I think this is an appropriate clip; another nationalist response of pride from the French in the face of tyranny (might have to crank the volume a bit - more here also)…
…and I think there’s a bit of editorializing going on here particularly in the last 30 seconds – I mean, RT has to toe the Putin line, let’s not forget, or someone may get shot execution style in a dank elevator of a run-down apartment complex (here) – but I think the reporting on the ground by Lizzie Phelan is pretty spot-on, to say nothing of courageous…I take RT with the proverbial grain of salt as I do with the corporate media in this country…
…and shifting gears (because we need to laugh, after all), I thought this was a good commentary from Bill Maher, who had been in a bit of a slump recently as far as I’m concerned (NSFW of course)…
…and apparently, these guys are all OK, thank God.
All thoughts, prayers and best wishes go out to the people of Paris tonight in the wake of another horrific terrorist attack far worse than Charlie Hebdo, which was awful by itself (this is one source to go for the latest information).
I realize these videos are trivial by comparison, but they’re still important in their own way, so here they are - to begin, this tells us about the "million student march" protests, including Philly also (more here)...
…and another day, another tale of police abuse against a person of color in These United States…
…and Thom Hartmann brings us economic and labor news for the week…
…and I put this up earlier this year, and sadly, I have a reason to do so again (and once more, the literal English translation is “No, I Regret Nothing”).
Yep, I’m pretty much in agreement with Larry Wilmore here, especially at the end…
……and it looks like Governor Bully is going down politically over all the “Bridgegate” stuff; couldn’t happen to a more well-deserving demagogue (particularly funny when you consider this...nothing but a [REDACTED] [REDACTED] overblown [REDACTED]...and sooo, how is the alleged HRC email scandal worse?)…
...and the corporatists are continuing their utterly misguided assault on the CPFB, as Lawrence O'Donnell points out here in an interview with former Dem U.S. House Rep Barney Frank (more here)...
...and in light of our observance yesterday, I would say that homelessness for anyone, particularly our veterans, is pretty damn unacceptable too...
Ever wonder what happens when you don't vote? I would say that this is pretty much the answer...
…and Stephen Colbert gives the latest utterances from Jeb! all the seriousness that such remarks from a Bush truly deserve (here)…
…and I suppose it’s a bit ironic that, as I waited for this video to load, I was forced to watch a preview about a movie depicting a worldwide terrorist attack, when in reality (when it comes to this nation anyway), domestic terrorism is probably as big of a threat, or maybe even more (appropriately NSFW)…
...and happy Veterans Day to everyone who has ever served our country.
(And by the way, as is just about always the case with yours truly, I care less than nothing about that Rethuglican TV event tonight, and here is a lot of the reason why.)
Turning to other stuff, it looks like the “Fight for $15” minimum wage protests went off across the country today (more here)…
…and if I were to guess, I would say that there’s some immigrant bashing going on tonight in Milwaukee (and what the hell is going on with the Kochs taking over that whole damn state of Wisconsin, anyway)…fortunately, a group called a Jewish Partnership for Justice responded beautifully IMHO here…
…and I thought Thom Hartmann made a great point about the Trans-Pacific Partnership here – sooo, where’s all the “one world” outrage from the wingnuts NOW…
I know this is a few news cycles old by now, but I thought this was a really good commentary by Seth Meyers on the LGBT ordinance that was defeated in Houston last week; of course, it couldn’t be debated on the merits or else it would have been upheld, so of course it had to be turned into a bunch of OOGA BOOGA TEH GAY IS COMING TO STEAL YOUR BATHROOMS nonsense…
…and Tamron Hall on MSNBC brings us a report on the Rising Tide Car Wash owned by John D’eri, in which most of the employees have some degree of autism, including D’eri’s son (the report also focuses on the ever-increasing number of adults in this country with it – kudos, for the commendable behavior that is on display here and not the threat that this affliction poses in ever-increasing numbers, unfortunately)…
…and as long as “Deadeye Dick,” Rummy & company are back in the news again (courtesy of Number 41, as noted here), I think it’s time for another installment of “This Day In Doomsy History” from 11/8/07 (this should follow all of these bastards to their graves)…
…and I thought this was an interesting story about how the guitar once used by John Lennon during the early days of The Beatles just fetched $2.4 million at auction at Juliens in Beverly Hills, CA – it was probably used to compose this tune among many others (yeah, it’s a “boomer” thing I know, but these songs will always sound fresh and new to your humble narrator).
I guess Ben Carson believe this about the pyramids too (here) - truly, words fail...
