Top 10 Idiots

Top 10 Idiots's Journal

September 9, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #11-7: A Horse Is A Horse Of Course Of Course Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #11-7: A Horse Is A Horse Of Course Of Course Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! What’s up Santa Ana, how you guys doing? You doing fucking good? Great! It is good to be home after our first road trip of the post-COVID era. We are back, we are rested. And you see that stage behind me? That’s right we got music for ya! We did it! It’s back everybody! WOOOOOO!!!! Oh man how I have waited for this day! How awesome is this? We’ve also got some great musical guests lined up through the end of the season, including one of my all time favorite bands who I won’t tell you who, let’s just say it rhymes with “piston of a brown”. Yeah that makes sense! Do we have time for the thing? Of course we do! So last week I attended the Foo Fighters concert in Inglewood and while it was awesome they did something really cool at the end. Last year there was a 11 year old kid named Nandi Bushnell from England who challenged Dave Grohl to a drum off, and the video went viral. Anyway Dave accepted and they had recorded a series of videos together through last year. But last week – Dave brought her up on stage during the show’s finale to play their classic Everlong and you know what? She nailed it! That was one of the coolest things ever, man do I love the Foo Fighters! We may also have them stop by later on. But OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and he spills the beans about what’s really going on in Afghanistan:

So where do we begin this week? Well in the number one slot this week is the State Of Texas (1). They just wrapped up their 2021 legislative session and passed a whopping 666 laws – all of which are insane and not just a tribute to Iron Maiden. In the second slot this week is our old buddy Joe Rogan (2). So if you haven’t been following this story – Joe got COVID after hawking ivermectin, which is a horse deworming medication that’s not approved for use in humans, but he’s taking it anyways. In the number 3 slot is anti-vaxxers (3) because they are insane and they’re taking the fight against mask and vaccine mandates to your local school board, and things are getting very ugly. FML. In the number 4 slot this week is the GOP (4). They want to know the truth about our complicated and messy withdrawl from Afghanistan? OK fine we’ll tell you and we won’t have to hold and endless amount of senate hearings about it either. In the number 5 slot this week is the Capitol Riots (5) – we’ll bring you some of our favorite rioters who got arrested and get you ready for the second round of hearings! Taking 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 the Christian right’s increasing hysteria in overturning the 2020 election and they’re getting violent. Yeah it’s time to be afraid! In the number 7 slot this week is a new This Fucking Guy (7) and this week we’re profiling batshit crazy MAGA lifestylist, former UFC champion, and former Huntington Beach mayor pro temp Tito Ortiz (7) and whew, this fucking guy is batshit crazy! In the number 8 slot this week is a new edition of Conspiracy Corner (8) and Q Anon is heading to Russia! So of course you know that there’s no collusion! Move along, nothing to see here! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week is a new People Are Dumb because of course they are! Finally this week, we’re taking a short break from our segment about stupid MAGA people, Red State Diaries to bring you a new segment about the California 2021 recall election of Gavin Newsom– Road To Recall (10). And this week we’re taking a look at the man who could be California’s next governor – Larry Elder, and whew, the MAGAs really found one! Plus the return of live music from the one and only Weezer!! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]The State Of Texas
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Sigh… the state of Texas is one of the reasons why we can’t have nice things in this country. Last week they passed a whopping 666 new laws, all of which are completely insane and the furthers the Fox News-ification of America. And next week I promise we will go through some of the more insane laws, which include things like banning vaccine passports, forcing sports teams to play the national anthem, shielding insurance companies from car accidents, and literally criminalizes being homeless. Yes that happened. But none of those are what I want to talk about this week. Specifically I want to talk about one law. Yes, that one. The abortion law. And its’ subsequent laws. These are quite literally batshit fucking crazy and if they go before SCOTUS, god help us all. Please hold your boos before I get into the meat of this.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott defended his state's strict new abortion law, saying that it doesn't force victims of rape and incest to carry their pregnancy to term because it "provides at least 6 weeks for a person to be able to get an abortion."

At the signing for a GOP-supported voting bill on Tuesday, a reporter asked Abbott why he would "force" a rape or incest victim to carry a pregnancy stemming from sexual assault to term. The new abortion law, which went into effect last week, outlaws abortion when a fetal heartbeat is detected — as early as 6 weeks into pregnancy and well before many women even know they are pregnant.

The governor responded that the bill "doesn't require that at all because, obviously, it provides at least 6 weeks for a person to be able to get an abortion."

He also emphasized that "rape is a crime and Texas will work tirelessly that we eliminate all rapists from the streets of Texas by aggressively going out and arresting them and prosecuting them and getting them off the streets."

The Texas Department of Public Safety reported that in 2019, there were more than 14,650 cases of rape reported in the state, making up nearly a quarter of all reported violent crimes. That same year, fewer than 3,900 people were arrested for rape and other sex offenses, according to the department.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-abortion-law-governor-abbott-rape-victims-six-weeks/

What could go wrong? That seems to be a common theme with all the entries this week. But what could go wrong? Well this has set off a category 5 shit storm because as you know, the worst president in United States history got not one, not two, but three fucking SCOTUS lifetime appointments. Now go ahead and boo! And one of them is a dangerous cultist at that [see: Top 10 #9-12! So yeah this could have some particularly grave ramifications if the MAGAs and right-to-lifers get their way.

Sen. Bill Cassidy on Sunday said he expects the U.S. Supreme Court may well “swat away” the Texas abortion law once it comes to them in an appropriate case.

The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 vote, allowed Texas‘ new abortion law to take effect last week. But in doing so, the court’s majority did not specifically pass judgment on the merits of the law — which sets up unique and possibly unconstitutional enforcement mechanisms dependent on private citizens using the courts.

“I think the Supreme Court will swat it away once it comes to them in an appropriate manner,” Cassidy (R-La.) said on ABC’s “This Week.”

“If it's as terrible as people say it is, it‘ll be destroyed by the Supreme Court,” Cassidy said. He added that the Supreme Court had rejected the challenge last week because those who brought the lawsuit didn’t have “standing” to do so, meaning they didn’t have a sufficient stake in the case to file a challenge to the law.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/09/05/texas-abortion-law-cassidy-509729

You sure that’s how it works there, senator? I don’t know a lot but I am pretty sure that’s not how any of this works. Now here’s where it gets weird because you knew it was going to. This law gives Uber and Lyft drivers the ability to rat out their clients if you are using their vehicles and drivers to drive to an abortion clinic. That’s right – if you’re even thinking of traveling to one by rideshare, you can be found out and go to prison. This is fucking scary.

The nation’s two biggest rideshare companies are both planning to legally support drivers that may be sued under a new Texas law that penalizes anyone who drives a woman to an abortion clinic after six weeks into a pregnancy.

Lyft announced it was setting up a Driver Legal Defense Fund to cover all legal fees for drivers sued under Senate Bill 8, Texas’s controversial abortion bill that bans the procedure six months into a pregnancy and penalizes anyone who assists in the process.

“Drivers are never responsible for monitoring where their riders go or why,” said Lyft in a release. “This law is incompatible with people??s basic rights to privacy, our community guidelines, the spirit of rideshare, and our values as a company.”

Logan Green, the company’s CEO, doubled down on Twitter calling the law an “attack on women’s access to healthcare and on their right to choose.”
https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/uber-lyft-pledge-to-pay-for-legal-fees-of-drivers-sued-under-texas-abortion-law/

That is a good point. Now there is some good (…..?) to come out of this. I don’t want you to think this show is all about negativity because that is where we are not. But the good news is that people are fucking pissed off at Texas. Think of Texas like that one guy who walks into the board meeting after the board just voted to fire that member. But this isn’t going away. It’s going to get worse. And people are taking sides – whether you’re for or against the law, the war has just begun. Yeah sing it with me! We’ve only just begun… Oh and Dan Patrick… go fuck yourself. K thanks!

The city of Portland, Oregon's plan to boycott Texas goods and services over its new abortion law could cost Texas companies millions of dollars a year, officials said Tuesday.

Heather Hafer, a spokeswoman with the Office of Management and Finance, said Portland has inked almost $35 million in contracts with Texas-based businesses over the last five years, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

She also said Portland employees have made 19 separate trips to the Lonestar State on official business since 2019, a number she said would have been significantly higher if travel hadn't been stopped for a year amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The potential financial impact information comes after Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Twitter Monday called Portland boycotting Texas "a complete joke."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/portland-oregon-boycott-texas-businesses-abortion-law/

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[font size="8"]Joe Rogan
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You know we need some music for this one!

Yes, a horse is a horse of course of course, and nobody can talk to a horse of course, unless of course that horse is the famous Mr. Joe Rogan! That’s right. The sheer amount of stupid that it takes to not get the vaccine and instead take medication meant for horses five times the size of a normal human is completely unfathomable at this point. I am all out of fucks to give. Yes, he got COVID and yes he’s treating it with that horse paste you’ve all heard about so much. That’s right – they are treating a respiratory infection with horse deworming medicine. I am not making this up. I really wish I was. The thing is though is that you cannot put a price on stupid. But it’s also what happens when you continually deny science and reality in favor of listening to stupid people over experts. Again, like I said I am all out of fucks to give here. But Joe Rogan is going to be OK, because he has money. The rest of us who aren’t as lucky as him won’t be so lucky in the end.

Joe Rogan is considering suing CNN, specifically for what its White House correspondent Jim Acosta said in regards to the podcaster’s COVID-19 treatment.

As Changing America previously reported, Joe Rogan contracted the coronavirus on Sept. 1, and he has tried a multitude of medications and treatments, such as monoclonal antibodies, Ivermectin, the steroid prednisone, an antibiotic Z-Pak and a vitamin drip.

The controversy is that Ivermectin is used both in people for parasitic infections and, in typically higher doses, in animals such as horses and cows. The FDA has warned the public against using it to treat COVID-19, as it is not approved for that use.

On Tuesday’s episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” (JRE), guest Tom Segura joked about Rogan’s medication with the comment, “Well, well well, if it isn’t old ‘Horse Worm Rogan.'”
https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/571345-joe-rogan-slams-cnn-over-controversial-drug

Yes I’m literally using Mr. Ed clips and images for this entry. Because look people, you’re not a horse, you’re not a pig, you’re not a cow. Yes, you can point out that ivermectin was approved for use in human treatment but it was only approved to get rid of parasites! It’s not meant to rid yourself of a deadly virus, OK? And why do we have to get the law involved in this? You’re the ones who are listening to idiots telling you it’s OK to take horse deworming medicine available at your local feed store.

Joe Rogan appears to have fully recovered from his recent bout with COVID-19 and is clearly upset with how the media reported his use of the controversial drug, Ivermectin. Just last week Rogan announced he had tested positive for COVID-19 and taken Ivermectin, a drug routinely used to deworm horses. It’s also frowned upon for human use according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

When his diagnosis and treatment plan were revealed it raised eyebrows of fans and media alike who reported the controversial use. Now Rogan is considering suing one of those media outlets for their reporting.

“Do I have to sue CNN? They’re making shit up,” Rogan said on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. “They keep saying I’m taking horse dewormer. I literally got it from a doctor. It’s an American company. They won the Nobel Prize in 2015 for use in human beings, and CNN is saying I’m taking horse dewormer. They must know that’s a lie.”

Rogan says the medicine was recommended by multiple doctors but has been discouraged by the FDA with the agency going to great lengths to dissuade humans from taking it.

“You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it,” the FDA wrote on Twitter.
https://sports.yahoo.com/joe-rogan-considers-suing-cnn-190606533.html

Excuse me a minute… yes that was an actual show by the way! And come on there’s no cover up here, you’re not a horse! I could see you taking ivermectin if you’re Mr. Ed but you’re not. But here’s the thing too if you are going to proceed with taking ivermectin – you’re not Joe Rogan either. You don’t have a $100 million Spotify payday. So if you do take this drug to cure your COVID woes, you should know the things that it’ll do to you – and none of them are things you particularly want.

Westmead Hospital in Sydney’s west says it has treated a patient who overdosed after taking the drug ivermectin, an unproven and potentially dangerous treatment for COVID-19.

The person went to hospital seeking treatment for diarrhoea and vomiting side-effects, after taking the drug, which is usually used to treat parasites. The person had ordered this and other unproven COVID “cures” online.

Westmead Hospital in Sydney’s west says it has treated a patient who overdosed after taking the drug ivermectin, an unproven and potentially dangerous treatment for COVID-19.

The person went to hospital seeking treatment for diarrhoea and vomiting side-effects, after taking the drug, which is usually used to treat parasites. The person had ordered this and other unproven COVID “cures” online.

While the patient did not die, health authorities are concerned at the number of people taking ivermectin, and warn against it for anyone else who may have COVID symptoms or has been diagnosed with the virus.

Other known ivermectin side-effects range from mild to the life-threatening, including seizures and coma.
https://theconversation.com/thinking-of-trying-ivermectin-for-covid-heres-what-can-happen-with-this-controversial-drug-167178

Excuse me a minute… OK go ahead and take that horse dewormer, we won’t stop you! Don’t be surprised when you’re eating through a feeding tube and using a colostomy bag when the ivermectin turns your small intestine into liquid shit. But remember hydroxychloroquine? That emerged when Former Guy suggested it after telling people to drink bleach? Yeah fool me once shame on you. Fool me ten thousand times, you were probably brainwashed by social media propaganda!

A pair of local doctors are creating some controversy by backing the use of unapproved drugs to help treat COVID-19.

One of them is Maui district health officer Dr. Lorrin Pang.

He recently joined Dr. Kirk Milhoan, a cardiologist, to talk about early treatment of COVID-19 for a panel discussion by the Pono Coalition for Informed Consent.

They claim using a malaria drug called Hydroxychloroquine, and an anti-parasite drug called Ivermectin, in small doses, could help treat coronavirus symptoms early on.

However, the Federal Food and Drug Administration reports using those drugs could be deadly.
https://www.kitv.com/story/44604318/pair-of-local-doctors-creating-controversy-over-unapproved-drugs-to-help-treat-covid19

[font size="8"]Anti-Vaxxers
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In case people forgot we’re still in a pandemic, one that isn’t going away any time soon. But those of us who are doing the responsible thing are getting to leave the house and enjoy life again, even if it is cautiously. Then there are those of us who are doing the wrong thing. And that’s exactly what they are doing here – the wrong thing. And you know what? Is it wrong for me to wish that these people get the absolute worst possible case of it? Because they’re not really saving anybody and actually putting more people in harm’s way and giving the virus new opportunities to mutate. But this shit with school boards and vaccine mandates is absolute madness. I mean I can only watch it and provide somewhat humorous commentary on the situation. But this shit makes me angry. And it ain’t going away any time soon.

On Tuesday afternoon, protests popped up across the city of Las Vegas.

More than a thousand people gathered to push back on coronavirus-related mandates.

“We can make decisions for ourselves instead of someone making them for us,” said Melissa Brown who participated in the protest.

Many of those in attendance said they are not against people getting the vaccine but rather are just against it being forced onto them.

“We just want to emphasize it’s freedom of choice,” said Raisai Smith.
https://www.ktnv.com/news/more-than-1-000-people-protest-covid-vaccine-mandates-on-las-vegas-strip

Seriously – what could go wrong? Plenty especially gather a thousand unvaccinated people in the middle of downtown Vegas and see what happens. It’s infuriating. And look, fuck these people. I can’t say that enough. Nobody is forcing you to do anything. We’re taking the vaccine and complying with health protocols because it’s the right thing to do! And this isn’t an isolated incident. It’s happening everywhere, these people are fired up and they’re not going away anytime soon.

A vaccination clinic in Georgia was shut down after anti-vaccination protesters harassed health care workers who were administering COVID-19 shots over the weekend, according to Georgia's top health official.

Kathleen Toomey, the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health, said she recently learned some health care workers helping to vaccinate members of the public against the virus have received threats and harassing emails. A mobile vaccination event held last weekend was forced to shutter after protesters aimed threats at the on-site workers, she said.

"This is wrong. This is absolutely wrong," Toomey said. "These people are giving their lives to help others and to help us in the state."

The people of Georgia "can do better," she added.

"We should be thanking these individuals for trying to get life-saving vaccines to our state," Toomey said.
https://www.newsweek.com/anti-vaccination-protesters-georgia-shut-down-vaccine-clinic-harass-health-workers-1624764

Yeah you’re right – the people of Georgia could do better! But as we have seen time and time again in the last four years – these are the people who are proud of being assholes and voted because they wanted to “make the other side cry”. That’s the kind of shithead we’re dealing here. And by the way, anyone else surprised that stabbings are taking place at these events? I mean look what happened in my hometown of LA last week. If you hang with the Proud Boys, you’re gonna get stabbed. It just goes with the territory.

One person was arrested Wednesday in connection with last month’s stabbing at a protest against vaccines outside Los Angeles City Hall, LAPD Chief Michel Moore announced on KTLA.

Officers arrested 30-year-old Eric Cohen of Long Beach in connection with the stabbing that took place on Aug. 14, after a fight broke out during the anti-vaccine demonstration near First and Spring streets, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

He is accused of using a knife or a sharp object to stab the victim once in the upper right chest area, LAPD said.

Cohen was booked on suspicion of attempted murder and is being held on $1 million bail.

Police previously released images of the assailant, now identified as Cohen, when he was being sought in connection with the City Hall attack. The person in the photos, who appeared to be holding a sharp object, was clad in black with his face and head covered with a hoodie and bandana.
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/1-arrested-in-stabbing-at-anti-vaccine-protest-outside-l-a-city-hall/

Yes shit! These people are fucking insane. And if you think this is strictly an American problem, I am here to tell you – you are wrong. When you have these assholes crashing school board meetings and protesting health restrictions, they are everywhere! And as I said don’t expect them to go away any time soon. The anti-vaccine movement runs deep and we’re looking at people playing with a ticking time bomb biological weapon here. It’s gonna get ugly before this is over.

Throngs of angry protesters, hurling epithets and denouncing coronavirus vaccines and lockdown measures, are becoming a fixture at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s election campaign stops.

In London, Ontario on Monday, gravel was thrown at Trudeau from a crowd of demonstrators, many of whom held signs for the far-right People’s Party of Canada (PPC) as he was getting back onto his campaign bus.

It was the latest rally of what Trudeau has dubbed “anti-vaxxer mobs” to interrupt the Liberal Party leader’s campaign events ahead of the September 20 vote.

Barbara Perry, a professor at Ontario Tech University and director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism, said anger at Trudeau – who last month triggered the snap election two years ahead of schedule – has been building for years among right-wing groups in Canada.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/8/what-next-experts-in-canada-alarmed-by-anti-trudeau-protests

[font size="8"]Afghanistan: Trump V Biden
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Look… the situation in Afghanistan was a clusterfuck, but it’s exactly what military experts predicted it would be. Of course your average armchair military “expert” who’s never served a day in his or her life wouldn’t even know that. And speaking of armchair military experts, is anyone else sick and tired of hearing about what Former Guy would have done? He can go on Hannity and brag all he wants about the things he “could have” done, but nobody gives a shit! We voted you out of office because we were tired of hearing about what you would have / could have / should have done! So fuck off. We have a president who is actually doing something about the situation. And what I don’t want to hear is the would/could/should bullshit coming from the Former Guy. Yeah you would have done this, but guess what? You didn’t. Shut up.

Former President Donald Trump has claimed that the U.S. is "being set up" by the Taliban, days after the Islamic organization took control of Kabul, and effectively gained control of Afghanistan.

Trump made the comments during a Tuesday night interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, where he was asked about the ongoing situation in Afghanistan that has seen hundreds of Afghans trying to flee the country by climbing onto military planes after the Taliban took control.

Hannity asked Trump about his dealings with Taliban leaders and the Afghan government as he had prepared to withdraw U.S. military troops from the region during his time in charge.

The troops were officially ordered out of the area by Biden in April and the Taliban took control of the country just a few weeks before they were scheduled to leave on September 11.
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-taliban-sean-hannity-afghanistan-withdrawal-joe-biden-1620470

Yeah shut the hell up please! The adults are in charge now, let them be in charge! If you want to go play armchair general, there’s plenty of places where you can live out your fantasy online! Don’t be surprised when the computer simulation fails you too, Donny. And come on, speaking of embarrassments, he’s one to talk! His entire administration was an embarrassment from day one and 8 months afterward we’re still dealing with his bullshit!

Donald Trump is making his views known on President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.

In an interview with Sean Hannity on his Fox News show Tuesday night, the former president called Biden’s handling of the situation “the greatest embarrassment in the history of our country.”

Just two weeks before the U.S. was planning to complete its withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban took over the Western-backed government and have seized power in the country. The fall of the country prompted Afghans to rush to the Kabul airport in hopes of fleeing. During his interview, Trump blamed Biden for not getting American soldiers and civilians out of the country in time.

“Biden put us in this position. He should have gotten the civilians out first,” Trump said. “Then he should have taken the military equipment, because we have billions of dollars a brand-new beautiful equipment. Take the equipment out, and then take the soldiers out.”
https://variety.com/2021/politics/news/donald-trump-sean-hannity-afghanistan-1235043410/

Unfortunately no. And you are aware we put safety measures in place to keep unauthorized people from using that equipment, right, Donny? But then again Donny never reads the memo, does he? I mean seriously, dude, do you even know what a setup is? Me personally I think I’ve seen enough true crime and murder mystery shows to know what a setup is. But come on Trump, you can attempt to erase history all you want, but we’re in the age of the internet, and there are no take backs!

As you’ve no doubt heard by now, the Biden administration’s decision to leave Afghanistan has become an unmitigated disaster thanks to the shocking speed with which the Taliban have taken control of the country. Obviously the situation isn’t solely the fault of Joe Biden; rather, it’s a 20-year scene in the making, started by a guy who would prefer to be associated with his painting career than with the deaths of thousands of Americans and two unending wars. As my colleague Eric Lutz noted earlier, though, it is the case that “what is happening in Afghanistan is precisely what Biden said, in no uncertain terms, would not happen,” from his insistence that the Afghan government would be able to hold the line against the Taliban to his claim that under no circumstances would we see “people being lifted off the roof of an embassy of the United States from Afghanistan,” which was almost exactly the case. Most heartbreaking, the administration had sworn it would protect Afghan nationals and other partners on the ground, but many have been left in a terrifying state of limbo.

Still, Biden’s three presidential predecessors aren’t exactly in a position to criticize. Of course, understanding why they should keep their thoughts on the matter to themselves at this time requires self-awareness—something Donald Trump was born without, hence his absurd call over the weekend for Biden to resign:

Weirdly, Trump did not note in his statement that less than two months ago, he was bragging about how he started the Afghanistan-withdrawal process and claiming the Biden administration was powerless to stop it.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/08/donald-trump-joe-biden-afghanistan

Thank you Arnold! But can we seriously stop with Trump’s “statements” on what he would have done in Afghanistan? And his statements make no fucking sense no matter which way you look at it. And we’ve seriously spent almost 5 years trying to decipher his bullshit. But you know what? It can’t be done! No matter how hard you try! I don’t speak stupid and don’t even make a point to try so it can be really tough to try. Seriously, his plan makes no sense.

Former President Donald Trump has released another statement on President Biden's Afghanistan withdrawal, this time focusing on the U.S. military equipment that was left behind and likely wound up in the hands of the Taliban.

The Biden administration should demand the Taliban immediately return the equipment, Trump argued, but if they refuse he proposed either using "unequivocal military force" to retrieve it or at least bombing "the hell out of it."

It's not uncommon for Trump to criticize his successor, but The Washington Post's Dave Weigel believes the latest statement is more notable than some others because it appears to represent a tonal shift for the potential 2024 presidential candidate, who has advocated for ending the war in Afghanistan and touted his administration's deal with the Taliban. The Daily Beast's Asawin Suebsaeng, meanwhile, said it reminds him of Trump's rhetoric about during the 2016 campaign when he simulatenously called for leaving Iraq and going in to "take the oil." The statement, Suebsaeng said, also "helps explain some of [the] GOP incongruence" on Afghanistan.
https://theweek.com/news/1004650/alan-dershowitz-declares-the-larry-davids-of-the-world-may-cost-the-democrats-the-next

[font size="8"]Latest Capitol Riot News
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We’ve been saying for the last few editions of the Top 10 that the Capitol Riot is the gift that keeps on giving. Yes, the events of that day were extremely horrible and it’s hard to think of just how close we came to losing democracy. But watching the cavalcade of the MAGA community getting arrested and Trump’s world come crashing down on him has been well, priceless. My personal favorite story as of lately involves Jacob Chansley, the guy who is known as the “Q Anon Shaman”. Remember that douchebag? Yeah we’ve covered him extensively here so there is no need to link to past Top 10 lists for that. But guess what? He’s tired of being known as the “Q Anon Shaman” and has pled guilty to his involvement in the riots. But have you heard this conspiracy? It goes all the way to the (now former) president! Yes, that guy!

The Q-Anon Shaman, Jacob Chansley, admitted he was among those who took part in the January 6 insurrection and now faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.

Chansley, who was seen shirtless, in face paint and wearing a horned fur hat that day, pleaded guilty to obstructing a proceeding before Congress. In court Friday, his attorney, Albert Watkins, said Chansley “has repudiated the Q.”

Court documents show the day after the attack Chansley called the FBI and confirmed he was involved. He told investigators he made the trip to Washington from Arizona at the request of former President Donald Trump.

“When Trump did not pardon him, he simply said that he was disappointed,” Watkins said.

The attorney wants Chansley to be released from jail while he is awaiting sentencing. Watkins said Chansley suffers from mental health issues and has helped authorities by providing photos and videos that authorities couldn’t otherwise get.
https://www.news10.com/news/q-anon-shaman-admits-role-in-jan-6-insurrection/

Come on dude did you really think that Trump would pardon you before you decided that you were going to murder Congress people and possibly the vice president? Did you? That’s a kind of stupid I can’t even possibly imagine. But here’s a new angle on the riots that I had not heard before – apparently Pence’s office got flooded with e-mails asking for Trump to be removed from office after the riots! Of course Pence hears ya, Pence don’t care!

Members of the public pushed members of former President Donald Trump's cabinet to remove him from office in the wake of the Capitol riot, according to emails that were recently released.

Trump faced harsh scrutiny from both Democrats and Republicans after the January 6 insurrection for encouraging the behavior by pushing the message that the election was stolen from him. The House of Representatives passed a resolution urging former Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment, which would remove Trump from office and make him the interim president until President Joe Biden's inauguration.

It wasn't just members of Congress that urged the cabinet to take drastic action against Trump. A recent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request uncovered emails showing citizens also made the request. NBC's Scott MacFarlane posted two of the emails on Twitter, which were addressed to Pence, as well as former Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette and Trump's cabinet in general.

"President Trump has spent months inciting these events through his anti-democratic rhetoric and actions," one email said. "This is not the time for small steps or half-actions. It's time for patriots to step up and defend the Constitution and the rule of law."
https://www.newsweek.com/americans-emailed-pence-officials-asking-remove-trump-office-after-capitol-riot-1626418

Yeah Pence hears ya, Pence don’t care. But guess what? They’re planning a rally September 18th at the Capitol in support of… political prisoners! Really? These people who assaulted journalists and attempted to murder Capitol Police and threatened to hang the vice president are “political prisoners”? No. they’re just your regular run of the mill crooks. And if you ask me they’re getting off light. At least the FBI is taking this latest threat seriously!

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe said Monday evening that law enforcement needs to take the upcoming right-wing rally in support of jailed January 6 rioters "very seriously" as concerns mount about more potential violence on Capitol Hill.

"I think they should take it very seriously. In fact, they should take it more seriously than they took the same sort of intelligence that they likely saw on January 5," McCabe, a CNN contributor, told CNN's Poppy Harlow on "Erin Burnett OutFront."

Law enforcement members in Washington are steeling themselves against possible unrest at the "Justice for J6" rally -- planned for September 18 -- which aims to support the insurrectionists charged in the riot.

The event, organized by a former Trump campaign staffer, has prompted security concerns on Capitol Hill, and some precautionary measures will be in place. However, it's unclear how many protesters plan to attend. The rally is also taking place on a Saturday, when the House will be on recess, so far fewer lawmakers or staff will be around.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/06/politics/september-18-rally-dc-andrew-mccabe-cnntv/index.html

Oh and if that’s not enough, the Capitol Rioters are taking their fight international! That’s right – the American right is taking their fight to… Brazil. I mean come on they already have a right wing troll as their president, Jair Bolsonaro. Come on, the Brazilian right is imitating the American right so hard that they already have their own version of CPAC. I shit you not, we’re covering that next week. But don’t think for a minute that Bolsonaro has learned from Trump, because he has. And it’s getting scary.

Brazil's far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, is backing a coup in his country apparently modeled on the January 6 storming of the US Capitol, a group of former world leaders have warned.

Bolsonaro supporters have carried out a number of protests against Brazil's s congress and supreme court in recent weeks, and are planning fresh new ones across the country on Tuesday.

Bolsonaro has long criticized Brazil's constitution, saying it is "communist" and that it limits presidents' powers. More recently, he has attacked the Supreme Court after it greenlit an investigation into his unsubstantiated claim that Brazil's electronic voting system is vulnerable to fraud.

The claim came as the country prepares for general elections in October 2022, where he is up for reelection. Critics already fear Bolsonaro will use all means possible to hang onto power should he lose.
https://www.businessinsider.com/brazil-bolsonaro-backing-capitol-riot-inspired-coup-former-leaders-warn-2021-9

[font size="8"]Holy Shit:
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Just one month away! Don’t forget: Sunday at 4:00 PM pacific time / 1:00 PM eastern time!

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

My fair congregation! You know I’ve mentioned in my last several sermons about the forthcoming Holy War between supporters of good and supporters of evil. And by evil, I mean the supporters of the unholy, ungodly Dark One! Yes, that individual – a man so disgusting, evil, and grotesque that his name DARE NOT be spoken in my church! Now that we got that out of the way, his supporters are getting violent and more dangerous. They think that the fight for culture is literally a war for the very SOUL of this great nation of ours! But you should know, my congregation, what your local religious right is up to because they’re getting scary. And if your religious friends start spewing this stuff in public, you should know where they got their propaganda from!

Radical religious-right activist Dave Daubenmire has teamed up with anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Sherri Tenpenny to launch a new organization called The Christian Revolution that is designed to be a funding mechanism to support right-wing activists and causes around the country.

On Tuesday’s episode of his “Pass The Salt Live” program, Daubenmire said he intends to “badger” corporations into donating millions of dollars to his organization by accusing them of having an anti-Christian bias, boldly declaring that he expects to raise $100 million in the first month alone.

“This isn’t some fly-by-night, flimsy little thing we’re doing,” Daubenmire said. “This is big. And one of the directions we’re going to go as well is we’re gonna find out everybody that gave money to [Black Lives Matters]. Every major business donor that gave money to BLM, we’re going to go ask them about their office of diversity: ‘Aren’t Christians diverse? You’re giving money to BLM; are you giving any money to any Christian causes? Are you guys anti-Christ? Aren’t Christians part of the diversity plan and the diversity movement?'”

“We’re going to badger those folks into funding our war,” he added. “That’s our plan. We’re going to put this money in the hands of warriors. And I’m believing that 30 days from today, we’re going to have $100 million. The left will never know what hit him.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/dave-daubenmires-100-million-plan-to-fund-his-right-wing-culture-war/

You think? Well here’s the difference – these people think they are JAYSUS and are doing the LAWRD’s work here! Now let’s examine the language being used here. They keep using the words “war” and “warrior” a lot. Does that imply that we’re fighting a war? No that’s because a war is when two armies are fighting! It’s kind of sad when one side keeps playing the same message over and over and the other side does what they can to fight that nonsense. It’s pure madness!

Josh Bernstein wants to literally starve Democratic voters.

Inspired by truck drivers who vowed to shut down major highways in Australia in protest over that nation’s COVID-19 public health restrictions, the radical American right-wing commentator is urging truck drivers in the United States to refuse to deliver food and water to “anywhere where there are tons of registered Democrats” in an effort to literally starve those who voted for President Joe Biden until the entire Biden administration resigns.

“I think that we should have a permanent ban on delivering goods and services into big, blue dominant liberal cities in America,” Bernstein said in a video from his eponymous show posted to Rumble Tuesday. “I think that the truckers should boycott big blue cities in California, New York and Chicago and Houston, and everywhere else—Detroit—anywhere where there are tons of registered Democrats. I would do it, honestly, by ZIP code. So, in other words, I’m sure these groups that are forming can get ahold of voter registrations in some of these big cities and cities that are dominated with Democrats. We need to squeeze them dry.”

“You get nothing,” Bernstein added. “You get nothing delivered. You get no food. You get no shelter. You can get no water. You get no supplies. You get nothing until this illegal administration, this treasonous dictatorship, steps down. And I’m not talking just the dementia pedophile, either. I’m talking all of them step down because they’re not supposed to be there in the first place because they stole their power. They did not earn their power. People did not vote for these scumbags, and therefore they are illegitimate.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/you-get-nothing-josh-bernstein-calls-for-democratic-voters-to-be-starved-until-biden-resigns/

Hooooooooooooooooooooooooly shit! That is seriously scary what Brother Josh is alluding to! Because he’s not fucking around here. These are not the words of a compassionate Christian preacher, these are the words of a genocidal maniac. That’s right – you get nothing, you lose, good day sir! As if their words are getting worse, as if that’s not enough in this corner – there’s Jack Hibbs, and wait until you hear what a good compassionate conservative he is!

California-based right-wing pastor Jack Hibbs kicked off his sermon Sunday by railing against President Joe Biden’s handling of the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan and demanding that Biden be court-martialed and removed from office.

“God’s wrath is upon America,” Hibbs declared. “It took us 20 years of blood, trillions of dollars in treasure; it took us 20 years to lose the war on terror. This week, the United States suffered its worst military defeat in its history.”

“Do not call for the impeachment of Joe Biden,” he continued. “That’s not appropriate. It’s inappropriate. The number one military officer in the United States of America is the commander in chief. Did you know that? The number one soldier, the number one airman, the number one presider over the U.S. military, the number one government-issued leader of the U.S. military is the president of the United States. When a commander conducts orders that are irresponsible and leads to death or jeopardizes national security, that military person faces court-martial. Joe Biden needs to be facing court-martial. He needs to be tried for his actions! People are dead, and he needs to pay for it. It is a crime what he’s committing. Joe Biden has committed a crime, and in military law, he’s to be removed from office.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/jack-hibbs-says-biden-needs-to-be-facing-court-martial-and-removed-from-office/

Wow, that is insane! The rhetoric coming from the right and far right churches is just getting worse and worse. And that’s not what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now is it? JAYSUS would want us to respect our fellow man. But some of us on the other side don’t do that. They would rather throw all of their weight behind one of the most disgusting, unholy, ungodly people to ever exist. The man is… what one might call “pure evil”.

Right-wing pastor Hank Kunneman has been one of the most obstinate of the self-proclaimed “prophets” who repeatedly guaranteed that former President Donald Trump would win reelection in 2020. For nearly a year, Kunneman has petulantly refused to apologize for his false prophesy, instead promising that God will reward those who stand with him while attacking those who have dared to criticize him.

Despite the fact that President Joe Biden has been in the White House for more than eight months now, Kunneman continues to insist that his prophecies regarding Trump’s victory were accurate. Appearing on the Elijah Streams YouTube channel Tuesday, Kunneman insisted that anyone who questions the accuracy of his prophesies or his standing as a prophet is insulting God and warned that God is testing people “to see really who is on the Lord’s side right now.”

“We’ve got four months that’s going to finish up this year, [and] God has a certain thing that he is poised to do, and he is doing. So don’t give up,” Kunneman said. “Don’t think that the year is coming to a close and we aren’t going to see the hand of God. No, it’s going to continue, and it’s going to be revealed in 2022.”

Kunneman claimed that on Aug. 16, 2020, “God prophesied through this vessel here that they would steal the election.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/hank-kunneman-says-that-questioning-his-false-election-prophesies-is-grievous-to-god/

But as long as they are selling out for the Dark One, they have no shame and will never feel bad about themselves. These people are vile and vicious and it’s going to get worse. Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]This Fucking Guy: Tito Ortiz

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This week’s This Fucking Guy is Tito Ortiz. If you follow the UFC at all, you know that he used to be one of their top fighters selling out arenas. Now he’s selling out for Q Anon. As the Trump loving former mayor pro temp of Huntington Beach, California. As we say here in California, Huntington Beach is the Myrtle Beach of Daytona Beaches. Lots of racist white people inhabiting the sands. In case you’re wondering what his credentials are – he basically says what the MAGA crowd wants to hear, which is the only requirement to get anywhere in that party. Oh and he’s also been featured on PPV. I guess maybe too many blows to the head are why he’s in the Former Guy party? But he made the news because he’s clearly a product of social media brainwashing. Like really, tell me you’re in a deranged cult without telling me that you’re in a deranged cult.

Tito Ortiz, the former Ultimate Fighting Championship pioneer who recently resigned from his position as Mayor Pro Tem of Huntington Beach, California, after a series of scandals, remains a lightning rod of controversy.

During an August 15 interview with former heavyweight boxer David “Nino” Rodriguez, Ortiz encouraged listeners to rebel against COVID-19 regulations and preventative measures such as mask mandates, which he compared to the Holocaust in Nazi Germany.

“Don’t wear a mask if you don’t want to wear a mask,” Ortiz said during the interview, which was viewed more than 55,000 times on YouTube. “A mandate is a strong suggestion. It is not a law. Make them take you to jail. Stand up, and fight for your freedoms because this is all we have left. It scares me that people are willing to comply…that’s what the Jews did, and they got killed, man. It’s so scary. History is repeating itself right now, and people don’t see it because they think it is not going to happen here. It is happening, folks.

This is not the first time that Ortiz has relied on the Holocaust to argue against COVID-19 public health measures. In March 2021, Ortiz posted two anti-semitic images on his personal Instagram account while trying to argue against mask mandates. The first was a split image: the top half featured German soldiers giving Nazi salutes, while the bottom half showed two individuals wearing PPE masks along with the caption, “How could they all just comply? We would never do that. They must have been brainwashed.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/former-huntington-beach-mayor-pro-tem-tito-ortiz-likens-mask-mandates-to-the-holocaust/

Seriously is it my imagination or does the alt right use more Nazi imagery and Hitler comparisons than the fucking History Channel does? Yeah I’m not saying it’s the Nazis…. But it’s the Nazis. However Mr. Ortiz was more than just a crazy person who keeps spewing MAGA talking points. In fact he’s part of a plot by right wingers to use UFC fighters to convert Latino voters. There’s also this fucking guy Beneil Darisuh – another MMA fighter who is using his platform to promote dangerous conspiracy theories!

Beneil Darisuh—a long-time mixed martial artist with the Ultimate Fighting Championship—feels compelled to warn you about the dangers of communism.

Speaking to conservative talk show host and right-wing operative Candace Owens last week, the Iranian-born fighter discussed his perspective on communism and Marxism, which he admits is shaped by the experiences of his Vietnamese wife whose parents fled their homeland to escape the country’s communist government.

“The government, once it takes power, nobody takes that away,” Dariush told Owens during the interview. “If it’s gained freely, it will be taken back in blood. That’s the only way to get away from communism, Marxism. You can see it in history.”

Dariush went on to criticize mainstream media and its alleged defense of communism, which he claims is achieved through deliberately ambiguous language, “The issue is, it’s the way they play with words. You say ‘communism,’ and they say ‘Well, we’re not really talking about communism, we’re talking about socialism.’ You say ‘socialism,’ and they say ‘Well it’s not that kind of socialism, it’s this,’” Dariush explained.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/caged-politics-how-right-wing-media-utilizes-the-ufc-to-fuel-political-division/

But that said, the city of Huntington Beach in the last four years – and particularly the last two – has earned a bit of a reputation. It’s the home of the west coast KKK and has attracted lots of right wing rallies to their streets. In fact the current mayor accused Mr. Ortiz of playing to right wing white supremacists in a virtual town hall meeting back in April. So is Huntington Beach the Myrtle Beach of California? Oh you bet your ass it is!

Huntington Beach City Council hosted a meeting Monday evening to further discuss the pamphlets, which eventually led to a vote in favor of denouncing the KKK and condemning hate crimes against minorities. However, during the open-session meeting, several residents taking part in the virtual meeting accused Mayor Pro Tem Tito Ortiz of empowering white supremacists.

“You have your time to shine; talk to your people and tell them not to come to our city,” one caller told Ortiz. “You are empowering these people, and it’s fucking disgusting.”

Ortiz—the former UFC champion turned MAGA politician—has been a lightning rod for controversy since being elected to city council last November. He routinely used his platform to spread dangerous conspiracy theories related to the far-right QAnon movement as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, which he routinely referred to as a “plandemic.” He publicly chastised a popular burger franchise after being denied service for not wearing a mask, and he was barred from attending a city council meeting at the Huntington Beach library for the same reason. His antics led to vote of no-confidence from his fellow council members, which was eventually shelved when Ortiz apologized for his behavior.

The former UFC champion is also a fierce Trump loyalist and used his platform to amplify the former president, associate with far-right groups, and propagate dangerous conspiracy theories such as QAnon, all while campaigning with the Trumpian slogan of “Making Huntington Beach Safe Again.” Ortiz even attempted to sell QAnon shirts on his clothing website during his campaign. (Author Note: Read Right Wing Watch’s longform reporting on Ortiz here.) Despite his controversial track record and limited political experience, Ortiz was elected to city council with 14.3 percent of the vote, finishing first among 15 candidates.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/kkk-flyers-found-in-huntington-beach-ahead-of-white-lives-matter-rally/

Oh people stop your rabbling! But here’s where it gets weird, and you knew that it was going to! And this is part of an emerging trend with MAGA politicians is that they are fucking clueless. Just look at Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene. The thing is if you see a MAGA / Q Anon far right person like Tito Ortiz, don’t hesitate for a second to vote for the next person on the ballot. Because they are so terrible that they’ll likely quit or resign because everyone hates them. That’s the life of a MAGA politician!

Tito Ortiz—the former UFC champion turned MAGA politician—has resigned from his position as Huntington Beach mayor pro tem and city council member, stating “character assassinations” by the media prompted his decision.

The former mixed martial arts fighter announced his resignation Tuesday night during the first in-person city council meeting of the year.

“This job isn’t working for me,” Ortiz said during in-person meeting, according to the Orange County Register.

Ortiz revealed that he made the decision to leave office on behalf of his family. His two sons recently made national news when they were sent home from school after arriving without face masks, which are mandatory for all students and teachers in California. Ortiz had encouraged one of his sons to take off his mask “anytime you possibly can.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/ufc-pioneer-turned-qanon-adherent-tito-ortiz-resigns-as-huntington-beach-mayor-pro-tem-citing-media-attacks/

So yeah tell that to Mr. Ortiz – he may be a MAGA favorite but he’s so insane that it took two recall votes against him before he finally resigned. That’s Tito Ortiz – this week’s:

[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Welcome back to the segment that attempts to take a crack at explaining the unexplainable – Conspiracy Corner! Hello everyone we are coming at 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. Ah there we go! You know when it comes to following all things Q Anon, you know that we haven’t followed enough. Because things are getting weirder and nuttier with that crew. So much that their own convention got booted from Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Gee, you think maybe being associated with treason weasels would be really bad for business? I thought so too!

One of Nevada’s largest and most iconic hotel-casino companies is now associated with QAnon, the far-right movement associated with the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and a group that the FBI has for years considered a domestic terrorism threat. High-profile luminaries of the fringe conspiracy faction are appearing at a conference at a convention center owned by Caesars Entertainment in late October.

The Patriot Voice, the QAnon event organizer that previously hosted the “Patriot Roundup” in Dallas over Memorial Day Weekend, is hosting a three-day “Patriot Double Down” event at the Caesars Forum convention space near the Las Vegas Strip, with special rates for attendees at hotels owned by Caesars Entertainment.

“Caesars Entertainment provides event and convention space for a wide range of industries and organizations,” said a company spokesperson via email. “Events taking place in our facilities are not indicative of the company’s views, nor are they an endorsement of any group or organization. We require all of our guests to comply with local laws and mandates, including the current indoor mask mandate.”

On the “Patriot Double Down” event website, a slick promotional video plays on loop, cleverly blending power music befitting a WWE wrestler’s entrance theme with Las Vegas and QAnon symbols: a pair of dice emblazoned with the words “God wins;” a playing card featuring the QAnon rallying cry, “Where we go one, we go all;” a poker chip with the skull logo from “The Punisher” comic book character, which QAnon uses as a recruitment tool; and a brief shot of Caesars Palace hotel with the brand’s iconic logo — a profile of the Roman general framed by palm fronds — replaced with a golden “Q.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2021/08/20/caesars-entertainment-qanon-las-vegas/?sh=8dbbf6a10722

Oh come on, even President Camacho had more integrity than these dolts do! But here’s the thing – convention or no convention, Q is an addiction and it’s not one that you want to find your friends or relatives engaging in. Just like if someone is addicted to opioids or meth, being addicted to Q can have complications that can wreak havoc on your social lives and possibly your work or career choices. And chances are that people involved in Q are also up to other really shady activity. So once again chose your friends and enemies wisely.

A few years ago, QAnon had an obscure internet following organized around a baseless conspiracy theory. It has now become ubiquitous, with regular and disturbing news stories reminding us of its reach.

Last week, we learned of a QAnon-related data leak of Colorado voting machine logins. The week before, people around the country struggled to comprehend a gruesome homicide allegedly committed by a QAnon-following father who, according to authorities, told the FBI he killed his two small children because he believed they’d inherited from their mother lizard DNA that would turn them into monsters. Last spring, a mother admitted to killing her three children, saying she wanted to protect them from becoming victims of a sadistic cabal of pedophiles whose existence is widely believed among QAnon adherents.

Why would such outlandish conspiracy theories hold sway over these parents and others around the country? One way to comprehend the incomprehensible is to recognize the parallels between QAnon and addictive drugs like opioids — which are also manipulated by malicious actors to trap vulnerable people in increasingly unhealthy spirals that ultimately result in the destruction of families and even death. Recognizing these similarities is helpful in both accurately diagnosing the QAnon phenomenon and trying to treat it.
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/why-qanon-followers-are-opioid-addicts-why-matters-ncna1277323

But in the increasing filing cabinet known as the “where are they now” file, the Q Nuts are getting crazier and crazier especially because their predictions about Trump’s reinstatement simply are not coming true. I mean how much longer are they going to keep peddling *THAT* lie? But our old buddy Mike Lindell is certainly up to his old tricks and we can expect to see more of him even as his funds are very slowly dwindling!

For months, August 13 had been pushed as the date for Trump’s return to power, though it doesn’t seem there was much of a basis for why this specific date was predicted.

Some Trump followers who falsely claim widespread fraud robbed him of a win in the 2020 presidential election had hoped the GOP-pushed Arizona election audit would uncover proof of fraud, but the audit is running months behind schedule and cannot alter the long-certified election results.

According to Maggie Haberman of the New York Times, Trump himself was saying earlier this year that he believed he’d be reinstated to office by August, though his daughter-in-law and campaign surrogate Lara Trump said Trump’s team didn’t actually believe he’d return to the White House this year.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, a noted conspiracy theorist regarding the 2020 election results, has also floated August 13 as the reinstatement date for Trump and several GOP senators who lost in 2020, while far-right attorney Sidney Powell has also claimed Trump “can simply be reinstated,” even though there’s no legal authority for that to happen.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2021/08/13/qanon-marked-friday-as-trump-reinstatement-day-here-are-other-flop-predictions-of-trumps-return/?sh=61d37c1d2a77

So if you can be addicted to Q Anon, can you be deprogrammed from it? That’s the billion dollar question on the table. Because Q Anon theories are tearing organizations, schools, businesses, and families apart. It’s entirely possible to deprogram someone from being in a cult. But this one is trickier since there’s no central organization involved. And when one spends too much time on social media, well, their mind is already warped.

A sizeable number of students returning to school need to be "detoxed" from QAnon-inspired lies they soaked in -- often from their parents -- while away from class because of the pandemic, CNBC reports.

"Teachers across the country face a vexing and evolving challenge as the new school year begins and students return to the classroom following a roughly 18-month hiatus from normal in-person learning," the report says. "Since the last time full classrooms congregated, a whole industry of misinformation has exploded online, spreading conspiracy theories on everything from the alleged steal of the presidential election, which Joe Biden won, to the prevalence of microchips in Covid-19 vaccines."

Citing studies showing that 15% of Americans believe QAnon conspiracies and 22% self-identify as anti-vaxxers, the CNBC piece describes the special challenges posed to educators "by the combination of misinformation on social media and a growing population of duped and radicalized parents."

Here's more from the CNBC story:

"It's bad enough that kids are exposed to dangerous untruths across their favorite social media apps like Facebook, YouTubeand TikTok. An equally large problem is that, while stuck at home during the pandemic, many students had their days of virtual schooling interrupted by screaming parents, who themselves had fallen deep into the internet's darkest rabbit holes."
https://www.salon.com/2021/09/06/teachers-struggle-to-deprogram-kids-from-qanon-and-anti-vax-beliefs-after-parents-radicalize_partner/

[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! Now before we begin this week, I want to talk about what defines a “People Are Dumb” story. So let’s make this clear – a guy getting arrested for a drug possession charge doesn’t qualify you for People Are Dumb. Now if he were to get arrested because he called 911 for someone stealing his crack pipe, that’s a story worthy of People Are Dumb! Someone who gets in a car accident in the McDonalds parking lot, not a People Are Dumb story. On the other hand, someone who destroys the entire restaurant because they ran out of chicken nuggets? Now that’s a People Are Dumb story! I want to start with this story out of Yakima , Washington. Look… here’s the thing if you’re out camping and you need your car fixed, maybe don’t do what this guy did, because you’re gonna have a bad time!

Emergency crews responded Tuesday to an SUV that drivers spotted submerged in the Yakima River, but the driver claims he did it intentionally, according to the Yakima County Sheriff's Office.

At about 11 a.m., callers said they saw the blue Chevrolet Suburban in the water of the Yakima River.

Sheriffs deputies responded and found the vehicle in the water and the owner nearby.

According to police, the owner of the vehicle told them he had replaced the thermostat in the vehicle and needed to fill the radiator with water.

Deputies say the driver told them he intentionally drove the SUV into the water so that he could get water into the radiator.

The vehicle was towed out of the river..
https://foxkansas.com/news/offbeat/man-sinks-suv-in-river-to-fill-up-radiator-with-water

Yup and this dude definitely French fried when he should have pizza’d. Next up – you know we don’t usually talk much about death on this segment. We generally, you know, want people to survive their stupidity. Of course there’s an entire awards program for that, you may have heard of them as the “Darwin Awards”. But this one might be a certified award winner and we go to India for this story. Look no one wants to get pregnant but this guy might have literally “sealed the deal”. See what I did there?

Police say a man may have died after using a high-powered epoxy resin to seal his private parts during intercourse to ensure protection from pregnancy.

A local police investigator reportedly said that 25-year-old Salman Mirza decided to use the epoxy instead of a condom and it may have complicated his health condition.

He was found unconscious a day after entering a hotel with his ex-fiancee. He was hospitalized but died.

Police officers told the Times of India that the pair had taken some drugs and then decided to have sex.

"Since they did not have any protection, they decided to apply the adhesive on his private parts to ensure that she does not get pregnant," the paper reported.
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/man-dies-after-having-sex-using-epoxy-adhesive-instead-of-a-condom

Next up – of course we have some Florida stories for you! Florida – or as Homer Simpson famously referred to it as “America’s Wang” always brings some top quality crazy stories every single week. This week there’s no exception. And what is it with the town of Clearwater? Is someone putting something in the water supply there? We must have at least 2 – 3 stories a week coming from Clearwater. Dating is always fun and games until there’s a high speed pursuit involved!

Florida man arrested for leading police on a high-speed chase has explained the chase as an attempt to impress his passenger during a first date.

Clearwater Police Department officers arrested 22-year-old motorcyclist Taylor William Beverly on Saturday night after he ran a red light and sped away as police tried to pull him over. Beverly, riding a white motorcycle, allegedly made eye contact with police before beginning the chase. Following his arrest, Beverly told officers that he had been trying to "show off" during a first date with the woman who was riding as a passenger on the back of his motorcycle.

Police temporarily broke off the chase while Beverly darted through traffic, running multiple additional red lights and traveling "at well over 100 [miles per hour]." They were able to apprehend him at an intersection minutes later. Court records indicate that Beverly also refused to slow down as his date was "screaming at him to stop." ........(more)

https://www.newsweek.com/florida-man-says-he-tried-show-off-first-date-high-speed-police-chase-1624785

Next up – sticking in the Sunshine State, who doesn’t want to have some fun with a go kart? I mean come on go karts are more fun than actual driving is sometimes. Even Randal from Clerks knew that driving a go kart was a great escape from reality. But even if you do go joy riding in a go kart, there’s something things that you probably shouldn’t bring with you – drugs and guns. That’s right – all things are bad if drugs and guns are found, even go karts!

A man riding a go-kart on the streets of a Florida city was busted in his tiny ride with a gun and a big bag of cocaine, deputies said.

Miguel Angel Sanchez, 21, was spotted illegally driving a go-kart in Fort Pierce late Monday by a deputy, setting off a brief chase, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.

“When the deputies tried to stop Mr. Sanchez, the game was on,” department officials said in a playful statement invoking Nintendo’s classic Mario Kart video game series. “Sanchez threw a backpack from his racer, bent a few corners and then ditched the cart, running away on foot.”

Deputies soon cornered Sanchez and took him into custody. A police K-9 then discovered a handgun near his abandoned ride, as well as a backpack he tossed away that had more than 15 grams of cocaine inside, department officials said. .............(more)

https://nypost.com/2021/08/18/man-busted-with-cocaine-gun-while-riding-go-kart-in-florida/

Yeah that’s how you should be driving a go kart! Finally this week – once again sticking with the Sunshine State, have you ever seen an unusual parking job and thought that this driver should be forced to retake driver’s training? Well yeah there is that but with the added bonus of a DUI involved! That’s right! What? Come on it is Florida and in the Sunshine State all crazy things happen and I’m surprised this doesn’t happen more often!

We’ve seen some bad parking jobs in Miami in our day, but this latest one in Florida may top them all.

On the Gulf Coast of Florida, a man was arrested after his Lexus RX-350 was spotted dangling over the edge of a pier, the Clearwater Police Department said.

Pictures on the agency’s Facebook post shows the maroon hatchback, the driver door open and its front portion hanging perilously over the edge.

“Officers are conducting a drunken driving investigation this afternoon after the driver of this vehicle found a very unusual parking spot behind Pier House 60 on Coronado Drive,” wrote the department, which made the arrest a few hours later. ............(more)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/very-unusual-parking-spot-man-155845558.html

That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Road To Recall: Meet Larry Elder
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Welcome to our new 4 part series detailing the recall election of California governor Gavin Newsom… cue reverb… THE ROAD TO RECALL! Ooh that was some good reverb there! Yes we’re taking a short break from our exploration of the MAGA cult and what they’re up to in Red State Diaries. People, we cannot stress enough how important it is if you’re living in the Golden State to vote and get out the vote. Because the people who are trying to win this election are people who you wouldn’t trust to run a 7-11. And they could do some serious damage to our state if they win on Sept. 14th. But here’s where you really need to vote. The guy who could be California’s next governor is Larry Elder. Yes, that Larry Elder, the right wing Rush Limbaugh wannabe who once called himself the “King Of South Central”. You really want that guy in charge? Where does he stand?

Larry Elder, the leading GOP candidate vying to replace California Gov. Gavin Newsom, said he doesn't think it's necessary for young people to get vaccinated against Covid-19 or for children to wear masks at school, and he vowed to repeal any mask or vaccine mandates for California's state workers if he is elected to replace the Democratic governor in the September 14 special election.

"I don't believe the science suggests that young people should be vaccinated. I don't believe the science suggests that young people should have to wear masks at school," Elder told CNN's Joe Johns during a wide-ranging interview Monday afternoon in Los Angeles.

Even though some pediatric ICUs faced a shortage of beds in areas that were hard hit by Covid-19 this summer, he went on to make the misleading assertion that "young people are not likely to contract the coronavirus, and when they do, their symptoms are likely to be mild, and they're not likely to be hospitalized, and certainly not likely to die."

The conservative talk radio host's statements stand in sharp contradiction to the patterns that many doctors and medical officials are warning about as the highly transmissible Delta variant has spread across the country, sickening more young people who are unvaccinated than the earlier phases of the virus last year. At a time when coronavirus infections are surging in children across the United States, the Biden administration has engaged in an intensive campaign to get teens and young adults vaccinated.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/larry-elder-california-recall-contender-makes-misleading-claim-that-young-people-don-t-need-covid-19-vaccines/ar-AANXa0M?li=BB141NW3

Well fucking duh! Of course he’s going to lie and cheat his way through, he’s a MAGA leaning radio host and Rush Limbaugh Lite! Well one of the key hallmarks of the MAGA movement is being a closet self-loather, and Larry has that in strides. Of course if Larry Elder is elected and the MAGAs somehow take over California, things are going to get more racist and harder for minorities. That’s what happens when people vote for these cretins, but they do anyways!

The California recall election’s Republican front-runner, Larry Elder, has built a career as a Black radio talk show host who isn’t afraid to deny the reality of systemic racism by maligning Black people. He likes to call himself “the sage from South-Central.”

The problem is, the statistics he’s shared over the decades to support his views and policy proposals are misleading, if not outright false, casting Black people as unusually crime-prone. In some cases, the bogus data come directly from Jared Taylor, a leading white supremacist Elder has repeatedly cited in his articles and books.

Elder told The Times last week that he plans to “change the rhetoric about how bad the cops are.” Last year, he shared a graphic with so-called facts depicting Black people as murderous, echoing similar claims he’s made on air for decades: “Blacks kill 2x as many whites (500) as whites kill Blacks (250),” and “Blacks, 13% of pop., commit 50% of murders.”

Jeffrey Fagan, a law professor at Columbia University, said of these numbers: “This is an extraordinarily dishonest rendering.” He and other criminal experts say Black people don’t disproportionately victimize whites, nor are they more inclined toward violent crimes.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-08-18/larry-elder-racism-immigration-recall-republican

Yeah no, Larry, you’re not gonna do that. The idea that cops are bad is firmly engrained into American culture. There’s been movies about it, there’s been whole albums about it. There’s been trials. There’s been lots of bad shit said about police. You’re not gong to change anyone’s minds about the police anytime soon. But this might be the single most batshit crazy claim he’s made yet. Just the sheer stupidity is mind boggling!

Elder, 69, sat down with Owens, a conservative talk show host and author, to share views on the current state of race relations and why the Black community “plays the victim card,” as reported by Insider.

During their conversation, Elder and Owens, who are both Black, touched on the topic of reparations, which are commonly advocated for by Black activist groups as a way to mitigate the financial repercussions of slavery by transferring federal funds and other resources to America’s Black communities.

Elder, however, argued that enslaved individuals were legally deemed “property” at the time. He noted that slave owners and their estates are owed compensation for the human property they lost following the end of the Civil War and the passage of the 13th amendment which partially abolished slavery after 1865.

“When people talk about reparations, do they really want to have that conversation? Like it or not, slavery was legal,” Elder said. “Their legal property was taken away from them after the Civil War, so you could make an argument that the people that are owed reparations are not only just Black people but also the people whose ‘property’ was taken away after the end of the Civil War.”

The conversation began when Owens, known for using her platform to spread misinformation, incorrectly stated that the United States was “one of the first countries that banned the slave trade.”

The U.S. was actually one of the last to do so, according to PolitiFact.

More: https://thegrio.com/2021/09/05/larry-elder-candace-owens-reparations/

This is like the chicken arguing in favor of Colonel Sanders! Holy shit! But really elect an abuser like Larry Elder and you’re going to get abused. That’s right – Larry Elder is the subject of a police investigation. I think that might be a built in feature of running MAGA. Because these people are proud assholes and they wear it on their sleeve. Which is why we cannot allow them to get ahold of my state and they’ve been coming for it for years. If they do… the shit is gonna hit the fan.

The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating domestic violence accusations against California Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder -- allegations he has denied.

"The department was made aware of domestic violence accusations against Larry Elder," an LAPD spokesperson told CNN, but they said additional details on the allegations would not be made public "due to the confidential nature of domestic violence investigations."

The police said in a statement to CNN that nothing would be made public until "allegations can be investigated thoroughly and submitted to the district attorney's office for filing consideration."

The accusations stem from an alleged 2015 incident described to CNN by Elder's then-fiancée and former employee Alexandra Datig.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/26/politics/larry-elder-police-investigation-domestic-violence-accusation/index.html

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

[font size="8"]And Now This:[/font]
[font size="8”]Weezer [/font]

Ladies and gentlemen… I promised myself I wouldn’t cry for this, but the moment is finally here! The triumphant return of live music to our program ! My first guest back is one of the all time greats, they just wrapped the Hella Mega Tour, which was awesome! And they decided to stop by our crappy little program. Playing their song “The End Of The Game” from their album “Van Weezer”, give it up for Weezer!

Thank you Santa Ana! We’re actually returning to our old home at Burbank next week! Plus we have live music from the Zappa Band! See you next week!

Credits

Host: Initech
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded At: San Jose Improv, San Jose, CA
Weezer Appear Courtesy Of: Warner Music Group
Images: All images copyright belongs to respective copyright holders.
Videos: All videos copyright belongs to respective copyright holders
Articles: All article content copyright belongs to respective copyright holders
Writing: Top 10 Writing Department
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Research: Top 10 Research Department
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Initech’s Wardrobe Provided By: JAB Inc.
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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

August 26, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots Best Of #19: Delta Variant Labor Day Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots Best Of #19: Delta Variant Labor Day 2021 Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Oh… hello! I know, right? Well we’re tidying things up around here to get ready for our next round of tour dates. And normally we’d have a bigger pool of entries to draw from but I had to take a few weeks because the news was so intense and I needed a long break. But that said, I am so happy to be back on the road and we’ll continue to do so. Of course you must provide full proof of vaccination in order to come to our shows but that’s a small price to pay right now. Oh and I almost forgot – we have not one but two big announcements while you’re indulging us with this Best Of. And before I get to the announcements first things first – we are doing the east coast for our second half of the tour! Sorry southern states but you’ll have to wait a bit. And the second thing is that live music is finally coming back! Yay I am so happy about this. We’re starting on 9/9 with the almighty Weezer, who you can see out on tour as part of the Hella Mega Festival that includes Green Day and Fall Out Boy! We’ve also got a number of exciting guests lined up for the rest of the year and you can check the Top 10 Twitter feed @10Idiots for any and all official announcements. That said, *drum roll*, let’s get to the announcement of our second round of Idiots tour dates, shall we? And here they are!

- 10/7 – Long Beach, CA – Laugh Factory (make-up date from 8/27) (also: Holy Shit: The Sunday Sermons pilot episode taping!)
- 10/14 – Salt Lake City, UT – Zanies Comedy Club
- 10/21 – Seattle Washington – Comedy Underground (Holy Shit: The Sunday Sermons taping)
- 10/28 – Sacramento, CA – Punch Line (Halloween special!)
- 11/4 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Improv (Holy Shit: The Sunday Sermons taping)
- 11/11 – Milwaukee, WI – Milwaukee Improv
- 11/18 – Detroit, MI – Fillmore Theater (Holy Shit: The Sunday Sermons taping)
- 11/25 – Dark (Thanksgiving)
- 12/2 – Boston, MA – Laugh Boston (Holy Shit: The Sunday Sermons taping)
- 12/9 – New York, NY – Grammercy Theater (5th anniversary special!)
- 12/16 – Santa Ana, CA – Constellation Room at Observatory, OC (2021 Year In Review, Season Finale!) (Holy Shit: The Sunday Sermons season finale taping)

And that’s it! As for musical guests be sure to watch the Top 10 for official announcements and we have some great stuff lined up in the coming weeks including bands like Rise Against and Lord Huron! So stay tuned! OK that’s enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to this week. But first Bill Maher is back and he spills the beans on what social media has really done to us:

So for this week we’re going to dip back into the viewer mailbag and answer your burning questions for this Best Of! In the number one slot, from Idiots #11-3, we take a look at when House Minority Leader and guy who somehow got elected, Kevin McCarthy (1) attempted to derail Nancy Pelosi’s 1/6 Commission by putting Jim Jordan on the committee. That’s pretty much like giving the alcoholic the keys to the liquor cabinet. In the number 2 slot, from Idiots #11-2, why does Florida Man and guy who probably should be kept 500 feet away from schools and playgrounds Matt Gaetz (2) care so much about Britney Spears? Well we’ve got theories! In the #3 slot, from Idiots #11-1 – that Former Guy (3) put out a hit on the DC Police Officer who shot and killed Ashlii Babbitt, but we have the real reason why she was killed, and he’s not going to like it! In the #4 slot this week from Idiots #10-7, we play a game of “Is It Racist” (4) after Papa John’s founder John Schnatter literally hired a therapist to rid himself from using the N word! Is it racist? Hell yes! In the number 5 slot, our formerly weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates (5) takes a look at a small Facebook group that is gaining big influence in the anti-vaccine world, the Disinformation Dozen! In the number 6 slot this week, from Idiots #11-5 is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6) and this week our resident pastor takes a look at Australian Christian cult Hillsong and they’re in a whole lot of trouble! In the number 7 slot this week, from Idiots #10-13, our segment “This Fucking Guy” (7) takes a look at the reigning kings of UFC – Joe Rogan And Dana White, and they’re both equally deplorable! In the number 8 slot, our segment Conspiracy Corner (8) introduces you to a new phone that promises to be an alt right alternative to Apple and Samsung, but it’s really a colossal piece of shit! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week, also from Idiots #11-3, is our segment “I Need A Drink” (9) and this week we get drunk and take a look at the dueling pocket rockets from Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson, minus the pocket! Finally this week from Idiots #11-6 (that was the most recent edition!), our segment on what the MAGA cult is up to in Red State Diaries (10) takes a look at the fallout from the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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

[font size="8"]Kevin McCarthy
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From: Idiots #11-3

Amber H. from Camden, New Jersey writes:

“Hey Top 10, what’s the deal with Kevin McCarthy? He’s quite literally insane and the sooner he’s out of office, the better!”

We couldn’t agree more! And the fact that he put Jim Jordan on the committee is a testament to his insanity!

So while the Commission to investigate the Capitol Riot is going on, make no mistake that we’re currently under minority rule. And like most investigations I fully expect this to be dragged out as long as possible, with many surprise witnesses – each more surprising than the next! OK, channeling my inner Lionel Hutz there. But I fully expect this ending with Former Guy, aka Donald J. Trump, to go full OJ and attempt to spend the rest of his life finding the “Real Insurrectionists”. But that’s a good question – how is this going to end? Well we know how it’s not ending – and Kevin McCarhy (Q-Batshit) is not only attempting to derail this thing, he’s going to make sure that it gets dragged out as long as humanly possible! Here’s the latest.

A police officer who defended the US Capitol during a riot by Donald Trump supporters on 6 January has said he feared he would be crushed by the mob.

"This is how I'm going to die," a tearful Aquilino Gonell told a Congressional committee as an inquiry opened into the Washington DC attack.

Another officer, Harry Dunn, who is black, said he was racially abused.

At least 535 rioters have been arrested since the attack that left five dead, including one police officer.

Prosecutors have so far secured only a few convictions.

The assault led to the political impeachment and acquittal of Republican Mr Trump, who was accused by lawmakers of inciting the riot - a claim he has repeatedly denied.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57989578

Holy shit indeed! The same people who scream until they’re blue in the face that we need to support police officers are the same people who wanted to murder police officers on January 6th. So they support the police… until they don’t. Think of this like a movie… Joe wanted to be president, until a fiery powder keg called MAGA was lit and exploded in Congress. This is Joe Vs The MAGA Volcano! We’re so right up there with timely movie references, aren’t we? But isn’t the worst of it!

As pro-Trump insurrectionists poured into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, a Black Capitol Police officer passionately testified Tuesday that he faced racist epithets, the likes of which he had never heard while serving in uniform.

"You hear that, guys, this n***** voted for Joe Biden!" a woman in a pink MAGA shirt yelled toward Capitol Police Pfc. Harry Dunn, he recounted, after Dunn said he voted for President Biden.

"Boo! F****** n*****!" the crowd of about 20 yelled back, Dunn recalled.

Dunn said his story wasn't unique. He heard from another Black officer that insurrectionists yelled at that officer: "Put your gun down, and we'll show you what kind of n***** you really are!"

Dunn said he tries to keep politics out of the job, but in this instance one of the rioters, whom Dunn told to leave the Capitol, said then-President Donald Trump invited them to the Capitol — and that no one voted for Biden.
https://www.npr.org/2021/07/27/1021197474/capitol-police-officer-testifies-to-the-racism-he-faced-during-the-jan-6-riot

Oh yeah sure, they just had an open invitation to come in and literally hurl shit at the walls and use Nancy Pelosi’s office as a toilet and threaten to murder people. All while the Former Guy sat in a bunker and grinned like an idiot at the destruction he had wrought. Oh and by the way for all you “support the police” people out there, there were police officers involved! And this guy from New York City is one of their ringleaders! Oh it gets way worse!

