My ultra-serious, detail-oriented examination of the Republican Vice-Presidential nominee, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin

Rowrrrrrr......

H/T to Sadly, No! for the image

Friday YouTube Nugget

I'm in a winning type of mood, so for this Labor Day holiday weekend edition, I'll lay a little of the late, great Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions on ya....here's "We're A Winner"

Eight Is Enough

Last night's address by Barack Obama left me with a mix of elation, inspiration and a strange sense of relief.

Elated that his speech was a full-throated, unapologetic affirmation of progressive principles, not some jelly-spined "centrist" bullshit that's doomed Democratic candidates not named Bill Clinton for the last two decades. Obama took on the social hot-button issues of the day - abortion, guns, gay marriage - and explained to the country that he stands on the right side of history. He didn't prattle on about "post-partisanship" and how he'll make nice with Republicans. He needed to draw a sharp distinction between his Democratic party and the party that's brought us the Bush-Cheney trainwreck for the last eight years and he did a damn good job of it.

Elated that Obama struck the right balance between laying out the specific plans of an Obama adminstration and portending the utter disaster of a McCain administration - four more years after the previous eight disastrous ones. Nominee addresses to the convention are usually more flowery and don't take on the opposing party's nominee too directly, but this isn't just any election. Obama needed to make the case to the country that we cannot afford a McCain presidency because it would be Bush III and he made it quite convincingly.

Insipred by Obama's own story and his eloquence in weaving his story into the American story that's been so much a part of this convention. I'm sure he's told his story a thousand times, and I wouldn't blame him if his eyes glazed over at some point. But, last night, his retelling had a special meaning and I think it has a lot to do with the negative attacks and e-mail smears he's had to endure during this campaign. The right-wing's attempts to alternately portray him as either an America-hating Muslim fanatic from an Indonesian madrassa or an empty-headed "celebrity" who offers nothing more than a good speech and some hoops skills must look like the ridiculous, pathetic schemes that they were. Experience? Obama's got a lifetime of it.

Inspired that Obama's story is my story, as it is the story for millions across this country. I am a child of immigrants, a first-generation American of color who is proud of all the fibers of his heritage. Never in my dreams could imagine that in my adult life, I would be able to cast a vote for a candidate who not only shares my values and ideas about the nation and world, but looks like me as well. Someone said to me last night after Obama's address that my vote didn't matter. In a more cynical time, I would be inclined to agree with that. But there will be no more meaningful vote I will cast in my lifetime than when I pull the lever for Obama on November 4.

I am equally relieved....relieved that this audacious gamble paid off so handsomely. The spectacle of 84,000 people packed into a football stadium to hear a convention address by a nominee was overwhelming and it made for great television. America saw a party united, a party comprised of people from all different backgrounds and cultures, sexes, creeds and orientations....a party energized and inspired by their candidate. I don't know if it played as well among the multitudes in the stadium, but Obama's message and his appeal came through loud and clear over the TV. America saw a man who not only inspires millions in the U.S., but around the world. If this is to be the face of America for the next four (or eight) years, we will be well-served.

As far as political speeches go, I thought it was an well-written address, neatly covering a wide range of topics and hitting a number of varied objectives without being a boring, monotonous recitation of policy planks. Some of the better lines:

"Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a ten percent chance on change."

"Eight is enough!"

"It's not because John McCain doesn't care. It's because John McCain doesn't get it."

(talking about "trickle-down" economics) "Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps - even if you don't have boots. You're on your own...Well it's time for them to own their failure."

"You don't defeat a terrorist network that operates in eighty countries by occupying Iraq."

"We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don't tell me that Democrats won't defend this country. Don't tell me that Democrats won't keep us safe. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans -- Democrats and Republicans - have built, and we are here to restore that legacy."

The celebration has ended and the hard work begins in earnest. There are 67 days until Election Day and there are miles to go before we sleep.

Gobama!

6:47 P.M, August 27, 2008

Hillary Clinton nominates Barack Obama by acclamation and thus, Senator Obama becomes the first minority in American history to be chosen as the nominee of a major party. A moment of pride for ALL Americans.

All Power To The People

18 million cracks in the glass ceiling

An amazing speech....an amazing moment in American history. Thank you, Senator Clinton.

