Friday Stuff

I haven’t checked in with Seth Meyers in a little while for no particular reason, and I’m glad I did so here – we know what the Gropenfuhrer is by now, and we also know what his propaganda channel is all about (and leave it to Gramps Grasshole to dutifully tow the line also of course...also, check out the changing book titles)…

Update 5/21/20: Oh, and with garbage like this (outlined in red) appearing on my video screen, please tell me why I'm supposed to play nice with these scumbags (with that perpetually stupid and confused look on the face of the Swanson TV Dinner heir).

…and why do I have an utterly sick feeling that Dr. Rick Bright’s words about what it coming will turn out to be prescient? And believe me when I tell you that I want desperately to be wrong (and yeah, I think this just about says it…and why am I not surprised by this from Markwayne Mullin? More on this nematode is here)…



…and yeah, I think Chris Hayes is pretty spot-on here with his assessment of Mango Mussolini’s cavalier, criminal indifference to suffering from the COVID-19 plague (voicing probably as much disgust as is allowed by his Comcast handlers)…



…and Farron Cousins opines here that Our Pumpkin Pestilence is mad at Former President Hopey Changey because of #44’s popularity (he may be right about personal reasons for disliking Obama, but I think it has more to do with Trump trying to play off the “birther” garbage that made him popular with a particularly demented segment of our voters…well, that plainly ain’t gonna happen again, at least not in the numbers he needs for, God help us, a second term)…



…and I’m going to look the other way for now on Kyle’s snark about “Russia-gate,” which very definitely was NOT a “fake scandal,” and instead present this clip which focuses on the ongoing food crisis in this country from our economic collapse…



Update: And by the way, in the matter of COVID-19-related relief legislation currently pending in the House, I have to admit that I got a thoroughly-not-intended-I’m-sure laugh out of these excerpts (an AP story from here)…

Democratic leaders were pressing ahead despite grumbling from party moderates leery of the measure’s massive price tag and liberals who wanted bolder steps, like money to cover workers’ salaries. The measure cleared an early procedural hurdle 207-199 with 14 Democrats voting in opposition, an unusually high number of “no” votes but small enough to suggest that leadership had things under control.

For the love of God, you’d damn well better find a way to work “divided Dems” into your corporate media reporting, or it’s back to general assignment reporting of 3 AM traffic accidents and zoning board meetings.

Also…

In a scene that’s become uncomfortably familiar since the virus took hold, the sparsely populated House chamber was dotted with members and aides wearing protective masks, though some Republicans were not.

There were few clusters of chatting lawmakers and Pelosi edged away from anyone who stepped near her.

And why on earth for the love of all that’s holy am I supposed to give a flying coitus if Nancy Pelosi breathed on anybody?

And finally...

The bill would flush almost $1 trillion to state and local governments and provide more money for virus testing and to pay front-line emergency workers.

“Flush”? Gee, that’s a rather curious and thoroughly non-judgmental way to put it, right?

I retrieved this dreck from philly.com, home of the Inquirer, to which I continue to no longer subscribe.

…and I’ll give this “Republicans for the Rule of Law” group some credit for speaking out now, but I’d honestly like to know where the hell they were when we attacked Iraq in response to 9/11 and New Orleans drowned from Hurricane Katrina…for the time being, though, this is a good ad (and this guy should open his Club-for-Growth-owned pie hole and speak out for mail-in ballots for everybody also…and to do something about Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao at long last, click here...for more on mail-in ballots, click here)…



Update: More McConnell garbage is here - and once more, here is a way to fight back.

…and I’m including what may be my favorite cover of a Little Richard tune here to indicate his influence on legions of rock n’ rollers…



…and of all of his huge hits, this may be the biggest of all (maybe the most covered too).

Wednesday Stuff

Boy, is this ever a great Now This commentary on rights vs. responsibilities – I don’t know who this guy is, but he absolutely nails it here…



…and I think this a good transition from the prior video, with Cenk and Ana talking about the Michigan ammo-sexuals out there threatening Dem Governor Gretchen Whitmer, now for trying to get guns out of the state capitol, which probably won’t happen because, for some utterly daffy reason, Michigan is an open carry state (and good anecdote about The Sainted Ronnie R)...



…and Thom Hartmann speaks with Dean Obeidallah about an attack on a mosque in Missouri (with Our Orange Pustule’s typically horrendous remarks to gin up more racist hatred…lip sync is off again for some reason…another reference to what Whitmer is dealing with also)…

…and speaking of racism, the “lens of history” and buildings burning to the ground, today is the 35th anniversary, believe it or not, of the MOVE bombing in Philadelphia.

