Top 10 Conservative Idiots #11-8: You Should Be Jabbing Edition

[Top 10 Idiots]

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #11-8: You Should Be Jabbing Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! What’s up Burbank? We’re back! That’s right for the last 12 months we’ve been holed up in the green room here doing our thing so we wanted to thank the good people here at Flappers by doing a send off show here with a real audience! Of course we still have lots of tomfoolery ahead in the season to come! Do we have time for the thing? Of course we do! So normally on this program we don’t grave dance when a prominent conservative dies. That’s not in our nature. But this guy considering that’s exactly what he did, well, sometimes exceptions have to be made, damn it! I’m not made of stone! I’m of course talking about this story out of Denver. This guy Bob Enyart, who was a right-wing Christian pastor who hosted a show, ironically called “Real Science Radio”, and one of the features on the show is what is gaining the most controversy. Of course Bob was also a known shit poster of pro-Trump and anti-vaccine memes on Facebook in addition to this program. But the feature is that he gleefully read the names of AIDS victims while blasting the Queen classic “Another One Bites The Dust”. Well, this week Pastor Bob unfortunately lost his battle with COVID. And you know what, while we’re all out of empathy, we feel that this is the only way to properly mourn (celebrate?) the life of Pastor Bob Enyart. Hit it!

Another one bites the dust! OK that’s enough of the intro this week, we have a lot of idiocy to get to but first - John Oliver is back in the studio and he takes a look at the batshit crazy, extremely unpopular Prime Minister of Belarus - Alexander Lukashenko!

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This week was September 11th. As such we commemorate the anniversary of that terrible tragedy by taking our annual look showing just how much progress we’ve made in the last 20 years, which is slim to nil, and so for that the top slot goes to… eh, conservatives (1). In the second slot this week is anti-vaxxers (2). Look people, get the damn vaccine. Don’t fall for scams, or cons, or bullshit “miracle cures”, just do it it! Even Biden is getting mad too! Taking the 3rd slot this week is the Right Wing (3). You know that calls for violence are getting more and more hostile and the FBI fears another Capitol Riot style attack on the government? Yeah. That is where we are at right now. In the number 4 slot this week is our old buddy Ron DeSantis (4). But not because of COVID, because of this insane new law that allows someone to legally drive a car into a protest. Yeah is it any wonder why staying home is the best option right now? In the #5 slot this week is a new Top 10 Investigates! This week we’re going to take a look at what’s going on at our ports right now – they’re stacked to the brim and traffic can’t move fast enough and things are going to get ugly. In the number 6 slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit”. Last week Texas passed one of the most insane anti-abortion laws in the entire country, but they have a challenger – the Church Of Satan! And we honestly might have to side with the devil on this one! In the #7 slot this week is a new Beating A Dead Horse (7). Look, we don’t need to tell you that UFC and boxing have always been a hotbed for far right political activity, guess maybe one too many blows to the head will do that to you! In the number 8 slot this week, is a new edition of Conspiracy Corner (8), and seriously you don’t know how far conservatives will go to not take the thing that they’re supposed to be taking. It’s getting absurd to say the least! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week is a new I Need A Drink (9) and this week marks the return of New York’s famous Met Gala, and of course all the weird and wacky fashions that go with it! Finally this week in our second round of Road To Recall (10), what’s up with the California recall? We will have the news of the winner (or loser) in this week’s election! Plus we have some live music for you from the only 100% authorized Frank Zappa tribute band out there, the Zappa Band! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]The 20th Anniversary Of 9/11
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This isn’t exactly a fun entry to start off this week, but every year we’ve been commemorating the anniversary of 9/11 by showing either how far we’ve come as a society, how backwards we’ve gone as a society, or what right wing politicians are doing to completely fuck up the matter. It's a somber occasion, don't get me wrong, but usually it’s the latter because they tend to bring it every single year. Especially since they merged the GOP with the Q / MAGA crowd. But that said, this year happens to be the 20th anniversary of that terrible day. Holy shit! It's been 20 years? I remember that day like it was yesterday. So let’s see where we are at. I’m going to start with the ceremonies. First off former presidents Clinton and Obama and current president Biden attended the New York City 9/11 memorial where Bruce Springsteen performed. Former president Bush attended the Flight 93 memorial in Pennsylvania. And then there was former president Shit For Brains. You know where he was? Don??t worry we’ll get to that more in Beating A Dead Horse. But here’s where he was!

What was supposed to be the return of Oscar De La Hoya has changed significantly after the Golden Boy tested positive for COVID-19. De La Hoya was removed from his scheduled Triller Fight Club boxing match in California with former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort.

In his place will be 58-year-old Evander Holyfield, who will have his first professional boxing match in 10 years when he takes on Belfort on Saturday in Hollywood, Fla.

That won't be the only change: Former President Donald Trump has been added to the broadcast team.

You read that right.

The former POTUS will provide "No Holds Barred" guest commentary with his son Donald Trump Jr., UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal and broadcaster Todd Grisham from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood. The commentary for the four-fight PPV card will be part of a third audio option, the "gamecast," which viewers can purchase for $49.99 via FITE.tv. The primary commentary team will be Grisham, Ray Flores and former boxing champion Shawn Porter.
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/boxing/news/donald-trump-evander-holyfield-vitor-belfort-fight/xhut0h1dkuap18az4qtnmik9x

So did I tell you that they’d manage to completely fuck it up? Because they did! But why did the families of the victims not want Biden to come to the memorial services this year? Well there’s a reason behind it, and it involves our old friends in Saudi Arabia. Because… yeah fuck the Saudis. So the reason why is that there’s increasing evidence that the Saudis were the real ones behind the 9/11 attacks and there was a plan to cover it up. Let’s pull a Scooby Doo here and find out who the real attackers were!

Nearly 1,800 Americans directly affected by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks are opposing President Joe Biden’s participation in any memorial events this year unless he upholds his pledge to declassify U.S. government evidence that they believe may show a link between Saudi Arabian leaders and the attacks.

The victims’ family members, first responders and survivors will release a statement Friday calling on Biden to skip 20th-anniversary events in New York and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon unless he releases the documents, which they believe implicate Saudi officials in supporting the acts of terrorism. The group says that as a candidate Biden pledged to be more transparent and release as much information as possible but that his administration has since then ignored their letters and requests.

“We cannot in good faith, and with veneration to those lost, sick, and injured, welcome the president to our hallowed grounds until he fulfills his commitment,” they wrote in a statement obtained by NBC News.

“Since the conclusion of the 9/11 Commission in 2004 much investigative evidence has been uncovered implicating Saudi government officials in supporting the attacks,” the statement says. “Through multiple administrations, the Department of Justice and the FBI have actively sought to keep this information secret and prevent the American people from learning the full truth about the 9/11 attacks.”

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/9-11-families-president-biden-don-t-come-our-memorial-n1276138

Yes and they would have got away with it too if not for those meddling liberals! They need a wannabe dictator to keep people in line! Of course that’s one of those days that will live in infamy where everyone remembers where they were that day. And that also said we’re not going to talk about Former Guy here a lot because we have an entire entry dedicated to him later on this edition. But what we will do instead is show you that video where he bragged about having the tallest building in New York!

A video of former President Donald Trump's unusual first reaction to the terrorist attacks from September 11, 2001, has gone viral on the tragedy's 20th anniversary.

As Trump made surprise trips to police and fire stations in New York City on Saturday, a resurfaced short clip of his call into the WWOR-TV station on the day of the terror attacks two decades ago drew significant attention on Twitter.

"It was an amazing phone call. 40 Wall Street actually was the second tallest building in downtown Manhattan and it was, actually before the World Trade Center, the tallest. And when they built the World Trade Center it became known as the second tallest and now it's the tallest," the future president told WWOR at the time.

The video has been watched more than 231,000 times since it was shared by former federal prosecutor Ron Filipkowski on the 20th anniversary of the tragedy Saturday morning. https://www.newsweek.com/video-trump-saying-he-now-had-tallest-manhattan-building-9-11-goes-viral-anniversary-1628184

Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! OK not going to talk about him anymore. Instead I will show you how a real leader leads. Because we are not going to let him bring his negative energy into our 9/11 memorial OK? Stop it! But here’s how Joe Biden is paying tribute to a national tragedy – with all of the class and dignity that you would expect. And there’s nothing funny about this so we are not even going to try. Just… think of the victims here.

