Top 10 Idiots

Top 10 Idiots's Journal

May 20, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #10-15: The Gang Creates The Gas Crisis Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #10-15: The Gang Creates The Gas Crisis Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! How is everybody doing tonight? I mean look at all you beautiful people! So happy to be back doing this shit in front of a live audience again! Look, we’ve been cooped up at home way too long. But I do have some great news – live Idiots are coming back! That’s right – after nearly a year of being locked down and doing this thing from home, then in what seemed like forever in front of that blank, blue void, live Idiots are finally coming back! We’ll be announcing the tour during our Season 11 best of on 6/16! Also – starting in season 11, we’re dusting off the famous Wheel Of Corruption! That’s right – the wheel you know and love is coming back! Unfortunately we were putting this thing together this week so we won’t have time for the Matt Gaetz scandal or the Mississippi abortion trial – but plenty of that next week! But this week is our penultimate Idiots of the season for the year 2021. And as I said on Twitter, we’re going to be taking a couple of weeks off in June but we’ve got some big plans for the Idiots when we come back on July 8th! Including the introduction of our new series – Red State Diaries! That’s right – we’ve toured the world, we’ve toured the US government, we’ve even toured the great state of Texas. Now we’re going to tour the Red States of America and find out what makes the m so red! And in 2022, we will have a new docuseries – our “What’s Up With Florida” series that we originally planned for 2020! So that said – time off in June, but big plans for the remainder of the year! OK enough of the intro – we have a lot of idiocy to get to, but first John Oliver is back and he examines the controversial “Stand Your Ground” rule:

Where do we begin for this one? In the number one slot this week is the conservative war against Liz Cheney (1) because they are determined to get rid of her after she dares to have an independent thought against the Trump cult! Taking the second slot this week is the Red State Gas Crisis (2) which they pretty much brought on themselves after the southern Colonial Pipeline hack. Panic buying in a fit of hysteria gets you nowhere, people! Taking the #3 slot this week is Rep. Andrew Clyde (3). You may not know the name but his remarks about the Capitol Riots place him firmly in Q-Batshit territory, and we’ve also got the latest from this group of crazed criminals! In the number 4 slot this week is our old friend, Marjorie Taylor Greene (4), who from here on out will be referred to by my new favorite nickname for her, Honey Cuckoo. Yes, we have to talk about her scuffle with AOC and how that is leading to a security probe with Congress. How has she not been fired yet? In the #5 slot this week is our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates (5) and this week we’re going to take a look at Elon Musk’s claim that Bitcoin is bad for the environment so how bad is it? It looks pretty bad! In the number 6 slot this week is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6) and this week – we’re taking a look at undisputed claims from conservative clergymen calling themselves “prophets”
and if you think last week’s were isolated incidents, oh man are you wrong! Taking the number 7 slot this week, we have a new edition of People Who Somehow Got Elected, and this week, after flaunting federal gun control regulations, we’re adding Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts (7) to that ever-growing list! In the number 8 slot this week, we have a new edition of Conspiracy Corner (8) and this week our investigative team on crack, Project Veritas, got caught in a bizarre twist involving intentionally setting up the FBI! See how they got caught with their pants down again! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week, we have a new I Need A Drink, and this week after the end of the Ellen Show, and Chrissy Tiegen getting taken down a few pegs, is there any celebrity we can trust on social media anymore? Well there’s always us! Finally this week – it’s time for Stupidest State 2021! It’s the Final Four people – and this week we’ve got #1 Georgia battling #3 Nevada for the Layover League crown, while over in the Flyover League, #2 Texas is taking on #4 Arkansas! Anything goes in the Final Four! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]The War Against Liz Cheney
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Conservatives are a cult. And like all cults, they do not like anything that doesn’t fall lockstep 100% in with their group speak. So when one of them has an independent thought, as we have witnessed with their backlash against Mitt Romney for deciding how dangerous Former Guy was, this is when that kind of thing is frowned upon. But this week – another member has dared to speak out against the cult, and that member is Liz Cheney. But we here at the Top 10 do get what Liz Cheney is saying. I mean does the GOP want to set a good example for America or do they want to be the party that smears poop on the walls of Congress? Well it does not seem like they’re choosing to be the former. Oh no, my friends, they are choosing the latter. And it’s not going to end well.

Rep. Liz Cheney has lost her post in the House Republican leadership on Wednesday after publicly rejecting for months former President Donald Trump's lie that he won the 2020 presidential election.

House Republicans, who ousted Cheney by voice vote behind closed doors on Capitol Hill, are instead likely to replace her with New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, who has a less conservative voting record than Cheney but has emerged as one of Trump's top defenders. Cheney did not back down in a speech on Tuesday evening, touting her conservative credentials amid criticism from Trump's allies.

"I am a conservative Republican, and the most conservative of conservative principles is reverence for the rule of law," she said in a floor speech. "The election is over. That is the rule of law. That is our constitutional process. Those who refuse to accept the rulings of our courts are at war with the Constitution."

Despite her feud with Trump, House Republicans overwhelmingly voted in early February to keep Cheney as the No. 3 House Republican, who is in charge of executing the conference's message to the public.
https://www.kmov.com/news/house-republicans-oust-liz-cheney-out-of-leadership-post-over-feud-with-trump/article_a98c4461-fb46-5041-8fb5-f50544fec158.html

So yeah Liz Cheney had an independent thought and went against the MAGA cult that’s slowly taking over Congress, then the world. It’s like a pandemic – it starts with a few cases here and there and suddenly it erupts into a global problem! But fortunately the MAGA virus can be contained. The damage has been done though, the further the GOP tips toward the right, the worse it gets! At least Liz isn’t going down without a fight!

GOP Rep. Liz Cheney, who appears likely to be stripped of leadership duties by her fellow House Republicans, does not plan to stop blasting former President Donald Trump for repeating the lie that the 2020 election was stolen from him, according to people familiar with the matter.

Cheney, a staunch conservative, has been telling key donors and supporters behind the scenes that she is going to continue to hold Trump and the Republican Party accountable for what she has called the “Big Lie,” said these people.

Her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, has been involved in these talks as well, the people said.

These people declined to be named in this story in order to speak on a private matter.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/11/liz-cheney-vows-to-keep-fighting-trump-election-lies.html

Yeah so Liz Cheney has had an independent thought and it’s not going to end well for them. Of course it’s good to know where the conservatives’ top priorities lie. Never mind that we’re in a raging pandemic, there’s a major recession because of said pandemic, mass shootings are at an all time high, or there’s a self-inflicted gas crisis. Their priorities lie in – wait for it – cancel culture! Yay! And this is after they canceled Liz Cheney too!

A coalition of conservatives launched a grassroots advocacy organization on Monday to “oppose cancel culture and fight back against the woke mob and their enablers.”

The organization, dubbed Unsilenced Majority, said in a statement that it will serve as a platform to “fight back against the rising tide of left-wing intolerance.”

The group says its key focus areas include promoting free expression without fear of punishment, defending American workers from the “woke mob,” fighting “cancel culture” in education and objecting to “corporate wokeism.”

The organization said that “fundamentally, cancel culture is just another term for intolerance and suffocating dissent,” claiming that “the left’s modern political project” involves silencing its political enemies by means of intimidation, financial ruin and censorship.
https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/553986-conservatives-launch-anti-cancel-culture-advocacy-organization

Yeah so none of the important issues, just canceled and “woke” culture. If you ain’t woke you’re broke! I just made that up just now! But here’s the thing – as conservatives are getting weirder and nuttier, not to mention ruder and cruder, it’s good to know what they fear. They don’t fear anything but outside opinions. So yeah just call them what they really are – a cult! And like any cult, they do not take kindly to outsiders.

Rep. Liz Cheney, who was fired this week as chair of the House Republican Conference, is leading a fight in the GOP against former President Donald Trump. Many people on the left are cheering her on, while many on the right think she’s a sellout. But Cheney hasn’t changed a bit. Her case against Trump—articulated in a Washington Post op-ed last week, a House floor speech on Tuesday, and TV interviews on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday—is resolutely conservative.

Cheney sees Trump through the lens of foreign policy. He’s a character familiar in other countries: the ruthless demagogue and aspiring tyrant. In her op-ed and her speech, Cheney recalled her experiences with attacks on democracy in Kenya, Poland, and Russia. “I’ve worked in countries around the world that don’t have peaceful transitions of power, countries that have autocracies,” she told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie. “It can happen very, very quickly.”

There’s no magic force field around America that protects us from falling into anarchy or tyranny. What protects us—what makes us “exceptional,” in Cheney’s words—is a system of elections, laws, and courts, which in turn relies on enduring popular support for these institutions. Cheney understands how easily this consensus can be shaken. In the NBC interview, she recalled her awe in 2000 when Al Gore, who had won the popular vote but lost a razor-thin recount in Florida, conceded the presidential election. In that moment, the stability of the system rested on the honor of one man. This year, on Jan. 6, Cheney saw what a presidential loser with no honor could do. She told Guthrie that after the attack on the Capitol, she wondered whether her sons, like people in other countries, could no longer count on the peaceful transfer of power.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/05/liz-cheney-case-against-trump-resolutely-conservative.html

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[font size="8"]The Gas Crisis
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You know sometimes I feel like we’re living in a really fucked up episode of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. Can we get some music for this one? For the sake of this piece, let’s call this episode “The Gang Creates The Gas Crisis”.

Come on people, did we not learn a damn thing from last year? You know panic buying literally gets you nowhere. I mean we saw this when idiots were hoarding toilet paper and were unable to sell it on the black market and wound up taking losses on their investment. But here’s the one thing they don’t tell you about gas - gas is one commodity that has no resale value. You use it, it’s gone. And if you hoard it in unsafe conditions, it’s going to quite literally blow up in your face. But here’s the thing about the latest gas crisis, or Gas Crisis 2021, is that it’s all on the MAGA community’s fearmongering. In fact they really created it themselves.

Over half of the gas stations in Virginia are without gasoline. Things are even more grim in North Carolina, where almost three-quarters of stations are out of petrol, according to Gas Buddy, a company that helps consumers find real-time gas prices. Governors in both states have declared the crisis a State of Emergency.

This is a portrait of the southeastern U.S. following a cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline—and a subsequent shutdown of the portion that supplies gasoline and jet fuel from Texas to New Jersey. While the pipeline is back online, drivers have already been panicking and racing to local gas stations for more than just a last top-off.

By Wednesday, demand for gas in the U.S. had already skyrocketed 14.5 percent, according to Patrick De Haan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy. Hoarding behavior has become so extreme (and bizarre) that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has even warned the public it's not a good idea to fill plastic bags with gasoline. Yes, really.

The fear of a gas shortage has perpetuated the crisis. It's a cyclical problem: As drivers buy up gas in excess, stations run dry, more people see the empty pumps, buy more gas, and further increase the scarcity.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a36421021/colonial-pipeline-gas-shortage-explained/

Yeah come on people! Don’t panic buy! And especially don’t panic buy a finite, natural resource like oil that is highly volatile and also highly flammable! In fact the panic buying was so intense that it actually prompted the US Product Safety Commission to put out this tweet. Can we show that?

https://twitter.com/USCPSC/status/1392482092823502849

That happened! So if you’re keeping score at home, in 2021 so far, we’ve had a raging pandemic, an energy crisis, and now a gas crisis. Come on!!!

Widespread gasoline shortages along the U.S. East Coast began to ease slightly on Saturday as the operator of the nation’s biggest fuel pipeline said it was back to delivering “millions of gallons per hour” following last week’s cyberattack.

Ships and trucks were deployed to fill up storage tanks after the six-day Colonial Pipeline shutdown, the most disruptive cyberattack on record, triggered widespread panic buying that left filling stations across the U.S. Southeast dry.

"We have returned the system to normal operations, delivering millions of gallons per hour to the markets we serve," said the company, which had begun gradual restart of the pipeline on Wednesday.

More than 13,400 gas stations surveyed in the east and south by fuel tracking app GasBuddy were experiencing outages on Saturday, down from 16,200 early the previous day.
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/massive-replenishment-begins-ease-us-fuel-shortages-2021-05-15/

Yeah so the gas crisis is over for now. But the damage has been done. Just like the raging pandemic, though, the gas crisis is going to come in waves! Coming this summer: just when you thought it was safe to go back to the pump… GAS CRISIS 2021 ELECTRIC BOOGALOO DIE HARDER! Get ready for $10 gas and $100 gas bills everybody! Electric vehicles never looked better, have they? Cue the fearmongering music because things are gonna get ugly!

Millions of people stuck at home for more than a year are expected to hit the road for much-needed post-pandemic vacations this summer. Good luck finding gas.

Not that there's a looming shortage of crude oil or gasoline. Rather, it's the tanker truck drivers needed to deliver the gas to stations who are in short supply.

According to the National Tank Truck Carriers, the industry's trade group, somewhere between 20% to 25% of tank trucks in the fleet are parked heading into this summer due to a paucity of qualified drivers. At this point in 2019, only 10% of trucks were sitting idle for that reason.

"We've been dealing with a driver shortage for a while, but the pandemic took that issue and metastasized it," said Ryan Streblow, the executive vice president of the NTTC. "It certainly has grown exponentially."

Indeed, drivers left the business a year ago when gasoline demand ground to a near halt during the early pandemic-related shutdowns.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/27/business/summer-gasoline-shortage/index.html

Yeah so cool, extreme panic buying, conservative fear mongering , and general stupidity, are going to create an even worse gas crisis this summer! You know I have been saying that the next large scake terror attack in the US is going to be a cyber one, because we had a president who didn’t give a shit about cyber security. This was but a mere sneak preview of what that could look like. But while the pipelines are back on and the fuel is flowing again, expect things to get much worse!

asoline shortages that have plagued the U.S. East Coast slowly eased on Sunday, with 1,000 more stations receiving supplies as the country's largest fuel pipeline network recovered from a crippling cyberattack.

The six-day closure of Colonial Pipeline's 5,500-mile (8,900-km) system was the most disruptive cyberattack on record, preventing millions of barrels of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel from reaching fuel tanks throughout the eastern United States.

Thousands of gas stations ran dry as supplies failed to arrive and drivers fearing a prolonged outage filled tanks and jerry cans. Refiners and fuel distributors are racing to recover before the Memorial Day holiday weekend at the end of May, the traditional start of the peak-demand summer driving season.

"Colonial Pipeline is currently shipping at normal rates, based on shipper nominations," company spokesman Eric Abercrombie said in an email. "It will take some time for the supply chain to fully catch up."
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-gasoline-shortage-improves-some-regions-still-suffer-hefty-outages-2021-05-16/

[font size="8"]Riot Deniers
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We’ve said it before and we’ve said it again – we were all horrified by the events of January 6th, but for us, it’s been the gift that keeps on giving. We’re approaching our 5th anniversary of the Top 10 this December, but the Capitol Riots are going to be giving us material for probably the next 5 years because of everything that’s going on. But what’s really scary is that the new trend among conservatives is that they are downplaying the events of January 6th. And that the Capitol Riot was just a “harmless tourist visit”. Yeah never mind the poop smeared on the walls, the makeshift gallows, and the thousands of people screaming that they wanted to hang the vice president, it was a harmless tourist visit! Oh and the people arrested are being “abused”.

Far-right US Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene has joined GOP opposition to a bipartisan commission to investigate the Capitol insurrection.

In a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives, the congresswoman asked a series of “what about” questions to deflect from an investigation into the attack, fuelled by former President Donald Trump’s false “stolen” election narrative and amplified by his GOP allies like Ms Greene.

She said: “The question that comes to mind is this: What about all the riots that happened during the summer of 2020 after the death of George Floyd? What about the damage caused to federal buildings, churches, people’s businesses and innocent people that were killed? ... Is that not an insurrection?”

She also claimed that Capitol rioters have been “abused” in jail and “held for 23 hours a day in solitary confinement”.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-speech-capitol-b1849580.html

Oh boo fucking hoo! They tried to overthrow the government and used the Capitol building as a toilet and looted the place for selfies. They’re no better than ISIS or Al Qaeda, and they don’t deserve fair treatment. In the words of our former first lady – I really don’t care, do U? But now that most of the dust has been settled, conservatives are turning the spin cycle up way past 11. And let the whining commence!

Multiple Republican members of Congress on Wednesday offered a false retelling of the devastating events that occurred during the Capitol riot, with one calling the entire event a “bold faced lie” that more closely resembled a “normal tourist visit” than a deadly attack.

During a House Oversight Committee hearing on the Jan. 6 riot, Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., said the House floor was not breached and that the supporters of former President Donald Trump who stormed the Capitol behaved “in an orderly fashion.”

The comments by Clyde and others on Wednesday marked the latest attempt by some Republicans to revise the narrative of what occurred and came just hours after House GOP members voted to strip Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., of her leadership position after she repeatedly criticized Trump over his lies that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

“As one of the members who stayed in the Capitol, and on the House floor, who with other Republican colleagues helped barricade the door until almost 3 p.m. from the mob who tried to enter, I can tell you the House floor was never breached and it was not an insurrection. This is the truth,” Clyde claimed.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/republican-loyal-trump-claims-capitol-riot-looked-more-normal-tourist-n1267163

I’m sorry… what part of a “normal tourist visit” involves attempted murder and smearing poop on the walls? I remember as a kid visiting Congress when my parents took me to DC, I don’t remember doing any of those things. Oh yeah that’s because even as a kid I was more civilized than those dolts! And by the way – the actual footage of the riot nearly contradicts everything being said here. All of the right wing in Congress should be forced to watch this and own up to their terrible behavior.

Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) attempted to falsely claim at a hearing Wednesday that the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol never happened ― as if there were no video proof.

The Georgia congressman made his comments during a House Oversight Committee hearing on what went wrong in police preparations before the Capitol riot.

“Let me be clear: There was no insurrection,” Clyde said. “And to call it an insurrection, in my opinion, is a bold-faced lie.”

Clyde also claimed that video taken during the insurrection looked like “a normal tourist visit,” even though five people died and more than 100 police officers were injured.

Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/andrew-clyde-video-capitol-riot-insurrection_n_609c5adce4b0909247fef7ea

But the bad thing is the MAGA wing of the party may be permanently infused with the GOP, and if you try to separate them, it will result in a big, oily mess that will be impossible to clean up. And of course one of our favorite drones, Lindsay Graham (R-obviously) is warning that if Trump fans break off and start their own party, that it won’t end well for the GOP. So the sad thing is even though the latter group is utterly despicable, we may be stuck with them for a while.

Senator Lindsey Graham (R- SC) has made it clear over the past week he wants the GOP to embrace Donald Trump as its leader and thinks the party can’t move forward without him.

Fox News’ Martha MacCallum spoke with Graham Tuesday and asked him about Senator Joni Ernst (R- IA) deeming the House GOP vote to oust Liz Cheney as “cancel culture.”

Graham took issue with that and said, “You’re not entitled to be a leader. You have to earn that right. And if people don’t think you’re leading them well, they can fire you.”

He said Cheney lost the confidence of House Republicans because “she’s trying to make the argument that the Republican party is better off without Donald Trump, that he’s disqualified from being a member of the Republican party, that he should never be allowed to pursue office again."
https://www.mediaite.com/tv/lindsey-graham-if-you-try-to-drive-trump-out-of-the-gop-half-the-people-will-leave/

[font size="8"]Marjorie Greene
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Marjorie Greene, or as she shall be referred to from here on out by my new favorite nickname for her, Honey Cuckoo, doesn’t know when to shut up. And really let’s think about this – in literally any other job, if Ms. Greene had exhibited the kind of behavior that she’s shown toward her Congressional colleagues, she would have been shitcanned before the first day is over. So why is she still allowed to be such a boorish, loathesome person who nobody wants to be around? Well not only is that standard operating procedure among the few people left who still support Trump, AKA Former Guy, it’s pretty unforgivable. But never mind, it’s just Margie putting on her tough guy persona. But in terms of TV characters, think of Marjorie Greene akin to Jimbo Jones or Nelson Muntz from the Simpsons. She’s a schoolyard bully who hasn’t really moved on from the playground.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., tried to "aggressively confront" Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Wednesday, shouting questions about why the New York Democrat supports "terrorists and antifa," according to a report.

Two reporters from the Washington Post said they witnessed the interaction outside the House chamber. The report said Greene yelled to Ocasio-Cortez, and the Democrat continued walking. Greene reportedly tried to catch up and continued to ask questions. Greene also brought up her desire to debate Ocasio-Cortez, the paper said. At one point, Greene reportedly shouted, "You don’t care about the American people."

Neither office responded to an after-hours email from Fox News seeking comment.

The Post reported that Ocasio-Cortez never stopped to talk, but at one point turned around to throw "her hands in the air in an exasperated motion."
https://news.yahoo.com/greene-tries-confront-aoc-asks-071030271.html

You know maybe it’s just me, and I am just throwing this out there, but if you listen to Infowars and believe that Antifa is actually a thing, then you probably shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the government. Just saying! Oh and if you think this is an isolated incident, you are wrong, this is actually a pattern of insane behavior represented by Ms. Greene. It seems she really has a thing for AOC and it’s most definitely not that kind of thing.

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene confronted Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez outside the House chamber on Wednesday afternoon. The incident, first reported by The Washington Post, was just the latest of several hostile confrontations the Georgia congresswoman has had with her Democratic colleagues, but her interactions with the New York Democrat predate Greene's election to Congress in 2020.

During a February 2019 visit to congressional offices at the US Capitol with associates who include a man who would later enter the Capitol during the January 6 insurrection, Greene -- then a conservative activist -- can be seen taunting Ocasio-Cortez's staff outside the congresswoman's locked office by talking through a mailbox slot urging her to come out.

In the video, from a since-deleted Facebook Live of Greene's that was saved by CNN's KFile, Greene tells Ocasio-Cortez to "get rid of your diaper," referring to the congresswoman's office as a "day care." Greene repeatedly indicates throughout her stream that security has been called on them.

"We're going to go see, we're going to visit, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Crazy eyes. Crazy eyes. Nutty. Cortez," Greene says to the camera on the way to the congresswoman's office, mispronouncing "Ocasio."
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/14/politics/kfile-marjorie-taylor-greene-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/index.html

Oh Margie, when are you going to learn that there’s no such thing as take backs on the internet? Once you say something, that thing can come back to haunt you! But we think Margie should definitely put down the pipe and back away from the Infowars hate sphere. Because that shit will rot your brain, though her brain may be rotted beyond repair. Again, that’s standard operating procedure for most of the MAGA crowd anyways, it’s the kind of mind that Trump attracts.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) took a swipe at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Thursday, likening her to the “kinds of people that I threw out of bars” after the Georgia Republican aggressively confronted her outside the House chamber the day before.

"I used to work as a bartender. These are the kinds of people that I threw out of bars all the time,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters on Capitol Hill.

“For me, this isn't even about how I feel. It's that I refuse to allow young women, people of color, people who are standing up for what they believe, to see this kind of intimidation attempts by a person who supports white supremacists in our nation’s Capitol,” she continued.

Greene is facing blowback from Democrats off the heels of a Washington Post report that she harassed Ocasio-Cortez on Wednesday and shouted at her as the two left the floor.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/553459-ocasio-cortez-on-taylor-greene-these-are-the-kinds-of-people-that-i-threw-out

Now come on really, GOP, is this the kind of image you want to present from here on out – is the image of a drunk getting tossed from a bar? That kind of behavior? No, that’s not the image that anybody really wants. But Marjorie Greene is kind of steering the party that way, though that is also the behavior exhibited by Former Guy. Now we here at the Top 10 love to show you that actions have consequences, and this is a perfect example! Now where’s Nelson when you need him?

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi believes that a "verbal assault and real abuse" by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., toward Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., should "probably" be investigated by the House Ethics Committee.

"It's so beyond the pale of anything that is in keeping with bringing honor to the House or not bringing dishonor to the House. It's so beyond the pale that you wonder that is probably a matter for the Ethics Committee," Pelosi said during her weekly press briefing.

While leaving a congressional hearing Wednesday afternoon, Ocasio-Cortez was confronted by Greene, who repeatedly shouted, "Hey Alexandria" to get Ocasio-Cortez's attention, according to a Washington Post report.

"You don't care about the American people," Greene shouted at Ocasio-Cortez. "Why do you support terrorists and antifa?"
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/05/13/pelosi-ethics-committee-should-investigate-greene-aoc-confrontation/5074184001/

[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Bitcoin Enviornment
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It’s time to investigate beyond the headlines. This is Top 10 Investigates!

Last week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk stunned the Bitcoin and cryptocurrency community when he announced that Tesla would no longer be accepting Bitcoin as a form of payment because it was bad for the environment. But just what does that mean? How can an entire industry based on an electronic currency use fossil fuels to pollute the environment? Well a recent environmental impact study determined that the use of PCs designed specifically for coin mining have a carbon footprint that’s equivalent to almost 2 million cars on the road every year. That’s a lot to impact the environment. But here’s exactly what Musk said about Bitcoin’s impact on the environment.

Bitcoin's (BTC-USD) environmental impact is in the spotlight after Tesla (TSLA) abandoned plans to accept it as payment due to environmental concerns.

Tesla chief executive Elon Musk said on Thursday his electric vehicle company would no longer pursue plans to accept bitcoin as a form of payment. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies sunk on the news.

"We are concerned about rapidly increasing use of fossil fuels for bitcoin mining and transactions, especially after coal, which has the worst emissions of any fuel,” Musk tweeted.

The move came just months after he announced plans for Tesla to accept bitcoin. Musk and Tesla had been publicly criticised at the time for the climate implications of this decision.

Bitcoin's environmental impact stems from bitcoin mining. Bitcoin mining is a process whereby new bitcoins are created and awarded to computers that solves a complex series of algorithms. The system incentivises computers to do the work of running the bitcoin network, without having any centralised bureaucracy.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-environmental-impact-elon-musk-tesla-132015594.html

So what’s the solution? There’s many being floated about in the Bitcoin community. One such solution is something called “Greencoin” which as you can imagine, combines everything you don’t know about computers, with everything you don’t know about economics, and now adds the added layer of everything you don’t know about the environment. The idea of making bitcoins green depends on something called “proof of stake”.

All cryptocurrencies are built on a proof-of-consensus algorithm that validates the network.

Bitcoin’s proof-of-consensus method is a proof-of-work method, which is one of the more environmentally “unfriendly” proof-of-consensus methods since it results in all the energy and electricity used by the losing parties to solve the hashing function being wasted.

The solution here is what is known as a proof-of-stake method.

Proof-of-stake turns the competitive game of proof-of-work methods into a collaborative game, wherein a person can mine or validate block transactions based on their “stake,” or how many coins they hold. Each person does this, independently, so that there are no losing parties and no energy or electricity wasted in the validation process. Proof-of-stake cryptocurrencies are far more computationally efficient and environmentally friendly than proof-of-work cryptocurrencies.

So, if you’re looking to invest in altcoins that are more environmentally-conscious that Bitcoin — or “Green Coins,” as they’ve come to be known — you need to look for altcoins built on proof-of-stake blockchain platforms.
https://investorplace.com/hypergrowthinvesting/2021/05/is-bitcoin-bad-for-the-environment-maybe-why-you-should-buy-these-green-coins-instead/

Well as you can imagine this news has had a profoundly negative impact on the major forms of cryptocurrency. That’s right – with one statement, Elon Musk impacted billions of dollars in cryptocurrency – including his own Dogecoin – a currency that was mostly started based on joke internet memes. Hey wait, that’s what we do here! But this is sending the markets into a freefall as they try to stabilize.

The crypto bubble that inflated Bitcoin’s value past $1 trillion and added billions to nonsense digital tokens overnight is bursting.

Bitcoin plunged almost 22% to $35,000, wiping out more than $500 billion in value from the coin’s peak market value. It has erased all the gains it clocked up following Tesla Inc.’s Feb. 8 announcement that it would use corporate cash to buy the asset and accept it as a form of payment for its vehicles. Ethereum, the second-biggest coin, sank more than 40%, while joke token Dogecoin lost 45%.

Bitcoin is now down more than 50% from its record of almost $65,000 set in April. Fueling the volatility is Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose social-media utterances have whipsawed the crypto community. A statement from the People’s Bank of China on Tuesday reiterating that digital tokens can’t be used as a form of payment added to the selloff.

The selloff dominated market chatter on a day when equities also were tumbling and the Federal Reserve was set to release minutes from its latest meeting. #Cryptotrading was trending on Twitter, where critics and fans alike were in a tither over the rout. Critics had warned for weeks that the moves in crypto assets were unsustainable and that any sign of a selloff would lead to a rout.
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/5/19/crypto-wipe-out-bitcoin-ether-doge-all-plunge-lower

But the question is – is Bitcoin really as environmentally impactful as people have speculated? Well the answer is yes and no. it’s no secret that mining computers utilize a lot of energy to keep them on and keep them running 24 hours a day. Solutions like using hydrogen based power have been talked about in countries like Canada. The fact of the matter is that some estimates speculate that Bitcoin uses less than 1% of the world’s overall energy. Still a lot but not as much as feared.

The news outlet admits that the cryptocurrency is energy-intensive, as individuals, businesses and groups known as miners use specialized hardware to mine the cryptocurrency. They process vast volumes of transactions by grouping them into blocks and racing against each other to find a random variable that meets the pre-established protocol requirement.

Uncovering that variable enables the block to be added to the blockchain, but it also consumers quite a bit of energy in the process. Miners are rewarded for the computations carried out on their machines with the issue of new bitcoins. Mining becomes profitable when the value of the new bitcoins is more than the cost of the power used to mine them.

CoinDesk questions whether bitcoin mining needs to consume as much energy as it generally does. The publication notes that the cryptocurrency was created for transactions between two parties without a middleman, decentralizing the payment network. For both parties to trust each other, they must agree about who owns what and with strong enough security on the network.

According to CoinDesk, "Bitcoin's energy-intensive consensus protocol is how the network achieves that consensus and integrity. If consensus were easy to achieve, then the network could be easily attacked. Mining is energy-intensive so that it is prohibitively expensive to attack the Bitcoin network."
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/370212

That’s it for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.

[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! It’s time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and it’s time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:

My fair congregation! You know I don’t normally do this but I want to expand on a topic that we discussed last week. Because I feel like it needs expansion. It seems that our brothers and sisters on the right are once again taking the LAWRD’s name in vain! That’s something that we here at the Holy Church Of The Top 10 do not tolerate! But it’s becoming a problem and I expect it to get that much worse. I mean think of the crazy and think of the ego it must take to call oneself a prophet. And you’re not really a prophet. You’re just a crazy guy with a few followers and a megaphone. But see? According to them we are currently engaged in spiritual warfare of the highest variety. And this is only among people who think this way. So how far does it go? Well it goes all the way to the president! And I don’t mean by the current administration. I mean by the former guy. Yes, that guy.

Right-wing pastor Robin Bullock used his church service Tuesday to urge his fellow “prophets” to come together and call former President Donald Trump back to the White House, declaring that if they will do so, “God will supernaturally move things out of the way” to allow Trump to return.

Bullock is among the various self-proclaimed “prophets” who guaranteed that Trump would win the 2020 election. Like many of those other “prophets,” Bullock still refuses to accept that his prophecies were wrong even though President Joe Biden has been in the White House for over a month.

“Prophetical authority has to start being used by God’s prophets,” Bullock declared. “We’ve got to come up now to another level and start speaking with authority. Not just declaring, speaking with authority. And the Lord is going to give you words to warn people and speak to people in high-ranking positions. Whether you think they’re listening or not, they’re listening.”

“The stage is set,” he continued, “but you’re going to have to pray for the rightful president, whether he wants to walk back into this or not. You must pray that he wants to do it because God won’t make him do anything. Is it his will? Yes. Is he the president? Yes. That’s why he could just walk right back in, and God will supernaturally move things out of the way.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/robin-bullock-claims-prophets-have-the-power-to-call-trump-back-into-the-white-house/

Now that’s the religion of those who worship the Dark One! Yes, of course I am referring to him but not by name. I of course speak of a man who is so foul, so repulsive, so ungodly that his name shall not be spoken in my church that was once the leader of the Free World! But even the so called Prophets of the unholy Dark One are raging spiritual warfare among… themselves! Even they can’t agree on what is right and what is holy!

In the months leading up to the 2020 presidential election, a variety of self-proclaimed “prophets” were nearly unanimous in their announcements that they had all heard from Heaven that Donald Trump would win the election and serve a second term as president.

Even though that did not happen, many of these “prophets” have vehemently refused to admit they were wrong and continue to insist that God will vindicate them by miraculously returning Trump to the White House.

Concerned about these false prophecies and the refusal of such “prophets” to acknowledge them, a collection of conservative Christian leaders recently signed on to a document laying out standards for the prophetic movement, declaring, among other things, that those who refuse to abide by such standards run the risk of being designated as “false prophets.”

It is no surprise that the “prophets” who have been most vocal in insisting that their false election prophecies will soon be proven true did not sign on to this “prophetic standards statement” and have, in fact, been quite vocal in criticizing it.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/spiritual-warfare-a-battle-is-raging-in-the-prophetic-community-over-the-2020-election/

Now here’s the thing – if you call yourself a prophet, you must trust the plan! But what is the plan? I mean what is their plan to worship the almighty and bring about mankind’s salvation? Well let’s put it this way – it’s the exact opposite of what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want! In fact they are telling their flocks that the ungodly Dark One is the one that rightfully won the election! That’s right – that’s their so-called “plan”.

Self-proclaimed “prophet” Hank Kunneman hosted a “Prophetic Pulse Conference Call” Wednesday night, where he continued to insist that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election, mainly because he cannot accept that “all of God’s messengers, prophets, intercessors, [and] Christians were somehow wrong” while “the enemy” and the “fake news” were right.

Kunneman is among the various self-proclaimed “prophets” who guaranteed that Trump would win the election and now refuse to accept that their prophecies were wrong even though President Joe Biden has been in the White House for over two months.

“President Trump won the election,” Kunneman asserted. “So, for people to say, ‘Well, people prophesied that he’d win,’ he did win, and so we had a stolen election.”

“President Trump is not going anywhere,” Kunneman added. “If you don’t like President Trump, that’s your problem because he’s not done talking, and God’s not done with him.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/hank-kunneman-says-christians-must-continue-to-trust-the-prophets-who-guaranteed-trumps-reelection/

Yes, look at the floor. Keep staring at GAWD’s floor! But here’s the thing – last week I said that the “prophets” do not like to be questioned! And that remains true. But what do you do if your prophecies don’t turn out the way you had planned? Just keep pushing back the plan! Yes it was January 20th, then it was February, then March, and now it might as well be next year! But don’t overlook the danger of those calling themselves “prophets”, they know not of what they speak of!

Since the moment he took office, President Donald Trump was hailed by his evangelical Christian supporters as a man personally chosen by God to save the United States.

Trump’s right-wing Christian base was so firmly convinced that he was “God’s man” that the movement provided fertile ground for various self-proclaimed “prophets” to rise up and create names for themselves by boldly declaring that they had heard directly from God that Trump was guaranteed a second term in office.

With President-elect Joe Biden set to be inaugurated today, we decided now would be a good time to take a look back as some of the false prophecies proclaimed by the likes of Pat Robertson, Curt Landry, Jeff Jansen, Sid Roth, Charlie Shamp, John Benefiel, Frank Amedia, Tracy Cooke, Rick Joyner, James Goll, Etienne Graves, Francine Fosdick, Jeremiah Johnson, Loren Sanford, and Robin Bullock.

In our review, we found that some “prophets” were so adamant in their prophecies regarding Trump’s reelection that they deserved their own video compilations chronicling the multiple instances in which they declared that it was guaranteed that Trump would win the election and serve a second term.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/the-trump-prophecies-a-look-back-at-some-of-the-self-proclaimed-prophets-who-guaranteed-trumps-second-term/

So yes they may speak of prophetic visions, but their prophecies are really just false, which makes them false prophets. And we know how the good LAWRD JAYSUS feels about that! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]People Who Somehow Got Elected: Pete Ricketts
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Politicians at the state and local levels who are so toxic, you wonder how they’re able to get away with the things they get away with. This is:

This week – Nebraska governor Pete Ricketts. In a time when mass shootings are at an all time high, and fear and paranoia among people who own guns is at an all time high, this is a toxic cocktail just waiting to erupt in a powder keg. The latest insanity is that gun nuts are urging their states to become a “sanctuary state for guns”. In other words – a land where national gun laws can’t overpower the local authorities, who might be much more relaxed on the subject. And this isn’t just a problem unique to the city of Nebraska. It’s becoming a national problem and officials should be very worried, at least competent ones should be. Nebraska is but merely a model of how this insane legislation from gun nuts is going to pan out.

Doubling down on his pro-gun rights credentials, Gov. Pete Ricketts signed a symbolic proclamation Wednesday designating Nebraska as a “Second Amendment Sanctuary State.”

The proclamation comes as President Joe Biden recently announced a plan to address gun violence.

A growing number of Nebraska counties have adopted similar “sanctuary” resolutions. A bill also is pending in the Nebraska Legislature to allow counties to opt out of the state requirement that gun owners register and take a gun safety course to carry concealed weapons.

“The White House and U.S. Congress have announced their intention to pursue measures that would infringe on the right to keep and bear arms,” Ricketts stated in the proclamation. “Nebraska will stand up against federal overreach and attempts to regulate gun ownership and use in the Good Life.”
https://omaha.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/gov-ricketts-designates-nebraska-as-sanctuary-state-for-gun-rights/article_e8e64502-9d3b-11eb-a063-4fca6c88eaf8.html

Seriously? Is this where we are at in 2021? There’s equal paranoia among the people who think their guns are going to be taken away and the people who are afraid of being shot by them. But the scary thing is right now, it’s the latter that is winning and not the former. With things like this, expect mass shootings to get that much worse. And as we said, Nebraska isn’t an isolated incident here. In fact, his administration just proposed that a “2nd Amendment Preservation Act”. Do we really need this? NO!

Gov. Pete Ricketts on Wednesday signed a proclamation declaring Nebraska a ‘Second Amendment Sanctuary State.’

“The White House and U.S. Congress have announced their intention to pursue measures that would infringe on the right to keep and bear arms,” Ricketts said in a tweet. “Nebraska will stand up against federal overreach and attempts to regulate gun ownership and use in the Good Life.”

A growing number of Nebraska counties have declared themselves as sanctuaries, a way to combat perceived efforts by the federal government to enact and enforce certain gun control measures.

Seward County joined several others this week in making a similar declaration.

A legislative bill from Sen. Steve Halloran dubbed the Second Amendment Preservation Act was introduced earlier this year with the same aim.
https://www.klkntv.com/ricketts-declares-nebraska-a-second-amendment-sanctuary-state/

But this poses an interesting question and potential SCOTUS case down the road – can these radical ideas trump federal laws? Well it’s funny that the people who don’t believe in big government are the ones who want government to be as big as possible. Or they just flat out tell government to fuck off, as is the case here. And expect a lot more mass shootings in Nebraska once things start opening back up.

After being forced to abandon his attempt to allow permitless carry of concealed firearms in most Nebraska counties, Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon is planning a counteroffensive in 2022.

Brewer, a decorated military veteran and competitive shooter, said he will seek approval of “constitutional carry” of concealed guns statewide, not just in 90 of 93 counties as his recently revised bill would have done.

He’ll have a powerful ally, Gov. Pete Ricketts, as Brewer seeks for Nebraska to join 20 other states, including Iowa, Missouri and Kansas, in rescinding the current state law that requires state approval of a concealed carry permit, after a background check and completion of a gun safety course.

“There’s good momentum for it right now,” Brewer said. “And next year is an election year. We’ll get a really clear up-and-down vote on the Second Amendment.
https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/nebraska-state-senator-pledges-new-bill-to-allow-permitless-carry-of-concealed-firearms-statewide/article_f12a0e03-334a-570e-ac5a-ea8ff313db1d.html

Now here’s where gun nuts are getting creative. It’s not enough that they’re calling it “concealed carry”, they’ve changed the terminology to “constitutional carry”. But nonetheless, this is having a ripple effect in the Cornhusker State. Pete Ricketts it seems has made him some powerful allies and also some equally powerful enemies. Don’t question the gun lobby or they will come after you.

More Nebraska counties have approved resolutions declaring themselves “sanctuary” Second Amendment counties.

On Tuesday, the Adams, Harlan and Polk county boards all unanimously approved the resolution.

Kearney County Clerk Myra Johnson said the Board of Supervisors discussed the resolution at its Tuesday meeting but will not vote on it until its May 4 meeting.

York County Clerk Kelly Turner said the Board of Commissioners also discussed the Second Amendment sanctuary resolution and will consider it at its May 4 meeting.

The proclamation comes as President Joe Biden recently announced a plan to address gun violence. The “sanctuary” designation allows for counties not to enforce federal gun laws they consider too restrictive.
https://nebraska.tv/news/local/more-nebraska-counties-approved-second-amendment-sanctuary-resolutions

At least if the Biden administration has its’ way! But as more and more gun nuts are telling the Biden Administration where they can stick it, this is posing a very tricky legal challenge. What would happen if enough gun nuts simply rewrote the definition of gun rights? Well it’s something that could go all the way to the Supreme Court, and if it does, be afraid. Be very afraid. Because it’s starting in Nebraska and the idea is spreading to other states like wildfire.

Over the past several years, the U.S. has seen a new kind of a sanctuary movement rising — from the far right. Borrowing language from the sanctuary movement that began in the 1980s, in which U.S. cities declared themselves safe havens for undocumented immigrants, Republican-led states and localities throughout the nation are now declaring themselves "Second Amendment sanctuaries," adopting resolutions that express opposition to any form of firearms regulation.

The term "Second Amendment sanctuary" was apparently coined in 2013 by the Board of Commissioners in Carroll County, Maryland — a relatively conservative area northwest of Baltimore in an overwhelmingly Democratic state — in response to the Maryland State Firearms Act, which instituted a series of gun reforms. From those modest beginnings, the Second Amendment sanctuary movement has seen exponential growth in recent years. According to the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, since 2018 nearly 270 counties across the country have passed resolutions declaring themselves part of the movement. Last year, The Trace found that 400 municipalities in 20 states had drafted resolutions — and the numbers have only risen since then.

More recently, the movement has seen support from entire state governments. Earlier this month, Texas Gov. Rick Abbott, a Republican, vowed to make the entire Lone Star State a Second Amendment sanctuary following President Biden's announcement of executive actions addressing "ghost guns," or unregistered firearms that can be assembled at home. Biden's announcement also provoked Nebraska's passage of a similar resolution last week, in which the state promised to "stand up against federal overreach." Last month, the Arizona legislature also passed its own resolution, declaring that the state will, as an Arizona Republic op-ed put it, "ignore any federal gun law it doesn't like."
https://www.salon.com/2021/04/20/do-pro-gun-second-amendment-sanctuaries-threaten-a-constitutional-crisis/

Giving gun rights more rights than people and possibly making our already dire gun situation in this country that much worse. That’s Nebraska governor Pete Ricketts – yet another politician to add to the back catalog of:

[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Welcome back to the segment that attempts to explain the unexplainable, Conspiracy Corner! We of course are coming to you live from our underground bunker deep within the New Mexico badlands – undisclosed location of course! Let me just adjust my tin foil hat for maximum government interference – they are trying to read our thoughts after all – ah there we go! This week we might have an actual conspiracy brewing! And it involves our old friends in Project Veritas. Yes, that conservative sting operation owned and operated by professional tool James O’Keefe may have finally stepped in it big time! How you may ask? By setting FBI agents up on wired dates, and the women recording them to say anything bad about Trump. Which would prove… absolutely nothing. They’re allowed to have opinions too! Here’s how that went down.

Project Veritas, the shadowy yet wildly incompetent far-right group that stages sting operations to film and release hoax exposés on liberals, enlisted a British spy to help run an operation intended to discredit the FBI and suspected enemies within Donald Trump’s administration, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

The Ouroboros of an operation, which involved efforts to smear Trump’s own advisers, reportedly involved a $10,000 a month base of operations in a Georgetown residence, female operatives recruited to date FBI staffers, and former British spy Richard Seddon—who Project Veritas affiliate and mercenary contractor Erik Prince previously enlisted to help the group infiltrate labor unions and political campaigns. The Times reported that Project Veritas operatives launched surveillance of FBI employees in the hopes of recording something that could be twisted into evidence of an FBI conspiracy to dethrone Trump. Some of its members also planned a sting operation to send a woman with a hidden camera to meet with then-national security adviser H.R. McMaster with an identical objective, though the Times noted it they couldn’t verify Project Veritas actually directed it.

The Times report also doesn’t assert that Trump or the White House was actually aware of the effort, though one of the amateur agents claimed they had access to inside information:
https://gizmodo.com/project-veritas-reportedly-turned-its-feckless-smear-ma-1846891091

OK… now that I got that off of my chest, here’s how ridiculously stupid of an organization Project Veritas is. Sure they may have got lucky attempting to expose anti-Trump bias in organizations like CNN, but that’s expected. Now they’re attempting to go after the big guys in the FBI. You can’t spy on the spies, they know all of your dirty tricks! You’re wearing a wire? They’ve probably got wires in places you haven’t even thought of! And come on, all of their sting operations haven’t really got anyone fired. They’ve just ended with “So what?”.

A conservative activist group, helped by a former British spy, secretly surveilled government employees during the Trump administration with the goal of discrediting perceived enemies of former President Trump, The New York Times reported, citing people and documents on the matter.
Project Veritas — with aid from a former British spy and Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater — was part of a campaign that involved surveillance operations against members of the FBI.

The overall effort, the Times wrote, also included a plan for a sting operation against Trump’s former national security adviser H.R. McMaster that involved some Veritas staffers, though Veritas itself has denied any involvement with that plot.

Both, the Times alleged, were intended to reveal anti-Trump sentiments.

A spokesperson for Project Veritas did not comment on the Times story but pointed to a video posted to YouTube featuring James O’Keefe, the head of Project Veritas.
https://thehill.com/homenews/media/553489-project-veritas-ex-british-spy-surveilled-government-employees-to-expose-anti

So what if they had exposed anti-Trump bias? It’s no secret that Trump had one of the lowest approval ratings since the office of the American president has existed. Except among his own fans where he had a 150% approval rating. Did I do that math right? Eh doesn’t matter in this case. But the thing is that Project Veritas may have stepped in it big time. But think of it this way – imagine if the 3 Stooges ran an intelligence agency and you might have something vaguely resembling Project Veritas.

There’s never a good result when you concoct a screenplay in which Machiavelli’s The Prince will be acted out by the Three Stooges. But the evidence is piling up that something like that was what passed for a national government in this country for four years. The New York Times gives us a deeper look at what a snake pit Camp Runamuck was, albeit a snake pit that sheltered some of the dumbest, clumsiest snakes in all of snakedom, a writhing ball of Buffoon Vipers.

This, of course, was exactly the plan that Gordon Liddy presented to John Mitchell with regard to his plans to blackmail delegates at the 1972 Democratic National Convention, except that Liddy was going to rent a yacht. On one of the White House tapes, White House counsel John Dean told President Richard Nixon:

This was what Camp Runamuck handed over to…James O’Keefe. (Comparing O’Keefe to Liddy is like comparing Huckleberry Hound to the Hound of the Baskervilles.) And it was reportedly directed first at H.R. McMaster, then the national security advisor. Which does not mean there was no real muscle behind the effort.

O’Keefe is a burlesque figure, but Seddon and Prince are serious people, Prince being one of the least excusable human beings on the planet. And then there is some dynastic ratfcking going on in there, too.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a36423531/trump-allies-discredit-enemies-ex-spy/

But here’s the thing – what good does Project Veritas do as an organization? None. What are they trying to prove? Nothing. And who are they proving it to? Just the MAGA fanbase who use it as an excuse to get away with whatever they want. And that’s exactly what these douchebags do. They are attempting to use anti-Trump bias as a way of riling up the base and claim that the other side is against conservatives by stifling free speech. Here’s the real deal – nobody likes boorish jackasses, and that’s exactly what Trump is! Do you get that, Project Veritas? And of course the smear artists would claim that people are smearing them back. Guess it takes one to know one?

A new report indicates that Project Veritas and a former British spy used a $10,000-a-month home in Georgetown as their home base in a campaign to the FBI and people they believed were the enemies of former President Donald Trump.

According to the New York Times, the conservative activist group plotted against H.R. McMaster – Trump’s national security advisor – and tried to expose anti-Trump sentiments in the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe described the Times' story as a smear piece.

O'Keefe is currently suing the paper over their portrayal of Project Veritas' reporting on alleged voter fraud in Minnesota's 5th Congressional district - which is represented by Ilhan Omar.
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/project-veritas-ex-spy-tried-to-discredit-trumps-enemies-report

[font size="8"]I Need A Drink
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Hey everyone I don’t know about you but I could really use a drink!

Of course you know that the idea behind this segment is that we have some drinks, and while we are drinking we discuss literally anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics, and also COVID since we are still in a pandemic. This week we’re going to discuss celebrity trolling. Look, don’t do it. It won’t end well for you. So tell me bartender, what goes well with a story about trolling? Troll juice? I mean really what’s in that? Blue curacao and green food coloring? Um yeah no I will just stick with my regular Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. Well this week, not one but two trolls were in the news this week for very different reasons. I mean if you can’t trust Chrissy Tiegan or Ellen DeGeneres, who can you trust in this wacky world in which we currently live? No one? I thought so.

Model Chrissy Teigen has apologized for her tweets insulting fellow model Courtney Stodden and messages telling Stodden to kill themselves. In her apology, Teigen said she was an "insecure, attention seeking troll" when she published the offending messages in 2011 and 2012.

The tweets were sent after Stodden's 2011 marriage to 50-year-old actor Doug Hutchison. Stodden (who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns) was 16 years old at the time. Their mother gave them permission for the wedding. Stodden said numerous media members publicly shamed them as a slut after the wedding.

Around that time, Teigen tagged Stodden in public tweets saying that they looked "like an idiot" and were "so effing weird." Stodden said that Teigen also sent them private messages telling Stodden to kill themselves and wishing they were dead. Stodden was a teenager at the time.

"Not a lot of people are lucky enough to be held accountable for all their past bullshit in front of the entire world," Teigen said in a series of tweets published Wednesday. "I'm mortified and sad at who I used to be."
https://www.newsweek.com/chrissy-teigen-says-she-was-insecure-attention-seeking-troll-courtney-stodden-apology-1591027

Holy shit!!! That is some seriously vicious trolling there. And that caused me to do my first spit take in all the times we’ve been doing this by the way. Apologies to the clean up crew. Anyway back to drinking, so yeah that happened. And of course we love to show you that actions have consequences, and of course Chrissy Teigan’s actions have some series consequences. Of course I do dabble in cooking, and I had no idea that Mrs. Teigan, wife of John Legend, has a cooking line! Or had one.

Chrissy Teigen’s cookware line has been taken down from Macy’s website just days after she apologized for being a troll who encouraged Courtney Stodden to take a “dirt nap.”

The former supermodel’s Cravings by Chrissy Teigen line — already dropped by Target — was marked “unavailable” on Macy’s website by early Sunday, according to The Sun.

By Monday, while the Cravings line still registers in the search box, it appeared to be now completely offline, with a message telling shoppers, “We couldn’t find a match for your search.”

It comes just days after Teigen — who has two kids with husband John Legend — issued a groveling apology for her attacks on Stodden, who accused her of encouraging suicide.
https://pagesix.com/2021/05/17/chrissy-teigens-cookware-pulled-from-macys-website-after-scandal/

Ah thank you, I needed that! So yeah actions do have consequences and that’s what we like to show you in this segment. But another celebrity who’s been accused of vicious trolling is Ellen DeGeneres. Now you know that her talk show is ending this year. Wait, people still watch that show? But how could a show that emphasizes its’ message of people being kind to each other devolve into such a toxic work environment? Well come on, have you been alive in 2021?

In her first on-air appearances since announcing the end of her eponymous daytime talk show, Ellen DeGeneres called the press cycle around allegations of toxicity at her workplace “orchestrated” and “misogynistic”, and elaborated on her reasons for stepping down after 19 years.

DeGeneres, 63, revealed to the Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday that the The Ellen DeGeneres Show’s upcoming 19th season, which will end in 2022, would be its last, saying the show was “just not a challenge any more”. The announcement came after months of negative press for the daytime host, following a July 2020 BuzzFeed report that detailed allegations of racial insensitivity, sexual harassment and bullying behind the scenes, based on interviews with 36 former staffers.

Asked by the Today host Savannah Guthrie on Thursday morning about the allegations, DeGeneres denied that they had factored into the decision to end the show. “If it was why I was quitting, I would have not come back this year,” she said. “I really did think about not coming back because … it was devastating,” she said of the report. “I am a kind person. I am a person who likes to make people happy.”

DeGeneres also revealed that she had learned about the allegations from the press. “I had no idea, never saw anything that would even point to that,” she told Guthrie.
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/may/13/ellen-degeneres-toxic-workplace-allegations-talk-show-ending

So Ellen of course denied the allegations of a hostile work environment. Of course that can happen when you employ hundreds of people and you don’t know exactly what every single person you employ is doing. But how can a talk show whose motto and mantra is “Be Kind” be anything but kind? And like I keep saying if you can’t trust Ellen DeGeneres or Chrissy Teigan, is there anyone out there who you can really trust? How about me? I get paid to drink on camera and you know my show is going to be fun!

Despite the "Be Kind" facade, former and current employees are calling out The Ellen DeGeneres Show for promoting a "toxic work environment" full of racism, intimidation, and fear.

A new BuzzFeed News report features interviews with one current and 10 former employees of the daytime talk show hosted by Ellen DeGeneres who all spoke anonymously about what they experienced while working on set. From a Black employee highlighting racist microagressions that resulted in her walking off the job to others claiming they were fired after taking medical leave or bereavement days to attend family funerals, they paint a picture of a behind-the-scenes culture that clashes with the onscreen values touted by the show.

"That 'be kind' bulls--- only happens when the cameras are on. It’s all for show," one former employee said. "I know they give money to people and help them out, but it’s for show."

In the report, a Black female former employee detailed the racist comments and actions she experienced while working there for a year and a half, like when she was hired, a senior-level producer told her and another Black employee, "Oh wow, you both have box braids; I hope we don’t get you confused." She also said that at a work party, one of the main writers told her, "I’m sorry, I only know the names of the white people who work here," and other coworkers "awkwardly laughed it off" instead of coming to her defense.
https://ew.com/tv/ellen-degeneres-show-toxic-work-environment-report/

[font size="8"]Stupidest State
[br] [/font] [br]

16 states will enter and only one state will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!

Welcome welcome welcome!!! We are in the home stretch of this tournament here! It’s time for the Stupidest State Final Four! We have all of the four corners of stupidity and insanity very well represented here! From the Batshit Conference, the only #1 seed in the entire tournament still left standing, they barely squeaked past a strong performance from Michigan, give it up for the #1 state, Georgia! Representing the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, you know them as the home of the casino and gambling industry, their first Final Four in state history, give it up for #3 Nevada! Representing the Gun Nut Conference, they have utterly destroyed the competition so far, give it up for #2 Texas! Finally a Cinderella Story! Representing the Family Values Conference, give it up for #4 Arkansas! All four of these teams are rested and ready to tangle! Let’s go live to the floor in Phoenix for more!

[font size="4"]Flyover League Championship: Georgia Vs Nevada [/font]

[font size="2"]Georgia [/font]

The Peach State is a hot mess and they managed to squeak by Michigan last week for one reason – they are in a battle over NCAA athletes making endorsement deals and earning money. Oh the horror of an athlete actually getting paid for their work! So Brian Kemp, in his infinite wisdom – signed a bill allowing athletes to get paid for their work, but it has some huge caveats. A lot of which are very shockingly, but not surprisingly evil. And I thought conservatives hated wealth redistribution.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed a bill Thursday that will allow student athletes at colleges across the state to make money off their images.

The new law will protect student athletes from NCAA punishment if they make a profit off of their image or brand, WSBTV reported. The bill will take effect July 1.

“I think it’s just a sign of things to come and gives us another tool in the toolbox. And sure this issue will develop over the years,” Kemp said. “Thanks to [the bill], student athletes from across the country will have Georgia on their mind when they’re looking for a campus and a university that can give them a world-class education but also the chance to compete at the highest levels of college athletics.”

But there is a caveat: The new law includes a provision giving universities wide discretion over funds, allowing a respective institution to take up to 75 percent of an athlete’s endorsement, according to Yahoo News. The money could then be placed on hold in an escrow account or pooled for athletes who can withdraw the year after they graduate or leave the school.
https://thehill.com/changing-america/enrichment/education/552301-new-law-lets-georgia-college-athletes-get-paid-for

Yeah 75%! So yeah you can make money as an athlete but you just won’t get to keep any of it! Oh and by the way in case you’re wondering just what kind of criminal racket they’re running in Georgia – it really is a criminal racket! In fact a Regent of the University of Georgia got busted on running a racketeering charge along with running a ponzi scheme. Are these the people who you really want in charge of wealth distribution?

Former Board of Regents member Dean Alford was indicted Tuesday on several charges involving allegations he ran a Ponzi scheme that bilked investors out of several million dollars, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr’s office announced Tuesday.

Alford was charged with five counts of forgery, one count of racketeering, one count of computer forgery and one count of criminal attempt. The racketeering charge has a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors say Alford created fake invoices, contracts, and other documents to show that his company was owed money from state agencies and forged the signatures of state employees on those contracts and other documents. Alford wanted to obtain approximately $1.7 million by selling fake accounts receivable invoices valued at approximately $2.2 million, prosecutors say.

Efforts to contact Alford were unsuccessful Tuesday.

“Acts of fraud and corruption have no place in Georgia’s state government,” Deputy Attorney General for the Prosecution Division John Fowler said in a statement. “Those who are trusted to be public servants must discharge their duties ethically and honestly, and when they do not, this office and our law enforcement partners will hold them accountable.”

Read more: https://www.ajc.com/education/former-georgia-regent-indicted-on-racketeering-forgery-charges/2O6SBJGU3FHDBIO3GQXDVLTWWE/?outputType=amp

[font size="2"]Nevada [/font]

Last we checked in on the Silver State, they were still reeling from virus related shutdowns that affected most of the casino, gambling, and lodging industry, or about 95% of Nevada’s tourism industry. But there is some good news and some light at the end of what’s seeming like a very long tunnel – Burning Man is finally coming back! Yes that festival of debauchery in the desert has long been a staple of northern Nevada tourism and Reno really missed it last year. So much that it nearly broke the city. But now here’s what is happening.

Burning Man festival organizers have said that they are considering requiring attendees to prove they have been vaccinated for COVID-19 if the organizers move forward with plans to hold this year’s counter-culture festival in the Nevada desert.

The organizers backed off an earlier statement indicating that they had already decided to make the shots mandatory. They say they won’t decide for sure until the end of the month whether the event that was canceled last year because of the pandemic will take place this summer.

Burning Man CEO Marian Goodell said in a video message posted on the group’s web site on April 8 that “vaccines will be required to come to Burning Man.” She erroneously said at that time that the state of Nevada requires that people have proof of being vaccinated at large gatherings.

She acknowledged last weekend in an updated statement on the group's web site that she “misspoke.”

Read more: https://wacotrib.com/news/national/burning-man-mulling-mandatory-covd-19-vaccines-for-august/article_4c78b574-2055-5a1b-9d95-2265d6a06528.html

Yeah I wonder how exactly they are going to enforce this? Look we’re all vying to go back to our old lives and for good reason. But there is some good news too on the horizon! Remember that high speed rail line between LA and Vegas that’s been touted for years? Or as Fox News called it – “The Disneyland To Vegas” route? It’s a go! So we can all hop on the party train next year! Well, maybe, hopefully!

A top executive behind a high-speed rail project that would lay tracks between Las Vegas and Southern California contends construction is on schedule to start in the second quarter of this year.

However, Brightline West CEO Mike Reininger did not give the Reno Gazette Journal a definitive date on when shovels would strike dirt to commence the 170-mile Vegas-to-Victorville, California route.

“The world changed as a result of the pandemic, but we continued to work wherever we possibly could towards advancing the ball,” Reininger said. "The project remains a very high priority for us."

Brightline, the country’s only privately owned passenger railroad, sent a letter to the Nevada High-Speed Rail Authority in January and revealed the pandemic year created significant hurdles to fund the train expected to reach top speeds of 200 mph.

Read more: https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2021/04/09/brightline-ceo-vegas-la-high-speed-rail-line-track-2021/7161675002/

[font size="2"]And The Winner Is: [/font]

Not a contest! Georgia utterly routes Nevada! They are up by 27 with less than a minute to go, they are just showboating for the crowd. Georgia has the ball, it’s in! They defeat Nevada by a score of 30 to win the Layover League! Final score: 91 – 61! That was a beatdown! Cut the net guys, you earned it!

[font size="4"]Layover League Championship: Texas Vs Arkansas [/font]

[font size="2"]Texas [/font]

The Lone Star State isn’t the king of the Gun Nut Conference for a reason! They may duke it out with their conference rivals in Florida, but this year Texas has literally every other state beat when it comes to guns. In the last one we mentioned that Texas has something like 10,000 pieces of pro-gun, NRA sponsored legislation in the works. But you know what else Texas has in droves? Neo Nazis! That’s right – rural Texas is a hotbed of racism and white supremacy, but their rallies always attract a crowd!

White nationalists and neo-Nazis in North Texas haven’t put on an impressive show of force lately. Last month in Fort Worth, the three or four people who came out to protest under the “White Lives Matter” banner were outnumbered by counter-protesters.

Unable to get bodies in the streets for their cause, consistently outnumbered by anti-racists and anti-fascists, and under the watchful eye of the feds, far-right groups in North Texas have gone back to simply putting up propaganda stickers and spray painting graffiti.

This week, white nationalist groups on the messaging app Telegram posted photos of far-right and racist stickers they’d put on lampposts, walls, crosswalk signs and other surfaces, including in Dallas, Fort Worth and Frisco.

The Telegram channels for the local far-right “White Lives Matter” group and the white nationalist Patriot Front are among those spreading the propaganda.

In Dallas and Fort Worth, Patriot Front spray-painted stencil graffiti that reads “Not Stolen, Conquered,” ostensibly disputing the notion that the genocide of Native Americans was, in fact, bad. Another stencil reads “Reject Poison,” with an X painted over images of a pot leaf, a syringe and pills. (They sound like they'd be a real hit at parties.)

Read more: https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/unable-to-get-people-to-protest-north-texas-neo-nazis-resort-to-stickers-and-graffiti-12021144

Yeah where are those guys when you need them? And speaking of groups who you don’t tell anybody that you belong to, Q Anon! Yes, just like Neo Nazis, the Q cult has a very strong hold in Texas, and they are growing in numbers. To the point where they are having their own convention, which is really just a way to funnel money into Sidney Powell’s pockets! But still… you know how to give any group importance is to throw a convention! I’m a beer drinker, we have our own convention. Just saying!

Although we’re not exactly sure where, the QAnon-affiliated For God & Country Patriot Roundup is supposedly still on in Dallas over Memorial Day weekend.

The lineup of speakers includes retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, the ex-national security adviser to former President Donald Trump, and Sidney Powell, formerly a lawyer for both Flynn and Trump.

With admission ranging between $500-$1,000, some of the proceeds are set to go to Powell’s nonprofit, Defending the Republic. Organizers say the high price, in part, will weed out potential infiltrators. Powell has called her nonprofit a legal defense fund to protect the integrity of U.S. elections.

She and several others were sued by Dominion Voting Systems, a Denver-based voting technology vendor, for spreading lies the company aided in stealing the election from former President Donald Trump. (There is no evidence the election was rigged.)

Read more: https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/sidney-powells-questionable-nonprofit-to-receive-proceeds-from-dallas-q-convention-12022363

[font size="2"]Arkansas [/font]

The Arkansas Razorbacks aren’t in their second Layover League championship for nothing. Their Family Values credentials are strong. In fact they really don’t seem to give a shit that COVID is still ravaging the state, even one year into this thing. They’re fully open and they don’t care if you don’t wear a mask or not. But as much as Arkansas seems intent on wooing the Family Values crowd, they also seem intent on upping Texas in their quest to kill as many people as possible! They also really hate vaccine passports, too!

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday signed into law measures preventing state and local governments from requiring the coronavirus vaccine or proof of vaccination in order to access services.

The ban on requiring a vaccine would also prohibit it as a condition of unemployment. The measure includes some exceptions, such as state-owned medical facilities, if approved by Legislative Council.

The other measure prohibits “passport vaccines” in order to access goods or services. Federal officials have said there is no plan to require them broadly, but some Republican governors have issued orders preventing businesses or agencies from mandating them.

“These bills confirm my position that there should not be a COVID-19 vaccine requirement as a condition of employment in state government," Hutchinson said in a statement. “It does make certain exemptions and it specifically exempts private businesses so they can make their own decision.”

https://www.thv11.com/article/news/politics/arkansas-governor-signs-bills-banning-vaccine-requirements/91-cd7bc31f-1237-4931-87c8-ad1fa91c290d

No but I’m sure this is how the zombie apocalypse starts. Goodbye everybody! It was nice knowing society while it lasted! And you know what else? Arkansas has become the latest state to declare itself a safe space for gun rights. Come on, you know we think this is one of the dumbest things conservatives have ever come up with. So yeah while they elect people in the name of abortion, these guys exhibit anything but the family values they champion.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Wednesday that he'll sign a bill that would bar state and local law officers from helping enforce new and future federal gun restrictions — a move critics say would be unconstitutional and create confusion about which gun limits the state does recognize.

The new legislation, which is a scaled back version of a bill Hutchinson vetoed, declares invalid in the state any federal gun restrictions enacted on or after Jan. 1, 2021, that violate the constitutional right to bear arms. Lawmakers voted largely along party lines early Wednesday to send the measure to the Republican governor for his consideration.

"It is tough and sends a message that we will protect the 2nd Amendment in Arkansas, but it supports law enforcement and will not jeopardize our critical partnerships in public safety," Hutchinson said in a statement.

Republicans in Arkansas and elsewhere have sought to preempt any federal gun control measures that President Joe Biden's administration might pursue, despite questions about the constitutionality of such legal maneuvering.

Read more: https://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/arkansas/story/2021/apr/29/arkansas-governor-sign-bill-nullifying-gun-restrictions/869138/

[font size="2"]And The Winner Is: [/font]

Oh man this was a close one! Way closer than I thought! Arkansas was up with 3 minutes left, but then Texas came back with 9 unanswered points and 2 free throws. Arkansas has the ball with one minute left… they shoot, they miss! Texas has taken the Flyover League by 9 points! Final score: 88 – 79! Texas moves onto the championship to face Georgia! Wow, what a game!

[font size="4"]Next Week: [/font]

It’s the Stupidest State Championships! We will be live from our Phoenix bubble with the game, the closing ceremonies, the presentation of the trophy, the locker room celebration, and most importantly that song that we all know and love! It’s getting exciting, folks!!

See you next week for our season finale!

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May 13, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #10-14: The Trouble With Truthers Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #10-14: The Trouble With Truthers Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! How’s everybody doing? Oh man it’s great to finally have an audience again! Once we get live music back everything will be set! I know we promised that the Wheel Of Corruption is coming back but unfortunately it’s not going to happen this week, but I think we’ll bring it back during season 11. So do we have time for the thing? Of course we do! Look can we talk about celebrities for a minute? Sure? OK! Well hey it’s my show and you’re just her e in the audience. So please explain to me why we suddenly need to care about Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez again? Yeah yeah I know that South Park episode. But really, I thought we’d be past this sort of thing by 2021 but I guess there’s no stopping tabloid journalism. I mean just ask Harry and Meagan. Oh come on, too soon? And I know that I might seem like I’m “not cool” because I don’t care about the sex lives of the stars of movies and TV I watch, but still… fuck this. But you know one thing I know we definitely don’t need to relieve again? The movie Gigli. Because that is still one of the worst movies ever made and it’s one of the reasons why the Razzie Awards exist. Well I’m happy that Ben was able to make time for Ms. Lopez given both of their busy schedules. And that they could make time for each other. That said… there’s always room for J. Lo!!! YAY!!!! Oh man that felt good! OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and he discusses racial discrimination in the form of your hairstyle. This is why I love Last Week Tonight!

&t=14s

Where do we begin this week? Well the top slot this week is going to Fox News (1). After a Capitol Rioter claims that Fox News had addictive qualities to it, we are going to take a deep look into this subject and he’s probably right! Taking the second slot this week is the GOP (2) and the same people who are railing about “cancel culture” are actively trying to cancel anyone’s notions that slavery was bad, and we all knew that’s where they were heading! Taking the number 3 slot this week is the Former Guy (3). Yes, the Former Guy attempted to get back on Facebook but was denied by Facebook’s oversight committee, and his attempt to get back on Twitter backfired on him big time! In the #4 slot this week is Caitlyn Jenner (4). Now that the CA governor’s recall is heating up, Jenner has been making the talk show rounds and her first interview on Hannity was the stuff of insanity! Hey, that rhymes! In the #5 slot this week is our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates (5) and this week we have to take a look at an insane story out of England – why was Boris Johnson’s private phone number made public for 15 years before someone caught it? It’s a clusterfuck of epic proportions and there’s way more to this story than you might think! In the number 6 slot this week is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit”, and this week our resident pastor is becoming increasingly alarmed at the far right’s claims about genocide and is going to debunk some of the crazier myths out there! Taking the number 7 slot this week we’ve got a new “How Is This Still A Thing” and this week after Tom Cruise turned in his HFPA awards due to their discrimination policies, we’re going to ask – “The Golden Globes: How Is This Still A Thing?”! In the number 8 slot this week we have a new edition of our segment that attempts to explain the unexplainable, Conspiracy Corner (8) and this week the winner of the Kentucky Derby was caught cheating – and what does the owner of the horse blame it on? Cancel culture! No, dude, it’s you. It’s all you. In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week we have a new People Are Dumb because of course they are! Finally this week it’s time for Stupidest State 2021! This week it’s Round 2 Week 4 which means it’s time for the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference Championships! #2 Wyoming is set to take on #3 Nevada in a winner take all quest to go for broke! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

[div style="padding: 20px; background-color: #ffffff; border-radius: 10px; box-shadow: 0px 2px 4px 1px #aaa;"][div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-weight: bold; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999; padding-bottom: 8px;"]

[font size="8"]Fox News
[br] [/font] [br]

For this entry we decided to do something a bit different. The thing is we’ll probably never hear the end of the Capitol Riots because of how many people were there. But a claim made by a guy who got arrested for participating in the insurrection this week really made us begin thinking about this subject and it’s really not that far off! The claim made by this rioter said that Fox News had addictive qualities and we’re going to explore this subject in detail. But here’s what happened. A man who was arrested at the Capitol Riot claims that he had a serious case of “Fox-itis” and that he watched so much Fox News that he believed everything they said. So how true is it?

Anthony Antonio, who is accused of being part of the 6 January Capitol riot, apologised and claimed part of what inspired him was a steady stream of misinformation coming from conservative TV news and former President Donalf Trump.

His lawyers have previously said he had a case of “Fox-itis” from watching too much Fox News and believed the election was stolen.

"I shouldn’t have been there that day. I shouldn’t have been involved on those Capitol steps," Mr Antonio, 27, told CNN on Monday, telling anchor Chris Cuomo he "got wrapped up in what was being told to me, and what was on TV”.

The network’s hosts and guests made frequent, baseless allegations that the 2020 presidential election wasn’t legitimate throughout election season.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/anthony-antonio-cnn-capitol-riot-b1845847.html

Whoa, that one couldn’t be more perfect for this entry! So yeah it’s a serious problem. I’m sure that everyone in the audience here and those of you who are viewing at home know someone who has Fox News on in every TV in their house and even listens to the Fox News channel on XM while they’re driving around in their car. Now that’s an addiction! Can it be serious? Oh yes! Can it be fatal? Well let’s ask the people involved in the Capitol Insurrection. Or the victims of the Unite The Right rally in 2017 (see: Top 10 #3-10. Or any of the hundreds of other rallies in the last 4 years. But this claim may not be that far off!

A US Capitol riot defendant whose lawyer says he was hooked on Fox News and developed "Foxitis" said Monday evening that he had "believed that America was being robbed of a President" when he participated in the insurrection.

Anthony Antonio, who is charged with five federal crimes related to the riot, told CNN's Chris Cuomo on "Prime Time" that he "got wrapped up in what was being told to me, and what was on TV" and as a result "truly believed that (former President Donald Trump) won the election."

"As of right now, I acknowledge, I know that Joe Biden is our President. That's not a mystery; that's a fact. But, I felt like, maybe I believed that America was being robbed of a president," Antonio said. "And I now know that that was a lie."

The charges against Antonio include violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and destruction of government property. He has not yet entered a plea.

His court proceedings drew considerable attention last week when his lawyer, Joseph Hurley, said Antonio had lost his job at the beginning of the pandemic and for the next six months watched Fox News constantly. Antonio developed what his lawyer called "Foxitis" and "Foxmania," and believed the lies about the 2020 election from Fox News and then Trump.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/10/politics/foxitis-us-capitol-riot-cnntv/index.html?utm_term=link&utm_medium=social&utm_content=2021-05-11T13%3A00%3A07&utm_source=fbCNN

Seriously, we could use the Simpsons making fun of Fox for the duration of this clip, and they rightfully deserve every bit of shit that they get. Especially when the misinformation they peddle 24 hours a day on programs like Hannity, Tucker Carlson, and Jeannie Pirro is dangerous and can have long lasting implications. But it’s unlikely that Mr. Antonio will be able to claim the insanity defense and use Foxitis as his defense. But this is shedding light on something very interesting.

For decades a debilitating disease has been spreading across America. Risk factors include being over 65, Republican and white. Symptoms include unhinged muttering, delusional thinking and an irresistible urge to storm the Capitol. The disease is called “Foxitis” and a lawyer called Joseph Hurley, who is representing alleged US Capitol rioter Anthony Antonio, wants us to believe his client is suffering from it.

Antonio lost his job at the beginning of the pandemic and spent the next six months sitting at home watching Fox, Hurley told a DC court on Thursday. “He became hooked with what I call ‘Foxitis’ or ‘Foxmania’ and … started believing what was being fed to him.” According to Hurley, Fox brainwashed Antonio into believing Trump wanted him to march on Washington as part of a patriotic movement.” Now Antonio is facing five charges over his role in the January riot.

It seems unlikely that Hurley’s inspired defense will get Antonio off the hook. Particularly as a number of alleged Capitol rioters have, in a similar move, already unsuccessfully tried to blame the former president for their actions: a tactic that has become known as the “Trump defense”. (Gotta love rightwingers! While they love to talk about individual responsibility, they seem incapable of taking any themselves.) That said, while it may not end up getting a judge’s seal of approval, “Foxitis” is no joke. Unlike affluenza, another disease-defense dreamed up by a lawyer, Foxitis is something we should all take very seriously indeed.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/may/08/fox-news-deadly-disease-foxitis-arwa-mahdawi

OMG this is too damn good! And I mean I was worried we wouldn’t have enough material for this entry but it’s definitely proving me wrong! But here’s the thing – the Foxitis defense may not work in real life but it’s almost like you can instantly tell which of your friends and neighbors watches Fox. If you’re at a function and someone starts going off about male athletes posing as female to win competitions, or starts bashing education, it’s a pretty clear what they have on the boob tube!

(CNN)Some criminal defendants will say just about anything to try to evade responsibility for their actions, blaming anyone or anything but themselves for the situation they find themselves in.

A defendant in the January 6 insurrection, Anthony Antonio, made headlines recently when his lawyer claimed that Antonio's significant consumption of the Fox News Channel was responsible for his participation in the siege on the Capitol, resulting in five federal criminal charges against him.

