Weasel of the Week: Peter Navarro

 Peter Navarro was an adviser to former president Donald Trump. He's filing a lawsuit today to challenge a subpoena issued against him by the committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Yeah, I'd think this out further if I were you.

Navarro, 72, claims that only Trump can authorize him to testify, which, of course, is bogus. He's also claiming that if he were to go to jail and pay a fine of up to $10,000, it would hurt his retirement fund, or some other financial excuse.

I call BS. This clown wants sympathy because of his age. He incorrectly believes President Biden does not have the right to waive executive privilege, which Navarro is still clinging to like a fool. The lawsuit, even if it gets filed, has no merit nor basis in reality. He doesn't want to give up the lifestyle he has as a price to pay for his part in any wrongdoing Trump and his associates may have committed.

Navarro, like other GOPers, claims the investigation is partisan and biased. The more these morons complain, the clearer it is that they have a lot to hide, and Navarro is no exception. His irrational arguments get him the Weasel ears this week. I recommend three servings of Ginkoba a day, along with Geritol. 

The stupidity of Republicans on display

 One of my high school teachers often declared, "stupidity runs rampant", on days when her class wasn't exactly on point.

Republicans are like that on a regular basis, no more so than Georgia misrepresentative Empty-G (Marjorie Taylor Greene), who now aspires to be the next Norm Crosby after co-opting the late comedian's penchant for malaprops.

Not exactly a class valedectorian, eh? Nope. Not even close.

Greene is now claiming the government wants to know what you're eating, and somehow tying this to millionaire Bill Gates and "peach tree dishes" (I think she means petri dishes). As usual, Empty-G has no evidence to support her claims. Methinks she's been in the sun too long.

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Chronic idiot Donald Trump, Jr. went on a viral rant the other day, claiming that Uvalde shooter Salvadore Ramos could've just as easily killed the same 21 people he shot on May 24 with a baseball bat. Apparently, Dumb Donald II spent way too much time toking before ranting. If this isn't enough evidence that he is in fact on some sort of drug, what is?

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In Arizona, openly transphobic/homophobic Ethan Schmidt has publicly stated his mission in June is to track any LGBTQAI+ person, for whatever. The police will say thanks, Ethan, when they pick you up, and send you to the nearest psychiatric hospital.

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One last note on Empty-G. She & Arizona's Goofy Gosar are both pushing the falsehood that Ramos is transgender. Ignoring the reasons why this kid went off like he did isn't solving the problem, but making the situation worse than it already is.

Greene, Gosar, Schmidt, and Trump all get Dunce Caps.

Baseball this 'n' that

The annual Subway Series between the Mets & Yankees isn't until after the All-Star break in July, but it takes on bigger meaning this year if both teams are still leading their divisions.

This morning, the Yanks are coming off a loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday, while the Mets hold an 8 1/2 game lead in the NL East after sweeping Philadelphia, including another late inning comeback on Sunday Night Baseball. The sweep has raised questions about Phillies manager Joe Girardi's job security in Philadelphia, two months into his 3rd season. His defense has betrayed him several times, and closer Corey Knebel, who came over from the Dodgers in the offseason as a free agent, has now blown multiple saves against the Mets, the latest coming after rookie Nick Plummer, called up from Syracuse when Travis Jankowski went on the IL, launched a 1st pitch homer in the bottom of the 9th.

The Phils are back home this afternoon to host San Francisco, while the Mets welcome Washington. Keep in mind that the Mets are doing this without their twin aces, Jacob deGrom, who has yet to see the mound this season, and Max Scherzer, both of whom could be back in time for the Subway Series. If that happens, and the Mets stay healthy......!

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I'm begging ESPN to have ABC pick up some College World Series qualifying rounds, and even add a college game of the week by this time next year. Just sayin'.

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Back to the Mets, who are now 12-2-1 in 15 series this season, including winning all 4 vs. Philadelphia (9-3), and they won't see the Phillies again until August. Not only that, but they haven't played Miami yet. Go figure. The Mets' records vs. teams outside the NL East? For example:

Vs. San Francisco: 3-3.

Vs. Arizona: 4-2.

Vs. St. Louis: 4-3.

The only series the Mets have lost have been against Seattle & San Francisco. Who saw that coming?

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The Chicago White Sox designated Dallas Keuchel for assignment on Saturday. He's had a rough start to the season, and, unsurprisingly, there are those who want the Mets to take a look. Not happening. I honestly think Keuchel will finish his season in Houston, where his MLB career started.

What bothers a man-child most?

 It is known that former president Donald Trump had aspirations to purchase the NFL's Buffalo Bills several years ago. As we know, of course, the Pegulas made the winning bid to buy the team, and also acquired the NHL's Buffalo Sabres.

America's Oldest Baby wanted very badly to get back into football as an owner (he was part of the original USFL from 1983-5 as the owner of the NJ Generals). Predictably, he couldn't accept the fact that he was outbid for the Bills, the only NY team that actually plays its games in New York (the Jests & Giants play in New Jersey, of course), despite a brief period of playing home games at Rogers Centre in Toronto.

"WAAAAHHHH! I wanted the Bills! They didn't want me to have them!  WAAAHHHH!"

According to another bloviating idiot, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, Trump began his attacks on Colin Kaepernick, then with the San Francisco 49ers, as a way of getting back at the rest of the league's owners, as if they actually had something to do with influencing the Pegulas' purchase of the Bills. Well, there is a protocol in place where they'd have to approve the sale, and that's all there was. Apparently, Trump's reputation as a bloviator preceded him to the NFL. They didn't want another Al Davis or Jerry Jones type in the league, an owner who'd meddle with the team's operations at first opportunity because they think they know what's best. To this day, Jones won't hire a GM in Dallas because he wants to keep all the power for himself. Which is what the NFL was afraid Trump would do.

The Bills imbroglio is just another illustration of how Trump sees everything negative through a child's eyes.

Today, Trump still sees himself as a kingmaker in the Republican Party, though some of his endorsed candidates have been abject failures, including Charles Herbster in Nebraska and former Senator David Perdue in Georgia. His mindset is that you do what he says without question. He can't comprehend that the judges he's appointed are following their oaths of office, and not doing his bidding because they understand they serve the entire country, not a 75, soon to be 76, year old man-baby with the attitude of a 2 year old. Dr. Mehmet Oz, the other day, was wise enough to declare he was the presumptive GOP nominee for Senator in Pennsylvania, as the race there requires a recount. Trump wanted Oz to say he won the race. To think Oz ended his daily talk show to enter politics, but he should've known that if he pledged his support to Trump, the former president wanted him to be beholden to him, no matter what the cost.

At least Oz can say he actually went to college. The jury's still out on whether or not Trump, who gained five military deferments because of bone spurs that no one's been able to prove he actually had, actually took classes in college, or decided to be a coward on campus, too, and had someone sub for him. More & more Republicans want the party to move away from Trump, and with good reason. After six years, they realize how toxic he is.

I wonder if Melania's ordered that custom onesie for Trump yet.

Musical Interlude: She's a Beauty (1983)

 Imagine a carnival where certain of the rides are oh, so very real.

The Tubes invite you to this bizarre carnival with 1983's "She's a Beauty", co-written by singer Fee Waybill with Toto's Steve Lukather and producer David Foster. The trio also wrote the band's 1981 hit, "Talk to ya Later":

Sports this 'n' that

 All Elite Wrestling is running the risk of alienating its fan base with Sunday's Double or Nothing PPV, and for a very odd reason at that.

