Friday Stuff

Thom Hartmann tells us about the lunatics behind the campaign to try and get the U.S. to open up against the advice of health care experts...wonder how Google feels about their analytics tool being used by these nutbags? My guess is that they don't care (not the least bit surprised that Freedom Works is involved)…and speaking of crazy…



Update: Nothing but a POS (follow-up from the last linked item)...

..and yeah, “There will be a lot of death, unfortunately”…no shit, Sherlock (here)...



…and Joe Scar is absolutely right to tear into The Gropenfuhrer (here), but given his shock over the utter lack of preparedness from our ruling regime of frauds and crooks, I have some questions for him:

At what point did it FINALLY occur to you that Mango Mussolini is in WAAAAY OVER HIS HEAD and completely out of his depth as “president”?

Didn’t that occur to you in 2016 when you and your crew were riding the proverbial tire swing with Trump by hosting him on your program? If it did, why the hell didn’t you speak up?

When has this “president” shown ANY INTEREST AT ALL in anything having to do with actual policy or legislation on behalf of the vast majority of this country? Did you not see that? Were you bleeping blind??!! WHY THE HELL DIDN’T YOU BLEEPING WARN US WHEN IT ACTUALLY MATTERED??!!

Do you not see how you and your morning playmates (along with way too damn much of the rest of our corporate media) COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY FAILED TO VET THIS UTTER CHARLATAN AS TO HIS TOTAL LACK OF PREPAREDNESS FOR THE JOB OF PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES??!!

So yeah, your outrage is duly noted. But until you can provide some somewhat intelligent responses to any or all of the questions noted above, try shutting the hell up...



...and there's so much illegality and malfeasance going on with this regime that it's possible to overlook stuff, but let's not forget about Our Orange Pestilence and his Chinese masters (noted here also)...



…and Brian Tyler Cohen tells us about Anderson Cooper’s interview with Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman…like many of you I’m sure, I know what the crowds are like on Las Vegas Boulevard for most of the day and the evening, and that is the LAST place that should be volunteering to be a “petri dish,” or whatever nonsense Goodman is talking about – exposure to those kinds of throngs would start a lethal second wave all by itself…



...…and Rachel Maddow speaks with Anthony Romero of the ACLU about the COVID-19 threat in our prisons…a little surprised by how this interview was cut short, but Romero makes some important points – I’d be pretty cheesed off if this guy ended up under house arrest for example, but maybe it’s the right thing to do in the overall scheme of things…



…and Kyle tells us about comedian Vic DiBitetto going off in car with what I guess you could call a typical NYC rant, and I say that with respect (very NSFWH, as in “Not Safe For Work/Home,” but definitely right…I would call this an answer to Rick Santelli, but the difference here is that DiBitetto is actually right)…



…and this week started with the noting of a passing on the Philly music scene due to the pandemic, and it’s ending the same way – RIP to jazz legend “Bootsie” Barnes…one day, all of this will be over, and that day can’t come soon enough.

Wednesday Stuff

Farron Cousins tells us here that the refusal by Sean Inanity of Fix Noise to take the COVID-19 pandemic seriously is literally killing his audience; not sure what I could add to that (more here)…



Update 4/26/20: Any by the way, the pic isn't hyperbole (here).

…and Cenk Uygur tells us about the recent back-and-forth between AOC and the Swanson TV Dinner Heir; one important takeaway for yours truly is that AOC, In a very rare instance, gave up the high ground a bit on the issue of clean energy by deleting the tweet (even though she was unequivocally right…and yeah, I’m tempted to agree with Cenk that she was pressured to do so) and Carlson, being the utterly unrepentant alt-right wingnut that he is, went after her anyway…as much as I applaud AOC and Cenk on this, I have to admit that it’s discouraging a bit that we STILL have to fight over something approximating fairness and decency in assisting those hurt by the outbreak (though other countries such as Canada have enacted UBI, as noted here), commitment to renewable energy, a sane military budget, ACA and Medicare/Medicaid expansion, and on and on ("mostly white meat"...heh)…



…and this Georgia doctor tells Repug Governor Brian Kemp to actually LISTEN TO THE MEDICAL EXPERTS AND DON’T SENTENCE YOUR RESIDENTS TO DEATH BY REOPENING TOO EARLY!!!...



