Friday Stuff

Sam Seder and Michael Brooks of The Majority Report give wingnut FL State Rep. Elizabeth Porter the response she merits for recently mocking the Parkland gun slaughter survivors (more here, and as noted here, Porter received a “100 percent” rating from the NRA…figures, I know...NSFW I think)…



Update: Uh, yep (more here and here).

…and gosh, what another surprise – another critic of our former ol’ buddy Vlad Putin was poisoned recently (honestly though, I don't trust "Business Insider," though I admit that they actually could be right)...



…and Ari Melber talks with presidential historian Michael Beschloss about the precedent of trying to tamper with witnesses by a president, notably Tricky Dick (don't know what the next story was…I don’t have an issue with Beschloss and I guess they have to mention the “Clenis” stuff, but that definitely isn’t in the same category as the non-stop scandals-for-real from our Treasonous, Tiny-Handed Orange Dictator)...



…and speaking of the Gropenfuhrer, here are his lizard-brained, “MAGA” followers doing what they do best to a bookstore owner in Berkeley, CA (very NSFW)…



…and I can think of no better counter response to the Trumpsters than this one – tie them all to chairs and let them watch a Muslim for real be elected president, and watch them all have nervous breakdowns (you go, Yusuf!)…



…and yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of the opening of Bill Graham’s Fillmore East (it closed in June of 1971) – The Doors performed there on March 22nd of that year, and this was the second tune in their set that evening.

Thursday Stuff

This story by Rachel Maddow about the genesis of Generalissimo Trump’s aluminum and steel tariffs was a bit of a head-scratcher even for him (“governance” by vendetta as usual, though), but then I saw that wall of the departures from this regime and I felt absolutely gobsmacked…



…and oh yeah, it looks like Number 45 is planning to screw over, among others, our neighbors to the north over those aforementioned, stupid steel tariffs…



…and kudos to the West Virginia teachers for winning a pay increase, as noted in the video, but no, I’m afraid this fight isn’t over either…



…and let us not forget one of the people who, as far as I’m concerned, ended up polluting our political discourse with her crackpot world view which, tragically, has become accepted conventional wisdom among wingnuts everywhere (“if there is no common good, there is no society” indeed)…

In Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged," John Galt was the reclusive billionaire who orchestrated the collapse of the US economy, society, government, in order to purge America of "collectivism," of any mushy-headed ideas about "the common good." pic.twitter.com/iHDHo8nydS

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) March 6, 2018

…and I think there’s a little too much “sensible centrist” in this video as opposed to “vinegar” a la Bernie Sanders, but I can only hope Conor Lamb knows PA-18 better than I do (special election is this Tuesday)…

…and happy International Women’s Day.

Wednesday Stuff

Based on this clip (in response to this), I would say that Parkland, FL shooting survivor Sarah Chadwick has no more you-know-whats to give – kudos to her and the rest of her brave classmates…

"To every spokeswoman with an hourglass who uses free speech to alter and undermine what our flag represents...Your Time is running out. The clock starts now."
-@sarahchad_ #MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/k29FB2vHPI

— Sarah Chadwick// #NEVERAGAIN (@sarahchad_) March 6, 2018

…and with the prior clip in mind, Thom Hartmann and Dean Obeidallah talk about the utter non-coverage by our media basically concerning the motivations behind this Nikolas Cruz life form, the (alleged) shooter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School…



…and of course the Trumpsters would scream “HOW DARE YOU!” if anyone including your humble narrator were to draw a line between Cruz and Number 45’s sheep-like followers, though I would argue that that’s a lot more substantial than the baseless garbage the “MAGA” crowd routines flings at anyone who doesn’t blindly support Dear Treasonous, Tiny-Handed Orange Leader – with that in mind, here’s a “This Day In Doomsy History” segment with an SNL clip from about 3/7/16 making justifiable fun of that as far as I’m concerned…



