Mario Cuomo, Donna Douglas, Edward Brooke, Stuart Scott, Stéphane Charbonnier, Tignous, Cabu, Georges Wolinski, Andrae Crouch, Rod Taylor, Anita Ekberg, Don Harron, Vince Camuto, Joe Franklin, Ernie Banks, Kristiana Coignard, Charles Townes, Whitney Steen O’Leary, Colleen McCullough, Rod McKuen, Dave Bergman, Kim Jones, Charlie Sifford, Dean Smith, Billy Casper, Ed Sabol, Claude Ruel, Kayla Mueller, Bob Simon, Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha, Razan Abu-Salha, David Carr, Gary Owens, Steve Montador, Lesley Gore, Louis Jourdan, Philip Levine, Jerome Kersey, Clark Terry, Earl Lloyd, Leonard Nimoy, Avijit Roy, Boris Nemtsov, Oren Miller, Minnie Minoso, Anthony Mason (basketball player), Christian Welp, Taylor Negron, Ofc. Robert Wilson III, Sam Simon, Camille Muffat, Jimmy Greenspoon, Bill Badger, Terry Pratchett, Rev. Willie Barrow, Mike Porcaro, Daevid Allen, Chuck Bednarik, Lee Kuan Yew, Jerry Warren, Lisa Colagrossi, James Stuhlman, Emily Selke, Yvonne Selke, Gene Saks, Cynthia Lennon, Jose Rosario, Gary Ross Dahl, Robert Z’Dar, Jeremy Brown, Eddie LeBaron, Nicole Peppelman, John Doster, Sarah Brady, Robert Lewis Burns Jr., Fredric Brandt, Gardner C. Taylor, Stan Freberg, Milton Berkes, Stan Hochman, Richard Dysart, David R. Boldt, Guenter Grass, Percy Sledge, Cardinal Francis George, Ben Powers, Doug Buffone, Mary Doyle Keefe, Jonathan Crombie, Richard Corliss, Sawyer Sweeten, Suzanna Crough Condray, Jack Ely, Calvin Peete, Ben E. King, David Goldberg, Ruth Rendell, Grace Lee Whitney, Frank Olivo, Nigel Terry, Michael Blake, Errol Brown, Jim Wright, Marv Hubbard, Elizabeth Wilson, Guy Carawan. Justin Zemser, Jim Gaines, Abid Gilani, Rachel Jacobs, Derrick Griffith, B.B. King, John Forbes Nash, Anne Meara, Mary Ellen Mark, Beau Biden, Ronnie Gilbert, Kalief Browder, Vincent Bugliosi, Mary Ellen Trainor, Ron Moody, Sir Christopher Lee, Ornette Coleman, Izabel Laxamana, John Carroll, Clementa Pinckney, Phil Austin, James Horner, Dick Van Patten, Patrick Macnee, Chris Squire, Nicholas Winton, Diana Douglas, Blaine Gibson, Burt Shavitz, Ken Stabler, Irwin Keyes, Omar Sharif, Roger Rees, Ron Bogdon, Marlene Sanders, Aubrey Morris, Tom Moore, Alex Rocco, George Coe, E.L. Doctorow, Theodore Bikel, Ann Rule, Betty Russell, Jack Gibbons, Roddy Piper, Lynn Anderson, Ruben Espinosa, Ray Regan, Vincent Marotta Sr., Frances Oldham Kelsey, Frank Gifford, Sean Price, Buddy Baker, Tony Lara, Julian Bond, Bob Johnston, Emma Didlake, Khaled Asaad, Yvonne Craig, Louis Stokes, Mark Costello, Steven Vincent, Justin Wilson, Alison Parker, Adam Ward, Marcy Borders, Amelia Boynton Robinson, Darryl Dawkins, Al Arbour, Kyle Jean-Baptiste, Oliver Sacks, Wes Craven, Dean Jones, Aylan Kurdi, Michael John Riley Jr., Dahlia Yehia, Tyler Sash, Judy Carne, Martin Milner, John Gibson, Dickie Moore, Moses Malone, Kerry Simon, Gary Richrath, Middle Passage, Jake Brewer, Jackie Collins, Yogi Berra, Ben Cauley, Jeremy Tarcher, Doug Kendall, James A. Getty, Bucky Clark, Frankie Ford, John Guillermin, Marty Beil, Wilton Felder, Henning Mankell, Caleb Logan Bratayley, Kevin Corcoran, Paul Prudhomme, Billy Joe Royal, Gail Zappa, Thomas L. “Cannibal” Cottingham, Jerry Parr, Grace Lee Boggs, Jamie Zimmerman, Trudy Taylor, Corey Jones, Lilly Garcia, Cory Wells, Maureen O’Hara, Flip Saunders, Mel Daniels, Al Molinaro, Faisal Arefin Dipon, Alec Cook, Fred Thompson, Melissa Mathison, Peter Rasmussen, Gunnar Hansen, Allen Toussaint, Tommy Hanson, Daniel Fleetwood, Nathaniel Marston, November Paris Bombing Victims, Anne Walsh, Bert Olmstead, Ofc. Garrett Swasey, Ezra Schwartz, Tahir Elci, Sandy Berger, Cynthia Robinson, Scott Weiland, Robert Loggia, Holly Woodlawn, George Manney, Dolph Schayes, Steven Kim, John Trudell, Jeremy Carter, Zaevion Dobson, George Clayton Johnson, William Guest, Dave Henderson, Haskell Wexler, Meadowlark Lemon, Ellsworth Kelly, Robert Spitzer, Lemmy Kilmister, Wayne Rogers, Natalie Cole, Cilla Black, John Bradbury, Bob Burns, Don Covay, Bruce Crump, Jack Ely, Bobby Emmons, Kim Fowley, Andy Fraser, Louis Johnson, Wally Lester, Joe B. Mauldin, Dieter Moebius, Dallas Taylor, Sid Tepper, Andy White, Thom Wilson, Stevie Wright
…and now, without any more ado…
Dregs of the Year
This is a picture of Andreas Lubitz, a former co-pilot for Germanwings Flight 9525 which departed from Barcelona, Spain in late March and was due to arrive in Dusseldorf, Germany sometime after that. There were 144 passengers on the plane along with six other crew personnel, including Lubitz and the co-pilot.
About an hour into the flight, the plane left cruising altitude and began to descend rapidly. During the course of the next 10 minutes (based on accounts from French aviation authorities – one can only imagine how hellish those ten minutes were), the plane descended about 3,400 a minute before it crashed in the remote commune of Prads-Haute Bleone, about 62 miles northwest of Niece, killing Lubitz and everyone else aboard (here).
Three days after the crash, German detectives searched Lubitz’s Montabaur properties and removed a computer and other items for testing. They did not find a suicide note nor any evidence his actions had been motivated by “a political or religious background”.[108][109][110] During their search of Lubitz’s apartment, detectives found a letter in a waste bin indicating he had been declared unfit to work by a doctor. Germanwings stated it had not received a sick note from Lubitz for the day of the flight. News accounts said Lubitz was “hiding an illness from his employers”;[111][112][113][114][115] under German law, employers do not have access to employees’ medical records, and sick notes excusing a person from work do not give information about medical conditions.[116]
The following day, authorities again searched Lubitz’s home, where they found evidence he was taking prescription drugs and suffered from a psychosomatic illness.[117][118] Criminal investigators said Lubitz’s web searches on his tablet computer in the days leading up to the crash included “ways to commit suicide” and “cockpit doors and their security provisions”.[93][94][95][119] Prosecutor Brice Robin said doctors had told him Lubitz should not have been flying, but “medical secrecy requirements” prevented this information from being made available to Germanwings.[120][121]
In the weeks before the (French Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety’s) preliminary report, the investigation into Lubitz found he had been treated for suicidal tendencies prior to his training as a commercial pilot and had been temporarily denied a US pilot’s license because of these treatments for depression.[122][123][124] For five years, Lubitz had frequently been unable to sleep because of what he believed were vision problems; he consulted over forty doctors and feared he was going blind.[120][121][125] Motivated by the fear that blindness would cause him to lose his pilot’s licence, he began conducting online research about methods of committing suicide before deciding to crash Flight 9525.
So, knowing he was suffering from an illness that made him a danger not only to himself but everyone around him, Lubitz instead decided to kill himself in a manner that would enable him to take as many people as he could with him also (including Drexel University student Emily Selke and her mother, Yvonne Selke).
I realize that we’re talking about mental illness here, and the rules of rational human behavior don’t apply. However, when it comes to a single act that was as self-destructive as you can imagine by a single individual, taking as many lives as he could and ruining many others on top of that as a result, Andreas Lubitz is, hands down, Dregs of the Year (and if one believes in this sort of thing, one can only imagine the afterlife he is currently enduring as a result).
Also, a runner-up citation here goes to Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the terrorist and murderer (and not “mastermind,” as some have referred to him) behind the November Paris attack that left 130 dead; he was also responsible for other attacks in that city and had planned more before he was killed (here).
Do-Gooder of the Year
I don’t know how many other people besides me noticed this, but John Kerry had an absolutely bangin’ year of 2015.
As noted here, he took the lead in the U.S. role of forging the nuclear deal with Iran, which was widely praised by a bipartisan group of more than 50 foreign policy experts (here)…
“We welcome the announcement that the U.S. government and other major world powers have reached a framework accord to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon,” said the statement, published by the Iran Project.
“In view of this hopeful progress, we call on the U.S. Congress to take no action that would impede further progress or undermine the American negotiators’ efforts to complete the final comprehensive agreement on time,” the group said.
The statement is signed by former senior government officials, including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. James Cartwright, former Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.), former commander of U.S. Special Operations Command and retired Navy SEAL Adm. Eric Olson.
The statement said, while “technical details are still to be fully resolved, important U.S. objectives have been achieved.”
Those objectives include limiting uranium enrichment and plutonium production, reducing Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, “broad and sweeping inspections,” and a two-thirds reduction in installed centrifuges, they wrote.
The statement also acknowledged that “important, difficult, and ambiguous issues still remain,” including how Iran’s current stockpile will be dealt with, how Iran will address concerns on the past military dimensions of its nuclear program, and how sanctions on Iran will be lifted.
Still, they said, the framework represents “important progress toward our goal of blocking an Iranian nuclear weapon.”
“Before members of Congress or its committees decide to act on this matter, we urge them to hold hearings so that the framework can be fully discussed and debated,” they wrote.
(And if you want to see this treaty put to work in a real-world way, check this out, though I have to admit that it’s kind of a “pick your poison” scenario when it comes to giving enriched uranium to our ol’ buddy Vlad Putin – still progress, though.)
And on top of that, Kerry just announced a framework for a climate change deal agreed upon by 188 countries (here)…
PARIS — Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday that he would sell an agreement on tackling climate change to the American people almost entirely as a jobs and economic issue.
“This is the most extraordinary market opportunity in the history of mankind,” Mr. Kerry said at The International New York Times Energy for Tomorrow conference in Paris.
In a conversation with the New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman, Mr. Kerry said that investing in renewable energy to lower carbon dioxide emissions was a far bigger opportunity than the information technology boom in the United States.
“I think there are millions of jobs to be created in this,” he said, referring to people “who would build and service and profit from this transformation.”
Mr. Kerry pointed out that the climate agreement being negotiated in Paris would not need to go before the United States Congress for debate.
Asked whether he thought putting the deal before Congress would strengthen it, he referred broadly to the gridlock that increasingly paralyzes the Senate, as well as to the rejection by many members of Congress to established climate science that indicates the earth is warming because of the burning of fossil fuels.
And yes, it’s true that Iran could abrogate its agreement and try to acquire nukes, but if they did, the treaty compliance mechanisms are such that it would be known right away. And it’s also true that the climate deal is pretty much “a common expression of good intentions, as noted here.
But here is my question; what is the alternative? The minute someone else does something better on these issues, I’ll take note of it. But for now, I don’t see anyone who actually has (an opposing viewpoint citing former NASA scientist James Hansen is here).
So, for that reason, Obama Administration Secretary of State John Kerry is my Do-Gooder of the Year (in no small part because of having to deal with nonsense like this also).
(By the way, a runner-up citation goes to the activists with Greenpeace and the group Oceana who fought, successfully, to keep Royal Dutch Shell from drilling in the Arctic, as noted here. Yes, I realize that falling oil prices played a part too, but I’m happy to celebrate the few victories we have mustered on behalf of the only planet we live on, as of now at least.)
__
That about does it for me on this; as is my custom, I want to take a minute and thank anyone who, over the prior year, has visited either this site or my home on Blogger. This may be it for “Do-Gooders and Dregs,” by the way – I just don’t know yet if I’ll keep doing this or whether or not I’ll change things up a bit (stretches the “Doomsy World Enterprises” budget more than a little :- ). I’ll do my best to keep things current, but after 10-plus years of doing this, I think I need to take another look at this whole thing (yeah I know – boring meta blah blah blah…).
I hope you have all good things in 2016 (and let’s hope and pray and get out and work to make sure that the “D” party still owns the White House this time next year!).
Missouri State Rep. Stacey Newman (D-St. Louis), who proposed a bill here to regulate guns in the same manner as abortions, telling the applicant that they must wait 72 hours for approval (should take that amount of time at a minimum to do what should be a mandatory background check – this great idea was spurred on by the most recent gun carnage, this time in San Bernardino, CA)
The “Have Yourselves A Merry Little Armed, Treasonous Insurrection” Citation Of The Year
Republican South Carolina State Rep. Chris Corley sent Christmas cards with Confederate flags on them to, presumably, family and friends (no word on whether or not he invited anyone over to his house for a seasonal cookout featuring a cross-burning – here)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Call me crazy, but if I were running late for a scheduled plane flight, I might call the airline and try to rebook my flight with that airline, or even try to find out if another carrier would be flying to that destination on that day.
However, that’s not what this genius Svein Johannessen, 30, of Norway did, according to police, calling in twice with two bomb threats to make sure no British Airways flights left Philly International so he could catch his scheduled flight (here).
I don’t know how this will be handled exactly from a law enforcement perspective since we’re talking about an international situation, but my guess is that, when this is resolved, Johannessen won’t have to worry about catching a plane flight for a long, long time.
Dregs of the Year Nominee
I had honestly forgotten just how horrible a pundit J.D. Mullane of the Bucks County Courier Times truly was, but unfortunately, I was reminded of that in a December column called “The Radicalization of Joe Six Pack,” written with the San Bernardino carnage still fresh in our minds (sorry there’s no link, but this dreck has long since disappeared behind the Courier Times’s utterly laughable pay wall).
To begin, Mullane told us about a guy named Thomas William Driver who was found walking near the Doylestown, Pa courthouse carrying two legal, concealed guns, and his German shepherd that wore a bulletproof vest. As far as Mullane is concerned, though, Driver is “an otherwise ordinary man.”
Yeah, “otherwise ordinary” except for the fact that he’s an utter loon (and do you really want to imagine what had happened to this guy if he had actually been a person of color?).
Apparently, though, Mullane felt a bit of a survivalist instinct himself, since (as he also told us) he soon after that “found (himself) at Mike’s Guns in Levittown, looking at sleek black Rugers and Glocks on display beneath glass.” And while there, Mullane just happened to run into a guy named “Kevin” who told Mullane “I’m a white (sic), middle-aged and Republican. I’m the kind of guy Obama can’t stand.”
(By the way, I should note that Mullane, in his columns, continually finds a way to “happen” to run into people who completely and absolutely manage to confirm every single one of his talking points. Unless, of course, this person is a “hippy dude” who of course is worthy of nothing but scorn and derision.)
And yes, you guessed it – as a result of the Paris attack which left 130 people dead on top of the other gun atrocities in this country, even though “Kevin” served in the military under Reagan and Bush and apparently only fired a weapon while on duty, he’s going to buy a gun also because “the government can’t protect us. So we’ll protect ourselves with guns.”
I’m not going to bother to make the points once more that I and many others have made many, many, many, many, many, MANY other times about this stuff, namely, that a gun in the house greatly increases the probability of an accidental shooting as opposed to a “good guy” thwarting a “bad guy” (which really doesn’t happen either, as least as anything but a statistical abnormality) as well as the fact that Obama has done much, MUCH more than his utterly ruinous predecessor and our prior ruling cabal has done to make us safe, as well as the fact that, while you could take issue with some of what Obama has done in encouraging regime change in that area of the world (e.g., Libya), Number 43 did an awful lot to create the vacuum that was filled by these ISIS crazies starting with his disastrous escapade in Mesopotamia.
Oh, and is Mullane going to tell us that it’s REPUBLICANS who have thwarted Obama on guns by continuing to allow anyone on a terror watch list to buy one? Or will Mullane tell us that it’s REPUBLICANS who are opposed to universal background checks or reduced clip sizes (does a “legitimate sportsman” needs 30 rounds and Teflon-coated bullets to kill a deer? Who does this matter to except “gang-bangers”?).