And by the way, if you want to look for a clip of Ramona Africa (you can Google the name if you want) portrayed in a sympathetic light, you should look somewhere else (like the murder of Officer Daniel Faulkner by Mumia Abu-Jamal…and yeah, that’s what happened…I was growing up in Philly when MOVE happened also).

Yes, it was criminally stupid incompetence by the administration of Mayor Wilson Goode (who, at the hearing that followed, made a remark that he thought water was being sprayed on the fire, though it turned out that it was snow…as in bad reception…on his TV set), though Fire Commissioner William Richmond, as nearly as I can recall, was a notable exception, having been genuinely wrecked emotionally by what happened (Richmond passed away about two years ago). Also, I have it on very reliable information that the city’s building trades offered to rebuild the homes lost to the inferno at no cost, but were rebuffed in favor of well-connected individuals who ended up doing shoddy work and bilking the city in their “bargain.”

But make absolutely no mistake; MOVE was guilty of waging a campaign of terrorism of a sort on their neighbors (trash, loud music, all sorts of other disruptions to people living in what was a pretty prototypical blue collar neighborhood). They very definitely were not “innocent,” though they didn’t deserve what happened either (especially the children, including Michael Moses Ward, formerly known as Birdie Africa). And this historical context is important – in 1978, there was a shootout with MOVE members in which Police Officer James Ramp was killed, which also prompted the city’s heavy-handed response (again, not a justification – as I said, I’m only providing context…more is here)…



…for something a little more positive, I give you this New York Times clip about Albany, GA and the pastors in the predominantly black communities trying to reinforce shelter-in-place restrictions – I’m not going to have a hissy fit over the hairdresser who decided to reopen; I mean, I still think she’s wrong, but I get it that working people have hard decisions to make because our federal government doesn’t represent them…I mean, how many more versions of the PPP are we supposed to expect before the rest of this country is actually helped instead of the “pay no price, bear no burden” one percent crowd?...



...and to contrast once more with the troglodytes protesting Gov. Whitmer, here is a genuine Michigan story of courage and teamwork (I know National Nurse’s Week was last week, but as far as I’m concerned, their valor and sacrifice should be honored the whole year ‘round)…

...

…and happy 70th birthday to Stevie Wonder…



…and here’s another favorite from Little Richard.

Tuesday Stuff

I think this latest Biden ad, presented on Morning Joe recently, pretty much says it (and yeah, this is the latest insanity from this utter fraud - not sure what else needs to be said about it)…



…and Trumpster Peter Navarro recently whined repeatedly here about a “great depression pity party,” or something, on Fix Noise of course…here is one response to Navarro’s idiocy (more here)…so many ways to refute it, but one right off the bat is to point out that Mango Mussolini inherited an economy from President Obama that was perking along just fine; all 45 had to do was maintain the status quo but, as was the case with his failed businesses, he couldn’t even do that…I shouldn’t be negative I know, but I truly can’t think of anything bad enough to happen to these characters after about three and a half years of this garbage (not sure what is up with the sync on some YouTube videos)…



…and yeah, I think “management by optics” pretty much says it when it comes to Trump/Pence and wearing a mask in response to COVID-19, as David Pakman tells us…



...and as Farron Cousins tells us here, I guess it’s not entirely surprising that the Gropenfuhrer vetoed a bill to limit his war powers, but the reason why is particularly juvenile and utterly Trumpian, as Cousins tells us…



…and here are two more legendary tunes from Little Richard.

Monday Stuff

This Now This clip tells us what Former President Obama thinks of his successor’s godawful response, or lack of it, to the COVID-19 pandemic (the wingnut caterwauling over this, by the way, reminds me of the hue and cry over the remark about a certain segment of people clinging to their guns and religion, which was also 100 percent accurate)…



…and what does it tell you about the “party of Lincoln” that they apparently have NO COLLECTIVE ANSWER for the fact that the head of their party has feet of proverbial clay on the subject of nationwide testing and making sure the people who need it have PPE (and I’m thinking about this guy and this guy in particular when I say this…Bri-Fi and “No Corporate Tax” Toomey just meekly whimper like the lap dogs that they truly are, along with the rest of their sorry same-party brethren…I’ve taken some well-deserved shots at the Dem “leadership” lately, and I think it’s time to aim my fire in the opposite direction for now – more from Ana and Cenk)…



…and the Morning Joe people including Willie Geist discuss longtime Repug fixer Bill Barr tossing charges against Michael Flynn who, as is pointed out, pled guilty twice already (not the biggest fan of this show, including John Heilemann, but they're all spot-on here)....



…and Farron Cousins tells us all of the reasons why Our Orange Pestilence doesn’t want to wear a face mask…well, if it turns out that he doesn’t want to look stupid, I’m afraid that metaphorical ship has already sailed (and in a somewhat worrisome related development, I give you this)…



…and I give you the following as part of this week’s tribute to Little Richard (I'm pretty sure John Lennon, among others, covered both of these tunes).