…and for anyone who still wonders just how clueless the campaign of HRC and the DNC were in 2016, I give you this discussion about the Christopher Steele/Fusion GPS stuff with Rachel Maddow and Jane Mayer of The New Yorker (yeah, “kind of amazing” that John Podesta and Robby Mook didn’t know also, though former FBI Director James Comey, for my money, is as big of a traitor as the rest of the Trumpsters for screaming “BUT HER EMAILS!!” while the REAL treachery didn’t get anywhere near the treatment it should have that year…and God Almighty, I DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT SAM NUNBERG! HE’S A DIVERSION FROM ROGER STONE! WHEN ARE YOU MEDIA IDIOTS GOING TO FIGURE OUT THIS STUFF??!!)…



…and by the way, let’s not forget next week’s PA-18 special election on 3/13 featuring “family values” a-hole Rick Saccone (here) and Conor Lamb – to help Lamb, click here…



…and the weather gurus in these parts have been calling for heavy snow, and I think it’s about to get here (50th anniversary of this tune, by the way).

Tuesday Stuff

It looks like “Bond villain” Steve Mnuchin was interrupted by protesters when he recently spoke at UCLA - I side with Cenk and Ana here…let Mnuchin metaphorically hang himself with his own words, and THEN respond…but I think it tells you just how big a snowflake Mnuchin is that he doesn’t even want to allow video to be circulated in which he might actually appear to be unsympathetic…



…and Stephanie Ruhle tells us about reporting from the NYT about the Trumpsters spending $0 to investigate likely Russian interference (previously and ongoing) in our elections even though about $120 K was allocated for that (if it walks like a ducksi, talks like a duckski and quacks like a duckski…)…



…and speaking of $$, it looks like the Gropenfuhrer’s golf outings have cost U.S. taxpayers about $56 million, as Farron Cousins notes (and great job to add the needed context...Heaven forbid that our corporate media do that, huh?)…



…and if anything, in response to all of its thoroughly justified negative publicity, it looks like the NRA is actually getting crazier, as Stephanie Miller and Eric Boehlert tell us (and here is more proof, as if we needed it)…



…and in a related story, I watched this and recalled that famous quote from The Eternal Robin Williams, who once said “joke ‘em if they can’t take a f*ck” (I thought this was great)…



…and I’m glad STP managed to keep up their great sound with a new lead singer.

Monday Stuff

Farron Cousins tells us all about Scott Pruitt’s latest anti-environment insanity…



…and have a drink, Trumpsters – because of your hero and his latest idiocy, that will cost more too (no sympathy whatsoever for Coors, though, I hasten to add)…

Trump might have just caused the price of beer to go up pic.twitter.com/HM0NxKCLNw

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) March 5, 2018

…and I guess if we’re talking about beer, we might as well discuss pizza also; really happy to see Papa John’s get hammered in the court of public opinion once more (never an excuse for buying ANY franchise pizza, as David Pakman also points out)…



…and though this is typically alarming from the Gropenfuhrer, Kyle K., in response, is in very NSFW mode about US ships in the Black Sea, apparently (Kyle's almost apologetic about the Russia sanctions, and we definitely part company on that, but I agree with him on just about everything else)…



…and RIP David Ogden Stiers; of all of his MASH moments as Major Charles Winchester, this was probably my favorite…



Update 2/24/26: I never knew this - truly moving.

…also, RIP Harvey Schmidt of The Fantasticks.

Friday Stuff

Aw, let’s shed some crocodile tears for poor widdle Marco – those big, bad high school students who lived through another mass gun slaughter in this country have the nerve to be mean to him, apparently…



…and Repug U.S. House Rep Don Young of Alaska tells us that the Holocaust might have been prevented if only the Jews had had guns – why is this human mistake still taking up space in Congress (more Young idiocy is here, and to do something about him, click here…yeah, nice to have your goon standing in the back of the meeting yelling “Amen” on cue and telling the Dem to shut up…typical)…

This congressman just argued for guns by saying that Jews could have survived the Holocaust if they were armed pic.twitter.com/jxVUBYfvD7

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) March 2, 2018

...and despite its many members who actually do the right thing when it comes to guns, I always thought the NRA, as an organization, is something out of a comic book, and I would say that this proves it (and Rosie O'Donnell - heh)...

