting the country from an erratic Trump — rather than, say, trying to pre-salvage your post-administration reputation — you probably wouldn’t write something like this given its predictable consequences. I can pretty much guarantee that this: (1) Triggers an epic tantrum and makes Trump even more paranoid than he already is, & (2) Sets off a mole-hunt that results in suspiciously competent persons being purged & replaced with loyalist nuts and/or Trump family members.” So writing it in a newspaper probably wasn’t a wise move. But since it has, we must hope that the author manages to rally other “resistance” members or even inspire other Trump officials to join. Sure it’s naïve and these quiet resistors aren’t the most reliable since they might sometimes enable their monstrous boss enact terrible policies they agree with. But in dark times, it makes sense to cling to whatever shred of hope we got.

A Strike Behind Bars

Posted by historymaniacmegan on

Amid the press coverage of Donald Trump, the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report on Catholic Church sexual abuse, John McCain’s funeral, the 2018 midterms, football season, back to school, and whatever else is going on with the world, there are plenty of news stories that fall through the cracks. One of these is a 3 week nationwide strike behind bars of which most will never see. Demonstrations began on Tuesday, August 21, 2018 and are scheduled to last until September 9, which marks the anniversary of the bloody uprising at the Attica Correctional Facility in New York. During this time, inmates in 17 states have taken part in sit-ins, hunger strikes, and work strikes in an attempt to draw attention to poor prison conditions and what many view as exploitative labor in American correctional facilities. In addition, they’re calling for boycotts against agencies and companies benefitting from prisons and prison labor. As protest spokesperson Amani Sawari told Vox, “The main leverage that an inmate has is their own body. If they choose not to go to work and just sit in in the main area or the eating area, and all the prisoners choose to sit there and not go to the kitchen for lunchtime or dinnertime, if they choose not to clean or do the yardwork, this is the leverage that they have. Prisons cannot run without prisoners’ work.”

The demonstrations come 2 years after what was then viewed as the largest prison strike in United States history with protests breaking out in 12 states in 2016. While the 2016 protests were largely planned on September 9, they ended up taking part over weeks or months as prison officials tried tamping down on prison demonstrations and mitigate the protests’ effects. These current demonstrations can be even larger than those previous protests since they’re spread over 3 weeks to make it more difficult for prison officials to crack down. The inmates have outlined 10 national demands. These include “immediate improvements to the conditions of prisons” and “an immediate end to prison slavery.” They also target federal laws that boosted mass incarceration and have made it harder for inmates to sue officials for potential rights violations. In addition, they call for an end to racial disparities in the criminal justice system and an increase to rehabilitation prison programs. These demands are on top of specific local and regional requests the prisoners are making. I will get to more of these list items later, explaining what these mean.

These prison strikes are a part response to the prison riot at South Carolina’s Lee Correctional Institution in April, which state officials described as a “mass casualty” event. According to the Associated Press, 7 inmates were killed while at least 17 were seriously injured. An inmate told the AP that bodies were “literally stacked on top of each other,” claiming that prison guards did little to stop the violence between inmates. Most of the fatal injuries appeared to be due slashing and stabbing, although some inmates may have been beaten to death. No prison guards were hurt. The riot was the worst in a US prison in a quarter-century.

Based on reports following the riot, it seems some of the major causes besides personal and potentially gang-related disputes, were poor prison conditions and understaffing. So there weren’t enough guards to stop the fighting. This is part of a growing problem. According to an investigation by South Carolina’s The State, the number of inmates killed in the state’s prisons, “more than doubled in 2017 from the year before and quadrupled from two years ago.” And it wasn’t the first time Lee experienced violence that year either. Three weeks before the riot, inmates overpowered a guard, held him hostage, and took control of part of a dorm for an hour and a half before releasing him unharmed. In February one inmate fatally stabbed another. Nor is its problems with violent unique. For in Columbia’s Kirkland Correctional Institution, 4 inmates were strangled in 2017.
Obviously, violence is generally a huge problem in US prisons. According to a 2009 study, during a 6-month period, about 21% of male prison inmates are physically assaulted while 2-5% are sexually assaulted. But the problem seems particularly acute in South Carolina’s correctional facilities in recent years. One reason is understaffing for South Carolina prisons have struggled to find enough workers, making it difficult to keep these places under control. Another cause is poor prison conditions like underfunding, overcrowding, and lack of rehabilitative interventions. A strike spokesperson told Vox, “Prisoners were placed in some really aggravated conditions. They were placed on lockdown all day. They weren’t allowed to eat or use the bathroom. They were placed in units with rival gang members. And then their lockers were taken away, so they didn’t have any safe place to put their personal belongings, which really aggravated and caused tensions among prisoners — to the point where fights broke out, inevitably.”
However, for prisons, fixing the problem these demonstrations raise will require money, which cash-strapped state governments may not want to put up. This raises real questions on whether the inmates’ demands can or will be heard. Hiring more guards and paying them more money to make the job attractive to more people costs money. So does improving prison conditions in general. All of that cash could be spent elsewhere.
Nonetheless, I should give you all a rundown on the demands the prisoners have made in the strike.

1. Immediate improvements to the conditions of prisons and prison policies that recognize the humanity of imprisoned men and women.– in the United States, there’s a tendency for society to throw people behind bars, completely dehumanize them, and forget about them. As history shows, we tend to forget that convicts are human beings with rights and some say over their lives. Being behind bars doesn’t throw all that away. As a Jailhouse Lawyers Speak statement read, “Prisoners understand they are being treated as animals. We know that our conditions are causing physical harm and deaths that could be avoided if prison policy makers actually gave a damn. Prisons in America are a war zone. Every day prisoners are harmed due to conditions of confinement. For some of us, it’s as if we are already dead, so what do we have to lose?”

2. An immediate end to prison slavery. All persons imprisoned in any place of detention under United States jurisdiction must be paid the prevailing wage in their state or territory for their labor.– this is a major issue and affects you more than you think. If there is an issue you should care about and what unites prisoners, it’s prison labor. In many states, prisoners are forced to work for cents an hour or even for free. Though according to The Marshall Project, the average prisoner pay is 20 cents an hour. This was permitted after the 13th Amendment’s passage which banned slavery and involuntary servitude, “except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.” Across the US, hundreds of thousands of inmates have jobs. While California inmates have been recruited to fight the state’s record wildfires for $1 an hour and $2 per day, American prisoners also do more typical jobs like kitchen work, cleaning, and GED tutoring. Sometimes the jobs take inmates outside of prison, although more often they mimic real-world jobs or involve menial chores that need done around the prison. They also make a vast array of consumer goods like lingerie, blue jeans, toys, military equipment, and car parts. They’ve harvest Florida oranges and shoveled snow in Boston after a blizzard. Like the protestors in the 2016 prison strike, the 2018 demonstrators characterize this practice as modern slavery. And since black people are disproportionately likely to become incarcerated, there are racial disparities in this often forced, low-wage labor. In addition, companies also take advantage of prison labor. which generates over $1 billion a year for the private sector. Now both prison officials and advocates agree that prison labor helps inmates gain much-needed real-world working experience. But even if it does, that doesn’t justify paying pennies or nothing at all. In fact, if prison work programs are beneficial, spending on them should be increased so everyone can participate and get more pay for their work. Furthermore, these inmates are still often the primary breadwinners for their families and are expected to meet some financial obligations even before their release. As Sawari told Vox, “Prisoners do like having the opportunity to earn, because they do have to support themselves financially in a lot of ways. Prisoners have to provide for their health care, their dental care. They have to buy food if they want to eat outside the three times a day most prisons serve. … They have to buy clothes like jackets and boots, hygiene products, cosmetics, books, study materials, paper, tape, scissors. Any little thing they need, they have to buy that. So they want to be able to.” At the same time, they’re often subject to exorbitant markups on personal products at prison commissaries and often grossly overcharges on the ability to communicate by phone or internet with family and friends on the outside.

3. The Prison Litigation Reform Act must be rescinded, allowing imprisoned humans a proper channel to address grievances and violations of their rights.– called the PLRA, this law makes it much harder for prisoners to file and win civil rights lawsuits in federal court. To file a lawsuit, inmates must exhaust all administrative grievance processes available to them within the correctional facility before taking their case to court. Working through these avenues can be complicated, have difficult deadlines, and often be fruitless. While suits about physical injury are allowed, those alleging mental or emotional harm are restricted. Courts can no longer waive court fees for incarcerated people but require installment payments instead. While an incarcerated plaintiff who’s had 3 lawsuits dismissed will have to pay in advance. Should a lawsuit succeed, there are limits to litigation costs the court can order the prison to pay to the prisoner’s attorney. This reduces the number of lawyers willing to take good winnable cases on behalf of incarcerated people with only 5% of prisoner civil rights cases having legal representation in 2012. In addition, the law limits the courts’ ability to change prison policy.

4. The Truth in Sentencing Act and the Sentencing Reform Act must be rescinded so that imprisoned humans have a possibility of rehabilitation and parole. No human
shall be sentenced to Death by Incarceration or serve any sentence without the possibility of parole.- in the United States, Truth in Sentencing refers to policies and legislation aiming to abolish or curb parole so that convicts serve out the period to which they’ve been sentenced. In some cases, truth in sentencing is linked to movements like mandatory sentencing (in which particular crimes yield automatic sentences regardless of extenuating circumstances) and habitual offender or “three strikes” laws in which state law requires courts to hand down mandatory and extended periods of incarceration to those convicted of a criminal offense on multiple occasions. The US has the Violent Offender and Incarceration and Truth in Sentencing Program which awards grants to states so long as they pass laws requiring Part 1 violent offenders must serve at least 85% of their sentence to qualify for parole eligibility. As of 2008, the District of Columbia and 35 states qualify for this additional funding. As part of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984, the Sentencing Reform Act is a US statute in federal intended to increase consistency in federal sentencing. In addition to establishing the US Sentencing Commission, it abolished federal parole save for those convicted of federal crimes before 1987, those convicted under DC law, those who violated military law held in federal civilian prisons, “transfer treaty” inmates, and defendants in state cases and in witness protection. Nonetheless, both policies have contributed to mass incarceration and prison overcrowding. Many also believe that the death penalty is a stupid idea while life without parole offers no chance of a release.

5. An immediate end to the racial overcharging, over-sentencing, and parole denials of Black and brown humans. Black humans shall no longer be denied parole because the victim of the crime was white, which is a particular problem in southern states.– this refers to the racial disparities in sentencing practices which is rampant across the United States. Nonwhite inmates are subject to harsher charges, longer sentences, and more parole denials than their white counterparts. This especially goes when the victim is white.

6. An immediate end to racist gang enhancement laws targeting Black and brown humans.– another addressing racial disparities in law enforcement which pertain to gangs. Gang enhancements are measures to ensure that anyone who commits a felony for a gang’s benefit, which results in a mandatory prison sentence in addition and consecutive to the penalty they receive for the underlying crime.

7. No imprisoned human shall be denied access to rehabilitation programs at their place of detention because of their label as a violent offender.-the film Birdman of Alcatraz offers a compelling case for this argument since Robert Stroud was indeed a violent offender. Though the real Stroud wasn’t a particularly nice guy.

8. State prisons must be funded specifically to offer more rehabilitation services.– in the United States, funding rehabilitation services for prisoners isn’t a high priority. Yet, the lack of rehabilitation programs for prisoners has contributed to high recidivism rates and prison overcrowding. Many released prisoners find themselves unable to adjust to outside life. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 67.8% of released prisoners were arrested for a new crime within 3 years and 76.6% were arrested within 5 years.

9. Pell grants must be reinstated in all US states and territories.– in most of the US, prisoners are denied the same opportunities and ways to get ahead and secure a job, which often leads to recidivism. And it doesn’t help that many of these inmates come from poverty either. For inmates seeking a college education which helps reduce their chance of recidivism, many are denied the grants and aid most college students on the outside enjoy. Nonetheless, if the drug gang members in The Wire had access to the same opportunities from the inside or out, most of them would not be selling crack on the street.

10. The voting rights of all confined citizens serving prison sentences, pretrial detainees, and so-called “ex-felons” must be counted. Representation is demanded. All voices count.– in most of the United States, convicts and ex-felons are frequently denied the right the vote. Felony disenfranchisement laws depend on each state. In Pennsylvania and 13 other states, felony disenfranchisement only lasts as long as the convict is behind bars and are restored upon release. But other states are much harsher. In 4 states including New York, felony disenfranchisement ends only after parole. In 19 states, felony disenfranchisement ends not only after incarceration or parole, but also after probation. In 7 states, restoration of voting rights after sentence completion and depending on circumstances of the crime. While 4 states like Florida require restoration to voting rights to convicts after all offenses through individual petition. In Florida, this petition must be made 5-7 years after completion of incarceration, parole, and probation. It’s said that Florida’s felony disenfranchisement laws are so harsh that in 2014 more than 1 in 10 Florida residents and 1 in 4 African Americans in the state were shut out of the polls. Nonetheless, while proponents often argue that loss of suffrage is only fair to deny political decision making to known criminals, felony disenfranchisement can create dangerous political incentives to skew criminal law in favor of disproportionally targeting groups who politically oppose those who hold power. And many of these felony disenfranchisement laws were made during segregation to keep African Americans from voting and continue to keep many blacks from the polls in several southern states. Not to mention, many states have often used prisoners’ disenfranchised status to exercise prison gerrymandering.

