Friday, September 12, 2014

Friday Stuff

I give you the latest installment of FAIR TV…



…and Heaven forbid that “the blahs” are allowed to vote in November, huh (GA is a particularly important “battleground” state for the U.S. Senate – more here and here)…



…and why am I not the least bit surprised by this; here once more is a reminder why this matters (more here and here)…



..and I definitely like this tune, but I think this video sets the record for the most photographs of chin stubble (and not too many bands with a harp also).

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Thursday Stuff

Good to see "Wall Street Scott" Brown get the treatment he deserves here...


…and yes, it’s true that this video isn’t 100 percent accurate – it is about a year old, after all – but for anyone needing more information on the Affordable Care Law, this is a good place to start (and something to keep in mind in response to thisattention all Democrats; vote in November as if your life depends on it, because it just might)…



Update 9/12/14: As I said, it just might - see the dirty laundry list of what Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao and friends plan to do if they actually get back the Senate (here).

…and Cenk Uygur tells us the tale of Andrew Sabin, charter member of the “one percent” (even less, actually…and here is more on another foul court ruling besides the accursed Citizens United that enables Sabin and characters like him)…



...and no, I haven't forgotten what this day is truly all about.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Wednesday Stuff

Here's how to get it done, people...



…and even though this clip is a little more than four years old, I think it’s still timely in light of this (oy...h/t Atrios)…



…and it’s time for the latest installment of FAIR TV (it would probably be hilarious if they took a look at the hopelessly wingnutty Op-Ed page of the Bucks County Courier Times)…



…and the clip above concludes with some stuff on “Governor Bully” that he uncharacteristically got right, even though the wingnuts clutched their pearls in response – here is some stuff that he very definitely got wrong



…and sticking with Rachel Maddow, this tells us about how those bozos in the Senate and the U.S. House (guess which party?) are hindering Number 44 on fighting ISIS (she had a good report last night also, but it concluded with an interview with Robert Costa, and I don’t trust a word Costa says)…



...and here's an upbeat little number that the kids hopefully won't have to hum while packing off to another quagmire in the Middle East (sad).

Tuesday, September 09, 2014

Tuesday Stuff

With all of the stuff going on with Ray Rice and his family, I thought this was an uplifting football story from last week (see video)...

(...And by the way, am I the only one who thinks it's a little crazy that the person who was wronged is lashing out not at her husband, but at the press? Have we gone a bit too far with all of the hidden camera video and social media stuff? Yes, punish Rice severely – the rest of the season at a minimum. However, if his wife doesn't press charges – and it looks like that won't happen – then let him be reinstated after the year is up.

Are we looking for angels in the sports world? Is that the new standard? Really?

I was reading about baseball great Ty Cobb today. Do you know what he did to a heckler, a guy whose hands were almost completely destroyed, during a game in 1912? He charged into the stands and kicked the guy to a pulp, and he wasn't banned for life from baseball; he ended up with a 10-game suspension. Wrong? Of course. All I'm asking for is a little perspective, that's all)...



..and I think the last 30 seconds of this video is particularly important (a bit of a profile in cowardice on the part of a major retailer IMHO, as opposed to this)...



...and I can't recall the date when Stephen Colbert will take over “Late Night” and probably shed this persona, so we might as well appreciate it even more while we still have it (more here)...


...and with this in mind a bit, I give you the following.

Monday, September 08, 2014

Monday Stuff

This happened 40 years ago today – I continue to wrestle with whether or not it was the right thing to do, and I guess I always will (sorry about all the onscreen “reelinintheyears” stuff – yes, it’s your property; I get it)…



…and here’s the latest on the Repugs and their “women’s outreach” efforts (not that our beloved commonwealth has anything to brag about on this either, as noted here, nor does the “Show Me” state)…



...and John Oliver is back with more spot-on commentary on student debt - who wins (the one percent) and who loses (everybody else - borderline NSFW)...