The NRA made its own insane graphic novel where gun owners fight off 'enemies of freedom' pic.twitter.com/X6DlIgmsd1

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) March 2, 2018

...and there are so many damn Trumpster scandals raging that it's hard to keep up with all of them, but I don't think we should lose sight of this one either...

Ryan Zinke took control of the @Interior Department one year ago this week. It’s amazing how much damage he has tried to inflict on our public lands—repealing climate protections, inviting polluters into pristine wilderness, and reopening loopholes to benefit the coal industry. pic.twitter.com/s2h4IHNBl3

— NRDC 🌎 (@NRDC) February 27, 2018

…and oh look, it’s “Saint Orrin” Hatch saying here that “stupid(est), dumbass” people support the ACA…just grab a fistful of Valium, suck it down with some Scotch and go collapse into a corner somewhere, OK?…



…and I thought this was a pretty good wrapup of a particularly bad week (though I honestly can’t think of a GOOD week for this regime) for the Gropenfuhrer (and yours truly once had a secret clearance also - funny)…



…and I liked this video from Former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich (speaking of #Resist)…

In this critical election year, we can't succumb to cynicism or put our heads in the sand. We must fight with everything we've got to reclaim our democracy. pic.twitter.com/H1DtRPVVXj

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) March 1, 2018

…and as I noted yesterday, the tinsel town awards are this Sunday, so here is a tune for the occasion.

Thursday Stuff

Yeah, it tells you something when yesterday’s punch lines become today’s “trending topics” or click bait of a sort because of rampant “both siderism” in our corporate media primarily, with a significant assist from the wingnutosphere, as Chris Hayes points out…



…and in a typical bullshit Trumpster move, it looks like the head of the National Park Service, Dan Smith, isn’t going to allow the March 24th student protest in DC (here); as noted here, Smith once cleared about 130 30-to-40-foot trees around Redskins’ owner Dan Snyder’s house so Snyder could get a better view of the Potomac River (hard to tell who is the bigger assclown here – the captions fly by a bit too fast here; the video is basically over at about 4:00...another reason to hope for the Redskins to utterly suck this year)…



…even though what the students are protesting for is some sanity in what passes for our gun laws in this country, something the all-time hero of the wingnuts once called for here…

Even Ronald Reagan didn't support letting civilians buy military-grade weapons pic.twitter.com/fRGmmxQGvu

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) February 28, 2018

…and this is, without a doubt, one of the best gun commentaries I’ve ever heard from someone who “walked the walk” for this country; every time you hear someone say “oh, it isn’t about guns, it’s about mental health,” show them this video – IT’S ABOUT BOTH, AND A WHOLE HELL OF A LOT MORE BESIDES!!...

Our producer Mike is a Marine Corps veteran who says there's no reason for a civilian to own an assault-style weapon that's meant only to kill pic.twitter.com/vI5kToh2GZ

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) March 1, 2018

…and switching things up again a bit, I think our corporate media has come down with yet another case of “shiny object” syndrome on this whole business with Hope Hicks; I think that’s enough of a setup for this parody video (which reminds me that the Oscars are this Sunday – heh)…

Trump Administration "In Memoriam": Hope Hicks edition pic.twitter.com/PmPFVzwkCm

— Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) February 28, 2018

...and given the wording noted here based on a quote from her, I had this tune in mind.

