Has It Really Only Been Four Weeks?

Believe it or not, this past Friday (February 17, 2017) marked our Glorious Leader Trump's first four weeks in office. Seriously? It's really only been a month? That can't possibly be right, can it? If feels more like twelve years.

It's been quite an eventful period, as Trump tried to cram a full year's worth of atrocities into just twenty eight short days. Let's take a look back at his second two weeks in office, shall we (you can see a summary of his first two weeks in office here)?

By the way, in the future I may occasionally post something noteworthy that Big Orange does, but I don't think I'm going to keep listing his daily activities after this. It's honestly exhausting trying to keep track of all his abominations.

Sunday, February 5, 2017

A busy day for the country, as backers and opponents of Glorious Leader Trump's Muslim Travel Ban (which he insists isn't a ban) held competing protests at the LA International airport.

Trump is interviewed by Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, and says he respects Vladimir Putin. O'Reilly points out that the Russian President has had journalists and dissidents murdered, saying, "Putin is a killer." Trump replies, "There are a lot of killers. We have a lot of killers. Well, you think our country is so innocent?"

Trump also denounces California, saying its effort to declare itself a sanctuary state is out of control, and if necessary he'll "defund" them.

Monday, February 6, 2017

Trumpy blasts the "dishonest press," claiming they routinely fail to report massive numbers of terrorist attacks in the U.S. and Europe. The White House then releases a list of seventy eight alleged "under-reported" attacks. Oddly enough, the list contains many extensively covered incidents, such as the Pulse Nightclub attack in Orlando. It also lists attacks in San Bernardino (which the report misspells) and Paris.

Predictably, the internet has a field day with this list, mocking Glorious Leader's pathetic and transparent attempt at fear mongering.

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Controversial billionaire politician Betsy DeVos is confirmed as the new Secretary of Education, despite having absolutely zero qualifications. Her Senate confirmation hearing ended in a 50-50 tie, which was broken by– you guessed it– Vice President (and Puritan android) Mike Pence.

Sebastian Gorka, Trump's Deputy Assistant, says that as long as the media continues to "attack" the President, the White House will refer to them as "fake news."

Senator Elizabeth Warren attempts to protest the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions as the new Attorney General, by reading a letter written by Dr. Martin Luther King's widow. Republicans invoke an obscure rule to prevent Warren from reading the letter. Democracy!

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Upscale department store chain Nordstrom drops Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka's swanky clothing and accessories line. Then, because he has absolutely nothing else on his plate, Glorious Leader does not take this well, denouncing Nordstrom on Twitter. Classy!

Jeff Sessions is confirmed as the new U.S. Attorney General.

Thursday, February 9, 2017

A very busy day for our President. The 9th Circuit Court Of Appeals announces it will not reinstate Trump's Muslim Travel Ban. This infuriates Glorious Leader, who once again voices his anger on Twitter. He even uses all caps to emphasize his rage, telling the Court Of Appeals, "SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE."

Trump also launches a Twitter attack on Senator John McCain, who had the effrontery to call the President's raid on Yemen (which resulted in several U.S. military deaths) a failure.

Trump "counsellor" Kellyanne Conway appears on Fox News. Does she talk about the President's plans for the country? Discuss his first few days in office? Defend the Muslim Travel Ban? Nope! She shamelessly endorses Ivanka Trump's Nordstrom product line, which crosses legal and ethical bounds.

Construction on the Dakota Access oil pipeline resumes, after months of protests and legal battles.

Trumpy calls Chinese President Xi Jinping (oh god) and endorses China's sovereignty over Taiwan.

Friday, February 10, 2017

A relatively quiet day. Rep. Tom Price becomes the new Health And Human Services Secretary. Price is a vicious opponent of the Affordable Care Act (aka "Obamacare), and gleefully rubs his hands together as he can't wait to dismantle it.

Saturday, February 11, 2017

Trump takes his second vacation in three weeks, retiring to the luxury Mar-a-lago Club in upscale Palm Beach, Florida, where he hosts a dinner for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. During the dinner, news reports surface of a ballistic missile test in North Korea. Trump and Abe then access the situation and discuss strategy in the middle of the crowded, country club restaurant, as laptops and classified documents are in full view of waiters and other diners. Many even take photos of the event (!).

This casual lack of security astounds White House veterans and Trump's own security advisors, as past Presidents have generally had the presence of mind to move to private, secure settings to hash out top secret strategies.

"But... but her emails!"

Amazingly, Trump's Senior Policy Advisor Stephen Miller STILL insists there was voter fraud in the election. Jesus Christ, guys! How many more years are we gonna have to hear about this?

