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Top 10 Idiots

Top 10 Idiots's Journal
Top 10 Idiots's Journal
May 26, 2022

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-16: My Loudermilkshake Brings All The Boys To The Yard Edition


Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-16: My Loudermilkshake Brings All The Boys To The Yard Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Well we’re finally here – it’s the end of season 12 everybody! And you know what? We had a lot of fun this season – a lot of twists and turns that we weren’t expecting. But we’re coming back for season 13 and 14! After season 14, I don’t know what’s going to happen. Trust us, we will let you know in the meantime. And I also want to address that we won’t be covering the Johnny Depp / Amber Heard trial at least not yet because there’s nothing we can really make fun of. At least for the time being. We might be doing an I Need A Drink about this in one of the Best Of segments, I don’t know. But I must digress that we’re taking time off at an absolutely banner time for conservative idiocy. In fact there’s so much idiocy that I don’t even really know where to begin this week! Do we talk about Madison Cawthorn losing the primaries? Yeah I think that gets a round of applause. Or do we talk about Marjorie Greene going full genocidal maniac? Or Trump calling for civil war on his social media site? Or do we talk about Stella Immanuel claiming that Joe Biden and Bill Gates are dead and their brains were uploaded to the internet and replaced with robots? Yeah that happened! Roll the clip!

https://twitter.com/RightWingWatch/status/1528764758832336896

You know what? Let’s begin with talking about Kandiss Taylor. I’ve mentioned this MAGA cretin before but I seriously want to know where they find these people. I mean holy shit this one is completely off the deep end. And this is coming from the party that’s brought us such winners as Sarah Palin and Herman Cain. So you know what? Roll the clip.

https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1528443821293461505

Hoooooooooooooly shit!!!! It’s no mistake that republicans are getting increasingly more violent and hostile with their rhetoric, and Q theories are reaching batshit insane proportions. And this is also appearing on Mike Lindell’s absolute joke of a social media network. That’s a preview of where we are heading for season 13 and even 14 depending on how the midterm elections pan out, everybody! Sleep tight! Because we are in for some dark times ahead! OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and he talks about one of the largest sandwich franchises in the world:



Like I said, there was so much idiocy this week that we couldn’t possibly fit it all into 10 measily entries but we’ll do our best! In the top slot this week, that goes to the Conservative Political Action Conference or CPAC (1) because nothing says “America First” and “freedom” like sucking up to far right authoritarian dictators like Viktor Orban! Truly scary stuff out of Hungary this weekend! In the second slot, speaking of scary stuff, after a pair of mass shootings last week – both possible hate crimes – Tucker Carlson (2) and Fox News are in full “move along, nothing to see here!” mode. Funny how their talking points come back to bite them in the ass and then they act like they never said anything! In the number 3 slot this week is a whole bunch of January 6th Insurrection news (3) including the committee subpoenaing Georgia Rep. Loudermilk’s phone records, Ginni Thomas backtracking remarks, and Mike Lindell’s latest batshit remarks plus some dire consequences for insurrectionists! In the number 4 slot this week is our buddy Madison Cawthorn (4) – yes, he finally lost the election and that’s not the only fate facing him, much like the bullies of late 80s kids flicks! Wait until you hear about this one! In the number 5 slot this week is our old buddy Elon Musk (5). Yes, the Tesla and Space X CEO announced that he’s going to vote full MAGA – and that’s after allegations came out about a sexual harassment scandal against him, and trust us – expect plenty more where that came from! In the number 6 slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6) and this week our pastor was watching the controversial Netflix documentary “Our Father” and he’s got some thoughts about it, as well as shedding light on the batshit insane Christian cult known as “Quiverfull”! in the number 7 slot this week is a new edition of “This Fucking Guy” (7) and this week we’re profiling Pennsylvania Governor candidate Doug Mastriano (Q – Insurrectionist) and if you think MAGA sure can pick ‘em, well, this may be one of the craziest people they’ve found yet! In the number 8 slot this week is a new edition of Conspiracy Corner (8) and this week, Congress met to hold hearings on UFOs. That’s right with all the problems facing the country right now, Congress is meeting to talk about aliens. And it was about as insane as you might expect! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week is a new People Are Dumb and we’ve got some great People Are Dumb stories for you this week! Finally this week it’s time for the Stupidest State 2022 championship! Yes, all good things must come to an end! Georgia. Tennessee. One of these two states will win it all! Plus to get the post season party started, we’ve got some live music for you from the legendary Silk Sonic! That’s right, Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak will be here! Buy their album “An Evening With Silk Sonic” or you’re no friend of this program! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]CPAC Goes To Budapest
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Nothing says “freedom” like cozying up to one of the most extremist far right authoritarian fascist dictators in the world, does it? Well that’s exactly what happened last week when the annual clusterfuck of conservative idiocy known as the Conservative Political Action Conference held their annual gathering in Budapest, Hungary! That’s right – DC was out. Dallas was out. Chicago was out. New York was out. I guess that’s what happens when the guy who you nominated to be your president spends so much time trashing major cities that he’s banned from all of them because the host venues figured that he would be too toxic. But it’s no secret that America’s right wing LOVES Hungary’s fascist authoritarian prime minister and Vladimir Putin stooge Viktor Orban. In fact his government is basically a blue print of where that movement is heading. And it’s fucking scary. No, just… fucking no. Stop it already. This is one of those things where if you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention! This should be instant campaign ads for anyone running against anyone attending this event.

It might seem strange that a nationalist conservative group identified with Donald Trump and America First is holding its annual meeting this week in Hungary.

CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference, is one of the biggest gatherings of conservatives in the world, and Budapest makes sense when you consider that this year's keynote speaker — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban — is a hero to some.

"Right now, the political leader of the conservative resistance in the West is the prime minister of a small central European [country] that most Americans never even think about," Rod Dreher of The American Conservative said at a conservatism conference last year.

Orban has been criticized as a white ethno-nationalist authoritarian. He's restricted Muslim immigration and LGBTQ rights while building a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Many American conservatives, however, see Orban's Hungary as a kind of anti-woke paradise.
https://www.npr.org/2022/05/18/1099680587/a-prominent-conference-of-american-conservatives-is-taking-place-in-hungary




This is some seriously scary shit here! Don’t boo yet. It’s no secret the direction that Fox News and OAN and Newsmax have American conservatives marching in. If the rest of the country can’t see that this is incredibly dangerous, they are not paying attention! Having the annual CPAC in another country and one that’s known for far right authoritarianism, that is appalling and grotesque. And if you want to know what Orban said – he basically said that republicans need to control the media. That’s of course after he closed off the event to anyone who had press credentials.

The Hungarian leader, Viktor Orbán, has told a conference of US conservatives that the path to power required having their own media outlets, calling for shows like Tucker Carlson’s to be broadcast “24/7”.

Orbán, recently elected to a fourth term, laid out a 12-point blueprint to achieving and consolidating power to a special meeting of the US Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), under the slogan of “God, Homeland, Family”, held in Budapest.

The Hungarian prime minister said that with his fourth electoral victory on 3 April, Hungary had been “completely healed” of “progressive dominance”. He suggested it was time for the right to join forces.

“We have to take back the institutions in Washington and Brussels. We must find allies in one another and coordinate the movements of our troops,” Orbán said.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/may/20/viktor-orban-cpac-republicans-hungary?CMP=share_btn_tw




This really does feel like the return of the USSR doesn’t it? I’m back in the USSR, you don’t know how lucky you are, boy! OK, I’ll stop that. Of course the guy who literally ruins everything he touches shows up for good measure. You know who I am talking about. It’s like the ultra-conservative wing of the GOP can’t have an event without him showing up. And when I say that he ruins everything, I mean exactly that. Think of like you’re having a dinner party and one guest shows up and destroys the bathroom and then blames it on the dog? Yeah Trump is that guy.

Former President Donald Trump shared a platform at a major right-wing conference in Hungary with a journalist who has previously made antisemitic comments, referred to Roma people as "animals," and used racist slurs, according to The Guardian.

Trump spoke on Friday via a video call at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Hungary, an offshoot of the right-wing US political conference, The Guardian reported.

The conference also featured speeches by Tucker Carlson, Mark Meadows, and Candace Owens, per the conference's website.

Trump's speech saw him heap praise on Hungary's authoritarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, The Guardian reported, and came shortly before journalist Zsolt Bayer took to the stage.

Bayer, a Hungarian ultra-conservative media figure, has received widespread criticism for offensive comments.
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-shares-cpac-platform-with-journalist-notorious-for-racist-insults-2022-5




Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Yeah so Trump could bring up anybody he wanted on stage, so who does he bring up? Literally the worst possible person you could think of – a right wing racist social media troll, which you know the old saying. Trolls of a feather flock together! But here’s the question on everyone’s mind is – why? Why the hell would the right wing have their annual conference in another nation and one with such a fascist authoritarian dictator who’s been undermining democracy with every single election since he’s been in power? Well, that’s where they are heading!

My MSNBC colleague Zeeshan Aleem explained last year that Orbán’s right-wing agenda has included a series of steps to undermine democratic institutions, “through measures like consolidation of hundreds of media outlets under the control of political allies, gaming elections and using emergencies like the coronavirus pandemic to dramatically expand executive power.”

Vox published a related report in 2018 on “how democracy died in Hungary.” It noted a vote from the European Parliament, which labelled Orbán’s government a “systemic threat to the rule of law.” The New York Times’ Jamelle Bouie added that Orbán’s Hungary “is corrupt, repressive and authoritarian, a place where democracy is little more than window dressing.”

It was against this backdrop that Republicans and their allies in the United States started characterizing Orbán as a champion of conservative values. Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, for example, has publicly touted Orbán’s approach to governing. After Fox News’ Tucker Carlson cozied up to the Hungarian leader, New York magazine’s Jon Chait noted that the host “is laying down a marker in the highest profile way he can that Orbán’s iron fist is the future the Republican Party should want.”
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/cpac-key-conservative-gathering-was-held-orbans-hungary-rcna30086





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[font size="8"]Gun Nut Apologists
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God damn it. Just… god damn it. I don’t really know what else to say here. This is supposed to be a comedy show, but I feel like we’re living in a horror movie. Just as we were putting together this week’s edition, we have yet another shooting at a fucking school. Have we not learned anything? No, of course we haven’t. As long as the trifecta of fucking idiots in Texas is in charge – yes, those gun humping, Fox addicted lunatics Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, and Dan Patrick. They are literally blaming everything but the guns, it’s truly insane what is happening and what they are doing. Seriously, it’s like we’re living the plot of “Don’t Look Up” but replace a giant asteroid with guns. I apologize in advance for the profanity that is about to fly in this entry, because I’m seriously that angry about the events of last week. And never mind that I had some MAGA shithead on Twitter tell me that it was a false flag like the day it happened (who was then immediately blocked and reported). Which brings me to Tucker Carlson, who we already knew was partly responsible for the events that unfolded in Buffalo last week. Seriously, Tucker, there is a special place in hell for you when you get there. And don’t think I am forgetting about Sean Hannity either. These two are utterly disgusting and a huge part of why the gun problem is so raging out of control in this county. But don’t think we’re letting Tucker get away with this one!

Fox News weekend host Howard Kurtz dedicated a segment on his Sunday show to defending colleague Tucker Carlson, marking the latest example of the network taking a top-down approach to backing its primetime star.

Carlson, the face of the nation's most viewed cable news show, is again facing backlash and the heightened attention he's become accustomed to, this time following the May 14 Buffalo mass shooting and his well-documented echoing of white supremacist rhetoric and adjacent conspiracy theories, including the shooting suspect's self-professed embrace of the "great replacement" theory.

"Now his comments on immigration and politics and those of anyone at this network are, of course, fair game for public debate," Kurtz said, with Mediaite first cataloging the segment. "But blaming him for the shooting is absurd. The latest case of a blood on your hands approach to finger pointing."
https://www.businessinsider.com/fox-news-tucker-carlson-replacement-theory-network-response-kurtz-buffalo-2022-5




Yeah that’s the thing about gun nuts – they think they’re toys. They’re not! And that’s why no matter how many mass shootings we have, no matter where the location, and what the situation, there will always be people defending their precious kill toys. Much in the same way that Gollum wants his precious ring even though its’ caused so much death and destruction. And time and time again, fuck heads like Tucker Carlson and Arizona’s Wendy Rogers keep pushing the narrative that these shootings are false flags! Tell that to the families of the dead, you morons!

Wendy Rogers and Nick Fuentes, two prominent right-wing influencers, suggested Saturday that the racially-motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, could be a false flag operation.

Ten people were fatally shot inside a Tops Friendly Market north of downtown Buffalo Saturday afternoon, and officials have said the suspected shooter is believed to have been motivated by racial animosity. Many people, in the wake of the shooting, have called for renewed efforts to deal with rising hate crimes across the country.

As many politicians from both major parties expressed their sympathies for the victims following the deadly shooting, some far-right influencers instead promoted an unfounded conspiracy theory that the shooting was a false-flag operation.

Arizona state Senator Wendy Rogers, who is endorsed for reelection by former President Donald Trump, wrote in a Gettr post Saturday that "fed boy summer has started in Buffalo," referring to the theory among some right-wingers that FBI agents are behind acts of violence and are seeking to blame conservatives..
https://www.newsweek.com/buffalo-shooting-false-flag-operation-suggest-wendy-rogers-nick-fuentes-1706747




That’s exactly how I feel right now – you can’t argue with stupid. You can’t argue with fucking morons like Ken Paxton, the attorney general of Texas who said after the 2018 El Paso shooting that schools had “too many exits” (see: Idiots #4-19 ). Yes, that was their solution! They might as well hve come out and said "we got nothing". At least they'd be honest! But watch in the next few weeks - conservatives will literally blame anything but the gun. And they will keep making excuse after excuse to keep their precious kill toys. I mean that was the last time we had to cover a mass shooting like that, and inexplicably, this fuckhead Ken Paxton keeps getting reelected! Texas, what the ever-loving fuck is wrong with you? Keep voting with your guns and listening to Fox News dipshits, you’re only digging your own graves here.

There are plenty of politicians embroiled in controversies, but Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton remains a unique figure in the American landscape. As regular readers know, the Republican was already under indictment on felony securities fraud charges, for example, when members of his own team made multiple criminal allegations against him in October 2020.

A couple of months later, FBI agents arrived at Paxton’s door — as a rule, that’s not a good sign for any politician — and in the months that followed, the Texan faced unpleasant scrutiny from a Texas district attorney’s office and the Texas state bar.

Common sense might lead one to believe that there’s simply no way an incumbent facing such circumstances could run and win a re-election campaign. Indeed, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush — a member of a once-powerful family in the Lone Star State — saw the attorney general as vulnerable and launched a primary campaign.
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/school-shooting-texas-ag-paxton-calls-armed-teachers-rcna30444




That’s the most infuriating thing about this – people want change in this country and we’re actually demanding it. But the same fuckheads like Ken Paxton and Greg Abbott keep getting reelected because conservatives vote on two issues – their wallets and their guns. They don’t give a shit about anything else. Which is why we’ll be repeating this cycle with a different location and a different day sometime next week or next month. I don’t know. Thanks to the NRA, we’re all sitting ducks. But this should serve as a reminder – fuck conspiracy theorists.

Fox News personality Tucker Carlson is facing intense scrutiny from extremism experts, media watchdogs and progressive activists who say there is a link between the top-rated host’s “great replacement” rhetoric and the apparent mindset of the suspect in the weekend’s deadly rampage in Buffalo, New York.

The white suspect accused of killing 10 people and wounding three others Saturday at a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood apparently wrote a “manifesto” espousing the white supremacist “great replacement” conspiracy theory — elements of which Carlson has pushed on his weeknight show.

The theory baselessly holds that a cabal of Jewish people and Democratic elites are plotting to “replace” white Americans with people of color through immigration policies, higher birth rates and other social transformations. The idea circulated on the far-right fringes before moving to the mainstream of conservative media.

“Tucker Carlson has made comments that directly reference this conspiracy theory on his show,” said Michael Edison Hayden, a spokesman for the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that tracks white supremacy, hate groups and extremism.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fox-news-tucker-carlson-fresh-scrutiny-buffalo-mass-shooting-rcna29084





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[font size="8"]January 6th Insurrectionists
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You know we’ve been following the developments of the Committee To Investigate The Events Of January 6th since its’ inception. Now they are close to confirming something that we’ve all suspected – it was an inside job. And we’ve especially been following what’s been going on with insurrectionist and TP USA fan Ginni Thomas. But now things are getting way too real. In fact here’s one of the most puzzling questions about the attack so far that no one has been able to really answer. What the fuck were Congressional representatives doing giving tours of the halls of Congress to people on January 5th, when the whole rest of the world was shut down because of COVID? Like seriously, what the fuck? Well now they might have an answer in the form of Rep. Barry Loudermilk (Q – Insurrectionist). Oh come on, we have to do it for this one. My Loudermilkshake brings all the boys to the yard, and damn right, it’s better than yours! Damn right, it’s better than yours! I could teach you, but I’d have to charge! OK thank you audience! I got that out of my system. But of course the GOP is changing their tune on what really happened on and before January 6th. In fact they’re in full on “nothing to see here” mode. Nothing to see here everybody, just a bunch of angry republicans threatening to overthrow the government and murder the vice president. Move along!

The House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection said Thursday it has evidence that GOP Rep. Barry Loudermilk led a tour of the US Capitol complex the day before pro-Trump rioters stormed the building, according to a letter requesting the Republican lawmaker's voluntary cooperation with their ongoing probe.

The letter notes the committee has reviewed evidence that "directly contradicts" previous claims by Republican lawmakers who said security footage from the days before January 6 shows "[t]here were no tours, no large groups, no one with MAGA hats on" of the US Capitol complex.

Loudermilk and GOP Rep. Rodney Davis, the top Republican on the House Administration Committee, issued a joint statement later Thursday responding to the committee's letter again pushing back on any allegation of "reconnaissance" tours on January 5 and calling for Capitol Police to release the footage.

"A constituent family with young children meeting with their Member of Congress in the House Office Buildings is not a suspicious group or 'reconnaissance tour.' The family never entered the Capitol building," they wrote.

The letter comes more than a year after some House Democrats accused Republicans of providing tours in the days leading up to January 6 to individuals who later stormed the Capitol.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/19/politics/barry-loudermilk-capitol-tour-january-6/index.html




Well OK I got that out of my system. There is some good news though is that the tables are finally starting to be turned on these election denying lunatics. Enter our old buddy, creepy pillow man Mike Lindell. While the MAGA lunatics are tying up the courts over some frivolous and extremely petty lawsuits, the courts are finally fighting back against these abuses! And talk about throwing shit to the wall until something sticks – he wants to file lawsuits in all 50 states! Yeah, good luck with that! Also, Lindell has been talking so much shit about Smartmatic, that the judges have finally had enough!

A U.S. district judge ordered MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell to pay some of voting machine company Smartmatic’s court costs and fees, saying in a ruling on Thursday that some of Lindell’s claims against Smartmatic fall “on the frivolous side of the line.”

“The Court agrees with Smartmatic that Lindell has asserted at least some groundless claims,” U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols wrote in his ruling.

“In particular, the Court concludes that at the very least Lindell’s claim against Smartmatic under the Support or Advocacy Clause falls on the frivolous side of the line (other claims do too). As a result, the Court orders Lindell and his previous counsel to pay some of the fees and costs Smartmatic has incurred defending itself and moving for sanctions,” he added.

Nichols also granted motions from Smartmatic, Dominion Voting Systems and Hamilton Place to dismiss the lawsuits against them.
https://thehill.com/regulation/3495678-judge-sanctions-mypillow-ceo-mike-lindell-for-frivolous-election-lawsuit/




Thank you, Nelson! And by the way, what kind of fucked up news media do we have that is completely ignoring the fact that the wife of a SITTING SUPREME COURT justice aided and abetted batshit insane theories about the election and her husband sat in on cases that pertained to the election? Just… AHHHH!!!! Why isn’t this like national fucking news? Oh that’s right because we still have mass shooting after mass shooting making the front page. But really this is why you need to read the back pages of the newspaper everybody – something sinister might be lurking around the corner!

Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the conservative activist and wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, pressed Arizona lawmakers after the 2020 election to set aside Joe Biden’s popular-vote victory and choose “a clean slate of Electors,” according to emails obtained by The Washington Post. The emails, sent by Ginni Thomas to a pair of lawmakers on Nov. 9, 2020, argued that legislators needed to intervene because the vote had been marred by fraud. Though she did not mention either candidate by name, the context was clear.

Just days after media organizations called the race for Biden in Arizona and nationwide, Thomas urged the lawmakers to “stand strong in the face of political and media pressure.” She told the lawmakers the responsibility to choose electors was “yours and yours alone” and said they have “power to fight back against fraud.” Thomas sent the messages via an online platform designed to make it easy to send pre-written form emails to multiple elected officials, according to a review of the emails obtained under the state’s public records law.

The messages show that Thomas, a staunch supporter of Donald Trump, was more deeply involved in the effort to overturn Biden’s win than has been previously reported. In sending the emails, Thomas played a role in the extraordinary scheme to keep Trump in office by substituting the will of legislatures for the will of voters. Thomas’s actions also underline concerns about potential conflicts of interest that her husband has already faced — and may face in the future — in deciding cases related to attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2022/05/20/ginni-thomas-arizona-election-emails/




Good question, sir! But there is also some more good news that the tide is starting to turn against these lunatics. And that is participating in the insurrection can be dangerous to your political career. We already saw what happened last week when Madison Cawthorn (Q – Insurrectionist) got unseated in the NC-14 primary. But now they’re coming for other members of the Q party including Marjorie Taylor Greene, Paul Gosar, and Andy Biggs. But don’t think there aren’t more where that is coming from! So January 6th was an inside job after all!

People who take part in insurrections against the US government can be barred from office, an appeals court said on Tuesday, reversing a ruling in favor of Madison Cawthorn, an extremist Republican politician from North Carolina.

Hailing a “major victory”, Free Speech For People, the group which brought the case, said: “This ruling cements the growing judicial consensus that the 1872 Amnesty Act does not shield the insurrectionists of 6 January 2021 – including Donald Trump – from the consequences of their actions.”

Cawthorn lost a primary this month and will not return to Congress in November. But Free Speech For People pursued an appeal.

It also brought cases against Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, two Arizona Republicans, Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs, and an Arizona state representative, Mark Finchem. All have been unsuccessful.

The challenges cited the the 14th amendment to the US constitution, passed after the civil war.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/may/25/madison-cawthorn-appeals-court-insurrection-ruling





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[font size="8"]Madison Cawthorn
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Come on, everyone, sing it with me! Another one bites the dust! Another one bites the dust! And another one on, and another on, another one bites the dust! Oh come on, Madison Cawthorn (Q – Batshit) admitted that he used his wheelchair to move weapons for the MAGA insurrectionists on January 6th! So please excuse me while I engage in a bit of schadenfreude with this entry! You know here’s the thing – last week we pointed out that the GOP was so desperate to get rid of him that they would have literally gone to any tremendous lengths to get rid of this guy. And come on, who was the person who leaked his sex tape to the media? Come on, ‘fess up! But that said, you know like those cheesy middle / high school movies from the late 80s / early 90s where the bullied kid winds up getting his revenge on the bully and then the bully winds up getting humiliated in the worst way possible? Well, that’s what schadenfreude is for you. And I am loving literally every second of this. Because, really, fuck that guy.

Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) has twice been stopped trying to bring a gun onto a plane. He claimed his colleagues take cocaine and hold orgies. He suggested House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is an alcoholic, even though she doesn’t drink. He might be caught up in an insider trading scheme, and a GOP senator from his own state has called for an investigation. He has called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “thug.” Multiple women have accused him of sexual harassment.

And his constituents have decided they have had enough.

Cawthorn, 26, lost his bid for reelection Tuesday, falling to state Sen. Chuck Edwardsin the GOP primary in the 11th Congressional District. Seven challengers had stepped up to challenge Cawthorn in this deeply red district. He called Edwards to concede Tuesday night.

“This is simply incredible. Against all odds, we fought hard to win this election and provide clear conservative leadership for the mountains,” Edwards said in a statement after his win.
https://news.yahoo.com/madison-cawthorn-loses-primary-brutal-022612735.html




Thank you Nelson! So come on, NC-14! What was the final straw? Was it the sex tape? Was it when he admitted that DC was like House Of Cards? Was it when he admitted that he used his wheelchair to move weapons in the Capitol Insurrection? Well, we may never know. What we do know is that we got rid of at least one MAGA cretin. But this is where the bully gets his just deserts – not only did Mr. Cawthorn lose the primaries badly, he’s currently under investigation by the GOP! Did he reveal too much about DC orgies? I hear the cult doesn’t like that sort of thing.

A House Ethics Committee subpanel is investigating Republican Congressman Madison Cawthorn to determine whether he engaged in an improper relationship with a staff member and whether he improperly promoted a cryptocurrency in which he may have had an undisclosed financial interest.

The Democratic-led House Ethics Committee announced Monday that a unanimously established investigative subcommittee, led by Democratic Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, will investigate the North Carolina Republican's relationship with the staff member and the cryptocurrency matter. Congress' youngest member at 26, the Trump-backed Cawthorn lost his primary race earlier this month.

The investigation comes after a political action group opposing Cawthorn, American Muckrakers, filed a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics alleging multiple violations by Cawthorn and one of his House aides, claiming the congressman had provided the aide with free housing, travel and loans. The group cited social media posts suggesting a personal relationship between Cawthorn and the aide, Stephen Smith. Some in Cawthorn's own party have pushed for an investigation as well. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina backed a Cawthorn challenger and and pushed for an ethics probe into Cawthorn, citing potential insider trading.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/madison-cawthorn-house-ethics-subcommittee-investigation/




Yeah maybe he had an independent thought. But you never go against the cult! Think of it like legalized gambling – you never bet against the house. Because the house always wins! Madison made that cardinal mistake of betting against the house. And since the GOP owns most of the media, they used that against him pretty quickly! This is like when the bully gets his just deserts. So now how was the GOP able to pull off this one and sink the incumbent? Because that rarely happens!

Buckling under the weight of scandal, Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C. — a favorite of former President Donald Trump — lost his re-nomination bid in western North Carolina’s 11th District on Tuesday, NBC News projected.

State Sen. Chuck Edwards, a conservative backed by many of the state’s establishment players, won with about a third of the vote in an eight-way race. That left Edwards set to advance to November’s general election and Cawthorn, 26, to see his House career come to an end after one term in January.

Cawthorn spokesman Luke Ball told reporters Tuesday night that Cawthorn had called Edwards to concede.

Cawthorn, 26, lost despite an eleventh-hour appeal from Trump, who encouraged voters to look past his run-ins with the law, claims that fellow lawmakers use cocaine and engage in orgies, and images of him wearing lingerie and gyrating naked atop another man in bed.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/madison-cawthorn-concedes-chuck-edwards-north-carolina-rcna29268




Ha ha ha ha, what a loser!!! And yeah you know what? I totally forgot about that LGB Bitcoin cryptocurrency scam! You know I really got to find a way to make money off the MAGA crowd – they fall for this shit time and time again! And not only do we have all of these things adding up to a perfect storm for Madison, he’s also got a sexual harassment claim against him! So yeah add all of these things up and it really is like those movies that I used to watch as a kid! This is freaking hilarious! Now let’s go after Marjorie Taylor Greene next!

Despite losing the Republican primary in North Carolina earlier this month, it appears controversy may continue to plague what's left of Rep. Madison Cawthorn's first term in Congress.

The U.S. House Committee on Ethics announced an investigation Monday into allegations that Cawthorn, 26, "improperly promoted a cryptocurrency in which he may have had an undisclosed financial interest" and "engaged in an improper relationship with an individual employed on his congressional staff," according to a press release.

The announcement, which notes that the inquiry "does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred, or reflect any judgment on behalf of the Committee," comes after a string of scandals involving the youngest serving member of Congress preceded Republican voters' rejection of Cawthorn at the polls.

Sen. Thom Tillis — who backed Cawthorn's primary opponent, state Sen. Chuck Edwards — called for the committee to investigate the allegation of insider trading of a cryptocurrency reported by The Washington Examiner.
https://people.com/politics/outgoing-rep-madison-cawthorn-investigated-for-improper-relationship-with-staffer-insider-trading/





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So our old buddy Elon Musk is unfortunately back in the news. You know him best as the CEO of Tesla and Space X. Well, he’s been having what one might call “a bit of a week”. His attempt to buy Twitter and turn it into some kind of far right utopia where anyone could say anything they wanted without fear of getting banned or block was met with some extreme backlash to the point where the deal was put “on hold”. That’s right – we won! For now! In fact the deal was so toxic that notoriously toxic far right Texas governor Greg Abbott deleted a tweet that supported Musk’s bid to purchase Twitter. Hey Abbott, you don’t want to be pegged as controversial? How about this? Maybe don’t support these insurrectionist losers! Because you know what they say – silence means that you’re complicit, so yeah your silence is deafening here.

On Thursday night Insider published a story citing documents that allege tech billionaire Elon Musk indecently exposed himself to a SpaceX flight attendant during a 2016 trip aboard his Gulfstream jet.

According to a declaration signed by a friend of the attendant, a naked Musk propositioned the woman in a private room of his plane, asking for sexual contact in return for buying the woman a horse. The attendant declined and eventually left the company in 2018 with a $250,000 severance package that came with non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements forbidding her to share info regarding the company or its leadership.

The story includes a brief statement from Musk denying the incident.

"If I were inclined to engage in sexual harassment, this is unlikely to be the first time in my entire 30-year career that it comes to light," Musk told Insider. The SpaceX founder then took to Twitter Thursday night to deny the allegations against him, calling the "attacks" against him "despicable" and claiming they should be viewed "through a political lens."
https://www.chron.com/politics/article/Elon-Musk-SpaceX-scandal-Greg-Abbott-tweet-17186505.php




Yeah all of the facepalms! Oh and don’t worry, we’ll get to the sexual harassment claims in a minute – but first we have to talk about who Elon is voting for! It’s no secret that Elon has gone full Red Pill Truther, which we translate to “batshit crazy conspiracy theorist”, and was also denounced by the creator of the Matrix herself, Lilly Wachowski. So yeah which, of course you know how the old saying goes – pussy grabbers of a feather flock together!

Elon Musk said twice this week that he plans to vote for Republicans in upcoming elections, even though he says he previously voted for Democrats such as former President Barack Obama.

Musk’s stated political leanings will not surprise people who follow the celebrity CEO’s interactions and proclamations on Twitter and elsewhere.

Behind the scenes, Musk and his biggest companies, SpaceX and Tesla, have worked to influence the U.S. political landscape for years through lobbying and political donations. Combined, SpaceX and Tesla spent over $2 million on lobbying in 2021. They tend to spend on both sides of the aisle.

But Musk has been historically anti-union, opposed to a billionaire’s tax and is a vocal critic of President Joe Biden.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/18/elon-musk-says-hell-vote-republican-bashes-democrats.html




Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Fuck that guy! You have a choice in politics and you choose the most toxic brand of far right politics imaginable? That’s pretty lame, Elon. So yeah now that I got that off my chest, we have to talk about Elon’s expensive new suit – his sexual harassment suit! You think that maybe this guy might be too toxic to run a social media network? Yeah, just like Zuckerberg, let’s put social media in the hands of the most socially awkward people possible. What could possibly go wrong there?

Elon Musk denied allegations that he sexually harassed a SpaceX flight attendant in 2016 in a series of late-night tweets.

"I have a challenge to this liar who claims their friend saw me 'exposed' -- describe just one thing, anything at all (scars, tattoos, ...) that isn't known by the public. She won't be able to do so, because it never happened," the Tesla and SpaceX CEO tweeted early Friday morning.

The tweet comes after Business Insider reported that SpaceX paid a $250,000 settlement in 2018 after a SpaceX flight attendant alleged sexual misconduct against the billionaire.

Nicholas Carlson, the editor-in-chief of Insider, the parent publication of Business Insider, responded to Musk's denial on Twitter.

"We stand by our story, which is based on documents and interviews and speaks for itself," a tweeted statement reads.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/20/tech/elon-musk-sexual-harassment-denies-allegations/index.html




Seriously, I can’t even… of course he denies the claims. Just like a good republican who has committed sexual harassment or some kind of other unspeakable crime. But the question is how bad could things get for Elon? Well obviously they have to go there and paint the accuser as a whackjob, which is step number one in male sexual harasser rehabilitation. But in terms of this current accusation against him, I’d definitely rate this between a Louis CK and a Harvey Weinstein. We’ll see – we’ll see how many harassment claims there are before we up that claim! And with his money, who knows how many people he’s paid to keep quiet? But move along, nothing to see here!

SpaceX’s COO defended Elon Musk in an email to all employees after an allegation of sexual misconduct against the CEO surfaced last week.

Gwynne Shotwell, the top female executive at the rocket company, told employees in the internal message that she personally believed the allegations against Musk to be false, according to reports from CNBC and the New York Times. Shotwell’s email was sent one day after Insider published a report on the allegation. SpaceX settled for $250,000 with one of its flight attendants in 2018 after the woman said that Musk propositioned her for sex during a massage on a private plane, allegedly exposing his erect penis to her and offering to buy her a horse in exchange. Musk has denied that any sexual misconduct took place and made light of the accusation, calling it “Elongate.”

Although Shotwell declined to get into specifics about the allegations, she did comment on Musk’s character, proclaiming he would never do anything like that. She did not deny the existence of the settlement with the flight attendant.
https://gizmodo.com/elon-musk-spacex-coo-sexual-harassment-allegations-fals-1848969084





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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 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! Please be seated! You know, we live in some strange and bizarre times. And since the leak of the ruling about to overturn the Roe V. Wade ruling, something has been troubling me about my brothers and sisters on the right. They’re cooking up something very disturbing. But before we get into that, I want to talk about a documentary on Netflix that I happened to catch during the last week, because it was out there. The movie was called “Our Father”, and it sheds quite a bit of light on the topic of the sermon that we’re going to be discussing this week. The thing about this movie is that it’s a bit weird but it sheds some light on a very important subject. See, I had no idea of how deep the abuse in the Catholic Church goes, and they’re the ones trying to rewrite the laws on abortion and forced birth, and if that leak were to go into law, things will get extremely dangerous for women and minorities in this country. Which is why I was so interested in this subject to begin with. It’s scary out there.

There have been other stories about fertility doctors who abused their positions, and even a short-lived Fox drama built around the idea. Condensed into a documentary premiering on Netflix, "Our Father" captures the pain and betrayal associated with that, while diluting the message by shooting and scoring the production using horror-movie conventions.

Employing dramatic recreations in subtle but manipulative ways, the film methodically breaks down the actions of Dr. Donald Cline, an Indiana fertility specialist who lied to his patients by using his own sperm to inseminate dozens of them.

The availability of DNA testing allowed those who gradually began to learn the truth to seek out information regarding others, conducting what amounted to a private investigation because of the inability or reluctance of local officials to take action against Cline, who was, outwardly, a pillar of the community.

Those events were set in motion by Jacoba Ballard, who was understandably shocked to discover that DNA showed she had several half-siblings. Director Lucie Jourdan proceeds from there to speak with others, including parents, children and associates of Cline -- who say they had "no idea" what was happening -- exploring everything from their dumbfounded reactions to the mechanics of how the doctor could have gotten away with the practice for so long.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/11/entertainment/our-father-review/index.html




Yes, he does walk among us! But this is totally insane. It’s not what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now, is it? No he wouldn’t want these abusive psychos smearing his good name, or hurling abuse in the name of GAWD! Which brings me to something that has been intriguing and troubling me lately. It was brought to light to me by one of our parishoners in upstate New York. There’s a movement afoot – again with people abusing the name of the good LAWRD JAYSUS – where people are attempting to have as many babies as they possibly can. This movement is called “Quiverfull” and it’s as disturbing as you might think it is!

It’s a cult-like group where the goal is to have as many children as possible and then send those kids out into the world like “arrows” (a “quiver” is a term that refers to a case archers use to hold their arrows) to spread the word of the Bible. In Our Father, Quiverfull is described as an organization that would feel right at home in The Handmaids Tale, where women are seen as breeders to create more followers of the verse and indoctrinate others.

They believe the Bible is law. One of the reasons Jacoba Ballard and her half-siblings thought Cline was connected to the group is because they saw the Bible verse Jeremiah 1:5 used on the website. The verse, “Before I formed you in your mother’s womb, I knew you,” is one that Cline frequently quoted.

It wasn’t just the “breeding” angle that drew their attention but the fact members of Quiverfull were allegedly careful to only produce white children due to fears they would one day disappear. And if you look at all the siblings Cline produced, they are almost all blue-eyed blonds. One documentary subject describes them as looking like the “perfect Aryan clan.”
https://netflixlife.com/2022/05/11/our-father-what-is-the-quiverfull-movement/




Yes, think of the children! Why doesn’t somebody else PLEASE think of the children! I mean isn’t that what the LAWRD would want is it? Of course not! Did anybody ever see that movie from a couple years ago - Mad Max: Fury Road ? Remember how disturbing that opening scene was where women were forced to do the bidding of a mad man? That’s where this movement is headed! It’s a very disturbing and EVIL movement! And it will have dire consequences if it is allowed to continue!

Quiverfull is an ultra-conservative Christian movement mentioned in the film. Those in Quiverfull reject birth control and believe they can help spread the word of God by having as many children as possible. In 2009, NPR reported that Quiverfull was "a small group, probably 10,000 fast-growing families, mainly in the Midwest and South."

In Our Father, Ballard draws a link between Cline and Quiverfull, but it's not a strong one.

We learn in the film that Cline has an affinity for the Bible verse "Jeremiah 1:5," and Ballard notes it's "one of the Bible verses Quiverfull uses." The verse is: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you."

Cline sibling Julie Harmon makes another wild connection, saying Quiverfull, at the time of the siblings' conception, focused on producing more members of the white race. "They were in fear that other races were infiltrating and the white race would eventually disappear," she says. Then we hear from Ballard, who points out that most of the biological Cline kids have blond hair and blue eyes. "It's almost like we're this perfect Aryan clan," she says. Again, there's nothing super concrete here to link Cline to Quiverfull.
https://www.cnet.com/culture/entertainment/our-father-on-netflix-where-is-donald-cline-and-all-your-questions-answered/




Well that’s not the subject this week, now is it? But I’ve been deeply fascinated and also disturbed by this movement. Especially when you consider the fact that it’s got fans and celebrities who are procreating as much as humanly possible. In fact, reggae legend Bob Marley once stated that he’d like to have as many kids as there are rays of the sun. And even Chris Pratt is a fan of this movement. But I must digress. This is a real movement and there are real consequences for believing in something so off the wall batshit extreme!

Newly released body camera footage posted online showed an alleged cult member referring to his daughter as his "property."

The TikTok uploaded by Syran Warner, or @syranwarner, received more than 200,000 views and 800 comments from concerned viewers. The viral video can be viewed here.

Merriam-Webster defines a cult as a "great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work." What can make following a cult dangerous are the systems of influence and control that members are subjected to.

Data published by Science Direct found that highly educated women searching for personal or spiritual identity are most likely to join a cult.

According to Warner, The Body began in 2003 by a man named Marc B. Warner claims that the cult allegedly creates family separation such as mothers abandoning their children.
https://www.newsweek.com/alleged-cult-member-refers-daughter-property-bodycam-footage-1708290




Holy shit, folks! This one got pretty dark pretty fast! Well that’s it! We’re officially at the end of the season, everybody! We’re going to take a break but we’ll be back on July 21st. Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this season for:




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[font size="8"]This Fucking Guy: Doug Mastriano
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This week’s This Fucking Guy is the GOP Pennsylvania candidate for governor Doug Mastriano (Q – Insurrectionist). That’s right – the newest candidate for a position of actual power participated in the January 6th Insurrection. In case you’re wondering what his MAGA credentials are, he’s one of those guys when you look at them, you can shake your head with disgust and say “Where the hell did they find this guy?”. Well, I will answer you. He wholeheartedly supports Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and a complete and total ban on abortion, much like another candidate – this fucking guy Herschel Walker. His Facebook page is also filled to the brim with some absolutely batshit theories of what’s happening in the world today. Which of course is what attracted Mr. MAGA King Emperor Donald Trump to his cause. And also in case you were wondering, yes, the field of pro MAGA candidates is only going to get crazier and more extreme with each election from now on.

On the issues, Mr. Mastriano gave full-throated endorsements of the conservative agenda, including the repeal of Pennsylvania’s no-excuse mail-in ballot law, an abortion ban and former President Donald Trump’s unfounded claims of voter fraud.

These positions were echoed by many in the nine-person primary field. But what made him stand out was his unapologetic embrace of those positions’ extremes — such as allowing no exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the parent when it comes to abortion, or sharing patently false information on the number of mail-in ballots requested in 2020.

GOP operatives, many of whom worked for rival candidates, had argued that such positions won’t fly with the moderate and independent voters Mr. Mastriano will need to win the state come November.

He also was a middling fundraiser, raising just $1.5 million — fifth-most in the GOP field, but almost all from individual, small-dollar donors. And he garnered just a handful of endorsements from state GOP officials, instead racking up endorsements from former Trump administration officials, such as former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2022/05/23/doug-mastriano-for-governor-2022-pennsylvania-election-fraud-abortion-stance-views-january-6-capitol-insurrection-josh-shapiro/stories/202205220179




Yup – that’s all it takes to rack up endorsements from the MAGA crowd. And when you have people like Michael Flynn and Roger Stone on your side, well, it’s pretty much a given that you’re a MAG A / Q conspiracy theory nutjob. Oh and it gets worse, so much worse! In fact pretty much Mr. Mastriano’s entire campaign is being built on election disinformation. Much like that crazy woman Kandiss Taylor that we discussed earlier. Yeah these are the people who we will have to deal with. Even worse is that the Stop The Steal people are now running for office. Scary times ahead!

Democrats and allied groups are launching a $6 million digital, television and voter mobilization campaign attacking GOP Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, betting that his pledges to completely ban abortion will turn off swing state voters.

The ads, which will highlight Mastriano’s position and public comments against abortion rights, will begin airing in Pennsylvania on Monday. Sponsored by the political nonprofit Strategic Victory Fund along with other major Democratic donors and allied organizations, the campaign is being run by affiliates of Planned Parenthood and the Democratic Governors Association, along with the Pennsylvania-based progressive nonprofit group Commonwealth Communications.

The campaign is a massive sum for the starting gate of the most high-profiled gubernatorial races in the country. And it’s the latest indication that Democrats nationwide believe a potential Supreme Court decision overturning the landmark case Roe v. Wade will be a boon for turnout in November. In Pennsylvania, outgoing Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf has pledged to veto legislation restricting abortion access in the Republican-controlled legislature. But Mastriano, a state senator, has sponsored legislation that would ban abortion as soon as a heartbeat is detected.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/23/dem-allied-groups-drop-an-a-bomb-on-mastriano-to-start-pa-gov-race-00034245




Gee… ya think? But here’s the thing – Trump has the MAGA world tied up between supporting election denier Doug Mastriano and reality denier Dr. Mehmet Oz. And of course Trump picks the most incompetent buffoons who could ever possibly be nominated for any kind of office to run. Which is why Mastriano is perfect for the job! And if you can imagine that he’s about as far right as it gets, you are definitely correct in that assumption! Oh by the way – one of his nuttier stances? He thinks everyone registered to vote should have to reregister! Gee, how many ways could that go wrong?

State Sen. Doug Mastriano, a far-right Republican who built a large following seeking to overturn President Joe Biden’s win in Pennsylvania, is the GOP nominee for governor, NBC News projected Tuesday.

After 10:30 p.m. ET, Mastriano led his rivals by more than 20 points. He'll face Democratic nominee Josh Shapiro, the state attorney general, who ran unopposed, in November.

Should Mastriano, who received former President Donald Trump's last-minute backing Saturday, prevail in the general election, he would be able to appoint a secretary of state to oversee elections. He has pledged that his choice would “reset” the state’s voter rolls so everyone would “have to re-register.”

Mastriano's winning campaign message wove together Christian nationalism, election denialism and a rejection of Covid mitigation policies. A number of Republicans have expressed concern that he is too extreme to beat Shapiro in November, with some state GOP leaders working behind the scenes in the past week to consolidate a large field around another candidate in hope of uniting the non-Mastriano vote.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/far-right-election-denier-mastriano-wins-gop-race-governor-pennsylvani-rcna29136




Yes, what could possibly go wrong? That is a good question! And come on, too extreme? This from the party who gave us the most foul, miserable, vile, and worthless excuse of a human being to become president in American history? Yeah keep talking about extremism guys. We’re eventually heading toward a country where everyone has guns and nobody has access to abortion. Because… you know, priorities! But that said there is one plus side is that the GOP race for Pennsylvania governor is a crowded one, and nobody sticks out of the pack. And we might, just might, dodge a bullet by not having fucking Dr. Oz in the senate.

Doug Mastriano, a leading voice advancing former President Donald Trump's lies about election fraud, will win the crowded Republican primary for Pennsylvania governor, CNN projects.
Mastriano, a state senator who was endorsed by Trump, is now set to face Democratic state Attorney General Josh Shapiro. They are vying to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf.

The GOP's selection of Mastriano means that if he wins in November, an election denier who attempted to overturn voters' will in the 2020 election would have power over the election machinery in one of the nation's most important battleground states during the 2024 presidential race. In Pennsylvania, the governor appoints the secretary of state -- the person in charge of running Pennsylvania's elections and signing off on its electors.

Mastriano used his victory speech Tuesday night to mock Rachel Levine, the US assistant secretary of health and an admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, who is transgender.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/17/politics/doug-mastriano-pennsylvania-republican-governor-primary/index.html




That’s your GOP front runner for a gubernatorial position, everybody! He spouts conspiracy theories, sucks up to a wannabe dictator, and really hates trans people! That’s Doug Mastriano, this week’s:




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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner: Aliens Exist!
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Welcome back to our segment where we attempt to explain the unexplainable, Conspiracy Corner! In these trying times, when we have a brewing war and a raging pandemic, now a possible civil war, people often turn to conspiracy theories when they just don’t want to read past the headlines. We are of course coming to you live from our underground doomsday shelter deep in the New Mexico badlands! In an undisclosed location of course! Let me just adjust my tin foil hat for maximum government interference… they are trying to read yours and my thoughts after all… ah there we go! So this week, with all the problems going on in the world – war, pandemic, poverty, record inflation , Congress chose to devote an entire day to discussing the one topic that’s on everyone’s minds – do aliens exist? Come on, was Tom DeLonge headlining the keynote speakers here? Oh come on, we kid! We know that Tom is an avid UFO conspiracy theorist! But it’s truly insane that this is what Congress chooses to waste time on, no wonder they have ridiculously low approval ratings!

The first public congressional hearing into UFO sightings in the US in over 50 years ended with few answers about the unexplained phenomenon.

Two top military officials tasked with probing the sightings said that most can ultimately be identified.

But they said a number of events have defied all attempts at explanation.

The sightings recorded by the military include 11 "near-misses" with US aircraft.

Some Unexplained Aerial Phenomena (UAPs) - as the military terms UFOs - seem to have been moving without any discernible means of propulsion.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61474201




So come on, unexplained ariel phenomenon? That could literally be anything. It could be an experimental airplane. It could be chemtrails. It could be the lizard people. You don’t know, man, you don’t know! But that said is the truth really out there? There’s only one real explanation for all of this, and of course there is. I’m not saying that it’s UFOs, but it’s UFOs. But I love that it’s attempting to dispel disinformation, like what President Biden is attempting to do. Alas, it’s too late for that, but you can’t blame them for trying! Or can you?

Last week the Pentagon sent some of its top brass to Congress to deliver a briefing on UFO sightings. The hearing was the first of its kind in over 50 years. It involved two members of the Department of Defense, two new UFO videos, and a whole lot of unanswered questions.

The hearing was conducted by the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and featured two speakers: Ronald Moultrie, the Pentagon’s top intelligence official, and Scott Bray, Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence. The goal of the hearing was to update lawmakers on the progress made by a newly formed UFO task force, except UFOs are now called Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP). The task force was setup after a 2021 government report that documented 144 UAP sightings by military pilots since 2014, according to Reuters. That report stated only one UAP — a large, deflating ballon — was able to be explained. The rest fell into five categories: airborne clutter, natural atmospheric phenomena, USG or U.S. industry developmental programs, foreign adversary systems, and a catchall “other” bin.

The hearing got interesting when Mr. Bray revealed the task force’s latest UAP footage. As an example of an “observation in real-time,” he played a video of an object whizzing by a Navy aircraft. It happens so fast that’s it’s impossible to observe it closely. He notes this is typical of a lot of UAP encounters, in that they happen in the blink of an eye. The brevity of the encounters and associated lack of high quality data is typical for a lot of UAP sightings. It’s indicative of the struggle the task force faces in trying to determine the nature and intent of UAPs, he said.
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/335893-pentagon-officials-brief-congress-on-ufos-in-historic-hearing




Oh come on, aliens exist! If there’s anything that I learned from my high school years, it’s that Blink 182 taught me that!



But here’s where it gets weird – and you knew that it was going to. But before we get into that, have you seen the Space Force recruitment video? Whew, man it is something else. Roll that tape.



Stay on target! Stay on target! OK I’m getting off topic here, but I am making a point – Space Force might have had something to do with that hearing on UFOs and the unexplained aerial phenomenon that Congress doesn’t have a clue what it is. And you know what? We don’t either! But that’s exactly what they want you to think!

A House Intelligence subcommittee on Tuesday held the first congressional hearing on UFOs in more than 50 years.

Testimony was heard from Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security Ronald Moultrie and Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence Scott Bray, who are overseeing the Pentagon’s new task force investigating what are now being called unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs).

Here are highlights from the hearing.
The Pentagon wants to destigmatize UAP reporting

Rep. André Carson (D-Ind.), the chairman of the House Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence and Counterproliferation Subcommittee, began the meeting with a call to destigmatize UAP reporting for pilots and other military officials.
https://kfor.com/news/washington-dc-bureau/five-things-to-know-about-the-congressional-ufo-hearing/




Oh come on, is the truth out there? I’m asking for my many fans of aliens and alien conspiracies! In fact remember in the before times when the worst thing we had to worry about was when people wanted to storm the Rosewell military base that many believe to be known as Area 51 (see: Top 10 #7-6 and Top 10 #8-16 ) ? That was just a mere 3 years ago but it feels like an eternity. But the reason why they had those hearings – the truth may actually be out there! Yes, that’s right, my friends – the reason why Congress held these hearings is because there’s now 400 reported incidents! That’s right – our good friend Tom DeLonge might actually be right about this!

A database of reports of UFOs now includes about 400 incidents, up from 143 assessed in a report released about a year ago, a Navy intelligence official told lawmakers at a congressional hearing on Tuesday.

The military's 2021 report said no evidence of aliens had been found. Scott W. Bray, the deputy director of Naval intelligence, told lawmakers that they still haven't uncovered anything "nonterrestrial in origin," even though there are incidents they can't explain.

None of the documented objects had attempted to communicate with U.S. aviators, and no attempt had been made to communicate with them, he said, as they all appeared to be unmanned.

Reports of unidentified flying objects – now called unexplained aerial phenomena or UAPs by the military – have been increasing, said Bray. He cited improved sensors, an increase in drones and other non-military unmanned aerial systems, and "aerial clutter" such as Mylar balloons as causes for the uptick.
https://www.npr.org/2022/05/17/1099410910/ufo-hearing-congress-military-intelligence







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[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 preface this segment by saying that we’re not going to cover the Trucker Freedom Convoy because everyone knows they’re dumb and we really try not to include political segments. And what makes a people are dumb story? Well let’s put it this way – someone who robs a Taco Bell? Not People Are Dumb worthy. But someone who destroys a Taco Bell and then calls 911 because they ran out of Nacho Cheese Doritos Tacos? Yeah that does thousands of dollars of damage for an item that costs 99 cents, and that’s a People Are Dumb story! So who’s stupid this week? I want to start with tis story out of Belfast, Maine where a guy attempted to hide from the cops in plain sight. So wannabe thieves, take note – attempting to disguise yourself as a chair? Not a way to hide from the cops.

A scene straight out of a cartoon played out this week in Belfast, Maine, when police found themselves confronting a “ghost” in front of a hotel.

It happened at 12:40 a.m. Sunday, May 1, at the Admiral’s Ocean Inn, and a photo shared on Facebook shows the “apparition” was seated in a chair. Belfast is about 30 miles southwest of Bangor.

“Here at Belfast Police Department we have seen some crafty ways of hiding from the police. This unfortunately is not one of them,” the department wrote.

Under the blanket was a 53-year-old man who police say was trying to hide — for good reason. The same guy had been removed from the property three hours earlier after causing a “disturbance” while intoxicated, police said.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article261010837.html




Next up – I want to go to Minnesota for this one. Here’s the thing – again another idiot attempting to flee from the cops. And if you’re going to flee, it’s never a good idea to drive directly into a brick wall, because we all know that the brick wall is going to win 10 times out of 10, right? It’s simple physics, don’t you know? Maybe unless you’re driving that insane armored tank that Alex Jones has. But yeah this happened, and don’t be like this, kids. Just don’t.

A Minnesota woman was arrested Monday night after her attempt to flee from police ended when she drove into fresh concrete.

According to Hubbard Broadcasting affiliate KAAL-TV, Rochester police saw the woman drive through a red light at around 4:40 p.m. When the officers tried to stop her vehicle, she refused to stop.

A short time later, another officer tried to stop the woman near Westover Lane and Seventh Street Northeast but she accelerated, crashed through construction barricades and drove into 150 feet of freshly poured concrete, bringing her to a stop. She was then arrested and taken to a hospital for a psychological evaluation.

KAAL reports that the woman is estimated to have caused between $30,000 and $40,000 in damages.

Police told KAAL that they have received at least nine complaints about the woman driving erratically and using a bullhorn to “spread the word of God” since May 11.
https://kstp.com/kstp-news/local-news/woman-arrested-after-driving-through-fresh-concrete-while-fleeing-police/




Next up – we have to do this story out of West Virginia. OK I don’t do the hyper caffeinated beverages like Monster or Rockstar or Mountain Dew voltage. In fact the last time I had a Red Bull was like 10 years ago. And I was drunk. That said, this is a truly bizarre robbery that took place at a business, and I’m guessing that one of these things wouldn’t exist without the other. And I do know that after you drink those beverages, when you gotta go, you gotta go!

A man was charged for allegedly breaking into a Randolph County business after DNA results showed he was in the building.

Back in July 2021, deputies with the Randolph County Sheriff’s Department responded to a breaking and entering call at J Rod’s Vending in Valley Bend, according to a criminal complaint.

When deputies arrived at the establishment, they saw that the business “had items thrown everywhere.” Deputies said they also saw “a yellow liquid on the floor that was believed to be human waste,” and two Mountain Dew Voltage cans which were not there when the business has closed, according to an employee.

Deputies noticed that the cans had been opened and drank from, so the cans were later sent to the West Virginia State Police lab for analysis, according to the complaint.
https://www.wboy.com/news/crime/man-charged-after-his-dna-was-found-on-mountain-dew-cans/




Next up – now we go to the Sunshine State, that’s the state of Florida, don’t you know? Because Florida never fails to bring the crazy each and every week. We have to talk about this story out of the town of Englewood (not to be confused with Inglewood, California). And this is one of those stories that has everything! It’s got a sledgehammer, ape masks, a janky getaway car – you know, everything. And that’s why I always love to cover the batshit insane stories that come out of Florida!

A Florida man was arrested Tuesday for using a sledgehammer to steal over $800 from a laundromat.

The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said around 10:45 on May 8 Michael Justin Rowe, 32, and Taylor Marie Farrell, 34, went into a laundromat. Pictures show Rowe was wearing an ape mask and holding a sledgehammer.

Rowe used the sledgehammer to smash a coin change machine, taking about $800 from it, deputies said.

Meanwhile in video not released by the sheriff’s office, Farrell can be heard yelling “We got to go. You’ve been in here too long,” to Rowe before the pair drove off in a blue Mercury Marquis.
https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/florida-man-in-ape-mask-used-sledgehammer-to-rob-laundromat-deputies-say/




Finally this week – golf! Yes, there is nothing that is spared from the throws of stupidity. And of course it also involves Florida. You know, the state that Homer Simpson famously referred to as “America’s Wang”. There’s plenty of places where you can practice your swing. But maybe don’t practice your swing off the side of a major interstate highway! No matter how tempting it might be! Just one of those things – if you’re thinking about doing this, don’t. But then again there’s no limit to the stupidity of the residents of the Sunshine State!

A pair of Southwest Florida ‘vloggers’ driving down Interstate 75 captured a golf practice gone wrong on the side of the road.

Jose and Katherine Rodriguez live in Fort Myers but travel around the country documenting the everyday for their YouTube channel, “SouthernLife.”

The duo was driving down the interstate Friday afternoon during rush hour when their dash cam captured something they haven’t seen before on the side of the road.

“We see this guy on the side of the road literally having a full golf game,” Jose says. “This is like Tiger Woods junior out there, he was doing his thing.” ...............(more)

https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/15/florida-man-caught-golfing-on-side-of-i-75/




That’s it this week for:




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[font size="8"]Stupidest State 2022
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16 states will enter and only one state will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!



It. All. Comes. Down. To. THIS!!! Here we are at the championship, folks! Whew, and what a ride it has been! Last week, it was a Final Four for the ages. In the Layover League championship, Georgia towered over all contenders to become the league’s newest champion! Meanwhile, some absolutely shocking developments in the Layover League as Tennessee stunned Missouri with that epic comeback in the second half to take the conference championship! This week it’s time for our tournament’s grand finale! Tennessee. Georgia. One of these two states will win it all and the other will go home! Who will tower above the rest? We are live at the former home of the Los Angeles Lakers, the fabulous Kia Forum in Inglewood for all the festivities! The champagne is on ice, people!

[font size="4"]Stupidest State 2022 Championship: Georgia Vs Tennessee [/font]

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

Well folks, the Peach State has towered over the competition! And you want to know why? Well they’re led by Brian Kemp and now they have Marjorie Taylor Greene. But the MAGA crowd that is running Georgia is about to be getting even bigger with Herschel Walker. That’s right – the MAGA crowd sure can pick them and it’s totally insane that this guy even has a chance! But it’s like – put a whole bunch of evil people in the same room – how can someone be more evil than the next guy? Well that happened at Mr. Walker’s victory party!

Herschel Walker, the gaffe-prone former NFL running back endorsed by former President Donald Trump, won the GOP primary election for U.S. Senate in Georgia, NBC News projected Tuesday.

Walker will face off against incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, who has a strong shot at winning. One needn’t look beyond Walker’s scandal-plagued campaign for answers why.

Walker the football player ran like the wind. Walker the political candidate ran like he was stuck in quicksand. The Walker campaign had all the backing a Republican candidate could want: He was endorsed by both Trump and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and he was blessed with a nice war chest from right-wing donors who apparently liked his rant-filled appearances on conservative media. But all of this has just been dressing for an obviously flawed candidate.
https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/herschel-walker-wins-georgia-primary-results-senate-rcna30271




Yeah they were fucking booing a president who was expressing remorse over 3rd graders getting shot, and then cheered when Tucker Carlson called Biden “frail”! What a bunch of fucking assholes and psychopaths! That’s a new low. And by the way, since the leak on the Roe V Wade ruling that could totally change the face of America as we know it, Georgia is doubling down on abortion laws and making things worse. Yes, they are actively making things a hell of a lot worse.

The jockeying to win over conservative voters ahead of the upcoming May 24 primary has prompted many leading Republican candidates to support an all-out ban on abortion that even key activists aren’t aggressively pursuing.

Polarizing primary campaign politics emboldened many top Georgia GOP candidates to take strident positions on abortion even before a leaked opinion suggested the U.S. Supreme Court may strike down the constitutional right to the procedure.

As Democrats try to channel fury over the potential ruling into electoral energy, Republicans are contending with pressure for added restrictions that go well beyond the state’s 2019 anti-abortion law if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

Now what was once a fringe idea among some social and religious conservatives — a complete ban on abortion, without exceptions for rape and incest — is now a part of the platforms of GOP favorites.

Read more: https://www.ajc.com/politics/once-a-fringe-idea-many-georgia-republicans-now-push-for-total-abortion-ban/V3AWSIBRE5FXFKK2QMHQDAECYA/




Now you might be wondering – are things going to get any better in the Peach State? The short answer is easy – no. The longer answer is that it’s going to be more complicated than that. But we do have potential Georgia governor Stacy Abrhams, savior of the 2020 election, to explain why it’s not going to get any better anytime soon. And who can you blame for it? Well you can blame the usual group of idiots running things and your MAGA voting neighbors.

Stacey Abrams is right: Georgia's Republican governor, Brian Kemp, has helped turn his state into one of the worst places to live in the country.

Abrams, the Democrats’ presumptive nominee to face off against Kemp for the governorship this fall, made her declaration during a fundraiser in Georgia on Saturday. And although she predicted her words would be taken out of context and used against her, she was quite clear about the things Kemp has done to make her state a demonstrably bad place to call home.

“I am tired of hearing about how we’re the best state in the country to do business when we are the worst state in the country to live,” Abrams said, according to audio published by The Gwinnett Daily Post.

“Let me contextualize,” she added. “When you’re No. 48 for mental health, when we’re No. 1 for maternal mortality, when you have an incarceration rate that is on the rise and wages are on the decline, then you are not the No. 1 place to live.”

She went on to say: “Georgia is capable of greatness, but we need greatness to be in our governor’s office. We need someone who actually believes in bringing all of us in there together.”
https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/stacey-abrams-georgia-worst-state-rcna30087?cid=sm_npd_ms_tw_ma




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

The Volunteer State propelled to the top of the Flyover League because they are a hotbed of conservative idiocy and religious insanity. The state capital, Nashville, may be the home of what many refer to as Music City, and that’s primarily because it’s the home of country music and a little venue known as the Grand Ole Opry. But outside of Nashville’s outer beauty, there’s a hell of a lot of inner ugly. But what propelled Tennessee to the top of the Layover League is they are the ass part of the Bible Belt and there’s a lot of religious insanity in that state. In fact Tennessee is so insane that they actually want to burn books – not just ban them! I’ve seen where this story goes and it never ends well.

State Rep. Jerry Sexton said Wednesday he would “burn” books found obscene by an expanded state textbook commission charged with policing school library selections.

In debate with Sexton over legislation requiring school districts to submit lists of library books to the commission, state Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, asked what the state would do with the books, put them out in the street or set them on fire?

Sexton responded, “I don’t have a clue, but I would burn ’em.”

The House passed the measure, but it is unclear whether it will pass the General Assembly. Sexton, a Bean Station Republican who is not seeking re-election this year, acknowledged the House and Senate bills are likely to go to a committee to work out differences. Sexton carried the bill for House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and Sen. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol.
https://tennesseelookout.com/2022/04/27/representative-says-he-would-burn-books-deemed-inappropriate-by-state/




Holy shit! And we have no doubt that the GOP and the Christian fascists will go full Nazi if they win in the 2024 elections. This is just a small preview of where that party is heading! And here’s how backwards Tennessee is – there’s a county in Tennessee where the director of the board of education doesn’t have to have a degree in education! Yes, apparently anyone can be elected for anything! It’s just a title, so who cares what the actual job entitles? It is criminally insane how much conservatives are taking this country backwards. And Fox News will cheerlead their every move!

Leaders of Hamblen County school met Tuesday evening to decide who would oversee a school district with 18 schools and around 10,000 students.

Before that, they voted to use an emergency protocol to change some of the board's policies. Normally, a proposal to change the policy would need to pass two readings over the course of two separate meetings. However, because they used an emergency protocol, the policy changed after one reading.

They removed the requirement for directors of schools to have a background in education. That paved the way for General Arnold W. Bunch Jr. to be chosen as the district's next superintendent. While he has no experience teaching children, he does have an extensive résumé in military service.

He has a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National War College and currently serves as a commander of the Air Force Material Command. He has also flown more than 2,500 hours and earned a Distinguished Service Medal.

https://www.wbir.com/article/news/education/hamblen-co-schools-changes-policy-to-allow-man-with-no-education-background-to-serve-as-director-of-schools/51-5305c7f8-a8c5-4133-86d3-eb5df534ef95




That’s right – in Tennessee, the director of education doesn’t have to have any formal education experience! Just…. AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! And you know how far backwards conservatives are taking the Volunteer State? They’re bringing the Confederacy back! That’s right – the people who we once branded as traitors after the Civil War are now becoming fashionable again! So yeah keep voting conservative folks and watch how far off the deep end your state can go! Tennessee is dragging neighboring states with them, it’s almost like a vortex!

"Cities across the nation have memorials and monuments that represent historical figures and events. However, as time progresses some of these pieces of history can be seen as insensitive and a catalyst for controversy.

The City of Forest Hills has been made aware of this reality recently because of five streets in the city: Confederate Drive, General Forrest Court, Robert E. Lee Court, Robert E. Lee Drive and Jefferson Davidson Drive.
....
The City is concerned that people who live in the City, and people who pass through the City, do not know the origin of the names, i.e., that they were chosen by a developer, not by the elected and appointed leadership of the City, or the citizens in Forest Hills," the petition reads.

However, the streets themselves are a part of "public real property" meaning that Forest Hills owns the streets and is expected to maintain them, referenced in Act. TCA 4-1-412 (a)(8).

Since the streets are public real property named after historic entities and figures, they are considered memorials under TCA 4-1-412 (a)(7). This makes it necessary for the city to file the petition in order to change the names.
https://www.newschannel5.com/news/city-of-forest-hills-petitions-to-change-streets-named-after-confederacy




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

Wow, this was an incredible matchup! Georgia and Tennessee were tied at 80 with 2 minutes left in the game, but it’s been a back and forth defensive battle. Tennessee has the ball… for three!! YES!!! Oh we have a foul! First basket is in… good! Second basket…. It’s in! Tennessee has pulled it out, but Georgia is coming back. Score tied at 85 with 15 seconds left… Tennessee for three… IT’S GOOD!!! Tennessee has nailed it, folks! They have won the game and they are celebrating on the court! Wow, what a shot! It’s all over, everybody! Final score: 88 – 85! Tennessee is celebrating on the court, they are our new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!





[font size="4"]Net Cutting Ceremony [/font]





[font size="4"]Statement From The Commissioner [/font]

Thank you very much everybody! I’d like to congratulate Tennessee on becoming the new champions of the NFFSA! They defied the odds and stunned the pundits with their Flyover League win against rivals Missouri! That was a truly outstanding effort! Tennessee, you are a shining example of conservative idiocy, religious intolerance, and hateful bigotry! I’d like to thank all the staff, the venues, the crews, and the players and coaches! Tennessee, you guys earned this one! We’ll see you next year! Now let’s sing that song that we all know and love!



[font size="4"]One Shining Moment [/font]





[font size="4"]And Now This: [/font]
[font size="4"]Silk Sonic[/font]

Folks, let’s get this post season party started! My next guest are probably the biggest group we’ve had on the show to date. You can see them live at their residency at Dolby Theater in Las Vegas through August 23rd. Playing their song “777” from their album “An Evening With Silk Sonic”, give it up for Anderson Paak and Bruno Mars – it’s Silk Sonic!!!



Thank you Santa Ana! This is it – this is the end of Season 12, everybody! Boy did that fly by fast, didn’t it? I want to thank my staff, my crew, all of our host venues, and of course all of the musical guests we’ve had through this entire season. We’re going to take a few weeks off, but don’t worry – we’ll have plenty of content between now and when we come back. We’ll be returning July 21st with the start of our World Tour 2022 and Midterm Madness! See everyone in July!

Credits

Host: Initech
Silk Sonic Appears Courtesy Of: Atlantic Recording Corporation
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded In Front Of A Live Audience At: Constellation Room at Observatory OC, Santa Ana, California
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Videos: All videos copyright belongs to respective copyright holders
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Writing: Top 10 Writing Department
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Follow The Top 10 On Twitter at: @10Idiots
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Questions? Comments? Complaints? Hate mail? E-mail The Top 10 at: Top10ConIdiots@gmail.com


Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo


May 19, 2022

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-15: Abortion Contortion, What's Your Distortion? Edition


Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-15: Abortion Contortion, What’s Your Distortion? Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Yo, what’s up, Santa Ana? How you guys doing? You doing fucking good? Great! This is our next to last Top 10 of season 12! Now , now. it’s been fun – we’re back out touring, we’ve been to a large part of the country, supporting our favorite venues. But now we’re back for the Stupidest State 2022 finale! And don’t worry – we’ve got plenty of awesome things planned for season 13 including the return of our World Tour 2022! And don’t worry, we haven’t forgot about the midterms, either! We will definitely be covering as much of that as possible. Do we have time for the thing? Of course we do! So we’ve all had an ass full of Elon Musk preparing to buy Twitter, haven’t we? And thank fucking god this deal went up in smoke so I don’t have to keep talking about it. It was very poorly thought out. But there was one person who was interested in buying Twitter that I actually could get behind – Snoop Dogg! You know what? Fuck it, I want a world where Snoop Dogg is president. Could you imagine? Marijuana would not only be legalized, it would be mandatory! A dispensary inside SoFi Stadium? Please! Come on, everyone would be too stoned to want to fight each other, and isn’t that what this is all about? I want that world! Come on, Snoop! Snoop a loop! OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to!



Well, we had plans to make the whole edition about Justice Alito and the possible overturning of Roe V Wade, but my producers said no. So in the number one slot this week we have to talk about the unfortunately terrible situation in Buffalo, New York but our old friend Tucker Carlson (1) is in some seriously deep shit after the killer wrote a manifesto spewing Tucker’s “white replacement” white supremacist theory. At slot #2 this week is the Mystery Leaker (1)! Who was it? Many are pointing fingers at Ginny Thomas as a way of getting the headlines of her involvement in January 6th off of front page news. But in the second slot, what’s the GOP’s ultimate end game with overturning Roe (3)? I got news for ya – they don’t plan on stopping at Roe, they’ve got more up their sleeve, and who’s going to stop them if they get back in power? We’re in for dangerous times ahead! In the number 4 slot this week is our old buddy Ron DeSantis (4), who’s actually doubled down in his attacks on Disney and guess who’s showing up to protest? That’s right – the same neo Nazi idiot truckers who threatened to shut down the Capitol. I can’t even. In the number 5 slot this week is Alex Jones (5)! Yes, the mad man of Infowars has a sad because he’s going bankrupt from lawsuits and nobody is buying the Infowars horseshit anymore, so what’s a megalomaniac to do? Buy our crap or the enemy wins!!! Taking the number 6 slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6) and this week, our resident pastor is once again tackling the subject of white nationalism, and it’s aimed at batshit crazy Texas representative candidate Janet Porter (Q – Batshit) and whew, where do they find these crazy people? And speaking of Q nuts, in the number 7 slot this week we add Missouri Senator Josh Hawley (Q – Insurrectionist) to the ever-growing list of People Who Somehow Got Elected (7). In the number 8 slot this week is a new Conspiracy Corner (8)! So I’m sure by now you have heard about the crippling baby food shortage and there’s some insane theories floating out there, but of course the right has absolutely no idea what they are talking about! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week, we have a new “I Need A Drink” – both GOOP’s Gwyneth Paltrow and Succession’s James Cromwell staged some absolutely bonkers protests this week, but with all the problems in the world, these are the hills that they are choosing to die on? FML. Finally it’s time for Stupidest State 2022 (10)! We’re in the home stretch people – it’s the Final Four! Georgia. Nebraska. Tennessee. Missouri. One of these states will win it all and become our new Stupidest State! Plus to cap things off, we have a performance from one of my favorite metal bands, Deftones are stopping by! Buy their album “Ohms” or you are no friend of this program! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]Tucker Carlson
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You know we had a much different first entry planned for this week. But then a shooter shot up a supermarket in Buffalo. And of course the shooter is a white guy who took a semiautomatic weapon to a supermarket in a primarily black neighborhood. The shooter posted a manifesto echoing something called “white replacement theory” and even painted the #14 on his gun – a nod to the white supremacist “14 words” slogan. So where am I going with this? All of this – the shooting, the racist manifesto, can be traced back to our old buddy Tucker Carlson. It’s no secret that racists *LOVE* Tucker Carlson’s show. In fact even John Oliver pointed out that racists watch his show to both be entertained and to learn from it. So now Tucker’s racist rhetoric has finally got people killed. Come on, you knew it was going to happen.

As a New York Times investigation revealed in April, Tucker Carlson has spent more than 400 shows and counting “amplify[ing] the idea that a cabal of elites want to force demographic change through immigration,” i.e. the “great replacement,” a racist conspiracy theory that liberal politicians are trying to silence and ultimately wipe out white Americans. That conspiracy theory featured heavily in the suspected Buffalo shooter’s 180-page manifesto, the one he allegedly wrote and published detailing his plans to kill Black people before he went on to take 10 lives. Viewed side-by-side, it’s not difficult to see that the two men share a stomach-turning, dangerous, deeply deranged point of view. But Carlson, a smirking vector of hate, would like people to know that his racist point of view has nothing whatsoever to do with the Buffalo shooter’s racist point of view. Absolutely nothing!

During his Monday night show, the Fox News host took pains to distance his rhetoric with that of accused killer Payton Gendron, which he attempted to do by noting that the cold-blooded killer’s declaration was all over the place and in need of a good editor. “What [Gendron] wrote does not add up to a manifesto,” Carlson explained to his viewers. “It is not a blueprint for a new extremist political movement, much less the potential inspiration for a racist revolution. Anyone who claims that it is is lying or hasn’t read it. Instead Gendron’s letter is a rambling pastiche of slogans and internet memes, some of which flatly contradict one another. The document is not recognizably left-wing or right-wing, it’s not really political at all. The document is crazy, it’s the product of a diseased organized mind. At one point Gendron suggests that Fox News is part of a global conspiracy against him. He writes like the mental patient he is. Disjointed, irrational, paranoid.”
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/05/tucker-carlson-buffalo-shooting-payton-gendron




Nothing to see here – just a white guy with a semiautomatic shooting up a black supermarket. And of course if Kyle Rittenhouse is any indication, this guy will get off scot free if the judge likes the same cable news programs he does. Seriously, Fox News ruins everything they touch. And it’s not by accident – a lot of it is on purpose and with malicious intent. But hey, they’re an “entertainment network”. Because they care about you. And they care about life. Ah who am I kidding? I’m delirious! Of course they don’t care about you. They only care about ratings and profit.

Fox News personality Tucker Carlson is facing intense scrutiny from extremism experts, media watchdogs and progressive activists who say there is a link between the top-rated host’s “great replacement” rhetoric and the apparent mindset of the suspect in the weekend’s deadly rampage in Buffalo, New York.

The white suspect accused of killing 10 people and wounding three others Saturday at a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood apparently wrote a “manifesto” espousing the white supremacist “great replacement” conspiracy theory — elements of which Carlson has pushed on his weeknight show.

The theory baselessly holds that a cabal of Jewish people and Democratic elites are plotting to “replace” white Americans with people of color through immigration policies, higher birth rates and other social transformations. The idea circulated on the far-right fringes before moving to the mainstream of conservative media.

“Tucker Carlson has made comments that directly reference this conspiracy theory on his show,” said Michael Edison Hayden, a spokesman for the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that tracks white supremacy, hate groups and extremism.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fox-news-tucker-carlson-fresh-scrutiny-buffalo-mass-shooting-rcna29084




And of course Fox News is in full blown “nothing to see here” mode. Everything is always someone else’s fault with these cretins. Or it didn’t happen. Or it’s a false flag. That’s right – it didn’t take long for the MAGA crowd to go full Alex Jones on this one and claim that it’s a false flag. Everything is a false flag. I mean they’ve said that term so many times that it’s lost all meaning. And here’s the thing, MAGAs, if you don’t want to be under investigation for saying stupid shit, then maybe, I don’t know, don’t say stupid shit?

The Arizona state Senate on Monday launched an ethics investigation into Wendy Rogers after the racist, far-right state lawmaker falsely suggested the mass shooting in Buffalo last Saturday was carried out by a government agent.

“Fed boy summer has started in Buffalo,” Rogers wrote on Telegram after a white supremacist killed 10 people and wounded three at a supermarket in a Black neighborhood.

The Arizona Senate, which is controlled by Republicans, voted 24 to 3 to launch an investigation into the comment. Rogers herself and two of her GOP colleagues, Warren Petersen and Kelly Townsend, were the only three to vote against the probe. A vote to expel Rogers from the body failed, 11 to 15.

“Spewing hate and furthering racist comments is not what we should be here for,” Democratic state Sen. Victoria Steele said on Monday, according to the Phoenix New Times.

Rogers’ trafficking of white nationalist talking points isn’t new. “We are being replaced and invaded,” she wrote on Twitter last summer while linking to a Breitbart story on migrant apprehensions. The Buffalo shooter was motivated to act in part by the “great replacement theory,” which holds that white people are being systematically replaced by immigrants, and which has been promoted not just on far-right forums but by prominent Republicans in Washington, D.C., and by Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/wendy-rogers-buffalo-shooting-false-flag-investigation-1354429/




Ah, but Sen. Steele, I must digress – have you been following the MAGA movement for the last five years like I have? That’s all they are here for is to make racist comments and to “own the libs”. Well now the concept of “owning the libs” is literally getting people killed. We may have to do a profile on Wendy Rodgers because whew, this woman is fucking insane. But the good news is that we can rule out the idea that crisis actors were used. I mean come on, did we really need a fact check on this one? I could see this coming a mile away!

Authorities have identified 18-year-old Payton Gendron as the suspect in a May 14 massacre at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, that left 10 people dead and others injured.

Unfounded false flag claims often follow mass shootings in the United States, and this one is no different.

Among them is a conspiracy theory that suggests images taken of Gendron after the shooting show not one but two crisis actors.

“Went from ginger haired ‘fit’ person to a black haired heavy dude,” one May 14 post says. “In less than one hour.”

The post shows two photos. One is of Gendron in a white paper gown and white face mask as he was being arraigned in Buffalo City Court on May 14. The other shows him wearing green camo-print clothes outside the grocery store in police custody earlier that day. His hair in that photo appears more auburn than in the photo of the court hearing.
https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2022/buffalo-shooting-suspect-payton-gendron-crisis-actor-fact-check/





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[font size="8"]The Supreme Court
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Well they finally did it. Those fuckheads in the Christian right got what they have been after for the last 50 years and the 50 years of sheer, unadulterated hell that they have put us through, and their imbecilic and dehumanizing policies, and rah rah flag waving and name callingto get their grand fucking prize. I am That is the overturning of the Supreme Court decision known as Roe V. Wade. Yup, in a leaked document to the website Politico, Justice Alito confirmed what we have all been dreading – the court is going to overturn it. And that’s after the MAGA GQP nominated a crazy drunken frat boy and a deranged Catholic cultist and stacked the court in their favor. We knew that when Ruth Bader Ginsburg died in 2020, that something really bad was coming. Well that something is here, and if you think it’s bad now, you ain’t seen nothing yet, guys! You know, for this piece why don’t we channel our inner School House Rock, shall we?

The Supreme Court is set to gather Thursday for the first time since the disclosure that it voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, and there’s no sign that the court is changing course from issuing that ruling by the end of June.

Justice Samuel Alito’s sweeping and blunt draft majority opinion from February overturning Roe remains the court’s only circulated draft in the pending Mississippi abortion case, POLITICO has learned, and none of the conservative justices who initially sided with Alito have to date switched their votes. No dissenting draft opinions have circulated from any justice, including the three liberals.

That could explain why no second draft of Alito’s majority opinion has been distributed, as typically the two sides react to one another’s written arguments and recast their own.

As the nine justices prepare for their scheduled, private, closed-door conference this week, they face one of the greatest crises in modern Supreme Court history, with an internal leak investigation under way, an agitated nation focused on whether the constitutional right to abortion is about to be overturned, and some justices facing angry protests at their homes.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/11/alito-abortion-draft-opinion-roe-00031648




Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! So if we’re channeling our inner School House Rock here, Abortion Contortion, What’s Your Distortion? And the answer to that is… I don’t know. But that aside, there’s a lot of speculation as to who the mystery leaker is. So my fair audience, why don’t we play the hot new game, shall we? WHO WAS THE MYSTERY SCOTUS LEAKER? Well, it has to be someone well connected to the justices who decide the supreme law of the land, and it has to be someone holding a grudge. So behind door #1…

Opposing theories about the identity and motivations of whoever leaked the Supreme Court’s draft majority opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade are swirling nearly a week after it was published.

The question of who benefits the most from piercing the institution’s legendary veil of secrecy has become a major part of the outcry following the revelation that the conservative majority appears poised to strike down a constitutional right that has been in place for half a century.

Politico did not reveal any information about how it obtained the draft ruling when it reported Monday night that four other conservative justices have sided with Justice Samuel Alito to overturn the precedent. Nothing in the draft opinion or the reported positions of the justices is final until the court issues a ruling.

The idea that seems to have gained the most widespread traction is that the draft was leaked by someone opposed to the court overturning Roe — perhaps a clerk for one of the liberal justices — who wanted to galvanize the public by preempting the likely release of the decision in June.
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/3480144-supreme-court-leak-becomes-new-top-political-mystery/




No, a whammy!!!!!!!!!! So that didn’t help anything. Could it be someone who is connected to Chief Justice Roberts? Well it’s a possibility. Could it be Ginny Thomas, the MAGA loving wife of Clarence Thomas? That’s a more likely possibility especially given that the January 6th committee is given to meet soon and someone is desperate to get her name out of the headlines! But never fear, Newsmax is on the case! Quick, to the MAGA mobile!

Newsmax personality Grant Stinchfield has cracked the case. Using only his superior powers of deductive reasoning and no actual facts, the former NRA-TV host has solved the biggest mystery in DC since the Watergate leak.

The culprit is soon-to-be Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson! She’s the one who gave Politico Justice Alito’s draft opinion gutting Roe v. Wade in the most incendiary and vitriolic terms. And she would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for those meddlesome kids!

Wait WTF, you are saying, Judge Jackson isn’t even on the court yet.

“And speaking of Ketanjay [sic] Brown Jackson who you just saw there, I find it suspect that the first leak coming out of the Supreme Court in history comes shortly after Judge Jackson is confirmed,” he shouted.

Here on Planet Earth, there have been multiple SCOTUS leaks, particularly when it comes to abortion, as NPR points out. But go on, non-lawyer TV screaming dude.
https://abovethelaw.com/2022/05/newsmax-host-knows-who-is-the-scotus-leaker-and-it-is-judge-ketanji-brown-jackson/




Come on, stop with the whammys already! So of course the MAGAs really do live on an alternate plane of existence. I wish they would just go to there and leave us who live in the real world alone. These morons really do ruin everything they touch. And if you were confused verging on angry before, wait until you see the investigation that the supreme court is conducting! And why bother? It will just come back inconclusive as a matter of protecting someone’s ass. But who’s ass? Well, that’s a mystery.

John Roberts, the US chief justice, has announced an investigation into a leak showing that the supreme court provisionally voted to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade case that legalised abortion nationwide.

Publication of the draft opinion by the Politico website on Monday night sparked demonstrations outside America’s highest court, condemnation from Joe Biden and fears that the judiciary has suffered profound damage to its reputation for independence.

In a statement on Tuesday, Roberts confirmed the authenticity of the document written in February and said: “To the extent this betrayal of the confidences of the court was intended to undermine the integrity of our operations, it will not succeed.”

He added: “I have directed the marshal of the court to launch an investigation into the source of the leak.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/may/03/chief-justice-roberts-abortion-leak-investigation-supreme-court





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[font size="8"]The GOP
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So we’ve attempted to find who the mystery SCOTUS leaker was, and just like you, we’re completely clueless about what’s really going on. Now the other question we have besides “who is the mystery leaker?” is “What’s next?”. That is also another question that we do not have a single clue about and we can’t answer that either. Because ever since the news broke last week, and considering everything that’s going on this year, it feels like a fucking eternity ago, the speculations about what’s going to happen next have been running wild. Come on, people! Let’s get a fucking grip here. SCOTUS hasn’t even ruled on whether or not Roe V Wade will be overturned. It’s just one man’s opinion here. We got to keep our composure, people! We got to keep our composure! But that said, we can’t keep acting like the inevitable is going to happen. The Christian right have been having their way for far too long. It’s not like they can just overturn Roe V Wade and move on. Oh no. In fact they plan on taking us back to the stone ages. Maybe even further than that.

Following the bombshell release of a draft decision showing a majority of US supreme court justices may overturn Roe v Wade, legal experts believe other laws about individual autonomy may be in danger, including the right to access contraception.

Laws broadly banning abortion may also prohibit certain forms of birth control that opponents incorrectly say are working as abortion-causing medications. And the supreme court decision underpinning the right to access contraception, Griswold v Connecticut, could also come under fire in much the same way as Roe did.

“If this [draft] opinion becomes the opinion of the court, Griswold is imperiled – no question,” said Wendy Parmet, faculty co-director for the Center for Health Policy and Law at Northeastern University.

Justice Samuel Alito, in his draft decision, argues that Roe is a faulty law. Roe is based on the 14th amendment, as are decisions like Obergefell v Hodges on same-sex marriage, Loving v Virginia on interracial marriage, and Lawrence v Texas on consensual sex.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/may/03/roe-v-wade-birth-control




Oh don’t boo just yet. it gets worse. So much worse. So if the hammer comes down on Roe, you can imagine that they won’t be hesitant to swing the hammer down on such other verdicts like Obergefell, Griswold, hell even Brown V Board Of Education! Did I say Obergefell? Oh that’s right, ha ha ha ha , that’s next week’s outrage. We’re about to go on our summer break and I swear every time we have gone on a break lately something bad happens. 2020, we go on break? Pandemic. 2021 we go on break, insurrection! 2022, we go on break? War and now the end of Roe! What’s next on their shitty agenda?

The Supreme Court's draft majority opinion document leaked by Politico and published late on Monday evening could overturn 50 years of constitutional protection for abortion rights—and potentially threaten other fundamental rights that have only been recently recognized after years of battling, including same-sex marriages.

In 2015, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the fundamental right of same-sex couples to marry in Obergefell v. Hodges, a landmark case for the recognition of LGBTQ+ rights. Now, the reasoning suggested by Justice Samuel Alito to overturn Roe v. Wade might threaten this and other recently recognized rights.

The 98-page leaked document shows that conservative Justice Alito, author of the document, wrote that Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey "must be overruled." The two cases are considered crucial in the history of abortion rights, with the Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973 establishing the right to abortion as a fundamental right, and Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992 reaffirming that ruling, although partially allowing for restrictions.

In the document obtained by Politico, which has not yet been independently verified but it's widely considered to be authentic, Alito writes that Roe and Casey must be overturned because "the Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision."
https://www.newsweek.com/what-obergefell-v-hodges-same-sex-marriage-overturned-next-1702883




Yeah now you can boo! Really, fuck the Christian right and the MAGA insurrectionists. These people are leeches. And they destroy practically everything they touch. At least there still will be states where abortion is permitted. But they will be few and far between. And yes, even those evil “leftist” states like my home state of California will be where it happens. But you know what? If the Christian right doesn’t like it, they can kindly fuck right off. And the door is that way. But it’s truly insane what they have brought on and it will be interesting to see where this takes the midterms.