The lawyer called it "Foxitis" and "Foxmania," suggesting that Antonio's steady diet of Fox misinformation in the weeks after the 2020 election convinced him that the election was stolen.

When Antonio recently spoke to CNN's Chris Cuomo about his case, he confirmed that as a result of what he was watching on TV at the time, he believed falsely that the election had been stolen from President Donald Trump.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/11/opinions/capitol-riot-foxitis-defense-rodgers/index.html

[font size="8"]Matt Gaetz & Marjorie Taylor Greene
[br] [/font] [br]

Hey kids! Remember Nazism? Remember those good old fashioned values of extreme hate and racism and corporate greed that fueled the Nazi party’s wildest desires? Well, guess what? They’re making a comeback under the name “Make America Great Again”! And I mean come on, does this base really need to be riled up? They’ve already got 1500 radio stations, 3 24 hour TV networks, and one former president who won’t shut up! You know we’ve all been cooped up at home too long and we’re eager to get back out on the road, but is this a road show we needed? But there is some good news in all of this is that it’s showing the GOP for what it really is, and the future they want is definitely not the future that the rest of us want!

There's a sort of time warp going on at The Villages, the enormous retirement community in Florida.

On streets made up to look like small-town Main Streets, it's maybe an idealized, slickly varnished version of the 1950s — albeit with legions of golf carts.

At a hotel ballroom on Friday night, it was something like 2017.

"I just got to check something; I just want to make sure I'm in the right place. Tell me, who is your president?" Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene yelled to a packed ballroom of mostly maskless supporters.

"Donald Trump!" they yelled in response.

"That's my president, too," she said, to cheers.

Greene, the freshman congresswoman from Georgia, was there with Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz to kick off what they say will be a series of America First rallies.
https://www.npr.org/2021/05/10/995285714/a-look-at-the-gop-from-inside-a-matt-gaetz-marjorie-taylor-greene-rally

You know maybe comparing them to Hitler is going too far. Or is it? you know this is the Trouble With Truthers – they can’t take reality seriously! But what this really is, is not just the ramblings of two batshit crazy people. It’s a raging racist gymnasium owner and an about to be convicted of some really heinous crimes sex offender. But why did they pick The Villages as the place to start this campaign? That seems like a very odd choice but whatever.

Marjorie Taylor Greene will join Matt Gaetz to kick off their “America First Tour” at the retirement community known as The Villages, a major Republican base.

The two controversial Republicans say they are coming together on 7 May to push back against Democrats and call out fellow Republicans who they think did not support former president Donald Trump, such as the 10 House members who voted to impeach him after the Capitol riots.

Mr Gaetz said they will also work against Joe Biden’s border policy with Mexico, “taking on the threat of the Chinese Communist Party” and “ensuring real election integrity”, reported the Washington Examiner.

Florida representative Mr Gaetz is facing federal investigations for an alleged sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and accusations that he violated federal sex trafficking by paying for prostitutes. He has consistently denied the charges.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/marjorie-greene-matt-america-first-b1840029.html

OK… enough with the Hitler comparisons already! But really where are the Basterds when you need them? But seriously this has got to be the worst tour ever. I mean would you want to wear a shirt with the tour dates on the back in public? I know I wouldn’t! And while this may seem like an unlikely duo, I would go as far as to say that Gaetz and Greene are the Tenacious D of Q Anon. Of course that’s an insult to Tenacious D.

Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, both controversial GOP members of Congress, are joining forces to head out on a national "America First Tour" together.

Their first stop will be on May 7 at The Villages, a conservative stronghold located in a Florida retirement community.

An hour north of Orlando, the community advertises itself as a "collection of quaint retirement neighborhoods located in the heart of Florida nestled between two beautiful coastlines." Its 115,000 residents are also 98% white and overwhelmingly voted for Trump in 2016.

According to a report by Politico, Gaetz announced the tour in a radio ad, asking for conservatives to join him and Greene at the May 7 event.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/matt-gaetz-marjorie-taylor-greene-032140841.html

Let’s see – I think I know where they’re going with this. 98% white, mostly voted for Former Guy, and they have serious rage issues, but don’t necessarily know why they’re angry, or who they are even angry at. Sounds like the kind of minds that Former Guy attracts! And by the way if you want to see the type of mind they’re attracting, just take a look at who’s speaking at their next engagement. If they come to a city near you, run away!

An "America First" rally with a lineup of conspiracy theorists and election deniers, to be headlined by controversial U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, is now scheduled for the fairgrounds as a public event Saturday morning.

This is an upgrade and change from initial plans announced last week to host Greene as a speaker during a private breakfast at a local restaurant.

Wilke's 14 Bones BBQ was first scheduled to host Greene and the Indian River County Republican Party, but the Vero Beach restaurant announced over the weekend that it was backing out after “threats and concerns with the safety of our employees,” according to a Facebook post by the establishment.

Owner Scot Wilke last week told TCPalm he was open to hosting anyone, regardless of political association, as long as it was not a hate group.
https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/politics/2021/04/20/rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-headlining-america-first-rally-indian-river-county/7292260002/

[font size="8"]Former Guy
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So for this story, we’ve taken the liberty of replacing all the instances of his name with “Former Guy” because he’s still a loser. Enjoy! Now that we’ve got that off our chest – the guy who inexplicably was president between #44 and #46 recently got his ass handed to him again. And I’m not talking about the ridiculously shady Arizona recount that’s going on. Instead I’m talking about the fact that he’s still banned from social media. And that’s actually a good thing that Facebook did. Because right now he’s still stroking the fires and he’s not even president. It is nice not to pay attention to him isn’t it? But seriously, Facebook, keep him banned! There is literally nothing good that will come of letting him back on social media. Do people not realize he was banned for being a boorish jackass and inciting violelnce? I mean come on!

Facebook was justified in its decision to suspend then-President Former Guy after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the company's Oversight Board said on Wednesday.

That means the company does not have to reinstate Former Guy's access to Facebook and Instagram immediately. But the panel said the company was wrong to impose an indefinite ban and said Facebook has six months to either restore Former Guy's account, make his suspension permanent, or suspend him for a specific period of time.

Facebook indefinitely suspended Former Guy's accounts in January after a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, saying he used his account to "incite violent insurrection." Other social networks also kicked off the then-president, with Twitter going as far as banning Former Guy for good.

"At the time of Mr. Former Guy's posts, there was a clear, immediate risk of harm and his words of support for those involved in the riots legitimized their violent actions," the Oversight Board wrote in the announcement of its decision. "Given the seriousness of the violations and the ongoing risk of violence, Facebook was justified in suspending Mr. Former Guy's accounts."
https://www.npr.org/2021/05/05/987679590/facebook-justified-in-banning-donald-trump-social-medias-oversight-board-rules

That’s right – he’s still banned! Cue the “ha ha” again! Oh man that felt good! Oh here’s where it gets better – Former Guy attempted to get back on social media with a new account that didn’t post anything except posting things that come from his blog where he barfs his brain. And he was found out and banned immediately. To put it in perspective using a meme from his term, his new account lasted 1/10th of a Scaramucci!

Twitter has suspended an account sharing posts from former US president Former Guy's new communications platform.

The account claimed to be tweeting "on behalf" of Mr Former Guy.

A spokesperson for the company said the account, @DJTDesk, violated the ban evasion policy by sharing content "affiliated with a suspended account."

But the BBC found similar accounts still active on the social media platform.

Mr Former Guy was permanently banned from Twitter in January after he voiced support for rioters who stormed the US Capitol.

He launched his own communications platform - titled "From the Desk of Former Guy" - on Tuesday.
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-57018148

Banned, canceled it’s the same thing. But, my friends, he’s got a website! Oh yes, he has a website now where he can say anything he wants! Can someone e-mail back in 2008 when I might have cared about such a thing? But think of all the damage he can do with a website! And if his BFF Mike Lindell has anything to do with it, his social media comeback will be an absolute disaster. I can’t wait to talk about that one next week!

Former Guy is back online.

The former president and first lady, Former First Lady, have launched a website to serve their personal offices. The website, 45office.com, comes after Former Guy's ban from social media sites in the aftermath of the January Capitol insurrection.

The site features a lengthy biography for the former president that starts, "Former Guy launched the most extraordinary political movement in history, dethroning political dynasties, defeating the Washington Establishment, and becoming the first true outsider elected as President of the United States."

It also includes more than a dozen pictures of himself, in which he is depicted boarding Air Force One, greeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and, yes, kissing a baby. Other photos are of the president and Former First Lady dancing at the inaugural ball and at black tie dinners in the White House. The website makes no mention of his two impeachment trials. It does reference how "the coronavirus plague arrived from China," and says that Former Guy "acted early and decisively to ban travel from China and Europe, which saved countless lives."
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/30/media/donald-trump-website-launch/index.html

Oh yeah? Well I’ll start my own social media site with blackjack and hookers! On second thought, forget about the social media site! But hey if you’ve got Stephen Miller as your PR advisor and Mike Lindell as your financier, what could go wrong? But the good news is that now that he’s had his megaphone taken away – Twitter and Facebook – he’s not as powerful anymore. Think of it like Spinal Tap when they went from headlining stadiums to being second billing to puppet shows. And come on, if he disables comments you know he’s up to something shady!

Four months after former President Former Guy was banished from most mainstream social media platforms, he returned to the web last Tuesday with “From the Desk of Former Guy,” essentially a blog for his musings.

A week since the unveiling, social media data suggests things are not going well.

The ex-president’s blog has drawn a considerably smaller audience than his once-powerful social media accounts, according to engagement data compiled with BuzzSumo, a social media analytics company. The data offers a hint that while Former Guy remains a political force, his online footprint is still dependent on returning to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The Desk of Former Guy is limited — users can’t comment or engage with the actual posts beyond sharing them to other platforms, an action few people do, according to the data.

Former Guy’s new blog has attracted a little over 212,000 engagements, defined as backlinks and social interactions — including likes, shares and comments — received across Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Reddit. Before the ban, a single Former Guy tweet was typically liked and retweeted hundreds of thousands of times.
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/trumps-blog-isnt-lighting-internet-rcna890

[font size="8"]Caitlyn Jenner
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For those of you who don’t live in California, allow me to school you on what happens when a California recall election happens. It brings out some crazy fucking people. And not only that, it brings out clueless people two. And I divide these people into two camps. Crazy people are people like Randy Quaid, who have announced that he’s exploring running for governor – despite that he’s a convicted felon who bailed to Canada after being accused of fraud, got blacklisted from Hollywood, and can’t reenter the state. And then there’s Caitlyn Jenner. Who has positioned herself as an “outsider” looking for “solutions”. Oh dear god. Where have we heard that one before? NOOOOOOOOOO!!!! This can’t be happening! Well yes it can! And her campaign is going swimmingly, especially with former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale at the helm. Oh this is going to be a disaster, my friends. Oh yes, just sit back and grab some popcorn and your favorite beverage of choice!

Republican candidate for California Governor Caitlyn Jenner talked up her private airplane hangar on Wednesday as she took issue with the number of homeless on local streets and set out her vision for the state.

As she criticized the Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom from her hangar near Malibu, Jenner told Fox News host Sean Hannity that a friend of hers with a hangar across the tarmac planned to leave California over its homeless problem.

The Olympic gold medalist also mentioned her private plane when the interview ended, saying that she was going to take it for a flight.

Speaking on the Hannity show last night, Jenner said: "My friends are leaving California. Actually my hangar, the guy right across, he was packing up his hangar and I said, where are you going? And he says 'I'm moving to Sedona, Arizona, I can't take it anymore. I can't walk down the streets and see the homeless.' I don't want to leave. Either I stay and fight, or I get out of here."
https://www.newsweek.com/caitlyn-jenner-airport-hangar-hannity-interview-1589095

OK… OK… OK. There’s a lot to unpack here! Here’s the thing – if you have your own private jet and you’re complaining about stepping over homeless people in your designer heels to get to your private airplane hangar, it’s about the same as if you eat a whole ton of fast food combo meals and then you complain about seeing your fat stomach hang out over your pants! The solution is painfully obvious and you’re enabling the problem. But what I love is the ensuing feud between Sean Hannity and Jimmy Kimmel. You don’t question the cult, or incur their wrath!

Sean Hannity appears to be, once again, looking to renew his feud with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. The war of words between them began in early 2018, when Hannity took offense to a joke Kimmel made about former first lady Melania Trump. Kimmel eventually called for an end to that feud claiming the amount of vitriol from all sides was “harmful to the country.” Then in December 2019, seemingly unprovoked, Hannity dared Kimmel to renew the feud. Kimmel never publicly responded.

On Monday’s Hannity, the Fox News host took exception to Kimmel slamming Caitlyn Jenner last week for comments she made about homelessness in an interview with Hannity. Sitting in her Malibu airplane hangar last Wednesday, Jenner told Hannity about a conversation she had with a fellow private plane owner who was leaving California because of the homeless problem. The comments were widely criticized, including on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

“Is it transphobic to call a trans person an ignorant a-hole?” Kimmel asked on Thursday night’s show. “Or does calling that trans person an ignorant a-hole, even though she happens to be a trans person, show that we don't discriminate against ignorant a-holes no matter their gender orientation?”

“Jimmy, what is with all the anger and all the cheap shots?” Hannity fired back. “Yeah, in case you haven’t noticed, homeless people are all over your state. And by the way, don’t you have anything better to do? Maybe actually trying to be funny or boost your dismal ratings?”
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/sean-hannity-jimmy-kimmel-ignorant-ahole-criticizing-caitlyn-jenner-062647723.html

Yeah and by the way in case you’re wondering what Ms. Jenner’s positions on the issues are, what does she think of her own former profession? Let’s say that she took the Fox News bait and is now adding to the madness about trans athletes in sports. This is a problem that affects like nobody anywhere ever, like 0.00000001% of athletes, yet somehow affects 99.99999999% of Fox News viewers! And yes this is something that is going to get way worse before it gets better, mainly because the GOP doesn’t have anything else to run on.

Caitlyn Jenner has come out against trans girls competing against biological girls in school sports.

Caught in an impromptu street interview with Disclose.TV, which describes itself as “a non-partisan online community of like-minded users who observe together how world events unfold in the great theater of our time,” Jenner addressed the issue when asked for her point of view.

Jenner, a former athlete and reality TV star who announced her own transition from Bruce Jenner in an April 2015 interview, is running in California’s gubernatorial recall election. She will sit down with Fox News’ Sean Hannity for an interview that will be telecast on May 5. It is her first with a national outlet since announcing her candidacy.

In the Disclose.tv interview, posted today to Twitter, Jenner was asked about legislation in other states that would ban biological boys who have transitioned from participating in girls sports. “This is a question of fairness,” she said. “That’s why I oppose biological boys who are trans competing in girls spots in school. It just isn’t fair. And we have to protect girls sports in our schools.”
https://deadline.com/2021/05/caitlyn-jenner-supports-banning-trans-girls-from-girls-sports-1234748372/

Oh and it gets better my friends! Yes while this campaign has gone south as I predicted it would, and we haven’t even got to the recall ratings yet, which are going in Newsom’s favor. But this could completely derail Ms. Jenner’s campaign before it even gets off the ground. While you don’t question the cult, at least don’t say you didn’t vote. Because that not only looks bad for you it looks bad for them. Even a vote for President Turd Burglar at least says you voted!

Republican gubernatorial candidate Caitlyn Jenner told CNN this week that she never voted for president in the November 2020 election and opted to golf instead because she "couldn't get excited" about the dozen measures on the California ballot. For someone seeking support in the upcoming recall, it was a head-turning statement.

Then came the head-scratcher: Los Angeles County records show she actually did cast a ballot last fall.

POLITICO reported last month that Jenner did not vote in nearly two-thirds of the elections in which she was eligible since 2000. After Jenner's latest comments to CNN aired Tuesday morning, a representative of the registrar’s office reconfirmed to POLITICO that Jenner voted — with documentation.

The issue arose when CNN’s Dana Bash asked Jenner this week if she had voted for former President Donald Trump in last year's election. Jenner is relying on former Trump aides for campaign strategy, but she had broken with the Republican president in 2018 over his positions on transgender issues.
https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2021/05/11/jenner-says-she-didnt-vote-in-2020-but-records-show-she-did-1381459

[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Boris Johnson’s Phone Number
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It’s time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!

One thing we make very clear on this program is that conservative idiocy isn’t just limited to the United States. It’s a growing problem that affects the entire world. If you’re a politician, one thing you should never do is allow your personal phone number to become public domain. Especially if you’re at the top of the food chain like British prime minister Boris Johnson is. And PM Johnson is one of those guys who has had the same mobile number forever. But how did it get out in the open as long as it has? And why has nobody done anything about it? And here’s the really crazy thing – it’s not like this was a one time incident. This has been going on for 15 years before somebody noticed that this was a problem. And in fact you actually could Google this.

Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Boris Johnson has come under considerable criticism of late regarding access to him via his mobile phone number. With figures of business able to access him directly, including using the WhatsApp messaging app, there has been considerable criticism and demands that Boris Johnson changes his mobile number. He has kept the number the same since he was a journalist, an MP, and Mayor of London. As a result, he is accessible by many he has had contact with personally and professionally. He has reportedly refused to change the number.

But something may have made him change his mind. Gossip mailout, and strong influence on Bleeding Cool, Popbitch, ran a story regarding said phone number, saying;

It's not as though the Prime Minister's personal phone number could just be floating out there on the internet, is it? It would be absolutely insane if it was tacked on to the bottom of an old press release that he dished out freely while MP for Henley, and Shadow Minister for Higher Education.

It took me seconds to Google it. Direct access to the pocket of the most powerful person in the United Kingdom. Now, obviously, I am not going to use it, not even to send him a delivery notification from John Lewis, but the fact that I could find it just by googling would suggest that anyone could find it. Even Budgie.
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/google-boris-johnson-mobile-phone-number/

Yes, there it is in all its’ glory – Boris Johnson’s personal phone number sitting at the very bottom of a 15 year old press release. But here’s where this could be a risk having this number out in the open. It presents a security risk to the entire country because then it’s quite possible that spies and scammers have got a hold of his number and it could pose a risk to members of the British House and Parliament, as well as Johnson himself.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's personal phone number was publicly available on the internet for 15 years, raising concerns that his phone could have been vulnerable to hacking by foreign agents.

The prime minister's number was attached to the bottom of a 2006 press release that was published when he was the shadow education minister.

The press release, which was promoting a pamphlet written by Johnson, invited readers to contact Johnson "directly" on his House of Commons landline or on his personal number.

The presence of the number was first reported by Popbitch, a UK gossip newsletter. The press release was subsequently deleted.

"If his mobile phone number has been that widely available, you can't rule out that others who you really don't want to have his number like hostile states with sophisticated cyber capabilities or criminal gangs may have it as well," Peter Ricketts, the former UK national security advisor, told BBC Radio 4's "Today" program.
https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-mobile-number-was-publicly-available-for-15-years-2021-4

So why take steps to protect your mobile number? Well for one thing hackers. And when you’re someone as important as Boris Johnson, the last thing you want to do is invite hackers and scammers into your realm. So what can hackers do with your phone number when it’s out in the open? Well they can do lots of things with it, and none of them are good. In fact, hackers can do a lot of damage with just your mobile phone number with very little effort.

Boris Johnson's personal phone number has been publicly available on the internet for 15 years. Listed at the bottom of a 2006 press release, the number has reportedly been accessible online from the time the prime minister was shadow higher education minister through to his rise to Number 10.

That such a high-value mobile number has been publicly available for so long has raised cybersecurity concerns. If hostile states had access to the number, it's possible they could have used it to spy on the prime minister. That would pose a serious security risk.

Hackers and cybercriminals place a high premium on our mobile phone numbers – with which they can do a lot of damage with very little effort. While there is currently no evidence that Boris Johnson's data and communications have been compromised, having your mobile phone number being freely available significantly increases your vulnerability to cyber-attacks.

One such cyber-attack is the "SIM swap" – a very common technique that's difficult to stop. It's usually used by hackers to exploit a high-value individual's exposed phone number.
https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2021/0511/1220878-mobile-phone-number-cyber-attacks-impersonation-access-surveillance/

Now you might be asking – “what happens *IF* you actually call Johnson’s phone number? Well two bloggers from the UK’s Channel 4 actually called it. What they didn’t know is that soon members of M:I-5, which is the British equivalent of the FBI, would come knocking at their door. So yes, even if you see the number, just don’t call it. Because the simple act of doing so could land you in the interrogation hot seat.

Gogglebox siblings Sophie and Pete Sandiford got the shock of their lives when they called Boris Johnson’s mobile number on this week’s episode of the Channel 4 show.

Last week it was revealed that the PM’s personal number could be found on the bottom of an old press release dating back to when he was MP for Henley and a shadow minister in 2006.

After watching a news report that revealed callers would now get an automated message saying that the phone was switched off, Sophie tried it out for herself.

But she wasn’t prepared when someone actually answered the call.

Cue Sophie hilariously lobbing the phone at her equally panicked brother.
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/gogglebox-sophie-pete-sandiford-boris-johnson-phone-call_uk_60966bbee4b0f73e530de337

That’s it this week for Top 10 Investigates! Good day!

[font size="8"]Holy Shit

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Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! It’s time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and it’s time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:

My fair congregation! You know that I’ve recently been troubled by my brothers and sisters on the right for two reasons and we’re going to explore both of these this week. The first thing that has been troubling me is the way they’re attempting to accuse the left of something as heinous as genocide, which has never, not once, ever been discussed by anyone. And the second thing is how certain members of this party are elevating themselves to prophet status! That’s right – people are claiming that they have been chosen by GAWD! It takes a special kind of crazy to elevate yourself to prophet status, then claim that your political opponents are up to something when they’re really not. I mean really these guys need to turn off the TV and put the crack pipe down. Or whatever their drug of choice that they’re smoking is. I mean really this shit is bad for you, kids!

Radical right-wing conspiracy theorist Rick Wiles used Friday’s edition of his “TruNews” broadcast to declare that COVID-19 vaccines are really part of a plot to carry out “global genocide.”

Relying entirely on an article from an obscure conspiracy theory website in India that claimed the next wave of COVID-19 will kill up to 70 percent of those who have been vaccinated, Wiles bellowed that he intends to survive this “genocide” by refusing to get vaccinated while noting that the upside of this “mass death campaign” will be that “a lot of stupid people will be killed off.”

“I am not going to be vaccinated,” Wiles said. “I’m going to be one of the survivors. I’m going to survive the genocide.”

“I am not going to allow the COVID maniacs to convince me to be vaccinated or [to] vaccinate me against my will,” he continued. “I know what I’m reading. I know what I’m seeing. There is a mass death campaign underway right now—and I don’t care what people [say], they can they write any article they want to write about me, they can do everything they can to deplatform me—I’m going to survive a global genocide.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/rick-wiles-says-covid-19-vaccines-are-a-plot-to-carry-out-global-genocide/

And that devil is anti-vaccination crusaders! Because actually *NOT* taking the vaccine means that you’re far more likely to die from a deadly disease. Just think of the stupidity that it takes for someone to stand up and say ridiculously dumb stuff like that despite that nothing happens like that anywhere on earth! But this is becoming a pattern with the right and this isn’t an isolated incident either. No, getting vaccinated does not mean that it’s like the Holocaust or Jim Crow days.

QAnon conspiracy theorist DeAnna Lorraine appeared on “The Stew Peters Show” last Thursday, where she railed against proposals to offer separate seating sections for vaccinated and non-vaccinated spectators at sporting events and other large gatherings, predictably likening it to Nazi Germany.

Lorraine, who has been an ardent COVID-19 denier and tireless anti-vaxxer from the very start of the pandemic, complained that offering separate seating sections for those who have been vaccinated is no different than Jim Crow.

“They’re gonna start dividing up their sections of sporting events, churches, and other areas of public interest and it’s gonna say vaccinated people or non-vaccinated people,” Lorraine griped. “And we know that—because there’s so many mindless sheeple out there—that the vaccinated section is going to be a hell of a lot bigger than the non-vaccinated section, but that’s how it’s going to be. So, sporting events, if you go to a baseball game, a football game, etcetera, you can expect to be put in a different section, whether you’ve been vaccinated or not.”

“I’m actually okay with it,” host Stew Peters responded, “because I don’t really want to be hanging around these vaccinated people. All this talk about transmission and shedding and all of this other stuff, I mean, this is a contagious vaccination, it’s a self-spreading vaccination.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/deanna-lorraine-complains-that-offering-different-seating-sections-to-vaccinated-spectators-is-just-like-the-holocaust-and-jim-crow/

And yes they probably do feel bad about themselves! But here’s where it gets really disturbing is when they refer to themselves as prophets. See, you can’t say ridiculously dumb stuff like vaccines are the sign of the devil without calling yourself at least a prophet, because nobody would listen to you. And I’m sure even the good LAWRD JAYSUS is rolling his eyes about as far into the back of his head as they can go! So what’s driving this insanity? Where is this coming from?

Earlier this year, Jeff Jansen, a self-proclaimed “prophet” who leads Global Fire Ministries International in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, declared that Donald Trump is still recognized in Heaven as the legitimate president of the United States and prophesied that the military would remove President Joe Biden from office and reinstate Trump by the end of April.

“We’re gonna be dancing in the streets,” Jansen boldly proclaimed.

April has come and gone, and Biden remains in the White House, but that doesn’t mean that Jansen is prepared to admit that he was wrong. Quite the contrary, in fact, as he posted a video on his Facebook page Tuesday insisting that his prophecy was correct and is unfolding exactly as he predicted it would.

“Today is the May the fourth,” Jansen said. “I just want to be able to come on and say, ‘Look, it’s May and what’s coming can’t be stopped.’ There’s all kinds of amazing things that are happening, and I’m talking about President Trump, I’m talking about him coming back into power, and I’m talking about the church, I’m talking about everything that God promised—back-to-back terms—everything that God has promised with this election and overturning corruption.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/its-may-but-prophet-jeff-jansen-still-insists-his-prophecy-that-the-military-would-remove-biden-from-office-by-april-is-coming-true/

Yeah you guys have been promising this for the last four months now. But here’s the truth – he isn’t coming back! And when I refer to him, you know who I am talking about – the unholy, ungodly Dark One, a man who is so disgusting that his name shall not be mentioned in my church! You know we must never question the prophets though – their work is DIVINE and all holy! Seriously though, even we don’t make this claim! And we’re followers of the almighty GAWD!

Last week, we noted that there is a battle brewing between the various self-proclaimed “prophets” who guaranteed that Donald Trump would win reelection in 2020 and a group of conservative Christian leaders who are concerned that the refusal by these “prophets” to acknowledge they were wrong is harming the church.

Right-wing pastor Hank Kunneman has been one of the most obstinate of these supposed “prophets,” refusing to apologize for his mistaken prophesy, instead promising that God will reward those who stand with him, and attacking those who have dared to criticize him.

Last Thursday, Kunneman appeared on the “His Glory” program, where he lashed out at the Christian leaders behind the recently released “prophetic standards” declaration—a document signed by such luminaries as Steven Strang and Doug Stringer—saying that none of them are qualified to criticize him because they are not prophets like him.

“It’s amazing,” Kunneman said. “Nobody wrote a letter and thanked me for all the years that I prophesied the other presidents and even President Trump. No, but as soon as something didn’t look like it happened, boy, they jump on the bandwagon to attack you. And my question is: How many of those people that are attacking; A) Are you a prophet? The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14 that the prophets are to judge the prophets. ‘If a prophet is to prophesy, let the others judge’; the other prophets, that’s what he was speaking about.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/self-proclaimed-prophet-hank-kunneman-says-only-other-prophets-have-the-authority-to-question-him/

So there you have it – the prophets are all knowing and all powerful, and they can say ridiculously dumb things just as long as you don’t question them. Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]The Golden Globes: How Is This Still A Thing?
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It’s time once again to ask:

This week: The Golden Globes. How are they still a thing? The Golden Globes are entertainment awards given out to the best in movies and TV. But the organization that puts on the ceremonies – the Hollywood Foreign Press Association – has recently come under fire for discriminatory hiring practices and lack of diversity. Which begs the question – does anyone actually watch the Golden Globes anymore and are they a victim of “cancel culture”? Well who does watch awards shows anymore when right now they’re just glorified Zoom calls? The organization that was one high and mighty atop the Hollywood food chain has now slipped through the cracks. Everyone from A listers to even D listers are expressing their outrage at the organization.

Growing Hollywood pushback against the scandal-plagued Hollywood Foreign Press Association became an avalanche Monday, as NBC announced it won't broadcast the HFPA's Golden Globe Awards ceremony in 2022.

The network's decision comes after an array of top-flight film and TV companies, including Netflix, Amazon and WarnerMedia, distanced themselves from the HFPA and the Globes in recent days. The HFPA has not said whether it will try to hold a Globes ceremony next year.

The 87-member group, made up of critics for overseas media outlets, has been engulfed by issues ranging from preferential treatment sought by its members to lack of racial representation in its ranks, which included no Black members, according to a Los Angeles Times investigation this year.

Some of the HFPA's problems have been an open secret for years among Hollywood insiders, even as entertainment companies elevated the stature of the Globes as a major awards event and a harbinger of the Oscars, which follow weeks later.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2021/05/10/golden-globes-2022-ceremony-dropped-nbc-after-hfpa-scandal/5026394001/

That’s about what people are doing with their Golden Globe awards too after realizing that they’re pretty meaningless anymore. So what is the HFPA controversy? Well there’s more to the headlines than what we’ve seen lately. It’s time for the networks to take a stand against the corrupt governing body of the HFPA and NBC is doing exactly that. With no plans to currently overhaul the organization, one of their key events of the year is getting the axe.

Aiming to beat a self-imposed reform deadline and a Tinseltown firestorm, the board of the besieged Hollywood Foreign Press Association on Monday released a new plan to overhaul the 86-member nonprofit group behind the Golden Globes.

While no one has been hired yet and nothing really happens until a majority of the full membership ratifies the plan this summer, with help from Boston-based law firm Ropes & Gray, the HFPA is now promising again to bring “Black and other racially diverse journalists into our organization,” which currently lacks a single Black member.

They are also pledging a lot more, including adding 20 new members over the next year and increasing their total membership by 50% in the next two years. The HFPA is also looking for a Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer and self-described oversight board to help with “critical organizational reform.” Additionally, the suddenly ambitious 78-year-old outfit says it will change the way money changes hands internally, hold members accountable, limit board terms, and bring in “a professional management staff, including, but not limited to, a Chief Executive Officer, Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer, and Chief Financial Officer.”

“We know that the past few months have presented many challenges for our members, and we appreciate all of the time and effort you have invested in this process thus far,” said an unsigned letter from the HFPA board to the group’s members, outlining the changes they propose. “We want to be clear – these outlined changes are just the first steps in the long journey ahead. We also know that in this existential moment for our association, change is difficult and sometimes scary.”
https://deadline.com/2021/05/hfpa-accusations-plan-diversity-conduct-golden-globes-nbc-1234749141/

Hey don’t throw your junk down here! And look it’s been a year, you can’t exactly use that as an excuse anymore. It’s pretty common knowledge at this point. But shady hiring and business practices aside, how do you begin to send a message to the HFPA? Well leave it to Tom Cruise. Yes, that Tom Cruise, the same one who has been a champion for evil religious organization Scientology, has been actively campaigning against the HFPA.

The organization that sponsors the Golden Globe Awards is under fire for an alleged lack of diversity and its for this reason that some actors are distancing themselves from the Golden Globes.

According to CNN, one of the most familiar faces in the industry has actually returned his Golden Globe to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).

Tom Cruise, who won Globes for his roles in "Jerry Maguire," "Born on the Fourth of July," and "Magnolia," has reportedly returned all of the awards.

His move comes after actress Scarlett Johansson issued a lengthy statement, encouraging her colleagues to step back from participating in events sponsored by the HFPA.

Johansson said, "As an actor promoting a film, one is expected to participate in awards season by attending press conferences as well as awards shows."
https://www.wbrz.com/news/tom-cruise-returns-golden-globe-awards-amid-controversy-surrounding-hfpa/

So both Tom Cruise and Scarlett Johannson are distancing themselves from the HFPA after this controversy, and with two huge stars taking a stand, what’s left for the organization? As you can imagine, losing their key event has really hurt the HFPA so much that they’ve fired their president, and you can imagine the standard PR response that “sweeping changes” are going to be made for this organization. Until then it’s a the same old story of “same shit, different day”.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association said Tuesday that it has expelled its former president Phil Berk from its membership rolls.

“Effective immediately, Phil Berk is no longer a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association,” the HFPA board said in a statement that has just gone out.

NBC and the parent company of the Golden Globes producers both weighed in already today on the latest embarrassing incident involving the HFPA. This concerns the bizarre email from Berk, a longtime member and former president, to membership on Sunday referring to Black Lives Matters as a “racist hate movement.” The email was leaked to the Los Angeles Times.

The HFPA, already mired in controversy amid revelations during its most recent Golden Globes cycle that it hasn’t had a Black member in 20 years, on Monday night distanced itself from the email Berk sent.
https://deadline.com/2021/04/hollywood-foreign-press-expels-phil-berk-email-1234740447/

So add up discriminatory hiring practices, angry Hollywood stars, and a lack of an audience, and you’ve got a nightmare of a toxic cocktail. That’s enough to make you ask – The Golden Globes:

[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Welcome back to our segment that attempts to explain the unexplainable, Conspiracy Corner! We are of course coming to you live from our underground bunker in the New Mexico badlands – undisclosed location. Let me just adjust my tin foil hat for maximum government interference. Ah, there we go, everything is ready! So now that events are coming back one of the big ones every year is the annual horse racing extravaganza known as the Kentucky Derby. Along with this, the Belmont Stakes, and the Preakness, determine if a horse is worthy of the coveted Triple Crown or not. But we might not have a Triple Crown winner this year because… of cheating! That’s right – you can apparently cheat in horse racing and this year it’s come under lots of public scrutiny!

If Medina Spirit is stripped of the 2021 Kentucky Derby victory, second-place Mandaloun would be deemed the winner … but bettors on Mandaloun would still be out of luck.

Medina Spirit’s win is now under investigation after blood tests determined an elevated presence of betamethasone, a regulated anti-inflammatory used to manage pain. Churchill Downs has suspended trainer Bob Baffert pending the final results of the investigation, which will include a second round of testing.

Baffert, a Hall of Fame trainer and (currently) winner of a record seven Kentucky Derbys, maintains innocence, saying Medina Spirit had never even been treated with betamethasone.

If the second test comes back positive, Medina Spirit would lose the victory and Mandaloun will be named the winner of the 2021 Kentucky Derby. All prize money would then be taken from Medina Spirit’s team and awarded to Mandaloun’s.
https://sports.yahoo.com/kentucky-derby-what-happens-to-bets-if-medina-spirits-win-is-overturned-151729294.html

So this is an interesting conundrum – what happens if the horse indeed is caught cheating? Could the race results be overturned? At least we know that the betting won’t be affected. Because the last time that a horse got disqualified for using illegal performance enhancers was 1968. To put things in perspective, that is a long fucking time between cheating attempts. Which means if you’re stupid enough to get caught, son, just don’t.

Medina Spirit’s Kentucky Derby win is at risk after a positive test for betamethasone, but what about the bets cashed in on the victory?

Even if Medina Spirit is ultimately disqualified – something that can only happen after a second positive test – pari-mutuel wagering is unlikely to be affected.

The last time a Kentucky Derby winner was disqualified for a positive drug test (Dancer’s Image, 1968), the Kentucky Horse Racing commission ordered Forward Pass, the horse that crossed the finish line second in the race, be considered the winner of the 1968 Kentucky Derby, except for pari-mutuel payoffs.

When Bob Baffert-trained filly Gamine was disqualified from her third-place finish in the 2020 Kentucky Oaks, pari-mutuel wagering was not affected by the ruling.

While Churchill Downs confirmed Mandaloun, the horse that finished second in the 2021 Derby, will be declared the winner of the race if the findings of Medina Spirit's positive test are upheld by the split sample test, anyone who bet on Mandaloun to win is unlikely to be able to cash it the ticket if Medina Spirit is disqualified.
https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/2021/05/09/what-happens-to-bets-kentucky-derby-winner-medina-spirit-after-drug-test/5013697001/

Yeah that’s about what happens when you get caught cheating. Now here’s where it gets weird and becomes a conspiracy because you knew it was going to. That guy had to weigh in on the controversy – you know, Former Guy. The guy who won’t be included the next a presidential reunion of the still living presidents happens. The guy who calls everyone a stupid loser. Yes, you know who I am talking about so I will shut up now.

The big news in the sporting world over the weekend was that Medina Spirit, the surprise winner of the Kentucky Derby, had tested positive for an anti-inflammatory drug that is often used to mask injury or ease joint pain in thoroughbred racehorses.

That Medina Spirit is trained by Bob Baffert, perhaps the most recognizable person in horse racing, and that this is the fifth time a horse he has trained has failed a drug test in the last year, made it not just national but international news. Baffert insists the horse was not given the anti-inflammatory drug and everyone is awaiting a second test until a hard and fast conclusion is drawn. He told Fox News on Monday that the horse is a victim of "cancel culture." Yes, really.

Lots and lots of people had takes on Medina Spirit, Baffert and the horse racing game more broadly. But none of them was as weird -- and out of left field -- as that of former President Donald Trump.

Here it is:

"So now even our Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, is a junky. This is emblematic of what is happening to our Country. The whole world is laughing at us as we go to hell on our Borders, our fake Presidential Election, and everywhere else!"

(Before you ask, yes this is a real statement by the former President -- appearing on his revolutionary new communications site ... kidding ... "From the Desk of Donald J. Trump.&quot

https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/10/politics/donald-trump-medina-spirit/index.html

Yeah seriously can we just not pay attention to anything he thinks anymore? All he does is spew bile and garbage and it’s not good for anybody. Even though I’m in my end times bunker, I still have a connection to the outside world though! But here’s what makes this a conspiracy – even the owner, now that he’s been banned from the upcoming Preakness, has a theory! And that theory is… drum roll! See if you can guess what he’s blaming it on? That’s right – cancel culture, kids! He’s blaming this whole affair on cancel culture! It is all clear now! Guess we can close the book on this one!

Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit is already at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore for the next leg in this year's Triple Crown. But the horse's future, as well as that of trainer Bob Baffert, remains in limbo.

The celebration of Baffert's record-setting seventh Derby win lasted one week. Racing officials notified him that Medina Spirit tested positive for Betamethasone, a steroid used to treat inflammation but banned on race day.

The horse racing world is anxiously awaiting the second round of test results, which will be performed at a different lab. If a second test is positive, Medina Spirit could be stripped of his Derby crown and the $1.8 million purse that came with it. The horse would then become just the second Derby winner to be disqualified over medication.

Baffert denies that the horse has ever been treated with the particular drug. "He's never been treated, and that's the scary part," he said.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/medina-spirit-bob-baffert-kentucky-derby-cancel-culture/

[font size="8"]People Are Dumb
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Hit it!

Of course you know by now that people are people, and people are dumb! And as we have shown in the amount of time we’ve been doing this – nobody is immune from the People Are Dumb segment. That’s right – there’s no vaccine for stupidity! And don’t worry my faithful viewers – we have plenty of the Sunshine State to get to. But first I want to share this story out of Kentucky and my father’s alma matter – the University Of Kentucky! Look, I know we’re still in the middle of a raging pandemic and everyone is not up to speed with everything that they’re doing because we’re just starting to come out of lockdown from the stay at home orders. But that said… how do you overlook *THIS* error? Crap I could apply to UK and get accepted with just an internet form! I’m sure my dad and his UK alumni friends would approve of this. Or not.

The University of Kentucky mistakenly sent acceptance emails to 500,000 high school seniors for a program that usually accepts about three dozen students a year.

The school followed up with another email less than 24 hours later and apologized for its mistake, citing a “technical issue,” WLEX-TV reported.

“Only a handful of those on the prospect list had been admitted to UK,” UK spokesman Jay Blanton said. “The vast majority had not, nor had the vast majority of these students expressed an interest in the program. Nevertheless, we regret the communication error and have sent correspondence to all those who were contacted, offering our apologies.”

The acceptance was for this fall in the clinical leadership and management program in the College of Health Sciences.
https://apnews.com/article/science-kentucky-5953f92673185b7f7baed3937d876d16

Yeah… ooopsie! I bet there’s a lot of disappointed applicants out there, as well as parents! Next up we go to one of my favorite places to visit – the state of Colorado! And here’s the thing – this sort of crime is one of the worst that anyone could commit. But when you see why the name was changed well this is what makes it dumb, and why it would be included in our segment. Because this is magical. If you’re going to commit something evil, maybe don’t change your name to that of a James Bond villain!

A former Colorado lawyer who legally changed his name to that of a James Bond villain is accused of plotting with his mother to kill his father after learning he'd been cut out of his will.

Jean-Joseph Danger Le Chiffre, formerly known as 55-year-old Patrick Joseph Sandoval, and his mother Marcella Sandoval, now 78, were arrested last August in connection to the July murder of Gilbert Sandoval, according to the Colorado Springs police.

Le Chiffre is accused of beating his 83-year-old dad to death with a baseball bat inside a Colorado Springs home owned by both of the parents. He was charged with first-degree murder while his mother was charged with being an accessory.

Le Chiffre pleaded not guilty in court on Friday, during a hearing which unveiled strange details about the case. During the half-day long hearing, detectives outlined their case against Le Chiffre and his mother.
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/man-legally-changes-name-james-145600990.html

Ah that’s what a grenade is supposed to do! Next up – OK look we’re all getting tired of Zoom and working from home. I get that, we’re all Zoom fatigued. I think I remember reporting on this last year but driving while Zooming is a thing that has started because of the pandemic. And if you’re caught doing this, this is an entire new level of stupid! Oh and you think you might get away with it by using a virtual background, but we’re onto you!

An Ohio state senator used a virtual background of his home office in an apparent attempt to conceal the fact that he was, in fact, driving while attending a Zoom meeting. The reason Republican Senator Andrew Brenner drew criticism from various quarters was the fact that the Ohio State Assembly had introduced a bill to ban distracted driving the very same day. Despite Brenner's attempt to show his car as a part of his house using a computer-generated background, a seatbelt across his chest, continuous movement of his hands and his attention to the left and right were enough for people to call his bluff.

Later, the senator defended his actions, saying he wasn't distracted, adding he was paying attention to driving and listening to the people at the meeting.

“I had two meetings that were back to back that were in separate locations. And I've actually been on other calls, numerous calls, while driving. Phone calls for the most part but on video calls, I'm not paying attention to the video. To me, it's like a phone call," he said.

As reported by The Guardian, at the beginning of the call, the senator was seen sitting inside a parked car. Minutes later, he left the call and reappeared with wooden cabinets, paintings hanging on the wall, and a house plant in the background.
https://gadgets.ndtv.com/social-networking/news/zoom-work-from-home-us-senator-driving-pretending-virtual-background-seatbelt-car-andrew-brenner-2437630

Yeah we can’t have too many people driving while Zooming, though I’m sure that does happen! Next up – I told you we would not be neglecting the Sunshine State! Of course America’s most penis-shaped state, the state of Florida – never ceases on delivering the crazy. So this story, we go to the town of St. Petersburg. So this guy decided to quite literally take the law into his own hands when dealing with a neighbor’s loud music. Why does this remind me of that movie Dirty Work?

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. [WFLA] – A St. Petersburg man is accused of impersonating of a police officer and handcuffing his neighbor, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

John Switzer, 67, reportedly pretended to arrest his neighbor over a dispute about loud music on Monday, PCSO reported. According to deputies, Switzer was armed with a with a gun, displayed a badge and claimed to be an officer.

The neighbor who was handcuffed told WFLA that she was held hostage for 15 minutes and is now badly bruised.

When deputies arrived on scene, Switzer quickly admitted he was not an officer, but rather, a former officer, according to the report. ...............(more)

https://nbc-2.com/news/2021/05/06/deputies-florida-man-impersonating-officer-handcuffed-neighbor-over-loud-music/

Yeah hi… real cops? We’ve got a complaint! Next up – fast food rage! You know me, I love a good fast food rage story. I collect them, share them, trade them with my friends. No seriously, give me a story about a woman who destroys the local McDonalds because they ran out of chicken nuggets and I’m there! Well this story comes from the area of Florida known as the Villages. And it’s all fun and games until… yeah… there it is! The N word has been let out!

A 77-year-old Villager was arrested in an alleged racial tirade after throwing her Whopper sandwich at a Burger King employee.

Judith Ann Black of the Village of Pine Ridge was apparently enraged over the thickness of the tomato served in her Whopper sandwich Friday evening at the Burger King restaurant at Trailwinds Village on County Road 466A in Wildwood. She confronted a Burger King employee at the counter and was “yelling” at her, according to an arrest report from the Wildwood Police Department.

The Burger King worker tried to convince the Texas native to calm down and said she could not help her if she did not stop yelling. The worker turned her back on Black who threw the Whopper at the employee, hitting her in the back, the report said.

“Shut up you black bitch,” the Villager told the employee.

Black proceeded to use the “N” word before storming out of the restaurant, the report said.

The Burger King manager, a worker at Burger King and an independent customer all verified the employee’s account of what happened. Video surveillance footage also corroborated what the employee told law enforcement.
https://www.villages-news.com/2021/05/03/villager-arrested-in-alleged-whopper-throwing-racial-tirade/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Finally this week – I’ve got a bonus People Are Dumb for you! And this one, we go to the state of Michigan. Look I get it, I think people have had an ass full of Zoom. We’re tired of virtual events and we want to get back to having real ones. We’ve all been cooped up too long and are itching to get back out into regular society. But until that happens, one person you don’t screw with is a judge. Especially if it’s for your own virtual court appearance. But this guy came up with what might be the strangest user name yet on Zoom:

No, this isn't a deleted scene from the 2006 dark comedy Idiocracy. This is just another day in the life of judge Jeffrey Middleton, who serves Michigan's St. Joseph County.

Middleton, who is pretty well known for his transparency and calling it like it is on the r/ZoomCourt subreddit, where people post videos of viral goofs and mishaps that occur during Zoom-based court hearings (remember cat lawyer?), was confronted with a not so hole-some situation.

During a Monday Zoom court hearing for drug paraphernalia charges a man, Nathan Saxaon, logged on with the very public screenname of Buttfucker 3000. While there is nothing inherently wrong with being an actual buttfucker, Middelton was not having any of Saxaon's buttfucking bullshit, Vice reported.

“We’ll bring this fool in,” Middleton said to the Zoom meeting, which consisted of eight people waiting for their hearing.
https://www.metrotimes.com/news-hits/archives/2021/05/12/michigan-judge-boots-man-with-buttfucker-3000-as-screenname-from-zoom-hearing

That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Stupidest State
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16 states will enter and only one state will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!

Welcome back to our ongoing coverage of the NFFSA and the 2021 Stupidest State tournament! We are just two short rounds away from the championship game! Last week Georgia handed red hot Michigan a defeat with a last second buzzer beater to win the Batshit Conference and advance to their first Final Four in team history! This week it’s a battle of Fiscal Irresponsibility heavyweights as the playground for the super-rich, #2 Wyoming, is set to take on the casino and gambling industry in #3 Nevada!

[font size="4"]Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference Championship: Wyoming Vs Nevada [/font]

[font size="2"]Wyoming [/font]

Wyoming is referred to as the “Equality State”. But when your rich billionaire friends are leaving Hollywood and San Jose for Jackson Hole, buying up all the land and creating obscene wealth gaps not seen since the Great Depression, something is inherently fucked up in that state. So that said, why are so many millionaires and billionaires ditching the city for the mountains? Well, besides fresh air, low population, and an anything goes approach to how the government is run, it’s a haven for the uber-wealthy. So what is life like there?

Wealthy people across the globe have been fleeing major cities like New York and London to wait out the coronavirus pandemic in more secluded communities such as the Hamptons and the English countryside.

In the US, one of these communities is Jackson Hole, a picturesque Wyoming valley where billionaires go to ski. Affluent families and individuals are flying into Jackson Hole on their private jets to shelter in their vacation homes, Justin Farrell reported for The New York Times. Some are even bringing their own ventilators and other medical equipment along with them, a local doctor told the Times.

The valley's central resort town, Jackson, is also the most economically unequal place in America, according to a 2018 report published by the Economic Policy Institute.

In the Jackson metro area, which encompasses Teton County in Wyoming and Teton County in Idaho, the wealthiest residents make, on average, 132 times as much as everyone else: The average income of the 1% is more than $16.1 million, and the average income of the bottom 99% is $122,447.
https://www.businessinsider.com/most-unequal-place-america-jackson-wyoming-photos-2019-8

So in case you’re wondering why your favorite old west paraphernalia stores are turning into high end goods stores, blame your billionaire friend. I didn’t know Armani made cowboy boots! A western wagon made by Bentley? Sure, why not? But the bottom line is that billionaires have a weird obsession with recreating the Wild West. I’m sure because they watch too many cowboy movies.

The mountains loom overhead, mere blocks from a main drag filled with souvenir T-shirt shops, luxury stores and high-end art galleries. Things like the wooden plank boardwalk that’s ubiquitous through the main shopping section of town and the stage coach rides are meant to harken back to Jackson Hole’s Wild West past.

It’s more complicated than that though — and Jackson as the locals call it (Jackson Hole is technically the whole valley, which includes Teton Village) tends to evoke strong emotions yeah or nay from Wyoming locals.

Maybe it’s due to too much time spent watching Kevin Costner’s melodrama Yellowstone, but I assumed that tension would be more noticeable in the town.

Instead, it’s largely a bunch of friendly enough folks trying to make money off tourists and more regular summer visitors.
https://www.papercitymag.com/culture/jackson-hole-billionaires-wyoming-guide-hotel-finds-best-restaurants-yellowstone/

But billionaires aren’t just the only group moving to Wyoming. It’s celebrities too. That’s right – in fact including Wyoming this year was brought to our attention because of Kanye West and many others leaving Hollywood for Grand Teton. But the one thing that COVID has taught us is that if you can work remotely, you might as well go all the way! And there’s nothing more remote than living in a rural mountain town hundreds of miles from any major city!

A segment on MTV News this week highlighted the influx of celebrities moving to Wyoming, specifically Jackson Hole.

The 7-minute segment known as “The Pop Factor” discussed the implications of wealthy celebrities moving to Wyoming. According to the video, “Wyoming has the highest number of billionaires per capita…despite being off the beaten path.” The video cited Wyoming’s income tax breaks as the culprit behind this mass exodus of the ultra-wealthy to the state.

A long-standing and contentious issue in the valley, the COVID pandemic has seen a rising trend of more wealthy citizens moving to the northwest corner of Wyoming which has put pressure on locally-based professionals to find affordable housing options.

“For a studio, you’re looking at $1,800 plus, and those are on the lower end of the spectrum,” ShelterJH coordinator Clare Stumpf said in an interview on the segment.
https://buckrail.com/mtv-news-highlights-influx-of-celebrities-moving-to-wyoming-inequality-in-jh/

[font size="2"]Nevada [/font]

The last time we checked in with the Silver State, they were still reeling as the casino and gambling industry lost record revenues because of the pandemic. Which that fuels about 95% of the state’s tourism industry. To make things even worse, Nevada gets most of their revenue from gambling and doesn’t charge state taxes. So that created a crash the likes of which haven’t been seen in decades. Now they’re looking for alternate solutions to keep those sweet tourism dollars rolling in! Do your best Zach Galaifinakis impression here!

Gov. Steve Sisolak said Monday he will scale back his proposal to let technology companies establish zones where they could exercise powers similar to those of local government. Instead of asking lawmakers to pass a resolution to approve the proposal this session, he plans on introducing a measure to create a committee to further study the so-called “Innovation Zones.”

The decision, first reported by the Reno Gazette Journal, deals a blow to Blockchains LLC — the northern Nevada-based technology company that said an Innovation Zone would enable it to build a blockchain-powered city in the rolling hills of the state’s desert.

“I know that legislators, stakeholders and Nevadans still have questions, and I want those questions to be discussed and answered. I want people to be enthusiastic about this opportunity, not skeptical about a fast-tracked bill,” Sisolak said in a statement.

To lure new industries to Nevada, the governor proposed letting technology companies establish “Innovation Zones” with powers similar to those of local government, if they commit to invest $1.25 billion and possess at least 78 square miles (202 square kilometers) of land.
https://apnews.com/article/local-governments-technology-business-government-and-politics-nevada-e3bd9ef669145af228adcfaadcf7cdb1

Well see, Steve, that’s what happens when you put all of your eggs in one basket, and that basket gets taken down by a raging pandemic! But yeah let’s give entire industries state powers and the ability to generate their own currency, what could go wrong there? And in fact when you put all your eggs in one basket, it has what one might call a “ripple effect” that could take out many other industries besides tourism and casinos! In fact it even has the US Senate talking!

A U.S. Senate subcommittee focused on travel and tourism has met for the first time to discuss ways to help the industry recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade and Export Promotion met on Tuesday.

"Travel and tourism-related industries drive job creation and economic growth in states across America, especially in Nevada," said Democratic U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, the committee’s chair. "These industries and the workers they employ are absolutely essential to our state’s prosperity."

Rosen said the committee will develop bipartisan solutions to bring the industry back to pre-pandemic levels. The committee is split evenly between Democrats and Republicans.

In Nevada, the pandemic closed casinos for more than two months last year and they have yet to fully recover. The state’s unemployment rate reached a high of about 30%, and the loss of gaming and other tax revenue left the state in a $1.2 billion budget deficit.
https://news3lv.com/news/local/us-senate-panel-meets-to-tackle-nevada-tourism-recovery-amid-pandemic

So no tourism = no money = Nevada is seriously in the red. This is a shining example of what reckless Koch Industries inspired laws can bring. But no fear, recovery is on the way! But like everything else, the recovery for Nevada’s tourism industry is going to be long, slow, and incredibly painful as Nevada and the rest of the world recovers from COVID. But don’t expect to break out the craps and roulette tables just yet, folks!

Fears over the pandemic and government impose lockdowns have hurt tourist travel and related revenue, although the economy is now slowly recovering due to increased vaccination.

Some industries were hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing orders. Restaurants, movie theaters, live theaters and music venues were all greatly harmed. But one other industry that got hit especially hard was tourism.

If no one can travel, after all, those businesses cannot function the way they normally do. However, there is help on the way, both from the receding of the pandemic and from funds from the American Rescue Plan stimulus package.

A recent MarketWatch piece looked at how things are playing out in Napa, California, a place that often draws tourists. The site quotes the city’s finance director as stating that tourism revenues are not likely to reach back to pre-pandemic levels until 2024.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/coronavirus/tourism-coming-back-it-might-take-until-2024-get-back-2019-numbers-184557

[font size="2"]And The Winner Is: [/font]

No contest ladies and gentlemen! Nevada has 15 unanswered points against Wyoming going into the last 50 seconds of the game. Nevada has the ball… yes!! Nevada now up by 17 against Wyoming, and that’s game! Nevada advances to their first Final Four in their team’s history! Final score – 88 – 71! They are celebrating on the court as they have finally prevailed! Nevada moves on, Wyoming goes home!

[font size="4"]Next Week: [/font]

It’s the Stupidest State Final Four! Representing the Layover League - #1 Georgia is set to take on #3 Nevada while over in the Flyover League, #2 Texas is set to challenge the Cinderella Story in #4 Arkansas! Two of these teams will advance to the Stupidest State Championship!

See you next week!

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May 6, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #10-13: 19 Years To Life... And Counting Edition

Due to a scheduling conflict, the Top 10 is early this week! Enjoy!

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #10-13: 19 Years To Life… And Counting Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! So how do you like our new set everybody? Yes, the blank, blue void is gone and it’s been replaced by this beauty! And can I make an announcement? Next week… the return of… the WHEEL OF CORRUPTION! YAY!!!! Oh the kids love this don’t they? And yes things are getting back to normal, almost like it’s 2019 again. Wait, we don’t want to relive 2020 again do we? I don’t! Do we have time for the thing? Of course we do! So you know that baseball is back. I don’t want to report on this because I’m an Angels fan and we don’t like the Dodgers but as an LA kid this feels so weird. The thing that’s most commonly associated with the Dodgers besides the great former announcer Vin Scully – is the foot long mystery meat concoction known as the Dodger Dog. So Farmer John’s – the company that manufactures the Dodger Dog – has ended their contract with Dodger Stadium! Now the weird thing is that they sell Dodger Dogs but they’re not the same. And what’s even weirder is that Dodger Stadium began shopping for a new hot dog vendor and even went so far as to hire taste testers to ensure that the Dodger Dogs they were going to sell to ensure taste accuracy and that Dodger fans wouldn’t be fooled. During this time Farmer John’s went and signed a contract with nearby LAFC. So no Dodger Dogs at Dodger Stadium, but Dodger Dogs at Banc Of California Stadium. I mean come on, going to a Dodger game without trying a Dodger Dog is like going to a museum and not looking at the paintings. OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to but first John Oliver is back and he looks into the world of vaccines and vaccine misinformation:

So where do we begin this week? In the number one slot this week, Joe Biden gave a speech commemorating his first 100 days in office, but not everyone was happy with it, so we’re going to show you some of the more insane reactions to Biden’s speech (1). In the second slot this week is the former mayor of New York City, our old buddy Rudy Giuliani . It seems that he really stepped in it regarding his conspiracy theory BS, and he might join Roger Stone and Trump in prison! They can make Supermax great again! Taking the 3rd slot this week is Tucker Carlson. So the pandemic is at a tipping point and Tucker could make things that much worse, and if you are not outraged at the things he’s been saying lately, you’re not paying attention! Taking the fourth slot this week is Josh Duggar (4) – yes of the 1,000,000 Kids and Counting Duggar family, and he stepped in it after getting arrested by the FBI for – wait for it – possessing child porn! Yay! In the number 5 slot this week is our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates (5) and this week there’s talk of a silicon shortage that could affect everything from computers to cars to appliances, so how’s that going to affect you? Prepare to be outraged! And speaking of outrage, in the #6 slot this week is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6) and this week our resident pastor has become increasingly alarmed that his fellow Christians are using crowd funding sites to fund acts of terrorism. Yeah that’s happening! In the number 7 slot this week we have a new This Fucking Guy (7) and this week we’re taking a look at the upper echelon of UFC and profiling Joe Rogan and Dana White, and whew, these guys are crazy. In the number 8 slot this week we have a new Conspiracy Corner (8) and this week the conspiracy is on flags! Yes, flags! Specifically those obscene anti-Biden flags that you might see floating around MAGA neighborhoods. And this is going to be fun. In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week we have a new “I Need A Drink” – and this week we’re going to get drunk and discuss Larry Kudlow’s insane remark on Biden forcing people to drink “plant based beer”. Finally this week it’s time for Stupidest State 2021! This week it’s a battle of the Batshit Conference as favorite #1 Georgia looks to unseat red hot #4 Michigan! One of these teams wins, the other goes home! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]Conservative Reactions To Biden’s 100 Days Speech
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You know what conservatives? Your schtick of hating everything that we do is getting really old now, and I mean really old. You’ve spent the last 40 years pushing this crap and everyone is getting really tired of it. So Biden is kicking your ass and reversing literally all of Trump’s worst policies and then some more. But not everyone is happy with Biden’s performance. It’s one of those things where the performance was so good that it’s making the rest of the room uncomfortable because they could never live up to those standards. Think of it like being a lounge singer in the same room as Placido Domingo – you’ll never live up to Domingo no matter how hard you try! Yeah it’s not the same, I know, but let’s take a look at who’s not happy with Biden’s first 100 days, shall we?

As President Joe Biden delivered his first address to a joint session of Congress, at least one lawmaker in attendance didn't seem to find the speech as engaging as others.

More than an hour after taking the podium, Biden was discussing his administration's plans for immigration reform when cameras cut to Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz who appeared to be fighting sleep.

"If you actually want to solve a problem, I've sent a bill. Take a close look at it," Biden is saying as the camera focused on Cruz whose eyes were shut for a brief moment before snapping open.

Twitter users quickly pointed out the sleepy-eyed Cruz.

"When you're dreaming about Cancun," tweeted Aaron Rupar, a Vox reporter, referencing Cruz's trip to Mexico during February when Texas was slammed by a winter storm and faced widespread power outages.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/04/28/ted-cruz-looks-like-hes-falling-asleep-during-joe-bidens-speech/4883934001/

Yeah so Ted Cruz was asleep during Biden’s joint address to Congress… or was he? Maybe he was just dreaming about Southern Mexican paradises! And by the way, speaking of Teddy not approving of what Biden does, does he not know what a brutal dictator is? Yes these four countries absolutely suck but compared to scumbags like Duterte and Modi? None of the leaders of these countries have anything on them, except maybe Putin. Putin probably reigns supreme.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) denounced U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield for attempting to "kiss up to the brutal tyrants" on the U.N. Human Rights Council on Wednesday.

Cruz tweeted his disapproval in reaction to a video clip of Thomas-Greenfield addressing the virtual 30th Annual Summit of the National Action Network, a civil rights group founded by Al Sharpton. Thomas-Greenfield maintained that "the original sin of slavery weaved white supremacy" into the "founding documents and principles" of the U.S. while vowing that the country would regain a seat on the Human Rights Council.

"Perhaps our ambassadors should defend America," Cruz tweeted in response. "And not kiss up to the brutal tyrants (including Cuba, Venezuela, Russia & China) on the UN Human Rights Council."

The U.S. last held on a seat on the council in 2018, when the administration of former President Donald Trump withdrew from the council while claiming that it was "biased" and alleging issues like the mistreatment of Israel. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the council was "a protector of human rights abusers."
https://www.newsweek.com/ted-cruz-slams-bidens-un-ambassador-tells-her-defend-america-stop-appeasing-brutal-tyrants-1583724

And by the way can we show what Lauren Boebert (Q – Batshit) was up to? I mean she wasn’t sleeping but she was definitely not focused on the speech. Come on, why should you when you’re part of the party that tried to overthrow the government and stop Trump’s insurrection. So in addition to not caring, Lauren Boebert was apparently wearing some kind of tin foil hat blanket thing designed to purposefully make some noise, and was live tweeting the speech. Yeah you can’t make this stuff up.

Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado took a unique approach to maximizing comfort during President Joe Biden's hour-long address to Congress Wednesday night.

She unpacked what appeared to be a space blanket about halfway through the address and laid the mylar sheet over her lap. Photos from the evening show Boebert using her phone while covered by the blanket and her Twitter account shows she tweeted more than 25 times during Biden's address.

Matt Fuller, a politics reporter at The Daily Beast who was inside the chamber, tweeted that Boebert "sort of loudly opened" the blanket, then "shook it free so that everyone could hear it in the chamber," before draping it across her lap.

The freshman lawmaker's behavior during the speech raised eyebrows on a number of occasions — from live-tweeting vitriol at Biden from inside the House chamber to refusing to rise during a standing ovation for first lady Jill Biden.
https://www.businessinsider.com/lauren-boebert-space-blanket-biden-speech-congress-2021-4

By the way, what was Lauren googling during the speech? Let us know in the comments! So yeah that happened! And did we really need a rebuttal from Josh Hawley (Q - Batshit)? Yeah I know every time the president gives a major address, the other party gets a rebuttal. But is Josh Hawley really the guy you want to go to? I mean it could be worse, it could be Madison Cowthorn. But the GQP party is full of people who you don’t want making a speech or even attending events.

Biden plans to use the address to unveil his push for a $1.8 trillion investment in children, families and education that would fundamentally transform the roles the government plays in American life. He is also expected to address his $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal, as well as call on Congress to pass gun control legislation and reforms to the nation’s immigration system.

The proposal drew a sharp rebuke from Missouri U.S. Senator, Republican Josh Hawley.

“What I’d like to see from the President is a plan to bring jobs back to the country from overseas, to get manufacturing restarted and strong again in this country, to make sure that places like Missouri and rural areas in our state are able to benefit and take advantage of this economy and are not left behind, but instead what you see is literally trillions of dollars, trillions of dollars in new federal social welfare spending that has no requirements to work, that is not related at all to getting a job,” Hawley said.

Hawley this week proposed a working parent tax credit that would give families up to $12,000 as long as one parent in the household was working. He did cite the potential for agreement on some form of an infrastructure package, although Republicans have criticized how Democrats have defined infrastructure more widely than road and bridge construction and repair.

“We’ve gone down this path before, it was not successful I think it’s a big mistake and this is now 6 trillion dollars in spending, taxpayer money, that the president has proposed, just in his first hundred days, I think it’s kind of crazy,” Hawley said.
https://fox2now.com/news/i-think-its-kind-of-crazy-senator-josh-hawley-blasts-president-bidens-plans-ahead-of-speech-to-congress/

[font size="8"]Rudy Giuliani
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Answer me this my fair audience - why does every current video clip of Rudy Giuliani always look like he’s going to take a massive dump? Does he have a digestive problem or something? But I’m sure everyone knows where they were when they heard that the Feds were in the process of raiding Giuliani’s Manhattan apartment. But for what reason? Was it that he finally had the information on Hunter Biden’s laptop? No? So you might be asking – what’s Giuliani in such deep trouble for? And I answer you this good sir or madam – we don’t know. But we will be keeping an eye on this story as it develops because I can assure you that it will be white hot! One thing we do know is that Rudy stepped in it, and he’s got a steaming pile of whatever it is on his shoes!

Federal agents executed search warrants Wednesday at the Manhattan apartment and office of Rudy Giuliani, his attorney said, advancing a criminal investigation by federal prosecutors that has been underway for more than two years.

Giuliani, who served as former President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, has been the focus of an investigation concerning his activities in Ukraine, including whether he conducted illegal lobbying for Ukrainian officials while he pursued an investigation linked to Trump's primary political rival, President Joe Biden, CNN has reported. Giuliani hasn't been charged and has denied wrongdoing.

It is unusual for prosecutors to execute a search warrant on a lawyer, although Manhattan federal prosecutors have done so before, most notably in recent years against another former lawyer for Trump, Michael Cohen.

On Wednesday afternoon, an attorney for Giuliani, Robert Costello, said the warrant described an investigation into possible violation of foreign lobbying laws and that it sought communications between Giuliani and people including a former columnist for The Hill, John Solomon.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/28/politics/rudy-giuliani-federal-prosecutors/index.html

I can’t imagine Rudy and Trump are fans of the performing arts. But one thing’s for certain by repeatedly circulating lies about the election and about Hunter Biden they have stepped in it. And of course the former mob boss, doing his best Valley Girl impression, is standing by his fixer. Where is this going you might ask? Well again I can assure you – we don’t know. But the good news is that we might actually have a case that goes somewhere, thanks to having a competent AG who has yet to be fired!

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday denounced the raids by federal investigators on the Manhattan home and office of his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, defending the former New York mayor as the victim of a politically biased Justice Department.

“Rudy Giuliani is a great patriot. He does these things — he just loves this country, and they raid his apartment,” Trump told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo in an interview. “It’s, like, so unfair and such a double — it’s like a double standard like I don’t think anybody’s ever seen before.”

FBI agents executed search warrants at the properties on Wednesday in relation to a long-running probe into Giuliani’s dealings in Ukraine during Trump’s presidency. An attorney for Giuliani said the raids focused on a single incident in which his client allegedly failed to register as a foreign agent.

“I don’t know what they’re looking for, what they’re doing. They say it had to do with filings of various papers, lobbying filings,” Trump said, going on to allege — without offering evidence — illegal foreign lobbying by President Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/29/trump-defends-giuliani-fbi-raid-484991

Oh he doesn’t miss, that’s for sure! And while the former mob boss is standing by his guy – presumably because he has something on him, we can assure you that the Feds are not done! So how were they able to nail Giuliani you might ask? Well Giuliani has been under scrutiny for his ties to some shady Ukranian business dealers. Does that sound familiar? Well it’s only the narrative they’ve been trying to dump on Hunter Biden over the last two years. You know that old saying – judge not lest ye be judged!

Giuliani, the 76-year-old former New York City mayor once celebrated for his leadership after 9/11, has been under federal scrutiny for several years over his ties to Ukraine. The dual searches sent the strongest signal yet that he could eventually face federal charges.

Agents searched Giuliani’s Madison Avenue apartment and Park Avenue office, people familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press. The warrants, which required approval from the top levels of the Justice Department, signify that prosecutors believe they have probable cause that Giuliani committed a federal crime — though they do not guarantee that charges will materialize.

A third search warrant was served on a phone belonging to Washington lawyer Victoria Toensing, a former federal prosecutor and close ally of Giuliani and Trump. Her law firm issued a statement saying she was informed that she is not a target of the investigation.

The full scope of the investigation is unclear, but it at least partly involves Giuliani’s dealings in Ukraine, law enforcement officials have told the AP.

The people discussing the searches and Wednesday’s developments could not do so publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. News of the search was first reported by The New York Times.
https://apnews.com/article/rudy-giuliani-trump-investigation-warrant-7a413e1bbb819cb52cd402d64a982185

How about the actual Mafia? And you don’t double cross them or you’ll end up in the East River, just like my mamma mia’s pasta al forno! Yeah I’ve seen way too many mafia movies! But in case you’re wondering – yes Rudy’s fuck up could have colossal consequences! Especially for a certain former president who is attempting to run again in 2024! That is assuming this raid and subsequent probe isn’t going to fuck things up for the worse for them! Pass the butter, it’s going to be fun watching them squirm!

Sophia Ankel
Sun, May 2, 2021, 3:30 AM·3 min read

rudy giuliani oan oann
President Donald Trump's lawyer and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani wipes sweat away after an interview with One America News Network's Chanel Rion outside the White House West Wing in Washington, DC, on July 1, 2020. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The Rudy Giuliani raid has Trump allies feeling uneasy about what could come next, CNN reported.

A former Trump advisor said the raid is proof that officials are willing to pursue his inner circle.

Several Trump allies also said it "wouldn't shock" them if Giuliani turned on the former president.

Sign up for our daily newsletter 10 Things in Politics You Need to Know Today.

Related: Rudy Giuliani mocked after warning of misinformation

Trump allies are growing increasingly concerned about the future after former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's office and apartment were raided by federal agents this week, according to CNN.

On Wednesday, Giuliani, who acted as Trump's former attorney, was the target of two raids in which investigators seized several of his electronic devices as well as a computer belonging to his personal assistant. The searches were in connection to a criminal probe into Giuliani's dealings in Ukraine, The New York Times reported.

Trump's allies and former members of his inner circle are now reportedly becoming increasingly worried about further raids and upcoming FBI investigations.

"This was a show of force that sent a strong message to a lot of people in Trump's world that other things may be coming down the pipeline," an advisor to the former president, who wished to stay anonymous, told CNN.
https://news.yahoo.com/former-members-trumps-inner-circle-103040838.html

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[font size="8"]Tucker Carlson
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I want to start this entry by telling my producer that no, we don’t need a Tucker reaction camera for this one. Really? You’re going to go there? OK fine. Guess I brought this one on myself. And while we’re all enjoying the benefits of the COVID vaccine, Tucker Carlson is having the opposite view. He’s instead going full anti-vax and full mask hole. Now I can already hear you getting ready to boo, so please save your boos for a minute. Fox News has seriously lost its’ damn mind, although they didn’t really have much of a mind to begin with. And it’s insane the content that they are letting on their networks, and I guess having conservatives threaten them with going to other networks really has them scrambling to produce content, so they’ve resorted to threats.

Apparently, Tucker Carlson thinks parents should be arrested for child abuse if they make their kids wear a mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

That uh, observation came during Tucker’s latest monologue at the top of Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight” Monday. It began with him railing against politicians requiring their constituents to wear masks — which, Tucker argued, “99% of us would have survived anyway.” (Cold comfort for the 570,000 people who didn’t, of course.)

Tucker then zeroed in on kids by ranting against parents who make their children wear masks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all children age 2 and over wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID and recently said that kids still should wear masks in public spaces, especially if they attend summer camps this year.

“As for forcing children to wear masks outside, that should be illegal,” Tucker said. “Your response when you see children wearing masks while they play should be no different to seeing someone beat a kid in Walmart. Call the police. Contact Child Protective Services. Keep calling until someone arrives.”
https://www.thewrap.com/tucker-carlson-rants-that-covid-masks-are-child-abuse-call-the-policevideo/

Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Oh man it’s so great to finally hear your boos in person again! Just so we’re perfectly clear – if you’re anti-mask and anti-vax, you won’t be allowed at future Top 10 events. This is a stunning level of evil. I mean if anyone should have CPS called on them, it’s the anti-mask and anti-vax people. The sad thing right now is that the bad guys are winning in this field but hopefully not for long! Even the State Department is feeling the heat from this one.

A day after Tucker Carlson urged his viewers to call child protective services if they see kids wearing masks outside, the New Jersey, Nevada and Utah child welfare departments discouraged people from making frivolous calls and clarified that wearing face coverings was unlikely to constitute a form of child abuse.

In a wide-ranging rant about masks during a monologue on his show Monday, Carlson claimed it was “unacceptable,” “dangerous” and should even be “illegal” for children to wear masks outside while they play.

Citing debunked claims about masks decreasing oxygen levels, Carlson urged his viewers to contact the police or child welfare agencies if they see a kid wearing a mask outside.

In response to an inquiry from Forbes on Tuesday, the New Jersey Department of Children and Families said that calls to the child abuse hotline “must meet certain criteria for an investigative response” and that a “parent or guardian placing a mask on a child or youth, whether inside or outside, is not, by itself, considered abusive.”

In a warning to Americans who might heed Carlson’s advice, the department said that “frivolous calls” to the agency “prevent staff from helping the children and families that truly need assistance.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackbrewster/2021/04/28/states-to-tucker-carlson-dont-call-us-about-children-wearing-masks/?sh=5ef95de71256

Look we’re all sick of the pandemic precautions that have taken over our lives in the last year but the last thing we want to do is make things worse, or we all go back to ground zero! And pro-maskers aren’t the only thing that Tucker has a problem with. He also has a problem with vaccines. So masks and vaccines are both apparently part of the new thing that Fox News is going to declare war on in the next year and coming years.

Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Monday evening called former President Barack Obama a "creepy old man" for urging Americans to get the coronavirus vaccine in a public service announcement.

In a segment on Tucker Carlson Tonight, the host played Obama's recent remarks about the vaccine on NBC News, before criticizing the ex-president over the announcement.

"NBC is now running, and you may have seen these, PSAs (public service announcements) with its on-air talent demanding that everyone in the country get the shot. Barack Obama just released this creepy little video telling small children to get the shot," he said.

The host then aired the ex-president's message, which aired last week.

"Hi everybody it's Barack. Now that every American over the age of 16 is eligible to get the vaccine I want to talk about you getting yours," Obama said. "The vaccine is safe, it's effective, it's free. I got one, Michelle got one, people you know got one. And now you can get one too. It's the only way we're going to get back to all the things we love, from spending time with grandparents, to going to concerts, to watching live sports. So get the vaccine as soon as you can."
https://www.newsweek.com/tucker-carlson-calls-barack-obama-creepy-old-guy-telling-your-little-kids-get-vaccine-1588381

Yes, booooooooooooooooooooooo!!!! I mean come on, Obama is only trying to help. Seriously what’s wrong with these guys? I wish I knew the answers. But you could probably write an entire doctoral thesis about what’s wrong with these guys and still not come up with a correct answer! But this is why I thank god that shows like Jimmy Kimmel and John Oliver exist – to combat the bullshit. Because if we let Fox News go unchecked, the bad guys win. That’s right, Tucker.

Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday answered one of Tucker Carlson’s skewed questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, briefly inoculating viewers against the Fox News host’s anti-vaccine fearmongering. (Watch the clip below.)

