Friday Stuff

I couldn’t let the week come to a close without noting the passage of Captain Noah, a beloved kids' show host in these parts from too long ago of a time – he was one of a group that included Pixanne, Gene London, Sally Starr, Chief Halftown, and a bunch of others; there was once a time when they held court on weekday and Saturday mornings, and they basically were surrogate parents to an entire generation of baby boomers, and when I say surrogate parents, I mean that as a compliment…can’t put a number on how much all of that stuff means before someone else quite correctly pointed out that “it takes a village”…RIP…



…and returning to the present day, Rev. Al recently spoke with Cheryl Lankford, a Gold Star widow whose husband was killed in Iraq and who is currently suing “The Donald” (others have joined her suit) in response to the Repug presidential candidate’s “Trump University” scam…



...and yeah, here we go with The Big Orange Cheetoh again, but I can’t resist the opportunity to feature both David Cay Johnston and Charlie Pierce at the same time, all including Lawrence O'Donnell making good points as usual…

...and such classy supporters, of course...

...and when it comes to "Fergus Laing," I give you another lesson in “the art of the deal” – give me a break (didn’t see the follow-up clip)…



…and maybe this is how true change starts to happen (and don’t laugh when I tell you that the Dems actually tried to clean up the student loan mess – well, somewhat – at least when it comes to subsidized student loans, as noted here)…



…and this may be the most important 6:24 you’ve seen and/or heard in a long time, and it comes to us courtesy of Thom Hartmann, which really isn’t surprising (and to illustrate his point, I should note that Chris Hayes had a really good interview last night with an economist about what Hillary Clinton is proposing - you think there's a snowball's chance that that video can be found on MSNBC's still-utterly-wretched web site? No way in hell...but ample time was devoted on "All In" tonight to the supposedly burning issue of whether or not Hillary Clinton is trying to hide a stroke, purported by Sean Hannity and Alex Jones of course; for the latter, reality itself is a "false flag")...



…and this is just a reminder to folk in PA-08 that Steve still needs our help (and yes, for the umpteenth time, background checks on private gun sales weren’t enacted, but not because Steve didn’t fight like hell for them) – to do what you can, click here (and I thought this was interesting)..



…and happy belated 62nd (!) birthday to Joe Jackson.

Thursday Stuff

Yep, all it takes is one all right (I think Cenk from yesterday is absolutely right; the Big Orange Cheetoh is pretty much desperate at this point and looking for an escape hatch, for the right price of course)…



…and I gotta tell ya’ that I saw this item about Joe Scar telling Mika not to bother her pretty little head, you wimpy little Democrat you, while daddy here tells her all about how the Repug Party will be “serious,” and what put me off wasn’t even his attempt at “mansplaining” (bad as that was), but the notion that, somehow, the “party of Lincoln” belongs to Scarborough, a charter member of our thoroughly-bought-and-paid-for Beltway corporate media; the sense of self-entitlement from “Morning Jo(ke)” on display here is almost nauseating.

I hate to break the news to Scarborough, but this is truly the face (ahem…) of Not Your Father’s Republican Party (h/t Wonkette).

And I think this pic is a perfect complement to Kyle’s related NSFW commentary here (the ACORN stuff is truly hilarious)…

…and in case “Governor Bully” thinks the Bridge stuff is going to go away – heh heh (here - NSFW)…



…and I hope you’re in the mood to rock out in the middle of a thunderstorm (at least around here for the moment).

Wednesday Stuff

Kudos to Cenk for bringing the outrage against the “Trumpster fire,” and kudos for focusing on his single-digit-IQ’d followers also ("red shirt guy" would decry what Trump said later)…



…and I would say that the rules of logic and common sense never have applied to the “Donald Drumpf” campaign, and I would also say that this proves it (Rachel was quite rightly laughing a few days ago, but I don't think anyone is laughing now)…



…and I know I recently featured a “Special Comment” from Keith Olbermann last week as part of “This Day In Doomsy History,” but here is another one from 8/10/09 featuring Caribou Barbie and her “death panel” lie about health care reform, which was working its way through Congress at that time of course; another high-profile Repug inflicting stupidity on our discourse, not unlike “Fergus Laing” and his recent language (some reality on the Affordable Care Law is here)…

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…and here’s something a little upbeat to try and shake off the recent unpleasantness in the news.

