Top 10 Idiots

Top 10 Idiots's Journal

February 28, 2022

Holy Shit: The Sunday Sermons Episode 5: Meet The MAGA Candidates

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! It’s taken us a while to get to this point but we are finally ready to continue with our spin off of Holy Shit! So it’s been a while but I am finally rested and ready to answer your prayers from the Holy Shit Hotline To Heaven! Because the good LAWRD JAYSUS wouldn’t want now, now would he? Of course he wouldn’t! So this week, we’ve got a lot planned for you and we’re going to get right down to it and cut to the chase! So in the number one slot this week, we are going to talk about some of the crazier candidates that the MAGA world is running for office (1). Some of them might win, some of them might lose. We hope they all lose if they side with the unholy Dark One! In the second slot this week is Pastor Greg Locke (2) who literally organized a book burning, because why not burn the Twilight and Harry Potter novels? In the third slot this week is Christian Prophets (3). Because they are making some ridiculous claims about their devotion to GAWD. And none of them are exactly what one would call “accurate”. Enjoy! And as always don't forget the key!

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[font size="8"]Holy Shit: MAGA 2022 Candidates
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My fair congregation! Please be seated! By the way it is so great to have our gospel choir back isn’t it, and give it up for them! You know we live in a strange time right now. And you know what? I am not afraid to get docked by the IRS this week because we need to get blunt and straight to the point because the future of our country is at stake here. And it’s at stake because those who believe in the unholy, ungodly Dark One are running their people for office. And the Dark One is of course a man so foul, so depraved and disgusting, that his name dare not be spoken in my church! But what truly scares me about some of these people is that they seek to undo nearly 200 years of the very principals that this great nation was founded on. One of which is separation of church and state. Which brings me to my first candidate – Kandiss Taylor of Georgia, who’s not even trying to hide her positions. Nope, they’re on display on her tour bus and they’re very much out in the open!

A Republican candidate running for governor in Georgia gained attention after a tweet of her standing in front of a tour bus displaying the words "Jesus, Guns, Babies" went viral Thursday.

Kandiss Taylor's bus slogan is reminiscent of the song "Lawyers, Guns and Money" by Warren Zevon, which tells the story of a man on the run after losing money gambling in Havana, Cuba.

The bus was the focal point of a tweet that also contained a short rhyme about her supporters.

"WHO'S THAT COMIN' DOWN THE TRACK? A BIG MACHINE THATS RED AND BLACK… AINT NOTHIN' FINER IN THE LAND, THAN A CONSERVATIVE KANDISS TAYLOR FAN!!!!" Taylor tweeted.

Also plastered on the bus's side: "I'm The ONE You've Been Waiting For!"
https://gazette.com/news/georgia-gubernatorial-candidate-tours-with-jesus-guns-babies-bus/article_4c888f64-5b6c-5490-92c6-d915aa6f3ab5.html

I will say this and listen very clearly: NO!!!! You are not the one we have been waiting for! In fact you are the exact opposite of what we have been waiting for! We do not want anyone who supports the unholy Dark One! That is no t what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want! Now what kind of fucked up shithole party supports this nonsense? Well the same party that supports the candidate behind door #2 – Wendy Rogers of Arizona! Yes, her credentials with the Dark One are strong, and she is the exact kind of candidate you would expect them to run!

Arizona state Rep. Wendy Rogers released a new campaign ad Tuesday in which she declared that her embrace of right-wing conspiracy theories such as the “Big Lie,” which baselessly claims that rampant voter fraud stole the 2020 presidential election from former President Donal Trump, is part of an ongoing effort to change the narrative and move “the Overton Window.”

The Overton Window is a theoretical framework for conveying which opinions or policy positions on a given subject are politically acceptable at any given time. An effort to move the Overton Window generally involves introducing seemingly radical ideas into the mainstream political or cultural narrative repeatedly in order to desensitize the population, thus making once radical ideas more mainstream and thereby broadening or shifting the range of acceptable opinions or policy options.

In just one term in office, Rogers, a 67-year-old grandmother, has catapulted onto the national stage and raked in record donations thanks not only to her embrace of Trump, who has endorsed her bid for reelection, but also the far-right extremes of the white nationalist America First movement.

Rogers’ new ad is predictably heavy on Big Lie rhetoric and demands to see “arrests” and “perp walks” of those allegedly responsible for supposedly stealing the election.

“If you told me two years ago that, ‘Wendy Rogers, you’re going to be in the limelight on election integrity issues, election corruption for the nation,’ I never would have imagined it,” Rogers said. “We’ve collected all this data to arguably show widespread corruption in our voting system. … I want to see arrests. I want to see perp walks. I want to see everything out in the open. Elections have consequences. Stolen elections have far worse consequences.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/az-state-rep-wendy-rogers-is-pushing-right-wing-conspiracy-theories-to-move-the-overton-window/

Yes so there’s Kandiss Taylor and Wendy Rogers – both of which are certified batshit crazy and the opposite of what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want! Oh and you think we might be done, my fair congregation, that I most assure you we are not! Next up I give you Bianca Garcia – a Texas woman who claims that she was sent here by GAWD and that all who do not vote for in 2022 will pay dearly! Imagine the sheer balls that it takes to say something like this. Like I do not, nor ever will command an army of volunteers the way these people do. And the “do as I say” thing never works. Nobody likes a tyrant!

Bianca Gracia, a right-wing conspiracy theorist who served as president of Latinos For Trump, is currently running for a seat in the Texas state Senate because, she claims, God has called her to take her “rightful place” in the state capitol and “make the devil run.”

So positive is Gracia that God wants her to inhabit this seat that she is already claiming victory in the Republican primary, which doesn’t occur until next month. On Wednesday, Gracia appeared on fellow conspiracy theorist Chris McDonald’s “The McFiles” program, where she warned that any Christian who doesn’t vote for her will be held accountable by God.

“I just finished an interview with some pastors,” Gracia reported. “And I told them, I said straight up, ‘I’m only going to win if the church shows up. That’s it. If you do not show up, then you will be held accountable because I have been appointed and assigned for this position and God is testing you all. I don’t have anything else to say to you other than that. So, you’re going to either have to show up and show out, or you’re going to have to deal with it with the Lord.'”

“That’s where we’re at,” she continued. “We’ve drawn the line. We’re past the party lines. We are now fighting a very evil, evil, demonic [hierarchy].”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/bianca-garcia-says-christians-who-dont-vote-for-her-will-be-held-accountable-by-god/

I know right? Even SAYTAN is having a hard time with this one! And by the way you might be wondering where MAGA finds candidates like this. Well they all fall under the “America First” banner that the unholy Dark One himself has been peddling for the last few years. And of course if they gather, do not question them! For you see, racists don’t like to be called racist. And if they’re attending a racist conference, don’t question them. They do not like to be questioned!

The list of those participating in the upcoming America First Political Action Conference continues to grow.

Organized by white nationalist Stop the Steal activist Nick Fuentes, who regularly uses his online platorm to spew antisemitic, misogynistic, racist rhetoric, AFPAC had already announced the participation of a cavalcade of white nationalists, alt-right MAGA activists, and right-wing conspiracy theorists like Stew Peters, Lauren Witzke, Patrick Howley, Michelle Malkin, Jared Taylor, Peter Brimelow, Andrew Torba, Jesse Lee Peterson, Milo Yiannopoulos, Laura Loomer, and former Rep. Steve King.

On Thursday, Fuentes announced the addition of radical birther conspiracy theorist and former sheriff Joe Arpiao and Arizona state Rep. Wendy Rogers, a 67-year-old grandmother who has catapulted onto the national stage after just one term in office thanks to her tireless promotion of the “Big Lie,” her embrace of former President Donald Trump, who has endorsed her bid for reelection, and her outreach to the far-right extremes of the white nationalist America First movement.

Another Trump-endorsed candidate, Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, is featured among the “special guests” who are scheduled to appear in a promotional image for the conference, but Lake is disputing that claim, insisting on Twitter that it is a “false photo” and that it is “slanderous” to report that she intends to participate in AFPAC.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/kari-lake-says-its-slanderous-to-report-shes-attending-the-white-nationalist-afpac-conference/

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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Let’s spin it to win it, shall we? And it lands on… come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… stop! Chance!

I’m OK with this – to be fair I’ve actually paid more in taxes this year than Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos combined! Hey o! Spin it again! And it lands on… oh it’s time for Holy Shit!

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

My fair congregation! Please have a seat. You know we live in trying times right now. For you see there are some who believe they are speaking directly to and for GAWD. Well I can assure you this – they are completely wrong. Let’s think about this here – imagine the sheer balls that it takes to call yourself a “prophet”. Then imagine that you have command over people. And I can tell you this my fair congregation – those people are wrong. They are so wrong in fact that they are punching themselves a one way ticket to the fieriest pit of HELL! And why is that you might ask? Well I’m of course referring to the fact that all of these prophets have one thing in common – they all support the unholy, ungodly Dark One! I of course speak of a man so foul, depraved, and disgusting that his name dare not be spoken in my church! We’ve spoken about these abominations to religion before. But what are these so called “prophets” up to? Some very scary shit!

Curt Landry is a Trump-loving right-wing pastor who was among the various “prophets” who boldly and explicitly guaranteed that former President Donald Trump would win reelection in 2020.

Landry proclaimed that 2020 would result in a “red tsunami” in which Trump won the White House and the GOP won control of both houses of Congress. None of those things happened. In fact, ever after Congress had certified Joe Biden’s win as president, Landry was positive that God would ensure that Trump remained president, so much so that he declared that he was “making arrangements” to be in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20 for Trump’s inauguration.

Amazingly, Landry did a livestream on his YouTube channel last Tuesday on the dangers of “cancel culture” in which he asserted that Christians must repent and apologize for daring to criticize the “prophets” who got the election wrong.

It is not the “prophets” who need to apologize for being wrong, Landry said, but rather “the body of Christ” which must apologize for criticizing the “prophets” for being wrong.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/curt-landry-says-criticizing-false-prophets-is-cancel-culture/

No pastor, you’re wrong. All wrong! See, that’s the very definition of what a false prophet is – the fact that you are wrong! You see, these dark prophecies might have worked in the 2016 election when people still believed in that shit. But this is 2022, 6 years later and people are wising up to the fact that these so-called “prophets” are completely full of shit! The thing is people worship the unholy Dark One and the ground that he walks on. But that is not what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now, is it?

As such, these “prophets” spent the last year doggedly promoting the Big Lie about the election and vehemently insisting that they are not, in fact, false prophets.

Just take, for instance, the “prophetess” Kat Kerr who claimed in 2018 that she had been taken to Heaven where God showed her the results of the next five elections, which she said would result in “24 years of God in the White House” beginning with Trump winning reelection in 2020. His term, in Kerr’s telling, would be followed by Vice President Mike Pence being elected to two terms as president, followed by the election of whomever Pence has chosen as his vice president.

Needless to say, with the fact that Trump has not been in the White House for the last year and has turned against Pence for failing to stop the confirmation of Biden’s electoral win, it is now literally impossible for Kerr’s prophecies to come true. But that hasn’t chastened Kerr in the least, as she has spent the last year resolutely spreading false claims about a stolen election and insisting that Trump is actually president.

Like Kerr, QAnon conspiracy theorist and self-proclaimed “prophet” Johnny Enlow also prophesied that Trump would win reelection and has correspondingly spent the last year refusing to admit that he was wrong and insisting instead that Trump has secretly become “President of the World.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/trump-prophecies-and-the-big-lie-one-year-in/

That’s because today’s religion doesn’t do that. Today’s religion has melded with politics, much like the merging of two robot entities at the end of Terminator 2, and produced something extremely dark. So, so dark in fact! But of course here’s where the prophets run amok. Because you know that when the Dark One is involved, they are going to. It is not their right to say that someone doesn’t get to appoint a judge, that is determined by the Constitution of the United States! Not by a very small faction of right wing religious zealots!

Right-wing pastor Hank Kunneman is a self-proclaimed prophet who resolutely pushes the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen rather than admit that his “divine” proclamations that former President Donald Trump would be reelected were false. On Sunday, Kunneman used the services at his Lord of Hosts Church in Omaha, Nebraska, to insist that President Joe Biden has no right to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer because Biden’s presidency is “not legitimate.”

Kunneman said that Christians have no obligation to refer to Biden as president or to pray for him and asserted that Biden has no right to control the military or appoint new justices because “that guy is illegitimate.”

“Father, you know, I know, they that stole the election know, and those who have had their eyes open know that those who are seated in power are illegitimate,” Kunneman prayed. “By acts of treason and lies have they sat upon their seats, lofty with pride! And yet, they would even risk and put our own soldiers upon foreign soil by one who has no authority as president to be acting in such ways of authority to put our troops at risk, or to appoint a Supreme Court justice at the expense of being able to legislate and declare verdicts over the people when no power should have ever been given to a point.”

“This is unjust,” he screamed.

“There’s too much division in the nation for [the election] not to be settled,” Kunneman declared. “It demands that the truth be heard, be represented. And so here’s my point: Let’s just say that that guy is illegitimate—which all signs point to—then why would we even call him president? Why should we even pray for somebody—now you pray for his soul—but why should we pray for him in the context of being president? Why should he also be given the right—this is what infuriates me—why should he be given the right to appoint a Supreme Court justice who judges over the affairs of man if he’s not legitimate?”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/prophet-hank-kunneman-says-biden-has-no-right-to-appoint-a-new-scotus-justice-because-hes-illegitimate/

Oh shut up Hank. The Dark One is not GAWD! He is one man, and he is a very sick, twisted and evil man who desecrates everything he touches! In fact even our Good Book says that you should be aware of a twisted and foul creature who will present himself as a child of light! And by the way if you want to see someone who worships and follows the prophets,. I give you Christian nationalist Heidi St. John, who wants to bring GAWD back into politics. No, these two should separate much like olive oil and vinegar!

Early in 2021, Christian nationalist home-schooling advocate, author, and podcaster Heidi St. John launched a bid for U.S. Congress in Washington state’s 3rd Congressional District. Outraged by incumbent Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler’s vote to impeach former President Donald Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, St. John decided to try and unseat her in the GOP primary by appealing to MAGA voters, denouncing public libraries as “evil organizations,” and pledging to “be a mom for America.”

Earlier this month, St. John appeared on the “Stand Up For The Truth” podcast, where she sounded Seven Mountains and Christian nationalist themes that have been central to her campaign, describing politics as “a spiritual battle” and vowing to “bring back the name of God into the political sphere.”

“[Politics is] in my blood,” St. John said. “And I think it should be in the blood of every Christ follower. Politics determined policy, and it is policy that has murdered 63 million of our unborn in this country. It is policy that has gotten us into the mess that we are in as a nation, and we need wise people and godly people to ascend to positions of authority in the nation.”

“What we’ve observed over years and years and years is a church deciding to pull itself out of arguably one of the most important aspects of the culture, which is determining our laws and determining the policy that governs the people here,” she continued. “Christians belong in every sphere of influence. We have a command to be strong and courageous. [God] did not say, ‘Be strong and courageous except for in the political sphere, stay out of that one.’ No, we belong in every sphere of influence. We belong in medicine. We belong in entertainment. We belong in education. And we belong in politics.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/heidi-st-john-is-running-for-congress-to-bring-back-the-name-of-god-into-the-political-sphere/

[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

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/

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

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

[font size="8"]Holy Shit Hotline To Heaven
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My fair congregation! We now come to the end of the episode! But before we go, we are here to answer your prayers from the Holy Shit Hotline To Heaven! Now of course because this is a free-floating segment so anything can happen and there’s no telling which direction it will go in! Now I know that we are going through a difficult time right now with the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, but that doesn’t mean that we still can’t have fun, right? Now we do get a lot of prayers and we pull the best of them which you can send to our Twitter account at @churchoftop10. We read the best of them and post them here with any articles or videos that will accompany your questions and thoughts! We also welcome all hate mail! So let’s fire away and answer as many as we can!

Monica S. from Brooklyn, New York writes:

Heavenly Father,

Why do so many on the right tend to side with Russia when Russia is the enemy?

Well that is a good question, Sister Monica! Because I have been monitoring the activities of our brothers and sisters on the right for quite some time. They seem to love and adore Putin’s brand of Christian nationalism. Which is not necessarily something that the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now, is it? There’s something inherently wrong with these people who worship the Dark One and we may never find out what that is. But here’s some clips.

Yeah because when you’re picking a fight with Putin, you’re picking a fight with GAWD! That is some next level crazy there! Our next prayer:

Gregory T. from Park City, Utah writes:

Heavenly Father,

Why are those on the right further increasing their embrace and love violence and insane conspiracy theories? I do not get it.

Honestly the only answer that we could come up with here is that violence is all that they have! Just look at this guy from North Carolina. All they do is threaten violence and ask questions that have no answers. Lather, rinse, repeat!

Mark Burns, an unabashed Christian nationalist Trump-loving pastor who is running for Congress in South Carolina, spoke at the ReAwaken America conference last weekend in Canton, Ohio, where he called on right-wing activists to launch a wave of civil disobedience to shut down America in an effort to prevent schools from teaching critical race theory.

The ReAwaken America event was organized and hosted by conspiracy theorist Clay Clark, who has been bringing various election, COVID-19, and QAnon conspiracy theorists together in churches around the country for the last year. The Ohio event featured the likes of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, and Eric Trump, who used his time on stage to call his father—”the real president”—from his cell phone, much to the delight of the crowd.

“Do you want critical race theory in your schools?” Burns asked the crowd. “Is it in your schools right now? Then what are you doing about it?”

“Are you organizing here in Ohio?” he continued. “What is the goal? To keep critical race theory out of your schools!”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/maga-pastor-mark-burns-calls-for-mass-civil-disobedience-to-shut-down-america-to-prevent-the-teaching-of-critical-race-theory/

Oh they are definitely crazy all right! My next prayer:

Nick C. from Athens, Georgia writes:

“Heavenly Father,

Why do my friends who are parishioners love people like Marjorie Taylor Greene? Are they crazy or am i?”

No, Brother Nick! You are definitely not the crazy one in this equation. Women like Marjorie Greene and Lauren Boebert – they are not on the side of light. They stand for the Unholy Dark One and all of the hate and division that he brings. And we’ve got plenty of video evidence to prove it!

Wow, that is some next level crazy there! Our final prayer this week comes to us from:

Martha J. from Palo Alto, California writes:

“Heavenly Father,

Why do so many who love Q Anon and worship the Dark One love the idea of mass arrests and public executions? I do not get this one.

Well, sister Martha, I honestly don’t have an answer for this one, and we have been following the cult of Q Anon for quite some time now. All we know is that we are in for a rocky ride the next few years and things are going to get absolutely crazy. Especially with folks like these!

[br]

Thank you very much my fair congregation! I will see you for episode 6 on March 20th! See you then!

Credits

Host: Pastor Initech
Holy Shit: The Sunday Sermons Recorded Live At: Comedy Underground, Seattle, WA
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Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo

February 24, 2022

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-5: We've Got A Great Big Convoy Across The USA Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-5: We’ve Got A Great Big Convoy Across The USA Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Yo!! What’s up Seattle? How you guys doing? You doing fucking good? Great! I hope that everyone is ready of course! Next week is March 3rd which means my favorite Top 10 of the entire year. That’s right – it’s the return of Stupidest State! You guys ready for some bracketology? All right! Spoiler alert! Florida is dumb! But y’all already knew that! It’s good to be back in the Emerald City! This guy up front knows what I am talking about! Do we have time for the thing? Of course we do, it’s my show after all! So Kanye is off his fucking rocker, can we all agree with that? Like I kind of get his point that artists don’t get paid enough, but come on. Releasing your new album via this crappy 8GB MP3 with lights on it that costs people $200? That is some next level crazy there, and also some serious fleecing. You can’t make the claim that one minute you don’t get paid enough, and then the next you charge people $200 to listen to your new album? And come on people, stop giving him money already! Seriously, it was bad enough when he was charging $120 for a plain white t-shirt. Or $180 for a sweatshirt at Coachella. But now this? Come on, people. Stop it already, just stop it! And I say this as a music fan by the way. With love, because I care. OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is finally back!!! And this week he delves into the bizarre war on critical race theory, courtesy of your local school board representative who watches way too much Fox News for their own good:

Where do we begin this week? Well the number one slot this week goes to Vladimir Putin (1). Yes, Pooty is in some deep doo doo and has continued to amass troops at the Ukranian border despite the fact that most of the world is against this. And Fox News is actively cheering him on. In the second slot this week is the GOP (2). The GOP is continuing the downplaying of the events of January 6th and making it seem like it didn’t happen, and is in full on “Move along, nothing to see here, please disperse!” mode. Taking the number 3 seed this week is the Freedom Convoy (3). Yes, Ottawa is finally turning the tables on these dipshits but this protest isn’t going away any time soon, in fact it might be coming to a city near you (cue the horror music) ! At slot #4 this week is your favorite president, me, Donald Trump (4) because Trump launched his much delayed new social media network “Truth Social” which already was a bust, though the MAGA world won’t let you forget it and will somehow claim that it’s a massive success, even though it wasn’t. In the number 5 slot this week is a new edition of “We’re All Gonna Die” (5) and this week – is the Omicron BA.2 variant of COVID-19 something to really be concerned about even though case numbers are dropping like a ton of bricks? We will attempt to sort through the misinformation here, but yeah… we’re all gonna die! Ahhhhhh!!! Taking the number 6 seed is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” and this week we’ve got a fun one for you as our resident pastor is going to introduce you to some seriously off the wall batshit MAGA candidates in the 2022 midterm elections, where you have crazy and crazier to choose from! In the number 7 slot this week – speaking of MAGA candidates, we profile Nevada’s controversial Congressional representative candidate Noah Malgeri (Q-Batshit) in a new edition of This Fucking Guy (7), and whew, some next level crazy there! In the number 8 slot this week, we have a new edition of Conspiracy Corner (8) and this week, my home state of California is cracking down on online misinformation. Will they succeed? And the answer is probably not. In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week, we have a new “I Need A Drink” – and this week we’re going to talk about the Coachella Music Festival – is having a “no rules, anything goes” policy a good idea right now? I’m going to say probably not. Finally this week in our last Red State Diaries – we have our predictions on the 2022 midterms. Will they go out with a bang or a whimper? A little from column A, a little from column B. Plus we have some live music for you from Slash feat. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators! Buy their new album 4 or you are no friend of this program! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]Vladimir Putin
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OK everyone I must stress that the following segment was written on Monday and taped yesterday before the news of Russia invading the Ukraine and Putin threatening nuclear war started. Don't worry - we will get to that in full next week! Now back to our regularly scheduled programming!

So we’re on week 3… has Vladimir Putin invaded the Ukraine yet? No? Come on, I had the over / under on the Ukraine invasion like 2 weeks ago! Of course I am currently underestimating our current president, Joseph R. Biden. Seriously, Trump would have let Pooty take over the Ukraine by now and he’d have his sights set on Belarus. Did I say Belarus? That’s a future invasion waiting to happen. And I wouldn’t put anything past Pooty either on the subject. By the way, you might be wondering why I keep referring to him as Pooty – and it’s because premier warlords like Putin are taken down a few pegs when you call them baby names. Just like Xi Xi. And I’m probably banned from China again, LOL. So what does Pooty stand to gain from this? Yeah I remember that we asked this question last week but we also didn’t get a clear answer either. The real answer is… it’s complicated.

Shortly afterward, Putin laid out three conditions to end the crisis that has threatened to plunge Europe back into war, raising the specter of massive casualties, energy shortages across the continent and global economic chaos.

Putin said the crisis could be resolved if Kyiv recognizes Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014, renounces its bid to join NATO and partially demilitarizes. The West has decried the annexation of Crimea as a violation of international law and has previously flatly rejected permanently barring Ukraine from NATO.

Asked whether he has sent any Russian troops into Ukraine and how far they could go, Putin responded: “I haven’t said that the troops will go there right now.” He added that “it’s impossible to forecast a specific pattern of action –- it will depend on a concrete situation as it takes shape on the ground.”

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-europe-russia-vladimir-putin-46cef648807d0e3c2bac9793ad9022a6

Yes, Pooty used the “they look like dorks” defense of his invasion in Ukraine. But this invasion probably isn’t going away anytime soon. You know we’re coming up on March 11th, which is when we usually take a break. Last time we took a break that week the pandemic was declared and the world went to shit. I hope when this break happens that World War III isn’t declared! But then again I wouldn’t put anything past Pooty!

He asserted without evidence that Ukraine was “torturing” people, including women and children, and he repeated the genocide claim.
.. .

His move to see the territories as sovereign statelets also breaches the 2015 Minsk peace agreement, which was supposed to restore the two separatist regions to Ukraine’s control.

Putin excoriated Ukraine’s leaders In his television address, questioned their legitimacy and called the country “a colony with puppets at its helm” where Russian speakers were oppressed.

“Ukraine has never had its own authentic statehood. There has never been a sustainable statehood in Ukraine,” he said. He warned that Ukraine could develop its own nuclear weapons, calling this a “real threat,” claiming that the West was using Ukraine as “theater of potential warfare” against Russia and might help Kyiv to develop them.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/putin-calls-ukraine-a-us-colony-with-a-e2-80-98puppet-regime-e2-80-99/ar-AAU8u1d?ocid=BingNewsSearch

Yeah it pretty much boils down to that. But the fact that Pooty is refusing to recognize Ukraine’s statehood is shockingly evil. Russia is about to do something really bad if we don’t let them. But this has much bigger implications than just invading the Ukraine. Instead, Russia is sending a message to the entire world. And that message is – “don’t fuck with us”. Never mind that Putin has amassed the power of internet propaganda to turn whole countries against each other. But what do you do when the leader of your country is a furry cat and an island fortress away from being a full blown James Bond villain?

'NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says Russian pressure and threats against Ukraine are the “new normal” for Europe, as Russia has amassed more than 150,000 troops and is prepared to attack.

This is a new escalation, but Ukrainians have been under constant hybrid attack from Russia since 2014. The United States itself has been under growing hybrid attacks for several years, including election interference and cyberattacks. If this is indeed the new normal, and even if Russia doesn’t attack, the United States must adapt our policies – economic, diplomatic and military – to face this new reality.

The Russian military buildup has brought President Vladimir Putin clear diplomatic gains as Western leaders line up to speak with him in Moscow. Russian diplomats proclaim a willingness to negotiate, but Russian demands on NATO and Ukraine violate the precepts of international law and fundamental NATO commitments. Western offers to negotiate matters of strategic interest, like missile deployments and military exercises, have been dismissed, while Russia fishes for cracks in allied unity.

How to pressure Russia

Our positions have been made clear: There is allied unity and resolve that NATO will not give Russia a veto over its policies, including the right to consider new nations for membership, nor will it roll back its invitation to Ukraine or its military deployments in Eastern Europe.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnists/2022/02/21/ukraine-wesley-clark-nato-russia-invasion/6872627001/

Yeah Vladimir Putin is basically a real life Dr. Evil, except that there’s no Austin Powers or James Bond out to thwart his evil deeds. Unless the world stands up to this madman. Which is a possibility but then again we’re too busy fighting each other on social media in order to actually band together to stop him from taking over the world. So what’s to stop Pooty from a full blown Ukraine invasion? Well it’s going to take a lot of factors and a lot of decisions being made in the next few weeks. I tell you guys the start of WWIII is going to be very interesting.

The Russian expression “tanks don’t fear mud” is common enough that it’s been the title of a short-lived Russian television series and can be found stenciled on car windows.

And it’s yet another reason why any Russian decision to invade Ukraine is likely to depend very little upon fears that a spring thaw will hinder tanks from crossing boggy ground. Russia’s military has, in addition to tanks and other armored vehicles that are well equipped for mud, a range of fighter jets and missiles that are the hallmarks of any modern military.

U.S. President Joe Biden has said that Russia is essentially in position for an invasion of Ukraine “assuming that the ground is frozen above Kyiv,” the Ukrainian capital that is only 75 kilometers (47 miles) from the border of Belarus, a key Russian ally. It’s not the first time an American official has invoked Russia’s need for frozen ground to stage an invasion.

But analysts trying to figure out how Russia could invade say any assault would start with air and missile strikes, likely targeting Ukrainian military sites.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/02/14/russias-ukraine-plans-how-much-does-mud-matter.html

[font size="8"]The GOP
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So the clusterfuck that was the January 6th insurrection at the US Capitol is something that will probably never be fully resolved. And the last couple of weeks, we’ve been talking about the cult momentum in the GOP has been building to something ridiculously evil. And they’re censoring the few people who have dared to speak out about what this party is really up to. Well there’s been some crazy developments in the last week and we won’t have time to get to them all unfortunately. But first I want to talk about Josh Hawley – seen here looking like he’s about to lead the Spartans from 300 into battle against the barbarians. And I’m also not going to get into what’s going on with Hawley and the people of Missouri – we’ll save that for next week! But Hawley is selling some commemorative merchandise for the January 6th insurrection that some might call “poor taste”. And that’s putting it lightly. Merchandise – that’s where the real money from the attempted coup is made!

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is selling what he declares is a “great way for proud, fearless conservatives to support” his campaign: a mug with an image of himself cheering on the mob preparing to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6.

“Liberals are so easily triggered, and this new mug is really whipping the left into a frenzy!” read a Monday campaign email advertising the $20 item. “Josh isn’t scared — he’s show-me strong! This Made in America mug is the perfect way to enjoy Coffee, Tea, or Liberal Tears!”

It’s unclear if Hawley licensed the viral image for use. The Associated Press told Rolling Stone in an email that they are “not seeing anything in our billing system with that usage,” and that they will be contacting their attorney regarding Hawley’s potentially unlicensed use of the image. Hawley’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hawley not only raised his fist as a sign of solidarity with the mob — hundreds of which have been arrested, some on charges of seditious conspiracy — before it stormed the Capitol, he also objected to the certification of the election results in Arizona and Pennsylvania. The vote to overturn the election came after rioters attacked police officers and stormed through the Capitol in what the GOP has officially dubbed “legitimate political discourse.”
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/josh-hawley-cheering-jan-6-rioter-mug-1300054/

Oh fuck off Hawley! By the way, anyone who gets their jollies from making other people cry should probably be put on a terrorist watch list. I’m just saying some of these people probably either have or are in the process of committing terrorism. And speaking of terrorists, a guy who’s terrorized Ohio’s 4th district for years – Jim Jordan is increasingly coming under fire for his alleged involvement in the January 6th insurrection. That’s right – this is one investigation that could have the potential to get very interesting in the coming weeks! Pass the popcorn!

Protestors in Ohio rallied outside of GOP Representative Jim Jordan's local office, urging the secretary of state to remove him from the ballot and prevent him from seeking another term in Congress.

Jordan, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, has received substantial backlash from Democrats, and some Republicans, over his support for Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. The Ohio Republican spoke with the former president on the phone multiple times on January 6, 2021—when pro-Trump rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol.

Although Jordan previously suggested that he only spoke to Trump after the riot began, phone records first reported by CNN in early February showed that the congressman talked to Trump for about 10 minutes on the morning of January 6 before the assault against the federal legislative building. He also forwarded a controversial text message before that day, which laid out a strategy to overturn President Joe Biden's Electoral College victory.
https://www.newsweek.com/jim-jordan-should-disqualified-ballot-over-jan-6-protestors-1680969

Oh yes! We know that the MAGA rioters had help from the inside but who? It’s no mistake that the GOP is in full blown “move along, nothing to see here” mode! Well, one person that we know of that is actively aiding and abetting the MAGA terrorists is Arizona’s Kelli Ward. And Ward is running to be a representative of Arizona! Come on, people! Where is Congress and the FBI on this one? Is Don on the phone? Let’s get Don on the phone, damn it!!

The Jan. 6 select committee has subpoenaed the phone records of Arizona GOP Chair Kelli Ward and her husband, Michael Ward, who both signed documents falsely claiming to be among their state’s presidential electors in 2020.

The Wards filed suit Tuesday against the House panel in federal court in Arizona seeking to block the couple’s phone provider, T-Mobile, from sharing their records with the committee. The lawsuit was initially assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Susan Brnovich — the wife of Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, who is running for Senate and is an ally of former President Donald Trump — but she quickly recused herself from the matter.

The select committee subpoenaed the phone records of the Wards — as well as their company Mole Medical Services P.C. — last month from their provider, T-Mobile, according to court records. T-Mobile indicated it would turn over the records by Feb. 4 unless the Wards filed suit.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/02/jan-6-committee-subpoenas-arizona-gop-chair-00004903

Yeah that’s pretty much what it is like right now! But there is good news. How deep does the January 6th insurrection go? Well to sound like a conspiracy theorist, it goes all the way to the president! Well, the guy who used to be president at the time. So you might be asking who can sue who in this case? It turns out, ladies and gentlemen, that guy can be sued! Yes, the Former Guy himself can be sued by the victims of this atrocity. Let’s just hope they don’t get Lionel Hutz as their defending attorney.

On Friday, approximately five seconds after we posted about "Trump's Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Week In Court," the old goat got yet more bad news on the legal front. US District Judge Amit Mehta rejected Donald Trump's motion to dismiss, ruling that three cases arising out of his conduct on January 6, 2021, can proceed. And if the ruling holds — a big if with those six goons squatting at SCOTUS — it's a virtual certainty Trump will be going under oath for discovery.

The three cases are: Swalwell v. Trump, in which Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell sued Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Don Jr. and GOP Rep. Mo Brooks; Thompson v. Trump, in which 11 Democratic representatives sued the former president, his lawyer, and both the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers; and Blassingame v. Trump, in which two Capitol Police officers seek to hold Trump to account for their injuries on January 6. In addition to various tort claims, all the plaintiffs sued under a theory that Trump and the other defendants conspired to violate the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, a Reconstruction Era statute that makes it illegal to impede a government official carrying out his or her official duty, in this case the certification ofJoe Biden's Electoral College win and the peaceful transfer of power.

Conspiracy: What Is That Again?

There are a lot of moving parts here, so it probably makes sense to orient this discussion around the definition of a conspiracy. A civil conspiracy consists of (1) an agreement that is (2) between two or more parties to (3) commit an unlawful or wrongful act that (4) injures a third party.
https://www.wonkette.com/court-rules-trump-can-be-sued-for-inciting-mob-on-january-6

[font size="8"]Freedom Convoy
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We got a great big convoy, across the USA! Convoy! Except this convoy isn’t taking place in the good ol’ USA. Nope, it’s affecting our neighbors to the north in Ottawa. That’s right, the nation’s capital is going through week 3 of these ridiculous lockdown protests. Look guys, we don’t like this anymore than you do. Me personally? Lockdowns fucking suck. And I’m not a fan of wearing masks either. But being directly related to a public health official, I can see why they are necessary. And the sooner we all do what we are supposed to do – get the vaccine and wear your damn mask, the sooner we can go back to having the lives we knew before 2020 happened. Although the science is saying that there is no going back at this point. Last week we talked about how the Freedom Convoy is enjoying some unprecedented funding from some extremely dark money sources. Yes, the kind of people who you wouldn’t trust with 10 cents, let alone a million dollars. So did they win or lose anything? Probably not.

Last weekend, my 16-year-old son went driving for maybe the third time in his life since he got his learner’s permit. I was white-knuckling it on the passenger side, as one does, jamming my right foot down on the floor. At one point, he briefly lurched at the sidewalk, terrifying a guy who was walking his dog.

My son, crestfallen, wondered aloud why the only instrument on his dashboard was a horn. “I wish there were a sorry button. Why is there a horn but not a sorry button?” he asked.

I was thinking about the nonexistent sorry button when I traveled to Ottawa last week, the city of my birth, and the place my family has lived for three generations, to try to understand what the “Freedom Convoy”—a protest-slash-occupation that lasted for more than three weeks—was really all about.

By the time I arrived, several thousand trucks had blocked major city streets and managed to close down the entire center of Canada’s capital city, shuttering businesses already hobbled by the pandemic and frightening residents in Ottawa’s downtown core.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/02/ottawa-freedom-convoy-truckers-protest.html

Yeah seriously? Where’s that guy when you need him? But that said, how did Canada’s Justin Trudeau handle this clusterfuck? Well the protests as you can imagine went ridiculously out of control, and of course Trudeau had to enact what are called “emergency powers”. Look, in all seriousness – fuck these people. You know what? The only language these morons understand is violence, so I say fight fire with fire, you know? But we can’t let them get away with this. When you destroy property and fling poop and compare vaccine mandates to the holocaust, you lose any sympathy I had left.

Canada is lifting the emergency powers it enacted more than a week ago to get street protests under control, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying the unprecedented authority is no longer needed.

His government invoked the never-before-used Emergencies Act after hundreds of semis and other heavy vehicles blockaded the downtown of Canada’s capital city for three weeks. The demonstration in Ottawa sparked offshoots that shut down key U.S. border crossings, including the Ambassador Bridge to Detroit.

“Today, after careful consideration, we’re ready to confirm that the situation is no longer an emergency,” Trudeau said alongside his attorney general and other top ministers in Ottawa on Wednesday. “We are confident that existing laws and bylaws are now sufficient to keep people safe.”

The legislation gave authorities financial tools to cut off funding to the protesters and compel towing firms to clear out the vehicles, among other measures. Canadian banks froze about C$7.8 million ($6.1 million) in just over 200 accounts under the emergency powers, government officials told lawmakers Tuesday.
https://fortune.com/2022/02/23/justin-trudeau-emergency-powers-trucker-protest-freedom-convoy/

Yeah no you don’t want this convoy coming to your city, Homer. These are the people who are not to be trusted with anything. But all that said, let’s turn our attention to the states. Where these assholes are planning to head to the State Of The Union with the intent of disrupting. That’s right – their next target is Biden’s first State Of The Union address. You know, it will be so nice to have a president who can say the word “union” correctly again (see: Top 10 #4-4 ). However, his fans are planning on pulling the same shit in DC that they did in Ottawa.

A series of truck convoys is headed to the DC area in the coming days -- the first expected Wednesday, Feb. 23 during evening rush hour. The goal: to create gridlock on the Beltway.

Bob Bolus, a Scranton, Pa. truck driver, told 7News he's leading a 'convoy' to protest federal COVID-19 mandates, inflation, and illegal immigration.

“We're not going to camp there. Let me put it that way,” Bolus replied. “We're not camping on the Beltway. We're gonna have our voices heard and let them understand this is only the tip of the iceberg."

He told 7News that a captain within the Metropolitan Police Department recently contacted him to ask about his protest plans. Yet Bolus, who owns a tow truck company, said he is keeping his convoy out of the District as he believes Maryland and Virginia follow due process more than the nation’s capital.
https://wjla.com/news/local/truck-convoy-protest-dc-maryland-virginia-beltway-i495-traffic-gridlock-highway-what-we-know-covid-19-mandates-freedom-bob-bolus-scranton-harrisburg-pennsylvania-baltimore

Hey enough with the Convoy song already! But see, Geico? This is how you bundle. Not only do you get a mask mandate protest, you also get an economic protest, and an illegal immigration protest! Order now and save! Oh and by the way in case you’re wondering who’s funding this madness, well, guess what? The police are in on it! That’s right – cops were among the donors who were doxed. You know what? Let me have some Rage Against The Machine! Some of those who work forces, are the same that burn crosses! UH!!!!

By combing through the nearly 100,000 people who donated to the protest via the crowdfunding website GiveSendGo, Torstar reporters identified 15 police officers who as of 2020 were on the payroll of the province’s three largest police forces: Ontario Provincial Police, Toronto Police Service and Ottawa Police Service.

All three services had officers on the ground in Ottawa to police the “Freedom Convoy.”

The police donations were small, ranging from $20 to $200, and all were made on or after Feb. 5 — by which time the prime minister and Ottawa’s police chief had declared the protests “illegal” or “unlawful.”

The OPP has launched an internal investigation into the officers named on the leaked donor list.

“The OPP holds its members accountable for their actions while on duty and off. They have a responsibility to demonstrate neutrality and remain non-partisan. Any demonstration or expression of views and opinions that may be interpreted as condoning illegal activity is in direct opposition to the OPP’s values and mandate,” said spokesperson Bill Dickson.
https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2022/02/22/ontario-police-officers-are-named-in-leaked-list-of-donors-to-the-freedom-convoy.html

[font size="8"]That Former Guy
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You know how everyone has that one person at work who constantly brags about every single excruciating detail of every minor achievement their children have, no matter how insignificant it really is? “My son jumped in the deep end of the pool today! He’ll be an Olympic swimmer in no time!!”. Shut up, Karen. And it’s always a Karen isn’t it? Apologies to any Karens we might have in the audience tonight. Well our Karen in question happens to be former president turned social media influencer Donald J. Trump. Well, he finally launched his much hyped social media platform “Truth Social”. Well, Donny’s baby has definitely had its’ share of problems getting off the ground. But here’s the thing – right wing social media is quickly becoming what one might call a perfectly competitive field. Yeah it’s like the people selling oranges on the side of the freeway. But while it may be the top downloaded app on the Apple App Store (for now), it’s going to have some problems and will probably never be able to top Facebook and Twitter. Also, thank god I am an Android user.

Truth Social, a new social media app that claims to be “free from political discrimination” from former President Donald Trump, made its public debut on Apple’s App Store on Monday in honor of President’s Day. Like many things in Trumpland, including the Trump himself, the app was messy and full of errors.

Former Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, CEO of Trump Media & Technology Group, announced that Truth Social would be rolling out in the App Store this week on Fox News on Sunday, with a goal of being fully operational in the U.S. by the end of March. The app went live shortly before midnight on Sunday and was automatically downloaded for users who had pre-ordered it in the App Store, Reuters reported.

The app quickly climbed the charts on the App Store, taking the number one spot in the social networking category on Monday. However, being first doesn’t necessarily equate with being the best in this case. Reports soon surfaced about users not being able to register and being placed on waitlists. In fact, as one Twitter user pointed out, users couldn’t even read about what they were signing up for because the terms of service page was down.

Gizmodo reached out to Trump Media & Technology Group on Monday for comment on Truth Social’s launch but did not receive an immediate response.
https://gizmodo.com/trump-truth-social-problems-launch-presidents-day-app-s-1848574162

Gee, who would have thought that something that Trump would put his name on would turn to complete shit? I mean come on, there’s Trump Steaks, Trump Vodka, Trump Airlines, Trump Bottled Water, Trump University, Trump Resorts… now Trump social media! And their user base is currently far less than the expected 74 million. They got literally 500,000 users. Or as Trump would put it – “Huge numbers, we got the biggest ever!”. Yeah right. Give me a break.

Despite a shaky start, Donald Trump's Truth Social app has attracted more than 500,000 users in its first 48 hours.

The app, created by the Trump Media and Technology Group, went live in the early hours of Monday on Apple's App Store. The launch meant that those who did not pre-order Truth Social could set up the accounts on the self-styled "free speech" platform.

By Tuesday evening, Truth Social had become the number one free app on the Apple marketplace after more than half a million people signed up, according to Twitter users who shared their number on the growing wait list.

However, the launch was not without its teething problems. Soon after it went live, many people complained the sign-up system was not working and they could not set up an account. Others also reported being held in lengthy waiting lines before they could complete their profile on Truth Social, with the queue reportedly said to be nearly 400,000-users long at one stage.
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-truth-social-app-apple-app-store-users-1681790

Thank you Nelson! Now let’s all list all the ways that the launch of Truth Social went wrong, and there’s plenty to choose from! I mean come on, who wants to hear Trump and a bunch of other far right wing nuts barf their brains for $4.99 a week? Worst streaming service ever, BTW. And come on dude, you were banned from Twitter for essentially threatening to murder half the government and stage a violent coup to overturn the election. But hey, create your own social media platform that you can’t be banned from. So here’s just one of the problems you will encounter if you use this app.

However, people attempting to check out the new platform may have to wait a while.

As of Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET, the app had a waitlist nearly 475,000 users long.

“Due to our massive demand, we have placed you on our waitlist,” a message from the platform reads. “We love you, and you’re not just another number to us. But your waitlist number is below.”

“Truthsayers,” as the app’s users are called, who seem to have made it in before the waitlist also experienced glitches trying to explore the platform.

“Love the app but it doesn’t work,” wrote one user who gave the app three stars in their review. “I am 100% down to fight against this corruption and take these elites … down.”
https://www.heraldsun.com/news/nation-world/national/article258657503.html

Yes they do have the internet on computers now! And by the way how ironic is it that they are attempting to stick it to “big tech” while at the same time launching an app on the Apple App Store? I mean come on, that is about as “big tech” as it gets. And come on, with security expert Devin Nunes at the helm, what’s the over / under on how long before this site gets hacked? Knowing how conservatives treat cyber security, I’m surprised it hasn’t been hacked already.

Donald Trump has published his very first post on his new social media platform. How do we know this? Because his son shared a screenshot of it on Twitter.

On Tuesday night, the former president's son, Donald Trump Jr., share a screenshot of his father's very first post on Truth Social on his Twitter. The platform has not launched publicly.

"Get Ready! Your favorite President will see you soon!" read the post on Truth Social.

"Time for some Truth!!!" tweeted Trump Jr., sharing the screenshot on the website that banned his dad after a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021 in an attempt to overturn the official election results.

A few others in the Trump orbit have also shared screenshots of their own debut Truth Social posts. The video service Rumble, which has pivoted into a "free speech" conservative media platform following those events at the Capitol, tweeted out a screenshot promoting how its company will power video on Truth Social.
https://mashable.com/article/trump-truth-social-launch-date

[font size="8"]We’re All Gonna Die
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Hey everyone guess what? We’re all gonna die! Woooooooooooooooooooo!!! Woooooooooo!!! Wooooo. Wooo. Woo. So what’s gonna kill us all this week? Well in the last two years we’ve had a plague and locusts, and killer storms and extreme climate change. Of course they’re all hoaxes depending on which news source you watch or your creepy uncle’s Facebook page. Yeah we all know he watches way too much Alex Jones for his own good. But this can’t be denied that the COVID-19 pandemic is still very much a thing. And most governments around the world have acknowledged that the pandemic is here to stay whether we want it to or not. While most are preparing to transition to living with an endemic virus, rather than it being a full blown emergency that shut down life as we know it in 2020, there’s a new variant on the horizon that looks to do some damage before it disappears. Or it could not. That variant is called “BA.2” and it looks like it’s a much more severe variant than the Omicron variant that has ravaged everything in the last few weeks. So what’s the latest on the BA.2 variant? Could it kill us or not? Here’s more.

As the omicron surge continues to decline in the U.S., infectious disease experts are keeping a close eye on an even more contagious version of the variant that could once again foil the nation's hopes of getting back to normal.

The virus, known as BA.2, is a strain of the highly contagious omicron variant that appears to spread even more easily — about 30% more easily.

Because BA.2 quickly overtook the original omicron in South Africa and other countries and has even caused a second omicron surge in Denmark, researchers have been bracing for the same thing to happen in the U.S.

"A lot of us were assuming that it was going to quickly take off in the United States just like it was doing in Europe and become the new dominant variant," says Nathan Grubaugh, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health.

So far that hasn't happened. Instead, BA.2 has slowly, but steadily spread even as the omicron surge continued to dissipate. The fear is that spread may be on track to rapidly accelerate in the near future.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/02/21/1081810074/omicron-ba2-variant-spread

Oh come on, kid, haven’t you ever seen a killer virus before? Well here’s the thing – the first wave we all did think we’re going to die. But now we’re in the 6th wave of this thing and most of the world, including the governments and health regulators are basically saying “eh, whatever”. Like you know. But this one is different as mask mandates are receding around the country and the world. But what would happen if this BA 2 variant causes one last surge?

Some laboratories in North Carolina have detected the presence of the latest COVID-19 variant, a subvariant of omicron called BA.2.

The BA.2 subvariant is also called "stealth omicron" because researchers say it can be harder to detect on a PCR test. It also shows resistance to some treatments and may cause more serious illness than the initial omicron variant.

Dr. David Wohl, who specializes in infectious diseases for UNC Health, says the entire UNC system has only seen three cases of the new variant so far.

Wohl said the biggest concern is that any new variant may not respond the same to existing treatments.

"It does look like it’s a little bit more infectious, but the good news is the vaccines work really well against it, just as well as they worked against omicron itself," he said.
https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/omicron-subvariant-ba-2-has-arrived-in-nc/20153432/

Calm down! We’re not going to die! Except for maybe the remaining anti-vaxxers that the virus hasn’t yet killed off. And you know what? At least COVID has a sense of humor because it is killing off the unvaccinated at an alarming rate. And most of the unvaccinated happen to be Trump / MAGA supporters. Hey, you can’t vote if you’re dead, at least that’s what your creepy uncle’s Facebook page told me. So if there’s nothing to be concerned about for the vaccinated, why are we still in full blown panic mode over this variant?

Another variant of coronavirus has become a matter of concern for several medical scientists and experts across the globe. The Omicron subvariant BA.2, is the new Covid-19 strain, which the experts have warned that it is capable of causing serious illness just like the 'Delta' variant. A Japanese study led by researchers from the University of Tokyo has concluded that the BA.2 subvariant of the Omicron coronavirus variant is not only faster at spreading, but may also cause more severe disease.

As a result, American public health scientist, Dr Eric Feigl-Ding has suggested to the World Health Organization (WHO) that the new Omicron sub-variant must be declared as a 'Variant of concern'.

Eric on Twitter wrote, "Worrisome—New lab experiments from Japan show that #BA2 may have features that make it as capable of causing serious illness as older variants–including Delta! And yet as evasive as old #Omicron cousin BA1. BA.2 surging—needs to upgrade to VOC asap WHO".
https://www.livemint.com/news/world/omicron-subvariant-ba-2-experts-ask-to-declare-new-strain-variant-of-concern-11645410826840.html

Calm down! We’re not gonna die, at least not yet! Because there is some good news is that while Omicron is rapidly receding, it looks like it’s taking BA2 with it. Could BA2 become deadlier? It’s entirely possible. Or it could not be. The thing is that this is such an unpredictable virus that there’s no telling which way it could go. We do know that each receding wave is getting way less deadly than the previous one. So we’ll keep an eye on this one. But for now… consider that we’re probably not going to die from this one.

While COVID-19 rates have declined in areas like the Northeast, where BA.1 hit hard late last year, cases of BA.2 are on the rise worldwide. About 8% of cases in the U.S. are now likely to be BA.2, while in Denmark, which went through a BA.1 wave in December, 82% of infections are BA.2, according to Trevor Bedford, an expert in viral evolution at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

It's not clear whether BA.2 is pushing out the original omicron variant, referred to as BA.1, he said.

In Denmark, BA.2 is rising as BA.1 falls, but case are split about 50-50, so "it's not clear which of these variants is driving the outbreak," Lemieux said.

In South Africa, where cases had fallen dramatically after a huge surge around Thanksgiving, BA.2 is more prevalent than BA.1.

"What we don't know and still have almost no information on is what impact this will have on case counts, on hospitalizations, on deaths," he said.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2022/01/25/omicron-new-variant-ba-2-covid/9214980002/

[font size="8"]Holy Shit: MAGA 2022 Candidates
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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! By the way it is so great to have our gospel choir back isn’t it, and give it up for them! You know we live in a strange time right now. And you know what? I am not afraid to get docked by the IRS this week because we need to get blunt and straight to the point because the future of our country is at stake here. And it’s at stake because those who believe in the unholy, ungodly Dark One are running their people for office. And the Dark One is of course a man so foul, so depraved and disgusting, that his name dare not be spoken in my church! But what truly scares me about some of these people is that they seek to undo nearly 200 years of the very principals that this great nation was founded on. One of which is separation of church and state. Which brings me to my first candidate – Kandiss Taylor of Georgia, who’s not even trying to hide her positions. Nope, they’re on display on her tour bus and they’re very much out in the open!

So yeah gather a group of Christian nationalist extremists in a room together and there’s not enough crazy in the world to cover it! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]This Fucking Guy: Noah Malgeri
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This week’s This Fucking Guy is a guy who is running to be a Congressional candidate in the state of Nevada, Noah Malgeri. And you know what? The MAGA crowd sure can pick ‘em, can’t they? Whether it’s people who blatantly flaunt egregious separation of church and state violations or people who tout batshit crazy conspiracy theories, there’s something for everybody in the MAGA crowd. But in this case they may have found a guy who’s literally a combination of all flavors of MAGA and batshit crazy. That’s Noah Malgeri. A guy who is running to be the representative for NV-3. And before we get into why he’s this week’s This Fucking Guy, we should warn you that there is going to be a lot of crazy in this one. But that’s really the kind of mind that Trump attracts. He attracts the ridiculous, the insane and the seriously batshit crazy. What are Mr. Malgeri’s MAGA qualifications you might ask? Well for starters, he has stated publicly about wanting to hang Trump’s political opponents. Because if you’re going to execute someone, why not go for the old fashioned ways?

A congressional candidate says during a recorded interview that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff should be executed on live TV.

No, this wasn’t someone running in Texas or Georgia. It was Noah Malgeri, a U.S. Army veteran who is seeking the 3rd District congressional seat right here in Southern Nevada. Nevada voters should remember his name, because he has revealed himself as being a face of dangerous Republican extremism.

Appearing the day after Christmas in an interview with the Las Vegas right-wing group Veterans in Politics International, Malgeri called for Gen. Mark Milley to be court-martialed and, if found guilty, put to death. The comment related to GOP accusations that Milley committed treason for allegedly reassuring his counterpart in China that the U.S. would not attack China in the months after Donald Trump was defeated in the 2020 election.

“We need to get back to our patriotic, liberty-loving roots,” Malgeri said. “What did they used to do to traitors if they were convicted by a court? They would execute them. That’s still the law in the United States of America. I think, you know, if he’s guilty of it by a court-martial, they should hang him on CNN. I mean, they’re not going to do it on CNN. But on C-SPAN or something.”

This is the depth the GOP has hit: A comment that once would have been shocking even coming from a candidate from the radical fringe is now being made by a man who — on paper, anyway — wouldn’t necessarily raise any red flags.
https://lasvegassun.com/news/2022/jan/07/violent-extremism-has-crept-into-every-crevice-of/

And to even further his MAGA credentials, Mr. Malgeri said that COVID was “intentional to destroy America”, which is also a MAGA dog whistle. That’s right – the MAGA crowd believes that COVID was intentionally deployed to overturn the 2020 election. Which as everyone who lives in the real world knows that is 100% grade A bullshit. But no, the MAGA world chooses to believe in fake news and alternate realities, and when you’re so far gone from the real world, this is the kind of thing that people like this fucking guy choose to believe in.

Noah Malgeri, a Nevada Republican running for Congress, said he believes the coronavirus pandemic was an "intentional" act.

Malgeri made the remarks earlier this month during a roughly hourlong interview with Veterans in Politics.

"People need to understand that everything that's happened—the destruction of the currency, the destruction of the economy, the destruction of the middle class, the immigration crisis, the global pandemic situation and associated response measures—it's all intentional, done by forces aligned to destroy America and impose a totalitarian, authoritarian regime globally," he said.

Malgeri added, "This is the last hope. This is the final hill. The 2022 election is the most important election of my lifetime without question."
https://www.newsweek.com/covid-was-intentional-destroy-america-says-gop-candidate-noah-malgeri-1664048

Gee you think? I love when the MAGA crowd goes overboard with hyperbole. “This is my most important election ever!!!!”. Oh get the fuck over yourself. If you don’t win, there will be another election. It’s no mistake that the MAGA movement is dying faster than disco. At least in some states that is, in others where they elect crazy people like Madison Cawthorn and Marjorie Greene, oh no, this is just the beginning!

Republican congressional candidate Noah Malgeri called for General Mark Milley to be executed on live television for treason during an interview earlier in December.