From an urban memorial to a remote field to the heart of of the nation’s military might, President Joe Biden on Saturday paid tribute at three hallowed places of grief and remembrance to honor the lives lost two decades ago in the 9/11 terror attacks.

The solemn day of commemoration offered frequent reminders for Americans of a time when they united in the face of unimaginable tragedy. That fading spirit of 9/11 was invoked most forcefully by the president at the time of the attacks, George W. Bush, who said, “That is the America I know,” in stark contrast to the bitterly divided nation Biden now leads.

Biden left the speech-making to others, paying his respects at the trio of sites in New York, Pennsylvania and outside Washington where four hijacked planes crashed on Sept. 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people, shattering the nation’s sense of security and launching the country into two decades of warfare.

Biden wiped away a tear as he stood in silence at the site where the World Trade Center towers fell, and looked up at the haunting sound of a jet plane under clear blue skies reminiscent of that fateful day.
https://www.wymt.com/2021/09/11/biden-marks-911-anniversary-with-tribute-call-unity/

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[font size="8"]Anti-Vaxxers
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OK now back to comedy! We need some music for this one!

Hey anti-vaxxers, you know what you should be doing right now? You should be jabbing! You should be jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabing! Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! That’s about the best Bee Gees impression that I can do. What? I can’t sing! But that said, we can’t stress enough how important it is to get the vaccine. It is free, it is safe, it is reliable. You know what’s not reliable? Horse dewormer. Malaria drugs. Drinking iodine. Yes, that’s the latest bullshit cure (see this week’s Conspiracy Corner for more!). That said, Joe Biden may have unleased a Costco size can of worms last week because he poked the hornet’s nest known as anti-vaccine crusaders. But make no mistake – the propaganda war on vaccine mandates is about to get really scary. And those idiots who are crashing school board meetings and protesting at city halls? Well you ain’t seen nothing yet! Bwaaaaaaaaaaaa bwaaaaaaaaaaa you ain’t seen nothing yet! I know, I can’t sing. But anyway:

America’s vaccination campaign has made slow, steady progress since its summer lull—and is likely to accelerate as new public and private sector mandates take effect. At the same time, right-wing political and media figures, who have already held back the country’s pandemic response, are finding more moronic battles to fight in the COVID culture war. In recent weeks alone, MAGA conservatives have opted to take a horse dewormer over the safe vaccines; elected officials have likened Joe Biden to a violent dictator for instituting shot requirements a majority of Americans support; and Tucker Carlson has devoted time on his program to talk about what may or more likely may not have happened to Nicki Minaj’s cousin’s friend’s testicles after taking his jabs. As the ailing country struggles to get better, the anti-vax right seems even more determined to get worse.

Just how much worse could they get? Is it possible their attacks on common sense and the societal good get somehow more absurd? Will the rise of requirements give rise to a search for loopholes? Could their performative, but by now reflexive, opposition to COVID vaccine mandates extend to other vacci
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/09/the-rights-war-on-covid-vaccine-mandates-is-about-to-get-scary

Exactly! Oh shit! Just wait until the shit hits the fan here. So Biden opened a can of worms and it’s given fuel for the anti-vaxxers. And they are getting ruthless and merciless. They’re also not going away any time soon. But regardless of what they want or think this is the correct thing to do. Because if we don’t start telling these people to shut up, the virus will get worse again. And nobody wants that. But here’s where the rebellion is getting crazy.

Ohio legislative leaders put the brakes on a controversial anti-vaccination mandate bill just weeks ago. Now conservatives in the House are making moves to force a floor vote on the measure.

State Rep. Jennifer Gross, R-West Chester, is gathering lawmakers' signatures on a discharge petition to force an immediate floor vote on House Bill 248.

She needs 50 signatures but so far the petition is only signed by Gross and state Rep. Nino Vitale, R-Urbana.

It's the latest turn in pitched battle between health care and business interests that oppose the bill and those who oppose medical mandates and place a premium on individual rights.

Gross asked her fellow lawmakers to sign the petition after President Joe Biden announced last week that his administration will direct employers with 100 or more employees to require their workforce to get vaccinated or face weekly testing for COVID-19.
https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/09/14/biden-mandates-vaccines-ohio-lawmakers-house-bill-248-vote-discharge-petition/8331306002/

My reaction exactly! Now here’s where it gets weird and you knew it was going to. So while Joe Biden can mandate vaccines at the federal level that won’t stop state or local levels from finding ways around it whether it’s through religious exemptions or other BS means. But my favorite part of this whole thing is our old buddy Tucker Carlson. So rapper Nicki Minaj tweeted a bizarre side effect of the vaccines, which isn’t true, and Tucker read it on the air like it was some sort of anti-vaccine diatribe. Can we show that clip?

Link to tweet

That happened! And it’s one of those things that you can’t possibly make up!

It's not every day that Fox News host Tucker Carlson comes on the air to defend rapper Nicki Minaj and her tweets about swollen testicles.

But Monday was one of those days after Minaj fired off a series of tweets revealing she hasn't been vaccinated against COVID-19 and wouldn't be attending the Met Gala, slamming the event's vaccine requirement. She also tweeted a baseless claim that COVID-19 vaccines cause impotence, insisting this happened to her cousin's friend. "His testicles became swollen," she claimed. "His friend was weeks away from getting married, now the girl called off the wedding." According to the CDC, there's no evidence that "any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, can cause fertility problems in men or women." Minaj went on to urge followers not to be "bullied" into getting vaccinated.

On his show Monday, Carlson addressed Minaj's tweets, reading her post about her cousin's friend and about not being "bullied" before saying this "seems sensible." He also said that having an opinion on vaccine mandates "is still technically allowed in this country," and the Fox host promised to further report on the "big reaction" to Minaj's tweets on his Tuesday show. During this segment, the Fox News chyron read, "NICKI MINAJ: COUSIN'S TESTICLES BECAME SWOLLEN," although the tweet was actually about her cousin's friend. Carlson has argued against vaccine mandates and has refused to say whether he's been vaccinated himself.

Amid the backlash, Minaj criticized news coverage of her tweets and suggested she "didn't want to travel" to the Met Gala because of "my young child." She also went after MSNBC host Joy Reid, who blasted Minaj on the air for using her platform "to put people in the position of dying from a disease they don't have to die from." Minaj claimed Reid was spreading "a false narrative about a Black woman.".
https://theweek.com/fox-news/1004823/tucker-carlson-defends-nicki-minajs-sensible-vaccine-skeptical-tweet-about-her

I honestly have to admit that I didn’t have “swollen balls” on my anti-vaccine bingo card! Though if you want a good laugh go on Twitter and search the hashtag “#MyCousinTookTheVaccine”, there’s some pretty funny shit there! But that said, all fun and games aside, the shit is about to hit the fan. Someone really needs to do a South Park style “THIS IS WHAT ANTI-VAXXERS REALLY THINK!” type of video. This is nothing to joke about, and shit is about to get real!

Missouri lawmakers, business lobbyists and protesters on Wednesday railed against President Joe Biden’s planned vaccine mandate for large companies.

Business groups warned a panel of House legislators that Biden’s plan would be catastrophic to small companies as protesters held handmade signs and rallied in the Capitol rotunda.

Biden announced last week that the Labor Department is working to require businesses with 100 or more employees to order those workers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or show a negative test result at least weekly.

