Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills)

Saturday, June 14, 2025

Judy Garland, Lena Horne, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and Lana Turner

That is Judy Garland with Charles Winninger in ZIEGFELD GIRL (MGM 1941) performing "Laugh, I Thought I'd Split My Sides." I mention it because I got home tired this evening. I'd gone to a No Kings protest with a lot of friends and then came home because I got too hot. I blasted the AC as soon as I walked in and got some ice water. Betty came over to check on me and Maggie followed by about five minutes. I'm a red head and both felt my face was as red as my hair. .

So I went to the closet and got a boxed fan and plugged it in and aimed it at the couch. It was not that hot today at all. I'd be surprised if we hit 60 degrees. I don't often use my a.c. and I have two fans -- both box fans -- that I keep in a closet.

So anyway, we sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. I'm not interested in MSNBC pimping a candidate for NYC, by the way? I find that offensive and disgusting when they pull that s**t and pick whomever they want to favorite of the Democratic Party candidates running.

Jen Psaki, you make it so easy for me not to watch you when you pull that s**t.

So we went over to my HBO app. And THE CLOSER is a great movie but I watched it yesterday. It's an action film that is brand new and kind of like DIE HARD. HBO started streaming it Friday. So we looked for something else and they were recommending ZIEGFIELD FOLLIES. I thought Judy's song above was in it.

Nope. She does a great song in this one.

"A Great Lady Has An Interview" is her scene in 1945's ZIEGFELD FOLLIES.

In the earlier ZIEGFELD GIRL, she performs multiple songs and also plays a character in non-singing scenes. She's a Ziegfeld Girl along with Lana Turner (who has a great death scene in the film) and Hedy Lamar. It's a strong film. ZIEGFIELD FOLLIES is more a series of recorded performances -- including Gene Kelly dancing with Fred Astaire.

Film wise, there are three films in the franchise. 1936's THE GREAT ZIEGFELD kicked things off with William Powell playing the show man as he also does in ZIEGFELD FOLLIES but not in ZIEGFELD GIRL. So Powell -- famous for THE THIN MAN franchise, MY MAN GODFREY and HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE (where he's paired with Lauren Bacall and which also stars Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable)

Anyway, I thought we were watching ZIEGFELD GIRL. We got caught up in ZIEGFELD FOLLIES but if I hadn't been so hot and tired and confused (and you know my memory), I wouldn't started it.

But we did enjoy it and it is a good film. Maggie ended up making iced tea -- I consumed at least half the pitcher before I felt hydrated -- and Betty made popcorn and we have fun. We also got to talk and ZIEGFELD GIRL isn't a film you can talk through -- especially not with the tragedies befalling Lana Turner.

Since this is a series of sktches/performances, it's easier to talk through ZIEGFELD FOLLIES.

Here's Lena Horne performing "Love" in ZIEGFELD FOLLIES.

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

Friday, June 13, 2025. Senator Alex Padilla is assaulted by Kristi Noem and her goons, Pete Hegseth makes clear he is not fit to be Secretary of Defense, the press continues to cover for him and treat his repeated failures as though they are normal. They are not. One example, when you are four months late in submitting a budget and still haven't submitted it, that's not normal.

US House Rep Salud Carbajal: It should come as no surprise that I have serious concerns with both the deployment of the National Guard and the Marines to Los Angeles. I served in the Marine Corps. We are trained to be war fighters not for crowd control. Everyone here should be alarmed that the president has sent armed forces into a city against the wishes of the governor and mayor. I am concerned this administration is purposely escalating the situation with this step and politicizing our armed forces in the process. Let's call it for what it is: It's political theater. Hegseth, are the Marines in Los Angeles in order to protect property by any means necessary?

Secretary Pete Hegseth: Sir, I would say the ICE officers and the police officers being attacked is not political theater --

Police officers attacked? Is that what the little Nazi just said? The same one who refused all week to call out the insurrectionists that attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021? For three days this week, I've had to sit through that idiot avoiding reality in front of one Congressional committee after another. On Tuesday, he lied to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense (see Wednesday's "The Snapshot" and Ava and my "Media: Lulu would explode Hegseth's head"), on Wednesday, he lied to the Senate Appropriations Committee (see yesterday's "The Snapshot") and yesterday it was the House Armed Services Committee.

Throughout it all, the liar invoked attacks on the police while pretending that January 6th didn't happen. While lying nonstop. He's just a cheap little liar. As Betty noted this morning:

The police were under attack.

Their lives were threatened by treason monkeys egged on by Chump. They stood strong and brave and did everything any US citizen could have asked for them to do.

When Chump is finally out of the White House, I want the next president to have a ceremony to recognize these heroes. I want it televised. I want us to come together as a nation -- those with sanity -- and make clear that these people are heroes and that we are grateful to them.

They repelled the attack, yes. But more than that, they stood up for and helped preserve freedom and democracy.

Chump and his minions are disgusting. And they can rot in hell -- and I'm sure that they will.

For three days, we've had to put up with Hegseth and his never ending lies. He's sat with General Dan Caine and fat Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell (who used to work for US House Rep Calvart). Caine, unlike Hegseth, could at least call out Hitler. But with MAGA so rooted in Nazi love and with Hegseth's tattoos, Hegseth will never call out Hitler.

For three days, we've had to put up with his overly made up face. We've learned that Lysine does actually reduce herpes sores around the mouth and reduced Hegseth's as the week progressed. I'm told that he didn't worry about how much he consumed because it's supposed to all flush out in the urine. Not a doctor, not giving medical advice just telling you it worked this week for Hegseth. The foundation he wore? A toss up. By the third day, they selected one dark enough to almost completely conceal the Psoriasis (a journalist friend at Wednesday's hearing insists they look more a skin reaction to drinking too much alcohol) but it was a little too dark and emphasized the jowls. A trade off?

What didn't work?

Is the little Nazi dressing himself?

