#jeffrey franklin burr

[dc-megatournament]

DC Mega Tournament

Round 1

Please vote for who you think would win between the 2 characters and not who you like more.

[thedcdunce]

Kobra

“If I am to go down in flames, I shall not make the journey alone!” - Kobra

Real Name: Jeffrey Franklin Burr

Aliases:

Lord Naga

Naja Naja

Gender: Male

Height: 6′ 2″

Weight: 200 lbs (91 kg)

Eyes: Black

Hair: Bald

Powers:

Psychic Link

Abilities:

Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced)

Genius Level Intellect

Tactical Analysis

Cosmic Awareness

Universe: 

Earth-One

New Earth

Base of Operations: Tibet

Marital Status: Single

Occupation: Military Tactician

First Appearance: Kobra #1 (March, 1976)

Appearance of Death: JSA #51 (October, 2003)

Powers

Psychic Link

Abilities

Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced)

Genius Level Intellect

Tactical Analysis

Cosmic Awareness: Kobra has broken the Fourth Wall.

Origin

Jeffrey Franklin, known better as Kobra, was a cult leader and military tactician with the goal of world domination with unlimited resources and tens of thousands of followers. Born with a twin brother named Jason, he was kidnapped shortly after his birth by the Kobra Cult and raised to be their leader. Into adulthood, Kobra discovered that he shared a psychic link with his brother, which could be used against them. The cult could not risk killing Jason without harming Jeffrey, but they later developed a device that shut off the link, and Kobra had Jason killed.

Some called him the deadliest man on Earth. He had mostly kept his operations confined to Asia and Europe. However, he began expanding to the Midwest in the United States. Kobra's men began operating in Keystone City, building a headquarters on the site of an old textile factor on Kanigher, by the river, disguising the new building with a hologram. The headquarters contained chemical labs, hologram generators, and weapons arsenals. They built a hydro-electric plant under the river, a solar energy plant in a greenhouse, and a wind power plant in a fake cornfield. Kobra's men all wore power receiver backpacks, which were beamed energy from the various power plants. The energy formed a giant power-net over the city. At Kobra's orders, they began orchestrating the disappearance of many fringe religious cults in the Keystone City area. They began to monitor closely Linda Park, the only reporter who was following the disappearances. They sent many ninjas to attack her, both at the television station and at her home, and succeeded in stealing her research.

Kobra himself, who had been in Tibet, came to Keystone when problems had arisen with the Flash. He, with the help of Impulse, had destroyed the hydro-electric plant, and had several skirmishes with Kobra's men. Afraid that Flash would uncover his other power plants, Kobra pondered enacting Project Morpheus, a plan that had been scheduled for the turn of the century. However, Wally and company destroyed two more of Kobra's plants. This event, which ruptured the energy web, made made up Kobra's mind, and they began Project Morpheus, enclosing the city in a giant force-field.

Kobra had a geothermal tap built in one of Keystone's major fault lines. Fearing that Linda would suspect this, he ordered her to be killed. Hoping to be teleported away from Keystone, which would be ground zero for Project Morpheus, Kobra's plans were shattered when the Pied Piper disrupted their power, leaving Kobra in the city. He then attempted to stop the Flash with a giant laser, a laser calibrated to his speed. However, when Impulse arrived, the laser got confused, and scrambled. Kobra was still able to fire another shot, this time at Linda, playing out the vision Wally had earlier. Wally managed to save her, but he had to run beyond light speed, sending him to the Speed Force. However, Project Morpheus had begun. The fault lines under Keystone had begun to shift. Using the geothermic power provided this created, the energy from the containment field around the city were directed to a satellite in orbit of the Earth, which relayed power to Kobra's agents across the country. Before Kobra teleported out of Keystone, he had one more thing to do, to finally get rid of Linda. However, the Flash returned, as a being of pure Speed Force energy, and saved her. He then destroyed the geothermal tap, cutting off all the power to Kobra's minions around the nation.

After the betrayal of his lover Eve during the Strike Force Kobra fiasco, she split Kobra in two and established her own splinter group. The Justice League rushed to San Diego to prevent disaster as two rival factions of the Kobra Cult prepared to go to war. One faction was led by Eve the other was led by Kobra himself.

Trial and Punishment

He recently kidnapped the former hero Air Wave and used him to seize control of the world's media and satellite resources, intending to destroy a number of major world cities. However, in a demonstration of his power, he incidentally killed Terri Rothstein, Atom Smasher's mother, ensuring the Justice Society of America's involvement.

During the resultant trial, he shrugged off claims of terrorism, claiming to be an enlightened soul trying to free souls from their karmic debt by random acts of violence. Following this, his followers threatened to kill the media outside the courthouse with bioengineered suicide bomb implants. He escaped immediately prior to the Princes of Darkness adventure, causing Atom Smasher to leave the team. Soon afterwards, Atom Smasher and Black Adam tracked him down to his headquarters in the Himalayan Mountains, killed his honor guard, and ripped his heart out.

