Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Top 10 Idiots

Top 10 Idiots's Journal
Top 10 Idiots's Journal
October 31, 2018

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #5-18: Wheel Of Corruption & The Deathly Hallows Pt 1 Edition


Top 10 Conservative Idiots #5-18: Wheel Of Corruption & The Deathly Hallows Pt 1 Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! You don’t have to review our privacy policy here because we don’t have one! What’s up Smashville??? Yeah there I said it, oh, and happy fucking Halloween! Whew, after the events of last week, we made it! By the way, I must explain my costume today. See, I am not Donald Trump. Instead, I took my own advice from last week and went out and got the much jankier “Costume Candidate” costume. See how fake my wig is? And my comically oversized tie? It perfectly accentuates my girth! Oh my hat says “Make America Good Always”. Yes, it’s finally Halloween and time for my big Halloween show! So do I really need to congratulate the Red Sox for winning the World Series? No? Good! Because the international symbol of choking should be changed from this – to this. Yeah sorry Dodger fans but it’s true. This is only Boston’s 180th championship in the last 15 years. They win so much I’m sick of it! Do we have time for the thing? So… yeah Post Malone, what are you doing? Our good friend Post Malone is back in the news and I don’t know if you saw this or not but Post has been in the news for spending like a baller! And it’s mainly on the site Postmates. See? Post? Postmates? Get it? Ah! Ah! OK so what did he buy exactly? Just about anything and everything. Tons of booze, tons of fast food. Dude, Post why are you so tired all the time? I don’t know – maybe eat a salad or two instead of $900 worth of Popeye’s chicken. Or maybe drink some water and coffee instead of $4,000 worth of booze. But here’s where it gets weird – he asked Postmates to go to Target and buy the most expensive chess set. Although my favorite thing is that he asked Postmates to bring him… a mariachi band! Yeah you really can’t make this stuff up, though we really question Post’s spending habits at this point. OK enough of the intro. We got a lot of idiocy to get to but first Bill Maher is back and he asks – did we reach Peak Florida?



So where do we begin this week? Well I’ve been teasing this segment for a while now but we got to do it – “What’s Up With Brazil?” because Brazil just elected an ultra far right Trump / Putin stooge as their new president and we’ll tell you all about what you can expect from Jair Bolsonaro (1). In the second slot, unless you’ve been living under a rock we had a terrorist attack from a far right crazy man last week, and we’ll tell you all about the #MAGABomber (2). In the third slot is of course the guy who we currently call president and that’s Donald J. Trump (3). Did you know that China and Russia have been secretly listening in on Trump’s calls that he makes on his unsecured iPhone? I can guarantee that I am not in any way, shape or form shocked at these events. At number 4 this week we’ve got a new installment of “How Is This Still A Thing” and after Megyn Kelly’s revelation about Blackface, we’re going to ask “Blackface – how is this still a thing?”. For the 5th slot this week is of course our weekly investigative piece Top 10 Investigates (5) and this week it’s a week before the midterm election and we’re going to talk voter intimidation. It’s an extremely scary subject. At number 6 is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6) and this week our resident pastor is going to tell you, by way of the Christian right – who is god voting for? The answer may (not) surprise you! At number 7 we’ve got a new segment of one of our favorites – “Beating A Dead Horse”. After every attack and shooting, the right and alt right are lightning quick to call these shootings “false flag operations” and they’ve used the term so much that it’s lost all meaning. Taking the 8th slot this week we’ve got a new installment of “This Fucking Guy” and this week we’re going to profile the cohost and co-conspirator of Infowars, Pastor Rodney Howard Brown. Yes, this guy is a pastor! At number 9 (NEIN!!!!) this week is of course our favorite segment, People Are Dumb (9) ,because people are dumb. Finally this week we’ve got the next installment of Deep State Diaries and we’re going to check out how our elections are monitored as we visit the Federal Elections Commission. Yes, we need this one! Plus, for our big Halloween bash, the guy who is synonymous with Halloween – Marilyn Manson is going to be stopping by! 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"]Jair Bolsonaro
[br] [/font]
[br]

Hey everyone say it with me: It’s time for the WHEEL OF CORRUPTION! YAY!!!!!



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. So here’s what is on the wheel this week:

- Guns
- Abortion
- Crime
- Poverty
- Election Theft
- Buy A Vowel
- Clip Without Context
- Greed
- Spying
- Food
- Elections
- Donald Trump
- Clip Without Context
- Chance
- 5,000
- Bankrupt
- Community Chest
- Donald Trump
- A Random Tweet
- Something Random In The News
- ‘Merica!
- Golf
- 10,000
- Morally Bankrupt
- Guacamole
- Clip Without Context
- Talk Shows
- Holy Shit
- Beating A Dead Horse
- This Fucking Guy
- How Is This Still A Thing?
- Harry Potter
- 15,000
- People Are Dumb
- Donald Trump
- I Need A Drink
- Infowars
- T-Shirt Cannon
- Lightning Round
- Bonus Spin

So let’s get this shit going! Spin that shit! Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy… stop! Clip without context!



Really, Jim Bakker’s channel is really just the Home Shopping Network for douchebags. Spin it again! And it lands on… wait for it… elections! And with that it’s time for our new segment:



So what is up with Brazil? You know we did our exhaustive World Tour back in the 3rd season of the Top 10 and we visited Brazil back in Idiots #3-13 and noted how Putin’s far right influence was rearing its’ ugly head in South America’s largest country. Well, last week, Putin scored another victory as Brazil elected a guy who’s essentially a tropical version of Trump.

Brazilian politics lurched to the far right Sunday after congressman Jair Bolsonaro won the presidency of Latin America’s largest nation. Bolsonaro, 63, is a former army captain who has appalled critics and thrilled supporters over his views on abortion, the environment, immigration, race, women and more.

He won 55.2% of votes cast with a promise to restore law and order and prioritize family values. Conservative Michel Temer has led Brazil for the last two years. His relatively brief tenure follows the impeachment of left wing President Dilma Rousseff.

Bolsonaro is a pro-gun, pro-torture, small-government politician who said he is "in favor of dictatorship." He has been charged with hate speech by Brazil's attorney general and was stabbed and nearly died while campaigning for the presidency.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/10/29/jair-bolsonaro-brazils-new-president-has-said-many-offensive-things/1804519002/




We can only guess that’s an actual artist rendering from Putin’s reaction watching the Brazilian elections. So guess what? Not even 24 hours in and Bolsonaro is met with some huge protests, hey it’s the Trump election all over again!

Tens of thousands of women have taken to the streets of Brazil to protest against the far-right presidential election front-runner Jair Bolsonaro.

The words Ele Nao (not him) were seen on stickers and banners and were shouted by the crowds.

Mr Bolsonaro was stabbed at a rally earlier this month and is currently leading in the polls ahead of the first round of elections on 7 October.

But a run-off vote is likely to be much closer.

A former army captain, Jair Bolsonaro is a hugely controversial figure and has sparked outrage with homophobic and misogynist comments.

He once told a congresswoman she was not worth raping and has equated homosexuality with paedophilia.

Some have compared the 63-year-old to Donald Trump. He enjoys the backing of millions of evangelical Christians who praise his anti-abortion stance
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-45696677




Holy shit! He couldn’t be more like Trump if he were cloned! In case you’re wondering where Bolsonaro stands on the issues, well, guess what? Once again he’s just like Trump. Let’s delve into more.

Lots of the international media coverage of the rise of Jair Bolsonaro has lazily branded him Brazil’s answer to Donald Trump. But the truth is Bolsonaro, who swept to election victory Sunday night, is much more extreme. The far-right has conquered the world’s fourth biggest democracy, and the consequences of that will stretch far beyond Brazil.

During a bitter election campaign between Bolsonaro and Fernando Haddad of the left-wing Workers’ Party, each candidate claimed that the other would destroy Brazil. On Sunday, Bolsonaro’s vision—of eradicating corruption, driving down crime, and promoting traditional family values—led him to victory, with 55.2 percent of counted votes to 44.8.

One fair comparison with Trump’s victory is, this morning, that one half of the country will be elated and the other devastated. During Bolsonaro’s 27-year career as a congressman, the far-right politician has been known for celebrating the brutal military dictatorship that ruled Brazil for two decades and for repeatedly attacking the country’s black, gay and indigenous communities. He will now be their president.

In the past, he’s told a female representative in congress that she was too ugly for him to rape, and he’s publicly admitted that he’d rather have his son die in a car crash than be gay. He’s backed torture; said he’d have to kill 30,000 people to get the country back on track; and claimed having a daughter was a personal “moment of weakness.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-the-hell-has-brazil-elected-far-right-jair-bolsonaro-as-president




I’d tell him where I would like to stick those thumbs. But really you should be very concerned with the direction that Brazil is heading in as they have joined the ranks of Turkey, the Philippines, China, Japan, in that far right populism and fear and economic anxiety is defeating progress. Yes, we are in for some dark times ahead.

The election of neo-fascist presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro is raising fears that Brazil could be the latest country hit by a wave of far-right authoritarians. Bolsonaro, though, represents something scarier than Donald Trump, the politician he is most often compared to. Following the election on Oct. 28, the world’s fourth-largest democracy is in danger.

Bolsonaro is a seven-term congressman who surged into the popular consciousness as a hardline law-and-order figure with outsider credibility because of the swirling crises that have engulfed Brazil over the past five years. His racist, misogynist, homophobic outrages are numerous and well-known. Horrifying as these are, merely repeating them does not tell us everything about why Bolsonaro was such an unsuitable candidate — and now will be an unsuitable president.

Bolsonaro’s eulogies to the military dictatorship and its torturers tell us a bit more. Brazil’s “day that lasted 21 years” did not go far enough, in his mind: The dictatorship “should have killed 30,000 more,” he said in 1999, while serving his third term as a congressman. Within the military establishment, Bolsonaro represents an extremist tendency; former military-dictator Ernesto Geisel labeled him “completely beyond the pale” and a "military evil."
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/brazil-presidential-election-who-jair-bolsonaro-popular-candidate-more-dangerous-ncna925011




Meet the new boss, WORSE than the old boss! Oh so much worse, right? And if you think that we’ve only just begun with Bolsonaro, think again! because he’s got a new BFF in the White House! Get your gag reflexes ready!

Brazil’s new president-elect, Jair Bolsonaro, is an ardent admirer — and shrewd imitator — of his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump. And that could usher in one of the warmest bilateral relationships in the Western Hemisphere.

Trump called to congratulate Bolsonaro on Sunday night, shortly after the far-right congressman scored a resounding victory at the polls, winning 55 percent of the vote following a mud-slinging campaign with a leftist rival.

Bolsonaro and Trump spoke of “a strong commitment to work side-by-side” on issues affecting Brazil, the United States and beyond, the White House said.

Trump has bullied and wrangled with other leaders in the Americas, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.

But in Bolsonaro, Trump will find a doppelganger whose world view and pugnacious style are strikingly similar to his own.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-election-trump/a-trump-bolsonaro-bromance-could-be-brewing-after-brazilians-big-win-idUSKCN1N31BZ





[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"]MAGABomber
[br] [/font]
[br]

Let’s give the wheel a nice strong spin shall we? Ooh, that was a good spin there. And it lands on… A Random Tweet!

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1056391795523895296

Really? We had two terrorist attacks in a week and you’re concerned about baseball? Also interesting use of the word “shellacked” there, Trump! Because that’s exactly what is going to happen to you next week! Thank you audience! Spin it again! Donald Trump. And you know this week they caught the MAGABomber, and oh yeah, he’s exactly who you’d expect – a loner weirdo living full of Trump stickers with Trump’s enemies list in crosshairs in a van who got kicked out of his home because his mom was afraid of his support for Trump. So here’s more.

A man arrested on suspicion of being the MAGA bomber has been named as Native American Trump supporter Cesar Sayoc, 56. Sayoc, of Fort Lauderdale, is belived to have been arrested in Plantation, a suburb of Miami, Florida, Friday on suspicion of sending 12 pipe bombs to top Democrats and high-profile figures critical of Donald Trump. Online records show Sayoc has owned companies called Native American Catering & Vending, as well as Proud Native America One Low Price Drycleaning.

Bodybuilder Sayoc is said to have been traced by DNA and phone records, and was flagged as a suspect after making previous terror threats to judges. Meanwhile, photos have emerged of a van linked to Sayoc covered in pro-Trump and anti-Hillary Clinton stickers.

Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2018/10/26/police-seize-van-covered-in-donald-trump-stickers-after-arresting-suspected-maga-bomber-56-8078782/?ito=cbshare




OK let’s go through the list and see if he meets the profile. He’s a creepy homeless guy living in a van covered with Trump bumper stickers and was a stripper. As Bill Maher said – have we reached peak Florida? Probably! And by the way we may need to play a game of “Blame Game Bingo” at some point because the GOP refuses to blame anyone but themselves. But this might be the stupidest justification of the incident:

An attempt to assassinate at least 14 of President Donald Trump’s most prominent critics did not succeed, thank God. But this direct attack on our democracy also failed to move Missouri GOP Senate nominee Josh Hawley to so much as tweak his portrayal of violent political rhetoric and actions in this country as an exclusively Democratic phenomenon.

At his final debate with Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill, both candidates were asked whether voters deserve better than the current sub-basement level of discourse. Absolutely, said Hawley. “You hear leaders of the Democrat Party like Hillary Clinton saying that you can’t be civil with people you disagree with. You have Eric Holder, another Democrat leader, saying the new Democrat Party kicks people they disagree with. When you see these mobs popping up in the wake of the Kavanaugh hearings. The screaming, the shouting, driving people out of restaurants, confronting them, this is terrible ... I am disappointed that the Democrat Party seems to have embraced this.”

Let’s see, why were Clinton and Holder in the news in recent days? Oh yes, for having bombs sent to them. Yet in a protracted back-and-forth over incendiary words, neither Hawley nor McCaskill ever mentioned incendiary devices.
https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/melinda-henneberger/article220347545.html




So if we extrapolate, Clinton was responsible for… inciting violence when Trump constantly has rallies where he screams “LOCK HER UP!!!”??? Are you fucking kidding me? We might need to play a game of Blame Game Bingo next week. Because the excuses coming are far and furious. By the way in case you’re wondering the kind of character Caesar Sayoc is, Michael Moore recently unearthed footage of him at a Trump rally:

Filmmaker Michael Moore posted a video clip of suspected pipe bomber Cesar Sayoc at a rally for President Donald Trump last year, apparently chanting “CNN sucks” with a group of Trump supporters.

It was filmed in Melbourne, Florida, at the first Trump 2020 re-election rally, which was held just a month after Trump’s inauguration in 2017.

“Who we needed to understand were our fellow Americans, lost souls full of anger and possible violence, easily fed a pile of lies so large and toxic that we wondered if there would ever be a chance that we could bring them back from the Dark Side,” he said.

Sayoc, 56, was arrested Friday for allegedly sending more than a dozen pipe bombs in the mail to Democratic political figures and other Trump targets. The van in which he was living was plastered with photos of Trump, pro-Trump slogans, “CNN sucks,” and photos of the faces of Trump critics marked with gunsight crosshairs.
Read more: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/michael-moore-posts-clip-of-cesar-sayoc-at-trump-rally-chanting-cnn-sucks_us_5bd631b7e4b0a8f17ef915dc


And you know what? Skip the meme for this one, we need to show you what his van looks like:



Yes that is fucking insane. You think this guy might be Trump’s #1 fan? Depending on how the trial goes, he’ll either have a cell waiting for him at Supermax or he’ll have a cushy job at Fox News. Sadly, that seems to be the way things are going these days. And by the way, Sayoc’s story started out so innocent – he was just an innocent food blogger who turned to the dark side!

Until 2016, Cesar Altieri Sayoc Jr.’s life on social media looked unremarkable. On his Facebook page, he posted photos of decadent meals, gym workouts, scantily clad women and sports games — the stereotypical trappings of middle-age masculinity.

But that year, Sayoc’s social media presence took on a darker and more partisan tone. He opened a new Twitter account and began posting links to sensational right-wing news stories, adding captions like “Clinton busted exposed rigging entire election.” On Facebook, his anodyne posts gave way to a feed overflowing with pro-Donald Trump images, news stories about Muslims and Daesh (also called the Islamic State), far-fetched conspiracy theories and clips from Fox News broadcasts.

By the time he was arrested in Florida on Friday, charged with sending pipe bombs to at least a dozen of Trump’s critics, Sayoc appeared to fit the all-too-familiar profile of a modern extremist, radicalized online and sucked into a vortex of partisan furor.

In recent weeks, he had posted violent fantasies and threats against several people to whom pipe bombs were addressed, including Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., and former Vice President Joe Biden. His vehicle, a white van plastered with right-wing slogans, came to resemble a Facebook feed on wheels.
https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2018/10/27/pipe-bomb-suspects-social-media-took-a-dark-turn.html





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

Let’s give the wheel a nice spin shall we? And it lands on… wait for it… Chance!



Eh… unlike Trump and Fox News fans, I am actually fine paying my taxes! Spin it again! And it lands on… spying! OK… Ok… OK…. Here’s my whole thing. Remember back during the campaign when they said Hillary was using e-mail servers illegally? Well guess what. I’ll give you five guesses on what Trump is doing with an iPhone. But I always thought he was an Android guy. Yeah that’s exactly it, sir! Trump got hacked, yo! And guess who’s doing the hacking?

In the wake of the 2013 revelations of the US National Security Agency’s (NSA) surveillance program, and amid increasing worries that private firms are using our phones to eavesdrop on us, it’s understandable that many people are now paranoid that their private communications can be intercepted. The president of the United States, however, is apparently not among them.

The New York Times (paywall) reported yesterday (Oct. 24) that Donald Trump wouldn’t restrict his phone calls to more secure lines available to him, such as White House landlines, preferring to conduct many communications—including calls to Fox News—over one of three iPhones. None of the three cellphones are completely secure, though two of them have been altered by the NSA to limit vulnerabilities, while the third, personal phone is the most insecure. As a result, Chinese and Russian intelligence have allegedly been able to listen in, the paper reported, citing unnamed current and former officials. The paper said the officials came by the information via informants in other governments and their own eavesdropping on other governments.

The report said China has been using the information gleaned in this way to form a list of personal friends Trump speaks with frequently, as well as “what arguments work,” hoping to lobby these networks over the two countries’ trade war. That suggests that outsiders are able to access not only the phone numbers the president calls, but also the content of the calls themselves. Stephen A. Schwarzman, chief executive of private-equity giant Blackstone Group, and casino magnate Steve Wynn are on the list put together by China, the Times said.
https://qz.com/1436938/nyt-report-china-is-eavesdropping-on-trumps-unsecure-iphone-calls/




So that happened. And of course the White House is going out of their way to actively deny this is happening. What’s the solution you might ask? How does one keep their phone secure when they’re being spied on 24/7? Well China’s got a solution!

A New York Times report that Chinese and Russian spies are often listening in on U.S. President Donald Trump's conversations with his friends made on his unsecured iPhone drew an unusual response from the Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman.

If Trump is concerned about the security of his iPhone, he can consider switching over to a Huawei, or cut off communications altogether, Hua Chunying, the foreign ministry spokeswoman, said in response to a question about the Times report. She dismissed the report as another example of “fake news."

“Seeing this report, I feel there are those in America who are working all-out to win the Oscar for best screenplay,” Hua said at the ministry’s regular briefing in Beijing on Thursday.

American spy agencies had learned that China and Russia were eavesdropping on the president's cellphone calls, with China seeking to use what it learns from the calls to prevent an escalation of a trade war with the U.S., according to the Times report, which cited several former and current officials.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/25/china-denies-spying-trump-iphone-938785




Really? A Huawei? He might as well have a sign on his back that says "hack me!" I mean come on we covered Huawei in the Top 10 before and how they’re probably (read: definitely) spying on you through their crappy phones that nobody wants! But of course Trump’s White House is actively going out of their way to deny this is happening.

The White House on Thursday flatly denied that President Donald Trump's cellphone was compromised after a New York Times report suggested Chinese spies were listening to his phone calls.

"The article written by the New York Times presented inaccurate information about the President's cell phone and its usage," White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said in a statement.

Current and former US officials warned that Trump's personal Apple iPhone was monitored by Chinese spies, according to The Times' report published Wednesday. Trump reportedly used two iPhones that were programmed by the National Security Agency for official use, but also kept a third, personal phone that was unaltered — much like the normal iPhones on the consumer market.

Trump was said to use the unaltered personal iPhone because of its ability to store contacts, the officials said in the report. One of the two official phones was designated for making calls, and the other one was for Twitter.
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-iphone-tapped-by-china-spies-new-york-times-report-2018-10






I mean come on! It’s absolutely no surprise that Trump fails at understanding how technology works, the guy can barely work an umbrella!



Yeah that happened! So why expect him to be able to work an iPhone?

"They didn't care about emails," he said. "If they did, they'd be up in arms right now as the Chinese are listening to the president's iPhone that he leaves in his golf cart."

Obama had a few other burns for Trump, too.

"Their promise to drain the swamp, that was not on the up and up. Nobody in my administration got indicted."

The former president was in Milwaukee stumping for Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who led her competitor, state Sen. Leah Vukmir, by 15 points in a recent poll.
https://mashable.com/article/barack-obama-trump-iphone/#XPe1uB3b_iq3





[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"]How Is This Still A Thing?
[br] [/font]
[br]

Let’s spin the wheel again shall we? Wheel goes ‘round, wheel goes ‘round… And it lands on… A Random Tweet!

https://twitter.com/RightWingWatch/status/1056925151814733824

Worst Social Distortion cover ever, by the way. I don’t remember hearing those lyrics in “Ball And Chain”! Spin it again! Oh hey it’s time for “How Is This Still A Thing”! It’s time once again to ask:



This week: Blackface. How is this still a thing? The idea of applying makeup to your skin to appear of a different race is nothing new, and in fact as old as time itself. But in the era known as 2018, some might think of this practice as… being a bit racist. So why would you? Or why wouldn’t you? Well the reason that Blackface is in the news this week is because of Halloween. And one person in particular – NBC’s Megyn Kelly doesn’t appear to believe that the concept of Blackface is racist.

Sometimes "I'm sorry" just doesn't cut it -- a hard lesson that NBC Today show host Megyn Kelly now understands. Reportedly, Kelly's morning show "Megyn Kelly Today" may be cancelled, according to CNN sources and Variety reports.

Kelly, who never really seemed like a good fit for the NBC morning show, overplayed her popularity earlier this week when she passionately defended people who don blackface costumes for Halloween -- a thing that most Americans understand is definitely not okay, unless their intention is to offend.

"But what is racist?" Kelly asked on her show. "Because you do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface on Halloween, or a black person who puts on whiteface for Halloween. Back when I was a kid that was OK, as long as you were dressing up as, like, a character."

The backlash was swift. Kelly was roasted across social media and more importantly her colleagues and bosses were appalled by her comments. NBC executives forced Kelly to apologize first, internally to her colleagues, and then to the viewers.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/25/opinions/megyn-kelly-blackface-comments-racism-roxanne-jones/index.html




That’s a good point. You can’t be racist if you hate everyone equally. But here’s the thing Megyn, if you have to ask what is racist? You probably don’t know what is racist! However you can’t say something like that in this day and age and not expect the “backlash machine” come after you.

Megyn Kelly is out at NBC after making controversial comments about blackface and Halloween costumes during an episode of her morning show Tuesday.

“‘Megyn Kelly Today’ is not returning,” according to an NBC statement. “Next week, the 9 a.m. hour will be hosted by other TODAY co-anchors.”

During her 9 a.m. hour of the Today show Tuesday, Kelly claimed that blackface was acceptable in the context of Halloween costumes, saying it was “OK when I was a kid as long as you were dressing like a character.” The backlash was swift and even drew criticism from longtime Today co-host Al Roker, who said, “While she apologized to the staff, she owes a bigger apology to folks of color around the country because this is a history going back to the 1830s.”

During her Wednesday show, Kelly tried to make amends, saying, “I want to begin with two words: I’m sorry. I defended the idea [of blackface], saying that as long it was respectful and part of a Halloween costume, that it seemed OK. Well, I was wrong, and I am sorry.”
https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-news/megyn-kelly-nbc-fired-blackface-747389/




So how racist is blackface? Well it’s been around since the 1920s. And it *ALWAYS* gains controversy at this time of year, every year. And why do people keep doing it? Well they think it’s funny and they always try to pass it off as a joke. But the people it hurts aren’t the ones who are laughing.

It happens all too frequently – often at Halloween, but not exclusively – as in 2016, when two white teenage girls in Maplewood, N.J., posted a photo of themselves online in blackface. One student told a reporter, "They thought it was a joke, but it really just was not funny at all."

One of the girls' mother said, "The two girls had no idea of what blackface was, or the history of it."

The history of blackface is long and complex, and deeply ingrained in our culture – in vaudeville and minstrel shows and in movies. Even Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd blacked up.

For more than a hundred years, white (and then black) performers wore dark makeup, creating not only a popular theatrical form, but stereotypes that are still with us today.

Eric Lott, a professor at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, admitted that blackface makes him uncomfortable. "It does make me feel uncomfortable to talk about these things because they are incredibly disturbing, and revolting," he told DuBois.

Lott says blackface represents a strange mix of envy, fascination, desire and fear.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/history-of-blackface-unmasking-the-racism-reignited-by-megyn-kelly-controversy/




Oh they knew it was racist, they just don’t care. But just because Megyn Kelly said it, that doesn’t make it OK. In fact if you’re in a public profession, don’t do it. Hell, if you are in any profession don’t do it. It just makes you… racist.

An Iowa teacher is under investigation by the Davenport school district after she was pictured at a public Halloween party wearing blackface, according to the Associated Press.

Megan Luloff, a first-grade teacher at Walcott Elementary, was dressed as Lawfawnduh, a black woman character from the movie "Napoleon Dynamite," as part of a group costume at the Walcott American Legion Friday night, according to the Quad-City Times.

Luloff didn’t return messages left Thursday by the Associated Press.

Davenport School District Superintendent Art Tate responded to the situation, saying “blackface is never appropriate in any circumstance by any person.”
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2018/10/25/blackface-megyn-kelly-iowa-teacher-davenport-halloween-costume-today-show-why-you-shouldnt-wear/1763687002/




So that happened. In fact Blackface is something you shouldn’t do no matter what the cause is. Even former first daughter Jenna Bush was horrified at Megyn Kelly’s insensitivity.

When Megyn Kelly made the comments about blackface that led to Megyn Kelly Today’s cancellation, she was on a panel with three other people: Jacob Soboroff, Melissa Rivers, and Jenna Bush Hager, talking about inappropriate Halloween costumes. Now, Jenna is speaking out about how Megyn's remarks made her “sad.”

In an interview with E! News, the Today show host said she was disgusted by Megyn's comments. “Well, it was, you know, horrifying, because it wasn’t what we were there to talk about,” she said. “And obviously, in this day and age, but in any day and age, when there's talk of something that would make somebody feel bad, it's not something we stand for ever. Not then, not now. And it made me sad."

“We don’t know what is ahead for her right now,” fellow anchor Hoda Kotb added, “and we don’t really know what the outcome of this is going to be.” Their interview was held before NBC announced Megyn Kelly Today would not be coming back.
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/a24281641/jenna-bush-hager-megyn-kelly-blackface/




There you have it, when a member of the Bush family calls you out for being racist, that’s pretty damn racist! That’s enough to make you ask – Blackface:




[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"]Top 10 Investigates: Election Tampering
[br] [/font]
[br]

Let’s spin it to win it! And it lands on… buy a vowel! OK, I will buy an E. OK that looks good, can I solve the puzzle? Halloween! Yes, happy Halloween everybody! And it’s time to announce the winner of our costume contest – winner will get a Top 10 Halloween t-shirt and tickets to enjoy a future Top 10 live production. And that winner is… Chris from Brentwood! That is an amazing Frankenstein costume, give it up for Chris everybody! Spin it again! And it lands on… Top 10 Investigates!



The 2018 midterm elections are merely a week away. But are you ready? Is your local polling place ready? Have you already voted? These and many other questions are ones that you need to ask. But there’s plenty of reports out there that voters are being harassed and intimidated as they attempt to participate as they go to the polls.

Tempers are flaring during early voting in Dallas County, Texas, and reports of voter intimidation are on the rise. The county’s nonpartisan election administrator said that the harassment — including name-calling and interrogating voters waiting in line — is the worst she’s seen in decades.

“I’ve been here for 30 years, and this harassment that’s going on, I haven’t ever seen the likes of this,” said Toni Pippins-Poole, the county’s election director. “I’ve seen some other things, props being used and whatnot, but nothing like this type of mentality or aggressiveness or demeaning type of actions.”

At the Lakeside Activity Center in Mesquite, Texas, election administrators received complaints of a partisan poll watcher looking over voter’s shoulders as they cast their ballots and questioning voters on their politics. The person was later escorted out by Mesquite Police Department officers on Monday after refusing to leave the premises, according to Pippins-Poole.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/voter-intimidation-texas-polling-places




Well that was 2 elections ago. but this election as we have a president who has thrown all sense of common decency and rules and laws regarding ethics out the window. So what can you expect when you go to the polls next week? In fact it’s happening all over the country.

As early voting began Monday in Georgia, a group of black senior citizens gathered for a voter outreach event at Jefferson County’s Leisure Center. Members of Black Voters Matter, one of the groups behind the event, offered to drive the group of about 40 seniors to the polls.

But shortly after the seniors boarded the organization’s bus, county officials stopped the trip, prompting new accusations of voter suppression in a state already dealing with several such controversies.

The event, according to ThinkProgress’s Kira Lerner, was a part of Black Voters Matter’s “The South is Rising” bus tour across seven states to host voter outreach and engagement events. Black Voters Matter is nonpartisan, and the group’s leadership did not encourage the senior citizens to vote for a particular candidate or political party, according to LaTosha Brown, the organization’s co-founder.
https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/10/17/17990110/georgia-senior-citizens-bus-removal-black-voters-matter-suppression




And then there’s places where it gets violent. Because this is 2018 and you can easily come to expect that someone with a gun will be at a place where you can vote. In fact there should be more police present at polling place, shouldn’t there?

Early voting nearly turned violent in Charlotte on Wednesday, when a Republican volunteer reported being confronted with a gun and racial slurs at a Mecklenburg County polling place.

Derek Partee, who is black, said three white people angrily approached him at the Steele Creek polling place, which is southwest of Charlotte near Carowinds, in the 11100 block of South Tryon Street.

Partee posted photos of the three on Facebook, including a photo in which one heavily tattooed man can be seen openly carrying a pistol in a hip holster. A few hours after Partee called police, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department announced it had arrested a 28-year-old Charlotte man named Jason Donald Wayne in connection with the incident.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article220574455.html




That happened. So what can you do about it? What can you do to report problems at the polls? Well here’s how it’s going to work because next week we can expect a lot of these stories coming very fast and furious.

This election season, ABC News is joining a nationwide effort to look out for problems that might delay or hinder your vote.
Interested in Midterm Elections?
Add Midterm Elections as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Midterm Elections news, video, and analysis from ABC News.
Midterm Elections
Add Interest

More than 70 news organizations across the country are participating in Electionland, an initiative from the news nonprofit ProPublica, and will monitor and investigate reports of problems casting ballots or irregularities at the polls.

During Electionland’s inaugural coverage in 2016, two women denied the ability to cast their ballots were able to vote, New York restored access to its elections hotline during early voting, and a Texas poll worker misinterpreting the state’s voter ID law was set straight, according to Pro Publica .

With absentee and early voting already underway and Election Day a week away, readers who experience issues while voting — such as registration problems, purged voter rolls, broken machines, long lines, voter intimidation and changed voting locations — can report those concerns to local election officials.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/election-2018-report-problems-polls/story?id=58828306




Don’t do that. Instead if you see something, say something. Take the same precautions for voter intimidation that they do at the airport. That’s it for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.




[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"]Holy Shit
[br] [/font]
[br]

Let’s give the wheel a good strong spin shall we? And it lands on… wait for it… Oh it’s another clip without context!



Whoa, I don’t remember that passage in the Bible! Spin it again! Oh hey it’s time for Holy Shit!

Gather around, my fair brothers and sisters of Nashville, 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 our weekly duty to remind you why the holiest among us are also the most full of:



So my fair congregation, I ask you – who is GAWD voting for in next week’s election? There’s two sides to this debate, and the other side wants to claim GAWD for themselves. But it says right here in the Good Book – “GAWD shall not factor into any election for there is separation of church and state”. I know it might not say that in their book, but it definitely says so in ours! But my fellow zealots are claiming that a vote for the other side is a vote against GAWD himself!

American Pastors Network leaders used their “Stand in the Gap” radio show this week to promote a national day of prayer for the midterm elections on October 30. The group says its daily radio program airs on 425 stations. “Exactly one week before Election Day will help focus and calibrate people’s thinking and energy—and we pray they will put that energy into going to the Lord on behalf of our country,” said APN president Sam Rohrer.

Pennsylvania Pastors Network Executive Director Gary Dull was quoted in a Monday email message from APN saying that he is personally “burdened” about the elections, “particularly since we’ve heard of evangelical pastors who are traveling to 30 cities in 10 states to tell Christians to vote Democrat.”

On Monday’s radio show, Dull said, “I fully believe that the left-leaning politicians, the left-leaning media, will do everything that can be done to try to thwart any election that is going to perhaps strengthen the policies of Donald Trump and those of us who conservative and indeed, conservative Christians.”

If liberals have their way, he warned, religious freedom will be “squashed.” He urged listeners to “pray, pray, pray for the election, and then vote, vote, vote for the biblical perspective.”
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/american-pastors-network-promotes-day-of-prayer-for-midterms-urges-vote-for-biblical-principles/




Now see conservatives? How hard it is to vote the way that JAYSUS would actually want? It’s not that hard, is it? But of course it means that you should only vote for the Dark One, whose name shall not be named in my church! But apparently that’s not what GAWD wants! At least not according to these people!

Self-proclaimed “prophetess” and “weather warrior” Kat Kerr posted a video on her Facebook page last night in which she urged conservative Christians to join God in voting in the midterm elections because “God is going to vote Republican.”

Apparently unaware that the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America are two different things, Kerr accused Democrats of secretly changing the name of their party in order to conceal their complete embrace of communism.

“I happen to have heard from a very reliable source, they’ve had people sort of undercover checking out the Democratic Party,” Kerr said. “They’ve changed the name of their party … Their new name—because before they kind of hid what they were doing—now, they’re just throwing it all, they’re the Democratic Socialist Party of America.”

“It means communism,” she said. “A socialist republic is communism. They don’t have any rights, they have no freedom, they don’t have arms, they can’t control their own business, they don’t have the right to make as much money as they want to. It strips away everything you have and great oppression sets in.”

Kerr went on to celebrate the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh because now God supposedly “has a seat on the Supreme Court.”
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/kat-kerr-god-is-going-to-vote-republican/




Whoa whoa whoa whoa! Let’s back it up here, Kat! Brett Kavanaugh is not GAWD, he’s just a mere mortal, and GAWD would certainly not approve of Brother Brett’s treatment of women! I can guarantee there’s no passage in the Good Book or the Bible where JAYSUS went boofing and 4F-ing. If you’re wondering the kind of candidate that GAWD would approve of, there’s always this guy!

We reported this week that national anti-Muslim activist Philip Haney claimed to have been on “special assignment” in Minnesota smearing state attorney general candidate Rep. Keith Ellison as the Sharia-promoting “face of Hamas.” In addition to his status as a progressive leader and the first Muslim elected to the U. S. Congress, here’s a big reason the Religious Right and its allies are so interested in taking down Ellison: Ellison’s opponent, Doug Wardlow, is an Alliance Defending Freedom lawyer who has aggressively opposed legal equality for LGBTQ Americans. The Alliance Defending Freedom opposes LGBTQ equality in the U.S. and around the world and has been designated an anti-LGBT hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Wardlow is intensely opposed to marriage equality. After the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 marriage equality ruling, Wardlow characterized the ruling as a “totalitarian impulse” and published an op-ed at Fox News warning that the court’s decision promoted “a dark and dangerous principle”—“the flawed notion that the state does not recognize and protect—but rather creates—our fundamental institutions, rights, and relationships.” He said the decision would force Americans “to choose between their God and their government.” In a 2013 speech to a Tea Party group, Wardlow said, “You cannot have liberty without strong families. You cannot have liberty with marriage redefined to include homosexual marriage.”
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/the-religious-rights-candidate-for-minnesota-attorney-general/




Yes, see JAYSUS would want everyone to get married regardless of who they choose to be with. For it says in our good book and it also says in the Bible “Judge not lest ye be judged!”. But this might be one of the craziest justifications I’ve seen to vote for the Dark One. Really, does Brother Rick protest too much? Yes, he does and this is not the first time he’s suggested such insanity!

Yesterday, the YouTube page run by crazed conspiracy theorist and End Times broadcaster Rick Wiles was terminated for violating the website’s community guidelines and Wiles reacted to the development by warning that this is the first step on the path toward publicly executing Christians and conservatives in the streets.

“America’s leftist snowflakes are furious that half the country no longer listens to their idiotic Marxist propaganda,” Wiles said on his “TruNews” program last night. “My ancestors were German Reformed Church members who fled religious persecution in Europe in the 1700s, risked everything to come to America so they could freely worship God. There’s freedom running through my veins. My ancestors were not silenced, and I won’t be silenced by YouTube. Every generation has its tyrants. We have tech tyrants.”

“I have warned for years that a spirit of Nazism is rising up inside the USA,” he added. “The new Nazis are here. America is on the verge of a French Revolution-style upheaval during which leftist mobs will seek to execute Christians and conservatives in order to purge American society.”
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/after-getting-booted-from-youtube-rick-wiles-warns-that-leftists-will-soon-start-executing-christians/




There you have it folks, the Christian right is so concerned with losing power that they think that a real life purge is happening! But we don’t want you dead, we just want you out of power and out of our lives! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:




[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"]Beating A Dead Horse: False Flag Conspiracies
[br] [/font]
[br]

Spin that shit! Wheel goes round, wheel goes round, wheel goes round… and it lands on… another clip without context!



This is my new favorite thing! I could seriously watch this all day! Spin it again! Hey it’s time for Beating A Dead Horse:



You know there’s nothing conservatives love than a good conspiracy. They love that shit. And their favorite conspiracy – their go to – is the false flag conspiracy. Or maybe it’s a conspiracy involving left wing billionaire George Soros. Or maybe it’s a combination of the two, but either way they are lightning fast to any attack – whether it’s the MAGAbomber or the MAGAshooter, to call it a false flag. But they’ve been calling literally *EVERYTHING* a false flag! So in case you’re wondering what a false flag is, it’s a conspiracy wherein the source of the actual attack is being disguised by someone or someone else. But be warned – these types of theories are everywhere!

Just hours after the news broke this week that explosive devices had been sent to Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and other prominent Democrats, a conspiracy theory began to take shape in certain corners of conservative media.

The bombs, this theory went, were not actually part of a plot to harm Democrats, but were a “false flag” operation concocted by leftists in order to paint conservatives as violent radicals ahead of the elections next month.

“These ‘Suspicious Package’ stories are false flags, carefully planned for the midterms,” tweeted Jacob Wohl, a pro-Trump internet troll who writes for Gateway Pundit, a right-wing news site.

By nightfall, as more explosives were discovered addressed to Representative Maxine Waters, a California Democrat, and Eric H. Holder Jr., an attorney general under Mr. Obama, the fact-free explanation had gelled: The bombs were props, planted by Democratic operatives and amplified by a biased liberal media. A woman arrived at a debate between the two candidates for Florida governor, Ron DeSantis and Andrew Gillum, with a sign that read “Democrats Fake News Fake Bombs.” Lou Dobbs, the Fox Business host and confidant of President Trump, echoed that line in a tweet that he later deleted.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/25/business/false-flag-theory-bombs-conservative-media.html




Yes, yes it does! And just a matter of fact let’s go through all the times Alex Jones called every mass shooter ever a false flag operation:










And that was just in a short find on Youtube! And you know why they’re quick to call everything a false flag? It’s because they can’t deal with reality! They can’t deal with it!

