(Belated) Holiday Wishes for the Politically Inclined

As one of his final acts, I wish Barack Obama would tells people to breathe so that that way a particular segment of our society will compulsively stop doing so.

Happy Holidays! 😊

Da Mic Drop: Austin "Teebore" Gorton

Da Mic Drop is a regular segment, where we look at people who make such a pointed "standing-ovation-worthy" commentary in regards to a person or issue that it has to be highlighted. 

Kinda sad (and yet oddly appropriate, on this political climate) that some of the most insightful commentary on Trump's election to presidency is from a comic-book site. And yet Austin "Teebore" Gorton, proprietor of the perpetually entertaining Gentlemen of Leisure has taking a break from recapping 90s X-Men comic (one of the few things almost as horrifying as a Trump administration) has delivered an epic post on the feeling of despair that gripped many people after the election results came in It's all a good read, but the end is especially powerful:

America just told all those people, my wife, my son, the planet itself, that it doesn't value them, it doesn't like them, it doesn't care what happens to them so long as they can feel safe and pretend new jobs are going to magically appear out of nowhere and go about their lives like it's still 1950 without anything anything even slightly outside their definition of "normal" coming along to shatter that illusion. 
Yesterday, I went to my polling place and exercised my constitutional right to vote, an act which has always made me feel immensely proud to be an American. 
Tomorrow, I will try to take heart in the fact that those of who didn't give in to fear and hatred yesterday are strong, and technically more numerous than those who did. That the majority of us are fundamentally good people, and that even the good can occasionally fall, that the better angels of their nature can be, momentarily, overwhelmed by their fear or ignorance, and that they'll eventually see the error in aligning themselves with the truly evil, those who legitimately believe the hatred and bile routinely spouted by our new president. 
I will try to believe that we will pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off, and continue to fight the good fight, continue to do good, no matter how much harder it is now, no matter how many obstacles are put in our way, for as long as we have a planet to fight on. 
Because doing good is the right thing to do. But today...Today, I have never been more ashamed to be an American. (emphasis mine)

Exactly.

Actually that whole thread is a must read. As many of the comments are just as profound. Particularly fantastic is this retort from regular poster "Jason" regarding the constant contrarian-scold concern-trolling excuse-making for Trump supporters calling voting  against their best interests some kind of "political revolution":

People are tired of the guys who spout fucked-up and incoherent messages, so they voted for Trump.
That makes sense. I myself am tired of this persistent,pesky cough I've got so I voted for the bubonic plague.

(Applause)

Indeed, this will now be my go-to response to the 5,987,654 such hand-wringing articles that pop up about how we need to treat such attitudes as "sincere political reform" and not the illogical, destructive behavior it is. But we sure showed that ol' cough a thing or two, eh? (Hack, wheeze, ack!)

In a related note I gave a response that noticed an unflattering link between the characters featured in the books Teebore usually reviews and the regrettably  frequent "characters" that enabled this idiot to rise to leader of our country (Warning: Chromium Age nerd culture alert) :

In a bizarre case of ironic timing, this site has recently covered the beginning of the "Iceman's bigoted dad" subplot in Uncanny X-Men #289. And we are currently only a few issues away from Graydon Creed's appearance in #299. The funny thing is that when both of these people appeared, at the time they were being derided for being too exaggerated and over-the-top with their prejudice to be believable. Before this year, that was an assessment I would have agreed with. Now though...

There seems to be an effort on too many voters to reduce themselves to caricature, to find "identity" in conforming to the most outlandish stereotype. That's just sad, people! (especially when you end up less nuanced than 90s X-books.)

Why Hillary Clinton the country lost (part 100,000 apparently)

Don't let the numerous fumbles of the political bench-warmers doing their post-election "armchair quarterbacking" fool you. I have the true deep analysis on where Hilary Clinton went wrong and the horribly offensive stratagems her team utilized. Here is the real reason she lost:

Her campaign overestimated the decency and common sense of a huge swatch of Americans. HOW DARE SHE?!?

