A few interesting headlines

Posted on December 4, 2022 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Economic issues, Election 2020, Election 2022, Global Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Re-blogs, Social commentary

Keith’s post today is a compilation of just a few of the latest headlines that prove just how low the once “Grand” Old Party has sunk. This is a big 10 on the growl-meter in my book! Thanks Keith!!!

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From John L. Dorman of Business Insider yesterday – “Georgia GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan says Herschel Walker will ‘probably go down as one of the worst candidates in our party’s history'”

From The Guardian yesterday – “Brexit has fueled surge in UK food prices, says Bank of England policymaker: Britons need to be kept aware of the cost of leaving the EU, says Swati Dhingra“

From Francine Prose of The Guardian yesterday: “Trump had dinner with two avowed antisemites. Let’s call this what it is: A 2024 candidate broke bread with Nick Fuentes, a white nationalist, and Ye, who has praised Hitler. Don’t normalize this”

From Newsweek yesterday – “Kari Lake lawyers sanctioned by judge over frivolous election lawsuit”

Taking these four headlines in order, let me offer these frank assessments. First, a party must police itself if it intends to serve our country. Republican Lt. Governor Duncan’s…

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The Week’s Best Cartoons 12/3

Posted on December 3, 2022 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Global Issues, Humour, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Re-blogs, Social commentary

I don’t want to write about Elon Musk/Twitter, don’t want to write about Kanye West & Nick Fuentes, don’t want to write about Kevin McCarthy or the Georgia runoffs … in short, I think I’m on ‘bad news’ overload. Lucky for me it’s Saturday and I can count on TokyoSand over at Political Charge to have spent time finding the best of the week’s political ‘toons for us! Thank you once again, TS!!!

Per TokyoSand …

Honestly, I really don’t want to talk about what’s been trending all week on social media. I hate that we’re living in a world where Nazis are a regular part of the conversation. Alas, editorial cartoonists react to the the news of the hour, and so here we are. Here’s some of the most effective cartoons I saw this week.

Be sure to check out the rest of the ‘toons here!

Good People Doing Good Things — Random Acts of Kindness Day … And More!

Posted on February 17, 2021 by jilldennison under Good people doing good things, Social commentary

Do you know what today is? It’s February 17^th! And do you know what February 17^th is? It’s National Random Acts of Kindness Day! Now, we should all be kind to everyone we encounter every day, but National Random Acts of Kindness Day is intended to make us more aware of the little things we can do to help someone out, or maybe just bring a smile to their face. In this, the era of the pandemic, many more people are struggling than ever before, financially, emotionally, and in other ways.

In the U.S., Random Acts of Kindness day is celebrated on this day, but in other countries, such as New Zealand, the date is different, but the meaning is still the same. The goal, according to the National Kindness website, is to help make kindness the norm by spreading it in the simplest ways. So, what are some simple ways we can do a random act of kindness? You tell me. My favourite is usually to help someone I see struggling, perhaps to reach an item on a high grocery shelf, or a person in a wheelchair trying to get their groceries onto the conveyor belt, then out to their vehicle. Or, paying it ahead at the drive through line is always a good one, one that tends to spread.

As I always tell you guys at the end of each week’s Jolly Monday post, share those smiles. Sometimes, just a kind smile can bring joy to someone who’s a bit down. Thank someone … the mail carrier or trash man. Help a neighbor carry their parcels in. Or, if you’re feeling really energetic, get out that shovel and shovel a neighbor’s driveway and sidewalk! It’ll help them, and you’ll get some much-needed exercise, too!

Anyway, let’s all try to do one random act of kindness today …

I usually get some flak when I highlight professional athletes or other celebrities who are making a difference, being good people, but when I think it’s deserved, I will shine a light on them. Not all of them are selfish jerks. This week, I have several that I think deserving of kudos.

