. . .
K “What if as many folks had rallied in support of Galileo?”
J “Signs intoning ‘No sides in science’ and ‘Science not silence’ and ‘Don’t let scientists go extinct’ floated amid and among the rising sea of concerned citizens. ‘Free Galileo’ was raised toward the heavens.”
. . .
K “In January, the pink pussy hats responded to the red Make America Great Again baseball caps. On Saturday, a few white lab coats and many rain coats shielded the folks who marched peacefully on a gray rainy day.”
J “The women’s jaunt planned on the Mall in January gestated into an impromptu march from the foot of Capitol Hill to the White House and spawned the March for Science in April. The March for Science and Earth Day Network started south of the White House and moved to the Capitol. Going full circle. And going forward.”
K “The Women’s March was an emotional release and catharsis. The March for Science was an intellectual rally and resurgence.”
J “A walk is an antidote to insanity and irrationality.”
. . .
K “At the same time the people were marching in the streets, the big money players were machinating in the suites. The ‘green eye shade’ types at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded that Greece has recovered slightly and thus needs to be burdened substantially.”
. . .
K “The next public gig in Washington is the ‘(Former) Bikers for Trump Rally’ on October 14 to ride to the White House and Congress from all over the country.”
J “The ‘What happened Donnie? Ride and Rally’. Everyone hates to be conned, yet so many of his supporters simply cannot repudiate him because he is their last hope. By October, a few of his black leather and blue collar supporters may accept that they were bamboozled.”
K “Sturgis runs from August 4 until 13 and Daytona from March 9 until 18, 2018. October is a great time for the last long fall ride.”
J “Somebody needs to inflame and inspire the national imagination.”
. . .
[See the e-commentary at “Happy Birthday Earth Day (April 23, 2012)”, “Women’s March On Washington (Woodstock With Conviction) / Coronation (January 23, 2017)” and the discussion of some of the underlying issues involving Greece and the IMF at “‘Grexit’, ‘GrexEUnt’, Percolating Problems: PIIGS, BRICS, EU, EC, ECB, IMF, NATO, WTO, WTF, WAR (February 23, 2015)”.]
Bumper stickers of the week:
March on
“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.’” Isaac Asimov, “A Cult of Ignorance”, Newsweek, January 21, 1980.
Signs of the times on the Washington Mall:
Free Galileo
You must be smoking deGrasse if you de-Nye the facts
Science is good
Good science is better
Great science is best
Geology rocks
There is no PLANet B
This is not a moment, it is a movement
Make America 90 49 18 Again
Evidence based governance
What do you call a female scientist? Scientist
4 28 58 To 1 68
Ignorance is a dish best served at absolute zero
Delusion is not the solution to pollution
Support 21 53 E 7 58
Factism Trumps Fascism
Facts are non-partisan
Make 95 68 53 20 Scientific Again
You can fool the voters but not the atmosphere
Repent the end is NIH
The elements of outraged disbelief 74 90 9
Science: Because you can’t pray a rocket into space.
Free entropy
So bad that even introverts are here
Resistance is not futile: It is voltage divided by current
Fact-based policy not policy-based alt.facts
In science we trust
Clinical research is healthy for children and other living things (on a yellow poster with a flower)
The Endangered Species Act is endangered
No science, no chance
This is what a scientist looks like
More mitosis, less division
Save our planet, plant a tree
Stem cells have potential and without them our children don’t
Science Trumps ignorance
Noah saved us once Let NOAA save us now
They drowned the last climate deniers
Atoms and Trump both make up things
Science is not an opinion
Make America hypothesize again
It’s not rocket science, actually it is
Defiance for science
Extinction is forever Animals need science
Don’t let science go extinct
Alternative facts are for quacks
Evolution: Happened. Climate change: Happening. Recognition: Must happen
There are no jobs on a dead planet
I love science because God created it
I’m with her [arrow pointing to picture of the beautiful blue marble]
Make Earth great again
No science no beer
Dear future generations: We’re sorry
Science is peer-reviewed not politician-reviewed
Not a sign type of person but geez
Let the forest be with you
Distinguish sense from nonsense
Science fights bad shit with evidence
I’ve reached my 100º C (212º F)
Your momma’s so hot
All the good chemistry jokes argon
Make America think again
Stop plate tectonics
Don’t frack with our future
Act like a proton; think positively
Keep calm and trust science
Resist [resistance symbol]
Veterans for science
_________________________________________________
“Proper press credentials”; “Are your papers in order?”:
From: e-commentator
Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2017 1:37 PM
To: International Monetary Fund SEC, Press <PRESS@imf.org>; IMF Media Relations <Media@imf.org>
Subject: IMF Meetings – Press Credentials
Dear sir or madam,
I am a journalist whose work appears weekly at www.e-commentary.org. and includes regular commentary on and about the IMF (e.g. https://e-commentary.org/category/international-monetary-fund/ and the AIIB, CFETS, NDB, CIPS and SWIFT.
I am interested in applying for press credentials for next week’s IMF meetings.
Thank you for your attention to this request. Best wishes.
[e-commentator]
From: Elnagar, Randa Mohamed [mailto:RElnagar@imf.org]
Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2017 9:52 AM
To: [e-commentator]
Cc: COMMRAST
Subject: RE: IMF Meetings – Press Credentials
We will need proper press credentials issued by a US media organization and a letter of assignment from them to approve your accreditation.
Thank you.
From: e-commentator
Sent: Friday, April 14, 2017 2:40 PM
To: Elnagar, Randa Mohamed <RElnagar@imf.org>
Cc: COMMRAST <COMMRAST@imf.org>
Subject: RE: IMF Meetings – Press Credentials
Dear Mr. Elnagar,
The nature of news, news gathering and the media has changed and expanded in America. www.e-commentary.org provides weekly electronic commentary that has been uploaded since the first week of January, 2005. You can confirm this contention by reviewing the site. This note authorizes [e-commentator] to attend the IMF public press conferences. He can provide a passport and valid state driver’s license for identification. This note suffices to obtain press credentials.
Thank you for your attention to this request. Best wishes.
[e-commentator]
From: Elnagar, Randa Mohamed [mailto:RElnagar@imf.org]
Sent: Friday, April 14, 2017 10:51 AM
To: [e-commentator]
Cc: COMMRAST; Gaviria, Angela
Subject: RE: IMF Meetings – Press Credentials
Dear Mr. [e-commentator],
Unfortunately, the IMF does not issue register press/media without proper press credentials issues from either the country of origin (in case of non-U.S. nationals), or press credentials issues from the U.S. State Department, the White House, or the U.S. Treasury.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
Thank you.
Randa
