Author Archives: Melissa Robin

Top Cop Union Threatens Quentin Tarantino

by Melissa Robin Posted on November 6, 2015

Mother Jones

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Amid the continuing national debate about policing, Thursday brought the latest batshit PR move from police union leaders. Their current target, Quentin Tarantino, found himself on the receiving end of a veiled threat when Jim Pasco, the head of the national Fraternal Order of Police, told reporters that “something is in the works” against the Hollywood filmmaker. The union’s plan, Pasco said, “could happen any time” between now and the premiere of Tarantino’s upcoming film, The Hateful Eight, on Christmas Day. Just what exactly did he mean? More from the Hollywood Reporter:

Jim Pasco, executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police, would not go into any detail about what is being cooked up for the Hollywood director, but he did tell THR: “We’ll be opportunistic.”

“Tarantino has made a good living out of violence and surprise,” says Pasco. “Our offices make a living trying to stop violence, but surprise is not out of the question.”

The FOP, based in Washington, D.C., consists of more than 330,000 full-time, sworn officers. According to Pasco, the surprise in question is already “in the works,” and will be in addition to the standing boycott of Tarantino’s films, including his upcoming movie The Hateful Eight.

“Something is in the works, but the element of surprise is the most important element,” says Pasco. “Something could happen anytime between now and the premiere. And a lot of it is going to be driven by Tarantino, who is nothing if not predictable.

“The right time and place will come up and we’ll try to hurt him in the only way that seems to matter to him, and that’s economically,” says Pasco.

When asked, Pasco clarified that he was not making a violent threat. But his vow that “we’ll try to hurt him” joins a growing list of over-the-top statements from police union leaders.

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Top Cop Union Threatens Quentin Tarantino

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Judge Strikes Down Pennsylvania Voter ID Law

by Melissa Robin Posted on January 17, 2014

Mother Jones

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In a victory for access to the polls, a state judge struck down Pennsylvania’s voter ID law today. Rick Hasen tells us what it means:

This is a clear victory for opponents of voter id laws, with a finding that:

the implementation of the voter id law violated the law’s own promise of liberal access to voter id
the implementation exceeded the agency’s authority to administer the program
the voter education efforts were woefully inadequate
as a whole the Pa. voter id program violated the Pa. constitutional’s fundamental right to vote.

In this regard, it is important to note that the court rejected Pa’s argument that the law was aimed at preventing voter fraud. The judge found that the state presented no evidence the law was necessary either to prevent fraud or to keep public confidence in the fairness of the election process.

(Reformatting mine.) You should read the whole thing, including Hasen’s big caveat: the judge didn’t rule that voter ID was a violation of equal protection and did rule that the law wasn’t motivated by an attempt to disenfranchise minorities or Democratic voters. Because of this, it’s not clear if the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will affirm this decision.

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Judge Strikes Down Pennsylvania Voter ID Law

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Photographer W. Eugene Smith’s Very, Very Big Retrospective

by Melissa Robin Posted on October 28, 2013

Mother Jones

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Out this week, W. Eugene Smith’s The Big Book, officially titled The Walk to Paradise Garden, actually consists of three books: The original mock-up of Smith’s unpublished, self-selected retrospective has been broken into two volumes, and there’s a third book containing text, essays, and thumbnail images. Big doesn’t do it justice: This is massive. University of Texas Press, in conjunction with the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona pulled out all stops in reproducing it.

The back story is as follows: In 1959, Smith began work on the ultimate representation of his photography. Putting it together gave Smith, who is legendary for his fierce opinions on which images magazines used and how they presented them, the freedom to challenge traditional photo storytelling. He grouped images in a lyrical, literary fashion rather than chronologically or according to which story they belonged to. The mock-up took him three years to finish, but the book has remained unpublished until now. It was too big and costly for any publisher to seriously consider. As it languished through the ’60s, Smith contemplated amending the unwieldy book to include newer work.

The publication is a facsimile of Smith’s original maquette, a delicate object made of photocopied images rubber cemented on calendar paper and bound with bookbinder’s glue that’s become brittle over time. It’s incredible to see the pages exactly as Smith laid them out, with pencil marks and notes. And while it’s true to the original, the photocopied images look, well, like images reproduced on a photocopier from the early 1960s. They were reproduced for the maquette using an Agfa Copyrapid, an early photocopier. The image quality varies, with some looking like muddy black and white blotches, identifiable to fans of Smith’s work, sure, but not the casual viewer. Others are a bit more recognizable, but still exceptionally contrasty due to Smith’s original copy process for the mock-up. Thumbnails in the third volume provide gorgeous but small reproductions of the images, in order of appearance, with information about the photos. The Big Book really is a treasure for researchers, scholars, serious photographers, and fans of Smith’s work, as well as that particular breed of person who fetishizes the photobook. This is one for you.

Despite the image quality, it’s hard not to appreciate the effort to stay true to the original, which almost resembles Japanese photobooks from the early ’70s (think PROVOKE photographers Nakahira, Moriyama, and Takanashi). Looking at the high quality thumbnails in Volume 3 might make you crave seeing the full-size photos in such clear detail. But that would defeat the purpose of this particular publication. Still, it’s hard not to wonder what the quality-obsessed Smith would think of having Agfa Copyraid versions of his precious photos reproduced en masse.

