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Top 10 Conservative Idiots #13-10: Wheel Of Corruption: Love And Thunder Edition
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #13-10: Wheel Of Corruption: Love And Thunder Edition
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots!
Yooooooooooooooooooo!!!! What the fuck is up Denver???? How you guys doing? You doing fucking good? Great! We made it! We are here, to drink your beer. Like the song says! But I can't believe this is happening after two years! Look at these guys, they’re drunk already and the festival hasn’t even started yet! Now that’s either commitment or the beginning of admitting that you have a problem. Don’t worry our sober brothers and sisters, we are here for you, we got your back too! Just… one day at a time! We made it, we are here! First off, before we go any further, I want to address last week’s cancellation. We had the best intentions of doing our show in Des Moines but our ISP, which shall remain nameless, caused a massive fuck up at the home office in Santa Ana, where most of our bits are written. So that plus some staff illnesses created a perfect storm which resulted in the cancellation. But we are working on a rescheduled date for Iowa, we’ll be coming soon! And this week will feature a couple of segments that were meant to air last week but did not get aired because of this. But enough business talk. The fucking Great American Beer Fesitval is back! How about that? It’s been two god damn years and we need to go get our drink on, drinking the best brews throughout this great United States of ours! Oh yeah! Even just walking around downtown at the 16th St. Mall, I was getting a bit teary knowing that this festival is finally happening after two years of cancellations and sheer disappointment because of COVID. I want to thank the good folks at the Brewer’s Association for helping us land this shindig, and for providing today’s drinks. And as you can see, we have the famous Wheel Of Corruption all fired up and ready to go, and it is wearing its’ beer goggles! Yeah! How many brewers are at the festival? 500? Is that a new record? Holy shit, 10,000 different kinds of beer? Yeah I think if you start now, you might be able to hit all of them by Saturday night! But you know, you got to pace yourselves! OK enough of the intro, let’s get right to it! But first John Oliver is back and he disccuses how Brazil’s Trump wannabe learned from Trump’s mistakes:
So as you can see, the famous Wheel Of Corruption is all lubed up and ready to go! And I myself will be nice and oiled through this edition! I’m talking about beer of course! In the number one slot this week is our old buddy Ron Desantis (1). Yes, the Fox News installed governor of Florida is mad that Biden didn’t call him, but he actually did and they agreed to actually work together to help the Sunshine State in a time of crisis. Wait, what??? Yes that’s right! In the second slot this week is Vladimir Putin (2). Yes, the premier warlord of Mother Russia is celebrating some ill gotten gains in the Ukraine war, but wait until you hear how he plans to escalate things, and trust us – it gets weird really quickly! In the third slot this week, also on the international front, Italy elected its’ new prime minister (3) – who happens to be an ultra far right, Trump-esque nutjob and we should probably be worried when the election is over and Mussolini immediately starts trending on social media. In the number 4 slot this week is our favorite Q Anon Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q – Insurrectionist) who has filed for divorce with just under a month to go before the election! In the number 5 slot this week, we’re going to lighten things up and talk about Space Force (5). Yes, the sixth branch of the US military has been releasing a lot of details, and it’s pretty apparent that they stole most of them from Star Trek and other science fiction programs. In the 6th slot this week is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6) and this week, remember the ridiculous 7 Mountains Dominionist theory? Well it’s back and it has become self-aware, and your megachurch pastors have just the guy who’s going to put everything into motion, even though his poll numbers are tanking! In the number 7 slot this week, we have a new Beating A Dead Horse (7), and in one of the more bizarre controversies we’ve seen lately, pop singer Lizzo visited the Library Of Congress in DC and played James Madison’s crystal flute, and the racist white wing of the GOP naturally has their underwear in a wad over it! Taking the number 8 slot this week is a new Conspiracy Corner (8) and we want to know, why was queen insurrectionist Ginni Thomas smiling on her way to her J6 Committee hearing? Plus why is the company behind Trump’s rallies going bankrupt? We’re not sure these two things are related, but they might be! In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week of course we’ve got a new “I Need A Drink” (9) and this week whenever a hurricane is in the news, there’s a unit of measurement to determine how screwed the East Coast is, and that’s the Waffle House Index. But what is it? We’ll have some drinks and find out! Finally this week, because of last week’s screw up, our World Tour 2022 stops at the home of the original Oktoberfest, the land of luxury cars, Bundesliga, and Neuschwanstein – Germany (10)! Plus to top things off, we’ve got one of the classic drinking bands of all time joining us – the legendary Flogging Molly! Really buy their new album Anthem or you’re no friend of this program! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!
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[font size="8"]Ron DeSantis
[br] [/font] [br]
Hey kids, it’s time for the: WHEEL. OF. CORRUPTION!!! YAY!!!!
Of course you know the rules by now – I spin the wheel and we have to talk about whatever the subject it lands on. Of course if it lands on the guacamole option, you know that it costs $1.50 extra. And the wheel is all new with lots of items on it! Here’s what is on the wheel this week:
- Guns
- Crime
- Abortion
- Poverty
- The 2020 Election
- The Insurrection
- Treason
- Buy A Vowel
- Donald Trump
- Midterm Elections
- Clip Without Context
- 5,000
- Nazi Germany
- Fox News
- Russia
- ‘Merica
- My Pillow
- Bankrupt
- International Politics
- Chance
- Fox News
- Something Random In The News
- Whammy
- Family Values
- Community Chest
- The Hurricane
- Death
- Space
- Drink
- Homosexuality
- The US Constitution
- Greed
- Clip Without Context
- Top 10 Investigates
- Beating A Dead Horse
- This Fucking Guy
- Intermission
- Holy Shit
- A Random Tweet
- World Tour 2022
- Double Whammy
- Buy A Vowel
- Drink
- Conspiracy Corner
- Random Movie Reference
- Guacamole
- 10,000
- People Are Dumb
- I Need A Drink
- Infowars
- Go Directly To Jail
- Random TV Reference
- T-Shirt Cannon
- Infowars
- People Who Somehow Got Elected
- COVID-19
- Lightning Round
- Bonus Spin
Let’s get this party started! As you can see the wheel is beer themed because we’re in Denver for the Great American Beer Festival! Come on, spin that shit! No whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… stop! Oh and it’s one of our patented Clips Without Context!
OK… something is drastically fucked up when white supremacists like Nick Fuentes side with the Taliban, though you’d think they would be natural allies. They both hate the same stuff. Spin it again! And it lands on… The Hurricane! Folks, I don’t need to tell you why elections matter. Because if you get into a natural disaster, and you have someone who’s grossly incompetent at the helm, like the Fox News installed governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, you’re gonna have a bad time. Well, ol’ Ronny is currently up a creek without a paddle. The pictures coming out of southern Florida because of Hurricane Ian are absolutely devastating. And look, we’re not here to make fun of the situation at hand. But we are here to make fun of the politicians who put us in these situations. But this is entirely on DeSantis. And there’s no low that the GOP won’t stoop to. While Biden is out touring the devastation from Hurricane Ian in Florida and Puerto Rico, Desantis is out making his touring of the disaster areas a campaign stop. Yes that’s right! Hold your boos!
From wearing campaign garb at hurricane recovery events to falsely asserting that Ian’s landfall wasn’t “even in the cone” three days earlier, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is taking his combative, hyper-partisan style into his first major natural disaster response since taking office and just weeks before the Nov. 8 election that would give the Republican a second term.
“He doesn’t handle scrutiny well. The governor suffers from a glass jaw and quick temper,” said David Jolly, a former GOP congressman from Tampa. “It becomes apparent as he’s challenged with facts that don’t fit his narrative. It may be tough to confront a governor’s word during tragedy, but it’s important the state know the truth.”
On Monday, DeSantis grew testy in an interview with a CNN reporter who asked him if Lee County, where Hurricane Ian made landfall, should have called for a mandatory evacuation earlier than Tuesday, just a day before the storm hit, the way neighboring counties had done.
“Where was your industry stationed when the storm hit? Were you guys in Lee County? No, you were in Tampa,” he said to the reporter. “So they were following the weather track, and they had to make decisions based on that. But, you know, 72 hours, they weren’t even in the cone. Forty-eight hours, they were on the periphery, so you’ve got to make the decisions best you can.”
The archived charts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s website, however, prove DeSantis wrong.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/florida-gov-ron-desantis-campaign-garb-hurricane-press-events_n_633b550ee4b02816452cd733?cbu
“He doesn’t handle scrutiny well. The governor suffers from a glass jaw and quick temper,” said David Jolly, a former GOP congressman from Tampa. “It becomes apparent as he’s challenged with facts that don’t fit his narrative. It may be tough to confront a governor’s word during tragedy, but it’s important the state know the truth.”
On Monday, DeSantis grew testy in an interview with a CNN reporter who asked him if Lee County, where Hurricane Ian made landfall, should have called for a mandatory evacuation earlier than Tuesday, just a day before the storm hit, the way neighboring counties had done.
“Where was your industry stationed when the storm hit? Were you guys in Lee County? No, you were in Tampa,” he said to the reporter. “So they were following the weather track, and they had to make decisions based on that. But, you know, 72 hours, they weren’t even in the cone. Forty-eight hours, they were on the periphery, so you’ve got to make the decisions best you can.”
The archived charts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s website, however, prove DeSantis wrong.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/florida-gov-ron-desantis-campaign-garb-hurricane-press-events_n_633b550ee4b02816452cd733?cbu
Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! OK here’s the thing – you would think that a natural disaster like Hurricane Ian would be a perfect time for democrats and republicans to set aside their petty differences and work together, right? WRONG! For those of you who still watch cable news, you might have seen Desantis and other GOP talking heads like Sean Hannity complaining that Biden isn’t nice enough to Florida during this trying time. But this isn’t on Florida. This is purely on the GOP talking heads because history is once again repeating itself! You know, fool me once, shame on you, etc.
This is the story of a ravaging storm, severely shifting winds and gusts of hot air. I’m not talking about Hurricane Ian, but the actions of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) when Hurricane Sandy ravaged New York almost exactly 10 years ago.
In 2012, my congressional district on Long Island, and others around it, was devastated. Power lines down, homes uprooted or imploded, entire neighborhoods under water. Parts of our region looked war-torn. Not much different, actually, than the heartbreaking images we see in Florida today.
When Congress considered a $9.7 billion relief package for my region, then-freshman Rep. Ron DeSantis voted no, saying that he’d been elected to oppose the “put it on the credit card mentality.”
Apparently, things have changed. Now, when Floridians survey the wreckage of their homes, beaches and businesses, the governor has learned that he must, well govern. Now, the same man who refused to support a lifeline for flooded New Yorkers argues that we’re all in the same boat. He’s gone from chest-thumper to glad-hander with the Biden administration. In February, he wrongly said that President Biden “stiffs” storm victims for political reasons. This week, he proclaimed that he was “thankful” for the Biden administration’s efforts.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/for-ron-desantis-what-a-difference-a-deluge-makes/ar-AA12y5N5?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=13fa06d99f5945bba8c99d45d5b4875d
In 2012, my congressional district on Long Island, and others around it, was devastated. Power lines down, homes uprooted or imploded, entire neighborhoods under water. Parts of our region looked war-torn. Not much different, actually, than the heartbreaking images we see in Florida today.
When Congress considered a $9.7 billion relief package for my region, then-freshman Rep. Ron DeSantis voted no, saying that he’d been elected to oppose the “put it on the credit card mentality.”
