More examples of GOP stupidity

 Texas Attorney General Ken-L Ration Paxton lost a court case in his home state when a judge ruled that he has 0 jurisdiction over Bexar County's immigrant legal defense fund, which will expire next week.

Stuck for something to say.

Paxton wanted to sue the county over the fund, and was politely told to go chase himself around the block. An appeal is unlikely since, as noted the fund will expire one week from now.

After falsely claiming figure skater Alysa Liu was "woke", House Republicans posted on X a congratulatory note after Liu won a gold medal earlier this week. Nothing like getting shamed into eating virtual humble pie, y'know?

Hmmm, something tells me a certain NY Democrat might've shamed them into it.......

Back in the day, television stations would start & end their broadcast day with a playing of "The Star Spangled Banner". This was slowly phased out, as stations began expanding to their present 24/7 model, over the last 40-odd years.

FCC chairman Brendan "Used" Carr wants to change all that.

As a means of marking the USA's 250th birthday with a year-long celebration, Carr, according to Yahoo!, is demanding that stations return to playing the national anthem, plus a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. It's clear this jingoistic idea sprang from the fevered brain of Trump, but no one's so far given the egotistical president credit. In Trump's case, it'd be the height of his hypocrisy, since the last I checked, private schools still recite the Pledge on a daily basis before the start of the school day. Asking adults to see this on TV 7 days a week is nutz. And we know Trump won't set foot in a church unless he finds a way to enrich himself in doing so.

Carr should keep his mouth shut, and let things progress as normal. But you know he won't.

Gee, what a shock: Trump's tariffs are illegal, and he decides to impose a new one, anyway!

 "Dumb Donald is really dumb!!"--Gene Rayburn, Match Game, 1973-84.

We say that because the president thinks the Supreme Court works for him. They don't. They never did. Just because he appointed 1/3 of the current justices during his first term doesn't mean they are loyal to him.

Proof of this came today when Chief Justice John Roberts issued a ruling stating that the tariffs that Trump had imposed on other countries since returning to office 13 months ago are, in fact, illegal. Those tariffs are a big reason why our economy is in shambles right now, contrary to the misadministration's constant lies to the contrary.

Following is a report from MS Now:

A 6-3 ruling, with the three justices Trump appointed dissenting, shuts down those tariffs. However, defiant as ever, Trump would later announce that he was imposing a "temporary" 10% tariff. Look for that to get shut down, too.

"WAAAHH! I am helping this country! WAAAAH!"

No, you're not, bunky. You whined that you're disappointed with today's ruling. Tough. Deal with it, Orange Narcissus.

Update, 6:10 pm (ET): VP Just Dumb Vance doubled down on Trump's whining. Both insist Trump doesn't need Congressional approval, but as the SCOTUS made clear earlier, he does.

Musical Interlude: You Keep Me Hangin' On (1968)

 When Kim Wilde released her solo cover of the Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On" in the late 80's, people forgot that she wasn't the first one to do a cover that climbed the charts.

No, that distinction belonged to Vanilla Fudge some 20 years earlier. A harder sound, a different arrangement, and it landed the band on The Ed Sullivan Show.....

The first pilot of Benson (1979)

 Benson, a spin-off from Soap that actually outlasted its parent series, had a completely different look when this first pilot went to air.

David Hedison (ex-Voyage to The Bottom of The Sea) appears here, but then, the pilot was later reshot with 2nd generation actor Lewis Stadlen replacing Hedison. Stadlen didn't last long himself, before his departure from the series.

Governor Gene Gatling (James Noble) thought he was just getting a domestic assistant from his cousin, Jessica Tate (Katherine Helmond). Nuh-uh. Benson was more than that. Much more. As time wore on, Benson moved up in the ranks until he became lieutenant governor.

Now, let's check the pilot, and the comedy stylings of David Hedison....

Rating: A-.

Musical Interlude: Woodstock (1970)

 Joni Mitchell wrote "Woodstock", reflecting about her experience at the legendary 1969 festival. Matthew's Southern Comfort hit #1 on the UK chart in 1970, but most oldies channels prefer Crosby, Stills, & Nash's cover, which came out a year later.

Here's Matthew's Southern Comfort:

Remember Ajax's White Knight? (1963)

 For years, Ajax laundry detergent's slogan was that the product was "stronger than dirt".

