1/ Want to know what the agreement to fund the government for three more weeks really means? Read the master, Frank Rich and be enlightened.....
Most weeks, New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich speaks with contributor Alex Carp about the biggest stories in politics and culture. Today: the fallout from the government shutdown, the possibility that Robert Mueller will question the president, and the politics of the Oscars.
The government shutdown lasted for just under three days, producing CHIP funding, a promise from Mitch McConnell to allow a vote on immigration and DACA, and a resolution reopening the government for three more weeks. What did the shutdown change for each party, and will they make enough progress to avoid the same impasse in February?
Saturday Night Live perfectly encapsulated the state of Trump-era political culture last weekend in a sketch casting Jessica Chastain as the host of a game show titled What Even Matters Anymore?
2/ Want to know where Trump gets his immigration policies and positions? Samantha Bee tells you in this six minute piece.....Stephen Miller!
TBS‘s Samantha Bee just wrecked White House adviser Stephen Millerin that way that only she can wreck members of the Trump White House.
In a segment she called “We Need to Talk About Stephen,” the Full Frontal host explained how Miller ascended to the White House and made sure at every step that Miller knew exactly how she feels about him.
After showing a clip in which Miller said to CNN’s Jim Acosta that the poem on the Statue of Liberty was added after the statue was erected – thereby implying that the statue itself was not necessarily a symbol welcoming immigrants – Bee said: “You should be nice to Lady Liberty, she’s the only woman who will ever let you inside her.”
She added, “Who is this enterprising slime mold on the Wonder Bread of democracy? Where did he come from? Is he just 10,000 spiders who really made a commitment?”
3/ Matt Taibbi with his inside look at the chaos we don't see in the Republican party.....it's there, about to erupt....
What an interesting writer....
January 2018. We're trapped in an intellectual prison from which there is no escape. The modern American experience has been reduced to a few grim lines: President Donald Trump says something crazy; we freak out. A leak comes out; we obsess over it. Someone gets fired; the deck chairs on the sinking ship of state get rearranged a little. Trump says something crazy again. Rinse, outrage, repeat.
https://www.rollingstone.com/p
4/ Jimmy Kimmel on the Women's march, Trump's first year and more.....a most amusing six minutes....
5/ Michelle Goldberg's column in the Times expressing what many progressives feel - the Democrats in the Senate have sold out the Dreamers and been conned by the Republicans again....
This weekend, more than one million people took to the streets nationwide for the first anniversary of the Women’s March. Though not nearly as big as the protests a year ago, it was still a larger public manifestation than anything the Tea Party ever managed. And though the demonstration was meant as a rebuke to Donald Trump, one central demand was that Congress stand up for the young undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers, who were brought to the country as children. They now face deportation because Trump has moved to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an Obama-era program protecting them.
The energy of the progressive grass roots should be seen as a valuable resource for Democrats. If Donald Trump’s election taught us anything beyond the salience of white nationalism among our fellow citizens, it’s that passion matters, and that people respond when they see a leader who is willing to champion them even when it’s risky. That’s why it was so infuriating to see the Senate Democratic leadership sell the Dreamers out.
6/ Bill Maher is back, and his first "New Rules" of the year is a doozy.....he takes on the excesses of the "#MeToo" movement, and whether you agree with him or not he certainly gets his point across.....an excellent five minutes....
Bill Maher broke down a concern he has with the #MeToo movement on Friday’s broadcast of “Real Time.”
Maher said he was a “true supporter” of the movement, which has prompted many people to talk about sexual harassment and assault. But he lamented the rise of “distinction deniers” who “can’t tell or don’t want to see a difference between assault in a van and a back rub by the water cooler.”
“I’m down with #MeToo, I’m not down with #MeCarthyism,” he said.
7/ Found this site [Bablyonbee] in my FB feed, and it's a Christian satire website.....this is a funny story, but there are a lot more....worth a five minute browse...
