Category: Arts & Entertainment

Reasons Republicans Keep Voting For Trump

  By , , , , , ,

41 Reasons Republicans Vote For Trump

 

Trump followers recognize Donald's special talents

41 Reasons Republicans Vote For Trump

It’s Because He’s Exceptional, Of Course. He Just Keeps Amazing America and the World. Just Check Out These 40 Memorable Trump Moments and Then You Might Understand The Devotion of His Followers.

 

By David Shadrick

Over the last weekend, I spent some time thinking about the many reasons why Republicans keep voting for Donald Trump. I realized that many liberals may not understand the phenomenon; so I thought it might be a good time to highlight some of Trump’s special moments. Each MAGA follower has a different reason for their allegiance; below is a list of just a few reasons that will cause Republicans, to once again vote for their favorite Mango Mussolini:

  1. Missile defense systems go ding, ding, ding,  woosh-boom
  2. Trump being able to pinpoint the importance of the Revolutionary War patriots capturing the airports from the redcoats when the rest of the world missed it.
  3. His soaring confidence on daily display. Today, Trump said he was sure to beat Barack Obama this time. Full faith assault from the Trumpster.
  4. Public faith in Trump’s promise that he is the only one that can prevent World War 2.
  5. His fevered commitment to re-institute the search for Hillary’s missing server.
  6. His undisputed Poster Boy status for the white Christian supremacist movement. He ascended to that position after claiming white supremacists were very fine people at a rally where a young woman was  killed by a white supremacist. The level of disgust is immeasurable; I guess that’s why his faithful love it.
  7. Donald’s phenomenal ability to conceal the purpose of his strange island escapes with kinky Jeffrey Epstein.
  8. His standout performance in managing to bankrupt his Atlantic City casino. I have to admit this one took real talent and perseverance and I might add a lot of criminal activity. Go Donald.
  9. The little known fact is that if Trump had invested the $480 million he got from daddy back in the 80’s instead of ripping off average folks with fraudulent schemes, he would actually be as wealthy as he now falsely claims he is. So I assume the voting factor here is that he has an amazing talent for spending other people’s money.
  10. Trump must be a great business man and negotiator, his followers argue, wasn’t he sharp enough to convince a judge that he should only have to pay $25 million to settle the Trump University students claims of fraud? Is that what it means to be a “stable genius?”
  11. Watching the amazing feat of converting his original White House staff and cabinet members (all Republicans) into whistleblowers and book authors. Our heads are still spinning over that incredible result; one best seller after another, a feat to remain unduplicated in our life times.
  12. Republicans apparently delight in Trump’s cheap shots and insulting nicknames tossed at those who oppose him or just a powerless person like Ruby Freeman. Laughing at other people is MAGA escapism.
  13. His decision to fire Alexander Vindman’s twin brother Yevgeny from the administration, because he looked like his whistleblowing brother. More praise for the king-god being able to get a two-for-one termination.
  14. Having the guts to appear everyday, out walking around in public, in stage makeup.
  15. Again, brave enough to face the cameras with open suit jacket unable to conceal his plate of pancakes six pack.
  16. His near limitless ability to self promote; creating a notorious braggart of immeasurable proportions. Size matters, at least in some things.
  17. Man, woman, TV, refrigerator, elephant.
  18. His habit of talking when the helicopter blades are turning.
  19. Recognizes friendly admirers in a crowd and has an elevated ability to seek out softball questions.
  20. Famous for his golden toilets. I’ve wondered if this isn’t some form of compensation? Maybe we should ask a Republican what it is about gold toilets that make people think Donald is cool, rather than weird.
  21. Staying in the golden touch department. Trump has elevated McDonald’s to White House cuisine.
  22. Trump is such a Diet Coke fan that he had a button installed on his White House desk to order them express. Now, that is ingenious. Maybe I am not showing enough respect for his inventive spirit.
  23. Trump’s revered place in the WWE pro wrestling Hall of Fame. Certainly a first for an American president. Another first place. They just keep adding up, I have to admit it.
  24. Back to compensation, according to stormy Daniels Trump has an exceedingly small penis with a peculiar mushroom top. I’m not sure why that would encourage the vote, but in some depths of the Republican Party there is; I’m sure, empathy for the poor man.
  25. Managing the news so adroitly that his former “attorney/fixer”, Michael Cohen, was sent to prison for three years for election fraud done for Donald Trump’s benefit.
  26. Totally destroying Rudy Giuliani, “America’s Mayor’s” reputation in record setting time. One record setting event, after another. Amazing. Go Donald.
  27. His immense capacity to hate; the depth and breadth of it is unsurpassed in modern politics.
  28. Trump’s  ability to call our dead soldiers “suckers” and the military “a failure of liberal woke-ness” and still get most of the military votes. Astounding, you got this one, Donald.
  29. There’s been a lot of discussion of a recent diagnosis of Cranial Rectal Inversion Syndrome, that  may possibly bring out the sympathy vote. We’ll have to wait on this one, unprecedented, I must say.
  30. Trump and MAGA have taken over the American flag as its political symbol, as if liberals were not patriotic; and boy, oh boy, are the Republicans giddy over that accomplishment.
  31. Then there’s Trump’s unrestrained enthusiasm at the possibility of shooting migrants as they attempt to cross our southern border.
  32. His ability to demand that we “build a wall” in every recorded speech, without missing once, for nearly a decade. How does he do it?
  33. Pride in Trump’s ability to uncover treatments for COVID; such as exposing the inside of the body to light, or that unimaginable idea (prior to Donald, that is) of injecting bleach directly into the blood stream. An amazing research scientist, so ahead of his time, all without education. His natural powers of deduction far surpassing the Fauci crowd.
  34. Without any meteorological training Trump attempted to predict the path of Hurricane Dorian. No other president has drawn with a black sharpie like their Donald, sadly he was about 1200 miles off on his landfall prediction, but again he was the first president to ever attempt such a prediction. Get the man another sharpie!
  35. Due to his habit of inflating real estate prices he has topped the list of fraudsters in New York. How does he continue to exceed expectations. It just never stops.
  36. Trump far exceeds other former presidents in the felony indictment department, also. Donald Trump is in fact the first and only man in presidential history to have even one felony count brought against him. His exceptionalism is undeniable.
  37. Well certainly, if Trump is re-elected he could establish another first for presidents by being the first to wear an ankle bracelet.
  38. We got another Trump first; the only U.S. president to attempt to overturn the government by insurrection and refusal to leave office. Startling; may I say, unprecedented. Donald’s creativity shines like no other.
  39. The first president since 1895 that hasn’t known how to drive a car. Zoom, zoom.
  40. His continuing reassurance that he is “a very stable genius.”  This one I don’t understand unless the belief comes because of his constant repetition of the  phrase.
  41. Trump’s ability to convince people he is as dumb as a rock, or a man with the intellect of a fifth grader, and then slap them down with a “you’re fired”!