In 1963, Colgate-Palmolive introduced a live-action mascot for Ajax, a white knight on a matching white horse, whose lance represents the cleaning power of the product.

80's icon Nicholas Colasanto, who was mostly a director during the 60's before Cheers made him a folk hero, appears here. Dick Tufeld is the announcer.

Hollywood's original Pet Vets (Calling All Curs, 1939)

 The Three Stooges are a trio of veterinarians entrusted with a valuable dog whose owner has anxiety issues, especially since the dog gets kidnapped right out from under the boys' noses.

Portions of "Calling All Curs" were later used in "Stop, Look, & Laugh", and in Jump 'n' The Saddle's "Curly Shuffle":

A change of pace for the boys, considering they're usually down on their luck or day laborers. Curly, in particular, was a dog lover off screen, so this was a labor of love for him.

Rating: A-.

When ABC really promoted soaps like they were in primetime (1978)

 It wasn't enough that ABC had expanded General Hospital & One Life to Live to 45 minutes. By the winter of 1978, both joined All My Children in a hour-long format that would remain to the present, even though General is the only one left.

Ernie Anderson narrates this promo.

This was part of an aggressive, across-the-board marketing strategy that had ABC atop the ratings.

For once, the FCC got it right

 This is how bad the paranoia is within the GOP.

They wanted Bad Bunny investigated for possible violations of language and content in his Spanish language concert last week at the Super Bowl.

You can say they did this because they couldn't understand word one of any of his lyrics, even if you left them a case of Berlitz English to Spanish books. They thought they saw some suggestive material that really wasn't there. President Pampers whined that he couldn't understand anything, and, of course, hated the show.

Turning Point USA stages a counter-concert with has-been rap-rocker Kid Rock, gets about 5 million views on YouTube in 24 hours, nowhere near the 128 million that tuned in for Bad Bunny. TPUSA would think that Donnie Diapers turned on them, but then, they should know by now that the Vicar of Vanity needs something to complain about.

Digression over. The FCC ruled late in the week that, nope, Bad Bunny did nothing wrong. Not even the corrupt chairman, Brendan Carr, could see things the GOP's way, and pursue the case. Game over.

Emboldened by the 5 million+ views on YouTube, TPUSA is planning another show for next year. So which has-been will headline this time? Ted Nugent?  Lee Greenwood?

Reality will soon set in. The meltdown, as usual, will be fun to watch.

Classic TV: The circus comes to I've Got a Secret (1955)

 We're closing out our Valentine's Day celebration with this offering from I've Got a Secret:

Legendary Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey Circus clown Emmett Kelly is getting married, and the panel (Bill Cullen, Jayne Meadows, Henry Morgan, & Faye Emerson) have to guess the identity of his bride-to-be. Plus, special guest George Gobel plays a running gag throughout the show.

See? Even clowns fall in love. Happy Valentine's Day.

Marryin' Stooges (In The Sweet Pie & Pie, 1941)

 Every now and again, the Three Stooges would be given romantic interests. In 1941's "In The Sweet Pie & Pie", however, the boys are manipulated into a triple wedding by a conniving lawyer (an uncredited Richard Fiske) to help three socialites collect an inheritance. The boys have been accused of crimes they apparently didn't commit, and are subject to be hanged, but, oh, is that shyster about to find out the truth.......

Rating: A-.

Fantasy Fridays: An astronaut in........Persia? (I Dream of Jeannie, 1965)

 From season 1 of I Dream of Jeannie:

On impulse, Jeannie (Barbara Eden) transports Tony (Larry Hagman) to ancient Persia. Chaos erupts, of course. Richard Kiel & Henry Corden guest star, with the latter as Jeannie's father.

As you know, Corden would remain with Screen Gems to do work for Hanna-Barbera, and a recurring role beginning the next year on The Monkees. Can't really tell if someone, like, maybe, Ted Cassidy, dubbed over Kiel's lines.......

Fantasy Fridays returns next month with some legit Friday the 13th scares. Family Fridays will be back after that.

Just Dumb Vance digs himself a deeper Olympic hole...........

 Just a week after being booed during the opening ceremonies at the Olympics, Vice President Just Dumb Vance issued a rebuke to American athletes who have already raised concerns with the Trump administration.

He thinks he can boss athletes around.