[tabloidtoc]

Globe, July 20

Cover: Kim Yo-jong -- world’s most dangerous woman 

Page 2: Up Front & Personal -- Hailey Bieber in a thong bikini grabbing her butt in Italy, Lara Flynn Boyle shopping, Jesse Tyler Ferguson 

Page 3: Orlando Bloom wearing a mask and carrying a watermelon, Linda Kozlowski, Usher drops his drawers after a day at the beach 

Page 4: Jennifer Hudson is showing a lot of R-E-S-P-E-C-T for Aretha Franklin by turning into a dead ringer for the late Queen of Soul for an upcoming flick, Dr. Dre is reeling in shock after his wife of 24 years Nicole Young socked him with divorce papers and is set to claim at least half of his $1 billion fortune 

Page 5: Admitted college-entrance cheaters Lori Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giannulli have been driven out of the ritzy Bel-Air Country Club after pleading guilty in the Varsity Blues bribery scandal 

Page 6: Troubled Kelly Clarkson’s sudden meltdown on her TV talk show and shocking confession she’s plunged into a dark pit with her divorce from husband Brandon Blackstock has a mental health expert urging the star to seek help 

Page 7: Elton John’s ex-wife Renate Blauel is trying to stop him from blabbing about their four-year marriage that ended when he came out of the closet 

Page 8: Prince William’s furious wife Duchess Kate Middleton confronted sister-in-law Meghan Markle over vile public lies and issued a seething ultimatum: Shut your mouth or you and Prince Harry will lose your $10 million royal allowance

Page 9: Pierce Brosnan was forced into quarantine away from his family for two weeks because of Prince Charles -- back in March the actor was shooting Cinderella in England when he rushed off to attend a charity event with Charles and Pierce was on a flight back to his Hawaiian home when he learned Charles tested positive for coronavirus

Page 10: The end of the earth is near -- today’s terrifying disasters like the COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest, economic collapse, gigantic dust storms, swarming locusts and earthquakes are all terrifying signs that the biblical End of Time prophesies have come true this year -- also astrologist and psychic Nostradamus in the 16th century predicted global catastrophes and chaos 

Page 12: Celebrity Buzz -- Cardi B (picture), Sharon Osbourne strangely decided to show off the plastic port surgically installed during her cancer treatments and when it was removed she had it framed, Miley Cyrus says she’s only washed her hair twice in two months, Timothee Chalamet has been hard-core canoodling with Eiza Gonzalez

Page 13: Diane Kruger (picture), Jax Taylor leaves a birthday bash for Stassi Schroeder (picture), George Lazenby washes his windshield at an L.A. gas station (picture), Reese Witherspoon admits she didn’t know homosexuality existed until she landed in Hollywood 

Page 14: Emma Roberts and Garrett Hedlund are having a baby, Savannah Guthrie clapped back at an internet troll who insulted her natural-looking hair, Fashion Verdict -- Carrie Ann Inaba 3/10, Anne Hathaway 6/10, Penelope Cruz 9/10, Kelen Coleman 4/10, Mandy Moore 2/10

Page 16: No wonder Prince Andrew has turned into a disgrace -- his doting mom Queen Elizabeth raised him to be a pampered spoiled monster by indulging his every whim especially his cravings for wealth and women but the pampered prince can’t outrun the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and will pay up for the first time in his life 

Page 19: Russell Crowe said the script for Gladiator was so bad but it turned out he had the wrong version, the new movie adaption of the Broadway hit Hamilton threw two F-bombs overboard to qualify for a PG-13 rating 

Page 20: True Crime

Page 23: Brad Pitt’s need for speed has his six children begging him to slow down before he kills himself, Brad Pitt squeaked his way through his breakout role in Thelma & Louise -- before landing the role of JD Brad had only worked as an extra and his nerves showed in his voice, Brad Pitt owes his A-list career to a stripper; after arriving in Tinseltown he supported himself with odd jobs like a limo driver where he met several strippers and one beauty told him to try an acting class and he did and the rest is history 

Page 24: Cover Story -- North Korea’s devil in a dress -- bloodthirsty Kim Yo-jong has seized control of North Korea and U.S. intelligence say the nation’s first female dictator threatens to spread terror and violence and death to retain her grip on power 

Page 26: Health Report -- blubber-battling breakthrough

Page 27: Medical pot users less of a burden on health care 

Page 30: Ailing Cher and her estranged son Elijah Blue Allman have buried the hatchet with Cher moving him and his wife into her ritzy home for the pandemic lockdown, R&B sensation Teyana Taylor is eyeing plans to have a home birth for her second baby with NBA star husband Iman Shumpert and soul singer Erykah Badu will be there to act as midwife 

Page 32: Raymond Burr who skyrocketed to fame as TV’s Perry Mason was guilty of perjury for lying about his secret double life as a homosexual 

Page 43: Real Life

Page 44: Straight Talk -- a life lesson for whining Winona Ryder 

Page 45: Days of Our Lives has been rocked by a real-life plot twist as show bigwigs struggle with how to safely shoot bedroom scenes during the pandemic -- they’re thinking of reaching out to stars’ spouses to see if they will act as stand-ins to keep the germs down and they are also mulling over using blow-up dolls as stand-ins, Bindi Irwin is swinging into Hollywood in a desperate bid to raise dough to save her family’s failing Australia Zoo -- she will take a ton of ad deals and TV parts and other sponsorships that will give her mom Terri Irwin much-needed cash flow to pay wages and keep the zoo from falling into ruin 

Page 47: Hollywood Flashback -- Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum in 1996′s Independence Day, Bizarre But True 

[sincerely-michael-mell]

My Audio List

I have a smaller collection that I thought, but at least I have them...