Normally, I would just write off Mullane’s hackery is nothing more than partisan BS. However, a column like this might lead an otherwise sensible person to a course of action that could get that person killed.
And if that happens, there will be no need to worry about the terrorists, because, in truth, they will have already won.
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Exxon-Mobil for this – where the hell were you bastards on this issue when it’s mattered for all of these years? Oh yeah, I forgot – funding climate change denialism along with Chucky and Davey Koch, that’s where, in essence, fellating carbon (here)
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Not these two Fix Noise numbskulls for their language about Obama (though that was pretty damn bad too, and once again, where is the alleged left-wing equivalency here?), but Roger Ailes, king of the Fix Noise BS Factory, for thinking that two weeks is actually a proper punishment – hell, Martin Bashir created an admittedly disturbing image involving Caribou Barbie with no profanity at all, AND HE LOST HIS DAMN JOB!
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
The Muslim congregations that raised about $57 K for the families of the San Bernardino shooting victims here (something to contemplate while we deal with all of the OMIGOD KILL THE SCARY TERRISTS!!! headlines)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Jon Stewart, for continuing his fight (and it truly was that) to get the Zadroga Bill passed that will provide much-needed medical assistance on behalf of 9/11 first responders here, many of whom have gotten sicker and/or died as a result of their heroic sacrifices on that awful day (and a Dregs citation goes to Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao, who did everything he could to block the funding – if it’s any consolation, these brave Americans will be celebrated and respected long after McConnell and his ilk are justifiably scorned in perpetuity I’m sure…the bill was eventually passed and the funding was approved, but there’s no way that it should have taken this long…Mikey the Beloved will try to puff himself up over this later in this post)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
St. Petersburg, FL mayor Rich Kriseman for giving “The Donald” the same treatment that Trump would give to Muslims, namely, banning him from the city; Kriseman means it as a joke, but to be honest, he should try to put the force of law behind it (here)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
I don’t know anything about Menards, which is apparently a hardware store chain in Wisconsin, but the people in charge must be buds with Hosni Mubarak Walker, which would figure given that the store owners have told their managers that, if their work force unionizes, the managers could be looking at a 60 percent pay cut, a move which may be illegal (as Laura Clawson of Daily Kos notes, though, there are a bunch of stores out there that probably do stuff like this also that we don’t know about…here).
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee(Commemorative “Trying To Teach An Old You-Know-What New Tricks” Citation)
As noted here, Michael Vick, he of the conviction for running a dog-fighting ring, former quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles and current QB for the Pittsburgh Steelers, lent his support for a bill to aid pets who are kept in hot (i.e., temperature) cars (“who let the dogs out” indeed)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
The Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis, IN, for standing up to their idiot governor Mike Pence and his ban on Syrian refugees here by allowing a family to settle in that state (something to remember when considering this – kind of sad that one family is the best we can do for now, but it’s progress of a sort anyway I guess…and it sounds like it made Pence change his mind; nice work)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
Landmark Group, a Middle East retail giant, for deciding here to stop selling Trump-branded products after “The Donald” made his statements about barring Muslims from entering the U.S. (which is probably illegal anyway – you know what they say about paybacks, right?)
Memo to Jeb! – Trump is riding the wave of the beloved great unwashed “base” of your party, and all you can do is gurgle in the wake. That’s not Obama’s fault; it’s yours, along with the rest of the methane dispensers passing for reasonably intelligent Americans who dutifully trot to the polls and vote up and down for Team R without question.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Diana Ríos of the Ucayali province of Peru earns a citation – it took her a week to get to the International Conference on Climate Change in Paris; as noted here…
Despite receiving similar threats on her life from loggers, 21-year-old Ríos traveled to Paris to speak about the issues confronting her people — the Ashéninka — who have been fighting for decades to stop illegal logging on their traditional lands. Last year, after the murder of the four community leaders, the Peruvian government finally issued the Ashéninka the official title to their land — but Ríos says that despite the title, and despite the government’s promises to fight deforestation, her people and their traditional way of life are still in danger.
“Nothing has changed,” Ríos told ThinkProgress through a translator. “The illegal loggers are still inside of our territory. One of them actually cleared some area and put up a fence right in our own territory. The government is violating our rights by not providing security. How can you give a title but then not back that title up with the security and the rights around it?”
The rights of indigenous communities has been a contentious topic throughout the Paris climate negotiations. According to a First Nation delegate, any mention of “rights of Indigenous peoples” does not appear in the main text of the current draft agreement, showing up instead only in the agreement’s preamble. This is in spite of the fact that indigenous communities — many of whom depend on the land for subsistence and cultural traditions — tend to be some of the first communities directly impacted by climate change.
It takes a special kind of courage for someone like Rios to act on behalf of the planet the way she has, and the way she and her people continue to do so. Would that we all had even a fraction of her determination and fortitude.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
Hats off to the Mount Horeb Area School District in Wisconsin; as noted here…
…the Primary School now had a transgender student and classes would be reading I Am Jazz, a children’s book based on the real life experiences of teenage trans superstar Jazz Jennings. After the Liberty Counsel — infamous for its representation of embattled Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis — threatened a lawsuit on behalf of a few upset parents, the district canceled the reading.
Jennings responded by applauding the school administrators and others in the community for trying to do right by the transgender student. “Growing up transgender can be a challenging experience,” she wrote, “and we need our parents, schools, and friends to stand by us so we can breathe easily. We want the same thing — to be who we are and feel safe and supported in this world.”
The school district sponsored a reading of I Am Jazz, as Think Progress tells us, and 600 people came to hear the reading.
The Mount Horeb school district as a whole also stood tall here, passing a measure mandating “access to restrooms and locker rooms in accordance with (the students’) gender identity”
Inclusion and tolerance is what he should be all about as a nation, and kudos to Mount Horeb for reminding us.
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Orange County, CA Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez channeled “The Donald” a bit here on the question of alleged Muslim “terrists,” proving that Democrats can be assh*les on this subject also
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Charles Renville of Fargo, North Dakota, wanted the principal of his son’s high school fired because he had the apparent temerity (as far as the father is concerned) of rejecting his son’s yearbook photo.
Oh, and did I mention that his son was holding an assault rifle for the photo (here)?
I think this is a good response.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Head of the Republican Muslim Coalition (I didn’t even know there was such a thing) Saba Ahmed for this
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
The High Court of Hangin’ Judge JR actually did something right by leaving the Chicago assault weapons ban intact (here).
…and in keeping with this theme…
Dregs of the Year Nominees
The Texas “ammo-sexuals” who thought it was a good idea to stage a mock terrorist attack here as an excuse to brandish their external death penises (you want to fight terrorists for real? Enlist and go overseas to fight ISIS if you want combat so badly – not holding my breath on that one)
Returning to the Keystone State (again, not really a state), Chesapeake Energy gets a dubious mention for allegedly “underpaying royalties to landowners” for fracking rights (Lord knows Kathleen Kane has her own baggage, but good for her for taking the lead on this).
Dregs of the Year Nominee
And in the latest chapter of “Everything’s The Matter With Kansas,” this tells us of Topeka Councilman Jonathan Schumm (here)…
The district attorney alleges that between Oct. 7 and Oct. 11 this year, Jonathan took a 12-year-old child into a bedroom, forced him to lie on the ground, and whipped him with a leather and metal belt, lacerating the child’s eye. Schumm is then alleged to have strangled the child and threatened to kill him, according to the documents.
Oh, and did I point out that Schumm and his wife have adopted 12 of their 16 kids, which makes me wonder whether or not that state even has a social services agency overlooking stuff like this? And that they basically stole one of their kids from a lesbian couple that was already raising the child?
As the story tells us, though, Mr. and Mrs. Schumm are in jail, which apparently is where they belong (at least HE does, it would seem); no word on who is looking after the other kids, though (hope that is covered).
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
PA Dem U.S. Congressman Matt Cartwright and Montana Director of Revenue Dan Bucks (yes, a “director of revenue” named Bucks, oddly enough) for shedding light on the coal industry’s “self-dealing business practices, refusing to disclose tax information, and shielding data about royalty payments from public scrutiny” as the Think Progress post tells us (particularly ballsy for Cartwright given that coal is big bidness in our beloved commonwealth of PA)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Repug U.S. House Rep Jeff Duncan earns a raspberry for a tweet saying that he didn’t think France would call for more “knife control” (as opposed to gun control) in the wake of an alleged stabbing of a French school teacher by an ISIS sympathizer (here)…
Duncan was presumably referring to the latest push for gun law reform that came after two terrorists shot and killed in 14 people in San Bernardino. The shooting was the largest one since Sandy Hook and, according to Mass Shooting Tracker, the 353th this year. As he has done after every major shooting this year, President Obama urged lawmakers to embrace common-sense gun safety laws.
Duncan has long criticized gun control advocates, including the President, and proposed reforms. In 2013, he compared the establishment of a national gun registry — which 88 percent of the country supports — to the Rwandan genocide. After the San Bernardino massacre, he also used social media to slam gun-free zones.
I should also be noted that, as Think Progress tells us, Duncan has received about $10,500 from the NRA since he first ran for Congress five years ago. Also, Duncan made these foul remarks on the third anniversary of the Sandy Hook gun massacre.
More disgusting Duncan behavior is here; I think the facts are damning enough without further condemnation from yours truly.
…and while we’re on the subject…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
By the way, the alleged stabbing mentioned above was a fake, as noted here (h/t Atrios – the citation goes to the schoolteacher who apparently made up the story).
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Actor Edward Norton, who managed to raise about half a million dollars (!) for a Syrian family whose home was destroyed by missiles here (great work, but I’d like to see that wealth get spread around a bit to other families as well)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Mark Kessler for this – tossing out the “libtard” epithet is pretty laughable, but there’s nothing funny about threatening a woman driver with a gun in front of Kessler’s kids – this idiot should go right to jail
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
The 20 Saudi Arabian women elected as “municipal counselors” in an election in that country here – though the role is a largely ceremonial position in what could best be described as a medieval autocracy, this truly is a moment of the proverbial mountain coming to Mohammed, as you might say (change…incredibly slow, incremental change, but change all the same)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Dem U.S. House Rep Chellie Pingree of Maine for this (re, addressing food waste in this country, which truly is shameful – it would be nice if somehow she could meet up with Jordan Figueiredo on this subject, noted in Pt. 10)…
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Nevada Assembly Speaker John Oceguera of Las Vegas (D), who was formerly a member of the NRA before he terminated his membership, thus earning the wrath of all wingnuts brandishing their external death penises in that state and elsewhere – welcome to the fight (here)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Disgusting bigot U.S. House Rep Mo Brooks, who said that Obama’s policies are because of his “skin pigmentation” (and do I really need to identify the political party here?)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
U.S. House Rep Richard Hanna of New York, a member of the “party of Lincoln” who is actually intelligent in that he criticized fellow Republicans in saying “Do You Really Want Women Not To Have Access To Health Care?” here (good work)
Epic Repug Trolling Of The Year Citation
Not a chance in hell that I’ll vote for him if he gets his party’s nomination for president, which he won’t, but I have to admit that Ohio Governor John Kasich did a really nice job having fun with “The Donald” over his “bro-mance” with our ol’ buddy Vlad Putin here
Ron White Commemorative “You Can’t Fix Stupid” Citation
Yep, J.D. Mullane’s employer the Bucks County Courier Times in these parts was guilty of journalistic malpractice recently; a Democratic Party presidential candidates’ debate took place in New Hampshire in December 19th, but there was no mention of it in the next day’s newspaper (the front page headline “story” was “Pets Are People Too” – no word on how the Courier Times is faring in what I’m sure is its bitter battle for readers with free supermarket circulars)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
Augusta County, VA schoolteacher Cheryl LaPorte created an Islamic writing assignment for her class, which should not have been a big deal. However, some right-wing radio host (don’t know who it was yet) found out about it, got his/her listeners all in a froth, and as a result, “tens of thousands” of Emails and Facebook posts were generated which “posed a risk of harm to school officials,” as noted here.
(In case anyone thinks the garbage rhetoric from Republican Party presidential candidates on immigration and Syrian refugees doesn’t have an impact, by the way, I give you this as an example.)
So why exactly does this fall under the Do-Gooder category? Because a Facebook group in support of LaPorte had grown to more than 2,000 members as of a few weeks ago. So yes, this citation goes out to LaPorte and her supporters (and of course those who threatened LaPorte and the school, including that idiot radio host responsible for this mess, deserve Dregs citations here).
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Dem former PA-08 U.S. House Rep Patrick Murphy was recently confirmed Undersecretary of the Army here – kudos
Resolution of the Year
Note to any bloggers out there who are tempted to try and “put the bite” on me for a donation; add me to your blogroll to try and redirect some traffic my way, or we have nothing to discuss.
Extortion? Actually, I prefer to call it good business instead.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Mika Brzezinski of MSNBC’s “Morning Jo(ke)” gets credit from yours truly for asking PA’s Former Senator Man-On-Dog why he wasn’t “working on white men with guns” in response to Rick Santorum’s vilification of Muslims as a whole, with Brzezinski correctly pointing out that white men, as a demographic, are “wreaking havoc” with guns (as this Think Progress post notes, “Since 9/11, fatalities from attacks by right-wing extremists — a group of almost exclusively white men — has accounted for 254 fatalities. Meanwhile, Islam-inspired attacks accounted for 50 fatalities over the same period.”).
Of course, the reason is simple – elderly white gun owners, many of whom have decent-to-high net worth, vote in Republican primaries.
Little Ricky is a member of this field of candidates who should have gotten the memo long ago that he needs to withdraw and find some other way to be utterly useless.
…and in a bit of a related item…
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Dem VA Attorney General Mark Herring, for closing a loophole that had allowed handgun owners with concealed carry permits from 25 other states to circumvent the state’s requirements for carrying a concealed weapon – looks like they’ll have to take their external death penises somewhere else (here…and yeah, I know I’m beating that phrase to death – what of it?)
Dregs of the Year Nominees
The oh-so-august-in-their-imaginations National Football League, for deciding not to fund a study by Boston University into chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, which is a brain disease frequently caused by head trauma such as that endured by NFL players past and present (here); oh, and did I note that the movie “Concussion” with Will Smith is due to come out shortly and focus attention on this issue even more, which will make the NFL look even more ridiculous?
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
The group of Kenyan Muslims on a bus headed for the border of Somalia and Ethiopia who shielded Christian passengers from the Al-Shabaab militants who boarded the bus and threatened to kill the Christians; the Muslim passengers (who were mostly women) told the militants to kill all of them or leave them all alone (here)…a whole other level of bravery that, sad to say, is beyond my experience (wonder if Fix Noise will run with THIS story?)
Dregs of the Year Nominees
The “U.S. Authorities” at London’s Gatwick airport that barred a British Muslim family from taking a flight to visit Disneyworld; this, quite rightly IMHO, has lawsuit written all over it (anyone who thinks the horrible rhetoric coming primarily from “The Donald” on this has no impact should find a clue)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Mike Hengel, former editor-in-chief of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, who accepted a buyout as opposed to having to deal with gazillionaire and ultra-conservative tool Sheldon Adelson who had recently bought the paper…not going to make a dent in what Adelson plans to do I’m sure, but at least it should draw more attention to this travesty (Adelson in charge, I mean – here, and more here)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
I’m not even going to try and paraphrase – I’m only going to say that I thought Jeff Greenfield was better than this, but I guess I was wrong.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Dalene Bowden, a food service worker at Irving Middle School in Idaho, who gave a free hot lunch to a 12-year-old girl and was fired even though she offered to pay for the meal (here); the dollar amount in question was $1.70, by the way – an online petition was launched demanding that Bowden be reinstated at her job, and as of now, the petition has garnered 36,024 signatures and that number is increasing rapidly every time the page is refreshed (great example of Christmas spirit – I’m being sarcastic of course – by District 25 Director of Human Resources Susan Petit, who was responsible for this atrocity and therefore earns a Dregs citation)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Susan Thompson of Jacksonville, FL, who placed a Confederate flag on the desk of an African American co-worker for the Army Corps of Engineers and then lied about it twice to federal investigators; she did so a week after the shootings by the coward Dylann Roof in South Carolina that left nine dead in a black congregation – Thompson faces a possible five-year prison sentence, which is worse than any attempt at a literary takedown on the subject by yours truly; in addition to what should be simple human decency and compassion, the threat of a well-deserved punishment is another reason why you shouldn’t do this stuff (here)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Actor Mark Hamill for this – yes, The Force was definitely with him…sorry, couldn’t resist, and I LOVE the pic with the stethoscope (the new movie actually is great, by the way)
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Can someone please explain to me why the Obama Administration “has already increased detention of immigration families by 173 percent in recent months,” as Think Progress notes? And a Do-Gooder citation goes out to “#Not1More, a coalition of organizations dedicated to confronting immigration laws, and the Migration Policy Institute,” according to the Think Progress post.