Almost immediately after news broke that explosive devices had been sent to a variety of President Donald Trump’s critics, a “false flag” conspiracy theory began to percolate on the far right, emerging from fringe message boards and gaining traction on social media before edging into the mainstream press.

The theory, as many on the far right posited without evidence, was that the bombs were the work of a Democrat who was hoping to make Republicans and Trump look bad a few days before the 2018 midterm election.

But with the arrest Friday of Cesar Sayoc Jr., a suspect who vehemently supported Trump, some conservatives are calling for a dose of reality.

“There was every reason to doubt that the bomber was a legitimate Trump supporter before we knew anything about him,” tweeted Matt Walsh, a widely followed writer for The Daily Wire, a conservative news outlet. “But now that we do have info on him, it would be kooky conspiracy theory territory to stick with the ‘false flag’ hypothesis. Clearly the guy is just a nut.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/after-false-flag-narrative-takes-hold-some-conservatives-scramble-drown-n924991




Nah. See here’s the thing conservatives – you’re the party of Trump now! These freaks are your base. Why not own that shit? I’ll tell you why they don’t – they simply don’t care. And these are *HIGH PROFILE* conservatives shouting this stuff. You can only yell about something for so long before people start to tune it out!

A range of high-profile conservatives continue to endorse the conspiracy theory that mail bombs sent to 14 prominent Democrats are a “false-flag” hoax by left wingers following suspect Cesar Sayoc’s arrest.

Commentators, radio hosts, a Trump family member, and other pro-Trump figures - say that the mail-bomb campaign was staged to advance the political goals of the very people it seemed intended to hurt.

But the FBI's arrest of Mr Sayoc pointed to the hollowness of these claims, raising questions about why they were voiced on such a fraught issue in the absence of evidence.
The bombs were not “hoax devices,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said. The suspect, 56-year-old Cesar Sayoc, “appears to be a partisan”, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said.

And images circulating of the suspect's van, which was plastered with pro-Trump and anti-Democrat imagery, and what was believed to be his social media feed, painted a portrait of a distinctly right-wing ideology.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/cesar-sayoc-arrest-mail-pipe-bomb-conspiracy-theories-conservatives-false-flag-trump-a8604316.html




Hoax device? The hoax device is the alt right who continue to not see reality! Everything they do is fake, and everything that Trump does is fake! I mean come on, even Trump himself is buying into the false flag nonsense! Well it makes sense – his hair is fake, his teeth are fake, his weight is fake, why wouldn’t his sense of reality be fake as well?

As the total number of suspicious packages sent to Democrats and other Trump critics ticked up to 12 on Friday, President Donald Trump had a new message: The pipe bombs sent to prominent Democrats, including two former presidents, were a distraction from his midterms message.

“Republicans are doing so well in early voting, and at the polls, and now this ‘Bomb’ stuff happens and the momentum greatly slows - news not talking politics,” Trump tweeted. “Very unfortunate, what is going on. Republicans, go out and vote!”

On Wednesday, Trump urged unity and condemned “acts of political violence.” But he quickly abandoned that message to focus on the media. Now he’s implying that what’s “unfortunate” about the bomb attacks is that the “news [is] not talking politics” as the midterms approach.

These are also Trump’s first remarks after two more packages were uncovered bound for former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper at CNN’s offices and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ); he spent the rest of the morning tweeting about immigration and his loss of Twitter followers.

Trump dismissively referred to suspected explosive devices sent to 12 locations as “‘Bomb’ stuff,” appearing to nod to “false flag” conspiracy theories that have taken off in right-wing circles on the internet, from radio host Rush Limbaugh to Alex Jones’s Infowars. These pundits are claiming the pipe bombs are essentially a Democratic plot to “frame” Trump and his base ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, and help drive liberal voters to the polls.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/10/26/18026926/pipe-bombs-trump-tweet





[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"]This Fucking Guy: Rodney Howard Brown
[br] [/font]
[br]

Let’s spin it to win it! And it lands on… Woohoo, I win 15,000 of something! What that is I don’t know, but still, 15,000! Spin it again! And it lands on… This Fucking Guy!



This week’s “This Fucking Guy” is the resident pastor of Infowars, Rodney Howard Browne. This fucking guy. He’s not only the resident pastor of Infowars, he’s also a co conspirator! Yes, any time Alex Jones is out literally yelling at a pile of shit… no we did not make that up, that footage exists!



Maybe it's Alex Jones, maybe it's a false flag! In fact I think some guys in white coats need to come have a nice chat with Mr. Jones. But anyway I’m getting off topic here, this fucking guy Rodney Howard Browne is the type of crazy that Christian conservatives go to and say “that’s pretty fucking crazy!”. So here’s some of the things Mr. Browne has said:

During the final night of the week-long “Celebrate America” revival event that he recently held in Washington, D.C., Rodney Howard-Browne issued a “restraining order” to the Antichrist and the secret cabal that controls the world, spiritually binding their efforts to destroy America.

Howard-Browne, a right-wing pastor and radical conspiracy theorist who laid hands upon and prayed over President Trump in the Oval Office last year, declared that he had been ordered by God to “issue [this] restraining order, and this one is to do with these entities, these groups, the part of the cabal that is running the planet.”

“I don’t care what people think,” Howard-Browne said. “I’m here to deliver a message whether people like it or not. I’m not going to change anything. I’m not looking to be accepted, I’m already accepted by Him. I’m just the messenger boy … I’m just here to deliver the message. If you don’t like the message, go talk to the one who gave me the message, I’m just here to deliver it and to stand and to issue the restraining order.”

“I take authority over every system that has been set in place by the globalist agenda to destroy America,” he proclaimed, “[and] to take this nation through our schools and our universities and our education system, from the day care all the way to the universities and even to the seminaries. I execute a restraining order against you.”
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/rodney-howard-browne-saved-america-by-issuing-a-restraining-order-to-the-antichrist/




I can only imagine that it kind of went like that. But that’s not the only thing that Mr. Browne has been saying lately. I mean did you know that the people who rule the planet right now worship Lucifer, drink blood, and perform human sacrifices? Neither did we!

During a “Ministers and Leaders Conference” at his Florida church yesterday, right-wing pastor and radical conspiracy theorist Rodney Howard-Browne declared that the world is controlled by blood-drinking Luciferians and that many members of Congress are involved in pedophilia.

Howard-Browne, who laid hands upon and prayed over President Trump in the Oval Office last year, asserted that Trump has been obligated to withhold information about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy because otherwise “they would have to pick up George Bush senior in his wheelchair right now and stick him in Guantanamo prison because the Bush family is a crime cabal.”

Howard-Browne said that despite the fact that Republicans currently control all the levers of power in Washington, they still can’t get anything done “because the whole thing is controlled through the Luciferian structure of the globe.”

“At the highest level, the people that rule the planet worship Lucifer,” he said. “These people perform human sacrifices and drink blood.”
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/rodney-howard-browne-the-people-that-rule-the-planet-worship-lucifer-and-perform-human-sacrifices-and-drink-blood/




Well that’s actually one of the more sane things that Mr. Browne has said and that’s putting it lightly. Mr. Browne really is that batshit fucking crazy. In fact he’s so insane that he actually said that those who criticize laughter during sermons are straight up going to hell.

Rodney Howard-Browne is a right-wing pastor and radical conspiracy theorist who laid hands upon and prayed over President Trump in the Oval Office last year and who is probably best known for leading a so-called “Holy Laughter” revival in Florida in the 1990s.

Over the course of several weeks, Howard-Browne led multiple church services during which attendees were reportedly so overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit that they collapsed into fits of uncontrollable laughter. Some Christian critics have declared that Howard-Browne’s “revival” was nothing more than heresy and Howard-Browne lashed out at them recently, warning that they are going to hell for blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

During an appearance on Sheila Zilinsky’s podcast yesterday, Howard-Browne was asked how he deals with the “complete jackals” who criticize his Holy Laughter revival and he responded by warning his critics about the unpardonable sin mentioned by Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels.

In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus warns that any sin can be forgiven except for blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which Howard-Browne asserted is exactly what his critics are doing.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/rodney-howard-browne-says-those-who-criticize-his-holy-laughter-revival-are-going-to-hell/




But here’s probably the craziest thing that Mr. Browne has said lately. So in addition to admitting to being behind one of the dumbest religious movements in history, he’s also going full Hitler and suggesting that Trump’s political opponents be executed for blah blah blah treason something.

On Monday, right-wing pastor and radical conspiracy theorist Rodney Howard-Browne guest-hosted “The Alex Jones Show” on InfoWars, during which he asserted that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg should be shot for treason.

Howard-Browne, who laid hands upon and prayed over President Trump in the Oval Office last year, was interviewing right-wing activist and commentator KrisAnne Hall, when he attacked Gingsburg for daring to suggest, back in 2012, that Egypt should “look at the Constitution of South Africa” when drafting a new constitution, rather than the U.S Constitution.

“If you hear Bader Ginsburg talk, she talks about the Constitution of America being totally flawed,” Howard-Browne complained.

After Hall recounted Ginsburg’s 2012 statement, Howard-Browne asserted that Ginsburg should have been removed from office because “that was high treason.”

“She should have been impeached, immediately,” Hall agreed.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/rodney-howard-browne-ruth-bader-ginsburg-should-be-shot-for-treason/




Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! There you have it, that’s Rodney Howard Browne – this week’s:




[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"]People Are Dumb
[br] [/font]
[br]

Let’s spin that shit! Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… stop! Bankrupt? NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!



Spin it again. Hey it’s time for People Are Dumb! Hit it!



So of course you know by now people are people and people are dumb. And we can never go one week without seeing some ridiculously dumb people. Who is stupid this week you might ask? Well let’s start with this story from Fresno. Look…. Look…. If you see a spider, I know your first instinct may be to try to kill it, but really, yeah, don’t be like this guy. Can we all agree on that one?

A house caught on fire after a man tried to kill spiders and get rid of webs, according to a fire department.

Fresno firefighters said the man was house sitting for his parents and used a blowtorch against black widows, KFSN-TV reported.

Fire department spokesman Capt. Robert Castillo said the man used the open flame outdoors, starting at a brick veneer section of the approximately 4,000-square-foot home. He eventually noticed smoke coming from the attic.

Fire trucks inundated a street by the home Tuesday night. About 27 firefighters responded.

It caused an estimated $10,000 in damage.
https://www.ketv.com/article/house-catches-on-fire-after-man-sought-to-kill-spiders-fire-department-says/24187383?utm_campaign=KETV&utm_content=5bd1cca004d3010b17a766f5&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=trueAnthem:+New+Content




Yeah so maybe spiders and blow torches don’t mix. Although it is Fresno, they elected and continue to support Devin Nunes. Next up – we’re going overseas to the country of Belgium. So here’s the thing about heists – if you’re in one, maybe don’t return to the scene of the crime? Because that’s exactly what these guys did.

A gang of robbers walk into a shop. The owner asks them to come back later when he has more money, and when they do...

It feels like the makings of a joke, but for a Belgian e-cigarette shop owner this was a frightening reality.

Six people entered Didier's shop in the suburbs of Charleroi in daylight with the intent to rob him.

The salesman told the group to return at the end of the day, when he could give them more money. In the end though, he got them arrested instead.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-45958404




This might be the dumbest heist since they bought the wrong masks in Baby Driver! Next up we go to Cleveland, Ohio. I don’t know if anyone saw Always Sunny In Philadelphia last week but Charlie got himself caught in a bear trap while going Home Alone against two burglars. Yeah that scene is clearly not to be imitated!

A 68-year-old man accidentally shot himself with a gun rigged at his back door.

Edwin Smith was caught in his own trap at about 11:30 a.m. Monday, at 124 Blevins Drive off of Stony Point Road outside of Shelby.

According to investigators, Smith had a shotgun set up facing his back door. He went outside to feed some squirrels. At some point, he opened the door and the gun fired and hit his right arm. Cleveland County Sheriff’s deputies did not immediately know if the contraption malfunctioned or if he forgot the weapon was rigged to fire.

“I’ve never seen anything quite like this,” said Capt. Jon Wright with the Sheriff’s Office.

First responders cautiously went through the home to be sure nothing else was rigged with weapons. The man was taken to Atrium Health in Shelby.

Wright said Smith was severely wounded but alert when he was transported.
http://www.shelbystar.com/news/20181015/man-shot-after-triggering-his-own-booby-trap




Next we go to of course America’s penis, the state of Florida for this one. And you know we’re going to Orlando next week! But this might be one of the most Florida Halloween stories ever. So if you are going to a costume party or other Halloween party, and if you see two people fighting on the street dressed in costume, you’re in Florida!

A 19-year-old Florida man was arrested for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend Saturday night. According to the cops, the man, Patrick Gallway, did it while wearing an inflatable dinosaur costume. The incident started when Patrick Gallway demanded that he and his girlfriend go to a Halloween party, and she told him she didn’t want to go, according to the Smoking Gun

The police report filed by the St. Lucie police department states that the girlfriend told Gallway that she thought she and Gallway should spend the evening with friends and watch movies versus going to the Halloween party. That’s when an argument was initiated between the pair, and Gallway proceeded to hurl his new cellphone on the couch, breaking parts of it. The girlfriend then walked out of the living room in an attempt to defuse the escalating argument.

That’s when the dinosaur-clad Gallway followed her and attacked her, according to the police report. The document states that Gallway shoved her to the ground and held her there by her neck. The report additionally states that he made punching motions and flailed his arms toward areas of her face while holding her down.
https://www.inquisitr.com/5139197/florida-man-arrested-for-allegedly-assaulting-girlfriend-while-dressed-as-dinosaur/




Excuse me a minute! Finally this week we’re also sticking with America’s penis – and also speaking of penises – the Buffalo Bills have a very odd tradition going on with the team everyone loves to hate – the New England Patriots, and well, we question his methods of getting a dildo into a stadium.

ORCHARD PARK, NY-- A Florida man is facing charges for allegedly throwing a sex toy onto the field during Monday's Bills' game at New Era Field.

Erie County Sheriff's deputies say Michael Abdallah, 34 of Oveido, Florida was identified by witnesses and in-stadium video surveillance footage.

Abdallah is charged with disorderly conduct – creating a hazardous/offensive condition. He was taken to the Erie County Holding Center pending his arraignment in Orchard Park Town Court.
https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/crime/florida-man-accused-of-throwing-sex-toy-on-field-during-buffalo-bills-game/71-609615056




That’s it this week for:




[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"]Deep State Diaries Episode 18: The Federal Election Commission
[br] [/font]
[br]

Let’s spin the wheel one final time this week! And it lands on… Oh hey Donald Trump!



What? Trump can’t work an umbrella and just leaves it there! I mean I could seriously watch this all day and it’s not getting old! Spin it again. Oh hey it’s time for Deep State Diaries!



It’s time for episode 18 of Deep State Diaries. Yes we’re touring the 24 branches and services that make up the United States government. Everything from the FBI to the IRS to the Pentagon to the CIA to the DPW to the DVA to parks and recreation and all branches and services in between. Of course if you’re here you probably already know more about our government and how it works than your average Fox News loving Trump supporter does. So that’s what this segment is going to address. We are going to do a deep dive into all that makes the United States the United States. Because we here at the Top 10 love to educate as well as entertain. Because we care.

[font size="6"]The Federal Election Commission[/font]


Why are we talking about elections so much? Because there’s a major one happening next week and Trump and his fans and goons are going out of their way to make sure it doesn’t happen. But there’s one agency that can stop them. That is the Federal Elections Commission. You might remember them from such SCOTUS cases as “Citizens United vs Federal Elections Commission” – the infamous case that declared that corporations are people and that they can spend unlimited money on campaigns. So how does the FEC monitor PACs?

Political action committees organized by the 20 largest energy companies in Houston by local employee count have donated more than $5 million to candidates up for election in federal office since the start of 2017. That is nearly four times the figure for similar donations during that time from the employees working at those companies.

Corporate PACs run by energy companies with the 20 largest Houston headcounts contributed $5.18 million to federal campaigns since the start of 2017, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics published on OpenSecrets.org. Individuals who worked at those companies donated about $1.62 million during that period, according to the data.

But the individuals and the PACs often had different contribution priorities — about 78 percent of the PAC funding went to Republican candidates, while the employees sent just 34 percent of their funding to Republican candidates, according to the CRP data. That left 22 percent of PAC funding and 66 percent of employee contributions for Democrats.
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2018/10/30/see-how-much-the-pacs-ran-by-houstons-largest.html




But of course with that much money exchanging hands there’s *MASSIVE* potential for fraud. Take a look at what happened when a complaint was filed against a North Carolina candidate:

The state Republican Party may have fumbled a complaint that its executive director said he filed last month against Democratic congressional candidate Kathy Manning.

With some fanfare Sept. 5, state GOP executive director Dallas Woodhouse put out the word that he was lodging a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against Manning’s campaign in the state’s 13th Congressional District for allegedly coordinating improperly with the Swing Left political action committee.

But the FEC said Tuesday that it has yet to receive any such complaint. There’s no immediate deadline, so the protest could be resubmitted.

The Washington-based Swing Left group was formed about two years ago with a goal of electing Democrats to seats in the U.S. House of Representatives that are now filled by GOP officeholders.
https://www.greensboro.com/news/government/elections/fec-has-no-record-of-n-c-gop-complaint-against/article_ca8aead8-0f9a-561f-9769-98f2f0b9a6af.html




So then what happens when you see that kind of fraud? It’s way different from polling place fraud and intimidation in that reporting it can get caught up in a very messy and tangled bureaucratic nightmare and can take years to sort out. Look at what happened in this one case from Rep Mia Love in Utah.

The FEC's letter stated that the funds collected by Love's campaign will either need to be refunded or designated for the general election, CNN reported. The process of redesignation has to be done within 60 days of receiving the money. However, all of the donations Love received were collected more than 60 days ago.

"It seems clear that any contribution designated for the primary election received after the convention would have to be refunded or redesignated," Brendan Fischer, the director of federal reform at the Campaign Legal Center, an organization that supports campaign finance reform, told CNN. "I think there is an argument that, Mia Love knew earlier than the convention that it would be an uncontested primary, but their letter suggests there may have been some ambiguity. So they might be able to get away with it but it's certainly problematic because of this sort of quirk in Utah law that allows a candidate to raise money above and beyond the federal limits that would apply in elections in almost any other state."
https://kutv.com/news/local/rep-mia-loves-campaign-admits-to-improperly-collecting-1m-of-primary-election-funds




[font size="6"]Score Card [/font]

Overall importance: C
How Things Are Going: B
Likely hood To Survive: B+

Overall: A-

[font size="6"]Next Week [/font]

Next week we’re going to check out the biggest governing body of them all, the Department Of Defense!



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

**NOTE: Because of the sensitive nature surrounding Marilyn Manson's personal life, his performance will be edited out of future re-airings of this edition**


Thank you Nashville! This was awesome! I knew I picked the right city for a big Halloween show! We are off to Orlando next for our post election special! That's it! Go out and vote! Get out the vote! See you next week!

Credits

Host: Initech
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded In Front Of Live Audience At: Zanies Comedy Club, Nashville, TN
Special Thanks To: Zanies Management
Holy Shit Gospel Choir: 1st Baptist Choir, Nashville, TN
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
Graphics: Top 10 Graphics Department
Research: Top 10 Research Department
Lighting & Stage Props: Top 10 Lighting Department
Legal: Top 10 Legal Department
Advertising: Top 10 Advertising Department
HR: Top 10 Human Resources Department
Initech’s Wardrobe Provided By: JAB Inc.
Wheel Of Corruption By: Studio 1 Stage Props, Burbank, CA
Marilyn Manson Appears Live Courtesy Of: Loma Vista Recordings
Management: Initech Productions, CCC Management
Follow The Top 10 On Twitter at: @10Idiots
Questions? Comments? Complaints? Hate mail? E-mail The Top 10 at: Top10ConIdiots@gmail.com


Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo

October 27, 2018

Preview For This Week's Top 10 Conservative Idiots

A New York Times report that Chinese and Russian spies are often listening in on U.S. President Donald Trump's conversations with his friends made on his unsecured iPhone drew an unusual response from the Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman.

If Trump is concerned about the security of his iPhone, he can consider switching over to a Huawei, or cut off communications altogether, Hua Chunying, the foreign ministry spokeswoman, said in response to a question about the Times report. She dismissed the report as another example of “fake news."

“Seeing this report, I feel there are those in America who are working all-out to win the Oscar for best screenplay,” Hua said at the ministry’s regular briefing in Beijing on Thursday.

American spy agencies had learned that China and Russia were eavesdropping on the president's cellphone calls, with China seeking to use what it learns from the calls to prevent an escalation of a trade war with the U.S., according to the Times report, which cited several former and current officials.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/25/china-denies-spying-trump-iphone-938785




Really? A Huawei? He might as well have a sign on his back that says "hack me!"

*audience laughs and applauds*

This week on the Top 10 it's our big Halloween bash live from Smashville! We delve into the MAGAbomber scandal and he might be the stupidest criminal alive, Trump proves to be a classless jackass, Trump also has an epic cyber security fail, Caitlyn Jenner got conned, and we ask how Blackface is still a thing. Plus we've got a new installments of "This Fucking Guy" where we profile Infowars co-host Rodney Howard Brown, and "Beating A Dead Horse" examines how Trump fans love false flag conspiracies. And in our weekly investigative piece Top 10 Investigates - we're going to show you how your vote is possibly being tampered with a week before the midterms. And in our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit", our resident pastor is going to show you who God might be voting for next week. Plus an all new people are dumb and the next installment of Deep State Diaries is going to check ou the Federal Elections Commisssion! All this plus a live performance from the man synonymous with Halloween - Marilyn Manson!

Top 10 Conservative Idiots: Wednesdays at 2:00 PM /shameless self promotion
October 26, 2018

Top 10 Conservative Idiots Wiki



This is a guide to the blog known as the Top 10 Conservative Idiots. The Top 10 Conservative Idiots is a weekly comedy news blog hosted on Democratic Underground. The current era of the Top 10 began on Dec 6th, 2015 and is currently in its' ninth season. Even numbered seasons run from January - Memorial Day weekend, while odd numbered seasons run from June 1st - December 20th, with the exception of the 1st season which ended shortly before the 2016 election. The "show" is hosted in a format that begins with a monologue about random news, followed by a video from one of the major liberal pundits (John Oliver, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher, Conan O'Brien, Trevor Noah, or Saturday Night Live), followed by a brief description of each piece in the Top 10, followed by a musical act - usually from a liberal musician (though during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, this feature has been temporarily discontinued). The show also has recurring segments on various topics.

Season 1 (Dec 2015 - Nov 2016) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016169212
Season 2 (Nov 2016 - May 2017) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029078791
Season 3 (Jun 2017 - Dec 2017) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210008235
Season 4 (Jan 2018 - May 2018) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210083764
Season 5 (Jun 2018 - Dec 2018) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210720590
Season 6 (Jan 2019 - May 2019) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211623942
Season 7 (Jun 2019 - Dec 2019) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212164633
Season 8 (Jan 2020 - May 2020) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212831883
Season 9 (Jun 2020 - Dec 2020) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213570012
Season 10 (Jan 2021 - Jun 2021) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/100214798830
Season 11 (Jun 2021 - Dec 2021) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215586273
Season 12 (Jan 2022 - May 2022) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216216353
Season 13: (Jun 2022 - Dec 2022) : https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216941147
Season 14 (Jan. 2023 - May 2023): https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217564760
Season 15 (Jun 2023 - Dec 2023): https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218079280
Season 16 (Jan - May 2024):

Recurring Segments:

- How Is This Still A Thing? - A segment asking about the popular status of current trends, conservative talking points, or items in the news that are gaining traction about things that should be left in the past, but inexplicably aren't.

- People Who Somehow Got Elected - A segment detailing the news centering on one particular politician and how that person either holds an office or continues to hold an office.

- This Fucking Guy - A segment similar to "How Is This Still A Thing" that details one particular person or pundit, usually second or third tier republican commentators or religious personalities.

- Holy Shit - A permanent weekly feature created to mimic all the pomp and circumstance of your Sunday sermon, in which a "pastor" presents religious themed news of the week in the language that the Christian right can understand. This pastor is usually accompanied by a gospel choir, yes men, a Bible-like "Good Book", and a congregation.
NOTE: Starting on October 10th, 2021, Holy Shit will become a stand alone spinoff series from the Top 10 with expanded sermons and additional content including answering your prayers from the Holy Shit prayer line, and introducing new religion themed segments in a bi-weekly format.

- Top 10 Investigates - A permanent weekly feature. Created to poke fun at the ridiculousness of sensationalist prime time network news, this segment features news on a particular topic in an investigative format.
NOTE: As of Edition #11-1, Top 10 Investigates will no longer be a weekly feature. It will be a recurring feature.

- The Trumper Games - When a prominent member of the Trump administration either leaves or is fired, the shakeup prompts the host to show why this "tribute" was eliminated in a Hunger Games style broadcast. This segment is done in the style of the announcement broadcast of the Hunger Games TV show within the movie.

- What's Up With Brazil? - A series designed to poke fun at all of the ridiculous news coming from South America's largest country.

- What's Up With India? - A series designed to poke fun at all of the ridiculous news coming from one of the world's largest countries with the world's largest population.

- What's Up With China? - The world's largest country and home to one of the largest populations in the world is currently going through the darkest period in its' history and we document the latest developments in this segment.

- What's Up With France? - France's Yellow Vest protests are tearing the country apart for a small minority going up against the French government, and this segment covers all the insanity going on in and outside Paris.

- What's Up With Texas? - A special 5 part docuseries filmed during our Texas Roadshow that takes us through the inner workings of the Lone Star State and why people have such a love / hate affair with the largest state in the union.

- What's Up With Brexit? - The British special election that saw a large majority of the voters wanting England to leave the European Union is what one might call a "clusterfuck" and it's their equivalent of having Trump president - each day is an absolute shit show and utterly embarrassing, and we comb through the madness.

- So That Happened - When there's so much crazy stuff that happens in the news that it's impossible to keep up, we put all of it into a blender and hit puree and attempt to figure out what exactly happened.

- Ah, It's Not So Bad - A new segment that attempts to find the silver lining in otherwise extremely horrible news items.

- Top 10 Heroes - These are the shining stars of the Top 10 who we feel deserve their own entry. As the late great David Bowie once said - "If we could be heroes, just for one day."

- People Are Dumb - What's a blog called "Top 10 Conservative Idiots" without a segment about stupid people? This is a random, free floating segment that focuses on stupid people doing stupid things, set to the backdrop music of Depeche Mode's "People Are People".

- I Need A Drink - A segment where we kick back, have some drinks, get drunk, and discuss literally anything in the news as long as it doesn't relate to politics.

- Beating A Dead Horse - When a topic, talking point, or news item has been beaten to death by conservatives or anyone else in the news for that matter, Beating A Dead Horse explains that the topic needs to end because it's been beaten to death already.

- Profiles In #Civility - After California representative Maxine Waters suggesting that the right and left be more civil to each other, this segment documents that it indeed has the opposite effect.

- Explaining Jokes To Idiots - When a movie, documentary, TV show or other news item draws scorn from the media and from reviewers, this segment explains the concept of humor to people who don't quite get it.

- We're All Gonna Die - When there's an item in the news that could signal a worldwide catastrophe (disease, war, pollution, etc), this segment makes fun of the sensationalist way network news predicts that, yeah, we could all potentially die from this.

- Is It Racist? - It's the new game that's sweeping the nation! When a politician or celebrity is accused of dishing out some old school racism, this game will help you decide what's real and what isn't. Oh and yeah it's probably racist.

- This Week In Hate - This segment covers all the horrible things (or thing) that the AM hate radio sphere is talking about this week and mercilessly mocks their horrible talking points.

- Top 10 Movie Vault - When a movie, popular or otherwise, dominates the headlines whether it's good or bad, the Top 10 Movie Vault will dissect all the madness so you can make a choice whether or not to go see it.

- Top 10 Mystery Machine - Channel your inner Scooby Doo and help solve a mystery that might be taking over the headlines! And they would have got away with it too, if not for those meddling kids!

- World Tour - While discontinued, the World Tour featured news and culturally relevant information about the country of the week and followed a format that featured many different countries around the world and graded them on a scale of how likely you are to visit that particular country.

- This Will Work, Fact! - The news may be clueless what to do in a situation where one story dominates the news, but we have solutions, and that's what this segment is for!

- Top 10 For Dummies - Created in the style of the popular series of "For Dummies" how to guides, this feature centers around a lecture series about one particular topic spread through a series of multiple parts.

- Deep State Diaries - A segment created that examines all of the branches and services that make up the United States government and explains what they actually do to conspiracy theorists and grades them on a scale of how likely they are to survive the current administration.

- Red State Diaries - New for season 11! Much like our season 3 World Tour, this tour is going to give a brief introduction of all the states that voted conservative in the 2020 election and just talk about them and find out what is up, then give them a rating based on a four point scale.

- What's Up With Texas? - Our special 5 part series explored the Lone Star State in search of the immigrant crisis, bad times at Chik-Fil-A, gulf coast cleanup, and campus life at rivaling universities.

- #KnowYourMeme - If your friends or relatives are passing around pro-Trump memes on Facebook, Twitter, or your social media platform of choice, this segment will explain in plain English, using facts, that those memes are complete and utter bullshit. Or in Trump's language, fake news.

- Keeping Up With The Candidates - In a hotly contested political season with 24 candidates running, the Top 10 is going to present to you our first ever official voters' guide with a handy way to keep track of all 24 candidates running and some extra bonus content in the election to end all elections!

- Conspiracy Corner - When there's an event that cannot be explained through logic and reason, people turn to conspiracy theories to explain the unexplainable. We turn on our trusty tin foil hats to cut through all the madness surrounding what's real and what's fake!

- The Maskhole Files - 2020 is the year of the coronavirus pandemic and as such, those who refuse to wear masks, which we call appropriately, "Maskholes", are freaking out in public day after day and refusing to abide by CDC guidelines. We put all the best (or worst) tales of this sub genus of humans in this segment.

- Parlerfiles - When alt right trolls get banned from mainstream social media sites, they flock to message appropriate forums like Parler and Gab, where they can be as dangerous and scary as they want to be and free from consequences! This free floating segment complies some of the best (or worst) of the insanity out there.

- Good Guys With Guns - Whenever guns and mass shootings dominate the news, it's always fun to take a look at the lighter side of stupid people with weapons and refute popular NRA talking points. Responsible gun owners? We got plenty of them! And it's never the right time to talk about guns because these people let the guns do their talking for them!

- The Top 10 World Of Sports - Our first ever sports related segment is going to take a look at all kinds of sports whether it's the major leagues or the minor leagues, the big leagues or the most obscure! Everything from baseball to basketball to hockey to rugby to football to soccer to dodgeball, you name it, we'll cover it!

- The Road To The White House - The election of Joseph R. Biden was unprecedented with him ousting incumbent president Donald Trump. This segment, now discontinued, document the journey from the end of the election to the inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Harris and beyond!

- Late Stage Capitalism - When corporate greed reaches unprecedented new heights, corporations begin to siphon your every last dollar in unspeakably horrible new ways! Late Stage Capitalism explores all of the terrible things that the Jeff Bezos' and Richard Bransons and Elon Musks and Mark Zuckerbergs of the world come up with to squeeze your wallets!

- The Pride Files - Our first ever segment dedicated to the LGBT themed news of the day! Whether it's the local pride parade or it's transphobia, or it's a wedding shop that refuses to bake wedding cakes for the billionth time, we're here to cover all of the gay themed news whether it's good or bad!

- The Top 10 World Of Sports - Our sports themed segment covers all the sports news of the world - whether it's an NFL football player shooting his mouth off about vaccines or a soccer player goes streaking, we're there for it!

Stupidest State Contest:

An annual contest that takes 16 states (usually all red states but that could change any time) that centers around the fictional "National For Fuck's Sake Association" and four distinct conferences from two leagues - the Layover League and the Flyover League - in 16 match ups that take course over the season and the championship is held on the season finale. Each conference has a variety of states that all center around one thing that binds them. The conferences are as follows:

- Batshit Conference - The Batshit Conference is the conference that centers around states that the craziest news comes from, and they elect the craziest politicians possible.
States: California, Washington, New York, Rhode Island, Maine, Georgia, Kentucky, Virginia, Vermont, New Hampshire, Texas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Hawaii
- The Gun Nut Conference - The Gun Nut Conference is centered around the states in the country where gun rights are put above human rights, and the senators and representatives elected to Congress have a place on the NRA's fabled A+ list.
States: Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Missouri, New Mexico, Oregon, Montana, Illinois, Maryland,
- The Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference - Generally centering around mid western states, the states in this conference are states where money influences state legislation, and lawmakers are influenced by conservative think tanks like the Heritage Foundation.
States: Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Connecticut, Iowa, Wisconsin, Colorado, Alaska
- The Family Values Conference - This conference centers around the states where the churches, Jesus, and God take precedent over judgement and due process.
States: Indiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Ohio, Louisiana, South Carolina, North Carolina,

Wheel Of Corruption:

The Wheel Of Corruption is a Top 10 feature that spans the entire length of the edition. The name of these editions is different from the regular Top 10 in that they make fun of ridiculous movie sequel or franchise titles. A giant wheel with about 50 different options spins and the host must discuss whatever the wheel lands on. Each entry in the Top 10 lands two spins. Common elements include clips without context, guacamole, and t-shirt cannons.

Top 10 Live:

The fifth season of the Top 10 has been going out on the road to comedy clubs across the country.

The Top 10 Twitter Account

The official account for the Top 10 Conservative Idiots is @10Idiots which updates regularly with new Top 10 editions, previews for the next week and tweets relevant information pertaining to the liberal community. Note: As of December 31st, 2022, due to Elon Musk's hostile takeover of the Twitter platform and his gross mishandling of it, the Top 10 Twitter account and the Holy Shit Twitter accounts will both be terminated. New accounts will be setup on Mastodon.social in 2023. An official Top 10 Conservative Idiots Subreddit is also in the works.

The Holy Shit Twitter Account

Pastor Initech has setup the official Twitter account for the Holy Church Of The Top 10. If following all the wacky things the Christian right says and does is your thing, then hit up the official Twitter account at @churchofTop10. You can chat with the good Rev, and get your prayers answered and even suggest new topics and sermons for the church to cover! Note: As of December 31st, 2022, due to Elon Musk's hostile takeover of the Twitter platform and his gross mishandling of it, the Top 10 Twitter account and the Holy Shit Twitter accounts will both be terminated. New accounts will be setup on Mastodon.social in 2023.

The Top 10 Mastodon Accounts

The Top 10 has shut down the official Top 10 Twitter accounts and has setup shop on Mastodon! Now follow the Top 10 at:

- Top 10 Conservative Idiots: Top10ConIdiots@mstdn.party
- Holy Shit: churchoftop10@mstdn.party

Both accounts will be active as of 1/1/23.

The Top 10 G-Mail Account

Another way to get in touch with the Top 10 is through the official G-Mail account which is found at: Top10Idiots@gmail.com, you can e-mail the Top 10 with any questions, comments, concerns, and yes, we even accept hate mail!

Initech Productions

Initech Productions is the company that puts on the Top 10 live production. The home offices for the Top 10 are located close to our main stage, the Observatory OC in Santa Ana, California.
October 24, 2018

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #5-17: Lock, Stock & Two Smirking Grins Edition


Top 10 Conservative Idiots #5-17: Lock, Stock & Two Smirking Grins Edition



Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! What’s up Philadelphia???? So how about the Eagles? I mean that’s what I would have said last year but this year… eh. Yeah I think most Eagles fans can agree with me on that one, right? But. I got to say it’s good to be back! You know I love a good cheese steak but man did I miss the crab fries! Lord, those are good. Do they put crack in those things? Because I literally could eat an entire order and maybe another one and maybe another one. Do we have time for the thing? Hey advertisers stop attaching your name to things! Nobody is going to call it “Anaheim House Of Blues Presented By Cricket Wireless”. No! They just call it the “House Of Blues”. And I mean have you seen Cricket Wireless stores? They're in shopping centers with bars on the windows! The kind of places where the buses don't run and you feel like you could be stabbed at any minute. And I can't believe any sane person out there actually *WANTS* a Galaxy J7. No! People want the iPhone XR with the 6 inch screen and 512GB of storage. The Galaxy J7 is the phone you get after you're rejected for about 15 other different phones before it including Samsung's Galaxy S9 which I have. The people who are buying Cricket Wireless phones there are not the kind of people who go to concerts at the House Of Blues. But I will tell you what advertisers are not attaching their name to – Halloween costumes! Yes, I saw this on Twitter and could not stop laughing. So there’s a thing where people are posting just the jankiest Halloween costumes you can find. Because you know, licensing rights are expensive! In fact can we show a few of these? Like instead of Harley Quinn, you can dress as Misfit Sidekick! Instead of Neo from the Matrix, you can go as Cyber Man! Yes, it’s the new adventures of Cyber Man! Instead of dressing as Alicia Silverstone from Clueless, you can go as Notionless. Or instead of Mario – there’s Video Game guy! Or the even jankier Mushroom Bros! Instead of Prince, there’s 80s Purple Musician! Instead of Waldo, there’s Where’s The Stripey Dude? Why go as Beatlejuice when you can go as Juice Demon? Or my personal favorite – you can go as the top student from Chogwarts! OK that’s enough of the intro, we got a lot of idiocy to get to. But first Stephen Colbert breaks down Trump’s 180 on Lyin’ Ted Cruz:



Remember last week when I said that we wouldn’t be covering the Khashoggi killing? Well we’re still not doing that but we will cover Mike Pompeo’s (1) trip to Saudi Arabia and it might be the single worst diplomatic mission in US history. In the second slot this week is of course the guy who we still call president, Donald Trump (2) – which has been up to some stunning evil this week including advocating for violence against journalists and possibly erasing the term “transgender” from existence. This is some Hitler-esque shit here. Taking the 3rd slot this week is also Donald Trump (3) – and there’s been some new developments in that infamous Trump Tower meeting before the election and we will tell you all about it. For number 4 this week, is Sheriff Joe (4). Remember him and how he got his ass handed to him in Arizona’s primaries? Well he’s suing the NYT for an ungodly amount of money over an unflattering piece published last week. At number 5, we’ve got a brand new installment of our investigative series Top 10 Investigates (5) and this week we’re going to talk some football – was the move for the Chargers to Los Angeles worth it? The answer, not surprisingly, is no. For the 6th seed this week we have of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” and this week our resident pastor is going to do a deep dive into Portland’s premier fundamentalist Christian fight club for angry white men everywhere – Patriot Prayer! At number 7 this week we have a new installment of one of our favorite series, “This Fucking Guy” and this week we’re going to profile Proud Boys founder and the guy who literally thinks violence is the answer to everything, Gavin McInnes (7). In the number 8 slot we’ve got a new installment of our ongoing segment “What’s Up With India?” because you know India is crazy and we’re going to tell you all about it. Nice knowing everybody! To quote the late, great James Brown – people, it’s bad! At number 9 (NEIN!!!!) this week we’ve got an all new installment of People Are Dumb, because of course people are dumb! Finally this week we’ve got our ongoing series Deep State Diaries and this time we’re going to Arlington, Virginia to visit the FBI! Yes, do your best Ed Wood impression here. Plus we’ve got some awesome music from a great jazz-funk band from the South – St. Paul & The Broken Bones are stopping by! Really buy their new album “Young Sick Camelia” or you’re no friend of the show. 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"]Mike Pompeo
[br] [/font]
[br]

Unless you’ve been living under a rock by now you’ve probably heard of the gruesome disappearance and murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist for the Washington Post who was killed at the hands of the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. But what happened? What went down? All Trump seems to think about is that $110 billion weapons deal and really – does Saudi Arabia need more weapons at this point? You know they would use them for no good. Especially after this happened.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met on Tuesday with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman over the disappearance and alleged slaying of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi, who vanished two weeks ago during a visit to the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

Pompeo’s arrival came hours after a Turkish forensics team finished a search inside the consulate. Police planned a second search, this one of the Saudi consul’s home in Istanbul, a Turkish Foreign Ministry official said.