Biden announced the new mandate and several other steps last Thursday as part of a tougher effort by the administration to curb the surging delta variant of the coronavirus, which is responsible for sharp increase in U.S. infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

But the move sparked widespread outrage among Missouri’s Republican-led Legislature.
https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-legislature-67c285715e0bddf7067e5b16a81bb974

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[font size="8"]Capitol Rioters
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So the last few weeks we’ve been talking about the Capitol Riots on 1/6 and all the crazy things that have been happening since then. Now the question is – could it happen again? You know what let’s look at something that should have come to light during the second impeachment trial. There’s no mistake at least in my mind and everyone who follows this program knows that the Former Guy, by all means, should have been arrested for inciting violence against lawmakers and even his own party’s vice president. Seriously, has a former president in American history ever threatened to kill his own party’s vice president? I honestly don’t think so, though there’s so much I don’t know about American history at all. But that said, here’s what happened exactly.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told the top U.S. Army general that then-President Donald Trump was a “dictator” who “should have been arrested on the spot” after what she called his coup attempt to remain in the White House by inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, a new book reveals.

Pelosi also said during a phone call in January with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mike Milley that “the Republicans have blood on their hands” for enabling Trump’s delusions about his ability to retain the presidency, the book says.

“But it is a sad state of affairs for our country that we’ve been taken over by a dictator who used force against another branch of government,” Pelosi, a California Democrat, told Milley during the call several days after the riot, according to “Peril,” a new book by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa.

“And he’s still sitting there. He should have been arrested. He should have been arrested on the spot,” said Pelosi, who is second in line in the order of presidential succession.

“He had a coup d’etat against us so he can stay in office. There should be some way to remove him,” said the speaker, who at the time was trying to pursue the suspension of Trump’s power as president by getting then-Vice President Mike Pence and the Trump Cabinet to trigger the constitution’s 25th Amendment.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/14/trump-should-have-been-arrested-for-capitol-riot-pelosi-told-milley.html

Oh people stop your rabbling! But that happened! Trump was a dangerous man that day and he had his own private army consisting of militias and psychopaths looking to kill. But they were just innocent tourists that day depending on who you talk to! And you want to know something even more disturbing than that? Well even worse is that Melania Trump literally had no reaction to the fact that people were trying to burn down the Capitol!

If one thinks back to January 6, 2021, and the events surrounding the attack on the U.S. Capitol, the first thing that probably comes to mind is that the insurrection was started by the president of the United States in response to losing the election. After that, one also probably thinks about how that president, Donald Trump, did nothing to stop the rioters trying to burn down democracy in his name, and in fact released a video wherein he (1) declared that the failed coup that left several people dead was justified and (2) told the perpetrators, “You’re very special” and “we love you,” which precipitated his banishment from social media. Aside from how Trump reacted, though—i.e., like an insane wannabe despot—one might also remember the reaction of then first lady Melania Trump—or rather, the lack thereof.

As a reminder, for a whopping five days following the shocking events that unfolded at the Capitol, the country heard nary a peep from Melania “Be Best” Trump. When she did release a statement, it was less about condemning the violence and more about expressing how pissed off she was re: perceived attacks on her character. “I find it shameful that surrounding these tragic events there has been salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks, and false misleading accusations on me—from people who are looking to be relevant and have an agenda,” Melania, or someone in her office, wrote. “This time is solely about healing our country and its citizens. It should not be used for personal gain.”

While it was previously reported that as the insurrection unfolded, Melania declined to issue a plea for the violence to stop, one might have thought there was some sort of dialogue between the first lady and her staff in which she explained her refusal to say something. But apparently, not so much! Per Politico:
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/09/melania-trump-capitol-attack-stephanie-grisham

Yes, that is some pretty damning allegations against the former president and first lady! Now getting back to the topic at hand – could another Capitol Attack happen again? Well last week we reported on the fact that some of them are being labeled “political prisoners”. Oh fuck off! Nelson Mandela was a political prisoner. Martin Luther King, Jr was a political prisoner. You’re just a bunch of nobodies who trashed the Capitol trying to install a wannabe dictator, and failed. But the FBI is very concerned that could happen again.

An email warning of violence from rallies like the one that led to the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riots originated from an FBI facility in Huntsville, new reports show.

An FBI intelligence analyst at the Hazardous Devices School at Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal sent the email warning on Nov. 9, 2020, just after the presidential election was called for Democrat Joe Biden over incumbent president Donald Trump, Politico reported. The message, circulated through the FBI and some of its state and local partners, warned that “chatter from the far-right indicates the belief the election was stolen from President Trump,” adding recipients should “keep your head on a swivel.”

“On a popular militia forum, users called to execute Biden, Democrats, tech company employees, journalists, and other ‘rats’,” the FBI analyst said in the email. “QAnon and Neo-Nazi groups are using the election results to issue additional calls for action aligned with their specific ideologies.

“Nationwide rallies: Waves of ‘#StopTheSteal’ and similar hash-tag events are being organized across the country as various voter fraud theories gain momentum among Trump supporters. As these materialize, counter-protests and violence will likely ensue.”
https://www.al.com/news/2021/09/email-warning-of-violence-ahead-of-jan-6-capitol-riot-came-from-huntsville-fbi-facility-report.html

But there is good news – their numbers are dwindling. And they are declining very rapidly as we have seen in the California recall election. By the way if you want to see how the MAGA movement is going at the moment, let’s take a look at what happened in Kentucky last week. Our old buddy Mike Lindell, along with traitor Michael Flynn and batshit crazy alt right pastor Greg Locke (who we might have to profile in a future “This Fucking Guy”), and they expected thousands. They got hundreds. Where’s Nelson when you need him?

Some of the biggest names pushing pro-Trump conspiracy theories were unable to draw much of a crowd at a "We the People Reunion" rally in Kentucky.

"The event is hosting speakers such as the CEO of MyPillow, Mike Lindell, former national security advisor Michael Flynn and Pastor Greg Locke, who has in the past admitted to being at the Capitol during the January 6 Capitol riot," WFIE 14 News reported.

The station reported on attendance at the event.

"Promoters said they expected crowds of around 10,000 people. Fewer than 300 were at the event when 14 News arrived," the network reported.
https://www.salon.com/2021/09/12/mike-lindell-pro-trump-conspiracy-theorists-fail-to-draw-crowd-at-kentucky-rally_partner/

Thanks Nelson!


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[font size="8"]Florida
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Florida. The Sunshine State. America’s Wang. Yes, Florida gets a bad rap and a bad reputation and that’s rightfully true. Because Florida has some of the most batshit crazy people to inhabit the earth. Literally every other week we bring you something crazy that Florida Man is up to. But this week, the really crazy Florida Man is none other than Florida Governor himself, Ron DeSantis. He’s really trying to vie for the top of the MAGA food chain isn’t he? And if you check out r/HermanCainAwards, that food chain seems to be getting smaller and smaller every day. But that’s not what we’re talking about this week. Instead we’re going to talk about something that might have slipped through the cracks. So while everyone is focused on Texas, Florida is passing some laws that might be controversial to protestors.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Florida’s “anti-riot” bill into law on Monday, a measure that vastly increases law enforcement’s powers to crack down on civil unrest.

The bill, pushed by the Republican governor, has been criticized by Democrats and civil rights groups as unconstitutional for infringing on the First Amendment’s right to peacefully protest.

“If you look at the breadth of this particular piece of legislation, it is the strongest anti-rioting, pro-law enforcement piece of legislation in the country,” DeSantis said at a press conference in Winter Haven surrounded by Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, uniformed deputies and other law enforcement. “There’s just nothing even close.”

DeSantis also hinted that Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, who he said last year had murdered George Floyd, might be acquitted and that the state was “prepared.”
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/politics/os-ne-desantis-signs-anti-riot-bill-20210419-iltp27x5mzcbheeqvyhclhz2xq-story.html

Ah yes Ron, but as we’ve seen time and time again it’s your side that’s doing the rioting, not ours! So this law targets the protestors and anyone doing the organizing of protests in Florida. But they can’t stop any protests from turning violent. And if you want to see where that gets you look at Oregon and the weekly bouts between the Proud Boys and Antifa in downtown Portland. You really want those guys in charge of taking down protests? I know I don’t! Also knowing Florida, there might be international incidents involved if things go awry!

Dozens of people supporting the growing anti-government protests in Cuba clogged one of Miami’s busiest highways all afternoon and well into rush hour Tuesday, a show of solidarity that could put them in violation of a new law championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The new law, known as the “anti-riot” law, is clear: A person shall be cited for a pedestrian violation if they “willfully obstruct the free, convenient, and normal use of a public street, highway or road.” For instance, if a person stands or remains on a street, highway or roadway, they would be in violation of a section in state laws that would subject them to a $15 traffic citation.