Time For A Blogger Ethics Panel....or, How I Learned to Stop Fact-Checking and Love The Pwn3age

Unlike most other people I know, I don't have much of a problem with The Buffalo News. Sure, it swipes most of its national news stories right off the AP wire and Douglas Turner is an absolute embarrassment as a political writer...but, overall, it's not a bad way to start the morning.

Unfortunately, the only paper in town has subscribed to the reactionary position of blaming blogs for the ills in society. To wit, managing editor Margaret Sullivan layeth the smackdown on Blogistan in last Sunday's paper:

And, on a deeper level, how much should we be concerned that we are playing a
part in perpetuating dirty politics? After all, the common fare of blogs — which
often have their own axes to grind and their own less-than-admirable motivations
for publishing — often does not meet the standards of a responsible news outlet. (Emphasis mine)

"Oh wake up, Maggie... I think I got something to say to you..."


(from the front page of Monday's Buffalo News):

Nicole Kidman may be joining fight to save Buffalo's Studio Arena Theatre

(from the front page of today's Buffalo News):

Report of Kidman’s Studio Arena crusade called fake


How could this be, you may ask.....wouldn't a reputable publication like The Buffalo News double- and triple-check such a shocking and out-of-the-blue story? Eh...not so much:

Monday: "Show business Web sites reported Sunday that the film and stage megastar is challenging fellow A-list actors to help her raise money to revive the Main Street regional playhouse, which suspended operations early this year under the weight of a $2.9 million deficit..."

Today: "The report, posted to the Web site PR-inside.com at 8:20 Saturday night, claims that Kidman told reporters...that she 'expressed hope that one or more hugely charismatic New York City theater figures . . . pass the hat' for Buffalo’s struggling playhouse. But the article also contains an alleged quote from Kidman that mirrors, verbatim, a comment made by the theater’s managing director, Iain Campbell, in July and printed in The Buffalo News.

Catherine Olim, Kidman’s publicist, told The News she found the story “highly suspect” and noted that Kidman did not arrive in London until Monday. That contradicts the claim that Kidman spoke to reporters in London on Saturday.

“We have no knowledge of this, and [Kidman] is filming out of the country. If we find out, we’ll let you know if it’s true or not,” Olim wrote in an e-mail.


So, the enterprising newsies down on Washington and Scott interpreted one, random PR site to be mulitple "show business Web sites". And rather than take the 5 minutes to, you know, look through their own archives from the previous month or, heaven forbid, e-mail Nicole Kidman's fucking PR flack to make sure this wasn't a giant wankoff story, they decided to publish it as is. Nay, put it on the front page, above the fold!

This is surely an embarrassing day for the News and, frankly, they deserve it. Not only for the shoddy reporting and laziness in trumpeting this sham of a story (probably giving poor Kathleen Gaffney at Studio Arena a stroke in the meantime). They deserve to eat some public crow after taking such a condescending and arrogant attitude about blogs.

"axe to grind"?
"less-than-admirable motivations"?
"does not the standards of a responsible news outlet"?

Ladies and gentlemen, that describes your Buffalo News to a T. Any paper that publishes Charles Krauthammer and George Will on a continuing basis has a lot of gall to call out anyone else for bias and unprofessionalism.

Funny Foto In Search Of A Pithy Post

I can guarantee this image will be used in a future post. I just can't think of one right now that isn't overly gutter-level

...and yes, in case you were wondering, it is a real book. Probably a sensitive and well-written book for preschoolers and coprophiliacs alike.

Greatest line of this campaign, so far

More in common than you think....



Courtesy of Roger Ailes (the liberal blogger, not the Fox News Head Liar In Charge):

The McCain campaign keeps emphasizing that McCain was a prisoner in Vietnam, as proof of his qualification for the Presidency.