Turkish officials say they fear Khashoggi was killed and dismembered inside the Istanbul consulate. Saudi officials previously have called the allegations “baseless,” but reports in U.S. media on Tuesday suggested the kingdom may acknowledge the writer was killed there.

Pompeo landed in Riyadh on Tuesday morning and was welcomed by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on landing. He didn’t make any remarks to the media.
http://time.com/5425629/mike-pompeo-saudi-king-jamal-khashoggi/


You know what? Screw the meme! Let’s just show that photo for a second.



For the record, let's call this piece "Lock, Stock, and Two Smirking Grins". You can't get much more evil than this folks! Thank you audience! You know last week we avoided talking about Khashoggi but we got to talk about the evil that’s happened since then since that’s really all we can do. And guess what? They denied it!

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Saudi Arabia's top leaders on Tuesday "strongly denied" any knowledge of what happened to missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Pompeo said he met with King Salman, the King's son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir. In each of those meetings, "the Saudi leadership strongly denied any knowledge of what took place in their consulate in Istanbul," Pompeo said.

"We had direct and candid conversations. I emphasized the importance of conducting a thorough, transparent, and timely investigation, and the Saudi leadership pledged to deliver precisely on that."

"My assessment from these meetings is that there is serious commitment to determine all the facts and ensure accountability, including accountability for Saudi Arabia's senior leaders or senior officials," Pompeo said.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/16/middleeast/khashoggi-saudi-pompeo-intl/index.html




Yes, hold it, wait a minute. What the fuck happened? And why did Saudi Arabia pay the US $100 million on the day of Pompeo’s visit? This one makes absolutely no fucking sense!

The US received a payment of $100 million from Saudi Arabia on the same day that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Riyadh to meet with Saudi leaders to discuss the investigation into Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance.

"The timing of this is no coincidence," an American official involved in Syria policy told The New York Times. He confirmed the money arrived on Tuesday.

The payment, first reported by The Times, was pledged in August as part of American efforts to stabilize parts of Syria, but at the time, it was not immediately clear if or when the money would show up.

The sudden cash windfall raised some eyebrows on Wednesday, given the ongoing investigation into Khashoggi's disappearance, but US officials denied that the swift transfer of cash between Saudi Arabia and the US had anything to do with Pompeo's visit to Riyadh.
https://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-arabia-paid-100-million-us-mike-pompeo-visit-riyadh-2018-10




Yes, quid pro quo! And are we really surprised that the Trump administration is lying their asses off about this whole thing? This whole thing is like an onion – the more you peel back the layers, the more it stinks, and the more you are likely to cry as a result. I mean this is about as fucked up as it gets.

A pro-government Turkish newspaper on Wednesday published a gruesome recounting of the alleged slaying of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, just as America's top diplomat arrived in the country for talks over the Washington Post columnist's disappearance. The report by Yeni Safak adds to the ever-increasing pressure on Saudi Arabia to explain what happened to Khashoggi, who vanished Oct. 2 while visiting the consulate to pick up paperwork he needed to get married.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told journalists before leaving Riyadh on Wednesday that Saudi leaders, including King Salman and his son, the 33-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, "made no exceptions on who they would hold accountable."

"They made a commitment to hold anyone connected to any wrongdoing that may be found accountable for that, whether they are a senior officer or official," Pompeo said. But he admitted that he had learned very little about the actual case of the missing journalist from his meetings in Riyadh.

"I don't want to talk about any of the facts," Pompeo told journalists. "They didn't want to either, and they want to have the opportunity to complete this investigation in a thorough way." The top U.S. diplomat said he felt it was "a reasonable thing to do to give them that opportunity and then we'll all get to judge. We'll all get to evaluate that work that they do."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/saudi-missing-journalist-jamal-khashoggi-mike-pompeo-turkey-after-saudi-arabia/




Holy shit! And that’s from a pro-government Turkish newspaper at that! Hey Infowars fans – this is what an actual conspiracy looks like! Yes, real conspiracies and not your made up ones. Because we all know that Erdogan is a Putin stooge and this is about as crazy as it gets.

It was, to be sure, a discomfiting scene: there was Secretary of State Mike Pompeo amiably clutching the hand of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in an ornate meeting room in Riyadh a mere fortnight after Washington Post columnist and Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi had gone missing. The steady drumbeat of revelations had been perplexing and damning and almost inconceivable: the video evidence of Khashoggi entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul; the reports of a 15-person Saudi “kill” team landing in the city, including a so-called bone-saw expert; and Donald Trump’s myriad equivocations. Yet as evidence increasingly suggested a connection between M.B.S. and the presumed murder, Pompeo’s visit seemed like the latest assault to diplomacy. Despite what should have been a somber, mordant affair, he looked like Ed McMahon about to present an oversize check before the camera. (On Friday night, the Saudis conceded what everyone had long known: Khashoggi was dead.)

Back in Washington, members of the diplomatic and intelligence community that I spoke with were gobsmacked. While Axios has reported that Pompeo uttered harsh words beneath his avuncular civility, many found the optics insurmountable. “The grip and grin sort of stunned people who saw it,” a congressional aide told me. “There is a lack of confidence that he is doing everything in his power to actually get the truth in this case.” Among diplomatic veterans, Pompeo’s affable demeanor was a real misstep. “Pompeo did not handle this well,” a former high-ranking State Department official sighed. “I don’t think it would have been difficult to be more somber in meetings and more nuanced in comments afterward.” As one State department official lamented to me, “Certainly from where I sit, it is discouraging to see the administration seemingly subordinate our values to other interests in such an egregious case.”
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/10/mike-pompeo-jamal-khashoggi-saudi-arabia





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

It’s pretty much no secret that the Christian right has been dictating Trump’s policies since he stormed his way into the oval office. Now, what might be one of his most truly evil and stunning policies, one that people would dare call “Nazi-esque” would rear its’ ugly head. Yes, it is time to go there, I mean come on he referred to himself as a “nationalist” at a rally this week. You know who else calls themselves nationalists? Hitler. Stalin. Mussolini. Pol Pot. Pinochet. Putin. Milosevic. Gaddafi. You know – Trump’s people. Now you can add him to the list!

The Trump administration is considering narrowly defining gender as a biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth, the most drastic move yet in a governmentwide effort to roll back recognition and protections of transgender people under federal civil rights law.

A series of decisions by the Obama administration loosened the legal concept of gender in federal programs, including in education and health care, recognizing gender largely as an individual’s choice and not determined by the sex assigned at birth. The policy prompted fights over bathrooms, dormitories, single-sex programs and other arenas where gender was once seen as a simple concept. Conservatives, especially evangelical Christians, were incensed.

Now the Department of Health and Human Services is spearheading an effort to establish a legal definition of sex under Title IX, the federal civil rights law that bans gender discrimination in education programs that receive government financial assistance, according to a memo obtained by The New York Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/21/us/politics/transgender-trump-administration-sex-definition.html




Seriously I think even Hitler is somewhere going “Damn that’s pretty fuckin’ evil!”. But guess what folks – you know what his official stance on this is? He’s doing this for our “protection”. Protection from what? People expressing themselves in their true form?

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that transgender issues were in flux and he aims to protect the country after a report that his administration was considering defining gender as male or female based on genitalia at birth drew widespread condemnation.

“We have a lot of different concepts right now. They have a lot of different things happening with respect to transgender right now,” Trump said amid a protest outside the White House and outpouring of criticism on social media about the proposal.

Asked about a campaign promise to protect the LGBTQ community, Trump said: “I’m protecting everybody. I want to protect our country.”
Protests as Trump administration considers re-defining gender
Oct. 22, 201801:22

Under a proposal first reported by the New York Times on Sunday, the Trump administration would narrow the definition of gender to male or female at birth and it would be unchangeable later in life.
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/trump-says-transgender-policy-seeks-protect-country-n923266




He’s seriously out of control and the Christian right has gone mad with power. I mean come on, you ever try going mad without power? It’s boring! No one listens to you! But guess what? You can’t erase people with a memo. This isn’t Infinity War and Trump and the Christian right are not Thanos.

Should the government be able to tell you what underwear to buy? Or what to name your children? Or how many times a day you can go to the bathroom? No. That would be invasive and wrong.

But under a new policy reportedly being considered by the Trump administration, the federal government would attempt to tell millions of transgender people like me not what we can do, but who we can be. It would attempt to tell us that, legally, we don’t exist — that in the eyes of the state, we are not ourselves.

It’s the ultimate form of government intrusion.

Trump's Department of Health and Human Services is said to have drafted a memo to federal agencies that would “erase” the legal status of millions of transgender people by using Title IX to impose an archaic definition of gender as “immutable biological traits identifiable by or before birth.”

The policy, according to reporting by the New York Times, is part of a larger attempt to roll back existing protections for transgender people fought for by human rights advocates, particularly in education and health care policy. Codifying the exclusion of transgender identity under Title IX would apply to the departments of Labor, Justice, Education and Health and Human services, allowing everything from workplace discrimination against trans people to reduced access to school facilities for trans children to disparate access to health care for members of the community.
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/trump-can-t-erase-transgender-people-memo-he-can-make-ncna922856




Well let’s hope it doesn’t come to that! I mean here’s the fucking irony – aren’t these people supposed to be for smaller government? This is about as big government as it gets. Hell, it’s gigantic government at its’ finest. And really what would happen if it were redefined?

The Trump Administration is considering a policy that could effectively end federal recognition of more than a million adults who identify as a gender other than the one listed on their original birth certificate.

According to a Department of Health and Human Services memo obtained by the New York Times, the Administration is considering adopting a narrow definition of gender as an immutable characteristic determined by one’s genitalia at birth. If the proposal is approved, the departments of Education, Justice and Labor would be expected to follow suit.

Though it’s still unclear how the policy would work, experts say it could affect the kind of medical treatment transgender people could receive under Medicaid, which prisons transgender inmates might be assigned to or what school bathrooms they could use.

The proposal, which is still a draft, appears to be in stark contrast to decisions the Obama Administration made to relax the legal concept of gender, such as Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, a non-discrimination provision that indicated any health program or activity in receipt of funding from the Department of Health and Human Services could not discriminate on the basis of sex, among other things. Obama-era federal guidance sought to clarify that gender identity discrimination was a type of sex discrimination.
http://time.com/5432091/gender-identity-transgender-hhs-memo/





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

So what exactly happened in that infamous Trump Tower meeting that took place in June of 2016 when Trump and his cohorts conspired to steal the election from Hillary Clinton? We may never know what exactly went down since Trump will decry any sort of actual facts as “fake news” or a “Soros conspiracy” because you know, Soros is responsible for all the GOP conspiracy theorists’ woes. But really, there’s been some crazy new developments happening. But here’s the weird thing – did you know that Russia set up a shadow corporation? This is the stuff of conspiracy theories, folks!

A Russian billionaire who orchestrated the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting formed a new American shell company a month beforehand with an accountant who has had clients accused of money laundering and embezzlement.

The billionaire, Aras Agalarov, created the US company anonymously while preparing to move almost $20m into the country during the time of the presidential election campaign, according to interviews and corporate filings.

The company was set up for him in May 2016 by his Russian-born accountant, who has also managed the US finances of compatriots accused of mishandling millions of dollars. One of those clients has its own connection to the Trump Tower meeting.

In June 2016, Agalarov allegedly offered Trump’s team damaging information from the Kremlin about Hillary Clinton, their Democratic opponent. The offer led Trump’s eldest son to hold a meeting at their Manhattan offices that is now a focus of the inquiry into Moscow’s election interference by Robert Mueller, the special counsel.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/18/russian-billionaire-aras-agalarov-company-trump-tower-meeting




Now here’s the really fucked up thing – you know Voldemort, er, Vladimir Putin, has a way of making his enemies and detractors disappear, you know the way a good dictator would. Here’s something crazy that happened this week:

A Russian deputy attorney general, who is thought to have directed Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya in her efforts abroad on behalf of Russia's government, reportedly died Wednesday night in a helicopter crash.

The Daily Beast reported that Saak Albertovich Karapetyan was aboard an unauthorized helicopter flight, which crashed near the village of Vonyshevo, outside of Moscow.

Karapetyan was reportedly behind Veselnitskaya's global efforts to lobby lawmakers to overturn anti-corruption acts such as the U.S. Magnitsky Act, which passed in 2012. The U.S. legislation is similar to others around the world which commemorate Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who died while trying to expose a $230 million fraud scheme in Russia. The acts have reportedly incensed Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Daily Beast reported that Karapetyan signed a letter sent on behalf of Russia's government to a U.S. court in 2014 refusing assistance into an investigation concerning Magnitsky's death. The letter was drafted reportedly with aid from Veselnitskaya.
https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/409961-russian-deputy-ag-linked-to-lawyer-in-trump-tower-meeting




No collusion! No collusion! No collusion! How can they say there’s no collusion when you look around and it’s literally happening everywhere? It’s even happening with the people who were involved with the meeting! Seriously!

Rob Goldstone couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

The music publicist had set up a Trump Tower meeting with three senior members of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and a small group of Russians.

He’d helped them get through the door with an attention-grabbing email to Donald Trump Jr., promising the future president’s son that “the Crown Prosecutor of Russia” had information to share that would incriminate Democratic presidential candidateHillary Clinton “and her dealings with Russia.”

But after what Goldstone thought was a mind-numbingly dull presentation and a few vague remarks about Russian fund-raising for Democrats, the Russianattorney, Natalia Veselnitskaya, switched gears. She stopped talking presidential politics and started talking about U.S.-Russian adoption policies.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/09/24/publicist-rob-goldstone-trump-tower-meeting-wrought-personal-toll/1356451002/




You know Vlad is doing that somewhere. Wouldn’t it be great if this were like a video game and Vlad is the final boss but then like a Final Fantasy villain he reveals himself to have far greater powers than you could ever imagine? But he can be defeated!

Before Rob Goldstone sent Donald Trump Jr. the email that would become the focus of perhaps the most pivotal political investigation in history, he recalls saying: “No good could come of this.”

The person Goldstone made the comment to was a client, pop singer Emin, who asked him to reach out and request a meeting with Trump.

Although the Azerbaijan-born pop star was working to parlay his fame into U.S. stardom, he wasn’t asking for himself, but for his father, mogul Aras Agalorov. The mogul, who had strong Russian business ties, was seeking to give Trump information that certain Russians were giving illegal donations to the Democrats.

Or that’s the story Goldstone says he got from Emin, and what he wrote to Donald Trump Jr. in the email, which he readily admits he “puffed up” to make it seem more important.

“I would have written ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ if that would have gotten his attention,” Goldstone says.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/09/27/he-set-up-trump-tower-meeting-now-he-wants-to-clear-his-name/





[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"]Sheriff Joe
[br] [/font]
[br]

You know conservatives are like bad weeds. You use a weed killer and new ones will sprout up just a few minutes later. Just look at Roy Moore who’s failed as a judge but thought he could make it as a senator – and he got spit out the bottom of the conservative barrel. Which brings me to Joe Arpaio – the guy known as Sheriff Joe. Yeah he’s the textbook definition of the movie version of the “villain won’t die” cliché. So he failed as a sheriff and got his ass handed to him in Arizona’s primaries. So what’s a down trodden guy like Sheriff Joe supposed to do?

Former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who lost his U.S. Senate bid in August, filed a lawsuit against The New York Times and one of its opinion writers over an opinion piece that he says contains ''several false, defamatory factual assertions" that he claims damage his chances of running for office again.

Arpaio, 86, is seeking $147.5 million in damages, as well as attorney fees.

The suit, filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges that New York Times writer Michelle Cottle purposely made malicious statements that would negatively affect a bid for the late Sen. John McCain's Senate seat in 2020. Arpaio ran for Sen. Jeff Flake's seat this cycle and lost in the primary.

The lawsuit, first reported by Politico, claims the opinion was defamatory and interfered with Arpaio's "prospective business relationship with the National Republican Committee" and other donors and it painted him in a "false light." Cottle's op-ed was headlined, "Well, at Least Sheriff Joe Isn't Going to Congress: Arpaio's loss in Arizona's Senate Republican primary is a fitting end to the public life of a truly sadistic man".

A spokesperson for the New York Times told Politico that the newspaper "intend(s) to vigorously defend against the lawsuit."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-arizona-sheriff-joe-arpaio-sues-new-york-times-for-libel/




You know it’s not in the Top 10 policy to kick a man when he’s down but considering Sheriff Joe actually tortured people, exceptions have to be made, damn it! What about the people who filed lawsuits against him? You know he may be paying all those people out!

A judge who ordered taxpayer-funded compensation for Latinos who were illegally detained when then-Sheriff Joe Arpaio defied a 2011 court order in a racial profiling case is being asked to give the victims six more months to apply for the money.

The one-year period for filing claims is scheduled to end on Dec. 3, but immigrant rights advocates said in a court filing last week that more time is needed to locate those who were illegally detained when Arpaio disobeyed the order to stop his traffic patrols targeting immigrants.

Arpaio, who was accused of prolonging the patrols to boost his successful 2012 re-election campaign, was later convicted of criminal contempt of court for his acknowledged disobedience. A pardon by President Donald Trump spared Arpaio, who lost the 2016 sheriff's race, a possible jail sentence.

While the pardon led to the dismissal of Arpaio's criminal case, taxpayers in metro Phoenix remain on the hook for compensation for the illegal detentions in the patrols between late December 2011 and May 2013.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article220505260.html




At least Sheriff Joe isn’t *THAT* clueless with a gun, though we secretly suspect that he is. So you might be asking, what does the New York Times think of the New York Times lawsuit? Well that is a good question and I answer you with:

Joe Arpaio, the former Arizona sheriff pardoned last year of his criminal contempt of court conviction by Pres. Donald Trump, is now suing the New York Times and its writer over an opinion piece about his Senate primary loss this summer.

The Aug. 29 opinion piece by editorial board member Michelle Cottle was headlined, “Well, at least Sheriff Joe isn’t going to Congress.” It had the subheadline of “Arpaio’s loss in Arizona’s Senate Republican primary is a fitting end to the public life of a truly sadistic man.”

Arpaio’s lawsuit argues the opinion article “contains several false, defamatory factual assertions” about him, and claims it is to “prevent him from successfully” running for public office in the future.

iMediaEthics wrote to Arpaio’s lawyer, the chairman and general counsel of Freedom Watch, Larry Klayman. Klayman pointed iMediaEthics to his press release which called Arpaio “an American hero,” the Times‘ writer “hate-filled,” and the Times itself a “venomous leftist publication.” His press release added, “By demanding and getting a jury verdict for large compensatory and punitive damages, we hope to bring this ‘failing newspaper’ to its knees and to end its mission to destroy all who it disagrees with, most notably conservatives, including the current president of the United States, Donald J. Trump.”
https://www.imediaethics.org/joe-arpaio-sues-nyt-for-147-5-million-over-opinion-piece/




Yeah you know he’s giving thumbs up for this. But since conservatives have a habit of taking things out of context, let’s take a look at the actual New York Times piece, shall we?

Let us pause for a moment to mark the loss of a fierce and tireless public servant: Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz., who so robustly devoted himself to terrorizing immigrants that he was eventually convicted of contempt of court and would have lived out his twilight years with a well-deserved criminal record if President Trump, a staunch admirer of Mr. Arpaio’s bare-knuckle approach to law enforcement, had not granted him a pardon.

To clarify, Mr. Arpaio the man has not passed. As of Tuesday, he was still very much alive and kicking, the proto-Trumpian embodiment of fearmongering ethnonationalism. Mr. Arpaio’s dream of returning to elective office, however, has been dealt what is most likely a fatal blow by his loss in Arizona’s Republican primary for the Senate. Cast aside and left to wallow in the knowledge that his moment has passed, he has a fitting end to the public life of a true American villain.

This defeat came as a surprise to no one. In the closing weeks of the race, his campaign had begun melting down. His staff was in chaos, and polls showed him trailing both Representative Martha McSally, Tuesday’s victor, and Kelli Ward, an anti-immigration firebrand also courting the right wing of the party.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/29/opinion/sheriff-joe-arpaio-congress.html





[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"]Top 10 Investigates
[br] [/font]
[br]

Philadelphia it’s time to investigate beyond the headlines. This is Top 10 Investigates!



Not even two years ago, the city of Los Angeles was without the NFL. While the rest of the country enjoyed NFL franchises, Los Angeles did not have one. Until last year when the LA Rams finally decided to move from St Louis to LA. But then things got shook up when the San Diego Chargers jumped ship and moved to Los Angeles. The recent death of Chargers owner Alex Spanos sought to answer many questions about the Chargers’ ill-advised move, such as could the city support two NFL franchises? The answer is a not at all shocking no.

The Los Angeles Chargers moved from San Diego to Los Angeles after the team couldn’t come to a deal with the city of San Diego on a new stadium. The Chargers moved a year after the Rams returned to Los Angeles, which was the Rams’ home before they temporarily — it was a 20-year vacation — spent time in St. Louis. Local media personalities — maybe unfairly — wrote and spoke about how Los Angeles only wanted the Rams and not the Chargers. That started the poisoning of the well. Since then, it’s been an uphill battle for the team — fan acquisition and business wise — since it moved up the 5 and 405 freeway. It took a while, but NFL owners are finally noticing the Chargers’ issues.

The Chargers haven’t been able to grab a foothold in Los Angeles. The crowd in StubHub Center — which is located off the busy 405 freeway in Carson — is usually heavily populated with opposing teams’ fans. The Rams had to deal with a similar issue in their first year, but the Rams were bad in their first year. The Chargers are good. They aren’t current Rams good, but they are still very good.

The Rams are the problem for the Chargers. They have a younger team with bigger names. They have a first-round California quarterback who checks every box as if he came from central casting. They have the best running back — and maybe the best offensive player — in the NFL who happens to be reigning offensive player of the year. They have the reigning defensive player of the year. They have the reigning coach of the year who is the boy-genius of the NFL.
https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/2018/10/17/chargers-nfl-concerned-los-angeles-la-tickets-rams/




So the biggest problem for the fledgling Chargers? Their cross-town rivals, the LA Rams. The Rams have a bigger fanbase, a bigger budget and they’re getting the new stadium before the Chargers could ever get one in San Diego.

The “Fight For L.A.” is fairly lopsided at this point, leaving plenty of people wondering how long to let it go on.

According to Seth Wickersham of ESPN.com, the depth of the team’s struggles has been a topic among owners at this week’s league meeting, though not yet an official item of business on the league’s agenda.

The Chargers are playing in the 30,000-seat StubHub Center at the moment, which cuts into their ticket revenue. But it’s their viability as a tenant at the under-construction Inglewood stadium that’s the bigger concern.

Sources told Wickersham the Chargers plan to revise their revenue goals from $400 million to $150 million, a reflection of the difficulty of selling PSLs for two teams to a market that did without football for two decades.
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/10/17/report-chargers-struggles-to-get-foothold-in-l-a-hot-topic-at-owners-meeting/




Yes, the owners of the Chargers should probably get one of those. But guess what? Despite all the attendance claims and the negative press, the Chargers aren’t leaving. But what happened when the Chargers played San Francisco’s 49ers this week?

t's a running joke amongst NFL fans that the Los Angeles Chargers play 16 road games, and for good reason - there's a lot of truth to the claim.

Week 1 saw Kansas City Chiefs fans turn StubHub Center red, and Sunday's game against the 49ers was more of the same. It looked like the Niners fans had nearly the entire stadium for Week 4's matchup.

Seriously, this is absurd.

There were loud chants of "De-fense" when the Chargers had the ball. Again, this was supposed to be a Chargers home game.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ftw/2018/09/30/niners-become-latest-fanbase-to-completely-take-over-the-chargers-stadium/38000399/




Yeah they probably are and you know it’s a bad thing when most of the fans at your stadium are there to cheer for the other team. But apparently like a relative visiting on a holiday they’re staying put for the duration and then some.

The Chargers might be struggling to make fans in Los Angeles, but there's a reason that the NFL isn't panicking yet, and that's mainly because the team is apparently going to have a lot of time to develop a fan base in their new city.

According to Pro Football Talk, when the Chargers moved to L.A., the team signed a "firm" 20-year lease to serve as a tenant at the new stadium being built by Rams owner Stan Kroenke. The lease means that even if the the Chargers wanted to leave L.A., they wouldn't be able to do it until after the 2039 season.

The Rams have been selling sponsorships and advertising for the stadium with the understanding that two teams would be playing there, which is why it would likely be nearly impossible for the Chargers to get out of the lease.

Of course, the Chargers could leave after 20 years since that's when they'll finally have the option to move again. According to PFT, the Chargers' lease includes two 10-year options. Basically, if the Chargers actually build a fan base and want to stay in L.A., then they could exercise the first 10-year option, which would run from 2040 to 2049. If things are still going well, the Chargers could exercise their second 10-year option, which would presumably run from 2050 to 2059.
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/chargers-reportedly-not-allowed-to-leave-los-angeles-for-at-least-20-years/




So the Chargers may be staying put, but one thing is clear in the fight between the Chargers and the Rams for the title of LA’s team – no matter what happens, the Oakland Raiders are the most popular team in LA.

In the week before a road game, NFL teams blare crowd noise over the speakers on their practice fields. For home games, dealing with crowd noise is usually not an issue.

But it’s an issue this week for the Chargers.

The Chargers, who have consistently struggled to attract fans to their tiny temporary home stadium in Carson, California, are piping in crowd noise to prepare for Sunday’s home game against the Raiders, Sam Fortier of The Athletic reports.

While the Chargers’ fan base in Southern California is small, the Raiders still have plenty of fans in Southern California even though they left Los Angeles to return to Oakland in 1995. The photo published here, showing a lonely Chargers fan in a sea of Silver and Black, was taken at the Raiders-Chargers game in Carson last year. So it’s likely that Carson will resemble the Black Hole on Sunday, and Raiders fans will drown out Chargers fans — and possibly drown out the Chargers’ offensive signals.
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/10/04/with-raiders-coming-to-town-chargers-practicing-for-crowd-noise-at-home/




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




[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"]Holy Shit
[br] [/font]
[br]

Gather around, my fair brothers and sisters of Philadelphia, 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 our weekly duty to remind you why the holiest among us are also the most full of:



My fair congregation!!! You know that Saturday Night’s All Right For Fighting! I heard someone say something like that once. No it wasn’t Sir Elton, although that would make sense. Thank you sir! And while there’s a non secular fight club on the east coast called the “Proud Boys”, this group has been trying to take over Portland like nobody’s business. And just like that secular group, this group called “Patriot Prayer” is certainly going to take over downtown Portland. Or are they?

About two dozen supporters of the far-right Patriot Prayer group gathered Monday on a closed Clark College campus to protest a Washington ballot initiative.

Leader Joey Gibson told the ralliers that Monday's rally was a warm-up for Wednesday when he said they will return to the campus to try to talk to students about the importance of gun ownership.

Clark College President Bob Knight in a letter last week shut down campus Monday after the rally was announced. He encouraged students, staff and faculty to avoid the campus for the day if possible.

Only three or so students showed up. They followed Gibson and his supporters on a 15-minute walk from campus to the Interstate 5 overpass, where they waved U.S. flags and signs that urged people to vote no on Initiative 1639, which would raise the minimum age of semi-automatic rifle purchasers to 21 from 18. It would also impose a 10-day waiting period for semi-automatic purchases and require buyers to take firearms training.

Annabelle Forteo said she attends Clark College two days a week and was annoyed that one of those days was interrupted by the closure.
https://www.oregonlive.com/clark-county/index.ssf/2018/10/vancouvers_clark_college_close.html




You know even the good LAWRD JAYSUS thinks this is ridiculous! I mean really I have read and memorized the Good Book from cover to cover and I don’t remember anywhere where it said that JAYSUS shot first and asked questions later! Thank you! I mean did he pray six times or only five? I don’t remember that passage! Yes, that was from the book of Harry, sir! But once again there were more counter protesters than actual protesters. But of course if you’re going to show up to a Patriot Prayer rally, you’re going to get into a fight! Because that’s how they roll.

A demonstration billed as a march for "law and order" in the streets of Portland descended into chaos as rival political factions broke into bloody brawls downtown Saturday night.

Members of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer and their black-clad adversaries, known as antifa, used bear spray, bare fists and batons to thrash each other outside Kelly's Olympian, a popular bar on Southwest Washington Street.

The melee, which lasted more than a minute, ended when riot cops rushed in and fired pepper balls at the street fighters.

The Portland Police Bureau reported seeing protest and counter-protest participants outfitted with hard knuckle gloves, knives and firearms earlier in the evening. Police said they made no arrests Saturday night, but will continue to investigate.

The wild scene unfolded amid mounting tensions among both groups, fueled in part by a pair of national news stories.
https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2018/10/patriot_prayer_flash_march_cal.html




Sounds about right. Oh and nobody hates more than Patriot Prayer, they’re the original player haters, and like all horrible things, the group started shortly after the Dark One – whose name shall not be mentioned in my church - assumed power. But unlike that other group, the Patriot Prayer warriors are armed and dangerous, and they’re not afraid to use them!



Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler intended to look decisive Monday afternoon by announcing an emergency ordinance that would give police broad authority to control warring protest groups.

But as he justified his action, the mayor opened a can of worms. He described an alarming discovery—a nest of guns on a downtown roof—that raised more questions than it answered.

In the early morning of Aug. 4, hours before a massive waterfront protest, Portland police officers discovered a group of Patriot Prayer supporters on the roof of a parking garage in downtown. According to a description provided in the mayor's proposed ordinance, the men had a "cache of firearms," which a mayoral staffer would later describe as "long guns."

"Prior to the start of the scheduled demonstrations, police discovered individuals who had positioned themselves on a rooftop parking structure in downtown Portland with a cache of firearms," the ordinance says.
https://www.wweek.com/news/city/2018/10/16/portland-police-found-right-wing-protesters-with-a-cache-of-long-guns-atop-a-parking-garage-why-didnt-the-mayor-know/




Yes, even SAYTAN himself condemns this group of prayer warriors to the fiery pits of the darkest regions of HELL! Because that’s where these sinners are going! But guess what? Just like Deadpool they’re taking their fight international! Coming soon to a city near you – this shit!

Fresh off another violent street brawl in Portland, Patriot Prayer is planning a pair of college campus visits to talk about guns -- but now is turning its attention to its home turf of Clark County.

Members of the right-wing group plan to be at Clark College on Oct. 22 and Washington State University Vancouver the next day to protest a state ballot initiative that would raise the minimum age of semi-automatic rifle purchasers to 21 from 18.

Joey Gibson, a Vancouver resident and Patriot Prayer's leader, said about three dozen supporters will hand out fliers encouraging students to oppose Initiative 1639, which would also impose a 10-day waiting period for semi-automatic purchases and require buyers to take firearms training.

Several campus groups at WSU Vancouver this week published an open letter to urge students and faculty not to attend class during Patriot Prayer's visit, citing the group's propensity for physical confrontations and its history of drawing white nationalists and other controversial participants to its events, The Columbian reported.

Clark College spokeswoman Hannah Erickson told the paper the school also had concerns about the group coming to its campus, which Gibson dismissed.

"They're not going to stop us talking to students. It's not going to happen," he told The Columbian, adding that Initiative 1639 was "fascist."
https://www.oregonlive.com/clark-county/index.ssf/2018/10/patriot_prayer_fresh_off_wild.html




Well, Joey, you can talk all you want! Doesn’t mean that anyone is going to listen, and you’re probably going to get into a fight or two! By the way, how great is our gospel choir? Give it up for them! Can I get an amen??? But really the take away here is that these guys are dangerous and insane and you can’t get away from them!

The Oregonian/OregonLive has been able to identify the woman, but not the man. He's wearing a black hoodie emblazoned with the logo for AK Press, a book publisher that specializes in anarchist and radical literature.

The woman didn't respond to multiple phone calls and Facebook messages Thursday seeking comment. New York police and others associated with 9/11 can't confirm she was married to a 9/11 victim.

The episode occurred at the end of a Patriot Prayer march for "law and order" in downtown Portland that spiraled into a violent brawl between the right-wing group and its antifascist, or antifa, adversaries.

Later that evening, a man erupted at a woman standing near the corner of Southwest Morrison Street and Broadway.

"Why are you trying to block me?" says the man, adding an expletive.
https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2018/10/anarchists_expletives_911_port.html




There you have it folks! The devil has spoken and it is through Patriot Prayer! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:




[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"]This Fucking Guy
[br] [/font]
[br]

It’s time for a new edition of:



This week’s “This Fucking Guy” goes to the extremely racist and ultra violent founder of the Alt Right gang known as the Proud Boys, Gavin McInnes. Like all horrible things, the Proud Boys started after Trump won the 2016 election. But if you were to look up the word “psychopath” in the dictionary you’d see pictures of Mr. McInnes. He’s the kind of guy who you wouldn’t take home to mother, and he’s certainly the type of violent psycho who would take candy from a baby and then spit in their faces because hey, there’s no free handouts. But here’s the bizarre thing about the Proud Boys – everywhere they go, Antifa is sure to follow. It’s almost like watching a really fucked up episode of Spy Vs Spy, and you can’t help but wonder if they have synced up drinking schedules or something. So what did the Proud Boys to do “own the libs” this week?

Gavin McInnes, leader of the pro-men Proud Boys group, said that the eight members wanted by New York City police will surrender for their part in a brawl outside of a Republican club in Manhattan on Oct. 12.

The planned surrender came after one Proud Boys member was arrested on Oct. 18.

The brawl, which police said started after a member of the extremist Antifa group chucked a bottle at the Proud Boys, took place outside the Metropolitan GOP Club on the Upper East Side.

A total of six Antifa members and nine Proud Boys were wanted or already arrested for allegedly participating in the brief brawl, which was broken up by police officers.

McInnes told the New York Times that he was helping arrange the surrender of the members. By Friday night, a second Proud Boys members had been arrested and a lawyer representing at least four of the suspects had called a precinct to work out details of their surrender.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/proud-boys-leader-says-members-will-surrender-to-police-after-brawl-with-antifa_2695094.html




Come on, how do the Proud Boys always attract Antifa whenever they go out drinking? It’s like moths to a bug zapper! How do these guys always meet in the same place at the same time? Seriously it’s almost as if someone is pulling both of their strings. Maybe it’s Mr. McInnes? But attend a Proud Boys rally and no matter which side you’re on, you’re bound to get arrested!

The New York Police Department announced over the weekend that it has opened a criminal probe into the Proud Boys, a far-right fraternal organization.

Deputy Commissioner John Miller told the New York Times that the group was “the subject of a regular criminal investigation” following their involvement in a violent brawl outside a local Manhattan GOP club earlier this month.

Miller told the Times he was aware of the legal constraints on law enforcement probes of political groups but that “violence is violence.”

The probe marks the latest fallout from the Oct. 12 event at the Metropolitan Republican Club, where Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes made a speech mocking the 1960 assassination of a Japanese socialist leader. After the speech ended, McInnes’ followers clashed with anti-racist activists waiting outside. Three protesters were arrested at the scene.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/nypd-proud-boys-criminal-investigation-arrests




But that wasn’t the only evil thing that the Proud Boys have been up to this week. So by now you may have seen the video going around of Cuban protestors heckling Nancy Pelosi at the Florida DNC offices this week. Well guess who was behind it?

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was confronted by protesters in Florida on Friday organized by a local Republican chapter and a local group of the "Proud Boys," who shouted pro-Trump slogans and blasted the Democratic House leader as a "communist."

Video of the confrontation recorded by a member of the "Proud Boys" shows protesters holding signs and cursing at Pelosi as she entered a campaign event for Donna Shalala, the Democratic nominee in Florida's 27th District.

"Look at this piece of sh-t Pelosi," the cameraman is heard yelling in the video.

“You don’t belong here you f--king communist f--k,” a voice is also heard saying on the video. “You and your f---ing Democrats.”

Pelosi's office told The Hill in a statement that it was ironic to hear President Trump accuse Democrats of being part of an angry "mob" after events such as the protest in Florida. The Proud Boys are considered a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center over anti-immigrant and racist views espoused by members.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/412405-pelosi-heckled-by-miami-republicans-proud-boys-at-campaign-event




Yup! There he is, the king of Trump douchedom, Gavin McInnes! Right there behind yet another angry tirade directed at liberals, because, reasons. Oh and by the way you know how fucked up and angry the Proud Boys are? They’re so fucking angry that they will show up to rallies that never existed! To paraphrase Bugs Bunny – “What a bunch of maroons!”

Several dozen people showed up to a North Carolina outdoors store on Saturday to mount a counter-protest against an Antifa rally that didn’t exist.

A recent Facebook page called Gaston County Antifa, which is a portmanteau for “antifascist,” had posted earlier in the week that group members “from at least 10 states” were planning to gather in front of the Gander Outdoors store in the Franklin Square shopping center in Gastonia. Other than the Facebook page, there’s no evidence of any such group actually existing in Gaston County, but that didn’t stop those spreading the rumors. Even local website CharlotteStories ran a widely shared article about the fake rally.

The dozens of counter-protesters stood in front of the Gander store waving flags, including U.S., Confederate and Trump flags. Some, like Terry Pennington, came from outside the county to be at the outdoors store.

A massive American flag flies from the parking lot in front of the store, and Pennington said he’d heard that Antifa members were going to light it on fire.

“They ain’t here because they’re still in their momma’s basement,” Pennington said.

more
https://www.dispatch.com/news/20181021/antifa-facebook-prank-sends-trump-supporters-to-protect-north-carolina-outdoors-store




Which begs the question – if a bunch of right wing trolls get trolled, who are the real trolls? That’s Gavin McInnes and the Proud Boys – this week’s :




[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"]What’s Up With India?
[br] [/font]
[br]

It’s time to ask:



Yes it’s the segment where we delve into all the batshit crazy news coming out of the former subcontinent which has a population that’s almost 10 times more than the next 15 countries combined and when that happens you’re bound to get some batshit insanity happening. So if you live in a major city like Philadelphia or Los Angeles, you’ve probably seen these assholes lying in giant piles on city streets. Lewis Black even did a bit on it on the Daily Show a couple of weeks ago. Yup – the Bird scooters are coming to Indian streets near you!

Singapore’s sidewalks are about to get a lot more crowded. Beam, co-founded by the former Asian chief for Chinese bike-sharing giant Ofo Inc., has raised $6.4 million from investors including Sequoia India to deploy its electric scooters around the island nation.

Beam just closed a seed funding round led by Sequoia India, Founders Fund, ZhenFund and Class 5 Global, Beam said in a statement. Its other backers include Arbor, Insignia, 500 Startups, Gobi and K2 Global. The financing will help bankroll a fleet of e-scooters manufactured by Segway Ninebot, backed by smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp.

The announcement comes the same day Stockholm-based Northzone Ventures -- an early investor in Spotify and iZettle -- announced it had led an investment of 25 million euros ($28.7 million) into Berlin’s Tier Mobility, which already has scooters on the streets of Vienna.

Beam, whose co-founder also headed up Indonesia for Uber Technologies Inc., is trying to replicate the success of Bird Rides Inc. and Lime in Asia. While those American startups have scaled quickly after raising massive amounts of money, they have yet to arrive in the region.
https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/ex-uber-exec-scores-funding-to-bring-e-scooters-to-singapore#gs.7G2fwFc




Well hey we’ve at least pinpointed the origin of these things, maybe if we shut down the factory we can turn them all off, like in Independence Day! Now if that’s not crazy enough, when there’s a movie that is as popular and original as “Crazy Rich Asians”, wait until you see what happens when the movie premiered in India.

In the blockbuster rom-com Crazy Rich Asians, which finally arrived in India over the weekend, Constance Wu’s character Rachel Chu encounters a nasty surprise in the midst of a luxurious island getaway.

It’s a pivotal scene: Bored at a bachelorette party for Singapore’s richest of rich, Rachel returns to her private villa to find that the women, jealous of her relationship with the country’s most eligible man, have dumped a dead fish on her bed. On the window, written in fish blood, are the words “Catch this you gold-digging bitch.”

