On the one hand, yeah, it’s interesting to see the back-and-forth between the corporatist Republicans and the uber-nutty grass roots fringe, but this stuff would be a hell of a lot less relevant if something had been done about it in the November election…
...and John Oliver dispenses New Years Eve advice as only he can...
…and as I’ve said before, you’d be better off watching paint dry as opposed to viewing a single second of Fix Noise…
Update 1/1/15: More like this.
…and Former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich tells us about progressive gains in 2014 and what we still have to do for 2015…
…and here’s a song for drawing the curtain on 2014, a year full of potential change that, as far as I’m concerned, was pretty much not realized due to the influence of big money and the incompetence of the supposed Democratic Party geniuses of the beltway (Tom Wolf in PA was definitely an exception, though), to say nothing of truly appalling and historic voter apathy…
…and I was also looking for an anthemic tune to kick off the new year, and I think this works (coincides with Patti Smith’s recent birthday also) – best wishes to one and all for a happy and healthy 2015.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Monday, December 29, 2014
Monday Stuff
(I also posted here.)
Once again, Former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich explains how those smiley-faced bastards could remain obscenely rich and still pay their workers a living wage…
…and as long as we’re on the subject of the Walton family, this tells us how they can “respect the bump” (activism at work and paying off to at least some degree)…
...and Charles Osgood of CBS Sunday Morning tells us about the people who left us during the year that is about to come to a close...
Once again, Former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich explains how those smiley-faced bastards could remain obscenely rich and still pay their workers a living wage…
…and as long as we’re on the subject of the Walton family, this tells us how they can “respect the bump” (activism at work and paying off to at least some degree)…
...and Charles Osgood of CBS Sunday Morning tells us about the people who left us during the year that is about to come to a close...
Friday, December 26, 2014
Friday Stuff
Lawrence O’Donnell gives us an example of Republican Pandering 101, this time on Cuba, featuring Jeb Bush and Rep. Puppy-Dog-Eyes-With-The-Shiv (and of course, the latter two are wrong in the arena of public opinion)…
…and here is more on the “violence” incited by “race hustlers” such as Al Sharpton and President Obama, each of whom supposedly has “blood on their hands” according to the wingnuts in light of the horrible killings of two New York police officers – yeah, check out the “violence” of the protests shown in the clip…boy, those crowds are sure worked up into a violent frenzy, aren’t they (here)?...
...and I know we just observed the big day, but here's a little item I might add for next year - well, maybe not (I could do without the "O Holy Night" one at the end, to be honest)...
...and if it's 12/26, and it is of course, then that means that it's time for this tune.
…and here is more on the “violence” incited by “race hustlers” such as Al Sharpton and President Obama, each of whom supposedly has “blood on their hands” according to the wingnuts in light of the horrible killings of two New York police officers – yeah, check out the “violence” of the protests shown in the clip…boy, those crowds are sure worked up into a violent frenzy, aren’t they (here)?...
...and I know we just observed the big day, but here's a little item I might add for next year - well, maybe not (I could do without the "O Holy Night" one at the end, to be honest)...
...and if it's 12/26, and it is of course, then that means that it's time for this tune.
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Wednesday Stuff
Gee, so it looks now like everybody got played in the IRS “scandal,” including the so-called “liberal media,” as noted here; wonder if Darrell Issa will apologize now to Lois Lerner (yeah, a dumb question I know, but I have to ask it – oh, and what about this idiot too from our beloved commonwealth?)...
Rachel Maddow and Dan Rather provide some historical context to this charge in the clip…
…and speaking of conservative media (were we?), here is a stroll down memory sewer, as it were (if nothing else, this proves what an utter toad Tucker Carlson is…there may be commercial breaks at around 8:00 and 16:00 - and by the way, I don't think the whole Menendez smear has a damn thing to do with Cuba)…
…and turning to the seasonal stuff, congrats to Mr.Dwight for this…
…and this is a modly oldie I know, but it definitely still has the ring of truth about it…
…and time for Bing and Bowie…
…and this guy.
Rachel Maddow and Dan Rather provide some historical context to this charge in the clip…
…and speaking of conservative media (were we?), here is a stroll down memory sewer, as it were (if nothing else, this proves what an utter toad Tucker Carlson is…there may be commercial breaks at around 8:00 and 16:00 - and by the way, I don't think the whole Menendez smear has a damn thing to do with Cuba)…
…and turning to the seasonal stuff, congrats to Mr.Dwight for this…
…and this is a modly oldie I know, but it definitely still has the ring of truth about it…
…and time for Bing and Bowie…
…and this guy.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Tuesday Stuff
I have to admit that this is absolutely astonishing – it gives you an insight (as if you wanted one, I know) into what passes for the conservative mind.
Oh, this is supposed to be “humor”? Really???
Let’s see – how many ways does this go wrong…chock full of violent images, crammed full of anti-liberal stereotypes, objectifying women…oh, and it’s absolutely NSFW because of language. And the biggest right-wing boogeyman (person?) of all is at the very end, of course.
And the person behind this is Matthew Continetti, who I’m sure is just oh so proud (and who I've posted about many times in the past)…what an imbecile…
…and I absolutely couldn’t help but thinking of the Troy Davis case as I watched this…
…and let’s turn to the seasonal stuff, which is nearing its end too – sad face.
Oh, this is supposed to be “humor”? Really???
Let’s see – how many ways does this go wrong…chock full of violent images, crammed full of anti-liberal stereotypes, objectifying women…oh, and it’s absolutely NSFW because of language. And the biggest right-wing boogeyman (person?) of all is at the very end, of course.
And the person behind this is Matthew Continetti, who I’m sure is just oh so proud (and who I've posted about many times in the past)…what an imbecile…
…and I absolutely couldn’t help but thinking of the Troy Davis case as I watched this…
…and let’s turn to the seasonal stuff, which is nearing its end too – sad face.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Monday Stuff
(I also posted here.)
I always thought that the whole Nixon/Elvis thing was an instance where “The King” got utterly played by Tricky Dick and his pals, though I didn’t hear Elvis complaining at the time (John Lennon would reply to Presley later on about The Beatles and drug use, something about Elvis selling out when he enlisted; yes, the Fab Four certainly consumed their share of hallucinogens, but Elvis would turn into a walking pharmacy under the “care” of Dr. Nick himself)…
…and there actually are retailers out there that are trying (in their way, I guess) to be “family friendly” for the holidays – so let’s give them “a taste” as much as we can, OK?...
..and to the seasonal stuff we go – I think we're going to have a “wet” Christmas in these parts, as opposed to a “white” one...
...and let's order up a side o' soul, OK?...
...and some blues while we're at it (the needle isn't completely in sync, but that's OK)...
...meanwhile, Captain Kirk explains it all (joke)...
...and it isn't Christmas without family misbehavior, hopefully not involving the police (or nothing they'll actually report, anyway)...
...and RIP Joe Cocker, taking a break from the seasonal stuff – nobody sang Ray Charles covers like he did, among the other songs he sang well.
I always thought that the whole Nixon/Elvis thing was an instance where “The King” got utterly played by Tricky Dick and his pals, though I didn’t hear Elvis complaining at the time (John Lennon would reply to Presley later on about The Beatles and drug use, something about Elvis selling out when he enlisted; yes, the Fab Four certainly consumed their share of hallucinogens, but Elvis would turn into a walking pharmacy under the “care” of Dr. Nick himself)…
…and there actually are retailers out there that are trying (in their way, I guess) to be “family friendly” for the holidays – so let’s give them “a taste” as much as we can, OK?...
..and to the seasonal stuff we go – I think we're going to have a “wet” Christmas in these parts, as opposed to a “white” one...
...and let's order up a side o' soul, OK?...
...and some blues while we're at it (the needle isn't completely in sync, but that's OK)...
...meanwhile, Captain Kirk explains it all (joke)...
...and it isn't Christmas without family misbehavior, hopefully not involving the police (or nothing they'll actually report, anyway)...
...and RIP Joe Cocker, taking a break from the seasonal stuff – nobody sang Ray Charles covers like he did, among the other songs he sang well.