Well, so was Gary Glitter, and I'm not voting for him either.


heh

Prepare the Bumperstickers: Obama-Biden '08

(from the New York Times)

Biography
Full Name: Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr.
Party: Democratic
Political Office: U.S. Senator from Delaware; elected 1972; reelected 1978, 1984, 1990, 1996, and 2002
Business/Professional Experience: Attorney (in Wilmington), 1968-72; Councilman, New Castle County (Delaware), 1970-72
Date of Birth: November 20, 1942
Place of Birth: Scranton, Pa.
Education: B.A., University of Delaware, 1965; J.D., Syracuse University College of Law, 1968
Spouse: married (2d) Jill Jacobs, 1977
Children: sons Joseph R. III, born 1969 and Robert, b. 1970 (with first wife Neilia Hunter, m. 1966; died 1972 in auto accident with infant daughter Naomi); daughter Ashley, born 1981
Religion: Roman Catholic
Home: Wilmington, Del.
Books by Joe Biden: Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics [July 2007] About Joe Biden: What it Takes: The Way to the White House (in part, an account of Biden's 1988 presidential campaign), by Richard Ben Cramer [1992]

First elected to the United States Senate from Delaware at age 29, Joseph R. Biden Jr. has experienced personal tragedy, near-fatal illness, and multiple attempts to advance to the other side of Pennsylvania Avenue. Though neither of his campaigns for the Democratic nomination ever really took off, he was tapped as Senator Barack Obama’s running mate on Aug. 23, 2008.
Only a month after winning his first Senate election, Mr. Biden’s wife and 13-month old daughter died in a car accident, which put both of his sons in the hospital. Mr. Biden was sworn into the Senate at their bedsides. His pursuit of the 1988 Democratic nomination ended amid accusations that he lifted large portions of his remarks at a debate from a British Labor Party leader. And a few months after his departure from the race Mr. Biden collapsed from a brain aneurism, ultimately undergoing two surgeries over a few months.

Mr. Biden told The Times he had learned something different from each of the three crises in his life.

The accident taught him, he said, “to always let the people you love know you love them, and never let something go unsaid.” The aneurysm taught him that “it’s a hell of a lot easier being on the operating table than in the waiting room.” As for the 1987 race, Mr. Biden said he learned that he could pull himself back up after the crippling experience of having his character questioned, “Particularly when it’s your own fault.”

Mr. Biden is perhaps best known for his work on the Foreign Relations Committee, of which he is currently chairman. He has said he regrets his 2003 vote in favor of the Iraq invasion, but he has been a persistent and harsh critic of the administration’s war conduct. Mr. Biden is among the most ardent proponents of a three-state solution in Iraq.

Despite his emphasis on diplomacy, Mr. Biden is known for his direct – and sometimes impulsive – speech, which has often attracted criticism.

Obama '08: One Spouse, One House

Well, this has certainly been an interesting past few days while waiting for my exclusive (ZOMG!!!111) text from Senator Obama. After pretty much pulling even in most polls after a month of relentless negative advertising, Senator John McCain really went and put his $500 Italian leather loafer in his mouth when he botched this most simple of Q&As:

Q: How many houses do you have?
McCain: I'm not sure....I have to check with my staff. I'll have them get [the number] to you.

Wow...for a politician who is not shy about throwing the "elitist" label at his opponent, Senator McNopoly doesn't sound like a "man of the people" when he stumbles on the number of houses his family has.

The correct answer of course, is multiple houses.....reports vary from four to up to twelve properties that McCain and his wife own. The key words here being "his wife"

You see, my friends, Cindy Lou McCain (nee Hensley) is the heiress to an Arizona beer distributorship that is valued at $100 million dollars. When McCain dumped his disabled wife and three children to marry Cindy in 1980, he signed a prenup that clearly separated his finances from the Hensley family fortune. However, McCain also received a plum job at the distributorship and a healthy infusion of that beer money to fund his first run for Congress in 1982.

So, John McCain is married to a $100 million woman who owns up to 12 luxurious properties around the U.S., all in her name. McCain could have said, in effect, that he doesn't own a single piece of property in the U.S. Of course, he would have to explain that he's been riding a gravy train for the past 28 years and that "Mommy" owns him lock, stock and barrel....but that wouldn't sound too "Mavericky". It would sound like McCain handed over his testicles when he said "I do"

The McCain campaign's initial response to the kefluffle over "Housegate" was another in a disturbing series of exploitative references to what McCain himself has pledged he would never exploit for political gain:

[McCain spokesman Brian Rogers] also added: "This is a guy who lived in one house for five and a half years -- in prison," referring to the prisoner of war camp that McCain was in during the Vietnam War.

