Robert Bloch is best known as the author of Psycho. That’s right, the man who gave us Norman Bates. Here are two short story collections for your pulpilicious amusement. Continue reading Pulp Fiction Thursday: Robert Bloch’s Nightmares
Today on How the Gret Stet Turns: the Wingnut Empire Strikes Back. Continue reading Louisiana Politics: Speaking Of Speakers
Lame duck Governor limps around the Gret Stet of Louisiana state and lies about his record. Nobody cares. Continue reading Louisiana Politics: Jindal’s Defeat Tour
I’m a lapsed Star Wars fan. They lost me when the franchise returned. I dutifully went to the last wave of releases and promptly forgot them. That and the whole George Lucas tinkering with the magic of Star Wars and … Continue reading Album Cover Art Wednesday: Christmas In The Stars
It’s rarely this clear-cut. This time? What the publisher of the @sentineltribune did yesterday was despicable. @ONAnews pic.twitter.com/74spheztsS — Sam Melendez (@ForwardFalcon) December 15, 2015 Here’s the column that got her dismissed. It’s a barn-burner completely reasonable, in-no-way-untrue critique of the way the NRA has become a political hit squad: It is time for reasonable gun owners to take back control of the association that supposedly represents them. We as a nation are still mourning one mass shooting when the next occurs. Yet the NRA refuses to discuss any type of gun control, any form of background checks, any type … Continue reading Editor Criticizes NRA, Gets Immediately Shitcanned
Given we can’t even regulate gun ownership properly, I’m not sure this is a realistic goal, but goddamn I’d like some regulation of hunger, too. A. Continue reading Hunger and Poverty Don’t Just Happen
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. Continue reading The Fog Of Historical Pictures: Headline News Edition
Yeah – I know The Darnold has been sucking up all the political air lately, but this just might be the exception to the “No such thing as bad publicity” trope.
It all started with Teddy Cruz breaking ranks:
Ted Cruz: ‘I do not agree’ with Trump’s Muslim moratorium
WashTimes ^ | 12/8/15 | Seth McLaughlin –Posted on 12/8/2015 10:56:22 AM by VinL
GOP presidential contender Ted Cruz said Tuesday that he disagrees with rival Donald J. Trump’s plan to ban Muslims from coming into the United States until the federal government can ensure that those coming into the nation do not pose a threat to the country.
“I do not agree with his proposal,” the Texas senator said at a press conference on Capitol Hill. “I do not think it is the right solution.â€
Mr. Cruz said that some have encouraged him to criticize Mr. Trump, but said he will not to so. Instead, he said he is pushing solutions aimed at putting a three year moratorium on refugees from Syria and Iraq, and giving governors more power to stop refugees from being resettled in their states.
Mr. Trump has tangled with most of the candidates in the GOP field ..with the exception of Mr. Cruz .. though he warned at a rally in South Carolina that he will respond in kind if Mr. Cruz attacks him.
“Instead, he (Cruz) said he is pushing solutions aimed at putting a three year moratorium on refugees from Syria and Iraq, and giving governors more power to stop refugees from being resettled in their states.”
To: VinL
To: Patton@Bastogne.
Donald Trump is correct: America is at WAR with Islam.
Can’t find that country on the map for some reason.
Did we allow German Nazis to enter during WW2 ?
Hell no.
Well, we DID refuse to admit Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis, so there’s that.
Ted Cruz may have just lost Iowa.
4 posted on 12/8/2015 11:00:20 AM by Patton@Bastogne
Poll: Cruz surges ahead of Trump and Carson in Iowa
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has surpassed Donald Trump and Ben Carson in Iowa, a new poll finds, giving the Texas Republican his first lead of the cycle in an early voting state.
Cruz, who has been on a sharp upward trajectory in the polls in recent weeks, takes 24 percent of support in the Hawkeye State, according to a Monmouth University survey released on Monday.
Oops.
To: VinL; Jim Robinson; P-Marlowe
He wants to stop refugees.
He wants to vet refugees.
He thinks profiling is smart.But he wants to let unvetted terrorists into the country so long as they are not from Syria.