Sunday Stuff

Sam Seder of “The Majority Report” speaks with National Nurses United president Jean Ross about the lack of PPE (despite the latest lies on this topic from Mango Mussolini) and the White House protest in response (and with all due respect to Ross, it isn't "his" house - it's the people's house)…



…of course, what you can say when Our Treasonous, Tiny-Handed Chief Executive apparently doesn’t even understand the concept of testing in the first place, as Chris Hayes points out here…



...though our narcissist-in-chief apparently thinks this catastrophe has been manufactured to discredit him, as Rachel Maddow points out (pardon me while I gag)...



…and turning away from the Gropenfuhrer for a minute, I give you this “Lincoln Project” ad against Repug U.S. Senator Martha McSally in AZ – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; I wish the Dems knew how to go for the political jugular like this (to do something about her, click here)…



...and RIP Betty Wright (happily, Betty White is just fine)...



...and I'm sure I will be featuring tunes by the former Richard Wayne Penniman over the coming week, including this one.

More Friday Stuff

Being the utterly filthy and still-unkempt liberal blogger that I am (with blogging way past its usefulness in most cases I’ll admit), let it be known that I somehow forgot that today is the 75th anniversary of VE Day, so with that in mind, I give you this clip of U.S. troops marching through London upon their arrival in the UK in 1942…



…and here is a BBC clip of the 75th anniversary celebration, with Winston Churchill’s declaration of victory…



…along with a clip of US troops returning home…



…and when I think of that era of my parents, it’s impossible for me not to think of this song.

Friday Stuff

Here’s another (pointless, I’ll admit) “hot take” – Mango Mussolini and his pals let the COVID-19 disaster occur partly because of his hissy fit over the Mueller investigation (everybody remember that?) and impeachment, so he said “F.U.” to the country and decided to let everybody die in response…and I swear, JUST ONCE I’d like to see one of these network news personalities point out to Our Treasonous, Tiny-Handed, COVID-19-ignoring "`chief executive" that he doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about (”the cupboard was bare,” blah blah blah…Trump is the biggest WATB I’ve ever seen!)...Brian Tyler Cohen presents the gory details – and I give that nurse credit because I would have said everything I just pointed out to The Orange Pustule, and I probably would have lost my job as a result…



Update 5/9/20" Yeah, I think this about says it - hope David Muir has fun cashing the check for his hard-earned stenography.

…and Sam and Michael Brooks of The Majority Report tells us about how the “reopen” movement is executing the “disaster capitalism” playbook, especially in Iowa; this clip is about a week old, but I think it’s still timely…



…and Stephanie Ruhle speaks with Jason Furman, former Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers during the Obama administration, and Chris Lu, former deputy labor secretary under Obama, about just how truly bad this economic downturn is and how the PPP as a response was wrong for so many reasons…



…and Kyle K. quite rightly complains about lobbyists getting bailouts as part of the COVID-19 “stim”...pardon me while I retch…no defending the Dems on this one, people (here), and that goes for our corporate media too, but in fairness, I also give you this…



…and with all of the other insanity going on out there, I really hadn’t said anything about the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, who apparently was guilty of the “crime” of jogging while black; David Doel tells us that two life forms have been charged…and yes, I saw the video, and no, I’m not going to present it either – it’s out there if you want to find it…so much that’s utterly unconscionable about this, not the least of which is the fact that this happened in FEBRUARY and we’re just hearing about this now! (mildly NSFW/H..Doel’s disgust is palpable, and thoroughly called for)...



…and once in a while, I just feel the need to present this clip from “Network,” with Peter Finch as Howard Beale, the “mad prophet of the airwaves” as context for everything, since I think it’s still timely…I guess what he says here also now applies to what we get through our phones and computers, and if you wish to lump in your humble narrator here, that’s your right I’ll admit, though I endeavor to tell the truth, in an imperfect manner I’ll admit (mildly NSFW/H)…



...and RIP one-hit wonder Millie Small...



…and just as a reminder than life goes on, today is the 55th anniversary of this video (here), believe it or not (and a new Dylan recording is on the way, apparently).