(Ok I know I'm suppose to try to cynically exploit the chaos in order to promote a narrative through tenuous links of specious reasoning. But this is just the  TL:DR version of what those guys...often inadvertently...end up saying anyway. Albeit with a bit more inexplicably smug gloating, like "How condescending to have faith in the sensible decision-making skills of the public. Loser!")

Da Mic Drop: Calvin (?!?)

Da Mic Drop is a regular segment, where we look at people who make such a pointed "standing-ovation-worthy" commentary in regards to a person or issue that it has to be highlighted. 

And yet another segment of the "VOTE  DAMMIT " feature as we enter the home stretch of the 2016 elections. I don't think anyone has captured the political id of the nation's consciousness like cartoonist (and inadvertent) political prophet) Bill Watterson. An example of that is his most famous creations Calvin from "Calvin and Hobbes" explaining his position as the president supreme-dictator-for-life of the "Voter Apathy Party" with the appropriate amount of maturity and thoughtfulness that only a bratty self-absorbed 6 year-old can muster!

Update (11-12-2016): Obviously, we decided to spend the next four years "blaming things than fixing them" (To be fair it is a lot more "fun")

The 2+2=7 Presidential Cliff-Notes

Another part of the "VOTE, DAMMIT!" segment

There has been some (often willfully-induced) confusion on what we are choosing when we elect a president. So as we settle into the madness of election day, here's a quick reminder.

One of the problems with civic misunderstanding is that few people seem to realize that they are voting for a president, and not a king, an emperor or (god help us) a wizard. The president certainly has power (and as a "leader" he can certainly influence the direction of a country), but only so much (and if that's what you want, then there are some nice dictatorships a few countries to your right.)"

So no one in higher office is "controlling your destiny" unless you secretly want them to. Indeed since they depend on citizens for "job evaluation" WE actually control their destiny (if only Americans didn't worship authoritarianism too much to proper utilize that simple fact)

Cynical Proverbs 11:8

This is a special edition of Cynical Proverbs today, folks (so I'll make sure to cover it in a polybagged holographic die-cut chromium cover and charge an additional $3.50 for process.) Not only is this "special" because it's  a election-themed segment, but the formula here is going to be tweaked a little bit. Instead of tackling optimism cliches and self-righteous platitudes with my trademark sardonic wit, I'm going to tackle a bit of electoral cynicism  (an "anti-platitude" if you will and one that can ironically enough be just as self-righteous and cliched)

"Voting is pointless"*

The same could be said for getting out the virtual corkscrew to pop open a bottle of vintage Internet whine (this years vintage has been made from particular ripe sour grapes), and yet people seems more than willing to engage in that.


*Any other phrasing of this facile sentiment is also acceptable.

Da Mic Drop: Zianna Oliphant

Da Mic Drop is a regular segment, where we look at people who make such a pointed "standing-ovation-worthy" commentary in regards to a person or issue that it has to be highlighted. 

Baring few exceptions, I have made it a policy not to comment too much on the almost weekly occurrences and incidents ( it's like there's a quota they are trying to surpass or something) of police brutality and abuses toward black folk. This has happened with such alarming frequency that it's almost overwhelming trying to match which victim to which police shooting without it all becoming a total blur.  Not to mention that most of what I said about this problem in 2015 still applies here. There isn't anything more I could even say at this point.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) a bright, articulate, emotionally-distraught  9 year old, named Zianna Oliphant has said it for us at city council meeting in Charlotte after Unwarranted Police Shooting #9876 (The Keith Scott incident, I think. Again, these events are starting to blur into one long continuous assault on black people) because we have gotten to the point in our nation where we need a tear-stained child to tell society the blatantly obvious:

"I come here today to talk about how I feel, and I feel like we are treated differently than other people, and I don’t like how we are treated just because of our color and it doesn’t mean anything to me.

I believe that we are black people and we shouldn’t have to feel like this. We shouldn’t have to protest because y’all are treating us wrong. We do this because we need to and have rights.