Basically, Vance is telling the athletes to compete, and do nothing else. Well, what are they supposed to do when they do pressers after winning events? They have opinions and feelings like everyone else. The fact that Vance and his wife, Usha, were booed last week was the product of guilt by association, since Donald Trump has become the most hated man on the planet, destroying America's reputation as he goes along. The Worst President of All-Time is a thin-skinned man-child approaching his 80th birthday in four months, and cannot comport himself like an adult, especially if he's rage-watching television, just to have something to complain about.

Vance is trying to present himself as a more mature version of his boss, but the vibe ain't there. Athletes aren't robots, devoid of emotion, guy, so STFU!!

Musical Interlude: I'll Show Them All (1982)

 Steve Allen wrote "I'll Show Them All" for his Broadway bio of Sophie Tucker. In 1982, George Kirby covered it at the Jerry Lewis MDA telethon. Intro by Sammy Davis, Jr..

Pam Bondi melts down before Congress. What a shock

 Her boss behaves like a brat virtually 24/7 on Truthless Social because he's easily offended by just about everything that opposes him. So should it surprise anyone that on Wednesday, US Attorney General Pam Bondi went before the House Judiciary Committe, and started behaving like an entitled nepo brat herself? California Rep. Ted Lieu even went so far as to imply that Bondi was committing perjury right then & there with some of her remarks.

Bondi ignored the presence of some of the survivors of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and that was part of the focus of a discussion on The View.....

But, oh, that ain't all!

Back here at home, a judge appointed Donald Kinsella as a US Attorney, ostensibly replacing John Sarcone. Kinsella, unlike Sarcone, is an experienced prosecutor. Five hours later, Kinsella was notified via Bondi's deputy, Todd "Bleached" Blanche, that he was being removed. This is retaliation for Sarcone being stripped of his title, then being elevated by Bondi. Kinsella is not even sure Blanche had any right to do so.

And let us not forget that a Washington, DC grand jury refused to indict six senators, including Mark Kelly of Arizona, in relation to their now famous video, released in November, where they told military personnel that they can refuse unlawful orders. Another black mark for Bondi, Blanche, and the Department of Injustice. Bondi's public meltdown has some conservatives, shockingly, calling for her to resign or be removed, and the latter is not likely at this point.

It's only mid-February, and the heat is already starting to creep up on the misadministration......

Wild West Wednesdays: The Golden Web (Iron Horse, 1967)

 Ben Calhoun (Dale Robertson) must accept the aid of a con artist (guest star Gerald Mohr) to expose "The Golden Web":

In two weeks: Some Western comedy with Pistols & Petticoats.

Not your ordinary traffic stop (2026)

 Those of us in the 518 who watched the Super Bowl were treated to a pair of local ads

One of the region's top law firms, Harding Mazzotti, joined forces with the Empire State Youth Orchestra for a very clever bit that had Paul Harding directing the band with a gavel instead of a baton

And, then, WNYT, which carried the game, joined with the Menands PD for this bit with meteorologist Paul Caiano.....

The Menands PD was selected since the station's studios are in the village

With next year's game on ABC, WTEN will be challenged to try to top this gem.

Today in GOP stupidity

 More than 36 hours later, the whining from conservative morons continues over Bad Bunny's Super Bowl 60 halftime show on Sunday.

Tennessee Misrepresentative Andy Ogles is calling for an inquiry into the Puerto Rican performer's set, which Ogles contends contained material not suitable for children. Oh, sure, go back to that tired defense. Check what Ogles whined about on X, and see if he's too far gone, considering he's up for reelection in November.....

As one Yahoo! commenter wrote, Ogles is resorting to political theatre to stay in the good graces of President Pampers (Donald Trump), who did his fair share of whining after rage watching the game and the concert.

Seems to me that these two dimbulbs forgot about Turning Point USA's show, headlined by has been Kid Rock, so they contributed to TPUSA's failure.....!

Back at home, Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin has decided, per the Albany Times-Union, that his misadministration doesn't need to attend meetings, where lawmakers make inquiries about funding and policy issues.

Had read that McLaughlin was angling to be Bruce Blakeman's running mate, as Blakeman, the Nassau County nitwit, is running for governor. Not happening. Now, McLaughlin and friends have decided to be lazy and avoid conflict from those same lawmakers unhappy with the direction of county government. Press hack Richard Crist claims they want transparency. Yeah, right, and they're not buying stock in Scotch tape, either.

