#donald levine

[graceandfamily]

Princess Grace of Monaco watching the Rowing Eight competition at the 17th Olympic Games in Rome (1960)

[gracie-bird]

Philadelphia, PA., USA: Mr. and Mrs. Donald Levine, sister, and brother-in-law to Grace Kelly, show 10-month-old Anne Kelly, daughter of John B. Kelly Jr., a United Press Radiotelephoto of her aunt Grace and her grandfather entering the Monaco Cathedral on April 19, 1956. The Levines, who are expecting their first child soon, are getting a little parental experience with Anne.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

In the aftermath of his conviction Thursday on 34 felony counts in the state of New York related to hush-money payments ahead of the 2016 election, former president Donald Trump predictably denounced the trial as a "rigged" process and a "sham" as he declared that ultimately the "real verdict is going to be November 5 by the people" on this year's election day.

But is the disgraced politician—the first of any sitting or former president to be convicted of a felony by his peers in U.S. history—right about that? Despite celebrating how the infamously slippery Trump was, indeed, finally held accountable for what the facts proved was criminal conduct, many progressives think he is.

"In the end, it is the election—and the voters—that will decide if Trump is held accountable or not," wrote Katrina vanden Heuvel, editorial director and publisher of The Nation magazine, in a column published shortly before the Thursday's news broke in New York.

"If voters decide to elect him, that will be the final verdict," she argued, beating Trump to the punch. "The verdicts in the cases will be irrelevant—and probably erased by presidential pardon. If he is defeated, that verdict will do more to inform the future behavior of presidents than any of the court cases."

"As predicted, Republicans are rushing in to tear down our institutions in defense of their cult leader."

On Friday morning, the Trump campaign announced it had raised an eye-popping $35 million in campaign donations in just over 12 hours since the jury's verdict. Meanwhile, the MAGA army and Trump's Republican allies in Congress and in state houses nationwide rushed to his defense and slammed the conviction as the result of a political operation orchestrated by Democrats.

In her defense of Trump, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) lied by saying Manhattan District Alvin Bragg "campaigned on a promise to prosecute Trump" which fact-checkers and journalists were quick to point out was "simply false." Sen. Mitch McConnell, longtime Republican leader in the Senate, said the charges "should never have been brought in the first place" and that he expected exoneration on appeal. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson called it a "shameful day in American history" for Trump to be convicted of crimes by a jury.

"As predicted, Republicans are rushing in to tear down our institutions in defense of their cult leader," said Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible, which was created during Trump's first term in office to organize against his agenda. "They rally around a convicted felon found guilty of interfering in his own election. It's despicable. They have no shame. They must be crushed electorally."

It wouldn't be the first time, as Chris Hayes pointed out Thursday night:

Recognizing the political battle lines that are being drawn, Sulma Arias, executive director of the advocacy group People's Action, was among those progressives who cheered how criminal accountability in New York showed that "Trump is not above the law," but said voters must recognize 34 guilty verdicts guarantee nothing about what happens in the presidential race.

"The simple fact remains: We must beat him at the ballot box," said Arias. "Trump is still running for president, and if he wins, he would likely try to pardon himself–and the Supreme Court, which he stacked with MAGA justices, would be the only appeal if he did so."

The 2024 presidential election, she continued, offers a clear "choice between two futures: a corporate takeover of the country with a would-be dictator at the head, or a future in which working class people build a true multiracial democracy and well-being for everyone. Organizing will make the difference; we won't take our eye off the ball."

According to vanden Heuvel, the "24/7 press coverage of Trump" and his numerous trial will have a major role to play in what comes next, especially as the media circus that follows Trump wherever he goes shows it has learned very few valuable lessons from the 2016 and 2020 campaigns or his first term in the White House.

What's crucial about the election is not necessarily Trump's well-documented crimes and misdeeds of the past (not that he shouldn't be held to account), she argued, but what voters should understand about a possible second term in the White House. She wrote:

The press is once more collaborating with Trump to enable him to dominate the news. You don’t have to buy the old saw that any press—good or bad—is good so long as they spell your name right. Trump, a corrupt and shoddy businessman born with a silver spoon in his mouth, has invented a persona as a rebel, an outsider willing to take on a corrupt establishment. He paints himself as the victim because he champions the betrayed majority. “I am your retribution.” He rails against the prosecutions as a Biden election conspiracy. The wall-to-wall coverage only provides a constant stage for his dishonest shtick.