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Sunday Stuff
Gosh, what do those rent-stabilized tenants in Manhattan expect? I mean, it's not like the ropes around the “pen” are made of barbed wire (reminds me of that Monty Python bit about the architects...and yes, I'm removing my tongue from my cheek)...
...and this report tells us of the posthumous release of “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke 50 years ago; Cooke's death was one of the most disputed of all time among entertainers of this or any era – officially, he was killed when he attacked a motel manager, but he could also have been the victim a criminal conspiracy that turned into a truly grotesque murder...
..and turning to the seasonal stuff, yeah, it looks like Santa is pretty hip these days...
...and I should have this up every year; I prefer the original as opposed to the version he did with Lou Reed and Roseanne Cash.
...and this report tells us of the posthumous release of “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke 50 years ago; Cooke's death was one of the most disputed of all time among entertainers of this or any era – officially, he was killed when he attacked a motel manager, but he could also have been the victim a criminal conspiracy that turned into a truly grotesque murder...
..and turning to the seasonal stuff, yeah, it looks like Santa is pretty hip these days...
...and I should have this up every year; I prefer the original as opposed to the version he did with Lou Reed and Roseanne Cash.
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Saturday Stuff
As far as I'm concerned, we will never be able to defeat an enemy unless we understand what created them and make sure that we don't make the same mistakes again...
...and don't you just love how our corporate media spins low gas prices as bad news? Somehow I think that, if a certain Willard Mitt Romney and Vice President Puppy-Dog-Eyes-With-The-Shiv were residing in An Oval Office instead of the current occupants (and thank God that that's not the case), then we would be hearing something different...hopefully all will continue to go well from an environmental point of view in Mississippi, but if their water catches fire, things blow up and/or people start getting sick, don't come crying to us...
...and don't you just love how our corporate media spins low gas prices as bad news? Somehow I think that, if a certain Willard Mitt Romney and Vice President Puppy-Dog-Eyes-With-The-Shiv were residing in An Oval Office instead of the current occupants (and thank God that that's not the case), then we would be hearing something different...hopefully all will continue to go well from an environmental point of view in Mississippi, but if their water catches fire, things blow up and/or people start getting sick, don't come crying to us...
Friday, December 19, 2014
Friday Stuff
Congrats to Stephen Colbert for finishing up his run on Comedy Central – made me recall this item as well as the briefly NSFW commentary (I don’t think Colbert will ever top his performance at the 2006 White House Correspondents Dinner, which was one of the funniest – and ballsiest – performances I’ve ever seen)…
...ah, what the hell - let him take another "victory lap"...
…and now, turning to the seasonal stuff, I give you an ageless wonder…
…and even though he was a scientologist, he was still pretty cool…
…and I know I don’t feature as much jazz as I should, but here is an exception…
…and after having heard this for a number of years now, I guarantee you that I’ll never look at a nativity scene quite the same way again.
...ah, what the hell - let him take another "victory lap"...
…and now, turning to the seasonal stuff, I give you an ageless wonder…
…and even though he was a scientologist, he was still pretty cool…
…and I know I don’t feature as much jazz as I should, but here is an exception…
…and after having heard this for a number of years now, I guarantee you that I’ll never look at a nativity scene quite the same way again.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Thursday Stuff
I can’t tell you how utterly disgusted I am about this idiocy with North Korea and that movie “The Interview,” with Seth Rogen and James Franco (here).
So let me get this straight – we are now kow towing to threats from two-bit regimes that have somehow become particularly adept at cyber warfare? Where does this end? Does Iran, for example, which (last I checked) doesn’t recognize Israel’s right to exist, now tell us that we can no longer broadcast “Schindler’s List?” And believe me when I tell you that I have issues with Israel, by the way.
Basically, this is about OTHER studios/distributors as well as theater chains worrying about the chilling effect this whole dustup could have on THEIR movies that will debut next week (such as Disney’s adaptation of “Into the Woods”). Because (and I definitely don’t enjoy pointing this out), while the appropriate reaction to all of this is for “The Interview” to debut all over the country on Christmas to sold-out viewings everywhere, it’s very possible that the exact opposite would happen.
So, as a result, we end up looking like a bunch of spoiled little babies afraid of our own collective shadow. Our enemies laugh and our friends all say “WTF?”
Well, since I can’t embed that great Jeff Daniels “America Is Not The Greatest” clip from “The Newsroom,” I suppose this NSFW clip from “Team America” will have to suffice (and THAT was cancelled too? Judas H. Priest on a pogo stick!!!)…
...and I wasn't able to get this video from MSNBC's still-wretched-and-utterly-hosed web site, but fortunately You Tuber PlanetEarth TrimTab did - Rachel Maddow tells us that the parents of the Sandy Hook victims are going after the gun lobby on the issue of firearm immunity from prosecution, which to me has always been particularly contemptible...
...and here's a question for our ol' buddy Vlad Putin - do you STILL think invading Crimea was a good idea (here)?...
...and it looks like that Kenyan Muslim tree-hugging socialist is making vast new areas of our environment safe for posterity again; seriously, kudos to Number 44 for this (and this actually got 15 "dislikes" on You Tube - unbelievable)...
..and now onto the seasonal stuff...
...and I still think Pearl Bailey is onto something here...
...and our house looks like this - #xmasjoke...
...and I never get tired of this traditional number.
So let me get this straight – we are now kow towing to threats from two-bit regimes that have somehow become particularly adept at cyber warfare? Where does this end? Does Iran, for example, which (last I checked) doesn’t recognize Israel’s right to exist, now tell us that we can no longer broadcast “Schindler’s List?” And believe me when I tell you that I have issues with Israel, by the way.
Basically, this is about OTHER studios/distributors as well as theater chains worrying about the chilling effect this whole dustup could have on THEIR movies that will debut next week (such as Disney’s adaptation of “Into the Woods”). Because (and I definitely don’t enjoy pointing this out), while the appropriate reaction to all of this is for “The Interview” to debut all over the country on Christmas to sold-out viewings everywhere, it’s very possible that the exact opposite would happen.
So, as a result, we end up looking like a bunch of spoiled little babies afraid of our own collective shadow. Our enemies laugh and our friends all say “WTF?”
Well, since I can’t embed that great Jeff Daniels “America Is Not The Greatest” clip from “The Newsroom,” I suppose this NSFW clip from “Team America” will have to suffice (and THAT was cancelled too? Judas H. Priest on a pogo stick!!!)…
...and I wasn't able to get this video from MSNBC's still-wretched-and-utterly-hosed web site, but fortunately You Tuber PlanetEarth TrimTab did - Rachel Maddow tells us that the parents of the Sandy Hook victims are going after the gun lobby on the issue of firearm immunity from prosecution, which to me has always been particularly contemptible...
...and here's a question for our ol' buddy Vlad Putin - do you STILL think invading Crimea was a good idea (here)?...
...and it looks like that Kenyan Muslim tree-hugging socialist is making vast new areas of our environment safe for posterity again; seriously, kudos to Number 44 for this (and this actually got 15 "dislikes" on You Tube - unbelievable)...
..and now onto the seasonal stuff...
...and I still think Pearl Bailey is onto something here...
...and our house looks like this - #xmasjoke...
...and I never get tired of this traditional number.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Wednesday Stuff
When it comes to Darth Cheney (particularly in light of this and this), I think we have a case here of Nail. Hammer. Head. (and kudos to Tweety for this, by the way - this is why Cheney should be treated as nothing but a pariah by any sentient life form - of course, the Guardian is right; he SHOULD be in the gray bar hotel)...
…are here are some of the most amazing pictures from the prior year according to NBC News…
…and boy, am I on board with Cenk and this very NSFW commentary on an interview given by Jeffrey Follmer, president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association, over the Tamir Rice shooting (here)…
…and I have to admit that I’m having a little trouble with Nancy Pelosi and her word choice too a bit (here), but she’s fundamentally right (and what production values on the Huckleberry Graham thing :- )…
..and turning to the seasonal stuff, I give you this new selection (wanted to put up “The Coventry Carol” by Alison Moyet in solidarity with those families in Pakistan whose kids were slaughtered, but chickened out I guess – bomb those responsible into ashes, and then bomb the ashes...not in keeping with the spirit of the season I realize, but that's how I feel)...
