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Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-3: The Good, The Bad, And The Cuddly Edition
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-3: The Good, The Bad, And The Cuddly Edition
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Yo what’s up Milwaukee? How you guys doing? You doing fucking good? Great! You know this show has been planned for a while because we originally planned to come here last November but got shut down. Not because of COVID but because of a link in the supply chain that prevented us from coming. Which kind of sucked because we missed some great idiocy there. So do we have time for the thing? Of course we do. So any Adele fans here in the audience, any at all? OK some of you. So are you mad that Adele canceled her residency in Vegas and isn’t giving any clues as to when she might return to the stage? Well you are not alone. So across the street from the Park Theater where Adele was supposed to have her residency, is the Tropicana. The Tropicana is home to the Legends nightclub. At Legends, they have an Adele impersonator there who is so good that people often mistake her for the real thing. And they’re capitalizing on this idea. Which if you ask me is some freaking genius level marketing right there. If you want to get your Adele fix, just head over to the Tropicana to see an Adele impersonator belt out some of Adele’s biggest hits. I mean seriously, I wish I had thought of that! OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to!
So where do we begin for this fine Top 10? Well in the number one slot this week is The GOP (1). Of course you know the GOP is turning into a psychopathic religious cult where everyone thinks alike, so who do they censure? Liz Cheney, of course! Because cults don’t like independent thoughts, and Rep. Cheney had one. In the second slot this week is That Former President (2). So apparently the January 6th insurrection was really just “legitimate political discourse”. Of course it is! Never mind them screaming about wanting to murder their own sitting vice president, that was just a harmless protest! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! In the number 3 slot this week is the Masked Singer (3). Come on, did we really need Rudy Giuliani as a guest on this show? The producers of this show need to be sacked, as anyone who thought this was a good idea. Not enough facepalms for this one! In the number 4 slot this week, we’re going to bring back our favorite game… IS IT RACIST? (4). Spoiler alert! Probably. Because both Whoopi Goldberg and Joe Rogan are getting flack for some things they said that one might misconstrue as racist, so we will ask that all important question! In the number 5 slot this week, is a new Top 10 Investigates (5). This week – why is there a cream cheese shortage? Our nation’s bagels may be getting way less of a schmear than they normally do for a while. Taking the number 6 seed of course is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” and this week – conservatives are attempting to dictate to educators what can be taught about religion and it’s not pretty. We will attempt to sort out this free speech mess. In the number 7 slot this week we have a new Beating A Dead Horse (7) – the China Olympics are underway and is it OK for the US to participate? And is it OK to root for the Olympics again or is it Fox News going to take a dump on it? We’re guessing the latter. In the number 8 slot this week we have a new “This Fucking Guy” (8) and this week we are profiling white supremacist social media influencer Nick Fuentes, and yes, this guy is a creepy weirdo. In the number 9 (NEIN!!) slot this week we have a new I Need A Drink (9)! So Roland Emmerich, the director of the new disaster flick Moonfall, says that superhero movies are ruining cinema, but are they really? We need some drinks to sort out these outrageous claims! Finally this week in our ongoing survey of everything the MAGA cult has been up to in Red State Diaries (10), the ReAwaken America tour is coming to your city and as you can guess it’s a clusterfuck of far right religious wingnuts and conspiracy theorists. Puke. Plus to cap things off, we have the great Greta Van Fleet, fresh off their stint from opening for Metallica in Vegas, joining us! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!
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[font size="8"]The GOP
[br] [/font] [br]
You know it’s been a year since the events of January 6th and we’re still trying to figure out what the fuck they wanted to accomplish if they had succeeded. And while we’re desperately trying to find answers into the terrible events of that day, the GOP is censuring the one person who’s questioning their evil deeds on that day. I mean come on, of all the people you could go after in that party like the ones who let January 6th happen, and we all know there were people on the inside helping the terrorists, you go after the one person who has an independent thought about it? Well call me shocked. The GOP is no longer a political party. They are a cult out for blood. And now they’re going after anyone in their own party who dares to speak out against the cult. That’s when you know you are fucked. As we’ve said before, there is no GOP anymore. They are now the Trump Party. And here’s more.
The Republican Party on Friday officially declared the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and events that led to it “legitimate political discourse,” and rebuked two lawmakers in the party who have been most outspoken in condemning the deadly riot and the role of Donald J. Trump in spreading the election lies that fueled it.
The Republican National Committee’s voice vote to censure Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois at its winter meeting in Salt Lake City culminated more than a year of vacillation, which started with party leaders condemning the Capitol attack and Mr. Trump’s conduct, then shifted to downplaying and denying it.
On Friday, the party went further in a resolution slamming Ms. Cheney and Mr. Kinzinger for taking part in the House investigation of the assault, saying they were participating in “persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse.”
After the vote, party leaders rushed to clarify that language, saying it was never meant to apply to rioters who violently stormed the Capitol in Mr. Trump’s name.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/04/us/politics/republicans-jan-6-cheney-censure.html
The Republican National Committee’s voice vote to censure Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois at its winter meeting in Salt Lake City culminated more than a year of vacillation, which started with party leaders condemning the Capitol attack and Mr. Trump’s conduct, then shifted to downplaying and denying it.
On Friday, the party went further in a resolution slamming Ms. Cheney and Mr. Kinzinger for taking part in the House investigation of the assault, saying they were participating in “persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse.”
After the vote, party leaders rushed to clarify that language, saying it was never meant to apply to rioters who violently stormed the Capitol in Mr. Trump’s name.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/04/us/politics/republicans-jan-6-cheney-censure.html
Oh ha ha ha ha ha right. Fuck you. Come on, never mind the poop smeared on the walls, or the ziplines, or the smashed windows, or the makeshift gallows, or the people literally screaming to murder their own party’s vice president. It was just “legitimate political discourse” and a “harmless tourist visit”. I mean do you guys hear yourselves talk? Or is it impossible to hear over the sound of your blatant and constant lying? They’re literally lying through their teeth at this point.
A prominent Missouri newspaper took aim at the Republican National Committee's censure of Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger on Sunday, arguing that the sanction "confirms that the GOP no longer stands for anything beyond blind allegiance to the former president who fomented the violence" on January 6.
"When future historians seek to pinpoint exactly when it was that the Republican Party stopped being a legitimate political entity promoting a coherent set of principles and was transformed fully into a cult of personality organized around a would-be autocrat, Feb. 4, 2022, might be in contention," wrote the editorial board of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
On Friday, the RNC voted to censure Cheney, of Wyoming, and Kinzinger, of Illinois— the only Republicans who sit on the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The censure resolution accused the two legislators of "participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse, and they are both utilizing their past professed political affiliation to mask Democrat abuse of prosecutorial power for partisan purposes."
https://www.newsweek.com/rnc-censure-cheney-kinzinger-shows-gop-cult-missouri-newspaper-1676632
"When future historians seek to pinpoint exactly when it was that the Republican Party stopped being a legitimate political entity promoting a coherent set of principles and was transformed fully into a cult of personality organized around a would-be autocrat, Feb. 4, 2022, might be in contention," wrote the editorial board of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
On Friday, the RNC voted to censure Cheney, of Wyoming, and Kinzinger, of Illinois— the only Republicans who sit on the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The censure resolution accused the two legislators of "participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse, and they are both utilizing their past professed political affiliation to mask Democrat abuse of prosecutorial power for partisan purposes."
https://www.newsweek.com/rnc-censure-cheney-kinzinger-shows-gop-cult-missouri-newspaper-1676632
No, nobody is getting fired here. Because as we’ve seen with idiots like Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Greene, there’s no one who can get fired from Congress no matter how low they sink. But seriously, cult, GOP, cult, GOP. Does it really make any difference at this point? So where does the GOP go from here? This might be their shark-jumping moment right here. Of all the people you could censure, you pick the one who’s trying to arrest the criminals? We’re at that point in the cop movie where the hero cop gets arrested after outing the crooked one.
Some Republicans are pushing back against the Republican National Committee's vote to formally censure two of their own party members — Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois — over their work investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, one of seven Republicans who voted to convict former President Donald Trump at his second impeachment trial for allegedly inciting the deadly Capitol riot, said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" that the censure was "absolutely wrong."
"'I'm not here to be a representative of the Republican Party. I'm here to be the representative of Alaska people. And I take that job very seriously," she said. "When the party is taking an approach or saying things that I think are just absolutely wrong, I think it is my responsibility as an Alaskan senator speaking out for Alaskans to just speak the truth."
The measure was adopted Friday by a voice vote at the RNC’s annual meeting in Salt Lake City, which brought together the committee’s 168 members for their general session. The measure described Cheney and Kinzinger as "participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse" in their roles on the committee.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/several-republicans-criticize-rnc-censure-cheney-kinzinger-n1288710
Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, one of seven Republicans who voted to convict former President Donald Trump at his second impeachment trial for allegedly inciting the deadly Capitol riot, said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" that the censure was "absolutely wrong."
"'I'm not here to be a representative of the Republican Party. I'm here to be the representative of Alaska people. And I take that job very seriously," she said. "When the party is taking an approach or saying things that I think are just absolutely wrong, I think it is my responsibility as an Alaskan senator speaking out for Alaskans to just speak the truth."
The measure was adopted Friday by a voice vote at the RNC’s annual meeting in Salt Lake City, which brought together the committee’s 168 members for their general session. The measure described Cheney and Kinzinger as "participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse" in their roles on the committee.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/several-republicans-criticize-rnc-censure-cheney-kinzinger-n1288710
Yeah no, miss, no one is getting fired here. But some heads definitely need to roll for this. Because this is incredibly fucked up, and the GOP has successfully blurred the fine line between political party and full blown cult. Really, who needs to demonize the illuminati when you are the illuminati? But while they are busy “owning the libs”, they will soon find out that it is them who will ultimately be owned. The infighting in their own party may be what ultimately derails them. And of course be aware when an opponent that’s favored by that guy is now ahead of you.
A straw poll held by the Wyoming Republican State Central Committee on Saturday saw Representative Liz Cheney defeated by an opponent endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
The poll only consisted of 74 total voters, and three of those people abstained. Of those who participated, 59 voted for Harriet Hageman compared to the six who gave their votes to Cheney.
While the straw poll provides little insight as to whom the 196,179 registered Republican voters in Wyoming will favor in August's primary, it does underscore the mounting opposition Cheney faces among the state's GOP leadership.
The secret ballot of party activists comes eight months before the GOP primary in Wyoming. Three representatives from each county and members of the state party make up the Wyoming Republican State Central Committee, which includes three members of Hageman's family.
https://www.newsweek.com/liz-cheney-facing-trump-backed-primary-opponent-state-gop-distances-themselves-1672344
The poll only consisted of 74 total voters, and three of those people abstained. Of those who participated, 59 voted for Harriet Hageman compared to the six who gave their votes to Cheney.
While the straw poll provides little insight as to whom the 196,179 registered Republican voters in Wyoming will favor in August's primary, it does underscore the mounting opposition Cheney faces among the state's GOP leadership.