(CNN)In the wake of last week's leaked Supreme Court draft opinion indicating the court may strike down Roe v. Wade, Americans are more urgently considering the possibility of a post-Roe reality in which abortion access is left in the hands of state legislatures.

The draft, which is a majority opinion that would overturn the landmark abortion rights case, does not guarantee the court's final opinion, and justices can change their votes and language before the final ruling is released.

But the prospect of overturning Roe has inflamed discussions about abortion access on the state level, where legislators would have substantial power to limit abortion rights in the event that Roe is no longer the law of the land.

An analysis by the Guttmacher Institute finds 23 states have laws in place to limit abortions, including 13 that have so-called "trigger bans" in place that are designed to almost immediately enact near-total bans on abortion if Roe is ever struck down.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/13/us/abortion-rights-access-states-roe-v-wade/index.html




But like I said – we have often underestimated the MAGA crowd at every turn. What we do know is that they are loud. They are vicious. They are angry. And they have a gargantuan propaganda network that supports their every move. But what are they angry about? That is still a mystery. Hell they had 5 years of a president with a controlling stake in Congress and the Senate and they got 3 SCOTUS picks, and they were STILL angry! So yeah this is definitely going to get worse before it gets better.

The leak of a draft Supreme Court decision to end the nationwide right to abortion has sparked speculation — including by President Biden — that other landmark rulings could now be on shakier ground, including those that legalized same-sex marriage and birth control.

"This is about a lot more than abortion," said Biden, speaking to reporters on Wednesday. "What are the next things that are going to be attacked? Because this MAGA crowd is really the most extreme political organization that's existed in American history — in recent American history."

In the draft, which was published by Politico on Monday, Justice Samuel Alito takes pains to say that the legal logic at the heart of the conservatives' decision to overturn Roe v. Wade would not apply to other cases.

"To ensure that our decision is not misunderstood or mischaracterized, we emphasize that our decision concerns the constitutional right to abortion and no other right. Nothing in this opinion should be understood.”
https://www.npr.org/2022/05/05/1096732347/roe-v-wade-implications-beyond-abortion




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[font size="8"]Ron DeSantis & Josh Hawley
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Well, the fight between the GOP and Disney because Disney was mean to Florida Man Ron DeSantis (Q – Batshit) over the dehumanizing Don’t Say Gay Bill isn’t going away any time soon. In fact, DeSantis and GQP senator Josh Hawley (Q – Insurrectionist) have upped the ante. So the last couple of weeks, we have talked about what a complete fiscal disaster the Florida state takeover of the special Disney district known as “Reedy Creek” is going to be. And we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what the financial implications for the residents of nearby Orlando counties are going to be. And the really sad and scary thing is that if they’re red counties, they probably don’t care. In fact they’re probably egging on DeSantis. So yeah imagine going broke to own the libs. That is where the MAGA crowd is at in 2022, and they’ll eat the cost – as long as it makes you miserable.

After stripping Disney of its special governing powers last month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis now says that he wants the state to take over the government body that has overseen the entertainment company's Orlando-area theme parks for half a century.

DeSantis, a Republican, told reporters Monday that it is fairer for other businesses if the state controls the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the special district that, since 1967, has essentially allowed the Walt Disney Company to control the land around its properties.

"The path forward is Disney will not control its own government in the state of Florida," DeSantis said. "Disney will have to follow the same laws that every other company has to follow the state of Florida. They will pay their fair share in taxes."

The remarks offered the first glimpse into DeSantis' plan for Reedy Creek after the governor and Republican lawmakers passed a new law last month to dissolve the district in a special session -- a move that critics have said was retaliation for Disney speaking out against a new Florida law that will limit what schools can teach about sexual orientation and gender identity. The fate of Disney, Florida's largest employer, and the district's existing debt remains unclear in the weeks after the contentious vote.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/16/politics/florida-disney-special-district-ron-desantis/index.html


v

Oh and don’t think that the MAGAs are done punishing Disney for having an independent thought that goes against the cult. They’re not just punishing Disney – they’re in the “thank you sir, may I have another” phase of the punishment process. Because they’re a bunch of sadists, that’s why. It’s not enough to have an independent thought. But if you go against the MAGA cult, they’ll keep punishing you until you eventually cave. These people are truly sick and disturbed. And once again, we have Fox News hosts to thank for this bullshit.

Florida Republicans may be in a political and regulatory feud with the Walt Disney Co., but they are as quiet as a mouse about the latest attack on the state’s largest private employer.

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri and potential rival to Gov. Ron DeSantis for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination, wants to strip Disney of its copyright of Mickey Mouse, the cartoon character whose popularity Walt Disney used to build a Florida empire.

“The age of Republican handouts to Big Business is over,” said Hawley in a statement introducing his bill in the U.S. Senate. “Thanks to special copyright protections from Congress, woke corporations like Disney have earned billions while increasingly pandering to woke activists. It’s time to take away Disney’s special privileges and open up a new era of creativity and innovation.”

Commentators in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Variety played the release of Hawley’s proposed Copyright Restoration Act of 2022 as the opening round of a DeSantis-Hawley match up for the GOP nomination — if former President Donald Trump chooses not to run.
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/18/josh-hawley-goes-after-disney-mickey-mouse-copyrights-ron-desantis-florida/9809478002/




Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Fuck Josh Hawley and Ron DeSantis. You know the next time your conservative friends and relatives start blasting “cancel culture”, then just show them what is happening to Disney. Then maybe they’ll shut up. Ah, who am I kidding? Nothing will get these idiots to shut up, nothing. Although there is some good news – and I love this angle of the story – is that Disney is actually more popular than Ron DeSantis is! You know what they say – you can take away a man’s job and his title, but you can’t take away their fans! Is that a saying? Well let’s say it is.

Disney is slightly more popular than Ron DeSantis, the Florida Governor who declared political war on the entertainment and theme park giant.

A survey commissioned by NBC News and performed by Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies asked 1,000 adults various questions, including tracking the popularity of Disney and Gov. DeSantis, who has spent recent months punishing one of the state’s flagship companies for opposing the state’s Parental Rights in Education law.

The poll showed Disney outperforming DeSantis in overall popularity, with 33% for Disney and 28% for DeSantis.

Both the entertainment giant and the political titan were above water in terms of net favorability: Disney +3, DeSantis +2.

Twenty percent of all respondents said they saw DeSantis in a very positive way. The same number saw him in a very negative way. Disney saw the same polarization, but with 15% at each extreme.
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/524972-disney-edges-out-ron-desantis-in-popularity-poll/




I kind of want to see Mickey Mouse get vengeance this way! But if you think we’ve heard the last of this, oh boy are you wrong! Ha ha! In fact this fight is just getting started! So Ron DeSantis thinks he can screw over Disney, but did he ever stop to think of his own citizens? Of course not. Because in this day and age, facts don’t matter. Only unfiltered and uncensored outrage does! So while Fox News may be done with their outrage du jour, they haven’t met the likes of the Orlando residents yet. Yeah they forget that democrats live in Florida too!

A group of Central Florida taxpayers are suing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over a recently signed law that would dissolve Walt Disney World's Reedy Creek special district.

The group are suing for two reasons. Firstly, they believe the obligations of Disney under that district will be passed on to area taxpayers (a fear echoed by Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings). They also think that Disney's First Amendment rights were violated when the state passed a law they admitted was punishing Disney for its criticism of the state's "Don't Say Gay" law.

Michael Foronda, Edward Foronda and Vivian Gorsky are named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, and they claim they. have standing because they will be on the hook for the district's former obligations. The lawsuit argues the end of Reedy Creek would "move these major regulatory burdens unto the county, thereby increasing the Plaintiff’s taxes, and will cause significant injury to plaintiffs.”

They claim the actions of the governor are a violation of protected First and 14th Amendment rights. They ask that the law be declared unconstitutional.
https://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/central-florida-taxpayers-sue-gov-ron-desantis-over-dissolution-of-disneys-reedy-creek-district-31529866





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[font size="8"]Alex Jones
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Another man who is practically synonymous with the reason why we can’t have nice things – Alex Jones is unfortunately back in the news. You know here’s the thing – it’s one thing to command an army of loyal supporters. It’s another thing to actually get people to buy your shit. Especially when you get into the business of “miracle cures” and protein supplements the way that Jones has. Allow me to lay down some knowledge here – there ain’t no such thing as a “miracle cure”! And things like bone broth may be overhyped to death by gym owners who apparently failed science class because they were too busy working out, so there’s also that. Oh yeah and did I mention the fact that he’s currently tangled up in a massive civil suit by the parents of the Sandy Hook tragedy? So yeah combine that with poor sales and you’ve got basically a recipe for going broke. I mean come on, being a pissed off out of shape conspiracy loving megalomaniac isn’t easy!

Far-right commentator Alex Jones gave an impassioned speech on a recent episode of his InfoWars show, demanding that viewers buy his products and give donations to fight an unspecified "enemy."

"[Support] our guests because everyone we have on is fighting with everything they have got," Jones screamed to his viewers in the video shared on Twitter and viewed over 40,000 times. "This is a war against you and your family of inflation and collapse."

"They know everyone is going to wake up in the midst of it and that is why they want to silence the leaders because they think they can then defeat you," he continued screaming. "So when you keep us in the fight, you keep yourself in the fight and this is life and death."

It's unclear what prompted Jones' rant, which continued with him calling on viewers to visit the InfoWars online store and buy their "amazing" products, as well as make a donation to both the site and guest Roger Stone's legal defense fund.
https://www.newsweek.com/alex-jones-infowars-viewers-banned-fight-enemy-products-shop-bankruptcy-1706080




You know I’ve always wondered – who is the enemy that Alex Jones claims to be fighting? And you know what, who is the enemy? Let us know in the comments! But here’s how desperate things are getting for MAGA insurrectionists – between Alex Jones holding an “emergency blow out sale” of Infowars crap to Mike Lindell creating a 24 hour internet site to hawk his terrible pillows – it’s getting really bad. And I’m not even going to mention insurrectionist Madison Cawthorn’s loss this week – oh no, we’re saving that for next week! But yeah, Alex Jones is getting to the “everything must go!” point.

Far-right talk show host Alex Jones is holding a bonanza sale of products on his InfoWars store after the site filed for bankruptcy on Monday.

Following the filing, Jones announced on his show that an "Emergency Blowout Sale" had gone live on his InfoWars store, telling his audience to patronize the store to support him.

"You want us to be able to stay on-air and be able to move forward in the future. I need you now to not wait and to go InfoWarsStore.com," Jones said. "Especially those of you that have never bought a book, never bought a film, never bought a t-shirt, never got a supplement, never got an air filtration, water filtration."

"Thousands of great items, books, you name it, at InfoWarsStore.com," Jones continued.

He also pointed supporters to a button on the site that would allow one to become an InfoWars "sponsor," which would involve a monthly or one-time donation.
https://www.businessinsider.com/alex-jones-holds-emergency-blowout-sale-after-bankruptcy-filing-2022-4




I have no idea what’s for sale at the Infowars store but for some reason I really do want to see a straw cowboy hat with the Infowars logo printed on it. Ha ha ha ha ha!!! Thanks, graphics department! But you know there’s desperate times in the MAGA world right now. And you know what the old saying is – desperate times call for desperate measures! When the MAGA world gets desperate, what do they do in response? They crank the hyperbole way past 11! That’s exactly what Mr. Jones is doing here – nobody is buying his shit, so he’s yelling even louder into his echo chamber.

InfoWars owner Alex Jones wants you to get out your wallet and spend. Stock up on B12 supplements and survival food and activated charcoal toothpaste.

During a recent livestream, with the bravado of a belligerent snake oil salesman, Jones warned his viewers that bad things will happen if they don’t buy his merch.

“When you keep us in the fight you keep yourself in the fight, and this is life and death!” he screamed, jabbing his index finger toward the camera. “So go to infowarsstore.com and get amazing products!”

Amazing products like tactical pens and coffee mugs and “Joe Biden Is a Loser” gear.

“If you don’t support us, you’re helping the enemy!” Jones continued. “And I’m not bitching at listeners; I’m telling you, this is all-out war!”

A war won by ordering beer koozies and shortwave radios and water filtration systems.
https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/alex-jones-directs-infowars-viewers-to-buy-products-in-matter-of-life-and-death-warns-of-all-out-war-14004874




Ha ha ha ha ha… excuse me a minute. I’m seriously convinced that you could sell just about anything to this crowd if you put the word “tactical” in front of it and sell it like the Deep State is trying to take your money and your guns away. “Come buy this tactical camouflage rock! It looks good and it protects your garden from the Deep State! It’s $39.99 and comes with a 9/11 is an inside job bumper sticker!”. Oh and by the way, Alex ain’t broke. In fact, he’s far from it. Any guesses as to how much money the Infowars store raked in because Alex took the MAGA crowd for suckers? Man, PT Barnum ain’t got nothing on this guy.

Hawking supplements and survival gear has been quite a lucrative business for Alex Jones. The conspiracy theorist raked in $165 million from the Infowars store over three years beginning in September 2015, all while begging his supporters to help him stay financially solvent, records obtained by Huff Post revealed on Friday.

Jones pleaded with a caller to his radio show to help him “pay the bills” as recently as Thursday. “I’m not going to stop growth and let them push us backwards,” he said in a typical appeal. “I need your help, Frank. I need your help!”

The bills Jones needs to pay aren’t for the cost of electricity at the Infowars studio. Jones is entering 2022 facing potentially massive legal expenses after losing yet another lawsuit stemming from his lies about the Sandy Hook shooting being fake.

The news about just how fast merchandise has flown off the shelves of the Infowars store — which is known for selling a variety of survivalist items, dubious brain supplements, and more — came as the result of a discovery request in a court case brought by a parent of one of the victims of the 2012 massacre. Jones lost the case last September, as he has several others that have been brought over his Sandy Hook lies, and his wallet has taken a hit.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/alex-jones-infowars-store-165-million-1281059/





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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 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! Please be seated! Thank you… thank you! You know last week we talked about how we tend to look at the bigger picture before looking at the smaller one. Well this week, we have both of those things. The bigger picture is that the insanity of Christian nationalism – a subject that has been weighing heavily on our minds lately and especially in the wake of the terrible tragedy in Buffalo this week. But the much smaller one is some of the candidates who are running for office who appear to air on the side of GAWD and JAYSUS and are anything but those candidates. No! Instead, they worship the unholy, ungodly Dark One! You know who I am referring to, of course! I speak of a man so foul, so depraved and disgusting that his name dare NOT be spoken in my church! See, that kind of rhetoric works both ways doesn’t it? So what happens when one Christian nationalist supports another Christian nationalist? Well you get Ohio’s Janet Porter (Q – Batshit) who might be one of the craziest candidates we’ve come across yet.

Rick Joyner, a dominionist leader and hard-right political activist, is urging his followers to support the congressional candidacy of anti-abortion activist Janet Porter, who is running in a crowded Republican primary in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District. The primary election is tomorrow, May 3.

Porter is best known for her campaigns to criminalize abortion, but as Right Wing Watch has reported, she is also a longtime opponent of LGBTQ equality and a promoter of extreme conspiracy theories about liberals’ supposed plans to “criminalize Christianity” and lock up conservatives in concentration camps.

Joyner has repeatedly warned that the United States is heading for civil war and claimed that God has “seeded our country” with “good militias” run by military veterans experienced in urban warfare.

During President Barack Obama’s second term, Joyner said that martial law—in his words, “a military takeover”—was the only hope to save the United States from destruction. Joyner is a big fan of former President Donald Trump; early in his administration, Joyner described opposition to Trump as “satanic,”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/christian-nationalist-rick-joyner-promotes-janet-porters-congressional-bid/




No! That’s not how this works! That’s not how any of this works! Martial law is not a good thing – it will only make things worse! And the people who are cheerleading the idea of martial law clearly have no clue how it works either. It’s truly insane what the people who worship the Dark One want. Do they want a free country or do they want a country ruled by a dictator and martial law? They say they want the former but they really want the latter! And if you think that’s an isolated incident, you are very very wrong, my friends!

Janet Porter, a longtime right-wing conspiracy theorist and religious-right activist, appeared on fellow radical right-wing activist Dave Daubenmire’s “Pass The Salt” program last month. Porter told Daubenmire that she hopes to take a lesson from the law passed in Texas that allows anyone to sue a clinic, doctor, or any person who facilitates an abortion for up to $10,000 and apply the same strategy to LGBTQ issues in public schools. The Texas law has had a chilling effect on reproductive centers in the state, and many have stopped providing abortions all together.

“Here’s what we learned in the state of Texas,” Porter said. “The motivation of abortion is money, and if we can take away that motivation; in other words, give citizens the right to sue any abortionist, anybody who aids or abets in the abortion—that’s the clinic escort, it’s the receptionist, it’s the insurance company—any citizen can sue for a violation of the Texas heartbeat law, and they’ll get $10,000 if they win their suit.”

“If we take the money away, the indoctrination stops,” Porter continued. “I’m on the board of the National Association of Christian Lawmakers, and I’ve drafted a bill—we’re going to present this in June to the legislators in all the 50 states—and the bill says we’re going to remove the protections. Right now, teachers, librarians, school board members; they’re all exempt from violating the state obscenity laws. Guess what? We’re gonna remove that exemption, and we’re gonna say parents have the right to sue when Johnny comes home with something that violates the state obscenity law. That’s grooming, and we’re going to sue. And guess what? We’re going to sue the teachers; we’re going to sue the school board members. And you want to know what? I think they’re going to think twice about pushing this garbage on our children.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/janet-porter-hopes-to-apply-the-strategy-behind-texas-heartbeat-bill-to-lgbtq-issues-in-public-schools/




Look, Ms. Porter, I say this with the utmost respect, or maybe disrespect in this case – but you do not give a shit about children. You might say you do, but you don’t. And I will say that your twisted world view and your batshit insane policies are only going to hurt more children then they’re going to help. As the late, great George Carlin once said – “If you really want to help kids, leave them the fuck alone!”. He was so right there. But this isn’t over. Especially when the Q Nuts and Dark One supporters enact their twisted fantasies to “protect the children”.

Americans woke up on Sept. 1 to a new reality: Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark legislation granting a woman a right to an abortion, was violently under attack through the passage of a new “heartbeat bill” in Texas.

That law—which bans abortion as early as six weeks into pregnancy, makes no exception for rape or incest, and allows private citizens to sue anyone who performs or aids a woman in getting an abortion—is the first so-called heartbeat bill to have become law and actually be enforced. The Supreme Court did not swoop in and prevent the law’s enforcement as some had hoped: That evening, the top court allowed the law to stand in a 5-4 decision, with the five right-wing lawmakers firmly in camp against Roe simply claiming it was a procedural issue that abortion providers had not addressed, voting in effect for Texan women to lose the right to abortion provided under Roe.

For Janet Porter, the Texas law was a dream come true. The longtime religious-right activist took to Rumble, a posterboard of her book, “A Heartbeat Away,” propped up in the background as she announced the news. “That makes Texas the first state in the nation to actually enforce their heartbeat law of the 14 states who have passed them,” she told the camera.

“Grasp this for a moment,” she said, ecstatic, a smile spread across her face, her hands gesturing in excitement. “There is a place in the United States where nearly every child facing abortion is now legally protected. It is historic.”
https://flux.community/right-wing-watch/kristen-doerer/2021/09/texas-abortion-bill-inspired-radical-christianist-activist-janet-porter




Holy shit! That is some absolutely insane thinking to think that a cluster of cells is a baby and that they are rejecting actual science in favor of “GAWD’s work”. I could spend all day debunking this kind of absolute nonsense and religious insanity. But I don’t have that kind of time! And by the way, Ms. Porter’s credentials are strong with supporters of the Dark One. In 2019 the list of people she campaigned for read like a who’s who of supporters of the Dark One. This is one of those things where the more you go down the wormhole, the more you realize these people are not like JAYSUS at all! They are more like the Dark One!

Stephanie Craddock Sherwood, who was an organizer for Planned Parenthood at the time, remembers that the hearing struck her as a grotesque kind of joke. “It was such a complete dog and pony show,” she said recently. “I was like, ‘There’s no way this will ever pass, because it’s so ridiculous.’” Craddock Sherwood, who now directs an abortion fund in Ohio called Women Have Options, laughed at the recollection. Then she sighed gloomily.

One reason it was hard to take the bill seriously was the woman behind it, Janet Folger Porter, who takes credit for the idea for the legislation and has a long history on the Christian right’s conspiratorial fringe. Her career is littered with dubious positions and projects, from engineering a prominent antigay “conversion therapy” ad campaign in the 1990s to promoting Obama birtherism to flirting with dominionism, the idea that Christians should govern the nation according to biblical law. Her endeavors have ranged from hateful to laughable, including ReaganBook, a short-lived social networking site she created as a conservative alternative to Facebook. During the Obama administration, she warned that the government might engineer food shortages and that swine flu could be used as an excuse to put citizens in internment camps. In 2017 she acted as a spokesperson for Roy Moore, the Senate candidate from Alabama accused of sexual misconduct with teenage girls.

The ultrasound hearing exemplified her performative approach to lobbying. In her attempts to push her abortion ban—which she and other supporters call a “heartbeat” bill—she sent legislators heart-shaped balloons, then teddy bears with mechanical hearts that thumped when they were squeezed. On Valentine’s Day in 2012, she sent 2,000 roses to state senators along with a note reading, “Bring this bill to a vote before the roses and babies die.”
https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/janet-porter-abortion-ban/




Yeah think of the children. Of course it’s because of freaks and psychos who worship the Dark One that we cannot have nice things! This isn’t what the LAwRD wants now is he? I need a drink, people. Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:




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[font size="8"]People Who Somehow Got Elected: Josh Hawley
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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 – Missouri’s Josh Hawley (Q – Insurrectionist). How did this guy get elected? Well, he’s white, speaks to white people directly, and is more charismatic than our former president is. And speaking of the former president and everything that he ruins, you might remember Josh from being the instigator at the January 6th Insurrection. Since then it’s become increasingly apparent that Hawley has no clue what he is doing despite being elected as a Senator from the state of Missouri. This week though he’s coming under fire for attempting to strip Disney of their copyright protections because they were mean to Fox News favorite Ron DeSantis. That’s right – the party that says that you shouldn’t interfere with private businesses are literally interfering with private businesses. It’s truly shocking and disturbing what the MAGA cult is doing to Disney so that Fox News can have good ratings.

Sen. Josh Hawley introduced a bill on Tuesday that aims to revoke Disney’s copyrights, as Republicans are seeking to outdo each other in attacking the “woke” corporation.

Hawley’s bill would dramatically rewrite U.S. copyright law, shortening the total term available to all copyright holders going forward by several decades. It would also seek to retroactively limit Disney’s copyrights, effectively stripping the company of much of its intellectual property, in a move that would face several legal obstacles.

“That is a blatantly unconstitutional taking of property without compensation,” said Prof. Paul Goldstein, an intellectual property expert at Stanford Law School.

Hawley’s move comes on the heels of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed a bill last month that aims to dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a 40-square-mile area that Disney controls in Orlando. DeSantis took the action in retaliation for Disney’s opposition to the Parental Rights in Education bill — dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by its opponents — that restricts classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity.
https://variety.com/2022/politics/news/hawley-copyright-disney-1235263563/




Of course it is, we wouldn’t expect anything less. Of course the MAGA crowd has never actually read the Constitution. They only like the imagery of the US Constitution. Which is why their bumper stickers and T-shirts never go very far beyond “We The People”. So Josh Hawley went and attacked a private business, and if there’s one thing that the conservative MAGA crowd has been saying for the last 15 years, it’s that you never, ever use the government to attack private businesses. And in case you’re wondering which side Hawley is on – he’s on the side of white insecure Christian fundamentalists who have to constantly be reminded that they are men.

Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri — you know, the fist-pump-for-fascism guy — has christened himself the Republican Party’s man whisperer. According to Hawley, American masculinity is under threat from Democrats, porn and video games.

Of course, Hawley and the conservative movement’s pitch about what it means to be a real man rests on their sales abilities. And what kind of lifestyle are people like Hawley pitching to wean men off Pokémon and pornos? Welp, let’s just say it’s a tough sell.

Over the weekend, Hawley attended the Stronger Men’s Conference, an event hosted by the ultraconservative James River Church in Missouri that's billed as a way to teach men “to live out God’s view of manhood.”

It was a two-day, all-male affair involving monster trucks, flames, bull riding for some reason and, of course, enough '80s electric guitar to fill a "Top Gun" soundtrack. Plus, a whole lot of preaching.
https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/hawley-stronger-mens-conference-rcna26899




Seriously if they think monster trucks and electric guitars and an all-male attendance are what it takes to be a man, then I’ve got a hot beefcake volleyball scene in a movie about war planes to show you! Oh did we go too far with that joke? It’s OK, we mean no harm by it. By the way, Josh, you can’t get mad at Disney for selling “woke” merchandise. You do it yourself. See, “wokism” goes both ways and if you’re selling merchandise that’s directly related to January 6th, doesn’t that make you “woke” yourself? Once again conservatives fail to get the message.

Taken as Hawley entered the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the image shows Missouri's junior senator raising his fist in support of demonstrators who had gathered to protest the certification of Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory.

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley’s campaign will continue selling merchandise featuring a photo of him pumping his fist in support of protesters the day a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol to overturn the outcome of the presidential election.

The photo in question was taken by a photographer for an energy and environment trade publication owned by Politico. Hawley’s campaign began last month selling coffee mugs and other items featuring an illustrated version of the photo.

Last week, Politico sent a cease and desist letter asking the campaign to stop selling items featuring the copyrighted image.
https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2022-03-21/josh-hawley-refuses-to-stop-selling-merchandise-featuring-his-pre-riot-jan-6-fist-pump




Yes, merchandising – that’s where the real money from the attempted coup of a democratic election is made! And by the way, speaking of coups, in case it wasn’t obvious by now whose side Josh Hawley is really on, well, he’s on Vladimir Putin’s side. That’s right – while most of the rest of the world is horrified at what Russia is doing to Ukraine, he’s on Vladimir Putin’s side. And his vote on a recent bill that would give Ukraine some very badly needed funds to help combat Putin’s dirty deeds, his “no” vote makes him stick out like a sore thumb.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger blasted Sen. Josh Hawley Wednesday after the senator criticized President Joe Biden for ordering troops to Europe as Russia ramped up its preparations for what could be an invasion of Ukraine, while calling on the White House to block Ukraine from joining the NATO alliance.

"I hate to be so personal, but Hawley is one of the worst human beings, and a self egrandizing con artist," Kinzinger wrote on Twitter. "When Trump goes down I certainly hope this evil will be laid in the open for all to see, and be ashamed of."

Insider caught up with Hawley Wednesday and showed him Kinzinger's tweet, which he was seeing for the first time.

"And what prompts this outburst?" Hawley asked. When we informed him that Kinzinger seemed to be taking issue with Hawley's stance on Ukraine's relationship with NATO, he laughed. "Weird," he said.

Responding to Hawley's comments in a tweet, Kinzinger said: "It is weird. We are in weird times. Like having a Senator more interested in pleasing Tucker and playing to worst instincts than leading. Denying Jan 6th truth despite fomenting it, among other things."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/adam-kinzinger-calls-josh-hawley-one-of-the-worst-human-beings-and-a-con-artist-after-the-senator-urges-biden-to-block-ukraine-from-joining-nato/ar-AATpns8




So participating in an insurrection against a fair and democratic election, selling crappy merchandise, attacking private businesses and attending the most manly men’s conference to ever manned. That’s Missouri senator Josh Hawley – a member of the Q – Insurrectionist party and another politician who’s inexplicably another one of the:






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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Welcome back to our segment where we attempt to explain the unexplainable, Conspiracy Corner! In times like these, when people simply don’t want to read past the headlines, they just make up the articles that follow them! We are coming to you live from our underground doomsday shelter from deep within the heart of the New Mexico badlands, undisclosed location of course! Just let me adjust my tin foil hat for maximum government interference – they are trying to read both yours and my thoughts, after al! So this week, you may have heard from your Fox News loving friends and relatives about a possible baby food shortage. Which is real and is happening. But who is to blame? There’s a lot of finger pointing and blame gaming happening on this subject. But conservatives, before you go off and blame the president for all the world’s problems like you normally do, you should probably go take a look in the mirror first.

Claims that Bill Gates invested in a company working to create lab-produced breast milk company just as the United States experiences a baby formula shortage are misleading. There is no evidence that the years-old investment has anything to do with the current shortage, the motives of which have been documented by Reuters and other media outlets.

Users making this allegation refer to an investment by a fund backed by Gates in company BIOMILQ. The company has said its product is “three-to-five years” away from being on the market.

“Whilst baby formula becomes scarce, Bill Gates begins promoting his new artificial breast milk technology. How very convenient,” one Twitter user wrote ( here ).

“Turns out, Bill “Macro Soft” Gates has been investing heavily in synthetic soy breast milk. He wouldn’t have anything to do with the baby formula shortage, would he? Create a problem (like Covid) and then step in with a “solution”?,” another one wrote ( here ).
https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-formula-gates/fact-check-bill-gates-investment-in-lab-produced-breast-milk-company-is-unrelated-to-baby-formula-shortage-contrary-to-posts-online-idUSL2N2X51RH




I swear if I were employed to be a fact checker in this day and age, I’d either be jumping off the roof or voluntarily committing myself. In the last two years we’ve covered some of the nuttiest, most batshit crazy conspiracy theories you can think of, and it honestly must suck to be a fact checker right now. I can only imagine some of the crazy Google searches they must have. But of course the fact that Bill Gates may be in on the baby formula shortage is only but one of the many ridiculous theories out there. Just like most things in this day and age, the further you go down the proverbial rabbit hole, the weirder it gets!

As has become customary online, conspiracy theories rushed in to fill the gaps between what’s actually happening and people’s worst fears about why. Conspiratorial social media users on both the left and the right jumped in to theorize all kinds of links to other current events, stoking fear in parents who are already genuinely afraid and looking for someone to blame for what’s going on.

As most conspiracy theories do, this one offers numerous different potential culprits, without providing evidence for the claims. But with numerous people looking for someone to blame, there isn’t much difficulty in directing people’s ire at any sort of inaccurate boogeyman.

In reality, the shortage is being caused by a number of factors, some of which are the same transportation and staffing issues plaguing a number of industries. By far, the biggest culprit was a February recall by Abbott Nutrition, the largest single manufacturer of formula, after two babies died due to possible bacterial contamination of product made at their plant in Sturgis, Michigan. The plant was temporarily shut down for extensive repairs and inspection, which will likely save lives in the long run. In the short term, it’s contributing to a massive problem and forcing parents to go to heroic lengths just to feed their babies.

For their efforts, the company is being lumped in with other current political demons, branded as baby killers and proponents of forced breeding, all for attempting to do the safe thing.
https://www.dailydot.com/debug/baby-formula-shortage-conspiracies/




Some of these people really should be committed. I mean come on, don’t companies like that have VOIP lines that can trace back calls? Sigh I can’t even. Which is why we’re holed up here in this underground doomsday shelter until Vladimir Putin unleashes the inevitable. And by the way, just like their obsession with Bill Gates, the conservatives’ obsession with the southern border just gets weirder and creepier, so it’s only natural that Sean Hannity would go there. Really they can’t just leave things alone, can they? It always has to be about them?

Fox News’ Sean Hannity shared photos that falsely claimed to show “pallets and pallets” of baby formula at the southern border that were reserved for “illegal immigrants,” which CNN quickly debunked, calling the “Fox and Friends” segment an “illuminating example” in “outrage creation.”

Rep. Kat Cammack (R – Florida) joined the Fox News host on Friday to talk about the national shortage of baby formula. She’s among several Republicans who have decried President Joe Biden over his decision to provide baby formula to migrant infants. Cammack has been on several Fox shows to express outrage over the issue and shared photos she said were given to her by a Customs and Border Patrol agent.

“Pallets and pallets of baby formula for illegal immigrants and their families even as hardworking American…families, we are now suffering a massive nationwide shortage,” Hannity lamented, showing the photos on-air.
Hannity and Cammack’s characterization of the photos, however, was debatable and, according to CNN Business managing editor Alex Koppelman, both misleading and incorrect. Koppelman, who authored a report on the matter for the Reliable Sources newsletter, said the packages contain powdered milk, not baby formula.
https://www.thewrap.com/sean-hannity-false-baby-formula-photo-cnn-debunks/




Sigh… I can’t even. Times like this really make me want to throw a brick at my TV and be done with it – it’s driving people nuts! And people like Sean Hannity clearly aren’t helping things. And by the way read the freaking articles, OK? It’s seriously disturbing when people start saying stupid shit about something that they have absolutely no clue what they are talking about and are just parroting whatever their talking head of choice is saying on the TV. Just stop it already! And don’t dilute formula or attempt to make your own either, that never works or ends particularly well. We know people are desperate, but come on, this is plain fucking stupid.

Several months into an infant formula shortage that has left store shelves bare, frazzled caregivers are becoming increasingly desperate to find the food they need to feed their children.

And when there just isn’t any formula to be found? Doctors and dietitians worry that families will unknowingly put their babies at risk with an unsafe work-around.

Infant formula was among the household essentials in short supply because of pandemic over-buying. A massive recall of formulas by Abbott in February has significantly worsened the problem, with some specialty formulas becoming nearly impossible to find.

“It’s a horrible position for families to be in,” said Jessica Libove, a certified lactation specialist and the lactation program manager for the Philadelphia Department of Health’s Division of Maternal, Child, and Family Health.
https://www.inquirer.com/news/baby-formula-shortage-homemade-recipe-pennsylvania-resources.html





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[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 I’m sure by now you know the idea of this segment is that we have some drinks and while we’re drinking we talk about literally anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics. Though this week we do have to bend the rules a little bit because they are somewhat political related. But that being said, we saw some absolutely bonkers celebrity protests last week. Tell me bartender, what goes well with a story about a vegan protest? A kale smoothie? Hell no. We need some alcohol. I need some Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. Well it doesn’t have any animal products does it? But here’s the thing – do we really need millionaire celebrities staging public protests to complain about a small increase in the cost of everyday goods? Is that the hill that you choose to die on? So I’m sure you heard by now about the completely insane protest staged by Succession actor James Cromwell at a Starbucks in New York City, and really this is why people have a problem with celebrities interfering in political discourse. And also too it’s a huge part of the reason why people hate PETA. Yes, that PETA – and this might be the most insane protest they’ve staged yet.

James Cromwell, one of the stars in "Succession," superglued himself to a counter of a Starbucks in New York protesting the chain's surcharge on vegan milks.

The incident, which happened Tuesday, was a protest coordinated with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Cromwell is a longtime supporter of the group and serves as an "Honorary Director." He's seen on video posted by the organization asking Starbucks to "stop charging more" for vegan milk.

Starbucks charges roughly 70 cents extra for a dairy alternative, which includes soy, coconut, almond and oat milks, depending on the US city. The chain recently dropped the surcharge at its United Kingdom stores.

"My friends at PETA and I are calling on Starbucks to stop punishing kind and environmentally conscious customers for choosing plant milks," Cromwell said in a press release from PETA. "We all have a stake in the life-and-death matter of the climate catastrophe, and Starbucks should do its part by ending its vegan upcharge."
https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/11/business-food/james-cromwell-starbucks-protest/index.html




On one hand I get his point. Why should Starbucks charge more for vegan alternatives? But on the other hand – if you superglue your hand to a Starbucks counter, that’s not hurting Starbucks. That’s hurting you – and it’s going to really hurt you when you try to remove said hand from said counter. But this right here is a perfect example of why people hate groups like PETA. Because they are a nuisance. Yeah in this society, you have to do things like this to get noticed. But like we said, when you pull stupid shit like this, you’re not hurting the person who you are targeting. You are only hurting yourself.

Cromwell sat on the Starbucks counter wearing a "Free the Animals" T-shirt and read a statement denouncing the surcharge for vegan milk alternatives.

"When will you stop raking in huge profits while customers, animals and the environment suffer?" he demanded as fellow activists streamed the protest on Facebook.

Cromwell glued his hand to the counter, then later used a knife to scrape it off. Police said there were no arrests.

Starbucks outlets in the United States charge 50 cents to a dollar more for drinks made with plant-based milks.

"Customers can customize any beverage on the menu with a non-dairy milk, including soymilk, coconutmilk, almondmilk, and oatmilk for an additional cost (similar to other beverage customizations such as an additional espresso shot or syrup)," a Starbucks spokesperson said in a statement. "Pricing varies market by market."
https://www.npr.org/2022/05/11/1098162254/succession-actor-james-cromwell-glues-hand-starbucks-counter-protest




Oh yeah that’s what I needed! But another person who needs to be called out for a bizarre protest is another group who we’ve made fun of time and time again – GOOP. And here’s the thing, GOOP – actual struggling families don’t need a freaking millionaire actress like Gwyneth Paltrow telling people that the cost of a necessary good like diapers are too expnsive? Well I will say “maybe” because Ms. Paltrow has influence and of course millions of dollars. But maybe using GOOP to sell a $120 diaper isn’t exactly the message we need here.

An infuriating ad for luxury disposable diapers is actually a campaign against diaper taxes.

The ad/anti-tax protest comes from goop, a lifestyle brand—founded and run by actress Gwyneth Paltrow—known for its often ridiculous (and pricey) wellness products and woo-woo sensibility.

Goop's "The Diapér" was advertised as a "disposable diaper lined with virgin alpaca wool and fastened with amber gemstones, known for their ancient emotional-cleansing properties." The Diapér is "infused with a scent of jasmine and bergamot for a revitalized baby," goop posted yesterday on Instagram. "Dropping tomorrow at 11a.m. EST at $120 for a pack of 12."

Many weren't sure what was going on. Surely, not even the rich and famous could justify such a ridiculously decadent, wasteful, and pricey product to catch baby poop? Then again, this is goop, which sells things like Yoni eggs—meant to be inserted in the vagina to "harness the power of energy work, crystal healing, and a Kegel-like physical practice."
https://reason.com/2022/05/12/gwyneth-paltrows-alpaca-wool-gemstone-encrusted-diaper-isa-tax-protest/




You seriously just know that there’s an entrepreneur out there who’s going to market a diaper that costs $120 based off this ad. It’s literally the baby equivalent of Trump’s toilet. But thankfully from this protest we can learn that they probably don’t have much of an effect on anyone who can actually do something to change the policy. James Cromwell and Gwyneth Paltrow may have good intentions with their protests, but really most people see them as publicity stunts and that’s about it. This won’t actually change policy, but it will make for some great late night comedy.

Gwyneth Paltrow has confirmed Goop's $120 "luxury" diapers were a stunt designed to protest against taxes.

The 'Iron Man' actress' lifestyle brand caused a stir earlier this week when they claimed they were about to start selling disposable nappies "lined with virgin alpaca wool and fastened with amber gemstones" that would retail "$120 for a pack of 12", but she's now come clean and admitted the firm wanted to "shine a light on a real problem", the fact many families struggle to afford the necessity for their little ones because of the high rate of tax they face.

She said: "Goop launched a luxury disposable diaper at $120 for a pack of 12 and there was a lot of outrage. Good. It was designed to p***us off. Because if treating diapers like a luxury makes you mad, so should taxing them like a luxury.

"The Diapér is a fake product meant to shine a light on a real problem.
https://www.thesalemnewsonline.com/lifestyles/entertainment/article_4fc7fa98-c996-5f5e-b028-37acea43480e.html





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[font size="8"]Stupidest State 2022
[br] [/font]
[br]

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



Here we are at the Final Four, people! It’s been quite the tournament as both favorites Florida and Texas were both knocked out early. Last week, Nebraska put on a show and upstaged Fiscal Irresponsibility favorite Kansas by a whopping 17 points! And you know what? This year the Final Four has a whopping 3 #4 seed players, it’s stunning! Now let’s introduce the Final Four, shall we? Representing the Batshit Conference – Georgia! Representing the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference – Nebraska! Representing the Gun Nut Conference – Missouri! And finally representing the Family Values Conference – Tennessee! It’s time, we are live at the home of the USC Trojans, the Galen Center in Los Angeles for all the action! Let’s go to the floor, shall we?

[font size="4"]Layover League Championship: Georgia Vs Nebraska [/font]

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


Ah the Peach State. Yes, they were a Blue State in 2020. But there are reports that the Peach State could be swinging the other way. However, the defeat of Madison Cawthorn this week is giving us hope that we can get rid of Marjorie Taylor Greene! And there is some good news for that! At least for now – everyone knows that Georgia is home to one of the worst governors in the country, Brian Kemp. But did you know that he had a fundraising advantage over his democratic challenger? Yeah the party that makes claims about rigging elections is very actively rigging elections!

In his ruling, Cohen wrote, “Allowing Governor Kemp’s re-election campaign to be the beneficiary of unlimited contributions raised through a leadership committee he chairs while, at the same time, Abrams is restricted to the statutory limit of $7,600 by Georgia law is ‘antithetical to the First Amendment.’

“The public has no legitimate interest in the enforcement of an unconstitutional statute.”

(snip) Statewide candidates, such as those running for governor, are currently allowed to raise $7,600 from individual donors for the primary and again for the general election, plus $4,500 per runoff.

In contrast, Kemp’s leadership committee had taken checks up to $250,000 from individual donors in its first few months of operation.

As of Jan. 31, Kemp’s leadership committee had taken in at least $2.3 million since it was formed in July. That is on top of the $12 million the governor has reported having in his campaign account.
https://www.ajc.com/politics/fed-judge-curtails-law-giving-kemp-fundraising-advantage-over-abrams/QIA7JNPI2JHTRIXPXSI7PTB2VI/?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_4172582




Well fucking duh! Of course someone like Brian Kemp is going to win elections if he has more money than the other guy. And again really, how else do you explain Marjorie Taylor Greene? There’s absolutely no way that someone like that should have even been considered for office. But with the recent leak of the Roe V Wade draft, many are siding with the Christian cult that’s taking over this country and pushing for a total abortion ban. We wonder what the over / under is on them actually going through with this.

The jockeying to win over conservative voters ahead of the upcoming May 24 primary has prompted many leading Republican candidates to support an all-out ban on abortion that even key activists aren’t aggressively pursuing.

Polarizing primary campaign politics emboldened many top Georgia GOP candidates to take strident positions on abortion even before a leaked opinion suggested the U.S. Supreme Court may strike down the constitutional right to the procedure.

As Democrats try to channel fury over the potential ruling into electoral energy, Republicans are contending with pressure for added restrictions that go well beyond the state’s 2019 anti-abortion law if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

Now what was once a fringe idea among some social and religious conservatives — a complete ban on abortion, without exceptions for rape and incest — is now a part of the platforms of GOP favorites.

Read more: https://www.ajc.com/politics/once-a-fringe-idea-many-georgia-republicans-now-push-for-total-abortion-ban/V3AWSIBRE5FXFKK2QMHQDAECYA/




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


You know – here’s a question that we’ve been contemplating – what does the “conservative” party actually conserve? Well if you’re Pete Ricketts of Nebraska (Q – Batshit), the only thing you really conserve is money. And white people. But when an actual conservation effort comes along, they really don’t do anything about it. Why? Because since Trump came along, the only thing that the conservative party likes to do is to “own the libs”. They really don’t give a shit about anything else anymore. But that’s it – that’s all they do!

Gov. Pete Ricketts will welcome national conservative figures to Lincoln this Earth Day for a conference opposing President Joe Biden’s goal of conserving 30% of the nation’s land and water by 2030.

Guests include a former secretary of the interior under President Donald Trump and Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert.

An envelope from the Texas-based nonprofit American Stewards of Liberty emblazoned with “Invitation from Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts" included information about the Friday conference, along with letters from Ricketts and Margaret Byfield, executive director of the Texas group, who called it “one of the most important events” of the year.

“I would like for you to join me in Lincoln, Nebraska, next month for the first national summit to Stop 30 x 30,” Ricketts’ letter reads. “We are bringing together national, state and local leaders to learn how the administration is attempting to implement the program and what we can do to prevent this.”

Read more: https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/ricketts-hosting-national-conservative-figures-at-event-opposing-biden-conservation-effort/article_e0723bfb-c455-5fd2-ad34-2a3d8e6bbf8f.html




Oh come on people, stop your rabbling! But this is ridiculously insane – Joe Biden actually wants to make America “beautiful” like the song suggests. And conservatives are doing everything in their power to stop it. And come on, Pete Ricketts - you can make a stadium beautiful, but shouldn’t you be doing it for your country too? It’s funny how the party that claims to love America really doesn’t do anything about it beyond just spouting symbols and imagery. Ugh, I can’t even.

Conservation groups on Thursday lambasted claims by Gov. Pete Ricketts and a property rights group that a presidential proposal to restore forests and river banks, enhance federal conservation efforts and protect endangered species is a “land grab.”

Officials with the Nebraska Farmers Union, Nebraska Wildlife Federation and other conservation groups said President Joe Biden’s “America the Beautiful Initiative,” initially called the “30-by-30” plan, is a voluntary program to enlist farmers and ranchers in conserving more land to benefit wildlife and combat climate change.

John Hansen, president of the Farmers Union, said Ricketts and other opponents of the plan are using “conspiracy theories, misinformation and mischaracterizations” to spread fear and distrust about voluntary federal conservation programs that have provided millions of dollars to landowners.

“What they are doing, unfortunately, is very hurtful and irresponsible,” Hansen said.

The comments come as Ricketts and a Texas-based landowner rights group called “American Stewards of Liberty” will be hosting an all-day “Stop the 30×30 Summit” in Lincoln on Friday.

Read more: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/21/conservation-officials-blast-gov-ricketts-opposition-to-america-the-beautiful-initiative/




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

Whoa this was a close one, but Georgia has pulled it out with 10 unanswered points! Nebraska is trailing with a minute left… Georgia for three… YES! And that will do it folks! Georgia moves onto their second NFFSA championship! Nebraska will go home! Final score: 97 – 84. They are celebrating on the court and they will move onto Inglewood! Cut that net, guys, you earned it!



[font size="4"]Flyover League Championship: Missouri Vs Tennessee [/font]

[font size="4"] Missouri [/font]


The Show Me State loves them some guns. And they also love them some crazy people. And their love of guns propelled them above fan favorites Texas and Florida to the top of the NFFSA heap. While the last few weeks, we’ve talked about their extremely controversial “2nd Amendment Support Act”, well, it gets crazier from there. And we all laugh at Texas for how much they love guns and it’s even been the subject of jokes in TV shows, stand up comedy, and movies for years. But then again there’s Texas, and Missouri comes along saying “Hold my 9mm”.

Missouri is trying to stop a Department of Justice lawsuit against its aggressive gun law by contending state officials aren’t responsible for enforcing the measure— an argument that echoes Texas’ defense of its novel abortion law.

When Gov. Mike Parson signed the Second Amendment Preservation Act, or SAPA, last June, the law led to fear and confusion among police chiefs and sheriffs. It prohibits state and local law enforcement from enforcing certain federal firearms laws.

Some departments reacted by restricting cooperation with federal authorities, such as joint drug task forces, or limiting gun serial number information sent to federal databases. In one case, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper released a federal fugitive.

Police chiefs told The Star that nearly a year after the law was signed, uncertainty remains over its limits and requirements.
https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article261298257.html




And then folks you know that the COVID-19 pandemic is still very much a thing. And while cases and deaths are down to record levels, we’re still not getting rid of the virus any time soon. But there’s only one thing you can do to protect yourself – get the damn vaccine. And get boosted. What won’t help is taking Ivermectin. But lawmakers in Missouri don’t care about that. In fact they’re actually figuring out ways to make doctors give it to you as an option!

A bill coming out of the Missouri state legislature would bar pharmacists from questioning and potentially preventing ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine prescriptions.

The measure that would put this rule into effect was included in HB 2149, a bill that broadly concerns professional licensing. The bill passed the Missouri state House by an overwhelming majority on Thursday, 130-4, according to The Kansas City Star. It will now be sent to the desk of Republican Governor Mike Parson to potentially be signed into law.

As worded, the bill would bar pharmacists in the state from contacting patients or doctors "to dispute the efficacy of ivermectin tablets or hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets for human use." The measure also prevents doctors who "lawfully" prescribe either of the drugs from being stripped of their professional licenses or otherwise punished.
https://www.newsweek.com/missouri-bill-bars-pharmacists-questioning-ivermectin-prescriptions-1706709




[font size="4"]Tennessee [/font]


The Volunteer State propelled to the top of the Family Values Conference for an absolutely batshit insane proposed law that would eliminate the legal age requirement for marriage! That’s right – they actually go there. And here’s the absolutely batshit crazy thing about this law – is that they wanted this law only to apply to heterosexual couples. Yes, so that means that remember like Ted Nugent’s song “Jailbait”? That could potentially be a real thing. And it’s completely fucking scary. Conservatives really seem keen on taking us back to the stone ages, don’t they?

Child marriage has increasingly become a growing concern in the U.S., leading children safety advocates to demand legislators enact laws against the practice.

However, 44 states have legalized – or done nothing to outlaw – child marriage while 20 do not require a minimum age for marriage, with a parental or judicial waiver.

Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Minnesota and Delaware have set the minimum age for marriage at 18. In addition, lawmakers in each state have eliminated all exceptions to the statute.

The issue of child marriage came to the fore again this month when a Tennessee measure that failed to include a minimum age for marriage failed to advance primarily because Republican lawmakers wanted the law applied only to heterosexuals.
https://www.washingtoninformer.com/advocates-say-proposed-tennessee-law-reawakens-horrors-of-child-marriage/




Gee, you think? And by the way you know what else makes Tennessee ridiculously one of the craziest states in the country? Book burnings! That’s right – the conservative Christians actually want to go there and ban books. But they’ve already banned them! And what’s even worse – they actually want to burn them! You know what they say about repeating history – the country that bans and burns books is about to do some really evil shit. It’s no secret where the conservative movement is heading, and get ready they are going to become pure evil in the next few years.

HB 2666/SB 2247 is headed to Tennessee governor Bill Lee’s desk for approval. The bill gives oversight to all material in school libraries to the state, as librarians will now be required to submit a list of every book in their collection to the Tennessee state library commissioner for approval. Materials must be age and maturity level appropriate for students, and then once approved by the state library commissioner, be submitted to a state-created committee for further approval. Until approved by that commission, students will not have access to material in their school library.

This draconian bill is among the dozens being implemented in states across the US that take the power of the professional librarian away from their job and puts collection development into the hands of lawmakers.

While debating the bill in the House, Democratic State Representative John Ray Clemmons asked Republican State Representative Jerry Sexton what he would do with the books deemed “inappropriate” for the collection.
https://bookriot.com/tennessee-book-ban-bill/




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

Holy shit folks, we’ve got a massive upset brewing here! Wow, we never thought we’d see this, but Tennessee has pulled through with a whopping 15 point advantage over Missouri! They are set to take the Flyover League with a stunning 15 point victory! 30 seconds left and they have already begun the post-game festivities! That’s all she wrote, folks! Tennessee advances to their first NFFSA Conference Championship and Missouri goes home, they are stunned! Final score: 105 – 91! Tennessee celebrates with a victory! Cut that net guys, you earned it!



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

This is it folks! We are here at the championship! We are going to be live at the fabulous Kia Forum in Inglewood, California live with all the festivities! Georgia. Tennessee. We will have the game, the net cutting, the trophy presentation, and the closing ceremonies!


[font size="4"]And Now This:[/font]
[font size="4"]Deftones[/font]

Folks, my next guest are touring behind their excellent 2020 album called “Ohms”, you can see them live through June 15th. Playing their song “Genesis” from their album “Ohms”, give it up for Deftones!



Thank you, Santa Ana! See you next week for the season 12 finale! Holy crap, season 12 has gone by fast, hasn’t it? See you next week!

Credits

Host: Initech
Deftones Appear Courtesy Of: Reprise Records
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded In Front Of A Live Audience at: Constellation Room at Observatory OC, Santa Ana, California
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Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo

May 5, 2022

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-14: Honey, I Shrunk The District Edition


Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-14: Honey, I Shrunk The District Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Yo! What’s up, Burbank? How you guys doing? You doing fucking good? Great! It's always great to be back in our former home during the pandemic and not in front of a blank blue void either! We actually have a real audience now! Ah, Stella Artois, the king of beers! So can we tell you the big announcement before we get going? So we announced this on Twitter last week. We were combing through the Top 10 archives and we discovered that August 9th is the fifth anniversary of the debut of our very favorite religious themed segment Holy Shit, something that we have made a permanent weekly fixture since the week it was debuted and have even spun it off into its’ own series. So with that said, our August 11th edition will be dedicated exclusively to bringing you the best of Holy Shit and we have something big planned for that. Do we have time for the thing? Of course we do! So we almost thought about making a full “I Need A Drink” out of this one and we still might do it depending on how things go. So I had a ton of people request this story. I’m sure you heard by now of the Florida Man who was accused of attempting to fight Mike Tyson? Well guess what? It happened again! That’s right – days after Mike Tyson punched out a guy for provoking him on an airplane, another man attempts to fight him. And guess what? Same result! You know the old saying about playing stupid games and winning stupid prizes, right? And remember that scene in the Hangover when Zach Galaifinakis gets punched out by Mike Tyson? Yup, same result! So I guess the legends are true – do not fuck with Mike Tyson. Because it will end very badly for you. We might have to do an “I Need A Drink” next week for this one. OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and this week he talks about environmental racism:



So where do we begin this week? In the number one slot this week we have to talk about Elon Musk (1) because his attempt to take over Twitter is backfiring on him big time and also causing him to lose billions. That’s right. BILLIONS. Where’s Nelson when you need him? In the number 2 slot this week is our old buddy Ron DeSantis. Yes, he’s actually escalating his feud with Disney and it’s costing the residents of Florida big time. Why does anyone still vote for these clowns? We have a war and disease to worry about and he’s focusing on Mickey Mouse being mean to him! Sigh. In the number 3 slot this week is Vladimir Putin (3). So the Russia – Ukraine war isn’t ending any time soon and while we have talked a lot of shit about the war, we’re finally asking the question this week – how does it all end? At the number 4 seed this week is That Former Guy (4). We haven’t been paying much attention to his idiot rallies lately but we have noticed that they’re drawing smaller and smaller crowds. Will Trump eventually be opening up for petting zoos soon? In the number 5 slot this week is also Donald Trump (5) because the Grand Jury in his Georgia election fraud trial is heating up and he might finally have to answer for all of his crimes! In the number 6 slot this week, is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6) and this week our resident pastor has finally had enough of Georgia’s batshit crazy Q Anon Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, and we decided that we’re going to debunk some of her crazier theories right now. In the number 7 slot this week is a new People Who Somehow Got Elected (7) and after a series of escalating scandals, we’re finally adding North Carolina’s Madison Cawthorn (Q – Batshit) to that ever-growing list! Taking the number 8 slot this week is a new edition of Conspiracy Corner (8). And this is one of those “why is this not bigger news?” kind of segments because MAGA loving conspiracy theorists are taking over voting systems in a number of states, and they’re all getting busted for fraud. It’s very alarming! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!!) slot this week we have a new “I Need A Drink” (9) and we have to talk about the part of the male anatomy known as the penis, because America ranks near the bottom of the pack and the rest of the world isn’t doing much better, though a shocking contender for largest in the world has emerged! And we’re going to make lots of jokes here, that you can rest assured! Finally this week it’s time for Stupidest State 2022!! Yes, cue the reggaeton horn! It’s Round 2 Week 4, which means that last, but certainly not least is the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference finals! Kansas. Nebraska. One wins, the other goes home! Plus to top things off, we have some live music from St. Paul & The Broken Bones! Really, buy their new album “The Alien Coast” or you’re no friend of this program. Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

By the way, we will *NOT* get to the SCOTUS decision on Roe V Wade this week. We’re waiting until the dust settles and trust us, we’ll have *PLENTY* to talk about in our 5/18 edition!

[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"]Elon Musk
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Imagine spending $200 to be a dick and buy out Weinerschnitzel’s chili dog supply so nobody else gets a chili dog. Now imagine paying $44 billion to be a dick and buy out one of the world’s most popular social media platforms to make it a haven for alt right racists and sexists. Now imagine that backfiring on you spectacularly. So Elon Musk, the Tesla and Space X CEO has been having what one would call a “bit of a week”. So what does an actual technology executive think of Musk’s planned hostile takeover? Well, according to Bill Gates, the ex-CEO of Microsoft, is not good. And I’m using that in the utmost technical language. And you know how anti-vaxxers are doing everything to not take the vaccine and convince you of how righteous they are by not taking it? Well that’s exactly what Elon is doing by taking over Twitter. His intentions for the platform are very bad. And if you think things are bad now, I’ve often said that Mr. Musk is literally a furry cat and an island fortress away from being a full blown James Bon d villain. And this might make him the next Ernst Starvo Blofeld.

Bill Gates said he's unsure what Twitter's future will look like under Elon Musk's guidance.

"He actually could make it worse," Gates said at an event hosted by The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. "That's not his track record. I mean his track record with Tesla and SpaceX is pretty mind blowing at putting together a great team of engineers and taking the people who work in those fields in a less bold way and really showing them up. I kind of doubt that will happen this time, but we should have an open mind and never underestimate Elon."

Last week, Twitter accepted Musk's roughly $44 billion buyout offer. The deal is expected to close within the year, pending approval from shareholders and regulators.

"If all you need is money and hiring great engineers, he's probably as good a person as any," Gates said.
https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-never-underestimate-elon-musk-twitter-moderation-vaccines-free-speech-2022-5




He’s not a monster, he’s just a troll. You want to know how he could make things even worse? By charging people to use it. Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! That’s right – he could soon start charging businesses and celebrities money to use what is normally a free platform. So if you’re keeping score at home – he wants racists and sexists to be able to roam free, while any serious users of the platform will get hosed. This is a shocking level of evil.

Elon Musk has said that businesses and governments may soon need to pay a “slight cost” to use Twitter just weeks after announcing he plans to buy the social media platform for $44 billion.

The tech billionaire, who is also the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, added in a post late Tuesday that the platform will continue to be free for “casual users.”

It’s unclear how much Musk would like to charge businesses and governments, or whether certain groups such as non-profits and journalists would be exempt from any imposed fees.

Twitter declined to comment when contacted by CNBC.

Over the years, Twitter has failed to make anywhere near as much money as other social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/04/elon-musk-says-twitter-may-charge-businesses-and-governments.html


?auto=webp&s=23d345de917aedd7fc3e49141c1d2be107ef3d7f

Uh… call you a pedophile just for asking? OK I stole that joke from Honest Trailers. Sue me. But come on, it was good enough to warrant seconds! But if you think news outlets are bad behind a paywall, just wait until it comes for Twitter. I mean come on, there’s profit to be had, people! And Elon’s gone from full CEO to social media influencer. The bad thing is that it’s costing his other businesses like Tesla some major coin. And the Tesla shareholders aren’t having any of it.



Tesla shares fell 12% Tuesday to $876, pushing the stock down more than 28% from its all-time high in November and wiping $25 billion from Musk's fortune and $128 billion from Tesla's market capitalization, which now stands at $906 billion.

"Tesla shareholders can’t be happy that Musk will have to divert even more attention away from winning the electric-vehicle race," Oanda analyst Edward Moya wrote in emailed comments, echoing concerns from Vital Knowledge Media's Adam Crisafulli, who also attributed the plunge to investor concerns about how Musk will finance his Twitter bid.

In a filing last week, Musk disclosed he's secured $46.5 billion in financing for the Twitter deal, including more than $20 billion in loans from Morgan Stanley and another $21 billion in equity financing, making it very likely he'll need to sell Tesla shares and pledge some as collateral to make the deal work.

As the stock plunged Thursday when Twitter confirmed receipt of the unsolicited takeover proposal, Wells Fargo analyst Colin Langan cautioned Tesla shareholders that the risk of Musk selling even more shares could put pressure on the stock, as it did when the 50-year-old teased sales (that did ultimately happen) late last year.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2022/04/26/tesla-stock-plunge-wipes-out-128-billion-in-value-as-twitter-deal-sparks-fears/?sh=4c13988476f7




Holy shit!!!!!!!!!! $128 billion! Fuck! That’s like ½ the gross domestic product of like ½ the countries in Africa combined. Maybe even some of Europe too. Just think of what you could do with that money, and now think of the missed opportunities now that that money is gone. Sorry, money, your money’s happiness is all that monies. Now how is Elon recuperating all that money? He’s selling fucking flash drives, memecoins, and NFTs. That’s right – NFTs. You know, talk about the 21st century equivalent of fool’s gold. Because you have to be a fool to buy this stuff.

Elon Musk on Wednesday changed his profile picture on Twitter to an image featuring various avatars from the Bored Ape non-fungible token collection, sending the price of the project’s digital token soaring.

ApeCoin, the token launched by Bored Ape creators Yuga Labs, surged 19% in an hour at around 8 a.m. ET to a daily high of $17.64 following Musk’s profile picture change, according to Coinbase data. It’s since pared back its gains and was last trading at about $15.43.

It’s not clear whether Musk actually bought a Bored Ape NFT. The billionaire liked a tweet from Michael Bouhanna, an executive at auction house Sotheby’s, who said the image was “created for our Sotheby’s sale.”3

“Happy to send you the original file minted with the buyer approval,” Bouhanna wrote in the tweet.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/04/apecoin-token-surges-after-elon-musk-twitter-profile-change.html





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[font size="8"]Ron DeSantis
[br] [/font]
[br]

Fox News has way too much power in this country. And some people watch it too damn much and it’s driving them insane. One particular example is our old buddy, Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who wants to be liked by the Fox News crowd so much that he’s doing some pretty evil and dumb shit just to please them and maybe get him a good mention on Hannity and some points with some Parler influencers. We need a good title for this entry. Nah. Nah. Nah. OK that’s a great one! Honey, I shrunk the district! I mean shit, that’s why you don’t elect social media trolls to any position of power. But Ron DeSantis and Fox News both definitely stepped in it this week. As his war on Disney is reaching ridiculous proportions, and his quest to dissolve Disney’s special Reedy Creek district is out of control. See, kids? This egg is your brain. This egg is your brain on Fox News. Any questions? Thought so. That shit rots your brain. And when you see what it’s going to do to the people of Florida, well, is it any wonder why people still vote for these clowns? If I was in Florida I’d be rioting in the streets over this.

Disney (DIS) versus DeSantis.

As the media conglomerate continues to grapple with the aftermath of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis revoking the company's special tax district, business leaders around the globe are contemplating their own company values as political issues take center stage.

"I don't think [Disney CEO Bob Chapek] did his homework," Bill George, a Harvard Business School professor and former chairman and CEO of medical device company, Medtronic, told Yahoo Finance.

"We're in a different world today — he was acting like he was back in the 1990s. In this world of 2022, you have all kinds of stakeholders who expect you to take a position, especially your employees," the professor continued, adding that workers today have found their voice "particularly in this post-COVID world."

"They want to be respected and heard, and they want their CEOs to speak on their behalf," he said, saying that Bob Chapek's silence on the Parental Rights in Education Act, or what critics have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill, created the "uproar" that eventually led to the political crossfire with DeSantis.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/disney-vs-de-santis-chapeks-dont-say-gay-fumble-a-warning-to-ce-os-says-harvard-professor-142706701.html




Yeah you don’t mess with the mouse, man! He’s a bad ass! But here’s the thing – people who love pop culture love Disney. Who doesn’t? They own pretty much every property you could ever care about – Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, every animated movie ever made that’s worth a damn… sorry, Illumination but it’s true. Well anyway all fanboy fare siding, what I’m getting at is you don’t want to mess with Disney fans, for they are a very vocal bunch. I should know, I live 15 minutes from Disneyland and I should go there more often but it’s just too damn expensive. Well, anyway don’t mess with the mouse.

There's an old military adage that if you're taking heavy flak, it must mean you are over the target. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has released a payload of consequences onto the Walt Disney Company for its decision to fight policies designed to protect children from sexual content in their earliest years of education. The company invited even more negative attention when voices inside its power structure made clear its intent to push LGBTQ themes into multiple corridors of entertainment for children.

Moving at head-spinning speed, the Florida legislature passed, and the governor signed, a bill stripping Disney of a massive tax advantage it has enjoyed since 1967—a special district that allows Disney to self-govern the massive tract of land in Florida where the Walt Disney World theme park has thrived. The company has been responsible for providing services like roads, power, water and even firefighting in return for billions in relief from taxes and fees.

The reaction has ranged from strong praise for DeSantis for standing up to the latest wave of corporate wokeness, to condemnation from Disney defenders accusing him of suffocating the company's right to free expression, to, in a characteristically shrill New York Times headline, an "assault on democracy."
https://www.newsweek.com/pushback-against-desantis-proves-value-his-battle-disney-opinion-1701983




Somehow I don’t think we’ll see Mickey Mouse becoming a giant and destroying Orlando, but don’t think it couldn’t happen! You don’t know! But the fact is that Ron DeSantis is going full tyrant and it’s not going to end well for him. Nobody likes a tyrant. And his dissolving of the Disney special district known as Reedy Creek is going to cost him big time. Funny, the party that says that we shouldn’t go after private businesses is literally going after private businesses. If there’s anything we’ve learned on this program, it’s never get between a man and his profit margins! Or in this case, mouse.

Last week, like the petty tyrant he is, Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill dissolving Walt Disney World’s special district status, as retribution for the company’s decision to speak out against his bigoted “Don’t Say Gay” law. Set to go into effect next June, the move abolishes Disney’s self-governing jurisdiction, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, and no longer allows it to effectively run its own city in and around the theme park. That means the counties of Orange and Osceola would be required to pay for services like firefighting, which Disney currently covers, and would be on the hook for Reedy Creek’s roughly $1 billion in outstanding bond debt. In other words, DeSantis’s act of revenge would not only punish a private company for condemning his anti-LGBTQ+ law, it would likely punish Florida residents too, whose property taxes would go through the roof. Which is a pretty wild thing for a governor to do, particularly one from a party that talks a big game about “cutting taxes” and “free speech.” But all of this might be moot anyway, because Disney apparently knows Florida’s laws better than DeSantis and has said that actually, he can’t do jack unless he pays off Reedy Creek’s debts first, and until then, it’ll be business as usual in Mouse Town.

In a statement to its bondholders, reported by CNN, the Reedy Creek Improvement District pointed out that the 1967 state law establishing Disney’s special district states that Florida “will not in any way impair the rights or remedies of the holders…until all such bonds together with interest thereon, and all costs and expenses in connection with any act or proceeding by or on behalf of such holders, are fully met and discharged.” In other words, DeSantis’s attempt to dissolve the district is illegal unless he coughs up $1 billion first and because of that, Reedy Creek told bondholders, it’s not going anywhere.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/04/ron-desantis-disney-reedy-creek-debt




Yeah, Ron DeSantis forgot about that little detail, didn’t he? Reedy Creek is a whopping $1 BILLION in debt. You heard me. ONE BILLION IN DEBT. So that means if Reedy Creek is dissolved and the state of Florida takes over that district, then someone has to foot the bill. And that someone is most likely going to be the Florida taxpayers. Again, why does anyone vote for these clowns? And why would Disney leave Florida? If anything, DeSantis just did them a huge favor and gave them a billion dollar tax break. But yeah… Fox News is going to keep us fighting with each other, while the billionaires run off to the bank, and you’d better not go against the cult. Crap even Asa is having an independent thought.

The “revenge” political attack on Disney by Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, for opposing his “don’t say gay” law violates the party’s mantra of restrained government, his counterpart in Arkansas said.

DeSantis and Asa Hutchinson could be rivals for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. On Sunday, Hutchinson laid out his position on CNN’s State of the Union.

“I don’t believe that government should be punitive against private businesses because we disagree with them,” the Arkansas governor said, referring to the law DeSantis signed last week dissolving Disney’s 55-year right to self-government through its special taxing district in Florida.

“That’s not the right approach … to me it’s the old Republican principle of having a restrained government.”

Critics have criticised DeSantis for escalating his feud with the theme park giant, his state’s largest private employer, over the “don’t say gay” law, which bans classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in certain grades.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/may/01/ron-desantis-disney-republican-principles-governor-asa-hutchinson





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[font size="8"]Vladimir Putin
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It's been two months since the start of Vladimir Putin’s illegal and immoral invasion and occupation of the Ukraine. And we’ve been wondering – where does it all end? Where is it going? Well we do have the short answer to this: he ain’t stopping. We also have an even shorter version than that: war were declared. That’s right – Pooty plans to declare a full out war against the Ukraine relatively soon, and he’s not stopping at the Ukraine. Oh no, my friends. Like your favorite baseball player hitting a home run, he plans to GO ALL THE WAY!!!! And really what’s to stop Pooty from conquering all of Europe? Well that answer is a lot more complex, and way too crazy for our crappy little program to be able to begin to comprehend. But as we’ve been doing through this terrible time in humanity, when we have a raging out of control virus and a raging out of control warlord who has access to nuclear weapons, we’ll do our best to power through this shit. But you know what? Why do I get this weird feeling that I do not trust a single word of what Putin says?

Western officials think President Vladimir Putin may formally declare war on Ukraine on May 9, Russia's "Victory Day," a move that could see thousands more troops sent to Ukraine and bloodshed intensified.

Since ordering troops into Ukraine on February 24, Putin has euphemistically referred to the invasion as a "special military operation," claiming Russian troops were there to liberate the Ukrainian people from what he called a neo-Nazi government.

However, Russia has in recent weeks abandoned its primary plan to seize all of Ukraine following a series of major setbacks and heavy casualties, with Western officials now believing its sole focus is taking the Donbas, an eastern region largely controlled by pro-Kremlin separatists since 2014.

But Western officials think Putin may use May 9 — the annual Russian celebration of the surrender of Nazi forces in at the end of World War II — to declare war on Ukraine, meaning Putin could call up tens of thousands of reserve troops to fight.
https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-may-formally-declare-war-ukraine-may-9-western-officials-2022-5




Don’t think it’s that easy. But the whole world is waiting to see if Putin is going to formally declare war on the Ukraine and is going to be waiting with a response – and it will be one that he guarantee will not like. Probably the only way this ends at this point is with him turning up dead in a basement bunker somewhere in Russia. But that being said, watch out world. One nightmare is over, but a new one is just beginning! Sheesh I feel like the people who say that we won’t be experiencing World War III in our lifetime probably will experience it starting next week!

It is day 70 of Putin’s war in Ukraine, but at least in Russia, the war isn’t official just yet—Russian leadership has continued to tout the invasion as a “special military operation.”

But that might all change on Victory Day, the day Russia celebrates the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II. Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing to declare war against Ukraine on Victory Day, May 9, western and Ukrainian officials believe.

Putin will be declaring a full mobilization for war on May 9, Ukraine’s top military spy, Kyrylo Budanov, predicted this week. U.S. officials are also warning that Russia could declare war as soon as May 9, CNN reported.

Some senior U.S. officials fear Putin will massively escalate attacks on Ukraine in the coming days. Senior Biden administration officials are growing increasingly concerned that Putin is growing desperate to declare any sort of win in Ukraine as Victory Day approaches.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/biden-officials-warn-of-new-ukraine-nightmare-as-vladimir-putin-hits-peak-desperation




So you might be thinking “Wait, isn’t the Ukraine Army kicking Putin’s ass? Didn’t he not think this through enough?”. And I answer you good sir / madam – 1. Yes. 2. No. In fact the war in the Ukraine is so poorly thought out that if Putin were to formally declare war on the Ukraine, it would backfire on him big time. And the other question on the table – what’s going on May 9th? Well that answer is – it’s very complicated. Why would Putin use the victory of World War II to start World War III? It’s criminally insane, and he doesn’t have a lot of options.


Anticipation is building over whether that Vladimir Putin might use World War II victory celebrations on May 9 to put his country on a broader war footing, but one analyst has suggested that the Russian leader has run out of options to win in Ukraine.

The annual Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on Monday, to mark the end of what Russians call the Great Patriotic War, will see a lavish event in Red Square in which military hardware and troops will parade past Putin.

Two and a half months after invading Ukraine, what Russia says is a "special military operation" has gone badly and is beset by losses of troops, matériel and morale.

Still, there is speculation over whether Putin might use May 9 to bolster his campaign, either by declaring victory or announcing greater participation among the Russian population.
https://www.newsweek.com/russia-ukraine-war-putin-zelensky-barbashin-1703314




Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! That one never gets old! What’s next for Pooty? Well he’s planning on attending the G20 Summit in Jakarta this year. And he’s not going to be exactly what one might refer to as “welcome” there. Remember that scene in the Dictator when General Aladeen goes into that restaurant that’s full of people who he ex-communicated and want him dead? Yeah if Putin actually shows up at G20, this might be the literal real life equivalent of that scene!

The Pentagon said Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin "absolutely shouldn't" take part in this year's G20 summit in Indonesia.

"He [Putin] has isolated Russia by his own actions and should continue to be isolated by the international community," Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said during an appearance on CNN.

Kirby said he believes it's "inappropriate" for the international community to "keep treating Russia as if things are normal, because [they're] not," referring to Putin's decision on February 24 to invade Ukraine.

"Putin has isolated himself and he should still continue to suffer the consequences of his actions in Ukraine," the spokesman said.

Kirby declined to comment on whether the Biden administration viewed inviting Putin to attend the G20 summit at the Indonesian resort island of Bali this fall as a "mistake."
https://www.newsweek.com/vladimir-putin-not-welcome-g20-summit-conference-pentagon-inappropriate-1702142





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[font size="8"]That Former Guy
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We’ve largely been trying to avoid talking about the Former Guy’s rallies lately. But they’re getting weirder and weirder. Never mind that he’s turned Mar-A-Lago into some kind of weird Studio 54 for conspiracy theory extremists. But with the 2022 midterms coming up, we have to talk about the kinds of candidates that he’s attracting and endorsing. Now here’s the thing – it’s probably a good thing that Trump is avoiding major cities and holding them in the middle of nowhere. Because then we get pictures coming out of the rallies that look like this:

https://twitter.com/patriottakes/status/1520813957224804353

That’s real! Seriously, these are the people who have the nerve to call us “sheep”. Here’s the thing Trump fans – major cities are where people live. I go to Chicago and Seattle and Baltimore and Cleveland and Detroit and New York and Washington DC. Would I go to Cullin, Alabama, or Selma, North Carolina, or Delaware, Ohio? Not on a bet! Trump’s last rally drew 3,000 people. Or as we call it in LA, a “minor traffic incident on the 405 northbound”. But it draw this guy:

Railing against the political establishment in front of a crowd of more than 3,000 people on Sunday, Charles Herbster cast himself as an outsider running with the blessing of former President Donald Trump.

In a wide-ranging speech that lasted about 25 minutes, Herbster said he was ready to "take back Nebraska" from elites entrenched in the state's political leadership.

"The establishment has taken control of the state of Nebraska and the Nebraska Republican Party and they are trying to scare me out of this race," Herbster said, without mentioning any names specifically.

"It's not going to happen."

Eight women, including a sitting state senator and former legislative staff member, have accused Herbster of groping them or forcing himself onto them at political events going back to 2019.
https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/trump-defends-endorses-herbster-at-rescheduled-nebraska-rally/article_6891c823-967d-53c6-aab3-e771407e7c8c.html




Boy, MAGA sure has a type don’t they? And by the way in case you’re wondering why Trump likes this guy, remember what we keep saying about how ass grabbers of a feather flock together? That’s right – he’s had multiple accusations of sexual harassment against him! Yeah right now my eyeballs are rolling about as far back in my head as possible. But if you’re going to lay down the accusations, you’d better be able to stand up to the MAGA cult. Because they’re armed and angry and they’re coming for every election. No independent thoughts allowed here!

Nebraska Republican state Sen. Julie Slama said she was “in shock” when Donald Trump-endorsed gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster allegedly put his hand “up my dress” at a GOP dinner.

Slama detailed what she has described as an “assault” in 2019 in an interview Thursday, the day the Nebraska Examiner reported that she and seven other women had accused the Republican businessman of groping them.

“As I was ... walking to my table, I felt a hand reach up my skirt, up my dress and the hand was Charles Herbster’s,” Slama said in an interview on News Radio KFAB in Omaha. “I was in shock. I was mortified. It’s one of the most traumatizing things I’ve ever been through.”

Slama added: “I watched as five minutes later he grabbed the buttocks of another young woman. ... This was witnessed by several people at the event.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/senator-shock-trump-backed-neb-031222994.html




And by the way where are Trump supporters getting their money from? Some are traveling from rally to rally like they’re in some kind of group that used to follow around the Grateful Dead. At least with the Grateful Dead, they had pot, LSD, and beer at their shows. What does Trump have at his shows? I am guessing maybe Ivermectin and bath salts? But this is one of those things where I think it’s really time to start following the money. Because the longer these rallies go on, the more we enable this guy. If we took away their money they might have to, I don’t know, get real jobs?

The risk of severe weather canceled a Trump rally in Nebraska that drew a crowd from across the country.

In a statement announcing the postponement, the man who held rallies during a pandemic said that the safety of his supporters was his top priority.

"Thank you to all who waited in line for our Save America Rally tonight in Greenwood, Nebraska. Because of severe weather, including the possibility of 60 mph+ wind, hailstorms, and maybe even tornadoes, I will not be coming to Nebraska tonight, but rather, weather permitting, will be there this Sunday night, May 1st. The most important thing is to keep you safe, and that cannot be done with such a terrible forecast,"

Some Trump supporters have been traveling from rally to rally, touring the country in a manner similar to that made famous by devotees of the Grateful Dead.

"Prior to the postponement, the parking lot was filling up around 8 a.m. on Friday. Walking through the parking lot, you saw plates from Texas, Illinois, Iowa, California and even Canada," KLKN-TV reported.
https://www.salon.com/2022/05/01/supporters-flock-to-canceled-nebraska-rally_partner/




Wow, I’m shocked that Trump actually cares about the safety of his rally goers. He’s the kind of guy who would hold a rally in the middle of a tornado while claiming that only stupid losers followed the weather warnings, and then his supporters would go threaten the weather reporters. They really are that predictable, aren’t they? And if you’re wondering what the next rally he’s doing, or the next batshit crazy candidate he’s endorsing, just look at what’s going on with his Ohio rally. And by the way that guy from the earlier article who said he wanted to give his son a political education? You might want to read up on the kind of quality candidate he’s endorsing.

Former President Donald Trump visited Ohio on Saturday to tout his chosen candidates for U.S. Senate and a slate of local congressional races for the upcoming primary election.

Trump began speaking shortly before 7 p.m. at the Delaware County Fairgrounds, a venue he visited during his 2016 election bid. The former president last came to Ohio in June 2021.

The rally came 10 days before Ohio's May 3 primary during a crowded and contentious GOP Senate primary race. There are seven Republicans vying for the chance to replace retiring Sen. Rob Portman.

After months of speculation on whether Trump would endorse in the Senate race, he announced his backing of candidate J.D. Vance just last week.

The endorsement has garnered criticism because of past remarks Vance has made about Trump, including text messages that have resurfaced from a former roommate.
https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/2022/04/23/live-donald-trump-holds-save-america-rally-delaware-ohio/7408777001/





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[font size="8"]Sean Hannity
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So one of the biggest questions in regards to the January 6th Insurrection that is on everyone’s mind is – what the hell would have happened if they had succeeded? And also what was Fox News planning to do that day if they had? The latter question is what we’re here to report on for this entry. The thing is we know Fox News had their hands in an attempted coup of the United States government. And one individual we know in particular was very close to Trump and many people know him to be the Joseph Goebbles of the Trump administration. Yes, Sean Hannity that’s you. But there’s a ton of questions that the Committee wants to know about Sean Hannity’s involvement in the January 6th uprising. But you know what? At least we got one answer. Even Hannity, Trump’s mouthpiece himself, is concerned about the lunatics taking over the party. Hey Hannity, Fox News enabled and continues to enable these lunatics. You don’t get to weasel your way out of this one! Look, we all know that Trump is a crazy lunatic himself. Those of us who aren’t members of the News Corp. cult can see it. But you and Trump enable these lunatics, and Trump attracts crazy people to his cause. I mean look at Marjorie Greene and Tommy Tuberville.

Fox News host Sean Hannity exchanged more than 80 texts messages with Mark Meadows, then-President Donald Trump's White House chief of staff, between Election Day 2020 and President Biden's inauguration.

According to messages released Friday by CNN, Hannity supported Trump's baseless claims of widespread voter fraud, telling Meadows it was "mathematically impossible" for Biden to have received as many votes as he had.

Hannity, whom CNN described as a "shadow chief of staff" to Trump, also warned Meadows about some of the "fing lunatics" pushing the then-president's stolen election claims. "They are NOT helping [Trump]. I'm fed up with these people," Hannity wrote on Dec. 22, 2020.

Hannity did not mention who these "lunatics" were, but he may have been referring to attorney Sidney Powell, who repeatedly made bizarre and false claims that corrupt voting machine companies had switched millions of votes from Trump to Biden. The day before Hannity sent his message, The New York Times reported that Powell had visited the White House "for [the] third time in four days," despite Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani's previous attempts to distance the Trump campaign from Powell.
https://theweek.com/news/1013242/rock-roll-hall-of-fame-inductees-include-dolly-parton-who-asked-not-to-be-considered




Oh it gets weirder. We all know that Sean Hannity is the ultimate conservative yes man – he will say yes to anything involving a conservative agenda no matter how evil it is. It’s truly scary that the party that defended the US against the Taliban is now turning into the Taliban themselves. Really think about it – there’s increasingly no discernable difference between today’s Christian right and the Taliban. So that being said, that was kind of a weird segue but if the MAGA cabal had succeeded and taken over the government on January 6th, Sean Hannity would have been Trump’s mouthpiece, literally.

We all knew Sean Hannity was doing the bidding of the Trump administration. We found out Monday he was doing it literally.

CNN on Monday published a slew of text messages between Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and prominent Republican lawmakers and conservative figures — including Hannity. The Jan. 6 committee has already released several texts exchanged between Meadows and Hannity, but the ones released Monday are particularly striking, demonstrating just how firmly the White House had Hannity secured under its thumb.

“Hey. NC gonna be ok?” Hannity wrote Meadows last Nov. 3, asking whether Meadows’ home state of North Carolina was going to go to Trump.

“Stress every vote matters,” Meadows replied. “Get out and vote. On radio.”

“Yes sir,” Hannity wrote. “On it. Any place in particular we need a push”

Meadows pointed to Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Nevada, in addition to North Carolina. “Got it,” Hannity responded. “Everywhere.”
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/sean-hannity-took-orders-mark-meadows-1342525/




But for our military friends out there, you know there’s that one guy in the troop who kisses the sarge’s ass no matter how terrible of a job he does? Yeah Sean Hannity is that guy. I mean let’s think about this for a minute here. We’ve reported that Hannity has literally had good night phone calls with Trump (see: Top 10 #4-15 ). But now we know what Hannity really thinks of President Biden – and well come on. Have you seen your favorite former president lately? The guy is completely off his rocker.

Following President Donald Trump's election loss, Fox News host Sean Hannity privately vented to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows about election fraud claims and insulted then-President-elect Joe Biden.

In a text message sent to Meadows on December 12, 2020 — over a month after the election — Hannity expressed his support for Trump and disdain for Biden, and repeated conspiracy theories that the election was rigged.

"I truly feel sorry for our friend. He's never had a days peace. On the other side of this, he's exposed a very dark side of the swamp that's far worse than I ever imagined and I am not particularly optimistic for the future," Hannity said of Trump to Meadows, according to a text message CNN published on Friday.

"Biden is a semi conscious corpse, and he will be controlled by a very radical left wing element," the Fox News anchor continued.
https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/world/news/sean-hannity-privately-described-biden-as-a-semi-conscious-corpse-and-said-hes-not-particularly-optimistic-for-the-future/articleshow/91191940.cms




Yeah shut up! Come on, I could pull literally any number of clips from a Trump rally in the last couple of weeks. The dude could barely hold onto a glass and allegedly wears diapers. And have you seen him attempt to drive a car? Laughable. So yeah we all know who the preferred president of Fox News is, and they side with Shithead Squadron. But this is the even scarier part of Hannity’s text reveal – there was talk of martial law. Yes, the Q Anon fantasy of Trump enacting martial law would have come true, if they had succeeded. That’s some seriously scary shit. But of course it would be enacted by people who can’t even spell “martial law”.

Lawyers representing voters challenging the candidacy of U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene want to introduce new evidence they say undermines Greene’s testimony in a state hearing last month.

The attorneys say a text message from Greene to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows sent Jan. 17, 2021, in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol show Greene was less than honest in her responses during cross examination.

“In our private chat with only Members, several are saying the only way to save our Republic is for Trump to call for Marshall law (sic),” she said in a message first published by CNN. “I don’t know on those things. I just wanted you to tell him. They stole this election. We all know. They will destroy our country next. Please tell him to declassify as much as possible so we can go after Biden and anyone else!”

Former President Donald Trump has sought to discredit President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory but has produced no evidence backing his claims. In the days between the election and Biden’s inauguration, top Trump aides reportedly suggested declaring martial law and deploying the military to conduct a new election, an unconstitutional act which would have been unprecedented in American history.
https://www.gpb.org/news/2022/05/03/voters-suing-block-marjorie-taylor-greene-ballot-want-marshall-law-text-considered





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[font size="8"]Holy Shit: The Weird World Of Marjorie Taylor Greene
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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! Please be seated. How do you like our new set, everybody? It’s a preview because this August we’re celebrating 5 years of this segment! Yeah how about that? Time flies doesn’t it? Well anyway in our quest to find out what makes the Christian right tick, we generally tend to look at the bigger picture here. But today we’re looking at a much smaller one. And focusing on a really terrible member of the Christian right, specifically. I’m of course talking about Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene, who’s a fundamentalist Chris tian and extremist member of the Q Anon / conspiracy theory wing of the GOP. We’ve normally tried to avoid talking about this individual given how toxic and off the wall batshit crazy she is. But this week after she’s said some ridiculous theories about the church, we feel that we can no longer avoid her. Because when you start talking shit about the church, or you say some ridiculously batshit crazy stuff, that’s when you wind up on our little program. And whew, it’s only going to get weirder.

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has said Satan is responsible for inducing women to have abortions by selling the procedure and whispering into their ears and "into your soul."

The Republican, who represents Georgia's 14th congressional district, made the comments in an interview with right-wing Catholic activist Michael Voris of the website Church Militant.

Greene's conversation with Voris had previously made headlines when she claimed the Roman Catholic Church was controlled by Satan as she slammed the Church's position on undocumented migrants.