…and I don’t know…maybe it’s just me…but I’m really not seeing a lot of historical context for the true scope of the horror many of us are dealing with from COVID-19, and to be sure, there most definitely IS a historical context, and that has to do with the so-called “Spanish” flu of 1918 (which, arguably, didn’t originate in Spain, but in Kansas – it was called “Spanish” because that’s the first country that reported it); this video is about 40 minutes long, so yeah, pack a lunch (or a Swanson TV Dinner…?)…part of the reason why I’m including this is to note that Philadelphia played a particularly awful part in spreading it – not trying to be snarky, but just trying to present the full picture of what happened over 100 years ago…



…meanwhile, on a more upbeat note, today marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day (and yes, we have much to do on that front also, but there’s hopeful stuff in the video)…to me, the significance of Earth Day is tied to the rise of the consumer movement in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, and the backlash to that led ultimately to the ruinous conservative ascendancy, but it was a battle well fought and well won all the same…



...and since it's Earth Day, to me, that means it's time for this tune.

Tuesday Stuff

via GIPHY

This Now This clip shows Mango Mussolini facing off with another female reporter, this time from CBS News (I’m glad that his dumb little Bund rallies are being more sparsely attended by the day, which is what he deserves at a minimum…actually, they should be boycotted altogether…and when it comes to the Gropenfuhrer and the China travel ban, I give you this)…



…and I’m not going to get my hopes up over this report from Farron Cousins, since there are no end to the Stupid Voting Tricks that the “party of Lincoln” can try to inflict in us all, but at a minimum, Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao has a thing or two to worry about at this moment concerning the fall eletions (and I’m sorry, but with all due respect to southern Dem progressives – who are owed huge props as far as I’m concerned for fighting the good fight – I’m not getting my hopes up that southern voters as a whole will do the right thing, and that actually goes for too many northern voters too)…



…and in keeping with life below that Mason-Dixon line, David Doel tells us about GA governor Brian Kemp wanting to open the state back up, social distancing and health care professionals/experts be damned (and when it comes to stupid Republican southern governors, let’s not forget this)…



Update: And somewhere, Jim Jones smiles (here).

…but for the purposes of fair play, I should note that at least one Republican governor has called BS on all of the Trumpian garbage, and that would be Larry Hogan of Maryland, as Cenk and Ana tell us here…



...and since this is another day of the week with a "y" in it, it looks like it's time for this clip again (my response to this)...



...and Prince died four years ago today.

Monday Stuff

(Yeah, “Pennsyltucky” is trending on Twitter for a reason, as noted here - spelling continues to be an issue for these life forms)...

Sam and the crew from The Majority Report tell us about health care workers going against protestors in Denver (similar to pic…note to self….NEVER, EVER eat out at Ruth Chris’s again once this is finally, mercifully over…waiting for another angry outburst from Rick Santelli which I’m sure will be coming any day now)…



Update 4/21/20: Yep...predictable indeed (here).

…meanwhile, for the reality point of view, I give you this (here)…



…and yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City (here...one of the very few moments where Dubya showed actual competence on the job IMHO)…



…and usually I include a tune by an artist or band here, but I’m going to break with that to commemorate the recent passing of Gene Shay; he would probably laugh to be considered a folk music icon in these parts, but that is what he was, if for no other reason because of the Philadelphia Folk Festival, which became an international cultural event under his stewardship…like John Prine, I was hoping he in particular would make it.

Saturday Stuff

(The pic has to do with this item, by the way.)

Cenk and Ana of TYT tell us about how the supposed “stimulus” should help an estimated 22 million people out of work in this country, yet their former employers got bailout $$ to buy shares of their own stock or pay dividends to investors (and in a related story, I think this is pretty rank too)…



…and this “Morning Joe” clip is kind of a corporate-media-sanitized version of the prior video, but Stephanie Ruhle makes some great points about the big bidness malefactors taking the $$ they shouldn’t be entitled to – sounds like crappy legislation railroaded through Congress without proper oversight…more of a reason for us to vote out Repugs and hold more Dems’ feet to the proverbial fire, as Cenk alluded to earlier (and speaking of South Dakota, I give you this)…



…and in keeping with the overall theme here, Thom Hartmann tells us who Our Pumpkin Pestilence is lining up to take the fall for what happens next when he tries to reopen America (though the governors will really be doing that of course, as it should be)…



…and happy belated 75th birthday to Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple.

Friday Stuff (updates)

This Now This clip tells us about idiot MI demonstrators vs. the Dem Governor Gretchen Whitmer acting up against her shelter-in-place order, which led to a traffic jam that kept health care workers from their jobs (bankrolled by the DeVos family, who are no doubt laughing their despicable asses off over it – somehow I’m sure the Mackinac Center is involved also, but I can’t find anything on that at the moment)…



Update 1 4/18/20: Yeah, this figures.