I’m sure you all remember last May, when a Black man, George Floyd, was brutally murdered by a white police officer – an event that triggered many of the Black Lives Matter protests during the summer. The most important thing Mr. Floyd left behind was his 7-year-old daughter, Gianna. The Floyd family, like so many of us, lived payday to payday, and without his income, times were harder than ever. Enter a bunch of good people …

NBA professional basketball star Kyrie Irving learned what the family needed most and stepped up to provide it. Kyrie Irving, the point guard for the Brooklyn Nets, bought them a house. Irving, who felt he was just doing the right thing, tried to downplay his generosity.

“I just want to keep continuing to fulfill our purpose in serving a lot of the underserved communities. Those don’t necessarily get the same attention. So just trying to do my part with service, that’s all.”

Irving is not the only celebrity to reach out to Gianna and her family. Lil Wayne’s manager bought them a Mercedes-Benz. Barbra Streisand gave them stock in Disney.

In addition, Kanye West (whom I cannot stand personally, but I give credit where credit is due) donated $2 million to help Gianna and the families of Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year-old victim of a racially motivated murder in Georgia, and 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, who was killed during a botched drug raid by police who showed up at the wrong apartment.

And ordinary citizens are reaching out, as well. A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $2.3 million, providing a fund when she’s ready to attend college—if she doesn’t want to take advantage of a full scholarship already offered by Texas Southern University.

Then there’s Stephen Curry, considered by some to be the greatest shooter in NBA history and treated as basketball royalty. But there’s another side to this man. Last summer, as the COVID-19 pandemic stalled the economy leaving many out of work, he and his wife Ayesha launched Eat. Learn. Play., a foundation that helps families struggling to put food on the table, through donations to the Alameda County Community Food Bank and the Oakland, California school system.

“We know the world is changing before our eyes in terms of dealing with the spread of coronavirus and we just found out that the Oakland Unified School District is closing the doors for the foreseeable future, so we want to intercede on behalf of the kids that rely on the daily services and try to help any way we can.”

Since then, the initiative has expanded exponentially. After joining forces with the world-renowned, Chef José Andrés, founder of the nonprofit disaster-relief group World Central Kitchen, Stephen and Ayesha’s foundation has gone from serving 4,000 meals a week to 300,000.

In total, more than 15 million meals—and counting—have found their way to those in need.

But more than just serving up meals, Eat. Learn. Play. is also giving the local economy a much-needed financial shot in the arm—about $20 million that has “led to the rehiring of more than 900 Oakland restaurant workers.”

“It’s all about impact. The things my wife and I try to do, separately and together, are to raise awareness, to find impactful partnerships, to be human and understand the urgency of the moment.”

My thanks to all the good people who are doing what they can to help people, and let’s see if we can do just a little something today to bring a smile to someone’s face, okay?

Where Did Our Money Go?

Posted on July 8, 2020 by jilldennison under Election 2020, Environmental Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary

Remember that $1,200 check you received from the IRS in April? Didn’t last too long, did it? Still, it helped … every little bit helped. At the rate Congress is acting, you’ll be long dead before you receive another. But look … many did benefit greatly and received hefty checks. They are … well, let’s have a look …

Robert Jeffress of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, who has served on Trump’s evangelical board, was approved for a loan of $2 – $5 million.
The American Center for Law and Justice Inc, a nonprofit founded by televangelist Pat Robertson and also known as Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism Inc., was approved for a $1-2 million loan. Jay Sekulow, one of Trump’s cadre of lawyers who represented Trump during his impeachment trial, is listed as chief counsel on the organization’s website.
City of Destiny Inc. of Florida, where Paula White, Trump’s spiritual adviser, is listed as a pastor, was approved for a loan of $150,000-$350,000.

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that was part of the larger $2.3 trillion relief package was intended for small businesses, to allow them to keep paying their employees even when shut down due to the coronavirus. The keywords here are ‘small’ and ‘business’. The churches mentioned here are wealthy in their own right. And churches are not businesses. If they are, in fact, businesses, then they no longer qualify for tax-exempt status, and should be paying taxes on their income.