The Big Book comes packaged in a sturdy slipcase emblazoned with two of Smith’s more famous photos: the “Frontline Soldier with Canteen, Saipan” and “Steelworker With Goggles,” from the Pittsburgh Project. The whole shebang includes 466 photos. A massive, rare treat for people who are obsessive about photography.

(University of Texas Press, October 2013; 9.75 x 12.75, 448 pages)

Excerpts from The Big Book by W. Eugene Smith (Copyright © The Arizona Board of Regents, University of Arizona, Center for Creative Photography; photographs ©2013 The Heirs of W. Eugene Smith) used by permission of the University of Texas Press. For more information visit www.utexaspress.com.

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Photographer W. Eugene Smith’s Very, Very Big Retrospective

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Boehner Offers to Delay Hostage Taking Until Thanksgiving

by Melissa Robin Posted on October 10, 2013

Mother Jones

Like everyone, I guess, I’m having trouble keeping track of what’s really going on today. My best reading of the tea leaves is that John Boehner plans to offer President Obama a clean 6-week debt ceiling extension in exchange for a willingness to negotiate over the budget. Or something. Maybe there will actually be some strings attached. It’s hard to tell.

But it’s hard to fathom the point of a 6-week extension even if it comes without formal strings attached. The fact that Republicans are insisting that Obama negotiate with a debt ceiling breach looming over him is a tacit admission that the debt ceiling is still being used as a threat. Right? Or am I missing something here?

I suppose Obama would have to sign a clean extension regardless. And he probably should. And who knows? Anything can happen in six weeks. But it’s a little hard to see that this accomplishes anything except to guarantee a Thanksgiving hostage crisis instead of a Halloween hostage crisis.

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Boehner Offers to Delay Hostage Taking Until Thanksgiving

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Why Don’t You Possess Solar Energy Yet?

by Melissa Robin Posted on October 4, 2013

Solar powered energy is an essential and amazing option that shouldn’t be disregarded.

When considering solar panel technology, you are making an investment for the long term future. Either from a economic point of view or an environmental position, solar technology provides multiple advantages. If you reside in a largely bright place such as Sacramento, in which the median yearly temp is close to 62F, you are losing out on a fantastic option of using a natural energy supply.

During the last generations, the technology used to make solar energy has had incredible development. There are several systems for taking advantage of this reliable supply of power. As reported by the International Energy Agency, the innovations of reasonably-priced residential solar panels are such that you will find massive long lasting conveniences. In earlier times, it previously was regarded a privilege to install personal solar powered energy devices, but now it is incredibly cost effective. Decide on green and see the rewards of renewable electric power.

Beforehand, here is a number of great info about solar technology and the reason why making use of solar panel systems is a fantastic option.

Solar refers mainly to the usage of the solar radiation. This rays is gathered either in a passive or active process. Passive solar energy techniques refer to the choice of materials with beneficial thermal qualities, or to the layouts of spaces meant to have as much advantage as attainable from the sunlight.

Active photo voltaic processes are technologically very much more complex. Active pv solutions use solar pv solar panels, pumps, and fans to transform sun light directly into effective results. In other terminology, they grow the source of power by harvesting the energy source and channeling it to specific apps.

According to the kind of solar panel process, the electric power can be transferred as an electrical power supply, water heat, swimming pool warming, or quite possibly air conditioning and air flow.

For this reason, solar power is going to possess positive affects in your electronic statement, by limiting it or eliminating it!

Its also thought that solar technology is only practical in warm weather destinations. Considering that solar panels do not produce their energy depending on the warmth, panels can even produce electric power all through the winter months period when it is sunlit, although not really very hot.

Making use of ecological energy is really compensated by the U.S. Residential Renewal Energy Tax Credit. A taxpayer can ask for a credit of thirty percent of costs for any solar product that services a home unit situated inside the United States that is owned and made use of as a property by the taxpayer.

The minimal system size you have to have in order to be entitled is 0.5 kW.

Owning a solar energy electric system also enhances the value of your property without increasing your house taxation.

We cannot neglect the environmental advantages. Consider that sunshine is always providing its energy source for cost-free. By catching it, you are lowering pollution.

Mainly because unlike different kinds of energies generated by heating non-renewable fuels, Solar power is a pure supply of energy. Since there are actually no moving components on your solar panel systems, there’s absolutely no service necessary beside a quick spray with a hose for dust particles.

Solar is ideal, in particular for Sacramento house owners. Stop losing a lot more of your money by not implementing solar panel technology!

Don’t forget, solar technology is considered an investment decision for the long term. Take into consideration that the amount you are spending now is going to be reflected not only in your forthcoming bills, but also in the world.

Summarizing the advantages of applying solar energy:

– You can be energy self-sufficient by choosing a limitless source of power.

– Helps save cash: Will reduce your expense close to 70% to 100 percent dependent upon the dimensions of the product you go for.

– Gives price to your residential home

– Large income tax benefits based on the Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit

– Improves the earths atmosphere by lowering the generation of environment pollution.

Make a smart choice right now and get solar power now!

If you are looking to get more info about Sacramento solar companies, the author of this post encourages you to visit his website which covers a wide variety of topics like how to find a great Sacramento solar company.

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