Experts in autocracies have pointed out that it is, unfortunately, easy to slip into normalizing the tyrant, hence it is important to hang on to outrage. These incidents which seem to call for the efforts of the Greek Furies (Erinyes) to come and deal with them will, I hope, help with that. Even though there are many more which I can't include. As a reminder, though no one really knows how many there were supposed to be, the three names we have are Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone. These roughly translate as "unceasing," "grudging," and "vengeful destruction."
This week I have one story, and I hope how it posted works for Alternet, because I followed instructions and got one paragraph, so had to fill in.
The Trump White House Even Managed to Screw Up the Annual Easter Party @alternet
The ineptitude of this administration stretches from top to bottom. After almost 100 days of scandals, leaks and chaos, the Trump administration has become notorious for its sui generis mix of arrogance, ineptitude and inexperience. These defining character traits are on display again in the runup to Easter Sunday.
The New York Times reports that for the first time in nearly 140 years, the White House Easter Egg Roll almost didn’t happen because the president’s team could barely get it together in time to pull it off. This year’s event will apparently take place on a far smaller scale than in the past, and that’s only because Trump staffers got some help with the basics.
According to the Times, the White House had to be reminded to order eggs, which are fairly crucial for an event with “Egg Roll” in the title. Wells Wood Turning, the Maine-based manufacturer of the commemorative eggs that decorate the White House lawn every year, noticed in February that the Trump team had failed to place the order. Fearing the deadline would pass, the company took to Twitter to blare a word of warning to Trump, his wife Melania, and first lady Ivanka.
A rush order on the eggs was ultimately placed. But this year’s event will lack the star-power of past celebrations, which have drawn up to 35,000 attendees and featured performers including Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande. Just as the Trump inauguration had a conspicuous lack of big names, the Times suggests A-Listers will be absent from next Monday’s party. The lack of preparedness also means fewer children, families and staff will be involved in what’s normally the White House’s biggest and most popular public affair.
“It’s the single most high-profile event that takes place at the White House each year, and the White House and the first lady are judged on how well they put it on,” Melinda Bates, former director of the White House Visitors Office under President Clinton, told the Times. “I’m really concerned for the Trump people, because they have failed to fill some really vital posts, and this thing is all hands on deck.”
The lack of organization that hampered planning efforts also extends to invitations, the Times reports:
Washington-area public schools that normally receive blocks of tickets for as many as 4,000 children have yet to hear from the White House, according to representatives for school systems in the District of Columbia; Arlington, Va.; and Alexandria, Va. Several groups representing military families, who have accounted for as many as 3,000 guests in recent years, also said they had yet to be contacted.
Among those who haven’t received the tickets they normally expect each year is the American Military Partner Association, an advocacy organization for families of LGBT service members.
PBS Kids and the Children’s Television Workshop were asked, at the last minute, if they could send characters from beloved children’s shows such as Sesame Street. Normally, several muppets and actors from PBS shows are on hand, but this year, characters will be scarcer. That’s fitting since Trump has proposed scrapping the budget for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and pretty much all public arts funding. That way, the U.S. can stop wasting money educating children and pour those funds into Trump’s already massive vacation kitty.
Members of Congress are normally provided tickets to the annual event to give to constituents, but the Times reports the Trump White House still hasn’t gotten around to that. An aide to a Republican legislator noted that Trump’s party planners “seem to be a bit behind schedule.”
One consistent attendee of the Easter Egg Roll who’s skipping the event this year is Natalie Rebetsky, a Maryland high school educator who’s become a staple at the annual party. The Washington Post reports Rebetsky has attended nearly two-dozen Egg Rolls, regardess of which party was in the White House.
“I didn’t care who was president when I went on the White House lawn. You just always knew the person in the White House is looking out for us and our children,” Rebetsky told the Post. “I just don’t feel that with this administration. Donald Trump has broken that trust with families and children.”