Stupid, Ted. Stupid.
31 posted on 12/8/2015 11:11:45 AM by xzins (HAVE YOU DONATED TO THE FREEPATHON? https://secure.freerepublic.com/)
Continue reading “Today on Tommy T’s Obsession with the Freeperati – Seig Hurl edition”
MT @JBowlingJ: #SaveOurLibrary Students at DuSable HS stage a read-in to protest their #SchoolLibrary closing! pic.twitter.com/Gw0gK794Ix — YALSA (@yalsa) December 12, 2015 //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Chicago students fight for their last librarian: At the DuSable Campus, Ms. Sayigh is a calm but buoyant presence who loves and respects her students. She tells me it’s a myth that teenagers don’t read. Hers do, all the time. The first thing you see when you go into her space is a shelf full of student recommendations. She runs a weekly book club. She has a cabinet of books so popular that it’s kept behind the … Continue reading Books are Home #SaveOurLibrary
And Han Solo, Indiana Jones, and my personal favorite, Mike Pomeroy, was perfect of course: In a recent interview with the New York Times, Trump praised Ford’s role as a heroic president in thriller Air Force One – and said that he ‘stood up for America.’ But in an interview with Australia’s Channel 10m, Ford jokingly suggested that Trump was unable to differentiate between films and real life. ‘It’s a movie, Donald. It was a movie’, Ford said in a mock patronising tone. ‘It’s not like this in real life. But how would you know?’ (Yes, I am going to … Continue reading Somebody Asked Harrison Ford What He Thought of Donald Trump
I’ve spent a fair amount of time here at First Draft discussing Nelson Riddle and his work with Sinatra. The great arranger/conductor also worked with Linda Ronstadt during her torch singer phase. This show dates from 1984: Continue reading SMV: Linda Ronstadt & The Nelson Riddle Orchestra Live
It’s been a fine week here at Adrastos World HQ deep in the heart of Uptown New Orleans. On Tuesday night, Dr. A and I saw the Brian Setzer Orchestra’s Christmas Rocks Extravaganza at the Saenger Theatre. I summed it up quite well on the book of faces so why rewrite it?
Self-quotation is increasingly my thing. While we’re on the subject of Brian Setzer, here’s a clever animated video for his new holiday single:
I bet the music sounded familiar. I do, however, miss the dulcet tones of Barney Rubble’s laugh. It’s actually more of a giggle or even a titter. According to Dr. A, I’m a cackler
People have been asking me all week if I watched the Sinatra 100 special on CBS. Hell to the no. While I like the idea of a tribute to the Chairman of the Board, it’s not like having folks sing Beatles songs. Sinatra was an interpretive singer with outstanding taste in material. Some would call him a curator but I won’t because the Frank geist might punch me in the face. Anyway, I’ve lived this long without hearing Celine Dion massacre All The Way. I’d rather hear the real deal:
This is an oddly unusual Odds & Sods post. Typically, we have a theme song but this week’s theme is Happy 100th Birthday to Frank Sinatra and who the hell wants to sing the lame-ass birthday song? A Sinatra-Satchmo duet will have to do:
Speaking of duets, here’s one of Frank’s odder ones with Elvis not long after the latter left the army:
Unlike your humble blogger, Frank disliked rock music so I’ll spare you any clips from his 1993 Duets album. That way we won’t have to see Bono murder I’ve Got You Under My Skin. It makes me feel like punching the wall and I’m not in the mood for pain, even if the forecast calls for it.
More punch drunk blogging after the break. Time to break out the Jack Daniel’s.
