Saturday Stuff

So “Cadet Bone Spurs” supposedly couldn’t visit the Aisne-Marne American cemetery in France to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, sending White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo instead (here).

What a pathetic excuse for an alleged chief of state!

Well, at least one leader of an industrialized nation knows how to pay proper respect (here).

However, the Gropenfuhrer has no problem involving our military in a ridiculous PR stunt to supposedly fight off that relentless horde of destitute immigrants posing no threat whatsoever that are approaching our border with Mexico…



Update 11/11/18: Talk about a picture being worth a minimum of a thousand words (here)...

…and Mike Papantonio and Mollye Barrows tell us about a phone “help line” for women who, apparently, are trying to self-induce abortions at home and avert prosecution (heckuva job, all you evangelicals or anyone else out there supporting Generalissimo Trump and the Repugs who are responsible for this travesty)…



…and Cenk brings what I consider to be quite justifiable outrage to this discussion of newly elected U.S. Senator (my God…) Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and her comments in the wake of the Thousand Oaks mass shooting – I know I’ve said a variation of this many, many times and I’m sure I will again, but how messed up of a person do you have to be to actually vote this soulless harridan into any kind of a position of governmental responsibility whatsoever?...



…and given our Tiny-Handed Dictator Wannabe’s latest outrage, I couldn’t help but think of this song.

Friday Stuff (update)

I know Kyle (NSFW of course) got pretty “wonky” here, as he put it, but I think there’s not one thing wrong with that – he talks about Trumper Larry Kudlow saying a federal minimum wage is a "terrible" idea (typical… wonder if ol’ Larry has been visiting the snow man again? And no, I’m not trivializing drug use by saying that.)… I would also argue that another example of conservatives being dragged kicking and screaming into the cold light of day is on health care coverage for pre-existing conditions, putting aside the brazen lying that went on in the most recent election of course (and by the way, the Repugs’ idea of a “small business” would be, oh I don’t know…maybe Papa John’s? And a “living wage law”? And “Medicare for all” by state? Interesting…)…



…and I was tempted to say the “recently concluded” election, but I’m definitely glad that I CAN’T say that, though the electoral garbage going on in Florida and Georgia DEFINITELY doesn’t make me happy…oh, but didn’t Hangin’ Judge JR of The Supremes, he of the “I just want to call balls and strikes” BS, tells us that racism doesn’t exist anymore and that’s why he gutted the Voting Rights Act? Well, maybe not for him…



…and while the Dems winning back the U.S. House was definitely a high point of the week, this for sure was another low point for all of the reasons Cenk and Ana tell us here – didn’t know much about it until I saw a tweet from Charlie Pierce yesterday…so many ways that this is wrong and STOO-PID!...yes, we know what Tucker Carlson is, but LEAVE HIS FAMILY AND HIS HOUSE ALONE!! WHY THE HELL DO WE NEED TO SAY THIS??!!

Yeah, now this validates his garbage that we’re all a bunch of Saul Alinsky-loving, violence-prone socialists who want to destroy motherhood and apple pie and let the Honduran immigrant caravan full of ISIS and MS-13 killers run rampant on our border and rape and pillage everything in sight – heckuva job, you idiots!...nice that you now have common cause with these lunatics...



Update 11/10/18: OK, so the door wasn’t broken, but apparently the property was spray painted? Nice (here…and yes, I’m being sarcastic).

As I said, we know what Carlson is and how he manages to stir up the wingnut fever swamps against selected targets, which is awful and truly deplorable…but YOU…DON’T…GO…TO…HIS…HOUSE!

…and I was going to put this up as my NSFW-also response to the U.S. Senate contests so far – though I think we all need to hear this from time to time – but I should point out that I definitely don’t share Will McAvoy’s opinion of millennials, who came through big time in the elections earlier this week from what I read (including here)…well done (and speaking of the electorate, apparently white women are starting to give up on Generalissimo Trump as noted here, but I think they need to do it a little damn faster!)…



…and Beto drops the “F”-bomb here in thanking his supporters (shades of Chase Utley in these parts about 10 years ago), which I’m fine with given the circumstances…I know I alluded to this recently , but I’m sure we’ll be hearing from Beto again…hope so anyway…



…and RIP jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove.

