Jon Stewart: Mess O'Potamia - 2014, And the Return of Iraq War Architects

This was a great bit from Tuesday night's Daily Show with Jon Stewart. It's not lost on most of us that the very people who were the architects, planners and cheerleaders of the Iraq War, those people who were wrong about everything, have come back, and are presenting themselves as experts. It's not at all funny, but somehow, Stewart makes it so.

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Rachel Maddow Exterminates Dick and Liz Cheney

I used the word "exterminates" in my headline as a bit of purposeful hyperbole, to a) poke fun at typical hyperbolic interwebz headlines, b) to indulge in a little wishful thinking about the loathsome Cheneys, and c) because Rachel really does manage to almost fulfill words like "annihilates," or "destroys" with this story. She manages to give a thorough history lesson, ties it together with what's going on now, and uses it to paint the Cheneys (or as they might say, Cheney's) as clueless, tone-deaf, craven opportunists. And she manages to be entertaining while doing it!

It's long, but very much worth a view.

Conservatives Want to Live in the Bubble?

Image from source, Salon

It's no secret that we're a divided country these days, with a left, a far right, and a silent middle. Notice I didn't say "far left." That's because as far as I can tell, there isn't much of one, beyond Noam Chomsky. Of course, even moderate liberals look far left by comparison to the right, whose mainstream has been supplanted by its fringe edge. So, I guess you could say that there isn't much of a far right either, because what in the world would the fringe of the fringe look like? I mean, when Cliven Bundy is a hero?

Anyway, that's the oddity of our politics. But what's interesting, not only are we divided, but it appears we really, really want to be divided. Particularly in the case of conservatives.

[Excerpt]

Wingnuts’ sheltered fantasy: This is the far right’s scary myopic vision
 
A recent survey of 10,000 Americans from Pew Research Center for the People and the Press was ostensibly designed to provide proof of the increased polarization of our country. (Spoiler alert: “Republicans and Democrats are more divided along ideological lines – and partisan antipathy is deeper and more extensive – than at any point in the last two decades.”) But the poll, due to its large sample size of both far left and far right respondents, provides quantitative data demonstrating something striking: an extreme right wing that not only hates those on the opposite side of the political spectrum, but also desires to be isolated ethnically, culturally and geographically from the rest of the country. . .

Read more at: Salon

Hillary Clinton, Interviewed by FOX "News"

I haven't watched yet, but I'll get to it, and maybe do an update with my response. Meanwhile, here you go.
 

Right Wing World: Obama Gets Bad Guy In Benghazi Attack. . .To Distract From Benghazi

Okay, so we got the bad guy in the Benghazi attack, right? And Right Wing World has been obsessed with Benghazi ever since it happened. First, they hoped to hang it around President Obama's neck, to sink his reelection chances. That didn't work. But they kept going, in disbelief that it didn't work. After a while (and after shelving Benghazi several times to divert to other scandals), the right shifted gears, and decided Benghazi was the ticket to stopping Hillary Clinton.

Anyway, we got the bad guy behind the attack. And, Right Wing World was jubilant, and sang Obama's praises! Or rather, they went into overdrive to figure out how it was a bad thing, and Obama BAD! Turns out, they're only interested in Benghazi if in sinks Obama and/or Hillary. In other words, they're not actually interested in the event itself, but rather what it can do for them politically. Which is kind of sick, when you remember that four Americans died in the attack.

[Excerpt]

Obama Captures Suspect In Benghazi Attack To Distract From Benghazi

You might think that today’s news that a suspect in the Benghazi terrorist attack was captured in Libya would be greeted with satisfaction and relief. You would be right with respect to the reaction of the American people, but over at Fox News it’s a different story. As usual, nothing that Obama does can be characterized positively at Fox News. They work studiously to maintain their warped view that Obama is a foreign-born, anti-American, terrorist-sympathizing, incompetent, evil genius. And so it is with the apprehension of Ansar al-Sharia commander Ahmed Abu Khattala. . .

Read more at: NewsCorpse

Hey, Kids! It's Gun Nuts! (A Rocky Mountain Mike Ad Parody)

Hilarious!
 

A Proposal for the Iraq Situation

When I was a kid, and was acting up, I remember being told, "Be quiet, or I'll give you something to cry about!" Well, I have a similar suggestion for those weirdos down in Texas who want to go everywhere with their big, shiny guns:

Draft the members of OPEN CARRY TEXAS, and send them to fight in Iraq.

That's all. What do you think?

Can We Please Ignore the Iraq War "Experts?"

