Top 10 Conservative Idiots #13-2: This Machine High Fives Fascists Edition

[Top 10 Idiots]

Top 10 Conservative Idiots #13-2: This Machine High Fives Fascists Edition

Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Yo what’s up, Oxnard? How you guys doing? You doing fucking good? Great! Hey at least by being in Oxnard, we can reduce our carbon footprint by taking the train instead of flying. Yeah no, unfortunately we don’t make Taylor Swift or Kylie Jenner money to be able to use a private jet for a 20 minute flight. We got a great show for you tonight! And don’t forget – next week is our tribute to our favorite religious themed segment “Holy Shit” with a special edition dedicated entirely to the church that makes fun of church! Do we have time for the thing? Of course we do! So for those of you who have never been to Disneyland, and I’m talking about the one in Anaheim, you know that this theme park is the definition of a well oiled machine. Like they don’t fuck around or play games with people who are there to start some shit. Also too, if you have never been to Orange County, you know that right down the freeway from the Magic Kingdom, is the Magic Kingdom’s jankier cousin, Knotts Berry Farm. That’s what we’re talking about. So the local broadcast station here, KTLA, did a study about theme park violence after a recent gang brawl at Knott’s. Yeah so Knotts has had roller coasters break, they’ve had people die… they’ve had gang fights. Holy shit! That guy’s on fire! And I’m not talking CGI fire, that’s real fire right there! OK enough of the intro, we’ve got a lot of idiocy to get to, but first Jon Oliver is back and he delves in to the topic of mental health:

Where do we begin this week? Well in the number one slot this week, we are going to talk about the one subject that’s on everyone’s minds. No, it’s not inflation. It’s Global Warming (1)! And yes, it is getting hot in here and it’s not just you! But there is an unlikely source of extreme carbon footprinting – celebrities! That’s right, while we’re arguing over metal straws, and riding our bikes to work, celebrities like Taylor Swift and Kylie Jenner are abusing their private jet privileges! Taking the second slot this week – the Senate GOP (2)! Yes, you may have heard Jon Stewart blasting the GOP after they gave themselves high fives after denying veterans basic health care rights – oh it gets way more evil than that! In the number 3 slot this week is the GOP (3) again and if it sounds like your Fox loving friends and neighbors are upping the rhetoric to extreme Nazi levels, well, you’re 100% not wrong! In the fourth slot this week, we have highlights from the Bedminster LIV Golf Tournament (4) and wait until you hear about the latest thing that our 45th president did, and it’s every bit as horrible and awful as you might expect! Taking the fifth slot this week is a new “We’re All Gonna Die!” (5) – and the WHO declared the monkeypox virus a “public heath emergency of international concern” for the second time in two years this week, and are we gonna die from this? Probably. In the number 6 slot this week is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6) and this week – our old friend Marjorie Greene (Q – Batshit) says that the US should be a “Christian nationalist” nation and we delve into exactly what that means, and it’s nothing that you or I want! In the number 7 slot this week, we have a new “Beating A Dead Horse” (7) and Dee Snider of Twisted Sister fame has said that he’s not going to stop Arizona’s Kari Lake (Q – Election Denier) from using his song “We’re Not Gonna Take It” at campaign events, so is he right or wrong about that? We’ll look at both sides of the issue! In the number 8 slot this week, we have a new edition of Conspiracy Corner – our old buddy Alex Jones (8) and his attorneys told the Sandy Hook victims exactly what they thought of them, and it gives them an even bigger reason to sue his sorry ass out of existence! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week, we have a new “I Need A Drink” – fast food fandom has been taken to ridiculous new extremes with Subway’s Series Tattoo competition, but do you really want an advertisement for a fast food chain tattoo’d onto you? Well one guy did. Finally this week, it’s stop number two of our World Tour 2022 – we’re hitting the land of god, guns, the Alamo, and the Ultra MAGA – it’s the exact opposite of California, Texas, USA (10)! Plus closing this edition out, we have some live music from our good friends Coheed & Cambria! Really buy their new album “Vaxis Pt. II: A Window Of The Waking Mind” or you’re no friend of this program! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!

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[font size="8"]Global Warming: The Silent Killer
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OK we’re going to do something a bit different for this entry. We’re going to talk about something that’s been affecting the planet and its’ on everyone’s minds – GLOBAL WARMING! Or: None like it hot! Yes, it’s getting hotter in here. And no, it’s not just you. Now here’s something that I want to talk about that has the potential to be mind blowing. So there was an absolutely crazy bombshell that dropped this week about who’s really using carbon emissions. And here’s the thing – Americans as a whole have not been bad. We’re not good, necessarily. But we’re not bad. And that’s despite the objections coming from billionaire oligarchs like the Kochs, Mercers, etc.. So what’s really fueling global warming? Well, the surprise is it’s not us. The real user of resources? Celebrities. That’s right – it’s the Kim Kardashians and Taylor Swifts and Blake Sheldons of the world. So how can they be so reckless and abusive to the environment and the ecosystem? Well, it’s their private jet use. Like you know you have too much money when you can take a 20 minute flight from Camarillo to Burbank to avoid sitting in traffic for one hour. Hey, traffic in LA sucks, we get it!

The Kardashian–Jenner clan are no strangers to controversy, and Kylie Jenner has recently come under fire for her casual use of a private jet.

The Twitter account @CelebJets, which tracks celebrity flights, posted Jenner’s plane route after she flew 17 minutes in the air to avoid a mere 45-minute drive, belching carbon emissions over the skies of California as if there’s no tomorrow (and at this rate, there won’t be).

Twitter users expressed fury at Jenner, for obvious reasons, branding her a “climate criminal,” a label which seems entirely appropriate, considering the sad state of our planet..

Three days after the brief, extraordinarily wasteful flight, Jenner posted a black-and-white photo of herself and Travis Scott on Instagram, about to board another private jet. In the wake of criticism, Jenner appeared to be doubling down, including a provocative caption in the post: “you wanna take mine or yours ?”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2022/07/19/kylie-jenners-climate-criminal-controversy-explained/?sh=7c87ea9326a4

Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Come on, Kylie. You’re a Californian. Part of the experience of living in this state is sitting in the nightmare known as the Los Angele s freeway system! Yeah, us average Americans? We don’t get the luxury of hopping on a private jet from an FBO and jetting from Van Nuys to San Bernardino. We have to sit in that 3 and a half hour drive and we put up with that shit, why? I don’t know. Oh and wait until you hear their excuse this time. So Taylor and Kylie have a problem that isn’t going away. But that problem isn’t going away overnight. And the sad thing is that it’s affecting all of us.

Taylor Swift’s team has responded after a new study showed the singer topping a list of celebrities whose private jets have produced the highest amount of carbon dioxide so far this year.

U.K.-based sustainability marketing firm Yard shared a report Friday revealing that the pop superstar’s jet flew 170 times between Jan. 1 and July 19, totaling almost 16 days in the air. The aircraft’s total flight emissions were 8,293.54 tonnes of carbon, which is 1,184.8 times more than the average person’s total annual emissions, the study says.

“Taylor’s jet is loaned out regularly to other individuals,” a spokesperson for Swift told The Hollywood Reporter. “To attribute most or all of these trips to her is blatantly incorrect.”

For the study, Yard used data from the Twitter account @CelebJets, which tracks private jet travels from celebrities. The data was compiled from the beginning of 2022 and included the number of flights taken by each star, average flight times, miles and total CO2 emissions.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/taylor-swift-private-jet-carbon-emissions-1235189745/

Seriously, nothing screams “privilege” like having your PR rep give a prepared statement about how your private jet use isn’t as bad as other rich people’s. But while we’re fighting over metal vs plastic straws and whether or not our daily Starbucks habit is winding up in the ocean, guess what? That metal straw you ordered from Amazon might have an effect on the environment too! The one thing that people just aren’t getting about carbon footprint is that everything you do has an effect on the ecosystem one way or another. And when we couldn’t go anywhere in 2020 and 2021? Yup, that had an effect on the environment too!

Amazon’s carbon emissions jumped 18% last year, as the company reckoned with a pandemic-driven surge in e-commerce and grew its business to meet that extra demand.