Given the separation of church and state that is part of the foundation of our government, the government should absolutely not be giving money to churches … any churches. Additionally, it is highly suspicious that all of the aforementioned churches’ leaders have close affiliations to Donald Trump. This is our tax money, people. We are throwing it all away … or rather, we are allowing Donald Trump to throw it away, to give it to those he thinks can help him in some way … like telling their congregations to vote for him in November. In essence, part of the money that was to help small businesses, went into Trump’s campaign coffers.

Jay Sekulow, Paula White, Robert Jeffress, and Pat Robertson are all wealthy individuals who could have easily afforded to continue paying their staff. None of them needed the money. They are of a religion that many of us do not support or believe in. And yet, we paid them … for what? This opens a whole new can of worms in regard to cronyism and also defies the separation of church and state clause. Worse yet, these religious organizations pay no taxes, so they have contributed virtually nothing, yet they are taking. And, unless I miss my guess, their loans will ultimately be forgiven, which makes it not a loan but a gift. I didn’t authorize giving my money to any religious organization, nor would I. Once again, we have been robbed.

Religious organizations weren’t the only ones to receive money undeservedly. Remember Kanye West, the rapper, who cozied up to Trump in the early days of his tenure? Turns out he owns a clothing line called Yeezy, and thus he was given a loan of between $2 million and $5 million. Mr. West has a net worth of $1.3 billion … I really do believe that he could have afforded to pay his employees out of his own pocket.

More than 30 Girl Scout chapters across the country received PPP loans. The Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming were approved for between $350,000 and $1 million each. Now, I fully support Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, I think they do good work. But, with schools closed since March, no gatherings such as scout meetings allowed … why the Sam Heck do they need that much money? Their troop leaders are all volunteers, not paid employees!

Gov. Jim Justice

West Virginia’s Governor Jim Justice is a very wealthy man … he is actually considered the wealthiest person in the State of West Virginia, with a net worth of $1.2 billion. Justice owns a number of businesses, including coal, agricultural, and a lavish resort. Justice and his family members received $6.3 million from the PPP program.

How’s that little $1,200 check looking to you now?

The list goes on and on. As much as $273 million in federal coronavirus aid was awarded to more than 100 companies that are owned or operated by major donors to Trump’s election efforts. Fast-food chains, oil and gas companies, and white-collar firms were all granted a slice of more than $659 billion in low-interest business loans that will be forgiven if the money is used on payroll, rent and similar expenses. Money that was meant to keep those small businesses, the mom-and-pop bookstores and diners afloat during the crisis.

This is what happens when there is no oversight. You’ll remember that Trump fired Glenn Fine, the man tasked with leading the group overseeing the entire $2.3 trillion package. The United States now has $24.95 trillion in national debt, a sagging economy that will not recover this year, the people who could most afford to pay taxes, pay little or none. There will come a day of reckoning, my friends. Do you suppose Robert Jeffress, Jim Bakker, Governor Justice, Kanye West and the others will step up to the plate and offer to pay higher taxes to help bring the debt down? Think on that one for a while.

Open Mouth, Insert Foot — Part I

Posted on July 27, 2019 by jilldennison under Global Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Social commentary

This week, Donald Trump managed to royally piss off two of our allies, Sweden and India. Say what you will about Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter or Barack Obama, even George Bush, both Jr. and Sr., but not a single one of them were as adept at making enemies out of friends as Trump is. It’s no wonder he didn’t have any friends as a child!

Rakim Mayers aka A$AP Rocky

First, Sweden. Turns out there’s a rapper known as A$AP Rocky (real name is Rakim Mayers) who went to Sweden earlier this month on tour and got himself in a bit of trouble. It seems there was a street brawl and he and members of his entourage assaulted another individual, throwing the man, Mustafa Jafari, to the ground, then hitting and kicking him. He and two others were arrested and are being held pending trial, which is scheduled to begin next week.

Mr. Rocky claims it was a matter of self-defense, but the prosecutor in the case says it was assault. It is up to the courts to decide. But … Donald Trump saw an opportunity and jumped in, as he so often does, without thinking. On Twitter, naturally.

