Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills): Beyonce

Friday, April 25, 2025

Beyonce

The late Tina Turner remains a true original. Beyonce is not Tina. They don't sing alike and they don't dance alike. And that's not meant as an insult to either woman. Beyonce is her own unique artist. But she did a "Proud Mary" cover or something for an awards show (you know my memory) and ever since some people have tried to say Beyonce is the new Tina. Beyonce is Beyonce.

And that's more than enough.

But I will agree on one similarity and that is concerts. Tina was a road warrior and she toured repeatedly and packed the crowds in. In that regard, Beyonce and Tina are similar.

Karla Marie Sanford (LOS ANGElES TIMES) reports:

Yeehaw! Beyoncé is going back on tour — this time with her ambitious country project, "Cowboy Carter." The album, which followed the hugely popular "Renaissance," earned the superstar (at long last) the coveted album of the year Grammy as well as top country album at this year's awards show. She also nabbed a Grammy for "II Most Wanted," a duet with Miley Cyrus.

Beyoncé performed songs from "Cowboy Carter" during the so-called Beyoncé Bowl, the 2024 Christmas Day NFL game halftime performance in her hometown of Houston. Streamed live on Netflix, viewership of the Ravens-Texans game peaked at 27 million viewers during the halftime show, per Nielsen data released by Netflix. The 13-minute performance featured guest appearances by a quartet of Black female country singers — Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts — along with Shaboozey, Post Malone and, of course, her daughter Blue Ivy.

So fans are eagerly anticipating the "Cowboy Carter" tour, which kicks off in Los Angeles on Monday. Here's everything you need to know if you're seeing the show in L.A.

So use the link to read on but that is going to be a show, that is going to be a tour. I bet tickets are selling like crazy.

Oh, she's going to be in Atlanta in July!

Betty is from Atlanta and is planning a visit with her family in July. I just told her and she's calling her brother to see if he can visit their family at the same time and go with their sisters to see Beyonce. I'm going to do July as well.

My friend Toni's birthday is the 25th and she loves Beyonce who will be in Vegas then. So we'll make it a weekend b-day celebration and see Beyonce and have fun in Vegas. (Maggie, your v-mail is full. If you read this before we talk, I got tickets for you, Toni, Dak-Ho, Sumner and me. I'm also holding hotel rooms on my card. I'll cover tickets, Maggie, but hotel rooms I'll need some chip in.)

Closing with C.I.'s "The Snapshot:"

Friday, April 25, 2025. Hegseth needs to go and so does David Hogg.

Anna Commander (NEWSWEEK) explains:

Retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, former commander of the U.S. Army Europe, told Newsweek that President Donald Trump's behavior is "dangerous" amid reports that Pete Hegseth, Trump's secretary of defense, shared war plans in group chats.

[. . .]

When asked if Hegseth should be fired by Trump or asked to resign amid the reports he shared attack plans in a second Signal chat with his wife, brother and personal lawyer, Hodges told Newsweek via email, "I think the first principle of leadership is a willingness to accept responsibility."

He added, "I see zero evidence that the President, Mr Hegseth, or frankly anyone in this Administration is actually willing to accept responsibility for any mistakes. This is dangerous because if one doesn't acknowledge a mistake, then there is little likelihood that the necessary corrections will be made to prevent it from happening again."

According to the Times, the second Signal chat included "detailed information" about upcoming strikes in Yemen on March 15.

Concluding, Hodges said: "It is also a terrible example for the Officers and NCO's [non-commissioned officers] and civilians in the Department of Defense as well as the Cadets and Midshipmen who are studying to become Officers. It is ridiculous to claim that classified information was not being passed on these Signal Chat group communications. Just because there was no big red folder saying 'war plans' does not mean there was no classified information...and this excuse only serves to highlight the incompetence, immaturity, and lack of seriousness for one of the most serious positions in the US Government."

He is exactly right. Others also are sounding alarms. Ellen Mitchell (THE HILL) reports:

Three former service members-turned Democratic House lawmakers are demanding answers from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about recent staffing upheavals at the Pentagon.