...and to kick it up a notch, I give you this...
...and now, I give you the funniest math professor who has ever lived...
...and I'll drink to this one.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Tuesday Stuff
Soo, then, what exactly was the big hangup again over Dr. Vivek Murthy? Anybody?? Why couldn't we decide to do this months ago, you know, like actual grownups (here)...
Monday, December 15, 2014
Monday Stuff
(I also posted here.)
This may still be too much data for your average wingnut to try and absorb, but the stakes are too high to do nothing...
...and I give you the latest from FAIR TV (looks like the "Mickey Mouse Network" strikes again - and speaking of Rich Lowry)...
…returning to the seasonal stuff, looks like it’s time for the “treadmill guys” again…
…and I try to include a “serious” song with each batch…
…and something traditional if possible too…
…and by the way, does anyone have a bicarbonate of soda?
This may still be too much data for your average wingnut to try and absorb, but the stakes are too high to do nothing...
...and I give you the latest from FAIR TV (looks like the "Mickey Mouse Network" strikes again - and speaking of Rich Lowry)...
…returning to the seasonal stuff, looks like it’s time for the “treadmill guys” again…
…and I try to include a “serious” song with each batch…
…and something traditional if possible too…
…and by the way, does anyone have a bicarbonate of soda?
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Sunday Stuff
Anybody who thinks the protests in the wake of the recent deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner or Tamir Rice are going to go away is living in a dream world (by the way, Melissa Harris Perry had a good feature on the march, but MSNBC's utterly useless web site disallowed embedding the video)...
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Saturday Stuff
Man, does Chris Hayes light it up here, though, as karoli properly notes, Hayes should direct some of his ire towards Joe Scar too on his own network (which, of course, means that he can't)...
...and Lawrence O'Donnell pays tribute to outgoing Dem Senator Jay Rockefeller on the whole torture matter (and I can't believe how well Sen. Lindsey Graham has acted during this whole fiasco – credit to him for a change)...
...and speaking of lighting it up, we had an experience tonight with “one light goes out, they all go out” - all is now OK, though...
...and I don't think I've ever featured this before – not sure why not (I think one of these guys died)...
...though I think The King says it best here...
...and if you choose to imbibe tonight, please stay indoors – hugs.
...and Lawrence O'Donnell pays tribute to outgoing Dem Senator Jay Rockefeller on the whole torture matter (and I can't believe how well Sen. Lindsey Graham has acted during this whole fiasco – credit to him for a change)...
...and speaking of lighting it up, we had an experience tonight with “one light goes out, they all go out” - all is now OK, though...
...and I don't think I've ever featured this before – not sure why not (I think one of these guys died)...
...though I think The King says it best here...
...and if you choose to imbibe tonight, please stay indoors – hugs.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Friday Stuff
Ho, ho, ho – BLAM! (and let’s hope nobody gets hurt of course, or worse, here – and in a related story...and in ANOTHER related story - dear God)…
…and yeah, one person’s terrorist is another person’s “freedom fighter” (and I think Cenk makes a great point about the Fix Noise priest who supports drones…strange talk for a professed man of God)...
…and I know we observed the Pearl Harbor anniversary earlier this week, but I missed this one; Lawrence O’Donnell tells us the story of Jeanette Rankin, the first woman to serve in Congress, and her “No” vote in response to the Japanese attack…
..turning to seasonal stuff, Mr. S. would have been 99 today...
...and this is a reminder for all of us...
...but even though events might not warrant it, let's try to end with a smile, OK?
…and yeah, one person’s terrorist is another person’s “freedom fighter” (and I think Cenk makes a great point about the Fix Noise priest who supports drones…strange talk for a professed man of God)...
…and I know we observed the Pearl Harbor anniversary earlier this week, but I missed this one; Lawrence O’Donnell tells us the story of Jeanette Rankin, the first woman to serve in Congress, and her “No” vote in response to the Japanese attack…
..turning to seasonal stuff, Mr. S. would have been 99 today...
...and this is a reminder for all of us...
...but even though events might not warrant it, let's try to end with a smile, OK?
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Thursday Stuff
(I also posted here.)
(Sorry, but there’s a lot of verbiage to lead off this clip – the more I watched it, the more pissed off I got.)
Want to know why the Dems got creamed in the last election? I submit that part of the reason is because of the unbelievable disconnect between the White House and progressive U.S. House Democrats as evidenced in this clip (yeah, the Repugs are being typical greed heads, but I don’t think that’s news at this point…give voters a choice between Republicans and Republican-lites, and Republicans will get the vote every time, even though we’re going to be continually punished for the result…I have to admit, though, that Alex Wagner asks a really stupid question at about 5:30 and follows up just as stupidly at about 7:00, and why the #@!$ are they featuring Chuck Todd(ler)? – yeah, MSNBC sure is “liberal,” isn’t it…nice to hear Chris Van Hollen complain about the pages in the bill after listening to the Repugs carry on about the size of the health care bill that of course became law…Howard Fineman makes some good points, but I take issue with the entire framing of this clip; I think the U.S. House Dems are the only responsible adults here, and I don’t know how or why they should be held to account if there is a shut down – oh, and let Joshua Green do some framing too against the backdrop of the mid-terms, when in reality, if the Dems – as usual – had the courage of their convictions and stood with Number 44, I honestly don’t believe it would have been quite the rout that it was…not giving Obama a pass for caving and signing off on this garbage, though – one more thing; Wagner goes completely off the rails with her comment about the Teahadists at about 13:00; they came to fruition to oppose Obama and rebrand after Dubya – they don’t have a “populist” molecule in their metaphorical bodies)…
Oh, and by the way, the damn thing passed the House with the help of 57 “Democrats” here (a Senate vote will take place over the next day or so).
And who the hell decided to call this mess the “Cromnibus,” by the way? It sounds like one of the last emperors of Rome before it was overrun by the Huns...
…switching to a whole other topic, I think there have been times when Time Magazine really blew it with its Person of the Year selection, but I think they really nailed it in the best way possible this year…
...turning to the seasonal stuff, I give you a truly original "big man" (and born in Philly too)...
...though if you prefer something more mellow, I give you this.
(Sorry, but there’s a lot of verbiage to lead off this clip – the more I watched it, the more pissed off I got.)
Want to know why the Dems got creamed in the last election? I submit that part of the reason is because of the unbelievable disconnect between the White House and progressive U.S. House Democrats as evidenced in this clip (yeah, the Repugs are being typical greed heads, but I don’t think that’s news at this point…give voters a choice between Republicans and Republican-lites, and Republicans will get the vote every time, even though we’re going to be continually punished for the result…I have to admit, though, that Alex Wagner asks a really stupid question at about 5:30 and follows up just as stupidly at about 7:00, and why the #@!$ are they featuring Chuck Todd(ler)? – yeah, MSNBC sure is “liberal,” isn’t it…nice to hear Chris Van Hollen complain about the pages in the bill after listening to the Repugs carry on about the size of the health care bill that of course became law…Howard Fineman makes some good points, but I take issue with the entire framing of this clip; I think the U.S. House Dems are the only responsible adults here, and I don’t know how or why they should be held to account if there is a shut down – oh, and let Joshua Green do some framing too against the backdrop of the mid-terms, when in reality, if the Dems – as usual – had the courage of their convictions and stood with Number 44, I honestly don’t believe it would have been quite the rout that it was…not giving Obama a pass for caving and signing off on this garbage, though – one more thing; Wagner goes completely off the rails with her comment about the Teahadists at about 13:00; they came to fruition to oppose Obama and rebrand after Dubya – they don’t have a “populist” molecule in their metaphorical bodies)…
Oh, and by the way, the damn thing passed the House with the help of 57 “Democrats” here (a Senate vote will take place over the next day or so).
And who the hell decided to call this mess the “Cromnibus,” by the way? It sounds like one of the last emperors of Rome before it was overrun by the Huns...
…switching to a whole other topic, I think there have been times when Time Magazine really blew it with its Person of the Year selection, but I think they really nailed it in the best way possible this year…
...turning to the seasonal stuff, I give you a truly original "big man" (and born in Philly too)...
...though if you prefer something more mellow, I give you this.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Wednesday Stuff
What follows is part of Rachel Maddow's report last night on the torture findings...