During a section of the April 21 interview that focused on abortion and is now gaining attention, Greene told Voris: "Abortion is a lie that Satan sells to women. He sells it to 'em."
https://www.newsweek.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-satan-sells-abortion-women-1702408




Yeah so not only did Ms. Greene not back off of her controversial comments, she doubled down on them! She literally is the world’s biggest Facebook troll right now. Because that’s what happens when supporters of the unholy, ungodly Dark One get elected! I of course speak of a man so foul, so depraved and disgusting that his name dare NOT be spoken in my church! And how dare people have differing opinions about religion? Well no because that’s how vile and toxic Marjorie is, and it’s truly terrifying where this party is headed.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene claimed that Satan manipulates women into getting abortions.

"It's whispered, softly and gently, into your ears and into your soul," the congresswoman said in a TV interview with Catholic activist Michael Voris this week.

The Georgia Rep. said that Satan tells women "it's okay" to get an abortion and in exchange promises them "all these dreams that you have in your heart. And that's how Satan sells a sin, and that's how he sells abortion. He tells a woman that all you have to do is you're just going to go to this clinic, just going to get it over with, you know," she said.

"And then you're going to, that guy, he's going to stay with you, that boyfriend or the guy, whoever he is, he's going to marry you, sweep you off your feet."
https://www.businessinsider.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-satan-manipulates-women-into-getting-abortions-2022-4




No, Marjorie, it’s not SAYTAN! It’s supporters of the Dark One and their opposition to proper sex education! I mean think about it – look at the states where the abortion rate is high and sex education is low. It’s not that hard to see the cause and effect here. Now this is where things really start to take a turn because we don’t think Ms. Greene speaks for the church. She definitely does not do what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now is it? No, she worships the unholy, ungodly Dark One! And all of the evil that he brings! So if we extrapolate, does that mean that Ms. Greene worships the devil?

Last Thursday, on the eve of testifying in a lawsuit that seeks to prevent her from running for re-election, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the legendary or notorious Georgia Republican, granted an hourlong interview in her home to an unlikely outlet: the far-right Catholic news organization Church Militant, which for years has positioned itself as one of the noisiest and most outlandish partisans in the Roman Catholic Church's ongoing fight with itself. Greene is an evangelical Protestant, not a Catholic, but Church Militant is making the most of this opportunity, and has featured segments of the interview all week, starting with its opening video on Monday, entitled "Marjorie for Pope."

In the interview, Greene rehashed old beefs, described herself as a victim of Jan. 6, said the United States is so sinful she doesn't understand "why God hasn't destroyed us" and — most exciting for Church Militant — suggested that Satan is controlling the Catholic Church.

That might sound like a claim that would offend most Catholics, but Church Militant is not most Catholics. Originally founded as Real Catholic TV by former CBS News producer Michael Voris in 2008 to offer a more orthodox depiction of Mother Church than is found in pop culture fare like "The Da Vinci Code," the organization grew increasingly strident and at odds with the formal church, until the Archdiocese of Detroit, where it's located, successfully blocked it from using the word "Catholic" in the outlet's name.
https://www.salon.com/2022/04/27/marjorie-taylor-greene-to-right-wing-catholic-site-how-come-god-hasnt-destroyed-america/




Yes that’s right! Not today, SAYTAN! For you must stand up to the good LAWRD JAYSUS! But that said, you know that our Good Book says that lying is a sin! But not in the eyes of Marjorie Greene, because she says some ridiculously crazy stuff. But when put under oath? She can’t remember any of it, that’s exactly a play in the far right playbook. It’s always someone else’s fault. Or it was a false flag. Or it just didn’t happen. Well, Marjorie, you do not represent the interests of the church. You represent some very high and mighty extremist thinking! Does that make them the Taliban?

Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has clarified why she said that "Satan" is in control of the Catholic Church following pushback from a Catholic advocacy group.

Greene said "Satan's controlling the church, the church is not doing its job" in a comment on the church's support for undocumented immigrants during a recent interview with right-wing activist Michael Voris of the website Church Militant. After a clip of Greene's comments circulated online Wednesday, Catholic League President Bill Donohue said that she had "slandered" Catholics and demanded that she apologize.

In a long statement shared on Twitter soon after, Greene refused Donohue's demand for an apology, while issuing an apology demand of her own.

"The Catholic League's Bill Donohue accused me of slandering Catholics and Catholicism in an interview I gave to Michael Voris at Church Militant," Greene said. "Nothing could be further from the truth, and he must apologize promptly and publicly for these words."
https://www.newsweek.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-clarifies-how-satan-controlling-catholic-church-1701596




So, my fair congregation, that’s the twisted world of Rep. Greene in a nutshell. She does not represent the church, she’s just a social media troll. Don’t expect this story to go away either. Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:




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[font size="8"]People Who Somehow Got Elected: Madison Cawthorn

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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 – North Carolina’s Madison Cawthorn (Q – Batshit). How did this guy get elected? Well it’s easy – it’s because he’s clean cut, appears at churches and says what the MAGA crowd wants to hear from a political candidate. But that’s about it. He may be nice on the surface but deep down he’s got a very ugly side. Well in fact he may be the Kevin Spacey of the MAGA movement. That’s right – we just compared Cawthorn to Kevin Spacey. And there’s a reason for that is because not only is he batshit crazy, but he’s got some… hidden tendencies. As comedian Bill Hicks once said, anyone that far to the right is hiding a deep, dark secret. Of course Mr. Hicks never met anyone as crazy and far to the right as Madison Cawthorn or Marjorie Taylor Greene, both of which we’re certain that they may have actual skeletons in their closets. But Madison Cawthorn may be in a whole heap of trouble over his latest scandal, but he’s a white male conservative, so nothing bad will probably ever happen to him, but actual GOP representatives are desperately trying to get rid of him.

New video of scandal-ridden GOP Rep Madison Cawthorn having his crotch felt by a close male friend and staff member is at the center of a complaint calling for an investigation into him and filed with the Office of Congressional Ethics today, DailyMail.com can reveal.

The extraordinary footage, obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com and seen here for the first time today, shows Cawthorn, 26, in a car with his close aide and his scheduler Stephen Smith, 23.

Cawthorn sits in the driver's seat apparently filmed by Smith as he adopts an exaggerated accent and says, 'I feel the passion and desire and would like to see a naked body beneath my hands.'

The camera then pans back to Smith who says, 'Me too' as Cawthorn can be heard laughing. Smith then films himself reaching his hand over and into Cawthorn's crotch

Read more: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10764209/GOP-Rep-Madison-Cawthorn-caught-video-male-staff-members-hand-crotch.html




Remember when that show was great? We miss those times. House Of Cards was a show where you actually wanted to root for the bad guy, and Kevin Spacey’s character in that show was a very, very bad guy. And not only does Mr. Cawthorn have some very creepy tendencies, he acts them out in more ways than one. So not only has he been seen with male staffers?? hands on his crotch, some very incriminating photos of him recently surfaced. Again, it looks like he’s so toxic that the GOP is desperately trying to get rid of him. We smell a potential scandal brewing here.

Photographs obtained by POLITICO appear to show Madison Cawthorn, the embattled Republican congressman from North Carolina who recently accused his GOP colleagues of inviting him to orgies, wearing lingerie in what appears to be a party setting.

Cawthorn, 26, was raised in a conservative Baptist community in Henderson County, North Carolina, and has staked his political persona on arch-traditional Christian principles and the insistence of the importance of a kind of hypermasculinity. His comments about “the sexual perversion” in Washington made on a podcast, which he later admitted were exaggerated, drew the public disapproval and disavowal of Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy as well as other Republican leaders including those in his North Carolina congressional caucus.

The revelation of the two photos is the latest in a series of unflattering headlines for the freshman member of Congress in the run-up to the primary in his first re-election bid. The primary in North Carolina is May 17. Cawthorn has seven Republican opponents who see him as vulnerable.

Cawthorn, who was paralyzed from the waist down as a passenger in a car accident in Florida in 2014, in recent months has called Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “thug,” suggested teetotaling Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has a drinking problem, and racked up a collection of traffic transgressions including speeding, driving with expired tags and driving with a revoked license. He has court dates in May and June.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/22/madison-cawthorn-photos-00027286




Yeah so that happened. But with congressional idiots like Madison Cawthorn, Marjorie Greene, Paul Gosar, and Lauren Boebert, it seems like the GOP is trying to get its’ own version of someone like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar. But they don’t have anyone like that, so they’re scraping the bottom of the barrel. Not only is Madison Cawthorn knee deep in scandal regarding his personal life, his professional one may be in jeopardy too. Because it seems that people are catching onto the fact that he's a habitual liar. In fact, that makes him not only quality MAGA material but also a key player in the House Of Cards. Ha, quality MAGA material. Like there is such a thing.

A former district staffer for North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn has called the lawmaker a "bad person" and a "habitual liar."

"As far as the candidate himself, I mean, he's just a bad person," said former Cawthorn staffer Lisa Wiggins in a secretly recorded phone call with David Wheeler, the president of a political action committee called "Fire Madison Cawthorn."

"He's a habitual liar and he's going to say and do anything he can to your face but behind your back, he's completely opposite," she added.

While the recording was made without Wiggins' knowledge, North Carolina has a "one-party consent" wiretapping law that allows one party to record calls without the other party's knowledge.

The recording was uploaded to the Fire Madison Cawthorn PAC's website on Monday and subsequently reported on by Smoky Mountain News, a local media outlet.
https://news.yahoo.com/





Of course, because totalitarianism is so much easier. And that’s where the GOP seems to be headed. So while Madison may be a making of the GOP’s own design and he won’t be the last, that’s for damn sure, we can guarantee one thing. Until the voters of NC-14 decide that he’s too toxic for them to continue to be their representative, he will be embroiled in scandal after scandal. Because that’s how the MAGA crowd rolls. We can’t get rid of these people, but we can see them fall slowly down the proverbial rabbit hole of scandals.

In his short time in Congress, firebrand Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) has been embroiled in controversies that involve everything from lying about his biography to abusing staffers to partying in lingerie. Now, Cawthorn can add an alleged crypto scam to his resumé.

On Tuesday, the Washington Examiner reported that multiple watchdog groups have accused Cawthorn of colluding in a crypto pump-and-dump scheme involving the short-lived Let's Go Brandon cryptocurrency, known as LGB.

"LGB legends. ... Tomorrow we go to the moon!" Cawthorn posted on Instagram in late December, a day before the value of the currency soared after a NASCAR driver said LGB would be his primary sponsor.

The driver, Brandon Brown, became famous last year for his association with "Let's Go Brandon," which has become a coded expletive in Republican circles to insult President Biden.
https://decrypt.co/98750/gop-congressman-cawthorn-accused-lets-go-brandon-crypto-pump-dump




So there you have it – insider trading in a memecoin scheme, habitual lying and some potentially incriminating sex scandals. That’s North Carolina’s Madison Cawthorn, yet another politician who we can add to the inexplicably ever growing list of:




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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Welcome back to our segment where we attempt to explain the unexplainable, Conspiracy Corner! In these trying times, when we have a brewing war and a raging pandemic, people often turn to conspiracy theories when they just don’t want to read past the headlines. We are of course coming to you live from our underground doomsday shelter deep in the New Mexico badlands! In an undisclosed location of course! Let me just adjust my tin foil hat for maximum government interference… they are trying to read yours and my thoughts after all… ah there we go! This week it’s come to my attention that some very far right MAGA operatives are attempting to sabotage voting systems at the state and even local levels in a bizarre attempt to overthrow the 2020 election. Which they are currently attempting to do at about the same rate as Wiley Coyote attempting to catch the Road Runner. In today’s GOP the inmates really are being let out of the asylum. Here’s more.

Eighteen months after Donald Trump lost the White House, loyal supporters continue to falsely assert that compromised balloting machines across America robbed him of the 2020 election.

To stand up that bogus claim, some Trump die-hards are taking the law into their own hands – by attempting, with some success, to compromise the voting systems themselves.

Previously unreported surveillance video captured one such effort in August in the rural Colorado town of Kiowa. Footage obtained by Reuters through a public-records request shows Elbert County Clerk Dallas Schroeder, the county’s top election official, fiddling with cables and typing on his phone as he copied computer drives containing sensitive voting information.

Schroeder, a Republican, later testified that he was receiving instructions on how to copy the system’s data from a retired Air Force colonel and political activist bent on proving Trump lost because of fraud.
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-election-breaches/




God imagine having that guy as your lawyer! But oh no my friends, this isn’t some mere plot to overturn the election. It’s a plot to undermine democracy. Make no mistake that the MAGA movement isn’t on our side. They say they want freedom while they secretly lust for a totalitarian authoritarian dictatorship. It’s truly frightening where this party is headed. But it’s no accident that MAGA is installing their operatives in election sites and at voting machine companies. Oh it’s all – as the Joker says – it’s all part of the plan!

Technically, the next attempt to overthrow a national election may not qualify as a coup. It will rely on subversion more than violence, although each will have its place. If the plot succeeds, the ballots cast by American voters will not decide the presidency in 2024. Thousands of votes will be thrown away, or millions, to produce the required effect. The winner will be declared the loser. The loser will be certified president-elect.

The prospect of this democratic collapse is not remote. People with the motive to make it happen are manufacturing the means. Given the opportunity, they will act. They are acting already.

Who or what will safeguard our constitutional order is not apparent today. It is not even apparent who will try. Democrats, big and small D, are not behaving as if they believe the threat is real. Some of them, including President Joe Biden, have taken passing rhetorical notice, but their attention wanders. They are making a grievous mistake.

“The democratic emergency is already here,” Richard L. Hasen, a professor of law and political science at UC Irvine, told me in late October. Hasen prides himself on a judicious temperament. Only a year ago he was cautioning me against hyperbole. Now he speaks matter-of-factly about the death of our body politic. “We face a serious risk that American democracy as we know it will come to an end in 2024,” he said, “but urgent action is not happening.”
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/01/january-6-insurrection-trump-coup-2024-election/620843/




Here’s the thing – this whole campaign to undermine voting systems in an attempt to declare election results fraudulent if the MAGA cult doesn’t get their way? It’s no accident. It’s part of a campaign spearheaded by – you guessed it – Mike Lindell! Yes, we all laughed when he talked for 3 days straight into an empty room, but was really strategy planning. The Jan. 6th insurrection didn’t just happen overnight – there was a lot of planning involved. The upcoming midterm elections? They’re just a test launch to see if his program works or not.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell touted a new "historical" lawsuit he helped file in Arizona on Friday to prevent the southwestern state from utilizing machines to tabulate votes in upcoming elections.

Arizona state Representative Mark Finchem, a Republican, who is running to become the state's secretary of state in the 2022 midterms, and Kari Lake, a former television news journalist, who is running as a Republican to become the state's governor, filed the lawsuit with the backing of Lindell. They contend that the machines are vulnerable to hacking.

"Yesterday was a historical day in history—in the history of America," Lindell asserted during an interview with Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN) ahead of former President Donald Trump's rally in Ohio on Saturday. "We filed the first preliminary injunction in the state of Arizona to get rid of the machines once and for all."

The pro-Trump businessman, who has been a key promoter of baseless claims that the 2020 election was "rigged" or "stolen" from the former president, said that this lawsuit was the first of "many." Lindell explained that he hopes to launch similar lawsuits in all 50 states.
https://www.newsweek.com/mike-lindell-touts-historical-new-voting-machine-lawsuit-trump-rally-1700355




Well if there’s anyone who needs to be locked behind padded walls, it’s Mike Lindell. That dude is seriously a couple of beers short of a six pack. So not only is MAGA getting into the election offices, they’re also getting into the election cycle. Consider batshit crazy candidates like Kari Lake of Arizona or Charles Herbster of Nebraska. The candidates are out there, they’re real, and they’re every bit as crazy as you might think. The MAGA movement isn’t dying, folks. It’s gaining momentum. And it’s being spearheaded by idiots like this. Don’t think for a minute that Mike Lindell is squandering his money away foolishly. You know the old saying – a f ool and his money are soon parted. But, as the MAGAs say, you got to trust the plan!

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, said that he's now spent some $35 million of his own money attempting to prove that President Joe Biden's 2020 election win was fraudulent.

Trump and his allies, such as Lindell, continue to claim that Biden only won the last presidential election due to "widespread fraud" or "hacking" of election machines. Although many supporters believe the conspiracy theory, no evidence has emerged corroborating the allegations.

Lindell has been one of the key promoters of the false claims—traveling around the country to host and attend large events where many Trump supporters largely believe the misinformation. On Saturday, the pro-Trump businessman attended a rally for the former president at the Michigan Stars Sports Center in Washington Township, Michigan. Ahead of Trump's speech, Lindell spoke to Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN) about his ongoing efforts to prove Biden isn't the legitimate president.
https://www.newsweek.com/mike-lindell-says-hes-spent-35m-fighting-trump-election-fraud-claims-1694494





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[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 that the idea of this segment is that we have some drinks and while we’re having drinks we talk about literally anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics. Because let’s face it, there’s a lot of really dark shit out there. And it’s about to get even darker. So let’s kick back with a glass of your favorite beverage and just relax, OK? The topic this week? Well, sorry ladies, but we have to talk about the male anatomy this week. And a particular part is getting a lot of bad press. So tell me bartender, what goes well with a story about average penis size? Cream soda? I know there’s a joke there but I’m not touching that one with a 10 foot pole! I’ll just stick with my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. So that being said, we need to talk some biology here. The fact of the matter of this study is… it’s not good. And being an American male, I of course have a vetted interest in this subject, but it’s for research purposes! Research purposes! And where’s my drink? But anyway here’s the gist of what’s happening.

If you’ve ever wondered which country has the largest average penis size then look no further, as a recent poll of 86 nations has ranked them all from biggest to smallest.

Online pharmacy From Mars used google data from 86 countries to conduct their study – and you might be surprised to hear their findings.

Pharmacist Navin Khosla, who reviewed the study, said: “Whether people are concerned about the size or the shape, or any other aspect for that matter, most of us have wondered at some point or another whether ours is big enough.”

“Penis size can have a massive impact on confidence and self-image,” he added.

So, which country came out trumps?

According to the study, men in Ecuador are the most well-endowed, with an average penis size of 6.93 inches when erect. This makes the measurement more than 10 percent of the average height.
https://www.ladbible.com/news/country-with-biggest-average-penis-size-in-the-world-revealed-20220418






I don’t think that wine glass is big enough! And speaking of things not being big enough… thank you, audience! See what I did there? You might be asking yourself “Where does the United States rank among the world’s largest penises?”. And I answer you - we didn’t even make the top 50. Yeah I know this article comes from the New York Post but I couldn’t find a more reliable source. But come on, we rank 59th? No wonder white American Christian males are so insecure! Guess Tucker’s Testicle Tanning doesn’t cut it, does it?

American men’s penises are only the 59th biggest in the world, a study reveals.

The average length of 5.35 inches is shorter than their Haitian, French, and Aussie counterparts.

The poll, of 86 nations, revealed that French men’s genitals are 6.20 inches in length, while Australia ranks 43rd at 5.69.

Men in Haiti have an average penis size of 6.30 inches when erect, according to the data.

Ecuadorian men apparently have the biggest penises, at an average of 6.95 inches, while the smallest can be found in Cambodia at just 3.95 inches long when erect.

Men in the US narrowly beat those in the UK as the average size recorded was 5.17 inches.
https://nypost.com/2022/04/18/american-mens-penises-are-only-the-59th-biggest-in-the-world/




Oh yeah that’s the good stuff! Oh and by the way, you might also be wondering – which country is most likely to lie about it’s penis size, average or not? The answer to that question is – Australia. That’s right, the Land Down Under has a huge problem with lying about its’ average size. Although in Australia they’re much more laid back than they are here. Maybe that’s because they might be bigger than the average? Or smaller? Or they just don’t care which is why they are lying about it. I don’t know, it could be all of the above.

According to the Daily Mail, researchers asked men to measure the length of their erect penis, while asking women how big their last sexual partner was while hard. The survey found that Australians are most prone to exaggeration — the men surveyed claimed an average of 7.09 inches, while the women reported an average of 5.58 inches, which is a pretty big discrepancy.

Like their Australian counterparts, American men also oversold their goods, reporting an average penis size of 7.3 inches. American women most decidedly do not agree with that assessment: They reported an average of 6.64 inches instead.

British men exaggerated a bit as well, with an average of 6.89 inches, while British women reported the same length as American women (6.6.4 inches). In contrast, Indian men underestimated the size of their penises, with Indian women claiming that the average penis size is 6.3 inches — .23 inches longer than the men reported.

Necessary caveat: Obviously, asking people to self-report data like this runs the risk of people either exaggerating, but also estimating and getting the information wrong. Plus all the respondents came from SaucyDates’ membership pool, so take the results with a heft dose of salt. That said, it is interesting how often men and women’s perceptions of penis size differed. The moral of the story: When it comes to penis size, honesty is probably the best policy.
https://www.menshealth.com.au/country-who-lies-about-penis-size/




Honesty is the best policy? Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Oh wait, you’re serious. Let me laugh even harder.… Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Honesty is the best policy…said literally no one ever when it comes to penis size. Trust me, I’m a guy, I have literally heard some of the dumbest shit ever said when it comes to the subject of penis size. And by the way in case you’re wondering which part of the body can also determine what the guy is like downstairs? Well look to the face! That’s right – it’s the only other part.

The scientists behind the Feb. 2021 study, which was published in the journal Basic and Clinical Andrology, were inspired by "the saying 'big nose, big hose,' [which] suggests that nose size indicates penile length." Since there was no scientific data to prove it, they set out to do the research themselves.

They looked at the lengths of the penises and noses of recently deceased adult men in Japan, ranging between the ages of 30 and 59. Penises were measured in a vertical, upright position to recreate an erection (a measurement called stretched penile length), and noses were measured from between the midpoint of the eyes down to the left or right side of the nose (whichever was longer). What they found was that "the average stretched penile length gradually increased in the longer nose size groups," leading the researchers to determine that the two measurements are "highly related."

"This study is the first to demonstrate the relationship between stretched penile length (SPL) and nose size but is limited in Japanese male cadavers, and the reason why SPL and nose size are related is still unclear. Therefore, we consider it an interesting subject to pursue from now on," the Japanese researchers wrote in their findings. "The fact that nose size is related to SPL indicates that penile length may not be determined by age, height or body weight, but has already been determined before birth."
https://bestlifeonline.com/penis-size-news/







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[font size="8"]Stupidest State 2022
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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 Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State! Last week it was a wild one as Arizona challenged Georgia for the Batshit Conference crown and nearly gave them a run for the money. But Georgia finished strong with a 5 point advantage. This week it’s the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference Finals as fan favorite #1 Kansas takes on scrappy challengers #3 Nebraska! We’re live in Seattle at the home of the NHL’s newest franchise, the Seattle Kraken , at the Climate Pledge Arena for all of the action action action! Let’s go to the floor, shall we?

[font size="4"]Fiscal Irresponsibility Championship: Kansas Vs Nebraska [/font]

[font size="2"]#1 Kansas [/font]


Kansas are the proverbial fan favorites in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference for a reason. They spend money. And not only that, they spend money that they don’t have. And it’s yet another state where Fox News has a massive stronghold on the people and even the electorate. Fox is so strong there that their talking points are becoming state policy, much like in Florida. In fact just to give you an idea of how insane the Kansas state legislature is, despite that they have a Dem governor, they try to pull shit like this.

An effort to ban transgender athletes from women’s sports failed Thursday after the House fell short on an attempt to override Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of the bill.

The bill, a subject of significant debate the past two sessions, garnered 81 votes in favor, falling short of the 84 required a two-thirds majority vote to overturn the veto. On Tuesday, the Senate voted 28-10 to override Kelly’s veto of Senate Bill 160.

The House can reconsider the vote Thursday or the next day the body meets.

Republicans argue the bill is the best way to ensure fairness. They said transgender athletes in women’s sports have an unfair advantage compared with those assigned the female gender at birth. Opponents of the measure, predominantly Democrats, say the bill is hateful and political.

But as legislators returned for veto session, the debate about transgender identities shifted to new extremes. Rep. Stephanie Byers, a Wichita Democrat and the first transgender Kansas legislator, said the override vote was a decision between accepting and rejecting transgender Kansans’ identities.

Read more: https://www.washingtonblade.com/2022/04/28/kansas-house-fails-to-override-gov-s-veto-of-anti-trans-youth-sports-bill/




Now here’s where I say that Kansas spends money that they don’t have. Last time we pointed out that they are literally digging a $1 billion hole in their state. That’s right, you heard me. One billion dollars! So where does that hole go? Well the short answer is that nobody knows. The long answer is that once again, it’s complicated. It’s basically a giant well that’s supposed to hold water in case of a drought, but right now it’s a one billion mystery hole.

Back in 1878, the good folks at Greensburg decided that what they needed for economic growth was water. The railroad was coming, and the locomotives would need water to slake their iron thirst. But western Kansas is notoriously dry, and the Arkansas River was 20 miles away. So the Greensburg Water Supply and Hydraulic Power Company was organized. With a franchise from the city, the company spent $75,000 digging a well that was 109 feet deep and 32 feet in diameter. Using a complicated series of steam-powered hydraulics, the water was pumped to the surface and beyond, where it was stored in a 90-foot tower.

In the last few days, both chambers of the Kansas Legislature passed the APEX Act, which stands for Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion. By the time you read this, the governor already signed the damned thing, offering the Sunflower state’s mystery date a $1 billion valentine.

If there were any doubts that state government in Kansas is absolutely committed to secrecy, this deal should put an end to them. We came to expect secrecy under the administration of Sam Brownback, but it hasn’t gotten much better under Kelly. Individuals privy to the identity of the mystery firm, from those in the commerce department to the Statehouse, are bound by nondisclosure agreements. The idea of such a massive state effort to lure a private sector firm to Kansas being shrouded in layers of secrecy leaves a stench that won’t soon be forgotten.
https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/13/kansas-is-digging-a-1-billion-mystery-hole-what-could-go-wrong/




Yeah no I don’t think there will be any of that in the Kansas mystery hole. But then again you know how Florida is fighting back the “Woke Disney”? Well Kansas might join them. That’s right – lost in the headlines was this interesting bit of information. Like seriously, the GOP fights the pettiest battles, don’t they? We’re fighting a pandemic and a power hungry dictator bent on world domination. They’re fighting Mickey Mouse because he was mean to Ron DeSantis. And come on , MAGAs, time to admit you don’t really care about kids, OK?

U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) says he joined Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Steve Daines(R- Mont.), and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) to send a letter to the Chairman of the TV Parental Guidelines Montoring Board in response to Disney’s latest campaign.

Marshall said Disney’s campaign aims to “embed left-wing sexual politics in its children’s programming” and has requested the Board to update their guidelines to include ratings on content related to gender dysphoria and help inform parents of the content.

“To the detriment of children, gender dysphoria has become sensationalized in the popular media and television with radical activists and entertainment companies,” the letter stated. “This radical and sexual sensation not only harms children but also destabilizes and damages parental rights. This same company [Disney] has concerningly denounced and vowed to work to repeal a recently passed Florida parental rights law that bans classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.”

“The Board is obligated to ensure the rating criteria helps parents be informed about mature content before it is displayed to their children. In light of parents raising legitimate concerns on sexual orientation and gender identity content on children’s TV shows, we expect the Board to fulfill its responsibility in updating the TV Parental Guidelines to reflect these concerns. In updating the TV Parental Guidelines, please consider precedent on how the Board has rated sexually related, violent, and obscene materials to ensure it is applied without ideological bias,” the letter concluded.

https://www.wibw.com/2022/05/04/senators-urge-new-tv-parental-guidelines-light-disneys-gender-inclusion-campaign/




[font size="2"]#3 Nebraska [/font]


When we last left the Cornhusker State, they were knee deep in a drought and a budget crisis, led by MAGA friendly governor Pete Ricketts. But now it’s primary season, and they’re about to have a really huge MAGA problem on their hands. Think Pete Ricketts is bad? Wait until you meet the Trump endorsed MAGA friendly candidate Charles Herbster. Given the fact that he’s already got some sex scandals about him, things are about to get a whole lot worse if he somehow won the upcoming election!

Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster (R) continued this week to say allegations that he had groped eight women were false and politically motivated.

Speaking during an online news conference Wednesday from his company’s condominium on the Omaha riverfront, Herbster said he respects “all females across this land.”

He implied that the women’s allegations, reported by the Nebraska Examiner, may have been orchestrated by Gov. Pete Ricketts.

Ricketts has denied doing so. The reporting behind the Examiner’s account, published April 14, was conducted over several months stretching to June 2021. The Examiner also corroborated the eight women’s accounts with people who said they witnessed the incidents or were told about them by the women immediately afterward.

Read more: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/21/charles-herbster-continues-to-say-groping-allegations-are-false-politically-motivated/




Oh come on, the GOP continues to sink lower and lower with each new candidate. I mean seriously, Al Franken got kicked out of the senate for a ridiculously stupid photograph. Yet somehow this ass grabbing moron could be the next governor of Nebraska? Good god, I need to get out of this country for a while. And by the way, the GOP really needs to drop the “conservative” label from its’ party, because they don’t really conserve anything. Just look at the latest bill Pete Ricketts proposed:

Conservation groups on Thursday lambasted claims by Gov. Pete Ricketts and a property rights group that a presidential proposal to restore forests and river banks, enhance federal conservation efforts and protect endangered species is a “land grab.”

Officials with the Nebraska Farmers Union, Nebraska Wildlife Federation and other conservation groups said President Joe Biden’s “America the Beautiful Initiative,” initially called the “30-by-30” plan, is a voluntary program to enlist farmers and ranchers in conserving more land to benefit wildlife and combat climate change.

John Hansen, president of the Farmers Union, said Ricketts and other opponents of the plan are using “conspiracy theories, misinformation and mischaracterizations” to spread fear and distrust about voluntary federal conservation programs that have provided millions of dollars to landowners.

“What they are doing, unfortunately, is very hurtful and irresponsible,” Hansen said.

The comments come as Ricketts and a Texas-based landowner rights group called “American Stewards of Liberty” will be hosting an all-day “Stop the 30×30 Summit” in Lincoln on Friday.

Read more: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/21/conservation-officials-blast-gov-ricketts-opposition-to-america-the-beautiful-initiative/




Oh come on, have you been following the GOP for the last five years? Of course they’re going to do the hurtful and irresponsible thing. Their party is all about “owning the libs” now, don’t you know? It’s not that they’re happy. It’s that you’re miserable. And speaking of people being miserable, the Nazi party is back in Nebraska and they had a huge event there. Since Trump had one of his idiot rallies in the middle of nowhere, lost in the headlines last week was this little ditty. There was also this about a possible “religious freedom” bill which does not have anything to do with freedom, and some are saying that they may have gone too far!

Arguments that Nebraska needs to beef up protections for religious rights and freedoms fell short Wednesday in the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.

Legislative Bill 774, a proposal that would have provided broader protections, got only four votes from committee members. It needed five to advance to the full Legislature.

State Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon introduced the measure, which he dubbed the First Freedom Act. During a public hearing Wednesday, he said the bill would ensure that people of all faiths can “live their lives and practice their religion” freely in Nebraska.

The senator said he had been looking at the idea but was inspired to introduce the bill by a 2020 case involving two Native American students in the Cody-Kilgore school district. School employees repeatedly cut the girls’ hair, even after their parents objected and informed school officials that hair is a sacred symbol in Lakota tradition. The parents have filed a federal lawsuit over the incident.

Read more: https://omaha.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/nebraska-bill-strengthening-religious-freedoms-stalls-amid-concerns-it-might-go-too-far/article_417f0394-794f-11ec-a911-d3773b6c324c.html




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

Whoa, ladies and gentlemen, do you believe in unlikelyhoods? This is unbelievable – Kansas barely showed up! Nebraska is running all over them and they will be the third team in this tournament to upset a #1 seed! Can you believe this? Nebraska is ahead with 14 points left in the second half… for three!!! YES!!! And that’s all she wrote, folks! Nebraska has done the unthinkable and upset Kansas to take the Fiscal Irresponsibility crown! They are celebrating on the court! Final score: 96 – 79! Cut that net guys, you earned it!



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

We have to take a week off next week, but when we come back on the 18th, it’s time for the Stupidest State Final Four! Nebraska. Georgia. Tennessee. Missouri. One of these states will take home the trophy and become the new Top 10 Stupidest State! We are two short rounds away from crowning our champion, folks! We will be live at the home of the USC Trojans, the fabulous Galen Center in Los Angeles, for all the action!



[font size="4"]And Now This: [/font]
[font size="4"]St. Paul & The Broken Bones[/font]

Ladies and gentlemen, my next guest is a great band from Birmingham, Alabama! You can see them on tour through July 16th. Playing their song “Minotaur” from their album “The Alien Coast”, give it up for St. Paul & The Broken Bones!



Thank you Burbank! So we unfortunately have to take a short break next week, we’ll be back on Thursday, 5/19 with a brand new edition live from Santa Ana and the conclusion of Stupidest State 2022! See you next week!

Credits

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Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo

April 28, 2022

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-13: Alice's Adventures Through The MAGA Glass Edition


Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-13: Alice’s Adventures Through The MAGA Glass Edition

Ed. Note - due to a scheduling conflict at our host venue, the Top 10 is early today!

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Yo what’s up Long Beach? The LGB! No it’s not to be confused with “Let’s Go Brandon”. I’m of course talking about the airport code for Long Beach. So this was the week that we’re supposed to be off but that trip got unfortunately canceled (not because of COVID, fortunately!) so we are going to be out the week of May 10th instead. But that said we can’t wait to see how the end of Stupidest State is going to play out, things are getting exciting! Do we have time for the thing? Of course we do. So you know that professional troll Elon Musk is in the process of acquiring Twitter with plans to turn it into a far right shithole. Now many of you have been asking what’s the official Top 10 position on Elon’s acquisition? Well right now it’s complicated. I’ve had tons of stories about this come across my desk this week and unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to go through them all while we were putting together this week’s edition. But that being said, the official Top 10 position is, at least the simple answer: We’re staying. We’re fighting. Because platforms need to know the toxicity of their user base. If we don’t speak up, they win. It’s that simple. So for the time being, we ain’t going nowhere and we’re staying. There is an exception though – if Elon did unban Trump’s account and give racists and sexists a free pass to do whatever they wanted, then we would bail. The other exception is if we found a viable platform with which to continue our message on, then we would sign up and move our accounts there. So that’s it! That’s our official position everybody. OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is off this week but he has posted what may be one of his most random videos to date:



So where do we begin this week? Well while the rest of the world has their eyes on the horrifying atrocities being committed by Russia abroad and treason being committed by the MAGA party here at home, Florida Man Ron DeSantis (1), has his sights set on derailing the Happiest Place On Earth because they were mean to him over his controversial and dehumanizing “Don’t Say Gay” legislation. Oh, and Fox News is egging him on. In the second slot this week is our old friend Marjorie Taylor Greene (2) who is being grilled about her possible involvement in the January 6th Insurrection, which might get her booted from running for reelection! Oh we can only hope! Taking the third slot this week is Infowars head honcho and possible walking heart attack Alex Jones (3). So Infowars is on the verge of bankruptcy, or did he declare bankruptcy Michael Scott style? We have our theories! In the number 4 slot is COVID Deniers (4). So a batshit crazy Federalist MAGA judge from Florida declared that mask mandates are illegal, which is really an F-U to Biden and Fauci, but with Philadelphia’s recent ruling – is it finally time to say goodbye to COVID masks? We take a look. In the number 5 slot, we have a new Top 10 Investigates (5)! An alarming report from the Orange County Register has placed Southern California home prices above San Francisco as having the highest home prices in the country, so what’s driving them? We will do our best to find out! Taking the number 6 slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6). Did the Russian warship Moskva, which sank last week, have a piece of the True Cross on board? Well, we think it’s a load of crap, but there’s always two sides to every issue! Speaking of two sides to every issue, the number 7 seed this week is a new “Beating A Dead Horse” – should we be alarmed by increasingly bad and borderline creepy behavior coming from superstars like Johnny Depp, Bill Murray and Mike Tyson? Yeah probably. But it’s probably also a sign of increasing change in Hollywood. In the number 8 slot this week, we have our first “How Is This Still A Thing” (8) of the season, how about that? And this week, after it lost a tremendous amount of value and was fleecing investors, we ask – the “Let’s Go Brandon” Bitcoin – how is this still a thing? Taking the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week, we have a new People Are Dumb (9) because of course they are! And finally this week, it’s time for Stupidest State 2022 (10)! This week, it’s Round 2 Week 3 which means it’s the Batshit Conference finals! Georgia. Arizona. One of these two teams will win. The other will go home! All this plus we have some live music for you from the legendary British duo Royal Blood! Really, buy their new album Typhoons or you’re no friend of this program! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]Ron DeSantis
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Seriously, Fox News has way too much power in this country. Especially in Texas and Florida. Where they not only report the news, but these idiotic culture wars are becoming national policy now. Just look at Texas with their draconian anti-trans bills. But Florida looks to top them with their ridiculous “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The bill itself is the literal definition of a “farce”. And the only thing it really does is make Ron DeSantis look good to the Fox / evangelical crowd, and that’s about it. But this feud with Disney has just gone way too far and it’s totally backfiring in Ron DeSantis’ face. For the sake of this piece, let’s call it “The Not So Happiest Place On Earth”. Nah, that doesn’t have enough zing. Since MAGAs love white rabbit references, how about we call it… yeah, that’s a great title! Alice’s Adventures Through The MAGA Glass! Thank you graphics department! But in all seriousness, this feud between the Florida GOP and Disney has gone way too far. And you know the people who are going to get hurt? The people who go to Disneyland!

Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature's actions to start the clock on dissolving a special self-governance district created for The Walt Disney Co. in 1967 could have dramatic impacts for two Orlando-area counties and their taxpayers.

The 38.5-square-mile Reedy Creek Improvement District gave Disney significant control of its property surrounding its Walt Disney World complex in Orange and Osceola counties. Reedy Creek, for example, oversees public safety for Disney, as well as upkeep of roads and other infrastructure like water treatment and building inspections. Dissolving Reedy Creek is equivalent to dissolving a city.

What could this mean for taxpayers?

It could mean big tax increases for residents of Orange and Osceola counties, as taxpayers would suddenly have to pick up the costs of everything from fire protection to road maintenance within Disney property.

Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph tweeted that if Reedy Creek is gone, so is the $105 million Disney collects from itself annually to operate those services.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/desantis-dissolves-disney-reedy-creek-100040635.html




Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! That’s the fucking irony of this whole exercise. So Disney controls a special district in Florida called Reedy Creek, that they own, operate and maintain which oversees the infrastructure and public safety of Disney World. By dissolving that, the state of Florida now owns the district. And because they own the district, they also now own the debt accumulated by said district. So if you do the math… carry the one… that comes out to the tune of ONE BILLION DOLLARS. Yes, billion with a B. Congratulations, Florida! Your state is now officially owned and controlled by Fox News!

The man who wrote the book on Disney’s relationship with Florida is warning that removing Disney’s special district status could come at an economic cost, not only for the surrounding municipalities that would have to absorb the Reedy Creek Improvement District but for the state as a whole.

Rick Foglesong authored “Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando,” which chronicles Florida’s love affair with Disney.

The book specifically looks into the Reedy Creek Improvement District, an area where Disney can govern itself.

-snip-

Foglesong said dissolving Reedy Creek would mean all the services the district provides would have to be paid for by either nearby local governments or by the state.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/man-wrote-book-disney-florida-203108019.html




You know what else is ironic? Disney owns that joke now! I always love when characters owned by other corporations that make Disney jokes are now owned by Disney. As is the case with Bart Simpson. But that aside, this ridiculous culture war is just another one of the many ways that the MAGA world is fucking with our established institutions. They love Disney until they don’t need them anymore. They love Apple and Facebook, until they don’t need them anymore. You see where I am going with this? I mean it’s truly insane.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’s move to revoke the company’s special tax status in Florida showed how combative his party has grown toward corporations that are increasingly taking a stand on political issues.

The move, which reverses a 55-year arrangement effectively allowing the company to self-govern its theme park complex, came after a weekslong battle with Disney that became a symbol of the country’s broader cultural fights over education, sexuality and identity.

The Florida standoff largely centered on an education law recently signed by Mr. DeSantis. That law, called the “Parental Rights in Education” measure — or, by its critics, the “Don’t Say Gay” bill — prohibits classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in some elementary school grades. After internal demands to speak out, Disney, Florida’s largest private employer, had criticized the measure and paused political donations.

Widely seen as retaliation, Mr. DeSantis’s move illustrated just how drastically the G.O.P. has transformed from the days when its leaders often moved in lock step with the nation’s largest businesses. The episode also showed how major companies have felt rising pressure to take a stand on heated political issues.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/22/us/politics/desantis-disney-florida.html




Just wait until South Park is owned by Disney! And don’t think it won’t happen! Don’t think it won’t! So anyway these culture wars have got to stop. All they do is divide us and drive us bonkers and it provides good ratings for Fox News. It also gets terrible people like Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott elected. And it’s also costing people big time. Ron DeSantis actually did Disney a favor. He gave them a huge tax break which they’re off the hook for and now the Florida residents will be paying for it for years and probably even decades! Great job Fox! Hope Tucker and Hannity enjoy those ratings while the rest of us are suffering the consequences! Time to turn off Fox and come back to the real world, OK?

As Florida legislators were rushing through passage of a bill to repeal the special district that governs Walt Disney World last week, they failed to notice an obscure provision in state law that says the state could not do what legislators were doing — unless the district’s bond debt was paid off.

Disney, however, noticed and quietly sent a note to its investors to show that it was confident the Legislature’s attempt to dissolve the special taxing district operating the 39-square mile parcel it owned in two counties violated the “pledge” the state made when it enacted the district in 1967, and therefore was not legal. The result, Disney told its investors, is that it would continue to go about business as usual.......

Disney’s statement says, “In light of the State of Florida’s pledge to the District’s bondholders, Reedy Creek expects to explore its options while continuing its present operations, including levying and collecting its ad valorem taxes and collecting its utility revenues, paying debt service on its ad valorem tax bonds and utility revenue bonds, complying with its bond covenants and operating and maintaining its properties.’’ In essence, the state had a contractual obligation not to interfere with the district until the bond debt is paid off, said Jake Schumer, a municipal attorney in the Maitland law firm of Shepard, Smith, Kohlmyer & Hand, in an article for Bloomberg Tax posted on Tuesday and cited in a Law and Crime article......

Randolph calls the measure the “no lawyer left behind act,” and predicts that there will be many lawsuits, including one from bondholders, alleging the state illegally impaired the contract.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article260783972.html





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[font size="8"]Marjorie Taylor Greene
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You know how some people are just so far removed from society that when their name is in the news you almost instantly know that they’re going to say or do something ridiculously stupid and also horrible too? Well for us that person is Infowars’ favorite Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q – Batshit). I mean this woman is completely off her rocker. And before I get into why she’s number 2 this week, I want to share this bit of information. You know since being banned from committees, all she does is go on super far right shows like Steve Bannon and Infowars to complain about everything, and even recently brought out the pedophile card. Yeah you don’t go there Marjorie. But considering that Marjorie is full on drinking the Q Anon Kool Aid, she will go there. And even accuse others of being pedophiles and terrorists, because, reasons. And you know that one of the central talking points of the Q Anon platform is that Trump would invoke martial law to declare himself president again. Which is fucking stupid. And what’s even more fucking stupid? The fact that they don’t even know what real martial law is.

CNN has reportedly secured 2,319 text messages that were sent to and from former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows between Election Day 2020 and Joe Biden’s inauguration. Much of this trove consists of frantic messages on January 6, 2021, fruitlessly seeking some intervention by Donald Trump to stop the Capitol riot. A few of these missives came from Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who appeared to agree with the objectives — if not the tactics — of the insurrectionists.

But a far more interesting text message to Meadows from MTG came quite a bit later, on January 17 — 11 days after Biden’s presidential election was finally certified by Congress and just three days before the 46th president’s inauguration. Per CNN:

By January 17, Greene was suggesting ways to keep Trump in office, telling Meadows there were several Republicans in Congress who still wanted the then-President to declare martial law, which had been raised in a heated Oval Office meeting a month earlier.

Greene texted: “In our private chat with only Members, several are saying the only way to save our Republic is for Trump to call for Marshall [sic] law. I don’t know on those things. I just wanted you to tell him. They stole this election. We all know. They will destroy our country next. Please tell him to declassify as much as possible so we can go after Biden and anyone else!”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-talked-marshall-law-with-trump-chief-of-staff/ar-AAWAn7L




Here’s the thing, Q nuts – if you can’t spell “martial law”, you don’t get to use it. And I also choose to interpret that as they like Marshall from the show “How I Met Your Mother”, and his character was a lawyer. So maybe that’s the Marshall law they are implying? OK enough of that. But here’s why Marjorie is in the news. You know the January 6th committee is heating up even though its’ been over a year now and they still haven’t gone after the big cheeses who were in on the investigation. So of course they’re taking Trump’s approach now and blaming literally anyone and everything who isn’t them.

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was hostile during testimony Friday in a hearing on her eligibility to run for re-election, saying she did not remember liking and making various social media posts surrounding the attack on the U.S. Capitol last year and accusing an opposing lawyer of speculating and twisting her words.

Voters in the Georgia congresswoman’s district have said Ms. Greene helped facilitate the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection that disrupted certification of President Joe Biden’s victory, making her ineligible for re-election under a rarely cited section of the 14th Amendment dealing with “insurrection or rebellion.”

But Ms. Greene — who, the day before the Capitol riot, proclaimed on TV that this is “our 1776 moment” — testified that she has never endorsed violence.

Ms. Greene is set to appear on the Republican ballot for Georgia’s May 24 primary and has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. The administrative law judge overseeing the hearing is not the ultimate decider of Ms. Greene’s candidacy since he must present his findings to Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who then must determine whether Ms. Greene is qualified.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-grows-hostile-in-testimony-over-re-election-eligibility/ar-AAWuZCh




Also, here’s the thing Q nuts – you can’t question Biden’s cognitive ability when you are in court and are on national fucking TELEVISION and you’re saying that you legitimately can’t remember something that happened LAST FUCKING YEAR that you a 5 minute Google search can tell you! Thank you Burbank, I knew I had to get that off my chest! And also too, you can’t tell me that Biden is mentally incompetent when I saw what you did on TV last week. No, Marjorie, you can’t fool anyone on this one. You might as well sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up.

Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene launched a scathing attack on "mentally incompetent" President Joe Biden in a video response to his State of the Union address.

The controversial congresswoman who recently spoke at a white nationalist event, insulted the president, as well as his son Hunter Biden, during a 30-minute conspiracy laden speech on Right Side Broadcasting Network, a conservative media company known for livestreaming Donald Trump rallies.

Greene, who along with fellow Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert heckled the president as he gave the State of the Union address, including attempting to start a "build the wall" chant in the chamber, attacked the president while falsely claiming he has sent "thousands of troops" to Eastern Europe to defend Ukraine's borders following Russia's invasion.

https://www.newsweek.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-biden-state-union-1684031




So of course Ms. Greene is naturally terrified of testifying under oath with the media watching her every move. She’s attacked everyone from trans people to the LGBT community to the media to calling fellow Congresspeople pedophiles to just about everything in between. And you might think we’re making this up, but oh no. Literally every single one of those clips we just showed are real and we did not alter them in any way, shape or form. That said, Ms. Greene is going to be in a world of hurt if the truth were to get out and she were banned from reelection because of how toxic and vile she is. The truth… is out there!

Marjorie Taylor Greene is going to appear in court on Friday. The media will be there, too, and she’s furious about it.

U.S. District Court Judge Amy Totenberg ruled earlier this week that an effort to disqualify the conspiracy theorist from running for reelection over her alleged role in the attack on the Capitol last Jan. 6 can proceed. The group who filed the challenge, Free Speech for People, is alleging that Greene is in violation of the 14th Amendment, which states that if someone took an oath to defend the Constitution and then “engaged in insurrection or rebellion,” they can’t serve in Congress.

Totenberg’s decision means Greene will have to testify under oath on Friday. Greene seems a little worried, perhaps because she’s built her entire career on pushing lies and unfounded conspiracy theories — from Jewish-funded space lasers starting the California wildfires to the 2020 election being stolen — and has little experience telling the truth, which she’ll now have to do lest she open herself up to perjury charges.

“You want to talk about it? It’s a big lie,” she said recently on One America News. “They want to talk about the big lie, this is the big lie and it’s destroying democracy.”
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/marjorie-taylor-greene-terrified-media-184133463.html





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[font size="8"]Infowars
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There’s a war for your mind people!!! Yes, THE ELITLE GLOBALISTS ARE PUTTTING CHEMICALS IN THE WATER THAT WILL TURN THE FRIGGING FROGS GAY!! Now that you’ve heard that, buy my useless protein supplements that will help keep this operation going because I need a new Rolex and gas for my armored tank. These things don’t pay for themselves! OK enough of that nonsense. But this is perhaps one of the best stories of the year so far. Infowars is going bankrupt! And while I’m living out my schadenfreude, I can honestly say that it couldn’t happen to a nicer asshole! So now is Alex Jones legitimately declaring bankruptcy or is he just saying that he’s declaring bankruptcy? Well it’s a little from column A and a little from column B. But a $3 million dollar settlement for the Sandy Hook victims he harassed and threatened, combined with six figure fines resulting from said lawsuits, definitely aren’t helping things. But seriously, the sooner we rid the world of Infowars and all their ridiculous conspiracy theories, the better!

InfoWars, a media outlet owned by far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, and two other companies owned by Jones have filed for bankruptcy. This all comes after Jones lost three defamation lawsuits to the families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims.

But legal experts tell TPM that while the filing is bankruptcy on its face, it could all be part of an effort to delay accountability and reduce the amount he’ll have to pay the families in damages......

Claiming that Jones has only “limited cash on hand” and that there could be a risk that the judgement in the Texas plaintiffs’ case won’t leave enough for the Connecticut plaintiffs (whose judgement will be decided after Texas), the filings propose a “Litigation Settlement Trust” to serve as a pool from which the Sandy Hook families can collect on whatever damages get awarded to them.

Under the proposal, Jones would put in $2,725,000, plus $250,000 per quarter for 20 consecutive quarters, and that’s where the families will get the money — offering a plan that the filing argues won’t leave anyone out.....

Jones’ strategy seems to be to set the limits of what the families will get from him and to “create confusion” with the bankruptcy filings, said Bruce Markell, a bankruptcy law professor at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/infowars-bankruptcy-filing-alex-jones-sandy-hook-defamation-lawsuits




Unfortunately that’s not how you do it. But that’s probably how Alex Jones does it. The fact that this trial has gone on for over 10 years now with nearly no end in sight is one of the most ridiculous things to happen and that’s including 4 years of Donald Trump as president. The question now is now much should Mr. Jones pay out to the people who he harassed and mocked? Well that’s a hotly debated topic, and the settlement from his divorce certainly isn’t helping things. But can we all agree that Alex Jones is an absolute monster and garbage human being? I think we can all agree on that!

vA Texas judge on Wednesday pushed back the first jury trial over how much conspiracy theorist Alex Jones should pay the families of Sandy Hook victims after his Infowars company sought bankruptcy protection this week.

The delay ordered by state District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble comes days after Infowars and two other companies tied to Jones filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Texas.

Jones has lost defamation lawsuits in Texas and Connecticut over his comments that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre was a hoax. The first trial over how much he should pay the families had been scheduled to begin Monday in Austin, where Infowars is headquartered.

A new trial date has not been set.

Attorneys for Sandy Hook families have accused Jones of trying to hide millions of dollars in assets. Creditors listed in Infowars' bankruptcy filing include relatives of some of the 20 children and six educators killed in the 2012 school massacre in Connecticut.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/judge-delays-alex-jones-trial-infowars-seeks-bankruptcy-84192794?cid=social_twitter_abcnp



By the way, don’t think that this is over. Oh no, in fact it’s just beginning! One does not simply declare bankruptcy. And the Sandy Hook lawyers think that this bankruptcy filing is completely bogus. Now really, you only think that? Come on, I wouldn’t put it past Alex Jones to lie and cheat his way out of this one. Because that’s exactly what people who drink the MAGA / Q Kool-Aid do. In fact, the Sandy Hook parents are even asking the judge to throw out the “bankruptcy”. Come on, you knew Alex would go there so he wouldn’t have to pay them, am I right? What a little weasel!

Families of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre have asked a judge to throw out InfoWars' bankruptcy, saying it was filed to avoid upcoming trials to determine damages in defamation cases the families have won against the right-wing website.

The families filed their motion on Tuesday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, where InfoWars founder Alex Jones placed three holding companies into Chapter 11 on April 17.

The bankruptcy came in the wake of court judgments that found conspiracy theorist Jones and his media businesses liable in multiple defamation lawsuits after he falsely claimed that the 2012 shooting in Newtown, Connecticut that left 20 children and six school employees dead was a hoax.

The families said in Tuesday's filing that the bankruptcy is "not typical Chapter 11" and that the case has "no valid bankruptcy purpose" and should be dismissed with prejudice as a bad-faith filing.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/sandy-hook-victims-families-urge-judge-toss-infowars-bankruptcy-2022-04-27/




Yeah no, sorry, Alex, but you don’t get to weasel your way out of this one. He’s such a disgusting slimebag, I’m surprised that he has any fans left. Of course we live in a world right now where the jerks and pigs are in charge and they’re making the rest of us sane individuals miserable. But in all honesty, the sooner Infowars is removed from our collective conscious, the better. Because Alex Jones is a huge part of why the GOP has gone so far off the deep end. And all he does is use his power to hawk those bogus protein supplements and call our elected representatives pedophiles. Is that what you want there, GOP? Because that’s where you’re headed. But really, Alex can go fuck off.

Texas conspiracy theorist and InfoWars founder Alex Jones just keeps landing in hot water. In December, he got bad press after saying he refused to answer questions from the Congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Now, three of his companies, including the far-right InfoWars, have filed for bankruptcy, CNN and other outlets report. The news broke after Jones was found legally accountable for damages in three separate lawsuits over false claims and conspiracy theories he promoted following the Sandy Hook mass shooting in 2012.

As CNN noted, among the claims Jones spread was the assertion that the deadly mass shooting — 26 people, 20 of them children, were murdered — was a hoax and that the parents were so-called crisis actors.

Reuters reported that InfoWars claimed in court documents to have between zero and $50,000 in assets while facing estimated liabilities to the tune of between $1 million to $10 million.
https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/with-bankruptcy-filings-things-are-getting-rough-for-far-right-texas-conspiracy-theorist-alex-jones-13835326





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[font size="8"]End Of Mask Mandates?
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We had a much different entry originally planned for this one, folks, so we decided to retrace our steps to see where we went wrong. So here goes. The COVID-19 pandemic is still a thing. And unfortunately it looks like the virus is here to stay and we’ll eventually all come down with a case, no matter how mild or severe it is. But since the pandemic, the question of whether or not we should be wearing face masks has been one of the ultimate circular firing squad arguments. And here’s the thing folks, we were ready to absolutely eviscerate the highly partisan religious whacko MAGA judge in Florida who overturned the mask mandates on airplanes in a right wing effort to say “fuck you” to Biden and Fauci. The truth of the matter is that no one likes to wear these things. I know I have not! But that said, we decided instead to play Devil’s Advocate after hearing about why a much more sane part of the country, Philadelphia, decided to end their indoor mask mandates after previously instating them. So while many cities are ruling on whether or not to begin transitioning to an endemic phase, here’s what is going on with the recent ruling.

The federal government said Monday passengers traveling on airplanes and other forms of public transportation won't be required to wear a face mask for now after a federal judge in Florida voided the mandate.

The decision Monday by U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa says the federal mask mandate exceeded the authority of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which failed to justify the order and didn't follow proper rulemaking procedures.

The mask mandate, announced in January 2021, had been set to expire Monday. The CDC announced last week that it would extend the mandate 15 days to allow more time to study the BA.2 omicron subvariant of the coronavirus that is responsible for the majority of cases in the U.S. It was the mask mandate's fifth extension despite repeated requests from airlines and other travel industry officials to ease restrictions.

A Biden administration official said the ruling means that, for now, the mask mandate is not in effect. Federal agencies are reviewing the decision and assessing potential next steps, the official said, but the Transportation Security Administration will not enforce the mandate at this time. The official noted that the CDC recommends that people continue to wear masks in indoor public transportation settings.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2022/04/18/florida-judge-voids-us-mask-mandate-planes-other-travel/7358935001/




Yeah so that happened. But then we saw what the city of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia did with their mandates. And you know what? Is it time to really ditch these things? I know some people who will still wear them no matter what the circumstances are. And we’re cool with that. I see some of you in the audience who are doing just that! But with Philly’s ruling, is it really time to start the beginning of the end of COVID-19? The reality is that we’re no longer in full blow, the sky is falling, end of the world panic mode that we were two years ago.

Philadelphia lifted its indoor mask mandate, but residents and visitors are strongly encouraged to still wear a mask in indoor public spaces, the city’s health department said Friday.

Just days after becoming the first major city to reimpose a mask mandate, Philly flipped the switch again with a unanimous vote from the Philadelphia Board of Health.

“We feel like a mandate isn’t necessary at this point,” Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole said.

It’s an abrupt about-face from the Philadelphia health commissioner just four days after a mask mandate was imposed on the city.

“This is not a free-for-all, take off your masks. This is a ‘we’re going to strongly recommend this rather than require it,'” Bettigole said.
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2022/04/22/philadelphia-drops-indoor-mask-mandate-covid-19-health/




Yeah so it’s not a total “fuck it” approach the way that Florida is doing things. It’s more of a “wink wink nudge nudge” type of approach. So you don’t have to wear them in public if you don’t want to. Now that said the problem is that we’re not going to completely eliminate this pest that has been plaguing us the last two years. The thing is we’re nowhere close to the level of cases we had two years ago when everyone went into full on panic lockdown mode. But we still need to be at least a little cautious, but not as much as we were two years ago.

White House COVID-19 response coordinator Ashish Jha on Sunday said the U.S. should respond to the rising number of coronavirus cases “with care and caution, but not overreacting.”

The number of daily COVID-19 cases in the U.S. has been on the rise, hitting roughly 66,000 infections on Friday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Asked by co-anchor Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union” about the rise, Jha said the nation should react to the increasing infections differently now compared to one year ago because the U.S. now has vaccines, booster shots and therapeutics.

“We would have reacted to this differently a year ago. Cases are still important, infections are still important, we want to keep those infection numbers low, but they mean something different now than they did a year ago. Right?” Jha said.
https://thehill.com/news/sunday-talk-shows/3461457-white-house-official-us-must-respond-to-rising-covid-19-cases-with-care-and-caution-but-not-overreacting/




Now here’s the thing – it could be worse. So much worse. While we’re all enjoying our freedoms that have been brought thanks to two highly effective vaccines, consider the alternative – China. Their “zero COVID” strategy has been a colossal disaster. But that also serves as a reminder that this nightmare pandemic that we’ve all been living through in the last two years isn’t over yet. But I will say that I would much rather be living in America than living in Shanghai right now. They’re literally erecting fences to keep people inside their homes. Fences! Yeah, seriously, fuck Xi Jianping.

Shanghai authorities battling an outbreak of COVID-19 have erected fences outside residential buildings, sparking fresh public outcry over a lockdown that has forced much of the city's 25 million people indoors.

Images of white hazmat suit-clad workers sealing entrances of housing blocks and closing off entire streets with roughly two metre-tall green fencing went viral on social media, prompting questions and complaints from residents.

"This is so disrespectful of the rights of the people inside, using metal barriers to enclose them like domestic animals," said one user on social media platform Weibo.

One video showed residents shouting from balconies at workers trying to set up fencing before relenting and taking it away. Other videos showed people trying to pull fences down.
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/shanghai-blockades-covid-hit-buildings-fuelling-fresh-outcry-2022-04-24/





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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: OC Home Prices
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It's time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!



Remember when that guy was being interviewed on TV and he said “The rent is too damn high!!” and became an instant meme celebrity? Well he’s not wrong. While many people in the country point to San Francisco and New York as having the highest home prices in the entire country, they’re not wrong. But last week, a new contender emerged. It’s San Francisco’s neighbors to the south, Orange County. Where the average median home price recently topped over $1 million. That’s right – one million. Which puts Orange County high in the running for the highest housing prices in the entire country and maybe even the world. Orange County has one of the nicest climates in the world and a huge range of biodiversity, but if you want to live here, you will have to definitely pony up some serious dough. While the pandemic hit housing prices hard, it particularly skyrocketed in the OC where it was one of the highest in all of the US. And yes, don’t call it that.

Orange County’s median home price in March cracked seven figures for the first time at $1.02 million — the 15th record high set in the pandemic era.

Across Southern California, the median home price of $735,000 also was an all-time high — up 4% for the month and 17% over 12 months. Buyers grabbed 23,225 residences — existing and newly constructed — in the six counties, up 37% for the month but down 9% over the past year.

Here’s what my trusty spreadsheet found in DQNews’ report on closed transactions in Orange County in March …
Prices

The month: The countywide $1,020,000 median for all homes was up 3.6% in a month while increasing 22% over 12 months. This breaks the record of $985,000 set in January.
https://www.ocregister.com/2022/04/25/orange-countys-1-02-million-home-price-is-15th-pandemic-record/




Not really, Gordon. Greed isn’t good. Greed only affects one person and that’s the person who is receiving the money. The rest of us have to suffer. And you might be wondering – if housing prices keep going up, they eventually have to go down, right? Wrong! As we are seeing with gas, things will only continue to get more expensive. There’s a chance that things will improve but as to when they will, that’s only a mystery. COVID certainly turned the world upside down and things that were once affordable are now being considered luxuries.

Economists and other experts pointed to several factors that should largely uphold home values: a severe shortage of homes for sale, rising incomes, falling unemployment and — in plain language — a tendency for homeowners to be greedy.

“A lot of times people go, ‘Well, if I can’t get the price my neighbor got, I am not going to sell,’” said Bill McBride, author of the financial blog Calculated Risk who famously called the housing crash two decades ago.

In the past, sharp rises in mortgage rates have slowed home price growth, and experts said higher rates should have the same effect this time around as well.

The simple reason is people can afford less, and this is starting to show. Industry professionals report fewer people at open houses, fewer multiple offers per home and fewer mortgage applications.
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-04-20/mortgage-interest-rates-rise-will-southern-california-home-prices-drop




Bernie Sanders gets it. But the simple math spells it out. Things are becoming more and more expensive by the day which means that the average American can afford less and less goods. In simple economic terms, this is, well, bad. But what’s considered a bargain in this day and age? Well there’s one zip code in particular that was being tracked for median housing prices. But we also can’t forget that the loan industry, which is churning out low cost loans as fast as they can print them, is also partially responsible for this latest uptick in housing prices.

Well, the pandemic’s homebuying binge more than tripled the number of million-dollar Orange County neighborhoods over 24 months as the market lost three-quarters of its “affordable” communities since March 2020.



Why did this happen? Cheap loans, few homes for sale and a thirst for larger living spaces — not to mention growing investor interest — all created a feeding frenzy amongst buyers. And all of this happened as the economy slowly recovered from a pandemic chill.

Those factors bumped the countywide median price to $1.02 million in March — its first time in the seven-figure category. Prices are up 22.2% in one year (that’s a $185,303 gain or $15,442 a month) after gaining 10.6% in the previous 12 months (that’s $79,700 or appreciation at a $6,642 monthly pace.)

Let’s look at what ZIPs landed in the million-dollar club in March — and the cheapest neighborhoods. Note that monthly sales data for individual ZIP codes can be volatile, so price trends may reflect a different mix of homes sold — not changing values. (Data for all Orange County ZIPs can be found at bit.ly/marchpricingoc)
https://www.ocregister.com/2022/04/27/orange-countys-million-dollar-zips-triple-in-2-years-bargains-fall-by-three-quarters/




Now when something rises in price, eventually the price will drop. At least that is the economic theory anyway. But in reality? Your economic theory is meaningless. The short answer to the housing price crisis? The answer is just like gasoline – you’d better get used to it for the foreseeable future. Because as was previously stated, COVID through the entire world for a loop and turned everything upside down and inside out. Until the supply chain starts correcting itself expect the prices on housing and other every day necessities to remain high.

According to Veros, the fundamental causes of price increases still exist in most parts of the country. While mortgage rates are up to about 5%, they are still historically low in the grand scheme of things, housing starts remain near historic lows—as does inventory—while the prevalence of all-cash buyers and declining unemployment will continue to keep upward pressure on home prices.

Because of these factor, Veros anticipates home prices will appreciate on average 7.1% for the next twelve months.

The average house increased by $52,000 last year and interest rate increases have pushed the average mortgage payment up by $200 a month, two more statistics that are not likely to stop increasing over the next 12 months said Veros. In addition, this is the first time in recorded history that home prices increased more than the average median wage, which stands at $50,000.

“The situation the housing market is in today with prices that will not decrease or even slow down would be analogous to the situation of someone trying to lose weight but can’t seem to have success,” said Eric Fox, Chief Economist at Veros. “If a nutritionist told them they had to start eating healthy meals, stop eating dessert, stop drinking alcohol, and start going to the gym four times per week to achieve their weight loss goals, and they questioned why they were not losing weight when the single recommendation they had only partially implemented was reducing their dessert from four scoops of ice cream per day to three. That is the situation that today’s housing market is experiencing. We have a long way to go before fundamentals change in a significant way to cause a moderation in prices.”
https://themreport.com/daily-dose/04-25-2022/interest-rates




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




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[font size="8"]Holy Shit: True Cross On The Russian Warship

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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! Please be seated! You know we live in trying times. There’s a killer virus and a madman with nuclear weapons is threatening to take out most of the Western World. In fact we’ve been watching the news and we have been terrified at what is going on with Vladimir Putin’s illegal and immoral invasion and occupation of the Ukraine. But between the headlines this interesting little nugget of information got lost. That’s right – there’s so much news out there that it is sometimes impossible to tell the difference between fact and fiction. But we do know that Vladimir Putin is the devil himself for he gave us the unholy, ungodly Dark One! I of course speak of a man so foul, so depraved and disgusting that his name dare not be spoken in my church! However if you’re here and you’re a regular, you already know that, don’t you? Though I bring this up because the Dark One works for Putin. And lost in the conversation of the war is this story, which probably should be bigger. Though that makes us question whether or not it’s real or not!

On Thursday, April 14, 2022, the Moskva, the flagship vessel of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, reportedly sunk to the bottom of the ocean. As AP reported:

The flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet, a guided-missile cruiser that became a potent target of Ukrainian defiance in the opening days of the war, sank Thursday after it was heavily damaged in the latest setback for Moscow's invasion.

Ukrainian officials said their forces hit the vessel with missiles, while Russia acknowledged a fire aboard the Moskva but no attack. U.S. and other Western officials could not confirm what caused the blaze.

Back in 2020, the Russian State-owned news agency TASS reported that this same ship had been armed with a piece of the True Cross, a Christian relic that is believed to have been part of the cross upon which Jesus Christ was crucified approximately 1,989 years ago today:

A Christian relic, a piece of the True Cross on which the believers say Jesus Christ was crucified would be kept at the Moskva missile cruiser, the Black Sea fleet flagship, archpriest of the Russian Orthodox Church's Sevastopol District Sergiy Khalyuta told TASS.
https://boingboing.net/2022/04/16/recently-sunken-russian-warship-may-have-been-carrying-a-piece-of-the-cross-that-jesus-died-on.html




Holy shit! So Putin is going full in on the religious angle. But is he right about this or is this just a conspiracy that someone made up? Since it really can’t be proven, I’ll say that it’s a little from column A, a little from column B. But this is one of the more insane stories that we’ve seen in a while here and I can’t say that I am surprised by this one. And just how big of a piece of the true cross was this ship carrying? Well that’s also a mystery. One thing is for sure though is that the good LAWRD JAYSUS would not put up with using his name or image to bomb the shit out of an innocent country from a deranged dictator bent on world domination!

The Russian warship that sunk during the military operations against Ukraine last week may have been carrying what is claimed by some Christians to be a fragment of the cross that Jesus Christ was crucified on.

The Russian Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva — which helped seize Snake Island in an infamous incident at the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine War — sank on Thursday after being seriously damaged following an explosion that a Ukrainian official said was the result of a missile strike.

In 2020, it was decided that a Christian relic, a piece of the "True Cross," would be carried on the Moskva, archpriest of the Russian Orthodox Church’s Sevastopol District Sergiy Khalyuta told Russian state media outlet TASS.

The True Cross that Jesus Christ was crucified on was supposedly found by Roman Emperor Constantine's mother, Empress Helena, and the alleged fragments of the cross have over the centuries been dispersed among different sects and churches. Khalyuta emphasized to TASS that fragments of the true cross are very rare and of great religious importance for all Christian denominations.
https://www.jpost.com/christianworld/article-704498




No he isn’t risen yet. At least not that I am aware of. Now you might be asking, how did the devil himself, Vladimir Putin, acquire such a relic and what was it doing on this ship? Well, it is a very complicated story. The short version is that the Russian Orthodox Church was in the process of acquiring a relic from Jerusalem that was believed to have a shard of wood from the cross itself. So in case you’re asking, yes, the piece of wood in this relic was very small. And of course the answer was it was either really large or really small.

A little over a week ago, reports emerged that the Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, had sunk. The Moskva was a missile cruiser and, according to Russian state media, the ship had sunk following an explosion on board. The news created a buzz in the religious community because there are rumors that there was a fragment of the “True Cross” (the cross on which Jesus was crucified) on board at the time. If true, this would make the relic-toting warship the latest example in a long tradition where religious objects have been weaponized in conflicts.

In 2020, the Russian Orthodox Church announced that a reliquary containing a 19th-century metal cross was about to be delivered to Vice Admiral Igor Osipov, the then-commander of the Black Sea fleet. The cross was special because embedded within it was a small splinter of wood. It had been donated by an anonymous collector. The relic was supposed to have been transferred to the small chapel on board the Moskva. There are numerous questions to be asked here—was the wood from the True Cross? Was it transferred to the ship? Was the ship sunk by the Ukrainian military? Are reports about Osipov’s alleged arrest correct? —but the incident speaks to the phenomenon of religious weapons.

Religious relics like the Moskva cross are objects that have a particular physical relationship to saints and other religious figures. Often these are bone fragments or the tufts of hair of religious figures (the Latin reliquiae just means “remains” or “what is left over”), but sometimes they are items that are closely tied to the holy deceased person. Examples of these second-class relics include clothes, jewelry, and significant personal possessions. In Roman Catholicism, objects (usually small pieces of fabric) that have come into contact with the remains of a saint are considered to be a lower (“third class”) form of relic. The phenomenon is not exclusively Christian: relics are important in Islam, some forms of Buddhism, and other smaller religions. It is not even exclusively religious. Anyone who has kept a lock of hair a loved one, the sweatshirt of the “one who got a way,” or a signed photograph of a celebrity understands the power of physical connection in contexts of grief, separation, and adulation.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/when-the-best-defense-is-a-box-of-bones




So while we in America do embrace the ideas of separation of church and state, or at least we used to until the Dark One and Facebook came along, Russia goes all in on that concept with their own state religion. And in many Orthodox circles, they believe that the True Cross exists and many Christian theorists have different ideas of what the value of owning a piece of this is. The fact that Moskva may have been carrying a piece of it is significant, at least in the fundamentalist eyes. But still they cannot claim to worship the good LAWRD JAYSUS! No, they worship SAYTAN and unholy Dark One, and this illegal occupation. So no, don’t try and play the JAYSUS angle on this one today!

The relic entered private hands when "European churches began to close and sell their property," state-owned outlet TASS reported. Many churches in Crimea have closed since the Russian annexation in 2014, driven out by government policies that limit religious freedom. Rights groups, researchers and religious organizations in Crimea claim that Russian officials restrict the activities of non-Russian Orthodox congregations, including Jehovah's Witnesses, evangelical Christians, Greek Catholics and Ukrainian Orthodox groups.

Many Christian denominations believe in the value of True Cross relics. Fragments of the historical cross figured prominently in early Christian history, and they have been purchased, exchanged and subdivided for millenia. The provenance of each fragment can be difficult to determine; many historical references to True Cross fragments discuss a lively trade in forgeries. Still, the reliquaries and shrines containing cross fragments have value to the communities that venerate them and to collectors who trade them.

If this particular relic was aboard the Moskva on her final voyage, and it was not removed by a member of her crew, it would be located in the ship's wreckage at the bottom of the Black Sea. Ukrainian and American defense sources claim that Moskva was hit by two of Ukraine's Neptune anti-ship missiles on April 13, resulting in her sinking on the following day. Officially, Russia's Ministry of Defense maintains that a fire on board sparked a magazine explosion, and that the vessel sank during a salvage tow; unofficially, commentators on Russia's leading state television channel have openly blamed Ukraine for the sinking.
https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/lost-russian-cruiser-moskva-may-have-carried-a-piece-of-the-true-cross




Well that explains everything you need to know. Did Moskva have a piece of the True Cross on board when it sank? Possible. But then again if Putin had such a priceless relic on board, he should have thought about that before sending it out to sea! We’ll keep an eye on this story for sure! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:





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[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: Creepy Hollywood Behavior
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You know, between the Johnny Depp trial and the recent allegations against Bill Murray for being well, Bill Murray, should we really be surprised at the recent creepy old guy behavior coming from old guy Hollywood elites? But if you’re not following the Johnny Depp trial – you absolutely should because it’s fucking insane. I don’t want to get too into this because domestic violence is something that you should never make fun of. However, the drama surrounding the trial between these two is something we can all agree is, right? I mean allow me to channel my inner TMZ showbiz gossip here. So this might be one of the most insane things to come from the trial so far – can you blame some potentially incriminating text messages that you sent your ex on a Monty Python sketch? Because that’s exactly what Mr. Depp did. Yeah no, you can’t pull that crap when you’re on trial there Johnny. Now I bring this up because I am going to prove my point in a bit here.

Johnny Depp has said text messages he sent about burning and drowning his former partner Amber Heard were a joke based on a Monty Python sketch.

Testifying before a Virginia court on Monday, the actor said he was "ashamed" of the messages, and that they were an attempt at humour.

Mr Depp, 58, sued Ms Heard, 36, over a story she wrote in which she described herself as a victim of domestic violence. He denies any abuse.

Ms Heard filed a $100m counterclaim.

Taking the stand for a fourth day, Mr Depp responded to questions about a 2013 text exchange with British actor Paul Bettany.

"Let's burn her," Mr Depp had written. "Let's drown her before we burn her."
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61221859




No, no! Stop the music here! We can’t look on the bright side of this. Let’s talk about creepy behavior coming from creepy guys. You know let’s use some logic here. Guys – stop being creepy! I should know, I am a guy! I am not creepy! If I can be like that, then you shouldn’t be a creep either! It’s not that hard and you should know what to look for when confronting these people. Yeah they may be big Hollywood millionaire movie stars, but you’re you! And the fact that they went there means that you should stick up for yourself.

Bill Murray was allegedly “touchy” with the women on set of “Being Mortal,” before the shoot was shut down, a source exclusively tells The Post.

Filming of the 71-year-old “Saturday Night Live” legend’s movie was suspended last week after a complaint was reportedly filed specifically against the actor, alleging “inappropriate behavior.”

By Thursday, the film was suspended indefinitely amid an investigation into the “Ghostbusters” star’s on-set actions.

A source told Page Six, “He was very hands-on touchy, not in any personal areas, but put an arm around a woman, touched her hair, pulled her ponytail — but always in a comedic way.

“It is a fine line and everybody loves Bill, but while his conduct is not illegal, some women felt uncomfortable and he crossed a line.”
https://pagesix.com/2022/04/23/bill-murray-allegedly-handsy-with-women-on-aziz-ansari-set/




Here’s the thing guys – and this is a hot take here – if you don’t want to be pegged as a creep, then maybe don’t do creepy stuff! It’s not that hard! If women say “don’t touch my boobs”, then you know what you don’t do? That’s right. But there’s no “#MeToo mob”. Shut up, New York Post. Man do you guys use that much hyperbole? Yikes. And here’s the thing if you get caught being a gross pervert, then own up to it! Because if you don’t, there’s severe consequences waiting for you. Just ask Mr. Murray.

Following the news that production was suspended on the Searchlight film Being Mortal, sources tell Deadline the suspension had to do with a complaint made against star Bill Murray for inappropriate behavior.

It is unknown at this time what Murray’s involvement in the project will be going forward as the investigation remains active. Insiders add that Aziz Ansari — who is starring, writing and making his directorial debut on the film alongside his partner Youree Henley — was not a part of the complaint, nor was co-star Seth Rogen.

Searchlight said it does not comment during ongoing investigations.

The complaint was filed last week, production was halted on Monday, and a decision ultimately was made to suspend production going forward as the investigation continues and next steps are decided on. Cast and crew were told about the production being suspended last night in a letter sent out by the studio.
https://deadline.com/2022/04/being-mortal-bill-murray-1235007590/




But here’s the thing – you can’t predict who’s going to be the next creepy pervert in Hollywood. Yeah we’ve seen everyone from Johnny Depp to Louis CK to Kevin Spacey to Harvey Weinstein, the list goes on and on. It’s not like there’s a Bet MGM tracker for which Hollywood star is the next one to be outed as a professional ass grabber. Although if there was a Bet MGM tracker for that, it would certainly be very interesting and also creepy as hell. That said, it’s a 50/50 shot because you never know what you really think goes on behind closed doors.

The 2020 memoir “Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother” featured a devastating anecdote about producer Scott Rudin.

The “Addams Family” director noted how terrible Rudin treated those in his show business orbit. Rudin’s underlings fared the worst, but it’s clear from Sonnenfeld’s memoir others bore the brunt of his rage.

Year after year. Production after production. And no one spoke publicly about it.

Sonnenfeld’s book came out in 2020, but it took a full year before the Cancel Culture mob tapped Rudin on the shoulder for an unrelated incident. And, as if by magic, a flood of unflattering Rudin stories suddenly swamped the press. The producer’s career, red hot at the time of the revelations, collapsed.
https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/bill-murray-being-mortal-canceled/







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[font size="8"]How Is This Still A Thing: Let’s Go Brandon Bitcoin
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It's time once again to ask:



This week: The Let’s Go Brandon Bitcoin: How is this still a thing? At the end of last year a new meme was born at the end of the NASCAR semi-championship. When the qualifying driver was being interviewed in the Winner’s Circle, a crowd behind him was chanting derogatory slurs aimed at President Joe Biden. The reporter said that they were chanting “Let’s Go Brandon” instead of what they were actually chanting. That spawned a whole slew of merchandise circulating among the MAGA world – everything from t-shirts to flags to coffee mugs to even rap songs. Yes, rap song. Kid Rock has an entire segment of his live show dedicated to this meme. It even spawned a memecoin similar to Elon Musk’s Dogecoin. The Let’s Go Brandon bitcoin proved to be a huge success in the MAGA community – and become just as much of an overnight failure as was previously promised. Much like everything that Trump does, everything he touches seems to die or fail. And the Let’s Go Brandon bitcoin is the latest in a long line of MAGA failures.

A class-action suit has been filed in Florida alleging the founders of the right-wing “Let’s Go Brandon” (LGB) cryptocurrency engaged in a pump-and-dump scheme.

According to the court filing, the plaintiff, Eric De Ford, is suing not only the company associated with the LGB coin, but also its promoters including political commentator Candace Owens, NASCAR driver Brandon Brown, and NASCAR itself. The suit alleges that the defendants “made false or misleading statements to investors” about the coin, “disguised their control over the Company and a significant percent of the LGB Tokens,” and said investors could make “significant returns from the LGB Tokens like other so-called ‘meme coin digital assets.’”

The “Let’s Go Brandon” slogan—originally meant as an insult to President Joe Biden—has origin ties to NASCAR. Brandon Brown was interviewed after his win in October when the crowd began chanting, “Fuck Joe Biden” which the interviewer mistook as, “Let’s go, Brandon!” The interview and slogan went viral, prompting the creation of the coin.

The lawsuit alleges that the LGB coin founders deliberately pushed the coin so they could artificially increase interest in the coin and sell their shares for a profit. As part of this, the company announced a sponsorship with Brandon Brown, the driver associated with the “Let’s Go Brandon” phrase, a partnership NASCAR later vetoed. NASCAR officials claim they vetoed the company’s proposal to sponsor Brown during their first meeting with the creators of the coin in November, but the suit alleges they did nothing to further distance themselves from the coin and let the sponsorship go on uncontested. The day after LGB announced the NASCAR sponsorship, the coins spiked 510%.+
https://www.dailydot.com/debug/lets-go-brandon-coin-lawsuit-nascar/




So unlike regular bitcoins, memecoins are mainly considered a joke and are not to be taken seriously under any circumstances. People who purchase memecoins are generally taking a massive risk as they are not as regulated as even bitcoins are. In fact the Let’s Go Brandon bitcoin allegedly attempted to find a sponsorship deal with NASCAR, but even NASCAR decided that sponsorship was a joke and not to be taken seriously. And NASCAR will usually put logos on just about anything. So why does the conservative world and the MAGA world tend to keep pushing this coin? Well you know the old saying about how there’s a sucker born every minute.

On Wednesday, Owens tweeted that she is "finally into crypto" while tweeting that she is backing a Let's Go Brandon coin trading under the name $LGB.

According to Coinbase, one $LGB coin is currently worth $0.000001, with its value rising by more than 37 percent over the past seven days.

On November 11, Hedge fund manager James Koutoulas tweeted that he made a donation of $25,000 worth of the Let's Go Brandon coin to Aquanauts Adaptive, a dive therapy program for veterans with disabilities.

"Happy to announce my 2nd donation of 25k USD worth of @LGBcoin_io to Aquanauts Adaptive @SCUBAPrograms who provide dive therapy programs to veterans with disabilities. Incredible group of people near and dear to my heart," Koutoulas wrote.

Last week, Fournier shared a link from to right-wing media outlet The Post Millennial another Let's Go Brandon coin, who say they donate money to veterans charities as more people invest in the currency
https://www.newsweek.com/lets-go-brandon-crypto-coin-launch-conservatives-1653334




Yeah because Candace Owens has the right answer to everything! Oh, wait, she doesn’t have the right answer to everything – that’s why so many of her followers are dying because of her terrible advice on vaccines! But we’ll save that for an entirely different subject altogether. But we cannot overlook the fact that memecoins are a scam in and of themselves, much like NFTs. Really, who buys NFTs? And also who buys memecoins? If there ever was something that’s a colossal waste of money and resources, and the 21st century equivalent of fool’s gold, memecoins are it!

Face it, Dogecoin DOGE -11.5% is basically an investment in Elon Musk Tweets. It’s the only reason why us newcomers bought it in the last 12 months. It is the most famous of all meme coins, and is actually the 13th largest cryptocurrency by market cap, according to CoinMarketCap.

Of the top meme coins, all of them have some sort of relation to the Shiba Inu SHIB -5.5% dog that everyone recognizes as the Dogecoin dog. The Shibu Inu coin (SHIB) is the second largest meme coin — and probably as useless as a crypto investment as the mother of all meme coins — Doge.

Still, laugh all you like. Doge is worth $17.9 billion and trades over $341 million a day. Shiba is worth around $14 billion and has a daily trading volume of $324 million. To put that into perspective, that gives both of those coins a market cap of nearly two times that of AMC Entertainment (AMC) and 36 times the daily trading volume of Hyatt Hotels Corporation (H).

AMC and Hyatt are actual companies making and selling actual services. What do I get with my DOGE and SHIB?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2022/04/24/why-are-meme-coins-still-a-thing-and-are-they-worth-the-gamble/?sh=168b130d329d




So there you have it, memecoins are a joke and basically a way to pay money for memes and jokes that you can basically get for free. But while Dogecoin is a success – largely because it’s Elon and people will literally buy anything he tells them to, the Let’s Go Brandon bitcoin has been the financial joke that it is and everyone expected it to be. Because unlike Elon Musk – who is like a modern day King Midas in that everything he touches turns to gold, Trump is the exact opposite of that. Everything he touches turns to shit, including his own currency and social media platform.

Larger coins have higher trading volumes, so when a company insider sells a huge amount of their stake, it generally won’t significantly dilute prices for everyone else, he said. With meme coins, however, average investors are at the mercy of insiders “who know exactly when they’re going to sell.” Once they do, he added, the coin’s value effectively “drops to zero.”

At the LGB coin’s peak in early January 2022, the coin had a liquidity pool worth north of $6.5 million. (One not familiar with crypto might think of a liquidity “pool” as just that, a large pool of liquid cash flow that the exchange can use if investors want out of their positions, even if there isn’t a buyer on the other side of the table.) That pot of money has since dried up, leaving a liquidity pool of less than $10,000.

On Twitter, the organizing group behind LGB pledged to “airdrop” investors a new and improved coin, ostensibly swapping out something worthless for something with an artificially designated value.

David Silver, the crypto lawyer, was skeptical. “The free market has already said this is a coin that has no value,” he said. “Simply rebranding and trying again is merely trying to take a second shot at convincing someone to give you value where no value exists.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/lets-go-brandon-crypto-coin-turns-into-total-dumpster-fire




They got the message across. We get it you guys, you hate Joe Biden. Can you stop it with this chant already? Because it’s losing a ton of money and making you look like idiots. That’s enough to make you ask – the Let’s Go Brandon memecoin:





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[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! Because stupid doesn’t take a holiday and neither do we. I want to preface by telling people exactly what we look for in a People Are Dumb story. Like say a guy gets popped for a DUI at a traffic light. That’s not what makes a People Are Dumb story. Now let’s say that person was wearing a Bugs Bunny costume while lighting a joint with a live alligator in the back seat – you know – your typical day in Florida – that’s a real People Are Dumb story right there! Now here’s the perfect example of what makes a People Are Dumb story. This story comes to us from the Brazillian city of Manaus. Now here’s the thing – if you know emergency room doctors – and I should know since I’m directly related to one – they put up with a lot of really dumb shit on a daily basis. And every ER doctor has a “someone got something stuck up their ass” story because people put things where they don’t belong. Though this gives new meaning to the phrase “shove it up your ass”!. Now how did they get that up there?

A man got a 2kg dumbbell stuck up his bottom.

An unnamed 54-year-old Brazilian male visited a hospital in the city of Manaus complaining that he was unable to defecate, felt nauseous and was experiencing stomach pain, a report from the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports has revealed.

Doctors requested an X-ray on his abdomen after struggling to find what was causing the pain, while the man was hesitant to reveal the source of his discomfort.

The X-rays spotted the metallic dumbbell in the man's rectum but medics were unable to remove it surgically. With the lack of other options, they then decided to perform a "manual extraction".

The man was released from hospital after three days and went on to make a recovery.

The report claims that items being placed up the rectum is quite prevalent among men.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/topnews/man-gets-dumbbell-stuck-up-his-bottom/ar-AAWdqR2




That’s just a picture of your behind! Next up – this one comes to us from the state of Oregon! Yes, the Beaver State and the West Coast, we are not immune from stupid people either! So here’s the thing – if you write a book called “How To Murder Your Husband”, it should be a tongue in cheek romance novel with a dark sense of humor, right? What it should not be is a how to guide on how to actually murder your husband! Which is exactly what happened in this trial and it’s one of the more insane stories we’ve heard here yet!