The F.B.I. agents showed Thomas Webster a wanted flier with a picture taken during the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol. In the photograph, a middle-aged man is shouting angrily across a metal barricade with a pole in his raised right hand.

“That’s a picture of you, right, Mr. Webster?” an agent asked, according to a transcript of the interview.

He was a former New York City police officer, a decorated member of the force who once worked as an instructor at the firing range and with a detail that protected the mayor at public appearances and at Gracie Mansion. But on this afternoon in February, sitting across from two agents in an interrogation room in Lower Manhattan, he found himself on the other side of the law.

He looked at the picture. “Yeah,” he said, and tried to explain how it all began.

“I kept on saying to myself, ‘All right, Tom, this is your first protest’ — I’ve never been to one before,” he told the agents. “I said, ‘Stay behind the freakin’ barrier, don’t threaten anyone and keep the flagpole away from everyone.’”
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/27/nyregion/capitol-riot-january-6.html

But make no mistake, my friends – we’re just in day one of this investigation. I’m sure that Nancy has plenty of material where that came from. This whole thing is like an onion – the more you peel back the layers, the more it stinks and the more likely you are to cry as a result. But that said, things are going to get mighty interesting in the coming months – and – it might just go all the way to the former president! I know, shocker, right?

More than 540 charged so far in Capitol riot case, while approximately 300 suspects remain unidentified

By Clare Hymes, Cassidy McDonald, Eleanor Watson

July 27, 2021 / 12:24 AM / CBS News

America watched as hordes of rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6 — crushing through windows, pressing up stairways, and sending lawmakers and law enforcement running for their lives. The flood of protesters who streamed into the Capitol that day left federal authorities with an equally immense task: finding and charging those responsible.

According to a CBS News review of court documents, at least 543 defendants have been charged in connection with the January 6 attack. Six months after the siege, the FBI said they have yet to identify more than 300 individuals believed to have committed violent acts on the Capitol grounds, including over 200 who assaulted police officers.

FBI Director Christopher Wray said late last month, "This is far from over."

Prosecutors have called the case "unprecedented" in scale, and the government said in a March court filing that the Capitol attack "is likely the most complex investigation ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/capitol-riot-arrests-latest-2021-07-27/

[font size="8"]Matt Gaetz
[br] [/font] [br]

From: Idiots #11-2

Brian J. from Tampa, Florida writes:

“Yo, Top 10! What’s the deal with Matt Gaetz and Britney Spears? Isn’t it weird that a wanted sex offender has the hots for her?”

Yeah it is weird and super creepy that a guy who’s wanted as a sex offender has the hots for someone who became famous for looking hot in a Catholic school girl outfit isn’t it?

You know we need some music for this entry!

Oops… I creeped out again. I went and did some creeping, and yes I am innocent! OK that didn’t really work. But the point is since the beginning of the Top 10 I have been saying that if you’re accused of doing something horrible, maybe don’t do that thing you’re being accused of (see: Top 10 #3-7 )! Yeah so if you’re trying to lose weight, maybe don’t eat that 12 scoop sundae topped with every topping that the ice cream store has! Just don’t do it, OK? Which brings me to Matt Gaetz. Yeah as you know, this perverted weasel is wanted for his bizarre sex crimes and one of the dumbest scandals in modern history. Which begs the question – what the hell was he doing outside a “Save Britney” rally? Is he trying to ask her out on a date or something?

Rep. Matt Gaetz showed up at a rally outside a Los Angeles courthouse Wednesday ahead of the latest conservatorship hearing for Britney Spears — and took the microphone to call the pop icon's father Jamie "a d---."

"Britney has been abused by the media, she has been abused by her grifter father and she's been abused by the American justice system," the Republican Florida lawmaker told the crowd of Spears' supporters.

Gaetz continued, "There's a lot that divides us. But one thing we can all agree on is that Jamie Spears is a d---."

"And he shouldn't make any more decisions regarding his daughter," Gaetz said of Jamie. [Britney] is nearly 40-years-old. She should make her own decisions."
https://www.insider.com/rep-matt-gaetz-britney-spears-conservatorship-hearing-insults-jamie-2021-7

You know here's the thing - if you are wanted as a sex offender, maybe I don't know, don't appear at a rally for a woman who became famous for looking hot in a Catholic school girl uniform. Just saying! Go on, eat this giant deep fried 5 lb cheeseburger, fatty! You know you want to! Also come on, isn’t the very thing that Matt Gaetz advocating what the conservatives refer to as “big government”? I am just throwing that suggestion out there!

Following Britney Spears’s devastating testimony last month on the abusive conservatorship under which she is forced to live, an array of politicians from both the Democratic and Republican parties aligned themselves with the #FreeBritney cause. The media narrative was to exclaim, with a dash of bemusement, that Spears’s struggle against conservatorship has provoked bipartisan agreement.

Spears’s high-profile case is well suited for both Democratic and Republican ideological projection. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has called for more oversight. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, used the pop star’s suffering as a grounds for his own fundraising, sending out texts that call Spears “a victim of toxic gov’t overreach & censorship.” The putrid Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, who is being investigated for possibly sex trafficking minors, turned up at a “#FreeBritney” rally in California, grabbing the mic and calling for Spears’s release from conservatorship.

If politicians’ cynical co-option of Spears’s struggle, particularly on the right, leads to concrete shifts in pernicious conservatorship law, a primarily state-based issue about which the federal government can only do so much, then all the better. As has been well noted, this is a disability rights issue in need of swift redress. The risk, however, is that conservatives jumping on this issue could distort a problem — grounded in capitalist exploitation, patriarchal control, and a national scarcity in truly supportive care for disabled and aging people — into one of state impingement on individual freedoms.
https://theintercept.com/2021/07/20/gop-britney-spears-matt-gaetz-ted-cruz/

Nah, but creepy white politicians like Ted Cruz and Matt Gaetz are trying to exploit you for personal benefit, and that’s what you should really be concerned about! But this brings up a rather curious debate – why has the Q Anon crowd latched onto the Free Britney movement? Well, if you answered “something creepy”, sir or madam, I can assure you that you are… 100% absolutely correct! They are up to something creepy!

Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, a firebrand Republican lawmaker who is currently being investigated for possible sex trafficking of minors, showed up at a California rally demanding that singer Britney Spears be released from her conservatorship.

The "Free Britney" rally was held outside a Los Angeles courthouse where a virtual hearing on Spears' convervatorship was taking place. Spears has said the conservatorship — controlled by her father Jamie — is abusive, and has compelled her to take birth control and other medications against her will.

A crowd gathered outside the courthouse holding "Free Britney" signs, and Gaetz, evidently hoping to seize on a popular movement once again, took the mic and addressed the crowd. It's not the first time Gaetz has traveled across the country for a political stunt, as he once went to Wyoming to whip up support in opposition to fellow Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, a critic of former President Donald Trump.
https://www.sfgate.com/national-politics/article/Matt-Gaetz-Free-Britney-Spears-rally-California-16316653.php

Damn straight! Of course why is a guy who should be on a registered sex offender and guy who should probably be kept 500 feet away from schools and playgrounds be so interested in this Free Britney movement? I mean doesn’t he have far more important things to do now that he’s a Congressman? Well I guess aside from keeping out of jail, which I assume is all the modern GOP does at the moment.

Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida and a handful of other Republicans have invited pop star Britney Spears to testify before Congress about her conservatorship.

"You have been mistreated by America’s legal system. We want to help," Gaetz wrote in a letter to Spears dated Wednesday. "The United States Congress should hear your story and be inspired to bipartisan action. What happened to you should never happen to any other American."

Gaetz said he and fellow Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), Burgess Owens (Utah) and Andy Biggs (Ariz.) have been following her conservatorship battle with “deep concern” and stand with the pop star.

Rumors about Spears' discontent with her conservatorship spread for years online and trended with the #FreeBritney hashtag. But last week, Spears spoke directly about the issue herself in court, describing her conservatorship as “abusive.”
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/01/gaetz-congress-britney-spears-497582

[font size="8"]Donald Trump
[br] [/font] [br]

From: Idiots #11-1

Justin V. from Eugene, Oregon writes:

“Why does that Former Guy want to know who killed Ashlii Babbitt so badly? Isn’t he responsible?”

Oh yeah! And things could have been way, way worse!

Yeah unfortunately now that most of the gears of society are starting to turn again, that means that we must talk about Loser 45 again. And you know what? I don’t even want to mention his name. So for the sake of this piece, we’re going to talk about him, and I will reference him as “The Former Guy”. If you’ve been following right wing social media like we have, you’ll know that there’s talk on the right about Trump possibly being reinstated by August. Of course, Mike Lindell, the Harley Quinn to Trump’s Joker, says that he’s got proof so definitive that the Supreme Court would have no choice but to vote 9-0 to reinstate Trump as POTUS. Which, that ain’t happening. And yes, there’s no way that’s happening.

The Justice Department said this week that former President Donald Trump's delusional claims that he'll be reinstated to the White House could fuel more political violence from his supporters.
Trump and some of his allies on the right-wing fringe have pushed the ridiculous theory that he could be reinstated as president next month. There is no legal or constitutional mechanism for that to happen, and Trump's claims of a "stolen" 2020 election have been fully debunked.
Federal prosecutors brought up Trump's rhetoric this week in one of the US Capitol riot cases.

The rioter, Marine Corps veteran Alex Harkrider, asked a judge to discontinue his GPS tracking and remove his ankle monitor. The Justice Department opposes this request, saying Trump's rhetoric could inspire Harkrider to become violent in the future. Harkrider has pleaded not guilty.

"Former President Trump continues to make false claims about the election, insinuate that he may be reinstalled in the near future as President without another election, and minimize the violent attack on the Capitol," prosecutors wrote in the filing. "Television networks continue to carry and report on those claims, with some actually giving credence to the false reporting."
https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/09/politics/justice-department-trump-warning/index.html

Yes, Trump is fucking crazy all right! In fact you know what he’s doing at his hidey-hole at Mar-A-Shithole? He’s literally channeling his inner Godfather and setting up a consigliere where people come and kiss his feet for his blessing. Yeah I mean seriously you can’t get much more Don than this, and since Fox News is acting like the Mafia, anyone who falls out of line with the Trump Party gets the cement shoes!

Since he left Washington in turmoil in January, Donald Trump has spent the bulk of his brief, contentious post-presidency holed up in what Karl Rove calls his “Fortress of Solitude”—Mar‑a‑Lago, his private club in Palm Beach. It’s an odd sort of isolation: Although he’s largely cut off from the outside world, Trump is hardly alone.

Tossed from the White House, banished from Facebook and Twitter, Trump has never seemed more distant from public consciousness. But while he can’t broadcast out, those same platforms offer a surprisingly intimate glimpse into his new life, thanks to the prolific posting of the club’s guests. At every moment of his day, Trump is bathed in adulation. When he enters the dining room, people stand and applaud. When he returns from golf, he’s met with squeals and selfie requests. When he leaves Mar-a-Lago, he often encounters flag-waving throngs organized by Willy Guardiola, a former professional harmonica player and anti-abortion activist who runs weekly pro-Trump rallies in Palm Beach. “Give me four hours and I can pull together 500 people,” Guardiola says. Trump recently invited the self-proclaimed “biggest Trump supporter in the country” for a private consultation at his club.

In this gilded Biosphere, Trump encounters no one who isn’t vocally gratified by his presence. When he speaks extemporaneously, so many guests post footage that you can watch the same weird scene unfold from multiple vantage points, like the Japanese film Rashomon. Trump seems so comfortable, the journalist and Instagram sleuth Ashley Feinberg has noted, that he’s taken to wearing the same outfit for days on end. Blue slacks, white golf shirt, and red MAGA cap are to the former president what the black Mao suit is to his old frenemy Kim Jong Un. Club members say his new lifestyle agrees with him. “Presidents when they finish always look so much older,” says Thomas Peterffy, the billionaire founder of Interactive Brokers LLC, who lives three doors down from Mar-a-Lago. “Not true for Trump.”
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-06-10/florida-s-trump-coast-near-mar-a-lago-houses-beating-heart-of-gop

Not sure if this is Al Pacino in Godfather or Johnny Depp in Dark Shadows. Maybe it’s an equal mix of each one. Actually maybe it’s more Danny DeVito in “Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot!”. Think of this as “Stop! Or My Former President Will Shoot!”. Thank you graphics department for that one! But that said, here’s where it gets scary. 30% of republicans think that Trump is going to be reinstated in August. I guess when you believe lies long enough they eventually become fact.

Even though the U.S. Constitution includes no mechanism that would allow the “reinstatement” of a president who lost an election, a new poll shows nearly a quarter of Americans — including 30% of Republican voters — believe it’s “likely” former President Donald Trump returns to the White House this year, a recent poll from The Hill/HarrisX shows.

While the former president looms large over the Republican Party and may run again in 2024, he will not be reinstated to office this year. Legal experts say the notion is pure fiction — a conspiracy theory promulgated by My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell that Trump has floated to confidants, according to The New York Times and The National Review.

But HarrisX’s survey of nearly 1,000 registered voters last week shows similar results to a Politico/Morning Consult poll that found nearly a third of Republicans say it’s likely Trump takes over for President Joe Biden sometime later this year.

The idea is linked to Trump’s repeated baseless claims that widespread election fraud or irregularities cost him the White House. In fact, Biden won by more than 7 million popular votes and bested Trump in the Electoral College 306 to 232. Congress certified the electoral count in January despite the failed, deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump followers.
https://www.masslive.com/politics/2021/06/30-of-republican-voters-agree-with-donald-trump-reinstatement-conspiracy-theory-poll-shows.html

Yeah probably! In fact the reinstatement theory is too far for some. In fact our old friend Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q – Batshit) thinks that people who believe the reinstatement theory are too far gone from society. Now when you’re too batshit for Marjorie Taylor Greene, or as I like to call her “Q Anon Barbie”, you’re pretty far gone! So yeah I would tell the Trumpers to let that one seep in because they already are too far gone. Yeah just like the Eagles song!

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene rejected the conspiracy theory that Donald Trump will be reinstated as president in August.

She dismissed it while speaking to Steve Bannon on his "War Room: Pandemic" show, hosted by the fringe right-wing network Real America's Voice.

"I want people to be careful in what they believe," the Georgia Republican said.

"It's going to be very difficult to overturn the 2020 election, and so I'd hate for anyone to get their hopes up thinking that President Trump is going to be back in the White House in August," she said. "Because that's not true."

The conspiracy theory that Trump will soon be reinstated as president has gained traction among prominent supporters including MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and the lawyer Sidney Powell.
https://www.businessinsider.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-rejects-trump-reinstatement-conspiracy-theory-2021-7

[font size="8"]Is It Racist?
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From: Idiots #10-7

Aisha H. from Athens, Georgia writes:

“Why do white boys always have to flaunt their racism in public?”

Well we don’t have an answer for that, but when guys like John Schnatter literally can’t help themselves, well, we expect it to get worse!

Hey everyone it’s time to play the hot new game that’s sweeping the nation!

And we always say that if you have to ask, it’s probably racist! And there’s plenty of it this week. I want to start with racist pizza. Note: do not call your new band “Racist Pizza”. But I’m of course talking about our old buddy John Schnatter. You know him best as the founder of Papa John’s Pizza. A company that has seen its’ brand turned from the preferred pizza of frat boy stoners everywhere to the preferred pizza of racist frat boys everywhere (see: Top 10 #3-21 ). Yes, Papa John’s may be the official pizza of the Alt Right, but that hasn’t stopped Papa John himself from being as batshit crazy as ever. He may have had a change of heart on the subject, but he’s really telling the wrong people that he’s had a change of heart on the subject.

John Schnatter, the founder and former chief executive of Papa John’s pizza, has been trying “to get rid of this N-word in my vocabulary” ever since he lost his role as the public face of the company for using it – more than two years ago.

Schnatter resigned as Papa John’s chairman in July 2018, after an explosive report by Forbes detailed a conference call in which he “used the N-word” and “reflected on his early life in Indiana, where, he said, people used to drag African Americans from trucks until they died”.

Earlier this month, Schnatter told far-right TV network OAN he was the victim of a targeted coup perpetrated by a left-leaning sports and entertainment entrepreneur, business rivals and board members looking to profit from his demise.

“I used to lay in bed just goin’, ‘How did they do this?’” he said. “And we’ve had three goals for the last 20 months: to get rid of this N-word in my vocabulary and dictionary and everything else, because it’s just not true; figure out how they did this; and get on with my life.”

He also suggested that the Papa John’s board took advantage of his problems, even though he said they knew he wasn’t a racist.

“All the stars were aligned perfectly with one motive,” he said. “And that is to get rid of me.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/09/papa-johns-founder-john-schnatter-n-word

How about this - you want to prove you're not a racist? Maybe don't go on OAN to tell people that you're not a racist! OAN: It's like what Fox News would be if it were run by your racist uncle! So yeah is it racist? Of course it fucking is! You might as well have a Confederate flag backdrop while telling OAN that you’ve been trying to stop using the N word! Next up – racist talk shows! Look, I will admit that I am a huge Ozzy Osbourne fan and I love Black Sabbath. But Sharon Osbourne has always been despicable – so the question is, IS IT RACIST??

CBS says its daytime show “The Talk” will stay on hiatus for another week after a discussion about racism involving co-host Sharon Osbourne went off the rails last week.

The network said in a statement that it is committed to “a process where all voices are heard, claims are investigated and appropriate action is taken where necessary.”

Osbourne reacted angrily last week during a discussion about British television personality Piers Morgan, who she describes as a friend. Morgan left the “Good Morning Britain” show after he said he didn’t believe Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, when she said in an interview that she had considered suicide when unhappy with her life in Britain’s royal family.

A fellow host, Sheryl Underwood, said to Osbourne on the show last Wednesday, “what would you say to people who may feel that, while you’re standing by your friend, it appears that you gave validation or safe haven to something that he has uttered that is racist, even if you don’t agree?” Underwood, like Markle, is Black.
https://apnews.com/article/the-talk-hiatus-sharon-osbourne-racism-cbs-15436d9b1d42a8793045815e4196618c

Well my fair virtual audience, I have to say… IS IT RACIST? And well yeah I think this one could easily qualify as racist, especially under my parameters! Next up – racist music! And while in this weird socially distant world in which we’re currently living, concerts are few and far between. But while conservatives are still railing on “cancel culture”, whatever that is, if you don’t want be canceled, maybe don’t put yourself in that position!

Flaw vocalist Chris Volz called out the sound engineers at a concert over the weekend while using the "N-word" and has since gone on to defend what he perceives as his right to do so in a social media post.

Metal Sucks posted video of the incident, which occurred this past Friday (March 12) at the WC Social Club in West Chicago, Illinois. In the video, it appears as though Volz is being yelled at from the audience before pointing out, "There's three of you N***As sitting right there. I'd like one of you to come up here. You're all white, so that's not racist."

During his onstage temper tantrum he went on to add, “One of you guys need to come up here. I want one of you to come up here and hear these center wedges before we finish, just so you know what I actually went through tonight and how badass it is that I actually had no wedges."

In response to their reluctance to join Volz onstage, he added, “Hey! I’m not fuckin’ around! One of you motherfuckers comes up onstage and listens to these wedges before we finish, otherwise you’re all getting rolled.”

Read More: Flaw Frontman Uses the 'N-Word' at Concert | https://loudwire.com/flaw-frontman-cancel-culture-criticism-using-n-word-concert/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

Here’s the thing – maybe don’t use the N word, threaten to fight an audience member, then blame it on cancel culture. That’s entirely on you! You’re a racist! We don’t even have to guess at that one! Finally this week – racist reality shows! I’m of course talking about The Bachelor – which is inexplicably still on the air after what seems like 10,000,000 seasons. And when you’re on the air that long, and it’s unscripted, you’re probably going to say or do something that one might consider to be well, racist.

It’s impossible to watch the latest episode of "The Bachelor" without thinking about the explosion inside the franchise this past week.

Chris Harrison, the host of the franchise since its 2002 debut, announced Saturday he would be "stepping aside" from the show "for a period of time" and won't appear in Matt James' "After the Final Rose" special in March, following backlash for defending current front-runner Rachael Kirkconnell, who apologized last week for "offensive and racist" actions.

A deluge of prominent former franchise stars and contestants have since spoken out, pushing for Harrison's resignation, applauding Rachel Lindsay – the franchise's first Black star, who was interviewing Harrison when he made the comments – and calling for those who work on and watch the show to take greater action to fight racism.

All this offscreen controversy makes for a strange viewing experience, particularly in a later scene in which singer Aloe Blacc, an outspoken social justice activist, performs a private show for Kirkconnell and James.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2021/02/16/bachelor-recap-chris-harrison-rachael-racism-controversy-looms-aloe-blacc/4482782001/

[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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From: Idiots #11-5

Melissa H. from New Haven, CT writes:

“Hey Top 10, I can’t wait for the Holy Shit spinoff! This is very exciting! Maybe you’ll be as big as that church from Australia!”

Hey Melissa! We can’t wait for the Holy Shit spinoff either! We love your enthusiasm! We wish! Though one of the world’s biggest churches certainly isn’t with it’s share of problems!

Spin it to win it! Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… stop! And it’s one of our patented clips without context!

https://twitter.com/RightWingWatch/status/1424730511658950659

And if you want to meet Jesus, all you have to do is follow Pastor Feuerstein’s advice! Spin it again! Oh 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! You know religion is something that is global, and it is seen and heard around this great big world of ours. But even the most global of churches can hide a dark and sinister side. One of the most global churches is Hillsong Church out of Australia. They’re a group with a global following which includes sold out concerts and conferences, and multi-platinum albums, and even celebrity fans like Justin Bieber and Kanye West. But they are in a lot of trouble with the feds and it’s not good. Let’s face it – they are not so much a church as they are a full blown cult. So just how much trouble are they in? Well it’s not something that the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want, and it’s of course that they are supporters of the unholy, ungodly Dark One! But Hillsong is led by Brian Houston, a man who could be in some very deep trouble!

Hillsong founder Brian Houston has broken his silence and expressed devastation over allegations he concealed his father's sexual abuse of a young boy.

Houston, 67, was charged by police in his home state of NSW last Thursday, accused of concealing his dead father Frank's historic sexual abuse of a seven-year-old boy.

He has vowed to 'vehemently' defend the case in court but faces up to five years behind bars if found guilty.

Despite the serious charges, Houston remains in America where he hosted a series of church services in Springfield and Kansas City in Missouri on Sunday.

Houston briefly commented on the charges against him when he confronted by a reporter while leaving his hotel before dodging further questions.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9874741/Hillsong-founder-Brian-Houston-responds-allegations-concealed-fathers-sexual-abuse-boy.html

You know we’ve covered sex scandals and abuses on this program before so there’s nothing we can do to make fun of this. But we can make fun of the abusers right? Though I am reminded of what it says in the Good Book, you can count on that. Although “you’re ashamed”? That’s the best you could come up with, seriously? But guess what – Pastor Houston met with the unholy Dark One himself! That’s right you can’t make this stuff up folks!

The US journalist who broke the story of Prime Minister Scott Morrison's involvement in trying to secure an invitation to a 2019 White House dinner for Hillsong founder Brian Houston says sources described a "sphere of bad news" and "scandal" surrounding the controversial pastor.

They expressed no suspicions about Brian Houston personally.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse heard that Frank Houston, Brian's father, had admitted to sexually abusing a child decades earlier.

Last week, NSW Police charged Brian Houston with failing to report this alleged abuse to police.

Mr Houston has denied any wrongdoing, and said in a statement that the charge has come as a shock to him.

The police investigation into the pastor's alleged conduct began at around the same time as the Prime Minister was preparing for a state visit to the White House in September 2019.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-10/journalist-fleshes-out-white-house-state-dinner-scoop/100365402

Yeah so make no mistake that when you’re dealing with the Unholy Dark One, that you are making a deal with the Devil himself! But here’s the even more disturbing thing about this church – Pastor Houston was not the only pastor who was accused of abuse! There’s also this story out of Hillsong’s New York City chapter that also broke this year regarding the church! Which just begs the question – what kind of people are they looking for when they hire new pastors?

In mid-November 2020, a crisis manager from the public relations firm Sunshine Sachs took on a new client: Carl Lentz, former head of Hillsong Church’s four locations in the American Northeast. Hillsong is an Australia-based megachurch that averages more than 150,000 weekly congregants at satellites in 30 countries. It is also a multimedia conglomerate that produces documentaries, books, and chart-topping musical acts. After joining Hillsong as head pastor of the New York outpost in 2010, Lentz quickly became the church’s most recognizable face. Liberally tattooed, elaborately coiffed, and often dressed like a teenage hypebeast, Lentz, 42, achieved mild mainstream fame based on his proximity and access to the millennial celebrities in his flock: Justin and Hailey Bieber, Vanessa Hudgens, Kevin Durant, Selena Gomez. Tens of thousands of urban evangelical professionals followed Lentz for his soaring sermons at weekly services that resembled rock concerts.

But in late 2020, Lentz needed a new path. On November 4, Hillsong’s global senior pastor and founder, Brian Houston, publicly fired Lentz and his wife of 17 years, Laura, pointing to “leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures.” On Instagram the next day, Carl Lentz paired a photo of his family decked out in formal attire at the Biebers’ wedding with a confession:

On November 9, Ranin Karim, a 34-year-old jewelry designer and actor with a septum piercing and her own sleeves of tattoos, described a monthslong tequila-drenched love affair with Lentz in interviews with The Sun, the New York Post, and others. She said Lentz introduced himself as a sports agent in Williamsburg’s Domino Park and called her his “Middle Eastern unicorn woman.” Laura Lentz discovered the affair after a Hillsong staffer saw Lentz’s messages on his office computer. With the tabloids feasting on his humiliation, Lentz’s new P.R. advisers believed his return began with three months out of public view, followed by a news cycle dominating mea maxima culpa—perhaps, as suggested for a time, in this magazine.
https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2021/02/carl-lentz-and-the-trouble-at-hillsong

But that could be a lot of them, Reverend! For you see Hillsong has an abuse problem on its’ hands and it’s not going away any time soon. In fact there’s now a third scandal breaking out of Montclair, New Jersey and it’s another one worth keeping tabs on! But really what’s tempting the members of Hillsong that they keep finding ways to cheat on their wives and abuse people? I’m almost starting to think it’s a regular feature with this cult church!

Pastor Darnell Barrett of Hillsong Church resigned on Tuesday after sharing explicit photos to at least one of his followers, a woman, on Instagram, something he claims was a mistake and not an attempt to lure the woman.

The married creative director of Hillsong's Montclair, New Jersey, chapter is the latest pastor from the celebrity-loved mega church to resign amid a sex-related scandal.

In photos posted by Daily Mail, Barrett, 32, shared pictures two days in a row of him shirtless after a workout wearing Nike Pro Compression Tights that exposed him.

Barrett – who previously appeared on Steve Harvey's talk show – wrote that "depression and anxiety got the best of me in the last 30 hours" in text written over the pictures he posted to his Close Friends list on Instagram, saying the gym is what's been helping him get out of bed, the photos obtained by Daily Mail show.
https://people.com/human-interest/hillsong-pastor-darnell-barrett-quits-following-scandal-after-sharing-revealing-photos/

That was perfect for that! But yes… beware the cult of Hillsong for they are not to be trusted with their leadership! And let’s not forget that case of vaccine denial from Northern California this week. So they’ve got some problems and they’re not going away any time soon! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]This Fucking Guy: Dana White & Joe Rogan
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From: Idiots #10-13

Wes P. from Peoria, IL writes:

“You know the right wing gives colleges a hard time for being “indoctrination centers”. But everyone I know who follows UFC is a batshit crazy right winger. How come no one ever says UFC is an indoctrination center? Come for the fights, stay for the brainwashing!”

Ha ha ha ha ha!!! Good point! With guys like Dana White and Joe Rogan at the head of this organization, something tells me they should be investigated!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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From: Idiots #11-2

Lisa K. from Buffalo, New York writes:

“I love you Top 10! When are you coming to New York again? Can you come up state soon? Also, why are the MAGAs so easily swindled? Thank you!”

We appreciate your support! Unfortunately COVID has kind of complicated our travel plans a bit but we are planning a return to upstate New York for season 12! To answer your question, we don’t know, but they do seem to fall for scammers, hustlers, and swindlers! Of course it’s a deep state conspiracy to them.

Welcome back to our segment that attempts to explain the unexplainable – Conspiracy Corner! We’re coming to you live from our underground doomsday bunker deep in the alkali flats of the New Mexico badlands – undisclosed location of course! Let me just adjust my trusty tin foil hat for maximum government interference – they are trying to read your thoughts you know! Well last week it was announced that a 22 year old bitcoin millionaire has come up with a communication device meant specifically for conservatives, MAGAs, and insurrectionists! But you know what? Why don’t I tell it in the form of an infomercial! Excuse me a minute… Tired of the same old $1200 smartphones and the app store that bans the apps that you want to use? Well why don’t you try… the Freedom Phone? It does everything your current phone does, except it has a crappier screen and is essentially a cheap Chinese knock off product with a 500% markup! Here’s more!

The Freedom Phone is a smartphone created by Erik Finman that claims to promote “free speech and privacy first,” according to the company’s website.

The phone has its own app store where no information is censored, allowing customers to read and watch whatever they want.

It also contains preloaded conservative apps, including ones that were banned by other app stores.

The freedom phone operates with its own software FreedomOS and has massive memory space, fast processors, front and back cameras, and all-day battery life.
What carrier does the Freedom Phone work with and how can I buy it?

The Freedom Phone works with major carriers such as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, & Sprint, and all other domestic & international ones.

The smartphone is available for purchase on the Freedom Phone’s website and will begin shipping in August of 2021.
https://www.the-sun.com/lifestyle/3284914/what-is-the-freedom-phone/

But wait there’s more! Sure you get your own operating system and a whole host of “unbannable” apps on the app store, but you know what else you get? A security nightmare! That’s right – the phone comes with an unsecured version of Android that poses risks to cyber security experts! So yeah once again the saying is true – if you fall for a con artist, don’t be surprised when you get conned! And that’s exactly what you get when you buy a Freedom Phone!

Ah, there’s nothing quite like the sweet smell of an easily debunked scam in the morning. Yesterday bitcoin millionaire Erik Finman unveiled the “Freedom Phone,” which he says is the “first major pushback on the Big Tech companies that attacked us - for just thinking different.” Turns out it’s just a super-cheap Android phone — and a security hellhole, at that.

The teaser video for Finman’s phone is so earnest it begins to read as a parody of itself before he’s even shown off the device. “The Big Tech overlords are violating your privacy and censoring your speech and I think that’s so wrong,” Finman narrates. “That’s why I created the Freedom Phone.”

Finman claims the Freedom Phone is truly the best phone in the world. He says it does everything your current phone does — except censor you and spy on you. It runs an operating system called “FreedomOS” and includes an app store called the “PatriApp Store.” (Are we sure this isn’t just a parody video?)

If it wasn’t clear from Finman’s cringey video, the Freedom Phone is a straight-up scam. And one that somehow manages to be worse at keeping your data secure than an average smartphone. Nice.
https://www.inputmag.com/tech/surprise-erik-finmans-freedom-phone-is-a-scam-a-privacy-horror

I mean come on, seriously! Was that a parody or what? And by the way if you’re one of those super paranoid Alex Jones types who thinks that the government is watching your every move, you might actually be right if you buy one of these! But yes, to quote Homer Simpson, this whole thing is a scam, or possibly scamola. But making money off the MAGA crowd is seriously like shooting fish in a barrel. But while it may be easy to make money off the MAGAs, it’s posing some security risks!

Security experts are raising concerns over the “Freedom Phone,” a new device touted by prominent conservatives as both secure and censorship-resistant.

Unveiled on Wednesday by Erik Finman, the world’s youngest bitcoin millionaire, the $500 Freedom Phone claims to offer a series of robust privacy features as well as an uncensorable app store.

Finman states the Freedom Phone runs on a custom Android operating system known as “FreedomOS” and provides access to apps such as Parler, the social media service which had previously been banned from app stores in the wake of the Capitol riot.

The phone’s launch also came alongside numerous endorsements from popular right-wing figures such as Jack Posobiec and Candace Owens, who both offered their followers discount codes for the device. It remains unclear whether either individual is receiving financial kickbacks for promoting the Freedom Phone.
https://www.dailydot.com/debug/freedom-phone-security-issues/

But wait there’s more! Buy the Freedom Phone now and you’ll not only get the security risks that come with it, but you’ll get apps loaded with porn spammers, malware, and hacking bots! Don’t be surprised when your credit card and identity are stolen if you buy anything through the apps! You know what? I’ll sleep easier at night knowing that I bought a phone that’s not a security risk. But here’s the thing- by paying $500 for a $130 phone, not only are you getting ripped off big time, you’re not really free from anything. But as PT Barnum once famously said – there’s a sucker born every minute!

It’s not every day that a new smartphone company pops up, claiming to offer a device that protects your “freedom of speech” from Big Tech. So, when Erik Finman, a self-proclaimed “Bitcoin millionaire,” announced the Freedom Phone yesterday, it piqued our interest. Finman claims that the Freedom Phone is “the first major pushback on Big Tech companies that attacked us [American conservatives],” and it features an “uncensorable app store” that will offer all the apps that have been banned on mainstream app stores. But is the phone actually all that Finman claims it to be? Let’s find out.

Before we talk about the phone itself, let’s establish some context. During the 2020 US Presidential Election run, Google removed the Parler app from the Play Store for lack of user-generated content moderation. On the other hand, Twitter permanently suspended former US President Donald Trump’s account for tweets that were “in violation of the Glorification of Violence Policy.” These two incidents, along with several others, led many right-wing people to believe that big tech companies like Twitter, Google, Facebook, and Amazon were biased against them and were violating their freedom of speech. According to Finman, the Freedom Phone will help users prevent such incidents, and his announcement video specifically mentions the Twitter ban on former US President Donald Trump as an inspiration for making the device.
https://www.xda-developers.com/freedom-phone-overpriced-smartphone/

[font size="8"]I Need A Drink
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From: Idiots #11-3

George C. from Mesa, Colorado writes:

“Hey Top 10, did you see where Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson had a penis measuring contest in space and everyone was making jokes about it on Twitter?”

Yes we did, although thanks to our good friend alcohol, we don’t remember much of it!

So of course you know by now that the idea behind this segment is that we have some drinks and while we’re drinking we talk about literally anything that’s not directly related to politics and/or coronavirus, because there’s a lot of dark shit out there. We take a look at the lighter side of the news here. This week, we’re going to talk about the Space Race. Those of you who are old enough will remember when we had a space race, it was between the USA and Russia. And guess what? We won! This week, it’s not quite the same. In one corner, we have Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. And in the other corner, we have Virgin Media CEO Richard Branson. And unlike the last space race, no matter who wins this time around, everybody loses! So tell me bartender, what goes well with a story about space? An anti-gravity cocktail? What’s in that? Eh, I’ll just have my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. I call it the Double Jack. Anyways the Space Race 2021 isn’t so much an actual attribute to man kind’s quest to conquer the stars, so much as it is the world’s largest penis measuring contest.

Jeff Bezos blasted into space Tuesday on his rocket company’s first flight with people on board, becoming the second billionaire in just over a week to ride his own spacecraft.

The Amazon founder was accompanied by a hand-picked group: his brother, an 18-year-old from the Netherlands and an 82-year-old aviation pioneer from Texas — the youngest and oldest to ever fly in space.

“Best day ever!” Bezos said when the capsule touched down on the desert floor in remote West Texas after the 10-minute flight.

Named after America’s first astronaut, Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket soared on the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, a date chosen by Bezos for its historical significance. He held fast to it, even as Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson pushed up his own flight from New Mexico and beat him to space by nine days.
https://apnews.com/article/jeff-bezos-space-e0afeaa813ff0bdf23c37fe16fd34265

That’s actual footage of the launch by the way! So whether you were team Blue Origin or Team New Horizons, basically you were rooting for chrome dick, or chrome plated dick. And by the way can we discuss those names for a minute? It’s like if you asked a marketing major who knows nothing about science fiction to come up with a name for something that sounds science-fictiony. But in case you’re wondering why Jeff Bezos’ rocket looks like that, we got an answer for that! Maybe.

Jeff Bezos’s 11-minute trip aboard a Blue Origin rocket to the edge of space on Tuesday left the world’s richest man feeling “unbelievably good” and his crew “very happy”. But afterwards, as he wondered aloud how fast he could refuel, the rest of the world was left pondering just why the New Shepard rocket had such a distinctive shape.

As social media erupted with innuendo, we contacted a few experts to find out why it looked, in the words of one astrophysicist, so “anthropomorphic”. At one major research institution, the press officer referred us to the gender studies department, but Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, was able to shed some light on the topic.

As social media erupted with innuendo, we contacted a few experts to find out why it looked, in the words of one astrophysicist, so “anthropomorphic”. At one major research institution, the press officer referred us to the gender studies department, but Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, was able to shed some light on the topic.

New Shepard consists of a mushroom-like crew capsule that flares out over a long shaft, called a booster. The rounded top appears more bulbous than that of many other rockets, but it’s not unique. “There’s a long history of what we call hammerhead rockets,” on which the capsule’s diameter is wider than the booster, said McDowell. “If you’re careful, it actually has perfectly fine aerodynamics.”
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jul/20/jeff-bezos-rocket-design-an-inquiry

Which begs the question – if you believe that space exploration is but a fevered pipe dream for the billionaire class – well, you’re absolutely 100% correct on this one! Because the New York Times calculated exactly how much an actual ticket on Virgin’s Virgin Orbit service will cost you, and you’d better have at least a cool million stashed if you’re going to blast off into space!

For the first flight, Blue Origin auctioned off one of the seats with the proceeds going to Mr. Bezos’ space-focused nonprofit, Club for the Future. The winning bid was $28 million, an amount that stunned even Blue Origin officials, far higher than they had hoped. Blue Origin announced it will distribute $19 million of that to 19 space-related organizations — $1 million each.

The 7,600 people who participated in the auction provided Blue Origin with a list of prospective paying customers, and the company has started selling tickets for subsequent flights.

Blue Origin has declined to say what the price is or how many people have signed up, but representatives of the company say there is strong demand.

“Our early flights are going for a very good price,” Bob Smith, the chief executive of Blue Origin, said during a news conference on Sunday.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/20/science/cost-to-fly-blue-origin-bezos.html

Hey bartender! I need a refill! And in case you’re wondering just how deep this rivalry between two guys who have more money than ½ the world’s population does, well it’s much more than just a giant penis measuring contest. It’s also the quest to get likes on Facebook and Twitter. Because while you’re watching them measure their dicks, you’re also enabling them to say shit on social media while you’re working the graveyard shift at an Amazon warehouse. Yeah… think about it!

The battle of which billionaire-backed space company can fly higher is on.

As the suborbital spaceflight company Virgin Galactic counts down to the launch of its billionaire founder Richard Branson on Sunday (July 11), its biggest competitor Blue Origin, which will launch its own founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos on July 20, is ramping up its opposition marketing.

Blue Origin announced its launch date in May and auctioned off a ride to space from West Texas with Bezos for $28 million last month. On July 1, Virgin Galactic announced its own launch of Branson, three crewmates and two pilots. Their liftoff from the skies over New Mexico will be a full 9 days ahead of Blue Origin.

So it's no surprise if Blue Origin is a bit miffed to be beat.

On Twitter today (July 9), Blue Origin released an infographic taking swipes at the competition, focusing on matters such as the higher environmental impact of Virgin Galactic's Unity space plane, its smaller windows and lack of escape system. Blue Origin's New Shepard suborbital capsule has huge windows, creates water vapor exhaust and has an escape system. (This was despite Branson denying on the Today Show just days ago that he was jousting with Bezos: "I know nobody will believe me when I say it, but honestly, there isn't [competition]," he said.)
https://www.space.com/blue-origin-throws-shade-at-virgin-galactic-ahead-of-launch

[font size="8"]Red State Diaries
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From: Idiots #11-6

Anna R. from Rapid City, South Dakota writes:

“Hey Top 10, I might be a rare democrat in South Dakota. But why do we have to put up with these right wing assholes every year?”

Well the Sturgis Biker Rally wasn’t a Gathering Of The MAGAs until COVID happened but now it’s a moron convention and a super spreader! Be afraid!

Welcome back to our ongoing exploration of what the MAGA cult has been up to since the 2020 election in Red State Diaries! Last week we told you about the many varieties of right wing social media that you can choose from, and there are many. And all have pretty much the same racist and hateful user base you’ve come to expect from the MAGA cult. This week we’re going to take a look at all of the crazy shit that went down in South Dakota at the annual Sturgis Biker Rally. Last year, the Sturgis rally got hijacked by the MAGA crowd and became an anti-COVID movement for right wing deplorables everywhere. And this year? They’re coming back for more! And I mean come on, is anyone really *THAT* surprised that vendors at Sturgis are selling NAZI branded merchandise? There’s no mistake that the MAGA brand and the NAZI brand have a lot in common. But yeah that happened!

Different symbols and flags like swastikas and confederate flags can be found around the rally at different vendors, but one vendor claims this is more about business and giving the cyclists what they want.

“A lot of bikers, you know, its freedom thing. A lot of bikers want to be free and voice their opinion and I like to cater to what they want. It doesn’t mean that I necessarily believe in everything but, you know, I like to please everybody,” said one vendor, Jenny Alonso.

Alonso said the history behind bikers and swastikas goes back to World War II when US soldiers would bring back Nazi memorabilia they won in the war to hang on their bikes.

“So, we’re kind of honoring that not necessarily that, you know, we believe in Nazis and Hitler, but it’s just kind of a special thing that the US military was able to go and win the war and bring things back as souvenirs and they would put them on their bike,” said Alonso.
https://www.kotatv.com/2021/08/10/freedom-speech-or-fostering-hate/

But here’s the thing – when you attract the worst of us and over 700,000 of the worst of us, you’re going to see some shit. The Sturgis rally used to be the world’s largest gathering of biker enthusiasts. But recently it’s been hijacked by deplorables and especially last year. This year it’s about the same, and don’t expect next year’s to be any better or worse. But that said, I’m absolutely shocked that there would be sex trafficking at the rally. Wait, isn’t that what the Q fans accuse us of? Oh fuck it’s hard to decipher their bullshit sometimes.

Every year, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally brings in hundreds of thousands of tourists to the Black Hills, and with the rise in tourists comes a rise in certain crimes.

During the Rally every year, multiple agencies throughout South Dakota conduct stings on sex trafficking operations. In 2021, nine men have been arrested and charged with a variety of offenses.

The mandatory minimum penalty upon conviction for Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet is 10 years up to life in federal prison; any term of years, not less than five, up to lifetime supervised release; $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and a $5,000 assessment if not indigent. Restitution may also be ordered.

The charges are merely accusations and all nine defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

https://www.newscenter1.tv/nine-charged-in-sturgis-rally-sex-trafficking-sting/

And then there’s the governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem, who is a noted MAGA enthusiast, who is certainly not helping things. The other thing is that the MAGA crowd can make all of the comparisons to Lollapalooza they want. But the difference is that Lollapalooza was a success and a model for future festivals during this strange time that we live in. Whereas the MAGA crowd is reckless and stupid, and doesn’t care who they hurt along the way, as long as it makes liberals cry. Enough of that shit already!

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem praised the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally that attracted hundreds of thousands of people, calling it "a fantastic event" as the Delta variant spreads across the state.

"I think it's interesting that this side, this political party, the Democrats, who embrace getting abortion on demand, are accusing us of embracing death when we're just allowing people to make personal choices and have personal responsibility over when they want to assemble, when they want to gather and spend time outdoors enjoying their way of life," Noem said on Friday in an interview with Fox News' Laura Ingraham.

"So we've had a fantastic event here in South Dakota," she said. "They're having a fantastic time. We're glad everybody made the trip to South Dakota."

The 10-day rally is set to end Sunday.

Meanwhile, the highly transmissable Delta variant continues to spread across the US alongside a spike in new cases reported in South Dakota, which has been adding hundreds of new cases per week over the last month.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/south-dakota-governor-calls-the-sturgis-rally-with-hundreds-of-thousands-of-attendees-a-fantastic-event-as-covid-19-cases-spike/ar-AANlziD

But you know what? Enough about the virus, I’m sure that everyone has had an assful of it and I know I have, believe me! But hey you know what, as long as Trump and MAGA friendly governors are at the helm guess what? It’s all about personal choices. Yeah? Well we’ll see about that three weeks from now, because as I mentioned with Lollapalooza, its’ done and we know the outcome. What’s the outcome going to be with this crowd? Anything like last year? Who knows?

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) defended
the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally that brought hundreds of thousands of people to the state against critics who say it was irresponsible to have the event during a surge of COVID-19 cases.

“I think it’s interesting that this side, this political party, the Democrats, who embrace getting abortion on demand, are accusing us of embracing death when we’re just allowing people to make personal choices and have personal responsibility over when they want to assemble, when they want to gather and spend time outdoors enjoying their way of life,” Noem said Friday on Fox News’s “The Ingraham Angle.”

“So we’ve had a fantastic event here in South Dakota. The rally will end ... Sunday, I guess ... and they’re having a fantastic time.
We’re glad everybody made the trip to South Dakota,” she added.
(Now go home and spread the virus! )

Health officials expressed concerns about the rally becoming a superspreader event, with President Biden’s chief medical officer, Anthony Fauci, saying he was “very concerned” a surge of cases would come from the event.

"I mean, to me, it's understandable that people want to do the kinds of things they want to do. They want their freedom to do that. But there comes a time when you're dealing with a public health crisis that could involve you, your family and everyone else that something supersedes that need to do exactly what you want to do," Fauci said.

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/567887-south-dakota-governor-defends-sturgis-rally-its-about-personal-choices

[font size="4"]Programming Note: [/font]

Folks, next week we’re taking a short unscheduled break so this will be our last Red State Diaries for a while because when we come back on 9/9 we’re going to switch gears for a couple of weeks with our new segment “Road To Recall” because we can’t stress enough how dire the California recall election is and how everyone must vote “NO” on the ballot! Red State Diaries will be back for our 10/9 edition! Fuck the hard right and their power grab attempt!

We’re taking a week off next week for Labor Day! See you in two weeks!

Credits

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Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded Live At: Dragon Room at the Stratosphere, Las Vegas, NV
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August 19, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #11-6: Governors With Low Self Esteem Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #11-6: Governors With Low Self Esteem Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! What’s up Las Vegas? Sin City! We are back! So how are you guys doing? You doing fucking good? Great! We’re very happy to be back in Sin City and it’s definitely been a while., I mean literally the last time we were here the world was on the verge of shutting down so it’s great to see things getting back up and running now, well at least sort of back up and running! And it was so great to have done the Wheel Of Corruption last week, man did I miss that! But we do have some great news – starting with our 9/9 edition we have live music back! And our first guest is none other than the almighty Weezer! That’s right – the Weez is stopping by to play from their new album “Van Weezer” which is great! And I don’t know if you saw our announcement on the Tweetsphere or not but when we come back on September 9th we are going to be temporarily dropping our exploration of the MAGA cult in “Red State Diaries” to bring you a new segment called “Road To Recall”. Folks, and especially those of you who live in California, I cannot stress enough how important it is to vote in this recall. Stop these fuckers from attempting a power grab in my great state. So we will be starting a 4 part series dedicated to the California recall and everything surrounding it. VOTE NO! It is important that we stop these fuckers in their tracks! OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and he discusses a very important cyber security issue:

**NOTE: Even though it is in the news right now we will *NOT* be covering the Andrew Cuomo story at least for the next couple of editions**

So where do we begin this week? Well in the number one slot this week is of course the Afghanistan SNAFU (1). Which is quite literally exactly what people predicted would happen several years ago. In the second slot this week is 2020 Election Conspiracy Theorists (2) because Dominion Voting Systems dropped the big one last week and right in the middle of Mike Lindell’s insane Cyber Symposium at that – and the lawsuits are allowed to proceed in full! Get the popcorn ready! In the number 3 slot this week is Ron DeSantis – and he’s rightfully earned the nickname Death Sentence (3), and also is a governor who is actually worthy of a recall election against him! Taking the number four slot is Congressional Trolls (4) which includes Marjorie Greene getting banned from Twitter, Rand Paul getting banned from Youtube, and a bonus – Rudy Guiliani is turning tricks on Cameo! Oh how the mighty have fallen! Taking the 5th slot this week, we have a new Top 10 Investigates (5) and this week – what’s up with Spirit Airlines? As the wheels of humanity start to turn again it’s wreaking havoc on the airline industry and low cost carriers are particularly feeling the pinch! 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 Christian pastors and churches are turning to historian David Barton – and this guy is peddling some absolutely dangerous misinformation about history to anyone who will listen. So who is he? We will tell you! In the number 7 slot this week is a new “Beating A Dead Horse” – Jeopardy has recruited a double round of hosts to replace the irreplaceable Alex Trebek – and fans aren’t happy about it one bit! Taking the number 8 slot this week is a new Conspiracy Corner (8) – how did Mike Lindell’s Cyber Symposium go? Well it went about as well as you might expect it would! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week we have a new People Are Dumb, because of course they are! Finally this week we have a new edition of Red State Diaries (10) and what happened at the Sturgis Rally? Or as we’re now calling it the “Gathering Of The Deplorables”? Lots of insanity, that’s what! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]The War In Afghanistan: The End
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Those of us who lived through the George W. Bush years will remember what an absolute clusterfuck of a shit show the beginning of the War In Afghanistan over the 9/11 terrorist attacks were. Who knew we’d still be in it 20 years and trillions of dollars later? That’s right – we spent 20 years and 2 trillion dollars in an unjust war, and all we got was this lousy t-shirt. I actually wanted that as the title for this week’s edition but it was way too long. But anyway the end of the war is just as big of a clusterfuck as the beginning. And conservatives and Bernie Bros everywhere are eager to trash and slander Biden over this, but was it really his fault? Let’s take a look at the facts behind the withdrawl from Afghanistan and see where the real fault lies.

Joe Biden has said he could not see a way to withdraw from Afghanistan without “chaos ensuing”. In an exclusive interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos, and the president’s first since the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, President Joe Biden defended his decision to withdraw troops when he did.

Ousted Afghan president Ashraf Ghani confirmed he was in the United Arab Emirates but said he was in “consultation” to return to Afghanistan.

Taliban militants attacked protesters in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday after they dared to take down their banner and replace it with the country’s flag, killing at least one person and fuelling fears about how the insurgents plan to govern.

A senior Taliban commander met a former Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, for talks on Wednesday, as the Taliban worked to establish a government in Afghanistan amid allegations of women and children being beaten and at least three protesters being shot dead.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/aug/18/afghanistan-live-news-updates-taliban-kabul-airport-deaths-afghan-crisis

Now you know here’s the thing – Fox News and conservatives are ready to rake Biden over the coals for Afghanistan but if you were to point out that the country’s president was in jail until Trump released him because reasons, they would cover their ears and go “la la la la la la la la”. Well there is some good news in the war on the Taliban – if you really want to fight someone, hit them where it hurts! And there’s no better place than in the pocketbook!

The Biden administration has frozen the Afghanistan government’s holdings in US banks, preventing the Taliban from accessing billions of dollars—a major, if indeterminate, part of the country’s foreign reserves.

Among the assets trapped in this freeze is a stash of gold bars deposited in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. According to figures published by Afghanistan’s central bank, the deposit amounted to roughly 22 tons of gold as of December 2020, the most recent date for which this data is available. At current prices benchmarked by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), the gold is worth around $1.25 billion.

The gold represents more than a tenth of the reserves the Afghanistan government holds, in banks at home as well as in various countries including the US. The central bank, named Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB), owned around $10 billion in reserve assets as of June, according to data published by the bank. In relative terms, this is a very significant figure for Afghanistan. By comparison, the country’s GDP in 2020 was roughly $20 billion, according to the World Bank.
https://qz.com/2049375/taliban-cant-touch-afghanistans-gold-stored-away-in-the-us/

Yeah so if you really want to fight a terrorist cell, don’t use missiles. Use PIN numbers! The thing is no matter which way you look at it, Afghanistan is an absolute mess right now and that always happens after a 20 year war and attempted regime change. But really in the grand scheme of things, there was no way an attempt at a peaceful withdrawl was going to happen. Chaos was always the plan, and Biden is the “remain calm, all is well” guy.

In an exclusive interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, and the president's first since the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, President Joe Biden stood firm in his defense of the United States' withdrawal, but asserted for the first time that he believes the chaos was unavoidable.

"So you don't think this could have been handled -- this exit could have been handled better in any way, no mistakes?" Stephanopoulos asked Biden.

"No, I don't think it could have been handled in a way that, we're gonna go back in hindsight and look -- but the idea that somehow, there's a way to have gotten out without chaos ensuing, I don't know how that happens. I don't know how that happened," Biden replied.

* * *
"Now exactly what happened, I've not priced in," he said. "But I knew that they're going to have an enormous -- Look, one of the things we didn't know is what the Taliban would do in terms of trying to keep people from getting out. What they would do. What are they doing now? They're cooperating, letting American citizens get out, American personnel get out, embassies get out, et cetera, but they're having -- we're having some more difficulty having those who helped us when we were in there."

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/biden-says-he-did-not-see-a-way-to-withdraw-from-afghanistan-without-chaos-ensuing/ar-AANt9bm?ocid=msedgntp

But in case you’re wondering what Former Guy thought of the former Afghan president, well, let’s just say it’s exactly what you think that he would say. Actually it's even worse if you see the statements he's been putting out lately. Can we show that? Although here’s the thing – we don’t need that guy to go on Hannity and barf his brain about what *HE* would have done, because he always makes it about himself. Holy crap, I could have predicted he would be an unhinged lunatic and that Fox would go off the rails. Although we do have to roll that clip of Hannity plugging My Pillow, because that is fucking spectacular. But here’s what he said, and really, STFU Donny.

Republican former President Donald Trump has called Afghanistan's former President Ashraf Ghani "a total crook," adding, "He got away with murder."

Trump made his comments during a Tuesday night interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. Hannity asked Trump about his dealings with Taliban leaders and the Afghan government as Trump prepared to withdraw U.S. military troops from the region.

First, Trump said that he negotiated with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, the Taliban's co-founder. Trump said he told the Taliban leader that the U.S. troop withdrawal was a "conditions-based agreement." If the Taliban harmed any Americans or allies, Trump said, the U.S. would retaliate by bombing the leader's home village as well as other parts the country.

"I wanted [the Taliban] to get a deal done with the Afghan government," Trump continued. "Now, I never had a lot of confidence, frankly, in Ghani. I said that openly and plainly I thought he was a total crook."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/donald-trump-calls-former-afghan-president-total-crook-says-he-got-away-with-murder/ar-AANrzta

Oh and here’s that clip for good measure – it’s pretty spectacular:

https://twitter.com/mmfa/status/1427740058891730946?s=20

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[font size="8"]Mike Lindell
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Hey look, we’ve already got an entire edition of Conspiracy Corner dedicated to Mike Lindell’s insane “Cyber Symposium” that was supposedly going to drop the big one that would cause the Supreme Court to rule 9 – 0 and reverse the 2020 election giving that guy power again. Well that didn’t happen, what we got was a whole lot of nothing. But what is real is the reason why Mike left the stage in the middle of the show when he said he wasn’t going to. Dominion Voting Systems dropped the big one against conspiracy theorists like Mike Lindell, Sydney Powell and Steve Bannon – their lawsuits are going to move forward! Yeah how about that! Let’s take these assholes down! And Dominion isn’t fucking around either – the charges against these kooks are very serious!

Three prominent allies of former U.S. President Donald Trump -Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell and Mike Lindell - on Wednesday lost a bid to dismiss multibillion dollar lawsuits saying their false claims about the 2020 presidential election defamed the Dominion voting equipment company.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington D.C. said in a written decision that lawsuits brought against the trio by Dominion Voting Systems should move forward. The company had said it was defamed because Trump and his supporters spread false claims that it rigged the election against him.

Nichols held that the First Amendment, which protects the right to free speech, offers "no blanket immunity" to Powell and Lindell in the lawsuits. Powell is a lawyer who later left the Trump campaign. Lindell is a conspiracy theorist who founded a pillow and bedding company.

The judge also rejected an argument by Giuliani, a former U.S. prosecutor and mayor of New York, that Dominion had not explained its request for money damages with enough specificity.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-allies-giuliani-powell-lose-bid-dismiss-dominion-lawsuits-2021-08-11/

Thank you Nelson! But now this has the conspiracy theorists hopping mad as they’ve counter sued Dominion for… reasons, and their asking price? A mere 4.3 billion. I can only imagine the judges either love this or hate this depending on who you talk to. At least Dominion has a legitimate case, the conspiracy theorists are just making noise and flinging their feces against the wall in the hopes that something sticks. Well it won’t stick but it definitely stinks!

One of Sidney Powell’s conspiracy-promoting pals deserves a fat paycheck—she thinks. A star “expert” for Powell’s election fraud argument before the Supreme Court—supposed former intelligence contractor, self-described “trained cryptolinguist,” podcaster, QAnon promoter, and alleged con artist Terpsichore Maras—has sued Dominion Voting Systems for $3.4 billion. Because she argues that, uh, Dominion didn’t prove her anonymous affidavit testifying that Dominion’s voting machines were vulnerable to tampering was actually wrong. In her eyes, this shows her case isn’t not untrue.

The Washington Post identified Maras by her preceding blog post which mirrored the affidavit. In December 2020, the court tossed aside findings by her and former Trump attorney Sidney Powell’s other supposed experts, stating that they “reach implausible conclusions often because they are derived from wholly unreliable sources.” In Dominion’s libel lawsuit against Powell, it claimed that Powell hadn’t even spoken to Maras before throwing up her testimony as fact, which Maras confirmed to the Washington Post.
https://gizmodo.com/sidney-powell-s-secret-intelligence-contractor-witness-1847508906

Yes cool! But first off what the hell is a “cyber linguist”? I swear they just make shit up. But there’s nothing really cool about this as it’s a colossal waste of time. But my favorite thing about this is that not only is Dominion going after conspiracy theorists like Mike Lindell and Sydney Powell, but they’re also going after pro-Trump news outlets like OAN and Newsmax for peddling “the big lie” about the 2020 election. Yup, shit just got real all right!

Dominion Voting Systems has filed billion-dollar lawsuits against two conservative television networks for their alleged spread of misinformation during the 2020 election, the company's latest move in an ongoing legal battle.

In a series of lawsuits filed Tuesday, the voting tech company accused right-wing networks Newsmax and One America News Network of spreading misinformation about the 2020 election by accusing Dominion of rigging the ballots in President Biden's favor via their voting machines. These lies have harmed the company, its employees and its customers; workers have been threatened, their offices vandalized, and the company has had to spend upwards of $600,000 on security for employees, the suit alleges.

Among other claims, OAN and Newsmax alleged that the Dominion voting machines, which were used in 28 states, deleted millions of votes for Donald Trump — a claim that has "no basis in fact or reality," the suits state.

Newsmax and OAN "knowingly and continuously sold the false story of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election with Dominion cast as the villain," a representative for Dominion told reporters this week.
https://www.npr.org/2021/08/10/1026509404/dominion-sues-conservative-media-oan-newsmax-2020-election

And that’s their bullshit for you – it is so pure! The purest ever! Nobody produces purer bullshit than they do! But if you want to know how pure their bullshit is, this might be my favorite part of the story and here’s where it gets weird, because you knew it was going to! One of my favorite parts of this story is that they are turning on each other! That’s right – Mike Lindell has accused Rick Wiles and True News of being a Media Matters plant. These guys don’t even trust themselves anymore!

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell hosted a three-day “cyber symposium” in South Dakota last week that he claimed would provide irrefutable proof that the 2020 presidential election was hacked by foreign actors and stolen from former President Donald Trump. Lindell was so confident that he boldly offered $5 million to anyone who could disprove the legitimacy of the data he presented while predicting that the evidence would be so overwhelming that Trump would be restored to office by August 13.

Needless to say, none of that happened, as Lindell’s symposium was such an utter debacle that even his own experts were forced to admit that they had no proof of anything that Lindell had been claiming.

Predictably, Lindell reacted to the fiasco by spreading new conspiracy theories alleging that left-wing reporters worked with “antifa” activists to sabotage his event, going so far as to accuse the far-right outlet TruNews of being an “antifa” front group funded by Media Matters.

TruNews—an anti-vaccine, anti-semitic, End Times conspiracy theory network—was among the media organizations granted credentials to cover Lindell’s event. TruNews was so sympathetic to Lindell’s claims of massive voter fraud that the network sent two correspondents to broadcast from the symposium and streamed the entire event live on its website for three days.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/mike-lindell-accuses-trunews-of-being-a-fake-news-front-established-by-media-matters/

[font size="8"]Ron DeSantis
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In case you folks haven’t forgotten, we’re still in a raging pandemic! But in the last few months, the pandemic has taken a rather interesting twist – it’s currently favoring the unvaccinated and sending them to the hospital in record numbers! And it’s all thanks to the vehement denial coming from conservatives and anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists. That’s right – that killer virus is still out there and conservatives have pretty much downplayed its’ existence. One governor in particular is the reigning king of Florida Men and that’s Ron DeSantis (R – Obviously). And those of us who have been acting cautiously are rewarded with a somewhat functioning society again. But those of you who aren’t, well you’re left with this. But don’t let you think for a minute that we’re not letting Ron Death Sentence get away with this! Oh no! He’s in the spotlight for this one!

...One of the suits, filed by attorney Barry Silver, is on behalf of a father of three children living in Broward County. One of the children, who is too young to receive a Covid-19 shot, has a history of childhood asthma, the suit says.

"Florida is among the states with the highest number of Covid-19 victims in the country, and the number of afflicted people is growing rapidly. The danger to Plaintiff and his children and all others they come into contact with is severe, unreasonable, and growing by the day," the suit says.

The suit adds that the Florida Constitution says "adequate provision shall be made by law for a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools," and calls the governor's order unconstitutional.
The plaintiffs in the second lawsuit include parents who represent school-aged children from counties all over the state, including Miami-Dade, Orange, Hillsborough, Palm Beach and Alachua....

The second lawsuit argues several points, according to Gallagher, including that the Florida Constitution guarantees a safe school environment and gives counties the power to govern themselves. DeSantis' executive order attempts to strip the power away from school districts that are run by elected officials, Gallagher said....

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/06/us/florida-desantis-executive-order-school-masks-first-legal-challenge-constitutionality/index.html

Yeah well tell it to Ron, don’t tell it to the kid! But here’s how fucked up Florida is right now in terms of COVID numbers. Well for one thing, they simply do not give a shit. And two – people can easily get away with shit like this. Remember last year when we told you that people were abusing their PPP funds and buying Ferraris and other expensive crap with them (see: Top 10 #9-7 )? Well Florida is full of people like this, and the reason why we ain’t getting nice things.

A former accounts manager for a nonprofit affiliated with the University of South Florida’s medical school has pleaded guilty to embezzling almost $13 million, spending most of it at an adult website with some of it coming back to him.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that Ralph Puglisi, 59, is facing up to 20 years in prison under the deal, which was recently filed in Tampa’s federal court. Puglisi had worked for the University Medical Service Association, which provides staffing and support for USF Health and other medical providers in the Tampa Bay area.

According to court documents, Puglisi spent almost $12 million at an adult website that allows users to subscribe to channels belonging to specific women, who disrobe and engage in sex acts on live video.

An investigation showed that Puglisi subscribed to a channel belonging to his stepson’s fiancee and they split almost $750,000 in profits, with Puglisi taking 60%.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-10de0f8f7f00bba5ba6939fa44bf7345

Well between people like this and governor Death Sentence at the helm, I assume that Florida will get this thing under control... 100 years from now. And that's assuming that some home grown Florida mutant doesn't escape and kill everybody first. Oh and don't think for a minute that won't happen because if there's one state that could be responsible for death of humanity, it's Florida. But this is more like Governors With Low Self Esteem… thank you graphics department! Yes, Ron is the first subject here!

As Florida contends with a massive surge in Covid cases, Governor Ron DeSantis seems devoted to making it more difficult to stop the spread in public schools.

On Monday, the day many Florida students headed back to school, DeSantis issued a statement making clear that any school administrator who imposes a mask mandate, in violation of his executive order banning such rules, could face financial consequences. Specifically, he suggested that “the State Board of Education could move to withhold the salary of the district superintendent or school board members, as a narrowly tailored means to address the decision-makers who led to the violation of law.”

Many Florida school districts have indeed imposed mask mandates, but most are unlikely to run afoul of DeSantis, since they provide carve-outs for parents who don’t want to comply. Christina Pushaw, a spokeswoman for DeSantis, said on Twitter that the penalties DeSantis were threatening wouldn’t apply to such schools. Those that require doctor’s notes to opt out, though, could be in the crosshairs.

In any case, multiple school administrators said they would ignore DeSantis’s threats. Alberto M. Carvalho, the superintendent of Miami public schools, said that “At no point shall I allow my decision to be influenced by a threat to my paycheck.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ron-desantis-takes-his-hatred-of-mask-mandates-to-a-new-level/ar-AAN9ITI

That is a good point, sir! He really does suck! And in case you’re wondering just how dumb Ron Death Sentence is, he actually had to have Fox News walk him through how to hold a press conference once the vaccines became available. Talk about someone with some really low self esteem. And come on, having Fox News hold your hand on the vaccine issue is like putting the D student in charge of a master’s level class. You’re probably bound to flunk it, or at least not comprehend the information available to you.

An analysis of four months worth of emails from Ron DeSantis' (R) office reveals the Florida governor's myriad appearances on Fox News to be "carefully crafted" ahead of time — so much so, the network even helped the 2024 standout stage a vaccination news event back in January, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

DeSantis' office, attempting to paint a more flattering picture of Florida's confusing vaccine rollout and overshadow images of desperate seniors in long lines, pitched an appearance from the governor to Fox & Friends. The top-rated show's producers were thrilled, and a "plan came together in a flurry of emails and phone calls" over the next several days, per Tampa Bay.

The governor's team "provided a senior, a location, and the talking points," while Fox brought "the cameras and its audience." No other media was allowed in. The segment, which featured a 100-year-old veteran receiving his first shot while DeSantis cracked jokes and "boasted that Florida was leading the country in vaccinating older residents," aired on Jan. 22.

The event is just one instance of there being "few surprises" when DeSantis appears on Fox, writes Tampa Bay. Topics, talking points, and sometimes even graphics are reportedly shared in advance.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/fox-news-reportedly-helped-ron-162333445.html

[font size="8"]Conservative Online Trolls
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We always emphasize on this program that if you see trolling going on, don’t hesitate to use that report button! No, not on me! Them! Use it on them! It turns out that people are finally using that advice and telling Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube where the trolls are! Well the preferred Congresswoman of your creepy uncle – Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q – Batshit) was banned from Twitter yet again. What for this time you might ask? Well I answer you – because she was peddling dangerous conspiracy theories about the COVID vaccine. People we can’t emphasize enough – this virus is nothing to fuck with. Get the vaccine and take the necessary precautions you need to keep safe. But then again on the flip side there’s people like Marjorie Taylor Greene who it seems like they almost want the virus to win. Maybe it’s a bad case of Stockholm Syndrome, who knows? But anyway… you can’t fix stupid.

Twitter (TWTR) has suspended Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's account for one week following another violation of the platform's rules, the company said Tuesday.

Greene tweeted on Monday that the Food and Drug Administration "should not approve the covid vaccines." She also claimed the vaccines were "failing" and that they were ineffective at reducing the virus's spread.

In response, Twitter labeled the tweet as misleading and prevented Greene from tweeting for one week.

The tweet, a company spokesperson said, "was labeled in line with our COVID-19 misleading information policy. The account will be in read-only mode for a week due to repeated violations of the Twitter Rules."

Tuesday's suspension marks at least the third and toughest penalty Twitter has imposed on Greene for sharing misinformation. In January, Greene was suspended for 12 hours from Twitter for sharing conspiracy theories about the Georgia Senate runoff elections, a move that the company said violated its civic integrity policy. In July, Twitter suspended Greene again for 12 hours for sharing misinformation about Covid-19 and vaccines. (Greene was also temporarily suspended in March but was soon reinstated after Twitter said its automated systems had acted in error.)
https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/10/tech/twitter-marjorie-taylor-greene/index.html

Thank you Nelson! You know if you’re not fit for Twitter, you’re probably not fit for Congress, either! We are just saying, that’s all! If that’s not enough, another one of our favorite senators, Kentucky’s Rand Paul (Q – Batshit) also got banned from Youtube in the same week! But you know the really scary thing with these assholes is? They’re wearing their “banned” label like it’s a badge of honor or something. I guess this is Alex Jones’ doing?

Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, has been suspended from YouTube for seven days over a video claiming that masks are ineffective in fighting Covid-19, according to a YouTube spokesperson.

"This resulted in a first strike on the channel, which means it can't upload content for a week, per our longstanding three strikes policy," the spokesperson said. "We apply our policies consistently across the platform, regardless of speaker or political views, and we make exceptions for videos that have additional context such as countervailing views from local health authorities."

Paul criticized the decision by YouTube in a tweet on Tuesday.

"Leftwing cretins at YouTube banning me for 7 days for a video that quotes 2 peer reviewed articles saying cloth masks don't work," he wrote, calling the suspension a "badge of honor."

Paul's tweet included a link to watch the video on an alternate platform.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/11/tech/rand-paul-youtube-suspension/index.html

Damn straight! Hey Rand – it’s not “left wing cretins” who are responsible for you getting banned, it’s you! So I say this with every left wing cell in my body – go fuck yourself! But while conservatives are on the losing side of the argument, this might be my absolute favorite story of the week. Remember the guy who was once Trump’s lawyer and the mayor of the city of New York during one of the worst catastrophes in modern history? I’m of course talking about Rudy Guiliani. It turns out after getting banned to practicing law in New York, he’s now reduced to turning tricks on Cameo. Looking for that last minute gift for that special someone? Here ya go!

Rudy Giuliani, the staunch ally of Donald Trump who is facing a multi-million dollar defamation lawsuit related to his attempts to undermine the US presidential elections, has embraced a new potential earning stream.

Internet users, should they be inspired to do so, can now buy customized video messages from Giuliani, who has joined Cameo, a service that sells personalized videos recorded by celebrities.

“Hi. It’s Rudy Giuliani and I’m on Cameo” Giuliani says in a video posted on his Cameo page on Tuesday.

He goes on to say: “If there is an issue you want to discuss or a story you’d like to hear or share with me or a greeting that I can bring to someone that would bring happiness to their day, I would be delighted to do it. It can be arranged. We can talk through the magic of Cameo.”

The price? That starts at $199 (£140).
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/aug/11/rudy-giuliani-cameo-personalized-video-messages

That’s pretty much what getting a personalized message from Guiliani on Cameo is like. Maybe without less blood. But I do have one last story in the miscellaneous wingnut category – Stephen Segal. You might remember him from such movies as Under Siege and Under Siege 2. Well we at the Top 10 tracked down his whereabouts. And in a shocking (not) turn of events – Mr. America is now Mr. Kremlin and he’s about as hard right as it gets!

Hollywood actor Steven Seagal, who has Russian citizenship, has joined a pro-Kremlin political party.

The A Just Russia party backs almost all Kremlin initiatives and supports President Vladimir Putin but is a rival of the ruling United Russia party.

At a ceremony on May 29, Seagal posed for pictures next to one of the party leaders, Russian writer Zakhar Prilepin, who is associated with Russia-backed separatists that are fighting against Ukrainian government forces in eastern Ukraine.

Seagal, who has personal ties with Putin, was given Russian citizenship in 2016.
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-steven-seagal-joins-pro-kremlin-party-putin/31281188.html

[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Spirit Airlines SNAFUs
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It’s time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!

As the gears of humanity are starting to grind again after being shut down for the majority of 2020, some things are having a hard time getting going again. One of those things is airlines, particularly the low cost carrier variety of airline. Many of them had to park their planes at logistics airports like in Victorville and Tuscon while humanity dealt with the harsh reality of COVID-19. Now that the worst of it seems to be behind us, some things are having a hard time getting back to normal. And one of the worst hit airlines seems to be Spirit. The Florida-based airline with cool-looking airplanes and heavy amounts of advertising was one of the worst hit as the gears of humanity are starting to turn again. But what will it take to get the air travel industry as we knew it to get back together again? Well it’s going to take a lot, starting with airlines like Spirit getting back on the grid again.

"We're sorry."

The subject line on the email from Spirit Airlines at 5:20 a.m. Friday scared me. I was due to fly from Las Vegas to Dallas in two hours and figured the flight was canceled, a victim of the budget airline's multiday meltdown.

It wasn't. The letter from Spirit was an apology, complete with a $50 voucher, for what happened on my "recent rip," though I had zero issues on two Spirit flights the day before.

The pilot on the Las Vegas to Dallas flight also apologized, even though the flight departed early.

"If you've been affected by delays and cancellations over the last week, we do apologize," he said before takeoff. "We understand your frustration. Thanks for hanging in there with us."

Spirit CEO Ted Christie has been on an apology tour, too, telling USA TODAY Saturday he will continue to say sorry after more than 2,000 flight cancellations in a week. The airline scrubbed as many as 60% of its flights on the worst days as it struggled to get flight crews where they needed to be.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2021/08/10/spirit-airlines-flight-cancellations-stranded-passengers-airline-apology/5515041001/

You know things are bad when the CEO is forced to go on an apology tour. But also “parade of incompetence” really is a highly suspect phrase. But rebooting humanity after it has to clear itself of a deadly virus is much like rebooting your computer, it will take time and patience and if it doesn’t work the first time, wait for the update and reboot again. Of course the latest update certainly didn’t help things but then again this is Spirit Airlines.

Spirit Airlines Inc. on Wednesday canceled hundreds more flights but said it is working to reset operations.

The low-cost airline canceled 60% of its flights Wednesday for the second day in a row, according to FlightAware. Spirit has been grappling with what it has described as “overlapping operational challenges” since Sunday, including bad weather, technology-system outages and staffing shortages.

Spirit said Wednesday that the airline was rebooting its network to help speed the process of reassigning crews and restoring flights. A spokesman said the airline expects the number of canceled flights to begin to fall Thursday and in the coming days.

“The last three days were extremely difficult for our Guests and Team Members, and for that we sincerely apologize,” the airline said in a statement. The airline said it had planned to learn from the problems and had identified ways to improve.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/spirit-cancellations-continue-as-airline-reboots-network-11628112404

Gee… you think? This has been a difficult time for all of us but, as Will Ferrell famously said in Old School, “we have to keep our composure!”. But if you lose out to one airline, complaining to another certainly isn’t going to help things. So what happens when one loses out on a Spirit Airlines flight and goes to complaint to another carrier like Frontier or Allegiant? Well the other airlines are not going to like it too much, that’s for sure!

All looked serene at the Frontier Airlines counter for part of the day. But Frank Ortiz and his family says for a part of the day, it was a scene of wall-to-wall people and much frustration.

“Understaffed. They had two people there. All type sof people in line. Super long line,” said Frank Ortiz, a Frontier passenger.

Salem resident Olga Rivera was trying to get her family to Orlando for her grandmother’s funeral. She says the Airlines didn’t have enough staff to handle everybody.

“This is outrageous,” said Rivera. “The line for the counter, all of this was full.”
https://boston.cbslocal.com/2021/08/05/this-is-outrageous-frontier-airlines-turn-away-booked-travelers-due-to-understaffing-issues/

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

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

My fair congregation! You know we live in troubled times. There’s a plague, and wars still going on, and assholes attempting to rewrite history to cover up racism… and that’s what we’re here for today. We’re here for the latter. The next time your Christian right neighbors start spouting dangerous conspiracy theories and begin attacking education, you might want to learn the name of who’s peddling this misinformation to them. But that man’s name is David Barton. I don’t know if y’all are familiar with the works of Mr. Barton, but your real pastor might be! For this man is very dangerous because people listen to him. He is what one might call a “false prophet”. And he is a supporter of the unholy, ungodly Dark One – you know, I speak of a man so disgusting that his name shall not be spoken in my church! So what does Mr. Barton stand for you might ask? Well he’s attempting to whitewash history for starters!

Religious-right activist Chad Connelly appeared on the Truth & Liberty Coalition’s weekly livestream program Monday, where he announced that he and right-wing pseudo-historian David Barton will be launching a multi-week, 16-state, 40-city “American Restoration Tour” after Labor Day.

Connelly, a longtime GOP activist who now runs an organization called Faith Wins, said that Barton’s work has been “massively influential” to him, so he decided to take Barton to churches all around the country. the aim, he said, is to “teach Christians why God’s role in America is irreplaceable” and get them mobilized heading into the midterm elections in 2022.

A former chair of the South Carolina Republican Party, Connelly led faith outreach efforts for the Republican National Committee during the 2016 presidential election campaign.

“We’re going to do meetings of pastors, and churches, and activists, and people that care about our nation, and we’re going to make sure they get to hear from David Barton,” Connelly said. “We’re going to be all over the nation. We want to fill venues. … We want to put as many people as we can in front of David Barton so we get a renewed interest and understanding of how special America is and how God’s had his hand on America from the very beginning.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/david-barton-will-be-peddling-his-pseudo-history-in-churches-around-the-nation-in-preparation-for-the-midterm-elections/

Yes! Now if you’re wondering just how dangerous Mr. Barton can be he’s not only a historian who has a dangerous recollection of history and is trying to make it white supremacist friendly, he’s also vehemently anti-LGBT! And that’s not what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now, is it? Now again we talk about how the far right is cozying up to neo Nazi Hungarian leader Viktor Orban, and it’s a very dangerous ideology. But how dangerous is it? Well “very” is putting it lightly!

Earlier this month, Hungary’s National Assembly passed legislation banning portrayals of homosexuality or transgender individuals in any content aimed at those under the age of 18, a move that was heartily approved by religious-right pseudo-historian David Barton.

American religious-right activists have long admired Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an anti-democratic strongman who has oppressed news media and civil society in the name of protecting “traditional values,” so it was no surprise to see Barton praise this latest crackdown.

“There’s five nations in Eastern Europe that were former Soviet bloc nations that we would describe as very young Christian nations,” Barton said during an appearance last Wednesday on The Victory Channel. “They’re heavily Christian, heavily influenced by Christian teaching values. You have Hungary, you have the Czech Republic, you have Romania, you have Ukraine, and you have Poland, and they are trying to have their policy line up with traditional biblical values. They believe that God will bless their nation if they do those things.”

“And so I applaud those guys for doing that,” Barton continued. “And quite frankly, most American Christians probably would not have stood with that because we’re so scared of getting beat up on by media and others. But that is a biblically correct position that you have; there are moral rights and wrongs and sexuality, and those are five nations in Eastern Europe that have been trying to uphold biblical standards on morality, and good for them.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/david-barton-praises-hungarys-latest-anti-lgbtq-crackdown/

But how long is that going to take? And I ask you my fair congregation – remember last year when the Dark One wanted to peddle his own “1776 Commission” to rival the New York Times’ 1917 Project? So when you put a dangerous man like Mr. Barton at the helm it could have the potential to backfire on you, so beware! And come on, when you run a podcast called “Wallbuilders” I think it should be pretty clear which side of the wall you’re on!

In November, President Donald Trump issued an executive order creating a “1776 Commission” for the purpose of “promoting patriotic education.” Alleging that liberals have hijacked the teaching of history by presenting “one-sided and divisive accounts [that] too often ignore or fail to properly honor and recollect the great legacy of the American national experience,” Trump’s commission aims to “provide America’s young people access to what is genuinely inspiring and unifying in our history, as well as to the lessons imparted by the American experience of overcoming great national challenges.”

This is exactly the sort of nonsense argument long made by prominent right-wing pseudo-historian David Barton of WallBuilders, whose entire enterprise is built on the false notion that the United States of America was founded as a Christian nation. As such, it was no surprise to learn that Republican Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia is circulating a letter to his fellow members of Congress urging Trump to name Barton as the chairman of the 1776 Commission.

Loudermilk, a longtime acolyte of Barton and his warped presentation of American history, announced the effort while introducing Barton at Roopville Road Baptist Church in Georgia Sunday.

“I have put a letter together trying to get as many members of Congress to sign on to this recommending David Barton to chair that national commission,” Loudermilk said. “So, I hope you join with me in praying that we can get that done because I think that would be huge.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/rep-barry-loudermilk-wants-david-barton-to-chair-trumps-1776-commission/

And in case you’re wondering what qualifies Mr. Barton as a historian – he can’t even get the amendments right! Let’s also not forget that he wrote his own version of the Bible which calls for a Christian Nation to be established. That is some scary white supremacist talk. But my favorite thing is his bizarre interpretation of the third amendment. If you don’t know exactly what this means, I suggest that you need to relearn basic lessons on the founding of this country. Because that is what the good LAWRD JAYSUS commands!

While speaking at Cornerstone Church in Texas last weekend, right-wing pseudo-historian David Barton claimed that government overreach during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to wholesale violations of the Bill of Rights, including the Third Amendment, which prohibits the quartering of soldiers in private homes.

Barton made the comment in passing, so he never explained exactly how the Third Amendment had supposedly been violated in recent months. But while speaking at Crosspoint Community Church in Missoula, Montana, this Sunday, Barton made this claim again, and this time, he explained what he meant.

Not surprisingly, his argument was absurd even by his standards.

“The Third Amendment says, essentially, that the government can’t set up shop in your house,” Barton said. “And now we’ve seen, particularly in states like Virginia and elsewhere, ‘Oh, we’ve heard that you’ve been exposed to COVID. We’re going to put an ankle bracelet to make sure you can’t leave your house. We’re going to monitor everywhere you go, everything you do.’ No, that’s Third Amendment stuff. The government can’t set up shop in my house.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/david-barton-claims-the-use-of-ankle-monitors-violates-the-third-amendment/

So if your church starts boasting about this guy’s teachings, run away! In fact stay as far away as you can for this kind of thing is dangerous! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: Double Jeopardy
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You can’t associate the show Jeopardy without picturing its’ iconic host – the man, the myth, the legend that is the late, great Mr. Alex Trebek. Well let’s face facts – there is absolutely no one who could replace Mr. Trebek. The man is literally irreplacable. OK maybe I could see Will Ferrell replacing him and doing his Alex Trebek impression. That’s about it. Now let’s meet the new hosts – on one hand is the show’s executive producer, Mike Richards. No, not that Michael Richards, who you might know best as Kramer from Seinfeld. Not that guy. And on the other hand is former Blossom star and current neuroscientist Mayim Bialik.

When the new season of "Jeopardy!" debuts on September 13, executive producer Mike Richards will be behind the host lectern.

Richards was named the official new host on Wednesday, as expected, but Sony Pictures Television also announced a surprise: Mayim Bialik will be the host of occasional prime time episodes of the beloved game show.

Bialik will lead "primetime and spinoff series, including the upcoming all-new Jeopardy! National College Championship set to air on ABC next year, as the studio looks to extend the Jeopardy! franchise to new platforms," Sony said in a statement.

The Daily Beast was first to break the news.

Given the popularity of the daily syndicated show that was helmed by Alex Trebek for decades, it's only logical that Sony wants to keep trying to expand in new directions.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/11/media/jeopardy-hosts-mayim-bialik-mike-richards/index.html

So Jeopardy has new hosts for the first time in 37 years. And longtime fans aren’t happy one bit. And the reason why that is is because they left out one very popular host in all of the rotating list of guest hosts was La Var Burton. But he wasn’t picked. And that said, how can we not react to the controversy? I will tell you why: We still can’t travel like we used to, and we’re bored. Get how that works? So how did this all go wrong? Well it’s simple.

According to several entertainment industry reports, Mike Richards has been named the new permanent host of “Jeopardy!,” following in the footsteps of the late Alex Trebek. After the November death of Trebek, who had hosted the popular quiz show for more than 30 years, a series of guest hosts stepped in. The lineup included “Jeopardy!” “Greatest of All Time” champion Ken Jennings, TV veterans Katie Couric, Robin Roberts, Savannah Guthrie, Anderson Cooper, Bill Whitaker, George Stephanopoulos, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta, NFL star Aaron Rodgers, actors Mayim Bialik and LeVar Burton, and more.

Richards, who is an also an executive producer of “Jeopardy!,” was one of the guest hosts, following the tenure of Jennings earlier this year. Though news has been circulating that Richards was in negotiations to take over as permanent host, controversy clouded that choice as reports emerged of women who filed discrimination lawsuits involving their appearance on “The Price is Right,” during the period when Richards was a producer of that show.

As The Hollywood Reporter notes, Brandi Cochran filed a discrimination lawsuit against CBS and FremantleMedia in 2010, alleging that after taking time off for her pregnancy, Cochran wasn’t invited to return to “The Price is Right,” where she had worked as a model. The case was eventually settled.
https://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/2021/08/jeopardy-names-executive-producer-mike-richards-as-new-host-despite-controversy.html

Excuse me a minute… so yeah there’s no question that Mike Richards is a womanizing asshole and they’re apparently OK with it, which is why they hired Mayim Bialik to cohost the show with him. Why wouldn’t you appoint yourself as the host of a show… oh wait that’s exactly what we did! And you know what? We’re still here five years running! Oh yeah that’s because I have no controversy associated with my show! But let’s face it, this whole thing was fucked to begin with!

Replacing an icon on a beloved show is a daunting task. For Jeopardy!, it has become virtually a mission impossible as a legion of passionate fans, still grieving over the death of host Alex Trebek, has been measuring up potential successors against their idol.

The high stakes led to intense scrutiny where candidates’ present — and past — were put under a microscope as celebrities took turns behind the Jeopardy! lectern in what the audience assumed was an auditioning process. The thorough public vetting resulted in the search taking an early turn when past champion Ken Jennings’ tweets dented his chances, and it may again impact the race in its final stage as old discrimination lawsuits involving Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards are taking on a new life as he has been nearing a deal for the job.

Back in November, just two weeks after Trebek’s death, Jennings was announced as the first guest host for the venerable syndicated game show. Already a Jeopardy! legend with his record winning streak and a Greatest of All Time title, the popular — and likable — Jennings was considered a clear frontrunner and the one to beat as Trebek’s successor.
https://deadline.com/2021/08/jeopardy-host-controversy-mike-richards-ken-jennings-search-1234810536/

No I would think she wouldn’t! But what do the actual producers of the show think about this controversy? Well we can sit here and point fingers and engage in the circular firing squad all we want and we ain’t goin’ nowhere. But the truth of the matter is there’s no one who can replace Alex Trebek and whoever tanks the show might as well take the Jeopardy name with them. But we’ll keep watching as long as they keep making the shows!

Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards addresses the controversy surrounding reports of him becoming the show's permanent host. After the game show's longtime host, Alex Trebek, passed away last year, several guest hosts have stepped in to try and fill his shoes. Ken Jennings, the former Jeopardy! champion, was the first to appear on the show in Trebek's former role, followed by the Roots and Reading Rainbow star LeVar Burton, NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and the controversial Dr. Oz.

Several cable news hosts have also stepped in to guest host Jeopardy!, including Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, Robin Roberts, and George Stephanopoulos, but everyone knew a permanent host would eventually be named to succeed Trebek. Last week, Jeopardy! took a major step toward replacing him when Mike Richards, the show's executive producer and prior guest host, was reportedly in advanced negotiations to become the full-time replacement. This decision was immediately met with disappointment from those who wanted to see Burton named permanent host, who seems to be the most popular choice after an online petition went viral. This controversy was then compounded by some comments Richards made regarding a colleague's pregnancy during his time working on The Price is Right, which surfaced online.
https://screenrant.com/jeopardy-mike-richards-host-controversy-allegation-response/

[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Welcome back to our segment that attempts to explain the unexplainable – Conspiracy Corner! We are of course coming to you live from our underground doomsday prepper shelter 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 my thoughts after all! This week – the entire world watched in awe as the CEO of My Pillow, Mike Lindell, attempted to explain how the 2020 election was stolen. Well, maybe not so much the entire world, but a couple hundred people gathered in a stuffy South Dakota warehouse. And how did it go? Well it went about as well as you could possibly expect a gathering of only the most crazy and deluded of us to go.

Mike Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow, has launched a three-day “cyber symposium” aimed at providing incontrovertible evidence that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump by an evil cabal of hackers and politicos.

Among the numerous rightwing figures in media, business, and GOP politics that have pushed the conspiratorial election fraud claims, Lindell stands out as one of the movement’s most prominent nutcases. Having apparently made it a mission to preach the gospel of Trump wherever he goes, Lindell has been promoting his weird event for weeks—even going on CNN, where he got into a heated argument with Drew Griffin about the validity of his dubious claims.

The cyber symposium, held in Sioux Falls, S.D. Aug. 10-12, is now being continuously live-streamed via the businessman’s buggy farce of a website, Frank, and is supposed to feature hard data that proves (once and for all!) that votes were manipulated in favor of Joe Biden last November.

The event has attracted a weird mix of attendees, including a who’s who of Trump’s most influential supporters. Steve Bannon, the alleged architect of the former president’s successful 2016 campaign, has been photographed around the event. Similarly, rightwing conspiracy theorist Ron Watkins (who has been pinpointed as the likeliest “Q” of QAnon), also video-streamed into the symposium to add his two cents. Even Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (an alleged Trump pal), for some reason showed up.
https://gizmodo.com/mypillow-ceos-cyber-symposium-is-already-a-deranged-cir-1847465431

So it was basically a gathering of conspiracy theorists to hear one of the key conspiracy theorists barf his brain for 72 hours. We’ve talked about how dangerous and crazy Mike Lindell is, and he’s really a snifter away from just going into a total cocaine induced burnout. So what happens when you literally sit on a stage for 72 hours and just talk about bullshit? Well a whole lot and it got really weird really fast, which is what most of us were expecting anyways.

Now here’s where it gets weird and you knew it was going to! So apparently at one point in this Bore-A-Palooza, Mike Lindell went off stage despite that he said he was going to be there the full 72 hours because they were protestin something. What that is we’re not exactly clear. But when he went off stage, it was presumably because he got the news that Dominion was coming for him. Guess what happened next? He was “attacked” by – and I’m quoting directly – “Antifa thugs”. I can’t even.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell appeared visibly shaken on Thursday as he discussed a physical "attack" he suffered during this week's "cyber symposium," the event at which he promised to share irrefutable evidence of industrial-scale voter fraud that would propel former President Donald Trump back into office.

"When I got to my hotel, I... I was attacked," Lindell said during an on-stage speech at the symposium, his voice audibly shaking. He immediately turned things over to one of his security professionals to outline how the event's "red team" had discovered agitators within the facility — but Salon was unable to find any evidence of those allegations.

Though the predicted Aug. 13 "reinstatement day" has now come and gone without any evidence to prove the widespread election tampering Lindell alleges, the pillow maven is now claiming that the assault he referenced on stage involved a fan squeezing his armpit just a little too hard while posing for a picture — a detail which has led a number of right-wing sites to speculate that the outspoken Trump supporter was the subject of a "martial-arts" style pressure-point attack.

According to an interview Lindell gave to right-wing blog "100 Percent Fed Up" Friday, the incident happened at the Sheraton hotel in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, late Wednesday night.
https://www.salon.com/2021/08/14/mike-lindell-shares-details-of-alleged-attack-during-cyber-symposium-photo-op/

But here’s where it gets even weirder – the “attacker” who wanted a picture of Lindell has a reputation of being a “selfie seeker”. Selfie Seekers by the way – saw them at the Troub, awesome band! And I mean come on really, what kind of depraved soul do you have to be to get a selfie with the guy who hawks crappy merchandise on late night TV? And I’m not talking about that other guy who once hawked cheap crap on late night TV, either!

Like his outlandish tales of baseless election fraud, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell’s story about being “attacked” in a South Dakota hotel by a mysterious member of antifa is getting weirder the more he talks about it.

Lindell claims he was confronted by an aggressive selfie seeker who poked him really hard, causing him pain, as they posed for a photo late Wednesday during his bizarre Cyber Symposium in Sioux Falls.

“I was attacked taking a picture,” he said Thursday on the conservative program “Flashpoint,” which runs on the social media platform Rumble.

Lindell said that two “guys kind of ran” toward him in his hotel, and one said, “Can I get a picture?’” But Lindell said the man wasn’t running “like a fan; it was just something different.”

Then the other guy “put his arm around and stuck his finger, it was so much pressure,” Lindell said, without specifying exactly where the finger was.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mike-lindell-my-pillow-antifa-attack-cyber-symposium_n_611724c2e4b07b9118ab2c27

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

Of course you know by now that people are people, and people are dumb. And this week we’re going to dedicate the entire thing to our good friend Florida Man. Yes now that the gears of society are starting to grind again, our old buddy from the Sunshine State is back to his usual tricks. And there’s some good ones this week. I’m not talking about the Florida Man who’s currently running the Sunshine State either, but there’s some good stories of just Florida Man being well, Florida Man. I want to start with this story out of Tampa. And let’s face it, everyone has had to deal with shady accounting managers at one point or another. But what do they spend it on? Well most people who steal this kind of money usually buy huge houses or supercars or whatever they want. This guy? Well he decided to pad his spank bank. Yes, you heard me!

A former accounts manager for a nonprofit affiliated with the University of South Florida’s medical school has pleaded guilty to embezzling almost $13 million, spending most of it at an adult website with some of it coming back to him.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that Ralph Puglisi, 59, is facing up to 20 years in prison under the deal, which was recently filed in Tampa’s federal court. Puglisi had worked for the University Medical Service Association, which provides staffing and support for USF Health and other medical providers in the Tampa Bay area.

According to court documents, Puglisi spent almost $12 million at an adult website that allows users to subscribe to channels belonging to specific women, who disrobe and engage in sex acts on live video.

An investigation showed that Puglisi subscribed to a channel belonging to his stepson’s fiancee and they split almost $750,000 in profits, with Puglisi taking 60%.
https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-10de0f8f7f00bba5ba6939fa44bf7345

Next up – we go to this story out of Clearwater. And come on, can someone tell me what they’re putting in the water in Clearwater? I feel like we see at least one story per week from Clearwater. But look… here’s the thing. Buying a new car is exciting, am I right? I bought a new car last year, I know how it feels to get a new vehicle. But here’s a pro tip – if you go to a dealer expecting to test drive, maybe I don’t know, don’t steal the car first! Especially when they have your existing car and driver’s license info!

Police say a woman in Clearwater took a car for a test drive and never returned.

Investigators shared a photo of the woman they're looking for in the grand theft investigation.

The unidentified woman walked into a dealership on Monday to test a 2018 Honda Accord. She showed her ID to workers before leaving in the car.

Fortunately, police recovered the car on Wednesday.

Authorities believe she may have had help.

Police shared a photo of a man who came with her to the dealership.
https://cbs12.com/news/local/florida-woman-steals-car-after-test-drive

Must kill Moe! Wheee! Next up – again back to Clearwater. Seriously, what is it about that town? We could do an entire segment of People Are Dumb, just from Clearwater. It’s the Florida of Florida, that’s Florida squared! Well this one began as a dispute over dinner, and dinner party fights almost never end well. Just ask Jan and Michael Scott from the Office. At least we’re not trying to dupe people into buying scented candles. But when the food starts flying, don’t be surprised if the cops are called!

A Florida man and woman took a trip to the big house after a domestic altercation ended with the tossing of some saucy noodles.

According to police, 45-year-old Stephanie Lannas and 35-year-old Adolfo Rivera were in an argument that led to a physical confrontation.

Officers say that both suspects, and victims, which in the case the pair are both, shoved plates of spaghetti in each other’s faces.

When officers were called to the couple’s residence in Clearwater, they were both covered in spaghetti upon the officer’s arrival.

The arrest affidavit states that alcohol was a factor in the pasta mayhem.
https://www.tampafp.com/florida-man-and-woman-arrested-after-spatting-with-spaghetti/

Yeah so don’t go to their dinner parties. Next up – we go to Miami for this one. Anyway a professional runner – I didn’t know that was a thing – has made multiple attempts to run from Florida to New York in a homemade contraption (god… sound familiar? ). But this might require more planning in advance, especially on the matters of security!

A man inside a makeshift bubble floating along the Atlantic Ocean washed ashore in Florida Saturday.

It was the latest attempt by runner Reza Baluchi to run across the sea inside a cylindrical contraption he calls a “hydropod.” This time, he was headed from Florida to New York to raise money for first responders, sick children and people who are homeless, he said.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office reported that the Baluchi, 49, left St. Augustine Friday in his hydropod with the goal of reaching New York.

He had to turn back after discovering some of his safety and navigation equipment had been stolen. His belongings were eventually recovered, but they’re essential for his maritime journeys, he said.

The Sheriff’s Office wants the vessel off the beach, but rough weather in the area is complicating efforts.

It wasn’t Baluchi’s first time trying to set sail in Atlantic waters in a flotation device. In 2014, the Coast Guard rescued him while he tried to reach Bermuda from Florida in a homemade hydro pod. He has also ran from Los Angeles to New York twice, and once circled the U.S. perimeter in an 11,720-mile trek.
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/florida/fl-ne-florida-new-york-bubble-reza-20210725-fidbqontarguph2nk527ydvpwe-story.html

Finally this week – we go to the city of Jacksonville for this one. You ever been to the zoo? And you know how they have signs up that say “don’t stick your hand in the cage!”? Well this guy went against the sign’s advice and actually stuck his hand in the cage. So here’s the thing – human hand vs wild jaguar, who do you think is going to win in this case? My money is on the jaguar!

A man who jumped over a gate of the Range of the Jaguar exhibit at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens on Wednesday afternoon and stuck his hand into the pen was clawed by one of the big cats, employees and witnesses told News4Jax.

Jacksonville Fire-Rescue said the man, who was described as in his 20s, was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

One witness said the man was egging on the jaguars in the exhibit before jumping the barrier. Another said she saw employees cleaning up a trail of blood while the man was taken out with his arm bandaged.

“This is an individual that wasn’t using his head,” deputy zoo director Dan Maloney said. “He stuck his hand in through the mesh that separates the jaguars from the outside.”

Maloney said if the jaguar had been able to latch on, “it would have been a very different story.”
https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2021/07/28/man-who-jumped-into-jaguars-exhibit-at-jacksonville-zoo-hospitalized/

That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Red State Diaries
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Thank you Las Vegas! Unfortunately our show in Long Beach got canceled next week because of a scheduling conflict. So we will be moving up our Labor Best Of a week ahead of time and then we will be dark on 9/2.

See you in two weeks!

Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo

August 12, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #11-5: Wheel Of Corruption: The Fast Saga Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #11-5: Wheel Of Corruption: The Fast Saga Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! What’s up, Portland? How you guys doing? You doing fucking good? I hope the Proud Boys and Antifa didn’t kill each other over the weekend, because that would be a shame. Or would it? Whatever. Today is the big day! We have the Wheel Of Corruption dusted off, all the electronics hooked up, and we are good to go! Whew, man does it feel good to be back! And I’ve got another announcement – starting on 9/2, live music returns! Yes! And who do we have kicking off this glorious return? A little band called… Umphrey’s McGee! Yay! And we’ve got a lineup of exciting guests coming back for the rest of the year! Anyway do we have time for the thing? OK I love this story that broke about the Colorado Rockies. OK so you know how you hear something and you think “wow, that’s racist!”. Well the Colorado Rockies were playing the Miami Marlins. Battle of the last place, I know! Well here’s the thing – the Rockies fan was yelling something at Marlins outfielder Lewis Brinson, who is black. But it turns out that wasn’t the case. Instead the fan was yelling “HEY! DINGER!” at the Rockies’ mascot – Dinger The Dinosaur. OK Rockies, maybe don’t name your mascot “Dinger the Dinosaur”, get it? And what makes this even funnier is that everybody – Rockies themselves – are doing their best Homer Simpson impression and backing into the bushes. OK enough of the intro – we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and he sacks the Sackler family over opiods again!

Oh how I have waited for this day! The Wheel Of Corruption is back everybody!!! Whew!!! In the number one slot this week is the GOP (1). And the reason why is because our old buddy, former vice president Dick Cheney thinks that the GOP has gone too far, and when you’ve lost Dick Cheney, boy are you lost! In the second slot is Missouri governor Mike Parson (2). So we have to talk about two different pardons. The McCloskeys (remember those gun toting maniacs from last year?) inexplicably got a pardon, while innocent black man Kevin Strickland got nothing. Gee, I wonder why that is? Taking the third slot this week Is the Former Guy (3). And yes he’s back in the news but wait until you see what he’s offering this time! In the number 4 slot this week is the Capitol Rioters (4) and this week we’re going to tell you about the latest roundup of these dolts, and we presume it’s all because they started bragging about it on social media. In the number 5 slot is our old buddy Mike Lindell (5). Yes, the crazy pillow man keeps getting crazier and weirder, we think it’s time he get locked in the nuthouse. In the number 6 slot this week is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” and we’re going to talk about Australian megachurch Hillsong United, which we previously explored in Top 10 #3-8 but this week they could be in some very serious trouble! Find out why! Taking the number 7 slot this week is a new “Beating A Dead Horse” (7) and this week conservatives just can’t stop talking about how “woke” the 2021 Olympics are, and Former Guy bashing the US Women’s National Team certainly isn’t helping things at all. In the number 8 slot this week is a new edition of Conspiracy Corner (8) and this week we’re going to don our tin foil hats and explore the 7 Mountains Theory – what’s the latest dominionist clap trap? It’s very insane and very real! In the number 9 (NEIN!) slot this week is a new “I Need A Drink” and this week we’re going to find out what’s up with the Washington Football Team (9) and they have some truly bizarre new rules for their new season as football teams start to welcome fans back. Finally this week, it’s time for Red State Diaries Ep. 5 (10) and this week we’re exploring right wing social media, of which platforms are plentiful and the crazy is turned way up! Pick your poison! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]Dick Cheney Returns
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Hey everyone say it with me: It’s time for the WHEEL OF CORRUPTION! YAY!!!!!

Oh how I have waited for this day! 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
- 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
- COVID-19
- George Soros
- Top 10 Investigates
- Conspiracy Corner
- Morally Bankrupt
- Guacamole
- 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

Let’s get this going! Spin that shit! Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… STOP!!! And it’s one of our patented clips without context!

https://twitter.com/RightWingWatch/status/1423697089549176840

Holy shit, there is some next level crazy in that clip. And none of it is true! Spin it again! And it lands on… The GOP! You know we live in some really scary times right now. There’s a killer virus that’s rapidly mutating and gaining steam, and conservatives are creeping closer and closer to going full blown fascist dictator on us. And a guy who’s more than familiar with that subject is none other than former Vice President and winner of the close range face shooting contest… what? Too soon? Dick Cheney. Sir, give it a chance, please. I just got up here! With calls for violence increasing in the wake of the conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 election, and Fox News sucking up to far right dictators like Viktor Orban, things are going to get real dark really quickly if we don’t put a stop to it. In fact Dick Cheney had some choice words about the future of the GOP. And they aren’t pretty!

Rep. Liz Cheney on Wednesday said her father, former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, is “deeply troubled” about the state of the Republican Party.

“My dad is deeply troubled about where our party is, deeply troubled about where the country is,” Cheney, R-Wyo., said at an event held by the Aspen Institute, adding that her father, who served with former President George W. Bush, is a “tremendous source of advice and guidance and wisdom.”

Liz Cheney has been a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump and her Republican colleagues who have bought into what she calls Trump's "Big Lie," referring to his claims of election fraud. She was ousted from her role as House Republican Conference chair in May after repeatedly criticizing her party, and months later, joined the House special committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol against Republican House leadership’s wishes.

The three-term Republican congresswoman said Wednesday it would have been “preferable” to have a bipartisan commission as opposed to the select committee, appointed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which is investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol siege. Such a measure was passed in the House but ultimately blocked by Senate
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/08/05/liz-cheney-says-father-dick-cheney-deeply-troubled-gops-state/5499764001/

Yes – holy shit! When you’ve lost Dick Cheney, you’re lost for good! I mean come on, Dick Cheney is the guy who shot the other guy in the face, and made that guy apologize to him for getting in the way of his shot. If that’s not the definition of “that guy has fucking balls”, then I don’t know what is! But that said, Liz Cheney really is the player who’s spending half time in the opponents’ locker room because the move to oust her is getting fierce.

Embattled Rep. Liz Cheney’s position on charges President Donald Trump played a role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot has not turned around her negative ratings back home in Wyoming, and now she’s on the verge of losing her reelection.

In polling data provided to Secrets, just 23% of regular primary Republicans plan to vote for her, 77% said they won’t.

And as bad, her image as a conservative like her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, has also been hurt. In the McLaughlin & Associates survey, 53% described her as liberal, and only 26% labeled her conservative.

The race has drawn national attention due to her feud with Trump, and Trump has promised to weigh in against her. Just today, he reiterated his call for the state Republican Party to trim the list of five challengers to one candidate, so the opposition isn’t watered down so much that it allows her to slip by.
https://news.yahoo.com/cheney-trouble-77-gop-not-191200652.html

Yeah Liz Cheney had an independent thought! And when you go against a deranged cult that’s taking over everything in its’ path, having an independent thought can be dangerous to both your health and career. Well health is definitely questionable. But as a conservative it can be a career killer. But even the MAGA king himself is looking to unseat Liz Cheney. But once again when the party you represent turns into a cult, here’s what you can expect!

Some local Republican Party officials in Wyoming have announced they will no longer recognize Liz Cheney as a party member because of her vote to impeach Donald Trump.

“In the immortal words of the 45th President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump …’You’re Fired!’” read recent letters to Cheney from GOP officials in Park and Carbon counties.

Wyoming has 23 mainly rural counties and the officials in Park and Carbon counties voted unanimously over the last week in favor of the latest form of censure against Cheney.

In February, the state GOP voted overwhelmingly to censure Cheney for her vote to impeach Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot.
https://wgnradio.com/news/political-news/liz-cheneys-trump-vote-prompts-new-wyoming-censure-effort/

Yeah and you don’t want that! So just like in California where we’re facing this batshit insane recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom, the battle for Liz Cheney’s seat is going to get fierce and insane. I mean come on who’s going to represent Wyoming? Kanye? Elon? One of the other right wing billionaires who live in Wyoming now? Although one thing is for certain – if Former Guy is involved in the election, you can be certain that he’s going to lose! Like the loser he is!

Former President Donald Trump’s top political advisers have been holding quiet talks over the last several months with the primary challengers looking to take down his most prominent Republican nemesis: Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney.

During phone calls and Zoom chats, the Trump advisers have pressed the candidates on their fundraising capabilities, their policy positions and the overall strength of their campaign organizations. The goal: to determine whether they have what it takes to unseat Cheney, the influential daughter of a former vice president, who served as the No. 3 House Republican until colleagues ousted her in the spring.

The talks will escalate next week, when Trump meets with two challengers at his Bedminster, N.J., golf club: state Rep. Chuck Gray and attorney Darin Smith. Trump’s son, Don, Jr., who earlier this year visited Wyoming to speak out against Cheney for supporting his father’s impeachment, is expected to be present at the meetings.

Trump is expected to sit down with other candidates before deciding whom to endorse, though advisers say that Gray and Smith have emerged as the two clear frontrunners. To prevent Cheney from winning renomination with just a plurality of the vote, they also say, Trump needs to back the strongest candidate and then elbow out others in the crowded field.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/23/trump-cheney-challenger-500599

[font size="8"]Tucker Carlson
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Let’s give it a good strong spin, shall we? And it lands on… no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… stop! Homosexuality! Yes I realize that’s random, but then again so is Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters playing the Bee Gees before their show in Bonner Springs, Kansas:

That’s why the Foo Fighters rule! Spin it again! Fox News! We report… and if you don’t join our cult you’re an outcast! You don’t get to decide when we are in charge! So make no mistake that Fox News is upping their war on “illegal immigrants” and turning the fearmongering and outright hysteria way past the 11 mark on the dial. And it’s no secret that Fox News hates anyone who’s even slightly to the left of Richard Nixon. Who do they like? Well, despite that they are turning up hysteria to Hitler in the 1930s levels, they seem to have latched on to Hungary. And Hungary is a nation where hate and white supremacy have risen to unheard of levels in the last 5 years, mainly thanks to prime minister Viktor Orban. Orban is hailed as a hero in right wing authoritarian circles, which is why it’s no surprise that Tucker Carlson is sulking up to him.

Fox News host Tucker Carlson is doing something rather unusual this week: He’s broadcasting his show from Hungary’s capital, Budapest. He’s also doing some high-profile cultural immersion while he’s there, having already met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Monday. On Saturday, he’s slated to attend a far-right conference and deliver a speech titled “The World According to Tucker Carlson.”

If you’re not familiar with the scene in Budapest these days, this might all seem kind of random. But unfortunately it’s just the opposite.

Orbán is an energetic right-wing authoritarian who has in recent years become a darling of right-wing populist movements growing across the West. And he has strived to cultivate Budapest’s emerging role as an intellectual and cultural center of right-wing nationalism in Europe. Carlson, one of the most popular hosts on American cable news, is very conspicuously strengthening ties with others in that scene during his visit — and inviting his millions of viewers to learn about it and admire it, as well. Carlson’s agenda seems quite clear: to encourage his followers to consider Hungary’s disturbing political model as a possible future for the U.S.

Experts who follow extremist behavior on the right tell me they’re concerned. Hannah Gais, a researcher at the Southern Poverty Law Center who studies right-wing extremism, said in an email that Carlson’s broadcasting in Hungary is particularly alarming given the tremendous platform he commands at Fox News.
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/why-tucker-carlson-s-trip-budapest-bad-news-america-n1275881

Yeah well a few more election cycles and you might just get your wish there. Tucker Carlson’s visit to Hungary was no accident, it was purposefully planned and timed to get Fox News viewers interested in a fascist dictatorship. And if you’re wondering why Fox News is turning the anti-immigrant hysteria up to unheard of levels, just wait until you see what their end game is! One of Tucker Carlson’s stops included – wait for it – a high tech electric fence!

US guest of honour and Fox News host Tucker Carlson was granted a lightning visit by military helicopter to Hungary's 175km (109-mile) high-tech, high-cost razor-wire border fence with Serbia this week.

He liked what he saw. After praising the fence for being so "clean and orderly", in contrast to the "chaos" on the US-Mexican border, he told his viewers: "It doesn't require a GDP the size of the US, it doesn't require high-tech walls, guns, or surveillance equipment. All it requires is the will to do it."

And he praised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for not allowing "this nation of 10 million people to be changed forever by people we didn't invite in and who are coming here illegally".

To make sure his US viewers understood his message, he contrasted Mr Orban's policies with those of US President Joe Biden.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58104200

You seriously expect that America could build a clean and orderly electric fence on the Mexican border to keep out immigrants? I mean come on, Trump couldn’t even build a wall without it blowing over into the country it was supposed to protect us from! So what’s the connection between Trump, Orban, and Fox News? You’d have to be a fool and a communist to believe there were any sort of lines between wannabe authoritarianism and actual authoritarianism! Move along, nothing to see here!

For the past few years, the Hungarian government under authoritarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has overtly courted the American right, wooing the kinds of anti-democratic forces buoying former President Donald Trump. This past week, those efforts seemed to pay off. And Orbán, easily the most autocratic figure in the European Union, scored arguably his biggest coup to date — and showed precisely the direction the Trumpian base is ready to move in.

Fox News talking head Tucker Carlson — a regular promoter of everything from political and scientific disinformation to white nationalist talking points — arrived in Budapest on Monday, where he promptly began yukking it up with Orbán. According to Carlson, who broadcast from Budapest all week and is a speaker at a far-right conference over the weekend, his trip is all about shining a light on Orbán’s achievements over the past decade.

“If you care about Western civilization and democracy and families and the ferocious assault on all three of those things by the leaders of our global institutions, you should know what is happening here right now,” Carlson said on the show.
Want more articles like this? Follow THINK on Instagram to get updates on the week's most important political analysis

For anyone who’s followed Hungary’s trajectory under Orbán, Carlson’s paeans to the country’s supposed “democracy” are laughable. Under a decade of Orbán's rule, Hungary has transformed from a bright spot of political freedoms to a cautionary tale in how a right-wing authoritarian can dismantle a democracy, piece by piece, while helping his cronies profit along the way.
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/connecting-fox-news-tucker-carlson-hungary-trump-ncna1276237

But this might be my favorite part of the whole exercise in fascism. Why does the right wing hate architecture so much? In fact they’re declaring war on it. But here’s the thing Tucker – American buildings are “ugly”? I’m sorry but have you seen this thing? That’s about the appropriate reaction for that too. But Tucker’s rants on building architecture in America make about as much sense as Trump’s unhinged rant on cars did a couple years ago.

On Monday, as part of his lengthy series championing the authoritarian right-wing government of Hungary as superior to the United States, Fox News' Tucker Carlson went on a rant attacking American architecture and claiming that "you're not allowed to say" how ugly U.S. buildings are.

"Looking at these buildings, which move me," he began. "Not simply because they're old, and some have bullet holes, which in my view are a very useful reminder, I wish I lived in a city with bullet holes in the buildings, because every morning you look at them and you think to yourself, it could be really bad because it's been really bad, there's a lot at stake, make wise, sober, long-term decisions or else you could wind up with more bullet holes — it's true, it's true."

Carlson went on to say that most Americans were naive about just how dangerous the rest of the world is.

"Americans have no sense of how bad things can get, that it actually could be a lot worse," continued Carlson. "Our physical isolation cuts us off from the history of the rest of the world. There's not a passion to study what happened before in a place that you're building anew. Right? Right. So we don't have a sense of that. So I love your bullet holes."
https://www.salon.com/2021/08/10/in-bizarre-rant-tucker-carlson-claims-were-not-allowed-to-call-american-buildings-grotesque_partner/

[font size="8"]Mike Parsons
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Let’s give that wheel a spin shall we? And it lands on… wait for it… something random in the news!

https://twitter.com/errongordon/status/1423541588547018753

I love that so much! Spin it again! Crime! Folks, crime doesn’t pay. Well, actually I think it’s time to update that age-old saying. Because apparently crime does pay if you happen to 1) be white, 2) be a conservative MAGA hero, and 3) live in a state where the governor also votes the same way that you do, and this is a tale of two pardons here. So remember last year during the year from hell, when we were introduced to these gun toting douchebags? Yes I am of course talking about Mark and Patricia McCloskey, two gun toting maniacs from St. Louis who famously flashed their pieces at protestors when the shit hit the fan with the George Floyd debacle. But of course leave it to the MAGA crowd to make the wrong decision every damn time. Sadly that does seem to be the world in which we live these days where right is wrong, black is white, good is bad, and so on. But here’s what happened. Don’t boo yet, save that for later in this entry!

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has issued pardons to Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis couple whose brandishing of guns at Black Lives Matter protesters in June 2020 catapulted them to conservative stardom and launched a bid for U.S. Senate.

The McCloskeys were among 12 pardons Parson issued last week. His office made the list of names public on Tuesday.

In May, Mark McCloskey entered the Republican primary for the Senate seat being vacated by Roy Blunt.

Parson promised soon after the incident that he would pardon the couple, who pointed a rifle and a pistol from their front lawn at several hundred protesters marching past their house on their way to the St. Louis mayor’s home. He has issued pardons on a roughly monthly basis since December to clear a backlog of about 3,000 cases that had accumulated from previous administrations.
https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article253235468.html

Hey! I told you not to boo yet! In case you’re wondering just how evil this is, take a look at Mark McCloskey’s track record. And it’s no secret that he got a call from Former Guy shortly after being pardoned. Well you know the old saying about how crooks of a feather flock together. And that is most definitely the case here. And it’s totally disgusting, but expect them to start going on right wing podcasts to talk about how they are the “real victims” here. Cue the epic facepalm.

Representative Cori Bush (D., Mo.) on Wednesday said it is “absolutely unbelievable” that the Missouri governor pardoned Mark McCloskey and Patricia McCloskey, the armed St. Louis couple who confronted Black Lives Matter protesters outside their mansion last year.

One day after Governor Mike Parson, a Republican, announced he had pardoned the couple, Bush called Mark McCloskey “an absolute liar” during an appearance on CNN.

“He has spat on my name,” said Bush, who was among the marchers in the McCloskeys’ neighborhood. “And because of that, his day will come. You will not be successful in all that you’re trying to do, when you are hurting the very people that are out trying to save lives … He can try it, but I will not stand by and allow him or our governor to hurt the very people that are doing the work that they should be doing.”

As Bush continued to rant about McCloskey, she looked off-camera to collect herself as she became emotional. Host Brianna Keilar thanked the “Squad” member for how “very strongly” she felt.
https://news.yahoo.com/squad-member-says-mark-mccloskey-211120183.html

Now remember don’t boo just yet! On the flip side of this, there’s Kevin Strickland – a long time Missouri inmate who’s spent most of his life behind the Missouri correctional facility system. So there is a campaign to get him released via pardon and which there is actual evidence that he was found not guilty. Which makes the McCloskey pardon even more puzzling because they were locked up for actual crimes. Mike Parson on the other hand…

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said he is not convinced that Kevin Strickland is innocent, despite prosecutors and other supporters calling for Strickland’s exoneration for a triple murder that has kept him in prison for four decades.

Parson told KSHB-TV on Wednesday that he has looked at Strickland’s case several times but the “bottom line” is that no court of law has found Strickland innocent.

“I am not convinced that I’m willing to put other people at risk if you’re not right,” Parson told the station.

Parson said he is “more than likely” going to sign a new law that would provide Strickland with a new legal avenue toward release. The law would give local prosecutors the authority to ask judges to exonerate prisoners they believe are innocent.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker has sought Strickland’s release and said if Parson signs the new legislation, she will file a motion asking a Jackson County judge to exonerate Strickland at 9 a.m. Aug. 28, when it would become law.
https://apnews.com/article/mo-state-wire-michael-brown-fdaee252ca0799b16da00a276d1bf6fb

Eh… not really attempted murder. But the fact that he’s still behind bars despite that he’s been proven innocent time and time again is an absolute crime. But then again we keep saying time and time again on this program that elections have consequences. Elect an incompetent buffoon like Mike Parson and this is what you are going to get! So don’t be surprised that this will come up again. The only solution to that is to vote these sleazebags out of office! Now you may boo!

Kevin Strickland is still in prison, and Missouri’s shame grows.

Friday, Gov. Mike Parson’s office released the names of 18 people he pardoned earlier in the week. They appear to be low-level, nonviolent offenders: an underage beverage purchase, a DWI, illegal hunting.

Strickland’s name was not on the list. He remains behind bars, though prosecutors have said he’s innocent of the murder charges that sent him to the penitentiary more than 40 years ago.

Parson offered no immediate explanation for his decision to leave Strickland off the list, probably because it is inexplicable.

To review: Strickland, who is Black, was convicted as a teenager in the murders of three people in Kansas City. He was found guilty by an all-white jury, largely on the basis of testimony from one woman.
https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/editorials/article252549853.html

[font size="8"]Former Guy

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Let’s spin it to win it! Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy… stop! And it’s time for another Clip Without Context! Hit it!

Well Dave if you don’t get the vaccine, that empty stadium is going to be your future! Assuming you live long enough to actually coach a game. Spin it again! Donald Trump. Do I really have to talk about that guy again? Oh right, that’s because he was in the news again last week. But for a completely ridiculous reason. Well, Donald Trump, who we have been referring to here as “Former Guy” needs some money and he needs it badly! So you know how you have reward cards for literally everything on the planet now? There’s airline rewards, there’s credit card rewards, fast food rewards, bank rewards, Windows rewards, I think the only thing that doesn’t reward me for using is my toilet, though expect that to change soon! Thank you graphics department! Well now Trump wants you to show your support by buying his own official membership cards! Wait, that’s not how being a member of a rewards program works!

Donald Trump wants his supporters to carry "Trump Cards."

Trump's PAC sent two emails on Wednesday asking supporters to get on board with carrying the red-and-gold cards, which look like credit cards and bear the former president's signature.

"The card you select will be carried by Patriots all around the Country," the first email said. "They will be a sign of your dedicated support to our movement to SAVE AMERICA, and I'm putting my full trust in you."

The Trump team said in a follow-up email, "We're about to launch our Official Trump Cards, which will be reserved for President Trump's STRONGEST supporters."

"We recently met with the President in his Florida office and showed him four designs," the email continued. "Originally we were planning on releasing just one design, but when President Trump saw the cards on his desk, he said, 'These are BEAUTIFUL. We should let the American People decide - they ALWAYS know best!'"
https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-wants-supporters-to-carry-trump-cards-2021-8

Yeah that’s some straight up Nazi shit right there! Yes, you too can now be a card carrying member of the Trump super fan club! And if you flash this thing while you’re out in public be prepared that someone might question where you were on January 6th. Hey o! But Trump’s biggest supporters always know best? Do they? Is that why so many of them are getting arrested because they post stupid shit about January 6th on Facebook? But as ridiculous as they are, they have a sinister agenda!

Former US President Donald Trump's PAC sent out two emails on Wednesday asking Trump supporters to choose a design for the "official Trump Card", US media reported. The email offered four options, one of which bears an insignia that is similar to the Nazi emblem with the open-winged eagle.

"The card you select will be carried by patriots all around the country," the first email read, according to the reports. "They will be a sign of your dedicated support to our movement to SAVE AMERICA, and I'm putting my full trust in you."

The email continued to recount that when the designs were shown to Trump, he said they were beautiful and they "should let the American People decide - They ALWAYS know best."
It is unclear what the Trump Card does for its holders.

Politicians and Democratic activists took to social media to express their outrage at the Nazi emblem on one of the cards, with Amy Siskid posting a picture of the card alongside the Nazi insignia and tweeting, "Trying to think where I have seen the new Trump Card insignia before."
https://www.jpost.com/international/trump-slammed-for-member-card-that-looks-like-nazi-insignia-676114

Yeah let that sink in for a minute! It is not clear what the card actually does. Does it give you buy 10 flags get one free at those Trump merchandise booths that you see on street corners? Does it give you a discount at the Trump buffet in Vegas? Or an early tee time at the Trump country club? Either way this just seems dumb and completely unnecessary! But this might be my favorite part of the whole thing – did you catch the typo?

The concept is still in the works but, in short, the official ‘Trump Card’ is “reserved for President Trump’s STRONGEST supporters”, as per the fundraising email.

Reportedly, Trump asked for the opinion of American people, in terms of the card design, because “they ALWAYS know best!”

A fundraising email sent out on Wednesday read: “We’re about to launch our Official Trump Cards, which will be reserved for President Trump’s STRONGEST supporters, and we have some very exciting news to share with you.”

Although, proving devotion to the former president apparently comes at a cost. When receivers of the email chose a card design, they were then taken to a donations page where asked to contribute at least £35 to the political action committee.
https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/08/06/hilarious-trump-card-misspelling-has-twitter-in-stitches-did-you-spot-it/

Yeah so that might be my favorite new thing. It’s oficial, folks! And by the way in case you didn’t happen to catch – now professional troll Donald Trump Jr. is telling people that “our heads would explode if we required vaccination cards at polling places”. Actually, no, Donny, the official Top 10 stance is an easy one – we’re totally OK with that if it means we don’t have to stand next to idiot anti-vaxxers while we’re in line at the polling place!

In the absence of Donald Trump – who was permanently banned from Twitter at the start of the year following the Capitol insurrection on 6 January – social media users now have tweets from his son, Donald Trump Jr, to mock and ridicule instead.

On Saturday, author Ryan James Girdusky tweeted: “The left: you should have to carry a vaccine card to go anywhere in public.

“Also the left: you shouldn’t have to have an ID to vote.”

The post was then quote tweeted by Trump Jr, who proposed a combination of the two ideas.

“Someone should introduce a bill mandating that you have to show your vaccination card to vote and watch everyone on the Left’s brain malfunction and explode,” he wrote.
https://www.indy100.com/news/trump-jr-vaccine-card-voting-b1894601

[font size="8"]Capitol Rioters
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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!

Nice! A get out of jail free card. I’ll just put that away for later. Spin it again! Capitol Riots. Folks the first round of hearings about the Capitol Insurrection wrapped up last week and while we didn’t learn a lot in the first go-round, other than republicans really want to derail this commission, we do know that conservative pundits like Former Guy ass kissers Sean Hannity and Ben Shapiro are desperately trying to rewrite history and whitewash the subject. But that said the news about the Insurrection is coming fast and furious and there’s plenty of it to go around. However, for this entry I want to round up some of my favorite stories that I’ve been seeing of average people getting arrested for participating – and there are a lot of them! And even scarier – they are all around us! I want to start with this story out of Texas, of course!

Washington (CNN)Five members of a Texas family were arrested on Tuesday for entering the US Capitol together during the January 6 insurrection.

Federal investigators pointed to extensive social media posts from many members of the family in order to make the arrests on Tuesday, in one of the largest single-day sweeps of defendants in one Capitol riot case to date.

The Justice Department said that Thomas "Tom" Munn had encouraged people on social media to travel to DC in the weeks before the riot. In a December Facebook post, Tom Munn wrote, "Our President has only asked two things from us, so far... #1 Vote #2 January 6, 2021." In another post cited in court documents, Tom Munn wrote "The time has come!"

The day before the riot, Tom Munn and what's described as his "nuclear family" -- including someone who appears to be his partner Dawn, and their children Kristi, Josh and Kayli -- drove from Borger, Texas, to Washington, according to charging documents used in a new federal criminal case against the five family members.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/13/politics/munn-family-texas-us-capitol/index.html

Dude, seriously – what kind of “family fun” involves going to Congress with the intent of murdering members of Congress? I don’t remember that in any of the kids programs I watched growing up! And of course they bragged about it on Facebook too. And of course it’s all fun and games until some felony assault is being committed. But the thing is – these are real people! They’re bartenders and gym owners and service people. And these are the kind of minds that Former Guy attracts, though!

A New Jersey gym owner and a Washington state man on Friday became the first people charged in the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol to plead guilty of assaulting a law enforcement officer during the deadly siege.

There are dozens of other cases in which Capitol rioters are charged with attacking police as part of an effort to halt the certification of Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election.

An attorney for Scott Kevin Fairlamb, 44, a former mixed martial arts fighter who owned Fairlamb Fit gym in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, said prosecutors are seeking a sentencing guideline range of about 3½ to 4¼ years in prison. But the judge isn't bound by that recommendation.

Later Friday, the same judge in Washington, D.C., ordered Devlyn Thompson to be jailed in Seattle after he pleaded guilty of assaulting a police officer with a dangerous weapon, a baton. Thompson, 28, of Puyallup, Washington, had been free since his participation in the Capitol riot.
https://www.voanews.com/usa/2-capitol-rioters-enter-first-guilty-pleas-assaulting-charges

That’s not quite how it works! And I’m not even going to mention the growing number of threats against Nancy Pelosi. Here’s another story that broke just this week and I’m not at all shocked by this. But you know the old saying about playing stupid games and winning stupid prizes. It’s entirely true! Maybe if you’re going to do this next time, don’t give yourself away in public!

An unruly airline passenger was arrested for his involvement in the Capitol Riots after airport police matched him to video taken at the Capitol January 6. Wednesday afternoon, that man will plead guilty to criminal charges stemming from the insurrection.

According to court documents, a Delta flight crew decided to turn their plane around on the tarmac of Ronald Regan National Airport on January 8 and return to the gate because John Lolos, a passenger aboard that flight, would not stop yelling "Trump 2020!”

A Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department officer identified only as “Braddock” responded to the gate and watched Lolos get off the airplane, but according to court records, that officer did not plan on arresting or detaining Lolos.

Delta re-booked Lolos on a later flight. But about 45 minutes later, as Lolos waited at the gate, Braddock was scrolling through his personal Instagram feed and watched a video showing several people exiting a doorway from the East front of the Capitol Building during the insurrection. Court documents say the officer spotted Lolos in the group of rioters, wearing the same shirt he was wearing at the airport, holding a “Trump 2020 Keep America Great” flag hooked with an American flag.
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/national/capitol-riots/unruly-airline-passenger-arrested-for-capitol-riots-after-police-spot-him-on-instagram/65-655fed01-48eb-4da3-b18b-0365745aca92

But the scary thing is this could very well happen again. The MAGAts are out for blood and they want it bad! And there’s no mistake that the DHS is saying that there’s a possibility of violence relating to the conspiracy theory about the Former Guy’s reinstatement theory on August 13th. Get ready that’s this Friday and things could get really ugly. If that doesn’t work then get ready for Insurrection II: The Second One!

The former data chief for Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign has announced a protest next month at the nation’s Capitol — to rail on behalf of so-called “political prisoners” charged in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

“We’re going back to the Capitol, right where it started. And it’s going to be huge,” Matt Braynard told former White House strategist Steve Bannon as he announced the rally on Bannon’s podcast last week.

The protest, “Justice for J6,” has been set for Sept. 18 at the Capitol. It’s being orchestrated by the group Look Ahead America, headed by Braynard.

“As we continue to raise the profiles of these individuals” who have been arrested, it “makes it harder and harder for the left’s phony narrative about an insurrection to stick,” Braynard told Bannon. “We’re going to push back on the phony narrative that there was an insurrection.”
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/matt-braynard-protest-capitol-riot_n_610c5c6be4b05f8157079a71?ncid=engmodushpmg00000004

[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Spin it to win it! Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… stop! And it’s one of our patented clips without context!

https://twitter.com/RightWingWatch/status/1424730511658950659

And if you want to meet Jesus, all you have to do is follow Pastor Feuerstein’s advice! Spin it again! Oh 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:

[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: The “Woke” Olympics
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Let’s give that wheel a good strong spin shall we? And it lands on… wait for it… intermission! Let’s go ahead and take a short break here. Cue the music! I’ll just amuse myself with my phone while this is going on.

We’re back! Spin it again! And it’s time for Beating A Dead Horse!

We need some music for this one!

So the 2020 Olympics are officially in the books, 18 months after a raging pandemic shut them down and almost canceled them. And the USA won the most gold medals in the history of the modern Olympic games – which we needed in spite of all the bad news going on right now. But why does that have some folks hopping mad and actively rooting against their own country’s teams in the games? Because the Olympics got “woke”, that’s why. And because Fox News is calling the shots on this subject, being “woke” is now bad! And I never in my entire life thought I would see a country cheering against its’ Olympic athletes, but here we are! But one punching bag seems to fit the GOP just right and that’s openly lesbian soccer (football) star Megan Rapinoe. And why does she seem to drive the GOP particularly crazy? I can’t quite put my finger on it.

As American athletes compete on the world stage in the Tokyo Olympics, many on the right aren’t cheering them on. “The collection of whiny, overpaid social justice warriors are very hard to root for,” said Newsmax host Grant Stinchfield, adding that he took “pleasure” in Team USA’s basketball loss this month because of its players’ “woke” politics. “The team is filled with anthem kneelers, and I find it ironic they are willing to put USA across their chests, but in the not-so-distant past, they would kneel for the anthem.” In addition to taking pleasure in the men’s basketball team’s loss, Stinchfield also noted that he found himself “rooting against…Megan Rapinoe and her merry band of America-hating female soccer players.”

Stinchfield’s comments come on the heels of Donald Trump suggesting at a Phoenix rally last weekend that Team USA’s recent loss to Sweden was caused by the progressive politics of its athletes. “Wokeism makes you lose, ruins your mind, and ruins you as a person,” he said. “You become warped. You become demented.” Trump, who goaded the crowd into booing the U.S. women’s soccer team, went on to say that “Americans were happy” about the team’s defeat. (The former president’s son reiterated his father’s comments by heckling Rapinoe in a tweet. “Hey Megan…maybe [it’s] you!” wrote Donald Trump Jr. in response to the soccer player’s criticism of media coverage of women’s sports after her team’s loss.)
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/07/right-rooting-against-americas-olympic-athletes

So, let me ask you guys something – why do you hate America? Look we needed the Olympics right now to cut through the sea of extremely terrible and devastating news, and even worse since the 2020 Olympics didn’t have anyone cheering them on because of the virus. So what did we learn? We learned that nobody can be excited for anything because conservatives literally pour shit on just about anything they touch. So your favorite team won the gold, silver or bronze? Too fucking bad!

Very Patriotic Americans™ are, once again, celebrating a Team USA Olympics loss despite their devout loyalty to the greatest country in the world — as long as you don’t include the women’s football team, or anyone who’s ever knelt.

Team Canada defeated the U.S. football team in a 1-0 match in the Olympics semifinals, beating their southern neighbours for the first time since 2001. And, like clockwork, conservatives have taken to the keyboards to drag the team — along with football star Megan Rapinoe, who they really, really don’t like — through the mud for what they perceive as Rapinoe’s — and social justice’s (?) — personal failure.

“The US Women’s Soccer Team went WOKE and now they lost to Canada. That’s what happens when you put political propaganda before sport and hard work,” Brigitte Gabriel, best-selling author and founder of the conservative group “Act for America,” wrote on Twitter.

Lavern Spicer, who is currently running for Congress in Florida, was sure to reiterate that while American World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe is indeed “on” Team America, she is not “for” Team America. We eagerly await evidence to support this claim.
https://www.indy100.com/sport/americans-celebrate-usa-loss-megan-rapinoe-b1895425

Oh come on, after that, how can you hate Team America? But you know ever since Colin Kaepernick, conservatives have absolutely despised activism in sports. And activism in sports is nothing new – just look at the 1936 Olympics when Jesse Owens stunned the Olympic world and dominated the track and field competition, infuriating Adolf Hitler. See where I’m going with this? So yeah maybe don’t listen to dipshits like Ben Shapiro and just enjoy the games, OK?

A brigade of self-proclaimed "patriotic" group of right-wing pundits celebrated after the United States women's national soccer team fell to lower-ranked Canada on Monday in a nail-biter face-off. The match was a semifinal game that left conservative pundits pleased that their own nation's team lost.

"They're still the champions at kneeling though, which is the important thing," Daily Wire founder Ben Shapiro quipped. Breitbart editor Joel Pollak added, "I'm guessing Canada didn't kneel for their anthem."

"Wow. The women's soccer team really blew it AGAIN. Losing to Canada? Probably SORE KNEES from all their KNEELING. I love it when America wins the Gold---but the "bronze" lining here is we won't see as much of the purple hair chick MEG [Megan Rapinoe] during the 'offseason,'" the self-parroting Newsmax host Greg Kelly wrote.

"The US Women's Soccer Team went WOKE, and now they lost to Canada," far-right activist Brigitte Gabriel tweeted. "That's what happens when you put political propaganda before sport and hard work."
https://www.salon.com/2021/08/03/cheering-against-america-conservatives-celebrate-us-losses-at-the-olympics/

Well you know the saying – if you’re woke, you’re broke! But that’s only if Fox News gets their way, and why wouldn’t they delight in seeing the Olympics ratings tank? Because just like the Former Guy, ratings are all they care about. It’s all about the ratings and the likes and whatever other bullshit comes with social media favorability. Because in the end that’s all conservatives really have anymore, and it’s why they continue to fight losing battles, and they really hate the cool kids.

In what is clearly a grasp at maintaining some modicum of relevancy, former President Donald Trump released an unhinged statement following the U.S. women’s national soccer team — perhaps the most beloved national team in America — winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

Trump attributed the team winning bronze instead of gold to the fact that they are a “woke” group of “radical … Leftist Maniacs.” He claimed that “everything that is woke goes bad,” which includes “our soccer team.”

The former president also attempted to reignite his feud with Megan Rapinoe, disrespecting her by refusing to say her name, simply calling her “the woman with the purple hair.” And, in a very clear indication that Trump did not watch the bronze medal game against Australia, he accused Rapinoe of playing “terribly.”

But here’s the thing: The U.S. women’s national soccer team, and women’s soccer at large, consistently models sportsmanship at its most progressive and powerful. The players’ political engagement is a strength, not a weakness.
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/trump-s-olympics-soccer-tirade-targets-u-s-canada-sweden-ncna1276136

[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner: Mike Lindell Loses It
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Let’s spin it to win it!!! And it lands on… no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… stop! Oh it lands on guacamole! Unfortunately since we haven’t had the Wheel for so long, our long time sous chef Fernando left for greener pastures. So say hello to our new Top 10 sous chef Arturo! Come on out here, Arturo! Like most good chefs, we found Arturo working at a food truck parked next to a brewery and decided his skills were put to better use. So here’s your $1.50! Not too much onion… perfect! Look at that! I’ll just pair it with my plate of chips!

Yeah look at that! Spin it again! It’s time for a new Conspiracy Corner!

Welcome back to our segment that attempts to explain the unexplainable, Conspiracy Corner! And the conspiracies are out there and they are batshit crazy. We are of course coming to you live from our underground bunker deep in the New Mexico badlands – undisclosed location of course! This week, our old buddy Mike Lindell, you know him as the crazy unhinged lunatic behind the MyPillow company. And he’s back in the news because his “cyber symposium” where he is going to unleash his theory that the 2020 election has been stolen are ramping up! Just let me adjust my tin foil hat for maximum government interference… ah, here we go!

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell claimed on Tuesday that he was the victim of a cyber attack, resulting in a delay of the start of his "cyber symposium."

"The whole technology was attacked," Lindell announced to a live crowd gathered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to hear the symposium.