Wonderful...."leave my guy alone about the multiple mansions because he was shot down and held prisoner by the Viet Cong 40 years ago". The "noun, verb, POW" defense was also used to defend McCain against charges that he cheated during the evangelical forum he and Obama attended last weekend. What's that line about the well and dipping once too often?

What this amounts to is - while McCain has spent over a month battering Obama with negative ads and speeches attacking him on any number of platforms ("elitist", "celebrity", "no experience", "too exotic-looking" for the Appalachian regions) and has succeeded in raising Obama's negatives in polling, he hasn't focused on one line of attack that would serve to define Obama negatively in the voters' minds. And, yesterday, he handed the Obama campaign the one effective line of attack that would blunt McCain's claims of legitimacy and experience. Obama is already on TV with ads blistering McCain's "experience" of the last 30 years as enjoying the life of Riley on his wife's dime. Obama cannot rely on the common sense of the American voter by saying simply "I will end the war in Iraq, my opponent will continue it for 100 years"...he needs to knock McCain from his imaginary pedestal and reveal to the voters that the Maverick has no clothes (or, at least, any that weren't bought by Suga Momma Cindy).

So, remind me again - who's the elitist in this race? The guy raised by a single mother (at times, on food stamps) who went to Columbia and Harvard Law on merit scholarships? Or the son and grandson of Naval Admirals who married into a $100 million fortune, a sizable chunk of which has underwritten his political career, including this Presidential campaign?

It's a shame that all those millions in advertisting, consulting fees and strategy sessions to come up with an attack plan went up in smoke in the course of one afternoon. Pity.


UPDATE:
Oh thank God.....a bonafide and legitimate surrogate has emerged to defend Senator McLandBaron from these wicked attacks.......Robin Leach:

"He probably was confused as to which homes are in his name, his wife's name, or corporate names," Leach explained in his familiar, deep British baritone. "In his attempt to be honest, he put his foot in his mouth."

FUCKING CRAZIER UPDATE:
This shit is now officially Out. Of. Control.:

The McCains increased their budget for household employees from $184,000 in 2006 to $273,000 in 2007, according to John McCain's tax returns.

Holy shit.....am I to understand, if you consider the median household income in the United States in 2007 was $48, 201, that John McCain and Beer Money Cindy spent over five times as much on servants as the typical household earns in an entire year? Didn't shit like this lead to the French Revolution?

Friday YouTube Nugget

Raging Bull

Raging Composer

This week's installment highlights one of those beautiful melds of film and music. Martin Scorcese's 1980 masterpiece Raging Bull is justifiably regarded as the best film of the 80's and now, almost three decades after its release, it remains a powerful film. One of its greatest legacies (at least for me) was introducing the music of Italian composer Pietro Mascagni to a wide audience. Even kids like me, who regarded opera as something the Viet Cong applied to John McCain to make him confess, were stunned by the juxtaposition of three excerpts of Mascagni's work (the Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana, the Barcarolle from Silvano and the Intermezzo from Guglielmo Ratcliff) with the stark brutality of the prizefighter's world.

The Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana is probably the better-known work from the film, but I have a real affection for the montage of fight stills and home movie clips in the middle of the film set to the Barcarolle from Silvano. Enjoy.

Blog War III is Brung...

Blog War Is Hell

History will record that I was the instigator of this final, bloody chapter in the series of InterWebTube conflicts with my nemesis, GabsOSteel. Sure, it may appear unseemly to pick fights with a peaceful, sensitive blogger who writes about her feelings or some such shit, but damnit, blogging is war! I must defeat the forces of niceness and self-examination that would compel me to write open, honest posts about my life, instead of the vacuous pop culture/political/sports/YouTube snark I live for....Remember the Maine!

Anyhoo, Ms. Gabs has accepted my challenge and fired the first volley in Round Three by exercising in what can generously be called revisionist history. In recounting our first two battles, she seems to forget:

Blog War One:
...in which we switched blogging styles ala Freaky Friday. She posted about sports and YouTube videos and makes the ridiculous claim that I forfeited writing about my feelings. Really? Does this post ring a bell? I think one memorable post on a real-life event, one in which you were the star attraction, more than meets the challenge posed. Blog War One was a draw, y'all.