In its annual sustainability report issued Monday, Amazon said its activities emitted the equivalent of 71.54 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2021. That’s up 18% from 2020, and an increase of nearly 40% from 2019, the year Amazon first began disclosing its carbon footprint.

Amazon lowered its carbon intensity, which measures emissions per dollar of sales, by 1.9% in 2021, compared with a 16% decline in 2020.

The Covid-19 pandemic led to a massive influx of orders at Amazon and other e-commerce companies. Many consumers, flush with stimulus check money, opted to do their shopping online to avoid risking exposure to the virus.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/01/amazon-says-carbon-emissions-increased-18percent-in-2021.html

The bad thing is that there’s no easy solution to any of this. and any solution is guaranteed to piss off a large percentage of people, no matter what your stances on the environment are. So because of that governments around the world are taking a good, hard look at what it would take to reduce carbon footprints and of course greenhouse gases, which would reduce global warming. Yeah all these restrictions do suck. But if we don’t act now, things are going to get a hell of a lot worse. And once people start dropping dead in the street because of heat exhaustion, well, there’s not going to be a vaccine that will cure that.

To tackle climate change, rich nations must radically rethink their relationship with food—that’s the verdict of scientists reexamining the environmental impact of global food transportation.

Emissions from the movement of food between foreign producers and domestic consumers is up to 7.5 times higher than previously thought, researchers at the University of Sydney have found. The bulk of this carbon burden can be attributed to higher-income regions—such as Europe and North America—where there is strong consumer demand for the year-round supply of internationally sourced foods.

“People in poorer countries constitute around half the global population, yet contribute only a fifth of international ‘food mile’ emissions,” says Dr. Mengyu Li, who coauthored the recent study, in an interview with Fortune. “Nearly half of international food mile emissions, meanwhile, come from the rich world, despite affluent countries constituting only around 13% of the planet’s population.”
https://fortune.com/2022/08/01/why-rich-nations-need-to-rethink-global-food-transports-massive-carbon-footprint/

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[font size="8"]The GOP
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I never in a million years ever again want to hear my Fox News loving friends and relatives say that they support the troops. Because the whole mantra of the GOP is that they care about you… until they don’t, and they don’t even care then. They don’t even at least pretend to care about you. So why do people still vote for them? Particularly our nation’s veterans. Talk about a group of people who have been brainwashed into voting against their best interests. You know for the sake of this piece, let’s channel the great Woody Guthrie and call it “This Machine High Fives Facsists”. Thank you Top 10 graphics department, once again you guys come through! But here’s how sick, twisted, and utterly devolved the GOP is. Most people want to advance the causes of human rights. The GOP wants to take us back to the stone ages to please their news network and megachurch overlords. It’s criminally disgusting.

Republican Senators have been criticized for fist bumping on the Senate floor after the GOP blocked a bill that would have expanded healthcare coverage for military veterans exposed to toxic burn pits during their service.

On Wednesday night, the Senate failed to pass a Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act in a 55 to 42 vote.

All but one of the 42 Senators who voted against the bill were Republicans, including 25 who previously supported it in June. The Senate had to vote for the PACT Act again because of a technical change the House made to the bill.

After the vote, a group of Republican Senators were seen shaking hands on the chamber floor, with Texas' Ted Cruz and Montana's Steve Daines also giving each other a fist bump.
https://www.newsweek.com/gop-fistbump-pact-senate-military-ted-cruz-steve-daines-1729031

Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Ugh Ted Cruz is a completely immoral, despicable scummy excuse for a human being. If you’re denying groups of people their basic rights, and then high fiving each other about it, then you should lose your right to vote until you take and pass a basic high school civics class. Because you obviously slept through that class. And that angered a lot of people,
particularly Jon Stewart. And if you know what he’s been up to since the Daily Show ended back in 2015, well, he’s been up to this. And he’s very, very pissed off.

The Republican Party talks a big game about its respect and admiration for the military but—as is the case when it claims to be all about the “sanctity of life” while insisting pregnant people should be left to die—is actually full of shit. The most recent example of conservatives’ bodies being 10% water, 90% sewage came on Wednesday, when the party that loves to send troops into harm’s way blocked the PACT Act—which would expand access to health care for veterans exposed to burn pits, and subsequently diagnosed with rare cancers and respiratory illnesses—from advancing. And Jon Stewart, for one, was having none of it.

Following a series of tweets in which the comedian and activist called out Senator Pat Toomey—who was instrumental in killing the bill—writing, “Congratulations @SenToomey You successfully used the Byzantine Senate rules to keep sick veterans suffering!!!! Kudos! I’m sure you’ll celebrate by kicking a dog or punching a baby…or whatever terrible people do for fun!!!!!” Stewart spoke at a press conference on Thursday to further lay into Republicans.

“Ain’t this a bitch,” Stewart said. “America’s heroes, who fought in our wars, outside sweating their asses off…battling all kinds of ailments, while these motherfuckers sit in the air conditioning, walled off from any of it. They don’t have to hear it, they don’t have to see it. They don’t have to understand that these are human beings…. I’m used to the lies, I’m used to the hypocrisy…. Senate is where accountability goes to die…. I’m used to all of it. But I am not used to cruelty.”
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/07/jon-stewart-pact-act-veterans-republicans

Yeah that’s exactly how we feel here! And Mr. Stewart is naturally pissed and he’s 100% correct about this. It’s truly disgusting what the lengths the “own the libs” is going to actually “own the libs”. But the good news about this is that the libs owned back. And it shows that we actually can pass bipartisan legislation. You know, here’s the thing – I would think that not wanting to be fucking poisoned would be at the top of the list! But as we’ve seen in the last two years, there’s no low they won’t stoop to and nothing is off the table. Let’s face it – that GOP is poisoned.

Legislation giving veterans exposed to toxic burn pits access to expanded health benefits passed the Senate Tuesday night amid an outcry from veterans and comedian Jon Stewart, who camped out on the Capitol steps since Republicans blocked the bill last week.

The bill, passed on an 86-11 vote, ultimately drew support from 37 GOP senators, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. It now heads to President Joe Biden for his signature.

The legislation known as the PACT Act would expand veterans’ health-care eligibility to about 3.5 million people exposed to toxic burn pits while serving overseas. The pits, used to burn fuel, chemicals, and other waste, have been linked to certain illnesses because of the toxins present in the smoke.

Beyond aiding veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the bill would also expand coverage for illnesses potentially linked to the Agent Orange herbicide used in the Vietnam War.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-02/veterans-burn-pit-bill-on-course-for-senate-passage-soon

You know here’s the thing – like I said earlier, the GOP cares about you until they don’t. Hell, they don’t even pretend to care about you. And they won’t pass any meaningful legislation until you kick their asses like Jon Stewart did, and even then they probably won’t be listening to you. But it’s truly insane that partisan politics have reached absolutely ridiculous proportions. It’s the end result of generations of the same bullshit in a new package. But once again, I never, ever want to hear the GOP scream about supporting the troops ever again. That GOP is poisoned.

After Republicans initially blocked a bill that would expand benefits for veterans exposed to toxins while deployed, the Senate is now poised to pass the legislation in the coming days.

Last week, sudden Republican opposition to the bill, called the PACT Act, left many veterans and their supporters shocked. After days of backlash, lawmakers are set to reconsider the bill in a Senate vote this week, with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell telling NBC News that he expects it will pass.

Both chambers of Congress previously approved the bill, with the Senate voting 84-14 in June in favor, but the bill was forced into another vote after “administrative issues” were found in its text. After changes were made, it was expected to breeze through Congress and be signed into law by President Joe Biden.

Opposition from 25 Republican senators who changed their vote, citing concerns over how the measure was funded, stymied the bill last Wednesday.
https://www.vox.com/2022/7/30/23284976/senate-republicans-pact-act-veterans

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[font size="8"]The GOP
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Hey everyone look. The 2024 election is just a mere… 2 years away. And the US is one, maybe two election cycles away from going full on fascist. And we mentioned back in Idiots #12-6 how dangerous it is that the GOP is cozying up to ultra far right Hungarian dictator wannabe Victor Orban. This guy is straight up, a Nazi. And I was always told through my life that the Nazis were the bad guys. My grandparents fought in World War II against these fuckheads. They’d cringe knowing what the US is up to now. So we’re naturally going to dedicate this segment to talking about Mr. Orban for a minute. The fact that Tucker Carlson has embraced this man’s ideals makes him all the more dangerous because he’s one of the most watched men on cable. So that being said let’s take a look at Mr. Orban.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is a dispassionate and unerring provocateur. He uses deliberately despicable statements — on the death penalty, on migrants, on Roma on the European Union — to divide opinion at home and abroad. Generally, the ensuing controversy is intended, serving invariably to distract from other issues.

