Brian Tyler Cohen tells us about the whatever-that-was yesterday with #47 and the “Moscow munchkin”...kudos to the folks in Alaska for the show of support for Ukraine...I didn’t know the numbers on just how unpopular Vlad The Butcher truly is, but at least it’s nice to see some occasional sanity across the political spectrum in this country...and wow, when Cantaloupe Capone has lost Fix Noise, it sounds indeed like “President Deals” got played (and I would say that this speaks to the incompetence of our ruling regime)...
Update: This is probably the best summary of what happened that I've read so far.
...and Tennessee Brando tells us about the event today with the group “KY Resist” in Richmond (more here) ...kudos to Andrew Martin for fighting the good fight on enemy turf for sure (and more on the Michelle P. Waiver program is here...and speaking of protest, there is also this)...
...and given the jackbooted thuggery of Mango Mussolini’s ICE Gestapo, I think this video from Robert Reich about the importance of due process and how that’s tied to the 5th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is even more timely...
...and sticking with legal stuff, David Shuster tells us that felony charges against former DOJ employee Sean Dunn were thrown out (the guy who threw a sandwich against law enforcement officers)...oh, but the 1/6 insurrectionists were “tourists”...uh huh...and while the Trump DOJ is at it, let’s just spike everything to do with Jeffrey...now what was his name again?? And oh yeah, 1/6 traitor Jared Wise was hired by the Trump gang, because why not? The clip also gives Pan “Blondi” and Judge Winebox the treatment they deserve (more here...NSFW/H)...
...and the latest from Mr. Newberger is pretty spot-on, I would say...
Hunter Avallone tells us about The Further Adventures Of Couch Boy Taking Yet Another Vacation (and of course, getting Disney World closed for himself and his family)...Vance is not quite as skillful of a liar as the rest of our ruling cabal, which is on full display in that interview with that shrieking harpie Maria Bartiromo...fortunately, Jamie Raskin shows up for the reality point of view here...bravo to the fine folks in the Cotswolds, which is a truly gorgeous region of “this scepter’d isle” (here and here)...
...and as long as I’m dealing with UK stuff, I thought it would be a good idea to present this item from Jonathan Pie “across the pond” – looks like British PM Keir Starmer is having a rather tough go of things, you might say (incredibly NSFW/H)...
...and this TYT clip features Roger Waters of Pink Floyd speaking with Chris Hedges about world issues including Israel’s carnage in Gaza...I think Waters’ comments about the U.S. and Russia and China are taking things a bit far, but he’s spot-on otherwise...I know Waters gets a little strident at times, but I also think he makes good points...
...and today is the day for Mango Mussolini to grovel at the feet of meet with Putin in Alaska today, with world leaders telling Cheetoh Satan to watch his bulbous butt when he meets with Vlad The Butcher...yeah, as if the former will do anything but take his marching orders from the latter...also, kudos to French President Macron for p*ssing off Cantaloupe Capone...and once more, Ground News is a terrific service for all of the reasons that Cousins tells us in the promo...
...and turning to this continent, David Doel informs us of American financed Canadian media manufacturing outrage (of course) over a Nova Scotia forest ban during wildfire season...as Doel says, it should be pretty obvious that YOU SHOULD AVOID FORESTS DURING WILDFIRE SEASON, but since we’re talking about a bunch of well-financed wingnut crybabies looking for something to bitch about – well, I’m sure you can figure out what comes next...no problem with the beaches, though, as the Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston points out...I think Doel’s comparison to the need for traffic lights is apropos...OF COOUUURRSE we have some PPC numbskull who violates the forest ban for some kind of online “clout” (does this person really refer to himself as Rosa Parks? Apparently his name is Jeff Evely)...I’ve heard the Toronto Sun is pretty bad, and I guess this proves it...it should be emphasized I believe that the forest restriction DOES NOT APPLY TO PRIVATE PROPERTY (I felt like banging my head against a plank as I watched this)...NSFW/H also...
...and Jesse Dollemore tells us about “Joe Scar” and corporate media covering for Trump after #47's latest fascist move (“feels over reals” indeed)...good job by Jesse to present actual statistics showing that the crime rate in Washington D.C. has been declining since 2023...to be fair, crime stats are going to fluctuate regardless of who is in power, though of course, Repugs will NEVER cease to blame Dems for crime because, unfortunately, that tactic often works because the “D” team usually doesn’t find a way to muster a response...and I don’t know who this Dasha Burns person is, and I care even less...and oh yeah, about Scar, there is also this (NSFW/H also)...
