That's Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Young Tramp Seeks Elderly Dude" from earlier tonight.
Aaron Sorkin is reversing course on his recommendation for what the Democrats should do if faced with the prospect of Joe Biden dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.
“I take it all back. Harris for America!” Sorkin said, via a message posted by Joshua Malina, one of the stars of The West Wing. A spokesperson for Sorkin confirmed the quote.
Jess: Talk about that. I was hoping you'd use an example of someone who didn't appreciate their audience.
C.I.: There's nothing something sadder than a fifty-something year-old woman trying to recruit her daughter's age group as her new fans after having pissed on the people who were with her from the start. She can't talk rationally anymore and everything is Tash or Tash and her boyfriend or Tash and her friends. How stupid are you, woman? No teens are dying to hear from your 50-year-old mind. The ones who did care about your lived experience that could be informing your art are people you ran off. The ones in the south, you insulted. At concerts that they paid to attend. You took their money and insulted them onstage by -- when you thought they weren't responsive enough -- playing a mocking "I wish I were in the land of cotton . . ." Really? She called her audience out as racists. As though racists were going to show up a Tori concert -- Tori the controversial woman who took a pig to her tit to nurse in a photo for her BOYS FOR PELE album. There was her tantrum at the end of the 90s over fans smoking -- being permitted to smoke -- at her concerts. There was her presenting as a feminist but refusing to be part of Lilith Fair and then, worse, insulting LF, the conflicts she had on the joint-tour with Alanis -- where Tori wanted to treat her like the opening act when Alanis was outselling Tori -- and her refusal to work with women in her band. Grasp that the only woman she really works with in her long musical career is her daughter who is a nepo-baby and has yet to demonstrate any real talent. Lilith and the Alanis problems cut her audience in half. You can see that in the album sales. By the time of TO VENUS AND BACK, she's no longer able to sell a million albums in the US.
Jess: TO VENUS is a platinum album.
C.I.:
If it sold a million copies, it would be double platinum. Multi-disc
albums are certified by sales and the number of discs. It's a two disc
album, so platinum status on that album means it sold 500,000. She had
four platinum albums in a row and then 1999's TO VENUS broke the streak
and 500,000 has been the best she could do -- the best she could hope
for. Her follow up to TO VENUS was STRANGE LITTLE GIRLS and it didn't
even get 500,000 because she's supposed to be a feminist but that whole
album was cover songs and cover songs written by men at that. 12
tracks, not one song written by a woman. The follow up was SCARLET'S
WALK -- her singing her own songs and it sold 500,000 and was a gold
record. By pissing off her audience, that was now that she could get
even with a great album like SCARLET'S WALK -- her last classic album.
So she apparently decided to abuse her remaining audience, to punish the
ones who stuck around. THE BEEKEEPER had maybe four songs worth
hearing. And it didn't even sell 300,00 copies. Each album got worse
and the music more downbeat and tired. When she finally returned to
'form' musically with 2014 release, it wasn't just that it was too late,
it was that the lyrics were garbage. I'm sure her daughter Tash found
them intriguing but those of us who long ago grew out of "Jack and Jill
went up the hill to fetch a pale of water" were left with the reality
that she couldn't even write an interesting lyric anymore, let alone a
good one. She has no imagery left in her and it's the most simplistic
word choices in the world. She abused her audience and when they turned
on her, she abused her art. And you see it with each studio album up
as the sales drop and drop and drop until 2021 rolls around and her
album only sales 10,000 copies in the US. She was very talented once,
maybe she still is? She needs to grow up and realize she's not her
daughter's age, she's lived a life and she should have something to say
about it.
Jess: Kat's going to love that. She'll probably repost it at her site. Are you going to pull it before we get ready to publish.
Closing with C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"
Monday, July 22, 2024. US President Joe Biden steps aside from the 2024 presidential race.
Yesterday, at the official Twitter account of US President Joe Biden, this Tweet went up:
My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats -- it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.
Republicans are now in panic mode and Democrats can breathe a little easier. Independent and swing voters have a new option and those who engage in political futility because they're just so damn useless can continue to do so. You know who we mean? Kamala may not even be the nominee but they're already coming after her because they are not Democrats who planned to vote Democrat.
Right, Margaret Kimberley? Ooops, you're not a Democrat. Right. In fact, we can ignore all the gutter trash that Margaret reTweets slamming Kamala -- that's Max Blumenthal, that's Chuck Modi, that's HORN OF AFRICAN LEFTISTS (supposedly broadcasting from the Horn of Africa -- which should mean they're not voting in a US election), that's self-described Socialist Stephanie Voltolin, that's Niko House, that's Ajuma Baraka -- the Hoke to Jill Stein's Miss Daisy back in 2016, that's Briahna Joy Gray, that's Jaya Rajamani, that's Aaron Mate, that's . . .