Republicans previously accused Milley—who serves as the chair of the Joints Chiefs of Staff—of treason after The Washington Post reported on a phone call he allegedly made to General Li Zuocheng of China in October 2020 and January 2021 to reassure Li that the United States would not attack China.

Malgeri echoed those criticisms during a December 7 interview with the group Veterans in Politics, adding that he believes execution could be a potential punishment for Milley's alleged crimes.

He dismissed calls for a congressional commission to investigate the alleged crimes because "all the evidence is out there."
https://www.newsweek.com/mark-milley-should-executed-live-tv-says-gop-congressional-candidate-noah-malgeri-1663352

Seriously, this fucking guy has about as much credibility of locking up Mark Milley as Lionel Hutz does. I mean seriously, what fucking evidence? What do you have? And what does “out there” mean? See, I can play armchair attorney too! God, how dumb do they think we are? But then again this is the kind of mind that Trump attracts – someone who’s stupid and crazy enough to pull facts and evidence straight out of their ass and make baseless claims without no repercussions! And just like any MAGA, Mr. Malgeri uses the old “if you can’t beat ‘em, sue ‘em” tactic that is so popular with the likes of the MAGA crowd these days!

A Republican candidate for Congress is accusing a political consulting firm of withholding his campaign materials despite his termination of a contract with the company.

Noah Malgeri, who is running for Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District, is suing McShane LLC to regain access to campaign information such as his budgets, emails, campaign plans, polling data and login information for websites and social media accounts. Malgeri said he has already paid for the material, but the company said he has not paid his bill in full.

The lawsuit, filed Dec. 3 in Clark County District Court, accuses McShane, a prominent political consulting firm, of illegally withholding assets and enriching itself by charging more than $4,700 for a fundraising plan it failed to execute.

Malgeri said the company is trying to use his active political campaign as leverage to force him to pay for the return of his property.
https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/nevada/nevada-congressional-candidate-sues-consulting-firm-for-campaign-assets-2500977/

That’s how the MAGA mindset works these days! And to think this guy could be a Congressional representative! That’s Noah Malgeri – this week’s:

[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Welcome back to our segment that attempts to explain the unexplainable, Conspiracy Corner! We of course are coming to you live from our underground doomsday shelter deep within the heart of the New Mexico badlands, undisclosed location of course. Let me adjust my tin foil hat for maximum government interference – they are trying to read both yours and my thoughts, after all. You know folks, this week we are in two pandemics. The first pandemic of course is COVID-19 which doesn’t seem to be ending any time soon. The second pandemic is misinformation. But what makes this even crazier is that the second pandemic directly affects the first one. You know it’s a cause and effect thing. Because there’s a lot of bullshit out there and it’s especially rampant on your crazy uncle’s Facebook account. But now local governments are starting to crack down on this kind of thing. Folks, we can’t squash COVID-19 if we don’t wake up to the egregious misinformation and insane meme wars that are being passed around on social media. I personally thank the good lord that states like California are leading the way!

California legislators introduced a pair of bills Tuesday designed to crack down on social media platforms and rogue doctors who spread false information about COVID-19 vaccines.

The measures are part of a broader package of bills that aim to fight vaccine hesitancy — unfounded fears about immunizations that public health officials say have prolonged the pandemic and increased hospitalizations and deaths from the coronavirus.

SB1018 by state Sen. Richard Pan, D- Sacramento, would require social platforms to publicly disclose how their algorithms work and to share the data for research purposes. Supporters of the bill said it's apparent that sites like Facebook use technology that amplifies salacious content like conspiracy theories about the virus.

"We shouldn't have to wait for whistle-blowers ... for us to understand how online platforms and social media have been negatively influencing our lives," Pan said during a virtual news conference. "It should not be left to a handful of potentially very rich tech executives to decide what happens to our society and how we respond to a pandemic."
https://www.govtech.com/policy/california-aims-to-stop-misinformation-with-new-bills

But that said, the online misinformation sphere isn’t the only thing being cracked down on. California governor and recent recall stomper Gavin Newsom has been on a tear lately, going after the right wing trifecta of Fox News, OAN, and Newsmax. Because they are not just reporting the news, they’re one of the primary sources of misinformation. And not only that, he offers a perfect example of how misinformation gets out into the open. Look the bottom line is if you want this pandemic to end as much as I do, listen to the experts. Don’t listen to Fox News or Newsmax!

California Governor Gavin Newsom lashed out today at what he called “Perhaps one of the great disinformation networks in America…One America News” for spreading “a lot of misinformation” about Covid. He did not stop there.

“I’m not just referring to Newsmax or the primetime propaganda lineup at Fox News and all of their pundits that safely have been boosted, fully vaxxed that continue to promote a lot of misinformation. Forgive me for being so pointed and candid. People are quite literally losing their lives.”

The governor went on to offer an example.

“There was a tragic example of that….A state trooper in Washington state quit, and quit because he just couldn’t take it anymore and lost his life because of those propaganda networks, because of what was being stated and spread.”

Newsom was referring to Former State Trooper Robert LaMay, who quit after decades of service rather than being vaccinated and in his final radio signoff told WA Gov. Jay Inslee to “kiss my a**.” LaMay’s video signoff got millions of views online. He was later told by Fox News host Laura Ingraham that he had awakened “a sleeping giant” of vaccine resistance in the U.S. The unvaxxed LaMay died last month of Covid.
https://deadline.com/2022/02/newsom-rips-into-fox-news-oan-propaganda-1234956435/

You know that the family that tin foil hats together stays together. That we can all be sure of! That said the misinformation sphere isn’t just limited to the great state of California. No it’s a nationwide problem and it doesn’t look like it’s going away any time soon. California isn’t the only state to address the gross misinformation online. New Hampshire had a similar bill on the books but that one got very quickly defeated. And there’s also other bills in the works in other states – this stuff is serious business and it’s getting people killed.

Misinformation and misunderstanding have loomed large in every legislative debate over COVID-19 vaccine mandates. It’s been the same with bills that would repeal or scale back the state’s new 24-week abortion ban.

Those inaccuracies were repeated on the House floor and by Republican leadership Thursday as lawmakers took up and passed House Bill 1609, which would add exceptions to the state’s law for rape, incest, a mother’s health, and fatal fetal anomalies. The law currently makes an exception only for the mother’s life and serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function to the mother.

It also has an unclear ultrasound requirement and criminal and civil penalties for providers.

With more abortion bills coming, as well as a second House vote on HB 1609, we fact-checked opponents’ arguments.

On Thursday, House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, an Auburn Republican, urged his party to defeat HB 1609, saying New Hampshire’s law is similar to those in “liberal bastion states” like Massachusetts and California. The governor, who supports the added exceptions, has likened our bill to New York’s.
https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2022-02-21/abortion-debate-nh-fact-check

Yeah probably! But here’s the thing you got to know – misinformation is everywhere! And it is literally killing people! And not only is it impacting your hospitals and doctor’s offices, it is impacting everything from politics to the classroom! The only way to combat misinformation is to shut it down and read actual sources. Don’t go to Infowars or your uncle’s Facebook page which is most likely riddled with conspiracy theories from questionable news sources. As the late great Bill Hicks once said – read, think evolve! It is the only way to get off this planet! Maybe they really are trying to read your thoughts!

Misinformation is everywhere online, and it impacts everything from politics to the classroom.

You might have seen a viral TikTok claiming former astronaut Buzz Aldrin said the moon landing was fake: that's not true. Or, more locally, a claim about Carroll schools putting out litter boxes for students who identify as animals: that is also not true.

Stories like these are everywhere online. Dr. Michael Bugeja with the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication at Iowa State University explains why.

"Now the problem is, we had anticipated a global village with social media, and we got a global mall instead. So everything is about selling."

Those "global malls" are big business.

Facebook's parent company Meta is worth $565 billion and has nearly three billion users. With so many people posting and sharing, how do sites like Facebook deal with false posts?
https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/how-to-fight-misinformation-online-verify-tiktok-videos-false-information-social-media/524-7ed6fecd-582b-4b77-a041-4e572a4d160d

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

Of course you know by now that the idea of this segment is that we have some drinks and while we’re drinking we discuss literally anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics. We’ve also recently adopted a no COVID rule as well, but we’re going to rescind that rule this week. Because this week the Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival this week announced that their approach to COVID and the festival is “fuck it”. Tell me bartender, what goes well with a story about a super spreader? Virus beer? No thanks, I will just stick to my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. I call it the “Double Jack”. So yeah the organizers of Coachella – whose parent company is run by mega billionaire Philip Anschutz, are announcing that anything goes this year. That’s right – you can live, party, drink, and do drugs like its’ 2019 again! Woohoo!!! Never mind that there’s a new super variant of COVID on the horizon, though even that doesn’t look like it’s going to do a lot of damage. But that’s a different topic for this segment. Here’s the latest:

After revealing last fall that vaccinations would not be required for entry, the Coachella and Stagecoach festivals have further revealed that there will no longer be any Covid-related barriers to entry at all, not even negative tests. Nor will a requirement to wear masks figure into the picture when millions of selfies go out from the desert this April.

A tweet from the Stagecoach account told the story. “Festival Admission Update: As we prepare to spend an incredible weekend in the desert together we are announcing that there will be no vaccination, testing or masking requirements at Stagecoach 2022, in accordance with local guidelines,” it read.

No similar tweet has come from the Coachella account, but the policy is the same for both Goldenvoice-promoted festivals. Coachella was revealed to have also relaxed its policies in the fine print of its “Health & Safety” rules page.

Publicizing the lack of restrictions may be more important in pacifying the audience for Stagecoach, a festival targeted at the country audience, which demographically leans more conservative and has been a hotbed of anti-vaccine and anti-mask sentiment among a number of artists as well as much of the base.
https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/coachella-stagecoach-festivals-drop-covid-related-restrictions-rcna16393

Somehow, I don’t think that’s big enough! In fact I can’t wait for the inevitable t-shirts: “I went to Coachella 2022 and all I got was put on a ventilator”. Thank you for that, graphics department! That said, this year’s Coachella, after not having it for 2 straight years, looks to be both a clusterfuck and a colossal disaster. And really what can you expect with Kanye at the helm? But one thing you can also be certain of is that the idea of it being a “super spreader” is a very likely possibility!

For North America’s most lucrative and influential music festival, COVID-19 ended with an update to the fine print. On February 15, news surfaced that this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts festival had changed the health and safety guidelines on its website: Attendees would no longer be required to wear masks, show proof of vaccination, or provide negative COVID-19 test results. The same day, the country-music festival Stagecoach announced its own policy change more conventionally, via social media. Both festivals are staged by Goldenvoice, a subsidiary of live entertainment behemoth AEG.

Coachella’s traditional status as a bellwether for the U.S. music festival season means its decision could resonate far beyond the fields of Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Ethicists and health experts contacted by Pitchfork raised concerns that although the Omicron wave does appear to be ebbing, Coachella’s elimination of all COVID-19 precautions seems to pose unnecessary health risks.

Goldenvoice hasn’t responded to multiple requests from Pitchfork for further information.

Not imposing any coronavirus safety requirements is “in denial of everything we’ve been through the last two years,” says Richard Carpiano, a public health expert and public policy professor at the University of California, Riverside. “It’s almost acting like the pandemic never happened and the virus will magically go away come April.” (Coachella is scheduled for the weekends of April 15 to April 17 and April 22 to April 24.)
https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/coachellas-plan-to-lift-covid-19-rules-worries-health-experts/

Me either! And enough about whether or not Coachella might be a super spreader. But what can you expect now that Coachella is back after a very long absence? Well for one thing their fleecing of fans is being taken to ridiculous new heights, and you have be a gajillionaire to be able to afford to go anymore, because that is where we are at. Well they got to make up some of that money that they lost in the two years that they were gone. But for $250K, you can get yourself a lifetime pass to go to Coachella every year for the rest of your life!

At least two sets of lifetime passes to the Coachella Valley Arts and Music Festival sold for more than a quarter of a million dollars in the festival’s NFT auction, which closed Friday, Feb. 11.

The long-running music festival, which happens at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, first announced a venture into the NFT market via its social media accounts on Feb. 1. NFTs stand for a non-fungible token, a digital one-of-a-kind token that can be bought and sold. It can take shape in the forms of images, songs or GIFs. Coachella’s NFT collections included items such as photos that could be redeemed for physical prints and a collectible poster series.

However, the most notable of the festival’s initial NFT offerings was the Coachella Keys Collection. The 10 individual and unique NFTs include lifetime passes to Coachella for one weekend in April every year as well as varying amenities such as luxury camping, gourmet meals and more. Bidding for the lifetime passes began Friday, Feb. 4, and closed Friday, Feb. 11, at 5 p.m. For every bid after 5 p.m. the auction was extended by 10 minutes. The Key to the Dinner in the Garden was the last one sold at 6:05 p.m. according to the FTX.US website. Collectively, the collection sold for $1,474,000.

The Infinity Key, which features lifetime Coachella guest passes, all-inclusive culinary experiences and private transportation, sold for $270,000. The Key to the Safari sold for $256,000 and comes with a luxury, air-conditioned tent for accommodations.
https://www.pe.com/2022/02/11/this-is-how-much-people-paid-for-lifetime-coachella-nft-festival-passes/

Yeah keep ‘em coming! So you might be able to buy a lifetime pass at the expense of your bank account, but how do the fans feel about this? Well as you can imagine they’re not happy. And who can blame them either? I don’t want to be standing next to some crazy anti-vaxxers while I’m waiting for Kanye to be 2 hours late. So yeah you can go to Coachella if your plans are to go for broke and to get sick and die in the hospital on a ventilator. But hey, you know what they say – you can retake a test, you can’t relive a party!

After months of anticipation, Coachella is returning to Indio, California. This well-known music festival postponed and later canceled its 2020 event due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Recently, the Coachella Valley Music and Artists Festival announced that, per local guidelines, there will be no vaccination, testing, or masking requirements. (Previously, this festival required attendees to show proof of vaccination or a negative test result.)

As a result, some future attendees reacted to this policy change. Not every response has been positive, as some social media users shared serious safety concerns.

“It’s especially messed up given that people bought tickets under the assumption that people would have to be tested or vaccinated,” one Reddit user pointed out. “I’d be fine attending a concert where people are masked/tested beforehand, but I’m not ready to go to one that’s completely unrestricted yet.”
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/coachella-fans-feel-lifting-covid-precautions.html/

[font size="8"]Red State Diaries
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Welcome back to our ongoing survey of what the MAGA world is up to post election in… cue reverb… Red State Diaries! Ooh, that was some good reverb there! This is it, folks! This is our last edition of Red State Diaries. Now now, don’t be sad. It’s been a good run. We’ve had some laughs. Saw how crazy things were. Whether it’s a MAGA tour of crazy conspiracy theorists, or racist surgeon generals, or batshit crazy cures for disease, or audit after audit, there’s not a magnification unit invented to accurately measure how low the MAGA world will stoop to. Well, for our last segment, I figured that I would offer you a thought about what the 2022 midterm elections are going to look like. Will it be the proverbial red wave that many are anticipating? Or will the blue tidal wave that we’ve seen the last few years continue to wash out the red poison? Well, what we have to watch out for is not necessarily the national level, but also the local one.

The Democratic Party is on the right track to have the 2022 they were dreading; Joe Biden won the presidency and Republicans are favored to make gains in the grand electoral tradition known as the midterm curse. With most states having already completed the redistricting process for their 2022 state legislative elections, Republicans are forecasted to have a triple-digit net gain in next year’s state legislative elections, with a 144-seat net gain between both lower and upper chambers with single-member districts. As we’ve said before, we do not forecast multi-member districts given the difficulty of developing a methodology to cast a sound prediction for each individual district’s outcomes, so the projected total net gain is likely to be higher than what our homepage counter has.

Republicans are slight favorites to flip two chambers thus far: the Alaska House and the Minnesota House. The Alaska House has a proper forecast while we are still waiting on redistricting to finish in Minnesota, though the maps will still likely result in our official forecast launch showing Republicans favored to flip the chamber given Democrats’ thin majority and large stretch of territory they have to defend in Northern Minnesota (which is trending against them) as well as the Minneapolis suburbs, which will likely have a temporary reversion to the Republicans as the Virginia suburbs did in 2021.

Republicans have many more opportunities to flip state legislative chambers as well: Oregon, Maine, Connecticut, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Washington, and Illinois have at least one chamber that is competitive, some more than others. Republicans still face uphill climbs in all but one of these states: Maine, where the State House is rated as a Toss-Up in our forecast.
https://cnalysis.com/articles/republicans-on-track-for-gains-in-state-legislatures-in-2022-midterms/

Ha! If only elections were that easy! But the thing is – and I have stated this many times in the past – VOTE AT EVERY SINGLE LEVEL. Any unchecked ballot box is a vote that could potentially be swayed in a direction you don’t like. And that’s how some incredibly bad people like Marjorie Greene or Josh Hawley get elected. You don’t want that. You especially don’t want reverse Robin Hoods like Rick Scott getting elected either. Robin Hood robbed the rich and gave to the poor. Rick Scott robs the poor and gives to himself.

Florida Sen. Rick Scott's plan for GOP control would also undermine aid for children, halt the nation's climate change response, sunset civil rights laws, and eliminate more than 2 million jobs.

Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R) released a plan on Tuesday outlining what his party would do if it wins congressional majorities in the midterm elections.

Under those proposals, millions of poor and retired families would see their taxes go up.

As chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Scott is in charge of winning back a GOP majority in the upcoming 2022 midterms. Predicting that he would be successful, the Florida Republican wrote that he had authored an 11-point "Rescue America" plan to answer the question, "But then, what?"

https://americanindependent.com/florida-millionaire-senator-rick-scott-gop-majority-midterms-plan-taxes-government-far-right/

Yeah at least you tried! So much for the GOP helping children. Anyone else alarmed when their policies that are aimed at helping kids actually hurt them in the long run? Of course I’m not surprised at anything that these scumbags try to pull. And of course there’s no secret that the GOP is going all in on full blown racism. You see Tucker out there and all of his cohorts bashing things like critical race theory, despite that the average Fox News fan couldn’t tell you what it is. But in the past, racism has been proven to be a particularly bad campaign strategy and it could come back to bite them.

Nothing speaks more to how the modern GOP is centered around tickling the racist lizard brains of white conservative Boomers than the sudden reemergence of the term "crack pipe." The actual crack epidemic wound down literally decades ago, back when Donald Trump was still divorcing his first wife. But the audience for Republican propaganda is still stuck in the 1980s, the last time many of them had a full head of hair, and so here we are, with the term "crack pipe" suddenly exploding all over social media, search algorithms, and, because this really is the worst timeline, a grossly named federal bill.

The situation, which I regret even having to write about, is as idiotic as it is disturbing. As Jon Skolnik reported for Salon, Health and Human Services was planning on passing out a paltry "$30 million to nonprofit groups nationwide as part of a plan to reduce drug-related harm," mainly by preventing opioid overdoses. The opioid epidemic is affecting rural white communities as much as anyone else, making it impossible to turn into a racist moral panic. So instead, Republicans seized on a minor provision allowing clinics to provide "safe smoking kits," which can be used for many different drugs, including opioids. But, because of racism, the right-wing press ran with the outdated term "crack pipe," and, in case you are too dense to hear the dog whistle, most even insisted that the provision was there to "advance racial equity," which is a flat out lie.

Their audience loves any excuse for racist jokes, so Republicans ran with it, with odious Fox News segments falsely claiming President Joe Biden wants to close the "crack gap." And it wasn't just the usual suspects in right-wing media, either. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., usually pretends at being more moderate and open-minded — remember when he used to pretend he liked hip-hop? But in a fit of racist exploitation, he rushed forward with the Cutting off Rampant Access to Crack Kits (CRACK) Act. It should be noted that Rubio's leading Democratic opponent is Rep. Val Demmings, a Black woman and the first female head of the Orlando Police Department.
https://www.salon.com/2022/02/11/from-crack-pipes-to-critical-race-theory-gops-2022-midterm-strategy-is-overt/

Well that’s it, that’s their playbook in a nutshell! Some good old fashioned American racism! But oh, we can’t talk about race in this country! Or gender, or anything that might constitute those icky independent thoughts like freedom of expression – a right guaranteed in that constitution that you guys so hold dear and attempt to explain to us every time. But these are the kinds of people who we need to watch out for in the forthcoming election. That said, we don’t need this guy interfering. But the 2022 elections will be ones for the books for sure! That’s it, that’s all she wrote, we’ll be catching y’all close to the election!

According to a report from NBC, Republican campaign consultants and candidates are expressing real concern that GOP turnout in the 2022 midterms will be down because of Donald Trump's insistence that the 2020 presidential election was rigged which is leading some conservatives to believe it makes no difference if they vote.

As candidates at the state level hold town halls looking to improve their chances on the primaries, they are hearing from attendees that they think Trump had the 2020 election stolen from him and are asking why they should bother to come out on election day.

According to NBC's Alan Smith, candidates are being asked if they believe the 2020 election results were bogus and, if they state they see no evidence of fraud, are facing furious pushback from the voters they hope to claim.

"One year out of office, and with the midterm elections fast approaching, Trump has accelerated efforts to encourage resistance to the reality of his loss. He told his supporters to "never give up" in a statement on the first anniversary of his supporters' rioting at the U.S. Capitol in a deadly attempt to block the formalization of Biden's win," Smith wrote. "In return, there are signs that his voters' anger over the 2020 election and their belief in the falsehood that his victory was stolen from him has only grown, even as some in the GOP have said they'd prefer to move on and focus on issues that may resonate with a wider swath of the electorate, like inflation."
https://www.rawstory.com/republicans-2656566292/

[font size="4"]And Now This:
[font size="4"]Slash Feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators

Folks my next musical guest has a great new album out called “4”, you can see them on the River Is Rising Tour through March 26th. Playing their song “The River Is Rising”, give it up for Slash feat. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators!

Thank you Seattle! We’re back home next week at the Constellation Room with Stupidest State Selection Sunday! See you next week!

Credits

Host: Initech
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded At: Comedy Underground , Seattle, WA
Slash Feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators Appear Courtesy Of: Gibson Records
Images: All images copyright belongs to respective copyright holders.
Videos: All videos copyright belongs to respective copyright holders
Articles: All article content copyright belongs to respective copyright holders
Writing: Top 10 Writing Department
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Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo

February 17, 2022

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-4: Wheel Of Corruption: A True Underdog Story Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-4: Wheel Of Corruption: A True Underdog Story Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Yo what’s up Detroit? Motown! The Motor City! How you guys doing? You doing fucking good? Great! You know we were supposed to be here last November and of course didn’t not because of COVID but because there was a fuck up in our supply chain that got screwed up. Now that’s out of the way it’s good to be here! I hope it’s not too cold! Well we have just two Top 10s remaining before my favorite Top 10 of the year – Stupidest State Selection Sunday! That’s right – the NFFSA is back and we will be holding our annual contest to find out which state is stupider than them all! First off, I want to say congratulations to the Los Angeles Rams for winning the Super Bowl! Cincinnati Bengals, you did great and you can rest assured that your Super Bowl champion merchandise will be going to clothe third world countries. Oh come on that joke never gets old! But I want to talk about this headline in the New York Post. Did you see this? I laughed so freaking hard when I saw this story. But the headline is: “Snoop Dogg Smokes Weed Right Before Star Studded Super Bowl Halftime Show”. Uh… this was in the news??? Do you know Snoop Dogg? I’m pretty sure that his name comes up when you Google “celebrities who have smoked the most weed”. Well, maybe aside from Willie Nelson and Kevin Smith and Cypress Hill. But come on, Snoop Dogg’s most famous album is literally called “The Chronic”. He’s written whole albums about smoking weed and even appeared in movies about smoking weed. Pretty sure there’s tons of pictures of him out there holding joints. Man some people really need to smoke some pot, I’m just saying! OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to this week. But first Stephen Colbert is back and he has some thoughts on Marjorie Greene's "Gazpacho police" remark.

Hey everyone! The Wheel Of Corruption is back! Yay!!!! Oh the kids love the wheel don’t they? Well in the number one slot this week it goes to the GOP (1). Last week we reported that the GOP censured the one independent voice in their party, Liz Cheney, for serving on the 1/6 committee. Well it gets messier and even those in their own party are turning against the extremists! In the second slot this week is the Canadian Truckers (2). Yes, this protest refuses to die, but Doug Ford is laying the smack down on these anti-vaxxer idiots and they’re taking their fight to crowd funding sites – wait until you hear the latest! In the number 3 slot this week is That Former Guy (3). So last week we reported on the fact that he has taken and destroyed official White House documents and even pays someone to tape them back up, because that’s what perfectly innocent people do. But now did he flush those documents down the toilet? Well it’s complicated. Taking the #4 seed this week is Marjorie Taylor Greene (4). Yes, MTG attempted to compare the vaccine mandates to the gestapo, but accidentally wrote “gazpacho” and utter hilarity ensues! At the number 5 spot this week is Vladimir Putin (5). While the White House claims that Putin could invade the Ukraine as early as this week, the Kremlin is saying literally the exact opposite. In the number 6 slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit”, and this week we’ve got a fun one! Why are the religious right increasingly calling themselves “prophets” and why do they increasingly make violent threats? Our resident pastor is going to go through the craziest of these! At slot #7 this week is a new “Beating A Dead Horse” (7). So the feud between Neil Young and Spotify isn’t going away any time soon, but you might be surprised at what Joe Rogan’s fan base now consists of! In slot #8 this week is a new Conspiracy Corner (8) – why is Kanye West cozying up to Russia and Vladimir Putin? Is it to expand his fanbase and his “Sunday Sermons” or is there something much more sinister underneath? We will find out! At slot #9 (NEIN!!!), we have a new “People Are Dumb” (9) because of course they are! Finally this week in our ongoing survey of the post-presidency MAGA world in “Red State Diaries” (10), the Freedom Convoy’s plans to disrupt the Super Bowl are a total bust, but could they come to your city? Possible, but we know the kind of crowd that they attract. Plus we have some live music from the legendary Spoon! Really buy their new album “Lucifer On The Sofa” or you’re no friend of this program. Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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Of course you know the rules by now – I spin the wheel and we have to talk about whatever it lands on. Of course if it lands on the guacamole option, you know that it costs $1.50 extra. And the wheel is all new with lots of items on it! Here’s what is on the wheel this week:

- Guns
- Abortion
- Crime
- Poverty
- Capitol Riots
- Treason
- Buy A Vowel
- Whammy
- Food
- Elections
- Nazi Germany
- The Border
- Donald Trump
- The GOP
- Clip Without Context
- Death
- Fox News
- COVID-19
- Something Random In The News
- ‘Merica!
- Chance
- 5,000
- Homosexuality
- The US Constitution
- COVID-19
- Russia
- Clip Without Context
- Top 10 Investigates
- Conspiracy Corner
- Morally Bankrupt
- Guacamole
- My Pillow
- Holy Shit
- Beating A Dead Horse
- This Fucking Guy
- How Is This Still A Thing?
- Red State Diaries
- Intermission
- Double Whammy
- 10,000
- People Are Dumb
- I Need A Drink
- Infowars
- Go Directly To Jail
- T-Shirt Cannon
- Lightning Round
- Bonus Spin

So with all that, let’s get going! Spin that shit! Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… STOP! Hey it’s one of our patented Clips Without Context!

Shhhhhhhhhh!!! Nobody tell them how the Salem Witchcraft Trials ended! Spin it again! And it lands on… wait for it… the GOP! Yes, folks the GOP is treading into dangerous territory. We reported back in Idiots # 11-5 that Dick Cheney was concerned about the future of the GOP and that it’s been taken over by a dangerous cult. Of course as we all know, cults don’t like their followers to question anything they are taught. So of course the one person in that party who has an independent thought is Dick Cheney’s daughter, Liz Cheney. But what’s really scary about this whole thing is how the GOP keeps trying to minimize the events of January 6th. So let me spell it out for you: JANUARY 6TH WAS TREASON! YOU THREATNED TO MURDER YOUR OWN SITTING VICE PRESIDENT IF HE DIDN’T OVER TURN THE ELECTION! So yeah Liz Cheney had an independent thought and the Fox / Infowars / Trump cult doesn’t like that.

Senate Republicans are not happy with the Republican National Committee.

In interviews on Monday evening, GOP senators lashed out at their own national party’s overwhelming vote to censure Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) for working on the House’s investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. They warned that alienating a portion of the party for being overly anti-Trump is not a political winner heading into the midterms, a sharp message from sitting members that goes far beyond criticism already aired by a handful of GOP pundits.

Several Republican senators took more direct action: Both Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) were in communication with RNC chair Ronna McDaniel about the censure, with Graham calling her and Romney texting his niece.

“A very unfortunate decision by the RNC and a very unfortunate statement put out as well. Nothing could be further from the truth than to consider the attack on the seat of democracy as legitimate political discourse,” Romney said in an interview. Graham said the party is going in the “wrong direction” when it’s not talking about taking back control of Congress.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/07/senate-gop-backlash-smacks-rnc-after-cheney-kinzinger-censure-00006456

Yeah well fucking duh it was an unfortunate decision! The GOP is getting more exponentially batshit insane and increasingly hostile by the minute! Who knows what kind of spark will set off this powder keg which will inevitably go off? And by exponentially, too, I mean shittier and shittier and shittier. This whole situation is insane. We know there were people in Congress involved in January 6th! It’s time to find out who and expel them. They are a danger and traitors. But even Mitch McConnell is saying that they went too far!

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has criticized the Republican National Committee over its recent censure of two House Republicans, in a rare break with his party.

In remarks on Tuesday, McConnell criticized the way the RNC's resolution had described the Capitol riot and said the national party's role has traditionally been to support all of its members regardless of their positions. However, when asked, he said he continues to back RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel.

"The issue is whether or not the RNC should be sort of singling out members of our party who may have different views from the majority," he said. "That's not the job of the RNC."

On Friday, the RNC censured Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois for their participation on the House panel investigating the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection.
https://www.npr.org/2022/02/09/1079500844/mcconnell-rnc

Yeah I feel like that sometimes too! Fuck… who knows how deep this thing goes and who is involved in carrying out this act of treason? We may never know. It’s been a year since the events of January 6th and we may never know exactly what the hell they were planning to do if they succeeded but we now know that it was carefully planned and hundreds if not thousands of people were in on it. But this is truly insane how low the GOP has sunk and they are sinking lower by the minute.

Rep. Liz Cheney on Thursday hit back at critics of the House select committee investigating January 6, saying the panel will move ahead with its investigation of the US Capitol attack regardless of criticism or intimidation attempts.

Cheney, writing in a Wall Street Journal op-ed published Thursday, vowed that the committee, of which she is vice chair, "will demonstrate in hearings later this year, no foreign power corrupted America's voting machines, and no massive secret fraud changed the election outcome."

"Those who do not wish the truth of Jan. 6 to come out have predictably resorted to attacking the process—claiming it is tainted and political," the Wyoming Republican wrote. "Our hearings will show this charge to be wrong. We are focused on facts, not rhetoric, and we will present those facts without exaggeration, no matter what criticism we face."

Cheney's piece follows a resolution from the Republican National Committee last week that formally censured her and fellow GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois for serving on the House select committee with Democrats. Though she did not address the RNC's decision to refer to that day as "legitimate political discourse" in the resolution, the congresswoman said in her op-ed that the probe "isn't only about the inexcusable violence of that day: It is also about fidelity to the Constitution and the rule of law, and whether elected representatives believe in those things or not."
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/10/politics/liz-cheney-january-6-committee-op-ed/index.html

Yeah fuck these fuckers. I just am so mad I can’t even see straight. Like what would they have done if their evil plan had succeeded? I wouldn’t trust these idiots to run a 7-11, let alone the highest levels of government! It’s truly scary what the GOP has turned into and we’re not going to be rid of these people any time soon, especially since they seem to be multiplying and endorsing more MAGA / America First people by the day. God these people truly suck.

Ana Navarro took no prisoners in the Republican Party on today’s taping of The View. The fill-in panelist, who happens to be a Republican herself, completely bashed her own party over the recent vote to censure Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, labeling the Trump-wing of the GOP a “cult.” What a way to start out the week in which former Trump staffer Alyssa Farah will sub in as guest host!

Last Friday (Feb. 4), Reps. Cheney and Kinzinger were censured for their work on the Jan. 6 committee for targeting folks that engaged in “legitimate political discourse.” Joy Behar, stepping in as moderator for another week, introduced the hot topic. Navarro was the first to grab the bait, fiery as ever.

“First off, let’s talk about the RNC. The RNC and this censorship against Kinzinger and Liz Cheney — imagine Dick Cheney’s daughter being censured by the RNC, which apparently now stands for ‘Republicans with No Cojones,'” Navarro joked. “It’s turned into a cult, and all they do is worship at the altar of Trump. It’s ridiculous!”
https://decider.com/2022/02/07/ana-navarro-pans-liz-cheney-censure-the-view/

[font size="8"]Canadian Truckers Vs Go Fund Me
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Spin that muthafuckin’ wheel! Let’s go! Wheel goes round… and round… and round… where does it stop, nobody knows? And it lands on… Chance!

All right! A get out of jail free card! I’ll just put that away for later. Spin it again! And it lands on… wait for it… COVID-19. Folks, I don’t need to tell you that the pandemic is still serious business. Yes, things are relaxing a bit as case trends continue downward and it looks like we might finally be exiting the emergency phase of this nightmare and return to the time that we once knew before. But that said, before we exit the emergency phase, we must also exit the idiotic phase. That’s right. Idiots currently rule the world as we have seen in the last few weeks – whether it’s Robert Kennedy Jr at the capitol comparing vaccine mandates to Nazi Germany or it’s Canadian truckers blocking the roads to the nation’s capital in Ottawa and destroying property and flinging their own poop. Well, as if that wasn’t weird enough, this whole Canadian Trucker protest is getting pretty damn weird. And the latest thing happening isn’t the truckers blocking the freeway exits. It turns out that someone is paying them, and it’s leaving a very messy money trail.

A Canadian bank has frozen $1.1 million in donations to Freedom Convoy protesters through a crowdfunding platform as the anti-mandate movement drags into its third week.

Toronto-Dominion Bank made the move after the Ontario Superior Court of Justice issued an order barring the dispersal of convoy donations made through GiveSendGo, which has raised more than $9.2 million for convoy supporters.

A spokeswoman for the bank confirmed the funds were seized in accordance with last Thursday's court ruling.

'TD has asked the court to accept the funds, which were raised through crowdfunding and deposited into personal accounts at TD, so they may be managed and distributed in accordance with the intentions of the donors,' Carla Hindman told the Globe and Mail.

Despite the provincial government making it illegal to donate to GiveSendGo's trucker campaigns, the crowdfunding platform said it has no plans to back down.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10508291/Bank-freezes-Freedom-Convoy-supporters-accounts-crowd-fundraising-site-says-defy-order.html

Yeah so when Go Fund Me blocks you and fails to provide the goods you so desperately seek – money, of which there is a finite amount, you go to the even shadier Go Fund Me – GiveSendGo, which is run by fundamentalist Christians and hardcore supporters of that guy who we used to call president. But before we get into the meat of this brew ha ha, we got to find out what’s up with Go Fund Me because they could be in deep trouble. Not because they are donating to the Freedom Convoy, because they are *NOT* donating their money to the Freedom Convoy. Fuck Ron DeSantis, and SMH and FML.

The Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton (R), said Wednesday that the office will investigate GoFundMe after its decision to end a fundraising effort aimed at assisting the “Freedom Convoy” in Canada. Paxton said they will review possible breaches or violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

Missouri’s AG Eric Schmitt is also probing the company, accusing GoFundMe of trying to silence the Freedom Convoy.

The protest is broadening outside Ottawa as well. Protest convoys are gearing up elsewhere in Canada, in the US, Europe and New Zealand.
EARLIER The GoFundMe website has reversed course and decided to automatically refund donations to the truckers organization leading a protest against Canadian pandemic restrictions. But politicians vowed to investigate the website’s original plans for dealing with donations to the truckers.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Saturday morning that he and the state’s attorney general will investigate GoFundMe after it shut down a fundraiser for the Canadian truckers participating in the so-called “Freedom Convoy.”
https://deadline.com/2022/02/gofundme-invetigations-freedom-convoy-texas-ron-desantis-florida-west-virginia-1234927300/

Yeah seriously only in the republican party can you punished for enforcing your own company’s code of conduct. I just can’t… what the fuck is wrong with these people? If you tell them not to do something, they’re going to want to do it no matter how bad it is for them. I mean if you told them not to jump off of a cliff, they would be lining up for miles and fighting each other to be first in line to be the first one to jump off that cliff. So Go Fund Me didn’t work but someone’s getting rich, time to find out who.

A new fundraising appeal for Canadian truckers protesting vaccine mandates has already raised millions of dollars after GoFundMe halted the campaign on its website.

A new appeal for the Canadian Freedom Convoy has raised more than $2.1 million out of a $16,000 target on platform GiveSendGo after GoFundMe halted the campaign after police raised concerns of violence. This include one anonymous donor giving the truckers $215,000 on the now platform.

The original GoFundMe appeal had raised an estimated $9 million before website managers said it would withhold money donated to support the truckers.

In a fresh campaign, under the name Freedom Convoy 2022, organizers said it was raising the funds for truckers protesting against vaccine mandates in Canada.
https://www.newsweek.com/freedom-convoy-raises-2m-givesendgo-after-gofundme-removes-campaign-canada-truckers-1676591

Mr. Weatherby???? No, no Scooby Doo moment yet. And the sad thing is we’re not going to get rid of these idiots yet. The idiots are being drawn to this thing like flies to a bug zapper. Look, the entire point of the mandates is to keep you from fucking dying! But these idiots are the ones who are killing themselves in droves. But the good news is that now we do know who is donating to these idiots and keeping this batshit insane protest afloat!

The leak website Distributed Denial of Secrets on Tuesday said it has posted more donor files from the fundraising platform GiveSendGo relating to the Canadian movement of people opposed to pandemic health measures, including COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

On Sunday, the DDoS website, which is devoted to disseminating leaked data, said it was releasing donor information relating to the "Freedom Convoy 2022" campaign, which raised more than $2 million in donations. It includes funds raised from several Canadian business owners.

Tuesday's leak contains donor information about a similar “Adopt-a-Trucker” campaign, which says it is operating “in partnership with the Freedom Convoy." The Adopt-a-Trucker effort appeared to raise less money and involved fewer donors.

The funding of the Canadian protests has emerged as a key point of interest as authorities in Ottawa and elsewhere try to get a grip on rallies led by truckers since late January that have blockaded cities and border crossings across Canada with demands that include deposing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. read more
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-data-canada-truck-convoy-donors-leaked-website-2022-02-15/

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

Spin that shit! Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… STOP! And it lands on… Donald Trump.

https://twitter.com/aziz0nomics/status/1493810155581960194

Helllllllllllllo lawsuit! And come on do we really need him barfing his brain on social media again? Well, I know that I do not. Twitter has been so much better without him. Spin it again! And it lands on… Donald Trump again! Ugh, this whole White House document dump story just gets weirder and weirder. You know last week we reported that he has people who he literally pays money to tape up documents that he purposely put through the paper shredder. And come on, anyone who’s performed that task knows how annoying and impossible it is to be able to perform and complete that task. But that said, could it eventually lead to what we all hope will be his ultimate demise and he finally gets arrested and has to sit out the 2024 election? God I hope so! But the latest developments? He might have literally flushed some of those documents down the toilet. That’s right – remember when he said that the average American flushes 10 times? Well only if you clog the toilet with stuff that shouldn’t go down the toilet.

There’s a scene in the Robert DeNiro film, “Goodfellas,” where second-tier gangster Henry Hill, just out of prison, searches his home for drugs. “Where’s the stuff that I left, Karen?” he asks his wife. Karen’s reply: “I flushed it down the toilet” — some $60,000 worth of cocaine flushed to keep the evidence from the FBI. “They would have found it, I swear to you Henry!”

That scene came to mind last week with the news — in a tease from New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman for her forthcoming book about Donald Trump — that “White House residence staff periodically found papers had clogged a toilet, leaving staff believing Trump had flushed material he’d ripped into pieces.”

That’s one way to keep incriminating materials from the National Archives. In the Trump White House, even the water closets may have been crime scenes.

The former president’s Goodfellas-style habit apparently carried over from his days as a businessman; he reportedly tore up displeasing papers as casually as one-ply bathroom tissue. In the White House, West Wing staffers mindful of his obligations under the Presidential Records Act often picked off the floor the shredded refuse and taped it, like Humpty Dumpty, back together again.
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/594278-document-dump-turns-toxic-for-trump

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!! That’s probably what was going through Trump’s head as he was flushing those documents down the toilet. Because that’s what perfectly innocent people do. And when you get accused of doing something that heinous, what do you do? Why you deny it of course! Because again, that’s what perfectly innocent people do. In the GOP it’s always someone else’s fault. No one ever takes responsibility for their own actions. Have you ever noticed that? Well some in Trump’s cap would like for you to believe that, but we know what he did!

Former President Donald Trump denied Thursday that he had flushed documents down a toilet when he served in the White House.

"Another fake story, that I flushed papers and documents down a White House toilet, is categorically untrue and simply made up by a reporter in order to get publicity for a mostly fictitious book," Trump said in a statement.

The detail, which comes from New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman’s forthcoming book, “Confidence Man,” was reported by Axios.

Haberman tweeted, "Here’s some reporting from the book’s later years — White House residence staff periodically found papers had clogged a toilet, leaving staff believing Trump had flushed material he’d ripped into pieces."
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-denies-flushed-records-white-house-toilet-rcna15693

Accurate! But that said, Joe Biden ain’t playing. Because again this is some really serious and heinous shit that Trump is pulling here. Again if it’s something that we can nail him on that will prevent him from running in 2024 – whatever that is, make it happen! Time is running out and we cannot afford to fuck around with this. But that said – what the fuck was he hiding? Because this is some seriously incriminating stuff if this holds true!

President Joe Biden has rejected a request by former President Donald Trump to shield White House visitor logs from the committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, including appointments for individuals granted entry to the White House complex that day.

In a letter to the National Archives, White House counsel Dana Remus wrote Biden has determined that asserting executive privilege "is not in the best interests of the United States, and therefore is not justified, as to these records and portions of records." The New York Times was first to report on Biden's decision.

The National Archives provided these documents to the current White House for review in late January, and they include "visitor logs showing appointment information for individuals who were processed to enter the White House complex, including on January 6, 2021."

Remus explained the administration's decision by noting that, while Trump decided to block the visitor logs from public view on claims about national security, the Biden administration "voluntarily discloses such visitor logs on a monthly basis," with some exceptions.

"The Obama administration followed the same practice. The majority of the entries over which the former President has asserted executive privilege would be publicly released under current policy," Remus wrote.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/16/politics/donald-trump-joe-biden-january-6-white-house-visitor-logs/index.html

Yes holy shit indeed! And while this might be building up to something, who knows what it will be? Will New York AG Letitia James finally put the boot in his big fat ass that we all are hoping will happen in the next few months? We’d better hurry and get our asses in gear because tomorrow may be too late. Oh… what’s this? Ladies and gentlemen, I just got handed some serious late breaking news here! Maybe this is what Trump was hiding in those visitor logs! Don’t worry, we will be covering this in full next week! Same bat time, same bat channel!

Mazars USA, the accounting firm that former President Donald Trump and his businesses have used for years, cut ties with him in stunning fashion, declaring it could no longer vouch for the financial statements it has complied over the past decade.

The February 9 letter was disclosed Monday amid litigation around a civil investigation into Trump and his businesses, where New York Attorney General Letitia James has alleged that Trump's business had made misstatements and omissions in the financial statements that were used in its dealings with banks. The Trump Organization denies those claims and is currently seeking to freeze the investigation.
The accounting firm is backing away from Trump now after standing by his side for years of controversies and allegations about his financial practices.

"For an accountant to basically withdraw their report and to alert the client that the financial statements aren't reliable is a pretty extreme action," said Terri Herron, a professor of accounting at University of Montana. "It's required by our standards that we do that as CPAs. But it doesn't happen very often."
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/15/politics/mazars-trump-letter-letitia-james/index.html [/div

[font size="8"]Marjorie Taylor Greene
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Let’s spin it to win it! Ooh that was a good And it lands on… wait for it… oh hey it’s one of our patented Clips Without Context!

Yeah there’s this new thing called the Constitution that is preventing you from doing that, Hank. My god there is no end to their stupidity. OK spin it again! Ugh, really… do I have to talk about Infowars? Come on, make me. OK fine. Well there’s no secret that Infowars’ favorite Congresswoman, Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q – Batshit), is completely off her rocker. I mean this woman is absolutely fucking insane. And that’s putting it lightly. And can we all agree that anyone who goes on Steve Bannon and/or Alex Jones should be considered a national security risk? Thank you audience! Well this might be one of the funnies things I’ve ever seen. Can we roll that clip first and then we’ll talk about it?

Yeah come on, you can’t even get the Nazi references right. Sit down. It’s like when you’re so mad at something you can’t even get it right about who you are mad at. But why are they mad? Oh that’s right, we’re only trying to keep you from dying from a preventable disease. But hey if you want to kill yourself because you don’t want to get vaccinated, I’m not going to stop you. Anyway this is what this crazy woman actually meant to say. Did I mention she’s crazy?

"I know nothing." That was the response members of the Order of the Star Spangled Banner were supposed to give when asked about their secret society, which was founded in 1849.

The fiercely anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic group evolved into the American Party, but it will be forever remembered by another name. The "Know Nothings" became a powerful political force, commanding the allegiance of more than 100 members of Congress in the 1850s, as Lorraine Boissoneault wrote in Smithsonian Magazine.

Last week, a Republican member of Congress, Marjorie Taylor Greene, lashed out at Speaker Nancy Pelosi, falsely accusing her of having "gazpacho police spying on members of Congress," apparently mistaking a cold vegetable soup from Spain for the Gestapo, the Nazi regime's secret police. The botched reference was widely mocked on social media, and Greene later made fun of herself, tweeting: "No soup for those who illegally spy on Members of Congress, but they will be thrown in the goulash."

It wasn't the first time Greene had reached for wildly inappropriate Nazi comparisons. Even if she had gotten the term Gestapo right, there would have been no excuse for comparing the Capitol Police with the murderous agents of Hitler's Germany.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/13/opinions/greene-gazpacho-police-sums-it-up-column-galant/index.html

Yeah come on, speaking of that guy, let’s find out about what he thinks about Marjorie Greene making a literal connection between Nazis and soup. Of course you remember that now infamous Seinfeld episode, and the guy who played the Soup Nazi is none other than Larry Thomas. Of course when I saw this video last week, I laughed my ass off so hard that I just about fell off my chair. So what does the actual Soup Nazi think about these shenanigans?

The extremist congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who previously alerted the US to the dangers of space lasers, issued a new warning to the American people on Thursday: the speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, has unleashed “gazpacho police” to spy on Greene’s colleagues in Congress.

It is, of course, possible that a clandestine network bent on the regulation of cold soup operates deep under the Capitol cafeteria. But Greene was presumably confusing “gazpacho” with the Gestapo, the Nazi secret police.

Could the Soup Nazi have secretly been a member of the gazpacho police? We asked Larry Thomas, who played the character, for his take on the moment as soups and Nazis march back into the headlines.

Thomas, no fan of Greene or the ex-president she claims won re-election, says he was floored by the comments. “How in the world can a grown person, who grew up in the 20th century, not know what the word Gestapo is?” he asks. “They say ‘You can’t write this shit.’ It’s beyond you can’t write this shit.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/11/marjorie-taylor-green-gazpacho-police-soup-nazi

Well he’s not wrong! And again Marjorie Greene – totally missing the point! But then again if you still support that former Fucking Asshole In Chief, then missing the point is part of your M.O.. And honestly I know that people have mixed feelings about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but can we all agree with her statement on this latest stupidity? I mean she’s totally not wrong here and I expect that Mrs. Greene would have done this. Because come on, spelling… thoughts… independent thoughts… these are all products of a lib’rul society!!! My freedumbs!!!

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said her Republican colleague Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene "clearly banned all books from her house years ago" after Greene mistakenly said "gazpacho police" instead of "Gestapo" on Wednesday while criticizing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the US House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot.

"Not only do we have the DC jail, which is the DC Gulag, but now we have Nancy Pelosi's gazpacho police spying on members of Congress," Greene said on the far-right channel OAN's show "Real America with Dan Ball." "Spying on the legislative work that we do, spying on our staff, and spying on American citizens that want to come talk to their representatives."

Greene surely meant to say "Gestapo," the name of the Nazis' secret police in the 1930s and 1940s. Gazpacho is a Spanish cold soup, popular across the world.

Responding to a request for comment about the gaffe, a representative for Greene told Insider, "No soup for those who illegally spy on Members of Congress, but they will be thrown in the goulash."

During the show segment, Greene was criticizing subpoenas handed out to affiliates of former President Donald Trump by the House January 6 committee. She also lamented the treatment of people jailed in Washington, DC, on charges related to the attack.
https://www.businessinsider.com/aoc-mtg-banned-all-books-from-her-house-gazpacho-gaffe-2022-2

Thinking is hard, yo! You have things like numbers and big words and statistics to confuse you! Here’s the thing, kids – don’t be like Marjorie. Actually think for yourself and if you use big words you are definitely not the kind of voter that Trump and the Facebook misinformation sphere is actively seeking out. They are instead seeking out the kind of people like Marjorie Greene, people who actively listen to dipshits like Alex Jones and Steve Bannon. And if you do then the misinformation sphere will scramble your brain. And that’s when you make stupid statements like this.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who has become known for her love of conspiracy theories and angry outbursts at Democratic leaders, apparently meant to accuse House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Gestapo police tactics in an interview Tuesday.

But it didn’t quite come out that way, and the mistake she made immediately set off a chorus of delighted ridicule from her critics on social media.

Rather than compare Pelosi’s tactics to the Nazi secret police, she instead compared them to a bowl of chilled soup.

"Now we have Nancy Pelosi's gazpacho police spying on members of Congress, spying on the legislative work we do, spying on our staff and spying on American citizens," Greene said on One America News Network's "Real America" program.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-warns-nancy-pelosis-gazpacho-police-rcna15620

[font size="8"]Vladimir Putin
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Let’s give the wheel a good strong spin shall we? And it lands on… wait for it… intermission! OK everyone let’s take 5 and I will just sit here and play Wordle on my phone for a couple minutes. Cue the music!

Spin it again! And it lands on… Russia. Seriously, why is everything always jankier in Russia? So we’re airing on Thursday at 2:00. Last I checked, Vladimir Putin still has not invaded the Ukraine yet? NO? Now is he saying “no” or does he really mean “no”? But this situation just keeps getting weirder and weirder. You know that Pooty is itching to claim some new territory and right now US intelligence is saying that it’s extremely likely that he’s going to invade within the next week. Or is he? Well before we get in on the supervillian’s latest scheme to garner new territory, what the fuck is going on? Why is he so bent on getting revenge on his next door neighbor? So two things happening here. One is that he’s basically using the “THEY LOOK LIKE DORKS!!!” defense and it's backfiring on him big time. And the other is that it might have something to do with Ukraine entering NATO and Putin has a grudge against NATO. Either way it’s confusing as hell and we will do our best to attempt to sort out this mess.

Last July, Vladimir Putin supplied the mythical basis for Russian war propaganda in an essay titled “On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians.” The essential idea is that Russia has the right to Ukraine because of things that happened a thousand years ago in Kyiv. At the time, the city was a trading hub of Viking slavers who were gaining dominance over local Khazars. It takes some fanciful thinking to see here a reason for Russia to invade Ukraine in the 21st century, as it seems prepared to do. The absurd particulars, though, are less important than the principle. If countries can claim other countries on the grounds of millennial myths, the modern state system ceases to exist.

Putin’s idea is that Ukraine is a fraternal nation because of how he personally feels about the past. This is known as imperialism. It flies in the face of the basic legal principle of state sovereignty and the basic moral principle of democracy. People who speak of other nations as little brothers wish to be Big Brother. Whether Ukraine is a nation or not is a question for Ukrainians today, not for imaginary Russians in an imaginary past. In Putin’s presentation, though, the West is to blame when Ukrainians don’t answer the question the way he would like. He seems to believe that Ukrainians would share his view about “historical unity,” if only the West would get out of the way.

Russian propaganda depends upon myths and counterfactuals, all spun in the direction of Russian greatness and innocence. Putin writes that when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the principle for deciding the borders of its constituent republics should have been: “Take what you brought with you.” In history as it actually happened, however, it was the Russian republic of the U.S.S.R. that brought about the end of the Soviet Union. The whole point was to liberate Russia from what was then understood to be the burden of supporting the periphery. Boris Yeltsin, the man who achieved this, accepted the borders of the Soviet Russian republic as Russia’s. As Yeltsin’s handpicked successor, Putin knows all this very well. Today he is dreaming of the Russian Empire that the Bolsheviks destroyed. But it “brought” nothing to the U.S.S.R. It no longer existed. And it was never a Russian nation-state. Its dynasty and much of its elite was of non-Russian origin; most of its population spoke languages other than Russian, and few of those who did speak Russian would have known what a nation was before the Bolsheviks made their revolution in 1917.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/01/28/putin-russia-ukraine-myths/

?noredirect

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! That never gets old no matter how many times I see it! So Pooty is looking to claim some territory by using the “they look like dorks” defense. And this could possibly backfire on him big time. So let’s use this handy FAQ to tell you what you should know and feel about Pooty’s possible invasion of the Ukraine. And yes, I feel like calling him “Pooty” will downplay the fact that he’s a James Bond villain out for global domination. And the main question is – what does Pooty hope to get by invading Ukraine? The answer might surprise you!

Why is Russia threatening to invade Ukraine?
Russian spokespeople daily deny any intention to invade. So, too, did Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, when he met the French leader, Emmanuel Macron, last week, and when he spoke to US president Joe Biden on the phone. There are two problems with this. First, given Putin’s Johnsonian relationship with truth, few western governments believe the denials. Second, Putin has not explained why, if his intentions are peaceful, more than half of Russia’s armed forces, including 130,000 troops, are massed on Ukraine’s borders. It could all be a bluff. But who would bet the house on that?

So what drives Putin?
There are numerous theories. Putin is said to want to rebuild a Russian sphere of influence in eastern Europe, principally embracing former Soviet republics such as now independent Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Georgia and Ukraine. He has frequently bemoaned their “loss” after the Soviet Union collapsed. Putin may also hope to demonstrate to the west (and Russians) that the country is still a superpower, even though by most measures (nuclear weapon stockpiles and geography apart) it is a failing medium-sized power.

Why Ukraine?
Putin fears strategically important Ukraine, commanding Russia’s south-western flank, is assimilating into the west. He objects to its growing closeness to Nato. He also opposes Kyiv’s developing links with the EU. Worse still, from his point of view, Ukraine is a democracy, with free speech and free media, which freely elects its leaders. In practice, Russians enjoy no such freedoms – if they followed Ukraine’s example, Putin would not last long. More broadly, Putin is a nostalgic revisionist who regards Ukraine as an integral part of historical Russia and its loss as a symbol of Russia’s cold war defeat.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/12/russia-ukraine-what-does-putin-want

No, no we’re not back to the USSR yet. Come on, stop playing that Beatles song for a minute. We’re not back at that level yet. But here’s another question – in Putin’s quest to become supreme overlord of the earth, would it be a mistake to invade the Ukraine? Oh you bet your ass it would! And what people don’t seem to realize yet is that Pooty doesn’t want just part of the Ukraine, like he took with the whole Crimea SNAFU. He wants the whole damn thing. And if he were to succeed in his evil plot, there would be no stopping him. It would take a World War to do so.