Oregon romance novelist who wrote ‘How to Murder Your Husband’ goes on trial in fatal shooting of longtime spouse in Portland

Loving wife or a cold-blooded killer?

Teams of prosecutors and defense attorneys painted two drastically divergent portraits of Oregon romance novelist Nancy Crampton Brophy as opening statements for the first murder jury trial in Multnomah County Circuit Court in more than two years began Monday.

Crampton Brophy has remained in custody since she was arrested Sept. 5, 2018, facing a single count of murder in the fatal shooting of her husband, chef Daniel Brophy, 63, as he prepped for work at the Oregon Culinary Institute in Southwest Portland around 7:30 a.m. June 2.

(Snip)

Before the jury entered the room, Circuit Judge Christopher Ramras ruled prosecutors cannot introduce as evidence an essay titled “How to Murder Your Husband” that Crampton Brophy wrote in 2011 while applying to a writer’s group.

https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2022/04/oregon-romance-novelist-who-wrote-how-to-murder-your-husband-goes-on-trial-in-fatal-shooting-of-longtime-spouse-in-portland.html?outputType=amp




Also, what kind of name is Crampton? I’m sure Shawn and Gus would have a joke or two about that as well. Next up - masturbating on an airplane! Yeah remember Zack Galaifinakis’ scene from the Hangover? Yeah thanks a lot bin Laden! Well this happened and it was on a flight from Boston to ironically, Florida. Yeah there’s no Florida Man involved in this story but it is Florida adjacent and trust me, it gets real weird real quick! But let’s not mistake that it’s one of those things where life imitates art, but this is probably one scene that shouldn’t be imitated!

A 76-year-old Florida man is accused of masturbating and exposing his genitals to a 21-year-old woman seated next to him while onboard a flight from Newark to Boston, according to the feds.

Donald Edward Robinson, of Bonita Springs, Fla., then placed his hand on top of the victim’s thigh without her consent, the U.S. Attorney’s Office alleges.

Robinson was arrested Sunday at Boston Logan International Airport for allegedly performing a lewd act aboard an aircraft on Friday. He has been charged with one count of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the U.S.

Shortly after departure, the victim recorded a 24-second video of Robinson allegedly fondling and manipulating his genitals through his pants, the feds allege. A short time later, the victim looked over and saw that Robinson had exposed his genitals. ............(more)

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/04/11/florida-man-arrested-at-boston-logan-after-allegedly-masturbating-exposing-himself-on-flight/




Next up – of course we can’t get out of here without mentioning the Sunshine State. Florida. Or as Homer Simpson famously referred to it as America’s Wang. So in this story it comes to us from Central Florida. Now here’s the thing – if you’re getting married, last thing you want is for someone to ruin your big day, am I right? But what if – here me out – it’s the actual wedding couple that are the ones that ruined their own big day? And they did so by lacing their wedding cake with marijuana. But of course it is Florida and everything in that state is highly suspect!

Two central Florida women found themselves behind bars after sheriff's deputies said they were involved with lacing food with marijuana at a February wedding.

NBC affiliate WESH-TV reports Seminole County Sheriff's Office deputies arrived at the Feb. 19 wedding of 42-year-old Danya Glenny at a Longwood venue after receiving 911 calls.

"I thought I was having a heart attack. My heart was racing and before I went to bed that night, I actually slept in my car right on-site,” said Miranda Cady, one of the guests who fell ill.

One man who called 911 said he "felt like he had drugs inside him" and others thought their food had been laced with something.

"He's like, 'Are we stoned right now?' And everyone was just kind of looking around each other laughing and we absolutely were," Cady said. "We were high as a kite, out of our minds."
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/central-florida-bride-caterer-charged-after-allegedly-lacing-food-with-marijuana/2741794/




Finally this week – beer. And of course it involves the Sunshine State. Who doesn’t love a good tall, frosty one? Well this guy didn’t as he went into a convenience store’s “beer cave” – and here’s the really disgusting part – urinated on the beer supply! In a cold refrigerated place! Yeah it’s multiple levels of wrong here and if you’re going to wreck convenience store property, don’t do it on the beer supply, please! There’s plenty of other things for you to destroy at a convenience store. But as we are saying the beer should definitely not be one of those things!

A 61-year-old Florida man was arrested on allegations of urinating on cases of beer inside a Brevard County store.

According to a Rockledge police arrest affidavit, on Saturday the man walked into the Hop and Pop convenience store on Eyster Boulevard and tried to enter the restroom, but it was locked.

The man then went into the store’s “beer cave” and made it appear like he was looking at the merchandise, police said.

According to the affidavit, store video shows the man facing toward the shelves, unzipping his pants and urinating on cases of beer. The store owner said six cases of beer totaling $113.36 were damaged and could not be sold, according to police. ............(more)

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/04/21/urine-trouble-florida-man-takes-leak-in-stores-beer-cave-police-say/




That’s it this week for:





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[font size="8"]Stupidest State 2022
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16 states will enter and only one state will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!



Folks, we are just one round away from the Final Four being set! Last week it was a great matchup as underdog #4 Tennessee held on against a surging Indiana to win the Family Values Conference Championship! Here’s a highlight reel of last week’s matchup which saw Tennessee winning by 10 to take the Family Values Conference! This week it’s the other league’s turn as the Batshit Conference finals heat up! It’s fan favorite Georgia against surging Arizona. We’re live from the home of Northwestern University, the Credit Union 1 Center in Chicago, IL for all the action! Let’s go to the floor, shall we?

[font size="4"]Batshit Conference Finals: Georgia Vs Arizona [/font]

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


Georgia is a fan favorite in the Batshit Conference because they constantly elect some ridiculously off the wall people. They are also a bastion of free speech (sarcasm) and the home of the KKK. They elect people like Marjorie Greene and Brian Kemp. Marjorie Greene, of course the favorite Congresswoman of Infowars and Steve Bannon. Someone who is so vile and toxic that she pretty much merits a special category in the Batshit Conference. In fact, she’s so vile and toxic that she got barred from serving on special Congressional committees and may even be barred from reeelction. Which is what separates Georgia from the rest of the Batshit pack!

ATLANTA (AP) — A federal judge on Monday ruled a group of Georgia voters can proceed with legal efforts seeking to disqualify U.S Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene from running for reelection to Congress, citing her role in the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The challenge filed last month with the Georgia secretary of state’s office alleges that Greene, a Republican, helped facilitate the Jan. 6, 2021, riot that disrupted Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s presidential election victory. That violates a rarely cited provision of the 14th Amendment and makes her ineligible to run for reelection, according to the challenge.

Read more: EXPLAINER: Why the 14th Amendment has surfaced in midterms

The amendment says no one can serve in Congress “who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress . . . to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same.” Ratified shortly after the Civil War, it was meant in part to keep representatives who had fought for the Confederacy from returning to Congress.
Greene, 47, filed a lawsuit earlier this month asking a judge to declare that the law that the voters are using to challenge her eligibility is itself unconstitutional and to prohibit state officials from enforcing it.
https://krcgtv.com/news/nation-world/judge-georgia-voters-can-challenge-rep-marjorie-taylor-greenes-reelection-run-election-primary-14th-amendment




Thank you Nelson! Maybe next time don’t elect people based on what Facebook memes they post, because that’s what you get. And by the way, remember what I said about hardcore racism? Well it’s very much alive and well in the Peach State. So much that when the former mayor of the ATL, Keisha Lance Bottoms, went to a restaurant, she of course got heckled with racist slurs. Because that’s how white people roll in Georgia. God it’s sad when racism is making a comeback and white supremacy is fashionable again.

Former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she was turned away from a local restaurant because of her outfit.

Bottoms shared a Twitter post on Friday afternoon in which she said the alleged incident happened at The Capital Grille at Perimeter Mall.

"I was just turned away at @CapitalGrille at Perimeter Mall because I have on leggings," Bottoms, 52, wrote.

The tweet garnered more than 18,000 likes and more than 5,400 comments at the time of publishing, some of which pointed out that The Capital Grille has a dress code. The restaurant's website notes that gym attire, tank tops, hats, clothing with offensive language or images, and exposed garments are prohibited.
https://news.yahoo.com/former-atlanta-mayor-keisha-lance-201030147.html




Yes, please listen to Alex, everybody! Please refrain from using ethnic slurs. And you know what else makes a state a favorite of Batshit Conference fans? Guns. Yes, the gun humpers have their own NFFSA conference. But that said it doesn’t stop Batshit favorites from enacting their own gun laws which might be just as crazy as the other guy’s. In fact Georgia wants to allow open carry without a license! God, what could possibly go wrong there?

Gov. Brian Kemp is expected to sign a bill allowing Georgia residents to carry handguns in public without a license or background check into law Tuesday.

The Georgia Senate passed the legislation on at the beginning of April, sending it to the governor’s desk for signature.

"For law-abiding Georgians, their carry permit is the 2nd Amendment. I’m proud to have worked alongside leaders in the General Assembly to get Constitutional Carry over the finish line, and I look forward to signing it into law," Kemp tweeted after the bill's passage.

The governor initially promised the measure when he first ran for governor in 2018, but little was done to advance it. It’s been revived now that Kemp faces opposition in this year’s primary from former U.S. Republican Sen. David Perdue and others. Longtime proponents of gun rights have credited Kemp’s advocacy for moving the issue forward.

Read more: https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/kemp-constitutional-carry-bill-allowing-handguns-without-license-georgia




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


The Grand Canyon State used to be a member of the Gun Nut Conference, but it was tired of losing to Florida and Texas every year, so it switched to the Batshit Conference. Arizona may have turned blue in the 2020 election but they still have a long way to go because they’re full of some absolutely crazy people. Like governor Doug Ducey for instance. And remember MAGA insurrectionist inciter Josh Hawley (Q – Batshit)? Well he’s got influence. And he’s using his influence to influence some really potentially dangerous candidates. Like the kind if they got into any serious power, they would wreck the kind of havoc that Marjorie Taylor Greene is wrecking.

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley is endorsing Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters, flexing his muscle in a high-profile Republican primary and cementing a new ideological alliance shaping the midterm election.

Hawley — who is widely regarded as a prospective 2024 presidential contender — has now thrown his support to two of the most outspoken Republican populists running for Senate this year: Masters and Ohio Republican J.D. Vance. In both cases, Hawley is inserting himself into competitive primaries and backing candidates with notably anti-political establishment rhetoric and ideology.

The Missouri Republican lavished praise on Masters in a statement to be released Monday, saying he “understands the threats our country faces — from the Chinese Communist Party to the corrupt Big Tech monopolies to the political elite determined to take apart our way of life,” and adding: “We need new leaders who will fight for this country.”

Masters is running in a competitive primary that also features state Attorney General Mark Brnovich, wealthy solar energy executive Jim Lamon, and retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Mick McGuire. While former President Donald Trump has endorsed Vance, he has yet to declare his support for a candidate in the Arizona primary, which is set for Aug. 2. Trump, however, recently said he would be endorsing in the race “in the not too distant future.”
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/25/hawley-endorses-masters-arizona-senate-00027415




Gee, you think? Yeah we know that Arizona went blue in the last election, thank you for pointing that out, sir! But we can’t deny that Arizona is home to Maricopa County, which is also home to Joe Arpaio, the man whose name is synonymous with the corrupt sheriff persona. Oh and if you think Doug Ducey is bad, wait until you meet Kari Lake! Who is even more batshit crazy than previously imagined. Yes, Ms. Lake is the kind of person who drank the Q Anon Kool-Aid and wants to fine businesses that force masks on people. Yes, t hat is some serious crazy there!

Kari Lake, a gubernatorial candidate for Arizona backed by former President Donald Trump, said on Monday that she would fine airlines $1,000 for each time they enforce mask mandates on passengers while in Arizona airspace.

Calling for an end to the Biden administration's mask mandates for planes and transport, Lake tweeted she would "make Arizona skies mask-free" if elected governor in this year's race.

"Any reports of airlines forcing masks in Arizona airspace would be subject to a $1,000 fine per incident with a tip line for passengers to report," Lake wrote. "This is a fight worth having."

Her tweet comes as the White House's COVID-19 response coordinator, Ashish Jha, said Monday on the Today show that an extension of the transportation mask mandate is "absolutely on the table" and would be decided by the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention.
https://www.businessinsider.com/kari-lake-fine-airlines-masks-arizona-governor-candidate-trump-backed-2022-4




So you know how Georgia is fighting to keep Marjorie Taylor Greene off the ballot because of how notoriously toxic she is? Well Arizona’s got their own set of representatives that they need to worry about, like Paul Gosar (Q – Batshit), Andy Biggs (R – Gun Nut) and Mark Fincham (Q – Batshit). Really we need an IQ and a mental competency test for people who are running for any position of authority from here on out. Because if these people are the future of the GOP, there’s definitely some serious cause for alarm here.

A voters’ advocacy group said it will appeal a Maricopa County judge’s decision to dismiss its lawsuit that sought to ban three GOP lawmakers from the ballot for their support of the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Superior Court Judge Christopher Coury said his Friday ruling “neither validates nor disproves” the claim that U.S. Reps. Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar and Arizona Rep. Mark Finchem engaged in insurrection – only that the voters did not have standing to challenge their qualification for the ballot on those grounds.

Biggs, R-Gilbert, on Friday welcomed the dismissal of what he called a “frivolous” lawsuit aimed at “political harassment.” And in a statement Sunday, Gosar, R-Bullhead City, called the claims “abusive” and praised Coury as a “good judge who understands the law and the rules.”

But Free Speech for People, the voting rights organization that backed the lawsuit, called the ruling “contrary to the law” and said it will appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court.
https://ktar.com/story/5027438/appeal-planned-after-dismissal-of-suit-seeking-to-keep-3-gop-candidates-off-arizona-ballot/




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

Wow, this was a close one! Arizona and Georgia are tied at 89 with a minute to go in the second half, and Georgia has the ball. Georgia for three! YES!!!! Now it’s 92 – 89 with 30 seconds left and a foul was just called on Georgia. One in… second… YES!! And that’s all she wrote folks! Georgia will move on to the Final Four, Arizona goes home! Final score: 94 – 89! Cut that net guys, you earned it!




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

We’re just one round removed from heading to the Final Four, folks! And it’s going to be a great one as it’s the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference finals! #1 Kansas is taking on #4 Nebraska for a shot at the Final Four! We’re live at the new home of the NHL’s newest franchise, the Seattle Kraken – it’s the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle! It’s getting exciting folks!


[font size="4"]And Now This: [/font]
[font size="4"]Royal Blood[/font]



Folks, my next guest has a great new album called Typhoons! You can see them on tour starting April 30th in Seattle, through May 24th in Boston. Playing their song “Trouble’s Coming”, give it up for Royal Blood!



Credits

Host: Initech
Appears Courtesy Of:
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded At: San Jose Improv, San Jose, CA
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April 21, 2022

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-12: I Wanna Dip My Balls In It Edition


Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-12: I Wanna Dip My Balls In It Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! What’s up San Diego? How are you guys doing? You doing fucking good? Great! So we are midway through Stupidest State 2022 and we have just four – count them – 4 editions left in season 12! Man, this first half of the year just flew by! So to recap Stupidest State – that means we have just four editions left – 2 more in Round 2, then the Final Four, then the Championship! And we’ve had lots of twists and turns and I did not see our two favored states leaving early, right? OK do we have time for the thing? Of course we do. I make no mistake that I love music and rock music in particular. But remember that scene in Dr. Strange when he’s in the operating room and he’s having a debate with his physician’s assistant over which playlist will help him get the bullet out of the patient? It turns out – that’s actually a real thing! Surgeons actually do have playlists of music that they pipe into the operating room during surgeries. So researchers at Heidelberg University in Germany did a study of this and they found that listening to loud music like AC/DC for instance, helped improved the time actually spent on operating procedures! And you know what did not? When they played calming music like the Beatles. That’s right – it had the opposite effect! The next time you want your surgeon to be accurate, suggest they play something like AC/DC or Iron Maiden instead of something like the Beatles! Because… metal! OK 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 police interrogations:



So where do we begin this week? In the number one slot this week goes to the GOP (1). When you get publicly embarrassed in a national debate like in 2020, where do you go? Well you pull out of the debate caucus, because that’s what perfectly sane people do. In the second slot this week is premiere Russian warlord Vladimir Putin (2). So the Ukraine sank the famous Russian battleship known as “Moskva” – that ship behind the “F-U” Ukraine middle finger that was recently minted in a stamp! In the number 3 slot this week is Elon Musk (3). Yes, the mastermind behind Telsa and Space X is plotting a hostile takeover of Twitter – and his motives for doing so aren’t good. We see through you, Elon! Taking the number 4 seed is Greg Abbott (4). Yes, the governor of Texas is certifiably batshit insane and he’s going nuclear at the border – and this is mainly to appease Tucker Carlson fans. Fox News is calling the shots here. Taking the number 5 slot this week is the Florida GOP (5) who spends way too much time watching Fox News because they decided to ban math textbooks that teach critical race theory, because they really are that brainwashed. 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 is increasingly alarmed at what might be one of the most batshit insane off the wall conspiracy theories about COVID-19 that we have seen yet. it’s indescribable how crazy this theory is, and that people believe it! At slot #7 this week is a brand new People Who Somehow Got Elected and this week, we’re finally adding Georgia’s batshit crazy Q Anon friendly Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene to that ever growing list! In slot #8 we have a new edition of Conspiracy Corner (8). What is Tucker Carlson’s obsession with being the manliest man who’s ever manned? Well we delve his bizarre new documentary “The End Of Man” and whew, when Kid Rock calls you out for being crazy, that’s pretty fucking crazy! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week, we have a new “I Need A Drink” and this week we are having some drinks and discussing why a zoo in Britain is hiring a Marvin Gaye impersonator to serenade the zoo’s macaca population into mating, and it’s quite the bizarre story! Finally this week it’s time for Stupidest State Round 2 Week 2! Which means that it’s the Family Values Conference championships! Indiana. Tennessee. One of these two will move on to face Missouri in the Final Four! Plus to cap things off, we have one of the best punk bands currently touring, taking a break from Coachella – IDLES are here! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]Congressional Republicans
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History, time, boys and girls! Gather around, don’t be shy! Let me tell you a tale. It’s only been 2 years, but the nightmare year that was 2020 feels like an eternity ago, doesn’t it? So why do I bring it up? Well you might remember when former vice president and guy who the MAGA crowd wanted to hang on January 6th, Mike Pence, not only got his ass kicked in the vice presidential debates, he also got publicly humiliated by a fly (see: Idiots #9-14 ), anyone remember that? It never gets old!



Oh my god… that is still hilarious. So when you’re the GOP and you get your ass kicked like that, where do you go? Well you pull out of the debates entirely! So instead of attempting to find common ground, and hold debates like civilized adults, the GOP instead decided to act like the spoiled children that they are and say “fuck you” to the debate process entirely! So yeah you know the old saying if you cant beat them, join them? Well, in today’s GOP , if you can’t beat them, tell them to go fuck themselves! Yeah that’s their mindset right now.

The Republican National Committee voted unanimously Thursday in favor of withdrawing from the Commission on Presidential Debates. "The Commission on Presidential Debates is biased and has refused to enact simple and commonsense reforms to help ensure fair debates including hosting debates before voting begins and selecting moderators who have never worked for candidates on the debate stage," RNC chair Ronna McDaniel said in a press release.

"Today, the RNC voted to withdraw from the biased CPD, and we are going to find newer, better debate platforms to ensure that future nominees are not forced to go through the biased CPD in order to make their case to the American people," she added. "Debates are an important part of the democratic process, and the RNC is committed to free and fair debates."

The Republican Party for nearly a decade has complained that the nonprofit debate commission — which has described itself as nonpartisan — has favored Democrats, according to the New York Times. Last year, McDaniel warned CPD that the RNC would advise future Republican candidates against participating in CPD-hosted debates unless "significant reforms" were made. In January, the RNC reiterated their position by sending a letter to the CPD threatening to block future GOP presidential nominees from sanctioned debates if "meaningful reforms" are not made.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/rnc-vote-withdraw-president-debate-55487e0f-1a72-4242-8f5b-5cea225f9ea0.html




So apparently the old saying “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” has been replaced by “if you can’t beat ‘em, then fuck you!”. Because that’s what civilized adults do. I mean come on there was that picture of 10 year old kids waving their middle fingers in front of a “Fuck Biden” flag being carried by strippers (and that’s a real thing, BTW), so that’s the kind of class and dignity that we’re dealing with here. But you know they won’t come up with any solutions of their own, they just keep causing chaos. That’s all they are good for.

The Republican National Committee voted unanimously on Thursday to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates, saying the group that has run the debates for decades was biased and refused to enact reforms.

“We are going to find newer, better debate platforms to ensure that future nominees are not forced to go through the biased CPD in order to make their case to the American people,” the committee’s chairperson, Ronna McDaniel, said in a statement.

The RNC’s action requires Republican candidates to agree in writing to appear only in primary and general election debates sanctioned by the committee.

The non-profit commission, founded in 1987 to codify the debates as a permanent part of presidential elections, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Democratic National Committee, the RNC’s counterpart for the party of President Joe Biden, was also not immediately available.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/14/republican-party-withdraws-commission-on-presidential-debates




Oh shut up! Come on, you’re not going to find a newer and better platform. Yeah maybe in the same way OJ Simpson attempts to find the real killers. What? Too soon? Sir, give it a chance, we just got up here. For those of you watching at home there’s people already leaving! But really the GOP has no options. They have no better platform. You know I used to compare MAGA fans to Insane Clown Posse fans. They have their own brands, their own identifying marks, the same boorish behavior, I could go on. So it’s no surprise, at least here, that they’re telling those that want to debate to go fuck themselves.

Republican candidates are shying away from the debate stage as the midterm elections approach.

Over a half dozen GOP candidates in crucial state and federal races have either skipped out on or not committed to primary debates.

Joe Lombardo, a gubernatorial candidate in Nevada, turned down a chance to debate in January. In Nebraska, Jim Pillen, another gubernatorial candidate, turned down offers to debate his opponents in March, telling ABC News debates amount to "political theater."

In Pennsylvania, Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz did not take part in the first GOP Senate primary debate in January, citing a "prior commitment."
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/republican-candidates-battleground-states-skip-debates/story?id=83785574




Oh come on, sure, you’ve even got old ladies telling you to fuck off. You know, when you get your ass kicked, as was completely evidenced by the 2020 elections, you go do some soul searching to find out where you went wrong. But no, today’s GOP doesn’t do that. Instead they went full on authoritarian with their thumbs up their asses, acted like spoiled children and attempted to overthrow an election, and are now whining and moping about. So will there be debates in 2024? Not if you’re going full on authoritarian, and it looks like we’re headed that way. We’re in for some scary times ahead, folks!

The Republican Party took a step closer Thursday to eliminating presidential debates in the fall of 2024, voting to stop working with the foundation that has organized such debates since 1987.

"The Commission on Presidential Debates is biased and has refused to enact simple and commonsense reforms to help ensure fair debates," said Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee.

The move underscores how former President Donald Trump reshaped and continues to reshape the GOP, with his complaints about debates in 2016 and 2020 laying the groundwork for the possible withdrawal of Republican candidates in the future.

McDaniel and other party members who voted unanimously to withdraw from cooperation with the commission said they want "freer and fairer debate platforms." But it is unclear who might organize a new set of debates and whether the Democrats and their presidential candidate would agree to a new sponsor.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/04/14/republicans-presidential-debates-2024/7319314001/





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[font size="8"]Vladimir Putin
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The Ukraine – Russia war is still unfortunately still a thing. Or as we’ve been calling it, Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion and occupation of Ukraine. I’m being told that actual Ukrainians don’t like it being referred to as “The Ukraine”, so we’ll just call it “Ukraine”. But it seems that Ukraine is getting the upper hand against Pooty. Last week – the Russian warship known as “Moskva” was sunk by Ukrainian missiles in the Black Sea. Now for those of you who have been following the war from the beginning, you might remember that as the warship that Ukrainian boats gave the middle finger to, and that famous scene has recently been immortalized in stamp form. So now what exactly happened in the hours leading up to and including the destruction of the ship? Well there’s a lot to take in here and we will do our best to try to explain everything. But the truth is that Ukraine got the upper hand here and sank a very powerful Russian warship that could have done some major damage.

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby on Thursday confirmed an explosion aboard the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet — which Ukraine said was the result of a missile strike and Russia said was caused by an internal fire detonating ammunition.

Kirby later appeared to also back reports that the damaged Soviet-era guided-missile cruiser Moskva, which he said is one of three cruisers in the Russian fleet, had sunk. The Pentagon press secretary still couldn’t confirm conflicting claims from the Russians and Ukrainians about what ultimately led to the ship’s demise. While the Russian side claimed there was a fire on board and a storm sank the ship, the Ukrainians said the damage from their Neptune missiles sent the ship underwater.

“We’re not in a position to officially confirm, independently, what exactly led to the ship’s now sinking,” Kirby told CNN on Thursday afternoon. “But we’re also not in any position to refute the Ukrainian side of this. It’s certainly plausible and possible that they did in fact hit this with a Neptune missile or maybe more.”

Earlier Thursday, Kirby said the Moskva was operating roughly 60 miles south of Odesa — a Black Sea port city in southern Ukraine — at the time of the blast.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/14/pentagon-explosion-russian-warship-00025243




Well there’s nothing really funny about that, although it is kinda funny. But yeah the thing about this war is that Vladimir Putin was laughably unqualified to carry out such an occupation. And not only did he underestimate the number of troops needed to secure and occupy Ukraine, he also underestimated the number of troops needed to maintain this illegal occupation. But at least Ukraine has a sense of humor about what’s going on even though it’s really hard to, because they’ve immortalized giving the Russian battleship the finger in stamp form!

"Russian warship actually went and f***ed itself as recommended," wrote the official Ukraine Twitter account, referring to the recent sinking of the ship that seized Snake Island, and was the subject of the now-famous phrase. "Ukrposhta dedicated a famous postal stamp to this historic phrase. Now a complete set with envelopes signed by the phrase’s author is up for auction."

The auction will be held on Friday at 2 p.m. Kyiv time, and registration is open until Thursday evening.

In addition to the signature of the Ukrainian marine Roman Gribov who cussed at the now sunken Moskva, the collection will also feature the signature of the general director of Ukrposhta, Igor Smilyansky.

"The lot is unique in that it contains a complete set of products produced by Ukrposhta within this theme," said the auction page.
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-704692




So getting back to the war, of course if you’re Vladimir Putin and you’re receiving news of this, naturally your first step is to flat out deny it ever happened, right? No, instead you go the Jesus route! Because – this is allegedly true – is that the sunken ship might have been carrying an extra large piece of the true cross. Because sure you have to go there with Putin’s white Christian nationalist base, right? Of course you do.

The Russian warship that sunk during the military operations against Ukraine last week may have been carrying what is claimed by some Christians to be a fragment of the cross that Jesus Christ was crucified on.

The Russian Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva — which helped seize Snake Island in an infamous incident at the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine War — sank on Thursday after being seriously damaged following an explosion that a Ukrainian official said was the result of a missile strike.

In 2020, it was decided that a Christian relic, a piece of the "True Cross," would be carried on the Moskva, archpriest of the Russian Orthodox Church’s Sevastopol District Sergiy Khalyuta told Russian state media outlet TASS.

The True Cross that Jesus Christ was crucified on was supposedly found by Roman Emperor Constantine's mother, Empress Helena, and the alleged fragments of the cross have over the centuries been dispersed among different sects and churches. Khalyuta emphasized to TASS that fragments of the true cross are very rare and of great religious importance for all Christian denominations.
https://www.jpost.com/christianworld/article-704498




Holy crap, there really is a Simpsons scene for everything! So what’s next for Ukraine? Well this war ain’t over and as they say, we’ve only just begun. OK so I can’t sing. But you get the idea. So if you’re the Ukraine, you keep fighting. Because that’s what you gotta do. But if you’re Vladimir Putin on the other hand, how do you deal with this? Well at least be thankful of one thing – the nuclear option is not on the table. Although really, the entire world right now is trust Pooty about as far as we can throw him. It is good to know that they draw the line somewhere in their quest for world domination.

Moscow is not considering using nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.

In an interview with India Today, Lavrov said his country's forces would use "conventional weapons only," according to state news agency Interfax.

Although he is not directly responsible for military decision-making, his comments are among the most direct so far on the prospect of Russia escalating the conflict into a nuclear one.

Western intelligence officials had warned that Russia might resort to tactical or other limited nuclear weapons if its invasion continues to face setbacks.
https://www.newsweek.com/russia-ukraine-nuclear-weapons-sergei-lavrov-1698909





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[font size="8"]Elon Musk
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Last week we reported on Elon Musk, you know him best as the CEO of Telsa and Space X, that he has purchased a controlling share of Twitter with the intent of “transforming the platform”. Of course he has a much more sinister underlying motive – he’s been questioning “big tech” censorship and many are believing that he would let Trump back on the platform if given the chance. Which in all honesty would be an absolutely terrible idea and no good would come of it. And of course by “big tech censorship”, he wants people to be free to say racist and sexist stuff without fear of consequence. Which also, nothing good would come of that. Well since last week, he’s escalated his hostile takeover bid to control Twitter and we have no idea what will come of this, but we can rest assured one thing – something really awful could be brewing. But that said, given Elon’s track record for being an internet troll, MAGA stooge, and a “red pill truther”, whatever that is, we can only be certain that he will not use his new powers for anything even remotely good, only bad.

Watching the richest person on the planet try to take over one of the most influential social networks is a head-spinning experience.

Smooth and orderly are not exactly what the world has come to expect from mercurial billionaire Elon Musk. He relishes moving markets with his tweets as much as he loves sharing duck memes with his more than 82 million Twitter followers.

The drama over Musk's $43 billion takeover bid for Twitter is heating up, not just because the company's board is resisting him, but because other players are starting to appear on the scene.

So will the billionaire's bid succeed, or will he back down? And what important factors are still in flux?

Here's a rundown of where things stand and what could happen next.
https://www.npr.org/2022/04/19/1093408513/twitter-elon-musk-explainer-investors-shareholders




Ok so you might be wondering – what’s the “poison pill” option? Well it basically means that in the event of a hostile takeover, they can release as much stock as possible to potential investors in order to prevent the hostile takeover. Not only that, people are waking up to what could happen if Elon’s hostile takeover were to succeed. Because, like I said, letting Trump back on the platform – as angry as he is now? If he were given a free pass to be as racist and sexist and threaten violence as much as he wants to, he would be that much bigger of an asshole! This is nothing to celebrate. It’s disturbing.

Elon Musk on Saturday posted a cryptic tweet that said “Love Me Tender,” suggesting he was either listening to Elvis or possibly considering a potential tender offer to Twitter shareholders to take control of the company.

A tender offer would be the latest in the saga over his dramatic bid to take control of Twitter. Another tweet suggests that Musk believes shareholders should decide the future of the company, not the board.

Shares of Twitter were up more than 3% in premarket trading.

“Wow, with Jack departing, the Twitter board collectively owns almost no shares!” he also tweeted Saturday, referring to former CEO Jack Dorsey, who will step down from the Twitter board this year. “Objectively, their economic interests are simply not aligned with shareholders!”

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO last week offered to buy Twitter for $54.20 a share, which would value it at about $43 billion. On Friday, Twitter adopted a limited duration shareholder rights plan, often referred to as a “poison pill,” in an effort to fend off a potential hostile takeover.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/18/musk-tweets-love-me-tender-days-after-twitter-takeover-offer.html




Yeah so how does Elon respond to this? By tweeting out lyrics to Elvis songs. We shit you not. What happens when the troll takes over the platform? It’s going to be like when Bane takes over Gotham at the end of The Dark Knight Rises. Seriously, imagine what would happen if that courtroom scene were to come to life on the internet. And in case you’re wondering, why yes – Elon does plan to screw over Twitter’s board members. Of course that was also part of his master plan. So he’s your ultimate dirty dealer – with him, he’s the house, and the house always wins.

Twitter is currently trying to block Musk's $43 billion bid to take the company private.

Musk is the social media platform's biggest individual shareholder after building up a large stake in the company this year, equating to 9.1% of the firm. He was also briefly the company's biggest overall shareholder, until investment firm Vanguard upped its stake to 10.3% of the firm, according to an SEC filing first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Earlier this month, Twitter announced the billionaire would join its board of directors — but said a few days later Musk walked back the decision.

Twitter's board has since said it will deploy a "poison pill" defense — also known as a shareholder rights plan — to fend off Musk's takeover bid. It works by increasing the total number of a company's shares, making it harder for any interested party to buy up all of the stock.

Musk is the world's richest person, with an estimated net worth of $255 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-says-twitter-board-045034643.html




That’s literally exactly what it’s going to be like. Imagine if Elon gets his way and all the racist and sexist trolls – Trump included – are let back onto the platform. It will be unimaginable chaos. And that’s what Elon is – he’s an agent of chaos. Shit, even the Tesla shareholders think that he’s gone too far with this one. But yeah keep pissing off your own customers, Elon. Let’s see how far that gets you, because in the end, you’ll eventually get screwed.

Elon Musk wants everyone to believe he really did have the money secured to take Tesla (TSLA) private back in 2018. But a group suing him over that claim say he didn't have it, and that the SEC and a federal judge agree.

Musk is making the claim as he faces a shareholder lawsuit about a now infamous tweet in which he said he had "funding secured." At the same time, he's also bidding to take another tech company, Twitter, private, with a source of funds he has yet to disclose.

The Tesla shareholders who are suing Musk for fraud aren't happy about his comments. In a court filing on Friday they asked the judge in their case to muzzle the tweet-happy CEO.

The shareholders also said a federal judge found that Musk's 2018 tweets in which he claimed to have the funding to take Tesla private were false and misleading. Musk eventually settled with the US Securities and Exchange Commission over the tweets, stepping down as Tesla chairman and agreeing to oversight of his social media use.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/19/business/elon-musk-judge-tweets/index.html






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[font size="8"]Greg Abbott
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If you were to look at Texas’s Greg Abbott and Florida’s Ron DeSantis, both members of the Q – Batshit party, it’s almost like they’re in some kind of warped, stupid arms race to see who can be the worst governor in the country. Like 90% of the country’s governors you couldn’t name because they don’t do the kind of batshit crazy things that these two do. And they only do this to please their Fox News loving fan base and that’s about it. It’s a truly scary thing when Greg Abbott is doing the evil bidding of Fox News and literally kidnapping migrant people at the border – and it’s not the number one story this week! This is a jaw dropping, stunning level of evil that one cannot just simply comprehend. Because if you were to begin to comprehend it, it would cause your head to explode and the rest of your surrounding area to catch fire. That’s right you would go nuclear. Now before we get into this – please kindly hold your boos. Save them for after! But really what kind of shithole governor kidnaps people based on what the TV tells them to do?

Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) is taking migrants who have scheduled immigration appearances without their consent or the knowledge of the federal government and busing them to Washington, DC.

Chris Magnus, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPD) commissioner said that Abbott is acting without consulting the federal government:

As individuals await the outcome of their immigration proceedings, they are legally obligated to report in for the next steps in their immigration process and permitted to travel elsewhere. CBP’s close partnerships with other government and non-governmental stakeholders are essential to this effort, and to ensuring fairness, order, and humanity in the process.

Governor Abbott is taking actions to move migrants without adequately coordinating with the federal government and local border communities. CBP has always worked closely with and supported border communities in Texas, many of which CBP personnel call home.

Governor Abbott is basically kidnapping migrants and busing the to Washington, D.C. because he is worried about running for reelection against Beto O’Rourke.
https://www.politicususa.com/2022/04/15/greg-abbott-is-essentially-kidnapping-migrants-and-busing-them-to-d-c.html




Holy shit! There’s some serious human rights violations being committed here, and all for the sake to please Rupert Murdoch’s massive ego. It’s truly disgusting what is happening at the border and Greg Abbott needs to be raked over the coals for it. But is he going to be punished for it? Well as we learned from the Kyle Rittenhouse trials, you can get off for just about any crime you can think of if you have a judge who votes the same way you do! But the truth of the matter is that Gov. Abbott stepped in it big time and it’s going to cost the people of Texas big time.

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's short-lived policy of requiring state troopers to conduct secondary inspections of trucks crossing into Texas from Mexico cost the United States almost $9 billion in just 10 days, Axios reported Tuesday.

The policy, which Abbott enacted on April 6, snarled truck traffic at the border and led to a protest by Mexican truckers that stopped trade at some major crossings. On April 15, Abbott ended the double inspections, for which he'd received withering criticism from both sides of the border and the aisle, after striking deals with the governors of the four Mexican states that border Texas.

Per Axios, Abbott implemented the policy "in response to the Biden administration's announcement that it would lift Title 42," a Trump-era public health policy that denied migrants entry into the United States.

An analysis by the Perryman Group showed that the U.S. lost an estimated $8.97 billion in GDP due to delays at the border, while Texas alone lost $4.23 billion.
https://news.yahoo.com/abbotts-border-policy-cost-u-214650405.html




OK… OK let’s extract the underlying irony of this whole thing. Here we have Mr. Fiscal Conservative himself, Greg Abbott, literally costing the state BILLIONS, and it’s all just a massive publicity quid pro quo stunt designed to win him points with the Fox News crowd for his potential 2024 run. Good freaking god these people suck. And Fox News certainly knows how to pick ‘em, don’t they? And you know the even crazier thing – they’ll inspect trucks carrying suspected migrants. But they won’t inspect trucks carrying Trump signs and MAGA flags even though you know they are committing crimes, because reasons.

Texas governor Greg Abbott has made an about-face on his policy of tighter inspections of trucks entering Texas from Mexico, a week after he implemented the policy which led to Mexican truckers blockading border bridges in protest and holding up food supplies to the US as a result.

He reversed course on Friday night after a week of intensifying backlash and fears of deepening economic losses.

Abbott, a Republican, announced that he reached an agreement with officials from four neighboring Mexican states including Nuevo León, Chihuahua, Coahuila and Tamaulipas on improving border security and was thus lifting the controversial policy that were part of his stepped-up efforts against human and drug trafficking, he had said.

“As we are speaking this moment, all these bridges are opened back up to normal trafficking. And so, all the goods that used to go from one country to the other at a very rapid pace, they are moving at that rapid pace as we speak right now,” Abbott announced during a news conference on Friday.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/16/greg-abbott-texas-mexico-truck-inspection-policy




Oh by the way remember what I said about Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis? Well add Arizona’s Doug Ducey to the mix, who’s another proud card carrying member of the Q-Batshit party to the mix and you’ve got some sort of stupid governor trifecta. Wait, here me out - maybe add Georgia’s Brian Kemp and Alabama’s Kay Ivey and you’ve got Vultron! Yes, five batshit crazy governors come together to create one super batshit crazy governor! That’s right – they’ve announced the creation of their own Border Strike Force! And I do feel like any time you name a government task force for something that sounds like it comes out of a children’s cartoon, you should be very alarmed!

Twenty-six Republican governors, led by Arizona's Doug Ducey and Texas's Greg Abbott, announced the creation of the American Governors' Border Strike Force.

In a news release, the Republican Governors Association describes the strike force as "a multi-state partnership designed to disrupt and dismantle the transnational criminal organizations taking advantage of the chaos Joe Biden has created along the border."

In the memorandum describing the strike force, the Governors say they can serve as a force multiplier to target cartels and criminal networks financially and operationally by partnering across state lines.

To read the memorandum click here.

The task force's creation follows Abbott's call for enhanced safety inspections in Texas to reduce migrant and drug smuggling across the border.
https://kvia.com/news/2022/04/19/governor-abbott-announces-creation-of-new-american-governors-border-strike-force/





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[font size="8"]Florida GOP
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You just know that Florida Man Ron DeSantis (Q - Fox News) is one of those guys where every time you look into his eyes, you know he’s going to do something ridiculously dumb that’s meant to score points with his Fox brainwashed fanbase and that’s about it. And you might think this is an isolated incident, but hell no. It’s part of a long standing ridiculous pattern with him. And it’s only going to get worse. His latest blunder? The Florida GOP is going after math textbooks that they claim are teaching the dreaded Critical Race Theory! Yes, you heard me! They are going after math textbooks because of Critical Race Theory. It just sounds so stupid. Especially when you extrapolate this and realize that they are banning textbooks because the loud angry white guys on their news network of choice told them that this is what they should be outraged about. OK people it’s time to turn off Fox News and come back to the real world, OK? Really they just get nuttier and nuttier and nuttier.

In its latest attempt to be the nation’s leader in restricting what happens in public school classrooms, Florida said it has rejected a pile of math textbooks submitted by publishers in part because they “contained prohibited subjects,” including critical race theory.

The Florida Department of Education announced on Friday that Richard Corcoran, the outgoing commissioner of education, approved an initial adoption list of instructional materials for math, but 41 percent of the submitted textbooks were rejected — most of them in elementary school.

Some were said not to be aligned with Florida’s content standards, called the Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking, or BEST. But others, the department said, were rejected for the subject matter. “Reasons for rejecting textbooks included references to Critical Race Theory (CRT), inclusions of Common Core, and the unsolicited addition of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in mathematics,” it said in an announcement on the department’s website.

Although the department described the textbook review process as “transparent,” it did not mention which textbooks had been rejected or cite examples from the offending passages.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/04/16/florida-rejects-math-textbooks-prohibited-topics/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter




OK seriously… how the hell do you teach “woke math”? What the hell is that? I don’t speak Fox News so I don’t know. But if you want an example of Woke Math, how about this? 2 height-challenged transgender Latino Eskimo destroy 2 statues of Confederate Civil War generals. How many statues are left? The correct answer to that problem is 2 – 2 = 0. And the people in charge of the Florida school system are a bunch of zeroes, all right. Just when I think I have seen the end of their insanity, they reach new depths of depravity on a daily basis!

The Florida Department of Education announced Friday the state has rejected more than 50 math textbooks from next school year's curriculum, citing references to critical race theory among reasons for the rejections.

In a news release, the department stated 54 out of 132 of the textbook submissions would not be added to the state's adopted list because they did not adhere to Florida's new standards or contained prohibited topics.

The release said the list of rejected books makes up approximately 41% of submissions, which is the most in Florida's history.

Reasons for rejecting textbooks included references to critical race theory, "inclusions of Common Core, and the unsolicited addition of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in mathematics," the release states.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/17/us/florida-math-textbooks-critical-race-theory/index.html




Uh oh… you can’t have an independent thought when the cult is running the show! You know that cults don’t like independent thought! But here’s the most bizarre part of this – not only can the Florida Dept. of Education not provide any examples of “Woke Math”, but they’re not showing us any examples of problems that they find “objectionable”. So here’s the thing – they say there’s a problem with these books, but they won’t tell you what it is, or they won’t tell you what their solution is! You want to know why? They have none. None whatsoever.

The Florida education department has rejected 54 mathematics textbooks for its K-12 curriculum, citing reasons spanning the inclusion of critical race theory to Common Core learning concepts.

The rejected books make up a record 41% of the 132 books submitted for review, the Florida Department of Education said in a statement.

Of them, 28 were rejected because they "incorporate prohibited topics or unsolicited strategies, including [critical race theory]," the statement said.

Critical race theory has been described by scholars as an examination of racism and its impact through systems, such as legal, housing and education. However, it is typically not taught in K-12.
https://www.npr.org/2022/04/18/1093277449/florida-mathematics-textbooks




Yeah that’s pretty much exactly how I feel. That’s what happens when you let a news network with a dangerous agenda control your thought process. You tend to think 100% irrationally. But the thing is people really need to turn off Fox News and come back to the real world. Because, I’m going to let you in on a little secret – outside of Fox News viewers, nobody gives a shit about this stuff!!! Only people who watch Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity do! And the only reason they’re mad about this is because they lost one of their playthings now that their boy is no longer in the White House!

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday defended the state’s decision to disqualify dozens of proposed math textbooks for broaching critical race theory and other “impermissible” topics while fending off demands from Democrats to release examples of allegedly “indoctrinating” information.

“We want kids to learn to think so they get the right answer,” DeSantis told reporters Monday at an event in Jacksonville.

The Florida Department of Education on Friday rejected some 54 math books from state classrooms, a move that drew national attention when DeSantis claimed that the proposals from publishing companies contained lessons on “indoctrinating concepts like race essentialism” for elementary students. The move was just the latest example of Republicans, including DeSantis, scrutinizing what students are learning and how issues like race and gender orientation are being taught.

Asked on Monday what a critical race theory math lesson could look like, DeSantis said “there’s a number of reasons” the state turned down the textbook proposals aside from that issue. The majority of rejected textbooks were for kindergarten through fifth grade.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/18/florida-critical-race-theory-math-textbooks-00025918





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[font size="8"]Holy Shit: Cobra Venom & Satan’s DNA
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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! Please be seated! You know… you know I’ve been around. I’ve seen every crazy conspiracy in the book. But this one might be one of the craziest theories I’ve seen yet in my many days on this planet. But when you have the children of this fair planet of ours even afraid to drink the water supply, that’s about as far out there as it gets. I mean, I was completely dumbfounded when this story came across my desk. When someone who believes in a conspiracy theory as out there as the fact that the water supply contains cobra venom and the COVID vaccine contains Satan’s DNA? Well the short answer is you don’t. Also, why is there no metal band yet called Satan’s DNA yet? I feel like that should be rectified! But the simple fact of the matter is that we cannot deny that their theories are getting weirder and nuttier, and there seems to be no end in sight! Oh and expect things to get much worse before they get better. That you can count on, because it says so in our Good Book!

Wherever QAnon goes, Batsh*t is right there alongside him. But even by wacky conspiracy theory standards (Trump-JFK Jr. 2024, anyone?), a new documentary called Watch the Water is jaw-droppingly insane. Or, as NBC News senior reporter Ben Collins describes it: “It is even more insane than usual.”

Among the many claims made in the documentary, according to Raw Story, are that the COVID “vaccines contain a mixture of magnets and snake venom with the goal of transferring ‘Satan’s DNA’ into human bodies.”

Satan’s. DNA.

According to Collins, the movie and its inane theories are gaining quite a bit of traction in QAnon-following circles. In it, so-called “experts” claim that getting jabbed means injecting yourself with metal bits which will magnetize you. (What that has to do with Satan, we’re not sure.)

In the trailer, where the sound cuts out several times so as not to reveal the total bullsh*t being spewed, we hear some pretty dire warnings from Dr. Bryan Ardis—a very vocal critic of Remdesivir, the drug that has been used to shorten the lifespan of the COVID-19 virus in many hospitalized patients (including Donald Trump when he was hospitalized with COVID in 2020).
https://uproxx.com/viral/watch-the-water-qanon-documentary-satan-dna/




That’s right – in a world where batshit crazy theories and people who reject what is actually reported on the real news exists, these theories seem to be getting nuttier and nuttier! But I’ve never heard of anything this flat-out absurd before. So what is this theory? And why is it important? I feel like it’s important to know these things because this is who we are dealing with. We are dealing with people who are completely out of their minds! And they do not worship the good LAWRD JAYSUS! No, they worship the unholy, ungodly Dark One! I of course speak of a man so foul and depraved and disgusting that his name dare not be spoken in my church! Really this is beyond the pale, even for them!

The world of COVID deniers is, more or less, a marketplace, where a variety of ambitious hucksters loudly rattle their wares and hope someone, somewhere, will take them home. This can be challenging, since the COVID- and vaccine-skeptical have often promoted uniquely unpalatable advice on how to deal with the ongoing pandemic. They’ve advised their followers, for instance, to take up an antiquated faux cure-all that can turn you permanently blue, or else drink bleach, or your own urine, or choke down an anti-parasitic with no proven effectiveness against COVID. Even when the advice isn’t overtly bad, it can be contorted and hard to follow, as anyone who’s followed along with fringe medical groups and complicated theories about 5G technology knows. But at last, something has come along that even some of the most diehard conspiracy peddlers can’t swallow. That something is snake venom.

A faux documentary is quickly circulating throughout the conspiracy-verse, claiming to be an exposé revealing that COVID and COVID vaccines are derived from snake venom. More specifically, the theory claims that king cobra venom is being pumped into the water supply to sicken and envenomate us and imbue us with Satanic, anti-human DNA. Meanwhile, the government is suppressing monoclonal antibodies, which are really anti-venoms that could end the pandemic. (Even this extremely general summary lends the theory a level of coherence that it does not actually possess). The documentary, titled Watch the Water, was produced by a far-right podcaster and COVID conspiracy theorist named Stew Peters. The sole expert cited is a retired chiropractor named Bryan Ardis, who claims to have discovered this dastardly plan, which he ultimately pins on Dr. Anthony Fauci and, of course, the Pope. “I actually think the Roman Catholic church and Pope Francis is over this entire thing,” Ardis told one interviewer. “I think he’s manipulating and controlling the entire narrative.”
https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7vdkp/bryan-ardis-watch-the-water-snake-venom-covidv




You know, that’s what happens when you worship the unholy, ungodly Dark One! For he will lead you off the cliffs of depravity! Instead you should follow the good LAWRD JAYSUS! For the shepherd can lead his flock astray, it says so in our Good Book! But of course they will tell you that they aren’t sheep. They are lions, don’t you know? And that doesn’t even make a whole lot of sense. When have you ever seen a lion eat a sheep? They could but they don’t coexist in the wild! But then again, facts and logic do not matter to this crowd! Only fake outrage does!

For weeks, extremist right-wing broadcaster and radical COVID-19 conspiracy theorist Stew Peters has been hyping the release of an “explosive” documentary that he claimed would finally reveal the “truth” behind the COVID-19 pandemic. After some delays, that documentary, called “Watch The Water,” was finally released Monday night.

Peters, who regularly hosts far-right activists, white nationalists, conspiracy theorists, GOP congressional candidates, elected officials, and members of Congress on his eponymous show, has an audience primed to believe such radical theories. As of writing, his “Watch The Water” documentary has already garnered more than 640,000 views and has even been trending on Twitter.

Featuring nothing more than unsubstantiated assertions put forth by fellow COVID-19 conspiracy theorist and “chiropractor, acupuncturist, and medical researcher” Bryan Ardis, Peters’ documentary alleged that COVID-19 is not a virus at all but rather a synthesized form of snake venom that is intentionally being spread via drinking water, COVID-19 treatments, and vaccines, possibly as part of a plot by the Catholic Church to turn everyone into “a hybrid of Satan.”

“The Latin definition historically for virus—originally and historically, virus meant, and means, venom,” Ardis said. “So, I started to wonder, ‘Well, what about the name ‘corona’? Does it have a Latin definition or a definition at all?’ So I actually looked up what’s the definition and on Dictionary.com, it brings up 13 definitions: ‘Corona, religiously, ecclesiastically, means gold ribbon at the base of a miter.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/the-king-cobra-venom-pandemic-stew-peters-unveils-a-new-covid-19-conspiracy-theory/




Wow. Just… wow. You know I never take the GOOD LAWRD’s name in vein but I feel like I have to take an exception to this one. Jesus. That’s your whole definition of why we shouldn’t be in a pandemic is because of the literal Latin definition of Corona? I swear it’s like any time you think you’ve seen the bottom of the Q stupidity, new depths are reached on an almost daily basis! You know, how insane do you have to be to make a documentary like this? And not only that, how insane do you have to be to *BELIEVE* a documentary like this? So many questions!

A new anti-vaccine documentary ridiculously claims that the coronavirus is not a virus, but a synthetic version of snake venom that evil forces are spreading through remdesivir, the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and drinking water to "make you a hybrid of Satan."

The 48-minute film, released April 11, is the latest in an expanding genre of mega-viral, conspiracy-laden videos made in the mold of the "Plandemic" video from May 2020. Its title, "Watch the Water," is a nod to a favorite refrain of the QAnon conspiracy theory, which is centered around the belief that a secret cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles is running a global sex-trafficking ring.

The video is an interview between far-right radio host Stew Peters, who has a history of using inflammatory rhetoric and spreading COVID-19 conspiracy theories, and Bryan Ardis, a former chiropractor who built a brand around claiming that the drug remdesivir is killing people.

It showed Ardis, who sells acne products and is now using the film to sell what he calls "anti-v" supplement kits online, invoking the Garden of Eden story and a fictional TV show plot as he outlined an elaborate mass-murder scheme that he claimed involves even the pope.
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/apr/19/watch-water/stew-peters-film-watch-water-ridiculously-claims-c/




Holy crap. This might be one of the most insane things I’ve ever seen done by and to the religious right, and that’s saying a lot in all of the years we’ve been doing this! That’s it this week for:




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[font size="8"]People Who Somehow Got Elected: Marjorie Taylor Greene
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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: Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q – Batshit). Look, there’s your normal, average every day batshit crazy politician, and then there’s Marjorie Taylor Greene, who takes your normal , average, every day batshit crazy politician and elevates that level of crazy to Mt. Everest levels of crazy. Yes, when she’s not complaining about being booted off of essential House committees because of her boorish behavior, she’s going on right wing podcasts like Steve Bannon and Alex Jones to complain about how her coworkers are disrespecting her. Because that’s what perfectly sane and rational people try to do. But her bizarre and extremist behavior could get her barred from future elections. And that’s only a good thing, because Marjorie Greene does not have America’s best interests at heart, especially if her recent voting agenda is any indication of where her loyalty lies. But there is a movement to get her blocked from the ballot to be able to run for reelection again and that could potentially be a good thing.

A group of Georgia voters on Thursday asked state officials to block Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from running for re-election, alleging she is unfit for office because of her support of rioters who attacked the United States Capitol.

In a legal challenge filed with the Georgia secretary of state, the voters claim Greene has violated a provision of the US Constitution known as the “Insurrectionist Disqualification Clause”.

The clause, passed after the 19th-century American civil war, prohibits politicians from running for Congress if they have engaged in “insurrection or rebellion” against the United States, or “given aid or comfort” to the nation’s enemies.

The Georgia voters are represented by Free Speech For People, a Texas-based advocacy group that had brought a similar challenge to Republican congressman Madison Cawthorn’s qualifications for office.

A federal judge dismissed the Cawthorn case on March 4, but Free Speech for People has urged North Carolina officials to appeal that ruling.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/24/lawsuit-seeks-to-prevent-marjorie-taylor-greene-from




Yeah so Marjorie Greene and Madison Cawthorn might be in big trouble for their role in the January 6th Insurrection. But the sad thing is that the MAGAs don’t get fired or punished for anything. But the fact that Marjorie Greene has this campaign against her only proves that she shouldn’t have been elected to Congress in the first place. When you’re that toxic, that’s pretty toxic. So the question now is how do you solve a problem like Marjorie Greene? Well the only solution really is to bar them from ever holding office and that’s what this lawsuit seems to do.

A federal judge has indicated that an attempt to stop the far-right Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene running for re-election will be allowed to proceed.

The challenge from a group of Georgia voters says Greene should be disqualified under the 14th amendment to the US constitution, because she supported insurrectionists who attacked the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.

A similar challenge in North Carolina, against Madison Cawthorn, another prominent supporter of Donald Trump, was blocked.

But on Friday Amy Totenberg, a federal judge in Georgia, said she had “significant questions and concerns” about the ruling in the Cawthorn case, CNN reported.

Totenberg said she was likely to rule on Greene’s attempt to have her case dismissed on Monday, two days before a scheduled hearing before a state judge.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/11/marjorie-taylor-greene-judge-ruling-far-right-republican-reelection




And on another note, you know how whenever the entire world is against something, then maybe you shouldn’t do that thing? Well, Marjorie does that thing. Because the entire world is against Russia and Vladimir Putin’s illegal and immoral invasion and occupation of Ukraine, and most of the entire world is against it, Marjorie’s votes are sticking out like a sore thumb. At this point, a vote for Marjorie is literally a vote for Putin and his evil regime. So yeah maybe don’t vote for Marjorie Greene, because you enable her bidding and Putin’s as well.

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene defended voting against the investigation of potential war crimes being committed by Russian forces in Ukraine, suggesting that allowing for a probe from an international court would open floodgates for the prosecution of American service members.

"HR 7276 would hand over authority & our intelligence to the ICJ & ICC - international courts that could put our military on trial," Greene said in a Thursday statement. "I will not vote for globalism & the slow slide to become a one world government. I will only vote to protect America, our military, & our borders."

Greene was one of only seven Republicans who voted against the House bill this week, known as the Ukraine Invasion War Crimes Deterrence and Accountability Act, which would "collect, analyze, and preserve evidence and information related to war crimes and any other atrocities."

There have been growing calls from the international community to put Russian nationals on trial in the days following the revelations from Bucha, where hundreds of Ukrainians were killed in the Russian-occupied Kyiv suburb. President Joe Biden and members of Congress have been among those who are pushing for a war crimes trial against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/marjorie-taylor-greene-defends-voting-against-ukraine-war-crimes-probe/ar-AAVY7hN




Yeah so defending Putin and supporting the January 6th insurrection, plus being a Trump superfan is enough to get Marjorie Greene demoted and kicked out of most of her Congressional duties, and of course she’s playing the victim, despite being the bully. Which is a typical MAGA talking point. They talk trash but when they so much as get a mere tap on the shoulder, they scream and run in the opposite direction. But this might be the most egregious of Marjorie’s many misdeeds – speaking at an event hosted by white nationalist Nick Fuentes – despite that there’s a picture of her standing right next to him!

Republican leaders are facing fresh demands to expel the Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, after she spoke at a conference of white nationalists and sympathisers with Vladimir Putin.

Related: Poll: US majority believes no Russian invasion with Trump as president

The event in Orlando, Florida, on Friday night was organised by the far-right extremist Nick Fuentes, who told attendees: “Now they’re going on about Russia and Vladimir Putin is Hitler – they say that’s not a good thing.”

He burst into laughter as he added: “I shouldn’t have said that!”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/calls-to-expel-republican-marjorie-taylor-greene-after-speech-at-white-nationalist-event/ar-AAUlwVC?ocid=msedgntp




So going full Nazi, praising Russian warlord Vladimir Putin, and being too toxic for Congress. That’s Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene, yet another one of the unfortunate examples of:




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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner: Tucker’s Testicle Tanning
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Welcome back to our segment where we attempt to explain the unexplainable, Conspiracy Corner! Yes, in a time when everyone questions the news, people turn to conspiracy theories to explain what the news can’t. We of course are coming to you live from our underground doomsday shelter deep in the heart of the New Mexico Badlands, undisclosed location, of course! Just let me adjust my trusty tin foil hat for maximum government interference. You know, they are trying to read yours and my thoughts, after all! This week we have to talk about an absolutely bizarre new documentary from our old buddy Tucker Carlson. The documentary is called “The End Of Man”. You know, maybe it’s just me, but I’ve never seen a group of people more insecure about their sexual identity more than white males who watch way too much Fox News than they probably should. You know what? Can we roll the trailer for that because it’s truly indescribable how insane this is.

https://twitter.com/NikkiMcR/status/1515130557675581442

What……. And I cannot emphasize this enough…………. The fuck??? Dude, seriously is this a list of Tucker’s insecurities or his fanbase in general? Anyway this raises way more questions than it answers and it’s going to get real weird real quick.

Tucker Carlson has a new special on Fox Nation, the streaming platform where Fox News tries to hide some of its more extreme content.

There are jacked, shirtless men wrestling. There are jacked, shirtless men chugging raw eggs. There are jacked, shirtless men obliterating bottles of canola oil with assault rifles. There are jacked, shirtless men milking cows. There are even jacked, shirtless men standing on rocks, posing like Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man as a mini monolith illuminates their nether regions.

It’s hard to know where to begin with all of this. We’d probably need a therapist to really get into it. We can at least say this particular special, “The End of Men,” doesn’t seem like it’s going to claim that the attack on the Capitol last Jan. 6 was a false flag, like last year’s “Patriot Purge” did. So that’s good.

We also now know what’s going on with the guy on the rock exposing his private parts to a wash of red light. He was tanning his balls. Carlson endorsed the practice in the special as one of several ways men can return themselves to testosterone-fueled dominance, which the special argues is necessary for society to “reestablish order” after collapse.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/tucker-carlson-end-of-men-testicle-tanning-1338944/




OK I have many questions here. And the first and most important one is: why? But really, testicle tanning is a thing? And also why is there no punk band called “The Testicle Tanners” yet? I feel like putting your balls up to a UV light would have the opposite effect of what it’s supposed to do, am I right? I really can’t wait for the inevitable CDC report where they tell you that you’re a fucking idiot if you try this. Maybe not the official words that the CDC will use in their report but it gets the point across! Although if you tell the MAGAs that you shouldn’t do something, they will do it anyways, because, fuck you, that’s why! But really Tucker is going to get mercilessly mocked for this and he totally deserves every bit of it!

The documentary covers the "total collapse" of testosterone levels in men, which has been noted in medical studies but has been attributed to an aging population and other comorbidities.

The trailer also speaks of unexpected tough times that will inevitably create "men who are strong enough to survive" and "reestablish order." Carlson and other Fox News hosts have lately referenced manliness and the idea that men are less "manly" now in various segments of their shows.

Carlson even suggested, falsely, in an interview that COVID-19 would emasculate men and that vaccine mandates in the US military were meant to weed out and dismiss men with high testosterone levels.

Twitter users were quick to suggest the trailer – which focuses a lot on the men's bodies and the close contact between them – appeared homoerotic in nature.
https://www.insider.com/tucker-carlson-promo-video-sparks-reaction-homoerotic-undertones-testosterone-fox-2022-4




Yeah not only is it homoerotic, I got some serious 2001 vibes from that trailer. And come on isn’t that scene called “The Dawn Of Man”?



Oh I’m playing around enough. But is this really the answer to America’s masculinity crisis? The short answer is: no. The longer answer is: what masculinity crisis? America is not being run by the dude bros right now and that’s a good thing. But don’t think for a minute that we’re not letting Tucker get away with what has to be one of the craziest things we’ve seen since we started this segment! But come on, let’s let white insecure males run the show, what could go wrong?

Are there three words in the English language that can strike quite as much trepidation into the hearts of the sane and rational person as “Tucker Carlson original”? Yes, the documentary strand that brought you such titles as Hungary vs Soros: The Fight for Civilization and Patriot Purge, a BS-laden fantasy about the January 6 riots that contained so many bonkers claims about false-flag operations that it forced a tranche of Fox News veterans to quit the network, has returned.

The latest addition to the Carlson oeuvre is called The End of Men and its Magic Mike-style trailer just dropped.

It begins with a familiar Make America Great Again-style montage, centering on a John F Kennedy speech in which he extols the virtues of strength and exercise and berates America’s “soft, chubby fat-looking children”. Quickly, Kennedy’s reasonable-for-the-time approach to childhood obesity is equated with a precipitous decline in sperm counts and testosterone over the last 50 years.

And then what could only be described as a series of money shots. As the booming timpanis of a Richard Strauss piece from 2001: A Space Odyssey swell – we see huge buff topless men, cutting wood, milking cows, firing guns, barbecuing, fighting, drinking egg yolks and most strikingly, tanning their genitals. This supposed sequence of real red-blooded males is perhaps the campest thing Fox News has aired since Glenn Beck doused a handsome model in gasoline.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/18/tucker-carlson-masculinity-crisis-testicle-tanning




Well so my question now is this really the solution to the end of man or is this an informercial for a testicle tanning booth? Excuse me a minute…. Thank you graphics department, that’s exactly how I pictured a testicle tanning booth to look! But really this is one of those things when you hear it, you immediately drop what you are doing and just go “What the serious fuck????”. Because that’s the only thing that can prepare you for something as absurd as testicle tanning. But when even Kid Rock gives you a WTF look, that’s when you really need to stop and question your life choices. And, I got to be honest, I side with Kid Rock on this one!

Tucker Carlson and good pal Kid Rock had another friendly conversation on Fox News on Friday, with one topic of discussion being “testicle tanning.” The subject had been raised earlier in Carlson’s show by Andrew McGovern, an Ohio-based fitness professional who was brought on to help answer Carlson’s question, “How do you reverse the effects of falling testosterone?” One of the solutions McGovern offered was red light therapy, which, when Carlson asked, he said includes “testicle tanning.”

Rock had apparently been listening along, because when Carlson addressed him minutes later, the first thing the musician said was, “Dude, stop! Testicle tanning? Come on. I haven’t heard anything like that in a long time.” The Fox News host replied, “Open your mind, Bobby!” He then asked, more seriously, “Don’t you think at this point when so many of the therapies, the paths they’ve told us to take, have turned out to be dead ends that really hurt people, why wouldn’t open minded people seek new solutions?” Rock demurred: “I don’t know what the hell is going on in this world. I’m not even sure if I understood that question. But some days you just want to stop this planet and let me off.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/tucker-carlson-and-kid-rock-talk-about-testicle-tanning







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



So of course you know by now that the idea of this segment is that we have some drinks and talk about anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics. This week? We’re going to talk about monkeys. That’s right – monkeys. So tell me bartender, what goes well with a story about monkeys mating? A banana daquiri? Interesting choice. Though I think I will stick to my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. I call it the “Double Jack”. So this week there’s a bizarre story coming out of Bristol – that’s in the UK don’t you know? Well apparently they are having trouble getting their monkey population to mate. So what’s the natural solution to this? Why you hire Marvin Gaye to serenade the monkeys with love songs! Well, Marvin Gaye wasn’t available, because he’s um, what you might call “deceased”. That means of course you get the next best thing which is a Marvin Gaye impersonator – and on a zoo’s budget I can’t imagine they would be hiring for quality. Needless to say, that backfired on them big time.

The music of Motown's Marvin Gaye is legendary for getting folks in the mood for some "Sexual Healing."

So, approaching Valentine's Day, a British zoo wondered if it could lead endangered monkeys to say, "Let's Get It On," too.

The furry residents of The Trentham Monkey Forest in Stafford, England, got some soulful encouragement from a Gaye impersonator. David Largie performed some of Gaye's classic hits inside the Barbary macaque habitat to put them in the mood for breeding.

"We thought it could be a creative way to encourage our females to show a little affection to males that might not have been so lucky in love," Park Director Matt Lovatt said on the zoo's website.
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/monkeys-mating-season-marvin-gaye-trnd/index.html




OK… OK… OK. I have many questions here. And probably all of them, I’m guessing none of them, will get answered. First off, the most important question I have is… why? Second, what’s more romantic than a badly sung version of a Marvin Gaye classic? And why go the janky route? At least they didn’t go with the Whitney Houston classic “I Will Always Love You”, we want the monkeys to mate, damn it, not attack the zookeepers and fling their poop! But there is definitely more to this story than you might think. They had good intentions, but they were poorly executed.

Staff at Trentham Monkey Forest in Stoke-on-Trent invited the Marvin Gaye impersonator, Dave Largie, to sing some of the late soul legend's greatest hits to the Barbary macaques - a species of ape.

A zoo spokesman said they wanted Dave to 'help boost the monkey love this mating season. ''

Fewer than 8,000 Barbary macaque monkeys are left worldwide, 140 of which roam freely around Trentham Monkey Forest.

Park director Matt Lovatt said they wanted to offer a "creative way" to encourage the female monkeys to show "a little affection" to the male monkeys, which he says have not been so lucky in love.

Lovatt added that "'Monkeys being serenaded by Marvin Gaye – who'd have thought it!"

'Females in season mate with several males, so paternity amongst our furry residents is never known.
https://10play.com.au/theproject/articles/a-zoo-has-employed-a-marvin-gaye-impersonator-to-help-monkeys-get-it-on/tpa220211kmwvh




Well, duh, no wonder the monkeys are having a hard time mating,. Shit, if you’ve got free reign to choose whatever partner you want and aren’t in a committed relationship, of course the bachelor monkeys are going to rule the forest! Think of it like when you go to a bar to meet women and there’s 15 other dude bros attempting to ask out the one cute girl who’s there sitting at the end of the bar with her friends. But you know this isn’t the first attempt that scientists have had attempting to resurrect a previously endangered species to healthy population levels.

Past news has taught us that some endangered species can be brought back to a healthy population level by the efforts of at least one or two particularly horny individuals. But some, like super uncool frogs and Barbary macaques, need a bit of encouragement to get down to the work of saving their kind from total extinction.

To help out the latter group of animals, Stafford, England’s Trentham Monkey Forest sanctuary has realized that no creature, regardless of its low libido, can resist feeling something stir deep within them when encountering the Motown Sound. And so, quite naturally, it’s hired a Marvin Gaye impersonator to serenade its Barbary macaques until they get into some species-saving monkey business.

Gaye impersonator Dave Largie stopped by Trentham Monkey Forest last weekend to, as the sanctuary’s website puts it, “help boost the monkey love this mating season.” A video of this guest appearance shows Largie in a white suit doing his best to get the primates all horned up by singing, of course, “Let’s Get It On” while a few members of the audience climb a fence in the distance. (There are also a handful of excellent photos available that capture the concert in higher quality.)
https://www.avclub.com/marvin-gaye-impersonator-animal-sanctuary-monkey-sex-1848522433




Ah yeah there’s the stuff! But come on, what’s more romantic than telling a bunch of sex obsessed monkeys with multiple partners “Let’s get it on”? And again – really glad they didn’t choose “I Will Always Love You”. So how did the monkeys respond to the mating ritual? Well the one thing is that the macaque gestation period is 8 months from now, so we won’t know the answer to that until that happens, and when it does you can bet we’ll drink to it! But the monkeys were actually receptive to the music, so the next time your partner questions your choice of love songs, you can tell them that it’s a natural response!

A Marvin Gaye impersonator has been hired to help an endangered species of monkey 'get it on' and mate.

The novel seduction tactic was used at the Trentham Monkey Forest in England, with vocalist Dave Largie employed to serenade a colony of 140 Barbary macaques.

Initially, the idea was er, conceived as a publicity stunt, but it turns out that some of the monkeys did in fact respond positively to Largie’s soulful performance.

A statement on the conservation's website reads: “As every new addition is so important for the protection of the species, special guest Dave Largie was invited into our beloved forest to serenade the primates… to help inspire them to ‘Get It On'.

"David, a highly experienced love-song guru, sang several Marvin Gaye classics to the monkeys whilst in amongst them, and they seemed very relaxed and full of love! Some classic Barbary macaque ‘lovey-dovey’ behaviour was on display during the performance such as grooming and teeth chattering.
https://www.loudersound.com/news/marvin-gaye-impersonator-hired-to-help-endangered-species-of-monkey-get-it-on





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[font size="8"]Stupidest State 2022
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16 states will enter and only one state will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!



Folks, last week was one for the ages! We were in Kentucky for the Gun Nut Conference championship when Missouri stunned longtime conference favorite and last year’s champion Texas and secured our first spot in the Final Four! This week it’s the Family Values Conference finals! The winner will go on to challenge Missouri for a spot in the championship round! The loser will go home! Who will it be this time around? Will it be red hot underdogs Tennessee or will it be North Carolina who defeated the #1 seed Alabama to advance to the finals? We’re live in the capital of Missouri, the University of Missouri for all the action! Let’s go live to the floor, shall we?

[font size="4"]Family Values Conference Finals: North Carolina Vs Tennessee [/font]

[font size="2"]North Carolina [/font]


The Tar Heel State shot to the top of the Family Values Conference because they are home to some serious crazy. Outside of Raleigh-Durham, rural North Carolina is nothing but small towns which means their only social life is the church. Which means that it’s a melting pot of right wing religious whackjobs and ultra-far right white nationalists. So put them together and you have some of the craziest politicians in the game. I give you a man who wants to be the Glen Youngkin of North Carolina, Mark Robinson who we have covered in past seasons. But this dude is fucking nuts, like completely off his rocker insane. And these are the exact kind of people who shouldn’t be leading.

In June, Robinson spoke at Asbury Baptist Church in Seagrove, North Carolina, where he ranted that Christians must take control of public schools because children are being abused by being taught “filth.”

During that same speech, Robinson also claimed that guns are a gift from God given to humans so they can protect themselves, just as garden slugs produce certain enzymes that prevent them from being eaten by predators.

“To every animal, God has given the ability to defend yourself,” Robinson said. “God didn’t even leave the garden slug out. Garden slugs have little enzymes in it that make it unappealing for folks to eat. Certainly we wouldn’t want to eat them. But even some animals look at garden slugs and find them unappealing because there’s an enzyme in them that gives off something that drives creatures away. And there’s even an inside enzyme in some of them that if creatures eat them, they automatically spit them out.”

“God gave the garden slug a way to defend itself,” he continued. “Now, if God gave the garden slug a way to defend themselves, what makes you think he didn’t give man, who he created in his own image, a way to defend himself? Those AR-15s and Glock 9mms and .45 calibers; where do you think they came from? Who do you think inspired them? God knew the world he was putting us into, so he formed in our mind the ability for us to be able to defend ourselves from anybody who may threaten us.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/north-carolina-lt-gov-mark-robinson-says-guns-are-a-gift-from-god/




Yeah but this conference isn’t about nationalism or Christian nationalism, is it? Well that does explain a lot about what’s driving these “family values”. Its’ about abortion and while you’re not looking, the Tar Heel State passed a whole bunch of laws on the subject. And none of them are what any sane individual would call “good”. They are all bad. In fact they could decide the outcome of the 2022 elections in the Tar Heel State. So that being said…

The “most important election of our lifetimes” seems to happen every other year. But with reproductive rights hanging in the balance, it’s nearly impossible to overstate the importance of the 2022 midterms.

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling this summer on a Mississippi law that could overturn, or at least significantly weaken, the precedent set by Roe v. Wade in 1973. Such a ruling could, in effect, give states the ability to decide whether to outlaw abortions, which could be catastrophic in states that have long sought to restrict it.

Already, a number of state legislatures have passed anti-abortion laws of varying severity. States like Arizona and Florida have opted to ban abortion after 15 weeks, while Oklahoma passed a law that would eliminate it almost entirely.

North Carolina lawmakers have tried in recent years to pass various bills that restrict access to abortion, but they haven’t had enough votes to override the veto of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who has refused to sign any of them. Without a legislative supermajority or a Republican governor, future attempts to undermine abortion rights will likely continue to be unsuccessful. And, unlike some states, North Carolina doesn’t have an abortion “trigger law” in place that would automatically ban or severely restrict abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/article260208220.html




Yeah what happens when they overturn Roe V Wade? Which is where we all know this movement is heading. And leave it to Family Values states like North Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Ohio, and Arkansas to lead the way. But that said the GOP is going all in on the abortion issue and don’t expect it to go away no matter what happens in the 2022 or 2024 elections. Because things are getting very scary out there. And well they could propel the Family Values Conference to the top of the NFFSA!

When three red states finalized severe restrictions on abortion over consecutive days last week, they highlighted the GOP's rising militancy on the issue -- and the political and legal calculations underpinning it.

Separate actions last week in Oklahoma, Florida and Kentucky made clear the red state drive to retrench, or eliminate, access to abortion is escalating as the Republican-appointed Supreme Court majority nears a decision, expected in late June, in which it is widely anticipated to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that established a nationwide right to abortion.

The abortion restrictions these states approved last week all denied exceptions for victims of rape or incest -- a provision that was once a common feature of conservative anti-abortion proposals but has been jettisoned almost completely in the wave of new restrictions approved since 2021. The Oklahoma legislation banned nearly all abortions from the moment of conception and imposed severe penalties on doctors who perform them, including up to 10 years in jail. The Kentucky bill, continuing an offensive already underway in several other red states, prohibited state residents from obtaining medication abortion through the mail, as the federal Food and Drug Administration authorized late last year.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/19/politics/abortion-laws-red-states-republicans/index.html




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


Since we do encourage gambling here at the NFFSA, let’s show our official Bet MGM meter from the last match when Tennessee was in it. OK it goes from a win probability of 24% in the first half, to a win probability of 97% in the second half. They scored a whopping 25 unanswered points. And how did they do it, you might ask? Well they passed a new law that overturns the basic legal age at which one can get married. That’s right – Tennessee just enabled child brides! If you think that’s fucked up, you are not alone on this one! So to extrapolate this, the party that’s accusing their opponents of being perverts and pedophiles, is actively enabling perverts, rapists, and pedophiles! And this law is not going away any time soon!

Amid several bills introduced in Tennessee that have attracted national attention this year, none has sparked as much alarm among both Republicans and Democrats as a proposal that would create a new marriage contract specifically designed to exclude same-sex couples.

Supporters argue the measure is needed to give religious officials, couples and others opposed to gay marriage an option that wouldn’t conflict with their beliefs.

Critics say it’s a deliberate effort to circumvent the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling legalizing gay marriage and could lead to costly legal battles. Many have noted that the bill initially failed to include a minimum age — an omission that has opened the door to widespread mockery. Some worry the move helped reinforce stereotypes regarding Tennessee as backward.

The bill’s Republican sponsors have downplayed concerns that the age omission would result in a wave of child marriages, but they’ve since introduced an amendment that would incorporate an age requirement of 18 years old or older.
https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/tennessees-anti-gay-marriage-bill-sparks-bipartisan-criticism-rcna23840




So let me get this straight – you’re now walking back the proposed law that would over turn the 18 year legal requirement for one to be on this earth for marriage? Well you think the backlash was uncalled for on this one? Yes, we do too! And let me also get this straight – gay marriage wrong. Child marriage, perfectly OK! Well that’s the morals and values crowd for you! A dash of racism, a dash of nationalism, a cup of some hardcore religious insanity – yeah it’s a cake recipe! But unlike cakes, this one isn’t delicious at all!

The latest legislative outrage from Tennessee is worth watching because it’s likely to turn up here.

The party of pedophile fighters wants to allow child marriage, for one thing. (It’s a crime to have sex with a 10-year-old unless you marry them first.) But this article suggests the real objective of the proposal is to make it possible to declare marriage without government licensing, but only for man-woman marriages. Thus, the theory goes, it would effectively become impossible for same-sex couples to marry. But they’d be barred without a legislative act explicitly rejecting the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriages.

It is, like the Texas bounty hunter law to stop abortions, a way around inconveniences such as the Constitution, equal rights and all the rest.

This Supreme Court isn’t standing in the way of the abortion trickery so who knows what would happen with this latest scheme?
https://arktimes.com/news/2022/04/06/tennessee-legislation-aims-to-legalize-child-marriage-and-not-incidentally-make-same-sex-marriage-impossible




OK so we’ve shit talked this bill enough. But what about that other bastion of family values elected officials – abortion? Yes, if they can’t overturn Roe V. Wade, they’re doing everything in their power to suppress what people can actually do under the ruling. But have anti-abortionists and hardcore right wing religious nuts gone too far in this one? Well it’s tricky to answer that question, but we’ll definitely be monitoring this madness until the 2022 midterms and the 2024 presidential elections. Of course no one will debate this issue, since conservatives get their ass kicked on it. So…

If Roe v. Wade is overturned this summer by the Supreme Court, a number of state lawmakers' abortion ban bills could become law.

12 states have already ratified bills that would go into effect immediately if Roe v. Wade is reversed, Insider previously reported. In addition to these existing "trigger laws," as they are colloquially known, state legislators continue to propose new anti-abortion bills.

Idaho's governor signed a Texas-style abortion bill into law Thursday, banning the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy.

Though some have yet to be accepted, abortion advocates say bills proposed by states like Missouri, Tennessee, and Ohio are some of the strictest they've seen.
https://www.insider.com/abortion-rights-anti-abortion-bills-no-exception-for-rape-incest-2022-3




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

Was there any debate about this one? Well Tennessee had some strong competition from North Carolina in the second half, but has since pulled it out. They are ahead – 89 – 86 with 30 seconds left to go. Tennessee for 3… YES!!! Oh a foul! Now Tennessee has the ball… they shoot, they score! And that’s the game, folks! Tennessee moves on! Final score: 93 – 86!



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

It’s Round 2 Week 3 which means that it’s the Batshit Conference Finals! Georgia vs Arizona, one of these states will advance to the Final Four! We’re live in the Windy City at the University Of Illinois for all the action!



[font size="4"]And Now This: [/font]
[font size="4"]IDLES[/font]

Folks, my next musical guest are one of the best punk bands out there right now, they have a great new album out called “Crawler”! You can see them at the Outdoor Theater at Coachella next Friday! Playing their song “The Beachland Ballroom”, give it up for IDLES!



Thank you San Diego! We’re back at our old home at Flappers in Burbank next! See you next week!

Credits

Host: Initech
IDLES Appear Courtesy Of: Partisan Records
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded At: SOMA Theater, San Diego, CA
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Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo


April 14, 2022

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-11: Wheel Of Corruption: Let There Be Carnage Edition


Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-11: Wheel Of Corruption: Let There Be Carnage Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Yo what’s up Orlando? How are you guys doing? Are you doing fucking good? Great! So we started Round 2 of Stupidest State which means the conference championships are happening! Man did anyone see that matchup between Tennessee and Indiana coming? That was ridiculous! But this season has been full of great matchups. Anyway we got the famous Wheel Of Corruption here ready to do business and the wheel is polished and ready! Do we have time for the thing? Of course we do! This week let’s talk about one of my favorite people, Jack White. You know he’s got his new album called Fear Of The Dawn which is excellent if you haven’t heard it yet. Well, anyway he got married last week in the most Jack White way possible. So he was playing a sold out show at Detroit’s famous Masonic Temple on the first show of his Supply Chain Issues tour, and it was his first show in four years. Anyway he brings up on stage his longtime girlfriend Olivia Jean and proposes to her halfway through the White Stripes classic song “Hotel Yorba”. Then – they go and literally get married during the song. Not only that, he’s got a second album coming out later this year called “Entering Heaven Alive”. Man if only we could put out that kind of output in a year and do something crazy like that on stage. We have one hour a week at that coveted Thursday at 2:00 PM time slot! We’re pulling down… what? Comedy podcast money? If only we could be Jack White. Lol. OK enough of my rambling, we have a lot of idiocy to get to, but first John Oliver is back and he delves into the issue of cybersecurity and throws it back at the people who made data harvesting possible:



So the Wheel is back and where do we begin this week? In the number one slot this week is of course Vladimir Putin (1). Yes, the premier Russian warlord has stepped very deeply into it and it is costing Russia big time – especially in the area of trade where it is no longer a “favored nation” due to the ongoing illegal occupation of the Ukraine. In the second slot this week is the Secret Service (2) because of a scandal unfolding that is way too bizarre to be believed, but in this day and age it’s totally predictable because of Biden Derangement Syndrome. In the third slot this week is Marjorie Greene (3) because Q Anon’s favorite congresswoman apparently can’t take a joke and is taking it out on late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel because, reasons. Expect Jimmy to fire back on all fours. In the number 4 slot this week is Truth Social (4). Yes, Trump’s social media experiment is proving to be quite the colossal disaster, like most things that Trump puts his name on. Speaking of social media, in the number 5 slot this week is Elon Musk (5). Yes, the Tesla CEO channeled his inner Bond villain by buying a controlling stake in Twitter, which prompted speculation that he would let Trump back on the platform, but now is maybe thinking that would be a terrible idea. In the number 6 slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in Holy Shit (6) and this week we’re talking about Q Anon as a substitute for religion – and their so-called “prophets” are just as batshit insane as you might expect them to be! Our resident pastor is going to need a strong shot of holy water after this one! In the number 7 slot this week, we have a new “Beating A Dead Horse” (7) – Another week, another MAGA boycott and this week, their fighting with Disney over Florida’s extremely controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill is reaching ridiculous proportions! In the number 8 slot this week is a new Conspiracy Corner (8) and wait until you hear the latest batshit insane theory about Space Force. Wow, the Q nuts have really gone off the deep end with this one! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week we have a new People Are Dumb (9) but this week it’s one of our famous all Florida editions! Because Florida Man always has crazy stories to report, but we may have the Florida Man story to end all Florida Man stories this week! Finally this week, we have Stupidest State 2022 (10)! This week it’s Round 2 Week 1 which means it’s the Gun Nut Conference championships! Texas battles red hot underdogs Missouri for a spot in the Final Four and it’s going to be one for the ages! Plus as the palate cleanser, we have some live music from the man, the myth, the legend that is the great Weird Al Yankovic joining us! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]Vladimir Putin
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Of course you know the rules by now – I spin the wheel and we have to talk about whatever it lands on. Of course if it lands on the guacamole option, you know that it costs $1.50 extra. And the wheel is all new with lots of items on it! Here’s what is on the wheel this week:

- Guns
- Abortion
- Crime
- Poverty
- Capitol Riots
- Treason
- Buy A Vowel
- Whammy
- Food
- Elections
- Nazi Germany
- The Border
- Donald Trump
- The GOP
- Clip Without Context
- Death
- Fox News
- COVID-19
- Something Random In The News
- ‘Merica!
- Chance
- 5,000
- Homosexuality
- The US Constitution
- Russia
- Clip Without Context
- Top 10 Investigates
- Conspiracy Corner
- Morally Bankrupt
- Guacamole
- My Pillow
- Holy Shit
- Beating A Dead Horse
- This Fucking Guy
- How Is This Still A Thing?
- Red State Diaries
- Intermission
- Double Whammy
- 10,000
- People Are Dumb
- I Need A Drink
- Infowars
- Go Directly To Jail
- T-Shirt Cannon
- Lightning Round
- Bonus Spin

So with all that, let’s get going! Spin that shit! Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… STOP! Hey it’s one of our patented Clips Without Context!



Yeah at that point you might as put the robes on and call yourself a Grand Wizard and get it over with already. Let me look at the list of popular country music stars – there’s white guy, white guy, white guy, white woman, white woman, white woman… I could go on and on. Spin it again! Russia! You know that premiere Russian warlord Vladimir Putin is currently becoming one of the most increasingly hostile threats the world has ever seen. While he’s taking over the Ukraine, his troll army is busy pitting countries against each other over social media propaganda. And his plan is working. Unfortunately, it’s costing Russia big time, not just economically, but it’s now costing Russia on the world stage. The world is finally waking up to Pooty’s evil deeds and while Putin wants to take over the world, he may not live long enough to see it. And that’s before his evil deeds start taking their toll on Mother Russia. In fact here’s more.

Congress on Thursday voted to revoke Russia’s “most favored nation” trade status, an economic downgrade that opens the door to damaging new tariffs on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

The House passed the bill in an overwhelming 420-3 vote, sending it to President Joe Biden’s desk. The Senate approved the same version of the legislation in a unanimous 100-0 vote taken earlier Thursday.

The three members of Congress who opposed the effort to strip Russia’s favored status were Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Matt Gaetz of Florida, all Republicans who strongly align themselves with former President Donald Trump.

The bill, known as HR 7108, is a formal step to sever normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus — one of the Kremlin’s closest allies — and allow import controls on key products like platinum, chemicals, iron and steel.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/07/senate-votes-to-strip-russia-of-most-favored-nation-trade-status.html




Thank you Nelson! Yeah so Putin’s evil misdeeds are costing Mother Russia big time and it’s only going to get worse for him. The bad thing is that when you punish Putin, you’re also punishing the people of Russia, a lot of whom don’t want anything to do with Putin’s illegal invasion and occupation of the Ukraine. But right now I’m very thankful to have Joe Biden as our president because he is handling the Ukraine situation better than anyone could have expected. Just think what would happen if we had Trump in charge. No, as a matter of fact, let’s not.