Apparently, things have changed. Now, when Floridians survey the wreckage of their homes, beaches and businesses, the governor has learned that he must, well govern. Now, the same man who refused to support a lifeline for flooded New Yorkers argues that we’re all in the same boat. He’s gone from chest-thumper to glad-hander with the Biden administration. In February, he wrongly said that President Biden “stiffs” storm victims for political reasons. This week, he proclaimed that he was “thankful” for the Biden administration’s efforts.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/for-ron-desantis-what-a-difference-a-deluge-makes/ar-AA12y5N5?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=13fa06d99f5945bba8c99d45d5b4875d
Yeah so 10 years! 10 fucking years! Florida has had four hurricanes since then! It’s truly mind boggling how incompetent these people are! But then again have you seen how toxic the politics in the Villages are? Basically a haven for fascism. Oh and guess what? You know how we love to point out how actions have consequences on this show? Well, here’s a perfect example of why you shouldn’t vote for incompetent buffoons like Desantis. If you live in Florida and you value your property, well, while Desantis was fighting bullshit culture wars and pulling horrifying stunts to get points with Fox News viewers, this happened while you weren’t looking.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has had a busy year. He has enacted legislation prohibiting teachers from acknowledging the existence of LGBTQ people. He has banned private businesses from conducting trainings about racial bias. And he has flown dozens of migrants from San Antonio, Texas to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, under false pretenses.
But while DeSantis was fighting the culture wars and positioning himself for a future presidential run, he has failed to meaningfully address one of the state's biggest problems: its dysfunctional and collapsing property insurance market.
Florida's property insurance system was in crisis even though the state had not been struck by a major hurricane since 2018. Then Hurricane Ian slammed into Florida's west coast, killing at least 74 people and inflicting tens of billions of dollars in property damage. Things are about to get much worse.
Florida property faces catastrophic risks from weather events that worsen each year due to climate change. For years, many of the nation's major insurers have wanted little to do with covering property in Florida. Currently, State Farm covers 8% of Florida’s home insurance market, but "no other major national insurer has more than 4%."
That leaves Floridians reliant on thinly-capitalized local insurers with very high rates. Floridians pay an average of "$4,231 a year per [property insurance] policy, compared to a US average of $1,544." Premiums have increased as much as 30% per year. Nevertheless, these companies are having a hard time surviving. In the last five years, six Florida insurance companies have gone out of business "without responding to a hurricane, and four more are in the process of liquidation."
https://popular.info/p/what-happened-while-ron-desantis
But while DeSantis was fighting the culture wars and positioning himself for a future presidential run, he has failed to meaningfully address one of the state's biggest problems: its dysfunctional and collapsing property insurance market.
Florida's property insurance system was in crisis even though the state had not been struck by a major hurricane since 2018. Then Hurricane Ian slammed into Florida's west coast, killing at least 74 people and inflicting tens of billions of dollars in property damage. Things are about to get much worse.
Florida property faces catastrophic risks from weather events that worsen each year due to climate change. For years, many of the nation's major insurers have wanted little to do with covering property in Florida. Currently, State Farm covers 8% of Florida’s home insurance market, but "no other major national insurer has more than 4%."
That leaves Floridians reliant on thinly-capitalized local insurers with very high rates. Floridians pay an average of "$4,231 a year per [property insurance] policy, compared to a US average of $1,544." Premiums have increased as much as 30% per year. Nevertheless, these companies are having a hard time surviving. In the last five years, six Florida insurance companies have gone out of business "without responding to a hurricane, and four more are in the process of liquidation."
https://popular.info/p/what-happened-while-ron-desantis
Seriously, Fox News wants this guy to be president! Can you imagine? And no, Ronnie, the press wasn’t rooting for the hurricane, you dipshit. But you want to know the most bizarre thing about all of this? So remember that migrant story that I talked about a couple of weeks ago? Well guess what? Now they’re being lured back to Florida to help assist with the Hurricane Ian clean up. You really can’t make any of this shit up. Florida doesn’t want migrants coming to their state, because Fox News told them so, but now they want them back because… reasons. And this is after Desantis accused the hurricane looters of being migrants. We got to get these morons out of power. Sigh.
The Venezuelan migrants were cold and disoriented, wandering streets in Queens, New York, looking for a white van that would shuttle them to jobs cleaning up after Hurricane Ian in Florida.
They didn't find the vehicle. Instead, community organizers discouraged the migrants from taking a job with people they didn't know. The whole thing, they warned, was a scam.
"It sounds like human trafficking," said Ariadna Phillips, of community organizers South Bronx Mutual Aid, who intercepted the migrants and steered them to a shelter. "They recruit migrants, take them down there, don't pay them and get them deported. We've seen it with other hurricanes."
Immigrant workers from Mexico, Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras and other countries are often at the center of the multibillion-dollar disaster recovery industry, and the aftermath of Hurricane Ian probably will be different. Experts predict migrants will descend on Florida to help repair properties after the deadly storm, putting their lives at danger for little pay.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/10/05/migrants-key-to-rebuilding-florida-after-hurricane-ian-but-vulnerable-to-scams/8177904001/
They didn't find the vehicle. Instead, community organizers discouraged the migrants from taking a job with people they didn't know. The whole thing, they warned, was a scam.
"It sounds like human trafficking," said Ariadna Phillips, of community organizers South Bronx Mutual Aid, who intercepted the migrants and steered them to a shelter. "They recruit migrants, take them down there, don't pay them and get them deported. We've seen it with other hurricanes."
Immigrant workers from Mexico, Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras and other countries are often at the center of the multibillion-dollar disaster recovery industry, and the aftermath of Hurricane Ian probably will be different. Experts predict migrants will descend on Florida to help repair properties after the deadly storm, putting their lives at danger for little pay.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/10/05/migrants-key-to-rebuilding-florida-after-hurricane-ian-but-vulnerable-to-scams/8177904001/
[div style="padding: 20px; background-color: #ffffff; border-radius: 10px; box-shadow: 0px 2px 4px 1px #aaa;"][div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-weight: bold; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999; padding-bottom: 8px;"]
[font size="8"]Vladimir Putin
[br] [/font] [br]
Let’s spin it to win it! And it lands on… come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… STOP! And it lands on… DRINK! Come on everyone let’s get a toast! Ziggy socky Ziggy socky oy oy oy!
Spin it again! And it lands on… Russia! For those of you who thought that Vladimir Putin’s illegal and immoral invasion and occupation of Ukraine would be over by now, guess what? It looks like we’re in it for the long haul. Because it looks like Pooty is determined to take over that country at any cost, even if it winds up killing him. While last week’s edition was canceled, during the planning stages, we found out that Putin plans to escalate the war on Ukraine. And like everything Russia does, it’s going to get weird. And it’s going to get really weird, really quickly. So Vladimir Putin basically went to plan B – a draft. And it’s mandatory. That’s something no one wants to participate in. So naturally you can imagine that this is creating some serious chaos in Mother Russia. But Putin isn’t taking no for an answer and he’s determined to completely destroy Ukraine at any cost. Think we’ve seen the worst of it? Oh hell no. Like the song says – you ain’t seen nothing yet!
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nationwide mobilization has dramatically raised the stakes — not just for the war in Ukraine, but for his legitimacy at home. Putin is wagering that the addition of 300,000 or more reservists will turn the tide for Russia’s attempted neo-imperial conquest of Ukraine.
The risk, though, is that the Kremlin’s heavy-handed mobilization — really, a forced conscription — will undermine Russian domestic support for the war effort, and potentially topple the Putinist regime itself. Already, stories and videos are emerging of young men fleeing Russia by air, rail, and road, inflicting gruesome injuries upon themselves in hopes of disqualification, protesting the mobilization, or tearfully acceding to an uncertain fate on the front lines.
And while it is still too soon to say whether Putin’s gamble will ultimately help him or hurt him politically, he’s not the first Russian autocrat to attempt a mass mobilization to change the tide in a war of uncertain value to ordinary Russians. In the 20th century, there were two that sparked similar unrest — one in 1904 for the Russo-Japanese war, and another in 1914 during World War I.
Both those mobilizations eventually contributed to popular uprisings that culminated in the Russian Revolution of 1917. But the history of that unrest holds important lessons on the impact of war mobilization on the stability of Russia’s autocratic institutions and the risks facing Putin.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/09/28/putins-military-draft-is-unpopular-so-what-00059145
The risk, though, is that the Kremlin’s heavy-handed mobilization — really, a forced conscription — will undermine Russian domestic support for the war effort, and potentially topple the Putinist regime itself. Already, stories and videos are emerging of young men fleeing Russia by air, rail, and road, inflicting gruesome injuries upon themselves in hopes of disqualification, protesting the mobilization, or tearfully acceding to an uncertain fate on the front lines.
And while it is still too soon to say whether Putin’s gamble will ultimately help him or hurt him politically, he’s not the first Russian autocrat to attempt a mass mobilization to change the tide in a war of uncertain value to ordinary Russians. In the 20th century, there were two that sparked similar unrest — one in 1904 for the Russo-Japanese war, and another in 1914 during World War I.
Both those mobilizations eventually contributed to popular uprisings that culminated in the Russian Revolution of 1917. But the history of that unrest holds important lessons on the impact of war mobilization on the stability of Russia’s autocratic institutions and the risks facing Putin.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/09/28/putins-military-draft-is-unpopular-so-what-00059145
Yeah so like all drafts, this one is woefully unpopular with the Russkies. But remember what I said about things getting weird quickly? Well… there’s a caveat. And I saw a lot of requests to do this story come across my desk so we got to talk about it. That caveat? You got to supply your own medical equipment should you get drafted. So what happens if one of these troops should get shot while on the front lines of the war? Well… the Russian government has a plan for that. And it’s about as insane as it sounds. I can’t even say it, it’s too insane.
Russian troops in Ukraine are running out of medical provisions, according to the U.K.'s Ministry of Defence, and have been asked to source their own combat first aid supplies.
The advice to reservists mobilized under President Putin's recent partial draft and now heading to the battlefield, according to British intelligence, is to use female sanitary products.
"Medical provision for Russian combat troops in Ukraine is probably growing worse," wrote the U.K. Ministry of Defence on Friday.
"Some newly mobilised Russian reservists have been ordered to source their own combat first aid supplies, with the advice that female sanitary products are a cost-effective solution."
Russian troops, including reservists, likely lack proper medical training and first-aid awareness, the U.K. Ministry of Defence says.
Modern tourniquets—the strap-like tool used to apply pressure on a limb to stop the flood of blood—are also "scarce," British officials say.
https://www.newsweek.com/russian-troops-female-sanitary-products-supply-issues-uk-1747749
The advice to reservists mobilized under President Putin's recent partial draft and now heading to the battlefield, according to British intelligence, is to use female sanitary products.
"Medical provision for Russian combat troops in Ukraine is probably growing worse," wrote the U.K. Ministry of Defence on Friday.
"Some newly mobilised Russian reservists have been ordered to source their own combat first aid supplies, with the advice that female sanitary products are a cost-effective solution."
Russian troops, including reservists, likely lack proper medical training and first-aid awareness, the U.K. Ministry of Defence says.
Modern tourniquets—the strap-like tool used to apply pressure on a limb to stop the flood of blood—are also "scarce," British officials say.
https://www.newsweek.com/russian-troops-female-sanitary-products-supply-issues-uk-1747749
Yes that’s a good question! And I have many questions about this as well. So let’s put the pieces together. The Russian government is going broke. No one wants to fight in Putin’s illegal war. So they’re resorting to a draft. And if you get drafted, you got to supply your own medical equipment in the event that you get shot. And when tourinquets are in short supply… you know what works? And honestly I got to admit that I didn’t have this on my 2022 apocalypse bingo card! Maybe this is how we end Putin’s illegal war!
Russian President Vladimir Putin's newest conscripts are being advised to pack sanitary products as a form of first aid, according to the UK's Ministry of Defence.
"Medical provision for Russian combat troops in Ukraine is probably growing worse," read a statement from the MOD on Friday.
"Some newly mobilized Russian reservists have been ordered to source their own combat first aid supplies, with the advice that female sanitary products are a cost-effective solution," it said.
Russia's Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
However, Russian Defense Committee member Dmitry Perminov denied similar reports on Tuesday, telling Russian news site Podyum that "this is the first time" he hears that such items were being used in the army.
https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-soldiers-told-use-sanitary-products-first-aid-uk-mod-2022-9
"Medical provision for Russian combat troops in Ukraine is probably growing worse," read a statement from the MOD on Friday.