You see, the event will air for much of the evening opposite game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals on ESPN between Boston & Miami. AEW owner Tony Khan has gone on record saying that he would delay the main event, the AEW title match between champion Adam "Hangman" Page and challenger CM Punk until after Celtics-Heat ends, and because some NBA playoff games are so slow, that could mean the title match won't start until 12 midnight (ET).

I honestly don't know what Khan's thinking is here. TNT, home to AEW Rampage, is done with its NBA slate for the season, and currently is finishing its commitment to the NHL for the season. If Khan was under the mistaken impression that TNT was still carrying basketball this deep in the post-season, it's understandable. The end result could cost Khan.

Stay tuned.

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Six years ago, San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick decided to take a stand against systemic racism in sports and in society in general. He's been ostracized from the league since then, thanks in large part to the owners kow-towing to the then-president, Pecos Pampers (Donald Trump).

Now, there's brewing controversy in the Bay Area again, this time in baseball, but this time, there might not be the same consequences.

Gabe Kapler, manager of the San Francisco Giants, has decided to remain in the clubhouse until the National Anthem is played in the wake of the Robb Elementary massacre on Tuesday. Kapler is taking issue with the inaction of Republicans and the excuses coming from GOPers and their media partners (i.e. Fox News).

The GOPers are beholden to gun lobbies such as the NRA, which is holding a convention in Houston this weekend, featuring the aforementioned Trump, and because of that, they're refusing to allow gun control legislation to be passed. Athletes in all sports are torqued off at the GOPers, and with good reason, but GOPers, such as Texas Senator Ted Cruz, would rather cash the checks from the NRA and like organizations. Texas Governor Greg Abbott opted out of the convention, recording a video speech instead, knowing what the reaction would be if he appeared live.

The NRA doesn't care. Their warped ideology is hurting this country. Period.

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We have talked before about how wrestlers have been targeted by fans for various reasons.

Former WWE women's champion Alexa Bliss (Lexi Kaufman-Cabrera) recently turned in a stalker who threatened her and husband Ryan Cabrera because of the delusion in the man's mind that Bliss supposedly was his.

Now comes word that AEW's Taynara Conti (Melo) has similarly been targeted, and she's named her stalker, who has sent profanity laced messages to her, again claiming falsely that she's supposed to be with him. Conti is currently paired with Sammy Guevara on TV and in real life, each having left their mates.

The feeling online, however, among fans, is that Conti's stalker may have been another fan that fell prey to a phishing scam similar to the one that led to WWE's Seth Rollins (Colby Lopez) being attacked several months back. These kinds of scams prey on the emotions of mentally disabled persons, who can't discern for themselves that they're being played.

By bringing their issues out in the open, both Bliss and Conti are hoping law enforcement can do something to put a stop to this. A better idea is not to stop with the stalkers themselves, but trace the source of the phishing scams. Many of these online scammers may be cocky enough to leave a trail even a Cub Scout could follow.

Again, stay tuned.

What Might've Been: I Love My Doctor (1958-62)

 By 1962, 20th Century Fox had adapted its movie logo for television. The following pilot, I Love My Doctor, doesn't have it, because it had been filmed & produced four years earlier.

Don Porter would finally land a series a few years after production ended on Doctor. He co-starred opposite Sally Field in Gidget, which lasted just one season (1965-6).

No rating.

Rivals on the field, partners off the field

 Tonight, the Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays began a 4-game series at Tropicana Field. Business as usual, right?

Not entirely.

In the wake of the Robb Elementary massacre in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday, both teams opted to use their Twitter pages to inform fans about gun violence and how to stop it.

Following is a preliminary post from the Yankees:

The Rays' message was right to the point:

All that's needed now is for everyone else in MLB, as well as the NHL, NBA, WNBA, etc., to join the party. Rays pitcher Brooks Raley is from Uvalde, so the shootings hit home.

Grammy & Oscar winner and Texas native Jamie Foxx ("Spider-Man: No Way Home") shredded politicians such as Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Greg Abbott for not doing enough to try to stop the violence. Uvalde native Matthew McConaughey called for everyone to be and do better. As we noted Wednesday, Republicans are beholden to gun lobbies such as the National Rifle Association, whose chief spokesman, Wayne LaPierre, stuck his foot in his mouth, as usual.

The NRA is hosting an event this weekend that has lost guests such as Texas Rep. Dan "Cyclops" Crenshaw and singers Don McLean and Larry Gatlin due to the shootings. Unfortunately, Cruz, among the biggest beneficiaries of the NRA's donations, and former president Donald Trump are still scheduled, with guns banned for obvious reasons. If the NRA had any common sense, the convention, scheduled for Houston, would be cancelled. How so many people can have their heads in the sand on this issue is ridiculous. Cruz walked away from a Sky News interview because he was offended by a line of questioning, and knew he'd get skewered online yet again.

The violence needs to end. To get there, this has to happen:

Parents and school administrators need to take a closer look at at-risk youths who may or may not be in need of help to prevent future shootings. If these kids have themselves been bullied or disrespected, it goes a long way toward explaining a lot of the shootings.

Restricting use of social media at school is big. Today's kids are more interested in social media, looking for likes and approval. Leave the smartphones at home.

The minimum age for purchasing guns should be raised, from 18 to 21. Personally, I think it should be over 21. Unfortunately, the GOPers will not allow this to happen because of the contributions they get from the NRA and like organizations. Time to put the money and self-interest aside, before someone else gets hurt.

The 2nd Amendment is what a lot of them hide behind, but do a lot of today's politicos, such as Cruz, Josh Hawley, and Lauren Boebert, know what it really means? I doubt it. To them, it's just a buzzword.

Matthew McConaughey is right. We have to be better, and do better.

Musical Interlude: The End of The Innocence (1989)

 Don Henley followed up his 1985 CD, "Building The Perfect Beast", with "The End of The Innocence" in 1989. The CD is loaded with guest stars, including Jeff Porcaro & David Paich (Toto), Stan Lynch & Mike Campbell (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), Take 6, Ivan Neville, Patty Smyth (ex-Scandal), and Bruce Hornsby, who co-wrote the title song, and plays keyboards on the track.

For the children of Robb Elementary, who lost 19 of their classmates on Tuesday in a senseless act of violence.

Another loss of innocence

 Texas is one of the states where the school year ends earlier than others. The last day of classes at the elementary level was meant to be Thursday.

So what possesses an 18 year old to go into an elementary school he once attended, and open fire on innocent kids and educators?

Salvatore Ramos and the weapons of slaughter.

Salvatore Ramos was shot and killed by a Border Patrol officer, according to reports, who was responding to the attack on Robb Elementary. Ramos reportedly posted on social media that he wanted the kids to "be scared irl (in real life)". It's easy to assume that Ramos himself was bullied, and like so many before him, lashed out with violence because he didn't know how to seek counseling, whether it was from his parents, teachers, or school counselors.

President Biden addressed the nation Tuesday night, and called for Congress to finally stand up to lobby groups such as the National Rifle Association, and enact legislation that would keep access to guns away from troubled kids like Ramos. Former President Barack Obama, singer Taylor Swift, and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr have spoken out about the incident.

Of course, right wing garbage dispensers like Tabloid Carlson and Laura Inkblot on Fox Shmooze shredded Biden's speech, ignorant of the message. It was Carlson, nine days ago, who dismissed Payton Gendron, another 18 year old, as being mentally ill when he shot up Tops Supermarket in Buffalo. Empty-G (Marjorie Taylor Greene) used the mental health excuse for Ramos, and, as usual, called for Biden to be impeached without any real reason or cause.