…and once again, Al Jazeera America reports on stories ignored by our corporate media; this one about convicted criminal Rudolph Norris (granted clemency by Number 44, possibly the motivation behind this disgusting bit of corporate media wankery) and mandatory minimum sentencing against the backdrop of the proliferation of crack in the ‘90s…
...and Kyle Kulinski of Secular Talk take a look at the first ad from Bernie Sanders (could do without Sanders’s flip-flopping of sorts over the Hillary Clinton Email nonsense, though – NSFW a bit)…
…and Shep Smith goes off-script again on Black Lives Matter and the suicide of that godawful Illinois cop – kudos (more here)…
By the way, the clip is cut off a bit at the end – this is what Smith said…
“Think of the narrative that came out of that from so many, many places, about, ‘It’s the fault of the Black Lives Matter movement,'” Smith said Thursday. “All of this stuff that was just, it really turned up the rhetoric and it really was factually wrong."
Oh, and here is some food for thought it you end up watching the "big game" tomorrow somewhere...
…and I’m sorry, but this is just WAY too damn funny – some blonde on Fix Noise says that “only” 271,000 jobs were added last month, when economists expected a number that turned out to be lower – I would ask if she and Steve Douchey know how to count, but I think I know the answer already (click anywhere in video to start and stop)…
…and I can’t let this week come to a close without nothing that Ahmed Chalabi died; he was perhaps the biggest proponent of Dubya’s Not So Excellent Adventure in Mesopotamia – I thought this New York Times video got it right with this soulless con artist, who our prior ruling cabal was stupid enough to trust because it suited everyone’s purpose to do so…
…and these guys just keep making great, kick-ass music, including this little number (maybe applies to Chalabi a bit, I guess).
Concerning yesterday’s elections – this report tells us about the three conservative education board members in Colorado who tried to alter history textbooks and were voted out; hooray for our side (here)…
…and Al Jazeera America tells us about disabled workers paid below the minimum wage at “sheltered workshops” (I guess, though, that it’s just “big gumint socialism” to suggest a state or federal subsidy to offset the difference between the legal and sub-minimum wage – and Andrew Cuomo continues to be not just an utterly wretched Democrat, but an utterly wretched politician in general)…
…and of course, given the most recent activity of too many (but not ALL) cops in this country, there’s only one course of action available, and that of course is to blame filmmaker Quentin Tarantino – riiiiight…
…and turning to our beloved commonwealth, congratulations to just-elected Supreme Court justices David Wecht, Kevin Dougherty and Christine Donohue, along with brand new member of the Pennsbury School Board T.R. Kannan and John Lewis and Judi Reiss, with the latter two just elected to the board of Lower Makefield Supervisors.
However, Charlie Martin eked out yet another fairly close victory to maintain the Republican majority on the Bucks County Board of Commissioners, helped in part by yet another full-page ad appearing in the Bucks County Courier Times featuring “Mikey The Beloved” Fitzpatrick also (who that paper positively fawns over, by the way…and yes, I would be just as miffed if this happened for a Democrat; no newspaper should accept advertising from a political party…EVER).
I guess that means that it is time for this song once more.
…and with all due respect to Mr. Otoupalik, the fact (according to him) that no one has ever questioned a sale at a gun show may have more to do with the fact that NO ONE HAS EVER BEEN ABLE TO TRACE THE SALE OF A GUN AT A GUN SHOW; hopefully, this bill will pass and that will change – we’ll see…
...and yeah, this is stuff of jokes, but ultimately, it’s on us...
…and I hope Kentucky likes rain, because they're sure as hell are going to get a lot of it, metaphorically speaking, from this (not too surprising, but still utterly pathetic).
Update 11/5/15: I think Crooks and Liars blogger Karoli (who I think is great, by the way) and Brad Friedman are pursuing an interesting theory here; I don't know the law on this, but I'd like to see Jack Conway (who is still Kentucky AG, let's not forget) impound a cross-section of voting machines for forensic testing...the caveat is that this may very well not affect the outcome in any way, but better safe than sorry as far as I'm concerned.