"Some newly mobilized Russian reservists have been ordered to source their own combat first aid supplies, with the advice that female sanitary products are a cost-effective solution," it said.
Russia's Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
However, Russian Defense Committee member Dmitry Perminov denied similar reports on Tuesday, telling Russian news site Podyum that "this is the first time" he hears that such items were being used in the army.
https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-soldiers-told-use-sanitary-products-first-aid-uk-mod-2022-9
This whole thing is insane. Make no mistake that Vladimir Putin is a mad man who’s out for world domination. He is grossly unpopular even in his own country. I think even naval lint, fertilizer, and moldy cheese have higher approval ratings than he does. History is not going to be kind to this war mongering tyrant. In fact his draft is so unpopular that people are resorting to some absolutely drastic measures to get out of it. And this is something that we can’t make fun of so we won’t even try. But we will say this – Vladimir Putin, nobody likes a tyrant, and history is not kind to them or to you.
An estimated 400,000 Russians have fled to nearby countries like Kazakhstan, Georgia, Mongolia—as well as the European Union and countries further afield like Turkey—since the draft was announced in late September, according to Bloomberg, an exodus that has prompted several neighboring states to restrict Russians entering on tourist visas.
Fleeing Russians sometimes faced days-long queues to cross the border and soaring demand sent the prices for plane tickets skyrocketing, particularly to countries offering Russians visa-free entry like Turkey, Serbia and the United Arab Emirates.
Those unable or unwilling to leave Russia have sometimes resorted to drastic means to evade the draft by other, usually medical, means, and Russian search terms like “how to break an arm,” “how to break an arm at home” or “how to break a leg” spiked on Google (which is still used by millions in Russia) in the days after the draft was announced, suggesting more interest in the topic than usual.
Gruesome videos of men allegedly breaking their arms or legs in a desperate bid to avoid being drafted have reportedly cropped up online, including footage showing men taking sledgehammers to a friend’s limb.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/10/04/russians-use-drastic-measures-to-avoid-putins-military-draft-including-self-mutilation/?sh=29f688c26d1b
Fleeing Russians sometimes faced days-long queues to cross the border and soaring demand sent the prices for plane tickets skyrocketing, particularly to countries offering Russians visa-free entry like Turkey, Serbia and the United Arab Emirates.
Those unable or unwilling to leave Russia have sometimes resorted to drastic means to evade the draft by other, usually medical, means, and Russian search terms like “how to break an arm,” “how to break an arm at home” or “how to break a leg” spiked on Google (which is still used by millions in Russia) in the days after the draft was announced, suggesting more interest in the topic than usual.
Gruesome videos of men allegedly breaking their arms or legs in a desperate bid to avoid being drafted have reportedly cropped up online, including footage showing men taking sledgehammers to a friend’s limb.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/10/04/russians-use-drastic-measures-to-avoid-putins-military-draft-including-self-mutilation/?sh=29f688c26d1b
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[font size="8"]Georgia Meloni
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Now entering the spin cycle! Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… STOP! No, a whammy!!!!
Spin it again! And it lands on… International Politics. Sigh… remember the old saying “those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it”? Well guess what? It’s happening. Shit, not even two weeks ago, when our World Tour stopped in Italy did we warn of the dangers of what’s happening with the Italian election. And here’s the thing, Italy. We’ve been there. America flirted with fascism and totalitarianism. One of the lessons learned? Anyone who comes along saying “ First” is bad, OK? Nationalism is bad. Fascism is bad. And authoritarianism – wait for it – is also bad! So when Italy elects a far right prime minister and the first thing that trends on Twitter is immediately “Mussolini”, should we be worried? The answer to that question is undeniably yes! Especially considering that Italy is a country that has been here before in its’ history. That being said, we have learned nothing about history. And because of that, we are doomed to repeat it, and it’s probably going to be worse than the first time. Italy’s new PM, Georgia Meloni, is going to be utterly terrifying.
Giorgia Meloni, who is poised to become Italy’s next prime minister, has promised to put national interests first in tackling soaring energy costs as she made her first public outing since her Brothers of Italy party won the most votes in the country’s national election.
Meloni addressed farmers and producers on Saturday at an agricultural fair in Milan sponsored by Italy’s influential Coldiretti farm lobby.
She emerged from a week of closed-door meetings with allies and the outgoing government following the vote on 25 September that is poised to give Italy its first far-right-led government since the second world war.
Her appearance came after Germany this week announced it would spend up to €200bn (£175bn) helping consumers and businesses cope with surging energy prices caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine, while refusing to back a European price cap on gas, as Italy and other countries have sought.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/01/giorgia-meloni-says-she-will-put-italy-first-in-tackling-high-energy-costs
Meloni addressed farmers and producers on Saturday at an agricultural fair in Milan sponsored by Italy’s influential Coldiretti farm lobby.
She emerged from a week of closed-door meetings with allies and the outgoing government following the vote on 25 September that is poised to give Italy its first far-right-led government since the second world war.
Her appearance came after Germany this week announced it would spend up to €200bn (£175bn) helping consumers and businesses cope with surging energy prices caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine, while refusing to back a European price cap on gas, as Italy and other countries have sought.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/01/giorgia-meloni-says-she-will-put-italy-first-in-tackling-high-energy-costs
Yeah think about that – first far right government in Italy since the second World War. I mean come on, we fought two World Wars against far right ideals, and now it looks like we’re going to be fighting a third any day now. Let’s go through future PM Meloni’s qualifications. She’s far right. Check. Hates immigrants and immigration. Check. Hates workers. Check. Also brands herself in the same way that our GOP brands themselves? Check mate. So yeah welcome to your new nightmare, Italy!
Giorgia Meloni, leader of Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy), will become the first female prime minister in Italy’s history.
Her election last month will move the country to the far right for the first time since Benito Mussolini’s fall during World War II. The Brothers of Italy, which was founded by Meloni, is a national-conservative populist party that opposes undocumented immigration, according to its website.
Meloni’s victory now means uncertainty for those who migrated to Italy.
When Baryali Waiz, a refugee in Italy, heard the results of the general election, he said he was worried.
“What happens when voters can’t find work? They blame migrants,” Waiz told ABC News.
As of August, Italy’s unemployment rate stood at 8.1%, the third highest in the European Union after Spain and Greece.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/migrants-italy-face-uncertainty-prime-ministers-win/story?id=90916653
Her election last month will move the country to the far right for the first time since Benito Mussolini’s fall during World War II. The Brothers of Italy, which was founded by Meloni, is a national-conservative populist party that opposes undocumented immigration, according to its website.
Meloni’s victory now means uncertainty for those who migrated to Italy.
When Baryali Waiz, a refugee in Italy, heard the results of the general election, he said he was worried.
“What happens when voters can’t find work? They blame migrants,” Waiz told ABC News.
As of August, Italy’s unemployment rate stood at 8.1%, the third highest in the European Union after Spain and Greece.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/migrants-italy-face-uncertainty-prime-ministers-win/story?id=90916653
You know part of our motto here at the Top 10 Conservative Idiots is that we believe that the rising tide of fascism and authoritarianism that hit the US with the Trump regime isn’t just unique to the United States Of America. No, it’s a global problem that is toppling countries and turning governments inside out all over the world. Italy is just the latest domino to fall. So what are Meloni’s policies? Well, Meloni is very much Italy first. And if we know anything from Trump’s America First policies, things are going to get very bad very quickly for our friends in Italy.
Giorgia Meloni, who is poised to become Italy’s next prime minister, has promised to put national interests first in tackling soaring energy costs as she made her first public outing since her Brothers of Italy party won the most votes in the country’s national election.
Meloni addressed farmers and producers on Saturday at an agricultural fair in Milan sponsored by Italy’s influential Coldiretti farm lobby.
She emerged from a week of closed-door meetings with allies and the outgoing government following the vote on 25 September that is poised to give Italy its first far-right-led government since the second world war.
Her appearance came after Germany this week announced it would spend up to €200bn (£175bn) helping consumers and businesses cope with surging energy prices caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine, while refusing to back a European price cap on gas, as Italy and other countries have sought.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/01/giorgia-meloni-says-she-will-put-italy-first-in-tackling-high-energy-costs
Meloni addressed farmers and producers on Saturday at an agricultural fair in Milan sponsored by Italy’s influential Coldiretti farm lobby.
She emerged from a week of closed-door meetings with allies and the outgoing government following the vote on 25 September that is poised to give Italy its first far-right-led government since the second world war.
Her appearance came after Germany this week announced it would spend up to €200bn (£175bn) helping consumers and businesses cope with surging energy prices caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine, while refusing to back a European price cap on gas, as Italy and other countries have sought.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/01/giorgia-meloni-says-she-will-put-italy-first-in-tackling-high-energy-costs
And by the way, in case you’re wondering, why yes of course the American right is praising the Italian far right’s gains in government. Again, these are some truly sick and twisted people we are dealing with. But again, like I keep saying, the rising tide of fascism around the globe is affecting the entire world. If you don’t believe me, Italy’s far right is acting exactly like our far right. No matter where you go in the world, the far right is pretty much the same. Just different labels for different parties. We have to stop these fascist fucks from getting elected. The world depends on it!
Giorgia Meloni is set to become Italy's first-ever female prime minister after her Brothers of Italy party won a startling victory on September 26. Yet, actually governing Italy may prove a difficult task, with most Italian governments lasting less than two years in office.
She captured the premiership with a take-no-prisoners style and skillful use of populist politics. For example, she once struck at French President Emmanuel Macron with a critique of France's role in Africa that reflects her careful political instincts in a video shared widely on social media.
"Do not come to teach us lessons, Macron; the Africans are abandoning their continent because of you," Meloni said at an Italian conservative conference in 2018. "The solution is not to transfer Africans to Europe but to liberate Africa from some Europeans."
Some consider the Brothers of Italy to be far-right due to their ties to political groups formed in Italy after World War II. Meloni herself shrugs off the label as a smear. Though as a teenage activist, she once publicly praised Mussolini. Yet, her willingness to embrace anti-imperialist rhetoric suggests ideological flexibility and a rejection of Italian fascism of which imperialism in Africa was a key tenet.
https://www.newsweek.com/what-we-know-about-italy-next-prime-minister-giorgia-meloni-views-1748307
She captured the premiership with a take-no-prisoners style and skillful use of populist politics. For example, she once struck at French President Emmanuel Macron with a critique of France's role in Africa that reflects her careful political instincts in a video shared widely on social media.
"Do not come to teach us lessons, Macron; the Africans are abandoning their continent because of you," Meloni said at an Italian conservative conference in 2018. "The solution is not to transfer Africans to Europe but to liberate Africa from some Europeans."
Some consider the Brothers of Italy to be far-right due to their ties to political groups formed in Italy after World War II. Meloni herself shrugs off the label as a smear. Though as a teenage activist, she once publicly praised Mussolini. Yet, her willingness to embrace anti-imperialist rhetoric suggests ideological flexibility and a rejection of Italian fascism of which imperialism in Africa was a key tenet.
https://www.newsweek.com/what-we-know-about-italy-next-prime-minister-giorgia-meloni-views-1748307
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[font size="8"]Marjorie Taylor Greene
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Let’s give the wheel a good strong spin, shall we? And it lands on… come on no whammy no whammy no whammy… STOP! Oh it’s one of our patented Clips Without Context!
Really, a guy who arrests people on reality television is a religious fascist? Never would have guessed!
Spin it again! And it lands on… Family Values! You know I always love when the GOP champions themselves as the party of “family values”. Because if anything, they don’t know what family values actually are. Case in point, our old friend Marjorie Taylor Green (Q – Insurrectionist). Who claims to be a “god fearing Christian white mother”. Which only really looks good to the white wing of the GOP. We all knew her affairs were weird. But now that she’s actually filed for divorce, we’re going to see just how weird things are really going to get. Like answer me this, what part of family values involves a tantric yoga sex guru? I thought so! But like most divorces, after 27 years, you really got to wonder what was the line that was finally crossed that shouldn’t have been? We have our suspicions, and Marjorie Three Names has crossed many of those lines repeatedly. Whether it’s harassing mass shooting victims or going on Steve Bannon’s show to complain about the January 6th investigation. But one thing we can be assured of – things are going to get weird.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) husband filed for divorce Wednesday on the grounds that the marriage is “irretrievably broken,” according to court documents.