The odds are growing that Russian President Vladimir Putin will make the greatest mistake of his career by invading Ukraine. This is likely to result in the very outcomes that the Kremlin claims it seeks to avoid. A new assault on Ukraine would weaken the Russian government, hurt its economy, over-extend its military, strengthen NATO unity and resolve, cause Washington to increase the U.S. military presence in Europe, and give new impetus to Western military modernization.

Were Moscow to seize all of Ukraine, it would actually exacerbate the Kremlin’s sense of vulnerability and feed its determination to defend its conquests even at the price of alienating the West. The U.S. and Europe now need to make an attack on Ukraine so unattractive that Putin will have reason to rein in his imperial ambitions.

Some politicians, experts, and pundits have sought to minimize the danger to the West should Russia invade Ukraine, arguing that Putin is driven largely by the fear that Ukraine will join NATO. Were that the primary issue, the conflict could be readily avoided. However, in Putin’s mind, the true danger to Russia is the existence of an independent, democratic Ukraine. Putin has gone so far as to assert that Ukraine cannot be an independent state and has no real history or culture outside of its ties with Russia. But Ukraine remains its own country, one that is too close to Russia geographically and too distant from it politically.

More: https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/02/putin-must-understand-invading-ukraine-would-be-a-historic-mistake-for-russia/

[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Let’s spin it to win it, shall we? And it lands on… come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… stop! Chance!

NO! Keep these people as far away from politics as humanly possible! The Dark One and his false prophets have no place in politics! God, I want to get off this planet sometimes! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse
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Let’s give the wheel a good strong spin shall we? And it lands on… wait for it… Oh hey a Clip Without Context!

Um… pretty sure the 2nd amendment does not give you the right to own a tank or a grenade launcher or enough weapons to take out a small army. Spin it again! Time for Beating A Dead Horse!

OK so the feud between Spotify and Neil Young and Joe Rogan isn’t going to go away any time soon, that is one thing we can be certain of! But you know people give Spotify shit, not because they are peddling a guy who is a noted racist and also notorious for hawking some extremely dangerous misinformation regarding vaccines, and in particular, the COVID-19 vaccine, that is getting people killed in large numbers on a daily basis. But that said, there’s tons of other reasons to hate Spotify too. And I’m not talking about when they wrap up the year and your social media feeds get flooded with how many posts of people bragging that they’re in the top 1% of their favorite artist. In fact while most of the blame is resting on Spotify and Mr. Rogan, there’s someone who you should be even angrier at over this whole flap – Spotify’s sponsors. That’s right – Spotify has sponsors and they’re choosing to remain silent over this whole brew ha ha.

In pulling his music, Neil Young started a conversation about the music industry’s responsibility in keeping Spotify accountable for the controversial, potentially harmful content it exclusively distributes for Joe Rogan. Two of the largest music companies in the world, however — both of whom own stakes in Spotify — don’t seem interested in talking about it publicly.

Spotify has faced controversy for the past several weeks since Young pulled his music from the platform in light of misinformation about Covid-19 on the platform, particularly on Rogan’s podcast. Joni Mitchell followed suit days later, with India Arie also calling for her music to be removed over Rogan’s past use of a racial slur on the podcast. Last weekend, Spotify quietly removed around 70 episodes of the Joe Rogan Experience from the platform, with Rogan taking to Instagram to apologize for racist language he used in the past. Since then, he took to standup and mocked some of the backlash he received both for his use of the slur and misinformation about Covid on his podcast.

So far, have both UMG and Sony have been publicly silent and haven’t issued any statement regarding where their responsibility lies in the issue, and it isn’t clear what the two companies have had with Spotify in light of their place as shareholders. Representatives for both companies declined to comment.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/umg-sony-quiet-joe-rogan-spotify-1296947/

Yeah so the people who are responsible for keeping Spotify accountable aren’t doing a damn thing to keep Spotify accountable. But of course they’re using the old “it??s cancel culture, you can’t censor voices!!!!1!” argument. You know what? Fuck that shit. Here’s the thing – this whole anti-vaccine movement is literally yelling fire in a crowed theater, except that theater is the whole damn United States Of America. But there’s more against Joe Rogan than it seems.

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek says he “strongly” condemns Joe Rogan’s use of the N-word and other derogatory comments toward Black people but remains firm in his decision to keep the podcaster on the platform in order to “[elevate] all types of creators.”

In a letter sent to staff, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Ek acknowledged that Rogan’s comments were “incredibly hurtful” and confirmed that Rogan decided to remove multiple past episodes from Spotify but said he did not believe in removing the podcast from Spotify.

“I want to make one point very clear — I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer,” Ek wrote. “We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope.”

Last Thursday, the musician India.Arie — who has said she will remove her music and podcast from Spotify in protest of Rogan’s comments about race — resurfaced a compilation of video clips showing Rogan using the racial slur and describing being with Black people as akin to “Planet of the Apes.” The podcaster apologized over the weekend, calling his comments “regretful and shameful.”
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/spotify-joe-rogan-daniel-ek-1235087928/

Yeah so after all of that, and even after using the N word, Spotify is still standing by their boy Joe, because you know, money. After all, vaccine misinformation costs a lot of money, you know! Which is funny considering that actually taking the vaccine is free. So even after the N word and all the things that Joe Rogan has said about illegal immigrants, just how bad does it have to be before the plug gets pulled and he’s wandering around the dark corners of the internet as an Infowars host? Well apparently there is no bottom.

The Joe Rogan situation at Spotify keeps getting more confused.

As the situation has evolved, so has the company’s treatment of its star podcaster. One day, it says it’s a hands-off platform that treats all creators the same. The next, it admits to having backdoor discussions with Rogan and pulling episodes due to outrage over language used on the show. The whiplash undermines Spotify’s narrative about how it interacts with Rogan and other podcasters and offers a window into the delicate relationship between Rogan and the company that depends on him to stay differentiated. Let’s dive into where things aren’t lining up.

Spotify has reiterated multiple times now that it considers itself merely a platform for podcasts — despite paying Rogan a reported $100 million to distribute his show. That Spotify wants to believe Rogan is an audio creator like any other has been a constant refrain since Neil Young and other musicians pulled their music from the platform nearly two weeks ago over their belief that Rogan and his guests spread COVID-19 misinformation.

Spotify responded to that controversy by saying that it would only take moderation actions against content that violated its rules — rules that were not public until The Verge first reported on them, and then which Spotify itself published days later.
https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/7/22921608/spotify-joe-rogan-moderation-guidelines-episode-deletion

Well they are right in that you can’t police speech, but why have rules if you’re not going to enforce them? It’s kind of a two way street here. But all that said, at the very least, Joe’s got himself an overseas audience. Much like Spinal Tap had after they got chewed up and spit out the bottom of the US touring scene and found success in Japan. So even if Joe’s podcast doesn’t work out after vaccine misinformation and the overuse of racist slurs, he’s got an audience for… Jair Bolsonaro. That’s right, dictators love the Joe Rogan show!

Why in the world is the president of Brazil taking time to weigh in on Rogan and his critics?

Andre Pagliarini, an assistant professor of history at Hampden Sydney College who often writes on U.S.-Brazil relations, says the show of support was yet another example of the “Bolsonaro clan dragging U.S.-style culture wars into the very different world of Brazilian politics and media landscape.” Whether Bolsonaro’s social media slam on the moderation of misinformation in the name of fighting “Big Tech censorship” works in his favor will become more apparent when Brazil holds national elections in October.

Bolsonaro has himself spread misinformation about COVID-19. The so-called “Trump of the Tropics” has also suggested that the only way he could lose the upcoming presidential election is if the vote is rigged, and he has aligned himself closely with the police and military—all while signaling a need for a “quite probable and necessary countercoup” should he lose. Trump has endorsed Bolsonaro’s reelection bid.

Bolsonaro became an ally to the Trump administration as soon as he assumed office in 2019. His son, Brazilian congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, frequently traveled to the U.S. to engage with members of Donald Trump’s inner circle. The younger Bolsonaro even traveled to Washington, D.C., ahead of the Jan. 6 insurrection to meet with figures like Mike Lindell and Jared Kushner, as detailed in a recent report by the nonprofit research organization Advance Democracy, Inc.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/hugs-from-brazil-brazils-far-right-president-jair-bolsonaro-offers-support-to-joe-rogan/

[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Let’s give the wheel a good strong spin, shall we? Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… stop! No, a whammy!!! How much did I lose?

Ah come on! Spin it again! Oh hey it’s time for Conspiracy Corner!

Welcome back to our segment where we attempt to explain the unexplainable – Conspiracy Corner! We of course are coming to you live from our underground doomsday shelter deep within the New Mexico badlands, undisclosed location! Let me just adjust my tin foil hat for maximum government interference – they are trying to read yours and my thoughts after all! ah there we go! So this week – it’s been reported that our old buddy Kanye West, who now for some reason just goes by the name of “Ye”, is planning to go to Russia to meet with supreme overlord Vladimir Putin. So why is Kanye cozying up to dictators? We’ve reported in the past that he’s a remote compound in the woods away from becoming a full blown cult leader. Now how does him moving to Russia fit into his grand master plan? And by the way unless you’re a home decorator or any kind of engineer, the words “master plan” should neve be that close together for any reason whatsoever. But here’s what we do know.

Kanye West is looking east — to Russia. The artist and entrepreneur, now known as Ye, is planning a trip to Moscow later this year to meet with President Vladimir Putin, hold Sunday Service performances as his first-ever shows in Russia and expand his business ventures into the country, his associate tells Billboard.

Travel plans are currently in the works for spring or summer, depending on Ye’s schedule, according to his confidant and strategic advisor Ameer Sudan, who’s helping to coordinate the arrangements with attorney Scott Balber. Balber is the managing partner of Herbert Smith Freehills’ New York office and is the law firm’s U.S. head of investigations and financial services litigation. Sudan says he and Balber are acting as liaisons between Ye and Balber’s clients Azerbaijani-Russian billionaire real estate developer Aras Agalarov and his son Emin Agalarov. Balber declined to comment. Ye’s personal and label reps also declined to comment.

Russia is going to be “a second home” for Ye, says Sudan: “He will be spending a lot of time out there.”

Aras Agalarov, a close associate of Putin and, as president of the Crocus Group, one of Russia’s leading developers, is sometimes referred to as the “Trump of Russia” because of how he often self-brands his buildings. He and his son and business partner, Emin Agalarov, worked with Donald Trump to bring the 2013 Miss Universe pageant to Moscow and were in discussions about a Trump Tower development project in the country that failed to materialize. Later, the Agalarovs helped coordinate the infamous 2016 Trump Tower meeting where senior members of Trump’s election campaign met with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya expecting to receive dirt on Hillary Clinton.
https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/kanye-ye-russia-putin-trip-sunday-service-1235017604/

Of course everyone gets it but Ye! And come on, I can’t be the only one alarmed by the fact that he wants to meet with the Algalarovs, am I? Because those of us who have been following the demise of the Trump administration know that they were behind that infamous Trump Tower meeting that helped overturn the 2016 election and flipped America to the dark side. Yeah booooo!!!! Of course Kanye’s representatives are flat-out denying it.

Kanye West‘s representative has denied claims that the rapper is planning to take his Sunday Service shows to Russia this year and meet President Vladimir Putin.

Ameer Sudan, a “confidant and strategic advisor” of the rapper and producer (who is now legally known as Ye), had told Billboard that West was planning on making Russia “a second home”, adding: “He will be spending a lot of time out there.”

Sudan claimed that he and attorney Scott Balber had been planning the trip on West’s behalf, and that West was aiming to grow his business ventures in Russia with the Azerbaijani-Russian billionaire real estate developer Aras Agalarov and his son Emin Agalarov.

However, Pierre Rougier, one of West’s publicists, has now denied that West is planning on making such moves in Russia.
https://www.nme.com/news/music/kanye-wests-representative-says-plans-to-meet-putin-in-russia-are-entirely-fabricated-3135898

I somehow don’t think that is enough tin foil. But that said it’s still alarming that this even being talked about because if there’s one celebrity who could command a death cult, it’s Kanye. And have you seen how insane his Sunday Sermons are? And if there’s one person to trust in this currently dreary, disease ridden world, it’s a guy whose name consists of two letters. So what does Kanye hope to accomplish in Moscow? What’s his ultimate end goal here? I’m sure expanding his empire is only a small part of it.

Ye, 44, is no stranger to questionable forays into the political world, having launched an unsuccessful bid for the American presidency in 2020 as an independent candidate of the Birthday Party.

In 2018 he met with then-president Trump for a surreal tete-a-tete that included a hug between the two and an on-camera rant.

Neither the prospect of travel restrictions nor potential criticism over building ties in Russia would deter Ye, according to Sudan.

"Kanye knows what's going on more than the average human being, he's well aware of things. And it's nothing against the United States or to cause conflicts, but Ye is Ye - he can't be controlled," Sudan said.

"This is Ye, Ye is going to get there regardless. What are they going to say?"

Read more at:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/kanye-west-to-make-russia-his-second-home-in-2022-plans-to-meet-vladimir-putin/articleshow/88846568.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Yeah probably! So what is to stop Mr. Ye from going to Russia? Besides the fact that he’s burned tons of bridges including but not limited to Kim Kardashian, Pete Davidson, Mac Miller, Kid Cudi, Billie Eilish, the people who run Coachella, I could go on and on. But if he defies the US government, will he be considered a traitor like Stephen Sega;? Yeah that’s the underlying irony of that movie Under Siege – Segal is now a Russian asset. But yeah Kanye’s burning plenty of bridges before he goes, and keeps failing to actually start some shit. Also, by the way, why is Forbes covering this crap? When did Forbes turn into People?

Kanye West has been on the warpath lately, targeting his ex-wife Kim Kardashian and pop sensation Billie Eilish through Instagram; neither seem particularly interested in a public feud, despite West’s best efforts.

As West and Kardashian continue to navigate a messy divorce, West has broadcasted many of their disagreements loud and clear to the public, claiming that Kardashian did not invite him to their daughter’s birthday party, and voicing his extreme disapproval of the fact that his daughter has a TikTok account.

The latter prompted Kardashian to respond:

“Kanye’s constant attacks on me in interviews and on social media is actually more hurtful than any TikTok North might create … I am doing my best to protect our daughter while also allowing her to express her creativity in the medium that she wishes with adult supervision.”

Kardashian concluded by writing that she wishes to “handle all matters regarding our children privately.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2022/02/11/kanye-west-keeps-trying-and-failing-to-start-feuds/?sh=54e9ff195b2b

[font size="8"]People Are Dumb
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Let’s give the wheel a good strong spin shall we? Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… stop! And it lands on…. Oh hey another Clip Without Context!

Of course, it always comes back to Nazi Germany with them. Like do they have no other references to go on? Of course they don’t! Let me tell you – unless you’ve actually lived in a concentration camp, this is nowhere near that level, so shut up. Spin it again! People are Dumb!

Hit it!

Of course you know by now that people are people, and people are dumb. So of course I have to clarify what makes a People Are Dumb story. Like a person who attempts to disprove the theory of evolution in a biology class? Not dumb. A person who builds a homemade rocket to prove that the earth is flat and then winds up dying in a horrible crash? That’s a guaranteed one way ticket to the People Are Dumb Hall Of Fame! RIP Mad Mike. Anyways, that being said we’re not always about stupid criminals but that does make a good 99% of People Are Dumb stories. I want to start with this story out of Phoenix. Yes, stupid criminals are not just confined to Florida – they are everywhere! So what happens if you miss your flight or connecting flight? Well don’t do what this woman did – run out onto the tarmac. See, these areas are secured for a reason and you’re about to find out why!

A woman is facing charges after running onto the tarmac at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

According to the police report, the door to the jetway was already secured when Vickie Meyers, of St. Louis, Missouri, tried to catch a flight Sunday afternoon.

Instead of waiting for the next flight, police say she ran through the glass doors separating the passenger area and the secure airfield.

Meyers was stopped by employees as she ran down a flight of stairs towards the nose of the airplane.

According to police, she told employees she was “attempting to have the plane stopped so she would not miss her flight.”

Meyers was charged with first degree criminal trespassing on a crucial public service facility, which is a felony in Arizona.
https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2021/12/28/woman-runs-onto-phoenix-tarmac-stop-plane-she-missed/

Next up – I love a story that involves someone test driving a car and then winds up stealing the car that they test drove. Oh and it happens more often than you would think! That’s exactly what happened in this story out of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Look – even after you steal the very car you test drive, don’t return to the dealership! That just furthers your stupidity. Come on, I think even Homer Simpson and Moe had a better and more well thought out plan than this.

A suspect accused of robbing an auto dealership with what police later identified as a BB gun is now sitting behind bars, according to the Mt. Pleasant Police Department.

On Jan. 19 at 9:55 a.m., officers were sent to an armed robbery at Right Way Auto, located at 1119 S. Mission St.

When police arrived on the scene, they were told a male suspect brandished a gun and fled the scene in a vehicle stolen from the Right Way dealership lot, the Mt. Pleasant Police Department said.

Police identified the suspect as a 20-year-old man from Mt. Pleasant by the vehicle he drove to the dealership and left at the scene.

Mt. Pleasant Police alerted other local law enforcement agencies to be on alert for the suspect and stolen vehicle in the surrounding area. A short time later, authorities in Bay County found the suspect and took him into custody without incident.
https://www.wnem.com/news/suspect-arrested-in-armed-robbery-at-mt-pleasant-auto-dealership/article_2474db76-7a11-11ec-98af-978e65ca190d.html

Next up – we go to fabulous Las Vegas for this one. I love me some Vegas action but then again even Sin City isn’t immune from People Are Dumb stories. And not only is this one dumb, but this one is some serious batshit crazy. I’m sure every ER doctor out there has that story about having to pull an embarrassing object out of one’s ass. But then there’s this guy who claimed to be a literal human bomb, among other claims like he’s the next Joe Rogan:

A man was arrested outside of a Las Vegas casino after police say he made several bomb threats.

According to an arrest report, Brian Gower was wandering through the street near The STRAT Hotel, Casino & SkyPod on Feb. 2, threatening to blow up the building.

After he came onto the property, security put Gower in handcuffs and contacted the police.

Gower allegedly continued making threats, stating he was "Joe Rogan 2.0" and that he "had a grenade in his a** and he wanted to fart."

https://krcgtv.com/news/offbeat/man-arrested-outside-of-las-vegas-casino-claimed-to-have-grenade-in-his-a

Next up – Of course we can’t get out of here without mentioning our old buddy Florida Man. He never stops, does he? Well remember a couple of weeks ago when we talked about how people claimed that Mick Jagger and JFK were the same person after JFK Jr failed to show at that crazy Q Anon cult gathering in Dallas? Well now there’s this guy who is actually claiming to be Mick Jagger. Look I’ve been on some benders in my lifetime, but I never, not once ever thought I was Mick Jagger.

A Florida man police say declared he was Mick Jagger while drunk in downtown Naples was arrested on Monday.

According to the Naples Police Department, Eugene Bingham was disrupting in a number of downtown Naples restaurants including Ocean Prime and Yabba’s.

At Ocean Prime, he yelled at a guest and tried to fight others at the bar. At Yabba’s he is accused of trying to get on stage during a live performance.

Naples police found Bingham walking near the bathrooms on the north side of Cambier Park after a woman told the officer “a drunk male in a red shirt is yelling at people claiming he is Mick Jagger.” ............(more)

https://www.winknews.com/2022/02/08/florida-man-drunkenly-claiming-to-be-mick-jagger-in-downtown-naples-arrested/

Finally this week – board games! People look, it’s just a game. Don’t take things too seriously. That’s what happened with this story out of Rogersville, Tennessee. And come on I’ve played board games before and I’ve had some intense marathon sessions. But you know what? I’ve never done anything to get arrested for them. And you never want to escalate things to where the police get involved, because that will end badly for everyone, especially you. Why does this remind me of the Seinfeld where Kramer and Newman play Risk?

A Rogersville woman is facing multiple charges after she allegedly lost her temper while playing a board game, hit her husband, and then fought police who responded to the incident.

On Dec. 20 shortly after 3 a.m. Rogersville Police Department Officer Eric Pease responded to a domestic assault complaint at the apartment complex at 701 Dennis Drive.

The alleged victim stated that his wife, Madison Lee Collins, was intoxicated and became irate while they were sitting and playing a board game.

The husband stated that Collins, 22, turned the table over and started striking him on the side of the head.
https://www.therogersvillereview.com/rogersville/article_ae666d50-b729-5d0a-8066-43fc89156bc2.html?

That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Red State Diaries: Great Big Freedom Convoy
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Let’s give the wheel one final spin this week! And it lands on… wait for it… what? Go directly to jail? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Wait, I’ve got that get out of jail free card! I’m out! Ha ha! Let’s spin it again! Oh it’s time for Red State Diaries!

Welcome back to our ongoing segment where we examine what the post-election MAGA world is up to in… *cue reverb* Red State Diaries! Ooh that was some good reverb there! Last week, we told you about the ReAwaken America tour which was a melting pot of batshit crazy religious zealots and batshit crazy science denying lunatic conspiracy theorists. This week, we’re going to tell you about the Freedom Convoy. Now they’ve mostly been confined to Canada’s capital of Ottawa. By the way – shameless plug alert - I do want to tell you we’re planning a show there later this year! But now there’s talk that the Freedom Convoy could come to the US courtesy of shady underground funding. And they’re being egged on by the likes of Rand Paul and Tucker Carlson. That fact alone should scare anybody. But before I get into that more, this little stunt is costing some big name manufacturers a lot of money and let’s put it this way – they are not happy.

The trucker protests against vaccine mandates that have blocked key trade crossings between Canada and the United States have prompted losses of nearly $300 million in wages and production in the automotive industry, according to a study this week.The self-styled "freedom convoy" protests have blocked U.S.-Canadian border crossings, including the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, and the Blue Water Bridge, linking Sarnia, Ontario, to Port Huron, Mich.

The demonstrations have resulted in losses of direct wages totaling $144.9 million, mostly affecting Michigan and Ontario, from Feb. 7 to Tuesday, according to an analysis by the Anderson Economic Group, based in East Lansing, Mich.

During that same period, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Honda and Toyota have lost an additional $155 million, Anderson said in a statement on Monday.

Lost wages in Michigan alone after the first week of protests tallied more than $51 million, the group said.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/freedom-convoy-disruptions-cost-auto-industry-millions-rcna16318

Yeah so an industry that is already hurting thanks to product shortages is taking an even further hit because of these assholes. But what does someone like Tucker Carlson have to gain from this? Well it’s definitely helping Fox News’ ratings, that is for sure. And once again this is a call to advance right wing ideals, as if they don’t need any further advancing. But the fact that the right wing has latched onto the Freedom Convoy says more about them than it does about us.

American right-wing pundits have taken great interest in the Canadian “freedom convoy” of truckers who have protested Covid-19 restrictions in Canada by occupying parts of the country’s capital and blockading U.S.-Canadian border crossings. But Fox News host Tucker Carlson is downright giddy about the possibility of a counterpart to the Canadian protest movement rising in the United States, and has been using his platform to try to boost the likelihood of that happening.

He sees the trucker protests as a useful vehicle for advancing right-wing populism — and in the process, he’s helping reveal why its claim to anti-elitism is specious.

The convoy was initially sparked by a small group of Canadian cross-border truckers angry over losing their exemption to vaccine mandates in January. Since then, their protests have been joined by others, and evolved into a broader protest against any kind of Covid restriction at all in Canada — one of the protesters in Carlson’s segment says, “We want freedom, freedom of all mandates.” (It’s also attracted far-right white supremacist activity.)
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/what-tucker-carlson-s-love-freedom-convoy-reveals-n1289111

Oh people stop your rabbling! But this might be my favorite story to come out of the Freedom Convoy so far. And when I saw this story I just seriously almost fell off my chair laughing so hard. Yes, Mike Lindell, or as we like to call him here, Creepy Pillow Man, is involved in the actual Freedom Convoy, and whether or not it could actually come to the US remains to be seen. But I must admit that I did not have “Mike Lindell plans to drop pillows from the sky” on my 2022 Bingo card!

My Pillow CEO and staunch Donald Trump supporter Mike Lindell, as well as a truck full of “10,000 pillows,” were denied entry into Canada Tuesday evening while trying to join Ottawa Freedom Convoy protesters, National Post has learned.

A senior government source said that Lindell, as well an accompanying videographer, were intercepted at the Port Huron-Sarnia border crossing on Tuesday evening as they were enroute for Ottawa to distribute “pillows and Bibles” to convoy protestors.

On the same day, a My Pillow truck carrying “over 10,000 pillows,” including 1,000 “Bible pillows” destined for the truckers’ children was also intercepted trying to cross the border through the Ambassador Bridge leading to Windsor, ON.

According to the senior government source, Lindell was turned back because he was not fully vaccinated and did not have a negative PCR test in hand. The source said that truck was also denied entry into Canada because the U.S. trucker did not have a valid pre-arrival PCR test.
https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/my-pillows-mike-lindell-barred-from-entering-canada-to-support-convoy-protestors

So that being said – could the Freedom Convoy come to the United States? Well aside from the fact that it’s being egged on by the usual band of idiots – Tucker Carlson and Mike Lindell, now Rand Paul is egging on the Freedom Convoy. Of course it’s no mistake that their plan to disrupt the Super Bowl this year was a colossal failure. But could they have success like our neighbors to the north? Well make no mistake that this isn’t going away any time soon.

Sen. Rand Paul has watched the protests in Canada over coronavirus restrictions shut down several blocks in Ottawa for weeks and bring traffic along key nearby crossings to a halt.

Now, he's ready to roll out the welcome wagon for the protesters in the U.S.

In an interview Thursday with the Daily Signal, a conservative media site, the U.S. senator from Kentucky said "it'd be great" if the protests spread to Washington, D.C., when asked about his thoughts on the protests and how the nation's capital would react if they spread south across the border.

"The thing is, it wouldn't shut the city down because the government workers haven't come to work in two years anyway, so I don't know if it'd affect D.C.," Paul joked. "It'd be nice change. We'd actually have some traffic."

Just under 25% of office workers in Washington, D.C., were working out of their offices as of September 2021, according to a survey from the DowntownDC Business Improvement District, as more employees opted to work from home amid the pandemic, which has frequently closed schools and upended child care options.
https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2022/02/11/rand-paul-supports-freedom-convoy-trucker-coronavirus-protest-america/6752105001/

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

My next guest, their latest album is called “Lucifer On The Sofa”, you can see them on tour through June 4th. Playing their song “The Hardest Cut”, give it up for Spoon!

Thank you Detroit! We’re off to Seattle next! See you next week!

Credits

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Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded At: Fillmore Theater, Detroit, MI
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Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo

February 10, 2022

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!

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

[font size="8"]The GOP
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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

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

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

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

[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

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/

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

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

[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/

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

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/

[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

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

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/

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

[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

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

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

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/

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

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:

[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

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/

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

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/

[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/

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/

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/

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/

That’s white nationalist social media influencer who got kicked off social media, Nick Fuentes. This week’s:

[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/

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

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

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

[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

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

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

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/

[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!

Credits

Host: Initech
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded At: Milwaukee Improv, Milwaukee, WI
Greta Van Fleet Appear Courtesy Of: Republic Records
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Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo

February 3, 2022

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-2: Orlando Nazis? I Hate Orlando Nazis Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-2: Orlando Nazis? I Hate Orlando Nazis Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Yo what’s up Salt Lake City? How you guys doing? You doing fucking good? Great! Glad you decided to brave the Omicron variant to listen to my bullshit! But that said this is our second Top 10 of 2022 and we’re still glad that the tour is going on and we’re not confined to the green room of a Burbank comedy club. Well, that aside we’re ready to bring you some unfiltered comedy and commentary on all the batshit crazy stuff in the world. Do we have time for the thing? Of course we do! So normally this would be a People Are Dumb story but I have to talk about this one this week. Golden Corral – you know them of course as the restaurant equivalent of eating directly out of the trough, was in the news this week because a literal food fight broke out at the Golden Corral at Bensalem, PA. And you know me, I love a good fast food rage story. Give me a story about someone burning down a McDonalds because they ran out of chicken nuggets and I’m in! So this particular Golden Corral ran out of steak. To me that begs the question – who the fuck goes to Golden Corral for steak? We’re not exactly talking about a 5 star product here. We’re talking about something that’s probably been overcooked and swimming in grease. That is not steak. But anyway can we show the footage from that?

Oh wait that was Animal House. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Bluto was there actually. OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first Stephen Colbert discusses Dr. Oz’s senate candidacy:

So where do we begin this week? Well the number one slot this week goes to Spotify (1). I don’t know if you’ve been following the whole Spotify Vs Neil Young vs Joe Rogan feud, but it’s the stuff of insanity and we’re extremely disappointed that Spotify has chosen to stick with Joe Rogan. In the second slot this week is American Nazis (2). Yes, there are fucking literal Nazis on American soil and it’s not just limited to those idiots in Florida, either. They’re real and they are scary! Taking the 3rd slot this week is Canadian Anti-vaxxers (3). Yes, there is a new trend of truckers fucking up the grid in Ottawa and it’s all to protest vaccine mandates. Of course they won’t win and are fighting a losing battle, but who cares? They want their freedoms!!! Taking the fourth slot this week is Vladimir Putin. Yes, Putin is eyeing at expanding his real estate, and the entire world is taking notice, but if he teams up with China, this whole thing could be absolutely disastrous! In the number 5 slot this week is Fox News (5). And we are going to tell you how conservatives are very predictably reacting to the retirement announcement of Justice Stephen Breyer. And if you can guess it’s filled with violent fantasies, lies, and conspiracy theories, you are right! Taking the number 6 slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” and this week our resident pastor has a recap of all the anti-abortion madness and insanity that went down at the annual March For Life, and there was some next level crazy there! In the 7th slot this week we have a new edition of “People Who Somehow Got Elected” (7) and this week after attempting to pick a fight with actress Bette Midler, we add West Virginia governor Jim Justice to that ever growing list. In the number 8 slot this week we have a new edition of Conspiracy Corner (8), and this week we’re going to go down the rabbit hole on some of Tucker Carlson’s more racist claims that he’s making on his show, and let me tell you – it’s going to get real dark real quick! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) seed this week, we have a new “I Need A Drink” (9) and this week – there’s two blockbuster video game mergers – Microsoft bought Activision and Sony bought Bungie, but can Microsoft handle Activision’s frat boy culture and their numerous abuse claims? We need a few drinks to sort this madness! Finally this week we have a new edition of our ongoing post-election survey of the MAGA cult in “Red State Diaries” (10) and this week we’re going to tell you what’s going on in Florida and their insane new surgeon general. Let’s put it this way – he’s more like Dr. Spaceman than Dr. Fauci. Plus we have some live music from The Used! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]Joe Rogan
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Unfortunately the COVID-19 pandemic is still very much a thing and is still having an iron grip on societal restrictions as we know them. It’s been two years! And it’s been one year since the vaccine was made publicly available to the entire world! Yet, social media is convincing people in large numbers not to take it, because quack cures like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine are better (they aren’t). It’s also managed to convince the uber-religious that the mark that the vaccine leaves on your arm is the mark of the beast (it isn’t). And then there’s one person who’s clearly not helping things is Joe Rogan, who commands a podcast that has millions of listeners every day. We called out Mr. Rogan for this madness in Idiots #10-13. But he hasn’t changed since then and is actively making things worse. Not to mention that he’s taking the usual conservative route and attempting to paint himself as the victim of a smear campaign against him (also not happening). But that said it’s set off a firestorm of controversy directed at his employer, Spotify.

Neil Young vs Joe Rogan seems like the strangest of cultural clashes.

Yet the 76-year-old rock star's protest over coronavirus-related content on Rogan's popular Spotify podcast has ignited a hot debate over misinformation and free speech, bruising a streaming service that has become the central way that millions of people around the world experience music.

“Rockin' in the Free World”? Not on Spotify. Not anymore. Here's what's going on.

WHY IS YOUNG UPSET?

His protest came after dozens of doctors and scientists wrote an open letter to Spotify, complaining about Rogan's decision to have a podcast discussion with Dr. Robert Malone, an infectious disease specialist who has been banned from Twitter for spreading misinformation on COVID-19. Malone has become a hero in the anti-vaccination community.

Saying Spotify was complicit in spreading misinformation, Young told the company that it could have his music or Rogan's podcast — “not both.” Spotify agreed to remove his music from the service.
https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2022-01-31/explainer-what-will-neil-youngs-protest-mean-for-spotify

Really? And we don’t need to call out the fact that we could have seen this coming after Rogan talked shit about vaccines because he took ivermectin, which we already did. We also don’t need to point out that ivermectin is a medication that rids large animals of parasites and is not meant for human consumption because it causes the blowout of your intestinal linings. Oh wait, we also did that. But where I’m going with this is that Joe Rogan needs to be held accountable for the things he says. His bullshit stinks and it’s getting a lot of people killed in the process.

Spotify is in the process of removing Neil Young’s music two days after Young posted a letter on his website demanding that his catalogue be removed in response to the “fake information about vaccines” on the platform. “We want all the world’s music and audio content to be available to Spotify users. With that comes great responsibility in balancing both safety for listeners and freedom for creators,” a Spotify spokesman told The Washington Post in a statement.

“We have detailed content policies in place and we’ve removed over 20,000 podcast episodes related to covid-19 since the start of the pandemic. We regret Neil’s decision to remove his music from Spotify, but hope to welcome him back soon.” Young’s letter, which has since been deleted, was addressed to his manager and an executive at his record label and cited Joe Rogan by name as part of his issue with Spotify.

“I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines — potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them,” he wrote in the letter, according to Rolling Stone. “Please act on this immediately today and keep me informed of the time schedule.”

“I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform,” the letter continued. “They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.” Representatives for Young have not yet responded to The Post’s request for comment. Rogan, who hosts one of the most popular podcasts on the platform, has repeatedly spread misinformation about the coronavirus vaccines. In April, for example, he came under fire for suggesting healthy, young people shouldn’t get vaccinated.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2022/01/26/neil-young-spotify-joe-rogan/

Yeah so it’s unfortunate that all Spotify cares about is the almighty dollar and instead of getting Joe Rogan to do the right thing, they have instead decided to stick to their boy Joe instead of listening to Neil. Oh and by the way Spotify – actions do have consequences. Because that little stunt that Joe pulled on his podcast? Well it’s costing you to the tune of $4 billion dollars. That’s right – I said $4 BILLION with a B. Like it’s the entire GDP of a small country. All because Joe decided that he was against getting the vaccine. You know what you should do? Get the vaccine.

Spotify lost $4 billion in market value this week after rock icon Neil Young called out the company for allowing comedian Joe Rogan to use its service to spread misinformation about the COVID vaccine on his popular podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience.”

At the end of the day Friday, Jan. 28, shares of Spotify were down about 12% from where they closed last week, according to data from Nasdaq, against a broader index that was flat over the same period. The hashtags #DeleteSpotify and #CancelSpotify also gained traction on social media, with many websites offering step-by-step instructions for users to remove the app from their devices.

Spotify took down nearly all of Young’s music on Wednesday, Jan. 26, two days after the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame musician reportedly issued the streaming service an ultimatum via his management and record company: “They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.”

The controversy erupted after Rogan featured Dr. Robert Malone on his podcast last month. Malone has been banned from Twitter for spreading misinformation, but has become a hero in the anti-vaccine community for falsely suggesting that millions of people had been hypnotized into believing that the vaccines work to prevent serious disease.
https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/music/spotify-loses-4-billion-in-market-value-following-neil-young-controversy

Oh and by the way I’m not even going to get into the absolute plethora of artists who have decided to drop Spotify after Neil Young gave them the heave ho. That includes musicians like India.Arie, Failure, and Springsteen partner Nils Lofgren. Even Neil Young’s former band CSNY reunited to tell Spotify where they can stick it. The bad thing is that Joe Rogan really stepped into it deep and it’s going to take a lot to get out of this mess. Well the bad thing is that while Joe is willing to listen to both sides, the damage has been done. Unfortunately the damage does work both ways because leaving a service like Spotify isn’t exactly an easy decision.

The podcast, which is hosted by comedian Joe Rogan, had been accused by medical professionals of spreading Covid misinformation, and as a result, both Neil Young and Joni Mitchell had pulled their respective libraries of songs from Spotify.

After last week's negative backlash, Joe Rogan also took to social media platform Instagram on Sunday, where in a nearly 10-minute long video he explained that he is open to changes in the show, and will work to book more mainstream health experts.

That video has been seen more than five million times.

Rogan also apologized to both Young and Mitchell, and further praised Spotify for its decision to add content advisories to any material that mentions Covid-19.

"I want to thank Spotify for being so supportive during this time and I'm very sorry that this is happening to them and that they're taking so much heat from it," said Rogan.

"I'm not trying to promote misinformation, I'm not trying to be controversial," added Rogan. "I've never tried to do anything with this podcast other than to just talk to people."
https://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuciu/2022/01/31/spotify-wont-pull-joe-rogan--but-comedian-open-to-change-and-even-issued-apology-to-neil-young/?sh=1fb0b3005c2e

[font size="8"]American Nazis
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You know that old saying that those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it? Well let’s consider the fact that there’s literal Nazis on American soil. How was this allowed to happen? In all seriousness, I was taught in history classes that the Nazis were bad and evil people. They murdered 3 million Jewish people. Add that to the fact that there’s a Tennessee school board that banned a book about the holocaust (see: previous entry) and we’re living in a country that is about to do some really evil shit. Let’s face it – conservatives are both evil and stupid. That led to white supremacists taking over school boards. That led to a rise in white supremacy and neo Nazism. So what’s their end game? Are they going to finish what Hitler started? And where’s Jake and Elwood when you need them. Let’s take a look at what happened in Orlando. And if you think I’m kidding about Nazis being on American soil, well I will say the door is that way!

Participants at a neo-Nazi rally in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday waved Nazi flags and shouted antisemitic and anti-Black slogans, according to the NGO StopAntisemitism.org.

The rally was organized by the National Socialist Movement (NSM) and was live-streamed on the American Nazi Party’s website.

The live-stream archive was not currently working on the website, but participants chanted, “The Jew is the devil” and “Jews rape children and drink their blood,” StopAntisemitism.org said.

NSM plans to hold other events, including on April 23 in Washington State, a convention of its national chapters and a public protest.

On January 12, NSM said it had opened its own live-streaming capabilities after losing access to the use of BlogTalk Radio, which it blamed on “the Jew.” The platform is still rife with errors, which the webmaster blamed on visitors.
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-694960

Yeah seriously, where is Jake and Elwood when you need them? Orlando Nazis? I hate Orlando Nazis! I guess though, in all fairness I hate all Nazis regardless of location. I mean come on, like I said I grew up being taught that the Nazis were the bad guy! Same with Russia! But now we have actual fucking Nazis on American soil holding protests above freeway overpasses… well that can’t end well for anybody, can it? And of course our old buddy, the king of Florida Men himself, Ron DeSantis, certainly isn’t helping things!

Gov. Ron DeSantis accused Democrats Monday of trying to "smear" him over how his administration's responded to a neo-Nazi demonstration in Orlando over the weekend.

Republican leaders across Florida condemned the neo-Nazi rally, with U.S. Sen. Rick Scott tweeting Sunday that "the hateful & anti-Semitic demonstrations reported in Florida today have no place in our state."

But DeSantis didn't weigh in until asked about it during a press conference Monday afternoon in Palm Beach County, and the governor's press secretary drew attention for a tweet that questioned whether the incident was staged.

"Do we even know they're Nazis?" said DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw in a tweet that later was deleted. "Or is this a stunt like the 'white nationalists' who crashed the (Virginia Gov. Glenn) Youngkin rally in Charlottesville and turned out to be Dem staffers? I trust Florida law enforcement to investigate and am awaiting their conclusions."
https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/politics/2022/01/31/gov-ron-desantis-and-press-secretary-christina-pushaw-over-nazi-rally-response/9293703002/

Oh and by the way before I go any further this happened:

Excuse me a minute… OK. OK. These guys are idiots. But you know who’s even more of an idiot? Let’s go to Tennessee for this story. Yes they are related because I’m sure you heard about this story when it lit up your social media feeds. There was a school board in Tennessee that voted a whopping 10 – 0 to ban a book about the holocaust. Yeah. What year is this? Is this the year 2022 or the year 1939? Nazism isn’t cool guys. And let’s face it, the country that starts banning books is about to do something really terrible and it’s not going to be good.

A Tennessee school board has voted to remove the Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel “Maus” from an eighth grade language arts curriculum due to concerns about profanity and an image of female nudity in its depiction of Polish Jews who survived the Holocaust.

The Jan. 10 vote by the McMinn County School Board, which only began attracting attention Wednesday, comes amid a number of battles in school systems around the country as conservatives target curriculums over teachings about the history of slavery and racism in America.

“I’m kind of baffled by this,” Art Spiegelman, the author of “Maus,” told CNBC in an interview about the unanimous vote by the McMinn board to bar the book, which is about his parents, from continuing to be used in the curriculum.

“It’s leaving me with my jaw open, like, ‘What?’” said Spiegelman, 73, who only learned of the ban after it was the subject of a tweet Wednesday – a day before International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/26/tennessee-school-board-bans-holocaust-comic-maus-by-art-spiegelman.html

Yeah seriously, where are those two guys when you need them? But there is some good news, despite the fact that a small portion of Americans have gone completely insane and been flipped to the side of being fucking Nazis, the fact that Maus has been banned from this TN school district has people flocking to read it! Which is good news. Because again I keep saying, those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it!

The Pulitzer prize-winning Holocaust graphic novel Maus: A Survivor’s Tale has become a bestseller on Amazon, after a Tennessee school board banned it.

Last week, according to meeting minutes, 10 school board members in McMinn county agreed to remove Maus from the eighth-grade curriculum, citing “rough, objectionable language” and sketches of naked women they deemed unsuitable for 13-year-old students.

By the American cartoonist Art Spiegelman and first published in 1986, Maus describes the experiences of Spiegelman’s parents in Nazi concentration camps and his mother’s suicide. The book depicts Jewish people as mice and Nazis as cats.

“We don’t need to enable or somewhat promote this stuff,” McMinn county board member Tony Allman said, adding in reference to the murder of 6 million Jewish people in the second world war: “I am not denying it was horrible, brutal and cruel.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/31/holocaust-novel-maus-bestseller-after-tennessee-school-ban

[font size="8"]Canadian Trucker Protests
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Excuse me if I use too much profanity in this entry but I feel that I must. That said, I really give up sometimes. But allow me to say this: Look everyone, we need to get our fucking shit together! It’s been two damn years since COVID was declared a worldwide pandemic. Shit, everyone is bored. Everyone is tired of the restrictions on every day life. We’re all pissed at the way this virus is affecting us and all of its’ mutations. We’re tired of all of this shit. But there’s one thing we really need to address here. Canada, what the fuck are you doing? You are supposed to be better than Americans at this shit. And why are you importing our bullshit like Alex Jones and Tucker Carlson? Let’s keep the Infowarriors confined to the US, OK? So yeah I’m rambling a bit, only because witnessing what went down in Ottawa from across the border really made me pissed off about this. I’ll say that I really hate anti-vaxxers especially after they pull shit like this. Apparently we’re at the “destroying property and flinging feces” phase of the pandemic.

What started as a convoy of truckers protesting Covid-19 mandates has snowballed into a blockade in the Canadian capital and the obstruction of a US-Canadian border crossing.

Some protesters pressured staff at a homeless shelter to give them food, the facility said.

And criminal investigations are underway after the alleged "desecration" of monuments during weekend protests that spilled into Monday.

The protests stemmed from the "Freedom Convoy" of truckers that traveled across Canada for several days before arriving in the capital city of Ottawa on Saturday. The drivers oppose a recent vaccine mandate requiring truckers entering Canada to be fully vaccinated or face testing and quarantine requirements.

Downtown Ottawa remained packed with rigs and cars Monday morning as protesters rallied against Covid-19 mandates and some legislators were set to return to Parliament Hill.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/31/americas/canada-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-trucker-protests/index.html

Well there is some good news in this at least is that Canada’s not screwing around with this shit, because they also have competent leaders. It’s understandable where the truckers are coming from – nobody wants to have to quarantine anymore and this is getting totally ridiculous. Especially since we’re in a wave that seems to be affecting everyone. But when you state your claim with violence and poop throwing that’s where you ceased being called civilized humans. Hell even monkeys in cages at the zoo behave better than this.

)The demonstration is tied to the ongoing nationwide "Freedom Convoy" protests over Canada's new restrictions on unvaccinated cross-border truckers.

Some motorists and local residents have reportedly been stuck in standstill since the protest began on Saturday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Alberta said the event was "unlawful".

They said "extensive efforts" to negotiate with protest organisers had failed and the force has tapped "additional resources" to make arrests or tow trucks if needed.

"While we thought we had a path to resolve this, the protesters chose not to comply," a statement said.

The Freedom Convoy began as a call to end a federal vaccine mandate that would require unvaccinated Canadian truckers returning from across the US border to quarantine and get tested once they are home.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60218354

Yeah so here’s the thing guys, two years is a long time to not have a properly functioning society, and you know what? There’s one way out of this mess. Take the fucking vaccine! That’s all! Don’t listen to the anti-vaccine morons on Facebook! And no one especially wants to bring a virus this contagious across the border, that won’t end well for anybody, especially as we have seen with the current variant. But protesting with violence and the added bonus of urine and poop in the mix, well, you’re not exactly helping to advance your cause. Also don’t listen to Elon Musk, either.

In a scene at odds with Canadians’ reputation for niceness and rule-following, thousands of protesters railing against vaccine mandates and other COVID-19 restrictions descended on the capital over the weekend, deliberately blocking traffic around Parliament Hill.

Some urinated and parked on the National War Memorial. One danced on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A number carried signs and flags with swastikas.

In the aftermath of Canada’s biggest pandemic protest to date, the demonstrators have found little sympathy in a country where more than 80 percent are vaccinated. Many people were outraged by some of the crude behavior.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the Ottawa protesters a “fringe minority” and said they reflected the proliferation of “disinformation and misinformation online, conspiracy theorists, about microchips, about God knows what else that go with the tinfoil hats.”
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/swastikas-and-public-urination-anti-vaccine-protest-draws-outrage-in-canada

Oh and by the way you want to see how far meme propaganda can go? Take that Simpsons episode I just played a clip from. That episode is called “Maximum Homerdrive” – season 10 episode 17. The truckers who are involved in the protests are using this episode to say that it helps prove their cause that they should be doing this. Well guess what? It didn’t. And these so-called patriots should know where they can take this crap and shove it by now. But in all seriousness guys, grow up. Take the damn vaccine and learn to live in a civilized society again. Until that happens – shut the fuck up.

Posts claiming that the animated series The Simpsons predicted the 2022 Freedom Convoys conducted by Canadian truck drivers are misleading. Claims feature an edited clip from two separate and unrelated episodes of the show.

A post from Facebook, seen (here) shows a clip of the show with the text caption: “The Simpsons-1999.” Additional miscaptioned videos from Facebook are reviewable (here) and (here).

The video depicts Homer and Bart Simpson driving down a highway in an 18-wheeler when Homer notices a convoy of semi-trucks approaching in one of the truck’s rear-view mirrors. In the next scene, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau scurries out of an open window walking on two hands as trucks approach the building.

Contrary to social media claims, the video clip is not a 1999 prediction of the 2022 Freedom Convoy but is the edited combination of footage from two separate episodes of the show.

The footage of Homer and Bart is from the 1999 episode, “Maximum Homerdrive” (here). The season 10, episode 17 story features Homer and Bart going on a cross-country delivery as truck drivers (here). The second clip which features an animated version of Trudeau having a Skype conversation with Lisa Simpson can be seen in the 2020-episode, “D’Oh Canada.” The original show aired on April 28, 2019, not 1999, as suggested by some users (here), (here).
https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-the-simpsons-freedom-convoy/fact-check-the-simpsons-did-not-predict-2022-canada-freedom-convoy-idUSL1N2UB2WA

[font size="8"]Vladimir Putin
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Putin may be doing a great job of turning Americans against each other through the power of social media propaganda, but he certainly isn’t doing a good job of keeping the world’s eyes off of him as he is looking to invade the Ukranian border. But he’s definitely playing a game of 4D or 6D or whatever number of Ds you can add to a game of chess. I don’t know how many they are up to now, I don’t speak stupid! So the question on the table is – could Russia’s glorious authoritarian fascist dictator Vladimir Putin invade the Ukraine and start World War III? Well the road to World War II wasn’t exactly Hitler invading Poland. It was a long, slow build that led up to that! What’s happening right now in the road to the Ukraine invasion is more like a cold one than a hot one. We have a long way to go before we even think about sending in the fighter jets. What’s Putin’s latest move? It’s complicated to say the least.

Many former Soviet states like Ukraine are making progress against corruption. Russia is not. Is clean governance a threat to the Kremlin?

Russian troops are poised to invade Ukraine and yet many experts disagree on why. Does President Vladimir Putin want to restore the Russian Empire? Prevent Ukraine from joining NATO? Split Europe from the United States?

Well, now add another theory to the mix. Based on a new report from corruption watchdog Transparency International, seven countries in the former Soviet Union – from Estonia to Uzbekistan – have made significant reforms toward honest and clean governance in the last few years. Not so in Mr. Putin’s Russia. In the report’s ranking of countries on perceptions of corruption, Russia’s score has worsened. A new law, for example, has made reporting on corruption even riskier for pro-democracy activists.

It may be only a matter of time before Russian citizens wonder why so many neighbors are moving toward civic equality, transparent government, and other essentials for curbing corruption. Ukraine’s moves toward democratic ideals since 2014 may be driving Mr. Putin to end its progress. The country has a close association with Russian history, culture, and geography.
https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2022/0126/A-new-insight-on-Putin-s-moves-against-Ukraine

Ha ha ha ha ha ha, that meme never gets old! So what’s the response going to be to kick Pooty in the tooty? I just want to point out that line was not in the script, BTW! Well he definitely won’t respond to logic or reason in his quest to become supreme overlord of earth. So how would he feel about some good old fashioned American firepower being deployed on his sorry ass? Well it’s a good thing we have a competent president at the helm otherwise things could get absolutely disastrous. And if there’s one thing you never want to do, it’s start a world war on the wrong foot, and we’re watching.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has accused the US of trying to draw his country into a war in Ukraine.

He said America's goal was to use a confrontation as a pretext to impose more sanctions on Russia.

Mr Putin also said the US was ignoring Russia's concerns about the expansion of Nato, the Western military alliance which Ukraine is seeking to join.

The US and its allies accuse Russia of planning to invade Ukraine, something Russia has repeatedly denied.

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted that the US was "committed to preventing a conflict that is in no one's interest".

Meanwhile, Spanish newspaper El Pais has released what it says are confidential documents the US and Nato sent to Russia last week - including offers of talks on cutting back on nuclear weaponry and trust-building measures in exchange for reducing tensions over Ukraine.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60220702

OK so war won’t work. Reasoning with him won’t work. What do we do? We can’t just sit idly by and watch him annex his next door neighbor, can we? And while we’re attempting to do everything we can to prevent this invasion from happening, Putin is looking for any help he can get. And when he seeks allies with the most powerful army and navy in the entire world – China – that will not end well for anybody and everybody involved. Especially us.

As the United States moves to exert maximal pressure on Russia over fears of a Ukraine invasion, the Russian leader, Vladimir V. Putin, has found relief from his most powerful partner on the global stage, China.

China has expressed support for Mr. Putin’s grievances against the United States and NATO, joined Russia to try to block action on Ukraine at the United Nations Security Council, and brushed aside American warnings that an invasion would create “global security and economic risks” that could consume China, too.

On Friday, Mr. Putin will meet in Beijing with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, ahead of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics that President Biden and other leaders have pointedly vowed to boycott.

Although details of any potential agreements between the two countries have not been disclosed, the meeting itself — Mr. Xi’s first in person with a world leader in nearly two years — is expected to be yet another public display of geopolitical amity between the two powers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/02/world/asia/russia-ukraine-china-putin-xi.html

So yeah we’re boned all right no matter which way this scenario plays out. So what does Pooty want out of this? What’s in it for Russia? Or the USSR? It seems reuniting the USSR is the hip thing to do. Hey come on, the Beatles wrote one of their best songs about it! But what Russia wants from the Ukraine is definitely not the “they look like dorks” argument. But apparently Pooty isn’t going to let this one go for anything, and whether or not this situation escalates remains to be seen.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that his government was studying the responses from the United States and NATO to his security demands related to Ukraine but that it was clear the Kremlin's main complaints "had been ignored."
For weeks, Putin had said little publicly about the crisis sparked by Russia's buildup of tens of thousands of troops near Ukraine's borders, which has raised fears of a possible invasion.
But speaking at a Tuesday news conference following a five-hour meeting in Moscow with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Putin said: "It is already clear -- I informed the Prime Minister about this -- that the fundamental Russian concerns were ignored. We did not see an adequate consideration of our three key requirements."

Putin added that Russia had not seen "adequate consideration of our three key demands regarding NATO expansion, the renunciation of the deployment of strike weapons systems near Russian borders, and the return of the [NATO] bloc's military infrastructure in Europe to the state of 1997, when the Russia-NATO founding act was signed."

Putin also accused the US directly of attempting to "draw us into armed conflict" over the Ukraine crisis by using the country as a "tool" for NATO operations. He claimed that Washington's main goal is to force "allies in Europe to impose the very tough sanctions against us," or "draw Ukraine into NATO."
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/01/europe/vladimir-putin-west-ignored-russia-concerns-intl/index.html

[font size="8"]Fox News
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Well as we were putting together last week’s edition, Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement from SCOTUS. It’s probably a good idea that he retires now before a certain someone becomes president again and turns the court even *FURTHER* right. We cannot allow that to happen. Of course we won’t if Mitch McTurtle gets his way and stalls the nomination of the next justice for the next two years. But this isn’t about Justice Breyer’s retirement. This is about how conservatives reacted to the retirement of Justice Breyer. And as you can imagine, they reacted very poorly. I’m of course talking about the usual suspects – Hannity, Carlson, Shapiro, and the rest. Of course we predicted that one of our “People Who Somehow Got Elected”, Susan Collins (see: Top 10 #5-15 ). The Maine Senator of course has some thoughts on this subject and I suspect the quest to nominate his replacement is going to get really ugly really quickly.

After weeks of bruising losses over voting rights and other progressive priorities, Democrats in Washington, D.C., and around the country seemed to be reenergized by the chance to fill a Supreme Court seat.

Democratic leaders are pledging to move fast once President Joe Biden selects his nominee, as Republicans did to get Justice Amy Coney Barrett seated before the Nov. 2020 election. But a rushed process could risk Democrats losing one of the only Republican votes up for grabs – U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.

Collins made clear the day that news broke of Justice Stephen Breyer’s impending retirement that she doesn’t want the confirmation process rushed.

“I felt that the timetable for the last nominee was too compressed,” Collins told reporters on Tuesday, referring to Barrett’s lightning-fast nomination and confirmation within just five weeks of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death.

“This time there is no need for any rush,” Collins continued. “We can take our time, have hearings, go through the process, which is a very important one. It is a lifetime appointment, after all."
https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2022-01-28/why-democrats-might-need-susan-collins-vote-to-replace-retiring-justice-stephen-breyer

Well fucking duh, that was the whole point! Trump went down in flames and apparently he took SCOTUS with him! Thank you audience! Yeah fuck Mitch McConnell too. But you’re not here for Susan Collins’ reaction, are you? Oh no! You’re here for the absolutely batshit crazy ones! Because that’s what this whole program is about, right? Well I trust you my fair audience that you will not leave here tonight disappointed! I give you right wing pastor and so called “prophet” Hank Kunneman!