But so far, none of the protesters who began marching on Coral Way and 87th Avenue around 11:30 a.m. and later blocked the Palmetto Expressway, between 1:30 p.m. and at least 5:30 p.m., have faced pedestrian violations, authorities say.

The mandate for a pedestrian citation, however, is part of a broader measure that DeSantis signed into law in April that is largely focused on enhancing criminal penalties for crimes committed during protests that turn violent or “disorderly.” The measure was one of DeSantis’ top legislative priorities and it was approved by the Republican-led Legislature nearly a year after protests broke out across the state and nation following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2021/07/13/can-florida-protesters-supporting-cuba-face-penalties-under-anti-riot-law/

Yeah riots don’t usually work that way, but we presume that’s what Ron DeSantis thinks that’s how riots are caused! So that’s the law in question. But this week we might get a reprieve from tyrannical governors like DeSantis. So if you protest police brutality in Florida, you can be brought down by the very police you are opposing. At least that’s not happening right now thanks to a judge in Florida blocking this utter bullshit bill.

A federal judge delivered a major blow to Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday when he temporarily blocked some authorities from enforcing a key part of the Florida’s controversial “anti-riot” bill.

The measure, HB1, was a centerpiece of DeSantis’ legislative agenda as well as his reelection bid but had been heavily criticized as a way for police to crack down on racial justice and anti-police brutality demonstrations.

The new law is being challenged in the U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida by a handful of left-leaning organizations, including the NAACP and Dream Defenders, who argue it chills their free speech and right to protest. The legislation is wide-ranging and includes increasing penalties for already illegal acts like battery committed during a “riot,” creating new felonies related to violent protests and allowing those arrested while rioting to be held without bond.

The groups specifically asked U.S. District Judge Mark Walker to temporarily block the new law’s definition of “riot” while the underlying legal challenge plays out.

In a 90-page ruling issued Thursday, Walker did just that. He said that someone of “ordinary intelligence” would be unable to clearly tell if they broke the law when attending a protest that turned violent.
https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2021/09/09/federal-judge-temporarily-blocks-controversial-desantis-backed-antiriot-measure-1390900

Now that’s what a violent protest looks like! Now it’s time to find out who’s responsible for this nonsense getting passed. And that’s Ron DeSantis and a couple of ultra-far right wing sheriffs and now they’re facing serious trouble. But even DeSantis himself acknowledges that the protests last year were mostly peaceful. And I’m not even sure that he knows what the definition of “riot” really is. But let’s keep beating that dead horse, and I hope we don’t see anything on the magnitude of what happened last year, but that can be impossible to predict.

The governor acknowledged that many of last summer’s protests in Florida were peaceful, but that the impetus for the measure was unrest in other parts of the country.

The Republican-dominated Legislature responded with a measure that was wide-ranging. Among many things, it enhanced criminal penalties for crimes committed during protests that turn violent or a “riot.”

Under the law, a person commits a riot if “he or she willfully participates in a violent disturbance involving an assembly of three or more persons, acting with a common intent to assist in violent and disorderly conduct” that results in an injury, damage of property or “imminent danger of injury.”

Walker said the Legislature is allowed to enact policies that enhance crimes and tougher penalties for offenses such as rioting. But, he said, “it must do so within the bounds of the Constitution.”
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article254116373.html

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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Shipping Container SNAFU
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Hey everyone! It’s time to investigate beyond the headlines! This is Top 10 Investigates!

As the gears of society begin turning after being shut down for more than 18 months, one of the biggest hit industries by the pandemic is one that most people pay very little attention to. That is the shipping industry. Now that international trade is starting to ramp back up again, America’s ports are in very dire straits. And with the shipping industry being the lifeblood of many other industries, including ones we rely on every day, expect things to be FUBAR for at least the next year. But in fact more people should be paying attention to the import / export industry. So just how bad are things right now? Well shipping delays could be felt well into next year. And we still have 4 months to go in the year 2021. So be patient while things start getting more and more back to normal after a raging pandemic. Strap in because we’re in a really rocky ride until this gets sorted out.

The US' supply chain woes aren't going away any time soon.

Shipping ports are already congested ahead of a busy holiday season thanks to a record-level of imports, according to the Wall Street Journal's Paul Berger. In the United States, ports were expected to handle 2.37 million imported containers in August, per the Global Port Tracker report produced by Hackett Associates for the National Retail Federation,the highest monthly volume since the NRF began keeping data in 2002.

The NRF is also projecting that 25.9 million containers will enter the U.S. in 2021, which would break 2020's record-setting 22 million boxes.

The import influx means that hundreds of thousands of containers are stuck stacked on ships or in terminals waiting to be moved inland, according to the Journal. When the containers finally do move, they're subject to additional congestion at warehouses, distribution centers, and freight rail yards, many of which are at full capacity.
https://www.businessinsider.com/shipping-delays-are-expected-to-last-well-into-2022-2021-9

25.9 million shipping containers is what one might call a “spicy meatball”. And it’s most likely going to get worse before it gets better. The shipping SNAFU has affected everything from cars to consumer electronics to video game consoles. And expect that it’s going to last through the winter which will translate into a really rocky Christmas. And that means you or your kids probably won’t get the toys that you really want this year.

You may not find everything you want for Christmas this year, or at least you’ll wait a bit longer to get some things, as shipping delays continue up and down the West Coast.

The delays are due to ongoing backups to unload cargo ships at West Coast ports, including the Northwest Seaport Alliance, which operates the cargo portions of the ports of Seattle and Tacoma.

Ships that arrive in the inland waters of Puget Sound are finding themselves anchored from seven to 10 days before they can tie up and offload, and that’s on top of delays they may have already experienced at a previous stop, such as the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

“Then once they’re unloaded, there is some delay in getting onto rail cars or onto trucks, simply because every part of our system is being challenged with this large import demand that we’re seeing,” said Melanie Stambaugh with the Northwest Seaport Alliance.

The situation has been building about a year, in part because of increased demand on imports due to the coronavirus pandemic.
https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/shipping-delays-caused-by-full-cargo-ships-waiting-to-unload-along-west-coast/281-28fc2b7b-f25d-49c9-a5c8-5dfe2690646a

But there is good news on this front is that one of the largest ports in China is back to full operation after being mostly closed for the better part of last year. So we can start seeing more shipments of electronics including computer parts, car parts, and everything else you might need. But everyone needs to be patient as things start turning again. And while there has been mostly bad news in the past few months, this is actually some good news happening!

One coronavirus case was all it took to shut down a critical part of the world's third busiest container port.

Now, the Meishan terminal at the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in eastern China is back up and running, according to the state-owned company that manages the port. Operations resumed at midnight, ending a two-week long suspension, Jiang Yipeng, deputy general manager of the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port Group, said at a press conference on Wednesday.

The terminal in Ningbo, which is south of Shanghai, had been shut since August 11 after a dock worker tested positive for Covid-19. That led officials to swiftly suspend container pickup service, citing a "system disruption."

Peter Sand, chief shipping analyst at shipowner association BIMCO in Denmark, said that it could take up to 60 days for operations at the port to return to normal as workers and maritime pilots return from quarantine. That means retailers around the world will face continued disruption as they race to stock up ahead of the vital holiday shopping season.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/25/business/ningbo-port-meishan-covid-china-intl-hnk/index.html

But it’s not all good news – there is still some bad. We fooled you there for a second, didn’t we? So like we said, have some patience because this thing is going to get worse before it gets better. While everyone will almost certainly have a much better holiday season in 2021 than they did in 2020, don’t expect it to be shiny new cars and kids toys and all the other stuff you see on the holiday related commercials at this time of year.

The vast network of ports, container vessels and trucking companies that moves goods around the world is badly tangled, and the cost of shipping is skyrocketing. That's troubling news for retailers and holiday shoppers.
More than 18 months into the pandemic, the disruption to global supply chains is getting worse, spurring shortages of consumer products and making it more expensive for companies to ship goods where they're needed.
Unresolved snags, and the emergence of new problems including the Delta variant, mean shoppers are likely to face higher prices and fewer choices this holiday season. Companies such as Adidas (ADDDF), Crocs (CROX) and Hasbro (HAS) are already warning of disruptions as they prepare for the crucial year-end period.

