The 3 Rs 2.0

There are a lot of scared, confused people out there right now. People who do not know how to react to the greatest democracy in the world practically disappearing in real time. I took about a week to come up with my own reaction, maybe this is what your reaction could be. I hope this helps, I call it “The 3 Rs 2.0”

Recover

Do not feel you are totally without recourse, because you are not (at least not yet). There are laws that still protect people and ideas. Also, you are not alone, there are still good people in this country. My boy Tom Angelo posted a statement declaring himself a “safe place.” I declare the same. Share this if you do as well. I hope it goes viral.

Reflect

It’s ok to Monday morning quarterback this election and ask how the fuck did this happen. I did in 2016. The reasoning is not too hard to see.

The simple, brilliant message: "I hate what you hate, I fear what you fear."

Joe Biden is a good man and an excellent public servant, but should have dropped out sooner. Kamala Harris ran a great campaign but there just wasn't enough time. And she made a few mistakes that could have been corrected with more time and better advisors.

Ignoring/distancing herself from Biden's record of the last 4 years was one. It didn’t work for Al Gore in 2000 either. Why not remind people that unemployment went down and so did the deficit? They needed to remind everyone about how dreadful the four years under that fascist shithead criminal Donald Trump actually were. Inflation was a major issue, but the government doesn't regulate prices. Had Biden/Harris tried to do that, the other side would scream communism. And just how is Trump going to dramatically lower prices? When has that ever happened in the history of the United States?

This country will not accept being run by a woman. Sorry but right now, this is where we are at, and it’s time for Democrats to face reality. Wanna win in 2028? Start grooming your version of Ronald Reagan now.   

Ignorant people will routinely vote against their own interests. Education has to be more important to people. Americans home school their children because they do not want them to know the truth about the darkest times in our country. Mostly the Civil War, slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. Their attempts to whitewash history using the school’s curriculum is already well documented. But imagine what would have happened had Germany done that in 1946? This is the perfect example of having to repeat history when you do not learn from it. The main reason why this is considered a racist country is because we have yet to confront our racist past. The grotesque result of that is the electing of the racists in our present, racists that should have been marginalized decades ago.    

Resist  

In 2016 I was at Standing Rock, protecting Native Americans who were protesting against an oil pipeline being built on native land. I had been to more than a few rallies in my life, but that one was the one where I faced the most danger. The only thing standing between water cannons, smokers, and APCs were myself and a few thousand fellow veterans. I thought it was over after that, but looks like I may have to get the cape and boots out one last time.

Do what you can, folks. If you cannot stand in front of a water cannon when it is -11 degrees, that’s ok, I will. But do something. Get involved in voter registration, volunteer your services, call out hate crimes when and where you see them, but most of all, let the most vulnerable of your fellow human beings know that you are there to be supportive.  However…

“I hope that no one who voted for the tyrant ever experiences the utter fear that much of our marginalized communities do today.  As an individual within the queer community married to a Black man with a biracial girl child- I am shaking to my core.”

I asked my Comadre (that’s parent of my godchild in Spanish, for those of you who don’t habla) Stephanie Hill for permission to repost this. This is the sentiment of someone who lives in a “swing state” that went to Trump. That’s my Godchild she is talking about. Here I will not be passive. Anyone makes that little girl afraid, peaceful negotiations have ended.

Even more disturbing, someone I know whose parents came here illegally and is now a US Citizen, actually posted that they were happy that Trump won. Wait, what? Do you honestly believe that just because you are fucking a white person now, that they will not come for you? You know who else were citizens? The Jews in Poland that ended up in Auschwitz.    

Lawfully resist this ignorant, fascist, rapist, criminal brute with everything you have. Remember that you are on the right side of history. Stay safe, I’ll be here if you need me. Oh yeah and one more thing…

FUCK DONALD TRUMP!

 

Some Olympic Thoughts

 Some Olympic Thoughts

For those offended by the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics, I already addressed how stupid you are on facebook, no need to embarrass you again here.

Who would have thought that in 2024, the most wholesome images of the Olympics would include Snoop Dogg and Flava Flav (who, in case you do not know, helped finance the US Women’s Water Polo team). How could anyone possible have guessed that Snoop showing up to events and commentating on them, even the ones he knew absolutely nothing about, would be exactly what the Olympics needed? And you know he must have lit a spliff with that Olympic torch cuz, come on, he’s still Snoop.

So, Suni Lee is my girlfriend, she just doesn’t know it yet.

The US Women’s Gymnastics Team was pretty much the story of week 1, and they should be. Nicknamed “The Golden Girls” due to their average age of 22.1 years being kinda old for the Olympics (can you imagine that?), they none the less dominated the games and walked away with the team gold, and 7 more medals combined. Way to go for a bunch of senior citizens. 