Continue reading “Saturday Odds & Sods: Sinatra Centennial Edition”
Claire’s done. This week she had to endure people painting the room in which she’s usually housed, which means for a while she was in the middle of the dining room THE HORROR and for a while she got her exercise only on her leash as there was plastering work going on down the hall too, and then the tiny human, who had been gone while all this was happening, came home and wanted to HOLD CLAIRE and FEED CLAIRE and PET CLAIRE and HER GO ON THE GROUND? and all kinds of undignified nonsense. She thinks she will sleep … Continue reading Friday Ferretblogging: Too Much Excitement Edition
A recent shootout in my hometown area has me confused over the way I’m supposed to view things. Given the large number of shootings that have happened over time, it’s clear that we need some important information before we’re allowed to react to it. The guts of the story is that on Wednesday, a shootout took place in Milwaukee among about four cars along Interstate 43. Only one person was injured, according to news reports, as the people involved engaged in gunplay. At least a dozen shots were fired in the incident and the interstate was closed for several hours, … Continue reading Taking a shot at an unclear incident
The return of the Feline King of Old Metry. Continue reading Friday Guest Catblogging: The Further Misadventures Of Milo
What? No thousand dollar chicken coops? Continue reading Quote Of The Week: Drew Magary Edition
Time to dabble in some deadly pulp magazine covers. Mr. D, apparently, was a busy boy in August, 1935. Now that we’ve dropped the dime on the coffin bride, it’s time to dance with Mr. D: Continue reading Pulp Fiction Thursday: Dancing With Mr. D
Adrastos on Trump’s lack of impulse control. Continue reading Winging It With The Insult Comedian
Dean Martin meets the snow bunnies. Continue reading Album Cover Art Wednesday: A Winter Romance
A few things to note this morning before we begin: Serious guys purge 1000s of Florida voters, battle family end-of-life decisions & hawk a 3rd family invasion of Iraq https://t.co/pp5zwFdiKK — Adam Weinstein (@AdamWeinstein) December 8, 2015 From Tommy’s Monday post: In impolite company I call them “Sand N****rs”. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence: Indiana Gov. Mike Pence says he’s asking a Roman Catholic archdiocese to not bring a Syrian refugee family to the state. Pence met for about an hour Wednesday at his Statehouse office with Indianapolis Archbishop Joseph Tobin amid a dispute over the Republican governor’s order … Continue reading Donald Trump’s Fascism is So Much Ruder Than Yours!
Joe Buck’s foggy history. Continue reading Malaka Of The Week: Joe Buck
Good morning, everyone! Let’s suit up and catch up on the GOP clusterfuck Presidential race clusterfuck, shall we?
First up – Fire The Handicapped!
Donald Trump under fire for mocking disabled reporter
BBC ^ | 4 hours ago, 2015-11-26 | BBCPosted on 11/26/2015 7:41:06 AM by WhiskeyX
Republican presidential contender Donald Trump has been criticised for mocking a disabled New York Times reporter.
Mr Trump performed an impression of Serge Kovaleski, who suffers from a congenital joint condition, at a rally.
He has used a 2001 article by Mr Kovaleski to back up widely disputed claims that “thousands” of Muslims in New Jersey celebrated the 9/11 attacks.
The New York Times called Mr Trump’s actions “outrageous”.
The press has lied, because Trump never said there were thousands or hundreds of Muslims celebrating the destruction of the World Trade Center. He only used an analogy to indicate the term “tailgate” used by the The Washing post reporters signified there were far more than two such Muslim celebrants.
So, Freepers – are you going to let the lamestream media paint The Darnold and his supporters as intolerant bigoted assholes?
To: WhiskeyX
I thought we had this argument in 2000, and 2004, and 2008, and 2012, you solipsistic prick: A Hillary presidency, we believe, would do very little to address wealth inequality, and the situation in the middle and working classes would continue to deteriorate. Republicans would have another villain to turn their base against — maybe even a better villain than Obama, if such a thing is possible — and a means of escaping accountability yet again. Maybe they’d win the next presidential election, and if not, they’d at least stir up enough hatred and backlash to maintain their ironclad grip … Continue reading Shorter Salon: So What About the Dead People, Let’s Concentrate on My Ego
Probably not, to be honest: We also need to make it harder for people to buy powerful assault weapons, like the ones that were used in San Bernardino. I know there are some who reject any gun-safety measures, but the fact is that our intelligence and law-enforcement agencies, no matter how effective they are, cannot identify every would-be mass shooter, whether that individual was motivated by ISIL or some other hateful ideology. What we can do, and must do, is make it harder for them to kill. But but but … OMG STABBINGCRIMES do you want to outlaw all knives! … Continue reading Shorter Obama: Can We All Get Together on Not Selling Terrorists Guns?