Gendron admitted to having gotten inspiration from the same debunked "white replacement" theory that Carlson routinely touts on his garbage hour. That says to me that Gendron knew exactly what he was doing, and so did Ramos. Mentally ill? I don't think so. All Empty-G did was piggy-back on Ramos to get attention on her.

There are more kids like Ramos and Gendron out there, kids who've been bullied or abused, and don't know how to seek counseling or guidance. Instead, they internalize their emotions, and lash out for all the wrong reasons. Job 1 for parents and school administrators is to identify the issues before things get out of hand. That requires full cooperation from the kids. A gentle voice is a good starting point. It's getting the kids to listen that's the hardest part.

Apparently, they couldn't afford the Real Ghostbusters (2022)

 Actually, DirecTV couldn't get a license to use the original "Ghostbusters", so they recruited retired baseball players David Ortiz, Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey, Jr., & Alex Rodriguez for their latest DirecTV stream ad campaign.

And you thought using tennis star Serena Williams in mash-ups with "Scary Movie", "The Matrix", & "Wonder Woman" was wack.

Ortiz aside, this was a Seattle Mariners reunion, and it looks like this was taped in Cincinnati, hence the use of the Reds mascot.

Dunce Cap Award: David Perdue

 Today, Georgians are going to the polls in the Democratic & Republican primaries. If you believe the pundits, the governor's race is already set.

Former US Senator David Perdue, trailing in polls by as much as 30-35 points, buried himself deeper at a recent tele-rally with America's Oldest Baby (Donald Trump), in which Perdue played the race card against the likely Democratic candidate, Stacey Abrams, who was screwed out of the governor's mansion four years ago by the current incumbent, Brian Kemp.

This guy needs to go back to the chicken farm.

Nothing says desperation like doing something that stupid. Been there, seen that.

I will again reference the 2011 race for mayor here in the hometown. Current Troy City Council President Carmella Mantello, trailing Democratic Rensselaer County legislator and Hudson Valley Community College professor Lou Rosamilia in the polls, approved the use of a last minute attack ad on her opponent, four days before the election. The tactic backfired spectacularly, and Rosamilia won by more than 14 percentage points for his only term. He retired from politics when his term ended in 2016, succeeded by current Mayor Patrick Madden.

Perdue, meanwhile, is in such deep trouble, perennial 10-year old Bart Simpson is said to be jealous.

Because of his racist diatribe, and for even bothering to consent to the wishes of a juvenile who never grew up (Trump), Perdue gets one of these:

I hear Chick-Fil-A is hiring.

What Might've Been: The Sandy Duncan Show (1972)

 Broadway star Sandy Duncan had made her TV series debut in 1971 in Funny Face, but the series was cut short when Duncan underwent eye surgery.

CBS & Paramount didn't give up, and retooled the series into The Sandy Duncan Show the next year. Co-creator Arne Sultan and producer Budd Cherry came over from Talent Associates to Paramount to run the show. Duncan had been given a fresh ensemble to work with, including Tom Bosley, who was also breaking into cartoons that same season (Wait 'Til Your Father Gets Home), before Happy Days cemented his pop culture icon status nearly 18 months later.

Unfortunately, CBS placed the show on Sundays. 13 weeks, and gone, again, and it would be more than a decade before Duncan could land another series of her own. CBS also thought enough of her to convince her to lend her voice to her animated likeness for a meeting with Scooby-Doo.

Edit, 2/7/24: Had to change the video. Here's the open:

No rating. Just a public service.

On PPV: Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

 Former Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada can be blamed for one of the most controversial Spider-Man storylines in the last 20 years, because it was published on his watch.

Sometime after the first Civil War miniseries, in which Spider-Man revealed his secret identity as Peter Parker, Quesada green-lit "One More Day", in which, in exchange for his ID being erased from people's memories, Peter's marriage to Mary Jane Watson ended after 20 years or so in the comics. Quesada's attitude was, heroes like Spider-Man shouldn't be happy. Apparently, he might've been in the minority when Marvel did the wedding as an Amazing Spider-Man annual, which was one of the first Marvel comics of the modern era to garner mainstream media attention.

This change briefly took effect in the daily newspaper strip, written by co-creator Stan Lee. However, Lee rebelled against Quesada's edict, and restored the marriage in the strip in short order.

Hollywood's answer is "Spider-Man: No Way Home". Where in the comics Mephisto made the deal with Peter, the iteration of the devil has not been introduced in the cinematic universe as yet. So, after the conclusion of the last Spider-film, "Far From Home", Peter's ID has been compromised, thanks to the machinations of Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhall), who had been killed off in the last film. J. Jonah Jameson (JK Simmons) and the Daily Bugle, of course, are at the forefront, but the Bugle's not just a newspaper anymore, at least in this context.

So Peter meets with Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). Chaos follows because of Peter's bumbling. The multiverse opens, allowing some familiar villains to reappear. Electro (Jamie Foxx). Dr. Octopus (Alfred Molina). Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe). Dr. Curt Connors, aka The Lizard (Rhys Ifans). Flint Marko, the Sandman (Thomas Haden Church). The two previous cinematic iterations of Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire & Andrew Garfield) also surface. There's also attorney Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), advising Peter (Tom Holland) and Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), who's still got the attention of Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau).

Check the trailer.

Sony & Disney/Marvel spent a chunk of cheddar on CGI & FX for this one. A little too talky at the start, as if they thought they needed everything explained. Soundtrack includes De La Soul's "The Magic Number", from their 1989 debut, "Three Feet High & Rising". "Number" is based on the Schoolhouse Rock track, "Three is a Magic Number". The late Bob Dorough was given credit as the writer.

The current "Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness" picks up where "No Way Home" leaves off. We'll look at it another day.

Rating: A-.

Georgia GOP to Trump: We don't want you messing up our primary!

 On Tuesday, Georgia Republicans will go to the polls. They're hoping that former football hero Herschel Walker, having returned home from Texas, will ultimately unseat Rev. Raphael Warnock, and want him carrying the most important "ball" of his career. They will also set the stage for Gov. Brian Kemp to gain a rematch in November against Democrat Stacey Abrams, which means all but ending former Senator David Purdue's career, and sending Purdue back to the chicken farm.

To do that, a certain bloviator needs to be removed from the picture.

"WAAAAHHHHH! Kemp wouldn't help me! He needs to go! WAAAAHHH!!"

The message is simple. Georgians, and most of the country that isn't into the MAGA movement in general, have grown tired of Donald Trump's act after seven years or better  Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who's also caught in Trump's crosshairs, was on the stump with Kemp recently. So was former VP and former Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. Traditional GOP politicians who've seen their party mutate into a cult in support of a 70-something man-baby who won't grow up. They got out, and they want the rest of the party to save their traditions, if you will.

Trump is also having issues in Pennsylvania, as the GOP Senate primary is now down to a 2-man race involving Dr. Mehmet Oz, who gave up his TV show to be a carpetbagger (he calls New Jersey home) candidate. At last check, Oz was in a tie for the lead, and there are still mail-in ballots to be counted, which could take a few more days. Remember, it took four extra days before Joe Biden carried Pennsylvania 18 months ago.

Trump publicly suggested that Oz claim victory, despite the uncounted ballots. Not happening. Oz is smart enough to realize a premature victory can also be a kiss of death (Thomas Dewey for president, anyone?). He'll be happy to take the win when it is declared official, then plan for November, not a day before. 