Perry Greene is also asking the Floyd County Superior Court to seal the divorce proceedings, “because the parties’ significant privacy interest in sealing the records outweighs the public’s miniscule interest in access to said records.”
The filing contends that “sensitive personal and financial information” will likely be revealed throughout the case, “which would negatively impact the parties’ privacy interests.”
Perry Greene’s divorce petition requests an equitable division of the pair’s assets and debt. The filing notes that he and his wife have already separated.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3666094-marjorie-taylor-greens-husband-files-for-divorce/
Perry Greene is also asking the Floyd County Superior Court to seal the divorce proceedings, “because the parties’ significant privacy interest in sealing the records outweighs the public’s miniscule interest in access to said records.”
The filing contends that “sensitive personal and financial information” will likely be revealed throughout the case, “which would negatively impact the parties’ privacy interests.”
Perry Greene’s divorce petition requests an equitable division of the pair’s assets and debt. The filing notes that he and his wife have already separated.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3666094-marjorie-taylor-greens-husband-files-for-divorce/
This is the Christian right hypocrisy in a nutshell right here. they say they’re all about family values and respecting the family. But in case you’re wondering the caliber of person that Marjorie Trash Garbage is, she’s the kind of person that would literally kick a man when he’s down. Case in point – Greene kicked a man when he was down and started hurling racist slurs at him. Yeah that’s the kind of caliber person you can expect to find when you get an Infowars approved Congressperson. And yes, Marjorie Greene is approved by the Infowars sphere because she appears on that show almost daily.
A Gen-Z political group said it will file a formal complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics against Georgia Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, alleging she physically and verbally attacked two staffers.
According to Voters for Tomorrow, which engages, educates and represents youth in politics, the alleged incident occurred as the group's deputy communications director Marianna Pecora and executive director Santiago Mayer confronted Greene about her stance on gun safety in schools last month.
During the encounter, they said Greene kicked 18-year-old Pecora and made xenophobic comments at Mayer, a 20-year-old Mexican immigrant.
Voters of Tomorrow said the complaint will accuse Greene of conduct unbecoming of a member of Congress. House Rule XXIII, Clause 1 requires a member to "behave at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House."
"Violence and xenophobia are always wrong, and we must hold members of Congress to those standards as well," Voters of Tomorrow spokesperson Jack Lobel said in a statement provided to Newsweek.
https://www.newsweek.com/complaint-against-marjorie-taylor-greene-kicking-teen-1748638
According to Voters for Tomorrow, which engages, educates and represents youth in politics, the alleged incident occurred as the group's deputy communications director Marianna Pecora and executive director Santiago Mayer confronted Greene about her stance on gun safety in schools last month.
During the encounter, they said Greene kicked 18-year-old Pecora and made xenophobic comments at Mayer, a 20-year-old Mexican immigrant.
Voters of Tomorrow said the complaint will accuse Greene of conduct unbecoming of a member of Congress. House Rule XXIII, Clause 1 requires a member to "behave at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House."
"Violence and xenophobia are always wrong, and we must hold members of Congress to those standards as well," Voters of Tomorrow spokesperson Jack Lobel said in a statement provided to Newsweek.
https://www.newsweek.com/complaint-against-marjorie-taylor-greene-kicking-teen-1748638
Yeah so that’s totally baffling to me. Any other job, Marjorie would have been fired on the first day for her irreprehensible behavior. Yet, somehow in Congress, this is acceptable. Of course that happens when the opposition party has been taken over by a deranged cult. So that’s the kind of caliber of character that Marjorie Greene is. So naturally her husband wanted to blow the lid off on the divorce, because naturally we suspect that he knows things about her that we don’t. But here’s what we do know in the initial filing here.
Marjorie Taylor Greene 's husband is filing for divorce from the controversial 48-year-old Georgia Republican congresswoman
Husband, Perry Greene, filed for divorce on Tuesday after 27 years of marriage
The pair were married in August 1995 whilst she was still a student at the University of Georgia - the pair brought up three children, all now adults
In 2012, Marjorie Taylor Greene had filed for divorce following affairs with tantric sex guru Craig Ivey and fitness gym manager Justin Tway
Last year it was revealed how she planned to leave Perry in July 2012 but reconciled with him two months later
Divorce papers show Taylor Greene blamed the marriage breakdown on their relationship being 'irretrievably broken'
She had met her two lovers while working at a gym in Georgia in 2012
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11260893/Marjorie-Taylor-Greenes-husband-files-DIVORCE-just-years-met-gym-manager-lover.html
Husband, Perry Greene, filed for divorce on Tuesday after 27 years of marriage
The pair were married in August 1995 whilst she was still a student at the University of Georgia - the pair brought up three children, all now adults
In 2012, Marjorie Taylor Greene had filed for divorce following affairs with tantric sex guru Craig Ivey and fitness gym manager Justin Tway
Last year it was revealed how she planned to leave Perry in July 2012 but reconciled with him two months later
Divorce papers show Taylor Greene blamed the marriage breakdown on their relationship being 'irretrievably broken'
She had met her two lovers while working at a gym in Georgia in 2012
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11260893/Marjorie-Taylor-Greenes-husband-files-DIVORCE-just-years-met-gym-manager-lover.html
OK… OK… I have many questions here. Look these are the people who preach endlessly about family values but then they go out and have countless affairs. Well, I ask you – what kind of “family values” involve having an affair with a tantric yoga sex guru? Not too many that I can think of. Which is why we say this thing is going to get really weird really quickly. Because abusive adulterators are the kind of mind that Trump attracts. And if you think Marjorie and Lauren Boebert are the only ones out there, we can assure you they are not!
The husband of controversial Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene filed for divorce Wednesday on grounds their marriage is “irretrievably broken.”
Perry Greene, who married the firebrand politician, filed the divorce petition in the Georgia Superior Court of Floyd County. Court papers show Greene and his wife, 48, had already separated.
In his initial filing, Greene asked to seal the divorce proceedings, “because the parties’ significant privacy interest in sealing the records outweighs the public’s minuscule interest in access to said records,” court documents show.
"Sensitive personal and financial information” will likely be revealed throughout the case, according to that filing, “which would negatively impact the parties’ privacy interests.”
On Monday, Greene filed a motion to withdraw his request for the sealing.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/09/29/marjorie-taylor-greene-husband-files-divorce/10459286002/
Perry Greene, who married the firebrand politician, filed the divorce petition in the Georgia Superior Court of Floyd County. Court papers show Greene and his wife, 48, had already separated.
In his initial filing, Greene asked to seal the divorce proceedings, “because the parties’ significant privacy interest in sealing the records outweighs the public’s minuscule interest in access to said records,” court documents show.
"Sensitive personal and financial information” will likely be revealed throughout the case, according to that filing, “which would negatively impact the parties’ privacy interests.”
On Monday, Greene filed a motion to withdraw his request for the sealing.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/09/29/marjorie-taylor-greene-husband-files-divorce/10459286002/
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[font size="8"]Space Force
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Let’s give the wheel a good strong spin, shall we? And it lands on… come on no whammy no whammy no whammy… STOP! Chance!
Nice! I get a Get Out Of Jail Free card. I’ll just put that away for later. Spin it again! And it lands on… Space!
Our former president doesn’t have much claim to his name, but he did get the 6th branch of the US military established in 2019 – Space Force! Which doesn’t even make sense considering that space travel isn’t really a thing and is the fevered dream of a mad man. Oh wait, that guy was a mad man. But now the details are coming out about what exactly the 6th branch of the military is. And as you may have guessed it’s extremely laughable. I mean after all, how do you command a branch of the military that is something straight out of science fiction? Well, you basically copy science fiction! I mean come on, anyone with half a brain who’s spent any amount of time watching science fiction programs – whether it's classic programs like Star Trek, or newer programs like The Orville, will recognize all of the things that Space Force is doing. But this week, Space Force unveiled its’ official song. Before we go any further, can we play that please?
Wow. Just… wow. OK here’s more.
As those lyrics indicate, members of the Space Force are called "guardians," which cues the service up for "Guardians of the Galaxy" jokes. Every branch of the U.S. military has a specific name for its personnel; for example, those in the Army and Navy are called soldiers and sailors, respectively.
Each branch also has its own song. You may have heard "The Army Goes Rolling Along (opens in new tab)," which uses a melody written by march master John Philip Sousa.
The Space Force was officially established in December 2019, becoming the first new branch of the U.S. military since the Air Force began operations in 1947. The Space Force is part of the Air Force, much as the U.S. Marine Corps is part of the Navy.
The Space Force "is responsible for organizing, training, and equipping Guardians to conduct global space operations that enhance the way our joint and coalition forces fight, while also offering decision makers military options to achieve national objectives," the branch's mission statement reads (opens in new tab).
https://www.space.com/space-force-official-song-semper-supra
Each branch also has its own song. You may have heard "The Army Goes Rolling Along (opens in new tab)," which uses a melody written by march master John Philip Sousa.
The Space Force was officially established in December 2019, becoming the first new branch of the U.S. military since the Air Force began operations in 1947. The Space Force is part of the Air Force, much as the U.S. Marine Corps is part of the Navy.
The Space Force "is responsible for organizing, training, and equipping Guardians to conduct global space operations that enhance the way our joint and coalition forces fight, while also offering decision makers military options to achieve national objectives," the branch's mission statement reads (opens in new tab).
https://www.space.com/space-force-official-song-semper-supra
That is a good point! But I do love the fact that they’re called “Guardians”. Yes, that is a good point, sir, they really are the Guardians Of The Galaxy! When do we get our own Groots? Now you might be asking – what is Space Force going to do exactly? Well, that is a good question. Because as we have said space travel currently is but the fevered dream of a mad man. So for right now, Space Force has taken on the very unexciting task of managing the US Army’s satellite communications. Yeah it’s about as exciting as it sounds!
After taking control of all of the Defense Department’s satellite communication functions earlier this year, the Space Force is continuing to look for ways to consolidate more systems into its portfolio of capabilities.
The Army’s satellite communications mission was officially transferred to the Space Force in August, following the transfer of the Navy’s Satellite Operations Center in June. This marks the first time all Defense Department military satellite communication functions have been consolidated under a single service, a Space Force release said.
Having all of these missions under one service has had a major impact on the Space Force, said Maj. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess, vice commander of Space Operations Command.
“The whole satcom architecture is within one Delta commander at one field command,” Schiess said during a panel discussion at the Air and Space Forces Association’s annual Air, Space and Cyber event in National Harbor, Maryland, on Sept. 19.
https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2022/9/19/space-force-consolidating-us-satcom-capabilities
The Army’s satellite communications mission was officially transferred to the Space Force in August, following the transfer of the Navy’s Satellite Operations Center in June. This marks the first time all Defense Department military satellite communication functions have been consolidated under a single service, a Space Force release said.
Having all of these missions under one service has had a major impact on the Space Force, said Maj. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess, vice commander of Space Operations Command.
“The whole satcom architecture is within one Delta commander at one field command,” Schiess said during a panel discussion at the Air and Space Forces Association’s annual Air, Space and Cyber event in National Harbor, Maryland, on Sept. 19.
https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2022/9/19/space-force-consolidating-us-satcom-capabilities
No, that was from the Steve Carrell show Space Force. Now again, there’s a lot of questions about how the mysterious sixth branch of the US military is going to operate. Like ranks, which again, are basically straight out of Star Trek. So yes, it is possible to have a branch of the military that will be dedicated to outer space exploration. But then again, so far literally everything that has come about it has been derived from some sort of science fiction program. But at least the current administration has a plan to move Space Force forward.