President Biden declared Tuesday that Russia was committing a “genocide” in Ukraine, a significant escalation of the president’s rhetoric and a notable shift that comes as U.S. officials have avoided using the term. The comment initially came at an event in Menlo, Iowa, where Biden was decrying the effects of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine on gas and food prices.

“Your family budget, your ability to fill up your tank, none of it should hinge on whether a dictator declares war and commits genocide a half a w orld away,” Biden said. He later told reporters he had intentionally used the word genocide in his speech, though he added that he would “let the lawyers decide internationally whether or not it qualifies.” But he said, “It sure seems that way to me."

Genocide is generally defined as an effort to destroy an entire nation or group. “It’s become clearer and clearer that Putin is trying to wipe out the idea of being Ukrainian," Biden said. "The evidence is mounting. It looks different than last week. More evidence is coming out literally of the horrible things that the Russians have done in Ukraine.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded by tweeting, “True words of a true leader.” He added, “Calling things by their names is essential to stand up to evil. We are grateful for US assistance provided so far and we urgently need more heavy weapons to prevent further Russian atrocities.” Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, have both stopped short of describing Russia’s assault as a genocide in recent days.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/04/12/biden-calls-russias-war-ukraine-genocide/




Thank you Mr. President! See? This is why we need a competent leader in the White House right now during this horrendous time. Because Biden is telling it like it is and Putin needs to be taken down more than a few kegs. The sooner he and his troll army are wiped from existence, the better. But the US is finding new allies too – even Japan has had enough of Putin’s bullshit and is deciding to put the smackdown on Russia. The thing is that Vladimir Putin needs to be stopped before he steamrolls all of Europe. He’s essentially Hitler version 2.0.

The Japanese government is set to revoke Russia's "most-favored nation" trade status as part of additional sanctions over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

NHK has learned that the government will announce the move on Wednesday following a decision by Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.

US President Joe Biden announced the same measures on Friday, while the leaders of the Group of 7 nations issued a joint statement pledging to move to deny Russia "most-favored nation" status.

The measures mean Russian imports to those countries will be subject to higher tariffs.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220316_09/




Come on! Even Mr. Burns is against Russia! So as the world continues to see what an absolute monster Vladimir Putin is, it’s costing Putin big time. He cannot keep up this ridiculous and illegal war on the Ukraine much longer. Because not only is Russia continuing to get its’ ass kicked, it’s also costing both Putin and the Russian people big time. You know the saying about how it takes a century to build something and then some jackass comes in with a wrecking ball and ruins it in 5 minutes? Well Putin is that jackass. The sooner he’s wiped from the world, the better.

World leaders Thursday reacted to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with raw outrage — and vows of unprecedented sanctions — that shrouded a sense of powerlessness to defend Ukraine militarily without running the risk of a wider war in Europe.

NATO had already reinforced its eastern flank facing Russia and planned a virtual summit of its leaders on Friday after President Vladimir Putin warned that any interference from other countries would lead to “consequences you have never seen in history.”

European Union and NATO member Lithuania declared a state of emergency since the Baltic nation borders Russia’s Kaliningrad region to the southwest and Russia’s ally Belarus to the east. NATO countries had 100 jets and 120 ships on high alert as a deterrent.

“Make no mistake: We will defend every ally against any attack on every inch of NATO territory,” said NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-asia-europe-united-nations-8744320842fca825ae4e4ccae5acbe34





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[font size="8"]Fake Secret Service Agents
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Let’s spin the wheel shall we? Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… stop! And it lands on… Something Random In The News!

Amongst hundreds of thousands of muddy spuds, a World War II-era grenade was picked up on a conveyor belt at an Auckland potato factory earlier this week.

The old Mills bomb grenade, which has since been confirmed as being a training grenade that didn't contain explosives, is believed to have been dug up during harvesting on a farm in Matamata.

Mr Chips factory operations manager Roland Spitaels said the mud-covered device was spotted on a conveyor belt full of freshly harvested potatoes in the early hours of the morning.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/grenade-found-among-the-spuds-on-auckland-chip-factory-conveyor-belt/E5RPCJYU2DGC5N6HKKELDGU6IA/




Excuse me a minute… spin it again! And it lands on… Treason. Well maybe this is not specifically defined in the Constitution as treason but it’s definitely borderline here. As we were putting together last week’s edition, I got this story across my desk about a potentially huge scandal developing in the Capitol Beltway about the fact that there might have been fake Secret Service agents protecting Joe Biden. Yeah remember the funeral scene in the Dark Knight when Commissioner Gordon is giving the speech and then all of a sudden a guy who looks like the Joker appears among the firing squad? Yeah picture that scenario happening in real life. The thing is that the Former Guy has been touting about the “fake” and “stolen” election for well over a year and a half now. But what this latest development paints is that they’re desperate. Who knows how compromised the federal government is with people who are supporters of the Former Guy that would put President Biden in great harm? The easy answer to that question is we don’t know. But it’s a hell of a lot more complicated than that. Yes, we don’t know the answer. But the fact that Former Guy had people on the inside of the Secret Service that were exposed is extremely troubling.

In a memo arguing that the two men should remain detained pending trial, prosecutors wrote that Arian Taherzadeh and Haider Ali compromised federal law enforcement operations and created a potential risk to national security. "The Defendants were not merely playing dress-up," prosecutors wrote in the memo filed on Friday. "They had firearms, they had ammunition, they had body armor, they had tactical gear, they had surveillance equipment."

Taherzadeh and Ali were arrested earlier this week and charged with impersonating Department of Homeland Security agents for more than two years. They gave expensive gifts to federal agents and provided them apartments in Washington, DC, according to the detention memo. Taherzadeh allegedly offered to purchase a $2,000 assault rifle for a Secret Service agent on the first lady's protective detail, according to an affidavit.

The pair were also in possession of "immigration documents for a number of individuals," according to the memo from prosecutors, and had significant access to information about other tenants in the Washington, DC, apartment complex where they and a number of law enforcement officials resided, including the electronic access codes and a list of each tenant. In addition, prosecutors said the pair had a machine to make "Personal Identification Verification" cards as well as passport photographs. Witnesses saw Taherzadeh with a PIV card he used to log in to his laptop that had a "DHS" label on it, according to the memo.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a39691215/secret-service-agents-duped-fake-homeland-security/




Yeah really, picture that scenario happening in real life. Holy shit! And you know, maybe it’s just my scam-o-meter that has been overworked in the last two years because we have been flooded with all kinds of scams and junk calls, but anyone offering free stuff like that is automatically suspect. And the more you dig into this story, the weirder it gets. And believe me, we will be covering this story as it develops. But who knows how deep this goes? Yes, that’s what she said.

A pair of phony Homeland Security agents who allegedly infiltrated the highest levels of federal law enforcement and plied agents with lavish gifts were somehow tipped off to their arrest last week, allowing them to stash guns and other items, prosecutors revealed in a new filing on Sunday.

Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 36, were arrested last week when cops swarmed the upscale Crossing Apartments in Washington, D.C.’s Navy Yard neighborhood, bringing what appears to be an extraordinary two-year-long ruse to an end.

The pair were charged with false impersonation of a federal officer for allegedly running an elaborate scheme that fooled at least one Homeland Security official and four Secret Service agents working on security details for President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris. The duo allegedly flashed official-looking IDs, carried Glocks, drove black SUVs with flashing lights, and became so friendly with some agents that they put the agents up for free in penthouses at the Crossings and gifted them iPhones, rifles, and drones.
https://news.yahoo.com/somebody-tipped-off-2-fake-212339720.html




Yeah this is like if the Joker were running things, though maybe not dressed in a clown suit. Now here’s where this story gets weird because you knew it was going to. I hate to use the Daily Mail but that was my only resource on this part of the story. The DC police were tipped off about a year ago after the Insurrection. And they apparently did nothing while these sleazebags were cozying up to the new President and First Lady by offering DHS agents free stuff. And come on, there’s some massive red flags in this story.

The apartment unit belonging to one of the two men arrested last week for impersonating Homeland Security agents was searched by Metro Police Department (MPD) officers last year, but the cops left without taking any action.

Arian Taherzadeh's unit 708 was searched by officers with the Metro Police Department on February 26, 2020, according to an incident report exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com.

The new revelation comes as a second motion for detention filing showed more images of items and paraphernalia seized from the five units belonging to Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and his fellow-defendant Haider Sher-Ali, 35.

The additional images include more body armor with 'POLICE' lettering as well as a dynamic entry kit, cigars and more firearms with high-capacity magazines.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10708149/Cops-searched-apartment-fake-DHS-agent-YEAR-ago-did-cozied-USSS.html




That just raises further questions! What were the cigars for? And like I said the further you go down the rabbit hole on this story, the weirder it gets. Yes there were people attempting to use the DHS to get close to the Secret Service detail protecting President Biden. What’s even weirder is that there may be more people involved. Who knows how far this goes? We may be only beginning to scratch the surface, but the fact remains that we think that Trump may have people on the inside of the people protecting President Biden. We will be very closely following these developments.

Federal prosecutors have dubbed two men accused of spending the last two years impersonating federal agents as “practiced liars who perpetrated a long-term deception.”

Arian Taherzadeh and Haider Ali were in court Friday, facing charges for false impersonation of an officer of the United States. The two are due back in court on Monday.

On April 6, the FBI raided a luxury Navy Yard apartment complex called the Crossing, where Taherzadeh and Ali reside and were arrested.

People who live in the Crossing apartments told WUSA9 that they were personally questioned by the FBI about their neighbors, Taherzadeh and Ali, on Saturday.

“How does someone pretend to be a federal agent and then get away with it for so long?” Billie Garner, a Crossing resident asked. “How can we not run background checks on these people?”
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/fake-federal-agents-in-dc-crossing-first-street-apts-fake-agents/65-bc92b67c-3350-4cbf-af69-5c06071e2249





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[font size="8"]Marjorie Greene
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Let’s give the wheel a good strong spin shall we? Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… stop! Chance!



Cool, I get a Get Out Of Jail Free card! I’ll just put that away for later. Spin it again! And it lands on… Infowars. Oh crap do I really have to talk about Infowars? Make me. OK fine. Well it’s not so much Infowars as it is Infowars’ favorite Congresswoman, Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q – Batshit). Here’s the thing that I have noticed about the MAGA community as closely as we have followed them in the last 5 years. They cannot take a joke. They have no sense of humor whatsoever. Yeah it’s like the whole Will Smith and Chris Rock debacle. Only with less pimp slapping and more “you’re a fucking idiot” kind of negative feedback. But really they have the nerve to call us “whiny snowflakes who can’t take a joke” but literally they are whiny snowflakes who can’t take a joke. As is evidence with our good friend Marjorie Taylor Greene. Remember when Trump had that massive feud with Alec Baldwin over his Saturday Night Live impersonation? Yeah this is that only with a member of Congress who is certifiably batshit insane and a late night talk show host who enjoys being the butt of their jokes.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says she has filed a complaint against Jimmy Kimmel with the Capitol Police over a joke, and she apparently isn’t kidding.

The Georgia Republican tweeted a clip of Kimmel from the late-night host’s Tuesday monologue on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in which the comic said of Greene, “This woman, Klan mom, is especially upset with the three Republican senators who said they’ll vote yes on Ketanji Brown Jackson, who’s nominated for the Supreme Court. She tweeted, ‘Murkowski, Collins, and Romney are pro-pedophile. They just voted for KBJ.’ Wow, where is Will Smith when you really need him?”

Greene’s tweet included her written message, “@ABC, this threat of violence against me by @jimmykimmel has been filed with the @CapitolPolice.”

Last night, Kimmel responded with a tweet of his own, retweeting Greene’s tweet and writing, “Officer? I would like to report a joke.”

The Capitol Police have not yet confirmed Greene’s complaint.
https://deadline.com/2022/04/marjorie-taylor-greene-jimmy-kimmel-slap-joke-capitol-police-1234996269/




These people are seriously Cartman. They talk a lot of trash. But that’s all they have. But unlike most insult comics, they can dish it out but they sure as hell can’t take it. Hell, Cartman gets so much as a tap on the shoulder and he starts crying. That’s Marjorie Greene. Now look no one loves a good beef more than I do. And this is definitely one of the beefiest beefs I’ve ever seen! And like most comics who know a thing or two about dishing it out, Jimmy Kimmel decided to have some fun with this, which is why I love him for that!

Last week, Jimmy Kimmel teed off on Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)—who believes that the Jews control the weather with a space laser and compared wearing a mask during the pandemic to the Holocaust—for reporting him to the Capitol police over a joke made at her expense. (The joke: “Where is Will Smith when you really need him?”)

The Jimmy Kimmel Live! host revisited the hullabaloo on Monday night’s show.

“Meanwhile, I had a whole thing with Marjorie Taylor Greene and the Temple of Dumb this weekend,” Kimmel explained. “You may have heard: The congress-monster is not happy about a comment I made about her on the show. She even called the cops on me. Me, she would like arrested, but the people who attacked the Capitol? It’s time to drop that already.”

The late-night comedian then threw to a clip of Greene speaking to a reporter on Capitol Hill and saying of the Jan. 6 insurrection that left several people dead in an attempt to overthrow the presidential election, “You know what I think? I think the American people are fed up with this overdramatization of a riot that happened here at the Capitol one time.”
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/jimmy-kimmel-unloads-accused-sex-051312534.html




Ha ha ha ha… no offense to Jimmy but I’m seriously calling next week’s “Marjorie Greene and the Temple Of Dumb”. Seriously, making fun of the MAGAs is like shooting fish in a barrel. It’s basically the ultimate circular firing squad. Like you know how the Taliban, ISIS, and al’Qaeda are famous for not having a sense of humor? Well, the MAGAs fall very firmly into that group. But again the whole debate of Jimmy Kimmel vs Marjorie Greene is a lot like the Will Smith and Chris Rock debacle – who had the worse action? Ready! Aim! Pull!

The other night, Jimmy Kimmel joked, “Where is Will Smith when you really need him?” after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) branded anyone who supported Biden Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson as “pro-pedophile.” MTG, who loves calling liberals “snowflakes,” then said she’d reported the late-night host to the @CapitolPolice over the dumb joke, as one does.

On Thursday night, Kimmel responded to MTG allegedly reporting him to the D.C. police over a joke.

“What a day—I have to tell you. What a night and what a day. I have the weirdest life. I really do. Once again, I find myself in the middle of a brouhaha, as I appear to have run afoul of probably the worst woman in American politics,” said Kimmel. “Marjorie Taylor Greene, the congressperson from the 14th District of Georgia, is unhappy. She’s specifically unhappy with me.”

“She called the police and reported this. Not only did she call the police—she called the same police she voted against giving a congressional gold medal to for defending our Capitol against the insurrection she helped incite on Jan. 6. That’s who she called—the people she wanted to defund.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/jimmy-kimmel-fires-back-at-sociopath-marjorie-taylor-greene-for-reporting-him-to-the-police




Yeah that’s the fucking irony – Marjorie Greene is requesting to seek the protection of the Capitol Police after denying them funding after they got the shit beat out of them during the Capitol Insurrection. And don’t think for a minute that we can’t look this stuff up! It’s all there! But she must be getting nervous because either she’ll be named in January 6th insurrection or she’ll be voted out of office in November because the people are tired of her antics. So yeah she talks a lot of shit, but we’re hoping that her days are numbered!

A federal judge has indicated that an attempt to stop the far-right Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene running for re-election will be allowed to proceed.

The challenge from a group of Georgia voters says Greene should be disqualified under the 14th amendment to the US constitution, because she supported insurrectionists who attacked the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.

A similar challenge in North Carolina, against Madison Cawthorn, another prominent supporter of Donald Trump, was blocked.

But on Friday Amy Totenberg, a federal judge in Georgia, said she had “significant questions and concerns” about the ruling in the Cawthorn case, CNN reported.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/11/marjorie-taylor-greene-judge-ruling-far-right-republican-reelection





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[font size="8"]Truth Social
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Let’s give the wheel a nice, strong spin shall we? And it lands on…. Come on, no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… STOP! Hey, it’s one of our patented clips without context!



You do realize that this is cancel culture, right, Hipster Jesus? But yeah let’s go after Disney. Can’t have an independent thought in the cult. Holy crap these people are crazy. Spin it again! And it lands on… social media! You know that if you’re in this audience, you already know that there’s a long list of failed products that bear the Trump logo. Trump Steaks. Trump Vodka. Trump Casinos. Trump Airlines. Trump Bottled Water. Trump University. Now we can add Trump Social Media to the list. That’s right – Truth Social, the media platform created by Trump and former national security risk, er, advisor Devin Nunes (Q – Batshit). It’s funny to think that these people were actually in charge of NATIONAL SECURITY. Hell, I wouldn’t trust them to run security at an ATM. Anyways, like most products bearing the Trump name, Truth Social was a colossal failure, and I’m not at all shocked that it happened that way. And I love that Business Insider referred to it as a “conservative ghost town that’s been overrun by bots”. Now, Trump is treating Truth Social the same way he treats Big Mac wrappers and umbrellas – he throws them on the ground and expects someone else to clean up his mess for them. Here’s how bad it is – and this exactly what happens when you put a bunch of pissed off, incompetent tech advisors in a room and expect them to come up with something, anything.

Former U.S. president Donald Trump launched his social media app Truth Social in February with great fanfare and bombastic rhetoric about creating a free-speech powerhouse in an effort to supplant his once favorite platform Twitter. But just six weeks later, these lofty ambitions appear to be crumbling, and the app is looking like a loser.

Conceived after the former president was booted from mainstream social media outlets, Truth Social brands itself as a “big tent” platform for people of all ideological stripes. Users note its striking resemblance to Twitter, with the main difference being a higher character limit and posts called “truths” instead of tweets.

The ex-POTUS chairs the company behind True Social, Trump Media & Technology Group. Founded in early 2021, the enterprise has attracted over $1 billion in financing and managed to go public via a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company. But contrary to its goals of “rival[ing] the liberal media consortium”, it might be headed in the (southward) direction of some of Trump’s other business ventures such as Trump Steaks and Trump Shuttle.

Data from our parent company Thinknum Alternative Data shows that its App Store rating count (often used as a proxy for downloads) has been at a plateau for the past few weeks. Correspondingly, the stock price of its parent company has tumbled, now sitting at less than half of where it was at its peak just over a month ago.
https://www.businessofbusiness.com/articles/truth-social-Trump-app-not-winning/




Except we can all agree that Trump isn’t exactly taking lessons from Master Yoda here. Because let’s face it, Truth Social is a colossal disaster. And just like he ran the White House, the executive directors of the company are treating the position like it’s a revolving door. And yet Trump wants to be back in the White House? He could barely run his social media company. Really it’s mind boggling to think that he could be running the country again in 2024. I wouldn’t trust him to run a McDonalds.

Top executives from Former President Donald Trump’s social media venture, Truth Social, have departed the company as the site has struggled to gain traction with users.

Three top executives quit Truth Social, including chief technology officer, Josh Adams and Billy Boozer, the head of the company’s product development, and chief legal officer, Lori Heyer-Bednar, according to two people familiar with the matter. Reuters first reported the departures of Adams and Boozer.

Trump has been upset with the state of his social media venture, Truth Social, and is eyeing major shake-ups to the company, including positions on the board of Truth Social’s parent company, Trump Media and Technology Group, according to one of those people familiar with the matter and a separate person as well.

Trump’s frustration comes as the site has struggled mightily upon launch, with low traffic and persistent tech glitches. It is also now suffering from personnel issues too — neither Adams nor Heyer-Bednar list their job titles with Truth Social on their personal profiles, despite previously having listed it.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/04/trump-social-media-staff-exodus-00022706




That sounds more like him. But of course if you listen to the idiots actually running Truth Social, you wouldn’t know that. They’re in full blown “nothing to see here, please disperse” mode. Because when you’re down on your luck, you go to the place where everyone knows your name. No, I’m not referring to Cheers. I’m referring to Fox News, because if you say exactly what the cult wants to hear, they will not only eat it up, they’ll actually believe it! You know the old saying – with friends like these, who needs enemies?

Devin Nunes, the former California congressman who left his old job to run former President Donald Trump's new social media app Truth Social, previously said that the beleaguered app would be fully operational by the end of March. After the app had a "soft launch" in February that was plagued by various glitches and a very long wait list, Nunes said the goal was for the app to be fully rolled out to American users by March 31. March 31 came and went: The wait list is still very long, and in recent days, not one, not two, but three separate unflattering reports have emerged on the job Nunes left Congress for.

The Daily Beast reviewed data from an analytics firm and found that Truth Social is now seeing just 8,000 downloads a day, which is down from a peak of 170,000. Furthermore, the app is only the 355th most popular app among Apple device users. According to the Daily Beast, several lesser-known alternate social media sites are handily beating Truth Social in downloads.

Reuters subsequently reported Monday that two key executives with an actual background in tech — Josh Adams and Billy Boozer — have resigned. One source familiar with Truth Social told Reuters that Adams was the "brains" of the app's technology, and “if Josh has left… all bets are off." A third report from BBC highlights how Truth Social's launch has been perceived by onlookers. An unnamed "Republican ally" of Trump's told the publication, "Nobody seems to know what's going on." Joshua Tucker, the director of NYU's Center for Social Media and Politics, said of the app: "It's been a disaster."
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216561165




And by the way, in the MAGA influencer world, not getting an invite to Truth Social is like not getting an invite to your third cousin’s destination wedding at a remote mountain resort in Maine. You know that you’re not going to actually attend, but you’re pissed if you don’t get the invite. Seriously, Trump himself hasn’t posted on his own platform yet. But while Truth Social may have lit the MAGA world on fire for a brief period, there might be a new contender emerging for the king of the far right social media world. Yes, we talk shit about Gab, Parler, Dlive, and Telegram but this might be the platform to watch for extremists.

On Sunday night, former President Donald Trump finally launched Truth Social, the social media platform he promised last year, on the Apple App Store. Truth Social describes itself as a “platform that encourages an open, free, and honest global conversation without discriminating against political ideology.” The site takes after Twitter, which banned Trump following the Capitol riot, and was created using an open-source software for building independent social media networks called Mastodon. Instead of “tweets” and “retweets,” posts and shares on the site are called “Truths” and “ReTruths.”

Truth Social quickly shot to the top of the App Store’s most popular downloads list, and still holds the No. 1 spot as of Wednesday. This is despite the fact that there were reportedly a ton of bugs, a 13-hour outage, and an extremely long waitlist to actually get on the platform. (The app told me I was No. 406,296 in line.) Though there appears to be quite a bit of demand for the app, Truth Social joins a crowded field of other alternative “free speech” social networks that are jockeying to be the main hub for conservatives who are spurning Big Tech. Truth Social received 170,000 downloads during its first day online, though its user base is tougher to determine given the waitlist situation. It’s certainly impressive, but has a long way to go to catch up with the likes of Parler (11.3 million downloads and 20 million users), Gettr (6.7 million downloads and 4 million users), and Rumble (4.6 million downloads and 30 million users).
https://slate.com/technology/2022/02/truth-social-donald-trump-rival-mewe.html





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[font size="8"]Elon Musk
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Let’s hit the spin cycle, shall we? And it lands on… no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… stop! Intermission! It’s time to take a break. Don’t mind me, I’ll just sit here and watch funny pet videos on Tik Tok! Oh look at that large dog, he’s playing with some goats! Cue the music! I’ll wait!



Spin it again! And it lands on… social media. Folks, unless you were living under a rock last week, you know that Tesla and Space X CEO and extreme far right weirdo Elon Musk bought a $2 billion stake in Twitter. And like most bad ideas, his advisors probably told him that his questioning of “social media censorship” and “shadow banning” was probably a bad idea. But remember that episode of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia where they were attempting to emulate the A Team formula with Charlie being the proverbial “wild card”? Well that’s exactly what Elon Musk is – he’s that wild card. And if he’s on your board of directors, that could probably be a really bad thing. Wild cards are definitely meant for action movies and sitcoms whether it’s the Fast and Furious or it’s Guardians Of The Galaxy. But you know what they’re not meant for? The board room.

In the last two years, Twitter has dealt with an activist investor, an egocentric figure with tens of millions of followers pushing the limits on its platform and an eccentric billionaire leader attempting to improve the product while juggling multiple companies.

Now, Twitter appears to have all three at once, more or less, in one person: Elon Musk. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO sparked a deluge of headlines last week after disclosing that he'd become Twitter's largest shareholder. A day later, the company said it would add him to its board of directors for a two-year term — a move Musk welcomed on Twitter. But the saga took another turn Sunday night, when Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal said in a tweet that Musk would not be joining the board after all.
"We were excited to collaborate and clear about the risks," Agrawal said, adding that Musk shared on Saturday morning, when his appointment to the board was set to be effective, that he would no longer be joining. "I believe this is for the best."

These stunning developments put Twitter, a company that is certainly no stranger to corporate chaos, in uncharted waters. The world's richest man — who is known both for his ambitious and innovative spirit and for his erratic and trollish behavior — appears interested in shaking things up at the company, although his plans aren't exactly clear. And the disclosure of his large stake in the company comes just as Twitter's previously little-known (at least externally) new chief executive, Agrawal, attempts to come out from the shadow of Jack Dorsey, the platform's founder and longtime public face. Dorsey, who handed over the CEO role in November and plans to exit Twitter's board in May, said last week when the board announcement was made that Agrawal and Musk would "be an incredible team."
https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/09/tech/elon-musk-twitter-ceo-governance/index.html




Wild card bitches!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!! Yeah that’s not the person who you want to have on your board of directors. Especially if your platform is currently under scrutiny for “media censorship” – which has long been a talking point of Trump / Fox News fans. Now it’s widely known that Elon is a Red Pill Truther and MAGA superfan. Which immediately puts him in the “garbage person” territory because that’s the kind of people that movement attracts. Which, after Elon made the announcement, it immediately fueled speculation that Trump would be let back on Twitter, and that would be a very bad thing.

Fans of Donald Trump’s Twitter account were disappointed again on Sunday night, after Elon Musk chose not to join Twitter’s board, dashing hopes that he would overturn the former leader’s Twitter ban.

Trump received a permanent Twitter suspension on Jan. 8, 2021, amid concerns that he was using the platform to incite violence. A year later, he remains banned, much to the consternation of supporters who hope to read new 280-character diatribes from the extremely online ex-president. So when Musk, Trump’s fellow Twitter-obsessed one-percenter, announced plans to join the company’s board this month, conservatives begged him to reverse Trump’s ban, as well as those on other suspended right-wing accounts.

But in a shocking Sunday night reversal, Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal announced that Musk would not be joining the company’s board, after all. The announcement has left some Trump fans frustrated, or arguing that Musk’s absence was actually a win for Trump.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-fans-still-hoping-elon-musk-will-bring-their-emperor-god-back-to-twitter




Yeah come on, right? Letting Trump back on is something that only his deranged fans asked for, and let’s face it – absolutely no good can come of this. The fact that he was even thinking it was a bad idea unto itself! And since the purchase, what has he used the platform for? Accusing celebrities that they’re not tweeting enough. Because nothing attracts customers more than seeing your high profile members getting harassed for not using it enough! Maybe, and I’m just spit balling here, because they have better things to do?

Twitter's newest board member and largest stakeholder Elon Musk tweeted Saturday to ask if the social media network was "dying" and to call out users such as singer Justin Bieber, who are highly followed but rarely post.

"Most of these 'top' accounts tweet rarely and post very little content," the Tesla boss wrote, captioning a list of the 10 profiles with the most followers -- a list which includes himself at number eight, with 81 million followers.

"Is Twitter dying?" he wrote.

Former US President Barack Obama appears at the top with 131 million followers, followed by stars such as Bieber, Katy Perry, Rihanna and Taylor Swift, as well as Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and football star Cristiano Ronaldo, among others.

"For example, @taylorswift13 hasn't posted anything in 3 months," Musk continued.

"And @justinbieber only posted once this entire year."
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220409-twitter-stakeholder-elon-musk-tweets-is-twitter-dying




Way to go there, Elon! Nothing like spending $2 billion just to be a dick, right? Well just like the Joker in the Dark Knight, Elon is an agent of chaos. He’s also a furry cat and a private island fortress away from becoming a James Bond villain. I mean come on, if you’re going to be a real life Ernest Starvo Blofeld, you might as well go all the way, right? But the way to reach out to the Twitter platform to see what needs to be changed is to intimidate your customers, right? At least he made tons of money off of this deal, so what’s a couple billion to throw away?

Musk’s revolving-door trip through Twitter’s boardroom raises two obvious but so far unanswerable questions: what changed? And what happens next?

Let’s take them in turn.

Agrawal’s tweeted explanation for Musk’s change of heart offered several tantalizing hints about what might have happened. There is, for example, the highlighting of a board member’s fiduciary responsibility to shareholders, a responsibility that Musk has so far shown no interest in. It is commonly (and correctly, I think) understood that Musk bought 9.2 percent of Twitter primarily for fun. As a board member Musk would have had to represent the interests of the common shareholder, or at the very least not spooked the markets by tweeting things like “Is Twitter dying?” And I imagine it became clear to him over the past few days that this would be an actual ongoing legal obligation, and would absolutely not be any fun, and that was that.

This may have been particularly pressing for Musk since there seem to be so many legal issues dogging him already, including some related to his large stake in Twitter. For example, he delayed filing a form indicating that he had surpassed a 5 percent stake with the Securities and Exchange Commission as required, allowing him to scoop up 4 percent more of the company at a price much lower than he would have were it known to the world that he were in the process of becoming Twitter’s largest individual shareholder.
https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/12/23021248/elon-musk-twitter-troll-board-seat-fiduciary-vs-fun





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[font size="8"]Holy Shit: Q Anon Dark Prophecies
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Let’s give the wheel a good strong spin, shall we? And it lands on… wait for it… oh hey look it’s one of our patented Clips Without Context!



OK… OK… First off, what… and I cannot emphasize this enough… the fuck??? I don’t know a lot, but I’m pretty sure that vaccines don’t work on human thought. They work on the immune system and that’s about it. Boy these people are getting weirder and weirder, aren’t they? Spin it again! Hey! It’s time for Holy Shit!

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! We’ve got a fun one for you this week because we are going to delve into the alternate religion known as Q Anon. That’s right – you know of Q Anon as the batshit crazy cult built around supporters of the Unholy, Ungodly Dark One! I of course speak of a man who is so foul, so depraved and disgusting that his name dare NOT be spoken in my church! But why is there an entire religion built around his nonsense? Well it of course started in the very darkest corners of the online world, like most bad things. Their theories are getting nuttier and nuttier and nuttier. I mean what kind of sick, twisted, and depraved mind do you have to have in order to come up with things like believing that the president was executed and replaced with a body double? That’s some pretty messed up shit and it’s not something that the good LAWRD JAYSUS would believe! But they’re coming out of the basement and into the mainstream!

Alan and Francine Fosdick are full-blown QAnon conspiracy theorists who host a program called “Up Front In The Prophetic,” which has been relentless in promoting truly outrageous conspiracy theories. Francine Fosdick, the source of many of these conspiracy theories, has claimed that President Joe Biden was executed and replaced by an imposter wearing a mask, and she once hosted a prayer call aimed exposing former President Barack Obama’s supposed involvement in child trafficking and uncovering the “true identity” of Michelle Obama as a man.

Despite this, Pennsylvania GOP state Sen. Doug Mastriano, who is currently running for governor, has made multiple appearances on the Fosdicks’ program and even met with them in his office. Later this month, Mastriano and several other Republican candidates for office are scheduled to speak at a “Patriots Arise” event being organized by the Fosdicks in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, April 22 to April 23.

GOP candidates who will be joining Mastriano at the event include Teddy Daniels, who is running for lieutenant governor in Pennsylvania; Kathy Barnette, who is running for the U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania; Rick Bowers, who is running for state Senate in Maryland; and Dan Cox, who is running for governor in Maryland.

These candidates will share the stage with the likes of anti-vax QAnon conspiracy theorist Scott McKay (aka “Patriot Streetfighter”), who has repeatedly and openly threatened to kill health care providers.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/several-gop-candidates-are-joining-qanon-conspiracy-theorists-for-an-event-in-pennsylvania/




Yes the devil most certainly walks among us, and that devil, need I remind you, is the unholy Dark One himself! That man is so foul that he’s attracting the worst of us and he’s enabling the worst of us in society. He worships SAYTAN! Though his followers claim that he’s worshipping JAYSUS, that I can assure, he is not! In fact he has one of the craziest people in that religion as his “spiritual advisor” which, come on, with friends like these, who needs enemies? But his movement is actually gaining in popularity, and that is scary!

The QAnon conspiracy myth movement continues to thrive in the US and has even strengthened more than a year after Donald Trump left the White House, according to the largest ever study of its followers.

Some 22% of Americans believe that a “storm” is coming, 18% think violence might be necessary to save the country and 16% hold that the government, media and financial worlds are controlled by Satan-worshipping pedophiles, according to four surveys carried out last year by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) think tank.

Each of these baseless and bizarre views is a core tenet of QAnon, an antisemitic internet conspiracy theory which held that Trump was waging a secret battle against a cabal of pedophiles and its “deep state” collaborators – a “storm” that would sweep them out of power.

Yet despite his election defeat by Joe Biden, major social media platforms banning QAnon activity and the disappearance of its leader, “Q”, the movement has not gone away. If anything, it has strengthened.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/23/qanon-believers-increased-america-study-finds




Now here’s the thing – if you want to see where Q Anon mixes with religion, look no further than our old friend, Pastor Greg Locke. Yes, Pastor Locke is a worshipper of the unholy Dark One and has made some ridiculous claims as we have witnessed here. But this might be one of the craziest that we have seen, for he said that he has seen witches! And not only that they are unleashing DAYMONS and that he has some names! Come on, what is this, 2022 or 1692? We all know how badly the original witchcraft trials ended, don’t we?

The offering was over and the worship team at Global Vision Bible Church had just finished singing “Oh How I Love Jesus” when the Rev. Greg Locke began telling his church about his conversations with demons.

Those demons, he said, had revealed the names of a group of “full-blown, spell-casting” witches who’d been sent to infiltrate Global Vision, a nondenominational church east of Nashville, Tennessee, where Locke is pastor.

“To God be the glory, I lie not,” he told the congregation at Global Vision on Sunday, which was meeting in a packed tent on the church’s property. “We got first and last names of six witches that are in our church. And you know what’s strange, three of you are in this room right now.”

Locke told the congregation that he’d gotten the names while casting a demon out of a woman who had recently begun coming to Global Vision. The preacher, known for his sensationalist sermons about politics and COVID-19 skepticism — went on to describe the exorcism in detail, quoting a demon with scruffy voice who accused worshippers at the church of being witches.
https://julieroys.com/tn-preacher-greg-locke-demons-witches-our-church/




Yes according to that guy, everything is a SIN!!! But that said if your church is hosting a Q Anon event, it might be time to report them to the IRS for violating 503 (c) rules. Hey, I know we’re skirting around the rules with this sermon, but fuck it, we’re not a batshit crazy cult! And calling these people “violent lunatics” might be underselling it a bit. Because these people are violent lunatics, and they are getting more violent and insane and radicalized. So if your local church is hosting one of these events, you might want to go to another church!

Mark Burns, an unabashed Christian nationalist Trump-loving pastor who is running for Congress in South Carolina, urged conservatives to start smashing the car windows of anti-fascist activists.

Burns spoke at the ReAwaken America rally in Keizer, Oregon, last weekend, where event organizers claimed that “antifa” protestors outside the event were placing sharp objects under the wheels of attendee’s cars in an effort to pop their tires. While at the event, Burns sat down for an interview on “The Black Conservative Preacher” show, where he insisted that Christians should not turn the other cheek, as Jesus commanded, but rather strike back twice as hard.

“You see an antifa flag, knock out their window,” Burns advocated.

“Forgive me, Jesus,” he then added, facetiously. “Lord, forgive me. I’m asking for forgiveness right now.”

“The Bible says that ‘the Kingdom suffers violence and the violent take it by force,'” Burns declared, quoting Matthew 11. “The problem is we’re being too cowardly and too weak and we think that man has authority over us when we serve a big God who has given us power and authority to tread over every demonic spirit. So, if they’re gonna knock out a window, you go knock out two of theirs.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/maga-candidate-mark-burns-urges-christians-to-smash-the-windows-of-antifa-activists-cars/




Sigh… these lunatics aren’t going away anytime soon. In fact they’re getting louder and crazier, and we will fight their bullshit when we see it! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:





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[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse
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Let’s give the wheel a good strong spin shall we? And it lands on… come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy! STOP! No, a whammy!!!



All right, spin it again. And hey it lands on Beating A Dead Horse!



You know there’s too many boycotts out there when Buzzfeed literally has an article about The 16 Most Ridiculous Things Conservatives Tried To Cancel but hey what’s wrong with adding one more to the pile? Their latest beef involves Disney vs their boy Ron DeSantis over Florida’s extremely controversial and draconian “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Which – and here me out on this – who the fuck is teaching about homosexuality and transsexuality in fucking elementary school? It’s truly absurd the depths of depravity that the MAGA world is reaching. And like most bad things in the world, they will have Fox News and Alex Jones cheerleading their misdeeds every step of the way. So what’s the latest in the circular firing squad between Disney, Fox News, and Ron DeSantis? Well there’s a lot and it will take a long time to sort out this mess. It’s definitely not something that will be resolved overnight.

A video of hundreds of protesters gathered outside of Disney headquarters in California has started to go viral on social media.

The video shows people holding up signs and placards while chanting "boycott Disney." Posted on Wednesday evening, the video has been viewed over 400,000 times and can be seen here.

The protest was organized by Christian activist group Hold the Line and took place in Burbank, California, on Wednesday evening.

Earlier in the week, another video calling for the protest also began circulating on social media.

In the video, it showed news hosts highlighting Disney's decision to increase its representation of LBTQ+ people in its media.
https://www.newsweek.com/boycott-disney-protest-california-dont-say-gay-1695846




Oh get out of here, you fucking morons! Don’t you have anything better to do? Leave California Disney out of this, this is my home, get out of here with that shit! Oh who am I kidding? Of course they don’t have anything better to do! And come on, now they’re accusing Minnie Mouse of being trans? That is clinically insane. Shit, people, you might have got away with this crap in 2006, but this is 2022! There’s far better things to do now! But as long as far right Christianity exists, the more they will just grow more increasingly insane as the echo chamber grows.

Earlier this week, a photo started circulating on the encrypted messaging app Telegram, featuring Mickey and Minnie canoodling on the front of a $100 Target Disney gift card. In the photo, Minnie is wearing a blue puffed-sleeve dress — yet the post, which was shared to a conspiracy theorist channel with more than 50,000 followers, saw something far more sinister.

The beloved cartoon mouse’s demure blue dress, the poster claimed, “looks exactly like a penis, which Mickey happens to be gladly holding.” The post went on to speculate about the potential connotations of said dick dress: “following the recent leaks from the company, chances this design is a mere coincidence and employees didn’t notice are slim IMO,” it concludes.

To be fair to the phallus-obsessed conspiracy theorists, the post was not totally without merit: when viewed from a certain angle, the dress indeed looks like a penis; or perhaps more accurately, a blue silicon dildo with a flared base. (Target no longer features that image on its website, instead showing Minnie wearing a decidedly less phallic-looking version of the garment; images of the gift card have been circulating around the internet since as early as 2015, and the Disney blog The Disney Details does include an image of the card displayed in stores, though Target did not immediately respond to our questions about how long the card was sold, or when it was pulled from circulation.)

What was somewhat unusual, however, was the dark message behind the post: that by featuring one of America’s most beloved cartoon characters holding what appears to be a dick, the Disney company is trying to inculcate America’s impressionable youth with a pro-LGBTQ “agenda.”
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/disney-dont-say-gay-mickey-minnie-mouse-penis-conspiracy-1332858/




I’m going to say yes, probably? Well here’s the thing is that these are people who say we shouldn’t sexualize children, but they are making this front page news! Of course kids are going to see this. It’s disgusting the way that Fox News is actively pitting sides against each other in an effort to boost their ratings, because they have nothing else. But if you think the Disney boycott is bad, just wait until you hear about the Oreo boycott! Yes how can you hate Oreos? Well they found a way! Seriously, conservatives, just stay home and watch OAN and Right Side Broadcasting. That’s about all you have left.

A new two-minute short film about coming out, collaboratively produced by Oreo and PFLAG, has predictably gotten under the skin of conservatives. Already, Greg Kelly and Ben Shapiro are among the right-wing talking heads vowing to boycott "gay cookies" following Oreo's public display of LGBTQ allyship.

"The Note," which was directed by Alice Wu ("Saving Face" and "The Half of It&quot , depicts a young Chinese-American man practicing a coming-out speech before a few close family members. Before the young man shares his truth with his grandmother, his mom slips him a note. "She might be my mother," it reads, "but you are my son."

The video ends with a message for viewers to pay it forward. "Coming out doesn't happen just once," it says. "Be a lifelong ally."

"The Note" is, for sure, a tearjerker. Despite my admitted initial cynicism about "rainbow capitalism" and whether a multi-billion dollar corporation can assert itself as an ally, Oreo is doing all the right things here. According to Fast Company, the film — which was refreshingly not released as part of a Pride Month campaign — was accompanied by a $500,000 donation to PFLAG.
https://www.salon.com/2022/04/05/i-do-not-like-gay-cookies-conservatives-vow-to-boycott-oreo-over-new-ad/




Really the only thing they have left is white bread? Maybe the Juggalos can let them have Faygo Cola too, but the MAGAs will find some way to boycott that! And they don’t have any real solutions, it’s not like they’re going to find a MAGA friendly alternative to Oreos. Yeah that’s because that product doesn’t exist! So between Oreos and Disney, is it any wonder that MAGA / Q has reached full blown cult status? And their boycotts are so ridiculous that they are almost literally bordering on self-parody. But in yet another round of the culture wars between Fox News and everyone who doesn’t watch Fox, bet you didn’t see this coming!

Charlee Disney, one of the heirs of The Walt Disney Co., came out publicly as transgender and condemned anti-LGBTQ bills in a recent interview.

Disney, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, announced that their family would match up to $250,000 in donations to the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBTQ advocacy group, during the organization's annual gala in Los Angeles last month.

Roy P. Disney, Disney's father and the grandson of the company's co-founder, upped that amount to $500,000 last week.

“Equality matters deeply to us,” Roy P. Disney said in a statement, according to the Los Angeles Times, “especially because our child, Charlee, is transgender and a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/disney-heir-comes-publicly-transgender-condemns-anti-lgbtq-bills-rcna23888





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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Let’s spin it to win it! And it lands on… no whammy no whammy no whammy… stop! Oh hey it’s another one of our patented Clips Without Context!



Uh… really? We’re not the ones burning books and banning free speech and freedom of expression. Nice try. Spin it again! Hey it’s time for Conspiracy Corner!



Welcome back to our segment where we attempt to explain the unexplainable, Conspiracy Corner! In these dark times, people turn to conspiracy theories when they don’t want to analyze what’s really going on in the world. So we are of course coming to you live from our underground doomsday shelter deep within the heart of 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 yours and my thoughts after all! There we go! Well I don’t need to tell you that our former president is holding rallies in the middle of nowhere, we presume because he’s probably not welcome in most cities where actual people live. So the people who still attend his idiotic rallies are desperate to come up with some theories as to why the election was stolen. Dude, it’s been over a year since the inauguration. Get over yourselves, seriously. But this latest theory may be their most whack-a-doodle theory that they’ve come up with yet. It involves the newest branch of the military – Space Force, and a ridiculous and insane amount of indictments. Yeah you really can’t make this stuff up.

Supporters of Donald Trump are voicing insane conspiracy theories ahead of his Saturday rally in Michigan.

The "opening prayer" for the rally was delivered by a conspiracy theorist who falsely claimed Trump is the "current" president of the United States.

One Trump supporter interviewed by Right Side Broadcasting Network said that the Space Force is part of efforts to return Trump to power in a bizarre QAnon rant caught on camera.

"The election, I believe, was stolen," said a woman with an America flag draped over her shoulders.

"But we know that, Space Force has it all, Trump has all the information, it's going to be overturned," the woman claimed.
https://www.salon.com/2022/04/03/supporter-puts-faith-in-space-force-to-overturn-2020_partner/




Holy shit! Someone really needs to make a video that says “THIS IS WHAT TRUMP SUPPORTERS ACTUALLY BELIEVE IN!” because they really believe some truly far out there, off the wall batshit crazy stuff. Really, even Scientologists are going “wow, that’s fucking crazy!”. Trust me, when this theory showed up at my desk in the bunker, I had to know more. And like most things in the Trump world, the further you go down the rabbit hole, the weirder it gets, and the more you wish you didn’t know this stuff. It’s crazier than you would think.

Over the past few days, a video from former president Donald Trump's most recent rally in Michigan went viral. The clip, which now has more than 2.5 million views just on Twitter, features a woman decked out in American flag gear sharing her thoughts about how the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump. (It was not.)

"The election, I believe, was stolen, but we know that," the Trump supporter began. "Space Force has it all. Trump has all the information."

Her specifics regarding the U.S. Space Force even caught the interviewer with the vehemently pro-Trump outlet, Right Side Broadcasting Network, by surprise.

"The night of the election, [the Space Force] literally watched the election be stolen," she explained, before going into a slew of other election conspiracy theories that end with the U.S. Space Force overturning the election results and Joe Biden's presidency.
https://mashable.com/article/trump-space-force-election-qanon-conspiracy-theory




Here’s the thing with conspiracy theories – no one really knows how these things are going to work, they just believe they’re going to happen. If you ask a Trump supporter how global martial law is going to work, they couldn’t tell you. If you ask them why we need 500,000 indictments, they couldn’t tell you that either. But like a bunch of rabid monkeys, they just make things up and start flinging their poop against the wall and hoping that something sticks.

Supporters at former President Donald Trump's recent rallies in North Carolina and Michigan have claimed, without evidence, that Space Force has proof of interference during the 2020 election.

In a video taken by the Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN) and shared on Twitter by Daily Beast reporter Zachary Petrizzo, a Trump supporter at the rally in North Carolina on Saturday said: "Mike Lindell has the evidence of foreign interference on election night as well. And so does Space Force like President Trump has mentioned."

Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow, has promoted false allegations of election fraud, and says he has spent $35 million of his own money on efforts to prove Biden's 2020 election win was fraudulent.

Space Force, a branch of the U.S. armed services, was introduced in late 2019, while Trump was president. It is responsible for "organizing, training, and equipping Guardians to conduct global space operations that enhance the way our joint and coalition forces fight, while also offering decision makers military options to achieve national objectives," its website states.
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-rally-goers-say-space-force-can-prove-2020-election-fraud-1696715




Yeah probably! And speaking of people who should probably be locked behind padded walls, why am I not shocked at all that Creepy Pillow Man is involved? Because he seems like a perfectly sane, logical person who knows what he’s talking about. WRONG! Man I’ve been in this bunker too long! But do we really need 500,000 sealed indictments? There aren’t even that many people employed by the federal government and that includes the military! But needless to say, this is one of the more truly bizarre theories that they have come up with lately.

Supporters of Donald Trump are clinging to a conspiracy theory that Space Force will overturn the 2020 election won by Joe Biden.

At Trump's rally in Michigan last Saturday, a clip of a woman talking about Space Force overturning the 2020 election went viral.

"Space Force is a military branch, you know, just like the Army, you know, all the military. And they literally...the night of the election they literally watched the election be stolen. They watermarked the ballots, they know exactly what happened with every ballot," she said. "They know what countries were involved, they followed the money, they know what every every politician that's been paid off."

"There was 260,00 — 269,000 sealed indictments, but I think it might even be up to 500,000 sealed indictments. And I believe that we're going to have an emergency broadcast and the military is going to come in with martial law and we're going to be shown, 8-hours on, 8-hours off, of videos for seven days — the world. And they're going to be showing us taped tribunals, taped confessions, and the world is going to be awakened to what's really going on with the deep state," she claimed.
https://www.rawstory.com/trumprally-space-force/





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[font size="8"]People Are Dumb: All Florida Edition
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Let’s give the wheel a good strong spin shall we? And it lands on… come on no whammy no whammy no whammy… STOP!!! A random tweet!

https://twitter.com/patriottakes/status/1513155575928008704

Wow, I didn’t think it was possible, but the Q nuts have even managed to ruin Scooby Doo. Zoiks, Scoob!! Ree hee hee hee hee! OK enough of that. Spin it again! Oh hey it’s time for People Are Dumb!



Of course you know by now that people are people, and people are dumb. And of course whenever we are in the great state of Florida – we have to do an all Florida edition! Because here’s the thing – we love Florida here, so we kid of course. But the bottom line is that Florida Man always brings crazy stories each and every week. So much that there’s thousands of memes and funny GIFs about how batshit insane Florida Man and Florida Woman are. And I’m not going to tell you what constitutes a People Are Dumb story because we have plenty of examples for you to choose from. Most of these come to us of course from the @Florida_Man account and the r/Floridaman subreddit. So I want to start with this story out of Panama City Beach. You know the feud between Florida and Alabama is as old as time itself, but if you’re planning a spring break takeover of a Florida beach town, first off, don’t announce it on social media. Second, bringing guns and drugs to Spring Break is definitely a bad idea and part of the reason why actual Florida residents hate Spring Break.

Two Alabama men are accused of inciting or encouraging a riot after authorities said messages were spread online encouraging the spring break “takeover” of a Florida beach town, authorities said.

More than 160 people were arrested, about 75 illegal guns were confiscated and several businesses closed during a wild weekend late last month in Panama City Beach, police said.

Social media influencers and others promoted “Panamaniac” on Facebook and other social media platforms, authorities said.

Demarion Ty’Quan Cooper, 20 and Rashad Boyce Glasper, 25, were arrested Thursday at their homes in the Alabama cities of Troy and Wetumpka, police said.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/business-media-alabama-arrests-social-media-1227fbe3e0ce3b26ef8904e48d42fb33




Yes please! Spring break isn’t long enough! Ding! Next up – Capitol Riots! Yes, the Capitol Riot on January 6th, 2021 is the gift that keeps on giving. And one of my favorite scenes from that crazy day was the shot of this dolt walking off with Nancy Pelosi’s podium. Yeah that’s a thing that happened! What’s even crazier is that this guy’s friends attempted to have a “going to prison” party that got rejected by the host restaurant because they didn’t want to be seen with insurrectionists. Gee, you think that might have been a bad idea?

AFlorida restaurant canceled a "going to prison" party for a Jan. 6 rioter who was photographed with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's lectern after the owner said that it was drawing too much attention.

News Channel 8 reported that Caddy's Bradenton, a waterfront restaurant located outside of Tampa, Fla., canceled the April 1 event for Adam Johnson, who was sentenced to 75 days in prison last month for breaking into the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection.

The restaurant manager for Caddy's Bradenton told the outlet he canceled the event, which had been advertised as a "going to prison" party, because of the attention it was drawing.

The Facebook event, "Adam's going to prison!" is still live on the social media site, with 41 people confirmed to attend.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/florida-restaurant-cancels-going-to-prison-party-for-jan-6-rioter-seen-with-pelosi-s-lectern/ar-AAVuTa3




Next up – this one might be the most Florida story imaginable. We go to the town of Naples for this one and here’s the thing. If you’re going to be arrested for guns and drugs, that’s pretty much an every day routine police stop. But then add an alligator to the mix and suddenly it goes from “normal every day routine police stop” to “what the actual fuck????”. But then again, this probably has to be a common occurrence in Florida, am I right? Yeah one guy in the back yelling “woo!”. Thank you sir.

Police in Naples, Florida, arrested a 31-year-old man early Friday after they found him in possession of a baby alligator, firearms and drugs during a traffic stop, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook.

Officers arrested Michael Marolla, of Naples, the front-seat passenger, at about 12:30 a.m. near 12th Street SE and Golden Gate Boulevard after they stopped the driver of the pickup truck for driving with a suspended license.

Police found a live baby alligator in an open plastic tub in the bed of the pickup truck, according to the Facebook post, which said officers also found two firearms in the truck and loaded syringes that tested positive for methamphetamine in Marolla’s jacket.

Police charged Marolla with two counts of carrying a concealed firearm. He also faces charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of narcotic equipment.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna23772




Next up – robberies. And rewards points. Look I love a good stupid criminal story and this might be one of the dumbest I’ve ever seen. Because when you commit a crime, you should probably not give the retailer your personal information. And we’re just speculating here – that might be a bad idea. So maybe leave the rewards points off the table if you’re going to rob a convenience store. That’s not only a Florida Woman fail, but this next story also perfectly encapsulates the ideology of “late stage capitalism”.

A Florida woman was arrested after using a stolen department store credit card and simultaneously using her own personal rewards accounts for a cashback offer. Read on.

On March 15, deputies responded to a call from Bealls Outlet in Avon Park about a customer whose Bealls Outlet credit card had been used fraudulently seven times.

Five of them at the Avon Park store, and once each in Sebring and Lake Placid – for a total of over $1,400 worth of merchandise.

“This kind of thing happens a lot and we have a pretty respectable record when it comes to making arrests. Most of them, however, are not this easy,” said Highlands County Sheriff’s Office.

“You see, the person who used the credit card just couldn’t stand missing out on those sweet, sweet Bealls Bucks, so she used her own rewards account with each purchase,” said HCSO.
https://www.tampafp.com/florida-woman-arrested-with-stolen-credit-card-to-make-store-purchases-uses-her-own-rewards-during-fraud/




Finally this week – this might be the most insane Florida Man story I’ve ever seen. It comes from the town of Port St. Lucie. I also love how this story keeps escalating. Even if you were trying to write a story that starts with “Florida Man walks into a bar”, there’s no way you could come up with an ending this batshit insane. But we may have to stop doing the all Florida segments because this is the Florida Man story to end all Florida Man stories. And in the 5 years that I have been doing the Top 10, that’s really saying a lot!

A 38-year-old Florida man was arrested after a bizarre string of events that started after he allegedly stole a car and abandoned the vehicle on train tracks. An oncoming train hit the car, sending it flying into a nearby home, according to the Martin County Sheriff's Office.

Miraculously no one was injured, police said.

The man, identified as Bradford Weitzel, of Port St. Lucie, was charged with grand theft, and criminal mischief. Additional charges are expected, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Weitzel told police that he somehow ended up on the train tracks along Indian River Drive, according to police. Police said he claimed that the vehicle suddenly stopped dead on the tracks as a train was coming. He then told police that he got out and ran, leaving the car on the tracks, according to the sheriff's statement.

Police say the man told them that within seconds the train hit the car, hurling it into a nearby home where the homeowners were asleep. The suspect then allegedly told police he continued on to a nearby fruit stand, where he reportedly vandalized the business and tried to steal a forklift.
https://www.insideedition.com/florida-man-steals-car-which-ends-up-in-a-house-after-its-struck-by-a-train-police-73102




That’s it this week for:




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[font size="8"]Stupidest State 2022: Gun Nut Conference Championships
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Let’s give the wheel one final spin this week! And it lands on… oh it’s one of our patented Clips Without Context!



Holy shit that is some next level crazy there. Though I got to admit – Antichrist Biden would make an awesome band name. Spin it again! It’s time for Stupidest State!

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



Wow. Last week was one for the ages! Georgia handily defeated Iowa to advance in the Batshit Conference. But the real star of the show happened in the matchup between Tennessee and Indiana where Tennessee dominated the competition by nearly 30 points to advance in the Family Values Conference. How did they do it? With a shocking new law that reduces or in some cases eliminates the legally required age for marriage. Yes, they endorse child brides and enable pedophiles. Will Tennessee be the one to win it all? Time will tell! But this week we’re at the home of the UK Wildcats, the legendary Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky as Texas takes on Missouri for control of the Gun Nut Conference Championship! One of these two teams will go to the Final Four, the other will go home! Let’s go to the floor, shall we?

[font size="4"]Gun Nut Conference Championships: Texas Vs Missouri [/font]

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


Everyone knows that the Lone Star State is practically synonymous with America’s undying love of the firearm. Hell Texas loves guns so much that it’s been the butt of jokes of countless movies and TV shows going back to the 1950s. Seriously, Texas without guns is like grilled cheese without cheese. But now Texas’ gun laws are so batshit insane that they’re currently the subject of intense scrutiny from the Biden administration and that’s mainly because of something called a “ghost gun”. So what is a ghost gun, you might ask? Well it’s a gun that can be assembled with a kit at home rather than purchased from a gun store. Which you might know, means that they can be easily disassembled and destroyed and untraced if they’re used in a crime. Yes, that’s late stage NRA madness for you.

The Biden administration’s crackdown on untraceable, do-it-yourself firearm kits could push gun regulations back to the political forefront in Texas and across the country ahead of this fall’s elections.

President Joe Biden used a Rose Garden event on Monday to announce new regulations targeting so-called “ghost guns” that can be assembled at home from kits purchased online. The resulting weapons can be just as deadly as those purchased at a gun store but have no serial numbers for authorities to trace if they’re used in a crime.

“Law enforcement is sounding the alarm,” Biden said of ghost guns. “Our communities are paying the price.”

The ghost gun market has exploded in states such as California that have moved to aggressively regulate firearm sales, said Ari Freilich, state policy director at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2022/04/11/biden-bid-to-stop-ghost-guns-holds-political-implications-for-texas/




So while Texas has this Ghost Gun problem, they also have a problem with some of the most insane abortion laws in the country. In fact, the laws that Texas has as far as abortion goes are pretty draconian, and that goes without saying. So leave it to one of the smart states – my home state of California – to combat this problem. And you know speaking of guns and abortion, how can you be pro-gun and pro-life? I feel like these two ideologies would conflict with each other. Guns take away life. But anyway I am rambling here. California’s got the solution to this problem of untraceable firearms.

Stung by a deadly mass shooting on Sunday mere blocks from the state capitol, California lawmakers on Tuesday advanced an innovative yet untested approach to gun control that would empower private citizens to sue those who traffic in illegal weapons.

California already has some of the country’s strictest firearms rules, but it has struggled to curb the spread of stolen or homemade and increasingly prevalent “ghost” guns.

Its latest attempt, proposed by the Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, would allow people to file civil lawsuits against anyone who distributes illegal assault weapons, parts that can be used to build weapons, guns without serial numbers, or .50-caliber rifles. They would be awarded at least $10,000 in civil damages for each weapon, plus attorneys’ fees.

“California leads the nation in enacting robust gun laws and we’re still seeing this unprecedented level of gun violence,” Robert Hertzberg, the Democratic state senator who is carrying the bill, told the state senate’s judiciary committee.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/06/california-gun-law-sacramento-shooting




No you’re not responsible adults! And you know Texas’ approach to guns is “fuck it”. And here’s how stupid and backwards our guns are – we can’t ban guns because you know, “SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED!!!!!!!1!!!1!”. Fuck that shit. But we can have signs on schools that say “gun free zones” – yeah that will stop gun crime. That’s like putting a piece of duct tape on a flooded toilet. But really Texas, you need to do something unless you’re intentionally trying to get people killed!

In most urban and suburban areas, particularly in Texas, it’s “nearly impossible to go about one’s day without entering a school zone,” which in turn conflicts with a citizen’s ability to exercise a right guaranteed under the Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court, writes Tyler Smotherman, a J.D. candidate at the Texas Tech University School of Law and author of the paper.

Smotherman argues that the right-to-carry movement has gained significant ground in the three decades since the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 (GFSZA) was enacted.

“Citizens in 21 states can now legally carry concealed firearms for self-defense without a permit,” he writes, noting that in September 2021, Texas became the most recent state to enact the legislation.

“Thus, hundreds of thousands of otherwise law-abiding citizens regularly violate the GFSZA as they go about their everyday lives in urban and suburban areas across the United States.”
https://thecrimereport.org/2022/04/14/gun-free-school-zones-and-concealed-carry-which-takes-precedence/




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


The Show Me State put up quite the show in the first leg of the tournament. While Texas looks to advance, Missouri is gaining on them! How could an underdog defeat the champions and the state that’s practically synonymous with guns? Well the debate between concealed carry and open carry is one as old as time itself. And it’s something that you’d better not get involved in unless you’re prepared to shoot your mouth off – both literally and figuratively. Well you’d better watchout Texas, because Missouri may have you upped in the gun game! Because they just passed a law that would allow concealed carry of weapons on public transportation and in churches! Gee, what could possibly go wrong, you might ask? Well…

The Missouri House passed a bill Wednesday that allows concealed weapons on public transportation and lifts their prohibition in houses of worship.

Under the measure, concealed weapon permit holders could carry onto buses, though guns would remain prohibited on Amtrak trains. Concealed weapons would also be allowed into churches, synagogues and other places of worship, though religious leaders could post signs saying guns aren’t permitted and ask those with weapons to leave.

The House passed the bill 101-40, sending it to the Senate.

The legislation marks the latest effort to loosen Missouri’s gun laws and expand the areas where firearms are permitted. Last year the General Assembly approved a bill that seeks to block enforcement of some federal gun laws. Wednesday’s measure lowers the age to obtain a concealed carry permit from 19 to 18 and creates the crime of unlawful discharge of a firearm, which occurs when a gun is shot within city limits with criminal negligence — an attempt to ban celebratory gunfire.
https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article259249755.html




Yeah that happened! So if Texas’ gun laws aren’t crazy enough, Missouri has an ace in the hole – the 2nd Amendment Preservation Act! Like come on, you might as well just legalize murder and get it over with already! Like it’s like they’re trying to intentionally get people killed. But you know our gun rights “SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1!!!1!”. And again, really, fuck off with that shit. But it’s truly insane what is happening with our country’s gun laws. Do they want to make the Purge a reality? It sure seems we’re headed that way.

Just two weeks after suing Missouri over its Second Amendment Preservation Act, the federal government has made the rare move of rapidly asking for summary judgment against Missouri, arguing the law is causing “significant harm” to law enforcement and public safety.

The government's 40-page motion asks the court to issue a judgment declaring the Second Amendment Preservation Act invalid and blocking its enforcement.

“Missouri’s unconstitutional attempt to nullify federal law directly regulates, discriminates against, and affirmatively penalizes the lawful exercise of federal authority,” the motion states. A government spokesperson declined additional comment.

Summary judgment allows a court to circumvent a trial, and it’s rare for a plaintiff to seek summary judgment so soon after filing suit. Typically, motions for summary judgment are brought after both sides have exchanged discovery. For a court to grant it, the material facts of the case must be undisputed and the law, when applied to those facts, entitles the moving party to a judgment on the merits.
https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-03-01/justice-department-says-missouris-gun-law-is-causing-significant-harm-to-public-safety




By the way you think Texas’ gun laws are insane, wait until you see Missouri where they’re saying “hold my beer and watch this!”. Last year, while you weren’t looking, Missouri passed a new law that simply invalidates all federal gun control laws. That’s the 2nd Amendment Preservation Act. So yes that is correct. It’s no wonder that firearms are practically considered a religion – you’re literally taking your gun to church! So we may have a new king of the Gun Nut Conference here because this is criminally insane. Whenever laws are passed like this, the only acceptable response is “what could possibly go wrong?”.

Missouri has new a law that claims to invalidate all federal gun control laws — and prohibits state and local cooperation with enforcement of those laws.

Gov. Mike Parson signed the bill, known as HB 85 or the Second Amendment Preservation Act, into law Saturday at a gun store and shooting range called Frontier Justice.

The law declares federal laws and regulations "that infringe on the people's right to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment ... must be invalid in this state."

Parson, a Republican, said in a press release that the legislation "draws a line in the sand and demonstrates our commitment to reject any attempt by the federal government to circumvent the fundamental right Missourians have to keep and bear arms to protect themselves and their property."
https://www.npr.org/2021/06/17/1007690138/can-missouri-declare-federal-gun-laws-invalid




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

OMFG. The champs go down! That’s right - #4 seed Missouri has taken control of the Gun Nut Conference! They will move onto the Final Four! They are celebrating on the court with just mere seconds left in the game! That’s all she wrote, folks! Missouri will move on. Texas goes home, the Texas fans are absolutely stunned! Final score – 93 – 86. Missouri, cut the net, guys, you earned it!



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

Who moves onto the Final Four? It’s a battle of the Family Values and holier than thou crowds as red hot #2 North Carolina takes on surging underdogs #4 Tennessee. We’re live at the home of the Mizzou Tigers, the Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Missouri for all the action!



[font size="4"]And Now This: [/font]
[font size="4"]Weird Al Yankovic[/font]

Folks, my next guest is promoting his unprecedented 5 month “Ridiculously Self Indulgent, Ill Advised Vanity Tour, Part II”. You can see him live through October 29th. Playing his classic song “UHF”, give it up for the great Mr. Weird Al Yankovic!



Thank you Orlando! This was the last stop on our Southern Tour! We’re back home in San Diego next! See you next week!

Credits

Host: Initech
Weird Al Yankovic Appears Courtesy Of: Island Records
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded At: Orlando Improv, Orlando, FL
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Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo

April 7, 2022

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-10: You Just Got Knocked The F Out Edition


Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-10: You Just Got Knocked The F Out Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Yo what’s up Atlanta? How are you guys doing? You doing fucking good? Great! Always great to be back in the ATL! First off , congratulations to the Kansas Jayhawks for winning it all at the NCAA March Madness tournament! It will also be very refreshing to have a championship team visit the White House and not be greeted to a greasy fast food buffet. So now that we are in the thick of our annual quest to find the Stupidest State, can I reveal our big plans for season 13? Well I already revealed on Twitter but now it’s official. The World Tour 2022 is happening! That’s right, it’s been 5 years since our last look at the inner workings of the planet in which we live on. We decided that since COVID turned the world upside down and now things are slowly returning to normalcy, we decided that we need to find out how things have changed. So it’s coming. July 21st is the premier date for Season 13, so stay tuned! Do we have time for the thing? Of course we do. You know last week we talked about the tragic death of Foo Fighters legend Taylor Hawkins. He was an awesome drummer and a pretty awesome guy IRL. This week? Let’s talk about garbage people – Kanye West and Elon Musk. Everyone OK with that? I’m definitely in the anger phase right now. And you know what? Fuck both of them. And it also saved Coachella from Travis Scott too. So at least that’s a win. What? Too soon? But you know what else is frightening? Elon Musk joining the board of directors at Twitter. You just know he’s going to let Trump back on and then Twitter would seriously be like when Bane took over Gotham at the end of the Dark Knight Rises. I can just see Elon right now doing his best Bane imitation too – “Yes, I am Twitter’s reckoning. You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it! Now I am going to break you!” Hey, I can do that pretty good! Don’t worry, we will get to Elon’s takeover of Twitter next week. Assuming he lets Trump out of Twitter jail? Do we really need to resurrect the fake Trump Tweet Generator? I hope not! OK 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 trucks and the Freedom Convoy:



Where do we begin this week? Well the number one slot this week has to go to our Former President (1). And we have to talk about the insanity surrounding the fact that he allegedly had a burner phone on January 6th. Because that’s what perfectly innocent people use to communicate with! In the second slot this week is also That Former Guy (2). So you know how we have repeatedly said that if you’re under investigation for colluding with Russia, you shouldn’t talk about Russia? Well he’s doing exactly that and we totally get where the America First movement is headed. In the third slot this week is Alex Jones (3) because he is going AWOL in the Sandy Hook defamation suit and it’s going to cost him big time. Good, I hope the POS goes bankrupt. Taking the number 4 slot this week is Madison Cawthorn (4). Did he hint that there’s some kinky stuff going on behind closed doors in DC? Well it’s quite revealing exactly what he said, but the fact that he had a meeting with Kevin McCarthy to keep quiet on the subject reveals way more than it should. In the number 5 slot this week yeah it’s still dominating the news so we have to talk about it and that’s of course the altercation between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the We take a look at the last guy to be expelled from the Academy, and it’s something that neither side wants! In the number 6 slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” and this week Christian historical conspiracy theorist David Barton is back in the news and we’ve honestly had enough of this guy and his insane theories! Taking the number 7 slot this week is a new This Fucking Guy (7) and this week we profile former NFL star, poorly polling Georgia Senate Candidate, and MAGA Superfan Herschel Walker! At slot number 8 this week is a new edition of Conspiracy Corner (8) – the January 6th Subcommittee is close to nailing most of Trump’s cohorts in a huge sting, but the conspiracies are flying fast and furious! We’ll help you sort truth from fiction in this and adjust your tin foil hat accordingly! 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! This week it’s the final round of Round 1 and it’s going to be a huge one! #1 Georgia takes on #2 Iowa in the Battle Of The Batshit Conference, while over in the Family Values Conference, #3 Indiana takes on hot challenger #4 Tennessee! Plus to cap things off, as the palate cleanser, we have legendary heavy metal band The Scorpions stopping by! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]That Former Guy
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We all know that Trump and his goons attempted to overthrow the US government and murder half of Congress and the entire presidential line of succession on January 6th. But one mystery remains – where exactly was Donald Trump? His whereabouts are unknown. And we know now that there’s a 7 hour gap in Trump’s phone log during the time when the Capitol was being stormed. Which, for a leader of the free world, is a long-ass time to be incommunicado. So what the committee is trying to find out is where he was, who he was with, and who he was communicating with. Those questions being answered will help paint a broad picture of the man who tried to overthrow the government. The biggest question – was Trump using an untraceable “burner” phone? Look, if movies and TV have taught me anything, it’s that if you use a burner phone, you’re guilty. Period. End of story. So was he using a burner or not? It’s the million dollar question that everyone is asking.

John Bolton, the former national security adviser, has revealed that he heard Donald Trump use the term “burner phones” several times and that they discussed how the disposable devices were deployed by people as a way of avoiding scrutiny of their calls.

Bolton’s intervention compounds Trump’s difficulties amid a billowing controversy relating to seven hours and 37 minutes that are missing in official call logs. The gap occurs in records made for 6 January last year – the day of the violent insurrection at the US Capitol.

The Washington Post and CBS News disclosed on Tuesday that the House committee investigating the insurrection is looking into a “possible cover-up” of the White House records. Documents originally held by the National Archives and turned over to the committee earlier this year showed a gap in Trump’s phone calls spanning precisely the period when hundreds of his supporters stormed the Capitol building.

The news outlets, which obtained 11 pages of records including Trump’s official daily diary and a call log for the White House switchboard, reported that the House panel has begun an investigation into whether Trump used disposable “burner phones” to sidestep scrutiny.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/30/trump-john-bolton-burner-phones-capitol-attack-january-6




Oh come on, we’re all thinking it! So why are the matters of burner phones being discussed? Well because they are untraceable. And there’s no records of who Trump was talking to that day while his minions were storming the Capitol. As we learned from the show House Of Cards and the West Wing, if you’re president, you have to be available and on call 24 hours a day. So 7 hours is a long time for a president to be unavailable. And if there’s one person you should never discuss the idea of using an untraceable burner phone with, it’s a national security adviser!

The ongoing mystery over what Donald Trump was doing behind closed doors on January 6 as his supporters stormed the US Capitol now includes a glaring, seven-hour gap in the phone records of the White House logs. The Washington Post reports that the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack is looking at whether the former president used unofficial backchannels, including burner phones, to shield his communications from 11:17 am to 6:54 pm that day.

Trump has, of course, denied wrongdoing. But his statement to the Post appears to extend significant latitude to the notion of his innocence in the scenario that the use of burner phones was to eventually be discovered.

“I have no idea what a burner phone is, to the best of my knowledge I have never even heard the term,” he told the paper.

Well, it doesn’t take a legal genius to see that the second beat of Trump’s statement is doing a lot of work here. That’s understandable, considering Trump’s extensive history of flouting official record-keeping rules. That record includes the allegation that the former president, in order to get rid of potentially damaging documents, would rip up pieces of paper in the Oval Office—only to eat them. His own aides have also reportedly suspected him of flushing potentially compromising material down a toilet with such frequency that it routinely clogged the White House plumbing system.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/03/trump-phone-logs-burner-phone/




Unfortunately being guilty is not cool. But here’s what we do know is that January 6th organizers used burner phones to communicate directly with the White House. So if they had burner phones, how do we know that Trump didn’t have one? Because like I said if you use a burner phone, you’re guilty no matter what the crime is! So for the guy who we were unfortunately stuck calling president, these allegations are pretty egregious!

Organizers of the “Stop the Steal” rally that preceded the deadly Capitol attack on Jan. 6 allegedly communicated with members of former President Trump’s family and administration, according to Rolling Stone magazine.

Multiple sources told Rolling Stone that Kylie Kremer, an organizer for the rally that took place at D.C.’s Ellipse park, had an aide buy three burner phones a few days before Jan. 6. Kremer said that it was “of the utmost importance” that the phones be purchased with cash, one source, who was a member of the March for Trump team, told the magazine.

Kremer kept one of the phones herself, while another was reportedly given to her mother, Amy Kremer, who was also an organizer of the rally. Sources could not say who the third was given to.

According to Rolling Stone, the phones were used to communicate with high-ranking members of Trump’s inner circle, including his son Eric Trump, daughter-in-law and former campaign official Lara Trump, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Trump surrogate Katrina Pierson.
https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/583065-jan-6-organizers-used-burner-phones-to-communicate-with-trump-family/




No, Batman is not guilty here. But Trump very well could be. But like I said the one person who you *NEVER* want to discuss the idea of using a burner phone with is your national security adviser! I mean that’s like asking a professional athlete for advice on which steroid is better! Too soon? Well anyways, there’s a big difference between Trump and Nixon. When Nixon tried to erase history, it was much easier. With Trump? Well we live in the internet era, and in the internet era, there’s no such thing as a takeback! This is worse than a million Nixons!

A major presidential scandal isn’t complete without missing evidence, though Donald Trump seems to have been the first president to swallow his own words, literally. The former president had a habit of tearing drafts and signed documents into small pieces to be thrown away—or flushing them down a toilet. And there have even been reports that, on occasion, he consumed them.

Now a seven-hour gap has appeared in Trump’s official daily White House diary, part of the documentation that the congressional January 6 committee requested for its investigation into all aspects of the country’s 2021 insurrection. The diary has no evidence of Trump making the calls that others have admitted receiving from him during the height of the violence in the Capitol. Nor does it document any meetings during that time, when the president was thought to be under pressure from aides to calm the situation on the Hill.

The comparisons to Richard Nixon were immediate and inevitable—but they missed a key difference: What happened in those seven hours should ultimately be knowable, at least at some level. The Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe tweeted that the gap in the record made “the infamous 18-minute gap in Nixon’s tapes look like nothing in comparison.” While that brazen presidential manipulation of the historical record ultimately didn’t help Nixon stave off the collapse of his presidency—indeed it likely backfired by creating skepticism toward the president among elite Republicans after its revelation—the gap in a crucial White House tape to this day remains stubbornly difficult to fill in. By contrast, the newly reported Trumpian gap may actually be easier to fill in, and therefore less of a threat to the historical record than Nixon’s.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/04/trump-phone-calls-nixon-watergate-gap/629472/





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[font size="8"]That Former Guy
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You know last week we reported about how Trump treats Truth Social the same way he treats umbrellas and Big Mac wrappers. And we will get to the latest next week. But this week I’m going to take you all the way back to season 3 of the Top 10 when Trump was being investigated for Russian collusion (see: Top 10 #3-7 ). If you are under investigation for colluding with Russia, maybe I don’t know, don’t talk about Russia! That’s only proving the point that the prosecutors are trying to make! Look I don’t know a lot, but I do know that if you’re under investigation for a crime, don’t talk about that crime! Especially since the entire world is mortified at the atrocities being committed by Vladimir Putin’s illegal and immoral invasion and occupation of Ukraine. So yeah you might think that Putin is a bad guy here? Well he is, but Donny not only doesn’t want to admit it, he’s like the kid who runs off screaming with his hands cupped to his ears.

Donald Trump spoke last week to a show called “Centerpoint” on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, where the host asked the former president whether he considers Russia’s Vladimir Putin to be “a good guy.” The Republican didn’t answer directly, focusing instead on his earlier praise for the Russian dictator’s strategy toward Ukraine.

Trump also went on to say that he “built NATO,” adding that Barack Obama “didn’t address the issue,” which is obviously bonkers.

But taking stock of the former president’s latest praise for Putin, the rhetoric obviously isn’t surprising, since the Republican has made similar comments in recent weeks.

But therein lies the rub: Common sense suggests that Trump should curtail his praise for the authoritarian, but the former president just can’t seem to help himself.
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/even-now-trump-continues-praise-putins-intelligence-rcna22866




Dude! You seriously think mass murder and destroying villages and property is a good thing? Do you not realize how grossly fucked up that is? If you don’t realize that, you’re part of the problem, Donny! Oh and it gets worse! So much worse! Remember a couple of weeks ago I reported about the insane conspiracy theories revolving around Hunter Biden’s laptop? Well the fact that Donny asked Pooty for help in digging up dirt on this baseless conspiracy is truly beyond the pale. And if you’re still hanging on to this theory, time to dump Infowars and come back to the real world!

Maryland's Republican Governor Larry Hogan strongly criticized former President Donald Trump on Sunday for urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to "release" any potential information he may have on President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden's business dealings in Eastern Europe.

In an interview last week with right-wing outlet Real America's Voice, Trump said that Putin should "release" any information he may have about Hunter Biden's financial and business dealings in the region. The remarks drew criticism from some prominent Republicans, as the comments came amid Russia's internationally condemned invasion of Ukraine, which commenced on February 24.

Speaking to CNN in an interview, Hogan added his voice to the chorus of Republicans pushing back against Trump's controversial remarks.

"It's about the worst possible thing you can do when all these atrocities are taking place in Ukraine," the governor said, adding, that "for a former president to try to drag politics into this—is completely unacceptable." Hogan has routinely criticized Trump in the past and has said he even considered a 2020 primary challenge against the former president.
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-asking-putin-dirt-biden-unacceptable-says-gops-larry-hogan-1694551




Yeah that is pretty much what is going on in Donny’s head right now. And at one of his recent “Trump Barfs His Brain” rallys, this time in Middle Of Nowhere, Georgia – hey I know we’re in Atlanta! You can admit outside of this city there’s large patches of nothing, right? Thought so! One guy in the back yelling at me right now. Hey you California punks! Get off my lawn! OK enough of that. Really though, Trump does hold his rallies in the middle of nowhere, because he knows that he won’t be met with protests unlike the major cities. But yeah… keep praising Putin and see where that gets you. Fat chance of 2024 happening.

Ex-president also had warm words for Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un at event as primary races heat up before midterms elections

Donald Trump chose a rally in Georgia on Saturday night once again to praise Vladimir Putin, calling the Russian president “smart” even as he said the invasion of Ukraine amounted to a “big mistake”.

The Republican former president also had warm words for China’s President Xi Jinping and the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un, and referred to such leaders collectively by saying: “The smartest one gets to the top.”

He spoke admiringly of Xi in terms of the fact that he “runs 1.5 billion people with an iron fist” and referred to Kim as “tough”.

Then of Putin, Trump told the crowd: “They asked me if Putin is smart. Yes, Putin was smart.”

He also praised Russia’s strategy of a huge accumulation of military force on its border with Ukraine beforeinvading, even if the war is not going well for the aggressor.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/26/donald-trump-georgia-republican-primary-rally




Yeah where’s that guy when you need him? But really as the world reacts to the horror that Putin is unleashing in the Ukraine, and don’t think he won’t be done there yet, but the fact that Donny is sucking up to Putin in the wake of this terrible atrocity is horrifying. And if you’re not scared then you’re not paying attention. Just think what would happen if he were to get back into power in 2024 and the entire world is at war against Putin. That’s a scary thought. I know we’re supposed to be a comedy show, right?

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) on Sunday avoided answering questions from Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum about former President Trump’s past praise for Russian President
Vladimir Putin

MacCallum asked Cornyn if he thought Trump’s previous positive comments about Putin, who faces international revulsion over his war in Ukraine, would help or hurt the former president if he decides to run for reelection.

She noted that Trump had previously called Putin’s pre-war strategy “genius” and had also called on the Russian leader to turn over information on Hunter Biden, President Biden’s son, that Trump claimed he may be aware of.

“I wouldn’t trust Vladimir Putin any farther than I could throw him,” Cornyn said.
https://thehill.com/news/3257551-cornyn-avoids-addressing-trumps-comments-on-putin/





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[font size="8"]Alex Jones
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Alex Jones is one of the worst people in America, we can all agree on that, right? You know, you would think after a shooting involving kindergarteners, that would be enough for America to say that we’ve had enough needles and senseless gun deaths and violence in America and that would be enough to start making drastic changes in the way we handle guns right? Nope. Instead, Alex Jones and his flock of disturbed people who listen to him decided to mock and harass the victims of Sandy Hook until enough people fled the town and went into the FBI Witness Protection Program. Well, regardless of the outcome of the defamation lawsuit against Mr. Jones, there’s a special circle of hell reserved just for him and his listeners. So here’s what happened. He actually agreed to testify in the defamation lawsuit against him. But he so far has yet to show up. You know I wouldn’t put anything past this scumbag and I wouldn’t be surprised if he packed up Infowars and moved to Russia.

Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has agreed to appear at a deposition in Connecticut to answer questions in a lawsuit by relatives of some of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims, his lawyers said Thursday, a day after a judge ordered fines against Jones for defying orders to attend a deposition last week despite his claim of illness.

Jones will sit for a deposition April 11 and is asking the judge to put a hold on the daily fines, according to new court filings by his attorney, Norman Pattis. The fines begin at $25,000 on Friday and increase by $25,000 each weekday he does not appear for questioning.

Pattis also asked the Connecticut Supreme Court on Thursday to hear an appeal against the fines. There were no immediately rulings on Jones' requests.

Lawyers for the Sandy Hook families, who are suing Jones for defamation for calling the 2012 school shooting a hoax, had no immediate comment. Twenty first graders and six educators were killed in the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/alex-jones-agrees-deposition-sandy-hook-case-83791283




Yeah that’s an understatement. Alex Jones and Fox News do have one thing in common is that they both are there for the sole purpose of turning otherwise normal people into complete monsters. And that’s exactly what happened with Sandy Hook. So here’s the thing is that he didn’t show up after promising to show up and got fined $25,000 a day. We can only imagine he went on Infowars and said that Infowars was in dire need of funding. Yeah right. But Alex Jones is such a cheap asshole that the families rejected his settlement offer.

Family members of those killed in the Sandy Hook mass school shooting rejected an offer on Tuesday to settle their defamation lawsuit against Infowars host Alex Jones.

The conspiracy theorist, who had previously claimed the shooting was a “hoax”, offered a cash settlement on Tuesday.

He said in a filing in Connecticut court he was offering a “heartfelt apology” and $120,000 per plaintiff to end the case.

“It’s time for the litigation to end,” Mr Jones’s attorney Norm Pattis told Law&Crime. “The shooting took place almost 10 years ago.”

The popular right-wing host was found liable for damages in November in a Connecticut court and is awaiting a trial in May to determine the scope of payment.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/alex-jones-settlement-sandy-hook-b2046901.html




Come on, these parents lost children to needless gun violence and you heckled them out of existence, that’s adding salt to the wound! Honestly there’s not much difference between Jones deciding that the Sandy Hook families were worth $120,000 and Malory Archer deciding that Pam was worth $5,000. No, there really isn’t. But now here’s some serious bullshit – his attorneys say that he’s got “medical conditions” that would keep him from testifying. I guess “being a bloviating, raging asshole with an obvious stick up his ass” would qualify as a medical condition, no?

InfoWars host Alex Jones was ordered by the court to answer questions under oath last Wednesday and Thursday in a defamation lawsuit filed against him on behalf of families of victims killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

But he didn’t show up.

His attorneys say that multiple medical conditions, including a sinus blockage, kept Jones from participating.

In a court document filed Monday, Jones’ attorneys asked Judge Barbara Bellis to ignore a request from the families to hold Jones in contempt of court for his absence.

“What has been lost in the Plaintiffs’ rush to obtain this Court’s orders and sanctions against Mr. Jones is that Mr. Jones has never sought to indefinitely postpone his deposition or to escape it entirely. Instead, he has sought to have it postponed until his doctors clear him to sit for it,” reads a court filing signed by Jones' attorneys Norm Pattis and Cameron Atkinson.
https://www.ctpublic.org/news/2022-03-28/alex-jones-attorneys-say-hes-dealing-with-several-medical-conditions-delaying-sandy-hook-suit-depositions




Sinus blockage? Fuck off! That’s the lamest excuse in the book. Before anyone questions me, I’ve had 3 nasal surgeries and a deviated septum repair, I know what sinus blockage is! Thank you Atlanta! Just ask my ENT, she can confirm this! But here’s the thing Alex Jones cannot continue to be on his daily broadcasts while simultaneously ignoring court subpoenas? That’s being a next level asshole there. So will something come of this? Will something come of this and he might finally face justice? Well we’ll see.

InfoWars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones could soon face a warrant for his arrest, after defying a court order Thursday ordering him to sit for a deposition.

For the second day in a row, Jones failed to appear at a deposition in Austin, Texas, part of a Connecticut lawsuit filed by the families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting. In response, doctors representing Jones have claimed he’s too sick to be deposed, citing an unnamed illness that didn’t prevent Jones from hosting episodes of his hours-long conspiracy theory show this week.

After Jones skipped the first scheduled deposition on Wednesday, lawyers for the plaintiffs asked Connecticut Judge Barbara N. Bellis to issue a warrant for his arrest to force him to participate in the deposition. In response, Bellis ordered Jones to appear Thursday at the deposition or face potential court action. Now that Jones has skipped that second deposition, the judge is expected to take action against him as soon as later on Thursday.

“Mr. Jones cannot unilaterally decide to continue to engage in his broadcasts, but refuse to participate in a deposition,” Bellis wrote in the Wednesday order demanding that he appear.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/infowars-host-alex-jones-could-face-arrest-after-defying-sandy-hook-lawsuit-court-order-again





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[font size="8"]Madison Cawthorn
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So I want to preface by saying this. We got literally flooded with requests for this one. So we can’t let Madison Cawthorn (Q – Batshit) get away with this one. So last week, Mr. Cawthorn dropped this bombshell that he might have been involved in some parties involving some big names in Washington DC that have involved everything from hardcore cocaine use to orgies. That’s right – you heard me! Orgies! Whoa, Madison, you can’t just drop a bombshell like that without giving us more details! We need some names, damn it! Where were these parties and who was involved? Come on, what are you hiding? But we’re not speculating or making baseless conspiracies here. No, we’ll save that for the Infowars wing of Congress. But needless to say you can’t go against the cult and have an independent thought and not expect to get grilled on it. This whole thing is weird and it’s only going to get weirder as we learn more details. Just like Trump and Stormy Daniels, these might not be details that you exactly want to hear. But if it involves big names in Washington, DC then we absolutely want to know more about it and who was involved. So here’s what Madison has revealed about this whole thing so far and it's just s gross and disturbing as you would think.