Sunday, February 12, 2017

Glorious Leader continues to host Prime Minister Abe at Mar-a-logo. They play a few rounds of golf at the Trump National Golf Course in Jupiter, Florida.

Later in the day Trump tweets that according to new estimates, the Mexican border wall will cost more a tiny bit more than expected, at around $21 BILLION (!).

Monday, February 13, 2017

Scandal rocks the White House! That was quick, as we're barely four weeks into Trump's reign. Reports surface that Trump's National Security Advisor Michael Flynn had inappropriate secret communications with a Russian diplomat before the election. Both Trump and Vice President Pence deny the allegations. Later that day, Flynn abruptly resigns.

Trump meets with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Amazingly he doesn't start a war with Canada.

Wall Street executive Steven Mnuchin is voted in as the new Treasury Secretary. Oddly enough, Mnuchin is also a Hollywood movie producer. He produced such films as Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad!

Tuesday, Feb. 14

No time for love today, as the White House scrambles to distance itself from the Flynn scandal. White House spokesman Sean Spicer says the White House had been investigating Flynn for several weeks, and he was fired due to "an eroding level of trust." Pence says his previous denials of Flynn's wrongdoings were due to "incomplete information based on media accounts." Translation: "It's not my fault."

The Office Of Government Ethics recommends Trump discipline Kellyanne Conway for hawking Ivanka Trump's fashion line on national TV.

Linda McMahon, wife of WWE wrestling promoter Vince McMahon, is confirmed to lead the Small Business Administration. Is this real life?

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Glorious Leader blames the Michael Flynn debacle on the media. Trump states, "General  Flynn is a wonderful man. I think he’s been treated very, very unfairly by the media.”

Trump's pick for Labor Secretary, Andy Puzder, withdraws his nomination a day before his confirmation hearing, which isn't the least bit suspicious.

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Donald Trump holds his first solo press conference, and it's everything you'd expect. He continues distancing himself from the Flynn debacle, and denies connections between himself and Russia. He then spends a good deal of time blasting the press as "fake news." Amazingly he admits there are intelligence leaks in his administration, but the news they're reporting is "fake." I... I don't know how to respond to that.

Trump then refers to the press as the "opposition party," which is an extremely troubling and dangerous precedent. I know it's a hackneyed cliche at this point, but that's extremely similar to statements Hitler made about the press in pre-Nazi Germany.

And to top off the press conference, Trump says he's working on a New And Improved Muslim Travel Ban!

Outside the press conference, poor Donald can't seem to give his cabinet positions away. Navy Vice Admiral Robert Harward turns down an offer to be the new National Security Advisor. Who could blame him?

Friday, February 17, 2017

Attorney General Scott Pruitt is confirmed as the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency. This is bad news for people who like to breathe, as Pruitt is an avid climate change denier and has fought federal pollution limits on toxic substances such as soot and mercury in his home state of Oklahoma.

The Associated Press reports the Trump Administration is considering deploying 100,000 National Guard Troops to round up illegal immigrants nationwide (!). The White House denies the report.

Saturday, February 18, 2017

For some reason, Glorious Leader holds a rally at the Orlando-Melbourne International Airport. During the rally, Trump uses fear-mongering to try and drum up support for his Muslim Travel Ban by saying, "You look at what's happening last night in Sweden. Sweden. Who would believe this? Sweden. They took in large numbers. They're having problems like they never thought possible."

Swedish officials are puzzled by Trump's comments, as nothing of note happened in the country the previous day. Or any time in the past year or more. Predictably, the internet has a field day with the "Sweden Incident," and rightly so.

Trump later attempts to clarify his Swedish statement, saying he was referencing a story he saw on Fox News (!). So our President repeatedly and viciously blasts the media as "fake," but that's where he gets the majority of his news. We're very near the end of civilization.

Trump takes his third vacation in four weeks, calling his retreat at Mar-a-lago the "Southern White House." Oy. According to the fake news media, the Trump family's vacations have cost the taxpayers $11.3 MILLION in just one month. This is as much or more as Barack Obama's vacations cost in an entire year.

Sunday, February 19, 2017

On Face The Nation, White House Chief Of Staff Reince Priebus (who sounds like he was a member of Slytherin House), says the public should take Trump seriously when he calls the press "the enemy of the American people." Jesus Christ!

And so ends Glorious Leader Trump's first four weeks in office. It's been quite a terrifying and demoralizing month, but at least you can't say it's been boring! Eh, don't worry about it. It won't be long now before he starts a war with China or some other superpower, and then this will allllll be over.

Shouldering His Way Through

This is evil, evil bastard Mike Pence. As you all know, this soulless, steely-eyed asshole is about to become our new Vice President. 

