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.

Friday Stuff

(The pic has to do with this, by the way - also, probably no posting next week.)

I think this latest ad from The Lincoln Project pretty much says what needs to be said (and Chris Hayes's show is pretty good, but his tweets are fire, like this one)…



…and “This has run off with us” indeed – the animation at the end of this Rachel Maddow segment says it all (with some of the predictable lunacy in response here and here)…



…and John and Ana of TYT tell us about Mango Mussolini telling FEMA to seize hospital supplies presumably so more can be sent to states who grovel at the Gropenfuhrer’s beck and call…



…and Farron Cousins tells us about Kayleigh McEnany, the latest liar to front for our ruling regime of criminals – yep, about as repellent a human being as you can expect…



…and speaking of frauds, Kyle K. tells us about nutball preacher Kenneth Copeland’s alleged effort to combat COVID-19 (yeah, something sure “blows” all right...don't completely agree with Kyle's take on religion in general, but I agree with the rest of this)…



…and I hope he’s doing OK – maybe this is the song we need right now.

Wednesday Stuff

Cenk and Ana tell us about Thomas Modly, the assclown who “resigned” after criticizing Capt. Brett Crozier of the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt over the latter’s commendable actions to help those under his command who were exposed to COVID-19, as was Crozier himself who came down with it unfortunately…all the best…good point by Cenk about Crozier having gone through channels first, meeting the predictable roadblocks under this lawless regime…



Update: And on this subject (and when it comes to "Death Wish" Republicans), I give you this...

Kansas @GOP legislators votes to spread death.

They revoked Gov. Kelly’s order limiting church gathering size, a scientifically sound way to save lives by blunting spread of the virus.#idiots #PureEvilhttps://t.co/RP0zw2IfPK

— David Cay Johnston (@DavidCayJ) April 9, 2020

...and...

What’s Trump planning to run on in 2020? No wall. Stock market lower than when he took office. No accomplishments. Oh wait - 100,000-200,000 Americans dying is very good he says. https://t.co/m0LoXsjnlY

— Amy Siskind 🏳️‍🌈 (@Amy_Siskind) April 9, 2020

…and Bernie officially drops out...more here – I’m sure that idiot Whoopi Goldberg will be happy now; Bernie was the “good soldier” in 2016 for HRC, and he’s pledged to be that for Biden now, and I have no reason whatsoever to doubt him on that (good point to keep pushing for platform changes – the struggle goes on)…



…and David Pakman presents us with an example of a religious leader acting commendably in response to ramblings from Laura Ingraham…I’m not even sure what the hell her question was, but the elitism oozed out of every word – so the “working class” needs religion more than she does? We’re all going to be judged one day, and you’d better believe that that applies to her too (and Pakman is absolutely right about Father Murray...and I love the way Fix Noise always seems to have at least one nodding head along with one of their idiot hosts to try and drum home their narratives to "the rabble" - a related item is here)…



…and since I don’t have the other Pakman clip of religiosity gone bad, I present this from Kyle K. (about a dozen states exempt religious gatherings from “shelter in place” restrictions, stupidly enough…I like to think that I’m at least a hallway-decent practicing Catholic, and I have to tell you that the woman interviewed in the car is nuts)…



…and Robert Reich tells us about CEOs claiming to be heroes – yeah, right…



…and in my quest to find some news that is actually good, I came across this item concerning a high school teacher in Union, NJ connecting virtually with his students (and parents also – kudos)…



...and no, I never intend to let Our Treasonous, Tiny-Handed Orange Dictator Wannabe forget about this (more here)...



...and with all of this insanity raging, I have to admit that certain tunes have been running around in my head more than usual, including this one.

Tuesday Stuff

So many reasons to totally disregard a single syllable oozing from the mouth of this foul, venomous, lying orange meat sack, as Brian Tyler Cohen tells us, this time pertaining to the utter rout of anything approximating Democracy the “party of Lincoln” is waging in Wisconsin (more here)…



…and Ana and Cenk tell us about the blowup between Trump flunky Peter Navarro and Dr. Anthony Fauci over the alleged COVID-19 miracle drug (and in a related story, this of course isn’t surprising at all)…



…and Farron Cousins tells us about businesses trying to figure out how to get their 2020 “stim”…looking like individuals won’t get anything until the fall also (and yeah, that’s about what we can expect when Steve Mnuchin…”half” of small businesses in this country? Dear God)…



...and goddammit, I thought he was going to make it (here).

Monday Stuff (updates)

One blessed day, when we’ve emerged from the utter misery of all of this as best as we can and provided as much care and support as we could, and the moment comes to look back at how this catastrophe happened, this clip from Rachel Maddow should be preserved for all eternity as a chronicle of infamy, you might say (oh, and there's this too)…



Update 4/7/20: 45 should be arrested right f*cking now for this.

…and by extension, this also applies to the Gropenfuhrer’s acolytes, with Wilbur Ross basically saying that coronavirus would be “good for bidness” – and yeah, Kayleigh McEnany is truly that much of a foul, disgusting harpie…



Update 4/7/20: As Cenk would say (about McEnany), "OF COUUURRRSE!" (here).

…though of course, there’s always reason to destroy more environmental regulations and get more horrible judges confirmed, as noted here (John I. and Brett Erlich of "The Damage Report" tell us more…yep, “The Black Swan moment” all right)……



...and speaking of legal garbage...

