Rescue crews take out residents from a flooded neighborhood Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, in San Jose, Calif. Rescuers chest-deep in water steered boats carrying dozens of people, some with babies and pets, from a San Jose neighborhood inundated by water from an overflowing creek Tuesday.: photo by Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP, 21 February 2017

Once-drought-stricken California hit by heavy rain: image via AP Images Verified account, 21 February 2017

People attend a protest Monday, Feb. 20, 2017, in Portland, Ore. Thousands of demonstrators turned out Monday across the U.S. to challenge President Donald Trump in a Presidents Day protest dubbed Not My President's Day.: photo by Dave Killen/The Oregonian via AP, 20 February 2017

@realDonaldTrump talks with Special asst. Omarosa Manigault during a visit to the National Museum of African American History in Washington: image via Doug Mills Verified account @dougmillsnyt, 21 February 2017

On tokenism, and Trump's Jewish make-up photo at the African American Museum @gettyimages #race #religion #Pavlov: image via Reading The Pictures @Reading ThePix, 21 February 2017

On Tokenism, and Trump’s Jewish Make-Up Photo at the African American Museum: Reading The Pictures, 21 February 2017

photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty via CNNPolitics/Instagram. caption: President Donald Trump visits the National African American Museum of History and Culture on Tuesday in light of #BlackHistoryMonth. Here, Trump poses with his daughter Ivanka Trump, Housing and Urban Development nominee Ben Carson and his wife, Candy Carson, in front of the museum's Ben Carson exhibit.

I’m shocked but not surprised by this photograph posted on Instagram by that otherwise fake news outlet, CNN. It records how Donald Trump was dispatched to the African-American Museum, script in hand, his liberally self-conscious daughter of the faith literally behind him, as a thoroughly heavy-handed gesture to make up for his screaming deafness lately (Jews died too? I heard your question! ) to anti-Semitism.

So why not take a dog-and-pony-show to the Holocaust Museum?

What with Trump’s dismal standing with African-Americans and even more to make up for, this venue was apparently the perfect “twofer.” (You remember that Trump was scheduled to visit the National African-American Museum of History and Culture for the first time on MLK day, but that photo-op was scotched at the last minute after Trump got into a little boy spat with John Lewis for reducing his crowd count by one at the inauguration.)

The conduct of this photo is horribly revealing. Trump, buddied up with his completely unqualified, but loyal and visually perfect showpiece, the HUD secretary, parks himself in front of a display of that self-same secretary’s doctor’s coat. Unfortunately for civil rights, and American Jews and blacks specifically here, there is no difference in Trump’s mind (apologies to Pavlov) between meaning and gesture, thought and appearance, or between actual and perceived importance. No, it’s all tokenism.

This self-inflicted injury is more stupidly simple than that though. What we have here is the most blasphemous depiction so far of the Trump family’s core nature. In its Grand Canyon-sized blindspot for history, sensitivity, empathy or humility (two thumbs up, yo!), Trump turns this moment and the African-American Museum of History and Culture itself into the same thing it converts every shred of real estate into. That is, a visual background, the latest branding opportunity, and a shrine to Trump’s rampant egotism. As for the very incredible Dr. Ben Carson, what the photo also depicts (as well-documented elsewhere) is that he worships at the same temple.

(photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty via CNNPolitics/Instagram. caption: President Donald Trump visits the National African American Museum of History and Culture on Tuesday in light of #BlackHistoryMonth. Here, Trump poses with his daughter Ivanka Trump, Housing and Urban Development nominee Ben Carson and his wife, Candy Carson, in front of the museum’s Ben Carson exhibit.)