Update 2 4/18/20: And this doesn't surprise me either.

Update 3 4/18/20: Lather, rinse, repeat - sigh (here).

…and Brian Tyler Cohen tells us about Mango Mussolini threatening to dissolve Congress, or something, in the typical manner of a banana republic strongman (spoiler alert: no, the Gropenfuhrer can’t do that for the reasons BTC explains)…



…and I know I need to catch up on this item from “The Majority Report” about the progressive judge winning in Wisconsin over the one favored by the “party of Lincoln,” and despite the best efforts of the High Court of Hangin’ Judge JR to tilt the scales in favor of the Repugs…pretty clear-eyed analysis by Sam I’d say…



...and since this is another day of the week with a "y" in it, it looks like it's time for this clip again (my response to this)...



…and RIP acclaimed character actor Brian Dennehy; IMHO, this is one of his best roles from a great movie based on a terrific book…



…and I’m definitely in the mood for something that’s more than a little trippy, so here it is.

Tuesday Stuff

Leave it to the Gropenfuhrer to air a video promoting himself during a news conference about a deadly pandemic, as Brian Tyler Cohen tells us…



…and John I. and Jordan Uhl of The Damage Report give us their take on Mango Mussolini’s most recent fit of madness (and great point about the spikes when South Korea and China re-opened)…

“We did a job that nobody ever thought was possible” all right. Yeah, because I guess we were SPOILED by COMPETENCE from PRESIDENTS WHO, FOR THE MOST PART, ACTED LIKE ADULTS!!

And “You have to pay attention. You have to be alert” indeed…



…meanwhile, for the reality point of view, I give you Rachel Maddow talking with New York Times reporter Eric Lipton, the lead writer of this piece that was published last Sunday…



…and RIP Philly jazz legend Jymie Merritt.

Monday Stuff

(Note: I may be able to sneak in a post or two after all this week.)

This tells us about New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern, who, as nearly as I can tell, has done a great job for real with her country’s COVID-19 crisis (here)…



…and this BBC segment gives us more of a picture of the human toll of this misery (more here)…



…and I have to admit that, while I applaud the spirit of the venture capitalist who comes out in favor of UBI (and basically tells the people running the hedge funds to pound sand), I’m just not sure that “burning it all down” is the answer, even though I admit that I don’t have a better idea…I got a kick out of the host who acted like he didn’t want “main street” to go belly up but was actually providing cover for the VC crowd, as does that entire network as far as I’m concerned…keeping this post international I know since David Doel is Canadian…



…and from this country, I should note that Lowell George would have been 75 today.

Happy Easter 2020

I hope you all you all have a happy and blessed Easter. If you don't observe anything, may you have a happy and blessed long weekend.

Friday Stuff

(The pic has to do with this, by the way - also, probably no posting next week.)

I think this latest ad from The Lincoln Project pretty much says what needs to be said (and Chris Hayes's show is pretty good, but his tweets are fire, like this one)…



…and “This has run off with us” indeed – the animation at the end of this Rachel Maddow segment says it all (with some of the predictable lunacy in response here and here)…



…and John and Ana of TYT tell us about Mango Mussolini telling FEMA to seize hospital supplies presumably so more can be sent to states who grovel at the Gropenfuhrer’s beck and call…



…and Farron Cousins tells us about Kayleigh McEnany, the latest liar to front for our ruling regime of criminals – yep, about as repellent a human being as you can expect…



…and speaking of frauds, Kyle K. tells us about nutball preacher Kenneth Copeland’s alleged effort to combat COVID-19 (yeah, something sure “blows” all right...don't completely agree with Kyle's take on religion in general, but I agree with the rest of this)…



…and I hope he’s doing OK – maybe this is the song we need right now.

Wednesday Stuff

Cenk and Ana tell us about Thomas Modly, the assclown who “resigned” after criticizing Capt. Brett Crozier of the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt over the latter’s commendable actions to help those under his command who were exposed to COVID-19, as was Crozier himself who came down with it unfortunately…all the best…good point by Cenk about Crozier having gone through channels first, meeting the predictable roadblocks under this lawless regime…



Update: And on this subject (and when it comes to "Death Wish" Republicans), I give you this...

Kansas @GOP legislators votes to spread death.