...and here is more (and regarding the question of how the f@ck could this happen, here is part of the answer - IOKIYAR)...
...and I think Jon Stewart does the best he can with all of this horrific stuff here (yeah, I think Mr. Creosote nailed it)…
…and it’s pretty bad when you need to look to Chuck and Dave Koch for something not as terrible as the prior story (but as I said, still pretty bad)…
...and I don't know about you, but I need to hear some seasonal tunes after all this stuff - kind of a palate cleanser...
...and this helps too.
...and here is more (and regarding the question of how the f@ck could this happen, here is part of the answer - IOKIYAR)...
...and I think Jon Stewart does the best he can with all of this horrific stuff here (yeah, I think Mr. Creosote nailed it)…
…and it’s pretty bad when you need to look to Chuck and Dave Koch for something not as terrible as the prior story (but as I said, still pretty bad)…
...and I don't know about you, but I need to hear some seasonal tunes after all this stuff - kind of a palate cleanser...
...and this helps too.
Tuesday, December 09, 2014
Tuesday Stuff
Torture is a war crime. Those who engage in it and authorize it should be prosecuted. Period - full stop...
...and yeah, I would say it's long past time for this also...
…and Thom Hartmann asks a really hard question, with what I think is an even harder answer (here)…
…and yeah, isn’t it just too precious that A COMEDIAN (and quite an accomplished filmmaker also, apparently) is held to a higher standard of proof than the media wing of the Republican Party, which ostensibly passes itself off as a news organization (here)?
Nope, you’re never supposed to question the police, you filthy unkempt liberal. Shut up and clap louder…
...and turning to the seasonal stuff, I give you this...
...and this.
Monday, December 08, 2014
Monday Stuff
Silly Rachel – don’t you know that Democrats are NEVER supposed to get any credit for ANYTHING (removing my tongue from my cheek)…
...and I give you the latest installment of FAIR TV (yep, "Fox being Fox" all right)...
…and class move by John Legend and Chrissy Teigen here – I think that calls for a seasonal tune…
…and because it is 12/8, after all, I think it’s time to recall the 34th anniversary, believe it or not.
...and I give you the latest installment of FAIR TV (yep, "Fox being Fox" all right)...
…and class move by John Legend and Chrissy Teigen here – I think that calls for a seasonal tune…
…and because it is 12/8, after all, I think it’s time to recall the 34th anniversary, believe it or not.
Friday, December 05, 2014
Friday Stuff
(I also posted here.)
As a follow-up to this item, I give you the following (a fast food protest at a McDonald’s in Detroit yesterday)…
…and as somebody said, elections have consequences – a pretty pathetic story about the “land of plenty” (a good report, though, but everyone was a little too polite towards the politicians responsible as far as I’m concerned – this stuff doesn’t happen when Democrats are in charge, but of course we won't see that again for a good while now)…
…and given that this is now in the hands of the High Court of Hangin; Judge JR, I’m not optimistic, sad to say (and turning to this incoming Congress for a solution if The Supremes rule against Peggy Young? Better luck catching a break from the Easter Bunny)…
As a follow-up to this item, I give you the following (a fast food protest at a McDonald’s in Detroit yesterday)…
…and as somebody said, elections have consequences – a pretty pathetic story about the “land of plenty” (a good report, though, but everyone was a little too polite towards the politicians responsible as far as I’m concerned – this stuff doesn’t happen when Democrats are in charge, but of course we won't see that again for a good while now)…
…and given that this is now in the hands of the High Court of Hangin; Judge JR, I’m not optimistic, sad to say (and turning to this incoming Congress for a solution if The Supremes rule against Peggy Young? Better luck catching a break from the Easter Bunny)…
Thursday, December 04, 2014
Thursday Stuff
(I also posted here.)
I swear, this is like a bad movie that never ends (once again, heckuva job all you registered Dems who didn't show up on November 4th)...
...and with that in mind, I give you this EXTREMELY NSFW but righteous rant from Cenk Uygur here...
…and it looks like the Beltway media fairy tales concerning the non-indictment of Officer Darren Wilson are being constructed ad nauseum…fortunately, Lawrence O’Donnell provides a reality check…
..and there are times when, I guess, all that's left is humor (here)...
...also, RIP Ian McLagan (bad week for great supporting rock n' roll musicians)...
...and I'm kind of forcing myself to listen to this seasonal number, but I think I need it.
I swear, this is like a bad movie that never ends (once again, heckuva job all you registered Dems who didn't show up on November 4th)...
...and with that in mind, I give you this EXTREMELY NSFW but righteous rant from Cenk Uygur here...
…and it looks like the Beltway media fairy tales concerning the non-indictment of Officer Darren Wilson are being constructed ad nauseum…fortunately, Lawrence O’Donnell provides a reality check…
..and there are times when, I guess, all that's left is humor (here)...
...also, RIP Ian McLagan (bad week for great supporting rock n' roll musicians)...
...and I'm kind of forcing myself to listen to this seasonal number, but I think I need it.
Wednesday, December 03, 2014
Wednesday Stuff
As you watch this, please keep in mind that the quote “sunshine is the best disinfectant” was attributed to Louis Brandeis, who definitely wasn’t a Republican…
...and sticking with the environment, with all due respect to Janay Rice, anyone protesting in Ferguson, MO and even our military making heroic sacrifices overseas, among other critical issues, I can’t think of anything that trumps this (sad to hear anyone gushing over Tom “Six More Months” Friedman though)…
...and I'll let the symbolism of this story speak for itself...
…and sorry, but I’m not quite in the holiday spirit after hearing about this – I think what follows is a more appropriate tune for this tragic occasion (yeah, no lynching or tree or Southern location, but we're still talking about a dead American; I think this says it).
...and sticking with the environment, with all due respect to Janay Rice, anyone protesting in Ferguson, MO and even our military making heroic sacrifices overseas, among other critical issues, I can’t think of anything that trumps this (sad to hear anyone gushing over Tom “Six More Months” Friedman though)…
...and I'll let the symbolism of this story speak for itself...
…and sorry, but I’m not quite in the holiday spirit after hearing about this – I think what follows is a more appropriate tune for this tragic occasion (yeah, no lynching or tree or Southern location, but we're still talking about a dead American; I think this says it).
Tuesday, December 02, 2014
Tuesday Stuff
Jon Stewart tells us all about that “race hustling, race baiting” industry, or whatever, here (as usual, NOBODY can project like a Republi-can)…
…and continuing with this theme, Stephen Colbert weighs in here – one of his last Comedy Central appearances, I would guess (hope everyone gets the tongue-in-cheek thing)…
...and RIP Bobby Keys (probably his greatest work was with the Rolling Stones, but this was a signature tune also)...
...and here's a seasonal number by a guy who had a pretty fair sax player also.
…and continuing with this theme, Stephen Colbert weighs in here – one of his last Comedy Central appearances, I would guess (hope everyone gets the tongue-in-cheek thing)…
...and RIP Bobby Keys (probably his greatest work was with the Rolling Stones, but this was a signature tune also)...
...and here's a seasonal number by a guy who had a pretty fair sax player also.
Monday, December 01, 2014
Monday Stuff
(I also posted here.)
Today is World AIDS Day – here is a video for the occasion…
…and many years ago, CBS Reports produced the landmark documentary “Harvest of Shame” narrated by Edward R. Murrow – I guess you could call this an update for 2014…
…and if this is starting to sound like a broken record, that’s probably because it is (though, fortunately, Brian Dennison was apparently unhurt in this latest story of what you might call a "cowboy cop," though his daughter was scared to death, which could actually be fatal for someone severely asthmatic)…
…and speaking of law enforcement…
Today is World AIDS Day – here is a video for the occasion…
…and many years ago, CBS Reports produced the landmark documentary “Harvest of Shame” narrated by Edward R. Murrow – I guess you could call this an update for 2014…
…and if this is starting to sound like a broken record, that’s probably because it is (though, fortunately, Brian Dennison was apparently unhurt in this latest story of what you might call a "cowboy cop," though his daughter was scared to death, which could actually be fatal for someone severely asthmatic)…
…and speaking of law enforcement…
Friday, November 28, 2014
Friday Stuff
I actually shopped on Black Friday at Sears, where the very nice lady who rang up my order told me that her employer pays the lowest wages in the retail business – and no, she didn’t have a choice but to show up for work either (kudos to Jillian Fisher)…
…and don’t forget that “Man Tan” Boehner buried President Obama’s American Jobs Act, probably under a pile of cigarette butts (and let’s see how we can reward these folks too)…
…and as you watch this NSFW commentary on Elizabeth Hasselbeck and her “interview” with Jeff Roorda of the St. Louis Police Officer’s Association about Officer Darren Wilson, I would ask that you keep in mind the fact (emphasized during about the last minute) that, as Lawrence O’Donnell pointed out recently, the statute isn’t as bad as the three panelists point out – it’s just that it was the wrong one pointed out to the grand jury before they started their deliberations…
…and dag, could it actually be that time of year again? ‘Fraid so.