"We need to get the word out," he added, "because they blocked the thing. But this is part of what I'm going to talk about today. This is the cover-up. This is the absolute cover-up of the worst in history."
Newsweek Newsletter sign-up >

The three-day streaming event was scheduled to begin on Tuesday. The symposium is Lindell's latest effort to push his discredited conspiracy theories that the 2020 U.S. presidential election was stolen from former President Donald Trump.

The "cyber symposium," as he dubbed it, was set to be live-streamed for 72 hours straight on Lindell's new social media platform FrankSpeech.com. To help promote the event and FrankSpeech, Lindell offered a large sale on MyPillow products on the platform.
https://www.newsweek.com/mike-lindell-delays-cyber-symposium-after-saying-he-was-hacked-1618010

Uh… a little? What’s he going to say in 72 hours that he can’t say in 5 minutes? And who the hell is going to watch 72 straight hours of this crap? But here’s where he goes off the deep end with this crap – and it’s not like he has to jump very far – is that he thinks this is going to be “spiritual warfare” and “the greatest uniting of our country ever”. Except where you forget that Former Guy is the most unpopular president in history!

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell suggested on Wednesday that God had orchestrated former President Donald Trump's removal from the White House so that the nation could see the "evil" of the election system.

In an interview on Real America's Voice, host Steve Bannon asked Lindell if his so-called "cyber symposium" to prove Trump won the election was "spiritual warfare."

"100%" Lindell agreed. "It's all come to a head this year, this last year. This is a spiritual battle of epic proportions. When we get through this, even non-believers, there's going to be so many people coming to Jesus. This will be the biggest revival in history because you're going to see miracles unfold."

"This is the battle we're in and all these pieces when we look back on, you're going to be able to look back and say, 'Wow, this all had to happen to get to where we're going to, this glorious place,'" he continued.
https://www.salon.com/2021/08/05/mike-lindell-says-battle-to-get-trump-back-in-white-house-spiritual-warfare-_partner/

And you know what the really scary thing is? People watch and believe his shit. And here’s the thing you can go on and on forever and like Joseph Stalin said – you repeat the lie long enough and it eventually becomes fact! That’s exactly what Lindell is doing. And you know what? He’s doing exactly that – repeating the lie long enough to people who will listen. But keep going down that wormhole and it gets weirder, nuttier and creepier.

Since the presidential election, Christina Jensen says she's been stopped on the street several times by acquaintances who wanted to share troubling news: hackers from Beijing had switched nearly 24,000 votes for Donald Trump in their rural, GOP-leaning Wisconsin county.

Jensen, the Clark County clerk and a Republican herself, has patiently explained that the local election computer system isn't connected to the internet -- and the county has less than 17,000 registered voters overall.

But she finds herself unable to convince those constituents of the simple fact that the election wasn't stolen: "They are like, 'Well, Mike Lindell says this,'" Jensen said.

Lindell, the MyPillow CEO and a close ally of former President Donald Trump, has emerged as one of the most vocal boosters still pushing false claims about the 2020 election. In a series of so-called documentaries, Lindell has advanced an increasingly outlandish theory that foreign hackers broke into the computer systems of election offices like Clark County to switch votes -- in what he has described as the "biggest cyber-crime in world history."
https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/05/politics/mike-lindell-mypillow-ceo-election-claims-invs/index.html

So if bullshit sells, then who’s buying? Well apparently no one, but why am I not surprised that Mike Lindell and Alex Jones are fellating each other through promo codes? Yeah just let that image sink in for a bit! You’re welcome! But really people if they hawk this kind of bullshit, I can only imagine that the products they hawk are even worse! But that’s neither here nor there. So when you’re Mike Lindell and Fox cuts your ads, who do you complain to now?

Conservative cable outlet Newsmax this week sent a reporter to picket in front of Fox News over its refusal to air commercials from MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, Salon reported.

Lindell's ads were for an upcoming event, scheduled for August 10 in South Dakota, where he said he would reveal new information about voter fraud in the 2020 election. An ally of former President Donald Trump, Lindell has been a leading voice in spreading conspiracies theories about the election being "stolen" despite no evidence of voter fraud.

"Newsmax is airing these ads," Newsmax host Grant Stinchfield said on Wednesday. "Apparently, free speech and pro-Trump messaging is considered fringe at Fox, but not here."

He added, "We've been airing Mike Lindell's ad, and when they refused, Fox, we sent out our Newsmax correspondent Mike Carter to ask the people why they think Fox News is so afraid of Mike Lindell."

Carter launched a one-man protest in front of the NewsCorp building.
https://news.yahoo.com/newsmax-reporter-pickets-fox-news-134517523.html

[font size="8"]I Need A Drink: The Washington No Names
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Let’s give the wheel a good strong spin, shall we? And it lands on… wait for it… oh it’s a clip without context!

Uh… I’m pretty sure that’s not how vaccines work, Rick! They’re supposed to prevent people from getting really sick and/or die, and that’s about it. Spin it again! Oh it’s time for “I Need A Drink!”! Hey everyone I don’t know about you, but I could really use a drink!

Of course you know the rule of this segment is that we get drunk and while we are drinking we talk about anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics. This week we’re talking some football which is making a huge comeback! Of course last year there were no fans because of COVID-19 but this year stadiums are welcoming them back with open arms! Tell me bartender, what drink goes well with a story about football? A Gridiron Ale? What’s that? No thanks, I don’t think a beer with stadium dirt brewed in it sounds appetizing. I’ll just stick with my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. I call it the “Double Jack”. But this week, there’s one football team that is figuring out how to welcome fans back while shedding its’ old image – and that is the team currently known as the Washington Football Club. And they have some insane rules for welcoming fans back to the stands for the upcoming season.

The Washington Football Team, who have already dropped their mascot's name to be more inclusive, have made another major announcement. This announcement, however, is in regards to their fans and the dress codes they will be enforcing this preseason and regular season.
Washington Football Team fans will no longer be allowed to wear headresses

Fans weren't in attendance at FedEx Field in 2020, the first season with the team's new name, "Washington Football Team." This season, fans will be welcomed back in the stands this season, but there is something in particular that the team wants fans to come without.

The Washington Football Team announced that starting this week, with an open training camp practice, fans will not be permitted to wear anything that could be considered inconsiderate to the Native American community.

This includes Native American headresses, and face and body paint that fans sometimes adorned to show their loyalty to the team. Instead, the Washington Football Team would prefer fans to come in their team colors, burgundy and gold, to show support.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/what-new-stadium-rules-washington-football-team-ticket-holders

Ah that’s just what the doctor ordered! No dirty beers please! Clean ones only! So to recap – racist imagery at future Washington Football Club games are hereby banned, but orange and red is OK. Also no racist slurs, everybody got that? But that said the Washington Football Team is desperately trying to erase their former racist image and we don’t blame them one bit for it. But let’s not forget that the owner of the team is still one of the worst in football and that could explain why it’s taking so long to shed the team’s racist image.

As an organization, the Washington Football Team is in a transition period, while their team is beginning to show signs of turning the corner after winning its first division crown since 2015 and clinching just its fifth playoff appearance in the last 21 years.

The first move that confirmed the franchise was serious about this transition? When it announced the removal of its former team name and logo after decades of drawback from fans and the national media, who claimed it was offensive towards Native Americans.

Fans will remember owner Dan Snyder, who purchased the team back in 1999, being adamant about “never” changing the name, maintaining that it somehow honored Native Americans.

After facing pressure from fans and the community — plus prominent sponsors like FedEx, PepsiCo and Nike encouraging the move — Snyder, much to his chagrin, caved.
https://riggosrag.com/2021/08/07/washington-football-wft-disbands-former-name-latest-rule-change/

Ah that hit the spot! So what are they going to be called now? There’s been much speculation as to what the new team name is going to be called, and unfortunately it’s not going to be the Washington Warriors, so as to confuse them with the Golden State Warriors. And also too, racism. So what are they going to call themselves exactly? Because they can’t keep calling themselves “Washington Football Team” forever. That won’t look good on merchandising or an AM radio dial.

Warriors is not under consideration as a new name for the Washington Football Team.

In a blog post on the WFT’s website, team president Jason Wright explained that after discussions with several Native American groups, Warriors is not an acceptable option to be the new name of the Washington Football Team.

“Feedback from across communities we engaged clearly revealed deep-seated discomfort around Warriors, with the clear acknowledgment that it too closely aligns with Native American themes,” said Wright.

Wright indicated the team will not incorporate any Native American themes in its new name and logo.

The Washington Football Team began the process of a name change a year ago and its stated target is to unveil a new name and logo sometime in early 2022.
https://wtop.com/washington-football/2021/07/washington-football-team-rules-out-warriors-as-new-name/

More beer please! More Jack! More everything! It feels good to be drinking in front of a live audience again doesn’t it? So they’re not calling themselves the Washington Warriors or anything else but we do know that the colors are going to be the same. So what are they going to be called? And since we do encourage gambling here, we can tell you what the odds are and it’s a good bet that we won’t know just yet. But they are close to setting a date for the name reveal!

The Washington Football Team changed its name before the 2020 season, teasing the NFL world that a new logo and name would be released at a later date. While the current brand will remain in place for the upcoming season, we now have a date for the future reveal.

Daniel Snyder, who was recently fined $10 million following an NFL investigation into a toxic culture, relented after years of pressure and finally removed the franchise’s old name. Changing to the Washington Football Team was meant to be a temporary solution, buying time for the franchise to dedicate resources and research to a rebrand.

Jason Wright, president of the team, said in March that it would retain its current brand for the upcoming 2021 season. He also revealed that there was a real possibility everything stayed in place permanently thanks to growing support for the current name.

After nearly a year of deliberation, which included receiving input from fans, it seems the Washington Football Team will unveil everything next year.

Wright told The Washington Post this week that the club will unveil a new logo and team name early in 2022, well in advance of that NFL season.
https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/washington_football_team_new_name_reveal_date_set/s1_12680_35347157

[font size="8"]Red State Diaries
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Let’s give the wheel a final spin this week! And it lands on… come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… stop! Get out of jail? What??? NOOOOO!!!!!!!!! Oh wait, I’ve got that get out of jail free card! Sweet! I’m out! Spin it again! And hey it’s time for Red State Diaries!

Welcome back to the segment where we dissect all the things that led up to the 2020 election and where the future of the republican party are headed, Red State Diaries. Last week we brought you an update on right wing nutcase Mike Lindell and his plans to overthrow the 2020 election, which are going about as well as Charlie Brown trying to kick the football. But this week, with MAGA Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q-Batshit) getting banned from Twitter yet again for being a really horrible person, she , like all prominent conservatives, is going underground. So we’re going to give you a tour of right wing social media sites. But unfortunately we can’t bring you all the bile and garbage that gets posted on those sites. So instead we’re offering a brief summary of each one so you can see what the right wing is up to. Everyone knows about Parler, and we’ve covered that one extensively here, so we’re going to skip it. Here, we’re talking about lesser known social media platforms. We’re going to start with Gab. So what is Gab? Gab is an online platform that is becoming a far right version of Twitter – with all of the hateful and divisive content you’ve come to expect from these kooks.

Andrew Torba, the founder of the right-leaning social network Gab, has accused Republican former President Donald Trump of endorsing RINO candidates in exchange for financial kickbacks.

"RINO" is an initialism that stands for "Republican in Name Only." It's used as an insult for Republicans who allegedly don't represent the political party's values.

Torba made his comments on the far-right network TruNews.com, a site that has promoted promoting racist, homophobic, Islamophobic and antisemitic views. Torba's comments were highlighted by Right Wing Watch.

In his comments, Torba mentioned his rejection of a business proposal allegedly put forth by Trump in January. Referring to Trump's son-in-law, Torba said that "Jared Kushner's cronies" wanted to make money off of Gab's user data and its email list. Kushner also allegedly wanted Gab to change its user policies to "clean up" the social network's public image, Torba said.
https://www.newsweek.com/gab-founder-andrew-torba-claims-trump-endorses-rinos-financial-kickbacks-1599224

That’s pretty much what far right social media is. And the thing is we can ignore these people all that we want but that’s just going to make them madder. As evidenced with our next social media platform – Dlive! Dlive is a platform that’s equal parts Youtube and Twitter, but with far more racism involved. Like all the platforms that the far right flocks to bills itself as a “freedom of speech” platform. But like all far right platforms, even Dlive has its’ limits!

Growing interest among a host of violent extremists in a lesser-known livestreaming app—one that’s largely geared toward younger gamers—prompted U.S. intelligence officials in January to circulate warnings to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies only days after the violent siege at the U.S. Capitol.

Analysts charged with keeping tabs on violent extremist organizations warned of streaming service DLive’s rising popularity for “recruitment and propaganda distribution,” while pointing to the app’s use by pro-Trump insurrectionists who breached deep inside the Capitol building on Jan. 6.

On Jan. 15, federal and state officials in San Diego and Central Florida issued a joint intelligence bulletin, saying a host of far-right personalities known for their violent rhetoric were likely drawn to DLive after being banned from mainstream sites such as YouTube. The ability to fundraise using DLive’s micropayment system was likely a key factor.

According to the bulletin, DLive’s in-house currency, known as “lemons,” offered the “means to raise funds to further their extremist agenda,” analysts wrote.
https://gizmodo.com/u-s-intel-officials-eyed-dlive-as-recruitment-vehicle-1847307137

So yeah in case you’re wondering where your far right neighbor who works at a fast food job, yet owns an apartment, an F150, and enough weapons and ammo to take out a small army is getting his money from, look no further than these places! And the ability to monetize has the Feds, the DEA, the DHS, the NSA, and the ATF worried. Yes, when your gun toting neighbors start showing up on federal terrorist watch lists, blame Dlive. And now for our next social media app – the next one on the list is a relative newcomer, GETTR! GETTR is basically Twitter, but more racist.

Just weeks after its launch, the pro-Trump social network GETTR is inundated with terrorist propaganda spread by supporters of Islamic State, according to a POLITICO review of online activity on the fledgling platform.

The social network — started a month ago by members of former President Donald Trump’s inner circle — features reams of jihadi-related material, including graphic videos of beheadings, viral memes that promote violence against the West and even memes of a militant executing Trump in an orange jumpsuit similar to those used in Guantanamo Bay.

The rapid proliferation of such material is placing GETTR in the awkward position of providing a safe haven for jihadi extremists online as it attempts to establish itself as a free speech MAGA-alternative to sites like Facebook and Twitter.

It underscores the challenges facing Trump and his followers in the wake of his ban from the mainstream social media platforms following the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riots.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/02/trump-gettr-social-media-isis-502078

Yeah so actual terrorists started flooding a site used by MAGA terrorists. How about that? I am not surprised in the slightest! And then there’s also Telegram – another far right social media platform with servers based in Russia. Shocker! I know! But for our final free speech alternative we have Frank Speech – the free speech platform owned and operated by Mike Lindell. Yes, creepy Pillow Man, don’t think we’re not letting you get away with this one!

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell held a free rally Monday at Mitchell’s Corn Palace to promote his new website, FrankSpeech.com.

About 1,000 people showed up for the event. Some traveled hours to attend.

The rally featured guest speakers, including 1980s “Saturday Night Live” star Joe Piscopo. Attendees were given a free copy of Lindell’s autobiography, “What Are The Odds,” and his docu-movie, “Absolute Proof: Exposing Election Fraud and the Theft of America.”

Lindell started Frank Speech after he was kicked off Twitter and other platforms. He was banned for spreading conspiracy theories and baseless claims that former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election.

“And that’s where we came up with, about, I don't know, six eight weeks ago now – I said so we've got to come up with a platform to bring the broadcasters over where we can put our voice out and not just me, but all of them -- all the ones that are kicked out of YouTube, the radio stations, the TV, the podcasts, they're all coming over to Frankspeech.com.”
https://listen.sdpb.org/post/mypillow-ceo-promotes-frank-speech-website-corn-palace

[font size="4"]Next Week: [/font]
We have a recap of all the right wing madness that went down in South Dakota including Mike Lindell’s insane Cyber Symposium!

Thank you Portland! We’re off to fabulous Las Vegas next! See you next week!

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August 5, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #11-4: What To Expect When You're Expecting An Insurrection Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #11-4: What To Expect When You’re Expecting An Insurrection Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Yooooooo! What the fuck is up, San Diego? How you guys doing? You doing fucking good? Yeah risking your life against the Delta Variant for our bullshit nonsense? Well at least we only let vaccinated people in our show. Yeah the unvaccinated can stay outside and fling their feces against the walls. So do we have time for the thing? Did anyone see the Lollapalooza stream on Saturday? Oh come on don’t boo. You’re here, right? So no complaining! I mean between this and Kanye holing himself up at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, so there’s that. But I do want to bring up Limp Bizkit. Yeah I know, the late 90s / early 2000s was a weird time for music. But that said there was something surreal about watching Limp Bizkit’s performance at Lollapalooza this weekend that was both equal parts comforting and frightening. I will admit I did love Limp Bizkit back in the day but I have moved on to much better music since then. I did actually them in the before times when they played a KROQ show that I went to. And it was fun. That sure did look like a good time in spite of all the bad news coming around. But we can all agree that Fred Durst did look like FATWA Larry David, am I right? OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to, but first John Oliver is back and he discusses another victim of the pandemic – emergency medical services. Really people, thank your local EMT:

Where do we begin this week? In the number one slot this week is the Capitol Riots. We covered this a bit last week but now that the first round of hearings is over, we accomplished… Absolutely nothing. But there were plenty of plot twists and special guest stars along the way! Taking the second slot this week is also the Capitol Rioters (2). Are they really political prisoners like Martin Luther King Jr or Nelson Mandela? No! They’re crooks who got caught and can’t do the time! Taking the third slot this week is our old buddy Tucker Carlson (3). He along with some of the scarier parts of the right wing blogosphere are out to vilify possible gold medal winner Simone Biles, and I honestly can’t quite put my finger on the reason why. Nope, I really can’t! taking the fourth slot this week is Hobby Lobby (4). Remember their insane quest to build a billion dollar Bible Museum in Washington, DC with stolen artifacts? Well some of them got seized by the feds! Woo! Taking the 5th slot this week is the California Recall election (5) and folks I wish I had better news to report but this ain't looking too good for Newsom. Get out the vote now! Turns out… not very far and they got slapped with felony trespassing charges! In the 6th slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6) and this week, conservatives are upping anti-vaccine hysteria. Why is that? We have some theories and new information. In the number 7 slot this week we have a new edition of “Beating A Dead Horse” (7) and we are welcoming the return of live music with open arms, but that hasn’t stopped people from saying stupid things and that includes rapper DaBaby and SNL’s Michael Che. They got some ‘splainin to do! In the number 8 slot this week, we add Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson (8) to the ever growing list of People Who Somehow Got Elected after making bogus claims about a new virus threat. In the number 9 (NEIN!!) slot this week is a new People Are Dumb (9) because of course they are! Finally this week it’s episode 4 of our ongoing look at the people who voted for and inexplicably still support our 45th president – Red State Diaries (4)! This week we’re taking a look at Former Guy Supporter #1 – Mike Lindell and how he’s gaining influence in the conservative world! Is he a dangerous kook? Yes! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]Capitol Rioters
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So last week we talked about one of the dumbest people we’ve ever elected, and that’s House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Q-Batshit) and his plans to completely derail the investigation of the Capitol Riots that killed 6 people and caused Congress to panic. We also noted that they were only casually there to overthrow the government. Now that the first round of hearings are in the books, how did they go, you might ask? Well I might answer you – they went from “not well” to “extremely poor”. Well remember that movie “What To Expect When You’re Expecting”? Well think of this as “What to expect when you’re expecting an insurrection”. Excuse me a minute… Thank you graphics department! But that said, here’s how this went!

The stunning attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters roughly six months ago threatened lawmakers and came close to upending the process to certify the 2020 presidential election.

Most members of Congress decried the onslaught in the hours after the Jan. 6 insurrection, but since then the date has become a deeply polarizing moment on Capitol Hill.

After Senate Republicans blocked a bill to create an independent commission to investigate the attack, the House established a select committee to lead the probe.

The panel's first hearing on Tuesday was emotional as four law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol that day gave firsthand accounts of being overrun, assaulted, and harangued by rioters as "traitors." All described lingering physical and emotional trauma. Some rioters hurled racial epithets at African American officers.
https://www.npr.org/2021/07/28/1021113538/4-takeaways-from-the-emotional-1st-select-committee-hearing-on-the-capitol-attac

Sorry Mel, I don’t think it works that way! But that said, why were Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Greene storming a prison attempting to get an inside look at how these prisoners were treated? Well, rightfully so, they were very quickly shown the door. But that hasn’t stopped the conspiracy theories from coming in far and wide on this subject! And I love that they were very quickly shut down by protestors, and that’s exactly how you handle these lunatics!

The number of places that Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene are welcome is dwindling. The little-liked trolls among the neo-conservative movement are even having trouble setting up in their own backyard. A press conference from the pair in Washington, D.C., about imprisoned alleged participants in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots was derailed entirely by protesters.

The presser and the protests come as the legislature is beginning its hearings into the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol building. The demonstrators ruined shots of the conference by ambling into the background with accusatory signage. At the same time, a lone person loudly blew a whistle to drown out the speakers.

The protest came well into the conference, when a group carrying a massive Trump puppet and holding signs that said "Pedophiles for Trump" appeared on the scene. C-SPAN was carrying the conference live. Protesters showed up and ran the conference off at about the 16-minute mark.

The disruption comes shortly after Gaetz and Greene's rally was booted from a California venue after the owner pre-emptively put the kibosh it, saying that he wanted nothing to do with the congressional reps.
https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2021/07/27/matt-gaetz-marjorie-taylor-greenes-press-conference-on-capitol-rioters-shut-down-by-protestors

They came to us with pitchforks and torches! TORCHES!!! The thing is we’re not making light of the shit show that went down on January 6th. It’s truly terrifying. And we may never know things like how many people were there, how far they got, what they were trying to accomplish, and who might have been helping the terrorists from the inside. This wasn’t just a mere riot, this was an attempted coup and crazy to think that we almost lost democracy that day.

Four police officers on Tuesday told lawmakers they were beaten, taunted with racial insults, heard threats including "kill him with his own gun" and thought they might die as they struggled to defend the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 against a mob of then-President Donald Trump's supporters.

Often tearful, sometimes profane, the officers called the rioters "terrorists" engaged in an "attempted coup" during a 3-1/2 hour congressional hearing in which they also criticized Republican lawmakers who have sought to downplay the attack.

"I feel like I went to hell and back to protect the people in this room," said District of Columbia police officer Michael Fanone, referring to lawmakers. "The indifference shown to my colleagues is disgraceful," Fanone added, slamming his hand onto the witness table.

It was a dramatic first hearing for a Democratic-led House of Representatives committee formed despite opposition by Trump's fellow Republicans to investigate the worst violence at the Capitol since the British invasion in the War of 1812.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/police-who-defended-us-capitol-testify-riot-probes-first-hearing-2021-07-27/

Yeah that’s kind of how I felt watching the horror unfold from Washington DC. And this is while we were off and were sitting and watching in horror. It’s totally insane what happened and even more insane to think about what could have happened. But the really sad and scary thing is that this will not change the minds of the MAGA loyalists no matter how many times you beat them over the head with it. Which is why it could happen again and it could get worse. We got lucky, but we might not be next time.

Some of Donald Trump's fiercest allies in Congress are continuing to downplay or ignore the January 6 insurrection, taking cues from the former President even after four police officers testified Tuesday, in front of the House select committee investigating the deadly Capitol attack, about their harrowing experiences that day.

Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas rejected the notion that lawmakers were downplaying the insurrection, only to then say that he thought it was an exaggeration to frame the riot as the worst attack since the Civil War.

"I don't know of anybody that's tried to downplay it other than, you know, their gross exaggeration that it's the worst attack on democracy since the Civil War. As Christopher Wray said, it's hard for those of us who were here for 9/11 to say 'Yes, this was worse than 9/11,' " Gohmert said Tuesday, paraphrasing testimony from the FBI director in June where he rejected a comparison between January 6 and 9/11. At that hearing, Wray called the insurrection "a very significant attack in its own right" and an "effort to disrupt a key part of our constitutional system and the peaceful transition of government."
https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/27/politics/trump-republicans-hearing-reaction/index.html

[font size="8"]Capitol Rioters – Political Prisoners?
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With all of the Trump MAGAs going off to prison for their participation in the horrifying events of January 6th, they’ve begun their own Martin Luther King style letter writing campaigns. Come on, guys, you know the old saying – don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time! But for this segment rather than blaming conservatives and our former president for this – we’re going to take a look at a different angle of this story. The question being – are the Capitol Rioters political prisoners? And there is only one correct answer to this issue: NO!!! You’re crooks who committed vandalism, stole property, and assaulted and killed police officers. But that’s not the case here. However, as the GOP continues to rewrite history, we’re going to come after them!

A federal judge pushed back against the idea that incarcerated Capitol riot defendants are “political prisoners” on Wednesday during a sentencing hearing for a Michigan man who pleaded guilty of entering the Capitol.

Judge Amy Berman Jackson said it was clear from statements he made before and after January 6 that Karl Dresch, of Calumet, Michigan, didn’t travel to D.C. on January 6 to attend a rally – and that he wasn’t charged or jailed because of his political views.

“He is not a political prisoner,” Jackson said. “We are not here today because he supported former President Trump. He was an enthusiastic participant in an effort to subvert the electoral process.”

Dresch has been in custody since his arrest in January on multiple charges in connection with the Capitol riot, including obstruction of an official proceeding and disorderly conduct.
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/national/capitol-riots/he-is-not-a-political-prisoner-judge-pushes-back-on-right-wing-talking-point-in-capitol-riot-sentencing-karl-dresch-michigan-donald-trump/65-0433a71c-8f08-46c0-a06e-9ec3d2c28e86

No no no no no no no no no no no! Let me make something perfectly clear here. You are not political prisoners of any kind! You know who was a political prisoner? Nelson Mandela! You know what you idiots are? A bunch of creepy guys in sky masks who threatened to murder the Vice President and led an insurrection against Congress. So yeah I might give you a heaping glass of “shut the fuck up”. And that’s what you get for listening to a con artist!

The recording is barely discernible, but amid the clangs and scratches it’s possible to make out a few male voices singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Despite its poor quality, it’s become an object of veneration on the far-right: a recording of imprisoned Capitol riot suspects singing the national anthem.

“This breaks my heart,” tweeted Amy Kremer, the leader of Women for America First and a key organizer of the Jan. 6 Trump rally at the Washington Monument that preceded the U.S. Capitol riot.

The recording, published earlier this month on a conservative blog, has become the latest totem in an effort to cast the imprisoned riot defendants as patriotic political prisoners suffering behind bars. The Daily Beast was unable to verify the authenticity of the recording.

As Donald Trump and his allies on the right look to rewrite the history of Jan. 6, the riot suspects still in jail are being reimagined as victims of a vengeful deep state, imprisoned not because they’re awaiting trial for alleged crimes but because of their love of country and Trump.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/republicans-recast-jan-6-riot-defendants-as-political-prisoners

So once again, the cause of and solution to this problem lies squarely with Fox News. It’s no mistake that conservatives are trying to rewrite history. And not only that, they’re trying to up the American symbolism, or as I like to call it, American porn to levels way past 11. And really don’t ask this guy for his take on the subject. In all fairness he’s probably the last guy who you should ask for any opinions on anything MAGA related.

CNN anchor John Berman on Tuesday morning blasted Tucker Carlson for attempting to “suppress the memory” of what happened during the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, mockingly calling the far-right Fox News host’s show “Fantasy Island.”

Carlson, who has long played down the seditious riot as nothing more than “political protest that got out of hand,” took his revisionism a step further on Monday: He claimed “it’s a lie” that white supremacists were at all involved in the violence and said there was “no evidence” of an “armed insurrection” at the Capitol.

With the Senate holding hearings on the security breakdown during the deadly riot, Berman brought on Punchbowl News founder Anna Palmer and columnist Errol Louis to discuss the latest push by Republicans to memory-hole the events of Jan. 6.

“I don’t think this could come at a more important time because you are seeing a wave of revisionism among some Republican senators like Ron Johnson, who says it wasn’t an armed insurrection,” the New Day co-host noted, referencing Johnson’s recent downplaying of the riot.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/cnn-anchor-slams-tucker-carlsons-capitol-riots-revisionism-this-is-fantasy-island/ar-BB1dWHnC?li=BBnb7Kz

You know asking Tucker Carlson to provide fair coverage of the Capitol Riot is like buying a bottle of Coors Light Private Reserve. It's just a really fancy way of selling you a really shitty product! But you know it’s included in your DirecTV subscription that you probably pay hundreds for every month. That said, you know once again the cause of this problem is Fox News. But what’s to stop the MAGA crowd from attempting this again? This judge has the right idea!

A man who pleaded guilty to breaching the Senate chamber during the US Capitol insurrection was sentenced Monday to eight months in prison in a closely watched case that could influence how hundreds of other rioters charged with the same felony are punished.

Paul Hodgkins, a 38-year-old Floridian, is now the first Capitol rioter convicted of a felony to be sentenced. He pleaded guilty last month to obstructing congressional proceedings -- specifically, the counting of the electoral votes, which he helped delay on January 6. He spent about 15 minutes inside the Senate chamber, wearing a Donald Trump shirt and carrying a Trump flag.

The sentence is far less than the 1.5-year prison term that the Justice Department requested. At a hearing Monday, prosecutors argued that 1.5 years would deter future political violence and send a strong warning to "people who may be contemplating a second act" after January 6.

District Judge Randolph Moss departed from that recommendation. He said Hodgkins contributed to a grave offense against democracy but deserved some leniency because he pleaded guilty "exceptionally early," wasn't involved in violence and issued a "sincere" apology.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/19/politics/capitol-riot-felony-paul-hodgkins/index.html

[font size="8"]Simone Biles Trolling

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So usually when the Olympics are in full swing, it is supposed to unite people and countries cheering on their athletes to win the gold, silver, or even bronze medals. But this is the year 2021. And never in my life would I see people in America cheering against their own athletes, and in some cases actually wanting them to lose! Why? Because… wait for it… the Olympics are becoming “woke”! Can we please stop with this shit already? It was cute for maybe a minute in 2016 but really it’s fucking old now. Case in point – both Tucker Carlson and Bill Maher were both decrying the new “woke Olympics”. Come on, Bill, you’re supposed to be on our side!

Fans have slammed insensitive Simone Biles ‘quit’ memes circulating on social media after her decision to pull out of the Olympic team.

The American gymnast said that she needed to focus on her mental health after she withdrew from the women’s team final on Tuesday, July 27th.

“I know that this Olympic Games, I wanted it to be for myself,” Simone said. “I came here, and I felt like I was still doing it for other people. So that just hurts my heart that doing what I love has been kind of taken away from me to please other people.

According to reports, she has now decided to pull out of the individual all-around final on Thursday.

While fellow athletes have praised the four-time Olympic champion for prioritising her health, a number of insensitive memes have surfaced on social media.
https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/07/28/simone-biles-meme/

Yeah that’s exactly what they deserve. Keep in mind trolls, not everyone is meant for a spotlight, and especially the way Ms. Biles was put on a global pedestal so quickly, I can only imagine that would make anyone freak out. It would be like if our crappy little program suddenly overtook Trevor Noah’s time slot. And yes I am not prepared for that! But that said it’s absolutely insane that Fox News and other right wing outlets are actually cheering against US Olympians. It’s disturbing to say the least!

There’s something about Simone Biles that apparently triggers the MAGA-verse.

After the world’s preeminent gymnast dropped out of Olympic competition this week, right-wing Trump ally Charlie Kirk lashed out at her as a “selfish sociopath” and a “shame to the country.”

“We are raising a generation of weak people like Simone Biles,” said Kirk, who appears in television ads for pain-relief supplements.

He was hardly alone.

“Sorry, Simone Biles, The Olympics Isn’t About You, It’s About Winning For America,” proclaimed The Federalist. Radio host Clay Travis insisted that “she should apologize to her teammates for quitting on them at the moment they needed her the most.” Piers Morgan felt the need to similarly pile on: “I don’t think it’s remotely courageous, heroic or inspiring to quit,” Piers wrote in the Daily Mail.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/07/29/simone-biles-and-the-magaverses-fetish-of-toughness-501515

Oh come on, you really want to know what triggers the MAGA crowd about Ms. Biles? Well I can put my finger on it, but I won’t directly say it. Thank you audience! But you know we applaud Ms. Biles for taking a stand on mental health and that’s something that should be done more, especially in this day and age when COVID is wreaking havoc on our social lives and our mental health. But you know what the underlying problem is? It ain’t mental health, it’s racism.

Abuse on social media is a growing issue for athletes and not just at the Olympics. There were 12,500 racist tweets and posts sent to three Black players on England’s football team after England lost to Italy in the Euro Championships final in July.

The abuse is often racist and Australia’s eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, says her office’s work with the AFL monitoring abuse Australian football players cop online found Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander people were three times more likely to receive targeted online hate and harassment.

The research found women were much more likely to receive misogynistic abuse that was sexualised and violent. “It’s not all out there in the open,” Inman Grant says. “In fact, a lot of the abuse goes directly to the players’ [direct messages] on Instagram and other places.”

The eSafety Commission is “certainly watching” what happens at the Olympics.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/entrepreneurship/a-really-ugly-playing-field-how-tech-is-tackling-online-trolling-of-athletes-20210728-p58dqo.html

But see here’s the thing – no matter what Ms. Biles had done – if she had won or lost the gold medal contest, she would have been subjected to endless scrutiny from the right because she wasn’t American enough. I’m looking at you, Tucker Carlson! Yes the guy who’s perhaps the right’s most loathsome commentator is unleashing his inner asshole at Ms. Biles for not being American enough. I mean come on guys, enough with this shit already!

Some of the usual professional trollers are criticizing Biles’ decision — middle-aged white guys such as conservative talk show host Clay Travis, Trump activist Charlie Kirk and Piers Morgan. Meanwhile, Fox News had on J.D. Vance, who is seeking the Republican nomination for Senate in Ohio next year, and teed him up to criticize the media for applauding Biles’ decision to prioritize her mental health. (Although, it should be noted that Fox News’ medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier supported Biles’ decision on “Outnumbered,” as did host Harris Faulkner and panelist Dagen McDowell.)

But, mostly, Biles seems to be getting support.

The headline on a smart Candace Buckner column in The Washington Post: “For exceptional Black women like Simone Biles, greatness is never enough.” Buckner wrote, “Whenever Biles pulls on her leotard, it’s as though she’s tightening a cape around her neck. She’s the hero tasked with saving a sullied sport, embodying some trite belief in American dominance — and also carrying a gender and an entire race. That’s a heavy cape, and it chokes. But it’s one that exceptional Black women, and women of color, are told to wear. Because simply being great isn’t good enough.”
https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2021/the-usual-professional-trollers-are-criticizing-simone-biles-decision/

[font size="8"]Hobby Lobby
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I talked about this a bit last week but I am loving this story so much because I remember we trashed the Hobby Lobby Bible Museum when it first opened (see: Top 10 #3-5 ). But now it seems that karma is coming back to bite them in the ass, and very hard I might add! Because 4 years later, it turns out that Hobby Lobby may have acquired the Epic Of Gilgamesh illegally! Shocker, I know! But you know here’s a rule that I think should apply to everybody and it’s a pretty simple rule. How about… don’t steal priceless, irreplaceable artifacts from 3rd world countries, OK? And yeah that’s the kind of thing on display at the Museum Of The Bible. Which surprisingly omits “thou shalt not steal”. But needless to say this pissed off the Iraqi government something fierce.

A rare and ancient tablet showing part of the epic of Gilgamesh, which had been acquired by Christian arts and crafts retailer Hobby Lobby for display in its museum of biblical artefacts, has been seized by the US government.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) alleges that the 3,600-year-old “Gilgamesh Dream Tablet”, which originated in a region that is now part of Iraq, was acquired in 2003 by an American antiquities dealer, “encrusted with dirt and unreadable”, from the family member of a London coin dealer. Once it had arrived in the US, and been cleaned, experts realised that it showed a portion of the Gilgamesh epic, one of the world’s oldest works of literature, in the Akkadian language.

The DoJ alleges that the dealer then sold the tablet with a “false provenance letter”, saying that it had been inside a box of ancient bronze fragments purchased in a 1981 auction. It was then sold several times before Hobby Lobby bought it from a London auction house in 2014, and put it on display in the Museum of the Bible. The museum was conceived by evangelical Christian Steve Green, the billionaire president of Hobby Lobby.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jul/28/ancient-gilgamesh-tablet-seized-from-hobby-lobby-by-us-authorities

Oh come on, you can’t wait 6 months? Well so Hobby Lobby stepped in it good. And this isn’t an isolated incident either! There were thousands of artifacts that have been stolen over the last few years from the country of Iraq. And come on they’ve been through a lot in the last 25 years. But looting in a time of war isn’t a new thing, it’s been around since, well, war. Even the Simpsons had an episode about stolen loot from World War II. But that said, Hobby Lobby is not alone here.

The United States has sent back more than 17,000 objects to Iraq. Hasan Nadhim, the Iraqi culture minister, said that the repatriation was “the largest in the history of Iraq.”

Among the objects repatriated to the country was a tablet from the epic of Gilgamesh that was owned by Hobby Lobby, an Oklahoma-based craft store chain. U.S. authorities had been seeking its forfeiture since 2020.

The New York Times reported that cylinder seals, clay tablets, and more arrived in wooden crates in Iraq this week. More than 5,000 of the items that were sent back reportedly came from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, which has previously faced claims that it owns tablets looted from Iraq in the 1990s.

The Gilgamesh tablet was bought by Hobby Lobby in 2014 for $1.67 million with the hope of displaying it at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., whose founder and board chair is Steve Green, Hobby Lobby’s president. The tablet was seized from the museum in 2019 after federal prosecutors said they believed it was looted from Iraq. The museum said at the time that it supported returning the tablet.
https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/us-returns-artifacts-iraq-hobby-lobby-gilgamesh-tablet-1234600115/

That seems about right! So how was this allowed to happen? Well it’s no secret how grossly incompetent the previous administration was on foreign affairs, and this is huge for the country of Iraq which really needs this kind of thing. But make no mistake here that we’re glad to see these priceless artifacts being returned to their rightful owner. And we didn’t get here overnight, this happened to be a decade in the making. How come Hobby Lobby knew more about this than the US government? That seems like a fact worth knowing!

The so-called “Gilgamesh Dream Tablet” has been at the center of an antiquities trafficking scandal stretching back over a decade.

Named because it’s inscription bears a portion of the legendary Epic of Gilgamesh, a Sumerian folk tale which is among the oldest recorded poems in human history, the clay tablet was first inscribed in the area of modern-Iraq some 3,600 years ago.

Ultimately the tablet found its way into the possession of Hobby Lobby, the U.S. based chain store whose evangelical Christian owners were bankrolling the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C.

For years, the Green family, who owns the chain, had been buying up artifacts from across the near East, often with an unscrupulous disregard for provenance, to stock their new museum.
https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/14955-hobby-lobby-hands-over-legendary-tablet-to-be-returned-to-iraq

No I think it’s you who are wrong. But now here’s where the story gets interesting. Just how did Hobby Lobby acquire this ancient tablet when even the US government couldn’t track it down? Well the tablet was stolen from Iraq back in the 90s and it went on a global journey – from Iraq to Jordan to London and finally wound up in the hands of the same store that sells you glitter guns and cheap art décor. Yup, that’s all you need to know!

Prosecutors said the dealer believed the tablets could be of some value and paid $50,350 for them. They were reportedly shipped to the U.S. without filing a formal entry with U.S. Customs, as is required for items costing more than $2,000.

One of the tablets that had been illegible and covered with dirt was cleaned when it arrived in the U.S. That’s when they discovered it was part of the Epic of Gilgamesh, court filings state.

The tablet spent some time being studied by a professor in Princeton, New Jersey, before it was sold to two antiquities buyers for $50,000 in 2007, prosecutors said. At the time of its sale, the antiquities dealer who first purchased it in London created a fake provenance letter stating it had been bought at auction in 1981.

That letter “traveled with the tablet as it was sold several times in different countries,” prosecutors said.
https://www.mahoningmatters.com/local-news/hobby-lobby-bought-ancient-stolen-tablet-with-tale-of-gilgamesh-the-feds-seized-it-4181208

[font size="8"]California Recall: The Latest
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You know how something sounds so ridiculously insane that you can’t help but laugh at the possibility of it becoming a reality? Like say for instance a 95 pound woman beat a 250 pound man in a pie eating contest. And then you’re in absolute shock when the 95 pound woman eats 15 blueberry pies while the 250 pound man barely finishes a slice. That’s kind of what the California recall is shaping up to be. Yes, we have a recall election and it’s less than a month away. While we were laughing at this possibility, it’s quickly becoming no joke. Especially when you consider the people running this recall election are people who you wouldn’t trust to run an elementary school carnival. Well the California recall is unfortunately gaining in popularity and there is a serious possibility that Newsom could lose – and that’s something we should all be frightened about.

New polling data released this week found that voters are nearly evenly split over the recall vote for California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D).

The Emerson College - Nexstar poll found that 46 percent of voters were in favor of the recall vote against Newsom while 48 percent said they were opposed. The remaining six percent said they were undecided.

Emerson College noted that the percentage of undecided voters had fallen by three percent, while those in favor of the recall had risen by three percent.

The majority of Republicans and independents were in favor of recalling Newsom with 80 percent of 54 percent respectively saying they would vote to remove him.

A divide by educational levels was apparent in the results, as those without college degrees were largely in favor of the recall at 54 percent compared to the 39 percent who were against it. Among college-educated respondents, 36 percent said they were in favor of the recall while 59 percent were opposed.
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/566291-new-poll-shows-dead-heat-in-california-recall-election

Yes that’s about what we’re experiencing here in California. We could lose and we could see Newsome replaced by some far right sycophant. But who? Who could possibly replace Newsom and become governor of my great state of California? Well right now the front runner is Larry Elder. That’s right – a fucking right wing radio host could replace a popular governor. But what’s fueling this latest in this nonsense election?

Like clockwork, we are suddenly blitz of ads, right wing segments, and a social media campaign attacking Newsom from the right and left using the same "liberal elite" talking points. "What about the emails?" has been replaced with "Remember the French Laundry!"

Never mind that the recall was driven and underwritten by Trump supporters. The fact of the matter is that Republicans cannot win a campaign on the issues. So, there are running a smear campaign complete with sock puppets in social media pushing right wing talking points without discussing the merits of the candidates. Likewise, we are seeing so-called "progressives" minimizing the impact of a recall, because we have the courts and the Legislature as a backstop.

Where have seen this playbook before? The question of whether Newsom should be recalled is not one in the abstract. The issue whether you want to vote for Newsom or a right wing alternative such as Elder/Cox/Jenner who will do their best to fan election conspiracies, push vaccine conspiracies, and deny the reality of global warming? We have seen the consequences of even one term with a right wing extremist as an elected, because with a recall, the replacement candidate just needs a plurality to win.

So, the choice is a Democratic governor who has done as good a job as any Governor of a large state during the pandemic versus a science denying right wing extremist who roll measures designed to save Californian lives.

Which candidate would you vote for to replace Gov. Newsom if he is recalled?
https://abc7news.com/larry-elder-gop-recall-candidates-wildfires/10923239/

Yeah really! And if you want to know some of Larry Elder’s greatest hits, just take a look at this where he says that there should be no minimum wage. And in case you doubt Mr. Elder’s MAGA credentials, he is literally taking a page from Former Guy’s book about the out of control fires in California that are getting worse each fire season.

California recall candidate Larry Elder 'not sure' climate change is reason for state's wildfires

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Conservative talk show host Larry Elder is currently leading the pack of Republicans hoping to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in California's recall election.

A new poll from the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies found that among voters most likely to participate in the recall, Elder has the most support, followed by San Diego businessman John Cox, former San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer and Assemblymember Kevin Kiley.

In an interview with ABC7 News this weekend, Elder made his pitch for governor, gave his position on vaccine and mask mandates (he's opposed to both) and addressed climate change and its impact in California.

According to a new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California, 63% of Californians are very concerned about climate change, especially around the increasing severity of wildfires and drought.
https://abc7news.com/larry-elder-gop-recall-candidates-wildfires/10923239/

It’s not all doom and gloom in the California recall election though, there is some good news. Remember Caitlyn Jenner was running for governor? Well it turns out that – shocker – her campaign is broke! I mean come on , when you get in with the MAGA crowd that kind of thing is bound to happen. And I am laughing my ass off that she hired Trump’s campaign manager and is now flat broke. Guess even the MAGA bubble is about to burst! Where’s Nelson when you need him?

Caitlyn Jenner’s gubernatorial campaign has piled up debt, filings show, as the celebrity and former Olympian struggles to make headway in California’s recall race.

From the launch of Jenner’s candidacy through the end of July, the campaign raised about $747,000 and spent some $910,000, leaving her campaign with about $156,000 in unpaid bills and roughly $21,000 on hand for the race’s critical final stretch.

More than a quarter of that money has flowed to fundraising platform WinRed and to enlist the services of former Trump campaign hand Brad Parscale and former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer.

Jenner’s fundraising lags behind former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and radio host Larry Elder. All of the replacement candidates are well behind Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has raised more than $40 million to fight the recall and can collect donations without contribution limits.
https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2021/08/02/jenner-campaign-in-debt-as-california-recall-hits-homestretch-9426996

[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! As I keep saying we live in some very dark times right now. There is a great plague among us. And I am not talking about the supporters of the Unholy, Ungodly Dark One who are still inexplicably walking among us. No, I’m talking about that other plague. The one that’s involving an actual virus, sent here by the DEVIL! I mean SAYTAN himself! But now we have the solution to stopping this horrid virus in its’ tracks! That solution is the vaccine! But people on the other side aren’t taking the vaccine. Now why is that? You know to understand this cause, I think we have to find the underlying root source of this nonsense. So what do supporters of the Unholy Dark One think is the root cause of this virus? Well the usual suspects.

End Times author William Koenig was a guest on Jan Markell’s “Understand The Times” radio program Sunday, where he claimed that the global COVID-19 pandemic was the judgment of God on the United States for its tolerance of the LGBTQ community.

Koenig has built a career out of chronicling the ways in which God supposedly sends natural disasters to America as punishment for failing to stand with Israel, which was precisely what he blamed the COVID-19 pandemic on last year. But on Sunday, Koenig asserted that the pandemic was now God’s judgment for American culture being “so pro-LGBT.”

When Markell said that LGBTQ activists are trying to get children to “question their sexuality so they can be groomed and be evangelized,” Koenig readily agreed.

“I really sense that COVID is part of the judgment,” Koenig said. “We had a national shutdown last summer. We had every major sports league that favored the LGBT agenda, that even took on states for their bathroom bills. When you think about Hollywood was shut down. We thought fashion was shut down. Retail was shut down. All these areas that were so pro-LGBT, the COVID shut them down, and I don’t know if they’ll ever recover.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/william-koenig-says-covid-19-is-gods-judgment-on-the-us-for-being-so-pro-lgbt/

Sorry, dude. You could have got away with this crap maybe in 2001, but you’re not getting away with it in 2021. But that said if you’re a member of the right wing conservative church group and you don’t get the vaccine, and you wind up with a terrible case of this virus, who do you blame? Because if there’s one thing I have learned about the conservative right, is that they always blame others. They never take responsibility for themselves! And that’s exactly what Rick Wiles did!

In May, radical right-wing conspiracy theorist Rick Wiles declared that he would never accept any COVID-19 vaccine because the vaccines were part of a plot to carry out “global genocide.” In June, Wiles spent several days in the hospital battling a COVID-19 infection that spread widely throughout his staff and family.

Upon recovering from the infection and returning to his nightly “TruNews” program, Wiles naturally began to spread conspiracy theories about how he been infected and continues to do so, using his program Tuesday night to blame people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 for his infection. The vaccines, he said, were “satanic serum.”

In Wiles’ telling, the highly contagious Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus does not really exist but is merely a cover for an illness that is being spread by those who have been vaccinated. In Wiles’ view, it was not his refusal to get vaccinated that resulted in his infection, but rather it was someone who got vaccinated that was responsible for spreading the infection to him.

“You’ve got people who are vaccinated who are shedding the virus, infecting other people, walking around thinking they are protected and yet they are the ones who are spreading the virus to other people,” Wiles said. “I don’t think that there is a variant called Delta. I think it’s a name that they gave the public to explain the explosion of infections caused by the vaccinated people.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/satanic-serum-rick-wiles-blames-other-people-getting-vaccinated-for-his-covid-19-infection/

Well with people like these at the helm, we really don’t! I kid… I kid! But really first off, Satanic Serum would make a great name for a death metal band! But no, another old friend of the show, our old buddy Dave Daubenmire just doesn’t know when to quit does he? But what he wants is not what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now is it? And correct me if I am wrong but I think this is literally their way of shooting the messenger now isn’t it?

Radical right-wing activist Dave Daubenmire spoke at a conference in his home state of Ohio last weekend, where he shared the stage with notorious anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Sherri Tenpenny.

Upon returning to his daily “Pass The Salt Live” webcast Monday morning, Daubenmire was fired up over vaccine mandates and COVID-19 restrictions, which resulted in him having a screaming meltdown while accusing Dr. Anthony Fauci of working for Satan in an effort to destroy Christians.

Daubenmire spent a good portion of his program discussing “The Book of Giants,” an apocryphal biblical book supposedly written by prophet Enoch that purports to explain why God had to destroy the Earth with Noah’s flood. According to the Book of Giants, angels in rebellion against God had mated with human women, creating a race of giants known as the Nephilim, who were so wicked that God had no choice but to destroy the world.

Daubenmire, who is an ardent believer in the historical existence of the Nephilim, linked the current COVID-19 vaccines to the End Times by citing Jesus’ warning in Matthew 24 that “as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man,” asserting that the vaccines are modern-day demonic effort to corrupt humanity’s DNA akin to the mixing of DNA prior to the flood.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/dave-daubenmire-says-dr-fauci-is-an-emissary-of-the-devil-sent-to-destroy-christians/

That is true, good Reverend! And I say this as a man of GAWD! Because that’s not something that the good LAWRD wants now is it? Is a bunch of conspiracy theory hawking nut jobs who don’t get the vaccine now is it? Make no mistake we’ve been in this thing in over a year and a half now and people are demanding answers. But that said this alarmism is concerning – where is it coming from and what is their end game with this? Well let’s just ask a supporter of the Dark One!

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene suggested that if vaccinators go door to door in Alabama offering the COVID-19 vaccine, Alabamians are entitled to use their “Second Amendment rights,” a reference to the constitutional provision that protects the right of citizens, as part of a “well regulated Militia,” to keep and bear arms. In making those comments, Greene appears to be misrepresenting door-knocking community members who encourage people to get the vaccine as someone standing on your steps, needle in hand, coercing vaccinations. Alabama’s hospitals are currently overrun with COVID-19 patients, partly due to the low vaccination rate in the state.

The video, which was taken surreptitiously by someone in the crowd at a private event in Alabama on July 23, was provided exclusively to “The David Pakman Show,” a nationally broadcasted progressive TV and radio talk show. In it, the representative from Georgia tells the crowd that President Joe Biden might send “one of his police state friends” to Alabamians’ front door, and that Southerners love the Second Amendment rights and don’t like “strangers showing up at our front door.”

“You lucky people in Alabama might get a knock on your door because I hear Alabama might be the most unvaccinated state in the nation,” Green told the assembled crowd to cheers. “Well, Joe Biden wants to come talk to you guys. He’s going to be sending one of his police state friends to your front door, [they’re going to] knock on the door, write down your name, your address, your family members’ names, your phone numbers, your cell phone numbers, probably ask for your Social Security number, and whether you’ve taken the vaccine or not.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/marjorie-taylor-greene-suggests-second-amendment-should-be-used-on-vaccinators/

Of course! Their solution to everything is the 2nd amendment! I thought their Bible said that “Thou shalt not kill”? But then again I would trust that they haven’t read it at all! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: Celebrities saying stupid things
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So I have to admit – we’re excited about seeing people get back together on stage again, after nearly 18 months of silence and dead stages. Even with times as dangerous as these it’s so much better having live events with people aren’t they? I know if I had to live another year on Zoom I’d take a baseball bat to my web cam. But that said, the return of live performances and concerts has also brought back another phenomenon – people saying stupid shit on stage. That said let’s take a look at what happened when rapper DaBaby spent some time during his performance at Rolling Loud to say some horrible things about gay people. And not only did he say stupid things, he doubled down!

In the aftermath of his Rolling Loud controversy, DaBaby was removed from Lollapalooza's lineup, with the festival's social media accounts announcing that he would no longer play Saturday night, as their event was “founded on diversity, inclusivity, respect and love.”

DaBaby has dubbed himself the “Live Show Killa,” and he’s certainly gotten folks around the world talking about his recent set at Rolling Loud. During the performance, the Charlotte rapper born Jonathan Kirk not only brought controversial artist Tory Lanez on stage, but made some truly bizarre and offensive comments about queer people, as well as those living with HIV and AIDS.

“If you didn't show up today with HIV/AIDS, or any of them deadly sexually transmitted diseases that'll make you die in two to three weeks, then put your cell phone light in the air,” he said. “Ladies, if your pussy smells like water, put a cell phone light in the air. Fellas, if you ain’t suck a n-gga dick in the parking lot, put your cell phone lights in the air. Keep it fucking real.”

Though much of the initial scrutiny of DaBaby’s set centered around Lanez, whom Megan the Stallion accused of shooting her last year in a widely-publicized incident, discourse in the ensuing days has focused on Kirk’s homophobic comments.
https://www.gq.com/story/dababy-rolling-loud-controversy-explained

Well not literally but that’s neither here nor there. So almost immediately this split the hip hop community and social media down the middle with people supporting and despising DaBaby’s controversial comments. It also resulted in him getting dropped from several upcoming appearances like ACL Festival, the Roots Picnic, Day N Vegas, and Hot 97 Summer Jam. But my personal favorite reaction to him came from the Roots drummer Questlove.

Questlove isn't here for the recent homophobic comments DaBaby made during the Billion Dollar Baby Ent. CEO's Rolling Loud performance in Miami on Sunday (July 25).

In an Instagram post The Roots cofounder shared last night (July 28), Quest posted a photo of a list of names of a number of artists—The Roots, A Tribe Called Quest, The Isley Brothers, Rihanna, Sade, Megan Thee Stallion, DaBaby, Hiatus Kaiyote, Sault—but DaBaby's name is crossed out.

For the caption, Questlove typed: "I was hypothetically asked if I was curating an updated version of #SummerOfSoul who would be my acts? I gave my dream list."

He continued: "And now I’m updating my list——because it’s 2021 & fuck the bullshit. I’m especially not here for any savagery (if you’re lost: Google the idiocy of the crossed out). I’m not trine be all performative smurf & create a social flogging or start some click bait headlines. That’s missing the point. But right is right & his actions are wrong. Somebody Gotta say it: Homophobia/Transphobia/Xenophobia/Misogyny/Racism——this should go w/o saying is morally wrong."

Read More: Questlove Calls Out DaBaby for His Homophobic Comments - XXL | https://www.xxlmag.com/questlove-dababy-homophobic-comments/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

Yeah exactly what Questlove said there! But that said this has been quite the wild ride for DaBaby. And as they said on 30 Rock, the community that you never want to offend is the LGBT community, for they are the most vocal of the communities! But you also don’t want to go against fans of Megan Thee Stallion either, and they are loud and vocal. So yeah… maybe don’t side with the guy accused of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the foot.

DaBaby’s show at Rolling Loud Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens was part circus, part mob scene.

The rapper — whose hits include “BOP,” “Suge,” and “Vibez” — stunned festivalgoers with a surprise guest during his less than an hour show on the Ciroc stage. Directly following Megan Thee Stallion’s electric performance, he went on a homophobic and sexist rant and then brought out the man who allegedly shot her in the foot last July, Tory Lanez.

As the North Carolina native rapped his verse from Megan Thee Stallion’s “Cry Baby” record, a figure decked out in a mascot of him halted the set. DaBaby then told the crowd to guess who was in the costume.

“I’ll give somebody out here a million dollars if they can guess who in here,” he said as the head of the rapper’s mascot slowly came off revealing Lanez to rows of shocked faces and Megan Thee Stallion’s fans who had been hoping for a collaboration.
https://www.miamiherald.com/miami-com/miami-com-news/article253029763.html

Now keep in mind that the entirety of this story has been literally going on in the span of a week, but it feels like an eternity doesn’t it? But this is sadly the direction that the hip hop community seems to be going in is who can out troll who. And you know what? Fuck that shit. I want the music and I don’t care about any of the other shit that artists do in their free time. Fuck DaBaby, I’ll take Lupe Fiasco or The Roots any day of the week!

DaBaby has always been a troll of sorts. In 2017, the rapper showed up at the Austin music festival South by Southwest in a diaper, performing a publicity stunt that poked fun at his chosen rap persona. Now, four years from his introduction to the masses, DaBaby has taken his trolling to a more troubling realm.

During his set at last weekend’s Rolling Loud Festival in Miami, the rapper brought out controversial Toronto rapper Tory Lanez, who Megan Thee Stallion alleges shot her in the foot last year during an altercation. Lanez is currently under a restraining order barring him from even being within 100 yards from Megan, making DaBaby’s choice a clear effort to humiliate the Houston rapper. Meg and DaBaby recently had a public falling-out, not only over his choice to still work with Lanez in spite of his and Megan’s friendship and previous working relationship but also because the 29-year-old retweeted a post that made light of Megan getting shot.

In addition to featuring Lanez in his performance, DaBaby made homophobic and stigmatizing comments toward people with HIV and AIDS. He later doubled down, particularly on his homophobia, in an “apology” he posted on Twitter. He then tried to rectify the backlash from his post with a curiously-timed music video for his new song “Giving What It’s Supposed to Give,” which was released Wednesday afternoon. In the video, DaBaby inexplicably holds up a sign with “AIDS” written on the front. At the end of the video, rainbow-colored text appears onscreen: “Don’t Fight Hate With Hate.” Beneath the text is another half-assed apology. “My apologies for being me the same way you want the freedom to be you.”
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/dababy-troll-1204590/

[font size="8"]People Who Somehow Got Elected: Kay Ivey
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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 – Alabama governor Kay Ivey (R-Obviously). How did this insane woman get elected as the governor of Alabama? Well for one thing it is Alabama. But the other thing is, yes, it is also the state of Alabama. So we can’t exactly pinpoint the root cause of how people like Ivey get elected but we can guesstimate. But why is Gov. Ivey in the news this week? It’s for her inability to handle a crisis, and one especially of the magnitude of the public health crisis that we’re currently witnessing. And again, blame the people of Alabama who are firmly engrained in the Fox News and Q Anon cults for them to even begin to witness the devastation that Gov. Ivey is doing. But especially at a time when the emphasis is being put on vaccines and how well they stop the disease. And there’s some people who couldn’t give less of a shit.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued an impassioned plea for residents of her state to get vaccinated against Covid-19, arguing it was “time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks” for the disease’s continued spread.

“I want folks to get vaccinated. That’s the cure. That prevents everything,” Ivey, a Republican, told reporters in Birmingham, Ala., on Thursday.

“Why would we want to mess around with just temporary stuff?” she said. “We don’t need to encourage people to just go halfway with curing this disease. Let’s get it done. And we know what it takes to get it done.”

Ivey went on to describe the shots as “safe” and “effective,” saying: “The data proves that it works. [It] doesn’t cost you anything. It saves lives.”
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/23/alabama-governor-covid-vaccinations-500638

Ah but you mis-underestimate the power of stupid and uncaring people there, governor, of which there are currently plenty! But now that conservatives are flipping to the side of “you need to get vaccinated” they are finally seeing the upside of just how important this is. And if you haven’t already, then what are you waiting for? Get the vaccine! And stop listening to people like the governor of Alabama.

Alabama’s Republican governor made an urgent plea for residents to get vaccinated to slow a surge in Covid-19 cases, becoming the latest top GOP official to step up calls for inoculations in the face of vaccine hesitancy among conservative voters.

“We’ve got to get folks to take the shot,” said Gov. Kay Ivey, whose state ranks poorly on Covid-19 vaccination rates. “Folks are supposed to have common sense. But it’s time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks, not the regular folks. It’s the unvaccinated folks that are letting us down,” she told reporters Thursday. “Let’s get it done.”

Earlier in the week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) issued a stark warning: “I want to underscore in the strongest possible manner I can,” he said Tuesday. “These shots need to get in everybody’s arm as rapidly as possible.”

The forceful comments come as the Delta variant has rattled policy makers and markets. The slowing uptake of vaccinations has frustrated health experts and fueled charges from Democrats that the GOP hasn’t sufficiently embraced the inoculation effort or countered vaccine skepticism in its ranks.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/alabamas-governor-is-latest-gop-leader-to-implore-residents-to-get-covid-19-shot-11627063352

So even Mitch McConnell is turning a 180 and urging everyone to get the vaccine. But here’s what happens when you listen to idiots. As the late great Ronnie James Dio once said – “When you listen to fools, the mob rules!” and that may just very well be the case here. But here’s the thing, Gov. Ivey, you can’t be that surprised when the propaganda machine that elected you is also telling idiots not to get vaccinated because of political propaganda. You really can’t.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said Thursday the people who haven't received the COVID-19 vaccine are risking death needlessly and are "letting us down."

When asked what it's going to take to get people vaccinated in the state, Ivey fired back in frustration over the state's vaccination rate, which is now the lowest in the nation.

"I don't know. You tell me," Ivey said. "Folks supposed to have common sense. But it’s time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks, not the regular folks. It’s the unvaccinated folks that are letting us down."

Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. Mark Wilson said the coronavirus, including a new highly contagious delta variant, is spreading so rapidly that he believes public places should reconsider a return to requiring masks. Wilson said studies have shown the delta variant can spread between people in less than a minute.
https://www.wvtm13.com/article/alabama-gov-kay-ivey-frustrated-with-low-vaccination-rate/37112621

Now here’s the conundrum. Next year is going to be an election year and Gov. Ivey is up for a challenger, but who will step up? And we’re about to find out exactly where the voters of Alabama stand on the vaccine issue because one of the leading candidates who could become the Yellowhammer State’s next governor is an anti-vaccine nut job. And letting them loose in the Alabama governor’s office would be equivalent to giving the alcoholic the keys to the liquor cabinet. And that would be disastrous.

On July 22, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said: “It’s the unvaccinated folks that are letting us down,” when asked why Alabama leads the nation in unvaccinated persons. “These folks are choosing a horrible lifestyle of self-inflicted pain. We’ve got to get folks to take the shot. The vaccine is the greatest weapon we have to fight COVID. There’s no question about that.”

Ivey’s strong stance in favor of the COVID-19 vaccine has not gone unnoticed by her political opponents, who accused her of shaming those Alabamians who have chosen not to get the vaccine.

State Auditor Jim Zeigler said: “What Gov. Ivey has forgotten – or never knew – is that those who are not vaccinated include a huge number who do not trust the government. A governor pushing so hard for vaccinations makes those distrustful of government even less likely to take the vaccine. Common sense is lacking here.”

Zeigler has said that he is exploring running for governor and will make a decision by Aug. 21.
https://www.alreporter.com/2021/07/30/vaccinations-becomes-an-alabama-gubernatorial-race-issue/

So leading the state with one of the lowest vaccination rates and telling people to get vaccinated, only to the possibility of losing to an insane anti-vaxxer. That’s Alabama governor Kay Ivey, yet another politician to add to the ever growing list of:

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

Of course you know by now that people are people, and people are dumb. And before we get into this week’s entries, I want to preface by saying – NO! We are not going to include stories of anti-vaccine idiots who go out and get COVID and nearly die. That’s not what we are here to do, though we may save that idea for a future edition. We’re just here for sheer, unfiltered idiocy. OK moving onto our first story – I want to start with this story out of the great state of Ohio, where this is politics taken to quite literal extremes. And while this is a shitty (ha!) story, people, don’t do this! This would be like drawing dicks on your neighbor’s Recall Newsom sign, and as tempting as this may be, don’t do it! This is a perfect example of People Are Dumb.

The self-described “Trump man” who repeatedly defecated and urinated in front of a neighbor’s home because the residents are Joe Biden-supporting Democrats has been found guilty and sentenced for his nasty antics, Ohio court records show.

Jerry Detrick, 70, was cited for littering in late-May after being caught in the act of relieving himself at 3:15 AM in front of the residence Matthew Guyette, 59, shares with his husband. Detrick and Guyette live near each other in Greenville, a western Ohio city.

Guyette called 911 after spotting a man squatting down near a privet hedge. Cops subsequently identified Detrick, a retired high school teacher, as a suspect in the May 30 incident. During police questioning, Detrick confessed and admitted to defecating on Guyette’s property "multiple times."

Pictured above, Detrick said he targeted his neighbor’s home because Guyette and his spouse "are Democrats and support Joe Biden.” Detrick described himself as a “Trump man,” leading cops to conclude that “this incident is politically motivated," according to a police report.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/bizarre/trump-man-guilty-285930

Um… god I hope that isn’t how it works, Peter! Next up – you know what? We got lots of great Florida stories this week. Now that society is slowly starting to open back up after being closed for 18 months, we’re going to see some crazy shit. Starting with this story out of Daytona Beach. And you know this is one of those stories where you really don’t fuck with nature. Especially animals as dangerous as alligators. But in all the time we’ve been doing this, the sheer stupidity of Florida Man knows no boundaries!

A Florida man who stole an alligator from a miniature-golf course, swung it around by its tail and threw it into the air claimed he was teaching the reptile “a lesson,” according to the Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Safety.

Police said they were patrolling on South Atlantic Avenue around 3:20 a.m. Thursday when they saw a man later identified as William Hodge attempting to throw a live gator onto the roof of a building.

Hodge, 32, grabbed the creature by its tail and hit it against a building awning, according to the affidavit. He’s also accused of slamming it onto the ground and stomping on it twice and throwing the alligator over his shoulder and then onto the ground.

Officers said they approached Hodge after seeing him throw the alligator and he immediately put his hands up to surrender and was taken into custody.
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2021/07/15/florida-man-accused-of-stealing-gator-from-golf-course-threw-it-around-to-teach-it-a-lesson/#//

Yeah no it doesn’t quite look that way. Next up – sticking with the Sunshine State, or as it’s called, America’s Wang, by Homer Simpson. And this comes out of a town where a whole lot of crazy shit happens – Clearwater. This particular story, we’ve all been there – what to watch on TV? Do you watch cartoons or do you watch Monk reruns? I do love Monk and have watched the series multiple times, but I would never let it get to this point!

During a dispute over whether to watch cartoons or the show “Monk,” a Florida man struck his roommate at an assisted living facility over the head with his cane, according to cops who arrested the accused assailant on a felony charge. Investigators say that Glenn Hutchinson, 58, struck the 56-year-old disabled victim during a confrontation Sunday evening at the Midway Manor facility in Clearwater. Both men are residents there due to “a variety of physical conditions,” according to an arrest affidavit.

While his roommate sought to watch cartoons, Hutchinson preferred to view “Monk,” the police procedural starring Tony Shalhoub as an obsessive-compulsive sleuth. The pair’s argument over the TV turned violent when Hutchinson hit the victim, Edward Vance Davis, on the head with his aluminum cane.

Hutchinson told police that Davis “drove his motorized scooter into his leg,” prompting him to swing the cane in self-defense. Davis, who was left with a “visible mark” due to the cane blow, was not transported to a hospital.

Charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, Hutchinson was booked into the county jail, where he remains behind bars in lieu of $5,000 bond. A judge has ordered him to have no contact with Davis.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/assisted-living/monk-cane-battery-149735

Uh… yes you are! Next up – you know we live in a country with more guns than people. And when stupid people get their hands on dangerous weapons, they’re bound to use them to do very stupid things! Case in point – and again, not shocking at all that this story came out of Florida – if you give an idiot a gun, don’t be surprised when they do something stupid with it! We go to the panhandle town of Pensacola for this story!

A man accidentally shot himself while showing off his gun at a bar in Florida, local reports say.

According to the Pensacola News Journal, the incident happened on Thursday night at O’Riley’s Uptown Tavern in Pensacola. Police told WEAR-TV the self-shooter is 28-year-old Carlos Feituuaki Tuifua, who survived and is recovering.

Surveillance video viewed by the Journal showed how the accident unfolded. At 11pm, Mr Tuifua was sitting at the bar talking to a man and a woman. About a minute later, he pulled out a handgun and showed it to them for a few seconds.

Then, the Journal reported, Mr Tuifua made a sudden gesture “as if he were putting the gun into an invisible holster” below his shoulder, but instead shot himself in the torso. .............(more)

https://news.yahoo.com/florida-man-shoots-himself-while-142143606.html

Finally this week – remember what I said in the beginning of this segment about not fucking around with nature? You know one place you should never test that theory? The zoo. Especially one that houses dangerous animals like jaguars and tigers and rhinos and bears? Yeah you should never think those animals are anything but dangerous. And for this story, I believe the technical term for this is “fuck around and find out”. Well, actions have consequences!