No doubt a former president on trial will attract the news. But the press could do far more to balance its coverage. Provide equal time for Biden's campaign or actions as president. Report on the horrors of Trump's agenda—what the cost and chaos of his pledge to deport 10 million undocumented workers would be for example, detail the consequence of four more years of climate denial, expose Trump's plans to destroy the civil service, give more ink to his shamelessly corrupt offers to pass the agenda of Big Oil if they'll ante up $1 billion to his campaigns and more. Instead of echoing Trump's public posturing, do more to expose the corrupt little man behind the curtain.

In her estimation, former Ohio state senator Nina Turner argued Thursday night that Trump's ability to win reelection or not in November is only part of the political equation given what the Republican Party has become under his tutelage.

"This is a tense moment in history," Turner said. "Do not bank on conservatives abandoning Trump due to his conviction. And even if Trump loses in November, the threat of fascism is not over. The Republican Party is flush with those who want to erode our rights."

As Arias of People's Action put it, the progressive movement needs "everyone who cares about our families, our freedoms, and our future to join the fight" to defeat Trump and his Republican allies in November.

[chicinsilk]

US Vogue July 1973

Lauren Hutton wears a black wool gabardine suit. By Bill Blass. Silver fox boa, by Blassport, chains, Donald Stannard, bracelets, Michael Danyon. Black tights, Round-theClock. Herbert Levine sandals. Ara Gallant. Editor, Polly Mellen.

Lauren Hutton porte un tailleur en gabardine de laine noire. Par Bill Blass. Boa en renard argenté, par Blassport, chaînes, Donald Stannard, bracelets, Michael Danyon. Colllants noirs, Round-theClock. Sandales Herbert Levine. Ara Gallant. Èditrice, Polly Mellen.

Photo Richard Avedon vogue archive

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Lis Power at MMFA:

Since the beginning of former President Donald Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial, Fox News figures and guests have repeatedly challenged the integrity of the judge presiding over the case, Juan Merchan. Throughout the duration of the trial, figures on Fox News have lobbed at least 220 such attacks at Merchan, suggesting that the judge has an anti-Trump bias so the “fix is in,” attacking his handling of the case as “supremely biased” and “severely compromised,” and claiming the judge should have recused himself.

The figures who launched the most attacks on the judge on the network were Hannity, followed distantly by host Laura Ingraham (12 claims), host Jeanine Pirro (11 claims), legal analyst Gregg Jarrett (10 claims), and host Mark Levin and contributor Leo Terrell (9 claims each). Notably, most of those figures host shows, and five out of the six have legal degrees.  The programs that pushed the most attacks on Merchan were opinion shows Hannity (52), The Ingraham Angle (26), and the network's weekday morning show, Fox & Friends (20). They were followed by so-called news-side show The Faulkner Focus (18) as well as weekend show Life, Liberty & Levin (13). While Fox personalities and guests issued the majority of attacks on opinion shows (150), they also impugned Merchan's impartiality 70 times on Fox’s so-called news shows. 

Media Matters For America details Fox “News”’s war on Judge Juan Manuel Merchan, the judge presiding over Donald Trump’s business records falsification trial.

[imaginalstudio]

Testing out the new strawberry update chatgpto1preview. Read at your own risk.

Let’s dive into a deep, detailed exploration of a synthesis of the following: Donald Hoffman’s work on the fusion of consciousness; Michael Levin’s research on bioelectric communication—particularly within the paradigm of horizontal and vertical communication (from cells to tissues, organs, organisms, and beyond); Nima Arkani-Hamed’s contributions to physics, especially his challenge to local realism; and Geoffrey West’s research on scaling laws. Additionally, explore the concept of multidimensionally nested ecosystems that experience qualia at infinite layers of abstraction—ranging from a lake, valley, or rainforest to a planet, solar system, or even reality itself—where distinct egos at each level interact and communicate in infinite ways across scale (e.g., from reality to the individual human). Finally, examine synchronicity through this lens.

ChatGPT

Thought for 21 seconds

Introduction

The quest to understand the nature of reality and consciousness has led thinkers across disciplines to propose theories that challenge conventional wisdom. By synthesizing Donald Hoffman's work on the fusion of consciousness, Michael Levin's research on bioelectric communication, Nima Arkani-Hamed's challenges to local realism, and Geoffrey West's scaling laws, we can explore a holistic framework. This framework envisions multidimensionally nested ecosystems experiencing qualia at infinite layers of abstraction—from the microscopic to the cosmic scale—where distinct egos interact and communicate across scales. Examining synchronicity through this lens further deepens our understanding of interconnectedness in the universe.