As part of his right-wing channel’s apparent campaign to sow doubt about vaccine safety and effectiveness, Carlson has been raising what he presents as deal-breaking questions that actually have verifiable answers. Which, of course, he fails to acknowledge.

But on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” the nation’s top infectious disease expert entertained one of Carlson’s leading queries.

After people on the street asked Fauci questions, Kimmel noted one more guy had one. He cut to a clip of Carlson asking why college students should get the vaccine because “young people are not at risk of dying from COVID” and many have been infected already.

“No one has explained that,” Carlson said.

Kimmel let Fauci take it away.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dr-fauci-tucker-carlson-vaccine_n_60925c89e4b09cce6c24a3a4

[font size="8"]Josh Duggar
[br] [/font] [br] B

So remember when Q Anon activists promised to take down a global ring of elite pedophiles which included everything from musicians to politicians to billionaires to TV stars and everything and anything in between? Well who knew that the only people they’d take down so far are… oh wait, they haven’t taken anybody down yet. But I loved seeing this story last week. Remember that family that had those 1,000,000 kids and they were still in the process of producing more babies? That family? Well one of the offspring is Josh Duggar. And guess what? He’s already had past problems with pedophilia and child pornography. Guess you could say that you saw this coming but then again it’s probably just another notch in a long list of problems for this insane family.

Former reality TV star Joshua Duggar has been arrested on federal charges related to the possession of child pornography, according to the US Attorney's Office in the Western District of Arkansas.

Duggar allegedly downloaded material that depicted the sexual abuse of children under the age of 12, the US attorney's office said in a statement. Duggar allegedly possessed the material in May 2019.

Duggar, the oldest son of Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar, whose family was the subject of the TLC show "19 Kids and Counting," faces two charges, the indictment shows -- one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. He faces up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 if convicted, the statement said.

Duggar was arrested in Arkansas Thursday, according to the statement. He appeared in federal court Friday via video conference and pleaded not guilty to both charges.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/30/us/joshua-duggar-arrest-child-pornography/index.html

That guy kind of looks like he shouldn't be allowed near schools. I'm just saying. You know what? Why don't we call this "19 Federal Indictments And Counting". Or maybe "19 Years To Life And Counting". I smell a new reality show! Now here’s the question I have – is how the hell do you break *THAT* news to your 5,000,000 kids that one of your own is not only a creepy pervert but he’s a repeat offender creepy pervert? I just wish the cameras were rolling because I would have loved to have heard that conversation.

Earlier this week, some major news broke about a member of the Duggar family. Josh Duggar was arrested in Arkansas on Thursday and charged with receiving and possessing child pornography. In light of this news, The Sun reported that Josh's father, Jim Bob Duggar, issued a message to his children on Thursday about his son's arrest (Josh is currently still in jail and has a bond hearing scheduled for May 5, about two months before he will go to trial.)

A source told The Sun that Jim Bob shared a message with his many children on Thursday morning shortly before Josh was arrested. He reportedly told his kids and their spouses that Josh would be "arrested imminently." The insider continued about Jim Bob's reported comments, "He asked them all to pray for Josh and Anna, and trust that God would bring them closer together through the tough time. He also asked them to not speak publicly about the arrest or any issues with Josh."

While Jim Bob reportedly cautioned his children against speaking with the press, he, his wife Michelle Duggar, and several of their kids have indeed spoken out on Josh's arrest. On Friday, Jim Bob and Michelle issued a statement to PEOPLE in which they expressed that they're focusing on their faith amid this situation. They told the outlet, "We appreciate your continued prayers for our family at this time. The accusations brought against Joshua today are very serious. It is our prayer that the truth, no matter what it is, will come to light, and that this will all be resolved in a timely manner. We love Josh and Anna and continue to pray for their family."

Jim Bob and Michelle's children, including Jinger Duggar Vuolo and Jessa Duggar Seewald, also released statements about their brother's arrest and the charges brought against him. Both Jinger and Jessa, along with their respective spouses, took to Instagram to share their statements. On Jessa's Instagram Story, she and her husband shared that their prayers are with their family but stressed that they stand against any form of sexual abuse. Jessa and her husband, Ben Seewald, wrote, "We are saddened to hear of the charges against Josh. As Christians, we stand against any form of pornography or abuse and we desire for the truth to be exposed, whatever that may be. Our prayers are with their family as they walk through this difficult time."
https://popculture.com/reality-tv/news/what-jim-bob-duggar-reportedly-told-his-family-ahead-of-joshs-arrest/

Hey Christians! Stop supporting these people! Garbage behavior coming from someone like this isn’t just an isolated incident – it’s part of a long stemming pattern of terrible behavior! Yup, guy’s a pervert and the GOP is going to have a huge problem like this on their hands in the coming months and maybe even years and decades. And I mean come on, they had one of their own as president, so you know that old saying about birds of a feather flocking together, and such.

Josh Duggar's lawyers are contesting a judge's ruling that the reality star not be able to go home to his wife and kids should he be released on bail.

Duggar appeared virtually in court Friday and pleaded not guilty to two counts of child pornography charges. Judge Erin Wiedermann stipulated the "19 Kids and Counting" star cannot reside in a home with minor children and must have a third-party custodian should he be released on bond, according Deadline and KNWA, a local news outlet.

On Monday, Duggar's attorneys said in a joint statement that they "intend to defend this case aggressively and thoroughly."

"In this country, no one can stop prosecutors from charging a crime. But when you’re accused, you can fight back in the courtroom – and that is exactly what Josh intends to do," read the statement from attorneys Justin Gelfand, Travis Story and Greg Payne.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2021/05/03/josh-duggar-child-pornography-charges-what-we-know/4923762001/

Yeah but at least he’s a family pervert, Dude. Between this and Rudy getting arrested, this has been a pretty good week for us! Hey come on it’s our job to report on conservative idiocy, even if it includes them getting caught up in extremely terrible and possibly illegal behavior. Though when does this family not get pregnant? He’s just looking for excuses at this point. But at least TLC, or as I like to call them The Freak Show Network, is acknowledging that this family’s got issues.

Following Josh Duggar‘s recent arrest, TLC addressed its history with the Duggar family in a statement to Us Weekly on Friday, April 30.
Josh Duggar’s Lawsuits, Scandals and Controversies Over the Years

“TLC is saddened to learn about the continued troubles involving Josh Duggar,” the network noted. “19 Kids and Counting has not aired since 2015. TLC canceled the show on the heels of prior allegations against Josh Duggar and he has not appeared on air since then.”

The former 19 Kids and Counting star, 33, was arrested in Arkansas on Thursday, April 29. He was placed on a federal hold at the Washington County jail and detained without bond. One day later, he appeared at a court hearing via Zoom and smiled as his lawyer entered his not guilty plea.
https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/josh-duggar-arrested-tlc-addresses-duggar-familys-recent-scandal/

[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: The Silicon Shortage
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It’s time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic shut down supply chains and created global shortages of everything we buy, and changed consumer spending habits for better or worse. One shortage that you’re probably noticing now that’s going to get a whole lot worse is computer chips. But while you might be tempted to blame the Bitcoin shortage as to why you’re unable to buy critical computer components like graphics cards, the one market that this chip shortage is really affecting is something that nobody has expected – the new car market. In fact there’s such a shortage that it’s affecting both dealerships and production lines alike. But what you might not think is that your new car’s navigation system is loaded with computer chips that control everything from the GPS signal to monitoring safety hazards. But the scary thing is that it could be going from bad to worse in the coming weeks and it could affect a lot more than just new cars.

In the market for a new car, smartphone or washing machine this year? A global shortage of computer chips could mean you have to wait a while and pay more.

A growing number of manufacturers around the world are having trouble securing supplies of semiconductors, delaying the production and delivery of goods and threatening to push up the prices paid by consumers.

Several factors are driving the crunch, which was initially concentrated in the auto industry. The first is the coronavirus pandemic, which plunged the global economy into recession last year, upending supply chains and changing consumer shopping patterns. Carmakers cut back orders for chips while tech companies, whose products were boosted by lockdown living, snapped up as many as they could.

Other shocks, such as US government sanctions on Chinese technology companies and extreme weather, have also contributed to the shortage of supply.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/29/business/chip-shortages-smartphones-consumer-goods/index.html

So how did it get this bad? And what can be expected in the wait times between when this is at its’ peak and when it gets back to normal? Well a lot of this has to do with when the chip is ordered and produced. Because factories have been working at half or no capacity due to social distancing orders, and factory output has been lagging. And this could prove to be a huge problem because the semiconductors used to make chips are used in just about everything these days.

A six-decade-old invention, the lowly chip, has gone from little-understood workhorse in powerful computers to the most crucial and expensive component under the hood of modern-day gadgets.

That explosion in demand—unexpectedly goosed during the Covid-19 pandemic for certain industries like smartphones and PCs—has caused a near-term supply shock triggering an unprecedented global shortage.

In February, lead times—the duration between when an order for a chip is placed and when it actually gets filled—stretched to 15 weeks on average for the first time since data collection started in 2017, according to industry distributor data from Susquehanna Financial Group. Lead times for Broadcom Inc.—a barometer for the industry because of its involvement across the supply chain—extended to 22.2 weeks, up from 12.2 weeks in February 2020.

The crunch has sideswiped the General Motors and Volkswagens of the world and swung politicians from Washington to Beijing into crisis control. It’s also catapulted Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Samsung Electronics Co. to the top of investor and government agendas. Asia’s two largest chipmakers are responsible for making the vast majority of the world’s most advanced silicon, yet don’t have the capacity to sate all demand. It’s a bottleneck that could last several quarters—or into next year.
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2021-semiconductors-chips-shortage/

And while everyone is looking to rebound and rebuild from the ashes of the pandemic, this could have the potential to slow down that economic recovery. A lot of this shortage actually stems from last year when the pandemic first stranded people at home and everyone had to buy new computers and Wifi equipment to be able to keep up with streaming services and video conferencing service demands, but that demand is slowing. But expect this to go on for far longer than you might think.

"Out of stock": the frustrating warning has made its way to an increasing number of phones and laptop manufacturers' websites over the past year, often leading to long waiting lists for consumers wishing to get their hands on shiny new electronics.

At the heart of the problem is a global shortage of semiconductors, which is not showing signs of coming to an end anytime soon. Worse still, it is likely to trickle down to the production of everyday products that have little in common, at first glance, with high-end technologies. Think children's toys or microwaves.

In January, global semiconductor industry sales reached $40 billion, an increase of 13.2% compared to the same time in 2020. But although chip manufacturers assiduously continue to produce components, the demand for electronic devices that use semiconductors is reaching new heights and has already far outpaced the global supply of chips.

The COVID-19 pandemic has played a large part in bringing about this imbalance. As companies sent their staff back home to work remotely, PC and smartphone sales surged. At the same time, users turned to new, chip-filled forms of entertainment to pass the time during months of lockdown, ranging from gaming to cryptocurrency mining.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-global-chip-shortage-is-a-bigger-problem-than-everyone-realised-and-it-will-go-on-for-longer-too/

Yes that’s kind of about what it is like for the time being. So what do industry insiders think of this shortage and how long it could actually last? Let’s ask the CEO of Cisco, and unfortunately you’re probably not going to like the answer. He says that this could go on for most of the year, and that will start affecting a lot of jobs. Yes, everything has been screwed up because of the pandemic, but as the supply chains start to correct themselves, expect this kind of thing to happen.

The boss of networking giant Cisco has said the shortage of computer chips is set to last for most of this year.

Many firms have seen production delayed because of a lack of semiconductors, triggered by the Covid pandemic and exacerbated by other factors.

Cisco chief Chuck Robbins told the BBC: "We think we've got another six months to get through the short term.

"The providers are building out more capacity. And that'll get better and better over the next 12 to 18 months."

That expansion of capacity will be crucial as advances in technology - including 5G, cloud computing, the internet of things and artificial intelligence - drive a big increase in demand.
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56847518

That’s it for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.

My fair congregation! It is great to finally have a real congregation again and we’re no longer video conferencing! You know as I said last week it’s not all fun and games here at the Holy Church Of The Top 10. We don’t always get to report on the extremely wacky things that our right wing brothers and sisters are up to. Because as we all saw on that very horrifying day of January 6th what they were capable of, they were capable of some dark and disturbing shit! Yes, it’s OK to swear in my church! I know we haven’t done this in a while. Now you might be wondering where they are getting their money from that they can use it and go commit egregious acts of terror. Well I have an answer for you. There’s a Christian crowdfunding site called “GiveSendGo” that the right has been using to fund their activities, and a lot of those activities aren’t exactly what one would call kosher.

Dozens of extremist groups and individuals, including some involved in the Capitol attack, have used social media platforms, cryptocurrencies, tax-exempt status and other fundraising tools to rake in about $1.5m in the last year, according to experts.

Two recent studies by groups that track extremist financing, the Global Disinformation Index (GDI) and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), underscore the growing threat posed by far-right extremists, including those who attacked Congress to stop the certification of the 2020 election results.

The recent studies and testimony delivered to a House committee by representatives from the SPLC and GDI in late February showed that the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys and others with white supremacist and anti-immigrant bias, reaped windfalls via the streaming platform DLive, cryptocurrencies and other fundraising methods.

Megan Squire, a computer science professor at Elon University and a senior fellow at the SPLC, found that from 15 April to early February, 55 extremist individuals and groups used the video streaming platform DLive, which allows cryptocurrency-based donations for content, to pull in just under $866,700.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/10/us-far-right-extremists-millions-social-cryptocurrency

And yes they are certainly the devil. But did toxic religion play a role in the rise of the Dark One? You know who I am talking about of course – THE Dark One. A man who is so abhorrent, dishonorable, disgusting, and piggish that his name shall dare not be spoken in my church whether it is real or even virtual! But yes there’s theories that there’s a toxic Christian underground out there, and it mainly panders to white supremacist males!

On Jan. 6, insurrectionists invaded the U.S. Capitol, roaming its halls, rifling through desks, and threatening to capture and kill both Republican and Democratic-elected leaders. The storming of the U.S. Capitol by domestic terrorists incited by Trump, resulted in the deaths of five people, including a Capitol Police officer.

One phase of the invasion ended when Jake Angeli, known as the QAnon “shaman,” who wore a fur hat with bison horns, gathered a group of white men around the Senate dais to say a prayer before exiting. The men all bowed their heads meekly as Angeli prayed in the name of Jesus Christ.

That scene and others, like a giant Jesus 2020 flag flying from a Capitol balcony, and signs held by the rioters that said, “Jesus is my savior, Trump is my president,” did not surprise the Rev. Nathan Empsall, an Episcopal priest and campaigns director of Faithful America, a group which organizes online to reclaim Jesus from the religious right and white supremacists. In a conversation with Between The Lines Melinda Tuhus he spoke about his organization’s response to the attempted coup at the Capitol and the role of Christians in combating what he calls “toxic Christianity.”
https://btlonline.org/countering-toxic-christianitys-role-in-the-trump-insurrection-at-the-u-s-capitol/

And he’s also got lots of guns and ammunition, and a scorching case of anger directed at the wrong people! So in case you’re wondering where your money goes, or where these terrorists get their money from, well, just follow it! That’s what we are doing here is playing armchair auditor. Seriously if they can audit the election after it’s already been certified and accounted for, we can audit where their finances come from, and they’re not going to like it! But that is what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want!

A data breach from Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo has revealed that millions of dollars have been raised on the site for far-right causes and groups, many of whom are banned from raising funds on other platforms.

It also identifies previously anonymous high-dollar donors to far-right actors, some of whom enjoy positions of wealth, power or public responsibility.

Some of the biggest beneficiaries have been members of groups such as the Proud Boys, designated as a terrorist group in Canada, many of whose fundraising efforts were directly related to the 6 January attack on the United States Capitol.

The breach, shared with journalists by transparency group Distributed Denial of Secrets, shows the site was used for a wide range of legitimate charitable purposes, such as crowdfunding medical bills, aid projects and religious missions.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/10/proud-boys-far-right-givesendgo-christian-fundraising-site

That will happen at a Proud Boys rally! And by the way if you think you’re safe using a site like GiveSendGo, I can assure you that you are not! If you’re using this site to fund acts of terror and right wing militia groups, you will be found out! On the internet everything you do is tracked and quantified, which is why we only use approved sites that the LAWRD would want! So use GiveSendGo, it will only come back to haunt you, because it’s not what the good LAWD JAYSUS would want!

Since Jan. 6, hundreds of people have been charged with crimes associated with their alleged participation in the Capitol riots. The insurrection resulted in several deaths, millions of dollars of damage, and saw people hunting lawmakers intent on murdering them, possibly by hanging from scaffolding they’d erected outside.

To pay for their defense, many accused insurrectionists are turning to what’s fast become the crowdfunding platform of choice for the far-right: GiveSendGo. They’ve raised hundreds of thousands of dollars—and counting. Cumulatively, campaigns for members of the Oath Keepers, an extremist militia whose members fantasize about civil war, have raised a half-million dollars.

GiveSendGo calls itself the “#1 free Christian crowdfunding site,” created so “crowds of Christians could come together and support other Christians in their endeavors.”

The platform hosts fundraisers for plenty of faith-oriented fundraisers like mission trips, funerals, and church repairs. It also hosts fundraisers for members of far-right groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. Some even used the platform to raise money to travel to the Capitol riots.
https://www.dailydot.com/debug/capitol-rioters-givesendgo-legal-fees/

Yes and that path is don’t seek out approval from those who support the unholy Dark One, because it will come back to bite you! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]This Fucking Guy: Dana White & Joe Rogan
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This week we’re profiling not one but two guys for the This Fucking Guy title crown this week. And those happen to be UFC head honcho Dana White and UFC commentator and podcaster Joe Rogan. So while COVID seems to be waning and America is opening back up after being closed down for a year, this fucking guy Dana White has what one might call “the wrong idea” about how to do things. Yes we’re all desperate to get back to the way things were, but it’s not like we can turn a switch back on the same way we turned it off. But before we get to Joe Rogan, we have to talk about what UFC President Dana White is up to. And he’s certifiably batshit crazy. And I think it’s hilarious that the people who denounce politics in sports go on the most polarizing political talk shows to state their case.

Dana White—the Ultimate Fighting Championship president who spent the last four years campaigning for former President Donald Trump on a wide range of platforms—claims to dislike political messaging in sports.

Speaking to conservative talk show host and right-wing operative Candace Owens, White bemoaned the supposed politicization of sports leagues such as the NBA and the NFL while suggesting that the UFC would never participate in anything he deems “negative.”

“When you watch sports, you’re tuning in to get away from all the crap that’s going on in your life,” White told Owens in an interview for her show, “Candace,” on The Daily Wire’s video roster. “Whether it’s personal, professional, political, whatever’s going on in the world, that’s your time where you tune in. Never once did we talk about COVID, we didn’t talk politics, we didn’t talk about anything negative that was going on. When you come in and you watch two or three hours of our fights, you’re tuning in for fights. You’re coming in to watch a sport. You want to hear all that crap, watch any other channel.”

While White claims that his mixed martial arts league is an apolitical entity, his actions tell a vastly different story. The UFC president spoke at the 2016 and 2020 Republican National Convention, campaigned for Trump in his native Las Vegas, defended Trump’s controversial policies on UFC programming, produced a propaganda documentary titled “Combatant-in-Chief,” and hosted the former president at UFC events in the past. Despite White’s and the UFC’s overt relationship with Trump and his administration, White insisted that the UFC would not be pressured by the current political dynamics in the United States. Instead, he blamed so-called woke culture and cancel culture for the issues facing sports leagues.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/pro-trump-ufc-president-appears-on-candace-owens-show-to-bemoan-politics-in-sports/

And you know what? Here’s the thing Dana – you’re so intent on keeping politics out of sports, yet you keep going on political talk shows to demean politics in sports! How about this? Maybe, I don’t know, don’t go on fucking Sean Hannity to promote your beliefs of politics in sports! That I believe is the textbook definition of insanity, am I right? Yeah no really this fucking guy… like really most of us don’t care, and then there’s Dana White who we think protests just a little too much.

UFC president Dana White told Fox News host Sean Hannity that he tries to keep his sport separated from politics.

Appearing on Hannity’s show Monday night, the UFC chief chalked up his sport’s recent success, in part, to his effort to keep mixed martial arts from getting political.

“One of the things that I really tried to do through this whole thing is stay out of politics,” White said. “When people tune in to watch sports, they don’t want to hear that crap. They don’t want to hear what your opinions are, or who you’re voting for, or what you’re doing. They want to get away from everything in their life, and they want to focus on [for] two, three, four hours, however long the sport is … throughout this pandemic, when you turned on the UFC, we never talked about Covid. We never talked about politics.”

White went on to note that he was not referring to individual fighters — as the UFC chief said it was not his aim to “muzzle” the athletes. Similarly, White, in his personal capacity, has not been shy about expressing his own opinions. In August, he spoke in support of then-President Donald Trump during the Republican National Convention.
https://www.mediaite.com/sports/ufc-president-dana-white-tells-fox-news-sean-hannity-i-try-to-keep-my-sport-out-of-politics/

But then Dana White wouldn’t be anything without this fucking guy – Joe Rogan. If you think Dana White going on political talk shows to denounce politics in sports is bad, wait until you see what his buddy Joe Rogan is peddling! Joe Rogan, this fucking guy. How does this fucking guy have millions of fans? And especially when he’s peddling such dangerous information about vaccines such as this. Is the UFC a sports competition league or is it a far right indoctrination center disguised as a sports league? Well if you’re Dana White and Joe Rogan, it’s a combination of both.

Joe Rogan, the host of one of the most popular podcasts in the world, is facing criticism after claiming that healthy young people shouldn't "worry about" getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Joe Rogan Experience host made his comments encouraging young listeners not to get a COVID-19 vaccine if they're "healthy" during a recent episode of his show, as Media Matters for America reported.

"If you're like 21 years old and you say to me, 'Should I get vaccinated,' I go, 'No,'" Rogan said. "Are you healthy? Are you a healthy person? ... If you're a healthy person and you're exercising all the time and you're young and you're eating well, I don't think you need to worry about this."

Health experts, in fact, have been urging adults of all ages to get vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of whether they're in a high-risk group so that the United States can achieve herd immunity and end the pandemic. The CDC has noted that data suggests fully vaccinated people largely "do not carry the virus," meaning those at lower risk would be helping protect others from COVID-19 by getting a vaccine.
https://news.yahoo.com/joe-rogan-tells-massive-audience-202457655.html

Yeah really, don’t listen to this guy, especially when he’s creating new headaches for his employers at Spotify. In fact it’s sent lots of people into some serious damage control – even Dr. Fauci has said that Rogan’s comments are incorrect and we’ve pointed out how dangerous and stupid this kind of anti-vaccine misinformation can be (see: Top 10 #10-10 ). We cannot emphasize this enough people – take the damn vaccine! Even Joe Rogan himself was forced to walk back his own dangerous advice after being called out for it on social media and John Oliver’s show. I mean whew, this fucking guy!

"I am not a respected source of information," the Spotify podcast host said Thursday.

Joe Rogan on Thursday addressed comments he previously made on his popular Spotify podcast in which he said young, healthy people should skip the COVID-19 vaccination. The remarks came under fire, even being addressed by Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease doctor.

During the latest installment of The Joe Rogan Experience, the comic-actor said he was not a doctor and that he believes younger people should be vaccinated because even if they are not severely impacted by the virus themselves, they could still spread it to others who are not as fortunate.

"I am not an anti-vax person," Rogan said. "In fact, I said I believe they are safe and I encourage many people to take them. I just said if you're a young healthy person, you don't need it. Their argument was you need it for other people. But that's a different conversation. And yes, that makes sense."
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/joe-rogan-walks-back-covid-19-comments-i-am-not-an-anti-vaxx-person

Yeah so going on political shows to denounce politics in sports and peddling dangerous anti-vaccine information, and possibly hosting super-spreader events. That’s Joe Rogan and Dana White – this week’s:

[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Welcome back to our segment that attempts to explain the unexplainable – Conspiracy Corner! We are coming to you live from our underground bunker deep within the New Mexico badlands , undisclosed location of course! Let me just adjust my tin foil hat for maximum government interference – you know they are trying to read your thoughts! Let me assure Donald Trump fans out there that you can fly whatever flag you want. And let me also assure you something that you’re not going to like – free speech has consequences. In case you’re wondering what I’m talking about, you may have seen Trump merchandise booths pop up in your town. So what happen when they come for your flags? Well you know how it goes – first the come for your flags and I said nothing!

A battle is brewing outside a tiny home adjacent to Riverside Park pitting the city's concern for public decency against an individual's right to free expression.

On Monday, Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. vowed to send Hammond code enforcement officers to cite the homeowner for flying a flag in his front yard featuring "F--- Biden" in large type, and in smaller type: "And f--- you for voting for him!"

The Democratic chief executive said city ordinances prohibit the display of obscene materials that are easily visible to the public, and McDermott said there's no question the flag can be viewed by anyone, including children and youth baseball teams, using the park.

"This is complaint-driven. The neighbors and the parents across the street complained to us and we have a job to do," McDermott said. "It's very clear that you can't have vulgar messages on flags or signs, and this is clearly a violation of city ordinance."

McDermott said even though he supports Democratic President Joe Biden, and voted for him in the last election, the enforcement action has nothing to do with politics.
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/hammond/obscene-anti-biden-flag-attracts-attention-of-hammond-code-enforcement/article_bd9eda2c-fdb3-5c69-b3dd-c2fa2faf2937.html

Oh people stop your rabbling! That’s just a guy exercising his free speech rights by saying “fuck the current administration and you the people for voting for him!”. But this tiny little protest in a small Indiana town isn’t going unnoticed. And not just by Trump supporters either because they are standing by their man and they’re planning to protest. And it looks like this could get really ugly really quickly so we’ll be watching!

A Medford neighborhood woke Friday morning to see a profanity-laced anti-President Joe Biden flag in a yard next to a Medford school bus stop and a Steele County Sheriff’s Office squad car parked in the driveway underneath the flag.

The flag stating, “(Expletive) Biden and (expletive) you for voting for him,” has resulted in an internal investigation at the department and sparked a conversation in the neighborhood about when free speech goes too far.

By noon Friday, the flag at the deputy’s home had been removed. Sheriff Lon Thiele said the incident is currently under investigation but it was disappointing that the flag was seen near a squad car.

“That’s not the view I want children to see from their Sheriff’s Office,” Thiele said. “Freedom of speech is what our forefathers wanted and put in the Constitution, but we want [the department] to be seen in a lot better light than this negative message.”
https://www.mdjonline.com/neighbor_newspapers/extra/news/deputy-flies-profanity-laced-anti-biden-flag-in-medford/article_92d6d7e7-e20d-510f-ae9b-bb4ec4ca024f.html

And if you think that the Hammond incident is an isolated one, oh man you haven’t seen anything yet, my friends! There’s incidents in Minnesota and Pennsylvania over these stupid things. And another one in Florida! Oh don’t think for a minute that Florida Man isn’t involved in this! He’s probably got hundreds of them flying from his boat, which probably caused it to sink. Oh and even funnier is that his boat isn’t a sailboat.

Expletive-laden anti-Joe Biden flags have appeared in a Florida neighborhood, prompting concern among parents who say the message is inappropriate on a public sign.

One flag that appeared in the front yard of a home in Cape Coral read: "F*** Biden and f*** you for voting for him!"

Resident John Strasburger, who put up the banner, said he was undeterred by complaints from neighbors. "I feel the election was stolen, I think the evidence was there to prove it," he told local TV station Fox4Now.

Claims of voter fraud in last year's presidential election have been emphatically rejected by the courts. Donald Trump and his allies lost more than 60 lawsuits challenging the results in various states, and no evidence of widespread irregularities has been found.
https://www.newsweek.com/anti-biden-flags-florida-cape-coral-1579009

Whew! Now that’s the flag you fly and proudly! Don’t fly any other flags, especially the flag of President Loser Shit For Brains on it! So is this a conspiracy? Yeah probably. Is it offensive to fly that flag? Oh yeah absolutely. Especially if you fly it anywhere on the same level as the American flag. But what makes this a conspiracy is that some are calling this “protected speech” and if it goes anywhere near SCOTUS, it could get very ugly very quickly! Don’t think they won’t go down without a fight, either!

An attorney for the city of Fargo says a homeowner has the right to fly a flag that uses obscenity against President Joe Biden.

Displaying the flag is protected by the First Amendment, according to Assistant City Attorney Alissa Farol. The display also is not in violation of the city sign code, as its message is non-commercial and it doesn’t exceed the maximum allowable size.

The homeowner is flying an upside-down American flag on the same flagpole, and Farol says that is protected speech, too.

The U.S. Flag Code states that the American flag is not to be flown upside down “except as a signal of dire distress in instance of extreme danger to life or property.”

Farol weighed in after Fargo police received complaints about the flags flying over a home in south Fargo, KVRR-TV reported.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/02/04/vulgar-anti-biden-flag-is-protected-speech-city-of-fargo-says/

[font size="8"]I Need A Drink
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Hey everyone, I don’t know about you but I could really use a drink!

So of course you know the idea behind this is that we have some drinks and while we’re drinking, we discuss anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics. But this week I may have to bend the rules a bit because I heard one of the dumbest, stupidest things ever said about my drink of choice – beer. Beer is the best! So Trump’s economic advisor Larry Kudlow had this to say about beer:

Yeah that happened! Never mind that beer is already made with plants – barley, hops, yeast, and water, but that’s one of those things that’s so stupid that both sides of your brain shut down and go “LET”S FIGURE IT OUT!!!”. Well, in order to do that, I need a drink! Tell me, my vaccinated bartender, what goes well with this story? Brain beer? What’s in it? No thanks, how about an extra-large mug of Denogginizer IPA? Yeah I’m splitting with Jack this week! So here’s the full story behind this insane clip.

The Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, has joined a flood of social media users gleefully trolling Larry Kudlow after the former economic adviser to Donald Trump complained that Joe Biden wanted Americans to drink “plant-based beer”.

Kudlow made the indignant claim on his Fox Business show on Friday, saying Biden’s climate policies and attempt to slash emissions would force Americans to “stop eating meat, stop eating poultry and fish, seafood, eggs, dairy and animal-based fats”.

“OK, got that? No burgers on 4 July. No steaks on the barbecue … So get ready. You can throw back a plant-based beer with your grilled Brussels sprouts and wave your American flag.”

Beer is typically made from grains, hops and yeast – not steak, sausages or chops.

Amid a blizzard of lacerating social media send-ups, the New York Times columnist Paul Krugman offered a sober analysis of what Kudlow was up to.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/apr/26/trump-larry-kudlow-biden-plant-based-beer

Man if only! But this latest rant from Kudlow is only part of a campaign aimed at taking down and discrediting the controversial Green New Deal. Look there’s a lot to digest in those 14 pages but I don’t remember a single thing about beer in there! Yes they said we’ll possibly need to curb our meat consumption but that’s an entirely different topic. Here, our focus is on the beer. But Kudlow really stepped in it with that comment!

Fox News is once again upset with Joe Biden over something that Joe Biden has not actually said or done. This time, it surrounds Biden’s new climate plan, which critics say will “ban” the consumption of meat in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But the people at Fox News couldn’t even manage to perpetuate a falsehood that they themselves invented without fumbling all over it.

Larry Kudlow, a former economic adviser to Donald Trump who has a daily show on Fox Business, said on air last Friday that Biden’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and curb climate change would force Americans to “stop eating meat, stop eating poultry and fish, seafood, eggs, dairy and animal-based fats.”

“OK, got that? No burgers on July 4. No steaks on the barbecue,” said Kudlow. “So get ready. You can throw back a plant-based beer with your grilled Brussels sprouts and wave your American flag.”

First off, as Paul Krugman pointed out in the New York Times, Biden’s plan doesn’t involve the elimination of meat from the American diet. In fact, that claim was thoroughly debunked by multiple media sources, including Fox News. On Monday, three days after Kudlow made these claims, Fox anchor John Roberts said that the station had “incorrectly implied” that a 2020 academic study about meat consumption and greenhouse gas emissions was connected to Biden’s plan for dealing with climate change.
https://thetakeout.com/fox-news-larry-kudlow-lies-biden-meat-beer-1846780588

Ah I get it now! First they’re coming for your fridge and I said nothing. Then they come for your Kitchen Aid stand mixer and personal meat grinders, and I said nothing. Then they come for your grills… next thing you know it’s an all out assault on the American kitchen as we know it! Dun dun dun!!!! But this latest gaffe is but another in the long line of misinformation and stupid comments coming from conservatives!

On Friday night, Fox News host and former Trump economic adviser Larry Kudlow took President Joe Biden to task for a climate policy that will, according to Kudlow, eventually make it more difficult for Americans to eat a burger or steak, even on July 4 (the meatiest of American holidays, as everyone knows). “Get this, America has to stop eating meat, stop eating poultry and fish, seafood, eggs, dairy, and animal-based fats. Ok, got that? No burger on July 4,” Kudlow said. Traditionally, Independence Day is a day to participate in the art of grilling, an ancient pastime that celebrates our country’s origins. Instead, Kudlow warns, Americans will soon have to “throw back a plant-based beer with your grilled Brussels sprouts.”

Chuck Schumer already dunked on this comment (sort of), but this particular culture war apparently remains — sorry — red meat for Fox’s audience, which is deeply concerned about the potential loss of our freedoms, including the eating of meat. As Kudlow said, “I’m sure middle America is just going to love that. Can you grill those Brussels sprouts?” But beer, of course, is not made from fermented animal parts. In fact, it’s brewed from grains, including corn, rice, and wheat — all plants that are widely consumed by Americans in other forms, such as tacos (corn), sushi (rice), or Lucky Charms (wheat).

In fact, most food is already “plant-based.” As it turns out, even meats like steak and pork come from animals that eat plants. French fries are mostly plant-based. Ditto Budweiser, Chips Ahoy!, Doritos, and doughnuts. You may have already eaten several “plant-based” foods, or had a “plant-based” drink, today. Don’t worry: The world hasn’t secretly changed. This is just how food works. It’s fine.
https://www.grubstreet.com/2021/04/fox-warns-of-scourge-of-plant-based-beer.html

Can I get another one? Keep ‘em coming! Man I have missed you guys! Drinking in front of a blue screen with a virtual bartender just isn’t the same! So here’s the thing – plot twist! There’s no such thing as “plant based beer”. All beer is plant based and if Larry had done a little research he might have seen that! And here’s the thing – conservatives may be outraged about the Green New Deal, and it has some things that not everyone is going to like. But we must act now to save the planet before it’s too late. But one thing it does not do? It doesn’t say to limit your meat consumption. So go nuts! Eat those In N Out 100 x 100s with a side of meat fries and fried chicken, and chug a nice glass of meat-based beer, and if you survive to next July 4th, then it’s all a hoax and what Big Environmental doesn’t want you to know!

Last week some politicians and media commentators have claimed President Joe Biden is planning to limit meat consumption as part of a climate change plan. That's false. Neither Biden nor the White House have indicated curbing meat-eating, or altering Americans' diets in any way, is part of that plan.

But that hasn't stopped some Biden critics from fueling flames about the perceived threat.

On Friday, Larry Kudlow, former economic adviser to Donald Trump, said the climate plan would go so far as to make Americans drink "plant-based beer" (aka...beer). Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, called Biden "The Hamburglar" in a Sunday tweet, while Texas Gov. Greg Abbott shared false information from Fox News claiming the plan will "cut 90% of red meat" from Americans' diets and limit everyone to "one burger per month."

These unfounded declarations sparked heated comments over the past week about meat consumption, plant-based alternatives and climate change. Here's everything to know about the uproar and the debate over plant-based meat substitutes.
https://www.cnet.com/news/no-joe-bidens-new-climate-plan-wont-limit-meat-consumption/

[font size="8"]Stupidest State
[br] [/font] [br]

16 states will enter and only one state will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!

Welcome back to Stupidest State 2021! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we are just two short rounds away from the Final Four! Last week, we saw something unprecedented as a #4 seed upset a #1 favorite when Arkansas knocked off Indiana to take the Family Values Conference! This week it’s a battle for Batshit Conference superiority! The #1 Georgia Bulldogs are sitting atop the conference, but the #4 Michigan Wolverines are coming for them! Only one of these teams will advance to the Final Four, the other team goes home! Let’s go to the floor in Phoenix for more action action action!

[font size="4"]Batshit Conference Championship: #1 Georgia vs #4 Michigan [/font]

[font size="2"]Georgia [/font]

Last we saw Georgia, they were in the midst of a fiery battle with MLB and the state of Georgia, led by of course governor Brian Kemp. Now the Peach State is feeling some major hot water with some of the major corporations that are based in Georgia, like Coca Cola and Delta Airlines. Now they’re coming after one of America’s largest employers – Home Depot. And never mind that Home Depot’s founder is a hardcore billionaire MAGA supporter. Let’s not overlook that simple fact! But Brian Kemp is still feeling the heat from this one!

A major coalition of Black faith leaders in Georgia, representing more than 1,000 churches in the state, will call on Tuesday for a boycott of Home Depot, arguing that the company has abdicated its responsibility as a good corporate citizen by not pushing back on the state’s new voting law.

The call for a boycott, led by Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, who oversees all 534 African Methodist Episcopal churches in Georgia, represents one of the first major steps to put significant economic pressure on businesses to be more vocal in opposing Republican efforts in Georgia and around the country to enact new restrictions on voting.

“We don’t believe this is simply a political matter,” Bishop Jackson said in an interview. “This is a matter that deals with securing the future of this democracy, and the greatest right in this democracy is the right to vote.”

Home Depot, Mr. Jackson said, “demonstrated an indifference, a lack of response to the call, not only from clergy, but a call from other groups to speak out in opposition to this legislation.”

While boycotts can be challenging to carry out in ways that put meaningful financial pressure on large corporations, the call nonetheless represents a new phase in the battle over voting rights in Georgia, where many Democrats and civil rights groups have been reluctant to support boycotts, viewing them as risking unfair collateral damage for the companies’ workers.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/20/us/politics/georgia-home-depot-boycott.html

Except when it does! And not only that but Georgia’s insanity is inspiring copycat bills! Yes states like Ohio are adopting the controversial Georgia model, and never mind that there’s bills like this in the works in like 37 states. But how much is this law going to hurt Georgia businesses? Well Brian Kemp’s actions are going to cost the state in the hundreds of millions! Yes, you heard that right! And that’s not all it’s going to hurt!

Georgia’s Republican governor on Saturday stepped up his attack on Major League Baseball’s decision to pull this summer’s All-Star Game from the state in response to a sweeping new voting law, saying the move politicized the sport and would hurt minority-owned businesses.

“It’s minority-owned businesses that have been hit harder than most because of an invisible virus by no fault of their own,” Gov. Brian Kemp said. “And these are the same minority businesses that are now being impacted by another decision that is by no fault of their own.”

Kemp spoke along with Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, also a Republican, at a seafood and po’boy restaurant miles from the stadium in a suburb north of Atlanta where the game would have been held, though he said he didn’t think the restaurant was minority-owned.

He has previously criticized MLB’s decision. The game will now be played in Denver. Kemp noted at Saturday’s news conference that Denver has a much smaller percentage of African Americans than Atlanta. And he said MLB’s move has injected politics into the “great American pastime.”
https://sentinelcolorado.com/news/metro/georgia-governor-moving-all-star-game-to-denver-will-hurt-georgia-minorities/

Yeah probably! So just remember this the next time you vote for someone – actions do have their consequences! And it doesn’t take much to figure that one out! Although I do love that the repeated boycotts and even threatening boycotts are driving Brian Kemp nuts! Oh yes my friends, nothing and I mean nothing is sweeter than watching conservative heads explode!

Georgia's governor sounded off Tuesday against calls from religious leaders for a boycott of Home Depot in response to the company's lack of opposition to the state's controversial new voting laws.

At a news conference Tuesday, Gov. Brian Kemp (R) addressed a coalition of faith leaders who announced the boycott earlier in the day, accusing them of not caring about Georgia workers.

“First, the left came for baseball, and now they are coming for Georgia jobs,” Kemp said, referring to MLB's decision to move this year's All-Star Game from Atlanta over the new laws. “This boycott of Home Depot — one of Georgia’s largest employers — puts partisan politics ahead of people’s paychecks.”

"The Georgians hardest hit by this destructive decision are the hourly workers just trying to make ends meet during a global pandemic. I stand with Home Depot, and I stand with nearly 30,000 Georgians who work at the 90 Home Depot stores and 15 distribution centers across the Peach State. I will not apologize for supporting both Georgia jobs and election integrity," he added.
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/549291-georgia-governor-rips-home-depot-boycott-this-insanity-needs-to-stop

[font size="2"]Michigan [/font]

Last we left Michigan we were witnessing the fallout from the attempt to kidnap Governor Whitmer. I know it was scary at the time but I love this story so much and I can’t wait for the movie! And I could keep talking about this story all damn day, but I don’t have that kind of time. Michigan is led by some sane people but there are multiple levels of crazy once you start peeling back the layers. And don’t think we haven’t seen the last of these wannabe terrorists yet.

Three men accused in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have been indicted on charges of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.

The new charges against Adam Fox, Barry Croft Jr., and Daniel Joseph Harris center on an alleged plan to blow up a bridge near Whitmer's vacation home in order to hinder police, according to a superseding indictment.

Fox and Croft allegedly inspected the underside of the bridge for a place to put explosives in September while they were on their way to conduct "nighttime surveillance" of that home, the indictment alleges.

Croft and Harris also allegedly blew up or tried to blow up improvised explosive devices, including a test of how well shrapnel would work against people. Fox is accused of ordering $4,000 worth of explosives from an undercover FBI agent.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/weapons-mass-destruction-charge-added-3-accused-michigan-governor-kidnap-n1265762

Yeah really if you’re going to kidnap someone maybe don’t use a PT Cruiser as a getaway vehicle, though the explosives most likely increased the value of the car. So how did this plot happen? How did these guys get so radicalized that they went and stormed the state capitol in an effort to overturn restrictions and kidnap the governor? This is some serious Al Qaeda or ISIS levels of insanity right here.

A Wisconsin Dells area man accused of plotting terrorism against the governor of Michigan has dropped an appeal against extradition.

On Friday, documents were filed in court behalf of Brian Higgins, 52, notifying the court that he will drop his challenge to a request to extradite him from Wisconsin to Michigan to face a charge of providing material support to a terrorist act. The FBI alleges several men were involved in a right-wing militia plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and try her for treason of their own accord in light of the governor’s restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Higgins was specifically accused of providing use of night-vision goggles and using a dash cam to surveil the governor’s vacation home, and Wisconsin and Michigan officials requested that he be transferred to Michigan last October.

New court documents indicate that Higgins voluntarily decided to dismiss his appeal with advice of his legal counsel, which will allow the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office to give Michgan agents custody of Higgins to transport him to Michigan once accepted by the court. He has been in the Columbia County Jail since November as court proceedings continued, and remained in Columbia County custody as of Friday afternoon, according to online records. Court proceedings began moving forward in Michigan Monday.
https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/wisconsin-dells-man-drops-extradition-appeal-in-michigan-governor-kidnapping-plot-case/article_474b1e08-9eab-586e-b3a8-df918954e12a.html

Yeah really this plot sounds like it was being run by Dwight Schrute and Michael Scott. So these guys are full blown domestic terrorists and they’re about to get the book thrown at them. And don’t think this is an isolated incident either – rural Michigan is full of domestic terrorists and militia types and the more out from civilization you go the worse they get. Don’t think that we haven’t seen the last of incidents like this. Expect that things will get worse before they get better!

The men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer were engaged in domestic terrorism, federal prosecutors now claim, signaling a potential shift in how the Justice Department is handling one of its highest-profile cases involving anti-government activities.

Last October, the Justice Department made headlines around the world when officials announced they had foiled a plot to break into the governor’s vacation home, snatch her, and spirit her away — possibly by boat — then put her on trial for being “a tyrant.” Six men were indicted on federal kidnapping charges while eight more were charged in Michigan state court with providing support to the plot.

Now, in a new indictment, filed in the Western District of Michigan early on Wednesday, a grand jury has added three additional charges to the federal case: conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, possession of an unregistered destructive device, and possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle. Previously, the sole federal count had been kidnapping conspiracy.

According to prosecutors, the defendants’ elaborate plan to kidnap a sitting governor, which also included blowing up a bridge near her home, meets the definition of domestic terrorism. Its goal, the new indictment alleges, was “to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping.”
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/kenbensinger/michigan-kidnapping-plot-domestic-terrorism

[font size="2"]And The Winner Is: [/font]

Wow this is a close game here! Score tied at 91 each! We are down to 10 seconds left, Georgia has the ball… for 3… YES!!!! It’s in!!!! Georgia hangs on, they will move onto the Final Four! The fans are celebrating in the stands and they are celebrating on the court, wow, what a game! Great showing by Michigan, but Georgia pulls it out and moves forward!

[font size="4"]Next Week: [/font]

We are one week away from the Final Four! And the last but certainly not the least is the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference championships! The playground for the rich, #2 Wyoming is set to take on the gambling mecca of #3 Nevada! One will win, one will go home!

See you next week!

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April 29, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #10-12: Teenage Mutant Cyber Ninja Turtles Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #10-12: Teenage Mutant Cyber Ninja Turtles Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! How’s everybody doing? Yeah it’s getting tough to hang in there, I know. Everyone is getting restless and tired. So how do you like our new set? We’re finally out of the blank void in the back room of a Burbank comedy club because comedy clubs are finally opening up! So while we search for a new permanent home, we’re shacking up at a currently closed music venue – the Observatory OC in Santa Ana, which we are using to promote the “Save Our Stages” campaign! And it’s our first in over a year with a live audience! Say hi everybody! So do we have time for the thing? Of course we do! So here’s a bizarre story out of Italy. I’m totally fascinated with this story and rightfully so. Say you are an employee and you skip work. Now rinse and repeat for 15 years. That’s right – I said 15… years! And this is a seriously crazy story when you start looking at the details. The man’s name is Salvatore Scumace and he’s been under investigation for some very serious crimes including forgery and extortion. Even his superiors at the hospital are under indictment. But you know at this point some of the blame has to fall on the hospital because how do you keep fooling them for 15 years? Even the irony of this story is that he was only one year from retirement. And he would have got away with it too if it weren’t for those meddling police! OK I had to Scooby Doo that one. That’s enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first Bill Maher is back and he talks about how old Joe is really not so old and he’s accomplishing more in 100 days than Trump did in 4 years:

So where do we begin this week? In the number one slot this week is Derek Chauvin (1). So he was found… GUILTY! On all 3 counts, and conservatives are naturally not happy about the verdict, nor are they not happy about Minneapolis erupting into riots. But grab some popcorn and enjoy some conservative tears because this is going to be fun! In the second slot this week is our favorite Q Anon Congress Critter Marjorie Taylor Green (2). So she’s attempting to look intelligent by actually reading the proposed Green New Deal and challenging Alexandria Ocasio Cortez to a debate on the subject and is not surprisingly – already failing out of the gate! Taking the #3 slot this week – we’ve got the latest news coming from the Capitol Riot (3) and as I said last week, this is the gift that keeps on giving because it’s weirder and stranger! In the #4 slot this week is Cyber Ninja (4). You might not have heard of them, but they’re the firm that Arizona republicans hired to conduct yet *ANOTHER* election audit to prove it was stolen, and they’re already getting their asses handed to them! In the #5 slot this week is our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates (5) – how did a Z-grade Hollywood “actor” manage to trick hundreds of actors into a ponzi scheme that netted him hundreds of millions? It’s an insane story and we can’t wait for the movie! In the #6 slot this week is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” and this week we’re examining the new “Center For American Values” promoted by supporters of Former Guy and starring his crazy spiritual advisor Paula White, but what is it, exactly? Taking the #7 slot this week we have a new Beating A Dead Horse – so Disneyland and Disney World in Orlando are becoming “Woke” and that is angering some people, so has it ruined the experience? No, you’re just threatened by change. In the number 8 slot this week is our brand new sports segment – The Wide World Of Sports (8) and this week we’re taking a look at the failed FISA Super League in Europe and it is a clusterfuck of mismanagement that went very south very quickly! In the number 9 (NEIN!!) slot this week we have a new People Are Dumb, because of course they are! Finally this week it’s time for Stupidest State 2021 (10)! This week it’s Round 2 Week 2 which means that it’s the Family Values Conference championships! #1 Indiana is set to take on #4 Arkansas! Which state has the stronger holy water to advance to the Final Four? There’s only one way to find out! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

[div style="padding: 20px; background-color: #ffffff; border-radius: 10px; box-shadow: 0px 2px 4px 1px #aaa;"][div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-weight: bold; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999; padding-bottom: 8px;"]

[font size="8"]Derek Chauvin
[br] [/font] [br]

The murder of George Floyd last year at the hands of police officer Derek Chauvin was one of those life-changing events. Everyone will remember where they were and it will cement itself in history. You may notice that we here at the Top 10 have largely been avoiding covering the trial of Officer Chauvin because it’s one of those situations that you just can’t make fun of. But now that the verdict has been reached – Chauvin is guilty as hell, the whole world is rejoicing because justice has finally been served and a message has been sent to crooked and out of control cops everywhere. And when I say the whole world is rejoicing – that is *EXCEPT* for conservatives. Everyone on the right side of things was as you can imagine, not happy about this one. Take Lindsay Graham for instance. Cue up the world’s tiniest violin playing just for murderous police.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Sunday that the U.S. was not a racist country but faced racism in the form of "bad actors" following the guilty verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd.

During an interview with Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday," Graham explained that in his view, the U.S. was not a racist country and did not have racist "systems," but did face continuing challenges from some Americans who hold racist beliefs.

"No, in my opinion...our systems are not racist," America is not a racist country," Graham told Wallace.

"This attack on police and policing...reform the police yes, call them all racists no," he continued.

The South Carolina senator said a bipartisan compromise on the issue of policing reform could be reached in Congress if Democrats could agree to modify their call to end qualified immunity, which protects police officers and departments from most lawsuits in cases of police violence. Graham said he would support suing a department instead of individuals.
https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/550150-graham-after-chauvin-verdict-america-is-not-a-racist-country

So for this instead of showing you all the news about Chauvin being guilty – because you probably knew that – we’re instead showing you the conservatives’ reaction to the verdict and how their idea of militaristic policing has come to a crashing halt. If you thought that Lindsay Graham was unapologetic, just wait until you see Tucker Carlson’s reaction to this. No… no… turn off the Tucker reaction camera, we don’t need that for this piece!

On a near-nightly basis, Fox News primetime host Tucker Carlson conducts master classes in white supremacy and hate for his millions of viewers, nearly all of them white conservatives. His latest lesson involves the paranoid fiction that nonwhite people are coming to America to "replace" the majority white population, and that by implication the existence of the "white race" is imperiled both in the United States and around the world.

In his white supremacy tutelage, Carlson also routinely rages at the enemies of the MAGAverse and "real America," especially Black and brown people (and their white allies) in the pro-human rights and democracy movement known as Black Lives Matter. Their crime, for Carlson and his viewers? Demanding that the human and civil rights of Black people, and others marginalized in American society, be respected and protected.

Carlson is highly effective: White supremacists have repeatedly praised him for helping to mainstream their vile ideology among the millions of people who watch Fox News. In fact, the "Daily Show" has created a video montage of Tucker Carlson channeling the same language and ideas as white supremacist mass shooters.

Carlson also condones if not outright encourages fascism and other attacks on America's multiracial democracy. His staff of writers has included at least one overt white supremacist.

White supremacy and racial authoritarianism, like other forms of fascism and more generally, involve an emptiness of the heart and mind. As a high priest in America's church of white supremacy and racism, Carlson does his best to fill that emptiness for his viewers and followers. ...............(more)

https://www.salon.com/2021/04/27/tucker-carlson-the-chauvin-verdict-and-the-burden-of-white-civilization/

OK yeah… no, sorry, Tucker – the right people won and justice prevailed. You don’t get to whitewash your way out of this one. Though this is the most alarming statistic about this whole thing – it’s split the GOP right down the middle. That’s right – 46% think the Chauvin verdict was wrong. So let’s get this straight – they support the police one minute, then beat them to death with their own flag the next. This means that your conservative neighbor with a giant Blue Lives Matter flag flying from the back of his F-150 that’s the size of his house probably is one of the 46%! Think about it!

The jury’s assessment—which found Chauvin guilty of second degree murder, third degree murder and second degree manslaughter—was broadly rated as the “right verdict” by the over 2,500 Americans surveyed for the poll.

Three-quarters of respondents said they agreed with the outcome, with just 25% diverging—a group composed of more men than women and that is disproportionately white and mostly conservative.

Political affiliation emerged as the most divisive dictator of opinions on the trial’s outcome, with 90% of Democrats saying jurors reached the right verdict, while a slim majority (54%) of Republicans said the same.

Nearly half (46%) of the Republicans surveyed felt the jury had come to the wrong decision in convicting Chauvin of murder versus just 10% of Democrats and 25% of Independents who thought the verdict was wrong.

Though less overtly than their Democratic counterparts, many Republican lawmakers praised the trial’s outcome after it was announced last Wednesday. “There is no doubt in my mind that jury reached the right verdict,” Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said in a statement, while Ohio Sen. Rob Portman tweeted he was “grateful” that “justice appears to be served.” Some GOP lawmakers and pundits have suggested the trial was corrupted by intense public pressure, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) implying during an appearance on Fox News that jurors found Chauvin guilty because they were “scared of what a mob may do.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/04/25/nearly-half-of-republicans-think-derek-chauvin-verdict-was-wrong-poll-shows/?sh=4f8b4e2266e8

And by the way, Fox News wanted this. Riots were actually part of their plan. They saw how the shit really hit the fan last year and it was great for their ratings. They were actually anticipating more of this when the verdict was read. Honestly it could have gone either way. Cities were embracing for this. But when the actual verdict was finally read, we got the exact opposite of that! Thank god we can finally put this ugly chapter of American history behind us! At least for now!

As cities prepare for possible protests following a verdict in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin, police departments say they are implementing new tactics after being criticized by agency watchdogs for their handling of last summer’s demonstrations.

New York City police officials said they are in the process of implementing less aggressive crowd control tactics, while Los Angeles has started new training and the Chicago Police Department has ordered its officers to be respectful of protesters. Some cities like Philadelphia banned or limited the use of tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray on demonstrators after facing criticism from local elected leaders and civil-rights groups for deploying them on crowds over the summer.

Municipal oversight agencies and outside consultants hired by cities have found departments were unprepared, disorganized and used excessive force during the protests that swept the country following the death of George Floyd in police custody.

With a Minneapolis jury now deliberating whether to convict Mr. Chauvin for killing Mr. Floyd, some departments also said they have reached out to organizers and community leaders in advance of expected protests, in the hopes of creating less tense confrontations with demonstrators.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/awaiting-derek-chauvin-verdict-police-prepare-new-approach-to-protests-11618930271

[font size="8"]Marjorie Taylor Greene
[br] [/font] [br]

Just like the Capitol Riot, Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q – Batshit) is also the gift that keeps on giving. The latest thing concerns Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s controversial Green New Deal. And the only reason why the Green New Deal is controversial is because republicans haven’t read and/or analyzed it and are floating wild conspiracy theories about. Which is par for the course with these kooks. So gym owner Marjorie is attempting to look intelligent by actually announcing that she’s going to read the Green New Deal and challenge AOC to a debate on it. And she made a big splash on Twitter announcing that… she’s going to read something. And that is something that in the 5 years we’ve been doing this, something I never thought I would hear any conservative say! What? Conservatives let Fox News and AM radio do all their thinking for them!

Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene—the QAnon-loving bigot who ranks as possibly the furthest-right member of Congress—is a very slow reader, apparently.

Earlier this year, Greene was stripped of her committee assignments, which she characterized as actually fitting her very clever plan to spend most of her time in DC pulling publicity stunts and generally going around making a jackass of herself. Since then, Greene has busied herself with things like harassing another representative with a trans child, meeting with Donald Trump at his sad parallel court in Mar-a-Lago, trying (and failing) to found a white nationalist caucus, and throwing rallies where police are forced to provide extra security in case her supporters riot. She’s also repeatedly challenged New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez to a debate on the Green New Deal, AOC’s sweeping package of proposed environmental reforms—a debate that AOC has expressed no intention whatsoever to engage in.

Greene has continued to pretend such a debate is forthcoming, and per the Daily Dot, claimed AOC had agreed to one. The only problem, of course, is that while touting the supposed victory, Greene admitted she hadn’t bothered to read the resolution and referred to its 14-page length as a protracted slog it would take her some time to catch up on.
https://earther.gizmodo.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-brags-she-read-all-14-pages-of-t-1846752490

And if you like that, Marjorie, there's plenty of books available at your local library! Which as you know is one of those socialist programs that you rail against! Seriously when I saw this story last week I could not stop laughing. Yes, Marjorie – we’re laughing at you, not with you! Just in case you were wondering what kind of debate opponent Greene is, she’s the kind of opponent who talks trash at the weigh-in and then proceeds to throw a massive pre-party destroying the hotel room, and then spends no time actually preparing for the event itself!

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) remains very determined to debate Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

On Saturday, while speaking at the America First Rally at the Indian River County Fairgrounds in Florida, Greene recounted an apparent conversation the congresswomen had when Greene approached Ocasio-Cortez in the House chamber about going head-to-head on national television over the contents of the Green New Deal, which Greene believes will destroy the U.S. economy.

While telling her version of the story, Greene mockingly impersonated Ocasio-Cortez, who she claims has "no clue" what she's talking about because she hasn't owned a business. The crowd certainly seemed to enjoy the narrative, but Greene's critics did not, comparing it to something a middle schooler would tell, rather than a sitting congresswoman.

The Bulwark's Jim Swift thinks Greene has just had too much time on her hands of late. "When you don't have any committee assignments, this is how you spend your taxpayer funded time," he tweeted Saturday, referring to the fact that Greene was removed from her two assignments because of comments she made spreading violent and hateful conspiracy theories before she was elected.
https://news.yahoo.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-mockingly-impersonates-162600839.html

Society stripped her off committees for being a wife, Christian, business owner… now Marjorie Greene is out for… REVENGE!!!! By attempting to look intelligent. OK enough of that. But in case you’re wondering why we even need a Green New Deal in the first place, just look at what’s happening in my home state of California, where a drought is threatening to bring on a serious environmental disaster. And there’s no vaccine that can bring us out of this one! This is going to be a fun fire season. Not!

As yet another season of drought returns to California, the mood has grown increasingly grim across the vast and fertile San Joaquin Valley.

Renowned for its bounty of dairies, row crops, grapes, almonds, pistachios and fruit trees, this agricultural heartland is still reeling from the effects of the last punishing drought, which left the region geologically depressed and mentally traumatized.

Now, as the valley braces for another dry spell of undetermined duration, some are openly questioning the future of farming here, even as legislative representatives call on Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a drought emergency. Many small, predominantly Latino communities also face the risk of having their wells run dry.

Drought is nothing new to California or the West, and generations of San Joaquin Valley farmers have endured many dry years over the last century. Often, they have done so by drilling more wells.
https://news.yahoo.com/wells-dry-crops-imperiled-workers-130039116.html

That’s a good question and I don’t want to be here to find out! But that said, we definitely need a new environmental program and we need one now. Did I say we need a new environmental program? We need *AN* environmental program. Because they previous guy had a freaking revolving door in the Agricultural and EPA departments that left us with no plan! So it’s going to take a lot to actually have any sort of defense against the things Mother Nature is going to be throwing at us for ignoring climate change all these years. The pandemic was just the beginning!

To everyone’s surprise (it wasn’t on the advance list of topics), Chris Wallace asked a question about climate change. As is to be expected from a conservative, he framed it as a trade-off between the environment and the economy.

In the ensuing shouting, Trump accused Biden of supporting “the radical Green New Deal,” which he alleged would cost “$100 trillion.” (For those who are wondering, that number is from a ludicrous “study” of the GND by the right-wing American Action Forum.)

Biden responded, “The Green New Deal is not my plan.”

Then, just a few minutes later, he said, “The Green New Deal will pay for itself as we move forward.”

Then, minutes later, “No, I don’t support the Green New Deal.” He supports “the Biden plan, which is different than what [Trump] calls the radical Green New Deal.”

Minutes later, sleuths on the right turned up language on Biden’s website calling the Green New Deal a “crucial framework for meeting the climate challenges we face.”
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/21498236/joe-biden-green-new-deal-debate

[font size="8"]Capitol Riots
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I’ve been saying the last few editions that while the events of January 6th were utterly horrifying beyond words, for us, it’s the gift that keeps on giving. In fact there’s so much batshit crazy that it’s almost impossible to keep up with. But this might be one of my favorite stories that I’ve seen lately – it appears that white nationalist Nicholas Fuentes is on the No Fly List! I am loving this one so much. The guy is such a risk that he’s been banned from just about every major social media platform and now he’s been banned from airplanes! Here’s the thing, Nick – if you want to play stupid games like enter the Capitol for an insurrection to protect a failed president who lost legally to a guy much better than he ever will be – you can expect to win stupid prizes! So yeah… cue up the world’s tiniest violin!

White nationalist Nick Fuentes says he can’t attend a South Florida press conference opposing big tech because he’s on a “no-fly” list.

This morning, the self-described “groyper” tweeted that he isn’t allowed to fly, which he called “overt political persecution.”

“America is not a free country,” he added.

From his verified Twitter account, he also complained that he has “been banned from nearly all social media and tech services,” which he had planned to discuss at the press conference alongside Laura Loomer and other far-right figures.

His extremist compatriots hastened to express outrage over Fuentes’ allegations. InfoWars contributor Paul Joseph Watson called it a “draconian thought crime system” even more severe than China’s social credit score.
https://www.dailydot.com/debug/nick-fuentes-no-fly-list/

Excuse me a minute… And then I love this story. OK look if you’re going to complain about the COVID vaccine containing a tracking device, how about this – don’t post on social media! Because if you do then the government can track your every move. Spoiler alert! But in this story – a couple went to the Capitol, bragged about it, then deleted their posts from Facebook after getting caught. Do I really need to explain? You trusted the last guy, you deserve what happens to you! Oh and did I mention that Florida Man was involved in this too? Shocker!

A family member turned in an Ocala man who went to Washington D.C. “knowing full well they were going to break in” to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

Kenneth Kelly, 58, also sent text messages saying he entered the Capitol by breaking windows, an affidavit said. He turned himself in Friday at the Middle District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office in Ocala. He’s facing charges including disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

Pictures from surveillance video and text messages provided to the FBI show Kelly inside the Capitol, which he kept referring to as the White House, the affidavit said.

“Inside the White house via breaking in windows,” a text message said. “Tree of liberty was watered today.”

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-ne--20210424-7mmtlfn5rrcqjioccfrqyvbnra-story.html

Dude… did he use the Tree Of Liberty as a toilet? Oh dear god… what is wrong with these people? I mean seriously! They can do all they want to us, at least we’re housebroken! And you know here’s another thing – why are there so many hardcore right wingers involved in Crossfit? Is Crossfit an exercise program or is it a GOP mind control outlet? But we may save that for another edition, but the more you dig into this thing the weirder, creepier, and stupider it gets!

A federal judge said he was "inclined" to order that a Jan. 6 Capitol riot suspect remain in detention on Monday after prosecutors presented video footage of the man dragging a police officer down the steps of the Capitol and into a mob and physically assaulting officers.

Jack Wade Whitton, a 30-year-old CrossFit instructor from Georgia, was identified by the government as the man in new officer-worn body camera footage also kicking officers and saying, "You're going to die tonight."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Kukowski argued on behalf of the government that Whitton, who remains in custody in Georgia, should not be released pending trial because he remains a threat to the public.

Prosecutors previously disclosed text messages Whitton allegedly sent to a confidential informant in which he boasted about the assault afterward.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/youre-going-to-die-tonight-body-cam-video-shows-capitol-riot-suspect-accused-of-dragging-officer/ar-BB1fA6Bg?li=BBnb7Kz

Now here’s the thing – you might be asking how did this become such a clusterfuck? Well there’s many theories. Yeah you could say that the Capitol Rioters had help from someone inside Congress – which they very well could have. Or it could be the Capitol Police were in on it, another likely scenario. But what we’re finding is that this is the 9/11 scenario all over again. Hey people if there’s intelligence warnings that something big is coming on the horizon, maybe I don’t know, don’t ignore them the next time? It’s a tale as old as time!

A new report by the Capitol Police’s internal watchdog found that department leaders overlooked key intelligence in the run-up to the riot on Jan. 6, including a warning that “Congress itself is the target,” and barred the force’s riot response unit from using its most powerful crowd-control measures.

The 104-page document, entitled “Review of the Events Surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, Takeover of the U.S. Capitol,” is the most searing portrait yet of the lapses and miscalculations around the most violent attack on the Capitol in two centuries. It adds significant new detail not unearthed in congressional hearings and is likely to inform a coming overhaul of the agency promised by lawmakers.

Michael A. Bolton, the Capitol Police’s inspector general, classified the report as “law enforcement sensitive” and has not released it to the public. But The New York Times reviewed a copy before his testimony to the House Administration Committee, scheduled for Thursday.

Here are the highlights.

Capitol Police leaders ignored or overlooked intelligence reports warning of attacks on lawmakers.

The department’s own intelligence unit, which monitors potential threats, warned three days before the riot that supporters of President Donald J. Trump, motivated by his false election fraud claims, were targeting Congress and could become violent.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/13/us/politics/capitol-riot-police-report.html

[font size="8"]Cyber Ninja

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OK look…. Look… it’s been 3 months since Joseph R. Biden was inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States. Donald Trump is history. Let it go. But there’s some people who just won’t let it go no matter how much they hold their ears and go “LA LA LA LA LA LA LA!!!”. But what’s happening in Arizona right now is what one might call a “clusterfuck”. So how did a firm that nobody ever hear of manage to slime its’ way into yet another 2020 election recount? Well for one thing look at where it’s taking place – Maricopa County, which was once ruled by Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a guy who’s name is synonymous with crooked and corrupt cops everywhere. But what would you expect when your firm is called “Cyber Ninjas”? I mean come on, I would expect that as the name of a villainous corporation in a 10 year old’s poorly drawn comic, not in a corporation that’s trying to overthrow democracy!

A successful ninja is unseen, unheard, stealthy.

By that standard, the firm Cyber Ninjas — which Arizona Republicans chose to audit the ballots cast in 2020 in the Phoenix area — fits the bill: Almost no one involved in election or politics in Florida, the state where the company is headquartered, seems to have heard of it or knows anything about it.

Nor do they know anything about Cyber Ninjas’ founder, Doug Logan, who registered his firm in the southwest Florida city of Sarasota in 2014, state records show.

“Doug Logan? Cyber Ninjas? No. I don’t know these guys. Never heard of them,” said Christian Ziegler, vice chair of the Republican Party of Florida and a resident of Sarasota, echoing a dozen top Florida Republicans and elections professionals interviewed by POLITICO.

The firm’s relative anonymity is a curious anomaly in Florida, one of the nation’s biggest battlegrounds, where top political players are typically familiar with companies that provide election services and technology.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/26/republicans-arizona-vote-audit-florida-484737

Except when they try to overthrow the democratically elected 46th president of the United States, who’s already been certified and inaugurated! But really you got to do something about that name. Cyber Ninjas? Are we 10 years old? Is this Teenage Mutant Cyber Ninja Turtles? Heroes on the half shell… turtle power!! And yes the firm does have deep roots in the Q Anon movement as well as the Stop The Steal movement – both of which are run by crackpots.

The Great Arizona Search for Election Fraud kicks off today as the Arizona Senate announced it has hired four – count ‘em four – firms to audit Maricopa County’s election.

The $150,000 audit will be led by Cyber Ninjas, a small Florida cyber security company founded by a Trump supporter who promoted conspiracy theories as part of the Stop the Steal movement.

"I’m tired of hearing people say there was no fraud. It happened, it’s real, and people better get wise fast," said one post he retweeted in late December.

No, seriously. This is who Senate President Karen Fann has hired to lead its "independent" audit of the election. But hey, the company has an awesome motto:

“Do you have a ninja on your side?”

Well, now the Senate does, though alas, this particular Trump ninja appears to have no actual experience auditing elections, a point that matters not a whit to senators in search of the “truth.”
https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/laurieroberts/2021/03/31/arizona-senate-hired-cyber-ninjas-conduct-its-election-audit/4828177001/

And Florida isn’t the only state these kooks are targeting. There’s also Michigan. But my big question is why does the media refer to these guys as “experts”? I can’t imagine there’s any actual certified professional auditors involved in this transaction. One thing we do expect is that this will get very messy despite that there’s absolutely no basis in reality. But here’s the thing – if you trust a ninja, expect that they will operate in the shadows. Much like Bane.

A Michigan judge on Monday said he’ll allow a dozen tech and election experts, including the Florida firm Cyber Ninjas and others who alleged election fraud following the November presidential election, to refute a secretary of state election report that determined mistakes in Michigan voting results were caused by human error and didn’t signal vulnerability or tampering with election machines.

Cyber Ninjas is the name of a Florida-based consulting firm owned by Doug Logan, who’s expressed support for election fraud “Stop the Steal” conspiracy theories on social media. The company was recently hired by the Republican-majority Arizona Legislature to conduct an audit of election results in Maricopa County. That audit began last week.

Now the Cyber Ninjas, as well as other experts put forth by the plaintiff in an ongoing election fraud lawsuit, are likely going to weigh in on challenges to results in Michigan’s Antrim County.

Many of the experts have been involved in other election challenges across the nation, sometimes espousing debunked data in support of their election fraud claims.
https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2021/04/cyber-ninjas-to-refute-michigan-report-on-election-errors-in-lingering-lawsuit.html

Now here’s where it gets weird, and you knew that it was going to. This is marking a major shift in American politics. The far right has gone into the gutter and won’t be coming out anytime soon. And the reason is because Trump rules both the moderate and extreme sides of the party with his unquestionable loyalty. So he may be gone from the political scene for now. But the damage has been done – Trump was pretty much the proverbial bull in the china shop.

Even if the former president*’s coronary arteries finally turn to cement tomorrow, it will not matter. He will live on in the forces he unleashed. One of the more promising developments I’ve noticed in the elite political press is that it is increasingly referring to “Trumpism” rather than to the person after whom it is named. (If it were to take the next step, which is to change Trumpism to “Republicanism,” that would be an admirable concession to political reality, but I don’t expect miracles.)

Referring to “Trumpism” is, at least, an acknowledgement of the fact that the past four years have embedded a dangerous strain of permanent insanity in our politics, and that it may take decades to dig it out, even if its enablers are willing to try, which I don’t think they are. Right at the moment, we have some clear indications that Trumpism, and the lethal authoritarian delusions made flesh that are its clearest manifestations, are waiting for another politician to give them meaning and focus. Call it the Deep Crazy.

For example, there is this absurd exercise in Arizona, where the state senate has contracted with a pro-Trump firm called “Cyber Ninjas” to “audit” the vote count in Maricopa County, Arizona. Most recently, a local court expressed some curiosity about how the Cyber Ninjas are doing their business. The Cyber Ninjas ducked behind their lawyers. From the Arizona Republic:
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a36231426/republican-party-deep-crazy/

[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates
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It’s time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!

Hollywood has been duped by a lot of scammers and schemers lately and it’s getting harder and harder to keep them all together. And nobody wants to be on the receiving end of a ponzi scheme, especially if you’re starting out in the world of acting. Seeing as how actors typically have no money when they start out in this profession. But there’s one scheme who managed to dupe hundreds to the tune of $690 million dollars. That’s right - $690 million. And like all ponzi schemes, he got caught. That’s the thing with get rich quick schemes – somebody is going to get hurt, and somebody is going to get caught. They may seem like a good idea at the time, but in the end, everybody gets screwed. Here’s how this whole thing went down.

American actor Zach Avery was arrested by FBI agents in Los Angeles on Tuesday for allegedly masterminding a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of hundreds of millions of dollars, US authorities said.

Avery, whose real name is Zachary Horwitz, told investors his company 1inMM Capital would buy film distribution rights and license them to Netflix and HBO but in fact had "no business relationship with either company", according to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Instead, the 34-year-old operated the company as a Ponzi scheme, using money from new investors to pay older ones, the US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California said in a statement.

The SEC said his scheme had raised more than $690 million. The Department of Justice said it began in 2015 and that $227 million put in by victims was yet to be repaid.
https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/actor-zach-avery-arrested-in-multi-million-dollar-ponzi-scheme-2408188

Yeah so he raised a whopping $690 million with $227 of it unaccounted for. Which is why you have to be careful out there. So how did this guy dupe so many and pocket so much money? Well he faked a capitol investment firm that bankrolled Hollywood productions and was enticing actors to donate to his “movie projects” on the cusp that they would be given parts in these movies. But in reality – the man had absolutely no licensing deals with any major properties. None.

In a sworn statement filed in Los Angeles federal court, FBI agent John Verrastro laid out a brazen scheme by Horwitz to persuade investors to pour huge sums of money into his film distribution company, 1inMM Capital LLC.

Horwitz sent investors bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch with the company's 2015 annual report that highlighted a "library" of 52 films his company was supposedly distributing in Africa, Australia, New Zealand and South America, according to Verrastro. The roster of films included the 2012 horror movie "The Lords of Salem" and the 1989 action film "Kickboxer" with martial arts action star Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Horwitz told investors falsely that he had "strategic partnerships" with HBO, Netflix and other platforms to license the foreign distribution rights. The investors were promised returns as high as 40% within a year.

In reality, the FBI said, Horwitz had no licensing deals and diverted much of the money for personal benefit. He used some of the money for the 2018 purchase of his Beverlywood home, now listed for sale for $6.5 million. The six-bedroom home features a pool, wine cellar and gym.
https://news.yahoo.com/hollywood-actor-arrested-alleged-227-230903207.html

Now you might be wondering how did a D-list Hollywood actor turn into an A-list movie agent like an Ari Gold for instance? Well he got caught attempting to impersonate some of the biggest names in the business including HBO and Netflix. And when you impersonate some major players in the game, the game will soon play you. What’s even scarier? The scheme went on for 6 years before he was finally caught.

The SEC said his scheme had raised more than US$690mil (RM2.9bil). The Department of Justice said it began in 2015 and that US$227mil (RM939mil) put in by victims was yet to be repaid.

Horwitz, described by the Los Angeles Times as "a small-time actor", failed to find success as an actor. He starred in the critically panned 2020 film Last Moment Of Clarity.

He allegedly used money from the scheme to fund a lavish lifestyle, which authorities said included trips to Las Vegas, buying a house worth US$6mil (RM25mil), and paying a celebrity interior designer.

Authorities said the scheme had started in 2015, and that Horwitz and 1inMM promised victims returns of more than 35%.

To establish his legitimacy,"Horwitz provided investors with fake license agreements, as well as fake distribution agreements with Netflix and HBO, all of which contained forged or fictional signatures," the US Attorney's Office said.
https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/entertainment/2021/04/13/hollywood-d-list-actor-arrested-for-alleged-ponzi-scheme

Except that they do, and Blockbuster only has one location left in the entire world. So how did 1inMM Capitol manage to dupe so many people? Well Horwitz had help – and even went as far as to dupe his college buddies into investing in his scheme. But every ponzi scheme has backers, and they also have enablers. But in doing so he may have made some very powerful enemies who could be used against him in the forthcoming trial.

Back in Hollywood, Horwitz had founded 1inMM and had a proposal that was a sure thing. He told his Indiana University buddies he would purchase regional distribution rights to films and license them for more than he paid to online platforms like HBO and Netflix for distribution outside the U.S. DeAlteris invested in one of these deals as early as 2014 and made money.