"The pressures on global supply chains have not eased, and we do not expect them to any time soon," said Bob Biesterfeld, the CEO of C.H. Robinson, one of the world's largest logistics firms.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/23/business/global-supply-chains-christmas-shipping/index.html

That’s it this week for Top 10 Investigates. Good day!

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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! It’s time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and it’s time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:



My fair congregation! You know we here usually don’t take sides in the ongoing holy wars, we usually sit back and make fun of the situation at hand. Whose side are we taking this week? Well we are taking the side of the devil! So why are taking the side of the Dark LAWRD SAYTAN this week? Well the answer lies in that state of Texas – the Lone Star State. There, a servant of the Unholy Dark One – the man so disgusting that his name dare not be spoken in my church – but he’s not the subject of today. Instead it’s one of his minions – Gov. Greg Abbott, who passed one of the most restrictive and batshit insane abortion laws in the entire country last week. So with that happening, there’s actually a challenger now and it’s the Church Of Satan!

One religion is joining the opposition to Texas’ new abortion measure, claiming its members qualify for an exemption to the law as a faith-based organization.

The Satanic Temple, headquartered in Salem, Massachusetts, is intending to flex its own freedom of religion rights by challenging the bill and requesting its members have access to abortion pills.

Members of the faith in Utah are gearing up to defend the church’s stance on abortion with a rally planned for Sept. 25 at the Utah State Capitol building, KTLA’s sister station, KTVX, in Salt Lake City reported.

While the temple’s imagery may be shocking to some, Satanists in Utah say they’re not evil.

“In my personal experience, people that have identified as Satanists are the nicest people that I’ve ever met and the most giving people that I’ve ever met in my entire life,” The Satanic Temple’s Utah congregation leader Cody Jones said. “Like any positive word you can possibly think of, I can use it to describe Satanists that I’ve met.”
https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/members-of-satanic-temple-explain-beliefs-plans-to-challenge-texas-abortion-law/

Oh are you now? It’s one thing to join a religion, but I’ve never actually been able to pinpoint what makes someone join the dark religion and worship the devil. But we’re in a holy war all right, a true war if you will, of good versus EEVIL! The light vs the dark. And to see SAYTAN on the light side is certainly something that we didn’t see coming. But then again we also didn’t think that Texas would go against JAYSUS with this insane new law, either!

The state of Texas, with approval from the U.S. Supreme Court, instituted the most draconian set of anti-abortion laws in the last 50 years this Tuesday. While pro-choice advocates scramble to save what’s left of Roe v. Wade, their salvation may come from an unexpected place: the Satanic Temple.

The nontheistic religious group, based out of Salem, Massachusetts, has filed a letter with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration arguing that their members should be allowed to access abortion pills without regulatory action. The temple is attempting to use its status as a religious organization to claim its right to abortion as a faith-based right.

The group argues that they should have access to the abortion pills Misoprostol and Mifepristone for religious use through the The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) which was created to allow Native Americans access to peyote for religious rituals. Under these rules, the Temple is arguing that they should be granted those same rights to use abortifacients for their own religious purposes.

“I am sure Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton—who famously spends a good deal of his time composing press releases about Religious Liberty issues in other states—will be proud to see that Texas’s robust Religious Liberty laws, which he so vociferously champions, will prevent future Abortion Rituals from being interrupted by superfluous government restrictions meant only to shame and harass those seeking an abortion," wrote Satanic Temple spokesperson, Lucien Greaves in a statement.
https://fortune.com/2021/09/03/why-satanists-may-be-the-last-hope-to-take-down-texass-abortion-bill/

But you do know that this is a ritual for the Church of SAYTAN right? For SAYTAN is not JAYSUS, in fact he is the opposite! JAYSUS is the light of the world, and SAYTAN is darkness. But in fact the Church Of SAYTAN is advertising. No, devil worshipping is never going to become mainstream, outside of maybe death metal shows. Despite that this is a trying time, politics does make for strange bedfellows, and in the side of good vs evil, the Church Of SAYTAN is one of the strangest bedfellows to have!

Sydney Goodwin, a spokesperson for the Satanic Temple, tells New Times the group launched the ad campaign in August. The idea of the "ritual" was crafted by a Satanist who had gone through an abortion and thought it would be a helpful device for others making the decision to terminate a pregnancy.

"The goal is to provide feelings of comfort in a trying time," says Goodwin.

The Satanic Temple believes in seven fundamental tenets that govern how members should act and what they believe. Tenet Three says that a person's body is subject only to their own will, and Tenet Six states that a Satanist's beliefs should conform to their best scientific understanding of the world. The abortion ritual involves reciting those two tenets and a personal affirmation of one's self as a Satanist.

Goodwin says that by performing the ritual, Satanists can proclaim their right to have a medically safe abortion without restriction under the federal Religious Freedoms Restoration Act, which prohibits any government agency from infringing on someone practicing their religion. That means that in states such as Florida, a Satanist can claim religious privilege and be exempt from those requirements, according to the Satanic Temple.
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/satanic-temple-abortion-ritual-advertised-on-miami-billboard-11779916

But while people might think this is a gimmick, and it most certainly is one, the Church Of SAYTAN and the Satanic Temple are not one to rest on their laurels. If there’s one thing that could potentially save this country from the iron grip of the Christian right, it most certainly could be the Dark Lord himself, and that would certainly make things interesting. I know I did not have this on my anti-abortion bingo card, that’s for sure!

SALEM, Mass., Sept. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lawyers for The Satanic Temple (TST) sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to request that TST be able to access abortifacients without being subjected to the agency's regulations. Access to Misoprostol requires a prescription, and Mifepristone can only be obtained through an approved prescriber and can only be dispensed in accordance with specific guidelines.

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) was instigated and enacted to assure Native Americans could have unfettered access to peyote for their religious rituals. Consistent with this purpose, The Satanic Temple wants unfettered access to abortifacients for its religious use. Given that peyote is a Schedule I drug with no accepted medical use, TST's request for access to prescription drugs is an even more reasonable ask that should be granted under Federal law.

TST places certain voluntary abortions in a religious context with its religious abortion ritual. During the procedure, adherents affirm their religious beliefs of bodily autonomy and scientifically-reasoned personal choice. In their letter to the FDA, TST's legal counsel states, "TST has every desire to ensure the health and safety of its membership… the issue is with governmental control over whether TST's membership can obtain access to these drugs." TST's ritual requires a medical examination to determine whether there are "contraindications" to obtaining an abortion as defined by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists or the American Academy of Family Physicians.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/satanic-temple-demands-fda-grant-140100466.html

So the lines have been drawn, my fair congregation! The line vs good and evil may have been flipped, and dark represents light, and light represents dark. That’s just the weird backwards word in which we live now. Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:




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[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse
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The UFC and the sport of boxing, as we’ve covered on this program time and time again, is a hotbed of far right and ultra-far right political activity. There’s really no middle ground here. I guess one too many blows to the head will do that to you. Which is why we’re not surprised that the former president is now a color commentator for boxing. I can only imagine the kind of shit he’s going to say during his every day fights. “Oh that was a right cross and the election was stole, Joe Biden is not the real president. OH! That was a total knockout… don’t forget that there was voter fraud!”. OK enough of that. I will admit I do not know much about boxing. But you know what? We don’t need that guy’s commentary or his fans cheering him at boxing matches, OK?

On September 11, 2001, Donald Trump honored the then-unknown number of dead in lower Manhattan by pointing out that the collapse of the World Trade Center meant that he now owned the tallest building downtown. To commemorate the event’s 20th anniversary, he visited a fire station and police precinct in New York City before flying back to Florida to guest-host a novelty pay-per-view boxing match with his son.

