Saturday Stuff

Rev. Al brings the outrage once more against the Teahadists on the shutdown, with Congressman Jim McDermott (Abby Huntsman, I think, does a good job of keeping us focused on those who are hurt the most by this nonsense)…

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…and I’m glad the above MSNBC clip quite rightly tied “Calgary” Cruz to “Man Tan” Boehner…



…and this gives us an opportunity to do something about it…



…and we recently saw another fine performance by Richard Thompson, with son Teddy this time, at the McCarter Theater in Princeton – they performed this as an encore to commemorate what would have been the 75th birthday of Eddie Cochran.

Thursday Stuff

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – somebody elects these…fart-knockers?? (here)...



…and this week marks what would have been the 110th birthday of Vladimir Horowitz – with that in mind, here is a bit of culture.

Wednesday Stuff

Rev. Al Sums things up on the shutdown pretty well, I believe, with Richard Wolffe (vintage clip of “Man Tan” Boehner wankery from the mid-'90s included)…

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…oh, and take a guess who decided to shut down the 19th attempt by the Senate to meet in conference with those U.S. House assclowns, as noted here…



…and fortunately, Jon Stewart is here to lambaste the usual media suspects on all of this…



…and returning to this decade, I guess this tune can be used by both sides in this mess, though we have the moral high ground to be sure (NSFW).

Tuesday Stuff

Martin Bashir brings us the latest horror stories from DC, brought to us by a majority of voters who, in their dunderheaded stupidity, put these cretins in charge of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010.

Oh, and about the Senate supposedly not joining that sleazy weasel Cantor and his pals for a conference committee, I give you this…

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…and as Rachel Maddow tells us, there are people out there who want this county to burn, at least metaphorically, and perhaps more than that (here)…



…and you want to see what happens when Dems are in charge? Check out the Golden State, as Bill Maher tells us (definitely NSFW)…



…and I guess, if all this BS with the Teahadists in Washington had happened about 40 years ago, this song would be more topical, even though I think it works fine now also ( “war,” in the economic sense anyway, is very much taking place, in addition to the real one in Afghanistan, and as far as people actually dying…).

Monday Stuff

So much for the “equivalency” practiced by Gary Weckselblatt, Ron Fournier, and countless other media hacks; Cenk Uygur shines a big, beaming spotlight on that garbage here…



…and full disclosure: I know I said that I wanted The Sainted Ronnie R to roast on a spit in hell, but I said it after he had already died (here...careful what you wish for, or you might end up on the welcoming committee, if you know what I mean)…



…and like it or not, the health care exchanges start going into effect tomorrow, so deal with it Boehner and co., you assholes...



Update 10/01/13: And oh yeah, one more thing...

…and happy birthday to Trey Anastasio (trying to interject something a little upbeat here).

Saturday Stuff

I think it’s pretty surreal to hear Ezra Klein almost rooting for a government shut down so the Teahadists would sober up and we wouldn’t have to worry about a default on the full faith and credit of the United States – the problem with that argument is the assumption that the Teahadists have a reasonable impulse somewhere; I don’t think their actions resemble sanity in any way…

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…and I’ve been looking for an anthemic kind of tune for this lunacy (wonder what kind of a movie Stanley Kubrick would have made of this insanity) – I think this will do.

Friday Stuff

The only subject Sen. Bernie Sanders doesn’t touch on here (of the ones that matter anyway) is climate change, though he hints at it with a reference to the Kochs (the best stuff comes beginning after about 5:40)…



…and in her own way, Rachel Maddow also chronicles the wingnut insanity on the health care law with Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel…

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…and I don’t think we can expect much from those knuckleheads running the U.S. House, but let’s try anyway to get them to make Monsanto play by the rules (whatever they are now, I admit) for a change (here - try to get Monsanto...and Boehner and co...to abide by this)…



…and here’s a tune to help us kick start another weekend – and by the way, THIS IS LOUD!