The secret ballot of party activists comes eight months before the GOP primary in Wyoming. Three representatives from each county and members of the state party make up the Wyoming Republican State Central Committee, which includes three members of Hageman's family.
https://www.newsweek.com/liz-cheney-facing-trump-backed-primary-opponent-state-gop-distances-themselves-1672344
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[font size="8"]That Former Guy
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I think I speak for everyone when I say this: SHUT THE FUCK UP DONNY!!! Thank you very much, my fair audience! Here’s the thing – there’s two ways that you can tell you are guilty of a crime. The first is when your attorneys hire their own attorneys. The second is when you won’t shut the fuck up trying to justify the thing that got you in trouble in the first place and are going out of your way to accuse others of that crime! I didn’t eat that whole pizza! What are you talking about? What pizza? There was no pizza in the box when it got here! Maybe you ate the whole pizza! That’s exactly what Trump is doing in regards to January 6th. So we’re apparently at the “Trump loves to destroy White House documents” phase of the post-Trump times. Does he not know that we live in internet times? Things can no longer be destroyed, Donny. Once it’s out there, it’s out there! So here’s what is happening now.
Former President Donald Trump never liked leaving a paper trail. He’s reportedly had a habit of ripping up papers when he was finished with them since his days as a simple real estate mogul slash con man.
It’s a tic that lasted throughout his presidency, despite being in clear violation of federal law. Those documents that Trump mangled, tore and otherwise destroyed are now more important than ever. But we may never know their true number — or contents.
Trump’s penchant for wanton destruction of government property was first reported in 2018. At the time, it was just another thing to add to the towering pile of “what the hell is even happening” that Trump generated almost daily. But then the House Jan. 6 committee subpoenaed White House records, a request Trump fought up to the Supreme Court. When those documents were eventually handed over to Congress, though, it turns out several of them had been “ripped up and then taped back together,” as The Washington Post reported.
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/national-archives-owns-documents-recovered-mar-lago-not-trump-n1288773
It’s a tic that lasted throughout his presidency, despite being in clear violation of federal law. Those documents that Trump mangled, tore and otherwise destroyed are now more important than ever. But we may never know their true number — or contents.
Trump’s penchant for wanton destruction of government property was first reported in 2018. At the time, it was just another thing to add to the towering pile of “what the hell is even happening” that Trump generated almost daily. But then the House Jan. 6 committee subpoenaed White House records, a request Trump fought up to the Supreme Court. When those documents were eventually handed over to Congress, though, it turns out several of them had been “ripped up and then taped back together,” as The Washington Post reported.
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/national-archives-owns-documents-recovered-mar-lago-not-trump-n1288773
Oh come on, perfectly innocent people don’t destroy their paper trail. That’s another sign that you know that you’re guilty. Especially when you don’t own those documents, Donny. Don’t “WRONG” me. You know what you did! You also want to know another reason how you know that you are guilty? You hire guys to tape up the documents that you destroyed so don’t get charged with another crime on top of that crime! Imagine having that job!
Some of the documents from former President Donald Trump's White House that were turned over to the National Archives and Records Administration were torn up by the former president and had been pieced back together, the agency said.
The Archives confirmed in a statement Trump's habit of tearing up records, citing press reports from 2018 that detailed his practice. The Archives said "White House records management officials during the Trump Administration recovered and taped together some of the torn-up records. These were turned over to the National Archives at the end of the Trump Administration, along with a number of torn-up records that had not been reconstructed by the White House."
Politico reported in 2018 that the former president's unofficial "filing system" consisted of him ripping up papers and throwing them on the floor or in the trash, which led to the arduous process of taping documents back together to ensure compliance with the Presidential Records Act. The law requires memos, letters, emails and other documents be preserved and given to the Archives at the end of an administration.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-white-house-records-torn-up-taped-together-national-archives/
The Archives confirmed in a statement Trump's habit of tearing up records, citing press reports from 2018 that detailed his practice. The Archives said "White House records management officials during the Trump Administration recovered and taped together some of the torn-up records. These were turned over to the National Archives at the end of the Trump Administration, along with a number of torn-up records that had not been reconstructed by the White House."
Politico reported in 2018 that the former president's unofficial "filing system" consisted of him ripping up papers and throwing them on the floor or in the trash, which led to the arduous process of taping documents back together to ensure compliance with the Presidential Records Act. The law requires memos, letters, emails and other documents be preserved and given to the Archives at the end of an administration.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-white-house-records-torn-up-taped-together-national-archives/
Yeah very cool! Oh and to make Trump even guiltier – he’s now accusing others of doing that thing that he did. It’s truly insane the balls that the GOP has. They never take responsibility for anything. It’s always someone else’s fault. Or it was the boogeyman. Or it was Antifa. Or it was a false flag. No one in that party ever says “Yeah, I did it. Here’s the paper trail and notarized documents to prove I did.”. But yeah, Trump is now at that stage of his crimes.
Donald Trump’s style is to cover up for a lifetime of unethical conduct, criminal associations, and, yes, outright crime by relentlessly accusing his opponents of lawbreaking themselves. This is the reason he ran a “lock her up”–themed campaign against Hillary Clinton on the basis of a minor email protocol failure that his own administration has replicated repeatedly. It’s why he has been trying so hard to gin up an investigation of his presumptive 2020 opponent after he got impeached. Flooding the zone with overblown accusations of corruption cheapens the currency and allows his own misconduct to recede into an incomprehensible blur of whataboutism.
Unsurprisingly, Trump is ginning up charges of illegality against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The Speaker’s alleged “crime” is tearing up her printed copy of Trump’s State of the Union address. A few days ago, right-wing blogger Charlie Kirk began claiming on Twitter that Pelosi violated federal law. After this charge circulated on Twitter for a few days, passing muster with such legal experts as Donald Trump Jr., it has now been officially endorsed by President Trump himself:
So first of all, as a non-insane person may have intuited, it is not actually a crime to tear up the printed copy of a speech. Several legal experts have confirmed that Charlie Kirk does not actually know what he is talking about, and the law in question is designed to safeguard certain kinds of documents that very much do not include speech printouts.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/02/trump-nancy-pelosi-tear-speech-crime-law-lie.html
Unsurprisingly, Trump is ginning up charges of illegality against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The Speaker’s alleged “crime” is tearing up her printed copy of Trump’s State of the Union address. A few days ago, right-wing blogger Charlie Kirk began claiming on Twitter that Pelosi violated federal law. After this charge circulated on Twitter for a few days, passing muster with such legal experts as Donald Trump Jr., it has now been officially endorsed by President Trump himself:
So first of all, as a non-insane person may have intuited, it is not actually a crime to tear up the printed copy of a speech. Several legal experts have confirmed that Charlie Kirk does not actually know what he is talking about, and the law in question is designed to safeguard certain kinds of documents that very much do not include speech printouts.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/02/trump-nancy-pelosi-tear-speech-crime-law-lie.html
You know I used to think that Trump’s gang was a cult. Now I think it’s equal parts cult and mafia because the structure of this organization is like the mafia. You have the leader, then the subordinates, then the fixers, then the easily expendable. And if you double cross them you’ll get the cement shoes. So what’s the next step in covering up the crime after the destroying documents and taping them back together phase? Anything? What the hell is going on at Mar-A-Shithole exactly?
Former President Donald Trump would routinely rip up documents, drafts and reading materials, and he took several boxes to Mar-a-Lago when he relocated to Florida after leaving the White House -- raising concerns about his preservation of presidential records as required by federal law.
Three former White House officials told CNN they saw Trump, on numerous occasions, manually destroy papers he was no longer interested in or had finished reviewing -- a practice that made it difficult for White House staff secretaries to preserve presidential records. Those officials said the former President sorted through file boxes in a rather methodical way -- tearing up newspaper clippings or drafts of tweets that he had rejected and tossing them to the floor, or stacking papers he wished to hang on to in a disorderly stack atop his desk.
They said Trump, who was often trailed by aides lugging file boxes as he boarded Marine One for day trips or overseas visits, ignored pleas to end the destructive habit. "The Boxes," as they were colloquially known among senior staff, contained all the save-for-later items that Trump would spend long flights going through: articles that he wanted to scribble Sharpie messages on before mailing them off to close friends; gossipy stories about West Wing drama that he would hate-read as he sought to identify leakers; and, occasionally, important memos on any number of policy topics or budding crises.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/07/politics/trump-rip-documents-white-house-national-archives/index.html
Three former White House officials told CNN they saw Trump, on numerous occasions, manually destroy papers he was no longer interested in or had finished reviewing -- a practice that made it difficult for White House staff secretaries to preserve presidential records. Those officials said the former President sorted through file boxes in a rather methodical way -- tearing up newspaper clippings or drafts of tweets that he had rejected and tossing them to the floor, or stacking papers he wished to hang on to in a disorderly stack atop his desk.
They said Trump, who was often trailed by aides lugging file boxes as he boarded Marine One for day trips or overseas visits, ignored pleas to end the destructive habit. "The Boxes," as they were colloquially known among senior staff, contained all the save-for-later items that Trump would spend long flights going through: articles that he wanted to scribble Sharpie messages on before mailing them off to close friends; gossipy stories about West Wing drama that he would hate-read as he sought to identify leakers; and, occasionally, important memos on any number of policy topics or budding crises.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/07/politics/trump-rip-documents-white-house-national-archives/index.html
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[font size="8"]The Masked Singer
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Who the hell were the ad wizards that came up with this one? Look, Rudy Guiliani may have been involved in an attempted coup on the government. You know where he doesn’t belong? A fucking realy TV singing competition! Look we get wanting to take creative royalties with a show. But you don’t put people who are wanted for inciting an insurrection against the government on a platform for the entire world to see. And here’s the thing, we totally side with Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke on this one because… what the absolute fuck were they thinking? Oh they probably weren’t thinking. And the MAGAs on the writing staff who probably thought this would be a funny joke… well, I just want to go bang my head against the wall. Shit, you might as well put Steve Bannon on the show at this point because you honestly can’t sink much lower than this. I know I am rambling a bit here, but this one really made me mad when I saw it, and I don’t usually watch this show.
Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke seemed to be less than thrilled about a contestant on the upcoming season of The Masked Singer.
During last week's taping of the Fox series' Season 7 premiere, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani was unmasked as one of the contestants, Deadline and TMZ report.
Following the reveal, Jeong, 52, and Thicke, 44, both walked off the stage in protest of Donald Trump's former attorney, according to the outlets. Fellow judges Jenny McCarthy and Nicole Scherzinger reportedly remained on stage after the reveal, where they briefly chatted with Giuliani.
Jeong and Thicke later made their return to the stage, though it is unclear how long they were gone, according to Deadline.
https://people.com/tv/ken-jeong-robin-thicke-walk-out-after-rudy-giuliani-is-unveiled-on-the-masked-singer/
During last week's taping of the Fox series' Season 7 premiere, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani was unmasked as one of the contestants, Deadline and TMZ report.
Following the reveal, Jeong, 52, and Thicke, 44, both walked off the stage in protest of Donald Trump's former attorney, according to the outlets. Fellow judges Jenny McCarthy and Nicole Scherzinger reportedly remained on stage after the reveal, where they briefly chatted with Giuliani.