Trump wearing a ushanka: image via andrew kaczynski Verified account @KFILE, 20 February 2017

Town hall scenes from Colorado, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Maryland tonight, where voters showed up but GOP congressmen were no-shows.: image via Matt McDermott Verified account @mattmfm, 21 February 2017

Fox News runs segment at 6:15 about protestors organizing against Trump; Trump tweets at 6:23: image via Andrew Lawrence @ndrew_lawrence, 21 February 2017

Fox News runs segment at 6:15 about protestors organizing against Trump; Trump tweets at 6:23: image via Andrew Lawrence @ndrew_lawrence, 21 February 2017

Donald J. TrumpVerified account@realDonaldTrump

The so-called angry crowds in home districts of some Republicans are actually, in numerous cases, planned out by liberal activists. Sad!
Dave Weigel Retweeted Donald J. Trump
Dave Weigel added,
The First Amendment is pretty clear: It's not a legitimate protest if people spend some time organizing it.

tweet via Dave Weigel Verified account @DaveWeigel, 21 February 2017

30 minutes til second Grassley town hall and room's already packed: image via Dave Weigel Verified account @DaveWeigel, 21 February 2017

Spotted at Grassley town hall: image via Dave Weigel Verified account @DaveWeigel, 21 February 2017

Grassley says the protests are not AstroTurf. "It's all legitimate. If Hillary Clinton had won you'd see the same thing from other people.": tweet via Dave Weigel Verified account @DaveWeigel, 21 February 2017

Town hall questioner asks about impeachment; Grassley says it would start in the House and he can't prejudice it by giving his take now.: tweet via Dave Weigel Verified account @DaveWeigel, 21 February 2017

@POTUS announces H.R. McMaster as his new national security advisor, from the living room of Mar-a-lago as soft Muzak played overhead: image via Mike Memoli Verified account @mikememoli, 20 February 2017

Pruitt's 1st agency mtg @EPA. Want to say WH gets by on stagecraft over statecraft, but not even good at that. #rabbitfromhat @GettyImages: image via Reading The Pictures @Reading ThePix, 21 February 2017

Welcome recourse to one party rule? Or, are the days of citizen’s feedback numbered? @petersonpixs Va Congressman @scottaylorva townhall: image via reading The Pictures @Reading ThePix, 21 February 2017

A month after the inaugural, closures out front of the White House are still in place.: image via Steve Holland Verified account @steveholland1, 2i February 2017

Gabi Ben avraham: After Party

Untitled | by Street photographer - http://www.gabibest.com/

[Untitled, Tel Aviv]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 20 October 2016

[Untitled]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 16 October 2016

Puzzle #1: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 8 October 2016

[Untitled, Tel Aviv]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 10 February 2017

[Untitled, Tel Aviv]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 3 October 2016

[Untitled, Jerusalem]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 14 January 2017

[Untitled]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 6 January 2017

[Untitled]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 9 December 2016

[Untitled]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 24 March 2016

After Party | by Street photographer - http://www.gabibest.com/

After Party: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 24 March 2016

[Untitled]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 24 March 2016

[Untitled]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 10 October 2016

[Untitled]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 30 September 2016

[Untitled]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 18 November 2016

[Untitled, Brussels]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 30 October 2016

[Untitled]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 30 March 2016

[Untitled]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 30 October 2016

[Untitled, Tel Aviv]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 24 December 2016

[Untitled]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 9 December 2016

[Untitled, Jerusalem]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 10 December 2016

[Untitled]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 23 October 2016

[Untitled, Tel Aviv]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 2 October 2016

[Untitled, Tel Aviv]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 9 September 2016

[Untitled, Tel Aviv]: photo by Gabi Ben avraham, 30 September 2016

After After Party

Kashmiris peel the bark off wicker sticks on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, the largest city in the Kashmir Valley. The sticks are used to make traditional fire pots for warmth: photo by Farooq Khan/European Pressphoto Agency, 22 December 2015

A Kashmiri Muslim woman peels off the bark of wicker sticks on the outskirts of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir, 22 December 2015. Wicker sticks are used to make Kangir, the traditional Kashmiri firepot, which is used to keep warm during cold winters. Hundreds of families in Kashmir depend on the trade with Kangir, with Kangir artisans of different regions making distinct and fashionable firepots.

