Friday, April 15, 2022

Saturday, April 9, 2022

Broken News

Critical Cruz Theory

April 9, 2022

Raphael Ted Cruz joined fellow Ratpublicans in pretending to question Ketanji Brown Jackson prior to her historic confirmation to the Supreme Court. Not satisfied with having stolen two seats on the High Court already, shameless, neo-fascist, racist assholes like Cruz, Tom Cotton, Josh Hawley, Marsha Blackburn, et al took their time in the spotlight to show off their Qanon bona fides.

Hot on the heels of Ted Cruz catapulting their excellent book Antiracist Baby onto the NY Times best seller list by using it to foment racism in his unhinged attack on Ketanji Brown Jackson, Ibram X. Kendi and Ashley Lukashevsky wisely released a companion piece to their blockbuster.

Bound to be a favorite for years to come…the book, not Cruz. He will remain despised throughout history.

 

This has been a Paying Attention™ Special Broken News report.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled carnage.

Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Word Of The Day

KOYAANISQATSI

April 5, 2022

This became one of my favorite words of all time after I saw the brilliant, moving and unique 1983 Godfrey Reggio documentary of the same name.

We have not yet been able to rid ourselves of the disgraced, twice-impeached, seditious, sociopathic, Putin-loving ex-president and failed blogger Donald Tmurp.

We had to endure a bunch of horrible white men flinging their misogynistic, mostly racist, Qanon-embracing feces at the eminently qualified Ketanji Brown Jackson as she endured the disgraceful Supreme Court confirmation process. A process which more resembled Franz Kafka’s In The Penal Colony than a job interview. In Kafka’s disturbing story, the brutal torture brought to bear on the accused was in response to assumed guilt of some crime. In Jackson’s hearing, the Ratpublican inquisitors did less inquiring than they did make shit up to score points with the lunatic fringe whose undying, unthinking, ungodly support they need to keep their dangerous careers afloat.

And we continue to watch in disbelief and abject horror the surreal bloodbath perpetrated upon the innocent people of Ukraine at the hands of Tmurp’s BFF Putin as the Russian autocrat tries, with a remarkable degree of insanity, to reconstitute the long-dead Soviet Union, on his way to his imagined world domination.

Not to mention the ever-accelerating climate crisis, continuously and resolutely ignored by the entire Ratpublican Party and far too many American citizens despite the overwhelming evidence that we are on the verge of global environmental collapse, making our beautiful, relatively essential planet inhospitable for human survival.

That, and so much more, makes today’s word of the day as applicable and indispensable as ever.

Koyaanisqatsi, baby!


Koyaanisqatsi – the trailer

This has been your Paying Attention Word Of The Day.

You're welcome.

What is your word of the day?

Chicago – It Better End Soon

Friday, April 1, 2022

A Chink In The Harmer

WARNING/GUARANTEE:
 THIS IS NOT AN APRIL FOOL’S JOKE

April 1, 2022

On March 28 a federal judge ruled that Donald Trump likely committed a felony in his quest to steal the 2020 election. The 44 page ruling by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter, said in part: “Based on the evidence, the Court finds it more likely than not that President Trump corruptly attempted to obstruct the Joint Session of Congress on January 6, 2021.”

Carter ruled that Tmurp lawyer and the “Brain” (to Tmurp’s “Pinky”) behind the coup John Eastman must turn over documents to the House Select Committee. He wrote in his opinion:

“If Dr. Eastman and President Trump’s plan had worked, it would have permanently ended the peaceful transition of power, undermining American democracy and the Constitution. If the country does not commit to investigating and pursuing accountability for those responsible, the Court fears January 6 will repeat itself.”


Eastman and Tmurp discuss their coup plan

Paging Rosemary Woods
                  or
 It’s Not The Coup It’s The Coup-verup

Hey, remember Nixon’s infamous 18-minute gap in the Watergate cover-up tapes? I sure as hell do. Remember how that was likely what finally led to him having to flee in shame? Well, now we have…drum roll please…Donald Tmurp’s super stupendous, very terrific, bigly 7-hour, 37-minute gap in the White House phone records on January 6, 2021, spanning 11:17am through 6:54pm, which includes the entire duration of Tmurp’s planned Capitol assault. An event that presidential historian Michael Beschloss called, “a coup d’etat attempted by the President of the United States.” Ouch! And an event that everyone with an intact brain knows was exactly what Mr. Beschloss called it. This, as we saw above was also the opinion of a federal judge. Maybe someone should look into this.