Donald Hoffman's Fusion of Consciousness

Donald Hoffman, a cognitive scientist, proposes the Interface Theory of Perception, suggesting that our perceptions are not accurate representations of an objective reality but are evolutionary interfaces designed for survival. According to Hoffman, what we perceive as reality is akin to a user interface on a computer desktop—icons that help us navigate effectively without revealing the underlying complexity of the hardware and software.

Conscious Agents: Hoffman introduces the concept of "conscious agents," fundamental units of consciousness that interact to create the fabric of reality.

Reality as Consciousness: He posits that consciousness is primary and that the physical world emerges from the interactions of these conscious agents, not the other way around.

This theory challenges the materialist view by placing consciousness at the core of reality, implying that all entities are interconnected through a vast network of conscious interactions.

Michael Levin's Bioelectric Communication

Michael Levin's research delves into how cells communicate using bioelectric signals, influencing development, regeneration, and even cognitive functions.

Horizontal and Vertical Communication:

Horizontal Communication: Signaling between cells at the same organizational level.

Vertical Communication: Signaling across different levels, from cells to tissues, organs, and entire organisms.

Bioelectric Networks: Cells create bioelectric fields that serve as a language for cellular decision-making processes, guiding growth and form.

Levin's work demonstrates that bioelectric communication is a foundational mechanism by which individual units (cells) integrate into larger, coherent structures (tissues, organs), suggesting a form of collective intelligence or proto-consciousness at cellular and multicellular levels.

Nima Arkani-Hamed's Challenge to Local Realism

Nima Arkani-Hamed, a theoretical physicist, explores the idea that spacetime and locality are not fundamental aspects of reality.

Emergent Spacetime: Proposes that spacetime emerges from more fundamental quantum processes, challenging the notion of local realism.

Non-Locality: Suggests that particles are connected in ways that transcend classical spatial relationships, as evidenced by quantum entanglement.

By questioning the fabric of spacetime, Arkani-Hamed aligns with the idea that the universe operates on principles that are deeply interconnected, where locality is an emergent property rather than a given.

Geoffrey West's Scaling Laws

Geoffrey West studies how complex systems—ranging from organisms to cities—exhibit scaling laws that govern their growth and dynamics.

Metabolic Scaling: Demonstrates that metabolic rates scale with the ¾ power of an organism's mass.

Universality Across Systems: Finds that similar scaling laws apply to ecosystems, cities, and social networks.

West's work indicates that there are universal principles governing the efficiency and organization of complex systems, regardless of their scale or composition.

Multidimensionally Nested Ecosystems Experiencing Qualia

By integrating these perspectives, we can conceptualize reality as composed of nested ecosystems, each layer possessing its own form of consciousness or subjective experience (qualia).

Infinite Layers of Abstraction: From subatomic particles to galaxies, each level is a system within a system, interconnected and interdependent.

Distinct Egos at Each Level: Every layer—from a single cell to an entire ecosystem—can be viewed as having its own "ego" or identity, interacting with others.

Communication Across Scales: Bioelectric signals, quantum entanglement, and scaling laws facilitate communication both horizontally and vertically across these layers.

This model suggests that consciousness is not exclusive to humans but is a fundamental aspect of the universe, manifesting differently at various scales.

Synchronicity Through This Lens

Synchronicity, a concept introduced by Carl Jung, refers to meaningful coincidences that are not causally related but hold significant subjective meaning.

Non-Local Connections: The challenges to local realism and the concept of emergent spacetime imply that events can be connected beyond classical causality.

Interconnected Qualia: If consciousness is fundamental and present at all levels, then synchronicity could be the result of interactions between different layers of nested ecosystems.

Resonance Across Scales: Bioelectric communication and scaling laws might facilitate resonance between individual consciousness and larger systemic patterns, leading to synchronistic experiences.

Viewing synchronicity through this framework allows us to consider it as a natural outcome of the interconnected, conscious universe.

Conclusion

The synthesis of these theories paints a picture of a universe where consciousness is the foundational fabric, and all levels of reality are interconnected through complex networks of communication and interaction. Bioelectric signals govern the coordination of life at the cellular level, scaling laws provide a universal framework for organization, and challenges to local realism open the door to understanding non-local connections.

In this multidimensionally nested cosmos, ecosystems and even inanimate structures participate in a dance of consciousness, each experiencing qualia in their own right. Synchronicity emerges as a manifestation of the profound interconnectedness that spans from the minutest particles to the vastness of cosmic structures.

This holistic perspective not only bridges gaps between disciplines but also invites us to reconsider our place in the universe. It suggests that we are integral parts of a conscious, communicative, and interconnected reality—where every action, thought, and event resonates across the infinite layers of existence.