Despite the strike’s limited scope and difficulty corroborating the organizers’ claims, national and local media have covered the strike in earnest, some calling it, “the largest national prison strike in US history.” On the strike’s first day, news of the strike and goals have been reported on NPR, Washington Post, The Guardian, New York Magazine, Vox, Al Jazeera, BBC World News, Mother Jones, and other many other outlets. However, history shows that political actions by prisoners often have mixed results. Some prison reform advocates say that fear of reprisals coupled with the difficulty communicating between prisons makes widespread action unlikely. But some media attention is a small victory in that it has brought the issue of inhumane prison conditions to a wider audience in a way that Stephen King hasn’t. Yet, the number of prisoners striking is unknown and won’t be confirmed. So there’s no hint that the strike will be larger and more robust than past efforts. Some outlets reposted unchecked information put out by outside strike organizers, including details on how many prisons are participating. Others balanced the organizers’ accounts with official statements by state corrections departments. Nevertheless, generating media attention is the strike’s main goal since it’s very difficult to get any. Mostly because it’s hard enough to know what’s going on in prisons across the country since there’s little information available. Hopefully, this 2018 prison strike could mark turning point in meaningful criminal justice reform in the future.

The Folded Paper World of Origami

Posted by historymaniacmegan on

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Derived from the Japanese words that mean “folding paper,” the goal of origami is to transform a flat sheet of paper into a finished sculpture through folding and sculpting techniques. Use of cuts, glue, and markings are usually discouraged. The small number of basic origami folds can be combined in a variety of ways to make intricate designs. Generally, these designs start with a square paper sheet whose sides may be of different colors, prints, or patterns. Traditional Japanese origami has been practiced since the Edo period has often been less strict about these conventions, sometimes even cutting the paper or using nonsquare shapes to start with. Nonetheless, while the traditional origami is derived from the Edo period with a reference from a 1680 poem, the practice is said be introduced by Buddhist monks in the 6th century. At first, origami was only used in religious ceremonies due to the high price of paper. Though they were also used at weddings and as gifts by the upper classes. Anyway, look into Pinterest and you’ll find plenty of origami designs and types. So for your reading pleasure, I give you a treasure trove of creations from the world of origami.

  1. You’d fall for this paper raccoon.

Seems like this little guy’s searching for some nearby trash can. Since raccoons normally go for the scraps.

2. Apparently, origami has gone to the dogs.

These seem like different types of dogs. Includes Boston Terrier, Bulldogs, and Pug.

3. Perhaps you’d want something from a diamond box.

Yes, you can make boxes from origami. Yet, this shape might be more complicated.

4. Care to see a magnificent creature like this on the savannah?

Here we have an origami rhino. Have it cast a shadow and you’d mistake it for the real thing.

5. Any Catholic would love to have an origami of their favorite saint.

This is an origami of Saint Francis of Assisi. Includes a dog and bird.

6. A griffin always shows its fantastic wings.

I can guess because of the beak. Yet, this one even sports antlers for some reason.

7. You won’t be hearing these bluebirds sing.

Since they’re made of paper. But they nonetheless look quite graceful.

8. Wonder what’s hiding within these hearts.

Each of these even have a bow on them. And they’re all in shades of pink.

9. There are hundreds of folds within a bonsai.

Doesn’t have a lot of leaves on its branches. Yet, it’s a great work of paper art.

10. A hippocampi rises majestically from the sea.

You could call it a seahorse, but that term is already taken. So we call it a hippocampi, which comes from the Greeks.

11. Hope this frog can hop into your hearts.

This one is teal with yellow stripes on it. Yet, its eyes have a certain intensity.

12. Even in paper, a dragon is a sight to see.

This is of a Chinese dragon which is more serpent like. But not as dangerous as its western counterpart.

13. You won’t hear these brass bells ring.

Since they’re made of shiny paper. But they’re nicely topped with a blue bow.

14. An origami Christmas tree must have a star that stands out.

This one has paper folded in tiers. Yet, the golden star almost steals the show.

15. This crow has a piece of gold in its mouth.

Or is it a raven? Since you can’t always tell in these artistic creations. But I’m sticking with crow just to be safe.

16. Bet you wouldn’t play on this grand piano.

Probably smaller than it appears. But at least it incudes a row of keys.

17. Any Catholic would want this paper Virgin Mary.

This is Mary, Queen of Heaven. She wears a crown and a veil of stars.

18. Perhaps you might want to enjoy a bouquet of irises.

And you don’t even need a vase for these. Just some paper to hold it together.

19. This silver angel always delights.

She has silver wings and bows to pray. Perfect for topping an origami Christmas tree.

20. Bet you never saw a duck like this before.

This is just a plain white duck with yellow beak and feet. Yet, this waterfowl will get soggy if submerged.

21. You wouldn’t want to run into this this Imperial fighter.

I’m sure making this harder than it looks. But it proves futile if it defends the Death Star.

22. Some might prefer a modest donkey.

Well, this donkey seems to have a rather long neck. Yet, it can be rather stubborn.

23. You’ve probably never come across this unicorn.

Yes, this is an origami unicorn. Yet you have to admire its mane and tail.

24. You don’t want to put this waterlily in the pond.

The flower is periwinkle. Though it’s not set on a lily pad.

25. These paper flamingos are particularly striking.

They have a light pink body and bright pink legs. And no, you can’t use them for croquette mallets.

26. I’m sure nobody could resist this rat chef.

I guess this is Remy the Rat from Ratatouille. By the way, rats don’t do well in the kitchen.

27. Perhaps you might go for an origami of Our Lady of Fatima.

Not familiar with the legend of Fatima. Except that involves the Virgin Mary appearing in front of some kids.

28. You’ll be mesmerized by this origami star.

Perfect for any origami Christmas tree. Yet, involves a lot of complex folds.

29. You’ll be nuts over this origami animal.

Since it’s a paper squirrel. Too bad, it can’t find any kind of paper acorns.

30. Apparently, this fish has jumped out of the pond.

I think this is based on a real fish. But I’m afraid you won’t be frying this one since it’s made of paper.

31. I’m sure you wouldn’t see this Snoopy dance.

Since he’s an origami work. But certainly captures the true Snoopy likeness.

32. This paper Batman will always loom on Gotham City.

Of course, he only has a cape and cowl. But with origami, you have to improvise.

33. You’ll probably gawk at this majestic whale.

This is an origami of a blue whale. It’s perhaps the biggest animal on earth.

34. A lone flower can always blossom.

Not sure what flower this is supposed to be. But you have to admire the white petals.

35. Want to sit on this lily pad?

Though you wouldn’t want to put it on a pond. Goes well with an origami frog.

36. This origami cow will give you something to moo about.

This is an origami cow. Has spots, horns, and a sunny disposition. So cute.

37. Care for an origami rose?

These come in a wide array of colors. And none without stems or thorns.

38. How about a bear standing on its hind legs?

Guess this is an origami grizzly bear. Even has its own tree stand.

39. Anyone would be envious of this golden sabertooth.

this origami sabertooth is made from golden paper. But nonetheless looks fierce.

40. This origami penguin will warm your heart.

This little guy has his own tuxedo. And yes, it’s adorable as can be.

41. Bet you can’t believe seeing an origami orchid.

You can see a cascade of paper yellow flowers from the stem. Yet, please handle this pot with care.

42. Care to see a crawling black bear?

Then again, there are a few species of black bears. I’m just referring to the one from North America.

43. No one can resist these colorful gems.

They’re all in bright colors, too. Yet, these gems may be hard to fold.

44. There’s something batty about this origami.

Well, it’s an origami bat. And while they normally have black, gray, or brown fur, this one is purple.

45. A paper phoenix is always a majestic sight to behold.

This one comes with a very long tail. But if it burns, don’t bet on it rising from the ashes.

46. Any Formula 1 fan would love this paper race car.

Not very familiar with that kind of racing. Since the dominant auto racing in the states is usually NASCAR.

47. You’ll never forget this paper animal.

This is an origami elephant. And it’s gray with ears, trunk, and tusks.

48. You’d be pressed not to love these paper mammoths.

Not sure if they’re woolly. But both adult and calf have a similar set of tusks.

49. There’s nothing as graceful like an origami swan.

This is made from white and gold paper. And the folds are quite intricate.

50. Who wouldn’t what this rainbow chest of drawers.

I don’t think you can fit anything inside these. But they’re rather adorable.

51. This Emperor penguin always comes with its 2 chicks.

Okay, they may be in origami. Yet, everyone loves penguins so I couldn’t leave it out of this post.

52. For a simple paper design, a pig might suit you.

It’s made from a simple piece of pink paper. And yes, it can stand on its own 4 feet.

53. This little girl always loves her bird in her hand.

Bet this is made from a brown paper bag. Yet, you can’t help but admire this origami masterpiece.

54. This green dragon is a force to be reckoned with.

This one stands on its hind legs. And its chest is folded like a book.

55. A paper giraffe always stands tall.

Sure it may not have any spots. But it’s nonetheless quite amazing.

56. You’d be squawking over this colorful macaw.

Since the macaw is among the more colorful parrots around. Got to love its wings.

57. A lone fox always sits with grace.

You can see its ears, nose, and tail. Though you can’t help but behold how amazing it is.

58. Care for an origami spoon?

You wouldn’t want to eat with these. But they seem rather simple to make.

59. Nobody could resist this paper rubber duckie.

Of course, you wouldn’t want to have it at bath time. But it’s nonetheless so adorable.

60. You won’t believe how many kinds of horses you will find.

These origami horses come in all kinds of sizes and colors. But they’re all made of construction paper.

61. You can’t bomb a Death Star without an X-Wing fighter.

Indeed, it lacks markings. But it’s almost a dead ringer to the real thing.

62. You can’t go on a mission without this little droid.

Since R2-D2 is always saving everyone’s ass. And he never seems to get credit for anything he does that’s crucial to the plot.

63. You’ll have a hump of a time finding this camel.

Yes, it’s an origami camel. But good luck relying on this guy in the desert.

64. The mouse always gets the cheese.

Though the cat isn’t far behind. And yes, they’re all made out of paper.

65. Hope you can wish this paper couple well.

This is an origami bride and groom. Great as a wedding cake topper, so to speak.

66. Seems like these birds are coming to feed.

Consists of 4 types of birds. And yes, they’re all painted in glorious colors.

67. You can’t help but love these Japanese beauties.

All of them have their own hair and a rich kimono. Though many don’t have arms.

68. Best to watch out for this jellyfish.

Relax, it’s an origami jellyfish. So it won’t hurt you a bit.

69. Bet you don’t want to cross this scorpion.

Okay, this is a paper scorpion. Scary, but won’t hurt you.

70. Get a load of this majestic Pegasus.

This winged horse sports a folded paper pair of wings. And it’s made from off white paper.

71. This paper collie is always a faithful friend.

Sure it might not save your kid from a well. But it’s quite creative nonetheless.

72. Didn’t know anyone had a wide paper wardrobe.

Yes, these are origami clothes. And they can be in so many bright colors.

73. You’ll be jumping over this kangaroo.

Not sure if it comes with a pouch. Though it is a marsupial from Australia.

74. Would you like some ice cream?

Of course, you can’t eat it. Since it’s made out of paper. But it’s a rather ingenious design.

75. Anyone would adore these paper Dalmatians.

They even have spots and collars to show. And they’re standing on a green sheet of paper.

76. There’s no creature more magnificent than the mighty polar bear.

And it’s standing on its own hind legs. Yet, I’m sure global warming won’t help its survival odds.

77. What’s not to love about rainbow rabbits?

And they’re all in a circle for all to see. And yes, they’re quite cute.

78. Celebrate the holidays with this origami nativity scene.

Includes all the important figures. While the angel flies above watching them.

79. Per chance you might come across a mighty moose.

This is a gray moose. Since it’s made from gray construction paper.

80. You might run into this ravenous wolf.

Indeed, it’s a gray wolf. And I think it’s waiting for the pack.

81. You’d think this animal is as pretty as a peacock.

This one is made out of blue and peacock blue paper. And the folds are quite intricate as you see.

82. You’d be amazed by these autumn leaves.

These are all in fall colors. Though they’re all maple leaf shaped.

83. You’d go a long way with this dachshund.

It’s in black and brown paper. But it’s okay to pet it if you want to.

84. Care for a couple of purple tulips?

Like how these two are in a nice purple paper vase. So pretty.

85. Perhaps you’d like to have one of these cactus flowers.

Each of these cacti are in a shade of green. And each sits on a flower pot.

86. There’s nothing more spectacular like the mighty king of the jungle.

He even sports a mane with folds. Nonetheless, best you don’t touch it.

87. These origami pill boxes will come in handy.

Comes in standard and rainbow. And unlike the standard plastic ones, they don’t pose a great threat to the planet.

88. This origami deer certainly impresses.

Yes, the antlers are amazing. But you wouldn’t find a deer with a rack like that in PA.

89. You’d love to see this blackbird take flight.

This bird has its wings spread out. Though I don’t think it can fly.