Beetlejuice

Washington, DC

Date: October 14,2018

Notes: First preview

Dear Evan Hansen

Date: May 13, 2018

Note: Mike's last show

Cast: Ben Platt, Mike Faist, Will Roland

The Prom

Date: 10-24-18

​Cast: Caitlin Kinnunen - Emma

Isabelle McCalla - Alyssa

Beth Leavel - Dee Dee Allen

Brooks Ashmanskas - Barry Glickman

Josh Lamon - Sheldon Saperstein

angie Schworer - Angie

Christopher Sieber - Trent Oliver

Coutnay Collins - Mrs. Greene

​Michael Potts - Mr.Hawkins

Ensamble - Mary Antonini, Coutney Balan, Jerusha Cavazos, Shelby Finnie, Josh Franklin, Sheldon Henry, Fernell Hogan, Joomin Hwang, Becca Lee, Wayne "Juice" Mackins, Vasthy Mompoint, Anthony Norman, Drew Redington, Teddy Toye, Kalyn West, Brittany Zeinstra

Waitress

Notes: Jessie's final show

Date: 3-24-17

​Jessie Mueller (Jenna), Charity Angel Dawson (Becky), Caitlin Houlahan (Dawn), Drew Gehling (Dr. Pomatter), William Popp (Earl), Dakin Matthews (Joe), Joe Cassidy (Cal), Christopher Fitzgerald (Ogie)

Bandstand

Notes: Second preview

Date: 4-1-17

​Corey Cott (Donny Novitski), Laura Osnes (Julia Troy), Beth Leavel (Mrs. Adams), Joe Carroll (Johnny Simpson), Brandon James Ellis (Davy Zlatic), Nate Hopkins (Jimmy Campbell), Geoff Packard (Wayne Wright), Joey Pero (Nick Radel)

Be More Chill

Date: Unknown

Dear Evan Hansen

Date: 2-10-19

Cast: Andrew Barth Feldman, Mallory Bechtel, Lisa Brescia, Jennifer Laura Thompson, Alex Boniello, Michael Park, Sky Lakota-Lynch, Samantha Williams

Date: 3-15-18

Taylor Trensch, Alex Boniello, Lisa Brescia, Jennifer Laura Thompson, Michael Park, Sky Lakota-Lynch

Hamilton Chicago

Date: 10-12-16

Cast: ​​Miguel Cervantes (Alexander Hamilton), Ari Afsar (Eliza Hamilton), Joshua Henry (Aaron Burr), Karen Olivo (Angelica Schuyler), Jonathan Kirkland (George Washington), Chris De’Sean Lee (Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson), Wallace Smith (Hercules Mulligan/James Madison), José Ramos (John Laurens/Philip Hamilton), Samantha Marie Ware (Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds), Alexander Gemignani (King George III), Jin Ha (Philip Schuyler/James Reynolds/Doctor), José Amor (Samuel Seabury), John Michael Fiumara (Charles Lee), Remmie Bourgeois (George Eacker), José Amor, Amber Ardolino, Remmie Bourgeois, Chloë Campbell, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, John Michael Fiumara, Jin Ha, Holly James, Dashí Mitchell, Justice Moore, Emmy Raver-Lampman (Ensemble)

​Date: 10-5-16

Cast: ​Miguel Cervantes (Alexander Hamilton), Ari Afsar (Eliza Hamilton), Joshua Henry (Aaron Burr), Karen Olivo (Angelica Schuyler), Jonathan Kirkland (George Washington), Chris De’Sean Lee (Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson), Wallace Smith (Hercules Mulligan/James Madison), José Ramos (John Laurens/Philip Hamilton), Samantha Marie Ware (Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds), Alexander Gemignani (King George III), Jin Ha (Philip Schuyler/James Reynolds/Doctor), José Amor (Samuel Seabury), John Michael Fiumara (Charles Lee), Remmie Bourgeois (George Eacker), José Amor, Amber Ardolino, Remmie Bourgeois, Chloë Campbell, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, John Michael Fiumara, Jin Ha, Holly James, Dashí Mitchell, Justice Moore, Emmy Raver-Lampman (Ensemble)

Falsettos

Date 1-8-17 (Closing Night)

Cast: ​Christian Borle (Marvin), Stephanie J. Block (Trina), Andrew Rannells (Whizzer), Brandon Uranowitz (Mendel), Tracie Thoms (Dr. Charlotte), Betsy Wolfe (Cordelia), Anthony Rosenthal (Jason)

​Pretty Woman

Notes: Second preview

Date: 3-14-18

​Samantha Barks (Vivian), Steve Kazee (Edward), Orfeh (Kit De Luca), Jason Danieley (Philip), Eric Anderson (Mr. Thompson), Kingsley Leggs (James)

The Lion King

Date: 6-8-13

Andile Gumbi (Simba), Jaden Jordan (Young Simba), Derek Smith (Scar), Alton Fitzgerald White (Mufasa), Buyi Zama (Rafiki), Chantal Riley (Nala), Teshi Thomas (Young Nala), Jeff Binder (Timon), Ben Jeffrey (Pumbaa), Fred Berman (Zazau), James Brown-Orleans (Bonzai), Bonita J. Hamilton (Shenzi), Enrique Segura (Ed), Derrick Davis, Lindiwe Dlamini, Bongi Duma, Joel Karie, Ron Kunene, Sheryl McCallum, S'bu Ngema, Nteliseng Nkhela, Sindisiwe Nxumalo, Chondra La-Tease Profit, Vusi Sondiyazi, L. Steven Taylor, Rema Webb (Ensemble Singers), Lawrence Alexander, Lamar Baylor, Gabriel Croom, Charity de Loera, Christopher Freeman, Lisa Lewis,