As his time in office grows short, Number 44 should be looking for ways to shore up what will be his legacy to the next administration, which (God willing) will be Democratic. This is definitely NOT the way to do that.
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Benzi Gopstein, leader of the Israeli extremist anti-assimilationist group Lehava, who said that “Christmas has no place in the Holy Land” and who compared Christians to “vampires and blood suckers” here – um…last I checked, Nazareth and Bethlehem weren’t located in Latvia, you lunatic
Dregs of the Year Nominee
In one of his regular “Congressman’s Notebook” columns in his house organ, the Bucks County Courier Times, our departing PA-08 U.S. House Rep Mike Fitzpatrick gave us his version of how the James Zadroga Health and Compensation Act passed Congress; Zadroga being one of many first responders who worked to try and save as many lives as he could on 9/11, but who eventually died of a respiratory disease he sustained on that awful day…the Act provides medical assistance to all first responders struggling with health problems as a result of their brave efforts. Fitzpatrick recounted the particular story of Arnie Roma, who lost his son Keith in the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
What is wrong with this? Not much, except when you consider that it took a public shaming from Jon Stewart to force Congress to act (Fitzpatrick acknowledges that “movement was slow” in reauthorizing the funding after Congress, in its utterly dunderheaded stupidity, allowed the Act to expire, but as far as I’m concerned, that doesn’t even come close to telling the story – it also doesn’t point out what Steve Benen notes in the MSNBC link, and that is the fact that the Republicans tried to kill the bill altogether).
Fitzpatrick has proven to be a true professional at one thing in particular, and that is dressing up every little thing he and that disgusting gaggle of utterly compromised frauds in the U.S. House majority do as some kind of valorous act of true patriotism. He has also done a good job of “carrying the water” of his “betters” in his caucus with utterly servile obedience. To me, even though he is commendably honoring his promise to step down after a fixed term of service, that will be his enduring legacy (and by the way, to do something about that, click here or here).
Dregs of the Year Nominees
This goes out to anyone criticizing Ann Telnaes of the Washington Post over her cartoon showing Ted Cruz as an organ grinder and her daughters as monkeys, and here’s why; not only did Cruz have her daughters appear in the ad, but one of them spoke in a way to denigrate Hillary Clinton (as John Amato points out here).
Repugnant on Cruz’s part to use his kids? Damn right. But in that context, they’re fair game. Besides, conservatives have been trafficking in this crap for years, specifically around Hillary Clinton and her daughter Chelsea, and I heard nary a word of rebuke from the usual suspects.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Dominic Mazzella, general manager of Carlucci’s Restaurants in Lower Makefield, Bucks County, for “(again travelling) to Haiti on his own dime to work in an orphanage cooking for children” (here).
Continuing…
“These children don’t have access to running water or electricity, much less the everyday luxuries that we take for granted, like soap, toothpaste, and shoes. He is now looking for monetary donations for these children to have 24 hours of electricity. He is looking to bring solar energy to the community in Haiti so the children will be able to have electricity.”
I’m happy to do whatever I can to publicize Carlucci’s and the restaurant’s management and staff. It is truly a jewel of a place, with great, reasonably priced food and great service. I wish Dominic Mazzella all the best in his truly commendable humanitarian efforts.
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley for this (what a scumwaffle)…
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Spokesman for “The Donald,” Katrina Pierson, appeared on a leading news cable network wearing a bullet necklace (here).
When criticized, she said that maybe she’ll appear on TV next time with a necklace of a dead fetus instead (here).
Good. I hope she does exactly that (since, apparently, The Most Trusted Name In News doesn’t have any actual, y’know, journalistic standards any more so she was allowed to appear with her NRA-approved adornment in the first place – what karoli says).
This is CNN? And yes, they get the citation along with Pierson.
Repug Indiana State Sen. Jim Tomes (beyond sad to me that this life form thinks this constitutes actual constituent service)…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Superior (!), Wisconsin Mayor Bruce Hagen for this (what an asshat – apology nowhere in sight, by the way)…
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Lenny Bazemore grew up in Norristown, Pa across the street from Bill and Janice Henning and their son Curt. Lenny grew up to make a lot of money in real estate, apparently (yes, I need a minute to set this up).
This tells the rest of the story, including the following…
“I had a beautiful childhood-filled with family, friends and neighbors like the Hennings-and though we didn’t have much, we didn’t need much because we had each other,” Bazemore wrote to Good News Network. “I remember there were times when there wasn’t enough food, I remember poverty, but most of all, I remember love, good friends and a safe neighborhood.”
So when Curt, who had fallen on hard times, asked his old friend to buy the house where he grew up, the home across the street from where Lenny’s mother still lives, it was nearly impossible to say no.
At first, Lenny had a hard time trying to figure out how he would restore the property so he could “flip” it…
“I drove around my old neighborhood thinking about what I could do to make it great again,” Bazemore says. “And then it struck me. ‘Don’t renovate the house for financial gain. Give it away to a family who needs it more than I do.'”
He decided to donate 52 West Basin Street to Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County along with $50,000 to renovate and make it an energy efficient home. In 2016 it will go to a deserving family who will finally achieve their dream of home ownership.
Bazemore also found a job for his childhood friend Curt, who was out of work; Bazemore then set up Curt in one of Bazemore’s apartments in Manayunk.
I’m not sure what else Bazemore could have done right here – I think he nailed this whole story every way he possibly could – outstanding stuff.
Tweety, for the utterly simplistic mindset he displays here on Syria, actually comparing the millions of refugees trying to escape that wretched country to the free French who helped us to liberate Paris during World War II – I honestly believe he’s smart enough to understand the tricky geo-political stuff going on in that area of the world, even if he doesn’t show that (I thought karoli’s comments did a better job of taking down Matthews than I could…and apparently Matthews went bonkers over this at least once more…similar sentiments would be echoed a short time later by Bill Maher, wondering why Syrians aren’t fighting for their country – what do you call the civil war, Mr. Formerly Politically Incorrect?)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
French President Francois Hollande, who, despite the horrible Charlie Hebdo and November attacks (and the near-disaster on the subway thwarted by these brave souls), has promised to allow 30,000 Syrian refugees into his country (here, standing out bravely as opposed to the profiles in cowardice from 31 Republican governors in this country)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Sen. Charles Schumer for this – just make it official and become a damn Republican already, OK (an Update tells us that Schumer seemed to temporarily back off, but he should definitely commit without question to doing the right thing)…
Dregs of the Year Nominees
The U.S. House Republican cowards responsible for this as a supposed response to the Syrian refugee crisis (yep, definitely candidates for some “run-and-hide rump roast” from the good ole’ U-S-A!)
…and this tells us more about the 47 Democratic bastards who signed onto this awful bill also, including Steve Israel and the otherwise commendable Louise Slaughter…I’ll remember this the next time Israel sends me another screaming Email asking for money.
(By the way, the 47 Democrats who voted for that awful bill on the Syrian refugees can be found from here…h/t Charles Pierce)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Russell Moore, president of the Religious Liberty and Ethics Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, for this (as karoli says, it’s nice that at least one of these life forms has a sense of Christian compassion)…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Greenwich Village, NYC-area dentist John Wolf, who was arrested on drug and pornography charges in November – what makes Wolf particularly bad as far as I’m concerned is that, though he commendably was an AIDS activist, he very un-commendably (here)…
…had done dental work for a drug dealer in exchange for methamphetamine, and that he possessed child pornography videos.
A criminal complaint prosecutors filed also states that (Wolf) is H.I.V.-positive and that, according to an informer, he said he had punctured holes in condoms “in an intentional attempt to spread the H.I.V. to his sexual partners.”
I’ll make sure to note if somehow Wolf is acquitted of any or all of these charges. But, for the time being, he looks pretty damn awful for this.
Dregs of the Year Nominees
If we’re approaching the holiday season, then you can count on those smiley-faced bastards to do something awful (not that they need the holidays as an excuse, of course), and as noted here…
Thomas Smith, 52, had been earning $9 an hour at an upstate New York Walmart for less than three months when his manager terminated him over (picking up empty cans in the store parking lot and getting money for them). Smith was in charge of rounding up shopping carts from the lot outside the store, and started collecting trash from the lot while making his rounds. After storing up cans for a couple months, he recycled them in the store’s machines in early November. He got $5.10 for them.
Then he got fired. His manager told Smith his actions were “tantamount to theft of Walmart property,” the Albany Times Union reports, and said he would have to repay the $5.10 or lose his job. Smith, who commuted an hour by bus from Albany for the job, returned to the store two days later with the cash. But he’d already been fired.
First thing – we’re talking about an employee who, as far as I’m concerned, was industrious enough to try and make money from trash in the parking lot (and of course, he was cleaning up the lot also). Second thing – we’re talking about firing someone for FIVE FREAKING DOLLARS AND TEN CENTS!!!
And a Do-Gooder citation within this story to the people responsible for this…
Smith’s story has prompted strangers to send money through the crowdfunding site GoFundMe. So far the effort has collected more than $2,200 – an amount Smith would’ve had to work more than six weeks at full-time hours to earn.
I hope Smith sues these a**holes and makes enough money to support his family, to the point where he never has to work another day in his life (and I guess the only thing to say about this is Do The Right Thing. Turn In The Money. Get Fired Anyway. Walmart.)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Michael Moore for taking in Syrian refugees here, putting his money where his mouth is, as they say…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Missouri Congresswoman Ann Wagner said here that President Obama “stood up for ISIS” when he said (correctly, IMHO) that admitting Syrian refugees was the right thing to do.
Actually, telling women and children who are practically at death’s door that they need to just go away and die whydontcha will do a lot more to ensuring another generation of terrorists than just doing the simple, decent (and, dare I say it, Christian) thing and helping these people like we’re supposed to (here).
As noted here, though, Wagner is wrong on at least one other issue, and that is her fight against a Department of Labor rule to “raise investment-advice standards for brokers working with retirement accounts,” (you know, so fund managers are actually competent when making decisions with people’s life savings) saying “we are at war with the Department of Labor.”
Actually, this brainless tool of the corpocracy should actually meet with the people she’s trying to exclude to learn what REAL war is all about.
Dregs of the Year Nominee
A life form apparently named Jason Naglich of Redondo Beach, CA, who stiffed a Thai waitress at a U.S. restaurant, writing “Tips for U.S. Citizens Only” on the bill (here)…yep, definitely a POS (and kudos to the customers who came to the help of the waitress)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Newly-elected Louisiana Dem Governor John Bel Edwards, who defeated “Diaper Dave” Vitter in part by linking Vitter’s patronizing of prostitutes with Edwards’ commendable military service (here)…congratulations
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
7-year-old Jack Swanson of Pflugerville, Texas for this (what a wonderful story, and kudos also to Faisal Naeem for the well-earned gift that Swanson received)
Departing (sadly) Dem Governor Steve Beshear of Kentucky for this…
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
Dem U.S. House Reps Keith Ellison and Rosa DeLauro for this (nah, we don’t have stinking income inequality in this country – not much, given the fact that our government has to help poor mothers to buy diapers for their kids)…
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
Sean Doolittle, relief pitcher for the Oakland A’s, and his girlfriend Eireann Dolan, for “(sharing) Thanksgiving with 17 families of Syrian refugees in Chicago…to share ‘American hospitality and togetherness’ with them”; as the story tells us…
In a blog post, Dolan noted that her home state of Illinois, Doolittle’s home state of New Jersey, and Arizona, where they now live are among 30 states whose governors are trying to block the entry of new Syrian refugees.
“We see on the news that we should fear these refugees, half of whom are children. That there’s a chance they could ‘radicalize once they get here,” she wrote. “I in no way want to even lend credence to this fear, but wouldn’t you say that the single best way to prevent radicalization is through one-on-one ambassadorship?”
The plight of Syrian refugees has a personal element for Dolan.
“My family came to this country from a poor and war-torn Ireland within the last century,” she wrote. “When they came to this country, it would have been very easy for them to be mistaken for those who would wish to commit terrorist activities when all they really wanted to do was to give their children a better life free from war and poverty.”
Would that more of our politicians acted in accordance with that simple but straightforward point of view – kudos to both of them.
Dregs of the Year Nominees (Stupid Media Division)
CNN, for hosting U.S. House Rep Adam Kinzinger here to bash Planned Parenthood while an active shooting is taking place at the group’s facility in Colorado Springs, and “The Old Gray Lady” herself, in a related story, for this (not to suck up, but great catch by Atrios here)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Bo Dietl of Fix Noise for this (what karoli says)…
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Believe me when I tell you that I really don’t want to hand out this citation, but fair is fair – Repug U.S. Senator (and still somehow presidential candidate) Ted Cruz was was the only member of the utterly disgraceful “clown car” collection of contenders in that party to express any kind of sympathy for the victims of the Planned Parenthood shooting in Colorado Springs here, so kudos to him (basically, if anyone hasn’t responded in 24 hours, that window has closed as far as I’m concerned – and Ben Carson doesn’t get a pass because he was overseas…it’s called the “world-wide web” for a reason)
..OK, Cruz just negated the praise I just gave him over this – figures…
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Cal Thomas and somebody named Leland Vittert of Fix Noise get dubious citations for using the protests over the shooting of Laquan McDonald as an excuse to complain about how black-on-black crime in Chicago supposedly isn’t covered by the “mainstream media” (dog whistle alert here).
Lynn Sweet, an honest-to-goodness actual reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times, basically pointed out (through clenched teeth, by every indication, trying not to tell these two jokers that they were full of it) that the issue of black-on-black crime in that city was covered quite thoroughly during the mayoral election in which Rahm Emanuel won another term in office. Thoroughly undeterred of course, Thomas went on to claim that the answer to black-on-black crime is (wait for it…) school choice (again for these jokers, their credo is to never waste an opportunity to push their talking points, facts, logic, and even a passing nod to verifiable truth and reality be damned).
This is standard stuff for the Foxies I’ll admit, but one reason why I’m highlighting this is to point out the following; if you choose to watch this video (and I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t), watch the chyron at the bottom of the screen. They’re highlighting words and context from Thomas that he hasn’t even actually said!
What does that tell you? That Thomas isn’t following the script – that’s what it tells you. Or at least not in the right sequence.
Again, as I’ve said numerous times, you’d learn more from watching grass grow than you would from watching so much as even five minutes of Fox “news”.
Dregs of the Year Nominees
The Colorado Fraternal Order of Police for referring to those criticizing the peaceful apprehension of the alleged Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shooter with the all-too-frequent murder of people of color in similar circumstances as “race-baiting morons” here – even if you disagree with Black Lives Matter, there’s no reason to call people names…if the races were reversed in this circumstance, I guarantee you that the name calling of the “White Lives Matter” equivalent would be every bit as bad and probably worse
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Snoop Dogg, for giving out about 1,500 Thanksgiving turkeys to those in need in Inglewood, CA here (sounds like “Tha Shiznit” to me all right)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Chris Hayes conducted an interview with Grant Bosse, editorial page editor of the New Hampshire Union-Leader, on that paper’s endorsement of Governor Bully for president (interview was 12/1 on “All In”), and basically, the endorsement came down to the fact that, as far as Bosse is concerned, Christie is the most “electable” Republican for president (here – I would concur with the way Hayes handled this, except for the fact that Bosse is most definitely NOT a “nice guy”).
New Jersey’s credit rating downgraded nine times? Only about 20 percent of the victims of Hurricane Sandy have received emergency relief after about three years? Job growth below the national average? Oh, and that little thing with the George Washington Bridge lane closure? No problem!
And newspapers actually wonder why they’re losing circulation (and by the way, this citation most definitely goes to Bosse, who called the Newark Star-Ledger “Chris Christie’s crazy ex-girlfriend” for the piece linked to the Eschaton post – nice)
…and isn’t THIS interesting about Bosse (more here)?
Update 3/1/16: So why is McQuaid taking the heat here instead of Bosse?
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
The New York Daily News for this cover in the wake of the December gun atrocity (as opposed to the just-about-every-month gun atrocity) in San Bernadino, CA – and more here; I was always taught that God helps those who help themselves, and to say that we’re not helping ourselves is perhaps as big of an understatement as you can make…the paper would follow this up with still more great front-page covers, proving that advocacy journalism isn’t totally dead in this country
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Jason Kapoor picked up Tony Berard, both from Michigan, when Kapoor saw Berard riding his bike to work at a grocery store late at night during a snow storm. Kapoor offered Berard a ride, which he took without hesitation.
Tony had been in financial trouble ever since his wife got sick – she couldn’t work and medical bills piled up. Then, both their old cars quit running. Tony didn’t have the money to fix them or buy a new one, so he did what he had to.
With the harsh Michigan winter approaching, Jason’s heart was moved to help the Waterford man.