Two More For The Party

As noted here (from today's post from here – fifth bullet), the U.S. House Repugs recently held their 42nd vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

To me, the idiocy (to say nothing of the pointless taxpayer expense) of these votes speaks for itself. However, since I have promised to highlight a U.S. House Republican for every one of them (as I did here and here), that means that I’m currently down by 2, having highlighted 40 to date, for what it’s worth.

So, without any more ado, let me make up my quota:

#41 - Ted Yoho (FL - 03)

Like every other Repug (I believe) in the House, Yoho (a darling of the Teahadists) voted to cut SNAP benefits while maintaining farm subsidies (here).

Yoho also praised an alleged “birther” conspiracy and called “Obamacare” racist against white people (here).

In addition to food stamps, he also railed against gay marriage and “terrorist immigrants” here.

And speaking of SNAP, it looks like Yoho and his wife applied during the Carter Administration – but of course, he opposes it now because he wants to “wean” people off it, or something (here).

There’s lots of stuff on Yoho here, including his “don’t tax our tanning beds” idiocy.

Update 10/7/13: OWWWWWW!! THE STUPID!!! IT BURNS US!!!!!

Update 10/11/13: Actually, I’m not sure who’s more of an idiot here – Yoho, or the caller presumably from his district who thinks that furloughed federal workers automatically “are home watching Netflix and whatever…”

#42 - Markwayne Mullin (OK - 02)

Mullin confessed to being a “birther” here (that pretty much seems to be required for admission into the Teahadist “club”).

He said here that he personally witnessed food stamp “fraud” in Washington, D.C. because someone who was poor was also apparently able-bodied too, which was too much for his tiny mind to process I suppose (of course, he said this when he was safely back in his home district).

Oh, and did you know that Mullin took about $370,000 in stimulus funds (here – so much for that baaad “big gumint”).

Here, he claimed that the price of a McDonald’s hamburger would rise to $20 if the minimum wage was raised to $10 an hour (hat tip to Blue Oklahoma for the above two links).

And of course he denies that climate change is happening, even though he’s from a state that has been buffeted severely by its effects (here).

I really hope this is the end of this nonsense, but somehow I have a feeling that, before the 2014 mid-terms, we’ll hit the half-century mark (love to be wrong).

If we do, don’t worry; I’m loading up with plenty of ammunition (metaphorically speaking, of course).

Thursday Stuff

Gee, I wonder why Billo won’t debate Former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich (here – and what follows is another promo for “Inequality for All,” which opens tomorrow)…



…and as long as I’m mentioning Falafel Man, here’s a clip recommended by the teenaged one; a “dance mix” based on the O’Reilly freak out that I’d never seen before until about a month ago – enjoy (definitely NSFW - love the stuff with the jacket)...



…and I think all of Martin Bashir’s “Clear The Air” commentaries are good, but his words from about 2:00 on here should be required viewing for everyone…

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…and I really don’t go in for the whole “gender politics” or “gender media” or “gender anything” bit, but if women called the shots in Congress (here), I’m sure there would be ample bitchiness, but somehow I think a hell of a lot more would get done on behalf of this country, particularly for kids and families (though I know there would be exceptions)…if you really want to “go there,” then I guess it’s fair to say that men, in total, have made a hash of things – sigh.



Update 10/10/13: I’d like to be mad about this, but there’s one problem – it documents an irrefutable fact.

Wednesday Stuff

Yep, if you’re looking for timely, pinpoint news analysis, then go right to Jon Stewart, on the Affordable Care Act in particular (here – and I guess Huckleberry Graham is an expert in things that “suck”)…



…and file this as another item for the “elections have consequences” file (as if, God help us, a Republican presidential administration would support this – we know what Republicans in Congress have done, and will try to do)…

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…and I have to confess more than a bit of disgust over this; the clip below gives us a primer on what True The Vote is all about (beginning with Brentin Mock and Amy Goodman at about 5:25)…



…and I have more than a bit of disgust also over this – makes me recall this tune.