I’ve been born and raised in Charlotte and I never felt this way until now. And I can’t stand how we’re treated. It’s a shame that our fathers and mothers are killed, and we can’t even see them anymore. It’s a shame that we have to go to the graveyard and bury them.

And we have tears, and we shouldn’t have tears.

We need our fathers and mothers to be by our side."

 Damn right, we "shouldn't have tears." And because this young lady is wise beyond her years (and certainly wiser that many adults, that's for sure) here is little Zianna again, explaining why she went up and gave her speech:

Cynical Proverbs 10:8

You can lead a horse to water, but you cant make him drink.

Especially when the trough is located in Flint, Michigan.

Debate questions I would like to see

Here are some essential debate questions I would like asked of all the participants. Indeed, if these questions were asked I would even encourage invitations extended to two-bit presidential sloppy seconds like Jill Stien and Gary Johnson (The "Everybody-Gets-a-Trophy-Day Participation Award" of election candidates):

1) What steps would you take to enact your various proposals and ensured that they are passed?

2) How would you overcome potential opposition to your proposals? Would you consider making compromises to your policies in order to get it passed or will you be content to let it fail?

But yeah more question about actually getting shit into workable order and less rhetoric please. It's getting down to the wire.

Cynical Proverbs 9:24

"The sun will come out tommorow"

Unless you live in Northern Finland....

Cynical Proverbs 9:03

If you lie down with dogs, you'll to get up with fleas

Of course it seems more prudent of us to simply give that mangy ol' dog a bath (or alternatively to go get the dog "fixed") 😆

Da Mic Drop: IknowRIGHT (with a special guest appearance by...)

Da Mic Drop is a regular segment, where we look at people who make such a pointed "standing-ovation-worthy" commentary in regards to a person or issue that it has to be highlighted. 

I might say more about the Colin Kaepernick flag "non-troversy" (what? But I thought we were still supposed to be "scandalized" by Anthony's weiner?) But because this accusation always comes up whenever  someone is not properly wrapping themselves in the flag I thought it might be helpful to have a refresher course on how "Patriotism" actually works, courtesy of this post by Wonkette message board contributor, "IknowRIGHT" (hey look at him and/or her live up to his/her name!):

Things that make you patriotic.
1. Being kind to each other
2. Respecting others beliefs or non beliefs
3. Helping each other
4. Loving each other
5. Supporting troops both during AND AFTER the war.
6. Paying your damn taxes. You want the benefits of living here, You have to pay up. I'm told life isn't fair, we're told that frequently so why should it "be fair" how much you pay in taxes? Luke 12:48 "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." You want to say we are a Christian nation, then start acting like it.

Things that DON'T make you patriotic
1. Flag Pins on your lapel when running for office
2. Saying you support the troops, but cut funding for their food stamps housing, education funds, mental & health services after coming home from war.
3. Being a Christian.
4. Putting your hand on your heart during the national anthem
5. Standing during the national anthem.
6. Reciting the pledge of allegiance
7. Being white
8. Being a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Green Party, Hippy, Trump Supporter or what ever, no one party owns the rights to patriotism.
9. Draping yourself in the flag.
10. Telling others what they say is Anti American because YOU don't agree with it.
11. Thinking the Constitution begins and ends with the 2nd Amendment, and for forgetting that the 2nd Amendment STARTS "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,"
12. Saying immigrants aren't welcome. Unless you are a Native American you come from Immigrants too.

Edited to Add (9-3-2016): With many schools suffering budget crisis,  it's apparently up to two-bit bloggers and hapless comment sections to play substitute Civics class teacher. So class (Bobby, stop throwing spitballs at Sarah and pay attention!) let's have guest lecturer poboy7 school you on how those gosh darn "rights" work in regards to Kaepernick:

Let's get some things straight.
Colin Kaepernick is an American citizen.
He has Constitutional rights.
He has rights Jefferson referred to as "natural born rights."
He is not a second class citizen, no matter if you agree with and disagree with his stance.
He does not need for you to give him permission.
He does not need for you to tell him it's okay.
He has every right to give his opinion about this or any other issue he wants to.
Just because he signed a labor contract does not mean he loses any of his Constitutional rights, including the rights to free speech.
That labor contract bought his services not him, because he is not a slave.
Buying his labor does not prevent him from exercising his Constitutional or human rights.
If you do not agree with any of these, I have one question for you.
What country do you think you live in?
Here in this country, the land of the free and home of the brave, we have Constitutional rights that can not be infringed.
Who disagrees with this?

