Patterico's Pontifications

4/28/2017

Friday Morning News

Filed under: General — Dana @ 6:54 am



[guest post by Dana]

Just a few news items on a Friday morning:

The learning curve:

He misses driving, feels as if he is in a cocoon, and is surprised how hard his new job is.

President Donald Trump on Thursday reflected on his first 100 days in office with a wistful look at his life before the White House.

“I loved my previous life. I had so many things going,” Trump told Reuters in an interview. “This is more work than in my previous life. I thought it would be easier.”

Girls will be boys, and boys will be girls, it’s a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world, indeed:

More than seven months after a Dignity Health hospital refused a hysterectomy to a Sacramento-area transgender patient, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Wednesday on his behalf.

The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, alleges that Dignity discriminated against Evan Michael Minton, 35, a former state Capitol legislative aide, when he sought a hysterectomy as part of his transition from female to male.

Last summer, Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael, part of the Dignity Health chain, abruptly canceled Minton’s surgery the day before it was scheduled to take place. His doctor eventually performed the procedure at another Sacramento-area hospital, but the initial denial still causes frustration and disappointment, Minton said. After months of reflection, he decided to take legal action against the San Francisco-based hospital chain.

“It devastated me, and I don’t want it to affect my transgender brothers and sisters the way it affected me,” Minton said Tuesday. “No one should have to go through that.”

Fear at the heart of intolerance:

I despise Ann Coulter. But, with everything I hold dear as an American, I also believe in what Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. wrote: “[T]he ultimate good desired is better reached by free trade in ideas — that the best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market, and that truth is the only ground upon which their wishes safely can be carried out. That at any rate is the theory of our Constitution.”

Berkeley should be the epicenter of the marketplace of ideas. Unfortunately, it has become the most intolerant place in America. I would feel more comfortable preaching for Sharia law in rural Mississippi than I would feel challenging the wage gap theory or speaking out against anti-Asian discrimination in admissions at Berkeley. In Mississippi, I would likely be ignored. Jeered at worst. In Berkeley, if you do not adhere to the Leftist orthodoxy, your speech is branded “hate speech,” and out come the shock troops to physically attack you or anyone who wants to listen to you.

Thus far, UC Berkeley has shown that it will use the cover of violence to suppress speech.

The Berkeley government has purposely and deliberately refused to protect right-wing protesters from attack.

Look who’s thanking the Wall Street “fat cats”:

Former President Barack Obama, less than 100 days out of office, has agreed to speak at a Wall Street conference run by Cantor Fitzgerald LP, senior people at the firm confirm to FOX Business. His speaking fee will be $400,000, which is nearly twice as much as Hillary Clinton, his secretary of state, and the 2016 Democratic Party candidate, charged private businesses for such events.

It’s also likely to be a source of criticism against the former president given Obama’s record of attacks against Wall Street bankers for making huge salaries while average Americans were suffering from the ravages of the 2008 financial crisis. Obama, a progressive Democrat, spoke frequently about Wall Street greed during his eight years as president, and now he’s accepting a speaking fee from the industry he singled out as the main culprit of the banking collapse.

Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are clucking about this “unfortunate” decision by the former president.

–Dana

UPDATE BY PATTERICO: Who said it? “I mean, I do think at a certain point you’ve made enough money.”

35 Responses to “Friday Morning News”

  1. Good morning.

    Dana (023079)

  2. ugh

    litigious trannies are even nastier than the regular kind

    they add absolutely zero value

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  3. was this the annual Cantor Fitzgerald pancake breakfast?

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  4. cowardly disgrace-to-the-uniform John McCain’s behind on his quota for getting x number of soldiers needlessly greased during this administration

    chop chop Johnny say the voices in his head

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  5. The free speech movement, dies he still believe in Santa too, lulz

    narciso (d1f714)

  6. UPDATE BY PATTERICO: Who said it? “I mean, I do think at a certain point you’ve made enough money.”

    Patterico (115b1f)

  7. Cornell grad cum Slate propaganda slut Daniel Gross says it’s all good in the hood for bottom-feeding obama to snaffle up the obscene speaking fees… why? Cause…

    in effect, he’ll be channeling large sums of money from corporations who pay far below their fair share in taxes and converting it into income that will be taxed at a substantially higher rate.

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  8. It’s the five-year statute of limitations. Wall Street has to keep Democrat as well as Republican politicians on the pad because the Department of Justice might change hands in four years.

    nk (dbc370)

  9. “Fortunately for me, I haven’t reached that point yet. Make the check out to “Barry” — it was good enough before I needed to sound more “ethic.”

    shipwreckedcrew (56b591)

  10. 8. Barack Obama, of course. I just read it this week in some column or opinion piece or something.

    He hasn’t reached that point himself, of course. He’s just getting started. That’s a lot fof money for one speech, or even to attract an audience.