He wore a tie that looked the same over and over -- and looked dirty at every hearing. Too cheap to get your ties dry cleaned? He had food on it, crusted food on it, one day. And he wore that awful shirt every day unless he owns three that look exactly the same.

Someone needs to tell him that he's neither 7-years-old nor Sarah Jessica Parker. At 45, he needs to learn to dress like a man. If SJP wants to wear a little boy's shirt, she can pull it off. She can. She. But a middle-aged man wearing a boy's shirt comes off more than a ltitle strange and pervy.

The hair -- like his personality -- got greasier each day.

And just like the gook in his ugly hair increased each day, so did his anger.

He tried to avoid every question. He tried to run out the clock. Over and over, he was told to answer the question. On Tuesday, it started early on with the first questioning from a Democrat -- US House Rep Betty McCollum had to repeatedly insist she was reclaiming her time and even the Republican chair had to note that Hegseth was not answering her. Wednesday, Senator Jack Reed was the strongest in pointing out that Hegseth was not answering the questions. Yesterday, it was probably US House Rep Salud Carbajal who was the most emphatic about pointing out Hegseth's non-answers -- "Just yes or no. Can you just say yes or no? This isn't FOX NEWS anymore. Just yes or no." In fact, let's note another time where Carbajal had to remind the Nazi that he was being asked a yes or no question.

US House Rep Salud Carbajal: Secretary, do you think the United States should continue supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia -- a nation that is hostile towards the United States?

Secretary Pete Hegseth: Well, as you know, sir, President Trump is committed to peace --

US House Rep Salud Carbajal: No, I just want a yes or no answer

Secretary Pete Hegseth: -- the

US House Rep Salud Carbajal: Just yes or not. Just yes or no.

Secretary Pete Hegseth: -- millions of dollars.--

US House Rep Salud Carbajal: Yes or no. Can I get a yes or no out of you?

Secretary Pete Hegseth: We continue to send --

US House Rep Salud Carbajal: Come on.

Secretary Pete Hegseth: -- central --

US House Rep Salud Carbajal: It's that easy. Kindergardners could give me a yes or no.

The press seems to have missed this in its partial coverage so let's really underscore it.

Every one of the three hearings this week were about DoD's budget -- the 2026 Fiscal Year budget. Hegseth is the Secretary of the Defense. He is responsible for the department. DoD has still not turned in a budget.

The press doesn't seem to get that this is a problem. US House Rep Betty McCollum was the first to point this out on Tuesday, "The point of this hearing is the President's 2026 Fiscal Budget Request and we don't have it. It was due in February today is June 10th. Four months from now is the end of the fiscal year and all we have is a very rough draft. The DoD has failed to submit a complete request."

That's one more example of how he is avoiding questions and not doing his job.

Or as Carbajal put it "Another b.s. answer."

All he's giving is b.s. answers. And where is the damn press? Why is this not a headline every day on the front page? Every day at the top of any news broadcast? Hegseth can't pull a budget request together. That's big news. This budget was the reason for all three hearings this week. His hedging and evading on questions was just a smaller version his heading and evading his duty to submit a budget request.

At yesterday's hearing, US House Rep Maggie Goodlander pointed out:

You're required, under law, to submit this budget to Congress, because we've got the power of the purse, after all, no later than the first Monday in February. Here we are on the second Thursday in June. We don't have your budget, as the Chairman, the Ranking Member, and many of my colleagues on this committee have pointed out. You have testified that you want to be accountable for every dollar, every taxpayer dollar, and where it goes. We can't do our job without your budget. When can we expect your budget, Mr. Hegseth?

When can we expect your budget?

That should have been the headline every day this week.

And, as we noted earlier, it was pointed out in Tuesday's hearing. And in Wednesday's hearing. And yesterday.

At what point is the press concerned over Hegseth's failure to meet the February deadline? Over his continued failure, all these months later, to meet the deadline?

This is a major story. But we don't hear about that. It's treated as normal but is dysfunctional and goes to how Hegseth was never qualified for this position.

And that's there now in his refusal to answer questions -- again, he refused to condemn Hitler this week. At a public hearing, he couldn't condemn Hitler. Appearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, he refused to condemn Hitler -- apparently afraid he might hurt Adolph's feelings?

None of this normal.

And yet the press acts like it is.

The Signal scandal was raised in yesterday's hearing (more than once). So we're all on the same page, this is WIKIPEDIA's overview of that scandal:

In March 2025, Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, reported that he had been accidentally included by Mike Waltz in a Signal group chat where Hegseth shared information about attacks in Yemen hours before they occurred.^[113] The discussions involved U.S. officials, including Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio. According to The New York Times, several officials with the Department of Defense expressed shock at the incident, while various former national security officials noted the potential for espionage amid ongoing efforts by China to obtain telecommunications records. A spokesperson for the National Security Council confirmed Goldberg's report and the authenticity of the messages. Hegseth rejected that war plans were shared and called Goldberg "deceitful" and a "discredited so-called journalist".^[114]^[115] Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said no classified information was shared and CIA director John Ratcliffe said Signal was authorized for the group chat.^[116]

The incident distressed Hegseth, who threatened to use a polygraph on Christopher W. Grady, the acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.^[117] Goldberg later published most of the Signal chat.^[118] The chat showed that Hegseth posted information including the launch times of F-18 aircraft, MQ-9 drones and Tomahawk missiles, as well as the time when the F-18 aircraft would reach their targets, and the time when the bombs would land.^[119]^[120] Hegseth commented on the chat, writing that there were: "No names. No targets. No locations. No units. No routes. No sources. No methods. And no classified information".^[121] The incident led to criticism from both Republicans and Democrats.^[122] After the Signal leak, media outlet Der Spiegel searched the Internet using a commercial information provider and password leaks, which revealed Hegseth's personal mobile number, personal email address and its password, and WhatsApp account.^[123]