John Oliver tells us, among other things, why tomorrow’s elections matter here and elsewhere (here, and by the way, as Rachel Maddow pointed out, Mississippi had a perfectly good state exchange that that idiot Phil Bryant very nearly wrecked)…
…oh, and as you listen to conservative mouthpiece Heather McDonald get schooled by a former North Carolina police officer here, please keep in mind that this is the same pundit who once called the New York Times a “national security threat” here…
...and Melissa Harris-Perry talks to Dr. Diane Horvath-Cosper about abortion access in this country, which, despite the best efforts of conservatives and life forms such as this guy, is still legal (even the mob doesn't go after family members)…
…and as a reminder to PA/Bucks County folk, please click here to support Diane Marseglia and Brian Galloway for Bucks County Commissioners (let’s FINALLY get rid of Charlie “I Have A Semi-Open Mind” Martin), along with Judges David Wecht, Kevin Dougherty and Christine Donohue for PA Supreme Court, click here to support John Lewis and Judi Reiss for Lower Makefield Supervisors, and click here to support T.R. Kannan for the Pennsbury School Board.
…because, to echo what John Oliver said, when it comes to effecting change for real (which we can all do tomorrow, those of us unelected of course), there really is no other way (that reminds me – looks like it’s dinner time).
I don't know if this is a commentary on the current electoral hopes of "The Donald" or not, but I still thought it was kind of an amusing seasonal item...
...and Thom Hartmann brings us more science and green news for the week (important stuff, but my God is this depressing and SCREAMS for action in response)...
...and I think Cenk Uygur does a really good job in this report of setting your expectations a certain way, but then he shifts gears, as it were, for a good reason (alleged “Pro-Palestinian” reporting, which was a supposed justification by the JDL for beating a reporter named David Perrotin)...
(Sort of a meta note here...I may take a few days off next week - not sure yet.)
I thought Stephen Colbert had a good take on that bratty, mean-tempered reality TV show filled with alleged adults masquerading as a presidential debate – every time I think this bunch can’t find a new bottom…
...and Vice News tells us about something called K2, which, as they say, is "America's cheapest high" (appropriate for mischief night, I guess – scary stuff)...
…and I give you another installment of “This Day In Doomsy History” from about seven years ago – this ad pertained to the presidential election of course, and it seemed to be aimed at North Carolina though I'm not exactly sure why (I'm serious), but it’s important to vote in EVERY election, and we have one coming up next Tuesday, people…
...and for some reason, I've always forgotten to include this song this time of year, but I FINALLY remembered this time.
This is definitely a movie I plan to see – of course, I’m sure conservatives will do all they can to quash it (re, Dubya and the National Guard stuff from 2004); definitely a story that needs to be looked at again, and to hell with CBS’s right-wing self-censorship – sorry, but I can’t locate the video of Rachel Maddow talking to Dan Rather…
…and it’s good to know that Stephen Colbert is still awesome (re, The Donald and how he thinks $1 million is chump change, or something)…
…and John Iadarola explains how those red states that chose not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Law are paying for it over and over and over and over…
...and kudos to President Obama for this - despite some missteps such as the TPP, I sincerely hope he gets the credit he deserves at some point in the future, since he sure as hell isn't getting it now; what that man has done given what was handed to him (and I know it wasn't all him of course), is miraculous (though, to be fair...)...
…and I give you the following retro video from the New York Times – the whole Parents Music Research Center stuff with Tipper Gore and the labeling (which is almost quaint now) happened about 30 years ago, and I like the added historical context with the comic books…some of it was probably justified a bit, but some of it was also conservative excess…P.S. I think Susan Baker, for her comment at the very end, is a thoroughly disgusting hypocrite, but I'm honestly not surprised to hear her say that)…
The only thing more shocking to me than this video showing what I would call the stupefying idiocy of Ben Carson (and yes, I know he's a neurosurgeon - spare me) is the fact that Smerky put it together (here); wonder if he’s trolling for Jeb! Bush…
…and I’m not sure I totally buy what Peter Moskos is saying here about the so-called “Ferguson Effect” on crime (I definitely side more with Richard Rosenfeld), but I think both make good points and provide for a thoughtful discussion – hope you agree...
…actually, if someone is concerned about a so-called “Ferguson effect,” I think this is it (and speaking of St. Louis, happy 50th birthday to the Gateway Arch)…
…and I was looking for some kind of an ethereal song in the spirit of the season, and this came to mind almost immediately.
Kudos to Fix Noise news personality Julie Roginsky for this (in light of this – OMFG, if I hear one more remark about the city of Chicago from conservatives, I’m going to stick my head in the goddamn microwave and turn it on – THERE…ARE…MANY…MORE…CITIES…AND…TOWNS…IN…THIS…COUNTRY…BESIDES…BLEEPING…CHICAGO!!!!! - click anywhere in picture to start & stop clip)…
…and I have to tell you that, though I give Media Matters credit for holding the denizens of The Roger Ailes BS Factory to account on BENGHAZI!!!, this is one of the most stomach-turning five-plus-minute videos I have ever seen in my life.
