User-Supported News Commentary Hosted by Craig Crawford
Those Were the Days
Attribution: I Miss the Old Days by Monte Wolverton, Battle Ground, WA
45 thoughts on “Those Were the Days”
runner-up ‘toon of the day
Attribution: Fathers of Invention by Pat Bagley, The Salt Lake Tribune, UT
stephen
President Biden and Donald Trump will go head to head in two televised debates, Secretary of State Antony Blinken thought Ukrainians would be cheered up by a performance of “Rockin’ in the Free World,” and another yacht was sunk by orcas in the Strait of Gibraltar.
I can’t believe the handlers of sfb will ever allow him on stage with President Biden. It would be like having a monkey trainer handling a baby orangutan, in diapers. Biden could easily bait the idiot into doing and saying very stupid stuff, perhaps into the dementia vocalizations, strings of mumbling, babbling and red faced screeching. Look for a walk back.
But, if it happens it will be a wild night.
Like I said, 63, somewhere past Tahiti all alone in the ship theater. This one floored me, still does.
And this? One freaking hell of a way to kick off a movie.
here’s a message for the Chiefs’ kicker…
And now jersey beckons I reckons.
sturge, a really thrilling broadway moment must have been being in the audience at the finale when the band comes marching down the aisles on all sides up to the stage playing with great gusto “Seventy six trombones.”
“The Way We Never Were”
“The definitive edition of the classic, myth-shattering history of the American family, Leave It to Beaver was not a documentary, a man’s home has never been his castle, the “male breadwinner marriage” is the least traditional family in history, and rape and sexual assault were far higher in the 1970s than they are today. In The Way We Never Were, acclaimed historian Stephanie Coontz examines two centuries of the American family, sweeping away misconceptions about the past that cloud current debates about domestic life. The 1950s do not present a workable model of how to conduct our personal lives today, Coontz argues, and neither does any other era from our cultural past. This revised edition includes a new introduction and epilogue, exploring how the clash between growing gender equality and rising economic inequality is reshaping family life, marriage, and male-female relationships in our modern era. More relevant than ever, The Way We Never Were is a potent corrective to dangerous nostalgia for an American tradition that never really existed.”
RR – That would make great billboards, tee shirts, etc. It really gets the message across. Use a tagline like: ROEvember NOVember JOEvember
Biden/Harris 2024
The Music Man made me remember poor Monica Lewinsky and “Shipoopi.” I don’t think Randy Rainbow has used that song yet, but here’s one from the aforementioned musical.
Unemployment rate:
—May 2020: 13.2%
—May 2024: 3.9%
S&P closing level:
—May 15, 2020: 2,864
—May 15, 2024: 5,308
Weekly COVID deaths:
—May 2020: 6,900
—May 2024: 294
“Are you better off than you were four years ago?”
Patd
The band in the aisles was used as well for Barnum
As the NRA convention sets up camp in Dallas this week, here’s an article from a couple of years back. What happened with this thread?
New book: “Notable media outlets contributed to Hitler’s rise to power”
From “Hitler at Home,” to be published Sept. 29 by Yale University Press;
“In order to meet consumer’s interests and thus retain their market share in the media industry of the times, notable media outlets contributed to Hitler’s rise to power.
Today the same could be said about the social and broadcast media as they compete worldwide for higher ratings and thus a greater piece of the advertising funds companies and organizations allocate to the marketing of their products and services. Instead of stepping up to higher moral grounds and higher levels of objectivity, they tend to ‘straddle the fence’ or engage in self-serving reporting and editorializing.
The social and broadcast media and their journalists cannot have it both ways. If they feel very strongly that liberal democracies–the forms of governance that make the freedom of the press possible–should be protected, then they cannot afford to support or appear to support directly or indirectly narratives which call for the abolition of these social and political institutions.”