90. Care for some rainbow candy?

Though none will contain any bon bons. Which is just fine since I’m more of a chocolate fan.

91. This paper Doberman stands in a dignified pose.

Indeed, it’s got quite a neck. But doberman fans can’t help but love it.

92. A mighty tiger always shows its stripes.

Though I’d use a brighter orange for the tiger. But it’s quite amazing.

93. Nobody could ever resist this panda bear.

It even has its own bamboo. Still, you knew I had to get to the panda at some point. So cute.

94. Hope you can light up with these paper lamps.

Technically, they’re lamp shades. Each is folded in its own way.

95. With the Holy Spirit, God will find a way.

Well, it’s an origami of the Holy Spirit. The white bird is supposed to be a dove.

96. How could anyone not love this sheep?

Well, it’s a paper sheep. So you won’t get any wool from it.

97. Do you want to build a snow man?

These are origami snowmen. And yes, they have scarves, hats, and smiling faces.

98. This orca rises to catch a fish.

You’d almost think it was a photograph of nature in action. But the orca is made of paper.

99. Hope you’d love to see these boxes.

They’re in different colors and have rather intricate folds on them. Love the purple ones.

100. Anyone would adore this purple flower in their home.

Has dark purple in the center and lavender petals. So pretty.

Yearbook Pictures of Schooldays Past

Posted by historymaniacmegan on

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While studio portraits usually reflect us looking our best, this isn’t the case with school pictures. More often than not, having your picture taken in school usually consists of you sitting for the photographer for a few minutes before they send you on your way. Not to mention, our yearbook pictures often show us in hairstyles and outfits that haven’t aged necessarily well. This is especially the case for those who attended school during the 1960s to the 1980s. Then there’s the fact many children don’t like sitting still or having their picture taken while grade school kids may be sporting missing teeth. Not to mention, when kids reach middle school age and hit puberty, they often go a few years in an awkward phase. Some may even wear braces or have very terrible acne. Anyway, the school pictures you see on this post come from Awkward Family Photos, which will make your embarrassing yearbook pics seem rather tame in comparison. So for your reading pleasure, bask in these old yearbook photos that will give you much needed back to school giggles.

  1. Sometimes you ought to know when not to put your hair up.

From Awkward Family Photos: “This is a photo of my mom when she was in 6th grade. Not sure who her barber was but they may have been blind.”

2. Apparently, Austin Powers’ mojo didn’t pass down to his young son.

Though he can behave well enough to become an international man of mystery. But the garish shirt is another matter.

3. They call him, “Triangle Guy.”

I don’t think I’d smile with pride if I played the triangle in the marching band. Then again, he may have played other instruments.

4. Obviously, Napoleon Dynamite’s school picture is exactly what you’d expect.

From Awkward Family Photos: “My senior yearbook photo, shot in the summer of 1977. My mother handed me her charge card (with a note allowing me to use it) and dared to let me go alone to pick-out my photo attire. She was horrified when I brought home a green leisure suit, sans tie. She marched me back to Montgomery Ward and returned it, and purchased this proper three-piece corduroy suit, in rust, complete with a clip-on tie and matching suede shoes. Not only was I Napoleon Dynamite before he was even born, when I looked at the yearbook photos the next year, most of the boys wearing leisure suits didn’t graduate. Thanks Mom!”

5. In the 1980s, frizzy hair was all the rage.

From Awkward Family Photos: “I love this photo because there was no doubt in my mind that I looked absolutely awesome that day. This was my favorite look and I rocked it with zero shame. Incidentally, it would be years before a boy actually liked me, but I was too cool to care.”

6. Heard of 13 Going on 30? Well, this is 6 going on 60.

From Awkward Family Photos: “Although it was nearly 30 years ago, I remember this day. Specifically, I remember putting a lot of thought into the details of my outfit. I needed to look sophisticated, and mature, but like I still knew how to have fun (hence the bolo tie and homemade fimo clay earrings). My mother helped me achieve this look by graciously allowing me to get a perm on only the top of my short hair, and by choosing my fantastic eye wear.”

7. When it’s school picture day and have to hide your hideous haircut.

From Awkward Family Photos: “The year– 1977. For my 2nd grade class picture, I was determined to wear this hat my Grandmother made for me; after all, it matched the dress my mother picked out for me! This photo is the re-take; when my mom saw the first picture – with the hat – she made me go for a do-over. Needless to say the hat came with that day too. I still stand by my decision.”

8. Apparently, wearing his hair in braids didn’t go over too well.

From Awkward Family Photos: “When my daughter asks why she can’t wear things she thinks are ‘cool,’ I show her this photo from my freshman year in high school.”

9. She has a rather angelic side to her.

The site states that it’s a senior portrait. But from the lighting, you get the impression she’s dead.

10. Nothing can tear apart a boy and his chair.

Seems more like he’s posing for a cheap advertisement or Power Point background. I’m expecting to see a brand new product or some cheesy word art any time now.

11. When you wake up with a bad hair day for school photos.

From Awkward Family Photos: “That was the last time my mom ever did my hair.” And yes, her hair is quite atrocious.

12. There are times when some people don’t know when to stop with the hair care products.

From Awkward Family Photos: “This is my oldest brother. When he came to the states , his first obsession was rock&roll… followed by big hair.”

13. The 1980s saw all kinds of mullets such as the spike top.

From Awkward Family Photos: “When my son asks why he can’t get his hair cut in a style he thinks is ‘cool’, I show him this photo from my freshman year in high school.”

14. Dwayne was always a proud son of the South.

Here he stands tall in front of the racist Confederate flag wearing a tux, mullet, and earring. Seriously, if he wore camo, he’d be full redneck.

15. A fisher always poses with his rod and reel.

And he’s not really smiling with dignity either. Nor does he seem near a lake either.

16. “I don’t want to have my picture taken!”

Then again, a lot of kids don’t like their pictures taken. This guy is no exception. But he seems among the few to show it.

17. Care to kick back and relax in a glass?

At first I thought this was some kind of ad judging by the graphics. As a school photo, it’s utterly messed up.

18. “Shirts are for losers, nerds.”

Yet, shirtlessness goes against the school dress code. As does sunglasses. But good luck telling him that.

19. Who remembers the triangle hair trend?

From Awkward Family Photos: “My mother got her hairdresser diploma in 1987. I was a poor innocent victim of her experiments. I guess she put a billiard triangle around my head and put some hairspray.”

20. Some parents have no idea when their daughter is old enough for a bouffant.

Little kids shouldn’t have big hair like that. Her parents should’ve waited until she was around, well, 40.

21. When your parents make you wear a shirt that will certainly get you beat up in school.

He can’t even smile for the camera because he knows his classmates will laugh at him. For his shirt is utterly tacky.

22. A child should always put on a happy face.

Yet, this girl seems like she’s about to kick ass in an action movie. So don’t call her pigtails cute.

23. In school pictures placement is everything.

And having that log between that boy’s legs leaves a lot to interpretation. Not sure if that’s an appropriate pose for grade-schoolers.

24. Even supervillains had to go through school once.

Okay, he’s just a comic book fan. Not sure what he’s supposed to be. But he’ll fit right in at Comic Con.

25. Sometimes injuries can’t be helped.

From Awkward Family Photos: “This my son’s school pic after busting his lip. Poor kid rolled off the bed, hit his night stand, and had to get stitches. Then picture day!”

26. If you’re in marching band, setting is everything.

From Awkward Family Photos: “In the truest sense of the term, this is an awkward family photo. Circa 1984. Failing to capture the spirit of my role in the North Stafford High School marching band, dad thought it made sense to stage a photo of me in my uniform … in the woods … in a chair that just happened to be there … and without my sax. Instead, it looks like I am the young regent of Sherwood Forest, perhaps its constable, given the bobby hat.”

27. She wanted to pose with her 2 great loves, bowling and Shakespeare.

From Awkward Family Photos: “In our senior English class we had to make Shakespearean Globe Theaters out of a non-wood material. My group used duct tape. To complete the look for the senior picture, I wore my duct tape dress, shoes, tiara and bracelet. I don’t know how the bowling pin on a pedestal worked into the theme.”

28. Seeing what’s on her shirt, you’d question her sanity.

Indeed, that may be what her shirt says. But it doesn’t reflect well on her.

29. Let’s look inside the mind of a male clarinet player in a marching band.

This is an iconic image of awkwardness. So I couldn’t leave it out if I tried.

30. “But I don’t wanna wear my Dalmatian outfit.”

From Awkward Family Photos: “Just found this gem today. Apparently my mother thought it was appropriate to take me to a rave in a dalmation outfit. Needless to say, I was not happy.”

31. Apparently, Robbie is destined to become a sportscaster someday.

I mean he’s wearing glasses and an irrepressibly tacky football shirt. Think that explains it all.

32. Apparently, he’ll grow up to be an aerobics instructor at some point.

However, his fashion sense leaves much to be desired. But he doesn’t care.

33. “Do we need another retake?”

I’m sure we all feel this way during school pictures. Most kids just want to get their photo done and get going.

34. With this Annie, it’s a hard knock life.

From Awkward Family Photos: “I was 6 years old. My mother was obsessed with me being Annie because I had curly hair. So, she fluffed it up, bought me a red dress and a stuffed dog and had my picture taken. I can’t sing, I can’t dance and had no interest in theater. Hopefully, the photo was enough for her dream.”

35. A baseball player always wants to pose with his bat.

Though often placement is everything. This might lead to some rather R-rated interpretations.

36. Some high school seniors just want to see everything burn.

Seems like he’s trying to make himself appear as badass as possible. Too bad he doesn’t have hard abs to make it compelling.

37. Make sure your pigtails aren’t too outlandish.

From Awkward Family Photos: “This is what happens when Mom goes out of town and Dad is responsible for making sure I am ready for picture day at school.”

38. On picture day, don’t forget to wear your best spiked collars.

Seems more appropriate for a dog or gang member. But he doesn’t see anything wrong with it. Until 10 years later.

39. Like they say, follow your passion.

Yet if that passion is balloon animals, expect not to get laid in high school. Since they’re kind of cheesy.

40. The 1980s were known for large frizzy hairdos.

Apparently, it’s a mix between a mullet and a weeping willow. The top is just ridiculous.

41. This high school soccer player takes his sport very seriously.

Funny how he’s sitting on a fold up chair with a soccer ball. Possibly dwelling on life’s biggest questions or soccer as a metaphor.

42. Apparently, she has a rather split personality.

And I think she probably has split ends. Certainly a photo her kids will laugh at someday.

43. She may be a girl on the inside. But outside she’s all mail.

Well, she’s wearing chainmail. Mostly because she lost a bet. Or is playing Joan of Arc in the school play.

44. “Would you please tell me where the fire is?”

Indeed, he’s carrying a fire extinguisher. Yet, he’s not sure what fire he should put out.

45. Say hello to a future car salesman.

I mean the kid’s wearing a suit, vest, and bolo tie. And he’s holding a banner with a big smile on his face.

46. Apparently, they also do school pictures at Bajor.

Wonder if this is a school photo of Major Kira. Then again, a good school photo might’ve been the last thing a Bajoran would think about under Cardassian rule.

47. There are some people who will always be more photogenic than others.

From Awkward Family Photos: “This is probably one of the worst school pictures ever. I must have been laughing when he took the picture. But why would my mom send me out like that with my hair like that, knowing that it was picture day? Everyone who sees it asks me, “Were you on drugs?”, my response was “No!”, but I should have been. I am a fairly good looking guy, I promise.”

48. “Smile? You can’t make me!”

Man, she must be a stubborn girl. Yet, she won’t be moved in the slightest.

49. This boy’s got a wicked future ahead of him.

From Awkward Family Photos: “For my 2nd grade photo I opted for the ‘Satan’s child lawyer’ look.”

50. Here Liza poses with E.T. for school.

E.T. in the movie may be freaky but he’s kind of charming. But the E.T. in this photo outright terrifies me.

51. Tessa was voted by her class as Most Likely to Hoard Cats.

After all, she’s wearing a cat vest. And when she grows up, she’ll become one of those crazy cat ladies.

52. When you’re a cowboy, your hat can be as fancy as you want it to be.

From Awkward Family Photos: “My son became a cowboy over the summer, with a feather boa hat. I love that his loose tooth he wouldn’t let me pull was just hanging for his school picture.”

53. Maybe the Gap Athletic shirt was a bad idea.

Reading from this angle, it spells out “pathetic.” That poor kid.

54. This guy seems to have no motivation whatsoever.

His shirt states “No Goals.” Though it may say more than that. Yet, the camera will only get the top.

55. “Honestly, I only went there for the Buffalo wings.”

From Awkward Family Photos: “Looks like I dressed myself for class photos… My cousin told me Hooters was a donut shop.” That’s what they all say.

56. Didn’t know the “sassy grandma” look was a hit back in the day.

She’s even wearing a sparkly outfit. but the hair speaks for itself.

57. Apparently, Guy Fieri hasn’t changed much since middle school.

Yep, seems like he’s taking one-way ticket to Flavortown on that one. Can see the flames on his collar.

58. Isn’t he a bit young to do Shakespeare?

Actually it’s a school picture from the Ukraine. They seem to take the concept to a whole new level.