…and don’t forget that “Man Tan” Boehner buried President Obama’s American Jobs Act, probably under a pile of cigarette butts (and let’s see how we can reward these folks too)…
…and as you watch this NSFW commentary on Elizabeth Hasselbeck and her “interview” with Jeff Roorda of the St. Louis Police Officer’s Association about Officer Darren Wilson, I would ask that you keep in mind the fact (emphasized during about the last minute) that, as Lawrence O’Donnell pointed out recently, the statute isn’t as bad as the three panelists point out – it’s just that it was the wrong one pointed out to the grand jury before they started their deliberations…
…and dag, could it actually be that time of year again? ‘Fraid so.
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Happy Thanksgiving 2014
I got a kick out of this (courtesy of Pixdaus and Daily Kos)......and here's another holiday fave, with an intro by Seth MacFarlane as Stewie Griffin (and again, the captions make this hilarious as far as I'm concerned)...
...and here's more holiday fun...
...and I kind of liked this also (hat tip for this and The Onion to Daily Kos)...
...and here's a Thanksgiving message for those wonderful folks at the TSA.
Update 1: And here is another late addition.
Update 2: Might as well add this too.
Update 3: Imagine all the people that can be fed for $35 grand (here, getting serious for a minute).
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Wednesday Stuff
I also posted here.)
Um, outgoing Obama Administration AG Eric Holder? Maybe you want to check this out...
...and kudos to Jorge Ramos for this...
...and I'm sick of pundits making references to politicians going to “war” with each other, when we have Americans in genuine, harms-way combat fighting the real thing – still, I thought this was an interesting comparison between the Clinton-era Congress and the far-more-wretched one we have now (yeah, leave it to Boehner to give us turkey recipes instead of, y'know, actual jobs legislation)...
...but despite that, I know I have a lot to be thankful for (including Jorge Ramos) – hope you do too.
Um, outgoing Obama Administration AG Eric Holder? Maybe you want to check this out...
...and kudos to Jorge Ramos for this...
...and I'm sick of pundits making references to politicians going to “war” with each other, when we have Americans in genuine, harms-way combat fighting the real thing – still, I thought this was an interesting comparison between the Clinton-era Congress and the far-more-wretched one we have now (yeah, leave it to Boehner to give us turkey recipes instead of, y'know, actual jobs legislation)...
...but despite that, I know I have a lot to be thankful for (including Jorge Ramos) – hope you do too.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Tuesday Stuff
(I also posted here.)
Jelani Cobb and Mychal Denzel Smith talk with Joy Reid about the travesty that unfolded last night in Ferguson, MO, which was utterly anticipated I realize - no way that Darren Wilson shouldn't stand trial (and definitely not an excuse for violence in response of course; hopefully tonight will be quieter for all concerned)…
…with that qualifier out of the way, though…
...and the “underclass” so despised by Repug Indiana Governor Mike Pence (to say nothing of Fix Noise) definitely would include some of the folks in Ferguson, of course (even though we're talking about two completely different states, I know - slightly NSFW)...
...and why do I have a feeling that, were he still with us, Gil Scott-Heron would have an update to this little number in light of the events in Ferguson?
Jelani Cobb and Mychal Denzel Smith talk with Joy Reid about the travesty that unfolded last night in Ferguson, MO, which was utterly anticipated I realize - no way that Darren Wilson shouldn't stand trial (and definitely not an excuse for violence in response of course; hopefully tonight will be quieter for all concerned)…
…with that qualifier out of the way, though…
...and the “underclass” so despised by Repug Indiana Governor Mike Pence (to say nothing of Fix Noise) definitely would include some of the folks in Ferguson, of course (even though we're talking about two completely different states, I know - slightly NSFW)...
...and why do I have a feeling that, were he still with us, Gil Scott-Heron would have an update to this little number in light of the events in Ferguson?
Monday, November 24, 2014
Monday Stuff
(I also posted here.)
I give you the latest installment of FAIR TV (yep, our corporate media “debate” seems to be between the pro-bomb-ISIS forces and the really-pro-bomb-ISIS forces, which I would be OK with if it achieves the desired effect and doesn’t kill innocent civilians, which always happens in war of course…and yeah, what a supposedly courageous interview with Bill Cosby over the rape allegations)…
…and gosh, whaddaya know – BENGHAZI!! wasn’t really a scandal after all…color me shocked! (and God knows how many taxpayer dollars were wasted on this fiasco)...
…and yeah, even though the day to consume all that el Tryptophan (you can Google it) is but a few days away, leave it to John Oliver to offer some words on Thanksgiving here…
..and yeah, I think this musical response is appropriate (to this); my guess is that Darren Wilson is on his way to get lost someplace with a stupid amount of money, made to go away by the Ferguson PD – based on how the statute is written (to say nothing of the grand jury), Wilson may be unindictable, but he sure as hell isn't innocent.
Update 11/25/14: Now with extra irony (here)...
I give you the latest installment of FAIR TV (yep, our corporate media “debate” seems to be between the pro-bomb-ISIS forces and the really-pro-bomb-ISIS forces, which I would be OK with if it achieves the desired effect and doesn’t kill innocent civilians, which always happens in war of course…and yeah, what a supposedly courageous interview with Bill Cosby over the rape allegations)…
…and gosh, whaddaya know – BENGHAZI!! wasn’t really a scandal after all…color me shocked! (and God knows how many taxpayer dollars were wasted on this fiasco)...
…and yeah, even though the day to consume all that el Tryptophan (you can Google it) is but a few days away, leave it to John Oliver to offer some words on Thanksgiving here…
..and yeah, I think this musical response is appropriate (to this); my guess is that Darren Wilson is on his way to get lost someplace with a stupid amount of money, made to go away by the Ferguson PD – based on how the statute is written (to say nothing of the grand jury), Wilson may be unindictable, but he sure as hell isn't innocent.
Update 11/25/14: Now with extra irony (here)...
Friday, November 21, 2014
Friday Stuff
God, I hope Lawrence O’Donnell is right, though we still have to make that happen in two years (and yeah, it’s amazing that this basically came from a conservative strategist)…
…and gee, I wonder what kind of “follow-up” there will be to this? Do you really need to ask? Lather, rinse, repeat (sigh – love to be wrong - Hangin' Judge JR is such a prince for authoring all this garbage via those awful Supreme Court rulings in "Citizens United" and "McCutcheon")…
…and I give you another example of Repug hypocrisy, Part The Infinity, as Charles Pierce would say (here...and yep, definitely not a shining moment for Mary Landrieu)…
...and yeah, I think it's time for a recent tune as opposed to what you might call a "moldy oldie."
…and gee, I wonder what kind of “follow-up” there will be to this? Do you really need to ask? Lather, rinse, repeat (sigh – love to be wrong - Hangin' Judge JR is such a prince for authoring all this garbage via those awful Supreme Court rulings in "Citizens United" and "McCutcheon")…
…and I give you another example of Repug hypocrisy, Part The Infinity, as Charles Pierce would say (here...and yep, definitely not a shining moment for Mary Landrieu)…
...and yeah, I think it's time for a recent tune as opposed to what you might call a "moldy oldie."
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Thursday Stuff
(I also posted here.)