Jeong and Thicke later made their return to the stage, though it is unclear how long they were gone, according to Deadline.
https://people.com/tv/ken-jeong-robin-thicke-walk-out-after-rudy-giuliani-is-unveiled-on-the-masked-singer/
Yeah where’s that guy when you need him? So here’s the thing – you know that you fucked up when people walk off the show in the middle of the taping. And come on, this season is supposed to be called “The Good, The Bad, And The Cuddly”. Like… what the absolute fuck? Who in the entire world is more cuddly than this guy? Seriously, someone please tell me why every single picture of Guiliani, the man looks like he’s about to take a massive dump? Well consider this the show’s “shark jumping” moment.
There was a time in the not-too-distant past when Rudy Giuliani was seen as a future face of the Republican Party. Now, he's a punchline.
Giuliani's journey from "America's Mayor" to eye-rolling embarrassment hit another low this week, when it was revealed that not only had he appeared on the latest season of the reality show "The Masked Singer," but also that when his identity was revealed, two of the show's hosts walked off in protest.
As CNN's Chloe Melas reports: "Robin Thicke and Ken Jeong walked off stage following the revelation of Giuliani as a contestant on the popular Fox reality show in which contenders perform in full costume until they are eliminated." The episode is expected to air next month, Melas notes.
It's cringe-inducing all around. And, unfortunately for Giuliani fans -- and I assume there are still some out there -- it's the latest in a series of increasingly desperate attempts by the former New York City mayor to stay relevant.
Giuliani's descent began slowly -- and then all at once. It was tied directly to his association with Donald Trump, whom he had known for decades as they orbited each other in New York City circles.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/03/politics/masked-singer-rudy-giuliani-analysis/index.html
Giuliani's journey from "America's Mayor" to eye-rolling embarrassment hit another low this week, when it was revealed that not only had he appeared on the latest season of the reality show "The Masked Singer," but also that when his identity was revealed, two of the show's hosts walked off in protest.
As CNN's Chloe Melas reports: "Robin Thicke and Ken Jeong walked off stage following the revelation of Giuliani as a contestant on the popular Fox reality show in which contenders perform in full costume until they are eliminated." The episode is expected to air next month, Melas notes.
It's cringe-inducing all around. And, unfortunately for Giuliani fans -- and I assume there are still some out there -- it's the latest in a series of increasingly desperate attempts by the former New York City mayor to stay relevant.
Giuliani's descent began slowly -- and then all at once. It was tied directly to his association with Donald Trump, whom he had known for decades as they orbited each other in New York City circles.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/03/politics/masked-singer-rudy-giuliani-analysis/index.html
Yeah seriously! And honestly does anyone really still care about this show? There’s thousands of programs out there that you could turn into every night and you choose the one show where people have to wear masks? And you know what? We don’t give a fuck if we spoiled this show. Because after this, fuck this show, and fuck anyone who thought this was a good idea. Who keeps inviting these idiots on the show?
Rudy Giuliani was unmasked as an exiting costumed contestant in last week’s taping of the first Season 7 episode of Fox’s popular primetime series The Masked Singer. Deadline hears that as soon as they saw Giuliani, judges Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke quickly left the stage in protest.
The show is known for its jaw-dropping surprises when celebrity contestants shed their headpieces after they are eliminated. The reaction to Giuliani was perhaps the most polarizing the show has seen since 2020. The Masked Singer faced criticism then when another controversial Republican politician, Sarah Palin, was unveiled as The Bear.
We aren’t revealing which costume Rudy wore or what his swan song was — his exit episode won’t air until next month — so you can still revel in his reveal. The theme of the new season is “The Good, The Bad and The Cuddly”; your political affiliation determines which category Giuliani fits.
Deadline hears that while Jeong and Thicke exited (they eventually returned), fellow judges Jenny McCarthy and Nicole Scherzinger remained onstage. They bantered with Giuliani, a controversial figure for pressing what is widely derided as a baseless claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from his client Donald Trump.
https://deadline.com/2022/02/rudy-giuliani-the-masked-singer-contestant-judge-ken-jeong-robin-thicke-walk-off-in-protest-1234925291/
The show is known for its jaw-dropping surprises when celebrity contestants shed their headpieces after they are eliminated. The reaction to Giuliani was perhaps the most polarizing the show has seen since 2020. The Masked Singer faced criticism then when another controversial Republican politician, Sarah Palin, was unveiled as The Bear.
We aren’t revealing which costume Rudy wore or what his swan song was — his exit episode won’t air until next month — so you can still revel in his reveal. The theme of the new season is “The Good, The Bad and The Cuddly”; your political affiliation determines which category Giuliani fits.
Deadline hears that while Jeong and Thicke exited (they eventually returned), fellow judges Jenny McCarthy and Nicole Scherzinger remained onstage. They bantered with Giuliani, a controversial figure for pressing what is widely derided as a baseless claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from his client Donald Trump.
https://deadline.com/2022/02/rudy-giuliani-the-masked-singer-contestant-judge-ken-jeong-robin-thicke-walk-off-in-protest-1234925291/
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[font size="8"]Is It Racist?
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Hey everyone! It’s time to play that hot new game that’s sweeping the nation!
Spoiler alert! Probably! Well this week we have a pair of celebrities who have said some unbelievably racist stuff. So let’s meet our two contestants shall we? In this corner, we have the star of the ABC morning program “The View”, Whoopi Goldberg! And in this corner, he is the host of a very popular and very controversial podcast on Spotify, as well as a color commentator for UFC fights, Joe Rogan! Of courr we here at the Top 10 Conservative Idiots operate this game on one principal – if you have to ask if it’s racist, it probably is! So what did Whoopi Goldberg say that one might have misconstrued as being possibly racist? Well Whoopi made some very insensitive comments on the holocaust which angered the US – Jewish community! And yes, we do hate Nazis here. But that said, was what Ms. Goldberg said really that racist? We’ll let you be the judge on this one!
ABC has given Whoopi Goldberg a two-week suspension from her role as co-host of The View after she made controversial statements about the Holocaust. The move follows several days of backlash and apologies by Goldberg, and has sparked a debate about Goldberg’s career, cancel culture, and whether white supremacist rhetoric has crept into too much mainstream conversation.
Goldberg made the remarks during a January 31 episode discussing recent school book bannings, including the banning of Maus, Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust, by a Tennessee school board. During the conversation, Goldberg stated that the Holocaust “is not about race ... it’s about man’s inhumanity to man ... these are two white groups of people,” apparently referring to Nazis and Jewish people.
The remarks drew immediate criticism from the Anti-Defamation League, the Holocaust Museum, and other Jewish advocacy groups, and reportedly raised concern among the upper echelons of Disney executives.
Goldberg apologized for the incident on Twitter on Monday after the episode aired, quoting ADL director Jonathan Greenblatt’s statement that “the Holocaust was about the Nazi’s systematic annihilation of the Jewish people — who they deemed to be an inferior race.”
https://www.vox.com/culture/22916147/whoopi-goldberg-the-view-suspension-holocaust-race
Goldberg made the remarks during a January 31 episode discussing recent school book bannings, including the banning of Maus, Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust, by a Tennessee school board. During the conversation, Goldberg stated that the Holocaust “is not about race ... it’s about man’s inhumanity to man ... these are two white groups of people,” apparently referring to Nazis and Jewish people.
The remarks drew immediate criticism from the Anti-Defamation League, the Holocaust Museum, and other Jewish advocacy groups, and reportedly raised concern among the upper echelons of Disney executives.
Goldberg apologized for the incident on Twitter on Monday after the episode aired, quoting ADL director Jonathan Greenblatt’s statement that “the Holocaust was about the Nazi’s systematic annihilation of the Jewish people — who they deemed to be an inferior race.”
https://www.vox.com/culture/22916147/whoopi-goldberg-the-view-suspension-holocaust-race
Yeah probably! You do not talk about the holocaust in that light because it is not something to even remotely make fun of. But when you delve into the context of her anti-semitic comment, she was also supporting another publicly known bigot who’s no stranger to anti-semitism, Mel Gibson! And yeah there’s no defending what he said either. Sure, you can try but many have tried and also failed! So again I ask my fair audience – is it racist? Again, we say “probably!”.
"Scandal" alum Joshua Malina spoke out about the situation on "The View" that saw Whoopi Goldberg suspended over remarks she made about the Holocaust.
The actor has previously sounded off on topics of anti-Semitism in Hollywood. Most recently, he penned a lengthy op-ed in which he called out Warner Bros. for entertaining the idea of letting Mel Gibson direct "Lethal Weapon 5" despite a past history of blatant hateful remarks against the Jewish people.
However, when it comes to Goldberg, who was issued a two-week suspension from her daytime talk show by ABC after arguing with her co-hosts that the Holocaust was not about race, Malina, 56, noted that he does not believe the host has any hate in her heart toward the Jewish people.
"To me, there is a bad person who is a Jew hater, and then there’s Whoopi Goldberg, who misspoke or needed to clarify or educate or discuss," he explained to Page Six.
https://news.yahoo.com/whoopi-goldberg-defended-mel-gibson-144419854.html
The actor has previously sounded off on topics of anti-Semitism in Hollywood. Most recently, he penned a lengthy op-ed in which he called out Warner Bros. for entertaining the idea of letting Mel Gibson direct "Lethal Weapon 5" despite a past history of blatant hateful remarks against the Jewish people.
However, when it comes to Goldberg, who was issued a two-week suspension from her daytime talk show by ABC after arguing with her co-hosts that the Holocaust was not about race, Malina, 56, noted that he does not believe the host has any hate in her heart toward the Jewish people.
"To me, there is a bad person who is a Jew hater, and then there’s Whoopi Goldberg, who misspoke or needed to clarify or educate or discuss," he explained to Page Six.
https://news.yahoo.com/whoopi-goldberg-defended-mel-gibson-144419854.html
Gee, you think? Well if that’s not racist enough, in this corner we have Spotify’s leading man for batshit crazy vaccine misinformation, Joe Rogan! Yes that’s right, Mr. Rogan is not only under fire for providing false and misleading information on a podcast that’s listened to by millions, he’s also a racist! So remember the guy who was the coach from the Raiders and got fired for saying some extremely racist stuff in the past? Yeah it’s that kind of scenario. But considering how much of a garbage person Joe Rogan already is, we’re not surprised!
Joe Rogan has apologized for his second controversy in two weeks after a compilation surfaced that showed him using a racial slur in 12 years' worth of episodes.
In a six-minute video posted Saturday on Instagram, the podcaster offered his "deepest apologies," acknowledging that his use of the N-word on "The Joe Rogan Experience" looked "terrible" and calling his use of the racist slur "regretful" and "shameful."
"I know that to most people there's no context where a white person is ever allowed to say that word, never mind publicly on a podcast and I agree with that now. I haven't said it in years," said Rogan, 56. "It's not my word to use, I'm well aware of that now."
Rogan said the clips were taken out of context: "I never used it to be racist because I'm not racist, but whenever you're in a situation where you have to say, 'I'm not racist,' you (screwed) up."
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2022/02/06/podcaster-joe-rogan-apologizes-using-racial-slur-spotify-controversy/6683805001/
In a six-minute video posted Saturday on Instagram, the podcaster offered his "deepest apologies," acknowledging that his use of the N-word on "The Joe Rogan Experience" looked "terrible" and calling his use of the racist slur "regretful" and "shameful."