The Wall Street Journal reported that Hegseth had brought his wife to two meetings with foreign defense officials in which sensitive information was discussed, one meeting in February, at Brussels, with NATO officials, and the other in March, at the Pentagon, with British Defense Secretary John Healey.^[124] Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported in March that Hegseth's brother, Phil, was listed by the Trump administration as a senior adviser to Hegseth, accompanying Hegseth to meetings, including in Congress, and on official foreign trips.^[6] Phil, who previously worked in podcasting and media relations, was confirmed by Hegseth's office to be working in the Pentagon as a Department of Homeland Security liaison to the Department of Defense.^[6] That month, The Washington Post detailed a memorandum written by Hegseth orienting the department towards deterring a potential invasion of Taiwan and supporting homeland defense by "assuming risk" in Europe. The document contained passages that were identical to those present in Project 2025.^[125]

In April, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General announced an inquiry into Hegseth's disclosure of classified information in the Signal chat.^[126] That month, The New York Times reported that Hegseth had shared details on the attack in a second Signal chat with his wife, brother, and personal lawyer.^[127] At the White House Easter Egg Roll, Hegseth suggested that the revelations were a coordinated smear campaign.^[128] John Ullyot, the former spokesman for the Department of Defense, wrote in a Politico Magazine opinion piece hours later that the department was in a "full-blown meltdown" and warned that Hegseth was at risk of losing his position.^[129]

According to NPR, the White House began looking for a secretary of defense to replace Hegseth the following day.^[130] Nonetheless, he retained support from Trump,^[131] who privately did not seek to relitigate a grueling Senate confirmation, enjoyed Hegseth's presence and appearance on television, and believed that firing him would lead to questions over Waltz's retention, while he publicly associated the controversy to "disgruntled employees" and boasted of Hegseth's work.^[132]^[133] Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, stated that "the entire Pentagon is working against" Hegseth.^[134] Representative Don Bacon became the first Republican House member to urge that Hegseth be fired.^[135]

According to The Washington Post, Hegseth had Signal installed on his computer to circumvent cellular communication issues and to communicate with other Trump officials easier.^[136] CNN later reported that Ricky Buria, a former aide to secretary of defense Lloyd Austin, had set up Signal on Hegseth's computer.^[137] According to the Associated Press, the computer was on an unsecured internet line that was not using one of the Department of Defense's IP addresses.^[138]

At least five political appointees within the Department of Defense resigned by April 24.^[117] That day, Joe Kesper, Hegseth's chief of staff, resigned, but stated that he would remain at the department as a special government employee.^[139] The firings and resignations led to a crisis within the Department of Defense that was described as a "free-for-all" by one employee who spoke to Politico.^[140] Hegseth received criticism from Senate Democrats over alleged civilian deaths in the Yemen strikes.^[141] In the same month, Sean Parnell, Justin Fulcher, Patrick Weaver, and Ricky Buria were announced as new senior advisers.^[142]

Now let's go to yesterday's hearing.

US House Rep Salud Carbajal: I'm going to beat this drum because you refuse to take responsibility. Will you take responsibility for having made a mistake -- not to mention many people would say break the law -- in participating in the Signal group chat that included a journalist, your wife, your brother where classified information was shared?

Secertary Hegseth: Sir, every way I communicate is authorized.

US House Rep Salud Carbajal: Oh, okay, if you want to say that. I have called for your resignation. I didn't think you were qualified before your confirmation and you have done nothing to inspire confidence in your ability to lead competently. You broke the law in sharing classified information and, in doing so, endangered the lives of our service members that you are responsible for. Your inability to hold yourself accountable makes you incapable to lead. This alone makes you unfit to be the Secretary of Defense

I want to go back to his confirmation hearing, to right after it when Senator Jack Reed issued a press release on that hearing which included:

Mr. Hegseth dodged and deferred questions about his conduct. He instead focused on complaining and calling our military weak and too “politically correct.” I am concerned that confirming Mr. Hegseth would send a message to our troops that they will be evaluated on political standards rather than merits, and that he will inject politics into a nonpartisan organization.

Further, Mr. Hegseth failed to convince us that he is capable of running any organization remotely as complex as the Department of Defense. He financially mismanaged two veterans' organizations and created a workplace culture of misconduct, including several incidents of public intoxication. This is unacceptable behavior for a Secretary of Defense nominee.

Further, he defended his recent statement that: “I’m straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles.”

The confirmation hearing was on US House Rep Jill Tokuda's mind as evidenced by this exchange in yesterday's hearing.

US House Rep Jill Tokuda: Mr. Secretary, during your confirmation hearing, you failed to deny the conclusion that you would carry out an order to shoot protesters in the legs. So let me be direct, given what we're seeing across the country right now, would you carry out or issue an order by the President for our military to fire upon protesters actively engaging in their civil right to exercise free speech, their First Amendment rights, would you give that order from the President?

Secretary Pete Hegseth: I assume you're insinuating what's going on in Los Angeles.

US House Rep Jill Tokuda: Not just in Los Angeles, if you take a look at protests throughout the country, it's a simple question,

Secretary Pete Hegseth: As you know and as this committee knows, we have standard rules of engagement that are in place that give guidance to our troops and they abide by them.

US House Rep Jill Tokuda: I'm asking what you would do. Again, you said you serve at the pleasure of the President, is that not true?

Secretary Pete Hegseth: I do serve.

US House Rep Jill Tokuda: So if the President told you to shoot people in the legs, would you do so? Now, you failed to answer this question as well as at the confirmation hearing when asked by members of the Senate.

Secretary Pete Hegseth: Because I refuse to accept a false hypothetical that's attempting to put me in a corner.

US House Rep Jill Tokuda: At a time when we have more Marines and National Guard in Los Angeles than we do in Syria and [Iraq] alone, I don't think this is a hypothetical. This is an actual situation that we are dealing with right now.