Now not all these people are trash. Not all. But they're not Democrats. This really is a Democratic Party matter. Now they have nothing to offer, not one of them, so they are going to glom on Kamala and act like they're informed and they care.
Already, Margaret is touting her bad article from five years ago on Kamala.
It's great when she reaches back into BLACK AGENDA REPORT's history -- but she never really does, does she? Because the reality of history is that she, Glen and Bruce felt THE BLACK COMMENTATOR was not letting them tell the truth about Barack Obama. So they left. And then proceeded to struggle with that truth. That is a reality. They had to get him elected before they could call him out.
Not quite the image of a brave independent press -- and certainly not the myth that gets promoted by those around today but it is reality.
Unlike them, I don't care if Kamala Harris -- who may or may not be the nominee -- gets criticized.
I do care if the attacks are coming from outside the Democratic Party because I honestly don't giv a damn what people who are not Democrats think -- especially people who are committed to ripping apart the Democratic nominee so they can pimp political whore Jill Stein.
Jill, the doctor who didn't believe in vaccines, has run for so many political offices -- for president, twice already, and she's never been elected once and she never will be. She left the Green Party hugely in debt and has now proclaimed herself -- we weren't joking about this in "Left with no other possibilities, the Green Party intends to nominate Jill," "When you can't find a worthy nominee, bite your tongue and back Jill Stein," "Jill Stein hopes to lead the Green Party into further irrelevance," "The Green Party doesn't believe in retirement apparently," "Jill Stein has lost her mind," and "THIS JUST IN! GERIATRIC JILL!" -- the presidential nominee of the Green Party despite the fact that the party's convention doesn't start until August 15th. It's at the convention that the nominee will be decided. But Jill can proclaim -- and has proclaimed herself -- the nominee and no one bats an eye.
Because she's not real and her supporters aren't real. If Kamala today proclaimed herself the nominee, these people would be tearing her apart. But White Jill always gets a pass -- even when she's tearing apart Cornel West who these same people pretended to love and pretended to support until White Jill got back in the race. They didn't even call her out for her lies or for her attacks on Cornel. They just all fell in line behind Jill.
So spare us all, you non-Democrats, your 'ethical' stands and your 'honest' remarks. We don't have time for your pretense and, honestly, haven't you all whored enough already for 2024?
Used to, as I would note hear, I didn't take a position on vaccines because I fund raise for autism and have done so for decades. Crazy vax denier Robert Kennedy Jr resulted in me having to come out. I've been very honest in the last year with those I beg money for autism research from. If you think someone in your family ended up with autism due to vaccines, I feel for you and I don't judge you, I'm not in your shoes. But, yes, we need our vaccines and to confront crazy head on, I need to be able to say that. Some no longer want to donate and that's fine, some continue to do so and that's fine too.
But the point is, I'm free now. Wack Job Jill ran for president in 2012 and in 2016 and she benefitted from my holding my tongue. No more. That crazy idiot was anti-vaccine and tried to clean it up -- just like one of her vice presidential nominees (the one that still speaks to her) was a flaming 9/11 conspiracy nut.
These are the crazies of the Green Party. And apparently they control the party since they intend to go with the same nominee that they've fielded twice before.
On Saturday, when many of us knew Joe was going to issue a statement of some form on Sunday, one idiot started saying, "Hillary could be the nominee!"
No.
Just hell no.
Because we're Democrats. We aren't Greens. We don't put the failures of our party back on the ticket repeatedly. The Green Party does that.
Looks like the GOP has decided to do it as well -- the 2020 loser is now their 2024 nominee.
The Democratic Party looks forward to the future.
And that's why I encourage every Democrat to ignore the liars and whores that were never going to vote for a Democrat to begin with.
The goal for the nominee will be to solidify the base and to reach out to independents and swing voters.
We have an election to win and we can't waste it right now listening to or attempting to woo a faction of failures who were never, ever going to vote for the Democratic Party nominee regardless of who the nominee was.
We also need to be very careful about those in the Democratic Party who spent the last weeks spreading lies. From Ava and my "Media: The Fear-Based World:"
Those weren't the only ones being ruled by fear and/or hate. Roland S. Martin and Joy Reid were among the people who refused to read the writing on the wall. 2024 is an election that will require the Democratic Party to turn out as many votes as possible. Joe was a drag on the ticket. He was such a drag that not only were swing-stages in play -- and talk of even New York being in play -- but the lack of enthusiasm for Joe and the concerns over his fitness for the job were effecting the chances of Democrats running for other offices.
Instead of taking a brave step into the future, these fearful fraidy cats -- and include OCCUPY DEMOCRATS on that list -- insisted that Joe must be the nominee.
Presented with the shot at a do-over, these idiots couldn't see beyond their own fear.