But Indian viewers didn’t get to see this. In fact, for those who haven’t already read Kevin Kwan’s book that inspired the film, it can take a while to figure out what exactly Rachel found on her bed because the country’s Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) decided to blur it out (as well as the word “bitch”).

On Sept. 24, Crazy Rich Asians received a UA (Unrestricted Public Exhibition-But With Parental Guidance) rating from the CBFC, after weeks of confusion over whether it would release in India at all. But on its website, the CBFC lists all the changes it requested, including blurring the sight of the “killed fish kept on bed” and muting words such as “suck(s),” “slutty,” “skanks,” and the phrase “shave your coo-coo chara” (referring to genitalia).
https://qz.com/india/1418952/in-india-censored-crazy-rich-asians-blurs-out-dead-fish/




People give the FCC a lot of shit here, but at least we’re allowed to say words like “suck” and “skank”, ah isn’t freedom great? But there is one thing that India is not free from and that is Donald Trump. Damn it, just can one place in the entire world be free from hearing about him? Well, guess what happened to India’s stock market when Trump started attacking it? Well…

Markets across the world have crashed over the past few days. BSE Sensex today lost over 1,000 points at one point. The fall in share markets world over has its origin in certain fiscal predictions and financial state of Europe. But US President Donald Trump created panic with his, what is being held as unprecedented, attack on the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the country.

Federal Reserve has raised interest rates three times this year. The last upward revision in the interest rate was done in September. Every hike in interest rate by Federal Reserve was followed by crash of the Sensex in India. Investors would withdraw money from the Indian markets as the US ones would offer better rate of return.

Another hike in interest rate by Federal Reserve is expected soon. And, this has left Donald Trump unhappy. The US markets were shedding loads on Wednesday and Wall Street witnessed a decline of over 800 points or 3.15 per cent. This was the biggest fall in the US markets in over eight months.

Trump said that the fall in stock market was a correct that I have been waiting for long but he launched a frontal attack on Federal Reserve calling it crazy. He said, "I think the Fed is making a mistake. They are so tight. I think Fed has gone crazy."
https://www.indiatoday.in/business/story/how-sensex-lost-rs-4-lakh-crore-after-donald-trump-s-crazy-comment-1361581-2018-10-11




And by the way speaking of Trump, you know he’s trying to do away with California’s laws on smog protection. So if that happens, expect what’s happening in India to happen in California and maybe even all around the country as Trump looks to make pollution great again! So if pollution reaches these scary levels, California might want to enforce a fireworks ban:

he Indian Supreme Court banned the sale of most firecrackers Tuesday, amid concerns their use during annual Diwali celebrations next month will again send pollution levels spiking across the country.

In its judgment, the court said the ban would apply to traditional firecrackers, but not so-called "green" fireworks, which it defined as being "low emission sound and light emitting functional crackers" that produce less polluting particulate matter.

The move comes as cities across India are experiencing heavy smog, as crop clearances and falling temperatures bring an annual plunge in air quality.

Critics were skeptical about how effective the ban would be and questioned how it would be enforced.

Gopal Sankaranarayanan, a lawyer who represented one of the petitioners to the court, said the exemption for "green" firecrackers meant little because, "as of now, none exist."
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/23/health/india-firecracker-ban-pollution-intl/index.html





[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"]People Are Dumb
[br] [/font]
[br]

Hey Philadelphia it’s time for People Are Dumb!



So of course by now you know that people are people and people are dumb. And it’s been two weeks since we last did one of these so there’s a lot of stupid people piling up! So I want to start with this story out of India. People, when you’re on a flight, it’s probably best if you leave the exit doors on the plane alone, especially, if, I don’t know, it’s in flight!

An Indian passenger sparked panic in mid-air when he tried to open a plane door, apparently mistaking it for the toilet, the airline and reports said.

The man was travelling on a GoAir flight from New Delhi to Patna when he attempted to open the aircraft's rear exit, the carrier said."A co-passenger raised the alarm and he was intercepted by the crew," GoAir said in a statement e-mailed to AFP on Tuesday.Indian media reports said he was a first-time flier in his late 20s.

"Pandemonium prevailed amid all this and he was restrained and finally handed over to us.""He said that the confusion happened because he had boarded a flight for the first time in his life," Mohammad Sanowar Khan told the newspaper.

GoAir said the passenger was handed over to the authorities for further investigation after the plane arrived safely at its destination.A spokesman for the airline added that the man wouldn't have succeeded in opening the door anyway due to air pressure in the cabin.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30355248




Yeah it was kind of like that. Next up – we go to Iowa for this story. You know it’s one thing to get a friend or relative an intervention. But intervention doesn’t mean “by excessive force”. At least there weren’t soda cans full of wine involved!

Three people face felony charges for allegedly forcing a Dubuque man out of his home and assaulting him over a drug intervention.

Hunter J. Gruel, 21, and Sarah E. Gruel, 24, both of East Dubuque, Ill., and Mitchell J. Eveland-Taylor, 23, of Hazel Green, Wis., are charged in Iowa District Court for Dubuque County with first-degree burglary. They were scheduled to make court appearances Friday morning.

According to court documents, Dubuque police were called to 2186 Foye St. at about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in response to a disturbance. Gabriel M. Locher, 18, told police that Hunter Gruel, Sarah Gruel and Eveland-Taylor were among a group that came to the residence to confront him and his roommate, Brittany O. Shaw, 18.

Locher said Shaw unsuccessfully tried to do a drug intervention for the sister of Hunter and Sarah Gruel, documents said. Locher said Hunter Gruel and Eveland-Taylor entered his home, assaulted him and pulled him out into the yard, where Locher was assaulted further.
http://www.telegraphherald.com/news/tri-state/article_eeaf8410-30ff-54ff-a417-9dd3c6be04d8.html?utm_source=thonline&utm_medium=click_source&utm_campaign=news_feed_most_read




Next up – we go to Springfield, Missouri for this one (WOOOOOOOOO!!! Springfield!). So, people… people if you’re under arrest for something, and specifically if you’re under house arrest, maybe don’t post a video on Youtube about how to remove your ankle monitor!

Giacomo Bologna, Springfield News-Leader Published 10:30 p.m. CT Oct. 7, 2018

A Springfield man is in jail after authorities say he filmed himself using a butter knife and a screwdriver to remove an ankle monitor — then posted the video to Facebook.

The July video referenced by investigators is still posted on what appears to be the Facebook page of Dustin W. Burns, 33.

Court records show Burns pleaded guilty to violating a restraining order earlier this year and was placed on probation.

"This is how you take an ankle bracelet off," says a voice in the video, "without breaking the circuit."

The man advises viewers to remove the ankle monitor without damaging it, thus avoiding thousands of dollars in fines.
https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/crime/2018/10/08/springfield-man-removes-ankle-monitor-facebook-video/1519768002/




Well hey it’s all well and good until someone tries to remove an ankle monitor! Next up – sigh… do I really need to point how absurdly stupid the idea of the emotional support animal is getting? And by the way, if I board a plane and I see someone who has an “emotional support squirrel”, I am not sitting next to that person!

Frontier Airlines said a woman had to be escorted off a flight bound for Cleveland Tuesday night due to a squirrel.

Frontier said a passenger boarded Flight 1612 in Orlando, saying the squirrel was an emotional support animal.

The airline said the passenger noted in her reservation that she was bringing an emotional support animal, but it was not indicated the animal was a squirrel.

Frontier said "rodents, including squirrels are not allowed" on its flights.

The passenger was advised of the policy and asked to get off the plane.

The airline said when she refused, Orlando police were called and requested everyone be deplaned so they could deal with the passenger.
https://fox8.com/2018/10/09/woman-removed-from-flight-bound-for-cleveland-due-to-emotional-support-squirrel/




Oh come on, you’re on Frontier Airlines! This is the airline that has animal tales on all their planes. I think this story would be more ironic if this woman were on the plane that had a squirrel on the tale. And finally for people are dumb, and speaking of airplanes, we have to bring you to bring you this story. You know maybe in this case, imitation really *isn’t* the most sincere form of flattery. And this might be the worst excuse ever, but the guy honestly is not wrong here:

A man cited President Donald Trump after he allegedly groped a woman during a Southwest flight from Houston to New Mexico on Sunday, according to court documents.

Bruce Alexander, 49, was arrested on an abusive sexual contact charge after Southwest Flight 5421 landed in Albuquerque.

According to an affidavit, when Alexander was placed in handcuffs, he told officers that "the president of the United States says it’s OK to grab women by their private parts."

Alexander is accused of touching a woman's breast while he was sitting behind her on the Southwest flight.

The woman said she felt Alexander's hand move from behind her and grab her right breast. She said she fell asleep about 20 minutes into the flight and not long after, she felt him touch her but assumed it was an accident, according to court documents.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2018/10/23/accused-groping-southwest-flight-trump-women-private-parts/1736728002/




That’s it this week for:




[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"]Deep State Diaries Episode 17: The FBI
[br] [/font]
[br]



It’s time for episode 2 of Deep State Diaries. Yes we’re touring the 24 branches and services that make up the United States government. Everything from the FBI to the IRS to the Pentagon to the CIA to the DPW to the DVA to parks and recreation and all branches and services in between. Of course if you’re here you probably already know more about our government and how it works than your average Fox News loving Trump supporter does. So that’s what this segment is going to address. We are going to do a deep dive into all that makes the United States the United States. Because we here at the Top 10 love to educate as well as entertain. Because we care.

[font size="6"]The FBI[/font]


We need some music for this one:



Yes, the truth is out there, folks! So this week we’re heading out to Langley, Virignia to visit the organization known as the Federal Bureau of Investigations. THE FBI!!!!! Whew, that was very well timed, sound effects guy! But the FBI does more than just investigate extra terrestrial activity as their X-Files unit clearly shows. So what makes the FBI the FBI? Why are conservatives so afraid of the FBI and why do they constantly attack it?

The FBI says it was unable to find any records to support President Trump's claim that there are "100 pictures" of former FBI Director James Comey and special counsel Robert Mueller "kissing and hugging each other."

Jason Leopold, an investigative reporter for BuzzFeed News, sent a Freedom of Information Act request to the FBI last month after Trump made the comment in an interview with the Daily Caller.

"We were unable to locate records responsive to your request," the FBI said in a letter to Leopold on Oct. 17, which the reporter shared on Twitter. "Therefore, your request is being administratively closed."

The letter notes "three discrete categories" of law enforcement and national security records that Congress excluded from such a FOIA request.

Upon seeing the letter, Comey tweeted, "My wife is so relieved," along with a "tears of joy" emoji.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/fbi-unable-to-find-trumps-100-pictures-of-james-comey-and-robert-mueller-hugging-and-kissing




Of course they weren’t. Because they don’t exist! Damn Trump and his conspiracy theorist lunatic fanbase – you guys are intentionally wasting the FBI’s time. You want to know what an actual FBI investigation looks like? Here’s one.

A second Sedgwick County Commissioner is on record with KSN, saying there is an FBI investigation into several of the commissioners.

"I can tell you it's not me. I'm not part of the investigation other than answering questions," said Commissioner Jim Howell.

Howell does confirm he has answered questions of FBI investigators.

"Yes, I have," said Howell. "I don't want to harm what's being investigated so I guess it would be wise not to comment on that right now. But their timeline and how exactly they move forward is really up to them. I don't want to cause any problems. It's been going on probably most of the month of October."

The FBI is conducting an investigation involving the Sedgwick County Commission, multiple sources tell KSN.

Richard Ranzau went on record with KSN Monday confirming the investigation.
https://www.ksn.com/news/local/multiple-sources-fbi-investigation-involves-sedgwick-county-commission/1542564257




Yeah probably. Getting involved with the FBI is no joke. And people make jokes and take pot shots at the FBI all the time. But one thing the FBI is investigating? The Catholic Church. Yes we’ve talked for quite a bit about the Catholic Church’s egregious mishandling of abuse cases, but the FBI may be getting involved in one town.

Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation visited St. Mary's Church in Swormville, a source tells Two On Your Side's Steve Brown.

St. Mary's is the same church where a priest retired after an allegation of misconduct. Father Robert Yetter resigned after being placed on administrative leave a few months ago, according to a report in the Buffalo News.

There are multiple buildings on church property and Two On Your Side is told the agents were spotted in several of them.

In addition to the FBI's visit of St. Mary's, Two On Your Side was told agents have interviewed people with connections to the Buffalo Diocese.

This development comes one week after news broke that the Buffalo Diocese turned over documents after they were served with a federal subpoena.
https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/local/fbi-visits-catholic-church-in-swormville/71-607294480




Yeah there’s no making fun of that so we won’t try. Although there was that awesome episode of South Park a couple of weeks ago where the town gathered at the church every Sunday just so they could make fun of priests abusing kids. But getting back on topic, do you think you have what it takes to join the FBI? There’s an app for that!

If you think you have what it takes to join the FBI and become a special agent, there’s an app to test you physical fitness level against FBI standards.

The FBI’s Physical Fitness Test app is free to download in the Apple App Store, or on Google Play. It allows you to take the same fitness test required of anybody entering the FBI academy. It’s also the same kind of fitness test FBI agents must pass every year to stay in the bureau.

Taking the test yourself allows you to score yourself against FBI standards.

“I’ve always viewed the fit test as kind of a check on yourself personally every year,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Grant Mendenhall. “Where you are from a fitness standpoint.”

I got a taste of the fitness test Tuesday morning at Butler’s Davey Track and Field complex. Special Agent Andrew Evans put me and a few others through a deceptively difficult regimen of fitness events.
https://cbs4indy.com/2018/10/23/think-you-have-what-it-takes-to-join-the-fbi-theres-an-app-for-that/




[font size="6"]Score Card [/font]

Overall importance: A
How Things Are Going: B
Likely hood To Survive: A+

Overall: A-

[font size="6"]Next Week [/font]

It’s time to visit the organization that handles our mail and precious cargo, the United States Post Office, and do your best Newman impression here!


[font size="8"]And Now This:[/font]
[font size="8”]St. Paul & The Broken Bones[/font]

Ladies and gentlemen my next guest is an awesome jazz funk band from Birmingham, Alabama. You can see them on tour everywhere in February and March of 2019, playing their song “Apollo” from their album Young Sick Camelia give it up for St Paul & The Broken Bones!



Philadelphia, we love you! We’ll be back soon, we promise! We’re off to Nashville next for our big Halloween bash! See you next week!

Credits

Host: Initech
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded In Front Of Live Audience At: Punchline Philly, Philadelphia, PA
Special Thanks To: Punchline Management
Holy Shit Gospel Choir: LaSalle Choir Club, Philadelphia, PA
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
Graphics: Top 10 Graphics Department
Research: Top 10 Research Department
Lighting & Stage Props: Top 10 Lighting Department
Legal: Top 10 Legal Department
Advertising: Top 10 Advertising Department
HR: Top 10 Human Resources Department
Initech’s Wardrobe Provided By: JAB Inc.
Wheel Of Corruption By: Studio 1 Stage Props, Burbank, CA
St Paul & The Broken Bones Appear Courtesy Of: 2018 Records
Management: Initech Productions, CCC Management
Follow The Top 10 On Twitter at: @10Idiots
Questions? Comments? Complaints? Hate mail? E-mail The Top 10 at: Top10ConIdiots@gmail.com


Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo

October 20, 2018

Preview For This Week's Top 10 Conservative Idiots



For the record, let's call this piece "Lock, Stock, and Two Smirking Grins". You can't get much more evil than this folks!

*audience applauds wildly*

This week on the Top 10 we are live from Philadelphia! We delve into Mike Pompeo's Saudi Arabia trip, Trump goes a step further and suggests a border war, there's some shocking new developments in the Mueller probe, Sheriff Joe sues the New York Times, we profile Gavin McInnes in "This Fucking Guy" and we open up the Top 10 Movie Vault to review Diamond & Silk's stunningly awful new documentary "Dummycrats". Whew. Plus in our weekly investigative piece "Top 10 Investigates" we're going to take a look at football and ask was the Chargers' move to LA worth it? (hint: no). And in our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit", our resident pastor is going to do a deep dive into the alt right Christian fight club known as Patriot Prayer. Forget Saturday Night, it seems Sunday Morning is all right for fighting! Neither did we! And we've got a new installment of "What's Up With India" because they are crazy. Plus an all new people are dumb because people are dumb. And the next installment of our ongoing series Deep State Diaries is going to take us to the FBI (do your best Ed Wood impression here)! All this plus a live performance from St Paul & The Broken Bones!

Top 10 Conservative Idiots: Wednesdays at 2:00 PM /shameless self promotion
October 17, 2018

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #5-16: The College Dropout Edition


Top 10 Conservative Idiots #5-16: The College Dropout Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! What’s up BOSTON???? Yes I am in Red Sox territory so… how about them? Yeah! But that Patriots – Chiefs game… what the fuck??? Although I will say that I heavily support Tyreek Mill getting a face full of beer and a middle finger, but considering what he did, that dude got off light. But we got to move on, this is a comedy show! Not a horror movie! So I want to start with a heartfelt RIP… to Pete Davidson and Ariana Grande’s relationship. Yes, we need the Sad Hulk Music for this one! But one of my favorite aspects of celebrity relationships is when celebrities get premature tattoos. I’m not a tattoo guy, but I love premature tattoos. Like you know somewhere out there, there’s a Brewers fan out there who got a “Brewers 2018 World Series Champions” tattoo even though they’re only 2 games into the NLCS! And you know there’s a Lakers fan who got a “Lebron MVP” tattoo even though we’re still in preseason! But really, Pete, did you really think that your relationship with Ariana was going to go very far? And how much is tattoo removal? I don’t know, but does anyone have any guesses? How much? And I’m guessing that is going to be quite painful too. Well it’s really his loss. OK that’s enough of the intro, we got a lot of idiocy to get to, but first, John Oliver is back and he delves into the US relationship with Saudi Arabia (currently in the running for the worst country on earth) :



**NOTE: We are *NOT* going to cover the Jamal Khashoogi killing (at least this week) as it is another one of those stories where it would go against the Top 10 policy of making fun of tragedy. Sorry. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.**

In the number one slot this week is a twofer – Kanye West and Donald Trump (1). We got to delve into Kanye’s visit to the White House because, reasons. Taking the second slot this week, Trump’s wife Melania Trump (2) is on a World Deplorable tour of her own and made some absolutely absurd claims about bullying and we are going to examine a few of those. Taking the 3rd slot this week we have Trump’s BFF Alex Jones (3) and he’s literally turning into that episode of Seinfeld where George gets fired and he refuses to leave, we’ll tell you more about that. For the 4th seed this week Stormy Daniels is back and she and Trump (4) exchange jabs at each other after a judge dismisses her lawsuit against the orange president, and no, Stormy, we don’t need further details, thanks! At number 5 is a brand new edition of Top 10 Investigates and this time we’re going to talk about travel, specifically long haul flights, and Singapore Airlines recently launched the world’s longest flight – are you up for it? Taking the 6th slot this week we have of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” and this week our resident pastor is going to talk the end of the world. Just how close are we and what is our brethren on the other side saying about it? Find out! At number 7, last week we asked “What’s Up With India?” and this week we’re going to ask “What’s Up With Brazil?” because their elections are coming and they are about to elect a far right Putin stooge despite that he’s the less popular candidate. Gee, where have I heard that before? At number 8 we have a new installment of “How Is This Still A Thing?” and this week after South Park took a jab at an ongoing controversy involving a character on a competing show, we’re going to ask – “The Simpsons’ Apu: How Is This Still A Thing?”. In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week we’ve got a new installment of my favorite segment “I Need A Drink” and we’re going to talk passwords – specifically Kanye’s. Yep, that happened. And finally the next installment of our ongoing series Deep State Diaries, we’re going to hang out with the best of the best – the United States Marine Corps! Plus we’ve got the best dressed band in music – the Mighty Mighty Bosstones are going to be 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"]Trump Vs Kanye
[br] [/font]
[br]

Fresh off his recent stint berating the SNL audience and berating the oval office, we got to talk about how batshit insane Kanye has become. And here’s the thing Kanye that you need to realize that no one else will tell you – Trump is using you, man. He’s using you and he’s playing you like a fiddle, like he is with literally every celebrity that’s come out in favor of him. And I mean come on, when Dave Chappelle calls you out and says you went too far, you went too fucking far!

Dave Chappelle considers Kanye West “my brother” — but he thinks that the rapper “shouldn’t say all that s—” in support of President Donald Trump.

“I’m not mad at Kanye,” the comedian, 45, told CNN’s Van Jones in a segment that aired Saturday but was filmed before West visited the White House on Thursday. “That’s my brother. I love him. I support him. But you know, I don’t have to agree with everything that he says. I just trust him as a person of intent. But yeah, he shouldn’t say all that s—.”

During the lengthy discussion in the Oval Office, West, 41, mentioned his mental health, his fondness for the Make America Great Again hat, Hillary Clinton and the Kardashians, along with other topics.

West also recently gave a pro-Trump rant after appearing as the Saturday Night Live musical guest and called first for abolishing and then for amending the 13th Amendment.

Calling West an “artist” and a “genius,” Chappelle said, “I think that the angle he’s seeing things from is about the division that he sees, and he’s not inconsistent with what he’s saying.” He noted that he once read that West had sought to “re-appropriate” the Confederate flag.

In 2013, West wore a jacket with the Confederate flag and defended his decision by saying, “You know, the Confederate flag represented slavery in a way. … So I took the Confederate flag and made it my flag. It’s my flag.”

Months after announcing that he had bipolar disorder, West told Trump that he was “misdiagnosed.” Commenting that he had a “98 percentile IQ test,” West said that a doctor told him that “I wasn’t actually bipolar; I had sleep deprivation which can cause dementia 10 to 20 years from now when I wouldn’t even remember my son’s name.”

A source told PEOPLE that those close to West “are telling him that he needs to get back on his medication, that he’s not doing well, that he’s not making any sense.”
https://people.com/politics/dave-chappelle-kanye-west-supporting-donald-trump/




Yeah probably! But there’s a lot of crazy things that happened during that whole visit to the Oval Office last week. And don’t worry – we’ll get to the epic passcode fail in a minute. But for now all you need to know is that Kanye is really the black Trump. He’s the college dropout, don’t you know?

There was a moment during rapper Kanye West's 10-minute Oval Office soliloquy on, um, hydrogen planes, alternative universes and the 13th Amendment (among LOTS of other things) when the cameras zoomed in on President Donald Trump's face. Trump looked alternatively bemused, entertained, baffled, guarded and, yes, maybe even a little nervous all at once.

Which is the closest I have ever felt to the President -- because I was feeling all those same things watching the rapper and the celebrity President interact in front of the cameras. ("Interact" probably oversells it. Kanye just sort of talked at Trump, with an occasional pause to side-hug the President or show him a plane from his phone.)

It was a particularly Trumpian spectacle. Kanye was invited, alongside NFL great Jim Brown, ostensibly to talk about prison reform, but was really brought to the White House because a) he is a celebrity b) he says nice things about Trump and c) he guarantees eyeballs and buzz everywhere he goes.

And of course, everyone watched -- even if they said they didn't want to or didn't care -- because it was impossible to tear yourself away from the spectacle. Kanye didn't really talk much about prison reform but, then again, I am not sure what the hell he did talk about.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/11/politics/kanye-west-donald-trump/index.html




By the way so you know while Melania is on her world deplorable tour (which we will get to in a minute), Kanye imitated Dave Chappelle and went to Africa because… why not?

Days after Kanye West’s bizarre sit-down with President Donald Trump, the rapper and his wife, Kim Kardashian, have cozied up to another head of state.

The couple took in a meeting with the president of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who has declared his love for Trump, and Museveni’s daughter Diana Museveni Kamuntu in Entebbe on Monday. West is visiting the East African country while recording his upcoming album.

Museveni announced the visit on his Twitter account and said they held “fruitful discussions” about promoting tourism and arts, revealing that West gave him a pair of white Yeezy sneakers.

“I welcome American entertainment stars Kanye West and @KimKardashian to Uganda,” he wrote on Twitter alongside a series of photos documenting their meeting. “I held fruitful discussions with the duo on how to promote Uganda’s tourism and the arts. I thank Kanye for the gift of white sneakers. Enjoy your time in Uganda. It is the true Pearl of Africa.”
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kanye-west-kim-kardashian-meet-uganda-president-yoweri-museveni_us_5bc4a0dce4b0bd9ed55c54e5




And by the way this might be the single craziest thing to come out of that whole Kanye and Trump meeting – he proposed a bizarre futuristic looking airplane that he thinks should be made by Apple, because… reasons. Really you can’t make this shit up!

Kanye West believes president Donald Trump should eschew the Boeing VC-25AS planes used as Air Force One in favour of a hypersonic jet. Naturally, it should be made by Apple. The outspoken rapper made headlines last week when he showed President Trump a prototype of the so-called ‘iPlane 1’, which he reckoned could be a new Presidential Air Force One.

In an extraordinary meeting in the Oval Office, West produced his phone and announced: ‘I brought a gift with me right here. This right here is the iPlane 1. It’s a hydrogen-powered airplane and this is what our president should by flying in. ‘And we’re gonna have Apple, an American company, work on this plane.’

Although sounding like a project already in motion, the news came as a surprise to the actual designer of the concept, Detroit-based Shabtai Hirshberg. ‘It completely caught me by surprise,’ Hirshberg told The Verge. ‘A good surprise, I would say – it’s always nice to see your designs being thought well for.’
https://metro.co.uk/2018/10/16/a-closer-look-at-the-apple-iplane-that-kanye-pitched-to-trump-8042859/?ito=cbshare





[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"]Melania Trump
[br] [/font]
[br]

OK so we might be at that point in the movie where the team splits and goes their separate ways only to reconvene in the end and be… happy… I guess? Maybe if you were to go the Wes Anderson route. But really, so Melania went to Africa to promote her “#BeBest” campaign, and really, if you’re going to promote a Twitter hashtag, why not promote in countries that don’t really have proper internet access yet?

Sometimes a hat is just a hat. But not when it’s a pith helmet worn by a white politician visiting Africa. Pith helmets are relics of colonialism and its big game hunting tradition. So why would Melania Trump wear one?

On a solo tour of Africa, the United States first lady stopped in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi and Egypt. She went on safari. The pictures of her in a pith helmet and looking rather inscrutable went around the world. Although the first lady said: “I want to talk about my trip, not what I wear,” it is impossible to not talk about the ways race and space collide in this image.

This, of course, is not the first time Trump has been challenged on her clothing choices. After she wore a jacket that said “I really don’t care, do u?” while en route to an immigrant child detention centre, many claimed her choice of clothing was carefully scripted.

Safari is a multi-million dollar industry in Africa. It is most often talked about in terms of tourism, conservation, poaching and big game hunting. Let’s add race to that mix.
The legacy of safari hunting
https://www.news24.com/Africa/News/the-pith-helmet-worn-by-melania-trump-on-safari-in-africa-is-a-relic-of-colonialism-20181016




Because if there’s one thing Africa needs to be reminded of, it’s colonization! I mean really you couldn’t possibly get more insensitive than that. Ah, who am I kidding? This is the Trump administration we’re talking about here. They got elected on their insensitivity! And you want insensitive? Well it doesn’t get more insensitive than this!

Melania Trump, America's media-wary first lady, was finally ready to sit down for her first TV interview as FLOTUS, but she had to go to Africa to do it.

Trump appeared on “Being Melania – The First Lady,” a special edition of ABC's "20/20" on Friday night (10 p.m. ET/PT) talking with the network's chief national correspondent and weekend anchor Tom Llamas, who interviewed Trump when he accompanied her on her just-completed first solo international trip touring four countries in Africa.

During the sit-down, Trump revealed the message behind one of her most controversial fashion statements.

After the administration's border policy of separating children from their parents created an outcry in June, she flew to McAllen, Texas, to visit a migrant children's shelter to bolster the administration's humanitarian credentials. But that was undermined by her decision to wear a casual jacket with a snarky message scrawled on the back reading, "I REALLY DON'T CARE, DO U?" during the trip.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2018/10/12/melania-trump-does-first-tv-interview-flotus-during-her-africa-tour/1532600002/




To which I respond with “I really don’t care. Do U?”. Thank you audience! And by the way, we might want to cue the world’s tiniest violin straight for her. So is Melania Trump really the most bullied person in the world? Well she’s married to the guy who might be the biggest bully in the world, that’s for damn sure!

First lady Melania Trump said in an interview that aired Thursday that she is the most bullied person in the world, which has led her to create her anti-bullying "Be Best" initiative, before softening her comments slightly to say she is one of the most bullied.

"I could say I'm the most bullied person on the world," Trump told ABC News in an interview during her first major solo trip to Africa last week when asked what personally made her want to tackle the issue of cyberbullying.

"You're really the most bullied person in the world?" ABC News' Tom Llamas asked during the exchange.
"One of them, if you really see what people saying about me," Trump said.

Asked how bullying could affect children, including her son Barron, Trump said that is why her initiative is focused on social media and online behavior.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/11/politics/melania-trump-be-best-initiative-bullying/index.html




Oh womp womp! Yeah that’s the world’s tiniest violin playing just for Melania. Oh and by the way if you want to take a trip to Egypt, maybe the Pyramids are the one place where you don’t put your best fashion foot forward. And by the way Melania, it’s kind of hard to focus on what you do when you don’t do anything.

I wish people would focus on what I do, not what I wear,” First Lady Melania Trump lamented on the final day of her solo four-country trip to Africa, which took her last week to Ghana, Malawi, Kenya, and Egypt. She was reacting to criticism of the pith helmet she had worn earlier in Kenya.

It's a sentiment any serious person would sympathize with—but it was difficult to honor her wish. The objectives of her trip weren’t clearly defined, and some of her clothes were, well, distracting.

Take the pith helmet. That’s a hat with a history. It was widely worn by European colonial armies in Africa and Asia and by the end of the 19th century had also become common civilian wear for Westerners in the tropics; it is considered by many a symbol of colonial oppression. Why, one can’t help but wonder, would the first lady of the United States want to lift up that rock?

Furthermore, at the precise moment she was making her plea, Trump was standing on the Giza plateau outside Cairo; behind her was the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid of the pharaoh Khufu, the only remaining wonder of the ancient world. And with her attire she was inexplicably channeling 1930s, gangster-era Chicago: What else to make of the wide, black-belted trousers paired with a white shirt and a black tie, a menswear-style double-breasted jacket draped over her shoulders, and a black-banded fedora on her head?
https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/fashion-trends/a23657403/melania-trump-africa-clothes-style/





[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"]Alex Jones
[br] [/font]
[br]

Remember that episode of Seinfeld where George’s boss discovers that he faked being handicapped and attempted to fire George, and George refused to leave, so the boss did everything he could to force George out? Well it’s kind of like that for Infowars, and we may need to get the Sad Hulk Music going for this one. But apparently there’s one outlet that’s still mysteriously keeping Infowars alive and it’s getting really strange. For those of you keeping score at home here’s who has banned Infowars so far. Paypal.

Alex Jones, founder and lead host of Infowars, has been booted off nearly every social media platform, lost access to advertising and web-hosting services, and is now denied service by the payment processor PayPal—but he is still able to generate revenue from his operation using a Visa-owned payment solution called Authorize.Net.

Because of his hateful rhetoric and bad-faith proliferation of conspiracy theories, Jones has been banned from using Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, MailChimp, PayPal, and many online advertising services.

Authorize.Net services, according to its website, “more than 430,000 merchants, handling more than 1 billion transactions and $149 billion in payments every year.” Authorize.Net’s parent company is CyberSource, which Visa acquired in 2010. One of the merchants the service works with is the Infowars web store, where Jones sells nutritional supplements and prepper supplies at inflated prices. The code running the Infowars checkout page, specifically the credit card verification system, routes to Authorize.Net.

In the terms of use presented on Authorize.Net’s website, the payment processor does not require users agree to any policies forbidding them from using the service to facilitate hate and harassment online. Color of Change, a nonprofit civil rights advocacy group, lists Visa as an “engaged” company, meaning that Visa has “no acceptable use policy but has actively removed groups under pressure,” including white supremacist groups. In the terms listed, the company says it does not assume responsibility for what its clients do and sell and that it does not guarantee “you will be satisfied with their products, services or practices.”
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/is-visa-subsidiary-alex-jones-last-refuge/




I can imagine that will eventually happen to Infowars. I mean could you imagine that Alex is climbing through the vents at Infowars HQ screaming about the “Deep State”? I’m just laughing just thinking about this scenario – and he’s already red enough! So guess what? Alex is fighting back! He’s suing Paypal because, reasons.

Far right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is suing PayPal over claims that his InfoWars website was blocked due to political bias.

PayPal is one of several technology companies that have banned the controversial site from their platform, with Twitter, Facebook and Spotify all saying that Mr Jones' promotion of hate and violence is in violation of their policies.

InfoWars has previously reported that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 – in which 20 students and six staff members were killed – was a hoax.

In a 15-page complaint, Mr Jones' company Free Speech Systems claims that the bans are purely political.

"It is at this point well known that large tech companies, located primarily in Silicon Valley, are discriminating against politically conservative entities and individuals, including banning them from social media platforms such as Twitter, based solely on their political and ideological viewpoints," the complaint states.
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/alex-jones-sue-paypal-infowars-website-blocked-a8566226.html




Oh Alex, how many times do we need to tell you? You’re not getting banned because of your political bias, you’re getting banned because you’re a hateful dick! And companies these days don’t want to be associated with hate speech. And I thought you guys hated trial lawyers! Or are you going to represent yourself? And you know what they say about that right?

The publisher of the controversial Infowars website sued PayPal Inc. on Monday claiming that the payment site “discriminated against Plaintiff based on its political viewpoints and politically conservative affiliation, thus violating the California Unruh Civil Rights Act.”

On Sept. 21, PayPal informed Free Speech Systems, LLC, the owner of the websites at infowars.com and prisonplanet.com, that it would cease processing payments for the sites. “PayPal is engaged in unfair business practices by enforcing its contractual terms in an unconscionable manner, namely arbitrarily banning plaintiff from its platform for off-platform speech despite never claiming it might ban users for off-platform activity,” wrote the sites’ lawyer, Marc J. Randazza, of the Randazza Legal Group in Las Vegas.

A Paypal spokesman told Courthouse News Service on Monday that company was “aware of the filing and believes the claims in the complaint are without merit.”
https://www.law.com/therecorder/2018/10/02/infowars-publisher-sues-paypal-claiming-viewpoint-based-censorship-read-the-complaint/?slreturn=20180916145116




No, they do have merit. See, we point out time and time again that companies have this thing called a “terms of service agreement” that you probably didn’t read when you signed up, so of course you’re going to scream “wolf”. By the way one of Trump’s favorite punching bags – CNN’s Jim Acosta, nailed it when he described Infowars:

The Washington Post’s Paul Farhi followed CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta as he covered yet another Trump rally. Yes, Acosta continues to receive taunts and insults, but according to Farhi, tons of rallygoers also also ask him for selfies, while the countless other journalists continued to go about their business unrecognized and unbothered.

The reception Acosta gets abroad is far different, where people are much more polite towards the press, Farhi writes, than “the different country” Acosta says he sees when in Erie or in Tampa, Fla.

Acosta tells Farhi that Trump isn’t always the source of the anger. It’s increasingly conservative media outlets, like Fox News.

“A lot of people view this through the prism of conservative media,” Acosta tells Farhi. “If you stay on Fox, Infowars, Breitbart or Daily Caller, you’ll see something [inflammatory] about us. That’s what supercharges everyone.”
https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/jim-acosta-if-you-stay-on-fox-infowars-breitbart-or-daily-caller-youll-see-something-inflammatory-about-us-thats-what-supercharges-everyone/381137





[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"]Trump Vs Stormy
[br] [/font]
[br]

You know the last time we checked in with Stormy Daniels she ruined our collective childhoods in more ways than one. Especially if you happen to be 90s kids like I am (see: Idiots #5-12 ). But this week Trump is hopping mad at Stormy’s latest revelations. And you know what? After the shit show that has been the last two years, I never, *EVER* want to hear about a presidents’ sex life ever again. But it seems Trump picked up a minor victory, even if it is a, for lack of a better word, tiny one.

A federal judge has dismissed adult film star Stormy Daniels' defamation lawsuit against President Donald Trump.

Daniels sued Trump after he said in a tweet that her story of a man threatening her not to come forward with her story of her alleged affair with Trump was "a total con job."

Daniels argued Trump's tweet, posted April 18, "attacks the veracity of her account" of the incident and that Trump's statement was "false and defamatory, and that the tweet was defamation ... because it charged her with committing a serious crime," District Judge S. James Otero wrote in his opinion Monday.

Trump had asked Otero to dismiss the lawsuit.

"The Court agrees with Mr. Trump's argument because the tweet in question constitutes 'rhetorical hyperbole' normally associated with politics and public discourse in the United States. The First Amendment protects this type of rhetorical statement," Otero wrote.
In addition to dismissing the lawsuit, Otero ruled Trump is entitled to attorney's fees.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/15/politics/stormy-daniels-lawsuit-dismissed/index.html




Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Of course they did! And really do we honestly need to know any more about Trump’s sex life? I mean honestly Trump is a pig don’t get me wrong, but this just… I can’t even. Well on the plus side this guy has the right reaction to this horror:



So maybe Nathaniel Greene saw the news and that was his reaction to the fact that our president boned a porn star! Of course Trump responds in the most Trump way possible by the angry tweet.

President Trump launched a war of name-calling on Tuesday with adult film actress Stormy Daniels and her attorney as he exulted after a judge threw out Daniels' defamation lawsuit against the president.

Trump said on Twitter that he welcomed the opportunity to take the offense against Daniels — whom he called "Horseface" — and lawyer Michael Avenatti in Texas, where Daniels lives.

Avenatti, who represents Daniels but who also has become an all-purpose antagonist against Trump, fired back by recalling Daniels' account of an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006 at a time he was married to the now-first lady, Melania Trump, and not long after the birth of their son.

Avenatti suggested he would welcome some kind of suit by the president.

Trump has acknowledged making a payment to Daniels not long before Election Day in 2016 to keep her from talking publicly, but he has denied her underlying allegation of having a sexual encounter in 2006.
https://www.npr.org/2018/10/16/657842871/tiny-v-horseface-trump-slings-mud-with-stormy-daniels-after-courtroom-win




Well, to be fair now, at least he didn’t call her “Horsey McHorseface”! Hey o!!! But really is anyone surprised that Trump is acting this way right now? Trump has lowered the bar so much it’s literally past the lowest point on earth right now. Meanwhile, Stormy herself fired back with the usual allegation that Trump has a tiny penis. And no, Stormy, we do not need any further details!!!

President Donald Trump lobbed a crass insult at Stormy Daniels on Tuesday, calling the adult film star "horseface" after a federal judge dismissed her defamation suit against him.

"Great, now I can go after Horseface and her 3rd rate lawyer in the Great State of Texas," Trump wrote in a tweet that also referred to a news article about the suit being tossed.

"She will confirm the letter she signed! She knows nothing about me, a total con!" Trump added.

Stormy Daniels' defamation suit against Trump dismissed
Oct. 16, 201800:28

Daniels was quick to respond, citing what she called Trump's "shortcomings" and referring to him as "Tiny."

Daniels' attorney Michael Avenatti shot right back, calling Trump a "disgusting misogynist and an embarrassment to the United States."

"Bring everything you have, because we are going to demonstrate to the world what a complete shyster and liar you are. How many other women did you cheat on your wife with while you had a baby at home?" the attorney tweeted.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-calls-stormy-daniels-horseface-after-judge-dismisses-her-suit-n920701




Don’t you put that evil on us, Stormy!!! Don’t you put that evil on us!!! As if things couldn’t get any weirder, and why wouldn’t they at this point? Well…

President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to "go after" adult film actress Stormy Daniels and her lawyer Michael Avenatti after a defamation lawsuit against the president was dismissed in court on Monday.

Trump, who has repeatedly mocked women's appearances, also offered up a demeaning nickname for Daniels, calling her "horseface."