Blakeman wanted Fulton County Sheriff Richard Giardino as Lieutenant Governor, but Giardino declined. Madison County Todd Hood is "considering" the prospect. This Keystone Kops approach to naming a running mate is likely to doom Blakeman's chances well before November. Don't say I didn't warn ya.

YouTube Theatre: 60 Years of Sammy Davis, Jr. (1990)

 We're doing our part to honor Black History Month here at The Land of Whatever. Tonight, with help from the folks at Clown Jewels, we present a 1990 special that marked Sammy Davis, Jr.'s 60th anniversary in show business, airing just a few months before his passing in May of that year.

This was a show where Hollywood really stepped out, with guests including Clint Eastwood, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Stevie Wonder, Ed McMahon, and, via satellite, Frank Sinatra, who was on tour. Eddie Murphy is your host. Charlie O'Donnell, at the time the announcer on Wheel of Fortune, has that assignment here.

In all honesty, I originally intended to post Sammy's guest appearance on Ben Casey, but the copies that are on YouTube have some glitches. We're not done with Sammy just yet, though. Coming up soon will be a TV-movie he made with Ernest Borgnine, "The Trackers".

An offense in hibernation is a recipe for disaster: Super Bowl 60

 I'm happy to be wrong this morning.

I honestly thought the New England Patriots had come all the way back to being an elite team in the AFC. It took the Seattle Seahawks all of a quarter to prove, nope, not yet.

2nd year QB Drake Maye continued his postseason hibernation until the 4th quarter when he tried to bring New England back, but the Seattle defense had his number. 3 turnovers, including a fatal pick 6 in the 4th quarter. 7 sacks. No, these Patriots looked like the deer-in-the-headlights Pats who were blown out 40 years ago by Chicago. Maybe the motivation in the 4th quarter for New England didn't come from coach Mike Vrabel, but, rather, rookie receiver Kyle Williams, who helped security take down a thrill seeking fan......

When will morons like this one ever learn?

Maye threw the first of his two TD's two plays later, to Mack Hollins. After Rahondre Stevenson's touchdown, the Pats failed with an onside kick, and that was pretty much it. Seattle won its 2nd Super Bowl, 29-13. Running back Kenneth Walker III was named MVP.

For New England, there's always next year.

Reports estimate that Bad Bunny's halftime show, with special surprise guests Ricky Martin and Lady GaGa, drew anywhere between 125-135 million viewers. Compare that to Turning Point USA's alternative show, headlined by has-been rap-rocker Kid Rock, which got more than 4 million views on Turning Point's YouTube channel. Chump change by comparison. President Pampers (Donald Trump) rage watched, and whined about Bad Bunny, and couldn't be bothered to watch the TPUSA show.

And, then, there were the commercials, of course.

Kellogg's called on ageless wonder William Shatner, now past 90, to plug Raisin Bran.

Kellogg's, remember, acquired Pringles from Procter & Gamble a few years back, and signed singer Sabrina Carpenter to do a pretty funny bit with some CGI bringing to life a sentient can of the chips in human form.

Ben Affleck likely produced & directed another star-laden spot for Dunkin', joined this time by Jaleel White (Flip Side, ex-Family Matters), Jason Alexander (ex-Seinfeld), Alfonso Ribiero (America's Funniest Home Videos, ex-Silver Spoons, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), Ted Danson, looking like he did in his Cheers days, likely via AI or CGI, Tom Brady (showing again he can't act), Matt Damon, and reunited Friends Jennifer Aniston & Matt LeBlanc. Apparently, LeBlanc also went to the hair dye. Jasmine Guy (ex-A Different World) rounded out the ensemble...

Kurt Russell shilling for Michelob Light, along with past Olympians Chloe Kim and TJ Oshie.

Lay's signed up Bowen Yang, Scarlett Johanssen, & Jon Hamm.

State Farm gained a license to parody Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer", with Danny McBride & Keegan-Michael Key, and a cameo from Jon Bon Jovi.

Everyone has their favorites, of course.

The lesson that conservatives need to learn, yet again, is that Bad Bunny, being from Puerto Rico, is an American citizen, and that their racism is misplaced intentionally. The idiocy of the MAGA crowd is just ridiculous.

Next year's game should be even better.

What Might've Been: Brotherly Love (1995)

 After Blossom had ended its run, Joey Lawrence moved on to another NBC sitcom, designed largely for him and his brothers, Matthew & Andrew, Brotherly Love, from the same studios, Witt-Thomas Productions & Touchstone Television.