Image from source, Politico

I would never claim to be an expert on the Middle East. I'll be honest, I've never even really understood the fervor of our support for Israel. So, I'm not going to put on a front like I have the answer to what's going on in Iraq right now. But I'm pretty sure about a couple of things:

- Whether our withdrawal from Iraq spurred the current unrest or not, we had to leave, a) because we couldn't stay indefinitely, b) because George W. Bush signed an agreement before he left office (remember, he had a shoe thrown at him), c) the Iraqi parliament voted us out, and d) the overwhelming sentiment of the American people was for us to leave.

- The architects and players of the War in Iraq, including Rice, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Feith, Hadley, Tenet, Rumsfeld, and Dubya himself should have no role in any decisions made. They also shouldn't be viewed as experts on cable news or the Sunday political shows. Add to the Bush Administration the cheerleaders for war, such as Bill Kristol, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, and really the whole of FOX "News" and right-wing talk radio. They were all flat wrong about almost everything. Their opinions shouldn't hold any weight or any sway.

- Most of all, let's get the President out of the damned microscope. Let's have just a smidgen of the old "don't criticize the Commander in Chief in a time of war," attitude again, shall we? Not to insane, grill-the-Dixie Chicks, Patriotic­™ American® ­levels, but in the actual patriotic American sense. Imagine if we did have the dreaded sequel to 9/11. Rather than rallying around the flag, Right Wing World would be sharpening their pitchforks, lighting their torches, and storming Pennsylvania Avenue. It's not healthy individually and not healthy for our country to behave this way.

[Excerpt]

The Case for Doing Nothing in Iraq

Here we go again. Whenever there’s a crisis anywhere in the world, you can count on America’s pundit class to demand action—usually of the military variety. Don’t just stand there, bomb something! After more than two decades of unchallenged American hegemony, Washington keyboards seem almost programmed to call for intervention halfway around the globe. . .

Read more at: Politico

Blast from the Past: Let's Boogie!

My inspiration for this week's Blast from the Past is simple: I was listening to my phone's music on random while walking, and happened to have Boogie Nights and Boogie Oogie Oogie come on right in a row. And it got me to thinking, "how many songs have 'boogie' in the title anyway?" As it turns out, more than you would think. In fact, so many that I can't include them all here, unless I decide to write a sequel in the future. But here are my favorites.

1. Boogie Child by The Bee Gees (1977) - Yes, the Bee Gees are known for disco, but this was quite a bit out of their usual sound.
2. Boogie Fever by The Sylvers (1976) - Cheese, pure cheese.



3. Jungle Boogie by Kool and the Gang (1974) - Funky, early disco.
4. Boogie Wonderland by Earth, Wind and Fire (1979) - Quintessential, disco perfection.



5. Boogie Oogie Oogie by A Taste of Honey (1978) - Thin, but catchy.
6. Boogie Shoes by K.C. and the Sunshine Band (1978) - Kid-friendly, white bread disco.



7. I'm Your Boogie Man by K.C. and the Sunshine Band (1977) - More mayonnaisey-goyishy disco.
8. Blame it on the Boogie by The Jacksons (1978) - The Jacksons move on to disco.



9. Boogie Nights by Heatwave (1977) - So good, they made a movie out of it.
10. Get Up and Boogie by Silver Connection (1976) - Did I say "thin" before? This song's entire lyric sheet is "Get up and boogie. That's right!" Watch the girls having nothing to do but dance between that sparse poetry. Probably helped give disco its bad reputation.



And truly, that's just a taste of the Boogie. But that will wrap it up for this weekend. Happy Monday!

Over Time with Bill Maher, June 13, 2014

Overtime: June 13, 2014

Casey Kasem Dead at 82

Image from source, HuffPo

These days, most of my Sunday* mornings begin with extreme frustration, because I--for reasons I can't articulate--tend to watch Meet the Press and one or two of the other political shows. But when I was a kid, it was a morning spent with anticipation. Because I was a pop culture junkie even then, and I'd be so excited to find out who was number one on American Top 40.

[Updated to add: Other write-ups have listed Saturday as the broadcast day, but I'm virtually certain in was Sundays, at least in Columbus, Ohio.]

Nobody sets their watch by radio shows anymore, unless they're ditto heads. But in the 70s and 80s, Casey Kasem was it, with his hours-long radio countdown of the day's hit songs, sprinkled with factoids, mini-interviews, and of course, long-distance dedications. The funniest of the latter was a woman's heart-rending dedication of Bread's Everything I Own, to her lost guitar. Kasem's show was so hot, it spawned countless imitators there for a while, with people like Rick Dees getting involved with his own countdown, as well as a shorter version for Kasem on TV.