Oh and Hank is not alone in thinking this! Now of course Joe has stirred some controversy by suggesting that he nominate the first black woman to SCOTUS, and we’re all asking – really? What the fuck took so long on that one? Well our old buddy Tucker Carlson isn’t having any of it. Now come on, stop it with the Tucker reaction camera already! That was last year. But no, we don’t need to hear a white supremacists’ opinions on race, do we? Because racists do love them some Tucker Carlson, not surprised at all by his opinion on this!

Fox News’ Tucker Carlson on Wednesday spent 12 minutes railing against President Joe Biden’s vow to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court following reports of Justice Stephen Breyer’s planned retirement.

Carlson sneered at Biden’s promise as “patronizing.”

“Where is Biden’s Pacific Islander nominee?” Carlson facetiously asked. “Why isn’t there an American Indian on the court? Or a genderqueer? Or someone from the chronic fatigue syndrome community or a justice with cognitive disabilities? Why isn’t there an Afghan refugee under consideration?”

Concluding his monologue, Carlson said Biden was ignoring the “obvious choice” of Bridget Floyd, the sister of George Floyd, the Black man killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in 2020.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/tucker-carlson-flips-over-biden-090529008.html

But here’s the thing conservatives – shut the fuck up. No, seriously, shut the fuck up. You got three justices. You don’t need anymore. And remember Pastor Hank from earlier? Well he’s not alone in his ultra-hyperbolic way of thinking. Look conservatives, he wasn’t bullied into retirement. Nobody forced him to do anything. Let us have this one, OK? Trump has already done all the damage he can possibly do, for now. We certainly don’t need a 9 – 0 court appointing him dictator for life.

As soon as the news broke that Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will retire at the end of the current session, right-wing activists began declaring that Breyer had been “bullied” into stepping down and therefore Republicans must do everything they can to block whomever President Joe Biden nominates to fill that seat.

Carrie Severino of the Judicial Crisis Network and Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch both asserted that Breyer had been forced out of his seat on the court.

Penny Nance of Concerned Women for America declared that Biden must use the vacancy to unify the nation by appointing to the court a “constitutionalist” (which is conservative code for “right-wing ideologue”).

Proclaiming that the Senate is the “our last line of defense against radical leftist SCOTUS justices,” Ohio Republican Senate candidate Josh Mandel used the opportunity to promote his own campaign.

Right-wing activist Brigitte Gabriel openly asserted that it doesn’t even matter whom Biden nominates, “they must be stopped.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/they-must-be-stopped-right-wing-reactions-to-the-news-of-justice-stephen-breyers-retirement/

[font size="8"]Holy Shit: March For Life Recap
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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, unlike other congregations in this country, we don’t really touch on the abortion issue. Except for this week, of course. Ever since the tragic death of one of the longest serving SCOTUS justices in US history, the great Ruth Bader Ginsburg, there’s been talk that abortion in the United States could come to an end. That’s after 45 years of Roe V. Wade. But the fact that the unholy, ungodly Dark One got to pick three lifetime appointments to this court, that’s pretty troubling, don’t you think? Well, many of the most fervent supporters of the Dark One support overturning Roe V. Wade. And the Dark One is a man who you know that I speak of, who is so foul, vile, disgusting, and depraved that his name dare NOT be spoken in my church! That is the one rule we have here at the Holy Church Of The Top 10. Well when you combine toxic politics and toxic anti-abortion rhetoric, you get the March For Life protest in Washington, DC. An event that really does mix religion and politics, and those things should never be mixed together! So here’s exactly what went down in DC and if this is the future of the GOP it’s going to get really ugly really quickly!

The activists who had gathered at the National Mall for the March for Life knew they were winning. With every cheer, every prayer, and every round of applause, the attendees assembled in the shadow of the Washington Monument reminded themselves that this year’s rally and march could be the last one to happen in a country where abortion was at least nominally legal in every state. They waved signs: WE ARE THE POST-ROE GENERATION.

I felt the rally’s triumphant spirit as I traipsed from the Supreme Court down to the march’s meeting spot behind the Smithsonian American History Museum on Friday. After last year’s in-person events had been canceled because of the pandemic, I could see and hear groups of friends reunited, hugging and taking photos in front of the Supreme Court and Capitol Building, and comparing their signs and placards. As I wandered down Constitution Avenue a little before noon, I was surprised at how large the crowds were; despite the below-freezing temperature and threat of the Omicron variant, I saw school groups and religious orders from upstate New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia. I recognized logos from a few Catholic universities. Seeing teens in Carhartt beanies and Canada Goose parkas gave me flashbacks to my own education at an all-boys Catholic school.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2022/01/march-for-life-abortion-protest/621349/

Now here’s where you should be alarmed at this March For Life – the marchers have literally gone full brown shirt Nazi. And that is not something that the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now, is it? For it says in our Good Book that the government that lies down with fascist authoritarianism shall *NOT* enter the kingdom of heaven! Well at least it says that in our Good Book! Which you can buy outside in the lobby for the low price of $24.95! Shameless plug, I know. But that said, you do not want to go down this route because it is a scary one at that!

The fascist group Patriot Front planned its recent public appearances around anti-abortion “March For Life” rallies, leaked chat messages reveal.

The messages, released by the media nonprofit Unicorn Riot, offer a glimpse into the white supremacist group in late 2021 as it worked to make inroads with the right and rebuild itself in the public eye. Central to the group’s campaign were a pair of March For Life events in Chicago and D.C. this month, where the uniformed fascists walked alongside members of a broader conservative movement.

In messages on the chat platform RocketChat, Patriot Front leader Thomas Rousseau described the March For Life events as outreach to the largely conservative anti-choice movement.

“Our two March For Life events are coming up,” Rousseau wrote in December. “Plans for these will be ongoing as they are largely responsive to the plans of the marchers there. The aim is to be more understated, friendly, in smaller groups, and get as many flyers out as possible. Other more regimented options are on the table as well.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/leaked-chats-show-patriot-front-fascists-sought-allies-at-march-for-life

What options are there? You’ve practically gone full blown Nazi. You might as well just go a step further and go all the way! But the good LAWRD JAYSUS don’t want that now, does he? But where is this movement ultimately headed? Well obviously they’ve had their sights set on the highest court in the land and with the Unholy Dark One and his supporters now owning a 6 -3 majority they might finally get their wish. And their wish is a dark one indeed! Now don’t boo yet, because their agenda is very dangerous and scary!

Temperatures hovered at around 20 degrees as thousands gathered in Washington, D.C., for the 49th annual March for Life protest.

The march occurs around the anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision: Jan. 22, 1973. And this year, there's a growing sentiment among the protesters that it could be the last march before Roe is possibly overturned.

"We are hoping and praying that this year, 2022, will bring us historic change for life," March for Life president Jeanne Mancini said. "Roe is not settled law," she said to cheers from the crowd.

One attendee at the march, Macy Butler, a retired teacher from Silver Spring, Md., tells NPR she had "a little hope" this year that abortion would no longer be protected on a federal level.
https://www.npr.org/2022/01/21/1074814640/march-for-life-protest-roe-v-wade

No prayer warriors, that’s where you are wrong! We don’t want your change! Because your change is taking us backwards, we don’t want to go backwards. We want to move forwards! And how can you say “it’s not settled law”? Imagine the balls that it takes to declare a decision made by the highest court in the land invalid? Well of course none of us are the unholy Dark One. So what’s next for the March For Life movement if it is overturned this year? Well there could be some very disastrous consequences awaiting if it happens!

Abortion rights activists are working to stop that bill, which they say is unconstitutional. Aileen Day, communications director at Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, said her group will continue to fight to protect abortion access. Her group has more than 3,000 people signed up to testify against the bill.

“The citizens of Ohio face some of the most egregious attacks in the country when it comes to preserving the constitutional right to abortion,” she said. “But the facts speak for themselves: Abortion is legal in Ohio and in America, and most Ohioans support safe and legal access to abortion.”

Day’s organization is aware of the March for Life, and she has seen young antiabortion activists return home energized from the trip, but her group won’t send counterprotesters during a pandemic. As the number of coronavirus cases continues to surge nationwide, Day said she is worried that the march will be a superspreader event.

“I think it says everything about the antiabortion movement that they are busing in hundreds of people from Ohio, a state that has been leading the nation in this pandemic surge, to celebrate their false flag of life,” she said.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/01/18/march-for-life-2022/

Now that’s ironic – a March For Life could send hundreds of people to the hospital and or their own deaths! Funny when paths like that cross isn’t it? Well we’ll be keeping an eye on this to see what happens. Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

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

This week – West Virginia governor Jim Justice. So governor Justice got elected in 2020 when the country was already in turmoil because of the pandemic and because of the riots relating to the arrest of George Floyd. But he became famous for a rather interesting quirk – unlike other governors in the country – governor Justice brings his dog along to his press conferences. Last week was the annual “State Of The State” address to the people of West Virginia, and what did he decide to bring along this time? His dog. And he decided to pick a fight with a rather peculiar choice of celebrity – Bette Midler – as well as the press. So the dog first made an appearance when Gov. Justice proclaimed that Tampa Bay would win the Super Bowl by a whopping 31 points. Which really didn’t happen but since then the dog has been a regular fixture in local politics. So here’s how the feud with Bette Midler went down. Aside from taking some cheap shots at Joe Biden, you don’t really pick a fight with someone who has a quick wit like Ms. Midler does.

Gov. Jim Justice has a message for singer and actress Bette Midler, who called West Virginians “poor, illiterate and strung out” in a tweet after Sen. Joe Manchin refused to support President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Act.

The 70-year-old Republican governor ended his televised State of the State address Thursday night by lifting up his English bulldog and flashing its rear end to the cameras and crowd.

“Babydog tells Bette Midler and all those out there: Kiss her heinie,” Justice said, grinning as people applauded and some gave him a standing ovation.

Justice had spent more than an hour touting the state’s accomplishments, including two recently announced economic development projects.

“Absolutely too many people doubted us,” he said. “They never believed in West Virginia. … They told every bad joke in the world about us.”
https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/national-news/gov-tells-bette-midler-to-kiss-dogs-heinie-and-shows-it/

So yeah you don’t fuck with Bette Midler because otherwise you will get owned hard. As was evidenced by her appearances on classic shows like Seinfeld and The Simpsons. And her many movie and TV appearances. We don’t know why he chose to pick on Bette, what did Bette ever do to him? And in case you’re wanting a comeback, well, you’ve got one! Because Ms. Midler immediately fired back and it was every bit as funny as you might expect!

Bette Midler bit back at West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice on Friday, a day after he held up his dog’s rear end and said she could kiss its "hiney" following his State of the State speech.

"I’d say his dog’s — would make a better Governor than him!" the "Wind Beneath My Wings" singer tweeted, along with an unsourced chart showing the state ranking near the bottom on education, health care, infrastructure and the economy, compared to other states.

Justice's remarks were a response to a previous Midler tweet, in which she called the state "poor, illiterate and strung out" over her frustration with U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat who essentially sunk his party's voting rights bill by refusing to go around the Senate filibuster. Midler later apologized for the tweet after a backlash.

"I apologize to the good people of WVA for my last outburst," she wrote online Dec. 20. "I’m just seeing red; #JoeManchin and his whole family are a criminal enterprise. Is he really the best WV has to offer its own citizens? Surely there’s someone there who has the state’s interests at heart, not his own!"
https://news.yahoo.com/bette-midler-bites-back-west-054544821.html

So why does the governor bring his dog “Babydog” to his press conferences? That seems quite a bit odd, doesn’t it? Gov. Justice is a guy who apparently doesn’t care what other people think about him or his policies, and it shows. At least the anchors of CNN got a laugh out of it, which shows that they have a sense of humor, even if he doesn’t. But not even Saturday Night Live could make up something this batshit crazy. That said, what’s it really like in West Virginia?

Governor Jim Justice is defending his behavior during Thursday night’s State of the State Address. The governor was touting the state’s latest economic development success, and he took time out to fire back at those who’ve criticized West Virginia as a backward state.

In particular, he and his pet Baby Dog singled out entertainer Bette Midler.

While the governor was criticized by some callers on talk radio today, he says he doesn’t care about that.
Also today, he invited Bette Midler to visit West Virginia and see what it’s really like firsthand.

Midler has since responded to the governor’s stunt on Twitter saying “BTW, here are the state rankings of all the areas and agencies for which the so-called ‘Governor’ of WVA, #JimJustice, is responsible,” she wrote, referring to an attached screengrab from U.S. News and World Report which ranked West Virginia as 47th overall in its 2021 list of “Best States.” “Judging from these rankings, I’d say his dog’s a– would make a better Governor than him!”
https://www.wtrf.com/news/west-virginia-headlines/west-virginia-governor-defends-baby-dog-appearance-at-state-of-the-state-address/

Holy shit! 47th in the whole country! Bravo! Guess someone’s got to rank at the bottom, don’t they? But that said this feud between Bette Midler and Gov. Justice isn’t going to end anytime soon. So we hope you’ve got some popcorn and your favorite beverage of choice, not to mention a Twitter account, because things are definitely going to get interesting between the two! But for this round, and probably other future rounds, definitely advantage Midler on this one!

Bette Midler continued her spat with West Virginia Governor Jim Justice on Friday by saying that his dog's "ass" would make a better governor after the Republican used the animal to criticize her.

Justice, a Republican, displayed his dog's rear end during his state of the state address on Thursday as a rejoinder to critics and said they could kiss his pet's "hiney."

The governor's his fondness for his English bulldog is well-known. He has used the animal—named Babydog—as a means to promote COVID-19 vaccination uptake in his state.

Film legend Midler had apparently angered the governor in a tweet about Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) that was critical of the people of West Virginia.

At the end of his state of the state address, Justice addressed West Virginia's critics.

"They never believed in West Virginia, that we could do it," Justice said.
https://www.newsweek.com/bette-midler-jim-justice-continue-trading-insults-dog-behind-west-virginia-1674276

So picking fights with celebrities using his dog’s butt and running his state into the ground. That’s West Virginia governor Jim Justice, yet another one to add to our ever growing list of:

[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner: Tucker Goes Racist
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Welcome back to our segment where we attempt to explain the unexplainable, Conspiracy Corner! We are coming to you live from our underground doomsday shelter deep in the heart of the New Mexico badlands! Undisclosed location of course. Now let me just adjust my tin foil hat for maximum government interference… they are trying to read yours and my thoughts, after all! So this week we’re going to do something a bit different and debunk some of the batshit theories being floated about on the Tucker Carlson show. And why is ol’ Tucker such a hot topic right now? Well it’s because of his stance on Hungary – a nation that’s been taken over by an authoritarian right wing religious fundamentalist regime. And if you’re not extremely frightened by an influential Fox News host sucking up to an authoritarian government, well you absolutely should be. Because this is where the Fox News cult is going with this, and it’s not going to end well.

The film opens with soaring music, footage of white children laughing and playing, beautiful vistas of classical European architecture. Fifteen seconds in, the music turns dark. We see images of dark-skinned youth, chaos, and blood. Then there’s a foreboding black-and-white shot of a man in profile, hunched at a desk, the curvature of his nose prominent in silhouette.

He’s the one responsible for all of this, the brown assault on white tranquility. Europe, we are told, is this predator’s “main hunting area.”

This is the beginning of Tucker Carlson’s new “documentary” for Fox Nation, the right-wing media giant’s streaming service. It is titled Hungary vs. Soros: The Fight for Civilization, and it purports to tell the story of how a plucky little democracy in Central Europe has carved out a conservative model in the face of a relentless assault by the forces of global liberalism personified by George Soros, the Hungarian-American financier.

The story is a lie. Hungary is nominally a democracy but it has made a turn toward authoritarianism in the last decade; Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has painted Soros as a scapegoat whose allegedly nefarious influence justifies Orbán’s anti-democratic moves. The documentary amplifies this propaganda, treating the Jewish philanthropist as the spider at the center of a global web of conspiracy.
https://www.vox.com/22904444/tucker-carlson-hungary-soros-fox-nation-documentary-special

So yeah in case you’re wondering about Viktor Orban’s credentials – he is truly a colossal authoritarian scumbag not too far off from Donald Trump or Tayyip Erdogan or Rodrigo Duterte. So the fact that Tucker is pulling his best Glenn Beck impression and pulling George Soros in the mix should be enough to alarm anyone. The right wing loves to use Soros as their punching bag. But what’s even more insane is their use of the absolutely racist “replacement theory”. This is a theory that’s so extreme that Tucker’s own employers have denounced it.

The Anti-Defamation League is once again calling for Fox News personality Tucker Carlson's ousting.

The "Tucker Carlson Tonight" host is under fire from the organization battling antisemitism and other types of hate for his recent comments on "The Great Replacement" theory.

"It cannot be overstated enough," ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted Friday. "For @TuckerCarlson, host of one of the most watched news programs in the country, to use his platform as a megaphone to spread the toxic and xenophobic 'Great Replacement' theory, is repugnant and a dangerous abuse of power."

"A reminder: 'The Great Replacement' theory and its racist and xenophobic roots have served as the inspiration for multiple mass shootings and deadly attacks," the official Twitter account for ADL shared the same day.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2021/09/28/fox-news-tucker-carlson-adl-great-replacement-theory-reactions/5897547001/

So remember way back when the Unite The Right rally happened and there were idiots in khakis and collared shirts, a uniform that screams “come take a look at this used 2005 Kia Optima”, and they were screaming “jews will not replace us”? Well think about that except these guys are elected officials and they actually have the power to do things. Well, the shit is about to hit the collective fan here and everyone should be alarmed that Tucker is going full on racist white supremacist.

Over the past three months, the Fox News meltdown over “critical race theory” and supposed “antiwhite racism” has only intensified. In February, as the right-wing media industry was looking to fill airtime in the post-Trump news era, Fox’s prime-time hosts latched onto the latest culture-war bogeyman and target of Republicans across the country. “In schools they are teaching this. Race hate,” seethed Tucker Carlson on February 19 while bemoaning a school program calling for “white allies” to “acknowledge the reality of racism.” By April, Carlson had moved on to parroting a white nationalist conspiracy theory, warning his audience that the Democratic Party is carrying out a massive racial “replacement” plot to swap America’s majority-white electorate with “more obedient voters from the third world.”

On Thursday night, Carlson took his racial paranoia to its inevitable end point by predicting that America is heading for an all-out race war. After mockingly decrying criticism against “white rage”—a reference to General Mark Milley’s thoughtful congressional testimony that has been derided by the right—Carlson then invoked the Rwandan genocide by asking his viewers, “The question is, and this is the question that we should be meditating on day in and day out, is how do we get out of this vortex, this cycle, before it’s too late? How do we save this country before we become Rwanda?” Given that Carlson discussing was flanked by an onscreen graphic that read “ANTI-WHITE MANIA” during the segment, his choice reference to the East African genocide—which led to the deaths of as many as 800,000 people, mostly of a minority ethnic group—was clearly an implied way of warning his audience that the teaching about systemic racism could result in a similar slaughter of white Americans.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/06/tucker-carlson-white-rage

And by the way it’s no secret that Fox News is going full racist going into the 2022 midterm elections because they really got nothing else. So as the year progresses, expect things to get more racist and sexist and Tucker will provide all of the talking points that your racist and sexist neighbors will start spewing at parties. And if they start going off on immigration reform or the homeless population, just remember where it came from and who’s providing it!

After the Anti-Defamation League renewed its call for Tucker Carlson to be fired from Fox News for voicing the racist “great replacement” theory about immigration, the primetime host had a pithy response: “Fuck them.”

Carlson was speaking to the former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly on Sirius XM. He made the comments in question on his show on Wednesday, which averages more than 3 million viewers a night.

Claiming the Biden administration was trying “to change the racial mix of the country”, Carlson said: “In political terms, this policy is called ‘the great replacement’, the replacement of legacy Americans with more obedient people from far-away countries.

“They brag about it all the time, but if you dare to say it’s happening they will scream at you with maximum hysteria.”
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/sep/25/tucker-carlson-fox-news-anti-defamation-league

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

Of course you know the idea behind this segment is that we have some drinks and while we’re getting drunk we talk about literally anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics or COVID. And I recently added COVID because there’s a lot of dark shit in the news right now and drinking is all about having fun! So that’s what we are going to do! So tell me, my fair bartender, what goes well with a story about video games? Hard Mountain Dew? What’s that? No thanks. I’ll just stick to my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels, thanks. I call it “The Double Jack”. This week, the subject on the table is video games. And specifically one company in particular is getting quite the bad rap. And they are the subject of a multi-billion dollar merger with Microsoft. I’m of course talking about Activision. And its’ subsidiary Blizzard Entertainment. The makers of one of my favorite video games ever, Diablo III. But that said, aside from making a video game where the main objective is to kill Satan and vanquish evil from the earth, it seems the company behind this game has a secret they’d rather everyone not know about.

Over the past couple years, employees' public accounts of toxic work environments have led to reckonings around Silicon Valley and promises from management to be better. On Tuesday, Microsoft made a similar pledge, though not for itself. The tech giant pointed to the litany of abuse and harassment allegations at its latest acquisition target, game maker Activision Blizzard, and promised that behavior would no longer be tolerated.

Amid Microsoft's announced plans to buy Activision Blizzard for the eye-popping amount of nearly $69 billion in cash, the tech giant's leaders spoke the usual pomp about how important the deal was. Microsoft would be bolstering its already enormous Xbox video game division with the teams behind some of the most popular franchises in the world, including the online battle games Overwatch and Call of Duty, as well as the fantasy behemoth World of Warcraft and mobile mainstay Candy Crush.

But Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also quickly pivoted to acknowledge that he isn't just buying a company and its brands. Microsoft will also be taking over a sprawling organization under intense scrutiny over public claims of harassment, discrimination and more, all tolerated for years in an alleged "bro culture" atmosphere. On a conference call with investors shortly after announcing the purchase, Nadella discussed how he's changed Microsoft's cutthroat ways and how his lieutenant Phil Spencer would do the same with Activision Blizzard.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/microsoft-promises-culture-change-at-activision-blizzard-heres-how/

Ah now that’s my kind of drink! Large and in charge! And that’s exactly what happens when the PR department kills the vibe of a company, but in this day and age that’s almost expected. So yeah there’s a huge problem with the “bros” in the video game world and it’s not limited to Activision. Though many other companies seem to have this problem they all have one thing in common. Let’s look at another video game developer, Riot Games, who makes the popular game “League Of Legends”, who had to pay an absolutely shocking amount of money after their “bro” culture was exposed.

In 2018, following a bombshell exposé from Kotaku, League of Legends developer Riot Games was hit with a lawsuit from California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) alleging harassment and discrimination amid a toxic “bro culture” working environment. Last week, the Washington Post broke the news that this suit has been settled for $100 million, with $80 million going to current, former, and contract workers employed at the company’s California headquarters from November 2014 to the present. The rest will be used to pay plaintiffs’ legal fees.

“This historic agreement reflects California’s commitment to strategic and effective government enforcement of the State’s robust equal-pay, anti-discrimination, and antiharassment laws,” DFEH director Kevin Kish said in the announcement. “If entered by the court, this decree will compensate employees and contractors affected by sex discrimination and harassment, ensure lasting change in this workplace, and send the message that all industries in California, including the gaming industry, must provide equal pay and workplaces free from discrimination and harassment.”

An initial settlement--proposed in December of 2019--would have seen Riot paying out $10 million to the plaintiffs, but an investigation by California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) found that they may have been entitled to more than $400 million.

Last week’s $100 million settlement is a far cry from that figure, but attorney Richard Hoeg, managing member of the Hoeg Law Business Law Firm in Michigan, notes that it is still a substantial number, especially in the wake of Activision Blizzard’s $18 million settlement in September.
https://gamedaily.biz/article/2219/riot-games-settles-harassment-suit-for-100-million

But that said, there’s plenty to be pissed off about in the gaming world. Especially if you happen to be female, or someone who is a “party” type person. Because this “bro culture” that’s emerging in the video game world is so toxic that it’s even caused state agencies to take notice. So the owners of Activision Blizzard and Riot Games may be cashing out, there’s going to be some serious reforms needed in the video game industry going forward. But really how bad is it that even the feds are getting involved to stop this kind of thing?

California is taking the lead in cracking down on “bro culture” in video games, with enforcement actions targeting two of the industry’s biggest players, Activision Blizzard, and Riot Games, a unit of Tencent Holdings Ltd.

The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, empowered by strong state laws on workplace bias, conducted investigations into the two companies, and sued Activision last month over allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination.

The agency’s actions are sending a strong message to the gaming world and to workers eager to publicize troublesome workplace practices, lawyers and industry watchers said. It also provides a template for civil rights and employment regulators in other states to crack down.

It’s unusual for a state agency like the DFEH to pursue such cases itself in court, said Noreen Farrell, executive director of Equal Rights Advocates, a civil rights organization focused on gender in the workplace.

“It is a powerful signal to the gaming industry of the standards it will apply to other cases across California, and it may embolden state agencies elsewhere to do the same,” Farrell said.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/gamings-bro-culture-faces-crackdown-from-california-regulator

Man we’re going extra hard today! Now here’s where you boo. Despite all of this you know what is going to happen – the bad guys always win! That’s right – you never bet against the house because it’s totally predictable what is going to happen. So while we are fighting amongst ourselves about bro culture and hard partying and sexual harassment, the guys that made it happen are going to take the money and run. When you hear how much this scumbag is getting after all of this, why aren’t more people rioting in the streets about this?

Activision Blizzard Inc's Chief Executive Officer Bobby Kotick has gone from defending his handling of sexual harassment and discrimination claims at the video game maker to preparing to walk away with a windfall of at least $390 million.

The 58-year-old executive stands to receive the payday after clinching a deal on Tuesday to sell Activision to Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) for $68.7 billion, but the vast majority will come from the 3.95 million Activision shares he owns, regulatory filings show.

He will miss out on a change of control payment because he doesn't own any unvested equities, which is uncommon for public company CEOs.

Kotick plans to step down once the deal with Microsoft closes, which is expected in June 2023, a person familiar with the matter said. Had he stayed as Activision's CEO, he would have reported to Microsoft's gaming chief Phil Spencer, a far cry from running a standalone company.

Kotick, who has led Activision since 1991 and turned it into one of the world's biggest videogame giants, said in an interview on CNBC on Tuesday that the company had "worked through" allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination that led to more than 20 employees being fired and 20 more individuals facing other forms of disciplinary action last year.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/19/tech/microsoft-activision-bobby-kotick-payday/index.html

[font size="8"]Red State Diaries
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Welcome back to our ongoing segment of what the MAGA cult is up to now that they don’t have Dear Leader Donny hanging around the White House anymore in Red State Diaries! Last week, we brought you the latest insane COVID cure where people were literally drinking their own urine so they didn’t have to take the vaccine. This week – oh it gets weirder my friends! And of course who could have guessed that Florida was involved in this? I know I did! But Florida Man himself, Ron DeSantis went doctor shopping and he found us a ridiculously batshit insane one. Think of this doctor more like Chris Parnell’s Dr. Spaceman from 30 Rock or the Simpsons’ Dr. Nick than Dr. Fauci. In fact this guy was so nuts and off the rails that the democratic arm of Florida’s government actually staged a walk out prior to his confirmation. But look we all want the pandemic to end, it’s been 2 long years and we’re all sick and tired of this crap. But having doctors like this around? Expect things to get way worse before they get better.

Democrats in Florida’s state senate said, “Aiight, Imma head out,” on Thursday rather than listen to the state’s surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, avoid giving direct answers about his beliefs on Covid-19 vaccines.

Ladapo is up for formal confirmation to his post after being appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who has opposed vaccine and mask mandates, in September. Florida’s legislature is controlled by DeSantis’ party, so there’s little change Lapado won’t be confirmed.

But Democrats in the confirmation hearing weren’t about to sit still and listen to a medical doctor refuse to acknowledge accepted medical science.

That didn’t matter, because the Republicans in the room voted to move his nomination forward anyway. Lapado, a 2008 Harvard Medical School graduate, is famous for taking positions that mock the worst takes of conservative politicians on the Covid-19 pandemic, but which some of his medical colleagues call “strange”.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/dems-walk-florida-surgeon-general-173000820.html

You gotta wonder how people like that even have a medical license. That would be like hiring a daredevil who’s afraid of heights. But of course just like Spotify decided to stand by their boy Joe Rogan, DeSantis decided to stand by his boy becoming the surgeon general of Florida. Yes, Florida, the state whose initial response to the pandemic was “eh… fuck it”, has decided to double down and hire a medical doctor that rejects science. So yeah once again leave it to Florida to decide to fuck things up for everyone again.

With long lines and high demand at COVID-19 testing sites, Florida's surgeon general is calling for a change in the way the state is testing for COVID-19. But not all experts agree with the approach.

Hillsborough County's testing site at Progress Village, some people have had to wait over an hour and there have been long lines at testing sites across Tampa Bay.

With that in mind, Florida's surgeon general said he believes the state needs to change to a "high-value testing" approach.

During a news conference with Governor DeSantis Thursday morning, Dr. Joseph Ladapo said his new guidance is to focus on testing only people who are symptomatic, going against current CDC guidance which calls for testing a wider range of the population, based on various factors.
https://www.fox13news.com/news/experts-express-concern-over-florida-surgeon-generals-approach-to-covid-19-testing

In theory yes. But there is science and there is make believe fantasy crazy world. Unfortunately Florida lives in the latter and while many have tried, you can’t wish this virus away. Not to mention when he ducks the hard questions about actual science and starts spewing out batshit insane conspiracy theories, that’s when you got to give him the heave ho. Unfortunately for today’s republican party, you don’t get fired for that, that’s cause for a promotion! The modern GOP: Fail your way to the top!

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is significantly limiting the use of two kinds of COVID-19 treatments, saying they just don't work against the omicron variant.

Regeneron and Eli Lilly's monoclonal antibody drugs are no longer cleared for use. The move has caused a shakeup in some states.

Florida's surgeon general is lashing out at the decision.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now estimates the omicron variant makes up 99% of cases in Florida and the Southeast.

The FDA revised the emergency use authorization for drugs made by companies, saying they likely don’t work against the omicron variant.
https://komonews.com/news/coronavirus/fl-surgeon-general-fires-back-after-fda-pulls-approval-for-monoclonal-antibody-drugs

Pretty sure that if a doctor asked me that I would be finding a new doctor. And big deal! So your cures don’t exactly work despite that you’re being paid by the makers of these cures to promote them. That’s what real science is – they test shit and when it doesn’t work, they test new shit. Rinse and repeat. That is also what happens when a new virus nobody has ever seen before is constantly evolving! And by the way we haven’t seen anything yet. You know what else Florida is up to? well it’s up to a shit ton of crazy new laws. Their surgeon general was just the beginning. Just wait and see what else they have in store!

It has been a long and painful month in the Florida legislature for opponents of the state’s Trumpist governor Ron DeSantis and his loyal band of rightwing Republicans. A slew of bills has advanced attacking everything from diversity rights, abortion protections and free speech in schools, in addition to a proposal that would legally shield white people from feeling “discomfort” over the state’s racist past.

And last Wednesday, an anti-masker physician, hand picked by the governor and apathetic about the value of Covid-19 vaccines, was backed unanimously by a Republican senate panel as the next surgeon-general following a walk-out by Democratic politicians frustrated by Joseph Ladapo’s evasiveness.

To hear DeSantis tell it, the “freedom state” of Florida is merely following the will of a populist citizenry in defying the perceived tyranny of the federal government, determined to protect liberty in the face of a deadly pandemic that has claimed more than 64,000 of their fellow residents, and standing up against the “indoctrination” of children.

Yet as the possible 2024 presidential candidate presses ahead with turning Florida into what critics see as his own conservative fiefdom – a de facto Trumpistan of the south with an “Orwellian-sounding” election police force – DeSantis is finding opposition beginning to harden.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/31/florida-republicans-draconian-bills

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

Folks my next guest has a great new album out called “Heartwork”, you can see them at the Kraken Fest in Orlando on Feb. 19th and at the When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas on October 22nd. Playing their song “Blow Me”, give it up for the Used!

Thank you Salt Lake City! We’ll see you in Milwaukee next Thursday! See you next week!

Credits

Host: Initech
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded In Front Of Live Audience At: Zanies Comedy Club, Salt Lake City, UT
The Used Appear Courtesy Of: Big Noise Music Group, LLC
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January 27, 2022

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-1: America's Next Top Incarcerated Insurrectionist Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-1: America’s Next Top Incarcerated Insurrectionist Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Yo what’s up Santa Ana? It’s good to be back home and ready to kick things off for 2022! Glad you guys are deciding to brave the Omicron variant to listen to my bullshit! But we’re glad to be back for season 12 and we have lots of fun things planned including the return of our long running Stupidest State contest! That’s right, the NFFSA is back in March for our annual kick off where we find the stupidest state in the country, and there’s a lot of competition for that title this year! So do we have time for the thing? Of course we do. I want to talk about one of my favorite movies of all time, Fight Club. You know that movie – a movie where a bunch of sexually frustrated white collar men take their frustrations out by beating the shit out of each other, then they decide to wreak havoc on the city? Yeah it does sound like the incel movement, doesn’t it? Well it’s back in the news because it got a rerelease in China with a much different ending than the one in the original flick. Can we show that?

Yeah that’s real! So in this one the bad guys lose and the authorities win! I mean come on, I could have written a better ending than that! That’s pretty much like the Simpsons where Poochie dies on the way back to his home planet. Just… wow. That was insane. And I’m sure that Chuck Palahniuk would not approve of this ending. This is laughably hilarious on multiple levels! OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. but first Jordan Klepper of the Daily Show is back and he runs into Matt Gaetz while in Washington DC and well, utter hilarity ensues:

So where do we begin for this Top 10? Well, as always, in the first slot whenever the Top 10 is off for an extended period of time, we like to play Catch Up On Stuff We Missed (1) and whew there was a hell of a lot to choose from – including Marjorie Greene getting kicked off Twitter, Kanye seeking exile in Russia, and Q Anon accusing Trump of having a body double! Speaking of that guy, in the second slot is that Former Guy who used to sit in the White House (2) and this is quite insane – did his followers send out fake certification documents in an attempt to overturn the election? And did he know about it? Well this conspiracy is getting weirder and nuttier. In the third slot this week is the the reigning king of Florida Men, Ron De Santis (3) and his plans of interfering with public education to make things more comfortable for white people to learn about America without learning about America’s racist past might be coming to fruition! Yeah it’s insane. In the number 4 slot this week is Anti-Vaxxers (4) and we’re going to tell about the latest in the ongoing war to get vaccinated against COVID-19, which everyone should have done by now, but the anti-vax crowd seems keen on taking themselves out by the thousands every day. In the number 5 slot is our old buddy Boris Johnson (5). That’s right – we occasionally like to check in with our friends across the pond in the UK and it looks like PM Johnson might be on some extremely thin ice! Only a matter of time! In the number 6 slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6) and this week our resident pastor is taking a look at the war on religious exemption against vaccines, and we’re thinking of holing up in an underground bunker for a while. In the number 7 slot, speaking of vaccines, is a new edition of “This Fucking Guy” (7) and this week we’re going to profile tennis star (?) Novak Djokovic and his spectacular fall from the spotlight as he refused to get vaccinated in order to play in the Australian Open, and he’s every bit of a POS as you might imagine. Taking the number 8 seed this week, we have a new edition of Conspiracy Corner (8) and this week we’re going to examine Charlie Kirk’s claim that there’s millions of people out there waiting to be “red pilled”, whatever that is. And in the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week, we have a new People Are Dumb (9) because of course they are! Finally this week, in a new edition of Red State Diaries (10) we are going to take a look at some of the more insane cures for COVID coming from the right. And no, the Bible isn’t a substitute for actual medicine. Get vaccinated. Plus we have some live music for you from the legendary Tool! Yes, the current kings of progressive rock have stopped by our crappy little show! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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

[font size="8"]Catch Up On Stuff We Missed
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We’ve been gone for six whole weeks. That is a long ass time. And whenever the Top 10 is gone for that length of time, we always like to play catch up on stuff we missed. Because conservative idiocy never takes a holiday. We do though! So what did we miss? I want to start with one of my favorite conspiracies over the last year which was our old crazy nana Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q – Batshit) and she’s still got some feelings. Remember last year when she went off on that conspiracy about Jewish Space Lasers that we all have seemed to forget about (see: Top 10 #10-2 ) ? Well she didn’t forget about it and actually has a sad about it. Aww… can we get poor downtrodden Marjorie a binkie and a blanket? It’s funny how the “fuck your feelings” crowd really has some feelings when they get their feelings hurt. Yeah we need the Sad Hulk Music for this one. And also we’ll over look the fact that Marjorie casually suggested a Second Amednment solution, or that her account got suspended from Twitter. What a piece of garbage this woman is.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) revealed that the phrase "Jewish space lasers" hurt her feelings after it was reported that she had complained about the idea.

The phrase "Jewish space lasers" became widely used by outlets last year after Media Matters found that Greene had blamed orbital lasers for wildfires in California. She claimed in a Facebook post that the lasers had been funded in part by the Rothschilds, a wealthy Jewish family.

During an interview with Mike Huckabee earlier this year, Greene reflected on the way she had been represented by the press.

"Terrible attacks, especially about silly things about something called 'Jewish space lasers,'" Greene said. "That was a term I had never used in my life but someone wrote an article and then they copied and pasted and put it all across the media."

"That really hurt my feelings," she added. "Because I'm a Christian and I would never say anything against any group of people, especially Israel. I would never do that."
https://www.rawstory.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-jewish-space-lasers-2656416649/

Yeah go to hell Marjorie, you’re a crazy kook and everyone knows it. And don’t worry, we haven’t forgot about the Spotify – Neil Young feud yet, we’ll save that for next week. Boy did we miss a lot. You know what else we missed? Our old buddy Ye (the artist formerly known as Kanye West) is back in the news and Ye is planning to join his buddy Steven Segal and move to Russia to expand his empire. That’s right – while the entire world is viewing Vladimir Putin as public enemy #1, Kanye wants to seek out an audience with Pooty and view him as his bestie. Awww… treason is so sweet isn’t it?

Yeah keep telling yourself that. So what else did we miss? Remember those douchebags from the 2020 George Floyd protests that got inexplicably pardoned for waving their semi-automatics in front of the protestors and marchers? Yeah they were back in the news and I totally forgot about these people before I saw the headline. And you know there’s so many garbage people connected to the MAGA movement that it’s near impossible to keep track of them all. But yeah really, these are yet more people who can kindly go fuck themselves.

Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the couple who famously pointed guns at protesters passing their house in the summer of 2020, are suing to get their seized guns back after the pair was pardoned last year.

The lawsuit was filed by Mark McCloskey last year against the city, sheriff and state to get their guns back, and a hearing was held Wednesday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The couple agreed to forfeit the weapons as part of a guilty plea to the several misdemeanors they were charged with last June, weeks before they were pardoned by Republican Gov. Mike Parson.

Robert Dierker of the City Counselor's Office, which is representing the police and sheriff's departments, said in the hearing that it's rather unexpected that the guns have not yet been disposed of.

The City Counselor's Office is contending that while the pardon eliminated the conviction, it did not do so to the plea agreement in which McCloskey forfeited the guns. I'm not overly familiar with the ins and outs of gubernatorial pardons, so I'm curious if that's how it normally works.
https://www.newsweek.com/mccloskeys-who-waved-guns-protesters-ask-weapons-back-after-governors-pardon-1666156

Oh yeah the last thing I want to touch on that we missed happened during Christmas. Yeah while everyone was in holly jolly mode even with the Omicron variant lurking over us, this douchebag had the audacity to say “Let’s Go Brandon” (which is code for Trump supporters telling Biden to go fuck himself) right to Biden’s face on TV. And not only that, this guy turned out to be your typical conservative whiner who won’t stop telling people he was right. Yeah his 15 minutes are up.

An Oregon man who invoked a coded vulgar insult of President Biden during a Christmas Eve call-in event with the president and first lady is considering running for office and says he would welcome former president Donald Trump’s blessing.

“I want to pray about it, see what God has for me,” Jared Schmeck said of his political ambitions during an interview this week with conservative Christian broadcaster Todd Starnes that focused on his use of the phrase ‘Let’s go Brandon.”

“At the end of the day, I want [God’s] will for my life and the direction that it goes,” Schmeck added. “And I strongly believe that standing up is the right thing to do here as long as that message that I’m portraying is glorifying his name. And yeah, I’ll see where it goes.”

“Something tells me if you do run, you’ll be invited to a certain place in Florida,” Starnes said, referring to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club, where the former president now lives.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/jared-schmeck-political-office/2021/12/30/7c82a61a-6984-11ec-b0a7-13dd3af4f70f_story.html?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

The last thing I want to talk about this week is the Trump rally that was held in Arizona. You know what, I’ve had an ass full of covering Trump rallies. We all know he probably said some batshit crazy stuff about vaccines and how he thinks the election was stolen. But because he’s not saying what the conservative MAGA Q crowd wants to hear, they’re resorting to their own theories. And this might be one of my favorite theories they’ve come up with since they accused Lady Gaga of “spirit cooking”.

QAnon followers have whipped each other into a new frenzy, claiming Donald Trump was not at his rally in Arizona on Saturday, but that the person they saw was actually a "body doubly" or even John F. Kennedy in disguise.

Many QAnon followers descended on Florence on Saturday to get a glimpse of former President, himself a major figure in the conspiracy's bizarre mythos.

After Trump emerged to rapturous applause from his dedicated fanbase, the former President railed against Joe Biden's Presidency and once again made unfounded claims the 2020 Presidential Election was somehow stolen.

During the speech, however, many QAnon followers carefully examined Trump's appearance and leaped to the conclusion that the former president was not at the rally, but was either JFK or a body double.
https://www.newsweek.com/qanon-followers-believe-donald-trump-used-body-double-arizona-rally-1669936

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

We can all agree that Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election have reached absolutely ridiculous proportions, right? We may never know what the hell they were planning to do if they succeeded in overthrowing the government on January 6th. But now that more of the pieces are coming into play thanks to the January 6th Commission, and this might be one of the most insane things that they attempted to try. You know the old saying – at first you don’t win the election, try, try, try, try, try, try, try again. Well that’s not really an old saying. But what is a saying is that our 45th president has some serious ‘splaining to do. So what’s the latest insanity that has come out of Trump’s Wiley Coyote style attempts to catch the Road Runner, er, overturn the 2020 election? There’s a story going around that he allegedly had his supporters forge fake electoral certificates to send to state election boards where Trump lost. But how deep does this conspiracy go? Unlike their conspiracies, ours are actually you know, based in reality.

Federal prosecutors are reviewing fake Electoral College certifications that declared former President Donald Trump the winner of states that he lost, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco told CNN on Tuesday.

"We've received those referrals. Our prosecutors are looking at those and I can't say anything more on ongoing investigations," Monaco said in an exclusive interview.

The fake certificates falsely declaring Trump's victory were sent to the National Archives by Trump's allies in mid-December 2020. They have attracted public scrutiny amid the House's January 6 investigation into the pressure campaign that sought to reverse Trump's electoral defeat.

Monaco did not go into detail about what else prosecutors are looking at from the partisan attempt to subvert the 2020 vote count. She said that, more broadly, the Justice Department was "going to follow the facts and the law, wherever they lead, to address conduct of any kind and at any level that is part of an assault on our democracy."
https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/25/politics/fake-trump-electoral-certificates-justice-department/index.html

Yes holy shit indeed! Seriously Trump has gone about attempting to overturn the 2020 election in the same way Wiley Coyote is attempting to catch the Road Runner. Now let’s call this “Stolen Election 2020 Gate”. Nah that doesn’t have enough zing. All right! I like that one – “America’s Next Top Incarcerated Insurrectionist”. Which could actually be the head insurrectionist himself. I mean come on, we got Al Capone for tax evasion. We can get Trump for something way more than that. And it looks like he accidentally outed his crimes!

In the weeks after the 2020 election, then-President Donald Trump's allies sent fake certificates to the National Archives declaring that Trump won seven states that he actually lost. The documents had no impact on the outcome of the election, but they are yet another example of how Team Trump tried to subvert the Electoral College -- a key line of inquiry for the January 6 committee.

The fake certificates were created by Trump allies in Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada and New Mexico, who sought to replace valid presidential electors from their states with a pro-Trump slate, according to documents obtained by American Oversight.

The documents contain the signatures of Trump supporters who claimed to be the rightful electors from seven states that President Joe Biden won. But these rogue slates of electors didn't have the backing of any elected officials in the seven states -- like a governor or secretary of state, who are involved in certifying election results -- and they served no legitimate purpose.

The documents were first posted online in March by the government watchdog group. But they received renewed attention this week, as the January 6 committee ramps up its investigation into Trump's attempted coup, including how his allies tried to stop states from certifying Biden's victory, in part, by installing friendly slates of electors who would overturn the will of the voters.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/12/politics/trump-overturn-2020-election-fake-electoral-college/index.html

Yeah so that brings up two questions. 1 – what the hell were they planning to do on January 6th? And 2 – what were they planning to do if they actually succeeded in carrying out their evil plans? We’re going to be monitoring this story and everything associated with January 6th because it looks like the commission is about to lay the smack down. But this fake documentation certification thing is definitely going into some deep territory here, but how deep does it go? Thank you sir. There’s a guy yelling “that’s what she said”. It goes all the way to the *former* president!

Originally, the list was limited to one state. In December 2020, Wisconsin electors met for an official ceremony in which the state formally assigned its participants in the electoral college. But as we've discussed, while the actual electors were being assigned inside the state capitol in Madison, a group of Wisconsin Republicans quietly held a separate, fake ceremony — in the same capitol, at the same time — to cast electoral votes for Donald Trump, despite his defeat in the state.

They then proceeded to forge the official paperwork and sent it to, among others, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. Archivist, as if the materials were legitimate. They were not.

That was bizarre, but as it turns out, it was not unique.

This week, the list went from one to three, as Politico reported that the National Archives also received forged certificates of ascertainment from Republicans in Michigan and Arizona — two battleground states where President Joe Biden narrowly prevailed, but where groups of Republicans nevertheless created and submitted fraudulent election materials.
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/after-2020-trump-backers-forged-election-docs-even-more-states-n1287365

Seriously this scheme to foil the election couldn’t be more hairbrained if he was using Acme Brand dynamite. I mean come on, even Wiley Coyote had more well thought out schemes to catch the Road Runner than Trump has of actually overturning the election. And in all seriousness, in the words of Frozen, you need to let it go, Trump, and admit that they lost. Remember the good old days when presidential candidates lost elections and didn’t spend a whole year on end whining about it? Ah those were good times! And just like Wiley Coyote, these hairbrained schemes will eventually come back to blow up in his face. Literally.

Pro-Trump groups in at least five states sent the government forged certificates of ascertainment declaring Trump the recipient of the state’s 2020 electors. MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow reported on the falsified documents Tuesday night, noting that the fake certifications, which were obtained by watchdog group American Oversight, have “almost the exact same wording” to the real documents.

“They sent them into the government as if they were real documents,” Maddow said. “They actually created these fake documents purporting to be the real certifications of them as electors,” she added. “They all match, exactly. Same formatting, same font, same spacing, almost the exact same wording. All of them.”

Politico reported on Monday that Arizona and Michigan attempted to fool the National Archives by sending forged certificates of ascertainment declaring Trump the recipient of the state’s 2020 electors, and that the Jan. 6 committee now has those fake certificates, thanks to the secretaries of State for both swing states.

“They mostly discussed election administration in Arizona, the 2020 elections, threats/harassment directed toward the office, and the Cyber Ninja’s partisan ballot review,” a spokesperson for Hobbs told Politico, while a representative for Benson said the secretary of State discussed the election as well as the days before Jan. 6.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/pro-trump-groups-fake-letter-national-archives-1281966/

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

If you haven’t noticed by now, your MAGA friends and neighbors have taken their rage addiction to your nearest public schools. Because Fox News is going all in on something called “Critical Race Theory”, mainly because going full racist is the only way that conservatives can win elections anymore. Which is a very sad statement on American society in 2022. But one man in particular is going all in on going full racist, and that’s something that you should never do. I’m of course talking about Florida Man himself, Ron DeSantis. Yes, the governor who’s rightfully earned the nickname Death Sentence because of his “I don’t give a fuck about COVID” stance is also quite a racist. So ol’ Ronnie is out promoting something that he is calling the “Stop Woke Act” which basically means that he’s making it comfortable for white supremacists and the children of white supremacists to learn about American history but cutting out that part about America’s extremely racist past. Yeah he’s basically your racist uncle on Facebook but with the platform of being the governor of Florida.

A bill pushed by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that would prohibit public schools and private businesses from making white people feel “discomfort” when they teach students or train employees about discrimination in the nation’s past received its first approval Tuesday.

The Senate Education Committee approved the bill that takes aim at critical race theory — though it doesn’t mention it explicitly — on party lines, with Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed.

Democrats argued the bill isn’t needed, would lead to frivolous lawsuits and said it would amount to censorship in schools. They asked, without success, for real-life examples of teachers or businesses telling students or employees that they are racist because of their race.

“This bill’s not for Blacks. This bill was not for any other race. This was directed to make whites not feel bad about what happened years ago,” said state Sen. Shevrin Jones, who is Black. “At no point did anyone say white people should be held responsible for what happened, but what I would ask my white counterparts is, are you an enabler of what happened or are you going to say we must talk about history?”

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/critics-accuse-desantis-of-base-pandering-as-he-pushes-bill-to-shield-white-people-in-florida-from-discomfort-at-school-or-in-job-training-01642549233

Of course it is. And Ron DeSantis definitely isn’t helping things. But here’s the thing – if you’re straight, white, and racist, you’re OK under this new law. Everyone else can fuck off. Think of this as an anti-anti-discrimination law. Basically it’s OK to discriminate one race but if you question the straight white male’s point of view you could be in trouble! That means no more tearing down monuments or teaching about slavery. Yeah you boo now! And does he not realize his own idiotic laws would also directly affect straight white males?

A proposed law would “prevent all kinds of discrimination” at Florida public schools and workplaces, based on the principle that “all individuals are created equal” and that teachers should teach, not indoctrinate.

But despite the platitudes its sponsor used to describe Senate Bill 148 and House Bill 7, this is not an effort to stop real discrimination. The true intent of the legislation advancing in the Florida Senate is to provide state cover for students and employees offended by diversity training at private companies and by classroom lectures about racism, sexism and homophobia.

The plan is to subvert what we have historically considered as discrimination. And the way it’s happening is through a proposal aimed at protecting certain people — straight, white men, for the most part — whose sensitivities require shielding via state policing of what teachers and diversity trainers say.

Under the proposal, it’s possible that this group of people could claim discrimination if they feel uncomfortable during a discussion of, say, bias or racism. What an irony for a state government that often preaches against the dangers of big government and authoritarian regimes.
https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/article257544908.html

Yeah probably! And in case you’re wondering if this had had any effect on what teachers and university professors can teach well… let’s just say that you can’t teach civil rights anymore while you’re majoring in civil rights! Yeah this is truly beyond stupid and it’s also a testament to how much Fox News rhetoric has seeped into our everyday lives. So the thing is if you go over Dark Ronnie’s helmet, don’t expect that you’ll be able to keep your job. The cult does not like being questioned!

A Florida school district canceled a professor’s civil rights history seminar for teachers, citing in part concerns over “critical race theory” — even though his lecture had nothing to do with the topic.

J. Michael Butler, a history professor at Flagler College in St. Augustine, was scheduled to give a presentation Saturday to Osceola County School District teachers called “The Long Civil Rights Movement,” which postulates that the civil rights movement preceded and post-dated Martin Luther King Jr. by decades.

He said that he was shocked to learn why the seminar had been canceled through an email Wednesday but that he wasn’t surprised because educators feel increasingly intimidated over teaching about race.

Less than 24 hours before Butler was informed of the cancellation, a state Senate committee advanced legislation Tuesday at the behest of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to block public schools and private businesses from making people feel “discomfort” when they’re taught about race. DeSantis also wants to empower parents to sue schools that teach critical race theory.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/florida-school-district-cancels-professors-civil-rights-lecture-critic-rcna13183

You don’t go over Dark Ronnie’s helmet! Now what did you learn? And in case you’re wondering if Florida is the only state out there stopping independent thought from taking place, look to Florida’s neighbors to the north in Virginia because newly elected governor Glenn Youngkin is obviously trying to score points with Fox News viewers. Well, it’s not exactly going over well as you might imagine, because they haven’t received any tips! So yeah Fox News once again fuels outrage over a problem that doesn’t really exist!

Virginia's newly elected Republican governor, who has banned critical race theory in public schools, is launching a tip line to report teachers of "divisive subjects."

In a Monday interview with the conservative radio host John Fredericks, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said parents could email the state government to report any public-school teachers they believed to be "behaving objectionably."

Youngkin said: "We're asking for folks to send us reports and observations that they have that will help us be aware of things like privilege bingo, be aware of their child being denied their rights that parents have in Virginia. And we're going to make sure we catalog it all.

"This gives us a great insight into what's happening at a school level, and that gives us further ability to make sure we're rooting it out."

Youngkin, the first Republican to win the state in more than 10 years, was sworn into office earlier this month.
https://www.businessinsider.com/glenn-youngkin-launches-tipline-report-teachers-2022-1

[font size="8"]Anti-Vaccination Crusaders

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In the last year we’ve seen the anti-vaccination movement become a full blown death cult with anti-vaxxers who are dropping like flies because they’ve refused to take the vaccine. Which is only proving *OUR* point that not taking the vaccine is dangerous. And not only that but the misinformation out there is proving to be as deadly if not more so than the actual virus itself. But before I get into the highlights from last week’s criminally insane rally in Washington, DC, I want to point out just how insane the anti-vaccination movement really is. Last year, Rolling Stone pointed out that conspiracy theorists took the proverbial “red pill” and went down the wormhole on anti-vaccines. This is mainly of course thanks to draconian stay at home measures which forced everyone to stay home in order to combat COVID and the ridiculous amount of collective boredom that we all faced. Well guess what? Thanks to that collective boredom, this movement is actually gaining steam! That’s right – the red pill vaccine truthers are taking their movement to strange new heights. And they’ve got some big name backers attracted to their cause. Before you boo, just wait until you see who’s behind it.

When thousands of protesters gathered on the National Mall on Sunday morning to protest Covid vaccine mandates, they did so, they insisted, to preserve personal freedoms. “No more mandates!” they shouted as they marched, serpentine and coiled, like the snakes on the “Don’t Tread On Me” flags hoisted above their heads. “This is not about vaccine or anti-vax,” JP Sears, a comedian known for spreading conspiracy theories through sarcastic comedy, told the crowd. It was, he asserted, as Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”

But it was, very much, about vaccines. Children’s Health Defense Fund, the political wing of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s anti-vax organization, hosted the event. Kennedy, who has been vocally spreading false claims about vaccine safety for decades, addressed the crowd to offer unsubstantiated warnings of the Covid-19 vaccines’ dangers. So did several doctors, wearing their physician whites, who also touted ivermectin to prevent Covid (it won’t) and rehashed long-debunked studies suggesting vaccines cause autism (it doesn’t). Just days after the CDC released its first study showing vaccine boosters help protect patients against hospitalization from Omicron, Dr. Robert Malone, a virologist and well-known vaccine skeptic, falsely told the crowd: “The science is settled: they’re not working.”