In a speech Saturday in Baile Tusnad, Romania, where Orban addresses a school program every summer, the prime minister's remarks were especially polarizing. He carped about "mixed-race" populations and the "flooding" of Europe with non-European migrants, and referred to the racist concept of "population exchange."

''There is a world in which European peoples are mixed together with those arriving from outside Europe,'' he said. ''Now, that is a mixed-race world.'' In the Carpathian Basin, however, people are not mixed-race, he said: ''We are simply a mixture of peoples living in our own European homeland. ... We are willing to mix with one another, but we do not want to become peoples of mixed-race.''

Pure Nazi text: The remarks triggered a political earthquake in Hungary. Zsuzsa Hegedus, a close friend of Orban's who was his special representative on social inclusion and modernization, has resigned. Jewish and the daughter of parents who survived the Holocaust, the sociologist Hegedus said the speech was a ''pure Nazi text'' and the discourse was one of clear ''racial hatred.'' She called it not only discriminatory, but ''completely unacceptable.''

https://www.dw.com/en/orbans-pure-nazi-speech-triggers-political-earthquake/a-62619164

Yeah fuck that guy! There’s no question that if Trump and the MAGAs win in 2024 that they will go full Nazi and it’s going to be very ugly. And in case you’re wondering how extreme Mr. Orban’s beliefs are, well we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface! While most of the rest of the world is cringing at the idea of rising white supremacy and neo-nationalism, Victor Orban seems to full on embrace them. And that has us speculating exactly what the GOP has in store for us if they win in 2024. They already have banned books and criminalized LGBT behavior, what else could they be up to?

Hungary's leader Viktor Orbán bashed Western Europeans for 'mixing with non-Europeans' and said Hungarians 'do not want to become a mixed race'

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that his country's citizens have no interest in fraternizing with non-Europeans, according to Radio Free Europe.

Orbán idealized an "unmixed Hungarian race" while speaking at Baile Tusnad Summer University located in central Romania on Saturday. He argued that Europeans should not mix with "non-Europeans."

"We move, we work elsewhere, we mix within Europe," he said. "But we don't want to be a mixed race" or a "multiethnic" group, he added.

The conservative prime minister also argued that "the west is split in two," according to Daily News Hungary.

https://www.businessinsider.com/hungary-viktor-orban-mixing-non-europeans-hungarians-mixed-race-2022-7

Yeah holy shit indeed! The rest of the world has many colors in their proverbial rainbow. Victor Orban, on the other hand has just one – white. And straight. Don’t forget straight. And he’s been invited to speak at CPAC again. That’s right – conservatives are going full on white supremacist and they aren’t going back to reality anytime soon. But that’s the current state of the MAGA party – no matter how many times you tell them “no” or “they’re wrong” they’ll continue to do that thing and laugh in your face about it, because that’s the kind of assholes they are. And if history doesn’t repeat itself, it will if these MAGA cretins get back into power in 2024!

The 2022 Conservative Political Action Conference will play host to Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The most influential Republican ideas conference lending the podium to Europe’s most notorious nationalist is yet another troubling sign of the right’s embrace of authoritarianism.

Orbán, who recently won reelection for his fourth term as Hungary’s prime minister, has become a darling of the American right by transforming Hungary into an autocratic regime through aggressive nationalist policymaking and the use of executive power to curb criticism and opposition. Orbán’s Hungary is a far-right wet dream, featuring hardline crackdowns on immigration, increased government control of the press, and courts that cater to the powerful.

The CPAC invitation is not entirely unexpected. An international edition of the conference was held in Budapest this May. “Hungary is the laboratory where we have managed to come up with the antidote for progressive dominance,” Orbán said during his keynote address. “The nation comes first: Hungary first, America first.”
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/viktor-orban-cpac-2022-hungary-1380793/

So you might be wondering why I keep talking about Victor Orban. Make no mistake that he’s the future of the GOP. The future of the GOP is white, straight, and doesn’t allow any viewpoint that isn’t dictated to them by a megachurch pastor or Fox News. This is what happens when you live in an echo chamber for the last 25 years. And I say this because the man who has the wrong answer to everything has done it once again. That’s right – while the rest of the world is mortified by Orban’s extremist views, he’s embracing them. Which is why we have to do everything possible to stop him in 2024. Because who knows what they will do if they get back in power? Well we’ve been here before.

Former President Donald Trump with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán this week and later praised the authoritarian leader for his knowledge of world affairs and recent election victory.

Trump announced that the pair had met in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday.

"Great spending time with my friend, Viktor Orbán, the Prime Minister of Hungary," Trump wrote.

"We discussed many interesting topics — few people know as much about what is going on in the world today," Trump added.

The former president said that the pair also celebrated Orbán's "great electoral victory in April."
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-meets-with-viktor-orban-hungarys-authoritarian-leader-2022-8

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[font size="8"]Bedminster LIV Golf Tournament

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You know, greed and golf seem to go hand in hand. Golf is a sport by the rich and for the rich. And American golf has roots in racism and elitism going back to the early 19th century. As evidenced by the LIV golf organization that spawned in Saudi Arabia. You know last week I reported on the LIV golf organization and how of course that guy who we unfortunately used to call president, always makes the wrong decision on everything. But before I start playing some of the highlights of the latest atrocity from the Trump camp, let’s talk about the latest horrible thing he did. Of course you know by now that his first wife Ivana Trump died after what the emergency professionals refer to as “blunt force trauma”. But… was it murder? Well, the fact that she’s buried at the first hole on his golf course so he can claim cemetery tax breaks from the state of New Jersey… well, let’s just say that it raises more than a few ethical eyebrows.

Ivana Trump, former President Donald Trump's first wife, was laid to rest this week in a private family plot at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

The New York Post reported photos of a fresh grave with a bouquet of white flowers and a plaque with Ivana Trump's name, birth date, and death date. Ivana died on July 14, in what officials ruled was an accidental death after sustaining blunt impact injuries to her torso in her Upper East Side home. She was 73-years-old.

The grave is in a blocked-off area of the golf club, which a source told the Post was "not too far from the main clubhouse."

"They have a private grassy area. It's just a very discreet piece of granite engraved with her name," the unnamed source told the Post.
https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/ivana-trump-laid-rest-trump-163217580.html

OK… I have many questions here. But I do have to ask the one that’s on everyone’s minds – if your drive hits the gravesite, do you have to play it where it lays? Or do you play through? Of course we’re just a simple comedy show and we don’t have golf experts on hand to answer that question, but we can guess, can’t we? But that said, as we predicted, we figured this tournament was going to be quite the shit show and I even called it out last week. But we didn’t anticipate this. One day the internet can drive you crazy and the next it does stuff like this.

Thin crowds were reported at the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tournament taking place at former President Donald Trump's New Jersey club this weekend—with tickets reportedly being sold for as little as $1 online.

LIV Golf, which aims to rival the near century-old PGA Tour, has drawn substantial controversy due to it being financed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. The kingdom has faced strong criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike for its documented human rights abuses, and particularly for the grisly murder of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

While LIV Golf managed to attract some high-profile professional golfers, the PGA Tour barred its members from participating in the competition. Trump, however, embraced the new tournament after the PGA Tour ended its plan to host its championship at his Bedminster club following the events of January 6, 2021.