Hegseth is unqualified and ignorant. He's forever yammering on about the border, for example, but he doesn't have a clue as was made clear in the following exchange in yesterday's hearing.

US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Secretary Hegseth, do you know how many border miles there are in New Mexico?

Secretary Pete Hegseth: I don't know. Not the exact number of miles.

US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Can you give me a round figure?

Secretary Pete Hegseth: Hundreds.

US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: 180 miles. Can you tell me where the border wall starts and ends on this map of New Mexico?

Secretary Pete Hegseth: Not properly oriented to your map but I know fortunately because of the administration previous they did not have the opportunity to finish the border wall

US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Thank you, Secretary. Thank you. You have been to New Mexico. Can you tell me where in New Mexico you've been to?

Secretary Pete Hegseth: I've been to the border twice to look at once our national security defense down there because, uh, I can't recall a time when a Secretary of Defense has gone down the first four or five months of his tenure --

US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Was that in an urban area or a rural area?

Secretary Pete Hegseth: Both areas. Traversed rural areas and urban areas.

US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Okay, so you must be familiar with --

Secretary Pete Hegseth: Some with walls. Some without.

US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: So --

Secretary Pete Hegseth: President Trump --

US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Thank you, Mr .Secretary, I'm reclaiming my time. The most remote part of New Mexico is called The Boothill. And I'm not sure that you spent any time in The Boothill of New Mexico. Mr. Secretary, I was raised on the border. I've lived there my entire life. I've worked alongside ranches, farmers, wild life biologists and other stakeholders for over a decade. I headed a border security task force in my community before coming to Congress. I've traveled with border patrols on ATVs, I've hunted the border on horseback and hiked dozens of miles in the most remote stretches of the border in this region. Now do you happen to know why there hasn't been a border wall in The Boothill?

Secretary Pete Hegseth: Well based on what you just described, you should be a big fan of what our administration just is --

US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Well, Secretary, I'm asking why a border wall has not been built. Funds have been allocated for a border.

Secretary Pete Hegseth: Here's what I know, our commanders on the ground and engineers and others would understand what goes where and why and where there should be a border wall there --

US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Okay, Secretary, are you with Animas Mountains, with San Luis Mountains, with Guadalupe Pass or Long Canyon?

Secretary Pete Hegseth: Again --

US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Critical border areas.

Secretary Pete Hegseth: I'm aware that there are gaps in different places --

US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Thank you, Secretary, I appreciate your answer on that --

Secretary Pete Hegseth: -- where it makes the most sense --

US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Thank you, thank you, Secretary. So you agree that a border wall doesn't make sense for the entire country?

Secretary Pete Hegseth: I-I think we need a border wall across our entire border.

US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Okay, then you should know why it's almost physically impossible to build a border across the Animus Mountains and the terrain challenges that poses and the billions of dollars. Do you know if there's roads on those mountains currently?

Secretary Pete Hegseth: If we're going to spend money on --

US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Okay, I'll take that as a no The point I'm trying to make, Mr. Secretary, is that if this is so important to the military than you as Secretary of the Dept of Defense should know more about the border. Mr. Secretary, I urge you to skip the photo ops next time you go to a port of entry and spend time on the ground in places like Diamond Day Ranch.

Hegseth then exploded with nonsense and I've had enough nonsense this week. It was so bad the Chair (a Republican) had to step in and note what Vasquez had already noted -- that Vasquez had "reclaimed my time" meaning: Shut up, you raving idiot. Your angry outburst has nothing to do with reality or the question you were asked.

Hegseth started the hearing week on Tuesday cocky and full of s**t as he grinned and boasted in his opening remarks that he had killed DEI. All he's killed is our national defense. He's a raving loon who was never qualified for this job.

Vasquez would go on to further reveal how the administration and Hegesth are uninformed and uneducated. Vasquez was surprised that Hegesth didn't even know what an AST was. Vasquez explained, "It's an Autonomous Surveillance Tower. They're equipped with these advanced cameras that have the capability to relay critical information to border agents on the ground. And this type of technology is badly needed on The Boothill and it's a much better expenditure than a border wall is."

After the hearing, US House Rep Gabe Vasquez issued a statement which included:

"Pete Hegseth couldn’t name how many miles of border exist in New Mexico. He couldn’t point to where the wall starts or ends. He couldn’t say whether there are roads in critical terrain. And he had no meaningful answer when I asked about surveillance technologies despite their clear value as modern, cost-effective alternatives to a border wall,” said Vasquez. “This is not just concerning—it’s disqualifying. The military doesn’t belong on our border.”

Again, this all goes to pattern, it all goes to how he was never qualified and still is not. How long is the press going to continue to pretend that this is even functional? Hegesth fails on every standard and needs to go. The coverage of him needs to reflect all his failures including his ignorance, his arrogance and his inability to meet basic deadlines such as being months behind in submitting a budget request due in Febuary -- a budget request still not submitted despite the fact that Congress held three hearings this week on this topic.

Okay, we have to get this up. I was trying to wait so anyone posting this morning -- community members -- could be noted. I can update that after the snapshot goes up. Senator Alex Padilla was attacked by Kristi Noam and her goons yesterday. It was outrageous and offensive. Heads should roll. It was a topic in the roundtable for the gina & krista round-robin -- the longest roundtable we've ever done. Most went to sleep after and were planning to blog this morning. A few have but let's get this up.

First, here's the statement from the senator's office:

Statement on Sen. Padilla’s Forcible Removal from DHS Press Conference in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, CA — Today, the Office of U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, released the following statement after Padilla was forcibly removed from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s press conference while performing Congressional oversight in Los Angeles:

“Senator Padilla is currently in Los Angeles exercising his duty to perform Congressional oversight of the federal government’s operations in Los Angeles and across California. He was in the federal building to receive a briefing with General Guillot and was listening to Secretary Noem’s press conference. He tried to ask the Secretary a question, and was forcibly removed by federal agents, forced to the ground and handcuffed. He is not currently detained, and we are working to get additional information.”