Jaysin McCollum, Ray Mercer, Bravita Threatt, Natalie Turner (u/s Fireflies specialist), Donna Michelle Vaughn, Camille Workman (Ensemble Dancers)

Frozen

Date: 2-22-18

Cast: ​Caissie Levy (Elsa), Patti Murin (Anna), Jelani Alladin (Kristoff), Greg Hildreth (Olaf), John Riddle (Hans), Robert Creighton (Duke of Weselton), Kevin Del Aguila(Oaken), Timothy Hughes (Pabbie), Andrew Pirozzi (Sven), Mattea Conforti (Young Anna), Brooklyn Nelson (Young Elsa), Tracee Brazer, Wendi Bergamini, Ashley Blanchet, James Brown III (King Agnarr), Claire Camp, Lauren Nicole Chapman, Jeremy Davis, Kali Grinder, Zach Hess, Donald Jones JR. Nina Lafarga, Ross Lekites, Austin Lesch, Synthia Link, Adam Perry, Olivia Phillip (Bulda), Noah J. Ricketts, Ann Sanders (Queen Iduna), Jacob Smith, Nicholas Ward

​Ben Platt (Boston)

(Concert)

Date: May 9, 2019

[foryourart]

Image courtesy of Annenberg Space for Photography. 

PLAN ForYourArt: April 19–25

Thursday, April 19

Westside Openings and Events

MFA Exhibition #3, UCLA (Westwood), 5–8pm.

TOURS & TALKS: Stories of Almost Everyone Walk-through: Saloni Mathur, Hammer Museum (Westwood), 6pm.

READINGS: Poetry: Mihaela Moscaliuc and Michael Waters, Hammer Museum (Westwood), 7:30pm.

Miracle Mile and Mid-City Openings and Events

Artist meet and greet, The Loft at Liz’s (Mid-City), 7–9pm.

Film: Free Screening: United Shades of America: The Border, LACMA (Miracle Mile), 7:30pm.

Downtown and Frogtown Openings and Events

Evolution of View Park: The Beginnings, California African American Museum (Downtown), 2–4pm.

Tony Brown + Paul Greeley: It Belongs to His, DAC Gallery + ECF Downtown L.A. Art Center (Downtown), 6–8pm.

MOCA Music: Berhana, Rayana Jay, Linafornia, and Modern Funk Fest DJs, The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA (Downtown), 6:30–9:30pm.

Health/Care Film Series: Unrest (2017), Women’s Center for Creative Work (Frogtown), 7–10pm.

BUILT-IN, NAVEL (Downtown), 7:30–9:30pm.

Kelly Lytle Hernandez: City of Inmates, Main Museum (Downtown), 8–9:30pm.

Chinatown Openings and Events

THE NOW HEAR ENSEMBLE: Storytelling, Automata (Chinatown), 8pm.

Openings and Events Beyond Los Angeles

Yve Laris Cohen: Meeting Ground, Sadie Barnette: Dear 1968,..., and Prospect 2018, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (San Diego), 11am–5pm.

Lucretia Martel: Two Screenings, CalArts (Valencia), 1pm. Also April 20.

School of Music Visiting Artist Series: Bruce Broughton, CalArts (Valencia), 2–4pm.

Historia Plantarum, The Huntington (San Marino), 4:30–6pm.

Downtown at Sundown, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (San Diego), 5–8pm.

School of Art Visiting Artist Series: Jeffrey Vallance, CalArts (Valencia), 5pm.

Parallel Stories Lecture: An Education in Seeing: Geoff Dyer on The Street Philosophy of Garry Winogrand, Santa Barbara Museum of Art (Santa Barbara), 5:30pm.

Enter>text: Docent, Pasadena Museum of California Art (Pasadena), 6–8:30pm.

15's - Fifteen Minutes of Spoken Word with A.P. Jackson, Palm Springs Art Museum (Palm Springs), 6:15pm.

Lecture: Abraham Lincoln's Diary, The Huntington (San Marino), 7:30pm.

Materials Collective: Earth Week Celebration, CalArts (Valencia), 8–11pm.

Film screening of Laguna Art Museum at 100, Laguna Art Museum (Laguna Beach).

Friday, April 20

Westside Openings and Events

MUSIC & PERFORMANCE Arts Party: Recreation, Hammer Museum (Westwood), 7–10pm.

Mid-City and Miracle Mile Openings and Events

Course: One-Day Workshop—Twilight at LACMA, LACMA (Miracle Mile), 5–8pm.

DESE ESCOBAR MISS INDEPENDENT, MARLIE MUL, MOTHER CULTURE LOS ANGELES (Mid-City), 6–9pm.

Hollywood Openings and Events

Objects of Affection, Gallery 1988 (Hollywood).

Downtown Openings and Events

Art Buzz with Glenn Phillips, ICA LA (Downtown), 5:30–7pm.

Victor Rosas: Artificial Mask, 356 Mission (Downtown), 7–9pm.

Passing Through, Documentary, LA Poverty Department (Downtown), 7pm.

An Evening with Donika Kelly, Featuring Vanessa Angélica Villarreal and Eloisa Amezcua, Ace Hotel (Downtown), 7–9pm.