The New York Times reported Friday that the crowds at the event were "thin and scant at many holes," although it also noted the "easy camaraderie" among the players. Similarly, The Wall Street Journal reported that many holes "had just a smattering of fans as the day progressed" on Friday. The conservative newspaper additionally reported that tickets for the event were being sold for as little as $1 on StubHub.com.
https://www.newsweek.com/liv-golf-tournament-trump-club-sees-thin-crowds-1-tickets-reports-1729410

Thank you Nelson! So this LIV tournament is 100% no joke. And the fact that Trump is siding with the Saudis just because he’s an asshole about it is definitely something that the proverbial alarm needs to be sounded about. But in case you’re wondering – yes it did devolve from being an international golf tournament to being a Trump rally. Because these are the kind of classless assholes that we are dealing with here. And in case you’re wondering if every man has a price, the answer is yes. And the other answer to the question is that Donald Trump’s price is that he can be very easily bought, and the tournament at Bedminster was the selling point.

The former president spent the day surveying allies and former aides about how to wield his endorsement — after announcing an endorsement was coming.

Former President Donald Trump called Republican Senate candidate Eric Schmitt Monday evening, after posting on social media that he would endorse in Missouri’s GOP primary, and told him to look out for an announcement.

“You’ll be happy,” Trump told Schmitt.

What the former president didn’t say, according to two people familiar with the conversation, is that the press release would simultaneously back Schmitt and his rival for the GOP nomination, Eric Greitens. Greitens received a similar call in which Trump congratulated him on the endorsement and made no mention that he also endorsed Schmitt, Missouri’s state attorney general.

Snip

Trump kicked off the private lobbying spree late Monday morning, when he posted on social media that he would be making his endorsement official that day — without mentioning that he apparently had not yet made his final choice. What transpired over the course of the afternoon illustrates the anarchical nature of Trump’s endorsement process. While the much-coveted endorsement is one of Trump’s greatest assets and his chief political weapon, how he decides who gets one is often more improvisational than scripted.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/02/lobbying-trumps-missouri-endorsement-00049183

Um… no it isn’t. In fact in case you’re wondering, yes, Trump can’t stop helping himself by still thinking that he’s president. So while hosting a tournament from a nation that is known to be hostile to the US, Trump of course wears the presidential seal while out on the golf course. And that of course, spawned an ethics complaint against him. Seriously everything he does is bad. Everything he touches dies. Like what do people see in this man? If they’re cheering on the destruction, it’s probably because they’re destructive and abusive themselves.

Former President Donald Trump‘s New Jersey golf resort is facing a criminal complaint after the presidential seal was spotted on the course that will host the Saudi-backed LIV tournament.

Citizens for Reform and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has filed a Justice Department complaint against Trump National Golf Club Bedminster — site of the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf series that has drawn protest from 9/11 families and defiant support from Trump — citing chapter and verse they say shows the club is violating federal law by using the presidential seal on golf tee markers that were spotted in an Instagram post:

Under 18 U.S.C. § 713(a), it is a crime to “knowingly display[] any printed or other likeness of the . . . seal[] of the President . . . of the United States . . . in, or in connection with . . . any building, monument, or stationery . . . for the purpose of conveying, or in a manner reasonably calculated to convey, a false impression of sponsorship or approval by the Government of the United States.”3 Violators face up to six months’ imprisonment and a monetary fine.4 The Attorney General may bring an action to enjoin violations of the statute “pon complaint by any authorized representative of any department or agency of the United States.”5

Here, there is reason to believe that Trump Bedminster is violating § 713(a) by knowingly displaying a likeness of the presidential seal for commercial purposes. As an initial matter, no question has been raised as to the authenticity of the July 5 photograph, which appears to depict Trump Bedminster and was posted to Instagram with the golf club tagged as the location. The Trump Organization has not responded to Forbes’ request for comment on the photograph,6 nor has it publicly denied its authenticity. If Trump Bedminster is in fact displaying the presidential seal as depicted in the photograph, the display would be “in connection with” a “building” (i.e., the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster) within the meaning of § 713(a).

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/golf/criminal-complaint-filed-against-trump-s-saudi-golf-tourney-hosting-resort-after-presidential-seal-spotted-on-course/ar-AA106dFJ?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=fa6ffd178fbe4fe584de21217230d2d9

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[font size="8"]We’re All Gonna Die: Monkeypox
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Hey everyone guess what? We’re all gonna die! Woooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!! Woooooooooo!!! Woooo. Woo. Although why does it feel like we’ve been here before? Because we’re coming out of a once in a century pandemic and probably right into another one. Just like it seems that COVID-19 will never end now comes a new pathogen that could possibly kill us all – Monkeypox – or it could not. The WHO recently declared monkeypox a “public health emergency of international concern” for the second time in two years. So are we all doomed? Well that depends on who you talk to about the subject. So here's what we know. There so far have been two states – California and Illinois – have declared public health emergencies over the spread of monkeypox. And this virus isn’t anything to fuck with, as the COVID lesson has taught us. But could monkeypox spawn lockdowns like we saw in 2020? Well again anything is possible, as we have seen.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday declared a State of Emergency to combat the outbreak of Monkeypox in the Golden State.

“California is working urgently across all levels of government to slow the spread of monkeypox, leveraging our robust testing, contact tracing and community partnerships strengthened during the pandemic to ensure that those most at risk are our focus for vaccines, treatment and outreach,” Gov. Newsom said in a statement. “We’ll continue to work with the federal government to secure more vaccines, raise awareness about reducing risk, and stand with the LGBTQ community fighting stigmatization.”

The emergency declaration is designed to help expand vaccinations and outreach efforts.

As of July 28, 786 people had been diagnosed with Monkeypox in California with the vast majority self-identifying as men who have sex with men, according to the California Department of Public Health.

California has administered 25,000 doses of the Monkeypox vaccine and plans to make additional doses available in the coming days, the governor’s office said.
https://ktla.com/news/california/newsom-declares-monkeypox-state-of-emergency/

Whoa dude, calm down! We’re all not gonna die yet. So what is monkeypox? Well just like COVID, it’s a zoonotic disease meaning that the virus can adapt in humans as well as animals. But the difference is unlike COVID, when that first hit, there wasn’t a highly effective vaccine available. For monkeypox, since it’s been around since the 1950s, there is a highly effective vaccine available for it. And unlike COVID when it was too late to be able to stop the spread, with monkeypox, we actually could stop the spread before it’s too late.

As a global outbreak of monkeypox continues to grow, public health officials are stressing the importance of education in fighting the virus.

"This is an outbreak that can be stopped if countries, communities and individuals informed themselves, take the risk seriously and take the steps needed to stop transmission and protect vulnerable groups," World Health Organization Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday.

WHO has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, but the Biden administration has not issued its own public health emergency declaration.

Monkeypox is a poxvirus, related to smallpox and cowpox. It generally causes pimple- or blister-like lesions and flu-like symptoms such as fever, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The lesions typically concentrate on the arms and legs, but in the latest outbreak, they're showing up more frequently on the genital and perianal area, which has raised some concerns that monkeypox lesions may be confused with STDs.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/14/health/monkeypox-questions-update/index.html

Come on people! We’re not gonna die! But don’t tell the MAGAs that they need education on the subject because they won’t listen no matter what you tell them! Doesn’t matter if they’re covered in festering boils, because MUH freedoms!!! And by the way let’s concentrate on fighting this disease before we start arguing about names. Yeah there’s an insane debate right now regarding the name “monkeypox”. But we don’t want to give it a cold science name like the latest COVID variant – B.5, come on. Give it something else.

Since the earliest days of the current global monkeypox outbreak, scientists and public health authorities have been calling for the disease to be renamed, arguing that it has racist overtones and carries a stigma that will hinder efforts to stop its spread.

In mid-June, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said his agency agreed, and would be working with partners to rename the virus itself, the disease it causes, and the two clades or strains of the virus, each named after the parts of Africa where they are found.

Nearly seven weeks later, none of that has happened yet. It’s very likely some of it may not happen at all.

It turns out renaming viruses and the diseases they cause is not an easy thing to do. It raises concerns about the continuity of the scientific literature. It can be difficult to find an alternative that doesn’t offend. And something that works in one language or culture may not work in another.
https://www.statnews.com/2022/08/01/the-campaign-to-rename-monkeypox-gets-complicated/

Yeah probably! Come on, if you’re going to rename it, how about “The Disease Formerly Known As Monkeypox”. Or maybe “Monkeypox II: Monkeypox Harder”. But once again this disease will become a uniquely anti-vaxxer problem. Hell, there was a case of polio identified in New York a couple of weeks ago. That’s right – anti-vaxxers managed to bring back fucking polio! Is there no low these idiots won’t stoop to? No. just when you think there’s no low they can’t stoop to, they go lower. But definitely expect things to get worse. Are we all gonna die? Probably.

