Month: March 2018

Adrastos, Art, Bigotry, Diary, Film, Fog Of History, Music, New Orleans, Odds & Sods, Political Crack, R.I.P., Race, Sports, Television

Saturday Odds & Sods: Don’t Be Cruel

Peter Adrastos Athas
Two Flags by Jasper Johns.

I suspect you recognize the featured image. I’ve used it many times during government shutdowns; most notably in my epic America Held Hostage series in 2013. It’s nice to have some Jasper Johns flags about the virtual house to plug-in when the GOP next decides to shut the government down. If only they’d shut their fucking mouths…

Easter Sunday and April Fool’s Day coincide this year. I  expect more bunny related hoaxes than resurrection pranks. The pagan spring fertility thing is more palatable than what Easter means to believers. I’m not one but I like holidays to be straightforward. Now that I think of it, I’m surprised that the biblebangers have never banged on about a war on Easter. It’s bound to happen, they’re the whiniest people in the country. It’s probably why they like the Insult Comedian. It can’t be the hair.

This week’s theme song was written by Otis Blackwell in 1956. Don’t Be Cruel was originally the B-Side of Elvis’ Hound Dog 45 before becoming a hit in its own right. We have two versions of the Blackwell song for your listening pleasure. One from Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show, the other from Cheap Trick.

It’s time for Nick Lowe’s variation on the cruelty theme with Cruel To Be Kind on Live From Daryl’s House:

Now that we’ve declared our hostility to cruelty, let’s jump, jive, and wail to the break.

Continue reading “Saturday Odds & Sods: Don’t Be Cruel”

Adrastos, Political Crack, Twitter

Tweets Of The Week: Laura Ingraham Edition

Peter Adrastos Athas

I usually dislike the new-ish twitter feature that places items liked by your followers on your timeline, but there’s an exception to every rule. This exchange landed on my feed courtesy of my buddy Monkeyfister: I think they prefer “Lorons” — Daniel Kibblesmith (@kibblesmith) March 30, 2018 I considered just stealing the jokes, but I didn’t want to shock the Monkeyfister to life. Continue reading Tweets Of The Week: Laura Ingraham Edition

Adrastos, Americans Recaps, Fog Of History, Music, Television

The Americans Thread: When Oleg Met Philip

Peter Adrastos Athas

I was on the fence about recapping the sixth and final season of The Americans. But the minute the episode commenced with Don’t Dream It’s Over, I was hooked, fished in, captured, and dragged off to a safe house.

There’s been a substantial time shift. The show has moved forward three years to 1987. Holy Quantum Leap, Batman. A lot happened during those three years, especially the seismic changes brought about by the last leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev. Everyone on both sides is divided as to how to deal with Gorby including our characters.

The 1987 divide remains resonant in 2018. America is badly divided and it’s partially due to Russia. The victory of the “Russian good guys” was ephemeral. We know where Putin stood at the time and he continues to promote irredentist policies to avenge the demise of the Soviet Union. Spies are back in vogue on the Volga.

Before our spoiler break, let’s squeeze into a Crowded House:

Continue reading “The Americans Thread: When Oleg Met Philip”

Michael F

They Rebooted The Mittbot This Week

mmferry1965

And in rebooting, they set — or maybe just reset — whatever it is that makes Mitt run. On Tuesday, the Utah Daily Herald reported that Romney made clear he’s still the same guy he was back in 2012. When asked to prove his conservative credentials at an event in Provo, he said: I’m also more of a hawk on immigration than even the president. My view was these DACA kids shouldn’t all be allowed to stay in the country legally. But, as always, Mitt’s principles extend only to the direction the wind is blowing…and he’s really going all in … Continue reading They Rebooted The Mittbot This Week

Adrastos, Fog Of History, Fog Of Scandal, Law/Justice, Political Crack, The Darnold

First Draft Potpourri: The Legal Merry-Go-Round

Peter Adrastos Athas

I originally considered giving this post the sub-head, The Legal Docket. But given that it’s partially Trump related, I think Merry-Go-Round is more suitable. Trump’s legal woes do make me dizzy, and when I contemplate Stormy/Stephanie spanking him with a … Continue reading First Draft Potpourri: The Legal Merry-Go-Round

Athenae, Kids Today, So Called Liberal Media8 Comments

Now Activist Kids are Killing Journalism

Allison Hantschel

STOP IT KIDS: Journalism isn’t activism; it’s presenting the facts, honestly and objectively. It’s this mentality that’s killing trust in our profession. https://t.co/32AWo9E7q4 — Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) March 25, 2018 What a tool. Let me list, in order, the things that are killing trust in “our profession:” A 24-hour propaganda network streamed into every doctor’s office in the Midwest telling people that the news is fake and journalists are evil and biased and vaguely terroristic somehow. One of two major political parties spending the past four decades attacking the free press every time some reporter somewhere pointed out that they … Continue reading Now Activist Kids are Killing Journalism