Thursday Stuff

Here is a BBC report on the latest mass shooting carnage in this country; according to this story, 13 are dead (developing story of course), including the shooter, though there are at least two twists to the story this time around…the person pulling the trigger was a veteran, and he actually DIDN’T use an AR-15 but, apparently, a .45 caliber handgun with an extended magazine (update is here, and that means of course that it’s time for “thoughts and prayers,” because we can’t expect that much of anything else will happen on the national level, can we?)…

Oh, and by the way, I have a message for Republican voters in Indiana, Missouri and North Dakota: you DO realize, don’t you, that you just elected politicians from the Trump/Kavanaugh Party to the U.S. Senate to replace Dems who will do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the issue of gun violence, right? Were you soooo scared about the alleged “immigrant caravan” full of MS-13 gang members and ISIS murderers coming to our border that you took leave of your senses? Apparently so (and oh, by the way, let’s not forget this too.)

And I would bother to chastise Texas and Florida also, but even though I know there are some great Democrats in these states, they’re comparatively hopeless at the moment and probably for the foreseeable future...

…and speaking of the election that just took place, Hasan Piker tells us more…



…and Trevor Noah weighs in also on the news, including that ultra-bizarro presser the Gropenfuhrer held yesterday where Jim Acosta was called out (if I ever see Acosta, the first drink is on me), and also the departure of immunity gnome Jeffy Sessions (and cannabis stocks went crazy yesterday on the news of the firing – have to get a piece of that action somehow)…



..and though this remains a great tune, I’ll look forward to the day when I no longer feel that I need to respond to a news tragedy by including it in one of these posts.

Wednesday Stuff

(My electoral post mortem, for what it’s worth, is here.)

John I. and Cenk of TYT tell us more on progressive women running and winning in yesterday's elections…



…and I think Pete Davidson of SNL probably could have handled this situation a little better with one of our veterans, but as far as I’m concerned, this is yet another example of “the billion dollar anger industry” revving up – hey, instead of churning up indignation over this idiotic faux pas on TV, why not direct it towards our politicians who continue to place our military in harm’s way without giving them a good reason why their lives should be on the line in the first place? Oh, and what about our alleged Leader Of The Free World WHO IS TOO BUSY PLAYING GOLF TO VISIT THEM?

Kyle erupts at about 8:15, but he’s absolutely right, though I think mentioning Rand Paul (who I still think is an idiot) and “Medicare for All” was “a bridge too far” IMHO (NSFW)…



…and if Dems had any brains (we’ll see), they should go all in on “Medicare for All,” but I’m not holding my breath…



…and happy 75th birthday to Joni Mitchell.

Tuesday Stuff

(In case you may still need reading/viewing material before casting your ballot, I provided a bunch of info from yesterday’s post.)

Here are things that I definitely WILL NOT miss now that this latest tortuous election cycle is nearly over:

Dem purity tests from the usual suspects (yes, Cenk and TYT are great and do terrific work, but I’m tired of tweets saying, “Oh, the House races are more exciting because of progressives” (which is true I know) “and the Senate races by comparison are boring and we’ll probably lose because of all of the corporate Democrats” (well, we’ll see, but comments like that are DISTINCTLY UNHELPFUL…can we PLEASE have the self-incriminating, circular-firing-squad BS AFTER the election and not DURING??!!)

And this is a perfect example from someone else who I otherwise greatly respect.

Update 11/7/18: After looking at what I've seen of the results, Cenk turned out to be absolutely right. However, competing for the U.S. Senate, especially in "white bread" middle America and the south, is a much trickier proposition than running for a U.S. House seat.

Anything whatsoever to do with Steve Kornacki – I can think of few pursuits that are more futile than trying to examine the “tribalism” of our politics.