Over the last two years, universities across Texas and the rest of the country have worked hard to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on their campuses with virtual classes, masks and increased cleaning of public spaces.

Now, as colleges prepare for students to return to campus next month, a new disease is gaining steam around Texas and the country: monkeypox.

State health experts say universities should start communicating with students ahead of the fall semester about how to identify symptoms and avoid contracting the virus. They also say schools should consider how they would respond to an outbreak on campuses where students live in close proximity engaging in intimate behaviors and sharing beverages or food.
https://www.texastribune.org/2022/07/29/texas-universities-monkeypox-preparation/

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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! I am sounding the alarm this week. So in the last few months we’ve been calling out our acquaintance Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q – Batshit) and some of the crazy things that she has been saying lately. So Ms. Greene says that the United States is a “Christian Nation” and that “Christian nationalism is a good thing”. Uh… what are you smoking? No it isn’t! It’s not a good thing and I’m pretty sure we’ve fought a couple of wars over this sort of thing and your side lost every one of them. But you don’t support the good LAWRD JAYSUS, Marjorie. As you so claim. No, instead you support the unholy, ungodly Dark One! I of course speak of a man so foul and disgusting that his name DARE NOT be spoken in my church! You know, last week we brought up the decline of modern religion. And it’s mainly thanks to these people. I know I do not want to live in the nation they envision. It is degrading and dehumanizing and racist in nature. Did I say racist? Yeah it’s extremely racist!

Over 10,000 Christians have signed an online petition this week condemning Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene's promotion of Christian nationalism, slamming the Georgia Republican for what they describe as a "betrayal of our faith."

Speaking to the conservative Turning Point USA Student Action Summit in Florida last Saturday, Greene argued that Christian nationalism is "a good thing."

"That's not a bad word," the congresswoman said. "That's actually a good thing. There's nothing wrong with leading with your faith....If we do not live our lives and vote like we are nationalists—caring about our country, and putting our country first and wanting that to be the focus of our federal government—if we do not lead that way, then we will not be able to fix it."

The GOP lawmaker has made similar remarks on social media and on her podcast as well. Greene began selling T-shirts that said "Proud Christian Nationalist" with an image of a cross, sharing a link to purchase them to her Truth Social account on Friday.
https://www.newsweek.com/10k-christians-rip-greenes-christian-nationalism-betrayal-our-faith-1729377

Well he’s not wrong there! We are living in SIN! But it’s because these morons who preach the gospel of the unholy Dark One that we are in this mess! For those who support dark cannot see the light – that is what it says in our Good Book! I’m getting really tired of religious extremism and authoritarianism in this country. If they got back into power with a sizeable majority in the Senate and Congress? Who knows what kind of damage they could do? I’m 100% convinced they would go full Nazi if given the opportunity, and that’s a scary thought!

Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger compared Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's advocacy of Christian nationalism to the "American Taliban."

In a tweet on Friday, Kinzinger likened Greene's statements that the GOP needs to be the "party of Christian Nationalism" to the Taliban claiming to be "the party of Islamic nationalism."

"I oppose the American Taliban," the Illinois congressman wrote, referring to the Islamic militant group.

Kinzinger's comments come amid a rise of Christian nationalism among the far-right, and several GOP politicians making remarks suggesting their support of it.

Georgia Rep. Greene has repeatedly called on the Republican party to embrace the ideology of "Christian nationalism."

Former President Donald Trump has also spoken about Christianity in less overt terms, recently stating that "Americans kneel to God, and God alone."
https://www.businessinsider.com/rep-kinzinger-mtgs-christian-nationalism-american-taliban-2022-7

So don’t get us wrong, I want to reiterate our stance on this – is that we are 100000% opposed to the extremist ideas that Rep. Greene is proposing! And we do not support the unholy Dark One under any circumstances! And by the way this new crop of MAGA extremists who support the Dark One, are only proving my point about the evangelical right’s plans to go full Nazi should they win in a landslide election in 2024 or beyond. As evidenced by Doug Mastriano (Q - Insurrectionist) of Pennsylvania, because he supports this kind of thing.

Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor of Pennsylvania, has come under fire from critics for ties to a right-wing social media platform whose founder has said there is no room for Jews, atheists and others in the conservative movement.

Mastriano, a state senator backed by former President Donald Trump, paid Gab $5,000 in April for "advertising consulting," state campaign finance records showed.

Democrats and Republicans alike have criticized Mastriano for his association with Gab, the social media platform on which a gunman who killed 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018 posted his antisemitic rants.

Some users of Gab, which was founded by Andrew Torba in 2016, contemplated plans on the platform to disrupt the ascertainment of President Joe Biden's victory on Jan. 6, 2021. Torba has said his aim is to foster a "Christian nationalist" society, he has called for the conservative movement to be "exclusively Christian," and he frequently espouses antisemitic views.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/mastriano-fire-payment-christian-nationalist-platform-rcna40541

Yes but nobody is saying “Gab” this or “Gab” that, because really fuck Gab. Yes, we’re allowed to swear in my church! But leave it to the most extreme to pull this kind of crap. I’ve been doing some reading into Christian nationalism and it’s not good! At all! And the extremist bubble is eventually going to burst because it’s so extreme. It’s pretty evident that Rep. Greene is going full on extremist because she wants to be the Dark One’s running mate very badly. You can tell. But when your party gets this extreme, that’s nothing to be proud of. And when the Dark One is on your side, that’s a pretty sure fire indicator that you shouldn’t be on that side.

Former President Donald Trump said during a speech on Saturday that "Americans kneel to God" alone, as the concept of Christian nationalism continues to gain traction among conservatives.

Trump made the comment while speaking at an event in Tampa, Florida, held by Turning Point USA, a student conservative group, and posted a clip of it on his Truth Social account.

"We will not break, we will not yield, we will never give in, we will never give up, we will never, ever, ever back down. As long as we are confident and united, the tyrants we are fighting do not stand a chance," Trump said. "Because we are Americans and Americans kneel to God, and God alone."

Trump's office did not respond to Insider's request for comment, but the remark comes as Christian nationalism and some of its ideologies have spread among the GOP. Recent reports from The New York Times, The New Yorker, and CNN all suggest Christian nationalism is on the rise, particularly among the far right.
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-americans-kneel-to-god-christian-nationalism-grows-in-gop-2022-7

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God I feel like this is only going to get worse before it gets better. These extremists are scary, and extremism is scary business! Don’t forget to tune in next week when we celebrate 5 years of doing this program! 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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OK… look, we give politicians a hard time for their music selections on this program. And they get shot down like 9 times out of 10. Well, this week, there’s one man who is deciding to take a different stand on the subject. And that’s Dee Snider. You might know him as the front man and voice of the classic 80s hair metal band Twisted Sister. If you don’t follow him on Twitter, he’s definitely a good follow, because he is not afraid to call people out on their bullshit. Well, his classic song “We’re Not Gonna Take It” has inexplicably been a hit with the MAGA community and MAGA politicians for quite some time now. So why does Mr. Snider have his underwear in a wad over the subject? Well, here’s the thing – we certainly get where he’s coming from on this, no question about it. Sure, Kari, you can use his song – but he gets to tell you in return what he thinks about you! But why limit who can use your song? That only loses you credibility as an artist if you’re for censorship.

Dee Snider says that he cannot "legally or morally" stop controversial Arizona GOP gubernatorial hopeful and election denier Kari Lake from using TWISTED SISTER's "We're Not Gonna Take It" at her campaign events.

The classic TWISTED SISTER song was played as Lake, a former local TV anchor, walked on stage on July 22 at a "Save America" rally in Prescott Valley, Arizona where she was joined by former U.S. president Donald Trump.

On Wednesday (July 27),one of Snider's Twitter followers shared a video of Lake's entrance to "We're Not Gonna Take It", and he included the following message: "@deesnider i think a cease & desist is in order". A few hours later, Dee responded: "While I abhor what this ignoramus @KariLake stands for and the she deplorables (yup, Hillary Clinton had it right) she represents, I can NOT legally or morally stop her from using or singing my song. I wrote it for everyone...cherry picking who uses it is censorship."