Wednesday Stuff

Yeah, it sounds to me like the Russkies are going to try and build on the chaos they created in 2016 for the fall elections and beyond (more here – rerunning this segment from a couple of weeks ago as a refresher)…



…and I was impressed with Andrew Gillum for standing up to wingnut Richard Corcoran over the latter’s “sanctuary cities” nonsense, with Corcoran favoring “detention cities” apparently, and here, Gillum stands up to the NRA; he’d definitely earn my vote if I could cast one in the “gun shine” state (hey, DNC Beltway idiots and perennial election LOSERS, pay attention to what a REAL Dem sounds like!)…

Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum took on the NRA in court — and won. Now he’s running for governor. pic.twitter.com/oKv9Gl7xu7

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) February 28, 2018

…and Former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich reminds us what is wrong with so-called “Right to Work” laws given this story, in which the utterly vile miscreants of ALEC, most infamously Chucky and Davey Koch, are BAAACK to try and erode workers’ rights even more (more here)…

#JanusvAFSCME is another thinly veiled attempt to destroy unions under the guise of "Right to Work." The truth is workers in so-called "right to work" states receive lower pay, are less likely to have health care, and pay more out of pocket for insurance. pic.twitter.com/KyL2AKMCEd

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) February 26, 2018

…and it looks like Uday Trump, Jr. haz a sad over the unhappiness of Americans in Dickensian circumstances, wishing they would “smile” like they do in India I suppose (not a self-reflective molecule in Jr.’s entirely wretched person, apparently)…



…and yeah, you know it, you love it (well, maybe), so here’s another installment of “This Day In Doomsy History” from 2/28/14, in which the fifth anniversary of the founding of the Teahadists was commemorated, if you could call it that, with accompaniment from the funniest math professor of all time (something to note in light of this in particular)…



…and as long as I’m on the subject of race a bit, I guess, since February is about to end, I’d better hurry up and say something about Black History Month, which, to be honest, I always thought was a dumb idea, and not because the contributions of African Americans shouldn’t be recognized and celebrated all through the year and not just in this month alone – they should – but also because, pointy headed liberal that I am, I think we should be at a point in this country where we respect and appreciate everyone from ALL races, ethnicities and gender preferences, to the point where we don’t need to designate a month for anyone in particular.

Well, with that admittedly long-winded intro out of the way, I give you this tune for the occasion; yes, the legendary vocals of Levi Stubbs is the most prominent takeaway here (along with a little Dylan phrasing thrown in, which was a big deal back then – and the lip sync is off of course), but as you listen, I would also ask that you pay attention to the bass lines of esteemed Motown “Funk Brother” James Jamerson, a man who received the well-deserved acclaim posthumously that he should have received while he was still with us.

Tuesday Stuff

Ari Melber (who is a lawyer, by the way) tells us that the High Court of Hangin’ Judge JR has ruled on handguns covered under that twisted interpretation of the 2nd Amendment, but not AR-15s…



…and speaking of guns, Farron Cousins gives us an NSFW commentary on the church that blesses guns in our beloved commonwealth (more here…and gosh, didn't a certain 44th president once say that people cling to their guns and religion in this country, and he was met with a raft of shit in response?)…



…and Seth Meyers brings us up to date on the Gropenfuhrer’s latest idiocy on this subject (once again, a pox on anyone who had anything whatsoever to do with inflicting this utter train wreck of a presidency on this country)…



…and Rachel Maddow, speaking with Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, tells us that they have closed the loophole in that state that allowed someone convicted of stalking and domestic violence or under restraining orders to buy or own firearms and ammunition (well done)…



…and speaking of teachers (as Seth Meyers was), kudos to those in West Virginia, as TYT’s Emma Vigeland explains (and a one percent pay raise? GMAFB!)…



Update 3/1/18: Excellent work here...

…and I don’t know much about this guy, but kudos to him; awesome sound – hope he keeps himself together and has a long, successful career.