That guest speaker is so clumsy, doing an epic mic drop right in the middle of the lecture.

Da Mic Drop: Special Wiener Edition (No need to snap a pic of that "mic" there, Weiner)

Da Mic Drop is a regular segment, where we look at people who make such a pointed "standing-ovation-worthy" commentary in regards to a person or issue that it has to be highlighted. 

This is just a quick summation of my thoughts on the Anthony Weiner "scandal" (basically a "E!" story that desperate columnist are trying to dress in political cosplay so they can utilize their "Trump University Relationship Counselor" degrees and tisk-tisk in self-aggrandizing affectations about personal issues that are not really any if their business.)

This is a stupid non-issue so it's fitting that I went to Twitter (the usual breeding ground for stupidity about non-issue) for reflection. However, a few people actually made some salient points about the appropriate responses to this story.

First there's Glenn Greenwald, a frequent critic of the media's hyperventilating salivation over sensationalism while ignoring substantial claims that actually affect the public (for instance, he offers a very meaningful reflection over the Ashley Madison leak a year ago. Check it out, it's a pretty thoughtful analysis):

Glenn Greenwald–Verified account ‏@ggreenwald

This is revolting. A big reason people like to talk about sex scandals is they enable self-glorifying moralizing... https://twitter.com/robinmarty/status/770319229736226816 …

12:51 PM - 29 Aug 2016

–Verified a 

And then, weighing in for a two-fer is Nerd God/Shark Jumper hybrid, Wil Wheton who (in the same Glenn Greenwald thread oddly enough, like who knew he was even a follower?) chewed on this tidbit:

Wil Wheaton–Verified account ‏@wilw

@ggreenwald I feel like I missed something. Dad sends explicit text messages to another adult. How is that a dangerous situation for child?

12:59 PM - 29 Aug 2016

Also, because the only thing that turns our dull-witted on more on that breathless sweet nothings of sex scandal tabloid speculation is "Both Sides Do It" foreplay, here's Wil getting a jump on diffusing this little piece of logical fallacy:

10h10 hours ago

Wil Wheaton ‏@wilw

Trump: *hires racist to run campaign* Clinton: *aide is married to a dirtbag* Media: EQUIVALENT CONTROVERSY ON BOTH CAMPAIGN'S STAFF!

I also can't forget the wise words of this nation's most...let's say "appropriate" philosopher (from the fervent mind of someone who has done as much media criticism as Glenn Greenwald). So take it away,  America's brattiest six-year old (no, not Trump):

Of course this is about vaguely Beltway-adjacent people (he's a former congressman and his wife is working on Hilary Clinton's campaign) so the press can pretend that this is Different and Important,  but honestly, this piece of sensationalism has all the colossal relevance of finding out that omg! you guys, Hank Baskett totally cheated on that Kendra chick with that T-girl she is like so scandalized and we got to see every angst-plagued rendering of their mega-confrontation  (and if you're wondering what does that info has to do with anything going on, then you've already gotten the point.)

Oh and My grand take? As I said on another message board:

"Who cares?"

And even by "prurient interest" standards, this is a boring old rerun. Not enough investment for the the public at large to grab the Pearls of the Titillated Busybody for which they may clutch in Scandalized Outrage.

Cynical Proverbs 8:14: Special Riverdale Edition

"All men are created equal"

"It's just that somen men are more equal than others" --Veronica Lodge ("And stop saying that I bastardized that quote from Animal Farm. My servants doing research assured me that it was an original idea I came up with all on my own! Besides it's so hard the think up sayings when you have to worry about whether Archie asked that bitch Betty out on the same day as you like he did 5,000 other times. Let's see George Orwell deal with important issues like that! And where the hell is the chauffeur with my Lamborghini...")