...and I give you the following to commemorate the debut of this, uh, TV show...what was it called again? :-).

Friday, September 05, 2014

Friday Stuff

On the one hand, I was sorry to hear about the passing of Joan Rivers (here) because she mentored an entire generation of younger comedians on their way up in the business. She also made herself a career out of nothing except her own hard work as nearly as I can determine, to say nothing of holding a family together at the same time, particularly in the wake of her husband’s suicide. She also received the metaphorical “back of the hand” from Johnny Carson all because Rivers wanted to have her own show; if Carson had shown any class at that moment, he would have done all he could to encourage her (kind of like the way Linda Ronstadt did that for The Eagles when they were starting out - this should be noted also).

On the other hand, Rivers was also responsible for stuff like this; I don’t know if her moments of bilious hate increased as she aged and her health declined (which still doesn’t excuse those moments), but I think that should be remembered also.

Now back to the political stuff – I have to admit that the true scope of the awfulness of “Governor Ultrasound” wasn’t brought home to me until I saw this report from Rachel Maddow about Bob McDonnell’s conviction on 11 of 13 counts of corruption in office (here). Yes, the typical Republican “family values” hypocrisy is on display, but what does it tell you that he threw his wife under the proverbial bus during the trial too? He was also offered not too bad of a plea deal that he walked away from, and he’s now looking at significantly more jail time as a result…serves him right…



…and good luck to the striking fast-food workers mentioned in this report (more here); yeah, the whole argument about how raising the poverty minimum wage of $7.25 an hour will lead to another economic downtown is pretty much BS, as noted here – and for the typically disgusting corporate media perspective (from other dank quarters anyway), I give you this



...and somewhat as a follow-up to the prior video, I know we already observed Labor Day a few days ago, but I couldn't let the week come to a close without this item (IMHO, a tragic reminder of how far we have to go in the battle against income inequality)...



...and I guess it's easy to forget how long these folks have been around on the "indie rock" scene cranking out good tunes - here's another one.

Thursday, September 04, 2014

Thursday Stuff

(I also posted here.)

Joy Reid and NBC News’ Ayman Mohyeldin discuss what it will take to rebuild Gaza, someday (can’t imagine how many terrorists have been spawned as a result of Bibi’s temper tantrum)…



...and I'd be more amused by this ad parody here if it weren't for the fact that every stinking word of it is true...



...and yeah, for starters, this tells you a bit about Repug U.S. Senator Ron Freaking Johnson, people (in consideration of this, and let's not forget this too - first item)...



...and I don't really have a musical riposte to Johnson, but maybe in a way, this will suffice.

Tuesday, September 02, 2014

Tuesday Stuff

I think Russell Brand gives us a “way forward,” if you will, on countering Fix Noise here (as an actor, I think he's a bit of an acquired taste, though he was really good in some parts of “Get Him To The Greek,” I thought)...



...and John Breaux always struck me as a “corpora-Dem,” but I'm not the least bit surprised by Trent Lott's involvement here; makes me recall this clip (and Lott apologized for the Strom Thurmond stuff, for the record, probably because he got caught)...



...and I would ask that you remember this the next time you come across something like this (I'll try to say more about the HuffPo piece later – by the way, referencing the Galloway clip towards the end, I should say that I'll never defend Hamas) ...



...and I'm glad to see Shawn Colvin talking about this – we all need to reach out if we have to.

Monday, September 01, 2014

Monday Stuff

Here is the latest installment of FAIR TV...



...and I thought this was a good commentary by Melissa Harris-Perry about trying to make a "teachable moment" out of the events surrounding the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO...



..and here's a real Labor Day story about workers at “Mahket Bahsket” going on strike on behalf of their CEO – yes, I'm serious...



...and I realize that this is a "perennial" for Labor Day, but why mess up a good thing?

Friday, August 29, 2014

Friday Stuff

I guess it really isn't possible to talk about the Ferguson stuff without including Stephen Colbert, which is definitely a good thing...