Pence been the Governor of Indiana since 2013, where he cut a wide path of death and destruction through the entire state. Those of you outside Indiana have no idea what this demon in vaguely human form is capable of, but you're all about to find out. The idea of this malevolant homonculus being just a heartbeat away from the Presidency should chill you to your very core.

But let's try and forget all that for a few seconds, and try and figure out what makes Mike Pence tick. What impresses him in a fellow politician? Is it their personal values? Their professionalism? Is he impressed by the number of abortion clinics they've personally shut down? The number of tax breaks they've given to giant corporations?

Nope! According to Pence himself, the thing that impresses him most about a fellow politician is their shoulders.

Yep, you read right. Pence couldn't give two hoots about a politician's abilities or achievements. As long as their collarbones are sturdy and a sufficient distance apart, they're A-OK in his book. In fact, Pence once stated that "Ronald Reagan's broad-shouldered leadership inspired my life."

Pence seems particularly impressed with President-elect Donald Trump's hardy, masculine shoulder width. In fact evidence suggests he can't go five minutes without mentioning his running-mate's manly, strapping physique. I'm starting to think the two of them need to get a room.

Columnist Jonathan Chait compiled this list of actual quotes from Mike Pence. I cannot emphasize this enough— these are real and not made up:

• July 15, 2016: “Donald Trump is going to provide the kind of broad-shouldered American leadership on the world stage that I think will make the world a more stable place.”

• July 17, 2016: “One of the reasons why I said yes in a heartbeat to run with this man, is because he embodies American strength, and I know that he will provide that kind of broad-shouldered American strength on the global stage as well.”

• July 29, 2016: “To be around Donald Trump is to be around a man with broad shoulders.”

• August 14, 2016: “He’s a man with broad shoulders, he’s got a clear vision, he’s strong.”

• August 14, 2016: “I think you’re going to be ready, Chris, for a vision, but also for real specifics about how new leadership in the White House, a change of direction in the White House and the kind of broad-shouldered leadership that Donald Trump will bring is going to make our country more safe.”

• August 28, 2016: “As I am traveling all over the country, people are coming up to me. They are responding to Donald Trump’s broad-shouldered, plainspoken leadership that we can make America great again, we can be strong on the world stage, we can have an economy that works for every American.”

• August 31, 2016: “I think it shows the kind of broad-shouldered leader he is. He’s willing to sit down with whom he may have strong differences of opinion to look for things we can work on together and begin the process of discussions.”

• September 23, 2016: “Well, I said today at— at the church gathering where we were before, this is a broad-shouldered leader, but he’s also a man that’s impatient with failure.”

• Sept 26, 2016: “Look, Donald Trump’s got broad shoulders. He’s able to make his case and make a point.”

• October 4, 2016: “We have got to lean into this with strong, broad-shouldered, American leadership.”

• December 4, 2016: “...with broad shoulders, who’s going to advance America’s interest. But he’s also going to be engaging the world on behalf of America.”

• December 4, 2016: “And I think the American people want— are encouraged, rather, George, to see that President-elect Trump is— is taking calls from the world, speaking to the world. They know he’s going to be out there advancing America’s interests first with that broad-shouldered leadership that’s characterized his entire life.”

Wow. That's quite a collection of quotes there, Pence. Are you sure you two wouldn't like to get a room?

Just look at the way Pence gazes longingly at Trumpy's broad, powerful shoulder blades. Trumpy's firm, hardy shoulder-spacing is causing him to display what approximates a smile on his robotic countenance!

I only hope that someday I can find a woman who looks at me the way Mike Pence gazes longingly at Donald Trump's shoulders!

Hands-On Exhibit!

From the Tapei Huashan 1914 Creative Art Center's official brochure: 

Welcome to the Tapei Huashan 1914 Creative Art Center, the world's first hands-on fine art museum! 

Why be corralled behind a velvet rope like a dull-eyed cow and stare at stuffy old paintings from a distance, when you can experience, firsthand, the texture of every brush stroke?

Go ahead, run your fingers over our delicate, fragile canvases. Don't be shy! Get your fingertips in there and really caress that crumbling, centuries-old impasto. Feel that? That's genuine antiquity you're fondling!

Yes, at the Tapei Huashan 1914 Creative Center, you'll feel art history come alive!

What's that you say? What happens if you accidentally take a tumble and shove your fist through a four hundred year old painting, such as Flowers by renowned 17th century Italian Baroque artist Paolo Porpora?

No worries! Our crack staff of experts can restore even the most severely and clumsily damaged canvas in no time flat. Why just look at that painting! It's better than brand new!

Don't forget, Saturdays are Kids Daze here at the Tapei Huashan 1914 Creative Center. Children twelve and under are encouraged to paint directly onto our canvases, and "improve" them!