Let’s see, what’s more repulsive? Is it the almost lackadaisical-sounding claim that Democrats don’t care when members of our military are killed, Greg Gutfeld’s typically idiotic attempts at poetry, or the laughter at the end in response to Juan Williams’s entirely accurate statement that all of this is in their heads?
I report, you decide (particularly in light of this - surprised?)…
…and good for Kaci Hickox for doing this – something else to add to the thoroughly repulsive pile of Governor Bully’s f-ups (and a typically pathetic commentary on Maine Gov. Paul LePage also, a guy who, for some reason, doesn’t get the scrutiny he truly deserves)…
...and I think this is another cool new tune, and I love the harmonies.
RIP legendary (for real) Hollywood actress Maureen O'Hara, from one of the most favorite movies in the Doomsy household...
...and I thought this was a great "Rewrite" by Lawrence O'Donnell, putting the BENGHAZI!! circus in the context of the Watergate hearings...
...and Alex Witt talks with University of Utah professor Nalini Nadkarni about potential reforms to solitary confinement for prison inmates…
…and in addition to Maureen O’Hara, we also lost another legendary matriarch, one a little less famous but no less notable, and that would be Trudy Taylor of the singing clan by the same name – I thought this would be a nice tune for the occasion from her most famous progeny.
Yep, when it comes to the latest orchestrated anti-Clinton circus, it’s definitely déjà vu all over again…
...and Lawrence O'Donnell talks with Wendy Davis and Cecile Richards about those idiots in Congress continuing to investigate Planned Parenthood - and who else but Marsha Blackburn would be in charge of yet another phony baloney committee on this subject?...
…and it looks like the ACLU is on the job again, this time going after the “architects” (using the term very loosely) of the CIA’s torture program (not easy questions by the host, by the way - I'm fine with that)…
...and Brave New Films tells us about the battle between teachers and hedge fund managers over the so-called “carried interest loophole”…
…and it looks like I’ve found a particular subject on which the news mannequins of Fix Noise are experts, and that would be comic books, but based on what John and Cenk tells us, even that is debatable…
…and I don’t know if these guys are rock, country or whatever, but the bottom line is I think they’re great.
As the Crooks and Liars post tells us, Dem U.S. House Rep Adam Schiff followed these remarks by reciting the time-worn facts on this whole BENGHAZI!! business, but I would argue that his words captured in this clip are pretty damning all by themselves, particularly when he points out that we have nothing new to tell the families of those killed in the attacks, all for a $4.7 million price tag – what a stupendous waste of money by the utterly shameless clowns responsible for this disgusting farce (more here, by the way)…
...and yep, my bad for being a little late with this, even though it's too good to pass up (and speaking of blame)…
…and I give you the latest news from our surveillance state; I guess nothing defeats a bad guy with a cell phone tracker besides a good guy with a cell phone tracker (snark mode off)…
I think that, when it comes to a model of governance of sorts, Mel Brooks pretty much nailed how Mr.-Puppy-Dog-Eyes-With-The-Shiv views his would-be role as U.S. House Speaker (here - more typical stuff here...ridiculous that the toddlers in charge of the U.S. House have brought us this farce, and it's even more ridiculous that they may end up not paying an electoral price for it)...
...and I also thought that Joe Biden was smart to decide not to run for prez, as noted here, partly because, for all of the good things he's done, he can't escape the stench of his support for that credit card "reform" bill from 2005 - makes me recall the 2012 VP debate commented on by Cenk Uygur here; interesting that Biden and Ryan should be in the news again at the same time, though for different reasons of course...
…and we’re only going to “set the wayback” for a year ago for the latest installment of This Day in Doomsy History, in which Ed Schultz (formerly of that supposedly liberal network MSNBC) talks to Sen. Bernie Sanders about the ridiculous pension obligation that congressional Republicans attached to the postal service in an effort to ultimately drive it out of business (an update is here; Sanders was successful in keeping open the 82 facilities planned for closure); this is one of the many stories that need reporting of this caliber, but of course (as far as Comcast is concerned) it’s a lot easier to just kill (metaphorically) the messenger than trouble the beautiful minds of most of the American sheeple (a more recent update is here...and in a related story, as they say, I thought this was a good idea too)…
…and I also think (lots of "thinking" today :-) that, sometimes, a simple approach is best when it comes to authoring and recording a good song, and I think that’s on display here.