Wednesday Stuff

This clip from NowThis presents more idiot protestors, this time in Minnesota, yelling about opening up that state and nurses pushing back in response – I have a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that this is the “endgame” for the wingnuts…they want others not like them simply to die…



…and the numbers don’t lie – this clip from Rachel Maddow tells us that New York City, at a terrible price, has flattened the COVID-19 curve somewhat, but that definitely is NOT what is going on in the rest of this country…



…and Ana of TYT brings us this video about an 89-page whistleblower complaint from Dr. Rick Bright, who (commendably) finally said ENOUGH of the criminal regime of Our Pumpkin Pestilence and stepped down from his post leading the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (more here)…



…and this clip from Thom Hartmann is a few weeks old, but I think it bears repeating…he discusses the nearly-40-year campaign of billionaires to wreck our government (I think Thom means Charles Koch, not David)…



…and I give you this Billy Bragg tune in recognition of National Nurse’s Day (true, sadly, especially with what is going on now)…



…and RIP Florian Schneider of Kraftwerk (not related to COVID-19 apparently, which is cold comfort I guess).

Tuesday Stuff

This is the best parody of the thoroughly disgusting “Morning in America” Ronald Reagan ad from way back that I can ever remember, and what does it tell you that it was created by Republicans? And yes, I know there’s nothing even remotely funny about the COVID-19 casualties and our thoroughly wrecked economy, which is what this is all about of course…



Update: Tee hee hee...

…and sitting in front of the Lincoln Memorial, which to me is an obscenity all by itself, Mango Mussolini tells us that he thinks he’s been treated worse than our 16th president…years from now, mental health professionals will be trying to diagnose Number 45’s utter sociopathy…



…and Brian Tyler Cohen tells us how Koch baboon and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo can’t get his story straight on whether or not he thinks COVID-19 was manufactured by the Chinese or not (kind of low-hanging fruit I guess since the whole thing is a ridiculous talking point as far as I’m concerned manufactured to try and hide the murderous incompetence of our ruling regime of frauds and criminals)…



…and David Pakman tells us about Generalissimo Trump threatening to sue states that don’t lift pandemic orders (and when it comes to states and people protesting shelter-in-place and other restrictions, I have to admit that I was shocked by this, though in context, this is a good point)…



…and for an example of real leadership, I give you this (more here)…



…and RIP Dave Greenfield of The Stranglers (another victim of our modern plague).

Sunday Stuff

David Pakman tells us about Florida Repug Gov Ron DeSantis hiding COVID-19 fatalities (at this point, the whole damn state is a Petri dish full of death as far as I’m concerned)…



Update: More here on Florida...

…and John and Ana of TYT tell us about Repug Gov Greg Abbott reopening his state too early (and this tells us about more related nonsense from yet another Republican governor, this time in Missouri...and it looks like still another Repug governor is having second thoughts, as noted here)…



…and Sam Seder talks about what Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan had to do to protect his state’s PPE from the federal government (Hogan, in a rare exception, is a Republican)…Sam is absolutely right about the utter insanity of this…but don’t wake our corporate media about it - sssshh…rock a bye baby…



…and Jim Schaefer of Raleigh, North Carolina is my latest hero for questioning these gun-toting morons…”you’re actually proving our point, which is fantastic”…really??? And what “point” might that be? That I have a bigger gun than you do, so shut up and let me take charge? Go brandish your external death penises somewhere else, you assclowns…



…and on the subject of legitimate protest, tomorrow, believe it or not, marks the 50th anniversary of the Kent State massacre – here is one tune for the occasion (based on this little number…more here, here and here)…



…and here is the granddaddy of them all (apparently, Neil Young conceived this is a fit of utter rage, and we are so much richer for this great gift in the face of horrific, murderous cruelty).

Friday Stuff

Brian Tyler Cohen tells us about the typical nonsensical response from Our Orange Pestilence when he was questioned about the New York Times report last weekend listing all of the times in January and February when he blew off the Coronavirus pandemic (with 45 displaying the typical “many people” lying tell once more...and "very, very strong...death totals?" What a monster...here)…

…and this Reuters report tells us that the ammo-sexuals were out in force recently in Michigan to protest the shelter-in-place restrictions from Dem Gov. Gretchen Whitmer…OK, there are multiple levels of craziness going on here as far as I can see, mainly because Whitmer, in addition to being a Democrat, is female, which makes her a more inviting target for protest, as well as the fact that Michigan is apparently a hotbed for white nationalism (news to me, I’ll admit, though, given that state's economic decline, maybe it shouldn't be)…make no mistake – these are the Teahadists 2.0; the only difference is that, as opposed to protesting alleged “big gumint” overreach and health care reform 10 years ago, these imbeciles are protesting whether or not people should be allowed to stay alive…also, I’m sure it doesn’t need to be pointed out that there is nothing “grass roots” about these clowns – I’d really be interested to know the median income level for these life forms…they’re doing this cosplay thing like they’re from the “heartland,” when I would venture to guess that a good percentage of them bring in six figures a year (more here)…



Update: Once more - umm...yeah (this too).

Update 5/3/20: Also, this.