So he told the Tony’s story (on Facebook) intending to get people to give him a ride on the road–and, indeed, the next day, another stranger spotted him on his bike and offered him a ride. But a better idea was born after the post was shared 17,000 times, and the discussion turned toward getting the man a used car.
Jason launched a GoFundMe page called “Keep Tony Warm” and donations heated up. It raised more than $19,000 in nine days.
And as the story tells us further, Berard ended up using the money to pay for a new minivan with a working heater for those frozen commutes this winter, all thanks to Kapoor, his Facebook page, and all of those kind souls who helped Berard out (definitely a palate-cleanser kind of a story with all of the other madness going on).
The “And Somewhere, Cecil Smiles” Citation of the Year
As noted here, Matome Mahlale, an hunter engaged in an illegal lion hunt, was killed by the lion he was tracking (karma can not only be a bitch, but it can also be incredibly strong with jaws that will clamp down and crush your limbs if you’re not careful…the late, lamented Cecil is pictured above, by the way)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
Buffalo Sabres coach Dan Bylsma and Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins here…to begin, Bylsma gets credit for tossing a puck to a kid in Pittsburgh who asked him for it (Bylsma is a former Penguins coach) before an alleged “adult” took the puck from the boy (what a loser); however, after the game, Bylsma made sure he got another puck and Crosby made sure the kid got a stick and a Crosby jersey…nice job by all concerned to do the right thing
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Mets’ pitcher Noah Syndergaard, for his first pitch in Game 3 of the World Series that very nearly beaned Alcides Escobar of the Kansas City Royals here, supposedly to send a message (that Syndergaard, for all his talent, is still an idiot – was THAT the message? Oh well, the Royals got the last laugh by winning the Series 4 games to 1.)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Former Bushco Education Secretary Margaret Spellings for this (h/t Atrios)…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Repug U.S. Senator Rand (Ophthalmologist Certified By A Medical “Board” That I Created Myself) Paul claimed here that free college is like free heroin; so I guess all the students in Brazil, Germany, Finland, France, Norway, Slovenia and Sweden are junkies, huh (here)? What a damn fool.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Paul Armand Rater of Buckeye, AZ (it almost writes itself, people) – guess what this will-never-be-a-MENSA-nominee did (here)?…
Deputies said (Rater) and (his granddaughter) left their home in Buckeye, about 30 miles (48 km) west of Phoenix, in a pickup truck early on Sunday afternoon and that the girl was reported missing four hours later.
She was eventually located in the desert by her mother and an off-duty firefighter. The child was holding (a .45-caliber handgun).
“She was given the gun and told to shoot any bad guys,” Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio told Reuters by telephone. “I don’t know how a five-year-old can tell a good guy from a bad guy, but that’s what she said she was told.”
U-S-A! U-S-A!…
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Can someone please explain to me the rationale for the existence of Politico?
I mean, it’s definitely not investigative journalism, and it’s not supermarket tabloid fluff since its “beat” is the Beltway, full of perhaps the most soulless humans in existence (and definitely not movie stars – not that I am either, of course).
If all it is, after all, is a PR factory for our political/media/industrial complex, it should at least have the fortitude to admit it.
What’s making me rant like this is this item, in which this oozing pustule on the butt of the Fourth Estate claimed that there could be a “Willie Horton” in the estimated 43,000 federal inmates that could be released early from prison (I think the story from Think Progress does a good job of pointing out how ridiculous this claim is). And of course Obama would be the one to blame for it.
I’ll look for the inevitable take down by Charles Pierce on this, since he’s much better on this “beat” than I am.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
He hasn’t graduated beyond the “high Broderism” of “both sides do it” (I mean, it’s not like a Republican Senator is actually going to criticize his own party), but kudos to freshman Republican Ben Sasse for being brutally honest otherwise here in communicating to “the world’s greatest deliberative body” why people basically hate its collective guts (now, try to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem).
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Iowa radio host Jan Mickelson (who apparently has been standing for too long out in the cornfields) for this (“even a special needs kid can be a twerp” – nice bleeping guy)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Ohio prosecutor Timothy McGinty for smearing Samaria Rice, the mother of slain 12-year-old Tamir Rice here, by saying she had “economic motives” in bringing to trial the officer responsible for her son’s death (what a disgusting human being – McGinty I mean)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Georgia state trooper Nathan Bradley; as the story tells us, he had the heartbreaking task of informing kids on Halloween that their parents had been killed in a traffic accident…
“The door hesitantly opened and there behind the locked screen door stood four children in full costume — a 13-year-old Freddy Krueger, 10-year-old daughter of a Dracula, 8-year-old wizard and a 6-year-old that appeared to be a firefighting ninja turtle,” he wrote on the GoFundMe page he set up.
He and his colleagues were speechless. They’d hoped to find an adult among the family members in the house, but the eldest boy, Justin Howard, told them no one was home.
“My parents went to the store to get more face paint. They told us not to open the door for anybody, but they should be back soon,” he told the officials, according to Bradley.
…
“I wanted to preserve these kids’ Halloween and the ones to come,” (Bradley) wrote in the GoFundMe statement, which was also shared on Facebook by the Georgia Department of Public Safety.
He took the children to get burgers, fries and milkshakes before giving them a tour of the troopers’ post. Other people who had heard what happened brought over candy, toys and Disney movies to watch.
The children were put to bed in rooms at the post, still uninformed of the terrible news.
“You turned an F-Minus day into an A-Plus night!” the little girl told him at bedtime — words (Bradley) found difficult to take in.
Their grandmother (the next closest adult family member who lived in Florida) arrived just before dawn and agreed with Bradley and others that it would be better to tell the children what had happened the following day.
“We hoped that they would then relate the tragedy to November 1st, rather than Halloween,” Bradley wrote.
Oh, and that GoFundMe page Bradley set up? To date, it has raised over $330,000.
This is a tremendous story for a lot of reasons, one of which is because of all the reports of awful police behavior out there – nice to highlight someone in law enforcement doing something wonderful like this (and kudos to the people who contributed also).
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
The University of Missouri football players who promised here not to play unless University President Tim Wolfe resigned – the primary charge against Wolfe was that he, apparently, had failed to address incidents of racism on the campus (I’m sure there’s more to it than that, but that’s all I know at the moment; kudos to not only the students for taking a stand, but also the coaches for standing behind them…Wolfe eventually resigned, even though I’m not sure he understood how he screwed up by allowing the racism on campus to fester…the only thing I’ll say in Wolfe’s defense is that I’m sure there’s plenty of racism/homophobia/misogyny on college campuses all over this country, which isn’t much of a defense I’ll admit…a Do-Gooder citation to hunger striker Jonathan Butler also)
…on the other hand…
Dregs of the Year Nominees
The University of Alabama students who hung a banner before a football game with the Louisiana State University saying they would “finish what Katrina started” here (actually, to be fair, the HuffPo story notes at the end that, apparently, it’s unclear whether or not Alabama students were responsible for the banner, and the university decried it, which of course was the right thing to do)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Michael Szeliga, deputy for the Pinellas County (FLA) Sheriff’s Department, was slated to receive a MADD award in July for making more than 100 DUI arrests. But when Gulfport Police Chief Robert Vincent saw him staggering around outside the awards venue, he told Szeliga he seemed too drunk to go inside, according to documents from an internal affairs investigation obtained by news station WFLA (here).
“I said, ‘You don’t want to embarrass the sheriff here — that’s probably not too wise,” Vincent told ABC Action News. “Apparently, he did.”
Szeliga responded to Vincent’s warning with “disrespectful” comments, according to the documents, and Vincent subsequently informed the deputy’s supervisors that Szeliga was “wasted.” They ordered him to go back to his hotel room, and he never received his award.
Just say “oops” and get out, Ofc. Szeliga, assuming you can do so without slurring or slobbering your words (unbelievable).
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Judge Richard Posner for his rather novel interpretation of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution here…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Repug AK Sen. Tom (People Spiral Downward Into Heroin Addiction Because of Social Security) Cotton here (every time I think these characters can’t find a new bottom)…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Someone named Roop Raj, who apparently is a reporter for WJBK in Detroit, who had the following interaction with a fast food worker striking for a $15 an hour wage (here)…
“Some people say that paramedics don’t even make $15 an hour and they save lives,” Raj told fast food worker Lakecha Jackson. “So, why should fast food workers get that?”
“Because we do too much,” Jackson replied. “We do more than we get paid.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for paramedics was $30,710, or $14.77 per hour as of May 2011.
Of course, no word on how much Roop Raj makes an hour, which I think is noteworthy because, as a reporter, he/she doesn’t save any lives either (I mean, it’s not like this person is reporting in an area where shots are being fired).
And in case you were wondering, the answer is yes – WJBK is a Fox affiliate.
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Missouri State Sen. Kurt Schaefer wants to block research into the effects of that state’s imposition of a 72-hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion; as Daily Kos diarist Meteor Blades points out here, this is right out of the wingnut playbook of also blocking research into gun violence (Heaven forbid that actual science and evidence is used that ends up flying in the face of conservative dogma).
However, I have to also point out the following from the post…
“Schaefer, who chairs the state senate’s interim Committee on the Sanctity of Life…”
What the hell kind of a committee THAT IS SUPPORTED WITH PUBLIC MONEY is THAT??!!
You know what? They want to play that game, fine – I’m all in favor of an Interim Committee on the Belief That Worship of Rocks Is A Legally Protected Faith-Based Enterprise.
Can I Get an Amen??!!
Dregs of the Year Nominee
And speaking of personal beliefs run amok, this tells us that a Utah judge ordered that a foster child be removed from the care of a lesbian couple (and yes, Judge Scott Johansen is a graduate of BYU Law School and is, by all accounts, a Mormon – I would hope that there are actually tolerant Mormons out there, because all I ever hear about are the intolerant ones, including this bigot…Update:The judge reversed the decision!)
…and I think this is a good, predictable response…
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Actress Jennifer Lawrence for this (met with the inevitable wingnut outrage, of course – good for her)…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Former Bushco stenographer Judith Miller won’t be named Dregs of the Year, but she came awfully close with this horrible “tweet” in the wake of the Paris attacks in November (part of the total right-wing “tsunami of stupid” noted here).
Dregs of the Year Nominees
The PA Commonwealth court (and President Judge Dan Pellegrini in particular) that reinstated the pension of convicted sex offender (and former Penn State football assistant coach) Jerry Sandusky – as noted here…
“Mr. Sandusky’s performance of services that benefited PSU does not render him a PSU employee,” said the decision of the seven judge panel written by (Pellegrini). “Because we find nothing in the record that in any way establishes that Mr. Sandusky was a PSU employee when the underlying criminal acts were committed, we reverse the Board’s decision.”
Got that? Because Sandusky performed “services” for PSU, that doesn’t make him an employee, and thus he’s eligible to keep his pension.
Of course, as the story tells us, the awarded amount will probably all go to the lawyers anyway, but as far as I’m concerned, there’s a principle involved here, one which Pellegrini & co. don’t care about, apparently – namely, that the nature of Sandusky’s horrific acts should transcend the award of any civil monies whatsoever.
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Fix Noise “business” Hos Stuart Varney and conservative pundit Mark Steyn had a good laugh here over the entirely accurate claim from Dem Sen. Bernie Sanders that climate change increased instability in Syria to the point where it ended up being beneficial to ISIS…
“He’s brilliant, that guy (Sanders),” Steyn quipped sarcastically. “I mean, [ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi] will be sawing Bernie Sanders’ head off, and he’ll be saying as his neck is being sliced, ‘Oh, if only we had an emissions trading scheme!'”
Typical violent, eliminationist rhetoric from the wingnuts…
Oh, and did I point out (as the Crooks and Liars post tells us) that the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published a paper earlier this year backing up Sanders’s claim, which helped give rise to ISIS? And that the Defense Department has also called climate change a “threat multiplier”?
Laugh at that, you morons.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers for this – in addition to being a great quarterback, he’s also a smart guy when it comes to matters off the field (and is it really that hard to imagine what was said?)
The “Gosh, And Wouldn’t You Know It – Just When I Let My ‘Jump for Jesus’ Membership Card Expire” Citation of the Year
Brant Williams, the owner of Frontier Firearms of Kingston, Tennessee, encouraged all Christians to “arm themselves” (echoing the call of Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey of that state) here in response to the killings in Roseburg since the shooter apparently asked his victims if they were Christians before he opened fire (yeah, and I guess Williams is just supposed to take it on faith, as they say, that someone actually is a disciple of Christ – and if they were, why the hell would they be buying a gun in response to the Oregon massacre?).
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Yes, we’re talking about possibly the lowest of the low-hanging fruit here, but NRA moron Ted Nugent called the Roseburg shooting victims “losers” because they didn’t possess handguns (assuming that they would necessarily have been able to kill the shooter themselves).
Gee, didn’t Mr. “Cat Scratch Fever” once say that he would either be “dead or in jail” if President Obama was elected to a second term (here)?
Your choice, assclown (and more Nugent vulgarity and general idiocy is here)…
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Actor/producer/director etc. Tom Hanks for helping a Fordham University student named “Lauren” to retrieve the photo ID she lost in New York City Park here (just goes to show that life is like a box of chocolates; you never know…oh never mind)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Florida Judge Jerri Collins, appointed by former Florida governor Jeb! Bush for this; basically, abusing a domestic violence victim (among other awful things Repugs do is that they appoint or support really terrible judges such as this heartless rhymes-with-witch)
The “My Reason For Living Just Came Crashing To An End With Inexorable Finality – Just Kidding” Citation of the Year
As noted here, Playboy Magazine announced that they will no longer publish photos of completely nude women (seriously, the Playboy interview is often outstanding journalism; yeah, I get the “I read it for the interviews” thing, but they really are good – for example, the posthumously-published one with John Lennon was a trove of all kinds of stuff about many of the Beatle songs that I never knew about).
Where Playboy was once considered “forbidden fruit,” as it were, it’s actually pretty tame now considering what you can routinely find online and elsewhere, and kudos to the magazine for recognizing that admittedly troublesome fact.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
Students at the University of Texas at Austin planned a rather provocative way to protest that’s university’s utterly misguided concealed carry law here – I’d say the chances of someone getting killed by a dildo are a lot less than someone getting killed by a gun.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Douglasville, Georgia DA Brian Fortner won indictments against 15 advocates of the Confederate flag after these life forms threatened a group of African Americans at a party; Fortner will charge each with one count of making terroristic threats and another count of participating in “criminal gang activity” (here).
How perfectly apt.
Dregs of the Year Nominee
No, I don’t have a clue either as to why former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is still in the Repug presidential race, but as noted from here, he concocted a tweet after the Dems’ October candidates’ debate saying “I trust @BernieSanders with my tax dollars like I trust a North Korean chef with my Labrador!”
As noted from here (in yet another example of a Republican throwing stones from inside his or her glass house), Huckabee’s son had a little problem in that area, allegedly torturing a dog to death (nice guy – and what a charming looking character too).
Ha and ha.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
The Center for Biological Diversity and two other organizations that sued the U.S. Forest Service for allowing Nestlé to bottle water in California under a permit that (as alleged by the lawsuit) expired 27 years ago (here); Nestlé bottled about 28 million gallons in 2014 alone in the drought-wracked state (good for these groups for standing up to these corporate cretins)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Alabama State Rep Mike Ball definitely earns a dishonorable mention (and yet again, do I really need to identify the party?); he not only voted in favor of a budget that closed the DMV centers in his state (these places were vital to those folks registering to vote who of course need a voter ID, another utterly wretched obstacle that does nothing except make it much more difficult for minorities and college students to cast ballots), but on top of that, Ball ridiculed former Marine Kimberly Spruell, a 34-year-old African American living in Wilcox County, whose local driver’s license office was among those shuttered. The closest one is now a 45-minute drive away, a difficult and costly journey considering her car broke down months ago and she now shares one vehicle with five other people, as the Think Progress post tells us.
Ball’s response (on a conservative radio talk show, of course) was “government can’t solve all your problems.”
Yep, the disenfranchising of likely Dem voters is definitely at work here, but somehow I don’t think I’ll see anyone driving a vehicle in that state with a yellow “Support Our Troops” ribbon on behalf of Spruwell and (I’m sure) other members of our military who have to deal with this garbage (to say nothing of the other residents of that state too…elect Repugs and you get absolutely nothing, and you could stand to lose a whole lot more).
Dregs of the Year Nominee
U.S. House Repug (and, quite possibly, king of the Teahadists) Jim Jordan of Ohio; a special place in hell should be reserved for Jordan for this
Dregs of the Year Nominees
I guess, according to the unspoken rules of our Beltway proponents of “high Broderism” (you can Google it), NO ONE (and ESPECIALLY no Democrat) is supposed to criticize Former Commander Codpiece for having “kept us safe” after 9/11 (and as Atrios, notably among others, is quick to point out rightly, what the hell do you call the Anthrax attacks that followed?).