A Very Special Episode of 2+2=7...

In which Stephanie Tanner learns all about meth...the hard way.

Seriously the PSA is all about my "favorite" subject: Police brutality. See what with those nifty newfangled recording thingamabobs (I think the kids call them "cameras") cops are having a sad because their misdeeds and abuses are being captured and exposed for the public to see. Not to worry though because North Carolina governor Pat Mccrory, tired of worrying about transgender people taking a piss has decided on new people to fuck over by signing some POS law that would block police video and body cams from being released to the public. As I pointed out in the link above:

Recent history has shown time and again that law enforcement needs transparancy of cameras and scrutiny of the public (who remeber, they are suppose to be SERVING.)

You only need to Google one of the 50,000 police shootings and brutalities to see an example of the above (plus ANY goverment agency given any kind of authoritative power needs transpanacy from the public to emphasize that they SERVE us not RULE OVER us.) Fortunatly, there's something you can do to help. Go to the Change.org website in the handy little hyperlink sign the petition telling the NC Legislator that we the people will not stand for actions the shield the public from potential abuses from law enforcement. Also spread the word about this and/or donate to the cause if you can. Thank you.

So join us in the next very special episode where Laura Winslow learns An Important Lesson about underage drinking  (mainly that it will help tolerate the annoying meme-generating camera-mugging of Steve Urkel.

Cynical Sincere Proverbs 7:30

These are words of wisdom that I once bestowed about yet another fool whining about how he's losing some of the privilege of having his belligerent  ignorance pandered to the "elitists" look down on him because they won't tolerate his intolerance:

"When you insist on lying in the gutter, where else can one look but down. Now if you really want, I can help you up; even rinse you off (unless you're covered in fecal matter, then, brother, you better wait until I get the decontamination suit and more scented candles than a Pier One warehouse), but for Pete's sake, don't pull me down with you just so your stank ass can meet someone eye-to-eye."

Da Mic Drop: Michelle Obama

Da Mic Drop is a regular segment, where we look at people who make such a pointed "standing-ovation-worthy" commentary in regards to a person or issue that it has to be highlighted. 

Now i usually I want until a few weeks apart to regularly feature this segment, but since this will be First Lady Obama's last oration in her position, I decided to highlight her very well-regarded speech  at the Democratic National Convention showcasing why she was one elegant classy lady (so much so, that even The Trumpanzee couldn't really throw poo at). I mean seriously, in a sea of great speeches, this one still stood out like a beacon.

One most remarkable elements about Michelle Obama in general (and this speech in general) is that she is a master of "kill 'em with kindness." Here she is, demonstrating that philosophy in this segment which ends with what is destined to be a quote for the ages:

That is what Barack and I think about every day as we try to guide and protect our girls through the challenges of this unusual life in the spotlight, how we urge them to ignore those who question their father’s citizenship or faith.
(CHEERS, APPLAUSE)
How we insist that the hateful language they hear from public figures on TV does not represent the true spirit of this country.
(CHEERS, APPLAUSE)
How we explain that when someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don’t stoop to their level. No, our motto is, when they go low, we go high. (Emphasis mine)

Da Mic Drop: Glenn Greenwald

Da Mic Drop is a regular segment, where we look at people who make such a pointed "standing-ovation-worthy" commentary in regards to a person or issue that it has to be highlighted. 