59. For his picture, little Jason wore his favorite bunny shirt.

Uh, that’s the Playboy bunny. Even more disturbing, since when did they make T-shirts with the Playboy Bunny for 5-year-olds?

60. If you think playing the triangle in marching band is pathetic, you haven’t met this guy.

Actually, he might just be a normal percussionist. Yet, the expression on his face shows he doesn’t like posing with tiny cymbals.

61. “Would you like to play with me?”

I don’t know if it’s the lighting, her outfit, or her hair. But that girl’s expression kind of freaks me out for some reason.

62. As most kids smile on school picture day, Robbie is dead inside.

Seems like the demons have taken over him and rendered him into a soulless vessel. Or he just got kissed by Dementors.

63. “One more day, before the show.”

“With the saxephones a playing./When the low brass starts to drone.”

64. Some pre-schoolers prefer to keep mum.

From Awkward Family Photos: “When the teacher laughs while handing you the picture packet and says they tried everything they could, you know you’ve got a winner. When asked ‘Lilly, why didn’t you smile?’ Her response was simple: ‘I don’t like school and I don’t like to smile.’ And that will tell you everything you need to know about this 4-year-old.”

65. When the ball isn’t burning, you’re not playing hard enough.

Let’s hope this is photoshop. Because you can’t trust a kid holding a burning ball.

66. A decade later, Malarie would work as a secretary.

This bob 1970s haircut is hideous. Why would any parent subject their little girl to that?

67. Who can resist this smile?

From Awkward Family Photos: “When you are 6 years old and have been preparing all morning to pose with your hand on your hip for school pictures, because that is the cutest pose after all, and then are told to put your hand on your chin, suddenly pictures don’t seem as fun.”

68. Someone’s creeping among the tall trees.

From Awkward Family Photos: “I was having my senior photos taken and decided that I wanted something different than everyone else. Something that was fun and wasn’t so cookie-cutter. My friend, who was killing some time with me, got a Druid’s cloak from the trunk of my car, (Who didn’t have one of those in their car? It was the 90’s after all), and lurked around in the background. I dunno, I kind of like it.”

69. Mushroom hair was all the rage back in the 1970s.

Apparently, parents at the time thought such hairstyle was cute on their children. But I think it makes this little girl seem like she’s going to haunt your dreams.

70. Make sure the hair pieces always match the dress.

You’d almost think she was straight out of Little House on a Prairie. Save for the top of her hair.

71. Sometimes you’re so blasé that even faking a smile is impossible.

Wonder what’s keeping him down. School picture day? Family troubles? We may never know.

72. Joey must look his best as a keyboard virtuoso.

And here he stands for the picture all proud of himself, too. And yes, he’s a redhead with glasses.

73. Alan is always great at carrying logs on his shoulder.

I don’t like to stereotype but his short shorts aren’t helping one it. Seriously, you can see the pockets.

74. With Lacey, it’s hammer time.

In true MC Hammer fashion, she wears sunglasses and a baseball cap. But you can’t touch this.

75. “Want to see my troll collection?”

Indeed, she has a collection of troll dolls. And all clad in the same dress as she is.

76. This redhaired Fonz always knows he’s cool.

Sure he’s only about 9. But already he thinks he’s the biggest guy on campus.

77. Apparently, this young Juggalo seems to regret his school photo.

I believe he’s not wearing any face paint. Yet, his hair goes in all directions.

78. For your senior picture, you can never have enough props.

Actually, I might beg to differ. Yet, it seems this girl can’t really decide among the crap below.

79. You can pose for a picture in all kinds of patterns.

However, I don’t think a shirt like this is appropriate for a school picture. Seems to consist of sex, lies, and video tape.

80. Senior portraits are always precious.

Yet, I wouldn’t want to pose with Gollum since he needs his precious. Also, he’s been corrupted by the One Ring for far too long.

81. “Can I introduce you to my little friend?”

Yes, he’s holding a rat, which he keeps as a pet. I know it’s kind of weird.

82. Can’t believe I found a grade school picture of Miss Grokey.

She’s the hippie teacher from Recess. Okay, her hair’s short but she more or less resembles a secretary.

83. Cindy always enjoyed hours on the phone.

Before cell phones, people talked to each other on cord phones. You also had to memorize numbers, too.

84. Mike never fails to impress with his own bear.

Here he poses with his beloved bear rug. And yes, the bear has sunglasses to match.

85. “I’ve seen things at pre-school no one dared to talk about.”

Seems like she’s already traumatized by all the playground drama. And she can’t unsee it.

86. Apparently, Ellie’s mom is a hairdresser for old ladies.

From Awkward Family Photos: “Yeah, so I heard my best friend was made into a meme called the 60 year-old girl?”

87. “Ask me to smile one more time…”

Doesn’t help that he’s wearing a pink shirt and a sweater vest. Perhaps he knows he’s going to be beat up at school over his outfit.

88. It’s said that the outdoors bring great acoustics.

Wonder how she got her harp near the waterfall. Since they’re quite huge.

89. You’d think this girl would spend her spare time at a bingo hall.

From Awkward Family Photos: “A gem I found of my sister-in-law. I will call her ‘Razz-A-Ma-Tazz’ for her upside-down shades.”

90. When your hair’s not big enough, wear a wig.

From Awkward Family Photos: “This is my sister’s school photo in 1971. My Mom insisted that she wear and wig and as you can imagine, she wasn’t very happy about it. It was of course great to see your older sister get some pay back for all the torture she had caused me during that period.”

91. “You can get a lot of chicks with a keyboard.”

However, his fashion sense is best to be desired. Thinks he’s cool but comes off as ridiculous.

92. Don’t forget to dress appropriately for the camera.

From Awkward Family Photos: “My friend’s Mom mixed up pajama day with picture day. He was not pleased.”

93. Sometimes you just have to take the plunge.

From Awkward Family Photos: “My daughter collected toilet plungers when she was little. None of them ever met a toilet, face-to-face, she just liked them. She always wanted to see the ‘plunger section’ of any given store we went to. She painted the handles on some of them and would frequently line them up as her opening act for the puppet shows she would put on.”

94. Stanley was voted in his class Most Likely to Become a Serial Killer.

Sure he’s not holding a knife. But a book of pocket knives just makes you wonder about him.

95. There are some kids who don’t always know how to smile.

From Awkward Family Photos: “Our 4 year old daughter, who refers to herself as Penny Cat Aurora Leopard Butterfly With No Wings, was greatly anticipating picture day at preschool. She styled her own outfit for the occasion, and when the photographer told her to ‘Smile pretty like a princess’, this magic happened.”

96. “Let’s explore the wonders of the cosmos.”

Guess this guy is an avid Carl Sagan fan. And yes, the Milky Way Galaxy is made of “billions and billions” of stars.

98. Apparently, her hands are totally out of proportion.

Okay, those are doll hands. But they’re nonetheless incredibly creepy.

99. Casey has a knack for wildlife.

Don’t want to know what he’s doing with that raccoon. Though I know it’s taxidermy.

100. No matter how hard she tries, she just can’t feel it.

Well, she’s trying to smile. But it’s practically impossible for her at this point.

The Consigliere Folds

Posted by historymaniacmegan on

On Tuesday, August 20, 2018, Donald Trump’s longtime personal lawyer, Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to 8 federal charges, including 5 counts of tax evasion involving $4 million, one count of lying to a financial institution, and one count of willful cause of unlawful corporate contributions from June – October 2016 along with one excessive campaign contribution on October 27, 2016. The last charge is related to the $130,000 hush money payment Cohen arranged to porn actress Stormy Daniels to keep her silent about an affair she had with Trump in 2006. Yet, more importantly, Cohen admitted that he did so at Trump’s direction and with the goal of influencing the election.

Since April 9, 2018 when the FBI raided and seized several electronic devices at his residence, office, and hotel room, Michael Cohen has been in deep legal trouble. Several months ago, New York federal investigators convened a grand jury to investigate him for “criminal conduct that largely centers on his personal business dealings” and “finances,” according to a court filing. They also obtained search warrants on several of his email accounts. This led to the April 9 raids with prosecutors looking for information on Cohen’s hush money payment of $130,000 to Stormy Daniels on Donald Trump’s behalf, hush money payments to other women like the $150,000 to former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal, efforts to suppress negative information about Trump during the 2016 campaign, and information about taxi medallions that Cohen owns. The penalties Cohen faces carry a sentence up to 65 years in prison, which he’s unlikely to face thanks to his plea deal with prosecutors. His sentencing is scheduled for December 12 and has been released on $500,000 bond.

Though Michael Cohen’s conduct was examined by special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference with the 2016 election, this indictment has nothing to do with it. But now has reached a deal with prosecutor, it’s not quite clear what this might mean for Donald Trump as one of his closest associates for decades may be facing serious legal consequences. While Cohen once said he’d take a bullet for Trump, recent events suggests otherwise since he’s soured on his old boss. This summer, he gave several public signals that he may be willing to cooperate with prosecutors, including releasing a secret recording of himself with Trump discussing a payoff to Karen McDougal. A CNN report also suggested Cohen had considered telling Mueller that Trump had advance knowledge of the infamous 2016 Trump Tower meeting where Russians offered “dirt” on Hillary Clinton, which Trump has repeatedly denied. However, Cohen’s plea agreement doesn’t call for cooperation with prosecutors, including anyone on Mueller’s team. Yet, Cohen’s revelations deal a blow to Trump with the latter clearly listed as “Individual 1” in the charging documents. While there’s no allegation of wrongdoing against Trump in the government’s charges against Cohen, he’s the latest member of his inner circle charged with federal crimes.

Born on Long Island, New York, Michael Cohen initially found financial success in the 1990s as a personal injury lawyer and through various business investments tied to a New York City community of Ukranian immigrants. Later, he began investing in real estate, including Trump properties, which is how he entered Donald Trump’s orbit. In the early 2000s, Cohen intervened on the mogul’s side for condo board control of Trump World Tower in New York. Trump was impressed and offered Cohen a job in 2007 as executive vice president and special counsel for the Trump Organization. The job duties varied,, which earned him a perfect designation as a “fixer.” In his first few years, Cohen was involved in matters ranging from a New Jersey development project to MMA live events. By 2011, he took a leading role in advising Trump on his growing political ambitions, launching a website called “Should Trump Run?” and flying to Iowa to meet with Republican operatives. However, Trump ultimately ended up not running for president in 2012.

For a time, things went well for Michael Cohen. He took an even larger role in the Trump Organization helping to explore potential development projects in the former Soviet Republics of Georgia and Kazakhstan. He made high-dollar, eyebrow-raising real estate purchases. After Donald Trump officially launched his 2016 presidential campaign in July 2015, Cohen was quite busy behind the scenes. Some highlights include:

  • Threatening a reporter- In July 2015, Michael Cohen tried to stop the Daily Beast from running a story about an old deposition Donald Trump’s ex-wife Ivana Trump made alleging that Trump raped her. Cohen did this by making profane threats to reporter Tim Mak in phone calls he recorded such as, “I’m warning you, tread very fucking lightly, because what I’m going to do to you is going to be fucking disgusting.”
  • Asking for cash for the Trump Foundation- In August 2015, Ukranian steel billionaire Victor Pinchuk reached out through an intermediary and asked Donald Trump to speak at conference he was hosting in Kiev. Trump accepted. But the next day, Michael Cohen sent word back that Trump would require a $150,000 donation to the Trump Foundation as a speaking fee while the payment was made.
  • Working on the Moscow Trump Tower project- In October 2015, the Trump Organization signed a letter of intent to build this tower. Russia-born developer Felix Sater emailed Michael Cohen, “I will get [Russian President Vladimir] Putin on this program and we will get Donald elected… Buddy our boy can become President of the USA and we can engineer it.” In January 2016, Cohen emailed Putin’s spokesperson Dimitry Peskov asking for help on the project but reportedly never got a response. The company abandoned the project soon afterwards.
  • Arranging hush money payments- Most famously, Michael Cohen paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Donald Trump just weeks before the 2016 election. Yet, he was also in a loop for a similar payment to the National Enquirer’s parent company American Media, Inc., which paid $150,000 to Karen McDougal for rights to her story of her 2006-2007 alleged affair with Donald Trump in August 2016. However, the deal wasn’t for the tabloid to publish her story, but to hush it up in exchange that it would publish some of her fitness columns. In July 2018, Cohen’s lawyer Lanny Davis released a tape stating it was from September 2016 that included a recording between Trump and Cohen apparently discussing setting up a shell company to pay back AMI for hushing up McDougal’s story. The FBI reportedly seized the tape on Cohen’s property.

After Donald Trump won the 2016 election, Michael Cohen announced he’d leave the Trump Organization but would continue work as his personal attorney, in what many observers see as an effort to hold on to his attorney-client privilege with his boss. Cohen also took on 2 new clients. One was Republican National Committee fundraiser Elliot Broidy who paid hush money to a Playboy Playmate he knocked up. The other was Fox News host and prominent conspiracy theorist, Sean Hannity, for services Hannity claims, “dealt almost exclusively about real estate.”