..and I have to admit that I'm not thrilled over the latest “strategy” remark from President Hopey Changey on Syria; there's probably one in the works, but there are ways to admit that we're a bit “behind the curve” on the issue without coming out and saying it – we probably would be in that position by default in that area of the world anyway...however, Peter King is a waste of protoplasm for acting like Obama's choice of wardrobe matters one bit (more King idiocy is here)...



Update 8/30/14: The last line of this post says, "Memo to media: Please grow up and do your job."

Nail. Hammer. Head.

..and I thought this was a good NSFW clip about the revelations of sexual harassment (or something close to it anyway) in the book by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand; good to see “Morning Joe” get the treatment it deserves (sorry, Mika, but that's what you get – well, maybe I'm not sorry)...



...and it looks like the Allman Brothers are going to hang it up after 45 (!) years (here) – I'd say they've earned all the obligatory kudos and then some.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Thursday Stuff

Uh, yep (and in a related story)...



…also, Brian Stelter of “Reliable Sources” interviews Dan Rather about how dangerous it is to be a journalist anymore (I think Rather is sincere in his self-reflection about how the Fourth Estate, among others, utterly failed in the runup to Dubya's Not-So-Excellent Adventure in Mesopotamia)…



...and yeah, "not a good look" indeed for Marco Rubio, supposedly the great GOP hope for immigration reform...



...and I have a feeling that at least some of you are going to make it an extra-long holiday weekend coming up (hope a lot of you anyway, to shore points and other locales), so with that in mind, I give you one of my favorite driving songs.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Wednesday Stuff

Here's a "golden oldie" with Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao (in response to this, and to do something about it, click here)...



Update: 8/28/14: More Mitch-related BS is here.

…and God almighty, the end of Tom “Space Cadet” Corbett’s career in public life can’t come soon enough (here – the stuff that matters in the clip starts at about :50 - and once more, to do something about it, click here)…



…and 58 percent of those polled thought this was a good “Rewrite” segment with Lawrence O’Donnell :-)…



..and I gotta tell ya' that, in a totally hetero way of course, I have to admit that I missed Jon Stewart (here)...


...and Michael Che makes a great point with humor also, as you might expect...


...and I was sorry to hear about this – hope it works out for all concerned.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Tuesday Stuff

Well well, it looks like we have another tale of “inversion” by an established corporate “brand” in this country; the first five minutes of this have to do with “BK” and their “BS” and the rest has to do with sexuality in the media, or something (here – NSFW)...



…and boy, does this explain a lot – no word on whether or not this is the only toy monkey in existence that smokes unfiltered Camels (kind of explains this too)…



Update 8/27/14: Oh, and by the way...

..and “discretionary” my ass – it is ABSOLUTELY INSANE for a 9-year-old girl to be handling an Uzi, whether or not we're talking semi-automatic or fully automatic (here – apparently, she lost control of the gun when fired in fully automatic mode...dear God)...



...and on a much more upbeat note (which we need), I give you the following video in response to this.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Monday Stuff

RIP Richard Attenborough...



...and returning to politics...the only reason that this clip doesn't definitely prove that U.S. House Rep Mo Brooks is the stupidest life form in the entire universe is because that title already belongs to Brooks's fellow U.S. House moron Louie Gohmert (more evidence is here)...



…also, on the subject of space (the cosmos, not the area between Brooks’ ears), today marks the 25th anniversary of Voyager 2’s transmission of pictures from the planet Neptune and its moon, Triton (here)…



...and kudos to Melissa Harris-Perry for this (nice to see Joke Line get what he deserves)...



...and kudos to actor Gary Sinise, among many, many others, for this...



…and happy 60th birthday to The Living Elvis (with a track from his recording that marks its own 20th anniversary – yikes! – this year).

Friday, August 22, 2014

Friday Stuff

(I also posted here.)