So it looks like lame duck U.S. Senator Crazy Tom Coburn is predicting "violence and anarchy" here over an upcoming immigration order from Number 44, something Republican presidents did with no pushback, as noted here, huh? Looks like it's time for this .gif again, I guess (if Coburn can invoke violent imagery, then I can too)...
...and K.O. once had the following to say about Coburn...
…and flash forward back to now, only this time with Billo taking top “honors” (here)…
...and speaking of immigration, it sounds like a few wingnut heads are getting ready to explode on the issue (here) – guess it's acceptable for The Sainted Ronnie R, but not that Kenyan Muslim Socialist (not going to try and fact check The Gipper here – probably would be interesting, though)...
...and RIP film director Mike Nichols (from this movie, for all you non-boomers out there)...
..and before he became a legendary filmmaker, he was part of a legendary comedy duo also...
...and the whole immigration issue puts me in a mind to hear this song again.
So it looks like lame duck U.S. Senator Crazy Tom Coburn is predicting "violence and anarchy" here over an upcoming immigration order from Number 44, something Republican presidents did with no pushback, as noted here, huh? Looks like it's time for this .gif again, I guess (if Coburn can invoke violent imagery, then I can too)...
...and K.O. once had the following to say about Coburn...
…and flash forward back to now, only this time with Billo taking top “honors” (here)…
...and speaking of immigration, it sounds like a few wingnut heads are getting ready to explode on the issue (here) – guess it's acceptable for The Sainted Ronnie R, but not that Kenyan Muslim Socialist (not going to try and fact check The Gipper here – probably would be interesting, though)...
...and RIP film director Mike Nichols (from this movie, for all you non-boomers out there)...
..and before he became a legendary filmmaker, he was part of a legendary comedy duo also...
...and the whole immigration issue puts me in a mind to hear this song again.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Wednesday Stuff
(I also posted here.)
Rachel Maddow tells us more about the breeding ground for bad government, as The Eternal Molly Ivins has referred to “the land of the yellow rose” (amazing that, with all of the Dupont/Laporte plant's infractions, they were somehow off the proverbial radar from other Do-Gooder groups; I realize folks like the Sierra Club can only be so many places at once, though)...
..and I give you another “triumph” of our corporate media...that is, most of the consumers of news in this country don't understand the issues, including Keystone XL (here); fortunately, Sen. Bernie Sanders is here to speak truth to stoo-pid...
...and it looks like Chuck and Dave are up to more no good based on this; this video from Robert Greenwald tells a similar story (lots of code language - kind of creepy to see the parallels to the 70s and before...)...
...and RIP Jimmy Ruffin.
Rachel Maddow tells us more about the breeding ground for bad government, as The Eternal Molly Ivins has referred to “the land of the yellow rose” (amazing that, with all of the Dupont/Laporte plant's infractions, they were somehow off the proverbial radar from other Do-Gooder groups; I realize folks like the Sierra Club can only be so many places at once, though)...
..and I give you another “triumph” of our corporate media...that is, most of the consumers of news in this country don't understand the issues, including Keystone XL (here); fortunately, Sen. Bernie Sanders is here to speak truth to stoo-pid...
...and it looks like Chuck and Dave are up to more no good based on this; this video from Robert Greenwald tells a similar story (lots of code language - kind of creepy to see the parallels to the 70s and before...)...
...and RIP Jimmy Ruffin.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Tuesday Stuff
Unfortunately, we have a lot more like this to deal with for at least the next two years (heckuva job, everybody who stayed home two weeks ago)…
…and speaking of the election, how in God’s name did Alison Lundergan Grimes manage to not take advantage of THIS (NSFW)?...
…I mean, you know Jon Stewart would have, right? (here - great line aimed at Romney at about 7:00, by the way)…
…and yesterday marked what would have been the 70th birthday of Gene Clark of The Byrds, a guy who probably should have ended up being at least as famous as his other more celebrated band mates (Roger McGuinn, Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman and, of course, David Crosby), but whose life and career was cut short primarily by alcohol – here is one of the band’s signature tunes, which was hugely controversial way back when (almost charming in its naiveté given what is routinely considered part of “pop culture” now).
…and speaking of the election, how in God’s name did Alison Lundergan Grimes manage to not take advantage of THIS (NSFW)?...
…I mean, you know Jon Stewart would have, right? (here - great line aimed at Romney at about 7:00, by the way)…
…and yesterday marked what would have been the 70th birthday of Gene Clark of The Byrds, a guy who probably should have ended up being at least as famous as his other more celebrated band mates (Roger McGuinn, Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman and, of course, David Crosby), but whose life and career was cut short primarily by alcohol – here is one of the band’s signature tunes, which was hugely controversial way back when (almost charming in its naiveté given what is routinely considered part of “pop culture” now).
Monday, November 17, 2014
Monday Stuff
I give you the latest episode of FAIR TV (another day, another lie from Former President Highest Disapproval Rating In Gallup Poll History)…
...and once again, Bill Maher says what needs to be said (NSFW)...
...and yeah, I guess it's time to hear from another "dumbass conservative" (here - backgrounder is here; a little squeamish about the "slitting throat" remark, though)...
…and here is today’s regional weather forecast.
...and once again, Bill Maher says what needs to be said (NSFW)...
...and yeah, I guess it's time to hear from another "dumbass conservative" (here - backgrounder is here; a little squeamish about the "slitting throat" remark, though)...
…and here is today’s regional weather forecast.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Friday Stuff
By the way, Karen Silkwood died under mysterious circumstances 40 years ago yesterday (the clip below has to do with her upbringing before she worked at Kerr-McGee - the story from this link tells us what happened to her; landmark reporting from Rolling Stone many years ago on this)…
…and Cenk Uygur tells us that the fight goes on when it comes to campaign finance reform (nice work here, even by some conservatives, believe it or not)…
…and sometimes I just have no words…fortunately, Jon Stewart just about always does (here - and I heard his new movie is pretty good too)…
...and I genuinely apologize for not including this video last Tuesday as I should have.
…and Cenk Uygur tells us that the fight goes on when it comes to campaign finance reform (nice work here, even by some conservatives, believe it or not)…
…and sometimes I just have no words…fortunately, Jon Stewart just about always does (here - and I heard his new movie is pretty good too)…
...and I genuinely apologize for not including this video last Tuesday as I should have.
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Thursday Stuff (update)
For a change of pace, mainly because recent political events are so putrid for the most part, I thought I'd present this Alex Wagner interview with Dick Cavett – you can Google him (sad that there's apparently no place for Cavett or someone like him on network TV anymore)...
...though I suppose Stephen Colbert is cut somewhat from the same cloth, as they say (here)...
...and this report by Rachel Maddow is stunning as far as I'm concerned; as anyone who knows anything about this site whatsoever has figured out, I routinely take what I consider to be well-deserved shots at the Repug Party...but at least THEY know who constitutes their base.
As for the band of well-compensated Beltway losers who don't know a thing, apparently, about what truly constitutes the base of Team “D” (based partly on this), it looks like they're absolutely refusing once again to present themselves as an alternative, to say nothing of defining enough of the voters they need and recruiting/promoting someone to speak to those voters (yeah, it's nice that Mikey the Beloved is being true to his word and apparently his PA-08 seat is going to open up, but that won't mean a thing unless we figure out which voters we need to target, field a candidate to speak to those voters on the issues they care about, and then get those voters to show up on election day)...
...and I heard this on the way home tonight, and this to me goes out to the national Democratic Party organization – they got rolled last week because they didn't show any backbone first and foremost...don't piss all over the base and tell us that it's raining (team R must be laughing their asses off).
Update 11/14/14: This is a wholly other tangent I guess, but I think it ties into the theme of cluelessness on the party of Democrats (at least the national organization and some in the media, including the otherwise respectable Joy Reid).
Remember the business earlier this year in Mississippi, where incumbent Republican Senator Thad Cochran was challenged in a primary by Teahadist Chris McDaniel? And remember how some Democrats said, “Oh, gee, we have to support Cochran because McDaniel is just too crazy?” And filthy, unkempt liberal blogger types such as yours truly said, “Hey, wait a minute! Why the hell are we defending Cochran when supporting McDaniel in the general election would help the Democrat, Travis Childers? Why aren’t we thinking about this in solely political terms like the Repugs do?” And the response from people like Reid on “Real Time With Bill Maher” was, well, there just aren’t enough Democrats in Mississippi, and we should be forced to settle for the least bad Republican?