They revoked Gov. Kelly’s order limiting church gathering size, a scientifically sound way to save lives by blunting spread of the virus.#idiots #PureEvilhttps://t.co/RP0zw2IfPK

— David Cay Johnston (@DavidCayJ) April 9, 2020

...and...

What’s Trump planning to run on in 2020? No wall. Stock market lower than when he took office. No accomplishments. Oh wait - 100,000-200,000 Americans dying is very good he says. https://t.co/m0LoXsjnlY

— Amy Siskind 🏳️‍🌈 (@Amy_Siskind) April 9, 2020

…and Bernie officially drops out...more here – I’m sure that idiot Whoopi Goldberg will be happy now; Bernie was the “good soldier” in 2016 for HRC, and he’s pledged to be that for Biden now, and I have no reason whatsoever to doubt him on that (good point to keep pushing for platform changes – the struggle goes on)…



…and David Pakman presents us with an example of a religious leader acting commendably in response to ramblings from Laura Ingraham…I’m not even sure what the hell her question was, but the elitism oozed out of every word – so the “working class” needs religion more than she does? We’re all going to be judged one day, and you’d better believe that that applies to her too (and Pakman is absolutely right about Father Murray...and I love the way Fix Noise always seems to have at least one nodding head along with one of their idiot hosts to try and drum home their narratives to "the rabble" - a related item is here)…



…and since I don’t have the other Pakman clip of religiosity gone bad, I present this from Kyle K. (about a dozen states exempt religious gatherings from “shelter in place” restrictions, stupidly enough…I like to think that I’m at least a hallway-decent practicing Catholic, and I have to tell you that the woman interviewed in the car is nuts)…



…and Robert Reich tells us about CEOs claiming to be heroes – yeah, right…



…and in my quest to find some news that is actually good, I came across this item concerning a high school teacher in Union, NJ connecting virtually with his students (and parents also – kudos)…



...and no, I never intend to let Our Treasonous, Tiny-Handed Orange Dictator Wannabe forget about this (more here)...



...and with all of this insanity raging, I have to admit that certain tunes have been running around in my head more than usual, including this one.

Tuesday Stuff

So many reasons to totally disregard a single syllable oozing from the mouth of this foul, venomous, lying orange meat sack, as Brian Tyler Cohen tells us, this time pertaining to the utter rout of anything approximating Democracy the “party of Lincoln” is waging in Wisconsin (more here)…



…and Ana and Cenk tell us about the blowup between Trump flunky Peter Navarro and Dr. Anthony Fauci over the alleged COVID-19 miracle drug (and in a related story, this of course isn’t surprising at all)…



…and Farron Cousins tells us about businesses trying to figure out how to get their 2020 “stim”…looking like individuals won’t get anything until the fall also (and yeah, that’s about what we can expect when Steve Mnuchin…”half” of small businesses in this country? Dear God)…



...and goddammit, I thought he was going to make it (here).

Monday Stuff (updates)

One blessed day, when we’ve emerged from the utter misery of all of this as best as we can and provided as much care and support as we could, and the moment comes to look back at how this catastrophe happened, this clip from Rachel Maddow should be preserved for all eternity as a chronicle of infamy, you might say (oh, and there's this too)…



Update 4/7/20: 45 should be arrested right f*cking now for this.

…and by extension, this also applies to the Gropenfuhrer’s acolytes, with Wilbur Ross basically saying that coronavirus would be “good for bidness” – and yeah, Kayleigh McEnany is truly that much of a foul, disgusting harpie…



Update 4/7/20: As Cenk would say (about McEnany), "OF COUUURRRSE!" (here).

…though of course, there’s always reason to destroy more environmental regulations and get more horrible judges confirmed, as noted here (John I. and Brett Erlich of "The Damage Report" tell us more…yep, “The Black Swan moment” all right)……



...and speaking of legal garbage...

Merrick fucking Garland https://t.co/QZGlmlwd21

— Will Bunch Sign Up For My Newsletter (@Will_Bunch) April 6, 2020

Update: These are the five life forms responsible for this travesty from the U.S. Supreme Court:

Now, repeat the following after me:

I just want to make sure that's clearly understood.

Update 4/7/20: Though obviously fraught with danger, this may be the best way to say "F.U." to these lunatics.

Update 4/21/20: No, this is not hyperbole, people (here).

…and Brian Tyler Cohen points out what a good job CA Governor Gavin Newsom is doing in response to the outbreak, and also what an utter tool Devin Nunes truly is…



…and no, I never intend to let that orange sack of shit forget about this (more here)…



...and this probably isn't a good "social distancing" tune, but I like it anyway.