Immediately after this report last night, Rachel Maddow interviewed CA Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom about that state’s plan to require a background check for ammunition purchases – I would say that the time for that idea has definitely come (I’ll spare you, dear reader, my indignation over kids killing each other with guns since your disgust over this is no better or worse than mine)…
…and Julianna Forlano sounds the alarm about the TPP here (call me just a filthy, unkempt liberal blogger, but wasn’t it under Dubya’s sorry reign that there was all kinds of caterwauling about this country being taken over by the UN and our laws being subverted and make obsolete by international rules and regulations? Well then, what the hell do you call this? And by the way, I don’t believe Trump for a minute, and I’m sure Forlano doesn’t either.)…
...and with both John Oliver and Mike Myers opposing him, Stephen Harper didn't have a prayer (heh - this is just an excerpt; the whole segment is funny of course...the “Sweet Caroline” thing has to do with Harper playing that tune for some band he was in, which was about as exciting as watching grass grow – also in the extended bit are clips of two kids falling asleep during Harper speeches, which was hilarious as well)...
...and I know I need to work in some newer stuff here, but I couldn't pass this up (Note to Republicans: This is called asking an artist for permission to use his or her song and not just using it because you think you're too good to obey the rules).
Alex Witt interviews Greg Diloreto, past president of the American Society of Civil Engineers, on the overall D grade that he gives to our water infrastructure in this country (we’re about $8.4 billion behind the proverbial 8-ball on this – yet another reason to be rid of that stinking sequester, people)…
…and Chris Hayes interviews Neela Banerjee, reporter for Inside Climate News, about how Exxon sat on their study about climate change dating back to the late '70s (the clip begins with the heads of the tobacco companies perjuring themselves – wouldn’t have minded to see all of those SOBs strung up by their thumbs and fed to the buzzards)…
…and I guess this depends on your definition of “free,” as if somehow simple human decency is supposed to carry a price tag, which it does according to the minions of The Roger Ailes BS Factory – John Iadarola explains…
…and I don’t know how the hell this song is actually 30 years old, but somehow it is.
Maybe I shouldn’t be infuriated by this story, but I am; as far as I’m concerned, it should ALL come out – I don’t know if Hastert will do time or not, but if he walks, he should be as big a pariah at this point as Bill Cosby - just try to imagine how this would be reported if Hastert were a member of the "D" Party…
...and actually, this is pretty damn outrageous too (re, Governor Robert Bentley of Alabama closing the DMV offices in his state so "the blahs" can't vote "Democrat"...more here)...
...and Chris Hayes and Nicholas Confessore of the New York Times tell us of the damage wrought by Citizens United, the gift that keeps on giving, for the Repugs anyway (as shown in the report)…
...also, Melissa Harris-Perry gives us more reality-based reporting on race in this country on the one-year anniversary of the shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice (she kind of sputters over her words a bit because of her palpable outrage, which to me is entirely justified - sorry I didn't see her interview afterwards)...
...and Al Jazeera America tells us of the ruinous effect of the lack of sex-ed in Louisiana schools, as well as the efforts of Dem State Rep Wesley Bishop to change the awful status quo...
...and hey, did you hear the one about the conservative who decried Muslims and she ended up being greeted warmly by the folks she was protesting (OK, so it's not much of a joke) - Cenk and Ana explain (slightly NSFW)...
…and here is more good news, as far as I’m concerned, to end the week (and I’m sure this tune is included).
Yes, I admit that I’m a little behind on the debate – this is the only clip I’ve seen so far that matters IMHO (sorry, Gov. Chafee, but you earned a seat at the little kids table here…and by the way, Larry Lessig should have been there too)…
…and I thought this was a fitting contrast (and I also think some props should go out to Anderson Cooper here, to be fair – while our side tries to come up with solutions to actual problems, the “party of Lincoln” is preoccupied with nonsense like this)...
…and as another contrast, I give you a Trump supporter doing something that I suppose they do very well (here)…
…and speaking of “The Donald,” a hat tip goes out to Chris Hayes for this; just the context we need (I guess I'm a day early...smile - the spitter in the above clip wasn't drunk as far as I know)…
…and to get serious for a moment, this tells you about the dangers faced by actual journalists, as opposed to many of the news mannequins foisted upon us by our corporate media (as far as I'm concerned, the very last sentence spoken in this clip says it all)…
…and happy 80th birthday to ‘60s icon Barry McGuire.
I think this is how change starts to happen – all the best to the two wounded officers (here)…
…and speaking of gun insanity, Prof. Daniel Hamermesh is my latest hero for this…
...and I give you once again another installment of "This Day In Doomsy History" from 10/14/09, in which Jon Stewart has a lot of fun with the "leave it there" network, although CNN apparently did a good job with the recent Democratic presidential debate...