In the summer of 2015, Horwitz sent Wunderlin, deAlteris and Schweinzger an annual report touting 1inMM had acquired and distributed 49 films “without incurring a single loss in the process.” He said HBO and Netflix were hungry for content. For a personal touch, Horwitz also sent his college buddies a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label scotch with the annual report.

Wunderlin, deAltris and Schwinzger founded JJMT Capital in an 1,100 square-foot Chicago apartment and started raising money for the deals. They were joined by Tyler Crookston, who had graduated from Indiana University in 2007. JJMT stood for the first initials of the founders, Jake, Joe, Matthew and Tyler. Wunderlin and deAltris quit their days jobs, but the other two did not and Crookston left the group within two years.

The JJMT crew went out and found dozens of investors for Horwitz’s promissory notes. They sold the notes to their family, friends and professional contacts. The notes carried maturities of between 6 and 12 months and each was tied to a specific movie like “Blood Quantum” and “La Melodie.” In total, JJMT alone raised about $216 million, securities filings show, and entered into 500 promissory notes. They would take a cut of the 30% to 40% interest rates that Horwitz promised to pay.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanvardi/2021/04/08/how-indiana-university-bros-fueled-a-hollywood-actors-690-million-ponzi-scheme/?sh=487b2b605789

That’s it this week for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.

[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! It’s time to take a seat in the virtual pew and pass the VENMO collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and it’s time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:

My fair congregation! It’s so nice to be able to see you in person again! But while last week we ventured into ridiculous territory talking about the insanity that goes on in the Jim Bakker Show, this week we need to venture into more serious territory. Because it’s not all fun and games here at the Holy Church Of The Top 10! We do need to broach serious subjects. And this week I do have to unfortunately bring up Former Guy. Yes, he is a man so disgusting, foul, and depraved that his name dare not be spoken in my church, or I will cast thee out! Now this week supporters of his are coming up with new strategies to get back in the game. And what better way to go than going full on racist with an extremely batshit crazy leader at that? Yes the religious right is going full America First, and you never, ever, under any circumstances go full America First!

American voters rejected former President Donald Trump at the ballot box in 2020, but he and his team are not going away quietly—or at all. As Axios reported Tuesday, a group of Trump administration officials and advisers is launching the America First Policy Institute, which its president Brooke Rollins says in a launch video is “working to save the soul of this country” and “continue the transformative changes that happened over the last four years.”

The Center for American Values is being led by Trump spiritual adviser and former White House aide Paula White, whose One Voice Prayer Movement served as a platform for Christian nationalism and an unofficial public relations and campaign arm of the Trump campaign. White regularly denounced Trump’s political opponents as demonic. At the Jan. 6 rally from which Trump sent his followers to the U.S. Capitol, White prayed from the stage that God would give rallygoers a “holy boldness” and that “every adversary” would “be overturned right now in the name of Jesus.” She said of Trump, “I secure his purpose. I secure his destiny.”

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are reportedly advising the AFPI, which hopes to double its initial $20 million budget by 2022. The Hill reported that the group plans to move its headquarters from the Virginia suburbs to Capitol Hill, where AFPI would be neighbors with other right-wing groups, including the massive Heritage Foundation, which helped vet Trump’s judicial nominees and supported his administration’s policies.

Separately notorious Trump adviser Stephen Miller has created his own group with the “America First” branding: America First Legal, which hopes to tie up Biden administration initiatives in the courts—something that will be easier to do thanks to the ideologues that Trump and Republican senators filled federal courts with over the past four years.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/team-trump-launches-america-first-policy-institute-with-paula-white-leading-center-for-american-values/

Yes they’re going full racist and that’s never a good thing! Because I know for a fact that’s not what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now is it? Well it most definitely isn’t! And now guess what? There’s nothing good that is going to come out of this and more innocent people will get duped out of their money when they least expect it! Of course when you give money to the unholy Dark One at this point, you should expect that they’re going to pocket most of it!

Malcolm X, Mark Twain, Malcolm Gladwell. Lewis Carroll, Steve Jobs. Douglas Adams, Mohandas Gandhi, Rocky Balboa – all seem unlikely sources of inspiration for a definition of Trumpism.

Yet these are among the prominent figures quoted by members of a new thinktank dedicated to resurrecting former US president Donald Trump’s populist-nationalist agenda.

The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) describes itself as both “non-profit” and “non-partisan”. Critics, however, regard it as a cash cow for alumni of the Trump administration whose stained reputations make it hard to find gainful employment.

Despite Trump’s campaign promise to “drain the swamp”, the AFPI reportedly has a first-year budget of $20m, which it hopes to double to $40m next year, and plans to expand beyond its current headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, to locations that include a spacious office on Washington’s Capitol Hill.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/apr/17/trump-thinktank-america-first-policy-institute

But I mean come on, do we really need more of this? Because the unholy Dark One’s policies have worked out so well haven’t they? I mean even Lynchburg, Tennessee – the holier than thou center of the Dark One and his “isms” have been trying to distance themselves from the toxic culture that he has brought on this country! So this entire think tank that they’ve come up with is both bogus and ridiculous at the same time!

Liberty University’s Standing for Freedom Center—until recently known as the Falkirk Center—announced its new class of fellows Thursday, making it clear that the organization may have a new name but it has not abandoned its purpose of promoting the religious right’s “biblical worldview” in culture and public policy. The new fellows are former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Arkansas Governor and failed presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, anti-abortion rights activist Abby Johnson, and brother anti-LGBTQ culture warrior duo David and Jason Benham.

Earlier this year, the university ditched the Falkirk name, presumably to distance the center from its disgraced co-founder and former president, Jerry Falwell, Jr. It has also said goodbye to its earlier crop of fellows, which included Falkirk Center co-founder Charlie Kirk, president of right-wing youth organization Turning Point USA; Jenna Ellis, a Trump attorney who now hosts her own TV show, unironically called “Just the Truth”; pundit, conspiracy theorist, and so-called Stop the Steal activist Eric Metaxas; and Steve Bannon acolyte and former White House aide Sebastian Gorka.

Executive Director Ryan Helfenbein remains in place. As Right Wing Watch noted in December, when the center celebrated its first anniversary, Helfenbein touted the organization’s aggressive posture, saying, “We don’t just want to be an organization that barks; we want to be an organization that bites.” The center bragged that it had “consistently encouraged churches and pastors to defy” pandemic-related “lockdown orders.” Among the center’s first-year accomplishments was “Get Louder,” a “faith summit” held last September, which included Christian Reconstructionist Gary DeMar on a panel moderated by Metaxas.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/liberty-university-ditches-falkirk-center-name-announces-new-class-of-culture-war-fellows/

Ah but see? We are! So even the holier-than-thou Liberty University is attempting to distance themselves from the unholy Dark One, though their resistance is futile! Yes they will fall back in line with the GOP just as soon as their masters tell them to! And by the way, if you want to know where this is going, all you have to do is look deep within their SOULS to find that their hearts are black with EVIL because they support someone so foul and horrible!

QAnon conspiracy theorist and supposed “prophet” Johnny Enlow appeared on the Elijah Streams YouTube channel Monday where he claimed that former President Donald Trump is working with angels, specifically the archangels Gabriel and Michael, to take down Bill Gates, George Soros, and other powerful figures who supposedly control the world.

Enlow, who is among the various self-proclaimed “prophets” who guaranteed that Trump would win the 2020 election and now refuse to accept that their prophecies were wrong even though President Joe Biden has been in the White House for three months, insisted that Trump is still the legitimate president but was removed from office by God so that he could work behind the scenes to take down members of the evil cabal that secretly controls world events, such as the Rothchild and the Rockefeller familes.

“While people are looking at who’s in Biden’s seat, the traditional presidential seat, [People say], ‘Well, how can you say Trump’s doing something when he’s not there?'” Enlow said. “Believe me, that is not the power position, particularly the way it is right now in the nation.”

“President Trump is on assignment and he’s anointed by God and the archangels are working with him,” Enlow continued. “Michael is working with—it’s not that he’s serving Trump, it’s the other way around—and Zerachiel and Gabriel; but what they are going after and what is being contended for—and it’s just about done—is the seats that we’re talking about, like the Soros and the Gates and the Rothchilds, those seats that really control and effect world dynamics. Those things are being taken care of behind the scenes, and it would have been harder for President Trump to do so staying seated in the other seat.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/johnny-enlow-claims-trump-is-on-assignment-from-god-to-take-down-george-soros-bill-gates-and-others/

So beware my fair congregation! This new think tank supporting him most foul is not going to be a good thing, it’s going to be a very bad thing because it will promote the craziest and worst of us! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: Woke Disneyland
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I think this question needs to be asked. Is Disneyland getting more “Woke”, or are you getting more racist? Here’s the thing – we all know that Disneyland is becoming more socially relevant. Or as the kids and your creepy conservative uncle refer to it as “being woke”. But if you even broach the subject of Disneyland finally making light of past dealings as “being woke” then it’s not them, it’s you! And if you’re even going so far to complain that it’s ruining the experience, then guess what? You’re a racist! That’s what one Disney fan is claiming in Orlando. But the one thing is that this guy got what was coming to him. And all it really takes is a quick Google search to realize that people who are doing the complaining about Disneyland being “Woke” are part of the problem. But again if you have to ask, it’s not us, it’s you, and we’re laughing at you.

Jonathan VanBoskerck is not exactly a household name, but on Friday he very quickly, became the most famous Disney Adult in America after a bizarre opinion piece decrying “woke” culture was published in an Orlando newspaper.

The photo, with the man in a Hawaiian-adjacent Disney shirt with Disney trinkets in the background, was enough to grab the attention of plenty of people online. But the column was much more bizarre: the Las Vegas native described his family’s yearly trips to the Florida theme park were being ruined by a “woke scalpel” that was removing parts of his favorite rides and ruining the experience because of cancel culture.

It’s reminiscent of the man who recently went viral for getting arrested at Disney for not adhering to the park’s safety standards amid the still-ongoing coronavirus pandemic. But that reminder of the real world is not the issue for Van Boskerck, it’s that sometimes people who dress up as anthropomorphic dogs and Disney princesses have tattoos and haircuts that were not animated in the 1960s:

That may seem like a silly thing to get upset about, but it’s really the “woke scalpel” that Disney has taken to its rides and attractions in recent years that’s made him most upset. Essentially, VanBoskerck is really missing all the horny and racist stuff. He complains that Disney is updating its Jungle Cruise ride to take out harmful stereotypes of indigenous people, and lamented the missing scenes, like a guy being boiled alive, from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride they’ve removed over the years:
https://uproxx.com/viral/disney-adult-wokeness/

No shit! Pirates Of The Caribbean getting less rapey? The Log Jammin’ ride removing references to Song Of The South? Yeah those are good things! Let me point something out for you keyboard warriors who are complaining about “woke” culture: things are changing and you’re getting left out! If you don’t want to live in the real world where actions have consequences? Stay at home and watch Fox News in the dark, that’s your only option left!

Like many of the world’s theme parks, Disney World does not look like it did when it first launched; it’s been renovated and brought in new elements to older rides (such as the addition of Frozen to Epcot’s World Showcase). But some of the more recent additions and rule changes—which are at the center of a widely derided op-ed—are being ripped a new one online.

On Friday, the Orlando Sentinel published an op-ed titled “I Love Disney World, but wokeness is ruining the experience.” It’s by Jonathan VanBoskerck, a man from North Las Vegas who describes himself as “a Christian and a conservative Republican.” He’s been a lifelong Disney fan—he takes his family to the park every year—but he’s now reconsidering making the pilgrimage because he feels that Disney is abandoning the immersive and magical experience that comes with a trip to Disney World.

“Disney World is going to lose us as customers if it continues down this path,” VanBoskerck wrote. “I do not want to have Disney World taken away from us because Disney cares more about politics than happy guests.”

VanBoskerck’s argument is flawed, includes racist language while arguing that a racist depiction in a ride is in fact not racist, and perhaps most noticeably, ignores the fact that wanting to pretend something isn’t political is, in fact, a political argument. It doesn’t relay what changes were made to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, which includes both sensitivity changes (it no longer has pirates chasing after women) and more cultural ones (the ride now includes Pirates of the Caribbean’s Jack Sparrow).
https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/disney-world-wokeness-op-ed/

So less racist people going to Disneyland? That’s a good thing. Look, Disneyland is a 15 mile drive from my house but I will never understand the annual pass people. However, one thing I do understand is racists, at least I like to think I do! And less of them at Disneyland? That means that demand will decrease which means ticket prices will decrease! Yay, economics 101! And I love that Trump fans think that they have any sort of impact on the market. I will tell you as someone who has been monitoring boycotts the last 5 years: you don’t.

A “Christian and conservative Republican” Disney fan says changes to Splash Mountain, Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean rides make him feel “excluded”

A self-described “Christian and conservative Republican” Disney fan was roasted on social media for arguing in a Friday op-ed for the Orlando Sentinel that changes to Disney World’s Splash Mountain, Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean rides were ruining his experience at the theme park for the sake of “political correctness.”

In his piece, Jonathan VanBoskerck said Disney was taking the “woke scalpel” to Jungle Cruise by removing Trader Sam, an animatronic salesman who appears at the end of the ride to exchange human heads and plays into racist stereotypes of Indigenous peoples. But VanBoskerck said Trader Sam was a “funny and silly caricature” and “no more based in racism than every Disney caricature of an out-of-touch white American dad.”

“The next time I ride Jungle Cruise I will not be thinking about the gloriously entertaining puns of the skippers, I will be thinking about Disney’s political agenda,” VanBoskerck wrote. “That’s a mood killer.”
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/orlando-sentinel-op-ed-roasted-202512602.html

Yeah of course it’s a mood killer! Look dude, here’s the thing – and we cannot say this enough on this program – if you have to ask it’s probably racist. But what we also cannot stress enough – if someone is considered to be “woke” as you guys put it, that means that they are simply fighting back against the bullshit! It’s about time things start changing for the better, especially after how volatile the events of last year were! If you’re complaining that “wokeness” is “ruining your mood” then guess what? You’re part of the problem! But at least Walt Disney would have the right idea if he were alive today.

Walt Disney once said, “Progress is impossible without change,” and as the mastermind behind perhaps one of the most successful corporations in the world, The Walt Disney Co., Walt was onto something.

Relevance and value are almost always based in the relatability people have to the work and productivity of an entity. And if an entity is not changing with the times, it becomes a barrier to progress and change.

In a recent op-ed to the Orlando Sentinel (”I love Disney World, but wokeness is ruining the experience,” online April 23), Jonathan VanBoskerck, a self-proclaimed Disney World enthusiast and Christian conservative, asserted that recent changes in Disney policies ruined his experience.

VanBoskerck’s describes changes to employee dress code and certain rides throughout the theme park as wokeness that spoil the immersive and magical Disney experience and drifting from the original values of Walt Disney. I beg to differ.
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/guest-commentary/os-op-walt-disney-progress-not-wokeness-20210425-zr6vvsacinehhghntpbl3a2xbe-story.html

[font size="8"]The Top 10 World Of Sports
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You know in all the time we’ve been doing the Top 10 we’ve never had a proper sports segment until now but there’s a first time for everything. Welcome to the Top 10 World Of Sports! This week we’re taking a look at what is being called an absolute disaster in the sports world and I am not talking about the 2020 Olympics, which is proving to be an actual disaster. But this concerns soccer, or football as it’s called in the rest of the world. The Federal International Soccer League (FISA) proposed a new super league consisting of 12 teams. 6 from the British Premier League, 3 teams from Span’s La Liga, and 3 teams from Italy’s Serie A. Now picture this. The league is an utter disaster from the start. Think of it this way. Getting selected for this league is like winning a Mitsubishi Mirage. You get the thrill of winning a new car, but then you quickly realize that you just won a Mitsubishi Mirage, one of the cheapest and most problematic cars ever made! You’ll spend more than the $13K MSRP in maintenance once everything is over. Yeah stay on target! Well here’s what is going on.

The backlash to the announcement on Sunday that 12 of soccer's biggest teams would be forming their own breakaway European Super League has been nothing short of seismic. Pundits, fans, former players and even governments have been near united in their opposition to a proposal that has the potential to revolutionize the world's most-played and watched sport.

The clubs involved in the new project -- three from Italy, three from Spain and six from England -- have been heavily criticized. Each of the teams involved are household names in the U.S. -- with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United leading the charge. The other clubs to have signed on to the competition are Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Inter, Milan and Juventus.

Yet the proposal is already be in jeopardy fewer than three days after the new competition was announced, with all six English clubs to have signed up now signalling their intention to withdraw after a major backlash.

In major U.S. sports, franchises and legacy teams have a guaranteed place in elite competitions -- as in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and even the MLS. In soccer, participation at the very top of the sport has been dependent on results on the field.
https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/european-super-league-announcement-sends-shockwaves-global-soccer/story?id=77165916

Yeah so this was a pretty shitty situation to begin with. It seemed like a good idea at the time – put the best teams in all of the EU into one super league. From Serie A – you had Juventus, Inter Milan, and AC Milan. From La Liga, you had Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid. And from the British Premier League you had Chelsea, Man City, Man United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur. So why was this league failed to begin with? Well here’s how this complete clusterfuck of an idea totally unraveled at the seams.

A momentary schism it may have been but European club football will not forget the so-called "Dirty Dozen" as quickly as their plan was discarded to the footballing dust heap. They played their hand and failed dismally.

The 12 clubs -- England's big six and trios from Spain and Italy -- catastrophically misread the room, believing that their fans were willing to turn their back on the game for a few bucks more. In doing so they may discover that all the leverage they had accrued in years of negotiations with UEFA over the future of the Champions League has been frittered away.

From the outset it was remarkable how little thought had been given to painting the picture of the Super League as a product that fans should gravitate towards. When news did eventually drop around midnight in Europe supporters of Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool were greeted with an announcement that carried no words from senior executives at their club. Instead Joel Glazer, owner of their great rival Manchester United, was laying out his vision. The same was true in Italy and Spain as Super League vice president Andrea Agnelli of Juventus and president Florentino Perez of Real Madrid put their names on boiler plate statements.

That was all they would tell fans. For some, the same was true of the players. It remains remarkable that Arsenal came and went as members of Europe's elite club without ever once having a conversation with Mikel Arteta's squad about what membership would entail.
https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/european-super-league-collapse-what-comes-next-for-soccer-after-failure-of-breakaway-clubs/

And the fans understandably were pissed. And again I compare this to the analogy of winning a Mitsubishi Mirage. It’s great that you won a new car but this thing is so dirt cheap, who’s going to pay for the maintenance? It’s you! Yes, the owners are the ones who are benefitting from the Super League, the fans get no say in it. It’s totally understandable. You’re paying for that new Mitsubishi Mirage and you get the feeling like you’re driving a golf cart.

Several hundred Arsenal fans protested outside Emirates Stadium before the team's English Premier League match against Everton on Friday to call for owner Stan Kroenke to sell the club, which even prompted Spotify co-founder and CEO Daniel Ek to express his interest in buying the London side.

They also hung banners over the edge of the concourse, including ones that read, "Arsenal till I die. Kroenke out," and "Our club our home. Sell up Stan."

Arsenal lost the match 1-0 to Everton with a potential penalty for Dani Ceballos overruled by VAR. The loss keeps Arsenal languishing in ninth place in the standings.

Fan anger has been brewing since Arsenal and five other Premier League clubs announced on Sunday that they would join a breakaway Super League. And it hasn't subsided even after Arsenal quit the 12-team project on Tuesday night in the face of a growing public backlash and apologised to fans.
https://www.espn.com/soccer/arsenal/story/4367399/arsenal-fans-protest-super-league-debacleblast-owner-stan-kroenke

Anyway yeah it looks like the entire thing is the same thing that happened to my favorite teams – great product, horrible sales department, and even worse management! But any teams who participated in the Super League – don’t think you will get to walk away from this cleanly! The UEFL is on to you and they are going to make sure you pay for this! Which will both please the fans and piss off the owners and it’s not going to be pretty! Pass the popcorn!

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has said all 12 teams will face consequences for initially joining the European Super League but that some teams will face lesser ones for quickly opting out.

The 12 sides -- six from England and three from both Spain and Italy -- announced on April 18 that they would be breaking away to form their own Super League, in a move that immediately attracted the ire of fans.

Following fan protests, all six English teams announced within 24 hours that they had revoked their decision to join the league and they were followed by Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan on April 20.

As things stand, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and AC Milan have not formally withdrawn from the competition.

"Everyone has to take consequences for what they did and we cannot pretend nothing happened. You cannot do something like that and just say: 'I've been punished because everybody hates me.' They don't have problems because of anyone else but themselves. It's not OK what they did and we will see in next few days what we have to do," Ceferin told the Daily Mail.
https://www.espn.com/soccer/uefa-champions-league/story/4369502/all-teams-will-face-consequences-for-joining-super-league-uefa-president

[font size="8"]People Are Dumb
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Hit it!

Of course you know by now that people are people, and people are dumb. I want to start with this absolutely batshit crazy story out of Kingston, Massachusetts. Look people, enough with the fucking gender reveal parties already! We get that you had a kid and you're excited to share it with the world, but this absolutely has to be said! Gender reveal parties are getting dumber and crazier. Like it’s one thing to cut into a slice of cake to be pink or blue. It’s another thing to set half the state on fire or crash your plane or even kill yourself revealing your baby’s gender. The latest atrocity? This dad to be set off an explosive device that kills people to reveal your baby’s gender. Well he an explosive device – with an illegal element used in explosives – to reveal their baby’s gender in front of a group of guests, and well, as you might imagine this thing went very south very quickly. This is reaching whole new levels of stupid!

One New Hampshire family’s gender reveal party was such a blast that it rattled towns, set off reports of an earthquake, and could be heard from across the state line, police said.

Police in Kingston, a town not far from the Massachusetts border, received reports of a loud explosion Tuesday evening. They responded to Torromeo quarry where they found people who acknowledged holding a gender reveal party with explosives.

The source was Tannerite — 80 pounds (36 kilograms) of it, police said. The family thought the quarry would be the safest spot to blow up the explosive, which is typically sold over the counter as a target for firearms practice, police said.

Nearby residents said the blast rocked their homes. Some reported property damage, NBC 10 Boston reported.

“We heard this god-awful blast,” Sara Taglieri, who lives in a home that abuts the quarry, told the television station. “It knocked pictures off our walls ... I’m all up for silliness and what not, but that was extreme.”
https://apnews.com/article/nh-state-wire-eb279a8493dd54b8857e20434f9a0c9a

Yeah this kind of thing has got to stop, but we suspect people won’t be satisfied until they’ve destroyed their entire state. Next up – we go to the far away country of Poland. Which is more than jokes about them manufacturing screen doors on a submarine or ejector seats on a helicopter. But I love this story because it’s one of those things that is more than meets the eye. Yeah it’s not really a transformer. But it’s a breakfast sandwich or is it…. A MONSTER? AHHHHH!!!!

When animal welfare officers received a report of an unusual animal lurking in a tree in the Polish city of Krakow, they were not sure what to expect.

"People aren't opening their windows because they're afraid it will go into their house," the woman reportedly said.

But a visit to the area showed the creature in question was not a bird, or even a reptile - but a croissant.
...
Writing on Facebook, the organisation said its officers had asked the desperate caller whether the unidentified animal, which had been in the tree for two days, could be a bird of prey.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56757956

Now that’s a monster! Next up – we have a rare People Are Dumb followup! Remember a few months ago when we reported on the Penis Man from Washington, DC that was spraying “Penis Man” on portable toilet stalls? Well he got caught! And now he’s facing a very long (!) punishment for his dirty, dirty crimes! And yes if someone spray paints “penis man” on a toilet stall, someone else has to clean it up!

"Penis Man" sprang up as an unlikely counterculture hero last year, after a mystery graffiti tagger began spray-painting those two iconic words on prominent local buildings, including Tempe's City Hall.

But now it's time for the Phoenix man behind the virile vandalism to pay the bill.

Dustin Shomer, a 39-year-old student of the Japanese language with some offbeat political ideas, was sentenced this week to three years of supervised probation and ordered to pay $8,000 in restitution for the damage. A deferred, four-month jail sentence will be erased from the sentence if he completes 500 hours of community service, according to the terms of a plea deal he signed in December.

But now it's time for the Phoenix man behind the virile vandalism to pay the bill.

Dustin Shomer, a 39-year-old student of the Japanese language with some offbeat political ideas, was sentenced this week to three years of supervised probation and ordered to pay $8,000 in restitution for the damage. A deferred, four-month jail sentence will be erased from the sentence if he completes 500 hours of community service, according to the terms of a plea deal he signed in December.

Read more: https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/penis-man-grafitti-tagger-sentenced-and-fined-in-tempe-11533751

Next up – we of course go to the state of Florida which never fails to disappoint! And one thing about living in America’s most penis-shaped state is that you have to drive over a lot of bridges. Well this guy in the city of Daytona channels his inner Blues Brothers or Dukes of Hazzard and literally jumps the bridge to the other side. Of course in Florida that sort of thing is actually a felony and this guy is now wanted by the police!

Living in coastal communities means having to frequently navigate travel delays as bridges open to allow large ships to pass through, but one Florida Man who didn’t want to wait took a wild trip that was captured by traffic cameras.

In the video, posted by WVSN-Miami, a silver SUV can be seen speeding across a Daytona Beach drawbridge as it was rising to open. The car crashed through the crossing arm, breaking it, and then “briefly caught a bit of air before landing on the other side and driving off.”

The incident happened on Monday morning, and Daytona Beach Police told WSVN that they believed they had identified the driver, who will “likely face charges.”

The still-unknown driver’s potential criminal troubles aside, the video does appear to show that he luckily made it safely across, and the death-defying stunt went viral on Twitter, garnering lots of amusement and admiration, with numerous comparisons to scenes from films like The Blues Brothers and television shows like The Dukes of Hazzard.
https://www.mediaite.com/weird/watch-florida-man-takes-wild-drive-jumping-drawbridge-as-it-was-opening-hes-now-wanted-by-police/

Finally this week – botox parties. I don’t know who’s the dumb one in this story so we will let you draw your own conclusions! I know these are a thing among women but really if you’re going to host one of these parties, at least know that the guy giving you the shot knows what he’s doing. There’s that new thing called Google out there that you could use for this sort of thing. Also, make sure he’s not showing up to the party drunk off his ass. Even worse – he’s not a real doctor! There’s multiple levels of stupid in this story!

A Florida man is charged with impersonating a doctor and allegedly injecting Botox while drinking last month, according to local authorities.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said Nelson Turin, 47, hosted a "Botox and Bubbles" event at a local business. Investigators said he described himself as an oral surgeon on social media fliers.

According to FOX 30, Turin was allegedly drinking Four Lokos when he operated on his unsuspecting victims. The news station reported that he charged $350 to inject lips, chins and cheeks and that he allegedly tricked the staff at a local spa into thinking he was a licensed doctor.

The sheriff tweeted that Turin is charged with several crimes, including practicing medicine without a valid medical license and possessing of legend drugs without a prescription. Legend drugs are prescription drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

According to local authorities, Turin was released on bond. A new court date has not been assigned.
https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/florida-man-arrested-for-allegedly-impersonating-doctor-injecting-botox-while-drinking

That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Stupidest State 2021 Round 2 Week 2
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16 states will enter and only one state will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!

Welcome back to the Stupidest State tournament 2021! Last week Texas stunned a strong Idaho with a last minute 3 pointer to end the game and take the Gun Nut Conference! Now they are awaiting their opponent in the Family Values Conference! This week we have a perennial favorite – the #1 Indiana Hoosiers against the #4 Arkansas Razorbacks! Could a potential Cinderella story be in the works for Arkansas or will Indiana triumph and move on to the Final Four? Let’s go to the floor in Phoenix for more exciting action, action, action! We only have four more rounds until we decide who the 2021 Stupidest State is going to be and the winner will take home the coveted DeLay Trophy!

[font size="4"]Family Values Conference Championship: #1 Indiana Vs #4 Arkansas [/font]

[font size="2"]Indiana [/font]

There’s two types of family values. There’s the innocent way of banning books because they might contain racist imagery. Which is why the right wing is going absolutely batshit insane over the “canceling” of Dr. Seuss. And then there’s the kind of family values that we associate with here and have since the beginning of the Family Values. And that’s what we define as reckless disregard of human life in favor of some hardcore old timey fire and brimstone religious values for an era that never really existed in the first place. This is more about the latter form of “family values”. Which includes such evil legislation as this!

A bill that would require minors to clear an additional hurdle to get an abortion is on its way to Gov. Eric Holcomb's desk for consideration.

Under House Bill 1577, parents would have to get their signatures notarized after signing permission slips for their minor children to receive abortions. That means finding a notary public, opponents argue, to sign off on what's an intensely personal procedure.

The same legislation also would require abortion providers to share information on a so-called abortion "reversal" drug, something the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says is not based on science and does not meet clinical standards.

Abortion clinics would have to provide information in writing about Progesterone, a drug some anti-abortion groups say can reverse medically-induced abortions, as long as a mother has only taken one of the two required abortion pills.

It's a controversial measure that could land Indiana in court over abortion legislation once again.
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2021/04/14/indiana-abortion-laws-clinics-minors-governor-holcomb-legislation/7209587002/

Now this could get really ugly especially if it goes to SCOTUS. Now you might be thinking “HEY! This could overturn Roe V Wade!!!!”. Now I’m going to tell you – that is what we in the “biz” are referring to as a “long shot”. Think of it like a #16 seed in the NCAA tournament making it to the Final Four – no way in hell is this happening! But then we got to talk about Indiana’s controversial “abortion reversal bill” that could really do some damage!

Indiana’s latest anti-abortion measure will likely soon become law after House legislators sent it to the governor Wednesday.

Some physicians say the legislation, HB 1577, would force them to commit malpractice by telling patients about a protocol to reverse a medication-induced abortion. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Medical Association both oppose such procedures, arguing there’s never been a valid scientific study to support them.

But Rep. Peggy Mayfield (R-Martinsville) said there is evidence to support abortion reversal, including a young Hoosier mother who appeared in committee with her child after reversing her abortion.

“That’s pretty darn good proof that it does work,” Mayfield said.

Rep. Sue Errington (D-Muncie) said there are better ways to reduce abortions.
https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/house-sends-unethical-abortion-reversal-bill-to-governor

You want to reduce abortions? How about this: PROPER SEX EDUCATION! Of course this is coming from the party that thinks education should only exist for the wealthy. But there’s even a third law coming from the Hoosier State that could, again, really do some damage to the anti-abortion movement! In fact this one concerns minors and whether or not they must get parental consent to have an abortion – this is a stunning level of evil, and we can only imagine how *THAT* conversation is going to go with the parents!

A case challenging an Indiana abortion law that requires “mature minors” to notify their parents before getting an abortion is back before the United States Supreme Court, with the state of Indiana asking the justices to take the case to provide clarity on a legal issue that it says caused the 7th Circuit to “(throw) up its hands in frustration.”

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita on Monday filed a petition for writ of certiorari in Kristina Box, Commissioner, Indiana State Department of Health, et al. v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, Inc. The case involves a challenge to Senate Enrolled Act 404, a 2017 law that, had it taken effect, would have required so-called mature minors to notify their parents before undergoing an abortion procedure, even if a court determined parental consent was not required for the abortion.

“This case presents a simple question, namely, whether States can ensure that parents of unemancipated minor children are notified of their daughters’ court-authorized abortion. But answering that seemingly direct question has plainly roiled the Seventh Circuit’s judges — regardless of how they ultimately voted — owing to the ‘not stable’ and ‘fluid’ constitutional standards application to abortion regulations,” the state’s cert petition reads. “Indeed, at least some, if not most, Seventh Circuit judges have refused to engage the issue at all because only this Court can say what ‘undue burden’ means in any given context. Accordingly, the State urges the Court to grant its petition and clarify abortion-rights doctrine, at least with respect to parental-notice laws.”

The case against SEA 404 has already been to the Supreme Court and back.
https://www.theindianalawyer.com/articles/indiana-asks-scotus-to-review-mature-minors-abortion-law-a-second-time

[font size="2"]Arkansas [/font]

So in Arkansas they are experiencing a family values crisis of their own that has nothing to do with abortion. Instead they are choosing to take on…. Transgender athletes! Yes, trans athletes are somehow a problem. But these laws that are emerging aren’t just unique to the Razorback State. They’re becoming a problem in a lot of conservative run states. Which is funny because this is a problem that affects literally 0.0000001% of the population yet somehow affects 99.9999999% of conservative republicans! We’ll see how this one plays out as these rise up through the courts!

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has signed into law a bill that would ban transgender women athletes from participating on girls’ and women’s sports teams, he announced Thursday evening.

Similar bills have been filed in more than 20 states, and Arkansas is the second to sign one into law, following Mississippi.

Proponents of Senate Bill 354 by Sen. Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View, and other efforts say their aim is to create a fair playing field in sports, arguing that athletes assigned the male gender at birth have inherent physiological advantages over cisgender girls and women, though they have acknowledged there are no verified instances of transgender girls or women participating in K-12 or college sports in the Natural State.

Democratic lawmakers and transgender advocates say the bill seeks to solve a nonexistent problem, and discriminates against a segment of youth already subject to bullying and higher suicide rates.

Snip

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/mar/25/gov-asa-hutchinson-signs-law-banning-transgender-w/

Hmmm… we may have to add Asa Hutchinson to the growing list of People Who Somehow Got Elected in the near future. But this isn’t the only thing that is limiting trans people in Arkansas. And if you are somehow a trans person in Arkansas my advice to you is this: get the hell out now! Things are only going to get worse as crazier and stupider republicans get elected! So yeah shit like this is going to make things that much worse:

Oh and think you’re exempt from hate? Well guess what? You’re not! Because while hate crimes against everybody are on the rise, and Biden denounced hate crimes against Asian Americans, the Arkansas government seems to be ignoring them completely! But instead while they can’t police thoughts – because that would be impossible, they are instead choosing to ban – wait for it – divisive concepts and if you actually read the bill, it is stunningly racist!

Arkansas Republicans killed any hope for a meaningful hate crimes law getting passed this session, arguing that policing thoughts is beyond their purview. But preventing people from talking about racism and oppression is apparently fair game.

Acknowledging and discussing systemic racism and white privilege would be banned within Arkansas state government and for any contractors paid with state funds under a bill filed April 1.

Senate Bill 627 “TO PROHIBIT THE PROPAGATION OF DIVISIVE CONCEPTS” is sponsored by white male Republican senators Trent Garner (El Dorado), Bob Ballinger (Ozark) and Blake Johnson (Corning). SB 627 is a nearly exact replica of a measure that died in a New Hampshire statehouse committee room last month. The Arkansas bill is also comparable to former President Trump’s now-defunct “critical race theory” order that effectively banned diversity and inclusion training in the federal government.

The bill lists a dozen to-be-banned “divisive concepts,” including the notion that racism or sexism is a fundamental component of the nation’s or of Arkansas’s identity.

Read more: https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2021/04/02/the-party-of-we-cant-police-peoples-thoughts-offers-ban-on-divisive-concepts

[font size="2"]And The Winner Is: [/font]

Ladies and gentlemen, we may have a Cinderella story brewing here… right now Arkansas has the ball and they lead by a score of 81 – 78… for 3! YES!!! Just 10 seconds left to go… ladies and gentlemen, the Razorbacks have knocked off the Hoosiers! They are celebrating on the court and they will be going to face Texas for the Layover League championship! Wow, what an upset! The fans are going crazy! Final score: 84 – 78!

[font size="4"]Next Week: [/font]

Now that the Flyover League championship has been set, it’s time for the Layover League! Next week it’s the Batshit Conference Finals - #1 Georgia takes on #4 Michigan! Who will advance and who will go home? Will Michigan stun the favorites and pull off an upset? Only one way to find out!

See you next week!

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April 22, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #10-11: Don't Take Me Out To The Ballgame Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #10-11: Don’t Take Me Out To The Ballgame Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! This is the very last and final Top 10 Conservative Idiots… … at Flappers Comedy Club with the blank, blue void! We actually have an ending date for this, finally! So I have some good news and I have some bad news. I’ll start with the bad news first – we’ve been asked to leave our home at Flappers Comedy Club. The good news? We have been asked to leave Flappers because…. Comedy clubs are finally opening back up! Yay!!!! Oh the kids love this don’t they? Which means… live Idiots are coming back! I’ve been waiting for this announcement for what seems like an eternity! We’ll be announcing dates for Season 11 during our time off! Oh man I can’t wait to get on the road. So for the time being, we’re relocating the Idiots to one of my favorite music venues in Southern California – the Observatory OC in nearby Santa Ana. This is a great venue with great bars and I’ve seen so many great shows here over the years. Funkadelic, 311, Tiger Army, Deftones, the Offspring, Coheed & Cambria, Devo, Symphony X, Opeth, Portugal The Man, Gogol Bordello, Toots & The Maytals… just to name a few. So they’ll be our temporary home for the end of the season, we’ll be finding a new home and announcing it shortly. But truth be told, we can’t wait to get back out on the road after being cooped up for over a year. And that also means the return of one of our favorite features – the Wheel Of Corruption! Things are getting exciting, folks! OK that’s enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and he delves into the subject of bankruptcy, which is not something you can just declare like Michael Scott:

So where do we begin this week? Well to start with , now that COVID is subsiding we’re getting back to that other epidemic that’s overwhelming health care and sending Americans to early graves. I’m of course talking about guns. And in the #1 slot this week is – Guns (1)! And there’s so much going on that we really can’t jam everything we wanted to in one segment, we don’t have that kind of time! Taking the second slot this week is our favorite Q Anon Congresspeople – Laruen Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene (2) because wait until you find out what they voted against! In the third slot this week is Capitol Rioters (3). Because being led by Iced Earth founder Jon Schaffer, they’re about to do some time and it’s not looking good, but you know what? Fuck ‘em. Taking the 4th slot this week is Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley (4). They’re attempting to take on MLB over the Altanta voting debacle and Well his social media site is already getting some much deserved shit, and he’s starting a new internet merchandise conglomerate to compete with Amazon! Yeah, good luck with that! In the 5th slot this week is our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates (5) and this week what happens when you cancel your online subscription software services? Well you get sent to a whole new level of customer service hell, that’s what! In the number 6 slot this week is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6) and this week, our resident pastor has been spending way too much time watching the Jim Bakker Show, and he has had some absolutely batshit crazy guests on, and we’re going to go through some of the best, or worst of them In the #7 slot this week we’re debut a new segment – “Good Luck With That” (7) featuring Mike Lindell of My Pillow fame! Yes he’s taking on everything from social media to Amazon, and we predict a huge number of these are going to crash and burn! In the number 8 slot this week is a new Conspiracy Corner (8) and our old buddy Tucker Carlson is going full on white supremacist with a new version of the “White Replacement Theory” and yeah… it’s as racist as it sounds! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week is a new I Need A Drink (9) – and really, do we need Dwayne Johnson as the 47th president of the United States? Come on, no more celebrity politicians! Finally this week it’s time for Stupidest State (10)! This week it’s Round 2 Week 1 which means it’s the Gun Nut Conference finals! Texas. Idaho. Who has enough firepower to take the other team out? It’s getting really exciting, folks! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

[div style="padding: 20px; background-color: #ffffff; border-radius: 10px; box-shadow: 0px 2px 4px 1px #aaa;"][div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-weight: bold; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999; padding-bottom: 8px;"]

[font size="8"]All Guns All The Time
[br] [/font] [br]

There’s no one who’s directly responsible for this but I am definitely venting my frustrations here in this entry. Because I have said it before many times, and I will say it again. Fuck guns. Fuck gun nuts. And fuck the NRA. Also, fuck Alex Jones too. The mass shootings are getting worse and it seems like there's one every other day anymore. It's becoming an epidemic. Hell it's such an epidemic that Trevor Noah was able to compare mass shooter manifestos and found that they matched almost word for word, and they are the incoherent ramblings of psychopaths! There's lots of people who you could blame for this mess. So instead I will combine everything I can find into one entry because we really don't have the kind of time to analyze all the news that's been going on. But I will say this. If you haven’t George Carlin’s 2005 special “Life Is Worth Losing”, then you must see it now. In fact you can see it for yourself here:

In the special he saw what was going to be coming because of America’s reckless policies. That terrorists were going to be coming out of the woodwork. The scary thing is this happened in 2005. He saw what was coming and he warned us. And well, here we are 15 years later when there’s literally a mass shooting about every day or every other day. People are rightfully horrified, but Congress isn’t doing anything because of the NRA’s stranglehold on our government. So what we want to know is – what can be done?

In an era marked by deep divisions between Republicans and Democrats, few issues are as politically polarizing as gun policy. While a few specific policy proposals continue to garner bipartisan support, the partisan divisions on other proposals – and even on whether gun violence is a serious national problem – have grown wider over the last few years.

Today, just over half of Americans (53%) say gun laws should be stricter than they currently are, a view held by 81% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents but just 20% of Republicans and Republican leaners. Similarly, while nearly three-quarters of Democrats (73%) say making it harder to legally obtain guns would lead to fewer mass shootings, only 20% of Republicans say this, with most (65%) saying this would have no effect.

The new national survey by Pew Research Center, conducted from April 5-11, 2021 among 5,109 adults, finds that 73% of Democrats consider gun violence to be a very big problem for the country today, compared with just 18% of Republicans who say the same. The current partisan gap on this question is 11-percentage-points wider than in 2018 and 19 points wider than in 2016.

Overall, several gun policy proposals continue to draw broad support from Americans. Nearly nine-in-ten (87%) favor preventing people with mental illnesses from purchasing guns, while 81% favor subjecting private gun sales and sales at gun shows to background checks.
https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/04/20/amid-a-series-of-mass-shootings-in-the-u-s-gun-policy-remains-deeply-divisive/

Yeah that’s exactly about what it’s come to in America. Here’s the thing is that there’s plenty of ways we could end this madness and they all have the support of the majority of the American people! But conservatives in Congress will *NEVER* vote against the NRA because of that stupid gun-toting, flag waving “SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED!!!11!!1!” bullshit. But after an entire month where literally every day was one mass shooting after another, it’s time to maybe, I don’t know, start infringing!

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up three challenges to a federal ban on gun ownership for people convicted of nonviolent crimes, disappointing Second Amendment advocates who hoped a more conservative court would begin to chip away at the restriction.

By not taking the appeals, the nation's highest court let stand a series of lower court rulings that prohibited people convicted of driving under the influence, making false statements on tax returns and selling counterfeit cassette tapes from owning a gun.

The decisions Monday, which were handed down without explanation, are the latest in a series of instances in which the Supreme Court has skirted Second Amendment questions. The high court last issued major guns rights rulings in 2008 and 2010, cases that struck down handgun restrictions in the District of Columbia and Chicago.

Gun rights groups vowed to continue to press the issue.

"While we are disappointed the Supreme Court chose to allow grossly improper lower court rulings to stand, (we) will continue our aggressive litigation strategy," said Adam Kraut, senior director of legal operations at the Firearms Policy Coalition, which represented several of the petitioners.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/04/19/lifetime-ban-supreme-court-passes-three-second-amendment-cases/7283819002/

Seriously they might as well legalize dueling and get it over with. And by the way if you want to see where this is heading, don’t worry we’ll get to that in a minute. In fact most places are heading towards the exact opposite direction of what the people want. Really, in 2021 it’s probably easier and cheaper if we all just keeled over and died, because that’s what the NRA and republican lawmakers really think of us hardworking Americans.

In 2020?s pandemic year, record gun sales. In 2021, tragically, Americans are using them.

No one can say they didn’t see this coming. It was just over one year ago — amid the initial shock of a fast-moving global pandemic and the United States on lockdown, with deeper fears and paranoia beginning to set in — that, along the silence of empty streets, hordes of people lined up down city sidewalks to get into gun stores.

On March 18, 2020, The Inquirer reported that 30 people — some of them wearing protective masks, maybe for the first time — were waiting to get inside the Philadelphia Gun and Archery Club in South Philly (that famed archery hotspot) to purchase a deadly weapon or to stock up on ammunition amid the uncertainty of the pandemic.

“I’m looking to get an AR-15,” Joe Lynch, a 46-year-old longshoreman from South Philadelphia, told the newspaper, voicing concern over a report that police would stop enforcing lower-level crimes because of the coronavirus risk. “It’s a crazy city we’re living in.”
https://www.inquirer.com/columnists/attytood/gun-sales-mass-shootings-america-crisis-20210420.html

If only it were that easy, Marge! But if you really want to see where this is going let’s take a look at what’s going on in Nebraska! Because this is the opposite of what the people want. In a world where mass shootings are at an all time high, this is happening. And we may have to explore this in detail in a future edition. It’s getting fucking scary out there, and people like Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, you’re not helping!

Doubling down on his pro-gun rights credentials, Gov. Pete Ricketts signed a symbolic proclamation Wednesday designating Nebraska as a "Second Amendment Sanctuary State."

The proclamation comes as President Joe Biden recently announced a plan to address gun violence.

A growing number of Nebraska counties have adopted similar "sanctuary" resolutions. A bill also is pending in the Nebraska Legislature to allow counties to opt out of the state requirement that gun owners register and take a gun safety course to carry concealed weapons.

“The White House and U.S. Congress have announced their intention to pursue measures that would infringe on the right to keep and bear arms,” Ricketts stated in the proclamation. “Nebraska will stand up against federal overreach and attempts to regulate gun ownership and use in the Good Life.”

"Second Amendment sanctuary" refers to a declaration that a state, county or city will not enforce federal gun laws they consider to be too restrictive. At least four states, including neighboring Kansas and Wyoming, have declared themselves "sanctuary states."
https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/gov-ricketts-designates-nebraska-as-sanctuary-state-for-gun-rights/article_f21deb9e-4a45-5406-8141-16283189ae97.html

[font size="8"]Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene
[br] [/font] [br]

So would you expect Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q-Batshit) to be anything less than charitable? I mean come on, let’s break it down. Lauren Boebert ran a gun themed restaurant called Shooters that got shut down by the health inspectors after an outbreak of food poisoning that gave their customers volatile diarrhea. And then there’s Marjorie Taylor Greene – a Crossfit owner who got caught fleecing her gym members for political donations and then won the election because her opponent dropped out after getting death threats. So it’s no surprise at all when out of 417 members of Congress, they were the only two that voted against something that literally everyone could agree on. I mean it’s like come on, you don’t have to be controversial and say stupid shit 100% of the time. Here's what happened this week. In one of the more shocking and stupid moves they've made so far, they voted against giving leukemia patients bone marrow donors. Which the 415 other members of Congress voted to approve! That's right, even Louis Gohmert and Steve King voted to approve this one! Greene and Boebert did not and they're almost quite literally sticking out like sore thumbs on this issue!

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert raised eyebrows Thursday night by voting against a bill to reauthorize the National Marrow Donor Program, which matches leukemia and lymphoma patients with donors of bone marrow and cord blood.

The legislation passed the U.S. House by a vote of 415-2. Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican who doesn’t shy away from controversy, were the only nay votes.

Boebert’s office did not respond to a request for comment, but the Republican from Silt told CNN that she opposed the bill because it adds to the national debt, did not go through the committee process and was not analyzed by the Congressional Budget Office, the agency which determines how much money a bill will cost.

“I’m not voting for bills that don’t go through committee and add hundreds of millions of dollars to the national debt,” Boebert tweeted Friday.

The bill — H.R. 941, the TRANSPLANT Act — was passed under a suspension of the rules, a tactic commonly used for expediting uncontroversial legislation. All other members of Congress from Colorado, Democrat and Republican, voted for it.
https://www.denverpost.com/2021/04/16/lauren-boebert-congress-bone-marrow/

OK here’s the thing – we would like to think that not getting sick and dying would be at the top of literally everyone’s lists. But as we’ve seen in the last year, eh……… that is up for debate. And it seems the people who actually want to get sick and die are the ones who are affecting the ones that don’t and making our lives that much more miserable. But really this is one of those instances where our life’s motto of “don’t be a dick” applies.

Conservative Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Lauren Boebert of Colorado were the only two House members to vote against a bill that would reauthorize the National Marrow Donor Program.

The bill H.R.941, or the TRANSPLANT Act, overwhelmingly passed the House in a 415-2 vote on Thursday night.

There were 12 lawmakers who didn't cast a vote.

The bill would reauthorize a program that matches bone marrow donors and cord blood units with patients who have leukemia and other diseases. The bill would help thousands of people diagnosed with leukemia and other diseases by reauthorizing the National Marrow Donor Program and the National Cord Blood Inventory for another five years.

Boebert said in a statement to CNN, "This bill added hundreds of millions of dollars to the national debt, while not receiving a CBO score or going through the committee process," a reference to scoring done by the Congressional Budget Office, the agency that, among other things, tells lawmakers how much legislation will cost.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/16/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-lauren-boebert-vote-against-bill-for-leukemia-patients/index.html

OK here’s the thing – we get not voting at all. Or skipping the vote because you’re unable to do so. But going against a 415 vote majority is not only vastly stupid, it makes you stick out like a sore thumb! 415 to 2! I just can’t even get over how dumb that is. So why oppose the National Bone Marrow Registry? It doesn’t hurt anybody and is helpful in actually saving lives. There’s nothing I can say but I am literally shaking my head at how stupid this is! Argh!!!

In this case, Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Lauren Boebert of Colorado were the only "no" votes.
Recommended

And why, pray tell, did they cast this vote, knowing that the bill would easily pass anyway? Boebert published a tweet on Friday that read in part, "I'm not voting for bills that don't go through committee." While it's true that the bill didn't get a committee hearing, that's because the programs the bill reauthorizes already exist -- and already work. There wasn't anything for lawmakers to discuss at the committee level, which is why 415 members voted for it.

But even more interesting was the statement Greene's office sent to the Daily Beast, complaining, "Nothing in this bill prevents the funding of aborted fetal tissue by taxpayers. It opens the door for the [National Institutes of Health] to use this bill to research the remains of babies who were murdered in the womb."

The same report explained, this reasoning doesn't make a lot sense. Greene's office was apparently under the impression that the TRANSPLANT Act relates to fetal tissue and/or embryonic stem cells. It does not.
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/why-did-some-republicans-oppose-national-marrow-donor-program-n1264493

Oh and this isn’t the only stupid thing they voted on this week. Literally like if we proposed a law against torturing puppies, the republicans would vote in favor of torturing puppies. Seriously – the conservatives – Greene and Boebert included – voted for allowing companies to scam senior citizens, and for carbon monoxide poisoning. Come on guys, Rush Limbaugh is dead. Let’s have Limbaughism die with him as well!

In what’s becoming a trend for this Congress, a group of House Republicans – many of whom are members of the right-wing Freedom Caucus – voted against bipartisan legislation that was passed Thursday by overwhelming margins, in a sign of their increasing willingness to buck their party’s whip.

Just eight House Republicans voted against the Protecting Seniors from Emergency Scams Act, which requires the Federal Trade Commission to compile a report for Congress on scams targeting seniors.

The bill passed 413-8, with Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) and Chip Roy (R-Texas) voting no.

Seven of those eight, plus Reps. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), Ken Buck (R-Colo.), Jody Hice (R-Ga.), Bob Good (R-Va.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) and Pete Sessions (R-Texas) voted against a bill to create an advisory office to help monitor scams targeting seniors, which passed 396-13.

Massie, in a statement to Forbes on his vote against the two bills, cited the national debt as his motivation: “A nation $28 trillion in debt shouldn’t spend unspecified amounts of money on unspecific solutions.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2021/04/16/right-wing-house-republicans-vote-against-bills-combating-senior-scams-carbon-monoxide/?sh=55f14e31412a

[font size="8"]Capitol Rioters
[br] [/font] [br]

Everyone remembers where they were on January 6th, a day that will live in infamy. And everyone was rightfully horrified when a mob of frustrated Trump supporters stormed, looted and trashed the Capitol while threatening to murder the Vice President and other members of Congress if they went through with certifying the vote for Joe Biden as our 46th president. Well one thing I will say as the host of a program called Top 10 Conservative Idiots, is that this has been the gift that keeps on giving. We will seriously have material for like the next five years because of this one event. Well that is if we can keep going 5 more years. Not having strong ratings or a budget doesn’t help things! But anyway we have to start because last week our old buddy Jon Schaffer, the founder and lead guitarist of heavy metal band Iced Earth (see: Top 10 #10-1 ) is back in the news because he’s the first to plead guilty!

Jon Schaffer has pleaded guilty to two counts for his role in the US Capitol riot on January 6.

The Iced Earth founder and electric guitar player faced six charges for his involvement in the violent insurrection, but in a plea deal pleaded guilty to two: obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress and trespassing on restricted grounds of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon.

Both charges are felonies, with the former punishable by up to 20 years in prison and the latter up to 10 years. Schaffer was originally charged with six offenses, and faced up to 30 years in prison.

Schaffer is now the first rioter involved in the insurrection to plead guilty.

According to CNN, the plea deal describes Schaffer as a "founding lifetime member" of the right-wing paramilitary group the Oath Keepers, and as part of the deal, Schaffer also "admits his belief that the Electoral College results were fraudulent is not a legal justification" for storming the US Capitol.
https://www.guitarworld.com/news/iced-earths-jon-schaffer-pleads-guilty-to-two-felonies-for-role-in-us-capitol-insurrection

Now here’s something that I didn’t know prior to last week – did you know that Schaffer was a founding member of right wing terrorist group, er, militia the Oath Keepers? Yeah that was a shocking piece of news that came out, though it’s not really that shocking. But one guy I love in metal who is the opposite of Schaffer, Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider, had some very strong words to say about Schaffer. And yeah we actually kind of agree with him on this one.

Twisted Sister‘s Dee Snider has branded Iced Earth‘s Jon Schaffer a “piece of shit” and “embarrassment to the metal community” after his role in the US Capitol riot.

The metal guitarist was part of the mob that stormed the building on January 6, and pleaded guilty to his role in the violent scenes last week.

He admitted admitted to the obstruction of an official proceeding and entering a building with a dangerous weapon (carrying bear spray). CNN reports that a prison sentence of between 3.5 to 4.5 years has been suggested, based on a joint recommendation between prosecutors and Schaffer’s lawyers.

A plea deal could still be in the works, with Schaffer questioned about his ties to the militia organisation the Oath Keepers. During the insurrection, Schaffer was filmed and photographed wearing an Oath Keepers Lifetime Member baseball hat.

Snider shared a CNN article on Schaffer’s guilty pleas, criticising the guitarist for his role in the riot and for sharing information on the Oath Keepers.
https://www.nme.com/news/music/twisted-sisters-dee-snider-brands-iced-earths-jon-schaffer-an-embarrassment-to-metal-after-role-in-us-capitol-riots-2923170

As you can imagine this has divided the metal community very sharply. And it will be quite interesting to see if Schaffer rats out his Oath Keeper buddies. But naturally as the news broke last week, you can imagine that just about everyone in the metal community has had their opinions on Schaffer. But what’s really interesting to point out is that Schaffer is someone who is almost kind of the exact opposite of the type of mind that Trump attracts.

Danko Jones has blasted ICED EARTH leader Jon Schaffer, calling him "a white nationalist piece of dog dung."

On Friday (March 19), U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui ordered Schaffer held without bail on six federal criminal charges related to his alleged involvement with the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He ruled that while Schaffer wasn't a flight risk, he does pose a danger to the community. Schaffer's attorney argued his client's comments were taken out of context, and that he knows he used bad judgment on January 6 and wishes he had a "do-over."

Earlier today (Sunday, March 21), Danko tweeted out a link to a NME article about Friday's hearing, and he included the following message: "Jon Schaffer used bad judgement because he's a white nationalist piece of dog dung. His band mates cheered him on because ICED EARTH are a terrible band. His request for a 'do-over' proves his pathetic weakness. He's the dictionary definition of a bell-end." The Canadian rocker, who is the frontman of his namesake trio, added in a separate tweet: "Only those that cosplay at being Alpha want 'do-overs'. Jon Schaffer and @_IcedEarth are a FAKE band."

On January 6, then-ICED EARTH vocalist Stu Block appeared to take pleasure in the grim images out of Washington during the pro-Donald Trump riot on Capitol Hill, writing in a since-deleted post on his Facebook page: "Oh it's happening! History in the making. Sending love to my friends in the US and all over the world!" He later apologized for his post, saying that his "wording was absolutely misunderstood and not properly thought out on my part." A month later, Block and ICED EARTH bassist Luke Appleton announced their departures from the band.
https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/danko-jones-calls-jon-schaffer-a-white-nationalist-piece-of-dog-dung-says-iced-earth-is-a-fake-band/

So you can imagine that coming from someone who is a massive fan of heavy metal (and has actually seen Iced Earth in concert at one point), I have a natural interest of this case. And we will definitely be following with any updates as they happen. But getting back to what I said earlier, in terms of the sheer volume of content that is coming from the Capitol Riot, we won’t have any shortage of material anytime soon. Especially since both Vice and the New York Times recreated the Capitol Riot from cell phone data, and it’s pretty horrifying.

The masses came as asked. They came because something, they believed, had been taken from them.

“Media will not show the magnitude of this crowd,” President Donald Trump bellowed from the Ellipse, south of the White House, on January 6. “We have hundreds of thousands of people here, and I just want them to be recognized by the fake news media. Turn your cameras, please, and show what's really happening out here, because these people are not going to take it any longer.”

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said.

No one had. In the hours that followed, thousands of Trump supporters marched on the Capitol, where Congress was officially counting electoral ballots, to protest President Joe Biden’s election. A mob broke into the building, forcing senators and representatives to flee for cover as insurrectionists roamed the hallways and tear gas floated through the Rotunda.

For this special episode of Source Material, an immersive series aimed at giving viewers the experience of being in the center of a story, VICE News scoured hundreds of hours of footage from the insurrection to distill how a spectrum of ideologies, conspiracies, and political beliefs converged that winter day.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkbe4b/the-capitol-riot-through-cell-phone-videos-terrifying?fbclid=IwAR07mv-xD7Luxj6AXiVPzt7s8DMfdXC5-QTACSJ7JeNQhwn144P3R_78m_4

[font size="8"]Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley
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History time, kids! Gather around, don’t be shy! Well maybe still keep social distance, at least for a while longer! But anyways I want to give you a little history lesson. In 1918 the Major League Baseball season regular attendance hit an all time low. After the influenza pandemic, in 1919 when stadiums finally opened back up, they experienced record breaking attendance because of what economists refer to as “pent-up demand”. And part of that was also thanks to a rookie Boston Red Sox shortstop – Herman George Ruth, aka Babe Ruth. Now in 2021, we’re seeing some of that now and the possibilities of what will happen when we fully reopen after coronavirus. Now let’s compare that with the fallout of MLB pulling the 2021 All Star Game out of Atlanta because of the voter laws. Well Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley (Q – Batshit) are going nuclear on the organization for this decision but you won’t see that happening at baseball games anytime soon.

A trio of Republican lawmakers outlined legislation Tuesday aimed at ending Major League Baseball's antitrust exemption after the All-Star Game was moved out of Georgia in protest of that state's new voting restrictions.

The legislative push from the three conservative senators — Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah and Josh Hawley of Missouri — comes amid growing frustrations among Republicans over corporations and sports leagues embracing causes associated with progressives, such as protecting voting rights.

MLB relocated the Midsummer Classic from Truist Park, the Atlanta Braves home in Cobb County, Georgia, to Denver's Coors Field due to recently enacted voting limits signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican.

"This past month, we have seen the rise of the woke corporation. We have seen the rise of big business enforcing a woke standard," Cruz told reporters.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/sens-cruz-hawley-lee-seek-strip-major-league-baseball-anti-n1263930

Yeah that’s about what it feels like Cruz and Hawley are trying to do with this madness. But is it really going to work? Well of course they’re going after “woke” culture to justify their actions. You know what though? It’s all bullshit. We get that they’re trying to send a message that you don’t screw with the conservative mafia, but considering they’re currently the minority party we don’t expect this to go very far.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz on Tuesday called for the removal of Major League Baseball’s immunity from anti-trust laws in response to the league’s decision to pull the 2021 All-Star game from Atlanta over Georgia’s new voting restrictions.

“If they’re gonna play partisan enforcer, they shouldn’t expect to see special goodies from Washington when they are dishonestly acting to favor one party against the other,” Cruz told reporters in a news conference alongside fellow Republican U.S. Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Mike Lee of Utah.

In late March, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law a bill that shrinks the window for voters to request absentee ballots, imposes new voter ID requirements, and bans the handing out of water and food to people waiting in line to vote. Cruz pointed out in his Tuesday remarks that the Georgia bill expands early voting times.

MLB’s anti-trust exemption reduces the possibility of a competing league from emerging and threatening its status as the preeminent professional baseball league. MLB is unique compared with its peers in other sports in that it benefits from a 1922 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that treats the league as a sport and not a business.
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/04/13/ted-cruz-major-league-baseball-georgia-anti-trust/

Yeah I’m pretty sure that’s not how that works. So what is antitrust exemption? How exactly would targeting that hurt MLB as a large organization that employs thousands of people? Well just like the last pandemic, MLB’s anti-trust legislation also goes back 100 years. And the idea is that it makes it exempt from the Sherman Act, which means that businesses couldn’t collude with each other. So if this happens, what’s to stop the MLB from colluding with the NFL or NHL? Hmmm… they might want to think this one through!

MLB’s antitrust exemption resulted from a 1922 Supreme Court ruling that stated, somewhat incredulously, that the business of Major League Baseball did not constitute “interstate commerce,” thus making it exempt from the Sherman Act, which prevents businesses from conspiring with one another in an effort to thwart competition.

The Supreme Court decision came seven years after the Federal League first filed suit against the major leagues, but the nascent league’s claims of collusion went unheard by the presiding judge, future baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis. The Baltimore Terrapins were the only Federal League franchise to press the issue, but an initial victory was overturned and ultimately the Supreme Court ruled against it, with Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes writing that “personal effort, not related to production, is not a subject of commerce.”

Baseball, it determined, was just a game. You wonder if Justice Holmes had any inkling this game would blossom into an $11 billion industry controlled almost entirely by one entity.

Long before the MLB Players’ Association asserted itself as one of the most powerful unions in the country, players had far fewer avenues to seek relief against the major leagues.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2021/04/13/mlb-antitrust-exemption-immunity-ted-cruz-josh-hawley-baseball-all-star-game/7211552002/

So maybe don’t take me out to the ballgame. Don’t take me out with the crowd. But in terms of actually putting up a fight with this, Ted Cruz is almost quite literally up a creek without a paddle. Although we would totally expect this coming from a guy who last week posted for pictures from his little stint at the border dressed like he was a Disneyland cast member auditioning for the Jungle Cruise ride. But yeah this whole thing is absolutely ridiculous, and right now, is probably #999 on the list of the 1,000 things we need to worry about right now. But that’s conservatism for you!

Major League Baseball’s decision to move the All-Star Game out of (suburban) Atlanta as a response to Georgia’s racist voting law generated a response of its own from two of the Senate’s leading shitposting insurrectionists, Ted Cruz and Mike Lee: a threat to draft legislation to revoke baseball’s antitrust exemption.

Cruz, in an effort to show just how much he’s devoted to online clout rather than actual governance or meaningful action, included the hashtag #GowokeGobroke, because, sure, Major League Baseball and its billionaire team owners who use Jackie Robinson’s memory once a year to 42-wash the sport’s lingering institutional racism, yeah, they’re super leftists now because they decided the free market would find it toxic to remain in Georgia.

One way to tell that this threat is more about performative outrage than anything serious is that Cruz knows where his bread is buttered and who he really represents: those billionaire team owners. In the past 10 years, Cruz has gotten $60,600 from Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick and his family alone, as found in the OpenSecrets.org database. He’s not really going to do anything that hurts his buddies.

But the threat is out there, and it’s not the first time there’s been talk about ending MLB’s antitrust exemption, which was modified in 1998 by the Curt Flood Act, in which Congress established that baseball players “will have the same rights under the antitrust laws as do other professional athletes, e.g., football and basketball players.”
https://deadspin.com/ted-cruz-s-performative-outrage-over-mlb-is-laughably-d-1846644163

[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Canceling Software Subscriptions
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It’s time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!

If you subscribe to expensive software subscriptions, such as those from Adobe and Autodesk, you are at the mercy of their Terms Of Service agreements, which we all agree that nobody reads and they could say just about anything in there. Such is a problem of the 21st century digital age. In fact this is such a common occurrence that it was the subject of a South Park episode. In fact if you do wind up canceling your subscription service, you will wind up paying ridiculous cancellation fees and be subject to customer service hell. But buying software in 2021, with constant updates and cloud services, is not what one would call cheap. In fact reading the fine print, which we encourage you to do here, might cause one to think twice before buying that latest version of Photoshop.

Adobe Creative Cloud typically sparks ingenuity and artistry among pro-level content creators, but this time, the suite of apps sparked a fiery Twitter uprising against Adobe for its "absurd" cancellation fees.

The ringleader of this social-media insurrection is @MrDaddGuy. They posted a screenshot showing their attempt to cancel their "Creative Cloud: All Apps" plan, which includes Photoshop, Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, Illustrator and InDesign. However, @MrDaddGuy was slapped with a $291.45 cancellation fee. Yikes!

"This is [expletive] disgusting," @MrDaddGuy tweeted under the screenshot. "I'm honestly not surprised, but I am so [expletive] unbelievably pissed. This is beyond appalling." As of this writing, the tweet garnered more than 75,100 likes, 5,183 quote tweets and 14,200 retweets. Their post incited a wave of Adobe customers who commiserated with @MrDaddGuy's cancellation-fee woes.

"This is blowing up, great! Reminder that Adobe is a terrible ass company that hides the 'contract' part by hiding parts of the payment agreement in terms of service," @MrDaddGuy tweeted.

To breakdown @MrDaddGuy's frustration, "Adobe's Creative Cloud: All Apps" plan has three tiers: month-to-month, annual contract (paid monthly) and annual plan (pre-paid).

The month-to-month plan costs $79.49 per month, the annual contract (paid monthly) sets you back $52.99 per month, and the pre-paid annual plan has a $599.88 price tag. @MrDaddGuy signed up for the annual contract (paid monthly) plan. If customers cancel after the two-week grace period, they will be charged a lump-sum amount of 50% of their remaining contract obligation. This is why @MrDaddGuy was slapped with a $291 bill.
https://www.laptopmag.com/news/adobe-cancellation-fee-sparks-twitter-rage-how-to-get-yours-waived

That’s right - $291 just to cancel a service contract. That is beyond ridiculous. But when you sign up you need to read the terms of service agreement. Who knows what they hide between the lines of those things because they are longer than the length of the US Constitution. But Mr. Daddy is not the only Twitter user who has been experiencing a beef with the software giant. In fact it’s becoming an increasing problem throughout the industry.

When Jolene Stewart placed an order online for lingerie from Rihanna's line, Fenty X Savage, this year, she unwittingly signed up for a subscription that charged her bank account every month in exchange for credits to buy more bras and underwear.

"It was part of a deal, and I guess I didn't read the fine print close enough," said Stewart, 22, a recent college graduate.

As soon as Stewart realized that she had been charged, she canceled the subscription and opted to use the credits she had already paid for. Three months later, Stewart discovered that Fenty X Savage had been charging her $49.95 a month for a subscription she was sure she had canceled — the company restarted her subscription when she used the credits, she said, sharing screenshots of the three payments with NBC News.

When Stewart asked that her card be refunded and that her subscription be canceled, the company refunded her for only one month, she said. The ordeal cost her close to $150 that she had never intended to spend.

"I love Rihanna and her products," she said. "So I was really surprised and was like I guess won't be shopping there anymore."
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/customers-fight-surprise-charges-online-subscriptions-surge-n1252149

So this has sparked a rather interesting online debate. When software companies charge outrageous fees and put you through hoop after hoop to cancel their subscriptions, is it OK to pirate their software and use it instead of paying? Well you can argue the moral stance on what’s right until you are blue in the face. But the bottom line is the answer is no. And you might be asking what’s the alternative to this outrageous price gouging? Well there really isn’t one.

A $291 Adobe cancelation fee has provoked fierce criticism of the creative software company.

A post from a customer has gone viral on Twitter, after he discovered that he would have to pay nearly $300 to bring his Creative Cloud subscription to an end.

It has sparked a discussion about Adobe's practices, with many others coming forward to say that they too have faced extremely steep cancelation fees when they've tried to cut ties with the company.

A screenshot uploaded to the micro-blogging site by Twitter user @Mrdaddguy showed that they faced a $291.45 fee to cancel their Adobe Creative Cloud plan.

At the time of publication the tweet has attracted more than 13,000 retweets, more than 4,000 quote tweets, and more than 70,000 likes.
https://www.newsweek.com/adobe-cancelation-fee-twitter-users-argue-morally-correct-pirate-software-1583146

Yeah that seems about right. So people naturally have a right to be upset about getting fleeced if they hit the “cancel” button but this is one of those times where we actually encourage you to read the fine print. You most likely won’t, but then again you did agree to this when you signed up. And yes you can gripe about the cancellation fees all you want but it is there in the fine print. However, we do agree with the users that companies should be more up front about this when you agree to join.

Despite the high fee for early cancellation, some users have pointed out that it is actually mentioned in Adobe’s terms of service agreement when a user agrees to purchase a subscription.

Under the “cancellation terms” on Adobe's website, they state that a user is free to cancel their subscription anytime via the Adobe Account page or by contacting Customer Support and a full refund will be process if it's within a two-week window.

“If you cancel within 14 days of your initial order, you’ll be fully refunded. Should you cancel after 14 days, your payment is non-refundable, and your service will continue until the end of that month’s billing period,” states the Adobe website.

However, it’s the annual contract that seems to be causing the most backlash as it they appear to have the highest fees. Under an annual subscription that’s paid monthly, Adobe states that if a user cancels within 14 days of their initial order, they will be fully refunded.

However, if they try to cancel after that period, they’ll be charged a lump sum amount of 50 per cent of their remaining contract obligation and that the subscription will continue under the end of that month’s billing period.
https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/why-is-adobe-trending-on-twitter-software-company-facing-cancellation-fee-backlash-1.1203095

That’s it for Top 10 Investigates! Good day!

My fair virtual congregation! You know we cannot take vacations right now, so I have been hulled up in my cathedral dormitory. What have I been doing with this free time you might ask? Well I have been watching some of the crazy shit that has been going on with our brothers and sisters on the right, because they have been upping the conspiracy theories and it’s getting nuttier and nuttier. My favorite example of pure, unfiltered crazy has been appearing on the Jim Bakker show. They have had some absolute doozies in the last few weeks. And that’s not something that the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now is it? There is some seriously next level crazy going on in some of these talk shows, but none and I repeat none are more crazy than what Jim Bakker has been peddling. I guess those end times gallon buckets of industrial grade mac and cheese aren’t going to sell themselves now, are they? But like I said this is some next level crazy here.

For years, right-wing pastor Jim Bakker has been using his daily television program to terrify his audience into believing that the End Times are upon us, often for the apparent purpose of selling them products designed to help them survive the apocalypse.

Bakker kicked things up a notch on Tuesday’s program, which featured right-wing conspiracy theorist Steve Quayle warning about aliens, demons, trans-dimensional beings, and “diseases that are designed to initiate cannibalism in human beings” and turn them into literal zombies.

The conspiracy theories promoted by Quayle were so pervasive and convoluted that it was difficult to understand exactly what he was even saying, but he seemed to be suggesting that nasal tests for COVID-19 were part of a nefarious plan to obtain DNA samples to be used in the creation of targeted biological weapons that will unleash a disease to turn everyone it does not kill into flesh-eating zombies.

“Zombies that are on the Earth are a disease like any other disease that affects people, and they become like zombies. Is that right?” Bakker asked.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/jim-bakker-is-now-using-his-end-times-broadcast-to-warn-about-zombies/

I’m pretty sure that’s actual footage of the last episode now, isn’t it? Now if zombies weren’t enough to scare you into buying his end times products, maybe alien viruses will do the trick? And I’m of course not referring to the virus we’re currently dealing with. But yeah as far as crazy goes, this I think breaks the crazy scale. And GAWD commanded that we not deal with certifiably crazy people such as this for they are wicked and insane!

While televangelist Jim Bakker’s daily television program has always been a repository for misinformation, baseless conspiracy theories, and End Times fearmongering, his show has gotten decidedly stranger in recent days.

Earlier this week, Bakker interviewed right-wing conspiracy theorist Steve Quayle, who spent two programs warning about aliens, demons, trans-dimensional beings, and “diseases that are designed to initiate cannibalism in human beings” and turn them into literal zombies. On the heels of those programs, Bakker interviewed End Times conspiracy theorist Tom Horn, who warned that an asteroid will strike the Earth in 2029, unleashing an alien virus that will give rise to the Antichrist.

On Thursday’s program, Horn discussed his recent book, “The Wormwood Prophecy,” which claims that the government is covering up the fact that an asteroid known as Apophis will strike the Earth in 2029. While scientists say that Apophis will simply pass by our planet in 2029, Horn insists that it will actually strike the Earth and fulfill the prophecy in Revelation 8: “The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water— the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.”

“I believe Apophis is the asteroid that is talked about in the book of Revelation, chapter eight,” Horn said. “It is what is called ‘Wormwood’ in the Bible.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/tom-horn-says-an-asteroid-will-strike-earth-in-2029-unleashing-an-alien-virus-that-will-give-rise-to-the-antichrist/

And I think these are all things that make people crazy right now! And come on, do we really need crazy theories about voter ID? I mean these theories that are peddled on this show are just getting crazier and weirder. During my week off, I was obsessed with watching the insanity that is the Jim Bakker Show, my fair virtual congregation! How does this guy still have an audience? There will always be crazies out there, but it seems they are getting even crazier!

Religious-right activist Alveda King appeared on “The Jim Bakker Show” Monday where she claimed that not requiring voters to show ID before casting their ballots is both “identity theft” and an effort to erase the identities of Black Americans.

“It’s just so hypocritical to say to a person, ‘It is Jim Crow to require that you have an ID when you go to vote,'” King said. “That’s called identity fraud, identity theft. When you say to me as an African American, ‘You do not need an ID, your identity does not matter, who cares who you are, just show up and vote,’ you are taking away my identity.”

‘During the days of Jim Crow,” she continued, “we knew it was important to be identified as equal citizens of the United States of America. So any law that says, ‘Oh, you don’t need a voter ID. Who needs an ID?’ Well, I have an identity. I know who I am in Christ Jesus. So it’s a double standard. … When you go to vote, nobody cares whether or not you are an equal citizen of the United States of America? That is identity theft. When you tell me, ‘Your ID is not important when you vote,’ you are telling me that my identity as a citizen of these United States is not relevant, it is not important.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/alveda-king-claims-not-requiring-voter-id-is-identity-theft/

No it’s just the sound of people being out of their minds ridiculous. You know what else is driving people crazy? The previous guy! Yes, I refer to a man so awful, foul, repugnant and repulsive that his name dare not be spoken in my church! Even if we are broadcasting to you on Zoom! That’s right – the unholy, ungodly Dark One is rearing his ugly head again! So in context, Christians don’t riot! Although do I really need to point out in the Bible the times that they did? Yes everybody let’s riot! Whew, I really got to block this channel from my TV.

On Tuesday’s episode of his “The Jim Bakker Show” television program, End Times pastor Jim Bakker and his guest, End Times author Jonathan Cahn, insisted that Christians had nothing to do with the Jan. 6 insurrection in Washington, D.C., when supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in an effort to prevent Congress from certifying the election for Joe Biden.