"'Federal Judge throws out Stormy Danials lawsuit versus Trump. Trump is entitled to full legal fees.' @FoxNews Great, now I can go after Horseface and her 3rd rate lawyer in the Great State of Texas," the president tweeted. "She will confirm the letter she signed! She knows nothing about me, a total con!"

District Judge S. James Otero of the Central District of California dismissed a defamation lawsuit on Monday against Trump. Daniels sued the president after he wrote in a tweet on April 18 that her story about a man threatening her to not come forward about her alleged affair with Trump was "a total con job."
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/16/trump-go-after-stormy-daniels-avenatti-905698





[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"]Top 10 Investigates: Longest Flight Ever
[br] [/font]
[br]

Hey Boston it’s time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!



How long is the longest flight you’ve ever flown on? Is it 5 hours? Maybe a 12 hour transcontinental flight from Los Angeles to Sydney or London? But would you spend 17 hours on a flight? This week, the airline widely regarded as one of the world’s best unveiled a flight that smashed a Guinness world record. Using the state of the art Airbus A350, the flight reached a record from Singapore to Newark in no less than 19 hours. So what is life like on the world’s longest flight?

Getting from Singapore to New York in one hop is better than a layover — even if it involves taking the world’s longest flight.

That is my jetlagged verdict after disembarking from Singapore Airlines Ltd’s Flight 22, the return of the carrier’s Changi-to-Newark, New Jersey, journey after a five-year hiatus.

The final quarter of the 10,400-mile (16,737km) trek was tedious, I must say. By hour 14, somewhere over Canada, the fancy new plane (Airbus SE’s A350-900 Ultra Long Range) was starting to feel like a luxurious prison. My skin was parched, and I could not help trying to think of other scenarios in which that many people in a confined space would collectively go so long without a shower. Even the thought of another mimosa could not get me enthusiastic about still being airborne.

But travelling to the world’s opposite time zone is never going to be entirely painless. Doing it in business class, and there are no economy seats on this almost 18-hour flight, reduces a lot of the trauma. And in comparison with the other options to get from Singapore to the Big Apple — flying via hubs in North Asia, Europe, or the US. West Coast — this route is definitely preferable. I will choose it for New York work trips from now on.
http://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/worlds-longest-flight-singapore-airlines




Imagine doing that for 19 hours straight. But at least Singapore gave inaugural customers on the longest flight ever lots of stuff to keep them amused. Like movies, music, food, and champagne – all of which were very plentiful.

Last Thursday, the world’s longest nonstop flight — a 9,534-mile, 18-and-a-half-hour journey from Singapore to Newark on Singapore Airlines’ new Airbus A350-900 Ultra Long Range aircraft — touched down, raising the bar for super-long-haul travel, which most industry experts define as any flight over 8,000 miles one way.

New, lighter and more fuel efficient, dual-engine aircraft — including the Airbus models and Boeing’s Dreamliner — make flying for nearly a day economically viable as the number of ultra-long-haul flights increases.

Singapore’s new route, which takes 18 hours and 45 minutes in the opposite direction, isn’t the only rear-numbing new itinerary. In March, Qantas Airways launched a London-to-Perth route. It is the third longest flight at about 9,000 miles, according to the aviation industry consultancy OAG, after Qatar Airways’s Doha-Auckland route. In September, Cathay Pacific Airways began flying 8,153 miles, its longest route, between its base in Hong Kong and Washington, D.C. In late November, Air New Zealand plans to add service between Auckland and Chicago, its longest flight at a distance of about 8,200 miles.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/15/travel/long-haul-flights-amenities.html


?itemid=9389683

Somehow we don’t think they would allow open flames on board an airline. You know, for obvious reasons of course! But Singapore isn’t the only airline out there testing ultra long haul flights with the Airbus A350, others are joining in as well.

The world’s longest direct commercial flight is back and taking travelers from Singapore to the New York region.

Operated by Singapore Airlines, the city-state’s national carrier, the trip takes slightly under 19 hours. Skipping a stopover in Frankfurt will save hours of traveling time, the carrier says.

Starting Thursday, the route between Changi Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey will be served three times a week. A week later, the carrier will offer daily flights, after a second Airbus A350-900ULR aircraft is delivered.

Singapore Airlines launched the record-breaking route in 2004, but canceled it nine years later because of rising fuel prices.

Campbell Wilson, its senior vice president of sales and marketing, said the Airbus A350-900ULR, which was delivered two weeks ago, consumes 25 percent less fuel than an older generation aircraft of the same size.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2018/10/11/worlds-longest-flight-singapore-airlines-retakes-title-newark-route/1603183002/




So the Airbus A350ULR is capable of some insanely long ranges. It replaced the A340-500 which previously held the long haul record for flights but was found to be unprofitable. So what kind of routes can we expect for the new aircraft?

The A350-900 ULR, the super long-range version of the existing twinjet widebody, will be able to carry more fuel and fly quite a bit farther than the existing A350-900. So far, in fact that it will make feasible some ultra long-haul flights that were once either out of reach or uneconomical. Singapore Airlines — so far the only customer of this specialized aircraft — hopes to take full advantage of this increased range with nonstop flights to New York City (probably Newark, EWR) and Los Angeles (LAX), two routes it once flew with the four-engined A340-500 but terminated in late 2014 due to high operating costs. Airbus hopes other long-haul airlines like Australian flag carrier Qantas will also take interest in the plane, particularly as Qantas begins connecting distant cities with nonstop flights, like their new Perth to London nonstop service. Airbus claims the ULR will have a range of 9,700 nautical miles — over 10,000 statute miles — some 1,600 nautical miles more than the A350-900 and nearly 2,000 nautical miles more than the A350-1000. This is more than enough for a 19-hour New York – Singapore nonstop, but not quite enough for, say, Sydney to New York.

Singapore expects to take delivery of its first A350-900 ULR in August of this year, and, while the airline hasn’t specified, we expect the aircraft to come with a special low-density configuration, similar to the A340-500s that once flew to New York and LA — then the longest nonstops in the world. While those old A340s had only 100 business class seats in the whole cabin, we expect these planes to come with a two-cabin configuration, likely with Singapore’s A350 business class seats. We can’t be sure until they’re bookable, but if you’re interested in booking what will be the world’s longest flight on points, we’d bet it won’t be cheap, even with Singapore’s great award availability.
https://thepointsguy.com/news/airbus-a350-900-ulr-the-longest-range-aircraft-makes-first-flight/





So don’t expect to use your rewards points to book the ultra long haul destinations. That’s it this week for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.




[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"]Holy Shit
[br] [/font]
[br]

Gather around, my fair brothers and sisters of Boston, 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 our weekly duty to remind you why the holiest among us are also the most full of:



My fair congregation! Now that we are in the times where the dark forces of EVILLL are currently running the show we call life. So the Dark One, whose name shall *NOT* be named under any circumstances in my church, has recently been recruiting friends and denouncing his enemies in non kosher ways. Why no, sir, we do not engage in kosher practices here. I am just stating a fact. Of course when you state the facts, they don’t matter to those who support the Dark One!

Intercessors for America, the pro-Trump group that has been mobilizing its prayer warriors to help elect “godly” candidates in the 2018 midterms, has bumped up the frequency of its monthly prayer calls and will be holding them every week between now and the election. Rep. Jody Hice of Georgia was the featured guest on last Friday’s call.

IFA’s Dave Kubal described this year’s elections as the most important ever, and called Hice “one of my favorite Congressmen.” Hice returned the favor, saying that intercessory prayer activists are “the most important group in America right now.” He said that the “evidence of intercession is abundant in ways we cannot even fathom,” citing as examples the election of Trump and his ability to name Supreme Court justices, and the prayer meetings and Bible studies happening “all over the place” in Washington and at the U.N. and the Pentagon.

Hice warned that if Democrats take the House, they would immediately “begin pursuing impeachment, be it against President Trump or Chief Justice Kavanaugh [sic].” Under Democratic control, he said, taxes would rise, the military would “suffer,” there would be more sanctuary cities and less border protection, and religious freedom would be threatened.

Asked about pundits giving Democrats a 75 percent chance of winning a House majority, Hice noted that the same pundits had given Hillary Clinton a greater than 90 percent chance of winning the presidency in 2016. Hice took comfort in the fact that Trump moved the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem because God said that He would bless those who bless Israel.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/rep-jody-hice-midterms-are-spiritual-battle-johnson-amendment-must-be-repealed-this-year/




if I remember correctly, JAYSUS said unto his disciples “attachment to the material is detachment from the spiritual!”. Oh, wait, that was Dr. Strange in “Infinity War”. But the sentiment rings true – and as long as there’s that barrier between church and state we are safe! But that’s not all they are paranoid about!!

Last weekend, self-proclaimed “prophetess” and “weather warrior” Kat Kerr spoke at Gateway on Mt. Zion church in Colorado, where she likened President Trump to Jesus and explicitly urged the congregation to “vote Republican” in the upcoming midterm elections.

“God has hand-picked the person that he wants there and there is no human being on this earth—there is nothing in the earth, over the earth—nothing that can take those people from that White House,” Kerr declared. “Never in the history of our country has one man caused such an uproar. Never in the history of our nation or even in this world, except Christ, because Christ caused the greatest uproar in his time. He was not liked by the hierarchy, he was hated by the ruling powers, and the devil especially despised him and tried every way he could to get him out of the picture. Does that sound familiar?”

Kerr also asserted that “Trump has given his heart to Jesus Christ” and “has given God a place in the White House,” which is why he cannot be defeated and why Republicans are guaranteed to win the midterm elections.

“Every time they try to do something—this is from heaven—they will lose,” she said. “They’ll lose in the elections, they’ll lose in areas of business, they’ll lose in areas of government, because this is God’s divine time and when he said, right before the election, ‘I’m turning that map red, whether anyone likes it or not, I’m putting my hand on America and I’m going to move across it; when they wake up in the morning, they will find out that map is red.’ Was it red? Well, get ready for the midterm elections. He’s going to turn it red again.”

“So vote Republican,” Kerr commanded. “On November 6, make sure you go vote. There will be angels in every voting booth.”
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/kat-kerr-tells-colorado-church-that-god-hand-picked-trump-so-vote-republican/




Really? The Dark One was chosen by GAWD you say? Well I counter that with a verse from the Good Book – the LAWRD shall not be taken in vein, my fair Kat! For he is the light and the truth! And the way, and all that other good stuff that you do not abide by! He would not have chosen the Dark One, or his minion to serve on the highest court in the land. So how does this tie into the end of the world, you might ask? Apparently DAYMONS are in control of the election! And they will smite you if you do not vote their way!

Robert Henderson, whose website describes him as “a global apostolic leader who operates in revelation and impartation,” is calling on people to—every day between now and the elections—recite a prayer that he has written calling on God to use the midterm elections “to seat people intent on upholding Your virtues and reclaim the destiny of America as it is written in the books of Heaven.”

Henderson’s prayer was distributed on Wednesday by Elijah List, which through a website and daily email newsletter—it claims about 300,000 subscribers—distributes what it deems to be “credible prophetic words.”

As religion scholars Brad Christerson and Richard Flory documented in “The Rise of Network Christianity,” leaders in the “prophetic” and “apostolic” branches of Pentecostal Christianity function through networks of individuals who align with, and draw spiritual “covering” from, other established leaders. Henderson calls himself an apostle; his “apostolic family” is called Global Reformers and its purpose is to “Secure Nation’s Destinies From the Court of Heaven.”
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/texas-apostle-prays-midterms-will-sweep-devils-reps-out-reclaim-americas-heavenly-destiny/




That’s not how this works!!! By the way, give it up for the gospel choir, how great are they? Can I get an amen??? But this might be my new favorite thing someone on the ultra far Christian right said. Apparently did you know you can command an army of angels in heaven in the billions if you are among GAWD’s chosen few?

During her recent appearance at Gateway on Mt. Zion Church in Golden, Colorado, self-proclaimed “prophetess” and “weather warrior” Kat Kerr declared that she commands an army of 33 billion angels who are so powerful that they have caused ISIS fighters to drop their weapons and flee.

“Even when the ISIS were everywhere, my favorite thing to do is I would command my hosts to go and pull down the strongholds of Satan commanding the ISIS and fear would fall on them,” Kerr said. “They began to find weapons abandoned in the desert in the Mideast. They didn’t know what happened. The ISIS would drop their weapons and run because my hosts went there, they pulled down all the demonic [powers] controlling them … They pulled down the strongholds. Those ISIS had no power from Satan because they couldn’t hear, there were removed. Fear and confusion falls on them.”

Kerr went on to claim that, prior to the 2016 presidential election, she had traveled to Washington, D.C., and posted heavenly “sentinels” up and down Pennsylvania Avenue to protect President Trump.

“I saw them visibly being posted there,” Kerr said.

Kerr went on to claim that when Christians learn to take proper authority over heavenly hosts, they are rewarded with an ever-increasing army of angels to command.

“I’ve been doing it probably around five years or so,” she said. “I have 33 billion that I send everywhere, all the time.”

Kerr claimed that she has sent her angel army out all over America to influence elected officials and laws at every level, and dispatched angels “throughout the midterm elections, into every voting booth to speak to the people in the voting booth, to vote for life, freedom, and justice.”
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/kat-kerr-commands-an-army-of-33-billion-angels/




That’s not how this works, Kat! That’s not how any of this works! But did you know that those who support the Dark One also support brutal dictators? Yes, I am not making this up! That’s why they want the apocalypse to happen. I mean really this is like watching the Avengers and rooting for Thanos.

Over the weekend, the Christian Broadcasting Network ran a softball-lobbing interview with Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s Foreign Minister, in which CBN interviewer Dale Hurd sympathized with the government of Hungarian strongman Viktor Orbán in what the two portrayed as its mistreatment by the European Union and the Western media.

Like Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Orbán has been showered with praise by U.S. Religious Right leaders and the World Congress of Families for his defense of “traditional” values in spite of—or in some cases because of—his power-consolidating attacks on media, civil society, and constitutional checks and balances.

In September, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to sanction Hungary for anti-democratic behavior; according to the Telegraph (London, U.K.), Orbán himself is accused of “fostering anti-semitism and undermining universities, the free media and Europe’s liberal values.” Orbán has responded by defiantly defending his country’s illiberal and anti-immigrant populist nationalism.

Religious Right leaders have praised the Orbán government’s refusal to accept immigrants from Muslim countries, which the government has portrayed as a defense of Hungary’s, and Europe’s Christian heritage. CBN’s Dale Hurd said that the “fiercely independent” Orbán government is being “treated like a pariah in the Western media over its position on open borders.” (Hungary has refused to accept its quote of asylum-seekers as required by the E.U.) But, said Hurd, “Hungary’s leaders are smart enough to know that their national values will never please the global Left.”
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/christian-broadcasting-network-gushes-over-defiant-government-of-hungarian-strongman-orban/




So apparently the Christian right loves them some genocidal dictators, and that’s why they love the apocalypse. There you go! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:




[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 Proud Boys
[br] [/font]
[br]

We need some music for this one:




Yeah! If you were out in New York City or Portland on Saturday you might have run into the real angry mob – the Proud Boys! To use the words of the great Ron Burgundy – “that escalated quickly”. And it did escalate quickly. And why is it that the right wing are the ones that always get into fights? Because they are looking for them! And yes their ring leader Gavin McInnes – seen here one eye patch away from mimicking the famous Bond villain Blofeld, actively encourages this. You can’t be a Proud Boy if you don’t fight the libtards in Antifa, right?

Three people were charged with assault in connection with a fight on Friday near the Metropolitan Republican Club in Manhattan after the appearance of a right-wing provocateur, the police said.

Doors had been defaced with anarchist symbols and windows had been broken at the club hours before an appearance there by the provocateur, Gavin McInnes, who was banned by Twitter for violating its policy on “violent extremist groups.”

A note left with the vandalism suggested that the damage to the building on the Upper East Side was related to the appearance by Mr. McInnes, the founder of the Proud Boys. The Southern Poverty Law Center has characterized it as a hate group that has engaged in several battles with the left.

“The Metropolitan Republican Club chose to invite a hipster-fascist clown to dance for them, content to revel in their treachery against humanity,” the note said.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/12/nyregion/gavin-mcinnes-republican-club-vandalized.html




Except I’m not sure you could call that beautiful. But of course it’s your typical Saturday night – starts out great, then drinking is involved, then politics get involved and then the discussion about the stupid cucks rears its’ ugly head, before you know it, you’re in the back of a police car awaiting assault charges. Yes, this is the America we’ve come to expect now – controlled chaos.

The strategy of the far-right Patriot Prayer “flash marchers” Saturday was much like that of their Proud Boy counterparts the night before in New York City: Assemble a ready-to-rumble crew with out-of-town violent extremists, then troll through the urban center in hopes of confronting left-wing protesters, ensuring violence eventually will break out.

It worked, as it almost always has for Joey Gibson and his Patriot Prayer crew.

Though the “Flash march for Law and Order in PDX” was hastily thrown together in a day or so, Gibson's group managed once again to force a massive police presence into downtown Portland, and yet again provoked violence as multiple brawls broke out near the march’s end.

Most Patriot Prayer members travel to Portland from across the river in Vancouver, Washington, as well as elsewhere in southwestern Washington and western Oregon. Only a handful of Patriot Prayer participants actually hail from Portland proper or pay taxes there.

Nonetheless, Gibson’s pretense this time out was again claiming to represent “the citizens” of Portland, standing up to “radical leftists” who they claim make the streets unsafe for motorists.
https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/10/15/patriot-prayer-again-brings-violence-portland-flash-march-downtown-rounding-out-weekend-far




Worst flash mob ever by the way! And yes I could totally picture Gavin, a la Tyler Durden, going “We are the all singing all dancing crap of the world”. Yes, I’ve seen that movie way too many times sir! So how could it possibly get any crazier you might ask? Well I answer you – a whole lot crazier!

New video released by the NYPD shows the start of an intense Friday brawl between members of the far-right group known as the Proud Boys and demonstrators protesting a speaking arrangement of the group’s founder.

The two groups squared off on 82nd Street when a person with a mask seen on the left of the video —believed to be an alleged anti-fascist activist — throws a bottle. Suddenly, people on the right, believed to be alleged supporters of the right-wing Proud Boys Group rush in throwing punches.

Both sides end up throwing fists and kicks with many falling onto the sidewalk.

“When uniform scooters arrive on the scene, they immediately disperse and you can hear people in the video yelling, ‘Stop! Stop!’” NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermont F. Shea said.

The violence spilled onto other corners on the Upper East Side – all of it happening after Gavin McGinnis, leader of the Proud Boys, identified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, was invited to speak at the Metropolitan Republican Club.
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/national-international/New-Video-Released-NYPD-Fight-Brawl-Proud-Boys-Hate-Group-Protesters-New-York-NY--497611111.html




Well maybe Tyler Durden isn’t really involved here, but Gavin does seem like he’d be good subject fodder for the Fight Club reboot. Oh god, imagine if that movie had been filming during the Trump era! I mean my god think of all the possibilities they could come up with! The possibilities!! Why is my voice so high? But you don’t really need to know what side Gavin is on, do you?

Since President Trump’s inauguration, the GOP has repeatedly decried the supposedly “unhinged” tactics of the left.

After being mocked at the White House Correspondents’ dinner in April, for instance, conservative activist Matt Schlapp and his wife Mercedes walked out. The National Review compared those who protested Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh to a “mob”, while Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell accused Hillary Clinton of “unhinged tactics” after she said that “you cannot be civil with a political party that wants to destroy what you stand for.”

So, naturally, it would make sense for the civility-loving Metropolitan Republican Club of New York City to invite Gavin McInnes, who founded a far-right group which regularly engages in street brawls and violence, to join them at a lecture Friday evening, where he’ll “discuss historical context and offer perspective on the environment that surrounded Otoya Yamaguchi in 1960’s Japan.”

McInnes, who was also one of the co-founders of VICE, founded the Proud Boys in 2016, a group which bills itself as a “pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the Western world.” McInnes has repeatedly insisted the group is not far-right or racist, describing the group in the wake of last year’s Unite the Right rally as “a men’s club that meets about once a month to drink beer” — despite the fact that Jason Kessler, a initiated Proud Boy, was the main organizer for the event.
https://thinkprogress.org/civility-loving-republicans-host-gavin-mcinnes-ecd4f06482bd/





[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"]How Is This Still A Thing
[br] [/font]
[br]

It’s time once again to ask:



This week – the Simpsons character Apu Nahasapeemapetilan. How is this still a thing? Last week, Comedy Central’s hit show South Park took a jab at one of its’ key competitors with an ongoing controversy that has plagued the show for the last two years. Ever since documentary filmmaker Hari Kondabolu asked what the problem with the Simpsons’ Apu is, isn’t it about time that we do the same with such a controversial subject?

Indian stand up comedian Hari Kondabolu made a splash in the pop culture scene when he released the documentary "The Problem With Apu" which attempted to address the subtle racism that comes with "The Simpsons" character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon. You can check out the trailer here.

Since the documentary aired, the world has been divided on the issue. Some argue that people have gotten too PC for its own good and Apu is just one of the funny colorful characters on the show. While others make the plea that a thickly accented convenience store worker, voiced by a white actor, is too stereotypical to be accepted.

Amid the controversy, The Simpsons fired a direct message to viewers with their own opinion on the matter through a scene in which Lisa states "Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect. What can you do?"

Just yesterday, South Park seemed to weigh-in on the issue themselves when a character "Mr. Hankie" gets sent to a place that is "more willing to tolerate racism." The place ending up to be The Simpsons hometown, Springfield.
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/articles/south-park-just-trolled-the-simpsons/85789604/




So even the shows’ creators have seemed to think that Apu is a non issue, and the character still remains wildly popular. What are the pros and cons of such a controversial character like Apu? One popular argument is that Apu is trying to see the light in a small town as twisted as Springfield.

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon appears to have, once again, come back to haunt Simpsons creator Matt Groening. The character has barely appeared on the long-running animated comedy in two years—but as Groening sat down with The New York Times ahead of a Comic-Con appearance to promote his new Netflix series, the Indian store clerk came back to haunt him once more. Specifically, the Times asked Groening about his last attempt to address the controversy—which didn’t end well.

The saga began last year, when comedian Hari Kondabolu released a documentary called The Problem with Apu. As Kondabolu pointed out in the film, Apu, who was introduced in the show’s first season, traffics in countless stereotypes, from his occupation running the Kwik-E-Mart to his thick accent. In April, the series confronted the issue directly, but the show’s flippant approach only courted more controversy. Weeks later, Groening emerged to brush off the whole conversation surrounding Apu: “I’m proud of what we do on the show. And I think it’s a time in our culture where people love to pretend they’re offended,” he said. As one might imagine, it did not go over well.

When asked by the Times how he felt about the response to the show’s handling of the Apu debate, Groening responded, once again: “I love Apu. I love the character, and it makes me feel bad that it makes other people feel bad. But on the other hand, it’s tainted now—the conversation, there’s no nuance to the conversation now. It seems very, very clunky.”
https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/07/simpsons-apu-controversy-matt-groening-stereotypes-problem-with-apu




So even the showrunner and the main producers of the Simpsons don’t seem to think Apu is the problem that he has been made out to be. What about the Fox executives? Maybe they have an answer or is this going to be one of those topics that nobody is going to touch with a pole 100 foot long?

The problem with Apu continues for "The Simpsons."

The character has been criticized for portraying racist stereotypes about Indian people, all the while being voiced by a white man, Hank Azaria. The most prominent criticsm came in late 2017 when comedian Hari Kondabolu premiered the documentary "The Problem with Apu," examining the effect of the character and other racial stereotypes.

"The Simpsons" addressed this controversy in a spring episode which essentially shrugs at the controversy without offering any solutions, which was met with fierce backlash by fans and advocates, including Kondabolu himself.

Speaking to reporters at the summer Television Critics Association press tour Thursday, Fox executives didn't express much concern about the character or the reaction to the spring episode.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2018/08/02/simpsons-fox-execs-address-shows-future-and-apu-controversy/890780002/




The showrunners don’t want to answer the question. Matt Groening himself doesn’t want to answer the question, nor does Al Jean. So where else can one go for answers about such a subject? Even the show itself maybe?

In a new interview, Matt Groening explained why he previously said people "love to pretend they're offended" and how he intends to move forward with the character.

Matt Groening is doubling down on his previous comments that people are primed to collectively take offense to news items in popular culture, like his Simpsons character Apu, which has been accused of racism and perpetuating unflattering ethnic stereotypes.

In a new interview in The New York Times published Wednesday, Groening says that his much-quoted comment, "People love to pretend they’re offended," from a USA Today story about the Indian-American character, who is voiced by a white actor, was directed at the culture at large and not the Apu controversy.

"That wasn’t specifically about Apu. That was about our culture in general. And that’s something I’ve noticed for the last 25 years. There is the outrage of the week and it comes and goes," he said. "I think particularly right now, people feel so aggrieved and crazed and powerless that they’re picking the wrong battles."
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/simpsons-creator-matt-groening-says-no-nuance-around-apu-debate-decries-outrage-week-culture-1128224




There you have it – it’s a subject so controversial no one wants to address it head on. That’s enough to make you ask – The Simpsons’ Apu:




[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"]I Need A Drink
[br] [/font]
[br]

Hey Boston, I’m in one of the biggest drinking cities in America, I really need a drink!



So of course you know the idea behind this segment is that we have a few drinks and talk about anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics. But this week we’re actually going to break our rule and talk about something in politics. While I generally don’t mix booze and politics I do mix booze and fails. So tell me bartender, what goes well with a story about Kanye? Really? There’s a beer called “Stable Genius”? Why didn’t I think of that? Ah I’ll just have my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. So I’m sure by now you heard that Kanye West was meeting with Trump last week and somebody may have discovered that his passcode is 000000. Even Saturday Night Live made fun of it:



Excuse me a minute… Yeah that happened. So there’s of course more to this story than you might think:

Kanye West may need a new iPhone password. The outspoken musician accidentally revealed his password when unlocking his iPhone X on video during a meeting with President Trump, shown to be the incredibly weak combination of 000000.

West revealed the password as part of a stream of consciousness speech to the president, which saw him break off on a tangent to show off a GIF of what West referred to as “the iPlane 1,” a hydrogen-powered concept aircraft that he felt “our President should be flying in.” (Trump: “Can we get rid of Air Force One? No?”)

Despite using an iPhone X or XS — which both support Face ID, therefore negating the need for a typed-in password — West chose to unlock his phone manually. (Whether Face ID failed, was disabled, or is simply not fast enough for West is unclear.) Apple doesn’t recommend that users set such a simple password on its iOS devices. If you attempt to change your password to something like 000000 or 123456, a notification will pop up, suggesting that the combination can be easily guessed and recommending that you choose something else.

Despite using an iPhone X or XS — which both support Face ID, therefore negating the need for a typed-in password — West chose to unlock his phone manually. (Whether Face ID failed, was disabled, or is simply not fast enough for West is unclear.) Apple doesn’t recommend that users set such a simple password on its iOS devices. If you attempt to change your password to something like 000000 or 123456, a notification will pop up, suggesting that the combination can be easily guessed and recommending that you choose something else.
https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2018/10/11/17964848/kanye-west-iphone-passcode-trump-iplane-apple-meeting




Come on, Kanye! You’ve got an iPhone X! You can unlock the phone with your face, and the fact that Kanye doesn’t do that already to me is beyond baffling. You know that Kim somewhere has her phone setup to unlock by selfie. Of course it’s a bad idea to use 000000. You might as well have a sign on your back that says “hack me”!

It’s still not exactly clear why Kanye West is so enamored with the science denying, race-baiting commander-in-chief. But fortunately, it’s only a matter of time before the truth gets out thanks to some noble iPhone hacker: My dude’s lock-screen password is literally 000000.

We know this because the Chicago rapper visited the Oval Office on Thursday to discuss topics ranging from prison reform to job opportunities for ex-cons. At one point in the meeting, Kanye wanted to show the president something on his phone, and proceeded to unlock it on live television. In short order, the whole world had an opportunity to grasp just how much Ye’s commitment to cybersecurity leaves to be desired.

All of this could have been easily avoided if he had used FaceID to unlock his phone. But, it seems that he either didn’t activate the facial recognition feature introduced with the iPhone X — or it simply didn’t work.

The musician’s ensuing rant left the President speechless as well as many onlookers, making Kanye’s dumb-ass password the photo-op’s main takeaway. One viral tweet amassed more than 39,000 likes, 12,000 retweets, and almost 800 replies at the time of this writing.
https://www.inverse.com/article/49813-kanye-west-password-is-terrible




Come on Kanye, you’re one of the most famous people in the world. Like I said you might as well invite people to hack you. I’m sure Trump somewhere is going “Come on, my iPhone passcode is 123456, no one can hack me!”. Of course you can. In fact it’s probably illegal.

The day has come: Kanye West met with Donald Trump for the second time since the 2016 election. There were hugs. MAGA hats. West praised Trump's relations with North Korea, and gave a monologue that touched on everything from the 13th and 2nd amendments to Superman. The whole event was confusing, uncomfortable, and deeply depressing. But there was one small spark of joy.

West, a man who has referred to himself on a number of occasions as "Steve Jobs," a man who expresses unreserved admiration for Jobs and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, uses 000000 as the passcode for his iPhone. He is one of the biggest celebrities in the world. The contents of his phone are probably more valuable than Elon Musk's current net worth. How could he have such bad security?!

He'll probably change it now, but it was still hilarious. Do you think the passcode is performance art? Has Kanye heard of two-factor authentication? Will that cousin who stole his laptop come back for the iPhone?

Jobs is turning in his grave.
http://www.papermag.com/kanye-west-passcode-2611721610.html




Does anyone get the irony of this? The guy who travels with a 50 person entourage for security purposes obviously doesn’t give a shit about cyber security! So go on, if someone is dumb enough to give their passcode is 000000, don’t be surprised when you get hacked! And I guess Kim isn’t too concerned either!

It's been an interesting couple of weeks for Kanye West, whose Trump-supporting antics peaked this past week when he met with Donald Trump in the White House. The meeting was a bizarre spectacle to say the least, with Kanye pitching Air Force 1 ideas, dropping quotes like 'Time is a myth,' and accidentally revealing his uninspired iPhone passcode.

Despite the backlash, CNN says that Kim Kardashian West is "not embarrassed" by Kanye's behavior, contrary to previous reports. "Kim is incredibly supportive," a source said, adding that West's mind "moves at lightning speed" and suggested the forum for the White House meeting wasn't the best representation of West's "genius."

Leading up to Kanye's White House appearance, Kardashian told Extra that she excited for it. "I always say he isn't the best communicator, but he has the best heart," Kardashian said. "I know what he wants to accomplish... and I can't wait to see that happen."

Shortly after Kanye's surprise post-show rant on SNL, the rapper deactivated his social media accounts. But he made his return to Twitter yesterday for a lengthy discussion on mind control.
https://www.elle.com/culture/a23763905/kim-kardashian-not-embarrassed-kanye-west-report/





[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"]Deep State Diaries Episode 16: The United States Marine Corps
[br] [/font]
[br]



It’s time for episode 16 of Deep State Diaries. Yes we’re touring the 24 branches and services that make up the United States government. Everything from the FBI to the IRS to the Pentagon to the CIA to the DPW to the DVA to parks and recreation and all branches and services in between. Of course if you’re here you probably already know more about our government and how it works than your average Fox News loving Trump supporter does. So that’s what this segment is going to address. We are going to do a deep dive into all that makes the United States the United States. Because we here at the Top 10 love to educate as well as entertain. Because we care.

[font size="6"]The US Marine Corps[/font]


Here we are folks, the few, the proud, the US Marine Corps! So of course you know by now that the US Marine Corps is strictly made of the best of the best. So the last couple of editions we’ve talked about the controversial and extremely expensive F-35 fighter jet. Which is capable of long ranges and can destroy lots of stuff. So how does this jet affect the USMC – we assume the Marines only want the best of the best and we can assume that the US government provides all of that for them, can’t we? Well…

After a fuel tube problem sidelined all operational F-35 aircraft last week, more than 80 percent of jets have been cleared to return to flight, the F-35 joint program office stated Monday.

In a Oct. 15 statement, the JPO confirmed that the U.S. services and international partners have completed inspections of their F-35 inventories for faulty fuel tubes. The aircraft that are not impacted by the bad tubes — which are a component in Pratt & Whitney’s F135 engine — are back in flying status.

“The F-35 Joint Program Office continues to work closely with the military services to prioritize fuel tube replacements using the current spares inventory,” the JPO said. “Pratt & Whitney is rapidly procuring more parts to minimize the overall repair timeline for the remaining jets. Current inventory will restore about half of the impacted jets to flight operations, and the remaining aircraft are expected to be cleared for flight over the coming weeks.”
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2018/10/15/most-f-35s-return-to-flight-operations-after-fuel-tube-problem/




I don’t think we need to vent that hard yet. So what else does the Marine Corps do? Well as the country makes the switch from manned battalions to virtual ones, there’s a huge problem with people who actually know how to fly drones.

The U.S. Marine Corps is turning to virtual training, which would allow units to simulate—at least to some agree—amphibious training even when ships aren’t available. However, GAO faulted the virtual effort for lack of consideration of what tasks marines would train in, available time for training, and how to measure whether virtual training works.

The U.S. Marine Corps is arguably the best amphibious-warfare force in the world. But a new Government Accountability Office report suggests that lack of training may be eroding the marines’ amphibious capabilities.

The problem isn’t with the marine amphibious units deployed at sea, which would be at the forefront of the fighting should war erupt in Korea or the South China Sea . The issue is that relentless overseas commitments have strained marine resources so badly that it can’t conduct the other training that it needs to maintain its combat edge.

A review of readiness data from 2014 to 2016 revealed that “Marine Corps units were unable to fully accomplish training for other amphibious operations priorities,” according to the GAO report . “These shortfalls include home-station unit training to support contingency requirements, service-level exercises, and experimentation and concept development for amphibious operations.”
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/marine-corps-has-big-problem-32931




Yeah it’s kind of like that. But you know this issue we’ve been delving deep into cyber security (or a complete lack thereof) maybe we should look at the military. But even they aren’t completely immune, and if they aren’t immune, no one is!

Nearly 150 security vulnerabilities have been discovered in US Marine Corps websites and related services during a bug bounty challenge that saw ethical hackers awarded over $150,000.

Hack The Marine Corps is the sixth public bounty program by the US Department of Defense (DoD) and bug bounty platform HackerOne. More than 100 ethical hackers took part in the scheme over a three-week period, and found nearly 150 unique vulnerabilities for the U.S. Marine Corps Cyberspace Command team.

"What we learn from this program assists the Marine Corps in improving our warfighting platform. Our cyber team of Marines demonstrated tremendous efficiency and discipline, and the hacker community provided critical, diverse perspectives," said Major General Matthew Glavy, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command.

"The tremendous effort from all of the talented men and women who participated in the program makes us more combat ready and minimizes future vulnerabilities," he added.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/bug-bounty-scheme-uncovers-150-vulnerabilities-in-us-marine-corps-websites/


?itemid=3546317

Yeah that’s probably why our cyber security is so bad. But is that it? Is that all there is in this entry? Well this might be my new favorite thing about the Marine Corps = their weapons might be going full blown Dr. Evil on us! Yes, there’s a company out there that actually wants to put freaking laser beams on its’ combat vehicles! I am not making this up!

The Marine Corps is on the hunt for a vehicle-mounted laser system that can produce “sustainable and controllable plasma at range” for the purposes of crowd control, according to A U.S. government solicitation.

A Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) solicitation details future needs for a Scalable Compact Ultra-short Pulse Laser Systems (SCUPLS) that, when integrated into a small tactical vehicle like a Humvee or Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, can generate “a full spectrum of scalable non-lethal effects,” including “flash bang effects, thermal ablation for pain, and delivery of intelligible voice commands at range.”

This may sound tame, but it’s not. The new solicitation builds on previous efforts the Marine Corps were able to achieve a variety of deeply uncomfortable, if non-lethal, effects, including “a sufficient level of thermal discomfort on human skin” at a range of up to 30 meters and a sonic component that delivers an acoustic at a sound level of a passing Formula 1 race car at full throttle.

The next iteration of the tech, according to the solicitation, should kick things up a notch.
https://taskandpurpose.com/marine-corps-lasers-crowd-control/




[font size="6"]Score Card [/font]

Overall importance: A
How Things Are Going: B
Likely hood To Survive: A+

Overall: A-

[font size="6"]Next Week [/font]

We’re heading out to Arlington, Virginia as we get into the real Deep State – we’re going to hang out with the FBI!


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

My next guests are the best dressed band in music! You can see them December 28th – 30th at their annual “Hometown Throwdown” festival. Now playing their song “The Constant” from their new album “While We’re At It”, give it up for the Mighty Mighty Bosstones!




Thank you Boston , we love you! We will be back very soon, we promise! We are off to Philadelphia next! See you next week!

Credits

Host: Initech
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded In Front Of Live Audience At: Laugh Boston, Boston, MA
Special Thanks To: Laugh Boston Management
Holy Shit Gospel Choir: U Mass Choir Club, Worchester, MA
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
Graphics: Top 10 Graphics Department
Research: Top 10 Research Department
Lighting & Stage Props: Top 10 Lighting Department
Legal: Top 10 Legal Department
Advertising: Top 10 Advertising Department
HR: Top 10 Human Resources Department
Initech’s Wardrobe Provided By: JAB Inc.
Wheel Of Corruption By: Studio 1 Stage Props, Burbank, CA
Mighty Mighty Bosstones Appear Courtesy Of: Big Rig Records
Management: Initech Productions, CCC Management
Follow The Top 10 On Twitter at: @10Idiots
Questions? Comments? Complaints? Hate mail? E-mail The Top 10 at: Top10ConIdiots@gmail.com


Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo

October 14, 2018

Preview For This Week's Top 10 Conservative Idiots



Apparently Nathanael Greene got word of a Trump rally in Georgia and that was his reaction to learning that Trump is the president!

*audience laughs and applauds*

This week on the Top 10 we are live from Boston! Trump and Kanye freestyle in the Oval Office, Melania makes some false claims about bullying, Infowars is almost literally hanging by a thread, we ask how Apu is still a thing, and we want to know whether or not Stephen Miller ate glue as a kid. Plus we've got a new segment - "What's up with Brazil" because they are about to elect an ultra far right Putin stooge as their president and yeah it's bad. And in our weekly investigative piece Top 10 Investigates, Singapore Airlines this week unveiled SQ22 - the longest flight ever and we will show you what a 17 hour flight is like. And in our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit", our resident pastor is going to tell you tales of the apocalypse - mainly batshit crazy rantings coming from the Christian right. And we've got an all new "I Need A Drink" where we're going to get drunk and tell you about Kanye's epic password fail - and there's more to it than you might think! And the next installment of Deep State Diaries is finishing out our tour with the Pentagon and we're hanging out with the best of the best - the United States Marine Corps! Plus the best dressed band in music - the Mighty Mighty Bosstones are stopping by!