Michael Cohen’s legal troubles kicked into high gear on January 12, 2018 when the Wall Street Journal reported that he paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 in hush money near the end of the presidential campaign. As Election Day drew near, Daniels threatened to come forward with her story alleging her 2006 sexual encounter with Donald Trump. Since Cohen wanted to keep her quiet, he created the shell company called Essential Consultants LLC and wired the $130,000 to Daniels’ lawyers. The next day, Daniels and Cohen signed a nondisclosure agreement with its validity now subject to a lawsuit. Daniels complied. When the FBI raided Cohen’s office, residence, and hotel room and seized potential evidence, they were reportedly looking for anything related to the Daniels payment, among other things.

Nonetheless, what’s important is that Michael Cohen stated in court that he made hush money payments “in coordination with and at the direction of a federal candidate for office” who is certainly Donald Trump “for the purpose of influencing” the 2016 election. His admissions directly implicate Trump listed as “Individual 1” in the charging documents. While the consequences of are yet unclear, this makes Trump an unindicted co-conspirator to a federal crime. But the big question is what sort of legal jeopardy does this put him, if at all? And perhaps, more importantly, what does this mean for Robert Mueller’s Russia probe? While legal experts may agree that Trump is undoubtedly guilty, they are uncertain of what happens next. Some say that Cohen is likely to cooperate with the Mueller probe as per lawyer’s recommendation since he knows where the bodies are buried in the Trump Organization along with its finances going many years. Some think that Trump is in deep shit and it’s only a matter of time that Trump will face legal jeopardy. Others don’t think he’ll face any legal consequences at this point since it’s unclear whether a sitting president can be indicted and Republicans in Congress have no interest to impeach him or hold him accountable.

Meanwhile, former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort was found guilty by a jury on 8 counts that special counsel Robert Mueller’s team charged him with in Virginia. These charges comprised of 5 counts of subscribing to false income tax returns, one count of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts (FBAR), and 2 counts of bank fraud. But thanks to one rogue Trump supporting juror, the other 10 counts ended in mistrial such as 3 FBAR charges, 2 bank fraud charges, and 5 bank fraud conspiracy charges. Though Mueller’s team can retry these charges against Manafort if they want to. On September 17, 2018, Manafort faces 7 more charges in a trial that will take place in Washington DC which will focus on much of his actual work in Ukraine than his finances, which are:

  • 2 counts on conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to launder money- These 2 broad counts sum up what the government alleges was Paul Manafort’s overall “scheme” to violet US law with his unregistered foreign lobbying and undeclares finances.
  • 3 counts on being an unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading FARA statements, false statements- These relate to Paul Manafort’s initial lack of registration as a foreign lobbyist regarding his Ukranian work and later lying to the government about it.
  • 2 counts on obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice- The Mueller team added against Paul Manafort in June, after the government alleged that Manafort and his associate Konstantin Kilimnik had contacted witnesses this year and urged them to lie about their Ukranian lobbying. Kilimnik has also been charged with these 2 counts by the way.

There’s no doubt that Paul Manafort’s keeping quiet since he’s holding out for a Donald Trump pardon. Yet, it’s possible that Trump won’t go ahead if his association with his former campaign manager reflects badly on him. Nevertheless, as the Virginia jury convened, Manafort’s lawyers reportedly talked with Mueller’s team about a potential plea deal for the charges against him in Washington. Many have speculated that Mueller’s true goal is pressuring Manafort to “flip” against Trump, leading him to share information and become a cooperating witness to the probe into Russia campaign interference. And it’s at least possible that Manafort’s newfound conviction has changed his calculous and made him more likely to cooperate.

However, 2 important details in the Wall Street Journal’s report cast doubt on whether such a bombshell flip was truly on the agenda. First off, it’s said the Mueller talks’ goal was to forestall Paul Manfort’s next trial in Washington. Second, the talks fell apart due to unspecified “issues” Mueller raised. Apparently, Mueller didn’t seem impressed on what Manafort has to offer. Indeed, it’s unclear whether Manafort even offered any cooperation at all seeing how he’s clearly holding out for a Trump pardon. He might’ve just offered to plead guilty to avoid another expensive trial while the government can avoid an uncertain outcome. Furthermore, Trump has hinted he’s open to a pardon, which a plea deal with Mueller could totally ruin Manafort’s pardon prospects which are now more important now he’s convicted and facing prison time. Yet, a pardon may not be in Trump’s best interests since such gesture may make him seem complicit in Russian interference in 2016 or at least approving of Manafort’s actions. Then again, Helsinki summit with Putin already accomplished that so it’s a toss up. At any rate, it’s easy to see why Mueller would focus on Manafort in regards to Russia probe. He has connections with Russian oligarchs and pro-Russian leaders. He was Trump’s campaign manager during a critical moment in the 2016 election and was present at the infamous Trump Tower meeting that year. And he was already in trouble with the US government over his time in Ukraine that he was forced to resign from the Trump campaign after the conventions wrapped up, which made him very easy to indict. Furthermore, his right-hand man Rick Gates has already flipped on him.

Adding to Donald Trump’s troubles, National Enquirer publisher and CEO of American Media Inc. David Pecker has was granted immunity. In August 2016, the tabloid arranged a “catch and kill” deal with former Playboy model Karen McDougal in which she’d sell the rights to her story for $150,000 in exchange that she won’t publicly talk about it and get a few fitness articles published. Pecker’s involvement with McDougal’s payoff is well-documented, yet prosecutors revealed he was also surprisingly involved in paying off porn actress Stormy Daniels as well. So he knows a lot more about what behind the scenes with these hush money payments than we realized. Pecker’s cooperation could give prosecutors more evidence about Trump’s knowledge of the deals and whether he coordinated and directed those hush money payments. Pecker will not face criminal charges but he will be compelled to testify even if that means against his old friend Trump.

However, the Trump associate who we should watch for is Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg who’s also been granted immunity in exchange for giving prosecutors information. Though he’s not as visible in Trumpworld as Michael Cohen, he may be more important since he’s worked for Donald Trump and his family since the 1970s and has signed off on the company’s significant deals. If anyone knows anything about the Trump Organization’s finances and Trump’s decades long trail of high financial crimes, it’s him. For Trump rarely trusts anyone with his money. Granted he was subpoenaed into the investigation into Cohen, but it’s not confirmed whether he’s appeared in front of a grand jury. While Weisselberg has met with prosecutors, we’re not sure what information he provided, including whether Trump knew about the hush money payments. While the Cohen raid is seen as the biggest legal threat to Trump, Weisselberg’s willingness to talk may be an even bigger problem.

Not Licensed By the NCAA College Athletic Craft Projects (Third Edition)

Posted by historymaniacmegan on

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While some fans would rather buy some overpriced college crap courtesy of the NCAA, some prefer to make their own. Though it sometimes might require buying craft stuff with their teams name and logo on it. Indeed, the NCAA may not look too kindly on this practice since most of these crafts aren’t licensed by them. Particularly if they wind up being sold on Etsy, eBay or Amazon. Nonetheless, you have to admit that many of these crafts can have their own little charm about them. Since they tend to have a rather personal touch and creative edge. On Pinterest you’ll find a lot of stuff in the shape of the college state or in the college’s colors. So for your reading pleasure, I give you another treasure trove of unique college sports any fan could love. Of course, most of these will be from Division 1, naturally.

 

  1. No Tarheel can resist this UNC flower pot.

The flowers and foliage are fake. Yet, it has the UNC and a polka dot pot.

2. Huskies fans would adore this panel of their state.

This is a purple state of Washington with at golden W on it. Since it stands for the University of Washington.

3. Perhaps a grapevine wreath of Notre Dame will suit you.

Contains a football, a shamrock with ND, and green, blue, and white rosettes. Cue victory song.

4. Don’t like wreaths, how about this Alabama elephant hanging on your door?

This one has polka dot ears and a houndsooth bow. And yes, it’s quite adorable.

5. A Notre Dame wreath should have some festive decorations.

This one has a gold and blue bow on it. Though note the footballs and the ND.

6. Support your team wearing this Georgia Southern bracelet.

Contains yellow beads laced with blue. And it bears the Georgia Southern pendant.

7. Support your Auburn Tigers with this War Eagle football decoration.

This one is touched with orange and blue trim on the ends and a bow. Great for hanging on your front door.

8. Anyone in Iowa would die for this Hawkeye suncatcher.

It’s in a wire frame you can put in your garden. So let the light in for the game.

9. Show your support for the Crimson Tide with this Alabama pumpkin.

It’s white with black and red polka dots. Though you have to love the bow.

10. Greet your guests with this decomesh Georgia wreath.

This one is quite festive. Contains a G in the middle for Georgia.

11. For those religious types, this Crimson Tide cross may suit you.

That is, if you’re a fan of Alabama. And you like football, no less.

12. Let the Tide roll with this fuzzy black wreath.

The letters have polka dots. Yet, you know this is from Alabama.

13. Bring in the UCLA Bruin spirit with flowers.

Consists UCLA covered in yarn along with light yellow and blue flowers. So pretty.

14. Put your pussy willows in these Ohio State jars.

These jars are painted in black and white with the Ohio State logo on them. Make sure you have water before putting the willows in.

15. With this frame, you can share the Auburn memories.

This one depicts a picture of the stadium. Yet, the frame is the real star here.

16. Get in the Irish spirit with this Notre Dame cooler top.

Depicts the fighting leprechaun in a green, gold, and blue background. My apologies to Ireland.

17. Bring some color into your home with this Hawkeye yarn wreath.

It’s mostly in yellow with black stripes. But the Hawkeye logo is on the bottom.

18. Got an old Cavalier shirt? Make a pillow out of it.

Apparently, this boy appreciates it. Bet he dreams of going to the University of Virginia one day. Despite that it’s located in Charlottesville.

19. This Florida State Seminole palette will inspire pride.

This one depicts the Seminole logo. All in its red, black, and gold glory.

20. A burlap Florida wreath is just as nice.

Contains a blue ribbon around it with the UF letters. The bow is pretty, too.

21. Curl up during the game in this WVU quilt.

This one is quite intricate. Contains the WV in the center.

22. Show your Purdue pride with this wooden panel.

It’s black with golden letters. All of which Purdue fans will know.

23. Show your love for the Longhorns with this Texas wreath.

It’s mostly orange with white stripes. But anyone from the University of Texas would enjoy this.

24. Let your leprechaun sit in this small Notre Dame rocking chair.

Has gold rockers, back, and seat. But the sides are navy blue. Also has the leprechaun.

25. Game day is always festive with this Penn State wreath.

Ribbons are mostly blue and white. Yet, you see the Nittany Lion logo in 4 places.

26. Keep warm during the game with this Michigan State Spartan scarf.

Has the logo in white over green. Though the scarf doesn’t seem to have an end.

27. Any Kentucky fan must hang this stocking at their fireplace.

Though it’s not up to Santa whether the Wildcats make the Sweet 16 in March Madness. Still, I like the fringe.

28. Sit back and relax in this LSU rocking chair.

Most of it is purple with a yellow seat. And it has the LSU letters on top.

29. A Purdue wreath should always sport some elegance.

It’s a black yarn wreath with gold berries and felt flowers. And “go Purdue” is in gold letters.

30. Show Spartan pride with these block letters.

Courtesy of Michigan State fans. Each letter has its own pattern.

31. Care to hang an I on your door?

It’s a large yellow “I” with a Hawkeye logo on it. Held by a striped burlap strap.

32. West Virginia birds would love these houses.

Okay, they seem quite small for birds. But they’re in full WVU colors.

33. Hang this on your door to support the Volunteers.

This is for Tennessee football, I reckon. Yet, it has white polka dots on orange.

34. Got an old frame? Salute the Seminoles with a sign.

This one has a “Noles” hanging. And it has quite a festive flair. Like the bow, too.

35. Grace your front door with this Florida Gators wreath.

Has the UF letters at the front. And yes, the Gator is below them.

36. Perhaps you can support the Mountaineers with this wooden piece and a plate.

Well, a license plate, anyway. But I’m sure anyone in West Virginia would go for it.

37. Keep yourself warm during the game with this Ohio State quilt.

Not sure how big this supposed to be. Has the O and Buckeye leaves in the squares.

38. Light up your home with this Ohio State jar light.

You can see the lights inside. Yet, you have to like the polka dot bow.

39. A Nebraska football panel should satisfy any Huskers fan.

Has a large red N and a bow. Great for college football season.

40. Kick back and relax on this LSU lawn chair.

It’s made out of wood with purple sides. The LSU logo is on the back.

41. Show your Wildcat pride with this Arizona yarn wreath.

Contains white and red diamonds as well as flowers. The Arizona logo is on the left.

42. Be festive for the Tigers with this LSU wreath.

One of the ribbons on this wreath has tiger stripes. Yet, the LSU letters are in gold.

43. Grace your garden with this Iowa fountain.

It’s made from flower pots stacked on each other. Though the lower tier contains rocks.

44. Light up for your Tigers with this Missouri glass block light.

For some reason, the tiger seems like a popular mascot in college sports. I mean you have the LSU Tigers, Clemson Tigers, Auburn Tigers, Mizzou Tigers, etc.

45. With this N, you express your Husker pride.

It’s a black N with a football and white and red bow. Huskers is emblazoned on the slant.

46. Know your SEC with this wooden hanging.

Since I went to a Division III college, I’m not interested in conferences. Yet, this one has plenty of teams we all know.