So now, we have Cochran getting ready to settle in comfortably with the incoming Repug Senate majority next year, and McDaniel is still carrying on like the nut that he is (and does anyone seriously think that Cochran is going to give a fig about doing anything to help Democratic voters who “crossed over” to help him)?
Here is my question: does anyone seriously think that McDaniel would have been any worse than what we’re going to be looking at next year, including Joni Ernst, Tom Cotton and Cory Gardner in the Senate, and life forms like Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin in the U.S. House?
We don’t need to do more to utterly deflate our own base, people! We need to do a much better job of standing up for what we believe in and presenting ourselves as a serious, sane alternative to anyone who would still consider voting for our party in the immediate and longer-term future.
...though I suppose Stephen Colbert is cut somewhat from the same cloth, as they say (here)...
...and this report by Rachel Maddow is stunning as far as I'm concerned; as anyone who knows anything about this site whatsoever has figured out, I routinely take what I consider to be well-deserved shots at the Repug Party...but at least THEY know who constitutes their base.
As for the band of well-compensated Beltway losers who don't know a thing, apparently, about what truly constitutes the base of Team “D” (based partly on this), it looks like they're absolutely refusing once again to present themselves as an alternative, to say nothing of defining enough of the voters they need and recruiting/promoting someone to speak to those voters (yeah, it's nice that Mikey the Beloved is being true to his word and apparently his PA-08 seat is going to open up, but that won't mean a thing unless we figure out which voters we need to target, field a candidate to speak to those voters on the issues they care about, and then get those voters to show up on election day)...
...and I heard this on the way home tonight, and this to me goes out to the national Democratic Party organization – they got rolled last week because they didn't show any backbone first and foremost...don't piss all over the base and tell us that it's raining (team R must be laughing their asses off).
Update 11/14/14: This is a wholly other tangent I guess, but I think it ties into the theme of cluelessness on the party of Democrats (at least the national organization and some in the media, including the otherwise respectable Joy Reid).
Remember the business earlier this year in Mississippi, where incumbent Republican Senator Thad Cochran was challenged in a primary by Teahadist Chris McDaniel? And remember how some Democrats said, “Oh, gee, we have to support Cochran because McDaniel is just too crazy?” And filthy, unkempt liberal blogger types such as yours truly said, “Hey, wait a minute! Why the hell are we defending Cochran when supporting McDaniel in the general election would help the Democrat, Travis Childers? Why aren’t we thinking about this in solely political terms like the Repugs do?” And the response from people like Reid on “Real Time With Bill Maher” was, well, there just aren’t enough Democrats in Mississippi, and we should be forced to settle for the least bad Republican?
So now, we have Cochran getting ready to settle in comfortably with the incoming Repug Senate majority next year, and McDaniel is still carrying on like the nut that he is (and does anyone seriously think that Cochran is going to give a fig about doing anything to help Democratic voters who “crossed over” to help him)?
Here is my question: does anyone seriously think that McDaniel would have been any worse than what we’re going to be looking at next year, including Joni Ernst, Tom Cotton and Cory Gardner in the Senate, and life forms like Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin in the U.S. House?
We don’t need to do more to utterly deflate our own base, people! We need to do a much better job of standing up for what we believe in and presenting ourselves as a serious, sane alternative to anyone who would still consider voting for our party in the immediate and longer-term future.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Wednesday Stuff
I was honestly wondering if anyone would take on ESPN for what they’ve done to the cult of sports celebrity (though I don’t recall the athletes complaining about it, of course), but kudos to Daniel Tosh for doing so here (NSFW); even the legendary K.O. himself has now been reduced to commenting on episodes of flatulence involving Cliff Lee of the Phillies (yep, I’ve done stuff I didn’t want to do to pay the bills too…sometimes I still do)…
…and from the “better late than never” department, I give you this from Joy Reid (nice to replay this video sometime around, oh, say, the summer of 2018, huh? And with a Dem in An Oval Office – wishing, hoping…)…
…and by the way, as you stew over what Cenk says here (NSFW), read this to find out the following towards the end…
…and from the “better late than never” department, I give you this from Joy Reid (nice to replay this video sometime around, oh, say, the summer of 2018, huh? And with a Dem in An Oval Office – wishing, hoping…)…
…and by the way, as you stew over what Cenk says here (NSFW), read this to find out the following towards the end…"I could argue that we're much safer without Saddam," he added. "And I would argue that the people of Iraq have a better shot at living in a peaceful -- a peaceful state."Former Commander Codpiece is wrong as usual, bringing to mind this tune once more.
A "hypothetical" where Iraqis have "a better shot" at peace is a far cry from democratic nation-building, given recent developments -- the rise of the Islamic State, for one -- that have yet to give way to stability.
But Bush argued that his successor was to blame, because the U.S. failed to maintain a troop presence in the country. He noted that "in 2009 and 2010, the violence in Iraq was settling down. And the democracy, even though it was not perfect -- kind of like ours was initially not perfect -- was beginning to work."
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Tuesday Stuff
Happy Veterans Day (here – thank you, Mr. Starr)...
...and Rachel Maddow takes us deep into the coal-black heart of the right-wing noise machine...
...and before we laugh at the typical mind-numbing idiocy of our corporate media on the whole Ebola thing, just remember once more that this garbage helped to elect Republicans while younger voters stayed home, and yes, I plan to point out that fact on a continual basis...
...and I never saw the movie, though I heard it was good, but damn, I like this tune.
...and Rachel Maddow takes us deep into the coal-black heart of the right-wing noise machine...
...and before we laugh at the typical mind-numbing idiocy of our corporate media on the whole Ebola thing, just remember once more that this garbage helped to elect Republicans while younger voters stayed home, and yes, I plan to point out that fact on a continual basis...
...and I never saw the movie, though I heard it was good, but damn, I like this tune.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Monday Stuff
I thought this was a really interesting segment on the difference between how The Big Dog handled the loss of Congress 20 years ago and how Number 44 handled the same thing recently, and I have to say that President Obama stands taller in my estimation…
…and I give you the latest from FAIR TV (God, our corporate media is pathetic!)…
...and believe it or not, it's been 25 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall (and please don't give any credit to The Sainted Ronnie R for his damn speech)...
..while we awaited genuine economic growth and prosperity from the '90s (sigh) and listened to this tune.
…and I give you the latest from FAIR TV (God, our corporate media is pathetic!)…
...and believe it or not, it's been 25 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall (and please don't give any credit to The Sainted Ronnie R for his damn speech)...
..while we awaited genuine economic growth and prosperity from the '90s (sigh) and listened to this tune.
Friday, November 07, 2014
Friday Stuff
Cenk speaks, we listen here (NSFW)…
…and aside from Tom Wolf and Steve Santarsiero winning on Tuesday, other good stuff happened, as Rachel Maddow tells us (she digresses a bit at the 10:00 mark, though…amazing that she somehow forgot about Wolf and Corbett being the only incumbent Repug governor to lose; another good thing about Corbett's loss is that it puts that sleazy Jim Cawley out of a job also - heh)…
...and leave it to Stephen Colbert to put the story about the 90-year-old man arrested for feeding the homeless in the proper context (here)...
..and believe it or not, yesterday was the 200th birthday of the guy who invented the saxophone, named Adolphe Sax appropriately enough; in honor of the occasion, I give you one of the all-time-great sax tunes, IMHO.
…and aside from Tom Wolf and Steve Santarsiero winning on Tuesday, other good stuff happened, as Rachel Maddow tells us (she digresses a bit at the 10:00 mark, though…amazing that she somehow forgot about Wolf and Corbett being the only incumbent Repug governor to lose; another good thing about Corbett's loss is that it puts that sleazy Jim Cawley out of a job also - heh)…
...and leave it to Stephen Colbert to put the story about the 90-year-old man arrested for feeding the homeless in the proper context (here)...
..and believe it or not, yesterday was the 200th birthday of the guy who invented the saxophone, named Adolphe Sax appropriately enough; in honor of the occasion, I give you one of the all-time-great sax tunes, IMHO.
