Saturday Stuff

This Now This clip tells us about Texas state Dems walking out of the “lege” to protest that garbage anti-voting bill by Republicans, with commentary by Beto O’Rourke...but as O’Rourke says, as great as that was, it doesn’t mean anything if the Senate Dems don’t manage to get the For The People Act passed...



...and speaking of stupid voting tricks, Rachel Maddow speaks with PA AG Josh Shapiro about the three wingnut lawmakers from our beloved commonwealth who went to AZ to meet with the “Cyber Ninjas” nut jobs over the Arizona “fraudit” (don’t know why this video was edited in such a way as to not mention the three, which Maddow pointed out – more is here)...



...and all of this garbage is in the service of Our Former Orange Pustule-In-Chief...and Repugs can deny that Mango Mussolini no longer has a hold on the GQP Party, but if that were true, then why the hell are they trying to pass laws in complete, lockstep accordance with Number 45’s wishes? And speaking of Former Generalissimo Trump, Ana and John tell us that he couldn’t even be bothered enough to post content to his blog, and like he did with his other failed enterprises, he got bored with it and walked away...



...and David Doel informs us that a poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation tells us that many people think you have to pay for the COVID vaccine, and that could be keeping us from getting to the now-heralded 70 percent vaccination number (which, as Doel points out, is a consequence of getting billed for services the way we do in the U.S.)...



....and speaking of communicable illnesses, today is the 40th anniversary of the first patient diagnosed with AIDS in the U.S. as noted here; acclaimed writer Randy Shilts discussed the response (if you can call it that) from the Reagan Administration...



...and with that in mind, I present this video; I usually wait until a little later in the summer, but I think now is as good a time as any to bring it back.

Friday Stuff

Thom Hartmann speaks with science journalist Peter Aldhous about the actual death count (as opposed to the erroneous initial count) from the Texas energy grid failure and why the information was wrong (a little wonky, but important)...



...and speaking of “the land of the yellow rose,” I thought this was a particularly good commentary from Beau of the Fifth Column about what Texas HS valedictorian Paxton Smith said about the Repugs in that state doing all they can to intrude on women’s personal health care decisions (more here - and yeah, now watch these troglodytes try to withhold her diploma, which will likely end up in court)...

via GIPHY

...and switching from the sublime (Smith I mean) to the ridiculous, Brian Tyler Cohen tells us about more performative bullshit from “Curtsy Kyrsten”...yeah, I’m sure Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao is having a deep, hearty laugh listening to this utterly mindless harpie lecturing people on their behavior; I’d really like to see the IRS audit Sinema to find out just who is bankrolling her, and for how much (more here)...



...and Farron Cousins tells us that suicides among ICE detainees exploded in 2020...dear God (a particularly well-done commentary IMO)...



...and here’s some good news – David Pakman tells us that Biden (and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland) have suspended drilling in the ANWR (not completely sold on nuclear yet, but I definitely think it’s worth having this discussion)...



...and Rachel Maddow speaks with cyber security expert David Kennedy about Russian criminal hackers disrupting our fuel lines and food supply, including the JBS plants – terrific (I’m watching this clip and recalling how stoo-pid Kyle K. was for blowing off Russia and their intrusions in our government and industries)...



...and I guess I really should note Fix Noise and their BS about “critical race theory,” which, again, is more “Look over there!” nonsense instead of trying to help solve the problems that we need to address and are actually critical to our survival, such as anything related to climate change, voting, economic justice, guns, reproductive rights, etc...



...and since we're now past Memorial Day, I should probably start working in my summer selections, beginning with this one.

Wednesday Stuff

K.O. “brings the heat” on the subject of Trumpster traitor Michael Flynn (I can only imagine how much Merrick Garland has his hands full...wonder if he wishes he were still a judge right about now?...but yeah, the DOJ needs to make an example of Flynn – long past the point of coddling treasonous insects like this guy...mildly NSFW/H)...



...and this Media Matters video tells us how the cretinous bottom-feeders at The Roger Ailes BS Factory spun BENGHAZI!! versus the insurrection Flynn supported (and continues to support)...