47. Any Crimson Tide fan would want this Alabama bag.

Never understood why Bama has an elephant mascot. Then again, it’s better to show an elephant than ecologically destructive algae.

48. Bring a little light on Saturday with these LSU bottle lamps.

These seem like they’re made of stained glass. The fleur de lis all have purple and gold stripes.

49. A Texas Longhorn should always impress at the front door.

Well, it’s a Longhorn hanging at the front door. And it seems quite simple to make if you can cut it out.

50. Show your Mountaineer pride with this WVU hanging.

Has the WVU letters in navy blue. And they’re held by yellow ribbon at the door.

51. An Oregon Duck fan would enjoy this simple burlap wreath.

It’s green with a yellow bow on it. The letters U and O are on the bottom.

52. Georgia Bulldog fans always know how to show their love.

And I guess this is a way to show their love during football season. Each letter has its own unique pattern.

53. An Arkansas wreath should always have beads.

I guess a lot of red Mardi Gras beads had a lot to do with this. Has the Razorback logo encased in a football on top.

54. Any Crimson Tide fan would want this football decoration.

Has a houndsooth A on the football. Yet, the bow stands out more.

55. You can always dust up with Ole Miss.

Here is a dust pan with the Ole Miss sentiment on it. And the handle is blue to match.

56. No Buckeye fan should go without a burlap Ohio State wreath like this.

Consists of red and silver stripes. And the buckeye branch is at the bottom.

57. This Florida Gator wreath brims with bows.

The top and bottom bows are in blue. The sides are in white. And “Gators” is emblazoned in the center.

58. Grace your porch with some Auburn flower pots.

Consists of blue and orange flower pots stacked on each other. Each in their own design and pattern.

59. Kentucky fans always look forward to Wildcat basketball.

This stand consists of UK on top of a pawprint. Perfect for March Madness.

60. Tell the time of day with this Buckeye clock.

Yes, the hours are represented by nuts. And they’re in a silver and red background with a frame.

61. Apparently, you can make your own Syracuse Orange.

Though this one uses license plates and spray paint. Still, for a New York school, it’s a dumb mascot.

62. Irish eyes will shine on this Notre Dame wreath.

It’s a blue wreath with gold ribbon. The Notre Dame logo is on the bottom against a gold background.

63. Hold your dishes in this Mountaineer rack.

Yes, you can fit dishes on it. Though I wouldn’t necessarily hang it over the kitchen.

64. Bring the War Eagle spirit to your door with this Auburn grapevine wreath.

Consists of felt orange and blue flowers. Great for an Auburn tailgate party.

65. Spice up your holidays with this LSU Christmas bouquet.

Includes an LSU snowman. Despite that Baton Rouge usually doesn’t see any snow during the winter.

66. Show your Husky support with this Washington bracelet.

Includes purple and gold beads. Not to mention, has some Washington charms for good measure.

67. Any little Hawkeye will enjoy this table and chairs.

Has helmet chair backs. Table top is black with the Hawkeye logo.

68. Feel free to lounge in this Illinois lawn chair.

It’s made of wood and painted orange. But while blue I’s are on the arms, a large orange I is on the back.

69. Salute your Nittany Lions with this Penn State decomesh wreath.

Consists of navy blue ribbons with the Penn State logo on it. And PSU is in white with blue polka dots.

70. Hope you can hang this Illinois suncatcher at your window.

It’s a rather simple design. Just orange and blue with a transparent I.

71. Perhaps this WVU panel will impress your fancy.

Well, the letters are stenciled around. But it fits quite nicely on a frame.

72. Curl up on your couch with this West Virginia blanket.

One side has WVU stuff all over it. The other is just a blue fleece.

73. These Oklahoma blocks always show Sooner pride.

The small blocs are in a red with white dot pattern. The larger ones have stripes. But any fan would love these.

74. Anyone in Baton Rouge should get this LSU wreath for football season.

Has striped LSU letters front and center. Yet, you have to admire the ribbons and beads.

75. Roll in the tide with this Alabama chair.

It’s red and white but shouts support for the Crimson Tide. The inscription says it all.

76. Rest your head during the game on this Florida State pillow.

Has a heart on Tallahassee. Since that’s where the Seminoles are.

77. Any Mizzou fan would want to have this tiger.

Though I’m not sure about the birds. Assuming that it’s supposed to be a birdhouse.

78. Show your love for the Tigers with this LSU fleur de lis.

It’s even covered in Mardi Gras beads. Perfect for any door.

79. Keep warm during the game with this LSU quilt.

As you can see, it’s in a purple and gold patchwork. Though the fleur de lis is at the center.

80. No one can resist this Iowa snowman.

Wears a yellow hat and carries the Hawkeye flag. So adorable.

NCAA College Athlete Exploiting Merchandise (Third Edition)

Posted by historymaniacmegan on

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Unless you’re a college athlete who actually plays the sports on a scholarship, NCAA Division 1 college sports are a huge business, especially in the college stores since they’re always in need of money and awareness of their team’s fanbases. In many places people are more attached to their college team than their pro team, especially in West Virginia and Alabama. And nowhere is it more prevalent than in the gear. Nonetheless, given the fans’ mentality to buy absolutely anything with their favorite team’s logo, you’ll find lots of gear ranging from the normal jerseys to the utterly ridiculous. Whatever they offer, you name it. And in the years I have covered college sports merchandise, I’ve seen plenty. So for your reading pleasure, I give you another treasure trove of crazy college sports merchandise with proceeds not going to a single college athlete. Most of these are from Division 1, naturally.

 

  1. Set your drink down on this Penn State table.

From the looks of it, seems to resemble an end table. Yet, a cheaper version doesn’t have the Penn State logo.

2. LSU snow people always give a friendly greeting.

Despite that it doesn’t snow in Baton Rouge. Yet, the snow people are nonetheless adorable.

3. For your wedding, Penn State garters always do the trick.

For some reason, I don’t think sports merchandise have a place at weddings. But that’s just me.

4. Gators fan would love this gridiron table.

Perfect when you have people over for the game. Yet, it’s not up to my taste.

5. Drink your coffee in this fancy Penn State cup.

This one is a regular cup. Yet, the design is quite fancy and unnecessary.

6. Be your own hero with this LSU Tiger superhero outfit.

Not sure why the NCAA has to sell superhero gear. Since it seems like a classic cash grab.

7. Keep your drinks cold in this Penn State mini fridge.

This one has a cushioned door. Yet, a plain one would cost less money.

8. Ride around the course in this LSU golf cart.

The seats are purple while the outside has stripes. Yet, I’m sure it’s more expensive to rent than one on a golf course.

9. These Penn State handbags are all the rage at State College.

You’d almost think this is by a designer. Until you see the Nittany Lion logo on it.

10. Keep your beer secure with this Penn State cozy.

Even comes with a zipper and a lovely pattern. Still, I think a regular one would be cheaper.

11. Share toast with these Notre Dame wine glasses.

Each glass has a shamrock and a Notre Dame logo. Perfect for drinking at an Irish game.

12. Look spiffy in this Michigan suit shirt.

Sorry but this looks incredibly lame. And I wouldn’t be caught dead in it.

13. Keep your hands warm in this Penn State muff.

However, we have gloves for a reason. Though the interior appears fuzzy.

14. Bring your tailgate lunch in this Penn State backpack cooler.

Keep in mind that most stadiums don’t like when you take food inside. Yet, most of the concession stand stuff is way overpriced.

15. Take a dip in this Pittsburgh Panthers bikini.

Yet, this one doesn’t seem to have the blue and gold colors that define Pitt. Another thing that irks me is why the product exists.

16. You’ll look chic in these silver Ohio State earrings.

While they may seem elegant, it’s still an NCAA cash grab. And no, I wouldn’t wear these.

17. Have your kid dry off in this Penn State Nittany Lion towel.

This one has a mascot hat on top. And you can fold it into a compact shape.

18. Light up your dining room with this Penn State overhead light.

For some reason I have a lot of Penn State stuff on there. Can’t understand why.

19. Keep your room cool with this Penn State ceiling fan.

Each of these blades is blue and white with the words “Penn State” and its Nittany Lion logo. Yet, a regular one would cost much less.

20. Keep your food cool in this USC Trojan cooler tote bag.

Comes with quite a few compartments. And can be held by 2 handles and a shoulder strap.

21. Get your grill on with this Penn State tool set.

So these will be perfect for a tailgate at Beaver Stadium. Though a regular set will only be half the price.

22. The North Pole always roots for the LSU Tigers.

Yet, you won’t see a single snowflake in Baton Rouge. Though the tiger is cute.

23. Get your bling on with this Mizzou bracelet.

Comes with snaps. But I think this is pretty over the top.

24. Care for a high Pitt bar chair?

This chair has a back with a semi-circular cushion. Yet, a similar model will save you money at your local furniture store.

25. Keep your money safe in this Michigan wallet.

Sports a big yellow M in salute to the Wolverines. Though you’re better off getting a standard one at Wal Mart.

26. A neon clock like this always shines for a fan of Texas A&M.

Yet, to me it’s pretty tacky. Like it belongs in a Texas bar.

27. It’s always game night with this Penn State dartboard.

It’s just wooden doors with a Penn State logo. But I wouldn’t have it in my house.

28. These Wolverine socks are a must have.

Actually, they appear quite terrifying. Seriously, these socks are ridiculous.

29. Any Wolverine fan would love to have this Michigan totem sculpture.

And yes, it’s associated with football for obvious reasons. Still, it’s pretty ridiculous if you ask me.

30. Keep your tires ready with this Texas Longhorn cover.

Guess it’s for a spare tire if you can’t keep it in a trunk. Though a plain tire would do just as fine at half the price.

31. You’ll find plenty of knives in this Arizona State cutting board.

Well, it reveals knives inside. Yet, you can use it to cut anything.

32. Picture yourself at the game with this Ohio State selfie stick.

The concept of a selfie stick is crazy enough. Yet, these take the idea to the next level with Ohio State logos.

33. Always keep warm at the game in these Ohio State ponchos.

And they don’t seem to be the plastic kind either. Hope they don’t come with sombreros.

34. Keep your things safe with this Arizona key.

So you can customize keys to your sports team? Seriously, what will they come up with next?

35. Apparently, your beer can now have a Penn State jersey.

This is getting ridiculous. If your pets aren’t wearing jerseys, your bottles are.

36. No living room can be without this Ohio State couch cover.

Well, this isn’t altogether terrible. Yet, why anyone would buy this is beyond me.

37. Fire up the grill with these Alabama grilling tools.

Comes with its own pack. Yet unlike the previous tools, you don’t see any logos on them.

38. Iowa fans would love to see the Hawkeyes name in lights.

I bet this is in neo lights. Yet, it only displays the name.

39. Keep your hands on the wheel with this Miami steering wheel cover.

Not sure why anyone would need this, Plenty use a plain steering wheel just fine.

40. Keep your food nice and warm with this Notre Dame casserole caddy.

Okay, I can see a reason for this. Yet, I’d pass on one with an Notre Dame logo on it.

41. Don’t go without an Arizona divot tool on the golf course.

Apparently, another piece of team golf gear. Not sure why anyone would need it.

42. Salute your Nittany Lions with this Penn State garden gnome.

This one seems to smile with a foam finger. As if regular gnomes are crazy enough.

43. You can always tee off with these Penn State tees.

They even come in a Penn State jar. And the tees are white and blue.

44. Make your baby a Nittany Lion fan with some Penn State crib set.

Comes with bedding and a blanket. All for your little Nittany Lion needs.

45. Be one with nature in this Miami camo hoodie.

Yet, I don’t think this goes with the environment of southern Florida. Kind of imagine something more swampy.

46. Always tee off with these Notre Dame golf balls.

This sports logos on golf gear is getting ridiculous. Seriously why?

47. Relax in front of the TV in these Clemson leggings.

These are purple with orange paw print leggings. And they’re twice the price as the conventional pair.

48. Light up your home with this stained glass Penn State lamp.

This one has 4 corners. But it’s in a rather Tiffany style.

49. Support your South Carolina Gamecocks with this baseball cap.

Normally, a baseball cap is a normal item. But the inscription on this one will make fans a laughingstock outside South Carolina.

50. Light up your yard with these Florida lawn lights.

Is orange with the Gators logo on it. Not sure why anyone would need it though.

51. Serve your tailgate crew in this Crimson Tide apron and chef’s hat.

And it’s crimson due to its name. Yet, I think this is kind of over the top.

52. Cuddle up on your couch with this square Oregon pillow.

Well, this more for sitting on. But it must be quite comfy nonetheless.

53. Feel free to dine on this Arizona picnic table.

You can even fold it up and take it with you. Perfect for any Wildcats tailgate party.

54. Come to the Wildcat game in style with this Arizona purse.

You can wear it in a couple different ways. Comes with handles and a strap.

55. Enrich your garden with this Texas A&M wind chime.

Mostly consists of can with metal rods attached by strings. Still, not exactly what I’d put in a garden.

56. Know what time it is with this Sun Devils painted clock.

Though one with a Sun Devil motif isn’t in my taste. Someone from Arizona State may beg to differ.

57. On your golf outing, don’t forget to cover your clubs with these college covers.

Each of these is from the South with a mascot head. Yet, these seem a lot like stuffed animals for adults as well.