Not a good sign for defense. Reporters saying Blanche’s plodding cross exam appears to bore jury. “Many nodding heads”: NBC’s Vaughn Hilliard. Blanche even apologized to jury for “jumping around the timeline”.
“Gore points to West Texas billionaires Tim Dunn and brothers Farris and Dan Wilks, who have contributed to various political action committees that have poured millions into legislative candidates who have promoted vouchers.”
“It’s all about destroying the trust with the citizens to the point where they would tolerate something like doing away with public schools,” he said in an interview.
“Over the past two years, Abbott has teamed up with the Texas Public Policy Foundation, embarking on a tour of Texas towns to promote vouchers. Following the narrow defeat of voucher legislation in November in the Texas House of Representatives, the Republican governor campaigned to unseat lawmakers in his party who opposed such legislation. He successfully ousted five of them.”
Blanche knows he’s not getting paid anyway, so why not whiff it.
Sturg – You just brought it full circle. It started with Bink posting The Beatles version.
“The National Rifle Association could receive up to $1 million in state and local money as an incentive for holding its annual meeting in Dallas this week, state records show.
“The NRA, because of their size, qualify for an incentive opportunity that is based upon the materialization of the amount of bedroom business that they bring in after the fact,” Davis said. “After we do an audit of their actual pickup, then we do give them a lump sum payment.”
“Concealed carry of guns will be allowed during most of the convention, said Nick Perrine, an NRA spokesman. People will not be allowed to carry firearms while attending Trump’s speech, he said.
“It’s Secret Service rules that no firearms or weapons be permitted at that time,” Perrine said.
And not a word will be said about school shootings when tRUMPsky and Greg Abbott take the stage.
Open for changes and additions now that Muth is out
1. Mugatu 20 – 1
2. Uncle Heavy 20 – 1 – Ivy Green / Sturgeone
3. Catching Freedom 6 – 1 – Craig
Muth Scratched
5. Mystic Dan 5 – 2 – Jack / Patd
6. Seize the Grey 15 – 1 – Jamie
7. Just Steel 15 – 1
8. Tuscan Gold 8 – 1
9. Imagination 6 – 1 – Renee / Pogo
Man holds “bootlickers” sign behind Republican press conference outside of Trump’s criminal trial..
This morning on my way to court I heard that among Team Dumbass today are Matt Gaetz and Bobo (Exhibits B&C of Repug inappropriate sexual activity proclivity. Also among the attendees is George Conway. Supposedly Gaetz was dispatched to stare Conway down in a menacing way. I can’t imagine that Conway is shaking in his boots by being stared at by Gaetz. Hopefully George will be on someone’s show this evening to ridicule Gaetz’ efforts to intimidate him.
Love the Boot Lickers sign.
Sounds like Blanche finally drew blood creating doubt about the real subject of the Trump phone call Cohen claims to be the moment he got direct orders to falsify records.
Texts with Trump aide just before and after 96-second call with Trump indicate call not about Stormy, as Cohen said on direct. Cohen says it was both topics. Prosecutors did not bring up these texts in questions about this critical call. First time during cross I think they’ve got some important work to do on redirect.
This is the call Cohen claimed to be when Trump was told about/approved payment scheme central to the case. Surprising prosecutors had not anticipated this, they had the texts. (Schiller was Trump’s security guy)
Significance is this is first time defense has managed to show he might be lying now, to this jury.
How much does Cohen matter when they have a paper trail?
Is the RNC picking up travel costs for members of Congress to skip work to go on a pilgrimage to NYC and kiss Sh/+ler’s diaper?
After some strong moments Blanche is again meandering to nowhere in particular and revisiting asked and answered ground. I think he is trying to wear down Cohen, but the trouble with that strategy is you also wear down the jury!
Blanche just stopped, right after his last sustained objection. Hardly a big finish for three days off. Cohen back on cross Monday.