...and I realize I’m a little late with this item, but better later than never (maybe Scarborough should look into this – Colbert's bit is a response to this)...
...and I couldn’t help but think of this tune as I watched the Roger Waters clip (I think this should be playing in the background as we watch those two world pretenders go through their pathetic exercise in Alaska today...tune is briefly NSFW/H as well).
(I could probably include this graphic every day, to be honest.)
Glenn Kirschner of Justice Matters discusses Cantaloupe Capone accusing former President Obama of “treason” in a truly desperate effort to try and make people forget the Jeffrey Epstein/Ghislaine Maxwell stuff, to say nothing of our economy going down the tubes along with our global prestige...that diversion didn’t work, so Adam Schiff was called out next over some silly charge of mortgage fraud, and after that, NY AG Letitia James, who was accused of violating the Gropenfuhrer’s civil rights...I like the production value of the wheel that Kirschner works into this (slightly NSFW/H)...
...and I happened to come across this clip a few days ago, but I’m only getting to this now because it was bumped by other stuff...from what I can find out, this is a left-wing media outlet originating in the UK, but I haven’t found their reporting to be blatantly dishonest, so I’ll include this for the time being...I got burned a bit about a year or so ago by Second Thought; J.T. Chapman's videos were good also for a while, but it eventually became pretty obvious that he was more or less a tool for Putin (Vlad the Butcher is worthy of nothing but contempt of course, but unfortunately, he and his minions are pretty sophisticated when it comes to influencing this country on social media...I honestly do try to watch out for that stuff)...
...and Tennessee Brando discusses the CDC shooting in Georgia (might have seen the headline briefly, but I guess I was focused on other stuff...apologies) with the shooter claiming the COVID vax made him suicidal or something (and he was upset about his dog dying too? So, in his mind, that gives him the excuse to kill at least one other person?)...I would say “allegedly,” but the shooter is dead so it doesn’t really matter...and, in a way, I don’t mean to attack the man who said that gun violence is an everyday part of life now in Georgia in particular, but I still can’t help but be enraged by that situation anywhere in this country...and of course, let’s not give that scum waffle Russell Vought, principal author of Project 2025, a pass here either (slightly NSFW/H)...
...and today is the 90th anniversary of FDR signing the Social Security Act (here and here) – another shining achievement brought to us by a Democratic president...
Update 8/15/25: And apologies for forgetting the 80th anniversary of this day also.
Jesse Dollemore gives us more on that particularly nutzoid press conference from Pumpkin Pol Pot, with #47 announcing prison time for merely thinking about crime...yeah, we’ve been in 25th Amendment territory from almost the moment this clueless orange meat sack took the oath of office (and once more, let’s recall that he didn’t put his hand on the Bible when he did so)...and ripping down the statue of Abraham Lincoln, huh? God, I wish he would just fly to Mar-a-Lago and never come back...and the “Jefferson Memorial...Thomas Jefferson”...I thought he meant George (sorry...had to say it)...”We are in danger because his brain is a melted candle” indeed (and a response to his idiotic verbal flatulence about cashless bail is here)...slightly NSFW/H...
...and Sam Seder of The Majority Report tells us about Repugs freaking out over polling for ‘26 (with Harry Enten of CNN)...I realize I’m breaking my rule a bit on focusing on the “horse race,” which normally I don’t want to do but get into actual policy instead, but I think the trends pointed out here are important across multiple polls...and boy, is Sam ever right at about 4:30 about Dems and the “vision” thing, you might say...interesting idea from Sam about how ridiculous gerrymandering might make Dem incumbents more safe than usual and put more Repug seats in play, explaining how it could boomerang on them; however, I don’t think that should give the Dems pause in CA or NY for example when it comes to redistricting to try and counter Texas...
...and Kyle Kulinski informs us that, apparently, another Repug politician didn’t get the memo when it comes to avoiding town halls (and yes, I’m being tongue in cheek), and the latest is U.S. House Rep Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, getting blasted mainly (but not exclusively) because of our support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza...incredibly NSFW/H, but for a good reason as far as I’m concerned (and oh yeah, this too)...