…and with a nod to the Michigan craziness, Cenk and Ana of TYT tell us about the Gropenfuhrer pressuring governors to reopen early, schools in particular (and also a Trump hotel in Las Vegas, apparently…color me not shocked)...



...and here’s a new Lincoln Project ad against Repug senators up for election this year...cool to watch Repugs gang up on each other (you could add a few more to this video as far as I'm concerned, like this one, this one, this one, this one, and this one)...pass the popcorn...



…and I thought Farron Cousins brought the proverbial fire here in the matter of a likely second COVID-19 wave this fall, as indicated by Dr. Fauci; love to be wrong, but unfortunately all signs point to that, including the insanity in Michigan noted previously…



…and Ari Melber brought us a bit of a history lesson here on how the prior administration handled science overall, as well as the two outbreaks under the watch of the Obama Administration (truly heartbreaking to watch this now)…



…and in an attempt to lighten things up a bit, I give you this wrapup by Jimmy Kimmel from a day or so ago, including Onward Christian Soldiers Mike Pence refusing to wear a mask when he visited the Mayo Clinic recently (here…and yes, he knew exactly what he wasn’t doing...and what a snowflake...and I know some of this is repetitive; it is for a reason)…



…and in another gesture towards something approaching normalcy, you might say, I give you a little “Friday with Frank” timed for the season.

Wednesday Stuff (updates)

Chris Hayes brings all the disgust required as far as I’m concerned towards some of the more visible members of The Roger Ailes BS Factory in the matter of the COVID-19 pandemic…



Update 4/30/20: Speaking of Chris Hayes, this is patently ridiculous. As I note below, I don't think there's much to the whole Tara Reade thing, but that doesn't mean he isn't allowed to cover it.

I get really fed up with listening to Bill Maher, among other people, whine about "cancel culture." Well, unfortunately, this is Exhibit A as far as I'm concerned.

…and as a follow-up to Hayes’s reference to what is going on at our meat packing plants, Rachel Maddow tells us how the CDC under Mango Mussolini is now basically a rubber stamp for the industries it is supposed to regulate…”oh, excuse me, if it isn’t too much trouble, could you please abide by regulations to KEEP WORKERS SAFE SO THEY DON’T DIE ON THE JOB???!!!”…

…and Thom Hartmann talks with Marc Dimondstein, president of the APWU, about the Trump gang trying to put the post office out of business, led by aspiring Bond villain and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin (the bill in question from the sorry reign of Dubya, by the way, is explained here)…



…and I realize I’m a little late with the whole “Trump/Noble” thing, but for what it’s worth, I give you John and Cenk here…



…and Farron Cousins reminds us that, as bad as Our Orange Pestilence is, Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao is somehow worse (to do something about him AT LONG LAST, click here...and unfortunately, I think Cousins is right at the end about the Dems caving in response...and let's not forget about this also, with nary a whimper in response from Democratic minority "leader" Chuck Schumer)…



Update 1 4/30/20: Umm - yeah.

Update 2 4/30/20: More of the same (here)...

...(and by the way, when it comes to the "meaningless hot takes" department, I give you this):

I could care less which candidate is endorsed by Joe Rogan and/or Howard Stern. They’re entitled to their opinions even if I thoroughly disagree with them.

I have not a clue about what did or didn’t happen with Joe Biden and Tara Reade, and I have a feeling most other people don’t either; this is probably the best account I’ve read on this matter (also this and this). However, in the “two wrongs don’t make a right” department I know, we have an individual taking up space in An Oval Office who has been credibly accused of sexual assault by MULTIPLE women, and Lord knows he isn’t going to go anywhere, at least not without the good, hard shove out the door that he deserves.

In a related story, for some reason, I’m seeing Stacey Abrams all over the place on my teevee (granted, maybe I watch MSNBC more than I should :-). I admire her, but I cannot for the life of me understand why anybody cares about her at this point. Yes, she quite probably should be governor of the state of Georgia but for some utterly shameless election hackery by Brian Kemp, but the simple fact of the matter is that SHE LOST! And for her to be seriously considered as a vice presidential nominee for Biden is beyond a joke as far as I’m concerned.

…and if I’m going to feature this tune, I’d better hurry up because the month is nearly over.

Tuesday Stuff

As far as I’m concerned, these Teahadist 2.0 uprisings (featured in the Now This clip) deserve whatever scorn we can heap upon them (and a pox on Fix Noise, which spreads the utter misinformation that motivates these life forms…in response to that yelling woman, I should point out that a family member is a nurse, and that protester is an idiot...and yeah, I think this says it)…



…and if EVER hear about a politician running for ANY ELECTED OFFICE AT ALL who claims to HATE GOVERNMENT (which automatically begs the question, "why the hell are you doing this?," with their inevitable comeback that the private sector can allegedly do everything better), I’m going to remind them of this story of food utterly going to waste in this country while too damn many people go hungry, as Farron Cousins tells us (which is EXACTLY the sort of problem government run by reasonable people with actual brains can solve)…this is worse than incompetence – this is a bleeping sin!...