"I know that to most people there's no context where a white person is ever allowed to say that word, never mind publicly on a podcast and I agree with that now. I haven't said it in years," said Rogan, 56. "It's not my word to use, I'm well aware of that now."
Rogan said the clips were taken out of context: "I never used it to be racist because I'm not racist, but whenever you're in a situation where you have to say, 'I'm not racist,' you (screwed) up."
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2022/02/06/podcaster-joe-rogan-apologizes-using-racial-slur-spotify-controversy/6683805001/
That’s right! And you know what? That was racist! And you know who else is racist? Well the guy who was once a democrat and now nobody knows what his political affiliation is, none other than New York’s Andrew Yang! Yes, boys and girls, Andrew Yang defended Joe Rogan for saying racist stuff and actually had to apologize for his apology of someone saying some racist stuff. What is this? Apology inception? It is an apology within an apology within an apology! But… is it racist? Yeah probably!
Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang is backtracking on his tweet defending Joe Rogan, in which he claimed Rogan isn't racist because he works with Black people.
"I don't think Joe Rogan is a racist — the man interacts with and works with black people literally all of the time," Yang tweeted Sunday.
Yang, who appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience in February 2019, added, "Do I know black friends of Joe's who would swear by him? Yes I do."
Yang's comments came one day after Rogan, who has been the center of controversy regarding Covid-19 and vaccine misinformation on his Spotify podcast, issued a public apology for his past use of racial slurs.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/andrew-yang-apologizes-saying-joe-rogan-isnt-racist-works-black-people-rcna15174
"I don't think Joe Rogan is a racist — the man interacts with and works with black people literally all of the time," Yang tweeted Sunday.
Yang, who appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience in February 2019, added, "Do I know black friends of Joe's who would swear by him? Yes I do."
Yang's comments came one day after Rogan, who has been the center of controversy regarding Covid-19 and vaccine misinformation on his Spotify podcast, issued a public apology for his past use of racial slurs.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/andrew-yang-apologizes-saying-joe-rogan-isnt-racist-works-black-people-rcna15174
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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Cream Cheese Shortage
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It's time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!
3 years after it was first identified, and 2 years after it was declared a full blown pandemic that would shut down the entire world, the world is now ready to talk about the end of the COVID-19 pandemic that has defined the last two years. But no one ever said that coming out of a crippling pandemic that shut down the entire world was going to be easy. While this has wreaked havoc on many industries, one that got hit particularly hard was the food industry. Many pantry staples that we rely on every day have been in and out of grocery stores. One item in particular that is becoming increasingly difficult to find is cream cheese. Yes, the same cream cheese that we spread on our bagels and desserts alike is becoming very difficult to find. And it’s not for the reasons why you may think. It’s for entirely different reasons altogether. But with the Super Bowl coming up, there’s many of our favorite foods that will be in short supply while we watch the Rams take on the Bengals.
Grocery store customers have bemoaned the cream cheese shortage that has left shelves deprived of the popular sandwich spread.
Widespread cream cheese shortages were first reported in December, following a cyberattack in October against the largest cheese manufacturer in the U.S.
But in parts of the United States, some cheese lovers are still deprived, and shoppers have been taking to Twitter to share their fruitless endeavors to obtain a tub.
Journalist Jonathan Ballew said: "OK, so the only thing I've noticed for this whole 'grocery store shortage' thing…is cream cheese? Anyone else having issue finding cream cheese."
https://www.newsweek.com/empty-shelves-leave-cream-cheese-fans-upset-i-cant-go-like-this-1671990
Widespread cream cheese shortages were first reported in December, following a cyberattack in October against the largest cheese manufacturer in the U.S.
But in parts of the United States, some cheese lovers are still deprived, and shoppers have been taking to Twitter to share their fruitless endeavors to obtain a tub.
Journalist Jonathan Ballew said: "OK, so the only thing I've noticed for this whole 'grocery store shortage' thing…is cream cheese? Anyone else having issue finding cream cheese."
https://www.newsweek.com/empty-shelves-leave-cream-cheese-fans-upset-i-cant-go-like-this-1671990
Yes, bagels and cream cheese are in relatively short supply right now and it might get worse before it gets better. What can be done? And really people, we need to get a collective grip here. Because there’s plenty of foods out there that don’t use cream cheese. We can get by until it comes back into supply which should be soon. So what was the reason for the shortage? Well it wasn’t the supply chain, which is being blamed for many things. Instead it was a hack. That’s right, the parent company of Kraft Foods – Mondelez International was the target of a cyberattack.
It could be easy to assume that the ‘Great Cream Cheese Shortage’ we’ve seen in recent months across the United States is due to supply chain issues.
Though pinning the cream cheese shortage wholly on issues that have been impacting the supply chain would be inaccurate.
Hackers Target a Multitude of Industries, Including Cream Cheese
The principal reason behind the shortage is because of a cyberattack. In late 2021, hackers unleashed a series of cyberattacks against a multitude of industries and organisations, including meat packers, police departments, and cream cheese.
In October, a cyberattack against the nation’s largest cheese manufacturer contributed to a shortage of cream cheese across the United States.
Bloomberg reported the attack at targeted plants and distribution centres. As a result of the attack, the Wisconsin-based Schreiber Foods had to close full operations for several days. The partial closure of the plant came at one of the company’s busiest periods, just before Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and the Christmas holidays.
https://smallbiztrends.com/2022/01/cream-cheese-shortage-cyber-attack.html
Though pinning the cream cheese shortage wholly on issues that have been impacting the supply chain would be inaccurate.
Hackers Target a Multitude of Industries, Including Cream Cheese
The principal reason behind the shortage is because of a cyberattack. In late 2021, hackers unleashed a series of cyberattacks against a multitude of industries and organisations, including meat packers, police departments, and cream cheese.
In October, a cyberattack against the nation’s largest cheese manufacturer contributed to a shortage of cream cheese across the United States.
Bloomberg reported the attack at targeted plants and distribution centres. As a result of the attack, the Wisconsin-based Schreiber Foods had to close full operations for several days. The partial closure of the plant came at one of the company’s busiest periods, just before Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and the Christmas holidays.
https://smallbiztrends.com/2022/01/cream-cheese-shortage-cyber-attack.html
That’s right – the cream cheese shortage wasn’t the work of COVID. It was the work of hackers. Among other things, hackers targeted Mondelez International in a huge cyber-attack. So what caused the cyber attack on the corporation? Well the hackers targeted many suppliers of food in the US food chain supply system. But Mondelez International wasn’t the only company hit in the hack and expect things to get worse before they get better.
The maker of popular British snack brands was the victim of a ransomware attack last week, the company confirmed on Wednesday, the latest hack to disrupt food supplies.
KP Snacks said it was investigating the January 28 incident and has notified its customers and suppliers. “Our internal IT teams continue to work with third-party experts to assess the situation,” a spokeswoman said in an email.
The company produces widely sold snacks in the U.K., including McCoy’s potato chips, and is part of Dusseldorf, Germany-based Intersnack Group GmbH & Co KG.
A ransomware group known as Conti posted files on private areas of its website that appear to show samples of charge card statements, birth certificates and other confidential employee information. The files were reviewed by Bloomberg News. The dark web intelligence service DarkFeed posted a screenshot Tuesday that showed Conti threatening to publicly release company data.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-02/maker-of-british-treats-kp-snacks-hit-with-ransomware-attack
KP Snacks said it was investigating the January 28 incident and has notified its customers and suppliers. “Our internal IT teams continue to work with third-party experts to assess the situation,” a spokeswoman said in an email.
The company produces widely sold snacks in the U.K., including McCoy’s potato chips, and is part of Dusseldorf, Germany-based Intersnack Group GmbH & Co KG.
A ransomware group known as Conti posted files on private areas of its website that appear to show samples of charge card statements, birth certificates and other confidential employee information. The files were reviewed by Bloomberg News. The dark web intelligence service DarkFeed posted a screenshot Tuesday that showed Conti threatening to publicly release company data.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-02/maker-of-british-treats-kp-snacks-hit-with-ransomware-attack
So cream cheese and potato chips are but two of the many items on the food hackers’ menu. The motivation behind these hacks is primarily motivated by money. Why would hackers target some of the largest companies in the food supply industry? Well it’s no secret that cyber security is truly awful in the United States and that if we are to move forward we need to correct this. Want to see your favorite food staples back on the shelves? Pressure your Congress people to enact better cyber security laws to protect our supply chains.
A cyberattack carried out by the infamous Conti ransomware gang has hit the prominent German-owned British snack food manufacturer KP Snacks, the company has confirmed.
The ransomware took place on Friday, January 28th in which Conti ransomware operators stole the company’s data and also affected the supply chain, and disrupted deliveries to leading supermarkets across the country.
It is worth noting that KP Snakes is home to some of Britain’s most popular crisp brands, including Hula Hoops, Tyrell’s, McCoy’s, Skips, and Parsnip. The full list of the company’s brands is available on its Wikipedia page.
Like other ransomware gangs, the Conti gang’s modus operandi involves blocking victims’ access to computer systems in exchange for a ransom payment.
https://www.hackread.com/kp-snacks-ransomware-attack-conti-ransomware/
The ransomware took place on Friday, January 28th in which Conti ransomware operators stole the company’s data and also affected the supply chain, and disrupted deliveries to leading supermarkets across the country.
It is worth noting that KP Snakes is home to some of Britain’s most popular crisp brands, including Hula Hoops, Tyrell’s, McCoy’s, Skips, and Parsnip. The full list of the company’s brands is available on its Wikipedia page.
Like other ransomware gangs, the Conti gang’s modus operandi involves blocking victims’ access to computer systems in exchange for a ransom payment.
https://www.hackread.com/kp-snacks-ransomware-attack-conti-ransomware/
That’s it this week for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! It’s time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and it’s time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:
My fair congregation! Please be seated! You know we here at the Holy Church Of The Top 10 are doing our job heavily keeping tabs on what our brothers and sisters on the far right are up to. Well this week I am completely dumbfounded that we are at the literal book burning stage. Which if anyone follows world history or the history of famous dictators, we’re about to do some really evil shit. But how were they able to hold a literal book burning in the year 2022? Well in the US it’s not illegal to burn a book that *YOU* own. Not necessarily a book that someone else owns. Yet, pastors took to the streets to burn the books of popular franchises like Harry Potter and Twilight. Like what, do they have a problem with emotional teenage vampires who listen to equally emotional rock music? But anyway this situation we have brewing is what we might call a “holy clusterfuck” and it’s definitely not something that the good LAWRD JAYSUS would approve of now, is it?
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A Middle Tennessee pastor held a burning of books and other materials on Wednesday night, citing the church's "biblical right" to "burn ... cultic materials that they deem are a threat to their religious rights and freedoms and belief system."
The event took place in Mount Juliet, Tenn. at the Global Vision Bible Church led by Pastor Greg Locke.