However, the series lasted just two seasons, one each on NBC & WB, before resurfacing on cable on the Disney Channel. Joey sang the theme song, and directed one episode. Matthew, fresh from the ABC Saturday morning bomb, Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad, and Andrew were getting wider exposure.

The plot: The boys' father had died after he'd remarried, and Joe meets his new half-brothers, and his stepmom (Melinda Culea, ex-The A-Team).

Bryan Cranston, pre-Malcolm in The Middle, guests in this sample episode.

Andrew Lawrence would get into cartoons, joining the cast of Recess in 1998.

No rating. Just a public service.

Sports this 'n' that

 Former NFL defensive lineman Chris Long (Inside The NFL) offered a piece of last minute advice to Grammy winner Bad Bunny ahead of tonight's Super Bowl halftime show.

Long, son of Fox analyst and Skechers pitchman Howie Long, suggested that Bad Bunny have no less than The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, open with "Born in The USA", Springsteen's seminal 1984 anthem. The idea here is that opening with such an iconic 80's track would get the audience on Bad Bunny's side, opposite the conservative screwballs who have their collective briefs in a twist. Speaking of.........

Boxer and YouTube "star" Jake Paul took offense to some remarks made by singer Billie Eilish at the Grammys, saying he wished that Eilish had her house broken into, but that Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) wouldn't be able to help her, after she slammed ICE. Apparently, Paul is getting ICE and local police mixed up, which prompted Yahoo! commenters to crack that Paul, 29, may have already contracted CTE after getting destroyed by Anthony Joshua last month.

Paul currently is in Italy at the Olympics, cheering on his fiancee, Dutch speed skater Jutta Leerdam, and was photographed alongside VP Just Dumb Vance at the hockey game between the US Women's team and Finland, which Team USA won, 5-0. When Vance left the venue, he left to boos for the 2nd day in a row after he'd been jeered during Friday's opening ceremonies.

Jake Paul, meanwhile, will have a Dunce Cap waiting for him when he comes home, due to his ignorant remarks.

Speaking of Dunces, that brings us to a punk named Jack Doherty. If you don't know who he is, he's a 22 year old livestreaming prankster, who thinks what he does allows him to avoid accountability. It doesn't.

On Friday, Doherty was ejected from the PGA's Waste Management-Phoenix Open after paying a fan $100 to try to distract one of the golfers.

He's 22, and a moron.

Like, unless Empty-V plans on relaunching Ashton Kutcher's Punk'd down the line, and there'd been rumors a few years ago, Doherty is wasting his talent being an imbecile with money. He won't be able to take his act on the PGA tour any further, as reportedly, he received a ban from all PGA events. He thinks what he does is really cool. Not anymore, it ain't. He's the kind of punk who'd livestream his own arrest if he was to hand off his camera phone to a friend, and he probably did.

What that gets you from this desk, bub, is a set of Weasel ears.

Former WWE announcer Craig Minervini (fka Craig DeGeorge in the late 80's), who last worked for WWE during the original XFL's run in 2001, resurfaced on MLB Network this week, calling the Caribbean Series, which closes out the winter baseball season. I'd think he's looking to audition for a MLB job this season, unless he already has one......!

Super Bowl 60 preview

 The underlying question in this year's Super Bowl is this. Redemption or revenge?

For more than 2 decades, the New England Patriots were football's Evil Empire. None of their wins were really without controversy for a variety of reasons, absent the scandals that emerged. Some felt that the Patriots were getting preferential treatment from officials due to owner Robert Kraft being on some influential committees. The ineptitude of opposing coaches (Atlanta, Seattle) was something New England benefited from.

Now, Seattle stands in a prime position to avenge their loss.

Everyone remembers how Pete Carroll botched it in the 4th quarter, leading to a game saving interception by Malcolm Butler, who, rightfully, should've been named MVP, but that honor----of course---went to diva QB Tom Brady, now with Fox and a shill for Pizza Hut. Butler ended up in Bill Belichick's doghouse the very next season, and disappeared.

Today, Russell Wilson is on the back 9 of his career after flopping with the Giants. Sam Darnold, who caddied Brock Purdy a couple of years ago in San Francisco, gets the start for the Seahawks, despite the fact that he has never beaten New England, dating back to his days with the Jests. Marshawn Lynch does the occasional commercial, not much else. Seattle's defense isn't exactly on the same level as the Legion of Boom a decade ago, but it's still formidable.