Well, it looks like The Donald “went there” (here). And there is no way on earth that I will ever support Trump for a damn thing. But please allow me to point out the stupendously obvious fact that, on this occasion, Trump is absolutely right to partially (at least) blame Former President Highest Disapproval Rating In Gallup Poll History for the attacks.
And the fact that Trump has been met with such corporate media caterwauling in response tells you what kind of world of deep, DEEP denial the pundit class of this country truly lives in.
So yes, this citation goes out to anyone in the fourth estate tut-tutting over the incivility of “The Donald” to point out something so plainly evident (and oh yeah, that includes Jeb! for helping to continue this ridiculous corporate media framing also).
Oh, and speaking of ridiculous corporate media framing (here – from Fix Noise, of course)…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Papa John’s Pizza, whose franchises in New York state were found guilty of wage theft of defrauding about 250 workers and agreed to pay a half-million dollar settlement (here – and a Do-Gooder citation to NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who keeps cracking down on this sort of thing in the Empire State…with all of the local vendors in existence, there’s no goddamn reason to buy franchise pizza, which isn’t even that good really)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
President Obama and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell for cancelling two lease sales for oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean, as noted here (whatever it takes to fight climate change…kudos – for this too)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
If it’s a day of the week with a “y” In it, then you can count on Governor Bully to do something utterly callous and/or stupid, and as noted here, he ended emergency housing assistance for the most vulnerable residents of his state.
And after a certain point, blaming Christie for this stuff is pointless. He will never care. Instead, I’d like to blame the people who actually voted him into office, not once, but twice (and this tells us of a bit of a reprieve, but for how long I wonder?).
(And oh yeah, let’s not forget this too…and this….and this too – truly never ends with this guy.)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
U.S. Federal Judge Lynn Adelman for this; maybe the plaintiffs didn’t prove to this idiot that the list of valid voter IDs should be expanded to help folks like 56-year-old Army veteran Carl Ellis, who had to make repeated trips to the DMV for a card because the state wouldn’t accept his veterans card as an acceptable form of ID…but I don’t see that anyone anywhere has proven that “voter fraud” is a real, honest-to-goodness issue that requires the utterly stupid non-solution of a voter ID card in the first place
Cornell University English Professor Kenneth McClane for this – cue the obligatory wingnut outrage; five, four three…
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
This goes out to defensive lineman Cam Heyward of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers, who wore eye black in honor of his late father, Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, a fullback who played for the New Orleans Saints and died of a brain tumor in 2006 (here).
Only the NFL could find a way to take a great tribute like this and utterly shoot themselves in the foot over it; as Heyward explained, October (the month this took place) is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and Heyward is using this as an opportunity to draw attention to other forms of cancer also.
I think Heyward has more than a right to do what he’s doing, and he should be commended for it instead of reprimanded. But again, we’re talking about the NFL and Roger Goodell here, people, who were outfoxed by Tom Brady and the New England Patriots over that “Deflate-gate” nonsense – just add this to their sorry list of PR-related gaffes (and kudos to Heyward the younger, of course…I think the league eventually said that Heyward could wear the eye black, but as far as I’m concerned, the damage was done here).
Dregs of the Year Nominee
How many people out there actually remember Artur Davis (now let’s not always see the same old hands…:-).
Davis is a former “Bush Dog” Democrat who served (using the term loosely) as a Democratic congressman from Alabama who changed party allegiances and campaigned for Willard Mitt Romney in 2012 as a Repug (as noted by columnist Cynthia Tucker here, though – last bullet – Davis’s epiphany of sorts had more to do with the hissy fit he threw after he was trounced in that state’s Dem gubernatorial primary in 2010).
Well, it turns out that Davis is now trying to become a Democrat again to the point of filing suit, as noted here; as the Daily Kos post tells us, Davis cannot apply for reinstatement for four years because of something called the Radney Rule. Davis, of course, doesn’t think rules apply to him, apparently.
Politicians of all different ideological stripes switch parties for one reason or another; I definitely get that. However, I think it takes a truly galling sense of entitlement for someone to sue for the right to rejoin an organization that he or she once so casually discarded to pursue unrealized personal ambition.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Vice President Joe Biden (here) – though I think we could have done without the whole “will he run for president or won’t he” kabuki, I believe he ultimately did the right thing by choosing to stay out; yes, he has a wealth of experience and probably would do a good job, but as somebody said (maybe Bill Maher), HRC brings a lot of what Biden has to the table already…also, the former Secretary of State and NY senator is on a mission in this election cycle, and Biden probably did well to get out of the way; I think the only person standing in Clinton’s path for the nomination is Bernie Sanders (obvious, I know), and as great as he is, I have a feeling she’ll dispense with him in the end
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Last year’s “winner,” Bibi, for this – hard to find the words to communicate my disgust (the inevitable “walk-back” came a couple of weeks later)
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Suntrust Banks of Atlanta for laying off 100 IT employees but, as a condition of severance, requiring them to be on call for a period of 2 years afterwards in order to train their offshore replacements (here – one of these days, some court is going to draw the proverbial line in the sand when it comes to this bullshit, and hopefully this is it)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Mary Jo White, chairwoman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, for sponsoring an initiative that…
…makes subtle changes to obscure rules with potentially dramatic ramifications. By tweaking a few definitions, the SEC could curtail how much information the public receives about the internal operations of corporate conglomerates and their tax-avoidance efforts, while simultaneously shielding big firms from shareholder lawsuits.
The 2008 financial services melt down obviously taught White absolutely nothing; I don’t care if she was confirmed by those boneheads in Congress or not – she should be summarily fired for this.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
The Florida Supreme Court for allowing a ballot initiative here that would allow Floridians to vote to reduce the state’s restrictions on rooftop solar power (Florida, apparently, is one of a handful of states that don’t allow residents to purchase power from anyone other than an electrical utility, which I suspect is yet another “miracle” of Repug non-governance)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
The white college students in South Africa who formed a human shield to protect black students protesting tuition hikes that could rise as high as about 11 percent, which would disproportionately affect the black population, as noted here (a citation goes out to the black student protesters also…that generation will be in the lead one day, and they’ll probably continue to wonder why the hell more people aren’t fighting income inequality like this)
State Sen. Mark Green of Michigan, who concocted this disgusting bit of pro-gun propaganda here in the matter of a Michigan Senate panel approving gun bills that would allow concealed carry instead of open carry in schools, which, to me, are two degrees of bad, particularly in that setting…
“We’re actually trying to do (schools) a favor,” sponsoring Sen. (Green), R-Mayville, said after the GOP-led Senate Judiciary Committee advanced his bill in a 4-1 vote that fell along party lines.
“We, as gun owners, have every right in the world to carry in gun-free zones, most of them, and so are we going to give that up? We’re taking a step back and saying we’ll cover them up if you guys are willing to do it, and they don’t even want that.”
By the way, in the linked Michigan Live story, there’s a list of incidents involving supposedly responsible gun owners and their external death penises in that state’s schools.
So, as far as Green is concerned, he’s doing the schools a FAVOR by allowing the concealed carry law to pass instead of open carry. How noble.
I’d like him to try and explain this ridiculous so-called rationale to a classroom; my guess is that the kids will give him the treatment he deserves as opposed to the cadre of NRA-worshiping so-called adults that Green hangs with. It would serve him right.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Manchester United English football star Gary Neville for this…
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Dem U.S. House Rep Gwen Moore for introducing the Gun Dealer Accountability Act, which seeks to give the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) more authority to inspect dealers with a history of selling weapons eventually used in crimes (here – cue the outrage from the “ammosexuals” in five, four, three…)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
South Carolina Sheriff Ben Fields for this, giving a pretty authentic demonstration of excessive force against a student who wouldn’t put away and/or surrender her cellphone (h/t Atrios – not saying the student was right either, but give me a break…it was announced soon after this that Fields would be fired; since he’s apparently a repeat offender, I wonder why he was even still on the job…and being the pointy-headed liberal that I am at times, I have to admit that I’m also perplexed a bit by this)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
A writer using the pen name of Larry Solomon claimed here that a husband “should not tolerate refusal” from a wife who doesn’t want to have sex with her husband, and the “man” should not look at his wife’s face during sex if she engaged in it “grudgingly” (oh, and this is from a “Christian” web site, let’s not forget).
I would call Solomon a caveman, but that’s probably an insult to neanderthals in general (oh, and in the matter of aliases, my name isn’t Doomsy of course, but at least I would know not to treat my spouse in such a horrific, and quite probably criminal, manner…assuming she wouldn’t utterly clean my proverbial clock if I even tried).
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
The retailer REI for not only giving its 12,000 full and part-time workers off on Thanksgiving Day, but Black Friday also (here – CEO Jerry Stritzke says that BF has “gotten out of hand”…God, is the man a damn socialist or something…snark mode off)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
The Catholic theologians who wrote the letter here telling NYT supposed Catholic know-it-all columnist Ross Douthat to STFU because he doesn’t know what he’s talking about here (much overdue, and thanks to one and all)
“Byko” for this (and this) – the guy who, as far as I know, never apologized for wishing for another 9/11, as noted in one of the links; shades of George Will here, believing that some kind of sexual assault or calamitous circumstance of that type confers some kind of special status or something…about as sick, twisted and disgusting as you might expect
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Apple, for rebuffing a court order that the Department of Justice obtained for the company to hand over in real time its encrypted texts here; I happen to think that a balance can be struck on this between legitimate privacy issues and national security concerns, though those boneheads in Congress can definitely do more to address both the former and the latter – besides, these people wouldn’t have dared argue this on September 12th, 2001 (and by the way, is Tim Cook kidding here, or what – and another Dregs citation goes to Microsoft for taking a similar stand)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
Memory Foam Liquidators of Topeka, Kansas for hiring former inmates regardless of their record, as noted here (more like this)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Kansas City, MO Mayor Sly James, for speaking out against gun violence after three people were killed in an overnight shooting including an infant, as noted here (oh, but now is not the time to talk about guns…no, actually, this is EXACTLY the time)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Petra László, the The Hungarian camera operator who was filmed kicking two refugee children and tripping up a man at the border hotspot of Röszke in September here – I might buy that excuse of hers about something supposedly snapping in her if it weren’t for the fact that she belonged to the far-right-wing Jobbik party, which has no problem with her foul actions I’m sure (and yes, she doesn’t deserve death threats, but she certainly deserves to be punished)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
VP Joe Biden, US AG Loretta Lynch and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. for this (leading the effort to release thousands of rape kits that are currently backlogged, but can be used to identify suspected rapists…don’t know why the hell this was ever an issue, but thanks to all for straightening it out)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Repug (!) U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski for this (co-sponsoring the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015…well done)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Iowa State Sen. Jason Schultz (R, of course), who apparently went on a tear here on the question of whether or not we should be accepting Syrian refugees…
“This isn’t our problem,” Schultz, who has served in the Iowa legislature since 2009, began. “We’re already broke.”
The diatribe quickly descended into racism.
“We already have problems with concentrations of Middle Eastern refugees or migrants coming in and taking over communities,” Schultz said. “They don’t want to assimilate. They do not want to become Americans. They only want the free stuff from America.”
Let’s see…pigheaded ignorance on world events, racism (as noted), and perpetuating the zombie lie that the U.S. is “broke” – what a trifecta of duuuh! we have on display here, folks.
And at the end, Schultz said “I will burn down what I gotta burn down”…forgot to note the typical violent rhetoric also.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Meadow Walker, daughter of the late “Fast and Furious” movies actor Paul Walker, for launching the Paul Walker foundation here, which is intended to “(help)…protect and research ocean life by empowering students with grants and scholarships to study marine science,” which apparently was a favorite cause of her father – good to hear
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Anyone (including Joy Behar, who I thought had more sense) who criticized Miss America contestant Kelley Johnson of Colorado here for using the two-minute talent portion of the contest to appear in nurse’s scrubs and talk about her patient named Joe who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease (and yes, I actually saw the segment) – one of the particularly inane responses was surprise over the fact that she appeared onstage also with a stethoscope (um, yes…nurses actually use them)…I cannot imagine the mindset that makes disparaging remarks about someone who displays genuine empathy for people as opposed to all of the usually saccharine “I’d like to teach the world to sing” fluff BS that often appears on these shows
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
Officer J.D. Boyd would have been within his rights to shoot Cory Sanders, who came at Boyd with a knife. However. Officer Boyd was able to subdue Sanders and take him into custody without killing or wounding him (here)…
“Almost a year ago this man and I were involved in a major altercation where he tried to stab me in the head and I nearly shot him,” the police officer wrote in a Facebook post that included a photo of himself and Sanders. “Today we ran into each other again and I learned that after his time in prison and some help from probation he now has a full time job.”
“I was glad it ended well for us both that day,” he wrote, “and I am ecstatic now to learn that he has turned his life around and we can embrace as friends.”
And of course, Steve Doocy and Elisabeth Hasslebeck at Fix Noise were dumbfounded to hear this, which is typical since it’s actually good news (and by the way, the citations go here to Officer Boyd and to Sanders).
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Irving, TX Mayor Beth Van Duyne and anyone else associated with the utterly ridiculous case of 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed here, who was arrested for building a clock that these idiots thought was a bomb instead (and of course, Heaven forbid that any of these nitwits would apologize – gee, wonder if this mess will make ISIS look a little more attractive to Mohammed, even though I have a feeling that he’ll do the right thing instead since, apparently, he’s the only honest-to-goodness adult here)
…and in keeping with this story…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Yes, I know, Bill Maher is an entertainer and an often-astute political commentator and should be judged accordingly, but as noted here, he defended those who arrested the 14-year-old Mohammed and his clock in a briefcase that some thought was a bomb.
There are more than a few problems here, but one question I have is this; if officials REALLY thought Mohammed had brought a bomb, why didn’t they evacuate the school?
And actually, here is another question; why isn’t Maher smart enough to know that without me having to point it out?
(And I give you some typically thorough and thought-provoking analysis on this by Glenn Greenwald here.)
(And by the way, as long as I’m talking about Maher, I should noted that he did a quite thorough job of totally pissing me off in November on his show with Sen. Angus King, continually trying to talk down to liberals. Um, how shall I say this – go fuck yourself! Oh, and I’ve had it with his constant bashing of religion also.)
All that being said, though, my support for Mohammed absolutely disappeared with this.
Dregs of the Year Nominee
I thought former AR Repug governor (and utter “values” shill) Mike Huckabee offered a particularly pathetic reason here for why he wasn’t featured more in that stupid Republican second debate, and that is because it was punishment for having a show on Fox – uh, no…actually, it might be because you’re polling in the low single digits, you tool.
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Forty seven Republican (of course) U.S. Senators voted on a measure of disapproval here over the EPA’s Waters of the United States rule, a recently-added addition to the Clean Water Act that clarifies the EPA’s jurisdiction over some streams and wetlands (regulatory overreach, hurts business, job killer, blah blah bleeping blah…carcinogens for others, but not for Thee, I guess).
In response…
EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy has repeatedly said the new rule will not affect the “normal farming operations” that are already exempt from the Clean Water Act. Furthermore, there will be no new requirements for agriculture or forestry, industries which will retain “all the decades long exemptions” they currently enjoy, she told reporters in May, when the rule was finalized.
While farmers and some business groups worry the rule will interfere with business, others — including a group of breweries that say their business depends on clean water — have applauded the rule. A National Wildlife Federation poll found that outdoor enthusiasts in Pennsylvania overwhelmingly support the tenets of WOTUS.
“It would be hard to find a more conservative group than the hunters and anglers we polled,” Lori Weigel, a partner at the Republican polling firm Public Opinion Strategies, told The Morning Call. “And yet their support of this policy is broad‐based and widespread, cutting across partisan and ideological divisions.”
I hope Joni Ernst and the rest of these clowns behind this resolution end up getting sickened from ingesting unpurified water as a result, and I hope the same fate befalls all of the nematodes who voted for them.
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Turing Pharmaceuticals and CEO Martin Shkreli for this (what horrible people – h/t Atrios…and how sweet is this?)…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Marco Rubio for this – there’s all kinds of stoo-pid out there, but to participate in a fundraiser at the home of someone specializing in art from Hitler on Yom Kippur is a whole other level of duuuh!…take another swig of water (here…more Rubio idiocy is here, here and here)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Once again, Shep Smith of Fix Noise went off-script again and brought us this moment of sanity concerning the Pope’s visit – good stuff
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia,”Strip Search Sammy” Alito and Clarence Thomas for not attending the address of the Pope to a joint session of Congress on September 24th, which I consider strange behavior for three professed “Catholics”; could it be that, because this Pope doesn’t toe the corporatist Republican line the way they want, they came down with a case of the “Frankie Flu”?