Adrastos, Fog Of Scandal, Law/Justice, Political Crack, Sports, Television, The Darnold, Twitter

Stormy Sunday: An Interesting Anticlimax

Peter Adrastos Athas

The tweeter tube was wild before Anderson Cooper’s interview with Stormy Daniels aired. They were impatient with the Kansas-Duke overtime whereas I was thrilled to watch Coach Buy-A-Vowel suffer after screwing up at the end of regulation by not calling … Continue reading Stormy Sunday: An Interesting Anticlimax

Bigotry, Free Republic, Immoral Values, Tommy T2 Comments

Today on Tommy T’s Obsession with the Freeperati – “Mad Bimmer” edition

Tommy T

Oh, Clouseau can you see…….

Police: “Similarities” indicate link in deadly Austin package explosions (3 bombings so far)
CBS News ^ | Last Updated Mar 12, 2018 1:57 PM EDT | By CRIMESIDER STAFF CBS/AP

Posted on 3/12/2018, 1:10:58 PM by a fool in paradise

First post –

To: a fool in paradise

 

Cowardly, anonymous bomber. Sounds like a moslem.

2 posted on 3/12/2018, 1:14:23 PM by Jack Hammer

Sure it does.
To: Jack Hammer

 

Antifa?

40 posted on 3/12/2018, 1:40:05 PM by RushIsMyTeddyBear (Screw The NFL!!!!!! My family fought for the flag!)

AuntieFa
To: a fool in paradise

 

Any correlation to all that were transported there after Katrina in New Orleans?

41 posted on 3/12/2018, 1:40:13 PM by tina07 (In loving memory of my father,WWII Vet. CBI 10/16/42-12/17/45, d. 11/1/85)

I knowed it! It wuz one of them black mooslimes!!
To: Theophilus

 

psychopath = queer

34 posted on 3/23/2018, 6:40:57 AM by Thibodeaux (Long Live the Republic!)

I knowed it! It wuz one of them queer black mooslimes!!
To: tbw2

 

No, I don’t think so. I wouldn’t be surprised if this had something to do with the Black Muslim group that is active in that area. Don’t forget that Malcom X was killed by one of his own, and the group has been famous for dealing harshly with members who either try to get out or simply aren’t on the side of the head honcho of the moment.

The first man killed was wearing a suit and tie that looked a lot like what Black Muslims wear.

So I’d say – cherchez l’islam. Granted, Black Muslims are sort of an offshoot and are tolerated by “real” Muslims only because they are sort of reinforcements against the West and Christians and Jews. But they are very hard on members and expect total devotion and will punish if there’s any deviation.

On the other hand, it could be just your average mad bomber. But I think there’s probably a common thread between the victims that will lead to the killer.

62 posted on 3/12/2018, 5:23:33 PM by livius

And then they find out that he was a white home-schooled Christian.
Click on the thingy for more….
.

Continue reading “Today on Tommy T’s Obsession with the Freeperati – “Mad Bimmer” edition”

Athenae, So Called Liberal Media

All About That Platform

Allison Hantschel

This, about Netflix: 1/ There’s a false narrative about Netflix that claims the company is “here” because content owners allowed them to (i.e. by selling their content for a quick buck + by undervaluing this content) and in doing so, also allowed Netflix to compete in OTT video relatively uncontested — Matthew Ball (@ballmatthew) March 13, 2018 reminded me of the entire OMG FACEBOOK STOLE OUR JOURNALISM AND WON’T PAY US clusterfuck which directly followed the OMG BLOGGERS STOLE OUR JOURNALISM AND WON’T PAY US clusterfuck, which followed the very very old OMG CRAIGSLIST STOLE OUR CLASSIFIED ADS AND WON’T … Continue reading All About That Platform

Athenae, Big Damn Heroes, Do Something, Guns, Kids Today3 Comments

Rise Up

Allison Hantschel

We forget, all the time, what we’re capable of. An emotional Emma González (@Emma4Change) concluded the #MarchForOurLives by standing in silence for 6 minutes and 20 seconds, the amount of time it took a gunman to kill 17 of her classmates at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. https://t.co/ZmVma1l4WI — Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) March 24, 2018 How often, how many times a day, do we tell ourselves won’t, can’t, doesn’t? How many times do we say inevitable, impossible, never? And then a girl stands in front of the whole world and she shakes their windows and she rattles their walls. Do … Continue reading Rise Up

Adrastos, Art, Comedy, Diary, Film, Fog Of History, Gret Stet Politics, New Orleans, Odds & Sods, Political Crack, Television3 Comments

Saturday Odds & Sods: Caravan

Peter Adrastos Athas
The Egg by Tarsila do Amaral.