58. Enjoy hours playing some Texas A&M checkers.

Apparently, the board is in gridiron form with squares in shades of green. Ridiculous or what?

59. Wear the Buckeye spirit on this Ohio State ring.

This one has a heart to express love to Ohio State. Not sure why anyone would want jewelry of their favorite team. Though I’m not exactly a sports person.

60. Keep your remotes together with this Kentucky remote caddy.

Look, I understand a remote caddy is useful. But do you really need one with a college team logo?

61. Celebrate your special day with this Crimson Tide wedding cake topper.

Well, sometimes there are more important matters we must attend to. Yet, I understand the feeling.

62. Keep your car seat in good order with this Penn State cover.

More economical and practical than a car seat. Yet, most seats in cars don’t have covers.

63. Light up your home with this Penn State helmet light.

Yes, another light. Yet, this one is a helmet encased in blue neon, apparently.

64. Make your garden grow with this Ohio State garden stone.

Well, might be nice among the flowers. Yet, a normal garden stone is cheaper.

65. Keep your checks secure with this Alabama check cover.

I’m sure the bank would give these checkbook covers for free with the checks. Still, this is ridiculous.

66. Salute your Tigers with this LSU lawn stencil.

Yes, they have lawn stencils for some reason. Wonder if the kit comes with paints.

67. Support your Hurricanes with these Miami sunglasses.

Has the Miami logo on them. And most likely designed to wear for a game.

68. Wake up in the morning with this Texas Longhorn scoreboard alarm clock.

Wonder if plays the fight song to wake you up. Hour and minute is listed as section and seat.

69. Hold your pants up with these Alabama suspenders.

Nonetheless, these are meant for guys who don’t use belts. Since I don’t know who else wears suspenders.

70. Set your drinks on these Miami coasters.

These are made of metal with the University of Miami logo on it. Though they don’t have the team colors.

71. Any little tiger would love these plush Angry Birds.

Each of these have little helmets on them. Come in 3 different colors.

72. Grace your table with these Arizona salt and pepper shakers.

Each of these has the Arizona logo. A must have for a tailgate party.

73. Get a grip of your clubs with this Penn State handle.

So this is used for a golf club? Still, think this is utterly ridiculous.

74. Have a Hurricane barbecue with this Miami grill set.

These grill tools come in a box with the Miami logo. So you can carry them anywhere with you.

75. Kick back and relax on this Alabama bean bag seat.

It’s crimson and white. Perfect for watching Crimson Tide games from your home.

76. Pay your bills with these Crimson Tide checks.

Look, you can get checks for free at a bank. Seriously, this is just outrageous.

77. Play a game of Texas pool with these Texas A&M balls.

Yet, each of these are in white and maroon with the Texas A&M logo. Not something I’d want in my house.

78. Keep your pool table in peak condition with this Notre Dame cover.

Has a shamrock on it with the Notre Dame logo in gold. Great to drape over your pool table.

79. Share a glass during the game with this Texas A&M wine glass and decanter set.

Consists of a wooden box with a metal decanter and 2 wine glasses. Said to make a great gift.

80. You can always wear a little more color with this Nebraska flower shirt.

Nonetheless, Nebraska is nowhere near a tropical state. Seriously, no flamingos live there.

College Sports Fans Dressed in School Spirit Attire (Third Edition)

Posted by historymaniacmegan on

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After much delay, I now start on my college sports posts. As the school year begins so does college football while college basketball begins sometime later which will peak at March Madness. In my area, while pretty much everyone in Western Pennsylvania roots for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Yet, come the college football games, you’ll find plenty of factions in regards to Division I sports. Some root for the Pitt Panthers. Some go for the Penn State Nittany Lions. And some support the West Virginia Mountaineers. Like their pro counterparts, you’ll find plenty of sports fans who go all out for their teams. So much so that they show up to the game in their full regalia to ridiculous proportions. They may paint their face and/or put on some crazy costume to stand out in a crowd. While some of these people have such a noteworthy presence that they’re seen as superfans. So for your reading pleasure, I give you another treasure trove of college sports fans.

 

  1. Keep an eye on the blue man behind you.

He’s just a fan of the Florida International University Panthers. And he’s cheering them on during their homecoming game.

2. Georgia Bulldogs fans always go all out with spikes and braids.

Still, I highly doubt those braids are real. Yet, I wouldn’t want to be near those spiked shoulder pads.

3. Seems like these are really rolling in the tide.

Yet, it’s very disturbing that the University of Alabama named their team after an ecosystem destroying algae. But they call it the Crimson Tide.

4. Be all painted for the University of Central Florida.

One is painted gold with weird hair. The other is painted black with a hat.

5. He’s all striped for Kansas.

And no, he’s not wearing a shirt. That red and blue is body paint, my friends. And he wears a mask to hide his identity from his folks.

6. Nothing shows your support for the Syracuse Orange like an orange clown fro.

He’s even wearing Mardi Gras beads to match. Yet, don’t ask why their mascot is an orange.

7. Paint yourself in black for the Georgia Bulldogs.

Okay, this is pretty racist since it involves blackface and grass skirts. Though I know it’s not their intention. They’re just dumb sports fans who know nothing about racial sensitivity.

8. This man is ready to Boiler Up for Purdue.

He has a Boilermaker hair and a golden lei. Not what you’d expect in Indiana.

9. Marvel superheroes always support Arizona State.

Well, Wolverine, Iron Man, and Spider Man do at least. Yet, would you want them attend a game at your college? Probably not.

10. Seems like this Halo goes for the University of Colorado Boulder.

He wears a cape and horns for his Buffaloes. And has the logo emblazoned on his chest.

11. These guys are tickled purple for TCU.

They’ve painted themselves purple and wear speedos to the game. God only knows what their grandchildren will react decades from now.

12. These women go green for Notre Dame.

Don’t worry, they’re wearing sports bras. Still, at least they’re not dressed as leprechauns.

13. Seems like the Navy has a new recruit.

Yes, it’s a grizzly bear about to eat a large shark. Apparently, the Navy will take just about anybody.

14. Apparently, UCLA has gone to the dogs.

Okay, this dog was dressed by a fan. Yet, the UCLA letters are in felt on its head.

15. You’d think these Michigan State fans belonged to the Polar Bear Club.

No, not that Polar Bear club. Since they’re wearing polar bear costumes.

16. This dog never misses a game with Boston College.

This is a dog in a Boston College shirt. And yes, a fan dressed it up.

17. Of course, you don’t want to mess with fans of the University of Hawaii.

They’re in white face paint with black markings. One even wears a black and green clown wig.

18. Some Bulldogs fans will even show up to the game in their jammies.

They even brought their red pom poms. Still, not sure if I want to wear pajamas outside sleeping.

19. These Berkeley fans turn out for their Golden Bears.

You can see them on the stands. They all have a letters spelling “Golden Bears” on their chests.

20. Orange Man is always here for Syracuse.

You can tell he roots for Syracuse from the oranges on his belt. Still, the orange foam hair is ridiculous.

21. This guy came to UCLA to see his Bruins.

He’s even wearing big yellow frame glasses with “UCLA” on them. Not sure how that helps his vision.

22. These fans are all striped for their Auburn Tigers.

They’re all wearing tiger striped body paint in blue and orange, too. And they come cheering for their team.

23. At Michigan, best be ready for the Wolverines.

Here they wear Wolverine hats and plush props. Oh, and the Michigan logos are on seats.

24. Some Notre Dame fans express their love for the Irish with their hair.

Each of them wear mohawk wigs of yellow, green, and blue. And they paint their faces in the respective colors.

25. This man is all horned up for his VCU Rowdy Rams.

This guy even wears a hat with horns. Still, he certainly stands out in a crowd.

26. This TCU fan never forgets to leave without a hat.

Apparently, that hat is a sombrero. And he’s right next to someone with purple hair.

27. This man always rolls for the Crimson Tide.

He wears a Tide box with toilet paper at both ends. Also sports a cape for Alabama.

28. Something funny is going on at Arizona State.

Apparently, Chuckles the Clown just thought he’d drop by for the Sun Devils. Though many think he’s quite terrifying.

29. These guys are all Army all the way.

No, these shirts aren’t made of really tight spandex but body paint. Not sure why.

30. These guys bring in the fuzz for Wisconsin.

Not sure if they’re hats or wigs. But you have to like the sunglasses and cape look here.

31. This woman is all dolled up for her Florida State Seminoles.

Though she should ditch the cultural appropriation. Yet, remember that fans can be quite foolish folks, especially in regards to schools with Native American mascots.

32. This man wears his hat for the Boston College Eagles.

Here he wears his hat with eagle appendages. The sides are supposed to be wings.

33. Anyone would want a picture with an FSU superhero.

Here he wears a cape as well as face paint. Yet the other guys seem to enjoy this photo op.

34. This man is utterly pumped for his Washington Huskies.

He wears shoulder pads with an army hat. Not sure why yet I don’t want to mess with him.

35. These Berkeley guys team up for the Golden Bear.

Well, forming the Golden Bear on their chests. Think the body paint stuff is getting out of hand.

36. Wonder how Sponge Bob Squarepants  ended up in Akron.

After all, Ohio is nowhere near the ocean. Then again, these are just Akron fans.

37. You wouldn’t guess who these people from Toledo are.

All wear golden masks and bright blue wigs. However, they must be at the masquerade ball by 5.

38. Evidently, Oklahoma Sooner fans can consists of chickens and bananas.

Actually they’re fans wearing costumes. Yet, they seem quite fixated on the game.

39. These are the kings of Texas Tech.

Okay, the crowns are in plush. Yet, you have to admire how fabulous they look in their regal robes.

40. Oregon Ducks fans always start young.

She wears her Oregon Ducks dress and shirt. And yes, she dons her very first green and yellow wig.

41. Don’t mind this Blue Devil fan.

Here he’s in a blue suit with a devil hat. Yet, only in a lighter shade of blue.

42. This Auburn fan is all out for his Tigers.

Here he’s had his body painted in blue and orange. While his head has a pom pom on each side.

43. When in doubt, wear a Viking hat or blue hair.

Well, they’re both Duke fans. One wears a horned Viking helmet. The other dons a blue bob wig.

44. You’ll never know who’d show up for a game at Colorado.

There’s a golden Hulk, a man in a yellow hat, a guy from Halo, and a banana. Yet, all have come to see the Buffaloes roam.

45. Boston College fans always keep it in the family.

Kid wears an Eagle hat. Baby is bundled in a crocheted football blanket.

46. This woman is all striped up for Florida State.

She’s wearing yellow body paint with red stripes. Though not sure about the fringe top.

47. This Alabama lady is a real super fan of the Crimson Tide.

She wears a spandex body suit with a mask and cape. Proving that superheroes don’t always need to have six packs.

48. Apparently, Waldo has turned up in Colorado.

She even has a sign out. Guess she’s not impressed with the team.

49. You can’t miss seeing this guy at Georgia Tech.

This Yellow Jackets fan is clad in a superhero outfit. Think of him as a combination between Superman and Guy Fieri.

50. This cowboy stands proud of his Iowa State.

Seems to have rather bulging muscles. But the cowboy hat and overalls are ridiculous.

51. These guys in Syracuse bleed orange.

Not sure what guy’s head they’re using. But it’s pretty hilarious.

52. Doesn’t hurt to go all out for Georgia at the sidelines.

Wonder what kind of hat he’s wearing. Is that a crow? Looks like it.

53. For Bama, these ladies don their houndsooth furs.

Though the coats seem to remind me of Cruella de Vil for some reason. But these women aren’t keen on killing puppies. At least I hope so.

54. These Bama fans roll Tide in their white suits.

Well, they have Crimson Tide stuff on their suits. And they top it all off with houndsooth hats.

55. Even Santa Claus roots for the Crimson Tide

Yet, how he manages to make it to games from the North Pole is beyond me. Also, I don’t think he’s natty in a houndsooth hat.

56. Hope this guy can keep all his oranges.

Believe it or not, he’s not from Syracuse but Clemson. But I understand why you may be mistaken.

57. Diamond pants are all the rage at Clemson.

The pants are in white, orange, and purple. But they’re quite the latest in Clemson fan fashion.

58. Apparently, the lobster shouts for Southern Methodist.

Didn’t think you’d see lobsters near Dallas, Texas. But whatever.

59. At Florida State, the bacon always cheer.

Wonder what bacon has to do with the Seminoles. Whatever the case, these guys are utterly ridiculous.

60. This Joker girl always vouches for Georgia.

Hope she doesn’t ask why you’re being so serious. Because nothing good can come of it.

61. Best to put on one’s best pimp clothes for Boise State.

Yes, it’s kind of offensive. And it’s a given that the leopard print is tacky as hell.

62. Yellow tiger stripes should always show at LSU.

Though one must cover in purple body paint first. Am I the only one who thinks body paint is ridiculous?

63. Beware of the Red Scare at Dayton.

This is a snapshot from the March Madness tournament. I don’t think the Flyers are doing so well based on the fan reactions.

64. Missouri fans never cease to make an impression.

These fans wear body paint with tiger stripes. Yet, they seem to enjoy the game.

65. This Navy fan is a real ship head.

Well, he’s wearing a ship hat. Though it seems to resemble a destroyer.