And yes, Justices Breyer and Kagan didn’t attend also, but I think they get a pass because they’re not Roman Catholic (Jewish actually), and also because they don’t try to cram their notion of morality down people’s throats.
Dregs of the Year Nominees
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 98 employees who walked off the job at NBC-10 studios as part of a job action over what was called “collapsed” contracts talks here, doing so two days before the Pope’s visit – really, you couldn’t have just waited until after Francis was done to do this?
“Johnny Doc” strikes again (literally).
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
The inmates of the Curran-Fromhold correctional facility in Northeast Philadelphia who made a wooden chair for Pope Francis to commemorate his visit – not sure that the picture does it justice; all the best to the Pontiff of course and to those who made this wonderful gift…may those who made the chair find God’s peace and return to contribute in a positive way to our society (here)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Agnes Pareyio, who has saved hundreds of young girls in Kenya from female genital mutilation even though she was unable to save herself from this almost unspeakably barbaric practice (here) – this takes a special kind of courage which transcends a lot of the citations noted in this space
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Lewiston, Maine Mayor Robert MacDonald for this – what a horrible human being
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Nelsa Curbelo, a 70-year-old former nun who is trying to reform drug gangs in Ecuador in an effort to bring peace to that Latin American country (there should be a special place in Heaven for her when her time comes, which hopefully won’t be any time soon and at the hands of anyone she’s trying to set straight – here)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
The city of San Francisco for planning to spend about $479,000 annually to distribute diapers monthly to families in need (here)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
After the Sandy Hook massacre in December 2012, Douglas County, OR Sheriff John Hanlin wrote a letter to Vice President Biden stating his unequivocal refusal to enforce any so-called “unconstitutional gun laws.”
Well guess what, moron? In October there was a mass shooting where yet another lone nut with a gun killed nine people and wounded nine others right in Hanlin’s proverbial backyard (here).
I hope Hanlin is proud of himself.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Chris Mintz, a father in the Oregon shooting who took seven gunshots to protect his son (here); miraculously, Mintz survived, but apparently he will have to learn how to walk all over again…what a story, and what courage
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Repug U.S. House Rep Mo Brooks of Alabama, who said here that President Obama’s decision to take in Syrian refugees is an impeachable offense (and this clown keeps getting returned to Congress every two years…oh, and as noted here, while still in impeach-crazy fever, he said Hillary Clinton should experience the same thing in the event that she is elected next year)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Repug Oklahoma (shocking, I know) AG Scott Pruitt for this – if you can’t kill these people without torturing them in the process, you shouldn’t be able to do it
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, who says NOW here that more “banksters” should have faced prosecution for their role in the 2008 financial crisis; yes, it’s true that the Federal Reserve isn’t a legal enforcement body when it comes to that sort of thing, but where the hell was Bernanke’s outrage when it actually could have done some good?
Oh, I see, the difference is that, now, he’s trying to sell his book – I gotcha.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
I know John Oliver had that joke video a little while ago on Australia about their response to Johnny Depp’s dogs (the ones that idiot Barnaby Joyce threatened to kill), but kudos to “the land down under” for their response here to this country’s idiotic paralysis on the issue of common-sense gun law reforms.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
Staples, the big-box stationery supply store (for the benefit of the 12 people who don’t know what Staples is) for letting their employees take off for Thanksgiving (here – you would definitely be better off going to them as opposed to Office Max, which is way overpriced as far as I’m concerned)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Texas mom Roni Dean-Burren for this (and why am I not the least bit surprised that this happened in the “land of the yellow rose” – I thought McGraw-Hill knew better, but I guess I was wrong)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Huckleberry Graham for opposing funds for relief of the victims of Hurricane Sandy, but now asking for those same funds for flood victims in his own state here (definitely not “showing a little leg” here)…
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Collectively, those in charge of the 11 states that spend more on prisons than higher education, as noted here (though of course, our own beloved PA and Massachusetts are commonwealths, not states…and yes, there is a difference)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
Google, for coming up with an add-on to their Chrome browser that blocks information on anyone associated with a violent crime involving massive fatalities here (nice to deprive these lunatics of the attention they crave – oh, sorry…”alleged” lunatics)
I’ve always had a problem with H&R Block because I never thought they were particularly reputable – for every “success story” I ever heard of people who got bigger refunds from the IRS or ended up paying reduced taxes, I heard at least one or two other stories of people getting utterly rooked. I had that in mind when I came across this item (h/t Atrios) where we learn that they (and Intuit, the makers of tax preparation software TurboTax) snuck language into a U.S. Senate funding bill for the IRS with the net effect of making it harder for poorer Americans to qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, which, as a certain Vice President of the United States might say, is a big f*cking deal.
Wonder if H&R Block could work something like this into their ever-changing slogan? Maybe, “If you’re not rich enough for us, don’t waste your time”?
Dregs of the Year Nominee
It’s easy to cite Claude Lee Haynes III here for the latest chapter of “Gun Fails – The Sequel Times About 1,000” (a 4-year-old boy found Haines’s gun he left in the john at church and, mercifully didn’t shoot himself or anyone else before the boy’s father recovered it), but if the account is true (namely, that the church somehow asked Haynes to bring his external death penis to services with him for “protection”), what does that say about that particular house of worship (here)?
Praise be the god of Smith and Wesson, brothers and sisters! Let us lock and load!
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Former Phillie and (apparently) former ESPN broadcaster Curt Schilling for comparing Muslims to Nazis here – I mean, did “Top-Step Schill” honestly think he WOULDN’T be punished for saying something so dunderheaded and stupid? Does Schilling need the publicity that badly? I guess so.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
William Shatner asked earlier for fans of “Star Trek” to send their favorite pics of the Spock “live long and prosper” gesture as made famous by Leonard Nimoy, who passed in February, as a tribute to be included as a collage (noted in Pt. 10), but here, the cast of the “Star Trek: Beyond” film came up with their own gesture, releasing a tribute video benefiting nine of Nimoy’s favorite charities, including St. Jude’s Hospital for Children (proof I guess that the needs of the many do indeed outweigh the needs of the few, or the one – OK, geek mode off)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
CNN’s Jeffrey Lord, who compared Jorge Ramos of Univision to the cowards Dylann Roof and Bryce Williams (the latest in the ever-growing legion of gun-toting psychopaths) – Ramos was booted from Donald Trump’s press conference while attempting to ask the Republican presidential candidate questions about his immigration policy, even though Trump acted like he was doing Ramos a favor by letting him back into the press conference later (and a secondary Dregs citation goes out to CNN for hiring Lord in the first place – as the Media Matters post tells us, Lord “has a history of pushing fringe rhetoric and misinformation,” but he was hired anyway by “the most trusted name in news”)
Dregs of the Year Nominees
McDonald’s, for nixing the “McWhopper” promotion with Burger King even though both of the burger giants have seen struggling sales recently (at least “BK” had an original idea, while “Mickey D’s” thinks it’s a winning strategy to “urbanize” their overpriced and utterly wretched food – here)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
This is sort of a delayed citation (which I might have made before, to be honest) to Number 42 for involving himself in the most recent PA Attorney General race in our beloved commonwealth, leading to the election of the ethically compromised Kathleen Kane after former U.S. House Rep Patrick Murphy was defeated in the Democratic primary – this was a quid pro quo for Murphy supporting President Obama in the ’08 Democratic presidential primary instead of Hillary; way to go, Big Dog!
…and speaking of former presidents…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
As noted here, Former President Highest Disapproval Rating In Gallup Poll History visited New Orleans during the 10th anniversary of the disaster of Hurricane Katrina and felt the impulse to dance upon hearing the performance of a student marching band (and yes, he had some company in that exercise I’ll admit).
I guess the first thought that comes to mind is utter revulsion at the fact that this life form decided not to wear ashes and sack cloth and shut himself away from the civilized world for the occasion, given the utterly (but typical) degree of stupefying incompetence that was fully on display from Dubya and his prior ruling cabal as New Orleans (and the Ninth Ward in particular) drowned while Number 43 watched impassively from a jet plane. The second thought is to wonder how he could still have the unbelievable absence of self-introspection to not realize how somber an occasion this anniversary truly was.
But after all, we are talking about George W. Bush here, people, so I guess absolutely none of this should be surprising.
…and returning to the Big Dog a bit (try not to get whiplash)…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Dan Loeb is a guy who actually supported President Obama once before he went in big for Willard Mitt in 2012. That’s not an issue since he has a right to donate to the candidate of his choice. However, more recently in June, Loeb also “joked” on his Facebook page that Hillary Clinton was a “put-upon spouse trapped in a loveless marriage with a cheating husband who thinks she’s a lesbian.”
Well, guess what? As noted here, Loeb’s name and Email address appeared in the database of users for the site of Ashley Madison, described as “the world’s leading infidelity service.” And in a statement to Gawker, Loeb confirms that the account is authentic. However, Loeb is now in denial mode, saying he couldn’t have used the service because he didn’t set up a credit card account.
To which I provide the following well-reasoned response:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do-Gooders of the Year Nominees
The Gap, for ending their practice of on-call scheduling for their employees (here) – they will now give them at least 10 days’ advance notice of their work schedules, thus wreaking less havoc on their lives (I can see where on-call scheduling may be needed for a job involving hands-on support of actual people that could affect their well-being, such as policemen, firemen and/or medical professionals, but not for clothing manufacturers…not a huge step forward, but it’s the right thing to do, so good on them for it)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
California Governor Jerry Brown, for promising to sign so-called “equal pay” legislation if it reaches his desk from the state legislature – the bill “would prohibit employers from forbidding workers from comparing wages. It would also require equal pay for ‘substantially similar work’ regardless of gender, strengthening the state’s existing Equal Pay Act,” as the Sacramento Bee news story tells us here (the guy they used to call “Governor Moonbeam” strikes again – nicely done)
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Kraft Foods – I need a minute or two to set this up…
I grew up in Northeast Philadelphia, and I can’t tell you how many times I rode past the Nabisco plant about a mile inside the city on Roosevelt Boulevard on the way to Bensalem, PA (Bucks County, basically). The smell of their goods being baked was ambrosia to a little boy who grew up to the person typing out these words you are now reading.
Well, a few years ago, Kraft Foods bought the Nabisco plant, and of course changed the branding on the front of the multistory building. You could still detect the aroma from the baking, though, just not as frequently (or so it seemed).
I’m sure you know how this story ends, so I might as well cut to the proverbial chase – Kraft Foods announced in January that they’re closing the plant on Roosevelt Boulevard by mid-year and will send about 300 baking jobs to Mexico (here).
And I will never buy Oreos or Fig Newtons again.
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Wingnut Repug (redundant?) U.S. House Rep Matt Salmon – as noted here, he was supposed to give a civics lesson to third graders at a Gilbert, AZ charter school, but instead, he managed to terrify the kids by telling them that there are schools who train kids their age to be suicide bombers, as Salmon put it; fortunately, the teacher was an adult who was actually sane and managed to end the session (and Salmon of course sent out a spokesperson to deliver a non-apology apology – what an idiot…take a bow, all of you in AZ who managed to get this fool elected)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Dr. Howard Schneider, who was served in September with 58 notices of intent to sue by former patients who say the dentist performed unwanted and unneeded dental procedures on their children, all allegedly to bilk Medicaid (hard to find the words to communicate how detestable this is – here)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
I realize that it’s been a little while since we’ve heard from Repug U.S. House Rep Pete Sessions (you remember, Mikey the Beloved’s playmate who shared that bogus TV swearing-in ceremony with PA-08’s wet noodle rep a few years ago), but as noted here, Sessions peeked his head out of his little hidey hole in September to blame “diversity” for gun violence in America (which, as every wingnut knows, is code for “the blahs,” minorities overall and Democrats in general I suppose).
And no, Sessions has never to date put on his big-boy pants, as it were, and taken responsibility for saying that he can’t even stand to look at the President of the United States of America (here).
Do-Gooders of the Year Nominees
The state of Connecticut and Governor Dannel Malloy, for finding homes for all of that state’s homeless vets, which of course is the very least we can do to thank them for their service (here)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Retiring Dem U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, for providing the critical 34th vote needed to stand in the way of the U.S. Senate Republicans (along with Dem cowards Charles Schumer and Robert Menendez) and their efforts to block the nuclear treaty with Iran, which sounds like the treaty will be ratified – talk about exiting on a high note (here)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis, who remained steadfast in her opposition to issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples here – Judas H. Priest, do I HATE these goddamn so-called “conscience” excuses about how someone’s lifestyle offends your religious sensibilities or something…DO YOUR DAMN JOB! HOW MANY MORE TIMES IS THE SCOTUS SUPPOSED TO OVERRULE YOU!!
(And by the way, others objecting to Davis have pointed out that she’s been married four times and there is also some questions about the parentage of some of her kids, as noted here, which, though interesting I suppose, is irrelevant – h/t Atrios)
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Erica Kenny, 22, of Cranford, and Chanese White, 28, of Roselle, NJ, who allegedly organized a “fight club” at a children’s day care by inciting the kids to scuffle – the kids, ages 4 to 6, apparently “duked it out” at least one day in August (let’s see these two have to endure the same ordeal in an adult population of inmates if found guilty – here)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Rand “If You Work, You’re Too Busy To Do Heroin” Paul here (an appallingly stupid statement from anyone, particularly someone who claims to be a medical professional…last I checked, he was polling almost underwater in the Repug presidential primary and was borrowing from the U.S. Senate campaign he’s supposed to be running instead – what a truly dim bulb this guy is)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
I never, EVER thought I would be giving a citation like this to wingnut media yakker Hugh Hewitt (God, Hewitt and S.E. Cupp in the same century!), but I very reluctantly have to do so for cornering The Donald on some foreign policy stuff (in this case, the names of sworn enemies of this country) that anyone running for president is supposed to know, and of course Trump reacted exactly in the manner that you would think – paging our allegedly Dem-friendly media out there; you people want to try doing this stuff like you’re supposed to (here)?
…and on that subject…
Dregs of the Year Nominees
This goes out to that supposedly liberal network MSNBC and “Morning Jo(ke)” for selectively editing an interview with fellow charter member of our Beltway courtier media David Ignatius to make it look there there really is an honest-to-goodness Hillary Clinton Email scandal after all (here).
I can’t think of too many others outside of Fix Noise and Limbaugh-land who have the same degree of pathological Clinton hatred that Joe Scarborough has. For that reason alone, he should absolutely be prohibited from reporting or commenting on that subject.
Dregs of the Year Nominees
You know those annoying (but necessary, unfortunately) messages you get on your smart phone telling you you’re approaching your maximum data (including voice and Internet) usage for the month? For the plan that you have to be a math whiz for when it comes to calculating how many gigabytes you include for yourself and any other family members without paying for usage you won’t need? Well, you get that message because you have a predetermined cap on your usage that determines how much you pay the telco per month.
Now imagine that you have a cap like that on your TV and internet usage for your home…well, actually, to WON’T HAVE TO IMAGINE that if Comcast has its evil way and decides to cap your home internet usage, under a plan they’re contemplating as noted here (and of course, the other providers would say “Aw, gee, we don’t have any choice but to do the same thing to remain competitive”).
Part The Infinity, as Charles Pierce might say, as to why Comcast is sprung from the loins of Beelzebub, as it were…
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila for offering his private home in northern Finland to asylum seekers from Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East here (oh, by the way, remember when Former President Nutball told us how democracy was supposedly flourishing throughout that besotted region of the world as supposedly a happy consequence from his Not-So-Excellent Adventure in Iraq? Well, is it my imagination, or have all of those countries utterly gone to crap now? And what do you hear from Number 43 and his pals now? How about the proverbial sound of silence?)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Hamilton, Tennessee County Chancellor Jeffrey Atherton, who ruled here that, because the Supreme Court has recognized same-sex marriage, he can no longer grant a divorce to a couple seeking one in his court because OMIGOD WILLYOU BLEEPING CONSERVATIVES GET OVER YOUR HURT GODDAMN FEE FEES OVER TEH GAY TRYING TO RUIN YOUR SEXYTIME OR SOMETHING???!!!
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
The Temple University football team, which beat Penn State in September for the first time in 74 years (here – WAY TO GO OWLS!!)
…and there is a bit of a connection between the prior item and this one (i.e., a former high-profile Temple alum who was the biggest TV star of the ’80s and beyond)…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Actor/comedian Damon Wayans for this (definitely NOT the way to try and re-start your flagging career)
Dregs of the Year Nominees
The Old Gray Lady gets another dubious citation for claiming that there is a so-called “Ferguson effect” (re:, the shooting of Michael Brown and the protests, of course, spreading across the country) leading to increased violent crime in our cities which, as this Huffpo post notes, is what Rachel Maddow would call total bullpucky.
This comes on the heels of the supposed “story” about Hillary Clinton releasing classified email from her private account, which was total fiction also (I’ll remember this the next time I get a screaming Email from this bunch asking me to re-subscribe for a “teaser” rate that will double in about three months).