Top 10 Conservative Idiots: Wednesdays at 2:00 PM /shameless self promotion
October 10, 2018

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #5-15: All About That Kav (No Pedo) Edition


Top 10 Conservative Idiots #5-15: All About That Kav (No Pedo) Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! What’s up Lexington???? Yeah how about those Wildcats? I’m not really talking about the Wildcats of UK, I’m just talking about Wildcats in general. I was watching nature documentaries last night. But no seriously how about the Wildcats football team going 5 and 0 right now? Yeah! That is awesome. Do we have time for the thing? Yeah so we got to talk about art for a minute. Now I am definitely *NOT* an artist. You can tell. But Banksy who is one of the most notorious street artists in the entire world, may have pulled off what may be his finest work yet. See, his works are what one would consider to be “rare”. And one of the rarest of all may have sold for over $2 million. But then what did Bansky do at the auction? He only destroyed the painting that was worth $2 million. And how did he do that? He built the frame with a shredder built into it, and the shredder – malfunctioned as it destroyed the painting. But here’s where it gets weird and of course it would – the value of the now destroyed $2 million art piece – went up! Yes, Banksy may have created his best work ever, by destroying his best work ever! Now how many artists can do that? There aren’t a lot that I know of! OK that’s enough of the intro, we got a lot of idiocy to get to. But first John Oliver is back and he delves into the Brazillian elections and they are about to elect an ultra far right wing nut job as the country’s new president and it’s insane:



So where do we begin this week? In the first slot this week it’s all about that Kav (1). Yes, after a brief but intense fight, the GOP installed him as the newest justice of the Supreme Court. So what does that mean in the long run? We’ll tell you. In the second slot is GOP Crybabies (2) including Trump and Mitch McConnell who think they are the victim in all of this despite Kavanaugh’s boofing, 4F-ing and Devil’s Triangle. Taking the third slot this week is a brand new installment of “People Who Somehow Got Elected” and this week we’re going to add Maine’s serial flip flopper Susan Collins (3) to the list. At number 4 this week another shakeup in the Trump administration means another installment of the Trumper Games! Yes, Tribute Haley has resigned which means that Trump will be appointing a new UN Ambassador soon! Taking the fifth seed this week is our weekly investigative piece “Top 10 Investigates” and this week we are going to tell you about a shocking new plastic surgery procedure that has the potential to make your butt look beautiful – and also has the potential to kill you! In the number 6 slot this week is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” and this week our resident pastor is going to tell you about some of the more batshit crazy conspiracy theories coming from the religious right about our newest justice. At number 7 this week, we have a new installment of “Beating A Dead Horse”. So this week Taylor Swift threw her hat into the political ring and we are going to tell you all about the Neo Nazis’ creepy lust for her. Taking In the number 8 slot this week we’ve got a brand new feature that we’re going to debut for you called “What’s Up With India?” (8). See, there have been some stories in the news this week that point to India potentially killing a whole lot of us, and well, we will put them together and see! And in the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week we’ve got a new People Are Dumb, because, People Are Dumb! And finally this week we’ve of course got the next installment of our ongoing series “Deep State Diaries” and we’re continuing our military tour as we visit the unsung heroes of the military – the US Coast Guard! Plus we’ve got some live music from the legendary southern jam band Umphrey’s McGee! 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"]Brett Kavanaugh
[br] [/font]
[br]

Brett Kavanaugh may have won this week by defying the odds against him including the allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct to become the 114th SCOTUS justice in US history. Now for those of you keeping score at home – the New York Times ran some rather interesting statistics on Supreme Court justices. So out of 114 justices total, there are 100 men, 14 women, and 4 minority justices, and that is absolutely insane. And now we can add 2 sexual predators to the list!

Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court on Saturday by one of the slimmest margins in American history, locking in a solid conservative majority on the court and capping a rancorous battle that began as a debate over judicial ideology and concluded with a national reckoning over sexual misconduct.

As a chorus of women in the Senate’s public galleries repeatedly interrupted the proceedings with cries of “Shame!,” somber-looking senators voted 50 to 48 — almost entirely along party lines — to elevate Judge Kavanaugh. He was promptly sworn in by both Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and the retired Justice Anthony M. Kennedy — the court’s longtime swing vote, whom he will replace — in a private ceremony.

For President Trump and Senate Republican leaders, who have made stocking the federal judiciary with conservative judges a signature issue, the Senate vote was a validation of a hard-edge strategy to stick with Judge Kavanaugh, even after his nomination was gravely imperiled by allegations by Christine Blasey Ford that he had tried to rape her when they were teenagers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/06/us/politics/brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court.html




Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Of course, Fox News, in their infinite wisdom, celebrated the same way that Kavanaugh would approve of – with a kegger and boofing!

https://twitter.com/JKCorden/status/1048422609044393984

Chair goes round, chair goes round, I like beer!!!! Woooooooooooooo!!!!! You know what? This needs some music – It’s all about that Kav, about that Kav, no pedo!, it’s all about that Kav, about that Kav, no pedo! I mean come on in an era where Trump’s minions are trying to pin his political opponents in some bizarre sex trafficking ring, isn’t it weird that they championed a sex criminal to SCOTUS? Thank you audience! I mean come on this is the same week where Trump got toilet paper stuck to his shoe:



But getting back on topic here, this is absolutely insane. I mean this country really stooped to an all time new low this week:

The confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, after a bitter fortnight of operatic intensity, is the most damaging blow to the Supreme Court since it decided a presidential election with Bush v. Gore, and the most serious assault on the court by another branch of government since at least Franklin D. Roosevelt's court-packing plan. Now what?

The episode was a vivid display of a broken process driven by ward-boss power politics. Senate Republicans employed a razor-thin majority (representing a minority of Americans) to create new rules and game the system at every turn — starting with their refusal, on the principle of “because we say so,” to provide the great bulk of Kavanaugh’s government records. Once Christine Blasey Ford emerged to credibly accuse Kavanaugh of sexual assault when they were teens, Republicans excluded important witnesses and by design turned a final hearing into a "he said, she said" standoff.

Among the indelible images of that standoff were 11 sclerotic, white, Republican males hiding behind their hand-picked prosecutor as she served up picayune questions to Ford, and Kavanaugh's face as he unleashed a torrent of bared-teeth partisanship. His features contorted in rage, he lashed out against enemies old and new, from Democratic senators to the Clintons. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., then stoked the fires, calling Democrats' handling of Ford's claims an "unethical sham" and "the most despicable thing I have seen in my time in politics.”
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/10/06/brett-kavanaugh-confirmed-ugly-win-trump-and-republicans-column/1547362002/




And yes they most certainly do suck. I mean the whole way this thing is completely insane. The GOP was determined, for lack of better phrasing, to jam this thing down our throats whether we wanted it or not. I mean you know, much like the way Kavanaugh treats women!

In a country divided, the U.S. Senate is not immune.

The battle to nominate Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has deepened division and distrust in a chamber already fraught with partisan fights, ripe with raw emotions and filled with frustration among senators who say this is a low point in the body’s existence.

While there’s hope among senators on both sides of the aisle that it can recover, it’s not clear how that happens.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called it a “low moment” for the Senate. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., said the Senate has hit “rock bottom.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/kavanaugh-s-confirmation-fight-has-nearly-broken-senate-can-it-n917411




Yup, America has officially hit rock bottom. And it can only go up from there, right? I mean right??? Yes, well if you’re wondering just how far an FBI probe can go (phrasing!), well, there is this thing called the “statute of limitations” that could prevent the truth about this scumbag from getting out:

FBI Director Christopher Wray told the Senate on Wednesday that the White House put limits on the re-opened investigation into Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, but the law enforcement chief insisted that the process used was a typical one.

"Our supplemental update to the previous background investigation was limited in scope and that ... is consistent with the standard process for such investigations going back a long ways," Wray said under questioning by Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) at a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing on global security threats.

"I've spoken with our background investigation specialists and they have assured me this was handled in a way consistent with their experience and the standard process," the FBI director said, later adding that the inquiry was "very specific in scope—limited in scope."

Wray confirmed that background investigations are handled differently from other FBI probes and that the scope of inquiries into judicial nominees is dictated by the White House. However, he declined to discuss any specifics about what the White House decided should or should not be examined during the brief follow-up investigation conducted following the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/10/kavanaugh-fbi-probe-limit-888667





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

Oh Mr. President, did you really think you are going to escape this week without us nailing you for thrusting this evil asshole up on a pedestal to judge the highest law in the land? Uh… I’m being told he doesn’t view our nonsense. OK then, we can only pretend that he hate views. Because we know he hate watches SNL. How dare someone else have fun at his expense! Well here’s just how fucking evil this man is.

President Donald Trump is embracing the conspiracy theories around the opposition to Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination and the sexual assault allegations brought against him by Palo Alto University professor Christine Blasey Ford.

Kavanaugh was sworn in to the Supreme Court on Sunday and took part in another ceremonial swearing-in event at the White House on Monday after weeks of a bruising battle over his confirmation. Republicans, including Trump, have been taking a victory lap over the judge’s confirmation since the Senate narrowly voted to approve his nomination on Saturday.

Trump — who famously never says he’s sorry — on Monday’s White House event apologized to Kavanaugh “on behalf of our nation” for the “terrible pain and suffering” he was “forced to endure” in the nomination process. As for those who opposed Kavanaugh’s nomination, and Ford, who accused him of sexually assaulting her in the 1980s, the president has no such sympathies.

While speaking with reporters on the South Lawn of the White House during the day on Monday, Trump said that accusations against Kavanaugh were a Democratic “hoax.”
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/10/9/17955246/trump-apologizes-kavanaugh-hoax-paid-protesters




Except that it wasn’t. He seems to think all hoaxes are like bigfoot and UFOs, but really this one wasn’t, and well, it really shows how fucking evil Trump is. And here’s where things took a turn – Trump actually apologized! Yes, he actually said the words “I’m sorry”. Which we would never thought he would say the entire time he’s president. But even he managed to make an act of apology… evil!

Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in —again, for the cameras, this time — Monday night at a White House ceremony, but not before President Donald Trump slammed Kavanaugh’s opponents for a “campaign of personal destruction.”

In a ceremony that could have been a unifying moment for the nation, Trump instead delivered remarks that even he acknowledged began “differently than perhaps any other event of such magnitude.”

“On behalf of our nation, I want to apologize to Brett and the entire Kavanaugh family for the terrible pain and suffering you have been forced to endure,” Trump said, addressing the bitter partisan fight over Kavanaugh’s nomination that became a firestorm after the emergence of sexual misconduct allegations, which Kavanaugh emphatically denied.

With all the sitting justices in attendance, along with Kavanaugh’s family and top admiration officials, Trump said Kavanaugh had been the victim of a “campaign of political and personal destruction based on lies and deception.”
http://time.com/5419064/trump-apologizes-kavanaugh-swearing-in/




Only in this crazy bizarro world that we live in now could an apology be evil and sexual predators get promoted! Does this mean Bill Cosby has been innocent the whole time? But this is my favorite part of the story – Trump went full Infowars and says that the protestors were paid actors and got stiffed for bad acting!

President Donald Trump took his cues from Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends this morning, tweeting about the “paid protesters” at Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings.

Not coincidentally, Fox & Friends this morning discussed a Wall Street Journal op ed that referenced hearing from protesters being hopping mad because they did not get their checks. Turns out, protesters were being sarcastic, which did not deter the F&F gang from using it as proof the women who confronted GOP Sens. Jeff Flake and Orrin Hatch in the halls and elevators of the Senate had been paid by George Soros.

Trump took the bait and ran with it, tweeting:

“The paid D.C. protesters are now ready to REALLY protest because they haven’t gotten their checks – in other words, they weren’t paid! Screamers in Congress, and outside, were far too obvious – less professional than anticipated by those paying (or not paying) the bills!”
https://deadline.com/2018/10/donald-trump-george-soros-brett-kavanaugh-protesters-paid-fox-friends-1202479102/




That one suddenly seems very creepy now doesn’t it? I mean is that the kind of treatment you give sexual harassment victims, Mr. President? Or do you just call them “crisis actors” like you do the protestors? Oh and by the way in case you’re wondering – for those of you keeping score at home, there’s now 3 sexual predators in the highest levels of government and a trash tabloid TV network telling them what to do! Thank you audience! But really this whole thing seems scripted doesn’t it? And by the way, next week we may have to do a list of the things Trump so far has *NOT* apologized for.

Shortly after the Senate voted Saturday afternoon to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, he was sworn into his new job by Chief Justice John Roberts and retired Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Which made what happened Monday night sort of, well, odd.

There was Kavanaugh and his family standing aside President Donald Trump at the White House. On the other side of Trump was Kennedy, the retired justice who Kavanaugh had replaced. In the crowd were not only Kavanaugh's new colleagues on the Court but virtually every Republican congressional luminary. (Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was greeted with a standing ovation when he entered the room.) After Trump spoke -- more on that in a minute -- Kennedy administered the judicial oath of office to Kavanaugh, the same dance he and Kavanaugh had done 48 hours earlier. Then Kavanaugh spoke. Everyone applauded and cheered. And, scene.

If you didn't know that Kavanaugh was already a Supreme Court Justice by Saturday night, you'd have thought that you had just witnessed him becoming one. Which is exactly how Donald Trump planned it!

One of the keys to understanding how Trump thinks and operates is to remember that he is former reality TV star. He's never really lost that lens through which to examine the world. You create the reality you want -- and then you tell people, over and over again, that this is absolutely 100% the real thing. And they'll believe you.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/09/politics/brett-kavanaugh-donald-trump-supreme-court/index.html





[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"]Susan Collins
[br] [/font]
[br]

Politicians at the state, national and local levels who are so toxic that you ever wonder how they were able to get into office, much less stay there. This is:



This week: Maine representative Susan Collins. Now that the dust has settled on one of the worst and most unqualified Supreme Court justice in nearly 50 years has settled, one senator makes a clear standout as to her support of the new justice – Susan Collins. In fact her flip flop on the subject stands out like a punch in the face:

Activists upset with Sen. Susan Collins’s vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh say they will inflict economic damage on the Republican senator's home state by boycotting Maine products and tourism.

“Dear Susan Collins – I really struggled with this but my tourist $ just voted against ever visiting Maine while you remain in office,” actor and comedian John Fugelsang said Friday in a tweet that has since been deleted, according to the Portland Press Herald.

The tweet garnered hundreds of comments from users saying they would join Fugelsang in the boycott, with one person canceling a $2,200 reservation at Point Sebago resort, the Press Herald reported.

John Tesar, who owns six restaurants in Texas and is opening a seafood restaurant in California, told the newspaper that he’ll look elsewhere for the “hundreds of thousands of dollars” worth of seafood that he buys annually from Maine.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/410531-boycott-maine-susan-collins-kavanaugh-vote-sparks-boycott-of-pine-tree-state




Yes, Susan Collins should feel bad about her vote as it is going to cost her state of Maine badly. And unlike Trump fan boycotts, ours don’t involve the destruction of property. In fact her vote also cost her very dearly as people have already been pouring in donations to fund her future opponent:

PORTLAND, Maine — She is not on the ballot this fall, yet the fight over Susan Collins’ political future is already raging.

Interest in the Maine Republican senator’s 2020 re-election has exploded in the days since she cast the deciding vote to confirm President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court pick — a vote that helped transform the balance of power on the nation’s high court for a generation and suddenly complicates Collins’ path to a fifth term.

Half a dozen Democratic prospects are openly considering running against the Republican political powerhouse, while an online fund has generated $3.6 million — and counting — for Collins’ ultimate Democratic challenger. The would-be candidates include Susan Rice, who had been one of President Barack Obama’s closest aides. Rice is not currently a Maine resident — she has family ties to the state — but would bring political celebrity that could make it difficult for the state’s shallow bench of lesser-known Democrats to stand out.

The emergence of a crowded field in a Senate contest two years away underscores the extraordinary political moment triggered by the debate over Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Fighting allegations of sexual misconduct from three decades ago, he won confirmation by a razor-thin margin on Saturday over the screaming objections of Democrats and women’s groups in all corners of the nation..
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/kavanaugh-vote-reshapes-maine-senators-political-future




Yes this is probably the worst thing to happen to Maine since they ran out of lobster and Stephen King stopped writing novels. Oh wait – neither of those things happened. Yes, this is the worst thing that’s ever happened to Maine, at least recently. But is the donations to her opponent when the race hasn’t even begun really a “quid pro quo”?

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Sunday criticized the Maine progressive groups that have pledged millions of dollars to her 2020 opponent in opposition to her vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Collins on CBS's "60 Minutes" on Sunday called the crowdfunding effort an attempt to "buy votes and buy positions." She said it did not influence her decision to vote in Kavanaugh's favor.

"This is a classic quid pro quo as defined in our bribery laws," Collins said. "They are asking me to perform an official act and if I do not do what they want, $2 million-plus is going to go to my opponent."

"I think that if our politics has come to the point where people are trying to buy votes and buy positions, then we are in a very sad place," she said.

The groups began fundraising several weeks ago, hoping to encourage Collins, a Republican swing vote, to vote "no" on Kavanaugh over his record on women's rights. The crowdfunding effort was supercharged by Collins's hesitance in the face of the allegations of sexual misconduct against the high court pick.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/410315-collins-anti-kavanaugh-opponents-trying-to-buy-votes-and-buy-positions




No it’s not quid pro quo. It’s just your time is up and people have had enough of your schemes, Senator Collins. But really how can you not believe that Kavanaugh was Dr. Ford’s assailant despite all the evidence literally pointing to the contrary?

Sen. Susan Collins said Saturday that while she believes that Dr. Christine Blasey Ford was sexually assaulted, she does not believe that now-confirmed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh did it.

"I do not believe that Brett Kavanaugh was her assailant," the Maine Republican told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union" in an interview slated to air on Sunday. "I do believe that she was assaulted. I don't know by whom. I'm not certain when."

Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her while the two were in high school, prompting a week's delay in Kavanaugh's confirmation to allow the FBI to conduct an investigation into the alleged incident. Kavanaugh has denied all allegations.

Collins reviewed the results of the investigation, which included testimony from 10 different witnesses but not from Ford or Kavanaugh, on Friday. She then voted to advance Kavanaugh's nomination and has said that she will vote yes on Kavanaugh' during the full Senate's confirmation vote on Saturday.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/06/politics/collins-sotu-kavanaugh-cnntv/index.html




Yes Susan you are clearly not helping the situation. But the vote is also so toxic that it literally caused the site hosting the fund drive to crash. That’s how eager the people of Maine are to get rid of Susan Collins.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) extinguished any lingering hopes that she might cast the deciding vote against Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court on Friday afternoon. As she delivered her lengthy speech on the Senate floor, a crowd-funding site created to fund a Democratic challenge to Collins in 2020 crashed.

“This entire process was up to Collins,” says Amy Halsted, co-director of Maine People’s Alliance, which launched the campaign. “And today she did the wrong thing.”

The Crowdpac campaign, which the progressive grassroots organization started with the express purpose of swaying Collins’ vote on the Kavanaugh nomination, had raised more than $2 million before Collins’ speech.

Halsted was listening to Collins on the radio while picking her children up from school. She hadn’t heard, when contacted by Rolling Stone, that the site had crashed under the weight of requests, but she says, “it doesn’t surprise me that the website is crashing because people are mad.”
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/susan-collins-kavanaugh-733090/




There you have it, Susan Collins is so toxic people can’t wait to get rid of her. That’s Susan Collins, another in the growing list of:




[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 Trumper Games: Nikki Hayley
[br] [/font]
[br]



Ah yes my pretties! I am back!!!! Yes, it has been a while but there is finally a new shakeup in the Trump administration! Another tribute has left the building. Yes, Tribute Halyey from the 5th district has thrown in the towel which means that the President has some actual work to do. You know, as opposed to his usual daily routine of office putting, yelling at Fox News, and eating cheeseburgers in bed. So what happened exactly? And damn it, Charlie, where’s my champagne?

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley will leave her position at the end of 2018, President Donald Trump announced from the Oval Office today.

He would be happy to have her back in any capacity, he said during the announcement. The President said she told him 6 months ago that she wanted to leave at the 2-year mark.

Haley called having the position "an honor of a lifetime."

During today's announcement, she addressed rumors she might run for President of the United States in 2020. Haley said she will not be doing that and she will be campaigning for Trump.

The President did not announce any potential successors for the ambassador position. He said many people want to do it.

The former South Carolina governor was tapped as ambassador to the UN following Trump's election win despite supporting Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in her state's all-important 2016 presidential primary and later backing Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
https://www.abc15.com/news/un-ambassador-nikki-haley-resigns




Yeah you work it!!! So what caused Ambassador Hayley from the 5th district to resign? Hey you know don’t ask me how the districts here work, I didn’t create them! But apparently the President has already accepted her resignation!

President Trump has accepted Nikki Haley’s resignation as UN Ambassador, the two said Tuesday morning in a public Oval Office meeting. She will exit at the end of the year, Trump said.

What we're hearing: Haley discussed her resignation with Trump last week when she visited him at the White House, two sources said. Her news shocked a number of senior foreign policy officials in the Trump administration.

Axios was first to report the resignation earlier in the day.

Trump told reporters Tuesday that Haley raised the possibility of taking a break six months ago, and that she's welcome back at any time.
https://www.axios.com/donald-trump-nikki-haley-resignation-d25b64a9-264e-483a-a79b-ae8a48e367db.html




And that is true here at the Trumper Games! And damn it Charlie, I wanted the good shit! Bring me the Crystal! Wait, what? Why doesn’t our budget cover Crystal? Damn it! I may have to have a discussion with our producer. But it doesn’t stop there, as far as Tribute Hayley is concerned!

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump accepted the resignation of U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley on Tuesday, an unexpected departure for one of the president’s longest-serving top aides.

Haley, a former South Carolina governor who was confirmed just days after Trump’s inauguration, announced her decision during a hastily scheduled meeting with Trump in the Oval Office. She said she would leave by the end of the year.

“She’s done a fantastic job and we’ve done a fantastic job together,” Trump said.

Initially a critic of Trump, Haley helped shepherd in the administration’s tougher stance at the United Nations, including Trump's decision to leave the UN Human Rights Council earlier this year. She is also among the most prominent women in Trump's Cabinet.

"The U.S. is strong again," Haley said in the Oval Office. "Countries may not like what we do, but they respect what we do."
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/10/09/nikki-haley-un-ambassador-resigns/1575980002/




Really, Tribute Hayley? Is that why other UN ambassadors and dignitaries were laughing at Trump at the last summit which was a mere few weeks ago? And yes, they were laughing *AT* you, and definitely not with you! But for now, consider Tribute Hayley… ELIMINATED!!!

Nikki Haley is resigning as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

President Donald Trump and Haley told reporters that she is leaving “at the end of the year.”

“She’s done a fantastic job, and we’ve done a fantastic job together,” Trump said.

He said he and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo think the world of her and that she’s been there “from the beginning.”

Haley was one of the first members of Trump’s cabinet, confirmed four days after his inauguration.

”It has been the honor of a lifetime,” she told pool reporters at the White House. “I’m such a lucky girl to lead the state that raised me” and the country she loves, she said.
http://www.wect.com/2018/10/09/do-not-assign-nikki-haley-background/





[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"]Top 10 Investigates: Death By Butt Lift!
[br] [/font]
[br]

Lexington it’s time to investigate beyond the headlines. This is Top 10 Investigates!



The most common phrase to describe what lengths people to go to look “beautiful” is “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. But the late, great musician Frank Zappa put it best when he said the words “beauty knows no pain”. Such is the case here with a controversial procedure that can not only make you look beautiful, it has the potential to end your life. And no, we are not encouraging you to try this procedure at home, or even with a doctor.

No cosmetic surgery is risk-free, but some operations are more dangerous than others, and the "Brazilian butt lift" (BBL) has been labelled the most dangerous procedure. So much so that the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) is now urging surgeons not to perform it until more data has been collected.

One in every 3,000 procedures proves fatal, the organisation warned recently. This year alone, two British women are known to have died from the surgery, during which fat is removed from one part of the body, such as the stomach or back, and then injected into the buttocks.

Twenty-nine-year-old Leah Cambridge, from Leeds, died in August after travelling to Turkey for the procedure, while another unnamed woman, also in her late 20s, suffered the same fate, BBC Two's Victoria Derbyshire programme reported last year. An inquest into her death is due within 12 months.

Jane Park, 22, from Edinburgh, travelled to Turkey for the butt lift procedure in June 2017 when she was 21 years old. Her interest was piqued by the fact that "you can lose weight from different parts of the body and get a bigger bum all in one go," she told Refinery29. But she was left fearing for her life and regretting her decision.
https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2018/10/213067/brazilian-butt-lift-surgery




So while your odds of dying from this procedure are very slim – 1 in 3,000 will from the procedure, it’s still dangerous enough that you shouldn’t risk it. But the question must be asked – is it worth risking your life to look “beautiful”? Some might immediately answer “yes” to that question but even doctors are questioning the controversial procedure.

UK surgeons were strongly warned this week by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons to stop performing Brazilian butt lifts.

The organization warns that "risky" Brazilian butt lifts, sometimes called BBLs, have the highest death rate of all cosmetic surgery procedures -- estimated to be as high as 1 in 3,000 operations -- and often result in costly emergency complications. This year, two women in the UK have died from the procedure, according to the BBC.

This risk has galvanised the BAAPS to distribute a recommendation to all members, suggesting they refrain from performing BBLs, at least until more data is available," the association said in a statement Thursday.

The surgery involves taking fat from another part of the body and injecting it into the buttocks for a better shape, but doing so brings a risk of injecting fat into large veins, after which it can travel to the heart or brain, causing illness or death, according to the plastic surgeon group.

"The problem is that at certain volumes of fat injections, the fat can enter the vessels around the buttock area, which forms a fat embolism," said Dr. Mary O'Brien, consultant plastic surgeon and a member of the association's leadership council.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/04/health/brazilian-butt-lift-surgery-death-warning-intl/index.html




So here’s the thing – fat injections are bad, and too many of them could possibly kill you. Any doctor will tell you that, and that is definitely not the right way to die either. But on the plus side, Susan had a really nice ass.

A plastic surgery organization in the UK has warned its members to stop performing potentially deadly Brazilian butt lifts — at least until there's more research done on the procedure.

On Thursday, the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) announced it was officially dissuading all members from offering the surgery while more data is collected, CNN reported.

The Brazilian butt lift (BBL) is a procedure in which fat is taken from one part of the body and injected into the buttocks. But that injected fat may cause serious or even fatal complications.

In a statement, the BAAPS said BBLs have the highest death rate of all cosmetic procedures— it's estimated to be as high as 1 in every 3,000 operations. And yet, the surgery is growing more and more popular. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reports that the number of BBL procedures has more than doubled in the past five years.

In August, the ASPS issued its own "urgent warning" about BBL risks, and even announced the formation of an international task force dedicated to making safety guidelines for the surgery.
https://www.thisisinsider.com/british-plastic-surgeons-warned-brazilian-butt-lifts-why-are-they-dangerous-2018-10




So the bottom line is that it’s a bad thing to do. In fact it’s called the deadliest of all aesthetic procedures, and really ladies (and some gents) – don’t do it. We are warning you!

The desire for a larger bottom is becoming more popular, with the number of so-called Brazilian butt lifts more than doubling in the last five years.

However, a recent high-profile case involving a doctor in Miami who was banned from operating after the death of a patient during surgery, highlights the risks associated with having this procedure. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the Brazilian butt lift (BBL) has the highest rate of death of all aesthetic procedures.
What is a Brazilian butt lift?

Some people have a BBL for aesthetic reasons, but many have it after losing lots of weight, serious disfigurement after pelvic trauma or practical problems, such as holding up trousers.

The procedure involves taking fat from areas of the body where it’s not wanted and transplanting it into the glutes to enlarge them.

To be successful, a fat graft needs nutrition and so has to be injected into tissue that has a blood supply. Fat can survive if injected into other fat, but up to 90% of it can be absorbed if it is. Fat has more chan
http://theconversation.com/brazilian-butt-lifts-are-the-deadliest-of-all-aesthetic-procedures-the-risks-explained-101559




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




[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"]Holy Shit
[br] [/font]
[br]

Gather around, my fair brothers and sisters of Lexington, 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 our weekly duty to remind you why the holiest among us are also the most full of:



You know last week there was something so jaw-dropping, batshit crazy that I was forced to break the only rule I had in my church. Which was that you’re never supposed to mention the evil, ungodly, unjust DAYMON in the White House by his name! You shall call him The Dark One! He is *NEVER* to be mentioned by name in my church! Again! But supporters of the Dark One have shown just how crazy they are in their latest allegations and conspiracy theories!

Last month, the American Family Association’s Bryan Fischer waged “major league spiritual warfare” against the “demons of hell” that were supposedly attacking Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. After Kavanaugh was confirmed over the weekend, Fischer used his “Focal Point” radio program yesterday to take a victory lap, celebrating “the victory of Jesus Christ over Satan and the powers of darkness and evil.”

“Saturday was the best day in American politics since World War II,” Fischer declared. “I believe the demons of hell, under Satan’s direction, threw every single piece of weaponry, every single piece of firepower that they had, threw it into the battle to take out Brett Kavanaugh. They wanted him not just defeated, they wanted him destroyed.”

“I believe it represented a victory of Jesus Christ over Satan and the powers of darkness and evil in the unseen world,” he added. “The spiritual warfare that was directed against Judge Kavanaugh, I believe was as intense as anything we have witnessed in the last several decades. It was as if all the demons of hell had been summoned by Satan and ordered to attack this good man in a concerted effort to destroy him. And I believe, thanks to the faithful, committed saints who released the power of God against the powers of darkness through focused and persistent prayer, victory was snatched out of the jaws of defeat.”
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/bryan-fischer-kavanaugh-confirmation-was-a-victory-of-jesus-christ-over-satan/




You are aware that SATAN himself is currently in charge, right, Bryan? For the devil is the one who is currently controlling the dark forces in Russia and therefore they are controlling the Dark One himself, and yes, it is a tangled web that the good LAWRD weaves!

On Saturday, self-proclaimed “prophetess” and “weather warrior” Kat Kerr spoke at River Rock Church in Reno, Nevada, where she reported that following the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, God gave her a vision of heaven in which she saw the souls of those who had been aborted having a party because Kavanaugh will be the key to overturning Roe v. Wade.

“God picked [Kavanaugh] like he picked Trump and he kept telling me, ‘I don’t care what they say, he is sitting on the Supreme Court and he is going to wipe out Roe v. Wade,'” Kerr said. “He kept showing me, letting me see all of these millions of babies who had been aborted that are in heaven, they sang and celebrated. They celebrated as they were saying, ‘Yes, he is going to sit on the Supreme Court.'”

“Today, they had a party in heaven,” Kerr added, “and they celebrated that other babies being conceived in the womb one day will never have to fear their lives being taken and they’ll get to complete their destiny on this earth. So there was a big party in heaven today because of that.”

“There is now God in the White House, because he’s welcomed and allowed to be there,” she continued. “And he said, ‘Now, I have permission to be in the Supreme Court’—because of Kavanaugh, as a believer siting on the bench in the Supreme Court—he said, ‘Now, I have the right to speak into the court system and because of that, I have assigned three special ops angels [to protect Kavanaugh].'”

Kerr said that the three angels are named “Justice, Liberty, and Freedom” and have been “assigned to help [Kavanaugh] bring justice, liberty, and freedom to this country.”
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/kat-kerr-aborted-babies-had-a-party-in-heaven-after-kavanaugh-was-confirmed/




OK I think things just got creepy here didn’t they? And I’m sure that Brother Kav’s boofing and 4F-ing were allowed in heaven, right, Kat? But our old friend Dave Daubenmire who preaches in front of an empty stadium backdrop apparently is repeating the lie that the MEN are the real victims here. Oh PUHLEASE won’t somebody think of the real victims?

On his “Pass The Salt Live” webcast this morning, Religious Right activist Dave Daubenmire said that the sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh are evidence that white Christian men “are being sexually profiled.”

Daubenmire said that he was traveling though a TSA airport checkpoint recently when the Holy Spirit spoke to him and revealed that white Christian men are under demonic attack.

“The Holy Spirit said, ‘Well, Coach, men are being sexually profiled,'” Daubenmire said. “He said, ‘Aren’t you watching? Aren’t you watching what’s going on there in Washington, D.C., with Kavanaugh? Don’t you realize that they’re profiling, particularly, white men?'”

He went on to recite a litany of characterizations purportedly made by Kavanaugh opponents—all offered without attribution: “All white men rape women. All white men are animals. All white men only care about themselves. All white men only care about their penises,” Daubenmire rattled off. “Can’t you see, fellas, that we are all guilty, that we are all being sexually profiled?”

Daubenmire fumed that nobody cares about the assault allegations leveled against “that scumbag” Keith Ellison because he is a Muslim and everyone knows “that Muslims are deviants … they’re sexual deviants.”

“Are they sexually profiling the Muslims?” he asked. “Are they sexually profiling the little Chinese people that come walking through, the little Japanese people? Are they sexually profiling them? Are the sexually profiling the black men that come through? No, no, no, no, no. They’re sexually profiling the white Christian men. That’s what’s going on.”

“We are daily being sexually profiled,” Daubenmire continued. “Every one of us white, heterosexual Protestants are being sexually profiled by the Jezebel spirit.”
www.rightwingwatch.org/post/dave-daubenmire-kavanaugh-allegations-are-proof-that-white-christian-men-are-being-sexually-profiled/




Now Brother David, you are, and I say this with all of the heart and soul of a righteous man, a fool, a liar, and a hypocrite! And if I remember correctly, JAYSUS hated the hypocrites! He said “Be not like the hypocrites who preach on street corners!”. That is an actual quote from the Good Book! Can I get an amen??? Now as if things couldn’t get any crazier, apparently the woman who was abused was the “sexual predator”! Come on really!

Right-wing commentator Josh Bernstein appeared on Bill Deagle’s “NutriMedical Report” radio program on Monday, where he doubled down on his attacks on Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when both were in high school.

After baselessly claiming last week that Blasey Ford was “the aggressor” in any encounter she may have had with Kavanaugh, Bernstein ramped up his attacks on her by declaring that she is a “sexual predator.”

“It sounds like a jilted lover,” Bernstein said. “It sounded like somebody that liked him but he was more interested in getting into Yale and keeping a clean profile and doing what he was supposed to do and she was probably the sexual predator.”

“I don’t believe, as many Republicans and conservatives say … that something happened to her,” Bernstein later said. “No. Nothing ever happened to her in her entire life. She’s never had anything done to her and if anything, she and her Holton Arms sexual culture were predatory against the boys at Georgetown Prep … People need to wake up and see that facts and the truth, because the truth is that her and her friends at that disgusting Holton Arms all-girls school was nothing but a sorority of sexual predators.”
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/josh-bernstein-christine-blasey-ford-was-a-sexual-predator/




There you have it folks!!!! They are so insane that they are actually accusing the abused woman of being the predator!! Wow. Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:




[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"]Beating A Dead Horse: Neo Nazi Taylor Swift Fans
[br] [/font]
[br]

It’s time for a new edition of:



This week everyone, it’s official!!! Taylor Swift, aka Tay Tay, has revealed her true political leanings, and guess what? She’s a democrat. Now you might be expecting that in this space we’ll talk about how Trump fans will burn her records and other merchandise. Ah, that’s inevitable. Like Trump calling someone a “stupid loser”, you know it’s going to happen. Instead we’re going to talk about something MUCH different! So while the Alt Right has proclaimed Kanye West as their new ideological celebrity who shares their views, we get Taylor Swift! In Idiots #2-1, I reported that Taylor Swift was a darling of Neo Nazis and that they saw her as an “Aryan Goddess”. Well, she’s about to make some heads explode.

The world can’t shake off Taylor Swift’s bombshell: that even she has a political opinion.

The typically apolitical Swift’s stunning endorsement of Democratic Senate candidate Phil Bredesen in deep red Tennessee left fans on Monday either embracing the "Love Story" singer or vowing to turn off her music.

In an Instagram message posted on Sunday, Swift acknowledge her previous lack of political activity and explained her concern about women's and LBGTQ issues.

"In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now," she wrote. "I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country."
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/taylor-swift-s-dive-political-waters-brings-out-lovers-haters-n917776




Oh come on, Neo Nazis! Shake it off! Well it’s as if we did find the one flaw – that Neo Nazis love you! In fact the Daily Stormer had often called you an “Aryan Goddess” like they did in several headlines!

Other headlines on the Daily Stormer—a site guided in part by the ethos of “ironic Nazism disguised as real Nazism disguised as ironic Nazism”—read, “Taylor Swift, Avatar of European Imperialism,” and, “Aryan Goddess Taylor Swift: Nazi Avatar of the White European People,” and, “Aryan Goddess Taylor Swift Accused of Racism for Behaving Like an Ape in a Music Video.”

When right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos was still working with Breitbart, he tried to spell it out: “The alt-right can be given to conspiracy on occasion—hardly surprising, given how often they are lied to and about—and the thought that Swift is covertly ‘red-pilled,’ concealing her secret conservative values from the progressive music industry while issuing subtle nods to a reactionary fanbase, delights them.” As long as Swift said nothing, the lark played.

And now the lark is over. On Sunday, as she finished the American leg of her Reputation tour, Swift posted a photo of herself to Instagram with a long caption that warned against Tennessee Senate hopeful, Republican Marsha Blackburn. Blackburn’s voting record “appalls and terrifies” her, she wrote, and cited views held by Blackburn that tend to go against L.G.T.B.Q. rights and women’s equality. “In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now,” Swift said.
https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/10/taylor-swift-political-instagram-alt-right-meme-daily-stormer-4-chan




Yes even Hitler is facepalming at this one! But won’t someone please think of the poor little racists at 4chan? Really we might need the Sad Hulk Music for this one. They are either in denial, or smoking some Covfefe or something!

The notorious alt-right chat forum, 4chan, is beside itself with grief at the news that popstar Taylor Swift has officially endorsed a Democrat.

Swift broke her silence on party politics last night in a lengthy Instagram post, in which she announced that she would be voting for two Democrats in Tennessee in the upcoming American mid-term elections. “In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions,” she wrote before going on to condemn Republican candidate for Senate, Marsha Blackburn, “but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now.” The singer has previously remained almost silent on politics, to the extent she has been the subject of widespread criticism for not publicly denouncing the views of the far-right (especially Donald Trump), for not coming out in support of Democratic candidates, and remaining neutral during political elections for her entire career.

And the bros on 4chan are devastated at the change.

“Goodbye Tay”, “They took her from us”, “She was supposed to be our girl! Why did she break our hearts” are just a few of the hundreds of posts that have poured in over the last 12 hours from hard-right, alt-right, and neo-Nazi 4chan users stunned by the loss of their Aryan poster girl. Users are so shocked that many are hypothesising that she was paid to do this and her statement was ghost written, parsing out the message to argue that it linguistically didn’t match her usual style. “Ever notice how every celebrity seems to be reciting the exact same script,” one user posited. “That looks ghostwritten.” “All PR nonsense,” wrote another, “She just doesn’t want to be labelled as a white nationalist. Probably got paid to say all this.”
https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/music-theatre/2018/10/taylor-swift-endorsed-democrat-alt-right-devastated-neo-nazi-4chan




Which George Soros immediately handed her a large burlap sack with a dollar sign on it! Because that’s how the economy works in 2018 apparently – George Soros is paying Trump’s opposition large sums of cash to endorse democrats! Then where’s our check? We got a staff to maintain, yo! But the Neo Nazis are in full on denial right now. And it’s really sad when the only guy you could get on your show to justify the Tay Tay backlash is the guy who’s famous for wearing a diaper,

As The Daily Beast reports, the trolls are crestfallen. “It was good while it lasted, mates,” wrote one. Another posted an image of a picture of Swift aflame, while another said Swift’s endorsement had cost him his “last additional bit of hope,” causing us to wonder how, exactly, one’s entire well-being could apparently rest on the belief that a pop star might be racist.

Fox News, meanwhile, is scrambling. Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk—a man best known for wearing a diaper—swung by the network to push what seems to be the right-wing narrative for Swift’s post, which is that, actually, she didn’t write it.

“I don’t think she’s the only one that wrote that post on Instagram,” he claimed. “She probably got some very bad information.”

Taylor Swift is a modern pop icon, but, in a social and political climate that expects its celebrities to wield their massive influence with care, she’s been criticized for prioritizing glamour pics of her lavish lifestyle over any kind of opinion on the issues currently afflicting the country. It’s not that fans want Swift’s take on Trump so much as they do a proclamation that she, unlike a particular subset of the country, stands by the kinds of basic human rights the administration doesn’t. Of course, that silence has led to 4chan trolls and assorted to neo-Nazis to maintain that, secretly, Swift is one of them.

Oh, then what a disappointment it was for them when, last night, Swift took to her Instagram to endorse Phil Bredesen, the Democrat running for the U.S. Senate in her home state of Tennessee. In the process, she took several shots at his Republican opponent, Marsha Blackburn.

“In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions,” she wrote, “but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now.”

She continued, “I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent. I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love.”

As such, she wrote, she “cannot support Marsha Blackburn,” saying “her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me.”

Bredesen expressed his thanks on Twitter. “Thank you for the kind words @taylorswift13,” he tweeted. “I’m honored to have your support and that of so many Tennesseans who are ready to put aside the partisan shouting and get things done. We’re ready for it. Last day to register to vote is October 9.”

