Don’t call it a ‘BluesFest’ if the majority of the artists performing there aren’t blues musicians

Call it PopularMusicOfVariousUnrelatedDifferentGenresFest or whatever else; don’t ride the coat-tails of a musical tradition that you clearly cared nothing about, and were okay with smothering and covering with music (or even hip-hop) not even remotely related to the original purpose of the event, just to make more money.

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What they believe

 

Fashionable armbands?

You might have a little trouble getting Jewish Americans to embrace this look. Do you have some shiny jackboots and brown shirts to go with it? Guessing maybe you skipped history class while you were shilling for the @DNC… pic.twitter.com/WfA4jL9y65

— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) March 10, 2018

 

‘Merica’s ‘Finest’

(I know DC’s not a state, pedants…)

*

 

An idea far too sensible to ever be implemented

Plus it doesn’t sell newspapers:

An Open Letter to the media from crime experts regarding rampage shooters: Don't Name Them, Don't Show Them. https://t.co/cuUKgU549A

— Steven Pinker (@sapinker) October 3, 2017

 

Reasons for some optimism?

Okay, people, here's your "everything is moving in our direction" pep talk of the day.

Look at this, suddenly it's hot to be a real American again…https://t.co/CXM2v90Msd

— Jay Fivekiller (@notjayfivekille) January 30, 2018

And, Justin Timberlake seems to have remembered that he's a white boy from Tennessee, to the point that he's now showing up everywhere with Chris Stapleton, as if Stapleton's undeniable American authenticity will somehow rub off on Timberlake. https://t.co/QU7gBed4Uj

— Jay Fivekiller (@notjayfivekille) January 30, 2018

Speaking of Timberlake, his new album "Man of the Wood" has caused untold amounts of butthurt, probably because Timberlake makes no bones about going back to his roots.. This article is one of many that captures the flavor of bitter liberal tears. https://t.co/kAPiof2qpj

— Jay Fivekiller (@notjayfivekille) January 30, 2018

And, the hottest musical genre going right now is Americana music, outselling mainstream country over the past few months. Americana's authentically American sound & emotionally powerful lyrics speak to us in way Bro Country doesn'thttps://t.co/qFyfuP8mTo

— Jay Fivekiller (@notjayfivekille) January 30, 2018

And, in politics, look for more people like Courtland Sykes, who's running for the Senate in Missouri, touting traditional values in a provocative way. https://t.co/nCD9GYsRFu

— Jay Fivekiller (@notjayfivekille) January 30, 2018

Sykes is the first candidate I've seen who's following the Trump playbook, use calculated outrage to raise your profile. He's leveraging the media, and saying something many voters in Missouri would agree with. I don't know if it will work, but he's on his way.

— Jay Fivekiller (@notjayfivekille) January 30, 2018

So, don't sulk, don't blackpill. A year after the Trumpening and things are moving in our direction culturally and politically. Corporations and savvy entertainers (like Timberlake) are taking the hint. Smart young politicians are starting to pop up. We're winning, fam!

— Jay Fivekiller (@notjayfivekille) January 30, 2018

 

U.S. government creates health division for ‘religious freedom’

Great news!
 

The U.S. government will create a division within its health agency that focuses on guaranteeing “conscience and religious freedom” for health workers who say their beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and other procedures.
 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement on Thursday that the creation of the new division in its Office of Civil Rights would give it “the focus it needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of conscience and religious freedom.”

 

The effort is likely to please conservative Christian activists, many of whom voted for President Donald Trump, and congressional Republicans but upset reproductive rights advocates and Democrats.

 

Politico reported on Wednesday that the department is aiming to give protections for workers who do not want to provide abortions, care for transgender patients, or perform other procedures because of moral or religious grounds.

 

The division would enforce that protection and conduct compliance reviews, audits and other enforcement actions to ensure that health care providers are allowing workers with religious or moral objections to opt out.

 

Trump last May signed an executive order called “Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty”, which was followed by new rules aimed at removing a legal mandate that health insurance provide contraception. The creation of the division is in accordance with that order, according to HHS documents.

 
Good on Trump!