###

Next, here is speaking about it on MSNBC.

And reactions from other members of Congress.

This is a good time to again note that Saturday will see protests. Donald Chump's going to strap on the catheter and bask in his urine and fascist soaked Depends to have a military parade in his order and, yes, tanks will rumble in US streets. Counter-protests will take place to remind him that he is not a king. Or for that matter, not a functioning president. Khaleda Rahman (NEWSWEEK) reports that the protests will take place across the country but not in DC::

Here's a look at one event happening in each state. To see all the events taking place, visit the "No Kings" website.

Montgomery, Alabama: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Alabama Department of Archives and History, 624 Washington Ave.

Homer, Alaska: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at WKFL (Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith & Love) Park, 580 E Pioneer Ave

Phoenix, Arizona: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Arizona State Capitol, 1700 W Washington St, Wesley Bolin Plaza

Little Rock, Arkansas: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Broadway Bridge

San Diego, California: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Civic Center Plaza, 1200 Third Ave.

Boulder, Colorado: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the grassy area along Canyon between the Boulder Library and Municipal Building, 1777 Broadway

New Haven, Connecticut: 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at New Haven Green, Church St. and Chapel St.

Wilmington, Delaware: 9 a.m. to 10:20 a.m. at North Bancroft Parkway & Pennsylvania Avenue

Tallahassee, Florida: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Florida Historic Capitol, 400 S Monroe St

Atlanta, Georgia: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Liberty Plaza, Capitol Ave SW

Honolulu, Hawaii: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hawaii State Capitol, 415 S Beretania St.

Boise, Idaho: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Idaho State Capitol, 700 W Jefferson St.

Chicago, Illinois: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Daley Plaza, 50 W Washington St.

Indianapolis, Indiana: 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Indiana Statehouse, 200 W Washington St.

Davenport, Iowa: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at MLK Interpretive Center, 501 N Brady St.

Wichita, Kansas: 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at East Douglas Ave. and North Broadway St.

Louisville, Kentucky: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Metro City Hall, 527 W Jefferson St.

New Orleans, Louisiana: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 2400 Decatur St.

Portland, Maine: 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Lincoln Park, Pearl St.

Annapolis, Maryland: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Maryland State House, 100 State Cir

Brookline, Massachusetts: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Beacon St. and Harvard St.

Detroit, Michigan: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Clark Park, 1130 Clark Ave.

St. Cloud, Minnesota: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Courthouse Square

Jackson, Mississippi: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Southside, 400 High St.

St. Louis, Missouri: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Kiener Plaza Park, 500 Chestnut St.

Helena, Montana: 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Montana State Capitol, 1301 E 6th Ave.

Omaha, Nebraska: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 1 at Tom Hanafan River's Edge Park, 4200 Avenue B

Las Vegas, Nevada: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Federal Courthouse at 333 S Las Vegas Blvd

Concord, New Hampshire: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at New Hampshire State House, 107 N Main St.

Trenton, New Jersey: 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at State House Annex, 125 W. State St.

Albuquerque, New Mexico: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Mariposa Basin Park, 4900 Kachina St. NW

New York, New York: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Bryant Park, 5th Ave. and East 41st St.

Durham, North Carolina: 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at CCB Plaza, 201 Corcoran St.

Bismarck, North Dakota: 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Bismarck State Capitol grounds, North 6th St. and East Boulevard Ave.

Akron, Ohio: 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at John F. Seiberling Federal Building and United States Courthouse, 2 S Main St.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at City Hall Park, 109 N Hudson Ave.

Portland, Oregon: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Battleship Oregon Memorial in Tom McCall Waterfront Park, 221 SW Naito Pkwy and SW Pine St.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Love Park, Arch St. and North 16th St., marching to the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Providence, Rhode Island: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Rhode Island State House, 82 Smith St.

Charleston, South Carolina: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Hampton Park, 30 Mary Murray Dr.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 300 N Minnesota Ave.

Memphis, Tennessee: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at North East corner, Poplar Ave. and South Highland St.

Houston, Texas: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Houston City Hall, 901 Bagby St.

Salt Lake City, Utah: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Pioneer Park, 350 W Broadway

Montpelier, Vermont: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Vermont State House, 115 State St.

Charlottesville, Virginia: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at The Shops at Stonefield, 2025 Bond St.

Seattle, Washington: 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Cal Anderson Park, 1635 11th Ave.

Huntington, West Virginia: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Heritage Station, 210 11th St.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Cathedral Square Park, 520 East Wells

Cheyenne, Wyoming: 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 200 W 24th St.

-----------------------

Added four minutes after this posted. Wednesday, this went up at this site.

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

WATCH: 'I Know I'm A Woman': GOP Members Groan After Sánchez Accuses Be...

"That is not the title!" insisted an angry e-mailer. No, it isn't. The title was "WATCH: 'I Know I'm A Woman...': Audience Groans After Sánchez Accuses Bessent Of Interrupting Her." I have no idea why FORBES titled it that. I was present and she was not booed by audience members. She was booed by Republicans on the Committee. I do not knowingly put false things up here. I scan a great deal and might miss something. I rush and might miss something. And I certainly do not know everything and miss a lot as a result. But I was at that hearing this week -- and I know and like Linda and her sister Loretta -- so I wasn't going to post the FORBES video with a lie in the title. I was right, FORBES was wrong. Again, I was there. But if that's not good enough for you, you can refer to Tommy Christopher's MEDIAITE report on the incident.

----------------------

Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Kristi Noem Invited MAGA To Follow Her To Hell" went up last night. The following sites updated:

Friday, June 13, 2025

Top 10 albums and why I never got into KPop

Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Kristi Noem Invited MAGA To Follow Her To Hell" went up last night.