BLUE EYE, MO—Squashing accusations that President Trump had a sexual encounter with porn star “Stormy Daniels” while he was married to Melania, televangelist Jim Bakker explained to his audience Friday that he had confirmed that Trump was merely scheduling private time with the woman in a hotel suite in order to share with her the good news of Jesus Christ, as he had become acquainted with her and was very concerned that she was not a Christian.
8/ The wonderful Kate McKinnon as Robert Mueller on SNL's Weekend Update.....a funny four minutes.....
“Saturday Night Live” chameleon Kate McKinnon pulled off yet another dead-on impression of a Washington personality, this time conjuring up a barely-contained, gleeful Robert Mueller.
The “Weekend Update” sketch featured McKinnon as the long-faced, toothpick-chewing special counsel who’s so excited about getting the goods on the White House crew. But “Mueller” strains not to spill the beans about his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
9/ Feeling good about the Democrat winning the Wisconsin Senate seat this week, and Roy Moore's defeat? Good, but don't get too confident.....there are a lot of ways things might change says the excellent Thomas Edsall in the Times....
Many think the issue of sexual harassment — embodied in the #MeToo movement — will work to the advantage of Democrats in upcoming elections. A mid-December NBC News/Wall Street Journal Survey gave the party a three to one advantage over Republicans on the matter. But it is hardly guaranteed to do so.
Views of sexual harassment and of gender issues generally differ sharply by age, sex and partisan allegiance — all of which create substantial unpredictability. The issue has the potential to accelerate the growing discontent among well-educated white women with the Republican Party. But it could also intensify hostility to the liberal agenda among conservatives, particularly white men, many of whom view women’s complaints of discrimination as “an attempt to gain advantage” in the workplace.
10/ Stephen Colbert describes the "In Touch" magazine interview with Stormy Daniels.....one of the funniest four minutes Colbert has done for a while....very good indeed....
Stephen Colbert mocked President Trump on Wednesday night on the details of his alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels, revealing in a 2011 interview she did with In Touch Magazine.
The Late Show host started off by complimenting the publication for getting the scoop long before Trump’s lawyer had her sign a non-disclosure agreement during the 2016 election and that they confirmed Daniels’ account with two sources and had her take a polygraph.
“Wow! Maybe In Touch Magazine should lead the Russia investigation!” Colbert exclaimed.
He began revealing details from the interview about her alleged 2006 affair with Trump, like when she arrived to his hotel room, he was wearing sweatpants and they ended up eating there.
“Sweatpants. Eating in the bedroom. Even back then, he was preparing for the presidency,” Colbert quipped.
11/ Fascinating blog post from Benjamin Studebaker about the Democrats.....it's interesting to read this in the context of the Senate Dems caving on the Dreamers.....and depressing.
A very good article....
Don’t Fear Trump–Fear the Next Republican President
I’ve long argued that the Democratic Party needs to use its time in the wilderness to remake itself so it can pursue and deliver real benefits for poor and working class voters and be seen to do so in its campaigns. This remaking necessarily requires a period of disunity and chaos within the Democratic Party–central questions about what being a Democrat is for need to be asked, and different people will and should give different answers. Those differences should be resolved in blood-soaked primaries. But I’m increasingly concerned it’s not going to happen–too many Democrats seem to believe that the party needs to unify at all costs to present the strongest possible electoral challenge to Trump in 2018 and 2020. This is a dangerous misreading of the historical situation. The biggest threat to the United States is not the Trump presidency–it is the next Republican presidency, or perhaps the one after that. Let me explain…
12/ Are you a racist? Have trouble sleeping? Well this new product is for you, a "white noise" machine that will put you to sleep in seconds.....a hilarious two minutes.....
It’s a tough time for racists ― alleged and otherwise. From the University of Alabama sorority sister who got the boot for her hate-filled videos, to the leader of the free world being dubbed the R-word for reportedly labeling some countries as “shitholes,” how’s a bigot to sleep?
Funny Or Die came up with the answer in the spoof ad, above: It’s the Aryan 2 white-noise sleep machine. Now, racists can welcome the sandman with the “soothing sounds of intolerance” from Richard Spencer, Alex Jones and President Donald Trump.