Here’s what’s going on. The other side is getting crazier by the day, and a big part of our side has been (wrongly, I think) moving more towards the center to accommodate them somehow, which is now and always will be a waste of time. Meanwhile, the progressive left is providing a future for this country (a vision combined with practical, real-world proposals) that is a hell of a lot more in line with what the vast majority of this country truly wants.

The end.

Lectures from “boomers,” my generational cohort, to millennials, saying, on the one hand, “Oh please save us – you’re our only hope,” while simultaneously lecturing and hectoring them for not voting in the numbers of other demographic voting blocks.

Note to boomers: the mess we’re currently dealing with is overwhelmingly OUR FAULT because we let ourselves be tricked and conned into either staying home when we needed to get our asses to the polls instead or deciding to trust in a certain delusional, orange maniac who possessed neither the mental capacity, disposition, or inclination in any way whatsoever to practice governance as a democratically elected chief of state. And don’t even get me started on how we ended up putting Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao or Mr.-Puppy-Dog-Eyes-With-The-Shiv in charge of Congress, to say nothing of letting the “party of Lincoln” dominate our state and municipal elections.

And given that rant, it may seem to be a little contradictory to include this video from Bill Maher, but I nonetheless thought he made good points…



…though this is definitely an encouraging sign…



…and never, EVER forget this (more here)…



…and oh yeah, speaking of the traitorous "loyal opposition," let’s not forget about the former Hazelton, PA mayor running for the U.S. Senate…



…on the other hand, here are reasons for support incumbent Dem Bob Casey instead…



…and when it came to the chief Teahadist in our beloved commonwealth, as I said before, I was so repulsed by the violence that I forgot about the elitism (golf spikes?)…



…in opposition, though, I think this really rocks, and let’s all show it in PA by electing Gov. Tom Wolf to another term…



...and on this day, I can think of no more appropriate tune than this one.

Monday Stuff

(By the way, my prior posts related to the 2018 mid-terms are here, here, here, here, and here.)

Rachel Maddow tells us that, should the Dems win the U.S. House tomorrow, that would mean that THEY would be in charge of the House congressional committees, which wield a hell of a lot of power, including subpoenaing the tax records of a Certain Orange, Delusional, Wannabe Dictator…



…and I didn’t forget about the Tallahassee yoga shooting (here) – God almighty…



…and Farron Cousins tells us that Energy Secretary Rick “Goodhair” Perry recently gave away the proverbial game when it comes to storing nuclear waste in Yucca Mountain, which is a big deal in Nevada (yes, Dean Heller opposes it because he isn’t dumb as a door knob, but what good does THAT do when the rest of his party SUPPORTS IT?).

In response, to support Dem Jacky Rosen, please click here…



…and Pete Olson of Texas kind of mixes up both his bigotry and racism in attacking his Dem opponent (just say “oops” and get out - this is actually hilarious in a thoroughly unintentional way)…



…and turning to our beloved commonwealth, please support Perry Warren for state representative (for PA-31 folk)…



…as well as Steve Santarsiero for State Senate (District 10)…



(By the way, if anyone from Steve's campaign is reading this, check your site. I haven't been able to access it all day...Update: I just got in.)

…and Scott Wallace for the U.S. House of Representatives (for PA-01)…

(And by the way, I don’t know if I ever said this in so many words, but the reason why I’ve included this pic is to show that, as is so often the case, Not Your Father’s Republican Party was guilty of big-time overreach on their latest tax cut scam. I drove past this sign awhile back a couple of times, but finally, when I saw it the third time, I realized I had to pull over and get this picture. And sure enough, as soon as the Repugs realized that voters were onto their latest con, they pulled up these signs. And of course, you can consider my inclusion of this picture my attempt to make sure that voters NEVER FORGET that this is part of their latest disgusting swindle at our expense…and as we know by now, Bri-Fi voted for those horrible tax cuts from Trump and his party, not once, but twice).