Bakker and Cahn insisted that even though Christians played no role in the chaos at the Capitol, left-wing activists are nonetheless trying to use the event to justify shutting down churches and persecuting believers.

“I still don’t understand all of that,” Bakker said. “Christians don’t burn buildings down. Christians don’t riot. They just don’t. I’m talking about born-again Christians, biblical Christians.”

That is an interesting statement coming from Bakker, considering that just three months before the election, Bakker himself warned that if Trump lost the election, Christians would start a revolution.

“We’ve got a few more days to stand up,” Bakker said in August 2020. “It’s going to be too late after the election, I believe. I think if we elect the wrong people—and you see how wrong it’s been—we’re gonna have a revolution. The church people are going to march in the streets.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/in-the-wake-of-the-maga-insurrection-jim-bakker-now-insists-that-christians-dont-riot/

Whew, there we go folks! I think I’ve reached that stage of quarantine where boredom is taking me strange places! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: The Gay Bachelor
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You know I’m completely shocked that in 25 seasons of The Bachelor that this has never happened in the show’s history. And you’d think that, given the fact that contestants on that show go through a stricter vetting process than we have with our SCOTUS justices… what? Do I really need to explain Brett Kavanaugh to you again? Yeah no creepy weird guy in the back of the virtual audience… OK moving on… but anyways if you watch the morning talk shows that’s literally all anyone is talking about right now. and you know what the technical term for that when someone keeps driving a talking point into the ground is, isn’t it? Oh wait, I know what the term is… something about a dead horse… but that’s neither here nor there. But anyways yada yada yada, there’s a gay bachelor, but you probably already knew that.

Colton Underwood returned to TV on Wednesday morning for a revealing interview. The former Bachelor star, who led the 2019 season of the ABC reality dating franchise, said on Good Morning America that he is gay.

"Obviously, this year has been a lot for a lot of people, and it's probably made a lot of people look themselves in the mirror and figure out who they are and what they've been running from or what they've been putting off in their lives. For me, I've ran from myself for a long time; I've hated myself for a long time. And, I'm gay," he said during an exclusive sit-down with Robin Roberts for ABC News' GMA. "I came to terms with that earlier this year and have been processing it. And the next step in all of this was sort of letting people know. I'm still nervous."

The conversation had been billed as a "deeply personal" interview, with Underwood saying only, "It's been a journey, for sure," in a brief Tuesday night teaser.

"Journey" is a common word used by the Bachelor and Bachelorette leads when describing the reality show experience for the ABC cameras. In sitting down with Roberts, Underwood shared the off-camera road that led him to Wednesday's announcement.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/bachelor-star-colton-underwood-comes-out-as-gay

Yeah probably. Now here’s where the fact that the Bachelor had a closeted gay man as its’ leading man is making the show look horrible. But here’s the thing – times are changing guys, and relationships are no longer limited to male and female. At least the good thing is that this hasn’t seemed to affect the people who still watch this show for some reason. They’re actually uniting behind their guy. So that’s a good thing!

Bachelor Nation sticks together. After Colton Underwood came out as gay during an emotional interview on Good Morning America, supportive messages from past contestants on the ABC franchise came pouring in.

Underwood, 29, opened up about his sexuality in a conversation with Robin Roberts, which aired on Wednesday, April 14. “This year’s been a lot for a lot of people and it’s probably made a lot of people look at themselves in the year and figure out who they are,” he said. “I’ve ran from myself for a long time, I’ve hated myself for a long time. I’m gay. I came to terms with that earlier this year, and the next step in all of this was sort of letting people know. … I’m the happiest and healthiest I’ve ever been in my life. That means the world to me.”

The Indiana native previously competed on Becca Kufrin‘s season 14 of The Bachelorette in 2018 before being named the lead of season 23 of The Bachelor the following year. In his 2020 memoir, The First Time: Finding Myself and Looking for Love on Reality TV, Underwood remembered his dad, Scott Underwood, discovering that he might have been questioning his sexuality.

“He’d pulled up the history of recent Google searches, which included gay porn sites and a variety of questions: Am I gay? How do you know if you’re gay? Why don’t I like having sex with my girlfriend?” Colton wrote. “At first, I denied responsibility. Then I owned up to having been curious. He asked if I wanted to talk about it. I said no, explaining that I’d figured things out on my own. I begged him not to tell Mom. I’m sure he did. But neither of them ever spoke about it with me. All that research, though, led me to understand that I was definitely attracted to girls.”
https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/colton-underwood-comes-out-as-gay-bachelor-nation-sends-support/hannah-brown-32/

I’ll admit I don’t know how this sort of thing works, but I am pretty sure that if you’re actively looking for gay porn online, wouldn’t you already know the answer to that question? So now here’s what is happening is that fans are actually demanding a Gay Bachelor season! And why not? Seems like a logical thing to do. They’ve had Straight Bachelor for the last 25 seasons, maybe it’s time for a fresh outtake on the subject! Gay people need love and partners too, and now that gay marriage has pretty much been universally accepted, why not try it?

On Wednesday, former Bachelor Colton Underwood sat down for an intimate, revealing interview with Good Morning America to get something big off his chest.

“I’m gay,” he told anchor Robin Roberts, shaken though visibly relieved. “I came to terms with that earlier this year and have been processing it … I ran from myself for a long time,” he said. Now, he feels “the happiest and healthiest I’ve ever been in my life”.

I’m hesitant to frame Underwood’s coming out as some kind of significant “gay first”, given how such narratives often end up portraying LGBTQ+ people as new, as if we haven’t been here the whole time. “The media that make us visible simultaneously obscure our presence in history by continually framing trans people [and, in this instance with Underwood, gay people] as new, as a modern, medicalized phenomenon only now coming to light,” writer and artist Morgan M Page wrote in 2017. And being “the media” in this scenario, I, uh, don’t want to do that!

That said, this is kind of a big deal in the Bachelor-verse, which didn’t even feature an openly queer person until bisexual contestant Jaimi King in 2017. Other contestants have, similar to Underwood, publicly come out after filming wrapped.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/apr/15/its-time-for-an-actually-gay-season-of-the-bachelor-already

Good question! But how did Mr. Underwood manage to undo 25 years of the Bachelor’s reputation and make the show look bad? Well I will answer that and you’re not going to like it: It’s a fucking reality show, they’re made to look bad by design! That said since we’re always on the forefront of the entertainment industry we’ll keep an eye out on this subject. Here’s the thing – the show was centered on him being a virgin, that is going to bite the producers in the ass hard! Just, seriously… stop watching this crap, we beg you! This is one of those cases where it’s best to just let people be people. It’s definitely time for a fresh take on this concept.

Colton Underwood, the titular leading man on the 23rd season of The Bachelor, came out as gay on Good Morning America on Wednesday, stunning Bachelor Nation, as our sorry lot refer to ourselves. He’s also reportedly “weeks” into filming a Netflix reality show about his coming out; Gus Kenworthy will appear. Most fans have received the news with shock, but speaking as the gay son of a Southern pastor, my reaction was a little different: I am in fact completely unsurprised that a conservative Catholic former NFL player would go on a nationally televised heterosexual dating show simply to convince himself he’s straight. And now that I’ve rewatched parts of his season, I’m starting to wonder how we never noticed in the first place.

What a season it was. Colton’s narrative from the beginning of his Bachelordom—and in his stint on Becca’s season of The Bachelorette—centered on his virginity. It was a constant talking point that cropped up in conversations with all of the women he pursued, and even became a way for the show to sell itself. Chris Harrison, the series’ longtime host, teased the season by saying that viewers were in for a dramatic season because Colton “just might lose something along the way.”

Yikes! Indeed, Underwood’s virginity was used by ABC to hook the wide swath of conservative viewers that continues to drive the show’s high ratings, and producers framed his sexual inexperience as a noble quality, rather than a signal that something was a little off. Yes, there are plenty of perfectly normal virginal men in their late 20s, but not many who parlay an NFL gig into a berth in the reality swamp, and The Bachelor—which has long had deeply weird issues with sex—couldn’t get enough. If it all made you a little queasy then, it’s downright hard to watch now, when it’s so clear Underwood became convinced virginity was a way to sell his heterosexuality even to himself. Sometimes the things we say loudest are the things we’re lying about the most, and who among us once-closeted homosexuals hasn’t vocally proclaimed his heterosexuality in front of an entire summer theater program in high school? Underwood simply did his version with 30 women—and, uh, several million viewers.
https://slate.com/culture/2021/04/colton-underwood-gay-the-bachelor-comes-out.html

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[font size="8"]Good Luck With That
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Welcome to our brand new feature, Good Luck With That! It’s the segment where we tell conservatives who attempt to take on the establishment – whether it’s big tech, big retail, big sports, or big media with their own version of that thing, we know that it’s most likely doomed to fail. So to that we say… “Good Luck With That!”. This week we turn the spotlight to Mike Lindell. You know him as the scrappy self-made millionaire and former drug addict who founded the internet pillow sensation known as “My Pillow”. Which of course got pulled from every major retailer who cares about its’ public image (and profit margins) after his role in the January 6th attempted insurrection of the Capitol. Well this week, Mr. Lindell is launching his own version of a social media app, called FRANK, and well, that seems to be going well so far.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's new "free speech" social media site will limit certain words, such as curse words and using the Lord's name in vain, the founder says.

"You won't be able to use four words: the c-word, the n-word, the f-word, and God’s name in vain. You won't be able to type that in," Lindell explained an interview on "The Ledger Report" podcast this week.

He also indicated that the site would limit threats of violence.

Lindell, a staunch ally of former President Trump, is set to debut his new site called Frank early next week. The slogan for the site is "Begin Speaking Freely With Frank."

"Everyone is going to be able to talk freely," Lindell told conservative host Graham Ledger on the podcast.

"When you come over now you are going to be able to speak out and have opinions," he added.
https://thehill.com/homenews/news/548791-mypillow-ceo-mike-lindells-new-app-bans-using-lords-name-in-vain

Now that’s just the kind of thing that won’t be allowed on FRANK. And by the way, the launch of FRANK is proving that he is a man who knows how to handle his websites. But as you might be able to guess, the launch has been a complete disaster so far. In fact it’s such a disaster that the users and celebrities who are gunning for the site’s VIP status – similar to the way Twitter verifies users, they are having trouble getting access.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's new social media platform failed to launch for the second time in a week, with users unable to sign up on Monday.

On Friday last week, followers of the Donald Trump-supporting businessman were left confused and frustrated after a teased "VIP access" failed to take place. Lindell assured fans that they would be able to join up when the website launched on April 19.

But the Monday rollout quickly turned into a mess, with the platform constantly crashing and users unable to create accounts or access the homepage. On social media, Lindell suggested without evidence that the website was being hit with a cyberattack.

He wrote on his Telegram page: "FrankSpeech.com is having a massive attack against it currently. We are working to get it up ASAP! Thank you for your patience."
https://www.newsweek.com/mike-lindell-frank-social-media-launch-1584656

And to further why he’s the feature on our new feature “Good Luck With That”, Mr. Lindell is also taking on… Amazon! That’s right – in addition to taking on what conservatives have been referring to as “big tech”, Mike Lindell is also taking on Big Retail! And yes, with as much as the FRANK site is getting off to a ripping start, we expect My Store to go about as well as FRANK. Though if you’re seeing this you’re probably waiting for the fail as much as we are.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell on Monday announced that he's launching "MyStore," an online marketplace for entrepreneurs that will rival Amazon, the largest global internet-based store.

Speaking on Steve Bannon's War Room: Pandemic, Lindell said, "I'm looking at another thing we're going to be launching, which is MyStore, which is a rival to Amazon."

Currently, a version of MyStore is on the MyPillow website, featuring a range of patriotic and miscellaneous products, including "Freedom Flags," "Freedom Coffee," "USA Flag Pole," and conservative books about former President Donald Trump.

Lindell boasted that his online store will include a range of products from "entrepreneurs and investors" in a video shared on the site.

"For years entrepreneurs and inventors have come to me with products and ideas. They don't know how to market them and I haven't had the time to show them. And now today, I am proud to announce this platform called MyStore.com," he said in the clip. "I am going to put vetted products from great entrepreneurs on here, like you see a sampling of them here today, that are going to change this country."
https://www.newsweek.com/mypillow-ceo-mike-lindell-announces-hes-launching-mystore-patriotic-rival-amazon-1583037

Seriously… Steve Bannon has a show? And people actually listen to it? Meanwhile I’m doing this thing in the back room of an empty Burbank comedy club with no air conditioning and a blue void to remind us of the fact that we have no audiences because of a raging pandemic? I might have to have a talk with my producer on this one. Getting back to the point, you might be asking – where is Mr. Lindell getting the money to accomplish all of this? Well, we might have Dominion Voting Systems to thank for this. But again this falls under “Good Luck With That!”.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell announced Monday that his company filed a $1.6 billion lawsuit against Dominion Voting Systems, the election-technology firm currently suing the pillow magnate and his business for defamation.

“This is a free-speech case. This is a First Amendment case,” Lindell said on a livestreamed broadcast.

Dominion in February accused MyPillow and Lindell, a loyal supporter of former President Donald Trump, of falsely spreading the claim that the company rigged the 2020 election for President Joe Biden by manipulating votes. Trump’s campaign and his allies lost dozens of lawsuits aiming to overturn key states’ election results.

Dominion is requesting more than $1.3 billion in punitive and compensatory damages, saying the “viral disinformation campaign” spread by Lindell and others has “irreparably damaged” the company’s reputation. Dominion has filed similar lawsuits against Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani, attorney Sidney Powell and Fox News.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/19/mypillow-files-1point6-billion-suit-to-counter-dominion-defamation-case.html

[font size="8"]I Need A Drink
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Hey everyone! I don’t know about you but I could really use a drink!

Of course you know the idea behind this segment is that we have some drinks and talk about anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics. Because booze and politics don’t mix, much like olive oil and balsamic vinegar. But this week we’re actually going to break that rule. Because celebrities are running for office! And that doesn’t matter whether it’s Caitlyn Jenner running for governor of California, or Matthew McConaghey running for governor of Texas, or Dwayne The Rock Johnson running for president of the United States… wait, what? That’s right you heard me! So tell me, virtual bartender, what goes well with a story about celebrity politicians? Aviator gin? Isn’t that owned by Ryan Reynolds? OK… Francis Ford Coppola Wine? OK.. Heaven’s Door whiskey? Owned by Bob Dylan? All right who’s been screwing with the virtual bartender? I really need my real audience back, and a real bartender. I’ll just have my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. I call it the Double Jack. Anyway there’s lots of celebrity politicians running but one sits at the top.

Dwayne Johnson has just shown some support for a poll that indicates 46% of Americans would support him running for U.S. president. In 2016, Johnson spoke on the possibility of running for president, citing the chance to affect global change as being an alluring reason to take on the role. Following Donald Trump's election to the highest office in the land five years ago, Johnson said that he couldn't count out an eventual presidential campaign of his own.

In 2000, Johnson spoke at the National Republican Convention. In 2016 he was a registered Republican, but in 2020, he endorsed Democrat Joe Biden's presidential campaign in an election that resulted in Biden being elected president. In the trailer for his new show, Young Rock, the titular character runs for president in 2032. This past February, Johnson said that he'd run for president if people wanted him to do so.

Earlier this week, Johnson used his Instagram account to upload a screenshot of a Newsweek article about a poll conducted by Piplsay that purportedly indicates that 46% of Americans would support him running for president. In the caption for the post, he takes a moment to express his gratitude:

According to the poll, 39% of Americans think Hollywood stars can make good politicians, provided they've got the political aptitude. Other results showed that 30% of Americans would like to see Angelina Jolie run for president. Another 22% of voters would rather Tom Hanks run for the position. Either way, it seems like a good amount of people are open to celebs running for office in one capacity or another.
https://screenrant.com/dwayne-johnson-us-president-american-fan-support/

Oh come on!!!! 39% percent of Americans think Hollywood stars can make good politicians? I mean have we learned nothing from the previous administration? Or Schwarzenegger? Or Jesse Ventura? Or Reagan? You know the saying – “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me 700 times… shame on me!”. But the Rock isn’t the only A list celebrity thinking of throwing his or her hat into the ring. There’s also Matthew McConaughey for governor of Texas? I mean really?

A new poll may put some wind in the actor Matthew McConaughey’s sails as he considers whether to run for governor of Texas.

Forty-five percent of the state’s voters said that they would vote for Mr. McConaughey if he were to challenge Gov. Greg Abbott next year, according to the poll, conducted by The Dallas Morning News and the University of Texas, Tyler.

An additional 33 percent of voters said they would support the incumbent, while 22 percent said that at this early stage, they would prefer to choose someone else.

But such highly theoretical questions can sometimes produce wonky results, especially this far in advance of any actual campaigning. That’s doubly true when the hypothetical involves a figure with name recognition as high as Mr. McConaughey’s, particularly in his home state.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/us/matthew-mcconaughey-texas-governor.html

Yeah I’m going to need more of that! OK so there’s the Rock, and there’s Matthew McConaughey in Texas. What’s behind door #3 you might ask? Well you know that my home state of California is in the middle of a messy recall effort against Gavin Newsom, fueled by white supremacists and rabid Trump fans. But who have they got to replace him? Unless they have a celebrity at the ready, which they did in 2008, they won’t unseat Newsom. Unless…

Caitlyn Jenner said she will “decide soon” whether she will run for California governor.

On Sunday, the former reality TV star and decorated Olympic athlete responded to tweets regarding her political ambitions.

Inside California Politics covered Jenner’s stance and her alleged fundraising contracts for the potential campaign run.
Inside the Bullpen: Could Caitlyn Jenner join the recall?

Axios reported that Jenner was coordinating with longtime GOP fund raiser Caroline Wren, who previously worked for a joint fundraising committee for former President Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign.

But Jenner said the news wasn’t true.

“#FakeNews show me the contracts,” she responded.
https://www.kron4.com/news/caitlyn-jenner-to-decide-soon-whether-shes-running-for-california-governor/

Oh come on!!! There’s no mistake – the GOP is in serious need of name brand recognition. Which it had under Trump, though Trump got rejected for a guy named Joe Biden. So now the GOP is in a scramble to rebrand itself, after the ejection of Trump and the death of Rush Limbaugh, and let’s just say it’s not going well. But here’s the thing – no matter who’s running, make no mistake that Americans can’t resist a celebrity politician with name brand recognition.

Are Americans in favor of the celebrity politician post-Trump? Seems like it, according to recent polling. The consumer research platform Piplsay found earlier this week that 58 percent of respondents said they would like to see one or both of the actors Matthew McConaughey and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson launch bids for the Texas governorship and U.S. presidency, respectively. (Of course, the poll isn’t perfect — lumping answers about two different actors’ potential political aspirations under one question is not a good use of polling.) Other actors who people believed might make good future presidents included Angelina Jolie, Will Smith and Tom Hanks.

Johnson even recently teased a run for higher office, but perhaps it’s McConaughey we should pay closer attention to. The Austin-based actor has said — at least twice — that he’s “seriously considering” a run for Texas governor, though his politics are unclear. And earlier this week, it was reported that at least one more celebrity was considering tossing her hat into the ring: Former reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner was said to be talking with political consultants as she contemplates a run for California governor amid Gov. Gavin Newsom’s likely recall election.

But how seriously should we take celebrities who express a desire to run for political office? And how likely is it that they actually win, especially if they’re up against seasoned politicians?

Well, if history tells us anything, former President Donald Trump was not an anomaly. Former Minnesota Sen. Al Franken, who resigned over sexual misconduct allegations in 2018, was a writer and actor on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” for nearly two decades. And Austrian actor Arnold Schwarzenegger used to be an action movie star before he successfully ran for California governor. Former President Ronald Reagan also was an actor.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-americans-cant-resist-a-celebrity-political-candidate/

[font size="8"]Stupidest State
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16 states will enter and only one state will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!

Welcome back everybody! After a really exciting round 1 full of ups and downs we’re back for Round 2 and the Conference Championships! We’re only four rounds away from the Final Four and the Stupidest State Championship. Which of these states will take the crown? In the Gun Nut Conference – it’s #1 Texas against #3 Idaho! And in the Family Values Conference, #1 Indiana takes on #4 Arkansas! Over in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference - #2 Wyoming takes on #3 Nevada! And finally over in the Batshit Conference, #1 Georgia takes on #4 Michigan! There’s some exciting matchups here and we can’t wait to see the outcome! This week it’s the Gun Nut Conference – Texas vs Idaho, who has enough ammunition and firepower needed to take the other one out? We shall see who will move on and who will stay home! Yeah it’s probably a bad week to talk about guns but fuck it, here we go!

[font size="4"]Gun Nut Conference Championships: Texas Vs Idaho [/font]

[font size="2"]Texas [/font]

Holy shit Texas’ gun credentials are strong! Even beings from other worlds know that Texas is the gun capitol of the world! That was a throw away joke in Thor: Ragnarok where Skurge shows the ladies the giant assault rifles that he bought while he was on Midguard in a place called "Texas". But there’s something that our two contestants have in this round in common – both states are vying to be sanctuary states for gun rights! Yes, this is a fucking thing that conservatives are foisting upon us! So in a country where we want more gun laws, states like Texas actually want fewer! So let’s find out what that means.

Gov. Greg Abbott is vowing to make Texas a “2nd Amendment Sanctuary State” after President Joe Biden announced new executive actions on ghost guns Thursday.

Abbott sounded off on Twitter, saying “Biden is threatening our 2nd Amendment rights. He just announced a new liberal power grab to take away our guns. We will NOT allow this in TX. It’s time to get legislation making TX a 2nd Amendment Sanctuary State passed and to my desk for signing.”

“The outcome for a bill like this would almost inevitably be a challenge in court,” said Jim Henson, Executive Director of The Texas Politics Project. “It’s hard not to see this as part of an effort to test the boundaries at how much states can push back against federal and constitutional provisions.”

Biden’s actions focus on the regulation of “ghost guns” or homemade firearms put together from parts purchased online or at gun shows. Oftentimes, ghost guns lack serial numbers used to track most firearms, according to NewsNation. The Justice Department is expected to issue a proposed rule to rein in ghost guns within 30 days.
https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/abbott-vows-to-make-texas-a-2nd-amendment-sanctuary-state-in-response-to-biden-gun-plan/

So flying in the face of all convention and moral wisdom, Texas is literally giving the middle finger to pro-gun activists all over the country and saying “your laws don’t apply here! ‘Murica!!!”. And Texas gun laws put your states’ gun laws to shame. They have something like 10,000 pieces of pro-gun legislation in the works. That is fucking insane! And in an era where we have mass shooting after mass shooting after mass shooting, Texas is still saying “fuck you” to anti-gun activists!

Governor Greg Abbott has recommitted himself to having as little gun control in Texas as possible even as the nation is rocked by two horrific mass shootings within a week of each other.

Last week in the Atlanta area in Georgia, the man who went on an eight-person killing spree targeting Asian-Americans had purchased the gun he used on the same day he began his massacre. There was no waiting period or mandatory safety class. His transaction likely took no longer than a trip through the Whataburger drive thru. Georgia is ranked Number 11 by Guns & Ammo for best states to buy guns (meaning fewest restrictions).

Famously, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Capt. Jay Baker said that the shooter was having a “bad day.” It’s worth wondering if not allowing him to take home his gun during that particular bad day might have prevented Delaina Ashley Yaun, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Paul Andre Michels, Elcias R Hernandez-Ortiz, Hyun Jung Grant, Soon Chung Park, Suncha Kim, and Yong Ae Yue from being shot.
https://www.reformaustin.org/texas-legislature/push-to-make-texas-second-amendment-sanctuary-state-continues-amid-mass-shootings/

Yeah that’s probably the right reaction to that. So what would happen if Texas told the Biden Administration to fuck off when it comes to gun rights? It’s what one would easily describe as a “clusterfuck”. I mean come on, do we really need more gun rights? I swear in this country, guns have more rights than the people who are getting shot do!

Texas could soon join the ranks of a small, but growing, club of states that have passed laws that designate them as second amendment “sanctuaries.”

On Tuesday, the State Affairs Committee in the Texas House approved House Bill 2622, which would prevent state resources to enforce any new federal restrictions on firearms and ammunition. The bill, titled the Second Amendment Sanctuary State Act, would prevent state officials from enforcing new federal gun ownership rules, such as firearm registries, licensing requirements and confiscation programs.

It mirrors legislation that previously passed in Alaska, Kansas, Idaho, Wyoming, and, most recently, Arizona.

“Basically, we’re freezing Texas state law and federal laws in place that have to do with guns,” said the bill’s author, Rep. Justin Holland, R-Rockwall. “And (we’re) not recognizing, at the state level, any federal changes.”
https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/2021/04/09/what-would-happen-if-texas-became-second-amendment-sanctuary-state/7146515002/

[font size="2"]Idaho [/font]

The Gem State is mostly a rural, small town America state. And you know what they say about those places – the residents there are packing some serious heat! In fact, just like Texas, Idaho is flying in the face of conventional wisdom and giving pro-gun activists a giant middle finger. We’re suspecting that this insane legislation is only going to get worse before it gets better, and it’s probably not going to end well. But here’s how Idaho is challenging Texas for the insane gun nut crowd.

Madison County is the latest county to declare itself as a Second Amendment sanctuary.

During the County Commissioner’s meeting on Monday, the county commissioners passed a resolution declaring the county as a Second Amendment sanctuary after speaking with Madison County Sheriff Rick Henry.

“We’re already a Second Amendment sanctuary,” Henry said. “The whole state is.”

Henry said the resolution just reinforces that the county supports the Second Amendment. Henry recommended that the commissioners pass the resolution. The commissioners held off on a decision about the resolution earlier in March to get input from the sheriff.

According to the resolution, the citizens of Madison County are opposed to any legislation that would infringe on their rights to bear arms or ban their possession and use of firearms, magazines, and firearm accessories.
https://www.bigcountrynewsconnection.com/news/state/idaho/madison-county-passes-second-amendment-sanctuary-resolution/article_f5cf103b-2f92-530c-ab88-6e2fa62ac0bb.html

Two questions: 1. Do you even know what the word “sanctuary” means? And two – you do realize that no one is challenging the second amendment right? I keep saying guns have more rights than people do in this country and it’s getting more ridiculous and absurd by the day, and it’s a shame that gun nuts are pulling this shit. But here’s what conservatives don’t realize – the idea of a “sanctuary city” is mostly symbolic and there’s no way this would hold up in court.

Nampa is the latest Idaho community to declare its intent to oppose any legislation and possibly defy any laws that may infringe upon Second Amendment gun rights.

The City Council voted unanimously for a resolution declaring Nampa a Second Amendment City. The resolution says in part, “The Mayor and City Council are opposed to any legislation that would infringe upon the right to keep and bear arms or ban the possession and use of any firearms now employed by the individual citizens of Nampa, for defense of life, liberty and property.”

Nampa joins Eagle and Star in the Treasure Valley in declaring opposition to such legislation and laws — though Nampa did not declare itself a “Second Amendment Sanctuary,” as Eagle and Star did.

Sanctuary status is largely symbolic. The term plays on liberal cities’ declarations of themselves as sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants, with restrictions on city police from enforcing federal immigration laws.
https://www.kivitv.com/news/what-we-are-all-about-idahos-3rd-largest-city-declares-itself-2nd-amendment-city

That’s not proper use of a firearm either. But Nampa isn’t the only Idaho city that is looking to become a sanctuary city for gun nuts. But with as popular and insane as these ideas are, there’s no way they could possibly pass muster. In fact even the state commissioners are not going to even see the light of day, probably. So once again, gun nuts talk loads of trash and they talk a big game, but in fact once the dust has been settled, once again, nothing gets done.

Although a handful of Idaho cities has adopted Second Amendment Sanctuary resolutions — and the city of Kamiah is now considering it — the Idaho County Commission on Tuesday turned down a suggestion that the county follow suit.

Commission Chairman Skip Brandt said during the commission’s regular weekly meeting that he had considered bringing up the issue a few years ago, but he changed his mind after the Idaho Legislature passed a law in 2014 — Senate Bill 1332 — making Idaho a Second Amendment Sanctuary entity.

“Idaho as a whole has already taken care of that,” Brandt said. “So I don’t know why we would want to double the effort.”

Idaho County Sheriff Doug Ulmer said he has fielded inquiries from people who would like to see the county become a Second Amendment Sanctuary.

“If we did it, I don’t know what it would harm,” Ulmer said, adding that he would defer to the commissioners’ decision
https://lmtribune.com/northwest/idaho-county-commission-not-pursuing-second-amendment-sanctuary-status/article_21410260-6b42-11eb-96cb-730c0c72cc5b.html

[font size="2"]And The Winner Is: [/font]

Idaho is giving Texas a game here. But it’s been a wild back and forth with the clock now running around the 1:00 mark. Current score: 91 – 91. Texas has the ball and is attempting to run out the clock. 38 seconds left… Texas has it, they shoot… they score!!! Texas for 3! With no remaining timeouts Texas is going to run out the remaining 20 seconds! Texas wins! Final score 94 – 91! Idaho goes home! Texas wins the Gun Nut Conference!

[font size="4"]Next Week: [/font]

It’s Round 2 Week 2 which means it’s the Family Values Conference championships! It’s #1 Indiana vs #4 Arkansas. Will Arkansas pull off an upset or will Indiana hang onto advance to the Flyover League championship? Only time will tell!

See you next week!

Credits

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Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded At: Flappers Comedy Club, Burbank, CA
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April 15, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #10-9: The Forwards Edition Repost Redux Reused Recycled Edition

Ed. Note: We decided to have some fun with April Fool’s Day when this edition originally premiered by running the entire edition completely backwards, starting with the end credits and ending with the opening monologue. For our week off on Spring Break, what follows is the original forwards edition as we originally intended to air. Enjoy!

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #10-9: Rule 80: Don’t Invite The Former President To Your Wedding Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! We’re still coming to you from this blank, blue void in the back room of a Burbank comedy club for the foreseeable future. Though this week because it’s that day, we are changing our blue background to whatever pops up on our Windows login screen. First it’s the city of Hong Kong, then it looks like a closeup of a grasshopper… and do we really need a Tucker reaction cam for this one? Come on! OK I brought this on myself.! People keep asking me where is the Wheel of Corruption? Well I assure you the wheel is safe and at some point we will be bringing it out of the vault. But it’s one of those things that requires audience participation. Though next week I might bring back some of our patented clips without context, because I’ve been missing those lately. Do we have time for the thing? Of course we do. So I ask you this my fair audience - how is Chet Hanks related to his dad Tom? I mean Tom’s one of the greatest guys in the world. But then there’s Chet Hanks. We may have to explore this in a bit more detail next week because this video is certifiably insane. And I say this as a white male myself – do we really need more “white boy” culture? Is that where we are at in 2021? Look I know everyone including myself missed having a proper summer last year but we’ll get back to that this year. But this is definitely toxic Barstool Sports culture at its’ most toxic. I know he’s going after Megan Thee Stallion here, and I personally couldn’t give less of a shit, but since 2020 didn’t happen we have a lot of making up time, and come on, what’s worse than a rich, privileged white boy complaining that his “culture” isn’t being respected? I mean shit you might as well recite the 14 words while you’re at it. What? Suddenly that’s going too far? Yeah I know we’ve all been cooped up way too long! Fuck you COVID-19! OK that’s enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and he goes into the subject of the National Debt:

So where do we begin this week? In the #1 spot this week is the governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp (1). In case you’re wondering whether or not Gov. Kemp is a psychopathic douchebag, just look at what he did to Georgia’s right to vote, and we expect this will go to SCOTUS relatively soon. Taking the second slot this week is the NRA (2). After yet *ANOTHER* mass shooting, this time at a Colorado grocery store, the NRA gets shot down (ha!) at the 9th Circuit level over concealed carry laws, dealing a huge blow to their otherwise already tarnished agenda. In the 3rd slot this week is our old buddy, former Twitter troll @realDonaldTrump (3) and he’s gone from playing in huge arenas to crashing weddings and it’s quite spectacular! In the 4th slot, on the somewhat lighter side of the news is the Suez Canal fail (4) over one of the world’s largest container ships getting stuck between the waters! Someone’s getting fired! In the 5th slot this week is our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates (5) and this week, a shocking study found that just 12 people are responsible for nearly 75% of Facebook’s anti-vaxxer content and we are going to take a look behind the scenes at anti-vax propaganda! In the #6 slot this week is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6) - rapper Lil’ Nas X released a line of Satan-themed sneakers containing a drop of human blood in them – and all 666 pairs sold out in less than 10 minutes! What does this mean for the future of devil worshipping? In the #7 slot this week, after a Southwest pilot gets caught saying some hateful things about liberals, cars, and coal rolling, we ask – “Coal Rolling: How Is This Still A Thing?”. In the 8th slot this week is a new edition of Conspiracy Corner – Q Anon has some hot takes on the news and they’re getting nuttier and crazier, and it’s everything you expect from them! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week we have a new “I Need A Drink” and this week podcaster Jensen Karp made a shocking discovery after he bought a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch at Costco and discovered shrimp tales in one of the bags! Not only that, the response from General Mills is some very cringe-worthy stuff! Finally this week it’s time for Stupidest State! This week it’s Round 1 Week 3 and it’s a battle of Fiscal Irresponsibility heavyweights as #1 Kansas takes on red hot #2 Wyoming, while over in the Gun Nut Conference, #1 Texas takes on #2 Florida! This is going to be quite the epic battle! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

[div style="padding: 20px; background-color: #ffffff; border-radius: 10px; box-shadow: 0px 2px 4px 1px #aaa;"][div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-weight: bold; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999; padding-bottom: 8px;"]

[font size="8"]Brian Kemp
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In all seriousness I’m about to ask this question – are republicans having a contest among themselves to see who can be the worst human being in the world? As if Georgia’s Brian Kemp is bad enough, there’s Nebraska’s Pete Ricketts, there’s South Dakota’s Kristi Noem, there’s Tate Reeves of Mississippi and of course Ron DeSantis of Florida. But really this is about Brian Kemp. And I say this with literally about as much seriousness as I possibly can muster – FUCK YOU, Brian Kemp. After Trump goes and screams voter fraud for four months while his cronies go and literally fling their feces at the Capitol, you attempt to make voting in this country that much harder. Meanwhile it’s really easy to buy a gun. Where are your priorities, man? Oh wait that’s right – I forgot! He doesn’t have any!

Civil rights groups on Tuesday said they have sued the state of Georgia over changes to voting laws enacted last week that they said make it harder for all Georgia residents to vote, particularly people of color.

In a joint press release Tuesday, the American Civil Liberties Union, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the Southern Poverty Law Center and law firms in the state said that the law was a direct response to the 2020 presidential election and Senate runoff election, where the state had record voter turnout and Democrats won the state. The groups are suing in federal court on behalf of a church and other community groups.

"The elections were celebrated not just for their turnout, but also for their integrity, with Georgia officials praising them as safe and secure," the release said. "But rather than act to expand participation in the political process, Georgia leaders responded by doing what they have done many times in the state's history: they placed burdensome, unjustified, and unnecessary restrictions on voters, particularly voters of color and other historically disenfranchised communities."
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/civil-rights-group-sue-georgia-voting-law/story?id=76775186

That is a jaw-dropping and stunning level of pure evil. The thing is, we had the election with the highest voter turnout in history and an election where you’d literally have greater odds of winning the Powerball than you would finding an actual case of real voter fraud in this country. And this is counting the ones made up in Sean Hannity’s head. But one things is for sure is that it has businesses and supporters scrambling to find support for Georgia after this, including the state’s largest employer!

Delta Airlines came out in strong opposition to Georgia’s recently passed voting law on Wednesday, with CEO Ed Bastian writing in a memo to employees that the law is “unacceptable and does not match Delta’s values.”

In the week since a sweeping package of election restrictions was signed into law by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, activists have threatened to boycott Delta and other Atlanta-based companies, saying they didn't do enough to stop the law from being passed.

Delta’s statement,which the company shared with NBC News, is a forceful repudiation of the Georgia law — and similar efforts around the country.

“After having time to now fully understand all that is in the bill, coupled with discussions with leaders and employees in the Black community, it’s evident that the bill includes provisions that will make it harder for many underrepresented voters, particularly Black voters, to exercise their constitutional right to elect their representatives. That is wrong,” the memo reads.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/based-lie-delta-ceo-blasts-georgia-s-unacceptable-voting-law-n1262610

Oh sure now you walk back your statements! But only when it hits you in the one place you actually feel it – your wallet! Now that aside, with MLB players and fans petitioning the league to move the 2021 All Star Game out of Atlanta, to Disney fans petitioning Marvel to cease filming and production in the state of Georgia… it’s insane. And well deserved. But the shit hasn’t quite hit the fan yet but we will expecting it to in the next few weeks.

In light of Gov. Brian Kemp signing new voting legislation into law and calls to boycott Georgia-based companies, we are reaching out to some of the state's largest businesses to get their response to the new law.

The controversial law places new restrictions on voting by mail and greater legislative oversight of elections. It is facing legal challenges and gaining national attention, as the state continues to garner the political spotlight.

Opponents are using the term "Jim Crow 2.0" to describe the bill on social media, drawing on the legacy of the segregationist practices that systematically disenfranchised Black voters, among other things.

Activists are calling on boycotts of the Georgia-based companies, which could also threaten sporting events and the film industry.
https://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/elections/georgia-companies-voting-law-boycott/85-c14a8dc5-d686-490d-9f68-16b48d2da9a6

But here’s the thing – before you get your underwear in a wad, make sure to read the whole articles before you start getting outraged, we can’t stress that enough. Yes, the Georgia voter laws are some of the most extreme we’ve seen in a century. But is it a return to the Jim Crow era? Maybe, maybe not, we don’t know! What it is though is a slap in the face to those of us who were responsible for voting during the pandemic, and even beyond when the pandemic is no longer a thing.

By passing one of the nation's most restrictive voting bills, Republican lawmakers in Georgia have forgotten a lesson from the past and are setting themselves up for defeat in the future.
The sweeping bill, signed into law Thursday by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, imposes new voter identification requirements for absentee ballots, limits the use of ballot drop boxes and makes it a crime to approach voters in line to hand them food and water.

Kemp said the law allows Georgia to "take another step toward ensuring our elections are secure, accessible, and fair." Voting rights advocates, though, said it's a thinly disguised and racist attempt to suppress the Black vote.

"No one but Pee Wee Herman believed them when they talked about the 'integrity of the vote,'" says the Rev. Tim McDonald, an Atlanta-based pastor who founded the African American Ministers Leadership Council. His group created "Souls to the Polls," a get-out-the-vote movement among Black churches nationwide. Earlier versions of the Georgia elections bill would have virtually eliminated early Sunday voting, which is popular with Black voters.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/28/politics/voting-rights-georgia-souls-polls-blake/index.html

[font size="8"]The NRA
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Oh wrong intro, but that is a preview for next week – we are bringing back our favorite segment, Good Guys With Guns! So I guess now that COVID is slowly fading into the background, America can get back to the other virus that is killing people in ridiculously large numbers and sending the ones who survive to overloaded emergency rooms. Mass shootings! We’ve had two horrific ones in a week – one in Atlanta, and one in Colorado. And a near attempt in Atlanta as well! While all of that is going on, the NRA is attempting to overturn open carry laws and getting more guns into as many hands as possible. And this is coming from people who have tried to literally market firearms as fashion accessories! Seriously does the NRA think that we’re fucking dumb or do they really think that more guns is the answer? Oh who am I kidding! Of course they do!

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that state governments can restrict people from openly carrying guns in public, effectively ending a person's right to bear arms outside of their home.

The court issued an en banc opinion in the case of Young vs. Hawaii over a lawsuit by a Hawaiian resident who argued that the restrictions set by the state on his ability to openly carry a firearm was against the Constitution.

A district court ruled against George Young but a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court then decided in his favor. The latest development came from the full 11-member panel, or en banc.

The appeals court cited what they saw as a longstanding tradition in English and American law that government could prohibit "certain weapons from entering... public spaces as means of providing 'domestic Tranquility' and forestalling 'domestic Violence."
https://www.theblaze.com/news/9th-circuit-guns-open-carry v

Oh come on 9th circuit! What part of “SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED!!!!” do you not understand? And by the way this comes at a time when a survey that was conducted says that Americans have very little faith in America’s gun laws and say that they won’t do anything to stop mass shootings. And last year’s riots in the wake of the death of George Floyd? Guess what? They caused a massive gun buying spree. And if you’re shocked by this, you’ve turned to the wrong fucking program!

The two mass shooting incidents inside a week this month have brought to the fore the deadly epidemic of gun violence and the Joe Biden administration has expressed a strong intent to bring in more laws or if necessary, move executive orders, to curb the menace. But will more laws be able to rein in the violence that claims several lives in America every year?

A new survey has given a hint which makes one less than optimistic. Taken in the wake of the mass killing at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, that saw 10 people killed, the survey says most American do not believe that more gun laws will be able to stop the shootings.

The survey, which was conducted on March 24 and 25, also included other questions like: “Does the United States need stricter gun control laws?” and “Would stricter gun control laws help prevent shootings like the recent ones in Atlanta, Georgia, and Boulder, Colorado?”

The survey, which covered 1,000 US likely voters, also revealed that 49 percent felt the country does not need more gun laws as against 46 percent that feel it does.
https://meaww.com/most-us-voters-have-little-faith-on-gun-control-laws-feel-they-wont-stop-shootings-new-poll

But here’s what makes this ruling even sweeter is that the appointees who overturned this ruling were during the Bush and Trump years! Oh my god! If they had that kind of influence on our voting laws, then maybe there is hope for America! I mean remember when it seemed like mass shooting after mass shooting turned America into a shithole country under Trump (see: Top 10 #4-8? Yeah let’s see them explain their way out of that one!

Hawaii gun advocates were dealt a blow Wednesday by a federal court ruling that upheld state laws regulating the open carry of firearms in public.

The decision stems from a 2012 case of a Big Island man who had been repeatedly denied an open carry permit. The majority of an 11-member panel of judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled in favor of the state in the man’s latest legal challenge.

The 127-page majority decision, written by Judge Jay Bybee, is the most recent federal court ruling to declare that the right to bear arms, enshrined in the Second Amendment, is not absolute. The ruling comes at a time when other circuits are ruling differently, and also lands as the country experienced two mass shootings in the past few weeks — in Boulder, Colorado, and Atlanta, Georgia.

“Today’s ruling, joined by respected appellate judges across the ideological spectrum, is the latest reminder that arguments against reasonable, life-saving gun laws rarely hold up in the courtroom,” Eric Tirschwell, managing director of Everytown Law, a gun safety group that took part in the case, said in a statement.
https://www.civilbeat.org/2021/03/9th-circuit-upholds-hawaii-laws-on-open-carry-of-firearms/

Don’t worry gun nuts – we’re a long way from overturning the 2nd amendment and that will probably never happen in this country. We live in a country where guns literally have more rights than the people they kill do. But there is a bad side to this – while we may celebrate this minor victory in the war on guns, the war on packing heat is about to heat up! And by “heat up” we mean “expect SCOTUS to start reviewing gun related cases soon!”.

Mass shootings in Georgia and Colorado that left at least 18 people dead since last week are reigniting calls from gun control advocates for tighter restrictions on buying firearms and ammunition. But with Democrats in control of the federal government, gun rights advocates have been persuading Republican-run state legislatures to go the other way, making it easier to obtain and carry guns.

How are the politics of gun legislation playing out in the United States this year? Here’s the breakdown.
Biden says ‘we have to act’ after Colorado mass shooting, but prospects dim in divided Congress »
Prospects Mixed for Legislation

This month, the Democrat-controlled U.S. House of Representatives adopted measures to expand background checks to all gun purchases and expand the time to to vet people flagged in a nationwide background check system.

But to pass in the Senate, the support of every Democrat would be needed. And that’s not a sure thing.
https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation-world/ct-aud-nw-gun-control-explainer-20210323-xrzh65irizbojj5bpn4lwiueaa-story.html

[font size="8"]Donald Trump
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So remember that movie Wedding Crashers? You know the tale of that movie – Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson play two enterprising bachelors whose social lives involve being uninvited guests of weddings of people who they don’t know. Well this is that in real life, and it involves the guy who was formerly the world’s biggest Twitter troll, Donald J. Trump. Yes, the guy who we inexplicably once called president and a guy who could attract giant arenas full of people, had the Spinal Tap treatment and now he’s reduced to being the main evening’s entertainment at weddings held at Mar-A-Shithole. So yeah that is a thing that happened. Of course in Florida where we can still have weddings, there was one at Mar-A-Shithole last week and of course he happened to show up.

One of the biggest wedding-related fears many people have is the prospect of a drunk guest grabbing the mic and, through slurred words, asking everyone to take their seats so they can just “say a couple of words,” tripping over the bandleader’s foot in the process and yelling, “Hey, man, watch where you’re going!” and then launching into a rambling, incoherent speech about how they and the bride were supposed to be together before the groom came along and stole her. Presumably fewer, if any, have ever worried about a former president of the United States wandering into their reception and giving a toast that involves ranting about how the election was stolen from him, in addition to his incomprehensible thoughts on the situation at the border and how he was going to make a beautiful deal with the Iranian government. Until now!

Moving forward, people will likely have the possibility in the back of their heads that Donald Trump might approach the dance floor while everyone is eating their salads to complain about no longer being president—or at least the ones who choose to host their affairs at his Palm Beach resort will.

Yes, according to video footage, on Saturday night, Trump made his way into a wedding reception being held at Mar-a-Lago and gave a toast that was less about the happy couple than it was about the ways he’s been wronged recently and why Joe Biden is doing a shitty job.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/03/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-wedding-speech

Let’s make this Rule 80: Don’t invite the former president to your wedding. Is there a rule 80? I am not sure it’s been a while since I have seen that movie. Though one thing though – if you’re crashing a wedding that Trump is also crashing, at least all the attention won’t be on you being there, and you can probably score some free drinks and hit on the bridesmaids. I mean come on that happens at every wedding does it not?

Donald Trump took the microphone at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday night, to praise a couple getting married at his Florida resort. Nearly 400 words later he did so, according to video published by the website TMZ, after a rambling complaint about Joe Biden’s policy towards Iran and China, the situation at the border with Mexico and the supposed fraud he claims caused his election defeat.

“Y’know,” the tuxedoed former president began, standing in front of a waiting band, “I just got, I turned off the news, I get all these flash reports, and they’re telling me about the border, they’re telling me about China, they’re telling me about Iran – how’re we doing with Iran, how do you like that?

“Boy, they were ready to make a deal, they would have done anything, they would have done anything, and this guy goes and drops the sanctions and then he says, ‘We’d love to negotiate now,’ [and Iran replies], ‘We’re not dealing with the United States at all,’ Oh, well, they don’t want to deal with us.”

Trump withdrew from the deal between Iran and leading powers meant to contain Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Biden is seeking to re-engage.

“And China, the same thing, they never treated us that way, right?”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/29/donald-trump-wedding-speech-mar-a-lago

Yeah no, that speech does not deserve that kind of response! Instead it deserves the Looney Tunes style cane yanking Trump off the stage! And here’s the thing, asshole, no – we do not miss you! In fact that’s why we kicked your sorry ass out of office and impeached you twice! Seriously, have I mentioned how much I think Trump is a colossal asshole? No? Well it can’t be said enough, and I still stand by my claim that he does not make it to 2024.

Donald Trump turned up at a wedding at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida over the weekend and railed against Joe Biden, China and Iran.

The former president hopped on the mic at the ceremony and wasted little time in getting political.

He referenced the situation at the border with Mexico and raised yet more questions about November's presidential election, which he lost.

"Do you miss me yet?" he asked the party, to loud cheers.

"I get all these splash reports, and they're telling me about the border, they're telling me about China, they're telling me about Iran," Mr Trump began, in a video released by the entertainment website TMZ.
https://news.yahoo.com/trump-asks-wedding-party-miss-095958015.html

Yeah so seriously, fuck that guy. And I mean really right now if you book a wedding at Mar-A-Shithole, it should be expected that he’s going to show up. He’s got no social media outlets to project his outrage to the world so I guess he’s going to use events at Mar-A-Shithole now. There’s also his now weekly pity parties on Fox News to look forward to. Ugh, just like COVID, we may never get rid of Spongeblob.

Former President Donald Trump took the stage at a wedding reception at Mar-a-Lago to once again grieve his election loss and rail against Biden's foreign policy and border control.

Addressing guests in a tuxedo on Saturday night, Trump launched into his predictable baseless claim the 2020 election had been stolen from him while taking aim at the Biden administration and the situation in China and Iran, among other political concerns.

The 74-year-old was reportedly invited to the reception to toast the happy couple, but instead used the opportunity to air his personal grievances, a video obtained by TMZ reveals.

The couple, Megan Noderer and John Arrigo, are both longtime Trump friends and donors, according to Business Insider.
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-wedding-speech-transcript-mar-lago-1579396

[font size="8"]Ted Cruz
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So… our 46th president of the United States, Joseph R. Biden, is good. He’s too good. He’s doing his job instead of spending 56 hours a week watching TV and eating Big Macs in bed. He’s probably the first president we’ve had that could be considered “scandal-proof”. And when you’re now 70 days into the new presidency (and what seems like 70 years now, am I right?), and you don’t have a scandal to your name yet, what do you do? Well if you’re Fox News and you’re desperate for any kind of feces you can fling at the new president, you make one up! And that’s exactly what’s happening at the Mexican border – even though you can literally blame everything that’s happening now on the last guy (and that’s exactly what the last guy did). But this current “scandal” at the border is quite literally the stuff of insanity, led by – you guessed it – Ted Cruz. And I think we have actual footage of his trip to the border.

Sen. Ted Cruz posted a video of a woman he identified as a Biden administration staffer blocking him from recording at a migrant facility on Sunday.

Cruz and Sen. John Cornyn led a Senate delegation tour of the Texas-Mexico border last week in response to the immigration crisis surging.

"Please give dignity to the people. Please respect the people, the rules," the staffer can be heard telling Cruz while blocking his camera.

The woman in the video is a senior adviser who was hired two weeks ago, according to Cruz.

"Your policies are unfortunately trying to hide them. I understand that you were instructed," Cruz said. "I respect them. I want to fix this situation."
https://abc13.com/immigration-ted-cruz-at-texas-mexico-border-senate-delegation-tour-joe-biden-reform/10455073/

Excuse me a minute… that was actually footage of the Jungle Cruise ride from Disneyland. Here’s an actual picture of Ted Cruz’s trip to the border:

https://twitter.com/jeremynewberger/status/1375486233812549646

So is this the part of the Jungle Cruise where Ted gets mauled by a man-eating Cougar? I think I missed that part of the ride! Oh I kid, I kid! One thing I am not kidding about: them making the whole thing up, I mean where the hell were they three years ago? Oh that’s right they were blaming the whole thing on the last guy – Obama (see: Top 10 #5-2 ). And it gets weirder, my friends, because they literally make everything out to be that way!

Senator Ted Cruz posted a video Saturday of his attempt to film an immigration facility in Donna, Texas, while alleging that President Joe Biden's administration is keeping Americans from seeing what's unfolding at the Southern border. A woman can be heard pushing back against Cruz's filming, saying "this is not a zoo, sir," to which Cruz agreed and said it was a "dangerous place."

"How far is Joe Biden going to stop the American people from seeing inside the Donna CBP facility?" Cruz tweeted on Saturday, before alleging that "Biden sent a political operative from DC to block our cameras and even threatened another senator to obstruct legitimate congressional oversight."

In the video, the Texas Republican claims that a woman who works for the Biden administration was instructed to ask politicians visiting the border to not take any photos inside of immigration facilities.
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"You were instructed to ask us to not have any pictures taken here, because the political leadership at DHS [Department of Homeland Security] does not want the American people to know," Cruz says in the video. "You don't want the pictures taken. The rules are arbitrary, and they're designed to keep the American people in the dark."
https://www.newsweek.com/this-not-zoo-sir-ted-cruz-posts-video-his-attempt-film-border-facility-1579337

Uh… Sen. Cruz this is an Arby’s! But here’s my favorite part – when you’re a conservative and you’re turned away for attempting to “expose” someone, where do you go? Why you turn to your favorite outlet to complain on – Fox News! And that’s exactly what Teddy did when he was turned away attempting to film one of the camps. And again, I ask with all seriousness – where the hell were you 3 years ago when Trump was locking people away?

Ted Cruz is, once again, in the headlines. The Texas senator took a break from feuding with celebrities on Twitter to take another trip to Mexico. But this time around, Rafael Cruz wasn’t fleeing his state for a quick Cancun getaway.

This past weekend, Senator Cruz took a trip to the U.S./Mexico border along with 18 other Republican senators. Their mission, ostensibly, was to shine a light on what they deem to be a “border crisis”.

Surrounded by tall grass, Ted Cruz addresses the camera in hushed tones, much like he was hosting a nature documentary. “So it’s past midnight. I’m standing on the shore of the Rio Grande. I’m down at the Texas border along with 18 senators who made the trip to see the crisis that is playing out.”

In the grainy video, he continues: “On the other side of the river we have been listening to and seeing cartel members – human traffickers – right on the other side of the river waving flashlights, yelling and taunting Americans, taunting the border patrol.”
https://wearemitu.com/things-that-matter/ted-cruz-roasted-on-twitter-after-weird-border-crisis-video/

Again that’s not actual footage of Ted’s trip to the border, that’s footage from the Blair Witch Project, and you could probably interchange the two and no one would really notice. And by the way he wasn’t really taunted so much as he was asked to leave. If you really want to see taunting in action, I think the French castle guard from Monty Python & The Holy Grail is available!

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) complained on Fox News on Monday that he was taunted during a photo op at the U.S.-Mexico border last week.

In the footage from the trip, Cruz pointed into the bushes near the Rio Grande and spoke of unseen smugglers on the other side.

“Just a few minutes ago there were multiple smugglers on the other side who were shining flashlights at us, who were yelling at us, who were taunting us,” he said. “Who were taunting, I think they probably assumed we were Border Patrol, but they routinely taunt the Border Patrol.”

Cruz also complained in footage he posted on his Twitter feed last week about the “taunting.”
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ted-cruz-taunted_n_60629371c5b67593e05b880b

[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates

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It’s time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!

A war is being fought right now. But it’s not being fought with bullets. And it’s not being fought in a war zone. It’s being fought online. The battlefield is your social media feeds – Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The weapons aren’t guns and tanks. The weapons are memes, posts, and targeted advertising. The goal of this war? It’s to discredit use of vaccines. This comes at a time when the Centers For Disease Control has stressed the utter importance of the use of vaccines in order to end the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact the CDC themselves has said that anti-vaccination crusaders are becoming an inherent danger to society. So who is driving anti-vaccine content? Well it might surprise you to learn that only a very small handful of people are in control of most of Facebook’s anti-vaccine content. The media has dubbed these people the “Disinformation Dozen”.

About two-thirds of anti-vaccine content on major social media sites is tied to 12 prominent anti-vaccine leaders, according to a new report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate and Anti-Vax Watch.

The report calls on social media platforms to take action against the “disinformation dozen” during the ongoing vaccine.

“Disinformation has become a direct threat to public health,” Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, said in a statement.

“In the midst of a global pandemic, the Anti-Vaccine Industry has executed a targeted campaign to mislead Americans about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines,” he said. “Social media is enabling anti-vaxxers to recruit millions of Americans and indoctrinate them with fear and doubt.”

The Center for Countering Digital Hate and Anti-Vax Watch analyzed a sample of anti-vaccine content that had been shared or posted on Facebook and Twitter more than 812,000 times between Feb. 1 and March 16, 2021. They found that 65% of the content came from 12 accounts.
https://www.webmd.com/children/vaccines/news/20210325/disinformation-dozen-driving-anti-vaccine-content

So just like in real life, the trouble makers get around the rules and are able to flaunt disinformation and wild conspiracy theories online. And not only do they let the BS like this flourish, they plant seeds and watch it grow. And that’s why it’s not only become a public nuisance, but a threat to national public health and even national security! It’s time to start policing this content better, but we have learned the more you try to take it away, the more they go elsewhere.

With vaccination against COVID-19 in full swing, social platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter say they've stepped up their fight against misinformation that aims to undermine trust in the vaccines. But problems abound.

For years, the same platforms have allowed anti-vaccination propaganda to flourish, making it difficult to stamp out such sentiments now. And their efforts to weed out other types of COVID-19 misinformation — often with fact-checks, informational labels and other restrained measures, has been woefully slow.

Twitter, for instance, announced this month that it will remove dangerous falsehoods about vaccines, much the same way it's done for other COVID-related conspiracy theories and misinformation. But since April 2020, it has removed a grand total of 8,400 tweets spreading COVID-related misinformation — a tiny fraction of the avalanche of pandemic-related falsehoods tweeted out daily by popular users with millions of followers, critics say.

"While they fail to take action, lives are being lost," said Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a watchdog group. In December, the nonprofit found that 59 million accounts across social platforms follow peddlers of anti-vax propaganda — many of whom are immensely popular superspreaders of misinformation.
https://www.modernhealthcare.com/information-technology/defying-rules-anti-vaccine-accounts-thrive-social-media

And in case you’re wondering if the Disinformation Dozen is going away anytime soon, Facebook has been resisting calls to ban these people. But they haven’t. And not only are they not going away, they’re selling t-shirts. You can’t kill the beast because it will regroup just like the Terminator. Then the beast becomes much stronger and harder to kill. But the Disinformation Dozen needs to go away and they need to be held accountable.

When news broke last month that two elderly patients in Brisbane had been given an incorrect dose of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine, a motley assortment of Australian Facebook pages and groups swung into action.

Within minutes, a page with more than 52,000 followers had posted a screenshot of a news headline with superimposed text reading: "And the culling of old people begins".

Another page with more than 30,000 followers cast doubt on whether the dosage had been an accident (it had) and claimed the government had made the COVID vaccine mandatory for Australians (it had not).

The two posts were viewed by thousands, of which 2,600 interacted by liking, commenting or sharing. (None of the pages mentioned that the elderly patients showed no adverse reaction.)
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2021-03-19/facebook-misinformation-covid-19-coronavirus-anti-vaccine/100015890

So what is Facebook doing about the Disinformation Dozen? Well as you can imagine they are quite literally stuck between a rock and a hard place. Instead of just flat-out banning them, Facebook is doing to anti-vaxxer posts what Twitter did to posts coming from @realDonaldTrump. Since they can’t effectively police the content, they are putting warning posts. So yes if they say you’ve been warned, take that literally.

Facebook is adding informational labels to posts about vaccines as it expands efforts to counter COVID-19-related misinformation flourishing on its platforms.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a blog post Monday that labels will contain “credible information” about the vaccines from the World Health Organization. They will be in English and five other languages, with more languages added in coming weeks.

“For example, we’re adding a label on posts that discuss the safety of COVID-19 vaccines that notes COVID-19 vaccines go through tests for safety and effectiveness before they’re approved,” Zuckerberg said.

The social network is also adding a tool to help get users vaccinated by connecting them to information about where and when they can get their shot.

Facebook and Instagram have been criticized for allowing anti-vaccination propaganda to spread and for being woefully slow in weeding out the misinformation, often with fact-checks, labels and other restrained measures.
https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/facebook-to-start-labeling-vaccine-posts-to-combat-misinformation/

That’s it this week for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.

My fair virtual congregation! You know… they say that SAYTAN gets a bad rap these days and why wouldn’t he? I mean he is the LAWRD of darkness and the ruler of all things that are awful and horrible in this world. And he was also in charge of the White House from the years 2016 – 2020, but that’s neither here nor there. I had something very different planned for this week but we’ll save that for another sermon. Instead this week, we have to talk about Satanic Shoes. Yes, these are apparently a thing that my elders have told me exists! And they were marketed and sold by rapper Lil Nas X, who is a 20 year old gay black man who loves to troll right wing Christian fundamentalists, which is something that we highly encourage here. But I can only speak for me. Let’s let these insane shoes speak for themselves!

Rapper and singer Lil Nas X launched a controversial pair of "Satan Shoes" featuring a bronze pentagram, an inverted cross and a drop of real human blood -- and they sold out almost immediately.

The black and red sneakers, part of a collaboration between Lil Nas X and New York-based art collective MSCHF, were made using Nike Air Max 97s, though the sportswear brand has distanced itself from the design.

In an emailed statement to CNN, Nike said it was not involved in creating the modified sneakers. "We do not have a relationship with Lil Nas or MSCHF," the company said. "Nike did not design or release these shoes and we do not endorse them."

MSCHF confirmed March 29 that the limited-edition "drop" of 666 pairs sold out in less than a minute.

They were priced at $1,018 a pair, a reference to the Bible passage Luke 10:18 that reads: "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." Each shoe's air bubble sole contains 60 cubic centimeters (2.03 fluid ounces) of red ink and "one drop" of human blood, according to MSCHF.
https://abc7news.com/lil-nas-shoe-satan-human-blood-x-shoes/10456877/

Now in this case, he actually does! Literally in fact! Because if you walk on a pair of these shoes, you are literally walking on SAYTAN himself! Now what’s symbolic about selling Satan themed sneakers out of 666 pairs each containing drops of human blood in them, you might ask? Well there’s a whole lot of symbolism and it’s easy to get lost in it. We here at the Holy Church Of The Top 10 of course will take this time to remind you that we’re on the side of GAWD and JAYSUS!

Over the past few days, a tumultuous discourse around the musician Lil Nas X has reached a fever pitch regarding two things: the lap dance he gives the devil in his new music video “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” and his sale of “Satan Shoes,” which allegedly have a drop of human blood in them. On those two topics, Lil Nas has drawn unsolicited commentary from everyone from South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to basketball player Nick Young to conservative commentator Candace Owens.

At the same time, the video has drawn praise, and not just among those celebrating its proud embrace of LGBTQ imagery and themes. Another contingent has also excitedly rallied around the music video: historical scholars. “Montero,” across its three-minute runtime, is stuffed with Greco-Roman and medieval Christian motifs and messages in both Greek and Latin. Lil Nas, in an interview with TIME, says he wanted to deploy this type of iconography and symbolism to draw a connection between ancient and modern-day persecution. “I wanted to use these things that have been around for so long to tell my own story, and the story of so many other people in the community—or people who have been outcast in general through history,” he says. “It’s the same thing over and over.”

And scholars have come away impressed by the video’s attention to detail and conceptual sharpness; they say it is deeply researched and builds a powerful historical narrative that centers queerness in historical and religious spaces where it is too often erased. “Watching this video, I was a little bit shocked just because of how much knowledge you need to have to unpack some of these elements,” Roland Betancourt, a professor at University of California, Irvine and the author of Byzantine Intersectionality: Sexuality, Gender, and Race in the Middle Ages, says. “It says that institutionalization of homophobia is a learned thing—and that there are other origin myths available to us that are not rooted in those ideas.”
https://time.com/5951024/lil-nas-x-montero-video-symbolism-explained/

Yes, you mere mortals! You will silence your faith in the presence of the almighty SAYTAN! But who is the real SAYTAN in this case? Is it the guy who is selling the sneakers or is it the giant corporation who thinks they are taking advantage of them? Well if I am playing devil’s advocate here (HA!) then I would say it’s more the latter than the former. Especially when the latter is suing the former for copyright infringement. Yeah you can sell SAYTAN themed sneakers, just expect to get hit with a lawsuit when you do!

Nike filed a lawsuit on Monday against the company selling the Lil Nas X "Satan Shoes," arguing the swoosh on the controversial shoe violates its trademark and damages its brand. The lawsuit comes the same day as the release of the shoes, which feature a bronze pentagram, the number "666" and a small amount of human blood.

The shoes, a collaboration between Lil Nas X and the New York-based art collective MSCHF, are modified versions of Nike Air Max 97s — and the brand's signature swoosh is featured prominently on the side of the shoe and on its tongue. The shoes, which sold out in minutes, cost $1,018 — a reference to the Bible passage Luke 10:18, which reads "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven."

The shoes' satanic imagery drew strong reactions online — including from South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who shared an image of the shoes alongside a warning that "we are in a fight for the soul of our nation."

Nike referenced that controversy in its lawsuit, which asks the court to force MSCHF to stop producing the shoes and to award monetary damages for the financial harm the company has suffered.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nike-sues-lil-nas-x-satan-shoes-lawsuit/

Oh now lighten up Gov. Noem! Not everything needs to be taken that seriously! This comes at a time when the Church of SAYTAN is attempting to gain acceptance. I mean come on, you literally worship the devil here. But in spite of everything those who worship the DEVIL are actively having a sense of humor about themselves. And I know, when you take the LAWRD of Darkness seriously, you got to have a good laugh at the situation, am I right?

As Lil Nas X’s limited-edition “Satan Shoes”, which contain a drop of real human blood, continue to spark intense backlash among conservatives and religious figures, one church has championed the sneakers.

The rapper released 666 pairs of the controversial shoes on 29 March to celebrate the debut of his new song and accompanying music video for Montero (Call Me By Your Name), which portrays the 21-year-old travelling to hell, where he dances with the devil.

Since the release, the sneakers, which were made from Nike Air Max 97s and feature a bronze pentagram, the number 666, and Bible verse Luke 10:18, which reads: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven,” have been widely condemned by everyone from South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to Nike, which has filed a lawsuit against the company behind the shoes, New York-based art collective MSCHF.

However, one organisation has publicly supported the new endeavour, the Church of Satan, which believes in “humanistic values” and “the acceptance of man’s true nature,” rather than religion or spirituality, and which tweeted to the rapper asking for a pair of the sneakers shortly after they were unveiled.
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/lil-nas-x-satan-shoes-b1824529.html

Well Nike may not endorse these sneakers, but the Church Of SAYTAN does, and I’ll take that endorsement, thank you! Virtual mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]How Is This Still A Thing: Coal Rolling
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It’s time once again to ask:

This week: Coal Rolling. How is this still a thing? Coal Rolling, or as some lower class individuals call it, “Prius Repellent” first came into prominence in the early 2010s. The process involves modifying the mechanical and software filters on the diesel engines of large trucks in order for them to be able to spew out as much black smoke as possible and to “trigger” the owners of much more environmentally responsible vehicles, such as a Prius or Tesla. Doing so not only voids the manufacturer’s warranty of your $80,000 truck, it might also be illegal. The practice came back into play when last week, the hot mic of a Southwest Airlines pilot went viral after a flight to San Francisco International airport. Here’s how that played out:

A Southwest Airlines pilot was caught on a hot mic making an expletive-filled rant against the San Francisco Bay Area.

The unidentified pilot was heard on a radio frequency at Mineta San Jose Airport (SJC) as the flight taxied for departure.

Here's part of what he said:

"F**k this place, goddamn liberal f***s. Like eight guns out here somewhere as it is. F*****g weirdos, probably driving around in F*****g Hyundais, F*****g roads and s**t that go slow as f**k."

While his tirade wasn't broadcast to passengers, travelers say the audio is concerning.

Judina Trade returned to the Bay Area on Thursday, traveling through SJC.

Trade told ABC7Chicago sister station ABC7 News KGO-TV, "I think it's a good thing that the aircraft did not hear that because I would be very scared to hear a pilot saying that. Especially with everything that's been going on."

Southern California resident, Shane Forker said, "I think I'd maybe be worried that he was drunk, or out of his mind, maybe."
https://abc7chicago.com/southwest-airlines-pilot-rant-on-hot-mic-explicit-bay-area-san-jose-mineta-airport/10451399/

That’s right – that rant included a section about Hyundais to which the pilot really hated and thinks that coal rolling is a much better way to go. But that got many people wondering – how is coal rolling still a thing in an age when car and truck manufacturers are switching to all electric engines? Well this comes at a time when the US government and the EPA are going to start cracking down on the process of coal rolling.

Companies offering products that enable diesel pick-ups to bypass emissions software – a phenomenon known as "rolling coal" due to the huge clouds of black smoke it creates – have come under scrutiny from the US government.

Earlier this week, the government filed a US federal court complaint against American company EZ Lynk for selling an aftermarket emissions defeat device advertised as a diagnostics and data-logging tool, news outlet Reuters reports.

The software allegedly permits owners of Chevrolet, GMC, Ford, and Ram pick-ups to change computer parameters which would normally disable the car when components such as the diesel particulate filter and exhaust gas recirculation system have been removed.

The product also lets owners upload their own engine 'tune', which changes the air/fuel ratio and boost settings for the turbo set by the factory.

Turbo-diesel engines in particular are known to see power increases of up to 20 per cent by adding fuel into the combustion cycle, in some cases creating smoke plumes known as "rolling coal".

"Emissions controls on cars and trucks protect the public from harmful effects of air pollution," a US government spokesperson said in a statement.
https://www.caradvice.com.au/932322/us-government-targets-rolling-coal-pick-ups-report/

Yes, obviously. Do you think breathing heaping loads of black smoke might be harmful to your lungs and the environment? We all know the answer to that one. But this is just another watermark in the chapter on “assholes being assholes and being proud of their assholishness”. Because while most people are becoming increasingly more environmentally conscious, some out there have taken the exact opposite direction. One thing most who practice the process of rolling coal though are unaware of, is that cars like the Tesla Model Y have cameras. And they see things.

This TeslaCam video captures the moment when a Tesla Model Y on Autopilot moves to avoid a Ram diesel pickup truck. It just so happens that the truck was trying to roll coal on the Tesla at the very moment when Autopilot reportedly moved to avoid the pickup.

We don't believe that it's Autopilot moving to avoid the big plume of black smoke coming from the modified diesel truck. Rather, it's the driver reacting to avoid getting coal-rolled, but regardless, these coal-rolling attempts failed to get the Tesla. And yes, it does appear as though the diesel Ram driver is deliberately targeting the Tesla.

We at InsideEVs have covered numerous videos in which a diesel truck purposely targets a Tesla with the illegal act of coal-rolling. It seems some of these truck drivers have something against owners of clean electric cars in general and Teslas more specifically. Sometimes, the coal-rolling may not be targeted at the Tesla, but rather just the illegally modified truck accelerating and puffing out smoke as these cancer-causing rigs do. In other cases, the coal-rolling combines with a bit of road rage on behalf of the diesel truck driver too.

And yes, the act of coal rolling (modifying a diesel engine to emit all sorts of crap) is illegal in most (if not all) U.S. states, it's just not always enforced.
https://insideevs.com/news/492957/tesla-auto-pilot-avoid-coal-roll-truck/

So coal rolling is illegal in most parts of the country. But coal rolling is only part of the problem, a lot of the problem can be traced back to toxic masculinity, which is a root problem for most of the ills of modern society. In fact as pickup trucks became larger, the owners of these trucks began flaunting their ability to pollute. And that became a symbol of totalitarian rule. But if you do roll coal, be prepared to have a whole lot of people hate you.

If you heard or saw a modern diesel engine running next to a gasoline one, it’d be hard to tell the two apart. Modern diesels are quiet and run with sophisticated engine management software. They have particulate filters and urea (or other DEF) injection to combat soot. NOx emissions—which cause acrid smog and acid rain—are curtailed with modern catalysts and exhaust-gas recirculation. All these tools work together to make sure it doesn’t look like your new pickup truck is cosplaying as an 18th-century London chimney.

But some owners, seeking more horsepower or torque, fiddle with these tools. They remove the catalytic converter. They screw with the engine software to change boost pressure or ignition timing, among other things. Then, when they stomp on the throttle, black smoke gushes out the tailpipe.

Originally, this occurred mostly in truck pulls, truck races where the goal was maximum pulling power. The engine mods needed to maximize performance had the side effect of thick, black smoke. On the racetrack, engine and exhaust modifications are nothing new, nor illegal. And, if confined to a racing environment, rolling coal wouldn’t really be an issue.

Problem is, some individuals took it on public roads. And they started messing with people.
Public Trolling

In the wake of increased automotive emission regulation, a certain subset of diesel truck drivers started to rebel. They’d look for a passing hybrid, and gun it down the road, leaving the hybrid driver choking on soot. If a Prius wasn’t there, they’d suffocate cyclists, or in some cases, even pedestrians.
https://www.motorbiscuit.com/rolling-coal-just-makes-people-hate-pickup-trucks/

So coal rolling is just another form of trolling, and if you tell people not to do it, that only makes them want to do it more. That’s enough to make you ask – Coal Rolling:

[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner: Q Anon Hot Takes
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Welcome back to the segment that attempts to explain the unexplainable, Conspiracy Corner! We’re of course coming to you live from our undisclosed underground bunker deep in the heart of the New Mexico badlands! This week we’re going to talk about the world’s biggest conspiracy – Q Anon, which is the cultivation of all of the BS endured under the Donald J. Trump administration come to a peak. This week, I think Q Anon might need more to do. But sadly for a lot of people, this is not only their hobby, but their way of life. This week I’m sure everybody knew where they were when they heard that one of the world’s largest containerships, Boaty McBoatface, er, I mean the Ever Given, was stuck between the walls of the Suez Canal. Well, here’s the original story and even that’s crazy by crazy standards and we wish we were making this up!

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A cargo container ship that’s among the largest in the world has turned sideways and blocked all traffic in Egypt’s Suez Canal, officials said Wednesday, threatening to disrupt a global shipping system already strained by the coronavirus pandemic.

The MV Ever Given, a Panama-flagged container ship that carries trade between Asia and Europe, became grounded Tuesday in the narrow, man-made waterway dividing continental Africa from the Sinai Peninsula.

It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the Ever Given to turn sideways in the canal. GAC, a global shipping and logistics company, described the Ever Given as suffering “a blackout while transiting in a northerly direction,” without elaborating.

Evergreen Marine Corp., a major Taiwan-based shipping company that operates the ship, said in a statement provided to The Associated Press that the Ever Given had been overcome by strong winds as it entered the Suez Canal from the Red Sea but none of its containers had sunk.

A Egyptian official, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity as he wasn’t authorized to brief journalists similarly blamed a strong wind in the area for the incident. Egyptian forecasters said high winds and a sandstorm plagued the area Tuesday, with winds gusting as much as 50 kph (31 mph).
https://wgntv.com/news/massive-cargo-ship-still-stuck-sideways-blocking-suez-canal/

No! No need to abandon ship just yet! Now here’s where it gets weird. Of course Q Anon followers would float conspiracy theories about the disaster – especially when your fuck-up is so huge that it’s visible from space. But that didn’t stop Q Anon followers from going there. And by going there, I mean they blamed the whole thing on Hillary Clinton. And they also suspected the boat might be trafficking children. Yes, that is a thing that happened. It’s completely insane. But not really that far from the course for Q Anon cultists.

Within minutes of the Ever Given ship getting stuck in Egypt’s Suez Canal on Wednesday, an incident that’s created chaos in global supply chains, QAnon supporters were spreading wild conspiracies that the ship was operated by Hillary Clinton and carrying a cargo of child sex slaves.

The claims were based on the fact that the Taiwanese shipping company that operates the ship is called Evergreen, which was Clinton’s secret service name when she was first lady.

The baseless theory was given further credence — in the minds of QAnon followers at least — when it emerged that the ship’s call sign was “H3RC” which is close enough to Clinton’s own initials (HRC) for QAnon followers to make the link.

The theory quickly spread on Telegram and Gab, the platforms QAnon followers have fled to in the wake of a purge by mainstream social networks in recent months.

But the claims also made their way to Twitter and Facebook, where fact-checking group PolitiFact flagged and debunked them.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/dy8n9q/suez-canal-qanon-cargo-ship-conspiracies-are-getting-wild

That’s right! The theory got so bizarre and crazy that actual news outlets had to employ real-life fact checkers to get to the bottom of this scandal. I mean shit, our janky little operation here could have told you that! No, Hillary Clinton is *NOT* trafficking children from Dubai to Europe through container ships traveling through the Suez Canal. Or is she? And my producer is throwing things at the stage!

