Glenn Kirschner – Interview w/comedian Buddy Winston (part 2): writing for Jay Leno & appearing on … Bill O’Reilly?
The Lincoln Project – Brand Unsafe
Robert Reich – The First Step to Fixing the Electoral College
Parody Project – The Normalization Song
Mama Dog Who Lost Her Puppies Was Heartbroken Until She Got Kittens
Beau – Let’s talk about the Durham report….
Yesterday, The radio opera was Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.” Of course everyone knows the legend of Don Juan, the great seducer, and that the story has many variations, including laughs in some (Mozart called it a “drama giocoso,”and yes, that’s “joke” in the “giocoso.” It’s one of the operas studied in “Music Appreciation” classes, and it’s frequently performed, and I really thought I knew it until a week or two ago the broadcast had a “Singers’ Round Table” – a feature in which singers discuss how they appraoch their roles, how they prepare, what the latest director has come up with, and the like. Two of the singers were two of the sopranos in this broadcast, and one of them caught my attention by saying (of course I paraphrase) “It’s not just that Giovann’s a bad man – its that he ruins everything. He comes into a room and cjaos comes with him.” Prior to this, I had not thought of Don Giovanni as a Republican. Now that it’s been pointed out, I definitely see it. Seeing Giovanni as a Republican gave me an additional new insight – at the end when he defies the Commendatore’s ghost, he’s often portrayed as “Well, he’s awful, but atleast he’s brave.” No, he’s not. To be bravr, one needs to overcome fear, and the only thing he’s afraid of is looking weak, which he thinks he would if he admits he’s wrong or even just not perfect. So he caves in to that fear and just doubles down. And incidentally enters the “find out” stage of FAFO. Incidentally, I learned of a new job in the world of opera. In addition to the Director, most operas require a chorus director, and many require a fight director. But this is the first I have heard of an “intimacy director.” I wonder what the qualifications are. Well, I’m off to see Virgil. I’ll report my safe return as soon as I can.
Cartoon – 21 Alexander Nevsky
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Crooks & Liars – George Santos’ Comms Director Roots For His Expulsion, Resigns
Quote – She resigned by email, writing “Unfortunately, you never took one point of professional advice given.”… “With respect for my colleagues, the people of New York, and most importantly, myself, I am honored to tender my resignation,” Woomer said in her resignation email.
Click through for story. Oddly, she doesn’r seem to have said anything about not getting paid. But I doubt she did. At least not in full.
Wonkette – Of Course The ‘Homeless Vets Displaced For Immigrants’ Story Is A Hoax
Quote – At no point did any of these people take a moment to ask themselves, “Why would anyone do something that would obviously garner so much bad publicity by kicking unhoused veterans out of those specific hotels when there are obviously many, many other hotels and motels throughout New York state?” Clearly, not one of them considered the wise words of the great American jurist Judge Judith Sheindlin here — “If it doesn’t make sense, it’s usually not true.” It did not make sense. And it wasn’t true, which was quickly discovered after the hotels in question were asked about it. The whole thing was a hoax cooked up by Sharon Toney-Finch, whose only excuse now is that she thought it would help the imaginary veterans who were kicked out of their imaginary hotel rooms in order to be cruelly displaced by imaginary immigrants.
Click through. I’d seen this a couple of places and decided to share it from Wonkette, which gives it the sarcasm it deserves.
Food For Thought
Glenn Kirschner – Justice Matters public service announcement; Interview series – Using Humor in the Fight for Justice
The Lincoln Project – How Many Lies
MSNBC – We don’t have a choice’: Sen. Markey on expanding Supreme Court to 13 seats
Rocky Mountain Mike – Drag Ron (Parody of “Rag Doll” by The Four Seasons)
Growling Baby Foxes Turn Into Sleepy Puppies On Their Rescuer’s Lap
Beau – Let’s talk about Missouri and a failed power play….
Yesterday, like most of the rest of the world, I learned about Martha Stewart being on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit edition. Having cordially disliked Ms. Stewart for decaded for personal reason (she stiffed my cousin’s boyfriend), I can’t be impartial, so I’ll leave it at that. It’s not that important. But Jesse Watters saying the quiet part out loud – yes, he really said that the GQP needs to be able to blackmail the FBI – that’s noteworthy.