The rhetoric took an extremist turn as the speakers addressed the group. Kennedy called the mandates “a coup d’etat to democracy” and compared vaccine passports to slavery. “Even in Hitler’s Germany, you could hide,” Kennedy said, referring to Anne Frank’s ultimately unsuccessful flight from the Nazis. Del Bigtree, a prominent anti-vax podcaster who spoke at the rally, invoked the Nuremberg trials to threaten Dr. Anthony Fauci and the press — a sentiment also made clear on many of the signs in the crowd.
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/anti-vaccine-rfk-jr-rally-washington-dc-1289458/

Robert Kennedy???? Tell me you’re not really Alex Jones in disguise! But yeah do these anti-vaccine idiots not realize how insanely offensive those holocaust comparisons are? Of course they don’t, and it’s like Lewis Black once said that it’s like six degrees of Kevin Bacon, and Kevin Bacon is Hitler! But it’s scary that the movement is gaining steam, thanks to a heavily virulent virus variant and some extreme boredom brought on by said variant. But really those who are comparing the vaccine mandates to Nazi Germany can kindly go eat the most rancid bags of shit.

Covid-19 vaccine mandate opponents gathered today for a march in Washington, DC in an event organisers called “Defeat the Mandates: An American Homecoming”.

Among those marching are firefighters, teachers, first responders, and other groups, who congregated on the National Mall from 10.30am local time. At 11.30am they began walking from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial.

Speeches included remarks from anti-vaccine activist Robert F Kennedy Jr, controversial doctor Robert Malone, and TV producer Del Bigtree, CEO of the anti-vaccination group Informed Consent Action Network.

Mr Kennedy’s comparison of vaccines to the Holocaust caused outrage online with the Auschwitz Memorial labelling such exploitative language as “a sad symptom of moral and intellectual decay”. Mr Bigtree’s rhetoric promising a Nuremberg trial for medical professionals and the press received a similar backlash from a survivor of The Capitol Gazette attack.

The event was billed as a gathering of those who oppose vaccine mandates, vaccines for children, and other pandemic requirements and restrictions, but most of the speakers are prominently against the vaccine itself.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/anti-vaccine-mandate-rally-live-washington-b1998969.html

Yeah that gets the mega facepalm because there’s nothing else that can accurately describe the sheer stupidity of this rally. Between this and Kid Rock’s new song we’re dangerously treading into “Old Man Yells At Cloud” territory. Look, we get it – the pandemic sucks. The quarantines have gone on too long and we’re tired and angry and pissed off at each other. But what you should really be mad at is yourselves, anti-vaxxers. Because you’re the ones keeping this thing going when you could just take the jab and shut the fuck up for a few weeks. But you don’t. And you’re loud and angry.

Thousands of people chanted “no more mandate” while marching in D.C. Sunday afternoon in protest of COVID-19 vaccine mandates and vaccine passports.

The Children’s Health Defense, a group sponsoring the “Defeat the Mandates” event, said they expected 20,000 people to participate in the mile-long march.

Protest organizers said mandates are un-American and called for an end to mass firings, “segregating” and calling Americans unpatriotic over vaccine status on the event’s website.

The website puts an emphasis on advocating for protecting freedom and both vaccinated and unvaccinated people marching in “peace.”
Sunday’s events

Protesters began marching at 11:30 a.m. from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial. The event website encourages those marching to stop at the war memorials on the route to “remember those who have sacrificed lives and loved ones so that America might be free.”

At noon, a variety of people gave speeches or performed including some in the entertainment industry, athletes, doctors and journalists.
https://wtop.com/dc/2022/01/thousands-march-in-d-c-against-covid-19-vaccine-mandates/

Look we get it – everything truly sucks right now! We’re at that stage of the pandemic where everyone is pissed off and unhappy. We’re not seeing the results we want. There’s a variant that’s raging out of control. But you know what would end this whole thing? If you got the damn vaccine! Excuse me a minute while I go bang my head on the desk for a minute. OK I feel better. Before I pass out, how do actual holocaust victims feel about the sheer insanity and stupidity floating about on social media right now? Well let’s say don’t bring it up or you will look stupid.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has apologized for controversial comments he made invoking the name of Anne Frank at an anti-vaccine mandate rally in Washington, D.C., on Sunday that sparked backlash from Jewish groups.

“I apologize for my reference to Anne Frank, especially to families that suffered the Holocaust horrors,” Kennedy wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.

He said he meant to utilize “examples of past barbarism” to illustrate “the perils from new technologies of control.”

“To the extent my remarks caused hurt, I am truly and deeply sorry,” he added.

Kennedy spoke at an anti-vaccine mandate rally at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday. During his remarks, he appeared to suggest that unvaccinated Americans had harder lives than Anne, the teenager who hid from the Nazis in a Dutch attic for roughly two years before being caught and sent to a concentration camp, where she died.
https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/rfk-jr-apologizes-for-anne-frank-comments-at-anti-vaccine-mandate-rally/

[font size="8"]Boris Johnson
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We here at the Top 10 occasionally like to check in with our friends across the pond in the UK because they are experiencing their own share of right wing crazies. You know our motto here at the Top 10 is that conservative idiocy isn’t just a uniquely American problem. No it’s a global problem that is affecting the entire world. And the crazies across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans are just as bad if not worse than the ones we have here in the States. And that is saying a lot. First they had the Brexit disaster (and it still continues to be a disaster) and then they have one of the world’s worst leaders in prime minister Boris Johnson. Well it turns out that the conservative Tory party in the UK is in some deep shit and it’s about to get worse for them. Which is actually a good thing, because Boris was elected to help force a decisive plan on Brexit and so far hasn’t delivered on that, then COVID hit like a 10 ton sack of bricks. But here’s how unpopular Johnson is – the Brits have declared him one of the worst prime ministers since Theresa May and that’s saying a lot! But that’s exactly how unpopular Johnson is right now. And well here’s more.

Today’s Opinium poll for the Observer is grim reading for Boris Johnson and his party. Johnson’s personal approvals fall below the worst figures ever recorded by Theresa May; and his party sinks to its worst vote share since the general election, 10 points behind Labour. Majorities of practically every political and demographic group believe Johnson and his colleagues have broken the rules and lied about it, and say Johnson should resign.

Until recently, the wobbly wing of the Conservative coalition looked to be better off Remainers in the South of England. Yet today’s poll adds to growing evidence that the “partygate” scandal is jeopardising the party’s support from “red wall” Leavers too. Such voters have long felt disaffected from and distrustful of a political class they felt ignored their concerns and lived by its own rules. The resentments once mobilised against the EU by the promise to “Take Back Control” now have a new target – an out of touch Downing Street team who partied while the Queen mourned.

Johnson himself has shifted from the party’s biggest asset, with a Brexit-fuelled appeal separate to the Conservative brand to its biggest liability, as the revelations of Downing Street revelry in lockdown render him personally toxic with the same voters. The Conservatives may now be damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Sticking with Johnson risks further contaminating the party brand if the scandals continue and voter fury intensifies. Party veterans with memories of the 1990s will recall how hard renewal can become once their party is toxic. Yet replacing Johnson brings its own risks, as none of the front runners for the succession looks likely to replicate his unique appeal with voters otherwise suspicious of the Conservatives.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jan/15/boris-johnson-now-less-popular-than-theresa-may-as-polls-show-tories-dire-predicament

And that’s putting it lightly! So the reason why Johnson is so unpopular is because during the draconian UK lockdowns, he went and partied on Downing Street. That’s right – we were all suffering from the initial stages of COVID and the strict lockdowns that were imposed worldwide. And now of course the entire world is in the “fuck it” stage of the pandemic. But in the early days of the pandemic, this was a huge problem and Johnson is probably now going to pay the price for it. Remember when people compared Trump to Nero? Well, Boris Johnson isn’t that far off.

A little over a month ago, the prime minister told the House of Commons that he shared the anger of a nation at seeing a video of his Number 10 staff making light of lockdown measures and joking about Christmas parties. We were supposed to believe that a culture of impunity and disregard for rules at the heart of government had absolutely nothing to do with Boris Johnson; that he was as shocked by the hypocrisy as the rest of us. It was always a ludicrous contention that the prime minister had no idea what was going on in his own office, part of the same complex as his own residence. And in the last week the full extent of the sheer gall of a leader prepared to throw his staff under a bus to evade accountability for the worst sort of political hypocrisy has been exposed.
Scottish Conservatives are furious, and in no mood to be rebuked from London
Read more

Revelation after revelation has emerged since the start of the year – as Johnson must have known they inevitably would – that rubbishes that statement he made to MPs last month. We now know that in May 2020, Johnson was giving a speech at a social gathering, with drink and food, in the Downing Street garden the very same evening ministers were warning the public at a press conference that they could only meet one other person outside. That his staff were throwing not one, but two, raucous parties that reportedly left items in the garden damaged the night before Prince Philip’s funeral. And that Downing Street staff regularly held drinks parties on Fridays that Johnson would often drop into, giving them the prime ministerial seal of approval.

The Observer has long believed Johnson to be a man of little integrity, but even so, it is hard not to be shocked at the level of contempt in which he so clearly holds parliament and the public. Imagine the consequences if he had misled a court under oath in this way. But to him, it is just the Commons, just the way he approaches politics and every other aspect of his professional life.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/15/the-observer-view-on-boris-johnson-contempt-for-the-truth

Yeah everyone will remember how much 2020 sucked, and while we were all couped up at home staring at our computer monitors waiting for the cue when we could go outside again, Johnson partied with his Downing Street buddies and supporters. Now my audience, I have a question for you – Boris Johnson is so unpopular… HOW UNPOPULAR IS HE???? Well he’s currently in the running for one of the most unpopular PMs of all time! I wish I had something funnier for that but I really don’t. Although I do enjoy the schadenfreude!

A third of Tory members think the prime minister should stand down

Prime minister Boris Johnson has spent the last month mired in controversy – the alleged rule-breaking Christmas parties, the investigation into the financing of refurbishing Downing Street and record coronavirus cases – and has seen his favourability with the British public drop to an all-time low.

A new YouGov / Sky News survey reveals that a third (34%) of Conservative party members think Johnson should stand down as leader and let someone else take over, and that a similar number think he has been doing a bad job as prime minister (38%).

While times have been tough for the prime minister, these figures are not as bad as those his predecessor Theresa May faced in May 2019, just weeks before she was forced to step down. At that point 79% of her party members thought she was doing a bad job and an equal number thought she should resign.

Currently most Tory members think Johnson has been doing a good job as PM (61%), and want him to remain leader of the party (59%). This is, however, a far cry from July 2020, when 85% thought he was doing well as prime minister and 89% wanted to keep him as leader.
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2022/01/10/does-boris-johnson-still-have-support-conservative

Holy shit! Boris Johnson has an unpopular approval rating in his own party! I mean come on even the Brits know an unpopular leader when they elect one. So who could replace Mr. Johnson in the next election? Well the Labours are currently ahead by the very slimmest of margins and we’ll definitely keep an eye on this race to see how it pans out. So does Partygate have some legs to it or not? Well it’s definitely gaining some steam and we could see the tide turn in the UK. Time to put a stop to terrible leaders getting elected already!

The Labour prime minister Harold Wilson coined the phrase “a week is a long time in politics”, something that has certainly been confirmed by recent events. Up until very recently, it looked like Boris Johnson was unlikely to be ousted from Number 10 any time soon, largely because the Conservatives were not that far behind in the polls. But the leadership problem in the Conservative party has now morphed into something much more serious. It has become a constitutional crisis as well as a political crisis for the prime minister.

Johnson was forced to apologise to parliament on January 12 when he could no longer deny the clear evidence that his staff had gathered in a large group in the garden of 10 Downing Street while the UK was in strict lockdown.

There are two aspects to the constitutional crisis. The first is the matter of lying in parliament. The prime minister claims that the May gathering was a “work event” and therefore could be said to “technically fall within the guidance” of the time. Many will have greeted this assertion with significant scepticism – particularly anyone who faced criminal charges for meeting others outside during the period in question. Back then, people were only allowed to mix with one other person outside their household when meeting outdoors. In-person work meetings were only allowed when “absolutely necessary”.
https://theconversation.com/is-the-party-over-for-boris-johnson-this-polling-detail-suggests-it-could-be-174818

[font size="8"]Holy Shit: The War For Religious Exemption
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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. And first off I want to say Happy New Year! It is our first Holy Shit of 2022, after all! And as your pastor, I am very excited for the year ahead, may it certainly be better than the last two! But even though we are in a new year and we have new things to look forward to, I don’t need to remind anyone that we are still in the middle of an out of control raging pandemic that’s still wreaking havoc on most of the world. And you know what you should to do to combat this deadly virus that’s sweeping the globe? Get vaccinated! I cannot stress that enough. And that’s what I am here to talk about today. Because it seems our brothers and sisters on the right just don’t get it. The vaccine is free and it will save your life. You know what won’t save your life? Getting a “religious exemption certificate” from a really shady source. And there’s a lot of that shit going around lately. The more religious and devout someone is, the more likely they are to shun logic and reason for scammers, hucksters, and con artists. And they fall for it every single time. So what’s the latest scam plaguing the religious right? Well here’s more!

An actor on an American soap opera recently sought to sidestep a COVID-19 vaccination mandate by doing something fairly common: requesting a religious exemption. Less common was the way his employment was killed off in a dramatic tunnel collapse after the request was denied.

Applications for religious exemptions are on the rise, amid new mandates designed to check the Omicron variant and contain the pandemic. New York City has unveiled plans for a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all private employers, Greece has a mandate lined up for people over 60, and South Africa is considering its own versions.

Employers and schools may struggle to discern the requests for religious exemptions from mandates like these that are genuinely sincere – and puzzle over how to respect an applicant’s beliefs while also preventing the harm they may inflict on others. Some places simply decided this isn’t possible, and stopped making faith-based dispensations.

Research overwhelmingly indicates that getting vaccinated is the best way to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Most religious leaders are framing their messaging accordingly.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/12/covid-19-vaccines-what-role-should-religion-play/

Now here’s the problem that I have with that. If there were legitimate sources where one could possibly obtain a religious exemption card, that would be one thing. But this here is America, and the religious right doesn’t play by the rules. And that’s something that the good LAWRD JAYSUS wouldn’t want now is it? Because the Good Book says that you shall not lie. Which I believe is one of the original 10 commandments, isn’t it? Because here’s the latest insanity coming from the religious right – they are using chiropractors to get around religious exemption laws!

As some schools and workplaces are once again requiring masks, there are certainly medical circumstances that can exempt you from wearing one, and that’s what one Cass County chiropractor is offering.

Dr. Kyle McKamey with Down To Earth Chiropractic in Dowagiac wrote on the business’s Facebook page Aug. 18, “As a doctor of chiropractic, I have the same authority as any Michigan DO or MD when it comes to providing patients with letters of exemption from mask and vaccine mandates made by an employer or school system.”

ABC57 has yet to hear back from the Van Buren-Cass District Health Department on if this is something they would accept, but in the Berrien County Health Department’s release announcing the mandate for masks in K-12 schools Wednesday, they said medical exemptions can only come from someone with a DO or MD.

Cass County does not have a mask mandate right now and they are not required in Dowagiac, Marcellus or Cassopolis school districts.
https://www.abc57.com/news/dowagiac-chiropractor-offers-to-write-mask-vaccine-exemptions-for-patients

Now here’s where things get complicated and weird. What exactly counts as a “religious exemption”? It is not something that you can easily get away with. So all those people going to chiropractors attempting to get these cards? They’re not exactly going to have an easy time using them. Again, the vaccine is free, and it’s something that the Good LAWRD JAYSUS would want you to have! It will save your life! What won’t save your life? Having a phony religious exemption card. It will get you into trouble and if you catch the virus, you’re more likely to end up in the hospital or die!

For Americans wary of COVID-19 vaccine mandates, like the sweeping requirements President Joe Biden announced Sept. 9, 2021, it seems there are plenty of leaders offering ways to get exemptions – especially religious ones.

No major organized religious group has officially discouraged the vaccine, and many, like the Catholic Church, have explicitly encouraged them. Yet pastors from New York to California have offered letters to help their parishioners - or sometimes anyone who asks – avoid the shots.

These developments point to deep confusion over how to win a religious exemption. So what are they, and is the government even required to offer the exemptions in the first place?

Many schools, businesses and governments requiring vaccination have offered religious exemptions. Some are loath to challenge people’s claims that getting the shot goes against their beliefs for fear of being sued, but organizations have come up with a variety of ways to assess claimants’ sincerity.
https://theconversation.com/whats-the-law-on-vaccine-exemptions-a-religious-liberty-expert-explains-166934

Now by the way in case you’re wondering where this idea came from, well it’s pretty much the religious equivalent of “you need a doctor’s note to be exempt”. And that’s where it gets tricky. But then again the religious right’s reasons for what qualifies as a doctor are sketchy at best. Now what’s alarming is just how many people are attempting to claim a religious exemption or say that it conflicts with their religious beliefs. And these statistics will absolutely shock you. But to us, they aren’t really that shocking at all.

Only 10% of Americans believe that getting a COVID-19 vaccine conflicts with their religious beliefs, and 59% of Americans say too many people are using religious beliefs as an excuse not to get vaccinated, a new survey from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and the Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) shows.

A majority of Americans, 60%, also say there is no valid religious reason to refuse a COVID-19 vaccine – but the number changes when it comes to white evangelicals. While a majority of every other major religious group says their faith doesn't include a valid reason to refuse the vaccine, just 41% of white evangelicals believe the same.

The findings in the survey – the largest one to track the intersection of the pandemic and religious beliefs — could be crucial to understanding how to encourage more people in the U.S. to be vaccinated, especially as vaccines become more available to children. PRRI CEO and founder Robert Jones says in a statement that the results show that many Americans believe religious liberty is not an "absolute" and that there should be a balance when it comes to the health of communities.
There is still a divide over religious exemptions from the vaccine

Whether religious exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine should be allowed resulted in a more divided array of answers. Just 39% of Americans support a blanket religious exemption excuse, meaning that anyone who says the vaccine is against their faith doesn't have to get it.
https://www.npr.org/2021/12/09/1062655300/survey-religion-vaccine-hesitancy-exemptions

So the next time you are in a room with someone who claims to have a “religious exemption”, run! If you put enough of these idiots in a room, you will eventually have fewer of them! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]This Fucking Guy: Novak Djokovic

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This week’s This Fucking Guy is tennis star Novak Djvokovic. Or wait, I should say: disgraced tennis star who got kicked out of the Australian Open, Novak Djvokovic. There, my producer wasn’t going to let me get away without saying that. So why is he a disgraced tennis star? Well, there is still that thing going on called the COVID-19 pandemic, which most of seem to have forgotten about. And Australia is a country that went from attempting to contain the virus with zero cases to “ah, fuck it”. Which we have clearly seen with this latest wave. And this fucking guy Novak Djvokovic is clearly caught in the middle of anti-vaxxer insanity. And corporations and advertisers – which employ him when he’s not playing tennis – are seeming to take notice about what’s going on. And you think employing someone who’s vehemently anti-vaccine might be bad for business? Well guess that varies on a sponsor to sponsor basis because some are apparently OK with this sort of thing.

Watch maker Hublot, a sponsor of Novak Djokovic, believes getting vaccinated is a personal choice, the Swiss luxury group told Reuters in its first comment since the world men's tennis No. 1 was expelled from Australia this month.

The Serbian player, who is not vaccinated against COVID-19, was deported on Jan. 16 ahead of the Australian Open after a federal court dismissed his appeal to stay in the country and play the tournament.

Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe said the brand, owned by French luxury conglomerate LVMH, was waiting to hear from Djokovic about his experience.

"We are waiting to see what his position is with regard to all that he went through," he said in an interview.

"The principle of vaccines is that it's something private. We value personal freedom. Everyone can decide. One can be in favour or against. That's our position."

Such sensitive issues raise a dilemma for sponsors who must strike a balance between respecting an athlete's personal freedom and keeping in step with the public mood.
https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/djokovic-sponsor-hublot-says-vaccine-094215879.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAACUQ131MT_dcPo_8iu_hM1Y7GwerkyPMAJRuvASRZkCl-8X8hraiOTQT5g1SW85eI7E7ZyKpTx8TprSirbuaCiZIX3mL-7sM_zihqG5IHehj-jI3JeRStaqL_PQ3pEM8B-lAf01Cb9ZRRInXK5Ot9-O2UHVvHt0YhXaIM31spD2_

Yeah I’m OK with boycotting a maker of expensive watches nobody can ever afford, because I’ll never be able to afford them. But here’s the question – when someone as toxic and undesirable as Novak Djvokovic makes his opinions known and it’s the wrong one, what do you do? Oh and before you accuse me of being a Nazi, anti-vaxxers can kindly fuck right off, and they aren’t welcome in my audience, so there. Neener neener. So how do the other sponsors feel about his toxic politics? Well let’s ask them, shall we?

Raiffeisen Bank International said in a statement to Forbes that the Austria-based bank would continue to sponsor Djokovic: “This [sponsorship] decision by RBI was made long before the current reporting on Novak Djokovic and his Covid-19 vaccination status, or his participation in the Australian Open.”

Swiss watchmaker Hublot similarly stuck by Djokovic, telling the Associated Press Friday: “Novak Djokovic is his own person. We cannot comment on any of his personal decisions. Hublot will continue its partnership with the world number 1 tennis player.”

French clothing company Lacoste is Djokovic’s only sponsor to cast doubt on its partnership with the athlete, as a Lacoste spokesperson said Monday the company will contact Djokovic and “review the events that have accompanied his presence in Australia,” according to CNN.

Djokovic’s other sponsors—Asics, Head, Lemero, NetJets, Peugeot and Ultimate Software Group—did not respond to Forbes’ request for comment or comment publicly on the matter as of Tuesday.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/01/18/djokovics-sponsors-stick-by-him-or-stay-silent-as-he-stands-to-lose-up-to-8-million-from-missing-grand-slams/?sh=75a6244c584d

Yeah so it’s about 50/50 and even that’s still too high. Now how is this saga of the stupid playing out with the organizers of the Australian Open? Well, you might say they’re not cool with it, which is good, because we’re not cool with it either. Again, anti-vaxxers can kindly go fuck themselves. Was it handled poorly? Hell no. In fact Novak should have had his ass handed to him multiple times over by now especially with this new variant that’s been wrecking so much havoc across the globe.

Australian Open chief Craig Tiley said the Novak Djokovic saga will not define the 2022 tournament but that he regrets how the volatile situation took the focus off the Grand Slam and players leading up to the Melbourne Park major.

Djokovic, 34, was deported from Australia after an 11-day rollercoaster involving two visa cancellations, two court challenges and five nights in two stints at an immigration detention hotel where asylum seekers are held.

Tennis Australia CEO Tiley, also tournament director of the year's first major, came under fire after Djokovic, who was not vaccinated for COVID-19, was told he could play at the Australian Open with a medical exemption.

The decision to grant nine-times champion Djokovic entry outraged many in Australia, which is battling its worst surge of infections and where the adult vaccination rate is more than 90%.

The controversy completely overshadowed the build-up to the tournament but Tiley said his team deserved credit for managing to bring in over 3,500 participants from overseas amid the highly infectious Omicron variant.
https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/33143724/novak-djokovic-saga-not-define-australian-open-says-craig-tiley

So now that he’s been kicked out of the Australian Open and deported from Australia due to his apparent recklessness and disregard for humanity, where’s he going to go? Well there’s the French Open coming up. Guess he could go there, right? Wrong! Because, and this is my favorite part of this whole thing – the French Open rules prevent him from participating because he’s such a rabid anti-vaxxer. The moral of the story, folks? Get vaxxed or get sacked!

It's another day of bad news for Novak Djokovic. The No. 1-ranked men's singles player might not be allowed to play at the French Open, the next Grand Slam on the schedule, because of his vaccination status.

Djokovic lost his appeal on Sunday to play in the Australian Open, closing a nearly two-week long saga over his unvaccinated status and attempt to enter the country with a visa and exemption. It is the first Grand Slam on the calendar as he chases a 21st Grand Slam victory that would break a tie with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for most men's titles of all-time.

Also on Sunday, the French parliament overwhelmingly approved a law requiring vaccination for anyone at restaurants, sports arenas and other venues. Previously unvaccinated persons were allowed to enter with a valid negative test. That incudes the French Open and the French Sports Ministry confirmed on Monday there would be no exemptions.
French Open up in air for Djokovic

The French Sports Ministry confirmed there would be no exemptions to Reuters, but said the overall situation might change before the draw in May.
https://sports.yahoo.com/novak-djokovic-cant-play-at-french-open-unless-vaccinated-french-sports-ministry-says-183956146.html

But of course as you can guess, France did their part and changed the rules to avoid an uproar. The bad guys win again. That’s rabid anti-vaxxer and tennis star who can’t play tennis, Novak Djokovic, this week’s:

[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Welcome back to our segment where we attempt to explain the unexplainable – Conspiracy Corner! Yes welcome back to our underground doomsday shelter for the first time in 2022! That’s right, it’s the year 2022 and the world hasn’t ended yet, though we all thought it would by now! We of course are coming to you live from our underground doomsday shelter deep in the heart of the New Mexico badlands, undisclosed location of course! How did you get here? that in and of itself is a conspiracy, for you see, we are everywhere! Just let me adjust my tin foil hat for maximum government interference. Ah, there we go! So what’s on the table this week? Well this week, we have to talk about The Matrix. Yes, you know that movie from 1999 starring Keanu Reeves, written by two trans sisters and the movie is basically a metaphor for transitioning. But of course the idea of metaphorical writing is lost on those who believe that JFK Jr survived his plane crash and is going to out Trump’s political opponents as Deep State operatives. But why do conservatives love the Matrix? Well let’s ask them shall we?

The Matrix is among the most influential science fiction films of all time. Nearly 20 years since the third film in the series premiered, a fourth chapter, The Matrix Resurrections, was released in December to great excitement.

But one of The Matrix’s most enduring cultural contributions has been to conspiracy theories. Motifs from the film have been adopted by online groups to reinforce their messages, which are often hateful and violent. Incels, or involuntary celibates, are particularly engaged with Matrix-style “philosophy”. A mass shooter in the UK, for example, was found, after his death, to have been using Matrix imagery in online discussion forums before committing his crimes.

The problem is so widespread that the new Matrix film is being taken by some as a rejection of the trend. Ahead of the film’s release, two of its writers described themselves as approaching the movie with the intent of reclaiming the “red pill” trope from its hijackers.
Red pill, blue pill

The idea of the red pill is a key example. In the original Matrix, the protagonist is invited to choose between a red and blue pill. The red reveals the world for what it truly is; an artificial construct of machines which have enslaved humanity. The blue allows the protagonist to remain in a comfortable delusion; spared from facing the horrors beyond. This cultural motif is now a cornerstone of conspiratorial thinking.
https://theconversation.com/the-matrix-how-conspiracy-theorists-hijacked-the-red-pill-philosophy-174935

But that said the Red Pill Truther movement is just another movement in the GOP’s long list of tricks used to divide and conquer. But just how many people are willing to participate in this colossally huge metaphor? Well leave it to our friends at TP USA to take advantage of the downtrodden and disillusioned because there’s apparently a whole lot of those out there. And we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface, folks! The truth is out there!

Christian nationalist pastor Rob McCoy hosted a “Freedom Night In America’” event Tuesday night at his Godspeak Calvary Chapel church in Newbury Park, California, featuring Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk. McCoy has played a significant role in the once-secular activist Kirk’s embrace of Christian nationalism and his launch of the “lavishly funded” Turning Point Faith.

The event consisted entirely of McCoy and Kirk sitting on stage while Kirk rambled endlessly for an hour and a half about a variety of topics, including his belief that the current political and social environment is creating an “existential crisis” for millions of people, making them susceptible to “taking the red pill” and becoming Christians and conservatives.

“I kid you not, there is a moment that can happen where people have an existential crisis, and it’s happening right now in America,” Kirk declared. “This is not a joke. It’s a serious psychological problem. It is where millions of people right now who have been three times boosted, double mask-wearing, done everything they said they’re going to do, they still get the [COVID-19] virus, and they are asking themselves, basically, ‘Where is my place in the universe? I thought that if I followed the instructions of the Leviathan, I would get something in return.'”

“We need to be there for those people,” he continued. “I mean that non-sarcastically. [We need to] slowly show them that there is a whole world out here of the laws of nature, and there is the Gospel, and there is a God, and [Dr. Anthony] Fauci is not that person. You’re seeing that, and it’s best manifested in the collective kind of freak out of every person on cable television. They don’t know what to do, and that’s also because they’ve used their tyranny of you and their bullying of you as this kind of open-air kind of therapy exercise because they have such unsettled problems in their own soul that they’d rather torture you than actually go find salvation themselves. I’m not kidding. It really is that dark. It is.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/charlie-kirk-says-millions-of-americans-are-having-an-existential-crisis-and-susceptible-to-taking-the-red-pill/

OK that’s pretty bad ass. But the reason why the Red Pill is coming back into the news is because of the Matrix Revolutions, but there’s not a whole lot of people who really understand its’ true meaning, and Charlie Kirk definitely is not one of those people. And with that, let’s actually take the red pill and go down the rabbit hole and see just what the meaning of this phrase is, and how ridiculous conservatives sound when they say it and don’t realize the true meaning of this metaphor.

In May 2020, Elon Musk tweeted “Take the red pill.” It was unclear precisely what he meant, but those with enough cultural context had a decent idea of what he was trying to say. That hunch was then affirmed by the enthusiastic response of Ivanka Trump, whose father became president at least in some minor part because of forces associated with the symbol that Musk was evoking. She quote-tweeted him cheerily: “Taken!” she said.

Less than an hour later, Lilly Wachowski chimed in. One of the two directors responsible for The Matrix—the film in which the modern concept of the “red pill” originated—Wachowski didn’t appear very pleased with these people, neither in general nor in regard to how they were continuing the strange legacy of her metaphor. “Fuck both of you,” she replied to Trump. The way they were tossing her symbol around was likely a lot different from what she and her sister, Lana, had in mind when, more than two decades earlier, they composed the indelible scene in which Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) has to choose between taking a blue pill, which would cause him to remain who he is in a fabricated reality, or a red one, which would officially transform him into Neo—the chosen one, who alone could take down the grand enslavers and illusion makers.

The widely viewed Musk-Trump-Wachowski social media dustup, a collision between celebrities of the industrial, political, and entertainment variety, traveled into territory where those three camps tend to get pretty muddied. The pill’s symbolic journey has been long and gnarly, and has led to more confusion than clarity. What, really, did the red pill signify anymore? What was it supposed to be telling us about the world? Musk’s Twitter feed is typically defined by his anti-tax, anti-regulatory libertarianism, or by his often overbearing—read: relatable—desire to be loved for posting clever memes. Ivanka Trump is a member of the family who was in the White House at the time and remains at the heart of the Republican Party. Wachowski is a prestigious transgender filmmaker whose largest work has become one of the defining cultural and political texts of the 21st century.
https://www.theringer.com/movies/2021/12/21/22847157/the-matrix-red-pill-legacy

That said the actual Red Pill Truthers don’t actually know what the meaning of the Red Pill really is, nor do they care. And you know what? I’ll leave it to the actual creator of the Red Pill herself, Lilly Wachowski, to say exactly what this all means. And well, she has some thoughts and none of them are exactly what the right wingers who use this metaphor want to hear. Because if you take that right wing red pill, expect for some bad mojo to happen. Let’s face it, nobody wants that.

The Matrix co-director Lilly Wachowski has finally confirmed fan speculation that the films are metaphors for transgender identity.

Since both she and sister Lana came out as trans in 2012 and 2016, respectively, trans fans have written about the possible allegories found in the films.

Some have suggested that Neo’s (Keanu Reeves) unease with the world, which is described in the film as a “splinter in your mind”, is a metaphor for gender dysphoria. The “red pill”, which allows him to see reality for what it truly is, has also been compared to estrogen pills.

Lilly Wachowski has now confirmed that she and her sister’s “original intention” was for the film to operate as an allegory for gender identity.

“I’m glad that it has gotten out that that was the original intention,” she told Netflix Film Club. “The world wasn’t quite ready for it. The corporate world wasn’t ready for it.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/matrix-trans-metaphor-lana-lilly-wachowski-red-pill-switch-sequels-a9654956.html

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

Of course you know by now that people are people, and people are dumb. And there’s been plenty of stupidity in the six weeks that we’ve been gone. And again I want to clarify what makes a People Are Dumb story. So what makes a People Are Dumb story – someone robbing a McDonalds, not a People Are Dumb story. Someone throwing trash cans through the windows and threatening to burn this mofo down because they ran out of chicken nuggets? That’s a People Are Dumb story! I want to start with this story out of Delaware. Yes, stupid people are all over the country and it’s not just a uniquely Florida experience! But you know here’s the thing if you rob a bank, don’t return to the scene of the crime to deposit your money into the account at the bank you just robbed! This story is all kinds of next level stupid right here.

A busted bank robber is accused of holding-up a Delaware Wells Fargo Bank, then using that bank’s ATM to stash the loot in his account before making his getaway.

Delaware State Police say the caper unfolded when McRoberts Williams, 44, slipped a note to a 25-year-old teller demanding cash around 11:20 a.m. Saturday in Wilmington.

“The bank teller complied and gave the suspect and undisclosed amount of cash,” police said in a statement. “The suspect fled the bank on foot, and once outside he made a deposit in the ATM on the exterior of the building.”

After fleeing the crime scene, McRoberts allegedly hid behind a nearby shopping center where law enforcement officers located the California man and took him into custody. It’s unclear how much money was stolen.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/robber-deposits-stolen-money-into-same-bank-s-atm-report/ar-AARQNdP

Next up – speaking of robberies, if there’s one thing you don’t want to get caught robbing, it’s a store that sells sex toys. And if you do get caught, why would you want to admit that you stole those items in the first place? Well come on the answer is obvious, you got to have your cock rings, dildos, and nipple clamps, don’t ask me how I know what those things are! But they are out there! But that said here’s more on this insane story.

When planning to rob sex toys from an adult store, it is best to avoid establishments at which you recently applied for a job. A 29-year-old man is behind bars on multiple criminal charges after allegedly stealing $350 worth of items from a Pennsylvania business and threatening to stab a clerk who sought to stop him.

According to a criminal complaint, Jacob McFarland last week entered the Adult World emporium in North Wales, a Philadelphia suburb, and walked out with a pair of masturbators, a $95.99 Fleshlight model and the Autoblow A.I. (which retails for about $250). When an Adult World worker confronted McFarland in the store’s parking lot, the accused masturbator thief allegedly threatened to stab the man.

The employee, cops noted, “was able to identify McFarland because he recently applied for a position at Adult World.” In a police statement, the victim said that, “Jacob came into Adult World and instantly walked to the back of the store” and grabbed the two sex toys.
Officers quickly located McFarland at a hotel just steps away from Adult World. He was found carrying a knife and a backpack with a lock on it. Cops applied for a search warrant for the backpack, which apparently held the purloined masturbators.

McFarland was charged with robbery, a felony, and several misdemeanors, including retail theft and making terroristic threats. He is being held in the Montgomery County lockup in lieu of $5000 bail. According to court records, McFarland has multiple pending criminal cases, for which charges include disorderly conduct, narcotics possession, theft, and criminal mischief.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/stupid/adult-world-robbery-274580

Next up – snakes! And no I’m not talking about the kind of snakes currently residing in the republican party, I’m talking about the actual poisonous, real life kind of snakes. You know the kind you see lurking in the bushes… or lurking in toilets. Yeah that happened. And I do say that should be killed with fire. But when you have a collection of 120+ snakes, does that put you in hoarder territory? Yeah it probably does and this Maryland man proved that you probably shouldn’t have that many snakes in one place at one time.

Police officers called to a Maryland residence by a concerned neighbour found a 49-year-old man dead – and surrounded by more than 125 venomous and non-venomous snakes, held in tanks on racks.

The discovery by Charles county sheriff’s deputies and emergency responders at the house in Pomfret became even more bizarre when they established that none of the reptiles, including a 4.3m (14ft) Burmese python, had escaped or were slithering free.

“At last count it was over 125 individual snakes that were racked or in cages inside the home,” Jennifer Harris, a Charles county government spokesperson, told WUSA news.

“I want to assure anybody living within this neighbourhood that we have not seen that any of the snakes were not properly secured or could have escaped. People were concerned there was some danger but we’ve not determined any of the snakes were not secure after this gentleman’s death.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/24/maryland-man-dead-collection-snakes

Next up – Florida! Of course you know Florida as the Penis of America, or as Homer Simpson calls it, “America’s Wang”. We kid of course! We love Florida here! But you can’t deny that Florida is home to some of the craziest people in the entire country. How do they do it? I’m guessing a steady diet of meth, Jack Daniels, and saltwater air isn’t helping things. But that said, this might be one of the craziest Florida stories we’ve ever seen on this show. And that’s saying a lot. Also, what are they putting in the water supply in the town of Clearwater?

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Florida authorities said they found cocaine and methamphetamine wrapped around a man's penis during a traffic stop, but the man denied the drugs were his.

Pinellas County sheriff's deputies said they stopped a vehicle driving without its lights on at 4 a.m. last Saturday. WFLA-TV reports the driver was arrested on charges of DUI and marijuana possession.

Authorities said they found a gun under the passenger’s seat while searching the car and discovered the drugs while searching the passenger.

The man said the drugs were not his, but didn't say who the drugs belonged to, according to the arrest report.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/florida-man-drugs-penis-denies-81896573

Finally this week sticking with the Sunshine State, of course we’re ending with a good fast food rage story. I love a good fast food rage story. And I eat a lot of that shit too. You can tell. But I do know that there’s nothing worse than when you go to a restaurant and they get your order wrong. But don’t fight the people responsible for it. That will never end well for you or for them. But especially you. That happened to this Waffle House patron in Cape Coral.

Cape Coral police officers arrested a man at a Waffle House on Wednesday after they received calls about a disturbance.

When officers arrived, they said they heard a man identified as 28-year-old Martin Jose Alvarez yelling expletives at the staff about how his bacon was cooked.

Officers said Alvarez screamed, “You better cook the f****** bacon right!”

Officers asked Alvarez to come outside, but said he resisted until they threatened to use a taser. ................(more)

https://www.local10.com/news/florida/2022/01/21/police-florida-man-busted-after-tantrum-about-bacon/

That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Red State Diaries
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Welcome back to our ongoing series where we take a look at where the post-election MAGA world is up to in our ongoing series “Red State Diaries”. Last time we took a look at the insane phenomenon of elected officials who send out Christmas cards with pictures of their families holding guns and exercising their second amendment rights (whatever those are). This week we’re going to do something a bit different. That is the COVID-19 pandemic is still very much a thing that sadly may never go away thanks to this insanity. And after watching the sheer insanity going on at the anti-vaccine rally in Washington DC last week, we’re going to take a look at some insane COVID cures. Because anti-vaxxers will go out of their way to do just about anything but the right thing. And perhaps my favorite thing that I’ve seen is that someone is suggesting that they drink their own urine to prevent COVID. That’s right, drinking their own fucking urine. I really give up sometimes.

An Alabama anti-vaxxer recently arrested in Jefferson County is touting urine as a cure for COVID-19.

Christopher Key is the founder of “Vaccine Police,” a website that gathers anti-vax news across the internet.

Key posted a video to his Telegram account over the weekend, according to The Daily Beast, saying that the urine cure has been around for centuries.

There is no scientific evidence to support Key’s claim.

“The antidote that we have seen now, and we have tons and tons of research, is urine therapy,” Key said in the video. “I know to a lot of you this sounds crazy, but guys, God’s given us everything we need.”
https://www.al.com/news/2022/01/urine-cures-covid-christopher-key-recently-arrested-alabama-anti-vaxxer-falsely-claims.html

Yeah where’s that guy when you need him? And why would you trust anyone that calls themselves the “vaccine police”. And why am I not surprised in the least that this guy is a MAGA supporter? Well I mean aside from the fact that the MAGA in chief himself is allegedly into that sort of thing. That’s another thing that I wish I didn’t know. And speaking of things that I wish I didn’t know, I wish this sort of thing didn’t exist. I mean come on this guy is peddling some next level stupid here. Don’t worry though, my fair audience! He’ll be joining Herman soon enough!

Earlier this week, the anti-vax “Vaccine Police” leader Christopher Paul Key, who set out on a road trip seeking to conduct citizen’s arrests of Democratic governors and was arrested for criminal trespass, urged his followers to swear off COVID-19 inoculation and to instead drink their own urine as a cure.

As it turns out, the anti-vaccine activist got that unscientific medical advice from Dr. Edward Group, a chiropractor who is a pal of Alex Jones, and who sells online coursework for learning the benefits of drinking the “golden nectar.”

Key said in a video posted on Telegram, a platform favored by the far right, last weekend that the COVID-19 vaccine “is the worst bioweapon I have ever seen.” Instead, he told followers, “The antidote that we have seen now, and we have tons and tons of research, is urine therapy. OK, and I know to a lot of you this sounds crazy, but guys, God’s given us everything we need.”

He proudly declared: “I drink my own urine!”

In a subsequent conversation with The Daily Beast, Key identified Group as his guru on drinking piss. The anti-vaccine activist said he spoke with Group after getting out of jail for his trespassing charges, and “he told me that he and his team have been looking over those who have been vaccinated and taken the jab, and they have anecdotal evidence of blood clots totally disappearing from using urine therapy.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-alex-jones-pal-behind-the-anti-vaccine-rights-urine-drinking-covid-cure

Yeah the people being proud of drinking their own urine are the ones who say that liberalism is a mental disorder. That’s rich. But this is one of the more disgusting things that they’ve come up with, and this is after they bought livestock dewormer which blows out their intestinal lining and makes them voluntarily shit themselves. Holy crap, yeah like I said I really give up sometimes. This is some serious insanity here, and if you’re listening to this show, seriously, take the damn vaccine and don’t listen to these idiots.

As the pandemic has evolved and vaccinations have become politicized, the door has opened for some questionable alternatives to treat COVID-19.

Urine therapy – where advocates encourage people to drink their own urine to tap into it's redemptive properties – is among the latest and a recent video calling the therapy the next "COVID antidote" was viewed over 366,000 times.

"I've seen a rise in anti-vaxxers and conspiracists supporting urine, Viagra and other odd alternatives to the vaccine," said Dr. Amanda Torres, a physician at Winchester Hospital in Boston. "It's dangerous"

Christopher Key, who travels the country to preach about the dangers of vaccines and masks, has taken too promoting urine therapy on his “Vaccine Police” website.

"OK, and I know to a lot of you this sounds crazy, but guys, God’s given us everything we need," said Key, who claims "tons of research" has been done on urine therapy..
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/01/11/urine-therapy-latest-covid-antidote/9169167002/

No, you fucking morons. There’s been *NO* research done on this because you made this shit up because you won’t take the damn vaccine. The only one doing any research on this is your creepy uncle who posts stories about it on his Facebook page for likes, and you don’t want to know what he does when he’s not online. You know what? Fuck it. I want to move to France. At least their prime minister is telling these dumbasses where they can stick it.

Emmanuel Macron has prompted a furore after saying that his government’s vaccination strategy is to “piss off” people who have not had coronavirus jabs by continuing to make daily life more and more difficult for them.

“I am not about pissing off the French people,” the president said in an interview with readers of Le Parisien on Tuesday. “But as for the non-vaccinated, I really want to piss them off. And we will continue to do this, to the end. This is the strategy.”

Macron’s remarks came as the French parliament debated new legislation that, if passed, will mean only the fully vaccinated – and no longer those with a negative Covid test – will qualify for the country’s health pass from next month.

The pass, introduced this summer, is required in France for access to indoor public places such as cafes, restaurants, cinemas, museums, concert venues and sports centres, as well as to board long-distance trains and planes.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/04/macron-declares-his-covid-strategy-is-to-piss-off-the-unvaccinated

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

Folks my latest guest are out on tour promoting their latest album called Fear Inoculum and you can see them live through March 24th. Playing their song “Invincible”, give it up for the legendary Tool!

Thanks to our home in Santa Ana, thanks to Tool, we’re off to Salt Lake City next. See you next week!

Credits

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

Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo

January 6, 2022

Top 10 Conservative Idiots: The Complete 12th Season

Top 10 Conservative Idiots: The Complete 12th Season

Season 11 (Jun 2021 - Dec 2021) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215586273
Season 10 (Jan 2021 - May 2021) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/100214798830
Season 9 (May 2020 - Dec 2020) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213570012
Season 8 (Jan 2020 - May 2020) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212831883
Season 7 (Jul 2019 - Dec 2019) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212164633
Season 6 (Jan 2019 - May 2019) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211623942
Season 5 (Jun 2018 - Dec 2018) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210720590
Season 4 (Jan 2018 - May 2018) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210083764
Season 3 (Jun 2017 - Dec 2017) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210008235
Season 2 (Nov 2016 - May 2017) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029078791
Season 1 (Dec 2015 - Nov 2016) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016169212

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Wow, I can't believe it's been 5 years and 12 seasons already, 250+ editions and some awards that I made up. So unfortunately we're back to having another super mutant of the virus that's been plaguing us the last two years. But don't let it get you down! Wow I can't believe we're up to the 12th season already! And hopefully it will be our first season not interrupted by COVID! But of course I say that as Omicron is raging through the population. Well, virus aside, we are coming back bigger and badder than ever! And we're also going international with Canadian and French versions for this season. That's right - we're planning more international versions of the Top 10 this season in Paris and one with our neighbors to the north in Vancouver. Remember our British edition? Yeah think like that. But all of our usual segments are returning along with some new ones. And because of our weird interruption last year we have more Holy Shit: The Sunday Sermons to bring you! And we're planning season 2 with 6 more episodes in April! So get ready because while 2020 really sucked and 2021 sucked slightly less, we're planning big things for 2022. Plus it's the first half of the year which means the return of Stupidest State! That's right - the NFFSA will be back for yet another season and we're coming back in full! Stay tuned for exciting developments and don't forget to follow the Top 10 on Twitter at @10Idiots and the Holy Church Of The Top 10 at @churchoftop10 for new announcements and stay up to date! Enjoy! And as always don't forget the key!

Edition #12-1: America's Next Top Incarcerated Insurrectionist Edition (1/27/22)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216293374

Live from the Observatory OC in Santa Ana! As always whenever the Top 10 is on an extended vacation we like to catch up on stuff we missed, and being gone for nearly 6 weeks, we missed a lot of stuff! In Trump World, while the January 6th committee is narrowing down their choices on a game of "America's Next Top Incarcerated Insurrectionist", some special attention is being payed to Trump's involvement in forged certification documents on the 2020 election, was he involved or not? Only one way to find out! Meanwhile in Florida, Florida Man Ron DeSantis is attempting to rewrite history to make it more comfortable for his white supremacist followers by eliminating Critical Race Theory - something entirely made up by Fox News! We also profile the latest in the vaccine wars, including devastating reversals of policy by Starbucks and even SCOTUS! Across the pond, our friends in the UK are becoming increasingly hostile to PM Boris Johnson and telling him to shape up or ship out, and they might actually succeed in getting him to resign! In our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit", the war on vaccine mandates and religious exemptions is heating up and we're caught in the middle, and we personally think the best choice is our underground doomsday shelter. Speaking of anti-vaxxers, we profile international tennis star Novak Dvokovic in a new edition of "This Fucking Guy" and this story is quite insane if you've been following it, and offers a preview of what to expect at the Winter Olympics! Plus we also have a new People Are Dumb, because of course they are! Finally in Red State Diaries, with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 tearing through the populace, we take a look at the latest insane cures coming from the MAGA world and whew, we didn't think we would see this one coming!
Live Musical Guest: Tool

Edition #12-2: Orlando Nazis? I Hate Orlando Nazis! Edition (2/3/22)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216317234

Live from Salt Lake City! Musician Neil Young starts a feud with music streaming service Spotify over their continuation of Joe Rogan's controversial podcast, and unfortunately Spotify decides to side with Mr. Rogan on this one. In Tennessee, there's a big brew ha ha after a school board decides to ban a popular and award winning book on the holocaust. Going full Nazi is never a good thing. Meanwhile in Florida - Orlando has a Nazi problem and it seems like Ron DeSantis doesn't know or care that there are actual Nazis on American soil! Overseas, it looks like Vladimir Putin's plans to speed up World War III might be escalating as the US might intervene if the Moscow Mad Man decides to invade the Ukraine, and it's getting real! Meanwhile, Justice Stephen Breyer announces his retirement from SCOTUS and you can bet that conservatives reacted... predictably. And ensure that a shit show will follow in the next few months. In our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit", the annual parade of anti-abortion insanity known as the "March For Life" protest hits DC and we've got a recap of all the madness! We add West Virginia governor Jim Justice to the ever growing list of People Who Somehow Got Elected. In a new edition of Conspiracy Corner - we debunk Tucker Carlson's myths about immigration, never mind that he decided to go full racist! And in a new "I Need A Drink" - is Marvel's Evangeline Lilly an anti-vaxxer? We have some drinks and delve into this insane mystery. Plus in our ongoing survey of the MAGA movement post-2020 in "Red State Diaries", Florida announces their new surgeon general, and you can bet he's the exact opposite of what a real surgeon general should be!
Live Musical Guest: The Used

Edition #12-3: The Good, The Bad, And The Cuddly Edition (2/10/22)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216341370

Live from Milwauke! The Former Guy has gone from flat out denying his involvement in January 6th and blaming it on Antifa to flat out embracing the violence and destruction that he caused, and that's scary. Meanwhile, in what might be one of the worst programming decisions ever, Rudy Guiliani appeared on an episode of the reality singing competition "The Masked Singer" in a guest appearance that no one asked for. Plus after the Spotify debacle last week, does anyone still support Joe Rogan? Well he's got support from dictators and maskholes alike! And it's the return of our favorite game "IS IT RACIST?" after Whoopi Goldberg made some controversial statements about the Holocaust on The View. And in a new Top 10 Investigates, what's up with the lack of cream cheese at your local grocery? Well let's just say that America's bagels may be getting less of a schmear for a while, while this gets sorted out. And in our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit", why are America's education laws regardign religion getting more draconian? Our resident pastor is going to find out what's up with that. And in a new Beating A Dead Horse - is it OK for the US to participate in the Olympics with China's third world dictatorship? It's a venerable clusterfuck between the US, Russia, China, and the IOC. And we profile white supremacist social media influencer Nick Fuentes in a new edition of "This Fucking Guy". We also have a new People Are Dumb because of course they are! Finally this week in "Red State Diaries", the Reawaken America tour is coming to your city and it's a clusterfuck of conspiracy theorists, religious extremists, and of course everyone's favorite uninvited guest - COVID.
Live Musical Guest: Greta Van Fleet

Edition #12-4: Wheel Of Corruption: A True Underdog Story Edition (2/14/22)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216366594

Live from Detroit! The GOP attempts to censure Liz Cheney, the one sane voice in a political party that is being taken over by a dangerous and scary cult. Meanwhile in Canada, the Canadian "Freedom Convoy" attempts to gain "medical freedom" (whatever that is) by continuing to block freeways into and out of Ottawa, while waging war with crowdfunding sites. In Former Guy news, there is word now that he may have literally flushed incriminating White House documents down the toilet, while his accounting firm cut ties with him due to being a "high risk" client. Elsewhere, Marjorie Taylor Greene creates internet hilarity when she compares vaccine mandates to Nazi Germany and says that they should be a gazpacho. On the World War III front, the Biden admin claims that Putin will invade the Ukraine any day now, but Putin is doing his best "move along, nothing to see here, please disperse" Leslie Nielsen imitation. In our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit", our resident pastor is going to break down the crazier claims made by those who claim to be "prophets", and whew, they be crazy! In a new "Beating A Dead Horse", the war between Neil Young and Spotify isn't going away any time soon, but it has been revealed that Joe Rogan has quite a new fanbase of dictators and Russian trolls that he's built up! Speaking of Russia, in a new edition of Conspiracy Corner, why is Kanye cozying up to Vladimir Putin? Yeah you should absolutely be alarmed by this combined with his headlining of Coachella. We also have a new People Are Dumb because of course they are! Finally in Red State Diaries, the Freedom Convoy could be coming to a city near you but their attempt to disrupt the Super Bowl was an absolute bust!
Live Musical Guest: Spoon

Edition #12-5: We've Got A Great Big Convoy Across The USA Edition (2/24/22)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216393651

Live from Seattle's Comedy Underground!The GOP continues to downplay the events of January 6th, 2021 by pretending it didn't happen and classifying it as "legitimate political discourse" and even going so far as to censure people like Liz Cheney who are involved in the committee, which are some disturbing developments. Overseas - we've been monitoring the events between Russia and the Ukraine - has Putin escalated it yet? We will say probably! Meanwhile in Canada, our neighbors to the north in Ottawa are finally turning the tables on the Freedom Convoy, though they have their sights set on disrupting the State Of The Union! Will their plan prevail? We say probably not. In Former Guy news, the National Archives confirm that Former Guy did indeed steal classified documents and is holding them at Mar-A-Shithole, because that's what perfectly innocent people do. We also have a new edition of - "We're All Gonna Die" - is the elusive Omicron BA 2 variant gonna kill us all or is it just a mild irritant? Well we will get to the bottom of this mess! And in our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit" - this is going to be a fun one as our resident pastor has plenty of Bible-based MAGA friendly candidates to choose from, and we will go through this group of winners! Speaking of "winners" (term used sarcastically), we profile MAGA Nevada Congressional candidate Noah Malgeri (Q - Batshit) in a new edition of "This Fucking Guy", and whew, MAGA sure can pick 'em. Also in a new Conspiracy Corner, California is finally laying the smackdown on online misinformation - will the Golden State prevail? Probably not. And we also have a new "I Need A Drink" - the only way you can hear Ye's new album Donda 2 is on a mysterious $200 streaming player, is it worth it? Probably not. Finally in Red State Diaries - it's the last one and we will tell you what to expect in the 2022 elections! Steamroll or whimper? Little from column A, little from column B.
Live Musical Guest: Slash Feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators

Edition #12-6: Nuclear War? Huh! What Is It Good For? Absolutely Nothing! Edition (3/3/22)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216435313

Live from the Observatory OC in Santa Ana!Well while we were putting together last week's edition, Putin went and declared war on the Ukraine, but his plans of world domination are very quickly backfiring on him! So what does he do to retaliate against his enemies? He threatens nuclear war, like all sane dictators do. Meanwhile back at home, Texas launches a draconian new law that outs trans kids if they are taking any kind of gender-affirming care, which is some serious straight up Nazi BS. And in conservative conventions, what's left of the conservative wing of the GOP gets usurped by the MAGA / Batshit party at CPAC, where Trump threatens to run a third time, ugh! Plus we have a new Top 10 Investigates: The Los Angeles Angels are caught in the midst of a drug ring that killed a promising starting pitcher - and who's responsible? The home of Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani has got some serious 'splainin to do! Plus in our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit", America's fundamentalist Christians are finally revealing whose side they are on - and surprise - it ain't America! Watch as our resident pastor unleashes holy hell at these traitors! We also have a new "Beating A Dead Horse" - Sigh, another week, another executive gets fired for saying something racist. But really, stop saying racist things on Twitter, OK? Plus in a new edition of Conspiracy Corner - Fox News is going all in on Russia, and you should be very afraid of that! Plus we have a new "I Need A Drink" - and the 500 lb bear that's been invading homes in Lake Tahoe dubbed "Hank The Tank" is gaining national fame, so we will drink and tell you about it! Finally it's time for Stupidest State 2022! This week it's Selection Sunday and we have all of the states, stats, odds and info that you need to fill out your bracket!
Live Musical Guest: Dream Theater