He must have been easy to spot.

A Florida man got clawed by a jaguar at the Jacksonville Zoo Wednesday, after he jumped over a safety barrier and stuck his arm into an enclosure, local reports said.

The man, who wasn’t publicly identified but is in his 20s, was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, local outlet WJXT reported.

Witnesses told the station that the predatory park visitor had egged on the big cats before he hopped over a gate and into the “Range of the Jaguar” exhibit. ..........(more)

https://nypost.com/2021/07/28/florida-man-injured-after-sticking-his-arm-in-jaguar-pen-at-zoo/

That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Red State Diaries
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Welcome back to our ongoing survey of how the 2020 election has affected the country and all the crazy shit that the right wing has been up to since then! Last week we took a look at states where election recounts and audits are gaining momentum including Idaho and Pennsylvania! This week we’re going to take a look at some of the key players behind this mess. And if you want to overturn a major presidential election, maybe don’t hire these people to work for you. One such person is the CEO of MyPillow. Yes, that guy! So last week he attempted to air an “election special” on Fox News which is really just his way of promoting yet *ANOTHER* conservative friendly social media app. I mean come on, do we need any more of these? The market is already saturated enough with this crap, stop it already! But the scary thing is that Mr. Lindell is gaining big influence and that’s something that should be very worrying to people who aren’t firmly engrained in the MAGA cult. But here’s what happened exactly.

When you contemplate the end of democracy in America, what kind of person do you think will bring it about? Maybe you picture a sinister billionaire in a bespoke suit, slipping brown envelopes to politicians. Maybe your nightmare is a rogue general, hijacking the nuclear football. Maybe you think of a jackbooted thug leading a horde of men in white sheets, all carrying burning crosses.

Here is what you probably don’t imagine: an affable, self-made midwesterner, one of those goofy businessmen who makes his own infomercials. A recovered crack addict, no less, who laughs good-naturedly when jokes are made at his expense. A man who will talk to anyone willing to listen (and to many who aren’t). A philanthropist. A good boss. A patriot—or so he says—who may well be doing more damage to American democracy than anyone since Jefferson Davis.

I met Mike Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow, in the recording studio that occupies the basement of Steve Bannon’s stately Capitol Hill townhouse, a few blocks from the Supreme Court—the same Supreme Court that will, according to Lindell, decide “9–0” in favor of reinstating Donald Trump to the presidency sometime in August, or possibly September. I made it through the entirety of the Trump presidency without once having to meet Bannon but here he was, recording his War Room podcast with Lindell. Bannon has been decomposing in front of our eyes for some years now, and I can report that this process continues to take its course. I walked in during a break and the two men immediately gestured to me to join the conversation, sit at the table with them, listen in on headphones. I demurred. “Anne Applebaum … hmm,” Bannon said. “Should’ve stuck to writing books. Gulag was a great book. How long did it take you to write it?”
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/07/mike-lindells-plot-destroy-america/619593/

Pillow fight! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! But here’s the question on everyone’s mind who is watching from afar – is the pillow man a real danger to democracy, the future of the conservative party, or just a creepy weirdo who spends way too much time listening to conspiracy theories? We’re going to say the latter. Well the thing is despite gaining influence, he’s also considered an inherent danger to the United States and to the world at large.

One day in mid-May, after a rally in South Dakota to promote his new website, Mike Lindell, the pillow magnate and indefatigable election-conspiracy promoter, barreled into his company headquarters, sat himself down at a long table in a conference room he uses as a makeshift office and slid a dropper under his tongue.

The dropper was full of oleandrin, a plant extract that he touts—alarmingly, to scientists—as both a preventative and “miracle” cure for Covid-19. He squeezed.

“Look at this … I can never get the virus,” he said, near the beginning of the roughly six hours I spent with him over two days at MyPillow. “It’s impossible for me to get it.”

Lindell is 59, with the frenzied energy of an auctioneer, a lock of hair he alternately combs back or lets flop down in front of his forehead, and an assertive mustache that evokes a mid-1980s Mike Ditka. He speaks loudly and nonstop—“You need to listen,” he says—about oleandrin, in whose development Lindell has a business interest; about pillows; and about his absolute certainty that cyberattacks threw the November election to Joe Biden. Two assistants sat with us in his office, while MyPillow executives flowed in and out when he yelled for them, or waited to catch his attention from halfway through the door. He was often on his phone, in a series of conversations that at times could leave unclear who exactly he was speaking to.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/06/15/mike-lindell-mypillow-trump-election-conspiracy-494302

Ok so how would you best describe Mike Lindell to someone who has never heard of this raving lunatic before? I’d describe him as the Harley Quinn to Trump’s Joker. I mean this guy couldn’t have his lips more firmly placed on Trump’s ass if they were superglued on. But the scary thing is that the Trump world just can’t help themselves with conspiracy theories. And the deeper you go, the nuttier they get, and right now they are very far off the deep end!

Did you know that Joe Biden is probably going to resign as president sometime in the next month? Maybe, specifically, on August 13? While that's totally ridiculous -- Biden isn't resigning and, in fact, all signs point to him running for a second term in 2024 -- talk of Biden resigning has taken off among some of former President Donald Trump's most prominent supporters of late.

Here's MyPillow founder Mike Lindell in an interview Monday with none other than Steve Bannon:

"Once we have this symposium, how are the pathways of Donald Trump coming back? The first one would be, once we have the symposium, by the night of the 12th or the morning of the 13th, if everyone has seen it, including the administration that's in there now that didn't win, maybe, you know, Biden and Harris would say, hey, we're here to protect the country and resign!"

Lindell is hosting a cyber-symposium that ends on August 12 aimed at looking into various debunked theories about election fraud. And yes, he is trying to pump up interest in said symposium with these outlandish claims.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/27/politics/donald-trump-joe-biden-mike-lindell-ronny-jackson/index.html

But good lord is this guy atrocious. Shit these guys live in bizarro fantasy land. But as the denial of the 2020 election gets weirder and weirder – here’s one place where Mike Lindell is not welcome and that’s Fox News. Man, how toxic do you have to get to be banned from that channel? I mean come on their most popular hosts are Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson if that tells you anything! But Mike Lindell might be going full Bender here and starting his own channel if his cyber symposium doesn’t get picked up by someone.

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

Next week we’re giving you a definitive guide to right wing social media! That’s right – all the trolls have started their own platforms!

Thank you San Diego! We’re off to Portland Oregon, next! See you next week!

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July 29, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #11-3: Joe Vs The MAGA Volcano Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #11-3: Joe Vs The MAGA Volcano Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Yo what’s up San Diego? How you guys doing? You doing fucking good? Man it’s good to be back and back on the road! We spent what, 15 months in front of that blank blue void in the back room of a Burbank comedy club! Finally time to have some fun and in two editions – the Wheel Of Corruption is back! YAY!!!!! You know we tried an electronic wheel but it didn’t work out so well. But now we got the real thing back from its' slumber, polished, well oiled, and dusted off for your entertainment! In fact you can see what the wheel looks like over at our official Twitter feed, which you should be following @10Idiots! You do follow us already, don't you? Do we have time for the thing? OK so we're going back to one of the very first Top 10s we ever did for this one – see Top 10 #1-13. Remember when we used to make fun of Pharma Douchebag Martin Shkreli? That piece of festering garbage that somehow resembles a human? Well we have some great news this week. Now that we have a competent DOJ in charge, they have been getting busy arresting or trying some of Trump’s criminal buddies. Among the things that the DOJ has been doing include seizing some assets. One of those assets was the Epic Of Gilgamesh that was stolen by Hobby Lobby for their insane Bible Museum (see: Top 10 #3-5 ). But guess what? They finally got it back! Yeah how about that! And they also sold off the copy of the Wu Tang’s album Once Upon A Time In Shaolin. Though part of me still wants to see the Wu-Tang Clan go through with their clause of the contract that says they can pull a heist and steal the album back. 5 years later. I know, it’s kind of sad, isn’t it? But that's the kind of thing we watch out for here so you don't have to! OK that’s enough of the intro. We have a lot of idiocy to get to, but first John Oliver is back in front of the blue void and discusses the subject of housing discrimination:

So where do we begin this week? Well in the number one slot this week is Kevin McCarthy (1). Last week we told you about his plans to derail the 1/6 commission. Well this week it’s a whole lot worse than anything you could imagine! Taking the #2 slot this week is Fox News (2). They are going all in on the concept of Critical Race Theory, probably only because they got nothing else left. And the scary thing is they are rewriting history as the end result! What is going on there? Taking the third slot this week is Ron DeSantis (3). A startling new CDC survey has said that Florida is responsible for over 20% of active COVID cases in the US, so what does Florida Governor do? Make some horrible merchandise mocking the victims, among other atrocities! Taking the 4th slot this week is Madison Cawthorn (4) who is leading the charge against Dr. Fauci, and the war on him is getting quite insane. The GOP wants to quite literally shoot the messenger on this one. In the number 5 slot, we have a new Top 10 Investigates (5)! This week after AG Merrick Garland announced that he’s going to Chicago to address growing concerns about the city’s gun violence problem, we’re going to do a deep dive on the subject! At slot #6 this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6) and this week conservative churches are riling up the “patriot” crowd and telling them to take over! What’s fueling the fire and what can be done to stop it? We have some theories! In the 7th slot this week is Eric Clapton (7), and after announcing going full anti-vaxxer, we’re asking “Eric Clapton’s Career: How Is This Still A Thing?”. Taking the #8 slot this week is a new edition of Conspiracy Corner (8) and this week, did you know that the FBI set up a tip line on Brett Kavanaugh prior to his confirmation hearing and it was flooded with tips? Yeah that happened! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week is a new “I Need A Drink” (9) and this week we’re going to get drunk and talk about dueling penis-shaped rockets from Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson. Who got the closest to being in space? Advantage Blue Origin! Finally this week it’s the 3rd installment of our series visiting the red states, Red State Diaries (10)! This week we’re taking a look at yet another possible election audit brewing in Pennsylvania. That’s right – the MAGAs are so furious that they don’t even know what they are mad at anymore! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]Kevin McCarthy
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So while the Commission to investigate the Capitol Riot is going on, make no mistake that we’re currently under minority rule. And like most investigations I fully expect this to be dragged out as long as possible, with many surprise witnesses – each more surprising than the next! OK, channeling my inner Lionel Hutz there. But I fully expect this ending with Former Guy, aka Donald J. Trump, to go full OJ and attempt to spend the rest of his life finding the “Real Insurrectionists”. But that’s a good question – how is this going to end? Well we know how it’s not ending – and Kevin McCarhy (Q-Batshit) is not only attempting to derail this thing, he’s going to make sure that it gets dragged out as long as humanly possible! Here’s the latest.

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

OK so we’ve largely been avoiding this issue because it’s something that is impossible to joke about, but now I feel like we can no longer avoid it. You know, ever since Fox News lost the 2020 presidential election, they are doing everything in their power to keep us fighting with each other. And they will attack everything and everything to keep us from talking about their boy who lost the 2020 presidential election and his crimes including storming the capitol. The latest Fox News point comes in the form of our education system. You may have noticed the rhetoric coming from your right wing friends attacking teacher’s unions. Well that’s not all they’re attacking, they’re attacking something called “critical race theory”. And before we get into the meat of the issue here, let’s do a little bit of briefing on the subject for those like me who know nothing about education.

Is “critical race theory” a way of understanding how American racism has shaped public policy, or a divisive discourse that pits people of color against white people? Liberals and conservatives are in sharp disagreement.

The topic has exploded in the public arena this spring—especially in K-12, where numerous state legislatures are debating bills seeking to ban its use in the classroom.

In truth, the divides are not nearly as neat as they may seem. The events of the last decade have increased public awareness about things like housing segregation, the impacts of criminal justice policy in the 1990s, and the legacy of enslavement on Black Americans. But there is much less consensus on what the government’s role should be in righting these past wrongs. Add children and schooling into the mix and the debate becomes especially volatile.

School boards, superintendents, even principals and teachers are already facing questions about critical race theory, and there are significant disagreements even among experts about its precise definition as well as how its tenets should inform K-12 policy and practice. This explainer is meant only as a starting point to help educators grasp core aspects of the current debate.
https://www.edweek.org/leadership/what-is-critical-race-theory-and-why-is-it-under-attack/2021/05

?itemid=5114632

So yeah… the people who actually know something about education are getting shit from the least educated among us on this subject. Really, guys, turn off Fox News and go live in the real world. This is a problem that affects 0.00000001% of the population but affects 99.999999% of Fox News viewers. With a +-0.00000001% margin of error, of course. But why is Fox News going all in on this subject? Why it’s to rile up their white supremacist fan base of course!

Viral videos of impassioned parents denouncing critical race theory at school board hearings have become a cornerstone of the movement to ban its teaching.

In one such video, a mother declares critical race theory (CRT) to be “a tactic used by Hitler and the Ku Klux Klan on slavery very many years ago to dumb down my ancestors so we could not think for ourselves”. In another, a woman calls CRT “the American version of the Chinese cultural revolution”. A third mother says she has proof that her local school board is “teaching our children to go out and murder police officers”.

The videos, and their spread online, are emblematic of the way the campaign to ban CRT has combined genuine grassroots anger, institutional backing, and a highly effective rightwing propaganda machine to propel critical race theory from academic obscurity to center stage in the US political debate.

That movement has gained tremendous ground at great speed. Legislation seeking to limit the teaching of CRT has been introduced in at least 22 states this year, and enacted in six: Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. Statewide resolutions against CRT have also been passed in Florida, Georgia and Utah.
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jun/30/critical-race-theory-rightwing-social-media-viral-video

Uh………… a little racist? It was extremely racist! I mean if you’re against schools teaching about the history of racism to kids, you might as well put the KKK robes on and get it over with. But if you go over to Fox News’ website, there’s literally a thousand articles on critical race theory. You might think they might have other things to talk about? And of course the people who complained that we weren’t supporting the troops enough are now against the troops because… wait for it – wokeness!

Top military leaders and Pentagon officials undermine the U.S. military by forcing critical race theory on America's men and women in uniform, said former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

Service members shouldn't be concerned about the race of the person next to them, Gingrich said. Instead, it is imperative to recognize they are on a mission to defend their country.

"It's been said that soldiers don't fight for some general theory; they fight for the person next to them," he said. "CRT, which causes us to see each other through the lens of race and the oppressor versus the oppressed, is the antithesis of this cohesion."

Critical race theory and other closely related ideologies hold that the United States is inherently racist and that skin color is used to create and maintain social, economic, and political inequalities between white and nonwhite people. Critics claim it relegates all white pe
https://news.yahoo.com/gingrich-asks-china-think-critical-153500218.html

Oh come on, don’t go dragging Oprah into this. Do we really need to drag Oprah into this? Ok fine. But that said in case you’re wondering who is leading the charge against CRT being taught in schools, guess who is leading the charge? Why it’s none other than the Klan’s favorite Congressman Josh Hawley (Q – Batshit)! Shit, he doesn’t have anything better to do or talk about? And by the way Josh, we already have all of these things in education. It’s called “8th grade history class”. Which you probably either failed or slept through.

Missouri Senator Josh Hawley will introduce new legislation Monday aiming to promote patriotism and fight against anti-American classes.

According to a press release, the new legislation dubbed the Love America Act would require all schools and school districts that receive federal funding to ensure students are able to read and recite America’s founding documents and bar federal funding from schools that teach those documents are the products of white supremacy or racism.
Top Stories – Police exodus: Officers leaving SLMPD in droves – why?

According to Sen. Hawley’s news release, his goal is to fight against Critical Race Theory classes in K-12 education. Earlier this month, Governor Mike Parson took to social media to voice his opposition to

He said in part, “Critical Race Theory has no business being taught in Missouri classrooms, but the vast majority of our schools are not doing that. Our state has a long history of valuing local control, and that is why local schools districts have statutory authority over curriculum.”

Sen. Mike Moon (R-Ash Grove) drafted a letter and had it signed by other Republicans asking Gov. Mike Parson to issue an executive order banning the teaching of critical race theory (CRT) and the “1619 Project” in schools. He wants it done before students return in August.
https://fox2now.com/news/politics/josh-hawley-to-introduce-legislation-to-fight-against-critical-race-theory-classes/

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

There seriously must be a contest between Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott to see who can kill the most of their constituents. But right now it looks like DeSantis (Q – Batshit) is leading that charge by leaps and bounds. And not only that, he has an added advantage over Abbott in that he really doesn’t seem to give a shit about that, either. So while conservatives thought it was funny to “own the libs” by not getting the vaccine, it’s resulted in – shocker – many of them dying needlessly horrible deaths! But never mind, Florida needs a real asshole as its’ governor. And while the fuck heads have made Dr. Fauci public enemy #1, make no mistake that they’re actively trying to make the situation that much worse. And shit like this certainly isn’t helping!

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is hawking campaign merchandise that calls out Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, as well as the mask guidelines that were rolled out across most of the country last year to slow the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

The gear includes $21 T-shirts and $12 drink koozies that say, “Don’t Fauci My Florida.” Some pieces include the tagline “Keep Florida Free.” There’s also a beverage cooler that reads, “How the hell am I going to be able to drink a beer with a mask on?” — which is a quote from DeSantis, himself.

Meanwhile, the Sunshine State has been experiencing a spike in new COVID-19 cases, and recording almost four times the average number of daily cases of the coronavirus in the U.S., according to The Washington Post. What’s more, the death rate from COVID-19 in Florida is almost double the national average, and the state ranks fourth in the number of COVID hospitalizations. There have been more than 2.4 million coronavirus cases reported in Florida, and more than 38,000 deaths.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/gov-ron-desantis-sells-dont-fauci-my-florida-merch-as-his-states-covid-19-cases-spike-11626287447

Merchandising! Merchandising! That's where the real money from the disease is made! Never mind that people are getting sick or dying, tell your friends you don't want a vaccine by spending $35 on this trashy t-shirt! Let 'em know where you stand! But that said, while conservatives are *FINALLY* starting to see the light on getting vaccinated, they’re also doing some serious flip flopping. Too late assholes, the damage has already been done!

Coronavirus rates are climbing in Florida, with the latest data showing Florida's current seven-day average of new daily Covid-19 cases is by far the highest in the nation.

But Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is up for reelection in 2022 and has long been rumored as a possible presidential candidate in 2024, remains steadfast in his more laissez faire response to the virus, dismissing ongoing criticism from Democrats and medical officials.

He argued on Wednesday that the recent spike is all part of the seasonal fluctuations in the virus, even as he urged Floridians to get vaccinated. He touted data that shows if you are vaccinated, your chance of becoming seriously ill or dying is "effectively zero." And his spokeswoman, Christina Pushaw, noted that DeSantis has been arguing for months that he "anticipated cases rising in Florida and other southern states this summer, as there was a seasonal increase last summer in these states."

"It's a seasonal virus and this is the seasonal pattern it follows in the Sun Belt states," DeSantis said earlier this week, before adding that he believes the cases will drop in August.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/22/politics/ron-desantis-florida-covid/index.html

August? Dude, do you see the same WHO news that we do? That’s not what they are saying at all and I think you might want to check your sources again. But then again, we listen to actual news outlets, not OAN and some creepy guy who lives in a cheap panel van covered with Trump stickers tells us. But if you’re shocked that DeSantis is hurting Florida more than he is helping, well, I’ve got a warehouse full of red hats made in China to sell you!

Since President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn in, we’ve seen unprecedented economic growth. More than 3 million jobs were added to our economy in the past six months and companies are giving workers raises across the nation.

We are witnessing the highest rate of growth in almost 40 years.

The Biden-Harris administration has worked around the clock since taking office to fulfill its promise of building back better. And it has been successful, delivering support for Americans in need due to hardship fueled by the pandemic with the American Rescue Plan.

Vaccines are the driving force behind our swift and strong economic recovery. And with 162 million Americans fully vaccinated, workers and consumers have been able to stay safe and healthy.

But on Monday, the market was pummeled. The Dow Jones Industrial Average saw its worst drop since October 2020. As new COVID cases rise, business leaders are worried that the variant’s spread will reduce spending and harm supply chains.
https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2021/07/24/gov-desantis-anti-science-stance-damaging-florida/8080288002/

[font size="8"]Conservatives Vs Fauci
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The question is – are we or are we not on the tail end of the pandemic? Well that’s quite a complicated issue and even the WHO doesn’t think so. But one thing is for certain – now that we’ve had to give up over a year of our lives and social activities because of this virus, everyone is now demanding answers to what happened. And when I say “everyone” I really mean batshit crazy conservatives. They are hopping mad and they want to vilify Dr. Fauci, the one guy who warned us from the beginning what was coming, and now he’s the one guy they want to make a martyr. In this case, this is literally shooting the messenger here, and that’s what all the hate and rhetoric against Dr. Fauci, who should be hailed a national hero, instead is getting feces thrown at him from the right. First let’s go back to two weeks ago, this got lost during CPAC.

Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday said he found it “horrifying” that an audience at CPAC loudly cheered anti-vaccine comments during a panel discussion earlier in the weekend conservative gathering being held in Dallas.

A Saturday panel, titled “Are the leftovers from the pandemic here to stay?” featured author Alex Berenson, who has long criticized coronavirus vaccines and Fauci’s response to the virus on social media.

“They were hoping —the government was hoping — that they could sort of sucker 90% of the population into getting vaccinated,” Berenson said to cheers, “and it isn’t happening. Younger people are well aware of what the risks really are and are well aware of the side-effect profile of the vaccine ... so there is going to be more pressure.”

President Joe Biden had set a goal for 70% of American adults to receive at least one dose of the vaccine before the July 4 holiday — a goal that was narrowly missed. As of Sunday, 67.6% of American adults ― about 174 million people ― have received at least one dose.

Fauci on Sunday called the crowd’s reaction “horrifying.”
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2021/07/11/fauci-cpac-crowd-cheering-anti-vaccine-remarks-is-horrifying/

Seriously, do you want to die? Because that’s how you get dead. Really if you don’t take the vaccine your chances of winding up in the ER, or on a ventilator, or dead, are that much worse if you do not take the vaccine. What have we been saying since this started? Take the damn vaccine! And also, don’t shoot the messenger! Which is exactly what conservatives are doing. First they erode trust in our officials, then they attack the messenger.

When Rand Paul again locked horns with Dr. Anthony Fauci at a Senate committee hearing this week, the instant reactions were as standard as the menu at The Cheesecake Factory.

The left cheered that Fauci had shut down Paul, repeatedly sharing the clip of President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser telling Kentucky’s junior senator he didn’t know what he was talking about.

“Rand, you lost already,” tweeted Democratic Senate candidate Charles Booker, adding music to video of Fauci’s retort for dramatic effect.

Just as fervently, the right rallied to Paul and heaped praise on him as a warrior who had the guts to call out the lies of such a popular figure.

For political purposes, the feud looks advantageous for Paul, who is up for re-election next year in a state that hasn’t voted for a Democrat for U.S. Senate since 1992.
https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article252934408.html

Ooh pass the popcorn! Them’s fighting words! Come on Rand, keep digging your political grave because that’s what is happening. And plus we could use the Senate seat! But make no mistake the war to discredit and possibly arrest Fauci is gaining steam, and conservatives want to make an example of him for… reasons. And also they’re quite insane. But on the sliding scale of conservative insanity, this one ranks astonishingly high!

A decadelong debate over pandemic preparedness that has divided some of the world’s leading biologists into opposing camps, for and against so-called gain-of-function research — in which deadly pathogens that could cause pandemics are artificially enhanced for study in the lab — has all but ground to a halt in the past week, thanks to Sen. Rand Paul.

That’s because the Republican senator from Kentucky politicized the argument last week, by cherry-picking expert opinions from critics of the research who call it too risky to pursue, to publicly accuse Dr. Anthony Fauci of lying to Congress, when he said that his National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases had never funded gain-of-function studies at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.

Paul’s made-for-television broadside against Fauci thrilled Fox News hosts and colleagues like Rep. Jim Jordan, the Ohio Republican who has also pushed the debunked conspiracy theory that research financed by Fauci’s agency, which some experts describe as gain-of-function, could have led to the development of SARS-CoV-2, the deadly coronavirus that causes the disease Covid-19, in the Wuhan lab. Fauci rejected Paul’s claim that research carried out in Wuhan before 2017 with some support from the NIAID met the definition of gain-of-function and pointedly explained that it was impossible to make SARS-CoV-2 from the coronavirus used in that study.

Almost as soon as the heated exchange concluded, the senator’s staff uploaded a truncated version of the video on his YouTube channel under the headline, “Dr. Fauci Caught Lying about NIH Funding in Wuhan.”
https://theintercept.com/2021/07/27/covid-anthony-fauci-rand-paul-research/

Yeah where is Biff when you need him? But that aside, while I have said that conservatives want to literally shoot the messenger, they may actually get away with it! And this is where conspiracy theories run berserk. And can have dangerous, real world consequences. They’re not just the paranoid fantasy ramblings of a mad man. Because they’re coming from our elected officials. And if we don’t stop this, they will come for you, and me. And to Rand, we say “good luck with that!”.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) made good on his threat to refer Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Biden and director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to the Justice Department for allegedly lying to Congress about funding gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

As Changing America previously reported, Fauci said that the National Institutes of Health “has not ever and does not now fund gain-of-function research in the Wuhan Institute of Virology” in response to Paul’s unsubstantiated claims to the contrary during a May hearing.

Last Tuesday, Paul asked Fauci if he would like to retract a previous statement, saying “as you are aware it is a crime to lie to Congress.”

Fauci said he would not retract the statement and was adamant that he has never lied before Congress.

“You do not know what you’re talking about, quite frankly, and I want to say that officially. You do not know what you’re talking about...If anybody is lying here, senator, it is you,” Fauci said.
https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/564803-rand-paul-sends-official-criminal-referral-on

[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Chicago Gun Violence
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It’s time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!

A popular talking point among conservatives and especially among white supremacists is the escalating gun violence in Chicago. And while this is a topic of grave concern, it should be reported about as accurately as possible. But it isn’t. In fact the reporting on gun violence is so mismanaged that it caused our new attorney general Merrick Garland to pay a visit to the Windy City. So what did the Attorney General find on his visit? Well the conservatives are half right. The violence in Chicago is one of the worst problems in the entire country. And while a lot of it is greatly exaggerated, there’s a lot more that could be done to accurately report on the numbers. But there’s no way we would say that the white supremacists are right on this subject. In fact they’re a long way off.

The launch of a new federal effort to combat gun violence across the country brought Attorney General Merrick Garland back to his native Chicago, where he called gun violence an ongoing tragedy Thursday and said, “I feel it particularly in my hometown.”

Garland’s first official visit as attorney general to Chicago came in the wake of three mass shootings in a single day. One of them took place just down the street from St. Agatha Catholic Church, where Garland met with community members Thursday and talked briefly with reporters.

Shortly before Garland arrived at the church, a police chase erupted outside.

“Here, today, the threat of violent crime, particularly gun crime is a tragedy that is just ongoing. I feel it particularly in my hometown here,” said Garland, who was raised in north suburban Lincolnwood and graduated from Niles West High School in Skokie.

It’s the second time this month such a visit has been marred with gun violence. President Joe Biden arrived in Chicago on July 7 right after a Chicago police officer and two federal agents were shot while working undercover.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/7/22/22589604/garland-gun-violence-strike-force-chicago-ongoing-tragedy-straw-purchasers-lori-lightfoot-atf

Yes, just like most tragedies this one could easily be prevented. But how? In a world where people are increasingly losing their trust in law enforcement, mainly due to the events of last year, you have to rebuild that trust. Well, the City Of Chicago is moving in the right direction in that it is finally going to start overseeing the police force. But this is something that has been a long time coming, and should have been enacted sooner than later.

The Chicago City Council gave its blessing to a new civilian commission Wednesday overseeing the Chicago Police Department, a move that, in principle, has been decades in the making while aimed at improving transparency and rebuilding a trust frayed by episodes of misconduct.

Creating the seven-member panel is a product of years of frustrations and heartache etched into the public's mind with victims like Laquan McDonald and Anjanette Young, and cops such as Jon Burge and Ronald Watts, who abused their authority.

“If the communities do not trust [police] because they’re not legitimate to them, they will not be effective in their most core mission — which is serving and protecting every single resident of the city,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in an impassioned speech that wrapped up two hours of testimony on the proposal.

Passage of the police-oversight ordinance is a feather in the mayor's cap, who for years has talked about civilian oversight — even if she pulled back on an earlier version of the proposal.

The ordinance passed the same day the council gave a nod to a massive redevelopment project on the old Michael Reese Hospital site, an area that was once seen as a site for the 2016 Olympics, which Chicago lost out on. Those council actions, plus the recent hike in the minimum wage in Chicago, will surely fuel Lightfoot’s expected re-election bid.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2021/07/22/historic-police-reform-ag-garland-visiting-chicago-to-gamble-on-gambling-493693

So now what’s the solution? Well since the former president left the ATF in shambles and without a leader, Garland has been busy rebuilding the department with trustworthy leaders. And it’s going to be a while before America can trust its’ law enforcement again. But with people getting increasingly hostile, and domestic terrorists increasing in numbers we need a police force that can keep up with it. And go after the right people.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday he hoped the Senate would confirm the head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, to help front the federal effort against gun violence.

The nomination of David Chipman has been stalled as Republicans and the National Rifle Association work to sink it. Chipman is a two-decade veteran of the ATF who served as an adviser to a major gun control group and would be the first formal leader since 2015.

“As you all know, ATF is on the front lines of our efforts to battle gun violence,” Garland said during a visit to the agency’s headquarters. “We are very hopeful that the Senate will soon act.”

Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco met with agents before traveling to Chicago to launch an effort there and in four other cities to reduce spiking gun violence by addressing illegal trafficking and prosecuting offenses that help put guns in the hands of criminals.
https://www.dailyfreeman.com/2021/07/22/garland-to-help-combat-gun-violence-confirm-atf-leader/

So for those of you who are wondering – no, this is not going to be a quick fix, and it most certainly isn’t going to happen overnight. There’s no secret society running things like you see in movies like Hot Fuzz, but the root of the problem also lies with America’s gun problem. That’s right – don’t blame the city, blame the guns. But it’s going to take a long time to undo this damage and it will always get worse before it gets better. And only in America is a story about a shooting but a mere footnote in a story about the gun violence problem.

Attorney General Merrick Garland arrived in Chicago Thursday as the Department of Justice formally launched a "strike force" to combat gun trafficking.

"The threat of violent gun crimes is a tragedy that just keeps ongoing, I feel particularly in my hometown here," Garland said during his visit.

The strike force will focus on corridors trafficking guns to Chicago and four other cities: New York City, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington D.C.

8 shot in Old Town drive-by, marking Chicago's 3rd mass shooting in 6-hour span, CPD says

"We are learning from the past," Garland explained. "This is a tactic which is to work on networks of gun trafficking, which are bringing the guns into the city. Take those down."
https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-shooting-merrick-garland-news-mass/10903315/

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

My fair congregation! You know we live in some very dark times. And it could get even darker if certain groups of people get their way in future elections. But we must stop them! We managed to stop the unholy, ungodly Dark One in his tracks. And you know who I am talking about – a man so foul, vile, and disgusting that his name not be spoken in my church! But supporters of this ungodly man are fired up and they are mad as hell! But I will say this – beware those who say that they are “patriots” for they seek to do great harm to those who they oppose politically, and our society at large. However, our churches and houses of GAWD on the right are certainly not helping things! I need a vacation after doing this one, seriously!

Thousands of right-wing activists gathered at Influence Church in Anaheim, California, over the weekend to hear a cavalcade of election, COVID-19, and QAnon conspiracy theorists speak at the latest installment of Clay Clark’s “ReAwaken America” tour.

Among the speakers this time around was “apostle” Leon Benjamin, a Virginia-based pastor who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2020. Introduced as “a former spiritual adviser for the Trump administration,” Benjamin used his time on stage to declare that the church should “rule and reign” over America while promoting Seven Mountains Dominionism. Seven Mountains Domonionism is grounded in the belief that right-wing Christians are to “do whatever is necessary” to take control of each 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.

“The church was meant to rule and reign in the Earth,” Benjamin declared while proclaiming that the church needs modern “apostles,” such as himself, to guide it properly. “What happens when the church is not apostolically uniformed? We don’t have the true mission of what Jesus said in Matthew 28:19, which was, ‘Go ye out into all the world’—go ye into government, go into education, go into economy, go into sports and entertainment, go into media, go into a religion—’and teach all nations and baptize them.’ That means we should be baptizing presidents!”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/right-wing-pastor-leon-benjamin-tells-conspiracy-rally-we-are-the-next-president-of-the-united-states/

And yes he does for supporters of the unholy Dark One are furious and they are coming after us because they lost their power. That’s not what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now, is it? Because these people are addicted to their power and they’re not going to let it up. And I’m pretty sure that Pastor Benjamin does not have that quite right. For you see the church is run by man, not by GAWD. But the holy war is escalating, my friends!

Jonathan Wichmann, a small business owner who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor in Wisconsin, spoke at a “Faith and Freedom Rally” in the state last month, where he explained that he decided to run for office because “we need good Christian patriots to take over.”

“I’m not a politician. I’m a patriot. I want to make that very clear,” Wichmann said. “I got in the fight last year because I saw [something] really evil coming across this land, especially in Wisconsin—the lockdowns. I’ve been following politics for 13 years. I volunteered for Ron Paul’s campaign when he ran, for his presidential bid, and what I noticed is that everything kept deteriorating. No matter if we had a Democrat or Republican in office, it didn’t seem to quite matter up until Donald Trump. Thank God for President Trump, who is still the president, by the way. We all know that.”

“Looking at the political scene, I knew we were in trouble,” he continued. “There are no truth tellers anymore in this country at the political level. We need to change that. We need good Christian patriots to take over and run for office, and that’s what I intend to do.”

Following his remarks, Wichmann took a question from the audience regarding a bill passed by the Republican controlled state legislature that would ban businesses or government entities in the state from requiring people to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccinations. Wichmann said he supported the bill and urged the audience to refuse to comply with any law that they believe violates their conscience, declaring that “if they try to press their luck, we have the Second Amendment.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/wisconsin-gubernatorial-candidate-jonathan-wichmann-says-good-christians-patriots-must-take-over/

Well make no mistake, the holy war is going to be huge and it is going to be intense, and it is not going away anytime soon. See, since the Dark One lost like the proverbial loser that he is, they are getting louder and angrier! Like for instance, who do they think the DEVIL is? Well it’s not who they think it is because their definition of SAYTAN and SAYTANISM is not the same as what we have, and it is very dark and disturbing!

Mike Pompeo, a former Republican member of Congress who served as director of the CIA and secretary of state during the Trump administration, spoke at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills church in California Sunday, which was founded by right-wing pastor Jack Hibbs.

Following Pomepo’s remarks during the early Sunday service, he and Hibbs sat down for a short conversation. Then, to close out the service, Hibbs laid hand upon Pompeo and led the congregation in praying for his future. (Pompeo is widely expected to run for president in 2024.)

During the prayer, Hibbs begged God to forgive the state of California for electing “people with antichrist worldviews,” specifically citing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris.

“God, we pray that you would do something now—Jesus, please—in our nation’s capital,” Hibbs prayed. “We do not wish ill upon Joe Biden whatsoever. We pray that you would heal him, that you would save him, that you’d open up his eyes to your saving grace, and the fact that it is Jesus who died on the cross for his sins and ours and rose again from the dead. It is the gospel of the living God that can cause all men and women to be changed.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/jack-hibbs-asks-god-to-forgive-california-for-electing-people-with-antichrist-worldviews-cites-nancy-pelosi-and-kamala-harris/

Now what are their qualifications? What are they looking for in candidates? Now they’re certainly not looking for anyone to actually do their job. Instead they run on fear, hate, and misinformation and they will be using that plenty. We’re still a year out from the 2022 midterm elections which could change the course of the country for better or worse. They have obviously chosen worse, because with friends like these, who needs enemies?

That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]How Is This Still A Thing: Eric Clapton’s Career
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It’s time once again to ask:

This week – Eric Clapton’s career – how is this still a thing? You might remember Eric Clapton from his work with Cream or the Yardbirds, or even his signature radio tune “Layla”. But what you might not remember Eric Clapton for is his extreme far right politics. That’s right – he’s a hardcore racist and supporter of ultra far right politics, hardcore racism, and of course online conspiracy theories. While we’re on the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic and can squash it depending on how many people get vaccinated, there’s people like Eric Clapton who are on the opposite end of the spectrum and telling people *NOT* to get vaccinated. And these are the people who you really shouldn’t be listening to at this point in history.

Eric Clapton said he will not perform at any venues that require attendees to prove that they’ve been vaccinated against Covid-19.

Clapton issued his statement in response to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement on Monday, July 19th, that vaccine passes would be required to enter nightclubs and venues. Clapton’s statement was shared via the Telegram account of film producer and architect Robin Monotti, who has also been skeptical of the Covid-19 vaccine and expressed other doubts about the U.K. government’s response to the pandemic. (Clapton previously shared a message about his “disastrous” health experience after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine on Monotti’s Telegram page.)

“Following the PM’s announcement on Monday the 19th of July 2021 I feel honor-bound to make an announcement of my own,” Clapton said. “I wish to say that I will not perform on any stage where there is a discriminated audience present. Unless there is provision made for all people to attend, I reserve the right to cancel the show.”

The message was accompanied by a link to Clapton’s anti-lockdown song with Van Morrison, “Stand and Deliver.” Representatives for Clapton did not immediately return Rolling Stone’s request for comment.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/eric-clapton-not-play-vaccine-shows-1200257/

Yeah that’s right – Eric Clapton won’t play venues if they require a proof of vaccine. So that’s what, every venue everywhere? No venue owner wants to be ground zero for a potential super spreader event, so guess he’s going to be stuck playing livestream concerts from home for the rest of his career, good luck ever seeing an audience again! Oh and in case you’re wondering, it’s precisely on brand for Mr. Clapton, a guitar virtuoso who got beat by young upstart prodigy James Marshall Hendrix.

Legendary musician Eric Clapton announced he will not perform at any venues that require fans to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

Clapton’s statement is in response to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement that proof of vaccination would be required to enter nightclubs and venues.

“Following the PM’s announcement on Monday the 19th of July 2021 I feel honor-bound to make an announcement of my own,” Clapton said. “I wish to say that I will not perform on any stage where there is a discriminated audience present. Unless there is provision made for all people to attend, I reserve the right to cancel the show.”

Clapton’s next scheduled shows in the UK are in May 2022, with two dates booked at Royal Albert Hall in London. He has a handful of North American shows scheduled for September 2021.
https://www.wsmv.com/news/us_world_news/eric-clapton-says-he-wont-play-at-any-venues-that-require-fans-to-be-vaccinated/article_a57bf521-7543-546e-86c5-4278dfa88b6d.html?block_id=1003744

So the bottom line here is if you want this horrible pandemic to end and get back to the life we had in 2019, then you know what you have to do? Get the vaccine! That’s all it takes. Just go to your nearest pharmacy, roll up your sleeves and tell them to insert the needle! But of course there’s people who are like Mr. Clapton and are making this go on as long as humanly possible. And in fact it’s split even his most devoted fans and friends right down the middle.

The musician opened up in a recent interview with a YouTube channel about it. “I just don’t hear from them anymore. My phone doesn’t ring very often. I don’t get that many texts and emails anymore. It’s quite noticeable, I was ostracized,” the musician says. “And I could feel that everywhere.”

Clapton has been a vocal opponent of lockdowns and has expressed some skepticism about vaccines. He says he was vaccinated and had a terrible adverse reaction to the AstraZeneca vaccine that made him question their safety. “I feared I would never play again,” the musician said about the side effects.

“I suffer from peripheral neuropathy and should never have gone near the needle,” Clapton says. “But the propaganda said the vaccine was safe for everyone.” Eric Clapton has also expressed doubts that lockdowns were necessary to help control the spread of COVID-19.

Clapton says it’s been hard to bite his tongue with what he knows. But that hasn’t stopped him from announcing a new tour for 2021. Both Eric Clapton and Van Morrison will play at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Florida as live music shows return.
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2021/06/16/eric-clapton-vaccines-lockdowns-interview/

By the way did you notice that most of his tour dates are in the hardcore anti-vaxxer states? Good luck playing Staples Center or Madison Square Garden anytime soon. But fans and friends aside, Clapton’s anti-vaxxer rhetoric has also split actual musicians right down the middle. In fact we would expect Mr. Clapton’s career to start pulling a Spinal Tap relatively soon. Expect him to open up for petting zoos relatively shortly since he won’t be getting proper gigs anywhere.

Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick and The Wildhearts’ Ginger shared new tweets on their accounts today and reacted to Eric Clapton’s recent words about vaccination requirements of his upcoming events.

You may remember from our recently published article that Eric Clapton made a controversial announcement last week and stated that he will not perform on any stage where the vaccine is required. Clapton also declared that unless there is a provision made for all people to attend, he may cancel his upcoming events.

Upon Eric’s statement, an actress and Wolf Van Halen’s mother Valerie Bertinelli shared the news with a rare photo that features Clapton, the late legend Eddie Van Halen and Valerie herself saying, ‘Once a d*ck, always a d*ck.’

Recently, Testament’s Skolnick and Ginger Wildheart slammed Clapton upon his controversial words by posting new tweets on their official Twitter pages. While Ginger admits that he will celebrate Clapton’s death just like he did Mary Whitehouse, Margaret Thatcher, and his stepfather, Alex supported Valerie by saying she has first-hand knowledge about Clapton.
https://metalheadzone.com/testaments-alex-skolnick-and-the-wildhearts-ginger-blast-eric-clapton-over-his-decision-on-vaccination-requirements/

So deep division and controversy over vaccine rhetoric that’s resulted in a lackluster tour schedule now that touring is being allowed again. That’s enough to make you ask – Eric Clapton’s Career: How Is This Still A Thing?

[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Welcome back to our segment that does a deep dive into the darkest corners of both the internet and government! This is… Conspiracy Corner! We are of course coming to you live from our underground doomsday bunker deep in the alkali flats of the New Mexico badlands. Undisclosed location of course, but you already knew that! Or did you? Let’s adjust our tin foil hats accordingly! This week, there might be an actual conspiracy brewing against a sitting SCOTUS judge. But when you dismiss that it was probably about 99% bullshit, well you are probably correct. But that’s what they want you to think… OR IS IT? So here’s what happened – the FBI setup a tip hotline just for one suspect, and that suspect happened to be SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh. It was flooded with more than 45,000 tips suggesting that – shocker, he might be a crook!

The FBI disclosed that it received more than 4,500 tips on a phone line in 2018 as part of a background investigation into then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and provided "relevant" ones to former President Donald Trump's White House counsel.

The exact number of tips was disclosed in a June 30 letter released by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse on Thursday. The letter was in response to a two-year-old request from Senate Democrats seeking more information about the handling of the investigation.

The revelation reignited fierce accusations from liberals who say that the FBI and the Trump White House did not sufficiently examine allegations against Kavanaugh in the wake of accusations from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford that he had sexually assaulted her at a party in the Maryland suburbs when they were both in high school.

The allegations nearly derailed his confirmation, and Kavanaugh has always fiercely denied them. Kavanaugh was ultimately confirmed by a vote of 50-48.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/22/politics/fbi-kavanaugh-ford-investigation/index.html

Yeah so ever notice how the watchers are really not doing that much watching? Us too! Because this is quite an insane story about a SITTING JUSTICE ON THE SUPREME COURT getting that much criminal activity being reported against him. And guess what? The FBI actually did well… nothing. In fact they did less than nothing! So why did it take over 3 years for all this mess to be sorted out? Well when you’re judging the supreme law of the land, things tend to get a little… complicated.

In recent days, we learned that the 4,500 tips reported to the FBI about Brett Kavanaugh's suitability to serve as a Supreme Court justice largely went uninvestigated. Worse, the FBI handed the tips over to President Donald Trump's White House, the administration determined to get Kavanaugh confirmed by pretty much any means necessary.

Needless to say, presidents get to nominate whomever they want to the Supreme Court. But once the nominee is selected, the normal rules of governmental convention typically kick in: The FBI does a background investigation; the American Bar Association rates the nominee on a scale from "fully qualified" to "not qualified"; the Senate goes about fulfilling its constitutional "advice and consent" responsibilities; etc.

On July 9, 2018, Trump nominated Kavanaugh to the highest court in the land. First reactions were predictable: Republican praise and Democratic condemnation. But over and above the usual partisan political wrangling, something else was brewing. Kavanaugh's nomination became intensely controversial because, in part, of allegations of misconduct in his personal life and some unusual financial arrangements involving disappearing debts. (Kavanaugh repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.)

With multiple women alleging some kind of past misconduct, the FBI decided to set up a tip line for people to provide information that might touch on Kavanaugh's suitability to serve on the court. This was the first time the FBI had created this kind of a tip line for a Supreme Court nominee.
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/fbi-didn-t-investigate-brett-kavanaugh-we-deserve-know-why-n1275066

Yeah I’d keep that thing on because what we have brewing here is an actual, bonafied conspiracy here and that’s exactly what you get when you put guys who listen to way too much AM radio for their own good in charge. But you know, that Former Guy, he always puts the best people in charge, doesn’t he? I mean his people can do no wrong! Because he’s going to drain the swamp! And when you drain the swamp, and replace them with ass kissers, what could go wrong?

The FBI acknowledged receiving more than 4,500 tips during its background investigation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, prompting a new wave of criticism from Senate Democrats who have long questioned the bureau's vetting process.

Though the Senate confirmed Kavanaugh by a narrow majority (50-48) three years ago, the process was defined by the emotional testimony of California university professor Christine Blasey Ford and Kavanaugh's angry denials that he sexually assaulted her in the early 1980s.

In a June 30 letter made public by lawmakers Thursday, Assistant FBI Director Jill Tyson does not elaborate on the substance of the tip information.

Tyson, responding to inquiries from Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Chris Coons, D-Del., said Kavanaugh's nomination marked the first time that an FBI tip line had been established to receive information during a Senate confirmation inquiry.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/07/22/brett-kavanaugh-review-sparked-4-500-tips-fbi/8057810002/

So when you have conspiracy theorists running the government, you’re going to turn the entire government into an actual conspiracy! And careful who you report to, because this government might go all the way to the president! I heard that somewhere. Now the question on the table is where did all of those tips that were sent to the FBI go? Did they set them on fire or flush them down the toilet or use them as toilet paper? Well, we may never really know the answer to that. Because that’s what Former Guy does.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse has spent nearly three years attempting to understand the nature of the FBI’s “supplemental investigation” of claims that emerged against Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings in the summer of 2018. The senator’s attempts to get answers from either the Trump White House or the FBI were largely unsuccessful while Trump was still in office. But Whitehouse kept trying—almost as soon as Merrick Garland was sworn in as attorney general, Whitehouse asked him to help facilitate “proper oversight” by the Senate into questions about how serious the FBI supplemental investigation really was.

Whitehouse asked Garland to explain why there was no mechanism for witnesses to report their accounts to the FBI, and why, after the FBI decided to create a “tip line,” nobody was ever told how the tips were evaluated. In his March letter to Garland, Whitehouse described that tip line as “more like a garbage chute, with everything that came down the chute consigned without review to the figurative dumpster.” Whitehouse asked Garland to explain “how, why, and at whose behest” the FBI conducted a “fake” investigation that violated standard procedures. Whitehouse also asked Garland to probe into the tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt that mysteriously vanished from Kavanaugh’s life in 2016.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/07/kavanaugh-fbi-investigation-tips.html

[font size="8"]I Need A Drink
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[font size="8"]Red State Diaries: Pennsylvania Election Audit
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Welcome back to our ongoing exploration of the states that voted for the Former Guy and why they did what they did! This is Red State Diaries! Last week we took a look at the batshit crazy audit that’s going on in Arizona’s Maricopa County and what that could mean for the 2020 election, even though this audit is being run by people who you wouldn’t trust to run a McDonald’s. This week – we’re taking a look at yet another red state and yet another talk of an election audit. But wait – didn’t that guy win, you might ask? Well I answer you – the answer is yes! Now you might also ask – why? Well that answer is starting to get a bit more complicated, but I think the main reason is because the fuck heads in charge of the right are getting restless that they lost and aren’t leaving things alone.

Republican Pennsylvania state Sen. Dan Laughlin on Thursday came out against the GOP-backed audit of the 2020 election results in his state, becoming the party's first statewide-elected official to do so.

Speaking to Reuters, Laughlin said that the efforts to investigate President Biden's November victory in Pennsylvania are being made "absent credible evidence of fraud" and will not change the outcome.

"The current attempt to discredit the 2020 election results runs headlong into an unmistakable truth," Laughlin said. "Donald Trump lost Pennsylvania because Donald Trump received fewer votes."

Last week, voting machines in Pennsylvania's Fulton County were decertified following an election audit. Acting Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Veronica Degraffenreid said in a letter that the audit itself, conducted by software company Wake TSI, had compromised the machines, adding that the process was “not transparent or bipartisan.”
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/565419-pennsylvania-republican-election-audit-happening-without-credible

Um……… wrong election. But that’s kind of what it feels like. But even prominent conservatives are not only questioning this nonsense, they’re getting fed up with it. When your party turns into a cult that worships one guy and said guy has some extremely shady people working for him, I guess these things happen don’t they? But make no mistake that the conservatives are going after voting machines and the companies that make them, and they won’t stop.

One of the Pennsylvania counties targeted in a Republican lawmaker's "forensic investigation" into the 2020 election has beefed up security around its courthouse following threatening posts on social media, one of its commissioners told Reuters.

The incendiary Facebook posts appeared targeted at members of Tioga County's all-Republican board of commissioners after they decided not to comply with the lawmaker's request to turn over their voting machines, Commissioner Erick Coolidge said.

One individual, in an apparent reference to the county's three commissioners, called them traitors and said there were "plenty of trees" in a nearby gorge to "hang ropes from," according to a post viewed by Reuters on a Facebook page.

In response, the law enforcement presence was strengthened around their offices at the courthourse in the town of Wellsboro, Coolidge said, without providing details. The Tioga County sheriff's office did not reply to a request for comment.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/threats-rattle-pennsylvania-county-targeted-election-audit-2021-07-22/

Don’t tell me because I don’t want to know! And this whole thing is getting certifiably insane. So the county decommissions voting machines after they find no fraud and now they’re getting threats. Come on, this is 2021 isn’t it? Everyone gets threats these days. It’s the sad and disturbing times that we live in created by social media, unfortunately. But that said don’t expect this talk of audits to go away anytime soon, in fact some people keep this going because… reasons.

Democrats in Pennsylvania have derided a highly unusual GOP effort to audit counties’ election processes as a fool’s errand, but there are signs that top Republicans, who control the legislature, are taking it seriously.

Behind-the-scenes talks are ongoing in Harrisburg to figure out how to proceed, GOP Senate sources confirmed to WHYY News.

A number of key Republicans support some kind of audit, but the process for preparing to issue subpoenas for counties’ election data — and preparing for the court case that would almost certainly follow — is complicated.

The audit plan is spearheaded by Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Adams), one of the legislature’s biggest purveyors of false claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.
https://whyy.org/articles/pa-republicans-are-taking-election-audits-seriously-heres-what-to-know-about-their-plan/

Yeah me too! But unfortunately it isn’t going to. And while the audits have been mostly about as partisan as an audit can get – mostly in favor of Former Guy. But the fact that these guys are easily swayed by bullshit conspiracy theories only makes this all the more dumbfounding. Is there any possible scenario in which the Former Guy could somehow magically gain power? Hell no! But that won’t stop the certifiably crazy people from trying!

GOP State Sen. Doug Mastriano announced plans this month to conduct a “forensic investigation” of Pennsylvania’s 2020 general election and 2021 primary election results. To do so, Mastriano made a sweeping request to three Pennsylvania counties requesting – under threat of subpoenas – access to voting machines, ballots, software, computer logs, security tokens and a whole lot more.

Mastriano is an ally and supporter of former President Donald Trump, who has peddled misinformation and conspiracy theories since losing to President Joe Biden last year. Mastriano wrote in an op-ed that the investigation is being conducted to “restore faith in the integrity of our system,” while state Democrats have panned the proposed investigation as an “unlawful witch hunt.”

But what exactly would his audit mean for Pennsylvania? City & State reached out to three elections experts on the impacts Mastriano’s review could have: Will Adler, senior technologist in Elections & Democracy at the Center for Democracy & Technology in Washington, D.C.; Chris Deluzio, policy director at the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security; and Gowri Ramachandran, senior counsel in the Election Reform Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. These responses have been edited for length and clarity.
https://www.cityandstatepa.com/content/what-would-partisan-election-review-look-pennsylvania

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

The Atlantic says that My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell is the man who could destroy democracy. We take a look at the places where he’s actually gaining influence.

Thank you San Jose! We’re off to beautiful San Diego next! See you next week!

Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo

July 22, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #11-2: Oops, I Creeped Out Again Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #11-2: Oops, I Creeped Out Again Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Yo what’s up San Jose? How you guys doing? You doing fucking good? Great! This is our first road show after 15 months of being in front of that blank, blue void in the back of a Burbank comedy club before moving to the secondary room of a Santa Ana concert venue, and it feels good! Whew! First off congratulations to the Milwaukee Bucks, you earned your NBA title and now you will get to go see a president who won’t greet you with a Domino’s and McDonalds fast food buffet! Although that’s not what I want to talk about is the billionaire space race this week – don’t worry, we will cover this in full next week. But is it just me or did the rockets look like a certain part of the male anatomy? I mean come on, I don’t want to say that they were blasting into space on what looks like a giant penis rocket, but yeah they kind of are blasting off into space on a giant penis rocket. Come on, I hear the groans! Oh come on sir, give it a chance, I just got up here! That’s the joke you choose to leave on? For those of you watching at home there’s people already leaving! But yeah whether you’re a fan of Blue Origin or Richard Branson’s “Truth Or Consequences”, we can all agree that we know what they look like! And we do have actual footage of the launches, can we show those please?

All right, that was Austin Powers. OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first Stephen Colbert is back and he dissects Fox News vaccine hysteria:

Man where do we begin this week? In the number one slot this week, unfortunately, is The Former Guy (1). But holy shit, there’s several new books coming about his administration, and each one is scarier than the next, including an attempted coup! Taking the second slot this week, is Florida Man and guy who should most likely have to register as a sex offender, Matt Gaetz (2). Why is he so interested in Britney Spears’ controversial conservatorship all of a sudden? Is he planning to ask her out or something? Taking the #3 slot this week is our old buddy Tucker Carlson (3). It seems his employer, Fox News, is getting louder, more vocal, and more insane about vaccine conspiracies, and we’re going to break it down for you! In the number 4 slot, we’re going to take a look at the ongoing efforts to overturn the election, starting with creepy Pillow Man Mike Lindell (4) and the Former Guy supporters are going at this at the same rate that Wiley Coyote is attacking the Road Runner. In the #5 slot is Conservative Road Shows (5) and everyone from Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Greene to the Former Guy are having a hard time selling their shit on the road. Gee, I wonder why? Taking the number 6 slot this is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit”, and this week we’re going to find out the link between Evangelicals and how they are likely to believe wild conspiracies like Q Anon, and yeah this will get worse before it gets better. In the number 7 slot this week, we’re going to add California representative and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (7) to the ever-growing list of People Who Somehow Got Elected! In the number 8 slot this week we have a new Conspiracy Corner (8)! And last week, I was tipped off to a bizarre new product called the “Freedom Phone” touted by a 22 year old Bitcoin entrepreneur. If you expect this thing is a cheap piece of garbage, you are right! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week, we have a new I Need A Drink! And finally this week it’s time for episode 2 of our deep dive into Trump country – Red State Diaries! This week we’re taking a look at Arizona’s insane election audit and what is coming of it! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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

[font size="8"]The Former Guy
[br] [/font] [br]

So here we are. Conservatives are trying to walk back what happened on January 6th. If they want to go there, fine. Two can play at that game. Did you know that T was dangerously close to committing a real life coup when he found out that he lost the election? Well yeah that’s a thing and it’s scarier than any of us could ever imagine! Here’s the thing – we were all horrified by the events of January 6th, were we not? But not if you watched Fox News or any of the even worse conservative outlets out there, like Newsmax or OAN. They’re passing this off as a “harmless tourist visit”. Yeah never mind the poop smeared on the walls or the makeshift gallows being erected outside. But was it a mere tourist visit or an attempt to overthrow the government? Here’s what one rioter has suggested!

A Trump supporter said rioters were "just there to overthrow the government," a new book by Wall Street Journal reporter Michael Bender says.

Saundra Kiczenski, a 56-year-old from Michigan, told Bender she was "confident" that former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election, according to the book "Frankly, We Did Win This Election," published earlier this week.

"If someone put a gun to my head and said: 'Did Donald Trump win, yes or no? And if you're wrong, we're going to shoot your head off!' I would say 'yes,'" Kiczenski told Bender, according to an excerpt of the book that was published by The Washington Post. "I'm that confident that this stuff is not made up."

In the book, Bender detailed former President Donald Trump's effort to overturn the election after becoming the first incumbent in decades to fail to win reelection.

"We weren't there to steal things," Kiczenski, who entered the Capitol on January 6, said, according to the book excerpt. "We weren't there to do damage. We were just there to overthrow the government."
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-supporter-capitol-rioters-there-to-overthrow-government-2021-7

That is a good question sir! But yeah you know it’s all fun and games until they attempt to overthrow the government. But that said, we can just add this to our growing list of things that Trump has failed – steaks, vodka, airlines, universities, being the president, and now a coup against the US government! So what happened between November 3rd and January 20th? Well a whole lot of some really scary shit that thankfully was prevented by some much cooler heads than that guy!

The top US military officer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley, was so shaken that then-President Donald Trump and his allies might attempt a coup or take other dangerous or illegal measures after the November election that Milley and other top officials informally planned for different ways to stop Trump, according to excerpts of an upcoming book obtained by CNN.

The book, from Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporters Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker, describes how Milley and the other Joint Chiefs discussed a plan to resign, one-by-one, rather than carry out orders from Trump that they considered to be illegal, dangerous or ill-advised.

“It was a kind of Saturday Night Massacre in reverse,” Leonnig and Rucker write.

The book, “I Alone Can Fix It,” scheduled to be released next Tuesday, chronicles Trump’s final year as president, with a behind-the-scenes look at how senior administration officials and Trump’s inner circle navigated his increasingly unhinged behavior after losing the 2020 election. The authors interviewed Trump for more than two hours.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/07/14/top-generals-reportedly-feared-trump-coup-attempt/

Uh………. Yes we are! I mean this guy attempted to overthrow the government! Why isn’t this being hammered more in the media? Why do we have to read about it in a book that’s coming out several months after the fact? I guarantee if this information had been out during the trial, it would have gone the other way. I mean we could seriously be under a dictatorship right now and that is an incredibly scary thought.

In the run-up to the 2020 election, the media covered one of the most difficult stories to write about in one of the most difficult presidential administrations it will ever cover: whether President Donald Trump might do something drastic if he lost reelection. Stories on and speculation about Trump potentially calling in the military or even engaging in an attempted coup d’etat were roundly ridiculed by Trump’s allies as the latest bit of alarmism from an anti-Trump press.

Former Trump acting defense secretary Christopher C. Miller even testified in May of this year that the media’s “irresponsible commentary” on this topic inflamed the situation ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

What we’ve found out since then, though, can be understood as little else but an affirmation of this cautionary coverage.

In the two months since Miller’s testimony, we’ve learned that two of the highest-ranking figures overseeing the U.S. military — Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark A. Milley and Miller’s predecessor as defense secretary, Mark T. Esper — both had significant worries about Trump involving the military in the election. According to at least one report, even Miller shared in that, at least to some extent.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/07/15/growing-evidence-very-real-trump-coup-fears/

Seriously there aren’t enough holy shits in the world! But really if you ask the man himself, guess what he will answer? He’s over it. Or he’s just not that into it. Or it was fake news. Or maybe it was Maybelline. OK I’m getting off the rails here. But yeah when asked about turning America into a fucking third world Fox News run dictatorship complete with state run TV, it was a very real possibility for a few moments after the election! Some scary shit!

Former President Trump’s line in a press statement about how if he was going to do a coup it would not be with Gen. Mark Milley has quickly become a viral punchline.

Trump made the remark in a written statement while describing as "ridiculous" suggestions that he might have taken part in a coup after he lost the presidential election — a defeat he has refused to concede.

"So ridiculous! Sorry to inform you, but an Election is my form of 'coup,' and if I was going to do a coup, one of the last people I would want to do it with is General Mark Milley," Trump said.

Milley is the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and was nominated to that role by Trump, who has since turned on him.
https://thehill.com/policy/technology/563238-if-i-was-going-to-do-a-coup-becomes-viral-punchline-after-latest-trump

[font size="8"]Matt Gaetz
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You know we need some music for this entry!

[font size="8"]Fox News
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In case you haven’t forgotten, we’re still in this thing called a “raging pandemic” and the next four months are crucial to determining the outcome of this thing. Unfortunately one key obstacle stands in our way. And that obstacle is Fox News. Don’t want the virus to spread? Well we can stop it through this thing called a “vaccine”. And the “vaccine” keeps you out of the hospital and/or dying, and also stops the virus from entering new hosts, giving it a chance to mutate. This “vaccine” however, only works if people take it. But Fox News and other more horrifying parts of the right-wing blogosphere including Infowars and OAN are doing their part to do everything they can to stop people from taking the “vaccine”. And I’m looking at you directly, Tucker Carlson! No, no need for the Tucker cam yet.

On air, the Fox News attitude about COVID-19 vaccines is one of pure loathing. Popular prime time hosts Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham routinely suggest that the vaccines don't work, which is flatly false. In almost 60% of their segments about the vaccine, a recent analysis found, the network has pushed an anti-vaccination message, falsely implying the shots are dangerous or unnecessary.

Fox News has framed the vaccine in highly emotional culture war terms, with the shot presented to viewers like other made-up panics, such as "cancel culture" or "critical race theory." They are all a direct threat to the precious but poorly defined "freedom" that liberals supposedly want to snatch away. Viewers are made to feel that, by rejecting the vaccine, they are proving their conservative bona fides, sticking it to the liberals, and being the best MAGAs helping to make America great again.

But when the cameras are off at Fox News, suddenly everything changes. The vaccine is no longer regarded as a dangerous threat to Mom and apple pie, but a common-sense health intervention backed up by medical science. As CNN reported on Monday, Fox News — while decrying "vaccine passports" on-air — has been using a vaccine passport among their own staff since early June. Vaccinated employees who get what is called the FOX Clear Pass "are allowed to bypass the otherwise required daily health screening" and basically return to normal life inside the Fox offices.
https://www.salon.com/2021/07/20/fox-news-treats-its-viewers-as-fools-with-latest-vaccine-disinformation-campaign/

Yes your media diet could be just as bad for your health as your actual diet. If you consume enough media to tell you that vaccines are bad and you don’t take vaccines? Guess what? You end up in the hospital and get sick and die, in the worst possible way! Grow a pair, take the vaccine and deal with the side effects for a few days. The alternative could be far worse, and that’s what you get when you listen to these idiots.

(CNN)"Do you think we could've eradicated polio or defeated the measles if you had Fox News night after night warning people about these vaccine issues that are just bunk?" CNN's Jim Acosta asked Saturday of Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser.

Fauci response's was jaw-dropping: "If we had had the pushback for vaccines the way we're seeing on certain media I don't think it would have been possible at all to not only eradicate smallpox, we probably would still have smallpox and we probably would still have polio in this country." The nation's premier infectious disease specialist added, "If we had the kind of false information that's being spread now, if we had that back decades ago, I would be certain that we'd still have polio in this country."

There's no dispute that Fox News has been delivering to its audience, of which almost 60% is in the high-risk over-65 age group, dangerously misleading information about the Covid vaccine and its rollout by the Biden administration. A report released Friday by the liberal media watchdog group Media Matters documents that the majority of vaccine-related segments that Fox News aired over the past two weeks "repeatedly fearmongered about and downplayed the need for continued vaccination campaigns."
https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/18/opinions/vaccine-disniformation-fox-news-obeidallah/index.html

Seriously, he’s not wrong. If Fox News had been around during the days when the polio pandemic was going on, we’d probably still have polio. I mean they are the answer to everything that is wrong with this country. If you said the sky is blue, Fox would be like “No! The sky is green and we have proof that a blue sky is a hoax!”. So the moral of the story? Take the damn vaccine. And stop listening to these freaking idiots telling you not to!

White House press secretary Jen Psaki says she is in regular contact with the conservative news network Fox News about its coverage of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Fox News commentators Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham, as well as other news program hosts, have often cast doubt on the vaccines' safety and efficacy to the network's millions of viewers. The network ended January with a 19-year streak as the top U.S. cable news network.

Noting health official guidelines that encouraged masking and distancing even for vaccinated people in April, Carlson said of the vaccine: "So maybe it doesn’t work, and they’re simply not telling you that."

Ingraham on Monday night called Biden and his allies "consistent superspreaders of misinformation on COVID."
https://news.yahoo.com/white-house-regular-contact-fox-165712619.html

That’s right – the bullshit coming from Fox is so rampant that even the White House has had to respond to what Fox News is telling people. So yeah remember what I said about your media diet ruining your health earlier? It really could, quite literally ruin your health! But Biden must have got through to Fox, because they seem to have a different tone on taking vaccines right now, especially with the Delta Variant spreading.

Conservatives are not necessarily vaccine-hesitant, to paraphrase John Stuart Mill, but most vaccine-hesitant Americans are conservatives. Resistance to vaccines has been concentrated among Republican voters, and led by GOP politicians and various leading lights in conservative media.

And that makes the past day or so one of the stranger stretches in recent pandemic politics.

“Just like we’ve been saying, please take COVID seriously. Enough people have died. We don’t need any more deaths. Research like crazy. Talk to your doctor,” Fox News’s Sean Hannity said last night. “It absolutely makes sense for many Americans to get vaccinated.”

Hannity’s “just like we’ve been saying” is doing a lot of work. He reportedly called the pandemic a “hoax” early on, and his colleague Tucker Carlson continues to cast doubt on vaccines, including on yesterday’s program. But Hannity is not alone now. His statement comes as several other major conservatives are speaking up too.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/07/fox-news-conservatives-vaccines-sean-hannity/619510/

[font size="8"]Mike Lindell
[br] [/font] [br] B

Kind of sad when Trump’s now closest allies are a guy who lost his law license and a former drug addict turned pillow salesman. Mike Lindell is a loser, but if you’re here, you probably already knew that. But that said, the scary thing is that this loser has some serious influence in the MAGA world. And while I will stress that I am not, in any way, shape or form making fun of addiction here – I will say that Mike Lindell has replaced one vice with another. This time around, his vice is the MAGA lifestyle, and his belief that the “Big Lie” that the 2020 election was stolen is really getting to him. As much as you try to tell him that it’s bullshit, he won’t listen. What’s even scarier is that he’s attempting to gain more influence. But are there “two pathways” that Loser 45 can be reinstated as president? The answer is “no and no”.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, a prominent conspiracy theorist, insisted that there are "two pathways" to overturning President Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election over former President Donald Trump.

Lindell, a staunch Trump loyalist, continues to baselessly claim that the last presidential election was "rigged" or "stolen" by the Chinese Communist Party to favor Biden instead of Trump. The extraordinary allegations about so-called "widespread fraud" in the election have already been thoroughly litigated in state and federal courts and wholly discredited. But Lindell and Trump continue to promote the groundless conspiracy theory.

"So you have two things here, two pathways to pull this election down and it's getting pulled down," Lindell claimed as he sat at a booth for his Lindell TV at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas on Sunday. Video of his remarks was broadcast on the businessman's Frank Speech website.
https://www.newsweek.com/mike-lindell-insists-there-are-two-pathways-change-2020-election-results-1608655

The scary thing is the talk of an August reinstatement for Trump is gaining ground and that should worry just about everybody. What’s scary is that this should alarm anybody because he’s claiming that a single shred of evidence in his favor could undermine 80 million votes. But this isn’t just a conservative problem – we should be paying attention to this sort of thing and what it’s doing to divide the population and against President Biden. This is insanity!

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has claimed that the "real totals" from the 2020 election show that Republican former President Donald Trump won by 80 million votes while Biden got under 68 million votes.

Lindell provided his erroneous tallies while speaking at a recent stop in the ReAwaken America tour. The tour features various right-wing commentators speaking about contemporary politics.

"I will tell you this," Lindell told the audience, "the real totals is Donald Trump 80 million and Biden less than 68 million—that's the real totals." The audience cheered at his claim.