Update: Oh, and I somehow forgot about these oh-so-precious moments from Bri-Fi's campaign (probably because I subconsciously wanted to preserve my gag reflex)...

…and here’s a tune to put some “pep in our step” while we engage in any last-minute campaign activities and get ready to head to the polls.

Friday Stuff

(I have updates to my U.S. Senate post here.)

Sadly, it looks like Not Your Father’s Republican Party has settled on its alleged “closing argument,” and it’s every bit as pathetic as you think for the reasons John and Cenk of TYT point out here (and let’s not forget this also – and who was it who pardoned Arpaio again? Thinking…)...



…and speaking of lies, it looks like former Trumpers aren’t faring too well when trying to find gainful employment after leaving the regime of our Treasonous, Tiny-Handed Orange Dictator, particularly at “fake news” CNN – one adage that comes to mind is this; you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas…



…and I guess this is part of a “lying” theme also – Kyle tells us about the usual Repug suspects, as it were, bringing falsehoods to the table when it comes to health coverage for pre-existing conditions (NSFW)…



…and not to be outdone when it comes to trying to be “mainstream” for the Repugs in time for another election (though maybe ultra-ultra right actually IS mainstream for this bunch), I give you the latest from Sam Bee on one Steven Arnold King (more here and here – NSFW also...to do something about it, click here)…



...and Robert Reich tells us about the Gropenfuhrer's 30 biggest broken promises…



...and I promise I’ll finish his great book this year, I hope - probably :-).

Thursday Stuff

Rachel Maddow tells us that there is now a precedent for Special Counsel Robert Mueller to go after Generalissimo Trump based on Tricky Dick’s Watergate history (yeah, the "Dictabelt" does sound like something out of the era of Don Draper, to be sure)…



…and speaking of Mueller, Farron Cousins tells us more about this Jacob Wohl character who apparently tried to incriminate the special counsel somehow – the stoo-pid is almost too thick to cut with a chainsaw, let alone a knife...more here (and the fact that Wohl’s group is apparently called “SureFire Intelligence” is something right out of a Stanley Kubrick movie…and oh, some conservative named Jack Burkman had something to do with this as well…and why am I not surprised that The Gateway Pundit is involved also? Have fun going to prison, you clowns.)…



…and Francis Maxwell gives us a “Breakdown” segment on Trump trying to end birthright citizenship – you know, the 14th Amendment, which he can’t change by himself (good job to compare this to gun rights and press freedom)…



…and John, Ben and Brooke Thomas give us the latest on a poll which shows increased millennial turnout in voting (yaay!)…



…and Carlos Maza and Norman Ornstein argue that Repugs have broken our politics – not saying Dems are innocent either, just saying that there’s no doubt about who’s responsible for this facet of our democracy “going off the rails” in the first place…



…and after watching the Maddow clip, I felt like hearing this tune for a bit of historical perspective.

Wednesday Stuff

Farron Cousins tells us that, when all else fails, the Repugs turn to threats of violence and intimidation if it looks like their candidate might lose, which is apparently a real possibility in Texas (naturally) with Ted Cruz running against Beto O’Rourke…part of me wonders how truly sad of a human being you must be to actually defend someone like Cruz merely because you instinctively hate Democrats…I can recall the one-time standard bearer for the “Grand Old Party” proclaiming “malice towards none, with charity for all” (here)…I’m sure their leader now would call that “fake news”…



…and Robert Reich tells us the true cost of the Gropenfuhrer’s economic incompetence…



…and Mike Lux isn’t exactly Mr. Excitement, but he’s absolutely right here…



…and Kyle K. gives props to Ali Velshi of MSNBC for calling out Repugs claiming that they support pre-existing conditions in health care coverage – um, that’s a lie of course; Kyle flips out a little at the end, but he’s spot-on also (NSFW)…



…and here are two more selections for your pleasure I hope while we ward off evil spirits and try to have fun amidst the ghouls, goblins and the like…Happy Halloween.