Thursday, November 06, 2014
Thursday Stuff
Jon Stewart tells us what happened last Tuesday, as if we don’t already know somehow (here)…
…and yeah, let’s find out what the Repugs’ idea of “no conflict” is, huh – maybe the same “no conflict” sought by the kicking guy in this .gif?
(P.S. – One of the first things incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said had to do with Obama opposing immigration legislation from this bunch, telling all to hear that it would be waving a red flag in front of a bull, or something. If Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao wants to traffic in violent imagery, then I can too.)
...and Sam Seder gives us his take here - nice to hear an intelligent point of view (and no surprise that Tweety showed his true colors)...
...and just to remind us that there is still actual news out there to be reported aside from the political stuff (and yeah, I wish "nuclear missteps" wasn't a "thing" either)...
..and this song describes what I think of the entire incoming congressional majority.
…and yeah, let’s find out what the Repugs’ idea of “no conflict” is, huh – maybe the same “no conflict” sought by the kicking guy in this .gif?
(P.S. – One of the first things incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said had to do with Obama opposing immigration legislation from this bunch, telling all to hear that it would be waving a red flag in front of a bull, or something. If Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao wants to traffic in violent imagery, then I can too.)
...and Sam Seder gives us his take here - nice to hear an intelligent point of view (and no surprise that Tweety showed his true colors)...
...and just to remind us that there is still actual news out there to be reported aside from the political stuff (and yeah, I wish "nuclear missteps" wasn't a "thing" either)...
..and this song describes what I think of the entire incoming congressional majority.
Wednesday, November 05, 2014
Wednesday Stuff
So far, I think this post from Susie Madrak at Crooks and Liars comes closest to describing what happened last night. Basically, the geriatric individuals who drive their cars a couple of times a week and who watch Fix Noise and take it seriously day in and day out (many of whom go to church every Sunday) gathered en masse at the polls and – surprise, surprise! – voted for Republicans. And while our side had a bit of a GOTV effort that was better than our typical effort in other midterm elections, it wasn’t nearly enough.
So yeah, team “R” got everyone good and scared that hordes of illegal immigrants recruited by ISIS and carrying Ebola germs were going to crash our border with Mexico and come and infect us in our beds while we slept. And yeah, it looks like that worked – I know, in the Senate, the Repugs cleared the six-Senator hurdle with room to spare (I’ll get more final numbers later…and the odds are heavily stacked against Mary Landrieu in next month’s runoff in Louisiana…just keeps getting better and better for them).
Republicans proved again last night that they know better than anyone else how to push the figurative buttons of the American voter, most of who are low-information (on this subject anyway) individuals who don’t focus on this stuff until the election is nearly upon them and then make up their minds from the torrent of attack political ads on TV first and foremost (does it need to be pointed out again based on this how much “dark money” corrupts our politics?), as well as talk radio of course. We Dems just don’t have an answer for that, and, except for changing demographics in this country, I don’t expect that we ever will.
(Oh, and nice work, Kentucky in particular. Speaking of Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao, everyone knew he was a thoroughly compromised partisan hack, but at least, for a while, he actually delivered the jobs. Now he doesn’t even do that. And you sent him back to Washington anyway. And Kansas also had an opportunity to boot that eternal waste of space known as Pat Roberts, but blew the chance. Hell, they even re-elected Sam Brownback, who crashed the economy! Stupid…)
Also (and speaking of Number 44), I don’t EVER want to hear of a Democrat running away from a Democratic president when he or she is running for federal office. That strategy NEVER works. Like it or not, a Democratic president (and hopefully we’ll see another one shortly) is the head of your political party. Chopping off the metaphorical head is the first step in the strategy of defeat (Mikey the Beloved campaigned with Dubya in ’06 even knowing how unpopular Former President Highest Disapproval Rating In Gallup Poll History truly was, and though Fitzpatrick lost PA-08 barely that year…at least as the district was drawn back then…he still managed to take Bucks County…of course, he won last night, with the help of the Courier Times running full-page ads for him from October 20th every day until the election).
And on the subject of Dems running away from a Dem president…gee, I wonder if Al Gore would have gotten just enough of a bump if he’d campaigned with Bill Clinton in Florida in 2000? We’ll never know, just like we’ll never know if Clay Aiken would have made a respectable U.S. House representative (as Bill Maher pointed out, Aiken also ran away from Obama).
Also, I want to say something else about whatever the alleged Democratic “strategy” was for this election cycle. Last night illustrated the Grand Canyon-sized chasm between the “foot soldiers” who work the phone banks, put up the campaign signs, write to the newspapers, and otherwise do their best to mobilize as many Dem voters as possible (and yes, the bloggers), all of whom were once derided as “fire baggers” by Obama insiders, and the so-called Beltway political establishment that has done virtually nothing except lose congressional elections since abandoning Dr. Dean’s 50-state strategy (and yes, this also includes Number 44 himself).
Punting on immigration reform turned out to be a catastrophic mistake. I know the plan was to protect some red state Dems such as Mark Pryor in Arkansas, but they probably would have lost anyway. Now, we have also lost Mark Udall in Colorado (which is particularly inexplicable to me, because if anyone thinks Cory Gardner is going to care about this issue, then they are truly on a Rocky Mountain High). Immigration reform is more of a bipartisan issue than our thoroughly co-opted Beltway courtier media would have us believe (the typical “horserace” preoccupation of this bunch, while not the least bit surprising, will have to be a topic for another day...rest assured that they will suddenly discover how evil the filibuster is again, and the phrase "60 votes needed for passage" will go the way of 78 rpm records).
Another thing…while, to me, there is still NEVER AN EXCUSE FOR NOT VOTING, Team “D” has to do a much better job of articulating a reason to vote for them. If you support legislation to train and hire younger prospective workers and the other side doesn’t (for example, when was the last time you heard a word from the Obama Administration about the American Jobs Act that Boehner and his pals are sitting on in the U.S. House?), then MAKE THAT CASE TO THE VOTERS! It’s nice to talk about consecutive months of job gains, but if the devil is in the proverbial details, then communicate to the voters that you know that and you’re trying to fix it, as well as communicating the fact that the other side knows but could care less (we need look no further than Al Franken’s re-election in Minnesota to see how that kind of a strategy played out).
And while I’m on the subject of the so-called Democratic campaign geniuses of the Beltway, I want to say unequivocally that I never want to see another campaign-related Email from Debbie Wasserman Schultz of the DCCC again! Actually, the Emails from just about everyone were pretty repellent day in and day out, including Number 44 himself, Biden, the Democratic Governors Association (also, nice work from that bunch – it was awesome to send Tom Corbett packing, but that was it), and a whole bunch of others who pretty much turned into background noise (and believe it or not, I’ve even been “hit up” like this for the Hillary Clinton campaign for 2016). STOP IT!!!!! AND YES, I HAVE CLICKED "UNSUBSCRIBE" NUMEROUS TIMES!! (I give Kevin Strouse, Steve Santarsiero and Steve Cickay a pass because they were local candidates; only Steve S. won from that bunch, by the way - however, I think Kevin Strouse deserves credit for putting up a good fight, and if he feels like taking another shot at this in 2016, I'm with him).
Oh, and by the way, the numbers don't lie (re, younger versus older voters in elections - hat tip to Richard Mayhew at Balloon Juice for this, along with Susie Madrak).
...and I give you the latest from FAIR TV...
...and I thought this was a funny bit also from John Oliver about Lowe's supposedly using robots (yep, I guess the holiday mania will be here soon - ugh) - we could use a laugh...
...because...
Update 1 11/6/14: Uh, yep - this defines clueless as far as I'm concerned.
Update 2 11/6/14: Oh, and by the way, U.S. Senate Repugs – do this now. Go ahead and drag it out for the entire two-year term, just like Bill Maher said. It will be the fastest way to hasten your defeat in 2016.
Update 3 11/6/14: Sure, there’s some partisan GOP spin in this piece, but I wish the “D” team would take this and memorize just about all of it (re., how absolutely NOT to campaign for Congress – as usual, the other side, in their hubris and arrogance, can’t resist inadvertently giving us a way to beat them).
Update 11/7/14: Uh huh.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)