We suffered from weather whiplash in New Orleans this week. It was 84 degrees on Monday within 36 hours the temperature had dropped 40 degrees. My, my, my.

It’s election day in next door Jefferson Parish where they’re about to elect a new Sheriff. Long-time incumbent Newell Normand resigned last summer to become a talk radio big mouth. I don’t get talk radio: the idea of listening to anyone bloviate for three hours does not float my boat. It might even sink it.

The one certainty of the race is that a Republican with an Italian name will be elected. Interim Sheriff Joe Lopinto was anointed by Normand who, in turn, was anointed by the late Harry Lee. His opponent, John Fortunato, was the department spokescop for many years. He’s best known for bringing Steven Seagal and his crappy reality cop show, Lawman, to Jefferson Parish.

If Lopinto wins, it may be down to an error made on live teevee by Fortunato. He said that he’d support pervy parish President Mike Yenni about whom I’ve written in this space. Oopsie. He changed his mind but the damage was done. This ad tying the unfortunate Fortunato to Yenni has been running constantly this week:

It’s a powerful job and Lopinto has momentum as the campaign winds down. Winning the election could be a guarantee of lifelong employment: Lopinto is only the fourth Sheriff since 1964.

Welcome to Disambiguation City with this week’s theme song. (It’s not far from Sufragette City. Wham, bam, thank you m’am.) We have three different songs titled Caravan for your listening pleasure. I give you in chronological order: Duke Ellington, Van Morrison with The Band, and Todd Rundgren and Utopia.

Now that we’ve ridden across Eastern Europe with a Romany/Gypsy caravan, it’s time to jump to the break. Happy landings.

Continue reading “Saturday Odds & Sods: Caravan”

Adrastos, Film, Fog Of History, Law/Justice, Political Crack, Stupid Republican Tricks, Television, The Darnold, Twitter2 Comments

When Scandals Collide

Peter Adrastos Athas

I’ve considered starting a regular feature: the scandal of the week. The problem with that notion is that it’s more like the scandal of the day, hour, or second. There are so many Trump administration* scandals, that my head is spinning like Linda Blair’s in The Exorcist: We’ll skip the projectile vomiting GIF even though Team Trump makes me wanna hurl. One of the funnier minor scandals is brain-dead retired brain surgeon Dr. Ben Carson’s $31K table at HUD. He’s acting like a character in a sitcom and blaming his wife. You cannot make this shit up, y’all. This tweet … Continue reading When Scandals Collide

Athenae, So Called Liberal Media

Ferro, Tronc, Journalism and Money

Allison Hantschel

This guy is a boring, gross asshole who is getting paid MILLIONS OF DOLLARS while laying off journalists, please talk to me some more about how I don’t value news:  Both women say they were drawn to these late night meetings by the promise of financial reward—further investment and connections for Minshew; a potential partnership and possibly even a lucrative job for Kappler. After these encounters, both described being frightened and taken by surprise, as well as fearing that their business ventures were in jeopardy. Minshew and Kappler, who are now speaking about their experiences on the record for the … Continue reading Ferro, Tronc, Journalism and Money

Athenae, So Called Liberal Media1 Comment

Who’s Not Extremely Online

Allison Hantschel

Let’s keep having hearings about Facebook and Twitter as if those are what motivated 79-year-olds in Michigan and Indiana to vote for Trump:  As was true in previous Pew Research Center surveys of social media use, there are substantial differences in social media use by age. Some 88% of 18- to 29-year-olds indicate that they use any form of social media. That share falls to 78% among those ages 30 to 49, to 64% among those ages 50 to 64 and to 37% among Americans 65 and older. Despite the best efforts of publishing companies to completely bow down to … Continue reading Who’s Not Extremely Online

Congress, Elections, Free Republic, Tommy T

Today on Tommy T’s Obsession with the Freeperati – “And the loons shall lie down with the Lamb” edition

Tommy T

 

Okay people – coffee break’s over – back on your heads!

One subject for today’s Obsession – Pennsylvania special election live thread!

Lamb vs. Saccone Special Election PA18
NY Times ^ | March 13, 2018

Posted on 3/13/2018, 7:16:01 PM by Pinkbell

A thread to discuss the results.

I feel like Lamb has a lot of momentum, has run as a moderate, and has run a better campaign. I’ll predict he’ll win tonight (although I’d like to see Saccone win).

NYT does a good job with election results.

1 posted on 3/13/2018, 7:16:02 PM by Pinkbell
Oh, DO they, now? So the “New York Slimes” is always full of fake news, but suddenly they’re the go-to for factual election results?