Sunday Stuff (update)

There are time when I just can’t even…

The mainstream media is helping Trump kill us. pic.twitter.com/G3MccVt9ez

— Oliver Willis (@owillis) April 5, 2020

I have to admit, though, that this genuinely makes me wonder how our current corporate media would have reported on various stories throughout history given their current tendency to normalize what, for my money, is insane. And I wonder if it would have gone something like this:

In 1553, Mary Tudor ascended to the throne as Queen of England. In an attempt to reunite her country with Rome and Catholicism (having broken with Rome under her father Henry VIII, who formed the protestant Church of England), she declared the marriage of her parents valid (Henry’s marriage to Mary’s mother Katharine of Aragon was declared invalid, initiating the break from the Catholic Church). Mary’s husband Philip of Spain (also Catholic) persuaded the British Parliament to repeal Henry's religious laws, thus returning the English church to Roman jurisdiction.

Reaching an agreement to reinstitute the Catholic Church in England with Rome took many months and Mary and Pope Julius III had to make a major concession: the British monastery lands confiscated under Henry were not returned to the church. However, by the end of 1554, an agreement with Rome was finalized, and, adopting a new tone, Mary revived the Heresy Acts, in which numerous Protestants were executed, including Thomas Cranmer, the imprisoned archbishop of Canterbury under Henry.

The absence of a strong national government in 1932 Germany prompted two influential politicians, Franz von Papen and Alfred Hugenberg, along with several other industrialists and businessmen, to write a letter to German president Paul von Hindenburg. The signers urged Hindenburg to appoint Adolf Hitler as leader of a government "independent from parliamentary parties," which could turn into a movement that would "enrapture millions of people." Hitler ran against Hindenburg in that year’s presidential elections, and though Hitler lost, he emerged as chancellor after two further parliamentary elections—in July and November 1932—had not resulted in the formation of a majority government.

On 27 February 1933, the Reichstag building (home of the German parliament) was set on fire, possibly by members of Hitler’s National Socialist (or Nazi) Party. Adopting a new tone, at Hitler's urging, Hindenburg responded with the Reichstag Fire Decree of 28 February, which suspended basic rights and allowed detention without trial. The decree was permitted under Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution, which gave the president the power to take emergency measures to protect public safety and order. Activities of the German Communist Party (KPD) were suppressed, and some 4,000 KPD members were arrested (and yes, somehow I think we remember what happened in the years that followed, right?)

After the end of World War II, the U.S. continued their military assistance to Chinese nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek and his Kuomintang (or KMT) government forces against the People's Liberation Army (PLA) led by Mao Zedong during the civil war. Likewise, the Soviet Union gave quasi-covert support to Mao by their occupation of north east China, which allowed the PLA to move in en masse and take large supplies of arms left by the Japanese's Kwantung Army. To enhance the Red Army's military operations, Mao, as the Chairman of the Communist Party of China, named his close associate General Zhu De to be its Commander-in-Chief.

Adopting a new tone in 1948, under direct orders from Mao, the People's Liberation Army starved out the Kuomintang forces occupying the city of Changchun. At least 160,000 civilians are believed to have perished during the siege, which lasted from June until October. PLA lieutenant colonel Zhang Zhenglu, who documented the siege in his book “White Snow, Red Blood,” compared it to Hiroshima: "The casualties were about the same. Hiroshima took nine seconds; Changchun took five months." On January 21, 1949, Kuomintang forces suffered great losses in decisive battles against Mao's forces. In the early morning of December 10, 1949, PLA troops laid siege to Chongqing and Chengdu on mainland China, and Chiang Kai-shek fled from the mainland to Formosa (Taiwan).

With all of this in mind, I thought I’d present this as a Sunday meditation, seeing as how we’re not able to attend services (or at least, we shouldn’t be anyway, until we’re over this COVID-19 thing).



Update 7/21/19: This, in response to another nutso, alleged "press briefing" by Our Traitorous Orange Pustule today...

THE NOTE: The president is displaying a new tone and a new level of engagement, after aides and allies have pleaded with him to recognize the gravity of the moment, @rickklein writes. https://t.co/8giw8IfiE3

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) July 21, 2020

1) called it a China virus 2) wished an accused sex trafficker well 3) will not commit to more money for testing. So, New Tone!

— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) July 21, 2020

No questions about the reports of the Russian bounties on our troops in Afghanistan (here).

Currently, we're at about 140,000 dead from COVID-19, the world's worst site of the pandemic (here).