Edition #12-7: This Honky Warlord Be Trippin' Edition (3/18/22)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216495002

Live From Denver The war between Russia and the Ukraine is still going on and things aren't getting any better - they're actually getting worse and we will try to break down what's going on. Meanwhile back at home, we try to find out who the Russian US assets are because people like Candace Owens seem to be going down that wormhole. Elsewhere, Trump does an interview on a UFC podcast and totally barfs his brain on windmills while calling for people to die over critical race theory in his latest MAGA rally. Yeah he's definitely losing his mind. Plus Joe Biden delivers his first State Of The Union address - it's nice to have competency back in the White House, isn't it? And everyone seemed to enjoy it, except for Wingus and Dingus (aka Marjorie Greene and Lauren Boebert). Plus in a new Top 10 Investigates, if you rent a car from Hertz, there may be a warrant out for your arrest - so we ask the question rental car or stolen car? And in our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit", our resident pastor has had enough of Christian totalitarian hatemonger Lance Wallnau, and is finally going to tell him off once and for all! We also debut a new segment dedicated to scary animals, the Zoo From Hell! And in our first segment, we delve into some freaky parachuting giant spiders that are going to be blanketing the South this summer! In a new Conspiracy Corner, last week we point out how Tucker Carlson and Fox News love Russia, but now Hawaii's Tulsi Gabbard might be in the mix? Exactly what is going on here? We also have a new People Are Dumb because of course they are! Finally it's time for Stupidest State 2022! We kick things off live from Las Vegas with Arizona taking on Colorado in the Batshit Conference, while over in the Family Values Conference, #1 Alabama takes on red hot #2 North Carolina! Here we go!
Live Musical Guest: Flogging Molly

Edition #12-8: Ba Da Da Da Da Da I'm Nyet Loving It Edition (3/24/22)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216520741

Live from the Tempe Improv in Phoenix! While Vladimir Putin's illegal and immoral occupation in the Ukraine drags on, his enablers here in the US are becoming exposed, and - shocker - it's the same group of GQP conspiracy clowns you've come to expect, like Marjorie Greene and Lauren Boebert! Back at home, the GQP batshit crazy conspiracy theorists attempted a probe into Hunter Biden's laptop and it totally backfired on them, because of course it did. Meanwhile, an article in Rolling Stone exposes notoriously flip-flopping West Virginia senator Joe Manchin's controversial coal mining stance, but how deep does it go? We will get to the bottom of this mystery! And in insurrection news, a big advocate of "Stop The Steal" revealed herself to be at the Jan. 6th rally, and you know her as the wife of Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas, Ginni Thomas! So does that mean that SCOTUS is compromised? Probably. Elsewhere, Americans are feeling pain at the pump as gas prices keep climbing - when will we see any relief? Short answer - and you're not: Get used to it, it's gonna be a while. And in our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit" - American pastors are harassing Ukrainian refugees at the Polish border - leave these poor people alone! They have been through enough already! And in a new "Beating A Dead Horse" - the fight over Florida's extremely controversial "Don't Say Gay" bill takes the fight to one of Florida's biggest employers and money makers - Disney. And it's way crazier than you could ever imagine! Plus in a new edition of Conspiracy Corner, why is Papa John's Pizza continuing to operate in Russia even though the company has suspended operations there? Well it's Papa John's for one thing. And in a new "I Need A Drink", speaking of Disney, we delve into the bizarre controversies surrounding the latest Pixar flick "Turning Red", and well it's just racists being racists. Move along, nothing to see here! Finally it's time for Stupidest State 2022 Round 1 Week 2! We're live in Phoenix where Nevada takes on Nebraska in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, while Florida brings their big guns to the dance against Missouri in the Gun Nut Conference!
Live Musical Guest: Ghost

Edition #12-9: That's Justice Jackson If You're Nasty Edition (3/31/22)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216549481

Live from Houston! Once again conservatives get weird when it comes to picking the next person who will help decide the supreme law of the land as the Kentaji Jackson confirmation hearings keep it real. Meanwhile, on the Russia front - the entire world is wondering how Biden will act if and when Vladimir Putin decides to use chemical weapons against the Ukraine and it could get really ugly. Plus in January 6th Insurrection news, we may finally get an answer as to why Clarence Thomas was the lone "NO" vote on certifying the election, when his wife's phone records get subpoena'd, but he's mysteriously got "sick". Get out your tin foil hats for this one! And our favorite senator Ted Cruz (Q - Batshit) goes full Karen while he's vacationing in Montana, this story is equal parts hilarious and weird! And while Trump has been reduced to being an MC at Mar-A-Lago parties, his experiment into the social media biz is proving to be just as much of a failure as his other capitalist ventures. In our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit", white nationalist Nick Fuentes claims that he loves 12th century imperialism, so our resident pastor is going to explain exactly what that means! After attempting to flat-out ban Pride Week in Austin, we add Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to the growing list of People Who Somehow Got Elected. Also, after getting booted off the President's Council On Fitness, we profile quack TV doctor Mehmet Oz in a new edition of "This Fucking Guy". We also have a new People Are Dumb, because stupidity never takes a holiday! Finally it's time for Stupidest State! This time around it's Round 1 Week 3 and we're live in Phoenix at the Wells Fargo Arena for Round 1 Week 3! Texas brings their big guns against Idaho for Gun Nut Conference supremacy, while Kansas goes for broke against Delaware in the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference!
Live Musical Guest: AFI

Edition #12-10: You Just Got Knocked The F--- Out! Edition (4/7/22)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216572793

Live from Atlanta! Some shocking new evidence in the January 6th investigations reveals that Trump allegedly used a burner phone to communicate, because that's what perfectly innocent people do. And Trump can't seem to stop praising Vladimir Putin while the rest of the world is horrified by his actions, which was the subject of the first impeachment. Meanwhile, Alex Jones defies his subpoena to testify in the Sandy Hook Defamation Lawsuit, and it's going to cost him big time. We honestly hope the disgusting POS goes bankrupt. In Washington DC, MAGA insurrectionist Madison Cawthorn (Q - Batshit) reveals that he may have participated in some orgies involving some big names, we kind of, but also don't really want details. In a new Top 10 Investigates, after Will Smith's shocking confrontation with Chris Rock at the Oscar Awards, the Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts And Sciences is considering expelling Mr. Smith, so we take a look at what happened to the last guy who was expelled from the Academy, and it's not going to be good for anyone. And in our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit", Christian historical conspiracy theorist David Barton is back at it, and we wonder how insane his theories could possibly get! In a new edition of "This Fucking Guy", we profile Georgia Senate candidate and MAGA superfan Herschel Walker, because he's nuts! And speaking of nuts, in a new "Conspiracy Corner", we take a look at some MAGA theories about Trump's inner circle now that the subcommittee is closing in on them! We also have a new People Are Dumb, because of course they are! Finally it's time for Stupidest State 2022! This week we're live at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA where it's a battle of the Batshit Conference as #1 Georgia takes on #2 Iowa to advance to the Elite 8, while over in the Family Values Conference, #3 Indiana takes on #4 Tennessee! The Elite 8 is shaping up!
Live Musical Guest: The Scorpions

Edition #12-11: Wheel Of Corruption: Let There Be Carnage Edition (4/14/22)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216594968

Live from Orlando! The UN and NATO finally lay the smackdown on Russia by removing them as a "favored nation" thanks to Putin's illegal and immoral invasion and occupation of Ukraine. Back at home, a shocking scandal at the White House may involve fake Secret Service agents protecting both President Biden and first lady Jill Biden - just how deep does this conspiracy go? And how compromised were the Secret Service? It's insane! Meanwhile, in Congress, Q Anon's favorite Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q-Batshit) can't take a joke from a late night comedian and reported it as a threat. Cue all the facepalms. In social media news, Trump's Truth Social is proving to be quite the colossal failure but Devin Nunes is saying that it's beating Twitter in internet traffic, said no one ever. Or more appropriately: Moo. In garbage people news, Elon buys a controlling stake in Twitter and is questioning media censorship - could he reinstate Trump's account? Yeah he'd be crazy enough to do it. In our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit", our resident pastor is going to delve into Q Anon "prophets" and expose some of the darker aspects of this weird fake religion, and he might need some extra strong holy water after this one! In a new "Beating A Dead Horse", another week, another right wing boycott - this time targeting Disney over Florida's controversial "Don't say gay" bill, but it probably won't make enough of a dent in Disney's profit margin for them to notice. In a new Conspiracy Corner, why is the right wing blaming Nancy Pelosi for the attack on the Capitol? Well of course when you're getting your ass kicked, the only resort is to blame your target, because reasons. We also have a new People Are Dumb and it's one of our famous All Florida Editions! Finally this week it's time for Stupidest State 2022! This week it's Round 2 Week 1 which means it's time for the Gun Nut Conference Championship! Texas. Missouri. One of these states will advance to the Final Four! We're live at the legendary home of the UK Wildcats, Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY for all the action!
Live musical guest: Weird Al Yankovic

Edition #12-12: I Wanna Dip My Balls In It Edition (4/21/22)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216615845

Live from San Diego! In a not at all shocking twist that everyone saw coming, conservatives simply decided to say "fuck you" to participating in presidential debates. What a bunch of pathetic snowflakes. Guess 2020 wasn't enough of an embarrassment for them? Meanwhile in Russia, there are actually confirmed reports that the Ukraine has sunk the Russian warship that was at the center of the Ukraine telling them to "fuck off" has sunk. Back on the home front, people are questioning Elon Musk's future vision for Twitter, and well, it's not good. Everyone knows what he has in mind and we can all agree that it's an absolutely terrible idea! Elsewhere in Texas, Greg Abbott is unleashing a can of whoopass on the Texas border, which is really just a dog whistle to his racist fans who watch way too much Fox News and to earn him points for the 2024 election. The COVID-19 pandemic is still a thing, and we question Bill Maher's motives when he goes on the Joe Rogan podcast and goes full anti-vaxxer, which right now is a terrible idea. In our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit", what happens when hardcore religion and hardcore conspiracy theories collide? You get an absolutely bizarre new COVID-19 conspiracy that has people afraid to drink water, and our resident pastor is dumbfounded at these idiots! We finally add Georgia's Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q-Batshit) to the ever-growing list of People Who Somehow Got Elected! Plus in a new edition of Conspiracy Corner - our old buddy Tucker Carlson is promoting a batshit insane new documentary called "The End Of Man". But are we really living in the end times or does he just want to hawk some insane new right wing alternative therapy? A little from column A, a little from column B. And in a new edition of "I Need A Drink", why is a British zoo hiring a Marvin Gaye impersonator to encourage monkeys to mate? Well their intentions were good, but their plan was very poorly thought out! Finally this week it's time for Stupidest State 2022 Round 2 Week 2! Which means that it's the Family Values Championship! We're live at Mizzou University as red hot underdogs Tennessee take on favorite Indiana for a spot in the Final Four!
Live musical guest: IDLES

Edition #12-13: Alice's Adventures Through The MAGA Glass Edition (4/28/22)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216637749

Live from Long Beach! Florida Man Ron DeSantis goes nuclear on Disney because they were being mean to him and going against the Fox / MAGA cult after succumbing to internet pressure on the controversial "Don't Say Gay" bill. In January 6th news, Q Anon's favorite Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q - Batshit) has to answer as to whether or not she was involved in the planning and carrying out of the insurrection, which might bar her from reelection! There's several other people who you could take with you, Margie! Meanwhile, Alex Jones and his venerable Infowars outfit have finally taken the steps to begin declaring bankruptcy, but really they're declaring bankruptcy in the same way that Michael Scott did. And after a MAGA judge in Florida strikes down federal mask mandates, is it finally time to say goodbye to the face coverings that became a symbol of the pandemic or do we still need them? In an all new Top 10 Investigates, we take a look at a shocking new investigative piece from the Orange County Register that said that home prices in the OC and LA areas top $1 million on average - so what's driving this? We take a look behind the headlines! And in our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit", was the Russian warship Moskva carrying a piece of the True Cross or was that made up to get sympathy points? Our pastor will examine both sides of the argument! And in a new "Beating A Dead Horse" - should we really be surprised at the creepy behavior coming from guys like Bill Murray and Johnny Depp or are they products of the system that made them? A little from column A, a little from column B. After getting fleeced by investors and its' value is consistently decreasing, we ask "The Let's Go Brandon Bitcoin: How is this still a thing?". Also in a new "I Need A Drink" - have we reached peak streaming? Well there's too much content and not enough time to consume it all! Finally this week it's time for Stupidest State 2022! It's the Batshit Conference finals! Georgia. Arizona. One of these two teams moves on to the Final Four, the other goes home!
Live Musical Guest: Royal Blood

Edition #12-14: Honey, I Shrunk The District Edition (5/5/22)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216663744

Live from Flappers in Burbank! Elon Musk's attempted hostile takeover of Twitter to turn it into a right wing utopia is backfiring on him big time and also costing him big time. In Florida, Ron DeSantis dissolved the Disney special district known as Reedy Creek, and that could also backfire on him big time. Show us on the doll where Mickey Mouse hurt you, Ron. Meanwhile, in the Russian - Ukraine war, which has gone on way longer than it should have with no end in sight, we want to know what is Vladimir Putin's endgame? Does he hope to acquire Ukranian territory or does he have something much more sinister in mind? We're guessing the latter. Plus we bring you highlights from some of Trump's latest rallies, because you know that he brings the crazy everywhere he goes and the cult is definitely coming out in full force. In January 6th news, the Committee is finally going after the big boys in Fox News - what did they know? What did they have planned if they actually succeeded? We have so many questions! And in our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit", after our old friend Marjorie Taylor Greene peddles some ridiculous theories about which religion worships Satan, we decide to do a deep dive into some of the more ridiculous things that she's said. After a series of increasingly bizarre scandals, we add North Carolina's crazy insurrectionist representative Madison Cawthon (Q - Batshit) to the ever growing list of People Who Somehow Got Elected. In a new edition of Conspiracy Corner, conspiracy theorists are taking over voting platforms and election committees, and in a not at all shocking twist, getting indicted for fraud! We're not at all shocked by this! And in a new I Need A Drink - we have to get to the bottom of a recent survey that finds that America has some of the smallest penises in the world! Sorry, ladies! Finally this week it's time for Stupidest State Round 2 Week 4! It's the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference finals! Kansas takes on Nebraska. One wins, the other goes home! We're live in Chicago for all the action as round 2 comes to a close!
Live musical guest: St. Paul & The Broken Bones

**Top 10 takes an unscheduled week off**

Edition #12-15: Abortion Contortion, What's Your Distortion? Edition (5/19/22)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216708484

Live from the Observatory OC in Santa Ana! It had to finally happen. Years of racist rhetoric being echoed on the Fox News echo chamber finally resulted in a mass shooting - and Fox's own Tucker Carlson is getting the blame for what happened at a Buffalo supermarket chain. And the Christian right finally gets what they've been after for 50 long years - Roe V Wade is about to be overturned and America will begin its' descent into sheer chaos. Or will it? And what makes you think they're going to stop after Roe V Wade? Oh they're not stopping there, I can tell you that! Meanwhile in Florida, Ron DeSantis and Josh Hawley escalate their feud against Disney because Disney was mean to DeSantis over his criminally dehumanizing "Don't Say Gay" bill. Elsewhere, the mad man of Infowars, Alex Jones, has a sad because nobody is buying the garbage being hawked at the Infowars Store. Womp womp! In our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit", we delve into some bizarre claims being made by Christian nationalist and Texas candidate Janet Porter (Q - Batshit), and seriously, where does the right wing keep finding these people? Speaking of which, we also add Missouri senator Josh Hawley (Q - Insurrectionist) to the ever-growing list of "People Who Somehow Got Elected". And in a new edition of Conspiracy Corner, by now you've probably heard about the national baby food shortage and there's plenty of finger pointing and blame gaming going around, but really conservatives have no one to blame but themselves here! And in a new I Need A Drink - actor James Cromwell and GOOP's Gwyneth Paltrow both had extremely bizarre protests this week, but really these are the hills they're choosing to die on? We definitely some very strong drinks for this one! Plus it's time for the Stupidest State 2022 Final Four! In the Layover League it's Nebraska vs Georgia, while in the Flyover League, Missouri takes on Tennessee! We're live at the home of the USC Trojans, the Galen Center in Los Angeles for all the action!
Live Musical Guest: Deftones

Edition #12-16: My Loudermilkshake Brings All The Boys To The Yard Edition (5/29/22)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216732724

Live from the Observatory OC in Santa Ana! Conservatives have their annual Gathering Of The Deplorables, otherwise known as CPAC, in... Hungary? Because they plan on going full fascist authoritarian and Viktor Orban is a good preview of where that party is headed. After a pair of horrifying mass shootings on opposite ends of the country and Tucker Carlson's toxic racist rhetoric being blamed for both of them, he's in full "move along, nothing to see here!" mode. In January 6th news, it might be confirmed all along that the Insurrection was an inside job after Congress subpoena's the phone records of Georgia's Rep. Barry Loudermilk (Q - Insurrectionist). Could Marjorie Greene be far behind? Meanwhile, it's no surprise that Tesla and Space X head honcho Elon Musk goes full MAGA after being caught being a member of the White Male Groper's Club. We're sensing a pattern here. Elsewhere, Trump turns the tables on Google after Truth Social turns out to be a colossal failure. But really it's just one more unnecessary platform in an already overcrowded marketplace. In our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit" - what's the Quiverfull Movement and why is it coming into focus now? Our resident pastor spills the beans on the bizarre Christian cult along with his take on the controversial Netflix documentary "Our Father". After winning the GOP nomination for PA-GOV and being a MAGA election denier, we profile Pennsylvania's Doug Mastriano (Q - Election Denier) in a new "This Fucking Guy". Plus in a new Conspiracy Corner, what's the MAGA / Q world's obsession with med beds? They may be the product of science fiction as seen in movies like Prometheus, Elysium, and Star Trek: Into Darkness, but they're not real! We also have a new People Are Dumb, because of course they are! Finally it's time for the Stupidest State 2022 Championship! After a wild upset, red hot Tennessee is looking to unseat fan favorite Georgia for the crown! One of these states will win the grand prize and we're live at the fabulous Kia Forum in Inglewood for all the festivities!
Live Musical Guest: Silk Sonic

Top 10 Conservative Idiots: Best Of Season 12 Edition (6/10/22)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216780922

Best Of With Some New Content! From Idiots #12-9, conservatives once again prove how much they hate diversity by going nuclear on Biden's SCOTUS pick Kentaji Brown Jackson, who might be one of the most qualified SCOTUS justices ever, and they utterly embarrass themselves in the process! From Idiots #12-1, that former president attempts to steal the election again and also totally screws up and embarrasses himself in the process, also proves there's no low he won't sink to. From Idiots #12-5, the Ontario government finally turns the tables on the "Freedom Convoy" that's been plaguing the city, and they quietly retreat with their tails tucked between their legs, and get nothing accomplished. From Idiots #12-3, we play a game of "Is It Racist" and compare statements from Whoopi Goldberg and Joe Rogan, and as we always say around here, if you have to ask, it's probably racist! From Idiots #12-6, our investigative journalism segment Top 10 Investigates takes a look at an absolutely bizarre drug scandal in the Los Angeles Angels baseball organization involving the tragic death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs, and the more you go down the wormhole on this, the weirder it gets! From Idiots #12-14, in our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit", our resident pastor takes a look at the very strange and warped world of Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q - Batshit) after she makes some bizarre claims about the Catholic church. From Idiots #12-8, our pop culture segment "Beating A Dead Horse" takes a look at the Fox News inspired fight between Ron DeSantis and Disneyworld over "woke" ideaology, and it's painfully obvious that Rupert Murdoch is pulling his strings here. From Idiots #12-12, we have maybe the best Conspiracy Corner segment we've ever done which takes a look at Tucker Carlson's twisted new documentary "The End Of Man", which is not the end of humanity but really just an infomercial designed to sell the bizarre service of "testicle tanning" to insecure males. We also have an unaired "I Need A Drink"! Why is the hedge fund company in charge of licensing Elvis memorabilia suddenly clamping down on licensing rights? Is it because of the new Elvis biopic or they just need some more scratch? Little column A, little column B. Finally from Idiots #12-11, relieve the excitement of Stupidest State 2022! In the Gun Nut Championship, Missouri stole the spotlight with their stunning upset of conference favorite Texas to take the lead!
Musical Guest: IDLES

Top 10 Conservative Idiots Special Report: The January 6th Live Telecast Edition
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216809714

Special Report! We take a break from our break to give you a special one edition, audience less entry filmed at our headquarters in Santa Ana, with a somewhat incomplete breakdown of the January 6th Congressional Committee's findings!

Top 10 Conservative Idiots Special Report Vol. 2: The Overturning Of Roe V. Wade Edition (7/7/22)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216899819

Special Report! We come to you live from our Santa Ana headquarters to bring you a special report on the Supreme Court overturning Roe V. Wade and the inevitable shit storm that it caused. We also profile the MAGA justice that made it happen, Clarence Thomas, and his new super far right stance that could destroy the country, in a new "This Fucking Guy".

Top 10 Best Of #22: Viewer Mailbag Edition
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216926150

Viewer Mailbag Best Of! We dip into the ol' Viewer Mailbag to answer your burning questions! From Idiots #3-6, republicans may or may not have dirt on Hunter Biden, but the real dirt is on Donald Trump Jr, and the results are possibly incriminating! From Idiots #3-25, we all know that Trump's love of fast food is contagious, but his extremely unhealthy and highly caloric McDonalds order certainly is the stuff of nightmares! From Idiots #9-4, our Top 10 Hot 10 edition probes why the United States has a massive prisoner problem, and it's mainly due to how problematic our police force is, thanks to reality television. From Idiots #6-16, we play a game of Is It Racist? (spoiler alert! Probably!) and there's different schools of thought on how the MLB uses "God Bless America" and we always say - if you have to ask, it's probably racist! From Idiots #5-15, our award winning Investigative segment Top 10 Investigates takes a look at a new and extremely controversial plastic surgery procedure that could possibly kill you in a piece called "Death By Butt Injection!". From Idiots #10-5, our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of the Top 10 in "Holy Shit" takes a look at the violent side of the Bible, and we think it may explain why the MAGA crowd is so violent! From Idiots #7-6, our pop culture segment "Beating A Dead Horse" takes a look at the efforts by both sides to weaponize the boycott. From Idiots #11-2, our segment Conspiracy Corner takes a look at an extremely poor attempt by conservatives to stick it to Google called the Freedom Phone and it's a spectacular fail. From idiots #12-14, our segment "I Need A Drink" takes a look at why the American male has suffered significant penis shrinkage. And yeah it's pretty cringy! Finally from Idiots #3-25, our original World Tour 2017 stopped in the land of hockey, curling, and hosers, the Great White North, Canada!
Musical Guest: Royal Blood

December 20, 2021

Holy Shit: The Sunday Sermons Episode 4: The Cult Of Kanye

My fair congregation! I hope y’all are doing well and I hope that you have a copy of our Good Book opened because we are going to explore followers of the good LAWRD JAYSUS and how far their beliefs can take them this week! And this is our year end special – Episode 4 and normally we would recap the year that was but we’ve been off for a bit, and that wasn’t because of COVID, that was because of a break in the supply chain. It’s one of those “shit happens” kind of deals. But anyway we’re bringing you episode 4 today. And this week we’re going to discuss one of our favorite topics – Kanye West (1), who for some reason now just goes by “YE”, and his Sunday Sermons. Only now to prove it, he’s gone totally batshit off the wall crazy and is a remote compound in the woods away from being a full blown cult leader! Meanwhile, over in the second slot, our old friend Joel Osteen (2) and his venerable Lakewood Church have a found money problem on their hands. And I’m neither shocked nor surprised that they would have $600,000 lining the walls of a bathroom in that place. I’m surprised there’s not more! But they might be rushing to hide it! And over in the third slot, there’s a megachurch in Texas (not surprisingly) hosting a Q Anon conference that’s a bizarre mix of religious personalities and batshit insane conspiracy theorists. And the ven diagram shows that these two groups overlap! And of course finally we will answer your prayers from the Holy Shit Hotline To Heaven! And we’re going to play some clips of some religious people saying crazy things, and maybe even predict the future! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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You know we live in strange times. And in these strange times there are those who you turn to for comfort. But this week, this isn’t about that. You know what this is about? This about the people who you shouldn’t be turning to in this time for comfort. I’m of course talking about Kanye West, Justin Bieber, and Marilyn Manson. But that said… is Kanye starting a cult? If there’s anyone in hip hop that could do it, it would be Kanye. Like most cult leaders, he’s charismatic and he’s got lots of money. The only thing he’s lacking is a remote compound in the middle of nowhere… oh wait, he has that too! But why would you court Marilyn Manson of all people? This is a truly insane development and it’s not what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now is it? But Marilyn Manson is a disgusting individual, and I know what the Good Book says. But that’s also why we don’t allow any mention of the Unholy Dark One, a man so disgusting, foul, and vile that his name not be said in my church! But that said, this is one of the stranger duos I’ve ever seen.

It was only a matter of time before Kanye West would bring back his celebrity-friendly Sunday Service. But many were left slack-jawed when the rapper decided to mark its return this past Sunday (on Halloween no less) by having Marilyn Manson at his side nodding along as Justin Bieber prayed over the service.

Already West, who recently changed his name to Ye, was widely bashed over the summer for choosing to align himself with Manson, real name Brian Warner, when he decided to collaborate with him for the song “Jail Pt. 2” on his latest album Donda. The shock rocker has been publicly accused by at least 15 women of sexual assault, sexual battery, emotional and physical abuse, torture, as well as other disturbing behavior.

The 52-year-old is also still under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Warner has denied all allegations of abuse and assault.

The controversy surrounding West choosing to prop up Warner and fellow rapper DaBaby, who was also featured on “Jail Pt. 2” shortly after his homophobic rant at a music festival, all but died down over the past few weeks, as West picked up press elsewhere for going on coffee dates with Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen and wearing bizarre prosthetic face masks.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/christians-divided-over-marilyn-mansons-appearance-at-kanye-wests-sunday-service

Now… could Kanye be the very devil that we’ve been preaching about? Well he certainly is the kind of undesirable hypocrite that the Good Book speaks of. And he’s courting some people who you probably shouldn’t be courting. So why did Kanye choose to court with Mr. Manson? Well like most people on the right, Kanye is railing against cancel culture and the “Me Too” movement. But why would you get DaBaby involved too? This is turning out to be quite the unholy trinity here, and that’s not what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now, is it?

Kanye West has defended his decision to perform alongside Marilyn Manson and DaBaby, while describing the Me Too movement as “power and politics”.

West – now legally known as Ye – took part in a lengthy, wide-ranging interview on the Drink Champs podcast yesterday (November 4).

At one point in the conversation, he spoke out on having courted controversy for recently working with Manson and DaBaby.

“All the Me Too… like, when I sit next to Marilyn Manson and DaBaby right after both of them got cancelled, for five songs, you know, it’s like they can’t cancel us all,” Ye explained.

“They’ll hit you with the accusations of somebody who you was with 10 years ago.”
https://www.nme.com/news/music/kanye-west-defends-performing-with-marilyn-manson-and-dababy-3088322

Yeah OK we get Kanye’s point that you can’t cancel music. But they’re not canceling music. These people all committed heinous crimes and they should all be punished for it, instead it seems like the opposite is happening. These people are abusers and criminals who should be shunned from society and instead they’re getting rewarded. Again our Good Book specifically states that JAYSUS would have hated these people if he were still alive today!

Kayne West has spoken out about why he’s joined forces with Marilyn Manson as of late. In a new interview, Kanye bemoaned cancel culture and various aspects of the #MeToo movement, adding that “they can’t cancel a song.”

After multiple allegations of sexual, mental and physical abuse were publicly made against Marilyn Manson earlier this year (the details of which you can see at the bottom of this post) the rock singer unexpectedly joined Kanye West onstage at an August listening party for Donda along with DaBaby.

Manson later prayed alongside Kanye West and Justin Bieber at a gospel gig, starting rumors that the Antichrist Superstar had converted to Christianity.

“All the #MeToo… like, when I sit next to DaBaby and Marilyn Manson … for five songs, you know, it’s like they can’t cancel a song,” West told Drink Champs. “They’ll hit you with the accusations or somebody who you was with 10 years ago. And also, there’s women who’ve been through very serious things, pulled in alleys against they will – that’s different than a hug, but it’s classified as the same thing. It’s power and politics. You know, power-hungry maniacs and just, control. This is Nineteen Eighty-Four mind control that we in. And mob mentality.” [via Consequence]

Read More: Kanye West Reveals Why He Joined Forces With Marilyn Manson | https://loudwire.com/kanye-west-reveals-why-joined-forces-marilyn-manson/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

Yeah no, that’s the very sort of gospel that we preach against here at the Holy Church Of The Top 10, ladies and gentlemen. Because while JAYSUS wants you to live long and prosper, much like the command of the Starship Enterprise, you should be wary of those people who preach in stadiums like Kanye. Oh wait, I forgot that he just wants to be called “YE” now. But once again, if you’re on trial for something, you probably shouldn’t talk about that thing that you’re on trial for.

It would appear that Kanye West's efforts to win back Kim Kardashian have fallen short – considering she's going on breakfast dates with Pete Davidson in Beverly Hills, and he's on the other side of town taking a makeup-free Marilyn Manson out to dinner.

Two separate eyewitnesses saw the 44-year-old rapper and 52-year-old shock rocker at Bestia in Downtown Los Angeles Sunday night, eating and conversing.

One tipster told Deuxmoi that Manson attended the outing "sans makeup" and that "Ye had the ribeye." Another added that the Yeezy designer was overheard "talking about how all these hot girls still text him."

It's unclear what else the two may have discussed over the course of their meal, but West apparently made sure to "immediately put on headphones when he got up to leave."
https://radaronline.com/p/kanye-west-dinner-marilyn-manson-no-makeup-hot-girls/

No it isn’t! it is the symbol of the Unholy Dark One! That said, we’ll keep an eye on this and it’s only a matter of time before Kanye moves his services to his compound in Wyoming and declares war on the government.

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[font size="8"]Holy Shit: Lakewood Church Found Money
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You know this is our next to last sermon of the year. We hope that you have a very happy holiday, whatever holiday that is you happen to be worshipping. So that said, we decided that we were going to have some fun with this week because there’s a lot of dark shit out there. Though one church has a bit of a money laundering problem on its’ hands. Of course you probably already know the church in question. That’s right, our old buddy Joel Osteen and his Lakewood Church that’s in a giant stadium in Houston, Texas. Yes, Joel Osteen – the pastor that has more money than his entire congregation combined, drives multiple Ferraris and Lamborghinis, and owns a mansion that practically has its’ own zip code. Now see, the GOOD LAWRD wants you to be rich, and wealth is a sign of prosperity, is it not? But there’s wealth and then there’s “fuck you” wealth. Joel Osteen is someone who has “fuck you wealth”. With tax exempt status on top of that! But that said, with this little find of $600,000, Mr. Osteen’s got some ‘splainin to do!

A plumber doing repair work last month at televangelist Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas discovered a reported $600k in cash and checks stuffed in envelopes. The funds are believed to be part of a 2014 robbery at the venue.

The plumber revealed his story Thursday to Houston radio station KILT-FM, according to a report from the city’s KPRC-TV. The caller claimed to have found hundreds of envelopes of cash and checks hidden in a wall inside the church, where he was repairing a loose toilet.

Police were called to the scene on Nov. 10. according to a statement from the Houston Police Department.

“Church members stated that during a renovation project, a large amount of money — including cash, checks and money orders — was found inside a wall,” the statement said.
https://deadline.com/2021/12/joel-osteen-plumber-lakewood-church-discovers-600k-behind-toilet-1234884951/

Yeah these are the kind of preachers who do not say for the LAWRD, their god is the almighty dollar, though they really don’t care about prosperity either. They only care about greed. And it’s no surprise that Pastor Osteen is hiding money in the walls of his church. But that said, Osteen’s got some ‘splainin to do because this isn’t just found money – it could also be the evidence of a crime. Or is it money laundering? We wouldn’t put anything past anybody here and we do not want to assume guilt either, though he’s probably guilty.

For more than seven years, no one has known what happened to $600,000 in checks and cash that was stolen from a safe at Pastor Joel Osteen's Houston megachurch, which has one of the largest congregations in the country.

Now, there's a possible plot twist in the case: The money might never have left the church and a plumber could have helped solve the mystery.

Houston police are investigating whether cash and checks discovered by a plumber during repair work that was being done at Lakewood Church is connected to the money that was stolen in 2014.

The revived investigation comes after a plumber on Thursday called "The Morning Bullpen with George, Mo & Erik on 100.3 The Bull" during a segment on the Houston radio station in which people were asked to talk about the most unusual things of value they had ever found.
https://www.wxii12.com/article/texas-plumber-find-megachurch-theft/38427194

Yes and that devil is the one who has all the money in the world! And by the way if you want to know what “fuck you” money looks like in the world of the televangelist, I will say that I have lived like a televangelist (see: Idiots #7-1 ). It’s a pretty sweet life but it does come at a cost, and the cost is that those people will hate you. So that said, we don’t live like televangelists here at the Holy Church Of The Top 10. So really, Joel Osteen has gains, but most of them are of the ill-gotten variety.

The Bible says it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven, but one celebrity pastor does not seem terribly concerned with the warning.

Joel Osteen, one of the wealthiest and most popular preachers in the US, has come under fire after evidence of his luxurious lifestyle was made public on social media.

Mr Osteen, who leads the Lakewood Church in Houston - one of the enormous congregations that are dubbed "megachurches" - was criticised after it was revealed the pastor owns a Ferrari sportscar that costs more than $300,000 dollars.

Users on Twitter lambasted the pastor, arguing his ownership of a Ferarri is a good argument for the government taxing churches.

"Ferrari is trending. That means either someone won a race or Joel Osteen took some of the money Jesus told him to give to the poor and went on another shopping spree," one user said.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/joel-osteen-preacher-luxury-lifestyle-b1888237.html

These people don’t feel anything bad, Reverend. In one breath they say that JAYSUS gave to the poor then in the other breath they buy hundred million dollar estates and have a small army of luxury sports cars that the average person could not afford. That is not how GAWD wants us to live, that is most certainly an atrocity! I do realize I’m contradicting myself, but the real HOLY BIBLE is full of contradictions, is it not? Surely they could spare some cash for found money, couldn’t they?

The plumber who found a large sum of money hidden inside the wall of a Houston megachurch said he should get a reward.

The man, who wants to remain anonymous, found hundreds of envelopes of cash and checks that could be connected to a 2014 theft at the church.

“I didn’t solve their case, but I solved very key important clues as to what could or may have happened there,” said the plumber who found the stash at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church.

Houston police said the discovery could be linked to the 2014 case, in which someone stole $600,000 from the church.

At the time of the theft, Crime Stoppers offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. No arrests have so far been made in the 2014 case.
https://www.wave3.com/2021/12/05/plumber-who-found-money-wall-joel-osteens-houston-church-says-he-deserves-reward/

Yeah so the guy who found money gets pennies on the dollar while the man who has more money than GOD, JAYSUS and his entire congregation combined gets to live that swanky billionaire lifestyle! Aint the system great? Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]Q Anon Goes To Church
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This week I am just absolutely ashamed and appalled by my brothers and sisters on the right. For they have betrayed us once again by siding with the Unholy, Ungodly Dark One. A man who of course is so foul, vile, evil and rotten that his name dare not be spoken in my church! Then again this is the same group of people who think that a real president, JFK, is going to come down and announce mass arrests of all of the Deep State operatives that prevented the Dark One from winning his last election. So why are churches allowed to get away with preaching this foul hatred? Because it is not what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now, is it? Well let’s take a good look at what the Q Cult is up to in this latest round of pure insanity.

A high-profile conservative conference is coming to Frisco this weekend.

The ReAwaken America tour mixes conservative politics, controversial anti-vaccine discussions and conspiracy theories with Christian worship, hymnals and fellowship with like-minded Republican supporters, The Washington Post reported last month.

The event, hosted by business consulting company ThriveTime Show, will bring nearly 90 big-name conservative speakers to Elevate Life Church, including Eric Trump, former national security adviser Michael Flynn, Alex Jones of Infowars, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Trump adviser Roger Stone and attorney Sidney Powell.

Nearly all of the 3,500 tickets for the three-day event, which began Thursday, have been sold, according to the website for the event.

Last month, the ReAwaken America tour gained national attention after an event at Cornerstone Church in San Antonio. Videos circulated of eventgoers chanting “Let’s go, Brandon” — a euphemism for swearing at President Joe Biden — and Flynn urged the U.S. to “embrace one religion.” My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell and anti-vaccine advocate Sherri Tenpenny also spoke.
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2021/12/09/reawaken-america-brings-big-name-conservatives-to-frisco-eric-trump-michael-flynn-alex-jones/

Yeah and it pretty much is! Unfortunately you think this would be all the event was, but it was quite the shit show everyone predicted it would be! Of course that’s what happens when you support the unholy, ungodly Dark One! He is not a man of light or moral judgement. In fact I’m pretty sure that he doesn’t know what these things mean, or that he’s ever set foot in a church. Yet his flock thinks of him as a GAWD! But this might be my favorite part of the whole embarrassing scene – they couldn’t remember the lyrics to the national anthem! That’s right the most patriotic among us couldn’t remember the words to their own national anthem!

The niece of disgraced former general Michael Flynn appeared to forget the words to the national anthem while singing at a QAnon-friendly conference in Frisco, Texas.

Video of the event showed Julia Flynn take to the stage at the Elevate Life Church to perform "The Star-Spangled Banner" to a crowd of thousands on December 10.

But, as Julia Flynn worked her way through the national anthem it appeared as if she forgot the lyrics.

She appeared to sing "came through, through the night," when the lyrics are "gave proof through the night that our flag was still there."

The apparent error was also noted by others, who went on to share their thoughts on social media..
https://www.newsweek.com/michael-flynns-niece-forgets-words-national-anthem-qanon-friendly-conference-1658652

Yeah that’s about what it is like. And in case you’re wondering what the ultimate goal of ReAwaken America is, well, this entire conference has a ridiculous Nazi vibe to it. Forget about the south rising again, we need to worry about the Nazi party rising again! And their plan for “one religion” under America should terrify the living shit out of you. If it doesn’t then you sure as shit are not paying attention to the EVILS they are prescribing!

This past weekend, infamous FBI fibber Michael Flynn stood on a stage at Cornerstone Church in San Antonio and spoke his truth: “If we are going to have one nation under God, which we must, we have to have one religion. One nation under God, and one religion under God.” Christian nationalist mic drop. He’d finally said the quiet part out loud.

Which, to be fair, was maybe not even the craziest thing that happened at Cornerstone last weekend as it hosted podcast host Clay Clark’s “Reawaken America Tour” — a shitshow so very spectacular that Cornerstone, the church of famed end times Christian Zionist John Hagee, had to release a face-saving statement saying that maybe, just maybe, things had gone a little too far even for them (“Cornerstone Church is not associated with this organization and does not endorse their views.”) There was a woman wearing a Jewish-themed prayer shawl and blowing on a ram’s horn, because, as she explained it, “Demons tremble at the sound of the shofar.” There was My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell and disgraced political operative Roger Stone on hand to provide the event with a legitimate dose of illegitimacy. There was Alex Jones growling at attendees that “the devil’s reign on this planet is coming to an end” and that Bill Gates and Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama know that “they chose SATAN! AND THEY! ARE GOING! TO FAIL!” There were rousing rounds of the oddly-devised anti-Biden chant “Let’s go, Brandon” and worship music provided by Sean Feucht, graciously in attendance thanks to his failed run for California’s state legislature. There was also, presumably, nary a vaccinated person in the house.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/michael-flynn-cornerstone-church-christian-theocracy-1260606/

Which only further cements the fact that they have absolutely no original ideas of their own. But this event was so toxic – that even for a church as toxic as John Hagee’s, that is pretty damn toxic! But I guess that they want to hang on to their 503(c) status don’t they? I mean if I was a church I wouldn’t have even had this event in the first place! But then again as many times as I have said on this program, the Dark One and his minions do not want what is best for America!

San Antonio's Cornerstone Church made headlines over the weekend for hosting a far-right political rally at which former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn called for the United States to adopt "one religion."

Other news organizations, including the Express-News, latched onto viral video of attendees chanting "Let's go, Brandon" — a cuss word-averse stand-in for "Fuck Joe Biden" — from the pews during the three-day gathering.

Indeed, the speaker list for the Reawaken America Tour proved newsworthy in itself. In addition to Flynn, they included Trump loyalist and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, InfoWars founder Alex Jones and anti-vaccine zealot Sherri Tenpenny. Organized by Oklahoma business coach Clay Clark, the multi-city tour provided a platform for 2020 election deniers, anti-vaxxers and other religious-right conspiracists.

Amid the event's fallout, Cornerstone — led by the controversial father-son evangelical team of John and Matt Hagee — issued a statement distancing itself from the Reawaken America Tour.

"This past week, Cornerstone Church facilities were used by an outside organization. Cornerstone Church is not associated with this organization and does not endorse their views," said the statement the nondenominational congregation shared with multiple news outlets.
https://www.sacurrent.com/sanantonio/cornerstone-church-said-it-does-not-endorse-far-right-rally-it-hosted-yet-its-pastor-spoke-from-the-stage/Content?oid=27588693

Well there you have it even the church leaders are hypocrites themselves! I mean come on, even JAYSUS would hate them! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]The Holy Shit Hotline To Heaven
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My fair congregation! We are almost at the end of the year and we of course are bringing you at the end of every episode our free floating segment where we answer your prayers from the Holy Shit Prayer line, which can be found on our Twitter feed at @churchoftop10 or you can e-mail us at holychurchoftop10@gmail.com. Don’t be shy! We welcome all prayers, questions, comments, and of course hate mail. Yes, even the haters are welcome at the Holy Church Of The Top 10! So of course naturally we will answer your prayers with anything that is on your mind, something to deal with current events, or anything that the religious right happens to be talking about this week, because they say a lot of ridiculously crazy shit. And they’re only getting crazier by the day. So let’s see what they have in store this week!

Ricardo G. from Ocean Beach, CA writes:

Heavenly father, when my religious friends say that they are not going to “comply”, what exactly do they mean?

Well brother Ricardo, they mean that they’re going to claim that today it’s mask mandates, tomorrow we’re going directly to the concentration camps of Nazi Germany! Wow, talk about something that escalated quickly!

Radical right-wing pastor Tony Spell appeared on “The Pete Santilli Show” Thursday, where he likened requiring schoolchildren to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to the Holocaust.

Spell, who has been locked in battle with authorities in Louisiana for more than a year over his steadfast refusal to abide by any of the state’s stay-at-home orders, mask mandates, and other public health restrictions, declared that Americans must “resist” and refuse to comply with efforts to limit the spread of the virus.

“Imagine telling a child, ‘Put this mask on to sit in your class, take it off or pull it down to sip or put something in your mouth, and put it back up,'” Spell said. “Why? Well, because the government says so.”

“Put this Star of David on your arm, and go to the Warsaw Ghetto. But why? Because the government said so,” he continued. “Get in this cattle car and go to six concentration camps, strip off your clothes, naked, hand you a bar of soap like you’re going to take a shower. Why? Because the government says so. And then they drop Zyklon B, and 6 million Jews are murdered in Hitler’s concentration camp, and 50 million civilians are killed under the crooked cross of the swastika. Why? Because a madman said so.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/do-not-comply-tony-spell-sees-a-direct-line-from-mask-mandates-to-concentration-camps/

Yes that indeed escalated very quickly! Next on the Hotline to Heaven we have:

Lucille O. from Milwaukee, WI writes:

Heavenly Father,

I have relatives who are unfortunately on the MAGA side of politics that I must buy Christmas presents for. What do I get them?

Well, sister Lucille! There’s no shortage of completely ridiculous gifts that you can get your MAGA relatives, here’s a few selections!

As the Fox News Christmas tree was lit aflame in New York City, reportedly by a troubled homeless man, the network and right-wing media sprang into action. “Torching Christmas trees,” Tucker Carlson said, “is an attack on Christianity.” To Fox and its friends in the religious right, it was just the latest skirmish in the never-ending “War on Christmas” supposedly being waged by leftist secularists against their Christian nation. Of course, to the broader right-wing movement, it was also a sign of how the country has descended into chaos without a White House occupied by former President Donald Trump, who we all know “saved Christmas.”

So, while all those on the left may be granted coal this holiday season, what may good conservatives be unwrapping under their Christmas trees (that is, assuming they still stand)? We’re glad you asked. Right Wing Watch’s 2021 annual gift guide for the holiday season is here.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like…

Looking for some holiday cheer this season? You can order a “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Let’s Go Brandon!” T-shirt for person in your life who really wants to say “Fuck Joe Biden” but realizes there are kids around. Sold on Donald Trump Jr.’s website, it’s a good reminder that while the holiday season might be about giving and thanks, it’s also about sticking it to the liberal in your family.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/its-beginning-to-look-a-lot-like-lets-go-brandon-the-2021-right-wing-watch-holiday-gift-guide/

That’s MAGA Santa for you! Our next prayer comes from Harry H. from Brooklyn, New York:

“Heavenly Father,

Why are our anti-vaxxers seem so intent on taking themselves out? I know many who are practically dying for the cause.

Well that’s a tricky subject, Brother Harry, given the extreme rhetoric coming from our right-wing religious zealots, it might be no surprise that’s where they are headed. We might see some insane things happen to population numbers in the coming months. These people are not what the good LAWRD JAYSUS had in mind! Nothing can ever be naturally occurring, it must be a conspiracy!

Jordan Y. from Miami, FL writes:

“Heavenly father,

Why do people insist on calling themselves prophets?”

Well, Sister Jordan, there are plenty of reasons why – and none of them are really Biblically correct. I mean… imagine the balls that it takes to call yourself a prophet. And we may have to do a deep dive on this subject in a future sermon. But really, these so-called “prophets” and those who take the name of the LAWRD JAYSUS in vein can go fuck themselves with a rusty spoon!

Thanks for that, discount Ozzy Osbourne. Our final prayer this week comes from Kevin J. from North Hollywood, California:

Heavenly father,
Why can’t I go to a church without it being like some sort of MAGA campaign event? And why is it that these things are becoming like rock concerts?

Well there’s no logical explanation for that. But if you see some of these events popping up in your town, run the other way! They do not have the best interests of America, or their religion, at hand!

Right-wing conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec wants you to hang out with him at Turning Point USA’s “America Fest,” billed as the “biggest event in the conservative movement” in Phoenix, Arizona, Dec 18-21. At least that’s what he says on Twitter, where he offers a promo code for the event and insists it “makes a great Christmas present.” Joining him will be TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk, Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, and Donald Trump Jr.

The event brings together right-wing Congress members, Christian nationalists, conspiracy theorists, and even right-wing activist athletes. A flashy promo video shows young conservatives dancing at what looks like a concert—and indeed, the event promises full concerts from a handful of younger country music stars, “God Bless the USA” singer Lee Greenwood, and Dee Jay Silver.

While the promotion makes the event look more like a party, Turning Point USA is an organization that trains and mobilizes right-wing college students. This summer, that mobilization focused on targeting public school boards for allowing schools to teach about racism in U.S. history and implementing LGBTQ-inclusive policies. The group has raised tens of millions of dollars, peddled disinformation about President Joe Biden’s win in 2020, and stoked fears about COVID-19 vaccines. The Associated Press writes that Kirk, who has called George Floyd a “scumbag,” “exploits the racial divide to reach Gen Z.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/turning-point-usas-america-fest-aims-to-reach-gen-z-with-christian-nationalists-conspiracy-theorists-and-country/

Thank you my fair congregation! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! Because of our unfortunate break in the schedule, Episode 5 will air on January 30th! We will see you then!

Credits

Host: Pastor Initech
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December 16, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #11-17: 2021 Year In Review Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #11-17: 2021 Year In Review Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Hey everyone we made it! This edition marks the end of our Top 10 season which it seemed like an eternity and was very long and we had a lot of bumps reintegrating into society after being stuck at home and then in front of a blank void in the back room of a Burbank comedy club for what seemed like years. But that said I want to let you know that we will be coming back strong in 2022 and we have a lot of fun things planned leading up to the mid-terms. We’re also going to revive the World Tour for the latter half of 2022 after our Stupidest State contest. The last time we had a World Tour was in 2017 and things have changed a hell of a lot since then. So we thought it would be fun to revisit some of those countries. Look, in the 5 years that we’ve been doing this thing, the world has changed a lot. And in the last two months we literally experienced the end of the world as we knew it. And I feel fine. Apologies to REM for that joke. But we did make it through the nightmare year that was 2020 and we’re coming out of 2021 stronger than ever. 2022 is going to be a great year, I can feel it. Of course anything can happen like we get more right wing trolls elected to Congress and they proceed to bomb California because, reasons. Or Donald Trump could get elected to Congress and declare himself speaker and impeach Biden and Harris. Oh wait, that’s not happening. Or JFK Jr could rise from the dead… oh wait, that’s not happening either. Regardless I don’t want this to be a doomsday monologue here. But we do want you to know that we’re coming back next year and it’s going to be great, much more than 2020 and the first half of 2021. Enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to, but first Stephen Colbert is back and he delves into the XXX-Mas!

So where do we begin for our 2021 Year In Review? This is it folks, the final top 10 of 2021 and our annual look back at the year that was 2021! And since this is our year end special and we haven’t been able to do the Wheel Of Corruption lately, we’re going to bring you some of our favorite Clips Without Context! In the number one slot this week is January – February (1) which saw Trump’s horribly pathetic and misguided attempt to take over the US government and stop Joe Biden from becoming president – which he did. The number 2 slot this week is March – April (2) which was the distribution of the long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine and the reemergence of humanity after nearly 12 months of lockdowns. In the third slot this week was May – June (3) and when you emerged from lockdowns, you probably had plans to get back to some kind of normalcy that you had two years ago, right? I know I did! In the fourth slot this week was July – August (4), where those plans to get back to normal were quickly squashed by the Delta Variant of COVID-19 which meant we quickly went back to what we had in 2020. In the number 5 slot this week is September – October (5) where humanity is mostly back to normal. In the number 6 slot is November – December (6) which were defined by an insane alt right meme which is code for cursing obscenities at President Biden – “Let’s Go Brandon”! Plus a new COVID variant and a bizarre shooting in Michigan! At #7 this week it’s of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” and this week we’re going to examine the Re-Awaken America tour which is coming to a megachurch near you! And it’s a melting pot of douchebags and conspiracy theorists. In the number 8 slot this week we have a new edition of “I Need A Drink” because we *HAVE* to talk about the Peloton beef with the HBO show Sex & The City, and I’m going to need more than a few drinks to talk about this one! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week we have a new People Are Dumb and this week it’s our favorite as we recap our favorite People Are Dumb stories of 2021! Finally this week in our ongoing series Red State Diaries, what’s up with people putting pictures of guns in their annual Christmas cards? This is a very alarming and disturbing trend! Plus as the closer, our good friends Rise Against are back with their excellent new album “Nowhere Generation”! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]January – February: The Insurrection & Inauguration
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Clip without context time!

Uh.... pretty sure these are the people who you don't want taking over. They are not here for good. Moving on...

So the year 2021 starts off innocently enough. We did it! We kicked Trump and his doomsday cult to the curb. But that hasn’t stopped Trump (who we have been referring to as “That Former Guy”) from shit talking the election results and saying that they’re phony on his favorite medium – the tweet. Now comes January 6th. And we all knew that something was going to happen that day because it’s the day that Congress meets to officially certify the results of the election and hand the election to Joe Biden, who is going to become our 45th president. I could literally spend all day talking about the events but I do not have that kind of time! Hell, we here at the Top 10 home offices in Santa Ana, California, at the time were formulating a special edition of the Top 10 to give the Trump administration the proper “fuck you” that they very much deserved from us. But then January 6th happened, and we decided that wasn’t worth doing. The sad thing is that we may never know how many people were involved and what the real plans of that day were. They could have murdered half of Congress and Mike Pence, who knows? But one thing said the MAGA in chief is in a whole mess of trouble for this thing. And while his Coup De Stupid didn’t work out the first time, what’s to stop him from trying again?

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

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

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

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

Oh people! Stop your rabbling! But that said, their plans backfired on them spectacularly, mainly thanks to the Capitol Police, who they beat to death with their own flags during the insurrection. Yeah that is something that actually happened, along with all the other batshit crazy things that have happened because of Donald Trump. but now Joe Biden is officially our 46th president and we couldn’t have been happier. As we said in the Anniversary Special – Ding dong the witch is dead! But that said Biden wasted no time undoing a lot of the damage that Trump did in his first two weeks in office.

Biden walked into the White House with the gift of low expectations. His supporters were praying that he would be a strong leader, but when pressed for examples to buttress their faith, they often came up short. But it turned out that being a sleeper had its advantages — especially following the chaotic presidency of a narcissistic showman like Trump.

Two weeks into the job, Biden’s performance has surprised Republicans and Democrats alike. His policy moves have been quick and deliberate. His political touch has been light and deft. Every day, the White House rolls out a new policy initiative, presidential appointment or string of executive orders. By doing the ordinary tasks of government competently, Biden manages to seem unusual. It feels like the reinvention of what used to be known as “regular order.”

Biden’s most nimble maneuver has been to ignore Trump and the political mania he brought to every interaction. He doesn’t talk about his predecessor; he won’t take a position on whether Trump should be convicted in the Senate impeachment trial. Rather than being miffed about Trump’s decision to skip the inauguration, he said it was “one of the few things we agree on.”

Biden’s initial two weeks have been one of the best-scripted political rollouts I can remember. Politicians often talk about messaging — contrived events such as Trump’s “infrastructure week” — but Biden’s team actually set a political agenda and hammered it home, day after day. It’s a startlingly simple set of priorities — get the country vaccinated; fix the economy — and though Biden’s deputies talk other policy initiatives, the centerline remains clear.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/bidens-surprisingly-successful-first-two-weeks/2021/02/02/e45f0d80-65a4-11eb-8c64-9595888caa15_story.html

But that said, since the election, as Mr. Smithers once put it – Trump has evolved from regular every day villainy into cartoonish super-villainy. Really he’s like the bad guy in cartoon shows that tries to wreak havoc while the main performer is on stage. So while Biden was doing his job as the *REAL* president on the United States, the former one was getting tried for impeachment and republicans were doing their best to sabotage the whole thing. So once again, the bad guys win, even if it’s just by a little bit.

A constellation of conservative groups that rallied behind former President Donald Trump during his first impeachment is sitting this one out, confident that the outcome is preordained.

The groups have gone quiet on social media, eschewing the pro-Trump tweets and calls for action that dominated their Twitter feeds last time Trump was approaching a Senate trial. Others said they are content to watch from the sidelines — opting to preserve their war chests for the 2022 midterm elections — or are still considering if and how they will get involved.

“We’re really more focused right now on a lot more of the Biden policies and executive orders,” said Peter Vicenzi, director of communications for FreedomWorks, which became an unofficial rapid response operation during Trump’s first impeachment in the fall of 2019.