Simone Biles will now go down in history as one of the greatest Olympians in the world. And deservedly so. If you don’t know her records, look them up (talking to you JD Vance). Seriously anyone thinking that it is “weak” to take care of your mental health is the one who most needs help. To say that about an Olympic athlete representing your country is just such a douchebag move and typical of an incel who hates successful women because they rejected him in high school. 

Rebeca Andrade of Brazil is the future of women’s gymnastics. This is such a cool picture I really hope Jordan Chiles wins her appeal, I don’t want her to lose her medal because someone made a 4 second mistake correcting the bigger mistake made by a judge.

Then there was boxer Imane Khelif of Algeria, who had her gender questioned because she was beating her opponent so bad that she quit in the ring. OK so let’s keep this simple, if you were born with a vagina, do you know what that makes you? Yeah, a female. Not gonna get into a debate about it here, sorry. The problem stems from a test administered by the International Boxing Association that found anomalies in first her chromosomes (OK and how exactly did they test that?) then in high levels of testosterone (OK that could be due to steroids, not a penis). It should be noted that the IBA has been banned by the Olympics since 2019. This unintentionally sparked a debate amongst the ill-informed about LGBTQ+ rights and gender identity. Something that wasn’t even a controversy here. And let’s not forget that Ms. Khelif has lost 9 fights in her career, and she represents Algeria, a predominantly Muslim country that does not recognize LGBTQ+ rights, and would have stoned her in public before letting her compete as anything but a woman. She won the gold btw…

On to week 2

How awesome was it for The Dominican Republic to finally win a gold? With the most Dominican name in the history of Dominican names, Marileidy Paulino, won the 400m.

I love the Olympics. It is one of the few times that you can see other people root for their country and you smile because you know the story behind the athlete. However, why the fuck is rock climbing an Olympic sport?

Track and Field was, once again, dominated by the US, particularly the women’s side. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Sha’Carri Richardson, and Gabby Thomas, along with the men’s team, totally represented, winning 34 medals. Gabby Thomas not only won 3 gold medals, but she is the finest example of what America has to offer. She also went to Harvard and has a master's degree in epidemiology. I’m sure the Trump/Vance ticket sees her as a DEI hire…

For someone who was born and raised in New York City, I was actually ok with breakdancing as a competition, even though I do not know if it will last. Both Gold medal winners deserved it, but could still benefit from watching the battle scene at the Roxy in “Beat Street.” Being a new sport however, did provide for some growing pains, and while I don't wanna pile up on the hate, “b-girl Raygun” from Australia really should have though it out more. I know she was the best qualifier in the region, but that performance was the whitest thing I’ve seen since raisins in potato salad…

Basketball’s results were predictable enough, but I must say the games did provide for some tense moments. People are saying that Steph Curry’s performance was worthy of an MVP. I just think he was the “designated non-partyer” the night before all those games that he excelled in (thanx HM).

Then there was the Closing ceremony which was uncharacteristically pretty cool. H.E.R. and Phoenix performed in Paris, while Snoop (who I guess got home on the space shuttle) Dre and The Red Hot Chili Peppers performed in LA. And then of course there was Tom Cruise. Who completed the handover of the Olympic flag by doing Tom Cruise-ish, Tom Cruise stuff. Seriously how is that dude still alive?

See you in LA.

 

 

So What Does It Really Mean? Not Much Just Yet

 

To say that Donald Trump is an unhinged sociopathic narcissist is nothing new, but what should concern us all is that even after a felony conviction, his bootlickers will not denounce him. That is because his fascist cult controls the GOP, and they are so hungry for power that they are willing to continue to support this unfit criminal even when they know how badly he can damage the country. And ultimately whose fault is this? The Democratic Party. In 2000 the clear winner of the popular vote in the presidential election, Al Gore, conceded the election to that idiot George W Bush, not because he felt he lost, but because he did not want to plunge the nation into a Constitutional crisis. This is where a light bulb went off in the GOP. They realized that if they just whine and cry hard enough, gentleman politicians who care more about the nation than their own thirst for power, will just concede. Donald Trump’s accent to power is the result of that. If this does not change, it will put the worst President in U.S. history back in power in 2024.

Donald Trump’s political career should have ended at “grab them by the pussy” in 2016, but it did not. Why? Because no one with any real political power called him out on this. Because not enough women in his own party stood up to this sexual batterer, and he became president.