And 22 million jobs were eliminated during the pandemic with some coming back I know, though at this moment, that's threatened by more Repug stalling from #midnightmoscowmitch about additional help for those who need it (here).

Our utterly useless corporate media really never will learn.

Saturday Stuff

I should note that we often check Facebook, though there are times when the pro-Trump BS, even with our latest calamity, gets too ridiculous and we have to shut it off. Well, something we learned is that apparently there are a lot of people wearing surgical latex gloves to pump gas, for example (not a bad idea), and then are discarding the gloves on the ground instead of throwing them in the trash when finished. If you know anyone doing this, please tell them to dispose of the gloves properly in the trash – kind of unbelievable that that needs to be pointed out, I know.

To begin, Cenk and Ana of TYT tell us about Jared Kushner blaming governors for supposedly not knowing how to manage their own PPE and ventilators (cruel and ridiculous for all of the reasons noted – oh, and also, there is this)…



Update: Yeah, I think this says it.

…and the “Morning Joe” crew tell us about that criminal Brian Kemp, who stole his GA gubernatorial election, telling us he didn’t know that asymptomatic people could pass COVID-19…how big an assclown is this guy anyway? And DeSantis in Florida is barely any better – THIS IS EXACTLY WHY YOU NEED A STRONG, COHERENT FEDERAL RESPONSE! And yeah, Willie Geist pretty much made me want to vomit with his praise of the Gropenfuhrer – not the biggest fan of Jim Vandehei either, but he’s exactly right)…



Update: God, is Kemp an idiot (here) - a related post is here.

…and Kyle of Secular Talk tells us of recent reporting by Ken Klippenstein that the military was warned of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2017 (I’m not going to totally absolve Obama on the Covidian thing – maybe they could have kept the bigger company from swallowing the smaller ventilator company…maybe yes, maybe no…but it DEFINITELY isn’t the same thing as “Bin Laden Determined To Strike In The U.S.”)…



…and Dr. Dara Kass is another one of my new heroes for this...



…as is Captain Brett Crozier of the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, as Farron Cousins tells us (here)…



…and kudos once more to Seth Meyers for trying to find humor amidst all of this (and about the My Pillow guy, I give you this - nothing but a sop to the evangelicals)…



...and no, I never intend to let "Adolf Twitler" forget about this (more here)...



Update: I’m sure it doesn’t need to be said, but I’ll say it anyway. For the foreseeable future, however long that is, we need to do all we can to keep as many people well as possible as well as caring for the sick from this pandemic, and attending to those who have died and will die. But one blessed day (maybe far in the future), we will have flattened the curve and start working towards the day when we will have overcome this monster.

And when that day arrives, it will be time to take a long, hard look at exactly how this happened. And I believe that, beyond merely voting people out of office, some people need to go to prison. And stuff like this and this are some of the reasons why.

…and here’s a relatively newer tune with a positive message that I think we all need.

Friday Stuff

I don’t know if Pittsburgh “pastor” Jonathan Shuttlesworth will provide the Kool Aid for his planned “Woodstock-like” service in response to PA’s stay-at-home order b/c of COVID-19, but he may not have to, since the next effect of his incredible stupidity will no doubt be the same (more here)…



Update: Ummm - yeah (here).

…and yeah, let’s not forget the role these culprits have played in this calamity (more here)…



...including this segment with news mannequin Martha MacCallum and Dr. Rishi Desai (more here)...



…and John and Ana tell us that Mango Mussolini is STILL working to shut down enrollment in Obamacare, to say nothing of trying to kill it altogether (and with all due respect to Ana, don’t get me started on ANYONE on “The View” during this epidemic)…



…and this tells us about the nurse who quit her job because she couldn’t get an N95 mask to protect herself (and oh yeah, America – there goes that baaad Bernie Sanders caring about American workers again – gee, when’s he gonna drop out of the presidential race anyway?...another indirect reference to those cackling hens on "The View"...more here)…



…and this tells us what Spain’s health care workers are dealing with – some of this no doubt is our future, and maybe our present too…



...and since it's another day of the week with a "y" in it, it looks like it's time once more for this (more here)...



...and RIP Bill Withers.

Wednesday Stuff

This clip from Brian Tyler Cohen tells us about Mango Mussolini ranting about the Dems trying to make it easier to vote in the pandemic bill (admitting Repugs wouldn’t win if it was easier for Dems to vote…and as usual, Repugs accuse the Dems of the garbage they’re actually practicing themselves, such as noted here (notarized?) and here about putting restrictions on absentee balloting…oh, but at least 45 was number one on Facebook, as noted here, and no, that's not an April Fool's joke – yep, that iceberg is getting bigger by the minute as we rearrange the deck chairs)…



...and since it's another day of the week with a "y" in it, it looks like it's time once more for this (more here)...