Tuesday Stuff

Rachel Maddow tells us here that the Gropenfuhrer should reconsider his trip to Pittsburgh (here), but of course he won’t and has probably arrived by now…



…and it looks like Andrew Gillum gave it back to our Treasonous, Tiny-Handed Orange Dictator on the Twitter machine when Trump called Gillum a thief without proof of course (as John, Ben and Brooke Thomas tell us…great point by John about Trump wanting DeSantis for 2020)…



…and Kyle tells us how the Israeli ambassador in the US conjured up something called “far left Anti-Semitism,” which is actually equating the BDS movement with mass murder – NSFW…



…and hey, don’t look now, but it looks like our delusional man-child who cannot operate an umbrella is looking to get rid of our arms control treaties – Bueller?...



…and speaking of Generalissimo Trump, I now give you the latest installment of “This Day In Doomsy History” (more or less) from 10/29/15, where Stephen Colbert once tried to persuade you-know-who to donate $1 million (which, apparently, is chump change to Number 45) to The Harlem Children’s Zone – no word on whether or not he ever ponied up, but I’m suspecting that he didn’t…



...and here is another apropos selection for this time of year.

Monday Stuff

So I just want to make sure I’ve got this straight…

Trump declares he’s a white nationalist (oh, sorry – he didn’t say “white” nationalist here – but does that really matter?).

Then, “suspicious packages” get sent out to prominent Trump critics (here).

Then, someone murders two African Americans at a Kroger’s supermarket in Kentucky (here - more on that later).

Then, someone commits wholesale murder at a synagogue in Pittsburgh (here, and apparently shouting “All Jews Must Die” as he opened fire).

Is that about it?

Oh, and I think this should be noted as well (and this).

…and apparently, the KY shooter had far worse intentions, though (allegedly, let’s not forget) killing two people is bad enough I’ll admit, as John Iadarola, Nomi Prins, and Jayar Jackson of TYT tell us…



…and Farron Cousins tells us that the Repugs are already making their excuses for projected mid-term losses…but we still have to go out and work to get this done (don’t “measure the drapes,” people!); we should do the best we can of course and take nothing for granted, but Cousins makes a great point – we’re playing more defense in this election cycle, but in 2020, the Repugs will have to do that…



…and the “Closer Look” bits from Seth Meyers are just about always good, and I thought this one was exceptional (I agree with C&L here for what it’s worth)…



…and to help Scott Wallace, please click here (and those Humane Society billboards for Bri-Fi, which are completely untrue by the way, are still standing as noted here – oh, and more Bri-Fi garbage is here from last Friday with an update)…



...and RIP Tony Joe White...



...and here is a "moldy oldie" of a seasonal tune.

Saturday Stuff (updates)

I’m sure a certain orange idiot and his followers will find a way to blame Democrats for this too – prayers for the families of the victims and survivors and support for real, and oh yeah, it’s long past time to DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE BLEEPING GUNS!!! (an update is here)...

Update: And yeah, I would call this a pattern too.

Update 1 10/28/18: And if, God forbid, the Repugs hold the U.S. House, Kevin McCarthy would be the next speaker (here and here).

Update 2 10/28/18: Uh, yep.

…and given this week’s horrors (suspicious packages mailed to Dems, Kentucky shooting and now this), I would say that the “jobs, not mobs” GOP tag line is particularly ridiculous, as Farron Cousins tells us…



...and Cenk talks with Richard Ojeda of West Virginia (hey, Centrist DLC Beltway losers, are you listening to what Ojeda is saying? I could do without the attack on Nancy Pelosi though (here), but he’s absolutely spot-on about everything else...and about the elections, I have a couple of updates here)…



…and happy 60th birthday to Simon LeBon of Duran Duran.

Friday Stuff (updates)

(I have updates to prior posts here and here.)