The Space Force may be the youngest service branch but it's not exactly new anymore, and on Monday the White House finally got around to some housekeeping that will officially make Guardians eligible for medals and citations such as the Bronze Star.
The changes made by President Joe Biden add the Space Force, founded in December 2019, into executive orders issued over the decades that govern the awarding of the Bronze Star, Air Medal, Good Conduct Medal and others. The president also amended some of the language in the orders that date back to the World War II and Vietnam eras to indicate women may either bestow or receive the awards.
The official recognition from the White House comes as the Space Force approaches its third birthday this winter. Its second chief of space operations, Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, will be taking command of the service after being confirmed last week by the Senate.
The Bronze Star and Air Medal both were created during World War II and are awarded by all the military service branches for meritorious achievement on the battlefield. The Air Medal deals specifically with air operations, as the name implies.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/10/03/space-force-guardians-are-officially-eligible-bronze-star-and-other-awards-biden-says.html
The changes made by President Joe Biden add the Space Force, founded in December 2019, into executive orders issued over the decades that govern the awarding of the Bronze Star, Air Medal, Good Conduct Medal and others. The president also amended some of the language in the orders that date back to the World War II and Vietnam eras to indicate women may either bestow or receive the awards.
The official recognition from the White House comes as the Space Force approaches its third birthday this winter. Its second chief of space operations, Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, will be taking command of the service after being confirmed last week by the Senate.
The Bronze Star and Air Medal both were created during World War II and are awarded by all the military service branches for meritorious achievement on the battlefield. The Air Medal deals specifically with air operations, as the name implies.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/10/03/space-force-guardians-are-officially-eligible-bronze-star-and-other-awards-biden-says.html
Gotta love an alien race that worships an ancient rental car company! But right now, while we don’t have any enemies coming from space, we do have a new leader for Space Force. And no, it’s not Zapp Brannigan. So who’s going to lead the sixth branch of the US Military? Well it’s interesting now that we have a president who is actually you know, good at his job, to do something about it. And we hope that the new guy who is going to lead Space Force is actually going to give us some idea of what it’s actually about. Because we still have no clue!
President Joe Biden's pick to lead the Space Force was confirmed last week by the U.S. Senate, giving the service its second ever chief.
Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman was selected in August to replace outgoing Chief of Space Operations Gen. John "Jay" Raymond. He was confirmed by voice vote late Thursday and will receive his fourth star.
"I'm humbled and honored to be confirmed as the next Chief of Space Operations," Saltzman said in a press release. "I look forward to leading the US Space Force and building on the strong foundational leadership Gen. Raymond has provided for almost three years."
Raymond is retiring after 38 years in the military that spanned both the Air Force and Space Force. He has led the Space Force since its founding in December 2019 and helped shape its mission, culture and identity as the newest military service.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/10/03/new-space-force-chief-confirmed.html
Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman was selected in August to replace outgoing Chief of Space Operations Gen. John "Jay" Raymond. He was confirmed by voice vote late Thursday and will receive his fourth star.
"I'm humbled and honored to be confirmed as the next Chief of Space Operations," Saltzman said in a press release. "I look forward to leading the US Space Force and building on the strong foundational leadership Gen. Raymond has provided for almost three years."
Raymond is retiring after 38 years in the military that spanned both the Air Force and Space Force. He has led the Space Force since its founding in December 2019 and helped shape its mission, culture and identity as the newest military service.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/10/03/new-space-force-chief-confirmed.html
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Let’s give the wheel a good strong spin, shall we? And it lands on… wait for it… oh hey it’s one of our patented Clips Without Context!
Hey! Get a room you two! Do I need to break out the fire hose? Ew, I need a drink after that one. I’ll just have some more beer. Spin it again! Oh hey it’s time for Holy Shit!
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! Please be seated! You know we live in some dark and very interesting, yet also scary times. The world is flirting with fascism and authoritarianism as opposed to freedom. In the past, we talked about a theory that’s popular in Dominionism called “7 Mountains” (see: Idiots #7-7 ) . Well, after years of attempting to get this theory off the ground, which is part white nationalism, part Nazism, and part Christian extremism, they now have a plan to put into action. Not only that, they’ve signaled out the guy who is going to lead them to prosperity. Wait, prosperity? That isn’t the kind of country that I want to live in. Because the man who they want to lead this country is the unholy, ungodly Dark One! I of course speak of a man so foul, so vile, and so disgusting that his name dare not be spoken in my church! So who is the man who the religious fundamentalists want to bring this insane theory into practice? Well, they have chosen Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano. Yes, that guy. And well, their idea of bringing their theory into practice is going about as expected.
Lance Wallnau, a self-styled “prophet” and one of America’s most strident Christian Nationalists, and Doug Mastriano, the GOP candidate who casts his bid for governor of Pennsylvania as a mission from God, are birds of a feather.
They each fired up the faithful at the Jericho March / ”Let the Church ROAR!” event in Washington, D.C., in December 2020, a Christian protest seeking divine intervention to keep Donald Trump in office. And both men were on the ground in Washington a few weeks later on Jan. 6 — each billed as speakers at Stop the Steal’s “Wild Protest” event in the shadow of the Capitol. (The speeches were preempted by the insurrection that overran the Halls of Congress.)
So it’s little surprise that the pair flocked together in mid-September, when Wallnau landed in Pennsylvania to stump for Mastriano at a rally in the candidate’s hometown near Gettysburg.
Wallnau believes that America should be a theocracy, declaring unequivocally in a 2021 online rant: “I am a Christian Nationalist.” But in his stump speech for Mastriano, Wallnau used more coded language. He turned to local history to hype up the GOP candidate, comparing him to the “Christian colonel” who led a desperate bayonet charge to victory down from Little Round Top.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/lance-wallnau-doug-mastriano-christian-dominion-1234602214/
They each fired up the faithful at the Jericho March / ”Let the Church ROAR!” event in Washington, D.C., in December 2020, a Christian protest seeking divine intervention to keep Donald Trump in office. And both men were on the ground in Washington a few weeks later on Jan. 6 — each billed as speakers at Stop the Steal’s “Wild Protest” event in the shadow of the Capitol. (The speeches were preempted by the insurrection that overran the Halls of Congress.)
So it’s little surprise that the pair flocked together in mid-September, when Wallnau landed in Pennsylvania to stump for Mastriano at a rally in the candidate’s hometown near Gettysburg.
Wallnau believes that America should be a theocracy, declaring unequivocally in a 2021 online rant: “I am a Christian Nationalist.” But in his stump speech for Mastriano, Wallnau used more coded language. He turned to local history to hype up the GOP candidate, comparing him to the “Christian colonel” who led a desperate bayonet charge to victory down from Little Round Top.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/lance-wallnau-doug-mastriano-christian-dominion-1234602214/
You want the evolution debate, that’s next door. But should we be judging what our brothers and sisters on the right are doing? I say yes because once again they are worshipping the unholy Dark One! And I dare say that the church has lost its’ way. We have seen what extremist religion does if we look at countries like India and Pakistan. Do we want that here? Hell no! And I do say that with the utmost sincerity, my fair congregation! But in case you’re wondering, the extremism that is happening in the church right now is crossing a very dangerous line!
In April 2021, business consultant and right-wing podcast host Clay Clark organized a conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma, aimed at defying national and local restrictions put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. A radical right-wing conspiracy theorist, Clark filled the event with a variety of like-minded COVID-19, election, and QAnon conspiracy theorists such as Michael Flynn, Greg Locke, Scott McKay, Ann Vandersteel, Mark Sherwood, Gene Ho, Patrick Byrne, Stella Immanuel, Jackson Lahmeyer, Leon Benjamin, Mark Burns, and Mike Lindell.
The event was such a success among the MAGA crowd that Clark decided to launch a nationwide “ReAwaken America” tour to bring his carnival of misinformation to churches all across the country. Later this month, the tour will be stopping in Manheim, Pennsylvania, and listed among the speakers is Doug Mastriano, the election-denying, Christian nationalism-promoting Republican nominee for governor of Pennsylvania (Mastriano can be seen in the lower right-hand corner of the promotional image below).
Mastriano already has deep ties to the far-right fringes of the conservative movement, having appeared earlier this year at a QAnon conference that was rife with wild conspiracy theories. Organizers of that conference even presented him with a “Sword of David” because, they said, “you are fighting for our religious rights in Christ Jesus.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/gop-nominee-doug-mastriano-to-speak-to-radical-conspiracy-theorists-ahead-of-election/
The event was such a success among the MAGA crowd that Clark decided to launch a nationwide “ReAwaken America” tour to bring his carnival of misinformation to churches all across the country. Later this month, the tour will be stopping in Manheim, Pennsylvania, and listed among the speakers is Doug Mastriano, the election-denying, Christian nationalism-promoting Republican nominee for governor of Pennsylvania (Mastriano can be seen in the lower right-hand corner of the promotional image below).
Mastriano already has deep ties to the far-right fringes of the conservative movement, having appeared earlier this year at a QAnon conference that was rife with wild conspiracy theories. Organizers of that conference even presented him with a “Sword of David” because, they said, “you are fighting for our religious rights in Christ Jesus.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/gop-nominee-doug-mastriano-to-speak-to-radical-conspiracy-theorists-ahead-of-election/
And you know, that’s kind of what these events feel like. For they are the products of SAYTAN, ruler of all that is dark and certainly EVIL! But that said, the Christian church is certainly morphing into something, and what it is, isn’t exactly what one would call “good”. But when the Christian church morphs with a movement called “America First”, think of it like the end of the Terminator when the T1000 melts down and becomes something even more dangerous! By the way, peddlers of the “7 Mountains Theory” and other acts of extremism, can you guess where they get their material?
Earlier this year, Dalton Clodfelter, a radical right-wing bigot, Christian nationalist, and fascist who openly dreams of imposing fundamentalist Christianity on the United States and censoring any opposition, was given a nightly show on the network run by far-right conspiracy theorist Stew Peters.
Peters—who has close ties to various far-right political candidates and has used his program to interview several elected officials, GOP candidates, and former members of the Trump administration—has made his network into a haven for white nationalists, racists, and Christian nationalist bigots. Clodfelter fit right in and has consistently used his program to promote white nationalism, anti-LBGTQ bigotry, and outright fascism.
During a livestream broadcast over the weekend, Clodfelter revealed that he gets all of the content for his nightly “The Right Dissident” show from the neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer.
The Daily Stormer, which took its name from an infamous Nazi propaganda tabloid Der Stürmer, is run by neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin and is filled with virulent racism, bigotry, and antisemitism.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/dalton-clodfelter-admits-to-using-neo-nazi-website-as-main-source-for-his-nightly-program/
Peters—who has close ties to various far-right political candidates and has used his program to interview several elected officials, GOP candidates, and former members of the Trump administration—has made his network into a haven for white nationalists, racists, and Christian nationalist bigots. Clodfelter fit right in and has consistently used his program to promote white nationalism, anti-LBGTQ bigotry, and outright fascism.
During a livestream broadcast over the weekend, Clodfelter revealed that he gets all of the content for his nightly “The Right Dissident” show from the neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer.
The Daily Stormer, which took its name from an infamous Nazi propaganda tabloid Der Stürmer, is run by neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin and is filled with virulent racism, bigotry, and antisemitism.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/dalton-clodfelter-admits-to-using-neo-nazi-website-as-main-source-for-his-nightly-program/
Wow, they’re not even trying to hide it anymore, aren’t they? Yeah yeah, we all know the old saying – those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Well guess what? When your church courts a guy who frequently is known for lying and misleading claims about history? You’re going to get people who don’t learn from it! And these are the people who are leading the United States down a very dark and dangerous path. If this guy shows up at your church, you might want to think about leaving it!
Earlier this month, we published a piece exposing how religious-right pseudo-historian David Barton routinely misrepresents history and scripture to support his Christian nationalist political agenda.
In that case, we examined how Barton distorted a speech delivered by Benjamin Franklin during the Constitutional Convention to claim that it was filled with Bible verses.