Merrick fucking Garland https://t.co/QZGlmlwd21

— Will Bunch Sign Up For My Newsletter (@Will_Bunch) April 6, 2020

Update: These are the five life forms responsible for this travesty from the U.S. Supreme Court:

Now, repeat the following after me:

I just want to make sure that's clearly understood.

Update 4/7/20: Though obviously fraught with danger, this may be the best way to say "F.U." to these lunatics.

Update 4/21/20: No, this is not hyperbole, people (here).

…and Brian Tyler Cohen points out what a good job CA Governor Gavin Newsom is doing in response to the outbreak, and also what an utter tool Devin Nunes truly is…



…and no, I never intend to let that orange sack of shit forget about this (more here)…



...and this probably isn't a good "social distancing" tune, but I like it anyway.

Sunday Stuff (update)

There are time when I just can’t even…

The mainstream media is helping Trump kill us. pic.twitter.com/G3MccVt9ez

— Oliver Willis (@owillis) April 5, 2020

I have to admit, though, that this genuinely makes me wonder how our current corporate media would have reported on various stories throughout history given their current tendency to normalize what, for my money, is insane. And I wonder if it would have gone something like this:

In 1553, Mary Tudor ascended to the throne as Queen of England. In an attempt to reunite her country with Rome and Catholicism (having broken with Rome under her father Henry VIII, who formed the protestant Church of England), she declared the marriage of her parents valid (Henry’s marriage to Mary’s mother Katharine of Aragon was declared invalid, initiating the break from the Catholic Church). Mary’s husband Philip of Spain (also Catholic) persuaded the British Parliament to repeal Henry's religious laws, thus returning the English church to Roman jurisdiction.

Reaching an agreement to reinstitute the Catholic Church in England with Rome took many months and Mary and Pope Julius III had to make a major concession: the British monastery lands confiscated under Henry were not returned to the church. However, by the end of 1554, an agreement with Rome was finalized, and, adopting a new tone, Mary revived the Heresy Acts, in which numerous Protestants were executed, including Thomas Cranmer, the imprisoned archbishop of Canterbury under Henry.

The absence of a strong national government in 1932 Germany prompted two influential politicians, Franz von Papen and Alfred Hugenberg, along with several other industrialists and businessmen, to write a letter to German president Paul von Hindenburg. The signers urged Hindenburg to appoint Adolf Hitler as leader of a government "independent from parliamentary parties," which could turn into a movement that would "enrapture millions of people." Hitler ran against Hindenburg in that year’s presidential elections, and though Hitler lost, he emerged as chancellor after two further parliamentary elections—in July and November 1932—had not resulted in the formation of a majority government.

On 27 February 1933, the Reichstag building (home of the German parliament) was set on fire, possibly by members of Hitler’s National Socialist (or Nazi) Party. Adopting a new tone, at Hitler's urging, Hindenburg responded with the Reichstag Fire Decree of 28 February, which suspended basic rights and allowed detention without trial. The decree was permitted under Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution, which gave the president the power to take emergency measures to protect public safety and order. Activities of the German Communist Party (KPD) were suppressed, and some 4,000 KPD members were arrested (and yes, somehow I think we remember what happened in the years that followed, right?)

After the end of World War II, the U.S. continued their military assistance to Chinese nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek and his Kuomintang (or KMT) government forces against the People's Liberation Army (PLA) led by Mao Zedong during the civil war. Likewise, the Soviet Union gave quasi-covert support to Mao by their occupation of north east China, which allowed the PLA to move in en masse and take large supplies of arms left by the Japanese's Kwantung Army. To enhance the Red Army's military operations, Mao, as the Chairman of the Communist Party of China, named his close associate General Zhu De to be its Commander-in-Chief.

Adopting a new tone in 1948, under direct orders from Mao, the People's Liberation Army starved out the Kuomintang forces occupying the city of Changchun. At least 160,000 civilians are believed to have perished during the siege, which lasted from June until October. PLA lieutenant colonel Zhang Zhenglu, who documented the siege in his book “White Snow, Red Blood,” compared it to Hiroshima: "The casualties were about the same. Hiroshima took nine seconds; Changchun took five months." On January 21, 1949, Kuomintang forces suffered great losses in decisive battles against Mao's forces. In the early morning of December 10, 1949, PLA troops laid siege to Chongqing and Chengdu on mainland China, and Chiang Kai-shek fled from the mainland to Formosa (Taiwan).

With all of this in mind, I thought I’d present this as a Sunday meditation, seeing as how we’re not able to attend services (or at least, we shouldn’t be anyway, until we’re over this COVID-19 thing).



Update 7/21/19: This, in response to another nutso, alleged "press briefing" by Our Traitorous Orange Pustule today...

THE NOTE: The president is displaying a new tone and a new level of engagement, after aides and allies have pleaded with him to recognize the gravity of the moment, @rickklein writes. https://t.co/8giw8IfiE3

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) July 21, 2020

1) called it a China virus 2) wished an accused sex trafficker well 3) will not commit to more money for testing. So, New Tone!

— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) July 21, 2020

No questions about the reports of the Russian bounties on our troops in Afghanistan (here).

Currently, we're at about 140,000 dead from COVID-19, the world's worst site of the pandemic (here).

And 22 million jobs were eliminated during the pandemic with some coming back I know, though at this moment, that's threatened by more Repug stalling from #midnightmoscowmitch about additional help for those who need it (here).

Our utterly useless corporate media really never will learn.