The pastor has been no stranger to controversy, calling the COVID-19 delta variant "nonsense," vaccines a form of government control, and the pandemic "fake." The assertions led to a ban of his account on Twitter. In addition, Pastor Locke has criticized Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, calling the governor a "coward...noodle...waffler" for an executive order which allowed the National Guard to assist hospitals strained during the heights of the pandemic last year.
Now, the pastor has turned his ire to books and other materials deemed "demonic." During a sermon before the burning, Locke also targeted the Department of Homeland Security which he claimed was at the event, saying "Homeland security showing up to a church cause we're gonna have a burning. This country's lost its mind."
https://fox17.com/news/local/tennessee-pastor-holds-burning-of-books-other-materials-deemed-demonic-nashville-mt-juliet-religion-church-state-politics-twitter
The event took place in Mount Juliet, Tenn. at the Global Vision Bible Church led by Pastor Greg Locke.
The pastor has been no stranger to controversy, calling the COVID-19 delta variant "nonsense," vaccines a form of government control, and the pandemic "fake." The assertions led to a ban of his account on Twitter. In addition, Pastor Locke has criticized Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, calling the governor a "coward...noodle...waffler" for an executive order which allowed the National Guard to assist hospitals strained during the heights of the pandemic last year.
Now, the pastor has turned his ire to books and other materials deemed "demonic." During a sermon before the burning, Locke also targeted the Department of Homeland Security which he claimed was at the event, saying "Homeland security showing up to a church cause we're gonna have a burning. This country's lost its mind."
https://fox17.com/news/local/tennessee-pastor-holds-burning-of-books-other-materials-deemed-demonic-nashville-mt-juliet-religion-church-state-politics-twitter
No Rev, it is you who are the devil! For you are a supporter of the unholy, ungodly Dark One – a man who is so foul, depraved, and disgusting that his name dare not be spoken in my church! So why are they targeting popular franchises like Harry Potter and Twilight? What did they do to hurt Pastor Locke and why is he getting revenge on them? Well Pastor Locke is a hit with the newly converted “born again” segment of Christianity, unfortunately.
A pastor from Tennessee, U.S, organized a burning of books and objects from Harry Potter, Twilight and Disney for considering them “demonic influences”. A few weeks ago, the same state made headlines after the school board removed Art Spiegelman’s “Maus” from the curriculum.
“We have a constitutional and biblical right to do what we are going to do. Witchcraft and cursed things must goPastor Greg Locke, leader of the Global Vision Bible Church, says in a video.
In a sermon, which he also shared through his Facebook page, Locke called for a “burning service”, that is, a service to burn different objects linked to “witchcraft”. This activity, he added, will be part of “an ongoing series to free us from demons.”
“Gather all your Harry Potter stuff. Let the haters laugh all they want. I do not mind. It’s 100 percent witchcraft”, assured the pastor. He also asked to bring tarot cards, Ouija boards, healing crystals and “everything else related to the occult” to the burning. “You have to go,” he stated.
https://then24.com/2022/02/09/a-tennessee-pastor-organized-a-harry-potter-book-burning/
“We have a constitutional and biblical right to do what we are going to do. Witchcraft and cursed things must goPastor Greg Locke, leader of the Global Vision Bible Church, says in a video.
In a sermon, which he also shared through his Facebook page, Locke called for a “burning service”, that is, a service to burn different objects linked to “witchcraft”. This activity, he added, will be part of “an ongoing series to free us from demons.”
“Gather all your Harry Potter stuff. Let the haters laugh all they want. I do not mind. It’s 100 percent witchcraft”, assured the pastor. He also asked to bring tarot cards, Ouija boards, healing crystals and “everything else related to the occult” to the burning. “You have to go,” he stated.
https://then24.com/2022/02/09/a-tennessee-pastor-organized-a-harry-potter-book-burning/
Don’t burn books people, because that leads down a slippery slope to some true evil here. But in addition to last week’s banning of a book about the holocaust by white supremacist pieces of shit, this week’s book burning should be a human rights cause for alarm. But in case you’re wondering, burning books is but step one of something leading a country down a very dark path. And you might be wondering where does it end? It could end with Nazi Germany or it could not.
In November Greg Abbott told state agencies to develop standards to block books with "overtly sexual" content in schools.
Two books removed by schools recently were based on LGBTQ characters. One of the books includes a graphic illustration and the other includes depictions of sex.
The political fight started when Keller Independent School District“Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe.
Texas state Rep. Matt Krause, from Fort Worth, who chairs the Texas House’s General Investigating Committee, made a 16-page list of roughly 850 book titles he said might make students feel “discomfort.”
https://www.kxxv.com/news/in-depth/in-depth-burning-books-in-tennessee-texas-pushes-to-keep-certain-books-off-shelves
Two books removed by schools recently were based on LGBTQ characters. One of the books includes a graphic illustration and the other includes depictions of sex.
The political fight started when Keller Independent School District“Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe.
Texas state Rep. Matt Krause, from Fort Worth, who chairs the Texas House’s General Investigating Committee, made a 16-page list of roughly 850 book titles he said might make students feel “discomfort.”
https://www.kxxv.com/news/in-depth/in-depth-burning-books-in-tennessee-texas-pushes-to-keep-certain-books-off-shelves
OK now that is something that you should burn! Burn hot pokers, don’t burn books! You do not want to go down that path! What’s even more disturbing is that Pastor Locke isn’t alone here. Look at Texas where religious wingnuts want to ban something like 850 books. And this is the party that frequently rails about free speech. Let’s examine the irony of this for a minute here. The “free speech or die” crowd is burning and banning books! I’m getting mixed signals here!
Tennessee Pastor Greg Locke of Global Vision Bible Church held a mass book burning last week, targeting volumes he considers to be “demonic.” NBC News reported that during the event, which was livestreamed on Facebook, “churchgoers hurl books and other items deemed associated with ‘witchcraft’ into a massive bonfire on the church’s parking lot in Mount Juliet, Tennessee.”
In the same state, a school board in McMinn County captured national headlines after it voted last month to remove the graphic novel Maus, a retelling of the Holocaust, from the eighth-grade language arts curriculum.
Not to be cut out of the action, the mayor of a small city in Mississippi has apparently decided that his religious beliefs give him the right to decide what everyone else in town can read at the public library.
Mayor Gene McGee of Ridgeland, a community of about 24,000 residents in Madison County, is holding back $110,000 in funding for the county library system, reported Mississippi Free Press, an online news site.
Tonja Johnson, executive director of the county libraries, told the Free Press she reached out to McGee after she failed to receive a quarterly payment from the city. What he told her was surprising.
https://www.au.org/blogs/Miss-library-ban
In the same state, a school board in McMinn County captured national headlines after it voted last month to remove the graphic novel Maus, a retelling of the Holocaust, from the eighth-grade language arts curriculum.
Not to be cut out of the action, the mayor of a small city in Mississippi has apparently decided that his religious beliefs give him the right to decide what everyone else in town can read at the public library.
Mayor Gene McGee of Ridgeland, a community of about 24,000 residents in Madison County, is holding back $110,000 in funding for the county library system, reported Mississippi Free Press, an online news site.
Tonja Johnson, executive director of the county libraries, told the Free Press she reached out to McGee after she failed to receive a quarterly payment from the city. What he told her was surprising.
https://www.au.org/blogs/Miss-library-ban
Well, free speech was great while it lasted everybody. See everyone in the gulags! When you see events like that you know that can’t be that far behind! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse: US Vs China Olympics
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You ever notice how the people who say they don’t want to make things political are the ones who make literally everything political? Let’s take a look at the Winter Olympics, which is the latest clusterfuck in the long line of clusterfucks between the US and China. Of course China doesn’t help things because they have who might be the worst leader in the world not named Vladimir Putin – Xi Jianping. A guy who doesn’t like it if you compare him to Winnie The Pooh. Hang on a second…. Yup, we just got banned from China, everybody! Bravo, well done! WOOOOOOO!!! But that said, China is making the Olympics all about them and doing some real evil shit to the US team including but not limited to stealing medals and rigging contests. So how did they do it you might ask? Well it’s pretty evil and save your boos for a minute.
Team USA speed skating believed it just punched its ticket to the short-track speed skating mixed team relay finals ... until the semifinal race went under review. The United States was eventually penalized and disqualified, paving the way for China to win its first medal at the Beijing Olympics.
At the conclusion of the semifinal race, Team USA appeared to be in. The team finished second, behind Hungary. The top two teams advance to the finals. It was enough to knock China — the favorite, which had finished third — out of the final. But the race came under review to determine whether the Chinese team was impeded during the event.
After a lengthy review, it was determined the Chinese team was impeded twice during the event. Both Russia and Team USA were disqualified, allowing China to advance to the final.
Some questioned whether the disqualifications were warranted, especially considering the host country's team benefitted from the ruling. One review showed an opposing skater's arm impeding a Chinese skater, which is against the rules. Skaters cannot take any action that prevents another skater from advancing on the ice.
Team USA skater Ryan Pivirotto, who was penalized for impeding China after crossing the blue line early, said he was already focusing on his next events.
https://sports.yahoo.com/usa-speed-skating-disqualified-after-review-allowing-china-to-win-first-medal-at-2022-games-145435944.html
At the conclusion of the semifinal race, Team USA appeared to be in. The team finished second, behind Hungary. The top two teams advance to the finals. It was enough to knock China — the favorite, which had finished third — out of the final. But the race came under review to determine whether the Chinese team was impeded during the event.
After a lengthy review, it was determined the Chinese team was impeded twice during the event. Both Russia and Team USA were disqualified, allowing China to advance to the final.
Some questioned whether the disqualifications were warranted, especially considering the host country's team benefitted from the ruling. One review showed an opposing skater's arm impeding a Chinese skater, which is against the rules. Skaters cannot take any action that prevents another skater from advancing on the ice.
Team USA skater Ryan Pivirotto, who was penalized for impeding China after crossing the blue line early, said he was already focusing on his next events.
https://sports.yahoo.com/usa-speed-skating-disqualified-after-review-allowing-china-to-win-first-medal-at-2022-games-145435944.html
Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! So yeah the Team USA had this thing won and then China stole the medal on an officiating call. If that’s not evil enough, wait until you see what they did to the figure skating competition! That said there’s two different US skaters who both were born in the US but are competing *FOR* China. And they won the gold medals. And of course they are getting every bit of shit thrown at them that they can possibly get.
Zhu Yi, figure skater who gave up American citizenship to compete for China, attacked online by Chinese fans after falling during Olympic debut
Chinese figure skater Zhu Yi has faced vitriol online after she fell during her debut performance at the Beijing Winter Olympics. The 19-year-old, who was born in California, gave up her American citizenship to compete for China.
The teen left the skating rink at Capital Indoor Stadium in tears Monday after she fell twice during the free skate event, part of women's team competition. China finished fifth in the event.
Her latest performance comes a day after Zhu failed to complete her opening combination in the women's short program, stumbled and crashed into a wall. She finished last, dropping China's position from third to fifth in the team standings. Following her Sunday performance, Zhu told the South China Morning Post that she was "upset and a little embarrassed."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/zhu-yi-winter-olympics-figure-skating-china/
Chinese figure skater Zhu Yi has faced vitriol online after she fell during her debut performance at the Beijing Winter Olympics. The 19-year-old, who was born in California, gave up her American citizenship to compete for China.