North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn said in an interview this week that he thought sexual perversion was rife in Washington, DC, revealing that he had been invited to an orgy by people he "looked up to" and witnessed prominent figures consuming drugs right in front of him.

Cawthorn made these claims on a Friday episode of the "Warrior Poet Society" podcast, during which he was asked by host John Lovell how closely life in DC mirrored the
Netflix
political drama "House of Cards." The hit show follows the story of Frank Underwood, a fictional and deeply corrupt House Majority Whip, and his rise to become President at all costs.

Lovell asked Cawthorn about how much of the show's presentation of a "secret life of corruption, and power, and money, and perversion" was representative of the real goings-on in DC.

"I heard a former president that we had in the 90s was asked a question about this. And he gave an answer that I thought was so true. He said that the only thing not accurate in that show — that you could never get a piece of legislation about education passed that quickly," Cawthorn told Lovell, referring to a major plotline in the show's first season.
https://www.businessinsider.com/madison-cawthorn-dc-elite-consumed-cocaine-invited-him-to-orgy-2022-3




Oh there it is…we’ve got vomit! But do you not get the underlying irony of this whole thing? The people who want to tell others what they find to be perverted or not are they themselves engaging in their own brand of perversion! And here’s where it gets weird – because you knew it was going to. Is that Roger Stone is involved in this story. Does this guy even have a job or does he just show up on right wing talk shows and spout the most batshit insane thing you’ve ever heard? I swear these people really need a hobby.

Rep. Madison Cawthorn has not pulled back his claims about witnessing cocaine, orgies, and 'perversion' in Washington DC, according to longtime Donald Trump advisor Roger Stone.

Stone – who got his own first-hand look at the city's club underworld in the 1990s – says he got the information from Cawthorn himself. He says the 26-year old North Carolina lawmaker did not walk back his extraordinary claims after being called on the carpet by House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy.

“Congressman Madison Cawthorn just told me (he) has NOT retracted his claims about drug fueled orgies among DC elites,” Stone posted on social media site Gab.

Then he took a dig at McCarthy, who tried on Wednesday to contain the situation after it blew up online.

“Why would anyone believe a statement by Kevin McCarthy or anything reported on CNN? McCarthy is a corrupt RINO and CNN lies about everything,' he wrote.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10672563/Roger-Stone-insists-Madison-Cawthorn-NOT-retracted-cocaine-fueled-orgy-claims.html




I’m with Steve Harvey on this one! Oh hell nah! But here’s the thing – Madison might actually be right on this one, and that’s a very scary thought. Does DC have an orgy problem? Hey, anyone remember the DC Madam who exposed several high profile members of Congress as being involved in some extremely kinky, perverted, and oddly specific sexual fetishes? I do! Oh man I bet the DC Madam wasn’t the only one who knew these secrets. But the more you go down the rabbit hole on this one, the weirder it gets.

A former Republican Senate candidate said that GOP leaders in Congress are angry with Representative Madison Cawthorn, a North Carolina Republican, because he exposed their drug use and orgy parties.

In an interview with Warrior Poet Society that aired last week on Thursday, Cawthorn said that leaders he "looked up to" in the nation's capital invited him to an "orgy" and did a "key bump of cocaine" in front of him. He contended that the popular Netflix show House of Cards—which presents the fictional story of a corrupt political couple in Washington, D.C.—is largely accurate.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, then this week spoke with Cawthorn, 26, about the remarks following backlash from fellow GOP lawmakers. McCarthy later told reporters that Cawthorn changed his story in their meeting, asserting that "he did not tell the truth."

Some Republicans do not believe McCarthy, however. Lauren Witzke, who unsuccessfully ran for Senate in Delaware in the 2020 election, agreed during an interview with The Stew Peters Show that Cawthorn should be praised for speaking out about what goes on in Washington, D.C.
https://www.newsweek.com/madison-cawthorn-exposed-gop-orgy-drug-claims-ex-senate-candidate-1694328




Hey moderate spender! So my question is – how can we trust these lawmakers to regulate what goes on in the bedroom when they can’t moderate themselves? And do we need any moderation in the bedroom? Hell we all know what weird fetishes Trump was involved in. But here’s the thing about parties where there were excessive drug use and orgies – you don’t talk about what goes on in those parties! Never! What happens in those parties stays at those parties! But even Fox News is demanding to know who was involved, and we may actually have to… agree… with them on this one. Oh here comes that vomit again.

Fox News host and former GOP politician Trey Gowdy has asked Rep. Madison Cawthorn to reveal who in DC's elite did drugs in front of him and invited him to sex parties — or admit that he was lying.

"My question for the congressman is simply this: Who? Give us the names," said Gowdy on the most recent episode of his show "Sunday Night in America."

"If you're being invited to cocaine parties by colleagues, tell us who invited you? Who used illicit drugs in front of you? Who broke the very laws they passed and expect to us follow?" he asked.

Gowdy added: "Which of your colleagues believes he or she is above the law? Who is doubling as a deviant by night while talking about family values by day?"
https://news.yahoo.com/fox-news-host-says-madison-044948017.html





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[font size="8"]Will Smith
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I know, you’re probably sick of hearing about it by now, but we have to talk about Will Smith’s insane Oscars interruption last week. And I promise that this is the last we’ll report on it here, but as long as it’s in the news, we have to talk about it. It feels like an eternity ago doesn’t it? Well we had originally planned to make this a Top 10 Investigates piece, but we decided against that when we were in pre-production because it’s way more insane than you might think. While we covered the good majority of it last week, there’s been some new developments since then. Since we went live last week, Will Smith resigned from the Academy over the confrontation. But is it really not technically a resignation. It’s a resignation in name only. So he “resigned” but he still gets to keep his position in the Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts And Sciences and can still attend future award ceremonies. He also still can receive future nominations and win future awards. But think of it like John Wick when he broke the code of conduct at the Continental. Except Mr. Smith won’t have a $15 million dollar bounty placed on his head that keeps escalating. Or maybe not. You don’t know! But here’s what we do know!

Firstly, Smith will get to keep his Best Actor Oscar, which he won for King Richard in the aftermath of hitting Rock. He apologised to the Academy during a tearful acceptance speech.

The resignation also won’t keep Smith from attending future Oscar ceremonies, meaning that the actor could return in 2023 to present Best Actress. Traditionally, the previous year’s acting winners all return to announce who will replace them as the latest recipients of the top awards.

Should Smith deliver another performance that Academy members believe is worthy of Oscar contention, they will still be able to nominate him, meaning Smith can win more Oscars.

All the resignation means for Smith is that he will have no say in what films can be nominated or will go onto win in the future. However, Academy president David Rubin said: “We will continue to move forward with our disciplinary proceedings against Mr Smith for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, in advance of our next scheduled board meeting on April 18.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/will-smith-chris-rock-oscars-slap-b2050278.html




That’s right, man, you just got knocked the f out! But was it really a knock out? It was more like a pimp slap. But this is the most insane thing about all of this. Does Will Smith have to give up his Best Actor Oscar for this? No. Can he still attend future AMPSA events? Yes. So think of his resignation in the same way that you get “fired” from the Apprentice – you get fired, but you’re still technically on the show. So now here’s where it gets weird and you know it was going to.

Can’t forgive and forget? As the fallout of Will Smith‘s Oscars slap continues, Chris Rock‘s brother Kenny Rock wants more consequences.

“It eats at me watching it over and over again because you’ve seen a loved one being attacked and there’s nothing you can do about it,” Kenny, 42, told The Los Angeles Times in an interview published on Monday, April 4, arguing that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences should revoke the Best Actor in a Leading Role trophy from Smith, 53, in the wake of the incident.

Kenny continued, “Every time I’m watching the videos, it’s like a rendition that just keeps going over and over in my head. My brother was no threat to him and you just had no respect for him at that moment. You just belittled him in front of millions of people that watch the show. … In my opinion, he embarrassed himself by doing that and his legacy by doing that.”

During the 94th annual Academy Awards on March 27, Smith rose out of his seat and slapped the Grown Ups actor, 57, in the face in response to a joke he told about Jada Pinkett Smith‘s shaved head. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum has since issued a public apology to the comedian, who did not press charges after the altercation. On Friday, April 1, Smith announced in a statement that he’s resigning from the Academy following a “disciplinary hearing notice” from the organization.
https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/chris-rocks-brother-wants-will-smiths-oscar-revoked-after-slap/




So yeah Chris Rock’s own brother thinks that there weren’t enough punishments invoked. And in all honesty he’s not wrong here. But what’s even more disturbing is the fact that Mr. Smith is getting off very light here is setting a very dangerous precedent. Of course that means that any copycats this inspires probably won’t involve those winning a Best Actor Oscar. But that said, we need to talk about the last guy who got expelled from the Academy. Well the Academy has expelled scumbags like Harvey Weinstein, Roman Polanski, and Bill Cosby, but that’s understandable. Then there was this.

The first person to be expelled from the Academy was Carmine Caridi, an actor best known for small roles in the last two films in The Godfather trilogy.

Caridi was expelled in 2004 for making VCR copies of screeners and sharing them with friends and family, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“I sent screeners to people, besides my brother and sister, who couldn’t afford them,” Caridi told the outlet. “I made a lot of people happy.”

One of the people Caridi sent copies of his screeners to was a man called Russell Sprague, who shared the screeners online.

The copies soon came to the attention of the FBI, who called Caridi into their Los Angeles office, where officials offered him immunity in return for naming Sprague.
https://www.buzz.ie/news/world-news/stars-expelled-academy-oscars-26603800




So could the Academy expel Mr. Smith? Would they? Should they? That’s the billion dollar question on the table. But the truth is that they’re keeping this thing under tight wraps until the next board meeting, so until that happens we don’t know anything. The fact that he didn’t get arrested is weird. The fact that he wasn’t asked to leave is even weirder. But this fact remains that Will Smith is one of the highest profile actors in all of Hollywood. So what punishments await Mr. Smith if the board does decide to rule against him? Well it could get very ugly very quickly.

The Academy said Monday it “will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our By-laws, Standards of Conduct and California law,” after Rock declined to file a police report Sunday.

According to The Academy’s code of conduct, members are expected to “behave ethically” and breaches include uninvited physical contact, according to Variety.

Punishment can include suspension or expulsion from the group, private or public reprimand, temporary or permanent loss of the ability to attend events or receive awards or “other sanctions that the Academy in its sole discretion may deem appropriate,” Variety reported, though sources told the outlet it’s unlikely Smith will have to give up his award.

Two members of the Academy have been permanently expelled previously: Actor Carmine Caridi in 2004 for violating voting rules, and Harvey Weinstein in 2017, after he was accused and later found guilty of sexual assault, according to the New York Times.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/03/29/suspension-expulsion-how-the-academy-could-punish-will-smith-for-slapping-chris-rock/?sh=2fef5a6301ff





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[font size="8"]Holy Shit: Twisting History And Facts
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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! Please be seated! You know they say “those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it”. Well now does that logic apply to people who twist what actually happened in history to their own advantage? I’m of course talking about our old friend David Barton. It seems that our brothers and sisters on the right can’t quit this guy no matter how bad, sick or twisted his warped version of history is! This guy is a snake oil salesman who has been building an entire career out of misinterpreting history for the sake of swindling money from the religious,. But this might be one of his most insane and twisted sermons yet. Well, to be fair, there actually is some truth behind this, but once again I will say this is a classic case of saying the quiet part out loud and saying the loud part quiet. And he does leave an awful lot of detail out here for the sake of exploitation.

Religious-right pseudo-historian David Barton has built a career out of exploiting right-wing audiences’ general ignorance of both the Bible and American history in order to promote his right-wing Christian nationalist political agenda.

Via his daily radio program and countless speaking engagements, Barton regularly misrepresents biblical and historical issues not only by repeatedly promoting debunked claims but also by constantly coming up with new misleading examples that supposedly demonstrate that the United States was founded to be a Christian nation.

On Tuesday, Barton spoke at the Bott Radio Network’s pastor luncheon in Memphis, Tennessee, where he unveiled a couple of new deceptive claims regarding the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

“Once they got the Constitution finished, it’s not the document of the nation yet, you have to have it ratified,” Barton said. “You’ve got to send it to the 13 states and get it ratified. And so they sent it to the 13 states. If you’re going to receive a government document and have a debate over whether to ratify it, where are you going to send it? The state capitol? No, it’s not the way it happened. North Carolina, Connecticut, Massachusetts; the ratification conventions were held in churches. They sent it to churches to ratify the Constitution? Yeah.”

“Then each state had to select a certain number of delegates to attend the ratification conventions,” he continued. “Forty-four of the constitutional ratification delegates were ministers of the gospel. So again, preachers were highly, highly involved.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/david-barton-is-constantly-unveiling-new-and-misleading-claims-about-american-history/




Now, Mr. Barton is not the only fundamentalist Christian who’s twisting facts and reality to suit their worldview, which is a very small one. Because that’s the thing with modern conservatives, especially those who support the unholy Dark One! I of course speak of a man so foul, so profane, so depraved and disgusting that his name dare NOT be spoken in my church! There’s also this guy Mark Burns, who’s your typical southern fire and brimstone preacher… except that he’s running for Congress! Good lord this guy would say things that even Marjorie Greene would find too extreme!

Mark Burns, an unabashed Christian nationalist Trump-loving pastor who is running for Congress in South Carolina, urged conservatives to start smashing the car windows of anti-fascist activists.

Burns spoke at the ReAwaken America rally in Keizer, Oregon, last weekend, where event organizers claimed that “antifa” protestors outside the event were placing sharp objects under the wheels of attendee’s cars in an effort to pop their tires. While at the event, Burns sat down for an interview on “The Black Conservative Preacher” show, where he insisted that Christians should not turn the other cheek, as Jesus commanded, but rather strike back twice as hard.

“You see an antifa flag, knock out their window,” Burns advocated.

“Forgive me, Jesus,” he then added, facetiously. “Lord, forgive me. I’m asking for forgiveness right now.”

“The Bible says that ‘the Kingdom suffers violence and the violent take it by force,'” Burns declared, quoting Matthew 11. “The problem is we’re being too cowardly and too weak and we think that man has authority over us when we serve a big God who has given us power and authority to tread over every demonic spirit. So, if they’re gonna knock out a window, you go knock out two of theirs.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/maga-candidate-mark-burns-urges-christians-to-smash-the-windows-of-antifa-activists-cars/




So they’re literally advocating violence from a really fucked up pulpit. And it’s not even a real pulpit at that! This is seriously fucked up. And yes we are allowed to swear in my church! I run the show! But now the GOP is furious and they’re taking their anger out on your local school board. That’s right – they’re armed with… informational pamphlets! So not only do they have people like David Barton preaching false information in the pulpit, they have evangelicals going after education now. They really have reached a low point haven’t they? And I’m sure this isn’t what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now, is it?

Right-wing evangelist Andrew Wommack is a Christian nationalist who believes that Christians such as himself “are supposed to be ruling in this world.” From his perch at Charis Bible College, which he founded in 1994, Wommack mused last year that with just the people associated with his school, they had the power to “take over” the local community of Woodland Park, Colorado.

Now it appears as if Wommack has set out to do just that, starting with local school boards, which have increasingly become a target of right-wing ire in recent years.

Wommack—a hard-line anti-LGBTQ zealot who has declared that gay people should be required to “put a label across their forehead” declaring that homosexuality “can be hazardous to your health”—spoke to the religious-right organization City Elders in Oklahoma last Friday, where he bragged about his efforts to take over school boards and his work sending “spies” into local schools to uncover the presence of LGBTQ-friendly books.

“We decided that we were going to take Colorado back,” Wommack said. “Colorado is a very liberal place, and so we’ve got a thing in place, and during the last election cycle we started with the school boards. We singled out five districts in Colorado, and we put out 417,000 voter guides. The GOP got incensed at us because we asked, ‘How do you feel about men competing in women’s sports? What do you think about critical race theory?’ They did not want those things to be public. So, we asked all the candidates—Democrat and Republican—and we put out these voter guides, and out of 178 people that we were supporting, we got … somewhere around 78 or 80 of them elected. So, we’re beginning to make an inroad, and we’ve got some big plans in place this year.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/anti-lgbtq-christian-nationalist-preacher-andrew-wommack-is-targeting-colorado-school-boards/




Yeah… think about it! But also think about this, my fair congregation – these people are multiplying, and they are multiplying rapidly! And if they’re running in your city, you should definitely watch out. If they’re running unopposed, find someone who will oppose them! For they are the very people who should not be in power and they will abuse it! If David Barton comes to your local church and someone like Mark Burns starts advocating violence, you should really be aware of the people in your area, for they are not on the side of the good LAWRD JAYSUS!

In addition to being a self-proclaimed “prophet” and an unapologetic QAnon conspiracy theorist, Johnny Enlow is a proponent of Seven Mountains Dominionism—a radical theology that teaches that right-wing Christians are to take control over every aspect of society. Last Saturday, Enlow showcased the theology when he prayed over and “commissioned” three Republican candidates running for office in Oregon at the “Restore: Government and Economy” summit held at Eagle Mountain Apostolic Resource Center in Bend, Oregon.

In the audience were Marc Thielman, who is running for governor, Darin Harbick, who is running for the U.S. Senate, and Patti Adair, who is seeking reelection as a county commissioner. At the invitation of Eagle Mountain’s senior leader Bobby Haaby, all three candidates stood on stage as Enlow prayed over them.

“Lord, we commission them in your name,” Enlow declared. “And whatever that means, represents, and is imparted to them in the spirit realm of apostolic commissioning, let that be released over them. Even right now, Lord, let the new angels that come with that commissioning be released to them right now; angels that protect their household, angels that protect their relationships—the husband and wife, the family, the children, all aspects of it—let that new shield come around all of them even at this time.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/qanon-prophet-johnny-enlow-prayed-over-and-commissioned-three-gop-candidates/




Sigh… there’s no end to the sheer amount of crazy and increasingly large number of people who are joining the Dark One and Q Anon. I need to go drink more of the holy water. It’s going to get really ugly in the next few months! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:





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[font size="8"]This Fucking Guy: Herschel Walker
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This week’s This Fucking Guy is former football star, poorly polling Georgia senate candidate, and MAGA superfan Herschel Walker. Now I already hear a lot of you Atlanta people booing him. We already have reported about how he got removed from the President’s Council On Fitness along with Dr. Oz. I mean what better president to trust than a guy who eats Big Macs in bed while yelling at 8 different TVs and then throwing the wrappers on the floor? You see where I’m going with this. But physical fitness aside – there’s plenty of reasons not to trust Herschel on any policy. But this might be one of my favorite stories of the week. So one of Herschel’s crowning achievements is that he claims that he graduated at the top of his class at UGA. Really? There’s one UGA fan in the audience here? Thank you sir! Well – get ready – like most MAGA superfans, he lies about everything! I’m shocked, shocked! Well… not really that shocked.

A Republican Senate candidate in Georgia said for years that he graduated in the top 1% of his university’s class – but actually never graduated college at all.

Herschel Walker, a former pro football player who is running as a Republican in Georgia’s US Senateprimary, has publicly stated multiple times that he graduated in the top 1% of his class at University of Georgia despite never completing his degree.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) first reported on Walker lying about his college degree in December 2021. Walker later deleted the claim from his campaign website and released a statement to AJC acknowledging that he never graduated.

“I was majoring in Criminal Justice at [University of Georgia] when I left to play in the [United States Football League] my junior year,” said Walker in his statement. “After playing with the New Jersey Generals, I returned to Athens to complete my degree, but life and football got in the way.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/republican-senate-hopeful-overstated-academic-achievements-for-years/ar-AAVN1OE




But it gets even crazier because while Herschel is siding with the MAGA crowd on the most far right issues, the GOP is doing everything in their power to sink his campaign! I see that they obviously went to the Stormtrooper School Of Firearms. Because they could take him out and run someone a bit more sane, but they really don’t have anyone like that in their party! Could it be that or could Raphael Warnock really be that much better?

In the eight weeks running up to the May 24 primary, two super PACs supporting Walker’s GOP rivals plan to drop millions of dollars in ads attacking Walker, according to people familiar with their spending plans — ad buys that stand to alter the shape of a race that could decide control of the Senate.

Walker is still expected to finish first in the primary. But his opponents intend to drive his support under 50 percent and force him into a June runoff, when the second-place finisher will be able to focus attention on what many Georgia Republicans contend is Walker’s unique vulnerability to Democratic attack: his history of alleged domestic abuse.

With one of the Senate’s top fundraisers, Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, looming in the fall, some Republicans fear Walker won’t be able to survive the onslaught of Democratic attack ads.

At a meeting of the Putnam County Republican Party on Monday night, Walker’s leading challenger, state Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, closed his stump speech with an impassioned appeal for the crowd to do their research on Walker.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/01/herschel-walker-primary-00022192




Yeah come on, are they using Acme Branded Dynamite to get rid of him? But here’s the thing, just like Trump’s recent “hole-in-one”, there are many questions about where Herschel Walker even got his degree or if he even has a degree. But the thing is, MAGA not only loves this shit but they eat this shit up, no matter how big the lie is. I kind of feel like I need some music for this one. Cue Frank Zappa – “When The Lie’s So Big”.

During the cold opening of the most recent "Saturday Night Live," there was an insightful joke about the nature of authoritarianism. Surprising, I know, from a show not usually known for having the most trenchant satire. During a parody of "Fox & Friends," part of a longer bit about Donald Trump confessing that he committed a coup, the desperate hosts tried to keep him on message about how January 6 was not an insurrection at all. Then suddenly Trump veers left to make an impossible claim about his golf game.

"Did you hear this?" James Austin Johnson, portraying Trump, starts. "I got a hole-in-one. Did anybody hear that?"

"Congrats sir! Please tell about it," exclaims Heidi Gardner, while playing one of the interchangeable blonde hosts. Her male colleagues nod eagerly, all of them competing to show how obsequious they are before this frankly impossible claim.

The entire bit was about the lies Fox News and Trump tell, but this throwaway joke about Trump's golf lies nailed the essence of how such lies work. It's based on a real lie Trump is telling, one so stupid he might as well be claiming he can fly: That he got a hole-in-one during a recent golf game. The lie isn't believed by Trump, his enablers, or their audience. Instead, as the skit on "Saturday Night Live" illustrates through comedy, it's a power test to see how many people will play along. Trump's hole-in-one lie echoes those of authoritarian leaders like Korea's Kim Jong Un, who tells similar lies about his athletic accomplishments. It's all about demonstrating power. It's about exhibiting the ability to get thousands, even millions, to debase themselves by pretending to believe this bullshit.

Out of the many lessons that Trump taught the GOP, this might be the most important: Lies don't need to be plausible in order to be powerful.
https://www.salon.com/2022/04/04/hole-in-one-and-herschel-walkers-degree-why-maga-loves-lies-too-big-to-be-believed/




When the lieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee’s so biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig… It’s truly unfortunate that Mr. Zappa did not live enough to see the modern incarnation of the GOP because they literally are everything they spelled out in that song and they’re not ashamed to admit it. But you know if there’s one thing we’ve learned following the MAGA movement for the last 5 years, it’s that they attract this kind of off the wall batshit crazy person. And by the way if you want to see Herschel’s MAGA credentials, they are strong. Just look at what he said a couple of weeks ago about evolution:

Herschel Walker, the leading candidate for the Republican Senate nomination in Georgia, questioned evolution at an event over the weekend, asking why apes still exist if humans have evolved from them.

Walker made the remark Sunday during an appearance at Sugar Hill Church in Sugar Hill, Ga.

Polls show that Walker, who has been endorsed by former president Donald Trump, is the overwhelming favorite in the race for the GOP nomination to face freshman Sen. Raphael G. Warnock (D-Ga.) in the fall.

“At one time, science said man came from apes. Did it not?” Walker asked Chuck Allen, lead pastor of Sugar Hill Church, during Sunday’s event.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/15/georgia-senate-candidate-herschel-walker-questions-evolution-asking-why-are-there-still-apes/ [/div



Gee, with idiocy like that, we have to wonder - did Herschel even go to college? It’s your classic cause and effect right there That’s Herschel Walker, this week’s:





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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Welcome back to our segment where we explain the unexplainable, Conspiracy Corner! When the news gets dark, people naturally turn to conspiracy theories. We are coming to you live from our underground doomsday shelter from deep in the New Mexico badlands, undisclosed location of course! Just let me adjust my tin foil hat for maximum government interference – they are trying to read yours and my thoughts after all! Well folks I don’t need to remind you that the January 6th committee is closing in on some big names. Last week they revealed that Ginni Thomas, the wife of SCOTUS justice Clarence Thomas, is in some pretty deep shit over her involvement in the insurrection. This week, the January 6th Committee is closing in on the big boss and there are some very batshit insane theories flying! So what is the 7 hour gap theory? Well supposedly the committee has subpoenaed his phone records show that there was a gap of 7 hours and 37 minutes when Trump was reportedly incommunicado, and that syncs up when his band of MAGA terrorists ransacked the Capitol. Here’s more.

“Internal White House records from the day of the attack on the U.S. Capitol that were turned over to the House select committee show a gap in President Donald Trump’s phone logs of seven hours and 37 minutes, including the period when the building was being violently assaulted,” the Washington Post reports.

“The House panel is now investigating whether Trump communicated that day through backchannels, phones of aides or personal disposable phones, known as ‘burner phones.’”

“One lawmaker on the panel said the committee is investigating a ‘possible coverup’ of the official White House record from that day.”
https://politicalwire.com/2022/03/29/january-6-white-house-logs-show-7-hour-gap/




Well duh… you think there might be a cover up? In other words, water is wet folks, of course there was a cover up involved! And for a president not to have communication with the outside world, 7 hours is a long fucking time. Especially when there is a planned and coordinated attack on the US Capitol Building with the intent of murdering the entire line of succession to overthrow an election happening! But you know what they say – sometimes the stupidest explanation is the best explanation! Oh wait, nobody says that ever!

The New Abnormal really made it 201 episodes without anyone on the team asking, “Do we need to slap a content warning label on this?” But then Madison Cawthorn had to go and start flapping his gums about orgies.

The freshman Republican congressman has earned the ire of his colleagues after letting slip that he’s borne witness to their sexual bacchanalia, complete with—and why not—“key bumps of cocaine.” That key feature (pun noted) is exactly why New Abnormal co-host Andy Levy takes umbrage with co-host Molly Jong-Fast’s preferred term for the whole debacle: “Orgygate.” Levy simply will not stand for this erasure of the copious amounts of drugs allegedly consumed by the nation’s leaders!

Somebody else probably thinking too hard about this nightmare affair is GOP House leader Kevin McCarthy. As Levy puts it, “This is ‘unacceptable’ to Kevin McCarthy because he’s afraid that people in his district are going to be going around saying, ‘Is Kevin McCarthy participating in orgies and doing key bumps?’ So this directly has the possibility of affecting him—and that’s all he cares about.”

Jong-Fast, meanwhile, is doing her damnedest not to picture the possibility of a raunchy Louie Gohmert getting it on with a debauched Newt Gingrich.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-jan-6-phone-logs-7-hour-gap-might-have-a-stupid-explanation




Yeah that is a good point – do we really need content warnings anymore? I mean between Madison Cawthorn’s revelations about DC orgies and Stormy Daniels’ revelations that Trump’s male organ looks like a Super Mario character… yeah fuck it. Also, there goes my lunch. So what does this mean? Does this confirm the burner phone theory? Because thanks to TV crime shows, we all know that anyone using a burner phone is automatically guilty. But a president even floating the idea of using a burner phone? That’s some seriously scary shit.

A lot is known about the few hours that shook American democracy to the core. The defeated president’s incendiary speech, the march by an angry crowd to the U.S. Capitol, the breaking in, the beating of cops, the “hang Mike Pence” threats, the lawmakers running for their lives, the shooting death of rioter Ashli Babbitt. All of that chaos unfolded over about eight hours on one day: Jan. 6, 2021.

But for all that is known about the day, piecing together the words and actions of Donald Trump over that time has proved no easy task, even though a president’s movements and communications are closely monitored.

There’s a gap in the official White House phone notations given to the House committee investigating Jan. 6 — from about 11 a.m. to about 7 p.m., according to two people familiar with the congressional investigation into the riot. But over the past four-plus months a lot has surfaced about what Trump did do and say on Jan. 6 — in texts, tweets, videos, calls and other conversations.

Trump entered the Oval Office at 11:08 a.m. By that time, about 400 pro-Trump demonstrators had already massed at the Capitol. Trump placed a call to Vice President Mike Pence — their only conversation of the day. It didn’t go well: Trump wanted Pence to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory, and he was very unhappy the vice president wouldn’t do it.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/nation-world/2022/03/31/trumps-8-hour-gap-minute-by-minute-during-jan-6-riot/




Yeah Donny, elections don’t work that way. You know in order to hold an office, you actually have to do that thing called “winning”, which you didn’t do! And last I checked, elections don’t score the same way golf does. In order to win, you have to have more votes than the other guy! But come on, Trump, what are you hiding in those phone records? What did you say to Mike Pence that made your followers want to murder him? These things weren’t accidental and the fact that there’s an active cover up only proves they’re guilty. Because you know, that’s what perfectly innocent people do.

About 45 minutes before Trump delivered this speech, he made his last call for nearly eight hours on the White House phone system. From 11:17 a.m. until almost 7 p.m., Trump made all of his phone calls on a nongovernment phone.

We know the president spoke by phone during that gap. As the crowd came crashing toward the office of the Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy called the president to demand he stop the violence. Trump instead excused it. “Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.” Witnesses reported seeing the president on the phone many other times during the day.

As president, Trump often avoided using official lines. He used multiple phones of his own. He borrowed phones from other people.

Trump did not grab phones at random. He thought tactically about which phone to use. When the Stormy Daniels story broke, in 2018, Trump tried to place a call to Melania Trump on one of his own phones. She recognized the number and refused to answer the call. So Trump borrowed a phone from a Secret Service agent whose number would not be recognized. The first lady picked up.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/03/trump-phone-calls-gap-january-6/629413/





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[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. There’s always stupid people in the news. And don’t worry – next week we’re going to Florida so there will be one of our famous all Florida editions! Florida never fails to bring the crazy. And the reason we do this segment is because there’s so much dark news in the world right now. There’s still a pandemic, and now we’re on the verge of World War III, rising gas prices, murder hornets… what else could go wrong? And at the end of the day you really want to hear about someone who goes crazy and ransacks a McDonalds because they ran out of chicken nuggets. I want to start with this story out of University Heights, Ohio, where a would be bank robber left his keys on the counter as he robbed the bank. Yeah if you’re planning to rob a bank or any kind of store, just remember that the most important component of the robbery is the getaway vehicle! Do not skip this step or you will have a bad time!

University Heights Police confirmed an accused bank robber is behind bars after he forgot his car keys on the teller’s counter and dropped the cash he stole as he ran away.

UHPD said officers were sent to 2175 Warrensville Center Road for a robbery in progress on Feb. 25.

The suspect passed a note to the teller that demanded money and indicated he had a gun, according to UHPD.

However, no gun was seen during the robbery, UHPD confirmed.

UHPD said the $407 was given to the suspect from the teller drawer before he ran off.

As soon as the suspect left, those inside the bank saw he had left a set of car keys on the counter, according to UHPD.

The suspect tried to get back into the bank to retrieve the keys, but the bank was already locked due to the robbery, UHPD said.
https://www.cleveland19.com/2022/03/05/university-heights-bank-robber-forgets-car-keys-counter-drops-cash-he-runs-away-police-say/




Pretty sure it doesn’t work that way! Next up – this is the quintessential People Are Dumb story. This comes to us from of course the Sunshine State, America’s wang, the state of Florida. So what seems like something straight out of Jackass actually has a lot more to it. The thing is that you never drive through a golf course because golfers are nuts about their sport and they’re nuts about where they play. So this is a double whammy here. And if you’re caught driving through a golf course, maybe the shallow waters of the water hazard is probably not the best place to hide.

Manatee County deputies had their eyes in the skies as one man tried to flee and hide from them early Thursday morning.

Around 1 a.m., patrol deputies spotted a truck without headlights, driving on the wrong side of the road on Harrison Ranch Boulevard. They said when they attempted a traffic stop, the driver – later identified as 42-year-old William Ballard – fled.

The sheriff's office helicopter followed Ballard's truck as it drove through a fence at the Buffalo Creek Golf Course, traveled through the course, and entered a shallow pond.

They said Ballard exited the truck and waded through the water into nearby brush and trees "attempted to hide from deputies." However, deputies said the aviation unit was watching from above, directing deputies on the ground. ...............(more)

https://www.fox13news.com/news/officials-florida-man-drives-through-manatee-county-golf-course-hides-in-pond-to-avoid-traffic-stop




Next up – another story from the Sunshine State – if there’s one place you never want to get trapped in a million years, it’s a portable toilet. And if you do find yourself trapped in one, maybe don’t bring your drugs with you either. So yeah there’s two things wrong with this story. Also goes against my belief that if you’re in the bathroom, you should not be ingesting anything period. But that’s what happened to this particular Florida Man!

A Florida man found stuck inside a port-a-potty was arrested on drug charges after deputies found him screaming for help.

According to WBBH, deputies with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office were called after reports of a suspicious person and someone shouting.

When a deputy arrived, a man could be heard yelling loudly. As the deputy got closer, she could hear the screams and saw a foot sticking out of the bottom of the port-a-potty.

The deputy was able to get the man out of the bathroom and identified him as 34-year-old James Gousse. Deputies said Gousse told them he had gotten his foot stuck in the door. ........(more)

https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/florida-man-found-with-drugs-after-getting-trapped-in-port-a-potty/




Next up – we go to the border town of San Ysidro. That’s in my home state of California, don’t you know? You know the conservatives are always saying that we need to control the border. But I personally have never really understood where they come from. Until today that is. See these are the kinds of things we don’t want coming over the border. It’s not people, it’s snakes and reptiles, because those things can kill you! And this particular guy hid them… in his pants. Guess this gives new meaning to the phrase “is that a snake in your pants or are you happy to see me?”.

US Border Patrol agents found dozens of horned lizards and snakes hidden in a man's clothing as he crossed into the US from Mexico last month.

The scaly discovery occurred at the San Ysidro border crossing near San Diego around 03:00 local time on 25 February.

The man was driving a pickup truck when he was pulled over for inspection.

Officers discovered 43 horned lizards and nine snakes in plastic bags "concealed in the man's jacket, pants pockets and groin area," agents said.

The suspect, identified as a 30-year old American citizen, was arrested on the suspicion of illegal wildlife smuggling.

Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officials say some of the animals are endangered and have now been placed in "a secure and safe area" quarantined from other animals.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60685663




Finally this week – remember that movie the Hangover? You know the story of three guys who hold a bachelor party for their best friend in Las Vegas, get hammered drunk and ransack a hotel suite that costs more than a Porsche? Well who knew that a throwaway joke from that movie is something that someone would do in real life. And yes this is something that one should never do on a plane, Bradley Cooper’s character was not only 100% right on this, he was also right that it is very illegal. And yes, don’t do this!

A man on a Southwest Airlines flight faces federal charges after allegedly masturbating at least four times during the flight.

The Daily Beast reports that it happened on a flight from Seattle to Phoenix.

The criminal complaint obtained by the site claimed it happened on Southwest flight 3814 on April 2, 2022.

Antonio Sherrodd McGarity is accused of masturbating four times in the seat next to a female passenger.
https://www.fox5ny.com/news/southwest-passenger-arrested-for-masturbating-4-times-during-flight




That’s it this week for:




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[font size="8"]Stupidest State 2022
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16 states will enter and only one state will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!



We have just one round to go before the Elite 8 is complete! Last week it was a Fiscal Irresponsibility showdown as #1 Kansas pulled out a strong performance against #2 Delaware. Then over in the Gun Nut Conference, last year’s champion #1 Texas showed that they can bring their big guns to the dance by utterly destroying Idaho. This week it’s the final week of Round 1, where it’s a battle for Batshit supremacy as #1 Georgia takes on #2 Iowa. Meanwhile, over in the Family Values Conference, it’s a battle to play North Carolina as #3 Indiana takes on #4 Tennessee! We’re live at the home of the Anaheim Ducks, the legendary Honda Center in Anaheim, California, for all the action! Let’s go to the floor, shall we?

[font size="4"]Batshit Conference: #1 Georgia vs #2 Iowa [/font]

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


The Peach State has taken this conference multiple times now. And why? Well just look at the people who they elect – people like Brian Kemp (R – Obviously) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q – Batshit). I mean don’t worry, there will be plenty of MTG wannabe copycats in the coming months. Well for one thing Georgia’s republicans seem to want to outdo Texas in terms of the state’s gun laws. Because they want people to be able to carry guns without a license. File this one under “things that will go horribly, horribly wrong”.

Georgia House Republicans on Friday passed a bill that would allow Georgians to carry a concealed handgun without a permit.

The 94-57 vote along party lines follows approval from Georgia's GOP-controlled state Senate last month, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. More debate is expected to reconcile the two versions of the bill.

Gov. Brian Kemp (R) on Friday signaled that he supports the move.

"It's great to see so much support for the 2nd Amendment," Kemp wrote on Twitter. "I am committed to working with both the Georgia House and Senate to get Constitutional Carry across the finish line!"

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/georgia-state-house-passes-bill-allowing-people-to-carry-gun-without-license/ar-AAUYXf4




Yeah so seriously, what could go wrong with that? And speaking of things that could go wrong – it’s truly scary when Fox News is starting to dictate national policy. We’re already seeing that in Florida with their ridiculous Don’t Say Gay bill. Well, in things that are becoming national laws because lawmakers can’t seem to quit Fox News, there’s of course Fox News’ war on “woke culture” and “critical race theory” – both things that they just made up to boost ratings.

A bill supported by Gov. Brian Kemp to give parents more say on what happens in their children’s classrooms passed the state Senate Tuesday on a party line vote.

The bill, which supporters call the Parents’ Bill of Rights, is part of a nationwide conservative push against what some parents see as “woke” lessons. It allows parents to review classroom materials at the beginning of each nine-week grading period, to access all documents related to their child, to opt their kids out of sex education and to decline to have their child photographed or recorded except for security purposes.

“The governor and I believe parents and school systems need to work together to step in,” said Sen. Clint Dixon, the Buford Republican who sponsored the bill. “It’s time to reaffirm the rights of parents to direct the education and upbringing of their own children, and have the support of local school districts in doing so.”

Democrats like Atlanta Sen. Elena Parent called the bill a solution in search of a problem.

“It is such a shame that we are willing to get so deep into manufactured crises and partisan politics in going after teachers,” she said.

Read more: https://georgiarecorder.com/2022/02/22/ga-senate-advances-bill-that-aims-to-let-parents-second-guess-school-lessons/




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


The Hawkeye State is back and this time around they switched conferences after getting their ass kicked in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference back in 2019. But they are tanned, rested and ready. What makes them worthy of winning the Batshit Conference? Well Iowa is a melting pot of conspiracy theorists, racist kooks, and hardcore end times religious wingnuts. Here’s how batshit insane Iowa is – they’ve actually decided to drop their “Iowa nice” campaign. Maybe they’re not so nice.


The phrase “Iowa nice” used to be an annoyance to some of us, when used to express the idea that Iowans are nicer than other people. Those of us who have lived in other states, or have family and friends elsewhere, know Iowa has no monopoly on nice people.

But now, instead of being annoyed, there is good reason to mourn the loss of “Iowa nice,” thanks to Governor Kim Reynolds and the Republican-controlled state legislature.

A friend, retired Drake philosophy professor Jon Torgerson, pointed out that the “Iowa nice” label was more inclusive than merely having good neighbors. The phrase recognized our public and private institutions and the people who led them.

“Iowa nice” even included elected officials. We had our own version of the mythical Kennedy Camelot, with a real life, caring Camelot under Bob Ray and a bipartisan legislature.

...https://www.bleedingheartland.com/2022/03/12/governor-gop-legislature-sound-death-knell-for-iowa-nice/




Damn right! That is definitely facepalm worthy. And you know what else is facepalm worthy that the Hawkeye State is doing? Well the COVID-19 pandemic may be winding down, but it is still very much a thing. But don’t be like this Iowa State Senator who says the vaccine is evil and that you shouldn’t be promoting the vaccine use among school children. File this under “things that will not end well”.

During discussion of legislation that would prohibit schools and child care centers from requiring the COVID-19 vaccine for children, a state senator on Wednesday falsely claimed the COVID-19 vaccines were not effective or safe.

“We need to put to rest that COVID-19 is an effective and safe vaccine,” Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, said during a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting. “They keep trying to do things (vaccine shots and booster shots). It doesn’t work. These things are not effective.”

Schultz went on to accuse advocates for the vaccines of having a “hive mindset.”
https://www.thegazette.com/state-government/iowa-state-senator-falsely-claims-covid-19-vaccines-not-effective/




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

Well this was an interesting matchup. Iowa was ahead at the half but Georgia showed up big time in the second half. Georgia has since put up 15 unanswered points on the board after Iowa got a technical foul which cost one of their best players in an ejection. Georgia for three with 20 seconds left… YES! That’s game folks – final score, Georgia 88, Iowa 80. Georgia moves on to face Arizona in the finals!

[font size="4"]Family Values Conference: #3 Indiana Vs #4 Tennessee [/font]

[font size="4"]Indiana [/font]


Last year, the Sooner State advanced to the top of the Family Values pack because we reported that South Bend, the home of Notre Dame University, was being taken over by an absolutely batshit crazy Catholic cult called People Of Praise, which new SCOTUS justice Amy Comey Barrett was an avid member of. So can they retain that magic? Well, those on the conservative side are very actively looking to redefine the definition of what rape is, because you know, most of them are probably guilty of that sort of thing.

The Indiana Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee Tuesday approved a House bill regarding the “elements of rape.” The bill provides clarification of what the lack of consent is.

House Bill 1079, authored by Rep. Sharon Negele, R-Attica, talks about where and how to define consent. This bill provides that a person commits rape if the other person engaging in sexual activity with them has “expressed a lack of consent, through words or conduct, to sexual intercourse or other sexual conduct.” It also makes it so that a person commits rape if they pretend to be a different person and engage in sexual intercourse with someone.

“Indiana currently does not have a law defining consent,” according to the advocacy group Women4Change. “This means that sex without consent is not a crime in Indiana unless there is a proven use of physical force, threat of force, or incapacitation.”

According to RAINN, Americans are affected by sexual violence everyday: “Every 68 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. And every nine minutes, that victim is a child. Meanwhile, only 25 out of every 1,000 perpetrators will end up in prison."

Read more: https://www.thestatehousefile.com/politics/senate-committee-discusses-bill-that-would-clarify-states-definition-of-rape/article_030b5344-8eb5-11ec-991b-ab885dd95ad3.html




WTF are you talking about? That is a good question, sir! So yeah when it comes to the sexy time, they are considering redefining the concept of what constitutes to be a sex crime. That is a shocking level of evil. And by the way in case you’re wondering who’s in charge in the Sooner State? Well they’re bringing Nazism back. Yeah let’s add a dose of some hardcore racism in with our anti-abortion insanity, what could go wrong there?

Indiana Lawmaker Walks Back Remark on Nazism Impartiality
An Indiana state senator has clarified his comments after he faced criticism for saying teachers must be “impartial” when discussing Nazism and other political ideologies.

Republican Sen. Scott Baldwin told The Indianapolis Star he should have chosen better words when he said during a committee hearing at the Indiana Statehouse Wednesday that a bill he filed would require teachers to be impartial in all of their teaching, including during lessons about Nazism, Marxism and fascism.

The Republican-backed bill would require all school curricula to be posted online for parental review and ban schools’ ability to implement concepts such as critical race theory.

During testimony on the bill, Fishers High School history teacher Matt Bockenfeld raised concerns about what the proposal would require of educators.

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/indiana-lawmaker-walks-back-remark-on-nazism-impartiality/2723980/




[font size="4"]Tennessee [/font]


Finally this week, we have the Volunteer State. They have been favorites in the Family Values Conference for quite some time now. And they are always putting on a good show. But this year is different. Why? They upgraded their squad and are taking the team to new heights. And this new bill may be the icing on the cake. So you know how the MAGA GQP crowd is screaming their heads off about pedophiles? Well Tennessee is about to enable a whole lot of them if this totally disgusting and certifiably creepy bill makes it into law.

Some Tennessee Republicans want to make common law marriage legal. But the bill being pushed through the legislature this week doesn’t have any age requirements and opponents say that paves the way for allowing child marriage.

Twenty-four Tennessee Republicans are sponsoring this legislation and right now it is making headlines around the world. Newsweek, The Hill and The Daily Mail in the U.K. have all written about it, Twitter is all abuzz about it, and all eyes are on the Volunteer State as people wonder if the state’s lawmakers are about to legalize child marriage.

State Rep. Tom Leatherwood, the Republican from Shelby County who represents Arlington, sponsored House Bill 233, introducing it in the Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee on April 23. The legislation is designed to legalize common law marriage in Tennessee as a way to push back against the LGBTQ movement.

“I’ve seen a change in the tide, and if there’s any hostility, it’s against those people who do believe marriage comes from God, not from government and do believe it’s between a man and a woman,” said Leatherwood.
https://www.actionnews5.com/2022/04/06/proposed-legislation-could-legalize-child-marriage-tennessee/




Damn straight! Holy fuck. Do you get what’s going on here? Do people not see the underlying irony in all of this? The people who are screaming about child predators and pedophiles and human sex traffickers are literally about to enable all three! This is shockingly evil and it may very well propel Tennessee to the top of the Stupidest State heap this year. And there is some very strong competition for that title. But this evil is just totally beyond the pale. Hell I can’t believe I’m the same species of these subhumans.

Critics have slammed a proposed new law in Tennessee that would eliminate age requirements for marriage in the state, claiming the bill would potentially allow children to get married.

Social media users harshly criticized the bill, HB 233, which is being sponsored by Republican state Representative Tom Leatherwood. The bill has passed the Tennessee House's Children and Family Affairs subcommittee and is due before the House Civil Justice Committee on Wednesday.

Human rights lawyer Qasim Rashid tweeted: "Tennessee Republican Tom Leatherwood has passed HB 233 out of committee. Leatherwood acknowledged there's no minimum age requirement on purpose. This is absolutely horrifying and unacceptable."

The current minimum age for marrying in Tennessee is 17 and Leatherwood, who has acknowledged that the new bill doesn't contain an age limit, defended the proposal by making reference to religious beliefs.
https://www.newsweek.com/tennessee-marriage-bill-horrifying-law-children-wed-1695380




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

Oh my god ladies and gentlemen we haven’t seen a showing like this in years! Tennessee is showboating for the crowd as they have Indiana’s number! 10 seconds to go and they’re already celebrating as Indiana can’t keep up! That’s game! Final score: 97 – 70! A truly impressive showing by Tennessee and they will be moving on to face North Carolina!

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

The Elite 8 has been set! One of these states will win it all! Georgia vs Arizona. Kansas vs Nebraska. Texas vs Missouri. North Carolina vs Tennessee. It’s the first week of Round 2 ladies and gentlemen! And we’re kicking it off with the Gun Nut Conference Finals! We’re live at the home of the UK Wildcats, the legendary Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky! Will last year’s champions Texas attempt to go for a repeat this year? Or will red hot underdogs Missouri continue their Cinderella streak? Only one way to find out!


[font size="4"]And Now This: [/font]
[font size="4"] The Scorpions[/font]

Folks my next guest has a great new album out called “Rock Believer”, you can see them at their Las Vegas residency at the Zappos Theater through April 26th. Playing their song “Seventh Son”, give it up for the Scorpions!



Thank you Atlanta! You were a great audience! This was fun! We’re off to Orlando next! See you next week!

Credits

Host: Initech
Top 10 Conservative Idiots In Front Of Live Audience At: Punchline Comedy Club, Atlanta, GA
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March 31, 2022

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-9: That's Justice Jackson If You're Nasty Edition


Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-9: That’s Justice Jackson If You’re Nasty Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Yo what’s up Houston? Always great to be back in the HOU. So we’re knee deep in our own March Madness tournament – Stupidest State 2022! And after last week’s shocker I can’t wait to see how the rest of the tournament is going to go. How are you guys doing tonight? You doing fucking good? Great! Right now though, we have to talk unfortunately about the sad, tragic death of Foo Fighters’ legendary drummer Taylor Hawkins. It fucking sucks. But this celebrity death really hit close to home for me because we love the Foo Fighters here. Hell, we’ve had them live on the show last year. Taylor is one of the coolest guys you could ever possibly meet. So yeah this one hurts. And we really feel for the Foos too and I have no idea where the band is going to go after this and we’re all speculating. Of course we’ll support Dave Grohl and the decision that he makes no matter what happens. I’ve personally seen the Foo Fighters live many times and always had a great time at every Foos show. Yeah I kind of wish we had something happier and funnier to talk about. But in terms of the Foo Fighters, one of the greatest bands ever, let’s remember the good times. And don’t have a moment of silence for Taylor. Instead, play his music. And play it LOUD! Because that’s what he would have wanted, OK? That’s the proper way to honor such a legendary rock musician. OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and he delves into the topic of drug abuse:



Well well well. As we were putting together last week’s edition, some serious shit hit the fan in the January 6th investigations. So with that being said, we are dedicating the #1 slot this week to Ginni Thomas (1). That’s right – the wife of SCOTUS justice Clarence Thomas is in some serious doo doo regarding her involvement in the attempted overthrow of the US government. Speaking of SCOTUS, in the second slot this week is the confirmation hearings of future justice Kentaji Brown Jackson (2), and let’s just say that things got pretty weird pretty quickly! In the third slot this week is Vladimir Putin (3) and the question on the table is could Pooty use chemical weapons in the ongoing illegal and immoral invasion and occupation of Ukraine? Well he could and it could turn out to be quite the “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation for Joe Biden. In the number 4 slot this week is Ted Cruz (4). And if you’re Teddy and you’re vacationing in Montana, never, ever, under any circumstances pull the “don’t you know who I am???” card because it will end very badly for you! In the number 5 slot this week is That Former Guy (5). Yes, while he’s been MC’ing events at Mar-A-Shithole, his social media company Truth Social is being treated much the same way he treats umbrellas and Big Mac wrappers. Taking the number 6 slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6) and this week, white nationalist Nick Fuentes is making an absurd claim that he loves “12th century imperialism” so we’re going to show him a thing or two about what that means, and it’s definitely not something you want to be a part of! In the number 7 slot this week is a new edition of People Who Somehow Got Elected, and this week we’re adding the super creepy Attorney General of Texas, Ken Paxton, to that list! And hey we’re in Texas! But he’s being added to the list for an extremely horrible reason. In the number 8 slot this week, we have a new “This Fucking Guy” and this week we’re profiling quack TV doctor and poorly polling Pennsylvania senate candidate Mehmet Oz (8). In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week we have a new I Need A Drink (9) and we have to have some drinks and discuss what went down at the Oscars – between Will Smith and Chris Rock. At least Will Smith in the span of one minute has done something that no other Best Picture winner in the last five years has been able to do, and that’s get people talking about the Oscars! Finally this week it’s time for Stupidest State 2022! This week, we have Round 1 Week 3 and it’s a Fiscal Irresponsibility Showdown as #1 Kansas takes on #2 Delaware, while over in the Gun Nut Conference, #1 Texas takes on #2 Idaho! It’s getting exciting, folks! And to cap things off, we have some live music for you from the legendary punk band AFI! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]Ginni Thomas
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So last week I pointed out that Ginni Thomas, the wife of SCOTUS justice Clarence Thomas, actually very well may have been involved in helping to carry out a treasonous coup against the United States government. We all know that she’s knee deep in MAGA politics and is a hardcore member of Trump’s MAGA cult. But the picture of her helping to overthrow the 2020 election is becoming clearer and clearer. She’s not just the wife of a SCOTUS justice, but a full blown MAGA terrorist at that. And here’s the thing, we don’t need shocking story after shocking story about her involvement in the January 6th insurrection. It’s time we start taking action. We need to know some damn names. But of course nothing will probably come of this. Or it very well could. Honestly it’d be great if they could nail them and have them arrested which would recuse Thomas from the court and then Biden would get to appoint another justice, assuming Ted Cruz and Mitch McConnell will let them. But we’ll save that for another discussion.

Calls have erupted for ethical conflict-of-interest rules on America’s top court after it was revealed that Ginni Thomas, wife of the supreme court justice Clarence Thomas, pressed Donald Trump’s White House chief of staff to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

The Washington Post reported that it had obtained a stash of 29 text messages between Ginni Thomas and Mark Meadows, then Trump’s top White House aide, which were exchanged in the tumultuous days after the November 2020 election. In the texts, Thomas blatantly urged Meadows to do anything he could to subvert the democratic result so as to frustrate Joe Biden’s victory and keep Trump in power.

Ethics groups, members of Congress, law professors, media pundits and a slew of other interested parties have responded to the revelations with astonishment and concern. The Thomas-Meadows texts were contained in a trove of 2,320 digital communications that Meadows has handed to the House select committee investigating the storming of the US Capitol by Trump supporters on 6 January.

Those communications were only obtained by the committee after the supreme court ordered them to be transferred to Congress, rejecting claims by Trump that they were covered by executive privilege. The court forced disclosure of the material, including the Ginni Thomas texts, by a vote of 8 to 1 – with Clarence Thomas providing the only dissent.
https://www.theguardian.com/law/2022/mar/25/ginni-thomas-texts-clarence-ethics-supreme-court-conflict-of-interest




Yeah something tells me that Nixon wasn’t a partier. But what is alarming is that there was a near unanimous vote on the transfer of power except for one – Clarence Thomas. And this vote sticks out like a sore thumb. But speaking of Nixon, Ginni Thomas’ text messages that were subpoenaed by the committee are as frightening as they are telling. Because the picture that’s being painted about what actually went down behind closed doors is not flattering. In fact it paints a picture of a batshit crazy group that was actively working to overthrow the US government.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., is among those calling on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from any 2020 election cases amid revelations that his wife, Ginni, sent text messages to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows urging him to help overturn the results.

"This is a textbook case," Klobuchar said on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. “You cannot have a justice hearing cases related to this election, and, in fact, the ethics rules that apply to all the other federal judges say that if it involves a family member — appearance of impartiality — they have to recuse themselves.”

Klobuchar is right: Ethics rules that apply to all other federal judges do not apply to those on the nation's high court. As a result, Clarence Thomas is under no obligation to recuse himself from any case that comes before the court, regardless of any connection he may have to it.

The Supreme Court's nine justices are the only judges in the United States — state or federal — not governed by a code of ethical conduct. The distinction has led to repeated calls for the court to clarify the ethics stand­ards that apply to the justices’ beha­vior.
https://news.yahoo.com/clarence-ginni-thomas-texts-supreme-court-ethics-rules-173926612.html




Yeah does anyone see the underlying irony here? Clarence Thomas may have committed one of the most egregiously unethical decisions in SCOTUS history! Meanwhile, Ted Cruz is grilling a future justice on what the definition of what a woman is and about Critical Race Theory bullshit. This is completely and totally insane. So what did those text messages reveal? Well it reveals a lot about what Trump was actually doing and that he may or may not have had a burner phone. Come on, if TV shows have taught me anything, if you own a burner phone, you’re guilty.

“Nothing about the text messages presents any legal issues.” That was the terse comment from Virginia “Ginni” Thomas’s attorney about her recently revealed text messages. The conservative activist had sent the messages to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows in the weeks after the 2020 election, urging him to try to overturn the results.

Thomas’s lawyer may well be right. As far as we yet know, Thomas herself broke no law of the United States. She broke laws of reason, logic, common sense, and decency, perhaps, but not laws of the United States. Thomas’s husband, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, arguably transgressed the judicial code of conduct by not recusing himself from ruling on any January 6 litigation that could have exposed his wife’s embarrassing texts to view. But the judicial code’s impartiality standard is a guideline, not a law, and for Supreme Court justices, the code is self-enforced.

You likely already had an opinion about Clarence Thomas before this latest controversy broke. Maybe you have had it for years; he’s been a polarizing figure in U.S. politics since the mid-1980s. You may also have an opinion about Ginni; she has been highly visible in conservative politics for nearly as long as her husband has been on the Court. The news that she texted some 29 overthrow-the-election messages may disgust you, but it probably does not much surprise. Washington has always been full of polarizing people like the Thomases, and always will be. What’s been different in the Donald Trump years has been the complicity and cowardice of the people who should have kept those polarizing figures in check.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/03/ginni-thomas-texts-january-6-trump/629386/




You know things are really fucked up when your attorneys have their own attorneys. It’s kind of like a lawsuit Russian doll. Or maybe lawsuit Inception. It’s a lawsuit inside of a lawsuit inside of a lawsuit. But what do those text messages really revel? We’re going to find out eventually but it’s going to take a lot to sort this out. You know there’s going to be a lot of destruction of phones and laptops and shredding of files in the next few weeks. I mean if Trump flushed documents down the toilet, I wouldn’t be surprised if Ginni Thomas is going in that direction.

Ginni Thomas's text messages to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol have sparked questions over the extent of her activism within the GOP.

It's also left Republican lawmakers grappling with how to respond to Thomas and her husband, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

Thomas sent a total of 21 text messages to Meadows urging him to find a way to keep former President Trump in office.

Her efforts may have gone beyond her messages to Meadows. NBC News reported that Thomas also reached out to an aide with the Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus in the House, asking for its members to go "out in the streets."

A Republican Study Committee aide disputed that characterization, but in doing so acknowledged the existence of an exchange with Thomas: "It's a misleading description of a single departed staffer's recounting of an email exchange from 15 months ago," the aide said.
https://news.yahoo.com/ginni-thomas-texts-leave-gop-204342267.html





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[font size="8"]Kentaji Brown Jackson Hearings
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Must we go through this bullshit every single time a new justice for the Supreme Court is being questioned before the Senate? Look the Top 10 has been around for over five years now. In those five years we’ve covered 4 – yes 4 – different SCOTUS justice nominations. We thought it couldn’t get any crazier with boofing Brett Kavanaugh, but boy were we proven wrong (see: Top 10 #5-14 and Top 10 #5-15 ) or with deranged Catholic cultist extremist Amy Comey Barrett (see: Top 10 #9-12 ). But this latest round of hearings to confirm Kentaji Brown Jackson – who would be the first African American woman to serve on the Supreme Court – has been quite literally insane. You know we need a title for this segment and one that the kids can relate to. OK I think you guys have really outdone yourselves with this one!! That’s justice Jackson… if you’re nasty! But do people not get the sheer and utter hypocrisy that Mitch McConnell is putting us all through? Can you not see that? Well cue the sitcom-style “here we go again” because that’s exactly what’s happening.

The confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson are now over. And they were incredibly ugly.

In advance of the hearings, my colleague Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux wrote that Jackson’s identity as a Black woman as well as her professional background as a former public defender meant that it was likely she’d be subjected to more questions regarding her qualifications than another nominee would be. And sure enough, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee wasted little time grilling Jackson — often in ways that suggested women and people of color are less qualified than their white counterparts, or that their race makes them inherently biased against white people.

There were attacks both inside — and outside — of the hearings that tried to paint Jackson as a supporter of critical race theory, a legal framework for understanding systemic racism that the GOP has co-opted as a catch-all term for anything related to race. Her judicial record in cases involving child pornography was also heavily scrutinized, even though there is no evidence that she was uncommonly soft in her sentences.

We don’t know yet whether the hearings will dramatically alter Americans’ support of Jackson, but at this point, many Americans support her confirmation. Per a March 1-18 poll from Gallup, 58 percent of Americans said the Senate should vote to confirm Jackson, versus 30 percent who thought she should not be confirmed and 12 percent who had no opinion. Notably, that’s the second-highest level of support that Gallup has recorded for a Supreme Court nominee dating back to Robert Bork’s nomination in 1987.1 Only Chief Justice John Roberts scored higher than Jackson, and only slightly higher — 59 percent of Americans said they supported his nomination in 2005.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/americans-broadly-want-the-senate-to-confirm-ketanji-brown-jackson-to-the-supreme-court/




Yes – here we go again! See the hypocrisy here? Judge Jackson could very well be the most popular justice on the Supreme Court since Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the conservative assholes aren’t budging to confirm her! They couldn’t wait to confirm boofing Kavanaugh or Barrett, and Kavanaugh was practically a gift to heir Trump from McConnell. Which is criminally insane and grossly unconstitutional. Which is why I can easily say fuck you Mitch!

This week Ketanji Brown Jackson is sitting for her confirmation hearings to become the first Black woman Supreme Court justice. Judge Jackson is supremely qualified and one of the most popular judicial nominees of the last 30 years. Of course none of that matters to Republican senators who are using the confirmation hearings to trot out the greatest hits of dogwhistle (or sometimes outright) racism and complain about the treatment of Brett Kavanaugh.

Though Kavanaugh was confirmed to the bench they’re really really upset that Democrats had the audacity to … vet him, I guess? It’s hard to take any of their racist nonsense seriously, but I’m going to try to break down some of their attacks for you if only because it should cement just how fantastic Ketanji Brown Jackson really is as a judicial nominee to the Supreme Court.

In the least surprising move ever, Republicans are using the hearings to push their anti-critical race theory nonsense. I’d like to give them points for seeming to realize CRT has to do with the legal system but they’re just being so obviously racist they don’t get any points.

They seem to be turning Judge Jackson herself into a CRT boogeyman just because she exists as a Black woman in the legal profession.
https://www.editorialboard.com/ketanji-brown-jackson-showed-class-the-gop-showed-their-ass/




You can practically hear that eye roll by the way. Now here’s where things get weird and you knew they were going to. Our old buddy Ted Cruz is back at it. This time grilling Judge Jackson on an insane amount of bizarre questions. But what’s his obsession with children’s books and books about Critical Race Theory? Like seriously he needs to turn off Fox News and come back to the real world. This is some right wing brainwashing at its’ finest. And of course totally on character for someone who’s a bloviating asshole like Teddy.

Ted Cruz thrust several books into the spotlight after his puzzling line of questioning at Ketanji Brown Jackson's Supreme Court confirmation hearing.

In a hearing ostensibly meant to assess whether Jackson is qualified to serve on the highest court in the land, the Republican senator brought up critical race theory -- an academic concept taught primarily at the university and graduate levels that has since turned into a political flashpoint -- in K-12 schools.
As part of his questioning, Cruz presented a handful of books that he claimed were taught at Georgetown Day School -- an elite, private school in Washington, DC whose board Jackson serves on.

Among the titles he mentioned were "Critical Race Theory: An Introduction" by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic; "The End of Policing" by Alex S. Vitale and "How to be an Antiracist" by Ibram X. Kendi.

Cruz focused the bulk of his questions, however, on two children's books -- "Antiracist Baby" and "Stamped (For Kids)." And his characterizations of those titles were largely distorted.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/24/us/ted-cruz-books-ketanji-brown-jackson-cec/index.html




You know it’s totally crazy but also not unexpected that Ted Cruz would have the balls to question a black woman about some bullshit that Fox News made up to score points with that crowd. Really that’s all this is is a shout out to Fox News and that’s about it. Because we all know they’re the ones controlling the shots right now. What’s happening now is that Fox News is attempting reverse racism by calling out the people who call out racism and that’s precisely what is happening right now. And again I ask this question – do we have to go through this every damn time???

During the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson this week, Ted Cruz singled out multiple books while questioning the judge about her stance on critical race theory.

Two such books were Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s “Antiracist Baby” and “Stampled (For Kids),” both of which are used to teach about prejudice and racism at Georgetown Day School, whose board Jackson serves on. However, Cruz’s attacks against Kendi’s books seem to have had the opposite effect than the GOP senator intended: Both are now No. 1 bestsellers on Amazon.

Cruz spent most of his time smearing “Antiracist Baby,” falsely claiming that its contents are used to brainwash kids into radically progressive ideologies, namely critical race theory. Cruz said he was “stunned” by the book for its ideas surrounding racism, singling out certain lines such as, “Babies are taught to be racist — there’s no neutrality.”

“Do you agree…that babies are racist?” he asked, holding up a copy. Jackson said she had never heard of the book and that she doesn’t play a role in helping curate reading syllabi at Georgetown Day School.
https://variety.com/shop/anti-racist-baby-book-ted-cruz-ketanji-brown-jackson-supreme-court-hearing-1235214805/





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[font size="8"]Vladimir Putin
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We here at the Top 10 Home Offices in Santa Ana, California were throwing around ideas as to how best broach this subject. Because it could very well be the greatest test that Joe Biden has to face in his presidency. The question is could Vladimir Putin use chemical weapons against the people of the Ukraine and what could be done about it? Now here’s the thing – the conspiracy theories are flying hard and fast about the subject and there’s a lot of misinformation out there. We’ve already reported that Vlad would launch nukes at anyone who dares to stop his illegal and immoral efforts. So how would the United States respond to such threats? The one thing we can all agree on is that Putin needs a serious boot up his ass and he must be stopped at all costs. Ukraine is just the beginning. We are in for a very long fight ahead. And it will be even worse if the following scenario happens and things could go from bad to catastrophic in an instant.

Russia is one of 193 countries that have signed an international treaty banning the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons – and Moscow denies having or using such weapons.

However, Russian agents used a deadly nerve agent, novichok, in Salisbury in 2018, killing a woman. It was used again by agents to poison the opposition leader Alexei Navalny in August 2020. Investigative journalists believe Russia retains a covert chemical weapons programme, while its ally, Syria, is accused of repeatedly using a range of chemical weapons during the long-running civil war there.

Western leaders have become concerned that Russia’s failure to achieve a quick victory in Ukraine means it could consider escalating the weapons it uses to avoid bloody urban warfare, which favours the defenders.

Helicopters dropping chlorine gas in residential areas of Aleppo in November and December 2016 led to the end of rebel resistance in the Syrian city after four years of fighting. “These weapons are morbidly effective and can break the will of civilians to resist,” said the chemical weapons expert Hamish de Bretton-Gordon.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/26/could-russia-use-chemical-weapons-in-ukraine-and-how-would-west-respond




Yes holy shit indeed! You know there’s nothing funny we can make about this situation so we won’t even begin to try. But this is important because how Joe Biden acts on this could very well determine if he gets reelected or not. It’s no secret that Vladimir Putin is a mad man who is completely off his rocker and thinking that he can get away with world domination. Of course history shows that people who have attempted world domination fail every single time. What he didn’t count on was the people of Ukraine rising up as one against his madness.

President Joe Biden offered the first indication of how the U.S. might enter the war in Ukraine militarily when asked Thursday about mounting Western concerns that Russian President Vladimir Putin may employ chemical weapons to break the burgeoning stalemate there.

“It would trigger a response in-kind,” Biden told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels shortly after meeting with other heads of state gathering there for an emergency session to discuss the month-old conflict.

“Whether NATO would cross,” he added, “we’d make that decision at the time.”

It was not immediately clear what Biden meant by “in-kind,” though it seems virtually certain he was not suggesting further use of chemical weapons – an act that would violate international law and would not be in keeping with the Biden administration’s foreign policy approach. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for clarification.
https://www.usnews.com/news/world-report/articles/2022-03-24/putins-use-of-chemical-weapons-in-ukraine-would-trigger-a-response-in-kind-biden-says




That is a damn good question sir! What kind of shit is that? What the hell does “in kind mean”? We all know damn well that Putin and his goons need to be bombed back to the stone ages and Russia needs to be stopped at all costs. But we can’t do that or risk him launching nuclear missiles at us and we all know that he has the technology. The fact that Putin is even going there is showing that he’s completely desperate for options after getting his ass kicked. But I cannot stress enough that this monster needs to be stopped at all costs.

Russia’s false accusation that Ukraine has biological and chemical weapons is a “clear sign” that a desperate Vladimir Putin is considering using them himself, Joe Biden has said.

The US president said Putin’s “back is against the wall and now he’s talking about new false flags he’s setting up including, asserting that we in America have biological as well as chemical weapons in Europe – simply not true. I guarantee you,” Biden said at an event on Monday.

“They are also suggesting that Ukraine has biological and chemical weapons in Ukraine. That’s a clear sign he’s considering using both of those. He’s already used chemical weapons in the past, and we should be careful of what’s about to come.”

Putin “knows there’ll be severe consequences because of the united Nato front,” he said, without specifying what actions the alliance would take.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/22/clear-sign-putin-is-weighing-up-use-of-chemical-weapons-in-ukraine-says-biden




Yes holy shit indeed. Things are about to go from bad in the Ukraine to a situation so horrible we’ve only seen it a few times in history. Like the proverbial shit is about to hit the fan. But if Putin does go there, the world will be ready with a response. I’m not a violent person but I really want to see Putin meet the same fate we gave Osama bin Laden – he needs to be thrown in the ocean and forgotten about. Then Putinism needs to be eradicated like the virus it is. But that said if we respond against Putin we need to be ready for whatever he might throw at us. The threat is real and the shit is about to hit the fan.

There are increasing concerns that Russia could be prepared to use chemical weapons to attack Ukraine, with Western officials and strategists warning the threat posed by Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin in this regard is credible and serious.

In the last week, Russia itself has accused Ukraine of operating chemical and biological weapons laboratories backed by the U.S. The claims were roundly rebuffed by Ukrainian and Western officials, with the U.S. describing them as “outright lies.” But they have caused alarm nonetheless, with many officials seeing them as Russia inventing and building a false narrative and pretext for using its own chemical weapons against Ukraine, a prospect described as “horrific” by the U.S.

“Russia has a track record of accusing the West of the very crimes that Russia itself is perpetrating. These tactics are an obvious ploy by Russia to try to justify further premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified attacks on Ukraine,” State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement last week.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/14/could-russia-use-chemical-weapons-in-ukraine-the-threat-is-very-real.html





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[font size="8"]Ted Cruz
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If there’s one thing you should never, in a million years, ever do under any circumstances if you are a celebrity is say the six dreaded words: “Don’t you know who I am?”. Because if you say those words, you will get the absolute shit mocked out of you and you deserve every bit of it. The latest celebrity to pull that card? Why it’s our favorite Texas senator Ted Cruz (Q – Batshit)! That’s right – our old buddy Ted pulled the “don’t you know who I am?” card while he was vacationing in Montana. Wait, shouldn’t Ted be worried about the Texas energy crisis or getting prepared for what I’m sure will be an eventful hurricane season? Nah instead he’s out hunting or ski hunting in Montana. But what was he doing in Montana exactly? Especially with the Kentaji Brown Jackson hearings coming up? Well the entire thing is very weird and it gets weirder the more you dig into it. But of course that’s what we’re here to do so you don’t have to!

Ted Cruz reportedly had a run-in with airline staff at a Montana airport over the weekend, resulting in security being called.

A Reddit video shows the Texas senator, 51, standing masked at a check-in counter at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport on Sunday, speaking with personnel.

He is seen shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders in front of two staff members.

The clip then cuts to a slightly different angle, presumably some time later, in which a security officer is seen speaking with the Republican politician from a distance.

As seen in the comments from the Reddit user who claims to have recorded the exchange, Cruz apparently said something along the lines of, "Don't you know who I am?"
https://people.com/politics/ted-cruz-misses-flight-at-montana-airport-security-called-after-he-gets-unruly-reports/




Yeah so that happened! Shut up, Karen. I mean Ted. You know what? The last two years we’ve been looking for a male equivalent to the Karen meme. Can we please start referring to male Karens as “Teds” now? I bet Ted probably wasn’t asking to speak to the manager, though he easily could have. But this is too damn good after he was grilling Kentaji Brown Jackson about her integrity as a judge, woman, person, camera, TV… you see where I’m going with this. But I love this story and it really shows what a colossal asshole Ted Cruz is.

A security officer who was called to deal with a "frustrated" Sen. Ted Cruz after he missed his flight out of a Montana airport didn't recognize him, officials said.

A short video of Cruz at the airport was uploaded onto Reddit on Sunday.

The user who posted the clip said Cruz was "accosting airline employees" after missing his flight out of Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport. "Law enforcement had to be called when he wouldn't calm down," the user said.

Scott Humphrey, the airport's deputy director, told Newsweek that a public safety officer (PSO) who was in the airport's ticket lobby on Sunday morning was asked to "assist with a frustrated passenger at the United ticket counter."

"The passenger had missed the check-in window for his flight and re-booking options were limited out of Bozeman due to Spring Break," Humphrey added.
https://www.newsweek.com/ted-cruz-not-recognized-cop-montana-airport-frustrated-passenger-1690332




I could honestly say that for a lot of Saturday Night Live hosts lately! The difference is that Ted Cruz is a senator who makes national policy. But you know this paints a very slimy picture of the guy who is currently in the process of helping to select the next SCOTUS justice. We already have discussed his obsession with some insane children’s books but this takes things to a whole new level. And this is going full blown asshole here. As we made the Karen analogy earlier, Ted Cruz is exactly that – he’s a male Karen.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) continues to disgrace the surname of Cruz with his assholery. This time, the Cancun-loving senator, to whom I am not related, was so unruly and rude to airport staff at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport on Sunday that police had to be summoned.

In a video posted to the Bozeman subreddit, Cruz is seen arguing with employees after he missed his flight check-in. It’s unclear why he was in Montana in the first place, though we know he loves an ill-timed vacation. But he’s probably incensed for two reasons: First, and I can’t believe I’m giving him an out, I have a theory that airports with all their security theater turn us into our worst selves; though Cruz’s worst self is arguably much worse than most of ours. Second, Cruz needed to get out of Montana because he had a confirmation hearing to attend on Monday morning.

According to the redditor who shared the original video, Cruz was frustrated with the re-booking process and yelling obnoxious things, including, “Do you know who I am?”

The poster, who is presumably an airport employee, said Cruz “wasn’t given any special treatment (positively or negatively).”
https://jezebel.com/ted-cruz-rails-at-montana-airport-employees-do-you-kno-1848686677




Still don’t. But I love that detail of the story that should be much bigger but it really isn’t – Ted Cruz didn’t get any special treatment from the airport staff. And you know what? If you start becoming belligerent and obnoxious, you don’t deserve any special treatment either. And probably the police should be called. Which is exactly what happened. Here. I also love that he’s “frustrated” even though he's the one who started this whole thing. And not only that he should probably be put on the no fly list.

An airport public safety officer was “asked to assist with a frustrated passenger” when Texas Senator Ted Cruz missed his flight out of Montana on Sunday, a Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport official told the Daily Mail.

Cruz’s exchange with airport staff, which garnered national attention and became a punchline for late-night talk show hosts, was recorded by a bystander and posted on Reddit.

Scott Humphrey, the airport’s deputy director, confirmed the incident to the Daily Mail.

“One of our Public Safety Officers (PSO) was in the ticket lobby and was asked to assist with a frustrated passenger at the United ticket counter (which is not unusual),” Humphrey told the media outlet. “The passenger had missed the check-in window for his flight and re-booking options were limited out of Bozeman due to Spring Break.”

Humphrey also said the officer did not know the man involved was Cruz until after the incident.

The video does not capture what Cruz was telling airport staff. The person who posted the video later said that his “phrasing with ‘accosting’ was a bit hyperbolic” and said he did not believe Cruz was “directly verbally abusing airline staff.”
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2022/03/22/frustrated-ted-cruzs-exchange-with-montana-airport-staff-caught-on-camera/





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[font size="8"]That Former Guy
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Well another week and another Trump Barfs His Brain rally. And of course he says all the same bile and garbage you expect him to spew at this point. But I want to talk about what’s happening at Mar-A-Shithole for a minute. It’s becoming the destination of choice for racists and conspiracy theorists to hear crap from people like Steve Bannon and Roger Stone. Kind of like a really fucked up Studio 54. Studio Q Anon? I like that one Really, who wants to pay money to see that? And speaking of places to hear racists and sexists, we have to talk about Truth Social. That’s right – we can now add social media to the list of failed products sold under the Trump name, like vodka, steaks, airlines, casinos, bottled water, and the White House. Yes, Trump has treated his own social media platform the same way he treats umbrellas and discarded Big Mac wrappers. That’s right – he just throws it on the floor and expects someone else to clean up his mess. But come on, who really wants to pay $4.95 a month for an even more racist version of Twitter? Crap even Parler and Gab have TOS agreements.

As Donald Trump weighs another run for the White House, the twice-impeached former president has made a point of embarking on new business opportunities to increase his wealth and maintain his personal brand. But unfortunately for Trump, one of his most heavily promoted ventures—Truth Social—is currently looking less like a success and more like an embarrassing dud.

Even for a soft launch, Truth Social’s launch has been particularly soft. And after a botched rollout where most prospective users were simply added to a wait list, Trump has been grumbling about the app behind the scenes, according to two sources familiar with the matter, even as he’s tried to put on a brave face publicly.

In recent weeks, sources have heard the former president on the phone swearing gratuitously and asking things like, “What the fuck is going on” with Truth Social.

He’s repeatedly groused about the negative press and the less-than-stellar optics of the rollout, these sources said. And he’s demanded to know why more people aren’t using it—why the app isn’t swiftly dominating the competition.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-cant-stop-whining-about-his-failing-social-media-app-truth-social




Damn right! What a loser. Trump can wallow at Mar-A-Shithole all he wants. But this is hilarious – they spent MONTHS and hundreds of thousands of dollars overhyping this POS platform as the next Twitter and what did we get? We got a Twitter ripoff that even he barely uses. Here’s the thing – he doesn’t even use his own social media website that he created and has been floating through the conservative world! And MAGA social media influencers – yes that’s a thing – aren’t even really interested in it.

In the month since the launch of Truth Social, Donald Trump’s social media app, the former president hasn’t posted on it once.

Mr Trump, who was banned from Twitter after the January 2021 Capitol riot, founded the app with the help of a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). On 15 February, the ex-president posted on it for the first time.

“Get Ready!” he wrote. “Your favorite President will see you very soon!”

Since then, Truth users have not seen him. The app went live on 21 February, but Mr Trump did not post on that day either. Now an entire month has passed, and some are wondering if the former president has lost interest in the project.

“This is odd,” Maggie Haberman, a New York Times reporter who closely follows Mr Trump’s activities, commented on Twitter.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-truth-social-app-b2040851.html




But you know we got to switch gears and talk about what’s happening at the MAGA White House, or as I’ve been calling it – Mar-A-Shithole. It’s basically turned into a spring break party destination for racists and conspiracy theorists. And it’s getting weird. Like look at this footage of mermaids out by the Mar-A-Shithole pool. I wish I was making this up.

https://twitter.com/patriottakes/status/1508938201272139781

Think of this like Studio 54 for your racist uncle. You can attempt to class up the joint but it’s really the same shit with a fresh coat of paint It’s like putting a Bugatti in a trailer park. Oh wait that is real. Or it’s whatever the fuck this is.

https://twitter.com/realThomasLance/status/1507703704513916932

But yeah Trump is basically reduced to being a DJ at Mar-A-Shithole and it’s not sad.

Former President Donald Trump discussed his new sideline as a DJ for guests at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, and revealed his top choice for getting people onto the dance floor.

In an interview with YouTubers the NELK Boys for their "Full Send Podcast," Trump discussed his enthusiasm for music.

"I've always had a high aptitude for music," he said. "But I love great music."

When asked what music he likes to play for guests at his resort, he said "I pick the ones I like." Trump said he is a big fan of Broadway tunes, namechecking "Phantom of the Opera" and "Les Misérables."
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-says-dj-mar-a-lago-broadway-tunes-ymca-2022-3




Yes we do, sir! But come on, who doesn’t want to lighten up a party with the music of Phantom Of The Opera? And I can just hear Trump using a reggaeton horn. Come on everybody! Get it up! Let’s see those hands! Everyone who didn’t vote for me is a stupid loser! Fha fha fha fha fhaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! Yeah no it doesn’t work that way. But do we really buy his claim of a hole in one either? I am getting serious Goldfinger cheating vibes here.

Former President Donald Trump on Monday issued a formal statement using his official letterhead to let everyone know he nailed a golf shot.

“Many people are asking, so I’ll give it to you now, it is 100% true,” the statement began. He said he was playing at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, with pro golfers Ernie Els, Gene Sauers, Ken Duke and Mike Goodes, when “I made a hole-in-one.”

He then detailed the conditions in which he was playing and claimed he hit the ball “magnificently into a rather strong wind, with approximately 5 feet of cut, whereupon it bounced twice and then went clank, into the hole.”

He said he wouldn’t reveal who won the game “because I am a very modest individual, and you will then say I was bragging ― and I don’t like people who brag!”
https://ca.movies.yahoo.com/trump-issues-statement-telling-everyone-024134318.html





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[font size="8"]Holy Shit: 12th Century Imperialism
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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! Please be seated! You know we’ve been railing on white supremacists and racists for the last couple of weeks here. And of course they deserve every bit of shit that we can throw at them because, fuck racists. Yes, we’re allowed to swear in my church! Go ahead, let the expletives fly! You know you want to! Well, anyway we’re just about to find out where that movement is headed, courtesy of banned Twitter troll Nick Fuentes. Last week, Brother Nick pointed out that he loves him some good old fashioned 12th century imperialism. While most of us are horrified at Vladimir Putin’s illegal and immoral invasion and occupation of Ukraine, Fuentes is actively cheering Satan, er, Putin on. It’s truly disturbing to think where young conservatism is headed. Because these people actually listen to someone like Nick Fuentes, and that’s a scary thought. You should be listening to what the good LAWRD JAYSUS is telling you instead!

When Republican elected officials like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin were confronted over their appearance at the white nationalist America First Political Action Conference last month, they defended their decision to court this gathering of bigoted, racist, and misogynistic far-right activists by insisting that they were simply engaging “young conservatives” who love America.

Those “young conservatives” were brought together by white nationalist Nick Fuentes, who not only hates America but fundamentally despises the basic concept of democracy, preferring to go back to the days of Catholic monarchy, crusades, and inquisitions.

Fuentes has been unabashed about his love and admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his desire to see Russia conquer and crush the nation of Ukraine in order to humiliate the United States, which he calls “the great Satan.” During Wednesday night’s livestream, Fuentes attacked those who criticize his retrograde worldview by asserting that the 21st century “sucks” and democracy is worthless.

“I’m a reactionary,” Fuentes said. “I support autocracy.”

“I’m an 18th century thinker,” he continued. “[The] 21st century sucks. Okay? The 21st century is trash. You think the 21st century is good? It’s not.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/im-a-12th-century-man-white-nationalist-nick-fuentes-longs-for-the-days-of-catholic-monarchy-crusades-and-inquisitions/




Yeah you think? Well now an imperialistic autocratic society is not one that you want to live in. You do not want to live in a world run by white nationalists and religious extremists, because nothing ever ends well for those societies! Just look at Afghanistan or anywhere in Africa for that matter – these nations have been under decades and even centuries of war! That’s no life to live. You want PEACE. But you know what if these MAGA pastors and their congregations want to go to war? I say let ‘em. They can go fight a war in the Metaverse or something.

Last September, MAGA pastor Jackson Lahmeyer, who is challenging Sen. James Lankford in Oklahoma’s Republican primary, held a campaign event at which he was endorsed by right-wing activist Jarrin Jackson.

Speaking at the campaign rally, Jackson declared that he hopes to see the establishment of military tribunals that will send “godless commies” to “burn forever in a lake of fire.”

“Godless commies” is Jackson’s preferred term for basically anyone who doesn’t share his right-wing Christian nationalist worldview, and he has not been shy about repeatedly declaring that he wants to “shoot them in the face.”

Jackson is now running for a seat in the Oklahoma state Senate. Earlier this week, he released a campaign ad declaring that “we are at war with communism” and asking voters to “unleash me.”

“We are at war with communism,” Jackson says in the campaign ad, as he sharpens a knife. “Or I should say, communism is at war with us. This war is designed to not look like a war. They’re coming for our kids. They’ve destroyed the economy. They’ve hostaged the government. I’m a Bible-believing Christian. I believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. I also think it’s the only way we overcome. I think it’s the way that we win. I know it’s the way that we win. I’m running for state senate, and on June 28, I’d like to ask for your vote and for you to unleash me.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/send-me-to-war-jarrin-jackson-is-running-for-office/




No, these are the people who we do not need in charge right now! They do not support the work of JAYSUS! Oh no. They support the unholy, ungodly Dark One. And by that I of course speak of a man so foul, so depraved and disgusting that his name dare NOT be spoken in my church! These are the kind of people who want to turn the world into Afghanistan. They do not have our good intentions, they have the exact opposite – they are the worst of the bunch! So if you see someone like this running or listening to them on TV or the internet, be afraid!

Patrick Howley is a racist, antisemitic, anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist who writes for the National File and hosts a weekend program on the Patriot’s Soapbox, a streaming network popular with QAnon conspiracy theorists.

During Sunday’s episode of his “The Campaign Show,” Howley had a screaming meltdown over the fact that he has not achieved the comfortable life to which he believes he is “entitled” as a white man in America and that he is instead being “screwed” by a system that is actively trying to replace him with non-white citizens and committing genocide against white people.

“Every single arm of this crooked wicked system is mobilizing to screw me and everyone like me, and no one is coming to save us. And yes, I’m complaining about it,” Howley screamed. “Where’s the manager? I want to see the manager!. I want to speak to the manager! I have a fucking complaint!”

“I’m tired of waiting in line when I know that the line is simply leading to genocide,” he continued. “We are sick and damn tired of being disparaged, of being told that we are lazy, of being told that we are bad people, of being told that we’re whining about the fact that we are being replaced in our own country, which we actually love even though it doesn’t love us back anymore.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/i-want-to-see-the-manager-white-nationalist-patrick-howley-has-a-meltdown/




Of course they’re not, Reverend! I cannot stress this enough – these people do not represent the best of America. They represent America at its’ absolute worst. These are not the followers of JAYSUS. They are the followers of the devil, SAYTAN, Putin, and of course the unholy Dark One! And how is this not a direct violation of IRS 503c rules? How come churches can keep hosting Q Anon events and getting away with it? But for now we at least know where the Q Anon movement is heading and it’s not a good direction.

In addition to being a self-proclaimed “prophet” and an unapologetic QAnon conspiracy theorist, Johnny Enlow is a proponent of Seven Mountains Dominionism—a radical theology that teaches that right-wing Christians are to take control over every aspect of society. Last Saturday, Enlow showcased the theology when he prayed over and “commissioned” three Republican candidates running for office in Oregon at the “Restore: Government and Economy” summit held at Eagle Mountain Apostolic Resource Center in Bend, Oregon.

In the audience were Marc Thielman, who is running for governor, Darin Harbick, who is running for the U.S. Senate, and Patti Adair, who is seeking reelection as a county commissioner. At the invitation of Eagle Mountain’s senior leader Bobby Haaby, all three candidates stood on stage as Enlow prayed over them.

“Lord, we commission them in your name,” Enlow declared. “And whatever that means, represents, and is imparted to them in the spirit realm of apostolic commissioning, let that be released over them. Even right now, Lord, let the new angels that come with that commissioning be released to them right now; angels that protect their household, angels that protect their relationships—the husband and wife, the family, the children, all aspects of it—let that new shield come around all of them even at this time.”