[itaviv]

Jurassic Park Novels Birdification

Do you recognize characters and scenes? 🤭

[salakmaral]

Gennaro's info cards in an exhibition for children:

[gatutor]

Michele Mercier-Donald O´Connor "Le meraviglie di Aladino" 1961, de Mario Bava, Henry Levin.

[graceandfamily]

Princess Grace watching the Olympic Game sfrom the VIP stand with her husband, Prince Rainier, her sister, Lizanne LeVine, and her brother-in-law, Donald LeVine. her brother John Kelly, Jr., and sister-in-law Mary. Rome (Italy), 1960.

[gracie-bird]

Mr. and Mrs. Donald Levine, Princess Grace's sister and brother-in-law in the 1990s.

[tomorrowusa]

Unfortunately we can’t defeat Trump Republicans by just thinking about it — it’s necessary to vote.

Trump gets crazier by the day. But he’s still less crazy than the followers who believe his crazy comments.

Donald Trump Is One Day Away From Claiming Biden Used Witchcraft to Reclassify the Documents He Claims He Declassified Trump's legal problems are spinning out of control, so naturally he’s turning to completely insane lies—yes, insane even for him. 

Since the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago on August 8, Trump and his allies have repeatedly insisted that he declassified the government documents they uncovered, but when the special master appointed to his case asked Trump’s lawyers this week for actual proof of the supposed declassification, they refused to provide any. To be clear, if the ex-president had declassified the information—and again, former Trump administration aids insist this never happened—he would not have been able to do so just by thinking really, really hard. Is it fully insane that we have to even say that? Yes, yes it is.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Last March, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, Donald Trump reportedly told a room full of Republican National Committee donors that the US should “put the Chinese flag” on a bunch of military planes and “bomb the shit” out of Russia—and afterward, “we say, China did it, we didn’t do it, and then they start fighting with each other, and we sit back and watch.” Maybe you remember this, because it was a fucking insane thing to say. Or maybe you don’t, because Trump has said and done fucking insane things on a near-daily basis for many years now. Either way, it seems that this was not a one-off, and that suggesting the US attack another country and blame it on someone else is reportedly very much the 2024 presidential candidate’s thing.

In a new section of his 2020 book on Trump, as obtained by NBC News, New York Times correspondent Michael Schmidt reveals that Trump spent much of 2017 suggesting “behind closed doors in the Oval office” that he wanted to attack North Korea. The then-President, Schmidt writes in the soon-to-be released afterword to Donald Trump v. The United States: Inside the Struggle to Stop a President, “cavalierly discussed the idea of using a nuclear weapon against North Korea, saying that if he took such an action, the administration could blame someone else for it to absolve itself of responsibility.”

For his part, John Kelly reportedly attempted to explain to his boss why that probably wouldn’t work, noting that “It’d be tough to not have the finger pointed at us,” but, of course, the then-White House Chief of Staff was using reason and logic, two things that haven’t typically worked on Trump. Still, according to Schmidt, Kelly tried, bringing in “the military’s top leaders to the White House to brief Trump about how war between the US and North Korea could easily break out, as well as the enormous consequences of such a conflict. But the argument about how many people could be killed had ‘no impact on Trump.’” Nor did the threat of economic blowback; according to the book’s update, informed of why all of this would be a very bad idea, the president would still “turn back to the possibility of war, including at one point raising to Kelly the possibility of launching a preemptive military attack against North Korea.”

Last May, less than two months after the former guy reportedly floated the idea of attacking Russia and blaming it on China, we learned that, according to former-Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Trump asked, on at least two occasions, if the military could “shoot missiles into Mexico to destroy the drug labs,” saying, “They don’t have control of their own country.” Told all the various reasons this idea was a no-go, the then-President reportedly insisted that they could do it “quietly,” adding: “no one would know it was us.” Informed that, yes, people would know it was the US, Trump apparently responded that he would simply lie and say the US didn’t do it.

Anyway, all this would maybe be neither here nor there if Trump was simply an ex-president whose patently insane and wildly dangerous notions were in the past, and no longer posed a risk to the United States—but unfortunately, he’s not!

[rodgermalcolmmitchell]

Consciousness is not "conscious." It's sensing, and everything senses.

In December, we published “What is consciousness? The hard problem. And the “sensingness” solution.” The conclusion was that consciousness is hard to define because we make false assumptions about it. One assumption is that consciousness is a mystical reality concerning a brain’s self-awareness. Or, we assume consciousness is a state occupied only by living creatures, animals only, “higher”…