Tmurp making one of his “perfect phone calls.”
Maybe the kind that don’t show up on official call logs?

The Icing On The Kook

Just days ago, Tmurp once again called on bloodthirsty war criminal Vladimir Putin to help him out by finding some dirt on Joe and Hunter Biden. Doesn’t he know that his buddy Vlad is busy pummeling Ukraine into dust? Does Tmurp watch anything other than Fux News? Doesn’t Donny know that Vlad broke up with him because Tmurp is a big fat losing loser? Does he not realize that was the same con that earned him his first impeachment? Is he really that thick? Never mind. Too bad Donny isn’t actually rich enough to be one of Vlad’s butt-boy oligarchs; otherwise he could make a new life in Mother Russia.


Disgraced ex-president bravely sits down for interview
with idiot son Eric’s nutjob wife, soils straightjacket

As if begging Putin for dirt on the Bidens was not pathetic enough, the disgraced, twice-impeached, two-time-popular-vote-losing, one-term, seditious, ex-president and failed blogger could not help but whine about his 2017 inauguration. Yes, 2017. The year that happened five years ago. “They did it with my inauguration! They take pictures hours and hours before the inauguration starts, and then they talk about the crowd. We had a massive crowd! And if you see the late pictures when I was speaking, but they don't show those pictures! We have such a corrupt media!”

The Figurine Atop The Icing On The Kook

On Tuesday, The TV host of Russia's 60 Minutes show, Evgeny Popov had this to say, “It's time for us, our people, to call on the people of the United States to change the regime in the U.S. early, and to again help our partner, Trump, to become president.” Partner? Don't they mean comrade?

This begs the question, “Can you impeach a disgraced, already-twice-impeached, one-term, seditious, ex-president and failed blogger?”

I. Mangrey refusing to walk away from this burning building. Also, your shoe's untied.*

*That was an April Fool's joke. The rest, unfortunately, is not.

UPDATE:

Well, it appears that Vlad still considers his boy Don to be a valuable idiot. He quickly acceded to Donny’s plea for fake news on Hunter Biden. The Russians knew they could not use the repeatedly debunked bullshit Tmurp was peddling and came up with their own freshly excreted turd of a conspiracy theory. I'll spare you the details.

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Enemies, Both Foreign And Domestic Partners

'Tis The Treason

January 6, 2021 March 29, 2022

The electrons were barely dry on my last post on the misadventures of goofy sedition saleswoman Ginni Thomas, thinking what we had just learned then was horrific and reflected badly on her husband’s integrity (as if) on the Extreme Court. It was less than a week ago that Ginni admitted that she just remembered that she had been at the literal call-to-arms Start Stop The Steal rally leading to the giant rat infestation of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, but claimed to have left early without joining in on the assault on the Capitol. It’s just not possible to keep up with these cuckoo birds. More of Thomas’ footsie with fascism has emerged in recent days.

As much as I watch the news, which is to say way too much, while I am grateful to see something other than Russia literally bombing Ukraine into oblivion, it is hardly a relief to be distracted from this senseless devastation by the equally constant news of more senseless devastation: Ratpublicans figuratively bombing our democracy into oblivion.

Between the shameful treatment of Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson – who somehow managed to not cry in her beer or about her beer, or shout, or threaten, or turn red-in-the-face, or pound on the table à la Brett Kavanaugh (who, like Clarence Thomas before him, was credibly accused of sexual harassment – at least), and the Supremely Dysfunctional Court enabling yet more disenfranchisement of black Americans (via the shadow docket, hoping no one would notice), we have more news on the Ginni (and Clarence) Thomas/January 6 connection. What possible harm could there be in assuming the worst with these freaks?

Best friends Clarence and Ginni watching
the January 6 assault on the Capitol.
Wonder which side they were cheering for.

As the January 6 Select Committee pores over communications supplied by Tmurp chief-of-staff Mark Meadows before he changed his “mind” about cooperating with the commission, they are uncovering more and more proof of collusion between Team Tmurp and Qanon, Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and other very fine people involved in the treasonous terror assault on the Capitol.

Ginni Thomas sent Tmurp Chief-of-staff Mark Meadows more than two dozen text messages in a deluded attempt to persuade him to overturn Joe Biden’s hugely landslidish victory. Like this frightening foray into feckless fantasy: “Do Not concede. It takes time for the army who is gathering for his back.” Isn’t that cute, all the lack of grammar and mental capacity of Sarah Palin pureed with the inane capitalizing of words we’ve come know and mock from the guy whose back “the army is gathering for.”