What Snider is apparently referring to is the fact that political campaigns are often able to procure blanket licenses from performing rights organizations such as American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) and Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) when the rallies are held in major public venues such as convention centers and arenas.
https://blabbermouth.net/news/dee-snider-says-he-cannot-legally-or-morally-stop-far-right-arizona-gubernatorial-candidate-from-using-were-not-gonna-take-it

Yeah so the message here is that you can’t fight city hall. Which is different because in the past, bands like the Rolling Stones, and REM, the Dropkick Murphys, and Black Sabbath have previously told the MAGA politicians exactly what they think about their songs being used as campaign fodder. But then again we have public social media spaces where people can air their grievances on just about anything that comes to mind. I personally dig Mr. Snider’s approach – you get to use his song, but he gets to tell you exactly what he thinks of you. I think it’s a win win!

Kari Lake, who is seeking to win the Republican nomination for Arizona governor in Tuesday's primary, has become involved in an unlikely feud with heavy-metal singer Dee Snider.

Snider was the frontman of Twisted Sister, a group that enjoyed massive success in the 1980s. Lake is a former television journalist endorsed by former President Donald Trump in Arizona's race. She has spoken out against abortion and has promoted fraudulent claims pushed by Trump about the 2020 presidential election results.

Snider and Lake share little in common in terms of political opinions, which became apparent after Lake's campaign used Twisted Sister's anti-authority anthem "We're Not Gonna Take It" during a recent campaign rally.



"HEY IDIOTS! READ THE 1ST LINE," Snider wrote. "'We've got the right to CHOOSE!' This is a PRO-CHOICE anthem you or [sic] co-opting. It was NEVER intended for you fascist morons! As the songwriter & singer I DENOUNCE EVERYTHING @KariLake STANDS FOR! Write your own damn song!"
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-backed-candidate-slammed-rock-star-using-his-song-rally-1730095

So here’s the thing – Dee makes a great point. But it’s also an example of “fuck around and find out”, you know the catch phrase that we’ve all been hearing ad nauseum lately. And you know how I always say that conservatives have no sense of humor? Well guess what happens with the MAGA crowd? When they attempt to troll, they look sad and pathetic. We’ve seen that when Ted Nugent and Eric Clapton attempt to throw shade and it comes right back in their faces. And you never open that can of worms because it will come back to bite you hard!

Rock ‘n’ roll and Republicans have never really gotten along, unless you’re counting Ted Nugent or late period Eric Clapton. It’s not for lack of trying. Donald Trump and the MAGA-verse love playing rock classics at their rallies and functions, which tends to piss off the artists who recorded them. One of them is Dee Snider, lead vocalist of metal band Twisted Sister, whose iconic anti-authority anthem “We’re Not Going to Take It” has been reclaimed by the far right as some rallying cry. Thing is, Snider is definitely not a Republican and has no problem telling far right fans where to go.

Snider’s latest sparring partner is Kari Lake, a gubernatorial candidate in Arizona, hardcore MAGA type, and cheerleader for the Big Lie. Lake has been playing “We’re Not Going to Take It” at her rallies, which enraged Snider — but not enough that he would break one of his cardinal rules.

“While I abhor what this ignoramus @KariLake stands for and the she deplorables (yup, Hillary Clinton had it right) she represents,” he tweeted Thursday. “I can NOT legally or morally stop her from using or singing my song. I wrote it for everyone…cherry picking who uses it is censorship.”

But what Snider could do is devote his feed to trashing Lake. And so he has, for days on end. On Sunday, after her official campaign account tweeted out the lyrics to the song, Snider pointed to the very first line: “We’ve got the right to choose it.” This is a PRO-CHOICE anthem you or co-opting. It was NEVER intended for you fascist morons!” he tweeted.
https://uproxx.com/viral/kari-lake-dee-snider-twisted-sister-troll-backfired/

So that said, be careful who you troll on the internet. And if you do decide to troll that person, at least do your research. Because if you throw shade and they keep shitting on you, that’s on you. That’s how internet trolling works. Just like Stephen Colbert or Kathy Griffin, Dee Snider is someone who you don’t want to fuck with. Because he’s been there and done that. So if you’re going to use the music of an artist who doesn’t represent your views then you’d better prepare to take it as much as you can dish it out, otherwise that’s on you. Seriously, read between the lines, people!

Incredibly, Lake's campaign Twitter account then attempts to argue the point with Snider, the man who wrote the song.

"The subtext in your song is very clear to us, @deesnider" they write. "We've got the right to choose to vote for @KariLake. It's a timeless song."

Snider later replies to a fan expressing joy at hearing that the singer is pro-choice, stating: "I've always been pro-choice, pro women's rights."

The exchange is in stark contrast to Snider's response earlier in the year when he heard that Ukrainians were using We're Not Gonna Take It as an unofficial anthem for their resistance against Russian invasion. “I absolutely approve of Ukrainians using ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ as their battlecry," the musician wrote.
https://www.loudersound.com/news/dee-snider-slams-anti-abortion-politician-for-using-twisted-sisters-were-not-gonna-take-it-at-rally

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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner: Alex Jones Gives The Finger
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Hello and welcome to our segment that explains the unexplainable, Conspiracy Corner! We are coming to you live from our underground doomsday shelter deep within the heart of the New Mexico badlands, undisclosed location of course! Let me just adjust my tin foil hat for maximum government interference – and there we go! This week, the Sandy Hook trial is coming to a head and the head conspiracy theorist, Mr. Alex Jones himself, is in some extremely deep shit. But there is some good news coming from this otherwise nightmare of a mess – Mr. Jones and his company are going bankrupt! Yeah so how’s Trump going to win reelection if his chief conspiracy theorist doesn’t have any money to reel in the crazies to voting for him? Well guess they’re going to have to buy a lot more of those terrible vitamin supplements that he hawks on the Infowars store!

The parent company for Alex Jones’s Infowars website filed for bankruptcy, his attorney announced Friday, as parents of victims in the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School are seeking $150 million in defamation damages against the right-wing conspiracy theorist who falsely claimed the massacre was a “giant hoax.”

As the first week of the civil trial in Austin concluded, Jones’s attorney, F. Andino Reynal, told the courtroom that his client’s media company, Free Speech Systems, had filed for bankruptcy but that it would not interfere with the defamation lawsuit.

While details surrounding the bankruptcy for Infowars’ parent company were not immediately available, Reynal said the filing was made so that Jones’s company could “put this part of the odyssey behind us so that we have some numbers” for potential defamation damages, according to the Associated Press.

It’s the second time in recent months that a bankruptcy filing related to Jones has come up during litigation from Sandy Hook families brought against the conspiracy theorist. Infowars and two other of Jones’s business entities filed for bankruptcy protection in April. The spring filing for bankruptcy protection delayed the start of the trial in Texas, where Infowars is headquartered.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/07/30/alex-jones-bankruptcy-infowars-sandy-hook/

Thank you Nelson! The thing is that it takes a special kind of crazy to listen to a man who bullied and harassed the parents of murdered children. But of course, because the MAGA movement attracts only the highest quality of individual possible, and I of course say that with the utmost sarcasm, they let the Sandy Hook victims know exactly how they feel about this trial. And you know what? Here’s the thing – if a school shooting of the caliber of Sandy Hook or Parkland happens and the only thing you’re concerned about is someone taking your guns away? Well, then you probably should have your guns taken away.

The attorney of Infowars' conspiracy theorist Alex Jones raised his middle finger at an attorney representing the parents of a Sandy Hook massacre victim during a heated exchange on Wednesday.

Jones has already been found liable for defamation in a lawsuit brought by the parents of a six-year-old student killed in the 2012 school shooting.

A jury in Austin, Texas, is determining how much compensation he owes the victim's family.