Monday Stuff

Kyle K. tells us how the survivors of the Parkland, FL gun massacre went to Tallahassee to urge their utterly spineless lawmakers to so much as debate a bill banning assault rifles (they refused of course, but had no trouble debating the supposedly ill effects of porn, believe it or not...I know this is a little behind on the news cycle, but I think it bears repeating....NSFW)…



…and speaking of guns, yeah, I think this is a pretty damn absurd ad too (Mr. Syrupy Smooth Talker and his pals are playing those poor, deluded gun nut saps like a rusty fiddle)…



…and Mike Papantonio and Peter Mougey discuss the recent move by The Supremes to turn away a constitutional challenge by the guns nuts to a 10-day waiting period (doing the right thing for once, though you can rely on “Almost Silent Clarence” Thomas to get it wrong)…



...and I give the Dems an "A" for effort on this (though, while Clinton made a big mistake, I'll never say that he "deserved what he got"...and with all due respect to Cousins, the "alt-righters" will never believe the women anyway)...



...though I also wish a pox on the Dems’ Beltway media/political/industrial complex for this (from the same geniuses who said Katie McGinty should run in 2016 against "No Corporate Tax" Pat Toomey instead of Joe Sestak, who very nearly beat Toomey in a Repug wave election in 2010 - yeah, I know, "horseshoes and hand grenades"...)...



Update: Oh, and by the way, as long as I’m including a Young Turks video, I also want to point out something. Yes, they’re allowed to support Alison Hartson if they want in a primary against Dianne Feinstein, but I think it’s wrong for the state’s Dem party not to give Feinstein their endorsement (here). Yes, Di-Fi has cast some bad votes, but to me, 25 years of constituent service, including overcoming health issues that would have led to long-term hospitalization for most of us, should count for something.

Update 2/27/18: And the next time the "base" decides to sit on its metaphorical hands instead of voting (never an excuse to not vote, though), just don't be surprised.

…and happy belated 60th birthday (by a few days, I’ll admit) to Princeton’s own Mary Chapin Carpenter.

Friday Stuff

Cenk of TYT talks about the response of “little Marco,” among others, when confronted with the survivors of the Parkland, FL mass shooting (utterly beneath contempt – everyone but the kids, basically, including Anderson Cooper who told Sen. Bill Nelson he didn’t have to answer the question, or whatever…the fact that Nelson was sympathetic I’m sure doesn’t excuse Cooper’s cowardly move to let Nelson off the hook; facing angry constituents comes with the job when you’re a pol, something that Cooper, a member of our courtier Beltway corporate media, has apparently forgotten)…



…and “crisis actors”? I have a two-word response to a comment like that, and that response isn’t “happy birthday”…

If you come for teen survivors of a mass shooting with conspiracy theories about crisis actors, be prepared to get trolled right back pic.twitter.com/a2l1Wgz9sQ

— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) February 23, 2018

…and God, “Joe Scar” actually found the proverbial nut on the Parkland shooting, in terms of who does better financially, though, of course, he had to play his cutesy BS with Mika-Scar at the end (my response to this…more here and here)…



…and brace yourselves; I know this will be a shock, but the Trump & Congressional Repug tax cuts are probably not helping your paycheck, according to David Pakman (only 37 percent of voters have seen their income increase – good for Amazon, though, apparently; them that’s got shall get of course…)…



…and Rachel Maddow tells us about “blue” state governors sharing gun background check data (NY, CT, RI and NJ – can PA be far behind, I hope? And Cuomo has been a bad actor at other times, but I think he deserves kudos here, especially in the last minute)…



…and for anyone out there with the Showtime premium cable TV network, I highly recommend another great documentary from that channel, and that’s “Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars,” which gets into a lot of personal detail including the awful way he was treated by his mother, his deep friendship with Jimi Hendrix and his even deeper relationship with Pattie Boyd…we all knew she was the inspiration for “Layla,” but really she was that for the entire Derek and the Dominoes album, which included this great tune among so many others.