On November 5, 2020 (two days after the election) Mrs. Thomas shared the following quote from right-wing websites with fellow idiot Meadows: 

“Biden crime family & ballot fraud co-conspirators (elected officials, bureaucrats, social media censorship mongers, face stream media reporters, etc.) are being arrested & detained for ballot fraud right now & over coming days, & will be living in barges off GITMO to face military tribunals for sedition.”

Mrs. Thomas penned her own Palin-esque batshit drivel to Mark Meadows on Nov. 10, 2020 after news organizations had projected Joe Biden the winner based on state vote totals:

“Help This Great President stand firm, Mark!!!...You are the leader, with him, who is standing for America’s constitutional governance at the precipice. The majority knows Biden and the Left is attempting the greatest Heist of our History.”

And this gob-smacking gem, also to Meadows, four days after the insurrection she so vigorously supported:

“We are living through what feels like the end of America. Most of us are disgusted with the VP and are in a listening mode to see where to fight with our teams. Those who attacked the Capitol are not representative* of our great teams of patriots for DJT!! Amazing times. The end of Liberty.”

Yeah, and justice for all. I’m sure she had no discussions about her most fervent hopes and dreams with her husband, who was the lone dissenting vote – having chosen to do the absolute wrong thing by not recusing himself – in the decision to force Tmurp, Meadows, et al to hand over communications to the Select Committee. What a…coincidence?

One cannot help but wonder why a reality-challenged vacuum-head like Ginni Thomas has such easy, high-level access to the White House. How many times have you texted the White House Chief-of-staff about committing treason? Is it simply because she is deranged and dopey? Inquiring minds want to know. Of course, as a Supreme Court justice, Uncle Thomas can do whatever the fuck he wants, and he does. Any decision to recuse is strictly up to him, and given his unique perspective on democracy and justice, and his phantasmagorical relationship with the Constitution, he will continue to do whatever the fuck he wants.

Meadows wrote to Thomas on Nov. 24, invoking God to justify his perfidy. “This is a fight of good versus evil. Evil always looks like the victor until the King of Kings triumphs. Do not grow weary in well doing. The fight continues. I have staked my career on it. Well at least my time in DC on it.” 

Ginni Thomas replied: “Thank you!! Needed that! This plus a conversation with my best friend just now… I will try to keep holding on. America is worth it!” Her best friend? The My Pillow guy? Donald Tmurp? Jesus? Q? The New York Times reminds us that Ginni and Clarence Thomas have “publicly referred to each other as their best friends.”

According to an article in The Guardian, “Clarence Thomas insists supreme court justices do not rule based on politics.” According to everything we have seen at Paying Attention™ Thomas is full of shit.

Clearly, the Thomases are willing to go above and beyond…the law, that is.

I’ve been paying taxes for nearly 50 years and all I got
was this stupid fucking asshole on the Supreme Court

I wonder what Clarence, who called his confirmation hearings a “high-tech lynching” (because he got caught in a sexual harassment scandal), has to say about his peeps’ low-brow lynching of Ketanji Brown Jackson. Unfortunately, he just got out of the hospital…I mean had to spend a week in the hospital. In any event, (in)Justice Thomas needs to either recuse himself from any cases dealing with the January 6 Capitol riot or retire from the Court to spend more time with his best friend – which is definitely not the ConstitutionDoes anyone know if we have a Chief Justice? Maybe one who claimed he would call balls and strikes?

I look forward to the day when a new House Un-American Activities Committee asks witnesses, including both Ginni and Clarence Thomas, “Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Republican Party?”

At least we are not forced to flee our homes and hide in bomb shelters. Yet.

Marin Mull – Bombed Anyway

*Oh yes they fucking are you tragically twisted Teutonic twit. And you and your best friend are two of them.

I. Mangrey, reaching the boiling point.

Monday, March 28, 2022

Cruz – Con/Troll

His Real Name Is Raphael - His Real Job is Being A Scumbag

March 28, 2022

Cruz once again proudly and publicly proclaims that he is unable to understand children's books. The latest target of Cruz’s ignorance and/or hateful dissembling is a book called Antiracist Baby. The book’s message is that no one is born a racist; it is learned behavior. At one point the book says, “Babies are taught to be racist or antiracist – there is no neutrality.” However, the racist baby senator from the Loon Star State just cannot help himself…or anyone else. They should have made him stay in Cancun when they had the chance. 