Instead, she bought 1,000 eggs from Wells Wood Turning (she got her order in before the White House) decorated with the message “Protect Our Children’s Future 2017,” meant to push back against Trump’s anti-family agenda. Rebetsky is selling the wooden “alt-eggs” for $15 via her GoFundMe page. One hundred percent of the profits will go to PBS and the National Endowment for the Arts.
“It’s really hard for all of us to jump out of our armchairs and be activists,” Rebetsky told the Post. “I can’t stand to imagine a world where there is no federal support of the arts. It’s a first for me to put myself out on this issue.”
Kali Holloway is a senior writer and the associate editor of media and culture at AlterNet.
Source: The Trump White House Even Managed to Screw Up the Annual Easter Party @alternet
This is mighty short notice, ladies, but – whatever you can do.
Actually, the article I really wanted to use was this one – but I couldn't afford it (I did price it). Posting the link, however, is free. (Update to make the URL visible as the one generated by the Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2017/04/12/crucified-man-had-prior-run-in-with-authorities/?utm_term=.090f24e4cae3)
The Furies and I will be back.
Cross posted to Care2 at http://www.care2.com/news/member/101612212/4047528
10 Responses to “Everyday Erinyes #70”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
I also really appreciated the article you couldn't post! Thanks!!
YVW!
The Drumpf administration continues to show their complete incompetence even to the simple task for the Annual Easter Festivities at the White House lawn & garden. This is an annual event which has been ongoing for 14 decades regardless of the political party.
.
Yep, I read about the major screw up for the Easter Roll this year. It's a sad day for the kids who look forward to this occasion, and to many civic/military/educational groups too. Plus a lot of folks are staying home by choice, considering who lives in the WH now.
This One: Unique way of portraying this man's life this way, ending with his crucifixion and death.
Thank you, Joanne (and Furies) for post.
It isn't that long ago I was writing about Timothy Caughman being slandered in death, not that it is a rare occurrence, and I suspect the author of the article I wanted to post had that in mind too, but I gather it was Dr. Dao's beating which sent her over the edge. Thanks.
I still use rabbit ears to get the few TV programs that I do watch, but wasn’t there some reality television show a while back where participants competed by showcasing their business and leadership acumen through organizing events that required multiple suppliers? And weren’t they judged by the success or failure of putting those events together?
And remind me again what happened to those folks who failed in the competition?
And who the hell “starred” in that crappy show?
Oh, and talk about chutzpah: Asking Sesame Street to supply a character from their show … LATE … after you announce you want to defund PBS!
Trump may have a little d!ck – but he must have YUGE balls!
The size of church bells, as a former boss of mine used to say, when she wasn't saying "He thinks his ass is dipped in chocolate." I'll be smiling at your comment at least all day!
Had the event catered to Russian hookers, ample liquids would have been ordered well in advance,
Great job, JD.
The best thing for the Furies to arrange is more media than families attending the Easter Egg Roll this year and those media doing nothing but show how badly organized it was and how few attended. Chances are that Drumpf isn't even there, but golfing at one of his resorts, but if he is he probably has hired a lot of people/children to fill the lawn, cheering him on, as he is want to do on other, equally inappropriate, occasions.
After Easter there are two possibilities to play it out for Drumpf: he either tweets, and have Spice confirm, that this was the best organized and bigliest attended White House Easter Egg Roll ever in its history, or he'll say he wanted to cancel it all together because he was too busy saving America, nay the whole world, from evil terrorists and eastern dictators. He'll of course blame it on Obama, ISIS and Kum Jung-Un.
Liked the article you couldn't post too, Joanne. Even hindsight is never 20-20, because we're all children of our time and there is no way of escaping the general Weltanschaung of one's own time frame for most of us. Scholars have suggested that this view on Jesus' life is exactly how the Roman authorities saw this 'renegade'. And it his wasn't a cruel and unusual punishment, not for a blasphemer (I am the son of God), that is.
Your comment on the article that wasn't there is profound – and in sharp contrast with the comments on site from those who call themselves Christians – but clearly don't grasp the degree of revolution in the actual events. Thanks!