This one will be a quickie, which will be a surpruse because it involves Glenn Greenwald, who regular readers of his columns know usually thoughtful, detailed, long-winded factually-sourced analysis on political and media matters that often challenge conventional wisdom and causes one to re-examine the status quo narrative often imposed on government policy or journalism (a stance I like, despite the encyclopedia-legth post because even when I don't quite agree with Glenn, he explains hiself well enough so I can at least see where he is coming from. You really don't get that from political discussions nowadays.) Hilarious enough Glenn is also one of the (ugh) "Twiterrati" somehow about to condense his verbosity into 140 characters or less. This sonetimes necessitates a slight change of tone as we find out that (meow!) certain rather plesant news can bring out Greenwald's catty side:

Glenn Greenwald–Verified account ‏@ggreenwald

If you know any payday lenders, give them a hug today. https://twitter.com/CNN/status/757304711783575552 …

1:20 PM - 24 Jul 2016

293 RETWEETS584 LIKES

Note, that I'm not saying I disaprove. Burn. (Edited to Add: To those who don't "get" what Greenwald's well deserved jab at Wasserman-Schultz is about just go here. Or here too.)

Actually Glenn is far more right-on at making pithy little comments then I expected (since his more serious style could easily be considered by some as "boring.") For instance this awesome comment from a few months ago really deserves a T-shirt emblem, stat:

Glenn Greenwald–Verified account ‏@ggreenwald

Is it really necessary to spend next 6 months pointing out that "criticism of Clinton" ≠ "support for Trump"? Just get a different tactic.

9:53 AM - 29 Apr 2016

2,983 RETWEETS5,370 LIKES

SERIOUSLY! Sheesh! A lot of the criticism Hilary has recieved came about way before Trump stopped pretending to fire people or ogling bikini-clad pagent contestants, so they shouldn't always be conflated.  (And for the record NO politician should be immune from critcism. That's an abdication of our responsibilities as citizens.

Da Mic Drop: AnBheal

New segment here, where we look at people who make such a pointed "standing-ovation-worthy" commentary in regards to a person or issue that it has to be highlighted.

If your wondering who the hell "AnBheal" is , he (or she) is only a Salon commenter who left a brilliant response to yet another contrarian scold of an article (yet more blah blah blah about "angry Trump supporters" who as we know are the only demographic in existence and are so ignored what with only about 2,654 articles about how we need to pander to them and the only them and how people who actually think elitist aren't giving enough respect to their willful ignorance):

AnBheal12 hours ago

"Liberals condescend to 'these people' at their peril"??? Oh man, I am so sick and tired of professional blowhards spouting this Libertarian lie!!!  No, Mr. Yimberg, YOU condescend.  The TeaParty condescends.  The mainstream media condescends.  And Libertarians make more money from encouraging the condescension.  Liberals (in any sane interpretation of the term, a la Gladstone or Burke or FDR) do just the reverse.  They advocate for higher incomes, better union representation, and a bigger slice of the political, economic, and juridical pie. 

What Liberals sometimes do (a la Thomas Frank) is occasionally scratch their head and wonder why a teen burning a flag in New Jersey or a gay couple getting married in Vermont or a scared college student getting an abortion in Manhattan could possibly convince a coalminer in West Virginia to vote for a politician who promises to ruin the coalminer and his family.  That's not "sneering".  That's not "condescension".  In fact, it's a super-Hegelian dialectic, wondering how in heaven's name did that poor white person get snookered into giving their last crust of bread to a banker, and doing it willingly?

And the answer as Phil Ochs and Nina Simone pointed out, is Mississippi.  Racism is the 250-year cancer of the American soul.  And if Liberals don't like racism, that is not sneering.  That is not "condescension".  That is calling a racist cracker a racist cracker, and hoping that he wakes the fuck up, and that some morning he will vote for his own three quarters of a crust of bread, even if a damn n**ger gets a quarter of the crust.

Because right now the Tea Party and the Libertarian National Front are selling these sneerable and condescendable crackers a piece of the Brooklyn Bridge that says "Mississippi is great, so long as you're the last poor white, with no bread at all, but one more gun and one more Jesus that those n**gers."  And the viciously complicit corporate media sings Alleluia from its Amen Corner. 

Liberals aren't the problem, you corporate shill!!!

Da Mic Drop: D.L. Hughley

Da Mic Drop is a regular segment, where we look at people who make such a pointed "standing-ovation-worthy" commentary in regards to a person or issue that it has to be highlighted. 