A Kashmiri Muslim woman peels off the bark of wicker sticks on the outskirts of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir, on Tuesday. Wicker sticks are used to make Kangir, the traditional Kashmiri firepot, which is used to keep warm during cold winters: photo by Farooq Khan/EPA, 21 December 2015

Kashmiri Muslim women wail as they watch the funeral procession of suspected rebels, at Barhama, 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Monday: photo by Mukhtar Khan/AP, 5 October 2015

Palestinians in Nablus, West Bank, carry the body of Maram Hassouna, who was killed this month while allegedly trying to stab an Israeli soldier: photo by Alaa Badarneh/European Pressphoto Agency, 21 December 2015

Israeli border policeman uses pepper spray on a Palestinian man during clashes near Arab East Jerusalem

An Israeli border policeman uses pepper spray on a Palestinian man during clashes near the Arab East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Wadi al-Joz, on Friday: photo by Ammar Awad/Reuters, 2 October 2015

AFP Israeli photographer Menahem Kahana is roughed up by by an Israeli policeman at a demonstration. By @TomCOEX #AFP: image by AFP Photo Department @AFPphoto, 4 October 2015

A Palestinian boy sleeps on a mattress inside the remains of his family's house, that witnesses said was destroyed by Israeli shelling during a 50-day war in 2014 summer, during a sandstorm in Gaza September 8, 2015. A heavy sandstorm swept across parts of the Middle East on Tuesday, killing two people and hospitalising hundreds in Lebanon and disrupting fighting and air strikes in neighbouring Syria. Clouds of dust also engulfed Israel, Jordan and Cyprus where aircraft were diverted to Paphos from Larnaca airport as visibility fell to 500 metres

A Palestinian boy sleeps on a mattress inside the remains of his family’s house, that was destroyed by Israeli shelling during a 50-day war in 2014 summer, during a sandstorm in Gaza on Tuesday: photo by Suhaib Salem/Reuters, 8 September 2015

#Jerusalem #Palestinian correspondent Hana Hammad live after Israeli soldiers fired gas bomb on her face: image via souamesfarah @souamesfarah, 4 October 2015

Arab women march in the old city of #Jerusalem to condemn the blockade of al-Aqsa mosque: image via Palestine Social @PalestineSocial, 4 October 2015

Netanyahu vows 'fight to death' as clashes spread after attacks: image by Agence France-Presse @AFP 5 October 2015

People at a beach near Sydney during the Labour Day holiday in Australia: photo by Peter Parks/Agence France-Presse, 6 October 2015

People at a beach near Sydney during the Labour Day holiday in Australia: photo by Peter Parks/Agence France-Presse, 6 October 2015

[Untitled, Bangladesh]: photo by asad zaman, 14 January 2017

Journey by train! | by ashik mahmud 1847

journey by train! (Bangladesh]. Thousands of devoted Muslims going to participate in the second largest Islamic Congregation known as "Bishwa Itjema" at Tongi, Bangladesh.: photo by Ashik Mahmud, 4 November 2016

Muslim devotees climb aboard trains to the World Islamic Congregation at Tongi, north of Dhaka, Bangladesh: photo by AP, 15 January 2016

[Untitled] [Dhaka, Bangladesh]: photo by Muhammad Imam Hasan, 14 October 2016

In this Sunday, June 12, 2016, photo, Nizam, 11, looks towards camera as he works at a factory that makes metal utensils in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sunday, June 12, 2016. He earns less than $5 per week. The World Day Against Child Labor, which was initiated in 2002 by the International Labor Organization to highlight the plight of child laborers, is observed across the world on June 12. (AP Photo/ A.M. Ahad)

Nizam, 11, looks towards camera as he works at a factory that makes metal utensils in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Nizam earns less than $5 per week: photo by A.M. Ahad/AP, 13 June 2016

Hard working! (Bangladesh]: photo by Ashik Mahmud, 4 November 2016

TOM CLARK

Wednesday, 22 February 2017

After Party / As the waters rose and soft Muzak played overhead / After After Party

On Tokenism, and Trump’s Jewish Make-Up Photo at the African American Museum: Reading The Pictures, 21 February 2017

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