Thursday Stuff

Once again, Jimmy Kimmel stands tall in the face of horrific gun-related tragedy (here)…



…and Stephanie Ruhle tells us about someone named Levi Patterson raffling off an AR-15 (and no, I don’t think it’s that damn hard to understand the disagreement – remind me never to visit Neosho, Missouri)…



…and this is a couple of days old from Lawrence O’Donnell, but it’s too important not to include here…



…and FINALLY!, a Democrat stands tall in response to all of the Repug “sanctuary cities” garbage out there, and that's Andrew Gillum; as far as I’m concerned, if Repugs want to pass “show us your papers” laws all over the country, then that would turn these places into “detention” cities then, wouldn’t it (try finding a clue on the messaging for once, OK Dems?)…

This extremely racist ad is causing controversy in Florida pic.twitter.com/ETfB9jpKuC

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) February 22, 2018

…and here’s another great way to effect political change…

So you want to change America? Start with state legislatures! pic.twitter.com/3C0tsAaB37

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) February 21, 2018

…and given all of the stuff in the news, this may be a tongue-in-cheek selection, but I still think it rocks, so here it is; I led off with Kimmel, so I might as well finish with him (love the trippy camera effects at about 2:45).

Wednesday Stuff

Stephen Colbert mutes the humor, and rightly so, in light of the Parkland, FL shootings…



…and apparently, Rachel Maddow contacted the U.S. State Dept. about Russian sanctions, and they suggested asking Russia about U.S. State Dept. business…gee, I guess that just about makes it official, huh (Update: They later denied the GRU guy was even here - as we know, this bunch is so trustworthy, so of course I believe that - snark)…



…and once in a while, The Moustache of Understanding finds the proverbial nut (and “shame”? We’re talking about the Gropenfuhrer and his wretched party, let’s not forget)…



…and I’m not in the least surprised by this…



…oh, and before we shed a tear for Billy Graham, I would ask that you keep the following in mind; this call with Number 37 took place in April 1971 (more context is here and here)…



…and yeah, I guess this tune applies to Graham and other notables, in a certain context I suppose.

Tuesday Stuff

Ali Velshi talks with author David Daley and tells us more on PA’s utterly gerrymandered map of voting districts and the PA Supreme Court’s decision to redraw our entire commonwealth (and why is this utterly predictable?)…



…and Rachel Maddow tells us the tale of Charlotte Fedders, someone who is truly heroic in my book for defending herself not just against her monstrously abusive ex-husband, but also for coming to the side of Lisa Fiertein, victimized under similar circumstances by one-time Trump Labor Dept. Head nominee Andy Puzder…



…and in case anything thinks I’m ready to move on from the latest mass shooting, this time in Parkland, FL, I can assure that I’m not; when I hear the phrase "I'm a firm believer in the Second Amendment," I want to vomit in my mouth, but I still think this guy deserves credit for this...

This proud gun owner loved his AR-15. Watch him destroy it. pic.twitter.com/VFvtaBV3Nk

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) February 20, 2018

…and in a similarly tragic vein, I give you another installment of “This Day In Doomsy History” (again, more or less), from 2/23/11, in which Dr. Robert Cowie courageously shared the horrific loss of his daughter Ashley at the hands of a drunken, drugged-up fool with an AK-74 weapon of mass death (more here)…



…and I liked the video that Rachel Reddick put up a little while ago, but this is damn impressive too from Scott Wallace (and a hell of a pedigree too!), also running for the Dem nomination for PA-08 (or whatever the new district will be); great to see two strong Dems emerging to take on Mikey The Beloved’s spineless brother (I had some slim hopes for Bri-Fi, but he flushed them when he sold out for the tax scam of Generalissimo Trump and the two craven life forms running that party from each chamber of Capitol Hill)…



...and happy belated 70th birthday to Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath.

Monday Stuff

John and Cenk of TYT bring us a report on the indictments against 13 Russians brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller; yeah, this doesn’t touch the Gropenfuhrer’s inner circle – yet – but I think we need to keep this in mind too…



…and kudos to Emma Gonzalez – not sure I can do justice to her incredible speech…I think the best thing to do is just present it and get out of the way…



…and nice work here also by Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr…

Golden State Warriors Coach Steve Kerr on school shootings: "We can do something about it. We can vote people in who actually have the courage to protect people's lives and not just bow down to the NRA." https://t.co/dTeZ4Qhzzf pic.twitter.com/DMuD9IrVw0

— ABC News (@ABC) February 15, 2018

…and it’s taken awhile for me to get around to this great (comparatively) new tune, but here it is.