“Lord, you’re showing me and want me to tell them all that you’ve already won,” Enlow continued. “Whatever we contend for we actually get. Whatever we contend for, we penetrate with the kingdom of God. So when you have that interest, what you’re contending for, it will leave a mark of Heaven in that place, no matter what. And so if he considers it best for you to win, then you’re going to officially win out there. But it’s a win for the Kingdom of God just the fact that you have said, ‘We’re going for this position.’ He says it will be penetrated in the spirit: it will forever be a marked as kingdom territory.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/qanon-prophet-johnny-enlow-prayed-over-and-commissioned-three-gop-candidates/




These are the people who need a good old fashioned smoting! Oh LAWRD please smiteth them and I will return the favor somehow! But we will keep an eye on these freaks. Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:




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[font size="8"]People Who Somehow Got Elected: Ken Paxton
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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- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. While everyone points fingers at Texas’ notoriously toxic and abusive Fox loving governor Greg Abbott for most of the states’ problems, keep in mind that all abusers have their enablers that allow them to get away with their abusive behavior. Greg Abbott has Ken Paxton and Dan Patrick. These two enable him to get away with the things that he’s been able to get away with, but that also doesn’t excuse these two for their equally toxic behavior. But this is about Ken Paxton, and wait until you see what he’s been able to get away with. That’s right – he just flat out declared the annual celebration of LGBT individuals known as “Pride Week” illegal. And seriously that works about as well as Michael Scott attempting to declare bankruptcy in The Office. But needless to say this one act has people in Texas up in arms. It’s shockingly illegal and probably will not hold up in court, but they actually went there anyways.

The attorney general of Texas has declared a school district’s celebration of LGBTQ+ students “sex education” and in violation of Texas law.

For the past eight years, students in the Austin Independent school district have held a district-wide Pride week as a chance to celebrate LGBTQ+ students, staff and families in the district, according to the district’s website.

But on Tuesday, the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, sent a letter to the school district calling Pride week “sex education” and notifying the school that without parental consent, the celebration is “breaking state law”.

“The Texas legislature has made it clear that when it comes to sex education, parents – not school districts – are in charge,” said Paxton in his letter shared to Twitter.

“By hosting ‘Pride week’, your district has, at best, undertaken a week-long instructional effort in human sexuality without parental consent,” continued Paxton. “Or, worse, your district is cynically pushing a week-long indoctrination of your students that not only fails to obtain parental consent, but subtly cuts parents out of the loop. Either way, you are breaking state law.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/24/texas-attorney-general-pride-week-breaking-state-law




You can’t just declare it illegal, Ken. It doesn’t work that way. And you can also appeal to Fox News viewers all you want, but the half of America that’s not batshit insane, we see through your BS and will eventually oust you. But why is one particular school district in Austin the target of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton? Well Mr. Paxton is firmly in the Q Anon cult and the Q cult loves to claim that they’re doing their dirty deeds “to protect children”. But they are clearly not protecting children, their policies are doing far more harm than they are actually helping. This is mainly to score points with Fox News viewers and that’s about it.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has accused the Austin school district of breaking state law with Pride Week activities that he characterized as attempts to indoctrinate students with liberal attitudes on sexual orientation and gender identity.

"Liberal school districts are aggressively pushing LGBTQ+ views on Texas Kids!" Paxton said Tuesday night on Twitter, where he announced his campaign against the district's "immoral and illegal" Pride Week celebration, which began Monday.

Austin school officials fired back, accusing Paxton of launching a misguided attack designed to score political points at the expense of students.

"I want all our LGBTQIA+ students to know that we are proud of them and that we will protect them against political attacks," Superintendent Stephanie S. Elizalde replied on Twitter.
https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2022/03/23/ag-ken-paxton-austin-isd-clash-over-lgbtq-pride-week/7140352001/




Well it’s good to know that the superintendent of the school board in Austin that’s being targeted by Paxton is smarter than he is. See let us spell it out for you – allowing people to be inclusive helps them as much as it helps us. By openly being a bigot and listening to what your News Corp. overlords tell you, then you’re just hurting yourself. But here’s the thing that AG Paxton and people like him fail to understand is that they’re not helping children and they’re definitely not stopping any sexual predators, this is a shout out to Q Anon.

Texas superintendent Stephanie S. Elizalde clapped back against Attorney General Ken Paxton over an LGBTQ+ inclusive school event.

For the last few months, Paxton has made horrific and harmful comments towards the LGBTQ+ community – specifically queer and trans youth.

Recently, he accused the Austin Independent School District (AISD) of breaking “Texas law” due to their recent Pride Week celebration.

The annual event, which took place between 21 March and 26 March, celebrated “LGBTQIA+ students, staff and families.”

Even though the week-long festivities have been a yearly staple within the district, Paxton released a letter on 22 March denouncing the inclusive event.
https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/life/texas-superintendent-effortlessly-shuts-down-attorney-general-over-pride-week-complaints/




So if there’s one thing that we’ve learned in this day and age is that if you tell someone not to do something they’re going to do it anyways. It’s the classic “I know you are but what am I” argument from children’s TV shows. And this Texas school board that was being targeted by AG Paxton? Well they’re going ahead with their Pride Week celebration anyways, because fuck him and fuck Fox News, that’s why! Let Rupert Murdoch and the Q Anon crowd wallow in their own crapulence. It’s important to let people just be themselves without fear of bigotry.

On Saturday morning, the courtyard at Eastside Early College High School in Austin looks like a “rainbow threw up,” according to Melissa Kender.

There are rainbow flags, rainbow pins, rainbow dresses and shirts and face paint. Kender, an assistant principal at Dobie Middle School, wears a T-shirt proclaiming “Dobie Pride” in rainbow letters.

Kender attended Saturday’s “Pride Out!” event, the culmination of Austin Independent School District’s weeklong celebration of LGBTQ identities, with her wife, Caitlin.

“It’s just really important to us that kids know that we will protect them and celebrate them, no matter how they identify,” Melissa Kender said.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2022/03/26/paxton-lgbtq-pride-austin-isd/




So that’s Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton – he attempted to declare Pride Week illegal but it backfired on him spectacularly. Just another shining example in the ever growing list of:





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[font size="8"]This Fucking Guy: Dr. Oz
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This week’s This Fucking Guy is someone who you may already have heard of and someone who got destroyed by John Oliver – Dr. Oz. Yes, that Dr. Mehmet Oz. You know him as the “doctor” who rose to fame after getting endorsed by Oprah. Well now he’s back in the news for a variety of reasons and none of them are particularly flattering. That said there’s a number of fictional doctors who I would trust over the real Dr. Oz. There’s Dr. Nick. Dr. Spaceman, Dr. Vinny Boom Botz, Dr. Scholl’s, Dr. Feelgood, Dr. Strangelove, I could go on and on. But here’s the thing is that Dr. Oz is full on board the MAGA Trump train. So much that he basically bought his way into the President’s Fitness Council. I mean come on, what president do you trust on fitness more than a guy who eats Big Macs in bed while yelling at 8 different TVs and then throwing the empty wrappers on the ground? Not to mention probably has not exercised in years. Well of course his embrace of Trumpism is getting him in trouble with the current president and that’s why he’s being asked to leave.

The White House has asked two Trump-appointed members of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition to resign from their posts or be fired.

On Wednesday, the White House sent letters to Dr Mehmet Oz and former football star Herschel Walker – two Republican Senate candidates in Pennsylvania and Georgia, respectively – asking them to submit their resignations or face termination.

“On behalf of President Biden, I am writing to request your resignation as a Member of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition,” wrote Gautam Raghavan, an assistant to Joe Biden. “Please submit your resignation to me by the close of business today. Should we not receive your resignation, your position with the council will be terminated effective 6.00pm tonight.”

Oz and Walker were appointed to the council in 2018 by then president Donald Trump. In December 2020, before leaving office, Trump reappointed them for an additional two-year term.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/24/dr-oz-herschel-walker-president-sports-council




OK first off, STFU Dr. Oz! Politicizing health? That’s your main objective here? No one politicized health more than your former boss did. Of course that’s because he didn’t give a shit about health in the first place. I always love when the people who say we shouldn’t politicize anything are the ones who politicize everything. So who’s Biden going to replace Dr. Oz with? Well as you can imagine, someone who is actually qualified on the subject and not a quack TV doctor who hawks bullshit protein supplements on late night TV. And guess what? Dr. Oz’s replacement is celebrity chef Jose Andres!

"I would think record-high energy prices, a 40-year high with inflation, and the tragedy with Ukraine would be a more important priority."

Oz and the White House have been contacted for additional comment.

On Wednesday, the White House announced that Biden intends to appoint chef José Andrés and WNBA player Elena Delle Donne as co-chairs of the presidential council.

"Completely honored by this appointment, especially to co-chair this committee alongside someone as generous, kind, and talented as Chef José Andrés," Donne said on Twitter.

"Thank you @POTUS! I look forward to building awareness around the best ways to take care of our minds and bodies."
https://www.newsweek.com/dr-oz-biden-petty-resign-presidents-council-1691278




Yes so Biden is actually appointing someone who is far more deserving! But guess what? That hasn’t stopped this fucking guy Dr. Oz from claiming that he was prematurely terminated from his position – and I’m sure that it has nothing to do with his failed senate campaign. For which nobody in Pennsylvania asked for or wanted! So of course he retreats to Newsmax to talk about how he’s being disrespected and resorts to the usual brand of childish name calling and finger pointing that conservatives so often do when they’re caught being stupid and unqualified for the subject they’re supposed to speak on.

Anthony Fauci, MD, doesn’t serve on the President's Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition. But Mehmet Oz, MD, still brought up Fauci in response to the Biden Administration asking both him and Herschel Walker to resign from the Council.

Both Oz, who previously had hosted The Dr. Oz Show, and Walker, who was a star running back in college and the NFL, had become Council members during the Trump Administration, being appointed by then-U.S. President Donald Trump. Now, both Oz and Walker are running for U.S. Senate seats as Republican Senate candidates in Pennsylvania and Georgia, respectively. According to Donald Judd and Maegan Vazquez reporting for CNN, a White House official indicated that the Biden administration has a policy that doesn’t allow those running for federal office to serve on Presidential boards. That apparently prompted the Biden Administration to ask Oz and Walker on March 23 to resign:

As you can see, Oz mentioned Covid in his tweet even though he was sked to resign from the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition and not the President's Council on Covid, Covid, and Covid. He didn’t mention Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), in these tweets, even though some of his previous tweets have been rather Fauci-centric, as I covered for Forbes on February 28. Heck, on Valentine’s Day, Oz tweeted, “Roses are red, violets are blue, Dr. Fauci lied to you. Happy Valentine's Day to everyone except Fauci!”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2022/03/27/dr-mehmet-oz-asked-to-resign-from-presidents-council-brings-up-dr-fauci-again/?sh=115d234b4f2f




That’s right! Dr. Oz didn’t “clap back” at anyone. He’s just acting like a stupid spoiled child who’s screaming for his parents to buy him a toy at Target. And here’s the thing too Dr. Oz, you wouldn’t know authoritarianism if it jumped up and bit you! Fox News is actively leading the way for the US to become under authoritarian rule and you’re a very active member of the Trump cult! You might want to sit down on this one. Oh by the way, how’s that Senate candidate of yours going along?

A new poll of Pennsylvania’s Republican Senate primary gives us one of our first solid looks at a nationally watched campaign, and it shows former hedge fund executive David McCormick vaulting ahead of celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz.

The findings mirror what another public survey, from the conservative Washington Free Beacon, showed earlier in the week, and what more than a half-dozen GOP insiders described in recent interviews.

The Fox News poll released late Tuesday found McCormick with 24% of the GOP primary vote, compared to 15% for Oz. Real estate developer Jeff Bartos and conservative commentator Kathy Barnette each had 9%, while former ambassador to Denmark Carla Sands had 6%. Philadelphia attorney George Bochetto and whistleblower Everett Stern got 1% each.

The survey of 960 Pennsylvania Republicans has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/pa-2022-senate-race-poll-mccormick-oz-20220309.html




That’s quack TV doctor, fired and spoiled MAGA child, and now failed Pennsylvania senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz, this week’s:





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[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!



You know with all of the truly dark shit in the world – the only solution is to belly up to the bar with some drinks and talk about anything but all the dark shit happening in the world. That’s what we do here! And I was going to save this topic for next week, but I got bombarded for requests for it on our various social media sites. That topic of course is the Oscars and what wen t between Will Smith and Chris Rock. So tell me bartender, what goes well with a story about a guy getting sucker punched in the face live on stage? Fruit punch and vodka? OK that’s hilarious. But since this does involve a fight I feel like I need the strongest beer you got and the largest glass you got. Because this whole story is truly insane and it all happened in the span of a minute. But at least Will Smith did what no Best Picture in the last five years has managed to do and that’s get people talking about the Oscars again! Oh come on, sir, name one movie in the last five years that’s won Best Picture. You can’t do it can you? Well for those of you who didn’t see it, we’re not going to encourage that sort of thing so we won’t show the footage but you can Google it for yourself. Anyway here’s what went down.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in a statement issued on Monday condemned the actions of best actor winner Will Smith after the "King Richard" star stormed the stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock in the face during Sunday's Oscars ceremony.

"The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night's show," the statement said. "We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law."

Earlier on Monday, CNN learned that Academy leadership "strongly considered" removing Smith from the Oscars telecast after the incident, according to a source close to the situation.

"Academy leadership strongly considered removing Will Smith from last night's broadcast following the incident. There were immediate discussions but the Academy decision makers were seated in various spots in the Dolby Theater and couldn't mobilize to make a decision before he won best actor," the source said.

Smith apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees during his best actor acceptance speech.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/28/entertainment/academy-members-discuss-will-smith-oscars-slap/index.html




Holy shit! So that happened! Here’s the thing – we don’t condone what Chris Rock said about Jada but we can all agree that he crossed the line, right? But Will Smith going up to him and punching him in the face definitely killed whatever mood that was left in that room that evening. It also I’m sure ruined his night when he actually finally won a Best Actor Oscar. And now that is actually in jeopardy as the Academy is actually having a closed door discussion about what to do about this incident which is getting everyone involved some very bad press. But the question on the table now is why wasn’t Mr. Smith ejected from the Oscars after the slap? Well it might look bad if he were the first Best Actor winner to not be there at the actual award presentation.

Will Smith’s slap heard around the world begs the question — what does it take to get kicked out of the Oscars?

When last night’s best actor winner assaulted presenter Chris Rock during the Academy Awards on Sunday, television history was made — as was the collective undoing of Hollywood decorum. But why wasn’t Smith ejected from the ceremony for the internationally televised incident?

Shock, for starters, numerous sources close to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences told Variety. It’s evident from social media accounts and wide reports from inside the telecast that many attendees were dumfounded by the act, unsure if it was a bit between the two famous men or an intentional attack.

Adjacent to Hollywood’s Dolby Theater in the Lowes Hotel, on site at the annual Governor’s Ball post-reception, Academy leadership convened to discuss protocol, one insider said. The Academy is a nonprofit organization ruled by bylaws, and sources say there appear to be no provisions addressing open-hand smacking across the face on the live show.
https://variety.com/2022/film/news/why-will-smith-wasnt-ejected-from-oscars-chris-rock-slap-1235217098/




Who wants a shot? Shots shots shots shots shots shots! And by the way what do actual actors think about this whole shindig? It was totally insane. Not only that, but Mr. Smith’s half-assed apology during his acceptance speech made the whole thing that much weirder. And the more you do a deep dive down the proverbial “rabbit hole”, the weirder it gets. And one of my favorite actors, Jim Carrey, had some very choice words for the crowd that was there that night. They shouldn’t have been applauding Mr. Smith after what he did, and the fact that it got any applause is totally weird.

Jim Carrey has something to say about Will Smith’s behavior at the Oscars. While appearing on CBS Mornings, Carrey said he was “sickened by the standing ovation. Hollywood is just spineless en masse and it really felt like this is a really clear indication that we aren’t the cool club anymore.”

Carrey also said Smith should have been arrested but, as host Gayle King pointed out, Chris Rock declined to file charges. “He didn’t want the hassle,” Carrey said of Rock, who was slapped on camera by Smith after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s appearance. “I’d have announced this morning that I was suing Will for 200 million dollars because that video is going to be there forever, it’s going to be ubiquitous. That insult is gonna last a very long time. If you want to yell from the audience and show disapproval or say something on Twitter, you do not have the right to walk up on stage and smack somebody in the face ‘cuz they said words.”

When King suggested the incident “escalated,” Carrey cut her off by saying “It didn’t escalate, it came out of nowhere because Will has something going on inside him that’s frustrated.”
https://deadline.com/2022/03/jim-carrey-calls-oscar-audience-spineless-will-smith-standing-ovation-1234990109/




I honestly don’t think that bottle is big enough! And if you think you’ve heard the last of this incident, oh it’s not over. Not by any stretch of the imagination. But this might be my favorite part of this whole ugly story. You know how whenever someone does something this crazy that people resort to sending hateful messages to the wrong person with the same name? Well that happened. And Maryland State Senator Will Smith is getting some hateful shit being flung at him unnecessarily. You know people, if you’re mad at something, at least take the time to understand who it is you’re being mad at, exactly, because if you don’t, the wrong people get hurt.

One of Maryland's most powerful elected officials is being confused for actor Will Smith, who slapped Academy Awards presenter Chris Rock in the face Sunday night after he made a joke about the hairstyle of Smith's wife, actor Jada Pinkett Smith, on national television.

Some of the messages directed to state Sen. Will Smith (D-Montgomery), the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee chair, lawyer, and veteran, have not been very kind. In fact, some are outright vulgar.

"Why you hit Chris Rock B****," said one message posted on Del. David Moon's (D-Montgomery) Twitter page.

"I threw my remote at my tv so my 5 year old daughter wouldn't see your violent behavior," another post read.

Rock, the host of the 94th Academy Awards, joked about Pinkett Smith's shaved head, as she was sitting next to her husband, a nominee for best actor.
https://foxbaltimore.com/news/offbeat/confused-people-sending-maryland-senator-will-smith-harsh-tweets-following-oscars-slap-academy-awards-will-smith-slaps-chris-rock-jada-pinkett-gi-jane-2-david-moon





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[font size="8"]Stupidest State 2022
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16 states will enter and only one state will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!



Wow, last week we had one for the ages as not one, but both #4 squads upset their #3 rivals to advance to the Elite 8! The biggest shocker was that underdogs Missouri pulled out a win against heavily favored Florida with a batshit insane new law that calls to “Preserve the Second Amendment” that is making things really difficult for law enforcement! Meanwhile, over in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, #4 Nebraska routed favored #3 Nevada to advance to their first Elite 8! This week we’re live at the home of the Sacramento Kings, the fabulous Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, with all the action! This week, in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, #1 Kansas looks to unseat challengers #2 Delaware, while over in the Gun Nut Conference, #1 Texas is bringing their big guns to the dance against #2 Idaho! Let’s go to the floor, shall we?

[font size="4"]Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference Round 1: #1 Kansas Vs #2 Delaware [/font]

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


Kansas takes the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference a lot and that’s mainly because they’re the home of Koch Industries and the Heritage Foundation – two groups that have been championing the idea of Americans voting against their best interests for over half a century. So what are they doing to destroy the state of Kansas this year? Well they’ve got a lot up their evil sleeves. For starters they have a giant well that’s being dug in Western Kansas that’s not only a literal hole in the ground, it’s becoming a hole in the state budget too. And here’s the kicker – nobody really knows where the money is going!

In the last few days, both chambers of the Kansas Legislature passed the APEX Act, which stands for Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion. By the time you read this, the governor already signed the damned thing, offering the Sunflower state’s mystery date a $1 billion valentine.

If there were any doubts that state government in Kansas is absolutely committed to secrecy, this deal should put an end to them. We came to expect secrecy under the administration of Sam Brownback, but it hasn’t gotten much better under Kelly. Individuals privy to the identity of the mystery firm, from those in the commerce department to the Statehouse, are bound by nondisclosure agreements. The idea of such a massive state effort to lure a private sector firm to Kansas being shrouded in layers of secrecy leaves a stench that won’t soon be forgotten.

What we do know has come out in dribs and drabs, little teasers to make us feel better about what we don’t know. The private sector firm would employ 4,000, be a feather in our economic cap, and “inject $4 billion” into the Kansas economy. Of course the identity and even nature of the firm must be kept secret, because that’s just the way it goes these days in the high-stakes world of business incentives; such disclosure might spook the potential investor, as a skittish and monied deer in the terrifying spotlight of public disclosure.
https://kansasreflector.com/2022/02/13/kansas-is-digging-a-1-billion-mystery-hole-what-could-go-wrong/




That’s about as accurately a portrayal of what it’s like to have a giant hole in your state that’s literally going nowhere. But in case you’re wondering – no we don’t see things improving in Kansas anytime soon so we will keep nominating them to be the Stupidest State. And what is being done about this you might ask? Well Kansas Republicans are aiming their sights on permanently being able to keep their jobs so it’s going to be same shit, different year!

A redistricting plan aimed at preserving the Republican supermajority in the Kansas Senate cleared the chamber Thursday on a bipartisan vote.

The bill, approved 28-8, would create two districts with a pair of incumbents each. It could force Republican Sens. Michael Fagg, of El Dorado, and Rick Wilborn, of McPherson, to face off in 2024, while Republican Sen. Beverly Gossage, of Eudora, has a potential race that year against Democratic Sen. Tom Holland, of Baldwin City.

The measure goes next to the House.

Two new Senate districts would have no incumbent, one in Johnson County and another linking eastern Topeka and northwestern Lawrence. The Kansas Constitution requires lawmakers to redraw political boundaries this year to make districts as equal in population as possible after 10 years of population shifts.
https://wacotrib.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/plan-aimed-at-keeping-gop-supermajority-clears-kansas-senate/article_ee6dc3cc-3b96-5ef5-b923-b5229fc8c44b.html




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


Now I know what you’re thinking – isn’t Delaware a blue state? Yes they are. Shut up. Why am I telling you to shut up you might ask? Well it’s because no state, not even my home state of California – the bluest blue state that’s ever blued – is immune from shitty ultra-right wing lawmakers. That’s right, they’re everywhere, and they’re like locusts destroying everything in their paths. For one thing did you know that the First State is home to one of the largest for profit prisons in the entire country? And they seem keen on emphasizing that they are “for profit”.

Connections Community Support Programs has agreed to pay more than $15 million to settle charges of fraud and controlled substances allegations.

CCSP provided health care services for Delaware’s prison system since 2014 and behavioral health treatment since 2012. The Department of Correction ended its contract with Connections in early 2020.

A review of the Connections’ performance in 2019 found health care behind bars was not improving. That review came amid increased scrutiny from state lawmakers and reports that health care staffers were forced to forge documents to falsely state prisoners were getting mental health treatment they never received.

The family of Luis Cabrera had also sued Connections over his 2018 death while in prison. They claimed Cabrera “died in agony” after medical staff allegedly ignored his symptoms of severe stomach pain and failed to provide adequate medical care. Cabrera died in his cell three days later of a perforated ulcer in his small intestine.

Read more: https://www.phillytrib.com/news/state_and_region/former-delaware-prison-health-care-provider-to-pay-15m-to-settle-federal-lawsuits/article_599818a4-d297-5ca7-b9a2-ca223d69bc0c.html




And then not only are they home to for profit prisons, they’re also home to for profit health care! And remember the days of Martin Shkreli and for profit pharmaceutical companies where they were charging $850 for a medication that really only costs $15? Well there’s a Wilmington based company called Incyte that you really should be aware of and they are just as corrupt as any other company in this industry. If someone says they are for profit, be very wary, they are not your friends!

Incyte, a Wilmington pharmaceutical company, has agreed to pay $12.6 million to settle allegations it used an independent foundation to induce Medicare and Tricare patients to purchase the company's drugs.

The Department of Justice alleged that from November 2011 through December 2014, Incyte used the nonprofit as a conduit to pay the copays for patients taking Jakafi, a drug approved in 2011 to treat myleofibrosis that has fueled the company's growth over the past decade.

In a statement, Incyte denied any wrongdoing and said the settlement is not an admission of liability.

"This resolution simply reflects Incyte's desire to put this matter behind it and to continue to prioritize the health and wellbeing of individuals with serious life-threatening conditions," the statement reads.

Read more: https://www.delawareonline.com/story/money/business/2021/05/05/incyte-pay-12-6-million-settle-allegations-operated-kickback-scheme/4960774001/




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

Oh no question about this one – Kansas scored 25 unanswered points in the second half to take the lead and they are winning the game with less than 30 seconds to go! That’s all she wrote folks! The final score is 93 – 81. Kansas will move on and Delaware will go home! Kansas will face Nebraska in the Elite 8!

[font size="4"]Gun Nut Conference : #1 Texas vs #2 Idaho [/font]

[font size="4"]Texas [/font]


Texas takes the Gun Nut Conference 9 times out of 10 for a reason. Hell everyone knows that Texas loves and embraces the firearm. Last year’s champions are looking to repeat this year and they are rested and ready. Well only in America could a bunch of kids bring air guns to school and it barely makes the news. That’s because we’re so numb to this kind of thing that we honestly don’t pay much attention to it anymore. That’s what happens with epidemics – they just get pushed to the background. And this is very sad because it kills people. And unlike the other epidemic right now, this one isn’t going away unless we actually do something about it.

Law Enforcement officials detained five Royce City High School students for participating in the TikTok ‘Orbeez Challenge’ on March 25.

The viral challenge involves using air guns to shoot Orbeez — gel beads that expand in water — at people. The gel beads are bigger than a BB, roughly half the size of a marble and can cause serious injury.

In a letter to parents, school officials said students involved in the challenge will face serious consequences. The students who were detained were caught in the parking lot before school doing the challenge.

Calling it “yet another senseless trend that is disrupting the school environment and causing a strain on law enforcement,” the school urged parents to talk to their children about decision making. “The choices that students make today can significantly impact their future. Please be involved in their online presence. We need your help.”
https://www.kwtx.com/2022/03/25/texas-high-school-students-detained-allegedly-participating-tiktok-orbeez-challenge/




Gee, you think bringing a fucking gun to school to satisfy a fucking Tik Tok challenge might be, I don’t know, a bad idea? God the stupid burns. And I personally blame the NRA for this. because it’s giving the ultra right wing lawmakers excuses to do some really evil shit. While most of us in the country want fewer firearms and more access to gun safety training and making it harder to get guns, Texas seems to be going in literally the exact opposite direction!

On June 17, 2021, Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law a bill affirming what every Texan, deep down, has always believed: Law-abiding citizens over 21 have a right to carry handguns in public. No license, permit or test required.

Before you grab your handgun, however, you should know some details of this “permitless carry” law.

You can carry the handgun openly or concealed, but it must be in a holster.

Only qualified Texas residents and nonresidents are eligible to carry under the law. If you are prohibited from possessing guns under either state or federal law, then you cannot possess or carry handguns, even under the new law.
https://www.dallasnews.com/sponsored/2022/03/06/permitless-carry-the-law-and-handguns-in-texas/




[font size="4"]Idaho [/font]


The Gem State is back in the Gun Nut Conference for another go round! They are also tanned, rested and ready to take on the big dogs in Texas! So what are the Gun Nuts’ credentials you might ask? Well there’s a city in Idaho that has literally gone full vigilante to appease the conservative base that’s moving there in droves to escape the “insane left wing policies”. Really? Then what do you call a town full of gun toting psychopaths there? And where’s that old saying about how an armed society is a polite society? I mean come on.

Linda Navarre moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, from Cleveland in 1978, when the town consisted of people in the timber industry and hippies “and they all got along.”

Now she barely recognizes the small resort community near the Canadian border that is quickly growing as people disenchanted with big city life move there. Many are conservatives fed up with liberal politics in blue states.

“The division gets wider and wider,” Navarre said, adding many of the new arrivals are changing the civility of the community. “My concern is there are so many people who are not nice.”



To capitalize on that trend, a growing number of real estate companies are advertising themselves to people on the right, saying they can take them out of liberal bastions like Seattle and San Francisco and find them homes in places like rural Idaho.
https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2022/03/idaho-city-markets-itself-as-escape-from-insane-left-wing-politics-out-of-control-crime.html




My god I can’t even imagine what that must be like to not even to be able to trust your own shadow, but that’s what happens when you swing with the Q Anon nutjobs. And by the way Idaho is joining the states with the increasingly weakest gun laws. Yeah once again we can thank the NRA for this because they are doing this to us. It doesn’t matter how many people they kill, it only matters that people are buying guns en masse and gun makers are making those sweet, sweet profits!


Jacqui Hamilton, volunteer state chapter co-lead for Moms Demand Action Idaho, which is associated with Everytown for Gun Safety, believes the Gem State can do better to protect people from gun violence.

"It's disheartening," Hamilton stated. "I grew up here, I grew up in Idaho; we moved here when I was 13 in 1982. My family has hunted. We've owned firearms in our house, but we also practice safety."

The report noted Idaho has the fourth-highest rate of gun ownership in the country, and also the fourth-highest rate of gun suicides. Groups supporting gun use and ownership argued laws restricting access violate Americans' Second-Amendment rights.

Hamilton countered there are laws on the books in other states Idaho lawmakers could pass to promote gun safety.
https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2022-03-04/gun-violence-prevention/study-id-among-states-with-weakest-gun-safety-laws/a78145-1




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

No contest here again! Idaho gave Texas a run for their money, but Texas is up by ten with less than a minute to go in the second half. Texas for three… YES!!! And that will seal the deal! Texas is moving on to the Final Four to face red hot underdog Missouri! Final score: 87 – 74. Texas will be moving on, Missouri will go home.

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

Wow, can you believe we’re at the last week of Round 1 already? Well believe it because next week it’s Round 1 Week 4 and we’re live at the home of the Anaheim Ducks, Honda Center in Anaheim, California as #1 Georgia looks to battle #2 Iowa for reigning control of the Batshit Conference, while over in the Family Values Conference, #3 Indiana takes on #4 Tennessee. The Elite 8 is shaping up!


[font size="4"]And Now This: [/font]
[font size="4"]AFI[/font]



Ladies and gentlemen, my next guest is an awesome punk band from Sacramento, you can see them on tour this August – September. They just released their 10th album called “Bodies”. Playing their song “Dulceria”, give it up for AFI!



Thank you Houston! This was fun! We’re off to Atlanta, GA, the ATL next! See you next week!

Credits

Host: Initech
AFI Appears Courtesy Of: Ex Nocteum Nacimur Music
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Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo

March 24, 2022

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-8: Ba da da da da I'm Nyet Loving It Edition


Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-8: Ba da da da da I’m Nyet Loving It Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Yo what’s up Phoenix? How are you all doing out there? You doing fucking good? Great! So last week on Twitter, I unveiled our new updated Top 10 logo for support of the Ukraine in this awful and illegal invasion and occupation from Russia. Because fuck Putin, that’s why! And we will be using this logo throughout the duration of this season and even into next season. And also Stupidest State is well underway! Who do you have picked to win the whole thing in your bracket? I know who I have picked but I won’t say anything! Do we have time for the thing? Of course we do! So one of my favorite albums ever turns 40 this year. I’m of course talking about a metal album from a little known band called Iron Maiden. Yeah I hope they make it! I kid. That album of course is their legendary 1982 album called The Number Of The Beast. Yay!!! Oh the kids love that album don’t they? It’s like Back In Black – it’s one of those albums that just transcends time and space and you can enjoy it no matter what you’re feeling that day and it’s survived generations. I mean really even 100 years from now people will still be listening to this album. Of course that’s assuming that humanity survives another 100 years (cue another Maiden song – 2 Minutes To Midnight) ! And there’s a lot of interesting things coming out about this album that were previously only die-hard Maiden fans knew about - like who did the voiceover for Number Of The Beast, or whether or not the studio was haunted, or that The Prisoner is actually an homage to the classic British show The Prisoner. But it’s a great album and if you’ve never listened to it, drop what you’re doing right now and go listen! Or if you have listened, listen to it 666 more times! See what I did there? OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to, but first I have to play this awesome SNL sketch from last week where they show the convenience and also danger of Amazon’s crazy new retail venture:



Where do we begin this week? We’re out of the frying pan and into the fire! In the number one slot this week goes to GOP Congressional Members (1). While the US is doing everything possible to distance themselves from the Ukraine – Russian war, there are members of Congress who are siding with Russia and their votes are saying more than words ever could! Yes, we’re looking at you, Marjorie Taylor Greene! Speaking of insane, in the number 2 slot this week is the GQP (2). Ah, see what I did there? Because when all else fails and you can’t overturn an election, what do you do? You resort to making up batshit crazy theories about Hunter Biden’s laptop, because they just can’t let that shit go! In the number 3 slot this week is Vladimir Putin (3). While the illegal and immoral Ukraine invasion is having broad implications for Der Vladdy, it’s affecting his own citizens who have taken to an unlikely source of unification: McDonalds! That’s right – some weird things are happening between Russia and McDonalds, and it’s quite insane! In the number 4 slot, also speaking of crazy, is the wife of Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas, Ginni Thomas (4). Exactly where was she on January 6th? Well she’s basically all but admitting it and we know she’s a fervent supporter of pro-Trump group TP USA. In the number 5 slot this week is a new We’re All Gonna Die (5)! Is China’s draconian lockdown approach to COVID a good thing? Well there’s also the exact opposite of that policy – Florida who doesn’t care at all and it shows! In the number 6 slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6) and this week our resident pastor is taking a look at an alarming report about Christian nationalism tied into the January 6th Insurrection, it’s getting really scary out there! In the number 7 slot this week is “Beating A Dead Horse” (7) and this week we’re taking a look at the circular firing squad argument over the response to Florida’s draconian and dehumanizing “Don’t Say Gay” bill, and let’s just say that Disney isn’t doing their LGBT employees any favors. Taking the number 8 slot this week is a new Conspiracy Corner (8). So our favorite pizza chain, Papa John’s is back in the news and while most businesses are distancing themselves from the Russian occupation, Papa John’s is embracing the Russian lifestyle! Yeah we can’t punish the Russians by taking away bad pizza, can we? Of course we can! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week we have a new “I Need A Drink” (9) and we’re having some drinks and taking a look at the bizarre controversy surrounding the delightful new Disney – Pixar flick “Turning Red” and whew, I need a drink! Finally this week it’s time for Stupidest State 2022! This week it’s Round 1 Week 2 and we’re live in Phoenix at the Wells Fargo Arena where it’s a battle for Fiscal Irresponsibility supremacy as #3 Nevada takes on #4 Nebraska, while in the Gun Nut Conference, #3 Florida takes on #4 Missouri! Plus to cap things off, we have some live music for you from Ghost! Buy their new album Impera or you’re no friend of this show! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]GQP Russian Agents

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You know… you know we weren’t kidding when we said that the GOP had been compromised by a plague of misinformation coming from Russia leading up to the 2016 election. Of course back then we didn’t realize how far Putin’s master plan was going to go. But in the information wars, we’re learning exactly where Trump’s America First movement is headed. Spearheaded of course by our good friend Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is the new face of the GQP Infowars Batshit Crazy party. So in the last month when Russia went from one of the most favored trade nations in the entire world to the least favorite because of their illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine, how’s that holding up for them? Well the bill that would suspend trade to Mother Russia has passed the House and the Senate and is awaiting approval from Biden. But that said, we know who in the GOP is on Putin’s payroll now. and a couple of members of the GQP party are sticking out like a sore thumb, Yes, Marjorie, we’re looking at you!

The House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday to suspend normal trade relations with both Russia and Belarus amid the war in Ukraine.

The Suspending Normal Trade Relations With Russia and Belarus Act, which passed by a 424-8 margin, allows President Joe Biden to increase tariffs on products coming from the two countries and requires the US trade representative to seek suspension of Russia's participation in the World Trade Organization.

The legislation must now pass the Senate and be signed by Biden to be enacted into law.

This move came one day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's address to Congress, and a week after the House also voted to enact tougher sanctions on Russia and ban the importation of oil from the country. Seventeen members of Congress, overwhelmingly Republicans, voted against that measure.

Belarus, though not the primary aggressor in the conflict, is a close ally of Moscow and has allowed its territory to be used by Russian troops for staging invasions.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/8-house-republicans-voted-against-205346735.html




Well you laugh but that seems to be where we are headed! The thing that Putin doesn’t seem to realize is that what he’s doing is serious, and it’s going to have dire consequences for him, the people of Russia, and the world for years to come. This was very poorly thought out and it’s not going to end particularly well for him or the people of Russia. So that being said, who are Putin’s 8? Or as we’re calling them the Hateful Eight? Well our old friend Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q – Batshit) is one of them! And this speaks volumes about where the America First movement is headed!

The vast majority of House members on Thursday voted to end Russia's most-favored trade status in condemnation of Russian President Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine—with only a handful of Republicans voting against the popular legislation.

The U.S., Canada and European allies have implemented stringent sanctions targeting the Russian economy in the wake of Moscow's internationally scorned invasion of Ukraine. In a further step of solidarity with Ukraine, the House voted to revoke Russia's special trade status with the U.S. in a widely bipartisan vote.

As 424 lawmakers voted in favor of the measure, just eight GOP lawmakers voted "no." Those who voted against the effort includes Republican Representatives Marjorie Taylor Green of Georgia, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Chip Roy of Texas, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin, Dan Bishop of North Carolina and Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

"This bill allows [President Joe] Biden and future Presidents to sanction virtually anyone they choose anywhere on the globe without Congressional approval," Massie told Newsweek in an emailed statement to explain his rejection of the bipartisan legislation.
https://www.newsweek.com/these-are-8-republicans-who-voted-against-ending-russias-trade-status-1689242




Well come on, we all know how sketchy Putin is, so I wouldn’t put anything past him and I do mean anything. But the fact that Boebert, Greene, and Gaetz, or as I’m hereby referring to them as the “Trifecta Of Stupid”, voted against it is truly insane when the vote was near unanimous. Even some of the extremists I wouldn’t have suspected in Congress voted to stop normal trade with Russia! Of course the Senate is still grilling Kentaji Brown Jackson over bullshit involving child porn (don’t worry, we’ll get to that next week in full!). But what are the implications of this bill moving forward?

The U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to end regular trade relations with Russia in a move that would allow the U.S. to sharply raise tariffs on Russian goods entering the country.

The bill, passed 424-8, would end what’s known as “permanent normal trade relations” for Russia, putting it in a category with pariah states North Korea and Cuba. The legislation, supported by President Joe Biden, would allow the U.S. to hit Russia with significantly higher tariffs than those it applies to other World Trade Organization members. The WTO has a core principle of treating all members equally.

Next step is for the Senate to consider the legislation, and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday morning that body will quickly pass the bill, sending it to Biden to sign. The bill passed the House via a fast-track procedure used for measures that have broad support. Schumer highlighted that both parties are united in sending a clear message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The bill also applies Belarus, which has hosted the Russian troops invading Ukraine.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-17/house-votes-to-end-russia-s-favored-trade-status-senate-next




Of course it is! So here’s the thing that’s at stake is that we’re this close to suspending trade completely with Russia over this war. But it’s not over. And it’s going to get worse. But what would suspending energy trade do to Mother Russia? Well it’s complicated. Too complicated for our crappy little show to explain. But the bottom line is simple that Russia needs to be punished for what they have done and Putin needs to be dragged before the Hague to explain his actions and meet his fate. And this is going to get way worse before it gets better.

A bill to ban Russian energy imports and review that country's status at the World Trade Organization has excluded a proposal to revoke its permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status, according to the text of the bill slated for a U.S. House of Representatives vote later on Wednesday.

Revoking Russia's PNTR status would allow Washington to raise tariffs on Russian imports above levels pledged to all World Trade Organization members. The move had been proposed on Monday by the bipartisan leaders of the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee as a way to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. read more

But the text of the "Suspending Energy Imports from Russia Act," released early on Wednesday, includes no reference to PNTR or tariffs beyond a ban on Russian energy imports.

Instead, it directs the U.S. Trade Representative to "use the voice and influence of the United States at the WTO to –
https://www.reuters.com/business/us-russian-energy-import-bill-stops-short-revoking-trade-status-2022-03-09/



?


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[font size="8"]The GQP
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One thing I’ve learned about the GOP in all the years that we’ve been doing this is that they just cannot let shit go. Of course that’s what happens when the information wing of your party is controlled by a deranged cult that doesn’t like free thought or free expression. No matter how many times you tell them they’re wrong. It’s why they held hearing after hearing on Benghazi. And every other scandal that they’ve made up when they can’t win elections because they are completely batshit crazy! Last week, you might have seen theories about Hunter Biden’s laptop trending on Twitter. So why does the Q-ult wing of the GOP continue to target Hunter Biden even though time and time again they are proven wrong? Well, as a former president once said – “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me… you won’t get fooled again.” And that’s exactly what the GQP is doing – they are getting fooled, and then they are getting fooled again!

Following President Biden's State of the Union address on Tuesday night, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who heckled the president midway through his speech, baselessly claimed that Biden has been "compromised" by Russia because the Kremlin allegedly has access to the laptop of the president's son, Hunter Biden.

"The president of the United States is totally compromised because every world leader has contents of Hunter Biden's laptop and much more to blackmail him," Greene said in her long-winded response to the president's speech on behalf of the so-called America First right-wing movement.

Greene also called Biden a "globalist" who is protecting "anyone, anywhere that has blackmail evidence on his sexually deviant, drug-addled, deadbeat-dad, pathetic, sorry, embarrassing excuse of a son."

Greene added that all the president "cares about is protecting Hunter Biden and he will not protect any of us. This is why I have introduced four articles of impeachment on Joe Biden." (Those articles have been almost completely ignored, including by her fellow House Republicans.)
https://www.salon.com/2022/03/03/marjorie-taylor-greene-claims-biden-is-compromised-by-over-hunter-bidens-laptop/




First off, shut up Marjorie. Second, honestly I wouldn’t doubt that Russian hackers can access anything because they pretty much can. Third, shut up, Marjorie. So what’s the deal with Hunter Biden’s laptop – is it something that is too big to ignore or is it just the work of batshit crazy conspiracy theorists who live in make believe land? Well the thing is we can talk all we want about Hunter’s laptop, but what about Jared and Ivanka making $640 million while Trump was president? Well this “investigation” into Hunter’s laptop is the Benghazi of Fast & Furiouses. They just fling poop against the wall and hope that something sticks.

A federal court in Florida has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed against Twitter by the Delaware computer repairman who briefly captured national attention during the Hunter Biden laptop story. The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be filed again, and the plaintiff was ordered to pay Twitter’s attorneys’ fees.

John Paul Mac Isaac sued the technology giant (and a wholly-owned subsidiary) in February. He argued that Twitter’s decision to lock The New York Post‘s account while Post staffers “attempted to post and disseminate its exposé [about the lurid contents of the laptop] on the social media platform” was akin to calling him a hacker because Twitter cited its rationale for the time-limited ban as a violation of Twitter’s rules against “distribution of hacked material.”

“Further actions taken by Defendant Twitter in response to the NY Posts’s story included limiting the distribution of the story by others on its social media platform pursuant to the same policy thereby spreading the belief among its users, including Florida resident users, that the Plaintiffs is a hacker,” the lawsuit, filed with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, alleged.

In addition to those banning and blocking actions, Twitter issued a series of high-profile tweets about its decision to limit access to the Post‘s Biden laptop article–which was based on interactions Mac Isaac had with Rudy Giuliani’s then-attorney Robert Costello.
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/judge-dismisses-hunter-biden-laptop-guys-defamation-lawsuit-with-prejudice-forces-him-to-pay-twitters-attorneys-fees-under-anti-slapp-law/




Oh this is too damn good! Let me get this straight – the people attempting to uncover “shocking” information about Hunter’s laptop got destroyed in the lawsuit and now have to pay Twitter for defamation fees resulting from this failed lawsuit! This is too damn good! You really can’t make this stuff up, folks! And speaking of Hunter’s laptop, what about the guy who originated this insane conspiracy theory – Lev Parnas? Remember that douche? What’s he up to? Well you can imagine his involvement in this story is getting weirder and weirder!

Back on January 21, Special Master Barbara Jones reported on the status of her privilege review of Rudy Giuliani’s devices. For eight of Rudy’s devices, she had turned over over 27,000 items that post-dated January 1, 2018. For eight others, she had turned over the 3,000 items dated between December 1, 2018 and May 31, 2019.

While she had started to turn over materials as early as November, Jones turned over the balance on January 19. From there, a filter team at the FBI would have to scope the contents to make sure the investigative team only got items covered by whatever warrants the government has gotten.

The one known warrant that SDNY has covers Rudy’s efforts — assisted by Lev Parnas — to get Maria Yovanovitch fired in 2019. Those charges were included on the original October 2019 indictment against Parnas, but removed when the charges against him were superseded in September 2020.

If DOJ is going to charge Rudy for ousting Yovanovitch at the behest of Yuri Lutsenko and others, they are probably preparing to do so now.

Which makes it interesting that yesterday, Parnas asked for a change of plea hearing on the remaining already-charged count for which he still has to stand trial.
https://www.emptywheel.net/2022/03/11/now-that-doj-has-rudy-giulianis-phone-contents-lev-parnas-prepares-to-plead/




Seriously, these people want to run the country? I wouldn’t trust this group of idiots to run a 7-11! I mean it’s like they can’t even keep their conspiracy theories straight! And come on, would you trust anything that Rudy Giuliani or Steve Bannon is involved in? I know I wouldn’t! Here’s the thing – we make fun of these idiots and they absolutely deserve every bit of shit thrown at them, but this could be a preview of where e are headed if they somehow manage to win 2024. So be warned, think that Benghazi was bad? You ain’t seen nothing yet! Seriously, Trump gets off the hook but Biden’s son gets nailed for this? WTF?

The Arkansas woman who had a child by Hunter Biden out of wedlock recently testified to a federal grand jury in Delaware as part of a criminal tax probe of the son of President Joe Biden, her lawyer confirmed Thursday.

Clint Lancaster, the attorney for the mother, Lunden Alexis Roberts, also told CNBC that he previously handed over “a significant amount of Hunter’s financial records” to federal investigators to comply with a subpoena for those files.

Lancaster said he and Roberts were interviewed by an assistant U.S. attorney, an FBI agent and an IRS agent — “one that carries a badge and gun” — more than a year ago about Biden in Little Rock, Ark., where Lancaster practices law.

“I expect him to be indicted,” the lawyer said about Biden. “Just based on what I saw in his financial records, I would be surprised if he’s not indicted.”
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/17/hunter-biden-criminal-investigation-gets-testimony-records.html





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[font size="8"]Vladimir Putin
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You know I love a good beef. And right now there’s a great one between fast food chains McDonalds and Arbys, which we won’t get to this week but we will have to explore more in detail next week. But there is another beef involving McDonalds. And that concerns Vladimir Putin’s ongoing illegal invasion and occupation of Ukraine. Look, we have been giving Russia an extremely hard time in the last few weeks, and Vladimir Putin deserves every last bit of shit that he gets for this. But what about the Russians who are against this illegal and immoral war? They’re being punished too! And how are they being punished? Because fast food is being taken away from them! But the fight between Russia and McDonalds is absolutely bizarre. And like most things the further you go down the rabbit hole, the weirder it gets. So here’s the latest on the bizarre fight to keep the Russian people enjoying their Big Macs and Chicken McNuggets.

McDonald’s superfans have gone as far as chaining themselves to the doors of restaurants to protest against the global food chain from closing shop in Russia but now they won’t have to go to such extreme measures for their burger fix. A fast-food franchise called Uncle Vanya has approached the Russian Federation to trademark a logo of a new franchise that’s set to replace McDonald’s in Russia.

The move comes just three days after McDonald’s announced it would be closing more than 800 of its restaurants in Russia indefinitely.

“The conflict in Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis in Europe has caused unspeakable suffering to innocent people. Our number one priority from the start of this crisis has been – and will remain – our people,” says CEO Chris Kempczinski.

Following the store closures, the Russian government has renamed all the previously McDonald’s branded restaurants as Uncle Vanya. The logo is virtually identical to the McDonald’s logo, the only difference is that the golden arch is turned on its side so it resembles a B instead of an M.
https://www.news24.com/you/news/international/fall-of-the-golden-arches-russias-surprising-response-to-mcdonalds-closure-20220322




Excuse me a minute! That’s real by the way – they’re keeping the lights on at all the McDonalds by rebranding them and turning the logo on its’ side so the M turns into a B, and the restaurants are now going to be called Uncle Vanya’s. Can we show that? And let’s also overlook the fact that Uncle Vanya is the name of a play that is currently running in London’s West End. And what makes this even weirder is that not only are the logos similar, but the chain appears to be backed and endorsed by the Russian parliament themselves!

Companies in virtually every sector have sought to distance themselves from Russia after Vladimir Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine, yet Russia has revealed a rather controversial response to the closure of McDonald's restaurants in particular.

After the fast-food chain closed a grand total of 847 restaurants in Russia, totally leaving the country from a business perspective, the Russian government has renamed all the previously McDonald's branded restaurants as 'Uncle Vania'.

The logo is virtually identical to the M of McDonald's and the name originates from a book written by Anton Chekhov.

What has been particularly controversial is the fact that the yellow M/golden arch has literally just been rotated 90 degrees, forming a B in the Cyrillic alphabet.
https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/world-news/2022/03/20/62373432e2704e99b98b4577.html




At least in the Coming To America McDonalds parody they knew that it was a fake restaurant serving fake food! And come on, Russians, don’t you have much better food to eat? You have to export our American horseshit? Yeah McDonalds did do some good things for Russia. But Vladimir Putin has essentially erased all of that. And the fact that they’re resorting to a much jankier, low rent version of an actual McDonalds is making things worse!

Multiple McDonald's restaurants remain open in Russia, despite the company officially shutting all locations throughout the country in response to President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

McDonald's Corporation announced on March 8 that it would temporarily close all 847 of its restaurants in Russia—nearly two weeks after the country's forces invaded Ukraine. Chris Kempczinski, chief executive of McDonald's, said the company "cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine."

McDonald's Russia also issued a statement on March 11 saying that it would temporarily suspend services in the country from March 14 "due to operational, technical and logistical difficulties."

However, the fast-food chain still appears to be operating in a number of locations, according to reports.
https://www.newsweek.com/mcdonalds-russia-restaurants-remain-open-despite-suspension-moscow-saint-petersburg-siberia-1689382




Ba da da da da…. I’m nyet loving it! Thank you good night everybody! I’m just kidding, we still have an hour left and my hosts would hate it if I bailed out early. But yeah get the Russian people some Happy Meals ASAP! Even Vladdy could use one! Maybe a cheap plastic toy will cheer him up! So while the Russian government scrambles to come up with their own janky alternatives to actual things that you and I take for granted, like McDonalds, well it’s going to get weird.

Seeking to end the human suffering caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States and many other nations have imposed strict economic sanctions on Russia. For the same reason, many private companies—including Apple, Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs, Ikea, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Porsche, and Toyota—have left or sharply downsized their business operations in Russia. [1]

Reacting to this economic pressure, Russia is threatening the intellectual property rights of businesses associated with the sanctioning countries. For example, on March 6, 2022, the Kremlin issued a decree that essentially grants a no-cost license to steal patents held by owners in “unfriendly” countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. [2] While the decree only mentions patents explicitly, Russian courts have already used it to undermine copyright and trademark rights.

The beloved British children’s television character Peppa Pig is perhaps the most surprising target of Russia’s attack on intellectual property rights. Peppa Pig is produced by Entertainment One, located in the United Kingdom. In 2019, American toy giant Hasbro acquired Entertainment One in a massive $3.8 billion deal. [3]
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/putin-v-peppa-pig-how-russia-s-war-in-2435822/





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[font size="8"]Ginni Thomas
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So who had the wife of Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas on their “America’s Next Top Incarcerated Insurrectionist” bingo card? I will say that I honestly did not, though given her MAGA credentials, this is not surprising in the least. We all know that Ginni Thomas is an advent fan and backer of the conservative grassroots campus group TP USA and has been a contributor to Ali Alexander’s Stop The Steal campaign. Don’t boo yet! It gets better! So, Mrs. Thomas, where were you on January 6th, 2021? The day of the insurrection? Were you at the rally? Because if so this presents a blatant conflict of interest for your husband and he must resign from the court. This is insane because it totally paints a picture of how compromised the GOP really is. Like we’ve gone over in past editions how the GOP is essentially the Trump Party now. They’re no longer the party of Lincoln or Reagan. They’re the party of Donald Trump and his boorish, jackass behavior and the lies and greed and corruption, and Z grade products that he stands for. Everyone involved in January 6th is suspect, from top to bottom. And the sad thing is we’ll never know the true extent of the damage that was done that day. But this is still one of the stranger stories to come out of this whole thing. Though totally believable.

Conservative activist Virginia "Ginni" Thomas said in an interview published Monday that although she attended a rally on January 6, 2021, she "played no role" in planning the events that day and that she doesn't involve her husband, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, in the political work she does pushing conservative causes.

The rare interview with conservative publication the Washington Free Beacon, comes as progressives and some legal ethics experts see a potential conflict with Thomas' activism and her husband's work on the Supreme Court.

They point specifically to a recent January order when the court -- over the dissent of Clarence Thomas -- cleared the way for the release of presidential records from the Trump White House to a congressional committee investigating the US Capitol attack.

In recent weeks, media outlets, including CNN, have run stories exploring Ginni Thomas' long term activism and calls for Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse.

"Federal recusal law says that any justice 'shall disqualify' if their impartiality might reasonably be questioned," said Gabe Roth of Fix the Court, a group seeking more transparency from Supreme Court justices.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/14/politics/ginni-thomas-interview-january-6/index.html




That is a good question, sir! What kind of shit is that? It’s a sad statement on America that the worst president in United States history got 3 SCOTUS picks and appointed 3 partisan hacks. So does Clarence Thomas side with his wife in her batshit crazy extremism? Now what do the media outlets think about this because this is totally egregious if a sitting SCOTUS justice would side firmly with the MAGA crowd because it would compromise his decisions. January 6th was one thing, but where was Mrs. Thomas on January 5th during that infamous pre-planning meeting?

Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, wife of the supreme court justice Clarence Thomas, has admitted attending a rally which preceded the January 6 attack on the US Capitol but denied helping to plan it.

In an interview with the Washington Free Beacon, Thomas, a conservative activist who runs a political lobbying firm, said she briefly attended the rally near the White House on 6 January 2021 but left before Donald Trump addressed the crowd.

Trump used his address to tell supporters to “fight like hell” in support of his lie that his defeat by Joe Biden was the result of electoral fraud. A bipartisan Senate report said seven deaths were connected to the assault on Congress which followed.

Thomas said brief attendance at the rally was the full extent of her involvement.

“I was disappointed and frustrated that there was violence that happened following a peaceful gathering of Trump supporters on the Ellipse on 6 January,” she told the Free Beacon, a conservative site.

Investigations by the New York Times and the New Yorker have rai
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/14/ginni-thomas-wife-justice-clarence-thomas-attended-january-6-rally




Peaceful gathering ! Shut up! What kind of peaceful gathering involves erecting makeshift gallows, moving weapons, using Congressional offices as bathrooms, and beating up police officers? That doesn’t add up to any peaceful gathering I’ve ever been to! Here’s the thing – conspiracy theorists have long been flaunting their ways that they can overturn the election, and none of them are true, but they all involve SCOTUS, which currently has a 6 – 3 conservative majority. But the fact that, and I can’t point this out enough, the WIFE of a sitting SCOTUS justice is involved in Stop The Steal… what the hell were they planning to do that day?

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' wife, Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, had ties to organizers of the January 6, 2021, rallies in support of President Donald Trump as well as to efforts to subvert the 2020 election results, according to a New York Times Magazine report published Tuesday.

The Times revealed details about Thomas' role, which had been previously unreported. The Washington Post reported last month that Thomas shared a Facebook post on January 6 before the violence broke out. "LOVE MAGA people!!!! GOD BLESS EACH OF YOU STANDING UP OR PRAYING." she wrote.

Thomas, a longtime conservative activist, played a peacemaking role among rally organizers "so that there wouldn't be any division around January 6," Dustin Stockton, who helped organize the Ellipse rally, told The Times. The rally on the Ellipse, just south of the White House, took place shortly before a crowd of Trump supporters descended on the Capitol, clashed with law enforcement, and interrupted the 2020 election certification.
https://www.businessinsider.com/clarence-thomas-wife-ginni-linked-january-6-rally-overturn-election-2022-2




Seriously, since January 6th, I wonder what must rational dinner conversations be like at the Thomas household? Do they have any? The thing about Ginni Thomas is that the further you go down the rabbit hole on her political background the weirder it gets. And no SCOTUS spouse in American history has been more active, vocal or extreme than her. The fact that she’s involved with MAGA extremists Steve Bannon and Ali Alexander is pretty telling. Will anything come of this? We can only hope!
Jane Mayer of The New Yorker beat The New York Times to this story by a month, but they're now on the curious case of Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, all-around wingnut whackadoo, and walking, living, breathing conflict of interest. One does not idly accuse the Supreme Court of being corrupt but, seriously, come on. I’d much rather that Ginni Thomas take payoffs in plain white envelopes from oil companies and pharmaceutical firms than engage in the kind of ideological corruption in which she is plainly complicit:

The Thomases have long posed a unique quandary in Washington. Because Supreme Court justices do not want to be perceived as partisan, they tend to avoid political events and entanglements, and their spouses often keep low profiles. But the Thomases have defied such norms. Since the founding of the nation, no spouse of a sitting Supreme Court justice has been as overt a political activist as Ginni Thomas. In addition to her perch at the Council for National Policy, she founded a group called Groundswell with the support of Stephen K. Bannon, the hard-line nationalist and former Trump adviser. It holds a weekly meeting of influential conservatives, many of whom work directly on issues that have come before the court.

Ginni Thomas insists, in her council biography, that she and her husband operate in “separate professional lanes,” but those lanes in fact merge with notable frequency.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a39174345/ginni-clarence-thomas-supreme-court-jan-6/





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[font size="8"]We’re All Gonna Die: China Lockdown
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Hey everyone! Guess what? We’re all gonna die! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! WOOOOOOO. WOOO. WOO. Hey look everyone it’s been two years since COVID-19 and now that the virus is really starting to go by the way side, I know that most of us are starting to return to the same sense of normalcy that we had in 2019. But… as we reported the last time, the virus is still a threat with the dreaded BA.2 subvariant looming over us! And as we were putting together last week’s edition, China went into the kind of lockdown we haven’t seen since the beginning of the pandemic. And we’re starting to see a bit of an uptick in cases relating to the variant. But is it enough to go into end of the world panic mode again? I’d say a little from column A, a little from column B. But that said, I love it when the news says it “may be coming”. Look we’ve had enough fearmongering over the last 2 years and most of us are sick of it. Let’s take a look at what’s actually happening in China right now shall we?

China has locked down an industrial city of 9 million people overnight and reported more than 4,000 virus cases, as the nation’s “zero-Covid” strategy is confronted by an Omicron wave.

Health authorities reported 4,770 new infections across the country on Tuesday, the bulk in the north-eastern province of Jilin, as the city of Shenyang in neighbouring Liaoning province was ordered to lockdown late Monday.

China has moved fast in recent weeks to snuff out virus clusters with a pick-and-mix of hyper-local lockdowns, mass testing and citywide closures. It reported two Covid-19 deaths on Saturday, the first in over a year. More than 20,000 people have been infected in the wave of the Omicron strain, which has challenged China’s usually successful response strategies and forced authorities to make changes, including freeing up hospital beds from mild-symptom patients.

Authorities have warned of the risk posed to growth by persistent lockdowns as the country strives to balance the health crisis with the needs of the world’s second-biggest economy.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/22/china-locks-down-city-of-9-million-and-reports-4000-cases-as-omicron-tests-zero-covid-strategy




Calm down we’re not gonna die, just yet. So let’s compare and contrast two extremes of the pandemic so far. There’s Florida, whose response to the pandemic was “fuck it”, and then there’s China where the virus was initially discovered, whose response to the pandemic was “IT’S ALL OVER PEOPLE! WE DON’T HAVE A PRAYER!!!”. So is there a medium in between these two extremes? Again a little from column A, a little from column B. But the verdict is clear – neither China nor Florida has the correct response as to how to approach this.

The Chinese tech hub of Shenzhen ended its coronavirus lockdown Monday even as the industrial city of Changchun keeps factories closed, showing China's struggle to balance economic activity and its strict "zero-COVID" fight against the pandemic.

Shenzhen will "ensure the security and stability of industrial supply chains," a city official told reporters Sunday ahead of Monday's lifting of restrictions on movement.

Since March 14, anyone leaving the city had been required to show proof of a negative PCR test taken within the previous 24 hours. Bus and subway services were suspended, forcing companies to idle production or tell employees to work from home.

Most of those restrictions were removed on Monday. All public transportation has resumed, and business activities are returning to normal. A ban on large events is one of the few remaining curbs.

Hon Hai Precision Industry, the Taiwanese Apple assembler known as Foxconn, said Monday that it had "basically" resumed production in Shenzhen following a factory stoppage that started a week earlier.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Shenzhen-emerges-from-lockdown-as-China-wavers-on-zero-COVID




No, not convenient, sir! You know say what you want about China, most people there are actually complying with the restrictions vs the dipshits in the Freedom Convoy here. But how much longer is this going to be a reality? Can China recover from this? Probably. But if the entire world is going to recover from this nightmare pandemic and we can really get the global supply chain moving again, there’s got to be a balance between China and Florida.

For the last two years, China's strict measures to contain Covid, enforced by swift lockdowns and aggressive restrictions, seemed to be largely paying off.

As the rest of the world grappled with surges in cases and deaths in 2020, China's President Xi Jinping declared the country's handling of the pandemic through lockdowns and widespread testing a success - and touted its methods as being the most effective in dealing with the virus.

The zero-Covid model was therefore strictly enforced both in mainland China and Hong Kong.

But things soon began to change.

The first signs of strain on the much-vaunted zero-Covid model in China began to appear when authorities were forced to impose increasingly large lockdowns triggered by the more infectious Delta variant in 2021. These started to raise questions about how long China could maintain this policy.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-60762032




Yeah probably. So Zero COVID doesn’t work. And pretending that the pandemic doesn’t exist doesn’t work either. The thing is we can’t stop the spread of this thing – it will keep spreading until it affects everyone on the planet. But the thing is we can do what we can when we can to prevent this from having further disruptions to the global supply chain. As you can see it’s already affecting things we need every day like cars and gas. But we can and eventually will stop COVID from being a dire emergency which is affecting all of us.

“When France sneezes, the rest of Europe catches a cold,” former Austrian Chancellor Klemens von Metternich famously concluded. In recent days, quite a few people in the Chinese manufacturing hubs of Shenzhen and Dongguan have been sneezing. More accurately, despite China’s zero-tolerance COVID-19 policy, quite a few of them have been catching COVID-19. China is in the middle of its biggest COVID-19 outbreak since the virus began its calamitous course in Wuhan, China, two years ago. That means lots of closed factories—and disrupted supply chains. It should also serve as a reminder to consumers around the world that supply chains can be disrupted by pandemics, wars, and novel disasters.

In recent years, consumers around the world discovered the manufacturing metropolis of Shenzhen—and its smaller neighbor Dongguan. In the past 30 years, the two formerly sleepy towns, initially helped by their proximity to Hong Kong, turned themselves into global industrial centers. In 1985, Dongguan had a population of 237,000 people while Shenzhen was home to 175,000 people. By 2015, Dongguan had 7.4 million residents, and Shenzhen had 10.7 million. Both cities had gained lots of corporate residents too: international companies from Coca-Cola to Philips and countless Chinese subcontractors.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/03/22/shenzhen-covid-china-lockdown-supply-chains/





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[font size="8"]Holy Shit: Christian Nationalism Part II
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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! I’ve been around this planet of ours and if there’s one thing that I have seen in my travels, it’s that there’s three things that you should never mix. And that’s toxic politics, toxic patriotism, and toxic religion. Because when you mix all of those things together you get a cocktail that is sure to blow up anything that it touches! And the reason why we’re paying so much attention to this issue lately is because it’s becoming a threat. If you’ve seen nationalist takeovers in countries like Belarus and Myanmar, don’t think that it couldn’t happen here. Sure, we may have the largest military in the entire world, but it’s entirely possible. Hell, anything is possible these days. Didn’t think that the most depraved, foul, and vile human being in the country would garner enough actual Christians to rise to the highest office in the land, now did you? Of course you didn’t! Because this brand of nationalism is not what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now is it?

Documentation on Christian nationalism produced by Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty has drawn the attention of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, a group that includes Democratic House members Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Zoe Lofgren of California and Steve Cohen of Tennessee.

The group hosted a March 17 briefing called “God is On Our Side: White Christian Nationalism and the Capitol Insurrection,” focused on the 66-page report about the role of Christian nationalism in the Capitol attack. It was produced by BJC in cooperation with the Freedom from Religion Foundation and previously was reported by BNG.

The BJC report and the caucus event drew the attention of the Washington Post, where religion writer Michelle Boorstein wrote about the issue.

“Concern about rising radicalism among a segment of white American Christians led this week to what some religious extremism experts call the biggest Congress-related event on the topic in years,” Boorstein wrote.

According to Boorstein, the virtual briefing was not open to the public but included more than 50 members of Congress, staff and experts.
https://baptistnews.com/article/bjc-report-on-christian-nationalism-draws-congressional-notice/




Now… now listen up here. There’s a lot to extrapolate from this! The people who support the unholy, ungodly Dark One are actually convinced that GAWD is on their side! And when I refer to the “Dark One”, I of course speak of a man so foul, so depraved and disgusting that his name dare NOT be spoken in my church! And this is some truly scary shit here. Look, I don’t like reporting on this more than you don’t want to hear it, but as long as these far right religious wingnuts are a threat we got to talk about it, because you don’t want the US to end up like Russia do you?

The January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was a hodgepodge of conflicting symbols.

The protestors erected a large wooden cross and gallows. Some waved Rebel battle flags; others the Stars and Stripes. Some carried signs declaring that “Jesus Saves” while others wore sweatshirts bearing white supremacist slogans. The men who invaded the Senate chamber — some clad in body armor, one wearing a horned headdress — invoked Christ’s name as they bowed heads and prayed.

To many, the clashing imagery was one of many bewildering and unsettling aspects of that chaotic day. To Yale sociologist Philip Gorski, the scene was instantly recognizable as an extreme form of white Christian nationalism.

“The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy (Oxford University Press),” a new book Gorski coauthored with sociologist Samuel L. Perry of the University of Oklahoma, is a primer that relies on historical sources and survey data to explain the ideology, trace its origins and history, and describe the threat it poses to the United States.

Gorski, professor of sociology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, recently spoke with Yale News about the roots of today’s white Christian nationalism and the threat it poses to democracy. The interview has been edited and condensed.
https://news.yale.edu/2022/03/15/yale-sociologist-phil-gorski-threat-white-christian-nationalism




So that’s the take from an actual political science professor who has studied this sort of thing! But now what do lawmakers think about this increasingly alarming trend? It’s no secret that people are becoming even more isolated and radicalized thanks to social media platforms like Facebook. When you live in a bubble, you can go pretty crazy pretty quickly. And the fact that we are coming out of a pandemic and into a war is only making things worse. Now what does this mean for the United States? Well it could have some very dire consequences if left unchecked.

California Democratic Representative Jared Huffman, who said he first discussed the role of Christian nationalism and the insurrection with some of the panelists last summer, hosted the meeting for a slate of lawmakers that included Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin, a co-founder of the Freethought Caucus who also serves on the House Select Committee investigating the attack.

Raskin opened the virtual briefing by noting that while a variety of ideologies were represented among insurrectionists, Christian nationalism “clearly figured highly in the events of the day,” and was “a unifying theme for many of the factions that assembled on January 6".

His words were echoed by an array of panelists who presented findings from a recent report they helped author with backing from the Freedom from Religion Foundation and the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. Among other things, the 66-page study documents in painstaking detail the prevalence of Christian nationalist symbols and rhetoric at the insurrection and a series of events that led up to the storming of the Capitol.

Amanda Tyler, head of the BJC, told lawmakers the report faced “defensive pushback” from some conservative Christians after it was unveiled last month but has been embraced by Christians who see opposing Christian nationalism as a religious call.
https://www.sightmagazine.com.au/news/24200-in-the-us-scholars-activists-brief-lawmakers-on-role-of-christian-nationalism-at-insurrection




Now you might think that I’m harping on US Christian nationalists. That I can assure you, my fair congregation, that I am not! Because as we have said from the very beginning that this isn’t a uniquely American problem. No, it’s a global problem that is stemming far and wide thanks to having an online presence! So what’s to stop these people from rising up and taking over? Well I can assure you that the nationalist revolution won’t happen overnight. It will happen through microvoting and electing – watch these people as they run for small offices before seeing the bigger picture!

i
Monument to Minin and Pozharsky and St Basil's cathedral on Red Square, Moscow, Russia. (123rf.com)

The religious angle of the war in Ukraine has been largely ignored by the generals, the journalists and the politicians. But the pastors, bishops and theologians of the Christian community around the world, especially the Orthodox, have found their voice.

This week they issued “A Declaration on the ‘Russian World’ (Russkii Mir) Teaching.” With just a few substitutions of titles and vocabulary, it could have been titled “A Declaration on Christian Nationalism in Russia, the United States, and Around the World.”

It asserts that “the senior hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church has refused to acknowledge this invasion, issuing instead vague statements about the necessity for peace in light of ‘events’ and ‘hostilities’ in Ukraine, while emphasizing the fraternal nature of the Ukrainian and Russian peoples as part of ‘Holy Rus,’” blaming the hostilities on the evil “West,” and even directing their communities to pray in ways that actively encourage hostility.

The declaration continues: “The support of many of the hierarchy of the Moscow Patriarchate for President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine is rooted in a form of Orthodox ethno-phyletist religious fundamentalism, totalitarian in character, called Russkii mir or the Russian world, a false teaching which is attracting many in the Orthodox Church and has even been taken up by the Far Right and Catholic and Protestant fundamentalists.”
https://baptistnews.com/article/christian-nationalism-in-russia/




We do have a prayer! Just stop these people from holding office! The sooner we drive them out, the better it will be for all of us! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:




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[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: Disney Vs Don’t Say Gay
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We can all agree that Florida governor Ron DeSantis is a raging MAGA douchebag who should probably not be anywhere near a public office, am I right? If you disagree with that, then the door is that way everybody! Well I know someone who disagrees with that statement and that is one of Florida’s largest employers, and one of the largest employers of LGBT Americans in the country, Disney. So why is Disney in the center of a huge controversy right now? And since we’ve been doing this segment, it’s one of the more bizarre controversies we’ve ever seen. Not only that, it’s the ultimate circular firing squad argument on top of that! And really calling this “nonsense” is putting it lightly. This is just like the Matrix – the more you go down the rabbit hole, the weirder it gets. Well in order to fully understand this controversy you have to start at the beginning. So here’s what Disney CEO Bob Chapek said about the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

Over the past several decades, the Walt Disney Company, the corporate goliath whose holdings extend beyond its eponymous brands to almost every corner of the entertainment industry, has managed to keep a relatively low profile in Florida state politics, quietly lobbying and funneling money toward business-friendly politicians on both sides of the aisle. But now, with Florida on the precipice of enacting one of the most regressive pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in recent history, critics called out Disney for enabling the measure's passage, demanding that the company speak out before Governor Ron DeSantis signs it into law.

The backlash started last week with the Florida Senate's passage of H.B. 1557, colloquially dubbed by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" bill. The measure prohibits teachers from "discussion" and "instruction" on "sexual orientation or gender identity," a broad mandate that can suppress even mentions of same-sex parents when discussing the basics of family life. It also establishes a cause of action for parents to sue — and collect compensation from — school districts whose employees break the law, ostensibly offloading the responsibility of enforcement to aggrieved parents.

During the lead-up to H.B. 1557's passage, critics of the bill called on Disney to condemn the measure in hopes that the company's immense business presence in the state could be used to sway the legislature. And yet the company stayed mum on the topic for several days, with CEO Bob Chapek claiming he didn't want Disney to "become a political football in any debate."
https://www.salon.com/2022/03/19/disney-desantis-and-the-dont-say-gay-bill-a-florida-showdown-over-money-power-and-equality/




OK Bob, you might want to try that thing called “reading the room”. The LGBT community and the sane part of America is obviously disgusted at this bill. So now how are Disney employees reacting to this horrid piece of legislation? Well they’re planning a walkout of course! And you know what? We here at the Top 10 support our LGBT brothers and sisters so we totally get where they are coming from. But also too we want to point out that this is why elections have consequences! You elect a Fox / Q-ult brainwashed idiot like Ron DeSantis and this is what you’re going to get!

LGBTQ workers and employee allies at The Walt Disney Company are planning to stage a walkout in protest of Florida's Parental Rights in Education bill, dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill by opponents.

Some employees have been walking out each day since Tuesday, March 15, from 3 to 3:15 p.m. On Tuesday, March 22, protesters are planning a full-length walkout from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

"The Walt Disney Company’s (TWDC) LGBTQIA+ community and their allies are determined to take a stand against TWDC’s apathy in the face of the bigoted 'Don’t Say Gay' bill put forth by the FL state legislature," the protest's website states.

"The recent statements and lack of action by TWDC leadership regarding the 'Don’t Say Gay' bill have utterly failed to match the magnitude of the threat to LGBTQIA+ safety represented by this legislation," the website says.

Opponents of the bill say it would shame and silence LGBTQ youth and could have major negative consequences on their mental health.

The bill prohibits instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten to third grade and would limit or prohibit what classrooms can teach about sexual orientation and gender identity in other grades unless they are “age appropriate or developmentally appropriate,” a threshold criticized as vague by the bill’s opponents. It would also allow parents to sue schools that engage in these topics.
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/disney-employees-plan-walkout-demand-action-dont-gay/story?id=83585126




OK people! Stop your rabbling! So of course the other side to this story is that DeSantis himself will sign the bill into law. But he’s blaming Disney for the uproar! That’s right – Florida governor himself is too chicken shit to be able to blame his own party – who have also been brainwashed by Fox News and the Q-ult – for this horrible piece of legislation that completely goes against the rights of free thought and free expression that are written into the US Constitution.

As Disney employees staged a walkout Tuesday to protest legislation dubbed by critics the "Don't Say Gay" bill, Gov. Ron DeSantis took aim at the bill's opponents, saying they are supporting sexual instruction for young kids.

“Understand, if you are out protesting this bill you are by definition putting yourself in favor of injecting sexual instruction to 5-, 6- and 7-year-old kids," DeSantis said during a press conference in Pasco County. "I think most people think that’s wrong. I think parents especially think that’s wrong.”

The controversial legislation states that "Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards."

LGBTQ rights organizations say the bill could discriminate against gay and transgender individuals, and cause a chilling effect against students even discussing their LGBTQ families.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/03/22/florida-gov-ron-desantis-criticizes-disney-dont-say-gay-bill/7130035001/




Torches! Look people, if you want to stop this dehumanizing bullshit coming from the right, you know what you have to do? Vote. And vote like your damn life depends on it, because one day it just might, and that’s exactly what we are seeing now! We cannot let Fox News continue to own us, because that’s exactly what they are doing! We need to put these horrible people in their place. Because people like Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott will eventually get theirs, that is a given in this day and age!

The Walt Disney Company has now come out against Florida's Parental Rights In Education bill. The so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bill was passed by Florida's House and Senate and is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk.

The bill would limit discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.

In recent days, Disney employees shared their outrage on social media when the company did not denounce the proposed legislation. On Wednesday, at Disney's annual meeting with shareholders, Disney CEO Bob Chapek acknowledged their anger, saying that he knows "many are upset that we didn't speak out against the bill."

Chapek explained that Disney leaders were opposed to the bill "from the outset, but we chose not to take a public position on it because we thought we could be more effective working behind-the-scenes, engaging directly with lawmakers — on both sides of the aisle."

Now, Chapek said the company is "reassessing our approach to advocacy — including political giving in Florida and beyond."
https://www.npr.org/2022/03/08/1085130633/disney-response-florida-bill-dont-say-gay







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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Welcome back to our segment that attempts to explain the unexplainable, Conspiracy Corner! We of course are coming to you live from our underground doomsday shelter in the New Mexico badlands – undisclosed location of course! When things get too dark, people tend to turn to conspiracy theories. And things are really dark right now – we’re coming out of a worldwide pandemic into the start of World War III! And one man is at the helm – Vladimir Putin! Just let me adjust my tin foil hat here for maximum government interference – they are trying to read yours and my thoughts, after all! So with Putin’s illegal and immoral invasion and occupation of Ukraine, the conspiracy theories are flying fast and they are plentiful. Our conspiracy this week centers around pizza. And one pizza company in particular seems to be in the spotlight for reasons that are not exactly what one would call “flattering”. But then again take a look at who the owner of this chain is. That chain of course is Papa John’s Pizza. You know Papa John’s as the chain by and for white supremacists and people who are against free health care. So here’s why there’s a conspiracy theory around Papa John’s in Russia.

Papa John’s International said last week that it was suspending all of its corporate operations in Russia, following in the footsteps of other high-profile American brands like McDonald’s and Starbucks.

However, the 190 Papa John’s restaurants in the country are still open and selling pizzas. And they have no plans to stop.

These Papa John’s shops are primarily owned by Russians through a franchise agreement with a company controlled by Christopher Wynne, a Colorado native who has lived part time and worked in the country since the early 2000s. And even as the war with Ukraine continues and numerous global food brands and retailers suspend operations and stop selling goods in Russia, little has changed with his operation, said Mr. Wynne, 45.

“The best thing I can do as an individual is show compassion for the people, my employees, franchisees and customers without judging them because of the politicians in power,” he said.

On the day in late February when Russia recognized two Ukraine provinces as independent, Mr. Wynne said, an anxiety blanketed the country since many Russians have friends and family in Ukraine. Nonetheless, “customers were showing up as usual,” he said.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/14/business/papa-johns-russia.html




That’s right – while most of the world is ceasing operations in Russia due to Vladimir Putin’s illegal and immoral war in the Ukraine, Papa John’s is continuing to operate. But this might be one of my favorite things about this whole story is their justification. Well to be fair they’re not wrong that there are actual Russians who are against the occupation and we shouldn’t punish them. But wait until you hear the latest bullshit surrounding this.



About 190 Papa John's stores are still open in Russia despite the international pizza chain's announcement that it was suspending its corporate operations in the country over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to a New York Times report published on Monday.

The Papa John's restaurants are primarily owned by Russians through a franchise agreement with a company controlled by Colorado native Christopher Wynne, who told the Times that Russians are "clearheaded and understand the dark gravity of the situation they're in" and that "at the end of the day, they appreciate a good pizza."

“The best thing I can do as an individual is show compassion for the people, my employees, franchisees and customers without judging them because of the politicians in power,” Wynne told the newspaper.

The Hill has reached out to Papa John's for comment.

Last week, Papa John's announced the suspension of its corporate operations in Russia, joining other high-profile international companies such as Starbucks and McDonald's.
https://thehill.com/policy/international/598251-190-papa-johns-in-russia-are-still-open-at-the-end-of-the-day-they




Yeah probably! Well here’s the thing Papa John’s, that would require your pizza to be good in the first place! I mean have you have Papa John’s? It’s basically cardboard with ketchup and mozzarella cheese that’s been sitting in the fridge for a week, paired with a garlic butter sauce that was made by a machine that has never tasted what an actual garlic butter sauce. But of course they have to take a stand while they’re still operating in Russia. The entire world is against this illegal occupation. But yeah let’s keep business going because… pizza.

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine persists, several American companies like McDonald's, Apple and Victoria's Secret have ceased corporate operations in the country.

But, one American franchise owner has no intention of closing his nearly 200 Papa John's across Russia.

“The best thing I can do as an individual is show compassion for the people, my employees, franchisees and customers without judging them because of the politicians in power,” Christopher Wynne told the New York Times.

Wynne, 45, began business in the country in the early 2000s — first running a few Papa John's as a franchisee, then amassing 190 locations that are largely owned by Russians that pay him royalties under franchise agreements, according to the Times.
https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2022/03/15/ukraine-invasion-american-plans-keep-190-papa-johns-russia/7047134001/




I don’t think that’s on tight enough, sir! But by the way enough about the company, what about the founder and former CEO who was disgraced after he said some racist stuff (see: Idiots #5-5, Idiots #7-21, and Idiots #10-7 ). In case you’re wondering if he’s still a batshit crazy lunatic who spouts insane conspiracy theories with a side of casual racism, just wait until you see the latest claptrap that he’s come up with. And whew, this is one of the more insane things that have hit our doomsday shelter lately! But yeah it might be time to turn off Infowars, put down the bong, and back away slowly from the computer.

Former pizza delivery executive “Papa” John Schnatter on Friday said President Joe Biden had caused Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a “smokescreen” to distract from domestic political matters.

Mr Schnatter, who founded the Papa John’s pizza delivery chain in 1984, was once a ubiquitous presence on American television thanks to his frequent appearances in his company’s advertising.

CPAC latest – live updates

But he was forced from his role as CEO of the company in October 2017 after complaining that the NFL — a major corporate partner at the time — hadn’t done enough to stop Black players from kneeling during pre-game national anthem performances.

He was subsequently forced to resign as the chairman of Papa John’s board after the release of a recording in which he repeatedly used racial slurs.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/cpac-pap-johns-biden-ukraine-b2024055.html





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[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!



Especially after all the dark shit in the world happening right now! So of course you know that the idea of this segment is that we have some drinks and while we’re drinking our favorite beverage of choice, we talk about anything in the news as long as it does not relate to politics. So the topic on the table this week is the controversy surrounding the latest Disney / Pixar flick called Turning Red. Which you can see on Disney’s streaming service Disney+. So tell me bartender, what goes well with a story about the movie Turning Red? A Red Russian? What’s in that? You know I think I will refrain from anything even remotely having to do with Russia right now. I’ll stick to my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. Some good old fashioned American booze! Well anyways, remember when we used to watch movies, and I don’t know, actually enjoy them? I miss those days. In this day and age you have to either really love something or you have to hate something enough to want to murder the people involved in making it. There’s no in between on anything anymore. Because that’s how things escalate these days – very quickly! As is the case with Turning Red.

In the world’s latest attempt to ruin all fun, Turning Red has somehow become one of the most controversial films of 2022. Domee Shi’s new coming-of-age film, which follows a young girl cursed with transforming into a giant panda, has the inquisitive delightfulness of Lady Bird paired with the flawlessness (and completely family-friendly image) of Pixar. And yet, here we are, wading through discourse yet again to protect poor Meilin Lee (Rosalie Chiang), part-time spunky middle schooler, part-time fluffy red beast, from people who can’t manage to have a good time—or, in fact, understand the purpose behind the movie in the first place.

The new animated movie has faced an abundance of controversies. Like young girls justifying their love for Twilight or Justin Bieber, fans of Turning Red face the wrath of angry parents and confused men taking their spite to Rotten Tomatoes over a few scenes in the film. This—shaming energetic teenage girls for their passions—is precisely what Turning Red proves unhealthy.

In simple terms, Turning Red is a near-perfect film.

Controlled by her mother (Sandra Oh) and beloved by her trio of friends, Mei is a delightfully perky middle school girl with perfect grades, dedication to her family, and an obsession with gyrating boy bands. When her desire for boys becomes too strong to handle, she spirals out of control—and into a giant red panda. This isn’t uncommon, though: it’s a tradition the Lee family has faced for centuries; all Mei has to do is harness the beast until she can perform a ritual to expel it.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-did-pixars-delightful-turning-red-become-the-target-of-sexist-racist-controversy




Oh yeah I needed that! So if Turning Red is a “near perfect film” then why is there so much controversy surrounding it? Of course it results in some good old fashioned women bashing, because that’s the way that the internet seems to roll these days. And it’s really insane to think that this is a kids movie! I know they try to inject adult humor into some of the jokes to make it more palatable, but come on, just take it for face value! Pixar has made plenty of great movies like Up, Toy Story, and Monsters Inc, but this is where you draw the line? Monsters Inc didn’t have enough representation for you?

Pixar’s newest movie Turning Red landed on Disney+ earlier this month in a direct-to-streaming release, and it’s a milestone film for the animation powerhouse: It’s the first Pixar film to be directed by a woman, Domee Shi, and the second film (after 2009’s Up) to feature an Asian lead character. Plus, the film currently holds a 95% on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, indicating universal acclaim. Despite the massive fanfare, the film is currently embroiled in an online controversy that feels depressingly familiar to champions of Asian and female representation onscreen.

Meilin “Mei” Lee (voiced by newcomer Rosalie Chiang) is a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian girl growing up in Toronto whose puberty is hitting different. While we all dealt with mood swings, acne flare-ups, and general discomfort in our bodies at that age, Mei’s coming of age is taking on a different form, literally. She turns into a giant red panda any time she feels a strong emotion. A family gene, her parents initially believe her transformation is brought on by the confusion of her first period.

The focus on Asian culture and talk of periods have colored the reactions to and discourse around the film. In a now-deleted review, CinemaBlend Managing Editor Sean O’Connell lamented that he couldn’t identify with Mei’s story, and therefore the entire project was “limited in scope.” His language specifically focused on the cultural setting, making the bizarre conclusion that a story set in Toronto’s Asian community somehow made the film too “specific and narrow” to be enjoyed by the masses. O’Connell defended his thoughts in a now-deleted tweet, which called the film “exhausting” due to his inability to see himself within the story. O’Connell and CinemaBlend’s editor in chief have since apologized for the review.
https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/pixar-turning-red-period-asian-culture-controversy-explained-cast-response




Yeah I need a lot more shots! Just come on people, I can’t even. You know I haven’t seen the movie yet but definitely planning to. And I will be bringing lots of beverages with me! Of course the sexists and racists are going to turn out in droves to dissect the film because we apparently don’t have enough to do in the year that is 2022. So how did we get to this point? Well it’s the ultimate circular firing squad – someone starts an argument, then someone makes a counterpoint, then lather, rinse, repeat. This happens every time a movie like this is released!

But one review posted online earlier this week sparked outcry.

CinemaBlend's managing director Sean O'Connell wrote that he couldn't connect with the film, calling it "limiting."

"By rooting 'Turning Red' very specifically in the Asian community of Toronto, the film legitimately feels like it was made for Domee Shi's friends and immediate family members. Which is fine — but also, a tad limiting in its scope," O'Connell wrote.

In a since-deleted tweet, he also called the movie "exhausting."

The review has since been taken down and both O'Connell and the editor-in-chief of CinemaBlend have apologized.
https://www.npr.org/2022/03/12/1086040083/turning-red-controversy




Somehow I don’t think that bottle is big enough! But “limiting”? Shut up! Here’s the thing that some of these reviewers just don’t get that I feel like I need to spell it out for them. Turning Red was written by an Asian woman… and wait for it… she’s from Toronto! Shocker! This is why people peg liberals as “elitist”! I mean come on, and this might be the drinks talking, but if you’re gonna write, you got to write about what you know. Let’s put it this way. Kevin Smith made Clerks. Clerks is about a pair of convenience store clerks in New Jersey. Kevin Smith was working as a convenience store clerk in New Jersey while he was making the movie. So… yeah take that for what you will! But let’s keep the circular firing squad going! Ready! Aim! Pull!