As we have explained before, one of Barton’s favorite methods of convincing his audience that America was founded as a Christian nation is to assert that Americans of the founding era were so deeply knowledgeable about the Bible that they referenced it continuously in their writings and speeches. If people today are incapable of recognizing all of those Bible verses, Barton asserts, that is just because they are “biblically illiterate.”
Even though we debunked Barton’s claim about Franklin’s speech, he continues to make this false claim in his presentations to churches around the country. On top of that, he recently started citing additional historical speeches and documents that he claims are overflowing with biblical citations. Here are just a few of his misleading and grossly exaggerated claims.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/bartons-bible-bunk-more-evidence-of-how-david-barton-misuses-history-and-scripture-for-political-purposes/
In that case, we examined how Barton distorted a speech delivered by Benjamin Franklin during the Constitutional Convention to claim that it was filled with Bible verses.
As we have explained before, one of Barton’s favorite methods of convincing his audience that America was founded as a Christian nation is to assert that Americans of the founding era were so deeply knowledgeable about the Bible that they referenced it continuously in their writings and speeches. If people today are incapable of recognizing all of those Bible verses, Barton asserts, that is just because they are “biblically illiterate.”
Even though we debunked Barton’s claim about Franklin’s speech, he continues to make this false claim in his presentations to churches around the country. On top of that, he recently started citing additional historical speeches and documents that he claims are overflowing with biblical citations. Here are just a few of his misleading and grossly exaggerated claims.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/bartons-bible-bunk-more-evidence-of-how-david-barton-misuses-history-and-scripture-for-political-purposes/
So flirting with neo Nazism, using some dangerous people who call themselves “prophets” and intentionally misleading the masses on US and world history, they really are gearing up for them to repeat history. 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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Let’s spin it to win it! And it lands on… come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… STOP! Intermission! Come on, I’ll just sit here and drink some more beer. What’s in the glass this time? Does it really matter at this point? Everything tastes good! But seriously, take a break! Do whatever you feel like. I’ll just drink and look at amusing clips on Instagram. Go!
Spin it again! And it’s time for Beating A Dead Horse!
Sigh… once again, the same old argument peddled by the same old racist jackasses who you know and you definitely hate. You know, I like Lizzo. I thought she was great hosting Saturday Night Live. And her music is pretty good too. In case you don’t know who Lizzo is, she’s a large black woman who is extremely proud of being a large black woman. And she also is a very talented flute player. So you can imagine during the DC stop of her tour when she visited the Library Of Congress and played James Madison’s rare crystal flute, that of course the white wing of the GOP would collectively have their underwear in a wad over this “controversy”. And who couldn’t see that Lizzo playing this particular flute would summon professional trolls like Ben Shapiro? Again, I can’t stress enough how many times must we have this same damn argument?
Lizzo, a classically trained flautist, introduced the instrument before playing it, stating:
“This is from the early 1800s, this was a gift to James Madison from a French crystal flute designer to celebrate his second term. There was a fire… and the only two things that were saved were a portrait of George Washington and this crystal flute right here. I am the first person to ever play it, so you’re about to hear what it sounds like for the first time. Thank you to the Library of Congress for preserving our history and making history cool. History is freaking cool, you guys!”
Lizzo went on to play a haunting melody with the flute, and for her final flourish, began twerking onstage, before ending the performance and giving the flute back to its handler. Unbeknownst to her, Lizzo breathing music into that ancient flute summoned a legion of trolls, furious that she had “desecrated” the sacred instrument by daring to shake her rear.
For some reason, the simple act of twerking is a move guaranteed to boil the blood of right-wing culture warriors; it’s their kryptonite, a dance move which practically requires a trigger warning in advance, lest they burst a blood vessel in blinding rage.
Jenna Ellis, a former campaign lawyer for Donald Trump, said Lizzo’s performance was a “desecration, purposefully, of America’s history.” Matt Walsh, an right-wing influencer, described Lizzo’s performance as “a form of racial retribution, according to the woke Left.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2022/10/02/lizzo-plays-a-200-year-old-crystal-flute-accidentally-summons-a-swarm-of-trolls/?sh=230679dadc4d
“This is from the early 1800s, this was a gift to James Madison from a French crystal flute designer to celebrate his second term. There was a fire… and the only two things that were saved were a portrait of George Washington and this crystal flute right here. I am the first person to ever play it, so you’re about to hear what it sounds like for the first time. Thank you to the Library of Congress for preserving our history and making history cool. History is freaking cool, you guys!”
Lizzo went on to play a haunting melody with the flute, and for her final flourish, began twerking onstage, before ending the performance and giving the flute back to its handler. Unbeknownst to her, Lizzo breathing music into that ancient flute summoned a legion of trolls, furious that she had “desecrated” the sacred instrument by daring to shake her rear.
For some reason, the simple act of twerking is a move guaranteed to boil the blood of right-wing culture warriors; it’s their kryptonite, a dance move which practically requires a trigger warning in advance, lest they burst a blood vessel in blinding rage.
Jenna Ellis, a former campaign lawyer for Donald Trump, said Lizzo’s performance was a “desecration, purposefully, of America’s history.” Matt Walsh, an right-wing influencer, described Lizzo’s performance as “a form of racial retribution, according to the woke Left.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2022/10/02/lizzo-plays-a-200-year-old-crystal-flute-accidentally-summons-a-swarm-of-trolls/?sh=230679dadc4d
Yes, that is the correct and appropriate response to this. Come on, George Takei even called out the white wingers for their inherent racism on this one. But you know that conservatives love them some good old fashioned American imagery and symbolism. However, they just like the symbols. They don’t really care to do any deep dives or search for any actual history behind them. But even worse – no, she didn’t “defile” the rare flute. Turn down the hyperbole, you bunch of drama queens. Sheesh, no one plays the victim better than GOP white wingers.
Conservative commentator Candace Owens, however, claimed that the way Lizzo played the historical relic offended her. “They’re giving her something that means a lot. The way and manner in which they gave it to her and the way and the manner in which she used it offends me, I’m not going to lie,” Owens said while frowning and shaking her head during a clip from her Candace show on Thursday (Sept. 29).
“No, she’s not making history here, she’s defiling history,” Owens added. “It’s like spraying graffiti on a historical building and going, ‘Oh, it’s art.’ No, it’s not art. We’re not gonna call it art. We’re not gonna call it making history. But she doesn’t see that. She thinks that when these companies, these organizations reached out to her with these opportunities, it’s because they love her. And in reality, the reason [is] because they hate and want to corrupt the people that follow her. That don’t want more people to make it out like Lizzo did.”
Owens’ claims came after the Library of Congress posted a series of tweets on Wednesday in which they clarified that not only is it a routine, necessary practice to loan out historic instruments, but also that Lizzo came in beforehand to practice and take a tour of the collection featuring more than 173 million objects. “For those concerned about the flute: Music Division curators made sure it could be played without damage,” read one tweet from the Library. “This sort of thing is not all that unusual, in fact. Some of the Library’s priceless instruments were donated with the stipulation that they remain functional & be played.”
https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/lizzo-performance-james-madison-crystal-flute-reaction-candace-owens-1235148072/
“No, she’s not making history here, she’s defiling history,” Owens added. “It’s like spraying graffiti on a historical building and going, ‘Oh, it’s art.’ No, it’s not art. We’re not gonna call it art. We’re not gonna call it making history. But she doesn’t see that. She thinks that when these companies, these organizations reached out to her with these opportunities, it’s because they love her. And in reality, the reason [is] because they hate and want to corrupt the people that follow her. That don’t want more people to make it out like Lizzo did.”
Owens’ claims came after the Library of Congress posted a series of tweets on Wednesday in which they clarified that not only is it a routine, necessary practice to loan out historic instruments, but also that Lizzo came in beforehand to practice and take a tour of the collection featuring more than 173 million objects. “For those concerned about the flute: Music Division curators made sure it could be played without damage,” read one tweet from the Library. “This sort of thing is not all that unusual, in fact. Some of the Library’s priceless instruments were donated with the stipulation that they remain functional & be played.”
https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/lizzo-performance-james-madison-crystal-flute-reaction-candace-owens-1235148072/
Yeah no shit! And come on, Candace Owens – there’s no better portrait of someone who was tricked into voting against their best interests better than Candace! And come on, do we really need Doug Mastriano’s (Q – Insurrectionist) opinions on this one? You just know he’s going to be a complete ass and say something that’s horrible and disrespectful. Like one thing we always say about the white wing of the GOP – not only do they know how to dish it out, they also know how to pile it on. Because they’re just that classless and trashy assholes.
Lizzo made history by playing a 200-year-old crystal flute once owned by former President James Madison during a Tuesday night concert that was part of The Special Tour.
But since she surprised her fans by playing the historic flute borrowed from the Library of Congress, a slew of Republicans have blasted the pop superstar. In response, many Lizzo supporters are arguing that these right-wing pundits’ criticisms are rooted in fatphobia and racism.
Investigative journalist Eric Hananoki tweeted a bit from “The Jenna Ellis Show” criticizing Lizzo, “Jenna Ellis -- who is Doug Mastriano’s senior adviser -- claimed yesterday that Lizzo ‘is basically famous, I think, for being one the most morbidly obese people in the world’ and said of the Madison flute playing: ‘This is just desecration purposefully of America’s history.’”
“I could cry over how nasty and ugly and cruel people are to Lizzo. Not like she cares but because it means we are irredeemable. Just horrible people who made a horrible culture,” Tressie McMillan Cottom, a professor at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and New York Times columnist, responded to Hananoki’s tweet.
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2022/09/doug-mastrianos-senior-advisor-calls-lizzo-playing-historic-flute-a-desecration-of-history.html
But since she surprised her fans by playing the historic flute borrowed from the Library of Congress, a slew of Republicans have blasted the pop superstar. In response, many Lizzo supporters are arguing that these right-wing pundits’ criticisms are rooted in fatphobia and racism.
Investigative journalist Eric Hananoki tweeted a bit from “The Jenna Ellis Show” criticizing Lizzo, “Jenna Ellis -- who is Doug Mastriano’s senior adviser -- claimed yesterday that Lizzo ‘is basically famous, I think, for being one the most morbidly obese people in the world’ and said of the Madison flute playing: ‘This is just desecration purposefully of America’s history.’”
“I could cry over how nasty and ugly and cruel people are to Lizzo. Not like she cares but because it means we are irredeemable. Just horrible people who made a horrible culture,” Tressie McMillan Cottom, a professor at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and New York Times columnist, responded to Hananoki’s tweet.
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2022/09/doug-mastrianos-senior-advisor-calls-lizzo-playing-historic-flute-a-desecration-of-history.html
That is a good question! I mean come on, you could cry over how mean and cruel people are? Have you been alive the last 5 years? The cruelty is the point! So after a week of being targeted by conservative media before they get bored and move on to their next controversy (I’m looking at you, M&Ms), at least Lizzo still has a very admirable fanbase. So yeah no matter how cruel the white wing professional trolls of the GOP are, you know what? Fuck ‘em. This story has been dead and beaten into the ground. They’re just mad because Lizzo is talented and all they do is complain.
Philadelphia had nothing but love for Lizzo on Thursday night in her first concert after performing on stage with a historic crystal flute, which drew ire from right-wing critics.
It was a triumphant night at the Wells Fargo Center for the Grammy-winning singer and rapper as Philly fans overwhelmed her with support and applause.
Lizzo expressed her gratitude to the sold-out crowd, and at one point appeared moved to tears by the audience’s unreserved affection.
The artist has been targeted in conservative media following her Washington, D.C. concert earlier this week, in which she played a 200-year-old crystal flute that was once gifted to President James Madison.
The Library of Congress had invited Lizzo, a classically trained flautist, to view and play its collection of flutes while she was touring Washington, DC. The Library also loaned the Madison instrument to Lizzo, and she played it with reverence — and a slight twerk — on Tuesday night.
https://www.inquirer.com/news/lizzo-flute-philly-concert-20220930.html
It was a triumphant night at the Wells Fargo Center for the Grammy-winning singer and rapper as Philly fans overwhelmed her with support and applause.