The problem, of course, is the publicity-addicted Trump, who has overstayed his welcome in the GOP.

"WAAAHH!! I need to be on the front page every day! WWAAAHHHH!"

No, you don't anymore, old spray tan. I think Melania's this close to calling your psychologist, Dr. Zigmund Ziff, for an appointment.

First, it was Cawthorn. Now, Lauren Boebert could get taken down

 In the wake of Madison Cawthorn losing a primary on Tuesday, a political action committee (PAC) known as American Muckrakers came out and announced that they were the ones who leaked out that video of a nude Cawthorn from back in the day. Their next target is Colorado airhead Lauren Boebert. Farron Cousins explains:

American Muckrakers is a mix of GOP and Democratic operatives, and all of them may be just tired of these publicity-obsessed newbies in Congress like Boebert and Cawthorn. The Colorado primary day is coming up in mid-June. It's too bad they're not targeting another airhead that needs to be taken down, that, of course, being Marjorie Taylor Greene, but, then, there's always the general election in November for her. After that, maybe they can go after older GOPer morons like Timex Cruz and Moldy Graham, and.......!

Musical Interlude: Point of Know Return (1977)

 When it came to recording the title song for their 1977 album, "Point of Know Return", Kansas stopped short of including the kitchen sink. Synthesizers. Violin. Guitars, bass, & drums. An eclectic mix made "Know" a FM radio staple right alongside the power ballad, "Dust in The Wind".

Kansas' earliest albums were released by Kirschner Records through CBS. Yeah, Don Kirschner's label. IIRC, the label was dissolved in the early 80's.

Forgive her. She doesn't know what mentally ill is

 "She", of course, is Empty-G, Marjorie Taylor Greene, misrepresentative from Georgia.

Greene went on Real America's Voice, a conservative network that is home to that other GOPer moron, Steve Bannon, and tried to claim that Payton Gendron, indicted by a grand jury on Wednesday for the Tops massacre in Buffalo last Saturday, is mentally ill. Tabloid Carlson took that tack earlier this week on Fox Shmooze. Guess what, losers? You're both wrong.

Gendron bought into the "white replacement" BS that Carlson has been shilling for months now, and it was a large part of a nearly 200 page online manifesto. He knew exactly what he was doing, accepting lies as facts. Whether or not he's really mentally ill is up to the courts to decide, not morons like you, Empty-G.

Farron Cousins explains:

It's just as much deflection of reality as denial of the truth that comes from that reality. All because Empty G, Tabloid, and the rest of the GOPer idiots want to use the victim card instead of owning responsibility.

However, we can see right through you by now, Empty-G. The same, tired routine you've used has reached the border between stale and irrelevant. Have another Dunce Cap. If you don't want to wear it, I can understand. Makes a good megaphone. If you can figure out how to use one that isn't battery operated, that is.

On The Shelf: Public domain has its advantages, and other ruminations

 We're continuing our series of reviews of this year's Free Comic Book Day.

Marvel's most ambitious project for the summer brings the Avengers, Eternals, & X-Men together in Judgment Day. Recent storylines have brought the latter two groups closer in scope than originally conceived by co-creator Jack Kirby (who was the sole creator of The Eternals in the mid-70's). Anyway, the living island of Krakoa has returned to X-continuity as a prominent player. Personally, I long for the simpler, less complex plots of Chris Claremont back in the 80's than this shmozzola. 

What's even worse is how Moira McTaggert, the former companion of Banshee and confidant to the X-Men, has been rebooted as a malevolent android. I'd like to meet the jabroni who came up with that idea, and who also decided that Spider-Man's honey, Mary Jane Watson, is a player in this drama.

The Bible tells us love of money is the root of all evil. Marvel is run by Disney, which has its own problems, but the writers of these books need to go back to creative writing 101.

Rating: C.

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Before Daredevil was introduced to Marvel readers in the 60's, Lev Gleason had created a different iteration of the character, repackaged as the Death Defying Devil for Dynamite's Project Superpowers line. However this DD has fallen into the public domain with some of Gleason's other creations, and so, Comic House decided to bring Daredevil, Silver Streak, and other heroes together for a new book, Equilibrium, which has them in a dystopian future (here we go again) against their old foe, The Claw, who has done the impossible, and taken over the world.

Writer Keith Champagne is better known for his past work as an inker at DC back in the 90's. There are too many doom & gloom books already, and this is not a good way to reintroduce heroes like Silver Streak to a new generation. Ugh.

Rating: C.

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Former AEW women's champion Nyla Rose, a transgender woman and Native American, collaborated with Steve Orlando to produce a 1-shot showcasing the X-Men's Thunderbird. John Proudstar held the distinction of being the first of the "new" X-Men of the 70's to be killed off, and brother James later was part of Emma Frost's Hellions before both resurfaced. This is a labor of love, but with the labryinthine X-continuity these days, Proudstar deserves a solo series devoid of such tangled drama.

Rating: A-.

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Archie Comics' The Fox returns in a 1-shot special, written & drawn by Dean Haspiel. Paul Patton has reconciled with his wife, code-named She-Fox, and with son Sunji, aka Ghost Fox. Haspiel has taken the old "superheroes with problems" trope Stan Lee mined at Marvel back in the 60's, and raised it to 11. Included is a reprint from the 1983 Black Hood series, but this Fox tale is written & drawn by the legendary Alex Toth, who was an influence on Haspiel, to be sure. Take it or leave it.

Rating: B-.

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Comics on the tube: The CW is delaying the 3rd season of Stargirl to the fall, likely October, where it will air on Wednesday nights. Apparently, the new season is still in production. Greg Berlanti's remaining comics adaptations, The Flash, Riverdale, & Superman & Lois, plus the freshman drama, Gotham Knights, are all being held to mid-season (winter 2023), and it's clear now that Riverdale will say goodbye after 7 seasons at the end of the 2022-3 season. Mischa Collins (ex-Supernatural) is co-starring in Knights as Harvey Dent.

We talked about this over at Saturday Morning Archives, but it bears mentioning here. WB was planning on a movie featuring the Wonder Twins, Zan & Jayna, but not as an adaptation of Mark Russell & Stephen Byrne's acclaimed 2019-20 series. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav shut the project down, citing a massive budget in the neighborhood of $75 million, so the movie, which was intended for HBO Max, will not go forward.

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Fans of Bill Willingham's acclaimed Vertigo series, Fables, are rejoicing over the return of the series with a 12 part arc, drawn by series artists Mark Buckingham & Steve Leialoha. To illustrate how far out of the loop I've been since I was forced to give up the series a few years ago, Bigby Wolf, who recently co-starred with Batman, is married to Snow White (!!). Whodathunk? Going shopping for trade paperbacks to get caught up on what I've missed.

Rating: A.

One down, and a few to go: Madison Cawthorn loses a primary

 By this time next year, North Carolina Misrepresentative Madison "Foghorn" Cawthorn should be rolling down the walk of shame in his wheelchair, as his legal troubles catch up to him.

We say that with certainty because Foghorn will not return to Washington in January, after losing a GOP primary to NC State Senator Chuck Edwards on Tuesday night.

A beaten GOPer. Photo courtesy of Yahoo!.