More Tuesday Stuff

OK, now this lunatic needs to be put in a straight jacket and locked in a rubber room (and take the key and flush it down the toilet – here and here)…



…because, apparently, something like this is what he has in mind if Hillary Clinton wins in November…



…and until today, I would say that this was the lowest of the low of the Trump campaign…



...and at a certain point, all I can do is just ask this question.

Tuesday Stuff

I agree with Seth Meyers in that everybody should stand back from the “Trumpster fire,” though I'd say Hillary thus far is doing a good job of using this stuff to keep The Big Orange Cheetoh off-balance (here) - and Meyers is definitely right about people being more interested in the sideshow than the show…I would take it a bit further and tell people to wake the #$@! up, but if he did, I’m sure his audience would disappear)...



...and by the way, the Repug presidential hopeful is getting trounced when it comes to the millennial vote (I'm more concerned about the Stein/Johnson numbers, actually - I think expecting a high-profile Repug to endorse Gary Johnson is "pie in the sky" at this point, but stranger things have happened)..



...also, I'm not sure that I agree with Kyle here that prostitution should be legal, but I think that, otherwise, he makes some good points in this commentary on China's typical repression of dissent…



…and whaddaya say we enjoy the last few weeks of the season we have left, OK?

Monday Stuff

This is genius stuff by John Oliver on newspapers (and funny too, by the way - NSFW), even if it is depressing in its utterly real depiction of what’s going on with “the fourth estate.”

I know he’s right about supporting local news organizations, but let me just tell you my little tale on this for what it’s worth, OK?

Currently, we subscribe to the Bucks County Courier Times in these parts; I say “currently” because that is always subject to household budgeting decisions (and by the way, the fact that we subscribe to a newspaper doesn’t make us special, I hasten to add). It is also subject to my ever-shrinking tolerance for putting up with the never-ending and utter bilious conservative garbage that composes the vast majority of the Op-Ed page of that newspaper.

When was the last time the Courier Times published Gene Lyons? David Sirota? Joe Conason? Connie Schultz? Froma Harrop? Cynthia Tucker? Not a clue – couldn’t tell you.

George Will? Charles Krauthammer? Cal Thomas (and assorted other whack jobs)? That’s easy – too many times to mention.

And by the way, I know the paper is going to publish conservative content. As much as I detest these people because what they say bears absolutely no resemblance to my day-to-day reality (and because they are SO UTTERLY WRONG on the issues that matter most to my family), I still realize that their voices deserve to be heard also. However, the notion of editorial balance in that paper is a choice between “glibertarian,” right wing and ultra right wing (with Eugene Robinson thrown in once and awhile, along with “liberal” Richard Cohen).

Bottom line: I can see myself one day cancelling our subscription. And yes, that will hurt the efforts of the paper’s beat reporters, who do genuinely good work. And I’m sorry about that.

However, the Courier Times (among many other news organizations) has made the calculated decision to cater its editorial content to elderly white conservatives first and foremost. And in that regard, they are hastening their own extinction (there ARE other audiences, by the way).

And for that reason, I do not understand why I should feel any responsibility for what will likely be their demise one day…



…and yeah, I would say that Bill Maher is spot-on here (NSFW also)…



…and speaking of The Big Orange Cheetoh, kudos to Stephen Colbert and particularly that guy in drag (here – what a creep; “The Donald” I mean of course)…



…and these guys are coming to the TLA in these parts in early October – should be a rockin’ good time.