Biden won the election with over 81 million votes. Trump lost with over 74 million votes. But since the election, Lindell has repeatedly pushed Trump's baseless claim that an unprecedented nationwide conspiracy of voter fraud "stole" the election from him.
https://www.newsweek.com/mike-lindell-claims-real-totals-2020-election-are-trump-80m-biden-below-68m-1610763

Regardless of how insane Mike Lindell and the Former Guy are, they’re still losers! As Jim Carrey would say, Loo-Hoo-Se-Hers! And come on with friends like these, who needs enemies? The Former Guy attracts some very strange bedfellows doesn’t he? I mean in one corner you have batshit crazy attorney Sidney Powell, and in the other corner you have drug-addict-turned-pillow-salesman Mike Lindell. But you know the old saying – wish in one hand, shit in the other, and see which one shows up first!

Donald Trump allies Sidney Powell and Mike Lindell used a court hearing Thursday to make clear they aren’t backing off baseless election fraud conspiracy theories — even as they argued for a judge to dismiss billion-dollar lawsuits that accuse them of defamation for pushing those very same claims.

Powell, Lindell, and former Trump lawyer and adviser Rudy Giuliani were all sued earlier this year by Dominion Voting Systems Inc, a private company that contracts with local governments to provide election software and equipment. The trio had spent the weeks after the November election promoting baseless theories that Dominion had been part of a scheme to rig the contest for President Joe Biden. The company took them to court.

A federal judge in Washington heard arguments Thursday on motions filed by Giuliani, Lindell, and Powell to have the cases tossed out. Giuliani’s arguments dealt less with the substance of Dominion’s defamation claim; he’s taking issue with how the company alleged it was harmed financially as a threshold issue. But lawyers for Powell and Lindell delved into the question of whether Dominion had cleared the bar at this stage of the case to argue they’d acted with “actual malice,” a key issue in defamation cases.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetillman/sidney-powell-mike-lindell-dominion-lawsuit-conspiracies

Nobody does, kid! So don’t hang around these guys otherwise you might just be one. But you want to see a real life example of what listening to batshit crazy conspiracy theorists does? Well check out this story out of Michigan where a full time far right Sheriff and part time Wilford Brimley impersonator (I can’t believe I’m drawing that reference) is taking matters into his own hands and probing the election himself. File this under “things that will not end well”.

A far-right sheriff in rural Michigan has sent a private investigator and a deputy sheriff on a tedious journey from township to township, grilling clerks about their election processes in an apparent attempt to dig up non-existent evidence of election crimes.

The whole thing, the sheriff said, was inspired by conspiracy theories about the election, including those peddled by MyPillow Guy Mike Lindell.

And the clerks are none too happy about it.

“It seemed like they were looking to accuse people or places of fraud, or potential fraud, is what it felt like,” said Cindy Willshire, clerk of Thornapple Township.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/michigan-sheriff-confuses-small-town-clerks-with-shady-mike-lindell-inspired-elections-probe

[font size="8"]Conservative Road Shows
[br] [/font] [br]

Conservatives are having a hard time selling their message outside of their constituents. Gee, I wonder why that is? Well, we’ve got two exhibits here. The first exhibit is Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Greene, and as this happened relatively close to home, we of course have a vented interest in this. So if you were following the news, Gaetz and Greene were scheduled to speak at an event in Laguna Beach, California, which is a mere 25 miles from our studio here in Santa Ana. To walk back the trail of events, they were scheduled to speak at the Pacific Hills Banquet Center in Laguna Hills. That got canceled. Then they were scheduled to speak at the Riverside Convention Center, that got canceled. Then they were scheduled for the Anaheim Convention Center, that got canceled! So where is Nelson when you need him?

Rep. Matt Gaetz and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene address a rally on May 7 in The Villages, Florida. Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP
Fight disinformation. Get a daily recap of the facts that matter. Sign up for the free Mother Jones newsletter.

Two of the most controversial Republican members of Congress, Matt Gaetz of Florida and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, were planning to hold a California rally this evening. The trouble is that venues keep canceling on them.

On Saturday, after two other venues had backed out, the M3 Live Anaheim Event Center also scrapped its plans to host the pair, hours before the “America First” rally was scheduled to start.

The Pacific Hills Banquet & Event Center in Laguna Hills and the Riverside Convention Center had already canceled the event after receiving a deluge of complaints.

Gaetz is currently under investigation for allegedly having sex with a minor and paying prostitutes. Greene was stripped of her committee assignments earlier this year following her promotion of conspiracy theories and apparently of violence against political opponents.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/07/matt-gaetz-and-marjorie-taylor-greene-cant-find-anyone-willing-to-host-their-california-rally/

And my favorite thing about this is how the whole thing just spiraled and devolved into sidewalk protests, where Gaetz – seen here like a Z-grade Huey Lewis impersonator who’s looking to pick up drunk 21 year old coeds out for a night of heavy boozing, is hinting at… drumroll… a lawsuit! Ooh, a lawsuit! That seems to be the conservative thing – they don’t like trial lawyers, but they use more trial lawyers than anybody!

Representative Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican, suggested that he and fellow GOP Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia plan to file a lawsuit after their "America First" rally in Riverside, California, was canceled.

The City of Riverside announced on Friday that the event, which was planned for 6 p.m. on Saturday, would not proceed at the Riverside Convention Center after it was "widely condemned" by residents, according to a press release from the city. Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson called the rally "divisive" and welcomed the decision from the Raincross Hospitality Corp., which manages the convention center through a city contract.

"These quotes are going to make great exhibits in the lawsuit @RepMTG and I will be filing," Gaetz wrote in response on Saturday, retweeting images shared by a journalist of the city's press release.

The Florida congressman then urged supporters to sign-up for the rally's new location in Anaheim, California." However, the Anaheim was canceled hours later as well.
https://www.newsweek.com/matt-gaetz-hints-lawsuit-after-america-first-rally-canceled-riverside-california-1610731

On the flip side, Former Guy and another noted sex offender in the GOP, Bill O’Reilly have announced a “history tour”. That’s right – the guy behind “Killing Jesus” and “Killing Kennedy” and “Killing Lincoln”, has teamed up with the former guy for a series of stadium rocking arena tours. The problem is that they can barely fill up one arena! Hell they could barely fill the parking lot at Four Seasons Total Landscaping if that’s any consideration!

Donald Trump is having trouble selling advance tickets for his upcoming speaking tour with conservative pundit Bill O’Reilly, according to interviews with ticketing officials for the venues.

Early last month, Trump and O’Reilly, the one-time top Fox News host, announced a joint “History Tour” featuring four stops in December. O’Reilly said his conversations with Trump “will not be boring,” while the former president promised “fun, fun, fun for everyone who attends.”

Tickets went on sale for the events on June 14. While most seats are priced between $100 and $300, a “VIP Meet & Greet Package” goes for more than $8,500 and includes getting pictures taken with Trump and O’Reilly and a pre-show, 45-minute reception.

The events are not until the end of the year, Trump’s camp notes. But so far, the pace of purchases has been slow compared to other acts, arena officials say.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/16/trump-oreilly-tickets-499795

Here’s the thing guys – people want to go see concerts! Nobody wants to go see a couple of creepy old perverts exchanging their notes on Kennedy assassination theories. Hint: there was a grassy knoll involved, I’ll just throw that out there! And guess what? Just like the Gaetz and Greene rallies, the Former Guy and O’Reilly have no recourse but to sue! That’s right, a lawsuit! Seriously, can’t anyone just accept the L and move on? No? I give up!

Former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly reportedly threatened to sue a Politico reporter over an article revealing that sales for his “History Tour” with former President Trump were low, citing conversations with venue ticketing officials.

Politico’s Daniel Lippman on Friday reported that tickets for the tour, which has four stops scheduled at locations in Texas and Florida this December, went on sale June 14, though venue officials said sales have so far been slow compared with other events held at the arenas.

For example, a box office employee at Orlando, Fla.'s 20,000-person Amway Center, which will host Trump and O’Reilly on Dec. 12, told Politico, “There’s still a lot of tickets open.”

“We have concerts that are doing a lot better than this,” the employee added, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The employee said that a Bad Bunny concert scheduled for March at the arena sold out in two days and that tickets for a Dec. 3 Kane Brown concert were almost gone.
https://thehill.com/homenews/media/563548-oreilly-threatens-to-sue-after-media-reports-history-tour-with-trump-has-low

My fair congregation! You know we live in a trying time right now. We have a deadly virus, fires, locusts, and of course some good old fashioned election theft. We’re here this week to talk about the latter on that list. Now I know that you should never mix religion and politics, and we’re about to find out why you shouldn’t. We go to the city of Cleveland for this one. We love Cleveland, we’ve been there many times and will continue to visit! But this election, the battle, for the soul of OH-11 if you will, isn’t so much a mere midterm election. Oh no, my fair congregation! It’s becoming a holy war! For you see, it’s becoming a battle of endorsements. Who will win – Nina Turner who’s endorsed by Bernie Sanders, or upstart candidate Shontel Brown?

The first time I saw Nina Turner speak was at the 2017 People’s Summit, a gathering of faithful Bernie Sanders supporters after his first presidential run, hosted by National Nurses United. It was well into the Trump presidency, and Turner was out to rouse the crowd to action.

RoseAnn DeMoro, then executive director of NNU, introduced her as the Sanders movement’s “spiritual leader.” She took the stage in a floor-length magenta dress and cat-eye glasses, and proceeded to rock the crowd like a combination of Martin Luther King Jr. and Iggy Pop. Halfway through her speech??punctuated, call-and-response-style, with the refrain “With these hands we will rise up”—she hopped off the stage and continued to speak while moving through the crowd, whipping them to a standing ovation, then dropping them to complete silence. Turner pointed out that when Black women like her speak out, “sometimes we are accused of being called angry.” She paused for emphasis. “This morning I am here to say to you my name is Nina Turner and I am an angry ass Black woman.” As the crowd roared its approval, she laughed and invited them to “be an angry Black woman” with her.
https://prospect.org/politics/nina-turner-reaching-forward-and-reaching-back/

Those are the Snake Handlers, wrong religion! But see we here at the Holy Church Of The Top 10 analyze all religion and there is no stone unturned, for that is what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now, does he not? But regardless, this is a real life situation not too far out of a scene from that Will Ferrell movie The Campaign. And watch because this could be a preview of what we are going to expect for 2022, and oh yes, it’s going to be a disaster!

Amid relentless sunshine and intensifying humidity, Nina Turner led a small procession of voters last week to a polling place on Cleveland’s east side, guiding the group down a long block to the crosswalk even though darting across the street would have been easier.

“We don’t want you breaking the law,” an aide admonished. “Let’s go down to the light.”

Turner built a national reputation as a leading voice for Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaigns, bringing crowds in packed auditoriums to their feet with rousing calls for universal health care and bold action to combat climate change. But as she faces an election of her own next month, Turner is focused on more mundane aspects of campaigning, like avoiding jaywalking as she encourages supporters to vote and offering reassurances that her brand of politics still has a place in the Democratic Party.

“Something I can add, whether mainline Democrats get this or not, is I can speak the language of people from all walks of life,” Turner said in an interview. ”That is important for the expansion of the Democratic Party.”
https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-health-government-and-politics-ohio-election-2020-7e7138649ddf69ef66078c760cb56496

No, no! There’s no devil here, at least not yet. But watching from afar, I know that the best candidate in theory should win! You might be thinking “hey! How come a church is allowed to talk politics?” and I answer you – we’re testing the limits of 503(c). If Jerry Falwell Jr can hold MAGA rallies for the unholy Dark One, we can talk elections, can’t we? Well let’s get back to it, shall we?

It’s not even November and the mudslinging is well underway.

The race for Ohio’s 11th congressional district to replace Marcia Fudge is filled with negative ads and big-time accusations.

Democratic candidates Shontel Brown and Nina Turner are running in a special primary election scheduled for August 3.

The seat was vacated after Marcia Fudge left to become Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in President Joe Biden’s administration.

Monday afternoon, about a dozen clergy and community leaders gathered at Mt. Olive Baptist Church to show their support for Shontel Brown. They say Nina Turner’s campaign ads are lies. https://www.cleveland19.com/2021/07/20/cleveland-clergy-nina-turner-campaign-stop-negative-ads-towards-shontel-brown/https://www.cleveland19.com/2021/07/20/cleveland-clergy-nina-turner-campaign-stop-negative-ads-towards-shontel-brown/

Yeah no that’s unfortunately not going to happen. You can wish it’s going to go away but as the good LAWRD says don’t wish it, do it. Well at least that’s what he says in our Good Book! But this sort of thing almost never ends well. In fact it really shows how divided we are as a country and that’s never a good thing by any stretch of the imagination! But needless to say things could get really ugly really quickly!

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders will keynote a get-out-the-vote rally for OH-11 congressional candidate Nina Turner on July 31st at the Agora Theater, Turner's campaign has announced. The rally will be followed by a march to the polls.

The 11:30 a.m. event will also feature local elected leaders and musical artists. But Sanders, the beloved but polarizing progressive legislator who nearly secured the Democratic nomination for President in 2016 and 2020, is the main draw. He is the highest profile national figure to support Turner's campaign, and joins Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who's traveling to Cleveland Saturday, as prominent politicians on the progressive left to throw their weight behind Turner in the weeks before the special election on Aug. 3.

Nina Turner was one of the first and most vocal surrogates for Sanders during his presidential runs and later led the organization, Our Revolution, that grew out of the Sanders campaign.

Sanders endorsed Turner early in the current race. The two are ideologically aligned. Both have championed policies like raising the minimum wage, canceling student debt and Medicare For All.

https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2021/07/21/bernie-sanders-to-keynote-nina-turner-rally-at-agora-july-31

Yes folks, we will be keeping a close eye on this race, that is for certain! Until now, know that we do not take sides in this one, at least not yet! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]People Who Somehow Got Elected: Kevin McCarthy
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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 – Kevin McCarthy. You know him best as the House Minority Leader and what conservatives refer to as the “anti-Pelosi”. So this week, a committee is being planned to investigate exactly what went down at the January 6th insurrection. That will be a day that will live in infamy because everyone remembers where they were when it happened. Most of us were probably at home watching the horrors unfold on TV. But now things are getting real as Nancy Pelosi has asked McCarthy to come up with a list of members who could serve on the committee. Well, that list was returned this week with all of the candidates being controversial. Needless to say, conservatives are going to try and derail this investigation before it begins.

House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy met with Donald Trump on Thursday at the former President's Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club, as the California Republican is considering which members of his conference to appoint to a special committee tasked with investigating the deadly January 6 riot at the US Capitol.

In a statement after the meeting, McCarthy said he and Trump had a "productive conversation regarding House Republicans' record fundraising, upcoming Congressional special elections, and the latest work being carried out to target vulnerable Democrats."

"As the midterm elections draw closer, I look forward to working together to build upon our success in 2020 where House Republicans flipped 15 seats, lost zero incumbents and elected the most women in conference history," McCarthy said. "I appreciate President Trump's commitment to help House Republicans defeat Democrats and Take Back the House in 2022."

The meeting came the day after the select committee investigating the Capitol riot said it will hold its first public hearing on July 27, essentially setting a deadline for McCarthy to make his picks as to who will represent the GOP on the commission. Sources tell CNN that McCarthy intends to announce his selections before the first hearing.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/15/politics/donald-trump-kevin-mccarthy-meeting/index.html

That’s pretty much what the events were like that day, and probably how they are going to go once this committee actually gets underway. Good luck getting the big guns like Alex Jones or Donald Trump hauled before this committee because that’s probably not going to happen. But that said, this entire thing is turning into a game of chicken. So good luck finding someone who’s not compromised to lead this investigation!

Bernice King led the criticism of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy after the California Republican cited her father Martin Luther King Jr. to attack the teaching of critical race theory.

McCarthy on Monday joined conservatives misrepresenting critical race theory, claiming it “goes against everything Martin Luther King has ever told us.” He also accused “the Left” of “trying to take America backward.”

Bernice King, the civil rights leader’s youngest daughter, encouraged McCarthy to “study my father’s teachings & words well beyond the last lines of ‘I Have A Dream.’”

“This nation has yet to firmly commit to the intensive, multi-faceted work of eradicating racism against Black people,” King added. “You should help with that.”
https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/kevin-mccarthy-quoted-mlk-alexandria-115208537.html

Yeah so that happened. And we’re pretty sure that MLK would have hated the MAGA crowd if he were still alive. But that said it’s going to be near impossible to find people in the conservative MAGA crowd who don’t have a vetted interest in derailing this committee. Giving someone like Jim Jordan a seat on this committee is akin to giving the alcoholic the keys to the liquor cabinet. It will have predictably disastrous results.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday issued a blanket threat during a meeting with freshmen members of his caucus that he would strip any Republican member of their committee assignments if they accept an offer from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to serve on the select committee to investigate the January 6 insurrection, according to two GOP sources with knowledge of the matter.

McCarthy's threat comes after the House voted to establish the committee. Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois were the only two Republican members to vote in favor of its formation. Pelosi, who can appoint eight members to the committee, announced Thursday that Cheney will serve on the committee.

McCarthy said Thursday that it's "shocking" that Cheney would accept an appointment to the select committee and did not deny that Cheney could lose her committee assignments as a result.

"I'm not making any threats about committee assignments, but you know how Congress works," McCarthy said when asked why Cheney would lose her committee assignments over the appointment. "You get elected by your district and you get your committees from your conference ... I don't know in history where someone would go get their committee assignments from the Speaker and expect to have them from the conference as well."
https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/01/politics/kevin-mccarthy-january-6-commission-committee-assignments/index.html

So he’s threatening members of his own party and actually made good on his threat. That said, he seems bent on leading conservatives off the cliff like the proverbial Pied Piper. But how long will this keep going on before we’ve had enough? Well that’s exactly what conservatives want is for this exact thing to happen. But expect more of this and just like the events of Jan. 6th, it will get worse before it gets better.

House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy says he will pull all five of his picks to serve on the select committee investigating the January 6 assault on the Capitol, if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi doesn't rescind her rejection of two of his recommendations, Congressmen Jim Jordan and Jim Banks.

McCarthy made that announcement Wednesday afternoon, moments after Pelosi said, "With respect for the integrity of the investigation, with an insistence on the truth and with concern about statements made and actions taken by these members, I must reject the recommendations of Representatives Banks and Jordan." She did not elaborate further on her decision to reject them.

Instead, McCarthy said during a press conference Wednesday afternoon that Republicans will conduct their own investigation.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kevin-mccarthy-jan-6-committee-picks-removed-pelosi-rejects-jim-jordan-jim-banks/

That’s San Fransisco’s Kevin McCarthy – yet another politician to add to the growing list of:

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

Oh man! Look at all of you beautiful people! So great to be drinking back in front of an audience again, that’s what makes this segment work! So of course you know by now you know that the idea of this segment is that we have some drinks, and while we drink we discuss literally anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics. Though we’re going to bend the rules a little bit this week – because “woke culture” as it’s now being called is taking over so much of our lives. And it’s mainly conservatives are doing the complaining. But we’re going to talk about the new and improved Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland. So tell me bartender, what goes well with a story about jungles? A mojito? Eh… it does kind of look like a jungle. Eh, I’ll stick with my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. Here’s more.

A ride at Disneyland that used to feature racist, colonialist depictions of Africans now emphasizes slapstick monkeys and chimpanzees besting clueless tourists instead.

Jungle Cruise, which originally opened in 1955, until recently featured spear-waving, headhunting Africans as part of the attraction. A revamped version of the ride opened Friday at Disney's theme park in Anaheim, Calif. Disney previously announced the ride will also be redone at Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

Carmen Smith, who leads inclusion strategies for Disney's Imagineering arm (which creates the company's theme park attractions), said in a Los Angeles Times interview that the goal is to make sure that "everyone who comes to our parks is seen and that they're heard."

"When we look at something and realize the content is inappropriate, and may perpetuate a misconception or a stereotype," Smith told the newspaper, "our intention is to take a look at it critically, and figure out a way to enhance it, to make the necessary changes so it is relevant."
https://www.npr.org/2021/07/19/1017924398/disney-introduces-revamped-jungle-cruise-ride-without-racist-imagery

Oh man does it feel good to be drinking in front of an actual audience again! And with a real bartender at that. You know what? Let’s chug another one. But that said, come on, even Dueling Banjos is a racist song now? Well that’s the kind of thing you’d hear from the MAGA crowd. But that said I’d much rather see the new changes and honestly isn’t seeing nature and wildlife on a ride like that much better than seeing mistreated humans? I think so!

Since the opening of Disneyland in 1955, the Jungle Cruise adventure ride featured racist and colonialist depictions of Indigenous peoples in Africa. Now, ahead of the upcoming film release of Jungle Cruise on July 30, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, the famed amusement park showcases a new version of the ride, sans the tribal caricatures.

Those who take a trip on the river through the replicated African jungle will no longer face head-hunting, spear-waving tribesmen who offer a trade of “two of his heads for one of yours.” Instead, chimpanzees and monkeys join the other animal animatronics in “slapstick” inspired scenes as the narrative for the ride shifts to the focusing on nature and the journey of a man who seeks to tame it.

“When we look at something and realize the content is inappropriate, and may perpetuate a misconception or a stereotype,” Carmen Smith, the head of inclusion strategies for Imagineering tells the LA Times, “Our intention is to take a look at it critically, and figure out a way to enhance it, to make the necessary changes so it is relevant.”

This is just the latest of many changes for the Jungle Cruise ride and many other rides at the park, as shifts have slowly been made to reflect the changes in our society. Jeanette Lomboy, the vice president who oversees the Disneyland Resort and Aulani, started at Disney as a ride operator in 1995, which was the first year Disney allowed women to lead a Jungle Cruise boat.
https://www.avclub.com/disneyland-reopens-the-jungle-cruise-ride-after-removin-1847327601

Oh man that felt good! And that feels so good to be back doesn’t it? But you know why Disneyland is focusing on the Jungle Cruise? Because there’s a movie coming up! And besides, Disneyland’s cast members are getting “woke”. Eh… whatever I’m using their language. And I’m also getting drunk, really drunk. So what were we talking about again? Oh yeah Jungle Cruise is getting some changes and that’s about it!

Parkgoers at Disneyland and Disneyworld have long criticized the popular Jungle Cruise ride for its racist and offensive depictions of Indigenous people. And now, nearly 66 years after Disneyland’s inaugural opening day in 1955, the legacy ride has finally been revamped. It’s been a long battle for Disney fans, as Jungle Cruise has been one of the park’s oldest and most enduring experiences. But the combination of culture shifts and a new movie inspired by the ride have pushed the park into the future.

Disney’s Jungle Cruise, an action adventure film starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, hits theaters and streaming on July 30th, and with it comes the newly redesigned Jungle Cruise attraction, which has replaced its offensive portrayals of Indigenous people with more humorous animatronics that center on wildlife run amok. Disney has pivoted the ride to focus on the antics of monkeys and chimpanzees, who can now be seen playing with butterfly crates and messing with the Jungle Cruise expedition.

Jeanette Lomboy, the vice president who oversees the Disneyland Resort and Aulani, a resort in Hawaii, for Imagineering, had a personal connection to the iconic ride. She began working at Disneyland as a ride operator in 1995, which marked the first year that the park allowed women to play Jungle Cruise boat skippers. “Women weren’t allowed to be Jungle Cruise skippers, … To be honest, that I couldn’t be a Jungle Cruise skipper wasn’t something I realized when I was little. That, to me, was a shock. … Women weren’t even allowed to work on the Jungle Cruise. But that to me is progressive change, and you move along.”
https://www.themarysue.com/disneyland-revamps-problematic-jungle-cruise-ride-ahead-of-movie-premiere/

Ah that hit the spot! But fear not, the Jungle Cruise isn’t the only thing getting revamped for Disneyland now that it’s coming out of its’ COVID-induced slumber. Everything is getting changed from the way pass holders are greeted at the park to the nightly fireworks show. And the fact that it’s all inclusive is really getting the right’s collective underwear in a proverbial wad. Come on guys, who hurt you? Just enjoy things, it’s good for you!

Disney World has modified its traditional greeting to the audience on its nighttime fireworks display and other shows, a move that has created its own online explosion.

Instead of the longstanding “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,” greeting, shows are now prefaced with one that swaps the gender specificity, subbing in “Dreamers of all ages.”

The change came to light at a Wednesday preview of the Orlando, Florida theme park’s “Happily Ever After” fireworks display. But the switch apparently extends throughout the Disney empire and is used in more than fireworks displays, as confirmed by a spokesperson for Tokyo Disneyland.

As word of the change circulated on social media, knee-jerk reactions condemning the move surfaced from those who apparently feel the embrace of diversity and inclusion has gone too far.
https://deadline.com/2021/07/disney-world-fireworks-announcement-changed-boys-and-girls-to-dreamers-inclusive-message-1234785914/

[font size="8"]Red State Diaries Episode 2: The Arizona Recount
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Welcome back to our ongoing exit poll survey of the Red States of America and why they voted the way they did, or why they will vote the way they are going to! This is Red State Diaries! Last week we told you about how the idea of an election audit is spreading, even though there’s no basis for it, and the people counting votes are people who you wouldn’t trust to count to 100. This week we’re going back to the place where all of the madness started – Maricopa County, Arizona. Yes, you know Maricopa County as the home of the original conservative villain, former sheriff and current failed Senate candidate, Joe Arpaio! But make no mistake about it – this Arizona election audit is criminally insane and the people responsible should probably be locked up by the time it’s all over. But anyways here is the latest on this nonsense.

On Thursday, Arizona Senate President Karen Fann offered the public its clearest picture yet of the monthslong audit of Maricopa County’s election, holding a hearing with auditor, Cyber Ninjas CEO, and Hugo-Chavez-somehow-corrupted-the-2020-election-despite-being-dead conspiracy theorist Doug Logan.

Logan, whose work pretending to hand-tabulate the ballots and checking for bamboo fibers in ballot paper ended three weeks ago, offered very little about what his “recount” and “forensic analysis” had uncovered. He instead said that he had much work still to do and that he would save his “irrefutable” evidence for his final report. Logan is asking the state Senate to issue further subpoenas to the Republican-dominated Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (who have come to see the audit as a dangerous “circus”) and to let him go ahead with a countywide canvass that the U.S. Department of Justice has warned might violate federal law. Indeed, the only other Republican senator taking part in the hearing, Judiciary Committee Chairman Warren Petersen, made a show of repeatedly insisting that unless Logan is given what he wants, the audit will be “incomplete.”*

In other words, not much came out of the hearing except the likelihood that, as has been clear for months, the audit will be revealed as a haphazard attempt to cloud the 2020 election results for Arizona’s most populous county in doubt. What did come out, however, was plenty for Donald Trump.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/07/trump-declares-victory-arizona-audit-debunked.html

Yeah sounds about right! But you seriously got to wonder if someone is feeding these people some bullshit. Because that bamboo theory was entirely that. But guess what? Despite all his mingling in the election, it turns out that this could in fact backfire on the Former Guy. As the state of Arizona is looking into pressing charges against him and Rudy for allowing the state to go through with this nonsense, and it’s not really based on anything either.

Donald Trump and key allies could be facing a criminal investigation in Arizona for launching a campaign to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Last week Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs wrote to the state's Attorney General Mark Brnovich urging him to launch a criminal investigation into Trump and his allies over the potential violations of state election laws.

Hobbs, a Democrat, made the request after reporting from The Arizona Republic revealed details of the pressure campaign by Trump and a number of his allies.

Hobbs wrote that Trump and others, including his then-personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, Arizona GOP Chair Kelli Ward, and the lawyer Sidney Powell, tried to influence Maricopa County officials to stop the counting of ballots.
https://www.businessinsider.com/arizona-trump-and-giuliani-could-face-vote-recount-criminal-probe-2021-7

What those people said. But the sad thing is many have tried to take down The Donald and I hope this could finally be what gives him a one-way ticket to Supermax but as the old saying goes – wish in one hand and shit in the other, and see which one comes out first. But the surprising thing is this is having the reverse effect on the GOP and it’s totally backfiring on them and blowing up in their faces! Guess that’s what you get for hiring a company called “Cyber Ninjas”!

When Arizona Republicans first pushed for a partisan audit of the 2020 presidential ballots cast in the Phoenix metropolitan area, they argued that they needed to know if any irregularities or fraud caused President Trump to lose this rapidly evolving swing state.

But the audit itself could be damaging Republican prospects, according to a new Bendixen & Amandi International poll, which shows roughly half of Arizona voters oppose the recount effort. In addition, a narrow majority favors President Biden in a 2024 rematch against Trump.

The news isn’t entirely promising for Democrats, however: A majority of voters don’t think Biden should run for a second term.

Trump has cheered on the Maricopa County audit and continued to advance baseless conspiracy theories about election fraud as Republicans from other states he lost have made pilgrimages to Phoenix to review the idea of exporting the concept. But Arizona Republicans who pay close attention to the state’s changing demographics say the audit isn’t a political winner.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/29/arizona-ballot-audit-gop-biden-496908

So yeah so the Former Guy is doing everything he can to sabotage the early days of Biden’s presidency – and probably the latter days as well. But let’s say that the Arizona audit is going to blow up in his face like the way that Wiley Coyote uses Acme brand dynamite. But the sad and scary thing is this madness isn’t limited to Arizona. As we explore the Red States in the coming weeks, we’ll find that there’s much more to this than meets the eye, and it’s spreading. Another disease we must contain before it’s too late!

Democracy relies on winners and losers - but there is a section of the US electorate that won't trust results when Donald Trump is the loser.

Volunteers in a bright green, blue and yellow t-shirts use matching spinning turntables to review stacks of ballots. Others photograph them or scrutinise folds in the paper.

It was June 2021, and ballots from the 2020 presidential election were still being counted here in a stadium in Maricopa, Arizona's largest county.

The unusual, Republican-led audit of the state's election result, in which Joe Biden was declared the winner of the race in Arizona by the slimmest of margins, began in April.

The process is hailed as a "forensic" truth finding mission by former President Donald Trump and his supporters - but critics consider it a "fraudit" fueled by sore losers.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57558537

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

Is audit madness spreading to Idaho? What we’re finding is some serious insanity that is spreading throughout the country!

Thank you San Jose! We’re off to San Diego next! See you next week!

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July 15, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #11-1: Stop! Or My Former President Will Shoot! Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #11-1: Stop! Or My Former President Will Shoot! Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! We are back everybody! First off, congrats to the Tampa Bay Lightning for winning their second Stanley Cup in a row! And you know what? When you visit the White House, you can rest assured that you won’t be greeted with a McDonalds and Domino’s Pizza buffet! Yeah that happened! We are baaaaaack! And whew, look at all you beautiful people! We’ve been gone six whole weeks, and that is a long ass time to be gone! I’m sure everyone saw the big news that Holy Shit is getting a limited run spinoff towards the end of the season! We cannot wait for that. And it’s so great to be back in front of live audiences again. After nearly an entire year being spent in that blue void was really getting to me. But we’ve also got other big changes in store for season 11. And you can see all of those being announced on our Twitter feed @10Idiots. One of the biggest changes we’re making – Top 10 Investigates is no longer going to be a weekly feature. It was getting really hard to write and find material for this feature every week, so it is going to instead become a recurring feature. But really I cannot wait to get into the meat of this season because it is really shaping up to be our best one yet. OK enough of the intro this week – we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first, Bill Maher spills the beans on who Ashlii Babbitt really is, and this ties into one of our entries this week!

So where do we begin this week? As usual whenever we are gone for an extended period of time, we like to play catch up on stuff we missed (1) and boy did we miss a lot of stuff! Taking the second slot this week is a CPAC recap, or we could call it “I held a convention with a bunch of unvaccinated people indoors and all I got was this lousy virus”. In the third slot this week is The Former Guy (3) and apparently he’s been plotting to retake the White House, at about the same pace as Wiley Coyote attempts to catch the Road Runner. But he doesn’t have any path! Taking the number 4 slot, we’re going to talk about Ashlii Babbitt (4) the Former Guy supporter who was shot by the police in the Capitol Riot. Was it really a mystery? No it wasn’t and we will be presenting some evidence to the contrary! Taking the number 5 slot this week, is also the Former Guy (5) and yes, we have to talk about the relaunch of his idiot MAGA rallies. You know, you got to re jumpstart the brand after it was almost killed on January 6th. Taking 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, while the LGBT community celebrated with their annual Pride celebrations, the religious right once again wasn’t having any of it, and our resident pastor is going to bring you up to speed on their evil doings! Taking the number 7 slot this week is a new “Beating A Dead Horse” – do we really need to see Bill Cosby live? Easy answer to that is hell no! Taking the #8 slot this week is a new edition of our segment that attempts to explain the unexplainable – Conspiracy Corner (8)! And this week after President Biden suggested that we attempt to get vaccination numbers up the old fashioned way – by going door to door – conservatives not only aren’t having any of it, they’re floating wild conspiracies that this is part of a much more sinister plot! Or is it? In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week is a new People Are Dumb (9) because of course they are! Finally this week it’s time to debut our brand new recurring segment that will focus on the states that voted for the Former Guy and why they voted for the Former Guy – Red State Diaries (10)! And this week we’re starting with a trip to explore the Sooner State – Oklahoma! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]Catch Up On Stuff We Missed
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As usual whenever the Top 10 takes an extended holiday, we like to play catch up on stuff that we missed – and holy shit did we miss a lot! I mean crap, we took a full six fucking weeks off, and that almost never happens. So what did we miss in six weeks? Well of course I’m obviously not going to go over all of it, but what has to be my absolute favorite thing of the last month and a half was seeing the former guy launch a blog, then after 28 days, take down said blog, because no one was paying attention to him! See, Trump is like that kid you see screaming out of control at Target because his parents won’t buy him a toy. And he’ll do whatever it takes to get said toy, but we won’t talk about his war on social media just yet. It seems Trump needs Big Tech almost as much as he decries it. But I do have to admit, Twitter is much better without him!

Former President Donald Trump’s blog — a webpage where he shared statements after larger social media companies banned him from their platforms — has been permanently shut down, his spokesman said Wednesday.

The page “From the Desk of Donald J. Trump” has been scrubbed from Trump’s website after going live less than a month earlier.

It “will not be returning,” his senior aide Jason Miller told CNBC.

“It was just auxiliary to the broader efforts we have and are working on,” Miller said via email.

He declined to provide additional details about those efforts.

“Hoping to have more information on the broader efforts soon, but I do not have a precise awareness of timing,” Miller said.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/02/trump-blog-page-shuts-down-for-good.html?__source=sharebar

And while I don’t want that guy to take up a lot of the news this week, we do have to talk about Spygate – 2021 style! That’s right – only this time it’s Nixon level politics taken to serious extremes. And don’t worry – we’ll get to Tucker Carlson in a minute, but this claim is absolutely absurd. So who does Trump choose to spy on? That’s right – his mortal enemy, Adam Schiff! Never mind that we have actual, home grown terrorists, Adam Schiff needs to be investigated because… reasons!

On Thursday, The New York Times dropped a bombshell report that former President Donald Trump's Justice Department got a subpoena from Apple to spy on politically opposed members of Congress and their families, including House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA).

According to CNN's John Berman, Schiff is calling for an inspector general investigation into whether any misconduct was involved in the surveillance.

Schiff also took to Twitter to fire back against the former president, writing, "This baseless investigation, while now closed, is yet another example of Trump's corrupt weaponization of justice. And how much he imperiled our democracy."

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-spied-2653310388/

Yeah so in case you’re wondering if that’s a pizza delivery truck parked outside your house, that might actually be Trump abusing his powers and spying on his political opponents. On the flip side to that, there’s Tucker Carlson. Who has been as batshit crazy as ever. In fact he’s so insane that he thinks that the NSA – currently under President Biden - is spying on him! Yeah, Tucker, you might want to turn down the tin foil hat there. And no, we don’t need the Tucker reaction cam for this one!

Fox News' Tucker Carlson said this week that the National Security Agency is spying on him as part of a plan to knock his show "off the air."

The NSA promptly denied the allegations, saying it focuses exclusively on "foreign targets." Critics dismissed Carlson's claim as a cynical attempt to rile up his conservative viewers who have made him the most watched host on cable news.

But is there any way that Carlson's allegations are true, or partially accurate?

The National Security Agency's mission is focused on tracking threats from overseas, and is authorized to scoop up emails, texts, phone calls and other electronic data from virtually any foreign source, including heads of state, foreign government officials, foreign spies and terrorist organizations.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/all/tucker-carlson-says-nsa-spying-him-even-plausible-n1272922

But speaking of Fox News, you know that they’re going all in on their war against “woke culture” because it is getting to be quite ridiculous. And really it’s Fox News that are the ridiculous ones here, because for the last 20 fucking years, we’ve been told to support the troops. Well get this – now Fox News is actually having the balls to say we need to “defund the military”. And why is that you might ask? I answer you – they “got woke”! If you ain’t woke you’re broke!

The Fox News host described the Joint Chiefs chairman's comments about the academic theory—which examines the ways race and racism intersect with politics, culture and the law—as "ridiculous."

In a Wednesday night segment on her show The Ingraham Angle, she said: "We are sending out tax dollars to this military in an attempt to weed out so-called 'extremists,' which just means conservative evangelicals as far as I can tell.

"We're paying for that? Why is Congress not saying: 'We're not going to give you a penny until all of this is eradicated from the military budget. Nothing. This is my offer to you. Nothing.'"

-snip-

She later added: "I have a question for the general: why would anyone risk his or her life for a country that's systemically racist? One that brutalizes minorities.

"Why would any country respect us or follow our lead if that's who we are? Those are some of the questions he should probably think about before he touts the value of teaching far-left, Marxist, racist ideology to our troops."
https://www.newsweek.com/laura-ingraham-defund-military-general-milley-critical-race-theory-defense-1603625

Oh and I also have to mention one of my favorite things to happen in the time we were off – the famous “Redneck Rave”! Yes it’s the event that’s part country music concert and part post-apocalyptic nightmare world! I mean this thing was insane. I’ve already expressed my disgust for the country hip hop genre, and we may have to do a deep dive into that in a future edition. But yeah… I’ll just leave this here.

A massive country music festival in Kentucky this past weekend started off on rocky footing: Police found meth, marijuana, and an open bottle of alcohol in the first vehicle they stopped at a traffic checkpoint. One of the people in the car had two active warrants out for their arrest.

“We were like, ‘Well, this doesn’t bode well for the weekend,’” Edmonson County Sheriff Shane Doyle told the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Police said that by the end of the five-day bash, dubbed the “Redneck Rave,” one man had been impaled, one woman had been strangled to the point of unconsciousness, and one throat had been slit. In all, Edmonson authorities arrested 14 people, and charged four dozen people from five states.

The event, organized by country rapper Justin Time, took place in Blue Holler Offroad Park and drew a crowd of tens of thousands, doubling the population of the unincorporated town of Ollie, which is so small it does not have a stoplight. Redneck Rave promoters bragged that they had sold more than 20,000 tickets. The lengthy getdown, advertised as the “biggest country party you’ll ever go to,” boasted a demolition derby, goldfish racing, and a full-scale football game as well as a series of concerts.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/redneck-rave-descends-into-throat-slashing-impalements-and-mass-arrests

[font size="8"]CPAC Recap
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Ah yes it’s July which means that it’s time for my favorite shit show of the year – the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC. And it’s been quite the shit show. And you know what? The GOP should just change its’ name to the Trump Party. Because that’s literally all that entire conference was, and if you don’t believe me, just look at the list of keynote speakers. First there was Trump, and then there was Trump Jr, and then you have people like Kristi Noem and Ron DeSantis. And then further down the list, you have people like this guy who founded a group called “Black Guns Matter”. Yeah so that exists. And then Caitlyn Jenner showed up for some reason, and people outside and inside the con weren’t having any of it. Hey Cait, you chose this party and all the hate and vitriol it represents.

Caitlyn Jenner was harassed and hit with transphobic abuse while attending the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas.

A heckler filmed himself approaching the former reality TV star, who is running for governor of California, and repeatedly deadnaming her and calling her a "sick freak."

Calling a transgender person by their birth name is known as deadnaming, and it can be a stressful and triggering experience.

A video of the abuse was posted to Twitter by the account Patriot Takes, which monitors right-wing media. The identity of the attacker who filmed the video is not clear.

The video shows the heckler approaching Jenner while she poses for photos in the lobby of the Hilton Anatole Hotel.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/transphobic-abuse-hurled-caitlyn-jenner-095436808.html

Yeah so that happened. And by the way I’m not even going to say exactly what the Family Research Council has planned for trans people, but you can read it here. Yeah pretty horrifying shit! Speaking of horrifying shit, I’m going to paraphrase a quote from Marge Simpson here. “You know, Fox News morphed into a hardcore death cult so fast, nobody really noticed”. And in case you’re wondering if Fox News has turned the GOP against humanity, look no further!

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longtime director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Sunday he was horrified when attendees of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) appeared to cheer about the US failing to reach its vaccination goal this month.

Video of a CPAC discussion at its second conference of 2021 in Dallas posted to social media appeared to show the crowd cheering on the US' inability to vaccinate most of its population.

"They were hoping -- the government was hoping -- they could sucker 90% of the population into getting vaccinated. And it isn't happening," said Alex Berenson, a former New York Times reporter who The Atlantic earlier this year dubbed "the pandemic's wrongest man."

Berenson was interrupted by cheers from the audience before he continued, claiming that younger people were avoiding getting vaccination because of potential side effects. "It's horrifying," Fauci said Sunday during an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union." "They are cheering about someone saying that it's a good thing for people not to try and save their lives,"...

Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-horrifying-cpac-cheered-lagging-vax-rate-2021-7

Yeah pretty much. We may have to expand on this next week for a new “We’re All Gonna Die”. But this has to be my favorite part of CPAC. Of course you knew blathering chatterbox Donald J. Trump was the keynote speaker and headliner of CPAC in a move that surprised absolutely no one. But even Fox News has to be careful of his bullshit because they captioned him! That’s right – Fox News had to lay a caption over Trump’s bullshit! Even they think he’s gone too far. Can we show that?

Former President Donald Trump aired his same old election grievances Sunday, but Fox News mixed things up a little with an on-screen disclaimer about his false claims.

During a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas, Trump launched into his tired fiction that he received more votes than Joe Biden in the 2020 election. After those comments, while Trump had switched topics, a chyron caption appeared on Fox News’ broadcast that said: “The voting system companies have denied the various allegations made by President Trump and his counsel regarding the 2020 election.”

The chyron stayed on the screen for 38 seconds, according to Mediaite.

Fox News is defending defamation lawsuits filed by voting systems companies Dominion and Smartmatic after allowing guests to spout outrageous conspiracy theories that the election was fixed.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fox-news-cpac-trump-disclaimer_n_60ebb9d1e4b07afbc3492083

That’s right folks – this is the disclaimer! And that disclaimer means that something that Donald Trump says is bullshit, which shocks absolutely no one! I’m sure Noodles would appreciate that joke! And by the way remember how earlier in this entry I mentioned how the GOP is becoming the Trump Party? I mean it’s not that far from the truth. In fact if you look at the Straw Poll, the only guy who could even come close to beating Trump is Florida Man Ron DeSantis! Yup, they are insane! Maybe they should change their name to the Brain Slug Party!

Former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) led the pack in the Conservative Political Action Conference's (CPAC) straw poll for the 2024 GOP presidential nominee.

Trump held a commanding lead, with 70 percent of those who responded to the survey saying they would vote for him in the Republican primary if it were held today. DeSantis came in second with 21 percent.

But when polling the 2024 Republican primary ballot without Trump, DeSantis led the pack with 68 percent of the vote.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Fox News host Tucker Carlson, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (R) all received 1 percent in the poll that included Trump.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-desantis-lead-cpac-straw-poll/ar-AAM1Y4c

[font size="8"]Donald Trump
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Yeah unfortunately now that most of the gears of society are starting to turn again, that means that we must talk about Loser 45 again. And you know what? I don’t even want to mention his name. So for the sake of this piece, we’re going to talk about him, and I will reference him as “The Former Guy”. If you’ve been following right wing social media like we have, you’ll know that there’s talk on the right about Trump possibly being reinstated by August. Of course, Mike Lindell, the Harley Quinn to Trump’s Joker, says that he’s got proof so definitive that the Supreme Court would have no choice but to vote 9-0 to reinstate Trump as POTUS. Which, that ain’t happening. And yes, there’s no way that’s happening.

[font size="8"]Who Shot Ashlii Babbitt?
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So… The Former Guy wants to go there, huh? All right, two can play that game! But before we get into the meat of this endeavor, go back to the beginning of this edition and watch Bill Maher spill the beans on who Ashlii Babbitt really is. But if he wants to play that game, let’s make no mistake that he is trying to get that officer killed. I’m just throwing that out there, he really is Vladimir Putin lite. Thank you graphics department for that one! Doesn’t taste great, but is less filling! But what is really scary is that Ashlii Babbitt is someone who is not to be celebrated for what they did. But that’s what the Former Guy does – he makes his people into martyrs simply because they kiss his ass 24 hours a day, and no one loves getting their ass kissed more!

When Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, 35, was shot dead by police while trying to force her way through a barricaded door protecting members of the House of Representatives from a mob of rioters inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, she was energized in part by then-President Donald Trump's big lie that Democrats were hard at work stealing the White House from its rightful Republican owners.

When Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, 35, was shot dead by police while trying to force her way through a barricaded door protecting members of the House of Representatives from a mob of rioters inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, she was energized in part by then-President Donald Trump's big lie that Democrats were hard at work stealing the White House from its rightful Republican owners.

Far from dampening support for the big lie, Babbitt's death is being amplified by Trump loyalists into a powerful rallying symbol for far-right anti-government extremists the FBI calls terrorists, who now find aid and comfort within a Trumpified GOP.

Babbitt's canonization as a right-wing martyr is a dangerous development for a Republican Party with members increasingly comfortable pressing for and defending political violence. Trump himself seems to want to use outrage over Babbitt's death as a blast furnace to heat up his 2024 political comeback — but cheerleading extremism is more likely to send the country up in smoke.

"Who was the person who shot an innocent, wonderful, incredible woman?" Trump asked Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo on Sunday, before interrupting himself to offer an answer: "I will tell you, they know who shot Ashley Babbitt. They're protecting that person. I've heard also that it was the head of security for a certain high official — a Democrat."
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/trump-makes-ashli-babbitt-killed-capitol-riot-martyr-why-s-ncna1273750

And that is the appropriate reaction to this! What’s scary is that the Trump / MAGA party attracts awful behavior, and not only that, these people are proud of their awful behavior. But if the Former Guy wants to go there, we are truly prepared to play hardball because we could keep presenting evidence all day. But here’s how this is going to go – like a broken record, Trump will just shrug it off as “fake news” if he doesn’t agree with it. Because that’s how the mob works.

Former President Donald Trump in his speech at the CPAC conservative conference Sunday made a frank admission: that he judges the reliability of poll results on whether he wins them.

If he didn't like the result of a poll he'd call it fake, but if he approved of the result he'd lavish it with praise, he said.

Speaking at the event in Dallas, Trump discussed the straw poll recording the popularity of potential 2024 Republican presidential candidates in the hours before its results came out.

"By the way, you have a poll coming out," Trump said during his hour and a half-long speech. "I want to know what it is. You know they do that straw poll, right?"
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-call-cpac-poll-fake-if-doesnt-win-2021-7

See kids, this is the logical fallacy known as “Ad “Iknowyouarebutwhatami” Infinium”! It might have worked on Pee Wee’s Playhouse, but it doesn’t really work in the real world, does it? The Former Guy can make that claim all he wants to. But in the end we know that his call to find out who shot Ashlii Babbitt is a dog whistle for his followers to go out and commit a murder of their own, because you know they’re going to!

Last Thursday, Donald Trump announced a new theme, with all his customary blunt-force subtlety. “Who shot Ashli Babbitt?,” he wrote on his official pseudo-presidential stationery. Those four words were the entirety of the message.

Two days later, at his rally in Florida, he said more. “Who shot Ashli Babbitt? We all saw the hand. We saw the gun … You know, if that were on the other side, the person that did the shooting would be strung up and hung. Okay? Now, they don’t want to give the name … It’s a terrible thing, right? Shot. Boom. And it’s a terrible thing.”

And then, speaking Wednesday about his lawsuit challenging his social-media ban, Trump returned to the subject again. Asked about the insurrection, he changed the subject to the terrible people on the other side who were not being charged, and brought up Babbitt once again: “The person that shot Ashli Babbitt. Boom. Right through the head. Just, boom. There was no reason for that. And why isn’t that person being opened up, and why isn’t that being studied?”
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/07/trump-who-shot-ashli-babbitt-january-6-insurrection-riot.html

Oh people stop your rabbling! As much as you don’t want to admit it, but Ashlii Babbitt’s killer is, well, Ashlii Babbitt. And also her 24/7 embrace of the Donald Trump MAGA lifestyle. See, by buying into the bullshit, it’s no mistake who her real killer is – it’s Donald Trump. The problem? When you start floating dangerous conspiracy theories 24 hours a day, people start believing them! And it’s only a matter of time before someone gets killed! Don’t be surprised if it happens again!

Ashli Babbitt should be alive right now. A Capitol Police officer shot and killed the 35-year-old woman on January 6 outside the House chamber as she and other pro-Trump rioters besieged it. Babbitt was one of five people who died during or shortly after the insurrection, along with three other Trump supporters and Officer Brian Sicknick. Two other officers died by suicide in the weeks that followed.

Among those seven deaths, former President Donald Trump and other MAGA adherents have taken a particular interest in Babbitt. He sent out a tweet-like statement last week that simply read, “Who shot Ashli Babbitt?” Then he suggested at a rally on Wednesday that the unidentified officer’s actions weren’t justified. “The person that shot Ashli Babbitt—boom, right through the head,” he told the crowd. “Just, boom. There was no reason for that. And why isn’t that person being opened up, and why isn’t that being studied? They’ve already written it off. They said that case is closed. If that were the opposite, that case would be going on for years and years, and it would not be pretty.” His allies have followed suit: Earlier this week, Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar published a press release titled, “Who killed Ashli Babbitt?”

The rush to turn Babbitt into a martyr is part of a broader effort among conservatives and Trump loyalists to rewrite the history of January 6—to recast it as a peaceful protest with a few bad apples, rather than a mob of thousands who overwhelmed law enforcement and rampaged through the halls of Congress. But “Who killed Ashli Babbitt?” is actually a pretty easy question to answer: She was killed by the people who keep asking the question.
https://newrepublic.com/article/162937/who-killed-ashli-babbitt-january-6

[font size="8"]MAGA Rallies
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Yeah unfortunately this is one of those editions where I really didn’t want to spend all edition talking about President Turd Burglar, but if he’s in the news we got to talk about it. You know now that the wheels of society are starting to turn the gears once again, that means that yes, our former president is once again taking his road show back out to stadiums and venues across the country. Oh and don’t miss his headlining tour with Bill O’Reilly coming this fall! Oh yeah, I absolutely will miss that one thank you very much. But that said, you know he’s itching to get back out there and restore the MAGA brand, even though they will always be remembered as the party who smeared poop on the walls at the Capitol. But yes, sadly, he’s back everybody.

Former President Donald Trump returns home to Florida today for yet another political rally. But this time, the stakes may be higher.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is considered a front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2024, and in a recent straw poll by the Western Conservative Summit, he beat Trump 74-71 as the potential nominee.

DeSantis won’t attend Trump’s Sarasota rally, but his presence will loom over the event. Some reports, denied by DeSantis, said he asked Trump to postpone the rally in the wake of the condo collapse in Miami.

Crowds are already lining up for the 8 PM rally, being held at the Sarasota Fairgrounds. It is the third campaign-style event in recent weeks, following a rally in Ohio and Trump appearance at the Texas border. Newsmax will televise and stream the rally, starting with a pre-show at 6 PM ET.
https://deadline.com/2021/07/donald-trump-florida-rally-ron-desantis-1234785968/

Well we’re not going to do that just yet because apparently the gods were pissed at the Former Guy, because guess what? All those overflow supporters of his? They got rained on outside the rally! That’s right – it got rained on! Where’s Nelson when you need him? But here’s where it gets weird. So the Former Guy is now insisting that he’s being singled out and persecuted because he’s him! Never mind the criminal charges or the attempted murder.

Donald Trump took his revenge tour to his new home-state of Florida Saturday night but had a fresh target: the indictments against the Trump Organization.

Trump held his rally — the second since he left office — as the state and nation continue to mourn a South Florida condo collapse that left at least 20 dead and more than 100 still unaccounted for. It also comes two days after prosecutors unsealed an indictment alleging Trump Organization and its chief financial officer did not report or pay taxes on $1.7 million in fringe benefits and other perks.

Trump tore into the indictments in front of thousands of cheering fans at a fairgrounds in Sarasota, casting the allegations as a politically-motivated prosecution against him, his family and business.

“You didn’t pay taxes on the car, or company apartment...or education for your grandchildren,” Trump said of the allegations facing the Trump Organization and its longtime CFO Allen Weisselberg. “They indict people for that, but murder and selling massive amount of the worst drugs in the world that kill people left and right, and that’s alright?”
https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2021/07/03/trump-attacks-indictments-against-his-company-during-florida-rally-1387897

Sigh… seriously Trump is becoming more Sideshow Bob at this point. But really I feel like this question must be asked – what is he saving America from? I mean of course he’s going to “SLAM PROSECUTORS!!!!1!!!” because he’s the one being indicted! Come on, if you’re going to fuck up, you might as well fuck up in such a way that people say “WOW! That guy really fucked up!”.

During his second campaign-style rally after his presidency ended in January, Donald Trump raged against New York prosecutors targeting his Trump Organization and its chief financial officer, who pleaded not guilty this week to a range of criminal charges related to a years-long tax fraud probe.

After his company’s longtime chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg pleaded not guilty in Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday, the former president dismissed the case as “prosecutorial misconduct” but appeared to acknowledge the charges against him and his company.

“You didn’t pay tax on the car or a company apartment ... you didn’t pay tax, or education for your grandchildren,” he said at his rally in Sarasota, Florida on 3 July. “Does anybody know the answer to that stuff?”

The president held his rally across the state from emergency crews still searching for survivors in the wake of a building collapse north of Miami.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-rally-florida-desantis-latest-b1877774.html

Well nobody who speaks German could be an evil man! And if you go back a couple of entries, the MAGA movement isn’t dying anytime soon. In fact it’s getting weirder, because the only guy who could beat Florida Man is another Florida Man – Ron DeSantis. But guess what? He didn’t show at the rally because…. drum roll… that part of Florida was declared a state of emergency because of what happened at Surfside! Cue infinite facepalms!

Former President Donald Trump's Sarasota rally scheduled for Saturday is moving ahead despite a report that Gov. Ron DeSantis' office asked for the event to be postponed while the governor responds to the mass casualty event in Surfside.

A report published Wednesday in the conservative Washington Examiner says the governor's office made a "direct plea" to Trump's team to cancel the rally, citing unnamed sources.

The governor's office put out a statement Wednesday denying that DeSantis wants to postpone the rally, and GOP officials said the rally is going forward as planned.

Trump spokesperson Liz Harrington noted the Sarasota rally is a significant distance from Surfside and said it won't interfere with the disaster response.
https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/politics/2021/06/30/desantis-wants-sarasota-trump-rally-canceled-according-reports/7814283002/

[font size="8"]Holy Shit [br] [/font] [br]

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Ladies and gentlemen, before we begin this week. I would like to debut this trailer for our new series, please enjoy! Holy Shit: The Sunday Sermons. Coming October 10th!

My fair congregation! You know we were gone for an extended period of time. But while we had a great idea for a sermon work its’ way through our ranks, we just couldn’t find enough information for our sources. So instead we’re just going to free form it and talk about whatever we feel like talking about, because in this day and age, the supporters of the unholy, ungodly Dark One – a being so disgusting and horrible that his name shall not be spoken in my church, are always plotting something horrible! For instance, how can anyone be shocked by this? You know we’re still in a pandemic, and the only way to get out of this is for you to get vaccinated! So why would anyone be surprised that a church with a large congregation would all get the virus? I know I’m not!

The pastor of a Texas church publicly prayed for God to end COVID-19 after at least 125 children and adults contracted the virus at a student ministry camp, where masks reportedly were optional and most children were old enough to be vaccinated.

"Lord, we didn't want to be in the news, at least not for this, maybe for serving or some extreme generosity, but not this," Pastor Bruce Wesley of Clear Creek Community Church said in a video posted online. "So we ask for your mercy. We ask for your healing for all of those who became sick with this virus and for their families who've have been caring for them as well. We pray for complete recovery so that people don't have any lingering effects, and we pray that you would put a stop to the spread of this virus."

Clear Creek Community Church, in League City near Houston, was forced to cancel services for a second week after the outbreak of what is suspected to be the highly contagious Delta variant at the camp that ended June 27, the Christian Post reports. Last week, the church said in a statement it was experiencing a second wave of infections, after people who attended the camp brought the virus home to their families. While 125 attendees positive for COVID-19 after the camp, hundreds more are believed to have been exposed.
https://www.rawstory.com/clear-creek-community-church-outbreak/

Now remember what I said about supporters of the unholy, ungodly Dark One doing something shady? Well it turns out they’re always up for that! Well here’s how they are planning something shady – by once again peddling the “big lie” that the Dark One somehow won the election by 80 million votes, and that’s simply not true. It must take a special kind of stupid and crazy to believe that, despite all reports to the contrary!

Thousands of right-wing Christians gathered at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, on Independence Day for a “Let Freedom Ring” rally that featured self-proclaimed “prophets” and right-wing pastors Robin Bullock, Todd Coconato, Hank Kunneman, Mario Murillo, and Dutch Sheets as speakers.

The event was organized by Kent Christmas, pastor of Regeneration Nashville, who took to the stage to warn that “God is going to begin to kill wicked men and women in this nation.”

“In 2015, [God] spoke to me and said Donald Trump would become president,” Christmas said. “Did not look possible. He became president. Most of us thought that he would become president again this time, and he was. He won it by about 80 million votes.”

“But the issue is more than this,” he continued. “This is not about politics. If we reduce it to politics, then we are missing what God is wanting to do. This is about releasing the gospel of Jesus Christ with signs and wonders and miracles. … He is raising up men and women that have authority in the Holy Ghost. We’re not just your average believer who doesn’t know how to pray and how to touch the throne room of God. The Lord says, ‘I am raising up an army in this hour that cannot be defeated, that is shaking off the enemy, shaking off the snake, by the power of the Holy Ghost.'”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/trumpist-pastor-kent-christmas-declares-god-is-going-to-begin-to-kill-wicked-men-and-women-claims-trump-won-by-about-80-million-votes/

But now here’s where this week gets weird, and you knew it was going to! For supporters claim that they have seen the “Hand of GAWD”. But was it really the Hand Of GAWD? Maybe the good LAWRD was trying to tell them something! I know! He’s pissed at these idiots, and he wants the whole world to know that he’s pissed! But was it really the Hand Of GAWD or was it just the Good LAWRD giving them a much deserved middle finger?

Self-proclaimed “prophetess” Kat Kerr appeared on the Elijah Streams YouTube channel last Wednesday, where she claimed to have seen the “hand of God” appear in the sky during the fireworks display that took place in Jacksonville, Florida, on Independence Day. Kerr claimed that the appearance of the “hand of God” in the sky was confirmation of fellow “prophet” Hank Kunneman’s prophecy that a “divine shift” would take place on Fourth of July, resulting in former President Donald Trump being restored to the White House.

Kerr urged everyone to watch the second service held at Kunneman’s Lord of Hosts church in Omaha, Nebraska, on July 4 during which, she claimed, Kunneman had told his congregation to “watch for the hand of God to show up” that day. Despite the fact that Kunneman actually said nothing of the sort during that service, Kerr insisted that she had seen the “hand of God” appear in the sky that very night, which she claimed was confirmation of Kunneman’s “prophecy.”

Kerr said that she had taken photos and video of the “hand of God,” but she did not show them during the Elijah Streams program last Wednesday. She did, however, send an image to Kunneman, who held a “Prophetic Pulse” gathering at his church last Wednesday night where he displayed the photo for his congregants to see.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/kat-kerr-hank-kunneman-and-the-hand-of-god/

Now here’s the other thing and apparently I was not made aware of this as I am a man of GAWD, but did you know that there’s a war on Christianity? And that those who believe will be killed by those who do not believe? Yeah it’s completely absurd and this isn’t ending any time soon. But you know what? Just don’t listen to supporters of the Unholy Dark One! OK? Do you get that? Just stop it already!

Right-wing activist Lauren Witzke appeared on “The Alex Jones Show” Thursday, where she warned that the Equality Act will “illegalize Jesus Christ” if it becomes law.

Witzke—the GOP’s 2020 Senate candidate in Delaware and a flat Earth, QAnon-believing conspiracy theorist with ties to white nationalists and antisemites—appeared on Jones’ program to discuss the fact that Wells Fargo recently shut down her bank account. While the bank insists its decision had nothing to do with her political views, Witzke asserted that it was done in retaliation for her opposition to the Equality Act, proposed legislation that would add sexual orientation and gender identity protections to federal civil rights laws.

“There is a war on Christians,” Witzke said. “They targeted me, and they made an example out of me because I’m an outspoken Christian who vocally opposes the Equality Act. … They’re trying to illegalize Jesus Christ and the Scripture and categorize it as hate speech.”

“What it will do is it will classify scripture, belief in traditional marriage, as hate speech,” she continued. “If an abortionist wants to make the decision to not perform an abortion, they can arrest that abortionist or that doctor or that nurse that chooses to take the biblical approach and change their lives. Children who struggle with gender identity—now it’s going to make it illegal for them to pursue therapy to change their mind. This is absolutely an attack on Christians. Even just quoting scripture will be classified as hate speech. … It is going to make Christianity a crime on a federal level.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/lauren-witzke-says-the-equality-act-will-illegalize-jesus-christ/

Yeah long story short, these people are insane. But we may have to explore this “War On Christianity” further in a future edition! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: Bill Cosby Live
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Sigh… OK with all of the good things happening in 2021 that were the opposite of 2020, but this definitely wasn’t one of them. I’m sure everyone knew where they were when convicted rapist Bill Cosby got released from prison. But one thing we definitely don’t need – a comeback tour! That’s right – not even minutes after being released from prison, Bill Cosby is already planning to hit the stage and tell his side of the story. Dude, you got convicted for giving interns date rape drugs. There’s no other side of this story here, and nobody wants to hear it. Well OK maybe a few people do, especially if you cross a ven diagram with that of another accused rapist. Yes, I’m talking about *THAT* guy! And for one thing, they share an attorney, so what does that really say about the other guy? Anyway enough of my rambling, here’s what’s happening.

Newly freed from prison, Bill Cosby may be planning a stand-up comedy tour, according to his spokesperson.

Andrew Wyatt told The Philadelphia Inquirer on Thursday that Cosby, 83, has been “been talking to a number of promoters and comedy club owners” and “is just excited the way the world is welcoming him back.”

Wyatt is a native of Bessemer and attended Miles College.

Cosby was released from prison Wednesday after serving two years of a 3-to-10-year sentence after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his sexual assault conviction due to a “non-prosecution agreement” he struck with a previous prosecutor should have prevented him from being charged over his 2004 encounter with accuser Andrea Constand.

“I have never changed my stance nor my story,” the actor-comedian said in a statement. “I have always maintained my innocence.”
https://www.al.com/news/2021/07/bill-cosby-possibly-planning-comedy-tour-the-world-is-welcoming-him-back.html

Nooooooooooooooooooooope! No one is welcoming him back. Here’s the sad fact of reality – as much as we hate this, this tour will sell out. That is a fact. And the people giving him money to hear his shit are almost as insane as the people who stand in line for days to attend a MAGA rally. And seriously does anyone want to see a documentary series or a comedy tour starring this shitbag? I know that I definitely do not!

Following his recent release from prison, Bill Cosby is reportedly already already planning his comeback. Though a jury found him guilty of sexual assault in 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently ruled that a previous deal Cosby struck with a district attorney should have prevented him from being prosecuted altogether. Essentially, in spite of the fact that dozens of women have accused him of drugging and assaulting them, Cosby is now free on a procedural error.

And, according to TMZ, the comedian already has a five-part docuseries and a book in the works. On top of that, he apparently wants to start doing stand-up again. Andrew Wyatt, Cosby’s publicist, told TMZ he’s contacted multiple comedy clubs who are “open to the idea” of Cosby performing. The recently released sex offender is also looking to do motivational talks in prisons and schools across the country. Per TMZ, these appearances would purportedly focus on “being better citizens and curbing violence,” which, besides being a bit ironic considering Cosby has admitted under oath to giving Quaaludes to women he wanted to have sex with, also sounds reminiscent of his notorious “Pound Cake” speech, which was widely criticized for its racist implications.

According to Wyatt, “The world wants to see Mr. Cosby.” No the fuck we do not.

It appears at least one comedy club agrees with the latter sentiment. Noam Dworman, owner of New York City’s iconic Comedy Cellar, told TMZ he has no interest in hosting Cosby at his club. In 2018, the Comedy Cellar controversially hosted Louis C.K., marking his first performance following allegations of sexual misconduct. However, Dworman told the New York Post Cosby’s actions are aren’t comparable, adding that Louis C.K. was not charged with a crime. “I just think these comparisons are ridiculous,” Dworman told the Post.
https://www.thecut.com/2021/07/bill-cosby-reportedly-planning-comeback-tour.html

Excuse me a minute… OK. But that said, I’m with the article on this one – no we do not need to see Bill Cosby live! Or a docuseries or any of that shit! And come on, does every creep, low life and weirdo who got caught doing something perverted or criminal need to go on a redemption tour? Ah yes that is an excellent point! But oh guess what? He wants payback! Seriously, even the Simpsons couldn’t make this shit up!

Bill Cosby could be getting a payday for the amount of time he served in prison after the Pennsylvania high court vacated the comedian’s conviction.

“We feel that he’s owed a lot of money,” said Cosby spokesperson Andrew Wyatt. “Mr. Cosby was given an unwanted two-year and ten-month vacation that he never ask for. His constitutional rights were abolished, his due process was stripped away from him.”

Wyatt pointed to a proposal that Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf introduced for his 2021-2022 budget that would pay money for wrongful convictions.

“He’s due millions and millions of dollars. As Mr. Cosby said to me today, ‘I feel that this district attorney and Judge Steven O’Neill and Kevin Steele [Montgomery County district attorney] should resign effective immediately.”
https://www.news10.com/news/bill-cosby-wants-to-be-paid-for-his-time-behind-bars/

Are you fucking kidding me? Nobody owes you a god damn thing. You’re a convicted rapist who should still be behind bars! At least one place has already said no to this bullshit – New York City’s legendary Comedy Cellar. That’s right – Cosby wanted to kick off his comeback tour in one of the most legendary comedy clubs in all of the country. And they said no. I hope more do, and I hope there’s no way he’ll get those millions of dollars. This is absolutely ridiculous.

A 2018 jury convicted Cosby of three felony counts in Temple staffer Andrea Constand’s 2004 drugging and sexual assault.

At least one venue has said that it will not support an upcoming comedy tour from recently-freed Bill Cosby.

The Comedy Cellar in New York City has expressed that it has zero interest in hosting Cosby, with owner Noam Dworman telling TMZ his audiences wouldn’t support a show from the 83-year-old comic-actor-producer.

The club allowed comedians Louis CK and Aziz Ansari to perform on the legendary Greenwich Village stage after they both were hit with sexual misconduct allegations — not criminal charges. Cosby, whose 2018 indecent assault conviction was overturned in June by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, won’t be given the same opportunity.
https://news.yahoo.com/bill-cosby-potential-stand-tour-153938859.html

[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Welcome back to our segment that attempts to explain the unexplainable – Conspiracy Corner! We are of course coming to you live from our basement doomsday bunker deep in the heart of the New Mexico badlands – undisclosed location of course! This week, the White House, led by our current president, Joseph R. Biden, has been flaunting an aggressive plan to up their COVID vaccine numbers so as to not prevent another surge in cases when the winter hits this year. But this has conservatives – particularly the MAGA crowd – hopping mad! That’s right they’re coming out with guns a blazing if anyone even dares to try this.

A majority of Republican voters do not support President Joe Biden’s new strategy to go “door-to-door” to get more Americans vaccinated, a new Morning Consult poll finds, suggesting the targeted outreach plan may fail in helping persuade Republicans to get the Covid-19 vaccine as hesitancy among those voters remains disproportionately high.

Biden announced in early July a new strategy to go “community by community, neighborhood by neighborhood, and oftentimes, door to door — literally knocking on doors” to persuade Americans to get vaccinated.

The vaccination campaign will also focus on having family doctors that Americans already trust distributing Covid-19 vaccines, making vaccines available at work sites and events and helping employees get paid time off to get inoculated.