“A Texas state district court judge sentenced Perry in May 2023 to 25 years in prison for shooting and killing U.S. Air Force veteran Garrett Foster during a 2020 demonstration protesting police brutality against people of color.” One day after a jury convicted Perry, Abbott directed the parole board to review the former U.S. Army sergeant’s case.
“Texas has one of the strongest ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney.”
“Abbott approved the board’s recommendation, which included restoration of Perry’s firearm rights.”
Just in time for his appearance at the NRA convention this weekend.
Judge MERCHAN instructs both sides to be prepared for summations on Tuesday
Trump lawyer Todd Blanche says he expects to be done w cross-exam of Cohen by Monday morning break, prosecution says re-direct will take about an hour
Unclear if Trump will testify
BiD, the defense is trying to get the jury to believe that Cohen is lying now, just as he lied under oath and not under oath to just about everyone under the sun and convince them that if they doubt his honesty they must have reasonable doubt about the case against Dumbass. Question becomes whether the jury believes Blanche is beating a dead horse since Cohen has admitted under direct exam that he lied his ass off on Dumbass’ behalf to just about anyone who would listen. Nothing I’ve read or heard suggests that Blanche has the jury on the edge of their seats. But it’s impossible to know what the jury is thinking.
More I think about, not sure this phone call episode serious enough to “call” more attention to it on redirect (which also allows re-cross). Clean it up in closing instead.
All he said on direct was he informed Trump that Stormy was paid, that’s easily done in 96 seconds no matter what else you talk about.
Right, Poobah – 5-10 seconds, and 10 would be with elaboration. While I have no idea what’s really gone on from the perspective of the jury, I just hope Dumbass gets convicted.
“Pro-Trump artist releases 100 penis-shaped balloons with faces of Alvin Bragg, Judge Merchan on them”
“The pro-Trump provocateur said he released the “art installation” — which also features the faces of US Special Counsel Jack Smith and Manhattan Judges Juan Merchan and Arthur Engoron — titled “D–ks of Hazard” to show that “these guys are a bunch of useless d–ks.”
Releasing balloons with the wit of a mean 7th-grader is hardly an art installation.
Didn’t everyone else’s testimony about Cohen kind of deflate an argument about him lying now? Plus, paper trails don’t lie if they aren’t fiddled with.
The composition of the jury should give some idea of what they are thinking; attorneys and financial types.
Penis balloon boy may be in legal trouble.
2023-S2262 (ACTIVE) – SummaryProhibits the release of balloons with exceptions for manned hot air balloons, government-related experiments, and balloons released indoors.
Bink that was great seeing the Beatles/Shirley jones posts…..took me right back to the boat and the early Beatle guys. I was 15 and totally fell in love with Ms partridge.
…credit to BiD for the “Music Man” & reminding me about buckling my knickers below the knee! 😨
i must have looked away during the bridge scene in my youth 😳
…when you get to “penis balloons” you can be confident you’ve made it through all the important topics for the day
“Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, and his allies have claimed that more than 100,000 people attended the rally in Wildwood. But some on social media questioned that figure, and reporters shared videos of people departing while Trump was still addressing the crowd.”
“While it’s not clear exactly how many attended the rally, Wildwood’s Republican mayor, Ernie Troiano Jr., earlier said that the beach could accommodate only about 20,000 people and that about that many tickets had been requested for the rally.”
“Walter Masterson wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Here is 35 unedited minutes showing thousands of MAGA walking out on Trump while he’s still talking.”
“At one point just a few minutes into Masterson’s video, a rally attendee is seen telling him that the time is 6:48 p.m. meaning many people were leaving before Trump was even halfway through his speech.”
“This happens at a lot of rallies, cultists show up thinking he will say something new and profound. Then they get bored and walk out.”
runner-up ‘toon of the day
Attribution: Fathers of Invention by Pat Bagley, The Salt Lake Tribune, UT
stephen
President Biden and Donald Trump will go head to head in two televised debates, Secretary of State Antony Blinken thought Ukrainians would be cheered up by a performance of “Rockin’ in the Free World,” and another yacht was sunk by orcas in the Strait of Gibraltar.