Saturday Stuff

“Yeah, no it isn’t” is damn right – can’t fake the quivering in Jimmy Kimmel’s voice, which is commendable as far as I’m concerned…long past time to do something about guns in this country (here...and I liked this response also)…



...and this gives us an idea of the type of mentality we're up against...



…and I’m sure the people in the prior clip are fed a daily regimen of the type of bile inflicted by Fix Noise on this and many other issues (the very last commenter is right, but of course that nematode Bret Baier shoots her down, so to speak)…

‘This is not a gun debate’ — Fox News will blame anything but guns for gun violence pic.twitter.com/G8Ks26JesW

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) February 16, 2018

...though I think the kids coming up are way smarter than too many of the damn adults on this issue (and in a related story...)...

The kids are going to save us all.

Students at South Broward High School protest gun violence in wake of Parkland school shootingpic.twitter.com/RFBEX8QiSk#FridayFeeling#ThrowThemOut

— Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) February 16, 2018

…and to say I’m desperately looking for “good” news here is an understatement, and I have it (returning to the Sunshine State), and that would be Dem Margaret Good’s win in Florida's 72nd state district this week (a district the Gropenfuhrer won by 5 points in 2016)…

Democrat Margaret Good won big in a special election deep in Trump territory pic.twitter.com/tLe0L8HQ57

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) February 17, 2018

…and maybe it’s a little trite to keep putting up these gun tunes, but if it helps keep this issue front and center, then so be it.

Friday Stuff

Rachel Maddow tells us more about the latest gun carnage at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (and this is typical)…



...and my very deepest possible sympathies go out to the mother of this beautiful young girl senselessly slaughtered, but as Jimmy Kimmel said, this Congress has its balls, if you will, in an NRA money clip - the thing to do is to vote these bastards out once and for all, and if the new bastards end up sucking up to the NRA teat also, then vote those bastards out too (here)...



…and “what about the rights of these students” indeed…

Florida sheriff: “What about the rights of these students? What about the rights of young kids who go to schools with bookbags and pencils? Don’t they have the right to be protected by the United States government, to the best of our ability?" https://t.co/tUFvABM3j5 pic.twitter.com/eVt1Yq4NEV

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) February 15, 2018

…and no disrespect to Farron Cousins, but to say that “thoughts and prayers” aren’t working is an understatement…



...and Cenk of TYT tells us about the fake news for real, if you will, in response...



…and switching back to other news, which I know we have to do, Kyle K. tells us about Generalissimo Trump’s budget and how horrific it is…increasing the military of course, but a 42.3 percent cut to everything else (NSFW)…



…and I think this is truly some spot-on analysis from Chris Hayes on DACA (see “vote out the bastards” as previously noted)…



…and I will be truly happy when, one fine day, there will NEVER be a need to include a gun song in one of these posts (even though this is a great tune).

Thursday Stuff

The only thing that the execrable life forms currently taking up space on Capitol Hill will understand on any issue (but the one related to this in particular) is pressure and force. So, to contact your U.S. House Representative, click here. And to contact your U.S. Senator, click here (and I think we need to keep this in mind also).

And as a reminder, here is Jimmy Kimmel on the Las Vegas mass shooting – I may replay this video over and over until these horrible people named Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell are somehow shamed or disgraced into doing something about our horrific epidemic of gun violence; yeah I know, as someone once sang, you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one…



...and here is a Now This video news update (more here)...