The former president, a promoter at heart, mostly stuck to vague bromides that couldn’t get him in trouble as he provided color commentary during four underwhelming bouts at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. “I think tonight’s card is going to be very successful,” he said, when asked about his expectations for the evening. “He is like a totally different fighter,” he said, seconds after a co-host made the exact same observation. “I like to do that,” he said, when asked if he liked to eat lobster. Perhaps the most shocking aspect of the night is that Trump hung on for the whole undercard without getting visibly bored.

Though he largely behaved himself, a few non-boxing jabs inevitably came through. When asked at the beginning of the broadcast about 9/11, Trump said that the anniversary was made even worse because of a “very bad week” from President Joe Biden. He praised the state of Florida for the way they “ran the election clean.” Describing the way that referees decide boxing matches, he said, “It’s like elections: It could be rigged.” Donald Trump Jr., during a particularly boring moment in the first bout, said that “right now, the audience likes politics better.”
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/09/trumps-9-11-boxing-match-was-a-vision-from-another-reality.html

Of course he’s not going to say anything that’s going to get him in trouble. He’s the only former president not at a 9/11 memorial on 9/11, he’s already in enough trouble! It must be nice to live in an alternate reality when there’s no COVID or no 9/11 isn’t there? Now here’s where it gets weird because you knew it was going to. One of the fellow commentators was Donald Trump Jr, gee I wonder how they got him? But anyway he gave this little clue about what his father might talk about:

In an apparent effort to boost television ratings, Donald Trump Jr. has said that his father, former President Donald Trump, could reveal intelligence about aliens and Area 51 during the Holyfield vs. Belfort boxing fight in Florida on Saturday night.

The former president and his eldest son are scheduled to provide commentary from ringside for the boxing match between former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, 58, and former UFC champion Vitor Belfort, 44, on the night of the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

And now, Trump Jr. has vowed that he'll press his father to disclose information about aliens and Area 51 during the match.

"We're gonna ask a lot of awesome questions, I'm definitely asking about aliens because I think now, maybe we get a solid answer on what exactly is going on in Area 51 and everywhere else, you're gonna want to listen, you're gonna want to tune in," Trump Jr. said in a promotional video shared to Twitter.
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-jr-says-father-could-reveal-intel-about-aliens-area-51-during-boxing-fight-1628206

Of course! It’s never the aliens! But that’s what they want you to think! Or is it? But not only is this whole incident weird to begin with, it gets weirder, my friends! Oh yes! Don’t think for a minute anything involving Trump isn’t fucking weird. And don’t think for a minute that he won’t scream voter fraud or peddle his other bullshit. Because that’s exactly what you get at a Trump event – the insane ramblings of an incoherent, crazy individual.

Donald Trump reportedly used his 9/11 boxing commentary gig to push familiar lies about having lost the “rigged” 2020 election, as he watched Vitor Belfort stop Evander Holyfield in the first round of Saturday night’s headliner.

The former president returned to the public scene to call a bizarre match-up that ended abruptly following a flurry of blows from Mr Belfort, a mixed martial artist.

Mr Trump’s decision to spend the 20th anniversary of 9/11 commentating on a boxing match had attracted criticism, the move contrasting with other former presidents’ solemn attendance at memorial events.

The Republican was asked about the anniversary and took the opportunity to throw a few jabs at his successor, Joe Biden. According to USA Today, he said the Democrat had presided over “a very bad week because of some very bad decisions that were made”.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-boxing-911-rigged-election-b1918586.html

Come on that was barely a tap! But this might be my favorite part of the whole exercise – Trump says that he wants to box Biden. Are you kidding me? Have you seen the kind of shape that Trump is currently in? He’s fat, can barely stand or walk up a ramp, wears diapers, and most likely has fried lungs from when he got COVID last year. So come on, go ahead Trump, challenge Biden. You’ll lose again and again. And again.

Former President Donald Trump said that he would like meet President Joe Biden in the boxing ring, suggesting it would be an easy fight.

Trump, 75, lost the 2020 presidential election to Biden, 78, in November 2020, but has continued to falsely claim that the election results were fraudulent. The former Republican president—and potential 2024 GOP contender—was asked who he'd like to go head-to-head with in the ring during a Thursday press event for 58-year-old Evander Holyfield's boxing match against 44-year-old Vitor Belfort.

"Well, if I had to pick somebody in the world—not only a professional boxer, because I'll take a pass on professional boxers. That would be a very dangerous subject. But if I had to box somebody? I think probably my easiest fight would be Joe Biden," Trump responded when asked who he'd choose to face in the ring.

"Because I think he would go down very, very quickly," the former president continued, as the crowd at the promotional event laughed and clapped. "Very, very quickly."
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-wants-box-biden-says-president-would-go-down-within-first-few-seconds-1627636

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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Welcome back to our segment that attempts to explain the unexplainable – Conspiracy Corner! We of course are coming to you live from our underground doomsday shelter deep in the New Mexico badlands – undisclosed location of course! Just let me adjust my tin foil hat for maximum government interference… ah there we go! And you know what folks? I feel like I keep reporting on the same topic every week, but that’s only because *THEY* keep reporting on the same topic every week. And that topic happens to be a hot one – the COVID vaccine. But you won’t believe how far conservatives will go to take everything but the one thing that actually works. They’ve taken everything from horse deworming medication to a malaria drug. But before I get into one of the crazier solutions this week, I want you to meet one of their leaders. You know how you feel like everyone around you is in a member of some weird cult? Well this could be one of the reasons why.

“Today’s sermon is going to be on Unitopian Anarchy and Autonomy,” Unicole Unicron says in the opening of a sermon on YouTube. Clad in an ethereal white veil, against a background of dizzying black-and-white swirls, the leader of the self-described cult Unicult proceeds to spends the next 51 minutes detailing thoughts on the Covid-19 vaccine and why the cult’s leader is not encouraging followers to get the vaccine. “Only you have autonomy over your own body,” says Unicron, who uses xe/xim pronouns. “Do what is right for you. Perform no medical rituals that are against your own strong intuitive knowledge of your personal health.” Unicron then explains why xe believes contracting the virus would not get xim sick, saying, “I have ascended to the point where I am confident that my own experience of my own internal state and my own vibration of harmony is enough to protect me.”

In the sermon, Unicron also promoted the erroneous belief that the Covid-19 vaccine does not reduce the risk of getting or transmitting Covid. “I have done every single thing I can do within my own personal reality to protect myself from my point of view and there are people doing the same with the vaccines, and yet they’re still getting Covid,” xe said in the sermon. “So can we blame them for endangering society?”

Unicole Unicron is the leader of Unicult, an online cult that describes itself as “a collaborative effort for anyone who wants to work towards the goal of creating a bright and hopeful future.” Unicron, who lives in Los Angeles-based and works full-time as a UX writer, decided to start the cult after surviving a suicide attempt, as a way to find purpose and “stay alive.” Xe claims to be a magical being who is in contact with extraterrestrial beings who use xir as a vessel to promote their ideas. Basic admission to the cult, which mostly involves access to its Discord server, costs $11, while becoming a devoted member or a magician (essentially, a Unicult clergy member) costs $22 and $33, respectively.
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/covid-vaccine-tiktok-cult-leader-unicult-1221294/

Wait, you have to pay dues? What kind of brainwashing cult is this? Most cults seize your assets and everything you own and force you to go live in a compound somewhere. At least that’s every crime novel I’ve ever seen! But there’s plenty of fake news out there when it comes to vaccines, people, so much that even the WHO is now calling fake news one of the biggest problems out there in relation to the pandemic. But even the higher ups in the GOP are going full anti-vax now. Why? Because “owning the libs” is their way of life!

Republicans’ sweeping denunciations of President Biden’s plan to force more people to get vaccinated against the coronavirus are raising concerns among public health experts that this heated criticism could help fuel a broader rejection of other vaccine requirements, including those put in place by schools and the military, as the issue of inoculations becomes increasingly political.

Over the weekend, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) declared on Twitter that there should be “NO VACCINE MANDATES.”

More than a dozen other prominent Republicans in Congress and in the states have made similarly defiant statements in recent days, often using inflammatory rhetoric. In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster pledged to fight Biden and Democrats “to the gates of hell” on coronavirus vaccine mandates, while Rep. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.) condemned Biden’s recent mandate as “authoritarian” and the work of “a power hungry government.”