…and Robert Reich tells us about the usual corporate suspects making out like bandits as always, this time on the alleged “stimulus” for COVID-19 victims, which includes a hell of a lot of people (and by the way, to learn about a country that actually handled this right, I give you this)…



…and yeah, Biden is the default selection for prez as far as I’m concerned because of our Insane Clown Chief Executive, but he shouldn’t even be in the same area code as Larry Summers, for all of the reasons stated by David Doel here (and probably a few here too)…



…and gosh, whaddaya know? It looks like Diamond and Silk are out at Fix Noise – yeah, just throw these two knuckleheads under the proverbial bus, as John sez (with Jordan Uhl), but don’t you dare impugn Sean Inanity, Ingraham, the Swanson TV Dinner heir or any of the other “talent” on that network (harking back a little to the first video)…



...and in my search for something upbeat, I came across this new Pretenders tune, just in time I would say.

Sunday Stuff

I have to admit that I honestly wasn’t aware of the extent of the airborne danger of COVID-19, which is even more scary, if that’s possible at this point, but that’s one of the important points Sam Seder makes here in this TMR clip…and in a related story, kudos to CNN’s John King (didn’t think I’d ever be saying that) for this, and more is here…you may also have to press the graphic highlighted above to read the important details...



Update: Every word of this should be inscribed for all eternity, to our collective shame.

…and Kyle K. brings us Huckleberry Graham, who for sure doesn’t know what he’s talking about when it comes to unemployment compensation, particularly in our beloved commonwealth; it doesn’t come ANYWHERE NEAR your full salary of the job from which you were just laid off…this is a typical BS Repug talking point from the days of The Sainted Ronnie R (and to do something about it, click here)…



…and echoing what Kyle said in the prior clip, I give you The Rev. William Barber on what we actually should be focusing on during this pandemic (here)…



…and I’m in the mood for a somewhat upbeat, rockabilly-ish tune, and I hope this will suffice.

Friday Stuff

Thom Hartmann tells us about the lunatics behind the campaign to try and get the U.S. to open up against the advice of health care experts...wonder how Google feels about their analytics tool being used by these nutbags? My guess is that they don't care (not the least bit surprised that Freedom Works is involved)…and speaking of crazy…



Update: Nothing but a POS (follow-up from the last linked item)...

..and yeah, “There will be a lot of death, unfortunately”…no shit, Sherlock (here)...



…and Joe Scar is absolutely right to tear into The Gropenfuhrer (here), but given his shock over the utter lack of preparedness from our ruling regime of frauds and crooks, I have some questions for him:

At what point did it FINALLY occur to you that Mango Mussolini is in WAAAAY OVER HIS HEAD and completely out of his depth as “president”?

Didn’t that occur to you in 2016 when you and your crew were riding the proverbial tire swing with Trump by hosting him on your program? If it did, why the hell didn’t you speak up?

When has this “president” shown ANY INTEREST AT ALL in anything having to do with actual policy or legislation on behalf of the vast majority of this country? Did you not see that? Were you bleeping blind??!! WHY THE HELL DIDN’T YOU BLEEPING WARN US WHEN IT ACTUALLY MATTERED??!!

Do you not see how you and your morning playmates (along with way too damn much of the rest of our corporate media) COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY FAILED TO VET THIS UTTER CHARLATAN AS TO HIS TOTAL LACK OF PREPAREDNESS FOR THE JOB OF PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES??!!

So yeah, your outrage is duly noted. But until you can provide some somewhat intelligent responses to any or all of the questions noted above, try shutting the hell up...



...and there's so much illegality and malfeasance going on with this regime that it's possible to overlook stuff, but let's not forget about Our Orange Pestilence and his Chinese masters (noted here also)...



…and Brian Tyler Cohen tells us about Anderson Cooper’s interview with Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman…like many of you I’m sure, I know what the crowds are like on Las Vegas Boulevard for most of the day and the evening, and that is the LAST place that should be volunteering to be a “petri dish,” or whatever nonsense Goodman is talking about – exposure to those kinds of throngs would start a lethal second wave all by itself…



...…and Rachel Maddow speaks with Anthony Romero of the ACLU about the COVID-19 threat in our prisons…a little surprised by how this interview was cut short, but Romero makes some important points – I’d be pretty cheesed off if this guy ended up under house arrest for example, but maybe it’s the right thing to do in the overall scheme of things…



…and Kyle tells us about comedian Vic DiBitetto going off in car with what I guess you could call a typical NYC rant, and I say that with respect (very NSFWH, as in “Not Safe For Work/Home,” but definitely right…I would call this an answer to Rick Santelli, but the difference here is that DiBitetto is actually right)…



…and this week started with the noting of a passing on the Philly music scene due to the pandemic, and it’s ending the same way – RIP to jazz legend “Bootsie” Barnes…one day, all of this will be over, and that day can’t come soon enough.