During the impeachment trial in January 2020, the Tea Party Patriots did calls to action, urged supporters to call congressional offices, hosted conference calls to discuss messaging and talking points, and sent materials to voters. The group also sent 47 tweets condemning or criticizing the process. So far, this go around, it has only shared five impeachment-related tweets since the House impeached Trump again on Jan. 13, according to a POLITICO review.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/02/donald-trump-impeachment-trial-464826

Of course things are going well for your trial when you wind up firing your entire legal defense team, that’s always the sign of a sure winner! But now that the dust has settled from January 6th, the guy who owns a pillow business and a newly cemented Q Anon Congresswoman, Marjorie Taylor Greene, have been trying to convince people that the election was stolen. And it worked! But then again MAGA fans are very easily led off the cliff and can be convinced of everything and everything. And they’re going to keep the grift going all year long!

“Absolute Proof,” the so-called “documentary” about election fraud from My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, has been yanked by YouTube.

The two-hour film sees the avid Donald Trump supporter falsely claim that the former president won the 2020 presidential election, repeating a number of debunked election fraud claims in the process. The film was uploaded to multiple platforms, with several sites since YouTube removed it. YouTube said in a statement on Friday that all versions of the film would be taken down.

“Per our presidential election integrity policy, we remove content uploaded after the safe harbor deadline that advances false claims that widespread fraud, errors, or glitches changed the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election,” a rep for the company told Fast Company. “We removed this video and its reuploads in accordance with this policy.”

The video has also been flagged on Facebook and will have its distribution “reduced” after being rated false by fact-checkers. According to Vice, it has also been removed from Vimeo.

The conservative news network OAN inserted a lengthly disclaimer before airing “Absolute Proof” in an attempt to distance themselves from Lindell. Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic, two of the companies whose technology has been at the center of many of the election fraud claims, have both filed lawsuits targeting proponents of the false assertions in the film.
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/pillow-ceo-mike-lindell-election-202009712.html

But wait there’s more! In late February we were shocked and horrified about the coup in Myanmar where a new president just walked in and took over, and thought “there’s no way it could happen here, right?” Yes, right. Especially while you all were obsessed with micro trading stocks for companies like AMC and Blockbuster Video. And were obsessed with the Kyle Rittenhouse trial (see: Idiots #10-3 ). But don’t think that a coup couldn’t happen here because it damn well could, and it will happen in the middle of the night when you least expect it!

Myanmar's military defended its actions and enacted new restrictions on Monday, exactly one week after it seized control of the government and on the third consecutive day of anti-coup protests that have intensified across the country.

In his first televised address since the takeover, Min Aung Hlaing, a career military officer who is commander in chief of Myanmar's armed forces, repeated claims of fraud in November's election, and said the military will hold new elections and transfer power to the winner. He did not specify when those elections would take place, though the military had previously declared a year-long state of emergency.

The military has imposed a slew of restrictions on gatherings and activities in the country's largest cities of Yangon and Mandalay, effective Monday until further notice.

Those include an 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew, as well as a ban on motorized processions and gatherings of more than five people. They are effective on a township-by-township basis.

In his address, Min Aung Hlaing said an electoral commission did not properly investigate irregularities over voter lists or allow fair campaigning, according to the BBC, which notes that the commission did not find evidence to support claims of widespread fraud. He also promised that a reformed commission would oversee another election, and spoke of achieving a "true and disciplined democracy."
https://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965413876/myanmar-coup-military-defends-takeover-and-enacts-curfew-as-protests-intensify

And then of course at the end of February, something very sad happened. Rush Limbaugh died. Oh wait, did I say sad? I meant it’s about damn time! OK no, I don’t wish death on anyone. But I am very thankful that kids and future families won’t be torn apart by his hateful bullshit anymore. That said, Limbaugh did leave a legacy that ultimately cultivated in the shit show that was the 45th president of the United States, who will hopefully be forgotten in future generations. Or he might be worshipped as a god, who knows?

Rush Limbaugh, the relentlessly provocative voice of conservative America who dominated talk radio for more than three decades with shooting-gallery attacks on liberals, Democrats, feminists, environmentalists and other moving targets, died on Wednesday. He was 70.

His wife, Kathryn, announced the death at the beginning of Mr. Limbaugh’s radio show.

“I know that I am most certainly not the Limbaugh that you tuned in to listen to today,” she said before adding that Mr. Limbaugh had died of lung cancer that morning.

He had announced on his show last February that he had advanced lung cancer. A day later, President Donald J. Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, during the State of the Union address.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/17/business/media/rush-limbaugh-dead.html

That’s it for the winter! Still no verifiable cases of voter fraud and Trump is no longer president. Now it’s on to…

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[font size="8"]March & April: The Vaccine
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We first reported on the coronavirus in Idiots #8-4. Of course then we had no idea that it would completely shut down the planet and fundamentally alter society as we once knew it. That’s what happens with a new virus that nobody knows anything about. But after an entire year of waiting, we get… *cue Simpsons theme* The vaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacccciiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnneeeee! We don’t get just one, or even two highly effective vaccines that can stop this virus. We get 3! The first one comes from a fairly unknown company in Massachusetts called Moderna. A company that was later revealed to have an extremely high profile investor. You know her as… Dolly Parton! That’s right, the woman who gave us the song “Working 9 To 5” helped bring us the life-saving vaccine! The second vaccine comes from German pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, developed in conjunction with a company called BioNTech. The third comes from American medical giant Johnson & Johnson. You were probably excited to get the vaccine and were even comparing vaccine notes with your friends. Now that we could finally leave the house again and mingle with our friends and the public once more, what was in store?

The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines being deployed to fight the coronavirus pandemic are robustly effective in preventing infections in real-life conditions, according to a federal study released Monday that provides reassurance of protection for front-line workers in the United States.

In a study of about 4,000 health-care personnel, police, firefighters and other essential workers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the vaccines reduced the risk of infection by 80 percent after one shot. Protection increased to 90 percent following the second dose. The findings are consistent with clinical trial results and studies showing strong effectiveness in Israel and the United Kingdom, and in initial studies of health-care workers at the University of Texas and in southern California.

The CDC report is significant, experts said, because it analyzed how well the vaccines worked among a diverse group of front-line working-age adults whose jobs make them more likely to be exposed to the virus and to spread it. The workers came from eight locations in six states — Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas and Utah. They received vaccinations between mid-December, when the doses first became available, to mid-March, a 13-week period that included the deadly winter surge that was killing more than 3,000 people a day by January.

The study is also one of the first to estimate vaccine effectiveness among participants against infection — rather than just monitoring for symptomatic cases — including infections that did not result in symptoms, according to the CDC. Among 2,479 fully vaccinated people, just three had confirmed infections. Among 477 people who received one dose, eight infections were reported. By comparison, among 994 people who were not vaccinated, 161 developed infections. No deaths were reported.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/03/29/vaccine-effective-essential-workers-study/

Yay! After 12 long, incredibly nightmarish months of being locked in our house and being afraid of even our own friends and family while watching the death toll climb into the ½ million range, we can finally go outside again! Woohoo!! Of course being able to go outside of the house again definitely was not without its’ challenges. Now we can have weddings, parties, gatherings… even dare I say the return of sporting events, theatrical performances and concerts? Holy crap! Our long national nightmare is finally over! Of course if you book your wedding, you might want to be careful about where you book it, because you never know who might show up!

One of the biggest wedding-related fears many people have is the prospect of a drunk guest grabbing the mic and, through slurred words, asking everyone to take their seats so they can just “say a couple of words,” tripping over the bandleader’s foot in the process and yelling, “Hey, man, watch where you’re going!” and then launching into a rambling, incoherent speech about how they and the bride were supposed to be together before the groom came along and stole her. Presumably fewer, if any, have ever worried about a former president of the United States wandering into their reception and giving a toast that involves ranting about how the election was stolen from him, in addition to his incomprehensible thoughts on the situation at the border and how he was going to make a beautiful deal with the Iranian government. Until now!

Moving forward, people will likely have the possibility in the back of their heads that Donald Trump might approach the dance floor while everyone is eating their salads to complain about no longer being president—or at least the ones who choose to host their affairs at his Palm Beach resort will.

Yes, according to video footage, on Saturday night, Trump made his way into a wedding reception being held at Mar-a-Lago and gave a toast that was less about the happy couple than it was about the ways he’s been wronged recently and why Joe Biden is doing a shitty job.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/03/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-wedding-speech

That was of course from our infamous backwards edition that we did for April Fool’s. But there’s no fooling that Trump went from being the president to being a Z-grade party host in 2 months. That’s an incredibly fast drop off! But then we found out that another Q Anon congressperson – Florida Man Matt Gaetz, was involved in what might be the most jaw-droppingly stupid sex scandals of all time. I mean shockingly stupid.

Florida representative and MAGA firebrand Matt Gaetz found himself in the middle of a reputational, and possibly criminal, firestorm this week after the New York Times broke the news on Tuesday that the Justice Department is looking into whether he broke federal sex trafficking laws and had sexual encounters with a minor. The Times’ sources say that investigators are examining Gaetz’s relationship two years ago with someone who may have been 17 at the time. They are also determining whether he financially supported her, including paying for her to travel with him over state lines, in exchange for sex, which could amount to sex trafficking of a minor. Gaetz has categorically denied engaging in sexual relationships with minors or paying anyone for sex, and is instead claiming that the investigation is part of a ploy to extort $25 million from his family. Subsequent news reports have unearthed increasingly bizarre details about the scandal; Times reporters, for instance, reviewed records of suspicious transactions that Gaetz made through payment apps.

The Gaetz probe is reportedly part of a larger investigation into one of his political allies, former Seminole County, Florida, tax collector Joel Greenberg. Greenberg resigned last June after he was indicted on 14 federal charges, including sex trafficking of a 14-year-old. Greenberg was allegedly frequenting websites where users can meet people who are willing to have sex for gifts and other forms of ostensibly indirect financial support. According to the Times, Justice Department officials believe that Greenberg was having sex with these people and then introducing them to Gaetz for further sexual favors. Gaetz reportedly took ecstasy during some of these encounters, which occurred while he was in office in 2019 and 2020; the congressman notably criticized President Joe Biden’s son Hunter for drug use in 2019. Reporters also retrieved receipts of payments that Gaetz and Greenberg made via Cash App and Apple Cash to one of the women involved. This particular detail raised eyebrows on social media, mostly because it seems foolhardy for a high-profile politician to commit a crime using something as traceable as these two extremely popular payment apps.
https://slate.com/technology/2021/04/matt-gaetz-cash-app-history.html

That’s right – he paid for prostitutes using Cash App, a very easily traceable cell phone app for making online purchases. If you’re going to commit a crime, don’t use it! And I’m not going to get into his creepy obsession with Britney Spears yet. Oh yeah and close to home in Huntington Beach, white supremacists attempted a “White Lives Matter” rally which was a spectacular fail (see: Idiots #10-11 ). And also let’s not overlook the fact that our voting rights are under attack, and it’s being led by Georgia governor Brian Kemp, who got severely punished for it. Of course two GOP senators attempted to return the favor and it backfired on them spectacularly.

A trio of Republican lawmakers outlined legislation Tuesday aimed at ending Major League Baseball's antitrust exemption after the All-Star Game was moved out of Georgia in protest of that state's new voting restrictions.

The legislative push from the three conservative senators — Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah and Josh Hawley of Missouri — comes amid growing frustrations among Republicans over corporations and sports leagues embracing causes associated with progressives, such as protecting voting rights.

MLB relocated the Midsummer Classic from Truist Park, the Atlanta Braves home in Cobb County, Georgia, to Denver's Coors Field due to recently enacted voting limits signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican.

"This past month, we have seen the rise of the woke corporation. We have seen the rise of big business enforcing a woke standard," Cruz told reporters.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/sens-cruz-hawley-lee-seek-strip-major-league-baseball-anti-n1263930

So while the world was opening back up and we were still stuck in that blank blue void in the back room of a Burbank comedy club, conservatives were working to attempt to steal the election. And Officer Derek Chauvin, who you might remember from the George Floyd murder, was found guilty (see Idiots #10-12 ). On the MAGA front, MAGA fans attempted to say that Trump was going to be reinstated on March 4th and conservative snowflakes had their feelings hurt about Dr. Seuss and Mr. Potato Head (see: Idiots #10-6 ). But that didn’t stop them from attempting an election audit in Arizona being run by people who you wouldn’t trust to count to 10.

A successful ninja is unseen, unheard, stealthy.

By that standard, the firm Cyber Ninjas — which Arizona Republicans chose to audit the ballots cast in 2020 in the Phoenix area — fits the bill: Almost no one involved in election or politics in Florida, the state where the company is headquartered, seems to have heard of it or knows anything about it.

Nor do they know anything about Cyber Ninjas’ founder, Doug Logan, who registered his firm in the southwest Florida city of Sarasota in 2014, state records show.

“Doug Logan? Cyber Ninjas? No. I don’t know these guys. Never heard of them,” said Christian Ziegler, vice chair of the Republican Party of Florida and a resident of Sarasota, echoing a dozen top Florida Republicans and elections professionals interviewed by POLITICO.

The firm’s relative anonymity is a curious anomaly in Florida, one of the nation’s biggest battlegrounds, where top political players are typically familiar with companies that provide election services and technology.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/26/republicans-arizona-vote-audit-florida-484737

So that ends the spring. Trump *STILL* not reinstated. Capitol rioters are being arrested in droves. Now on to…

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[font size="8"]May and June: We can go outside again!
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Clip without context time!

Uh... Marjorie, do you know what a communist is? And I'm pretty sure that's not a characteristic of being a communist. Moving on...

Yay!!! It’s been two months! Pfizer and Moderna finally have the data they need to prove the efficacy of the vaccine! We can go outside again! That said, the rules for going outside have changed drastically since the last time we went outside freely. So while that was happening, Joe Biden had managed to successfully complete his first 100 days and things were going great, at least for the half that believes him, the half that listens to the guy who used to be president on the other hand, and the other half believes that there’s an elite ring of underground pedophiles that controls the planet. Yeah I do realize that’s 3/2 there. But probably the best news came out in early May as a result of what happened at the Capitol. Of course Trump got his ass handed to him by the “Big Tech” companies that he claims to despise (mainly because he has to play by their terms of service agreement). But that said that Generalissimo Francisco Trump… is still banned from nearly all major social media sites.

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

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

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

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

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Meanwhile, Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Greene (Q – Batshit) went on their Nazi tour, and my favorite thing was their stop in Huntington Beach, CA which got denied by multiple venues and they eventually went and protested outside a hotel in Riverside (see: Idiots #10-15 ) . Ha ha ha ha ha. But then an Idiot favorite went and got himself arrested on child pornography charges, and whew, this guy seems like a real winner. I’m of course talking about Josh Duggar of the show “19 Kids And Counting”, who will soon get… 19 years to life. Yeah, fuck child porn peddlers.

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

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

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

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

But then you know how every mob boss has a fixer in the movies? Well in the Trump mob, his fixer is Rudy Guiliani and he got raided by the Feds (see: Idiots #10-14 ) and Liz Cheney had an independent thought that went against the Q Anon Cult (see: Idiots #10-15 ). But in my home state of California, a movement was growing – mainly started by angry Trump fans who didn’t know why they were angry, or who they were angry at – to recall governor Gavin Newsom. And his replacement would be… Caitlyn Jenner? Yeah good luck getting the anti-trans crowd to vote for a trans woman. And of course this campaign was met with predictably disastrous results.

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

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

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

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

Hey look, if you have private jet hangar money and you’re wondering why you’re stepping over so many people to get to your private jet, you’re part of the problem! And we can’t leave May and June without mentioning how the Matt Gaetz sex scandal went predictably south for him when one of his biggest cronies – Joel Greenberg got arrested and had his ass handed to him in court (see: Idiots #10-16 ). But we can’t get out of this part of the year without a check-in of how the Arizona audit to find election fraud is going, and well, it’s exactly the shit show that everybody predicted it would be.

Karen Fann probably has some regrets. Fann, the Republican president of the Arizona Senate, advocated for an outside team of contractors to conduct an audit of the 2020 election in March. Since then, an army of auditors has searched for some crumb of voter fraud that would back the conspiracies that former President Donald Trump spread, quickly becoming a mortifying spectacle for the state and a wedge between the state's GOP elected officials.

I hate to say it, but I have to give Doug Logan props for what appears from the outside to be a truly successful con job. His Florida-based company, Cyber Ninjas, was granted a $150,000 contract to recount the 2.1 million ballots cast last year in the state's largest county. By snagging the deal, Logan positioned himself to pull in potentially millions in private donations from Trump supporters, many eager to see their man vindicated.

Logan also reportedly promoted election conspiracies himself, but whether he genuinely believed the lies or was signaling to fools he would soon part from their money, I can't really say. (Is there even really that much of a difference these days between the two in this corner of the GOP?)

Either way, Logan clearly knows how to pick 'em. A good con artist can spot a mark who will believe whatever tale he's prepared to tell on this particular day. But a great con artist, someone on the level of Trump — and, it seems, Logan — understands that the best marks are the ones who are sold before he even opens his mouth. And boy, did Arizona's Senate Republicans want to be conned here, desperate for evidence to support the lie that Trump won the election, at least in their state.
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/arizona-s-audit-2020-election-con-artist-s-dream-n1267985

That’s it for spring. Trump is still not the president again. Now on to…

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[font size="8"]July – August: The Delta Variant
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Well, just as predicted, our plans to go outside of our homes again very quickly got squashed. Why? The virus had mutated – as predicted and we all watched at home at the absolute horror show that was going on in India while thinking to ourselves “it can’t happen here!!” (cue Frank Zappa). The WHO had adopted the Greek Alphabet to identify new variants and we were already up to Delta, which was the next variant on the list. But now conservatives had found a new “miracle cure”. And another virus that we can’t seem to get rid of is our former president, Donald J. Trump. Who is still not accepting the fact that he lost the 2020 election and is very quickly becoming that cartoon character in the background who is committing mischief while the foreground character is performing on stage. So when he’s banned from using his favorite medium for life, what does he do? Start his own company and trust us when we say it will be hacked in a week.

Former President Donald Trump’s blog — a webpage where he shared statements after larger social media companies banned him from their platforms — has been permanently shut down, his spokesman said Wednesday.

The page “From the Desk of Donald J. Trump” has been scrubbed from Trump’s website after going live less than a month earlier.

It “will not be returning,” his senior aide Jason Miller told CNBC.

“It was just auxiliary to the broader efforts we have and are working on,” Miller said via email.

He declined to provide additional details about those efforts.

“Hoping to have more information on the broader efforts soon, but I do not have a precise awareness of timing,” Miller said.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/02/trump-blog-page-shuts-down-for-good.html?__source=sharebar

But then this might be one of the weirder stories of 2021. The obsession with Britney Spears and her conservatorship. Which if you’ve been following that story, Ms. Spears was in an abusive relationship with her conservator for several years now and was actively suing to get out of that relationship. It was an absolute clusterfuck. Now, that said, did we really need Matt Gaetz getting involved? Considering what he’s been brought up on charges for, it adds an entirely new level of creepy to this story (see: Idiots #11-2 ).

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

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

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

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

You know, Matt, here’s the thing – if you are being arrested on sex crimes, it would make you look less guilty if you didn’t lust after a woman who became famous for looking hot in a Catholic school girl uniform, I’m just saying. And speaking of being accused of something, let’s not forget that the people who participated in Trump’s act to murder half of Congress and his own sitting vice president in an effort to overturn the election he lost in a landslide, aka the Insurrection, was still happening and the January 6th commission had only just begun!

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

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

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

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

Yeah pretty much. Let’s not forget that another virus that constantly mutates is Fox News, and they were going all in on something called “Critical Race Theory” (see: Idiots #11-3 ), despite that its’ viewers could not tell you a single thing about what it actually is, though that’s kind of the point, and these idiots began harassing and threatening school board members over it. Again, couldn’t tell you what it is. And while that’s going on, Trump’s BFF and probably his running mate in 2024, creepy pillow guy Mike Lindell, had yet another batshit insane theory about the election. Which goes back to the old adage – “If you can’t beat ‘em, sue ‘em!”. And how well did that work out for ya?

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

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

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

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

That’s it for summer! Trump once again still not president even though he’s moved the goalposts back once again! Now it’s on to…

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[font size="8"]September – October: The California Recall & Anti-Vaxxer Madness
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Uh......................................... what the actual fuck???? That's all I have to say about that one. Moving on...

Well here we are in the fall. COVID is still here so that puts to rest any of the theories that it was made up to steal the election. But speaking of elections, we had a huge one in California. It wasn’t so much that it was huge as it was that it was a rather pathetic attempt at a conservative power grab aimed at overturning virus restrictions. But who would lead? Well while democrats had one candidate, the GOP had a whopping… 56. And it was a wide range of candidates – everything from retail clerks to porn stars to reality TV stars to actual lawyers and businesspeople. And the reports seemed grim at first because it did look like the MAGAs actually had a real chance of flipping California red. However you know who their candidate was? Larry Elder. That’s right – conservative radio host and far right MAGA sycophant Larry Elder. But they didn’t and instead got owned HARD. In what might be one of the most laughably one sided elections in California history, so, sorry MAGAs, maybe try running an actual candidate next time and then we’ll talk!

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday emphatically defeated a recall aimed at kicking him out of office early, a contest the Democrat framed as part of a national battle for his party’s values in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and continued threats from “Trumpism.”

Newsom bolted to a quick victory boosted by healthy turnout in the overwhelmingly Democratic state. He cast it as a win for his handling of the pandemic and liberal issues, and it ensures the nation’s most populous state will remain in Democratic control as a laboratory for progressive policies.

“‘No’ is not the only thing that was expressed tonight,” Newsom said. “I want to focus on what we said ‘yes’ to as a state: We said yes to science, we said yes to vaccines, we said yes to ending this pandemic.”

With an estimated two-thirds of ballots counted, “no” on the question of whether to recall Newsom was ahead by a 30-point margin. That lead was built on votes cast by mail and in advance of Tuesday’s in-person balloting, with a strong showing by Democrats. While likely to shrink somewhat in the days ahead as votes cast at polling places are counted, Newsom’s lead couldn’t be overcome.
https://apnews.com/article/california-recall-results-gavin-newsom-a590782877be099d44f1766b2d138394

OK so we dodged a colossal bullet there. Meanwhile the pandemic is STILL going on and it’s getting weird. So weird in fact that now that we’ve had effective vaccines for 6 months now, there’s people who are refusing to take it! And not only that, since their precious hydroxychloroquine failed to go anywhere (see: Idiots #9-7 ), wait until you see what they’re taking now! That’s right – when a malaria drug fails to be a “miracle cure” they have now resorted to taking ivermectin! And what does ivermectin do? It removes worms from the intestinal tract of horses. I can’t even. I’m seriously convinced that you could convince these idiots to take anything after this.

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

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

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

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

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

I still can’t believe that was an actual show by the way. And speaking of unbelievable things to come out of the pandemic, I have to talk for a minute about who might be one of the stupidest people on the planet and that’s Nicki Minaj. Yes, when I saw the news that she went full anti-vaxxer conspiracy theorist was one thing. But her having one of the most jaw-droppingly stupid stories to come out of the entire pandemic? That’s something else entirely! And man was this story something else or what? We need some AC/DC for this one!

Nicki Minaj faced public backlash after tweeting that a friend of her cousin developed swollen testicles and impotence after getting vaccinated against Covid-19.

In a series of tweets Monday, the 10-time Grammy-nominated rap artist told fans she would only get immunized once she did enough research and recommended that they wear masks and get the shots if they’re required to for work. Minaj skipped Monday’s Met Gala, which enforced a vaccine mandate, saying she was generally avoiding public events because she has a new baby at home.

Minaj said she was shooting a video and preparing for the Video Music Awards, which aired Sunday, when she caught Covid earlier this year and had to quarantine away from her infant son for a week.

Most people, however, seized on her comments about her cousin’s friend, which many people criticized as spreading false information.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/14/rap-artist-nicki-minaj-faces-backlash-after-tweeting-inaccurate-information-about-covid-vaccines.html

So that happened. Also things that happened in September – October – there was more news coming out about the Jan. 6th insurrection that was certifiably batshit insane (see: Idiots #11-11 ) and it was learned that AT&T may have played a part in the rise of far-right MAGA friendly network OAN (see: Idiots #11-12 ). And Texas passed some of the most draconian abortion laws in the entire country. But some of the real news concerning the insurrection happened when Congress finally nailed Steve Bannon, though he went AWOL and got subpoena’d for it (see: Idiots #11-13 ). But then Trump went and started his own social media network and look at how well that’s going for him!

Former President Donald Trump, a frequent critic of the media, plans to wade into the world of video streaming services and potentially web services and payment processing as well.

Trump, who was kicked off all his social media accounts in the wake of the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, has been teasing the launch of a Trump-approved social media platform for months. Last week, he announced the creation of the Truth Social platform, and on Tuesday he shared his plans to go beyond social media. The platform will operate under the Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), a company designed to "challenge the dominance" of big tech, according to Trump.

Calling Truth Social "only the beginning" of the group's plans, Trump said an on-demand video streaming service to compete with the "woke and politicized 'entertainment' programming created by Big Tech and Big Media players" is being launched. He added that the group also sees opportunities to create "cancel-proof" alternatives in web services and payment processing.

"It's a tremendously difficult set of challenges—and I realized I might be the only person in America with the megaphone, the resources, the experience, and the desire to make it all happen," Trump said in a statement Tuesday.
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-launch-video-streaming-service-compete-woke-politicized-programming-1642658

That’s it for the fall! And Trump is still not your president again! Now it’s on to…

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[font size="8"]November – December: Let’s Go Brandon
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And you really wonder how the average person fell for the Nazis and their final solution. Moving on...

We’re almost to the end of the year everybody! First off, I do want to brag for a minute that we here at the Top 10 celebrated our 5th anniversary and if you haven’t checked out our 5th anniversary special yet, what are you waiting for? You can do so here: Idiots #11-15. Well our plans to go outside again got squashed by yet another dangerous new variant of COVID – Omicron! And not only that it could be the dreaded vaccine-resisting variant that we all feared from the beginning. Or it may not be. So Joe Biden’s first year is going great but the MAGAs just aren’t having any of it, and they’re making the polls show. But they’ve started fighting back in the form of a bizarre new meme that swept through the MAGA world. What’s their catch phrase du jour? Well this meme started when Brandon Brown won the NASCAR Championship and well… some moron MAGAs were in the background chanting “F--- Joe Biden” and the reporter attempted to cover it up by saying “Let’s go Brandon”. Yeah so that happened!

Donald Trump Jr. has been revelling in the Washington Post newspaper issuing a correction about chants the crowd were making during one of his speeches in Georgia.

A Washington Post article that was published on October 23, entitled "Biden's critics hurl increasingly vulgar taunts," incorrectly said that the crowd was singing: "Let's go Brandon" instead of "F*** Joe Biden!" at a Trump Jr. speech in September.

At the rally, Trump Jr. took the stage after the crowd had been chanting "USA! USA!"

"There's a couple other chants I've been hearing going around," he said. "Have you heard the other one that's been going around?" The crowd then shouted of "F*** Joe Biden!"

A correction was issued at the bottom of the article. It read: "Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly said a crowd broke into a "Let's go Brandon" chant during a Donald Trump Jr. speech in Georgia. The crowd broke into a "F*** Joe Biden!" chant at that speech in September. The error, which was inserted by an editor, has been corrected."
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-jr-gets-washington-post-correction-over-lets-go-brandon-chant-1642139

Yeah so that happened! Then in the world of online, where trolls reign supreme on Facebook, and anti-vaxxers were killing themselves off by the thousands, which launched one of my new favorite forums in r/HermanCainAwards (named after Herman Cain who died after going to a Trump rally) and it’s completely insane. Worth checking out. So maybe in order to avoid international prosecution in a potential criminal trial for allowing anti-vaccine information to spread as fast as the virus, Mark Zuckerberg decided to rebrand Facebook and it’s now called “The Meta Corporation”! Yes because that’s what perfectly innocent companies do!

Facebook was rushed into the Meta rebrand to deflect press from whistleblower Frances Haugen's testimony that the social media giant disregarded user safety in the pursuit of profit, early Facebook investor Roger McNamee said.

“In the absence of Frances Haugen I don’t think there is a chance that Facebook would have done this rebranding or this emphasis on the Meta now,” McNamee said Wednesday at the Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal.

McNamee was referring to the recent rebrand of Facebook’s parent company to Meta, which CEO Mark Zuckerberg claims will encompass the work the tech giant has done in building out a VR-enabled “metaverse.” McNamee calls the timing of the announcement opportunistic and says it was something Facebook's leaders were forced into by Haugen's claims in “an attempt to change the subject."

"It did not work,” he added.

Roger McNamee was an early investor in Facebook and was played a key role in such decisions at Facebook as turning down Yahoo’s buyout offer for $1 billion dollars in 2006, as well as its hiring of Sheryl Sandberg in 2008. He invested $210 million in the firm in 2009, just two years before its IPO.
https://fortune.com/2021/11/03/facebook-rushed-meta-rebrand-roger-macnamee-nick-clegg-web-summit-mark-zuckerberg/

Yeah while that was going on, Joe Manchin was playing Joe Biden’s infrastructure much in the same way that Lucy plays football with Charlie Brown (see: Idiots #11-14. And Trump’s Truth Social is turning out to be a bust. Oh yeah and remember last year when that 17 year old kid crossed state lines with a loaded semi-automatic and shot two protestors on live television during the George Floyd riots? Well yeah we forgot to mention that little bit of news because the judge was a MAGA Trump fan and the kid got off scot-free! Ha ha ha ha ha… There’s no justice in this world!

No doubt, some people will express shock at the verdict over the next few days. But Rittenhouse’s freedom is not a “miscarriage” of justice—it is our white justice system working as intended. This system is designed to free people like Rittenhouse: white vigilantes who kill to maintain the best interests of whiteness. It doesn’t always work (I still believe the people who lynched Ahmaud Arbery will be found guilty). But it works often enough (see George Zimmerman) that it gives comfort and confidence to any white person who clearly realizes that they might do an obviously illegal and violent thing (like, say, storm the US Capitol) and either get away with it completely or receive a light punishment.

We know that the system does not work this way for Black people. It is difficult even to imagine a similar set of circumstances for a Black defendant. Nobody honestly thinks that a Black teenager who got an illegal gun and then crossed state lines to shoot up a MAGA protest would be greeted by a sympathetic Black judge, in front of a predominately Black jury; be lauded by prominent Black leaders; enjoy favorable media coverage; and then walk free. Nobody credible thinks that. In point of fact, here is the full and complete list of Black teenagers who have killed two people at a MAGA rally to defend their community: …

Rittenhouse, however, shot and killed two people at a protest against police violence with an illegally obtained gun, and even the illegal gun charge was dropped against him. And that is precisely how a majority of white people want the white justice system to work. By their votes in elections (including elections for judges like Bruce Schroeder); their lack of support for criminal justice reform; and the cold reality that prosecutors favor white jurors when the defendants are Black, while defense attorneys favor white jurors when the defendants are white, we see that a majority of white people choose things to be this way. They want a system that will be, if not sympathetic, at least empathetic toward eruptions of white violence, while swift and harsh toward Black people accused of crime. We don’t have to live with a biased criminal justice system; white people, enough of them, just like it that way.
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/kyle-rittenhouse-verdict/

So he gets treated like royalty among the MAGA world because he shot some people they don’t agree with and speaks their language. Ain’t the American justice system great? And let’s not forget the craziness that went on after another shooting that took place this time involving a 14 year old whose parents were at the school that day to talk about his absurd behavior (see: Idiots #11-16 ). Meanwhile in the Trump world, another bomb was dropped when it was revealed that he intentionally went on that debate stage knowing he was infected and Mark Meadows had some really revealing text messages about Fox News’ involvement in the coup. But we can’t ignore that conservatives are attempting to end abortion in the United States as we know it and they might actually succeed with the help of Former Guy’s SCOTUS justices. God help us if they do!

The Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, which challenges the constitutionality of the 2018 Mississippi law known as the “Gestational Age Act.” The legislation bans abortions after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy—five weeks earlier than the state’s typical abortion restriction—and directly challenges the ruling of Roe vs. Wade in which the Supreme Court ruled that abortion access should be available up until at least the 24-week point of viability, or longer if the pregnancy threatens a patient’s life or health.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a consistent supporter of reproductive rights, challenged Mississippi Solicitor General Scott Stewart late Wednesday morning about even taking up and overturning precedents that have been set by both Roe and the 1992 landmark Supreme Court case Casey vs. Planned Parenthood in which the court reaffirmed the 1973 Roe ruling. She then set her sights on just how damaging the present case could be to not just the court itself, but to the constitution and the country, as well.

“What hasn’t been at issue in the last 30 years is the line that Casey drew of viability. There has been some difference of opinion with respect to undue burden, but the right of a woman to choose, the right to control her own body, has been clearly set since Casey and never challenged. You want us to reject that line of viability and adopt something different. Fifteen justices over 50 years have, or, I should say, 30 since Casey, have reaffirmed that basic viability line. Four had said no, two of them members of this court, but 15 justices have said yes, of varying political backgrounds. Now, the sponsors of this bill, the house bill in Mississippi, said we’re doing it because we have new justices,” Sotomayor said.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/12/1/2060512/--How-will-we-survive-Sonia-Sotomayor-calls-out-threat-to-SCOTUS-in-Mississippi-abortion-law-case

We did it everybody! That’s 2021 in a nutshell!

[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Wow, that is some absolute next level stupid right there. The Constitution of the US has zero Bible verses and the founding fathers hated the idea of a religious theocracy running the US. Moving on...

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! This is our last Holy Shit of 2021. Now don’t be sad. Don’t forget that we still have Episode 4 of Holy Shit: The Sunday Sermons coming his Sunday! Shameless plug, I know. But that said, this week I am just absolutely ashamed and appalled by my brothers and sisters on the right. For they have betrayed us once again by siding with the Unholy, Ungodly Dark One. A man who of course is so foul, vile, evil and rotten that his name dare not be spoken in my church! Then again this is the same group of people who think that a real president, JFK, is going to come down and announce mass arrests of all of the Deep State operatives that prevented the Dark One from winning his last election. So why are churches allowed to get away with preaching this foul hatred? Because it is not what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now, is it? Well let’s take a good look at what the Q Cult is up to in this latest round of pure insanity.

Well there you have it even the church leaders are hypocrites themselves! I mean come on, even JAYSUS would hate them! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:

[font size="8"]I Need A Drink: Peloton Vs Sex & The City
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I bet she's fun to have at dinner parties! Moving on...

Hey everyone! It’s the last Top 10 of the year and I could really use a drink!

Of course you know by now that the purpose of this bit is that we have some drinks and while we’re drinking we talk about anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics or COVID. Because there’s a lot of really dark shit out there right now, so we take a lighter side at the news! Well I don’t have to tell you folks that this story surrounding the manufacturers of the Peloton exercise bicycles and the HBO program Sex & The City is the stuff of pure insanity and it’s not over by any means! So tell me bartender, what goes well with a story about Sex & The City? A cosmopolitan served in a British bowler hat? No thanks, I’ll just stick to my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. But anyway the beef between the makers of Peloton and the producers of Sex & The City started when a character on that HBO show had a heart attack while riding on a Peloton. Needless to say, that did start quite the panic in the Peloton organization.

Warning: If you’re planning to watch the Sex and the City revival, And Just Like That, avert your eyes for this intro — spoilers are incoming. Peloton probably wished everyone did just that.

Yes, the ubiquitous, expensive exercise bike featured in a major plotline in the first episode of the new series, which itself isn’t particularly shocking. The shock came when Carrie's husband, Mr. Big, died of a heart attack after he finished a 45-minute Peloton class on the company's Bike (with real instructor Jess King in a fictional role as… a Peloton instructor).

The plotline hit Peloton’s stock price over the weekend — something the company has seen over the last year as many folks head back to their gyms or perhaps, like me, just don’t want to stay in their homes to exercise anymore.

Peloton was also caught unawares — the company knew HBO would feature a Peloton in the episode and that King would portray an instructor, but "confidentiality reasons" prevented it from learning it would kill off a character.
https://news.yahoo.com/the-morning-after-pelotons-unfortunate-cameo-in-the-sex-and-the-city-reboot-121514275.html

Yeah so in case you’re wondering – yes, Peloton was aware that their products were going to be featured in the Sex & The City reboot but wasn’t aware that the machine would be used in killing off a major character on the show. And of course the company has had to do some serious damage control in the wake of this and it’s cost them. You know next time you might want to approve the script before you OK the use of your product in a major show like this! And if you’re an investor in Peloton, you should probably check your stock accounts.

Shares of Peloton, the fitness equipment company, fell 11.3% Thursday — tumbling to a 19-month low — after a key character in HBO Max’s “Sex and the City” revival, “And Just Like That,” was shown dying of a heart attack after a 45-minute workout on one of the company’s exercise bikes.

The stock continued its slide Friday, down more than 5% in midmorning trading.

According to Peloton, the company had approved the show’s use of the bike as well as the appearance of “Allegra,” a fictional instructor played by real-life Peloton cycling instructor Jess King. However, Peloton did not know that “And Just Like That,” which premiered Dec. 9, would show [SPOILER ALERT] Mr. Big, played by Chris Noth, collapsing and then dying after a Peloton workout. Mr. Big was the on-again-off-again love interest of protagonist Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker). “And just like that — Big died,” Carrie says in the scene.

In response, Peloton pointed to Mr. Big’s unhealthy lifestyle choices as the likely cause of his demise — rather than the fact that his death was precipitated by his use of the company’s exercise bike. Prior to hopping on the Peloton bike, Big is seen puffing on a cigar.
https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/peloton-stock-drops-just-characters-shocking-post-workout-death-rcna8420

So if you’re on the Peloton board of directors or you’re a Peloton shareholder, or you’re even a Peloton enthusiast, you’re probably fuming mad over this scene. So how does the company fire back after the death of Mr. Big sends your stocks plummeting? Well in true superhero fashion there’s only one man who can save the company, and that man so happens to be Ryan Reynolds. That’s right, Deadpool himself has to come in to rescue Peloton! So how does Peloton turn their situation around? Well you hire Ryan Reynolds to star in your own parody ad!

Peloton wants users to know its at-home fitness equipment can improve one’s physical health — not lead to health complications, which was implied in the reboot of “Sex and the City” on HBO Max.

The company put out a response on its Twitter account on Sunday to a plot in “Sex and the City” that sent shares of the company tumbling last week, piling onto a recent selloff. The stock is down about 75% year-to-date, and it hit a 52-week low of $37.67 on Friday.

In the widely shared “Sex and the City” scene,” one of the main characters of “And Just Like That...”, Mr. Big, died from a heart attack after taking a 45-minute Peloton class.

In Peloton’s parody commercial, Jess King — the Peloton instructor who was portrayed in the HBO show — sits down with Mr. Big, played by “Sex and the City” actor Chris Noth, after he gets up from a fall and asks him if he would like to take another class on the Bike.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/12/peloton-fires-back-at-its-portrayal-in-sex-and-the-city-reboot-with-own-parody-ad.html

So Peloton brings in Ryan Reynolds – a dude who I’m serious could literally sell anything – to save the company. So I guess that all is well then? Well it’s a temporary fix for sure – it won’t help reverse Peloton’s image that came crashing down with this episode, but it will help save a few shares from being sold off. But what’s the moral of the story here? If you’re going to allow your product to be featured in an episode of a major TV show with millions of viewers worldwide, you might want to consider reading the script first before approving!

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

Of course you know by now that people are people and people are dumb! And this is my favorite People Are Dumb of the year because we get to look back at our favorite People Are Dumb entries from the entire year! That’s right the biggest idiots, the dumbest crooks and the overall most batshit insane news of the year here! And we bring it all to you without ad filters or giant browser-filling notices about the fact that we use cookies. We don’t. But that’s also why our budget is zero. Well some of the absolute dumbest criminals of the year came from the Capitol Insurrection and I’m not even counting Matt Gaetz as this year’s dumbest criminal because you all knew that he would be (see: Idiots #10-10 ). But that said, this isn’t reserved for Congressional criminals, this is reserved for your every day criminals. Like this guy who texted a picture of himself at the Capitol. You don’t reveal evidence of your crime!

A New York man has now been charged with participating in the Jan. 6 insurrection in D.C. after allegedly texting a picture and video of himself in the Capitol to his girlfriend’s brother – a special agent with the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the agent – who is a federal officer employed by the U.S. Department of State – reported the photo and video to the Diplomatic Security Service, which then passed it along to the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

The agent reportedly saw a post from his sister on Facebook that her boyfriend, Thomas Fee, of Freeport, New York, was in D.C. “at the rally” on Jan. 6. The agent subsequently texted Fee, who allegedly confirmed his presence and sent him a “selfie” of him in the Capitol Rotunda, along with a video and a text saying he was “at the tip of the spear.”

According to the affidavit, federal investigators were able to confirm a white Chevy Tahoe registered to Fee left Long Island, where Freeport is located, on Jan. 5 and returned Jan. 7 at around 11 a.m.
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/national/capitol-riots/capitol-rioter-new-york-thomas-fee-selfie-rotunda-insurrection-retired-firefighter/65-9c7cd936-35e5-402e-a085-63cb14bf045a

Yes that story gets that GIF! Someone who is literally too stupid to insult! Next up – of course we have our good friend Florida Man represented here. Of course you know Florida – as Homer Simpson once called it “America’s Wang”. But this might be one of my favorite Florida Man stories ever as it’s multiple levels of stupid. This guy found a body double, stole an election, committed massive fraud, and then was stupid enough to get caught. Too bad Fred Willard is gone because he’d be perfect for the role in the movie based on this story.

The details surrounding a political whodunit involving a former Miami GOP state senator, a mysterious no-party candidate and an alleged scheme to sway the outcome of a key Florida Senate race came pouring out Thursday in a 25-page affidavit.

The alleged campaign chicanery involved early morning Facebook messages, incriminating text messages and, at the heart of it all, tens of thousands of dollars in documented payments in exchange for a ringer candidate to get his name on the ballot.

Frank Artiles, a Republican political operative, is at the center of the drama. He is facing felony charges on suspicion of offering Alexis “Alex” Rodriguez $50,000 to run as an independent in Miami-Dade’s Senate District 37 race. The goal, investigators say, was to “confuse voters and influence the outcome” of the race to represent Senate District 37, a large swath that includes downtown Miami, Coral Gables and Pinecrest.

The race pitted former TV personality Ileana Garcia, a Republican, against incumbent José Javier Rodríguez, a Democrat. Alex Rodriguez, an auto-parts dealer who shares the same surname as the incumbent, ran as an independent. Investigators said Artiles recruited him to “siphon votes from the incumbent,” José Javier Rodríguez, who lost by a mere 32 votes after a manual recount. Alex Rodriguez, who did no campaigning, received more than 6,000 votes.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article250015359.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Next up – gender reveal parties. Look people… enough with this shit already! It’s bad enough that I almost had to evacuate my house last yea because it was in the path of the fire that was started by those morons that set off an explosive device and nearly burned down Riverside County, but do we really need another copycat? Just look at what this guy in Massachusetts did to his town after setting off an explosive device. Seriously, stop it, people, just stop it now.

One New Hampshire family’s gender reveal party was such a blast that it rattled towns, set off reports of an earthquake, and could be heard from across the state line, police said.

Police in Kingston, a town not far from the Massachusetts border, received reports of a loud explosion Tuesday evening. They responded to Torromeo quarry where they found people who acknowledged holding a gender reveal party with explosives.

The source was Tannerite — 80 pounds (36 kilograms) of it, police said. The family thought the quarry would be the safest spot to blow up the explosive, which is typically sold over the counter as a target for firearms practice, police said.

Nearby residents said the blast rocked their homes. Some reported property damage, NBC 10 Boston reported.

“We heard this god-awful blast,” Sara Taglieri, who lives in a home that abuts the quarry, told the television station. “It knocked pictures off our walls ... I’m all up for silliness and what not, but that was extreme.”
https://apnews.com/article/nh-state-wire-eb279a8493dd54b8857e20434f9a0c9a

Next up – the Tesla auto pilot! This is its’ own genre of fail. And come on, you don’t need to know advanced robotics and quantum mechanics to know that the Tesla Autopilot system is not a fully autonomous driving experience. And autonomous is a word that I rarely get to use. Even though your car is on autopilot, that’s no excuse to kick back, grab a drink and play some video games. You still have to keep your eye on the car!

The unwritten golden rule of partially automated vehicles is simple: don't be dumb. Apparently, this rule needs to be a little more profound (or mandated), because despite laws and standards being set in place to define vehicle automation, some people just don't seem to get it. Fortunately, the California Highway Patrol does.

On Tuesday, the CHP arrested 25-year-old Param Sharma, a Tesla driver whose presence was made viral after photos and videos of him riding in the back seat of his Model 3 circulated on social media.

The CHP says that on May 10, it received several complaints from motorists regarding a Tesla Model 3 traveling on the highway without a driver in the front seat. An officer spotted the vehicle near the Bay Bridge Toll Plaza and initiated a traffic stop where the rear passenger was seen moving into the driver's seat. The officer then arrested Sharma and charged him with two counts of reckless driving and disobeying a Peace Officer.

Apparently, Sharma is no stranger to backseat driving, as the CHP acknowledges that he was cited previously on April 27 for similar behavior. On May 8, the CHP publicly acknowledged that they were aware of a similar stunt that was captured and posted to YouTube just three days earlier, noting that they were actively investigating the incident.
https://www.thedrive.com/news/40575/california-police-arrest-serial-backseat-tesla-driver-for-abusing-autopilot

Finally this week, this might be my favorite “People Are Dumb” story of the year. This comes to us from back in September (see: Idiots #11-9 ). You know the pandemic is still very much a thing. And right now we’re at the “I really don’t give a shit what the rules are” phase of the pandemic. So this one comes to us from Hawaii. And we’ve talked a lot on this program about people who have been trying to pass off fake vaccine cards as real ones, but in this case, if you’re going to do this, at least spell check before you present! I mean come on, you really can’t get much stupider than this!

A 24-year-old Illinois woman submitted a fake COVID-19 vaccination card to visit Hawaii with a glaring spelling error that led to her arrest: Moderna was spelled “Maderna,” according to court documents.

In order to bypass Hawaii’s 10-day traveler quarantine, she uploaded a vaccination card to the state’s Safe Travels program and arrived in Honolulu Aug. 23 on a Southwest Airlines flight, the documents said.

“Airport screeners found suspicious errors … such as Moderna was spelled wrong and that her home was in Illinois but her shot was taken at Delaware,” Wilson Lau, a special agent with the Hawaii attorney general’s investigation division, wrote in an email to a Delaware official who confirmed there was no vaccination record for the woman under her name and birth date.

The email is included in documents filed in court. She was charged with two misdemeanor counts of violating Hawaii’s emergency rules to control the spread of COVID-19. She had been in custody on $2,000 bail until a judge released her at a hearing Wednesday and scheduled another hearing in three weeks, according the public defender’s office.
https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/24-year-old-tourist-with-fake-maderna-covid-19-vaccine-card-arrested-in-hawaii-court-docs/

That’s it this year for:

[font size="8"]Re d State Diaries: Guns In Christmas Cards
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It's time for our final Clip Without Context for the week!

Yeah and your 5,000 attempts to overturn the election have gone over so well, haven't they?

Moving on...

Welcome back to our ongoing survey of what the MAGA cult is up to in Red State Diaries and it’s certifiably insane what they are doing right now. Last week, we brought you the beef between Georgia’s Marjorie Greene (Q – Batshit) and Minnesota’s Ilhan Omar. And it was the stuff of batshit insanity because who knew that a white gym owner was an untrustworthy person? I certainly did! Well this week it’s Christmas time and this means that while everyone is getting into the holiday spirit again and going all out on the holly jolly after last year’s nightmare Christmas, that means that the War On Christmas once again is heating up. Of course the MAGAs and gun nuts are turning this into a way too literal war-on-Christmas this year. Do you really need a Christmas card that shows you and your family holding semi-automatic rifles? Well nobody really did and here is where we are, especially after some really terrible mass shootings lately. The controversy started when Kentucky rep Thomas Massie (Q – Batshit) posted a family Christmas card with pictures of his family carrying guns after that horrifying mass shooting a couple of weeks ago.

Rep. Thomas Massie said Monday he'll never delete the controversial photo he posted over the weekend of him and his family holding guns in front of a Christmas tree.

Massie's picture has gotten over 81,000 "likes" on Twitter but also attracted a lot of criticism because he posted it less than a week after four teenagers in Michigan were killed in the nation's latest mass school shooting.

"A lot of people think that's going to be our Christmas card," Massie said of the gun-filled photo during a Monday interview on conservative radio host Todd Starnes' show.

"We actually took a very similar picture holding musical instruments because we like to shoot guns and play music when we get together as a family. And the one that's going on the Christmas card are bluegrass instruments."
https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2021/12/06/rep-thomas-massie-ill-never-delete-family-christmas-photo-guns/6407550001/

Guess you could call this one “I Saw Mommy Shooting Santa Claus”? Or maybe “Santa Claus Is Gunning You Down”? But that said, Rep. Massie isn’t the only one who is coming under fire (HA) for his poor choice of Christmas card. There’s also Lauren Boebert among the Congressional faithful that are turning the War On Christmas of 2021 into a way too literal War On Christmas. But then again this is all the acclamation of Fox News talking points gone completely berserk. And let’s face it, you’re not gun nuts, you’re ammosexuals.

I hope that one day I’ll live in a country where parents, communities and lawmakers work to shield schools and children from gun violence with the same energy they apply to banning accurate portrayals of American history, books and little-known academic theories. But for starters, I would like elected officials to stop glorifying the instruments of death and injury that are devastating so many families.

According to Everytown Research and Policy, a group that tracks gun violence, there have been “at least 149 incidents of gun fire on school grounds” this year. And according to a study conducted by the Child Welfare League of America, “Participants identified that frequent media portrayal of guns glorifies their use and promotes using gun violence as an acceptable means of conflict resolution.”

With gun-related research funding largely blocked by the government, studies haven’t clearly connected the glorification of guns to the rate of gun deaths. But it seems intensely counterproductive for public officials to normalize the appearance of deadly weapons in what should otherwise be innocuous holiday photos, given that children and teens in the U.S. “experience staggeringly high rates of gun deaths and injuries” compared to other high-income countries, according to Everytown, and that firearms are the second-largest injury-related cause of death for children and teens. Exploiting their children as props to glorify and promote gun-wielding is nothing short of alarming.
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/christmas-card-guns-lauren-boebert-thomas-massie-start-new-culture-ncna1285709

Yeah except in this case he can absolutely hurt you! So what to do about this? These are leaders of Congress pulling this shit when American gun violence is at the highest rate that its’ ever been in this country’s history! So that said, where do you go when members of Congress are the problem preventing you from coming up with a solution? And I’m asking of course for the millions of Americans who have succumbed needlessly to the firearm.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, the gun-toting Colorado Republican who is under threat of being removed from her committee assignments for Islamophobic comments targeted at fellow lawmakers, faced more backlash on Wednesday after sharing a family photo showing her four children posing with guns in front of a Christmas tree.

"The Boeberts have your six, @RepThomasMassie!" Boebert wrote on Twitter late Tuesday, in apparent solidarity with GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a fellow gun enthusiast, who faced criticism for posting a similar photo last week of his family proudly holding firearms in front of their Christmas tree. Both families appeared smiling while heavily armed ahead of the holiday season.

"Santa, please bring more ammo," Massie's photo with his wife and six kids posted Dec. 4 was captioned.

On the heels of Massie's post last week but ahead of her own, Boebert offered her support to her colleague's photo, tweeting, "That's my kind of Christmas card!"
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/boebert-draws-backlash-family-christmas-photo-kids-posing/story?id=81623347

v

Of course because Lauren Boebert is now a paid professional troll, that’s naturally the response that you’re going to get! She will say and do literally the opposite of what a decent person would say or do in this situation. And of course, the “we apologize for nothing” and “do not comply” crowd is refusing to back down from these disgusting displays of ammosexual affection. I mean, yeah that’s kind of how we got to where we are is because of idiots like Boebert and Massie. Really, you two, grow the fuck up. Oh wait, that’s never gonna happen.

On Day 3 of the controversy caused by Lauren Boebert's suggestion that a Muslim member of Congress might be a terrorist, the Colorado Republican said that she "can't wait" to debate the issue with Rep. Ilhan Omar on a Fox News primetime show.
Yup. That's what she said.

What the two would debate is not entirely clear to me. Boebert said on multiple occasions that Omar, a Democrat who represents Minnesota in Congress, was a terrorist. She also said that Omar was "black-hearted" and "evil." And she regularly refers to Omar as well as Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts as the "Jihad Squad."

Omar, for her part, asked Boebert in a phone conversation Monday to issue a public apology. Boebert refused to do so, saying later in an Instagram post, "I will fearlessly continue to put America first, never sympathizing with terrorists. Unfortunately Ilhan can't say the same thing and our country is worse off for it."

On Tuesday afternoon, Omar played a recording of a voice message she had received following Boebert's comments in which several slurs were used and the caller told the congresswoman that she "will not live much longer."
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/01/politics/lauren-boebert-ilhan-omar-marjorie-taylor-greene/index.html

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

There is no next week! We’re back on January 20th with more insanity from the red states! See you then!

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

Folks my next guest is our good friends Rise Against! They have a great new album out called “Nowhere Generation”. You can see them at the WaMu Theater in Seattle on April 19th, the Mechanics Bank Theater in Bakersfield on April 22nd, and at the Welcome To Rockville Festival in Daytona Beach on May 21st. Playing their song “Broken Dreams, Inc”, give it up for Rise Against!

Thank you very much everybody! We are out of here for the year! This has been a great season, and it has been great to be finally out of that blank, blue void. I want to thank my staff, the venues, and of course you guys! it’s been a great 5 years. Here’s to 5 more years of the Top 10! We’ll be back on January 20th but we will be running a couple of Best Of editions until then. Merry Christmas, happy holidays, happy new year!

See you next year!

Credits

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December 9, 2021

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #11-16: C.R.E.A.M.: Conspiracies Rule Everything Around Me Edition

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #11-16: C.R.E.A.M.: Conspiracies Rule Everything Around Me Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Welcome welcome welcome! What’s up New York City??? How you guys doing? You doing fucking good? It’s great to be back in the Big Apple here at the beautiful Grammercy Theater! Now that we have 5 full years under our belts, it’s time to start thinking about the next five! What will happen? Will Trump declare himself god? Will the Q nuts rise up and burn down Dealy Plaza? Will Kanye start a suicide cult in Wyoming? Will COVID-19 morph into a super virus that takes out all the red state voters? Only one way to find out! Next year is our annual wrap up of the year and what a truly insane and crazy year 2021 was! But we’ve got one more regular Top 10 for you and here it is! Do we have time for the thing? Of course we do! You know Bill Maher was right – the longer you spend in the virtual world the harder it is to relate to the real one. I mean come on, people have had entire wedding ceremonies in Minecraft. Now get ready for the next evolution of that – Metaverse weddings! That’s right – the Meta corporation, formerly known as Facebook has used VR technology to create an entire virtual world in which we live. It’s almost similar to the plot of that movie from a couple of years ago called “Ready Player One”. So yeah get ready for a whole slew of events to take place on your VR headset. Goodbye reality, it was nice knowing you! So if we have virtual weddings, does that mean that virtual divorces are far behind? And if we have virtual marriages, does that mean that virtual babies are far behind? Holy shit! We really are going to live in the Matrix! Goodbye, nice knowing everyone! OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to. But first I have to play Bill Maher’s new rule - are you Kylie Jenner or are you Greta Thunberg?