...and this TYT clip tells us about outrage also on display in “the land of the yellow rose,” with Texas residents destroying GOP excuses with facts about the beyond awful response to the most recent flooding...and yeah, “MAGA Mike” Johnson shows up on Fix Noise for “thoughts and prayers,” as opposed to actual competent leadership to coordinate rescue and recovery efforts (here)...and oh yeah, along comes “All Hat, No Cattle” Greg Abbott to accuse the Texas lawmakers who left the state to deny quorum over the redistricting scam of “bribery”...good luck trying to prove that...and I can’t tell you how much respect I have for Jessica Tarlov for telling the truth to those jackals on that joke of a “news” channel (with Jayar Jackson...mildly NSFW/H also)...
...and David Pakman (echoing Farron Cousins a bit from Monday) informs us that the Trump collapse has begun...Pakman does a good job IMO of explaining how those ridiculous tariffs from Our Ochre Abomination are hurting our economy and the businesses/individuals who supported #47 (once again, people who vote for the “leopards eating faces” party are shocked that the leopards ate THEIR faces)...oh, and by the way, for the zillionth time, tax cuts NEVER PAY FOR THEMSELVES – that kind of goes against principles of basic math, actually...and oh yeah, that Big Beautiful Clusterf*ck Of A Bill will lead to 10-12 million people losing health insurance from Medicaid...also, the ruinous economic policies form Pumpkin Pol Pot will, among other negative developments, increase our trade deficit as Pakman lays out...
...and I try to work in at least one newer tune each week around here, and I think this is a good selection partly for that reason.
John and Jayar of The Damage Report bring us a clip of former DC homicide Detective Ted Williams dropping a “truth bomb” on Fix Noise about what’s really going on in D.C. with crime...as anyone who has been paying attention can see, Mango Mussolini wants a slo-mo takeover of sorts over blue state cities to help usher in his dictatorial rule for real (and as usual, distract from Epstein and his utterly failed administration); he’s never wasted a single brain cell in his head on trying to better the lives of anyone besides himself...and yes, all of this is a truly appalling reality check of sorts for waay too damn many people in this country who consume right-wing media 24/7/365 (and as far as I’m concerned, demonizing DC this way is a throwback to the “welfare queen” BS from The Sainted Ronnie R, and probably even before that)...and Nail. Hammer. Head for John saying that it would have been nice for our beyond useless corporate media to point out #47’s BS last year during the election when we COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!!!...
...and Leeja Miller makes what I thought was an interesting comparison to now and the pre-Civil War days...interesting history on how many times the “let’s get the hell out of Texas to deny quorum” move has been used in the past...and leave it to AG Ken Paxton to go “judge shopping” to the 8th district in Illinois to find a Repug-friendly judge to hear his case to go after the Texas lawmakers in that state...and the reason John Cornyn is making such a stink and trying to get the FBI involved is because he knows he’s in a tough primary contest with Paxton to defend his U.S. Senate seat (Cornyn, that is) and he’s trying to “out Trump” Paxton with this move...interesting discussion about states honoring extradition orders and inter-state cooperation in general...interesting parallel also to the pre-Civil War days of “free” states vs. “slave” states; kind of pathetic to realize how we’ve de-evolved to make that comparison...can’t think of a word to describe the irony of using the 14th Amendment today to punish immigrants from this era given that that amendment was passed to ensure citizenship primarily for freed slaves...important history also of the abomination that was the Fugitive Slave Act...NSFW/H...
...so what is our ruling regime coming up with now? Well, as Farron Cousins informs us, #47 is proposing that foreign tourists would have to pay a bond to come here between $5 and $15K, and as Cousins notes, those would primarily be travel visas that would have to be paid by people probably trying to scrimp and save to come here at all...yep, just watch Vegas, Orlando, NYC, and all the other favored tourist spots just do the big swirl in the hopper, economically...as I’ve said, everything Our Treasonous Orange Pestilence does makes us weaker and helps Vlad The Butcher...
...and this report form More Perfect Union does a deep dive into the scam of the “wellness” industry...didn’t know about the “Proxmire Amendment” in 1976 that made it easier to sell unproven supplements (Sen. Proxmire was the guy who gave out his “Golden Fleece” awards to government entities who were wasting funds, according to Proxmire)...didn’t know the “wellness” industry has ties to the Birchers and the wingnuts, but that sure fits the profile IMO...and good job to mention Buckley v. Valeo, which lifted the limits on campaign expenditures by corporations and how that plays into this story...it looks like the supplements industry really started to take off in 1994 with the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994...good job to create a fake product and get assorted right wing goofballs to endorse it to show how scammy this business really is... Gwyneth Paltrow’s role in this is discussed, along with the anti-vax nonsense of Jenny McCarthy (and the disproven claim from Brit Andrew Wakefield that the MMR vaccine caused autism in ’98) and “Bobby Brainworms” suing vaccine makers...and whaddaya know? There’s a tie between Wakefield and Cantaloupe Capone...and oh yeah, this Joseph Mercola is another one of these frauds peddling this idiocy (and to the tune of $4 billion a year...just no words at this point)...