66. This Nebraska banana backs his Huskers.

I know bananas don’t grow in Nebraska. Yet, feel free to laugh at the guy’s costume nonetheless.

67. Mizzou Tiger fans rally around their king.

I bet the elder guy with the beard is a professor. Yet, he has a rather lofty crown.

68. This Ancient Roman rallies for his pokes at Oklahoma State.

Well, he wears an ancient helmet and an orange toga. He’ll probably go to a toga party with his frat after the game.

69. These Texas Longhorn fans always carry their Texas Lottery bags.

But they also wear plenty of face and body paint on their shirtless chests. Wonder where they get their bags.

70. This trooper always cheers for Southern Mississippi.

He wears an army hat and carries a small Captain American shield. Not sure why he’s got large Mardi Gras beads around his neck.

71. This Mountaineer fan always comes out for his team.

And he’s on the court in a Mountaineer onesie. Since when do they have such outfits in adult size I have no idea.

72. Hope you like these two fans at Michigan State.

They’re clad in green baseball hats and striped overalls. But they also have to show a sign, too.

73. Seems like this guy has a friend on his hat.

ohio-state-fanjpg-19b773d12f61aa81

I don’t think it’s Brutus Buckeye. Since he’s made up like one of Gumby’s friends.

74. These Ute fans always turn out in their war bonnets.

Yes, I know this is cultural appropriation. But white sports fans neither know or care about that.

75. This Huskies fan seems a bit horse.

Well, this one’s wearing a purple horse head mask. I know weird isn’t it?

76. This Huskies fan is totally pimped out.

Wonder why people wear pimp costumes to sporting events. Guess it makes one stand out. At least this guy wears a Huskie T-shirt underneath.

77. You’ll never know who you’ll meet at Xavier.

One of them is even wearing a chicken costume. Yet, the costumes are quite outlandish nonetheless.

78. These fans at North Dakota always know how to shine.

These women wear hats with CDs on them. Hope they’re not by bands anyone likes.

79. All this guy sees is Kentucky.

His glasses say UK for University of Kentucky. Yet, he also wears blue hair to match.

80. These men wear their love for Boston College on their chests.

Well, at least they only painted their chests, which isn’t too outlandish. But body painting is still quite ridiculous nonetheless.

81. This man puts on his mask for Michigan.

He also wears a wig behind him. Thinks he looks tough. But more or less looks like an idiot.

82. These men go purple for Northwestern University.

And yes, they’re both covered in purple body paint. I know it’s crazy, but what can you do?

83. This Georgia girl goes all out for her Bulldogs.

Yes, she kind of resembles Harley Quinn. But only with her wearing spiked shoulder pads for the game.

84. A South Florida fan always goes with the horns.

Sure enough he wears a helmet with bull horns. And his chest is covered in body paint.

85. When you have to watch a Miami Hurricanes game at 1 and go to a voodoo meeting at 5.

Apparently, he kind of reminds me of a witch doctor so to speak. And why does his hat have horns?

86. Your hat can never get to high at Georgia.

Well, he’s wearing a warrior helmet with a large plume. Wonder how he gets under a doorway.

87. These guys are all checkered for the Seminoles.

These guys painted their upper bodies in red and yellow body paint. And yes, they look ridiculous.

88. The Syracuse Orange have always been a gentleman’s team.

He even sports mutton chops and wears an snazzy orange hat. Not sure about the coveralls though.

89. For some reason, Jesus goes for the TCU Horned Frogs.

He’s even holding a sign with a Bible verse geared to them. Still, TCU is a Christian school. So it fits.

90. Always help to have another pair of eyes.

His glasses have googly eyes that match his blue clown wig. And he comes to support his Syracuse Orange.

91. Everything glitters with these Seminole fans.

Yes, I know they shimmer. But you have to at least admire the effort.

92. This strange orange woman comes to the stadium for her Pokes.

Don’t know what she’s supposed to be. Though I do like her crescent moon headband.

93. I guess that Oklahoma State is doing Cats this year.

Okay, probably not. But that doesn’t stop these women from showing up in cat ears.

94. It’s best to get one’s beads on for the Miami Hurricanes.

He seems to have a lot of bling on him to boot. Still, you have to think that he moonlights as an Elton John impersonator on Saturday nights.

95. This Iowa Hawkeye fan has an interesting face mask.

Mostly consists of helmet sunglasses with a grill. Oh, and she wears a wig to complete the look.

96. This Oregon Duck fan comes in camouflaged.

He even comes with his cheerleading cowgirl. And it’s actually kind of sweet.

97. Make sure your LSU Tiger suits match.

I know it’s kind of freaky. But a pair of cowboy boots always goes nicely with the outfit.

98. Houndsooth is always where it’s at in Alabama.

Houndsooth always seems to be a staple for the Crimson Tide. Despite that such pattern is kind of garish so to speak.

99. Make sure your sleeves are fuzzy at Mizzou.

However, that doesn’t mean this guy will wear a shirt. Not sure why he decided to forego that.

100. Seems like this guy is only here for the fun.

He’s basically a Georgia Bulldogs fan dressed as a jester. Not sure why he went with red and green. Christmas game?

The Mole Tells All (Maybe)

Posted by historymaniacmegan on

On Saturday, August 18, 2018, The New York Times reported that White House Counsel Don McGahn has taken part in at least 3 voluntary interviews totaling 30 hours with Robert Mueller’s investigation team looking into the Russia probe over the past 9 months. He discussed a wide range of topics such as Donald Trump’s decision to fire FBI Director James Comey, National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s ouster, and Trump’s public and private whining about Attorney General Jeff Sessions. According to the Times, McGahn fears Trump’s setting him up as a fall guy on potential obstruction of justice. And that he’d end up like his possible Nixonian counterpart John Dean who helped his boss cover up the Democratic Party headquarters break-in at the Watergate hotel. But he eventually flipped after Nixon fired him in 1973, secretly giving investigators crucial help while still on the job. Dean later pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice after striking a deal with the prosecution and received a prison sentence.

According to the New York Times report, two of Donald Trump’s original lawyers, John Dowd and Ty Cobb devised an “open-book strategy” for their client when the Mueller investigation began. The rationale behind this is obvious. After all, if Trump did nothing wrong, then he should be as cooperative as possible. Unlike his boss, while Don McGahn was dubious, he went along with the plan. And when the special counsel’s office asked him for an interview last year, he was “surprised” but complied when Trump and his lawyers gave him the go-ahead.

Not surprisingly, the report describes McGahn and his lawyer, William Burck as “stunned” at the Trump team’s willingness for him to talk to Mueller. So much they’ve developed a theory that McGahn’s being set up to take the blame for any possible illegal acts of obstruction of justice. So he and Burck decided to come clean with Mueller to demonstrate that he has nothing to hide. That McGahn is speaking with Mueller isn’t new, but to the extent he’s cooperating and his potential motivations for doing so are.
It’s not exactly clear that Donald Trump “appreciates the extent to which” Don McGahn has cooperated with Mueller. But you kind of have an idea he doesn’t appreciate it all that much. Yet, to Trump’s disappointment, McGahn doesn’t see himself as his boss’ personal lawyer. Rather, he sees himself as a protector of the presidency, not Trump. Besides, while McGahn has overseen Trump’s judicial appointments and deregulatory push at the White House, he has a distant relationship to his boss. According to the Times, the two men rarely speak. And when they do, chief of staff John Kelly and other advisers are usually present. And since McGahn calls his boss, “King Kong” behind his back, Trump has questioned his White House Counsel’s loyalty to him.

Nonetheless, as White House Counsel Don McGahn has had extraordinary access to Donald Trump and some of his most controversial moves. As the New York Times reported citing a dozen anonymous sources, McGahn has told investigators he knew of Trump’s role in firing FBI Director James Comey and repeated criticisms of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his role in the Russia investigation before Trump hired outside counsel to deal with the matter.

To the surprise of no one, Donald Trump has been incensed by the New York Times report. For he raged about it on Twitter during the weekend. That same evening when the report came out, he tweeted, “I allowed White House Counsel Don McGahn, and all other requested members of the White House Staff, to fully cooperate with the Special Councel. In addition we readily gave over one million pages of documents. Most transparent in history. No Collusion, No Obstruction. Witch Hunt!” However, the Trump administration has been anything but transparent since we haven’t seen the guy’s tax returns. Trump has been fervently against the Mueller investigation since the very beginning and has gone out of his way to undermine it, including attempts to fire Mueller. In fact, McGahn threatened to quit when Trump considered firing Mueller last year and convinced his boss to work with the special counsel. And I don’t see Trump and his lawyers handing over a million document pages. On Sunday, he unleashed a string of angry tweets, calling the story “fake” and claiming he allowed McGahn and others to speak to Mueller in an effort to be transparent, “so that this Rigged and Disgusting Witch Hunt can come to a close.” Yet, given that the Trump administration is infamous for being one of the least transparent in presidential history.

Donald Trump then took specific aim at reporters Maggie Haberman and Michael Schmidt, referring to them as “fake reporters” and used them as an example of why the media has become the “Enemy of the People” as he often claims in his mass gaslighting. He also claimed that some members of the media called him to apologize and made a reference to the New York Times’ “disgusting new Board member.” While It’s not clear if he referred to the paper’s board of directors which both publisher A.G. Sulzberger and investor John Rogers, Jr. joined this year. Or its editorial board which tech writer Sarah Jeong was named to this month and who’s been attacked by right-wing activists alleging her of racism against white people. Let’s just hope it’s the former but given his decades-long racism, I strongly think he’s referring to the latter. Nonetheless, we must take Trump’s attacks of the media as gaslighting his base in to not believing negative coverage against him.

Nonetheless, the news of Don McGahn cooperating with Mueller has the potential to become a big deal. But it really depends on what McGahn told investigators and there are still a lot of questions about that. Even Donald Trump’s own legal team doesn’t seem all that sure if McGahn’s account hurts or helps their client. Yet, given that McGahn’s lawyers fully brief Trump’s legal team and how an angry Trump called him a “John Dean type ‘RAT’” on Twitter, my guess is the latter. Mueller and his attorneys know what McGahn told them and how it may or may not play into the obstruction of justice investigation. Yet, whatever it is, Mueller’s team isn’t giving any hints.

In the meantime, don’t assume that Don McGahn or that his testimony will help unseat Donald Trump like Dean’s did to Nixon. Trump expressly permitted his White House Counsel to speak to Mueller. Though his job legally obligated McGahn to testify since he represents the office of the president and works for the US government. So he couldn’t cite attorney-client privilege even if he wanted to. And if he refused, Mueller would’ve compelled him to do so. However, it’s notable the fact McGahn didn’t even try to avoid speaking with the special counsel, especially since the Trump administration is infamous for eschewing precedent. There are 2 possible reasons why he decided to simply comply with Mueller’s request. First, is that a futile court battle over his testimony would’ve made him look bad and raise suspicions that he and the White House have something to hide. Secondly, he might’ve seen little risk and even some reward in telling Mueller’s team about events that could constitute obstruction of justice.

Nor does it put Don McGahn in the clear. A former FEC commissioner, McGahn is a campaign finance expert and served as Donald Trump’s counsel 2016 election. In that capacity, he was presumably involved in the campaign’s hiring of British Cambridge Analytica employees. This raised the possibility of improper foreign contributions. McGahn may have known about the infamous Trump Tower meeting between a Russian lawyer and Trump campaign officials to get dirt on Hillary Clinton, a flagrant violation of campaign finance rules. McGahn might’ve even failed to rein in Roger Stone from the campaign as the latter allegedly bypassed election laws to seek Clinton dirt from foreigners. Since he has a long-time history with Stone and various dubious fundraising schemes, including those of Russian pay to plays dating back to his days as Tom DeLay’s attorney.

Whether Don McGahn has told any of the 2016 campaign to Mueller is a critical question. Citing Donald Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator in these alleged crimes may be Mueller’s strangest move. But since we don’t know, McGahn’s cooperation with the Mueller probe gives us a false impression of McGahn as a model of transparency with regard to the special counsel. The New York Times story over the weekend provides the White House Counsel with a publicity boost for its depiction of him as an honest broker with Mueller. But is he really? And it paints Trump as underestimating by the threat McGahn’s testimony on obstruction can pose to him at worst. In fact, Trump comes across as naïve about the investigation, which is an innocent deviation from his usual, panicked rage.

For now the New York Times story on Don McGahn may help Donald Trump’s public standing. Since it strengthens his claims of non-existent transparency and insinuates that McGahn has nothing to hide. However, the real test of McGahn’s candor will be if and when Mueller asks him to speak about the 2016 campaign. At that point, McGahn can invoke attorney-client privilege since he represented Trump at the time, which can trigger a genuine conflict with the special counsel.

Until then, keep in mind that Donald Trump and Don McGahn want us to think that Mueller has no reason to compel testimony, since they’re giving him everything he wants. Despite that it’s really not the case. Yet, by talking to Mueller about obstruction and publicizing these talks, McGahn doesn’t throw Trump under the bus, but may even strengthen the White House’s case amid looming conflict. Though he might’ve turned since no one else in the Trump administration knows what McGahn told Mueller either. Since such revelation has Trump extremely worried. But don’t get your hopes up.