13/ If you have seen "The Post", the new Spielberg movie with Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks you will appreciate this article about the movie and Spielberg himself.
Oh and by the way, "The Post" is amazingly good! But not if you are in Trump's base......you will hate it....
Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep and Steven Spielberg with the camera
As it happens, The Post has a couple of Spielberg hallmarks. There is the familiar clash of idealism against pragmatism, the brave soul (or souls) ready to stand up for what’s right, against the vastly bigger forces pressing them to back down. In Bridge of Spies, Hanks was a lawyer pressured to cut corners who insisted, instead, on the primacy of the constitution. In The Post, Hanks is a journalist taking the same stand. (Both films join Lincoln as hymns to the virtues of the US constitution.) And – like those fleeing the shark, the dinosaurs, or the relentless truck in Spielberg’s debut movie, Duel – the good guys have to face down an implacable bully.
But The Post has an added quality that some earlier Spielberg movies may have lacked: an uncanny topicality. That is not wholly coincidental. The director first read the script for The Post just 11 months ago, deciding instantly that he wanted to make this story of a Republican president at war with the press – and he wanted to make it right now, assembling screenwriters, crew and A-list stars (including Streep and Hanks making their first film together) in a fraction of the usual time.
Todays Catholic joke....
CATHOLIC HORSESA bookie was at the races playing the ponies and all but losing his shirt.He noticed a Priest step out onto the track and blessed the forehead of one of the horses lining up forthe 4th race.Lo and behold, that horse - a long shot - won the race.Next race, as the horses lined up, the Priest stepped onto the track. Sure enough, he blessed one of the horses.The bookie made a beeline for a betting window and placed a small bet on the horse. Again, even though itwas another long shot, the horse won the race.He collected his winnings, and anxiously waited to see which horse the Priest would bless next.He bet big on it, and it won. As the races continued the Priest kept blessing horses, and each one endedup winning.The bookie was elated. He made a quick dash to the ATM, withdrew all his savings, and awaited for thePriest's blessing that would tell him which horse to bet on ...True to his pattern, the Priest stepped onto the track for the last race and blessed the forehead of anold nag that was 100/1.This time the priest blessed the eyes, ears, and hooves of the old nag. The bookie knew he had a winnerand bet every cent he owned on the old nag.He watched dumbfounded as the old nag pulled up and couldn't even finish the race. In a state ofshock, he went to the track area where the Priest was.Confronting him, he demanded, 'Father! What happened?All day long you blessed horses and they all won. Then in the last race, the horse you blessed never even had a chance.Now, thanks to you I've lost every cent of my savings!'.The Priest nodded wisely and with sympathy."You are not Catholic are you my son?""No, I'm Jewish""That's the problem", said the Priest, "you couldn't tell the difference between a blessing and last rites".
Todays senior joke
An elderly gentleman walks into an upscale cocktail lounge.
He was in his mid-eighties. He was well-dressed, hair well groomed, great looking suit, flower in his lapel, and smelling
He was in his mid-eighties. He was well-dressed, hair well groomed, great looking suit, flower in his lapel, and smelling
slightly of a good after shave.
Seated at the bar was an elderly, real classy lady.
The sharp old gentleman walks over and sits along side of her. He orders a drink. He takes a sip.
Seated at the bar was an elderly, real classy lady.
The sharp old gentleman walks over and sits along side of her. He orders a drink. He takes a sip.
He slowly turns to her and says,
"So, tell me. Do I come here often?"
"So, tell me. Do I come here often?"
And another senior joke!
Don't underestimate us 'old' folks!!!Two young businessmen in Florida were sitting down for abreak in their soon-to-be new store in the shopping mall. As yet, the store's merchandise wasn't in -- only a few shelves and display racks set up.One said to the other, "I'll bet that any minute now some old senior is going to walk by, put his face to the window, and ask what we're selling."Sure enough, just a moment later, a curious senior gentleman walked up to the window, looked around intensely and rapped on the glass, then in a loud voice asked, "What are you selling here?"One of the men replied sarcastically, "We're selling ass-holes."Without skipping a beat, the old timer said, "You must be doing well…Only two left."
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