The teen left the skating rink at Capital Indoor Stadium in tears Monday after she fell twice during the free skate event, part of women's team competition. China finished fifth in the event.
Her latest performance comes a day after Zhu failed to complete her opening combination in the women's short program, stumbled and crashed into a wall. She finished last, dropping China's position from third to fifth in the team standings. Following her Sunday performance, Zhu told the South China Morning Post that she was "upset and a little embarrassed."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/zhu-yi-winter-olympics-figure-skating-china/
But that said though, the real political controversy is happening outside Olympic Village. Because as was reported last week, Joe Biden threatened to pull any visiting US diplomats out of the Olympics to protest Chinese dictator Xi Jianping. Really was that a good move there? Especially when right next door you have Vladimir Putin threatening to invade Ukraine and seek China as an ally? Of course not. But you know what? Fuck Xi Jianping.
The 2022 Winter Olympic opening ceremonies will be dotted with empty seats as some major world VIPs skip the festivities in protest against the Chinese government's human rights violations.
In December, White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced America wouldn’t send an official delegation to the Beijing Games citing the government's mass detention camps and forced sterilization campaign against Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities in the country's western province.
High-ranking officials often attend Olympic Games' opening ceremonies, including presidents, vice presidents, secretaries of state, ambassadors and other officials. First lady Jill Biden attended the Tokyo Olympics as leader of the U.S. delegation.
Human rights activists around the globe have called for athletes and leaders to boycott the Games because of the government's policies.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-nations-holding-diplomatic-boycott-beijing-games/story?id=82461768
In December, White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced America wouldn’t send an official delegation to the Beijing Games citing the government's mass detention camps and forced sterilization campaign against Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities in the country's western province.
High-ranking officials often attend Olympic Games' opening ceremonies, including presidents, vice presidents, secretaries of state, ambassadors and other officials. First lady Jill Biden attended the Tokyo Olympics as leader of the U.S. delegation.
Human rights activists around the globe have called for athletes and leaders to boycott the Games because of the government's policies.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-nations-holding-diplomatic-boycott-beijing-games/story?id=82461768
And again I say – fuck Xi Jianping. If that gets the Top 10 banned from China, I don’t really care. But then again leave it to the US to begin dividing people. Because the US boycott and China’s fucking of the games, have made this Olympics quite the clusterfuck. So the question remains – to boycott the Olympics or not to boycott the Olympics? Well I can only tell you the official Top 10 stance is that we support the athletes. We don’t support murderous dictators!
The flame of an Olympic torch must pass through multiple countries to arrive at its final destination. So too must the supply chains financing and profiting off the games. Throughout the processions that just ended, activists protested the ceremonies. They called for boycotts of the games and better awareness of the actions of the Chinese state, most prominently the detention of the Uyghur Turkic minorities, Tibetan policing and oppression, and the Hong Kong National Security Law.
Last December, in response to the concerns raised by these protests, the White House decided to bar American diplomats from attending the games. The games “cannot be business as usual,” press secretary Jen Psaki said during the announcement of the boycott. Along with the United States, the governments of Great Britain, Canada, and Australia also pulled diplomats from attending the games.
But when it comes to sponsorship and institutional corporate collusion, including in the technology sectors contributing to the surveillance crisis, business does go on as usual.
Firms such as Intel, Airbnb, Proctor & Gamble, Coca-Cola, and others feature prominently in sponsorship of these Winter Olympics. As strategically important American brands, they own prominent ad space within the much-desired Chinese market. In turn, Chinese consumer activity levels are boosted by their commercial transactions, maintaining economic productivity and growth.
https://www.wired.com/story/beijing-olympics-china-boycott-politics/
Last December, in response to the concerns raised by these protests, the White House decided to bar American diplomats from attending the games. The games “cannot be business as usual,” press secretary Jen Psaki said during the announcement of the boycott. Along with the United States, the governments of Great Britain, Canada, and Australia also pulled diplomats from attending the games.
But when it comes to sponsorship and institutional corporate collusion, including in the technology sectors contributing to the surveillance crisis, business does go on as usual.
Firms such as Intel, Airbnb, Proctor & Gamble, Coca-Cola, and others feature prominently in sponsorship of these Winter Olympics. As strategically important American brands, they own prominent ad space within the much-desired Chinese market. In turn, Chinese consumer activity levels are boosted by their commercial transactions, maintaining economic productivity and growth.
https://www.wired.com/story/beijing-olympics-china-boycott-politics/
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[font size="8"]This Fucking Guy
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This week’s This Fucking Guy is white supremacist social media influencer Nick Fuentes. Nick Fuentes, of course seen here looking like a discount PBS telethon host, is a guy who the right wing loves – and then when they’re caught associating with his extremist views – totally deny that they ever were associated with him. Case in point – let’s go to Arizona where MAGA endorsed state senate candidate Wendy Rogers loves associating with him, then when she’s caught – denies ever having associated with him. So why is Mr. Fuentes so controversial among the right wing? Let’s run down the check list, shall we? He’s a frequent holocaust denier. Uses the N word more than most rap videos. Suggests interracial marriages cause drug use. And repeatedly launches into anti-semitic tirades. Yeah he’s basically a sieg heil away from being a full blown Nazi. Which, if your local candidate endorses Mr. Fuentes or brings him on as a guest, or anything having to do with him, you should be very afraid of the people who support your candidates, like MAGA celebrity Wendy Rogers.
Arizona state Rep. Wendy Rogers thanked white nationalist Nick Fuentes for his support on Telegram Wednesday in the latest exchange between the two expressing mutual admiration.
On Tuesday, Fuentes shared a Jan. 31 post from Rogers in which she wrote, “I don’t really want friends. I want to do what is right. Eventually people will show up and support what I am trying to do.”
“This post goes so hard,” Fuentes added. “We support you Wendy Rogers!!! We are behind you 100%.”
“Thank you @nickjfuentes! ❤️” Rogers replied.
While the exchange may seem innocuous to the uninitiated, the adoration between the two—a 23-year-old white nationalist who says his own mother is afraid of him and a state legislator who raised $2.5 million last year for reelection—is strange let alone troubling.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/whats-up-with-wendy-rogers-adoration-of-nick-fuentes/
On Tuesday, Fuentes shared a Jan. 31 post from Rogers in which she wrote, “I don’t really want friends. I want to do what is right. Eventually people will show up and support what I am trying to do.”
“This post goes so hard,” Fuentes added. “We support you Wendy Rogers!!! We are behind you 100%.”
“Thank you @nickjfuentes! ❤️” Rogers replied.
While the exchange may seem innocuous to the uninitiated, the adoration between the two—a 23-year-old white nationalist who says his own mother is afraid of him and a state legislator who raised $2.5 million last year for reelection—is strange let alone troubling.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/whats-up-with-wendy-rogers-adoration-of-nick-fuentes/
By the way am I the only one alarmed when people running for office or even elected officials post on Telegram? I feel like that should be an automatic red flag for a national security risk. Well getting back to the topic at hand, Nick Fuentes has been in the background of a lot of news stories lately. And that is terrifying that someone that extreme is getting any kind of media coverage, from the MAGA world or otherwise. And not just because he’s a social media influencer who got kicked off social media, either.
Former President Donald Trump spoke at rally with Arizona Republicans on Saturday, where he made false and racially inflammatory comments claiming that white people are being denied access to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. At the event, which was sponsored by Trump’s Save America PAC, he falsely charged “the left” with “discriminating against and denigrating, just denigrating, white people to determine who lives and who dies,” adding, “If you’re white, you don’t get the vaccine, or if you’re white, you don’t get therapeutics.”
Trump’s wildly irresponsible charge was tailor-made to promote racial resentment and stoke the kind of anger and grievance that is fomented by white nationalists and has led to violence and mass murder. But it didn’t seem to bother his fans, including Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk, who tweeted his praise for Trump’s “epic speech,” adding, “This is how you win big in November.”
Indeed, Trump was in Florence, Arizona, “drumming up support for Arizona Republicans running for office,” reported the local Fox affiliate. His hour-and-a-half speech also included his standard lies about the 2020 presidential election nationally and in Arizona specifically and about the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol Insurrection.
Among the Arizona politicians who spoke at the rally were Rep. Paul Gosar, who represents the area where the event was held, and state Sen. Wendy Rogers. Both of them are associated with white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Right Wing Watch has documented multiple recent examples of Fuentes using his streaming show to spout blatant racism, most recently to defend his use of the N-word.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/trumps-latest-inflammatory-lie-white-people-are-being-denied-covid-treatment/
Trump’s wildly irresponsible charge was tailor-made to promote racial resentment and stoke the kind of anger and grievance that is fomented by white nationalists and has led to violence and mass murder. But it didn’t seem to bother his fans, including Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk, who tweeted his praise for Trump’s “epic speech,” adding, “This is how you win big in November.”
Indeed, Trump was in Florence, Arizona, “drumming up support for Arizona Republicans running for office,” reported the local Fox affiliate. His hour-and-a-half speech also included his standard lies about the 2020 presidential election nationally and in Arizona specifically and about the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol Insurrection.
Among the Arizona politicians who spoke at the rally were Rep. Paul Gosar, who represents the area where the event was held, and state Sen. Wendy Rogers. Both of them are associated with white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Right Wing Watch has documented multiple recent examples of Fuentes using his streaming show to spout blatant racism, most recently to defend his use of the N-word.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/trumps-latest-inflammatory-lie-white-people-are-being-denied-covid-treatment/
Who the hell could listen to Trump speak for an hour and a half? I could barely stomach 30 seconds of his bullshit! Thank you audience! And yes, Paul Gosar, you remember him from threatening to murder Ilhan Omar with an anime GIF, has been appearing with Mr. Fuentes at events. And he is an elected official! Why are elected officials associating with white supremacists? This is equal parts alarming and terrifying! Oh and by the way remember last week’s brew ha ha with Neil Young and Spotify? Turns out Spotify has a history of posting white supremacist content. Featuring… you guessed it!
Nick Fuentes has turned to Spotify and Apple Music is his latest attempt to further his white nationalist agenda.
The American far-right political commentator banned from most mainstream social media and content creation platforms curated a playlist on Spotify and Apple Music last month that he dubbed the “White Boy Summer Playlist.” Despite being banned from Spotify, Fuentes was able to circumvent the ban by posting his “White Boy Summer” playlist under his “America First” account (a reference to his “America First organization and “Groyper” movement).
The tracklist is comprised of 300 songs mainly by Caucasian artists such as Led Zeppelin, The White Stripes, Miley Cyrus, Kid Rock, Fleetwood Mac, The Killers, and Weezer. The playlist is available on Spotify and Apple Music, though the “White Boy Summer” title has been removed to avoid detection.