Cruz found it necessary to ask one of the most qualified SCOTUS nominees ever brought to the Senate for confirmation, “Do you agree with this book that is being taught to kids that babies are racist?” A clearly exasperated Ketanji Brown Jackson, according to Elie Mystal:


“started to answer. She said, “Senator.” And then she sighed. And then she paused. For a long time. as the silence filled the room, I felt like I could see Jackson make the same calculation nearly every Black person and ancestor has made at some point…It’s the calculation when black people try to decide.: “Am I gonna risk it all for this?” Jackson took a moment to decide if it was worth it to throw everything away – her chance, her good name, maybe even her whole career – just to tll Ted Cruz, a man she’s known for over 25 year, what she really thought of him. She decided against it of course.” 

As Al Franken has said, “I like Ted Cruz more than most of my colleagues, and I hate Ted Cruz.”

Thoughts on Ted Cruz 

Cruz making shit up about a children’s book on racism to attack Jackson 

The Texas Twit previously pontificated his pathetic grasp of children’s literature during his senseless grandstanding filibuster of Obamacare where he happily demonstrated that he did not understand the moral of Dr. Seuss' seminal work Green Eggs and Ham 

Thanks to Cruz, Antiracist Baby shot up onto the best seller list 

No one is born racist, but I am willing to wager that almost everyone is born knowing that Ted Cruz is a tumor on the human species. I just wish Cruz would publicly hate this blog. 

Take a hike Ted. Even pseudo-Democrat Joe Manchin is reportedly prepared to vote in favor of confirming Ketanji Brown Jackson to the High Court. 

I. Mangrey. Really. I don’t see why I wouldn’t.

Saturday, March 26, 2022

Broken News

International Tourorists

March 26, 2022

We recently covered Putin’s edict that Russian state television run clips of Fux News’ Fucker Carlson. Carlson’s initial foray into the Russian invasion of Ukraine consisted of the Swanson Frozen Food trust-fund-baby whining his usual “questions” about Vladimir Putin. Carlson claimed that Democrats were mandating that everyone must hate Putin. Carlson whined, “Why do I hate Putin so much? Has he ever called me a racist?” He went on with his signature line of “questioning” ad nauseam, as usual. Carlson’s nightly praise of Putin is now being replayed on a loop with Russian subtitles in Putin’s Paradise.

Fucker Carlson puts his asshole where his mouth is – both serve the same purpose

According to our intrepid alternative reporters, Carlson now insists that Russians in Ukraine are simply tourists looking for a good time:

“How is it that Russian soldiers on leave in Ukraine are being branded by Democrats as invaders? Is it now illegal to be a tourist? Is it just because the choose to sight-see in “tanks?” Is it now okay to taunt people based on their choice of transportation? Is everyone supposed to be driving Teslas now? Do we call little Suzie a war criminal because she went to Orlando on spring break, got a little tipsy and totaled her rental car by crashing into a Starbucks? Are all those buildings that look like a bomb hit them in Ukrainian cities really that badly damaged? Might they just need a fresh coat of paint and some new window dressings? Why is everyone so bent out of shape over there? Thousands of people “killed?” People die every day. It’s not like they died of COVID. Remember when that was a big thing? Millions of people leaving their homes? Don’t people relocate all the time for all sorts of reasons – new job, downsizing, won the lottery, too many black people moving in next door? Who knows why all these Ukrainians are leaving the country? Is it because they're just jealous of all the Russian tourists in their own country and want to go somewhere else for their vacation? Could it be that they are a bunch or racists who can’t stand a bunch of foreign tourists enjoying themselves and getting a little rowdy? I’m just asking questions.”

 

This has been a Paying Attention™ Special Broken News report.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled malarkey.

Friday, March 25, 2022

Broken News

One Stupid Mother Tucker

March 25, 2022

Fucker Karen Carlson, in his role as what those in the espionage biz refer to as a useful idiot, is wallowing in his new found celebrity in Russia. Carlson, who was a cheerleader for the January-6-was-just-a-bunch-of-tourists team is taking his storytelling to the next level.


Vlad, Vlad, he’s our man!
If he can’t do it Franco can,
or he could have,
if he wasn’t still dead!
Oh, wait, I’ll come in again…

While Great Britain’s Boris Johnson was busy comparing the Russian invasion of Ukraine to Brexit – whatever the fuck that means – our alternative sources report that Fucker Carlson is insisting that the Russians in Ukraine are just tourists.

Tune in tomorrow for the full story.

 

This has been a Paying Attention™ Special Broken News report.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled fear and loathing.