AstroTrump!

Philip Bump at Grist made a neat catch earlier today—an ad from Craigslist NY that read:

Earn Quick and Easy $20 for an hour or less of work
Wednesday December 31st, 1969

Our firm needs 100 volunteers to attend and participate in a rally in front of the British Consulate/Embassy in Midtown Manhattan on the East Side on Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 12 noon. The event is being held in order to protest wind turbines that are being built in Scotland and England. Your participation will be to ONLY stand next to or behind the speakers and elected officials/celebrities that will be speaking at the rally.

It is a really simple job and easy money for anyone who is around Manhattan at the time. We need all of our volunteers to RSVP for this event. It is VERY important that you RSVP because we have had people confirm spots and fill spots on the first day of the advertisement in the past. If you have participated in one of our events in the past (Ovation) please make a note of that in your RSVP email and we will email EVERYONE back to confirm your attendance.

We look forward to hearing from you all and again, the money is quick, the job is easy and we pay in CASH at the end of the event.

Looking forward to seeing you next Wednesday!

I took that from a feed site called Job Hustler since the version on Craigslist has been pulled now that Bump has publicized it for whoever’s planning this shindig, but Rebecca Leber at ThinkProgress caught a screenshot (right-click any of these screenshots below and then left-click on “View Image” to see them full-size):

You’ll see the firm behind this seems to be called Ovation—if anybody knows anything about these folks, do pipe up.

Whoever it is has put out a few variations. Here’s another one I found at Job Hustler

Easy job earn $20
Wednesday December 31st, 1969

Our firm needs 100 volunteers to attend and participate in an event and assist with public relations in Midtown Manhattan on the East Side on Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 12 noon. It is a really simple job and easy money for anyone who is around Manhattan at the time. We need all of our volunteers to RSVP for this event. It is VERY important that you RSVP because we have had people confirm spots and fill spots on the first day of the advertisement in the past. If you have participated in one of our events in the past (Ovation) please make a note of that in your RSVP email and we will email EVERYONE back to confirm your attendance. We look forward to hearing from you all and again, the money is quick, the job is easy and we pay in CASH at the end of the event.

My, they’re obviously aiming upmarket with that one—“assist with public relations” eh? La-di-da!

Now, Phil Bump, Rebecca Leber, and I all have nasty, suspicious minds, so we’re assuming that Donald Trump is ultimately behind all this, in my case on the basis of (1) his history of antagonism toward windfarms in general, and one that’s planned in the vague vicinity of his controversial golf development in Aberdeenshire, Scotland in particular, and (2) my history of not being too keen on the bullying avaricious toad. It didn’t take me long to hunt down yet another more recent version I found at a site called Feedage that clinches it for me. See what you think:

Are you a golfer? From England/Scotland? Earn $20/hour - Easy Money (Midtown East)
2013-01-23T17:34:26-05:00

Our firm is looking for extras that are avid golfers or look like golfers; we are also looking for individuals from England and Scotland. If you meet both qualifications - even better. We are hosting an event next Wednesday, January 30th at 12 noon i [...]

So if you’re in that area of Manhattan next Wednesday around noon, and if you can avail yourself of some plus fours, ultra-loud check trousering and Argyle sweatering, a Burberry flat cap, possibly a four iron, and an English or Scottish accent (I hesitate to suggest taking along blown-up placards of any of these ads, but I’m sure you could improvise), who knows, maybe you could find yourself an instant media star ...

More: Via curly in the comments, there’s a “Wind Power Not Trump Power” Facebook group that’s organizing a rally of its own at the same time and location.

Posted by YAFB on 01/24/13 at 08:41 PM • Permalink

It’s got Trump’s style written all over it, and all the clues are above (do follow my links, especially that second one, to see how Trump’s opposition to the Scottish experimental windfarm near his golf resort is sheer humbug to cover up his usual fiscal malfeasance).

Still want to bet, Dave?

Peter Gleick cleared of forging documents in Heartland expose
Scientist who admitted to deception to obtain internal Heartland documents was found in investigation not to have faked material

Peter Gleick reinstated by Pacific Institute following Heartland exposé
Investigation finds that Gleick did not forge confidential documents he obtained from free-market Heartland Institute

Peter Gleick reinstated after investigation into Heartland papers

So if the story in this post is “disinformation, like Peter Gleick’s,” as you claim, in the sense that he exposed internal Heartland documents to that organization’s extreme and costly embarrassment, then presumably it’s 100% correct.

Still more than happy to bet. What stakes were you thinking of?

(Oh, and I’ve no idea why those first two ads up there are dated 1969, in case anyone noticed, but I’d imagine it’s some software glitch, since all the other ads on those sites have the same problem.)

It might be funny to go to that rally and play a fake Scotsman.

For those interested in opposing windbag Trump, please like/share this: https://www.facebook.com/WindPowerNotTrumpPower

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