Openings and Events Beyond Los Angeles

TINKERTOPIA – ESMoA Kids Engineering Arts Club, ESMoA (El Segundo), 3:30–5pm.

Saturday, April 21

Westside Openings and Events

Family Days at the Villa, Getty Villa (Pacific Palisades), 10am–5pm. Continues April 22.

Conversation: Oaxacan Ball Games and Mexican Indigenous Migration, Fowler Museum (Westwood), 2–4pm.

The Plato Conversations: Dialogues in LA, Getty Villa (Pacific Palisades), 4–6:30pm.

David McDonald: COMMON KNOWLEDGE artist talk, Five Car Garage (Santa Monica), 4pm.

An artist talk by Brighton Smith And exhibition closing reception for Flowers Paintings, Skidmore Contemporary Art (Santa Monica), 4pm.

Sally Jacobs: Sundays at the Farmers Market, Jenny Revitz Soper: Twisted Visions, Ernie Marjoram: Selected Paintings, Toni Reinis: Looking But Not Seeing, TAG Gallery (Santa Monica), 5–8pm.

CONSTRUCTION: A GROUP SHOW ABOUT MEMORY AND FABRICATION, Arena1 Gallery (Santa Monica), 6–9pm.

MURDER MAGAZINE ISSUE #2, Del Vaz Projects (West L.A.), 8pm.

Culver City Openings and Events

Gallery Hop: Culver City, Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects (Culver City), 11am–12:30pm. $35.

Not an Ostrich: And Other Images from America’s Library, Annenberg Space for Photography (Century City), 11am–6pm. 

Jessica Antola: Circadian Landscape, Arcana: Books on the Arts (Culver City), 4–6pm.

Miracle Mile Openings and Events

Talk: Exhibition Tour: A Universal History of Infamy—Those of This America, LACMA (Miracle Mile), 1:30pm.

Culver City High School Student Art Exhibition & Reception, Craft and Folk Art Museum (Miracle Mile), 2–5pm.

Mary Little: The Shape of Cloth, Craft in America Center (Miracle Mile), 4–6pm.

DLJU, Iskar, Binho Ribiero, Erre, Lesivo, and Toxicomano Callejero, Gabba Gallery (Koreatown), 7–11pm.

Koreatown and Mid-City Openings and Events

Closing reception: Corrina Peipon and Pangaea, Household (Mid-City), 4–6pm.

Ladyscumbag's World Premiere (and Closing) Party, Visitor Welcome Center (Koreatown), 6–9pm.

West Hollywood Openings and Events

Michael Mahalchick and SOFT CORNERS, Richard Telles Fine Art (Fairfax), 5–7pm.

Daniel Arsham: Character Study, Morán Morán (West Hollywood), 6–8pm.

Hollywood Openings and Events

Tom Burr in conversation with William J. Simmons, Hannah Hoffman Gallery (Hollywood), 4pm.

Community Healing Sound Bath, Various Small Fires (Hollywood), 5pm.

Downtown Openings and Events

WALK THE TALK, LA Poverty Department (Downtown), 11am–3pm.

Artist Walk-through: Rigo 23, Main Museum (Downtown), 2–3:30pm.

Girl on Wire: Redux, Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (Downtown), 4–6pm.

Michael Ned Holte and Dave Hullfish Bailey in Conversation, REDCAT (Downtown), 4pm.

JOAN Benefit Party, JOAN (Downtown), 7–11pm.

Bodies of a Different Mass, Tiger Strikes Asteroid Los Angeles (Downtown), 7–10pm.

PARALLEL STORMS: Works by Janie Geiser and TOO MANY DAYS: Works by Laura Heit, Track 16 (Downtown), 7–10pm.

Ron Linden: Em_ty, PØST (Downtown), 7–10pm.

Andy Woll, Brie Ruais, Night Gallery (Downtown), 7–10pm.

Philip Newcombe: ODEON, Monte Vista Projects (Downtown), 7–10pm.

Michael Webster and Breath Control Orchestra - Nice Day for the Races, The Box (Downtown), 8pm.

David Rosenboom and Lewis Klahr: Battle Hymn for Insurgent Arts, REDCAT (Downtown), 8:30pm. $12–25.

Chinatown Openings and Events

Sol Variations — A New Sound Installation by Richard Chartier, Human Resources (Chinatown), 7–10pm.

Closing Reception and Artist Walkthroughs for Lars Jan -  Luminaries and Rachel Mason - Star Death and the Pain Body, Charlie James Gallery (Chinatown), 4–7pm.

Lincoln Heights Openings and Events

Taste of Art: At Home with The Huntingtons, The Huntington (San Marino), 9am. Sold out.

Workshop: Resistance, Delay, Accumulation and Mobilization with Luis Lara Malvacias, Pieter (Lincoln Heights), 12–3pm. $30.

Me, An Idiot, Pieter (Lincoln Heights), 8:30pm.

Openings and Events Beyond Los Angeles

Family Event - Earth Day Saturday, The Huntington (San Marino), 11am–3pm.

Skill share: Safety & Justice, Side Street Projects (Pasadena), 1–4pm.

Chinatown: The Movie, Glendale Central Library (Glendale), 2–4pm.

FILM SCREENING: SEARCHING FOR SIMÓN BOLÍVAR: ONE POET’S JOURNEY, MOLAA (Laguna Beach), 2–5pm.