Now I have tried for years to analyze how that the same nation that elected a Nobel Prize winning Constitutional scholar also elected an 84 times indicted, twice impeached, lying, ignorant, racist, fascist, misogynistic, xenophobic, unqualified, pussy grabbing, 5 time draft dodging coward, useful idiot Russian asset, convicted felon, sexual batterer, and criminal traitor with American blood on his tiny, incompetent hands, without a doubt and by far, the worst President in the history of the United States? The simple answer crystalized itself in an instant: In a country where a large portion of the population is lazy and uneducated, it is far easier to just vote for the guy who hates what you hate, and fears what you fear. This conclusion should have come to me much earlier, given the fact that this is nothing new, and history has a tendency to repeat itself (think Germany in 1933).   

So I waited until Trump’s response to his conviction in order to comment on the case, and his response was classic Trump: blaming everyone else, taking no accountability for his crimes, saying the system is rigged, blaming the judge (who was quite reserved, if you know anything about courtroom procedure) and just being the whiny bitch lying coward that he is. He then proceeded to call the United States, a “fascist” country, and that’s when I started paying attention. This was an odd statement coming from an idiot that does not even know what that word means, and stated that if re-elected, he would become a dictator on day one. Not one, NOT ONE prominent GOPer denounced this statement. Not one. This tells you all you need to know about what they stand for.

They seem to have no problem defending him however. On CNN today, JD Vance (R-Ohio) ass-kissing for a potential Vice Presidential nod on the Trump ticket, refused to address Trump’s statements and instead call out Judge Juan Merchan because he donated $15 to the Democratic party in 2020. This is not any proof whatsoever that the judge acted partially. If you look at the facts, it was quite the opposite.  If that were the case, then no judge should be allowed to vote? In fact, if you observed the judge’s reactions to Trump’s antics, he was actually more than fair. What a shithead. See? This is why I cannot do Wolf Blitzer’s job. If my parents were Holocaust survivors, and this asshole is on my show not denouncing Trump’s “fascist country” comments, I would have reacted a bit differently. I am also wondering if Vance is calling for Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito to recuse themselves from any case involving Trump, considering their well-documented biases? I guess “law and order” only applies when it agrees with you politically?  

As for the conviction itself, it should have immediately disqualified him from going anywhere near the White House, but it has not. Ironic that as per the rules, he couldn’t serve on his own staff with a felony conviction. Ultimately what did this conviction do? Nothing. Those who support him still do, and choose to blame the system and not the criminal.

Looking ahead, there are considerably more serious crimes that he is charged with, such as election tampering and voter fraud, not to mention the illegal storing of classified documents. This seems not to bother his cult at all, but it should deeply concern the rest of us. The documents case in Florida is being stalled by a Trump appointee judge, and the rest of the cases are being delayed by Trump’s attorneys. This man is a clear existential threat to democracy, and his cult doesn’t care, I just hope enough of the rest of us do. 

The JB Random Report End of the Year Awards 2023

 Well kids, it’s that time of year again…

NEWS STORY OF THE YEAR – War

What is it good for? Absolutely nothing. Really. That’s it. The world is literally at war everywhere. Whether its everyday wars in nations that mainstream media doesn’t care about, tensions in the South China Sea, Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, or Israel pretty much decimating the Gaza Strip, the World is becoming a dangerous place rather quickly.

What is so compelling about both these latter conflicts, is that they are so deep-rooted it doesn’t look there will be a peaceful ending in sight any time soon. Putin is a megalomaniacal dictator with no one close to him willing to tell him the truth, which if historically symmetrical, will end with him in a bunker shooting himself and his girlfriend, as Allied troops close in.

Israel however, presents a much more complicated problem. The Western states have stood by Israel for decades, and rightfully so. After World War II the creation of a Jewish state was necessary. To say that anyone else “was there first” is actually misleading, given the fact that the Dome of the Rock is built on the Temple Mount (look it up, I’m exhausted). However, just because you may agree with Israel’s right to exist, and to defend itself, that does not mean you have to just blindly agree with how they are defending themselves. And that is where I have a problem.

The images coming from Gaza of dead children are disturbing to say the least, and if it is terrorism you are fighting, then hearts and minds must be won (a lesson that the United States failed to learn in Iraq and Afghanistan), and you do not win them by killing children or attacking hospitals. Yes Hamas has illegally used hospitals as headquarters, but these people are terrorists, they will not follow the rules of war or the Geneva Convention. Israel is a recognized state, and they are not behaving like one. And what is worse, from a tactical standpoint, Israel has one of the best Special Forces units in the world, and should have used them in operations to mitigate civilian casualties. Yes that is a risk, but that is the obligation of a civilized nation, and Israel is failing in that regard. So much so, that they have garnered sympathy for a terrorist organization like Hamas, here in the US, and that can be very dangerous.