As The Daily Beast reports, the trolls are crestfallen. “It was good while it lasted, mates,” wrote one. Another posted an image of a picture of Swift aflame, while another said Swift’s endorsement had cost him his “last additional bit of hope,” causing us to wonder how, exactly, one’s entire well-being could apparently rest on the belief that a pop star might be racist.

Fox News, meanwhile, is scrambling. Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk—a man best known for wearing a diaper—swung by the network to push what seems to be the right-wing narrative for Swift’s post, which is that, actually, she didn’t write it.

“I don’t think she’s the only one that wrote that post on Instagram,” he claimed. “She probably got some very bad information.”

His apparent source? 4chan, of course! “All PR nonsense,” they claim, citing the post as a means to “get the jew media off her back.”

Kirk even name-checked his new friend Kanye West, saying Swift’s “career has never recovered since Kanye ended it,” seemingly referring to the “Imma let you finish” heard ‘round the world.
https://news.avclub.com/taylor-swift-comes-out-in-support-of-democrats-breakin-1829597483





[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"]What’s Up With India?
[br] [/font]
[br]

It’s time for our new feature where we ask:



And yes, this feature is designed to ask the question “What’s Up With India?”. While the entire world is pointing out that the apocalypse is going to happen with Russia, China, the US, and Isreal, there’s one country out there that has the potential to kill a whole lot of us before any of those other guys ever would or could! And that country is India. Yes, India, a country that at one point in history was its’ own continent and has more population per capita than the next 60 countries combined! And when you have that many people, there’s things that can potentially get lost. Add to the fact that they’re led by a brutal, megalomaniacal dictator with global domination intentions – no, not Vladimir Putin, I’m talking about Narendra Modi, a BFF and ally of Putin who has been in power since 2014. So how is India going to kill us this week? Well maybe it’s through STDs!

Royal Caribbean International refunded nearly two-thirds of the passengers on board its Voyager of the Seas cruise ship that sailed from Singapore to Australia in September after several complaints against 1,300 unruly Indian men were filed. Passengers narrated how the men, who reportedly work for a chewing tobacco company, hosted wild parties with burlesque dancers, harassed young girls and took over several areas of the ship.

“During Voyager of the Seas’ three-night sailing from Singapore on September 6, a group onboard caused complaints from some of our guests who raised their concerns with us after they returned to Australia. We were able to quickly provide them with a satisfactory solution,” a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean was quoted as saying by The Telegraph, adding that they are reviewing the incident.

The Indians reportedly brought onboard women dressed as Playboy bunnies and burlesque dancers, took over several areas of the ship including such as the deck and buffet areas, and even got certain events cancelled due to lack of interest.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/passengers-aboard-australian-cruise-ship-refunded-due-to-1300-unruly-indians-5386076/




So really what’s up with these guys that they immediately get on a cruise ship and are just like “ah, fuck it, we’re in international waters, anything goes!!”? I mean were they really that starved for sex? And how are they sneaking people *ONTO* a boat? I have a million questions about this story. But we’ll save those for another time. Maybe it’s that deal with Putin and Modi that could potentially kill us all!

The US has urged its allies to forgo transactions with Russia, warning that the S-400 missile defence system that India intends to buy would be a "focus area" for it to implement punitive sanctions against a nation undertaking "significant" business deals with the Russians.

The US administration is required under a domestic law, Countering America's Adversaries through Sanctions Act or CAATSA to impose sanctions on any country that has "significant transactions" with Iran, North Korea or Russia.

The Act primarily deals with sanctions on Russian interests such as its oil and gas industry, defence and security sector, and financial institutions, in the backdrop of its military intervention in Ukraine and its alleged meddling in the 2016 US Presidential elections.

"We urge all of our allies and partners to forgo transactions with Russia that would trigger sanctions under CAATSA," a State Department Spokesperson said on Wednesday when asked about India's plan to purchase multi-billion S-400 missile defense system from Russia.
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ahead-of-india-russia-missile-systems-deal-us-threatens-of-sanctions-1926432




So what’s up with India needing a crazy missile defense system? And who’s to say it won’t turn Skynet on us? Well, you know Skynet wasn’t deployed in a day! But nah, it’s not going to be either of those things that’s going to kill us. You know what’s going to be the cause? Drunken rats! Yes, say hello to the new Black Plague! Black Plague 2: Bigger and Blackerer!

Drunk rats in dry state Bihar appears to have found an ingenious way to keep themselves in high spirits and overcome the state restrictions on alcohol availability. According to latest reports, rats in Bihar have begun targeting police store rooms where confiscated alcohol is being kept, stealing liquor without any trace.

According to The Times of India, the police in Kaimur district of Bihar have "found 200 beer cans confiscated by police and kept in the storeroom with holes". And "alcohol-craving rats" have emerged as the main suspects behind the theft. ABPLive said that in a similar incident alcohol was found missing from 11,584 bottles confiscated by the police.

Kumari Anupama Singh, sub-divisional magistrate, told DNA that prima facie, the act seemed like "a doing of rats".

"It looks like the work of rats because only cans and cartons have been damaged. All the cans are in place (none were missing) but most were leaking and empty," she said.

According to the report, Singh will submit a detailed report on the alleged violation of the prohibition rules in Bihar by the "drunkard rats" to the district magistrate for further action.
https://www.firstpost.com/india/in-dry-state-of-bihar-drunkard-rats-target-police-store-rooms-as-alcohol-vanishes-from-confiscated-bottles-5314041.html




Ah it’s not so bad. Human prohibition may be doing some weird shit to the food chain but it’s created an army of drunk super rats! Maybe the drunk rats of Bahir can party with the drunk birds of Minnesota, it’s a thing, people, and it has the potential to kill a whole lot of that species’ populations!

They fall out of trees. They fly into windows. They stumble along branches and wobble their small feathered bodies as if they have had one marg too many.

Have the drunk birds come early this year?

In Gilbert, a city of about 1,800 people in northeastern Minnesota, the police chief sent out a lighthearted notice to residents this week informing them that there was no need to call the police on local birds that appeared to be inebriated.

The birds seemed to have been munching on berries that fermented as a result of an early frost, Chief Ty Techar wrote in a Facebook post, and some had gotten “a little more ‘tipsy’ than normal.”

But bird experts are skeptical that this public debauchery was really the product of drunkenness. It is too early in the season for many berries to have fermented, they say, and birds may be slamming into windows at unusual rates because of a large seasonal migration through the area.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/07/science/drunk-birds-gilbert-minnesota.html





[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"]People Are Dumb
[br] [/font]
[br]

Let’s hit it!



Of course you know by now that people are people and people are dumb. So I want to start with the story that I’m sure you have all heard by now. It’s out of Tuscon, Arizona. And it falls under my favorite category of idiots – “stupid people with guns”. This guy was an ICE agent whose gender reveal party for his newborn started the infamous Sawmill Fire in Arizona. The sheer stupidity of this guy firing a loaded gun at a tank of highly flammable fuel is what “People Are Dumb” is made for!

"A Border Patrol agent will have to serve probation for starting a wildfire in southern Arizona while he was off duty. The fire was sparked accidentally during a gender-reveal party stunt gone awry last year, his lawyer tells the Arizona Daily Star.

Federal prosecutors announced Friday that 37-year-old Dennis Dickey, of Tucson, has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor violation of U.S. Forest Service regulations. He will face five years' probation and make a public service announcement about the fire.

The fast-moving "Sawmill Fire" was ignited near Green Valley in April 2017 when Dickey shot a rifle at explosive powder inside a target. Dickey's lawyer, Shawn Chapman, told the Daily Star that the incident happened during a party celebrating his wife's pregnancy, and the target contained blue or pink powder to announce the unborn child's sex. It also contained Tannerite, an explosive substance designed to detonate when shot at, according to a Department of Justice statement.

Authorities say the blaze spread to the Coronado National Forest and burned more than 45,000 acres of federal, state and private land. The damage was estimated to be more than $8 million."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/border-patrol-agent-dennis-dickey-started-arizona-wildfire-during-gender-reveal-party-stunt-gone-awry/




So… were they having a boy or a girl? We may never know!!! By the way when doing the research on this story I came up with a ton of gender reveal party disasters, and I may have to devote a future edition of "People Are Dumb" to these. Next up, sex robots. We’re entering a time where the machines are going to take over and possibly go Skynet and murder everybody. Yes, you have been warned. But at least the good people of Houston have had the good sense to stop it before it starts! And why Houston? Are they implying that the most red blooded city in America loves them some robot sex?

Houston’s perhaps lesser-known status as a sex trade hub was noted by Texas’s governor, Greg Abbott, in June when he lamented that the city had more brothels than Starbucks outlets. And this city has a lot of coffee shops.

But what Houston is apparently badly missing is a robot brothel, so called. Now a Canadian company is trying to fill that yawning gap.

Kinky S Dolls, a firm that bills itself as the first “adult love dolls rent-before-you-buy service in North America”, sells realistic-looking life-size dolls with basic artificial intelligence functions – and also offers them for use by the half-hour or hour at a warehouse in Toronto.

Now the firm is targeting Houston as the first market in a planned US expansion, but is meeting resistance from a Christian anti-sex trafficking and anti-pornography group and the city’s mayor.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/01/houston-robot-brothel-kinky-s-dolls-sex-trafficking




Damn straight!! Next up – pot! But surprisingly this story doesn’t take place in Florida. Instead we go to Hartford, Michigan for this story. And people if you’re running for homecoming queen, maybe don’t try to win over people’s loyalty by bribing them with pot brownies! Although I’m sure Trump would approve of this story.

A 17-year-old cheerleader at a Michigan high school is accused of giving pot brownies to fellow students in hopes they'd vote for her as homecoming queen.

The student, now the subject of a criminal investigation, allegedly brought 12 marijuana-laced brownies to Hartford High School on September 26, authorities say.

Hartford patrolman Michael Prince, who is investigating the incident, told WWMT-TV that some of the brownies, nine of which are unaccounted for, were given to football players in "goody bags" as a way to campaign for homecoming queen.

In a letter sent home to parents, Hartford Public Schools said they were contacted by state police following an anonymous tip that students were eating pot brownies at the school. The school confirmed the report and involved students "are being dealt with" according to district policies and student handbooks, superintendent Andrew Hubbard said in a statement.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/10/04/student-trades-pot-brownies-homecoming-queen-votes-police/1520263002/




Well let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Next up of course we can’t do People Are Dumb without mentioning America’s most penis shaped state of Florida. But you kind of have to feel bad for the convenience store owner in this story. And, as always this is one of those times where location does matter, people!

A Southside gas station owner is asking people not to warm urine in the microwave.

"We got sick and tired of people bringing their urine containers,” said Parul Patel, owner of On the Fly convenience store and BP gas station on the corner of Phillips Highway and Shad Road. “They're just random people walking and it's happening every day.”

The people who come in to do it are not customers, Patel said. "They walk in off the street, microwave urine containers then leave."

The gas station is within walking distance of a Quest Diagnostics and a LabCorp. Both companies offer drug testing services and collect urine samples.

Read more: https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/dont-microwave-your-pee-jacksonville-gas-station-owners-bizarre-request/77-600936013




Yeah maybe having a liquor store with an easily accessible microwave between two drug testing sites might not be the best thing in the world. Especially if it happens to be in Florida. Finally this week we’re going to end with this bizarre story out of New York. It doesn’t specify where, but you know what? Don’t take more than the recommended dose people!

One man’s experience with a common erectile dysfunction drug turned out to be a lot more eye-opening than he expected. According to his doctors, he developed a seemingly permanent red tint to his color vision after taking a massive dose of sildenafil citrate.

Sildenafil is sold as a generic drug for erectile dysfunction as well as under the brand name Viagra. Despite being relatively safe, even a typically prescribed dose of sildenafil is known to sometimes cause people vision problems, such as blurred vision, increased light sensitivity, and a change in our color vision (usually blue-tinted vision). But these problems are seemingly temporary, usually lasting no more than a day.

The 31-year-old man, whose case was detailed in a report published this month in Retinal Cases, didn’t turn out to be so lucky.

According to the report, the man’s troubles began pretty soon after he took an unknown amount of liquid sildenafil he had purchased from the internet. He started seeing multicolored flashes of light, his eyes became more sensitive to light, and his vision took on a reddish tint. By the time he visited an urgent care clinic at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai two days later, the flashes had stopped. But despite receiving treatment, his red tint has remained in place for more than a year.
https://gizmodo.com/man-chugs-erectile-dysfunction-drug-ends-up-with-perma-1829471534/amp




At least not with that doctor! That’s it this week for:




[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"]Deep State Diaries Episode 15: The United States Coast Guard
[br] [/font]
[br]



It’s time for episode 15 of Deep State Diaries. Yes we’re touring the 24 branches and services that make up the United States government. Everything from the FBI to the IRS to the Pentagon to the CIA to the DPW to the DVA to parks and recreation and all branches and services in between. Of course if you’re here you probably already know more about our government and how it works than your average Fox News loving Trump supporter does. So that’s what this segment is going to address. We are going to do a deep dive into all that makes the United States the United States. Because we here at the Top 10 love to educate as well as entertain. Because we care.

[font size="6"]The United States Coast Guard[/font]


So we’ve got 3 of the 5 branches of the US military covered and now we’re on to the 4th branch – the United States Coast Guard! The Coast Guard was founded in 1915 and has been in service for over 103 years guarding the east and west coasts of America. They are also one of the largest employers within the United States government after the Army and Navy. And one of the CG’s missions has dealt with America’s never ending war on drugs, and guess what? When the rest of the world is ending this nonsense, in the backwards Trump administration they are trying to escalate it! Of course, this is where the Coast Guard comes in.

n nights when the November rain poured down and he had not slept at all, Jhonny Arcentales had visions of dying, of his body being cast into the dark ocean. He would imagine his wife and their teenage son tossing his clothes into a pit in a cemetery and gathering at the local church for his funeral. It had been more than two months since Arcentales, a 40-year-old fisherman from Ecuador’s central coast, left home, telling his wife he would return in five days. A cuff clamped onto his ankle kept him shackled to a cable along the deck of the ship but for the occasional trip, guarded by a sailor, to defecate into a bucket. Most of the time, he couldn’t move more than an arm’s length in either direction without jostling the next shackled man. “The sea used to be freedom,” he told me. But on the ship, “it was the opposite. Like a prison in the open ocean.”

By day Arcentales would stand against the wall and stare out at the water, his mind blank one moment, the next racing with thoughts of his wife and their newborn son. He had not spoken to his family, though he asked each day to call home. He increasingly felt panicked, fearing his wife would believe he was dead.

Arcentales has wide muscular shoulders from his 25 years hauling fishing nets from the sea. But his meals now consisted of a handful of rice and beans, and he could feel his body shrinking from the undernourishment and immobility. “The moment we would stand up, we would get nauseated, our heads would spin,” he recalled. The 20-some prisoners aboard the vessel — Ecuadorians, Guatemalans and Colombians — would often stand through the night, their backs aching, their bodies frigid from the wind and rain, waiting for the morning sun to rise and dry them.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/20/magazine/the-coast-guards-floating-guantanamos.html




Yes, the Coast Guard has been building a real life version of the super prison from Captain America: Civil War that would make Supermax look like a Ramada. Yes, that is it in a nutshell. But let’s not look at the negatives of the Coast Guard, we like to point out the positive aspects as well!

A new 2,000-square-foot cyber lab at the Coast Guard Academy will be used by cadets studying to become cybersecurity officers in the Coast Guard.

This year, the academy started offering a new major in cyber systems, the first new major to be created since the 1980s. The idea is to get cadets engaged in cybersecurity earlier in their careers, before they become officers in the Coast Guard.

"The Coast Guard is recognizing that cyber is everywhere," said Cmdr. Joe Benin, program coordinator for the cyber systems major, adding that the service needs more "cyber competent officers."

Academy officials say they are impressed by the interest in the new major so far. Sixty-six cadets in the Class of 2022 expressed initial interest, despite the cyber systems major not yet being listed on the academy's application form. Of them, 31 said they were interested in declaring cyber systems as their major after receiving a follow-up briefing. Cadets don't get formally accepted into their major until the beginning of their second year at the academy. Already, those applying to be in the academy's Class of 2023 are emailing Benin, the program coordinator, to say they are interested in the new major.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/10/10/new-coast-guard-academy-lab-train-cybersecurity-officers.html




Because if there’s one thing we need more of, it’s cyber security experts! Especially when you know Putin and his troll army are planning the next attack on us. Or are they?

The office of Russia's infamous troll factory believed to be at the vanguard of Russia's information war has been set on fire in St. Petersburg overnight.

An investigation revealed last year that the secretive troll factory had rebranded itself as a media conglomerate with 16 news websites generating more than 30 million pageviews every month. Its operational hub, a website called FAN (Federal News Agency), is based a stone's throw from the troll farm's original location in northern St. Petersburg.

The Fontanka.ru news website cited police as saying that an unknown suspect broke the agency's ground-floor window and threw a Molotov cocktail inside at around 3 a.m. on Tuesday.

The troll farm is believed to be run by billionaire restaurateur Yevgeny Prigozhin, known as President Vladimir Putin's "cook." A U.S. special counsel indicted Prigozhin and 12 other Russians this year on charges of defrauding the U.S. government by interfering with its political process.
https://themoscowtimes.com/news/infamous-st-peters




OK so maybe cyber security while it is important shouldn’t be what they need to focus on right now because there’s far worse threats about to hit our coast, like I don’t know, helping prepare our country’s fishermen.

The Coast Guard has scheduled marine safety and survival training next month in Charleston.

The 2-day training will also be available in Astoria, Newport and Garibaldi.

The Coast Gaurd said the trainings are designed for commercial fisherman.

“This is required training for documented commercial fishing vessels that operate beyond the boundary line,” said Curt Farrell, Coast Guard Fishing Vessel Safety Coordinator for Oregon and Southwest Washington.

"The training gives commercial fishermen the opportunity to receive valuable hands-on safety equipment and emergency drill training in select Oregon fishing ports leading up to the commercial Dungeness crab season," the Coast Guard said in a statement. "Participants will practice with emergency equipment required aboard most commercial fishing vessels—personal flotation devices, life rafts, immersion suits, distress signals, EPIRBs and fire extinguishers. They will learn and practice emergency procedures like man overboard retrieval, abandoning ship, firefighting and flooding control through on board emergency drills and practical demonstrations."
https://kcby.com/news/local/safety-and-survival-at-sea-coast-guard-offers-2-day-course-for-commercial-fishermen




[font size="6"]Score Card [/font]

Overall importance: A
How Things Are Going: A+
Likely hood To Survive: A+

Overall: A+

[font size="6"]Next Week [/font]

It’s our final stop in the military as we check out the best of the best, the United States Marine Corps!


[font size="8"]And Now This:[/font]
[font size="8”]Umphrey’s McGee[/font]

Ladies and gentlemen my next guest is a legendary jam band whose latest album is called “It’s You”, you can see them everywhere this October and a 4 night stay at Atlanta’s Tabernacle Theater on New Year’s Eve. Playing their song “Attachments”, give it up for Umphrey’s McGee!
https://img.discogs.com/ewtoAc6gKI8aj9S3pZODXPg0vqk=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-12068278-1527640859-3705.jpeg.jpg



Lexington, we love you! This was fun! We are shipping off to Boston next! See you next week!

Credits

Host: Initech
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded In Front Of Live Audience At: Comedy Off Broadway, Lexington, KY
Special Thanks To: Comedy Off Broadway Management
Holy Shit Gospel Choir: University Of Kentucky Choir Club, Lexington, KY
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
Graphics: Top 10 Graphics Department
Research: Top 10 Research Department
Lighting & Stage Props: Top 10 Lighting Department
Legal: Top 10 Legal Department
Advertising: Top 10 Advertising Department
HR: Top 10 Human Resources Department
Initech’s Wardrobe Provided By: JAB Inc.
Wheel Of Corruption By: Studio 1 Stage Props, Burbank, CA
Umphrey’s McGee Appear Courtesy Of: Hanging Brains Music
Management: Initech Productions, CCC Management
Follow The Top 10 On Twitter at: @10Idiots
Questions? Comments? Complaints? Hate mail? E-mail The Top 10 at: Top10ConIdiots@gmail.com


Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo

October 8, 2018

Preview For This Week's Top 10 Conservative Idiots

https://twitter.com/JKCorden/status/1048422609044393984

Chair goes round, chair goes round, I like beer!!!! Woooooooooooooo!!!!!

*audience laughs and applauds*

This week the Top 10 is back out on the road live from the home of the Wildcats, Lexington, Kentucky! We are going to delve into Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation (or not), Trump goes full MAGA conspiracy theory, Mitch McConnell and Lindsay Graham also go full batshit MAGA, we add Susan Collins to the growing list of People Who Somehow Got Elected, and we ask how the 4 F club is still a thing. Plus in our weekly investigative piece Top 10 Investigates, we are going to talk about a controversial new plastic surgery procedure that could either make you look beautiful - or kill you! And in our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in "Holy Shit", our resident pastor is going to go over some of the crazier conspiracies coming from the religious right lately. And we've also got a brand new feature that we can't wait to debut for you called "What's Up With India?" because there have been some stories in the news lately where even India has managed to out crazy the Sunshine State and they have the potential to kill us all. We also have a new People Are Dumb. Because people are dumb. And the next installment of Deep State Diaries, we are going to continue our military tour and hang with the US Coast Guard! All of this plus the legendary jam band Umphrey's McGee will join us!

Top 10 Conservative Idiots: Wednesdays at 2:00 PM /shameless self promotion
October 3, 2018

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #5-14: Blurred Crimes Edition


Top 10 Conservative Idiots #5-14: Blurred Crimes Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! 15 minutes with us can save you 15% or more on your car insurance! Hey it’s the first Idiots edition of the month known as Rocktober!!!! Congrats to the Dodgers on winning the NL West! Yeah!!! So we’re going back out on the road next week heading to Lexington, then to Boston, Philly, Nashville for our Halloween bash, and of course, we’re heading to Florida! Oh I can’t wait for that one. Do we have time for the thing? Yeah so I want to talk about Christmas music. Now don’t boo. Or should I call it “happy holidays” music since Trump thinks we made it illegal to say Christmas? See? I said it twice now! But I want to talk Christmas music. And next week of course is the big Foo Fighters headlined Cal Jam festival in LA which features the great Iggy Pop and his Post Pop Depression band. But did you know Iggy is being featured on a Christmas album with William Shatner? Yeah it sounds like we’re making this up. But then you add comedian / musician / world traveler Henry Rollins in the mix and then things get really weird. As if it wasn’t weird enough already, well, we got to play a clip from the song. Can we do that, Jay?



Yeah just stuff that one in your stocking. Who’s the merrier one now Trump? Ha ha. Got to love it when the audience is more of a smart ass than you are. OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to but first we have to play Bill Maher’s brilliant New Rule from last week where he compares the Old Testament God to Trump:



Holy shit! We almost did an all Kavanaugh edition but we may save that for another week. In the top slot this week is of course the guy who we currently call “president”, Donald J. Trump (1) who showed that good old fashioned compassionate conservatism at work by mocking a sexual assault victim. In the second spot is Brett Kavanaugh (2) and we’re going to go over his calendar defense, and it’s shockingly insane. At number 3, Donald Trump’s son Patrick Bateman, er, Donald Trump Jr (3) and either he really needs the #MeToo movement explained to him, or he just doesn’t give a shit. Taking the fourth slot this week we’ve got a new installment of “People Who Somehow Got Elected” and this week we’re adding South Carolina’s own fire and brimstone senator Lindsay Graham (4) to that ever growing list. For the fifth slot this week – we’re going to talk about the one, the only Kanye West. His appearance on SNL last week where he wore a MAGA hat, gave an unhinged speech, and suggested we abolish the 13th amendment – is pure insanity! At number 6 this week is our weekly investigative piece Top 10 Investigates (6) and this week – sigh it’s another week and another retail chain is about to bite the dust, that chain is Sears. But is it going to be another Toys R Us? Probably. Taking the 7th slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit”, and did you know that Liberty University’s movie about “Firefighter Prophet” Mark Taylor is getting a sneak preview this week? Well we have our own sneak preview! Taking the 8th slot this week, we have a new installment of “This Fucking Guy” and this week we’re going to profile Trump’s spiritual advisor Robert Jeffress, and yes, he is the worst man for the job! In the number 9 slot this week we’ve got a new edition of I Need A Drink, and I really need a few drinks to explain the madness coming from Lindsay Lohan: Child Snatcher! Ooh man that sounded good didn’t it? And we’re ending with yet another installment of our ongoing series Deep State Diaries and this week we’re flying high as we’re continuing our stay at the Pentagon by hanging out with the US Air Force! Finally this week we’ve got some live music for you from Ohio’s own The National! Really buy their new album “Sleep Well Beast” or you’re no friend of the 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"]Donald Trump
[br] [/font]
[br]

Just when you think these assholes couldn’t possibly get any more evil, they stoop even lower than you could imagine. Such is the case with our current president, Donald J. Trump. So while the rest of the world has been shocked and disgusted by the behavior of his SCOTUS justice pick Brett Kavanaugh, Trump has been golfing and hitting the campaign trail like it’s no big deal. In fact just when you think it couldn’t possibly get any lower than this it does.

President Donald Trump for the first time directly mocked Christine Blasey Ford's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee by casting doubt on her testimony during a campaign rally.

Before the crowd Tuesday night in Southaven, Mississippi, Trump imitated Ford during her testimony, mocking her for not knowing the answers to questions such as how she had gotten to the high school party where she says Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her.

"I had one beer. Well, do you think it was -- nope, it was one beer," Trump said, mimicking Ford's testimony last week to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"How did you get home? I don't remember. How'd you get there? I don't remember. Where is the place? I don't remember. How many years ago was it? I don't know."

Trump's comments were met with laughter and applause from the crowd.
"I don't know. I don't know," the President continued. "What neighborhood was it in? I don't know. Where's the house? I don't know. Upstairs, downstairs -- where was it? I don't know -- but I had one beer. That's the only thing I remember."
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/02/politics/trump-mocks-christine-blasey-ford-kavanaugh-supreme-court/index.html




Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Do you hear that? That was the day America officially descended into madness. I mean just… how… who… what? Seriously, Donny, and I say this with the upmost respect: FUCK YOU! And here’s the thing – if you’re more concerned for your sons’ safety than your daughters’ safety, you probably shouldn’t be parents of either! In fact that seems to be the consensus here.

President Donald Trump's mockery of Christine Blasey Ford sparked an immediate backlash Wednesday among two critical Republican swing votes on the nomination of Supreme Court hopeful Brett Kavanaugh, with Sens. Jeff Flake and Susan Collins pointedly rebuking the President.

Speaking at a campaign rally Tuesday night, Trump cast doubt on Ford's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee by mocking her for not knowing the answers to questions such as how she had gotten to the high school party where she says Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her, an allegation he has repeatedly denied.

"There's no time and no place for remarks like that. To discuss something this sensitive at a political rally is just not right. It's just not right. I wish he hadn't had done it," Flake told NBC's Savannah Guthrie on "Today," adding, "It's kind of appalling."

Collins, a Republican from Maine, similarly condemned Trump's comments, telling CNN's Manu Raju they "were just plain wrong." She would not say if the remarks would affect her vote.

Flake, an Arizona Republican, has played a key role in Kavanaugh's confirmation process. On Friday, he voted to move the nominee out of committee but called for an FBI investigation into allegations made against Kavanaugh in order to gain more clarity on the matter before the full Senate votes on his nomination.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/03/politics/jeff-flake-donald-trump-christine-blasey-ford/index.html




Damn right!!! You know you fucked up when Jeff Flake says you fucked up! Flakey!!!!! As the asshole in chief would call him! And really this is an all time new low. Maybe the lowest point our nation has hit yet, and it can only go up from here right?

Sen. Angus King accused President Donald Trump of using Christine Blasey Ford as a "political rally punchline" after Trump mocked Ford's testimony against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh at a campaign rally.

"It made me feel sort of sick. I don't understand why he felt he had to do that," King, an independent from Maine who caucuses with Democrats, said in an interview Wednesday on CNN's "New Day."

At a rally in Mississippi Tuesday night, Trump imitated Ford and mocked her for not knowing the answer to questions involving the details of a high school party decades ago where she alleges Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her. Kavanaugh has denied the allegation.

King told CNN that the President's actions Tuesday night were not a way to win over Republican Sens. Jeff Flake of Arizona, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, the three key undecided votes on Kavanaugh's nomination.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/03/politics/angus-king-trump-kavanaugh-accuser-cnntv/index.html




OK dude, even Mike Erhmantraut thinks you’ve gone too far, and you don’t want to double cross that guy, and I’ve seen all of Breaking Bad! And his crowd cheered him! I don’t think even Hitler went this far… oh wait yeah he did. But this is just a stunning level of evil.

If President Trump's statement Tuesday morning that it's a "very scary time for young men in America" had you screaming into the void, just wait until you watch him mock Christine Blasey Ford.

At an evening rally in Mississippi, Trump ridiculed Ford's emotional Senate testimony against his Supreme Court pick Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who Ford says sexually assaulted her when they were in high school in the 1980s.

While Ford has said she is certain it was Kavanaugh who trapped her on a bed, groped her, and covered her mouth so she couldn't scream for help at a summer party, as his friend watched, she has also noted that other memories from the night are hazy. She doesn't remember how she got home, for example. It's common for sexual assault victims to remember the attack in great detail, but experience other memory gaps.

President Trump maliciously used that handicap against Ford at the rally.
https://mashable.com/article/trump-mocks-christine-blasey-ford/#QNebgEV8LPqm






[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"]Brett Kavanaugh
[br] [/font]
[br]

Yeah you know it’s coming! We got to talk about it, of course Brett Kavanaugh isn’t going away and might be our next SCOTUS justice. Well this whole thing has turned into a category 5 shit storm of the highest possible destruction. It’s getting certifiably nuts and we need to break it down for you. Of course you know by now that he really likes beer. I really like beer too. I’m drinking a tall boy of some awesome Stone IPA right now. But you know the difference? I’m not the one who’s going to fucking shape the god damn landscape of the country for a whole generation!

A Yale classmate of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh accused him on Sunday of being untruthful in his testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee and making a "blatant mischaracterization" of his drinking while in college.

"I can unequivocally say that in denying the possibility that he ever blacked out from drinking, and in downplaying the degree and frequency of his drinking, Brett has not told the truth," Chad Ludington said in a statement to CNN.

Ludington said in the statement he often drank with Kavanaugh when they were classmates, and said Kavanaugh had played down "the degree and frequency" of his drinking in his testimony. Ludington said he often saw Kavanaugh "staggering from alcohol consumption," and said he often became "belligerent and aggressive" while drinking.

In his testimony to the judiciary committee Thursday, Kavanaugh denied ever blacking out from drinking.

Ludington said in his statement he witnessed Kavanaugh throw a beer in a man's face once for making a semi-hostile remark, "starting a fight that ended with one of our mutual friends in jail."
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/01/politics/yale-kavanaugh-drinking/index.html




Come on even the dog knows when you’re lying about how much you’ve had to drink! But I love that Trump was “surprised” by the revelation that Kavanaugh was a raging alcoholic. Really? This is why reading is important here, people!

President Trump said Monday that he was "surprised" at how forthcoming Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was about his affinity for beer during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last week, where he denied a decades-old allegation of sexual assault.

"I was surprised at how vocal he was about the fact that he likes beer and he’s had a little bit of difficulty," Trump told reporters at a Rose Garden press conference to announce a trade agreement with Canada and Mexico.

"This is not a man that said that he was perfect with respect to alcohol," Trump added.

The president downplayed any suggestion that Kavanaugh might be unqualified for the Supreme Court because of his drinking habits. Trump noted that nobody questioned Kavanaugh about his drinking habits during his professional career, suggesting it has not been a problem for the judge.

"I graduated from high school and while I did not drink, I saw lot of people drinking. They’d drink beer then go crazy," Trump said.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/409292-trump-surprised-at-kavanaughs-talk-about-beer-at-senate-hearing




Oh come on… not perfect with respect to alcohol? That’s about the lamest response ever that anyone could come up with. Why don’t you just call it “Blurred Crimes”? Yeah yeah!!! I got these blurred crimes because I drank too much, yeah you drank too much. I can’t remember… All right that’s enough of that, but I could do the whole song if I wanted to. This is my show after all! But of course Trump thinks it’s a good thing that he doesn’t drink, and I’m actually in agreement.

At one point during Brett Kavanaugh’s testimony, desperate for some comic relief, I messaged a friend to ask if this were a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing or an Anheuser-Busch commercial.

There was that much talk about beer.

Most of it came from him: He used to drink a lot of beer. He used to like beer a lot. He still liked beer. Didn’t the committee? Didn’t everyone? Beer, beer, beer, beer, beer.

Christine Blasey Ford had swigged cola during her turn earlier that day. I half expected Kavanaugh to pop open a Bud Light. Or to wheel in a keg! Then there’d be plenty to go around, and he could tactlessly offer an ice-cold brewski to Senator Amy Klobuchar.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/29/opinion/brett-kavanaugh-beer-politics.html




Now that’s someone who loves beer! Brett Kavanaugh may love his beer, but he’s got nothing on Homer Simpson! And by the way if you’re going to play Kavanaugh’s favorite drinking game called “The Devil’s Triangle”, maybe don’t.

Of all the depressing and enraging things to come from Brett Kavanaugh’s depressing and enraging confirmation hearing, the Supreme Court nominee’s shady, dissembling explanations of the slang in his high school yearbook stand alone. Let’s take a trip back to slimetown:

In Kavanaugh’s defense, once he made the decision to pretend that “Beach Week Ralph Club” referred to his problems with spicy food, the rest of the disgraceful performance became as mathematically inevitable as the parabolic arc a gout of vomit traces through the air on its way toward a dorm room floor. Here’s the splash:

It’s not hard to find examples of people using the phrase “Devil’s Triangle” to refer to relatively innocuous things, if you have a reason to lie about what it means. Perhaps Kavanaugh and his social circle were obsessed with musical history, and Squi built a replica of the Devil’s Triangle , as described in the Interior Journal of Stanford, Kentucky on Feb. 3, 1882:
https://slate.com/culture/2018/10/devils-triangle-rules-brett-kavanaugh-drinking-game.html





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

Since we’re on the subject of sex crimes, the president’s eldest son, Patrick Bateman, clearly doesn’t get it when the entire country is erring on the side of women victims of sexual assault and abuse these days because the harassers and abusers have been getting away with it for too long. Well, Trump Jr apparently doesn’t get the message that has been coming for a long time now.

Amid increasing tension over the sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh, Donald Trump Jr. said he is more concerned for his sons than for his daughters.

President Trump’s eldest son, who has five children, was speaking about the recent allegations of sexual assault in an interview with DailyMailTV, which is scheduled to air as a two-part series Monday and Tuesday, according to the Daily Mail. Looking at his children’s futures, he seemed to be worried that perhaps one day, his sons might face false accusations of sexual misconduct.

“I’ve got boys and I’ve got girls,” he told the British tabloid, “and when I see what’s going on right now, it’s scary.”

When asked whether he was more worried about his sons or daughters, he said, “Right now, I’d say my sons.”

“The other problem,” he added, “is that for people who are real victims of these things, when it is so obviously political in cases like this, it really diminishes the real claims."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/10/01/trump-jr-says-wave-sexual-assault-accusations-make-him-worry-sons-more-than-daughters/?utm_term=.aac4333f1b27




See here’s the thing, Chump, if you are more concerned for the safety of your sons than of your daughters, you probably shouldn’t be parents of either! Thank you! And the other thing – if you don’t want to be pegged as a rapist, don’t do rapist things! And it’s funny that the son of a guy who has multiple counts of rape against him is playing the blame game against the victims.

In their first joint interview as a conservative powerhouse couple, Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoye questioned the political motivations behind Christine Blasey Ford’s sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Trump Jr. also told DailyMailTV that the #MeToo movement, Blasey Ford’s testimony against Kavanaugh during last week’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing and Democrats’ attacks on the judge’s honesty have made him afraid for his young sons. Apparently, Trump Jr. believes they could become prey to sexual assault allegations as they become teenagers and adults.

“I’ve got boys, and I’ve got girls,” the president’s oldest son said during the couple’s trip last week to Bozeman, Montana, to campaign for U.S. Senate candidate Matt Rosendale. But he said he was more fearful for his sons.

“When I see what’s going on right now, it’s scary,” said Trump Jr., a father of five. He also questioned whether the Palo Alto University psychology professor was a “real victim,” saying the political overtones in the handling of her allegations diminishes “real claims” made by “real victims.”
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/10/01/donald-trump-jr-and-kimberly-guilfoyle-united-against-christine-blasey-fords-allegations/




Yeah so there’s reason to be concerned – no one wants to be at the center of a sex scandal, but this is quite possibly the dumbest thing to come out of this movement in the last two years. But guess what? He’s getting some backlash from parents regarding this and it’s well deserved!

In the aftermath of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testifying during a public hearing on Thursday, Sept. 27, there have been plenty of, well, interesting reactions to the debacle. President Donald Trump, for example, has lauded Kavanaugh's testimony as "powerful, honest, and riveting." Regardless of how "convincing" individuals found the judge's yelling and crying, an FBI investigation is currently underway.And apparently, Donald Trump Jr. is more scared for his sons than his daughters in the midst of the #MeToo era.

As you've probably heard by now, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford alleges that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were both in high school, according to The Washington Post. Thirty-six years later, she has come forward to share her testimony with the Senate as they consider him for a spot on the highest court in the nation. Although Blasey Ford spoke deliberately and concisely about her alleged encounter with the Supreme Court nominee — and is considered a credible source by many — judiciary committee Republicans ultimately voted Kavanaugh through to a Senate floor vote, which will be delayed pending a week-long FBI investigation.
https://www.romper.com/p/furious-parents-fire-back-at-donald-trump-jr-after-he-says-the-metoo-era-has-him-scared-for-his-sons-12114621




Excuse me a minute… And by the way Donny do you really want to say this when your dad has multiple sexual assault counts against him? And when his SCOTUS justice pick is under investigation for sexual assault encounters against him? Like really this is the worst timing possible. Or mayb

The sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh have sparked a wave of unbridled anger and anxiety from many Republican men, who say they are in danger of being swept up by false accusers who are biased against them.

From President Trump to his namesake son to Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), the howls of outrage crystallize a strong current of grievance within a party whose leadership is almost entirely white and overwhelmingly male — and which does not make a secret of its fear that demographic shifts and cultural convulsions could jeopardize its grip on power.

This outbreak of male resentment now seems likely to play a defining role in the midterm elections just five weeks away, contrasting with a burst of enthusiasm among women propelling Democratic campaigns and inspired by the national #MeToo reckoning over sexual assault and gender roles.

“I’ve got boys and I’ve got girls, and when I see what’s going on right now, it’s scary,” Donald Trump Jr., a father of five small children, said in an interview with DailyMailTV aired Monday.

Asked whether he was more worried about his sons or daughters, Trump Jr. said, “Right now, I’d say my sons.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-trauma-for-a-man-male-fury-and-fear-rises-in-gop-in-defense-of-kavanaugh/2018/10/01/f48499a2-c595-11e8-b2b5-79270f9cce17_story.html?utm_term=.1521633ceb91





[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"]Lindsay Graham
[br] [/font]
[br]

Politicians at the state, national and local levels who are so toxic that you ever wonder how they were able to get into office, much less stay there. This is:



This week: South Carolina’s Lindsay Graham. If the phrase “if looks could kill” was taken literally, Lindsay Graham would be the poster boy for this. In the moments that followed Dr. Christina Ford’s testimony, Graham’s dead stare is the mother of all dead stares! But before we get into current events with Mr. Graham, let’s flash back to 2009 when he grilled then-nominee Sonia Sotomayor on having a temperamental flare:

SEN. GRAHAM: Okay. Now let's talk about you. I like you, by the way, for whatever that matters. Since I may vote for you, that ought to matter to you.