Blog War Two:
...in which we competed for corporate sponsorship. I will acknowledge that my initial efforts fell short in this endeavor (oh, Maker's Mark....will you ever return my calls?). However, Ms. Gabs' outrageous claim that she is sponsored by the hip new quarterly Greenfern (available at discerning booksellers and opium dens in the Greater Western New York area) is somewhat undercut by the complete and utter lack of Greenfern ads on her blog. Unless she worked out some corporate underwriting shennanigans like what the Chubb Corporation used to do for PBS. What the fuck did the Chubb Corporation do, anyway? Were they a front operation for the Mob? Wikipedia says property and casualty insurance, but who the hell can trust Wikipedia nowadays?

Oh, by the way, I'd like to announce the new corporate sponsor* of The Humanist -

*just as soon as I ask Mike


Blog War Three:
The terms of engagement for this particular contretemps have yet to be defined. We could have a competition to see who gets backlinked first by a prominent, unaffiliated blog, but of course, we all know that I won that battle handily. I'll throw this challenge out....publish a post that receives the most comments. Friends, family, strangers, Scientologists....whomever. The content of the post is up to the author (anything other than "Comment on this post and I'll give you Cash Money!!!") and the comment window closes on the last day in September. Spam comments count, duplicate commenters do not.

What say you, Gabs? I think the mere fact that I got a girly-girl like you to threaten to "beat my ass down" means I've won already.

No One Wants To Touch (Yeah!) No One Wants To Touch (Yeah!) No One Wants To Touch Him There, There, There, There...

Gary Glitter looking not at all odd or creepy while waiting for recess to end

Convicted child molester and former 70's glam rock star Gary Glitter was released from a Vietnamese prison after a three-year sentence for having sex with children and immediately deported to England, where he'll be forced to register as a sex offender.

I think the appropriate sentence and/or treatment for Mr. Glitter would be to lock him in a room with a stereo and force him to listen to his godawful records nonstop until he inevitably throws himself out the window.

NA-NA NA-NA-NA-NA-NA.....HEY! NA-NA-NA

NA-NA NA-NA-NA-NA-NA.....HEY! NA-NA-NA

NA-NA NA-NA-NA-NA-NA.....HEY! NA-NA-NA

NA-NA NA-NA-NA-NA-NA.....HEY! NA-NA-NA

NA-NA NA-NA-NA-NA-NA.....HEY! NA-NA-NA

NA-NA NA-NA-NA-NA-NA.....HEY! NA-NA-NA

NA-NA NA-NA-NA-NA-NA.....HEY! NA-NA-NA

NA-NA NA-NA-NA-NA-NA.....HEY! NA-NA-NA .....and so on and so on......

Friday YouTube Nugget

If you thought last week was bad, I am really going to put you through the paces with this week's installment. Travel with me now back to the dark days of summer 1990 when this legendary piece of shit record spread on the radio and the ol' MTV like some supervirus. Damn Yankees was an unholy alliance of rock suckitude - bringing together members of such awful groups as Styx, Night Ranger and, oh dear....Ted Nugent. If the term "supergroup" wasn't already dead by this point, the musical abortion that was Damn Yankees certainly hammered the final nail in the coffin.

"High Enough" was their big hit - a power ballad so mawkish and insipid that only the video could provide anything in the way of entertainment. While the hair poseurs from Night Ranger and Styx take center stage, the star of this clip is undoubtedly the Nuge. Ted Nugent may be a supremely repellent human being, but he is uproarious in this video....you need only check out his swagger at 2:14 - 2:19, or his "wicked" solo at 3:14 in the midst of a police shootout. Hours of entertainment this provided, back in the day, I tell ya.

"Don't worry about it, ma'am.....jus them Damn Yankees!"

Greatest album run by a band?

My vote goes to the incredible six-album run by the Who from 1966-1973:

1966: A Quick One

1967: The Who Sell Out

1969: Tommy

1970: Live at Leeds

1971: Who's Next

1973: Quadrophenia

Quite a stunning array of music....you start with two classics of mid-60's power-pop, move onto the most notable rock opera of all, throw in one of the greatest live albums ever recorded, shift into the album many consider the greatest rock album ever and close with the greatest (in my opinion) rock opera of all.

Of course, the Who have put out mostly dogshit in the 35 years since Quadrophenia, but that still doesn't detract from the greatness of this run.

I'll take your nominees in the comments

"....and with the second pick in this year's draft..."