But as bad as they were, there was AOC.
We often wonder why she smears so much makeup on her face. Watching her idiotic video last week, taped from a low angle, we realized why: She looks like James DeBarge. Take away the makeup and she's a dead ringer for the rhythm and blues and pop singer who shot to fame in the eighties.
Fraud Squad leader AOC made a video of herself
lying last week. She apparently wanted to expose herself. She lied
that Joe could not step down. Today, he did just that. She lied that
it couldn't happen because of various deadlines. Again, it could happen
and it did happen.
She put whatever was left of her tattered and disappointing image on the line as she insisted it couldn't happen, as she declared "But I do think people are talking about this without having two eyes wide open" and as she launched into crazy talk about it being a "conspiracy" and she had to figured it out. Not content to let AOC burn in the flames of crazy all by herself, OCCUPY DEMOCRATS ("AOC Exposes Hidden Motivation Of Dems Who Want To Replace Biden") and MEIDAS TOUCH MEDIA ("AOC drops MUST-SEE TRUTH BOMB every DEMOCRAT needs to see") rushed to join her.
Let's note an e-mail topic. DEMOCRACY NOW! -- I haven't been noting it!!!!!
Some e-mails insist that. We did include a segment last week where the attacks on immigrants at the RNC convention got fact checked.
That's about all that was worth noting. The program expanded to two hours for the RNC but it wasn't worth watching. Friday's show, for example, contained no segment on Gaza.
As bad as that was, Thursday's show was worse for Nancy Isenberg segment. We didn't post it here. Recently, Marc Lamont Hill had a segment with a term I find objectionable. We posted the segment here but took the term -- a racist term that we'd all object to were it used by a White person (but I got the point Marc was making by using it) -- we took that term out of the headline.
I got the reason Marc was using the term. I understood it. I wasn't offended by it.
The historian segment on DEMOCRACY NOW! was about JD Vance and the headline included "White Trash." I'm still aghast over that.
When I used to note the racism of the Confederate Flag online back in 2005 -- remember Harold Ford posing in front of it -- I got that some people were gong to need some time to travel to the space I was at. But "White Trash"? In 2024, I'm having to explain the racism of that term?
Call people trash, I have no problem with it. But when you call someone "White Trash," you do grasp what you're doing, right?
You're saying you have to put "White" in their because the norm for what is trash is non-White.
That's what you're saying. That's why using the term "White trash" is racist. And, if you doubt it, take a moment to think about how you've never heard the term "Black trash." "White trash" is a racist term. I hope we've slow walked through that reality and never again have to cover it.
Over the weekend in Gaza, one journalist was killed while another was left injured.
An Israeli air strike in north Gaza has killed the journalist Mohammed Abu Jasser and his family, Palestinian medical officials announced on Saturday.
The journalist’s home in the Jabalia area was targeted at dawn, making him the latest of 161 journalists to be killed in the enclave since the start of Israel’s latest war on Gaza on 7 October.
Local Palestinian media reported his two children and wife were also killed in the strike.
Another Israeli attack on Gaza today resulted in a journalist being injured.
Oxfam notes:
A new Oxfam report reveals how Israel has been systematically weaponizing water against Palestinians in Gaza.
The report, Water War Crimes, finds that Israel’s cutting of external water supply, systematic destruction of water facilities and deliberate aid obstruction have reduced the amount of water available in Gaza by 94% to 4.74 liters a day per person – just under a third of the recommended minimum in emergencies and less than a single toilet flush.
Oxfam analysis also found:
- Israeli military attacks have damaged or destroyed five water and sanitation infrastructure sites every three days since the start of the war.
- The destruction of water and electricity infrastructure and restrictions on entry of spare parts and fuel (on average a fifth of the required amount is allowed in) saw water production drop by 84% in Gaza. External supply from Israel’s national water company Mekorot fell by 78%.
- Israel has destroyed 70% of all sewage pumps and 100% of all wastewater treatment plants, as well as the main water quality testing laboratories in Gaza, and restricted the entry of Oxfam water testing equipment.
- Gaza City has lost nearly all its water production capacity, with 88% of its water wells and 100% of its desalination plants damaged or destroyed.
The report also highlighted the dire impact of this extreme lack of clean water and sanitation on Palestinians’ health, with more than a quarter (26%) of Gaza’s population falling severely ill from easily preventable diseases. In January, the International Court of Justice demanded that Israel immediately improve humanitarian access upon finding that South Africa had brought plausible claims under the Genocide Convention. Since then, Oxfam has witnessed firsthand Israel’s obstruction of a meaningful humanitarian response, which is killing Palestinian civilians.
Scott Paul, Oxfam America’s Associate Director of Peace and Security, said, “Oxfam’s new analysis leaves little doubt that Prime Minister Netanyahu's government has systemically obliterated Gaza’s clean water supply and infrastructure.