Remember Americans love to have something to scream about, even if they have no idea what the fuck it is. Just last week there was a march on 5^th Avenue, right in front of the Christmas season tourists, that began as a pro-peace demonstration, and ended up being peppered with signs of “Fuck Israel” and sympathy towards the government of Gaza, which is run by Hamas. So Israel’s actions have gotten the ignorant woke mob to support a terrorist organization. Please do better.

QUOTE OF THE YEAR – “Deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life.”

—U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissenting opinion on Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, June 29, 2023.

If there is one quote that perfectly summarizes what we are going through as a nation right now, it is this one. My God we were so close. To go back so far so fast, is something I never thought I would see happen to a country I love so much. Who would have thought that in only 5 short years, we would once again be a nation that unfairly levels the playing field in academia, and would deny a woman the right to choose what to do with her own body? Still think your vote doesn’t matter? How is that fashionable indifference and neutrality working for you now? If you do not know the importance of this particular Supreme Court decision, I don’t have the time or the energy, so look it up. If you are a person of color and still don’t know what it is, shame on you.   

TV SHOW OF THE YEAR – “Only Murders in the Building”

I would have thought that by now the same premise would not be entertaining anymore, but these people just seem to find a way to make this show so enjoyable every time. This year saw the participation of Paul Rudd and the great Meryl Streep. I think eventually they are gonna run out of people to kill, but this is a fun show to watch.

ASSHOLE OF THE YEAR – Rudolph Giuliani

I cannot be the only one who remembers how admired this man once was. How he held New York City together after 9/11. How he brought down the Mafia as a prosecutor in the 1980’s. Never has the expression “how the mighty have fallen” ever been better personified.

What is worse, is that I will never understand the “why” of it all. Why would such a seemingly intelligent man hitch his wagon so firmly behind a criminal traitor and blissful incompetent like Donald Trump (runner up for this award this year, btw)? Not only that, but even after he declared his loyalty to his Fuhrer, he had so many chances to bow out, but instead doubled down and is now facing disbarment, bankruptcy, losing court verdicts, and possibly even jail time. I usually have no problem laughing at people like this, but this time I actually feel a little bad for this guy. OK…whew! That passed…yeah he is still an asshole…

PERSON OF THE YEAR – Jerome Powell, Chairman of the Federal Reserve

If there is one thing I HATE is agreeing with any other publication but my own, and I hate it even more when another publication beats me to the punch. So glad to say that, TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year, is Taylor Swift and mine…is not. No hate, but it’s just not.

I know many of you have probably never heard of him, but let me tell you why Jerome Powell, who has been Chairman of the Federal Reserve since February 2018, has won this award: For some inexplicable, non fact based reason, inflation is something that President Joe Biden’s critics have been blaming him for, even though Biden doesn’t regulate prices. If he did, the GOP would cry too much regulation, the same way they criticized him last year for, and I’m serious, gas prices being too low, after they were at first too high. Powell, unconcerned with politics, has played a key role managing high inflation in the U.S. One his subtle strategies was the concept of something called a“soft landing.” This, in theory, reduces inflation by raising interest rates without causing a recession. If you have ever taken economics, you know this is no easy task. At the beginning of the year, Republicans were animatedly reminding the country how high and out of control inflation was, not hearing much about that now are we? Well you can thank Mr. Powell and his policy for that. The purchasing power of the United States and the World economies that depend on it are also grateful I’m sure

BIGOTED ASSHOLE OF THE YEAR - Vivek Ramaswamy, Politician GOP Presidential Candidate

OK so this asshole is at such a high level of asshole-ishness, that sometimes I think he is some sort of parody or a CIA plant. Seriously have you ever seen such a level of unaware self-loathing on someone who isn’t pathologically insane? The fact that he doesn’t realize that he is merely a Desi Uncle Tom that the GOP just likes to watch dance and will never take him or his candidacy seriously is enough to make this guy a sad clown. Then, instead of acknowledging his diversity he actually doubles down on GOP hate by saying that even children of immigrants born in the US should not be here, seemingly blissfully unaware that he wouldn’t be here if that were the case. Maybe he is a vampire and cannot see his own brown ass in a mirror. 

OVERUSED PHRASE OF THE YEAR – “Rizz”

OK I know this is short for “charisma” for you young folks, but maybe think this through a little more. Change one letter and this takes on a whole different meaning.

MOVIE OF THE YEAR – “Asteroid City”

Look everyone knows that I am a huge fan of Wes Anderson, and that even his lesser-received films are classics to me. I was hyped just to see Tom Hanks delivering dead pan lines a la Anderson, and I have to say I wasn’t disappointed. And yeah, a well-placed Scarlett Johansson nude scene certainly doesn’t hurt either. 