After 26 children and teachers were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012, Jones claimed the attack was "staged" and a "giant hoax".
https://www.newsweek.com/alex-jones-infowars-sandy-hook-massacre-f-andino-reynal-mark-bankston-conspiracy-theory-1728634

In a classic case of “play stupid games, win stupid prizes”, then maybe you shouldn’t have given the finger to the parents who had their kids innocently murdered, should you? Speaking of fingers, in case you want to know how far down the drain Infowars has gone, well, in a publicity stunt, Alex threatened to cut off his own finger live on the air! Sheesh, that’s what happens when multiple crazy people populate your echo chamber. But that also happens when you’re an absolute garbage excuse for a human being like Mr. Jones is.

Conservative radio host and conspiracy theorist threatened to cut his finger off on the live edition of The Alex Jones Show in honor of his fans on Sunday.

'We have been given nothing but success, nothing but victory. It has been spectacular. And you, the viewers and listeners, you did this,' Jones said while streaming on his InfoWars empire website.

He added, 'That's why when I salute you - I'm not into self-harming, but I just actually want to take this dagger and just cut a finger off right on air to show you how much I appreciate you and what you've done.'

Jones grabbed a knife that was on the table and brought the blade close to his finger, saying, 'Giving up a finger to beat these people is nothing!'

He then held the knife away from his finger while insisting his audience was responsible for his show's success.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11006035/Alex-Jones-brandishes-knife-threatens-cut-finger-live-air-tribute-audience.html

Yeah probably! He’s seriously losing it big time! And in case you’re wondering – no his personal life is about exactly what you’d expect. The thing is that it must suck to be in a state of perpetual anger the way that he is. I mean the guy is literally a powder keg waiting to explode. And I mean seriously, we can’t be surprised when he has a public freakout at a fried chicken joint. Maybe if he actually ate a salad or two he might calm down a bit. But that being said, I think he needs to be committed before he becomes a danger to himself or others, though it may be too late for that.

Alex Jones isn’t exactly what most individuals would describe as a “stable” person, as evidenced by such on-air stunts as recently threatening to cut his finger off on live TV to show his viewers how much he loved them. While some people believe that the Infowars host’s over-the-top persona is all a bit of performance art, Jones himself fiercely denies these assertions. In a way, whether or not Jones believes his own conspiracy theories—like how the liners in our soda cans are causing men’s penises to shrink, or how we’re all destined to become cyborg slaves of Satan—really doesn’t matter, as Jones it totally committed to the role.

So it was hardly surprising when journalist Will Black posted a video to Twitter that captured Jones in the midst of a total meltdown while supposedly grabbing a bite to eat at what appears to be Lucy’s Fried Chicken, a restaurant in Austin, Texas.

It’s hard to make out exactly why Jones is so angry or really much of what he’s saying, but what we do witness is the conspiracy theorist making enough of a scene that nearly everyone in the restaurant seems to be turned around and watching. As bystanders are recording Jones’ outburst, he is recording them right back—and losing. As Mediaite reports, one man can be heard telling Jones to “eat shit,” while another diner tells Jones to leave. His defense? “I already was leaving!”
https://uproxx.com/viral/alex-jones-freaks-out-chicken-joint/

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



So of course you know the idea behind this segment – we have some drinks and while we are drinking, we talk about literally anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics. Because there’s a lot of really dark shit out there right now. And it’s only gonna get worse. So this segment exists as sort of an escape from reality by drinking our ass off and celebrating crazy people. The topic that’s on the table this week? Fast food promotions. And more specifically advertising tattoos That’s right. So tell me bartender, what goes well with a story about footlong sub sandwiches? A ranch dressing martini? I think I’ll pass. I’ll just stick with my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. I call it the “Double Jack”. But really, would you want a tattoo of a corporation permanently embedded on you for life? This sounds quite batshit insane. And I mean I eat a lot of fast food, but I would never claim to be a “fan” of any fast food chain. This just takes this to insane new proportions.

On July 27, nine Subway superfans will get to have the sandwich chain permanently memorialized on their bodies at a block party in Las Vegas. Two-time Ink Master Champion DJ Tambe and his team will be tattooing fans from 11 am to 5 pm PT. Not only can you score a free tattoo, but depending on the size of the tattoo, you will also be rewarded with free subs.

For those willing to get a 2" x2" tattoo on their wrist, bicep, or foot, you can get free subs from Subway for a month. Anyone willing to get a 3" x3" tattoo on their shoulder blade, forearm, or calf, will get free subs for a year. And finally, to get subs for life, you'll have to be willing to get "The Footlong," a 12" x12" tattoo on your sternum or back.

"Tattoos hold a special meaning for my customers, they come to me to celebrate the things they love the most or to commemorate a major moment in their lives," said DJ Tambe in a press release shared by Subway. "Whether that's the first time trying the Subway Series or simply eternal love for Subway, I'm here to make that a permanent part of their lives and something to showcase."
https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/subway-free-sandwiches-for-life-footlong-tattoo

Hmmm. Yeah sure free sandwiches for life sounds pretty tempting but then you’re known as the guy who’s a walking Subway billboard. But my friends, Subway isn’t the only fast food chain dabbling in bizarre promotions. Check out Panera where their latest gig is literally putting hot sauce on every single menu item. So if you like it hot – and who doesn’t? Well you can definitely get your hot sauce fix on just about any item on the Panera menu. Hmmm… what kind of hot sauce goes well with a blueberry bagel with raspberry cream cheese?

For the first time ever, popular hot sauce brand Yellowbird is making its foray into the fast-casual dining space and partnering with Panera to heat things up. As part of a Miami-based trial run, the café chain is giving customers the choice to spice up any menu item.

On July 25, Panera introduced "Ludicrous Mode," which allows you to upgrade any entrée with Yellowbird Habanero Hot Sauce. And we mean any entrée.

"Mac and Cheese? No problem. Choose Ludicrous Mode! Broccoli Cheddar Soup? Great! Just Choose Ludicrous Mode. Cinnamon Raisin bagel? I mean, that’s kind of weird, but sure," Panera said in a statement to Thrillist.

The Ludicrous Mode allows you to choose between Yellowbird Hot Sauce as a side or directly in your meal. Just opt for the upgrade (which is complimentary, BTW) when you order in select cafés or via digital ordering on the Panera app or online. As of now, the promotion is available exclusively in the Miami area.
https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/panera-yellowbird-habanero-hot-sauce-test-miami

Ah that’s more like it! Now look, I know that the rule is that we generally don’t mix booze and politics, because the two can generally lead to disastrous consequences and probably some fighting too. But I do have to bring up Trump Burger. That’s right – there’s a new way to get your MAGA jollies and also eat some hearty grub too. Although judging by the menu being offered at this place, I’m guessing that people are going there more for the ambiance than the food. Although I’m not sure that the most hardcore ultra MAGA person out there knows what the word “ambiance” means.

A restaurant called 'Trump Burger' in Bellville, Texas became a trending topic after numerous Twitter users reacted to the burger joint that pays homage to former President Donald Trump.

The establishment was opened by a Trump supporter, according to the restaurant's website. "We are passionate Trump supporters who believe in MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. It's because of the VALUES that Trump DEFENDS that we have the opportunity to thrive!"

The burger buns are also branded with Trump's name.

Multiple people poked fun at the burger joint and said the burgers will be served with Russian dressing. A user that goes by @AndreeFlageolle said, "Who owns Trump Burger? who's going to sue over the use of the "Trump" brand?"
https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/people-react-to-trump-burger-restaurant-in-bellville-texas-burgers-joint-drive-thru-americans-donald-trump-former-president-republicans-democrats

But here’s the thing, do we really need more things associated with the guy who attempted to take over the government and got people killed in the process? I know that I don’t. And really, a place that offers Trump burgers is the last eating establishment on earth I would frequent. Hell, the janky Mexican joint down the street that says “MARISCOS” on the side is a far more appetizing eatery. And of course the usual group of crazy people threatened to burn the place down after finding out that it exists. Which is why I say – never mix booze and politics, because the two will end extremely poorly if you do!

Bellville, Texas, has a new tourist eatery that is attracting national attention — Trump Burger.

The burger joint, themed after former U.S. President Donald Trump, is a hit with locals according to reporting by The Houston Chronicle. In a town where nearly 80% of locals voted for Trump, that doesn’t come as a surprise.

Owned by second-generation Lebanese-American Roland Beainy, Trump Burger boasts burger buns with “Trump” written across them.