In a letter sent to Hegseth on Tuesday and led by former Navy intelligence officer Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), the group expressed “deep concern regarding the turmoil taking place at the Department of Defense under your leadership.”

Hegseth in the past week has ousted his deputy chief of staff, a senior adviser, and the chief of staff to the deputy Defense secretary, with his chief of staff reassigned to a new position within the department and a top spokesperson choosing to leave.

“Certainly it is the prerogative of every Secretary of Defense to choose his or her own staff, but the scale of these firings is simply staggering,” the letter reads, as first reported by Semafor.

What’s more concerning, they write, is that the staffing shake-up follows “wider unacceptable and dangerous behavior” at the department, including the revelation last month that Hegseth shared sensitive attack plans on the U.S. military operation in Yemen against Houthi militants in a Signal group chat that mistakenly included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic.

It also was reported Sunday by The New York Times that Hegseth shared the same details about the Yemen airstrikes in a separate Signal text chain that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer.

Yesterday's snapshot included this:

Susan Rice was on Lawrence O'Donnell's MSNBC show last night. (Note, I'm beyond sick this morning. I don't see the video at MSNBC, I was sick last night. If it wasn't Lawrence, I'll note it tomorrow but as I'm remembering it, it was Lawrence's show. ADDED: It wasn't Lawrence, it was Brian Tyler Cohen's YOUTUBE program, we'll note it in tomorrow's snapshot.]) Details of an impending military strike are top secret. There's no debating this. And Hegseth's sharing this on two unsecure chats. This outrageous. She was the National Security Advisor from 2013 to 2017. She knows what she's talking about. She laid it out very cleary. He broke the rules.

Here's the Brian Tyler Cohen video.

That whole interview is important but I'd especially emphasize this remark from Susan, "Military operation details are by definition classified. Deliberations about whether to conduct a military strike on an adversary are inherently classified. So here they are engaging recklessly in classified discussions over unsecure commercial applications." But, again, that is an important discussion -- the entire sixteen minutes. Susan has the facts.

VOTE VETS offered their discussion this week on Hegseth and why he needs to go.

And more details emerge demonstrating just how unfit Hegseth is and just how much he refuses to follow even basic security protocls. Daniel Hampton (RAW STORY) notes:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had the Signal messaging app installed on his desktop computer in the Pentagon to circumvent poor cell service in the building, according to a new report in The Washington Post, which cited three people familiar with the matter.

The Post report said Hegseth "effectively 'cloned' the Signal app on his personal cellphone" following talks between Hegseth and his advisers on "how they could circumvent the lack of cellphone service in much of the Pentagon and more quickly coordinate with the White House and other top Trump officials using the encrypted app."

By installing Signal onto his desktop, Hegseth created a "workaround" to use the app in a classified area — where his cellphone and other personal devices are banned — to easily communicate with other government officials or his family, according to the report.

To boot, Hegseth had the app installed on a second computer in his office and expressed interest in installing a program that would allow him to send out text messages from the Pentagon, according to the report.

Security protocols are put in place for a reason. Did Hegseth -- who had no experience at all -- not have to go through some form of training about communication protocols?

We know MAGA is a deeply stupid group -- who else would back non-educator and lonely and deeply troubled Linda McMahon for Secretary of Education -- but they don't even believe in the most basic of human resource training?

These protocols are in place for a reason.

The Secretary of Defense has not only risked national security by refusing to follow them; he has also failed to set the tone. As he lies and makes excuses in public for what went down, he is representing the DoD and he is saying to every employee there, 'Ignore the security protocols and do what you want because I don't believe that they matter.'

What does matter to Hegesth? Trying to make his mug pretty, putting on make up. Again, Daniel Hampton (RAW STORY):

A Massachusetts lawmaker slammed President Donald Trump's secretary of Defense on Wednesday afternoon as unserious following revelations he turned a room in the Pentagon into a makeup studio for TV spots.

Pete Hegseth ordered a makeup studio to be installed in the building, converting a green room next to the press briefing room into a space equipped for TV appearances. The Pentagon downplayed the report, calling it routine, though it comes amid broad slashes to government agencies.

Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) joined Jake Tapper on CNN's "The Lead" to tear into Hegseth.

"I think they understand that when an individual comes into that office, talks about returning the Pentagon to the warfighters, then spends three months installing a makeup studio inside the Pentagon so he can do Fox News hits is not an individual who is serious about improving morale or readiness within the Department of Defense," said Auchincloss.

THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW's Steve Bennen observes:

The story stood out for me, not just because of the degree to which it defies Hegseth’s rhetoric about a “warrior ethos,” but also because of what we’re learning about his role on Donald Trump’s team. Indeed, the president chose a television personality to lead the Pentagon, so it stands to reason that he’d want a new makeup studio.

By all appearances, his job isn’t to serve an administrative role, overseeing one of the planet’s largest and most complex bureaucracies; his job is to effectively play the role of defense secretary on TV, saying words like “tough” and “strength” of Fox News as Trump nods along while watching.

Hegseth is less of a cabinet secretary and more of a camera-ready performer. He’s able to keep his job — at least for now — not through competent governance, but rather by responding to the CBS News report by publishing a tweet that read in part, “We should have installed tampon machines in every men’s bathroom at DoD instead — the leftist ‘news’ media would have loved that.”

It’s the sort of juvenile online trolling that makes Hegseth look ridiculous to everyone except those ingrained in far-right politics.

Let's note some BLUESKY reactions.

That last one is US House Rep Eric Swalwell. And he's right about filing charges of impeachment against Hegseth but it's also true of Chump. Chump is allowing our national security to be threatened by his appointee who has repeatedly been exposed as a security risk. What does it take as this point for Chump to remove him? Learning that his wife is his Russian controller? What more does he have to do?

One more video on Hegseth.

That's James Carville. Last night when I was putting in the videos that would go up overnight, I saw this and almost put it up but thought of all the e-mails Martha and Shirley would be reading today.

The videos that go up here? They're important topics (Hegseth so Carville above) or a friend asked for them to go up. I can post James -- and have -- without signing off on him. I know him and have for years. I think there's line from WILL & GRACE's reboot ("Sweatshop Annie & the Annoying Baby Shower"-- season 9, episode 13) that applies here, Ellen tells Grace (and others at a baby shower), ""You know, Rob's always like, 'We don't see Will and Grace enough.[ And I'm always like, 'We see them the right amount'."

I've called James out for many things over the years and it's not hard to if you pay attention. Any campaign? After he crows he was right. And some used to find his moment where he was right. But they ignored that he offered many other opinions. Go look at his commentary on Kamala's campaign and see just how all over the map he was -- any outcome would have allowed him to claim he was right because he offered all these differing opinions.

James can also be actually right. He can also reach some people, that others can't.

David Hogg needs to step down from the DNC.

His little cat fight with James was sad.

It's no longer sad, David's actions.

They are harmful to the Democratic Party.

I'm seeing the same crowd of bad actors who trashed Kamala and helped put Chump in office backing Hogg on BLUESKY.

BLUESKY is not the world.

TWITTER was not the world.

Hogg wants to primary a long list of Democrats in office and we're hearing 801 reasons why. Supposedly it's not about age. But according to David's website it is and according to many of his supporters on BLUESKY it is.

And these idiots on BLUESKY -- as usual -- don't know a damn thing.

I'm actually for a retirement age for members of Congress and that's nothing new. I've written of it here for two decades and we've covered it at THIRD for two decades. At THIRD, we started hitting on it hard with Robert Byrd, who was over 90 years ole and removed as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. We've noted that the deaths of some members in office result in anew campaigns ahead of the normal election cycle and that if they're dying from age that cost should be probably be billed to their estate. We've focused on the Senate the most because that's a six year term. The House is a two year term. If voters want to send someone at death's door into Congress, that's their vote and their gamble.

Six years is a lot more to gamble on. We supported Dianne Feinstein's Democratic challenger because we knew she was too old and would likely die in office, which she did.

This is not a new issue for us.

But it seems like a new one for his BLUESKY fans who really don't know what they're talking about.

And none of whom wants to note that Sainted Bernie Sanders should have retired long ago.