Tuesday Stuff

I realize that I pretty much have the liberal echo chamber here at work with both Martin Bashir and Ed Schultz, but here’s the thing; they’re right, in particular on health care (and Ed is truly righteous, but God, I get so sick of hearing our side refer to it as “Obamacare”; I also apologize for giving so much as one second to that life form named Ted Cruz – somehow, charlatans like him, Mike Lee, Rand Paul, etc. end up getting elected by people who are too stupid to be allowed to breed)…

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…and here’s some humor in the face of more Koch-funded BS here, tied back to health care also…



…also, comedy legend Phil Hartman would have been 65 today…



…and I’m thinking of Cruz with this tune, not Hartman – want to emphasize that.

Monday Stuff

Chris Hayes helps us to keep our eye on the ball, as it were, on health care reform, and our crappy economy overall (good for him for calling BS on David Frum)…

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…and yes, I know, baby steps here, but important ones (though this remains a valid point)…



…and you may be shocked to hear this, but believe me when I tell you that I really want to be done with this guy.

However, I give you the following from “Tiger Beat On The Potomac” here…

Former President George W. Bush, who famously quit golf while in the White House”…

WRONG!!! (and I watch this and remain ever grateful for these courageous words from Keith Olbermann)...



…and turning to the perpetually wretched legacy left behind by the minions of Dubya’s political party, I give you this…

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…and the last minute of this commentary by Bill Maher isn’t one bit funny (though the rest is), but kudos to him for speaking it (definitely NSFW)…



…and jazz legend (and former Philly resident) John Coltrane would have been 87 today.

Friday Stuff

(I also posted here.)

Nice speech, Mr. President – better damn well keep backing it up (here)…



…and I think what we’re seeing on the Repug end of things, particularly in the U.S. House, is the ultimate realization of the “ownership society”; them that’s got shall get, them that’s not shall lose…

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…all of which leads to the comedy described here by Rachel Maddow, though I don’t suppose it’s all that funny given what could happen to the country as a result…

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…which, somehow, makes this tune a bit apropos I guess.

Thursday Stuff

I guess the U.S. House Repugs think that “Les Miserables” is a documentary (and kudos to Rev. Al for bringing the well-deserved outrage here)…

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…and I don’t know about you, but I continue to be grateful that Alan Grayson is serving in Congress once more (here)…



…also, allow me to sneak in a plug for this site, along with the following video…



…meanwhile, did you know that the crisis in Syria is in reality a dark portent to the “end times” that the full mooners have been warning us about? Fortunately, Stephen Colbert explains (and yes, this is a gag, as is just about anything involving Neil Cavuto of Fix Noise)…

The Colbert Report
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…and Holy Geriatric Misadventure, Batman! – this guy is celebrating his 85th birthday…



…and here is a hot new little number.

Wednesday Stuff

I’m hearing that Steve Kornacki hasn’t done such a hot job of blowing up wingnut talking points since he took over for Chris Hayes on “Up,” and with that in mind, I don’t exactly understand why he gives a fig about what Mikey the Beloved will do concerning the latest debt ceiling nonsense from “Orange Man.”

You know what Mikey will do? Whatever Boehner tells him, that’s what (and remember when Rachel Maddow’s very reasoned observation that the House Speaker stinks at his job was blown off as more liberal crazy talk? Who’s “crazy” now, I wonder?)…

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…and speaking of TRMS, this sounds like a pretty reasonable discussion on guns with Mark Kelly, husband of Gabby Giffords (once more trying to prove that our fight for common-sense gun laws is pretty much with the idiotic “leadership” of the NRA and not rank-and-file members)…

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…and speaking of guns, what could possibly go wrong here, I wonder…



Update 9/23/13: Must...resist...snarky...reference...to...Iraq (here)...