A shipping vessel that could clog the Suez Canal for weeks is the latest piece added to an ever-evolving conspiracy theory about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other members of a so-called “deep state” and links to human trafficking.

Communications channels where QAnon conspiracy theories spread were humming this week about a connection between Clinton and the quarter-mile-long ship that ran aground as high winds cut across the canal.

Those seeped into mainstream social media as well, including posts on Facebook and Instagram, where users tied Clinton’s Secret Service codename to the ship and suggested its radio call sign intentionally matched Clinton’s initials.

A Facebook user who shared the post did not respond to a request for comment. It speculates without evidence that Evergreen "is most likely a cover for human and sex trafficking."

Others pushing the same theory allude to the containers being opened on television to reveal trafficked people inside. It is the latest potential disclosure related to the QAnon conspiracy theory that says former President Donald Trump was elected to thwart a deep-state cabal of pedophiles and cannibals, including Clinton.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/03/26/fact-check-no-evidence-hillary-clinton-suez-canal-vessel-linked/7014647002/

And by the way remember that Nashville bombing last November? Q Anon thought that Lizard People were involved. Yes, actual, bonafied, real life lizard people. You seriously cannot get much crazier than that. The funny thing is that they, and only they, are talking about this. So if you want wild theories, then Q Anon is the group for you! But if you’re into Q Anon, you’re probably not listening to our shit, either!

The deadly Capitol siege was fueled by far-out conspiracy theorists, including Ashli Babbitt, a QAnon supporter fatally shot by police as she tried to breach a barricaded doorway. Meanwhile, federal investigators are still looking into the belief system of Anthony Quinn Warner, who made statements about a conspiracy of lizard people taking over the planet before the explosion that damaged 41 buildings and injured three people in Nashville, Tennessee, on Christmas Day.

Many are scratching their heads. Why are people embracing such bizarre ideas?

The notion of shape-shifting, blood-sucking reptilian humanoids invading Earth to control the human race sounds like a cheesy sci-fi plot. But it's actually a very old trope with disturbing links to anti-immigrant and anti-Semitic hostilities dating to the 19th century.

Bonkers? Sure. Harmless? Definitely not.

Law enforcement sources say Warner's writings indicate his interest in a number of conspiracy theories — including the lizard people takeover. He may even have had a pastime of hunting such aliens in the park. Before the blast, Warner sent packages to friends filled with material expounding on his bizarre worldview. They included a letter that began "Hey Dude, You will never believe what I found in the park."
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/qanon-s-capitol-rioters-nashville-bomber-s-lizard-people-theory-ncna1253819

There really is a Gif for everything! Even with our budget of zero, we can still find some freaking hilarious shit out there. But here’s the thing about Q Anon – is that they do network. And when they network, things get really insane. And if you want to delve into the mind of Q Anon supporters, there’s a convention! Yes, an actual real life convention! I can just imagine the halls and panels that they will have at such a convention.

In this politically charged, hyperpartisan era, many hospitality brands would go out of their way to avoid being linked to a group that helped fuel the Capitol riot on January 6.

But this Memorial Day Weekend, the Omni Dallas Hotel is slated to host a QAnon conference, reports the Dallas Morning News. Attendees who stay at the upscale 1,001-room property in downtown Dallas for $149 a night can enjoy eight restaurants, a heated infinity pool, a full-service spa—and a stacked lineup of QAnon favorites.

The “For God & Country Patriot Roundup” kicks off at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 28, with a private VIP meet-and-greet reception at the hotel’s Texas Spice restaurant. The hotel is connected by skybridge to the Dallas Convention Center, though event organizers have scheduled the bulk of the activities at Gilley’s Dallas, a seven-venue complex just down the road.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2021/03/25/qanon-conference-omni-dallas-hotel-memorial-day-weekend-michael-flynn-sidney-powell/?sh=399756243778

[font size="8"]I Need A Drink: Cinnamon Toast Shrimp
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Hey everyone! I don’t know about you but I could really use a drink!

So of course you know that the idea behind this segment is that we have some drinks and talk about anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics. Well last week there was a bizarre and quite frankly one of the weirdest stories I’ve heard in a while. And it’s one that hits very shockingly close to home! Tell me virtual bartender, what goes well with a story about Cinnamon Toast Crunch? Cinnamon Toast Beer? What is it? What the fuck is a “chunky IPA”? No thanks, I will take my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. Here’s what happened – podcaster Jensen Karp – who’s already a minor celebrity here in Los Angeles as part of a former morning radio show that used to air every day until the whole show was fired over the phone at the start of COVID, found shrimp in the box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch that he bought at Costco. Here’s how that went down:

Writer and podcast host Jensen Karp is trying to get some answers after an unexpected surprise he had while trying to eat a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

He tweeted a photo of his bowl of cereal and wrote, “Ummmm @CTCSquares – why are there shrimp tails in my cereal? (This is not a bit).”

The cereal brand responded and wrote, “We’re sorry to see what you found! We would like to report this to our quality team and replace the box. Can you please send us a DM to collect more details? Thanks!”

CTC later sent another tweet denying that the shrimp tails were in the cereal.

They wrote, “After further investigation with our team that closely examined the image, it appears to be an accumulation of the cinnamon sugar that sometimes can occur when ingredients aren’t thoroughly blended. We assure you that there’s no possibility of cross contamination with shrimp.”
https://wmgk.com/2021/03/23/man-finds-shrimp-tails-in-his-cinnamon-toast-crunch/

Somehow I don’t think that’s enough! Man, I miss my audience! But anyways, so Mr. Karp found a pair of shrimp tails and some other unexpected prizes in his box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. What makes this even weirder is that General Mills’ corporate PR department offered a completely batshit crazy and totally expected response to the fiasco. And when I say “totally expected”, I mean the exact kind of bullshit PR move you would expect. And this thing then went viral. And I do mean completely viral.

If you’re a devoted fan of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal and don’t plan to stop any time soon, you should probably turn away now.

It may already be too late for comedian and writer Jensen Karp, who says he found a slew of unappetizing surprises in his breakfast cereal Monday morning.

A spokesperson responded, asking Karp to put the shrimp tails in a pre-paid envelope and send it to them so they can have it checked out.

Karp acquiesced, on one condition. “I’m going to keep one of the two (shrimp tails),” he wrote, “because your last response publicly was super weird and since you’ll be receiving a shrimp tail, I’ll keep one so you don’t try to say it’s sugar and make me look insane?”

It’s unclear what the company had to say to that. In another screenshot posted by Karp, they tried to offer him some vouchers to compensate for the “unpleasant experience” but he refused.

“No,” he wrote. “You just told me it wasn’t shrimp tails.”
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/man-finds-shrimp-tails-in-his-cinnamon-toast-crunch-cereal-but-the-company-says-its-just-sugar

Yeah that’s of course the solution is to live under the sea! And this inspired everything from people making their own Cinnamon Toast Shrimp to finding actual Cinnamon Toast Shrimp on the menus at restaurants. But here’s where it gets weird – as more places started picking up the story, the darker it, Mr. Karp is married to Danielle Fischel, who played the character of Topanga on Boy Meets World. But apparently being famous also has an ugly side and especially one that nobody expected from this. And it looks like anyone could have this happen to them if that’s where it goes.

As the post circulated internationally, Karp enjoyed a shining moment of Twitter fame, and granted interviews to media outlets including TMZ and the New York Times. “I’m the new Gorilla Glue Girl, aren’t I?” he wondered — perhaps wistfully? — in a tweet. But all the notoriety also raised suspicions among certain of Karp’s acquaintances, a number of whom suggest he may be an unreliable narrator.

Multiple women identifying themselves as his ex-romantic partners began sharing their own, remarkably similar, impressions of him. They said that Karp was manipulative, controlling, cruel, and that dating him had adversely impacted their mental health. (Karp did not respond to a request for comment from the Cut.) Former co-workers came forward, too — including writer, comedian, and actor Brittani Nichols, who wrote a lengthy thread alleging that leadership at Karp’s rap-battle competition show, Drop the Mic, had to be “talked into hiring a person of color,” among other things, and that he was a terrible employer in general.

There have also been allusions to theft of intellectual property from other podcasters, references to alleged “gaslighting,” and assertions that Karp generally just lies a lot. On the other hand, there have also been defenses of Karp’s character — for example, from Linkin Park guy Mike Shinoda, who called him an “all-around good dude” and praised his talents in comedy and podcasting.
https://www.thecut.com/2021/03/the-cinnamon-toast-crunchshrimp-tails-saga-is-getting-dark.html

But alas there is a lesson to be learned from all of this. Think of it like the famous Simpsons episode where Homer gets accused of sexual harassment and the more people picked up on the story, the crazier it got. But we can all learn from this and if you want a story to go viral, make sure that you don’t have any demons in your closet before you start turning on the thing that could potentially make you famous, because it could come back to bite you in the ass!

Disgusting. That's what everyone thought when they first heard about the saga of the cinnamon-and-sugar encrusted shrimp tail found in a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
The gross object was tweeted by Los Angeles-based writer Jensen Karp, who said he found pieces of a crustacean in his cereal earlier this week. His thousands of followers responded — and so did Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

The back-and-forth quickly devolved into chaos. The cereal brand owned by General Mills responded via Twitter to Karp, saying that the shrimp-tail-like objects weren't seafood, but an "accumulation of the cinnamon sugar that sometimes can occur when ingredients aren't thoroughly blended." It added: "We assure you that there's no possibility of cross contamination with shrimp."

Admittedly, it's a silly story. But for Tom Meyvis, a professor of marketing and consumer behavior at New York University's Stern School of Business, there's a lesson to be learned here.

Meyvis said the discovery is gross — and that's "very dangerous for food brands." However, how Cinnamon Toast Crunch responded was even worse, he said.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/24/business/cinnamon-toast-crunch-shrimp/index.html

[font size="8"]Stupidest State Round 1 Week 3
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16 states will enter and only one state will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!

Welcome back everybody! Last week saw an epic battle as #3 Nevada handily routed #4 Iowa to advance to the Fiscal Irresponsibility Championship, while over in the Gun Nut Conference, #3 Idaho shot their way past #4 Oregon to advance to the conference finals! This week it’s a battle of conference heavyweights! Over in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, #1 Kansas takes on red hot #2 Wyoming to advance to play Nevada. And over in the Gun Nut Conference, last year’s reigning champion #1 Florida takes on #2 Texas to advance to the conference finals! This is going to be some really good matching, and let’s go to the floor!

[font size="4"]Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference: #1 Kansas vs #2 Wyoming [/font]

[font size="2"]Kansas [/font]

Kansas sits atop the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference. It’s the home of several large corporations and large industries. Agriculture is of course the prime industry but did you know that Topeka is also home to one of the world’s richest companies? I’m of course talking about Koch Industries. Kansas is also home to some of the biggest corporations and food processing companies in the entire United States, including the anti-Coke, PepsiCo, and Frito Lay! Both of which are locking in an insane labor negotiation deal. Think of it like that episode of the Simpsons.

PepsiCo, the company that owns Topeka's Frito-Lay plant, isn't negotiating fairly in contract talks with the union representing more than 450 of the employees there, says the president of the union representing those workers.

PepsiCo has "threatened to lock us out if we don't take what they offered," said Brent Hall, president of Local 218 of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers union.

Hall made those statements Friday on his personal Facebook page while asking the public to contact PepsiCo and express support for the union. He posted the phone number, email address and regular mail address for the PepsiCo board.

"We'd appreciate all the help we can get," Hall told The Capital-Journal on Saturday. "We're trying to negotiate a contract. We're not trying to negotiate a strike. We want fair and open negotiations."

Read more: https://www.cjonline.com/story/business/employment/2021/03/08/union-president-pepsico-not-negotiating-fairly-frito-lay-talks/4610488001/

And with lots of jobs also comes lots of unemployment, which Kansas has IN DROVES! Yes that’s right – there’s a lot of unemployed people in the central part of the United States. And with massive unemployment also comes massive unemployment fraud. And unlike voter fraud, unemployment fraud is actually a real problem in this country. Although you would think more people would care about this subject, but they really don’t.

Thousands of fraudulent unemployment claims are prompting Kansas to shut down its processing system this weekend, meaning some jobless workers will have payments delayed as the state installs new anti-fraud protections, Gov. Laura Kelly announced Wednesday.

Kelly acknowledged that fraudulent claims may have helped fuel a recent surge of filings for benefits, agreeing with Republican legislators.

The Democratic governor’s announcement came shortly after GOP lawmakers said they will push to protect employers from being forced to cover the cost of fraudulent claims in ex-employees' names. They said the state Department of Labor doesn't have a handle on the problem and that they've not gotten enough data or answers.

Kelly said the unemployment system will go down at 2 p.m. Saturday and go back up at 7 a.m. Tuesday. She said the state won’t pay benefits during that period but will work to catch up on claims when the system is back up.

Read more: https://theeagle.com/news/business/kansas-to-shut-down-unemployment-system-to-deal-with-fraud/article_0a875611-7910-5675-93e5-e1a706be8759.html

[font size="2"]Wyoming [/font]

Wyoming is a newcomer to the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference. And they’re one of the hottest teams in the league for a good reason. If you have any rich friends, you may have heard them talking about moving to Wyoming and it’s mainly thanks to Wyoming’s current rich guy ambassador and former presidential candidate Kanye West. Resort towns in the Equality State are becoming playgrounds for America’s super rich because of the large plots of land available and they’re incredibly cheap because Wyoming is in a terrible recession. But really there’s more to it.

Not many American towns the size of Pinedale, population roughly 2,000, can boast that they have a $22 million aquatic center, with a beautiful lap pool, water slides, yoga rooms and a three-story climbing wall.

Then again, most rural towns this size probably haven't had the steady pipeline of tax revenue from natural gas pumped off nearby federal land to pay for it. The opening of the center, more than a decade ago, convinced its now director Amber Anderson to move back home after college in 2018 as a young professional.

"I would not have come back to Pinedale had it not been for this facility, and my family's all here and I love the outdoors and stuff but there just wasn't a lot to offer in Pinedale," says Anderson.

The Jonah Field is one of the most productive federal drilling lands in the country. But in the last few years, things have gotten tough. When prices were high, companies drilled a lot, but now there's a glut. Prices tanked and the pandemic has made that even worse. Locally, people are getting laid off, and Anderson recently had to cut the aquatic center's budget by almost half.
https://www.npr.org/2021/02/10/965335665/facing-a-reckoning-wyoming-wrestles-with-a-transition-from-fossil-fuels

And here’s the thing people – keep electing republicans because it will ultimately come back to bite you in the ass. Hard. And not only that, the shit is coming around and it will ultimately affect them. See, Wyoming might be a current playground for the uber-wealthy but it’s hurting financially. For every outer beauty, there is an inner ugly. And this is probably the least ugly thing but it’s way worse than you would think!

Sen. Anthony Bouchard, R-Cheyenne, says Wyoming sell its two jets used for transporting state employees, but some officials have pushed back against this idea.

“The State of Wyoming should list its TWO Luxury jets on EBAY instead of raising taxes and pushing toll road,” Bouchard wrote on his Facebook account that also featured a photo of the planes.

However, multiple Wyoming Department of Transportation studies have concluded the planes actually save the state money instead of being more costly.

State aeronautics division administrator Brian Olsen told Cowboy State Daily that although his department doesn’t have an official stance on the jets, the staff finds they are an efficient and effective tool in conducting state business.

Read more: https://cowboystatedaily.com/2021/03/12/legislator-suggests-wyoming-should-sell-its-jets-state-officials-push-back/

[font size="2"]And The Winner Is: [/font]

We have an upset! Wyoming knocks off Kansas to advance to the conference finals and play Nevada for the crown! Final score: 84 – 75! Kansas goes home and puts an end to a great season. Wyoming advances to their first Fiscal Irresponsibility championship!

[font size="4"]Gun Nut Conference: #1 Florida vs #2 Texas [/font]

[font size="2"]Florida [/font]

Florida was last years’ champion for one reason: Their MVP Ron DeSantis. Could he foster the first ever repeat in Stupidest State history? Only time will tell of course! But Florida not only has some ridiculously strong gun credentials, they also have strong Batshit credentials, making them a double contender in both categories. And again it’s all thanks to their current governor, Ron DeSantis. But remember in the Gun Nut Conference, the crazy doesn’t matter. Instead it’s how much heat you pack, and Florida – well they are packing lots and lots of heat!

With supporters saying the issue is about property rights, the Florida House on Friday overwhelmingly passed a bill that would allow people to carry guns at churches that share locations with schools.

House members voted 76-37 to approve the measure (HB 259), sponsored by Rep. Jayer Williamson, R-Pace, and Rep. Cord Byrd, R-Neptune Beach. Florida law generally allows people to carry concealed weapons at churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious institutions, but it bars being armed on school properties. That leads to people being prevented from carrying guns on properties shared by religious institutions and schools.

The bill would allow people with concealed-weapons licenses to bring guns on properties shared by churches and schools. Religious institutions or property owners would continue to be able to bar guns at the sites.

Williamson described the proposal as an issue of private property rights, which he said are a “foundation of our country.” But Rep. Joe Geller, D-Aventura, disputed that the issue was about property rights and said it is about guns in classrooms. Geller said the Legislature’s job should be to protect students.
https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2021/03/29/strapped-at-sunday-school-florida-house-passes-bill-allowing-concealed-weapons-in-church

And not only does Florida allow guns just about everywhere, they steal guns! Oh yes my friends, in case you’re wondering if Florida can’t sink any lower in terms of gun crime – let’s take into account that most gun crimes are committed with stolen weapons. Then let’s go further and report on Florida having the most stolen guns per capita in the United States. Yes that is correct! And it does not surprise us in the least!

In the last year, Marion County saw a major increase in reported gun thefts, which went up 85 percent in 2020.

“When a gun is stolen, that gun was not purchased lawfully. There was no background check,” Bloom said.

He noted many of the weapons were stolen out of unlocked cars.

“Many times these people who break into cars are teenagers, and now a teenager has a firearm. A deadly weapon,” Bloom said. “No gun owner, no lawful gun owner would want his or her firearm falling into the hands of a teenager who has some bad intent with it.”

Marion County is not the only local area to see an increase in gun thefts last year. Kissimmee’s gun thefts nearly doubled, going up 95 percent in one year. Orlando’s gun thefts went up 34 percent and Osceola County’s went up 23 percent.
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2021/03/25/gun-thefts-increase-in-central-florida-during-record-breaking-year-for-gun-sales/

[font size="2"]Texas [/font]

Ah what’s there to say about Texas, the Lone Star State? A reigning champion of the Gun Nut Conference and Stupidest State 2019 winner? Well not a whole lot. Texas has one of the largest concentrations of guns in the entire country and is conveniently located on the other side of the Gulf from Florida. Well remember during the Trump administration when people were complaining about those icky “sanctuary states” (which was really a racist call? Well Gov. Abbott wants to make Texas a “sanctuary state” for gun owners! Gee, what could go wrong there?

Filed earlier this month, a state House bill backed by Gov. Greg Abbott would turn Texas into a so-called Second Amendment sanctuary state. In other words, the bill, if passed, would forbid Texas state agencies and other bodies from enforcing new federal gun laws or rules, a proposal some advocacy groups have criticized.

The bill’s primary author, state Rep. Justin Holland, a Republican from Heath, said HB 2622 comes at a time when it’s necessary to “step up and protect our 2nd Amendment rights in Texas,” according to a press release.

If enacted, the bill seeks to bar any state agency or political subdivision from enforcing new federal gun laws, orders, rules or regulations that do not already exist in Texas law.

One of more than 40 active gun-related bills in the Legislature, it would also block state grant funds to any political subdivision that adopts a new federal statute, order, rule or regulation on firearms. The funds would be denied for the next fiscal year, the bill notes.
https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/texas-republicans-legislators-push-bills-to-make-state-second-amendment-sanctuary-11995333

And not only does Texas not have to be careful with guns, they have a whopping 40 – that’s right – 40 legislative bills on the desk awaiting approval. Expect mass shootings to get *THAT* much worse in the Lone Star State. And I mean come on, what can you expect when Ted Cruz is your senator? And if you get caught with a gun even though you have a history of abuse in Texas? You just get nothing more than a slap on the wrist. They’re soft on guns in Texas. Ew, that sounded wrong.

In Texas, if a protective order is issued against you, you can’t possess a firearm or ammunition. That’s been spelled out on protective orders for more than 20 years -- except in cases where a respondent is a peace officer with a full-time state agency job.

As of Sept. 1, 2020, trial courts are also required to inform people regarding prohibitions outlined in their protective order.

“(The court must) orally admonish the person, in a manner the person can understand, that the person is ineligible to possess a firearm or ammunition; and provide the person with a written admonishment informing that person of the person's ineligibility to possess a firearm or ammunition,” a chapter in the Texas Administrative Code states.

But based on multiple conversations with lawmakers, attorneys, judges, law enforcement and advocates across the state, we found that most of the 254 Texas counties don’t have a formal process for the surrender, storage and return of those guns.
https://www.khou.com/article/news/deep-dive-texas/texas-law-prohibits-domestic-abusers-protective-orders-having-guns/285-d976056e-c25c-43ea-8856-b65cb69b7438

[font size="2"]And The Winner Is: [/font]

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner! This is one of the most hotly contested rivalries in the Gun Nut Conference! Texas has stunned Florida with 12 unanswered points on the board and they are going to move onto the Gun Nut Championship! Last year’s champions are not going to repeat this year! They are stunned on the floor! Final score: 103 – 91! Wow, what a match!

[font size="4"]Next Week: [/font]

It’s the final week of Round 1! And we’ve been saving the best for last as #1 Georgia takes on #2 Kentucky for the Batshit Conference crown, while over in the Family Values conference, #3 Mississippi takes on #4 Arkansas! The Elite 8 is shaping up and looking pretty interesting!

See you next week!

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April 8, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #10-10: I Smell Sex And Stupid Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #10-10: I Smell Sex And Stupid Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! We are back, and forwards I might add! Still coming to you from this blank, blue void in the back room of a Burbank comedy club for the foreseeable future. No, no, we don’t need a Tucker reaction camera anymore. But look at this void! It’s so blue! So this is our 10th edition of season 10 which means that we could do a Top 10 with all editions 1 – 10 of season 10. Or we could do a Top 10 of all 10th editions from each season! Either way. This week while we can’t bring out the Wheel of Corruption, we are going to bring back some of our patented Clips Without Context! Because it’s been a while since we’ve seen some of these and there have been some good ones! Do we have time for the thing? Of course we do! So congratulations to the Baylor Bears for winning the NCAA tournament and absolutely destroying Gonzaga. And that’s after Gonzaga had that crazy 3 pointer to sink UCLA. That was one crazy end to the tournament. And I’m so glad that tournaments are back and they have audiences! Hell, I went to my first MLB game in over a year and it was magical. I was even amazed to see live fireworks for the first time in over a year and before stupid COVID hit I was going to see fireworks at my baseball stadium like every week. And if the audiences we’re seeing now are any indication, I think that I’m going to like the Roaring 20’s when things finally open back up. And if you look at baseball attendance lately, Trump is of course having the opposite effect of his intended boycott! Keep wallowing in your own self-pity guys, it will eventually own you! OK that’s enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. Too much really. But first John Oliver is back and he delves into the subject of the National Debt:

Where do we begin this week? In the absence of the famous Wheel Of Corruption, we're going to bring back some of our patented Clips Without Context because there's been some good ones lately, and each entry will feature a new clip that is both insane and cringe worthy! Well, we have to talk about the jaw-dropping, stunning level of stupidity surrounding the Matt Gaetz sex scandal (1) and the more you dig deep into this dive, the weirder and stupider it gets! Taking the second slot this week is our favorite conspiracy theory congresswoman, Marjorie Taylor Greene (2), who represents the Q-Batshit party. And no, Crossfit is not a cure for COVID, no matter how many idiots make that claim! In the number 3 slot this week is Brian Kemp (3) – yes the governor of Georgia just found out the hard way that actions have consequences as the MLB announced that it’s pulling out of the 2021 All Star Game in Atlanta which will put a serious damper in Georgia businesses and tourism revenue. In the #4 slot this week is Arizona Republicans (4). Yes, they are attempting, again to steal the 2020 election despite that it’s all yesterday’s news, and they’ve hired a firm run by a Q theorist! What could go wrong? Taking the 5th seed this week is our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates (5), we’re going to take a look at what goes into a vaccine passport, and it’s not as scary as conservatives are making it out to be! At slot #6 this week, in our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6) – as Easter approaches, we take a look at the religious side of “cancel culture” – and guess what? It works both ways! At slot #7, we’re going to bring back our segment “Explaining Jokes To Idiots” which is definitely true in the wake of Mike Huckabee’s extremely racist tweet and Chet Hanks’ White Boy Summer. In the 8th slot this week, in a new edition of Conspiracy Corner (8), the alt right social media app Parler warned the FBI about its’ user base and even ratted out members! What could go wrong? In the #9 (NEIN!!) slot this week we have a new People Are Dumb, because of course they are! Finally this week it’s time for Stupidest State 2021! This week we have Round 1 Week 4 and this week it’s a battle of the Batshit as #1 Georgia takes on reigning champion #2 Kentucky, while over in the Family Values Conference, it’s an interstate rivalry between #3 Mississippi and #4 Alabama! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

[div style="padding: 20px; background-color: #ffffff; border-radius: 10px; box-shadow: 0px 2px 4px 1px #aaa;"][div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-weight: bold; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999; padding-bottom: 8px;"]

[font size="8"]Matt Gaetz
[br] [/font] [br]

Hey everyone! It's a clip without context!

What? You could make that claim about anything! I mean this CD I'm holding up of Kansas' greatest hits could be considered the equivalent of pedophilia. That is just fucking dumb. Anyway...

We need some music for this one!

OK there have been some ridiculously dumb scandals in history. But this one might take the cake for being one of the most shocking, jaw droppingly dumb scandals in history. When I found out that Matt Gaetz had sex with underage teenage girls I couldn’t wait to report it this week. And the more you dig into this scandal, the dumber it gets. I mean you couldn’t possibly be this dumb. Like that Marcy Playground hit from the 1990s – I smell sex and candy? This is more like “I smell sex and… stupid… yeah…!”. Still can’t believe that song was popular. I probably could have devoted the entire edition to this scandal because it really is that stupid. Here’s how it started because it started out just like any other Congressional sex scandal in history.

A defiant Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) says he has no plans to resign from Congress amid a federal investigation into whether he paid women — and a 17-year-old girl — for sexual favors.

Yet behind the scenes, a growing number of Gaetz’s Republican colleagues are predicting his days on Capitol Hill are growing short.

“In reality, yes, he won’t last long,” one member told The Hill on Friday.

The forecasts seem to be based on some combination of political pragmatism and wishful thinking.

Gaetz, who stands among the fiercest defenders of former President Trump, is no stranger to controversy, but the latest allegations — which have stemmed from a broader sex trafficking investigation involving the prostitution of minors — are by far the most serious. And Gaetz’s flair for flamboyant confrontation — he recently flew to Wyoming to stage a rally against GOP Rep. Liz Cheney on her home turf — has endeared him to pro-Trump conservatives outside the Beltway, but has also made him plenty of enemies within his own party.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/546260-republicans-quietly-say-gaetzs-days-in-congress-are-numbered

Now here’s where it gets weird and you knew it was going to. I mean after all, he’s a Congressman from Florida. It’s already implied that it’s weird. But what makes it even weirder? The New York Times did their own investigation and they have receipts. Oh yes, my friends – they have receipts. How did they trace him you might ask? Well he used an electronic form of payment to solicit prostitutes. That’s right – he used an easily traceable form of electronic payment to commit a crime! You might as well register with Instatrace!

Florida representative and MAGA firebrand Matt Gaetz found himself in the middle of a reputational, and possibly criminal, firestorm this week after the New York Times broke the news on Tuesday that the Justice Department is looking into whether he broke federal sex trafficking laws and had sexual encounters with a minor. The Times’ sources say that investigators are examining Gaetz’s relationship two years ago with someone who may have been 17 at the time. They are also determining whether he financially supported her, including paying for her to travel with him over state lines, in exchange for sex, which could amount to sex trafficking of a minor. Gaetz has categorically denied engaging in sexual relationships with minors or paying anyone for sex, and is instead claiming that the investigation is part of a ploy to extort $25 million from his family. Subsequent news reports have unearthed increasingly bizarre details about the scandal; Times reporters, for instance, reviewed records of suspicious transactions that Gaetz made through payment apps.

The Gaetz probe is reportedly part of a larger investigation into one of his political allies, former Seminole County, Florida, tax collector Joel Greenberg. Greenberg resigned last June after he was indicted on 14 federal charges, including sex trafficking of a 14-year-old. Greenberg was allegedly frequenting websites where users can meet people who are willing to have sex for gifts and other forms of ostensibly indirect financial support. According to the Times, Justice Department officials believe that Greenberg was having sex with these people and then introducing them to Gaetz for further sexual favors. Gaetz reportedly took ecstasy during some of these encounters, which occurred while he was in office in 2019 and 2020; the congressman notably criticized President Joe Biden’s son Hunter for drug use in 2019. Reporters also retrieved receipts of payments that Gaetz and Greenberg made via Cash App and Apple Cash to one of the women involved. This particular detail raised eyebrows on social media, mostly because it seems foolhardy for a high-profile politician to commit a crime using something as traceable as these two extremely popular payment apps.
https://slate.com/technology/2021/04/matt-gaetz-cash-app-history.html

Let me speak to all the future wannabe criminals out there - if you're going to commit a crime, maybe, I don't know, don't use fucking Cash App to commit said crime! Oh look at that! He broke the stupid scale! Ladies and gentlemen, mark this very moment as the time of death for the stupid scale! By the way, Matt Gaetz turns on his full Trump conservative persona and suggests that he’s actually the victim in all of this! Now really, you have got to be fucking kidding me on this one. But not really.

The Matt Gaetz story increasingly reads like a script written by a pervert high on a cocktail of speed and MDMA. Even if you’ve been following the scandal-prone Republican congressman’s latest controversy closely it’s hard to keep track of what on earth is happening. So here’s a guide to navigating the saga far.

First and foremost, it has been established that Gaetz is under federal investigation for sexual misconduct. On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that the justice department (DoJ) is investigating whether Gaetz, 38, “had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and paid for her to travel with him”. If these allegations are accurate, then Gaetz could have violated federal sex trafficking laws. According to the Times, the allegations are part of a broader investigation into a political ally of Gaetz’s named Joel Greenberg, a Florida tax collector who was indicted last year on charges including the sex trafficking of a child. Greenberg also reportedly misused public funds to buy servers for a cryptocurrency company as well as weapons, ammunition and a drone. As you do.

After the Times broke the story, Gaetz confirmed to Axios that he was under federal investigation for sexual misconduct and is worried about being criminally charged. Rather predictably, however, he insists that he’s actually the victim in all of this and has said “no part of the allegations” against him are true. Gaetz, who is currently engaged to a woman 12 years younger than him, claimed that he used to be a “generous” partner in his single days and paid for flights and hotel rooms. “I think someone is trying to make that look criminal when it is not,” he said.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/apr/03/matt-gaetz-scandal-week-in-patriarchy

Yes, until that night a gross pervert named Matt Gaetz paid underage prostitutes with his iPhone… that’s a really 21st century crime isn’t it? But here’s where it gets really gross. Like all sex scandals eventually do, and that’s that there’s an event coming up. I just don’t get women for Trump. Because that’s just weird, awkward and cruel. But having a women’s conference at a Trump resort featuring Matt Gaetz as a keynote speaker is just gross on multiple levels. And we don’t even have time to mention his pardon either, we’ll save that for next week.

Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz is expected to speak at a “Women for America First” gala in the Sunshine State this Friday as he remains under fire over allegations that he paid for sex with an underage girl.

Gaetz, who vehemently denies the shocking allegations, will be the keynote speaker at the “Save America Summit,” which will take place at former President Donald Trump’s golf club in Doral this week, the Women for America First group said Tuesday.

“Rep Matt Gaetz has been a fearless leader in DC. Few members of Congress have been more willing than Matt to stand up & fight on behalf of President Trump & his America First Agenda,” the group tweeted. “We are honored.”

Gaetz returned the favor, tweeting back at the group: “Thank you to ‘Women for America First’ for the invitation to share my vision for our great nation.”

According to the group’s website, attendants have to dish out at least $500 for the Gaetz speech, which will also feature “BBQ, Boots & Bluegrass.”
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/us-elections-government/ny-gaetz-sex-trafficking-probe-trump-pardon-20210407-fwateyj7mzerln3jmvthxahxvu-story.html

[font size="8"]Marjorie Taylor Greene
[br] [/font] [br]

Let's do some clips without context!

Then why are you an elected representative who is supposed to be at the Capitol? Oh shit who am I kidding? It's impossible to analyze what they're saying vs what they mean.

Look people the bottom line is simple. Want to end this damn pandemic so we can all get back to having normal lives and fun things to do again? Take the damn vaccine! It’s that fucking simple. Just get in your car, drive to the nearest point where you can get it, and take the damn shot. It’s literally an hour (or two) out of your life. If I can do it, then believe me, literally anybody can do it. That’s how end this. How we don’t end it? Listen to kooks like Marjorie Taylor Green (Q – Batshit) who are spreading an insane new theory that eating healthy and maintaining an active lifestyle are going to be the magic cure for COVID. But just like any other theory this is all an insane hypothesis, but no more than the 10,000,000,000 other insane theories out there. This one is also gaining traction because of people who are looking to say stupid shit on Twitter for no other reason than to stick it to people who are taking this seriously. You’re just selfish assholes, OK?

It seems Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is still trying to work out how the coronavirus is transmitted.

Greene — who is known as the “QAnon congresswoman” thanks to her past endorsement of the conspiracy movement — posted a video to Twitter on Thursday showing her doing what appears to be a CrossFit workout.

“This is my Covid protection,” she wrote alongside a flexed-arm emoji and the hashtag #MakeAmericaHealthyAgain.

Twitter users had no problem exercising their right to point out the absurdity and ignorance of her declaration.

Being jacked or flinging about on a pullup bar like “like a wild salmon trying to escape a grizzly bear” does not make you immune from a respiratory viral infection. According to the World Health Organization, the coronavirus is transmitted through respiratory droplets among people who are in close contact with each other. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also urges gymgoers to wear masks, social distance and to opt for “low-intensity activities over high-intensity activities when indoors.” This is because when you exercise, you exhale and inhale larger amounts of air, two experts explained to NBC News.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/marjorie-taylor-greene-slammed-for-dumb-claim-that-crossfit-is-her-covid-protection_n_6064e08ec5b6adf599cc903a

And yes that is shockingly dumb. Even for someone like Marjorie Greene who has been known to say ridiculously crazy and stupid shit on a daily basis. But to make matters worse, not only did she stand by her ridiculously dumb claims, she doubled down! And not only did she double down, she even went after overweight people as being the cause of the spread. No, it’s not that. This virus is an equal opportunity killer, it doesn’t care if you’re in shape or not!

Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene on Saturday accused Democrats and Dr. Anthony Fauci of pushing for COVID-19 vaccines to be mandated, and for failing to address obesity within the pandemic.

Speaking on a large Twitter thread, Greene stated that lockdown orders and gym closures to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus are leading to "more weight gain," while criticizing Democrats for encouraging individuals to be inoculated.

"According to the CDC, the highest risk factor for covid hospitalization, ventilation, and death is OBESITY. As a matter of FACT, 78% of those who were ventilated or died from covid were obese," Greene wrote on Twitter.

"With over 42% of our population being obese, why isn't the biggest effort to save people's lives seriously tackling the critical health risk of obesity?" she added.

The Georgia Republican also stated that she introduced a bill called the "Fire Fauci Act," and accused the infectious disease expert of "helping big Pharma and destroying freedom."

Within her Twitter thread, Greene also posted videos of herself exercising, and encouraged her followers to tag her in videos of themselves doing pull-ups.
https://www.newsweek.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-asks-why-obesity-not-focus-blames-dems-covid-vaccine-mandates-1580878

That is a good point, miss! And here’s the thing – yes obesity is a very serious health risk that should be taken seriously, that’s not wrong there. But that’s not the issue here. The issue is ending the COVID-19 pandemic and getting life back to the normalcy we had in 2019. But I cannot stress this enough. TAKE. THE. FUCKING. VACCINE. Stop making excuses. The more you do, the more you give the virus opportunities to mutate, and we don’t want that.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posted a series of tweets railing against the White House’s coronavirus efforts on Thursday. In them, the publicity-hungry conspiracy enthusiast promoted her latest proposal—dubbed the Fire Fauci Act and the We Will Not Comply Act—demanding that Dr. Anthony Fauci be fired and making it known that she wouldn’t comply with “vaccine passports” and would seek to make the unvaccinated a protected class from discrimination.

In one of her first tweets on the subject, Greene shared a video of herself working out—specifically, doing a variation of the clean-and-press in a superset with butterfly pull-ups.

“This my Covid protection,” says the tweet’s text, accompanied by the hashtag #MakeAmericaHealthyAgain.

Her fitness routine in the clip quickly generated discourse. Greene’s form on the clean-and-press looked fine, but viewers were alarmed by her pull-ups—a swingy variation that can look bizarre to outsiders. Where a normal pull-up involves engaging your arms, back, and core to pull yourself up and over the bar, Greene was arching her back before swinging her body upward into a somewhat hollow position.

But Greene is a devotee of the CrossFit method, in spite of the brand disavowing her due to her penchant for racism and conspiracy theories. She clarified later that she was doing “butterfly pull-ups.” (Though, it seems, there’s no reason to do this unless you’re competitive in CrossFit.)
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/04/marjorie-taylor-greene-workout-video.html

Here’s the thing, everyone wants to be healthy, we’re not making that argument here. But your workout is just bad form all around. You’re supposed to lift those weights with your back and not with your legs, because that will result in injury. And the last thing you should be doing right now in the middle of a pandemic is making trips to the ER! But even the people who run Crossfit have had enough of Marjorie Greene’s bullshit! So yeah again… she’s wrong on every level!

With every pull-up, power snatch, and hotel-room burpee, Marjorie Taylor Greene used CrossFit to build her brand, from gym owner to the House of Representatives’ most visible far-right conspiracy theorist. Before and during her political rise, CrossFit’s headquarters ignored Greene’s existence and her praise of the company’s workout programs — until now.

CrossFit for the first time disavowed Greene after BuzzFeed News asked in February about her history of calling for violence against political enemies, support for QAnon, attempts to undermine the 2020 presidential election, and amplification of other dangerous and deceptive nonsense. “CrossFit supports respectful fact-based political dialogue to address our common challenges, and we strongly oppose the loathsome and dangerous lies attributed to Ms. Greene,” Andrew Weinstein, a CrossFit spokesperson, told BuzzFeed News.

It started with Greene using her time as an affiliate gym owner to build her credibility as a small business owner. Then she asked for campaign donations and invited at least one gym member to donor events when she launched her congressional bid. Now, in Washington, she points to her time as an athlete and CrossFit affiliate owner to push her political agenda — like her viral hotel room workout in Washington, DC.

Though Greene entwined herself with the brand at nearly every step of her controversial political growth, CrossFit is only speaking out as it struggles to publicly account for its own accusations of racism, bigotry, and ignoring science during a lethal pandemic in its community of affiliates.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryancbrooks/marjorie-taylor-greene-qanon-crossfit

[font size="8"]Brian Kemp
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Time for another Clip Without Context!

Uh oh! He's onto us! Our cover is blown! Back to our regularly scheduled program!

OK so this is one of those “cause and effect” type of deals that we keep pushing here at the Top 10 Conservative Idiots headquarters in Burbank, California. Because if you notice, you will find out that actions have consequences. And Georgia’s Brian Kemp found that out the hard way. Last week we reported on his shockingly evil new voter suppression laws, and yes, they are as bad as you would think they are. And not only did he have that insane fight with Georgia’s largest employer – Delta Airlines, he’s about to have another fight with Major League Baseball. That’s right – conservatives are declaring war on America’s pastime after Brian Kemp’s actions cost Atlanta the All Star game. So yeah expect this to get very ugly very quickly!

Major League Baseball is moving the 2021 All-Star Game and 2021 draft out of Atlanta in response to Georgia's controversial new voting law, the league announced Friday.

"I have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year's All-Star Game and MLB Draft," Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box."

Discussions of moving the game surfaced after Georgia recently passed a strict new voting law, which critics say is designed to disenfranchise voters of color. It requires a photo ID in order to vote via absentee ballot, which more than 1.3 million Georgia voters did during the coronavirus pandemic.

The new law limited the locations for dropboxes and the time voters have to request an absentee ballot. It also outlaws passing out food and water to voters within 150 feet of a polling place or within 25 feet of any voter standing in line, a particularly controversial provision as there are often longer lines to vote in disproportionately Black precincts.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/georgia-voting-law-mlb-all-star-game-moved-out-atlanta/

That’s kind of about what it feels like to Georgia right now – getting beaned over the head because of something that the boss did. And here’s what else is going to happen – Georgia’s dumb move is going to cost Atlanta businesses dearly. This is coming at a crucial time when people are starting to recover economically from the impact of everything being closed down for a year because of COVID. Just as predicted too, this thing is getting mixed reviews depending on who you talk to.

The leaders of a Cobb-based human rights organization on Tuesday called on local solicitors to not prosecute violations for a provision of Georgia’s new voting law that criminalizes handing out water and food to weary voters and praised Major League Baseball for moving its All-Star Game out the state.

“It’s not all about the money,” said Gerald E. Rose, founder and CEO of New Order National Human Rights Organization at a press conference at the Atlanta Braves’ Cobb County stadium. “It’s all about being right. It’s about being wrong.”

About 100 feet away, a piece of the sign that had hung next to Truist Park’s scoreboard sat on a flatbed trailer. It read “Atlanta ALL-STAR,” and had been removed on Monday, the first business day after MLB’s decision.

The local fallout from the removal of the All-Star Game, which will now be played in Denver, Colorado, has taken many forms. Some of the state’s largest and most influential companies have publicly scolded Georgia lawmakers for the legislation.
https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/more-metro-atlanta-fallout-from-mlbs-all-star-game-relocation/UQTXMKHDFZHMXGNPO7POSHL2MY/

Yeah some cases it’s all about money and then some cases it isn’t. But one thing is for certain – you can’t help but think that this entire thing is completely stupid – and also completely avoidable. Just like the rest of us, we can’t wait for things to fully open from the reeling effects of being fully closed for an entire year. What Brian Kemp did is not the way to go about doing this, and it’s going to cost the state of Georgia dearly.

Georgia's Cobb County estimates that MLB's decision to move the All-Star Game from Atlanta will cost the tourism industry in the area $100 million.

MLB pulled the All-Star Game out of Georgia on Friday in protest of the state’s controversial new voting restrictions, signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp (R) last month.

The decision was the furthest a company has gone in protest of the legislation.

The law has drawn a wave of backlash from Democrats and voting rights activists who say the new law is a form of voter suppression.

Holly Quinlan, president and CEO of Cobb Travel and Tourism, told CNN in a statement that the “estimated lost economic impact” of the league’s decision is more than $100 million.
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/546347-cobb-county-says-removal-of-all-star-game-will-cost-tourism-100m

Yeah holy shit!!! This entire thing is going to cost the state of Georgia a whopping $100 million in lost business revenue! Or is it? Well again, just like the idea of whether or not this was a good idea, how much this is actually going to cost the state of Georgia is also going to change depending on who you talk to. But yeah keep getting your underwear in a wad over non existent voter fraud claims, it’s only going to cost you!

Major League Baseball has found itself at the center of a maelstrom over its decision to relocate this year’s All-Star Game from Atlanta over a new law in Georgia that critics say is a form of voter suppression.

Naturally, Donald Trump didn’t take long to pipe up. He released a statement calling for a boycott of baseball for “interfering with Free and Fair Elections”. Georgia’s Republican governor Brian Kemp, who signed the bill into law, descried the “cancel culture and partisan activists” who are “coming for your business”.

But in recent days the rhetoric has come to focus on a single number: $100m. That’s the “estimated lost economic impact” from the relocation for the state of Georgia according to a statement from Holly Quinlan, president and CEO of Cobb Travel and Tourism.

The full heft of the right-wing media ecosystem has seized on this $100m figure in the days since it surfaced in the hopes of swaying public opinion. In fairness, Stacey Abrams, a one-time Democratic candidate for Georgia governor also spoke of the economic impact of the relocation and the PGA made a similar argument while defending the Masters, which is played in Augusta, Georgia.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/apr/07/mlb-all-star-game-moved-georgia-economic-impact-voting-laws

[font size="8"]Arizona Republicans
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Hey it's another Clip Without Context!

Hey Mike, I believe that the phrase that you are seeking for what you are attempting to do is called "beating a dead horse" and this horse has been beaten to death! Back to our latest entry!

So conservatives seem to be taking their unprecedented defeats in the 2020 election well. In fact there’s at least over 100 ballot measures in 14 different states making it that much harder to vote and making Georgia’s controversial voter laws look like child’s play by comparison. But that’s not what we’re talking about in this entry. We’re talking about Arizona Republicans and their flat out attempts to steal the election yet again. Guys, it’s over! You lost! Get over it and move on! That’s what we’ve been hearing for the last 4 years, it’s time you deal with it as well. But nope, conservatives are that stupid. Remember the Chumbawumba song “I get knocked down but I get up again”? Yeah it seems they’re taking that way too literally.

More than a month after winning a legal battle over access to tabulation machines and 2.1 million ballots from Maricopa County’s 2020 general election, the Republican-led Arizona Senate on Wednesday said it hired four out-of-state companies to conduct a forensic audit and full hand recount.

Wake Technology Services, CyFIR, Digital Discovery and Cyber Ninjas are expected to issue their report in about 60 days, according to a press release.

Senate leadership will not be directly involved with the process.

“The scope of work will include, but is not limited to, scanning all the ballots, a full manual recount, auditing the registration and votes cast, the vote counts, and the electronic voting system,” the release says.
https://ktar.com/story/4242211/arizona-senate-hires-4-companies-to-audit-2020-maricopa-county-election/

Ah you know the old saying, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me 700 times, 62 court cases, and 1 SCOTUS case later, you must be a Trump supporter! I mean come on they took this thing to a fucking 6 – 3 SCOTUS and still lost! Shouldn’t that be a clear sign that it’s over? Oh and if you haven’t guessed that Q Anon is involved by now, you’re right. Because one of the ring leaders behind this latest attempt to steal the election is a “Stop The Steal” organizer!

The audit team that Senate President Karen Fann selected to examine the 2020 general election in Maricopa County will be led by a company owned by an advocate of the “Stop the Steal” movement who repeatedly alleged on social media that the election was rigged against former President Donald Trump.

Fann announced on Wednesday that she’d selected four companies to participate in an extensive audit and recount of the election, led by Cyber Ninjas, an Florida-based cybersecurity company. Cyber Ninjas is owned by Doug Logan, who has been an active promoter of baseless conspiracy theories alleging widespread election fraud last year, including in Arizona.

“I’m tired of hearing people say there was no fraud. It happened, it’s real, and people better get wise fast,” read a tweet from a since-suspended account that Logan retweeted on Dec. 31.

Logan was also listed as an expert witness by a man who filed a lawsuit alleging election fraud in Antrim County, Mich., which was the focus of early conspiracy theories due to a human-caused software error that briefly swapped vote totals between Trump and Joe Biden in the heavily Republican county. Among the other expert witnesses were Russell Ramsland and Phil Waldron of Texas-based Allied Security Operations Group, which Fann attempted to hire to conduct the audit, despite an extensive track record of making groundless or demonstrably false allegations about the fraud in the election.
https://www.azmirror.com/2021/03/31/arizona-senate-hires-a-stop-the-steal-advocate-to-lead-2020-election-audit/

And that’s about the appropriate reaction to this! So there’s 4 companies involved in attempting to overturn the 2020 election… AGAIN. And it’s the same bullshit that you’ve heard 100 times before and come on, it’s time to put this to bed. But no let’s keep banging your heads against the desk. This is one of the ultimate circular firing squads out there and as much as we would want to, I don’t expect this shit to go away anytime soon.

The head of a Florida-based technology company who has used social media to promote a range of unfounded election fraud claims and was involved with a previous effort to overturn election results in Michigan has been hired by the Arizona Senate to oversee the recount of Maricopa County's 2.1 million general election ballots.

The company, called Cyber Ninjas, will lead a team that includes three other firms as part of the $150,000 contract the Senate has awarded to conduct an unprecedented audit of the county's election results.

But a deleted Twitter account that appears to belong to Cyber Ninjas founder Doug Logan suggests he has already made up his mind about the security of Arizona's elections. It includes a litany of unsubstantiated allegations about fraud in the last election.

"I’m tired of hearing people say there was no fraud. It happened, it’s real, and people better get wise fast," said one post he shared from another Twitter user around the end of 2020.
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/03/31/cyber-ninjas-founder-doug-logan-pushed-election-fraud-theories/4825258001/

And coincidentally that was the same reaction that I had when I saw that they were going to attempt this again! But here’s the thing guys – it’s going to be expensive. Although apparently money is no object to you. It’s going to waste time, but it looks like you have plenty of that. And while the republicans are screaming voter fraud, it looks like they’re about to commit some real voter intimidation, and that’s a far more serious crime. Seriously, you have better odds of winning the Powerball than you do finding an actual case of voter fraud in America.

Arizona Senate Republicans’ plans to recount Maricopa County’s 2020 presidential vote face a new legal challenge.

In a letter emailed Tuesday to the Senate’s hired auditors, attorneys for the non-profit voting-rights group Protect Democracy and three Phoenix firms warn that the auditors’ plan to knock on doors to search for voters likely violates state and federal law.

The lawyers say lawsuits could follow if the audit proceeds as planned.

“These tactics - no matter their intent - constitute illegal voter intimidation and might expose your companies to both civil and criminal penalties,” according to the letter to the four firms working on the audit.

"Should you proceed with your current proposed Statement of Work or engage in any other conduct that intimidates Arizona voters, your companies may be named as defendants in federal civil rights lawsuits, thereby exposing you to money damages, the payment of attorneys’ fees, and court injunctions. The same conduct also may expose your companies, officers, and employees to criminal penalties."
https://www.12news.com/article/news/politics/legal-challenge-to-arizona-gops-election-auditors-warns-against-voter-intimidation/75-b77bf362-0c2f-4165-ad96-bbb5bbf750e4

[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Small Pizza Joint, Big Sanctions
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It's another Clip Without Context!

Yeah no, Gordon, that was the last guy's agenda, and I'm pretty sure he was on Satan's payroll. Satan's Payroll - great band, by the way. Saw them at the Troubadour last year. It's time for Top 10 Investigates!

It’s time to investigate beyond the headlines. This is Top 10 Investigates!

Now that it’s been 3 months removed from the end of the Donald J. Trump administration, we’re learning just how much damage this administration did in just four short years. They’ve broken the system beyond repair, and that’s precisely what they set out to do. One of the things this administration broke was our many international relations, which are going to take a long time to repair. And this is one of those things we can’t wait for the movie of this story. Because it’s certifiably insane and we can’t help but wonder what actually happened? Well if you do some investigating you’ll find it’s a variable clusterfuck of events that led to this. What happened was that Trump mistook a small Italian pizza joint in Verona, Italy for an international oil conglomerate.

There are bad Mondays, there are really bad Mondays, and then there's the Monday that Alessandro Bazzoni had earlier this year. The 45-year-old, who owns a restaurant and pizzeria in Verona, Italy, got a call from his banker who told him that there were "more than a few problems" with his three accounts.

According to La Repubblica, Bazzoni abandoned the risotto he'd been preparing, and went immediately to the bank, Banca Popolare dell'Emilia Romagna, where he learned that all of his accounts had been blocked by the U.S. government. "I asked them if they were making fun of me but nobody laughed," he said. "And in fact there was really nothing to laugh about."

Apparently on the last day of Donald Trump's presidency, the U.S. Treasury put sanctions on three individuals and more than a dozen businesses that had "ties to a network attempting to evade United States sanctions on Venezuela's oil sector," and that were connected to Petróleos de Venezuela (PdVSA), the Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural gas company.

"Bazzoni [...] is a core facilitator of the network, connecting Elemento and Swissoil with PdVSA and Saab. Bazzoni, an Italian citizen, has been instrumental in coordinating the purchase and sale of Venezuelan-origin crude oil from PdVSA," the Treasury wrote. "Bazzoni was designated today for operating in the oil sector of the Venezuelan economy and because he has materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, PdVSA."
https://www.foodandwine.com/news/italian-restaurant-accidentally-faced-u-s-sanctions-after-being-mistaken-for-oil-trafficker

Except that it wasn’t Trump’s first day, it was his last. And he was determined to make Venezuela public enemy number 1, apparently because he didn’t have much else to do. But anyway with 7 billion people in the world it’s pretty easy to see that someone could have the same name as a reclusive oil billionaire who dominates industry trade. Even someone like the owner of a small mom and pop pizza restaurant, but at least get the name right before you phone it in.

The Trump administration accidentally slapped sanctions on an Italian restaurant and a graphic design studio before the former president left office, The Guardian reported.

On former President Donald Trump's last day of office, he ordered that sanctions be imposed on a network of Venezuelan oil firms and individuals associated with the state oil company — Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA).

This was part of a long-term economic embargo on Venezuela, intended to put an end to President Nicolas Maduro's regime.

However, an unfortunate mistake meant that two Italian business owners, who shared the same name as a man involved in the Venezuelan oil trade, had their businesses targeted in the crackdown.
https://www.businessinsider.com/italy-trump-sanctioned-a-pizzeria-in-final-blunder-2021-4

So there’s so much more to this story. Apparently the US – Venezuela sanctions had a specific target: Venezuela’s prime minister Nicolas Maduro – who we’re pretty sure is one evil dude, and there may have been good intentions of hitting him with sanctions. Though our current leader at the time really wasn’t much better. But they could have at least done the research before hitting a mom and pop pizza owner with sanctions.

In 2019, Trump’s government imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), in an attempt to force the resignation of president Nicolás Maduro, who the US accused of corruption, human rights violations and rigging his 2018 re-election. On his last day in office, Trump sanctioned a network of oil firms and individuals tied to PDVSA.

Bazzoni, the restaurant owner, discovered his company’s name – AMG SAS Di Alessandro Bazzoni & C – was on the blacklist during a visit to his bank on 19 January, the day before Trump left office and the new US president, Joe Biden, was sworn in.

“When I heard that my current accounts had been blocked, I thought it was a joke,” Bazzoni told Corriere della Sera. “These are already difficult times for us restaurant owners, the last thing I needed was to have my accounts blocked.”

Bazzoni told the newspaper he solved the problem himself, “by entering my data on a special digital platform of the US government”. He added: “While I was at it I managed to get a visa until 2023.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/apr/02/italian-restaurant-owner-sanctioned-trump

So there are two men named Alessandro Bazzoni – one an Italian pizza restaurant owner, and the other an international oil billionaire -were both put on an international sanctions list, and the restaurant owner found out about it the hard way. But in terms of everything the Trump administration has done, this will forever be remembered as one of the biggest blunders in his administration, and it’s completely full of huge blunders. The biggest blunders ever. Big, huge blunders.

The Trump administration, known specifically for its competence, accidentally imposed sanctions on a graphic design studio and an Italian pizzeria before the neon orange creature, Trump himself, left office. Business Insider has the scoop on one of his last, if not final, fuckups in office.

On his last day in office, Trump ordered that sanctions be slapped onto a network of Venezuelan oil firms and individuals associated with a state-owned company known as Petroleos de Venezuela. One of the individuals named is the sanction is named Alessandro Bazzoni, and you can probably guess where this is headed.

Alessandro Bazzoni, who owns SeriGraphicLab in Sardinia, Italy, told The Guardian that he had been blacklisted by the US Department of the Treasury, although he declined to comment further. And the same thing happened to a pizzeria owner, again named Alessandro Bazzoni, in the Italian city of Verona.

Pizzeria Bazzoni (not graphic designer Bazzoni) told his local newspaper, Corriere della Sera, “When I heard that my current accounts had been blocked, I thought it was a joke.” But nobody was joshin’ Bazzoni, because it was the real deal. “These are already difficult times for us restaurant owners,” he said. “The last thing I needed was to have my accounts blocked.” While he hasn’t received an apology, his name has been removed from the sanctions list.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/final-act-office-trump-accidentally-154700308.html

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That’s it this week for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.

[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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It's yet another Clip Without Context!

My answer to the "Biden stumbled up the stairs" argument? Trump killed 550,000 people and sent the US economy into a tailspin! Fuck off, creepy weird Christian goth guy! Now on to Holy Shit!

Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! It’s time to take a seat in the virtual pew and pass the VENMO collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and it’s time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:

My fair virtual congregation! We live in some very strange and very awkward times. My advice is to ride it out and wait for next week’s wacky adventure. Because this week, while our brothers and sisters on the conservative side of things are screaming about “cancel culture”, we’d like to take this time to remind them that Christianity is the *ORIGINAL* cancel culture! I mean even though our good LAWRD and savior, JAYSUS, states “judge not lest ye be judged”, those people are participating in what might be the ultimate circular firing squad. So is it Christianity that’s doing the canceling or is Christianity the one that is being canceled? Well like I said it’s the original circular firing squad and it works the same for both sides!

Cancel culture is the driving force of our times wedded to the objective of undermining and replacing our traditional Christian-based heritage. Let’s compare the givens of the cancel culture with some Biblical reflections on the issue of the human heart and human nature and the proper type of world system.

In terms of politics, the cancel culture embraces globalism over traditional Christian-based nationalism. Key to building legitimacy for globalism rests with popularizing the assumption that the heart of man, in the deeper philosophical sense, is good by definition. This links definitively to the drive underway to delegitimize objectivity and classical reason in favor of a focus on “re-imagining” reality. The re-imagining process then, entails letting the feelings or emotions flow freely, unrestrained by reason.

The Bible view on the nature of the human heart, without God, is very different from that of the cancel culture. For example, Mark 7:21-23 states that “from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride foolishness: All these evil things come from within and defile the man.”

For the Biblical view on heart-based “re-imagining”, consider Romans 1:21-22: “… when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became-- vain in their imaginations — and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”
https://www.itemonline.com/opinion/at-issue-cancel-culture-vs-christianity/article_2ebba753-be1b-5687-9cfa-c3d80b010c2f.html

That’s because they’re CANCELED! Oh wait, nobody is cancelling anything. Here’s the thing though – this is what Rep Boebert said. Yes I know this woman is the craziest of the crazy but we have to talk about this for a minute. Now here’s the thing – you are aware that GAWD literally canceled an entire city in the Bible, right? Do you not remember the tale of the righteous Gamorah and the sinful Sodom? And do you not know what happened there?

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) on Monday compared herself to biblical figures who she said were similar to her in their purported opposition to "cancel culture."

Boebert made her remarks at a town hall meeting in Montrose, Colorado.

"I refuse to bow to the cancel mob," Boebert said, a reference to recent Republican complaints about the removal of Dr. Seuss books containing racist images and the renaming of Mr. Potato Head toys to be gender-neutral as the GOP struggles to counteract President Joe Biden's popularity.

Boebert said "cancel culture" is "something that has been around since the beginning of time."

"Go back to the book of Genesis: Cain canceled Abel. He didn't like the sacrifices he was giving to God and he canceled him," Boebert told supporters.
https://americanindependent.com/lauren-boebert-cancel-culture-colorado-bible-cain-abel/

Yes and I suggest that you read those because there’s far more instances of your “cancel” culture happening in the Bible! And come on really cancel culture doesn’t really work both ways. If you don’t want to be canceled, maybe I don’t know, don’t put yourself in the position to be canceled? See how easy that is? Yeah just don’t say batshit crazy stuff and you’ll be fine! But no these people continue to do that and the cycle will repeat itself. But it’s not us, it’s you.

Joining host Alex Marlow on the “Breitbart News Daily” radio program Tuesday, conspiracy theorist and far-right activist Mike Cernovich criticized so-called cancel culture, encouraging conservatives who suffered the indignity of having journalists report what they said on Twitter to cancel liberals in turn. More generally, he encouraged pretty much everybody else on the right to join in the lib-cancelling fun.

The hue and cry over this purported canceling has grown ever louder since a number of high-profile hard-right personalities saw their Twitter and Facebook accounts terminated in the wake of the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building.

Cernovich claims to be a victim of cancel culture—the phrase used by conservatives to slam what they see as liberals’ propensity for encouraging criticism and boycotts of anyone who expresses ideas that liberals find repugnant. Cernovich, for his part, was broadly criticized for boorish behavior, including the hounding of women online in the misogynist harassment campaign known as Gamergate, boosting the “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory, encouraging sexual assault, and making racist comments. He once claimed, “Rape via an alpha male is different from other forms of rape,” and said about 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, “He got got before he was able to rape anyone.”

Nevertheless, Marlow brought Cernovich on to discuss the cancel issue, claiming it’s only a matter of time conservatives are thrown in jail.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/in-critique-of-cancel-culture-mike-cernovich-urges-conservatives-to-cancel-liberals/

Yeah because canceling each other is what JAYSUS would want now, isn’t it? I mean it’s the ultimate circular firing squad here. But here’s the thing – no matter how many times you cry “wolf” at the subject of cancel culture, keep in mind that religion is the ultimate apex of cancel culture. And I’m sure that’s what the good LAWRD JAYSUS doesn’t want now. But the more you scream about it, the more it will ultimately come for you!

Liking a tweet is technically free, but one Alabama megachurch is paying a hefty price.

This month, Chis Hodges, senior pastor of Church of the Highlands, an evangelical congregation with 60,000 members spread across 24 locations, came under fire after screenshots were shared online showing the pastor liking several posts by Charlie Kirk, a controversial pro-Trump activist.

The posts in question were considered racially insensitive and, among other things, questioned whether white privilege actually exists.

These actions sparked outcry from Birmingham residents, including the pastor of at least one black church who was already displeased that Hodges’ church has been planting white congregations in black neighborhoods to which they had no connection.

Hodges attempted to quell the furor by deleting his social media accounts and tearfully apologizing to his congregation, but Birmingham’s Board of Education, which leased two public high schools to the church, was unconvinced.
https://religionnews.com/2020/06/17/evangelicals-perfected-cancel-culture-now-its-coming-for-them/

So it’s projection – the more you scream about cancel culture, the more you might be hiding something ugly! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Explaining Jokes To Idiots
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Hey everyone it’s time for one of our patented clips without context!

Is it me or does this guy look like he plays in a goth band and then moonlights at cemeteries on the weekend? Now it’s time for Explaining Jokes To Idiots!

It’s the segment where we in the comedy business explain the concept of humor to people who just don’t quite get it. And there’s a lot of that this week whether it’s Mike Huckabee attempting to throw shade and coming off as extremely racist, Chet Hanks declaring that the summer of 2021 is a “White Boy Summer”, Charles Barkley schooling everyone on divisive politics, or Sharon Osbourne claiming that her comments on The Talk weren’t racist! There’s so much that we don’t even know where to start with the headlines this week. But you know what? Before we get into the heart of this mess – and there’s so many stupid people saying stupid things that it’s almost impossible to pick a starting point. But let’s get into what Charles Barkley said first – before proving the points made by everyone else. So Mr. Barkley made a point about politicians being divisive. Let’s see where he stands on that issue:

Ahead of yesterday’s Final Four matchup between Baylor and Houston, Charles Barkley took the opportunity to share his thoughts on race relations in the United States. His response came after a video was shown of President Kennedy announcing the news of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968.

Believing that most people, black or white, are awesome people, Chuck placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of politicians on both sides of the aisle for intentionally dividing people:
“I think most white people and black people are great people. I really believe that in my heart.

But I think our system is set up for our politicians, whether they are Republicans or Democrats, to make us not like each other and so they can keep their grasp of money and power. They divide and conquer.
I truly believe in my heart that most white people and black people are awesome people, but we are so stupid following our politicians.

Whether they are Republicans or Democrats and their only job is ‘hey, let’s make these people not like each other. We don’t live in their neighborhoods, we all got money. Let’s make whites and blacks not like each other. Let’s make the rich and poor not like each other. Let’s scramble the middle class.’
https://www.whiskeyriff.com/2021/04/04/charles-barkley-slams-divisive-politicians-who-divide-and-conquer-to-keep-their-grasp-of-money-and-power/

So that’s exactly what he said. Now let’s put the context of what he said into some perspective. Starting with our old buddy Mike Huckabee, who we’ve previously called Twitter’s Worst Comedian (see: Top 10 #2-18 ). This week he said something so jaw dropping, stunningly racist that he got repeatedly raked over the coals for it. But in the eyes of conservatives? Oh it was just a harmless joke. Ha ha ha ha ha…

Former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee came under criticism Saturday for a tweet attacking Major League Baseball and several corporations that many found bigoted and insensitive.

"I’ve decided to 'identify' as Chinese. Coke will like me, Delta will agree with my 'values' and I’ll probably get shoes from Nike & tickets to @MLB games. Ain’t America great?" Huckabee wrote.

Huckabee's tweet was quickly condemned as racist, as many Asian Americans and anti-hate speech advocates have pointed to anti-Chinese rhetoric as a key driver in rising anti-Asian hate – and hate crimes – in the U.S.

The New Georgia Project, a voting rights group based in Georgia, called the tweet "openly racist," while others called the tweet "hateful," "disgraceful" and "antithetical to the gospel."
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/04/04/former-arkansas-gov-mike-huckabee-issues-racist-tweet-mlb-backlash/7082664002/

Holy shit!!!! Now that’s the serious side of racism, and Huckabee got called out on it. Remember when Jon Stewart and Conan O’Brien were fighting over this guy? I wonder if they regret their decision. So that said, let’s take a look at the lighter, more playful side of casual racism. I’m looking at you, Chet Hanks. This is white male toxicity and Barstool culture gone absolutely haywire. Do we really need any more of this shit? We need less of it!

Chet Hanks, son of the Hollywood actor Tom Hanks, has been criticized for using a “racist” font on his new collection of merchandise which is also controversially called White Boy Summer.

His black and white range of clothes, which include hoodies, T-shirts, shorts, tank tops, leggings, caps and bike shorts, has been called out online for its use of a Gothic-style font that is close to the one used by white nationalists. It’s also similar to the Fraktur fonts, which were used in Nazi Germany most prominently on the cover of Hitler’s Mein Kampf book.

“Hmm unfortunately the merch looks aggressively racist,” wrote one commentator on Twitter, while another wrote: “Jesus. When I think of typefaces white people should avoid, anything remotely calligraphic/blackletter looking pops immediately to mind, especially if it’s going to include the word ‘White’.” While on Hanks’s official Instagram a user said: “Proud Boys are gonna buy these tf up.” The Proud Boys are a far-right US group and in September fashion line Fred Perry withdrew their polo shirts which had been adopted by them.

Hanks, who raps under the moniker Chet Haze and has acted in the TV shows Shameless and Empire, came up with the term “White Boy Summer” on Friday – a play on the Megan Thee Stallion song from 2019 Hot Girl Summer.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/mar/31/tom-hanks-son-chet-criticized-racist-font-white-boy-summer

Fonts are racist? I had no idea! And I mean come on let’s take a look at where “white boy summer” comes from. It’s like starting a protest movement to counter a protest movement by changing a few words around… oh wait, that happened! And by the way you know what we say around here – if you have to ask it’s probably racist! But here’s what happens when you attempt to pass off racism as a joke – you get taken down like Sharon Osbourne. And yeah, don’t be Sharon Osbourne.

Sharon Osbourne is continuing to deny the mounting allegations of racism and bullying against her.

On Tuesday, journalist Yashar Ali published a report alleging that Osbourne, 68, referred to her former The Talk co-host Julie Chen as "wonton" and "slanty eyes," citing multiple unnamed sources, including another former The Talk co-host, Leah Remini.

Osbourne called the claims "crap, all crap," in an interview first given to Daily Mail Wednesday, (PEOPLE confirmed the veracity of the quotes, and Osbourne shared a similar statement), but repeated the racist language, adding "Everyone's got an opinion or a story like the wonton story. It's like f--- off with your f------ wonton story. F--- off!"

"Of course, it's a pile on. People want to add fuel to the fire and it comes with the territory and that's fine," she said.
https://people.com/tv/sharon-osbourne-repeats-racial-slur-in-new-denial-racism-allegations-the-talk-mount/

[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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It's time for another Clip Without Context!

To which we say - "Good luck with that one, Rick!" Now onto Conspiracy Corner - time to break out those tin foil hats!

Welcome back to the segment that attempts to explain the unexplainable – Conspiracy Corner! We are coming to you live from our underground bunker in an undisclosed location deep in the New Mexico badlands. And that’s where we are staying. Our location is off the grid. In fact it’s so off the grid that there’s no way that we could take selfies and post them on social media because we have extremely spotty Wifi reception here. Of course you know that when conservatives talk about “Big Tech” they really have no idea what it actually does. And when you have an app like Parler that’s known for being vehemently toxic, what happens when you get a bunch of really angry people in the same room together? Why they only get more angry of course! And that of course causes Parler to take action, because no one wants to be considered a “high risk client” on their bank’s credit application!

Parler, a social network popular among conservatives, is claiming that it repeatedly warned the FBI that there could be violence on January 6. The app sent a letter to the House Oversight Committee on Thursday saying it developed “formal lines of communication” with the FBI to refer violent threats made on its platform.

Days and weeks before rioters pushed their way into the U.S. Capitol, Parler says it referred violent content to the FBI more than 50 times, including specific threats being planned.

“Parler even alerted law enforcement to specific threats of violence being planned on the Capitol,” the letter said.

One post Parler said it forwarded to the FBI called for an “armed force of 150,000” to “react to the congressional events of January 6th,” Parler said. Another read, “This is the final stand” and “I trust the American people will take back the USA with force and many are ready to die.” Another post claimed then-President Trump “needs us to cause chaos.”
https://www.winknews.com/2021/03/28/social-network-parler-says-it-warned-fbi-before-capitol-riot/

So yeah the owners of Parler warned the FBI a whopping 50 times that some shit was going to brew before it happened! Guess you could say this is a… conspiracy? Hey that’s the name of this segment! I mean we specialize in conspiracies! And here’s the thing – let me explain something about free speech to you guys. See all forums – public and private have this thing called a “terms of service” agreement – and if you violate it you get banned. Oh fuck it, I will just let Parler explain it.

However, Parler's attempt to pile on Facebook while its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, was being admonished by Congress members seems to have backfired.

"So you are snitches over nothing but democrat conspired bs???" commented one user on Parler's own post about the letter to it's Parler profile page.

The comments section quickly filled up with some of Parler's users accusing the right wing social media platform of "ratting out" the site's own members.

"SO PARLER IS NO BETTER THAN FAKEBOOK AND TWITTER.....?" posted another user in reply. "This is NOT an example of a free speech platform. Parler is a fraud," claimed yet another.

The reaction to the news that Parler "colluded" with the FBI in order to report violent content was so strong on the right wing platform, the company was compelled to release a statement addressing those outraged users.
https://mashable.com/article/parler-first-amendment-fbi-users-outraged/

So even an entire platform dedicated to saving conservatives from the evil tyrannical clutches of “big tech” couldn’t explain free speech! And by the way – not having Parler on the Apple App Store is hurting the platform big time. So much in fact that it’s actually starting to police content. See guys? You’ll soon learn that there’s no such thing as truly free speech on the internet. Want it? Then start your own ISP, your own cell phone provider, and build your own cell phone operating system and app store. That might take a few billion or so.

It hasn’t gone well so far. On March 10, Apple denied Parler’s application to return to the App Store, saying the platform hadn’t done enough to strengthen its moderation practices after the Capitol riots. Bloomberg reports that along with its rejection letter, Apple sent Parler a litany of screenshots of its users posting hate speech. “As you know, developers are required to implement robust moderation capabilities to proactively identify, prevent, and filter this objectionable content to protect the health and safety of users,” Apple reportedly wrote.

In a statement the next day, Parler’s chief policy officer, Amy Peikoff, stressed the lengths to which the platform has gone in recent months to implement new moderation practices to appease Apple. “We worked tirelessly to adopt enhanced protocols for identifying and removing this type of content,” Peikoff wrote. “We have since engaged Apple to show them how we’ve incorporated a combination of algorithmic filters and human review to detect and remove content that threatens or incites violence.”

Peikoff also wrote that Parler has rolled out all-new moderation features that weed out “personal attacks based on immutable and irrelevant characteristics such as race, sex, sexual orientation, or religion.” Mainstream social platforms like Facebook and Twitter have long since adopted algorithms to block exactly these forms of hate speech (although they tend to use language like “protected categories” rather than “immutable and irrelevant characteristics”). The main difference is that Parler gives its users the ability to opt out of its hate speech filter so they can “curate their own feeds as they choose.”
https://qz.com/1982895/parler-needs-apple-so-much-its-actually-moderating-more-content/

Yeah probably. But being “deplatformed” on Apple isn’t the only thing that’s hurting Parler. Aside from users repeatedly making death threats to everyone they don’t agree with including each other, what could cause the demise of Parler is in fact – the original owner of Parler, Greg Metze himself. This dude is broke. And what Mike Lindell should learn form this venture is that running a social media platform isn’t cheap, and you will eventually have to start policing content before the feds come knocking at your door!

The former CEO of Parler, John Matze, announced Thursday that he had launched a GoFundMe page to support legal fees "associated with [his] departure from Parler."

"I also am likely heading into a Congressional investigation into Parler, and it is uncertain whether Parler will indemnify me for the inevitable costs of defending this investigation," Matze wrote on the GoFundMe page. The right-wing social media app is embroiled in a Congressional investigation following the January attacks on the US Capitol.

Matze said he will use the funds to cover legal fees related to the Congressional inquiry, security costs, travel expenses associated with any hearings, and "repayment for any legal fees associated with defense and prosecution of ongoing litigation and negotiations."

Matze's fundraising page has a $150,000 goal, and had raised over $3,000 as of Thursday afternoon.
https://www.businessinsider.com/former-parler-ceo-john-matze-launches-gofundme-for-legal-fees-2021-4

[font size="8"]People Are Dumb
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Now it's yet another Clip Without Context!

Now that is just... that's just certifiably batshit crazy. Really, I got nothing. Now it's time for People Are Dumb!

Hit it!

So of course you know by now that people are people and people are dumb. So who is dumb this week you might ask? Well first off you know that I love a good fast food rage story. Seriously I collect and trade these with my friends. Give me a story where McDonalds runs out of chicken nuggets and a customer goes crazy and trashes the restaurant and starts cursing out employess – and I’m in! I mean seriously why have they not made a reality show about fast food rage? I mean come on reality show producers, it’s there! And it will be far more entertaining than another show starring the Kardashian family. For this we turn to the great state of Minnesota where a botched burglary took place after a botched fast food order.

Angered that the mother of his son got him a Quarter Pounder instead of a Big Mac from McDonald’s, a Minnesota man allegedly argued with the woman before throwing her to the ground and then swiping money from the victim’s purse, police charge.

Responding to a flurry of 911 calls about a disturbance Sunday night at a residence in Mankato, a cop was told by the victim that she was assaulted by Mohamed Aboubaker, a Minneapolis resident with a lengthy rap sheet.

According to a criminal complaint, the 39-year-old Aboubaker “was visiting for the last few days” with the victim (the pair are parents to a three-year-old boy).

The woman told police that Aboubaker was upset because she got him “a quarter pounder instead of a big mac from McDonald’s.” An argument ensued and Aboubaker allegedly “threw her to the ground against the dresser.” The woman said that “her son was in the room and was screaming while this occurred.”