As long as he breathes, he is their excuse and their hero. When he stops breathing, that'll probably still be the case. But for those not working on the Bernie farm, the reality is that he speechifies and accomplishes nothing. He's someone to be amused by, yes, but the Democrats have repeatedly said no to him on a national run.

But the Davids attacking Schumer and other Democrats on BLUESKY don't say a word about Bernie.

We're getting to a place similar to the summer of 2024.

We knew Chump would destroy this country. And smoe of us worked our asses off to campaign for Kamala Harris. Others worked to defeat her -- others on the left -- DSA and its fake ass 'Uncommitted' 'movement.'

Maybe it's time for you to sit your ass down and shut your damn mouth if you weren't campaigning for Kamala?

Maybe you've enough damn damage for one century?

This country matters to a lot of us, democracy matters to a lot of us.

We've got to win at least one house of Congress in the mid-terms (November 2026).. I want both. I think both are achievable.

David Hogg is not heping with that.

He's risking that and you have to wonder with the state of the nation right now, with so many lives at risk, White boy can't get his s**t together and wants to risk everything.

He's a blond girl, we get that right?

David's done nothing with his life to garner any attention. But he's a blond girl.

Many other students were at the same school that got shot up. Many of them were students of color.

In the '00s, when a child went missing, people began to notice the media coverage or the lack of. If the missing child was a blond girl, it was wall-to-wall Matt Lauer clucking non-stop. A child of color? Crickets.

And that same racism has benefitted David Hogg.

But he doesn't want to cop to it.

He's accomplished nothing with his life.

I thought he'd get involved in the DNC, learn a lot, come back in a year or so with some solid ideas. Instead, his only idea is the one he's been pimping for years -- kick out the old guys in Congress!!!!

That would apparently make him feel better about himself. And considering that he looks like Lena Dunham, I can understand his struggle to find some way to feel good about himself.

But, White man, you're putting a lot of lives at risk with your bulls**t.

And Uncommitted and David need to sit this out.

First off, if you've got 20 million to spend on races, you should be using that money for the general election.

Second, you are creating division as we speak within the party -- that's why you need to resign immediately from your DNC office. That is not what DNC officials are supposed to do.

Third, you're distracting from the very real dangers of Donald Chump.

You want to do your pet cause, go do it in a better election cycle, White boy.

You haven't suffered under Chump.

You're not at risk of deportation, you're not a senior on a fixed income, you're not a Black person or an LGBTQ+ person at risk of being erased and having your rights taken away.

You're not a woman at risk of losing reproductive freedom.

No one is less impacted by Chump's destruction of this country than you are.

Stop gambling with our lives and our rights.

He wants heated, contested primaries with candidates he's going to fund who will rip into the incumbent.

He's stupid and ignorant.

And history does apply here.

We've seen this Tom Hayden style bulls**t before.

Would Jimmy Carter have been a one-term candidate if John Anderson hadn't run? Gore in 2000. We've seen this over and over and we're aware of history.

David has no idea and he's putting us all at risk.

US House Rep Jay Smith is running for re-election and David's Joe Blond is running against him. To win, Joe Blond destroys him with one charge after another. Smith wins the primary but is left weakened. And then the GOP candidate for Congress in that district goes up against a weakened Smith -- probably using many of the attacks that Blond used on Smith (like how the Willie Horton attack on Michael Dukakis actually started in the Dem primary long before Poppy Bush got ahold of it).. That's how we can lose.

We need to be united. If this isn't a one-of-a-kind moment in our history, then sure, let's all be David Hogg -- I'll get the knives so we can chop off our noses.

And if this isn't a one-of-a-kind moment in our history, let me know. I'm doing everything I can online and off to fight back against Chump to the point that I am waking up to run to the bathroom and throw up. I've got better things to do with my time if this isn't a serious moment in our country's history.

David Hogg needs to immediately step away from the DNC. If he wants to pursue his idiotic plan on primaries, he can do so, but not as DNC official. And, no, he can't step 'away' from his group and remain in the DNC. He has to resign.

ADDED:

The Black Commentator Issue #1038 is now Online

April 24, 2025