    Mike Flunn took money (about $45,000 I think) from Russia for giving a speech and he got to sit nect to Putin, too.

    He says he told the Pentagon and got approval for his trip and was debriefed afterwards. But did he tell them he was going to get paid, and how much? Technically, I suppose, he could defend himsellf by saying the money did not come from the Russian government or at least that he didn’t understand it that way. He also got some $500,000 from a Turkish businessman. MIke Flynn had boasted about not turning a profit on his service.

    Sammy Finkelman (190428)

  11. Hoagie wins

    Colonel Haiku (74754c)

  12. At #4

    Colonel Haiku (74754c)

  13. Hannity’s next guest, fellow Fox host Lou Dobbs, went even further in his condemnation of Ryan’s handling of healthcare legislation. “Laura, bless her heart, is trying to be nice to Paul Ryan,” he said. “I think the man is absolutely a disaster. He’s become nothing less than a caricature as House speaker. He’s inept, and the conference, if they don’t get rid of him, we’re going to watch this nonsense go on in perpetuity.”

    this.

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  14. “UPDATE BY PATTERICO: Who said it? “I mean, I do think at a certain point you’ve made enough money.””

    Note; he said “I do think at a certain point YOU’VE made enough money” not “I do think at a certain point I’VE made enough money”

    C. S. P. Schofield (99bd37)

  15. http://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2017/04/28/trevor-noah-to-liberals-cut-the-outrage-over-obamas-400000-wall-street-speech/

    Noah did start to make a broader point: “Instead of focusing on how Trever Obama can make so much money from Comedy Central Wall Street for a show few watch speech, maybe we should be asking why Comedy Central Wall Street has so much money to give people for a show few watch speech: the loose regulations, the intensive lobbying and favorable— you know, the truth is, we can’t get into all of this, there’s too much, there’s too much else that’s going on that we have to talk about today.”

    papertiger (c8116c)

  16. Well they carried his water, only its a reciprocal areangemebt

    narciso (d1f714)

  17. Try to make sense of “I’m a nationalist and a globalist.”

    AZ Bob (f7a491)

  18. Coulter is very intelligent, makes some great points, was right about Trump’s chances when 99% of us (me included) were wrong and is a fearless defender of the constitution. She also says things that are very poorly thought out and give ammunition to opponents of conservatives……

    That being said, how on earth could anyone with any sense of proportion despise her?

    I mean, I distrust Obama, Hillary, Bernie and want their ilk NOWHERE NEAR seats of power but I’ve never once felt the need to hate on them, it’s totally counter-productive.

    If you’ve never watched her Bill Maher show appearance where she says Trump can win and the laughter that follows…enjoy….

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxpSmUZLmfQ

    harkin (517285)

  19. The learning curve. But he doesn’t miss golf… oh my, excellent putz Mister President!
    ______

    Coulter has the right of free speech, not a platform. Tomorrow is only a day away, Annie. Try the SF bus station or O’Reilly’s podcast– it needs attention, too. And there’s always a welcome mat Fox– unless you’re planning to file harassment charges as well.
    ______

    Obtuse Obama; never a party man. [Neither’s Bernie BTW.] It’s run ‘Amok Time’… Spock should see it’s not the fee but the locality. Nah. It’s the fee.

    “I am not colored.” – Jeff Gerber [Godfrey Cambridge] ‘The Watermelon Man’ 1970

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  20. the majority of americans struggle with opioid addiction

    but not me

    drugs are for losers

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  21. 24 DCSCA – Silly Annie, WE will tell you where speech is free and where it isn’t, and one place it most certainly is NOT free is the…..uh….birthplace of the Free Speech Movement.

    Fyp

    harkin (a76a32)

  22. Obviously this list is fluid over time, but the heavy hitters still command– or is it demand- top dollar.

    10 Highest Paid Public Speakers In The World [2010]:

    1. Donald Trump, $1-1.5 million: In 2006 and 2007, The Learning Annex shelled out a hefty fee to have Donald Trump at their Real Estate Wealth Expos, paying him a whopping $1.5 million per speech for a 17-seminar conference. Trump only had to speak for an hour at each one, but audience members say he gave them their money’s worth by staying to answer audience questions. This was after Trump had already raked in one million per speech speaking at the same seminars in 2005. The company felt Trump was well worth the money, however, as few others have the celebrity and business savvy he does.

    2. Ronald Reagan, $1 million: Back in 1989, the Fujisankei Communications Group in Japan paid this former president a cool million per speech to come to the country and tour. Reagan gave two speeches while there as well as speaking at media outlets and giving interviews. Still, Reagan didn’t make out too shabby with $2 million (in 1989 dollars) under his belt for sharing his business and presidential experience with the company desperately in need of public relations help. The Reagans created a national sensation in Japan, boosting the company’s profile.