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Short Takes –
Daily Beast – GOP Oversight Chair Says He’s Lost Track of His Biden Corruption Informant
Quote – On Wednesday, Comer—the chairman of the House Oversight Committee—held a much-hyped press conference in which he promised to expose the preliminary findings of four months’ worth of scrutiny into the Biden family’s business dealings. Publicized as a “judgment day” for President Joe Biden, the conference ultimately proved anticlimactic, largely consisting of Comer throwing around vague, unsubstantiated accusations and failing to link the president to any of his relatives’ alleged “influence peddling.” But on Fox’s Sunday Morning Futures, Comer offered up what appeared to be a partial excuse: The probe’s primary informant had flown the coop.
Click through and try to keep a straight face. IMO it’s not hard to see that this “informant” never existed.
Crooks & Liars – Ukraine Sending Messages On Their Bombs Too (hanky alert?)
Quote – This has been going on for a while now but seems to be getting a lot more organized…. As always, check out any organization first before sending your $50 or whatever…. Thousands of messages have been sent, ranging from the sardonic to the bitter, among them one from Valentyna Vikhorieva, whose 33-year-old son died in the war. “For Yura, from Mom,” Ms. Vikhorieva asked an artillery unit to write on a shell. “Burn in hell for our children.”
Click through for story. I don’t know whether ths will hit everyone the way it hit me, but I put up an alert just in case. The funds raised are going to support Uktaine and that’s a good thing. But the human suffering and the waste of life represented just got to me.
Food For Thought
Yesterday (all tornado warnings having expired at 7:34 pm the previous night), the precipitation continued, but it was mostly rain. I said that quarter-sized hail would not be breaking any car windows, and I stick to that, because automotive glass is tempered. I didn’t promise no windows in buildings would break, and I didn’t promise there would be no hail bigger than quarter-size. Tennis-ball size was reported along I-70, and some golf-ball-size was photographed with a quarter to show the difference. One tornado was reported, in Morgan County (way northeast of me) which lasted from 5:55 to 6:45. I guess I’m going to have to put up a sign that says “Do not touch my roof. It’s under warranty and you are not certified by Gerard.” Because the roof vultures will be around as soon as the sun is back. Springtime in the Rockies!
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Short Takes –
Colorado Public Radio – [Democratic Rep. Joe] Neguse is reintroducing a bill in Congress that would boost pay and benefits for wildland firefighters
Quote – Now Neguse is reintroducing Tim’s Act, a bill to increase federal firefighter pay and benefits, with fellow Democratic Rep. Katie Porter of California. Tim Hart was a smokejumper who lost his life fighting a wildfire in New Mexico in 2021. Neguse credits Tim’s wife, Michelle, as one of the driving forces behind the legislation. Neguse and Porter pushed some parts of the bill across the finish line last Congress, such as improving retirement benefits and a temporary increase in pay through the bipartisan infrastructure bill. But Neguse wants to finish the job.
Click through for details. Speaking of weather, it’s nice to have a bit of good news, even if it’s currently tentative. Yes, our (primary) fire season runs right through our hail season (and beyond.) Not that we can’t have fires just about any time. As can California.
Crooks and Liars – Nine GOP Senators (All On Judiciary) Got Checks From Harlan Crow
Quote – “There should be bipartisan outrage about the undisclosed gifts and travel billionaire megadonor Harlan Crow has given Justice Thomas,” Accountable.US president Kyle Herrig said last month. “Senate Judiciary Republicans should join their Democratic colleagues to act. However, their silence so far may be because they have received hundreds of thousands of dollars from Crow as well.”
Click through for full list, including pictures of 8 of the 9. You will recognize every name. Every one of them is nationally known (and not for any positive reason.)
Food For Thought
Yesterday, I managed to get all 8 questions right on the Conversation’s “Weekly News Quiz.” That has never happened before. Usually I get 6 out of eight, occasionally 7 on a good week, occasionally 5 on a bad week. There weren’t that many I actually knew – the rest I got by elimination, including some logic (ocean-going ships “going downhill” is not a thing, for instance.) It’s a small thing – but it does bolster my confidence a little that I am actually keeping up with the good stuff in the barrage of news.
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The Warning – Have you ever heard of ‘stealthing?’
Quote – “Non-consensual condom removal,” said Google. A behavior and problem so prevalent that it not only had a nickname — “stealthing” — but a range of definitions largely dependent on geography, the most severe being a rape crime punishable by a maximum sentence of life in prison in the United Kingdom. In the United States, however, there was little to no legal definition of this act, which remains the case to this day. The first and only piece of legislation — adopted by California in 2021 — recognizes stealthing in the state’s civil sexual battery code and allows victims to sue for damages.