Rep. Jim Banks (Ind.) declared in a tweet Sunday evening that “vaccine mandates are unAmerican!”

-more-

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/gop-condemnation-of-biden-coronavirus-mandate-fuels-concern-other-vaccine-requirements-could-be-targeted/ar-AAOpoTe

Of course it does! But wait until you see what they pulled out this week. So hydroxychloroquine didn’t work. Taking horse deworming medication didn’t work. And of course you know the old saying, “fool me once, shame on you”. But fool me 10,000 times… you must be a COVIDIOT. So that said, wait until you see what the latest “cure” they have for the disease is – wait for it – gargling iodine! That’s right – you might as well just sell them a can of magic beans at this point!

First, there was hydroxychloroquine. The latest fad was Ivermectin, the horse dewormer. In today’s “What will they think of next?” antivaxxers have taken to gargling with and ingesting Betadine to prevent Covid. Betadine is the brand name for povidone iodine, a commonly used antiseptic for cleaning skin and wounds and also used occasionally as a douche. A 0.5 % solution is sold as a gargle for sore throats, with a caution, “DO NOT SWALLOW.” The typical bottle of antiseptic sold for skin cleaning is a 10% solution.

Apparently, a Thai website was one of the earliest promoting Betadine treatment for Covid. It was debunked by AFP.

It’s unclear where the suggestion to ingest Betadine to prevent Covid came from. Here’s one hypothesis:

There are some studies that show some in vitro (lab test) activity of different antiseptics against coronavirus. For example, this 2020 study found Listerine, Iso-Betadine, and Dequonal mouthwashes to be effective against three strains of SARS-CoV-2, but this was in tissue cultures. A more recent study found that Listerine and Chlorhexidine disrupted the Covid virus under lab conditions. In that study, “Both Povidone iodine and Peroxal caused significant skin cell death in our studies, while both Listerine and Chlorhexidine had minimal skin cell killing at concentrations that simulated what would be found in daily use," according to Daniel Fine, the paper’s senior author. While studies such as these are encouraging, even the Listerine manufacturer notes that the data is not sufficient to make any recommendation for its use in fighting Covid.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2021/09/14/betadine-is-this-weeks-covid-19-cure-vying-with-ivermectin/

Yeah seriously, you might as well sell them a can of magic beans at this point! But here’s the thing – how do you get the public on your side in the bullshit wars? Well it’s an easy factor – you go after their trust and you do so by placing sorrow in something that is life-saving, such a vaccine. So the next time your anti-vax neighbors or anyone else you know starts spewing this crap, all you have to do is tell them that they have their trust in the wrong place! I wish it was that simple!

The antiparasitic drug ivermectin has no proven ability to treat Covid-19, but it’s flying off shelves across America because anti-vaccination circles and some conservative groups are billing it as a miracle cure. Some people are even turning to powerful, foul-tasting veterinary versions of the medicine used to deworm horses and cows to self-medicate — and calling in to poison control centers after having been overwhelmed by the dosage. And its popularity has been spiking even after some conservative media figures who touted its benefits have died from Covid-19.

The surging interest in ivermectin — substantial enough to prompt the Food and Drug Administration to warn in a tweet “You are not a horse” — is the latest symbol of our nation’s inability to reach consensus over how to deal with Covid-19. But as a phenomenon, its rise has some qualities, including endorsements from so-called experts, that underscore a major source of our crisis: a decline in trust in any institutions or authorities outside one’s political or cultural in-group. And that in turn suggests that the issue isn’t teaching people science but rebuilding the social bonds of our society.

Ivermectin is widely used to treat parasites in humans and in animals. As Dr. Ryan Marino, a medical toxicologist, notes for NBC News THINK, it does have antiviral effects at very high doses: doses that are too high for safe use in humans. Researchers have looked into ivermectin and consistently found that it neither prevents nor effectively treats Covid-19. Furthermore, studies that have suggested that it’s effective in treating Covid-19 have turned out to be fake, as Marino explains:
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/anti-covid-vaccine-crisis-all-about-mistrust-ivermectin-case-point-n1278327

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[font size="8"]I Need A Drink
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Hey everyone I don’t know about you but I could really use a drink!



So of course you know by now the idea behind this segment is that we have some drinks and we talk about literally anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics. And this week – it’s the return of the fashion industry’s biggest night of the year – the Met Gala! So tell me bartender what goes well with a story about rich people wearing weird costumes? A Manhattan made with single malt whisky and covered in gold foil? Seriously, are we made of money here? We’re on a tight budget! You know what’s cheap though? Jack Daniels. So I’ll just have that mixed with Jack Daniels, thanks! But yeah so this week the Met Gala was held in New York and it’s one of the first large scale celebrity gathering in New York since the pandemic. And this isn’t your ordinary Met Gala stories. Instead, as Frank Reynolds from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia says – “We’re gonna get real weird with it!”. Well here’s what is behind door #1!

Zoë Kravitz just dared to bare... it all!

The actress arrived at the star-studded Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Gala on Monday in a sheer, crystal Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello slip dress with a matching silver thong underneath, leaving her backside totally exposed.

Not to be outdone, Channing Tatum arrived to the event first, wearing a standard black tuxedo with patent shoes and a white handkerchief in his pocket.

Earlier this month, a source told PEOPLE that Tatum, 41, and Kravitz, 32, "continue to be inseparable" in N.Y.C. where they have been spotted enjoying low-key activities, like grabbing lunch, drinking iced coffee, and bike riding together.

"They looked very happy. They have this cute and flirty chemistry," the source said.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/zo-kravitz-bares-her-whole-024804442.html

Man seeing a woman’s backside – that’s got to get an incel’s underwear in a wad, am I right? Well who had “bare ass” on their Met Gala bingo card? I know I didn’t but anything is possible. But it gets weirder from here. And remember when I said “we’re gonna get weird with it”? Well of course there’s Zoe’s bare ass, but then in this corner – there’s green haired Frank Ocean! And this weird… Shrek baby doll that he was carrying with him. Seriously, WTF?

The 2021 Met Gala was held at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday, providing another occasion for rich people to dress in expensive, ostentatious costumes and show off. It's a nice distraction from rampant wealth inequality and the fact that hundreds of people are still dying from COVID-19 in the U.S. every day.

This year's Met Gala theme was "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion," yet there was a shocking dearth of guns, medical debt, or blatant racism. Instead, Hollywood's starlets graced the Met with stars, stripes, and Shrek's baby.

It's difficult to say that Frank Ocean's sickly gremlin robot infant isn't emblematic of the state of the nation, but it also isn't the first thing anyone thinks of when they think "America" — not even Ocean himself. When asked by Vogue to explain the meaning behind the acid green child, Ocean replied, "Movie magic. America. I don't know."

Kim Kardashian showed up wearing a fancy black Balenciaga morphsuit, which may seem weird but actually makes a lot of sense. I also often wish my physical form was more of a concept than reality.
https://mashable.com/article/met-gala-2021-fashion-kardashian

Oh yeah I needed that! Keep ‘em coming! As if that wasn’t enough, there was Kim Kardashian wearing whatever the fuck this thing was, and then there was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s insanely weird and not at all political “tax the rich” dress. But then there was also hip-hop star ASAP Rocky and what was the motif for this one? Breakfast cereal? Was he eating Captain Crunch and thinking “hey! This would make for great fashion?”. But yeah like I said, weird!

ASAP Rocky stunned fans with his outfit choice for the Met Gala, 2021.
A$AP Rocky calls girlfriend Rihanna "the One" and "the love of his life"

The star sported two outfits, however his first choice is being mocked on social media.

Fans have compared the rapper to various things, making meme's out of the apparent 'blanket'.

ASAP Rocky arrived fashionably late to the MET Gala - along with superstar girlfriend, Rihanna.