Amazingly, though I was a media-savvy kid, it took me some time to realize that Kasem was a bigger part of my childhood than I knew at the time. Because I was a huge fan of his--unknowingly--on Saturday mornings too. His voice work on kids' cartoons was legendary, especially as the voice of Robin on Batman and The Super Friends, and of course as Shaggy on Scooby-Doo. As Casey started to fade from his peak as a pop culture phenomenon, his wife Jean became a blip on the radar. Her work as Nick Tortelli's eccentric wife on Cheers (and later its short-lived spinoff) briefly eclipsed her husband's career.

And now, sadly, Jean seems a bit loopy, throwing meat (?!) at people and screaming incoherently, and her husband has passed, after a long decline. It's a sad ending to such an interesting, quirky celebrity couple. But I guess you can't script your own ending like a dedication. RIP, Casey. And now, a story about a dog. . .

[EXCERPT]

Casey Kasem Dead: Legendary Broadcaster Dies At 82

Casey Kasem died Sunday morning at St. Anthony's Hospital in Gig Harbor Wash. on June 15. The legendary broadcaster was taken off life support at age 82. Kasem suffered from a progressive form of dementia known as Lewy Body Disease. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Totally Not Gay Rick Perry's Ideas on The GayThing

Rick Perry was once the great GOP hope. I mean after Fred Thompson, who turned out to be a big snooze. Perry was handsome, and rugged. He's been a governor of Texas, which makes him seem even more manly. But he turned out to be something of a tone-deaf goober. And a bit of a dolt.

Now, this isn't the first time Perry has shown a mixture of stupidity/ignorance, mixed with a good helping of homophobia. But I think it's particularly ironic, when you consider that Perry has had gay rumors swirling about him for years. So, it makes me wonder. I mean if Perry is on the "down-low," maybe this is how he's compartmentalized it in his mind? Like a drunk who decides not to drink, he just decides not to acknowledge his true feelings?

Image from source, Think Progress

[Excerpt]

Rick Perry Derides Gay ‘Lifestyle’, Compares It To Alcoholism
 
This past weekend, the Texas Republican Party approved a new platform plank that endorsed ex-gay therapy for those “who are seeking escape from the homosexual lifestyle.” Asked about the platform Wednesday night, Gov. Rick Perry (R) seemed to defend it by suggesting that homosexuality is comparable to alcoholism. “Whether or not you feel compelled to follow a particular lifestyle or not, you have the ability to decide not to do that,” Perry suggested. “I may have the genetic coding that I’m inclined to be an alcoholic, but I have the desire not to do that, and I look at the homosexual issue the same way. . .”

Read more at: ThinkProgress

President Obama on Iraq: Not Ruling Anything Out

Image from source, NBC News

There are one or two things I'd like to rule out, please. And I'd also like to point out that the same guys who championed the disaster that was the Iraq War are the same guys championing going in again. Let's not, okay? Sure, we broke it. But it wasn't in pristine shape in the first place. Can't we just leave it on the floor in pieces, and pretend we didn't see it fall?

[Excerpt]

Obama on Iraq Turmoil: 'I Don't Rule Out Anything'

President Barack Obama said Thursday "I don;t rule out anything" when it comes to a U.S. response to worsening violence in Iraq. Speaking to reporters briefly after meeting with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott at the White House, Obama said "my national security team is looking at all the options" available in stemming an advance by Islamic extremists in the north and west of the country. "This is an area we've been watching with a lot of concern, not just over the last days but the last several months," Obama said, adding that his administration has "been in close consultation with the Iraqi government to try to address problems they have. . .

Read more at: NBC News

Crazy Preacher Bradlee Dean Still Has it In for Rachel Maddow

Not an Axl Rose impersonator.

I have Google Alerts set up for several things for my blog, one of them being "Rachel Maddow." The other day, I got an alert for a story about Bradlee Dean (yes, he really spells it that way), the nutty, anti-gay, rock and roll preacher, and how he has a legal squabble with Rachel Maddow. This story goes back a ways, but it has to do with Rachel doing a story on Dean, and his anti-gay views. Dean said she took him out of context to make him look hateful, which is hilarious, because he is plainly hateful.

Anyhow, he lost the case, and is supposed to pay for her legal bills. But he doesn't want to. Beyond that, I couldn't really suss out what he was trying to say. Even the headline was inscrutable ("WHAT RACHEL MADDOW PURPOSED NOT TO TELL YOU ABOUT ME"). And then I got at least two more Google Alerts on the same story, covered by others. Now, since I couldn't figure it out, I passed it off to Joe.My.God., since that blog had been covering this story back in the day. But even Joe apparently couldn't make heads or tails of it.

But as I said the other day, when I have a WTF story I can't get my hands around, Wonkette is my go-to crazy-splainer.