Movie Matinee - Coco, ESMoA (El Segundo), 2:30–4:30pm.

Sunday, April 22

Westside Openings and Events

SCREENINGS KIDS Family Flicks Film Series: FernGully: The Last Rainforest, Hammer Museum (Westwood), 11am.

CONVERSATIONS: Architecture for the Ages: The New Acropolis Museum of Athens with Dimitrios Pandermalis, Hammer Museum (Westwood), 3:30pm.

Artist Talk: Robert Polidori, Getty Center (Brentwood), 4pm.

Culver City Openings and Events

Historical Witness Project, Wende Museum (Culver City), 3pm.

Miracle Mile Openings and Events

On Clay: Melting Point Panel Discussion, Moderated by Exhibition Co-Curator Andres Payan & Michael Jones McKean, Craft and Folk Art Museum (Miracle Mile), 2pm.

Film: Documentary Film: Hockney—A Day on the Grand Canal, LACMA (Miracle Mile), 2pm.

Hollywood Openings and Events

WxW: For Women. By Women, Barnsdall Art Park (East Hollywood), 12–4pm.

Frogtown Openings and Events

LA For Choice Clinic Defense Volunteer Training, Women’s Center for Creative Work (Frogtown), 11am–1:30pm.

Downtown Openings and Events

Open House with Rafa Esparza, Jackie Clay, Ayanna U'Dongo, and Muñeka, ICA LA (Downtown), 11am–6pm.

Happy Earth Day! Youth Workshop with Sharif Farrag, 356 Mission (Downtown), 1–4pm.

Light and Color, California African American Museum (Downtown), 1–3pm.

SoulCollage 101, Main Museum (Downtown), 1–3pm.

CAAM Reads! Respect, The Life of Aretha Franklin, California African American Museum (Downtown), 3–4:30pm.

QueerWise/QueerWOKE, ONE Archives (Downtown), 4pm.

Chinatown Openings and Events

Christine Tavolacci and Ted Byrnes perform John Cage's Ryoanji, Human Resources (Chinatown), 8–11pm.

Openings and Events Beyond Los Angeles

Wasted! The Story of Food Waste, The Huntington (San Marino), 1pm.

CalArts Open Studios, CalArts (Valencia), 1–6pm.

14th Annual Art Auction, Center for the Arts Eagle Rock (Eagle Rock), 1–5pm.

EXHIBITION WALKTHROUGH WITH SHAY BREDIMUS, Long Beach Museum of Art (Long Beach), 3–4pm.

GUNS: LOADED CONVERSATIONS, San Jose Quilt Museum (San Jose), 3–5pm.

PATRICIA L. BOYD: GOOD GRAMMAR, POTTS (Alhambra), 6–8pm.

Monday, April 23

Miracle Mile Openings and Events

Talk: Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece, LACMA (Miracle Mile), 7:30pm.

Downtown Openings and Events

Chantal? A performance conceived by Sonia Wieder-Atherton
 and Renaud Bouchard-Gonzalez, REDCAT (Downtown), 8:30pm. $6–12.

Openings and Events Beyond Los Angeles

Families: On-Site: North Hollywood—Art and Social Justice, North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Library (North Hollywood), 2pm.

A Tale of Asteroid Families - Dr. Joseph Masiero, The Huntington (San Marino), 7pm.

Tuesday, April 24

Westside Openings and Events

Discussions in Israeli Art: Prof. Dalia Manor, American Jewish University (Bel Air), 10:30am.

MAKE ART NOT WALLS, ROSEGALLERY (Santa Monica), 6:30–8:30pm.

Culver City Openings and Events

Panel: Power, Politics & the Art World, Blum & Poe (Culver City), 7:20pm.

Miracle Mile Openings and Events

Film: The Haunting, LACMA (Miracle Mile), 1pm.

Wednesday, April 25

Hollywood Openings and Events

Frame Rate: Norberto Rodriguez, Hollywood Improv (Hollywood), 5–7pm.

Sense: A Silent Auction to Benefit Multiple Sclerosis, FLOOD Gallery (Larchmont), 6:30–9:30pm.

Leimert Park Openings and Events

Artist Talk: Ulysses Jenkins, Art + Practice (Leimert Park), 7pm.

Frogtown Openings and Events

Remarkable: Artists With Chronic Illness & Disability, Women’s Center for Creative Work (Frogtown), 7:30–9:30pm.

Downtown Openings and Events

Screening: Civic Art: Four Stories from South Los Angeles, California African American Museum (Downtown), 7–9pm.

Openings and Events Beyond Los Angeles

Distinguished Fellow Lecture - Every Picture Tells a Story, The Huntington (San Marino), 7:30pm.

Crows of the Desert, Alex Theatre (Glendale), 7:30pm.