Cenk and Ana tell us more on the “suspicious packages” recently sent out to anti-Trumpers (and kudos to Ana for teeing off on this nonsense…I don’t want to imagine how f’d up in the head you have to be to actually take Flush Limbore seriously – and Politico is nothing but garbage IMHO…oh, and “trying to encourage the Democratic vote” by blowing people up? ARE YOU MENTAL??!! And apparently, a suspect is in custody (more here), with some rather telling decorations on his vehicle I must say - here)…



…and this AP report gives us an update on the Kroger shooting in KY (and apparently this lunatic tried to gain access to an African American church, including the pastor and congregation, as noted here…and we must say “alleged” shooter of course…looks like another chapter of Life In These United States, Part The Infinity, as Charlie Pierce might say)…



…and apparently, some Fix Noise life form named Griff Jenkins is all over some Honduran refugees trying to, y’know, come to this country so they WON’T BE BLEEPING KILLED by staying where they are (TMR with Sam Seder, Michael Brooks, etc. – and on that subject, it looks like Generalissimo Trump & co. are going to try to act like actual human beings and NOT shoot anyone crossing illegally as noted here, at least not “right now”…what country am I living in again?)…



…and it sounds like FDR nailed the Gropenfuhrer when it comes to lying, as Thom Hartmann tells us (“When do we learn from history?” indeed)…



…and to help Scott Wallace, click here (for PA-01 folk).



And by the way, while I was in the middle of working on this post, the pic below popped up on my cell phone:

No end to Bri-Fi and his garbage (but we knew that)…

Update 10/29/18: I Just got another spam message on my phone like the one above:

How much lower into the gutter are you going to crawl with this garbage, Bri-Fi?

Update 10/31/18: Not even taking a break for Halloween...

These are coming from (215) 515-0486, which I believe is a non-residential number. I wonder if the Better Business Bureau should know about this?

…and Mike Papantonio and RT (and yes, I know it’s The Putin Network) tell us about fast food workers striking at midterms – kudos to them for their courage…



…and Stephen Colbert tell us about Number 45’s cell phone likely being hacked (wow, what a “tragady”)…



…and yeah, I’m in the mood for a bit of a “healing tide” myself.

Thursday Stuff

So now they’re messing with Robert De Niro? Time to go whack somebody for real (kidding)…

And let’s make no mistake, people. This is all being orchestrated to keep us yelling at each other and to keep us distracted from the issues that matter (trying to replay 2016 all over again). If you don’t believe me, then watch this video on YouTube and read the comments. God knows how many bots and trolls have been unleashed to spew even more hateful garbage actually blaming Democrats for this.

Yep, this, along with voter purging in Georgia in particular and “Crosscheck” (see Greg Palast) along with more servile corporate media compliance (apparently, Philadelphia’s conservative newspaper of record has yet another fluff piece today on Bri-Fi – I don’t know exactly what it says because I refuse to pay for their content)…I guess that’s the formula the Repugs are using to try and hold onto power. God knows that they don’t have any policy successes, especially with the stock market now going south (though, to be fair, it seems to be rallying today)…



Update: An updated recipient list is here.

…and this video is over a couple of years old, but I thought it was a really good primer on how we got to the present mess we’re in…



…of course, if you want something to worry about for real, I give you this…



…and it didn’t take too long for me to settle on this musical selection.

Wednesday Stuff

It’s funny in a teeth-gnashing kind of way I know to see Generalissimo Trump campaigning for Republicans and calling the Democrats “an angry mob,” as Seth Meyers tells us…hey, at least we’re not leaving pipe bombs sending suspicious packages to with anybody, as noted here…



…and Rachel Maddow tells us more about Republicans and dirty electoral tricks (and yeah, our enthusiasm number is good, but based on what the other side’s number is, we can’t take anything for granted)…



…and at this point, I don’t know what else needs to be said – to do something about it, you can find links here and here…



…and Kyle tells us that cigarette maker Altria (Marlboro) is in talks to buy a Canadian weed (as in cannabis of course) company…



…and I have to admit that I REALLY messed up on a date that I wanted to get right, and I didn’t; I thought the 60th anniversary of the speech by Edward R. Murrow at the Radio-Television News Director’s Association convention was on 10/25, but it was 10/15…my bad…the speech follows (more here and here – to say it was prescient by somebody who saw the direction this country was going is an understatement…“no law that says dollars will be defeated by duty,” but to try and echo and amplify Murrow, maybe there should be)…



…and if we were to update Murrow’s speech for the current day, I realize we would have to include just about every digital device with a picture screen of any kind, but I thought this tune was still appropriate in the current context.