I know I’ve just scratched the surface of all the reasons to vote for Trump but I have reached my 500-word limit and so we will have to continue this in another article. Get registered. Vote.

Martin Luther King, Jr: A Short Profile

  By , , , , , ,

Martin Luther King, Jr: A Short Profile

The life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr: A Short Profile

Editor: It’s been nearly 60 years since the assassination of Dr. King. In those intervening years the Robert’s Court has spent a lot of time whittling away at the rights enshrined in the 1965 Voting Rights Act, until quite literally it is a shell of it’s previous authority. It is imperative that the Congress pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. Our voting rights are in serious jeopardy and these two landmark pieces of legislation will once again guarantee voting rights for all American citizens, red, white, black, yellow, and brown. It is time for this country to live up to the promise that all men (and women) are created equal.

By Cate Hessel, Wes Hessel and D. S. Mitchell

Birth to Death

Martin Luther King, Jr. the acknowledged face of the 1960’s Civil Rights movement in the United States, was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. King, was murdered by a sniper while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968.

Pastor and Activist

King was a pastor and social activist. It was under his leadership that segregation of African Americans in the South and other parts of the United States was ended. King throughout his life promoted non-violent tactics, much like Gandhi in India. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

Comfy Middle Class

Martin grew up in a comfortable middle class home. His parents were college educated. Both his father and his maternal grandfather were Baptist preachers and had pastored the prestigious Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. The family lived on Auburn Avenue, at the time one of the most prosperous black areas in the country.

College at 15

In a special World War 2 program, intended to boost college enrollment by admitting promising high school students to college early, 15 year old Martin was admitted to Morehouse College in 1944. At Morehouse, King pursued medicine and law. By his senior year, at his father’s urging, he decided to enter the ministry. King’s mentor at Morehouse College was the college president, Dr. Benjamin E. Mays. Dr. Mays was a theologian and “social gospel” activist.