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Pretend presidential candidate Chris Christie (just add this to the pile for this guy) – as noted here, he said we should track LEGAL immigrants with bar codes, the same way we track FedEx packages…as John Amato says, we can’t even imagine what he has in mind for illegals (you’re at about 14 minutes and 45 seconds, Governor Bully)
…and add this to the ridiculous Christie canon, as it were – if there’s one thing he should be an expert on, it’s hot air (oh, and this too – h/t Atrios).
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Picking up where he left off last year, Pope Francis I introduced changes to the rules of marriage annulment for Catholics here, which, among other things, would allow Catholics whose marriages were annulled to receive Communion – if there’s one thing that needs to be changed in the Catholic faith, it is this; for what they cost, annulments were basically extortion…once more, a symbolic gesture but also a practical one too…thank you, Your Holiness.
William Shatner for this – what a great, productive gesture, trying to make something positive from the passing of Leonard Nimoy in February…better than cheating the Kobayashi Maru, I would say (geek mode off)
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Teahadist Michigan State Rep. Todd Courser for using a gay sex blackmail ruse to try and cover up his affair with fellow Teahadist Rep. Cindy Gamrat, a scam which, though original I’ll admit, is still repugnant, nauseatingly so – both are married with kids, and I don’t need to identify the political party do I (here)?
By the way, Courser would eventually resign and Gamrat was “expelled” (here)…they would each run for their seats again in special elections, and each lost.
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Ed Mullins of the New York Sergeants Benevolent Association for “homeless shaming” in response to NYC officials including Mayor de Blasio trying to ban the choke hold as a weapon to be used by NYC cops (I’m not so sure that I agree with de Blasio here…what happened to Eric Garner, as far as I’m concerned, was a homicide, but I don’t think trying to tell the cops how to do their jobs in response is a good idea either…Mullins is the biggest loser, as they say, out of all of this for his idiotic response)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
So many reasons to give a citation like this to Ruth Marcus of the WaPo, but I think BooMan (h/t Atrios) gives us a particularly odious one here in response to John Kerry, Obama, and the Iranian nuke deal (Marcus being such a “liberal,” after all)
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Tom Brady and the NFL’s New England Patriots, along with Roger Goodell, head of the league, for the fact that this whole “Deflate-gate” business (over the under-inflated footballs used in last year’s AFC playoff game against Indianapolis) somehow made its way to federal court as of 8/12…um, aren’t there more important or pressing issues to be heard there than this (here)?
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Repug U.S. House Rep Walter Jones for the introspection he showed on Dubya’s Not-So-Excellent Adventure in Mesopotamia here (yeah, I know it won’t bring anyone back from the dead or heal those maimed from the war, but I would say that, at least, this is a proper acknowledgement of contrition – Jones, truly a political wild card, would also have a hand here in the fact that Kevin McCarthy, presumed to be House speaker after John Boehner resigned, would take himself out of the running for the job…more or less a neutral observation on my part)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
There are so many reasons to give a citation like this to “Calgary” Cruz, but as noted here, he gave a “Power of Courage” award (whatever that is to) Arkansas State Rep Justin Harris (a Repug, of course) here.
What could be wrong with that? Well, Harris is the guy who “rehomed” his adopted daughters with a child molester who’s now serving hard time for raping one of them, that’s what (noted in an earlier citation).
What the hell is next for Cruz? A “Good Conduct” testimonial award to Charles Manson?
Dregs of the Year Nominee
St. Louis County patrolman Todd J. Bakula, who in August posted images to his personal Facebook page from his vacation to the aptly-named town of Defiance, Missouri, where he also informed us as follows (here):
“I decided to spend my annual Michael Brown bonus on a nice relaxing bicycle ride trip to Defiance,” Bakula reportedly wrote using the pseudonym TJ Thekoola. “Eating dinner now and staying at a bed and breakfast tonight.”
The post appears to be a reference to the often sizable overtime pay usually given to police officers who assist in crowd control or other duties during the protests (following Brown’s death last year). Of the $4 million the county spent responding to last year’s demonstrations in Ferguson, roughly $2.5 million was used to compensate police for overtime work.
…
“We understand the post is controversial,” Shawn McGuire, media relations officer at St Louis County police, told the Guardian. “The St Louis County police department takes these allegations very serious in every case. The remarks on the Facebook page will be investigated by our department.”
Yes. Do that. “Investigate,” at a minimum. And then, invite Bakula to look for employment somewhere else, preferably in pursuit of a job that has nothing to do with law enforcement.
Former Arkansas governor and batsh*t crazy wingnut Mike Huckabee, who claimed that a 10-year-old rape victim in Paraguay should be forced to bear the child she carried as a result…not sure how it gets more barbaric than that, and I really don’t want to find out (here)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Former mail deliverer Patrick D’Ambrosio, who (Feds allege) failed to deliver about 22,000 pieces of mail – he could be looking at about six months in the slam as well as a fine (here – idiot)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
You know, it’s pretty sad when a journalist as esteemed as Bob Woodward feels that he has to engage in this sort of garbage to somehow try and remain relevant, but as noted here, he claimed that the supposed evasions of Hillary Clinton over some OOGA BOOGA OMIGOD IT’S THE SMOKING GUN BENGHAZI! BENGHAZI! BENGHAZI!! personal Emails on her private account (which EVERYONE has, by the way) reminded him of Nixon’s trying to keep his White House tapes a secret.
It’s pretty idiotic to try and point out how utterly farcical this is, because Woodward (along with Carl Bernstein) know better than probably anyone else at this point. I’ll merely mention YET AGAIN that Clinton has VOLUNTARILY turned over bunches of Emails already and is now VOLUNTARILY turning over her private Email server to the Justice Department.
And I defy you to show me ANY OTHER POLITICIAN who was made an effort like this to remove the ridiculous taint of suspicion manufactured by Woodward and so many others.
But of course, we’re talking about the “Clinton rules,” after all, so nothing from them will EVER be good enough for our utterly bought-and-paid-for media/political/industrial complex, of which Woodward is a charter member.
Update 12/21/15: And speaking of the “Clinton rules” (here)…
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
President Obama, for treating the heroin outbreak in this country as a public health emergency, which is exactly the correct response (here) – however…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
How on earth can Number 44 justify a trip to Alaska to talk about climate change after allowing Royal Dutch Shell petroleum to dig even deeper in the Arctic Ocean, thereby releasing still more greenhouse gases (here)?
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Former Philadelphia Flyer, Buffalo Sabre, Montreal Canadien, and Colorado Avalanche (singular?) center Danny Briere, who retired this year from the NHL – he had his detractors who claimed that he pretty much coasted through the regular season, but he racked up big-time playoff numbers, particularly during the last round of playoff success for the orange-and-black when they made it to the finals before losing to Chicago in 2010 – he was also a mentor to younger players, particularly Claude Giroux, who has emerged as a star in his own right…all the best (here)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Wingnut Kenneth Herman, who sued the Cilo, Michigan School District after his daughter’s elementary school refused to grant him access while he was openly carrying a pistol, as well as the judge who somehow thought that making Herman carry it in plain sight somehow made him less of a threat to scare the crap out of the school kids (and yes, the numbskull judge gets a secondary citation also – here)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
The alleged “man” who reportedly brought knives and an improvised explosive device into the Kansas abortion clinic that was previously operated by Dr. George Tiller, who was gunned down by an anti-abortion activist in 2009 (here)…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
The pastor who said here that Robin Williams killed himself (one-year anniversary of his death was 8/11) because he “didn’t have Jesus in his heart” – what a dick; what probably had more to do with it was the clinical depression Williams fought all his life made worse by a combination of a Parkinson’s diagnosis on top of open heart surgery, which is a real risk for the type of behavior that did Williams in, unfortunately – Williams contributed more to betterment of what you could call “the human condition” by providing the gift of laughter than this idiot ever could with all his hymns and Hosannas (more here)….
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Jordan Figueiredo, the individual behind @UglyFruitAndVeg, a one-man, social-media-fueled effort to make Americans fall in love with ugly fruits and vegetables – according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, 40 percent of the food grown in the United States ends up in the garbage, which is almost appalling beyond words to yours truly (here)
That campaign, aided by whimsical pictures of misshapen produce accompanied by humorous captions and hashtags, took off — in six months, Figueiredo has amassed over 18,000 followers, claiming names like Jamie Oliver, Alice Waters, and Michael Pollan as fans. Now, Figueiredo has a bolder vision — convince Walmart and Whole Foods, two of the United States’ most visible retailers, to sell ugly fruits and vegetables.
“People are so sick of us wasting food,” Figueiredo told ThinkProgress. “This is such a low hanging fruit solution to food waste.”
“Low-hanging-fruit solution”…heh (nicely done).
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Ricardo Aca, an undocumented immigrant from Puebla who came to the United States with his family a decade ago and who works (last I checked) three jobs to make ends meet; one of which is the Soho restaurant in a building owned by one Donald J. Trump (he being the Republican presidential candidate who has done his best to vilify immigrants every way he can) – Aca said the following in August (here):
“I know I could lose my job just for talking about Trump,” Aca acknowledged. But after Trump continued to base his presidential campaign on anti-immigrant rhetoric, he could no longer maintain his silence. “It doesn’t make me proud to go to work every day under his name.”
“I’m not a criminal,” Aca said in the video. “I work really hard and I definitely don’t take it for granted.”
Kudos to you, Mr. Aca, for embodying everything this country is supposed to stand for (and welcome to the fight).
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
The exodus of the architects of the ’08 World Series win continued for the Phillies in August with the departure of six-time-All-Star Chase Utley; the red pinstriped bunch have had a lot of great second basemen, but when all is said and done, Utley may end up as the very best primarily because he came up through the organization and played just about his entire career here – I’ll make sure I put up “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin in his honor here (otherwise, I can’t stand that song, if you want to know the truth). And as Jimmy Rollins and Cole Hamels did before him, Utley took out a full-page ad in the Philadelphia Daily News thanking the fans (Utley would be involved in a controversial slide into second base during a National League playoff game in which Miguel Tejada of the New York Mets would end up with a broken leg here…the Mets would end up defeating the Dodgers in the NLCS)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
Anthony Sadler, Spencer Stone and Alek Skarlatos, three American friends travelling on vacation in Europe, who, along with two others (a French national and a Briton), subdued a gunman on a train who opened fire – Skarlatos seized the rifle used by the gunman and butted him in the head with it, presumably knocking him down at least or even knocking him out (the CNN story doesn’t tell us)…kudos to one and all for their bravery
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Once again, Ted Cruz for this – and he can’t plead ignorance…I mean, Cruz may be, with the possible exception of Louie Gohmert, THE most ignorant individual in the U.S. for this…since he also said something about Beau Biden after he died…what a truly wretched human being Cruz is, the complete realization of “Lonesome Rhodes” from “A Face In The Crowd”
Dregs of the Year Nominee
I don’t know what the hell I did to get onto the E-mailing list of wingnut emeritus Richard Viguerie, but every Monday morning, like flatulence after a particularly severe bout of indigestion, I receive a copy of something from “Conservative HQ” attributed to him, and usually I just ignore it. However, I actually opened an Email from Viguerie one Monday in August, and he concocted something where he alleges that Hillary Clinton senior aide Huma Abedin (otherwise known as Mrs. Anthony Weiner – God bless her) is HRC’s version of Alger Hiss, and Abedin should be sworn in to answer questions about her alleged involvement with the Muslim Brotherhood, and whether or not she supposedly lied during the process where she obtained her security clearance and her role in moving classified material from the secure State Department system to the unsecure Hillary Clinton Email server, as Viguerie puts it.
As I shook my head and realized this is about par for the wretched course from one of our major political parties in this country (charges too utterly stupid to actually dignify with an intelligent response), it made me realize once more my biggest concern for the 2016 presidential election. It’s not that the Repugs will actually field a respectable candidate. It’s the relentless torrent of slime that will end up drenching the prospective Democratic Party nominee (though I keep assuming that HRC will get the nomination, and Bernie Sanders, like Ol’ Man River, just keeps rolling along).
(So yes, in case you were wondering, this citation goes to Viguerie.)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Hosni Mubarak Walker, for saying here we should have cancelled the visit of China’s president in response to the 1,000-point slide of the DJIA in August, as if China actually planned for their economy to slide, taking down the rest of the global markets with them (besides, if we piss off Xi Jinping too much, then who else is going to hold all of our stinking debt, you moron??!!)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Governor Bully, for blaming Obama for an increase in heroin use here…don’t worry; though Christie is somehow STILL in the race as I type this, I can assure you that he will NEVER be president
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
“Weird Al” Yankovic for befriending eight-year-old Layla Murphy here, who was bullied because she liked “Star Wars,” which wasn’t considered appropriate “little girl” behavior by some (individuals who, sadly, took the title of one of Weird Al’s tunes literally, and that would be “Dare To Be Stupid”)
Patrick Rushing, mayor of Airway Heights, Washington, who referred to President Obama as “monkey man” and the first lady as “gorilla face,” but claims he’s not racist – if he had a speck of decency, Rushing would have already resigned by now, but of course (here)…
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Alaska Republican (!) Governor Bill Walker, who basically ignored the legislature run by his own party and expanded Medicaid for that state’s residents on his own – kudos (here)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
This goes out to any Republican out there who, at this point, hasn’t thoroughly castigated, ridiculed and ultimately disowned “The Donald” for being the boorish clown that he ultimately is (here – there’s no point in actually giving a citation to Trump over this, though I suppose it would be richly deserved).
Where is the line when it comes to bad behavior from these characters? Is there a line?
Bueller??!!
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Yes, believe it or not, former U.S. General and one-time Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark actually argued here for the return of World War II-style internment camps, but only instead of Japanese Americans, it would be for “radicalized” U.S. citizens.
Besides, Clark would have to mean here (at least in part) Muslim Americans. In response, I wonder if he knows about this?
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Any business complaining about a $15 hourly wage such as Dunkin’ Donuts & McDonald’s (in the case of DD, here’s an idea – stop having Fix Noise on all of your TVs…and in the case of Mickey D’s, trying improving the quality of the food selections, as well as varying the menu a bit, since I’m definitely not “lovin’ it”)
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Anyone who quite rightly supported Sen. John McCain when “The Donald” made his scurrilous charges against McCain’s service but didn’t support Sen. John Kerry against the Swift Boat liars under similar circumstances (here)…and yes, I’m talking about Jeb Bush, among others (here)
Do Gooder of the Year Nominee (“Christmas In July” Citation)
Cole Hamels for his no-hitter on 7/25 against the Cubs, who hadn’t been no-hit in about 50 years, believe it or not (here)…it turned out to be his last pitching performance for the Phils before he was traded to the Texas Rangers, with Cole and wife Heidi also taking out a full-page ad in the Philadelphia Inquirer thanking the fans…all the best, and thanks for the wonderful performances during the most successful run the Phillies have ever had (sadly, Hamels and the Texas Rangers would lose to the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
The NFL’s Arizona Cardinals earn a mention for hiring the NFL’s first female coach, Jen Welter (here) – contrast that with the sideshow of Chip Kelly’s Philadelphia Eagles, a team that traded away a perfectly good quarterback in Nick Foles for Sam Bradford, a guy who will only make it through an entire NFL season if he’s lucky, and of course they also decided to give Tim Tebow yet another try at a job in pro football so the team could get a cut of the money that Tebow generates in accessories, such as his jersey (here) – by the way, Tebow would eventually be cut, which I guess wasn’t really a surprise, but he left a very classy Facebook message thanking the Eagles and Chip Kelly for the opportunity to play in the NFL…good job on Tebow’s part.
(Also, in what I think can safely be called a shocking development, Kelly would be fired as head coach of the Eagles on 12/29 – of course, a record of 6-9 didn’t exactly help him either.)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Dr. Walter Palmer, a big game hunter who apparently specializes in killing rare creatures; in July, he bagged Cecil, a rare 13-year-old lion and expressed regret about it afterwards (here)…self-entitled assh*le (and apparently, the government of Zimbabwe tried to extradite Palmer to face charges, but unfortunately, they were unsuccessful)
…and in a related story…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Mia Farrow also earns a dubious citation in the matter of the killing of Cecil the lion; she gets it for giving out Palmer’s address on social media – two wrongs don’t make a right (here)
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Yes, it’s time for more false equivalency, Wingnut Media division, with Howie Kurtz and David Zurawik – oh yes, Obama is the worst media president since Nixon (here – though Number 44 never was involved in something like this)…
…and oh yes, Jon Stewart selectively edited video clips to make Republicans look bad (Proof? Anywhere in sight??). And yet again, how pathetic is it to hold Stewart to a journalistic standard totally alien to any inhabitant of the Roger Ailes BS Factory.