Tuesday Stuff

Ali Velshi and Maya Wiley tell us more about what women endured to earn the right to vote in this country in 1917, including imprisonment as well as torture in other ways (proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free)…



…and, on the complete opposite end of the political spectrum as it were, Farron Cousins tells us that the ladies handbag queen from Mar-A-Lago is apparently going to be our new South African ambassador (once again, heckuva job, all you idiots who had anything whatsoever to do with getting the Gropenfuhrer elected – try to redeem yourselves in two weeks, if you can)…



…and the BBC does some actual, y’know, reporting on the immigrant “caravan,” if you will, approaching this country from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador (more here)…



…and when it comes to election issues for real, I give you this from 10/21/13, in which “Obamacare” delivered all across the country, something to keep in mind while watching the antics of those trying to destroy it, as noted here (and yep, you guessed it – time once more for “This Day In Doomsy History,” more or less)…



…and yeah, I would say that Nebraska needs to rethink its travel slogan also, as Stephen Colbert notes (in spite of that, please support Jane Raybould for the U.S. Senate anyway; a link to her site can be found here…I like some of Colbert’s other ones too, including New Jersey)…



...and happy belated 73rd birthday to Leslie West of Mountain ("Nantucket Sleighride" is one of my all-time favorite recordings).

Monday Stuff

I’ll admit that I’m having a hard time keeping up with the stories from our “allies” the Saudis and MBS about the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi – like you, I heard about “rogue killers” who somehow were credentialed and allowed access inside the embassy where Khashoggi was murdered, then a story about an interrogation that somehow went badly (complete with bone saws)…and now, it looks like a body double was employed to cover up everything (here).

I have a pretty good idea of how a sane, adult, responsible president would have handled this (sanctions maybe, holding up an arms deal, and helping to mobilize international condemnation for starters).

But of course (thanks to people like the life form above), we’ll have to wait for that, at a minimum, for two more years, apparently…



…and it looks like Generalissimo Trump was guilty again of a little “mansplaining” on the upcoming mid-term elections, as Stephen Colbert tells us (including the U.S. Senate contests as noted here)…



…and with the mid-terms in mind, Robert Reich has a message for millennials (I think the registration deadline has passed in a few states by now as well as in PA – more info is here)…



…and if I could vote in The Sunshine State, I would definitely vote in favor of Amendment 4 (and I think this is a particularly great ad…more here)…



…and Farron Cousins tells us that Laura Ingraham is apparently still having trouble getting advertisers after attacking the Parkland, FL shooting survivors and her “summer camp” garbage about kids detained by ICE (you know what they say about paybacks, don’t you?)…



…and I have to admit that I’m chastising myself a bit because I failed to note the passing earlier this month of legendary Beatles recording engineer Geoff Emerick, who helmed “Sgt. Pepper,” “Abbey Road,” and “Revolver,” including this number.

Friday Stuff

(I have an update to this post, by the way.)

Again, I know this is courtesy of The Putin Network, but it sounds like the Gropenfuhrer is making noise like he wants our military to close our southern border to keep out Honduran refugees (as well as those from Guatemala and El Salvador…Anya Parampil and Eugene Puryear discuss)…



…and Robert Reich gives us more details on Generalissimo Trump’s support of totalitarian regimes around the world (and we should keep this in mind also…what country am I living in again?)…



…and sticking with world stuff, Michael Brooks of The Majority Report tells us about Secretary of State Mike Pompeo laughing with the Saudis when talking about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi (NSFW)…



…and turning to our elections, Thom Hartmann and Greg Palast tell us more about voter disenfranchisement (14 million people??!!) – more on Kris Kobach’s “Crosscheck” is here…



And by the way, as long as we’re talking about elections, I just want to say that, without a doubt, this election cycle has been the ABSOLUTE WORST that I have ever seen when it comes to utterly ridiculous, over-the-top, completely unprovable LIES from the “party of Lincoln.” Maybe it’s because I’m paying a little more attention to the U.S. Senate contests than I would normally, but the utter deluge of complete falsehoods has been mind-numbing (which, I’m completely sure, is the intention).