Wednesday Stuff

Farron Cousins tells us here that the refusal by Sean Inanity of Fix Noise to take the COVID-19 pandemic seriously is literally killing his audience; not sure what I could add to that (more here)…



Update 4/26/20: Any by the way, the pic isn't hyperbole (here).

…and Cenk Uygur tells us about the recent back-and-forth between AOC and the Swanson TV Dinner Heir; one important takeaway for yours truly is that AOC, In a very rare instance, gave up the high ground a bit on the issue of clean energy by deleting the tweet (even though she was unequivocally right…and yeah, I’m tempted to agree with Cenk that she was pressured to do so) and Carlson, being the utterly unrepentant alt-right wingnut that he is, went after her anyway…as much as I applaud AOC and Cenk on this, I have to admit that it’s discouraging a bit that we STILL have to fight over something approximating fairness and decency in assisting those hurt by the outbreak (though other countries such as Canada have enacted UBI, as noted here), commitment to renewable energy, a sane military budget, ACA and Medicare/Medicaid expansion, and on and on ("mostly white meat"...heh)…



…and this Georgia doctor tells Repug Governor Brian Kemp to actually LISTEN TO THE MEDICAL EXPERTS AND DON’T SENTENCE YOUR RESIDENTS TO DEATH BY REOPENING TOO EARLY!!!...



…and I don’t know…maybe it’s just me…but I’m really not seeing a lot of historical context for the true scope of the horror many of us are dealing with from COVID-19, and to be sure, there most definitely IS a historical context, and that has to do with the so-called “Spanish” flu of 1918 (which, arguably, didn’t originate in Spain, but in Kansas – it was called “Spanish” because that’s the first country that reported it); this video is about 40 minutes long, so yeah, pack a lunch (or a Swanson TV Dinner…?)…part of the reason why I’m including this is to note that Philadelphia played a particularly awful part in spreading it – not trying to be snarky, but just trying to present the full picture of what happened over 100 years ago…



…meanwhile, on a more upbeat note, today marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day (and yes, we have much to do on that front also, but there’s hopeful stuff in the video)…to me, the significance of Earth Day is tied to the rise of the consumer movement in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, and the backlash to that led ultimately to the ruinous conservative ascendancy, but it was a battle well fought and well won all the same…



...and since it's Earth Day, to me, that means it's time for this tune.

Tuesday Stuff

via GIPHY

This Now This clip shows Mango Mussolini facing off with another female reporter, this time from CBS News (I’m glad that his dumb little Bund rallies are being more sparsely attended by the day, which is what he deserves at a minimum…actually, they should be boycotted altogether…and when it comes to the Gropenfuhrer and the China travel ban, I give you this)…



…and I’m not going to get my hopes up over this report from Farron Cousins, since there are no end to the Stupid Voting Tricks that the “party of Lincoln” can try to inflict in us all, but at a minimum, Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao has a thing or two to worry about at this moment concerning the fall eletions (and I’m sorry, but with all due respect to southern Dem progressives – who are owed huge props as far as I’m concerned for fighting the good fight – I’m not getting my hopes up that southern voters as a whole will do the right thing, and that actually goes for too many northern voters too)…



…and in keeping with life below that Mason-Dixon line, David Doel tells us about GA governor Brian Kemp wanting to open the state back up, social distancing and health care professionals/experts be damned (and when it comes to stupid Republican southern governors, let’s not forget this)…



Update: And somewhere, Jim Jones smiles (here).

…but for the purposes of fair play, I should note that at least one Republican governor has called BS on all of the Trumpian garbage, and that would be Larry Hogan of Maryland, as Cenk and Ana tell us here…



...and since this is another day of the week with a "y" in it, it looks like it's time for this clip again (my response to this)...



...and Prince died four years ago today.

Monday Stuff

(Yeah, “Pennsyltucky” is trending on Twitter for a reason, as noted here - spelling continues to be an issue for these life forms)...

Sam and the crew from The Majority Report tell us about health care workers going against protestors in Denver (similar to pic…note to self….NEVER, EVER eat out at Ruth Chris’s again once this is finally, mercifully over…waiting for another angry outburst from Rick Santelli which I’m sure will be coming any day now)…



Update 4/21/20: Yep...predictable indeed (here).