So where do we begin for our penultimate Top 10 of 2021? We’ve got a lot for you so let’s not waste time in our next to last edition, shall we? In the number one slot this week is the Supreme Court (1). Yes, our far right Supreme Court is now deciding the fate on America’s stance on abortion and it’s left to a crazy cult member and a sloppy drunk known for assaulting women. Thanks MAGAs! In the second slot this week is the King MAGA himself (2) and the white washing of the January 6th attack on Congress has begun, so what is he concerned with? That’s right – the size of the crowd that attended the rally before hand! You can’t make this stuff up! In the number 3 slot this week is also That Guy (3). There’s a stunning, though hardly shocking revelation that he went through with the 2020 televised debate after getting infected, because that’s the kind of psychopath that he is. In the number 4 slot is the return of We’re All Gonna Die (4). So – Omicron Variant – mild version of what we’ve been through in the last 2 years or is it going to kill us all? Depends on what your media source is. In the number 5 slot this week is also the return of Top 10 Investigates! Stores like Apple and Neiman Marcus are getting hit hard with a series of “smash n grab” robberies, so what’s fueling this madness? We don’t know either! In the number 6 slot this week is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6) and this week our resident pastor is becoming increasingly alarmed at the popularity of Q Anon and it’s becoming as popular as some major religions, so… what the fuck people? In the number 7 slot this week, we have a new “This Fucking Guy” (7) and this week we’re profiling far right Canadian self help guru Jordan Peterson who jus announced a huge speaking tour for 2022, and if he’s coming to your city, run the other way! In the number 8 slot this week, we have a new Conspiracy Corner (8) and this week, after 3 major NFL players got busted for presenting fake vaccine cards, how many more are out there? Adjust your tin foil hat accordingly! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week is a new I Need A Drink and this week, wait for your town to get bombarded by Santas who don’t care if you’re naughty or nice, they just want to drink and get rowdy! It’s the return of Santa Con! Yay!!! Finally this week, in Red State Diaries – what’s Marjorie Taylor Greene’s beef with Ilhan Omar? Well… you could say it’s racist, and well yeah it absolutely is racist. Plus we have some live music from our good friend Tom DeLonge and his band Angels & Airwaves! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]The Supreme Court
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America’s march towards a totalitarian religious theocratic society isn’t going to be something that makes the front page news. It’s happening behind the scenes. Ever wonder how the worst president in United States history got three Supreme Court justices including a guy who drinks too much and got accused of something called “boofing” (whatever that is)? Yeah it’s to decide these upcoming cases right here. Putting a guy who got blackout drunk and raped women in charge of handing the abortion issue is like putting the most socially awkward guy in the world in charge of social media. Oh wait, we actually did that. But one of the cooler heads in the room is absolutely Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who called it out how much this whole thing stinks. It’s literally the definition of partisan politics and we unfortunately have the deck stacked against us in deciding this issue.

Yeah it’s truly disturbing that the fate of women’s rights in this country is being put in the hands of a guy who wants to date his own daughter. That’s like putting someone who endorses a fried chicken chain on a weight loss program. Oh wait, we did that too. But enough of that. What’s the future of abortion and women’s rights in America after this case goes through SCOTUS? Well it’s not a very good one from the future outcomes that are being predicted.

Dr. DeShawn Taylor considers herself fortunate to have spent a career working in states where the laws governing abortion are relatively straightforward.

But the owner of the Desert Star Family Planning clinic in Arizona knows the drama unfolding at the Supreme Court over Mississippi’s ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy could have immediate consequences for her practice as well.

"With the court's current composition, I am very concerned," said Taylor, an OB-GYN, noting the 6-3 conservative advantage on the high court. "Abortion would be outlawed in Arizona if we lost Roe v. Wade, and I don't think people understand that."

The Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in a major challenge to Mississippi’s 15-week ban. The justices' decision could quickly involve other conservative states that have approved abortion bans in anticipation of a ruling.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/supreme-courts-decision-in-abortion-case-will-affect-dozens-of-states-beyond-mississippi/ar-AARi9UL

Happy Thursday everybody! Glad I could cheer everybody up! But then again this program is called “Top 10 Conservative Idiots” and we are here to report on the idiots. And here’s the thing about this too – the unholy trinity of Barrett, Kavanaugh, and Gorsuch - they were all grilled extensively about their allegiance to the court precedence in their Senate confirmation hearings. And these are the people who are going to decide the future of women’s rights in this country. Just… AHHH!!!!

During his contentious 2018 confirmation process, Kavanaugh won vital support from Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), an abortion rights supporter, in part because she said he had privately reassured her that Roe was “settled law.”

On Wednesday, Kavanaugh listed more than a half-dozen major decisions in which the court had reversed its previous positions. The list included groundbreaking decisions about gay rights and school desegregation.

“If you think about some of the most important cases, the most consequential cases in this court’s history, there’s a string of them where the cases overruled precedent,” Kavanaugh said in an exchange with Julie Rikelman, the lawyer representing Mississippi’s sole abortion clinic, Jackson Women’s Health.

“If we think that the prior precedents are seriously wrong,” he added, why isn’t the proper approach to “not stick with those precedents in the same way that all those other cases didn’t?”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/12/01/kavanaugh-who-told-senate-roe-v-wade-was-settled-precedent-signals-openness-overturning-abortion-decision/

That’s an understatement! Who knows where this is headed? We’re currently in a chess match with the religious right and they’re close to checkmate. So what’s at stake in the event that Roe V. Wade is actually overturned? Let’s look at Texas where the issue of abortion, well, pretty much they have the worst abortion laws in the country, save for Mississippi. But this part of Texas’ abortion laws make it clear what the ultimate end game for the Christian right is on the abortion issue.

If the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, most abortions in Texas would be a felony, the result of a recent state law that could hinge on a Mississippi case argued before the court earlier this month.

Justices on Dec. 1 took up a Mississippi law that prohibits abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. During the arguments, the court’s conservative justices appeared open to upholding the state’s law. There also seemed to be some support for rescinding Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which reaffirmed Roe’s earlier decision. A decision is expected around June.

Texas’ new abortion law effectively bans abortions after about six weeks. But during the same session lawmakers also passed what’s often called a “trigger” law in which abortion would be banned if the Roe or Casey rulings were overturned, “wholly or partly.” The law would go into effect 30 days after the decision. Those who perform an abortion could face up to 20 years in prison and up to life if “an unborn child dies as a result of the offense.”

“The goal of this bill is to end the practice of abortion in Texas,” said Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, a Southlake Republican who authored House Bill 1280.

Read more at: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article256286182.html

[font size="8"] That Former Guy
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Moving on to much lighter news – treason! So we’re just three weeks away from the 1 year anniversary of the clusterfuck known as the January 6th insurrection of Congress. And as predicted, the conservatives are attempting to white wash the disaster they created as a sort of “MOVE ALONG! NOTHING TO SEE HERE! PLEASE DISPERSE!” kind of thing. As we have pointed out before, they attempted to commit treason against the United States government, that is a crime that is defined in the United States Constitution! We cannot under any circumstances let them get away with this. Oh but they’ll certainly try. And they will convince the people who turn into Fox, OAN, Newsmax, and all of the other conservative shit out there to comply with their every evil bidding. But none are so stupid and headstrong to try to whitewash the treason as the MAGA commander himself. While his useful idiots like Steve Bannon and Roger Stone are getting arrested in droves, guess what he’s complaining about? That’s right – his crowd size!

Hundreds of former President Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, breaking into Congress in a violent attempt to overthrow democracy that resulted in five deaths, dozens of injuries, and an untold number of questions about how it was allowed to happen, how to hold those responsible to account, and how to contend with the growing thirst for violence among the American right.

Trump has a question about Jan. 6, too: Why is no one talking about his crowd size at the rally that preceded the riot?

“It was a massive rally, with hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people. I think it was the largest crowd I’ve even spoken in front of before,” Trump told British conservative Nigel Farage in an interview broadcast on Wednesday, adding (falsely) that the real insurrection took place on Election Day.

“If you would have looked at the crowds, nobody wants to talk about that,” he continued. “I believe it was the biggest and most people — and I’ve spoken to very big crowds — I have never spoken in front of a crowd that size. Nobody ever talks about that.”
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-complains-jan-6-rally-crowd-size-coverage-1265771/

Remember last year when Trump literally compared himself to Nero? That analogy isn’t really that far off. People fucking DIED because of his bullshit. There was damage done to the Capitol complex in the fucking MILLIONS. His supporters were out for blood – quite literally! But in the Trump world, this is a new definition of the Wu Tang classic album C.R.E.A.M., but in this case we’ll call it “Conspiracies Rule Everything Around Me”. Thank you graphics department! Trump played the fiddle while Washington DC was literally burning around him!

The cost of repairing damages from the attack on the U.S. Capitol and related security expenses have already topped $30 million and will keep rising, Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton told lawmakers on Wednesday.

The events of Jan. 6, he said, were "difficult for the American people and extremely hard for all of us on campus to witness."

Blanton said that congressional appropriations committees have already approved a transfer request of $30 million to pay for expenses and extend a temporary perimeter fencing contract through March 31.

But more money will be needed, he added: "History teaches us that project costs for replacements and repairs beyond in-kind improvements across campus will be considerable and beyond the scope of the current budgetary environment."

The price tag will go even higher, Blanton told lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee, if the fence and other security measures are needed beyond March.
https://www.npr.org/sections/insurrection-at-the-capitol/2021/02/24/970977612/architect-of-the-capitol-outlines-30-million-in-damages-from-pro-trump-riot

Sorry GOP but you don’t get to “MOVE ALONG! NOTHING TO SEE HERE!” your way out of this one, because it’s truly insane what happened and we may never know everyone who was there and we may never know the true extent of the damage that was done. And same goes for you, Mark Meadows, where were you on the 6th? There’s no way Trump was mortified by what was going on, he was probably toasting with his shit-eating grin and a thumbs up to the madness that was happening.

Former President Donald Trump was "mortified" in the wake of the January 6 Capitol riot, Trump's former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, wrote in his new book.

"In the aftermath of the attack, President Trump was mortified," Meadows wrote in "The Chief's Chief."

Trump "knew that the media would take this terrible incident and twist it around. He also knew that his days on Twitter were probably numbered," the book said.

Trump was ultimately booted off most major social media platforms in the wake of the failed insurrection, including Facebook and Twitter, which cited the threat of additional violence. Multiple reports have also said that Trump watched the riot play out on television from his perch at the White House and ignored pleas from White House advisors and national security officials to step in and call off his supporters who were storming the Capitol.

When he did release a video as the violence was unfolding, Trump was sharply criticized for repeating the same lies about the election that provoked the frenzied mob in the first place, and for telling the rioters that "you're very special" and "we love you."
https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-meadows-says-trump-was-mortified-after-capitol-riot-2021-12

And by the way in case you’re wondering the caliber of person that Donald Trump attracts, let’s just say that he’s not attracting America’s best people. We’ve brought you countless tales of people who’ve been arrested and just can’t handle prison life, like real estate agent who inexplicably flies to the rally in a private jet, Jenna Ryan (see: Idiots #10-1 ) or that Q Anon Shaman guy (see: Idiots #10-4 ). But this is the quality person that went to the Capitol Riot and well, it’s quite possible these are the dumbest people on the planet.

The FBI has arrested a Donald Trump supporter from Michigan who was captured on video attacking law enforcement officers at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and whose identity was confirmed with the help of a “FUCK YOU” tattoo on the middle finger of his left hand.

Justin Jersey of Michigan ― who was No. 106 on the FBI’s Capitol wanted page and known to online “Sedition Hunters” as #Fingerman ― was charged by indictment for his role in the Capitol attack. Authorities arrested him on Thursday and he is being held until a hearing before a D.C. judge. At the moment, a court-appointed lawyer is representing him in Detroit.

One of the citizen sleuths who helped identify Jersey told HuffPost that his identification was sent in to the FBI in August, about a month after the bureau circulated a video of Jersey attacking officers and asked the public to help identify him.

Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fingerman-capitol-attack-justin-jersey-trump_n_61a9091ee4b025be1af50402

[font size="8"]The Michigan Shooting
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So normally we don’t talk about this sort of thing on the Top 10. Because shootings unless they make world news aren’t exactly something to make fun of. But this is one of the weirder and more fucked up stories of 2021 so far. I’m sure by now you know about the horrifying story of a bullied kid from Michigan who went in and shot and killed four of his classmates. But that’s not the end of this story, oh no, it gets really weird really quickly. And this is also kind of a story about life imitating art because if you know popular music, it is pretty much a real life recreation of the Foster The People song “Pumped Up Kicks”. You know what? Let’s play that, shall we?

But now that the dust has settled from another day in the American gun toting society nightmare where you can be shot at, at any time of day, at anywhere, this is what we are stuck with. And the parents in this situation definitely aren’t helping things. But the weird part of this story actually starts at the beginning of it. Here’s what happened.

The day earlier, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley was found by a teacher to be viewing images of bullets on his phone during class. When questioned by a counselor and another staff member, Crumbley said he and his mother had recently gone to a shooting range and that shooting was a family hobby. The next day, Throne wrote, his parents confirmed his account.

The morning of the shooting, a teacher noticed drawings and writings allegedly done by Crumbley and reported them to school counselors and the dean of students. Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald described a violent drawing that included the words, “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me.” ... “Blood everywhere” was scrawled next to a drawing of a bullet, and a sketch of a bloody figure with two gunshot wounds was also found.

Crumbley was brought to the guidance counselor’s office, where he said the drawings were merely “part of a video game he was designing," Throne said in the note. Crumbley told counselors that he wanted to pursue video game design as a career. ... Crumbley’s parents were summoned to the school, and while waiting for them, he stayed in the office for an hour and a half, Throne wrote, “while counselors continued to observe, analyze and speak with” him.

Once they arrived, his parents were informed that they were to seek counseling for him within 48 hours or the school would contact Child Protective Services. His parents refused to take him home and left, leading counselors to send him back to class “rather than sent home to an empty house," Throne wrote.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/12/05/oxford-shooting-school-investigation-ethan-crumbley/

So that is the most fucked up thing about this story. The parents were called into school that day. The kid was meeting with the principal that day. He was caught searching for ammo on his phone, and he had the gun in his backpack that day. Oh and in case you were wondering – yes this story does get weirder and more fucked up the more you peel back the layers! So what happens when you find out your son is a murderer? You flee the cops! Because that’s what perfectly innocent people do, right?

The parents of the Michigan high school shooting suspect have reportedly gone missing after being charged in relation to the incident, CNN reports.

Local authorities confirmed they are searching for James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of accused Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley, hours after they were each announced to face four counts of homicide involuntary manslaughter on Friday (December 3).

The parents were scheduled for an arraignment at 4:00 p.m. ET.

On Thursday (December 2), Oxford County prosecutor Karen McDonald criticized Crumbley's parents' actions as being "far beyond negligence" in relation to the incident and said a charging decision was expected to come by Friday.

Read more: https://1430kasi.iheart.com/content/2021-12-03-parents-of-michigan-shooter-have-gone-missing-after-charges-filed/.

Unless they disappear themselves, that is! So now the parents ran from the cops. And it’s no secret that the kids’ mom is a huge fan of our former president. Gee, you think that he might have been a bad role model for your son? Garbage in, garbage out. But like every mass shooting that’s happened in the last 20 years, the same damn question gets asked “could this have been prevented?”. Of course it could have been prevented! But we live in America, where guns have more rights than people do. And it’s absolutely concerning. So what happened the day of that could have prevented this?

Detailed descriptions of a wish to massacre classmates on his cellphone and in a journal. At least one social media post pointing to elation at access to a handgun bought by his dad. A mom who thanked Trump for “my right to bear arms.” And a meeting between his parents and school administrators about his conduct just hours before the attack.

Authorities on Wednesday identified the teenage suspect in the mass shooting a day earlier at Michigan’s Oxford High School as 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, painting a picture of a clear-eyed teen who planned and executed a rampage that left at least four students dead and seven others, a teacher among them, injured.

Crumbley, a sophomore, was previously flagged by administrators for “behavior in the classroom that they felt was concerning,” Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said Wednesday. He was called in to talk with school officials on Monday and Tuesday. Then, his parents were brought into the school the morning of the shooting for a face-to-face meeting about their son’s behavior, according to Bouchard. He wouldn’t say what the behavior was, and police weren’t informed about any potential issues prior to the tragic event.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/ethan-crumbley-identified-as-oxford-high-school-michigan-mass-shooter

Well except in this case when you’re literally in the principal’s office with the fucking gun in your backpack!!! Just… I can’t even. Good thing we’re going on a break after next week because I need a long one after this story. It is in every sense of the word, an absolute clusterfuck. Don’t worry we will be following this story and bringing you any updates for now. But if that mother is any indication, yes, there is a connection to that former president we all know. This family is going to be in a whole heaping mess of trouble.

The boy’s father, James Crumbley, 45, has worked as a tech salesman and recently ran into legal trouble in Florida regarding child support payments. It is unknown if James’ current wife, Jennifer Crumbley, is Ethan’s mother. Two of James’ exes did not respond to The Daily Beast’s requests for comment.

Jennifer Crumbley, 43, worked as a real estate broker in the Oxford area, but her staff bio has now been taken down. Although James’ online presence demonstrates a preference for the Seattle Seahawks, his posts were not overtly political.

Jennifer, however, in November 2016, penned an open letter to President-Elect Donald Trump, which she posted on her blog.

“Mr. Trump, I actually love that you are a bad public speaker because that showed sincerity, and humility,” she wrote. “You changed your mind, and you said ‘so what.’ You made the famous ‘grab them in the pussy’ comment, did it offend me? No. I say things all the time that people take the wrong way, do I mean them, not always. Do I agree that you should of (sic) shown your tax returns? No. I don’t care what you do or maybe don’t pay in taxes, I think those are personal and if the Gov’t can lock someone up over $10,000 of unpaid taxes and you slipped on by, then that shows the corruption.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/ethan-crumbley-identified-as-oxford-high-school-michigan-mass-shooter

[font size="8"]We’re All Gonna Die: Omicron Variant
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Hey everyone! Guess what? We’re all gonna die! Woooooooooooooooooooooooo! Wooooooooo! Wooooo! Woo. Of course that’s been the mentality the last 18 months that we’ve been living under this virus called COVID-19. And I remember when I first brought this to everybody’s attention in Idiots #8-4. Of course who knew that we’d be in this mess two years later and that it would fundamentally alter the entire world as we once knew it? Well, nearly half the Greek alphabet later, we’re up to the Omicron variant that originated in South Africa. So what does this hold for the latest round of COVID madness? Well, let’s say that if you haven’t got your vaccine by now… what the hell are you waiting for? This virus is an absolute menace and the sooner it’s controlled the better! So by now of course the entire world is coming to grips with the latest mutant variant. Could it do more damage than Delta? Probably. But then again everything so far is “probably”.

A potentially more transmissible variant of the coronavirus, which causes covid-19, is raising concern around the globe.

Health authorities say the new variant, known by the Greek letter omicron, was first identified in southern Africa. Scientists there quickly put the world on alert, noting that the variant had an unusually high number of mutations, including some that could make it adept at evading the body’s natural or vaccine-acquired immune response.

Cases have since been confirmed in more than four dozen countries — including the United States, where officials say there are signs of community spread.

World leaders have responded by placing new restrictions on travel, boosting vaccination drives, increasing testing and encouraging an already pandemic-fatigued public to double down on such measures as wearing masks and social distancing. Vaccine makers say they stand ready to tweak their shots if needed.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/11/26/faq-new-variant-omicron/

Calm down, we’re not gonna die. Of course I said that back in 2020 and look what happened – we spent nearly 20 months of our lives stuck at home with nowhere to go and literally reaching the end of our Netflix and Hulu cues. But two years later, we’ve got a cure people! And since we live in a country where half the population refuses to listen to the other half, we’ve got a large percentage of the population not taking a free cure and going out of their way to not take it! At least the WHO has the answers and if you’re thinking of throwing out those face masks, don’t do it just yet!

Measures used to counter the delta variant should remain the foundation for fighting the coronavirus pandemic, even in the face of the new omicron version of the virus, World Health Organization officials said Friday, while acknowledging that the travel restrictions imposed by some countries may buy time.

While about three dozen countries worldwide have reported omicron infections, including India on Thursday, the numbers so far are small outside of South Africa, which is facing a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases and where the new variant may be becoming dominant. Still, much remains unclear about omicron, including whether it is more contagious, as some health authorities suspect, whether it makes people more seriously ill, or whether it can evade vaccine protection.

“Border control can delay the virus coming in and buy time. But every country and every community must prepare for new surges in cases,” Dr. Takeshi Kasai, the WHO regional director for the Western Pacific, told reporters Friday during a virtual news conference from the Philippines. “The positive news in all of this is that none of the information we have currently about omicron suggests we need to change the directions of our response.”

That means continuing to push for higher vaccination rates, abiding by social-distancing guidelines, and wearing masks, among other measures, said WHO Regional Emergency Director Dr. Babatunde Olowokure.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-philippines-manila-world-health-organization-77142314f66839f0aa15d47c8d0850a8

Oh calm down cute CGI characters! We’re not going to die yet! So yeah we have a new mutant on our hands and nobody has any answers! But remember when we said “get the vaccine”? I mean exactly that – GET THE DAMN VACCINE! Trust me, I’m related to an emergency room doctor, you do not want any part of this! And yeah not at all surprisingly, the new mutant is occurring among… DRUM ROLL… the unvaccinated population! I’ve been slapping my head so much that my forehead is now a bright red color, and I’m literally all out of fucks to give at this point!

South Africa’s rapid increase in COVID-19 cases attributed to the new omicron variant is resulting in mostly mild symptoms, doctors say.

“We’ve seen a sharp increase in cases for the past 10 days. So far they have mostly been very mild cases, with patients having flu-like symptoms: dry coughs, fever, night sweats, a lot of body pains,” said Dr. Unben Pillay, a general practitioner in Gauteng province where 81% of the new cases have been reported.

“Most of these patients have been treated at home,” Pillay told an online press briefing Monday. “Vaccinated people tend to do much better. We have not seen a vast increase in hospitalizations, but this is still early days. Hospitalizations often come several days after a rise in confirmed cases.”

Most of the new cases in South Africa have been among people in their 20s and 30s, and doctors note that age group generally has milder symptoms of COVID-19 in any case. They warn that older people infected by the new variant could have more severe symptoms.
https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2021/11/omicron-variant-cases-in-south-africa-mostly-among-unvaccinated-president-biden-speaks-about-us-efforts.html

Yeah probably. Just give the anti-vaxxers enough time to work their… um… what’s the opposite of magic? Yeah whatever that is! But that said it is great to live in the information age isn’t it? While it has brought out the best and worst in society, one thing it has done is that it has made identifying this latest virus that much faster and we’re able to deal with it now, where we weren’t able to in 2020. But what if COVID is an evolved version of the common cold? That’s something that scientists are rushing to find answwes to with this latest version of the virus. Could we all die? Probably. And probably not. That’s the beauty of science!

The Omicron variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 likely acquired at least one of its mutations by picking up a snippet of genetic material from another virus - possibly one that causes the common cold - present in the same infected cells, according to researchers.

This genetic sequence does not appear in any earlier versions of the coronavirus, called SARS-CoV-2, but is ubiquitous in many other viruses including those that cause the common cold, and also in the human genome, researchers said.

By inserting this particular snippet into itself, Omicron might be making itself look "more human," which would help it evade attack by the human immune system, said Venky Soundararajan of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based data analytics firm nference, who led the study posted on Thursday on the website OSF Preprints.

This could mean the virus transmits more easily, while only causing mild or asymptomatic disease. Scientists do not yet know whether Omicron is more infectious than other variants, whether it causes more severe disease or whether it will overtake Delta as the most prevalent variant. It may take several weeks to get answers to these questions.
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/omicron-variant-may-have-picked-up-piece-common-cold-virus-2021-12-03/

[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Smash N Grabs
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It's time to investigate beyond the headlines. This is Top 10 Investigates!

High end retailers and department stores across America are becoming the victims of something called “Smash n grab robberies”. There’s even an AC/DC song called “Smash N Grab”:

It’s hit everything from mom and pop businesses at the Del Amo, California swap meet to ultra-high end retailers like Louis Vuitton. But these aren’t just a mere string of robberies, these are carefully planned attacks designed to quickly go in, loot the place, and leave. But what’s fueling these mobs? There’s many different theories out there about what is causing this phenomenon. Authorities are baffled and few arrests, if any have been made. It’s left retailers and store owners stunned about what to do in case this happens again. And there’s even been several attempts to stop future smash and grab robberies from happening. But right now there’s nothing that can stop them and the police don’t have a lot of answers or solutions to what’s causing these problems. Can they be prevented? That is something that authorities are looking into. But the business owners are looking into solutions because they want to protect their stores and their merchandise from being looted.

C-Bond Systems (the “Company” or “C-Bond”) (OTC: CBNT), a nanotechnology solutions company, announced today that its Patriot Glass Solutions division is urging business owners and landlords to protect businesses and property from smash-and-grab robberies, gunfire, and break-ins with Patriot Glass Solutions’ forced entry and ballistic-resistant window film applications. To see our security solutions in action, watch our video here: https://bit.ly/3l93oZV

This month thieves have smashed windows and looted stores for thousands of dollars in merchandise. Patriot Glass Solutions can help prevent this criminal activity by protecting personal, commercial and government property from looting, rioting, break-ins, and gunfire. Its leading products are C-Bond BRS, a ballistic-resistant film system, and C-Bond Secure, a multi-purpose glass strengthening primer and window film mounting solution that deters forced entry.

“Businesses from Home Depot to Apple to Nordstrom and many more have been hit by smash-and-grab robberies this November and this illegal trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down,” stated Michael Wanke, President of Patriot Glass Solutions. “Our window film solutions are in use at numerous schools, government offices, media headquarters, jewelry stores, and more to prevent potential loss of property and protect personal safety. We provide a cost-effective way to reinforce glass and windows and empower business owners and landlords to fortify their facilities and protect against this type of crime.”
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/given-recent-increase-smash-grab-133000562.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAACUQ131MT_dcPo_8iu_hM1Y7GwerkyPMAJRuvASRZkCl-8X8hraiOTQT5g1SW85eI7E7ZyKpTx8TprSirbuaCiZIX3mL-7sM_zihqG5IHehj-jI3JeRStaqL_PQ3pEM8B-lAf01Cb9ZRRInXK5Ot9-O2UHVvHt0YhXaIM31spD2_

The bad thing is that you can’t arrest them if you don’t know who they are, or can even attempt to find the stolen loot. But we do know what happens during one of them. Footage obtained on a Nordstrom security camera of one of the stores that was looted caught footage of a robbery in progress – the masked robbers smash the store windows, grab whatever they can, and get into cars that are waiting outside for a quick getaway. Just look at what happened to a Nordstrom in downtown Los Angeles during one of these robberies.

A Nordstrom (JWN.N) department store in a Los Angeles mall on Monday night became the latest target in a string of "smash-and-grab" robberies that have hit luxury retailers in California and Illinois as the holiday shopping season approaches.

The Los Angeles Police Department said it had taken three suspects into custody. Local reports said as many as 20 people may have been involved in the break-in and theft.

Law enforcement authorities say they are alarmed by the brazen nature of the burglaries -- some involving dozens of people -- which have targeted high-end stores in the two states in the past week.

Videos from the chaotic burglaries, called "smash-and-grabs", have flooded social media in recent days, showing masked figures breaking into stores, running out with bags of merchandise, and fleeing in cars idling outside.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/holidays-near-smash-and-grab-robbers-hit-us-luxury-retailers-2021-11-23/

But Los Angeles wasn’t just an isolated incident. There’s tons of these popping up all over the country and even all over the world. Just look at what happened at this store in the Bay Area in Walnut Creek, California. It’s exactly part of the same pattern of robberies that happened in Los Angeles and Del Amo – suspects get out of a car, smash, loot, then quickly get away. But now police want to know who is behind these robberies? Can they be stopped again?

An Oakland clothing store was stripped Monday night after nearly 30 people stormed the place, according to a police report.

Surveillance video from inside Prime 356, located on 14th Street in downtown Oakland, shows a group running through the store and snatching hats, shoes, and clothing from shelves.

The suspects are shown on video dressed in black with latex gloves on and most of their faces concealed. They are seen moving swiftly through the store with an alarm blaring in the background. That alarm system is what alerted the store's owner who then called the police.

Officers made it to the scene within 10 minutes, but no arrests were made.

The shop was looted following a string of other retail thefts across the Bay Area from shops in San Francisco's Union Square to Nordstrom in Walnut Creek.
https://www.ktvu.com/news/oakland-clothing-store-raided-by-smash-and-grab-thieves

That said what can be done about these robberies? There have already been a number of measures taken to prevent future robberies. But the Nordstrom in Los Angeles that was the subject of the first robbery in question is already taking drastic steps to prevent future robberies from happening. And those measures include a very dangerous and far more potent spray that’s used on bears, think of it as an upgraded version of commonly used pepper spray.

Los Angeles police said Monday that among the implements used in the holiday season's spree of smash-and-grab crimes is bear spray, a chemical irritant similar to pepper spray but more potent.

The police department said in a statement that someone who was part of a group of suspects at a Nordstrom in the city's San Fernando Valley on Nov. 24 used bear spray on a security guard.

Police released security video of the guard being sprayed.

The incident was part of a spree of smash-and-grab and flash-mob thefts last month that police said resulted in about $330,000 in losses for about 10 retailers.

For comparison, the police department's defunct, two-person Art Theft Detail recovered nearly $4.4 million every year in stolen items since 1993, according to the police department's figures.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bear-spray-used-california-smash-grab-theft-rcna7828

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

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

My fair congregation! You know this is our next to last sermon of the year. We hope that you have a very happy holiday, whatever holiday that is you happen to be worshipping. So that said, we decided that we were going to have some fun with this week because there’s a lot of dark shit out there. Though one church has a bit of a money laundering problem on its’ hands. Of course you probably already know the church in question. That’s right, our old buddy Joel Osteen and his Lakewood Church that’s in a giant stadium in Houston, Texas. Yes, Joel Osteen – the pastor that has more money than his entire congregation combined, drives multiple Ferraris and Lamborghinis, and owns a mansion that practically has its’ own zip code. Now see, the GOOD LAWRD wants you to be rich, and wealth is a sign of prosperity, is it not? But there’s wealth and then there’s “fuck you” wealth. Joel Osteen is someone who has “fuck you wealth”. With tax exempt status on top of that! But that said, with this little find of $600,000, Mr. Osteen’s got some ‘splainin to do!

[font size="8"]This Fucking Guy: Eric Zemmour
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This week’s This Fucking Guy is Eric Zimmour. I don’t need to remind you that our mission statement here at the Top 10 Conservative Idiots home office in Santa Ana, California, is that conservative idiocy isn’t just a uniquely American problem. No, it’s a global problem with every country breeding its’ own unique brand of far right insanity. Folks, if you want to get a preview of where America’s GOP is headed, just look to France. That’s right, the country that America once ridiculed and changed the name of French Fries to “Freedom Fries” is in the process of breeding its’ own breed of batshit crazy conservatives. And they make our conservative seem like the sane ones in the room for some reason, and that’s saying a lot! So before we get into what makes this man so controversial, who is he? Well he’s a far right French radio pundit, media personality, and social media troll. Which perfectly suits him to be among other social media trolls like Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro. In fact he’s even going so far as to mimic Trump’s famous “Make America Great Again” slogan.

Éric Zemmour does not mind comparisons to Donald Trump.

“We are not the same but we have points in common,” the far-right TV pundit, who Tuesday declared his candidacy for French president, told NBC News at a recent book signing outside Lyon. “He is very American and I am very French, almost to the point of being a caricature.”

In fact, a central plank of his political vision echoes Trump’s “Make America Great Again” message: “I want a French France,” he has said.

Slight and charismatic Zemmour, whose parents were French Algerian Jews, may be very French, but the media frenzy surrounding him and his background as an outspoken star of the small screen is drawing parallels to the former American president’s meteoric rise. A recent video of Zemmour pointing a sniper rifle at journalists in Paris has been watched by millions. His controversial opinions on women and France’s role in World War II have shocked many.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/eric-zemmour-far-right-pundit-runs-president-france-rcna6783

Oh really now this is a personal call! But here’s the thing – we all laughed when Trump announced his candidacy for president and the same with Jair Bolsonaro. So when a white nationalist media personality like Eric Zemmour runs for president, we can’t look the other way. Yes, sir, fuck these people! What that guy in the back said! So that being said, just how dangerous could a man like Eric Zemmour be if he ever got to the highest level of office possible? He could be incredibly fucking dangerous.

After some false signals and feints, the French populist, polemicist, and ultra-nationalist Éric Zemmour announced on Tuesday, in one of the most bizarre videos ever offered by a would-be leader to his nation, that he is running for President of France. In the video, which is ten minutes long, he reads a prepared statement, head down, as music by that echt-Gallic composer Beethoven plays solemnly—the slow movement of the Seventh Symphony, which, as Zemmour perhaps knew, perhaps did not, was broadcast on wartime German radio on Hitler’s birthday. As he continues to read, the video shows street violence and football players taking a knee, among other things, as well as Muslims praying, all apparently exemplifying the grand remplacement he warns against, along with a collage of images of the douce France that he thinks is being “replaced.” This last is represented by a strange mélange of characters, including the radical republican Victor Hugo and his oppressed Cosette, the sixties chanteuse Barbara (the Paris-born daughter of a Ukrainian-Alsatian Jewish family who spent her wartime childhood in hiding from the government of Marshal Pétain that Zemmour now defends), and Charles Aznavour (who was born in Paris to Armenian parents who named him Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian). Images illustrating the grandeur of French heritage include the Louvre pyramid, which was designed, of course, by I. M. Pei, an Asian American. It’s an odd roll call for a hyper-nationalist manifesto, made odder by the reality that Zemmour, for all that he casts himself as the last defender of the legacy of Jeanne d’Arc, the perpetual heroine of the far right, is the offspring of an immigrant Algerian Jewish family welcomed into France in the nineteen-fifties. This shouldn’t be any real surprise: leaders of extreme nationalist fervor always tend to rise from the extremities of a nation—Napoleon the Corsican, Stalin the Georgian, and even Hitler the Austrian.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-ultra-nationalist-eric-zemmour-makes-a-bizarre-bid-for-the-french-presidency

Yeah seriously. We can no longer afford to ignore these people. Look at how dangerous people like Candace Owens are here, and if they run for any kind of office, they’d be incredibly dangerous. And this is a guy who does not mind being compared to a certain American politician either. So the thing is we have to take these people seriously, I know we shouldn’t because their policies suck. But we can’t afford to let the white supremacists claim another country for their own. Just look at what they did to America after 4 years of ruining it.

The retro choreography was heavy-handed, its intent obvious: Éric Zemmour in a dark tie, eyes averted from the camera, reading into an old-fashioned microphone from sheets of paper, just like Charles de Gaulle in his famous speech from London on June 18, 1940, when he called for the liberation of a fallen France.

Mr. Zemmour is not a towering general, and France is not on its knees. But Mr. Zemmour, the far-right polemicist who this week announced his run for next year’s presidential election, understands the power of provocative imagery. Effrontery and scandal have propelled his outsider candidacy.

His campaign-launching video was a nationalistic call for reborn French glory. From Joan of Arc to the singer Johnny Hallyday, from Napoleon Bonaparte to Brigitte Bardot, from Voltaire to Versailles, from Notre Dame to village church bells, it took viewers on a tour of Mr. Zemmour’s imaginary France.

The France that — in the telling of Mr. Zemmour, a Jewish journalist of North African descent whose family arrived in France 70 years ago — existed before immigrants, Muslim veils, vandalism and mealy-mouthed elites led the country to its most recent strange defeat.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/04/world/europe/eric-zemmour-france.html

And here’s the thing – if you think I’m kidding about the French alt right being the next evolution of the American alt right, I can assure you that I am not. I can also assure you that the alt right powers that be (namely Vladimir Putin) have learned a thing or two from the Trump and Bolsonaro administrations, and it’s going to get really ugly. Just look at the kind of crowd that Zemmour attracts and these are the people who you wouldn’t want to be anywhere near. And the really scary thing? He’s ahead in the French polls, too!

French authorities opened an investigation on Monday into a fight that erupted at a presidential campaign rally for far-right candidate Eric Zemmour over the weekend.

The rally was held late Sunday and the fight broke out between supporters and anti-racism activists who'd protested the event in Paris.

More than 60 people were arrested and prosecutors intend to charge them criminally if the investigation warrants.

Some of the people who were attacked were injured.

Zemmour's assailant was among those arrested, and faces an assault charge.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2021/12/06/france-eric-zemmour-rally-fight-investigation/1401638809003/

Yeah that’s pretty much what it is going to be like! But that’s Eric Zemmour, expect to hear more of this guy – he’s France’s Donald Trump. And he’s this week’s:

[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Welcome back to the segment that attempts to explain the unexplainable – Conspiracy Corner! We are coming back to you live from our underground doomsday shelter deep in the heart of the New Mexico badlands! Undisclosed location, of course! Now just let me adjust my trusty tin foil hat for maximum government interference – they are trying to read our thoughts after all! There… got it! Well folks this week, the anti-vaccine movement is going to strange new levels, which includes everything from fake vaccine passports to this guy in Italy who used a fake arm to attempt to get a vaccine and was caught red handed. So while he’s a hero to the anti-vaxxer movement he’s really just a blithering idiot and will get the criminal prosecution that he so deserves. But the virus denial is out there, folks. And the anti-vaccine movement is getting weird. So here’s what happened with the guy in Italy.

A 50-year-old man tried to pass off a silicone arm as his own at a Covid-19 vaccination clinic in northern Italy, in an attempt to get a vaccine certificate without actually getting inoculated.

The deception was spotted by a nurse, Filippa Bua, as she was about to administer the vaccine in Biella, Piedmont on Thursday. Bua told CNN she noticed something odd about the arm.
"The color of the skin was anomalous, much lighter compared to the hands or the face of the patient," she said.

After inspecting the area, she realized that the arm was fake, made of silicone.

"I first felt sorry for the man, thinking that he had a prosthesis and wondering if I had somehow forced him to give me the wrong arm," Bua said. "But then he admitted he was wearing the fake arm on purpose to avoid getting the vaccine!"
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/03/europe/italy-man-silicone-arm-vaccine-intl-scli/index.html

Yeah that’s not how that works but I wouldn’t trust Dr. Nick to carry out this operation. I’m just saying, that’s all. But the war on vaccines is heating up and heading in strange and bizarre new directions, and I’m not shocked in the least that those who aren’t taking the vaccine are dying in huge numbers. But don’t tell that to people like Antonio Brown, who used a fake vaccine card to get around NFL safety protocols and got busted red handed for it!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians left the door open on Antonio Brown's future this week in his first comments after the receiver was suspended three games for violations of the NFL-NFLPA COVID-19 protocols.

With Brown and safety Mike Edwards penalized for misrepresenting their vaccination status, Arians was asked if they'll remain on the team and he said, “We’ll address their future at that time.” The answer appropriately fueled speculation.

One source said no decision has been made on whether Brown will return to the team after his suspension, and another said it is possible the team keeps the players -- with the insinuation being that it's possible they do not.

Arians was particularly frustrated, considering the efforts his team made in getting to 100% vaccination status. He also said he hoped the league would continue to look for players who were not honest about their vaccination status.
https://www.nfl.com/news/bucs-wide-receiver-antonio-brown-s-future-up-in-the-air-following-suspension-for

Then again no one wants to deal with this deadly virus and the battle over fake vaccine passports has just begun. Hey anti-vaxxers, you can run, you can hide, but you’re going to have to face reality and it’s something that is the opposite of what your stupid Facebook memes convey. Just take a look at what happened in Germany when police raided a group that was caught making fake COVID passports. Yeah you do not want to be involved in this.

German police on Wednesday arrested 12 individuals suspected of being involved in the production and sale of falsified COVID-19 vaccine certificates.

Criminal investigators in the state of Hesse said in a press statement that more than 200 officers had taken part in raids on a total of 23 locations throughout the central German state, as well as two cities in the neighboring state of Baden-Württemberg.

Vaccine passports — either shown as a QR code or in an official vaccine paper booklet — are required as evidence of vaccination. Most bars, restaurants, and entertainment facilities require proof of vaccination or recovery from an infection. Some also allow proof of a recent negative test.

Germany has one of the highest rates of vaccine deniers who refuse to be vaccinated against the virus.
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-police-arrest-12-in-fake-covid-vaccine-passports-raids/a-59847837

And if you think this is just a first world problem, oh no! That I can assure you it is not – it’s a global problem and the more it spreads the more it becomes a thing. And this is a thing you don’t want coming to your country, but just like the Omicron variant, it might already be here! And here’s the irony – the vaccine is free and it’s reliable and it works! If you don’t take the vaccine it’s going to cost you, and the harder you work to not do the easy thing, the more difficult is going to be for you as we attempt to get out of this nightmare pandemic. Yeah that makes sense.

A prolific Irish drug dealer is selling fake Covid-19 vaccine certificates on the dark web for as much as €350 each.

It is believed the digital certificates are likely functional and are being sold to people who want to travel abroad on holidays but do not want to be vaccinated.

The seller is one of a number of people advertising what are purporting to be Irish vaccine certificates on dark web marketplaces. Also available on other sites are fake negative PCR tests and fake documents stating the holder has recently recovered from Covid-19.

While many such items have been available for months, prices increased after the Government announced in October that vaccine passports will be required for the immediate future.

Gardaí said they are consulting with health officials on how to respond. The Department of Health said it is working with other EU countries to put in a system to revoke or invalidate fraudulent certificates at short notice.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/fake-irish-vaccine-passports-for-sale-on-dark-web-for-350-1.4722949

[font size="8"]I Need A Drink: 2021 GOOP Holiday Gift Guide
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Hey everyone I don’t know about you but I could really use a drink!

So of course you know by now that the idea of this segment is that we have some drinks and while we drink we talk about literally anything in the news that doesn’t relate to politics or COVID. Because there’s currently a lot of dark shit in the world, and all we want to do is have some fun. This week it’s 2021 and after the nightmare year that was 2020, the holidays are back in full swing. And since it’s that time of year again, you know who else is back at it? Our friends in New York are going to really hate the coming weekend because you know what’s back? Santa Con! That’s right the annual gathering of the Santas and these Santas really don’t care if you’re naughty or nice. They’re just here to drink the egg nog loaded with rum. So tell me bartender, what goes well with a story about drunk Santas? A large glass of egg nog loaded with rum? Excuse me a minute… yeah I will take that! Oh come on, as Homer Simpson says, we only get 30 sweet days of noggy goodness then the government takes it away! Well, while I’m waiting for my extra large glass of the nog, here’s more!

Dozens of “Santas” are expected to take to the streets of Newport on Saturday, December 4 to take part in the annual event known as SantaCon.

SantaCon is a free-to-attend non-commercial, non-political, nonsensical Santa Claus convention that happens once a year for charity. It’s a mass gathering where people dress in Santa Claus costumes or as other Christmas / Holiday characters and parade throughout Newport and several cities around the world.

According to a Facebook Event, SantaCon Newport will run from 12 pm to 7 pm and will make stops at Celtica at 12 pm, Skiff at 1 pm, a stop for a group photo at 2:30 pm, a stop at Fastnet at 3 pm, and One Pelham East at 4:30 pm. The event will conclude with live music with Rusty until 6:30 pm at One Pelham East.

Prizes are awarded to the best dressed Santa and winner of the Santa dance-off. Participants are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy to be donated to Toys For Tots.
https://whatsupnewp.com/2021/12/santacon-returns-to-newport-on-saturday/

Oh yeah sure it’s non political until the Santas get a few shots of peppermint schnapps in, then it’s anything goes! But that said, Newport is not the only area where Santas will be descending upon the area pubs to drink heavily. Well, in case you’re wondering why New Yorkers hate SantaCon so much, well, just take a look at some of the incidents from past SantaCons. There’s plenty of very naughty activities going on, so naughty that the police and the emergency room are involved. Though this year that’s probably the last place you want to end up.

Bad SantaCon, a different twist on the annual SantaCon event, is coming to Highland.

If you aren't familiar with SantaCon, it's a popular pub crawl that takes place annually, all over the world where people dress up as Santa Clause or other Christmas characters. SantaCon has gotten a lot of negative feedback in recent years, especially in New York City where the event has led to drunken brawling, public urination, and disorder.

In 2013: A wild video was released of a SantaCon brawl in NYC.

In 2018: Police say a Hudson Valley man punched a woman at NYC SantaCon and another Hudson Valley Man assaulted an officer at the Hoboken SantaCon

In 2019: A knife wielding man brawled with Santas on a train.

Despite the problems, SantaCon will be returning to NYC this year with a vengeance after Covid hiatus.

There was actually a Poughkeepsie SantaCon that existed for a short time but while researching the event, it doesn't appear that there has been one in at least five years.

Read More: Bad SantaCon Event Coming to Hudson Valley Area | https://wibx950.com/bad-santacon-coming-to-hudson-valley/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

Yeah chug, Santa, chug! But here’s the thing – are the people here really just “dorks for Christmas” or are they here to get loaded? Just like we’re doing… ah sweet egg nog! But come on, are Santa and Mrs. Santa really just kissing underneath the mistletoe or are they just making out? Oh oh… Santa just got cold clocked! This isn’t really much a SantaCon as it is a Santa… Con. Emphasis on the word “con” because there’s plenty of holly jolly, but some more emphasis on being naughty than being nice! I am using this metaphor way too much.

Megan Lewman and Bethany Reycraft consider themselves big nerds about Christmas. Both have December birthdays with Lewman being a Christmas baby and Reycraft’s middle name is a variation of Noel.

And for the past two years, Lewman and Reycraft have been the coordinators for SantaCon, an annual Christmas-themed bar-crawl event through downtown Lakeland that will take place Dec. 11 this year.

“It’s a labor of love. We’re just dorks about Christmas. It’s festive and it’s just something we love,” Lewman added.

Lewman attended her first SantaCon in 2016, when it was organized by Robert Wagner, after seeing a flyer on Facebook. After the first year, she started helping plan the pub crawl event.
https://www.theledger.com/story/entertainment/holiday/christmas/2021/12/02/lakeland-santacon-has-grown-recent-years-event-format-has-changed/8792159002/

I think Santa’s had just a bit too much there! That said, while SantaCon puts the emphasis on booze and bad behavior, if you’re a Santa and a teetotaler, then where do you go for a solution to your holly jolly party atmosphere? Then you should check out the neighboring ElfCon, which is the booze free, family friendly solution to the holiday mayhem. At ElfCon, instead of getting a booze high, you’ll be getting a chocolate infused sugar and caffeine high, so instead of ending up like Billy Bob Thornton in “Bad Santa”, you’ll end up more like Will Ferrell’s Buddy The Elf in “Elf”.

Move over, Santa! The elves are taking over New York City.

Hundreds of New Yorkers in elf garb will be congregating at some of NYC's best hot chocolate purveyors for ElfCon, a brand-new, family-friendly hot cocoa crawl in the city.

ElfCon is an adventure without a particular route. Instead, elves are supposed stop at several Manhattan cocoa locations on a provided map and get their special Elf Passports stamped for a special prize at the end. And yes, participants are asked to wear elf garb. (Think: jingle bells, pointy shoes, striped stockings...)

While imbibing on that sweet, sweet hot chocolate and getting a major sugar high, elf crawlers will also be raising money for two charities—The Trevor Project, an organization that helps protect LGBTQ youth, and Making Headway, a foundation dedicated to helping families with children with brain tumors.

The jolly jaunt around the city is one high schooler's answer to SantaCon, the infamous beer crawl that is either the best day of the year or the worst depending on who you are. (Yes, that's also still on this year.)
https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/this-hot-chocolate-crawl-is-a-local-high-schoolers-answer-to-santacon-120221

[font size="8"]Red State Diaries
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Welcome back to our ongoing survey of what the post 2020 MAGA insurrectionists are up to in Red State Diaries! Because we can no longer afford to ignore these people and all the damage that they are causing, and let’s face it, MAGA is no longer a political ideology but a full blown cult! Last week, we talked about how Q Anon fans were waiting in Dallas for JFK Jr and announce that he was arresting most of Trump’s political opponents. This week, we have a beef! You know me, I love a good beef. And this beef is between the Squad (Omar, Ocasio-Cortez, Jones, Talib) and what I’m going to start referring to as the Bonehead Squad (Boebert, Greene, Gaetz, Jones, Cawthorn). But this week we’re going to analyze the beef between these two groups – and really Marjorie, we don’t hate you because you’re a conservative Christian white woman. We hate you because you’re a raging racist asshole who belongs in the dumpster instead of in Congress. Thank you audience! But that said here’s what is happening with this delightful bunch. /sarcasm

Six months after a shooting war in Gaza, Congress is more involved in controversies over Islamophobia and anti-Semitism than it is in resuscitating a two-state solution in the Middle East.

Support for the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel has notably declined on Capitol Hill as poisonous rhetoric replaces policy debates about long-term security in a region where conflict has flared for more than a generation. For many lawmakers — and more prominently in the GOP as of late — the weaponization of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism has become the rule, not the exception.

This past week alone, two videos emerged of Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) suggesting that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), a Somali-born Muslim who's outspoken in favor of Palestinian rights, is a terrorist; and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) called Omar a jihadist. The Democratic Party has its own internal fractures over the U.S.-Israel relationship: Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) was criticized by a far-left activist group last week for simply meeting with Israeli leaders, even as he has been critical of the country’s right-wing-led coalition government.

Lawmakers and two-state advocates alike are wincing at those episodes, warning about a serious undermining of what used to be an overwhelmingly bipartisan goal to help end the decadeslong Middle East conflict — not to mention the intimidation of those on both sides of the aisle seeking real solutions.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/12/06/islamophobia-anti-semitism-controversies-congress-523724

Yeah that’s what happens when you elect social media trolls to Congress! You get them trolling with racist and hateful shit in real life. Thanks to the Alex Joneses and Steve Bannons of the world, Congress is devolving into a cesspool of racist and hateful shit. But what happens when the racist beef goes way too far? Well Ilhan Omar is putting the pressure on Nancy Pelosi to do something. The sad thing is any other job these idiots would have been fired on the first day. So why can’t we get rid of Boebert and Greene?

The House only has four days left in session this year. And Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar said Sunday she expects Speaker Nancy Pelosi to use at least some of that time to sanction Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert for suggesting that she was a terrorist.
"I have had a conversation with the speaker, and I'm very confident that she will take decisive action next week," Omar told CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday. She also noted that "it's important for us to say, this kind of language, this kind of hate cannot be condoned by the House of Representatives. And we should punish and sanction Boebert by stripping her of her committees, by rebuking her language, by doing everything that we can to send a clear and decisive message to the American public that, if the Republicans are not going to be adults and condone -- condemn this, that we are going to do that."
Which, well big deal!

What to do about Boebert has been percolating in Congress since just after Thanksgiving when remarks by the controversial Colorado Republican came to light.

"I was getting into an elevator with one of my staffers and he and I were leaving the Capitol, we're going back to my office and we get in the elevator and I see a Capitol Police officer running hurriedly to the elevator. I see fret all over his face," Boebert recounted. "And he's reaching. The door is shutting. I can't open it. What's happening? I look to my left and there she is, Ilhan Omar, and I said, 'Well she doesn't have a backpack, we should be fine.'"
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/06/politics/ilhan-omar-lauren-boebert/index.html

Yeah probably! And what happens when even the mediators can’t control the beast that has been unleashed? Well the racist piece of garbage known as Marjorie Greene (I refuse to use all 3 of her names) can’t stop fighting with people. And as I have said if I treated my coworkers like this I would have been out on my ass a long time ago. But the sad thing is the more you tell Marjorie no or the more you say that you hate her, that only makes them stronger. You can’t get rid of social media trolls no matter how much you try.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tried — without success — Tuesday night to end an ugly battle between two of his GOP freshmen.

The California Republican implored Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), in separate private meetings, to stop attacking one another after their back-and-forth online spat dragged on for hours earlier Tuesday.

After speaking with the GOP leader, Greene said she told McCarthy that she would quit attacking Mace. But as she was leaving the meeting, Greene suggested to CNN that she was interested in seeing Mace get a Republican primary challenger, something former President Donald Trump has called for.

Mace, after meeting with McCarthy, also didn’t back down after being asked about Greene’s primary challenger comments.

“All I can say about Marjorie Taylor Greene is bless her fucking heart,” Mace told reporters.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/11/30/mace-greene-feud-mccarthy-523587 [/div

Damn is right! That is a low blow if there ever was one! That said, we’ll be keeping an eye on these two in case Marjorie goes insane and climbs to the top of the watchtower. Which, let’s face it, will be the inevitable end of her career as a politician. I mean come on, you can only hate the media so much before they start turning on you, which I am pretty sure has happened. But don’t complain about them, they will troll on right wing news programs about how they’re being silenced and censored. But yeah then at least start calling out their bullshit!

Under rising pressure from the left, House Democratic leaders are eyeing several options to respond to Rep. Lauren Boebert's Islamophobic comments about Rep. Ilhan Omar — all of which fall short of progressives' demands.

Referring Boebert to the House Ethics Committee or calling up a measure tackling Islamophobia are among the actions being discussed by Democratic leaders to deal with the Colorado conservative, according to three people familiar with the matter. That might not be enough to satisfy progressives, who want their leadership to act and on Wednesday introduced legislation to boot Boebert from her committees.

"If leadership does not act accordingly, we are condoning that behavior. Not just here in Congress, but we are sending the message across the country, around the world, that anti-Muslim hate is OK," Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday.

Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) added that “we cannot be complicit as members of this body trample on the fundamental right of religious freedom and put people’s lives in danger."
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/12/08/anti-islamaphobia-bill-boebert-omar-523953

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

For our last Red State Diaries of 2021, what’s up with Congressional representatives sending out themselves with pictures of guns on their holiday greeting cards? We will find out what’s fueling this weird and dangerous new trend!

[font size="4"]And Now This: [/font]
[font size="4"]Angels & Airwaves [/font]

My next guest of course you know him best as Tom DeLonge and his band Angels & Airwaves! Their latest album is called “Lifebloods”. Playing their song “Timebomb” give it up for Angels & Airwaves!

Thank you New York City! We had a great time on our East Coast trek! We’re back home next week for our final Top 10 of the year! See you next week!

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Number of posts: 596

About Top 10 Idiots

This is the official DU account for the new format Top 10 Conservative Idiots separate from the host account Initech. The new format Top 10 will launch June 13th, 2018 and all posts related to the Top 10 (promos, etc) will be posted from this account only. The Top 10 is posted once a week on Thursdays at 2:00 PM. There is a full archive of all past, present and future Top 10 editions that can be found here: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218599098\ Announcements for our current season schedule are posted in our Best Of editions that appear at the end of each season. Updates are posted regularly on the official Top 10 Mastodon account and the official Holy Shit Mastodon account. The Mastodon accounts are used to announce what's going to be in next week's edition, new content, advertising our segments, and so on. This account will post official Top 10 editions, and any related content including our spinoff series: Holy Shit The Sunday Sermons. If you wish to contact the Top 10 you may do so here: E-mail (all questions, concerns, suggestions, and hate mail welcome): Top10ConIdiots@gmail.com Follow the Top 10 on Mastodon: Top10ConIdiots@mstdn.party Follow The Holy Church Of The Top 10 on Mastodon: ChurchOfTop10@mstdn.party **This account will ONLY be used to post official Idiots editions, promos, and things related to the Top 10. No other posts will come from this account** Top 10 Wiki: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211322508

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