...and Seth Meyers tells us about the latest gonzo press conference with Our Ochre Abomination (and yeah, there SHOULD be a laugh track in the background while Dementia J. Trump concocts his gonzo ramblings...and I’m shocked that CNN actually fact-checked Our Treasonous Orange Yam in real time; they’d better be careful or they’ll get sued for about a billion dollars by our *preznit...and even by the guttural standards of this joke of a presidential administration, the ramblings concocted by Cantaloupe Capone here were particularly nuts)...
...and when it comes to my seasonal selections, it’s been a little while since I included this, so here it is.
Brian Tyler Cohen tells us about DHS Secretary Kristi (“Unsafe At Any Speed”) Noem responding to getting dragged on “South Park,” which, as Cohen points out, only happens to FREAKING EVERYONE BECAUSE IT’S A DAMN CARTOON!...but oh, it’s time for the fainting couch when a wingnut (ette?) is involved...would that more Repugs would get the treatment that Cohen gives Noem here, going down the looong, sordid list of her offenses...
...and I thought this was an interesting video from the Murdoch Street Journal on how the Bureau of Labor Statistics comes up with its employment data...interesting stuff that I didn’t know, and of course Our Treasonous Orange Yam doesn’t care about educating himself on this, but maybe the rest of us do...I realize that, since this is the Journal, the video has to end in a manner which somewhat legitimizes #47’s ridiculous hissy fit in firing the head of the BLS who was widely respected in a politically non-partisan manner...
...and sticking with money matters a bit, Farron Cousins informs us that business leaders are predicting a massive crash – important info from Cousins that businesses have been stockpiling since the beginning of the year knowing what’s coming to try and mitigate their losses (and maybe not jack up prices quite so much?), but they won’t be able to do that for too much longer (and of course, since workers are essentially disposable in our end stage capitalist economy, they’ve been feeling the impact first with layoffs)...and don’t get me started on Bill freaking Maher...I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard these media knuckleheads say, “Oh, Biden’s going to bring on inflation because of all of this government spending to get us out of COVID,” which NEVER GODDAMN HAPPENED...I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; stagflation is coming – I want to be wrong, but I don’t think I am...
...and Tennessee Brando informs us that it looks like “Big Hair” Blackburn may run for guv of Tennessee – why am I not surprised? And it also figures, sadly, that, when it comes to supporting the Trump Party, it does indeed start in churches...and organized religion actually wonders why they’re losing younger potential congregants (and I definitely see that in my own house of worship, and they barely touch on politics, to the credit of the people in charge)...Brando does a good job of describing just how entrenched the wingnut media ecosystem truly is in his state (and believe me that we don’t have the right here in Pennsyltucky to look down our noses)...and with respect to Brando, I think The Sainted Ronnie R along with Dubya and “Big Time” Cheney helped grease the skids for #47, but at least those who came before actually were competent at managing government on at least a minimal level (NSFW/H)...
...and Stephen Colbert brings us the tale of more tariff madness from #47, etc., including 50% on India for some reason (maybe #47 had some curry that didn’t agree with him??)...and oh yeah, Brazil too (still trying to get revenge on that country for quite rightly booting Bolsonaro I see); well, at least I won’t have to worry about trying to buy a Rolex watch...and don’t ask me to explain how Apple is trying to get out of the tariff threat from Combover Caligula, considering that the iPhones will continue to NOT be made in this country...and oh yeah, Couch Boy ordered the Army COE to raise the Ohio River for his boat trip; “I’ll Take Ingratiating And Clueless, Excessive Privilege For 100, Alex” (and yeah, I know Trebek is dead)...
...and speaking of those who’ve gone on ahead of us, you might say, RIP Jim Lovell...
...and happy 71st birthday to Joe Jackson (Graham Maby is right up there with James Jamerson when it comes to the all-time great bass players IMO)...
...and this is another one of those times when I couldn’t decide on which tune, so here are both of them.