Music review weekend? I'm going to try to listen to Joe Jonas and if there's anything that speaks to me, I'll do a review. I will also be listening to Garbage's new album which I didn't realize came out already. Keith Caulfield (BILLBOARD) reports:

SEVENTEEN achieves its seventh No. 1 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart as the group's latest release, SEVENTEEN 5th Album ‘HAPPY BURSTDAY' debuts atop the list dated June 14. The set sold 46,000 copies in the United States in the week ending June 5, according to Luminate.

SEVENTEEN scored its first No. 1 on Top Album Sales in 2021. In turn, with seven No. 1s in the 2020s, the act ties TOMORROW X TOGETHER for the most No. 1s among groups, and the second-most among all acts in the 2020s. Only Taylor Swift, with nine No. 1s on Top Album Sales in the 2020s, has more this decade.

Also in the top 10, the region gets shaken up by albums from Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Sufjan Stevens, Garbage and Aesop Rock.

So Miley's new album is at number two (see "Kat's Korner: Miley Cyrus' SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL indeed") and Garbage's new album is at number eight. Reading the above, my big question was: Who's Seventeen?

K-Pop. Sorry. If you love them, have at it. In my area, it's only been the posers who were into them. Generally 50 y.o. obese women with thinning hair (usually red hair) who are single and haven't had boyfriends in many decades if they ever had one to begin with. I'm thinking of a woman I know named Donna specifically. But there are about 20 other women that fit the description.

Donna I know through the visual world. She paints under a pseudonym. She was an interesting painter back in the early 90s but everyone does her fairy type art now and she never really blossomed or grew as an artist. And the fey figures she paints look ever more immature. She really should pack it in but she's on disability (and probably a Chump supporter) so she doesn't have to work. (Disability? She's 359 pounds and 5 feet tall -- five feet exactly.) She blew a guy back in 2002. That's her only relationship. He was married. She knew it. She was convinced he loved her -- he loved that she paid $200 a week for one lesson a week of some martial arts. His studio -- what are they called, you know my memory -- do jo? -- something like that -- was something she was eventually paying the rent on. And as long as she covered that, he 'let' her blow him but he would not reciprocate.

And the minute she informed him that she couldn't keep paying the rent (and $200 a week), he dumped her. So if you want to call that a boyfriend, she had one for about six weeks. She's still a virgin (aside from her mouth) and she's still pathetic. We bump into each other at Ferry Plaza Farmers Market every now and then. She came up to me last time to tell me -- remember I'm a photographer for a living -- "Kat, you should take photos from way up above the head. It makes people look younger. The kids I'm friends with online think I'm in my 20s." How old is she? I had to think. She was born September 11, 1965. I could never remember the day -- and I've known her casually since the 90s -- until 9/11. But I could always remember the year. So she's going to turn sixty in September.

And she's online with kids and they think she's in her 20s.

That's the K-Pop fan in my mind. All the K-Pop fans I know are like her, at least 50, no real lives (many live with parents) and that's why I don't listen to K-Pop.

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

Thursday, June 12, 2025. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth appears before the Senate to reveal he can't even call out Hitler because Hegseth is just that racist and pathetic. protest gear up to send the message to b-day boy Donald Chump that he is not a king, and much more.

Tuesday, we attended a hearing that did not go well for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (see yesterday's snapshot). As hard as it might be for some to believe, Wednesday saw another hearing where Pete bombed.

He was as uninformed as he was on Tuesday when he appeared before the Senate Appropriations Committee and he still tried to run out the clock on even the most basic questions.

How basic? One example, yes or no, Senator Jack Reed wanted to know if Hegseth would authorize force to arrest American citizens in Los Angeles?

Secretary Pete Hegseth: Senator, every authorization we've provided the National Guard -- uh -- and the Marines in Los Angeles is under the authority of the President of the United States is lawful and Constitutional. They are assisting in defending law enforcement --

Senator Jack Reed: So the answer is yes.

Secretary Pete Hegseth: -- officers and law enforcement facilities

Senator Jack Reed: So the answer is yes.

Secretary Pete Hegseth: -- in the execution of their jobs

Senator Jack Reed: So the answer is yes.

Secretary Pete Hegseth: -- in the city of Los Angeles --

Senator Jack Reed: The answer is yes.

He repeatedly did that on Tuesday as well when appearing before the House Subcommittee. One thing learned then is that while he says the assault on Los Angeles had Constitutional authority, he couldn't cite where in the Constitution because he doesn't know the Constitution. That's why the idiot was Chump's choice. Chump wanted to invade US cities in his first term but people in that administration actually knew the Constitution and refused to go along with illegal activities. Pete Hegseth knows nothing, he's a stupid idiot too ignorant to grasp that his job requires him knowing the Constitution and not just citing what some unidentified attorney told someone in the administration and they then went on to tell him.

That is in fact, dereliction of duty. Everyone serving right now is at risk because Hegseth doesn't know what is legal and what is illegal and is too worried about keeping his job to find out.

Hegseth wasn't helped by the fact that Republican senators on the Committee felt they actually had to do their job. There was no one yesterday behaving like US House Rep Ken Calvert in Tuesday's hearing -- no one cuddling and protecting Hegseth, no one doing everything like Culvert to kiss the boos boos and to pull a large meaty breast out for Hegseth to suckle on.

The closest to that would have to be the closest case of the Senate Lindsey Graham who took a lie we already disputed on Tuesday (about military recruitment) and advanced it further by insisting military recruitment was up because men wanted to serve under Hegseth. Go to yesterday's snapshot, we're not going through it again except to note that recruitment began climbing in 2024 and that this fiscal year for recruitment started in November. Hegseth wasn't sworn in until the end of January.

While Lindsey may want to serve under Hegseth, at this point that's just Lindsey's hormonal driven desire. Don't confuse that with any statistics.