Cawthorn, in effect, dug his own political grave by getting cited twice for trying to bring guns on board a flight in the space of a few weeks, and having old videos surface of him in women's lingerie, and, in a separate clip, in bed naked with another man, presumably from Cawthorn's college days. Speaking of which, Foghorn lied about Navy, which rejected him in the first place, looking for sympathy points. The final nail in the coffin, some would say, was the endorsement of former president Donald Trump. This marks the 2nd straight week that a Trump-backed candidate fell in defeat, after Nebraskan Trump clone Charles Herbster was whooped at the polls. A 3rd Trumpian candidate, Dr. Mehmet Oz, gave up his syndicated yack-fest to run for Senate from Pennsylvania, but finds himself in a tight race as of press time, too close to call. They are waiting on-----wait for it----mail-in ballots on this one

Cawthorn may have also burned his bridges with the national GOP with his allegations of being invited to parties that involved----what else?----sex & drugs, something GOP leaders are not too thrilled about hearing in public.

In hindsight, Cawthorn's biggest mistake has to do with his disability. Instead of being an advocate for disabled persons (he has limited mobility away from his wheelchair), he opted to cater to the whims of Trump, and that, along with his own sins, cost him.

We'll see how Edwards fares in November, and if he can keep the seat red.

A little of this and a little of that

 To paraphrase the late entertainer Jerry Colonna, network programmers are the craziest people.

With season 2 already underway, Dwayne Johnson's fictionalized life story, if ya will, Young Rock, will shift to Fridays in November. Opposite Smackdown on Fox. Online "analysts" are already signaling doom & gloom for Young Rock and George Lopez's new show, Lopez vs. Lopez, ignorant of the fact that WWE's top two shows are stagnating with only a periodic pop in the ratings. We'll talk about that later. The late start for season 3 is to allow the show to have a little time to "breathe" between seasons.

When the fall season starts in September, the 8-9 pm (ET) slot will be filled by season 2 of the Capital One College Bowl, hosted and executive produced by telegenically challenged Peyton Manning, with brother Cooper as his sidekick. Let's just hope he's improved his technique since last season. Let's face it. He didn't study any classic tapes with Robert Earle or Allen Ludden, not to mention Pat Sajak, before taking the job last year.

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Tonight Show host, College of St. Rose alumnus, and busiest dude in late night Jimmy Fallon is in charge of a fresh reboot of Password, which has been a recurring segment on Tonight since Fallon took over a few years back. The franchise hadn't been on NBC until then since Super Password signed off in 1989. No start date has been announced as yet.

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Houston Astros pitcher Jake "Eggs" Odorizzi was carried off the field on a stretcher Monday at Fenway with a leg injury. 

Photo courtesy Yahoo!/MLB.

Boston ultimately won the game, 6-4. No timetable for Odorizzi's return.

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Arizona Senator Wendy Rogers, unsurprisingly, tried to claim the mass shooting in Buffalo on Saturday was a false flag. Can someone wake this woman up from her coma? Repugnants like her are proof that, in the words of Thelma Harper (Vicki Lawrence) many moons ago, some of these people have "spinters in the windmills of (their) mind(s)". I told you someone would play this idiot card.

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When ye scribe was growing up, and getting into pro wrestling, the folks didn't exactly dig the idea of my spending a couple of hours every weekend scoping the theatrics of the mat. Back in those days, though, tag teams were just as much a part of the weekly programming as the world heavyweight champions.

Unfortunately for today's audience, WWE CEO/Chairman Vince McMahon, who will be 77 in August, doesn't think there's any value in tag teams anymore. To him, it's just a second or third tier level, and he called a few tag matches in his best (?) days as an announcer.

So it was news Monday when the current women's tag champs, Naomi (Trinity Fatu) and Sasha Banks (Mercedes Varnado, The Mandalorian) left the Scope in Norfolk, Virginia, upset over the booking for what was to be last night's main event. What was originally a 6-pack, one fall #1 contender's match for the Raw women's title, held by Bianca Belair, turned into a singles match between Asuka and Becky Lynch, won by Asuka. The other women scheduled for the match, Doudrop (fka Piper Niven) and Nikki ASH (nee Nikki Cross), were dropped out with no reason. Banks & Naomi wanted to start a program with the newly formed team of Nikki & Doudrop, but McMahon had other ideas. Keep in mind that Naomi is married to Jimmy Uso, who currently holds the Smackdown tag titles with brother Jey, and has been on the main roster for a decade.

What I was able to glean was that you have two veteran wrestlers with more on the ball creatively than McMahon and his senior advisers, Bruce Prichard and John Laurinaitis combined, but McMahon's creative mindset is about 20 years behind the times. His son-in-law, Paul "Triple H" Levesque, is back at work in the main office, rather than at NXT in Florida, and should be positioned to take over if/when the creatively bankrupt McMahon finally decides, even if it isn't his call, to retire, something he should've done years ago, but won't do, because the WWE is the only business venture he has succeeded with. The television ratings fluctuate because of creative stagnation and a blatant refusal to acknowledge there are problems across the board. The women's division, as a whole, has been spun backward about 10 years, thanks in no small part to the return of Laurinaitis as a talent executive.

Translated, it's way past time Triple H & Stephanie had the old man checked for mental issues, because he's not the creative genius he thinks he is, and hasn't in too long.

A life already wasted: Teenager shoots 13, kills 10, at a Buffalo market

 What possesses an 18 year old, who should be studying for finals to prepare for graduation, to drive 200 miles from his home to a Buffalo supermarket, and go on a shooting spree?

The influence of right wing rhetoric, especially from white supremacists.

Payton Gendron, from Conklin, drove those 200 miles with a helmet camera for the purpose of live-streaming his act of violence. Why? Why would anyone live-stream themselves committing a crime? We've seen that reported about gang muggings and lootings, and some morons live-streamed themselves at the Capitol in January 2021. I hate to break it to you, but that's not the way to earn your 15 minutes of fame. That's not what the late Andy Warhol had in mind.

Under the mask is a punchable face. 

Politicians on both sides of the aisle have spoken up. Republicans like Elise Stefanik have used the same, tired cliches about expressing sympathy to the families of the victims. Thirteen people were shot. 11 of them were African-American, the other 2 were white. 10 of those African-Americans are dead. 

But, watch. Fox Shmooze, One America, and Newsnax will try to spin this to give Gendron some sympathy. There is none to be had. The deputy public defender hired to represent Gendron entered a plea of not guilty, as if he thinks that's going to help. The punk had a racial slur on his rifle. The intent is as obvious as the day is long.

I'm guessing here, but Gendron probably dropped out of high school, or had already graduated, say, a year ago, but he's wasted his future by buying into BS he read online. Some idiot on YouTube said this will stop when NY turns red. No, it won't, jackass. Regardless of who's running the state or the country, these shootings are going to continue until troubled people like Gendron get the help they need, whether they seek it or not!

Here we go again: Now, it's baby formula that's being hoarded in some places

 Not too long ago, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) forced Abbott Labs to close its plant in Sturgis, Michigan due to contaminated baby formula. Now, there is a national shortage on formula due partially to the closing of the plant, due partially to the ongoing supply chain issues affecting hundreds of products of all kinds.

But a news report on the radio this morning has ye scribe fuming.

There are reports of people hoarding formula to turn a profit, just like they did with hand sanitizer, toilet paper, etc., at the start of the pandemic two years ago.

Like, seriously?

The hoarders are just lazy profiteers who won't work, but rather pull scams like this to make an easy buck, showing 0 regard for their fellow citizens. Retailers such as Walmart, have had formula under lock & key before this shortage, since some people can't afford to pay for the formula, and resort to shoplifting in order to get it. Walmart here in town has it locked up right alongside sports card supplies, and that's how I know.