…meanwhile, for the reality point of view, I give you this (here)…



…and yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City (here...one of the very few moments where Dubya showed actual competence on the job IMHO)…



…and usually I include a tune by an artist or band here, but I’m going to break with that to commemorate the recent passing of Gene Shay; he would probably laugh to be considered a folk music icon in these parts, but that is what he was, if for no other reason because of the Philadelphia Folk Festival, which became an international cultural event under his stewardship…like John Prine, I was hoping he in particular would make it.

Saturday Stuff

(The pic has to do with this item, by the way.)

Cenk and Ana of TYT tell us about how the supposed “stimulus” should help an estimated 22 million people out of work in this country, yet their former employers got bailout $$ to buy shares of their own stock or pay dividends to investors (and in a related story, I think this is pretty rank too)…



…and this “Morning Joe” clip is kind of a corporate-media-sanitized version of the prior video, but Stephanie Ruhle makes some great points about the big bidness malefactors taking the $$ they shouldn’t be entitled to – sounds like crappy legislation railroaded through Congress without proper oversight…more of a reason for us to vote out Repugs and hold more Dems’ feet to the proverbial fire, as Cenk alluded to earlier (and speaking of South Dakota, I give you this)…



…and in keeping with the overall theme here, Thom Hartmann tells us who Our Pumpkin Pestilence is lining up to take the fall for what happens next when he tries to reopen America (though the governors will really be doing that of course, as it should be)…



…and happy belated 75th birthday to Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple.

Friday Stuff (updates)

This Now This clip tells us about idiot MI demonstrators vs. the Dem Governor Gretchen Whitmer acting up against her shelter-in-place order, which led to a traffic jam that kept health care workers from their jobs (bankrolled by the DeVos family, who are no doubt laughing their despicable asses off over it – somehow I’m sure the Mackinac Center is involved also, but I can’t find anything on that at the moment)…



Update 1 4/18/20: Yeah, this figures.

Update 2 4/18/20: And this doesn't surprise me either.

Update 3 4/18/20: Lather, rinse, repeat - sigh (here).

…and Brian Tyler Cohen tells us about Mango Mussolini threatening to dissolve Congress, or something, in the typical manner of a banana republic strongman (spoiler alert: no, the Gropenfuhrer can’t do that for the reasons BTC explains)…



…and I know I need to catch up on this item from “The Majority Report” about the progressive judge winning in Wisconsin over the one favored by the “party of Lincoln,” and despite the best efforts of the High Court of Hangin’ Judge JR to tilt the scales in favor of the Repugs…pretty clear-eyed analysis by Sam I’d say…



...and since this is another day of the week with a "y" in it, it looks like it's time for this clip again (my response to this)...



…and RIP acclaimed character actor Brian Dennehy; IMHO, this is one of his best roles from a great movie based on a terrific book…



…and I’m definitely in the mood for something that’s more than a little trippy, so here it is.

Tuesday Stuff

Leave it to the Gropenfuhrer to air a video promoting himself during a news conference about a deadly pandemic, as Brian Tyler Cohen tells us…



…and John I. and Jordan Uhl of The Damage Report give us their take on Mango Mussolini’s most recent fit of madness (and great point about the spikes when South Korea and China re-opened)…

“We did a job that nobody ever thought was possible” all right. Yeah, because I guess we were SPOILED by COMPETENCE from PRESIDENTS WHO, FOR THE MOST PART, ACTED LIKE ADULTS!!

And “You have to pay attention. You have to be alert” indeed…



…meanwhile, for the reality point of view, I give you Rachel Maddow talking with New York Times reporter Eric Lipton, the lead writer of this piece that was published last Sunday…



…and RIP Philly jazz legend Jymie Merritt.

Monday Stuff

(Note: I may be able to sneak in a post or two after all this week.)

This tells us about New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern, who, as nearly as I can tell, has done a great job for real with her country’s COVID-19 crisis (here)…



…and this BBC segment gives us more of a picture of the human toll of this misery (more here)…



…and I have to admit that, while I applaud the spirit of the venture capitalist who comes out in favor of UBI (and basically tells the people running the hedge funds to pound sand), I’m just not sure that “burning it all down” is the answer, even though I admit that I don’t have a better idea…I got a kick out of the host who acted like he didn’t want “main street” to go belly up but was actually providing cover for the VC crowd, as does that entire network as far as I’m concerned…keeping this post international I know since David Doel is Canadian…



…and from this country, I should note that Lowell George would have been 75 today.

Happy Easter 2020

I hope you all you all have a happy and blessed Easter. If you don't observe anything, may you have a happy and blessed long weekend.