Lindsey got his hair cut for the hearing and it looked like he got a blow out too. Primped to look pretty for Pete. However, even Lindsey had to bring down the hammer in that ineffectual way of his when the topic switched to Ukraine. It was probably egged on by the fact that Hegseth struggled with answering whether or not Hitler had been underestimated and answering whether or not Hitler "wrote a book saying he wanted to kill all the Jews" -- struggled to the point that Lindsey went to General Dan Caine who was sitting beside Hegseth and who, for the record, was able to immediately answer the question (unlike Hegseth).

Hegseth couldn't call out Hitler (remember his tattoos and you shouldn't be surprised), he also couldn't call out January 6th insurrectionists.

Senator Chris Coons: Do you support that decision? Do you believe that was the right decision to deploy the National Guard to defend the Capitol on January 6th?

Secretary Pete Hegseth: All I know is it's the right decision to be deploying the National Guard in Los Angeles to be defending ICE agents who deserve to be defended in the execution of their jobs.

Senator Chris Coons: But I think it's important to know if you think it was also important to have the National Guard defending the United States Capitol when there were violent protesters here on the president's behalf to make sure that folks know that you care about protests whether it's against the president or on behalf of the president.

Senator, I was in the Washington DC National Guard when that happened and was initially ordered to go guard the inauguration of Joe Biden but because of the politicization of the Biden administration, my orders were revoked.

We're stopping there On the inauguration of President Joe Biden -- whom Hegseth never called "president" in this hearing or at Tuesday's hearing -- Will Carless (USA TODAY) reported back in November:

Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of defense says he was removed from his National Guard post at President Joseph Biden’s 2021 inauguration because superiors deemed his tattoos to be connected to extremism.

[. . .]

Peter Hegseth, who was named this week as incoming President Donald Trump’s choice for secretary of defense, said in an interview that he was removed from a National Guard deployment to Biden’s inauguration because superiors deemed his tattoos were “extremist.”

The revelation comes as the US military has been on a four-year mission to stamp out extremism in the ranks, an effort that USA TODAY has covered extensively.

Please note the question wasn't about the inauguration. January 6th was about the official ballot count and the insurrectionists were attempting to overthrow the vote of We The People. That was January 6th. January 20th is when Joe was inaugurated. As usual, Hegseth tries to run out the clock.

Senator Chris Murphy: But do you support the decision made on January 6th to send the National Guard here to defend the Capitol?

Secretary Hegseth: I support the decision that President Trump made and --

Senator Chris Murphy: You don't -- you do not support -- You do not support the decision to send the National Guard in to defend the Capitol. I think that speaks to the worry that many Americans have that there is a double standard, that you are not willing to deend against attacks made on our democracy by supporters of the president but you are willing to deploy the National Guard to protect against protesters who are criticizing the president.

Ukraine came up repeatedly. The bribe of the airplane from Qatar came up repeatedly. So did the destruction of bridges we'd built with allies over the years that were now just being tossed aside. Senator Chris Coons was one of the senators bringing up that issue and he also brought up this:

Mr. Secretary, I'm also concerned that far more of your time so far has been spent inside the building on culture wars, rather than outside the building deterring real ones. This administration began by firing a long list of qualified uniformed leaders without cause: The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Vice Chief of the Air Force, the head of the National Security Agency, the U.S. military representative to NATO, the director of the Defense Health Agency, the head of the Coast Guard, and all of the Service Judge Advocates General; continues to push out tens of thousands of civilians who should instead be repairing our ships, testing equipment, providing healthcare. It's rooting out fully qualified, combat proven service members solely because they are transgender to satisfy a petty animus, and it's censoring service academy libraries so that no future leader of our military can read Maya Angelou or Janet Jacobs’ book on the Holocaust, even Jackie Robinson's World War II service photo is not safe from culture warriors. In January of this year, any patriotic American who met the qualifications could serve our nation and the Marines at 29 Palms were training for the Indo-Pacific, not the streets of Los Angeles. We worried then about our enemies, rather than each other, and we should return to that model.

I mentioned the bribe that Chump wants to take from Qatar, the airplane. Let's note that when Senator Jack Reed tries to ask questions about that, Hegseth insisted that "any specifics about future aircraft that could be Air Force Once can't be discussed here." As Reed pointed out, the Appropriations Committee is exactly where the matter should be discussed. Senator Chris Murphy attempted to ask on this topic as well He got nowhere as well. Even when asking why the American taxpayers are supposed to spend "a billion dollars on a plane that would then only be used for a handful of months and then transferred directly to the president?"

Hegseth didn't want to answer those questions. So for those keeping track, Hegseth didn't want to answer about the bribe, he didn't want to answer about January 6th, he didn't want to answer about Hitler. These were all topics that Hegseth fears the general public and he disagree on.

On January 6th, we also need to note that he kept hiding behind the claim of not wanting to go back. Yet his hearing before the Senate yesterday and before the House two days ago is nothing but going back and attacking Biden and Tim Walz, and Bully Boy Bush and everyone. Grasp that he went back 25 years in one answer to the House to attack everyone that had been president during that time other than Chump.

He's just a filthy liar. The make up, by the way, was thicker yesterday than on Tuesday. It made it very hard to notice the herpes sore that was still above his lip on the right side, but if you looked, you could still see it.

We're short on time so let's note this from Senator Patty Murray's office on the questions she pursued in the hearing.

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s exchange with Secretary Hegseth***

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned Department of Defense (DOD) Secretary Pete Hegseth at a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on the president’s fiscal year 2026 budget request for DOD. Senator Murray pressed Secretary Hegseth on firing skilled Navy shipbuilders, firing qualified and experienced military leaders, Trump’s recent comments to use “heavy force” on peaceful protesters, and his leaked Signal Chat.

In opening comments, Vice Chair Murray said:

“Secretary Hegseth—you oversee one of the largest and most important organizations on planet earth. More than anything, the Department of Defense needs stable, competent, and strategic leadership. And much as I had feared back in January, that is not what we’ve seen under your leadership.