Arrivederci, Diaper Dave, Continue reading Diaper Dave’s Last Hurrah
“The beauty of sport, it seems to me, is that it provides a much-needed lift from the rigors of everyday life.” -Al Michaels We all seem to have spent a lot of time talking about what God will and will not fix and how prayer isn’t enough to do much of anything. The term “prayer shaming” has entered our vocabulary, as if it’s a real thing. We also have to find yet another way to bend in our heads what is a “terrorist” and what isn’t. We also have spent too much time figuring out how when some nut … Continue reading Where Prayer Has Been Valid
Dr. A and I are going to see the BSO’s Christmas Rocks Extravaganza in 2 days. We’re really looking forward to it. Here they are live and loud in 1999: Continue reading SMV: Brian Setzer Orchestra Live At Woodstock ’99
The holidays are upon us in New Orleans. That means erratic weather: in the last week we’ve run both the heater and air-conditioner. It makes me want to re-shoot an old feline-centric Python sketch as Confuse A Human. I think Della Street might like that…
It was a harrowing week because of the horrendous slaughter in Southern California. I said all I have to say about it on Thursday. As a matter of fact, Crooks and Liars picked up Still Comfortably Numb. Thanks, y’all. I only wish it hadn’t been necessary to write it but the mass shootings keep on coming. That’s why I’m deliberately keeping it light this week. We’ve had enough blood and guts and bad news to last a lifetime:
The stupid keeps flying at us. My favorite this week was Tailgunner Ted’s insistence that the hairy loon who shot up the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs was a “transgendered leftist activist.” It made no sense whatsoever but it made me wonder if Cruz has read this Vidal classic:
End of obligatory Gore Vidal reference. Let’s move on to this week’s theme song.
It struck me that Second Hand News is a perfect theme song for this feature. All I do is purvey second hand news, make a few jokes, and post some pictures and videos. Second Hand News is a frequent set opener for Fleetwood Mac, and it’s an excellent table setter for their, uh, set.
I just recalled the first time I saw the Buckingham-Nicks version of Fleetwood Mac. It was a 1975 (yeah, I’m old, deal with it) Bill Graham extravaganza at the Oakland Coliseum Stadium. It was dubbed, Day On The Green #3: The British Are Coming. Fleetwood Mac hadn’t quite broken out yet commercially and were fourth billed under Robin Trower, Peter Frampton, and Dave Mason. It was a great show and, oddly enough, Dave Mason later served a brief tour of duty in Fleetwood Mac as the irreplaceable Lindsey Buckingham’s replacement. Speaking of Lindsey, he’s just second hand news, just second hand news, yeaaaah.
We’ll begin with the studio version from Rumours followed by a 2012 live version with a smashing drum intro by the world’s tallest rock star, Mick Fleetwood.
I wonder if Lindsey could still grow the white boy fro he had in the 1970’s? If so, I am deeply envious. It’s possible that I might Go Insane with jealousy:
You didn’t take me literally did you? I would hope not. I am prone to exaggeration, after all. Now that I’ve painted myself into another corner, it’s time for the break.
Kick and Claire have never had much of a relationship, though they had a lot in common: Sleeping most of the day, noisemaking most of the night, creating messes, and expressing profound disinterest in anyone that wasn’t feeding them. You’d think they’d have been soulmates, but mostly they ignored each other. Until recently. Kick has decided Claire should spend her mornings with us in our living room, a wish she expresses by pointing at the cage and yelling “LIVIN’ ROOM” at the top of her tiny lungs until breakfast is over and the ferret is permitted some roaming time, carefully supervised … Continue reading Friday Kick & Claireblogging
Gris Gris is my friend Wendy’s cat. Wendy is known in these precincts as Elspeth Ravenwind. She recently packed up her felines and possessions and moved from Houston to Galveston. Gris Gris was not amused: Continue reading Friday Guest Catblogging: Gris Gris Glares