Lizzo expressed her gratitude to the sold-out crowd, and at one point appeared moved to tears by the audience’s unreserved affection.
The artist has been targeted in conservative media following her Washington, D.C. concert earlier this week, in which she played a 200-year-old crystal flute that was once gifted to President James Madison.
The Library of Congress had invited Lizzo, a classically trained flautist, to view and play its collection of flutes while she was touring Washington, DC. The Library also loaned the Madison instrument to Lizzo, and she played it with reverence — and a slight twerk — on Tuesday night.
https://www.inquirer.com/news/lizzo-flute-philly-concert-20220930.html
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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Let’s spin it to win it! And it lands on… come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… STOP! Go directly to jail? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Wait, I’ve got that Get Out Of Jail Free card! Woohoo! Spin it again! And it’s time for Conspiracy Corner!
Welcome back to our segment where we attempt to explain the unexplainable, Conspiracy Corner! In these trying times, or when people don’t simply feel like reading the news past the headlines, they turn to conspiracy theories to fill in the gaps. We of course are coming to you live from our underground doomsday shelter deep in the heart of the New Mexico badlands, undisclosed location of course! Let me just adjust my tin foil hat for maximum government interference – they are trying to read yours and my thoughts after all! There we go! This week, the king purveyor of grade A bullshit, Donald J. Trump, may soon be up a creek without a paddle. Because he’s finding he’s reaching the Spinal Tap portion of his showbiz career – he’s speaking to increasingly dwindling audiences at smaller and smaller venues in the middle of nowhere. But now not only is he leaving piles of trash and trails of hate behind, he’s also leaving piles of unpaid bills. And when you don’t pay your bills, guess what happens? That’s right – the company responsible for putting on his shit shows files for bankruptcy!
A company that organized a lucrative series of post-White House paid speeches for former president Donald Trump is now struggling to pay vendors, investors and employees, angering Trump allies who supported the effort.
The American Freedom Tour, which struck a multimillion-dollar deal with Trump after he left office, has lost two top executives and canceled events in a number of locations as it has failed to pay its bills, according to people familiar with the activities and documents obtained by The Washington Post. Its founder and owner, who has a history of bankruptcy filings, recently sought bankruptcy protection again.
The group has promised events in a number of locales but canceled them before they began and appears to be banking on a large event at Mar-a-Lago in December to turn its financial position around.
With speakers, affiliates and investors all clamoring for their money, one of the people involved who did get paid was Trump, people close to the former president say. Some Trump advisers have warned against doing future events, though Trump has expressed interest.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/09/29/trump-speeches-bankruptcy-vendors/
The American Freedom Tour, which struck a multimillion-dollar deal with Trump after he left office, has lost two top executives and canceled events in a number of locations as it has failed to pay its bills, according to people familiar with the activities and documents obtained by The Washington Post. Its founder and owner, who has a history of bankruptcy filings, recently sought bankruptcy protection again.
The group has promised events in a number of locales but canceled them before they began and appears to be banking on a large event at Mar-a-Lago in December to turn its financial position around.
With speakers, affiliates and investors all clamoring for their money, one of the people involved who did get paid was Trump, people close to the former president say. Some Trump advisers have warned against doing future events, though Trump has expressed interest.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/09/29/trump-speeches-bankruptcy-vendors/
Yeah well once again everything that Trump touches dies. And what’s he’s doing is putting on an act – that’s about the most accurate way to describe these things. But with any act, how many times can you hear him play the same character? Or let’s put it this way – how many times can he record the same song on an album before you eventually get sick of it? Yeah that’s what I thought. And just like Spinal Tap, Trump looks like he’s getting increasingly bad food and even worse service at his rallies, and he’s speaking to emptier and emptier rooms.
Former President Donald Trump praised Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, for telling the Jan. 6 committee that she believes the 2020 election was stolen.
"She didn't wait and sit around and say, well, let me give you a different answer than what I've been saying for the last two years," Trump said at a rally in Michigan on Saturday, referring to Thomas.
"She didn't wilt under pressure, she said what she thought, she said what she believed in," Trump continued.
Many state and public officials investigated the elections and found no evidence that it was stolen, including Trump's former Attorney General William Barr.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/10/02/trump-praises-ginni-thomas-false-election-claims/8159239001/
"She didn't wait and sit around and say, well, let me give you a different answer than what I've been saying for the last two years," Trump said at a rally in Michigan on Saturday, referring to Thomas.
"She didn't wilt under pressure, she said what she thought, she said what she believed in," Trump continued.
Many state and public officials investigated the elections and found no evidence that it was stolen, including Trump's former Attorney General William Barr.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/10/02/trump-praises-ginni-thomas-false-election-claims/8159239001/
Yeah probably! See? This is exactly what I’m talking about. Trump thought he could get the big cities and even bigger rallies the way Obama did. Instead, he’s playing to community college gymnasiums in the middle of nowhere that are barely half full! And come on, what city wouldn’t want the Freedom Tour stopping in their area no matter how large or small that particular city happened to be? Just look at the concerns of the mayor of Warren, Michigan. But really if the MAGA Freedom Tour is stopping in your area, the traffic would be the least of my concerns!
Excavators, bulldozers, front loaders and other heavy machinery have been up and down the railroad in Warren at the derailment site. Warren fire commissioner Skip McAdams said Canadian National has made “significant progress,” including removing the 13 damaged rail cars.
Some residents said they haven't felt an impact with the road closures, but that could all change.
The derailment happened as Warren is preparing for a big influx of traffic on Saturday. Former President Donald Trump will be in town for a rally at Macomb County Community College. That's about 2 miles east of the train derailment.
Warren Mayor Jim Fouts told 7 Action News the city is expecting high traffic volumes.
“Saturday in Warren should be a great challenge if everything isn’t put back together as quick as possible," he said.
https://www.wxyz.com/news/warren-mayor-railroad-repair-trump-rally-could-mean-traffic-trouble
Some residents said they haven't felt an impact with the road closures, but that could all change.
The derailment happened as Warren is preparing for a big influx of traffic on Saturday. Former President Donald Trump will be in town for a rally at Macomb County Community College. That's about 2 miles east of the train derailment.
Warren Mayor Jim Fouts told 7 Action News the city is expecting high traffic volumes.
“Saturday in Warren should be a great challenge if everything isn’t put back together as quick as possible," he said.
https://www.wxyz.com/news/warren-mayor-railroad-repair-trump-rally-could-mean-traffic-trouble
OK let’s think about this here – a train derailing is literally the perfect metaphor for this entire miserable excuse for an administration! Trump can barely fill a community college gym, because he’s not allowed in the major cities. And by the way you know that whole civil war thing that his MAGA followers have been talking up? It turns out it’s just that – talk. So while your neighbor with the giant F350 and boat that gets 12 miles to the gallon complains about gas prices, it turns out that he might not have an actual plan to deal with it. So the Freedom Tour is a bust, as is the MAGAs’ plans to carry out a civil war. It’s all bullshit and conspiracies, folks.
So, naturally, MAGA Republicans have gone them one better. “Defund the FBI,” chants Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. The Georgia Republican insists that “Joe Biden has weaponized the FBI and DOJ against President Trump and his supporters.”
She’s selling T-shirts and ball caps with the motto for $30 each on her campaign website. Amazon has a page offering anti-FBI gear for half that price. Be the first on your block to offer support for bank robbers, kidnappers, Russian spies and your friendly neighborhood terrorist cell.
Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., and Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and other members of the Mighty Trump Art Players have endorsed similar notions. There’s even a guy running for the Florida legislature who posted a notice on Twitter to the effect that “Under my plan, all Floridians will have permission to shoot FBI, IRS, ATF and all other feds on sight!”
Remember when Texas led the nation in deluded right-wing cranks? The Sunshine State’s definitely catching up.
Maybe that’s why God sent this hurricane — to wet them down.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2022/9/30/23377597/qanon-donald-trump-maga-republicans-fbi-gene-lyons-column
She’s selling T-shirts and ball caps with the motto for $30 each on her campaign website. Amazon has a page offering anti-FBI gear for half that price. Be the first on your block to offer support for bank robbers, kidnappers, Russian spies and your friendly neighborhood terrorist cell.
Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., and Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and other members of the Mighty Trump Art Players have endorsed similar notions. There’s even a guy running for the Florida legislature who posted a notice on Twitter to the effect that “Under my plan, all Floridians will have permission to shoot FBI, IRS, ATF and all other feds on sight!”
Remember when Texas led the nation in deluded right-wing cranks? The Sunshine State’s definitely catching up.
Maybe that’s why God sent this hurricane — to wet them down.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2022/9/30/23377597/qanon-donald-trump-maga-republicans-fbi-gene-lyons-column
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[font size="8"]I Need A Drink
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Let’s give the wheel a good strong spin, shall we? And it lands on… wait for it… DRINK! Come on, raise your glass! Ziggy socky Ziggy socky Ziggy socky oy oy oy!
Spin it again! And hey the party is really getting started because it’s time for I Need A Drink! Come on, Denver, don’t let me down!
Hey everyone I don’t know about you, but I could really use a drink!
So of course you know that the idea behind this segment is that we have some drinks, and while we’re drinking we talk about anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics. Because there’s a lot of dark shit in the news and sometimes the only solution is to say “fuck it” and crack open a cold one and talk about anything else. Before we go any further, I want to stress – we’re not making fun of the hurricane or natural disasters or anything of that nature. So this week, we’re going to talk about something that comes up in the news that is a measurement of a hurricane that’s unique to the US, and that’s the Waffle House Index. Tell me bartender, what goes well with a story about hurricanes? An actual hurricane? Eh no. This is the Great American Beer Festival, so give me an extra large mug of Stone IPA. Yeah biggest you got. What is the Waffle House Index, you might ask? Let’s put it in simple terms for this discussion. It’s basically a measurement created by FEMA that measures the severity of a storm by how your local Waffle House gets damaged in a major storm.
As Hurricane Ian barrels into South Carolina after leaving behind a trail of destruction in Florida, people are keeping a close eye on something that might surprise you: Waffle House.
The well-known restaurant chain currently has 10 locations closed in the hardest hit areas of Florida, a number that will “fluctuate rapidly” as staff works to re-open and aid community members, Waffle House spokesperson Njeri Boss tells CNBC Make It.
Such closures are incredibly rare for the Norcross, Georgia-based chain, which has roughly 2,000 locations spread mostly across the southeast U.S. And they mean more than just a community being waffle-less: A local Waffle House’s status actually serves as unofficial shorthand for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to track the severity of a weather disaster, and how much damage it’s done to an area.
It’s known as the “Waffle House Index,” created by former FEMA administrator Craig Fugate after he and his colleagues discovered the last places that stayed open during Hurricane Charley in 2004 were Waffle House locations.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/30/fema-waffle-house-index-hurricane-ian-makes-landfall-again.html
The well-known restaurant chain currently has 10 locations closed in the hardest hit areas of Florida, a number that will “fluctuate rapidly” as staff works to re-open and aid community members, Waffle House spokesperson Njeri Boss tells CNBC Make It.
Such closures are incredibly rare for the Norcross, Georgia-based chain, which has roughly 2,000 locations spread mostly across the southeast U.S. And they mean more than just a community being waffle-less: A local Waffle House’s status actually serves as unofficial shorthand for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to track the severity of a weather disaster, and how much damage it’s done to an area.
It’s known as the “Waffle House Index,” created by former FEMA administrator Craig Fugate after he and his colleagues discovered the last places that stayed open during Hurricane Charley in 2004 were Waffle House locations.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/30/fema-waffle-house-index-hurricane-ian-makes-landfall-again.html
Yeah so even something as simple as the most devastating hurricane in 20 years destroying parts of Florida hasn’t exactly stopped Florida Man from being Florida Man. So if your house is underwater and you still have the urge to get your drink on, well, there’s some bad news for ya. Apparently over half of the Waffle Houses east and west of I-75 are closed for the time being, so you will have to wait to get your late night grub and next morning hangover grub. Just remember – if you do imbibe too much, the Waffle Houses in green are good to go, red are not!