...and I realize the wingnuts are going to be "working the refs" FOR-FREAKING-EVER!, but Francesca and Jayar give up the latest proof that their pathetic whining about "bias against conservatives" is not rooted in reality in any way whatsoever...



...and President Biden shows a bit of frustration with a couple of alleged “Democrats” in the U.S. Senate, namely @Sen_JoeManchin and @SenatorSinema; I’m inclined to side with Will Bunch here...I agree with the assessment that Biden going public like this is NOT a good sign...



...and David Doel tells us about an anti-masking sheriff who – and I’ll bet you’ll NEVER guess this next part...dies of COVID; even though the guy was a world-class a-hole, I’m sorry to hear the news, but as anybody with half a brain knows at this point, these are the stakes...



...and apparently “Pastor” Rick Wiles, who also denied COVID, now has it and is getting oxygen, as David Shuster tells us...



...and leave it to Chucky Koch snatching up properties from people who lost their homes due to the pandemic and fighting the foreclosure moratorium from the CDC; I can’t think of a concentric circle of hell subterranean enough for this guy (with Cenk and Ana – I had a similar video on the same subject from More Perfect Union on 5/24...by the way, not to nit pick, but the surviving Koch brother is the one with white hair and glasses)...



...and here’s a newer tune to help us get over the “hump day” for the abbreviated week.

Tuesday Stuff

Francesca and Jayar tell us about a French company paid by Putin claiming that the Pfizer vaccine has killed about 100 people...definitely agree with Francesca’s take that there should be an internationalization of sorts for the vaccine and of course the IP stuff should be waived...GREAT point by Jayar about people in dire financial straits who fall prey to these scams by sowing misinformation...



...and speaking of IP, it looks like Chris Coons is trying to hang onto vaccine patent protections – figures (with Cenk and Ana...and boy, are they right about what journalism is SUPPOSED to be)...



...and Thom Hartmann tells us about the political fault lines that seem to be emerging on who is getting the COVID vaccine and who isn’t (David Pakman had a similar feature about a week or so ago about Trump supporters not getting it while Biden supporters ARE getting vaccinated...good points by Thom about the financial burdens of this also, which I realize are secondary, but still important of course)...



...and Sam and Anna Lappe discuss the dangers of pesticides to farm workers in particular (didn’t learn a damn thing from “Silent Spring,” apparently...lots of $$ in a disinformation campaign, partly from Monsanto...shocking, I know – not, and definitely similar to what happened with cigarettes also of course)...



...and Chris Hayes tells us about an EU court getting Royal Dutch Shell to cut their carbon emissions by 45 percent by 2030 (more here)...



...and RIP B.J. Thomas – I’ll bet you didn’t know the “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” guy also sang a great antiwar tune...well, he did, and it’s here (more info here...not that his other songs weren’t good also of course).

Monday Stuff

(And with the great Rob Rogers cartoon in mind, I'd also like to offer this.)

It’s no exaggeration to say that there are now so many mass shootings any more with them all running together that it’s hard to keep track of them all, but the latest took place outside of Miami, as Sam Brock of MSNBC recently reported (more here)...



...even though retired NYPD detective Pat Brosnan blamed mass shootings on the COVID vaccine – huh? (more here)...



...and Cenk, Jayar and Mike Doyle tell us about the truly awful anti-abortion bills that passed the PA “lege” (and once more, had Scott “Stomp Tom Wolf’s Face With Golf Cleats” Wagner somehow won in 2018, all of that monstrous insanity would be law)...



...and on an unrelated matter, Sean McCarroll, formerly of the Grosse Pointe school district, is a boss for this as far as I’m concerned, and I wish him all the best...



...and Trymaine Lee of MSNBC tells us about the Tulsa Race Massacre which took place 100 years ago today (sorry I forgot to note earlier the program that aired last night, but as mentioned, it's on demand on the Peacock channel - more here)...



...and Farron Cousins tells us that Arizona independent voters are getting PO’ed by the audit in that state (and I think the pledge is a great idea)...



...and I thought this was a well-done Lincoln Project video with today’s holiday in mind...



...and I’d like to offer the following as a tribute to all of those we’ve lost who have carried a weapon for this country (the theme of the ultimate sacrifice is universal as far as I’m concerned).