Fuentes has also launched a “White Boy Summer” video blog on his official website where he documented his road trip across the United States to meet up with fellow racists and white nationalists. The self-proclaimed “American nationalist” recently stormed the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas, with a horde of followers chanting “white boy summer.” As he was being removed by security, Fuentes vowed to give the “most racist, sexist, anti-Semitic, Holocaust-denying speech in all of Dallas” across the street later that day.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/nick-fuentes-using-spotify-and-apple-music-to-spread-white-nationalist-agenda/
The American far-right political commentator banned from most mainstream social media and content creation platforms curated a playlist on Spotify and Apple Music last month that he dubbed the “White Boy Summer Playlist.” Despite being banned from Spotify, Fuentes was able to circumvent the ban by posting his “White Boy Summer” playlist under his “America First” account (a reference to his “America First organization and “Groyper” movement).
The tracklist is comprised of 300 songs mainly by Caucasian artists such as Led Zeppelin, The White Stripes, Miley Cyrus, Kid Rock, Fleetwood Mac, The Killers, and Weezer. The playlist is available on Spotify and Apple Music, though the “White Boy Summer” title has been removed to avoid detection.
Fuentes has also launched a “White Boy Summer” video blog on his official website where he documented his road trip across the United States to meet up with fellow racists and white nationalists. The self-proclaimed “American nationalist” recently stormed the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas, with a horde of followers chanting “white boy summer.” As he was being removed by security, Fuentes vowed to give the “most racist, sexist, anti-Semitic, Holocaust-denying speech in all of Dallas” across the street later that day.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/nick-fuentes-using-spotify-and-apple-music-to-spread-white-nationalist-agenda/
Oh come on, white boy summer. That’s the last thing we need is more douchebag white boys being douchebag white boys. And what do you have to do get banned from Spotify? That’s just both weird and sad. So before you start questioning the racist nature of Nick Fuentes, consider who’s endorsing his America First group. Yes, America First is a ridiculously racist policy that should go away. But you know who does endorse it? That’s right – it’s all coming back full circle. Because Paul Gosar endorses it, which is why he’s popular with your racist uncle.
During this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference held in Orlando, Florida, Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., and former Rep Steve King, R-Iowa, spoke at the nearby America First Political Action Conference, where AFPAC founder Nick Fuentes delivered white nationalist and Christian nationalist messages.
Having a sitting member of Congress address AFPAC gave a credibility boost to Fuentes’s efforts to recruit young conservatives to his far-right ideology. And Gosar’s appearance on AFPAC’s stage wasn’t the last of it.
Gosar, who sat through Fuentes’ speech emphasizing the importance of preserving a white “demographic core,” praising the Jan. 6 insurrection as “awesome,” and mocking Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn’s disability, met with Fuentes the next day.
Gosar responded to criticism by saying that he denounced “white racism,” but a week after the conference, he posted a tweet containing a slogan frequently repeated at AFPAC: “America First is inevitable.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/rep-paul-gosar-doubles-down-on-support-for-nick-fuentes-white-nationalist-america-first-group/
Having a sitting member of Congress address AFPAC gave a credibility boost to Fuentes’s efforts to recruit young conservatives to his far-right ideology. And Gosar’s appearance on AFPAC’s stage wasn’t the last of it.
Gosar, who sat through Fuentes’ speech emphasizing the importance of preserving a white “demographic core,” praising the Jan. 6 insurrection as “awesome,” and mocking Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn’s disability, met with Fuentes the next day.
Gosar responded to criticism by saying that he denounced “white racism,” but a week after the conference, he posted a tweet containing a slogan frequently repeated at AFPAC: “America First is inevitable.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/rep-paul-gosar-doubles-down-on-support-for-nick-fuentes-white-nationalist-america-first-group/
That’s white nationalist social media influencer who got kicked off social media, Nick Fuentes. This week’s:
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[font size="8"]I Need A Drink
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Hey everyone, I don’t know about you but I could really use a drink!
So of course the idea behind this segment is that we have some drinks, and while we are drinking, we talk about anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics or COVID because there’s some really dark shit happening in the world right now and it always helps to take a look at the lighter side of the news. The topic on the table this week? Director Roland Emmerich, who made the bizarre box office bomb Moonfall, claims that superhero and franchise flicks are ruining cinema. But are they really? Or is this just another director who’s mad that nobody went and saw his movie which is universally being panned as a colossal piece of shit? I’m guessing the latter. So tell me bartender, what goes well with a story about the moon crashing towards earth? A moon rock cocktail? What’s in that? Actual moon rocks? No thanks, I’ll stick to my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. So here’s more about the latest director to decry cinema because people aren’t going to see his ridiculous disaster flick, which is a disaster.
The disaster film has changed a great deal since Roland Emmerich first blew up the White House in Independence Day more than 25 years ago. Back then the genre had fallen relatively dormant following the glory days of Irwin Allen’s own golden age for cinematic mass destruction. But from the moment Emmerich’s on-screen aliens gleefully detonated the White House during a Super Bowl commercial in 1996, American and global audiences alike were ready for a new breed of spectacle.
Since that defining summer movie, Emmerich’s seen the genre ebb and flow, soar with humor and, in later years, reach for something a little more somber and sensitive. Yet when we sit down with him to discuss his latest bid in the format—this month’s high-concept sci-fi action-adventure, Moonfall—he’s reflective on just how hard it is to even make such a crowd-pleasing event that’s not based on a comic book in the age of Marvel Studios, DC Entertainment, and Lucasfilm dominating multiplexes during the summer… and all other seasons.
“Oh yes,” Emmerich tells Den of Geek when asked if the disaster genre has changed in recent years. “Because naturally Marvel and DC Comics, and Star Wars, have pretty much taken over. It’s ruining our industry a little bit, because nobody does anything original anymore.”
https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/roland-emmerich-marvel-star-wars-ruining-our-industry/
Since that defining summer movie, Emmerich’s seen the genre ebb and flow, soar with humor and, in later years, reach for something a little more somber and sensitive. Yet when we sit down with him to discuss his latest bid in the format—this month’s high-concept sci-fi action-adventure, Moonfall—he’s reflective on just how hard it is to even make such a crowd-pleasing event that’s not based on a comic book in the age of Marvel Studios, DC Entertainment, and Lucasfilm dominating multiplexes during the summer… and all other seasons.
“Oh yes,” Emmerich tells Den of Geek when asked if the disaster genre has changed in recent years. “Because naturally Marvel and DC Comics, and Star Wars, have pretty much taken over. It’s ruining our industry a little bit, because nobody does anything original anymore.”
https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/roland-emmerich-marvel-star-wars-ruining-our-industry/
Come on, the Simpsons predicted Moonfall already. And I think I would much rather watch that Itchy & Scratchy clip several times over. Where’s my drink? Ah there we go! So is it really hurting the movie industry or does anyone not want to see Moonfall? Seriously, Moonfall is the kind of movie where you watch and you get high with your friends and make snide commentary over, much like Mystery Science Theater 3000. And this wouldn’t make a bad MST3K episode either. But in his defense, Mr. Emmerich is not wrong here. Because there is a definite lack of originality in Hollywood right now with sequels and reboots and extended universes getting green lighted over original content.
A lot of prominent filmmakers have spoken out against Disney’s Marvel model or superhero movies in general, with the most prominent being Martin Scorsese, who—in an essay published last year—argued that Marvel and Disney are reducing movies to “content” and that “a David Lean movie, a cat video, a Super Bowl commercial, a superhero sequel, and a series episode” are all effectively the same thing these days. (The great Alex McLevy went deep on it in this essay.)
Basically, Scorsese’s argument wasn’t that all superhero movies are bad or that anyone is wrong to like them, it’s that Disney’s decision to put out constant sequels and insist that you have to see each one is devaluing movies in general. Still, though, some people refuse to engage with Scorsese’s argument, possibly because he’s from an older generation and makes films rather than movies, but surely the same can’t be said of the latest critic of the superhero boom: Roland Emmerich.
Emmerich, whose latest film Moonfall is “inept… even by the relatively low stands of big-budget popcorn fare,” recently spoke with Den Of Geek and declared that “Marvel and DC Comics and Star Wars have pretty much taken over.” He says this is ruining the movie industry because “nobody does anything original anymore,” which seems at least a little fair. Spider-Man: No Way Home is Sony’s biggest movie ever, and Warner’s Justice League movie was so bad that the studio just made a different one.
https://www.avclub.com/roland-emmerich-superheroes-star-wars-marvel-ruining-1848489099
Basically, Scorsese’s argument wasn’t that all superhero movies are bad or that anyone is wrong to like them, it’s that Disney’s decision to put out constant sequels and insist that you have to see each one is devaluing movies in general. Still, though, some people refuse to engage with Scorsese’s argument, possibly because he’s from an older generation and makes films rather than movies, but surely the same can’t be said of the latest critic of the superhero boom: Roland Emmerich.
Emmerich, whose latest film Moonfall is “inept… even by the relatively low stands of big-budget popcorn fare,” recently spoke with Den Of Geek and declared that “Marvel and DC Comics and Star Wars have pretty much taken over.” He says this is ruining the movie industry because “nobody does anything original anymore,” which seems at least a little fair. Spider-Man: No Way Home is Sony’s biggest movie ever, and Warner’s Justice League movie was so bad that the studio just made a different one.
https://www.avclub.com/roland-emmerich-superheroes-star-wars-marvel-ruining-1848489099
Who wants shots? Shots shots shots shots shots shots? And speaking of shots, before I down this one, while actual directors are piling on Hollywood for the lack of originality, and come on let’s face it, has anyone seen even one Best Picture film in the last 3 years? Anyone? Well, director Steven Soderbergh has taken a cheap shot and offered one of the weirdest commentaries we’ve seen on the superhero genre yet. But this is a good point on this one.
Steven Soderbergh continues to be one of Hollywood’s biggest directors, but don’t expect him to take on a superhero franchise anytime soon. In a new interview with The Daily Beast, the “Traffic” director said that he does not have the philosophical opposition to franchises that some of his peers do, but he has trouble wrapping his mind around stories that are not set in the real world.
When asked if he has considered making a superhero movie, Soderbergh’s answer was negative. “Not really, and I’m not a snob; it’s not that I feel it’s some lower tier in any way. It really becomes about what universe you occupy as a storyteller. I’m just too earthbound to really release myself to a universe in which Newtonian physics don’t exist. I just have a lack of imagination in that regard,” he said.
“Also, for a lot of these, for me to understand the world and how to write or supervise the writing of the story and the characters — apart from the fact that I can bend time and defy gravity and shoot beams out of my fingers — there’s no fucking. Nobody’s fucking! Like, I don’t know how to tell people how to behave in a world in which that is not a thing.”
The irony of superhero movies, with casts full of Hollywood’s most attractive stars, being so sexless has been pointed out by many filmmakers. But Soderbergh’s logistical concerns with the genre stretch far beyond that. “The fantasy-spectacle universe, as far as I can tell, typically doesn’t involve a lot of fucking, and also things like — who’s paying these people? Who do they work for? How does this job come to be?” he said.
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/steven-soderbergh-doesn-t-understand-200024120.html
When asked if he has considered making a superhero movie, Soderbergh’s answer was negative. “Not really, and I’m not a snob; it’s not that I feel it’s some lower tier in any way. It really becomes about what universe you occupy as a storyteller. I’m just too earthbound to really release myself to a universe in which Newtonian physics don’t exist. I just have a lack of imagination in that regard,” he said.