[marymosley]

Casting The First Stone: How Many Ignore History To Condemn The Stone Commutation As Unprecedented

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Below is my column in the Hill newspaper on the commutation of the sentence of Roger Stone and the objections from various commentators and politicians that it was an unprecedented abuse of this constitutional power.  The political outcry was predictable but it was also accompanied by an ahistorical treatment in Congress and the press. Many leaders lined up to cast the first Stone comment on how it was an unprecedented act despite their own relative silence during past abuses of presidential clemency. Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared that the commutation was “an act of staggering corruption” for someone who “could directly implicate him in criminal misconduct.” House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff declared that the commutation left him “nauseous.” Of course, Pelosi, Schiff, and other Democrats seemed to have greater stability and intestinal fortitude after Bill Clinton’s pardoning of his own brother (Roger Clinton), a fugitive Democratic donor (Marc Rich), or his longtime friend (Susan McDougal) who was convicted in an investigation that implicated both Bill and Hillary Clinton. Likewise, Mitt Romney seemed to echo Toobin’s view (below) in declaring this an “unprecedented, historic corruption” when “an American president commutes the sentence of a person convicted by a jury of lying to shield that very president.” However, Romney long heralded his respect and support of President George H.W. Bush despite Bush’s executive clemency actions for six former senior government officials implicated in the Iran-Contra scandal, including former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger. Bush himself was implicated in that scandal and some alleged was protected by their silence. Nevertheless, this Society of Historical Revisionism appears to be expanding with members expressing utter shock at the notion of a president abusing the pardon power.  There were no calls for investigations or new legislation from these politicians at the time.  So, to paraphrase John 8:7, let he or she “without sin among you,”  cast the first Stone criticism.

Here is the column:

Washington was sent into vapors of shock and disgust with news of the commutation of Roger Stone. Legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin declared it to be “the most corrupt and cronyistic act in all of recent history.” Despite my disagreement with the commutation, that claim is almost quaint. The sordid history of pardons makes it look positively chaste in comparison. Many presidents have found the power of pardons to be an irresistible temptation when it involves family, friends, and political allies.

I have maintained that Stone deserved another trial but not a pardon. As Attorney General William Barr has said, this was a “righteous prosecution” and Stone was correctly convicted and correctly sentenced to 40 months in prison. President Trump did not give his confidant a pardon but rather a commutation, so Stone is still a convicted felon. However, Trump should have left this decision to his attorney general. In addition to Stone being a friend and political ally, Trump was implicated in those allegations against Stone. While there was never any evidence linking Trump to the leaking of hacked emails, he has an obvious conflict of interest in the case.

The White House issued a statement that Stone is “a victim of the Russia hoax.” The fact is that Stone is a victim of himself. Years of what he called his “performance art” finally caught up with him when he realized federal prosecutors who were not amused by his antics. Stone defines himself as an “agent provocateur.” He crossed the line when he called witnesses to influence their testimony and gave false answers to investigators.

But criticism of this commutation immediately seemed to be decoupled from any foundation in history or in the Constitution. Indeed, Toobin also declared, “This is simply not done by American presidents. They do not pardon or commute sentences of people who are close to them or about to go to prison. It just does not happen until this president.” In reality, the commutation of Stone barely stands out in the old gallery of White House pardons, which are the most consistently and openly abused power in the Constitution. This authority under Article Two is stated in absolute terms, and some presidents have wielded it with absolute abandon.

Thomas Jefferson pardoned Erick Bollman for violations of the Alien and Sedition Act in the hope that he would testify against rival Aaron Burr for treason. After the intervention of powerful friends, Andrew Jackson stopped the execution of George Wilson in favor of a prison sentence despite Wilson’s guilt in a serious violent crimes (for which his co-defendant was executed). Wilson surprised everyone by opting to be hanged anyway. However, Wilson could not hold a candle to Ignazio Lupo, one of the most lethal mob hitmen who was needed back in New York during a mafia war. Warren Harding, who along with his attorney general, Harry Daugherty, was repeatedly accused of selling pardons. With the bootlegging business hanging in the balance, they decided to pardon “Lupo the Wolf” on the condition that he be a “law abiding” free citizen.

Franklin Roosevelt also pardoned political allies, including Conrad Mann, who was a close associate of Kansas City political boss Tom Pendergast. Pendergast made a fortune off illegal alcohol, gambling, and graft, and helped send Harry Truman into office. Truman also misused this power, including pardoning the extremely corrupt George Caldwell, who was a state official who skimmed massive amounts of money off government projects (including the building fund for Louisiana State University).

Richard Nixon was both giver and receiver of controversial pardons. He pardoned Jimmy Hoffa after the Teamsters Union leader had pledged to support his reelection bid. Nixon himself was later pardoned by Gerald Ford, an act many of us view as a mistake. To his credit, Ronald Reagan declined to pardon the Iran Contra affair figures, but his vice president, George Bush, did so after becoming president. Despite his own alleged involvement in that scandal, Bush still pardoned those other Iran Contra figures, such as Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger.

Bill Clinton committed some of the worst abuses of this power, including pardons for his brother Roger Clinton and his friend and business partner Susan McDougal. He also pardoned the fugitive financier Marc Rich, who evaded justice by fleeing abroad. Entirely unrepentant, Rich was a major Democratic donor, and Clinton had wiped away his convictions for fraud, tax evasion, racketeering, and illegal dealings with Iran.

Unlike many of these cases, there were legitimate questions raised about the Stone case. The biggest issue was that the foreperson of the trial jury proved to be a Democratic activist and an outspoken critic of Trump and his associates. It was later discovered that she even wrote publicly about the Stone case. Despite multiple opportunities to do so, she never disclosed her prior statements and actions that would have shown disqualifying bias. Judge Amy Berman Jackson shrugged off all that, however, and refused to grant Stone a new trial, denying him the most basic protection in our system.

Moreover, I think both the court and the Justice Department were wrong to push for Stone going to prison at this time, because he meets all of the criteria for an inmate at high risk for exposure to the coronavirus. None of that, however, justifies Trump becoming involved in a commutation, when many of the issues could have been addressed in a legal appeal.