To: Pinkbell

The republicans would have had more excitement excrement if they ran a head of cabbage.

FIFY.

How can these clowns lose a state like Alabama? They’re going to give it all back to the commies if they don’t get their act together.

I thought you Freepers loved you some commies?  Or is that just since 2016?

RNC Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel needs to go home if they cannot do better than this.

10 posted on 3/13/2018, 7:21:54 PM by boycott

I wonder how long it’s going to be before the other Freepers strap on their blamethrowers?
To: boycott

 

The republicans do not want the majority because they cannot justify what they are doing, tax cuts aside.

12 posted on 3/13/2018, 7:24:39 PM by Lagmeister ( false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders Mark 13:22)

BlameThrower
 .
Twelve posts in – that has to be some kind of record.
 .
To: VeniVidiVici

 

Marine officer and democrat…

Two terms that just don’t seem to right in the same sentence.

20 posted on 3/13/2018, 7:30:44 PM by NFHale (The Second Amendment – By Any Means Necessary.)

Nice try, wannabe. I’ve got a Marine friend named Dan who could cut you into pieces small enough to hide, and he’s as liberal as they come.
To: NutsOnYew

 

God…yet another potentially close race with a LOSERTARIAN also on the ballot. I wonder if Soros is back-channel supporting these idiots?

23 posted on 3/13/2018, 7:33:01 PM by House Atreides (BOYCOTT the NFL, its products and players 100% – PERMANENTLY)

BlameThrowerDiagram
And then –
To: Pinkbell

 

Saccone takes the lead by 14 votes!

woohoo it’s in the bag!

27 posted on 3/13/2018, 7:35:26 PM by JPJones (More tariffs, less income tax.)

You a fonny boy.
More below the “Read Roy Moore” link…
.

Continue reading “Today on Tommy T’s Obsession with the Freeperati – “And the loons shall lie down with the Lamb” edition”

Athenae, Guns8 Comments

We Understand Gun Gulture Just Fine

Allison Hantschel

This shit again:  KNOXVILLE, Iowa — As Democrats have fled rural America — or rural America has fled Democrats — many of them, living in cities, are left without an understanding of rural culture and its core values. If it isn’t on abortion, our deepest cultural divide might be on guns. The guns issue also has a profound political dimension, reliably driving rural Americans into Republican arms. You know, Democrats in cities understand gun culture just fine. Here, let me explain it to you: There are hunters who like to hunt. There are hobby shooters who go to ranges. And … Continue reading We Understand Gun Gulture Just Fine

Uncategorized

Not Everything Sucks: Writing Edition

Allison Hantschel

People are good and kind:  “I just found my happy writing place in a Tires Tires Tires waiting room and decided to tell people about it,” Amy said. “With all the sad stories in the news, the thousands of things that get us down in life, sometimes, you just need to open up Facebook and have a laugh at a weird author appreciating the little things in life.” A. Continue reading Not Everything Sucks: Writing Edition

Adrastos, Art, Diary, Film, Fog Of History, Food and Drink, Music, New Orleans, Odds & Sods, R.I.P., Sports, Television1 Comment

Saturday Odds & Sods: The Irish Rover

Peter Adrastos Athas
High Spring Tide by Jack Butler Yeats.

The Irish Channel Saint Patrick’s Day parade is on the day itself this year. I’m not sure if this will increase drunken revelry but I plan to do some day drinking. Dr. A and I have been going to our friends Greg and Christy’s open house for the last 11 or 12 years. It’s hard to be precise since whiskey and beer are involved. Whiskey, of course, is the devil.

The big local news is the death of New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson at the age of 90. The local media has done some cringeworthy coverage of this gruff car dealer whose demeanor and voice reminded me of Archie Bunker. The hagiography is a bit much given Benson’s attempt to move the Saints to his *other* hometown of San Antonio as the region reeled from the Katrina and the Federal Flood. He sent his image to rehab with donations to charity, the Super Bowl win didn’t hurt either. He was also a supporter of the GOP and other dubious conservative rich guy causes. As Archie would surely say at this point, goodnight nurse.

This week’s featured image is by the Irish painter Jack Butler Yeats. And, yes, he was related to the poet William Butler Yeats: he was his kid brother. I’m uncertain as to whether he was a pesky one. It would be poetic justice if he were…

Our theme song is a traditional Irish folk song. The Pogues and the Dubliners recorded The Irish Rover together in 1987. It was a hit in Ireland and the UK.

Now that we’ve taken a trip on a ill-fated ship, let’s jump to the break and hope we land in a lifeboat.

Continue reading “Saturday Odds & Sods: The Irish Rover”