“I will be calling the very talented Prime Minister of Sweden to see what we can do about helping A$AP Rocky. So many people would like to see this quickly resolved!”

A Swedish police officer responded …

“Sorry Mr. President. You have to respect and wait for the Swedish judicial system to process this matter. The Swedish Prime Minister will not interfere. And neither should you.”

The police officer’s Twitter account was promptly suspended, so I am told.

Apparently, Trump’s conversation with Prime Minister Stefan Löfven didn’t go quite as Trump had hoped. In a statement by the Swedish government …

“Sweden and Prime Minister Stefan Löfven have been very clear in the dialogue with both the White House and directly with the American president, that in Sweden everyone is equal before the law and that the government cannot interfere in legal proceedings.”

Needless to say, Trump was not happy …

“Very disappointed in Prime Minister Stefan Löfven for being unable to act. Sweden has let our African American Community down in the United States. I watched the tapes of A$AP Rocky, and he was being followed and harassed by troublemakers. Treat Americans fairly! #FreeRocky”

“Give A$AP Rocky his FREEDOM. We do so much for Sweden but it doesn’t seem to work the other way around. Sweden should focus on its real crime problem! #FreeRocky”

Somehow, Kanye West and his wife, one of those shallow Kardashians, got involved by apparently asking Trump (since he’s their good buddy now, y’know) to intervene. And then on Friday, speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said …

“I personally don’t know A$AP Rocky, but I can tell you he has tremendous support from the African American community in this country, and when I say African American I think I can really say from everybody in this country because we’re all one.”

We are??? Wait, wait, wait!!! Isn’t this the same man who has been spouting racist rhetoric non-stop for the past week or two??? One commenter on Twitter hit that nail on the head …

Karin Olofsdotter, the Swedish ambassador to the United States, responded to Trump …

“Prime Minister Stefan Löfven explained and emphasised the complete independence of the Swedish judicial system, prosecutors and courts. In Sweden everyone is equal before the law. The Government is not allowed, and will not attempt, to influence legal proceedings.”

Wow … they have separation of powers and the Prime Minister actually honours and respects the law!!! What must that be like? Whether Mr. Rocky is found innocent or guilty is less relevant at this point than the fact that once again, the Idiot-in-Chief has caused a diplomatic incident and embarrassed the hell out of this nation. Where are his foreign policy advisors, for Pete’s Sake???

The second incident involves another ally, India. This one did not land on my radar until this evening when Keith commented about it, and I’m ashamed to admit that I had overlooked it since I allowed myself to be distracted by Trump’s childish tantrums and outrageous behaviour. Remember what it was like to have dignity in the White House? Was it really less than three years ago? Seems like a lifetime. Anyway … the story of India will have to become Part II of this post, for it is a more potentially serious faux pas that will require a bit of background information. Stay tuned later today …

Jolly C-c-c-old Monday!

Posted on December 3, 2018 by jilldennison under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, Humour, Politic-Free Mondays

Hello friends … quick, come in and close the door … that wind is brutal! 24 hours ago the temperatures were in the 60s (F) and for just a few short hours, there was this big, bright circular thing up in the sky … it was both mesmerizing and scary!

So tell me, how was your weekend? Too short, you say? Yes, weekends tend to be that way, don’t they? And now it’s Monday and time to get back to the routine. I love weekends, but I thrive on routine, and if my routine is thrown off, I get tired and cranky, just like a toddler. Well, I found some things I hope will make you laugh today, and, I made a special treat … churros! What? You’ve never had churros? They are a fried-dough pastry, typically sprinkled in sugar, and then you can dip them in … well, anything. Dulce la leche (caramel sauce), chocolate, strawberry jam … whatever floats your boat! Try one … you’ll like it. And yes, Benjamin, I have sprinkled donuts for you, but try a churro anyway, okay?

Burger King gone to the dogs?

The press release reads …

MIAMI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The BURGER KING® brand knows that dog owners often deal with their furry friend begging for food when they order delivery. Many dog owners have even admitted to sharing part of their meal with them. That’s why BURGER KING® is providing a solution for customers who want to enjoy their order at home without interruption from their pets.