…and RIP Jackie Lomax.

Tuesday Stuff

Hardly “senseless” commentary from Chris Hayes on the latest gun carnage in this country…

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…and I’m glad Rev. Al isn’t letting “Calgary” Cruz off the hook (unlike the rest of our somnambulant corporate media) for the latter’s recent invocation of Jesse Helms…

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…and so Obama goes for a deal which could lead to the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons without anyone dying, hopefully – so of course our political-media-industrial complex of stupidity haz a sad…



…and happy birthday to Fee Waybill of The Tubes (just a little ‘80s here, I know :-).

Monday Stuff

So “tinsel town” finally decided to give “The Button-Down Mind” his long-overdue recognition, huh? Two terrific situation comedies weren't enough – he couldn’t get it unless he appeared on that dippy show (yes, I said that – kind of funny, but I get the joke after about five minutes).

Well, at least he got it – congratulations (here’s a bit from back in the day)…



…and do you want to know why I detest our Beltway courtier media? I give you Fluffyhead’s response to Barney Frank’s perfectly valid question here about why the “banksters” need so much damn money for themselves versus everybody else (a segment timed for the fifth anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers, which ushered in the financial ruin that still traps many of us)…



…and it looks like PA guv Tom “Space Cadet” Corbett is going to accept Medicare expansion after all, based on this, but only under the condition that those covered can prove they’re looking for work (nice).

In addition to the fact that this requirement likely would not survive a court challenge, it is also pointlessly cruel (and to do something about it, click here – this all makes me recall this video)…



…and kudos to Martin Bashir for this (yes, despite it all, I believe in “American exceptionalism” a bit too, though with qualifications, of course)…

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…and with this in mind a bit too also (NSFW)…



…and I don’t know about you, but I’m getting really tired of putting up this video in response to stories like this.

Saturday Stuff

It’s all about energizing the base, fanning the flames of perpetual outrage, Ed and Gene (particularly for the mid-term elections), and that about sums it up…

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…and the numbers don’t lie on climate change (and here is more food for thought on the subject - figures)…



…and here is just a reminder that health care reform is the law of the land, and it will be a winner for the vast majority of this country if Republicans in legislatures across this country stop trying to f*ck it up…



…and I think this is an appropriate song for a Saturday night.

Friday Stuff

(I also posted here.)

I wish K.O. were still in politics, but it’s great that he’s back, and I think he shows some admirable restraint here dealing with this nut job CBS columnist basically making fun of NFL players whose post-retirement lives were ruined due to the head trauma inflicted during their careers (Keith mentioned Andre Waters, the former Eagle who killed himself, and though I know he could have mentioned many others, he could have added this guy too – and given all of the wingnuts who cheered on the mess in Iraq without actually suffering for it themselves, why wouldn’t they feel the same disconnect towards professional athletes?)…



…and here’s another milestone coming up, a quite unhappy but vitally important one, of which we’re reminded by Rev. Al Sharpton…

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…and if a businessman knows that Keystone XL is a sucker bet, then why shouldn’t the rest of us feel the same way?...



…and happy belated 60th birthday to Tommy Shaw of Styx – here’s a song from them which is a bit topical at the moment (and yes, I know it was written by Dennis DeYoung…sue me).

Thursday Stuff

In addition to the anniversary we observed a few hours ago, yesterday was also the 40th anniversary of the coup in Chile which installed dictator Augusto Pinochet (and as is so often the case, we were on the wrong side)…



…and we lost Ambassador Chris Stevens in Libya a year ago also, as noted here (BENGHAZI! calls for a serious bipartisan investigation; good luck trying to get that from the numbskulls in charge of the U.S. House)…

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…and speaking of foreign stuff, here is Jon Stewart’s one-and-only take on what’s going on in Syria (and welcome back, by the way - Update 9/14/13: And the "takeaway" is here)…



...and Johnny Cash died 10 years ago today.