Uh-oh, which black person is "reverse-racisming" society by acknowledging that discrimination exist in the country (specifically when it comes to law enforcement)? Why it's actor and comedian, DL Hughley who took a trip to The Stepford Network Fox News so Megyn "I'm 'fixed' so I can toss Trump a few softballs now" Kelley can kindly explain to him that racism and police brutality are not in fact "friends with benefits" and that "the blacks" should be ashamed of themselves for letting the back of their heads get in the way of innocent police bullets and billy clubs. Hughley and Kelley already got off to a rocky start when it was revealed that racism and perjury expert (he leads by example) Mark "yes that Mark Fuhrman" Fuhrman was featured on the previous segment. And then it just deteriorated from there as Hughley proceeded to call Fox News out right to it's blonde plasticine face.

Here's the "money shot" right here:

D.L.: What I’ll tell you is this … it is not uncommon for you all to see one thing … the only place racism doesn’t exist is Fox News and the police department. That’s absolutely true.
MEGYN: Come on, come on, that’s insulting. You just insulted millions of people watching this channel.
D.L.:And you know what? I’m insulted by the things I hear on this network. I could care less about insulting people that insult me on a daily basis. (Emphasis mine.)

"Wow" indeed. Ok that makes up for the otherwise unforgivable crime of being a UPN star, DL Hughley. You are now the Original King of Calling out Bullshit.

Anyway poor Megyn didn't like that at all and proceeded to offer up this polished turd prized jewel in the lack-of-self-awareness crown:


😮

I would say that Fox News desperately needs to buy a mirror and take a good long look at it, but considering who runs (well "ran" at this point) the network, I'm sure they are all being used to look up the anchorbots' dresses.

More like "The Coloring-Book of The Deal"

I tried to avoid talking about Donald Trump and his stubby-fingered iron-pyrite-encrusted vanity campaign too much, because The Hairpiece already gets a disproportionate amount of attention it is.

However, this New Yorker interview about the co-writer of Donald's Trump myth-defining book The Art of the Deal (who turned out to be a LOT more "writer" than "co") is worth a look, if only to confirm that, surprise, Trump is fraud on legs (and generally shitty at everything he does, including his fabled "business acumen.") Let's take an excerpt from the article to see mad negotiating skillz in action:

He told Trump that if he would give him half the advance and half the book’s royalties he’d take the job.

Such terms are unusually generous for a ghostwriter. Trump, despite having a reputation as a tough negotiator, agreed on the spot.

Boy our economy is sure to be in good hands with that financial prowess on display!

The most crucial piece of information from this is the confirmation that Trump is actually a lousy businessman and that even the very title of "his" book is a lie. His entire image is build on that shaky foundation so it would behoove anyone looking to unravel him to start rocking that a bit (as Queen of the Smack-down, Elizabeth Warren, has started to do.)

Of course (warning, soapbox alert), this just shows the inevitable result of a culture that treats conspicuous consumption and unfettered materialism as the religion of choice, with Rev. Trump as it's most zealous disciple. Our society constantly views fevered devotees of unrestrained displays of wealth as "successful" which is how people get fooled.

Just saying that Trump is just the festering pustule of a symptom, but he's not the disease, like some people think he is. Of course, lancing that boil is always better than letting it get infected

Cynical Proverbs 7:16

"We're all in the same boat"

Which becomes "a problem" when you are constantly told you are suppose to be in First Class ("I guess you two are in the same boat. I'm in the yacht." --Blanche Deveraux)

Something to consider when people start wondering why we're not all rowing in the same direction.

Da Mic Drop: Random Starbucks Lady (Cara Jennings if you're nasty)

Da Mic Drop is a regular segement, where we look at people who make such a pointed "standing-ovation-worthy" commentary in regards to a person or issue that it has to be highlighted. 