The BURGER KING® brand is launching the DOGPPER, the first flame grilled bone offered at BK® for your best friend. This dog-friendly alternative to the WHOPPER® sandwich is a bone-shaped treat with flame-grilled beef taste for the dogs of these generous owners.

The DOGPPER is available for free exclusively through DoorDash when you order a WHOPPER® sandwich*. Plus, new customers can get a $0 delivery fee with your $10+ order at DoorDash. To redeem the $0 delivery fee offer, use promo code DOGPPER from November 28 through December 4th.**

Now, I get them making a special treat for ‘man’s best friend’, but … who knew that Burger King delivers??? And what the Sam Heck is “DoorDash”??? And why would the ‘flame grilled bone’ be available only for delivery orders??? They even have a promo video featuring some adorable mutts and Willie Nelson’s You Were Always On My Mind …

A Freudian slip?

Picture it … you travel from your home in the UK to New York City, pick the special place (Times Square), drop on bended knee to offer a proposal of marriage to your one and only, and just as she says “YES!”, you get so nervous that you drop the ring … into a sewer grate! Oh, the shame! Oh, the embarrassment!Well, hats off and thumbs up to New York’s finest, the NYPD, for they noticed the incident when reviewing their surveillance footage, found the ring, and put out the word to try to find the couple via Twitter.

“WANTED for dropping his fiancée’s ring in @TimesSquareNYC! She said Yes – but he was so excited that he dropped the ring in a grate. Our @NYPDSpecialops officers rescued it & would like to return it to the happy couple. Help us find them?”

The couple turned out to be John Drennan and Daniella Anthony and through the magic of the information age, they have successfully been reunited with the ring. The police even cleaned it up for them! Well, I guess it will make a good story to tell their kids someday.

Kanye has a biggggggggg head!

Kanye West has gone from a life-sized water bottle on Saturday Night Live to a 315-pound pumpkin.Jeanette Paras has an annual tradition in Dublin, Ohio where she transforms pumpkins into your favorite celebrity according to who’s hot. And who was a better choice than Ye himself, who has been making countless headlines this year since he broke his social media hiatus.

The pumpkin started off with a sketch then took seven hours to paint. The hardest part of the entire project was putting together the giant “Make Pumpkins Great Again” hat for Yeezy. The hat took nine hours to sew.

Paras has been transforming pumpkins for 30 years. Every year, she teases, “Who will it be?” In the past she has created a Donald Trumpkin, Hillary, Kim Jong Un, she even did Kanye West before sporting a pair of glasses. “It’s just fun,” Paras said. “Who doesn’t like giant celebrity pumpkins?”

Further proof that stupidity is real …

Payless Shoesource filled a fake luxury store with its discount footwear and sold to “fashion influencers” for hyper-inflated prices. The chain said it took over the former Armani store in Santa Monica and labeled it “Palessi” before filling it with Payless shoes with inflated price tags and inviting social media fashion influencers to a party at the store.

Partygoers shelled out hundreds of dollars for shoes that normally retail for between $20 and $40 at Payless. Payless shared video of the party-goers reacting to being told the shoes they had just splurged on were actually discount stock.

The store said it was aiming to show its products are more fashionable than their regular prices might indicate. The “Palessi” customers were refunded for their purchases, while their testimonials are being used for online and TV advertisements.

Sigh.

Let’s get our smiles back in place with this …

Now, off you go to your jobs and leave me to mine! I’ve enjoyed our time together so much! Please share those gorgeous smiles … they last longer that way. Keep warm, keep safe, and have a lovely week! Hugs ‘n love from Filosofa … and Jolly (even though he contributed nothing this week!)