There is lots to criticize in this move without pretending it was a pristine power besmirched by a rogue president. Indeed, Trump should have left the decision to a successor or, at a minimum, to the attorney general. But compared to the other presidents, this commutation is not even a distant contender for “the most corrupt and cronyistic act” of clemency.

Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. You can find his updates online @JonathanTurley.

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The former acting solicitor general is a fine impeachment guide but he might want to rethink claiming not to be partisanYou can take President Trump’s impeachment to the bank but his actual removal from office is the longest of shots. Most likely, as Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton did before him, Donald Trump will survive a trial in the Senate. A year from now, expect to see his name on the ballot. Even as Joe Biden, the Democratic frontrunner, leads Trump in the polls, the betting lines give the edge to the president.Substantively, the public impeachment hearings have been devastating. The bottom line is yes, there was a quid pro quo on aid to Ukraine. According to uncontroverted testimony, Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, drove the bus at his client’s behest, and no, Ukraine did not interfere in the 2016 election. It was Russia, no surprise. Trump, however, stands defiant, his base unmoved and intact.Into America’s cold civil war jumps Neal Katyal, once Barack Obama’s acting solicitor general, with Impeach. Subtitled “The Case Against Donald Trump”, the book is a thoughtful and well-researched polemic that advocates Trump’s removal. Among other things, it provides a highly readable history on the origins and evolution of impeachment, and offers answers to questions that surround the process.But like the current impeachment hearings, its capacity to persuade will probably be limited. By definition, impeachment is political. These days, it is also highly partisan. The social cohesion and trust that girded the move to impeach Richard Nixon and led to his resignation in the summer of 1974 has been ground to dust. E pluribus unum has its limits.Relying on the constitutional debates, English legal history and the bloody aftermath of the duel between Aaron Burr, Thomas Jefferson’s vice-president, and Alexander Hamilton, founding father par excellence, Katyal convincingly argues that impeachable conduct – “High crimes and misdemeanors”, in the parlance of the constitution – should be understood to mean offenses that violate the public trust.Book linkIn other words, it is not necessarily about criminality or the penal code. Although bribery and treason definitely make the cut. For support, Katyal quotes Hamilton … and Mike Pence.In Federalist No 65, Hamilton wrote that impeachable offenses are those “which proceed from the misconduct of public men, or, in other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust … as they relate chiefly to injuries done immediately to the society itself”.As for Pence, back when he was a congressman: “This business of high crimes and misdemeanors goes to the question of whether the person serving as president of the United States put their own interests, their personal interests, ahead of public service.” Irony definitely abounds.To bolster his contention, Katyal observes that Burr was not impeached after shooting Hamilton dead in Weehawken, New Jersey. Ultimately, that was deemed to be private conduct, beyond Congress’s purview. In that sense, it was a fatal forerunner to the clash over Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.Impeach also records how framers rejected the contention that elections and term limits should be the sole remedy for presidential wrongdoing. There, Katyal chillingly quotes Benjamin Franklin: “What was the practice before this in cases where the chief magistrate rendered himself obnoxious? … Assassination.”There is something to be said for safety valves. Ask Charles I or Louis XVI.Katyal also weighs in as to whether impeachment is subject to review by the supreme court. His answer is “No, Congress has the final word.” There, Katyal points to the impeachment and removal of Walter Nixon from the federal bench in 1989, and the supreme court holding that the “judiciary, and the supreme court in particular, were not chosen to have any role in impeachments”.Some of Trump’s minions remain undeterred. Harvard’s Alan Dershowitz has argued that impeachment charges may be scrutinized by the judiciary, relying, in part, upon a concurring one-man opinion written in the Nixon case by David Souter, a George HW Bush appointee to the supreme court. Dershowitz failed to reference the broader decision.Until recently, Dershowitz represented Jeffrey Epstein and reportedly was sought by Trump too. On Thursday, Trump strung together “due process” and “human scum” in the same sentence. Talk about getting into the spirit of things.As for the substance of Trump’s impeachment, Katyal relies upon a series of damning documents. He points to the whistleblower’s complaint, the “transcript” of the president’s infamous 25 July 2019 telephone conversation with Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine’s president, and text messages from such luminaries as Rudy Giuliani and Gordon Sondland.Ambassador Gordon Sondland testifies before the House intelligence committee. Photograph: Doug Mills/Pool/EPAIn hindsight, all that was just the tip of the iceberg. The rot went all the way to the top. Trump infected all. Think Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, and possibly Vice-President Pence. As Sondland testified, “everyone was in the loop” and “we followed the president’s orders”.Politically, Katyal can appear tone deaf. At the outset, he proclaims, “I am not a partisan” – despite a record of donating to the Democratic National Committee and the Obama and Clinton campaigns. He has contributed more than $12,000 over the past decade to political causes. Said differently, being a law professor does not immunize one from being a partisan.Katyal also fails to grapple with just how we have reached this historic point. He acknowledges that America today is historically reminiscent of the 1850s, and yet he does not delve into how we got there. The Trump presidency did not emerge out of thin air.Regardless, abuse of power and venality appear to hallmarks of the Trump era. Against the backdrop of the impeachment hearings, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, noted Trump booster and friend of the Kushner clan, was indicted for fraud, breach of trust and quid pro quo bribery.Misery loves company. Expect Trump to be impeached by Christmas.

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