“Also, for a lot of these, for me to understand the world and how to write or supervise the writing of the story and the characters — apart from the fact that I can bend time and defy gravity and shoot beams out of my fingers — there’s no fucking. Nobody’s fucking! Like, I don’t know how to tell people how to behave in a world in which that is not a thing.”
The irony of superhero movies, with casts full of Hollywood’s most attractive stars, being so sexless has been pointed out by many filmmakers. But Soderbergh’s logistical concerns with the genre stretch far beyond that. “The fantasy-spectacle universe, as far as I can tell, typically doesn’t involve a lot of fucking, and also things like — who’s paying these people? Who do they work for? How does this job come to be?” he said.
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/steven-soderbergh-doesn-t-understand-200024120.html
Uh… this new thing called a PG-13 rating? And I’m sure that Gwenyth Paltrow would charge the studios extra to have a sex scene with Iron Man in the next movie. She seems like that type. Look Roland, here’s the thing – we’re all tired of sequels and reboots and extended universes. But in order for a movie to dethrone those movies at the box office, it has to be good. And like Kevin Smith said, the art house and original flicks can’t exist without the big budget ones. But that said, are you really going to get people to suddenly care about the environment? We all remember Avatar.
The German filmmaker, whose box offices successes include Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow, told Sky News that film studios saying they are committed to being greener need to stop commissioning superhero films which end with the world being saved.
"In Marvel movies and DC comic movies it's all the superheroes. That's easy, you can kind of shift the responsibility to a superhero, and then that's it.
"Sometimes a big blockbuster is the right thing to wake up people... whenever it's an end-of-the-world scenario, it's decisions about life and death, and I think that heightens everything...
"I think every bit helps, you know, and you have to show people this is going to happen."
Emmerich's 2004 classic The Day After Tomorrow might have painted an extreme scenario, whereby a sudden worldwide storm plunges the entire planet into a new ice age, but he says some artistic licence is needed to get people thinking.
https://news.sky.com/story/climate-change-disaster-movie-director-roland-emmerich-says-we-need-more-blockbusters-tackling-environmental-issues-12498945
"In Marvel movies and DC comic movies it's all the superheroes. That's easy, you can kind of shift the responsibility to a superhero, and then that's it.
"Sometimes a big blockbuster is the right thing to wake up people... whenever it's an end-of-the-world scenario, it's decisions about life and death, and I think that heightens everything...
"I think every bit helps, you know, and you have to show people this is going to happen."
Emmerich's 2004 classic The Day After Tomorrow might have painted an extreme scenario, whereby a sudden worldwide storm plunges the entire planet into a new ice age, but he says some artistic licence is needed to get people thinking.
https://news.sky.com/story/climate-change-disaster-movie-director-roland-emmerich-says-we-need-more-blockbusters-tackling-environmental-issues-12498945
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[font size="8"]Red State Diaries: ReAwaken America Tour
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Welcome back to our segment that explores what the MAGA world is up to now that their dear leader is no longer in power with RED STATE DIARIES! Ooh that was some good reverb there. Last week we brought you Florida’s plans to derail their state’s vaccination efforts with their new surgeon general, who is more Dr. Nick than Dr. Fauci. This week, your church is blurring the line between church and state every day. Why? Well the ReAwaken America tour is a thing. And it’s every bit as batshit insane as you could possibly imagine. What is the ReAwaken America tour, you might ask? Well it’s a venerable melting pot of batshit crazy conspiracy theorists and batshit crazy religious kooks. And there’s no structure strong enough to stand up to all that batshit. Plus think of the smell! So when you get these two groups together, what could possibly go wrong? Well a hell of a lot, and this tour is already off to a rip-roaring start!
Top loyalists to Donald Trump, who frequently push lies about election fraud, have joined forces with conservative doctors touting unproven Covid curesand vaccine skepticism, and like-minded evangelical ministers at a series of events across the US this summer.
The conservative “ReAwaken America” tour – featuring ex-general Michael Flynn and top Donald Trump loyalist donors – has held events in Florida, Michigan and other states.
It underscores how Trump’s allies, anti-vaccine doctors and conservative preachers are amplifying baseless claims that are hurting the nation’s public health and its democracy with potentially far-reaching impacts, say pandemic and election experts.
The tour comes as Covid cases soar and as Republican drives to pass state laws weakening voting rights increase. While the tour has touted Flynn’s key role, a Tulsa Oklahoma media figure and Christian entrepreneur named Clay Clark has been instrumental in orchestrating the gatherings – also dubbed “health and freedom” conferences – using his “ThriveTime” podcast and radio show and Charisma News coverage.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/03/trump-loyalists-doctors-ministers-reawaken-america-tour
The conservative “ReAwaken America” tour – featuring ex-general Michael Flynn and top Donald Trump loyalist donors – has held events in Florida, Michigan and other states.
It underscores how Trump’s allies, anti-vaccine doctors and conservative preachers are amplifying baseless claims that are hurting the nation’s public health and its democracy with potentially far-reaching impacts, say pandemic and election experts.
The tour comes as Covid cases soar and as Republican drives to pass state laws weakening voting rights increase. While the tour has touted Flynn’s key role, a Tulsa Oklahoma media figure and Christian entrepreneur named Clay Clark has been instrumental in orchestrating the gatherings – also dubbed “health and freedom” conferences – using his “ThriveTime” podcast and radio show and Charisma News coverage.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/03/trump-loyalists-doctors-ministers-reawaken-america-tour
Oh it gets better my friends! So much better! Remember that idiotic doctor who spoke about “demon sperm” from the beginning of the pandemic (see: Top 10 #9-7 ) ?Well she is back and just as batshit crazy as you remember her. Really I think the GOP master plan at this point is to just kill all of their constituents. They don’t want health care, and they prefer quack cures over real ones and listen to idiots who suggest we drink bleach (see: Top 10 #8-15 ). Well,
“Dr” (term used loosely) Immanuel is back and she is crazier than ever.
Based in Houston, where she runs a church next to her clinic, Immanuel has also attracted attention for other remarks. She has said she seeks to remove spirits and demons from her patients and attributed gynecological diseases from "demon sperm" transmitted during sex dreams with supernatural beings.
The ReAwaken America Tour has featured speakers who have advanced conspiracy theories and disparaged vaccines. It has also featured retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, who briefly served as Trump's national security adviser before having to resign for his communications with Russia's ambassador.
Immanuel told those in attendance that she took an extra dose of hydroxychloroquine in preparation for the event, saying "only treatment works." Telling the audience "there should be no reason for you to take the jab," she also noted noted that there are "a lot of reasons why people took the jab."
"Many have already succumbed and got this genetic modification for fear of death, losing their jobs, not being allowed to see their family members," Immanuel said during her speech.
https://www.newsweek.com/demon-sperm-doctor-promoted-trump-says-covid-vaccine-luciferian-can-exorcised-1671021
The ReAwaken America Tour has featured speakers who have advanced conspiracy theories and disparaged vaccines. It has also featured retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, who briefly served as Trump's national security adviser before having to resign for his communications with Russia's ambassador.
Immanuel told those in attendance that she took an extra dose of hydroxychloroquine in preparation for the event, saying "only treatment works." Telling the audience "there should be no reason for you to take the jab," she also noted noted that there are "a lot of reasons why people took the jab."
"Many have already succumbed and got this genetic modification for fear of death, losing their jobs, not being allowed to see their family members," Immanuel said during her speech.
https://www.newsweek.com/demon-sperm-doctor-promoted-trump-says-covid-vaccine-luciferian-can-exorcised-1671021
Or real medicine for that matter! Oh and by the way, if you’re wondering if the ReAwaken America tour attracts garbage people wherever it goes, you’re not wrong. They are literally drawn like flies to a bug zapper. So what is going on with this bunch? Well if the ReAwaken America tour comes to your city, you should very quickly run the other way. Not only is it a super spreader of disease due to the high influx of anti-vaxxers, it’s also a super spreader of garbage people.
A far-right event in Phoenix featuring a long list of conspiracy theorists, anti-vaxxers, and former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn got off to a rocky start on Friday, with police being called after ticket holders began taunting educators from a nearby charter school over face masks, according to the Arizona Republic. About a dozen cops responded to the clash between attendees of the ReAwaken America Tour at Dream City Church, which hosted a Trump rally in 2020, and the schoolteachers, a Dream City pastor told the outlet. He said the dust-up was ultimately “taken care of,” and that armed private security guards had been hired to help maintain order. The two-day gathering includes a slate of speakers such as Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward, and topics like “It’s the COVID-19 Protocols That Are Mass Murdering COVID-19 Patients,” and “Jesus is King & Donald Trump is the REAL president of the United States.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/attendees-at-far-right-reawaken-america-tour-clash-with-phoenix-teachers-over-face-masks
https://www.thedailybeast.com/attendees-at-far-right-reawaken-america-tour-clash-with-phoenix-teachers-over-face-masks
Oh they brought out the pitchforks and torches! Torches! And Arizona is not the only rally where this batshit insanity took place! Well look at what happened in Oregon, And guess what? The same group of trashy people showed up. Because that’s the kind of people who Trump attracts. He just attracts people who are pure trash, and should be taken out with it. The ReAwaken America tour is just another clusterfuck in the long line of terrible things associated with this administration. Really, it’s insane.
A controversial rally has been moved to a church in Salem after an uproar involving mask enforcement and elected officials in central Oregon.
The Reawaken America Tour was originally scheduled for the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center in Redmond. It has been moved to The River Church at Portland Road in Salem. It is scheduled for April 1 and 2.
The event at other locations has focused on support for former President Donald Trump, as well as false allegations surrounding the presidential election and COVID-19.
The event came under scrutiny after the Bend Bulletin reported an event planner stated in an email that they had gotten personal assurance from Republican Deschutes County commissioners that the state’s mask mandate wouldn’t be enforced.
County officials deny that occurred, according to the Bulletin, and the county later asked event organizers to sign a contract addendum agreeing to follow the mandate.
https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2022/01/20/salem-oregon-rally-moved-redmond-mask-uproar-reawaken-america-tour-donald-trump-michael-flynn-stone/6595218001/
The Reawaken America Tour was originally scheduled for the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center in Redmond. It has been moved to The River Church at Portland Road in Salem. It is scheduled for April 1 and 2.
The event at other locations has focused on support for former President Donald Trump, as well as false allegations surrounding the presidential election and COVID-19.
The event came under scrutiny after the Bend Bulletin reported an event planner stated in an email that they had gotten personal assurance from Republican Deschutes County commissioners that the state’s mask mandate wouldn’t be enforced.
County officials deny that occurred, according to the Bulletin, and the county later asked event organizers to sign a contract addendum agreeing to follow the mandate.
https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2022/01/20/salem-oregon-rally-moved-redmond-mask-uproar-reawaken-america-tour-donald-trump-michael-flynn-stone/6595218001/
[font size="8"]And Now This: [/font]
[font size="8"]Greta Van Fleet [/font]
Folks, my next guest just opened for Metallica at Allegiant Stadium in Vegas, they are on tour through April 27th. Playing their song “The Barbarians” from their new album “The Battle At Garden’s Gate”, give it up for Greta Van Fleet!
Thank you Milwaukee! We’re off to Detroit next! See you next week!
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