There’s so much stoo-pid in this latest column from Matt Bai that I can’t get to it all here, but I wanted to highlight one paragraph in particular…
And then there's (Texas Governor Rick "Goodhair") Perry, whose macho mug shot ricocheted around Twitter this week. He'll soon be indicted on charges that he tried to bully a Democratic district attorney from office after she was picked up for drunken driving, first by vetoing her state funds and then by offering to restore them only if she quit. Apparently, obnoxiousness is now a crime in Texas, albeit one of the few that can't get you executed.
I would ask that you keep this in mind when you watch this report from Rachel Maddow…



…and apparently it is necessary to put up this video once more as a response to this (and this...more Texas idiocy)…



…and I know I’m painting with a broad brush again, but as far as I’m concerned, Habersham County, Georgia (at least the people in charge) represents the butt hole of the entire universe for this (NSFW)…



...and this is probably as close as I get when it comes to implied violence against law enforcement (only against some police - most do a commendable job).

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Thursday Stuff

The more I learn about what could possibly have happened to Michael Brown, the more I worry that the rage over this will not dissipate any time soon, and over this too (love to be wrong)…



...and good for the latest related idea from Dem U.S. House Rep Alan Grayson - of course, it went down to defeat (and what a sad commentary as to why...fortunately, Cenk gives us a "way forward")...



...and don't look now, but the Feds are actually recouping some dough from the "too big to fail" banks, notably Skank of America...



...and happy 76th birthday to Kenny Rogers (no, not the baseball player).

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

More Wednesday Stuff

No, Ed – actually, Ed Henry isn’t better than that (part and parcel of this attitude after all, let’s not forget)…



…and this Sam Seder clip is a year old, but based on this, it might as well be a few minutes old (and Rand Paul is such a dope – basically, Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao tells him not to say anything, but he does anyway…and Paul was wrong about the Repugs “winning” on the shut down too, as noted here)…



...and I think it's sad that Pryor can't use the supposedly dreaded "O" word here, but credit where it's due...



..and I know he was mentioned in the first video, but RIP Don Pardo, giving us a valuable lesson here...



..and RIP also Philly cat John Blake, Jr. (here)...



...and here's a little summer blues/funk for no particular reason.

Wednesday Stuff

Cenk Uygur tells us the latest on U.S. House Repug hypocrite Lee Terry on the issue of the minimum wage (last year’s government shut down is mentioned also)…



…and speaking of the shut down, I think this is something we should remember heading into the mid-term elections (more here)…



…and by the way, this guy not only voted for the shut down, but voted 16 times against a continuing resolution to fund the government until the shut down ended on October 17, 2013 (to do something about that, click here)…

…and Rev. Al is right that Chris Hayes has done a great job of reporting in Ferguson, MO – I’m not holding my breath on replacing Bob McCulloch with a special prosecutor, though that should happen; glad that last night apparently wasn’t too bad…



…and yeah, given the stuff in Ferguson, I think this tune and video are definitely appropriate (and for this too - what an air head).

Monday, August 18, 2014

Monday Stuff

RIP Former Senator Jim Jeffords (here, and harking back a bit to this)…



…and gosh, where’s Lee Greenwood at a time like this? Kind of reminds me of a song – “proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free…”



…and as far as I’m concerned, John Oliver nails it here on Ferguson, particularly at the very end (probably still NSFW despite the attempts to bleep out the bad words)…



...and I hope nobody ever sings this song about Jeffords.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Sunday Stuff

And Bill "Loofah" O'Reilly actually has the gall to lecture Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson on race (here)...



...and as far as I'm concerned, at a minimum, the best way to protest all this garbage is to vote for Democrats (and then make sure they do what they're supposed to)...



...and by the way, this is a lesson for Tom "Space Cadet" Corbett too (here)...



...who, of course, is totally clueless on many issues himself, most infamously on funding for Philadelphia's public schools...



...and from the ridiculous to the sublime, I give you this...



...and it isn't really summer to me unless I hear this song at least once.