Mike Vrabel came back to New England with some past postseason coaching experience in Tennessee. He would've been back sooner had Kraft not decided on Jerod Mayo as head coach in 2024. Mayo bombed and was let go, opening up the reunion with Vrabel, a past Super Bowl hero. 2nd year QB Drake Maye hasn't been playing his best ball in the playoffs, bailed out by an opportunistic, swarming, ballhawking defense. Aside from journeyman receiver Stefon Diggs, the Patriots don't have any real stars, operating more as a team than in the Brady years.

And, then, there are other factors that could motivate New England, specifically the fact that Kraft & Belichick were both denied induction into the Hall of Fame for a number of reasons, including lingering suspicion of foul play during the Brady-Belichick era. If Vrabel adopts an "Us against the World" mentality, in addition to flashing his own rings, that may be the last piece of the puzzle.

One other upside. One of Kraft's closest friends, president Trump, won't be at the game, polluting the air with his presence. He bailed out last year at halftime as Philadelphia dominated Kansas City. Trump's increasing unpopularity would be another distraction that the NFL doesn't need.

If the pre-game marathons on NBC & ESPN don't thrill you, there's always the Olympics on USA and the Puppy Bowl on TBS. Kraft wants to prove he can win a Super Bowl without Belichick & Brady, who delivered six tainted titles. Brady's record at the Big Game was 6-3 as a Patriot, losing to the Eagles and Giants, the latter twice. New England has otherwise fallen to Chicago & Green Bay for an overall total of 6-5.

Vrabel & Maye are making believers out of former haters, and they'll need plenty of those to thwart a bid for revenge from Seattle.

The pick: New England in a shootout.

Of course, I could be wrong.

On The Shelf: A Disney crossover misfires, and other stuff

 Disney and Dynamite Entertainment must've bought into the Reese's Theory, that two great tastes would look great together.

Darkwing Duck and Gargoyles, two hit series from the 90's, are joined together in a miniseries that, in all honesty, may leave a black mark on the resumes of Gargoyles creator Greg Weisman, and on Tad Stones, who shepherded Disney's comedy-adventure toons like Darkwing and DuckTales. Stones plotted the story, with Weisman scripting, and Ciro Cangialosi drawing.

The plot?  Demona, fresh off her own miniseries, abducts Morgana Macawber, a sorceress who is also Darkwing's girlfriend, conscripting Morgana to help her steal some ancient tome.

Now, remember that Darkwing was created as a parody of Batman, a year before the Dark Knight's seminal animated series hit the air. Dynamite has gotten plenty of mileage out of Darkwing in the last couple of years, but the coupling of Darkwing, with daughter Gosalyn, with the Gargoyles, contrary to what Dynamite hoped, comes across like someone preparing a sandwich of peanut butter and relish. Not good. While Gargoyles has its share of comedy relief, I don't think fans will want to sit through 5 issues. There was a reason, after all, that I'd passed on a similar pairing of the Powerpuff Girls and the ThunderCats a few months back. The aesthetic is all wrong.

Rating: C.

Dynamite also made readers wait a month for the launch of Thundarr the Barbarian, which actually is a continuation of a sort of the 1980-2 animated series created by comics legends Jack Kirby & Steve Gerber for Ruby-Spears & ABC.

We are reintroduced to Thundarr's rogues gallery, as the hero goes undercover, returning to his past as a slave. While cover artist Michael Cho captures the aesthetic of the cartoon, right down to the Kirby-esque illustrations (and an Easter egg homage to Kirby), interior artist Kewber Baal is going for more of a Silver Age look, as opposed to the Bronze Age from whence Thundarr sprang. Writer Jason Aaron, better known for his work at Marvel (i.e. Thor), did his homework, Baal's art shifts from one style to another, and that isn't good. We saw what happened with the attempt at an Alex Toth homage with the Herculoids last year, as Craig Brousseau's artwork deteriorated over the course of the series. That can't happen here.

You tell yourself, it will get better. Because it needs to.

Rating: A-.

Mad Cave continues its Gatchaman one-shots, the final one focusing on Jinpei. While Tommy Lee Edwards' script is just fine, artist Daniel Hansen was the wrong choice. He, too, is going for a Silver Age aesthetic that doesn't belong.