The victim said that after Aboubaker (pictured above) went into the kitchen and removed money from her purse, she confronted him and sprayed him with a can of “Mace” (which actually was hornet spray).
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/big-mac-assault-case-375698

Next up – dumb MAFIA criminals! There was a Mafia fugitive on the run, wanted for bank fraud in the Netherlands. What happens next is about as dumb as it gets. Well federal investigators in the Netherlands managed to track this guy to – the Dominican Republic. And how did they track this guy nearly 2,000 miles away? By his wife’s Youtube cooking channel. That’s right – his wife ran a cooking channel on Youtube. That had subscribers. Yes, this is dumb!

Marc Feren Claude Biart, an alleged member of a powerful Italian Mafia organization, was able to evade the authorities for seven years, but he couldn’t his escape his love of cooking.

And that’s what ultimately led to his capture last week.

Biart, who authorities say is a member of southern Italy’s 'Ndrangheta crime syndicate, was tracked down after he and his wife started a YouTube channel in which they posted Italian cooking tutorials.

Biart hid his face in the videos, but police were able to identify him by his distinctive tattoos, they said Monday.

Biart, 53, was wanted since 2014 for allegedly trafficking cocaine into the Netherlands. He fled to Costa Rica and then a couple of years later settled in the beach town of Boca Chica, Dominican Republic, authorities said.

He was arrested last week in the Dominican Republic and extradited to Italy, arriving in Milan on Monday, police said.

Authorities said Biart and his wife led a quiet life in the Dominican Republic and kept their distance from the Italian community on the Carribean island.

It’s not clear how long the cooking channel had been online.
https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/us-world-news/2021/03/30/youtube-cooking-videos-lead-to-capture-of-italian-mafia-fugitive

Next up – of course we’re going to turn to the Sunshine State. Where would we be without Florida? I know you can post the flying cars graphic but that sounds about right. Anyway this first story concerns some stupid hackers who got caught. Although one could say it’s the school’s fault for making the homecoming queen vote in an online poll – and for that you reap what you sow. But still this is a “play stupid games, win stupid prizes” kind of deal.

A Florida teen was crowned homecoming queen at her high school last fall after the girl and her mother, an assistant elementary school principal, conspired to rig the student vote through an in-house school computer system and give her the title, investigators allege.

Now the 17-year-old senior and her mom, Laura Rose Carroll, 50, an assistant principal at Bellview Elementary School in Escambia County, have been arrested and face multiple criminal charges.

According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, 117 votes flagged as fraudulent in the October 2020 election for Tate High School's Homecoming Court came from the same IP address within a short period of time.

FDLE investigators linked that address to Carroll's residence and cell phone, allegedly finding evidence of "unauthorized access" from there to the school district's FOCUS student information network, with 246 votes cast for the Homecoming Court.

"Multiple students reported that the daughter described using her mother's FOCUS account to cast votes," FDLE said in a news release.
https://people.com/crime/assistant-principal-daughter-allegedly-hacked-student-accounts-steal-homecoming-queen-vote/

Next up – face tattoos. Look people, no matter how tempting it may be – don’t get one. Because face tattoos are a real judge of character and something that can easily identify you if you’re fingered in a crime. This dolt from Florida (obviously) had a very easily identifiable face tattoo - *AND* - got caught doing something ridiculously stupid. So, and I say this without citing the law, might be what one might call a “double whammy”.

A Florida man was arrested on Sunday after he stole an ambulance but got it stuck in mud a few miles away.

According to a press release from the Hernando County Sheriff's Office in Florida, on Sunday, authorities responded to a call of a stolen ambulance near the area of Port Court in Spring Hill.

The ambulance is owned by the Hernando County Fire Rescue and Emergency Services, according to the release. At around 12:27 p.m. local time, the ambulance was parked in the ambulance bay of the Oak Hill Hospital in Brooksville, Florida, when it was taken.

The ambulance was left unsupervised while parked in the ambulance bay as the operating crew was in the process of transporting a patient from the ambulance to inside the hospital. ................(more)

https://www.newsweek.com/florida-man-steals-ambulance-gets-it-stuck-mud-few-miles-away-1581011

Because whenever I think face tattoos, Mike Tyson immediately comes to mind! Next up – peeping. And just like face tattoos – as tempting as they may be – don’t do them! And this of course comes to us yet again from the Sunshine State. Yeah there was a strange lack of weird news this week. But really if you’re even thinking of doing your best Quagmire impression, everyone is turned off by them. Maybe even Quagmire.

A Florida man allegedly caught in the act peeping into a woman’s window is a bit worse for the wear after trying to get away from deputies.

Lee County Deputies say they got a call about someone creeping around homes in Fort Myers. When they rolled up to the scene, deputies say they found 40-year-old Hugo Topete Alcatraz with his hands cupped around his eyes looking through the window. His face was pressed up against the glass. Deputies say he took off running, but he didn’t get far. He was cuffed and taken to the hospital for what deputies describe as “minor injuries.” His mug shot shows a big bandage strapped across his head and scratches on his face.

He’s charged with Voyeurism for secretly observing the victim where she had a reasonable expectation of privacy. He’s also charged with Resisting Officer without Violence and Loitering or Prowling. He was taken to the Lee County Jail. ..........(more)

https://www.wkrg.com/state-regional/this-is-what-a-florida-man-looks-like-after-he-was-allegedly-busted-peeping-in-a-womans-window/

Finally this week – look people, I know that we’re getting seriously restless in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and we’re so close to being out of the woods. If you do venture out in public, at least play by the rules! We’ve been living under lockdown for a year and if you don’t play by the rules, expect those lockdowns to extend to another 2 – 3 years. But really this guy takes the cake for selfish assholes being selfish assholes.

A man who was arrested after refusing a temperature screening at Disney Springs in Florida told authorities that he couldn't be told to leave because he had spent $15,000 on his vacation.

The man, Kelly Sills, a tourist from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, bypassed the Orlando attraction's medical screening in February and refused to get his temperature checked when asked by Disney employees, according to a report from the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Body camera video released recently showed Sills refusing to leave when asked by law enforcement.

"I spent $15,000 to come here," Sills said after a deputy told him that he was officially considered to be trespassing. Deputies and a security manager at Disney Springs had approached Sills outside the Boathouse restaurant, according to the police report.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/i-spent-15-000-man-arrested-disney-resort-florida-after-n1262996

That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Stupidest State
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It's time for our final Clip Without Context for the week!

First off what's with these weirdos and calling themselves prophets? Get off your high horse! And second, have you actually read the Constitution? I'm pretty sure that's not how it works. And we're off to Stupidest State!

16 states will enter and only one state will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!

Welcome back to Stupidest State 2021! Things are getting really exciting as the Elite 8 is almost set, and we have just one more round to go before the Final Four! Last week – we some exciting developments as Texas knocked off Florida to advance to the Gun Nut Conference championships! Meanwhile, over in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, we had another upset as Wyoming’s buzzer beater sent conference favorite Kansas home! This week, we return to the Batshit Conference to see league favorites Georgia and Kentucky duke it out to play Michigan in the Batshit Conference championship, while over in the Family Values Conference, Mississippi will bring an epic holy war to their neighbors to the north, Arkansas! Two of these teams will advance, the other two will go home! Let’s go to the floor!

[font size="4"]Batshit Conference Finals: Georgia Vs Kentucky [/font]

[font size="2"]Georgia [/font]

The Peach State is back for another round and they’ve got better and crazier since their appearance in the 2018 Stupidest State contest! Since then they have inexplicably reelected governor Brian Kemp, and he’s gone full asshole. Conservatives don’t admit that they like to lose even when they get their asses handed to them in a major election. But what is making Georgia so crazy right now? Don’t worry – we’re heavily following the MLB incident. But as I have said, you can take Georgia out of the red, but you can’t take the red out of Georgia. Want proof? The Nazi party is making a comeback!

“I feel vaguely threatened and disconcerted by this defacement of my property, however minor it is in the big picture,” Zucker Saltz said.

Later, a neighbor found the same sticker on a yard sign a few doors down.

Cas Mudde, a UGA political science professor who studies right-wing extremism, confirmed that the symbol is a Black Sun, also known as a sonnenrad or sunwheel swastika.

Originally a pagan symbol, it was adopted by Heinrich Himmler as a way to link Germany to the ancient Norse while incorporating swastika and SS lightning bolt imagery. More recently, it’s become associated with white supremacists like those involved in the 2017 Charlottesville riot.

Read more: https://flagpole.com/news/in-the-loop/2021/03/17/stickers-with-nazi-symbol-spotted-in-athens/

Hey don’t be a stupid, be a smartie! Come and join the Nazi party! You know what else makes Georgia flat out batshit crazy? The pornography industry! And Georgia loves them some porn. They love porn so much that a very toxic form of it known as “revenge porn” got so much traction that they actually had to have a bill that would outlaw the practice! Yes, this is a real thing!

On Friday, March 5, 2021, the Georgia Senate passed Senate Bill 78, sponsored by Sen. Harold Jones II (D – Augusta). SB 78 would make it a felony to distribute sexually explicit content on a pornographic website with the intent of harassing or causing financial harm to the victim.

“As Crossover Day has ended, I am pleased to announce that SB 78 has passed the Senate and now heads to the House of Representatives for full passage,” said Sen. Jones II. “Revenge porn, or image-based sexual abuse, is a form of sexual abuse, and it is a serious crime. When a person takes someone’s sexually explicit images and places those images on a pornographic website, their behavior is not adequately addressed by the current misdemeanor punishment. SB 78 raises the punishment and, therefore, will protect many men and women. I am proud to support this piece of legislation.”

First Reader Summary of Senate Bill 78: A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 3 of Article 3 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to invasion of privacy, so as to revise the prohibition on electronically transmitting or posting nude or sexually explicit photographs or videos for purposes of harassing the depicted person; to provide for an increased penalty for the electronic transmission or posting to a web page that is accessible to the general public; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Read more: https://allongeorgia.com/georgia-state-politics/georgia-senate-passes-anti-revenge-porn-bill/

[font size="2"]Kentucky [/font]

Ah the Bluegrass State. They may have knocked off former governor Matt Bevin, but Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul – both useless wastes of space – still remain! But Kentucky is definitely the home of politicians willing to commit political suicide. Like Mitch McConnell for instance who has to hang onto his political legacy even if it means throwing Trump under the bus! And you know what? He’ll also throw his own political career under the bus if it means saving his own ass. Yes he’s that kind of self-loathing politician and he’s probably also a complete psychopath.

It was no surprise to see Kentucky’s two Senators vote to let their Dear Leader off the hook again. Sen. Rand Paul, who is turning more and more into an ongoing series of jokes on late night TV, is up for re-election in 2022 and has been a steady suck-up since November 2016, when he changed his original opinion on Trump as a “delusional narcissist and an orange-faced windbag.”

McConnell, however, has now contorted himself into a strange pretzel-shaped politician hated by absolutely everyone. For Democrats, his vote to acquit, shortly followed by a fiery speech denouncing Trump is more McConnellian hypocrisy, coming right after his next best in saying he couldn’t convict Trump after his presidency was over when he delayed the trial until his presidency was over. That’s a lot of contorting.

But he’s not fooling the Trumpists, who now call him a RINO. They see through his winks to Trump voters and his nods to corporate donors who now realize that Trump is bad for their brands. Votes that mean one thing and speeches that mean another don’t get you anywhere but stuck.

Everyone sees through him now. He may have helped create the modern Republican party, but when it most needed saving, he was nowhere to be found. He could have given political cover to his colleagues to stand up to Trump and the attack on Jan. 6, but as I wrote before, the monster he helped create was no longer in his control.

Read more: https://www.kentucky.com/opinion/linda-blackford/article249249260.html

And by the way, Kentucky even throws their own basketball team under the bus! Shit I’ve been to Rupp Arena, I have seen games there! You know what? Kentucky takes their basketball seriously. And this sheriff is the kind of asshole who is so glued into the Fox Ministry Of Propaganda that he would even throw the Wildcats under the bus. And you’d better not do that if you ever want to set foot in Lexington!

The sheriff and jailer in Laurel County fumed and held a “burning party” for University of Kentucky basketball apparel after the men’s team knelt during the national anthem Saturday to protest the treatment of Black citizens.

The Knox County Fiscal Court followed the sheriff Monday, demanding that the state reallocate tax dollars given to the university over the demonstration, according to the {Corbin} Times-Tribune.

At the state Capitol in Frankfort, Senate President Robert Stivers wept on the Senate floor Monday over how hurt he was to see the team use the national anthem to make a statement. For those with service members in their families, the players’ actions were hard to absorb even though they were protected by free speech, he said.

Meanwhile, university and athletic leadership expressed support for the players’ self-expression as they held firm Monday despite the criticism. One player said that the team wasn’t surprised by the opposition.

Read more: https://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-basketball-men/article248416890.html

[font size="2"]And The Winner Is: [/font]

Oh this is a close one and it’s down to the wire. But Georgia has the ball, for 3… it’s good! 10 seconds left on the clock… and they’re gonna run this one out! That is the game! Final score – 89 – 83. Georgia wins by 6 and they will advance to play Michigan in the Batshit Conference Championships!

[font size="4"]Family Values Conference Round 1: Mississippi Vs Arkansas [/font]

[font size="4"]Mississippi [/font]

The Magnolia State is certainly no stranger to the big dance as they’ve represented the Family Values Conference 4 times out of 5. They are currently led by hardcore Jesus freak and die hard Trumpster Tate Reeves. But this is the Family Values conference where abortion laws trump common sense and the church is trying but failing to take over the local government. And here’s what happened when Tate Reeves attempted to enact one of the harshest abortion bans in the entire country. Really this is the stuff of pure fucking evil!

Mississippi’s Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has signed a new bill into law that would protect down syndrome babies from abortion.

According to Faithwire, the Down Syndrome Information Act, also known as Hudson’s Law, requires doctors to provide educational information to parents of preborn children who are newly diagnosed with Down Syndrome.

The bill passed with wide bipartisan support in both state legislative chambers.

The name behind Hudson’s law was taken from Hudson Hartman, a two-year-old Mississippian who has Down Syndrome. Last summer, Gov. Reeves signed another bill, the Life Equality Act, into law banning discrimination abortions based on race, sex, disability, or genetic makeup. At the time, Husdon and his mom both served as lobbyists for the legislation.
https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/milton-quintanilla/therefore-choose-life-mississippi-gov-signs-bill-outlawing-abortion-of-down-syndrome-babies.html

Yeah seriously! Boo this man! Although really… boo the people who elected him and put him into office because they’re accessories to this. Make no mistake that the Christian right is getting louder and crazier, and unlike Thanos, we don’t know what his Endgame is. And by the way if you want to know just how pro-life Mississippi is, let’s just say they pick and choose which parts of being pro-life they want to be. Yeah just like the Bible.

Four hunters accused of crossing state lines to cart back more than two dozen wild turkeys collectively owe $48,000 in fines after they pleaded guilty to violating wildlife laws.

A federal judge also banned them from hunting anywhere in the world.

Mississippi hunters Kenneth R. Britt Jr., 51, Tony Grant Smith, 26, Barney Leon Bairfield III, 28, and Dustin Corey Treadway, 28, were sentenced to several years of probation and fined thousands of dollars each on charges of conspiring to kill wild turkeys in excess of the legal limit and illegally transporting the birds across state lines, federal prosecutors said in a news release Wednesday.

“It is my hope that this prosecution sends a strong message that the wanton, indiscriminate killing of the American Wild Turkey, or any animal for that matter, will be met with debilitating and just consequences,” Acting U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca said in the release.

Read more: https://www.sunherald.com/news/state/mississippi/article249512740.html

[font size="4"]Arkansas [/font]

No one really knows what to call Arkansas – the Natural State, the Land Of Opportunity or the Wonder State. But the Razorbacks are ready to do battle in the Holy War over the Family Values Conference and face Indiana for the championship. The team is led by batshit crazy family values governor Asa Hutchinson (R-Obviously) and their pro-life and pro-Christian credentials are very strong. So strong in fact that the state is one of the first in the country to enact some ultra-strict, shockingly evil laws affecting healthcare for transgender youth. I mean really this is pure fucking evil.

For years now, the Arkansas legislature has devoted inordinate time to discriminating against sexual minorities. Lately, the particular focus has been the few hundred transgender children in the state, a minority often in hiding from fear of family or societal disapproval.

A particularly mean new arrival prompts this (not comprehensive) roundup of the legislature’s not-so-magnificent obsession. Wait for the capper:

Law is still on the Arkansas statute books, though invalidated by the U.S. Supreme Court, to prohibit same-sex marriage. The same for the anti-sodomy law. As with the 1950s seg laws that hung around for decades, hope springs eternal for a reversion to the old ways. (The Arkansas Constitution still permits slavery as punishment for a crime and a proposal by a Black Democrat to remove this provision isn’t likely to make the ballot when amendments are decided. The business lobby must be served first.)

Existing law prohibits local civil rights ordinances. This was passed to prevent cities from protecting LGBT people from discrimination in employment, housing and public services.
https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2021/03/17/fear-and-loathing-at-the-arkansas-legislature-the-anti-lgbt-laws

Oh and if you think that’s evil you ain’t seen nothing yet. In fact the party of morals and values seems to look the other way on hate crimes. That’s right – hate crimes. And we assume that’s because they’re the people who are most likely to commit them. You know what one of my favorite bands, Rage Against The Machine always says – some of those who work forces are the same that burn crosses. And the same is true all over the state and probably… Amreica.. DUN DUN DUN!!!

[font size="2"]And The Winner Is: [/font]

Oh this wasn’t even a contest! Arkansas routed Mississippi by a score of 27 to take control of the Family Values Conference! Final score: 104 – 77! Wow, what an ass kicking! The Elite 8 is set and it’s going to be hot!

[font size="4"]Next Week: [/font]

The Elite 8 is set! When we come back on 4/22, we will have the start of the Elite 8 featuring the Gun Nut Conference Championships! Texas. Idaho. Who has the big guns to shoot their way out of this one and punch a ticket to the Final Four? Stay tuned!

We’re going to take a short break next week. You might have noticed that we played an April Fool’s joke last week by running the entirety of last week’s edition completely backwards. So on our week off next week we will post the forwards edition as it was originally intended to air. Enjoy! See you in two weeks!

Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo

April 1, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #10-9: Rule 80: Don't Invite The Former President To Your Wedding Edition

Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo

Credits

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See you next week!

[font size="8"]Stupidest State Round 1 Week 3
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16 states will enter and only one state will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!

[font size="2"]Wyoming [/font]

[font size="8"]I Need A Drink: Cinnamon Toast Shrimp
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Hey everyone! I don’t know about you but I could really use a drink!

[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner: Q Anon Hot Takes
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[font size="8"]How Is This Still A Thing: Coal Rolling
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It’s time once again to ask:

So coal rolling is just another form of trolling, and if you tell people not to do it, that only makes them want to do it more. That’s enough to make you ask – Coal Rolling:

Well Nike may not endorse these sneakers, but the Church Of SAYTAN does, and I’ll take that endorsement, thank you! Virtual mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates

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It’s time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!

That’s it this week for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! We’re still coming to you from this blank, blue void in the back room of a Burbank comedy club for the foreseeable future. Though this week because it’s that day, we are changing our blue background to whatever pops up on our Windows login screen. First it’s the city of Hong Kong, then it looks like a closeup of a grasshopper… and do we really need a Tucker reaction cam for this one? Come on! OK I brought this on myself! Seriously, Tucker, stop staring at me like that! People keep asking me where is the Wheel of Corruption? Well I assure you the wheel is safe and at some point we will be bringing it out of the vault. But it’s one of those things that requires audience participation. Though next week I might bring back some of our patented clips without context, because I’ve been missing those lately. Do we have time for the thing? Of course we do. So I ask you this my fair audience - how is Chet Hanks related to his dad Tom? I mean Tom’s one of the greatest guys in the world. But then there’s Chet Hanks. We may have to explore this in a bit more detail next week because this video is certifiably insane. And I say this as a white male myself – do we really need more “white boy” culture? Is that where we are at in 2021? Look I know everyone including myself missed having a proper summer last year but we’ll get back to that this year. But this is definitely toxic Barstool Sports culture at its’ most toxic. I know he’s going after Megan Thee Stallion here, and I personally couldn’t give less of a shit, but since 2020 didn’t happen we have a lot of making up time, and come on, what’s worse than a rich, privileged white boy who is the son of a famous movie star complaining that his “culture” isn’t being respected? I mean shit you might as well recite the 14 words while you’re at it. What? Suddenly that’s going too far? Even Tucker thinks this is going way too far! Yeah I know we’ve all been cooped up way too long! Fuck you COVID-19! OK that’s enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first here’s a clip of a guy saying that Trump has been secretly ruling everyone:

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #10-9: Rule 80: Don’t Invite The Former President To Your Wedding Edition

Happy April Fools Day! See you next week!

March 25, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #10-8: So You Had A Bad Day Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #10-8: So You Had A Bad Day Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! We’re still coming to you live from this blank, blue void in the back room of a Burbank comedy club for the foreseeable future. And this blue void just turned 1 year old this week. And I never thought I would say this to a 1 year old but I hope you stop fucking existing fucking soon! OK I had to get that off my chest. Do we have time for the thing? Of course we do, it’s my show! I make the rules! You know we can all agree that the pandemic has sucked balls, am I right about that? But you know one thing that it’s been absolutely great for? The American liquor industry! I know, right? Well of course we’re staying at home because we can’t go out and hang out at bars or anything. There was a new report saying last year that we bought more booze than at any point in the last 200 years. Not to mention drinking on the job has increased like 100 fold. That is insane. While we’re all sitting on our webcams waiting for life to return to normal again, we’re at least drinking our way out of the pandemic! So I guess does that mean when we return to the office again we will also be returning to rehab centers? I kid, I kid! But yeah go ahead, replace your coffee with an Irish coffee while you read this! I won’t judge! I’m drinking right now, in fact! OK that is enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first Bill Maher is back and he tells people that it's time to chill the fuck out:

Where do we begin this week? Well it’s not normally the Top 10 policy to make fun of tragedy but when there’s a mass shooting in Atlanta (1), and the police are doing literally everything they can to cover up the real reasons why it happened, we have to talk about it! Taking the second slot this week is the former 45th president of the United States, Vladimir Putin (2). Is it wise for him to pick a fight with President Biden? Well I can assure you that this will not end well! In the #3 slot this week is our favorite Q Anon Congress critter Marjorie Taylor Greene (3). Greene got herself banned from Twitter for being a pompous asshole (again) while more conservatives including Mike Lindell and Donald Trump are going to start their own conservative friendly social media sites. Yay, more shit I won’t subscribe to! Speaking of Donald J. Trump (4), the former president is occupying the 4th space this week. He’s having a week which includes a shocking expose about the state of his 757, his possible prosecution in New York for massive tax fraud, and Mar-A-Shithole got closed for COVID violations. Yay! Taking the #5 slot this week is our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates (5) and this week we’re going to take a look at a problem that’s unique to the city of Oakland – abandoned and torched cars are being left in prominent places, but is it a racist symbol? You bet your ass it is! In the #6 slot this week is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” and this week our resident pastor is going to take a look at the more addicting side of religion after former Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch made a shocking claim that his embrace of hardcore religion was like a drug to him. In the #7 slot this week, we’re going to bring back our segment “Aw, It’s Not So Bad”. Hey, white male conservatives, if you’re complaining about Cardi B’s performance of WAP that was basically a live lesbian sex scene set to music, then would you mind if I took a look at your Porn Hub searches? No? I thought so! Taking the 8th slot this week we have a new addition to the ever-growing list of People Who Somehow Got Elected (8) and this week we’re adding Arizona representative Paul Gosar (Q-Batshit) to that ever-growing list! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week we have a new People Are Dumb and we occasionally (read: frequently) like to check in with the Sunshine State in a special all Florida edition! Finally this week it’s time for Stupidest State 2021! This week it’s Round 1 Week 2 and we have a showdown of Fiscal Irresponsibility favorites as #3 Nevada goes for broke against #4 Iowa, while over in the Gun Nut Conference, interstate rivals #3 Oregon brings their big guns to the dance against #4 Idaho! Two of these teams will move on, the others go home! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]The Atlanta Shooting
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Sigh… well I guess now that COVID is subsiding, America can get back to the other epidemic that’s sending Americans to the hospitals in large numbers. Mass shootings! No, that’s nothing to cheer about, fake audience. But this one it appears is quite different. And I’m not talking about the way that when a white male commits a mass shooting in America that people start making excuses for everything but his whiteness and the gun that he used. The other thing is that this shooting one could say is *DIRECTLY* tied to the racist rhetoric coming from our former president. Yeah remember all those times he hurled racist slurs at the pandemic and called it “the China Virus”? That’s had a real effect here.

U.S. Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth on Sunday expressed doubts about FBI Director Chris Wray’s initial assessment that the fatal shooting of six Asian women in Atlanta-area spas may not constitute a hate crime, saying it “looks racially motivated.”

“From where I sit, I want to see a deeper investigation into whether or not these shootings and other similar crimes are racially motivated,” Duckworth, who is one of only two Asian-Americans currently serving in the U.S. Senate, told CBS “Face the Nation.”

“It looks racially motivated to me,” she said, adding the caveat that she is not a police officer or personally investigating the crimes.

Police in Atlanta are still investigating the motive in connection with the fatal shooting of eight people, six of whom were Asian women, on Tuesday. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting with the investigation.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-crime-georgia-spas/atlanta-shooting-of-asian-women-was-racially-motivated-u-s-senator-says-idUSKBN2BD0LW

Gee, you think? Now here’s where it gets fucking weird. Remember that Jewish synagogue shooting and the cops brought the killer some Burger King? Yeah think of it like that scenario. But really poor baby, he had a bad day! I know, cue the song!

You know what? We all have bad days and I’ve particularly had bad fucking days since the calendar day of March 13th, 2020. But you know what my bad days don’t involve? They don’t involve buying a gun and using it to go on a fucking killing spree!!

The sheriff's department in Cherokee County, Georgia, is facing backlash after a captain described the alleged gunman in the killings of eight people at Atlanta-area spas as having "a really bad day."

The suspect, 21-year-old Robert Long, was taken into custody hours after the Tuesday shootings which took place at three different locations: one in Cherokee County and two in Atlanta.

When asked at Wednesday's news conference if Long understood the gravity of his alleged crimes, Cherokee County Sheriff's Capt. Jay Baker said, "I spoke with investigators, they interviewed him this morning. And they got that impression, yes -- he understood the gravity of it."

"And he was pretty much fed up and had been, kind of, at the end of his rope. And yesterday was a really bad day for him, and this is what he did," Baker said.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/georgia-sheriffs-department-fire-official-spa-shootings-suspect/story?id=76533598

Oh fuck off!!!! We all have bad days, made even worse in the last year! You know what I don't do on a bad day? Buy a gun and murder 8 people working in salons! Just seriously... fuck off! Thank you my fake audience! But here’s the thing – it wasn’t racism that fueled this crime. Oh no, it was – wait for it – his sexual addiction! Oh and our good friends at Right Wing Watch have pointed out that some right wing bloggers didn’t take long to make a “happy ending” joke in regards to the shootings. Classy.

Robert Aaron Long, the suspect in Atlanta-area shootings Tuesday that left eight dead, was planning to travel to Florida to commit more acts of violence and alleged to authorities that his actions were motivated by sex addiction rather than racial bias against Asian Americans, police said at a press briefing Wednesday.

Police said Long appeared to have issues with sex addiction and porn and may have patronized some of the spas targeted in the shooting, believing he saw the locations as “outlets for his addiction” and they were “temptations” to “eliminate.”

Authorities acknowledged it was still “early” in their investigation, but claimed the incident may not have been motivated by racial bias as was initially suspected—an allegation many expressed skepticism of and police said would require further investigation—despite the fact many of the victims in the shooting were of Asian descent.

Police found a 9 millimeter firearm in Long’s vehicle, and said they believed he was on his way to Florida to commit “similar acts” directed at the porn industry had he not been arrested.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/03/17/atlanta-shooting-updates-suspect-says-was-motivated-by-sex-addiction-and-not-racism-was-planning-to-head-to-florida/?sh=50ae5de65eb2

Yeah that’s a great idea – give a guy a gun, an addiction, and an excuse to cross state lines. Now I know what you’re thinking – that’s the most fucked up game of Mad Libs ever! Oh and in case you’re wondering if this gets weirder – oh believe me it does! Remember back at the beginning of this when I said that Trump might have been responsible? Well the arresting officer had promoted t-shirts calling it the “China Virus” on his Facebook page! It’s the circle of shit and it screws us all!

Jay Baker, a Georgia sheriff’s captain criticized for minimizing the actions of the Atlanta spa shooter, posted racist Covid-19 T-shirts on Facebook earlier this year.

In Facebook posts from late March and April last year, Baker posted photos of T-shirts bearing the legend that Covid-19 is an “imported virus from CHY-NA,” along with a biohazard symbol, The Daily Beast first reported.

The posts were removed from Baker’s profile after The Daily Beast and BuzzFeed News published stories about it. Less than an hour later, his entire Facebook page was deleted.

Baker was criticized for downplaying the role anti-Asian bias may have played in the shootings after he noted during a press conference that the shooter claimed the attacks weren’t racially motivated, adding that “yesterday was a really bad day for him, and this is what he did.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelsandler/2021/03/17/officer-who-said-atlanta-spa-shooter-was-having-a-bad-day-promoted-racist-covid-19-shirt-on-facebook/?sh=2a827caa31ed

[font size="8"]Joe Biden Vs Vladimir Putin
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It’s time for another episode of Celebrity Deathmatch! This time in this corner, the 46th president of the United States. He’s 78 years old and in much better shape than the guy before him, Joseph R. Biden! In this corner, he is the 3 term Russian president who will soon become the country’s permanent dictator, the master of internet propaganda, Vladimir Putin! So this week, Biden finally nails Putin on his internet disinformation campaign! And here’s the thing – when tensions between the two countries are already at an all time high, the last thing you want to do is set off what could be a literal and proverbial powder keg just waiting to go off. Because that could be disastrous. After all Putin was in charge of the US for the last four years. What could go wrong?

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday that Washington has rejected President Vladimir Putin’s offer to arrange a quick public call with U.S. President Joe Biden to help defuse tensions raised by Biden's recent remark that the Russian leader was a killer.

“One more opportunity has been missed to find a way out of the deadlock in Russian-U.S. relations created through the fault of Washington," the ministry said in a statement, adding that "responsibility for this lies entirely with the United States.”

In an interview broadcast last Wednesday, Biden replied “I do” when asked if he thought Putin was a “killer.” Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin’s subsequent offer to make the call public was intended to prevent Biden’s statement from inflicting irreparable damage to the already frayed ties between Russia and the United States.

Asked by reporters Friday if he’ll take Putin up on his offer to have a call, Biden said, “I’m sure we’ll talk at some point.”
https://news.yahoo.com/russia-criticizes-us-refusal-hold-140259816.html

No we’re not going that far yet. But so far Biden has the advantage here. However, this segment is about the former president of the United States, Vladimir Putin. Well, here’s one thing I will admit – Putin has some balls. And one thing – when he’s called a killer, Putin doesn’t back down. Oh no, my friends, he doubles down! And he quite literally wears it on his sleeve. I mean we’re treading into some serious Mr. Burns territory here! Think of this like Wolves In Wolves’ Clothing.

With the 50th anniversary of the Warsaw Pact invasion to rein in then-Czechoslovakia quickly approaching, one of the Kremlin's boldest advocacy groups has set up a military-style "camp" outside the capital of NATO member Slovakia.

The Night Wolves motorcycle club, whose members were at the vanguard of Russia's occupation of Crimea and nicknamed "Putin's Angels" by the media, has taken residence at a former military base in Dolna Krupa, about 60 kilometers northeast of Bratislava.

The move by the club, known for promoting Russian nationalism, hatred of gays and feminists, and allegiance to the Kremlin, appears aimed at revealing a dark, anti-Western side of the European Union member, which has sizable far-right and Russophile elements.

The group, which has been hit with sanctions from the West over its support for pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine, was established in Slovakia last month.
https://www.rferl.org/a/night-wolves-putin-bikers-slovakia-military-camp-/29385437.html

Well as you can imagine this might have sparked the proverbial powder keg. And Biden may be the adult in the room, but as you can imagine you know the old saying “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”. So China is jumping at the opportunity to be Russia’s new ally. Gee, really, what could possibly go wrong there? No, we’re not heading into Soviet territory yet. No, don’t push that button!

Chinese state media is pushing for closer Beijing-Moscow ties after last week's war of words between President Joe Biden's administration and top officials in Russia and China.

The Biden administration has vowed to push back on both China and Russia over the next four years, as the White House looks to refocus American foreign policy on the U.S.-led international system, traditional alliances, and democracy abroad.

Biden's vow to protect liberal democratic values puts him at odds with the authoritarian systems in Russia and China, and conflict last week with President Vladimir Putin and Chinese officials at bilateral talks in Alaska gave a hint of the great power tensions that might yet characterize his term.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads to Europe this week for NATO talks, at which Russia and China will be high on the agenda. Before the week is out, Moscow and Beijing might be bristling even more at recharged American assertiveness.
https://www.newsweek.com/china-media-pushes-russia-alliance-joe-biden-vladimir-putin-spat-alaska-meeting-1577760

Now here’s why Biden’s call may have rattled Putin a bit. It seems in Russia, they take childhood insults just a bit too literally there. Man, I am glad that Trump’s insults didn’t stick. Can you imagine Adam Schiff being called “Lil’ Shifty Schiff” for the rest of his life? Yeah maybe that’s part of their problem – they have a huge manhood problem in Russia. Maybe if they didn’t take this stuff so seriously things might be better. But that’s a pretty big “might”.

President Vladimir V. Putin dryly wished President Biden “good health” on Thursday after the American leader assented to a description of his Russian counterpart as a “killer,” and long-running tensions morphed into a furious exchange of trans-Atlantic taunts.

The previous evening, Russia took the rare step of recalling its ambassador to Washington after Mr. Biden’s comments in a television interview, warning of the possibility of an “irreversible deterioration of relations.” On Thursday, seated in a gilded chair on the seventh anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, Mr. Putin all but called Mr. Biden a killer himself.

“When I was a child, when we argued in the courtyard, we said the following: ‘If you call someone names, that’s really your name,’” Mr. Putin said, quoting a Russian schoolyard rhyme. “When we characterize other people, or even when we characterize other states, other people, it is always as though we are looking in the mirror.”

Despite Mr. Biden’s long-running criticism of Mr. Putin, some Russian analysts had voiced hope that the Kremlin could forge a productive working relationship with the new administration in Washington on areas of common interest. But Mr. Biden’s combative stance in an interview with ABC News that was broadcast on Wednesday seemed to puncture those hopes, even as many of Mr. Putin’s critics praised the American president’s comments.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/18/world/europe/russia-biden-putin-killer.html

[font size="8"]Marjorie Taylor Greene
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Here’s the thing, conservatives – if you don’t want to be canceled, maybe don’t put yourself in a place where you could be canceled! You can’t just say crazy shit and spew racist conspiracy theories without it coming back to bite you. And before you ask, yes, I have been watching HBO’s new Q Anon docuseries and it’s every bit as crazy as you can imagine. Now this is where the subject of our next entry comes in, and that’s Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q – Batshit). And you know what the really scary thing with the Q trolls is? Every time we ban them, that only gives them more fuel for the fire. But that’s what makes people like Marjorie Greene get crazier with each thing that comes their way. It’s almost like they live for it.

Twitter suspended Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's personal account for 12 hours, her office said in a statement on Friday.

A spokesperson for the Republican lawmaker told Insider that the social media platform provided "no explanation" for the lock, which kicked in at 1 a.m. ET.

The temporary ban comes as a slew of House Democrats attempt to expel Greene from Congress on Friday. The resolution, introduced by Rep. Jimmy Gomez of California, has been co-sponsored by 72 Democrats, including high-profile lawmakers Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.

"In the dark of night, Twitter chose to silence a sitting member of Congress facing an unprecedented political attack by House Democrats," Greene's office said in its statement to Insider. "This move eliminated any possibility for Congresswoman Greene to defend her reputation, her seat, and most importantly the votes of 230,000 Georgians in the 14th District on the Twitter platform."
https://www.businessinsider.com/rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-suspended-from-twitter-for-12-hours-2021-3

Yeah remember when their plan to “unleash the kraken” turned out to be nothing more than a dead squid thrown onto the ice at Red Wings games? Oh these people are so freaking hilarious. They get knocked down, and they get knocked down again. You’re never going to keep them down. But what makes this even crazier is that this isn’t the first time that Marjorie Greene has been banned from Twitter. This happened back in January.

Twitter suspended Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., for 12 hours on Sunday, saying that she has repeatedly run afoul of the company’s misinformation policy.

“The account referenced has been temporarily locked out for multiple violations of our civic integrity policy,” a Twitter spokesperson said.

Greene’s most recent posts included one in which she made false claims about widespread voter fraud in Georgia in both the November election and in the Jan. 5 Senate runoffs and another series of tweets in which she repeated more debunked claims and called Georgia’s elections officials “morons.”

Twitter restricted those posts from further promotion and slapped them with warning labels. Her account remained live, but she is unable to post.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/17/twitter-temporarily-suspends-gop-rep-marjorie-taylor-greene.html

Excuse me a minute… But here’s the thing Q bots and Trump fans – and I say this with the utmost sincerity – if you’re not fit for Twitter, you shouldn’t be fit for public office. In fact this happened after Marjorie Greene got elected – Twitter flagged a whole bunch of her Tweets as “misleading”. And by a “whole bunch”, we mean “almost half”. And this is fucking shocking. Well not really, but it should at least be alarming to anyone who has a brain.

Marjorie Taylor Greene is accusing Twitter of anti-conservative censorship after the social media platform placed contextual labels on nearly two dozen of the GOP congresswoman-elect tweets since the final polls closed on Tuesday.

Greene, who won her race in Georgia, is headed to Congress as one of the country’s most visible promoters of the QAnon conspiracy theory.

As of this writing, 54% of Greene’s tweets since the election — 19 out of 31 — have been labeled by Twitter as potentially misleading. Several of the flagged tweets accuse Democrats of trying to steal the election; others target the “Fake News Media” for allegedly lying about poll numbers and vote results.

In response, Greene posted a video on Thursday to social media that showed label after label on her Twitter account.

“Twitter censored me ALL day yesterday,” she claimed. “Sign your Official STOP THE STEAL PETITION.”
https://www.cnn.com/business/live-news/election-2020-misinformation/h_31abead320b3938e2ba4b76c146d149d

Oh fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck you. Like I said if you don’t want to be canceled, stop doing things that will get you canceled, you stupid idiot! It’s not that hard! And the thing is if you keep getting banned, that’s on you! I don’t want to say we helped with that, but yeah we kind of helped with that. But anyway this latest ban was only temporary… or was it?

Twitter locked controversial Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) out of her personal account for hours on Friday, before later acknowledging her suspension was an error caused by the social network’s automated enforcement systems, a move that comes as some Democrats push to expel Greene from Congress over her embrace of conspiracy theories.

Twitter took action against Greene at about 12:45 a.m. Friday, preventing her from tweeting anything for 12 hours, though the site did not offer an explanation or specify how she violated its policies at the time, Greene spokesperson Nick Dyer told Forbes.

This action was a mistake by the automated system Twitter uses to enforce site rules, the company said in a statement, and Greene’s account has since been restored.

Twitter did not respond when asked which tweets by Greene triggered the lockout.
Crucial Quote

“We use a combination of technology and human review to enforce the Twitter Rules across the service,” Twitter said in a statement. “In this case, our automated systems took enforcement action on the account referenced in error.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2021/03/19/twitter-says-it-accidentally-locked-rep-marjorie-taylor-greenes-account/?sh=75465bb74bf6

[font size="8"]Donald Trump
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Last I checked the 45th president of the United States is still the world’s biggest loser. He’s the biggest loser, no one loses better than he does! But specifically there were two stories that I wanted to touch on this week. The first is his private jet. Remember the golden 757 that he flew in during the campaign while he gorged on buckets of KFC? Can we show that? In what might be one of the sadder “where are they now” episodes ever, let’s check in on the condition of Trump’s plane now. It’s currently sitting abandoned in an airport hangar in upstate New York. And it doesn’t look like it will be flying anytime soon. What’s crazy about this is that it’s perfectly on brand for Trump. Well maybe it’s not that crazy.

Donald Trump's personal Boeing 757 was always the crown jewel of his wealth - the ultimate sign that he had made it.

He's used it as a backdrop for sleek photo shoots, campaign rallies, VIP tours, for shots of him eating his Big Macs and KFC, plated, with a knife and fork.

Mr Trump loved to show it off - the customised cream-coloured leather seats, gilded bathrooms, the seat buckles layered in 24-karat gold.

But today it sits idle on an airport ramp in Orange County, New York, about 97 kilometres north of Manhattan.

One engine is missing parts. The other is shrink-wrapped in plastic. The cost to fix and get it flyable could reach well into the high six-figures, a price-tag Mr Trump doesn't appear to be dealing with right now.
https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-glory-days-ofgoldplated-757-seem-far-away-as-plane-sits-idle-at-a-sleepy-airport/5f820894-184e-4f96-bfad-79c539c75fad

And that’s probably about the appropriate reaction from Trump too. I mean having your own fully tricked out 757 should be the ultimate symbol of your wealth right? Well just like most things Trump throws away in the trash – including umbrellas, Big Mac wrappers, and pieces of toilet paper stuck to his shoe, the 757 ends up in an airplane graveyard. And nobody really cares, either. Especially him, though when has he shown he cares about anything?

Former US President Donald Trump may have returned to life as a private citizen, but his private jet remains parked at New York Stewart International Airport, forsaken for a smaller, somewhat newer model.

The plane arrived at the airport in New Windsor from LaGuardia Airport in the spring of 2019, hangered at Signature Aviation.

That's part of Signature Flight Support, a company with more than 200 locations at airports around the world, providing "essential support services for business and private aviation, including refuelling, hangarage, maintenance, repair and overhaul, and a variety of other world-class amenities with exceptional customer service”.

A manager for Signature did not immediately respond to a request for comment or to verify that Trump or his organisation is still leasing space from them.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/124627446/the-sad-lonely-home-of-donald-trumps-goldplated-private-jet

Yeah well, switching gears, something else that bears Trump’s name that will most likely end up in the trash is his new social media site that he’s been “working on”. And I say “working on” with quotation marks is because when has he ever been known to do any real, actual work? Well it’s going to launch soon and it’s going to compete with the already hundreds of radical , right wing communities out there like Parler, Gab, Dlive, Telegram, and Mike Lindell’s new Pillow Talk app.

Former President Donald Trump is coming back to social media -- but this time with his own network, a Trump spokesperson told Fox News on Sunday.

Jason Miller, a long-time adviser and spokesperson for Trump's 2020 campaign told Howard Kurtz on Fox's "MediaBuzz" that Trump will be "returning to social media in probably about two or three months." He added Trump's return will be with "his own platform" that will attract "tens of millions" of new users and "completely redefine the game."

"This is something that I think will be the hottest ticket in social media," Miller told Kurtz. "It's going to completely redefine the game, and everybody is going to be waiting and watching to see what President Trump does, but it will be his own platform."

Miller said during his appearance on Fox News that the former president has been approached by numerous companies and is in talks with teams about the new platform.

"This new platform is going to be big," Miller said on Sunday. "Everyone wants him and he's going to bring millions and millions -- tens of millions -- to this platform."
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/21/media/donald-trump-social-media-network/index.html

Aw… how cute! He thinks it’s going to be a game changer! Well here’s the cold, hard, economic news for you buddy – this is what’s known as a “perfectly competitive” market. There are hundreds of products in the social media realm now that all offer almost literally the same product – posting your shit. And come on, at least some posters on Gab are more realistic about how it’s going to do than Trump is. Seriously… I mean WTF???

Far-right social media account TheWesternChauvinist, which is linked to the Proud Boys hate group, has said Donald Trump's planned social media network "is going to suck," and competing network Gab has shared the message.

Jason Miller, an adviser and spokesperson for Trump, told Fox News on Sunday the former Republican president would be making a social media return by creating a platform of his own.

Miller told reporter Howard Kurtz: "Everyone wants him and he's going to bring millions and millions—tens of millions—to this platform."

But the planned account has been criticized by the Proud Boys-affiliated group TheWesternChauvinist via its Telegram messaging service profile, which said Trump should instead choose to join social media network Gab which far-right supporters have embraced.

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-social-media-network-suck-proud-boys-gab-1577719

[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Oakland’s Abandoned Car Problem
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It’s time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!

This week the city of Oakland is experiencing a very unique problem. Abandoned, torched, and stripped cars are being left aft the side of freeways everywhere. But is it a problem because of the city’s skyrocketing homeless problem or is it because of another problem that the city rarely talks about – a seedy racist underbelly? Well some say that it’s a combination of both. If you drive on the freeways in the city of Oakland, you won’t see what’s going on underneath. But underneath has something that is reminiscent of a post-apocalyptic movie – abandoned and scorched cars that were formerly luxury vehicles. But the problem has been persisting for some time and is now becoming an epidemic that authorities are having trouble dealing with.

Just beneath the bustling Nimitz Freeway, there’s hundreds of them. Maybe even thousands.

They’re gutted and stripped, covered in graffiti, burned to pieces and exploding with trash. Oakland’s swaths of abandoned vehicles are an unsightly urban phenomenon, and just parallel to Wood Street, which is home to sprawling tent encampments, there’s an astonishing amount of them.

Just ahead, two people can be seen stripping a rusty truck that’s been reduced to a frame on wheels. The area, which feels like something out of a post-apocalyptic John Carpenter film, is cluttered with AC Transit buses, bombed-out BMWs and overturned Audis. But how did they get here? And more importantly, why is the city allowing them to accumulate?

According to the community, these cars aren’t just concentrated near encampments. Oftentimes, they pile up in West Oakland and the "flatlands" of East Oakland, clogging up streets and sitting for months at a time.
https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/oakland-abandoned-car-epidemic-16027155.php

That is a good question and we don’t know the answer. In fact what makes this problem unique is that these abandoned cars aren’t always abandoned. What makes this even stranger is that these cars are often what police and investigators consider to be “trap” cars – that is cars that are left with loaded firearms and drugs and are left for authorities to find, and for criminals to ambush them. Yes, think of this like a more horrifying mafia movie.

According to Keisha Henderson, a public safety advocate and generational District 6 resident, the abandoned autos in her neighborhood are a byproduct of systemic racism.

She says wealthier districts like 1 and 2 are treated differently than districts 5, 6 and 7, and that resources from the city are unevenly allocated. “We have been talking about this and get no type of traction over this issue,” Henderson says of the cars. “The city picks and chooses how they want to enforce the law in certain areas. ... Our voices have not been valued.” Traffic Operations representatives assert that they evenly distribute services across the city, and say that districts 6 and 7 have more police service technicians handling 311 requests compared to other districts.

However, abandoned cars are a serious issue precisely because they aren’t always abandoned.

One time, Henderson says a vehicle was left in her own driveway and when she confronted the driver, the situation became hostile. Members of the Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council and OPD have also confirmed that some of these vehicles are “trap cars” that harbor drugs and firearms.
https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/oakland-abandoned-car-epidemic-16027155.php

So there’s many questions that are arising from this. Is it because it’s a crime problem? Is it because there’s a systemic racism problem? Is it because there’s all of the above happening? Well the answer for this isn’t easy and there’s plenty of explanation but none of it is the right explanation that we are looking for. But Oakland is wondering if some districts are actually treated better than others.

The lifecycles of some cars unfortunately end with them abandoned. Some of these vehicles are in a state of disrepair, stolen or are on the receiving end of a crime. For the city of Oakland, California, abandoned vehicles are a growing problem and the city has no real fix.

The situation described in the SFGate report is grim. Only feet below the cars rumbling down the Nimitz Freeway are up to thousands of abandoned vehicles from cars to transit buses and boats:

While the city agrees that the abandoned vehicles are a problem for Oakland’s image and environment, it still allows vehicles to pile up, specifically in black and brown communities.

The city is trying to clear the streets of abandoned cars, including a sweep of hundreds of cars back in 2018, but it isn’t keeping up:

Residents feel that wealthier Oakland districts are treated differently than others. The allocations of city resources aren’t being distributed evenly, making the problem even worse for black and brown people.
https://jalopnik.com/hundreds-of-cars-are-abandoned-in-oakland-and-the-city-1846502806

What makes this problem even more troublesome is that this isn’t the first time Oakland has attempted to clear the city of abandoned cars. The last time this was attempted was in 2018 when a record 350 cars were found on city streets and underneath the freeways. But the truth of the problem is that nobody knows where abandoned cars will wind up and many of them end their life as abandoned.

Hundreds of abandoned vehicles were left on the streets in Oakland, and police in that town are taking action by towing the vehicles in a pair of recent abandoned vehicle sweeps.

If you are in Oakland and you find one of the orange courtesy notices on the windshield of your vehicle, it means you have 72 hours to park it somewhere else or it will be towed.

“These are just clear instructions to the owners to what the rules are about how long a car can be parked on a particular street,” Oakland police Capt. Tony Jones said. “So far, we have towed in excess of 350 cars.”

Three-hundred-and-fifty autos were targeted by Oakland police in a pair of recent towing sweeps that took place this past weekend and back during the last weekend in July, from East Oakland to the San Leandro border.
https://www.kron4.com/news/hundreds-of-cars-towed-in-oakland-abandoned-vehicle-sweep/

This is it for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.

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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! It’s time to take a seat in the virtual pew and pass the VENMO collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and it’s time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:

My fair virtual congregation! This week I have a rather perplexing puzzle to ask – is religion really addicting? I ask because I ran across an interview last week that made me go “WTF?”. That interview happened to feature the former guitarist for the band Korn. But we’re here to look at the more positive side of this interview. After all, what Mr. Welch did was just trade one vice for another, which is the cornerstone of nearly all rehab programs. But that’s not what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now is it? If you’re going to decide that religion is the right thing for your life, maybe you shouldn’t make a grand spectacle of it. I may be this virtual presence right now, but I do respect that one’s religion is one’s choosing, and that says so right in our Good Book!

To most people, his life seemed like a stunning success — the stuff that dreams are made of.

But if you stripped away the fame, fortune and success of Korn rockstar Brian 'Head' Welch, you would have seen a man battling his way through years of searing pain and self-destruction driven by drug and alcohol abuse.

Yet it was only when he found himself as deep in the darkness as he'd ever been in the mid-2000s that he made a bold, do-or-die bid for the light. His little daughter, Jennea, now 20, was growing up without the benefit of everything he knew he longed to give to her.

He was so determined to survive the long and unforgiving road to recovery that he walked away from a $23 million record deal, he told ABC News.
https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/korn-star-brian-welch-talks-addiction-faith-doc/story?id=59822440

Now that’s how it started. But let’s get a clarification on this one. Because when you say something that controversial, it has the tendency to you know, get completely blown out of proportion. And by the way I love that he went on a podcast called “No Fuckin Regrets” to express his regrets. But here’s the thing though – we forgive here at the Holy Church Of The Top 10, especially if one can turn around their extremist beliefs!

Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch departed the band back in 2005 after becoming a born again Christian and has opened up about his experience with religion.

Welch was suffering from addiction when he became a born again Christian and subsequently left the band in 2005. He eventually rejoined Korn in 2012 as both Welch and the band had felt they had grown exponentially since his previous stint.

“There was no hard drugs going around. No raging alcoholics, no cocaine, none of that was backstage. But, on top of that, the egos were gone,” Welch told RADIO.COM in a 2019 interview.
Welch was a guest on Machine Head guitarist Robb Flynn’s podcast No F****n’ Regrets and was asked if he felt religion had become his “new addiction” after he overcame his drug habit.

“The crazy thing is I had an experience with something from another dimension. And it wasn’t the religion — going to church and being a good boy — it was, like, I felt something come into my house, and I can’t explain it to this day. But I believe that it was Christ doing something in me. So that was real — that was very real,” Welch said. Welch then admitted that he “went too far with it.”
https://www.radio.com/music/rock/brian-head-welch-says-i-went-too-far-with-christianity

Now here’s the thing – religion can be addicting and it can also be really addicting. I mean have you seen the kinds of shows that some churches have been putting on? My GAWD, boys and girls some of those shows are just absolute spectacles. Especially if you go to a megachurch the size of a stadium! And I can’t help but be too alarmed when our houses of worship sound like they could take on Godzilla! But it works both ways, don’t you know?

Christian Orthodox worshipers hold candles lit from a flame that emerged from the tomb believed to be of Jesus Christ as they take part in the ceremony of the holy fire at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on April 19, 2014, in Jerusalem, Israel. (Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images)

Although he quit believing in God as a teenager, 50-year-old Brandon Osborn feared hell and damnation until he was 35. Raised in the “holiness movement” branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints after escaping his mother’s abusive home, Osborn finds addiction and recovery fitting symbols for his experience.

“I consider religion to be an imposed addiction — no different than holding a baby and shooting it up with small doses of heroin, increasing the doses as the baby grows,” he says. “Religion is as poisonous and as attractive, to many, as heroin — Karl Marx said it right, ‘Religion is the opiate of the masses.’ I’m still recovering from it. Part of my recovery is helping others get free.”

Can you really become addicted to religion? Well, the risk of any activity or substance becoming an addiction depends in part on the characteristics of the substance or activity, and, in part — some experts believe most significantly — on the characteristics of the situation and user.
https://psmag.com/news/the-god-drug-when-religion-becomes-an-addiction

But in fact, my fair virtual congregation, there can be hope! Let’s ask someone who is still involved with extreme religion. That man is Phil Vischer, who is the creator of the popular children’s series about talking vegetables called “Veggietales”, which you might remember from seeing a cross promotion at your local Chik-Fil-A. But I do agree with his wording, calling religion a “hot mess”. I mean have you seen preachers lately? It’s insane!

Phil Vischer was driving home from his studio and listening to NPR when he had another of his big ideas.

Vischer, the creator of “VeggieTales,” the animated series in which produce-aisle items act out Bible stories, says he often talks back to NPR’s stories — with his characteristic wisecracks, of course, but also with probing questions when he feels the reporter missed something.

“I was having some really interesting conversations with myself in my car,” said Vischer, the voice of “VeggieTales” host Bob the Tomato. “And then one day, I wondered if anyone else would like to listen in to these conversations?”

The answer, it turns out, is yes.

Since 2012, Vischer has recorded more than 440 episodes of the “Holy Post,” a weekly podcast that he co-hosts with his friend, Christian author and speaker Skye Jethani. The show has also spawned videos about race, politics and the history of the evangelical movement, drawing millions of views.
https://religionnews.com/2021/02/24/phil-vischer-veggietales-holy-post-big-idea-jethani-metaxas-evangelical-ken-ham-bobtomato/

Well I think the thing we’ve learned today is that religion can be addicting, but don’t treat it like an addiction and take things too far. Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Aw, It’s Not So Bad
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Guys, let’s have a talk, man on man. OK that’s probably poor phrasing. But here’s the thing – if you feel threatened by Cardi B’s WAP performance at the Grammys, which was really just a live lesbian sex show set to music, then I guess you wouldn’t mind if I took a look at your Porn Hub searches would you? You know, it’s not so bad! At least that’s what we think. But if you turned on the Fox News outrage machine, you’d think that the shit would hit the morality fan. You know what? Art is art! Cardi B’s performance is really art. Sure, it’s art you find offensive, but let’s face it, people getting outraged about art is a thing going all the way back to when the fucking Sistine Chapel was constructed! And you know the most preserved parts of that are? The ones that were covered up. True story! OK getting off topic here. My favorite part of this misdirected outrage so far has to come from Jon Cooper, the far right lead singer of Christian rock band Skillet. Who by the way - did you know that he has his own podcast? And it's quite literally the stuff of pure insanity.

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's outrageous and suggestive performance of the sex-positive hit "WAP" at the Grammys Sunday received plenty of praise — and plenty of outrage.

One of the most vocal critics was a past Grammy nominee himself: John Cooper, the singer and bassist for the Kenosha-based Christian rock band Skillet. And in his criticism, Cooper brought up Adolf Hitler to try to make a point.

"We're living in a world right now where there are certain Dr. Seuss books that you cannot sell on eBay," Cooper said on his "Cooper Stuff" video podcast Wednesday, as first reported by hard rock news site Blabbermouth. "But you can, and must, applaud the sexual degradation of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion simulating sex together on the Grammys. ... In fact, if you don't celebrate it, then you're actually a bad person, and you kind of, like, don't love people."

To make his case, Cooper read chapter 5, verse 20 of the book of Isaiah in the Bible, reading, "'Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil.'"

"Every dictator in history says that what they were doing was good," Cooper said. "If you go back and you read some of Hitler's speeches, he's like, 'I'm gonna set people free — free from the bondage of the Ten Commandments.' In his mind, he's a liberator. It's always like that you guys. All you do is you just redefine evil and you redefine good. That's what's happening right now on the Grammys."
https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/music/2021/03/19/skillets-john-cooper-suggests-cardi-b-grammys-wap-performance-evil/4764485001/

Oh sure, it starts out innocently enough – two attractive female singers have a sexually suggestive performance of a song about vaginas at a major award show, next they’re taking over Europe, invading Poland, and killing 6 million people! Makes sense! Ah come on, Jon, it’s not so bad. As if that wasn’t enough, Tucker Carlson had to chime in. Seriously they’re getting into “won’t somebody think of the children” territory, aren’t they?

On Monday night, conservative snowflake Tucker Carlson threw his latest hissy fit about Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s No. 1 hit, “WAP”, claiming their Grammys performance was proof that “they’re intentionally trying to degrade our culture and hurt our children.” Despite being so outraged about the display, the Tucker Carlson Tonight host continued to play the performance in the background and nearly showed the entire thing.

The Daily Beast captured the segment, in which Carlson started disingenuously ranting about the “culture vandals” reexamining the racist and misogynist tones of Dr. Seuss, Disney, and Looney Tunes characters. He then aired “the only portion we can play you,” a statement he went back on shortly afterward.

“No more Dumbo, it’s too filthy. We get that instead,” he said, before turning to conservative commentator Candace Owens for a performative outrage session. “It is hard not to conclude that they are actively trying to degrade our culture and hurt our children.”

Owens continued by bringing up the Mr. Potato Head rebranding controversy and the loss of Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben, before calling Cardi and Megan’s performance “a lesbian sex scene being simulated on television.” She added, “We are celebrating perversity in America.”
https://consequenceofsound.net/2021/03/tucker-carlson-wap-grammys-performance/

Aw come on Candace, it’s not so bad! Stop trying to find outrage where there isn’t any. If you want to find perversion in America, how about looking at our former president? Yeah I thought so! You can’t be a fan of a guy who committed some unbelievable sex atrocities, then be outraged at Cardi B’s performance, you can’t have it both ways! I mean come on after we had four years of Trump, there is nothing you can say or do that would get me outraged about this kind of stuff. Or can there?

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion performed their mammoth hit 'WAP' live for the first time at the 2021 Grammy Awards and triggered outrage from some viewers.

The chart-topping track, already infamous for its extremely graphic sexual lyrics, has been heralded by some as an anthem of female empowerment and condemned by conservative commentators.

The much-anticipated performance saw the artists twerk, pole dance and grind their way across an elaborate set before they met on a giant bed for a choreographed sequence together.

Viewers were divided - with fans of the rappers delighting in seeing the song on stage for the first time, while others dubbed the performance "disgusting, vulgar and overly sexualised".

"They saved the Grammys," one Twitter user wrote, while others called the "incredible" performance the best of the night.

"I'm so glad she performed this live," another tweet read. "I was wondering if she was ever going to get to!"
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2021/03/grammy-awards-cardi-b-and-megan-thee-stallion-s-wap-performance-prompts-outrage.html

Yeah when will Cardi B ever get to perform WAP live? And come on let’s face it – the Grammys are fucking boring! Especially in 2021 when it’s a damn Zoom call! Remember that scene in the Naked Gun when the professor is giving a lecture on renewable energy and the entire crowd is asleep, then he wakes them by reading softcore porn? Yeah this is kind of like that! If you saw this and are still complaining about it a week later, hand in your man card! Come on, it’s not so bad!

Cardi B however, fought fire with fire, threatening to sue Owens for suggesting that she or her team photoshopped the tweet - the spat devolved into a mess of threatened lawsuits and playground insults (not that it was ever a particularly sophisticated debate to begin with).

I’m not sure what Cardi B was thinking when she attacked Owens with the photoshopped tweet; even if the tweet was legitimate, responding to Owens’ pathological prudishness by mocking her sex life seems a tad hypocritical - it goes directly against WAP’s theme of sexual liberation.

Plus, it’s not like there’s a shortage of material in which to mock Candace Owens.

Cardi B might have been better off accusing Owens of being a cynical huckster, using performative outrage to market her distinctive brand of regressive, self-loathing conservatism.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2021/03/17/cardi-b-and-candace-owens-trade-insults-over-grammys-wap-performance/?sh=793c2bd5fca0

[font size="8"]People Who Somehow Got Elected: Paul Gosar
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Politicians at the state and local levels who are so toxic, you wonder how they’re able to get away with the things they get away with. This is:

This week – Paul Gosar. He’s a Congressional representative from Arizona’s 4th district. This includes the city of Prescott, where many of Arizona’s elite reside. So you know what that says about Arizona’s elite, and there might be a bit of racism in this state. And Paul Gosar is helping to fuel some of the more insane theories about American racism. So much in fact that he appeared at a rally for a white nationalist who actually celebrated the takeover of the US Capitol on January 6th. That’s right – people actually celebrated this, while the entire world was horrified. This is what one might call “sociopathic behavior”. And in fact Paul Gosar is not only aiding and abetting extremists, he’s also participating among them.

Republican congressman Paul Gosar appeared at a white nationalist political conference before attending the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), according to reports.

The Arizona Republican appeared on-stage at the "America First Political Action Conference" (AFPAC) on Friday, following the far-right conference’s founder, Nicholas Fuentes.

Mr Fuentes, an alleged white nationalist, said on Friday that the Capitol riot – in which five people died – was “awesome”, and that "white people are done being bullied".

The AFPAC founder went on to add that if the country "loses its white demographic core, then this is not America anymore”.

Mr Fuentes also mocked Republican congressman Madison Cawthorn, who uses a wheelchair, for not “standing up”, after he spoke at the mainstream conservative conference, CPAC, also taking place in Florida. The speeches were shared in videos to Twitter.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/paul-gosar-afpac-cpac-fuenetes-b1808678.html

And in case you’re wondering if this gets worse, oh boy does this get worse! In fact his own siblings say that he’s a raging white supremacist. Here’s the thing maybe you should, we don’t know, maybe live your life in such a way that your own siblings don’t call you out for your racism. In fact he’s such a racist that the people of Arizona’s fourth district have launched a campaign to have the representative removed from power, similar to the way that Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene could be expelled.

Three siblings of Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., have renewed their push to remove their brother from Congress, accusing him of being a white supremacist following his speech last month at a conference hosted by a notorious white nationalist.

Gosar, who allegedly helped organize the "Stop the Steal" rally that preceded the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, skipped a late February House vote on the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill to headline the America First Political Action Conference organized by right-wing extremist Nick Fuentes. Fuentes gained prominence in the deadly 2017 Charlottesville white nationalist march and was later banned by YouTube for violating its hate speech rules. At the February conference, he lamented that America was losing its "white demographic core," and praised the Capitol riot as "awesome" after previously musing about murdering lawmakers.

A day later, during an appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Florida, Gosar interrupted a panel discussion, seemingly to distance himself from Fuentes' comments.

"I denounce when we talk about white racism. That's not appropriate," he said at the event, later telling the Washington Post that he was referring to Fuentes' remarks.

Gosar's siblings, who launched campaigns to defeat him in 2018 and 2020, rejected his feeble attempt to distance himself from Fuentes, who Gosar met with again after the CPAC event. ..................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2021/03/13/rep-paul-gosars-siblings-say-hes-a-white-supremacist--but-his-gop-colleagues-stay-silent/

Well maybe more than a little. In fact he’s so extreme that he’s too extreme for the Trump administration’s favorite scheming conniver Ali Alexander, the guy who organized those “Stop The Steal” rallies. When caught at the Captiol Riot, Mr. Alexander pulled more than a few name drops when he outed who his contacts were. One such representative on his hit list? That’s right – our subject in question, Paul Gosar.

Man Who Organized 'Stop The Steal' Rally Says Three Congressmen Helped Him Plan It

New Day's John Berman introduced the shocking story (okay, not that shocking, considering the people involved) that the organizer of the Washington sedition rally says he had help from several Republican members of Congress.

"Congressman Mo Brooks of Alabama already facing calls for censure, John. But as the Department of Justice announces, it's looking for instigators of what happened. These three congressmen could be in much worse trouble than just a censure. The siege on the Capitol started with a protest just like dozens of Stop The Steal rallies across the country since the election," CNN correspondent Drew Griffin reported.

1776!
"And one of the main organizers, extreme right-winger Ali Alexander, who says he was getting help from three members of Congress."

I'm the guy who came up with the idea of January 6th, when I was talking with Congressman Gosar, Congressman Andy Biggs, and Congressman Mo Brooks.
"That's right. Alexander says these three members of Congress actually helped plan the rally. Paul Gosar, Andy Biggs, and Mo Brooks.

https://crooksandliars.com/2021/01/man-who-organized-stop-steal-rally-says

Except he really isn’t. But he’s still a terrible person. But Paul Gosar isn’t the only extremist in the GOP’s Congressional ranks. This is also a party where representatives like Lauren Boebert, Louis Gohmert, Steve King, and Marjorie Taylor Greene reside. So how does one root out extremists in the party? Well part of this is admitting that the problem exists. At least it will be a start for trying to get these people out of our government.

The House GOP’s No. 3 leader recently urged Republicans to make clear they’re not the party of white supremacy. Two days later, one of their members spoke at a conference organized by a known white nationalist.

The whiplash between Rep. Liz Cheney’s (R-Wyo.) plea and Rep. Paul Gosar’s (R-Ariz.) public speech underscores just how tough it is for GOP leaders to rein in members who cater to the extreme wings of the party. As Republicans increasingly grapple with how — or even whether — to exorcise the most radical elements from their party, their leaders’ jobs won’t get any easier.

The House GOP has so far confronted no large-scale blowback from Gosar’s speech to the America First Political Action Conference, or from other incidents that link a few of its members to far-right imagery or rhetoric.

But some fear that if the conference — which just ushered in a historically diverse freshman class — doesn’t stomp out those political brush fires now, there’s a risk they will spread and engulf the party. Democrats are already trying to make QAnon, the far-reaching conspiracy theory labeled as a domestic terrorism threat by the FBI, the face of the GOP ahead of the midterms.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/04/gop-extremism-473806

That’s Arizona’s openly racist representative Paul Gosar. Yet another politician who inexplicably joins the ever-growing ranks of:

[font size="8"]People Are Dumb: All Florida Edition
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Hit it!

Of course you know by now that people are people and people are dumb. And occasionally we like to check in with the Sunshine State, the great state of Florida, because they always have ridiculously stupid and crazy people, and we love them for that. And most of our articles in this come from the Twitter account @Floridaman_ account as well as other sources that pop up from time to time. I want to start with this story out of Boca Raton. So here’s the thing – you just bought a house. I get it, you have no money to buy anything else. But seriously take out a credit card or do something, just don’t get caught stealing! Yeah I know, cue Jane’s Addiction!

The owner of a $960,000 home in the Lotus development near Lyons and Clint Moore is accused of shoplifting nearly $1000 worth of lighting from Home Depot in West Boca Raton.

Karen Berger, 44, who is identified in a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report as a teacher, was jailed Thursday after Home Depot opted to prosecute the case.

According to police, “Karen Berger was seen entering the Home Depot through the main entrance. The subject then proceeded to the store’s lighting fixtures department and selected two Swirl LED Chrome Mini valued at $99.97 each, one Keighley 36” LED Crystal Island valued at $219, one Essence Disk LED Integrated Chrome valued at $109. Then, Berger proceeded towards the front of the store where she went to aisle 8 and selected three moving boxes valued at $2.68 each. Then she proceeded out of aisle 8 and towards to self check out.”

The police report continues: “While in the self check out Berger scanned the three moving boxes valued at $8.04 total, and two Swirl LED Chrome Mini Pendant valued at $199.94 for both making a total purchase of $207.98. Berger did not attempt to scan and pay for the other lighting fixtures that were inside her shopping cart, depriving Home Depot of the amount of $756.”
https://bocanewsnow.com/2021/03/21/lotus-resident-karen-berger-who-owns-960k-house-jailed-for-shopfliting/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Next up – OK this guy gets the award for greatest teacher ever. OK not really. Man in high school all I got was anti-drug lectures telling us why we shouldn’t smoke weed. Even weirder is that his wife is also a teacher and a stoner! You know what they say – the family that smokes together stays together! At least one can only hope. Just don’t put yourself in a situation where you can get arrested.

Two Florida high school teachers faced a judge for the first time Friday after being arrested for allegedly allowing multiple students to come over to their house and smoke marijuana.

James Brand and Amy O’Reilly-Brand are both charged with child neglect and contributing to the delinquency of a child, NBC affiliate WESH reports.

According to court records, the couple, both teachers at Viera High School, allowed students to come over to their house and smoke marijuana on multiple occasions since last summer.

The records state that several high school students told deputies they had smoked marijuana at the house and some said the pair supplied the marijuana themselves and smoked it with them.

The couple is also accused of allowing a man to live in their home and have a sexual relationship with a girl under the age of 18, according to WESH.
https://nbc-2.com/news/state/2021/03/20/two-florida-teachers-arrested-for-smoking-marijuana-with-students/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Next up: This story has everything! We go to the city of Leigh Acres for this one. No don’t cue the Green Acres theme song for this one. But here’s the thing – if you’re caught naked jumping on a trampoline maybe don’t enter the house unclothed. We’re just saying. And there might be a reason as to why Florida is often referred to as the “penis of America”. Or as Homer Simpson has famously called it, “America’s wang”.

A Florida man is accused of jumping on a neighbor’s trampoline while naked and later breaking into her home while still unclothed, authorities said.

Adrian Lee Gonzalez-Bradway, 21, was arrested Wednesday and charged with burglary and criminal mischief with property damage of more than $200, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office’s online booking records.

No bail has been set.

According to the sheriff’s office, Gonzalez-Bradway showed up naked at his neighbor’s home in Lehigh Acres on Tuesday afternoon and began tapping on her door, WBBH reported.

The resident asked Gonzalez-Bradway if he needed assistance, but he did not respond, the television station reported. Thirty minutes later, the woman said she saw Gonzalez-Bradway jumping on her family’s trampoline while still naked. ..........(more)

https://www.wsoctv.com/news/trending/florida-man-accused-jumping-naked-neighbors-trampoline-before-breaking-into-home/ZT5KE3QDK5FBZNNEJWXFJVFKIA/

Next up: If you’re going to hide from the authorities, maybe don’t do it in a place where you could easily be found. So this guy went and hid… in a dryer. That’s right – a dryer. And I’m sure there’s probably about a million puns I could make for this one, but let’s cue the Radiohead song and say that he’s quite literally high and dry. Ha, bet you didn’t see that one coming, did you?

Deputies say they were searching for a Florida man wanted for violating probation and when they found him to make the arrest, he was inside a clothes dryer.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office said that the incident happened in Umatilla. Deputies went looking for 33-year-old Michael Brook to serve two warrants for violation of probation.

They said that as deputies searched a home for him, they found him inside a clothes dryer.

"We guess he thought he was 'high and dry,'" the Sheriff's Office wrote on Facebook. "Luckily, he didn't go for a tumble."
https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/sheriffs-office-florida-man-arrested-found-hiding-from-deputies-in-dryer

Finally this week we have to talk about this story, and we may have to do an entire People Are Dumb just dedicated to this one story. But this has everything and I can’t say that enough. This guy found a double, literally stole an election, and then got caught. I cannot wait to see a movie made about this because I’m sure it will be magical. Too bad Fred Willard isn’t alive anymore to play that role, because he’d be a perfect sleazebag.

The details surrounding a political whodunit involving a former Miami GOP state senator, a mysterious no-party candidate and an alleged scheme to sway the outcome of a key Florida Senate race came pouring out Thursday in a 25-page affidavit.

The alleged campaign chicanery involved early morning Facebook messages, incriminating text messages and, at the heart of it all, tens of thousands of dollars in documented payments in exchange for a ringer candidate to get his name on the ballot.

Frank Artiles, a Republican political operative, is at the center of the drama. He is facing felony charges on suspicion of offering Alexis “Alex” Rodriguez $50,000 to run as an independent in Miami-Dade’s Senate District 37 race. The goal, investigators say, was to “confuse voters and influence the outcome” of the race to represent Senate District 37, a large swath that includes downtown Miami, Coral Gables and Pinecrest.

The race pitted former TV personality Ileana Garcia, a Republican, against incumbent José Javier Rodríguez, a Democrat. Alex Rodriguez, an auto-parts dealer who shares the same surname as the incumbent, ran as an independent. Investigators said Artiles recruited him to “siphon votes from the incumbent,” José Javier Rodríguez, who lost by a mere 32 votes after a manual recount. Alex Rodriguez, who did no campaigning, received more than 6,000 votes.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article250015359.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

That’s it this week for People Are Dumb!

[font size="8"]Stupidest State Round 1 Week 2
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16 states will enter and only one state will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!

Welcome back! The competition is heating up once again! Last week we had a great first round showdown as Michigan routed hot newcomer South Dakota to advance to the Elite 8, while over in the Family Values Conference, Indiana’s last minute buzzer beater knocked off Ohio to advance in the Flyover League! This week it’s a battle of the #3s and #4s as this week Fiscal Irresponsibility heavyweights Nevada and Iowa go for broke, while over in the Gun Nut Conference, it’s an inter-state rivalry as #3 Oregon brings their big guns to the dance against #4 Idaho!

[font size="4"]Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference Round 1: Nevada Vs Iowa [/font]

[font size="2"]Nevada [/font]

Gambling rules the Silver State, whether your vice is Caesar’s on the North side of the Las Vegas Strip, or MGM on the South side of the Strip. Or maybe your vice is the Golden Nugget over in the carefree realm of Freemont St. Or Harrah’s in Laughlin. Or Sands in Reno. But there’s also more to the Silver State than gambling. 2020 brought some big challenges to Nevada especially if you don’t count the socially distanced homeless people sleeping in the parking lot of your favorite casino.

Anyone familiar with Nevada’s regional economies can see parallels between Nevada’s workforce concentration and the K distribution. In recent years, Northern Nevada has become a satellite Silicon Valley of sorts, bringing a tech presence to the valley. Employees can perform these jobs from home, and market demand for them remains high despite the pandemic. Meanwhile, Southern Nevada is the global epicenter of the leisure and hospitality industry. Employees in this sector are dependent upon face-to-face exchange with customers and have faced significant hardship and uncertainty during the pandemic, while receiving little to no compensation.

A snapshot of the whole state shows Northern Nevada on the upper half of the K distribution and Southern Nevada on the lower half of the distribution.