I can’t believe the handlers of sfb will ever allow him on stage with President Biden. It would be like having a monkey trainer handling a baby orangutan, in diapers. Biden could easily bait the idiot into doing and saying very stupid stuff, perhaps into the dementia vocalizations, strings of mumbling, babbling and red faced screeching. Look for a walk back.
But, if it happens it will be a wild night.
Like I said, 63, somewhere past Tahiti all alone in the ship theater. This one floored me, still does.
And this? One freaking hell of a way to kick off a movie.
here’s a message for the Chiefs’ kicker…
And now jersey beckons I reckons.
sturge, a really thrilling broadway moment must have been being in the audience at the finale when the band comes marching down the aisles on all sides up to the stage playing with great gusto “Seventy six trombones.”
“The Way We Never Were”
“The definitive edition of the classic, myth-shattering history of the American family, Leave It to Beaver was not a documentary, a man’s home has never been his castle, the “male breadwinner marriage” is the least traditional family in history, and rape and sexual assault were far higher in the 1970s than they are today. In The Way We Never Were, acclaimed historian Stephanie Coontz examines two centuries of the American family, sweeping away misconceptions about the past that cloud current debates about domestic life. The 1950s do not present a workable model of how to conduct our personal lives today, Coontz argues, and neither does any other era from our cultural past. This revised edition includes a new introduction and epilogue, exploring how the clash between growing gender equality and rising economic inequality is reshaping family life, marriage, and male-female relationships in our modern era. More relevant than ever, The Way We Never Were is a potent corrective to dangerous nostalgia for an American tradition that never really existed.”
https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-way-we-never-were-american-families–the-nostalgia-trap_stephanie-coontz/247642/item/12121989/?
RR – That would make great billboards, tee shirts, etc. It really gets the message across. Use a tagline like: ROEvember NOVember JOEvember
Biden/Harris 2024
The Music Man made me remember poor Monica Lewinsky and “Shipoopi.” I don’t think Randy Rainbow has used that song yet, but here’s one from the aforementioned musical.
Unemployment rate:
—May 2020: 13.2%
—May 2024: 3.9%
S&P closing level:
—May 15, 2020: 2,864
—May 15, 2024: 5,308
Weekly COVID deaths:
—May 2020: 6,900
—May 2024: 294
“Are you better off than you were four years ago?”
Patd
The band in the aisles was used as well for Barnum
https://www.newsweek.com/nra-fund-russia-uvalde-school-shooting-1712397
“The claims that NRA is funded by Russia appear to be based on two separate findings related to Russian nationals and their ties to the NRA around the time of the 2016 presidential election.”
As the NRA convention sets up camp in Dallas this week, here’s an article from a couple of years back. What happened with this thread?
New book: “Notable media outlets contributed to Hitler’s rise to power”
From “Hitler at Home,” to be published Sept. 29 by Yale University Press;
“Hitler at Home,” Yale University Press
Not a good sign for defense. Reporters saying Blanche’s plodding cross exam appears to bore jury. “Many nodding heads”: NBC’s Vaughn Hilliard. Blanche even apologized to jury for “jumping around the timeline”.
https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/15/texas-tim-dunn-wilks-brothers-vouchers-courtney-gore/
“Former far-right hard-liner says pro-voucher billionaires are using school board races to sow distrust in public education”
“Gore points to West Texas billionaires Tim Dunn and brothers Farris and Dan Wilks, who have contributed to various political action committees that have poured millions into legislative candidates who have promoted vouchers.”
“It’s all about destroying the trust with the citizens to the point where they would tolerate something like doing away with public schools,” he said in an interview.