Today's entry* is a blast from the (recent) past about all-around awful guy Florida Governor, Rick Scott. This guy is such a huge douche that he practically has "Massengil" tatooed on his arm. One citizens who did not appreciate the aroma of summer rain interfereing with her coffee time was former Lake Worth city commissioner, Cara Jennings who, through a chance meeting at Starbucks, really let him have it about the reason he sucks. And it is fantastic! Not simply because Ms Jennings tells Governor Scott off over some really salient points of his his terrible governorship, but because, when you think about it it is so uncommon to be able to really confront a politician about your political concerns and disapointments directly (made clear when some Scott lackey tries to intervene as a communication shield and Jennings verbally pushes her ass aside with a "I'm not talking to you") and it's great that this lady didn't waste this rare opportunity.

*Ok, so this was technically suppose to be "yesterday's entry", per my supposed pledge but I forgot to finish it in time. Sue me. I promise to have another one of these baby's on the way soon.

Da Mic Drop: batlitwilight

Da Mic Drop is a regular segement, where we look at people who make such a pointed "standing-ovation-worthy" commentary in regards to a person or issue that it has to be highlighted. 

To celebrate my "grand return" to actually doing stuff on my blog, we're going to have a special "cram school" edition of this otherwise biweekly segment (better get your japanese schoolgirl uniforms, everyone). So for this week I'll spotlight new a Mic-Drop calibur speech every day.

Speaking of craming otherwise biweekly rituals into a daily occurrence, we as a society decided to do just that when the purveyors of police brutality decided to up the ante with TWO high profile cases of African-American people being killed for being "thuggish criminals" (the grand transgression, of course, is existing while black) culminating into horrific spectacle at a BLM protest about THOSE tragedies which resulted in 5 police officers being shot to death and the sniper being killed by some Robocop prototype or something. 

In any case, I thought one of the commentors for the latter Salon article, balitwilight, had a particularly insightful statement on what it means for black people to navigate around the minefield of double-standards that is modern-day law enforcement  (which is suppose to be serving and protecting us, mind you):

balitwilight 19 hours ago
For a regular, normal, human being (which in America means NOT a "Black Person"), regular normal police tactics are adequate. But when it comes to "Black People", you can never be too careful. Now, apparently, they just need to be blown up sometimes. They have superhuman powers. "Black People" can threaten the lives of two burly policemen who are pressing Glocks against their chest while they lie on their back, unarmed, already stunned from a taser.  In such a situation the only reasonable outcome is to kill them. Even when "Black People" are requested to show their license and registration at a vehicle stop, and the police officer is already shoving a gun in their face (and which one of us hasn't had that happen?) - "Black People" can detonate like tactical nuclear weapons when reaching for that requested license and registration. Is it any surprise when the police officer reduces that threat with 4 point-blank gunshots, with a little girl in the backseat? They can still threaten the lives of 16 New York police officers who are hanging around their neck choking them to death in broad daylight for selling cigarettes on the street. (And thank god none of those fine officers was harmed or prosecuted)...
..."Black People" are not to be allowed to touch BB guns in public, even BB guns on sale inside the store they are buying them from. So much so that they need to be shot dead on sight in that Walmart. This includes "Black Children" in playgrounds - even more so, since they tend to grow up to become "Black People". A "Black Child" with a bag of skittles, walking home in his father's neighbourhood can threaten a creepy hair-trigger-temper grown man with a history of maniac violence stalking him with a loaded gun - so much so that he needs to be killed immediately and a jury of fair-minded citizens will find his executioner "Not Guilty".  And 60% of Americans will agree.
So... is it any surprise that a "Black Man" who is cornered, surrounded by police, in a siege situation, with no hostages, is so extremely dangerous that he needs to be blown up like an IED in Fallujah? This is how dangerous "Black People" are. In contrast, "White People" (who as a false "race" category created, benefit from, and are largely responsible for this racial dystopia) are extremely benign, innocent and harmless. Is this not obvious? Just look at them walking around untouched with AK-47s strapped over their shoulder while directly threatening the US government and federal agents.  Doesn't that prove they are harmless? In fact, for "White People" there is no "they"... just individual actions that rarely implicate any group.  You know, like normal human beings.
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