Republican politicians have hit back against the plan: House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) called the plan “a blatant abuse of government authority,” for instance, while Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) suggested without evidence it could result in the government taking away people’s guns and bibles.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/07/14/bidens-door-to-door-vaccine-plan-could-fizzle-with-unvaccinated-republicans-poll-suggests/?sh=fc6e0a07b2a1

So if there’s two things that the MAGA crowd doesn’t like – 1) is being told what to do, and 2) having the government all up in their bizness! If the Biden administration proposes the idea that they’re going to be door to door with vaccines, you can bet that someone will probably get murdered for it. But on the flip side, hey, at least there’s one less Trump voter in the world! But yeah you know who’s driving this disinformation campaign? You guessed it! Fox News!

“A disservice to the country.” “Inaccurate disinformation.” “Literally killing people.”

For months, the Biden White House refrained from criticizing Republican officials who played down the importance of coronavirus vaccinations or sought to make political hay of the federal government’s all-out effort to drive shots into arms. Not any longer.

With the COVID-19 vaccination rate plateauing across the country, the White House is returning fire at those they see as spreading harmful misinformation or fear about the shots.

When South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster tried this week to block door-to-door efforts to drive up the vaccination rate in his state, White House press secretary Jen Psaki did not mince words in her reaction.
https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-health-government-and-politics-coronavirus-pandemic-michael-brown-c5c9260bc083e7e9cc0e415caa43879f

Yeah here’s the thing, MAGA – if you’re not taking the vaccine, you’re not owning us. And we’re not “triggered”, we’re horrified! So they might convert some folks to getting the vaccine, but if you haven’t got the vaccine yet, well, all I have to say is it’s your funeral. And some are even fighting back against the idea! Can we show that sign?

https://twitter.com/RzstProgramming/status/1414756427382632456

Holy shit! Who’s authority do they have to do this? Well none! But yeah here’s the thing – get the damn vaccine! If you don’t, it’s your funeral!

In some rural parts of the region, residents shouldn’t be surprised if they get a knock on the door soon.

It’s not a sales pitch. It’s your country calling, and it wants to tell you about free COVID-19 vaccines.

Following President Joe Biden’s remarks last week that more effort will be put into pushing coronavirus vaccines in areas with low vaccination rates, federal government personnel began assisting with going door to door in parts of Hampton Roads over the weekend.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is teaming up with the state and local public health officials in Franklin, Suffolk, Isle of Wight County and Southampton County to spread information on the benefits of vaccination and where to find shots.
https://www.pilotonline.com/news/health/vp-nw-coronavirus-fema-door-knocking-20210713-2ki6q6vffna6hlt7y6djat2epq-story.html

And in case you’re wondering if stupid begats stupid, well, two of the most under vaccinated states – South Carolina and Missouri- are already planning to push back against this idea. Really guys, if you want to kill yourselves getting COVID and giving the virus new chances to mutate, don’t say we didn’t warn you when you’re in the hospital needing a double lung transplant. And yes, that sort of thing can happen with this virus.

The governors of South Carolina and Missouri—two states with below-average Covid-19 vaccination rates—rebuffed President Joe Biden’s plan to promote immunizations through door-to-door outreach this week, but despite some claims to the contrary, the White House says the effort will be carried out by volunteers and local leaders, not federal staffers.

In a speech Tuesday, Biden said he hopes to reach unvaccinated Americans this summer by going “community by community, neighborhood by neighborhood and oftentimes door-to-door, literally knocking on doors, to get help to the remaining people.”

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) pushed back on Biden’s plan one day later, tweeting that “sending government employees or agents door-to-door to compel vaccination would NOT be an effective OR a welcome strategy in Missouri!”

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) on Friday directed his state’s health department to prohibit what he described as “the Biden Administration’s ‘targeted’ ‘door-to-door’ tactics,” arguing that residents may lose trust in vaccines if they feel pressured to get them.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2021/07/09/governors-of-2-undervaccinated-states-say-no-to-bidens-door-to-door-vaccine-push/?sh=240b2500224c

[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! So who is dumb this week, you might ask? Well I want to start with this story out of my home state of California! That’s right even my state is not immune from stupid people. And of course, like so many of our People Are Dumb stories, this one involves someone doing something stupid while driving. And what might that be you ask? Why it’s using the new experimental satellite internet service from Elon Musk! And I mean come on, given the size of the antenna, is it any wonder why this guy was pulled over? And come on, even stupider – why would you mount this antenna to the hood of your car?

A California Highway Patrol officer pulled over a vehicle on Friday that had a satellite dish bolted to the car’s hood, and the device appeared to be one of SpaceX’s Starlink antennas.

“Sir I stopped you today for that visual obstruction on your hood. Does it not block your view while driving?” CHP of Antelope Valley wrote in a Facebook post about the incident.

CHP added that the motorist replied: “Only when I make right turns.”

A representative of the law enforcement agency told CNBC that the motorist, driving a Toyota Prius, received a ticket for a moving violation. The motorist told CHP that they used the antenna to get Wi-Fi service for a business they operate out of the car.

SpaceX did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/02/chp-tickets-driver-with-apparent-spacex-starlink-dish-on-hood.html

Yeah maybe don’t use the internet while you’re driving. You can wait to get home to stream episodes of The Office! Next up – here’s a story that has everything! This story comes to us from Spokane, Washington, and it involves a doctor! Yes, even though this man has a medical degree, he was being caught doing something stupid! This is really insane, because it’s almost directly mirrored from the movie The Fugitive, where a doctor is accused of murdering his wife! Life imitates art?

Nothing says "let's try again" like hiring an assassin to drug your ex until they agree to rekindle the relationship.

That is apparently what one neonatal doctor in Spokane, Washington thought, as he allegedly did just that.

Ronald Ilg, 55, was arrested in April and is being charged in federal court for hiring a hitman over the internet to abduct his wife and imprison her in a "secure location" for a week, all the while dosing her with heroin.

"The target destroyed two families and walked away as if she did nothing," the doctor allegedly wrote in his abductor job synopsis. "I want the target kidnapped for 7 days. While being held, she will be given injections of heroin at least two times per day."
https://news.yahoo.com/doctor-arrested-trying-hire-hitman-220415197.html

Next up – we of course have to go to the great state of Florida, America’s most penis-shaped state. As Homer Simpson once called it – “Florida? But that’s America’s wang!”. And here’s the thing – is anyone really surprised that someone with the last name Booze is arrested for drunk driving? And what makes this story even more insane is that this is the place where the crash occurred? Well I’ll let the story do the talking!

A Florida Woman named Booze was arrested for drunk driving after allegedly slamming her car into a Taco Bell sign and then fleeing the scene, cops charge. Kanisha Booze, 34, was busted late Friday following a crash near her home in St. Petersburg. Booze was charged with DUI involving property damage, leaving the scene of an accident, possession of an open container, and driving with a suspended or revoked license.

According to an arrest report, Booze struck a tree, the Taco Bell sign, and the eatery’s water meter around 10:20 PM. She was subsequently collared after being spotted speeding through two red lights near the restaurant.

When questioned by police, a wobbly Booze exhibited “bloodshot, watery eyes, a dazed and blank expression on her face and an odor of an alcoholic beverage on her breath,” noted police who say that Booze declined to provide breath samples.

Booze’s rap sheet includes seven separate convictions for driving without a license. She has also been convicted of marijuana possession and grand theft. Booze was released from the county jail Saturday morning after posting $1750 bond on the three misdemeanor counts.
Booze, a mother of three, works at the Taco Bell where the crash occurred.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/booze/booze-drunk-bust-609852

Finally this week – of course you know that last week was the Fourth Of July, Independence Day as you may know it. And you know this as the holiday where you fight traffic to go watch fireworks being set off by people you wouldn’t trust to turn on a light switch blow something up – whether it’s the land or themselves. But what if it’s not a firework at all? Plot twist! And this is also a story being reported on where no one has anything better to do?

Ahead of the weekend of the fourth of July, America’s independence day, residents of a Cape Coral canal in Florida were woken up by “fireworks", but not what you’re thinking of. On the night of June 25, Sara Warnecke could hear a man screaming very loudly at 3 am in night. When she went out, there was not much to see so she shouted telling him to shut up. To that, the man pretended to be a firework and yelled conveying that fireworks were really annoying and people should stop doing it in the middle of the night. He was caught on a security tape screaming fireworks noise across the canal in the southeastern 10th avenue of the town. In the video, a man can be heard screaming, “firecracker, firecracker, boom.” To that, Warnceck shouts, “Shut up!” Replying to her, he screamed again, using expletives, “Bottle Rocket! Yeah it’s ****** annoying, isn’t it? Quit ******* doing it in the middle of the night.”

“He seemed to be upset that people were celebrating early,” Warnecke told NBC2. When a reporter from the news channel went door-to-door in the neighbourhood asking people if they were that angry man, no one admitted and the identity of the man remains a mystery.

In the US state of Florida, fireworks are legal only on three days, New Year’s Day, New Year’s Eve and US Independence Day. Americans celebrate their Independence Day by lighting up the sky with massive fireworks. According to an estimate, Americans spend about Rs 11,000 crore on fireworks each year. In India, people spend about Rs 2,000 crore on on fireworks. However, fireworks in India feature an entirely different occasion than the US — the religious festival of Diwali. However, New Year’s eve also sees fireworks in India. ..........(more)

https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/florida-man-pretends-to-be-firework-screams-noises-in-middle-of-night-3927467.html

That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Red State Diaries: Episode 1
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Welcome everyone to our new segment “Red State Diaries”! So in case you haven’t been following us or not, in the last year, we have covered literally *EVERYTHING* there was to cover about the insane 2020 election cycle. From the straw poll to the primaries, to the election itself and even to the inauguration of our 46th president, Joseph R. Biden, and beyond! Now we’re gonna take it a step further and do some exit polling and explore the red states. Why did they vote the way they did? And will it stop them from voting that way again? Because next year it’s once again midterms! But this week we’re taking a look at the great state of Oklahoma. Why did they vote the way that they did on this? And could they also be the subject of a recall? Remember the Former Guy’s theory about “Big Dumps”? Yeah that happened!

An Oklahoma lawmaker has requested that the state election board call for a forensic and independent audit of the 2020 General Election results in Oklahoma County and two other random counties in the state.

"Oklahomans have the right to know their election results can be trusted," state Rep. Sean Roberts, R-Hominy, said in a news release.

Roberts wrote a letter to the Oklahoma State Election Board, saying, "Every citizen deserves to have faith in the integrity of the election process and its outcome. It is my responsibility, as an elected public servant, to assure my constituents that Oklahoma’s elections are safe and secure."

Roberts continued the news release by spreading unfounded claims that there was widespread voter fraud in various states during the 2020 presidential election.
https://www.koco.com/article/lawmaker-requests-audit-of-2020-general-election-results-in-oklahoma-county-2-other-random-counties/37015089

That’s about the appropriate reaction for this. I mean come on it’s been almost a whole year since the 2020 election and they’re still fighting it! I hate to break it to you guys but there’s nothing you can do to bring Dear Leader back. He’s gone, OK? Look we had to deal with it when you guys won in 2016. Now you lost, so you have to deal with it. Shit happens! It’s a part of life. Oh and it gets weirder! Oklahoma is also the home of James Lankford (Q-Batshit) who is also among the growing list of conservatives who are operating on one issue only! And guess what that is?

In the runup to Jan. 6, Senate Republican leaders invested time and energy into keeping their members together on certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election. By Jan. 2, those intra-party efforts were unraveling.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) got the ball rolling, announcing his plan to contest the election results he doesn't like, and a group of Republicans, eager to prove their own hostility toward democracy, soon followed. By Jan. 4, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was leading a contingent of 11 GOP senators who wanted a commission to "audit" the election results, rather than certify them.

Two days later -- exactly six months ago today -- a violent mob of Donald Trump supporters launched an insurrectionist attack on the U.S. Capitol in the hopes of derailing the certification process. As the dust settled and the Capitol was secured, lawmakers returned to complete the process. Most of the Senate Republicans who said they'd refuse to honor the election results followed through on their undemocratic commitment.

But not all of them. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) originally endorsed Cruz's scheme, but after the riot, the Oklahoma Republican voted with the majority to certify the election results.
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/six-months-later-oklahoma-s-lankford-faces-heat-over-jan-n1273159

But what’s really baffling about this state is that their guy won! So why are they so concerned about conducting an audit? Well they could hire Cyber Ninjas, I hear that audit is going very nicely! Oh wait, it’s a colossal shit show and the entire world knows it! But even the election officials in the Sooner State don’t want this. Why? Well just look at what’s happening two states over just to find out, and it’s getting quite insane.

Oklahoma's chief elections official on Tuesday brushed off a request from a GOP state lawmaker seeking an election audit of some of the state's 2020 general election results.

Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax suggested an independent audit of Oklahoma's election results is not allowed under state law.

He also reiterated his faith in the accuracy of Oklahoma's elections, saying the state's voting devices are among the most precise and secure in the world.

Citing debunked claims of election fraud in other states, Rep. Sean Roberts, R-Hominy, asked for a forensic and independent audit of the 2020 general election results in Oklahoma County and two additional counties, chosen at random.

"In my judgment the time and expense of a post-election audit is not justified for an election that was conducted more than eight months ago," Ziriax wrote in a letter to Roberts.
https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2021/07/14/oklahoma-gop-lawmaker-election-audit-request-dismissed/7958772002/

But don’t think we’ve seen the last of Former Guy! Oh no, he’s getting harder and harder for the GOP to ignore. Especially now that he’s taken his idiot MAGA rallies back out on the road, and he isn’t going to stop until he gets what he wants. He’s like a bad weed. Or maybe he’s like Pennywise The Clown – the more you try to get rid of him, the more he comes back to haunt your dreams. Even in states he won, they’re still not satisfied!

Senate Republican leaders have tried to put former President Trump in the rearview mirror, rarely mentioning his name and keeping focused instead on the Democratic agenda, but Trump’s iron grip on the party’s grassroots is making it tougher and tougher to keep ignoring him.

Mainstream Republicans are getting increasingly caught up in the party’s internal battle over Trump’s legacy, with even stalwart conservatives such as Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) getting called out as insufficiently loyal to Trump or “Republicans in name only.”

Trump again showed his lock on the party’s activist base over the weekend by winning the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) straw poll with 70 percent of the vote, crushing the second-place winner, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who came in a distant second with 21 percent.

Trump touted his strong showing by releasing a statement through Save America PAC: “98 percent approval rating at CPAC, the highest ever, by far. A new record!”
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/562633-trump-getting-tougher-for-senate-gop-to-ignore

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

Next week while Arizona may have flipped for Biden, they’re the center of the most batshit insane election audit in history and we’re going to do a deep dive into what’s going on there!

Thank you Santa Ana! We’re off to San Jose next! See you next week!

Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo

June 24, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots Best Of #18: Viewer Mailbag #4 Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots Best Of #18: Viewer Mailbag #4 Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Oh… oh hello! I know, right? We’re here tidying up the set and getting things ready for season 11. The world is slowly reopening after the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. So we’re getting ready to go back out on the road. It’s exciting isn’t it? A little bit of bad news – our season premiere is getting pushed back to July 15th because of the July 4th holiday, but don’t fear! We will still be here! So last week we announced secured dates for our season 11 tour, and we’ll finish it in our Labor Day Best Of Edition. And before we get into this week, when we start building the Top 10 every week, some segments don't make it to the air date. Some get cut, some get scrapped altogether. And that's where this Best Of comes into play. We figured we'd show you some of the abandoned, bumped and unaired segments, and even some new ones made just for these Best Of editions in our long absence! But you know last week was Father’s Day, and I’m sure you had a good one or not. But there’s two drastically different father’s day announcements. You had President Biden’s which was sincere – “Happy Father’s Day to the fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, and father figures who enrich our character, love us unconditionally, and give so much of themselves every day so we can live lives worthy of their dreams and sacrifices.”. That’s a Father’s Day Announcement. Then contrast it with failed blogger Donald Trump, who had this to say: “Happy Father’s Day to all, including the Radical Left, RINOs, and other Losers of the world!”. Yeah he’s still an asshole. Which is why he’s no longer the president. Loser president says what? OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to for our last of 3 Best Of Editions. But first John Oliver is back and he discusses the PACE program:

So in the first slot this week for our last of 3 Best Ofs, we also have some new and also unaired content for you to enjoy! In the number one slot, from Idiots #9-2, remember when Trump (1) tried to hold a sold out rally in the middle of a raging pandemic and how it backfired on him spectacularly? Yeah that was a thing that happened! In the second slot, going all the way back to Idiots #3-4, conservatives (2) often accuse Alt-right boogeyman George Soros of paying protestors, but would you be surprised when Alex Jones and Jack Posobiec got caught doing what they accuse others of? I know I am not! From the #3 slot, from Idiots #5-1, Trump (3) throws a temper tantrum over the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles taking part in anthem protests, and just disinvites them to the White House. What a colossal, giant baby. In the #4 slot this week, from Idiots #7-7, in one of the scarier and darker corners of the internet, we remember that time when 4chan (4) might have had a hand in the murder of a teenage influencer – then openly taunted and mocked her death. Some incredibly sick and twisted minds at 4chan, they are. In the number 5 slot, from Idiots #8-4, our weekly investigative piece, Top 10 Investigates (5), we remember that time Amazon CEO and future owner of Planet Earth, Jeff Bezos, claimed that he might have been hacked by the Saudis – or was he? In the #6 slot this week, we have an unaired Holy Shit (6) – so Lee Greenwood (yes, that Lee Greenwood) wrote his own version of the Bible that includes the entire US Constitution and the Bill Of Rights! Our resident pastor breaks down this insane abomination! In the #7 slot, we have an unaired Beating A Dead Horse from Idiots #10-14 – Lin Manuel Miranda is known for his ethnically diverse casts, so why is he getting so much shit for his new movie “In The Heights”? Same shit, different day! In the #8 slot this week we have a brand new Conspiracy Corner (8) – why is Texas governor Greg Abbott so hell bent on building a border wall when the rest of America thought it was a dumb idea? Come put on your tin foil hat and find out! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week we have a new People Are Dumb, because of course they are! Finally from Idiots #7-17, we revisit our segment from the campaign trail “Keeping Up With The Candidates” that takes a look at the bizarre feud between Hawaii’s Tulsi Gabbard and Hillary Clinton! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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

[font size="8"]Donald Trump
[br] [/font] [br]

From: Idiots #9-2

Jessica F. from Liberal, Kansas writes:

“Hey Top 10, how do I explain to my Trump loving friends that there’s no conspiracy as to how he lost the 2020 election?”

That’s a good question! And you can start by telling them the story of how holding a full capacity indoor rally when the entire world is shut down is a stupid-ass idea, and it made him look like an idiot!

Everyone knew that Trump holding an indoor event in the middle of the deadliest pandemic in 100 years was a colossally bad idea. And holding it in Tulsa, Oklahoma – the site of America’s worst race riot, on the day that slavery was ended – was also a bad idea. But allow me to engage in a bit of schadenfreude here. Because, nobody showed up! That’s right – absolutely nobody showed up to this rally. Don’t worry, we will get to that in a bit here. But he can make all the excuses all he wants, the fact of the matter is that COVID still reigns supreme, and until we start reeling in this monster, we can kiss large stadium gatherings like this goodbye. But that didn’t stop his most hardcore fans from showing up.

President Donald Trump is "furious" at the "underwhelming" crowd at his rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday evening, a major disappointment for what had been expected to be a raucous return to the campaign trail after three months off because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to multiple people close to the White House.

The president was fuming at his top political aides Saturday even before the rally began after his campaign revealed that six members of the advance team on the ground in Tulsa had tested positive for COVID-19, including Secret Service personnel, a person familiar with the discussions said.

Trump asked those around him why the information was exposed and expressed annoyance that the coverage ahead of his mega-rally was dominated by the revelation.

While the Trump re-election effort boasted that it would fill BOK Center, which seats more than 19,000 people, only 6,200 supporters ultimately occupied the general admission sections, the Tulsa fire marshal told NBC News.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/trump-furious-underwhelming-crowd-tulsa-rally-n1231674

Ooh boy this one hit Trump where it hurts! Yes, he’s about as mad as an angry, animated Lewis Black with flames shooting out of his head. Of course, anger is the only emotion that Trump knows. Does he know fear? No. Does he know compassion? No. Does he know disgust? No. Does he know Joy? Hell freaking no! Trump wouldn’t know joy if it bit him in his ass! So he’s hopping mad about what happened in Tulsa, and it was glorious. This might be my favorite thing about this whole rally. Can we throw that image up there?

May that image be forever known as the downfall of the Trump administration! And I love all of the Spinal Tap comparisons – Trump might be at that stage.

Plus, the history of Trump campaign managers has an eerie similarity to the history of Spinal Tap drummers. In the 2016 campaign, Lewandowski gave way to Paul Manafort (remember him!) who gave way to Kellyanne Conway. And throughout it all, there were whispers that Kushner or Ivanka (or both) were the real brains behind the operation. Or that Trump himself was effectively managing his own campaign, making all the important calls about what do say and do.

Parscale is, without question then, the most likely target of Trump's anger. But go back to Kaitlan's tweet -- this part in particular: "Anyone, including WH aides, could be fired depending on coverage."

The key -- and revealing -- bit there is "depending on coverage." Trump is seething, yes. But he's also watching cable TV. And taking calls. And making calls. And trying to suss out -- from all of that -- who the collective "they" are blaming for the Tulsa rally debacle. That, as much as his own sense, will determine who gets fired.

Because, again, Trump is all about perception: It's not about whose fault it really is that the crowd over the weekend didn't live up to the hype. (In truth, there's no way it's one person's fault.) It's about who the media, his friends and major party donors blame. That's the person Trump will blame.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/22/politics/trump-rally-tulsa-2020/index.html

Oh god that movie is a classic. I could totally see Trump going down that road. Maybe next he will open up for petting zoos and puppet shows. Assuming we have such activities in the near future. But you can bet there will be some firings and when that happens, get ready for the return of the Trumper Games! I mean this whole year just can’t get any weirder. And Trump’s gone through as many cabinet members as Spinal Tap has drummers. At Trump got him some ratings! Oh, those sweet, sweet ratings!

Now it’s apparent where many of President Donald Trump’s supporters who stayed away from Saturday’s campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, were instead: they were home watching it on television.

Fox News Channel, which aired Trump’s speech live, had the biggest Saturday night audience in the network’s 24-year history, the Nielsen company said. During Trump’s address at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Fox had 8.2 million people watching.

CNN and MSNBC aired only clips of Trump talking, yet each news network had about twice as many viewers as they normally get on Saturday nights. Collectively, the three networks had nearly 12 million viewers for its Trump coverage, Nielsen said.

For those in Oklahoma, the night’s biggest story was the arena’s empty seats.

In the absence of sports or first-run scripted series, news continues to be the dominant force in television viewing. Fox News Channel’s prime-time average of 3.68 million viewers for the week topped all broadcast and cable networks.
https://apnews.com/c9e9a3808ea5ff2280944f5d57e53daa

Yeah so there’s no sports, or recreation, or entertainment of any kind during this nightmare known as COVID-19. So Trump is the only game in town! He’s literally the kind of guy who would find a way to broadcast from the Springfield badlands while the entire world was held hostage by a nuclear bomb, and I wouldn’t put that past him. But that’s not stopping him from taking his show on the road!

President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit the Arizona-Mexico border, then hold a rally in Phoenix on Tuesday.

His visit to Arizona comes as the state is experiencing large increases in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

The president recognized two of Arizona's most prominent Republican officials, Gov. Doug Ducey and U.S. Senator Martha McSally.

Ducey was greeted with some "boos" from the crowd.

But Trump complimented Ducey for the work he's done in Arizona and his win at the polls nearly two years ago.

The President said he asked Ducey how Trump was doing in the state, "He said you're doing really well and I said good because he knows better than anybody."

Trump asked the crowd to support McSally in November because she supports the border wall. Plus, Trump said, her opponent Mark Kelly "is very weak on China and other things."
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2020/06/23/updates-president-trump-rally-tuesday-arizona/3238171001/

[font size="8"] Confederate States II: Electric Boogaloo Die Harder
[br] [/font] [br]

From: Idiots #3-14

Ian M. from Syracuse, New York writes:

“How long are we going to have to put up with the Alt Right? I mean didn’t they get caught paying people to protest at one point?”

Yup! And none other than the king of conspiracies himself was involved!

So while that gigantic pile of fail known as the Mother Of All Rallies was going on in Washington DC, let’s go west and show you what was happening in Virginia. Can we get a shot of that?

Now just remember kids, let this be a lesson – dress for the job you want, not the job you have! Thank you! Although what job does confederate flag spandex qualify you for? Not too many that I can think of off the top of my head! Well, maybe this one.

Richmond, Virginia is bracing for violence as neo-Confederates target the former capitol of the Confederacy less than one month after Heather Heyer was killed in what many are calling an act of domestic terrorism.

CSAII: The New Confederate States of America is planning an unpermitted “Heritage not Hate” rally to defend Richmond’s Robert E. Lee Monument following the deadly “Unite the Right” rally to defend Charlottesville’s Robert E. Lee statue.

“I hope nobody loses their lives tomorrow, on either side, I really do,” CSA II organizer and Three Percenter militia organizer Tara Brandau told WTVR. “That’s not why we are here.”
http://www.rawstory.com/2017/09/i-hope-nobody-loses-their-lives-armed-neo-confederates-descend-on-virginia-to-defend-statue-at-all-costs/

Yeah we’re going pessimistic here today at the Top 10. But what happened in Richmond exactly? Oh sure, if you saw Twitter and Facebook, all you would see is the usual bullshit about how George Soros is paying Antifa to silence conservatives. But they really just bring it on themselves. Case in point:

A pro-Confederate rally that put city officials and residents alike on edge in the aftermath of Charlottesville ended without major incident shortly after it began Saturday morning.

About seven people stood for an hour and a half holding Confederate flags and arguing with a crowd of counterprotesters that steadily climbed into the hundreds until police ushered the Confederates away.

“As the group (of counterprotesters) started getting bigger, we escorted them out a little earlier than planned,” said Richmond police spokeswoman Koury Wilson.

But the organizers’ departure from the rally site just west of the Lee statue on Monument Avenue was complicated by two flat tires they discovered when they arrived back at their truck two blocks away. A crowd of several dozen counterprotesters confronted and then chased them as they attempted to drive away in the disabled vehicle.

The group made it several blocks through the Fan District before stopping and waiting with police for a tow truck.
http://www.richmond.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/monument-avenue-rally-attracts-few-confederate-supporters-ends-peacefully/article_470b9be6-0140-55ee-b99d-48bf7302d44a.html

By the way, we really need to explore the confederacy in “How Is This Still A Thing” in a future top 10 because they really are convinced its’ still a thing.

RICHMOND, Va. -- Most of the pro-Confederate demonstrators who held a rally near the Robert E. Lee monument on Monument Avenue in Richmond Saturday morning ended their rally around 11 a.m. A Richmond Police officer on scene told WTVR reporter Brendan King that members of the CSA II: The New Confederate States of America, decided it was in their best interest to end the rally at that time.

The rally, anxiously anticipated all week by Richmond Police, and which led to the deployment of a vast array of city and state resources, got underway Saturday about 10 a.m. A large crowd of people who opposed the pro-Confederates gathered at the Maggie Walker statue on Broad Street in downtown Richmond at about 10 a.m. and marched to Monument Avenue. Upon their arrival, their group far outnumbered the pro-Confederates -- some of whom arrived in Virginia from out-of-state.
http://wtvr.com/2017/09/16/live-updates-monument-avenue-rally/

Oh and here’s the biggest fail – the group isn’t even from Virginia! I mean how did they even hear about this? Did they have a Google alert setup for “confederate statue removal”?

A small, Tennessee-based group is planning to hold a rally to show support for Confederate memorials on Monument Avenue in Richmond on Saturday morning. Counterprotests are planned. Police have uncovered no intelligence leading them to believe the event will draw the large and violent crowds seen in Charlottesville, but said they've nonetheless spent weeks preparing and are ready for the worst.
http://www.richmond.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/live-coverage-about-six-pro-confederate-protesters-being-confronted-by/article_34eb5282-25f0-5a0d-b9f4-4e1ffaeb024a.html

I like that one! And then while 7 arrests were made, they just packed up and left quietly with their tail between their legs.

6:20 p.m.: There were a total of seven arrests made during Saturday's pro-Confederate rally and counterprotests in Richmond.

Four of the arrests were for wearing a mask in public.

Caroline Hill, 24, of McLean; Thomas W. Rockett, 21, of Herndon; Corissa C. Duffey, 25, of Stockbridge, Ga.; and Ian M. Gerson, 32, of Brooklyn, N.Y. were charged with wearing a mask in public. It's against Virginia law for anyone over age 16 to wear a mask to conceal their identity.

Brittany D. Bush, 29, of Petersburg, was charged with disorderly conduct. She was arrested for allegedly threatening a bystander.

Jabari A. Robinson, 21, of Roanoke, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
http://www.richmond.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/live-coverage-about-six-pro-confederate-protesters-being-confronted-by/article_34eb5282-25f0-5a0d-b9f4-4e1ffaeb024a.html

[font size="8"]Donald Trump
[br] [/font] [br]

From: Idiots #5-1

Gary G. from Brooklyn, New York writes:

“My husband and I are so excited we get to go to MLB games again! What’s the proper protocol for the national anthem these days? Are they still against that kneeling thing?”

Sadly yes. Also sadly, we may never hear the end of this crap.

So one more thing before we get into current events. We have to talk about what Trump was up to last week because, as I know they say in the south, he done fucked up. Maybe they don’t say that in the south, I don’t know. But seriously even the best comedy writers in the entire world couldn’t come up with the epic fails of the Trump administration and especially in the last week! The first is we got to talk about what happened when he disinvited the Eagles to the White House.

NFL owners were reportedly motivated by fear of incendiary comments from Donald Trump when devising the league’s new anthem policy. And that hand-wringing over Trump was further validated on Monday, when the President canceled the Eagles’ White House visit less than 24 hours before the scheduled ceremony to celebrate the Super Bowl LII champions. Clearly, the President is not done using the NFL and the anthem issue to serve his own political agenda.

Many Eagles players, including safety Malcolm Jenkins and defensive end Chris Long, said they wouldn’t be attending the White House because they don’t agree with Trump’s politics, not because the president insists that NFL players must stand for the anthem or “maybe they shouldn’t be in the country.” For the players, not attending Trump’s White House ceremony has never been about the anthem issue. It’s about disagreeing with Trump’s views on policing, criminal justice, and racial inequality.

Trump’s ego might have been bruised by the report that fewer than 10 Eagles players would be attending, so rather than host a sparsely attended ceremony he uninvited the whole organization. Quarterback Carson Wentz said recently that he would attend if the team as a whole decided they would go.
https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/06/05/philadelphia-eagles-trump-president-white-house-visit-anthem-policy

Wrong Eagles, Dude. But while Trump was frothing at the mouth batshit crazy over people not standing for the anthem, guess what? It turns out he was manipulated by… Fox News! Yup – you know their saying “We report, you decide!” should really be changed to “We report, HE decides!”.

Fox News apologized Tuesday after receiving a torrent of criticism over the network's use of photos of various players for the Philadelphia Eagles kneeling in prayer, creating the misleading impression that they were demonstrating during the national anthem.

The photos ran during a segment on Monday night, after President Trump announced that he had uninvited the reigning Super Bowl champions from a traditional visit to the White House.

As Fox News anchor Shannon Bream explained Trump's decision, which he attributed to the anthem protests that have roiled the league, photos of Eagles players kneeling in prayer were shown on screen.
http://money.cnn.com/2018/06/05/media/fox-news-philadelphia-eagles-kneeling/index.html

But the real fail came when Trump decided to throw out the Eagles’ visit and replace it with a patriotic brew ha ha, and well, we got to show the clip because this is too fucking good.

Excuse me a minute… by the way I love that this guy remixed the clip with the theme song to Curb Your Enthusiasm:

https://twitter.com/banditelli/status/1004088932026363904

I love that so much! But here’s the real fail behind all of this – Trump didn’t know the words to God Bless America! That’s right – Mr. “I’m Too Patriotic For My Shirt”…. So patriotic, yeah!! Forgot the fucking words to one of the most patriotic songs there is!

Taking on the NFL and football’s Super Bowl champs,U.S. President Donald Trump gave the boot to a White House ceremony for the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday and instead threw his own brief “Celebration of America” after it became clear most players weren’t going to show up.

Both sides traded hot accusations about who was to blame. Trump himself made headlines at the rally for apparently forgetting the words to "God Bless America." Video shows the president attempting to sing-along with a military band standing behind him.

Trump tried to turn the fracas into a referendum on patriotism and tie it to the dispute over players who have taken a knee during the national anthem to protest racism and police brutality. However, Eagles players never knelt during the “Star-Spangled Banner,” throughout the 2017 season and their march to the Super Bowl. Fox News, a known news source for Trump, was rebuked and apologized this week for showing images of Eagles players kneeling while praying on the field as evidence they protested the National Anthem.
https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/trump-forgets-words-to-god-bless-america-at-patriotic-counter-nfl-rally-1.6155002

Yeah you actually are completely wrong this time! I’m not really the most patriotic or religious guy known to man and I know the fucking words to that song! OK really I know the words enough that I can at least make it look like I’m lip syncing accurately! By the way if you’re wondering exactly how many Eagles players kneeled, here’s your answer.

Why did Trump cancel?

In a statement, Trump said that Eagles players "disagree with their President because he insists that they proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country."

Who from the Eagles kneeled last season?

No Eagles player kneeled during the national anthem in the regular season. Jenkins was among several players throughout the league who raised his fist during the anthem, and Long placed his hand on Jenkins' shoulder, until Week 13. At that point, a coalition of players led by Jenkins had agreed on the framework of an $89 million social justice platform with the league.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/23704050/what-donald-trump-canceling-philadelphia-eagles-visit-means-nfl-national-anthem-policy

[font size="8"]Scary 4Chan, Bianca’s Dead
[br] [/font] [br]

From: Idiots #7-7

Christina A. from Grosse Point, Michigan writes:

“My friend told me that Q Anon originated from that website 4chan. Didn’t they kill someone? I seem to remember that story!”

You’re absolutely right, Christina! There’s some sick, twisted, and depraved minds at work over at the depths of internet hell known as 4chan. Well… half right, I think the jury might still be out on this one!

Normally the Top 10 policy is that we don’t joke about things like murder or mass shootings or the situation going on at the border because it’s really too horrifying to make fun of. And this next story is about a murder. But when 4chan is involved… no really, fuck 4chan. And fuck 8chan too. And 16chan, and 32chan, and 64chan, and 128chan. Really, fuck all the Chans at this point. Except for our assistant producer Harold Chan, he can stay. Now the title of this entry comes from an old Psych episode called “Scary Sherry, Bianca’s Dead”. So for this piece, let’s call it “Scary 4chan, Bianca’s Dead”. And for this entry, we will channel our inner Shawn Spencer and Burton Guster. So before we dive into trashing this horrid excuse for an internet forum, what happened exactly?

A young woman active on social media was brutally murdered, with gruesome photos of her body posted to Instagram and other platforms.

Horrific images of 17-year-old Bianca Devins were posted on Instagram early Sunday, after she went to a concert in Queens with Brandon Andrew Clark.

Clark, 21, reportedly called police on himself, according to Lt. Bryan Coromato. When he was discovered in his car in Utica, Clark reportedly slit his own throat and posted pictures of his bleeding neck on Instagram as well.

Devins, who was a popular "egirl" on Tik Tok, was was found dead outside the SUV. Clark was rushed to the hospital, where he underwent surgery. The two reportedly met online, and had been seeing each other for about two months before the night of the concert, by Canadian musician Nicole Dollenganger.

Bianca's sister, Olivia Devins, later called Clark a "close family friend."
https://www.newsweek.com/bianca-devins-murder-discord-1449363

Yes, stay creepy 4chan! And really what an age we live in where evidence of a fucking murder can be posted online in messaging forums. And how is 4chan not being monitored by the FBI and CIA as being a terrorist group? Well, maybe terrorism is a harsh word to use for a group of incels who live in their mom’s basement and spend the whole day chain smoking and pooping their pants. I assume that’s what incels do all day. But what drove them to murder?

"Here comes Hell. It's redemption, right?"

Brandon Andrew Clark posed that question, taken from a rock song, to his Instagram followers in a temporary 24-hour story posted before dawn last Sunday.

The next image he shared was far more disturbing. A blurry photograph captioned "I'm sorry Bianca" appeared to show a woman's bloodied torso.

Before then his Instagram account, which we have chosen not to name, was mostly used to catalogue selfies and posts about music and art. Police believe the 21 year old had met Bianca through the platform two months earlier and their relationship had progressed in person since.

On Saturday, he drove Bianca to New York City from Utica, where she lived, to see Canadian singer Nicole Dollanganger perform. Police said they believed the pair had got into an argument on the way back, possibly about her kissing someone else, and he had fatally attacked her with a knife.

Police said the suspect shared an even more graphic photograph of Bianca's body on Discord - a popular messaging platform for gamers. This image showed the extent of injuries to Bianca's throat and made clear her wounds had been fatal.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49002486

Obviously. Look, passionate romance is nothing to joke about. And for an Incel who was lucky enough to score, that shit should be taken seriously! So what happens when a murder like this goes viral? And going viral is probably the worst thing you can say about someone’s murder. Oh pictures of her fatally stabbed body just.. went viral. Yeah that doesn’t sound good at all does it?

Like most mornings, Jared, who lives in a small town in southern Utah, logged in to Bianca’s group chat on Sunday to see what he’d missed overnight.

There, posted 15 minutes earlier, was a photo of Bianca’s body. From the gaze in her eyes and the extensive injuries, it was obvious she was dead.

The image, posted under a username associated with Clark, was accompanied by a message: “Sorry fuckers, you’re going to have to find someone else to orbit.”

On his own social media accounts, Clark was busy telling a story seemingly calculated for maximum exposure. He uploaded pictures of himself and Bianca’s body and declared his intention to kill himself. As police arrived to apprehend him on a secluded street in Utica, he continued to snap photos and post them online.

He even left a message at the scene, police said: The words “May you never forget me” were spray-painted on the pavement, an apparent reference to a manga about a toxic relationship that both he and Bianca liked.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bianca-devins-death-internet_n_5d2e382ae4b0a873f6431763

Holy shit! I think we might have found the worst possible use for Instagram here. This is where toxic masculinity takes a very ugly turn. And toxic masculinity is ugly to begin with! Just adding the word “toxic” to anything makes it ugly. Like… toxic unicorns. Yes, the word “toxic” can make the most innocent things sound horrible. Like for instance I literally just turned something as innocent as a unicorn into something extremely horrifying and terrible. You can’t get that image out of your head now, can you? And here’s where social media gets really ugly.

After Bianca Devins’ brutal murder, incels and trolls gleefully circulated photos of her mutilated body across the internet. But within days, the #RIPBianca hashtag and her tagged Instagram photos were transformed into an endless stream of bubblegum pink, fluffy white kittens, candy hearts, and glittery pink clouds.

The dreamy imagery is coming from a vast community of “e-girls,” an online subculture influenced by video games, anime, and grunge that Devins had belonged to.

For these girls and young women, many of whom face harassment and threats on a regular basis, Devin’s brutal murder hit way too close to home.

“Finding out about Bianca was terrifying,” said Ashley Eldridge, a 19-year-old e-girl. “I worry about stuff like that happening all the time. I’m constantly scared that someone is going to recognize me in real life and follow me.”

The e-girl community was almost instantly privy to the incredible violence Devins suffered in the final moments of her life, sometime in the early hours of Sunday morning. Her killer stabbed her to death and then shared pictures of her dead body on social media, including her Discord server. Police suspect her boyfriend, a 22-year-old online influencer Brandon Clark who police say she’d met through Instagram about two months earlier.
https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/pajn58/the-e-girl-community-is-a-world-of-glittery-pink-clouds-harassment-and-now-murder

[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Jeff Bezos Hacked
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From: [link:https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212925717]

Joel H. from Tuscon, Arizona writes:

“When Jeff Bezos and those other billionaires go into space, can we just leave them there?”

Well Joel, unofficially and off the record, let’s just say I’m for it. Especially after we had to report on this bullshit.

It’s time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!

The issue of cyber security is a very complex one. People day in and day out complain about, and are worried about their bank accounts and personal data being bought and sold under very shady circumstances. But this hack claim surrounds just one person. And that person just happens to be the wealthiest man in the world, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Even Jeff Bezos is not immune from hacking and phishing scams that have plagued the internet since its’ inception. But just how accurate are the claims that Bezos was hacked by Saudia Arabia via the What’s App application? So who is to blame in this situation?

WhatsApp disclosed 12 security vulnerabilities last year, according to the US National Vulnerabilities Database, sparking questions about the security of the app amid reports that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' phone was hacked by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The Guardian first reported last week that bin Salman had covertly stolen data from the Amazon CEO's phone after sending an unsolicited video that contained a malicious file in 2018.

The hack on Bezos' phone is believed to have happen after the two men exchanged friendly messages on WhatsApp on May 1, 2018, weeks after they had met at a dinner in Los Angeles while the prince was in the US on official business.

Bezos' team began investigating his phone in January 2019 after The National Enquirer published a story about him having an affair. After the accusation Bezos accused the tabloid's parent company, American Media Inc., of blackmailing him by threatening to publish his nude images.

The Saudi government has called the report "absurd" and called for an investigation into the claims.
https://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-hack-whatsapp-disclosed-security-flaws-last-year-ft-2020-1

Yes, there’s a chance Jeff Bezos could have been hacked, but then again he is Jeff Bezos. It’s not like you have to do a search on the black market internet to find out much information about him. Also, it’s the National Fucking Enquirer too, they don’t exactly have the highest journalistic integrity in the journalism industry. But then again, neither do we. But who is to blame for this? Do you blame the Saudis? Or is it the fault of the phone manufacturers?

On Friday, Facebook's vice president of global affairs and communications, Nick Clegg, said that the hacking of Jeff Bezos's phone wasn't the fault of WhatsApp, pointing instaed to the Apple iOS that powers the iPhone X Bezos was using. Or, at least, that's presumably what he was trying to say, though his answer when asked by the BBC was largely incomprehensible.

Clegg's explanation was that WhatsApp couldn't be at fault because its messages are end-to-end encrypted, meaning they can't be hacked. Rather, he argued, "It sounds like something on the, you know, what they call the operate, operated on the phone itself." To be clear, he didn't specifically mention Apple by name, however it had been previously known that Bezos was using an iPhone X at the time he was hacked.

"It can't have been anything on the, when the message was sent, in transit, because that's end-to-end encrypted on WhatsApp," Clegg said.

As a reminder, the allegation is that the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salman, sent a message to Amazon's CEO using WhatsApp. That message included a relatively small video file that contained malware that was used to access the contents on the iPhone.
https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/facebook-says-apple-is-to-blame-for-hacking-of-jeff-bezos-phone.html

Yes, you could have been hacked, or someone could have done a Google search. But how it happens and why it happens could apply to just about anybody. But could Saudi Prince Muhammed bin Salman been behind the hack? Yeah probably. But don’t go playing the blame game. Because that’s how they win, and they thrive off this sort of thing. Did Jeff Bezos get hacked or did he not get hacked?

UN human rights experts have demanded an immediate investigation into allegations Saudi Arabia's crown prince hacked Amazon boss Jeff Bezos's phone.

They said Mohammed bin Salman should also be investigated for "continuous, direct and personal efforts to target perceived opponents".

A message from a phone number used by the prince has been implicated in a breach of Mr Bezos's data.

The kingdom's US embassy has denied the "absurd" story.

But the independent UN experts - Agnes Callamard, special rapporteur on summary executions and extrajudicial killings, and David Kaye, special rapporteur on freedom of expression - said the crown prince's "possible involvement" had to be investigated.

Relations between Saudi Arabia and Mr Bezos - who also owns the Washington Post - worsened after Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent critic of the Saudi government and one of the newspaper's staff, was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51210743

That is a good question. But the question of whether or not Jeff Bezos’ phone was hacked is more of a discussion of power. And both of these men – Jeff Bezos and Muhammed bin Salmon have been in a competition for a quest for power and money for a very long time. Where does it end? That is a question for the ages. But who is more powerful? It might surprise you to learn that neither of them is.

The alleged Saudi hack of the Amazon founder, Washington Post owner, and world’s richest person Jeff Bezos offers plenty of insight into the nature of power in an era of headlong technological change. Above all, it confirms the insight that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

For those of you who have been on a desert island for the past couple of years, the whole story started back in 2019, when the National Enquirer released emails and photos exposing Bezos’s affair with a Los Angeles television personality. Bezos hinted that Saudi Arabia might have been involved, and he hired a cybersecurity firm to investigate. Last week, the firm released a report tracing the hack to malicious code contained in a WhatsApp message he had received from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, although it remains unclear if this is how the Enquirer obtained the embarrassing information.

If the Saudi government could hack the phone of someone who fully grasps the impact of technology and who has nearly limitless resources with which to protect himself, how can ordinary folks possibly protect themselves from similar intrusions? Only by remaining below the radar and off the grid, and even that approach may not be enough.

Given the heady mix of wealth, sex, celebrity, and politics involved, it’s hardly surprising this one incident has garnered so much attention. But does this event foretell a new global hierarchy, where hackers rule the world and traditional sources of power are increasingly irrelevant? I doubt it.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/27/who-more-powerful-jeff-bezos-mohammed-bin-salman-mbs-neither-hacking/

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

[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Hey everyone! Here’s an unaired Holy Shit that got bumped from Idiots #10-14! Enjoy!

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

My fair congregation! You know many have tried to write and rewrite the Holy Bible over the years and there have been thousands of interpretations and meanings of it. Now those of you familiar with American history will recall that founding father Thomas Jefferson famously wrote his own version of the Bible and took all the BS out of it, and made it just about JAYSUS and called it “The Teachings Of Jesus Of Nazareth”. See, that’s the kind of interpretation of the Bible we here at the Holy Church Of The Top 10 can get behind! What we’re not OK with is supporters of the unholy, ungodly Dark One – a man who is so disgusting that his name shall not be spoken in my church – twisting their own dark, demented views into the Good Book! But while we’re all for freedom of speech, those like Lee Greenwood are taking a massive dump on everything that our founding fathers stood for!

Faith and patriotism have always been firmly intertwined for Lee Greenwood, so his newest project seems like a perfect fit for the veteran entertainer best known for his iconic anthem “God Bless the USA.” The God Bless the USA Bible will be released in September to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11, and in addition to containing handwritten lyrics, the Bible will also include America’s “Founding Documents”—The Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence and the Pledge of Allegiance.

“It is a regular Bible. It will be leather bound, and it does say Holy Bible on the front,” Greenwood says, describing the new Bible during an interview at his lovely Franklin, TN home. “They are going to tie in ‘God Bless The USA’ and then it has a signature flag at the very bottom. They asked me on the inside cover if I’d write the lyrics for my song ‘God Bless the USA’ showing how faith and patriotism come together and so I did the chorus, ‘I’m proud to be an American, at least I know I’m free’ and so forth. The very back of the Bible, after the text is over, then we have the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and the Pledge of Allegiance.”

Greenwood is pleased that the Bible will include documents that are so important to our nation’s heritage. “More than anything, it reflects on how we got started as a country, so when people are unfamiliar with those documents, they can at least briefly read through them and understand how this country was thinking when we formed the United States of America, the first 13 colonies, and eventually every state and how we got to where we are today,” he says. “This is a democracy. We can change who runs the country. We can amend the Constitution. We can change anything that pleases the population as we continue to grow as long as we stay together and stay free.”
https://www.soundslikenashville.com/news/lee-greenwood-god-bless-usa-bible/

Nah, instead they’d rather worship mindless symbols and golden calfs. I mean this is the group that literally created a golden statue of their false idol! So now is this a good thing or a bad thing you might ask? Well… we’re indifferent. In fact we’re not touching that one with a 10 foot pole. What we will do instead is mock the ever-loving absurdity of this piece. I mean seriously, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington would be turning over in their graves if they saw this!

Zondervan said that it would not print a Bible subtitled "God Bless the USA," after critics accused the Bible of promoting Christian nationalism and blurs the barriers between the secular and sacred. The person behind the project, however, said the project won't stop despite the backlash.

The special edition Bible is an Elite Source Pro project. Christian singer Lee Greenwood's chart-topping song "God Bless America," reportedly inspired the said new edition and contains copies not only of the text of the Scripture, but the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the lyrics of Greenwood's song as well. Its promotional site boasts that it's "ideal for taking to the church, a study in the Bible, for working, traveling, etc" and is the "ultimate American Bible."

There were, however, more than 900 signatures on a petition asking Zondervan not to publish it, reports Christian Headlines.

The "God Bless the USA" Bible was described as a "toxic mix" by the petition that "will exacerbate the challenges to American evangelicalism, adding fuel to the Christian nationalism and anti-Muslim sentiments found in many segments of the evangelical church."
https://www.christianitydaily.com/articles/12019/20210529/zondervan-won-t-publish-god-bless-the-usa-bible-but-project-will-continue-with-other-publishers.htm

Now why is this controversial you might ask? Well the answer to that is simple – any time you mix politics and religion together you get controversy. Wait, that’s what we do here! But alas, we are just a mere church performing at a comedy show. But when you mix toxic politics with toxic religion, expect nothing good to come of it! In fact many are saying this Bible will promote Christian nationalism and white supremacy. But wait – isn’t that what most megachurches do anyways?

The “God Bless the USA Bible” is expected to go on sale in September, in time to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, according to a Nashville-based marketer who will distribute the book.

It has already prompted cries of blasphemy and concerns that the book will promote Christian nationalism, the idea that America is and should remain a Christian nation.

The Bible will also include lyrics from singer Lee Greenwood’s hit song “God Bless the USA,” which topped pop charts after Sept. 11, 2001. Using the historic King James Version, the “God Bless the USA Bible” has about 600 preorders for $49.99 and will ship in September, said Hugh Kirkpatrick, who said he wanted to inspire unity in the country.

People in 30 of the 50 states have preordered the Bible, with higher concentration of preorders coming from Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Florida and Texas, said Kirkpatrick, who leads a Nashville company called Elite Source Pro and is in the process of choosing a printer. Kirkpatrick said the Bible is not a response to any movement in particular, including nationwide debates over how the country should talk about its historical founding, such as former president Donald Trump’s panning of the New York Times’ “1619 Project” and an academic movement known as critical race theory.
https://www.phillytrib.com/religion/a-new-bible-that-includes-the-u-s-constitution-attracts-critics-and-customers/article_1debf79e-1dce-5675-88fc-86c67653474d.html

Oh now people, stop your rabbling! And again, we’re not here to judge, we’re only here to mock! So why are people actually flocking to the Lee Greenwood Bible? Well, because hardcore Christians also love American symbols. And there’s nothing more symbolic than a Bible with the title of “God Bless The USA”. As George Carlin would say – “I consider these things to be symbols, and I leave that to the symbol minded!”.

“What we’re trying to do is show children who aren’t being taught about these things, how these things came together,” Kirkpatrick said. “At the bottom line, it was just to let future generations know how this thing called America started it. Why did they lean on? What influence did they have at that time?”

The Bible and government documents have often been weaponized in important debates over America’s history, said Anthea Butler, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania with a new book called “White Evangelical Racism.”

“Even if he didn’t mean it to be, this is one more flashpoint for trying to deal with the contentious points in America’s history,” Butler said.

Putting the Bible and the Constitution together in a book can present the texts as if they are both inspired by God, Butler said.

“You put a document made for a nation up against what many people believe are the words of God and say those things are equal,” Butler said. “Are you telling us these documents are equal? They’re not even meant to be compared. For many Christians, it would be offensive.”
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/new-god-bless-the-usa-bible-that-includes-the-constitution-attracting-critics-customers/

No, sir, that is not how any of this works! In fact you have it all wrong, and our founding fathers would have hated every second of it! And by the way if you’re going to plunk down $39.99 for the Lee Greenwood Bible, why not plunk down $25 for a copy of our Good Book? It’s available in the merchandise booth and has a much better message, we feel! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: The People Vs In The Heights
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Hey everyone! Here’s an unaired Beating A Dead Horse that got bumped from Idiots #10-15! Enjoy!

Look, we get that people are starting to fight back against “woke” culture because it’s turning completely ridiculous. The latest bout of batshit insanity comes courtesy of the new Lin Manuel Miranda flick “In The Heights”. Now why do you have to come after my boy Lin like that? He only created one of the greatest musicals of the 21st century Hamilton – which featured one of the most diverse casts in Broadway history. But In The Heights? Not so much! Here’s the thing – we’re not here to mock anyone’s race, gender, or social status. We’re all inclusive here. And I get that we’ve all been holed up the last year because of COVID. But if you’re at the point where you’re literally pigeonholing cast members and roles because they’re not diverse enough for you- it is time to put down the bong and back away from the computer, and go outside and get some fresh air, OK?

Every year, Hollywood inevitably comes under criticism for its lack of racial diversity. But another lesser-known yet still pervasive problem also resurfaces: the lack of diversity in skin tone.

It happened again with In the Heights, a big-budget film based on the musical created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, which was called out this week for its dearth of dark-skinned, black Latinos in leading roles.

Colourism – or discrimination against darker-skinned people within their same ethnic group – lurks deep among pretty much all communities with varying levels of melanin. But it doesn't get talked about, and that could be a setback for the racial justice efforts that intensified after the police killing of George Floyd last year.

Avoiding the conversation will hinder the battle for racial justice because the two are “fully and inextricably linked”, said Ellis P Monk, Jr, a sociology professor at Harvard University who has been researching colourism for years.
https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/film/in-the-heights-has-highlighted-lack-of-diversity-in-skin-tone-in-hollywood-films-1.1244400

So now this is a thing! Seriously this is movie is about a guy in New York City who owns a bodega and wants to escape his monotonous life. You can’t get much more diverse than New York City – a land where you can see beautiful people and batshit crazy people on every corner. So why are people mad at Lin Manuel over this? The best way I can describe this situation is that I call it a “clusterfuck”. Kind of like buying tickets for a John Legend concert, then finding out what his wife did on Twitter several years ago – that’s the appropriate amount of shock for this.

Even in 2021, when “diversity” and “inclusion” are entertainment industry buzzwords, a film with a mostly Latino cast is rare. Although Latinos are 18% of the U.S. population, a study last year by the University of Southern California (USC) found that Latinos made up only 4.9% of speaking roles in top Hollywood films. This disparity is especially glaring considering that, pre-pandemic, Latinos led other ethnic groups in movie-going.

When U.S. audiences do see Latinos portrayed on film, generally they are presented as being in crisis. An earlier University of Southern California study noted that Latinos in movies are often depicted as living in poverty or as criminals. No surprise there; everyone has seen movies with Latino characters trying to cross the border or fleeing from drug cartels. Though most U.S. Latinos (67%) are native-born, on film Latinos seem to be routinely presented as immigrants.

By contrast, “In The Heights” offers a vibrant depiction of the joys and struggles of Latino lives. While it takes place in a predominantly Latino neighborhood, its central conflicts are nonetheless universal. One young character stresses about college, meanwhile her neighbors worry about gentrification. Several characters run their own businesses. “In The Heights” portrays people dealing with love and loss, financial worries and family issues – in short, people with three-dimensional lives.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/06/10/in-heights-represents-diverse-latino-culture-without-stereotypes/7618539002/

Now look before anyone accuses us of being racist, I just want to point out that we’re not here to debate that. In fact we regularly play a game here called “Is It Racist” and I almost thought about playing this as an “Is It Racist” segment. But here’s the thing, my friends – no matter how diverse you think a movie’s casting is, well, it ain’t diverse enough. To quote the late great Mitch Hedburg – “You can’t please everyone all the time, and last night, all those people were at my show”.

We are thrilled to bring you the Changemakers Issue, honoring the annual Juneteenth holiday and celebrating diverse voices who have a significant impact on the culture through their art, storytelling and activism.

Our cover subject, 23-year-old singer H.E.R., enlists her incredible talents to call out inequality and the need to fight for justice. Her Grammy-winning political anthem, “I Can’t Breathe,” became a signature song for the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the murder of George Floyd. H.E.R. then took home an Oscar for best song for “Fight for You” from the film “Judas and the Black Messiah,” about the assassination of Black Panther Fred Hampton by the FBI and Chicago police.

You also must read about social impact activist Opal Lee, 94, known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” who each year on June 19 makes a two-and-a-half- mile pilgrimage to commemorate the date in 1865 that marked the end of slavery in America.
https://variety.com/2021/film/entertainment-industry/her-opal-lee-in-the-heights-diversity-in-entertainment-1234997730/

Look people, we get that diversity is needed, OK? You don’t have to convince us that here. But is there such a thing as being too diverse? Well… eh, I’m not touching that one with a 10 foot pole. Now here’s a plot twist. You know what movie is getting celebrated for its’ diversity? F9: The Fast Saga! That’s right – the franchise where you go to watch car chases with half-naked women and things getting blown up while Vin Diesel claims the cast that remains at the end of the movie “family” now has a more diverse cast than a Lin Manuel Miranda musical. Yes, folks! This is where we are at in 2021!

Over the weekend, comic book writer Gail Simone shared an interesting anecdote on Twitter about Hollywood, the industry’s growing need for inclusion, and the Fast and Furious movies.

“I had a very powerful Hollywood insider say that the success of the Fast and Furious franchise had a bigger effect on movie casts getting diversified than ‘all the social media complaints combined,’” Simone wrote. “This happened. If he was being hyperbolic I don’t know. But even if it’s just a commonly held belief at the top levels, it’s interesting to consider. It punches [holes] in the beliefs of both conservative and liberal commentators.”

Indeed, it is very interesting to consider, particularly on the social media platform which has become famous for dictating the direction of “discourse” around popular media on any given day. It also brings sharp attention to the unique vitality of the Fast and Furious franchise.

As a series sometimes written off as the silly blockbuster franchise where Dwayne Johnson once threw a torpedo into a submarine, the “Fast Saga” is actually the rare thing in Hollywood: an original property. Not based on a comic book, 1990s animated film, or space opera from 50 years ago, Fast and Furious made the unlikely journey from a B-action movie with a budget of $38 million to a billion-dollar franchise where new installments cost upwards of $250 million. And it built that popularity with a diverse cast from at least the second film—where Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris joined the first movie’s Paul Walker—creating a more inclusive identity for audiences a decade before Marvel Studios’ Phase Two remained still mostly dominated by white talent in front of and behind the camera.
https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/hollywood-credits-fast-and-furious-growing-diversity/

[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Hey everyone! Here’s a brand new edition of Conspiracy Corner that we shot just for this Best Of Edition to bring you some new content in our long absence! Enjoy!

Welcome back to our segment that attempts to explain the unexplainable, Conspiracy Corner! We are of course coming to you live from our underground bunker deep in the alkalai flats of the New Mexico badlands – undisclosed location of course! Before you can enter my underground lair, let us first adjust our tin foil hats for maximum government interference. Now this week, of course you know that the former guy was not elected in 2020, shocker I know. But when the former guy left office, so did his dreams of building a wall on the Mexican border. Now, most of us, even conservative republicans, have moved on from this idea. But not in Texas, oh no. In Texas, they are determined to build a wall whether the people of Texas want one or not. Hell, just like buying a new car, they’ve already got the down payment for it!

Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday announced some new details of his plan for Texas to build its own border wall, starting with the hiring process for a program manager and providing $250 million in state funds as a "down payment."

"Texas will build a border wall in our state to help secure our border," Abbott said.

The governor did not specify how long the wall would be, where it would be built or the total cost of the project, saying that those decisions will need to be determined by a program manager. On Wednesday, Abbott directed the Texas Facilities Commission to hire a program manager to begin that work.

A commitment to building a wall along the entire U.S.-Mexico border was a hallmark of former President Donald Trump’s time in office. His administration built about 450 miles of barrier, mostly in Arizona, according to The Washington Post. But Trump, who is touring the border with Abbott later this month, also met fierce resistance from private property owners unwilling to allow the federal government to build on their land.
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/06/16/texas-border-wall-greg-abbott/

Now that’s what they think the walls are going to do. But make no mistake – this wall isn’t about the people of Texas or the United States. It’s about boosting Gov. Abbott’s presidential hopefuls among the MAGA crowd in 2024, which he already lost to Florida’s Ron DeSantis. But now that he’s got the down payment, how’s he gonna secure the monthly payments? Well the same way they tried to before – with a Kickstarter campaign! I swear, I got to find some way to make money off these idiots.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) gave more details Wednesday about the wall he wants the state to build along the Mexico border to slow and entrap immigrants. He did not say where the wall will be built or how much it will cost, but he and other Republican officials tapped state funds for a $250 million "down payment" to hire a project manager who will make those decisions. The wall will cost "far more than $250 million," Abbott conceded. He also pledged to build more jails along the Mexico border to house immigrants he said Texas will arrest.

The Supreme Court ruled 5-3 in 2012 that states can't enforce immigration law, but Abbott told the conservative podcast Ruthless on Tuesday that state police will arrest immigrants for other violations. The wall "sets up a crime," he explained. "Anybody coming across the border who in any way tries to damage that fence, they are guilty of two crimes," vandalism and trespassing, both of which are treated as higher-level offenses under an emergency declaration Abbott issued earlier in June. "We will be putting these people in jail for a long time," he said.

Abbott may also be counting on a more conservative Supreme Court overturning its 2012 precedent, the Houston Chronicle reports.

President Biden, who halted his predecessor's federal wall construction, recently returned more than $2 billion the Trump administration siphoned from the Pentagon for the project. The Homeland Security Department also said it's reviewing border land the Trump administration confiscated through eminent domain over the past year and "will work to return the land to its prior owners," when appropriate.
https://news.yahoo.com/texas-governor-redirects-250-million-044443775.html

I don’t think it fits right enough. So you might be wondering – who the hell is going to allow their property to be ravaged by this border wall? And let’s not forget that the poorly planned one that Trump started was already destroying landscapes across the US – Mexican border. Well let’s turn to this one rancher in the border town of Roma, Texas. He loves the idea of the wall so much that he’s allowing it to be built on his land. Now this is what will lower your property values by 75%, take note of that!

One landowner on the border said that human and drug trafficking activity has increased in recent months and believes that a state-funded border wall is a good idea.

Richard Guerra owns 5,000 acres of land in Roma, Texas, and herds cattle at his ranch, La Anacua Ranch Inc. He told KVEO that on Wednesday the Department of Homeland Security and Border Patrol briefed him on some possible new changes.

“They were briefing us on some of the ideas that the governor has that they want to implement,” said Guerra. “They’re starting to maybe form committees to look into various aspects to what it’s going to take to do to build the wall or acquire the land.”

Guerra said that he was included in the meeting because he owns land in Starr County, but there are no official plans yet.

“A lot of that has legal ramifications for them and that hasn’t been worked out—as far as I know—that hasn’t been worked out,” said Guerra.
https://www.valleycentral.com/news/local-news/rancher-in-favor-of-texas-border-wall-considers-volunteering-land-for-its-construction/

Now you might be wondering – is this even legal? Well here’s where the situation gets tricky and where it could present a legal challenge. And it’s also where the story dives head first into conspiracy territory, and that’s where we come in! Also raises the question of who’s going to pay for it? Well it’s not Mexico, it’s going to be Texas. And Abbott’s most fervent supporters don’t seem to care. By the way, doesn’t Texas have a crippling power issue to deal with before they build a symbol of unnecessary conservative arrogance? And by the way, they literally proved on Jan. 6th that walls don’t work.

Gov. Greg Abbott’s announcement Thursday that Texas would build a border wall to stem the flow of migrants through its southern border has sparked denunciations, confusion and threats of legal action.

“States don’t have authority over immigration and our borders, that’s a federal authority,” said Domingo Garcia, national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens. “It’s not constitutional and we’re planning to challenge it in court once we see the final order.”

At a self-styled border summit in Del Rio, Abbott announced that he would unveil plans next week for the state to begin building a border wall but gave no additional details on where it would be built or how the state would pay for it.

Former President Donald Trump ran on the promise of building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Trump administration completed 458 miles of the border wall, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection statistics from this year, including in parts of Texas, but the federal government faced multiple lawsuits over its construction.

Trump also promised that Mexico would pay for the wall. Instead, American taxpayers paid for the $15 billion project, which included repairing existing border walls and new construction. Still, Trump supporters have continued to call for its construction.
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/06/11/texas-border-wall/

[font size="8"]People Are Dumb
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Jackson L. from Tallahassee, Florida writes:

“Hey Top 10, I’m a democrat in the Florida panhandle. I know you guys love to pick on Florida a lot, but why?”

We don’t hate Florida, we love Florida! It’s easy to make fun of because there’s just so many batshit crazy people in this state. In fact, we tour Florida regularly and are looking forward to coming back later this year! That said, here’s a new edition of People Are Dumb with lots of the crazy Florida goodness that you all know and love!

Hit it!

Of course you know by now that people are people, and people are dumb. I want to start with the Korean boy band BTS. These guys are going to take over the freaking world. They already own our social media feeds, now they’re coming for our fast food. But no matter how much you may claim to love this band, everyone can agree that this is ridiculous, right? And what happened? Someone paid $100,000 for a chicken nugget. I will repeat that: someone paid $100,000 for a chicken nugget, because it looks like a video game character, but is made even more expensive because it also kind of looks like a member of the boy band BTS. But really would you expect nothing less from the batshit crazy world that we live in? I know I for one wouldn’t pay that kind of money for a chicken nugget. That’s just pure insanity.

A lone chicken nugget shaped like a character from the game “Among Us” that came in a limited-edition McDonald’s meal has reached eBay infamy after it sold for nearly $99,997.

In the early hours of Friday morning, the unassuming nugget was officially sold on eBay following a wild bidding war. After it was originally listed on May 28 for only 99 cents, a bidder upped the ante two days later— for reasons unknown — by offering a whopping $14,969.69. Did that bidder have information about this little nug that we don’t? Is that very specific number code for something?

Regardless of any possible chicken nugget intel, the processed piece of meat’s rags-to-riches tale is undoubtedly due to its shape. The nugget resembles a crewmate from the video game “Among Us,” which surged in popularity in September 2020 and may have been the product of our shared boredom during this once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. With two legs and a round top, it’s hard not to recognize the distinct figure.

The video game has followed the nugget bidding saga closely and at one point asked McDonald’s to send one over.
https://nowthisnews.com/pop/a-chicken-nugget-sold-for-nearly-100000-on-ebay-yes-really

That is a good question, sir! Next up – we go to this story out of Texas. And look people, remember the movie Freaky Friday where a mom and a daughter switched bodies and personalities? Well this is one case where this didn’t really work out well. And oh wait – this almost never works, and Freaky Friday was just a movie. But this is just plain stupid on multiple levels.

Deputies with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office arrested Casey Garcia, 30, of San Elizario, after the woman was accused by the local school district of trespassing on school grounds posing as a student.

The San Elizario Independent School district notified the sheriff’s office about the incident on June 1.

Deputies were also alerted to several social media posts circulating online which allegedly documented the incident.

One of the videos is titled, “Going to school as my 13yr old daughter (Middle School edition).”

Read the rest at: https://www.kwtx.com/2021/06/04/texas-mother-charged-after-sneaking-into-school-pretending-be-daughter/

Next up – of course we have to go to the Sunshine State, the great State of Florida, or as Homer Simpson famously referred to it as “America’s Wang”. Of course we love Florida here, we kid we kid! And we have to go to the town of Naples for this one. And here’s the thing people – don’t drink and drive under any circumstances! Doesn’t matter what kind of vehicle you are riding, but don’t do it! and yes, you can get DUI on a boat!

A Florida man was arrested Tuesday after a boat crashed into the Gordon River Bridge around 9 p.m. in Naples.

Joseph Turner, 35, is facing a misdemeanor charge of disorderly intoxication after police said he jumped from the boat onto the bridge after he was repeatedly told not to, according to the Naples Police Department.

The boat, named ‘Double Sunshine,’ had gotten trapped against the bridge near the 1200 block of 5th Avenue S because of a strong tide, investigators said.

People on the boat were jumping from the boat’s top deck onto the bridge, the boat’s captain told police. ..............(more)

https://nbc-2.com/news/crime/2021/06/09/drunk-florida-man-arrested-after-boat-crashes-into-naples-bridge/

Next up – you know the old saying don’t bring a gun to a knife fight. Well in this case, don’t bring a scooter to a Lamborghini fight. Yes, you know Lamborghini – the makers of exotic sports cars that you will never be able to afford as long as you live. I mean come on, I host this show and I will never be able to afford one! But if your $300,000 sports car is stolen, maybe don’t chase it with a scooter. Though to be fair, that could be done in LA traffic. Maybe not so much in Florida!

Andre Kalinine said he was sitting on his porch in Miami Beach when the teen ran to him and admitted stealing the vehicle.

“He said, ‘I stole a Lamborghini just now,’” Kalinine told WSVN. “‘I don’t have a license. I can’t drive.’ I didn’t know if he had a weapon. I wasn’t sure how crazy he was. I was trying to talk and calm him down. He asked me for advice. He’s like, ‘I’m 14. I don’t know what to do.’ ‘(I said) you’re better off turning yourself in. They’re going to go much, much easier on you.’”