The data bear out a Nevadan K-shaped recovery, with a drastic chasm in unemployment rates between Reno and Las Vegas. In March, at the beginning of the pandemic, the unemployment rate in Las Vegas was only 1.7 percent above that of Reno, but by April the difference exploded, with unemployment in Las Vegas ballooning to 34.2 percent — a 13.7 percent larger unemployment rate than Reno in the same period. Since June, the difference has stabilized, with Las Vegas unemployment resting about 8 percent higher than that of Reno. These percentages, however, still obscure part of the story. Due to Las Vegas’s much larger population, there are many more people unemployed there. As of October, there were 111,600 more people unemployed than the same point in the prior year; this equates to four in ten workers within the entire hospitality industry being unemployed. Compare this to 15,000 more people unemployed than the same time last year for Reno; roughly the amount of employees at Caesars Palace. The northern half of the state is well on its way to recovery, buttressed by a pre-pandemic investment of two-third’s of state economic development assets in that region, while Southern Nevada struggles to regain its economic footing and restore its economy.

Read more: https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2020/12/23/not-an-l-not-a-v-not-a-nike-swoosh-nevadas-k-shaped-recovery/

Yeah so COVID ripped the Silver State a new asshole and it’s going to take a lot of time, patience, and of course money to recover. Especially when your state’s main source of revenue is gambling, tourism, and the concert industry. And by the way in case you’re wondering just how evil Nevada’s state government is, they recently signed a bill that totally fucked over Nevada’s homeless teenagers. This is a stunning, jaw-dropping level of evil!

Tayvon Jenkins, a youth ambassador with the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, said minors experiencing homelessness were turned away from Covid testing during the health pandemic.

It’s not the only example lawmakers were given Wednesday about how Nevada law puts barriers in front of youth seeking health care.

Pamela Girgis, a pediatric nurse practitioner who works with homeless youth and refugee children, says many of the children she encounters are unable to fully access health care due to the state’s restrictions.

“We recently had a homeless youth with uncontrolled diabetes in desperate need of a referral to endocrinology for an insulin pump,” she said. “Because of this rule, care was delayed, which resulted in multiple hospitalization for this youth risking his life and resulting in him missing work and losing his job setting him further back.”

Read more: https://www.nevadacurrent.com/blog/lawmakers-address-barriers-faced-by-homeless-youth-seeking-medical-care/

[font size="2"]Iowa [/font]

The Cornhusker State is back and they are tanned, rested and ready to go! The home of such extremely evil elected representatives as racist Steve King, Charles Grassley, and Jodi Ernst is no stranger to the excessive greed brought on by America’s farmers and meat packing industry. In fact if you want to see greed in action, look no further than Iowa’s education system, where public schools are being fucked over by anti-government republicans in favor of private schools. That’s right – they want to take over your right to attend a public school.

Proposals to give taxpayer-funded scholarships to help some students attend private schools and to rewrite the rules for forming charter schools are advancing in the Iowa House after weeks of inaction.

The proposals are part of Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds' broad education agenda this year, but House lawmakers are considering them as separate pieces of legislation. Both bills advanced through subcommittee hearings on Tuesday, making them eligible for consideration by the full House Education Committee.

Reynolds' full proposal, Senate File 159, passed the Senate in late January. It would give some students taxpayer-funded scholarships to attend private schools, ease rules for creating new charter schools, expand some tax credits and make it easier for students to transfer between districts.
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2021/03/02/iowa-kim-reynolds-school-choice-education-bill-private-schools-vouchers-republicans-charter/6884909002/

And by the way, expect Iowa to show up in future Stupidest State contests because if you think you’ve seen the last of Iowa’s right – strap in! because it’s about to get that much worse for the Cornhusker State! And I mean come on, Charles Grassley is 90 years old, there’s no way he could last another term so get ready for Iowa to nominate a Josh Hawley type to the Senate, and yeah it’s gonna suck!

Republicans steering our ship of state are taking a hard bank to the right ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, and all Democrats can do is stand by and watch.

GOP legislators controlling the statehouse are advancing bills to amend the state constitution in hopes of overturning Roe v. Wade, to allow school vouchers, to reinstate the death penalty, to bar Regents universities from spending outside funding without state approval, and so on. It almost goes without saying that taxes will be cut at a time when a pandemic cries for public resources.

The November elections clearly gave Republicans a mandate to do as they wish. History indicates that the GOP should make a big comeback in congressional and legislative races following the election of a Democratic president. This hard-right legislative agenda rewards the base and solidifies it.

Abby Finkenauer lost her seat in Congress from Dubuque after just one term. Rita Hart is still counting votes from her defeat to Mariannette Miller-Meeks for the congressional seat out of Iowa City. Scholten is thinking about writing a book or doing a podcast. Is he that next Dick Clark or Harold Hughes? Rob Sand isn’t, so far. Is Chris Hall or Mike Franken? Or is Iowa so fundamentally different now, radically so, that nobody can be?

https://www.stormlake.com/articles/iowa-taking-a-hard-turn-right/?fbclid=IwAR2KZPdKIZaSyAiiPWM-ShkeYZbxxTA7rjrEyIZZlcVzSnRCImumrOaTjEM

[font size="4"]And The Winner Is: [/font]

Not even close! Nevada utterly destroys Iowa to move onto the Elite 8! This time the Silver State routes the Cornhuskers by a score of 25, easily defeating them. Final score: 107 – 82!

[font size="4"]Gun Nut Conference Round 1: Oregon Vs Idaho [/font]

[font size="2"]Oregon [/font]

The Beaver State is a frequent contributor to the Gun Nut Conference. Now you might be thinking – hey wait a minute! Oregon is a blue state! That they may be appearing to be on the outside! But on the inside they are about as red as you can get. Sure, they may be home to the liberal utopia that is the city of Portland, but downtown Portland has become a breeding ground for weekly cage matches between the Proud Boys and Antifa! And by the way, in case you’re wondering – why yes, Oregon’s gun sales skyrocketed in the last year, which is really not that surprising considering what happened in the shittiest year ever.

While Guntraders in Redmond sells mostly collectible guns, owner Jerry Koch said that isn’t stopping customers from flocking to his shop in search of a firearm. They’re coming out of fear, Koch said. Customers are fearful of the protests they’ve seen on television, in Portland and across the country.

“I pray for America,” Koch said. “At the start of the pandemic, they came in and we were busy. They were scared then, too. But once the riots started, they started climbing again.”

The pandemic and protests have made 2020 a banner year for gun sales in Oregon, according to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which tracks criminal background checks of gun applicants.

Gun sales are not tracked, but the background checks required for most gun sales are. Still, not every background check results in a gun sale, and some sales are made without going through background checks. For example, guns sold between family members do not require a background check, according to federal guidelines.
https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2021/02/gun-sales-in-oregon-shoot-up-during-covid-19-pandemic-all-the-riots.html

And if you’re wondering about Oregon’s gun chops, well they’ve got you covered. It’s one of the few states that not only allows open carry of weapons, it allows you to carry them in public buildings! Gee, what could go wrong there? Mass shootings are on the rise once again, so yeah it’s sadly only a matter of time before someone does something stupid.

In Oregon, guns are not allowed in public buildings — unless you have a concealed handgun license.

People with a concealed carry permit are exempt from the rule. “It’s called an affirmative defense,” said State Sen. Ginny Burdick. “But it functions as an exemption.”

Burdick said it’s time to do away with that exemption or at least give local authorities the option to do so. That’s why she’s a chief sponsor of Senate Bill 554.

If passed, the bill would do away with the concealed carry exemption in state buildings and the Capitol. But other local buildings and local governments will be able to make their own decisions.
https://www.koin.com/news/civic-affairs/oregon-senate-looks-to-end-concealed-carry-exemption/

[font size="2"]Idaho [/font]

The Gem State has a strong following in the Gun Nut Conference and last year they bowed out quietly but are back for more! And in case you’re wondering about Idaho’s gun chops they have them, and they are not afraid to use them. Especially if you count Northern Idaho – which not only has hardcore gun nuts, they also have hardcore racism. And this might be one of my favorite stories to come out in quite a while. So some new countries might get added to the Powerball, which would further hinder your chances of winning. But Idaho? They don’t want anything to do with this for an absolutely ridiculous and really not that shocking reason.

Idaho lawmakers fearing foreign participation in the Powerball lottery killed legislation on Wednesday that would have allowed the game with huge jackpots to continue in the state after a run of more than 30 years.

The move came after Idaho Lottery officials sought a change in state law because Powerball is expanding to include Australia in 2021 and Britain in 2022. But current Idaho law only allows lotteries in the state played by people in the U.S. and Canada.

Idaho's Legislature is dominated by Republicans, but objections to the change also emerged from Democrats. The killing of the bill by a voice vote of the Legislature's House State Affairs Committee means that the state's last Powerball drawing will be in August.

Republican Rep. Heather Scott worried that when Australia joins Powerball, the country's officials might use revenue generated for government coffers to back causes she opposes.

Scott expressed concern that could happen “in Australia anti-gun causes, which they see as good and we see as not good.”
http://www.elpasoinc.com/news/ap_wire/business/idaho-lawmakers-end-powerball-fearing-foreign-participation/article_7dd25e94-9586-5d42-b7e8-ea90efb844ab.html

And in case you’re wondering – Idaho has one of the highest concentrations of guns in the entire country, and with the recent uptick in mass shootings, guns aren’t going anywhere. Yes, the people of the Gem State love their guns and they love the NRA lifestyle. Oh and did I mention Idaho is the home of our favorite bird lover, Ammon Bundy? Yeah there’s that. But don’t expect Idaho to lay down their arms anytime soon.

Idaho is well-known for its mountains, forests, lakes and guns.

Recent data suggests Idaho has the third highest percentage of gun ownership (56.9 percent) in the nation, trailing only Alaska (61.7 percent) and Arkansas (57.9).

By comparison, Delaware — The First State — boasts just 5.2 percent gun ownership.

Any expression supporting the Second Amendment in the Gem State is bound to be met with a standing ovation, if not a 20,000-gun salute. The people who live here, whether they own guns or not, understand how important that right is to Idahoans. If not, here’s a quick reminder.

Since July 1, 2019, state law allows citizens 18 and older to carry a concealed firearm statewide without a permit. Open carry is legal within city limits, and permitless carry is legal outside city limits.
https://cdapress.com/news/2021/mar/19/editorial-guns-arent-going-anywhere-idaho/

[font size="4"]And The Winner Is: [/font]

Here we go into overtime folks! The score was tied 92 – 92 at the end of regulation play. Idaho has the ball… they score! Oh man, 5 minutes and 15 points later, Idaho sinks Oregon and they move onto their first Elite 8! It’s gonna be exciting folks!

[font size="4"]Next week: [/font]

The reigning kings of the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference go for broke as #1 Kansas takes on #2 Wyoming, this is going to be a good one! Meanwhile, over in the Gun Nut Conference #1 Florida takes on #2 Texas! The Elite 8 is shaping folks!

See you next week!

Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo

March 18, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #10-7: Tucker's Got A Brand New Bag Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #10-7: Tucker’s Got A Brand New Bag Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! How’s everybody doing? We’re still of course coming to you from this blank, blue void in the back room of a Burbank comedy club for the foreseeable future – and we might actually have a date as to when we’re finally going to get out of this thing! July 1st, at least that’s two months from when the majority of America finally gets vaccinated. If so then we’ll be able to bring you the proper Idiots that you know and love! Do we have time for the thing? Of course we do. So did anyone watch the Grammys this weekend? I mean I’m a music fan and I love music and I miss live music but I’ve just never been a big fan of the Grammy Awards. But then again I’m probably not the target audience because I didn’t know ½ the performers that were playing. And I think the only album on the list of winners that I owned at least was the new Nas album “King’s Disease”. Which was a great album by the way. And also the Strokes – I did love that album and I was supposed to see the Strokes live at the Forum, and that was one of the first of literally all events that I had tickets to that got cancelled because of the damn virus. Hey wait, isn’t the intro supposed to be funny? Oh yeah of course it is, I forgot! But then again we don’t have audiences right now. OK that’s enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and he totally eviscerates Tucker Carlson for being a hardcore white supremacist:

Where do we begin this week? To start with, thanks to our connections, we got Tucker Carlson to air his reaction to all of our stories live throughout the whole edition! Taking the #1 slot this week is Fox News (1) who has also been having a week – from Tucker Carlson’s insane “Biden Cam” reaction footage to their going all in on cancel culture, we’d have much nicer things right now if it wasn’t for them In the second slot this week is our old friend Marjorie Taylor Greene (2). So this whole thing between her and the tiny island of Guam is certainly fucking crazy.. Taking the #3 slot this week is Capitol Rioters (3) and they are getting locked up for doing some ridiculously dumb shit. And wait until new Attorney General Merrick Garland starts laying the smackdown on MAGA terrorists. In the #4 slot this week, we’re going to play another round of our favorite game “Is It Racist?” (spoiler alert! Probably) and this week’s feature is particularly hilarious given our old buddy John Schnatter’s ridiculous excuses for using the N word. In the #5 slot this week is our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates (5) and this week we’re going to take a look at the latest craze sweeping the art world - Non Fungible Tokens, which as you can imagine, are everything you don’t understand about art combined with everything you don’t understand about digital currency. At #6 this week is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6) and this week – can your sermon get you in trouble? We take a look at some hilarious examples of cause and effect after a pastor in Missouri got in trouble after suggesting that all women should look like Melania Trump. Taking the 7th slot this week, we’re bringing back our feature “What’s Up With England?” (7) because this interview with the Royal Family is quite literally insane, and we’re going to do our best to run it through the juicer and extract the juiciest bits from it! At the #8 slot this week is a new edition of This Fucking Guy (8) and this week we’re going to profile Infowars correspondent Andy Ngo (8) after he wrote a crazy hyperbolic and self-victimizing book detailing his accounts with Antifa. And really, don’t make me tear down my Mumford & Sons poster! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week is a new People Are Dumb because of course they are! Finally this week it’s time for Stupidest State! This week it’s Round 1 Week 1 and the #3 and #4 of the Batshit Conference – South Dakota and Michigan will tangle, while over in the Family Values Conference, #1 Indiana takes on next door rival #2 Ohio! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

[div style="padding: 20px; background-color: #ffffff; border-radius: 10px; box-shadow: 0px 2px 4px 1px #aaa;"][div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-weight: bold; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999; padding-bottom: 8px;"]

[font size="8"]Fox News
[br] [/font] [br]

So Fox News has been having what one would call “a week”. And this is everything from Trump’s latest pity party on the Maria Baritromo show to this… and I don’t even know what the fuck this is, but only Fox News could do something like this. And mainly I want to focus on Tucker Carlson – the man who, when you look up the phrase “white supremacist” in the dictionary with “Derp! What’s a white supremacist? Do you even know what that is?”. And that is literally his answer to the deepest questions in life. What is this? Do you even know? It’s a left wing conspiracy! Well, only Fox News could put a camera showing Tuckers’ one-face reaction to Joe Biden’s COVID-19 speech. And footage of this is – and I’m putting this lightly – is one of the batshit craziest things you will ever see.

Fox News added an unusual feature to its airing of President Joe Biden's prime-time speech on Thursday: Tucker Carlson's real-time reactions.

Biden spoke about the passage of his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package and announced a timeline for vaccinations that would make all American adults eligible by May 1.

Thursday also marked a year since the World Health Organization declared the spread of COVID-19 a pandemic. More than 530,000 Americans have died from the virus.

Fox News aired Biden's speech, which coincided with the beginning of Carlson's 8 p.m. show, and included a "live Tucker reaction" box in the lower right corner of the screen.

As Biden's speech went on, the box showed Carlson maintaining a look of puzzlement, at times variously frowning and nodding.
https://www.businessinsider.com/fox-news-live-tucker-carlson-reaction-cam-during-biden-speech-2021-3

No fucking shit! That’s about the same as airing a news report that says “I hope you all get COVID and die, you scumbags!”. That’s how insensitive Fox News is. Really, Tucker’s got a brand new bag. But it’s the same old bag and the same stupid, dumbfounded look he asks about everything! And then showing how even further Tucker is, he doubled down on his insensitive remarks about women serving in the military. Which caused actual senior officers to tell Tucker to – and I’m directly quoting here – shut the fuck up!

Senior members of military call out Tucker Carlson for mocking women serving in armed forces: His words 'don't reflect our values'

New York (CNN Business)Senior members of the US military took to Twitter late Wednesday and Thursday to call out Fox News host Tucker Carlson for a sexist segment in which he mocked women serving in the armed forces.

Carlson, who is effectively the face of Fox and hosts the top show on the right-wing channel, ridiculed President Joe Biden Tuesday for saying that the US military had created uniforms to fit women properly, created maternity flight suits for those who are pregnant, and updated requirements for hairstyles.

"So we've got new hairstyles and maternity flight suits," Carlson snarked. "Pregnant women are going to fight our wars. It's a mockery of the U.S. Military."

The comment from Carlson has prompted severe backlash from some of the most senior members of the US military who have openly called him out for harmful rhetoric.

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said the Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin shared the same "revulsion" that many military leaders have expressed about the sexist comments that Carlson made.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/11/media/tucker-carlson-mocks-military-women/index.html

Hey! We don’t need a Tucker reaction cam here! OK fine… I brought this on myself! So we will have this live Tucker reaction cam for the duration of this segment. And in case you’re wondering if Tucker is an incompetent douchebag, well his insensitive remarks on our troops are hitting our nation’s republican representatives right where they live. Except for Ted Cruz who you might think is what one would call a “snowflake” after hearing what Tucker said.

Tucker Carlson attacked women in the military. The military responded by disagreeing with Carlson. Ted Cruz is claiming Biden is trying to intimidate Carlson.

Carlson attacked President Biden for praising women in the military, and then took it to his usual bonkers level by claiming that pregnant women will be fighting all of our wars.

Ted Cruz has turned into a conspiracy that Joe Biden is masterminding to intimidate a Fox News host. There is no evidence that Biden has done anything besides praise women in the military.

Sen. Cruz (R-TX) is trying to create a Biden scandal, as he is seeking a platform to launch his 2024 presidential campaign.

Republicans have nothing.

President Biden is about to tour the country and remind Americans that Republicans voted against the stimulus.

Ted Cruz is looking for a way to smear Biden by defending a sexist pig like Tucker Carlson.

This isn’t going to end well for Sen. Cruz.
https://www.politicususa.com/2021/03/14/ted-cruz-tucker-carlson-joe-biden.html

Oh come on, even Tucker is making faces at me now. Seriously can we please turn the Tucker reaction cam off now? No? OK fine. But in case you’re wondering just how deep Tucker stepped in it with his insensitive remarks on the troops, well, let’s ask actual military professionals exactly where they stand on this issue. We’ll see how this pans out but maybe in a few weeks we’ll be asking “Derp! Who’s Tucker Carlson??? I don’t know! It’s a left wing conspiracy!”.

Senior military officials are condemning Fox News host Tucker Carlson for saying this week that President Joe Biden is making a “mockery” of the armed forces through efforts to recruit and keep women in the service.

On Tuesday, Carlson complained during his prime-time program that while “China’s military becomes more masculine … our military needs to become, as Joe Biden says, more feminine.”

Carlson was referring to remarks Biden made at a White House ceremony on Monday, during which he announced the nominations of two female generals to become combatant commanders — putting them on track to potentially become only the second and third women to serve in those positions in U.S. history.

At that event, Biden said the military was undertaking “relatively straightforward work” to better reflect gender diversity within its ranks and retain female recruits, including “designing body armor that fits women properly, tailoring combat uniforms for women, creating maternity flight suits [and] updating requirements for their hairstyles.”
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/11/military-tucker-carlson-female-troops-comments-475315

[font size="8"]Marjorie Taylor Greene
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Look we’ve all had an assful of Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q – Batshit). She’s really the personification of the word “deplorable”. Like if you were to look that word up in the dictionary, you would see her picture. But this story with her and Guam is absolutely fucking hilarious and completely on brand for her. In case you’re unfamiliar, the island territory of Guam is a tiny island in Northwest Oceania, and is the gateway to many island hubs in the western Pacific Ocean, such as Fiji and Taiwan. The United States has a well established military base in this island territory. But Marjorie Greene wouldn’t know that. And like all things this started off with good intentions – the intention was to educate Greene that Guam exists and that it’s part of the United States. But Greene wouldn’t have any of that. In fact rather than showing you our reaction to her insanity, why don’t we show you how the local newspapers in Guam reacted?

A freshman congresswoman from Georgia who’s become known as a polarizing figure, told a conservative conference that federally-funded foreign aid should benefit Americans instead – invoking Guam in a list of countries assisted by the U.S. federal government.

“I’m a regular, normal person. And I wanted to take my regular - normal person, normal, everyday American values, which is: we love our country. We believe our hard-earned tax dollars should just go for America – not for what, China, Russia, the Middle East, Guam – whatever, wherever,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference. “If we want to build roads, if we want to put money into schools, if we want to build border walls, we want it right here at home. This is easy to me; it’s easy to us, but it’s not easy to Washington.”

Although her speech happened late last month, a video of her full remarks was posted yesterday to YouTube.

Guam has been a part of American since 1899, and people born on Guam have been U.S. citizens since 1950. Controversial comments from Greene have been met with rebukes from Democrats and Republicans, but local leaders providing reactions to the Guam Daily Post struck a more delicate chord overall.
https://www.postguam.com/news/local/georgia-representative-lumps-guam-into-foreign-countries-undeserving-of-federal-aid/article_a23c9634-8160-11eb-badc-cf047573f51e.html

Seriously even Tucker is having a reaction to that one! Now here’s how it escalated. Well, Guam had the right idea with the thought of visiting her office to educate her about the island territory. They showed up to her office on Capitol Hill bringing – and this is true – cookies and books on Guam. To the normal person who hasn’t mainlined the Q Anon Kool Aid the way Greene has, you would think that this was a thoughtful and well planned gesture. That’s how it started.

Guam Rep. Michael San Nicolas and members of the Guam National Guard delivered on a promise to gift Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene cookies after she claimed the territory was a foreign country on Monday.

During the Conservative Political Action Conference, Greene seemed to not know where Guam was or that it was a US territory.

"I'm a regular person. And I wanted to take my regular-person, normal, everyday American values, which is, we love our country. We believe our hard-earned tax dollars should just go for America, not for what? China, Russia, the Middle East, Guam, whatever, wherever," she said in late February.

Last week, Nicholas promised to gift her cookies, and the office of Guam's governor, Lourdes Aflague Leon Guerrero, offered books on the history of the territory.
https://www.businessinsider.com/guam-delivered-promise-to-give-rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-cookies-2021-3

Now here’s how it escalated. We’ve shown you on this program how many times conservative cause and effect doesn’t play out the way you would think it would. And this latest incident is 100% completely on brand for them. Especially in the wake of the other side of the Trump administration, where conservatives paint themselves as the victim no matter what the scenario. You could tell them the sky is blue. “Oh the sky is not blue. The sky is really red and it’s the violent and out of control PC mob that is responsible for not telling you the truth!”. Yeah well that’s exactly what happened here.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on Tuesday demanded that the Pentagon withdraw National Guard troops from the U.S. Capitol after accusing a delegate leading members of the Guam National Guard of trying to "ambush" her with treats and factual information.

Del. Michael San Nicolas, a nonvoting Democrat who represents the U.S. island territory of Guam in Congress, led a group of Guam National Guard members stationed at the Capitol to Greene's office on Monday with cookies and guidebooks after the freshman Republican had earlier referred to Guam as a foreign country.

Greene, who was not present at the time of the visit, responded by sending a letter to top Pentagon officials alleging a "dangerous and troubling trend" of lawmakers using members of the armed forces to "intimidate civilians, harass members of Congress and their staff and attack conservative journalists for expressing their views." The letter claims that San Nicolas and two dozen troops tried to "ambush my office unannounced and subsequently video record my staff without solicitation or consent."

Greene drew criticism earlier this month for describing the U.S. territory as a foreign country in comments she apparently made in a side room to a small group at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando last month after being snubbed from the main stage.
https://www.salon.com/2021/03/17/marjorie-taylor-greene-accuses-guam-national-guard-troops-of-trying-to-ambush-her-with-cookies/

That’s right, Tucker. In fact if you want to know just how deplorable and toxic Marjorie Greene really is, just look at this story at Right Wing Watch where Greene is giving away a gun after Biden promised more sweeping gun reforms. Seriously, just give him the finger and get it over with. But back to Guam, at least they’re still trying but to that I say “good luck with that!”.

Dear Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene: Håfa adai! Thanks for calling our nation’s attention to Guam in your recent remarks regarding whether foreign countries should enjoy the benefits of U.S. taxpayer dollars. I wholeheartedly agree that our federal government should always prioritize the most pressing interests of U.S. citizens over aid to nations abroad.

That is why I extend this personal invitation to you to visit Guam, so you can see for yourself how our fellow Americans’ tax payments are being invested to advance U.S. interests through the American island of Guam. Your journey of 8,000 miles will be well worth the trip.

From the moment you arrive, you’ll notice firsthand how Guam is contributing to the national security of the United States of America. Come witness just how carefully we protect our American borders (especially during COVID) and how sacrificially devoted our people remain to the protection of U.S. socioeconomic and geopolitical advantages in the Pacific.

Before you arrive, read about how Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero was presented with the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award after warmly welcoming the entire crew of the COVID-stricken USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier so all sailors could be quarantined here for recovery.
https://www.guampdn.com/story/opinion/columnists/2021/03/14/marjorie-taylor-greene-visit-guam-visitors-bureau-president/4679343001/

[font size="8"]Capitol Rioters
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Given the sheer number of people who were at the January 6th Donald Trump rally that turned into an armed insurrection on the Capitol protesting the certification of the election of our 46th president Joseph R. Biden, I think it’s safe to say that we’re never going to hear the end of this thing. Which is OK by me because it’s going to keep me employed for a very long time. Right, Tucker? I thought so! And here’s the thing – if you’re going to commit a crime, how about this – don’t take selfies and post them on Facebook and Instagram!!! Throwing your life away for a few likes is not a smart move. We could literally do an entire edition just devoted to this. But here’s the latest. The FBI has cracked 300 arrested and there’s literally hundreds more. That’s right – HUNDREDS!

In the two months since an angry mob forced its way into the U.S. Capitol, agents in all but one of the FBI’s 56 field offices have been drafted to track down those who participated in the deadly insurrection.

Investigators who typically work cases involving the trafficking of drugs, child pornography and sex have taken calls from rioter’s angry ex-wives and former girlfriends and employers turned tipsters.

They’ve mined tens of thousands of photos and videos. They followed trails rioters left on social media bragging about being inside the Capitol, like the Florida man toting a rostrum or the New Hampshire man who snapped a selfie with a pilfered bottle of wine.

And they’ve arrested almost 300. But as many as 500 remain at large of the 800 who Capitol Police believe entered the Capitol. The riot claimed five lives and cost millions in damage and cleanup in the historic building.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2021/03/08/capitol-riot-insurrection-arrests-near-300-fbi-hunts-hundreds-more/6871403002/

Well… we got some of them! So that’s something to celebrate! I’m sure that even Tucker would approve of this one. And then there was this douchebag who was recently caught after it was learned that he stole a police badge. Yeah and we’re the violent lunatics, right. I think calling these morons “deplorable” is being too kind. These guys are completely fucking insane.

A man accused of stealing a police officer’s badge during the deadly January assault on the U.S. Capitol and later burying it in his backyard was ordered returned to jail on Tuesday.

Beryl Howell, chief judge of Washington D.C.’s federal district court, ordered Buffalo, New York, resident Thomas Sibick jailed until his trial, which has not yet been scheduled. He faces multiple riot-related charges and was initially released on bail by a Buffalo federal magistrate.

In making her decision, Howell in court cited the latest evidence that showed Sibick was “convinced of the rightness of his actions” and that he “can’t be trusted” to abide by bail release conditions. Sibick demonstrated “enthusiastic participation” in the attack, Howell said.

Evidence showed that during rioting, Sibick tore off a badge and radio from the uniform of Washington Metropolitan police officer Mike Fanone, who was beaten by rioters, the judge said.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-capitol-arrests/man-accused-of-stealing-police-badge-during-capitol-riot-ordered-back-to-jail-idUSKBN2B82U7

I thought so! But this might be one of my favorite stories to come out of the Capitol Riots so far. This happened in New Jersey. And here’s the thing – this guy already got reprimanded a couple of times at work for wearing Trump clothing. Not only that, posted to – wait for it – social media with a photo that had time stamps and location tracking IDs! Yayyyyyyyyyyyyy!!! Here’s the thing – maybe I don’t know – live your life in such a way that your coworkers don’t rat you out to the FBI. Just saying.

A Trump supporter who bragged about being at the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol is the 13th New Jersey resident charged with participating in the insurrection.

Co-workers reported Lawrence Stackhouse, of Blackwood, after he called out of work on Jan. 5 and 6, the day that supporters of President Donald Trump descended on the Capitol and forced their way inside as a joint session of Congress met to approve the Electoral College votes, according to a complaint against Stackhouse.

One of Stackhouse's co-workers recognized him in a photo showing him inside the Capitol wearing a Trump beanie and distinctive sweatshirt he had worn in the workplace, according to the complaint.

Stackhouse had been reprimanded previously by his employer for wearing Trump clothing and posting political signs around his work area in violation of company policy, according to the complaint. The name of the company was not disclosed.

Investigators tracked his cell phone use to Washington, D.C., the day of the riot and said he posted a photo to his account on the encrypted messaging platform Telegram showing himself at the "Stop the Steal" rally prior to the insurrection.

Read More: NJ Trump Fan at Capitol Riot Charged After Co-workers Call FBI | https://wpgtalkradio.com/nj-trump-fan-at-capitol-riot-charged-after-co-workers-call-fbi/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

And of course Florida is involved. I mean come on, we literally had Florida Man as our last president, and you know who that is. You can always identify a Trump supporter when they scream at the cops and resist arrest, that sort of thing happens a lot. And no, I’m not referring to Johnny Damon. Instead I’m referring to another Florida Man Trump supporter who shown to be screaming at the cops and exhibiting other Trumphole behavior.

Federal authorities have charged a Florida man who was caught on video attacking police officers with a fire extinguisher while wearing an American flag jacket bearing the name of former President Donald Trump.

Robert Scott Palmer, a 53-year-old business owner from Clearwater, Florida, was arrested on Wednesday, according to court records. Palmer has been charged with assaulting/resisting/impeding officers, engaging in civil disorder, and entering restricted building or grounds, according to court records.

Details of the charges against him, including the FBI affidavit, are not yet public. A lawyer named on his court docket did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

HuffPost, building on the work of the citizen sleuths who have worked to hunt down the identities of members of the pro-Trump crowd that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, first publicly revealed Palmer’s identity on March 5. The FBI had received hundreds of thousands of tips about the Capitol attack, and multiple tips about Palmer’s identity had been in the agency’s possession for more than a month when HuffPost’s story published.

https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/florida-man-charged-attacking-cops-capitol-riot-163257289.html

[font size="8"]Is It Racist?
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Hey everyone it’s time to play the hot new game that’s sweeping the nation!

And we always say that if you have to ask, it’s probably racist! And there’s plenty of it this week. I want to start with racist pizza. Note: do not call your new band “Racist Pizza”. But I’m of course talking about our old buddy John Schnatter. You know him best as the founder of Papa John’s Pizza. A company that has seen its’ brand turned from the preferred pizza of frat boy stoners everywhere to the preferred pizza of racist frat boys everywhere (see: Top 10 #3-21 ). Yes, Papa John’s may be the official pizza of the Alt Right, but that hasn’t stopped Papa John himself from being as batshit crazy as ever. He may have had a change of heart on the subject, but he’s really telling the wrong people that he’s had a change of heart on the subject.

John Schnatter, the founder and former chief executive of Papa John’s pizza, has been trying “to get rid of this N-word in my vocabulary” ever since he lost his role as the public face of the company for using it – more than two years ago.

Schnatter resigned as Papa John’s chairman in July 2018, after an explosive report by Forbes detailed a conference call in which he “used the N-word” and “reflected on his early life in Indiana, where, he said, people used to drag African Americans from trucks until they died”.

Earlier this month, Schnatter told far-right TV network OAN he was the victim of a targeted coup perpetrated by a left-leaning sports and entertainment entrepreneur, business rivals and board members looking to profit from his demise.

“I used to lay in bed just goin’, ‘How did they do this?’” he said. “And we’ve had three goals for the last 20 months: to get rid of this N-word in my vocabulary and dictionary and everything else, because it’s just not true; figure out how they did this; and get on with my life.”

He also suggested that the Papa John’s board took advantage of his problems, even though he said they knew he wasn’t a racist.

“All the stars were aligned perfectly with one motive,” he said. “And that is to get rid of me.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/09/papa-johns-founder-john-schnatter-n-word

How about this - you want to prove you're not a racist? Maybe don't go on OAN to tell people that you're not a racist! OAN: It's like what Fox News would be if it were run by your racist uncle! So yeah is it racist? Of course it fucking is! You might as well have a Confederate flag backdrop while telling OAN that you’ve been trying to stop using the N word! Next up – racist talk shows! Look, I will admit that I am a huge Ozzy Osbourne fan and I love Black Sabbath. But Sharon Osbourne has always been despicable – so the question is, IS IT RACIST??

CBS says its daytime show “The Talk” will stay on hiatus for another week after a discussion about racism involving co-host Sharon Osbourne went off the rails last week.

The network said in a statement that it is committed to “a process where all voices are heard, claims are investigated and appropriate action is taken where necessary.”

Osbourne reacted angrily last week during a discussion about British television personality Piers Morgan, who she describes as a friend. Morgan left the “Good Morning Britain” show after he said he didn’t believe Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, when she said in an interview that she had considered suicide when unhappy with her life in Britain’s royal family.

A fellow host, Sheryl Underwood, said to Osbourne on the show last Wednesday, “what would you say to people who may feel that, while you’re standing by your friend, it appears that you gave validation or safe haven to something that he has uttered that is racist, even if you don’t agree?” Underwood, like Markle, is Black.
https://apnews.com/article/the-talk-hiatus-sharon-osbourne-racism-cbs-15436d9b1d42a8793045815e4196618c

Well my fair virtual audience, I have to say… IS IT RACIST? And well yeah I think this one could easily qualify as racist, especially under my parameters! Next up – racist music! And while in this weird socially distant world in which we’re currently living, concerts are few and far between. But while conservatives are still railing on “cancel culture”, whatever that is, if you don’t want be canceled, maybe don’t put yourself in that position!

Flaw vocalist Chris Volz called out the sound engineers at a concert over the weekend while using the "N-word" and has since gone on to defend what he perceives as his right to do so in a social media post.

Metal Sucks posted video of the incident, which occurred this past Friday (March 12) at the WC Social Club in West Chicago, Illinois. In the video, it appears as though Volz is being yelled at from the audience before pointing out, "There's three of you N***As sitting right there. I'd like one of you to come up here. You're all white, so that's not racist."

During his onstage temper tantrum he went on to add, “One of you guys need to come up here. I want one of you to come up here and hear these center wedges before we finish, just so you know what I actually went through tonight and how badass it is that I actually had no wedges."

In response to their reluctance to join Volz onstage, he added, “Hey! I’m not fuckin’ around! One of you motherfuckers comes up onstage and listens to these wedges before we finish, otherwise you’re all getting rolled.”

Read More: Flaw Frontman Uses the 'N-Word' at Concert | https://loudwire.com/flaw-frontman-cancel-culture-criticism-using-n-word-concert/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

Here’s the thing – maybe don’t use the N word, threaten to fight an audience member, then blame it on cancel culture. That’s entirely on you! You’re a racist! We don’t even have to guess at that one! Finally this week – racist reality shows! I’m of course talking about The Bachelor – which is inexplicably still on the air after what seems like 10,000,000 seasons. And when you’re on the air that long, and it’s unscripted, you’re probably going to say or do something that one might consider to be well, racist.

It’s impossible to watch the latest episode of "The Bachelor" without thinking about the explosion inside the franchise this past week.

Chris Harrison, the host of the franchise since its 2002 debut, announced Saturday he would be "stepping aside" from the show "for a period of time" and won't appear in Matt James' "After the Final Rose" special in March, following backlash for defending current front-runner Rachael Kirkconnell, who apologized last week for "offensive and racist" actions.

A deluge of prominent former franchise stars and contestants have since spoken out, pushing for Harrison's resignation, applauding Rachel Lindsay – the franchise's first Black star, who was interviewing Harrison when he made the comments – and calling for those who work on and watch the show to take greater action to fight racism.

All this offscreen controversy makes for a strange viewing experience, particularly in a later scene in which singer Aloe Blacc, an outspoken social justice activist, performs a private show for Kirkconnell and James.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2021/02/16/bachelor-recap-chris-harrison-rachael-racism-controversy-looms-aloe-blacc/4482782001/

[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Non Fungible Tokens
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Since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has brought the concert and event industry to a grinding halt until we figure out a way to deal with this virus, artists have been turning to other sources of revenue to make up for losses that they otherwise would have made if they had been touring or exhibiting. The latest way that they have been doing this is through what is called a “non fungible token” or NFT. This is nothing new, NFTs have been around since the beginning of the Bitcoin crazy. But lately have been exploding in popularity. The first band to sell their latest studio album as an NFT is from Nashville’s Kings Of Leon. They sold their latest album “When You See Yourself” as an NFT. And because of that, they’re able to make up revenue they lost from not being able to tour.

On Friday, Kings of Leon will release their new album, titled When You See Yourself, in the form of a non-fungible token (NFT) — becoming the first band to ever do so.

The band is actually dropping three types of tokens as part of a series called “NFT Yourself,” people involved in the project tells Rolling Stone. One type is a special album package, while a second type offers live show perks like front-row seats for life, and a third type is just for exclusive audiovisual art. All three types of tokens offer art designed by the band’s longtime creative partner Night After Night; the smart contracts and intelligence within the tokens were developed by YellowHeart, a company that wants to use blockchain technology to bring value back to music and better direct-to-fan relationships.

A quick rundown: NFTs are a type of cryptocurrency, but instead of holding money, they can hold assets like art, tickets, and music. NFTs operate on a blockchain, which is a publicly accessible and transparent network — meaning anyone can see the details of any NFT transaction. Computers involved in the transactions become part of the network, which keeps updating and can’t be hacked due its nature as many-headed hydra. In the case of NFTs, their value becomes subjective and therefore fluctuates, kind of like stocks. (To learn more about the subject, read Rolling Stone‘s guide to crypto in music.)
https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/news/kings-of-leon-when-you-see-yourself-album-nft-crypto-1135192/

Money isn’t the only thing being exchanged in an NFT. Both the sellers and the buyers can benefit from NFTs in different ways. NFTs are a type of cryptocurrency. The seller benefits because they can sell access to the album as well as rights to the album itself. The buyer benefits from the album because by buying shares in the album, they will get benefits and perks, similar to your frequent flyer rewards programs. But that’s not the only way these work.

It's easiest to answer the question metaphorically. Think of an NFT as a certificate of authenticity. But instead of a sheet of paper, it's a unique string of characters. For example, the NFT for this piece of digital artwork created by actress Lindsay Lohan is 0x60f80121c31a0d46b5279700f9df786054aa5ee5.

That string is connected to a blockchain, the same concept that powers cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. The main difference is that bitcoins are fungible, which means they are essentially the same. NFTs are non-fungible — each one is unique.

Blockchains work by using groups of computers to create a shared digital ledger that no one computer can change. Instead, they must agree by performing complex calculations — a system that yields a secure and unchangeable document.

That makes blockchains perfect for creating systems in which unique digital identifiers can be easily and securely exchanged — hence the creation of NFTs.
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/nft-boom-digital-collectibles-rcna430

So that’s how an NFT is supposed to work. But here’s where the real NFTs will benefit – one recently sold at an auction for $69 million dollars for a JPG image that happens to be a composition of a bunch of really small rendered images stitched together. Another is a court case where someone sold art as an NFT that didn’t belong to them. But if you do decide to get on the NFT bandwagon, here’s what you’re actually getting.

On March 11, 2021, Christie's, the 255-year-old auction house, made international news with the $69 million sale of a non-fungible token (NFT). The transaction dwarfed previous head-turning blockchain-art sales, and rode a wave of coverage debating the merits and environmental costs of this relatively new art form.

But what, exactly, did the pseudonymous Christie's bidder MetaKovan actually buy?

The artwork the NFT represents, Beeple's "Everydays: The First 500 Days," exists first and foremost in the digital space, and is freely available for everyone to see online. Christie's even tweeted a picture of it. So it's not the artwork itself or, at least, not only the artwork that was purchased.

No, the reality of the Beeple NFT is something else.

We asked the company who minted the $69-million NFT in question to explain what's going on here. We also spoke with a former smart contract auditor and artist exploring NFTs in an effort to get to the bottom of what, on the surface, seems like a relatively straightforward question:
https://mashable.com/article/what-is-an-nft-non-fungible-token/

So NFTs are a blockchain designed for the art community and art lovers. Which could pave the way for all kind of digital currencies that are exclusive to one medium. And if you bought an NFT you can also trade it for another one. They have the tendency to go both ways and be used for good as well as for bad. So when you actually hit the buy button on an NFT here’s what you will actually be doing for the art community.

As headlines about people bidding eye-watering sums on GIFs of Pop Tart cats, the first-ever tweet, a Kings of Leon album and other NFTs piled up over the last several weeks, the CNN Business team decided the best way to understand the craze would be to buy one ourselves.
That was easier said than done. It required not one but two wallet apps, a familiarity with a lesser-known denomination of a cryptocurrency and, perhaps most important of all, a discerning eye in sifting through an endless number of NFTs, ranging from pixelated wizards and tuxedo-wearing bulls to many, many portraits of Elon Musk.

For the uninitiated — a group that we belonged to until recently — NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, refer to pieces of digital content linked to the blockchain, the digital ledger system underpinning cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and ethereum (ETH). While those cryptocurrencies are fungible, meaning you can trade one bitcoin (or in the IRL world, one dollar) for another identical one, each NFT is unique. NFTs can take different forms, such as virtual trading cards and other collectibles, tweets and even physical objects.

Most commonly, though, NFTs are being used to buy and sell digital artwork. It's not a new phenomenon, but in recent weeks NFTs have sold for seven or even eight figures, mirroring a broader market euphoria currently propping up stocks, sports trading cards and cryptocurrencies. Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, musician Grimes and Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski are among the big names who have jumped on the bandwagon. Earlier this week, digital artist Mike Winkelmann, better known as Beeple, sold a compilation of 5,000 images at the auction house Christie's for a staggering $69.3 million.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/14/tech/nft-art-buying/index.html

That’s it this week for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.

My fair virtual congregation! You know there’s some people out there that are holding real congregations out there right now. And we want to be one of those. We’re tired of being in a 2” window on a box on a PC monitor. You know we used to have things like audiences and a gospel choir. Oh man do I miss my beautiful choir. But there is a dark side to being a public figure – is that what you say on that stage can get you in trouble. So this week, my fair virtual congregation, we’re going to take a look at some examples of cause and effect that can get you in trouble. Starting with this pastor from Missouri who as you can guess supports the unholy, ungodly Dark One – a man who is so disgusting that his name shall not be spoken in my church! Well let’s just see the kind of trouble that gets you in!

A Baptist pastor is on leave after receiving broad criticism for sexist and racist comments he made about women, and former first lady Melania Trump, during a sermon to his congregation.

"I’m not saying every woman can be the epic trophy wife of all time like Melania Trump," Stewart-Allen Clark told his church in February as an image of her appeared on a large screen behind him. "Most women can’t be trophy wives, but you know ... maybe you’re a participation trophy," Clark said during the 22-minute sermon at First General Baptist Church in Malden, Missouri.

"Men have a need for their women to look like women. Sweatpants don’t cut it all the time. Wearing flip flops and pajamas to Walmart – that ain’t going to work. Ain’t nothing attractive about that. It’ ain’t," Clark said in his sermon. "And men want their wives to look good at home and in public, can I get an Amen!"

At another point, Clark pondered, "Why is it so many times that women, after they get married, let themselves go?"
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/03/07/pastor-leave-after-calling-melania-trump-trophy-wife-sermon/4621916001/

Of course he does! And what makes this even crazier is that Pastor Clark isn’t the only pastor who has said some completely batshit crazy things in support of the Dark One! For his heart is EVIL and he is criminally insane, and turned America into what it is now! But enter our old friend, Rick Joyner – another student of the Dark One! In fact since the Dark One lost last year his supporters have been getting crazier, weirder, and more violent than normal! Brother Rick is just one more example!

Right-wing pastor Rick Joyner appeared on “The Jim Bakker Show” Monday, where he once again urged conservative Christians to begin forming militias in preparation for a coming civil war.

Joyner, who has been warning for years that the United States is heading for civil war and martial law, told Christians that there was no point in praying to prevent a civil war because the conflict is inevitable, and they should instead focus on acquiring weapons in preparation for the coming violence.

“I tell you we have to be ready to defend our families, our communities, our neighbors, our churches, everything because it is coming home,” Joyner said. “I don’t believe there’s going to be a neighborhood exempt from what’s coming.”

“We’re telling our people, ‘You really need to be able to protect your own family, and you need to be able to gather together with others who are going to join together to protect their neighborhoods,'” he continued. “I saw militias popping up like mushrooms all over the country. These weren’t racist militias. They weren’t evil. All they want to do was protect their communities. And the Lord showed me in this dream that he had seeded our whole country with a provision to defeat this onslaught, and the seeds that he has sown throughout our country to defeat it were the veterans of the Afghan and Iraqi wars who knew how to fight urban warfare and everything else.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/rick-joyner-tells-christians-to-arm-themselves-in-preparation-for-civil-war/

Now in case you’re wondering if your support of the unholy Dark One will get you in trouble, well just ask our good friends at Liberty University! See his name has become so toxic that even the most holier than thou right wing of holier than thou right wing institutions is trying to distance themselves from his toxic brand! For you see that is actually what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want! Well once again this kind of toxic politics can get you in trouble!

The New York Times reported Tuesday that Liberty University has decided not to renew its contract with Turning Point USA President Charlie Kirk, a co-founder and fellow of the university’s Falkirk Center. The center, whose name combined Kirk’s with that of disgraced former Liberty president Jerry Falwell, Jr., will be renamed the “Standing for Freedom Center,” or Freedom Center for short.

Just three months ago, Liberty was celebrating Falkirk’s one-year anniversary and its aggressive approach to secularism and “wokeism,” which Falkirk’s executive director Ryan Helfenbein summarized by saying, “We don’t just want to be an organization that barks; we want to be an organization that bites.”

Perhaps Liberty University’s new leaders see less value in being known for a think tank that bites.

The Times notes that some students and alumni have been vocally critical of the center’s “baked-in belligerence.” Also disappearing from Falkirk’s roster of fellows are pugnacious MAGA characters like former White House aide Sebastian Gorka, Trump attorney Jenna Ellis, and radio host David Harris, Jr. Kirk’s fiancée Erika Frantzve is also out.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/rip-falkirk-center-hello-liberty-u-freedom-center/

Yeah probably! Still don’t think it can’t get you in trouble? Well I’m here to tell you that you are wrong and will always be wrong! For you see, the Dark One’s heart is so dark that he cannot see the light, it says so in our Good Book! Well this is coming from a guy who we presume hangs around cemeteries during the weekend and tells the goth kids that he knows how to unearth the dead. We’re just assuming, but beware of anyone who calls themselves a “prophet”!

Yes, and these people do not know of the evil for which they speak! Do not follow these wicked people, for they will bring a true curse on society! Instead follow the good and righteous! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]What’s Up With The Royals?
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We here at the Top 10 Conservative Idiots occasionally like to check in with the Family Windsor, which as you know rules all of England in what’s known as a “monarchy”. Whereas we here in America prefer what’s called a “democracy”. Anyway enough of that. But the one thing we do know is that conservative idiocy is not just a uniquely American problem. It’s a global problem that expands over the entire world and conservatives worldwide are just as crazy as American conservatives. The Royals are no exception and we can already hear you groaning. We can imagine that you’re probably sick of hearing about this interview but we got to talk about how fucking evil the entire thing was. But here’s what I want to know – why the hell does Gayle King know more about the Royal Family than Prince Charles does?

Prince Harry has spoken with his brother Prince William and father Prince Charles following Harry and Meghan Markle's interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Gayle King, who is friends with Oprah and the Duchess of Sussex, revealed on CBS This Morning on Tuesday that Harry spoke with William and Charles over the weekend.

"Well, I'm not trying to break news, but I did actually call them to see how they were feeling, and it's true, Harry has talked to his brother and he has talked to his father too," King said. "The word I was given was that those conversations were not productive. But they are glad that they have at least started a conversation.

"And I think what is still upsetting to them is the palace keep saying they want to work it out privately, but yet, they believe these false stories are coming out that are very disparaging against Meghan, still."

She added that "no one in the royal family has talked to Meghan yet, at this particular time."
https://people.com/royals/prince-harry-spoke-prince-william-prince-charles-oprah-interview-gayle-king/

That is a good point! Let’s all acknowledge for a moment that this is weird! But let’s think about what’s even weirder. This interview is what one might call – and I’m just paraphrasing here - “extremely fucked up”. I mean a member of the Royal Family going on American television to denounce how horrible the Royal Family is. But this is where it gets weird. Just like the Capitol Riot, the family just went home and acted like nothing happened.

After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's no-subjects-off-limits interview with Oprah Winfrey, the British royal family has seemingly carried on as usual.

Speaking with Winfrey, Markle and Harry said that unnamed senior royals (who Winfrey later said, per Harry, were neither the Queen nor Prince Philip) expressed "concerns" about Archie's skin tone before he was born.

Markle also said she was "silenced" by the palace and that she expressed as a royal that she didn't want to be alive anymore but was denied mental health support.

The Queen acknowledged Harry and Markle's interview in a statement from Buckingham Palace on Tuesday and said their allegations of racism would be addressed "privately." Throughout the week, the royal family continued with community appearances and promoting their patronages.
https://www.insider.com/harry-meghan-oprah-interview-royal-family-business-as-usual-2021-3

That is a good point. But there is one thing about the Royals that they do not like outsiders. As in anyone who’s not a Royal. So you can imagine the shit that hit the fan when Harry brought Megan Markle home to Queen Mum for dinner. But the thing you may or may not know is that the Royals have a problem with, well, racism. Yeah it’s about as fucked up as you could possibly imagine.

As Queen Elizabeth II celebrated the “friendship, spirit of unity and achievements” of the Commonwealth on March 8, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry’s interview with Oprah aired in the U.K. that same evening, pointing to the racism Meghan experienced within the institution. Among the revelations were the couple’s descriptions of their treatment by the British tabloid press, the lack of support from “The Firm” to counter racist media narratives and purported concerns from a royal family member over the color of their son Archie’s skin before he was born. But there were many for whom all of this was hardly surprising.

“People felt a silence around racism in the Royal Family was being broken,” says academic and writer Priyamvada Gopal, author of Insurgent Empire: Anticolonial Resistance and British Dissent. “This is a deeply white institution…so for someone who has actually gone into the heart of whiteness as it were, and come out with a story to tell, and the story doesn’t surprise you—I think people will feel vindicated about something that they always suspected, but couldn’t really, in a sense, prove.” On Tuesday evening, Buckingham Palace responded with a statement that “the issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning,” and that “while some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.” On Thursday morning, Prince William responded to a question from a reporter, saying that he had not spoken to his brother since the interview, and that the Royal Family is “very much not a racist family.”

The entire situation has struck a nerve with many people of color in Britain and beyond, for whom Meghan’s experiences of insidious and blatant racism are all too familiar. It has also led to renewed interrogation of the Royal Family’s relationship with race, empire and the Commonwealth of nations where the Queen is still head of state. The monarchy has been shaken, but remained intact, by other major events involving newcomers to the family, such as the abdication crisis of 1936, and in more recent memory, Princess Diana’s explosive 1995 Panorama interview with Martin Bashir.
https://time.com/5945383/meghan-harry-royal-family-racism/

I cam imagine that would lead to some pretty horrible dinner conversations, given that you can actually shout across those extremely long dinner tables that the Royals eat at. But let’s ask an actual Brit’s opinion on this insanity, then we can shut the book on this discussion. I’m of course talking about our good friend John Oliver, and he found some very interesting insights into the interview that us Yanks looking from the outside are wondering about.

John Oliver is sharing his thoughts on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's recent sitdown interview with Oprah Winfrey.

While appearing as a guest on The Tonight Show on Monday evening, the 43-year-old Last Week Tonight star told host Jimmy Fallon that the CBS interview was "amazing," but added that for the most part, "That is kind of what I felt like, sadly, her experience was going to be going in." He cited his knowledge of the royal family "from a distance" growing up in England.

Asked by Fallon if anything "shocked" him about the interview, Oliver replied, "The only thing that shocked me after was that Oprah, the next day, saying, 'Harry wants to make clear it wasn't Prince Philip being racist.' Which made me think, 'Really? Okay, that is actually surprising.'"

During her interview with Winfrey, 67, the Duchess of Sussex opened up about her family's royal exit, including the staggering toll their life at the Palace took on her mental health.

"I was ashamed to say it at the time and ashamed to have to admit it to Harry. But I knew that if I didn't say it — then I would do it," she said during the candid conversation. "I just didn't want to be alive anymore."
https://people.com/royals/john-oliver-one-surprising-thing-prince-harry-meghan-markle-interview/

[font size="8"]This Fucking Guy: Andy Ngo
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Seriously, Infowars, don’t make me hate Mumford and Sons. Which is why this week’s This Fucking Guy is Andy Ngo. I’ve avoided bringing up this professional troll in the Top 10 for a while now but we have to talk about this, especially after last week. And by the way if you think I’m kidding about this, just check out Telegraph, where they think that Mumford & Sons is literally the worst group of human beings in the world because their guitarist has taken a “leave of absence” following his decision to support professional trolls like Andy Ngo. In fact let’s take a step back and see just what kind of professional troll Andy Ngo is. Some people call him an “independent journalist” but really, he’s a troll. And he’s such a troll that he’s often been referred to as the “most dangerous grifter in America”.

The media don’t know what to make of Andy Ngo. The New York Times calls Ngo an “independent journalist.” CNN describes him as a “conservative journalist.” Other outlets term Ngo a “conservative writer” to distinguish him from actual reporters.

But none of these labels get at who Ngo is. More importantly, they fail to define his role in far-right politics, media, and violence. An incident from October 2018 in Portland, Oregon, illustrates his role well.

It begins with Portland police killing Patrick Kimmons, a 27-year-old African-American male, in disputed circumstances. The Black Lives Matter–style activist group, Don’t Shoot Portland, called for a protest on October 6. Kimmons’s family members joined in what local media described as a “peaceful” and uneventful event.

There was one dicey moment during the march. A driver made an illegal right turn into protesters who were in a crosswalk and had the walk sign. A local TV station that recorded the incident wrote: “driver plows through protesters.” Video shows a man stopping in front of a silver Lexus that then strikes him and pushes him for more than thirty feet. Down the block, a brief confrontation ensues with a protester shoving the driver once and others hitting his vehicle. The driver left in his car without any more incident as protesters yelled, “Get out of here.”
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2019/08/andy-ngo-right-wing-antifa-protest-portland-bigotry

Oh stop rabbling! So Andy Ngo is a regular fixture at the weekly Proud Boys vs Antifa brew ha has in Portland. Which I’m still puzzled why they chose Portland. And in fact if you ask people who actually live in Portland, the real area where these two groups duke it out every week is about two city blocks. And if you listen to them you’d think that the whole damn city is on fire! And he regularly puts himself in these dangerous positions. In fact, last year he sued Antifa – a group that doesn’t exist and has no central leadership – for an ungodly sum of money.

A Portland man has filed a new lawsuit against the black-clad anti-fascists called antifa who allegedly attacked him for documenting a milkshake-themed protest in Portland last year.

In the 11 months since the events of June 29, 2019, Andy Ngo has arguably become antifa's Public Enemy No. 1 and a cause celebre in conservative circles for his articles and online posts of videos showing street brawling here and across the country.

In a lawsuit filed Thursday, June 4, in Multnomah County court, Ngo seeks at least $900,000 in damages for assault, battery, emotional distress and racketeering by those who acted to "suppress Ngo's journalism through intimidation and violence," and for "ongoing neurological and health issues."

"Antifa is an openly extremist movement with the training and intent of destabilizing this country and overthrowing our constitution," Ngo said during a live-streamed press conference. "The protection of foolish politicians and the media have emboldened this movement to carry out unprecedented terrorist attacks."
https://pamplinmedia.com/pt/469210-379781-andy-ngo-sues-rose-city-antifa-others-for-900000

Well maybe just don’t go to Portland and you’ll be fine. So this week let’s examine cause and effect here in terms of what happened last week. OK so popular Portland area bookstore Powell’s Books announced they wouldn’t carry Andy Ngo’s self-pitying book about his counters with Antifa. Guess what happened? Powell’s Books was the subject of such vicious trolling that they had to close for multiple days in a row!

Powell’s Books has announced that the well-known Portland, Ore., bookstore will not place the book “Unmasked” by conservative writer Andy Ngo on its shelves following a backlash.

KOIN reported that despite Powell’s decision to keep the anti-antifa book off its shelves, a small crowd of protesters gathered outside the store’s flagship location downtown on Monday, plastering the windows with signs and prompting the store to close early as a safety precaution.

A statement on Powell’s Twitter page said that while a lot of the store’s inventory is hand-picked, “Unmasked” was not and came to the store through an automatic data feed.

“This book will not be placed on our shelves. We will not promote it. That said, it will remain in our online catalog,” the statement said. “We carry a lot of books we find abhorrent, as well as those that we treasure.”

The book, “Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy,” is scheduled for release in February.
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-01-14/powells-books-says-andy-ngos-book-will-not-be-in-store

I don’t know if Stanley does know what you’re talking about, sir. And yeah let’s blame Antifa as being the out of control lunatics in this equation. Though we all know that Gavin McInnes is most likely pulling the strings for both groups. But anyway this is why I am mad that they’re making me hate Mumford and Sons. Because this is what happens when you put your foot in your mouth politically, though in this case the foot should reach the other end. Anyways…

Mumford and Sons banjoist and lead guitarist Winston Marshall will be "taking time away from the band" after facing social media backlash for showing support for a book by right-wing writer Andy Ngo.

Marshall, a 33-year-old U.K. native, said in a statement Tuesday he would step back from his performing duties "to examine my blindspots."

"Over the past few days I have come to better understand the pain caused by the book I endorsed," Marshall wrote. "I have offended not only a lot of people I don't know, but also those closes to me, including my bandmates and for that I am truly sorry."

In a since-deleted tweet, Marshall endorsed Ngo's February book "Unmasked: Inside Antifa's Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy," congratulating the writer and calling him a "brave man."

Ngo wrote his book after he said he was "attacked by antifa" at a 2019 Portland demonstration that drew clashes among law enforcers, anti-fascist "antifa" protesters and right-wing groups.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2021/03/10/mumford-and-sons-winston-marshall-hiatus-andy-ngo-book-uproar/6935949002/

So yeah he’s a guy who goes to fights, gets himself hurt, and then sues an invisible group for unprecedented sums of money. That’s Andy Ngo, this week’s:

[font size="8"]People Are Dumb
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Of course you know by now that people are people, and people are dumb. So who is being really stupid this week? There’s lots of competition for that category as you can imagine. Let’s start with some graffiti, but not just any graffiti. Sure you’ve probably used your fancy new smartphone with the stylus and handwriting recognition to make penis jokes. We’ve all been there, don’t be shy! But what if you take that idea to the next level? Well that’s what one Phoenix artist did when he scribbled the word “penis man” on a row of portable toilets. And guess what? It went viral, which isn’t exactly something that you want to do these days!

Next up – here’s the thing. I can’t blame this guy for wanting to be a good dad. Especially given his circumstances. But this is a whole new level of dumb. We go to the state of Washington for this one, and I get that there’s ways to impress your kid. But there’s also ways that can get you doing some hard time, and stealing playground equipment? Especially something that weighs 400 pounds? Yeah that’s a one way ticket to the local jail!

A man is facing charges after he allegedly stole a 400-pound slide from a playground and mounted it on a bunkbed in his home.

Dustin Allen Bushnell, 30, of Burbank, Washington, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of possession of stolen property, according to the Pasco Police Department.

Detective Julie Lee was investigating a series of catalytic converter thefts when evidence led her to Bushnell’s home, police said.

Lee suddenly came face-to-face with the gigantic slide, which was reported stolen in December 2020, as she searched the home for catalytic converters.
https://whdh.com/news/police-man-stole-400-pound-slide-from-playground-mounted-it-on-bunkbed/

At least he’s a contender for dad of the year! Next up in People Are Dumb – the January 6th Capitol Riots. We may have to do an all Capitol Riot edition of People Are Dumb because there are tons of these stories coming and I feel like now with Merrick Garland as our new Attorney General that we’re going to be seeing even more stories in the coming months. But this is a whole new level of stupid. And I mean really there is a moral of the story here but I can’t quite put my finger on it.

Yeah maybe I don’t know… how about this - live your life in such a way that your coworkers don’t report you to the FBI! Next up in People Are Dumb – the great state of Florida. And there’s a lot of Florida in the news this week so we’ll dedicate the rest of our People Are Dumb segment to the Sunshine State! Which as you may know is also America’s most penis shaped state. And really you can do a cross over a lot of “People Are Dumb” stories with “What’s Up With Florida” stories because a lot of them can intersect. At least there’s one guy who’s brutally honest with this Florida Man credentials:

Meet Matthew Kyle Leatham, a 22-year-old Florida Man (as that forehead tattoo attests).

Leatham was arrested around 4:45 AM Sunday after he twice “called 911 to find a ride home,” according to a court complaint which notes that the accused “cursed at the call taker during the call.”

Since the police emergency line does not double as a taxi dispatcher, Leatham was charged with misuse of the 911 system. He was also hit with a marijuana possession charge after a cop found some pot on him during a post-arrest search.

Leatham, who works as a cook at a Port Richey seafood restaurant, was released on his own recognizance last night from the Pasco County jail.

Leatham was cited last month for reckless driving following a crash that caused an estimated $8500 in damages, according to a court filing.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/florida/florida-man-forehead-082415

Oh we kid, we kid! We love Florida and we can’t wait to go back! Finally this week – sticking with the Sunshine State, this is a lesson that you don’t keep your drugs in the same place where you keep your license. Especially if you happen to get pulled over by a police officer. Also, I think “Dank Gummies” might be the name of my new Soundcloud rapper persona!

A Florida man who nearly hit a gas pump pulled out a package of “Dank Gummies” instead of his driver’s license to show a deputy who was trying to help him, according to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said they were called to a gas station on Pine Ridge Road in Naples shortly before midnight on March 1 because witnesses said a suspicious man had nearly hit a gas pump and appeared to be under the influence.

Records show Demecio Lopez saw the deputy and immediately asked for help calling AAA because his car wouldn’t start, even though the keys were not in the ignition at the time.

Lopez said he didn’t have the keys to the vehicle but then rummaged through his pockets and pulled out the keys, according to the report.

The deputy then asked Lopez for his driver’s license so he started rifling through his pockets again and this time pulled out a small green package labeled “Dank Gummies” with “cannabis-infused” written on it as well, records show. ............(more)

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/2021/03/09/florida-man-pulls-out-dank-gummies-instead-of-id-after-nearly-hitting-gas-pump-deputies-say/#//

That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Stupidest State Round 1 Week 1
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16 states will enter and only one state will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!

Welcome back everybody! This is it – we are in Phoenix, we are ready to tangle! This is the first round of 4 rounds that will determine the 5th annual Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State! And it’s round 1 week 1 which means that anything goes! This week, it’s a battle of Batshit favorites and Family Values heavyweights! Over in the Batshit Conference, it’s red hot newcomer #3 South Dakota against conference favorite #4 Michigan. Could there be a Cinderella story brewing? Only time will tell! Meanwhile, over in the Family Values Conference, #1 Indiana takes on #2 Ohio! Guess which one is the home of a bizarre and dangerous underground cult? We’ll let you be the judge! Let’s go to the floor in Phoenix, right now!

[font size="4"]Batshit Conference Round 1: #3 South Dakota Vs #4 Michigan [/font]

[font size="2"]South Dakota[/font]
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4jO9ve5Ob7Q/UJQLtASAu1I/AAAAAAAAF1E/k0R4i6vdk9g/s400/SD+Flag+original.gif

This is the first time any of the Dakotas have made it to the big dance! But South Dakota – known as the Mt. Rushmore State earned a special place in the Batshit Conference for hosting the largest event in 2020 during a raging pandemic which epidemiologists call a “super spreader” event. And if you guessed that the Sturgis Biker Rally was ground zero for the 2nd wave of COVID-19, you are absolutely correct! A few thousand cases were tied to the Harley Davidson rally which was really just a slap in the face to those of us who didn’t want to get sick and die. Here’s how that went down.

Within weeks of the gathering, the Dakotas, along with Wyoming, Minnesota and Montana, were leading the nation in new coronavirus infections per capita. The surge was especially pronounced in North and South Dakota, where cases and hospitalization rates continued their juggernaut rise into October. Experts say they will never be able to determine how many of those cases originated at the 10-day rally, given the failure of state and local health officials to identify and monitor attendees returning home, or to trace chains of transmission after people got sick. Some, however, believe the nearly 500,000-person gathering played a role in the outbreak now consuming the Upper Midwest.

More than 330 coronavirus cases and one death were directly linked to the rally as of mid-September, according to a Washington Post survey of health departments in 23 states that provided information. But experts say that tally represents just the tip of the iceberg, since contact tracing often doesn’t capture the source of an infection, and asymptomatic spread goes unnoticed.

In many ways, Sturgis is an object lesson in the patchwork U.S. response to a virus that has proved remarkably adept at exploiting such gaps to become resurgent. While some states and localities banned even relatively small groups of people, others, like South Dakota, imposed no restrictions — in this case allowing the largest gathering of people in the United States and perhaps anywhere in the world amid the pandemic and creating huge vulnerabilities as tens of thousands of attendees traveled back home to every state in the nation.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/10/17/sturgis-rally-spread/

So yeah holding a super spreader rally in the middle of a raging pandemic is probably not the smartest idea one could have. Actually it’s worse than that – it’s completely fucking stupid! And if that weren’t enough – conservative governors must be in the running to see who can be the worst governor in the country, and there is a lot of competition for that title! Heres’ what governor Kristi Noem did in the last few weeks:

On Tuesday morning Rolling Stone magazine published a story titled “The Covid Queen of South Dakota.” The article, written by Stephen Rodrick, a senior writer at Rolling Stone, is a +7,500 word depiction of COVID-era South Dakota as seen by a traveler, complete with a detailed look at the diversity of culture and thought surrounding the pandemic, as well as an in-depth view of the governor who has been more resistant to anti-COVID measures than any other in the nation.

The story, as it is told, does not depict South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem in the most positive light, painting a picture of a politician with her eyes set on a higher office, resistant above all else to the idea of admitting defeat at the hand of a global pandemic, or responsibility for nearly 2,000 deaths (1,912 as of writing).

The Office of the Governer meanwhile has struck back. Tuesday afternoon, Noem’s outgoing Senior Advisor Maggie Seidel issued a scathing statement via email, deriding the story as a sexist attack on “the only Governor in America who handled Covid appropriately,” and claiming that within the story “Rodrick and his editors outlined all the reasons why they don’t like strong women.”
https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/rolling-stone-writer-takes-aim-at-the-covid-queen-of-south-dakota/

[font size="2"]Michigan[/font]

The Wolverine State is back for an unprecedented 4th year in a row. After a strong showing last year they decided to improve their game in order to make the tournament and switch conferences after a beatdown in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference. This year Michigan’s far right upped their game and it’s quite spectacular. Aside from some insane COVID protests, they took theirs one step too far and attempted to kidnap governor Gretchen Whitmore. For… reasons. And I cannot wait until the movie is made about this batshit time in Michigan history. I suspect Jeff Daniels will be involved somehow!

Members of the antigovernment Michigan III%ers liked to spout off on social media, saying things like, police “are not your friends” and calling Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer a “tyrant bitch.”

But when members of the group allegedly began talking about kidnapping Ms. Whitmer, conducting surveillance of her west Michigan vacation home and building improvised explosive devices, the FBI was listening. Six men were federally charged early this month with conspiring to kidnap Ms. Whitmer, and seven others were charged under Michigan’s antiterrorism act. Another man was charged this past week on the state level.

Undercover agents and confidential informants like the ones used to disrupt the Michigan plot are key to sussing out when inflammatory rhetoric is turning toward violence, according to current and former law-enforcement members. As authorities grapple with the threat of election-related violence from homegrown extremists, the challenge of parsing words from action is now especially acute.

“You want to figure out who among the movement are really serious about taking action and doing violence,” said Aitan Goelman, a former federal prosecutor who worked on the Oklahoma City bombing case. “That can be hard because there is a lot of talking out there.”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-michigan-plot-to-kidnap-governor-informants-were-key-11603013401

Yeah in an otherwise batshit year, this was one of the crazier plots to come out of it, and we will be keeping a close eye on this one! They literally had their own Matt Damon style FBI informant in the organization providing the Feds with Intel. And if that’s not enough, the threats keep on coming! Keep using your phones to make threats, guys. They will only come back to haunt you!

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) charged a 21-year-old man with making death threats against President Biden, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D).

Joshua Docter, of Holland, Mich., was charged Monday with one count of threat of terrorism and one count of using a computer to commit a crime. Each of the charges carries up to 20 years in prison, according to a Tuesday statement from Nessel’s office.

The case against Docter began after the FBI received tips about the Michigan man making the alleged threats on the social media platform iFunny in January. Nessel’s office said he stated he “would use a gun to shoot and kill the elected officials and would ‘be the catalyst’ for a new American revolution.”

Nessel's office also said Docter had information on his smart phone on how to make a bomb and what materials were necessary.
https://thehill.com/homenews/news/543469-michigan-ag-charges-man-with-making-death-threats-against-biden-pelosi-and

[font size="2"]And The Winner Is…[/font]

OMG, no contest! We have our first round and our first upset of the tournament! Michigan stuns South Dakota with 25 unanswered points and a 15 point victory! Michigan moves onto the next round, South Dakota goes home! Final score: 91 – 76!

[font size="4"]Family Values Conference: #1 Indiana vs #2 Ohio [/font]

[font size="2"]Indiana[/font]

The Hoosier State sits atop the Family Values Conference for an unprecedented 2nd year in a row! This year their chops are solid. Indiana is the Catholic capitol of the United States as it is the home to Notre Dame University and a super-secret Catholic cult that’s been operating under our noses and aims to convert the entire state of Indiana to its’ grips. That cult came to light last year when Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on SCOTUS. If you think Scientology is crazy, I give you People Of Praise!

Donald Trump’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the supreme court, to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg, has drawn attention to a secretive Catholic “covenant community” called People of Praise that counts Barrett as a member and faces claims of adhering to a “highly authoritarian” structure.

The 48-year-old appellate court judge has said she is a “faithful Catholic” but that her religious beliefs would not “bear in the discharge of my duties as a judge”.

At the same time, the Louisiana native and Notre Dame Law graduate, a favorite among Trump’s evangelical Christian base, has said legal careers ought not to be seen as means of gaining satisfaction, prestige or money, but rather “as a means to the end of serving God”.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/26/amy-coney-barrett-supreme-court-donald-trump-people-of-praise

Yeah I could totally see them doing that during meetings! People of Praise was founded in South Bend – which as many know is the staple of the Catholic community known as Notre Dame University. And they wear their Catholicism on their sleeves there. In case you’re wondering what they believe in, they believe in some ridiculously crazy shit, and it’s stuff that would make even the most Catholic than thou person flush.

But Barrett, 48, grew up in New Orleans in a family deeply connected to the organization and as recently as 2017 she served as a trustee at the People of Praise-affiliated Trinity Schools Inc., according to the nonprofit organization's tax records and other documents reviewed by The Associated Press. Only members of the group serve on the schools' board, according to the system's president.

The AP also reviewed 15 years of back issues of the organization's internal magazine, Vine and Branches, which has published birth announcements, photos and other mentions of Barrett and her husband, Jesse, whose family has been active in the group for four decades. On Friday, all editions of the magazine were removed from the group's website.

People of Praise is a religious community based in charismatic Catholicism, a movement that grew out of the influence of Pentecostalism, which emphasizes a personal relationship with Jesus and can include baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. The group organizes and meets outside the purview of a church and includes people from several Christian denominations, but its members are mostly Roman Catholic.

Barrett's affiliation with a conservative religious group that elevates the role of men has drawn particular scrutiny given that she would be filling the high court seat held by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a feminist icon who spent her legal career fighting for women to have full equality. Barrett, by contrast, is being hailed by religious conservatives as an ideological heir to the late Justice Antonin Scalia, a staunch abortion-rights opponent for whom she clerked as a young lawyer.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/09/29/people-praise-tied-amy-barrett-knocked-treatment-women/3573879001/

[font size="2"]Ohio[/font]

The Buckeye State is back for another go round. The state that’s given us such pro-Jesus politicians as Jim Jordan and Mike DeWine is home to one of the largest concentrations of churches in the entire country. And not only have they elected such toxic politicians as Jordan, there’s plenty more where that came from! And because Ohio is so toxic when it comes to Christianity, they’re close to enacting one of the strictest abortion laws in the entire country. And this is going to get very ugly very quickly!

The battle on abortion in Ohio will only be stopped by the U.S. Supreme Court or a change in the U.S. Constitution, according to reproductive law experts and those once again pushing for abortion bans.

Two state legislators have introduced a bill making abortion procedures a felony, which marks the second time in as many years that a bill was introduced hoping for the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the national Supreme Court decision that said abortion was legal nationwide.

A physician accused of “causing or inducing an abortion” would face an official charge of “criminal abortion,” which would be a fourth-degree felony under the new Senate Bill, introduced recently in the Ohio Senate.

If signed into law, the bill would not take into effect until either the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the 1973 decision in Roe. V. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide, or an amendment to the U.S. Constitution “upholds Ohio’s authority under the federal system to prohibit abortion,” according to a statement from bill cosponsor state Sen. Kristina Roegner’s office.
https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/state/ohio-abortion-ban-with-felony-charges-back-in-the-works-targeting-roe-v-wade

Holy shit! That is some fucking evil there! Now add in a dash of conservative stupidity on top of that and you’ve got a toxic cocktail just waiting to explode like a poorly made Molotov Cocktail. So how is this one of the stupidest things imaginable? Well guess what? It never took effect! That’s right – conservatives are so hell bent on overturning Roe V Wade that they totally forgot to ensure their own bill is enforced! This is too damn good!

Ohio's "heartbeat bill," one of the nation's most restrictive abortion bans, never took effect.

But 1 in 10 Ohio women thought abortion was illegal in the state anyway, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

While most Ohio women, about 64%, understood abortions are legal in Ohio, another 26.2% weren't sure and 9.8% incorrectly believed all abortions were illegal in the state, according to an eight-month review of the Ohio Survey of Women led by Ohio State University professor of epidemiology Maria Gallo.

A disproportionate number of women from certain demographics incorrectly believed abortion was illegal in Ohio: those who were younger, of lower socioeconomic status, unmarried or Black.
https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2021/02/18/amid-heartbeat-bill-fight-ohio-women-were-confused-legality-abortion/6779262002/

[font size="2"]And The Winner Is…[/font]

Oh man this was a close one – and it’s down to the wire. Indiana has the ball, shoots… it’s GOOD!!! IT’S GOOD!!!! Indiana sinks a buzzer beating 3 pointer to sink Ohio and send them home! And this was a high scoring game too, but in the end the Hoosiers pull out a win, the Buckeyes go home! Final score: 102 – 98. What a game!

[font size="4"]Next Week: [/font]

It’s the dead man’s hand as it’s a battle of the 3s and 4s! Over in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, #3 Nevada takes on #4 Iowa, while over in the Gun Nut Conference, #3 Idaho brings their big guns to the dance against #4 Oregon!

See you next week!

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