One local church has a solution to that particular problem. The pastor & his wife acquired a fair amount of formula some time back, and make it available for members of the congregation to pick up, either for themselves, or for needy families in their neighborhoods. This program has been in place for over a year.

Eventually, this will pass. Unfortunately, the profiteers will look for something else to get rich quick, unless they're stopped.

On The Shelf: Free Comic Book Day '22 revisited, part 2

 Having developed a number of alternate realities for their namesake, Archie Comics wanted to properly honor Archie for his 80th anniversary last year, but the topping is an anthology 1-shot, hitting stores next month, and previewed with a 0 issue for Free Comic Book Day.

The Best Archie Comic Ever covers most, but not all, alternate realities, including the Superteens era (though it's only Archie as Pureheart The Powerful), behind a great cover by Jamal Igle. You'd need a road map to follow Fred Van Lente's script, however. I think he's trying to copy Tom King's formula over at DC, but it's a little weak.

Rating: C.

Epicenter Comics is an indie company few have heard about. However, their preview of their July graphic novel, Tex: In The Land of The Seminoles, could be a sleeper. It's a throwback to the black & white treats of the 70's from Marvel. And it's an import from Italy, translated into English. Ya might want to keep an eye open.

Rating: B.

June is Pride Month, and Marvel offers up a preview of this year's Marvel Voices volume, due later this month. This is the 3rd annual edition, featuring not only LGTBQIA+ characters, but also established characters like Black Panther, Shang-Chi, and Moon Girl w/Devil Dinosaur. A nice mix. Your actual mileage may vary.

Rating: B.

DC's big summer event, Dark Crisis, will actually extend all the way to the end of the year. They want to milk killing off the Justice League pro tempore, but you and I know it won't last. The League will return in 2023 or sooner. The more they push these "events", the nuttier they get. And people actually dig. Not this writer.

Rating: B-.

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We noted this over at Saturday Morning Archives earlier, but it bears repeating here. Dark Horse has recruited a pair of writers who've worked on [adult swim]'s hit series, Rick & Morty, to craft a miniseries that is best described as Sesame Street as envisioned by George Orwell. Or, in this modern context, given the last item, Joshua Williamson.

Survival Street, out in August, is a dark political satire that is a direct shot at present-day Republican politics, and what could happen if it remains unchecked. Not for preschoolers.

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The CW, a network with a "for sale" sign, has axed a 3rd DC comics series.

Less than 48 hours after a 2 part season finale, Naomi was one of five series getting the axe, while Gotham Knights has been green-lit for next season. No word on whether or not the network's ill-advised live-action updating of Powerpuff Girls is still moving forward, and Justice U, a star vehicle for David Ramsey, didn't make the cut, but could still show up.

Kaci Walfall as Naomi. Courtesy CW via TVLine.

What doomed Naomi was it was bleeding viewers from its lead-in, Superman & Lois, which has already been renewed for a 3rd season. The network stretching out its 13 episodes the way they did with frequent hiatus periods didn't help, and was actually counter-productive, in this writer's opinion. The Season 2 miniseries has reached its halfway point, but I'd not be surprised if co-creator Brian Bendis, no longer exclusive to DC, could close it out when the series ends in August.

Weasel of The Week: Rev. John Raymond

 Last month, Rev. John Raymond, headmaster at Lakeside Christian School, and pastor at Lakeside Christian Church in Slidell, Louisiana, was arrested, and charged with child abuse. Contrary to what was reported at the time, Raymond claimed he simply gave five students the option of having their mouths taped shut (not their whole heads), or being suspended. He says the kids opted for tape gags. I kinda doubt that.

Now, it gets out that Raymond has been busted again. This time for what was commonly known as corporal punishment back in the day. He allegedly grabbed a 4 year old by the ankle, and whipped his butt.

Farron Cousins explains:

Predictably, the Louisiana GOP has said nothing. For all of the political posturing, especially in southern states, where they're insisting on controlling the education of today's children, and their false claims of child abuse where none exists, this isn't just projection, as Farron asserts. It is an old system that some, including Rev. Raymond, are unwilling to change. Today's society doesn't allow for corporal punishment (i.e. spanking).

As a repeat offender, Rev. John Raymond is this week's Weasel.

On The Shelf: Free Comic Book Day '22 revisited, part 1

 Free Comic Book Day has come & gone, and now it's time to take a look at some of this year's offerings, which we'll do over the next few days.

In advance of the forthcoming movie starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, the League of Super Pets will star in a graphic novel of their own, previewed in a sampler.

"The Great Mxy-Up" would've worked better if the reader actually gets to see the villain of the piece---Mr. Mxyzptlk, of course----in this preview. Writer Heath Corson has written comics and movies (i.e. "Justice League: War") for DC & WB, but he's reaching when it comes to the Super-Pets. No Streaky, the Supercat? Instead of Jumpa the kangaroo, which was Wonder Woman's pet back in the day, the Amazon gets a pig? An inside joke referencing an episode of Justice League Unlimited that a lot of younger readers who didn't see that series won't get. Flash has a turtle? Another inside joke.

Parents, ya might want to stock up on any Silver Age comics featuring some of the pets, including Jumpa. Also, Ch'p (rechristened Chip) here is pet and partner to fellow Green Lantern Jessica Cruz. As for the movie, I'm afraid not even The Rock can save this turkey.

Rating: C-.

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In two years, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will have officially turned 40. This year marks their 10th anniversary on Nickelodeon, and the 35th anniversary of their television debut. IDW is honoring the original Kevin Eastman/Peter Laird classics with a throwback story arc, "The Armageddon Game".  Eastman & Laird's original short is represented, alongside a preview of the new arc by Tom Waltz & Sophie Campbell, which is a love letter to long time Turtles fans, and stylistically captures the spirit of the original books of the mid-80's. They're even throwing in the first female turtle, Venus de Milo, from Saban's 1999 series, Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation, a one season wonder for Fox. True Turtle fans won't miss.

Rating: A.

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Papercutz has a nice little treat for the younger set, but it also works for older readers.

We've seen funny animals play baseball before, and I don't mean Bugs Bunny vs. the Gas House Gorillas. Warners also did one where an elephant was called on to help a down and out team. Acclaimed author John Steven Gurney and Papercutz introduce comics fans to the Fernwood Valley Fuzzies. A funny animal analogue to, say for example, the "Bad News Bears" little leaguers. Fuzzy Baseball is a delightful treat for the whole family, and will introduce the kiddo's, if they haven't seen them already, to Gurney's past works. I'm begging them to plug it on MLB Network!!

Rating: A+.

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When Dynamite obtained the license to adapt Robert E. Howard's Red Sonja, no one gave a thought that the company would exploit the character like they have. They also acquired reprint rights to Sonja's earliest comics adventures from Marvel, which began with Marvel Feature (2nd series) in 1975, not 1973, as the publisher mistakenly claims. Issue 4 of that short-lived series is reprinted in Dynamite's FCBD offering for Sonja, illustrated by Frank Thorne, and written by Bruce Jones, who became a bigger name in the 80's. In short, Sonja battles what she thinks is a gorgon. Emphasize thinks. A backup feature written by Cullen Bunn is also mistakenly identified as something originally done in 1973, but that might actually be a misprint. Looking at this, nearly 50 years after its original publication, Thorne's Sonja is exactly what you'd expect, but everything else looks a little too busy.

Rating: B.

Another lawsuit lost: America's Oldest Baby loses vs. Twitter

 10 months ago, former president Donald Trump filed a lawsuit vs. Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook (Meta), claiming they had zero right to ban him from their platforms, all because, especially in Twitter's case, Trump and his merry band of delusional zealots tried overthrowing the government 16 months ago.