Moments after Kalinine spoke to the teenager, police officers arrived to take him into custody.

“An officer on the other side of the fence had a gun pointing at both of us,” Kalinine told the television station.

Sander eventually drove his Lamborghini home.

Snip...

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/trending/florida-man-jumps-scooter-chase-teen-who-stole-his-lamborghini/HAABKOB4X5ABTNE3HLGWHSJS7Y/

Finally this week – you know I love a good fast food rage story. I collect them and trade them with my friends, like baseball cards. And this is a good one. Come on, give me a story where a woman calls 911 because McDonalds ran out of Big Macs, and I’m a happy guy! Well this is a good one. I love a good bagel, especially one loaded with cream cheese, and maybe some smoked salmon on top. But you know what I’ve never done? Pulled a gun on someone because they forgot my cream cheese! Where’s Walter Sobchak when you need him?

Police say an angry Florida man pulled a gun on a drive-thru worker because they forget the cream cheese with his bagel. The employee just happened to be the daughter of the Miami Gardens police chief.

Police say the man became angry at a Starbucks drive-thru when they messed up his order earlier this week.

According to an arrest report, he returned to the window, screaming at the employee and pulled out a gun.

The employee says the man shouted threats but did not point the gun at her.

The suspect is charged with aggravated assault with a firearm. He was being held on a $10,000 bond.
https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/police-man-pulled-gun-on-chiefs-daughter-over-cream-cheese/

That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Keeping Up With The Candidates Ep. 12: Beto’s Gun Policy
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From: Idiots #7-17

Megan F. from Gary, Indiana writes:

“Hey Top 10, is there any chance that the 2022 midterms are going to be as batshit crazy as the 2020 election?”

Good question Megan! The answer to that is: we don’t know. We’re sure that the Former Guy will have his slimy mitts in some elections and some Q Anon people might get elected. But as long as there’s candidates like Tulsi Gabbard at the helm, our jobs are secure!

Welcome back to our guide to the mother of all elections to end elections until the remainder of time in 2020, Keeping Up With The Candidates. Last week we discussed the breaking news about how Tulsi Gabbard might be being groomed as a Russian agent. Or a republican one. Or she might tell both to fuck off and go third party. Yeah that would be the absolute worst response to that. Kind of like getting into a car accident and telling your insurance company you did it for the LULZ. Yeah that never works. OK enough of that. We have to talk about America’s 800 pound gorilla in the room and that’s guns. What are we going to do about America’s gun violence epidemic? There’s only one man out of the 24 who has the balls to take on the NRA, and that’s Texas’ Beto O’Rourke. He has a very controversial plan to end gun violence, but what is it? We will take a look and see!

Beto O'Rourke dismissed criticisms of his sweeping gun control proposal, telling CBS News in an interview Thursday night that he expects gun owners will go along with his plan to institute a "mandatory buyback" of high-powered rifles.

"If we're able to pass mandatory buybacks and I'm able to sign that into law, then I fully expect our fellow Americans to turn in their AR-15s and their AK-47s," the former Texas congressman said.

O'Rourke's "mandatory buyback" plan, which would force gun owners to surrender high-powered rifles like the AR-15 and the AK-47, has been criticized as impractical by other candidates in the race. South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, for example, has said that O'Rourke's plan amounts to "confiscation."

Buttigieg and O'Rourke sparred over their gun views at the most recent Democratic debate earlier this month. Buttigieg, who backs more traditional gun control measures like universal background checks, dismissed O'Rourke's idea as a "purity test" and a "shiny object." In a jab back at Buttigieg, O'Rourke said that Democrats should not base their opinions on polling and what consultants say.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/beto-orourke-says-he-expects-americans-to-surrender-their-guns/

Seriously, good luck with that! I am definitely not poo pooing the idea, but have you seen the comments posted on gun threads, Beto? The most hardcore gun nutters definitely aren’t putting down their weapons that easily. Yeah I know it’s a comments section – the bathroom stall wall of the internet, and by the way – let us know what you think in the comments! Stay on target, stay on target! But what is specifically involved in this thing?

Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke struggled to explain on Wednesday how he would make people who wish to do harm with an assault-style weapon to comply with his proposed mandatory gun buyback, a plan that divided Democrats at Tuesday's primary debate hosted by CNN and The New York Times.

O'Rourke's plan includes a ban on assault-style weapons and for the federal government to buy back firearms, including AK-47s and AR-15s, for a "fair price" -- or otherwise face a fine.

Pressed by CNN's Alisyn Camerota Wednesday on how he planned to get assault-style weapons from people who would be reluctant to hand them over, O'Rourke, a former US representative from Texas, insisted that Americans would abide by the law.

"It's pretty simple. As with any law in this country, we would expect our fellow Americans to follow the law," O'Rourke said on CNN's "New Day."
https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/16/politics/beto-orourke-mandatory-buyback-proposal-cnntv/index.html

Yeah I think Stewie is the perfect example of someone who should not be allowed to own a gun because you know he won’t use it for good! But a mandatory program Beto? You are really going there? I’m not saying no one should have guns and I’m not touching that one with a 10 foot pole. But here’s the problem with a mandatory gun buy back program: the keyword “mandatory”. Yeah some gun nutters, that’s exactly what they want, and they’re not going down without a fight!

If Tuesday night’s Democratic presidential debate decided anything, it was that Texas dodged a bullet — literally — when it failed to elect Beto O’Rourke to the U.S. Senate last year.

Ever since August’s devastating mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart, the former congressman has made promoting comprehensive gun control his raison d’etre.

That isn’t surprising or even problematic, really. Progressive Democrats have long capitalized on national tragedies in their effort to promote gun restrictions, even as there is no clear evidence that mass shootings are on the rise.

And, in fairness, the horrific nature of the El Paso shooting probably warranted a strong response from its former representative in Congress. Even some prominent conservatives have made the case for gun reforms in its wake, advocating policy proposals such as red-flag laws. Other Republicans have indicated an openness to strengthening background checks.

But O’Rourke has gone much further in his gun control advocacy, declaring on the debate stage in Houston last month, “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47. We’re not going to allow it to be used against our fellow Americans anymore.”
https://www.star-telegram.com/opinion/cynthia-m-allen/article236352388.html

Yeah really, while you’re concerned about vaping, there’s plenty of people who are armed to the teeth that will kill you before inhaling a lifetime of electronic smoke will do! This is why Beto’s gun buyback policy is a good idea in theory but would have a near impossible time working in real life. By the way if you want to see how an actual gun buyback program, here’s how Japan handled the situation. And you know what? Japan has the lowest number of shootings in the entire world!

Gun control discussions crop up every time there is an attention-grabbing shooting in the US. On Wednesday, a 19-year-old allegedly shot dozens of his former classmates at a Florida high school, leaving 17 of them dead.

One of the biggest questions: How does the US prevent this from happening over and over again?

Although the US has no exact counterpart elsewhere in the world, some countries have taken steps that can provide a window into what successful gun control looks like. Japan, a country of 127 million people and yearly gun deaths rarely totaling more than 10, is one such country.

"Ever since guns entered the country, Japan has always had strict gun laws," Iain Overton, executive director of Action on Armed Violence, a British advocacy group, told the BBC. "They are the first nation to impose gun laws in the whole world, and I think it laid down a bedrock saying that guns really don't play a part in civilian society."
https://www.businessinsider.com/gun-control-how-japan-has-almost-completely-eliminated-gun-deaths-2017-10

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

Next week we’re going to check in with the Bernie Sanders camp and find out what his latest chances of winning the election are after his recent health crisis!

See everyone on July 15th for the start of season 11!

Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo

June 10, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots Best Of #16: The End Of An Error Best Of Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots Best Of #16: The End Of An Error Best Of Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Oh… hello! I didn’t see you come in! We just finished one hell of a season. Even though it was a bit short and had a lot of twists and turns that we were not expecting – particularly the Capitol Riot. Also, we said goodbye to our home at the legendary Flappers Comedy Club in downtown Burbank that’s been amazing to us in the last year and a half, especially during the COVID pandemic. But we’re jumping right into the next season – season 11! And this time after 18 months the Idiots are going back out on the road! That’s right – unlike Marjorie Greene and Matt Gaetz’ White Supremacist rallies, this is one tour you will actually want to attend! Plus after nearly 18 months of being shuttered, we are extremely proud to announce the long awaited return of… wait for it… the WHEEL OF CORRUPTION!!! Yes, the wheel is being dragged out of its’ storage locker next to the Arc Of The Covenant. And we will also be starting to have live musical acts again! Having the Foo Fighters on in the season finale was awesome wasn’t it? Well expect more of that in 2021 and even in 2022! OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to, but first one of our favorite John Oliver segments where he steamrolls Tucker Carlson and his white supremacist beliefs:

In the number one slot, from Idiots #10-5, we mourn the death of the original conservative idiot himself, the king of the deplorables, Rush Limbaugh (1)! And yes, his legacy was already tarnished to begin with, so don’t bother pointing that out! Taking the second slot this week, from Idiots #10-3, we play a game of Where In The World Is Kyle Rittenhouse (2) after the Kenosha protest shooter went missing and defied the judges’ orders. Taking the #3 slot this week from Idiots #10-1 is Former Guy Donald Trump (3) and we pay tribute to the end of his administration by remembering some of his dumbest moments, and there’s way too many of those to count! Taking the #4 slot this week, from Idiots #10-7, we bring back one of our favorite games on the show – Is It Racist?, because our old buddy Papa John Schnatter (4) has an absolutely bizarre claim about his use of the forbidden “N” word! In the number 5 slot this week, from Idiots #10-10, is our weekly investigative piece Top 10 Investigates (5) and we take a look at a seriously bizarre screwup thanks to the Trump administration – how did a small mom and pop pizza joint in Verona, Italy wind up on an international sanctions list? We still don’t know, but we can’t wait for the movie starring Seth Rogen! In the number 6 slot this week, from Idiots #10-11, our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6), our resident pastor has been watching a lot of the Jim Bakker Show and the batshit crazy guests he’s had on recently, and we go through the best (and worst) of them! Taking the #7 slot this week from Idiots #10-12, our segment “Beating A Dead Horse” takes a look at an absolutely bizarre op ed that appeared in the Orlando Sentinel – is Disney World becoming more “woke” or are you becoming more racist? I think it’s more the latter than the former. Taking the #8 slot this week, from Idiots #10-7, we profile Infowars correspondent and scam journalist Andy Ngo (8) in a new edition of This Fucking Guy. In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this, from Idiots #10-6 this week is “I Need A Drink”. And this week what happened when podcaster and former radio host Jensen Karp found a pair of shrimp tails in his Cinnamon Toast Crunch? Absolute chaos, that’s what! Finally this week, Idiots #10-6, it’s time for my personal favorite Idiots of the year – it’s that time when we announce Stupidest State with our Selection Sunday special! We have all the states, stats, odds, and info you need to fill out your bracket! Plus we’ll also have our post season live performance by our good friends, the almighty Foo Fighters! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]Rush Limbaugh
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From: Idiots #10-5

So as we were finalizing last week??s edition, just as we were getting ready to go on, we got word that Rush Limbaugh, the original conservative idiot has died. Now rather than title this week’s edition something snarky, we decided instead to simply name it after the book that put Al Franken on the political radar: Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Idiot. And boy was he. You know what folks? Death isn’t always sad. Rush Limbaugh was a garbage human being. He was a serial womanizer, liar, bully, and an abusive jerk who enabled the serial liars, bullies, and abusive jerks of the world. His divisive rhetoric gave us the most divisive president in American history. If you’re a garbage person in life, that doesn’t excuse your behavior in death. You can’t all of a sudden flip a switch and think he’s the greatest person on earth. Ask Michael Jackson how well that went. What? Too soon? You know the irony of this? He succumbed to the very disease he once called a hoax and literally blew smoke in the faces of its’ victims.

Rush Limbaugh, the relentlessly provocative voice of conservative America who dominated talk radio for more than three decades with shooting-gallery attacks on liberals, Democrats, feminists, environmentalists and other moving targets, died on Wednesday. He was 70.

His wife, Kathryn, announced the death at the beginning of Mr. Limbaugh’s radio show.

“I know that I am most certainly not the Limbaugh that you tuned in to listen to today,” she said before adding that Mr. Limbaugh had died of lung cancer that morning.

He had announced on his show last February that he had advanced lung cancer. A day later, President Donald J. Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, during the State of the Union address.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/17/business/media/rush-limbaugh-dead.html

Yeah that guy is pretty much Rush Limbaugh in a nutshell. And in death he’s not done with his work of dividing America. We’re more divided than ever. If you want to know just how divisive Limpballs was, then I will be posting some of his greatest hits here. Yeah if you have any barf bags you might want to get them out now, because it’s going to get pretty dark pretty quick. And there’s plenty more where this came from.

Most recently, he falsely and repeatedly said on his show the day after the 2021 inauguration that President Joe Biden did not win the election — this after a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol and left five people dead weeks prior. Democrats, Limbaugh falsely said, "know that this is something that's been arranged rather than legitimately sought and won."

As his loyal fans, who call themselves "Dittoheads," mourn the death of the radio giant, read on to revisit some of Limbaugh's most controversial quotes.

He began airing “Barack, the Magic Negro,” a racist parody song about then-Sen. Barack Obama’s popularity with many white voters, in 2007.

In John K. Wilson's book, The Most Dangerous Man in America: Rush Limbaugh's Assault on Reason, the host was quoted as saying this homophobic statement: "When a gay person turns his back on you, it is anything but an insult; it's an invitation."

In his "Undeniable Truths," written as part of an article for the Sacramento Union in 1988, Limbaugh wrote, "Feminism was established so as to allow unattractive women access to the mainstream of society."

On The Rush Limbaugh Show in 2004, he said, "I think it's time to get rid of this whole National Basketball Association. Call it the TBA, the Thug Basketball Association, and stop calling them teams. Call 'em gangs."

As a young broadcaster in the 1970s, Limbaugh once told a Black caller: “Take that bone out of your nose and call me back,” according to Fair.
https://people.com/politics/rush-limbaugh-most-controversial-moments/

Oh and let’s not forget his casual dips into hardcore racism. That isn’t being forgotten either, especially as the racists and gun nuts merged into one psychopathic entity, much like a really fucked up ending to Terminator 2. And let’s not forget what he said about Michael J. Fox either. A man who was the lead in one of my personal favorite movies of all time, Back To The Future. We’re not letting him get away with that one either.

When actor Michael J. Fox, suffering from Parkinson’s disease, appeared in a Democratic campaign commercial, Limbaugh mocked his tremors. When a Washington advocate for the homeless killed himself, he cracked jokes. As the AIDS epidemic raged in the 1980s, he made the dying a punchline. He called 12-year-old Chelsea Clinton a dog.

He suggested that the Democrats’ stand on reproductive rights would have led to the abortion of Jesus Christ. When a woman accused Duke University lacrosse players of rape, he derided her as a “ho,” and when a Georgetown University law student supported expanded contraceptive coverage, he dismissed her as a “slut.” When Barack Obama was elected president in 2008, Limbaugh said flatly: “I hope he fails.”

He was frequently accused of bigotry and blatant racism but could often enunciate the Republican platform better and more entertainingly than any party leader, becoming a GOP kingmaker.

Trump, like a long line of conservative politicians before him, heaped praise on Limbaugh, and during last year’s State of the Union speech, awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. On Wednesday, Trump lauded Limbaugh on Fox News as “a legend” who “was fighting till the very end."
https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/rush-limbaugh-voice-american-conservatism-died-75953360

Oh man if we had an audience right now you can bet they would be booing as loudly as possible. That is fucked up! It is so fucked up! And if you want to know what he really thinks about people who have had crippling cancer, well, let’s just say that he got what was coming to him. In fact I’m reminded of George Carlin’s bit about cigars. Think about this as you see what he said about gay men suffering from AIDS, one of the worst possible ways to go. Yes, Rush Limbaugh, may you rot in peace.

Many high-profile people on Twitter have been commenting to say that Limbaugh once had a segment on his show, The Rush Limbaugh Show, called "AIDS Update" that mocked the deaths of gay people.

For example, columnist Jessica Valenti went viral with her tweet that claimed: "Rush Limbaugh had a segment called 'AIDS update' set to music where he mocked dying gay people so I don't really want hear about 'speaking ill of the dead' today."

Another viral tweet came from Paul Elliott Johnson, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh, who tweeted: "Rush Limbaugh had a regular radio segment where he would read off the names of gay people who died of AIDS and celebrate it and play horns and bells and stuff."

British political commentator Ash Sarkar tweeted: "In the 1980s, Rush Limbaugh hosted a regular radio segment called 'AIDS Update', where he celebrated and mocked the deaths of gay and bisexual men. May the hatred he spread in life be buried with him."
https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-did-rush-limbaugh-mock-aids-death-radio-show-1570282

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[font size="8"]Kyle Rittenhouse
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From: Idiots #10-3

I’ve seriously tried to put a moratorium on talking about this douchebag. I don’t want any part of making him famous because he’s basically George Zimmerman, version 2.0. Yes, you remember that fuck face who became an Alt Right celebrity after murdering an unarmed teenager in a dark alleyway. Well, the next evolution of George Zimmerman is Kyle Rittenhouse. You remember him as the teenager who borrowed an AR-15 and drove across state lines to murder two protestors who were protesting the murder of George Floyd in Wisconsin. And this would be a perfect use of the “How it started / how’s it going” meme. Because it started off well. About as well as it could have for a wannabe teenage mass murderer. And then things went horribly, horribly south as you could predict.

John M. Pierce, a California lawyer who has employed war-like rhetoric in his advocacy and fundraising for Kyle Rittenhouse -- the 17-year-old accused of killing two men and wounding another during a night of unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin -- filed a motion to withdraw from Rittenhouse's criminal case, just hours after prosecutors alleged in a court filing Thursday that Pierce's reported financial problems raised ethical concerns and a potential conflict of interest.

"So that it does not take Kyle's supporters by surprise, effective immediately I am taking over all civil matters for Kyle including his future defamation claims," Pierce wrote on Twitter Thursday afternoon. "I will also be orchestrating all fundraising for defense costs. The terrific Mark Richards [a local criminal defense attorney] will proceed in Wisconsin."

Kenosha County prosecutor Thomas Binger on Thursday morning took the highly unusual step of advocating against Pierce's request for admission to the criminal case, a procedural measure required of out-of-state lawyers that would typically be granted without objection.

But Binger filled six and a half pages with unsparing criticism of Pierce, citing numerous public statements by Pierce that Binger claimed could "materially prejudic[e]" the case, along with reports of the collapse of Pierce's law firm earlier this year "under a cloud of debt," and several lawsuits alleging Pierce defaulted on hundreds of thousands of dollars in business and personal loans.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/controversial-attorney-withdraws-kyle-rittenhouse-criminal-case-launches/story?id=74545504

Yeah and Kyle Rittenhouse is sort of a racist and a murderer. Now here’s the fun part because you can pretty much see where this is going. And it’s not going what one would call “particularly well”. And by the way, did you know that the Proud Boys have a theme song? Yes they do, and I curse them for making me look this up, but it was a rejected song from Disney’s Aladdin called “Proud Of Our Boy”, and Gavin McInnes adopted that as the official group song. So yeah that and also white power.

During Kyle Rittenhouse’s recent visit to a Racine County tavern, he drank beer, flashed white power signs while posing for photos, and was serenaded with the Proud Boys anthem, according to documents filed by prosecutors Wednesday.

Shortly after he formally entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment on Jan. 5, Rittenhouse spent about two hours at Pudgy’s Pub with his mother and several other people. A photo of Rittenhouse in the bar, wearing a T-shirt that said “Free as [expletive],” was widely shared on social media last week, outraging some in the community. Mount Pleasant Police visited the bar after a complaint, obtaining security video that confirmed Rittenhouse had been in the bar.

Police found Rittenhouse did not violate the conditions of his $2 million bond — state law allows people who are underage to drink if accompanied by a parent or guardian. But they did forward the video on to prosecutors.

Kenosha County prosecutors are now seeking to modify Rittenhouse’s bond, asking the court to order that Rittenhouse should not possess or consume alcohol, that he be restricted from associating with known militia members or known members of white power or white supremacist organizations, and that he be prohibited from publicly displaying symbols and gestures associated with violent white supremacist groups.
https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/rittenhouse-allegedly-flashed-white-power-signs-serenaded-with-proud-boys-anthem-during-bar-visit/article_3a44c023-cd01-507a-a770-c6e51ab1ebc3.html

Yeah but that doesn’t really apply here. But let’s check in now with how is it going? Well, he’s gone AWOL after being serenaded at a bar with singing racists who flash white power signs. Yeah this dude is 18 and in the last year, during a raging pandemic, he’s had more adventures than I have. But seriously, this is kind of turning into a really, really fucked up version of Smokey & The Bandit.

Since his release from jail, Kyle Rittenhouse has flaunted his freedom. Last month, ABC affiliate WISN12 reported that Rittenhouse was seen at a bar wearing a shirt that read “Free As Fuck.” He allegedly flashed a white power hand signs, took photos with fans, and sang Proud Boy anthems.

Now, the Illinois teen charged with shooting three protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin last year seems to be MIA. According to NBC affiliate TMJ4 in Milwaukee, an investigation conducted by the Kenosha Police Department determined that Rittenhouse hasn’t lived at the address listed to the court for over a month.

Prosecutors argue that Rittenhouse violated his bond because he failed to update his address with 48 hours of his move, and that the Court is therefore unable to properly monitor Rittenhouse’s whereabouts. They’re also urging the Court to issue a warrant for his arrest and increase his bond by $200,000 so that he can take this whole you-allegedly-murdered-people-and-might-spend-the-rest-of-your-life-in-jail thing a little more seriously.

Rittenhouse has been out of jail since posting $2 million bond with money raised by supporters. These supporters flocked to him after he was rendered into a right-wing boy wonder for playing wannabe minute man during a protest responding to the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in Kenosha back in August. Rittenhouse claimed he was in Kenosha to protect businesses from rioters. He allegedly shot three people, killing two, before fleeing the scene and running home to Antioch, Illinois, just across the state border. He was arrested the next day and charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide, and two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety. Rittenhouse pled not guilty.
https://theslot.jezebel.com/um-how-did-wisconsin-lose-track-of-alleged-killer-kyle-1846193106

Shit, if I were Kyle Rittenhouse’s attorney I’d be drunk too. Oh no wait, I would actually pray to be fired because there’s nothing you can do to defend this douchebag. I mean this case is so toxic that it’s almost impossible to begin to find any moral ground. And it’s a perfect example of what happens when you make terrible people famous. That’s exactly what the Trump administration has done – they make terrible people famous. Trump attracts sick and depraved minds, and Kyle Rittenhouse is no exception, no wonder he’s loved by racists everywhere.

An 18-year-old from Illinois who’s accused of killing two people and wounding a third during a police brutality protest in Wisconsin last summer fired a California attorney who had been soliciting money for his case.

John Pierce, a Los Angeles lawyer, had been at the forefront of Kyle Rittenhouse’s defense, helping raise money from conservatives to post Rittenhouse’s $2 million bail in November. He also hired attorney Mark Richards to handle proceedings in Wisconsin.

Rittenhouse, who is white and was 17 at the time, is accused of shooting three people in Kenosha in August as hundreds were protesting the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man. Rittenhouse, who had come to Kenosha from his home in nearby Antioch, Illinois, has argued they attacked him and he fired in self-defense.

Pierce removed himself from Rittenhouse’s criminal case in December after prosecutors alleged he has “significant financial difficulties” and shouldn’t be allowed to raise money for Rittenhouse. He remained Rittenhouse’s attorney on civil matters
https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/02/05/kyle-rittenhouse-fires-attorney-who-helped-raise-his-bail/

[font size="8"]The Capitol Riot: The Suspects
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From: Top 10 #10-1

The Capitol Riot is still huge news and why not? The last time someone tried something that batshit insane was 150 years ago! And due to the sheer amount of people who were at this thing, not only is it going to provide good fodder for us for the next two years, but we may never know the real extent of everything that happened there. But one thing is for certain – the people who infiltrated the Capitol Building are some of the dumbest motherfuckers alive! So much that we’re dedicating this week’s People Are Dumb to just that! But one thing is for certain is that these are some of the stupidest criminals alive. You don’t break into a government building and take a selfie to upload to Instagram! I mean they have things like location and IP trackers. So if you do this, that will make it that much easier for the Feds to find you. Like this for instance!

Texas resident Garret Miller, who posted a picture of himself participating in the January riot at the U.S. Capitol on social media, was arrested by authorities on Friday.

Lawmakers were forced to shelter in place during the riot which interrupted the Congressional confirmation of President Joe Biden's victory in the Electoral College. Five individuals died in connection with the riot which was carried out by supporters of then-President Donald Trump. Many members of the mob broadcast their activities on social media, including Miller.

According to an affidavit from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miller posted a 14-second-long video taken inside the Capitol Rotunda that showed rioters waving flags. Miller captioned the video, "From inside congress."

Miller also posted a selfie of himself inside the Rotunda to his Facebook page.
"After MILLER posted the selfie above showing him inside the U.S. Capitol building, an individual on Facebook commented, 'bro you got in?! Nice!,' to which MILLER replied, 'just wanted to incriminate myself a little lol,'" the affidavit read.
https://www.newsweek.com/man-who-posted-selfie-capitol-riot-incriminate-myself-little-arrested-1563867

Here’s the thing guys – not only are you making the Feds’ job that much easier, you’re also making my job that much easier! Hell I am writing this entry in 10 freaking minutes! The more we find out about what went on during the January 6th riot, the more we find out how fucking stupid and crazy the Trump fans really are. Really – if you play stupid games, you’re going to win stupid prizes. Like a trip to jail or COVID-19. Yeah there’s still that happening too!

The Texas-based real estate agent who traveled to the January 6 Capitol riots in a private plane was kicked off PayPal Thursday evening after attempting to solicit donations for business losses.

Jenna Ryan, who was arrested last week, asked her Twitter followers for help Thursday afternoon, sharing a link to a PayPal account where supporters could offer a donation. In a tweet, Ryan said, "I am accepting donations to pay legal fees and losses due to my arrest and charges by the FBI" and later claimed she had raised $1,000.

By Thursday evening, PayPal had closed the account, according to Kim Eichorn, a PayPal spokesperson.

"PayPal has a policy to allow fundraising for legal defense purposes," Eichorn said in an email to CBS News. "PayPal thoroughly reviews accounts, and if we learn that funds are used for anything other than legal defense, the account will be subject to immediate closure. We can confirm that the account in question has been closed."

Ryan acknowledged that her account was closed Thursday evening in a now-deleted tweet: "Shucky darn I can't do business with PayPal anymore. What am I gonna do with myself? I think I will survive. Seems like some people want to cancel me because I'm trying to get donations from PayPal. Big Woop."
https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/jenna-ryan-paypal-capitol-riots/#app

Aw… shucky darn, you’re going to go to jail! Hope you like prison food! I mean really, who the fuck talks like that? Let alone someone who has access to private jets? But you might be thinking “Gee, there’s got to be an explanation for such stupidity! Well guess what? I got news for you: there isn’t. You know how we’re always asking for “pics or it didn’t happen?”. Yeah the same applies here. But when you post selfies with location and IP tracking, you’re gonna get caught.

As she approached the U.S. Capitol doors, Jenna Ryan lined up her face in the frame of a Facebook Live video. “Y’all know who to hire for your Realtor. Jenna Ryan for your Realtor,” she said to the camera.

University of Kentucky student Gracyn Courtright posted a photo of herself on Instagram from outside the Capitol doors, arms lifted in celebration. “Can’t wait to tell my grandkids I was here!” the caption read.

In posts on Instagram and Facebook, Edward “Jake” Lang shared his confrontation with police officers at the Capitol. Using a finger-pointing emoji toward the front of the crowd, Lang wrote, “This is me.”

All three publicly documented their roles in the mob attack Jan. 6 on the U.S. Capitol that left five dead and sent lawmakers fleeing for safety, and all three saw that documentation used against them in charges filed by the Department of Justice.

They are hardly anomalies. Of the 119 people facing federal charges in connection to the riot as of Thursday afternoon, at least 71 cases involve photos, posts or footage from social media. At least 47 people saw screenshots of their own selfies, livestreams, videos or posts in their charges, according to a USA TODAY analysis of the federal charging documents.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2021/01/21/fbi-uses-selfies-social-posts-arrest-u-s-capitol-rioters/4203158001/

Yeah really! There aren’t enough facepalms for this. But again we say – play stupid games and win stupid prizes! Before you think about uploading that selfie of you posing in front of Nancy Pelosi’s office, you might want to think about the consequences of your actions. I mean come on, it got the alt right personality known as Baked Alaska caught. And really who names themselves after a desert from the 1950s? These idiots.

Far-right media personality Tim Gionet, who calls himself “Baked Alaska,” has been arrested by the FBI for his involvement in the riot at the U.S. Capitol, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

Gionet was arrested by federal agents in Houston on Saturday, according to the official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter before the public release of a criminal complaint and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Thousands of supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 as Congress was meeting to vote to affirm President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral win. Five people died in the mayhem.

Gionet faces charges of violent and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and knowingly entering a restricted building without law
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/personality-baked-alaska-arrested-riot-probe-75296715

[font size="8"]Is It Racist?
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From: Idiots #10-7

Hey everyone it’s time to play the hot new game that’s sweeping the nation!

[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Small Pizza Joint, Big Sanctions
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From: [link: [https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215316380 | Idiots #10-10]

It's another Clip Without Context!

Yeah no, Gordon, that was the last guy's agenda, and I'm pretty sure he was on Satan's payroll. Satan's Payroll - great band, by the way. Saw them at the Troubadour last year. It's time for Top 10 Investigates!

It’s time to investigate beyond the headlines. This is Top 10 Investigates!

Now that it’s been 3 months removed from the end of the Donald J. Trump administration, we’re learning just how much damage this administration did in just four short years. They’ve broken the system beyond repair, and that’s precisely what they set out to do. One of the things this administration broke was our many international relations, which are going to take a long time to repair. And this is one of those things we can’t wait for the movie of this story. Because it’s certifiably insane and we can’t help but wonder what actually happened? Well if you do some investigating you’ll find it’s a variable clusterfuck of events that led to this. What happened was that Trump mistook a small Italian pizza joint in Verona, Italy for an international oil conglomerate.

There are bad Mondays, there are really bad Mondays, and then there's the Monday that Alessandro Bazzoni had earlier this year. The 45-year-old, who owns a restaurant and pizzeria in Verona, Italy, got a call from his banker who told him that there were "more than a few problems" with his three accounts.

According to La Repubblica, Bazzoni abandoned the risotto he'd been preparing, and went immediately to the bank, Banca Popolare dell'Emilia Romagna, where he learned that all of his accounts had been blocked by the U.S. government. "I asked them if they were making fun of me but nobody laughed," he said. "And in fact there was really nothing to laugh about."

Apparently on the last day of Donald Trump's presidency, the U.S. Treasury put sanctions on three individuals and more than a dozen businesses that had "ties to a network attempting to evade United States sanctions on Venezuela's oil sector," and that were connected to Petróleos de Venezuela (PdVSA), the Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural gas company.

"Bazzoni [...] is a core facilitator of the network, connecting Elemento and Swissoil with PdVSA and Saab. Bazzoni, an Italian citizen, has been instrumental in coordinating the purchase and sale of Venezuelan-origin crude oil from PdVSA," the Treasury wrote. "Bazzoni was designated today for operating in the oil sector of the Venezuelan economy and because he has materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, PdVSA."
https://www.foodandwine.com/news/italian-restaurant-accidentally-faced-u-s-sanctions-after-being-mistaken-for-oil-trafficker

Except that it wasn’t Trump’s first day, it was his last. And he was determined to make Venezuela public enemy number 1, apparently because he didn’t have much else to do. But anyway with 7 billion people in the world it’s pretty easy to see that someone could have the same name as a reclusive oil billionaire who dominates industry trade. Even someone like the owner of a small mom and pop pizza restaurant, but at least get the name right before you phone it in.

The Trump administration accidentally slapped sanctions on an Italian restaurant and a graphic design studio before the former president left office, The Guardian reported.

On former President Donald Trump's last day of office, he ordered that sanctions be imposed on a network of Venezuelan oil firms and individuals associated with the state oil company — Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA).

This was part of a long-term economic embargo on Venezuela, intended to put an end to President Nicolas Maduro's regime.

However, an unfortunate mistake meant that two Italian business owners, who shared the same name as a man involved in the Venezuelan oil trade, had their businesses targeted in the crackdown.
https://www.businessinsider.com/italy-trump-sanctioned-a-pizzeria-in-final-blunder-2021-4

So there’s so much more to this story. Apparently the US – Venezuela sanctions had a specific target: Venezuela’s prime minister Nicolas Maduro – who we’re pretty sure is one evil dude, and there may have been good intentions of hitting him with sanctions. Though our current leader at the time really wasn’t much better. But they could have at least done the research before hitting a mom and pop pizza owner with sanctions.

In 2019, Trump’s government imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), in an attempt to force the resignation of president Nicolás Maduro, who the US accused of corruption, human rights violations and rigging his 2018 re-election. On his last day in office, Trump sanctioned a network of oil firms and individuals tied to PDVSA.

Bazzoni, the restaurant owner, discovered his company’s name – AMG SAS Di Alessandro Bazzoni & C – was on the blacklist during a visit to his bank on 19 January, the day before Trump left office and the new US president, Joe Biden, was sworn in.

“When I heard that my current accounts had been blocked, I thought it was a joke,” Bazzoni told Corriere della Sera. “These are already difficult times for us restaurant owners, the last thing I needed was to have my accounts blocked.”

Bazzoni told the newspaper he solved the problem himself, “by entering my data on a special digital platform of the US government”. He added: “While I was at it I managed to get a visa until 2023.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/apr/02/italian-restaurant-owner-sanctioned-trump

So there are two men named Alessandro Bazzoni – one an Italian pizza restaurant owner, and the other an international oil billionaire -were both put on an international sanctions list, and the restaurant owner found out about it the hard way. But in terms of everything the Trump administration has done, this will forever be remembered as one of the biggest blunders in his administration, and it’s completely full of huge blunders. The biggest blunders ever. Big, huge blunders.

The Trump administration, known specifically for its competence, accidentally imposed sanctions on a graphic design studio and an Italian pizzeria before the neon orange creature, Trump himself, left office. Business Insider has the scoop on one of his last, if not final, fuckups in office.

On his last day in office, Trump ordered that sanctions be slapped onto a network of Venezuelan oil firms and individuals associated with a state-owned company known as Petroleos de Venezuela. One of the individuals named is the sanction is named Alessandro Bazzoni, and you can probably guess where this is headed.

Alessandro Bazzoni, who owns SeriGraphicLab in Sardinia, Italy, told The Guardian that he had been blacklisted by the US Department of the Treasury, although he declined to comment further. And the same thing happened to a pizzeria owner, again named Alessandro Bazzoni, in the Italian city of Verona.

Pizzeria Bazzoni (not graphic designer Bazzoni) told his local newspaper, Corriere della Sera, “When I heard that my current accounts had been blocked, I thought it was a joke.” But nobody was joshin’ Bazzoni, because it was the real deal. “These are already difficult times for us restaurant owners,” he said. “The last thing I needed was to have my accounts blocked.” While he hasn’t received an apology, his name has been removed from the sanctions list.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/final-act-office-trump-accidentally-154700308.html

g

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

[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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From: Idiots #10-11

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

My fair virtual congregation! You know we cannot take vacations right now, so I have been hulled up in my cathedral dormitory. What have I been doing with this free time you might ask? Well I have been watching some of the crazy shit that has been going on with our brothers and sisters on the right, because they have been upping the conspiracy theories and it’s getting nuttier and nuttier. My favorite example of pure, unfiltered crazy has been appearing on the Jim Bakker show. They have had some absolute doozies in the last few weeks. And that’s not something that the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now is it? There is some seriously next level crazy going on in some of these talk shows, but none and I repeat none are more crazy than what Jim Bakker has been peddling. I guess those end times gallon buckets of industrial grade mac and cheese aren’t going to sell themselves now, are they? But like I said this is some next level crazy here.

For years, right-wing pastor Jim Bakker has been using his daily television program to terrify his audience into believing that the End Times are upon us, often for the apparent purpose of selling them products designed to help them survive the apocalypse.

Bakker kicked things up a notch on Tuesday’s program, which featured right-wing conspiracy theorist Steve Quayle warning about aliens, demons, trans-dimensional beings, and “diseases that are designed to initiate cannibalism in human beings” and turn them into literal zombies.

The conspiracy theories promoted by Quayle were so pervasive and convoluted that it was difficult to understand exactly what he was even saying, but he seemed to be suggesting that nasal tests for COVID-19 were part of a nefarious plan to obtain DNA samples to be used in the creation of targeted biological weapons that will unleash a disease to turn everyone it does not kill into flesh-eating zombies.

“Zombies that are on the Earth are a disease like any other disease that affects people, and they become like zombies. Is that right?” Bakker asked.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/jim-bakker-is-now-using-his-end-times-broadcast-to-warn-about-zombies/

I’m pretty sure that’s actual footage of the last episode now, isn’t it? Now if zombies weren’t enough to scare you into buying his end times products, maybe alien viruses will do the trick? And I’m of course not referring to the virus we’re currently dealing with. But yeah as far as crazy goes, this I think breaks the crazy scale. And GAWD commanded that we not deal with certifiably crazy people such as this for they are wicked and insane!

While televangelist Jim Bakker’s daily television program has always been a repository for misinformation, baseless conspiracy theories, and End Times fearmongering, his show has gotten decidedly stranger in recent days.

Earlier this week, Bakker interviewed right-wing conspiracy theorist Steve Quayle, who spent two programs warning about aliens, demons, trans-dimensional beings, and “diseases that are designed to initiate cannibalism in human beings” and turn them into literal zombies. On the heels of those programs, Bakker interviewed End Times conspiracy theorist Tom Horn, who warned that an asteroid will strike the Earth in 2029, unleashing an alien virus that will give rise to the Antichrist.

On Thursday’s program, Horn discussed his recent book, “The Wormwood Prophecy,” which claims that the government is covering up the fact that an asteroid known as Apophis will strike the Earth in 2029. While scientists say that Apophis will simply pass by our planet in 2029, Horn insists that it will actually strike the Earth and fulfill the prophecy in Revelation 8: “The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water— the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.”

“I believe Apophis is the asteroid that is talked about in the book of Revelation, chapter eight,” Horn said. “It is what is called ‘Wormwood’ in the Bible.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/tom-horn-says-an-asteroid-will-strike-earth-in-2029-unleashing-an-alien-virus-that-will-give-rise-to-the-antichrist/

And I think these are all things that make people crazy right now! And come on, do we really need crazy theories about voter ID? I mean these theories that are peddled on this show are just getting crazier and weirder. During my week off, I was obsessed with watching the insanity that is the Jim Bakker Show, my fair virtual congregation! How does this guy still have an audience? There will always be crazies out there, but it seems they are getting even crazier!

Religious-right activist Alveda King appeared on “The Jim Bakker Show” Monday where she claimed that not requiring voters to show ID before casting their ballots is both “identity theft” and an effort to erase the identities of Black Americans.

“It’s just so hypocritical to say to a person, ‘It is Jim Crow to require that you have an ID when you go to vote,'” King said. “That’s called identity fraud, identity theft. When you say to me as an African American, ‘You do not need an ID, your identity does not matter, who cares who you are, just show up and vote,’ you are taking away my identity.”

‘During the days of Jim Crow,” she continued, “we knew it was important to be identified as equal citizens of the United States of America. So any law that says, ‘Oh, you don’t need a voter ID. Who needs an ID?’ Well, I have an identity. I know who I am in Christ Jesus. So it’s a double standard. … When you go to vote, nobody cares whether or not you are an equal citizen of the United States of America? That is identity theft. When you tell me, ‘Your ID is not important when you vote,’ you are telling me that my identity as a citizen of these United States is not relevant, it is not important.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/alveda-king-claims-not-requiring-voter-id-is-identity-theft/

No it’s just the sound of people being out of their minds ridiculous. You know what else is driving people crazy? The previous guy! Yes, I refer to a man so awful, foul, repugnant and repulsive that his name dare not be spoken in my church! Even if we are broadcasting to you on Zoom! That’s right – the unholy, ungodly Dark One is rearing his ugly head again! So in context, Christians don’t riot! Although do I really need to point out in the Bible the times that they did? Yes everybody let’s riot! Whew, I really got to block this channel from my TV.

On Tuesday’s episode of his “The Jim Bakker Show” television program, End Times pastor Jim Bakker and his guest, End Times author Jonathan Cahn, insisted that Christians had nothing to do with the Jan. 6 insurrection in Washington, D.C., when supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in an effort to prevent Congress from certifying the election for Joe Biden.

Bakker and Cahn insisted that even though Christians played no role in the chaos at the Capitol, left-wing activists are nonetheless trying to use the event to justify shutting down churches and persecuting believers.

“I still don’t understand all of that,” Bakker said. “Christians don’t burn buildings down. Christians don’t riot. They just don’t. I’m talking about born-again Christians, biblical Christians.”

That is an interesting statement coming from Bakker, considering that just three months before the election, Bakker himself warned that if Trump lost the election, Christians would start a revolution.

“We’ve got a few more days to stand up,” Bakker said in August 2020. “It’s going to be too late after the election, I believe. I think if we elect the wrong people—and you see how wrong it’s been—we’re gonna have a revolution. The church people are going to march in the streets.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/in-the-wake-of-the-maga-insurrection-jim-bakker-now-insists-that-christians-dont-riot/

Whew, there we go folks! I think I’ve reached that stage of quarantine where boredom is taking me strange places! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: Woke Disneyland
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From: Idiots #10-12

I think this question needs to be asked. Is Disneyland getting more “Woke”, or are you getting more racist? Here’s the thing – we all know that Disneyland is becoming more socially relevant. Or as the kids and your creepy conservative uncle refer to it as “being woke”. But if you even broach the subject of Disneyland finally making light of past dealings as “being woke” then it’s not them, it’s you! And if you’re even going so far to complain that it’s ruining the experience, then guess what? You’re a racist! That’s what one Disney fan is claiming in Orlando. But the one thing is that this guy got what was coming to him. And all it really takes is a quick Google search to realize that people who are doing the complaining about Disneyland being “Woke” are part of the problem. But again if you have to ask, it’s not us, it’s you, and we’re laughing at you.

Jonathan VanBoskerck is not exactly a household name, but on Friday he very quickly, became the most famous Disney Adult in America after a bizarre opinion piece decrying “woke” culture was published in an Orlando newspaper.

The photo, with the man in a Hawaiian-adjacent Disney shirt with Disney trinkets in the background, was enough to grab the attention of plenty of people online. But the column was much more bizarre: the Las Vegas native described his family’s yearly trips to the Florida theme park were being ruined by a “woke scalpel” that was removing parts of his favorite rides and ruining the experience because of cancel culture.

It’s reminiscent of the man who recently went viral for getting arrested at Disney for not adhering to the park’s safety standards amid the still-ongoing coronavirus pandemic. But that reminder of the real world is not the issue for Van Boskerck, it’s that sometimes people who dress up as anthropomorphic dogs and Disney princesses have tattoos and haircuts that were not animated in the 1960s:

That may seem like a silly thing to get upset about, but it’s really the “woke scalpel” that Disney has taken to its rides and attractions in recent years that’s made him most upset. Essentially, VanBoskerck is really missing all the horny and racist stuff. He complains that Disney is updating its Jungle Cruise ride to take out harmful stereotypes of indigenous people, and lamented the missing scenes, like a guy being boiled alive, from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride they’ve removed over the years:
https://uproxx.com/viral/disney-adult-wokeness/

No shit! Pirates Of The Caribbean getting less rapey? The Log Jammin’ ride removing references to Song Of The South? Yeah those are good things! Let me point something out for you keyboard warriors who are complaining about “woke” culture: things are changing and you’re getting left out! If you don’t want to live in the real world where actions have consequences? Stay at home and watch Fox News in the dark, that’s your only option left!

Like many of the world’s theme parks, Disney World does not look like it did when it first launched; it’s been renovated and brought in new elements to older rides (such as the addition of Frozen to Epcot’s World Showcase). But some of the more recent additions and rule changes—which are at the center of a widely derided op-ed—are being ripped a new one online.

On Friday, the Orlando Sentinel published an op-ed titled “I Love Disney World, but wokeness is ruining the experience.” It’s by Jonathan VanBoskerck, a man from North Las Vegas who describes himself as “a Christian and a conservative Republican.” He’s been a lifelong Disney fan—he takes his family to the park every year—but he’s now reconsidering making the pilgrimage because he feels that Disney is abandoning the immersive and magical experience that comes with a trip to Disney World.

“Disney World is going to lose us as customers if it continues down this path,” VanBoskerck wrote. “I do not want to have Disney World taken away from us because Disney cares more about politics than happy guests.”

VanBoskerck’s argument is flawed, includes racist language while arguing that a racist depiction in a ride is in fact not racist, and perhaps most noticeably, ignores the fact that wanting to pretend something isn’t political is, in fact, a political argument. It doesn’t relay what changes were made to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, which includes both sensitivity changes (it no longer has pirates chasing after women) and more cultural ones (the ride now includes Pirates of the Caribbean’s Jack Sparrow).
https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/disney-world-wokeness-op-ed/

So less racist people going to Disneyland? That’s a good thing. Look, Disneyland is a 15 mile drive from my house but I will never understand the annual pass people. However, one thing I do understand is racists, at least I like to think I do! And less of them at Disneyland? That means that demand will decrease which means ticket prices will decrease! Yay, economics 101! And I love that Trump fans think that they have any sort of impact on the market. I will tell you as someone who has been monitoring boycotts the last 5 years: you don’t.

A “Christian and conservative Republican” Disney fan says changes to Splash Mountain, Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean rides make him feel “excluded”

A self-described “Christian and conservative Republican” Disney fan was roasted on social media for arguing in a Friday op-ed for the Orlando Sentinel that changes to Disney World’s Splash Mountain, Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean rides were ruining his experience at the theme park for the sake of “political correctness.”

In his piece, Jonathan VanBoskerck said Disney was taking the “woke scalpel” to Jungle Cruise by removing Trader Sam, an animatronic salesman who appears at the end of the ride to exchange human heads and plays into racist stereotypes of Indigenous peoples. But VanBoskerck said Trader Sam was a “funny and silly caricature” and “no more based in racism than every Disney caricature of an out-of-touch white American dad.”

“The next time I ride Jungle Cruise I will not be thinking about the gloriously entertaining puns of the skippers, I will be thinking about Disney’s political agenda,” VanBoskerck wrote. “That’s a mood killer.”
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/orlando-sentinel-op-ed-roasted-202512602.html

Yeah of course it’s a mood killer! Look dude, here’s the thing – and we cannot say this enough on this program – if you have to ask it’s probably racist. But what we also cannot stress enough – if someone is considered to be “woke” as you guys put it, that means that they are simply fighting back against the bullshit! It’s about time things start changing for the better, especially after how volatile the events of last year were! If you’re complaining that “wokeness” is “ruining your mood” then guess what? You’re part of the problem! But at least Walt Disney would have the right idea if he were alive today.

Walt Disney once said, “Progress is impossible without change,” and as the mastermind behind perhaps one of the most successful corporations in the world, The Walt Disney Co., Walt was onto something.

Relevance and value are almost always based in the relatability people have to the work and productivity of an entity. And if an entity is not changing with the times, it becomes a barrier to progress and change.

In a recent op-ed to the Orlando Sentinel (”I love Disney World, but wokeness is ruining the experience,” online April 23), Jonathan VanBoskerck, a self-proclaimed Disney World enthusiast and Christian conservative, asserted that recent changes in Disney policies ruined his experience.

VanBoskerck’s describes changes to employee dress code and certain rides throughout the theme park as wokeness that spoil the immersive and magical Disney experience and drifting from the original values of Walt Disney. I beg to differ.
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/guest-commentary/os-op-walt-disney-progress-not-wokeness-20210425-zr6vvsacinehhghntpbl3a2xbe-story.html

[font size="8"]I Need A Drink: Cinnamon Toast Shrimp
[br] [/font] [br]

From: Idiots #10-9

Hey everyone! I don’t know about you but I could really use a drink!

So of course you know that the idea behind this segment is that we have some drinks and talk about anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics. Well last week there was a bizarre and quite frankly one of the weirdest stories I’ve heard in a while. And it’s one that hits very shockingly close to home! Tell me virtual bartender, what goes well with a story about Cinnamon Toast Crunch? Cinnamon Toast Beer? What is it? What the fuck is a “chunky IPA”? No thanks, I will take my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. Here’s what happened – podcaster Jensen Karp – who’s already a minor celebrity here in Los Angeles as part of a former morning radio show that used to air every day until the whole show was fired over the phone at the start of COVID, found shrimp in the box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch that he bought at Costco. Here’s how that went down:

Writer and podcast host Jensen Karp is trying to get some answers after an unexpected surprise he had while trying to eat a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

He tweeted a photo of his bowl of cereal and wrote, “Ummmm @CTCSquares – why are there shrimp tails in my cereal? (This is not a bit).”

The cereal brand responded and wrote, “We’re sorry to see what you found! We would like to report this to our quality team and replace the box. Can you please send us a DM to collect more details? Thanks!”

CTC later sent another tweet denying that the shrimp tails were in the cereal.

They wrote, “After further investigation with our team that closely examined the image, it appears to be an accumulation of the cinnamon sugar that sometimes can occur when ingredients aren’t thoroughly blended. We assure you that there’s no possibility of cross contamination with shrimp.”
https://wmgk.com/2021/03/23/man-finds-shrimp-tails-in-his-cinnamon-toast-crunch/

Somehow I don’t think that’s enough! Man, I miss my audience! But anyways, so Mr. Karp found a pair of shrimp tails and some other unexpected prizes in his box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. What makes this even weirder is that General Mills’ corporate PR department offered a completely batshit crazy and totally expected response to the fiasco. And when I say “totally expected”, I mean the exact kind of bullshit PR move you would expect. And this thing then went viral. And I do mean completely viral.

If you’re a devoted fan of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal and don’t plan to stop any time soon, you should probably turn away now.

It may already be too late for comedian and writer Jensen Karp, who says he found a slew of unappetizing surprises in his breakfast cereal Monday morning.

A spokesperson responded, asking Karp to put the shrimp tails in a pre-paid envelope and send it to them so they can have it checked out.

Karp acquiesced, on one condition. “I’m going to keep one of the two (shrimp tails),” he wrote, “because your last response publicly was super weird and since you’ll be receiving a shrimp tail, I’ll keep one so you don’t try to say it’s sugar and make me look insane?”

It’s unclear what the company had to say to that. In another screenshot posted by Karp, they tried to offer him some vouchers to compensate for the “unpleasant experience” but he refused.

“No,” he wrote. “You just told me it wasn’t shrimp tails.”
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/man-finds-shrimp-tails-in-his-cinnamon-toast-crunch-cereal-but-the-company-says-its-just-sugar

Yeah that’s of course the solution is to live under the sea! And this inspired everything from people making their own Cinnamon Toast Shrimp to finding actual Cinnamon Toast Shrimp on the menus at restaurants. But here’s where it gets weird – as more places started picking up the story, the darker it, Mr. Karp is married to Danielle Fischel, who played the character of Topanga on Boy Meets World. But apparently being famous also has an ugly side and especially one that nobody expected from this. And it looks like anyone could have this happen to them if that’s where it goes.

As the post circulated internationally, Karp enjoyed a shining moment of Twitter fame, and granted interviews to media outlets including TMZ and the New York Times. “I’m the new Gorilla Glue Girl, aren’t I?” he wondered — perhaps wistfully? — in a tweet. But all the notoriety also raised suspicions among certain of Karp’s acquaintances, a number of whom suggest he may be an unreliable narrator.

Multiple women identifying themselves as his ex-romantic partners began sharing their own, remarkably similar, impressions of him. They said that Karp was manipulative, controlling, cruel, and that dating him had adversely impacted their mental health. (Karp did not respond to a request for comment from the Cut.) Former co-workers came forward, too — including writer, comedian, and actor Brittani Nichols, who wrote a lengthy thread alleging that leadership at Karp’s rap-battle competition show, Drop the Mic, had to be “talked into hiring a person of color,” among other things, and that he was a terrible employer in general.

There have also been allusions to theft of intellectual property from other podcasters, references to alleged “gaslighting,” and assertions that Karp generally just lies a lot. On the other hand, there have also been defenses of Karp’s character — for example, from Linkin Park guy Mike Shinoda, who called him an “all-around good dude” and praised his talents in comedy and podcasting.
https://www.thecut.com/2021/03/the-cinnamon-toast-crunchshrimp-tails-saga-is-getting-dark.html

But alas there is a lesson to be learned from all of this. Think of it like the famous Simpsons episode where Homer gets accused of sexual harassment and the more people picked up on the story, the crazier it got. But we can all learn from this and if you want a story to go viral, make sure that you don’t have any demons in your closet before you start turning on the thing that could potentially make you famous, because it could come back to bite you in the ass!

Disgusting. That's what everyone thought when they first heard about the saga of the cinnamon-and-sugar encrusted shrimp tail found in a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
The gross object was tweeted by Los Angeles-based writer Jensen Karp, who said he found pieces of a crustacean in his cereal earlier this week. His thousands of followers responded — and so did Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

The back-and-forth quickly devolved into chaos. The cereal brand owned by General Mills responded via Twitter to Karp, saying that the shrimp-tail-like objects weren't seafood, but an "accumulation of the cinnamon sugar that sometimes can occur when ingredients aren't thoroughly blended." It added: "We assure you that there's no possibility of cross contamination with shrimp."

Admittedly, it's a silly story. But for Tom Meyvis, a professor of marketing and consumer behavior at New York University's Stern School of Business, there's a lesson to be learned here.

Meyvis said the discovery is gross — and that's "very dangerous for food brands." However, how Cinnamon Toast Crunch responded was even worse, he said.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/24/business/cinnamon-toast-crunch-shrimp/index.html

[font size="8"]Stupidest State 2021 Selection Sunday
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From: [link https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215182336 | Idiots #10-6]

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

Welcome welcome welcome! We are back for an unprecedented 5th year in a row! Last year our season nearly got canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But now this year we’re in a place to better manage the tournament. Because the circumstances have changed, normally we would go to venues all over the country. But because we’re being advised against that, we’re consolidating everything into a bubble in Phoenix this year! Why Arizona? Because they’re one of the few places that is still allowing live crowds! That said, let’s do this thing!

[font size="6"]Statement From The Commissioner [/font]

Welcome, welcome, welcome!!! As the official commissioner of the NFFSA, it is my honor and privilege to welcome this year’s squad to the tournament! Last year we faced an extraordinary challenge and circumstance, and I want to thank the teams, their staff, and the NFFSA staff for their unrelenting support in carrying out this year’s games. Also, congratulations again to last year’s winner Florida, I hope that they are still enjoying that victory. This year we’ve got some red hot newcomers and some conference changes! Who will come out on top this year? Only time will tell! But our COVID bubble in Phoenix will make things extra exciting. Now to explain the rules, just like last year, this year will feature two matchups in round 1, then one matchup in round 2, then the Final Four, then the NFFSA championship! For Selection Sunday, we will also be providing you with the states, stats, odds, and info that you can use to fill out your brackets! Also new this year – follow the Top 10 Twitter feed for some Bracketology style info on your states! Now let’s do this thing!

[font size="6"]The Batshit Conference [/font]

The Batshit Conference is the oldest and most distinctive conference in the entire NFFSA with 22 states stretching over a good majority of the country. Diversity is the strength to this division, as is complete and utter batshit craziness. These people are not only crazy, they elect crazy. Batshit Conference winners often assert a distinct method of being unable to tell fiction from reality, and the farther out your conspiracy theories are, the better. It’s not enough that they believe in Bigfoot, aliens, and the Loch Ness Monster, these people believe in Pizzagate, Q Anon, and everything else that makes crazy go even crazier! The Batshit Conference: Still Crazy Since 1859!

1. Georgia: Now you might be thinking “Hey wait a minute, Georgia became a blue state in 2020!”. We are here to tell you you’re wrong! You can take Georgia out of the red, but you can’t take the red out of Georgia! This is the state that gave us batshit Q Anon congress critter Marjorie Taylor Greene, and is toughening laws to make it easier for conservatives to vote and harder for everyone who doesn’t have an R next to their name!
Smoking Gun: Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Batshit) became the quickest congress woman stripped from committees because of her beliefs in far right racist conspiracy theories!
Odds: 2:1 Georgia didn’t make the #1 seed for any reason, they had a strong regular season and are looking to win this whole thing!

2. Kentucky: One of the perennial favorites of the tournament has yet to win a title, but that doesn’t mean that they couldn’t win it all this year! The state that has given us our favorite punching bag, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also gave us Rand Paul! They are currently fighting a recall against governor Andy Beshear, which, as far as we know, has nothing to do with COVID.
Smoking Gun: Like the rest of us, Kentucky is sick of lockdowns and restrictions, but they’re actually considering limiting the governor’s powers on imposing more!
Odds: 5:1 Kentucky had a strong showing in the regular season, but a series of injuries have threatened to derail one of the best franchises in the league. They could go far, or not.

3. South Dakota: A newcomer to the tournament, the Mount Rushmore State had a strong showing last year, hosting a super spreader motorcycle rally at Sturgis in the middle of the worst pandemic in the last 100 years. On top that, governor Kristi Noem is taking one of the most lax approaches to the entire pandemic with an “anything goes” policy. South Dakota has an entire state population less than that of the city of Miami, but they have plenty of representation in Congress with some crazy representatives and senators!
Smoking Gun: At the height of the MAGA movement, the Trump administration met with South Dakota officials to add Trump’s bust to the historic monument.
Odds: 7:1 We were shocked by this team’s strong showing in the regular season. They could pull off some major upsets if capable.

4. Michigan: Now wait, you might be thinking that Michigan is a blue state! Well, you’re wrong – they’re mostly blue, but they have a dark red underbelly. The Wolverine State had a strong showing in the regular season with some stunning upsets and some of the craziest news in the entire country – most of which spawned the alt right protest movement called “The Boogaloo Bois” and Governor Whitmer becoming the target of hardcore Trump fans.
Smoking Gun: Last August, there was a bizarre plot to kidnap governor Whitman, which involved a bunch of alt right terrorists and a PT Cruiser. Yeah that happened!
Odds: 10:1 They are a long shot to win but could pull off some massive upsets if true.

[font size="6"]The Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference [/font]

Excessive greed is the name of the game in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference. It’s not enough that you have one yacht, your entire family has their own fleet of yachts! Yacht rock is for chumps. You can afford to have the real Pablo Cruise play your next boat party! And who needs frequent flyer miles? You've got your own fleet of private jets and selecting the right one for the occasion is a first world problem known only to you and your other billionaire buddies! And millionaires, really, who needs them at all? These people are billionaires and trillionaires! Well maybe not trillionaires, but these people have more money than you’ll ever see in a lifetime. While you’re drudging through an Amazon warehouse that’s visible from space on your third shift, your boss just bought the next 5 Amazon warehouses and will soon employ half the state! You will bow down to your corporate masters and like it, you worthless peasants! The Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference: Your misery is our pleasure since 1952!

1. Kansas The perennial favorites of the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference have been going strong in the last 5 years. Fraud and billionaire insanity is rampant in Kansas. Kansas is the home to Koch Industries, which recently saw the death of one of the Kochs, and that’s concrete proof that you can’t take it with you! But in addition to the greed, Kansas is rife with insanity and one of the first states to completely lift restrictions all in the name of money!
Smoking Gun: Kansas shut down their unemployment system to deal with rampant, incriminating fraud in the offices!
Odds: 5:1 Kansas is usually the perennial favorite to win this conference, but they had a lot of injuries in the regular season. Expect if they win for them to go far.

2. Wyoming Wyoming is a newcomer to the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, but they have had some strong showings this year. In fact so much that your favorite celebrities and business tycoons are leaving Silicon Valley and Hollywood for Jackson Hole. The fresh air, low population, and lack of regulations means you can own plenty of land and not be bothered by the neighbors! It does a mind and wallet good!
Smoking Gun: The state is so broke because of the lack of taxes that they’re considering a whopping $100 million cut to education. That’s gonna leave a mark!
Odds 7:1 : Clear underdogs in the tournament, they could turn out to be a Cinderella story if they beat the reigning champs.

3. Nevada: The casino and gambling industry took a nose dive when COVID-19 hit as the once bustling Vegas strip became a virtual ghost town almost literally overnight. While many of Vegas’ most prominent institutions, like MGM and Caesar’s, are now finding new homes online, Vegas is looking to rebuild their tourism industry. As long as you don’t count the socially distanced homeless people sleeping in the casino parking lots.
Smoking Gun: The cancellation of Reno’s famed Burning Man festival cost the state a whopping $3 billion in much needed tourist revenue.
Odds: 7:1 The Silver State has a lot of competition in this category but they got hot at the right time so expect them to go far.

4. Iowa: The Hawkeye State makes its’ long awaited return to the conference championships and they’re out looking for revenge! There’s lots of farmland in Iowa and with it comes excessive greed and hardcore racism! Yes, the state that gave us Charles Grassley and Steve King has reelected these old racist coots for who knows how many terms they’ve served? And on the home front things look scarier and more dire than ever, and it really shows.
Smoking Gun: In a half assed attempt to reopen the state to revive the economy, Gov. Reynolds did not consult experts prior to lifting restrictions!
Odds: 7:1 – very evenly matched in this conference, they are looking to make a big splash in this year’s tournament!

[font size="6"]The Gun Nut Conference [/font]

If you’ve got an itchy trigger finger, a bullet-proof vest, and a massive safe full of the latest in fully automatic and semi-automatic protection, then this is the conference for you! You carry your guns in your belt, your sleeve, and your ankle holster, because you never know when you can't be too quick on the quick draw! It’s the conference where the debate between concealed carry and open carry is considered a contact sport! The cops will pull you over and ask for your driver’s license and your NRA membership. Waiting periods are for chumps! You want your guns and you want them now, and it doesn’t matter who you have to stomp on! Why not take your gun to Chili’s? You’re a raging maniac and you’ve deserved that write. There’s no amount of firepower that will satisfy you, you want all the guns and all the ammo! The Gun Nut Conference: Shooting first and asking questions later since 1896!

1. Florida: What is there to say about the Sunshine State that hasn’t already been said? The state once referred to as “America’s Wang” by Homer Simpson, is the home to Miami, which is where Trump lives now, and Orlando, which recently hosted CPAC. Florida loves them some guns, they have one of the highest capita of gun owners in the country, and they’re not afraid to use them! And in Florida you’re allowed to carry your guns everywhere.
Smoking Gun: Florida is proposing a law that would allow open carry of guns in churches! What could go wrong there?
Odds: 2:1 Last year’s champions are going to give any competitors a run for their money – provided that Florida Man doesn’t screw up first!

2. Texas: Our 2019 reigning champion loves them some guns and they are looking to make a comeback after getting trounced by last year’s reigning champion Florida. They say everything’s bigger in Texas – the guns, the spectacles, the COVID cases, and even the people! But big guns aren’t the only thing Texas has going for it! In fact they also harbor some old timey apocalyptic end of the world fantasy religion! Carrying out the apocalypse and doing it large, that’s the Texas way!
Smoking Gun: Texas’ complete lack of environmental restrictions meant the state suffered one of its’ worst climate change disasters in history!
Odds: 2:1 The odds on favorite to win this year’s conference and even the odds on favorite to win the Layover League, expect them to go far!

3. Idaho The Gem State switched back to the Gun Nut Conference after bowing out early last year, but they’re not giving up! Last year their gun credentials are strong! Idaho bought more guns than anyone else in the entire country, and this is during a raging pandemic! And rural Idaho (read every city in the state not named Boise) is packing some serious heat, and is a hotbed for NRA membership and you can bet that your neighbors are carrying!
Smoking Gun: After a record year of school-related shootings, Iowa is looking to pass a law aimed at allowing people to carry guns in school, what could go wrong there?
Odds: 7-1 Iowa had a strong showing at the beginning of the season but then injuries plagued their team. But they are looking to rebuild and go far.

4.Oregon The Badger State is looking to lick its’ chops after getting a serious beat down last year and they’re not going out quietly. Oregon may be the home to liberal utopia Portland, but Portland has become the battleground city for weekly cage matches between the Proud Boys and Antifa. Outside of Portland isn’t much better – the firearm rules all and it’s inspired some people to do some extremely crazy things, like take over bird sanctuaries. Oregon packs some serious heat and they’re not afraid to use it either!
Smoking Gun: Oregon’s GOP proposed a controversial law that would allow individual jurisdictions to decide open carry laws. What could go wrong there?
Odds: 9-1 A very long shot, they’ve got some strong competition ahead. But if they stay healthy they could shock the pundits.

[font size="6"]The Family Values Conference [/font]

All things are about Jesus in the Family Values Conference! The Bible Belt is proudly worn on your waist, sleeve, and magic underwear in this conference, where something is put in the holy water and it’s not the hand of God, either! Who needs the government when your parish is your governor? The lord of all things holy watches over each and every resident in these states, and going to church is the only form of entertainment most have! While you’re out committing those sins, you godless heathen, your electors are looking to strip away your rights and give them to the church, making the church the most powerful entity out there. It’s the states where the Red Hot Chili Peppers are replaced with Hillsong United on the radio and there’s more Chik-Fil-A locations than there are Starbucks. If you’re counting down the days until the rapture and wondering which prayer to say before breakfast, then the Family Values Conference is for you! The Family Values Conference: Proudly converting the non-believers since 1896!

1. Indiana The Sooner State got bumped up to the #1 seed this year after an abysmal showing last year. The state that gave us our now former Vice President, Mike Pence, also gave us Trump Supreme Court justice Amy Comey Barrett! And what’s fueling Indiana’s rise to the top? A super-secret underground Catholic Cult called People Of Praise that originated in South Bend at Notre Dame and came into the spotlight during the nomination!
Smoking Gun: People Of Praise has earned comparisons to an obscure Nazi cult from the 1940s, that can’t be good, right?
Odds: 2 – 1 They owned the regular season this year and impressed the judges enough to get bumped to the #1 seed! Expect them to go very far.

2. Ohio: The Buckeye State has some of the largest and oldest congregations in the entire United States of America. The home to The Ohio State University (don’t forget the “the”, damn it) and Jim Jordan is also the home to some old school fire and brimstone religion. The state is also home to some of the strictest abortion laws in the entire country! And they are going to be a force to be reckoned with in this conference!
Smoking Gun: Ohio’s controversial heartbeat law echoes the one recently passed in South Carolina that could deal a serious blow to women’s rights.
Odds: 5:1 They had a strong showing in the regular season but got hammered by injuries, playing #1 seed won’t help them but they could score a major upset if healthy enough.

3. Mississippi: The Magnolia State has a small but very loyal fanbase that keeps them coming back for more. The state has elected some absolutely crazy leaders in the last 20 years and is currently led by Tate Reeves, a man who is an old school fire and brimstone religious man who believes that Biden’s policy regarding trans people is a “social experiment”. Mississippi has also proposed numerous religious liberty cases, cementing their Bible belt beliefs!
Smoking Gun: Thanks to Mississippi’s religious nuts, they only have one abortion clinic in the entire state – which did not receive any medication in the last year thanks to a SCOTUS ruling.
Odds: 7:1 They are a long shot to win but could shock the conference if they pull off an upset against a 1 or 2 seed.

4. Arkansas Arkansas was one of the original winners of this conference. While they sat out last year due to injuries, they are coming back strong this year! The Natural State is a religious conservative playground with many small towns and many large churches! They’re also home to former governor Mike Huckabee. Arkansas also has one of the highest divorce rates in the entire country. The religious nuts in the state also oppose hate crimes bills and embraces old school LGBT restrictions!
Smoking Gun: Arkansas is planning a bill that would allow medical providers to discriminate based on religious reasons!
Odds: 7:1 They had a rocky regular season but could pull off an upset or two if healthy enough.

[font size="4"]The Schedule: [/font]

We’re doing things a bit differently this year because of COVID travel restrictions but here we go!

[font size="4"]The Bracket: [/font]

Here's the brackets! Fill them out and post your predictions!

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

We are taking a week off but to kick things off starting on 3/18 it’s a battle of the Batshit as #3 South Dakota takes on #4 Michigan, while over in the Family Values conference, #1 Ohio takes on #2 Indiana in a rivalry showdown!

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

Folks, before we get out of here, we have our first live performance of 2021! I’m extremely honored to welcome one of my all time favorite bands, their new album is called “Medicine At Midnight”. Playing their song “No Son Of Mine”, give it up for the one, the only, Foo Fighters!

See you next week!

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About Top 10 Idiots

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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