As former PA U.S. House Rep Patrick Murphy reminds us here, yesterday was the 15th anniversary of the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole (and I think some important context on that is here; basically, the official story – which I believe – is that it was not officially determined that bin Laden was responsible until after Clinton had left office, and that’s why Number 42 didn’t retaliate)…
...and by the way, there should be a HELL of a lot more of this right about now - I can't recall a better time for the Democrats to make the case of what kind of a SANE alternative they offer to Not Your Father's Republican Party, but aside from stuff like this, I'm pretty much hearing the sound of crickets (well, until the debate I mean)...
…and speak of the devil, I'll read about it tomorrow, thank you very much; in the meantime, I thought this was a funny bit from Trevor Noah…
…and God almighty, what is it with Republicans using songs without permission from the artists (here)? Even though, in this case, it gives me an excuse for this whompin’ little tune.
I think this is an example of humor getting a little too close to reality - the sad part is that it's basically true (not an excuse for giving up, I wish to emphasize)...
...and good for Katie Nolan, laying bare the hypocrisy of the oh-so-august-in-their-imaginations National Football League here (and Terry Bradshaw had similar commendable words on this subject)...
…and I thought this was a nice report from Al Jazeera America on a program in Maine for teenage offenders that serves as an alternative to prison (always wonder why conservatives don’t advocate cost-effective solutions like this, but I guess their need to look for someone to punish outweighs everything else)…
…and I know I just featured Yo-Yo Ma last week, but I’m going to go against the grain a bit again; today marks what would have been the 80th birthday of legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti (once more, a bit of culture for y’all - the English translation of this is gorgeous all by itself).
40 years ago today, Russian physicist Andrei Sakharov was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on behalf of nuclear arms reduction – so much to his life that deserves appreciation for his courage and sacrifice; I apologize for the occasional poor quality of this video, but I think this gives us an invaluable history lesson…
…and changing the mood big time, I give you the latest installment of “This Day In Doomsy History” from 10/9/12 – I present an extremely NSFW clip from “Funny or Die” called “Blacks for Romney” (as in Willard Mitt, of course)…
…and I’m glad to see Ben Carson get the treatment he deserves for his callous ignorance on the Oregon gun shooting victims; of course, leave it to a comedian to do it instead of any of our corporate media pretend journalists (here)…
Chris Hayes talks with Jason Cone, executive director of Doctors Without Borders, on our awful bombing of that hospital in Afghanistan (not much to say about it except that we f’d up – as wrong as that is, at least we owed up to it, which I realize is the least we can do)…
…and God, I thought we were done with this nonsense (re., Cenk and Ana talking about the Oklahoma teacher disciplining the 4-year-old for writing with his left hand)...
...and speaking somewhat of religion (were we?), Bill Maher comments in "New Rules" about the version of Him who the Repugs truly identify with...
…and gee, I wonder if, in addition to the Hillary Clinton gaffe, Kevin McCarthy bailed because he doesn’t know how to communicate without sounding like he got smacked in the head with a two-by-four (Hungria??)…
…and happy belated 60th birthday to world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma – time for a bit of culture...
"Pent-up demand"? What the hell is that - the latest talking point from the Roger Ailes BS Factory? Fortunately, Alan Grayson speaks truth to stoo-pidhere (and by the way, just because we dodged the proverbial bullet on this now doesn't mean we're out of the woods for good - all of this nonsense could come around again in December, as noted here)...
...and hey, as long as the Repugs keep giving her the ammunition (here and here)...
...though, as far as I'm concerned, Bernie Sanders gets to the heart of the matter here...
...and yeah, I hear them howl pretty much every day.
This is how the rest of the world sees us on the gun issue – doesn’t make me happy to say that they’re smarter than we are, but it’s the truth (here)…
...and Pia Carusone, executive director of the anti-gun violence group Americans For Responsible Solutions, speaks with Alex Witt on this subject (not ready to let up on it yet)...
…and yet again, if you’re looking for incisive, thought-provoking reporting on a difficult subject, turn to a comedian, because you sure as hell won’t find it from the “news” organizations with initials for names; in addition to being funny, John Oliver does all of us a great service once more here…
...and this guy is coming to the TLA in Philly on November 1st - should be a good show.