“Turning Red” cast members spoke up in support of the new Pixar film and its universality following a controversial review for the animated movie that was published by CinemaBlend. The review was pulled offline after being called “sexist,” “racist” and more by members of the press. CinemaBlend managing director Sean O’Connell wrote the review, saying that the film’s appeal was limited because it’s set in the Asian community of Toronto.

“I recognized the humor in the film, but connected with none of it. By rooting ‘Turning Red’ very specifically in the Asian community of Toronto, the film legitimately feels like it was made for [director] Domee Shi’s friends and immediate family members,” O’Connell wrote in the since-pulled review. “Which is fine — but also, a tad limiting in its scope.”

O’Connell doubled down on his opinion of the film in a since-deleted tweet that accompanied his review. The post read: “Some Pixar films are made for universal audiences. ‘Turning Red’ is not. The target audience for this one feels very specific and very narrow. If you are in it, this might work very well for you. I am not in it. This was exhausting.”
https://variety.com/2022/film/news/turning-red-cast-defends-film-racist-cinemablend-review-1235200056/





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[font size="8"]Stupidest State 2022
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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 annual contest that seeks to find the craziest, strangest, stupidest and most depraved state in the country! It’s Stupidest State 2022! Last week was our first week of the tournament and it was a great one as Arizona took control of the Batshit Conference with an unbelievable 25 point victory over contenders South Dakota to advance to the Elite 8! Meanwhile, over in the Family Values Conference, we had a stunning upset with red hot North Carolina hitting a last second 3 pointer to advance to the Elite 8! This week we’re live in Phoenix at the home of the Arizona Wildcats, the Wells Fargo Arena, with this week’s action action action! Over in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, #3 Nevada is looking to go for broke against #4 Nebraska for a Fiscal Showdown, while over in the Gun Nut Conference, #3 Florida is looking to shoot it out against #4 Missouri! Let’s hit the floor, shall we?

[font size="4"]Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference Round 1: #3 Nevada Vs #4 Nebraska [/font]

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


Nevada has won the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference multiple times in the last few years for a good reason – they may be run by the casino and gambling industry but like any state that encourages gambling some shady elements come standard with it! And I want to start with this perfect example of casino greed. This bartender in Vegas was robbed at gun point and was actually forced to pay his bosses back for the money that was stolen on his shift! You really can’t make this stuff up. Of course that’s what happens when our corporate overlords are total psychopaths.

Las Vegas bartender robbed at gunpoint was forced to repay bosses stolen money, lawsuit says

Edward Parker's employers docked him nearly $4,000 for the Dec. 4, 2020, robbery, according to the suit.

A Las Vegas bartender was robbed at gunpoint and then forced to repay his company the stolen money, according to a lawsuit filed by the employee.

Edward Parker was working at the Lodge Hualapai early Dec. 4, 2020, when a gunman entered, ordered him "to kneel on the ground and put his hands behind his head while the armed assailant took all the money that was at the bar," according to a Clark County civil complaint filed last week.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/las-vegas-bartender-robbed-gunpoint-was-forced-repay-bosses-stolen-mon-rcna15377




Holy shit! That is a stunning level of greed there! $4,000 is an insane amount of money! And speaking of gaming, disgraced Trumphole POS Steve Wynn is back in the news and of course for reasons that are very unflattering to him. But what I love about this story is that Steve Wynn is so toxic that even the gaming regulation committee in Nevada isn’t letting him get a free pass! Excuse my editorial laugh for a minute here… ha ha ha!

An attorney for former gaming mogul Steve Wynn told the Nevada Supreme Court Monday the disgraced casino operator can’t be held accountable by gaming regulators for any of the alleged sexual misconduct and harassment allegations that led to his departure from Wynn Resorts in 2018.

Attorney Colby Williams said Wynn wasn’t getting “a free pass” for any of the alleged misconduct — but that regulators have no authority over Wynn now, including that they cannot hold him responsible for failing to appear at a Gaming Control Board hearing.

Williams argued that Wynn gave up his gaming license some 20 months before the control board filed the five-count complaint that sought to label the former CEO as “unsuitable to be associated with a gaming enterprise or the gaming industry as a whole.”

The control board and Nevada Gaming Commission are appealing a District Court ruling from November 2020 that said Wynn’s resignation and sale of his holdings in the company removed him from their oversight.

Read more: https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/gaming-regulators-ask-state-supreme-court-to-restore-authority-over-steve-wynn




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


The Cornhuskers are back for their next go round in the tournament! Their credentials in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference are strong! They’re home to America’s corn and wheat fields and their representatives, including governor Pete Ricketts are bought and paid for by Koch Industries and they enact lots of policies that reflect this! But this might be one of the more shocking developments lately – everyone knows that Brazil’s super far right prime minister Jair Bolsonaro is a colossal piece of shit, but did you know that his campaign may have been bankrolled by an Omaha gun club?

When we first learned that two of far-right Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro’s sons, Eduardo and Carlos, were connected to a shooting club called 88 Tactical in Omaha, Nebraska, we started digging deeper into this relationship.

We are a group of independent researchers trained in different fields of the humanities and social sciences and based in several countries. We are individuals with jobs in both public and private sectors. We are bringing to the surface some sensitive information that exposes potentially unlawful acts by Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro in conjunction with his sons Flavio, Carlos and Eduardo when they searched for U.S. partners and sponsors for the Brazilian general elections of 2018.

We have gathered information about the president, his sons and some of their allies presented in their social media interactions since 2012, along with other records of their travel and business dealings. We have cross-referenced their social interactions, travel, and mutual events. We have combined and compared their social media posts with information publicized in media outlets mostly from Brazil and from the United States.

Our goal is to contribute to the fight against the rise of fascism evident in Jair Bolsonaro’s regime and Steve Bannon’s effort, “The Movement,” the South American arm of which is led by Jair’s son, Eduardo. We have produced articles in Portuguese and in English to raise awareness of the hidden relationship between Bolsonaro family and the American gun industry.

Read more: https://seeingrednebraska.com/draft/did-the-nra-and-a-boston-investment-firm-bankroll-the-bolsonaro-campaign/




Wow, that is quite insane! And speaking of insane there’s also Nebraska’s governor that somehow got elected and that’s Pete Ricketts. So Nebraska is in a bit of what one might call a “drought” right now and of course they’re looking for answers, but in all the wrong places. And the proposal coming from Ricketts’ camp is well, also insane. So what good would building an unnecessary canal in North Colorado do to help both states? The answer is “not a whole lot”.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts’ $500 million plan to take more water from the South Platte River by building a canal in northeast Colorado left politicians and experts in both states scratching their heads.

The 99-year-old South Platte River compact between the two states does outline plans for such a project, according to Anthony Schutz, an associate law professor at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. But the project was started and abandoned decades ago and the question of starting it up again might have to be decided in a costly and lengthy court battle.

Even if the canal is built, it’s unclear how much extra water it would yield to Nebraska or for what it could be used, Schutz said.

Plus, more water is already appropriated out of the South Platte — like many of Colorado’s other waterways — than the river has to give.

Read more: https://www.denverpost.com/2022/01/15/colorado-nebraska-water-platte-polis-ricketts/




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

Ladies and gentlemen – we have another upset brewing! Nebraska is ahead by 5 with one minute to go, they have the ball… for 3! YES! That’s the game right there! 30 seconds left… And that will seal the deal, Nebraska is moving on, Nevada will go home! Final score: 85 – 77!

[font size="4"]Gun Nut Conference Round 1: #3 Florida Vs #4 Missouri [/font]

[font size="4"]Florida [/font]


What is there to say about the Sunshine State that has yet to be said? Our champs for 2018 and 2020 are back for yet another go round. Can they make it a 3 title win? Only time will tell but they’ve got some tough competition in the Gun Nut Conference. But no one can deny that Florida is run by Florida Man and Florida Woman, but they also elect Florida Man to the highest office in the state! But as far as their Gun Nut Credentials? Well the people that claim to be pro life have enacted policies that have killed more than they will help!

From the beginning of 2020 to the beginning of 2021, while COVID-19 deaths rose, so too did the number of teenagers dying to firearm injuries. Across the country, the overall death rate due to firearm injuries for children aged 5-years-old to 14 nearly doubled.

In the first quarter of 2020, the per capita death rate for those 5 to 14 was 1.0. Per capita is per 100,000 people. In the first quarter of 2021, that number rose to 1.8, nationally, according to mortality data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

shows it also went up in 2021. The crude data rate for the nation was 12.3 per 100,000 for 2020. In Florida, it was 13.5. Nationally and in just Florida, both stats went up in the following year.

In 2021, the crude rate of firearm deaths for those 5 to 14-years-old was 14.1. The rate was the same in Florida. Nationally, the numbers increased faster, growing to match Florida’s firearm-related deaths.
https://www.wfla.com/news/national/more-florida-kids-died-to-gun-violence-at-start-of-2021/




That’s right! So the next time that there’s a mass shooting in Florida you can thank your bought and paid for representatives! And they’re very firmly in the NRA’s pocket. And by the way in case you think that other states have Florida’s number on guns, well, you ain’t seen nothing yet! In addition to kids getting shot at, the fact that they can legally obtain weapons in the Sunshine State is a growing concern as well, because, what could go wrong there?

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Spectrum News 13 watchdog team is taking a close look at rising gun crimes involving teens in the state of Florida.

While state reports show a 20% decrease in gun crimes among youth from 2016 to 2020, there has been a slight uptick in crimes over the last couple of years. Law enforcement officers say “easy access” to guns in Central Florida is a growing concern.

It is something that is happening more frequently here Central Florida: Family members grieving the deaths of children and in the same breath, calling for justice and action.

“We want families to know they need to teach their kids gun control," said John Keedy, the stepfather of Corey Jones, a 15-year-old who was shot to death on Jan. 22. "It’s not the gun that kills the person, it’s the person that kills the person,”
https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2022/02/25/youth-access-to-guns-a-crowing-concern-in-central-florida-




[font size="4"]Missouri [/font]


The Show Me State is a right wing gun nut haven! Remember a couple of years ago when those gun toting McCloskeys made the news for flashing their pieces out at protestors? Then they got pardoned by governor Ken Parsons? Yeah that happened! Well now that COVID seems to be subsiding, it’s time to get back to that other pandemic that is killing people in large numbers and overwhelming our health care system – mass shootings! And Missouri is about to make things that much worse if this legislation does what we think it will do!

In a development that should shock exactly no one, a national study has ranked Missouri near the bottom of the nation in terms of the strength of its gun laws — and near the top in per capita gun deaths. The correlation is undeniable: Missourians, living in a state that has gutted most of its previous restrictions on firearms, are nearly twice as likely to die from gun violence than their neighbors in Illinois, which imposes rational restrictions.

And how are Missouri legislators responding to this continuing crisis? By trying to make it even easier for convicted criminals to lay their hands on guns, easier to bring guns into churches, schools and trains, and harder for police to enforce what few gun laws are on the books.

This is insanity.

Polls show overwhelming majorities of Americans, including most gun owners, favor reasonable reforms like universal criminal background checks for all gun purchases. That’s confirmation that on gun rights, as on most issues, the broad middle of America isn’t radical, but reasonable, respecting individual rights but in balance with a society’s responsibility to keep its people safe.
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/editorial/editorial-as-missouri-gun-deaths-mount-lawmakers-aim-to-shoot-down-remaining-safeguards/article_bca97ee0-bece-5c74-8635-033b50a1e0eb.html




Wow, that got some mad boos from the audience! So that being said let’s also extrapolate this and find out more. Because the fact that Missouri ranks among the worst in the nation in terms of gun laws is very telling! In fact Missouri loves the firearm so much that their “Second Amendment Preservation Act” (obviously written by representatives with NRA A+ ratings) is becoming a national concern according to the Justice Department. And that’s something that we didn’t see coming!

The speed with which the United States filed its summary judgment motion suggests it believes Missouri's Second Amendment Preservation Act is a clear violation of the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause and is jeopardizing efforts to combat crime.

Just two weeks after suing Missouri over its Second Amendment Preservation Act, the federal government has made the rare move of rapidly asking for summary judgment against Missouri, arguing the law is causing “significant harm” to law enforcement and public safety.

The government's 40-page motion asks the court to issue a judgment declaring the Second Amendment Preservation Act invalid and blocking its enforcement.

“Missouri’s unconstitutional attempt to nullify federal law directly regulates, discriminates against, and affirmatively penalizes the lawful exercise of federal authority,” the motion states. A government spokesperson declined additional comment.

Summary judgment allows a court to circumvent a trial, and it’s rare for a plaintiff to seek summary judgment so soon after filing suit. Typically, motions for summary judgment are brought after both sides have exchanged discovery. For a court to grant it, the material facts of the case must be undisputed and the law, when applied to those facts, entitles the moving party to a judgment on the merits.
https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-03-01/justice-department-says-missouris-gun-law-is-causing-significant-harm-to-public-safety




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

OMFG!!! We have yet another upset brewing here… can Missouri hold on to beat the champions in Florida? They are currently up by 10 with less than a minute to go… for 3! YES!!! Florida simply can’t hold on… and Missouri wins to advance to their first Elite 8! Florida goes home, the fans are stunned and simply cannot believe it! Final score: 93 – 83!

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

It’s Round 1 Week 3! And we are live at the home of the Sacramento Kings, the amazing Golden 1 Center in Sacramento! It’s a battle for Fiscal Irresponsibility supremacy as #1 Kansas takes on #2 Delaware, while over in the Gun Nut Conference, #1 Texas takes on #2 Idaho! Things are getting exciting!



[font size="4"]And Now This: [/font]
[font size="4"]Ghost[/font]



My next guest has a great new album out called “Impera” and they just finished a tour with Volbeat, playing their song “Hunter’s Moon”, give it up for Ghost!



Thank you Phoenix! We’re off to Houston next! That’s in Texas, don’t you know? See you next week!

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March 17, 2022

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-7: This Honky Warlord Be Trippin' Edition


Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-7: This Honky Warlord Be Trippin’ Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! What’s up Denver, how you guys doing? You doing fucking good? Great! Happy St. Patrick’s Day everybody! As such I am going to be imbibing some Guiness and Jack through the duration of this program. Always great to be back in the Mile High City, but now that weed is legal here, could we start calling it the Really High City? My assistant thought that joke was funny. Anyway, we took a week off last week but we back, tanned, rested and ready to dive right into Stupidest State 2022! I hope everyone filled out their brackets! Do we have time for the thing? Yeah so I know that this is Broncos territory. But can we all agree that we’ve all had an ass full of Tom Brady? Just when I actually enjoyed the Super Bowl for once because he wasn’t in it. Like is this going to be the new Brett Farve – is he or isn’t he coming out of retirement? And I’m sure that’s really got to chafe the ass of the guy who spent $513K on Tom Brady’s last game ball. That’s now officially worthless. Which is actually kind of funny because it’s like the people who get whatever team name tattooed on their arm with Super Bowl Champions!!, even though everyone knows damn well that ain’t happening. But seriously, $518K? That is nuts. Like you know the old saying “a fool and their money are soon parted”. I wonder if PT Barnum saw the depths of stupidity that are rampant in modern society? Because I bet that there’s no way that he could have predicted that! OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and he delves into the atrocities in the concert ticket industry – an issue that is very near and dear to me!



Holy shit where do we begin this week? Well premier Russian warlord Vladimir Putiin continues his bloodbath across the Ukraine and there is a lot of news about this, all of it is bad, but we will try to make it palatable for you! And don’t worry, we’re also not above dick jokes either. In the second slot is American Russian Agents (2). Yes, Pooty has people working for him here in the States and things are going to get really ugly really quickly, and yes our old buddy Tucker Carlson may actively be a Russian agent! Taking the 3rd slot this week is the guy who we used to call president, That Former Guy (3) and he held another one of his idiotic MAGA rallies, but when you hear his latest commentary on windmills, whew, he is losing it big time! Taking the number 4 slot this week, is highlights from the State Of The Union (4) and isn’t it great to have competency back in the White House? And then there’s the lowest of the low, Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene. In the number 5 slot this week, we have a new Top 10 Investigates (5)! So if you rented a car from Hertz in the last year there may be a warrant out for your arrest – is it a rental car or a stolen car? Tonight at 11! In the number 6 slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit”, and this week our resident pastor has had enough of self-proclaimed Christian nationalist Lance Wallnau (6), and he’s getting crazier with each sermon, and we are ready to throw down! Taking the number 7 slot this week, we have a brand new segment to debut for you – The Zoo From Hell (6)! Just when you thought it was safe to get over the murder hornets, now comes giant parachuting spiders that are going to blanket the south! In the number 8 slot this week is a new Conspiracy Corner (8) – Hawaii’s Tusli Gabbard is going to run for president in 2024 in a 3rd party scenario, but is she being groomed by the Russians? We will put on our trusty tin foil hats and find out! Taking the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week is a new People Are Dumb (9) because there may be a shortage of gas, but there’s no shortage of stupid people! Finally this week it's time for the big dance! Stupidest State 2022 kicks off live from Las Vegas where Arizona battles Colorado in the batshit conference, while #1 Alabama takes on red hot #2 North Carolina in the Family Values Conference! Plus to cap things off, what better band to hang out with us on St. Patricks Day than Flogging Molly? They are promoting their Sweet 17 tour! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]Vladimir Putin
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God where do we even begin this week? It seems like the news is changing on Vladimir Putin’s illegal and immoral occupation of the Ukraine by the minute. We are not going to get into the worst of the death and destruction because that’s simply too horrifying to make fun of. And the news is all bad! So what’s the latest thing happening on this war? It gets crazier by the minute and it seems to be escalating very quickly but nobody really seems to know what to do with Vladimir Putin. But first you know nobody seems to really know where he is! He doesn’t live at the Kremlin. And he has 8 gigantic mansions all over Russia. You know doesn’t this all sound familiar? If it does sound familiar then it’s because it sounds almost exactly like what happened with Saddam Hussein. Remember the massive man hunt that went on for years trying to find him because he owned so many properties around Iraq? And then we found him in a underground bunker. That could very well turn out to be the case in Russia because the similarities are frightening.

After diplomatic talks in Turkey ended without a breakthrough, the war between Russia and Ukraine looks set to continue for some time, leading to more loss of life and people fleeing their homes.

As we enter the fourth week of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, the Russian president has sent many young soldiers into Ukraine. With thousands of casualties already reported - and more to come as the war goes on - where is the Kremlin leader himself?

Unlike the leaders of other countries who reside in governmental offices like the White House and Number 10, Putin doesn’t live at the Kremlin. Instead, he could be holed up in one of his eight luxury properties...

Putin usually resides in the Grand Kremlin Palace, which is located in western Moscow.

The palace, which has been the official residence of Russia's president since 1911, is a lavish building in the Cathedral Square of Moscow within the Kremlin complex, which spreads across 69 acres of land.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/putin-now-russia-ukraine-conflict-26461863




And by the way it’s not just Vladimir Putin that’s missing. In fact some big name Russian oligarchs are missing, as is their supervillain looking yachts. These are the people that need to answer for these atrocities in the Ukraine. And their greed knows no boundaries. They make the Koch Brothers look poor by comparison! Yeah so if you happen to be in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and you come across a ghost yacht, then you might know where to look for Putin!

It’s a 230-foot superyacht with room for 28 guests and crew—and yet, in the last week, it has seemingly vanished, just as other vessels belonging to Russian billionaires have been frozen or seized.

The Galactica Super Nova, owned by Lukoil CEO Vagit Alekperov, sailed in recent weeks from Barcelona to Tivat, Montenegro, arriving on March 1. But just a day later, the boat departed, according to data from the ship-tracking company MarineTraffic.

An official at the port in Montenegro confirmed that the yacht was no longer there.

Soon after it left, Galactica’s automatic tracking system, also known as AIS, stopped pinging out signals, reports MarineTraffic and its competitors VesselFinder and VesselsValue. As of Wednesday afternoon Central European Time, the boat had yet to update its location.

It is legally required for all yachts of Galactica’s size to have their AIS turned on “at all times,” said Sam Tucker, head of superyachts at VesselsValue. “For the past 12 months, we have had a very reliable signal coming from this vessel, so after seeing it [leave] Porto Montenegro, we are very surprised that there has been no signal received from either our satellites or ground stations.”

Duncan Bateson, a marine lawyer based in London, said it was likely that “if captains of Russian-linked boats are turning off their AIS tracker, then it's because they're trying to evade being tracked.”

Lukoil did not respond to requests for comment.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/russian-billionaire-vagit-alekperovs-superyacht-galactica-super-nova-mysteriously-vanishes?ref=home




So if you see ghost yachts popping up all over the place in Russian waters, carry on, that’s just the Russian oligarchs hiding in international waters. But in case you’re wondering how things are going in the Russian Occupation, they are not going well for Putin. The entire world hates him and is united against him, and the Ukrainians are fighting back with everything they got. And if you’re keeping score at home, Putin just fired 8 of his most trusted generals. How badly do you have to fuck up to be fired by that guy? About the same as getting fired by Trump.

According to people with knowledge of Mr. Putin’s conversations with his aides over the past two years, the president has completely lost interest in the present: The economy, social issues, the coronavirus pandemic, these all annoy him. Instead, he and Mr. Kovalchuk obsess over the past. A French diplomat told me that President Emmanuel Macron of France was astonished when Mr. Putin gave him a lengthy history lecture during one of their talks last month. He shouldn’t have been surprised.

In his mind, Mr. Putin finds himself in a unique historical situation in which he can finally recover for the previous years of humiliation. In the 1990s, when Mr. Putin and Mr. Kovalchuk first met, they were both struggling to find their footing after the fall of the Soviet Union, and so was the country. The West, they believe, took advantage of Russia’s weakness to push NATO as close as possible to the country’s borders. In Mr. Putin’s view, the situation today is the opposite: It is the West that’s weak. The only Western leader that Mr. Putin took seriously was Germany’s previous chancellor, Angela Merkel. Now she is gone and it’s time for Russia to avenge the humiliations of the 1990s.

It seems that there is no one around to tell him otherwise. Mr. Putin no longer meets with his buddies for drinks and barbecues, according to people who know him. In recent years — and especially since the start of the pandemic — he has cut off most contacts with advisers and friends. While he used to look like an emperor who enjoyed playing on the controversies of his subjects, listening to them denounce one another and pitting them against one another, he is now isolated and distant, even from most of his old entourage.

His guards have imposed a strict protocol: No one can see the president without a week’s quarantine — not even Igor Sechin, once his personal secretary, now head of the state-owned oil company Rosneft. Mr. Sechin is said to quarantine for two or three weeks a month, all for the sake of occasional meetings with the president.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/10/opinion/putin-russia-ukraine.html




Not all of is bad, I will assure you that! Because this story came across my desk. While the world is looking for answers on what to do with ol’ Pooty, one person might have actually found a solution and that’s our old buddy Elon Musk! See? There is a lighter side of war! So anyway, Elon apparently wants to challenge Pooty to a good old fashioned duel. Yeah this is one of those things that you really can’t make up, and real life is stranger than fiction!

Elon Musk apparently wants to take his support for Ukraine to the next level.

SpaceX has been sending terminals and other gear for its Starlink satellite-internet system to Ukraine, which has been struggling to maintain communications capabilities since being invaded by Russia on Feb. 24.

And on Monday (March 14), the company's founder and CEO offered a simple way to bring that invasion to an end.

"I hereby challenge Vladimir Putin to single combat. Stakes are Ukraine," Musk tweeted on Monday, spelling out Putin's name and Ukraine in Russian. (Translation provided by Google.)

"Do you agree to this fight?" he asked (in Russian) in another tweet, which tagged @KremlinRussia_E, the official account of the Russian president.
https://www.space.com/elon-musk-spacex-challenges-vladimir-putin-duel





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[font size="8"]Who Is A Russian Asset?
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This isn’t really a war. It’s an illegal and immoral occupation of a sovereign democracy by an evil foreign dictator who’s intent on bombing the shit out of those poor people and taking their land. But the longer this… whatever you want to call it… The Illegal And Immoral Occupation Of The Ukraine… nah let’s give it something with more zing. Yes!! This Honky Warlord Be Tripping! Excuse me a minute… that may be one of the best ones we’ve done yet! Starring Tracy Jordan of course. But the longer this occupation drags on, the more it exposes who’s really on Russia’s side. I noticed that Fat Donny is remaining oddly silent on the issue, which to me speaks volumes! Last week we talked a lot about how Tucker Carlson might be a Russian asset and how Fox News is trying to actively and openly sell the GOP on the war in the Ukraine and how it might be necessary (it isn’t, which means that Fox News is actively aiding and abetting an enemy of the United States). But remember how Trump was exposed as a Russian agent back in 2016? It turns out there’s more to that than meets the eye!

Donald Trump was a tool in a long-running Russian campaign to weaken the United States. That’s been documented in Republican-led investigative reports, and now it has been updated with new evidence, thanks to the U.S. Intelligence Community’s assessment of the 2020 election. The report, drafted by the CIA, the FBI, and several other agencies, was released in unclassified form on Tuesday, but it was presented in classified form on Jan. 7. In other words, it was compiled, written, and edited during Trump’s administration. It destroys his lies about the election, and it exposes him as a Russian asset.

The report debunks conspiracy theories, promoted by Trump and his lawyers, that hackers in other countries robbed him of victory. “We have no indications that any foreign actor attempted to interfere in the 2020 US elections by altering any technical aspect of the voting process,” including “ballot casting, vote tabulation, or reporting results,” says the document. A separate analysis released by the Department of Justice reaches the same conclusion. The IC report adds that evidence of such operations, if they existed, would have shown up in U.S. surveillance or in “post-election audits of electronic results and paper backups.” The report implicitly mocks insinuations from Trump’s lawyers that former Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez, who died in 2013, somehow rigged Trump’s defeat. “We have no information,” it notes drily, that “current or former Venezuelan regimes were involved in attempts to compromise US election infrastructure.”

During the campaign, Trump, his national security appointees, and his allies in Congress insisted that China was meddling in the election to help Joe Biden. They even claimed that China’s interference was more dangerous than Russia’s. The report shreds that fiction. China “did not deploy influence efforts intended to change the outcome of the US Presidential election,” says the assessment. It finds no attempt by China to “provide funding to any candidates or parties,” and it challenges the Republican spin that China feared Trump because he was too tough. It argues, to the contrary, that Beijing saw Trump as a weaker adversary because he “would alienate US partners,” whereas Biden “would pose a greater challenge over the long run because he would be more successful in mobilizing a global alliance against China.”
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/03/trump-russian-asset-election-intelligence-community-report.html




Yeah so this honky warlord be trippin’! And also, really, shut the fuck up Donny. Nobody cares where you pulled that conspiracy theory out of your ass! But in case you’re wondering who’s actually defending Russia’s egregious human rights violations, look no further than Candace Owens. You may recall Candace Owens from the Herman Cain Awards and Toilet Paper USA as the “Angel Of Death” because of her anti-vaccine stance. Well, her pro-Russia stance isn’t really that far out of the norm for these idiots, either!

Conservative commentator Candace Owens is not backing down after one of her tweets criticizing the treatment of Russian citizens received support from the Russian embassy in the United States.

Last week, Owens posted on Twitter that she found the treatment Russian citizens in the United States and around the world are receiving is "appalling." It was a message that was amplified and retweeted by two official Russian embassy accounts.

On Monday, Owens said she stood by those words, doubling down on her earlier message. She went on to compare the treatment of Russian citizens abroad to that of Japanese-American citizens during WWII.

Owens' initial tweet on March 9 drew a comparison to the treatment of Russians in the U.S. to the Black Lives Matter movement.
https://www.newsweek.com/candace-owens-doubles-down-tweet-promoted-russias-us-embassy-1687718




And don’t think we haven’t forgotten about Tucker Carlson either! The story of whether or not he’s a Russian agent get weirder and weirder and weirder. In fact as we were airing last week’s edition, news broke that Russian State Media actively pursued wanting to air clips of his program on Russian State TV in order to sell the war. So does that make Tucker Carlson a Russian agent and if so is he actively aiding and abetting a known enemy to the United States? You’ll see where I am going with this in a minute because it’s truly insane.

The Kremlin instructed Russian state media to feature Fox News host Tucker Carlson "as much as possible," according to Mother Jones.

A leaked 12-page war memo, titled "For Media and Commentators," told Russian media that it is "essential" to use more Carlson segments in their coverage because of his positions on the war in Ukraine, Mother Jones reported.

Carlson "sharply criticizes" the actions of the United States and NATO and their "negative role in unleashing the conflict in Ukraine," the memo said, per the media outlet.

He is also critical of the "defiantly provocative behavior from the leadership of the Western countries and NATO towards the Russian Federation and towards President Putin, personally," the memo continued.
https://www.businessinsider.com/kremlin-memo-ukraine-war-russian-tucker-carlson-mother-jones-2022-3




Oh and by the way Tucker might not be the only Fox propagandist on the channel or on Putin’s payroll at that. That entire network might be compromised from top to bottom. Just last week there was this clip of Maria Baritromo baselessly flaunting a conspiracy theory that Biden wanted the Ukraine “snuffed out” and now there’s this coming from another Fox News staffer and Fox & Friends correspondent. Like is it seriously time to sanction Fox News for aiding and abetting the enemy? Well, they should be!

Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy on Sunday asserted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would rather be fighting a war while Donald Trump was president even though the former American leader was impeached for trying to blackmail Ukraine over weapons.

During a segment on Fox & Friends, co-host Will Cain suggested that Vice President Kamala Harris is unaware that Ukraine is not part of NATO.

"Indeed the question of whether Ukraine should or shouldn't be in NATO is the reason we're in this entire situation!" Campos-Duffy chimed in. "So it's not some small little -- we all make a mistake here and there but that's pretty decisive of a mistake."

"This is a shooting war," co-host Pete Hegseth opined, "and we send Kamala Harris over there to reassure the world, to reassure Zelenskyy, to reassure Poland that we stand behind them."
https://www.rawstory.com/rachel-campos-duffy-volodymyr-zelenskyy/






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[font size="8"]That Former Guy
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We can all agree that the guy who we used to call president has completely lost his damn mind, am I right about that, Denver? Well yeah if you disagree with that, you’re in the wrong place! And of course he had another rally out in the middle of nowhere, which people stood on a farm in extremely shitty conditions in the rain, for another edition of Trump Barfs His Brain. But when this story came across my desk at the Top 10 Home Office in Santa Ana, California, I had to literally stop what I was doing because I was laughing so damn hard at this. Because this is precisely who Trump is, and since losing the 2020 election, he has gone off the deep end. And this is the case when he appeared on a UFC podcast, and the subject was about Putin’s illegal invasion of the Ukraine. And instead, he spends the next 10 minutes rambling about… windmills. Seriously, I want to know – exactly what the hell do people see in this guy because he’s a rambling crazy person!

Donald Trump hasn’t had a great feel for how to respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He started by calling it “genius.” Then, days later, he called it a “Holocaust.” He’s bashed President Biden for being weak, but when asked what he would do differently, he said he couldn’t say.

The former president doesn’t seem to have anything coherent to add about how the conflict might end, either. When he was asked about what to expect going forward during a recent appearance on the podcast of the popular creator collective the Nelk Boys, Trump’s thoughts turned to … windmills.

“What do you see happening next, then?” Trump was asked. “It seems like the tensions are high. How does this all end? Is this going to be a long-term thing? How do you see this unfolding?”

“Well, and I said this a long time ago, we are playing right into their hands with the green energy,” Trump began. “The windmills. They don’t work. They’re too expensive. They kill all the birds. They ruin your landscapes. Yet, the environmentalists love the windmills. I’ve been preaching this for years. The windmills. I had them way down. The windmills are the most expensive energy you can have, and they don’t work. They last a period of 10 years and by the time they start rusting and rotting all over the place nobody ever takes them down. They just go onto the next piece of prairie or land and destroy that. It’s incredible.”
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-windmill-rant-nelk-boys-podcast-ukraine-conflict-1319321/




Tell me you don’t know how windmills work without telling me that you don’t know how windmills work. Also, Trump, can you show us on this doll where the windmill hurt you? That would help. Now moving on… excuse me a minute… OK moving on. We now have to switch gears and talk about his latest rally in Florence, South Carolina. Where does he find these places? And it was quite the shit show as you can imagine with the added bonus of his supporters literally standing in piles of shit.

During the rally, Trump said there’s overwhelming evidence the election was fraudulent, but offered no evidence. He also said Republicans need a landslide win in the midterm elections, suggesting that the Democrats would try to cheat.

There was no widespread fraud in the 2020 election that would’ve changed the outcome. The Associated Press looked at election fraud in states where Trump claimed he won, even though he didn’t. In those states, the Associated Press found fewer than 475 instances of voter fraud, not nearly enough to change the outcome.

The Associated Press reported that not every instance of voter fraud discovered were votes for Biden and in most cases the fraudulent ballots were not even counted.

Brandon Judd, one of Trump’s guest speakers made this claim. According to NPR, 1.7 million migrants were apprehended at the border in the 2021 fiscal year, but that number may not represent the number of people who illegally entered the United States. NPR reports that migration patterns have changed over the last 20 years. NPR attributed the increase in people trying to cross more than once and said the number may not accurately account for people who crossed into the U.S. illegally.
https://www.wbtw.com/news/pee-dee/florence/fact-check-trumps-florence-rally-contained-false-misleading-claims/




People in the Trump camp are lying about something? I’m shocked, SHOCKED! Well.. not that shocked. I mean literally everything Trump says is a lie. But here’s where things take a turn. I’m sure you have heard your Fox loving neighbors talk trash about Critical Race Theory. Which is something that they just completely made up to boost ratings because they got butt hurt over their man losing the 2020 election and now he and Hannity can’t whisper sweet nothings to each other every night. But this… might be taking things just a bit too far.

Former President Donald Trump called on his supporters to "lay down their lives" to fight against critical race theory (CRT) during his rally in Florence, South Carolina, on Saturday night.

The former president rallied his base by criticizing Republican lawmakers who have opposed him, and doubled down on his hardline conservative positions including CRT, which is the study of institutional racism in the legal system. The subject has emerged as a hot button issue for conservatives who argue it is divisive and shouldn't be taught in schools. Others, however, say the concept is only taught in higher education.

During the rally, Trump invoked CRT as being a "matter of national survival," calling on his supporters to fight to keep it "out of our schools."

"We have no choice. The fate of any nation ultimately depends on the willingness of its citizens to lay down and they must do this—lay down their very lives to defend their country," he said. "If we allow the Marxists and commies and socialists to teach our children to hate America, there will be no one left to defend our flag or to protect our great country or its freedom."
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-says-supporters-should-lay-down-their-very-lives-fight-crt-1687545




Yeah where’s that guy when you need him? Look this is the type of thing that is going to get people killed is because of this bullshit. And honestly if people die over this crap it will be far less MAGAs to vote for Trump in a future election. Which, you know if you’re running for office, you want less of your supporters voting for you. And here’s the thing too, Donny, is that January 6th was bad enough. If you’re willing to take up the fight on Critical Race Theory to be an actual fight, we’ll be there waiting this time!

A Trump critic fears his latest comments about critical race theory could be interpreted by his most ardent supporters as a call for a violent uprising like the January 6, 2021, Capitol siege.

Former President Donald Trump's message that eliminating critical race theory from schools is a "matter of national survival" puts "a target on the back of every educator" who teaches the truth about history and systemic inequalities, Sumi Cho, of the African American Policy Forum, wrote in an email to Insider.

His Saturday speech during a South Carolina rally, she said, promotes "anti-democratic vigilante violence," just as his call to "fight like hell" stoked white power militias and paramilitary extremists who breached the US Capitol last year to try to overturn the 2020 election results.

Depending on the listener, Trump's comments were interpreted as either a statement of truth, an attempt to stay relevant, or, to Cho, as a call to arms from someone who knows his followers will understand his message as "white national survival."
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-critical-race-theory-call-to-violence-january-6-insurrection-2022-3





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[font size="8"]State Of The Union Highlights
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Look I realize it’s old news by now but we really got to talk about the State Of The Union. Isn’t it nice to have a competent leader in the White House? One who can actually pronounce the word “union” correctly (see: [link: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210171139 | Idiots #4-4] ) and doesn’t kick out fathers who lost their kids to gun violence (see: [link: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212982373 | Idiots #8-6] ) and used the platform to threaten his political opponents (see: Idiots #6-6 ). It is nice isn’t it? And no I’m not going to talk about the shitbags yet. First I want to talk about what a great leader Joe Biden really is and how he handled his first SOTU like a real president should. It was nice to see him up there and we’re not subjected to that Former Guy’s incoherent ramblings anymore! But you know in the truly dark times in which we live right now it’s nice to have some optimism for even a brief minute isn’t it?

Most Americans who watched President Biden's first State of the Union address approved of what they heard, and many said it made them feel optimistic and proud.

After nearly two years of the coronavirus pandemic, more than half who tuned in Tuesday night said the speech made them feel like the coronavirus is mostly behind us.

Older Americans who watched the speech were a bit more likely to say the speech made them feel the coronavirus will be with us for a while. CBS News interviewed speech viewers immediately after the president's speech.

Overall, about 8 in 10 of speech watchers approved of Mr. Biden's address tonight, including majorities of both Democrats and independents. Among members of his own party, his speech received high marks among both liberals and moderates.

In the latest CBS national poll released earlier this week, 34% of Americans identified themselves as Democrats. Among those who watched tonight's speech, that percentage was 49%.

Former President Trump received a high approval rating for his first State of the Union address in 2018, among a viewing audience who leaned more Republican than the nation as a whole.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/poll-state-of-the-union-speech-watchers-reactions/




Yeah it’s nice to have some optimism isn’t it? Especially after 5 years of pessimism and narcissism ruling the realm. But you might be asking “How’s Biden going to handle the threat from Putin?” and “Is COVID still a thing for 2022?”. The answer, my fair audience is both of those things are being handled by a competent leader, and not an incompetent man child buffoon. So if you’re looking for the other guy to ignore rationality and reason you’ve come to the wrong place.

Addressing a concerned nation and anxious world, President Joe Biden vowed in his first State of the Union address Tuesday night to check Russian aggression in Ukraine, tame soaring U.S. inflation and deal with the fading but still dangerous coronavirus.

Biden declared that he and all members of Congress, whatever their political differences, are joined “with an unwavering resolve that freedom will always triumph over tyranny.” He asked lawmakers crowding the House chamber to stand and salute the Ukrainians as he began his speech. They stood and cheered.

It was a notable show of unity after a long year of bitter acrimony between Biden’s Democratic coalition and the Republican opposition.

Biden’s 62-minute speech, which was split between attention to war abroad and worries at home — reflected the same balancing act he now faces in his presidency. He must marshal allied resolve against Russia’s aggression while tending to inflation, COVID-19 fatigue and sagging approval ratings heading into the midterm elections.
https://apnews.com/article/biden-state-of-the-union-4d6eb9fed9a46bb4efb63ea4e015725c




Now let’s talk about the shit bags. Because there were a lot of them. And a lot of conservatives skipping out on the SOTU. Like the pompous jackasses they are. But can we agree there’s no lower form of pond scum than the representing members of the Q-Batshit party – Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene, who I am going to refer to as Wingus and Dingus? So we won’t get to this next week, but next week we will be covering how Dingus is becoming increasingly hostile and radicalized. But anyway here’s what happened.

Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., repeatedly interrupted and interjected during President Joe Biden's State of the Union address Tuesday night.

Greene was heard grumbling through the entire part of Biden's speech about Covid policy before she shouted a remark about women's sports when Biden mentioned new laws targeting transgender Americans and their families.

Boebert and Greene tried to start a "build the wall" chant — a reference to former President Donald Trump's calls to construct a wall across the U.S. southern border — when Biden referred to securing the border and reforming immigration law.

But the moment that stood out most was when Boebert shouted "13 of them" — referring to the 13 U.S. service members who died in an attack in Afghanistan during the U.S. withdrawal last year — when Biden discussed battlefield conditions that may contribute to veterans' developing cancers "that would put them in a flag-draped coffin."
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/joe-biden/gop-reps-greene-boebert-heckle-biden-throughout-sotu-address-n1290558




Yeah so that happened. While Biden was talking about his now-deceased son. And in case you’re wondering if this is an isolated incident or not, they are exactly the same boorish jackasses that they’ve been since we’ve known them. You know what, GOP? This is your future – a bunch of insecure sniveling children who behave like the screaming toddler at Target begging for a toy and who embrace conspiracy theories and hardcore internet racism. Is that what you want or is that what you’ve always been? I’d say a little from column A, a little from column B.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday that Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and other Republicans who heckled President Biden during his State of the Union address Tuesday should “just shut up.”

During his address, Biden spoke about his late son, Beau Biden — an Iraq War veteran who died of brain cancer in 2015 — as he called on Congress to pass legislation to aid veterans exposed to toxins while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The toxins, he said, lead to cancers “that would put them in a flag-draped coffin.”

For years, Biden has said his son’s death might have been caused by exposure to toxins while he served in Iraq and Kosovo. Beau Biden was a major in the Army National Guard.

Boebert interrupted the president as he mentioned the flag-draped coffins, yelling from her seat: “You put them there. Thirteen of them!”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/03/pelosi-boebert-biden-heckles/





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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Rental Car or Stolen Car
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Hey everyone it’s time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!



Now that people are starting to venture out of the house again, you may have noticed that there has been a huge spike in rental cars, hotels, and travel properties. However, if you rent from one car company, there could be an added stipulation that you might be totally unaware of. There could be a warrant out for your arrest. And one company in particular – Hertz, seems to be turning in its’ customers at an increasingly alarming rate. But why is this happening? There are many reasons why Hertz seems to be turning its’ customers over to the police, and none of them are particularly good. In fact here’s what happened when one St. Louis resident got arrested for stealing after renting a car from Hertz. And this customer in particular is part of a massive nationwide class action lawsuit alleging that they are not alone in being arrested for car theft after renting a car.

Today, Cindi is one of more than 230 claimants in an ongoing class action lawsuit against Hertz, which is making national news.

Her arrest, it turns out, stems from flaws in the company’s rental system, which causes it to report cars as stolen for reasons as trivial as an update to the rental agreement, or a customer trading one rental for another.

In Cindi's case, Hertz seems to have reported the Altima stolen when she and her husband extended the rental through their insurance.

Temika Thompson, of Walnut Park West, is also among the claimants. Four months after she rented from Hertz in September, 2017 the car vanished. She called the company to report it stolen, at which time employees "told her not to worry, it was just repossessed" by Hertz, according to a court filing.

Months later, Thompson learned Hertz had filed a police report against her for stealing, and there was a warrant out for her arrest.
https://www.riverfronttimes.com/stlouis/rent-a-car-from-hertz-get-arrested-for-stealing/Content?oid=37303292




No that’s what an actual car theft looks like. But these were ordinary people just renting a car, whether it was for vacation, auto repair, or business trips. And these aren’t isolated incidents either – Hertz is rather notorious for throwing its’ customers in jail. What makes this story even worse is that attempts to contact customer service have not been successful. So if you do get arrested and try to contact Hertz about it, you will be shit out of luck.

Tederhi Usude, a dentist from Santa Clarita, California, rented a car from Hertz in June 2020 to drive to a job at a nonprofit health clinic in rural Mendocino County. He extended the rental several times with Hertz's permission and paid a total of $7,000.

Usude, 55, says that in his last conversation with a Hertz agent he explained that he was temporarily quarantined because of a COVID-19 outbreak at the clinic, and would return the car as soon as he was cleared to travel again. On Dec. 18, 2020, he was on his way to return the vehicle the week before Christmas — in fact, he had turned onto the very street where the Hertz office was located.

That's when his nightmare began. A police car flashed its lights behind him. He pulled over and was ordered out of the car. By then six or eight squad cars were on the scene. He was told to lie on the ground, was handcuffed and was taken to the local jail, where he spent the night.

According to a declaration Usude filed in court, an officer informed him that Hertz had reported him for theft and "embezzlement."

When he showed the officer his rental agreement and an invoice on his cellphone showing that Hertz had billed his debit card $3,973.45 just two days earlier, he recalls, the officer told him, "There's nothing I can do," because Hertz had reported the car stolen.
https://www.hastingstribune.com/ap/health/michael-hiltzik-renting-a-car-from-hertz-you-could-wind-up-in-jail/article_9010f32b-3aed-5256-adcf-3ab94c04f2e0.html




So among other things, you can get arrested, land in jail, and even land with crippling debt. Just for renting a car. But there is some good news – despite all of these claims against Hertz, a judge has ordered them to disclose just how many renters it had thrown in jail. And no matter what number you think it is, even one is astronomically high. But if you ever sit down and actually read the terms of service in your rental car agreement, there’s some pretty wild stuff in there. But most of the more sane rental car companies don’t have provisions that can get you thrown in jail.

It all started with Hertz being less than helpful when a man was falsely accused of murder. Michigan resident Herbert Alford was arrested and convicted for a murder he didn’t commit. He maintained his innocence, claiming he was at the airport in Lansing, Michigan during the time the murder occurred. And he could have proven it, too, if he had just been able to produce the receipt showing he had been renting a car at Hertz twenty minutes away from the crime scene.

It wasn’t until Alford had spent five years in prison that Hertz got around to producing the receipt. Three of those years can be laid directly at Hertz’s feet. The receipt was requested in 2015. Hertz handed it over in 2018. Alford sued.

That’s not the only lawsuit Hertz is facing. It apparently also has a bad habit of accusing paying customers of theft, something that has resulted in drivers being accosted by armed officers and/or arrested and charged.

Nine months later, another lawsuit rolled in. A proposed class action suit — covering more than 100 Hertz customers — claimed the company acts carelessly and engages in supremely poor recordkeeping. The lawsuit, (then) representing 165 customers, contains details of several customers who have been pulled over, arrested, and/or jailed because Hertz’s rental tracking system is buggier than its competitors’. Hertz takes pain to point out these incidents only represent a very small percentage of its renters. But that’s essentially meaningless when this small error rate doesn’t appear to occur at other car rental agencies.
https://www.techdirt.com/2022/02/23/hertz-ordered-to-tell-court-how-many-thousands-renters-it-falsely-accuses-theft-every-year/




Let’s extrapolate this for a moment – if you rent from Hertz and you’re accused of a crime, Hertz will go out of their way to be less than helpful if you get arrested. And if you buy a used car from a major vendor like Carvana, that’s not exactly helpful either. But rental car, stolen car, or damaged car, watch out because that car company’s terms of service agreement could be a one-way ticket to the slammer and you won’t be alone either. In fact thousands of people are arrested each year for the simple act of renting a car.

Hertz filed for bankruptcy in May 2020, as the pandemic devastated the travel industry and the company owed $17 billion in debt. The complaints against Hertz are filed into groups, depending on when the lawsuits were filed in terms of Hertz's bankruptcy case. Many of the lawsuits were filed before the bankruptcy, and they remained after the company emerged from Chapter 11.

A judge cleared 17 cases against Hertz to move forward last week, joining more than about half of the 230 that are also currently pending. Other claims will be decided at a later date.

Francis Alexander Malofiy, the Pennsylvania-based lead attorney for the claimants, indicated to USA Today that “230 is not the majority. … It's the tip of the iceberg,” and “you're talking 20,000 people who were stuck in the criminal justice system because they had a dispute or an issue with their rental, or that (Hertz) couldn't find their car.”

According to court documents, the current group of claimants has spent a total of 2,742 days in jail or prison because of false arrests.
https://www.thestreet.com/investing/heres-why-you-might-get-arrested-for-renting-from-hertz




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




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[font size="8"]Holy Shit: The Musings Of Lance Wallnau
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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 ever encounter someone in your travels who is so far off the deep end ridiculously batshit crazy that you have no choice but to mock and ridicule the shit out of them so that you don’t resist the urge to punch them in the face? Well, I give you who may be one of the worst political pundits out there not named Greg Gutfeld, Lance Wallnau. But I must digress. Because the good LAWRD JAYSUS would not advocate for violence, now, would he? I mean it says right in our Good Book that JAYSUS was a passive, he would not fight. But instead, since I do fight, I don’t fight with actual violence. I fight with words instead. See, our founding fathers guaranteed a right to free speech, so Mr. Wallnau is free to say whatever he wants. But that said, we here at the Holy Church Of The Top 10 are also free to say what we want too. But here’s why he made my list this week.

During last Tuesday’s “Flashpoint” program, which airs on megachurch televangelist Kenneth Copeland’s “Victory Channel” network, unabashed Christian nationalist and self-proclaimed “futurist” Lance Wallnau gave the audience a crash course in Seven Mountains Dominionism, a radical theology that advocates having right-wing Christians control all aspects of society.

Followers of Seven Mountains theology believe that they are to “do whatever is necessary” to take control of the seven main “mountains” that shape our culture—education, government, media, business, arts and entertainment, family, and religion—in order to implement the will of God throughout the nation and the world.

Wallnau, a Trump-loving evangelist who had access to the White House during the Trump administration, said that the United States won’t be saved just by converting more people to Christianity because all the “mountains” in society are currently controlled by “roughly 3 to 4 percent of the population [who] are radical leftist elites.”

“They neutralize the church because they’re also in religion,” Wallnau said. “They changed the definition of marriage, so they’ve taken over family. They’ve totally taken over academia, so the education institutions are teaching leftist theology or leftist ideology and silencing conservatives. They’re controlling government right now. They’ve taken over legacy media, Hollywood, entertainment and the arts. And now they’ve got Wall Street.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/we-want-nations-lance-wallnau-preaches-seven-mountains-dominionism/




No, no one is neutralizing the church! You’re only perceiving that crap in your head because as I have often said the most devout are also the most paranoid and that’s why they fall for scammers, hucksters, and conspiracy theories every single time. But there’s no more conspiracy theory huckster greater than Mr. Wallnau himself. And come on, do we really need more supporters of the unholy, ungodly Dark One poisoning the halls of our Congress? No! In fact that’s exactly what the America First crowd wants, and they go exactly against our beliefs! They stand for everything wrong in society!

Unabashed Christian nationalist and self-proclaimed “futurist” Lance Wallnau held a livestream on his Facebook page Tuesday night in which he prayed that God will bring “such a cleansing of a House in November” that Congress will be filled with Christian nationalists and “great leaders” like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, and Madison Cawthorn.

Wallnau, a Trump-loving Seven Mountains Dominionist who had regular access to the White House during the Trump administration, prayed that “the Christian populace would begin to rise up to restore the nation” by unleashing “a backlash against the elite” in the midterm elections.

“I pray for a moment when you will raise up, Lord,” Wallnau prayed. “Your wisdom is greater than ours, but I believe you’ve given us this understanding that there’s a moment to put a backlash against the elites and to cause your church to rise up. We’re not leading right now, Lord. We’re not a big voice right now. Nobody’s quoting us except for an apology.”

“Lord, I pray that you will raise up spirit-inspired leaders of the populist movement,” he continued. “That even in America, the Christian populists would begin to rise up to restore the nation; Christian nationalists that love America and that are sane and rational and want to see America not destroyed by the globalists. I pray that you raise a church that is so powerful and so disruptive to the agendas of these elites that Psalm 2 has to happen: Why do the heathen rage and the rulers imagine a vain thing?”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/christian-nationalist-lance-wallnau-prays-that-god-will-raise-up-more-great-leaders-like-reps-greene-gaetz-and-cawthorn/




No, Mr. Wallnau, these people are a cancer on our body politics and they must be eradicated! Thank you my fair congregation! And by the way in case you’re wondering if the tenants of Christian nationalism are rooted in racism, you are… 100% correct! But that don’t matter to people like Lance Wallnau, no sir or madam! So now let’s extrapolate this for a minute – people who are becoming “woke” are not OK in the eyes of people like Mr. Wallnau, are they? No apparently – wokeness is reverse racism, and what I’ve learned is that racists don’t like being called racist!

Lance Wallnau used the Oct. 29 episode of his podcast to rail against the “woke industrial complex” and to portray “wokeness” as “a weird new religion.” Wallnau, a Christian nationalist author, speaker, and life coach who promotes Seven Mountains Dominionism, urged Christians to recognize that proponents of “Wokeianity” are their enemies.

“The Wokeianity of the Antichrist system is an extorted confession of faith,” he said, “where you have to use the gender pronoun arbitrarily chosen by a student” even if that student’s reality “isn’t real for you.”

Wallnau reaches a wide audience through his books, podcasts, conference speeches, and appearances on religious-right media. He has more than 735,000 followers on Facebook and more than 60,000 on Twitter. In advance of the 2016 election, Wallnau claimed that former President Donald Trump was God’s anointed “chaos candidate.” He became enough of an insider among Trump’s Pentecostal supporters that he was invited to the White House for a briefing on the administration’s Middle East peace plans. In 2020, Wallnau said that Trump’s reelection would set the stage for the church to take greater authority in the world. When that didn’t happen and Joe Biden was sworn in as president, Wallnau declared Biden to be “an illegal counterfeit.”

On last Friday’s podcast, Wallnau portrayed the political situation in the United States as a “spiritual battle,” something even more powerful and “sinister,” he said, than the political battles as covered by right-wing pundits on Fox News. “It’s a whole invasion of Western civilization with ideas that are grounded in the destruction of America as we’ve known it and freedom as we’ve experienced it,” he claimed.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/lance-wallnau-wokeness-is-an-antichrist-religion-systemic-racism-doesnt-exist/




So now in case you were wondering, yes, Mr. Lance is on the side of the unholy, ungodly Dark One – a man who of course as you know is so disgusting, foul, and depraved that his name dare not be spoken in my church! In fact Lance is so steeped in the propaganda of the Dark One that he is trying to whitewash what happened on January 6th. You can’t Jedi mind trick your way out of this one, Lance! We know damn well what you and your cohorts were trying to pull!

In the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection in which supporters of former President Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s electoral victory, Trump-loving Christian nationalist Lance Wallnau immediately began blaming the entire attack on left-wing activists.

“I know it’s antifa,” Wallnau said in the days following the insurrection despite having and producing no evidence to support that claim. In the year since, Wallnau, like many other right-wing activists, has continued to insist that the events of Jan. 6 were a government operation designed to entrap Trump supporters and cover up the supposed scheme to steal the 2020 election from Trump.

On the anniversary of the Capitol insurrection, Wallnau joined fellow conspiracy theorist Anna Khait on her YouTube program, where he baselessly blamed “union guys” for planting pipe bombs the night before the insurrection and prayed that God will “gut” the Democrats in the 2022 midterm elections so Republican can take control of Congress and “do a reverse investigation” into what really happened on Jan. 6.

“This was a peaceful assembly of over 1 million people,” Wallnau ranted. “Many of them were Christians with shofars up there praying. And I think what happened was you had infiltration of a couple of elements. One was probably rowdy Americans—who, by the way, after looking at all the cities burning on the left, I guess you could give one group of Republicans an opportunity to ventilate their frustration—but 95 percent of the people were actually not there for that purpose.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/lance-wallnau-prays-republicans-gut-democrats-in-midterms/




So that’s Mr. Wallnau in a nutshell – the kind of hardcore racist and extreme Christian nationalist that is reminiscent of the Dark One himself! I need a beer after this one – it’s OK to drink at our church! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:




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[font size="8"]The Zoo From Hell
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YOU CAN’T ESCAPE IT! IT’S:



THE ZOO FROM HELL!!!!

Welcome everyone to the Zoo From Hell! That’s right – mother nature can be quite the cruel mistress as we have seen in the last 2 years with a killer bat virus that shut down the whole planet which was immediately followed by a storm of massively large killer insects (see: Idiots #9-8 ). Well, once again the people at Mother Nature Industries obviously have a cruel sense of humor because they said “What other giant insects can we conjure up to scare the shit out of people? I know! Giant parachuting spiders!”. Yes, that’s right – there’s spiders the size of your fist that are coming. And they’re not coming by just naturally appearing. No, they’re coming in by parachute! That’s right – giant parachuting spiders are ready to take over the void left by the murder hornets.

The itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the waterspout … and all across the East Coast.

Except in this case, the spider in question is not so little, according to Benjamin Frick, coauthor of a study of the Jorō spider species published in the journal Physiological Entomology.
READ MORE:
Senate Passes Bill That Would Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent Across U.S.

Jorō spiders, or Trichonephila clavata, can grow up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) in length — about the size of the palm of your hand or larger — and they could spread into the northeastern United States, he said.

With spindly legs and a striking black, yellow and gray-striped abdomen, the spiders are native to southeastern Asia, but already spread nearly a decade ago to the southeastern United States with its warm climate, said Frick, an undergraduate ecology student at the University of Georgia in Athens.
https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2022/03/10/giant-parachuting-spiders-northeast/




And it’s not just the north east that could get invaded by these larger than life insects! No, our old friends in Florida could get them too, as they prefer warm climates! And you know how we often refer to Florida as America’s Wang, as Homer Simpson famously put it. Well, now imagine that covered in a giant blanket of spiderwebs. So yes, Mother Nature can be a cruel mistress but at least you know that she’s got a weird sense of humor. Because imagine Florida covered in a giant blanket of spiderwebs… guess you could call that Nature’s Condom?

Large enough to cover your palm, the Joro spider is quite colorful.

But the spider is an invasive species. Settled presently in Georgia, likely after it hitchhiked on a cargo ship from Asia.

"In their native range, in east Asia and Japan, they do go pretty far south in some tropical climates," Andy Davis said.

At the University of Georgia, Davis has studied the Joro and believes that while it's been in Georgia for nine years now, it may likely expand its range north, and south, including Florida as soon as this spring.

But, not to worry.

"These Joros are really wimpy. They're more likely to run away than attack anybody. And even if they wanted to, their fangs are so short, they likely couldn't do any damage," Davis said.

Some are likely saying out loud, 'we have those here already!' Apparently, not so. They are the very similar Banana spider which is also a no-risk creature, unless you unwittingly stride into a web.
https://www.wesh.com/article/east-coast-parachuting-spiders/39401462




At least the giant spiders are pretty harmless. But we can all agree that the solution is to kill them with fire, am I right? No? No takers on that one? But before everyone takes out their flame throwers and wants to torch these things, and I have no doubt in my mind that will happen – these things might actually be beneficial for us. Wait, what??? Yes – that is correct good sirs and madams. The giant parachuting spiders from hell might actually have some benefits for us.

They're huge and scary-looking, and could soon be moving into most of the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S., according to new research.

But don't worry too much: Joro spiders are harmless to humans — and even do some good.

"People should try to learn to live with them," Andy Davis, a research scientist in the Odum School of Ecology and one of the authors behind the recent study, told UGA Today, a publication by the University of Georgia.

Published in the journal Physiological Entomology, the study says that the palm-sized joro spider, which has been largely confined to warmer southeastern states for nearly a decade, could soon be expected to colonize regions with colder climates.

That's because researchers have discovered the large arachnids, with their brightly hued blue-black and yellow striped legs, have a higher probability of surviving a brief freeze than other closely related species of the same genus.
https://www.npr.org/2022/03/05/1084692989/giant-spiders-east-coast




So you can’t kill them with fire and you can’t freeze ‘em. So what can you do? You might have to just live with ‘em and let them do their thing. Because this is just Mother Nature doing what she does best and using species to rid us of other species. It’s a classic dog eat dog scenario. Now I know that your arachnophobia might be turned up to 11 – and whose isn’t? I say we just let our new spider overlords take over and do their thing and we’ll see what comes next! Let’s close the door on the Zoo From Hell!

They're not after you. And they don't "parachute" from the sky.

The internet is awash in news about the spread of the invasive Joro spider, a big, striking arachnid that almost certainly hitched a ride to the U.S. aboard a shipping container, as many invasive species do. Since 2013, the palm-sized animals have colonized northern Georgia, and new, important research published in the science journal Physiological Entomology presents compelling evidence that the species will inevitably expand around the Southeast and along the Eastern Seaboard.

Crucially, these spiders may look imposing, but they aren't a dangerous menace to people. Their potential impact on the environment remains unknown. (They might even have ecological benefits.) And the sizable mature adults definitely aren't going to "parachute" down from the sky en mass, like something out of a low-budget horror film.

Instead, the ways Joros will often expand to new regions in the U.S. are rather mundane.
https://mashable.com/article/spider-joro-spread-us-parachute





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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Welcome back to our ongoing segment where we delve into the crazy and the unexplainable, Conspiracy Corner! We of course are coming to you live from our underground doomsday shelter from 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 your thoughts and my thoughts, don’t you know? So last week we had asked the question of whether or not Fox News’ Tucker Carlson is a Russian agent or not. And the answer there is probably. This week we are wondering whether or not a potential presidential candidate could possibly be a Russian agent. That’s right – who knows what high level government officials are on Putin’s payroll? Well, this one in particular happens to be Hawaii’s Tulsi Gabbard. Yes, Tulsi may be working for Putin. And Tulsi also wants to be president. See? You get where this is going? Although 3rd party candidates in the US typically go nowhere, this is still pretty alarming that Putin is targeting the US presidency. And well since he lost one of his playthings in 2020 he’s been very angry about it.

Former U.S. representative and current Army Reserve officer Tulsi Gabbard, known for controversial positions that have often been supportive of Russian interests, was accused Sunday of pushing a "treasonous lie" by Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, after her latest social media video promoted a debunked theory about biolabs in Ukraine.

In the video, which was posted to Gabbard's TikTok and other social media accounts, the former congresswoman mischaracterized U.S. support for several dozen former Soviet biolabs in Ukraine, falsely implying that the labs work with diseases like COVID-19 and that the Biden administration had been "trying to cover this up."

The claim is a variation on a Russian disinformation allegation about U.S. support for the labs that dates back to at least 2014, according to EUvsDisinfo, a watchdog group that advises the European Union and its members on disinformation.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/03/14/army-officer-tulsi-gabbard-faces-ire-peddling-russian-disinformation-about-ukraine-biolabs.html




Yeah probably. Hey Tulsi… shut up. And no really, shut up. There’s no biolab and nobody has been trying to cover this up. Of course in your warped brain would you think this. You might want consider putting the bong down and backing away from the computer very slowly. COVID-19 isn’t a bioweapon. Of course that’s what they want you to think! But is this any justification for the current war? Of course it isn’t by any stretch of the imagination. Just the sheer stupidity of people in this day and age.

Former Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard has been condemned as a "traitor" and accused of being a "Russian asset" for comments her detractors said lent credibility to Kremlin propaganda that U.S.-funded laboratories are working on bio weapons in Ukraine. Gabbard had asserted, accurately, that the U.S. funds bio labs in Ukraine, not bio weapons labs.

In a tweet posted on Sunday, the 2020 presidential hopeful cited the risk posed by biological laboratories at a time Moscow has been pushing a consipiracy theory that they are working on bio weapons in an apparent attempt to justify Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In a video, Gabbard said the "undeniable facts" are that 25 to 30 "U.S.-funded bio labs" in Ukraine are conducting research into dangerous pathogens. Gabbard went on to express concerns that these "deadly pathogens" could be released if the labs in Ukraine are targeted amid the conflict with Russia.

"Like COVID, these pathogens know no borders," Gabbard said. "If they are inadvertently or purposely breached or compromised, they will quickly spread all throughout Europe, the United States and the rest of the world, causing untold suffering and death."
https://www.newsweek.com/tulsi-gabbard-bio-labs-ukraine-russia-conspiracy-1687594




Oh come on, Tulsi, are we just going to overlook the fact that most conspiracy theorists love to make claims about illegal immigrants and the border? There’s so many of these out there that I really can’t keep them all straight anymore. And the scary thing is that Tulsi used to be one of us, OK maybe she wasn’t hiding underneath a doomsday shelter in the sweltering New Mexico desert wearing tin foil hats, but still… yeah this is some really scary stuff here. But here’s where it gets weird, and you knew it was going to, with her infighting with Mitt Romney.

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney strongly condemned former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, seemingly responding to comments she has made in recent days about US biological laboratories in Ukraine.

"Tulsi Gabbard is parroting false Russian propaganda. Her treasonous lies may well cost lives," Romney said in a tweet on Sunday afternoon. A representative for Romney did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on what specifically he was referring to.

Earlier in the day, Gabbard, who ran for president in 2020, posted a video on Twitter repeating claims about US-funded biolabs in Ukraine. She also appeared on Fox News host Tucker Carlson's show last week and said she was "deeply concerned" about claims of bioweapons in Ukraine.

Russia has spread a baseless claim that the US is funding the development of bioweapons in labs in Ukraine. Russian and Chinese state media amplified the claims, while the US warned they could indicate that Russia is planning to use chemical weapons in its invasion of Ukraine.
https://news.yahoo.com/sen-mitt-romney-accused-tulsi-055336362.html




So if you’re looking for the answer to where your crazy uncle is posting those whackadoodle memes on his Facebook page, don’t look down or up. Instead look to Mother Russia. You know I’m not a violent person but I wouldn’t mind one well placed missile targeting Putin’s troll bot farm. And also Putin himself. But going back to Tulsi if we need any further proof that she’s become a Russian agent, well this story is pretty alarming – her only donor? A Russian agent. Oooooooooooooooooooh shit!

The largest individual donor to former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s (D-Hawaii) PAC in 2021 is an apologist for Vladimir Putin who runs a nonprofit that aims to foster cooperation between the U.S. and Russia. Gabbard has long taken pro-Russian positions, most recently on Sunday when she gave credence to a baseless Russian-supported conspiracy about U.S. involvement in biological-weapons laboratories in Ukraine.

In 1983, towards the end of the Cold War, Sharon Tennison, an American activist, founded the Center for Citizen Initiatives. Its mission is to “begin a series of citizen-to-citizen initiatives and exchanges, buttressed by official media PR and social-media networks across America and across Russia,” according to its website. During its 40 years, the center claims to have set up exchanges, helped launch Alcoholics Anonymous in Russia and taught business skills to Russian entrepreneurs. On a visit to Russia in 2016, the Federal Security Service detained Tennison for a few hours on suspicions of being a foreign agent, according to the Christian Science Monitor.

While advocating for peace, Tennison has repeatedly championed Russia’s dictator. For example, in 2018, she wrote, “Putin isn’t the problem, friends. The problem is the projection of our own ‘shadow’ on Putin and Russia.” In September 2020, Tennison observed, “Putin seems to ignore detractors and continues efforts to create venues to bring peoples and countries together despite vilifications.” And the day after Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Tennison posted, “I am deeply concerned about a NATO country being on Russia’s borders in Ukraine … As for Putin’s current dilemma, I’m sorry he felt he had to intervene in Ukraine!” Ukraine is not and has never been a NATO member.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacheverson/2022/03/14/tulsi-gabbards-biggest-political-donor-in-2021-is-a-putin-apologist/?sh=4a4273be4cd6





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[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 always want to clarify what makes a People Are Dumb story. Let’s put it this way – someone who gets arrested for stealing a car isn’t dumb. Someone who gets arrested for stealing a car while taking it out for a test drive with the car salesman in the car, now that’s a People Are Dumb story! So who’s stupid this week? So remember back in the beginning of the pandemic when people were selling everyday essentials like toilet paper and bottled water for ridiculously high prices? Well now that the war in Ukraine is a thing, the Russian people are taking to drastic measures to sell… Big Macs. That’s right – since McDonalds has ceased operating in Russia because of the war, Big Macs are going for ridiculous prices. But if you know McDonalds quality, they’re not good after 15 minutes.

Russians are trying to sell McDonald's menu items online, following branch closures.

Popular items like Big Macs and McMuffins have been offered at inflated prices.

One listing on a classified ads website offered McDonald's packaging for up to $373.

Russians are attempting to sell McDonald's menu items online at highly inflated prices, following the closure of more than 800 restaurants in the country.

One Moscow-based seller advertised a Big Mac for the equivalent of around $36. The figure is based on exchange rates at time writing. In Russia, the burger would usually cost 135 roubles, or around $1, according to The Economist's Big Mac index.

Another seller recently posted a "McDonald's Breakfast," including McMuffins, potato pancakes, and sauces for around $18.
https://news.yahoo.com/russians-trying-sell-big-macs-122120599.html




Excuse me a minute… OK OK enough making fun. Though Richie Rich is just a young Trump, right? I mean come on last week people paid thousands for the VIP line at Trump’s speech and got served Big Macs. Moving on… OK we’ve had a lot of discussion about idiots with guns on this program. But you know who we have never discussed? Idiots with crossbows. And you know one place where you should never put a sharp, pointed metal object? That’s right – in your pants. I can see the guys everywhere in the audience right now already cringing at this story.

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey on Tuesday posted surveillance video to Facebook showing a man who he said attempted to steal a crossbow earlier this month by shoving it into his pants and walking away on a crutch.

On Feb. 6 at the True Value store on Highway 1 in Mims, Darren Durrant, 46, was allegedly seen on unshared portions of the video stealing a pair of cutting tools from a shelf and using them to snip zip ties holding a Raven Rio crossbow in place. Entering the video after turning the corner with the compound bow and proceeding to conceal it with his clothing, Durrant then walked out of the store undetected, Ivey said.

Employees later noticed that two crossbows had been stolen, and deputies were able to obtain an arrest warrant for Durrant following an investigation, citing two prior felony theft convictions already on his record, Ivey said.

Durrant was located in the parking lot of a nearby restaurant where he allegedly tried to run from a Brevard deputy before being arrested and booked into jail on Feb. 8. ..............(more)

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/02/23/florida-man-accused-of-stealing-crossbow-by-stuffing-it-down-his-pants/




Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha!!! And of course it happened to take place in Florida, which as you know is the penis of America. And we’ll have more Florida for you in a minute. But next up – we go to the border town of San Yasidro, that’s in my home state of Southern California don’t you know? And this story gives new meaning to the phrase “Is that a snake in your pants or are you happy to see me?”. You can also call them “trouser snakes” and that would have a way too literal connotation here!

US Border Patrol agents found dozens of horned lizards and snakes hidden in a man's clothing as he crossed into the US from Mexico last month.

The scaly discovery occurred at the San Ysidro border crossing near San Diego around 03:00 local time on 25 February.

The man was driving a pickup truck when he was pulled over for inspection. Officers discovered 43 horned lizards and nine snakes in plastic bags "concealed in the man's jacket, pants pockets and groin area," agents said.

More

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60685663




I could literally sit here and make jokes about this story all day long! Moving on… look people got to stop taking their games way too seriously. Remember that episode of Seinfeld where Kramer and Newman played Risk? Well this is one of those rare People Are Dumb where it starts out innocently enough but then things just go way too far. I mean this story has everything. And well let’s get to it because it’s freaking spectacular.

A Rogersville woman is facing multiple charges after she allegedly lost her temper while playing a board game, hit her husband, and then fought police who responded to the incident.

On Dec. 20 shortly after 3 a.m. Rogersville Police Department Officer Eric Pease responded to a domestic assault complaint at the apartment complex at 701 Dennis Drive.

The alleged victim stated that his wife, Madison Lee Collins, was intoxicated and became irate while they were sitting and playing a board game.

The husband stated that Collins, 22, turned the table over and started striking him on the side of the head.

https://www.therogersvillereview.com/rogersville/article_ae666d50-b729-5d0a-8066-43fc89156bc2.html?




Finally this week in People Are Dumb, of course we have to go to the Sunshine State for this one, and this is the exact kind of thing that makes a People Are Dumb story! We can all agree that people with serious foot fetishes are super creepy, right? And you should never, ever take candy or pretty much anything from strangers. Although we do have to say that anyone who is dumb enough to accept any offerings from this guy probably deserves what they get. But at least one more creep behind bars!

Pinellas sheriff’s detectives have arrested a Tarpon Springs man who they say coaxed minors into committing sexual acts by offering them vaping devices and marijuana.

Brandon Michael White, 22, is facing 11 charges, including lewd and lascivious molestation, battery and conduct; and unlawful use of a communications device, Pinellas sheriff’s officials reported Thursday.

Officials said the victims are under age 16.

Sheriff’s officials said the crimes are believed to have begun in April. Detectives learned White had been contacting minors through Snapchat and Instagram.

“White asked to smell and touch the victims’ feet in exchange for nicotine and marijuana products,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. “Detectives say White also received various sexual acts from the victims.” ..................(more)

https://www.tampabay.com/news/crime/2022/02/17/pinellas-man-offered-vaping-devices-to-minors-for-sex-acts-and-to-smell-their-feet-deputies-say/





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[font size="8"]Stupidest State 2022
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16 states will enter and only one state will become the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!



Welcome everyone to the first round of the Stupidest State tournament! It’s going to be a great one this time around so let’s get to introducing the teams, shall we? Representing the Batshit Conference, we have Georgia, Iowa, Arizona, and South Dakota! From the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, we have Kansas, Delaware, Nevada, and Nebraska! From the Gun Nut Conference, we have Texas, Idaho, Florida, and Missouri! And finally last but certainly not least, we have representing the Family Values Conference – Alabama, North Carolina, Indiana, and Tennessee! Since this is the first round we don’t really have any highlights to bring you but we do have this highlight reel from last year’s tournament! Now let’s do this thing!

[font size="4"]Batshit Conference Round 1: Arizona Vs South Dakota [/font]

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


The Grand Canyon State is no stranger to the big dance and they have their work cut out for them being a #3 seed. But their credentials in the Batshit Conference are strong! They are of course led by MAGA governor Doug Ducey. And assistant coach MAGA representative Paul Gosar. They were the home of that bizarre election audit from a group that had no idea what they were doing. But if you think Paul Gosar is one of the worst representatives that has ever been elected to Congress in American history, I see your Paul Gosar and I raise you Wendy Rodgers!

Arizona state Rep. Wendy Rogers was among elected representatives who spoke at the white nationalist America First Political Action Conference Friday night, where she delivered a short prerecorded message via video that perfectly displayed why she is adored by the far-right extremists within the white nationalist America First movement.

Rogers, a one-term 67-year-old grandmother, made a name for herself pushing the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen from President Donald Trump and has openly embraced white nationalist Nick Fuentes and the “Groypers” who make up the core of his America First movement. The radical speech she delivered to her “fellow patriots” at Fuentes’ conference last week shows just how far off the deep end she has gone.

“I’m constantly making the fake news mad,” Rogers bragged. “For example, when I say the word ‘Groyper,’ they go absolutely nuts. You know why I say? Because the fake new hates when I say it, because Gettr doesn’t let people say it. Banning of the word is truly the only reason I say it. The more they attack me, the more I want to say, ‘Gropyer!'”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/wendy-rogers-tells-white-nationalist-afpac-conference-you-and-your-fellow-patriots-are-the-future/




Yes, if you appear at a racist white nationalist convention, you might be a racist. I’m just saying. If that’s not enough, remember last year when Arizona recount went completely fuck up? Well, not only did it totally trash the reputation of the company that initiated it, Cyber Ninjas, it might have a terrible effect on future Arizona elections! And come on, if you call your company “Cyber Ninjas”, your reputation is already tarnished!

Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates told a national panel Wednesday he has “great concerns about the future” of election integrity in Arizona, after threats following the 2020 election and as election deniers run for Secretary of State in 2022.

Gates was joined on the McCain Institute panel by local officials from other states that became the focus of election challenges in 2020, after former President Donald Trump pushed baseless claims that election fraud cost him a second term.

In the frenzy that followed Trump’s charges, election officials found themselves and their families the targets of threats and needing police protection for doing a job that the moderator said is “supposed to be relatively boring.”

“This isn’t a partisan issue at all, this is a leadership issue,” Gates said about the decision to support Arizona election workers’ certification of the election.

Read more: https://coppercourier.com/story/maricopa-official-concerned-big-lie-election-integrity/




[font size="2"]South Dakota [/font]


The Mt. Rushmore State! This is their first appearance in the big dance and they are no stranger to being absolutely full of 100% grade A guano! Because at the helm of the Mt. Rushmore State is of course governor Kristi Noem, who in the last two years took the annual gathering of people who love Harley Davidson motorcycles and politicized it into a gathering of the MAGAs known as the Sturgis Biker Rally, and repeatedly flaunted COVID-19 protocols, has a huge celebration planned for July 4th this year, or it might not happen. Come on, do you really want to torch the forest around Mt. Rushmore? Seems like a bad idea!

The National Park Service denied South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s permit application for the 2022 Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration on Tuesday, according to a release from Noem's office.

Tuesday's notice is Noem's latest rejection in her efforts to celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks at Mount Rushmore. The NPS also rejected her application for the 2021 Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration.

“Mount Rushmore is the best place in America to celebrate our nation’s birthday – I just wish President Biden could see that,” stated Noem in the release. “Last year, the President hypocritically held a fireworks celebration in Washington, D.C., while denying us our own event. This year, it looks like they are planning to do the same.
https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2022/03/15/mount-rushmore-fireworks-2022-south-dakota-kristi-noem-denied/7051015001/




But they’re not done! Oh no, my friends! You can’t keep a good MAGA symbolic rah rah patriotism display down! They’re going to take this fight all the way to SCOTUS! But you can tell the MAGAs anything and if it’s not exactly what they 100% want to hear, they go fling their poo at you like apes in a zoo and accuse you of being un American and not supporting the Baby Jesus. These people are nuts and they are even willing to quite literally die in a fire if it means keeping those good ol’ American symbols flying!

This year’s Fourth of July weekend will see no fireworks show at Mount Rushmore following a legal battle between the state’s Republican governor and the Biden administration.

Last year, Mount Rushmore played host to an event some suspected it would never hold again: a fireworks display commemorating the United State’s Independence Day. Despite being cancelled indefinitely a decade ago over increased risk of wildfires following a widespread infestation of pine beetles that decimated the local forests, the state’s Republican Governor Kristi Noem landed a deal with the Trump administration to bring the event back for 2020 --- with then-President Donald Trump in attendance.

But when the state went back to the Department of the Interior this year to renew the permit to hold the event, the feds denied the request. The National Park Service cited worries over the park itself as well as Covid-19 safety concerns for the employees and visitors in attendance in its decision.

Following the denial in March, Noem quickly filed a lawsuit against Biden administration officials with claims that the government unfairly pulled out of a fair deal struck with the Trump administration and asked the court to reverse the permit denial.
https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-keeps-independence-day-mount-rushmore-fireworks-show-on-ice-for-2021/




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

And it’s absolutely no contest here – Arizona utterly routes South Dakota by a final score of 85 – 60, with 25 unanswered points! Arizona moves on and South Dakota goes home!

[font size="4"]Family Values Conference Round 1: Alabama Vs North Carolina [/font]

[font size="4"]Alabama [/font]


You know, we asked this last year, but why is Alabama’s flag a giant letter X? I have never been able to understand this one. If you know or have a theory let us know in the comments! But the Crimson Tide are no strangers to the big dance, having won a championship in our 2019 Stupidest State contest, and they are back and rested and ready for more! But in the Family Values Conference, the war on abortion reigns supreme and no state in the entire country is going more draconian on their abortion laws than Alabama is. Except for maybe Texas.

“Red states” like Alabama are often written off by the reproductive rights movement as beyond help. But you can’t secure the right to abortion for anyone unless and until everyone has access.

Alabama still has its pre-Roe v. Wade abortion ban on the books, as well as a near-total ban that was temporarily blocked by the courts. But once Roe falls, all bets are off—and the Alabama Constitution even bars the protection of abortion as a right.

Last year, a three-judge panel of the Eleventh Circuit (appointed by Reagan, Clinton, and Obama, respectively) upheld a federal court decision blocking parts of Alabama’s parental consent law.

But the rest of the court, including several Trump appointees, took the case back on appeal and vacated the earlier decision, reinstating the state’s parental consent law—just one of many abortion restrictions effective as of January 1, according to the Guttmacher Institute, including:
https://rewirenewsgroup.com/article/2022/02/28/alabama-lawmakers-aiming-to-ban-medication-abortion/




Yes, don’t you put that evil on us, Alabama! You may claim to be on the side of Baby Jesus, but you’re really on the side of the Old Testament God, and that god is a raging asshole! Thank you my fair audience! And Alabama’s abortion laws are so draconian that they’re actually considering banning abortion medication! See, this is what you get when you elect a bunch of white male religious wing nuts – you get people who don’t care about anything but what goes on in the bedroom!

An Alabama House committee Wednesday approved a bill that would ban the use of medication in inducing abortions.

The House Judiciary Committee approved the bill, sponsored by Rep. Andrew Sorrell, R-Muscle Shoals, on a voice vote after a brief debate. It would make it a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, for a doctor to prescribe medication that would induce an abortion.

"I did not realize until one year ago that four out of 10 abortions today are committed with chemical abortion pills," Sorrell said. "We think of abortion as going to an abortion facility and having a surgical abortion. But the new trend in abortion is chemical abortion."

Kaitlin Welborn, an attorney with the ACLU in Alabama, condemned the legislation.

"Study after study has found that this medication is safer than either Tylenol or Viagra," Welborn said in a statement. "Let’s call this bill what it is: another excuse for the Alabama Legislature to play doctor and meddle in the healthcare options available to people in this state.”
https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2022/02/23/alabama-house-committee-approves-bill-banning-medication-abortions/6911773001/




[font size="4"]North Carolina [/font]


This is the Tar Heels’ first appearance in the big dance believe it or not! They trounced their rivals in Mississippi in the qualifying tournament with an upgraded squad and a new coach. But this time around things are different. Their qualifications in the Family Values Conference go far beyond just mere anti-abortion laws. They’re full on drinking the Christian nationalist and white supremacist Kool-Aid and they’re being led by and electing some absolutely batshit crazy leaders. If you thought that Virginia’s Glen Youngkin was absolutely bonkers, I give you Mark Robinson.

North Carolina’s Christian nationalist Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has been under fire since Right Wing Watch posted various clips of him making outrageous comments, particularly his rant that Christians must take control of public schools and ban the teaching about “filth” like LGBTQ issues.

On Tuesday, Robinson appeared on a conference call hosted by radical right-wing pastor and radio host E.W. Jackson, who shares Robinson’s aversion to gay people and LGBTQ rights. During the call, Robinson continued to defend his anti-LGBTQ tirade and announced that there is a 95 percent chance that he is going to run for governor in North Carolina in 2024.

“We’re about 95 percent sure we’re gonna run for governor,” Robinson said. “Our current governor is term-limited. He’s on his second term. He’s on his way out, thank God. We have a guy we believe is behind him on that side who will be just as bad, if not worse, than him. We’re in the vein right now of gearing up for that. We haven’t announced, but we’re about 95 percent sure that that’s the direction that we’re going in. … We need to stay here North Carolina to protect North Carolina from some of the craziness that’s going on at the federal level and continue to help the state rise under conservative principles. So, we have not announced that we’re going to run for governor, but we’re about 95 percent there, and it’s a logical step for us to take. So, be on the lookout for that.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/north-carolinas-christian-nationalist-anti-lgbtq-lt-gov-mark-robinson-is-95-percent-sure-hes-going-to-run-for-governor/




Well fucking duh! Of course it is! But you can’t tell the people against Critical Race Theory that because you know they don’t like independent thoughts! But here’s why Mark Robinson is alarming because he’s part of a movement to get more Christian nationalists into office, and that idea is absolutely scary. Think about it this way – it’s much more than just abortion. It’s everything from free speech to freedom of religion and if those things get taken away, we’re all screwed!

Lauren Witzke, the Republican Party’s nominee for U.S. Senate from Delaware in 2020, gushed with praise for Vladimir Putin this week after the Russian dictator unleashed a military invasion against Ukraine. While somewhat shocking given the timing, Witzke’s admiration of Putin’s “Christian nationalism” has a long precedent among U.S. Christian right leaders, who embraced Putin as a “savior of Christian civilization” during the Obama administration.

Shortly after Donald Trump became president, far-right activist Pat Buchanan praised Putin as “a God-and-country Russian patriot” and champion of Christianity “against the Western progressive vision of what mankind’s future ought to be.”

In 2018, prominent Trump-aligned dominionist Lance Wallnau brushed aside Putin’s tendency to kill journalists and run the country “like a mafia state,” and praised Putin’s anti-LGBTQ policies as having been “shaped by Christians,” adding, “I fear more liberals in America than I fear Putin in Russia.”

At an infamous 2018 press conference with Putin and Trump, the U.S. president said he was more inclined to believe Putin than U.S. intelligence agencies that had concluded the Russian government had interfered with the 2016 election. Far-right figures like conspiracy theorist Alex Jones were thrilled when Putin mentioned philanthropist George Soros, who many on the far-right portray as the embodiment of sinister globalism. InfoWars’ Jerome Corsi declared Trump and Putin were working together in a “fight to death with the deep state.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/u-s-far-right-adore%e2%80%8bs-vladimir-putins-christian-nationalism-more-than-freedom-and-democracy/




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

Ladies and gentlemen, we have our first upset of the tournament! Alabama goes home! North Carolina sinks a last second 3 pointer to hit and they will move on to the Elite 8! Wow, what a performance by the Tar Heels! Final score: 90 – 87!

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

Next week we’re live from Phoenix at the home of the Arizona Wildcats, the Wells Fargo Arena, for some action action action! In the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, red hot Nevada takes on challenger Nebraska, while over in the Gun Nut Conference, Florida shoots their way to the top against fan favorite Missouri! Be sure to follow the official Top 10 Conservative Idiots account @10Idiots for updates and more!


[font size="4"]And Now This: [/font]
[font size="4"]Flogging Molly: [/font]

Ladies and gentlemen, my next guest is a great LA band that’s pretty synonymous with St. Paddy’s Day, they are promoting their show at the Hollywood Palladium and their subsequent tour with the Interrupters and Tiger Army. Playing their song “Devil’s Dance Floor”, give it up for Flogging Molly!



Thank you Denver! This was fun! We’re off to Phoenix next! See you next week!

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This is the official DU account for the new format Top 10 Conservative Idiots separate from the host account Initech. The new format Top 10 will launch June 13th, 2018 and all posts related to the Top 10 (promos, etc) will be posted from this account only. The Top 10 is posted once a week on Thursdays at 2:00 PM. There is a full archive of all past, present and future Top 10 editions that can be found here: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218599098\ Announcements for our current season schedule are posted in our Best Of editions that appear at the end of each season. Updates are posted regularly on the official Top 10 Mastodon account and the official Holy Shit Mastodon account. The Mastodon accounts are used to announce what's going to be in next week's edition, new content, advertising our segments, and so on. This account will post official Top 10 editions, and any related content including our spinoff series: Holy Shit The Sunday Sermons. If you wish to contact the Top 10 you may do so here: E-mail (all questions, concerns, suggestions, and hate mail welcome): Top10ConIdiots@gmail.com Follow the Top 10 on Mastodon: Top10ConIdiots@mstdn.party Follow The Holy Church Of The Top 10 on Mastodon: ChurchOfTop10@mstdn.party **This account will ONLY be used to post official Idiots editions, promos, and things related to the Top 10. No other posts will come from this account** Top 10 Wiki: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211322508
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