To think that in the first American translation of the franchise, Jinpei was repackaged as an android. He's treated better in this series, and deservedly so.

Rating: C.

Marvel has released Planet of The Apes vs. Fantastic Four, or, another five issues of reader torture.

Writer Josh Trujillo (Who? Exactly.) must've cut his teeth on Image's style, because he drops us right in the middle of things, with the FF already prisoners in Ape City, stripped of their powers after being sent through a portal during a battle with old foe Red Ghost. Thor must figure into the plot somehow, or his appearance on the cover is misleading.

The above cover gives away the other antagonist, as you can see. Good thing this isn't in continuity. Unfortunately, Disney has laid another egg.

Rating: C.

Quick hits: Dynamite is ending the current ThunderCats monthly with issue 25, out in March, while launching an epic crossover with the Silverhawks, which will get underway, complete with attendant miniseries, in April. The event ties into the just concluded ThunderCats: Lost miniseries. Can you say, jump the shark?.........Writer David Pepose is using the 1981 Space Stars revival of Space Ghost as source material for volume 2 of the series. First, he reintroduced fans to Eclipse Woman in issue 3, reposited, as previously discussed, as an old flame of Space Ghost's. Space Spectre, in volume 1, was rebooted as a future version of Jace. Don't ask. To that point, Jan & Jace's grandfather, a scientist, is transformed into the Anti-Matter Man in issue 7, out now. In between, we had a follow up to a 1981 short about space vampires in issue 6.......Mad Cave will resume the Dick Tracy monthly in April, after a St. Patrick's Day Special in March, instead of a 2nd annual Valentine's Day number. Maybe they'll do Easter next year?.....Dynamite has the rights to Slave Labor's ill-fated run of Gargoyles, but the trades, like the books were originally, are in black & white, and more expensive than the normal Dynamite trade. Hmmmm.

Musical Interlude: Up, Up, & Away (1967-8)

 In a rare instance of The Ed Sullivan Show going on the road, the 5th Dimension perform "Up, Up, & Away" live in Las Vegas in 1968.

In memory of Lamonte McLemore, 90, who passed away earlier this week. Rest in peace.

It's never a good idea to push your beliefs on big business......

 Missouri Senator Josh "Hee" Hawley put his foot in his mouth again when Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos met with a Senate committee, ostensibly to discuss the still-pending merger of the streaming giant with Warner Bros Discovery. Hawley steered the discussion toward a discourse on how Netflix offends his supposed values with LGTBQ+ content, making it all about him (sound familiar?).

Farron Cousins explains.

So what this amounted to was Hawley hijacking the meeting to air out personal grievances. Yeah, that does have a familiar stench to it, doesn't it? What he really has a problem with is how the LGTBQ+ community has gained acceptance in general society, such that we're seeing more & more content developed for and about them. That's part of how society moves forward. Hawley and some of these other GOP stick-in-the-muds would rather move society back 70 years. Deal with it, chumps.

What Might've Been: Timecop (1997)

 Nearly three years after Dark Horse & Universal adapted the former's Timecop into a feature film with Jean Claude Van Damme, a TV version was sold to ABC, meant as a lead-in to Monday Night Football. However, with only one character returning from the movie, and that nearly three year time lag between movie and TV, Timecop flopped, and was gone before Christmas.

Don Stark, later of That 70's Show, took over the role originated by Bruce McGill in the movie. The only other familiar names include Kurt Fuller ("No Holds Barred", "Ghostbusters") and, in the series finale, Bruce Campbell.

Pardon the obvious pun, but time was not on their side.

Rating: C.

Today in GOP stupidity

 Donald Trump won't let go of 2020, specifically, his election loss to Joe Biden.

A normal person would've just accepted what happened, and moved on. Because of how he was mentored by his late father, Fred, and the late attorney, Roy Cohn, Trump is incapable of this. Instead, it eats at him, even though he's back in the White House. He just doesn't know how to put it behind him.

Consider, then, a recent raid in Fulton County, Georgia, supervised by the head of the office of national incompetence, Tulsi Gabbard. Five-plus years later, Trump still wants proof that doesn't exist that he was somehow screwed in 2020. You can't make him understand that the more he complains publicly about it, the worse it's going to be for him in the public eye.

As Farron Cousins explains, the chances of any vindictive prosecution coming out of this are just like the proof he seeks. Mythical.