“Over the past two years, Abbott has teamed up with the Texas Public Policy Foundation, embarking on a tour of Texas towns to promote vouchers. Following the narrow defeat of voucher legislation in November in the Texas House of Representatives, the Republican governor campaigned to unseat lawmakers in his party who opposed such legislation. He successfully ousted five of them.”
Blanche knows he’s not getting paid anyway, so why not whiff it.
Sturg – You just brought it full circle. It started with Bink posting The Beatles version.
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2024/05/16/nra-could-get-1-million-in-state-local-money-for-holding-annual-meeting-in-dallas/
“The National Rifle Association could receive up to $1 million in state and local money as an incentive for holding its annual meeting in Dallas this week, state records show.
“The NRA, because of their size, qualify for an incentive opportunity that is based upon the materialization of the amount of bedroom business that they bring in after the fact,” Davis said. “After we do an audit of their actual pickup, then we do give them a lump sum payment.”
“Concealed carry of guns will be allowed during most of the convention, said Nick Perrine, an NRA spokesman. People will not be allowed to carry firearms while attending Trump’s speech, he said.
“It’s Secret Service rules that no firearms or weapons be permitted at that time,” Perrine said.
And not a word will be said about school shootings when tRUMPsky and Greg Abbott take the stage.
Open for changes and additions now that Muth is out
1. Mugatu 20 – 1
2. Uncle Heavy 20 – 1 – Ivy Green / Sturgeone
3. Catching Freedom 6 – 1 – Craig
Muth Scratched
5. Mystic Dan 5 – 2 – Jack / Patd
6. Seize the Grey 15 – 1 – Jamie
7. Just Steel 15 – 1
8. Tuscan Gold 8 – 1
9. Imagination 6 – 1 – Renee / Pogo
Man holds “bootlickers” sign behind Republican press conference outside of Trump’s criminal trial..
https://x.com/BidenHQ/status/1791142037577670710
This morning on my way to court I heard that among Team Dumbass today are Matt Gaetz and Bobo (Exhibits B&C of Repug inappropriate sexual activity proclivity. Also among the attendees is George Conway. Supposedly Gaetz was dispatched to stare Conway down in a menacing way. I can’t imagine that Conway is shaking in his boots by being stared at by Gaetz. Hopefully George will be on someone’s show this evening to ridicule Gaetz’ efforts to intimidate him.
Love the Boot Lickers sign.
Sounds like Blanche finally drew blood creating doubt about the real subject of the Trump phone call Cohen claims to be the moment he got direct orders to falsify records.
Texts with Trump aide just before and after 96-second call with Trump indicate call not about Stormy, as Cohen said on direct. Cohen says it was both topics. Prosecutors did not bring up these texts in questions about this critical call. First time during cross I think they’ve got some important work to do on redirect.
This is the call Cohen claimed to be when Trump was told about/approved payment scheme central to the case. Surprising prosecutors had not anticipated this, they had the texts. (Schiller was Trump’s security guy)
Significance is this is first time defense has managed to show he might be lying now, to this jury.
How much does Cohen matter when they have a paper trail?
Is the RNC picking up travel costs for members of Congress to skip work to go on a pilgrimage to NYC and kiss Sh/+ler’s diaper?
After some strong moments Blanche is again meandering to nowhere in particular and revisiting asked and answered ground. I think he is trying to wear down Cohen, but the trouble with that strategy is you also wear down the jury!
Blanche just stopped, right after his last sustained objection. Hardly a big finish for three days off. Cohen back on cross Monday.
Catching Freedom looks good.
https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/16/daniel-perry-greg-abbott-pardon/
“Gov. Greg Abbott pardons Daniel Perry”
“A Texas state district court judge sentenced Perry in May 2023 to 25 years in prison for shooting and killing U.S. Air Force veteran Garrett Foster during a 2020 demonstration protesting police brutality against people of color.”
One day after a jury convicted Perry, Abbott directed the parole board to review the former U.S. Army sergeant’s case.