...and sticking with the first crime family, Ana and Cenk of TYT tell us that the Kushners aren't going to let some pesky little item like a plague that could potentially kill thousands get in the way of gouging their tenants, being the slumlords that they are...



...and yeah, when all else fails, just "blame the Jews," huh, as "Pastor" Rick Wiles does (Kyle K. tells us all about it, and apparently Wiles has a history of this garbage)...



…and Rachel Maddow interviews New York Times reporter Donald McNeil critiquing the supply chain, or what passes for it, that we have for this crisis (good idea to get the Pentagon in on this - I have issues with Maryland Repug Gov. Larry Hogan, but kudos to him for this)…



…and it’s been so long since we’ve heard words from a responsible adult leader in this country in response to a crisis that I thought I’d present this from “across the pond” (all the best to His Highness, and yes, he wasn’t elected, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t be a leader, which he is as far as I’m concerned)…



…and I was definitely sorry to hear about this…



…but fortunately, this is better news, and this is reason for cautious optimism also.

Monday Stuff

Yes, as David Pakman tells us here, Our Pumpkin Pestilence STILL doesn’t get it when it comes to COVID-19 (and Pakman kind of teases a video at the end about how unprepared we were, and I can just about guarantee you that it has to do with this)…



…and even for Orange Satan in An Oval Office, accusing medical personnel of stealing masks is a disgusting new low even for this piece of shit of a “president,” as Sam Seder tells us…



…of course, if the Gropenfuhrer somehow could muster a particle of humanity or compassion, he’d understand what medical personnel are actually going through, including this ICU nurse…God bless her and everyone who provides the care we need…



…and speaking of someone who’s been though a war, and no doubt is continuing to endure it, I give you this clip of Dr. David Price of Cornell Medical Center…this video is about 57 minutes long, but if you can block out the time to watch it, I definitely recommend it (more important than the other videos in this post)…he tells us how COVID-19 is transmitted and the common-sense steps we can take to protect ourselves and those around us…apparently that numbskull Jesse Watters of Fix Noise featured an abbreviated clip of it, which is positive I guess…



…and The Rational National reminds us that, because of the accompanying recession kick-started by the abject failure of the executive branch of our government, potentially about 3.3 million people in this country now no longer have employer-based health insurance (oh, but just keep pressuring Bernie Sanders to find out when he’s going to drop out and don’t seriously consider Medicare For All, right?).

(“I never think about health care until I need it, and then I get it.” When M4A is reality one blessed day, that should be inscribed everywhere in this country.)

(And as I've said before, movement conservatism in this country was flat on its metaphorical back in 1964, but they organized around a strategy and became dominant. It took them 16 years and the awful election of The Sainted Ronnie R, but they found a way. And it will take that kind of intelligence and determination on our side too.)...



…and because we need a bit of comic relief, I give you this TYT clip of John and Ana talking about the Italian mayors giving it to their countrymen for not practicing social distancing (why the hell are they bleeping in Italian when most of us don't know the language?)…



…and this item is also worth a chuckle...Farron Cousins tells us that, apparently, Judge Jeanine Pirro was hammered in a recent segment…oh, but it was really the teleprompter…riiiiight…



...and happy 75th birthday to the one and only Eric Clapton.

Sunday Stuff

(The pic has to do with this story.)

Brian Tyler Cohen tells us about the Swanson TV Dinner Heir dragging Brit Hume out of his crypt to say that, yes, Hume is apparently prepared to die also in order to revive our economy...and Cohen points out why that is a thoroughly disingenuous argument…



Update 4/4/20: Well said (Boehlert I mean) here.

…and Kyle K. gives us an example of just how great our health care system is, namely, that nurses have to wear trash bags to protect themselves (U-S-A! U-S-A!)…



...and John and Brett Erlich of The Damage Report tell us about AOC calling out U.S. Senate Republicans for their sickening greed, thoroughly beholden to the CEOs who pull their puppet strings, in response to the COVID-19 stimulus bill...



…and since Our Treasonous, Tiny-Handed Orange Dictator in An Oval Office apparently hates this ad so much (here), it looks like it’s time to repeat it…



…and I know I should, at a minimum, say nothing about someone who has died if I can’t say anything good, but I’m going to make an exception in the case of former Oklahoma Repug U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, as noted here (called “Dr. No” for a reason, I should point out).