The pair both opted for oversized outfits as they stepped onto the red carpet, with fans saying they looked as though they had "[brought] their duvets with them".
https://www.capitalxtra.com/artists/asap-rocky/news/rihanna-met-gala-2021-outfit-red-carpet-blanket/

Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But here’s the thing – in the Met Gala every year they have a theme. This year the theme is “In America”. In America, first you get the money, then when you have the money you have the power. Then when you have the power, you have the women! Oh wait, that was Tony Montana in “Scarface”. But here’s the twist – how do you keep the theme without being overtly political? You really can’t!

following the surreal camp theme of 2019 and the cancellation of the event in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the met gala 2021 is back. held last night at new york’s metropolitan museum of art, the event’s theme was ‘in america: a lexicon of fashion’, inviting guests to explore ‘american independence’. with such a free theme, the red carpet was full of surprises, with celebrities going completely incognito like kim kardashian in an unusual ensemble by demna gvasalia, or american politician and activist alexandria ocasio-cortez with a political message scribbled in red on her white gown.

the costume institute also announced a two-part met gala for 2021 and 2022. the first one — in america: a lexicon of fashion — was held yesterday, while the second part — in america: an anthology of fashion — is scheduled to happen in may 2022. organized by anna wintour and considered a fundraiser for the metropolitan museum of art’s costume institute, the star-studded event saw celebrities, and for the first time influencers, rock the red carpet in both weird and wonderful outfits. this year’s met gala was co-chaired by billie eilish, naomi osaka, timothée chalamet and amanda gorman, all under 30.

attendees to the met gala 2021 interpreted the ‘in america: a lexicon of fashion’ theme in different ways. from the celebration of iconic american celebrities, to highlighting pop culture moments or historical trends, the theme also saw people commenting on political and social events that happened during the pandemic.
https://www.designboom.com/design/met-gala-2021-in-america-09-14-2021/

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[font size="8"]Road To Recall: The Results
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We did it everybody! Gavin Newsom survives the recall but the damage has been done. Was it sending a message to MAGA? You bet! Was it a colossal waste of time, money and resources? You bet! Can we stop the next one? Hopefully! Where am I going with this line of questioning? I have absolutely no idea whatsoever! But the point is, MAGA didn’t just get their asses handed to them on a silver platter, that was an epic beatdown. Think of it like your high school football team playing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Yeah it’s that kind of beat down. Here’s the lesson that is to be learned for the MAGAs – don’t mess with Texas you say? Well don’t fuck with California! Because you know that you’re not going to win! Yeah I know that I am gloating way too much about this, but you know what? Fuck it. I feel like my team won the World Series, the Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup, and the Larry O’Brien Trophy combined! OK maybe it’s not that big of a win but still.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday emphatically defeated a recall aimed at kicking him out of office early, a contest the Democrat framed as part of a national battle for his party’s values in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and continued threats from “Trumpism.”

Newsom bolted to a quick victory boosted by healthy turnout in the overwhelmingly Democratic state. He cast it as a win for his handling of the pandemic and liberal issues, and it ensures the nation’s most populous state will remain in Democratic control as a laboratory for progressive policies.

“‘No’ is not the only thing that was expressed tonight,” Newsom said. “I want to focus on what we said ‘yes’ to as a state: We said yes to science, we said yes to vaccines, we said yes to ending this pandemic.”

With an estimated two-thirds of ballots counted, “no” on the question of whether to recall Newsom was ahead by a 30-point margin. That lead was built on votes cast by mail and in advance of Tuesday’s in-person balloting, with a strong showing by Democrats. While likely to shrink somewhat in the days ahead as votes cast at polling places are counted, Newsom’s lead couldn’t be overcome.
https://apnews.com/article/california-recall-results-gavin-newsom-a590782877be099d44f1766b2d138394

OK I’m rolling again. But really we must cherish every single victory we get while we can get it, and it is sweet isn’t it? But now that Gov. Newsom thwacked the bug known as the MAGA cult, how does he respond? By getting back to work doing what he does best – showing leadership and competence in leading this state out of the many crises we are currently facing. So let’s do it and again show that we are better than the MAGA cult! Grace and dignity vs insanity and conspiracy theories? I know which one I would choose!

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has defeated an attempt to oust him from office, overcoming Republican criticism of COVID-19 restrictions that shuttered schools and businesses.

“I’m humbled and grateful to the millions and millions that exercised their fundamental right to vote and express themselves so overwhelmingly by rejecting the division, by rejecting the cynicism, by rejecting so much of the negativity that’s defined our politics in this country over the course of so many years,” Newsom said following the election.

He said today's vote was a "yes" to science, vaccines and an end to the coronavirus pandemic.

On Tuesday, Newsom became the second governor in U.S. history to survive a recall election. He framed the race as an epic struggle to protect California’s progressive values on climate change, immigration and abortion and women’s rights from far-right extremists and followers of former President Donald Trump.
https://www.abc10.com/article/news/politics/elections/california-recall-updates/103-17a01ccd-9b76-4f79-bfac-8a48e0894c76

Damn right I’m rolling! And you know what? The margin of victory is way too high for you to be able to scream voter fraud! How’s that holding up on your end of the 2020 election? Oh and your attempts to flip my state towards the dark side? Ain’t gonna happen! Shit, even the rural farmers in Alpine, Tulare, and Kern County couldn’t save you this time! Nor could the MAGA cult in Huntington Beach! So yeah Newsom got saved this time around!

California's recall election played out along established partisan lines, according to a California exit poll conducted for CNN and other news networks by Edison Research, with voters' views on Gov. Gavin Newsom closely tied to their broader political views. In a state as blue as California, that was enough for Newsom to survive a Republican-backed recall effort and remain in office, CNN projected Tuesday.

About 45% of voters in the recall described themselves as Democrats, with about one-quarter calling themselves Republicans and roughly 3 in 10 describing themselves as independents. Democrats and Republicans broke overwhelmingly along party lines on the recall, while those independents who voted were about evenly split.

A 57% majority of voters approved of Newsom's job performance. There was an intensity gap, with more strongly disapproving than strongly approving. Voters' views on whether the Democratic governor is in touch with Californians like them closely mirrored his overall approval numbers.

About half of voters had a favorable view of the Democratic Party, while just about one-third had a favorable view of the Republican Party. Those with favorable views of only the Democrats were nearly unanimous in their opposition to the recall, with those favoring only the Republican Party similarly overwhelming in voting for Newsom's ouster. Voters with negative views of both parties -- about 13% of the electorate -- broke largely in favor of the recall.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/14/politics/california-recall-exit-polls/index.html

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So now all of the gloating out of the way and getting back to some sort of seriousness, how do you prevent the next attempt at a power grab? The recall election has shown that CA is permanently blue and will probably stay that way for many years to come. And the MAGAs’ pathetic attempts at a partisan power grab are extremely laughable at best. But there are steps that we can take to make sure they won’t try this again – and we must take them now! Tomorrow might be too late!

In the end, California’s recall amounted to a $276 million exercise that dealt state Republicans a blow heading into next year’s elections.

Gov. Gavin Newsom resoundingly defeated the recall attempt Tuesday night by a margin wider than thought possible a month ago, landing on a winning message that energized his base while he laid the groundwork for 2022 voter outreach in battleground areas as he is up for reelection.

Republicans must quickly regroup and assess their chances at defeating a newly emboldened Newsom at the same time they strategize to score wins in congressional and downballot races.

The recall gave rise to conservative talk-show host Larry Elder’s political career, and he is now the California Republican Party's flag-bearer less than nine months before the June primary. Elder drew more than five times as many votes as his nearest Republican rival, former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, in the initial vote tally.
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/09/15/california-recall-future-elections-newsom-512041

[font size="4"]Next Week:[/font]

Next week, we’re taking a look at recall fever gripping the nation! California may be done, but the GOP, Qs, and MAGAs aren’t done with us yet!


[font size="8"]And Now This:[/font]
[font size="8”]The Zappa Band [/font]



Ladies and gentlemen, my next guest is the only official and authorized Frank Zappa tribute band out there, they just wrapped a tour with King Crimson in support of Zappa ’88: The Last Show. Playing the FZ classic “Zomby Woof”, give it up for the Zappa Band!

Thank you Burbank! And I want to thank Flappers especially for putting up with us the last year, you guys rule! We’re off to Houston and the Houston Improv next. Wait, who scheduled that one? See you next week!

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