The Social Gospel Movement

The “social gospel movement” began in the 1920’s. Practitioners believed in applying Christian ethics to social problems. The foundational belief of the Social Gospel Movement was that salvation could be attained by helping others. Committed to fighting racial inequality, Mays denounced the black community for “complacency” in the face of oppression. He pushed the leaders of the black church into social action, by accusing them of emphasizing the hereafter, instead of the here and now. King heard the call to service, and after his own experience in the north one summer, he swore to fight the evils of  segregation.

Never Alone

Dr. King,  was not alone in the struggle. Although MLK stands out among the leaders of the 1960’s civil rights movement in the United States he was just one of many.  Other members his leadership team, or the “big six” as they were known, were James Farmer, A. Philip Randolph, Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young, and John Lewis.  During his life Martin Luther King was both heralded and condemned.

Continue reading

Dr. King Still Speaks To Us . . . .

  By , , , , ,

Dr. King Still Speaks To Us…

Martin Luther King Day is the third Monday of each year. A time we remember a great man and the unending struggle for equal rights.

Dr. King Still Speaks To Us…

 

By Cate & Wes Hessel

 

The Late Great Dr. King

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stands out among the leaders of the black civil rights movement in the United States.  Other members of the “Big Six” who walked alongside Martin were; James Farmer, A. Philip Randolph, Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young, and John Lewis.  But Dr. King, or MLK, as many refer to him, has become the face of the 1960’s civil rights movement. During his life Martin Luther King was both heralded and condemned.

He Still Speaks To Us

Dr. King’s eloquence still speaks to us, calling us to continue the fight for what is right and just.

The Bible – God’s word

Above all, MLK was a preacher. His belief in the ‘promise’ is rooted in the Scriptures. He spoke from – the Bible.  That foundation is most apparent in the following:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

“But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.”

“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve.  You don’t have to have a college degree to serve.  You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve.  You only need a heart full of grace.  A soul generated by love.”

And one paraphrased from his namesake, reformist Martin Luther:

“Live like Jesus died yesterday, rose this morning, and is coming back tomorrow.”

Continue reading

2024’s Worst New Year’s Resolutions

  By , , , , , , ,

2024’s Worst New Year’s Resolutions

Cate has been going through her list of resolutions for 2024. Enjoy the fun.

2024’s Worst New Year’s Resolutions

By Cate Rees-Hessel 

Editor: At the beginning of each year many of us examine our lives and in many cases decide we need to make some changes; thus the New Year’s Resolution List.  So with that said, here are Cate’s 2024’s worst New Year’s Resolutions.  

  1. Resolving AGAIN to lose weight – this is the most common resolution. It lasts until maybe mid-January most of the time. I no longer bother to resolve to do this, I just resolve to eat healthy, stay hydrated, and exercise.
  2. Resolving to join a gym but never visiting there – canceling can be a major hassle.
  3. Resolving to get a permanent eyeliner and lip liner tattoo. Nope. I’ve resolved to get up ten minutes earlier in the morning to line my eyes and  sometimes I  even skip the lip liner.
  4. Resolving to get plastic surgery or Botox in order to appear younger. I instead will embrace the beauty of aging.
  5. Resolving to clean out your closets, ridding yourself of any and all junk. A good idea but overwhelming if you decide to do it all at once – try doing it in smaller sections.
  6. Resolving to never, ever, ever again, drink, soda, alcohol, or expensive coffee beverages. Let’s face it, not going to happen – just remember moderation is the key here.
  7. Resolving to only drink diet soda. Are you aware of the chemicals in those?
  8. Resolving to play the lottery. Don’t gamble on this one – just start a savings account instead.
  9. Resolving to give your boss a piece of your mind – this is the same as resolving to join the unemployment line.
  10. Resolving to be adventurous. Skinny dipping in winter, bungee jumping over a frozen lake, twerking in public – this is called stupidity.
  11. Resolving to accept as many blind dates as you can – this is also called stupidity.
  12. Resolving to drunk text your ex on New Year’s Eve or maybe Valentine’s Day – this is called beyond stupidity.
  13. Resolving to stop reading the labels at the grocery store. Since the majority of boxed, canned, frozen, and even alleged fresh foods are GMO these days, this is not a wise resolution. Preservatives, artificial colors, and the like don’t make for a happy New Year, either.
  14. Resolving to start jogging 5 miles a day. No, just no – start slow and stay safe. Maybe a walk around the block today and two blocks tomorrow.
  15. Resolving to skip COVID vaccine boosters. You will have plenty of time to read the books you are resolving to read while you’re in quarantine, presuming you are not in a hospital on a ventilator. Whatever you do, don’t binge watch the last six seasons of the “The Apprentice” – you are already sick.
  16. Resolving to dance like nobody is watching in front of a window – no, nope, not good-somebody is always watching.
  17. Resolving to give that creepy date a second chance; after all Valentine’s Day comes shortly after New Year’s. I think not – this won’t end well; creeps just get creepier.
  18. Resolving to conquer your fear of heights by taking flying lessons or trying a zip line. My fear is that this too will not end well.
  19. Resolving to invest half of your paycheck in cryptocurrency. You may want to rethink this one, because the last I heard all those hot cryptocurrency guru’s are serving 99 to life.
  20. Resolving to take pickleball lessons, learning to play the tuba, or enrolling in a circus arts course at the community college- think these over before you shell out any money. I think you’d be alright with the pickleball classes, but I’d definitely forget the tuba training and the high wire act.
  21. Resolving to be a do it yourself plumber – once again, this can’t end well.
  22. Resolving to vote Republican. Don’t go there – ever… No, not ever.
  23. Resolving to buy a boxed set of “The Apprentice” on clearance at Walmart and binge watch it. First of all, why would anyone do such a thing and secondly, why are all those lousy old videos still around? Because they’re lousy of course.
  24. Resolving to never again attend a multi-tiered market party no matter the hype, to find out why, see below.