I’ve been complaining (especially now) about people who profess to hate the federal government being elected to jobs WORKING FOR the federal government, and Coburn might just be Exhibit A in that argument. He NEVER encountered a piece of legislation or some kind of amendment that he couldn’t find fault with, allegedly because he believed it cost too much money. If his objections weren’t financial, then they were ideological, frequently for reasons that were FACTUALLY WRONG as noted in the following clip, having to do with Generalissimo Trump withdrawing this country from the Paris Climate Accord (and as Cenk mentioned, Dubya did the same thing with the Kyoto Protocols). There are lots of other appropriate Coburn anecdotes that you can read from this link (more also from the last bullet here).

There are various reasons to thoroughly despise Tom Coburn. You could argue that, as a medical doctor, he should have had at least a rudimentary understanding of and respect for issues pertaining to science. I mean, you would think that, wouldn’t you?

Here are more reasons to look upon Coburn with nothing but contempt…

He attempted to block a suicide prevention act for our veterans (here).

Coburn also targeted veterans’ disability payments (here).

Coburn also pushed for a so-called “Article V” U.S. Constitutional convention to basically rewrite that document the way he and the one percent have always wanted and throw our government into chaos (the wet dream of Charles Koch and similarly well-heeled scumbags - here).

He also demanded spending cuts at about the same time as his home state was hit by a tornado (here).

He also attempted to shut down the FAA over bike safety funding (or other usages by states of federal funds in a manner Coburn apparently didn't agree with) here.

Coburn also praised Mango Mussolini for his ability to manipulate the press (here).

There is nothing memorable, noteworthy or praiseworthy in the record of alleged accomplishments by Tom Coburn. The only thing to do is to dispose of his earthly remains, and at any future mention of his name, spit in disgust or curse as appropriate, and then move on…



…and I thought this was a peppy little number to listen to as we dance our way to the potential apocalypse.

Friday Stuff

(I saw this message when I was taking my constitutional nearby Le Manse Doomsy, and I thought it bore repeating, particularly in our current context.)

Rachel Maddow interviewed NYU med student Gabrielle Mayer, who, of her class, offered to graduate early in order to help with the COVID-19 pandemic…much gratitude to her and her fellow students who are following her commendable course of action…



…and going from one altruistic extreme completely to the other, John and Ana of TYT tell us about Orange Satan trying to basically reopen the economy by Easter…a typically disgusting and cynical pitch aimed at the “Fundies,” who will no doubt dutifully lap it all up en masse…



…and this Now This clip tells us about our ridiculous sanctions against Iran during COVID-19 making that country’s crisis worse…and I’m sure it’s no surprise that, given that he works for a regime of liars, Pompeo is lying himself in this clip – naive, pin-headed liberal that I am, I cannot help but think to myself that this crisis, calamitous as it is, presents the whole world with an opportunity to work together in some fashion to each other’s benefit to help recover somehow from it and ensure that it never happens again – yes, I know…sunshine, lollipops and rainbows every day…



…and this clip presents Repug U.S. House Rep Thomas Massie in his thoroughly dunderheaded idiocy, questioning former U.S. Senator and Secretary of State John Kerry on the issue of climate change (I’m not saying Kerry shouldn’t be questioned, but only do it like an actual adult) – I know this is history, but given this (Massie trying to hold up the COVID-19 relief bill), it’s safe to say that Massie is giving Louie Gohmert, Steve King, Matt Gaetz and a few others runs for their money as the stupidest individual on Capitol Hill, so say nothing of being the most craven and corrupt (and for sure, Massie made this list - more here)…



…and kudos to Brianna Keilar of CNN for not letting Trumpster Peter Navarro off the hook over the provisioning, or lack thereof, in response to the outbreak, as Brian Tyler Cohen tells us (yeah, blame China and Obama - what a disgusting cabal of frauds and idiots!)…



…and David Doel has quite rightly laid into our thoroughly bought-and-paid-for corporate media over their reporting on the Dem presidential primary, and he’s right, and he can barely contain his disgust again here (Bernie giving it to the U.S. Senate Repugs on Coronavirus relief…yeah, Bernie had better hurry up and drop out, huh…removing my tongue from my cheek)…



...and since it's a day of the week with a "y" in it, it looks like it's time for this video once more (more here)...



...and happy 70th birthday to Tony Banks of Genesis.