ALBUM OF THE YEAR – “Hackney Diamonds” – The Rolling Stones.

Ok hear me out: So Paul McCartney plays bass on a song on this album. Ringo is still alive and doesn’t seem to be busy right now. Bill Wyman is retired and Charlie Watts is dead…see where I’m going with this? I even have a great name for this supergroup that incorporates both their bands. How about The Rolling Bones? Get it? They’re old! Ok, don’t unfriend me…

When I thought about this particular entry, I really had to ask myself whether or not I was being objective. See, this is my all-time favorite band, and I didn’t want to give them this award unless this album really was the best music I had heard all year. A year that had some pretty good stuff come out. Truth is, I didn’t wanna give them this award, but the record is just too good. I was also thinking maybe next year I’ll make this section a “Top 3” or something, because Bully, Depeche Mode, Foo Fighters, and The National all made really memorable albums this year.

COOLEST SONG BY A MAJOR BAND OR ACT THAT WASN’T A BIG HIT – “Under You” – Foo Fighters.

They are already talking about “But Here We Are” for Rock album of the year. I personally have a different choice, but this record is still awesome. I, as all other music heads are aware, realize that Rock music has gone the way of great jazz music: only appreciated now by a learned few, but I am still surprised that this record didn’t make more of an impact this year. Yes I know that “Rescued” seems to be the song that is getting its proverbial ass kissed on social media, but this one is my favorite. It just sounds so much like the band I always knew, and that is very comforting in an age of such shitty Pop music. Honorable mention goes to “Somewhere” by Johnny Marr.

COOLEST SONG OF THE YEAR – “103” – The Kills.

I knew very little about this band until this song seemed to just hypnotize me. Oh and honorable mention goes to “Mourning Dove” by Screaming Females, and “Tropic Morning News” by The National.

COOLEST ACT OF THE YEAR – The National.

Other bands had a great year as afore mentioned, but this band released not one, but two albums in this calendar year, and they were both really good. Being called “Dad Rock” if Dad is the only one with a functioning, articulate brain is not ageism I guess. 

BOOK OF THE YEAR  - “Tuesdays With Morrie” – Mitch Albom

I always admit that for someone with a library at home, I really do not read many newly released titles. This year was no exception. I read nothing published this year, sorry.

However, on my way out the door on my way to the airport, I decided to take “Tuesdays With Morrie,“ a book first published in 1997, off my shelf because it was an easy to carry paperback and I had never gotten around to reading it. How pleasantly surprised I was.

SPORTS TEAM OF THE YEAR – The Denver Nuggets NBA

Watching any franchise win their first ever championship is a cool thing, even if you are not a fan of the team. The Nuggets have had many good teams throughout the years. I remember the high scoring teams of Alex English in the 1980’s, and the athletic team lead by Dikembe Mutombo, Robert Pack and Mahmoud Abdul Rauf that upset the #1 seed Seattle Supersonics in the 1994 playoffs. This incarnation is not nearly as flashy, but they can certainly play. Led by Nikola Jokic this team just makes it look easy, and they do it quietly. They dominated the whole season with little fanfare, on their way to the franchise’s first ever championship.

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR – Naoya Inoue, Boxing

When was the last time Japan gave us a legit champion caliber boxer? This guy is rewriting history either way, and I already wanna give him that whole “pound for pound” thing.

So in 2022 he becomes the champ at 118 pounds, and decides why not jump to 122, just for the fun of it, right? Well why just do that when you can fight Stephen Fulton, the champion at 122, in less than a year? So what does Inoue do? Hands him an 8 round beating and relieves him of his belts. And why settle for that when you can just, in your next fight, unify the belts by beating Marlon Tapales? So yeah he did that too. Other than that, did anyone else notice this guy? Don’t worry, you will this year.

DEAD PERSON OF THE YEAR – I always start this entry reflecting on not just one person, because a loss is only measured by how much the person who is gone has meant to society, or to our own lives, and that can mean so many people to so many people, know what I mean? This year, I really can’t come up with just one person that has meant a monumental loss to society. 

Tina Turner was a significant loss to music. Norman Lear pretty much changed how the entire world watches television. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor made history as the first woman ever to be appointed to the Supreme Court, and Rosalynn Carter made the world a better place alongside her husband, President Jimmy Carter, in the second act of his life as an activist and statesman, who even at his advanced age, was still seen working on construction sites of housing for the homeless. Keep them all in your heart should you chose to do so…

Here’s hoping the New Year brings you everything you want!