Last week, a judge tossed out the suit vs. Twitter, citing the fact that Twitter is a privately owned company, and will be even more private once Elon Musk closes the deal later this year, assuming there are no issues before then.

Jesse Dollemore explains:

You can just imagine the reaction from the Annoying Orange himself:

"WAAAAHHH!!! They censored me! WAAAHHH!"

No, they didn't, dummy. You screwed yourself over. 

Remember, this is the same fraud who said he wasn't coming back even if Musk closes the sale. He'll take his act to his own platform, Truth Social, but the itch will always be there. Narcissistic despots are like that.

Musical Interlude: Alone (1935)

 From the movie, "A Night at The Opera":

The song, "Alone", is used twice in the film. One is a vocal duet by Allan Jones and Kitty Carlisle. The other is an instrumental performed by Harpo Marx, who also adds some whistling.

By this point, the Marx Brothers were mostly a trio, as Zeppo had left the act. He & Groucho were singers. Chico was a pianist, and later a big band leader. Harpo and his harp found their way into most films, and Harpo's subsequent, legendary guest appearance on I Love Lucy, 20 years after "Opera". 

Is Universal ready to take another "Leap"?

 Remember this gem?

NBC has green-lit a reboot of Quantum Leap, which is already going to series, likely for the 2022-3 season. This time, the lead is a South Korean scientist, Dr. Ben Seong (Raymond Lee, fresh from Prodigal Son), part of a team that is looking to pick up where Dr. Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) left off in the original series.

Bakula is not attached to the new series, with the announcement of the reboot coming nearly six months after co-star Dean Stockwell had passed away. Likely filling Stockwell's role as the virtual conscience, if you will, is Ernie Hudson ("Ghostbusters"). Series creator and executive producer Donald Belisario is returning to Universal, with actress Deborah Platt on board as a co-executive producer.

However, given Universal's horrible track record with rebooting its own properties in recent years, as evidenced by the failures of reboots of Knight Rider, Kojak, Ironside, & Bionic Woman, NBC is going to have to rely on online cousin Peacock to help grow this series. 

Stay tuned.

Two 80's icons have passed

 Free Comic Book Day 2022 was tinged with sadness with the news that iconic artist George Perez had lost his months long battle with cancer.

Perez began his career at Marvel in the 70's, with his work appearing in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, The Avengers, and elsewhere before being lured to DC in the summer of 1980, where, with writer Marv Wolfman, he revived the Teen Titans, introducing readers to Cyborg, Raven, and Starfire. Wolfman & Perez also created the 1985-6 epic Crisis on Infinite Earths, which changed the game for comics fans. Perez also drew Justice League of America and Wonder Woman, the latter also as a writer, during his time with DC.

His passing comes just five months after he'd announced his retirement from comics after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

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Just hours later, the music world was rocked with the passing of singer-songwriter Mickey Gilley at the age of 86.

Gilley, it is said, was part of the inspiration for the 1980 movie, "Urban Cowboy", starring John Travolta & Debra Winger. Gilley contributed to the soundtrack with a cover of Ben E. King's "Stand by Me", which King would revisit six years later.

Gilley's hits also included "Don't Girls All Look Prettier at Closing Time?" and "A Headache Tomorrow And a Heartache Tonight". He also co-hosted a Time-Life infomercial for country music with journalist Lorianne Crook a few years ago.

Rest in peace.

YouTube Theatre: Kilroy Was Here (1983)

 Styx followed up their 1981 opus, "Paradise Theatre", with "Kilroy Was Here", in 1983. In the vision of singer-keyboard player Dennis DeYoung, there was a radically dark future where rock music had been banned by a group of moral zealots (sound familiar?).

The music video for "Mr. Roboto", the first single, included excerpts from the "Kilroy" mini-movie, with DeYoung in the title role as a musician framed for murder. DeYoung posted the mini-movie, included on the "Caught in The Act" concert DVD, to YouTube.

Two more singles, "Heavy Metal Poisoning" & the ballad, "Don't Let it End", were released. The mini-movie, it can be said, prepared DeYoung for a later run on Broadway.

Rating: A-.

Names making news

 It might've slipped under the radar but Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo has added an extra gig to go along with his daily High Heat show on MLB Network.

Russo quietly signed with ESPN a while back to be a contributor to First Take. The only way most of us knew about it was when ex-player-turned-ESPN analyst JJ Redick got in Russo's grill on Thursday's broadcast when Russo went after Golden State star Draymond Green after Green was ejected in a playoff game earlier this week.

Image courtesy ESPN via Yahoo!.

Green had also dissed the fans in Memphis two nights later, adding to the heat. Russo, a long time radio host in New York, was, in turn, shredded by Redick, who implied that Russo was taking an approach to things more suited to Fox Shmooze. Just what ESPN doesn't need. Another bloviating clown. The difference between Russo and Stephen A. Smith, ESPN's resident idiot savant, is that Russo only appears once a week. Trust the usual commentary in the NYC papers about Russo leaving the safety of the MLB Network kennel.....

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Newsmax host Grant Stinchfield was way off center the other night when he alleged that incoming Supreme Court justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, or her staff, had something to do with the leaking of a February treatise that suggested the high court would overturn Roe vs. Wade. The GOPers want to ban abortions altogether, denying women the freedom of choice. Problem with Stinkfield's stupid supposition is that Jackson won't be sworn in until Stephen Breyer retires later this year. It was a slow night for Newsmax, so Stinkfield invented a scandal. Good thing Newsmax is a premium channel here at home.

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Florida Governor Ron DeStupid was originally invited to speak at a Jewish conference in New York next month. Said invitation has been rescinded by the event organizers because DeStupid doesn't align with the values of the conference and inclusitivity. Gee, y'think? This is what's known as backlash for DeStupid's bigoted POV fueling Florida's Parents in Education bill (aka Don't Say Gay). The conference takes place June 12, two days before Flag Day. Right in the middle of Pride Month. Poetic justice, don't ya think?

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Closer to home, the Albany Public Library, while taking part in tomorrow's Free Comic Book Day, has reduced the limit of comics per person from 3 down to 1. Part of it might be COVID-related, part of it to try to keep the focus on the target demographic (kids). In contrast, Earthworld Comics, a few clicks down the road, has raised its limit from 5 to 6 per person, per consumer demand, no doubt. Even though "Dr. Strange in The Multiverse of Madness" has just opened, the Central Avenue shop will have someone cosplaying as Spider-Man. Um, ok.

Across the river, Aquilonia Comics will have a table devoted to local talent, including writer Mike Spring (Red, White, & Broke), in all probability. However, since it figures to be just shy of a full house, you'll need to forge a path to the guest table to get autographs and swag.

God loves a cheerful giver. God doesn't like a serial liar

 The late music legend John Lennon was quoted to have claimed in the 60's that his band, the Beatles, were "more popular than Jesus". The Beatles broke up a few years later.

In the 80's, there were evangelists all over the cable dial, and the supposed popularity of "televangelism" was mocked by the British trio, Genesis, fittingly enough, on 1992's "Jesus He Knows Me". The video set was a mock-up of Oral Roberts' weekly show, but singer Phil Collins cited other preachers as inspiration. Today, there's a handful of Christian networks, some of which are on cable, and others on satellite only around these parts.

It was written that "love of money is the root of all evil", and that has certainly been true. For the last seven years, however, evangelical Christians have been deceived by a man who now claims, for the second time in four years, to have done more for them than anyone else.