Continue reading

The Words Of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

  By ,

Quotes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The majesty of Martin Luther King's words inspire us even past his tragic death.

Quotes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

By D. S. Mitchell

Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.

The third Monday of each January we celebrate MLK Day. In 2024, the holiday will fall on January 15th. As we prepare to celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., a man who died too soon, it is impossible to overlook the majesty of his words. So, I thought today would be a great day to re-read some of his most well-known quotes.

BE INSPIRED!

Quotes Of MLK

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

“So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream.”

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

“I am not interested in power for power’s sake, but I’m interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.”

“A right delayed is a right denied.”

“The moral arc of the universe bends at the elbow of justice.”

“Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.”

“We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now.”

“Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”

“I want to be the white man’s brother, not his brother-in-law.”

“There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.”

“If physical death is the price that I must pay to free my white brothers and sisters from a permanent death of the spirit, then nothing can be more redemptive.”

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Christmas Short Story

  By , , ,

SNATCHING SANTA

The age old battle of good vs evil played out at Christmas

SNATCHING SANTA

Editor’s Note: I wrote this short story a couple years ago and have reprinted it on my website every year since. If you haven’t read it, I hope you enjoy it. If you have read it; read it a again. Happy Holidays.

By D. S. Mitchell

It was a small noise that woke Santa. Something out of place in the middle of the night. He lay in the dark, wondering if he’d imagined, or possibly dreamt the sound. Mary Claus slept by his side, her steady breathing the only sound in their darkened bedroom.

“There it was again,” he said under his breath.

This time it seemed to be at the back of the house. It was the sound of feet on gravel, a noise that wouldn’t be noticed during daylight hours, but seemed magnified by the darkness. It was close to 3:00 am. He worried that a sneak thief might be trying to break into his toy shop.

The suddenness of the event shocked him. The front and back door were simultaneously kicked in, and several men rushed through the battered doors into the house. The sound of polished boots on hardwood floors echoed down the halls. Mrs. Claus gasped as they both sat upright. Santa started to get out of bed, but the light came on before his foot hit the floor.

Two men armed with automatic weapons stood in the doorway, blocking any possible escape. The taller of the two men took in the room in a glance before lowering his eyes to the bed. He narrowed his eyes and pointed his weapon directly at Santa.

“What do you want?” Santa demanded.

“Shut up,” was his answer.

The weapon remained on its target and the tall man warmed the trigger with an agitated finger before saying, “Get dressed old man, you’re coming with us.”

Santa could see the shadows of several men moving about the house, the intruders opening closets, drawers, and doors. Mrs. Claus screamed. Santa hushed her with a hug and whispered reassurances.

“I said get your ass out of bed, Chubby.”

Continue reading

Just A Few Things To Love About America

  By , , , ,

Just A Few Things To Love About America

25 things to love about America

Just A Few Things To Love About America

By D. S. Mitchell

I have been on a hair pulling rant for the last 48 hours.  I recognize that. I am taking off my Calamity Politics Editor’s cap, and putting on a ball cap, and getting the hell out of this office. The blogger’s life is a good life, most of the time. Sometimes, however, U.S. politics and political rhetoric can just sap the energy from a person, no matter how earnest their intent.

So, let’s take time, lighten up, smoke one and check out, ‘Just a Few Things To Love about America.’ These strange bits of illumination were partly supplied by Bowers’ and Gottlieb’s amazing book ‘1,000 Things To Love About America.’  Although I have used some of their text,  I have changed the numbering.