Comedian Ron White was right. You can't fix stupid.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson thinks he knows more about the Bible than Pope Leo.

Yeah, and chickens have lips.

Misreading scripture on purpose to get his point across, Johnson is claiming that the borders of this country, specifically, are Biblical in nature.

At least a fictional character like Bart Simpson, for example, has been depicted attending services at church. When was the last time you took communion, Mike? At a Cajun revival meeting?

There is dumb, and then, there is Mike Johnson.

Turning Point USA has finalized its lineup for Sunday's "All American Halftime Show", running opposite the Super Bowl halftime program headlined by Bad Bunny. Washed up rap-rocker Kid Rock gets the headline spot for the show, which will air on Sinclair owned channels such as Charge. Figure this will be the least watched cable program in certain parts of the country come Sunday night.

Which is why this falls under, "why are they even bothering?". Because they're too stupid to realize that Puerto Rico-born Bad Bunny is an American citizen. It's been nearly 20 years since Kid Rock's last hit record, and then, he'd sampled classic Lynrd Skynrd.

Sinclair Broadcasting may want a refund.

Musical Interlude: Up On The Roof (Sesame Street, 1978)

 A rare nighttime scene on the set of Sesame Street is the backdrop for James Taylor's solo cover of the Drifters' "Up On The Roof":

A few months later, Taylor officially released the song as a track on his album, "Flag". This does get some airplay on oldies channels even today.

Musical Interlude: Joy to The World (1972)

 Going back to Three Dog Night's 1972 appearance on The David Frost Show for a performance of "Joy To The World".

In memory of singer Chuck Negron, who has passed away at 83. Rest in peace.

Maybe he should cut the cord.........

 Donald Trump, man & boy, needs to stop rage watching.

In addition to filing frivolous lawsuits against the IRS, to distract from an info dump of the Epstein files the other day, President Onions is threatening one against comic Trevor Noah (ex-The Daily Show), who emceed the Grammys last night in Los Angeles. All because of one joke that encompassed Trump's obsession with Greenland and his alleged association with Epstein in one fell swoop.

Brian Tyler Cohen & Glenn Kirschner break it down on The Legal Breakdown.

Smart money says Dumb Donald won't go through with the suit this time, for the reasons Glenn points out. Still, it illustrates just how hypersensitive Trump is to criticism of any kind, thanks likely to his upbringing. Unfortunately, he can't shake this:

Maybe Melania should cut the cord, and replace the TV with an iPad, so Donnie can listen to his favorite tunes all day.......

Classic TV: The series premiere of Diff'rent Strokes (1978)

 You know the story. A widowed millionaire (Conrad Bain, fresh from Maude) adopts two African American boys, whose deceased mom worked for him.

Diff'rent Strokes spent 8 seasons total between NBC (1978-85) and ABC (1985-6), and, as with many of Norman Lear's series, dealt with real world issues such as racism and kidnapping over the course of the run.

Halfway through season 2, Charlotte Rae's character of housekeeper Edna Garrett was spun off into The Facts of Life, which bowed the following summer. Nedra Volz spent some time as Adelaide before leaving for a recurring role on The Dukes of Hazzard. Mary Jo Catlett took over the housekeeper's role for the rest of the run. Gary Coleman had been tried out in an attempt to revive Our Gang with an inner-city spin that didn't sell, but became an icon with this series, which led to one of his movies, "The Kid With The Broken Halo", spinning off a self-titled animated series in 1982 that lased just 1 season. Todd Bridges came over from Fish to be the big brother.

Following is the series opener, "Movin' In". The theme song was co-written & sung by Alan Thicke.

Rating: A.

Musical Interlude: Principal's Office (1989)

 "Principal's Office" was the follow-up to Young MC's breakthrough debut, "Bust a Move", off "Stone Cold Rhymin'". The video takes Young MC back to high school, and, as we've already seen, it became common for music videos to feature "high schoolers" dancing on campus to the beat......

Insight Sundays: Just Before Eve (1978)

 "Just Before Eve" is a 3-person teleplay set in the Garden of Eden before the creation of Eve. Yeah, they are stretching things a tad with God (Flip Wilson), Adam (Martin Sheen), & Eve (Darleen Carr, ex-Sugar Time!, Streets of San Francisco) in modern clothing, but, well, it is a family show.......

Insight Sundays returns March 1.