Who is he? Need you ask? Donald John Thurston Howell Trump.

As we've noted in this space a number of times in the past, Trump supposedly gave his life to Christ in a meeting with Focus on The Family founder Dr. James Dobson, a meeting likely facilitated by Mike Pence. Trump, however, has not completely embraced Christianity as you'd think. Oh, no. Oh, sure, he arranged for the capital of Israel to return to Jerusalem. Aside from that, he's had Dobson and so many other preachers bamboozled into thinking he was their champion, when he was anything but.

Farron Cousins explains Trump's latest con.

A true Christian would not be asking $75,000 per person just to meet him in Louisville on Saturday at the Kentucky Derby. A true Christian would not put a price on a meet and greet. As Farron reminds, Trump has broken most of the 10 Commandments over and over again. The reason he doesn't go to church? He can't be seen in some place where he'd be exposed as a fraud. Why do you think daughter Tiffany, when she gets married in November, is having the wedding at Mar-a-Lago? Someone might need to send him a copy of a classic parable about the rich young ruler. In his case, it's the rich, old, deposed ruler. It fits him anyway.

Weasel of The Week: Tucker Carlson

 Traditionally, May is the last sweeps month of the television "regular season", if you will, as network affiliates set ad rates for the next quarter. 

Unfortunately, anyone watching Fox Shmooze garbage dispenser Tucker Carlson on Monday was fed more BS from Carlson, who now claims the US is sending aid to Ukraine in the midst of an invasion from Russia because, and it's clear Carlson is reaching here, Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election.

Five and a half years later, Tabloid Carlson wants to dredge that up as an excuse? He's running out of original scare-mongering ideas, friends. Farron Cousins explains:

It's all about ratings, of course, and how many gullible viewers buy into Carlson's shell game. Clinton lost the 2016 election, and supposedly, the Democrats are still pissed about that? Old news. We've long since gone past that. It makes no sense for Tabloid to bring this up, because it would only make sense if anyone other than Joe Biden was the current president. You see, Trust Fund Tuckie, you're not fooling anyone. What you're getting is a Weasel suit. Not just the ears & tail, punk. The whole suit.

Fox Shmooze would be better served posting a disclaimer before the show, because we know truth is a stranger to Tabloid. 

Notes from around town

 Like a lot of other employers, WGY-AM had to furlough or outright release some of their on-air talent in the early stages of the COVID pandemic 2 years ago.

A few months back, sister station WRVE brought back morning host Randy McCarten after a COVID-mandated layoff. On Monday, WGY made the subtle announcement marking the return of weekend host Joe Gallagher, who will now do a hour-long talk show, debuting Saturday at 9 am (ET).

Photo courtesy WGY via Albany Times-Union.

Gallagher began his career as a morning host at WOKO in the late 70's, doing comedy bits like most of his contemporaries. He moved to WGY years later and reinvented himself as a weekend host, doing a standard four hour shift, but with no music to play (WGY had flipped to talk radio some time prior to Gallagher's arrival). In an interview with WGY morning host Doug Gouldie on Monday, Gallagher said that the one hour format works best for him at the present time.

I wonder if WGY has Bob Cudmore's number. Cudmore was cut loose by WROW in 2020......

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Governor Hochul solved the problem of having a Lieutenant Governor running with her as she runs for election this fall.

After signing a law that allowed for former Lt. Governor Brian Benjamin to be removed from the ballot after his arrest last month, Hochul chose NY Rep. Antonio Delgado to replace Benjamin. Delgado was to run for re-election, likely against Western NY businessman Marc Molinaro, but now the Democrats will have to draft someone to replace Delgado in that race. Molinaro, you may recall, made a couple of failed bids for the governor's mansion in recent years vs. Andrew Cuomo.

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After a failed mayoral bid last year, businessman and comedian Greg Aidala has landed a weekend talk show on WROW. On My Time premiered last month, expanding the station's Saturday mid-day talk block, along with another new series, The Cruise Ship, behind a local law firm's long running advice & chat show. After Cruise Ship signs off at 11 am, the station then switches to automated programming for the rest of the day. Seems they believe in saving money by cutting back on hiring DJ's and using automated playlists from 11 am Saturday to 5:30 am Sunday, 6 pm-5:30 am. Monday-Friday, and Noon-7 and 10 pm-5:30 am on Sundays.

Personally, I'm more interested if they can acquire some old time radio (Jack Benny, Dragnet, Lone Ranger, etc.) to fill some of the hours.

Sports this 'n' that

 Robinson Cano's second tour of duty in New York is just about over.

Cano, on the back end of his career, is just below the Mendoza line after last night's action, a product of not only diminishing returns, but also the fallout from having been suspended last year for PED's. The Mets decided to cut bait on Cano this morning as they prepare to play the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves.

Officially, the Mets designated Cano for assignment, meaning they have 10 days to trade or release him or place him on waivers. At this stage of his career, Cano does not have the range at 2nd base like he did with the Yankees or Mariners. Do the Yankees take a chance on bringing Cano back as a DH only, as any other team would at this point? Or is it time for Cano to hang 'em up? We'll soon find out.

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ESPN bloviator general Stephen A. Smith roasted Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving earlier, after Irving went into a tirade about disrespect after the Nets were eliminated by Boston last week in the 1st round of the NBA playoffs. We would love it if someone roasted Smith back, exposing him as a fraud.

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Speaking of bloviators, the world's oldest bloviating baby is heading for Louisville this weekend.

Former president Donald John Narcissus Trump has made it known that he will be at the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. However, his core base of supporters, the suburbanites, won't be able to afford face time with the Archduke of Affluenza, who is asking $75,000 for anyone to be just in his presence. It's easy for state GOPers like Mitch McConnell, though he's been on the outs with Citizen Pampers of late, and Rand Paul, the personal eye doctor of GOPers everywhere, but not for Joe & Jane Citizen. Heaven help NBC if they have to give even 10 seconds of airtime to the world's oldest sore loser. I'd rather watch OTB.

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After three weeks, it's clear the USFL 2.0 isn't getting the same kind of attention from the press, at least in print, as it did the first time around.

This weekend's games were bumped off the sports pages because of the NFL Draft, baseball, NBA & NHL playoffs, etc., but if a local paper can include the standings of minor leagues with local teams involved (i.e. the National Arena League), why not give the USFL some love, too?

Somewhere, Rodney Dangerfield is turning in his grave.

Take the hint. No one wants to hear about 2020 anymore

 The above is meant for MyPillow CEO and professional conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell, who got himself in even more hot water on Sunday.

While the world is waiting for Elon Musk to finalize his purchase of Twitter, it is business as usual otherwise. On Sunday, Lindell opened a new account after he found a number of imposter accounts had surfaced following his banishment from the site last year. The imposters, and Lindell, are now all gone from Twitter.

Like most right wingers, Lindell thought the coast was clear for him to return, not realizing that the Musk deal won't be final until later this year. He forgot about the permanent ban he'd been hit with, so he opened a new account, and it was deleted three hours later. Given how much time he's wasted trying in vain to convince people that the 2020 election was stolen, though it wasn't, and it's going on 18 months since said election, never mind the fact that he's destroyed the reputation of his company, and himself, by hitching his wagon to a career con artist like Donald Trump. Seems that the only one who will grant Lindell an interview these days is fellow wackjob Steve Bannon, who will probably end up in jail by the end of the year himself.

Do yourself a favor, Prince Pillow. Get over it. It's over. Get thee to a confessional.