“Texas has one of the strongest ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney.”
“Abbott approved the board’s recommendation, which included restoration of Perry’s firearm rights.”
Just in time for his appearance at the NRA convention this weekend.
Judge MERCHAN instructs both sides to be prepared for summations on Tuesday
Trump lawyer Todd Blanche says he expects to be done w cross-exam of Cohen by Monday morning break, prosecution says re-direct will take about an hour
Unclear if Trump will testify
BiD, the defense is trying to get the jury to believe that Cohen is lying now, just as he lied under oath and not under oath to just about everyone under the sun and convince them that if they doubt his honesty they must have reasonable doubt about the case against Dumbass. Question becomes whether the jury believes Blanche is beating a dead horse since Cohen has admitted under direct exam that he lied his ass off on Dumbass’ behalf to just about anyone who would listen. Nothing I’ve read or heard suggests that Blanche has the jury on the edge of their seats. But it’s impossible to know what the jury is thinking.
More I think about, not sure this phone call episode serious enough to “call” more attention to it on redirect (which also allows re-cross). Clean it up in closing instead.
All he said on direct was he informed Trump that Stormy was paid, that’s easily done in 96 seconds no matter what else you talk about.
Right, Poobah – 5-10 seconds, and 10 would be with elaboration. While I have no idea what’s really gone on from the perspective of the jury, I just hope Dumbass gets convicted.
https://nypost.com/2024/05/16/us-news/pro-trump-artist-releases-penis-shaped-balloons-with-alvin-bragg-judge-merchans-faces-on-them/
“Pro-Trump artist releases 100 penis-shaped balloons with faces of Alvin Bragg, Judge Merchan on them”
“The pro-Trump provocateur said he released the “art installation” — which also features the faces of US Special Counsel Jack Smith and Manhattan Judges Juan Merchan and Arthur Engoron — titled “D–ks of Hazard” to show that “these guys are a bunch of useless d–ks.”
Releasing balloons with the wit of a mean 7th-grader is hardly an art installation.
Didn’t everyone else’s testimony about Cohen kind of deflate an argument about him lying now? Plus, paper trails don’t lie if they aren’t fiddled with.
The composition of the jury should give some idea of what they are thinking; attorneys and financial types.
Penis balloon boy may be in legal trouble.
2023-S2262 (ACTIVE) – SummaryProhibits the release of balloons with exceptions for manned hot air balloons, government-related experiments, and balloons released indoors.
https://www.nysenate.gov › bills
NY State Senate Bill 2023-S2262
Bink that was great seeing the Beatles/Shirley jones posts…..took me right back to the boat and the early Beatle guys. I was 15 and totally fell in love with Ms partridge.
…credit to BiD for the “Music Man” & reminding me about buckling my knickers below the knee! 😨
i must have looked away during the bridge scene in my youth 😳
…when you get to “penis balloons” you can be confident you’ve made it through all the important topics for the day
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-new-jersey-rally-crowd-walks-out-speech-video-1899832
Jersey rally on Saturday shows “thousands” of people leaving while the former president was still talking.”
“Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, and his allies have claimed that more than 100,000 people attended the rally in Wildwood. But some on social media questioned that figure, and reporters shared videos of people departing while Trump was still addressing the crowd.”
“While it’s not clear exactly how many attended the rally, Wildwood’s Republican mayor, Ernie Troiano Jr., earlier said that the beach could accommodate only about 20,000 people and that about that many tickets had been requested for the rally.”
“Walter Masterson wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Here is 35 unedited minutes showing thousands of MAGA walking out on Trump while he’s still talking.”
“At one point just a few minutes into Masterson’s video, a rally attendee is seen telling him that the time is 6:48 p.m. meaning many people were leaving before Trump was even halfway through his speech.”
“This happens at a lot of rallies, cultists show up thinking he will say something new and profound. Then they get bored and walk out.”
NEW THREAD