    3. Tony Blair, $616,000: On a lecture by lecture basis, Blair is likely the world’s best paid speaker. In 2009, he made almost $616,000 for two half-hour speeches given in the Philippines, raking in over $10,000 a minute. Listeners didn’t get to hear what he had to say for free, however, and many tickets to the event topped $500. Even in a time of economic crisis when many have slashed their fees, Blair’s have remained buoyant, due perhaps to his lengthy stint as Prime Minister and the insight and analysis he can offer as a result of it.

    4. Bill Clinton, $150,000- $450,000: It isn’t unusual for this former president to net $150,000 and up for a speech. Clinton has spoken at a wide range of events around the world from environmental conferences to business meetings, often promoting causes like HIV/AIDS treatment, economic empowerment and leadership development. The same charisma and likeability that won him two elections likely contribute to organizations’ willingness to shell out the big bucks to have him speak. Clinton has scaled back his speaking schedule, however, to support his wife as Secretary of State.

    5. Rudy Guilani, $270,000: While millions of New Yorkers got to hear Guiliani speak for free during his time as mayor, his speaking fees aren’t cheap now that he’s retired. Since his time in office, he’s earned nearly $10 million in speaking fees, with his most expensive gig netting him $217,000. This speech was given at Sage Capital, a St. Louis-based private equity firm, and chances are his presidential candidacy may have helped out the bottom line on his fees as well.

    6. Alan Greenspan, $250,000: Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan has been able to bring in the bucks since retiring through giving speeches. Only a week after his retirement, Greenspan spoke at a Lehman Brothers dinner, earning himself $250,000. Worth noting is that his successor to the position, Ben Bernacke, won’t even make that in his first year on the job, earning just $191,000.

    7. Lance Armstrong, $100,000 and up: Straight facts are hard to get on just what Armstrong is paid to appear as a keynote speaker. With inspirational fodder gained both from his successful battle against cancer and his comeback win of the Tour de France, Armstrong is in demand as a speaker regardless of the kind of fees he commands. While he might only need $100,000 to appear at some events, industry insiders have noted that he asked for $750,000 for a series of speeches given overseas just last year, a fee that might not be out of line for celebrity speakers.

    8. Al Gore, $100,000-150,000: Since his time as Vice President and his famous run for president, Al Gore has made a name for himself as a strong opponent of global warming and an environmental activist. Gore has maintained his draw as a speaker because of this activism, and now routinely charges in the $100,000 range for speeches. Having an Oscar-winning film and a Nobel Peace Prize under his belt sure can’t hurt either. While some have criticized his high fees, his camp maintains that he donates a percentage of his fees to the Alliance for Climate Protection.

    9. Richard Branson, $100,000 and up: This business mogul is known world wide for his record company and airlines, not to mention his forward-thinking business plans. It is, perhaps, a combination of these things–his business savvy, willingness to take risks, and ultimate success–that make him such a desirable speaker. Of course, if you want to bring him to your event, expect to pay at least $100,000, though many other companies have been rumored to have paid more.

    10. Sarah Palin, $100,000 and up: A few years ago, few people outside of Alaska had any idea who Sarah Palin was. Now, a presidential race and loads of media attention later, Palin is a household name, and she is capitalizing on it big time. Who can blame her, however, when she can command $100,000 and more for a speech? Since leaving office as governor, Palin has brought in nearly $12 million in book royalties, speaking fees and soon, a reality TV show.

    – Source, Online University

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  23. Try to make sense of “I’m a nationalist and a globalist.”

    AZ Bob (f7a491) —

    Sounded like he didn’t want to have the argument the reporterette wanted to drag him into, but it’s tough to tell through the chop up quotes and pre determined agenda of the writer.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  24. @26- And here we thought the ‘FSM’ was birthed by quill in Philadelphia back in 1789. There’s a Faux Noose station there, Annie.

    “I’d like to see Paris before I die… Philadelphia will do!” – Cuthbert J. Twillie [WC Fields] ‘My Little Chickadee’ 1940

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  25. It’s hard enough for a real woman of a certain age to get her tubes tied amirite guise?

    Pinandpuller (6caddb)

  26. Friday afternoon; another NK missile explodes on launch. Kimmie outta bone up on his Bond.

    “Does ‘toppling’ mean anything to you?” – “M” [Bernard Lee] ‘Dr. No’ 1962

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  27. “Shut up, he explained.” – Ring Lardner, The Yong Immigrunts (1923)

    harkin (a76a32)

  28. Y’know, if that President job is too hard, I can think of something Trump could do about. Just ask Sarah Palin.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  29. 34 – “Just ask Sarah Palin.”

    Palin was hounded from office by frivolous lawsuits brought by moonbats….all of which were tossed but all required Palin to spend time and money pointing out how the plaintiffs were spiteful idiots.

    Does not apply to POTUS.

    harkin (517285)


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