…and I don’t think there’s a whole lot we can do about people disappointed because they’re not rich, apparently ingesting the lies our corporate media foists upon them, but you'd better believe there is something we can do about guns…
...and keeping with this subject, Jake Tapper talks to Mark Kelly about the fact that gun-free zones don't matter when it comes to this stuff, among other gun-related topics (here)...
…and to give you an idea of how long we’ve been fighting this battle, I present the following from here (though, to be fair, it took the murders of both RFK and Dr. King to enact this)…
…and 20 years ago last Saturday, O.J. Simpson was acquitted in the murder of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman; I know this clip is an attempt at humor mainly because I don’t know what else to say about a crime that exposed such a raw racial nerve as that one did – Simpson was guilty as hell as far as I and many other people are concerned…he’s currently serving a 33-year prison sentence for unrelated felonies, and if he ever does get out, he probably won’t have much of a life left, which, as far as I’m concerned, is better than he deserves (more here)…
(And by the way, you DO know that this is a parody of "Strangers On A Train," don't you?)...
..and bad “Z”-list blogger that I am, I realize that I don’t focus nearly as much as I should on local stuff in our beloved commonwealth, so I’ll try to make amends with this clip, where PA-31 U.S. House Rep (and Dem U.S. House 8th District Democratic candidate) Steve Santarsiero talks with Jill Horner of Comcast about the budget impasse (and here is more on the severance tax that Steve discussed)…
...and happy belated 125th birthday to Groucho Marx ("I'm Against It," the theme song of Not Your Father's Republican Party)...
…and I know I already noted the 70th birthday of Don McLean last Friday, but I was really going back and forth between the tune I chose to embed and the other one, which is this, so here it is (don’t blink or you’ll miss the ending).
Well said indeed, Mr. President (more incredibly depressing stuff on this here, but it needs to be pointed out)...
...and here's a great idea, if I do say so myself (more on the Planed Parenthood thing in a minute)...
...and as long as we're on the subject of congressional inaction and stupidity, I give you this also...
...and oh yeah - here's Larry Wilmore pointing out what those morons in Congress were doing instead of trying to prevent mass murder in this country (here)...
...and it looks like John Oliver has done it again, this time on Fix Noise and its "terrorist refugees" video (here)...
…and Thom Hartmann brings us labor and economic news for the week…
Looks like Repug U.S. House Rep Kevin McCarthy was dumb enough to give away the game - and we all knew it was nothing but a game anyway (some really good questions posed by Rachel Maddow at the end...the Dems should no longer have anything whatsoever to do with this ZOMGBENGHAZI!!! idiocy...sounds like McCarthy needs a lot, including a copy editor and someone to acquaint him with the basics of the English language; God, I'm fed up with listening to stupid Republicans who don't know how to talk!)...
…and speaking of the GOP and their beloved "base" which I honestly don't believe can survive without Clinton hatred, I give you the face of simmering white rage – I think what is truly scary about these individuals is the matter-of-factness of their persecution complexes (though the quote “I can’t save my race by stomping other people” indicates more self-reflection that I usually hear about from these life forms)…
...and kudos to Glass Point Solar for this - yes, as far as I'm concerned, oil exploration, though necessary to some degree, is ultimately a race to the bottom, but emphasizing solar is perhaps delaying the inevitable for now...
…and once more, based on this, it looks like it’s time for this song – dear God.
Kudos to Larry Wilmore for giving it right back to Jeb! “Free Stuff” Bush here (oh, and did I point out that he’s the “smart” one of that family?)…
…and Cenk and Ana give Martin Shkreli, that total weasel of a CEO from Turing Pharmaceuticals, the treatment he deserves for price gouging on drugs, which apparently he has pulled before…
...and it looks like the water is running out in Tulare County, CA - gee, maybe we ought to do something about this climate change thing...paging Senator Snowball...
Good for Chris Hayes and Jeffrey Sonnenfeld for not letting up when it comes taking a good, hard look at exactly what kind of a fraud Carly Fiorina is (and why in God's name is Governor Bully still in this race? Why the hell aren't New Jerseyans bitching like crazy? And by the way, congrats to Hayes and his show for this)...
...and it's time for another installment of "This Day In Doomsy History" from 9/29/11, in which K.O. (in his Current TV incarnation) talks with Matt Taibbi about Occupy Wall Street..."maybe there just aren't enough funny hats" indeed - seriously, I think the "Occupy" movement can be thanked a bit for the thus-far successful campaign of Bernie Sanders, but as rotten as the politics of this country are (as opposed to somewhere where they aren't?), that's the only way to effect change...I keep looking for the "Occupy" folks to field a slate of candidates, and I guess I'd better keep looking...