Zurawik’s act hasn’t changed from the days when he utterly lambasted Keith Olbermann on MSNBC (and I honestly don’t recall that Zurawik’s analysis was ever actually correct). He does have a bit of a point about Obama and the press, but the hyperbole festival on display in the C&L clip is still utterly preposterous.
And it’s particularly hilarious to hear Zurawik opine on how Stewart has supposedly poisoned the political orientation of younger voters – I have a feeling that Zurawik is familiar with college students the same way that Tom Friedman is familiar with European cab drivers (here).
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Hosni Mubarak Walker, who came to Philadelphia for the obligatory photo-op of eating a cheesesteak at both Pat’s and Geno’s, but in the process of doing so, managed to cut in front of people to place his order, didn’t finish what he ate (how could he have eaten 2 anyway? Probably would have been better to go to Geno’s given the politics of the late founder Joey Vento) and didn’t dispose of his trash either – I give you Typical Republican Entitlement 101 (here)…Walker would eventually “suspend” his campaign
Dregs of the Year Nominee
The Kansas City hotel manager responsible for showing what I guess is a doll representing Sandra Bland being lynched (more here) – the racist heart of American on full, disgusting display here…
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Sister Joan Chittister, O.S.B., for this, explaining how the Repugs, as opposed to being “pro-life,” are really “pro-birth” and practically nothing more than that (well done)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Colorado State Representative Gordon Klingenschmitt for this – what a sick bastard…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
I realize this is just a sop to Red State America (not that that’s an excuse), but Dem Senator Joe Manchin definitely earns a dubious citation for his vote to defund Planned Parenthood in the wake of the dummied-up video and general hue and cry over alleged selling of baby parts (uh, no), including from some senators who once voted in favor of fetal tissue research (here).
Dregs of the Year Nominee
U.S. Senator (and presumptive Dem Senate leader after the 2016 elections, unfortunately) Chuck Schumer for stating his intention to oppose the eventually-passed nuke deal with Iran – as the Crooks and Liars post tells us, Schumer’s seat is about as safe as one can be, and he really wouldn’t stand to lose much by supporting it and preventing Iran’s accelerated development of nukes and potentially another Mideast war that other people’s kids would have to fight…when people tell me they’re disgusted with Democrats, they almost always mention Schumer, and I really don’t have anything to say in response
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
Facebook cofounders Dustin Moskovitz and wife Cari Tuna (#realname?) for donating $25 million to a new kind of nonprofit, GiveDirectly, which gives extremely poor people cash instead of traditional aid (GiveDirectly works in Kenya and Uganda)…nice to try and do something different – hopefully it will yield a fairly immediate positive impact (here)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Margie Winters for this – shouldn’t have to be this tough of a struggle for her to hang onto her job, but apparently it is…all the best (here)
Dregs of the Year Nominee
East Texas (big surprise?) Judge Randall Rogers forced defendant Josten Bundy to write down Bible verses and marry his girlfriend as punishment for punching another man in the jaw (here) – I mean, Bundy isn’t exactly a MENSA candidate himself, saying something like he wanted to wear yellow under his tux on his wedding day because he’s a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, but something like this is what we would expect from third-world countries (though I’m sure portions of Texas qualify)…and yes, the citation goes to Rogers (what a way to get a marriage off on the wrong foot, as they say) – I’m pretty sure I saw somewhere that this ridiculous sentence is being reviewed, but I can’t find the link at the moment.
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Believe me when I tell you that I want to totally “get” the whole “Black Lives Matter” thing, but can you please explain to me how interrupting a Bernie Sanders rally in Seattle, as they did in August, can do anything other than shoot themselves in the foot (here)?
(Though, as noted here, the group has been given plenty of ammunition by utterly stupid cops – so yes, this qualified citation goes to the Black Lives Matter group.)
(Oh, and somehow it displays cultural insensitivity, or something, to say in response that all lives matter. Sorry, but I must have missed the memo on that one…kudos to the group for this, though, met with a not-surprising response given who was holding the rally.)
…on the other hand…
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Aeneas Williams, formerly of the St. Louis Rams, for this – something a lot more positive than trying to hijack a speech…
South Bend, IN mayor Pete Buttigieg for this (all the best)…
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Andre Iguodala of the world champion Golden State Warriors earns a mention; he was named the NBA finals’ MVP even though he didn’t start every game, but managed to make a big enough impact that he apparently turned the series around for his team (I say “apparently” because I basically can’t be bothered with the NBA, so I don’t know for certain…here).
I want to note Iguodala in particular, though, because this is definitely an “in your face” citation to the typical morning radio idiots in Philadelphia who allegedly bring us what passes for a “sports” broadcast. Yeah, those same jackasses who hated Iguodala so much when he was with the Sixers that they volunteered to drive him to the airport in order to make it easier to trade him, which the perpetually-losing Sixers eventually did (along with Marresse Speights, who also ended up with Golden State).
Yeah, not good enough to play in Philly according to the media morons, but I’m sure the “bling” of those championship rings is more than a bit of compensation for that, huh?
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Sticking with sports, Brandon McManus, placekicker for the NFL’s Denver Broncos and former Temple Owl (he also played high school ball in the area in Montco I think, but I can’t find out where), held his inaugural Kick’n It for Charity Kickball Classic on June 20thhere to help promote efforts against bullying (“plenty of leg,” if you will, behind that effort – kudos).
Dregs of the Year Nominee
NRA Board Member Charles Cotton somehow found a way to blame the murdered leader of the South Carolina congregation where 8 other people also died from gun slaughter by the coward Dylann Roof (the latest psychopath with a weapon of death): see, according to Cotton, if Clementa Pinckney (the leader of the congregation) had just supported concealed-carry in church, then Roof wouldn’t have killed everyone, including Pinckney himself (here).
I really don’t have any kind of a witty comeback or sarcastic dig in response to a remark that is so utterly appalling. Kind of like roadkill, I think I should just let it lay there and rot (which is the fate that I ultimately hope Cotton experiences one day, preferably while still sentient).
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
South Carolina Republican State Representative Norman “Doug” Brannon, who introduced a bill to remove the Confederate rag from flying over the front of the state capitol after the mass shooting at the Charlestown congregation that left 9 people dead (here)…
As (Brannon) told Chris Hayes on MSNBC, “I had a friend die Wednesday night for no reason other than he was a black man. Sen. (Clementa) Pinckney was an incredible human being. I don’t want to talk politics but I’m going to introduce the bill for that reason.”
It’s terrible that it look the loss of a man like Pinckney for Brannon to do the right thing, but kudos anyway.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Former Delaware State University volleyball player Natalia Mendieta sued her coach in June because she claimed that she lost her athletic scholarship for refusing to attend her coach’s Sunday religious services (Mendieta is Catholic and her coach is Protestant, and yes, I would say the same thing if the faiths were reversed – and in case there was any doubt somehow, the citation goes to Mendieta – here)…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Chuck Todd(ler), as Atrios calls him, for this – what a dope…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
South Carolina State Rep William Chumley gets a dishonorable nod; he said here that the victims in the Charleston, SC mass murder “waited their turn to be shot” because (I guess) none of them were the “good guy with a gun” that the NRA and their brainless clones seem to think will arrive in the proverbial nick of time to prevent danger.
And yes, Chumley apologized, as well he should. Of course, had he REALLY intended to do good here, he would never have been cruel and insensitive enough to utter this disgusting garbage in the first place (also, as usual, do I really need to point out the political party here?).
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Teahadist New Mexico Governor Susanna Martinez – as Think Progress tells us here…
(Martinez) has sought to reinstate the rules limiting able-bodied people to three months of SNAP benefits unless they work or attend job training classes at least 20 hours per week. Martinez’s initial attempt was blocked by a judge who ruled the state had failed to give the required public notice about the decision. The state’s Human Services Department issued a revamped proposal (in June) that would make New Mexico’s work rules the most expansive in the country.
The standard work requirement applies to people age 18 to 50 who are healthy enough to work and have no children or other dependents to care for. Martinez’s administration wants to expand the rules to include 16- and 17-year-olds and adults as old as 60.
Oh, and did I mention that over 21 percent of the residents of that state collect SNAP benefits? And that this ridiculous action by Martinez means that between 26,000 and 80,000 residents could lose that benefit as a result (a pretty wide swath, I’ll admit)?
Allegedly, Martinez is a Roman Catholic, though it doesn’t look like she’s practicing anything that looks even remotely like the faith I was taught to emulate or reflect in my own behavior.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
For all of the disagreements I’ve had with the High Court of Hangin’ Judge JR and Justice Anthony Kennedy in particular, I have to admit that Kennedy stood tall in June on King v. Burwell (here), the idiotic challenge to the Affordable Care Law that should never even have been heard by the Court, and the legal challenge to same-sex marriage, siding with the majority to uphold on both issues (and of course, a Dregs citation to fellow Justice Antonin Scalia, who carried on like a little baby as a result of both rulings – here)
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Bree Newsome earns a favorable nod – she’s the activist who got tired of waiting for South Carolina to take down that damn rebel rag from in front of the state capitol and decided to do it herself (here).
That being said, I should say that I don’t think the confederate flag should totally disappear, though I wish it would. It should be preserved as a historical symbol for commemorative activities involving the Civil War and for historically related stuff like that (such as re-enactments at Gettysburg, for example), though I don’t think anyone should be making money off of it, and it certainly should not appear in any kind of a public place.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
I’m sure I’ll find a reason to bitch at her for more right-wing garbage in the future (and I have to admit that I’m shocked by this citation), but for now, daughter of Breitbart S.E. Cupp absolutely stood tall in June on the issue of same-sex marriage (here)…
“Those people there,” Cupp, referring to the gay-marriage supporters, “are not pariahs. They are patriots.”
“And wherever you stand on the politics of this issue — and I’ve long been supportive of gay rights — it’s hard not to see these people as just wanting the human dignity that the rest of us have,” the cable network’s pundit continued.
“I’m trying to tell my party: You’re going to be a relic. You’re going to be left behind if you don’t come to terms with the fact that this is our future.”
Saying she “grew up with gay friends,” Cupp told (CNN’s Wolf) Blitzer, “You meet people — not policies, not politics. But if you meet real people and you realize, they’re not asking for much. They’re asking for what you take for granted.”
“To celebrate with them after so many years of feeling like there’s a double standard and different treatment, means everything to me.”
I never, ever thought I would agree with Cupp on anything, but she’s absolutely on the beam here (and it shocks me yet again to see how a conservative can be so spot-on correct about an issue like this but so completely drop-dead wrong on just about everything else….and of course, as you might expect, Cupp returned to her wretched form here in light of the Planned Parenthood shootings in Colorado Springs).
Dregs of the Year Nominee
CNN’s Lucy Pawle for this – in the words of that noted social critic Bugs Bunny, what a maroon…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Pawle’s fellow news personality at CNN Nia-Malika Henderson also gets a dishonorable mention; in June, she claimed here that the Republican Party supposedly “won” on the issue of gay marriage because the ruling supposedly energized an ever-shrinking portion of their beloved “base,” and despite the fact that 1) It enshrined marriage equality in all 50 states and made those on the wrong side of the issue fight even more of an uphill battle than what they were already dealing with, and 2) created even more of a yawning chasm between those squarely against the tide of history and those realizing and facing the inexorable turn of events (and in the case of 1 and 2, I’m definitely talking about the “party of Lincoln”).
But despite that, the Republican Party “won” on the issue.
Sure they did.
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominees
The US Women’s soccer team, for winning the World Cup in July (yaay!) (here)
Commemorative “Hey, Now Maybe He Can Put His Gun Away If He’s Not Afraid Of The Fans Any More – Remember That One?” Citation of the Year
And sticking with sports…in an otherwise thoroughly forgettable season of Phillies baseball, closer Jonathan Papelbon was named to the National League All-Star Team in July (here).
…and in keeping with this theme…
Dregs of the Year Nominee
It’s truly difficult to totally catalogue all of the utterly wretched personnel moves concocted by Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, but soon after Papelbon’s All Star appearance, he was traded within the National League East to the Washington Nationals, which makes sense in a way since the team is full of crybabies (talented crybabies in a lot of cases, I’ll admit) who just love to talk smack about the Phillies now that Washington is on top and the Phils are on the bottom – however, I can recall when the roles were reversed and Phillies fans showed up to the games more than the Nationals fans did…I’m sure Papelbon will now rack up many saves against his former team and gloat over every single one.
(OK, so I was a bit of an alarmist here on “Pap” – Amaro would eventually be let go as Phillies GM, and Papelbon and the Nats would be eliminated from the post-season anyway; Papelbon would end his year with his new team, by the way, by getting into a fight with teammate Bryce Harper and choking him…at least Harper has his best years in front of him, which is scary to admit, but Papelbon’s days as a closer are numbered…and why am I not surprised by this?)
Dregs of the Year Nominee (“You’re All Wet” Division)
As noted here, actor Tom Selleck was busted by a real P.I. for (“allegedly,” let’s not forget) having “truckloads of water from a public hydrant delivered to his sprawling Hidden Valley ranch,” according to a complaint filed by a Ventura County water district.
Oh, and did I mention that California is in the middle of perhaps the worst drought of its history? I guess he can’t get T.C. to load up the chopper and fly him out of this one, huh?
Dregs of the Year Nominees
Citations go out to radio personality (I guess that’s what he is) Mike Vasilikos and newsman Bob Bumbera of radio station WXPN in these parts, as well as the station as a whole since July 1st (yes, this is going to require an explanation…I really went back and forth about whether or not I should even mention this).
Yours truly was listening to WXPN on the morning of July 10th, and Vasilikos and Bumbera were having a good laugh over a YouTube video where a bunch of twenty-somethings (I guess) are at a “rave” or an EDM concert somewhere with some performer building up the crowd for a “drop” of a tune that would rev them up to dance more (or something), but instead of the dance tune, the slow tune “True” by Spandau Ballet is played, and those in attendance stood there in stunned silence with “What the hell is going on” looks on their faces (sounds like the whole thing was a put-on by somebody, which I think is kind of a dirty trick, especially if people paid money for a legitimate concert). Vasilikos and Bumbera were chuckling over the looks on the kids’ faces, telling everyone who would listen “you’ve got to see this video.”
What exactly did the two do wrong here? Well, nothing, unless you consider the following.
Instead of having a dismissive attitude towards EDM or “house” music, maybe they could actually try to incorporate those selections onto their increasingly moribund play list. The teenaged one is trying to get me into Swedish House Mafia (a little late, I guess, since they’ve already broken up), and I have to admit that I like what I’ve heard. They are at least as melodic as the steaming piles of musical crap I hear on WXPN from someone called Hozier (who I think has actually had one good song), Courtney Barnett, Lana Del Rey (who always sounds like she’s stoned) and Mumford and Sons, and those performers get played in a very heavy rotation.
And as for the post-July 1st note, I should point out that longtime morning personality Michaela Majoun left the station on June 30th (don’t know why exactly – I hope she’s OK). Yes, I once referred to her as “the high priestess of political correctness” for what I honestly believed were good reasons, but would it have killed the station to continue the Friday morning women’s music hour from 9-10 after Majoun stepped down (as opposed to something called the Friday Morning Mix Tape)? Yeah, you could go either way on this subject I know, but we’re only talking about an hour a week, people.
By the way, new morning DJ(ette?) Kristen Kurtis is a proverbial breath of fresh air so far…all the best to her.
Dregs of the Year Nominee
Steve Kornacki of that supposedly “liberal” MSNBC network for this, though I could easy have cited him for a bunch of other examples of breathing oxygen into beyond-tired Republican Party talking points and false equivalencies – I’ve absolutely had it with Kornacki among the other shills on that network; just make it official and take a job with Fix Noise, OK?
Dregs of the Year Nominee
I guess he’s auditioning for the role of Crazy Zell Miller from ’04 in the 2016 Democratic Party primary, but as noted here, former Virginia Senator Jim Webb said that the Democratic Party has moved too far to the left, or something (and as many other “A” list bloggers smarter than I have pointed out, stuff like this is precisely the reason why Webb will never be elected president – just go run in the Republican Party clown show primary or audition for a job on Fox News instead, which is about the same thing anymore – oh, and this too).
Teutonic Travesty of the Year (“And Somewhere Dieter of ‘Sprockets’ Smiles” Citation)
The highly decomposed head and skull of “Nosferatu” (pictured) filmmaker F.W. Murnau was stolen by grave robbers as noted here; early indications are that it was some part of a cultish ritual based on the presence of melted candle drops as noted by police at the scene
Do-Gooder of the Year Nominee
Dem U.S. House Rep Matt Cartwright for this – I’m sure this will put a great big bullseye on his back, so to speak, from Chucky and Dave Koch, courtesy of Americans for Prosperity and, in particular for PA, the Commonwealth Foundation…Cartwright would also distinguish himself in a future post
Posted by doomsy 
The Liberal Doomsayer 