Commencement Address At Rutgers

"In politics and in life, ignorance is not a virtue.  It's not cool to not know what you're talking about.  That's not keeping it real, or telling it like it is.  That's not challenging political correctness.  That's just not knowing what your talking about."

"When our leaders express a disdain for facts, when they're not held accountable for repeating falsehoods, and are just making stuff up while actual experts are dismissed as elitist, then we've got a problem.  The rejection of of facts, the rejection of reason and science -- that is the path to decline."

-- President Barack Obama, commencement address, Rutgers University, 5/15/16

Do you suppose he was referring to a certain blowhard real estate shyster and his foolish, horribly deceived followers?

Yup.

Bingo To Bron-Bron: This Time, The Cavaliers Can Do!

Do you know Bingo Smith?

If you do, you are an original Cleveland Cavaliers fan.  Born in 1970 as an expansion team, the Cavaliers have had a typical history for a Cleveland team -- some bad, some good, occasionally championship-caliber, but never quite able to grab the brass ring.

This year could be different.  The Cavs have swept the first two rounds of the playoffs and will face the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference finals.  They'll be favored to win and return to the finals for a rematch against the Golden State Warriors.

Last year, the Warriors smoked us to win it all.  This year, we're healthy and I like our chances to return the favor.  We shall see.  Gotta take care of Toronto first.  Let's go Bron-Bron, Kyrie, Dr. Love, Double T, J.R., Delly, Shumpy, R.J., T-Moz, Frye Daddy, Old Mo, Old James, et al.  You can do it!

Here's a great couple of lines from Sports Illustrated's Andrew Sharp on Cavs' streaky, inked-up, wild-man shooting guard, J.R.Smith:

J.R. Smith.  Explain.
J.R. Smith should be enjoyed responsibly by mature adults over the age of 21.  If your offense is becoming dependent on J.R. Smith on a nightly basis, seek professional help immediately.  If you're pregnant or think you may become pregnant, do not watch J.R. Smith, as your baby may emerge shooting 30-footers and riding a floating scooter.

Go J.R.!  Go Cavs!  Let's win it all!

Say Anything! Say Everything!

Say anything, Donald!



In any other election, Donald Trump would have long ago been labeled as flip-flopper, an accusation which has derailed many a candidate better than he.  Over the years, Donald has been on both sides of virtually every fence, back and forth and sometimes back again:

He was once, in 2000, in favor of an assault weapons ban, but now he's not.

He said he was "very pro-choice" in 1999, but now he wants "punishment" for women seeking abortions.

In 2012 he declared Hillary Clinton to be "a terrific woman" who "I really like."  Three years later, she was "the worst secretary of state in history" who "lost everything."

In 1999 he said, "We must have universal health care."  Now he says health care "must follow free market principles."

"You have to," he said in Sept. 2015, speaking about the U.S. taking in Syrian refugees.  In Nov. 2015, he said, "They're going back.  We can't have them."

March 3, 2016:  "We should go tougher than waterboarding."  "If I say 'do it' [illegally kill an enemy's family members], they're going to do it."  March 4:  "I will not order a military officer to disobey the law."  March 5:  "As far as waterboarding is concerned, we're gonna stay within the laws.  But we're gonna have those laws broadened."

Back in 1999, Trump said he "would tax people of great wealth," calling for a surtax of 14.25% on incomes over $10 million.  His tax plan of 2015:  "It's actually a big tax reduction, including for the upper income."  On May 5, 2016, he said, "I am not necessarily a huge fan" [of tax cuts for billionaires].

The list goes on and on.  Which is beside the point.  The point is not the simple fact of The Donald's flip-flopping and inconsistencies.  (Perfect consistency is inhuman anyway.)  And it's not that he so often contradicts himself, within the same day or even the same sentence!

The point is that, moment to moment, he doesn't really know what's going to come out of his own mouth and he doesn't much give a shit.  He just blurts out whatever comes to mind and continues his fart-in-a-skillet bounce-around bluster.  (Too many TV execs have told him this is "entertaining.")  If he's wrong or offensive, it doesn't matter to him -- he'll "fix it" later by saying the exact opposite thing, or by denying he ever said it in the first place then acting like nothing happened.  This schtick is diabolically inspired:  By being shamelessly and intentionally all over the place, Trump leaves it up to you and me to figure out what he really thinks, where he really stands.  And the easily manipulated, low-info people believe they've heard what they wanted to hear.

Here's what I think.  What Donald Trump really thinks is nothing much, and where he really stands is nowhere in particular.  What's most important to Trump, what he's consumed with, is himself.  He's Narcissus.