My team, White WRs on Coke, selects.....Purple Jesus.

#28 in your programs, #1 in your hearts.....Adrian Peterson.

I've got quite the backfield....Peterson, Maroney, Jamal Lewis and a hopefully rebuilt Deuce McCallister. Too bad the rest of my team blows.

Oh, and I drafted all Bills for my defensive players - McKelvin, Whitner, Poz and Schobel. I'm as loyal as I am daft

Go For The General In The General - Obama/Clark '08

In my mind, there is but one choice for Barack Obama for his running mate. That choice must be General Wesley Clark. Sure, it may be controversial, but it's a smart pick both for the short-term electoral strategy in the general election, as well as the more important question of what role the Vice-President will play in the Administration post-Darth Cheney.

Here's what Clark brings to the table:

• Raised in Little Rock Arkansas, but was born in Chicago and had a paternal great-grandfather who was a Belarusian Jew who emigrated to the U.S. to escape the pogroms
• Valedictorian of his class at West Point
• Rhodes scholar at Oxford with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics
• Master's degree in military science
• 34 years service in the Army and Department of Defense, including company command in Vietnam from 1969-1970. He was shot four times with an AK-47 but still led his company in a counterattack. He was awarded the Silver Star for his actions.
• Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO from 1997 to 2000....commanded Operation Allied Force in the Kosovo War

I can think of no other VP choice who brings the balance of military experience, foreign policy knowledge and moderate political philosophy quite like Gen. Clark. There are some with foreign policy bonafides (Biden, Richardson, Nunn), but they each are politicians with their own baggage and, in the case of Nunn, have odious opinions on social issues like reproductive rights and LGBT rights. Other candidates who are more appealing to the Democratic base may turn off independents and moderate Republicans and would fail to fill in the gaps (experience, foreign policy expertise) in Obama's campaign.

Clark is a moderate liberal with strong pro-environmental views, and equally strong pro-civil rights stances. He supports equal opportunity for gays in military service. He also advocates return to balancing the federal budget, reduction of the budget and trade deficits, and would nullify the tax cuts for the upper 1% which have been so ruinous to the economy overall and have ballooned our budget deficit. He has suggested providing healthcare for the uninsured by altering the current system.

Clark complements Obama very nicely while not contradicting him on any of the major policy issues an Obama administration will tackle next year. I hope that Obama discounts the hysterics surrounding Gen. Clark's appearance on Face The Nation and sees his best choice for a running mate in Wesley Clark.

And now.....you've been BarackRoll'd, son!!!!

Fearless Leader Enjoys Olympic Opening Ceremony

I throw up in my mouth every time this buffoon travels abroad...what a disgrace:

Georgie checks his watch, wonders if he can get "Mama's Family" on Chinese TV


"wap-wap-wap-wap-wap...when are the 'Murrikans coming by in the parade? Dang!"


Will someone please give this moron a Gameboy or a Sudoku book and keep him off-camera?!!

UPDATE: This photo is too priceless to miss

Friday YouTube Nugget

I don't know what you all did this week to deserve this, but prepare to receive some Culture Club in your face. FIERCE



Now....where can I get a coffee mug that says "BOY"?

The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight

At what point do we remove this fog of civility and call these people what they deserve to be called - war criminals:

A new book by the author Ron Suskind claims that the White House ordered the CIA to forge a back-dated, handwritten letter from the head of Iraqi intelligence to Saddam Hussein.

Suskind writes in “The Way of the World,” to be published Tuesday, that the alleged forgery – adamantly denied by the White House – was designed to portray a false link between Hussein’s regime and al Qaeda as a justification for the Iraq war.

The author also claims that the Bush administration had information from a top Iraqi intelligence official “that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq – intelligence they received in plenty of time to stop an invasion.”

My ire is also directed at every Democrat in Congress who voted to give his tinhorn asshole the authority to wipe his ass with the Constitution and send American men and women off to die for his lies. Disgusting.

Friday YouTube Nugget

I'm going to indulge my affection for those things twee and folksy this week by featuring a live performance by the legendary Fairport Convention. They were considered England's first electric folk band and featured master guitarist Richard Thompson and vocalist Sandy Denny (a.k.a. the chick duetting with Robert Plant on "The Battle of Evermore"). This clip is taken from a 1970 performance at an English county fair.