Here's the latest on the school shooting that left 17 people dead in Parkland, Florida pic.twitter.com/ObaXOQHKKi

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) February 15, 2018

…and Cenk and John are both spot-on IMHO concerning the words of Dem CT Sen. Chris Murphy in light of our latest carnage…



Update: If the alleged shooter had been Muslim or dark-skinned in any way, our great big orange turd in the White House would have been railing about that. But since he isn’t, I guess 45 thinks it’s easier to blame the victims instead (here); the kids were too busy trying not to get killed to “Make America Great Again” I guess.

...and I think these were appropriate words from former Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger (a Republican, let's not forget)...

The 2nd Amendment "has been the subject of one of the greatest pieces of fraud, I repeat the word fraud, on the American public by special interest groups that I have ever seen in my lifetime" - former conservative Chief Justice of Supreme Court Warren Burger pic.twitter.com/NPH2kM9Eug

— Robert Maguire (@RobertMaguire_) February 15, 2018

...and in a related vein, let's not froget this either from "No Corporate Tax" Pat Toomey...



…and nothing against the “man in black,” but with guns so ubiquitous in our culture, there never seems to be a shortage of songs about them, and here’s another one.

Wednesday Stuff

I give you yet another slice of life, if you will, from Donald J. Trump’s America (and yeah, I think the comment about “finally” being able to demonstrate that the “lady” in question is a racist a-hole is telling also)…



…and here’s another fine video from Robert Reich about the latest scam from our ruling cabal of crooks and frauds, this time on infrastructure…

Trump the con-artist is at it again – calling for a $1.5 trillion boost in infrastructure spending, but proposing just $200 billion in federal funding, and not saying where any of the money will come from. pic.twitter.com/7AnfqwW8Dz

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) February 12, 2018

…and Chris Hayes talks with Ben Howe and Annie Lowery on Generalissimo Trump’s typically ridiculous food stamp “box lunch” proposal (oh, and please remind me once more how allegedly awful Michelle Obama’s initiative for healthier foods in schools supposedly was – the remark at the end about this just being a way to make it harder to obtain nutrition assistance was spot-on; no constructive policy at all, just typical mean-spirited crap from our Tiny Handed, Treasonous Orange Dictator)…



…and this is about a week old, but David Pakman tells us how Number 45 and his buddies are still doing their best to utterly screw over Puerto Rico (harking back to infrastructure also)...



…and I thought this was a nice selection for Valentine’s Day…



…and for the opposing point of view, I give you this; may have to crank the volume a bit :-)...and no, I’m not trying to put down the #MeToo movement or anything by including this, which I’ve done for years…if we can’t look inside ourselves and laugh at our imperfections any more, then I really think we’ve gone around the proverbial bend.

Update: Dear God, not again (more you-know-what are on the way I'm sure).

Tuesday Stuff

Hey, did you hear the story about Repug U.S. House Rep Devin Nunes, House Intelligence Committee head whitewashing everything Generalissimo Trump did with Putin investigating Russia’s influence in our elections in 2016, and his efforts to build an honest-to-goodness wall between the Repugs and their Dem committee colleagues? Sadly, though, it’s not an intentional joke...



…and this tells us of Lissa Lucas of West Virginia, removed from a hearing for naming campaign donors to the members of the House of Delegates (yeah, we need A LOT more like this, as Farron Cousins sez)…



…and Kyle K. tells us about the Gropenfuhrer’s attack ad on the Dems of course after the SOTU – a little behind on this I know, but it deserves to be pointed out (NSFW)…



…and former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich tells about “rise up” vs. “trickle down” economics – I like the messaging…

The only real way to build the economy is through rise-up economics. Investment in American workers -- in their health care, job training, and education -- is the key to economic growth, not tax cuts for the rich and corporations. pic.twitter.com/xdadTTNEQR

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) February 13, 2018

…and I keep hearing about Dem Conor Lamb running for the U.S. House in our beloved commonwealth in an upcoming special election; to help, click here (and I think this ad is a nice companion piece to the Reich video)…



…and happy upcoming 75th birthday to Maceo Parker.