[Excerpt]

Bradlee Dean Will Never Retreat, Never Surrender, Never Stop Suing Rachel Maddow

. . .Time for some Real Talk here. We read this DeanScreed several times, but we still can’t really figure out what on earth he is saying. He’s still SUPER MAD ALL CAPS HEADLINES MAD that Rachel Maddow quoted him, but didn’t quote everything he ever said, because if she had, then it would be totally clear that when he called for the deaths of the gays, it was totally not calling for the deaths of the gays, because context. Also, we have learned that Bradlee is in desperate need of an editor, even one of the crummy ones over at his other haunts like WND, because Christ just try to follow this. . .

Read more at: Wonkette

Another Take on Why Eric Cantor Lost

There have been a lot of opinions thrown around about why Eric Cantor lost his job on Tuesday night, and what it all means. But I'll bet you haven't heard this point of view. Dave "Mudcat" Saunders, a long-time political strategist in Virginia--and something of an Eric Cantor expert--had some very interesting opinions about it, when he talked to Stephanie Miller on Wednesday morning. Worth a listen, if you want another perspective.
 

Elizabeth Warren is Unhappy with Mitch McConnell Over Blocked Student Loan Bill

Image from source, PoliticsUSA

I make no secret around here that I love Elizabeth Warren. I'd vote for her for any office she'd run for up to and including (wishful thinking ) president. I think she actually and honestly cares about what she's doing. And her big student loan bill came this close to actually passing. In fact, it passed by a majority about as large as Eric Cantor's loss on election night, but didn't quite make it to supermajority. Yes, Senator Mitch (duck and cover) McConnell mounted a filibuster threat, and that was that. Not because the bill was bad, but because it a) was a Democrat's idea and b) was paid for by raising taxes on the super-rich. Oh, woe is them.

Here's what I've got to wonder though. Every time Republicans block legislation that is popular with broad swaths of the electorate, students, minorities, women, aren't they just shooting themselves in the foot electorally? I mean, I know that Americans have notoriously short memories, and that they are unfortunately easily misled. But in this era of the Googles, John Stewart and Bill Maher, I've got to think voters are going to be reminded come election day.

[Excerpt]
 
Elizabeth Warren Declares War on Mitch McConnell After He Blocked Her Student Loan Bill
 
"Well, accountability is exactly the right word. I plan on fighting back on this, and I hope that everybody else does too. One way, I’m going to start fighting back is I’m going to go down to Kentucky and I’m going to campaign for Alison Lundergan Grimes, . She’s tough. She’s feisty. She endorsed the student loan bill, said she wanted to bring down interest rates for Kentuckians, and so my view is, I’m going to get out there and try to make this happen for her. . ."

Read more (with video) at: PoliticsUSA

What Happens in Vegas: Man Stranded at McCarran Airport Makes Hilarious Video

I laughed, and I cried. I've spent a lot of time at that terminal over the years, though never overnight, and I can surely relate to being bored there. But this guy really knows how to cure boredom. But be warned, I found it hilarious, but The Other Half--who actually works out of LAS--was less impressed.

[Excerpt]

Man Trapped Overnight at Vegas Airport Shoots Ridiculous Music Video
 

All by myself from Richard Dunn on Vimeo.

Caught overnight at Las Vegas' McCarran Airport with practically no one else around, Richard Dunn could have taken a cab back to the strip and partied until his flight in the morning. Instead, he whipped out his iPhone and made this gloriously cheesy music video for Celine Dion's 1996 cover of "All By Myself. . ."

Read more at: Gawker

Aaaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!.....
<snort!> Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

That is all.

Eric Cantor: Thanks For the Douchiness (A Rocky Mountain Mike Song Parody)

Thanks for the memories!

 

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor Suffers Surprise Loss in Primary Battle

Is it so hard to see why there is a page called Eric Cantor's Bitch Face?
Image from source, MSN

I can't ever think of the House Majority Leader without thinking of Eric Cantor's Bitch Face, a satirical tumblr page that pokes fun of Cantor's perceived haughtiness and detachment from ordinary folks. And it just may be that attitude that lost him his seat, in a surprise primary night result.

Of course, it could also be the fact that tea baggers were pissed at him for his insufficiently awful immigration stance. And also, of course, because this election was so sparsely attended by voters other then tea baggers. And so, instead of Virginia being home to the second most powerful Republican in the House of Representatives, they'll have (assuming their new candidate wins) a House freshman. But the Tea Party can claim a fairly significant scalp: one of their own guys, more or less.

[Excerpt]

House Majority Leader Cantor defeated in primary

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor was defeated Tuesday by a little-known economics professor in Virginia's Republican primary, a stunning upset and major victory for the tea party. . .

Read more at: MSN