“I thought they’d be out of business after the elections, but you come here on the weekend, you see a big line of motorcycles, sports cars and antiques and Trump flags. They’re all from out of town,” local Brian Hajek told The Houston Chronicle.
https://www.boston.com/news/national-news/2022/07/31/the-tale-of-trump-burger-and-the-quickly-ensuing-memes/

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[font size="8"]World Tour 2022 Destination #2 – Texas, USA
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Part of our mission statement here at the Top 10 Conservative Idiots is that we view conservative idiocy not just as a uniquely American problem. No, it’s a global problem and conservatives are ruining everything they touch all around the world. Which is why we present to you:



Welcome back to the World Tour 2022! Last week we went to our home state of California and explored the state. It’s a great place to live if you don’t mind paying the premiums! Now we’re going across the country to the exact opposite of California – Texas! Let me change costumes for a minute! Howdy y’all, we’re here in Texas, USA! Texas is the 28th state of these great United States of ours. It has a very rich history and shares a border with Mexico. There’s many great sports teams to choose from like the San Antonio Spurs, the Dallas Mavericks, the Dallas Cowboys, the Dallas Stars, the Houston Rockets, and oh yeah the Houston Astros. Yeah boo. There’s also many universities and major corporations that reside in Texas. But where California is a liberal utopia, Texas is California’s exact opposite. And Texas has had some major problems in the last few years. Namely with this energy grid crisis that you might have heard of back in the beginning of the year.

Another extreme weather event, another trial for Texas’ infamous electrical grid. As temperatures have soared above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, residents have cranked up their air conditioners, forcing the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (Ercot), which runs the state’s grid, to ask customers to limit power usage, lest the system crash.

And what a singular grid it is. The United States actually has three distinct grids: The ones in the west and east roughly cut the country in half. But Texas divorced itself from all that, opting to run its own operations to avoid regulation. That means power providers don’t face penalties for failing to deliver electricity, as they do in regulated states. And because it’s not intricately connected to its neighbors’ energy grids, Texas can’t import lots of power from elsewhere when demand spikes, like during this heat wave or a cold snap. That isolationist stance has left it ill-prepared to weather the extremes of climate change.

“Texas, once again, is in a unique position where basically they’ve isolated themselves from the rest of the grid,” says Gernot Wagner, a climate economist at Columbia Business School.
https://www.wired.com/story/texas-precarious-power-grid-exposes-a-nasty-feedback-loop/

Oh and in case you’re wondering – no, Texas didn’t learn a damn thing from the energy crisis they had earlier in the year. So what do they plan to do, you might ask? Well I answer you – while they were reeling from being off the grid, they plan on setting up one of the largest bitcoin factories in the entire world! That’s right – bitcoin, something who has been established is worse for the environment than actual paper money is. The Texas energy grid is already unsustainable enough as it is, imagine what this will do to the grid!

Finally, we are able to enter the inner sanctum: on twenty rows, and nearly 300 meters long, with a deafening noise, 23,000 computers are running at full speed. All the same, all with the same program, all connected to each other, with two fans each. The mass effect is such that the computers cause a current of air, which comes in cool from the outside through cells and is expelled hot into a cooling room and escapes through the roof.

Here we are at Whinstone, in the largest bitcoin mining factory in the United States, in Rockdale, a small rural town in the heart of Texas, between Houston and Austin. Mining is the work of running the huge decentralized bitcoin transaction system. In return, miners get free bitcoins, which makes their fortune: 16 bitcoins a day in February, with a total of 38,300 computers. In total, the company has accumulated 5,783 tokens, a jackpot of about $230 million (208 million euros), with a bitcoin price of $40,000.

The man behind the plant that broke ground in early 2020 is Whinstone CEO Chad Harris, who arranges a tour of the facility. There are seven warehouses like the one we're visiting, three of which are under construction. In one of them, there is an experimental system: computers have been submerged by the thousands into a special oil, which reduces how much they heat up and increases their efficiency. It is a curious contrast to see these computers immersed in liquid running silently. But that doesn't stop them from consuming energy. Eventually, Whinstone will grow from 300 megawatts of electrical capacity to 700 megawatts, almost as much as half an atomic reactor. "It's not a nuclear power plant, but it's a lot of energy," says Chad Harris. In these days of global warming, no one cares in Texas. There is abundant gas there, which is used to generate electricity, and Chad Harris turns the energy into bitcoins.
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/article/2022/04/17/in-texas-the-largest-bitcoin-factory-in-the-us-will-consume-the-equivalent-of-half-a-nuclear-reactor_5980788_19.html

So what makes Texas so appealing? Maybe if you’re a lunatic fringe anti-abortion uber religious gun nut who goes through ammo like it’s a bodily function. But maybe – just maybe after 40 years of the religious right’s iron grip on the state, it may be starting to loosen up a bit. And if Texas turns blue then there may be hope for the country yet. But then again Texas loves it some guns and it also loves it some prisoners. In fact here’s something about how criminally insane Texas’ gun laws. Remember the Uvalde shooting? Here’s why having a zero tolerance policy on the second amendment matters, and why it could potentially backfire on the GOP.

A new report on the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, is shining a light on law enforcement's delayed and disorganized response to the attack that killed 19 children and two teachers in May.

The Texas House committee investigating the shooting at Robb Elementary School released a 77-page preliminary report on Sunday, outlining what it calls the "systemic failures and egregious poor decision making" among local, state and federal officers during the incident. Here are four key takeaways from its findings, which the committee says are incomplete as multiple investigations remain ongoing.

The report didn't place the blame squarely on any one individual, but pointed to a variety of shortcomings on the part of entities including the school, social media platforms and the attacker's family. Still, there appears to have been at least some immediate fallout: Uvalde's mayor said Lt. Mariano Pargas, the acting chief of the Uvalde Police Department on the day of the shooting, had been put on administrative leave after the report's release (another official, school district police chief Pete Arredondo, is on admininstrative leave).
https://www.npr.org/2022/07/18/1111985660/uvalde-shooting-texas-house-report-systemic-failures

Come on, even beings on other worlds associate Texas with firearms! But the good news though is that Texas is slowly turning blue. And I said slowly. But there is hope with Beto O’Rourke. Texas is currently led by a trio of soulless, uber religious Fox addicted ghouls – Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, and Dan Patrick, and these cretins are slowly eroding your rights. And if we don’t stop them or fight back against their recklessness, then you could say all hope is lost. But we can flip Texas, it has the potential. But that’s only if we all act against the evil that is currently running and ruining that state.

A battle over school vouchers is mounting in the race to be Texas governor, set into motion after Republican incumbent Greg Abbott offered his clearest support yet for the idea in May.

His Democratic challenger, Beto O’Rourke, is hammering Abbott over the issue on the campaign trail, especially seeking an advantage in rural Texas, where Democrats badly know they need to do better and where vouchers split Republicans. O’Rourke’s campaign is also running newspaper ads in at least 17 markets, mostly rural, that urge voters to “reject Greg Abbott’s radical plan to defund” public schools.

Abbott, meanwhile, is not shying away from the controversy he ignited when he said in May that he supports giving parents “the choice to send their children to any public school, charter school or private school with state funding following the student.” He met privately last week with Corey DeAngelis, an aggressive national school choice activist who had previously criticized Abbott as insufficiently supportive of the cause.
https://www.texastribune.org/2022/08/03/beto-orourke-greg-abbott-school-vouchers/

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

Next week we’re taking a break from our regularly scheduled program but when we come back, we’re heading up north to visit our neighbors to the north, the land of hockey and hosers, the Great White North, Canada!



[font size="4"]And Now This: [/font]
[font size="4"]Coheed & Cambria[/font]

Folks, my next guest has a great new album out called “Vaxis Act II: A Window Of The Waking Mind”, you can see them on tour through September including a stop next week at the Shrine in LA. Playing their song “The Liar’s Club”, give it up for Coheed & Cambria!

Thank you Oxnard! This was fun! We’re back home in Santa Ana next week and taking a break from our regularly scheduled program to bring you the Holy Shit 5th anniversary special!

See you next week!

Credits

Host: Initech
Coheed & Cambria Appear Courtesy Of: Roadrunner Records
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded In Front Of A Live Audience At: Levity Live, Oxnard, CA
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