Yes, all politicians lie. I get it. But the DEGREE and VOLUME of the lies is something that I have never seen before. And I’ve been watching this stuff longer than I care to admit.

If anyone has any doubt, the answer is an unequivocal yes – The Repug Party is now DEFINITELY the party of Donald J. Trump.

…and keeping it local with elections once more, here is a link to help out Steve Santarsiero, running for the PA Senate in District 10…



…and even though the temps are fall-like in these parts and the weather’s clouding up a bit, I don’t think that automatically rules out a bit of summer-like escapism, right? (and the title of this video is completely coincidental to the prior clip).

Thursday Stuff

(By the way, I have updates to recent posts from here, here, and here.)

Rachel Maddow tells us the latest on the Repugs and their voter suppression games, particularly in North Dakota (to help Heidi Heitkamp, click here…and “Doc” should be careful with that “Vote Democrat” slip, and there’s nothing amusing whatsoever about those “True The Vote” scumbags…and as usual, wingnuts prove that they can’t spell…updates to the issue of Native Americans voting to North Dakota are here and here)…



…and Farron Cousins of “Ring of Fire” tells us that Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao has made it clear that he and his pals are after Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, and any other entitlement that he can get his greasy hands on – by the way, and I know this is a minor point, but I don’t think the beard is a good look…



…and speaking of lowdown political types, Sam Bee gives us a mashup of some OMIGOD THA’ LIBS R ALL COMING TO KILL US!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!! clips from “The Grand Obstructionist Party” (I’m not sure voters can dig their way out of all of this horseshit even if they had a front-end loader, which is exactly what the other side wants – NSFW)…



…and Kyle of “Secular Talk” tells us that the pending arms sale to the country that brought us 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers is more important to Generalissimo Trump than holding the Saudis to account in light of the gruesome murder of Jamal Khashoggi – yeah, leave it to the Gropenfuhrer to be too typically stoo-pid to truly understand what to do when controversy hits on the world stage (and when it comes to the Saudis and arms sales, I give you this – NSFW also)…



…and in my admittedly imperfect quest to keep my musical selections interesting, I should note that today would have been the 100th birthday of jazz pianist and bit character actor Bobby Troup; here, he performs with wife Julie London – both would appear on the TV series “Emergency!” later (not sure if the Surgeon General’s Report had come out yet)…



…and the recent stretch of nice weather kind of puts me in the mood for this tune, which is a bit of a bonus (also an excuse to note the recent birthday of Temple alum Daryl Hall – hope it was a good one).

Wednesday Stuff

Farron Cousins tells us that – WAAAHHHHH!!! – White Supremacist Mouthpiece Tucker can’t eat out anymore – maybe he should try a TV dinner, as Cousins explains (NSFW)…



Update: And just think, Tucker, they're not eye holes in those Klan hoods - they're really table cloth spots to put the salt and pepper shakers (I wish I could take credit for that, but I'm sure somebody else thought of it - here).

…and oh noes – it looks like Generalissimo Trump’s alleged business acumen failed him – c’est dommage (Cenk’s wrap-up in about the last minute and a half or so, citing Bernie Sanders, is absolutely brilliant)…



…and I know I’ve been focusing on the Scott Wallace/Bri-Fi and Wagner/Wolf contests in PA (here), but there’s also an election for U.S. Senate of course – to help Bob Casey, click here…



...and I hope you're in the mood for a little Wednesday blues/funk, because here it is.