Facial Expressions of Bullies

Biff Tannen, "Back To The Future"

Johnny Lawrence, "Karate Kid"

Scott Farkus, "Christmas Story"

Draco Malfoy, "Harry Potter"

Nurse Ratched, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"

Bluto, "Popeye"

Nelson Muntz, "The Simpsons"

Roundup Of Non-Trump D'bags

There has never been a shortage of horrible, awful, no good things to say about Donald Trump, and there never will be.  But let's look elsewhere for just a brief moment, because man does not cringe from Trump alone.  We'll return to the Donald Zone soon enough, but for now here are some non-Trump douchebags of note:

George Zimmerman is trying to auction off the hand gun he used to murder Trayvon Martin.  He'd like to start the online bidding at $5,000.  Because that weapon is "historic."  Despicable!  I think we must suspend the rule against double-jeopardy and take a mulligan on this historic asshole.  This time, convict him, lock him up, and throw away the key.

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee is investigating charges from a disgruntled ex-employee that Facebook is suppressing "conservative speech" in its news feed.  Oh, stop!  The fucking Senate can't confirm a Supreme Court Justice or send ten cents to help Flint with its toxic water pipes, but they can worry about Facebook??  Did you know Facebook even had a "news feed"?  I didn't.  But I'm gonna suggest that if you're getting your "news" from Facebook, it's time to start questioning all of your life choices.

The Ohio State Senate Republicans overwhelmingly passed a bill to require those petitioning state courts to extend voting hours at certain polling places (for reasons of weather, traffic problems, voting machine problems, etc.) to pay first, by posting a bond equal to the cost of any additional hours of operation.  The D's called it a poll tax, which is not an exaggeration.  The bill is total bullshit.  Extended hours are granted rarely, only with good cause, and almost always by federal courts.  But our Ohio R's seldom miss a chance to suppress the votes, no matter how flimsy the rationale.

A few days ago in Columbus, a gay Methodist minister married his partner, in an actual service inside an actual Methodist church, in defiance of official church doctrine.  Ooh, take that, Wesleyans!  In Ohio's big cities, we yawned.  In the little burgs of the hinterlands, however, the faithful were aghast.  Rep. Nino Vitale (R-Urbana) is worried that an anti-gay minister might be sued for refusing to perform a same-sex marriage service, so he has introduced his "pastor protection" bill, which basically says ministers may refuse on the grounds of "sincerely held religious beliefs."  Nino has 25 co-idiot co-sponsors in the senate, most of whom are related to Kim Davis.

I'm edging into Trump territory here, but it's about Trump's former butler.  (Butler?  Who the fuck has a butler?)  Long-time Donald Trump butler Anthony Senecal recently posted on Facebook that President Obama "should have been taken out by our military and shot as an enemy agent in his first term!!!"  A year ago, Senecal posted on FB about Obama that "this prick needs to be hung for treason!"  Senecal is no longer holding Lord Donnie's pants for him, but he's still in the fold.  He's now the doddering in-house historian at Trump's Mar-A-Lago estate and golf club.  (Only Trump would have an "historian.")

Back to Ohio, where the State Senate voted unanimously to do away with the state's 12% limit on alcohol-by-volume in beer sold in the state.  Scottish beermaker Brew Dog is set to open its U.S. headquarters here later this year.  They are famous for expensive, ultra-high ABV beers with names like Sink the Bismark and Tactical Nuclear Penguin.  Our legislators needed to keep Brew Dog happy.  I heartily approve, because after all the foregoing shit, I'm gonna need a good stiff drink!  

The Intersection Of Kardashian And Mussolini

"Reality TV" has always sucked.  It is unreality -- lowest-common denominator "entertainment" for the gullible, reactionary, non-thinkers.  Reality TV is just plain stupid, and I cannot be involved with stupid.

I've never watched any sort of reality TV for more than the amount of time required to become disgusted -- about 5 minutes, give or take.  Not Survivor, American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, Biggest Loser, Jersey Shore, Big Brother, Real Housewives, ad nauseum.  None of 'em.

And I sure as hell never watched The Apprentice.  But apparently a lot of  'Muricans did, and loved it.  Now Reality TV Nation has raised its collective pointed little head.  "Trump," they croak.  Like frogs in a pond, and with just about as much intelligence.  "Trump."  "Trump."

Donald Trump is an inarticulate, bomb-throwing, nationalist.  He's horribly dangerous, and as fit to be President of the United States as his fellow reality "stars" Jeff Probst, Ryan Seacrest, or Snookie -- which is to say not at all.

We are at the intersection of faux-celebrity and neo-fascism.  God help us.  Something help us.  We are out of our minds.

Gov. McCrory Working Overtime To Keep North Carolina "Safe"