“In a matter of months, you have lost top aides and reportedly struggled to hire new ones. You have fired highly respected top military officials. You shared highly-sensitive attack plans over Signal—and apparently with people in your own personal circles. And you have not taken responsibility for these mistakes.

“All the while, the security challenges we face have grown larger—not smaller. And in the face of these challenges, you have taken a series of actions that weaken our posture.

“For example: in my home state of Washington, which is home to many DOD installations critical to our Indo-Pacific strategy, you have pushed out almost 2,000 highly trained civilian, including at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.

“Mr. Secretary, you talk about returning the Department to its mission of ‘warfighting.’ But I am repeatedly hearing that your policy and personnel changes at the Pentagon are only undermining–not strengthening–our military’s preparedness to protect our country.

“You are deploying the American military to police the American people. Sending the National Guard into California without the Governor’s request. Sending the Marines—not after foreign threats, but after American protesters.

“And now President Trump is promising ‘heavy force’ against peaceful protesters at his D.C. military parade. Those sorts of actions, and that sort of rhetoric from the President—should stop every one of us cold. Threatening to use our own troops—on our own citizens—at such scale is unprecedented, it is unconstitutional, and it is downright un-American.

“We should all be speaking out against this—and demanding accountability.

“Now Mr. Secretary, I have to say, for people who tout their commitment to transparency and efficiency, I have never seen an administration more hell-bent on hiding basic facts from the American people. Your Department has been unresponsive to Congressional inquiries and oversight requests. And all the while you are working to muzzle the free press, denying journalists’ access to the Pentagon.

“Now before I turn to my questions, let me also just note: it is now mid-June—and we only, just days ago, received some—but not all—important portions of your budget request.

“It should not have taken this long to get a request—and we still need to see the justifications, in order for this committee to do its work. We are missing those. Not having a full budget at this juncture is unacceptable.”

[CIVILIAN CUTS TO SHIPYARDS]

Senator Murray began her questioning by noting how the Trump administration’s staffing cuts and attacks on the civilian workforce are undermining key defense initiatives: “This administration has put the civilian workforce under attack from day one: encouraging resignations, firing probationary employees, instituting a hiring freeze, requiring OPM to approve any new hire one-by-one, and—new last week—requiring prospective employees to explain how they would, ‘help support the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities.’ We have spoken with military installations across our country. Almost all of them have been forced to fire skilled, civilian employees who are badly needed. And all of them also have hundreds—in some cases, thousands—of new hires ready to bring onboard but now have to have individually reviewed by OPM—apparently to ensure they ‘support the President’s priorities.’”

Senator Murray asked Secretary Hegseth, “Will you be firing more shipbuilders? Yes or no?”

Despite firing probationary employees at our shipyards, Secretary Hegseth falsely claimed no shipbuilders have been fired—and dodged Senator Murray’s question, instead arguing the Department is merely letting thousands go through its buyout program: “We haven’t fired shipbuilders. We’ve offered through a right-sizing of our civilian position, which everyone on this Committee would acknowledge the Defense Department has had a bloated bureaucracy for a long time. Have given a voluntary process by – which some people can choose to take a DRP [deferred resignation program].”

Senator Murray interjected to ask: “Mr. Secretary, do we need more or fewer shipbuilders?”

Secretary Hegseth dodged the question, instead claiming—after letting go more than 2000 civilian workers at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard alone—that: “We are investing historically in our shipbuilding industrial base and workforce and ships in this budget—more than anything the previous administration ever did.”

Senator Murray said, “Well you managed to fire highly skilled workers, including in my home state of Washington, for no reason, so let me just say: the Navy needs welders, not people who can recite the President’s Executive Orders.”

“If the Navy wants to hire a qualified candidate for the role—but that candidate happened to vote for or donate to Democrats—would they be hired?” Senator Murray asked, referred to the administration’s new, first-ever requirements that prospective employees explain how they would help support the President’s orders and policies.

Secretary Hegseth replied, “there’s never been a litmus test for hiring welders”—but did not respond to Senator Murray’s question about whether there would be a litmus test going forward—or how the new requirements will be effectuated.

Senator Murray responded: “That is what they are being asked. Mr. Secretary, I just have to say: we need to drop the politics in our military. We need to hire the best people—we do not need to force them out.”

###

The assault on immigrants continues in Chump Land. Maia Davies (BBC NEWS) notes:

Protests have spread across America following days of demonstrations in Los Angeles against immigration raids by the federal government.

Thousands of troops and hundreds of marines have been deployed to LA by US President Donald Trump to quell the demos, causing a row with state politicians.

Days of unrest were sparked after federal immigration officers arrested large groups of unauthorised immigrants in areas with large Latino populations.

Rallies have since taken place from coast to coast, with more planned over the coming days.

The article notes protests have taken place in Austin, Dallas, NYC, Atlanta, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Chicago and Washington, DC. You can also add Boston to that list.

No tanks have ever rumbled through these streets

and the drone of planes at night has never frightened me

I keep the hours and the company that I please

And we call for the three great stimulants

Of the exhausted ones

Artifice brutality and innocence

Artifice and innocence

Oh and deep in the night

Our appetites find us

Release us and bind us

Deep in the night

While madmen sit up building bombs

And making laws and bars

They'd like to slam free choice behind us

-- "The Three Great Stimulants," written by Joni Mitchell, first appears on her classic album DOG EAT DOG

This Saturday will see protests as well. Donald Chump's going to strap on the catheter and bask in his urine and fascist soaked Depends to have a military parade in his order and, yes, tanks will rumble in US streets. Counter-protests will take place to remind him that he is not a king. Or for that matter, not a functioning president. Khaleda Rahman (NEWSWEEK) reports that the protests will take place across the country but not in DC::