...and, speaking only for myself, I could have done without Bill Maher's cheap shot at Hillary Clinton, but otherwise, I think this is a spot-on commentary about how the wingnuts choose their heroes or heroines (still wondering why they haven't embraced former Bucks County schoolteacher Natalie Munro, she who was fired for derogatory blogging about her students...the school board said it was also for performance...but give them time)...
…and speaking of George Zimmerman, as long as this idiot has made an appearance in the news once again (with this thoroughly repellent gesture), that gives me an excuse for this song.
Aside from Cole Hamels’ no-hitter, the five runs scored against Jonathan Papelbon in a 12-5 win concluding the Phillies’ series with the Nationals (here) may be the highlight of the year – I admit that that doesn’t say much about what kind of a year the Phillies have had, but considering their run from ’07 until ’12, they really were due for a letdown...oh, and what’s featured in this clip is pretty funny too – looks like Pap will be getting shopped to yet another team in the offseason – take those lectures of yours about how the Phillies are lacking effort or whatever and stick them where the sun don’t shine - at least Bryce Harper has his best years ahead of him (which is scary I'll admit), which is more than I can say for you…
...and a hat tip to David Sirota for this; Hedrick Smith interviewed John Boehner about the time that Boehner handed out checks from the tobacco industry on the floor of the House to preserve the tobacco industry subsidy, which was a pretty bald-faced admission of who those who voted in favor of the subsidy truly served...
…and thankfully, everything went well for The Holy Father when he visited this area (heh); with that in mind, I thought this was an interesting interview Thom Hartmann conducted with author Kevin Kruse on the subject of religion and the corpocracy earlier this year…
…and NOW IS THE TIME ON SPROCKETS WHEN WE DANSE! (Google it if you have any questions.)
Bye bye, Orange Man – in addition to the fact that his own internal polling among Republicans was pretty lousy (so why exactly are they tired of him now after continually sending him back every two years, I wonder?), I think this is a pretty clear indication that the inmates running the asylum of the U.S. House intend to try to shut down the government again…love to be wrong.
When thinking of the appropriate sendoff for quite possibly the very worst of the charlatans on Capitol Hill (definitely a club you don’t want to be part of), this video came to mind just about immediately…
…and once again, Shep Smith of Fix Noise goes off script, this time concerning the Pope – kudos to him (here)…
...though, as great as it is that the Pope is here, this story, sadly and tragically, needs to be kept front and center also...
…and I said last night that Rachel Maddow was back in a good groove again – this segment proves it (bye bye to you too, Raymond Burke, you whited sepulcher)…
...and switching away from the Pope for a minute, I have to admit that I’m particularly fed up with all of the garbage out there concerning Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, held in captivity by the Taliban for five years, and fortunately, Lawrence O’Donnell apparently is too – the hell with Trump, who doesn’t possess anything remotely like a moral compass anyway; what about those who take Trump seriously…
…and I’ve been trying to come up with a musical selection for the Pope’s visit to the City of Brotherly Love (basically, except for anything related to the Holy Father’s visit, Philadelphia is basically closed until about Monday afternoon), and I settled on this.
Calling for the abolition of the death penalty was commendable of course, but I hope our corporate media doesn’t forget to note (though they probably will) what Pope Francis said in the last minute of this clip about how the U.S. is still making a killing, literally and figuratively, selling arms throughout the world, particularly in the Middle East (more here)…
(Oh, and I wonder where those supposedly fine, upstanding Catholics Antonin Scalia and “Strip Search Sammy” Alito were for the Pope’s address? I realize that it’s not a sin if they didn’t attend, but for all of their moralistic harrumphing, you would think they would have been there. Or was it that, because of the supposedly liberal leanings of the Pontiff, they came down with a case of the “Pope Frankie Flu”?)
Update 9/25/15: I thought this was some typically interesting information from Charles Pierce; I'm sure the Pope's text omission Pierce notes was accidental, but dag, wouldn't it have been awesome if it had made it into the speech.
...and Rachel Maddow (who, fortunately for all of us, seems to have found her groove, as it were, once again) had this interesting report last night in advance of the Pope's address to Congress ("Yes We Vatican" - clever)...
...and I give you "This Day In Doomsy History" once more from 9/24/10, with Jon Stewart delivering a GREAT debunking of U.S. House Republican claims that "oh baby, I've changed...really" - of course, what's really depressing to think about while watching this clip is that, because of typical lethargy from a majority of Democratic voters in off-year elections, the Repugs won the House anyway...