Click through for article (you may have to click on “Keep reading.”) Yes, I’d heard of it, but relatively recently. There were a couple of terms in the article I had to look up, however. Reading the whole thing will probably mak you angry once or twice. But without anger, there is no change.
Colorado Public Radion – One suspect in fatal rock-throwing case had a history of destructive behavior
Quote – Three teens accused of driving around and throwing large rocks at passing cars, one of which investigators say killed a 20-year-old woman, circled back to take a photo of her crashed car as a “memento,” according to court documents released Thursday…. In a hint at a possible motive, Karol-Chik said all three got excited every time they hit a car with a rock that night but acknowledged he felt “a hint of guilt” passing by Bartell’s car, according to the documents.
Click through for story. Now that there are identified suspects in this crime, we can get a glimpse of what they were thinking – if you can call that “thinking.” It certainly gives a new, though equally pernicious, meaning to the acronym KKK.
Food For Thought
Glenn Kirschner – Trump-appointed Judge sides w/Jim Jordan against DA Alvin Bragg; uses Trumpian rhetoric in opinion
Politics Girl – To My Republican Friends…
Twitter – Rep. Jeff Jackson (D-NC)
I’ve been in Congress for 100 days.
Most of the really angry voices here are faking it. pic.twitter.com/fdWgve81FZ
— Rep. Jeff Jackson (@JeffJacksonNC) April 17, 2023
Farron Balanced – Trump Admits Asking 5 Year Old Child For Foreign Policy Advice
Police Cat Keeps A Close Eye On All The Officers
Beau – Let’s talk about rights, grinding to a halt, and a republican question….
Yesterday, there was an update on the little girl taken from her parents because midwife. She’s going home! Details, including from the family’s attorney, here. In weather news, it’s supposed to snow tomorrow, although very early – it’s to stop by 9:00 am and then warm up. If it does, I”ll be fine with it. I’m to see Virgil Sunday. I hope everyone who celebrates had a lovely 4/20.
Cartoon – 21 0421Cartoon.jpg
Short Takes –
Daily Beast – Inside Jim Jordan’s ‘Charade’ of a Hearing on Violent Crime in NYC
Quote – Back when Jim Jordan was a collegiate wrestling champion, the strategy would have been called a double misdirection duck under…. In truth, the violent crime rate is declining in Manhattan, with murders down 14 percent, shootings down 17 percent, and robberies down 8 percent. Jordan was just seeking to undermine Bragg and therefore the 34-count indictment he had secured against Trump 13 days before…. To mask the actual crime numbers, Jordan applied a second misdirection, inviting the families of two murder victims, the father of a hate crime, and a Manhattan bodega clerk who was charged with homicide after killing a robber but later deemed to have acted in self-defense.
Click through for full opinion. Yes, it’s an opinion piece. When lies are being peddled as facts, sometimes an opinion piece is the best (or even the only) way to get to the truth. At least Jerry Nadler is there. I know he hates it, but he knows and does his duty.
Denverite – Aloft, Denver’s COVID-era shelter, closes as residents find housing and fear the streets
Quote – (The Salvation Army, the State of Colorado, the City of Denver and activists have found housing for all but two residents) On the second Tuesday in April, older homeless men at high risk of dying from respiratory infections joined members of the housing advocacy group the Housekeys Action Network Denver, or HAND, in a hot downtown parking lot, outside a soon-to-close shelter at the Aloft Hotel…. [D]odging cars, residents tried to figure out where they could go now that the City of Denver and the Salvation Army were shutting down a home that felt permanent, though they knew it never was.
Click through for story (and stories.) The subtitle (in parens) is the good news, and I’m proud of all who have worked on this, but it’s not good enough. A big reason why we can’t have nice things is TABOR.
Bonus: Crooks & Liars – Marge Gets Shut Down At Committee Hearing After She Breaks House Rules
Quote – Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) asked for Greene’s words to be “taken down” because they violated the House rules of decorum…. Still, when asked by Republican Rep. Mark Green if she would withdraw her statement, she declined…. [Rep. Daniel] Goldman noted that the rules prohibit her from continuing. “Point of personal inquiry,” Rep. Sporkfoot said. “There’s no such thing,” Goldman shot back.
Click through – there’s also video. I didn’t put this in the video thread because I figured we could all use a laugh – or at least a smile.
Food For Thought
(Hey, I can dream.)