One thing that stood out about your record is that when you look at the Almanac of the Federal Judiciary, lawyers anonymously rate judges in terms of temperament, and here's what they said about you: "She's a terror on the bench." "She's temperamental, excitable." "She seems angry." "She's overly aggressive, not very judicial." "She does not have a very good temperament." "She abuses lawyers." "She really lacks judicial temperament." "She believes in an out-of- control — she behaves in an out-of-control manner." "She makes inappropriate outbursts." "She is nasty to lawyers." "She'll attack lawyers for making an argument she does not like." "She can be a bit of a bully."

When you look at the evaluation of the judges on the 2nd Circuit, you stand out like a sore thumb in terms of your temperament. What is your answer to these criticisms?

JUDGE SOTOMAYOR: I do ask tough questions at oral arguments.

SEN. GRAHAM: Are you the only one that asks tough questions in oral arguments
https://crooksandliars.com/2018/09/flashback-remember-when-lindsey-graham




And that’s an understatement by the way. In fact with most you might say that there is a method to their madness. But Lindsay Graham is purely mad, there is no just plain madness with him.

Sen. Lindsey Graham had kept quiet during Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony that she was sexually assaulted by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in 1982.

But by the time it was his turn to speak during Kavanaugh’s rebuttal before the Senate Judiciary Committee, the South Carolina Republican became animated and angry.

On Thursday afternoon, a visibly shaken Graham told Kavanaugh that the conservative federal judge was a “victim” of Democratic attempts to derail his confirmation.

“I cannot imagine what you and your family have gone through,” Graham said. “I hope you’re on the Supreme Court ... That’s exactly where you belong.”
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article219106835.html




Yes, Lindsay Graham is a psychopath and the bad guy here, which is why he wants to stop at nothing to nominate a like minded psychopath and abusive alcoholic to judge the highest law in the land. Let that sink in for a minute.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) on Thursday cast doubt on Christine Blasey Ford's sexual assault allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, suggesting her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee lacks details of the alleged incident.

"I don't know any more than I knew before," Graham, a member of the Judiciary panel, told reporters on Capitol Hill before the hearing was over. "I know that the people who've claimed to have been at the party say nothing happened. I don't know how she got home or how she got there."

"I think something happened to Dr. Ford. I'm gonna listen to Brett Kavanaugh," he added, before expressing that he was "disappointed" with how Democrats handled Ford's allegations.

"They knew about this in July," Graham told reporters, adding that there was a polygraph test on Aug. 10 that the committee received on Sept. 26. "We offered to go out there," he said, referring to California, where Ford lives.

Ford said she initially notified her local congresswoman, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), in late July about her allegation. She said Eshoo urged her to write a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), the top Democrat on the Judiciary panel, about the allegation. That letter to Feinstein was sent in late July.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/408771-graham-questions-lack-of-details-in-fords-testimony




That’s pretty much what it is like when one is blacked out. And if you’ve never had a drink you can’t really say what that is like. But Lindsay Graham is so pig headed that he will do something so absurd as to push through Kavanaugh’s nomination until he actually gets confirmed. So fool us once, shame on you, right? You know the saying – “fool me once, shame on you, fool me, you won’t get fooled again”, we heard a guy say that once.

President Donald Trump should renominate Brett Kavanaugh if the Senate fails to confirm him for the Supreme Court this year, Sen. Lindsey Graham declared Tuesday.

The South Carolina Republican said he still believes Kavanaugh will be confirmed to the high court soon. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has vowed that the Senate will vote on Kavanaugh this week.

But Graham offered Trump a contingency plan in case the nominee is narrowly defeated.

"If his nomination were to fall short, I would encourage President Trump to re-nominate Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court," Graham said in a statement. "It would – in effect – be appealing the Senate’s verdict directly to the American people."

Graham discussed the strategy in more detail on Fox News, saying that Trump could use the issue in the midterm elections to go after Democratic Sens. Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Claire McCaskill of Missouri. The four Democrats represent Republican-leaning states that Trump won in 2016.

Trump could announce to voters in those states that he would nominate Kavanaugh again in 2019, after a new Senate convenes, Graham said.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/10/02/lindsey-graham-brett-kavanaugh-renominate/1498449002/




That’s Lindsay Graham – yet another person to add to the growing list of:





[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"]Kanye West
[br] [/font]
[br]

We’ve given Trump a lot of shit about why he’s not invited places. But now there’s another person who probably should not be invited places, and that’s Kanye West. So Kanye West managed to infiltrate the holy grail of late night comedy – Saturday Night Live, and he made sure that he’ll probably never be invited back. Because after the taping ended, Mr. West went full MAGA, and you never go full MAGA under any circumstances!

Kenan Thompson stopped by Late Night With Seth Meyers to detail his perspective on Kanye West’s controversial, unaired speech after the cameras stopped rolling on this weekend’s Saturday Night Live season premiere. This is Thompson’s 16th season of the show, making him the series’ longest-running cast-member of all time.

Thompson began by noting that he wasn’t in the episode much. “I did my part in the monologue and then got to watch the circus unfold,” he offers slyly before Meyers inquired about the post-show speech from West.

The show had ended with a performance from West, who delivered his Ye track “Ghost Town” with Kid Cudi and 070 Shake as the credits were rolling. The live show cut off due to its time constraints as the song unfolded and right as West invited the cast to rejoin him onstage. Chris Rock and other audience members captured West in his restyled red ‘Make America Great Again’ hat as he defended his pro-Trump stance. A mixture of cheers and boos were shouted from the audience.

“We’re all entitled to our opinion,” Thompson offered up measuredly, “I don’t know if that’s the moment, necessarily, to hold people hostage like that, but hey…”
https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-news/kenan-thompson-kanye-west-held-snl-cast-hostage-during-pro-trump-speech-732147/




Yes and I could have told you that. I mean really even Tracy Jordan’s loose cannon nature was based off how much of a loose cannon Kanye is. And is anyone really that surprised that Kanye is a full blown MAGA Trump supporter? They’re two of the biggest egomaniacs on the planet and you know what they say about judging a person by the company they keep.

Kim Kardashian West didn’t seem fazed by husband Kanye West‘s behavior at Saturday Night Live over the weekend.

Kardashian West stood by on Saturday night as West delivered a lengthy speech about his support of President Donald Trump.d.

“While Kanye talked Kim just stood in the back and watched. The kids were there, too,” a source tells PEOPLE.

And despite numerous boos from the crowd as West spoke, his wife didn’t appear to be bothered by his controversial statements.

“She didn’t seem like anything, she was just watching,” adds the source. “Trump’s been good to them so it seems they do really love him, even Kim. They all hung out for a bit afterward.”
https://people.com/tv/kim-kardashian-watched-kanye-west-donald-trump-snl-speech/




It’s about ideas bro!!!!! And information!!! Man I wonder what that car ride must have been like on the way back to the hotel? I can imagine Kim going “Kanye, you know better than to go full MAGA in a place like that”. But it wouldn’t surprise me if they were both MAGA Trump train supporters – they both do love their ratings!

Kanye West promised that a new album would arrive on Saturday. Instead, he delivered three songs as the musical guest on “Saturday Night Live” and an impromptu monologue at the end of the show mentioning President Donald J. Trump.

Mr. West, wearing a red Make America Great Again hat, continued his foray into off-the-cuff political commentary after the credits rolled for the season premiere, delivering a scattered speech that was cut off from some broadcasts. In footage from the crowd posted to the comedian Chris Rock’s Instagram account, Mr. West can be seen musing on his support of President Trump and urging, “We need to have a dialogue and not a diatribe.”

Mr. West, who is known for delivering similarly improvised addresses during his concerts, said he is often asked how he can support President Trump because “he’s racist.” “If I was concerned about racism,” Mr. West said, “I would’ve moved out of America a long time ago.” He said Democrats were responsible for a plan to take “fathers out the home and promote welfare.” The rapper also mentioned his long-teased presidential aspirations for 2020 and referred to the “one-sided” liberal nature of the entertainment world as the “S.N.L.” cast stood stoically behind him.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/30/arts/music/kanye-west-donald-trump-snl.html




We need to get a dialogue and not a diatribe? Says the guy who literally delivered a diatribe!! And it was forced! See, Kanye, a “dialogue” is when two people talk! A diatribe is when one guy goes off on a batshit crazy rant for fifteen minutes about nothing! Much like a Donald Trump rally. Hey o!!! but here’s

President Donald Trump had harsh words for “Saturday Night Live” after the show’s season premiere, but still managed to praise musician Kanye West for supporting him during a musical performance.

Trump tweeted Sunday that he doesn’t watch the comedy show anymore because it is “no longer funny.” The onetime host has tweeted harshly about “SNL” a few times during his presidency, as the show has featured a number of satirical sketches about him. But the president still managed to praise West for putting on a “Make America Great Again” hat and delivering a pro-Trump speech during his musical guest appearance on the NBC show.

“Like many, I don’t watch Saturday Night Live (even though I past hosted it) - no longer funny, no talent or charm,” Trump tweeted. “It is just a political ad for the Dems. Word is that Kanye West, who put on a MAGA hat after the show (despite being told ‘no’), was great. He’s leading the charge!”
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-saturday-night-live-kanye_us_5bb10250e4b027da00d4442c






[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"]Top 10 Investigates: Sears Bankruptcy
[br] [/font]
[br]

It’s time to investigate beyond the headlines. This is Top 10 Investigates!



Retail has taken massive hits in the last few years, and we’ve seen a few in the last couple of years alone – which include stores in our malls and stores in our shopping centers. But one store that’s been around since the turn of the century is about to go under. That store is Sears, Roebuck and Company, and they’re about to suffer the same fate as their Toys R Us counterparts. Yes, we will soon live in a world where Toys R Us and Sears no longer exist.

Tracking the slow-motion collapse of what used to be Sears Roebuck has been sort of like watching a glacier melt: You know it's happening, but it's tough to detect it with the naked eye. That is, until a Delaware-size chunk breaks off, which is what happened when the once-giant retailer recently unveiled a "liability management" plan crafted by Sears Holdings' CEO and largest shareholder, hedge fund tycoon Edward Lampert.

Of course, Crain's has lovingly maintained a decades-long tradition of predicting Sears' demise, and there's no telling if or when the company might ever seek bankruptcy protection. But bankruptcies, like avalanches, tend to happen quickly once they're triggered, and it's difficult to see how Sears can maintain its current course—shredding roughly $1.5 billion in cash each year to fund its business operations—without something big giving way, and suddenly.

The Sept. 24 announcement from Sears' Hoffman Estates headquarters seems to loosen a few slabs of ice uphill of Lampert & Co.

As Crain's columnist Joe Cahill explained in a blog post, the debt-reduction plan crafted by Lampert for Sears Holdings is most noteworthy for what it doesn't include: any commitment of new funds for the retailer he has controlled—and lent billions to—since 2005.

Investors have come to expect Lampert to continue lending to Sears, which has lost a total of $6.8 billion since 2013. Lately, however, he seems to be sitting on his wallet. In August, for instance, he floated a $400 million offer for the Kenmore appliance brand—though, as Cahill notes, that proposal was contingent on Lampert finding a third party to finance the buyout.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/opinion/something-drastic-bound-give-way-sears-and-suddenly




Which begs the question - Are there any new Kenmore appliances being made? That is another area of the bankruptcy that needs to be investigated. So what is Sears’ bankruptcy rescue plan? There’s many angles that we could go to for this. Of course don’t expect their CEO to cut his salary, that is not going to happen.

Sears could face bankruptcy if it doesn’t meet its next debt payment, due in the coming weeks. Now, the retailer’s chief executive has come up with a last-minute plan to save it, after already shuttering thousands of stores and selling off some of its key brands.

Eddie Lampert, who owns the hedge-fund ESL Investments and is also the retailer’s largest shareholder and creditor, has asked creditors to refinance $1.1 billion in debt before a $134 million debt payment is due Oct. 15, according to a Sunday filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He also called for the company to sell off $3.25 billion worth of real estate and assets, including Sears Home Services and the company’s flagship Kenmore brand, which Lampert offered to buy last month for $400 million.

In the filing, Lampert’s hedge fund said it “must act immediately to have sufficient runway to continue its transformation” if Sears is to become profitable again. The company, which includes 820 Sears and Kmart stores, has about $5.6 billion in outstanding debt.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2018/09/24/sears-ceo-has-come-up-with-last-minute-plan-save-it-bankruptcy/?utm_term=.388862ef1cab




Sears could potentially sell off $3.25 billion in assets, though the value might be diminished because there was a Sears built on the property. Yeah the name is that toxic right now. But just how toxic is it really?

Tracking the slow-motion collapse of what used to be Sears Roebuck has been sort of like watching a glacier melt: You know it's happening, but it's tough to detect it with the naked eye. That is, until a Delaware-size chunk breaks off, which is what happened when the once-giant retailer recently unveiled a "liability management" plan crafted by Sears Holdings' CEO and largest shareholder, hedge fund tycoon Edward Lampert.

Of course, Crain's has lovingly maintained a decades-long tradition of predicting Sears' demise, and there's no telling if or when the company might ever seek bankruptcy protection. But bankruptcies, like avalanches, tend to happen quickly once they're triggered, and it's difficult to see how Sears can maintain its current course—shredding roughly $1.5 billion in cash each year to fund its business operations—without something big giving way, and suddenly.

The Sept. 24 announcement from Sears' Hoffman Estates headquarters seems to loosen a few slabs of ice uphill of Lampert & Co.

As Crain's columnist Joe Cahill explained in a blog post, the debt-reduction plan crafted by Lampert for Sears Holdings is most noteworthy for what it doesn't include: any commitment of new funds for the retailer he has controlled—and lent billions to—since 2005.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/opinion/something-drastic-bound-give-way-sears-and-suddenly




So is it debt reduction or is it outright theft? We don’t want to say it’s outright theft but yeah it’s probably outright theft.

Eddie Lampert’s hedge fund has a new plan for cutting Sears debt. The main beneficiary would be Eddie Lampert’s hedge fund.

Lampert, Sears Holdings Corp.’s chief executive officer, called this week for the underperforming retailer to stanch the bleeding by paying off certain loans -- many of them owned by his hedge fund -- while swapping other debt for notes that convert to equity. This comes at a time when Sears stock is hovering just above $1 a share, an 87 percent dive in the past year.

“To have debt that’s convertible into equity when the equity is worthless doesn’t appear to be a very attractive proposal at all,’’ said Elliot Lutzker, chairman of the corporate law practice at Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP.

Lampert’s hedge fund, ESL Investments Inc., is the retail chain’s biggest shareholder. Because it owns about $2.5 billion in Sears debt concentrated in the category earmarked for repayment, ESL could recoup more than $1 billion under its own proposed plan.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-27/lampert-s-sears-plan-would-hand-lampert-s-hedge-fund-1-billion




So there you have it, Sears’ own CEO came up with a plan that’s basically legalized theft. That’s it for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.




[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"]Holy Shit
[br] [/font]
[br]

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 our weekly duty to remind you why the holiest among us are also the most full of:



My friends, my fair congregation! Remember in that movie “The Dark Knight” when Batman only had one rule and that he would never break it for anybody? Well tonight I am actually going to break my one rule. And that rule is that I never mention the unholy, ungodly Dark One by name in my church! But when there’s a movie being made about unforeseen prophecies surrounding the Dark One, as told by a crackpot, I feel that I must break character!

Early one morning in 2011, retired Florida firefighter Mark Taylor was wrestling with another bout of insomnia. After years working at Orlando’s busy Station 2, Taylor struggled with depression, suicidal thoughts and symptoms of PTSD.

Taylor says he also was being visited by demons, angels, even God. And on that sleepless morning, God gave him a surprising prophecy: “The Spirit of God says I’ve chosen this man Donald Trump for such a time as this.”

“The Trump Prophecy,” a movie showing here and in 1,200 theaters nationwide Tuesday and Thursday, claims God’s intervention decided the 2016 election, not Hillary hatred, white anger, Russian interference or low voter turnout.

Producer Rick Eldridge says his movie has a clear purpose: “Our end goal is to get people in theaters and see a film that will reignite patriotism and call people to pray for our country and leadership.”
https://gazette.com/life/the-trump-prophecy-movie-claims-god-chose-u-s-president/article_a0f9dc14-ba84-11e8-b6ad-77b01ad16d11.html




No, Rick, your end goal is to preach to the choir of supporters of the unholy dark one that their batshit crazy theories are justified! And that Dark One’s name? Donald J. Trump. There, I said it! And you know this movie is a direct violation of IRS tax exempt rules. And also apparently it violates Facebook advertising policies!

Fireman Mark Taylor correctly predicted the presidency of Donald Trump, but “The Trump Prophecy” filmmakers didn’t foresee having their advertisements pulled from Facebook.

The film, scheduled for a fall theatrical release, is about Taylor’s life and 2011 prediction that Trump would ascend to the White House. A joint effort of the Liberty University School of Cinematic Arts and filmmaker Rick Eldridge, The Trump Prophecy was shot in the Lynchburg area with much of the cast and crew comprised of LU students. It now is in post-production.

The Trump Prophecy, previously known by its working title “Commander,” is scheduled for release on Oct. 2 and 4. Nearly 60 LU cinematic arts students were involved in the production.

In all, he claimed Facebook disapproved “approximately 40 different ads” for the film.

The issue dates back to at least June 14 when it was first noted by the film’s Facebook page.

“It seems that Facebook has now began censoring our page. For a movie??? Because the word TRUMP, Facebook has decided to disapprove any ads that we are placing and capping our exposure. Do they feel threatened in some way?” reads the post on The Trump Prophecy page, which Eldridge and the Reelworks Studios advertising team manage.
https://www.newsadvance.com/news/local/lu-film-the-trump-prophecy-runs-afoul-of-facebook-ad/article_68550eb3-51bb-5293-bf38-bb723a12c48a.html




Because nothing is worse than a bunch of falsehood nonsense told by a crackpot is there? And you guys are mad when you violated Facebook’s rules are you? Well, you have nobody to blame but yourself, for the good LAWRD sayeth “man must not blame others for his own musings.” Yes it says so in my good book here. So was this election GAWD’s plan? Or was it not???

Mark Taylor is sure he knows why Donald Trump became president.

Forget Hillary hatred, white anger, Russian interference or voter turnout. Trump’s victory was God’s will, said Taylor. Taylor said he knows this because God told him so.

In 2011, while watching an interview with Trump on TV, Taylor says he heard a voice saying, “The Spirit of God says I’ve chosen this man, Donald Trump, for such a time as this.”

And the Almighty is just getting started, said Taylor, a former firefighter who has published 23 “prophetic words,” many about Trump’s presidency.

The presidential prediction is detailed in “The Trump Prophecy,” a new film produced with the help of faculty and students at Liberty University — some of whom later rejected its message — that will be shown in some 1,200 theaters on Oct. 2 and 4.
https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2018/09/25/new-trump-prophecy-film/




Now I do love that one! So is GAWD just getting started? Or do we need to remind you of the kind of crackpot that Mark Taylor is? And yes, he is a crackpot ladies and gentlemen of my fair congregation, because this is the kind of nonsense you can expect from Mr. Taylor!

Mark Taylor, the so-called “firefighter prophet” and radical conspiracy theorist who is the subject of a new movie premiering this week, appeared on Chris McDonald’s “The Mc Files” program on Friday, where he again asserted that opposition to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is all about trying to prevent President Trump from establishing military tribunals in order to prosecute and execute Democratic leaders like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

“This has everything to do with military tribunals, them being charged with treason, and them going to prison for the rest of their lives and some being executed,” he said.

Taylor claimed that God recently delivered a huge “prophetic sign” of this plan when a horse named after Obama had to be euthanized at the World Equestrian Games in North Carolina last month.

“God’s been speaking a lot to me through racehorses,” he said. “The racehorse named Barack Obama was euthanized. That is probably the biggest prophetic sign that you could have of God saying this man is going to go down. Period. That’s the bottom line. You can get mad at me all you want to, but God’s the messenger here, he is the one sending the message. People don’t think that this stuff is real or it’s going to happen. It’s going to happen.”

“This is real,” Taylor insisted. “Justice is not coming, it’s here, period, and it is taking place on the earth. This whole thing with Kavanaugh is trying to stop the military tribunals … This is all about rounding these people up, charging them with treason, and they know that, basically, their head is going to be in a noose, literally.”
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/god-has-been-using-racehorses-to-speak-to-mark-taylor-about-plans-to-execute-democrats/




Really? This bullshit is still a thing? That’s why you are going to get your asses handed to you in November, and yes, I realized I just violated the IRS rules there! But then again, so did Liberty University, and they should pay dearly for this! But then again, Mark also claims that GAWD confirmed his SCOTUS prophecy with a train horn. Can you spell “crackpot”?

Mark Taylor, the so-called “firefighter prophet” and radical conspiracy theorist about whom Liberty University is making a movie, appeared on SkyWatch TV yesterday, where he explained how God used a train whistle to confirm that He was going to use President Trump to reshape the Supreme Court.

After Taylor recounted his claims that God told him that Trump will get to replace a total of five Supreme Court justices after one dies, one retires, and three are removed from the Court due to scandal, he explained how God confirmed this prophecy to him during the funeral service for the late Antonin Scalia.

“If you go back to Antonin Scalia’s funeral, when they were carrying his body up the steps” Taylor said, “there were two signs that were given by God that [the confirmation of Merrick Garland] was not going to happen. We had about an eight month window there where they could have put another justice in and the entire country was in a full-blown panic at that point and that’s when I came out with the prophecy that the Lord said, ‘No, it will not happen, this is being reserved for Donald Trump.'”

“The two signs that were given,” he continued, “there was a reverence there, it was very quiet and there was a siren in the background at the bottom of the steps. Well, when they got to the top of the steps, the siren fades away and all of a sudden you hear this enormous train horn and what the Lord was saying was, ‘Don’t fear America, help is on the way—the siren—this is being reserved for my anointed, Trump—from the Trump train.”
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/mark-taylor-god-confirmed-my-scotus-prophecy-with-a-train-horn/




Yes, Mark, even JAYSUS thinks you’re doing it wrong!! For your crackpot theories about the Dark One are just that – crackpot theories! There you go, mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:



[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"]Robert Jeffress
[br] [/font]
[br]

It’s time for a new edition of:



For this week’s “This Fucking Guy” we’re going to profile Trump’s spiritual advisor and the guy who’s hellbent on turning the White House into a church – Robert Jeffress. This fucking guy is literally batshit crazy. You know never mind that America has long had a policy of the separation of church and state, you know, so America doesn’t elect a fascist religious dictator who wants to destroy half the planet like a real life Thanos. Instead, Trump has Robert Jeffress and Paula White – two batshit insane televangelists – literally convincing half the population that he’s God, Jesus, Buddha, and Allah combined! Like look at what he said regarding Brett Kavanaugh:

Robert Jeffress, a Texas pastor and “spiritual adviser” to President Trump, according to Baptist World Global, appeared on Fox & Friends over the weekend, where he adopted the performative partisan anger that was on display last week by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Jeffress called the contentious confirmation process “a battle between good and evil, between the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness,” and said the hearings would encourage conservative Christians to turn out in the 2018 midterm elections.

Look, I have never seen conservative Christians as angry as they are right now over this debacle. Look, they realize now—conservative Christians—that the left is willing to do whatever it takes to cram their liberal agenda down the throats of Americans, including destroying the foundation of our legal system, the presumption of innocence.

And look, make no mistake about it, the reason the left hates Kavanaugh is not because of his judicial philosophy, it’s not because of what he may or may not have done to Dr. Ford. The Democrats don’t care one thing about Dr. Ford. They are afraid that if he is confirmed as a Supreme Court justice, he may chip away at Roe v. Wade and diminish the number of babies being murdered every year in the womb through abortion.

Conservative Christians see this. They know this is not a battle between Republicans and Democrats. It’s a battle between good and evil, between the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness, and that’s why they’re going to turn out in the 2018 midterms.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/kavanaugh-confirmation-battle-between-good-and-evil-says-trump-adviser-robert-jeffress/




Well knowing where your mouth has been, I must respectfully decline, sir! But Robert Jeffress is hell bent (and yes I do use that term loosely) on converting the entire city of Washington DC into his own fire and brimstone religion. And you know, Mr. Jeffress, you support Donald Trump! You don’t get to decide what you think is evil – he’s the devil incarnate! But of course Trump’s most hardlined supporters are sticking by their man.

President Donald Trump’s top evangelical advisers have weighed in on the side of his embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

After hours of angry denials from Kavanaugh and emotional testimony from Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing him of sexual assault, the evangelical leaders took to Twitter and Fox News to voice their opinions.

Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Dallas Church in Texas, said that by believing Kavanaugh’s accuser, Democrats are “trying to destroy the very foundation, not only of our American legal system, but of all of human civilization since the days of Moses.”

“Once we take that presumption [of innocence] away from the accused and give it to the accuser, we’re going to have nothing but chaos,” Jeffress said during an interview on Fox Business on Thursday night.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trumps-top-evangelical-supporters-are-sticking-firmly-by-kavanaugh_us_5bae3103e4b09d41eba0d4b9




And well he currently sits in the Oval Office! Hey o!!! But as we had previously said that Pastor Jeffress is quite possibly the worst person for the job. And plus, like anyone else in the Trump Administration, Kavanaugh just can’t help but be a little bit racist, he actually used the word “scalp” when referring to treatment of Kavanaugh. That’s pretty strong.

Fox News contributor Robert Jeffress, pastor of a Texas megachurch, said on Sunday that Democrats want to make a trophy of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s “scalp,” referring to the bloody practice of removing the scalps of Native Americans.

During a panel discussion on Fox & Friends about the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh, Jeffress said that conservative Christians are “angry” at the way the Supreme Court nominee is being treated.

“Look, they realize now, conservative Christians, that the left is willing to do whatever it takes to cram their liberal agenda down the throats of Americans, including destroying the foundation of our legal system: the presumption of innocence,” Jeffress opined.

According to the pastor, the reason “the left hates Kavanaugh” is because “they are afraid, if he is confirmed as Supreme Court justice, he may chip away at Roe v. Wade and diminish the number of babies being murdered every year in the womb through abortion.”
https://www.rawstory.com/2018/09/hell-breaks-loose-fox-news-pastor-says-dems-trying-scalp-kavanaugh/




Which is probably true. But Robert – let me ask you this! What about the thousands of actual lives lost through the military industrial complex that you are very much a part of right now? Do they count or are they simply collateral? Think about it. Either you support all life or you don’t. By the way if you want to know just how batshit insane the Christian right are in their never ending lust for power, just look at some of the batshit crazy things Robert Jeffress says.

Jeffress has also carved out a niche as the president's personal excuse Rolodex.

This week, as the water in which the president's political future sits begins to simmer, if not boil, Jeffress has been back in action. Monday, he attended a special dinner for Trump's evangelical supporters at the White House before making the rounds again on Trump's behalf.

Starting with two examples from this week, here are Jeffress' best, or worst, excuses for the president:

1. Jeffress explains why evangelical support for Trump isn't wavering, despite Trump's former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen admitting in federal court that Trump was aware of and helped direct payments before the 2016 election to two women with whom he had affairs.

“Well, it’s really not that hard to figure out when you realize he is the most pro-life, pro-religious liberty, pro-conservative judiciary in history, and that includes either Bush or Ronald Reagan. I think that is why evangelicals remain committed to this president and they are not going to turn away from him soon,” Jeffress told Fox News Monday night after the meeting. "We have to understand these are still allegations against the president, so I’m not going to judge the president on these things. But even if they were true, some of these allegations, I mean, obviously, we don’t support extramarital affairs, we don’t support hush-money payments, but what we do support are these president’s excellent policies."
https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/robert-jeffress-top-10-excuses-for-donald-trump-11085895




And Jeffress would probably go for that too. That’s Robert Jeffress, this week’s:




[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"]I Need A Drink
[br] [/font]
[br]



Ah it’s time for one of my favorite Top 10 segments. I really need a drink! And of course you know the idea behind this is that we have a few drinks and talk about anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics. But we won’t get blackout drunk, we don’t want to get in a fight with Mr. Kavanaugh, do we? Well this one kind of is sort of political. So tell me bartender, what goes well with news about Lindsay Lohan? A Moscow Mule? That actually sounds good, I think I will have one of those! No mint please. But yeah Lindsay Lohan is in some really deep shit. Here’s more.

Lindsay Lohan appeared to accuse a homeless couple of trafficking their children in a bizarre video that surfaced on the actress's Instagram account Friday night and ended, apparently, with her getting hit in the face.

The video, which was posted to Instagram Live before being removed, is fueling concerns about the 32-year-old actress, who became tabloid fodder several years ago, at the height of her fame, amid DUI arrests and other legal troubles. Lohan has stayed largely out of the spotlight in recent years, spending much of her time in Dubai - where she has said she plans to design a namesake island - and Greece, where she has lent her name to several beachside night clubs.

According to TMZ, which posted the video Saturday morning, Lohan recorded it in Moscow. In TMZ's version, Lohan appears to address her own Instagram followers, saying, "Hey, everyone, I just want to show you a family that I met, a Syrian refugee family that I'm really worried about." Lohan says she is going to introduce them, and that "they really need help."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/tv/ct-ent-lindsay-lohan-instagram-video-explainer-20181002-story.html




Oh sure it starts out innocently enough – until it ends with you getting punched in the face! I mean yeah that is what usually happens with most of my outings. Oh wait, that’s never happened. But it gets weirder, because with Lindsay Lohan, of course that will happen!

Lindsay Lohan posted a bizarre live video to Instagram Friday night showing the actress seemingly get punched in the face as she attempts to take a boy away from a mother who she says are Syrian refugees.

In the video, the actress gets out of a car and approaches two young boys and two adults with them sitting on a sidewalk under blankets. She identifies them as Syrian refugees who need help. It is unclear where the video takes place.

“Hey everyone, I just want to show you a family that I met,” she says in the video. “A Syrian refugee family that I’m really worried about. They really need help.”

Lohan turns the camera to the family and offers one of the children a stay at a hotel where he can watch a movie.

She then addresses the mother and criticizes her for not letting the children come with her.

“You should not have them on the floor, you should be a hard-working woman and you should be doing what you can for your children, so they have a better life.” Lohan said.
http://time.com/5410792/lindsay-lohan-instagram-video-woman-refugees-child-abduction/




But of course you can’t have sparks without igniting the outrage machine in 2018! Because you know that’s going to happen. And like most things this is one of those things that’s so serious that it needs its’ own name and theme music. Lindsay Lohan: CHILD SNATCHER!!! DUN DUN DUN!!!!

Lindsay Lohan is being weird. While in Moscow, Russia (for who knows what reason?), the former child star went live on Instagram. Lohan recorded herself talking to a family she alleges are Syrian refugees.

At first, though maybe a little misguided, it appeared Lohan just wanted to help. The family looked homeless and she offered them a hotel room. When the family refused (probably because they had no idea what was happening), Lohan tried to take their child.

At 2 a.m., while in Moscow, Lohan went live on Instagram. She told her followers there was a family of Syrian refugees she was concerned about. God only knows if this family is actually Syrian or refugees.

“Do you want me to give you a hotel? ... I want you to tell America what you need, and I will get it for you," Lohan said to the family, who appeared to be homeless. Lohan told the family she was fluent in Arabic and used a fake Arabian accent ... for some reason.
https://www.revelist.com/celebrity/lindsay-lohan-fights-homeless-couple/13618/at-2-am-while-in-moscow-lohan-went-live-on-instagram-she-told-her-followers-there-was-a-family-of-syrian-refugees-she-was-concerned-about-god-only-knows-if-this-family-is-actually-syrian-or-refugees/2




Of course reasons are the reason why anybody does anything. Reasons are the reason for the season. I mean yeah that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense does it? Of course I’ve had 3 Mules by now so nothing really makes sense. But I’ll take another one please! Of course leave it to the internet to turn something scary into something humorous!

If you've been anywhere near the internet recently, you will have probably seen Lindsay Lohan has been trending for reasons which you couldn't even begin to imagine. The Mean Girls star took to Instagram Live this past weekend to post a video of herself in Moscow, Russia. So far so normal, except for the fact that the clip sees Lindsay approach an unknown family on the street and accuses them of child trafficking.

Yes. You read that correctly. In the early hours of the morning, Lindsay went on Instagram to tell her followers that there was a Syrian refugee family that she was worried about (for the record it is unclear if the family are Syrian or refugees). She then shared a video of her attempting to take the young boy with the family to her hotel. The woman who appears to be the child's mum punches her in response.

To top it all off, Lindsay puts on a fake accent in the video and makes bizarre statements like: “This is not Arab; you're ruining Arab culture by doing this" and "Don't fuck with Pakistan”. It should go without saying that all of this is wrong. Not only has Lindsay been offensive to various cultures but she has also harassed a seemingly homeless family for literally no reason at all.

The video ends with Lindsay crying and making out that she is a victim: “I'm, like, in shock right now. They were trafficking. I was just, like, so scared." Unsurprisingly, the internet is beyond unimpressed. Reactions range from fans calling out the 'Get A Clue' star for being offensive and inappropriate to people making memes out of the incident. Here are just a few of them.
https://www.popbuzz.com/internet/viral/lindsay-lohan-punch-instagram-meme/





[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"]Deep State Diaries Episode 14: The United States Air Force
[br] [/font]
[br]



It’s time for episode 14 of Deep State Diaries. Yes we’re touring the 24 branches and services that make up the United States government. Everything from the FBI to the IRS to the Pentagon to the CIA to the DPW to the DVA to parks and recreation and all branches and services in between. Of course if you’re here you probably already know more about our government and how it works than your average Fox News loving Trump supporter does. So that’s what this segment is going to address. We are going to do a deep dive into all that makes the United States the United States. Because we here at the Top 10 love to educate as well as entertain. Because we care.

[font size="6"]The United States Air Force[/font]


It’s time to fly high as we explore the United States Air Force! Yes, their headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia, and the United States Air Force Academy is in Colorado Springs, Colorado. So you know the lust for the branch as made popular by movies like Top Gun and yeah you could even count the hilarious 1991 spoof Hot Shots!, but maybe not Hot Shots! Part Deux. So let’s delve into the Air Force and fly high, shall we? So the USAF are getting some new equipment and no it’s not the F15.

The US Marine Corps' stealth F-35B Lightning fighter jet could fly its first combat mission within days, according to several US defense officials, who told CNN that the fifth-generation aircraft are currently aboard the USS Essex amphibious assault ship and should soon be in a position to conduct airstrikes over Afghanistan.

The USS Essex has already sailed from the Gulf of Aden into the North Arabian Sea and is expected to move into the Persian Gulf in coming days, one official said.

F-35 pilots have been conducting intelligence and surveillance missions in Somalia while on standby to conduct air support for US troops on the ground there if needed.
While available for support, the advanced fighter jet was not used in an airstrike over Somalia on Saturday that killed 18 militants after US and local forces came under attack.

In May, Israel Defense Forces said they were using their version of the F-35 in operational missions, striking at least two unspecified targets in the region.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/25/politics/us-f-35-combat-missions/index.html




So just remember kids, while your teacher has to spend her own money on school supplies and has to work 3 jobs to pay the bills, the US government is spending $400 billion on new planes that nobody needs or wants! Just let that sink in for a moment. Oh but the insanity surrounding the F-35B continues to grow!

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon and announced on Friday an $11.5 billion contract for 141 F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N), the biggest batch yet, lowering the price for the most common version of the stealthy jet by 5.4 percent to $89.2 million.

A preliminary deal was struck in July, and reported first by Reuters, clearing the way for a larger multi-year purchase that aims to bring the cost per jet down to $80 million by 2020. Most of the jets are for the U.S. military, and others are for a number of allied countries.

Reducing the cost of the world’s most expensive defense program is crucial to securing orders in the United States and more from abroad. Lockheed is the No. 1 U.S. defense contractor.

“Driving down cost is critical to the success of this program,” Vice Admiral Mat Winter, head of the Pentagon’s F-35 office said.

The agreement removes a roadblock from negotiations for a multi-year deal for the fighters that is expected to consist of three tranches over fiscal years 2018-2020.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lockheed-f35/lockheed-agrees-to-cut-price-for-new-f-35-fighter-jets-pentagon-idUSKCN1M81WB




Oh it’s only $80 million. So Boeing’s CEO can only buy 5 Rolls Royces instead of 6. Hey he only wanted one of every color! This is where excessive government spending comes into play. Apparently the budget included 77 of these things!

Beyond the 77 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters authorized by the 2019 defense policy bill, congressional appropriators are adding another 16 for a total of 93.

Congressional conferees on Thursday finalized a $674.4 billion defense spending bill for next year packaged with funding for the departments of Education, Labor, Health and Human Services, or Labor-HHS — and a continuing resolution through Dec. 7 for some other parts of the government.

As usual, appropriators used their annual defense spending bill to offer tweaks to the existing shopping list for military hardware from the previous version, which President Donald Trump signed into law last month.

The new compromise spending bill, which trumps the authorization bill, buys three littoral combat ships instead of two and 13 Bell-Boeing V-22 Ospreys instead of seven — among other differences.

The Navy and Marine Corps continue to invest in vertical takeoff aircraft and announced a $4.2 billion contract for dozens of new V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft just weeks ago.
https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2018/09/14/f-35-inventory-soars-in-new-pentagon-spending-bill/




OK yeah now you can boo! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! So let’s do the math on this – 77 F35B jets at $80 million a piece, that equals $6.1 BILLION. Yes, BILLION. On fighter jets that nobody really wants! This is greed and insanity on an entirely new level.

The Marine Corps variant of Lockheed Martin's (LMT) F-35 conducted a combat strike in Afghanistan, marking the aircraft's first such mission for the U.S.

A statement from U.S. Naval Forces Central Command on Thursday said "the F-35B conducted an air strike in support of ground clearance operations, and the strike was deemed successful by the ground force commander."

"The F-35B is a significant enhancement in theater amphibious and air warfighting capability, operational flexibility, and tactical supremacy," said Vice Adm. Scott Stearney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, in a statement. "As part of the Essex Amphibious Ready Group, this platform supports operations on the ground from international waters, all while enabling maritime superiority that enhances stability and security."

While that's the first time a U.S. F-35 has seen combat, the Israeli Air Force used the jets for combat missions in May, reportedly in Syria and Lebanon.
https://www.investors.com/news/lockheed-f35-first-combat-us-marine-corps/




[font size="6"]Score Card [/font]

Overall importance: A
How Things Are Going: A+
Likely hood To Survive: A+

Overall: A+

[font size="6"]Next Week [/font]

We’re continuing our journey through the Pentagon and visiting the unsung heroes of the US military – the US Coast Guard!


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

My next guest are an awesome indie rock band out of Cincinnati, Ohio. You can see them October 12th at Austin City Limits and December 7th in Hudson, New York. Playing their song “The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness” from their album “Sleep Well Beast”, give it up for The National!




That’s it for our short homestand! We’re off to Lexington next! See you next week!

Credits

Host: Initech
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded In Front Of Live Audience At: UCB Theater Franklin St, Hollywood, CA
Special Thanks To: UCB Theater Management
Holy Shit Gospel Choir: UCLA Gospel Choir, Westwood
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
Graphics: Top 10 Graphics Department
Research: Top 10 Research Department
Lighting & Stage Props: Top 10 Lighting Department
Legal: Top 10 Legal Department
Advertising: Top 10 Advertising Department
HR: Top 10 Human Resources Department
Initech’s Wardrobe Provided By: JAB Inc.
Wheel Of Corruption By: Studio 1 Stage Props, Burbank, CA
The National Appear Courtesy Of: 4AD Records
Management: Initech Productions, CCC Management
Follow The Top 10 On Twitter at: @10Idiots
Questions? Comments? Complaints? Hate mail? E-mail The Top 10 at: Top10ConIdiots@gmail.com


Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo

Profile Information

Gender: Do not display
Hometown: California
Home country: USA
Current location: Southern California, North Orange County Area
Member since: Wed May 30, 2018, 12:44 PM
Number of posts: 595

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
Latest Discussions»Top 10 Idiots's Journal