“Today, Palestinians in Gaza have almost no water to drink, let alone to bathe, cook, or clean. Prime Minister Netanyahu must restore sufficient water, food, electricity, and other vital assistance for all people in Gaza. Instead of granting him the platform to double down on his deadly offensive to Congress, US leaders must cut off the supply of bombs that are being used to kill civilians and destroy Gaza and with it, any hope for peace.”
Oxfam Water and Sanitation Specialist Lama Abdul Samad said it was clear that Israel had created a devastating humanitarian emergency resulting in Palestinian civilian deaths:
“The deliberate restriction of access to water is not a new tactic. The Israeli Government has been depriving Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza of safe and sufficient water for many years,” she said.
“The widespread destruction and significant restrictions on aid delivery in Gaza impacting access to water and other essentials for survival, underscores the urgent need for the international community to take decisive action to prevent further suffering by upholding justice and human rights, including those enshrined in the Geneva and Genocide Conventions.”
Monther Shoblak, General Manager of the Gaza Strip’s water utility CMWU, said:
“My colleagues and I have been living through a nightmare these past nine months, but we still feel it’s our responsibility and duty to ensure everybody in Gaza is getting their minimum right of clean drinking water. It’s been very difficult, but we are determined to keep trying – even when we witness our colleagues being targeted and killed by Israel while undertaking their work.”
Oxfam is calling for urgent action including an immediate and permanent ceasefire; for Israel to allow a full and unfettered humanitarian response; and for Israel to foot the reconstruction bill for water and sanitation infrastructure.
Benjamin Netanyahu is a War Criminal. Next week, he'll address Congress because that's how whorish this country is. We've invited a War Criminal to stand before our branch of government that makes laws. What's Netanyahu planning to do? Stick out his tongue and say nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-han?
Gaza remains under assault. Day 290 of the assault in the wave that began in October. Binoy Kampmark (DISSIDENT VOICE) points out, "Bloodletting as form; murder as fashion. The ongoing campaign in Gaza by Israel’s Defence Forces continues without stalling and restriction. But the burgeoning number of corpses is starting to become a challenge for the propaganda outlets: How to justify it? Fortunately for Israel, the United States, its unqualified defender, is happy to provide cover for murder covered in the sheath of self-defence." CNN has explained, "The Gaza Strip is 'the most dangerous place' in the world to be a child, according to the executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund." ABC NEWS quotes UNICEF's December 9th statement, ""The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. Scores of children are reportedly being killed and injured on a daily basis. Entire neighborhoods, where children used to play and go to school have been turned into stacks of rubble, with no life in them." NBC NEWS notes, "Strong majorities of all voters in the U.S. disapprove of President Joe Biden’s handling of foreign policy and the Israel-Hamas war, according to the latest national NBC News poll. The erosion is most pronounced among Democrats, a majority of whom believe Israel has gone too far in its military action in Gaza." The slaughter continues. It has displaced over 1 million people per the US Congressional Research Service. Jessica Corbett (COMMON DREAMS) points out, "Academics and legal experts around the world, including Holocaust scholars, have condemned the six-week Israeli assault of Gaza as genocide." The death toll of Palestinians in Gaza is grows higher and higher. United Nations Women noted, "More than 1.9 million people -- 85 per cent of the total population of Gaza -- have been displaced, including what UN Women estimates to be nearly 1 million women and girls. The entire population of Gaza -- roughly 2.2 million people -- are in crisis levels of acute food insecurity or worse." THE NATIONAL notes, "Gaza death toll reaches 39,006, with 89,818 wounded." Months ago, AP noted, "About 4,000 people are reported missing." February 7th, Jeremy Scahill explained on DEMOCRACY NOW! that "there’s an estimated 7,000 or 8,000 Palestinians missing, many of them in graves that are the rubble of their former home." February 5th, the United Nations' Phillipe Lazzarini Tweeted:
New content at THIRD:
- Truest statement of the week
- A note to our readers
- Gaza
- Media: The Fear-Based World
- Book Talk (Trina, Ava and C.I.)
- Jess and C.I. talk Olay, online world, Tori Amos a...
- What to know as Biden drops out of the 2024 presid...
- 2024 passings
- Book List
- Tweet of the Week
- FOX "NEWS" Parody
- The obits we write (Elaine)
- This edition's playlist
- Highlights
The following sites updated:
-
-
Norah Jones: Tiny Desk Concert3 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
THIS JUST IN! GERIATRIC JILL!8 hours ago
-
Thank you, Lord8 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
Diet Clam Chowder in the Kitchen2 days ago
-
TWISTERS2 days ago
-
Idiot of the Week2 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
Bob Newhart3 days ago