The Kanye & Donnie Show

Posted on October 12, 2018 by jilldennison under Political commentary

A Category 4 hurricane, Hurricane Michael, has hit the Florida coast, killing at least 6 people, leaving 1.1 million homes and businesses without electricity and damaging thousands of homes. A journalist for the Washington Post, Jamal Khashoggi, is missing and word is that he may have been murdered in Turkey in a hit ordered by Trump’s friend, Saudi Prince Khalid bin Salman. Global markets have plunged for two consecutive days, leaving the Dow some 1,400 points lower than at the close on Tuesday. Immigrant children are, despite a court order, still separated from their parents and being held in detention centers. The IPCC report issued earlier this week is an eye-opener and the U.S.’ policy of ignoring climate change needs to be seriously re-considered.

Those are just a few of the things that the ‘man’ sitting in the Oval Office must be very concerned about, must be meeting with advisors and asking for more information about, yes?

No.Donald Trump’s big achievement, if one chooses to call it such, yesterday was a meeting with a rapper, Kanye West, where the two discussed such important issues as West’s sleep deprivation, street gangs, and ‘male energy’, whatever the heck that is. Apparently West went off on a monologue that lasted nearly ten minutes, and at the end, he and Trump declared their mutual love for each other (won’t Kim Jong-un be jealous?). Here are a few snippets …

… you know, I love Hillary, I love everyone, right? But the campaign “I’m With Her” just didn’t make me feel, as a guy that didn’t get to see my dad all the time, like a guy that could play catch with his son. How did he get from point A to point B here? Does anybody follow this sentence? All I’m getting out of it is a huge dose of misogyny
It was something about putting this hat [maga hat] on, it made me feel like Superman. You made a Superman. That’s my favorite superhero. And you made a Superman cape for me, also as a guy that looks up to you, looks up to Ralph Lauren, looks up to American industry guys, non-political, no bulls—t — put the beep on it, however you want to do it, five-seconds delay — and just goes in, and gets it done! Does he think he’s onstage?
So I had the balls – because I had enough balls to put on this hat. I thought only a head was requisite for a hat …
There’s a lot of things affecting our mental health that makes us do crazy things that puts us back into that trap door called the 13th Amendment. I did say abolish with the hat on, because why would you keep something around that’s a trap door? If you’re building a floor, the Constitution is the base of our industry, right? Of our country, of our company. Would you build a trap door that if you mess up, accidentally something happens, you fall and you end up next to the Unabomber? Huh? What is he even talking about??? 🙄
I’m gonna go ahead and drop some bombs for you — 98 percentile IQ test. I had a 75 percentile of all human beings, but it was counting eight numbers backwards, repeating something. We’re gonna work on that one. The other ones, 98 percent — Tesla, Freud. You know. No wonder he and Trump get on so well … they are both idiotic, delusional, self-proclaimed geniuses.

I think you’ve heard/read enough to realize that … this was probably among the least important, least relevant people that Trump could have spent time with yesterday, and why he did is beyond me. Oh … wait … no, I get it. It was the praise thing. Kanye West is a huge Trump fan (though he didn’t vote for him – didn’t vote at all, actually) and they had a few moments of mutual admiration.

Not a fan of rap music, I know almost nothing of Kanye West other than I knew he was/is a rap singer and I knew he was/is married to one of those Kardashian bimbos. I heard enough, however, in this little impromptu speech to know that he is definitely not somebody I admire, so you might imagine my horror when somewhere near the end of his little soliloquy he noted that he might consider a run for the presidency, but not until 2024 because …

“Trump is on his hero’s journey right now. He might not have thought he’d have a crazy [expletive] like him. I love this guy right here.”

Impossible, right? Yeah, well, that’s what I said in June 2015 when Trump announced his candidacy, too, and look how well that worked out. Meanwhile, perhaps Trump can give him a cabinet position … or perhaps he might even replace Nikki Haley as Ambassador to the United Nations!

If you’ve the stomach for it, you can read the full annotated transcript or watch the entire video of the Kanye & Donnie Show here.

Filosofa's Word

Cogito Ergo Sum

Tag Archives: Kanye West

Where Did Our Money Go?

Jolly C-c-c-old Monday!

The Kanye & Donnie Show