 

1.) Monopoly: Life’s lessons on a board.  Stay out of jail, do community service, pay your bills, amass real estate wealth, and collect your rents.  Monopoly has sold more than 200 million games in 37 languages.  It is without a doubt, the most popular board game in the world. It was created in 1934 at the depths of the depression by Charles B. Darrow of Germantown, PA.  He originally marketed his homemade copies of the game at a Philadelphia, PA toy store. In 1935 Parker Brothers bought the game.  We all have our favorite properties, and our favorite pieces.  Monopoly is part of my childhood memories and consumed many rainy afternoons.  The properties are named for locations in Atlantic City.  The fundamental lesson to take from Monopoly, is that the guy with the most money wins.

2) The Indy 500: This mega event held every Memorial Day is probably the most famous and certainly the largest racing extravaganza in the world, entertaining an estimated 400,000 fans each year at the track, and millions more on television. The event, held in Indianapolis, Indiana started in 1911.  Fans watch 33 cars roar around the Indianapolis Speedway for 500 miles to the cheers of enthralled onlookers.

3.) Duct Tape: Ties that bind.  First developed during WWII for heating and air conditioning ducts. It is reported to have quickly gained a following and was used to seal ammunition cases, repair jeeps, weapons and planes.  This super strong, cheap vinyl, fabric-reinforced, pressure-sensitive tape is a staple at my house and most other American households.  I’ve read people join duct tape clubs and make wallets and clothing.  Hmmm.  I’m good, until people start to wear it.

4.) Window Screens: First line of defense against insects. This ultra easy non-polluting system, made of mesh wire stretched over a metal or wooden frame, keeps bugs outside.  What’s amazing is that the rest of the world has yet to embrace this low-tech breakthrough.

5.) Bigfoot: Also known as Sasquatch, the creature roams the rugged back country of the Pacific Northwest.  Reportedly the creatures are big, hairy, humanoid, avoid human contact and smell extremely bad.

Continue reading

Another, I Saw it on the Internet

  By , , , , , , , , , , ,

Another, I Saw it on the Internet

Image

I Saw it on the Internet

By D.S. Mitchell

 

Picture Perfect

A philosopher once said, ” A picture is worth a thousand words.” Well, the X prez is a liar, a thief, and a fraud; and here’s pictures to prove it. The man who tried to topple the U.S. government in 2020 is still at it. My question is why do so many MAGA followers believe anything this criminal narcissist says? I can almost understand why politicians like Cruz, Graham, and Hawley, who benefit both financially and politically, continue to cling to Trump’s coattails. What I don’t understand, however, is how so many common sense Americans have been hornswoggled  into believing this fat toad, with his elevator lifts, his mango makeup,  and his self-aggrandizing rhetoric, is working for them. Everything Trump stands for is in sharp contrast to what the average American needs; simple things like, work safety, clean water, safe food and drugs, ethical government, affordable health care, a strong social safety net, equal rights for all. So what is it? What is the hook that keeps the minions swimming with him?

Slurping Kool-Aid

“It’s a cult,”  the commentators are all saying. Whatever it is the folks, those of us who have not been slurping the Kool-Aid need to beat this authoritarian movement into submission. Despite the obvious inequities of the Electoral College process, partisan gerrymandering, and **third party candidates supported by right wing interests, the many can prevail in this battle, but it won’t be easy. I do not want to see young women forced to bear dead or unwanted babies, I do not want the U.S. military shooting U.S. citizens on U.S. streets, I do not want Christian leaders behaving like the ayatollah’s of Iran, I do not want Social Security or Medicare to end, and I most definitely do not want a phony TV huckster playing king at the head of the U.S. government.

Big Country

Talk to people; remind them of the real issues, not the political BS; such as: bodily autonomy, common sense gun control, ethics in government, the social safety net, religious freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, separation of church and state, national health care, housing the unhoused. I could go on. The list is long but we are a big country and our population has significant needs. Truthfully, in a country of 365,000,000 people and the world’s largest GDP the suggestion of “small government” is an outdated and ridiculous idea. When you hear that phrase think, “service for me and not for thee.” What really the Republicans are saying with the ridiculous notion of ‘small government,’ in this day and age, is we’ll pay for my needs and not yours. Everyone has a need, not just the few; and the federal government has a moral obligation to do the most, for the most. with our tax dollars, including collecting those tax dollars from the wealthy not just the poor.

Continue reading