Fugate, who helmed FEMA for eight years, is known for his Waffle House Matrix that has been used internally to gauge how the restaurants are faring: Stores that are open and offering a full menu are green, stores that are open and serving a limited menu are yellow, and stores that are closed are red.
How a business like Waffle House, which boasts its own storm center that it activates when necessary, plans for a natural disaster is not that different from how a government agency would plan for the same event.
"There is logistics planning in staging and getting additional supplies and manpower into an affected area right after a storm, however it's our show up that sets us apart from other companies," Waffle House CEO Walt Ehmer wrote in a FEMA blog post about the company's response to Hurricane Irene. "Our planning gets us ready for the storm and so once it has passed our managers can see what's going on in the area and respond right after an emergency."
While Waffle House might be the agency's most well-known partner, FEMA said in 2017 that it has similar relationships with a variety of other private-sector partners like Target, Walmart, Wegmans, Macy's, Walgreens, Lowes and Safeway.
https://abc11.com/waffle-house-index-open-hurricane-food/12282129/
How a business like Waffle House, which boasts its own storm center that it activates when necessary, plans for a natural disaster is not that different from how a government agency would plan for the same event.
"There is logistics planning in staging and getting additional supplies and manpower into an affected area right after a storm, however it's our show up that sets us apart from other companies," Waffle House CEO Walt Ehmer wrote in a FEMA blog post about the company's response to Hurricane Irene. "Our planning gets us ready for the storm and so once it has passed our managers can see what's going on in the area and respond right after an emergency."
While Waffle House might be the agency's most well-known partner, FEMA said in 2017 that it has similar relationships with a variety of other private-sector partners like Target, Walmart, Wegmans, Macy's, Walgreens, Lowes and Safeway.
https://abc11.com/waffle-house-index-open-hurricane-food/12282129/
Come on, this is the Great American Beer Festival, even Snoopy is getting in the spirit! So other chains are partnering with FEMA, but Waffle House is the one who is the most well-known. Where else are you going to get your eggs, waffle and sausage combo at 3:00 AM? So all in all, a total of 35 Waffle Houses closed during Hurricane Ian. That according to our index, is what one would refer to as a “metric shit ton” of Waffle Houses. Even in the event of a major hurricane you got to have that breakfast bowl fix, and nothing else will satisfy, am I right?
The popular restaurant chain known for its waffles and smothered hash browns rarely closes it doors, often providing food and resources to first responders during natural disasters.
But every so often, like this week in Florida, the weather is just too dangerous.
"We do have closures in mandatory evacuation zones and locations within low-lying areas that are subject to severe flooding," Waffle House Vice President of Public Relations Njeri Boss told USA TODAY prior to Hurricane Ian's landfall th. The hurricane was one of the strongest systems in U.S. history, slamming into the west coast of Florida on Wednesday.
As a precaution, the business closed 21 locations across the state from Naples along the Gulf of Mexico north some 120 miles to Bradenton in Manatee County
On Thursday morning, she told USA TODAY an additional 14 stores had also closed, some without power after heavy rains and strong winds hit, bringing the total number of closures to 35.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/restaurants/2022/09/28/waffle-house-closes-florida-hurricane-ian/10448278002/
But every so often, like this week in Florida, the weather is just too dangerous.
"We do have closures in mandatory evacuation zones and locations within low-lying areas that are subject to severe flooding," Waffle House Vice President of Public Relations Njeri Boss told USA TODAY prior to Hurricane Ian's landfall th. The hurricane was one of the strongest systems in U.S. history, slamming into the west coast of Florida on Wednesday.
As a precaution, the business closed 21 locations across the state from Naples along the Gulf of Mexico north some 120 miles to Bradenton in Manatee County
On Thursday morning, she told USA TODAY an additional 14 stores had also closed, some without power after heavy rains and strong winds hit, bringing the total number of closures to 35.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/restaurants/2022/09/28/waffle-house-closes-florida-hurricane-ian/10448278002/
Oh come on, we don’t need the shots yet! The festival hasn’t even started! OK I’ll do one! But here’s the thing – in the event of a natural disaster, you know the shit has hit the proverbial fan when our places that are open 24 hours a day suddenly start to close. Here in Los Angeles we have this place called The Counter which is open 24 hours a day and even that had to close. So when you can’t get your late night grub fix, you know that shit is serious! But when the dust has cleared from even the most devastating storms or viruses – there’s one place we can thank. And no it’s not Dennys. It’s Waffle House!
Waffle House closes so rarely, FEMA uses it as an unofficial measurement for how serious a storm is.
It's called the "Waffle House Index."
True to form, Middle Tennessee's Waffle Houses mostly remained open, despite all the snow and ice tormenting the mid-state. The location on Dickerson Pike went to take out only due to staffing issues, but the signature yellow lights remained on.
It was a different story over at the new Whataburger location in Hermitage. The store that just opened Wednesday decided to close down at 1:30 p.m. Thursday to give their employees a chance to get home before all the ice froze back over.
That is a rarity for Whataburger locations. They've been known to stay open during ice storms in Texas and hurricanes in Florida. Bernard Salaney was the final car in line, before hired security guards had to start turning people away.
https://www.newschannel5.com/news/whataburger-closes-waffle-house-remains-open-during-the-snow
It's called the "Waffle House Index."
True to form, Middle Tennessee's Waffle Houses mostly remained open, despite all the snow and ice tormenting the mid-state. The location on Dickerson Pike went to take out only due to staffing issues, but the signature yellow lights remained on.
It was a different story over at the new Whataburger location in Hermitage. The store that just opened Wednesday decided to close down at 1:30 p.m. Thursday to give their employees a chance to get home before all the ice froze back over.
That is a rarity for Whataburger locations. They've been known to stay open during ice storms in Texas and hurricanes in Florida. Bernard Salaney was the final car in line, before hired security guards had to start turning people away.
https://www.newschannel5.com/news/whataburger-closes-waffle-house-remains-open-during-the-snow
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[font size="8"]World Tour 2022 Destination #9 - Germany
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Let’s give the wheel a final spin this week! And it lands on… oh hey it’s one of our patented Clips Without Context!
Uh… I’m pretty sure we fought an entire war against terrorist cells who use children as soldiers. But nice try. I can’t even. Spin it again! It’s time for the World Tour 2022!
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 our World Tour everybody! This is our last stop in Europe before we head off to Asia and Australia! Wilkommen! We’re here in the land of Bavaria, Germany! So Germany is one of the oldest countries in Europe and it’s home to such wonders as Neuschwanstein, which you’ve probably seen in movies like Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows, and Murder On The Orient Express. It’s also the home to such luxury automobile manufacturers as BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche, and the list goes on and on. It’s also the home to the football league Bundesliga which includes teams like Dortmund, Leipzig, and Bayern Munich. You know what else Germany is the home of? World War II. And it appears that they’d like to forget that ugly chapter in their history. But then again their next door neighbor Poland is making some absolutely ridiculous demands as to how much money they are actually owed because of past fuck ups.
Poland’s foreign minister on Monday signed an official note to Germany requesting the payment of about $1.3 trillion in reparations for the damage incurred by occupying Nazi Germans during World War II.
Zbigniew Rau said the note will be handed to Germany’s Foreign Ministry. The signing comes on the eve of Rau’s meeting in Warsaw with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who will attend a security conference.
Rau said the note expresses his view that the two sides should take action “without delay” to address the effects of Germany's 1939-45 occupation in a “lasting and complex, legally binding as well as material way.”
He said that would include German reparations as well as solving the issue of looted artworks, archives and bank deposits. He said Berlin should make efforts to inform German society about the “true” picture of the war and its disastrous effects on Poland.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/poland-demands-13-trillion-war-damages-germany-90912498
Zbigniew Rau said the note will be handed to Germany’s Foreign Ministry. The signing comes on the eve of Rau’s meeting in Warsaw with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who will attend a security conference.
Rau said the note expresses his view that the two sides should take action “without delay” to address the effects of Germany's 1939-45 occupation in a “lasting and complex, legally binding as well as material way.”
He said that would include German reparations as well as solving the issue of looted artworks, archives and bank deposits. He said Berlin should make efforts to inform German society about the “true” picture of the war and its disastrous effects on Poland.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/poland-demands-13-trillion-war-damages-germany-90912498
You know what else? Germany is currently a leader in producing energy throughout the world, and as such, they have a hard time believing our energy prices. Uh… excuse me? Have you not been crushed yet under the weight of American capitalism? But while America is currently in fights over who’s the wokest and whether or not companies like Disney are “grooming” our kids (whatever that is), other countries like Germany are light years ahead of us in terms of providing things that matter to their country, you know, like a working infrastructure and electricity.
The German chancellor on Tuesday said a €200 billion ($198 billion) energy support package was justified and that similar steps were being taken elsewhere.
The "defensive shield" includes a gas price brake and a cut in fuel sales tax. It is aimed at protecting businesses and households from the impact of rising energy prices.
"The measures we are taking are not unique but are also being taken elsewhere and rightly so," Chancellor Olaf Scholz told a press conference in Berlin during the visit of his Dutch colleague Mark Rutte.
"Some have long been in the process, with major supports and measures, of doing exactly what we have set out to do this year and the next two years," Scholz said.
https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-olaf-scholz-defends-energy-support-plan-as-justified/a-63331185
The "defensive shield" includes a gas price brake and a cut in fuel sales tax. It is aimed at protecting businesses and households from the impact of rising energy prices.
"The measures we are taking are not unique but are also being taken elsewhere and rightly so," Chancellor Olaf Scholz told a press conference in Berlin during the visit of his Dutch colleague Mark Rutte.
"Some have long been in the process, with major supports and measures, of doing exactly what we have set out to do this year and the next two years," Scholz said.
https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-olaf-scholz-defends-energy-support-plan-as-justified/a-63331185
Yeah… what Germany plans to do is basically a 513. But bailing out the energy industry has already drawn controversy across Europe, mainly from its next door neighbors France. See, here’s another lesson in diplomacy for our MAGA viewers, and we do know that we have some. So when countries like each other, they help each other out. And you don’t get that when you basically cut yourself off from the rest of the world because a batshit insane podcaster rails about the evils of globalism. But when Germany proposed this, other countries said that it might give Germany an unfair advantage. Oh the horror!
The German government is punching back against criticism from France and its EU commissioner over Berlin's €200 billion gas price relief scheme, arguing that Paris is rolling out energy support measures of a similar scale.
The giant German scheme, which comes on top of an additional €95 billion of energy price support measures that Berlin announced in recent months, has triggered both strong censure from Italy and barely veiled warnings from French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire, who said Germany is in danger of creating an unfair advantage for its industry over poorer EU countries that can't afford such support measures.
French EU Commissioner Thierry Breton was forthright in his opprobrium and cried foul about Berlin's behavior in an op-ed he penned with his Italian counterpart Paolo Gentiloni, sparking a Franco-Italian revolt in Brussels.
Berlin has reacted with annoyance to the condemnation — particularly since it is coming from Breton, who appeared to speak more in his function as a French envoy than a politically neutral European Commission representative. At a press conference on Tuesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz argued that Breton should take a closer look at the energy support measures Paris is taking.
https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-criticism-energy-subsidies-france-eu/
The giant German scheme, which comes on top of an additional €95 billion of energy price support measures that Berlin announced in recent months, has triggered both strong censure from Italy and barely veiled warnings from French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire, who said Germany is in danger of creating an unfair advantage for its industry over poorer EU countries that can't afford such support measures.
French EU Commissioner Thierry Breton was forthright in his opprobrium and cried foul about Berlin's behavior in an op-ed he penned with his Italian counterpart Paolo Gentiloni, sparking a Franco-Italian revolt in Brussels.
Berlin has reacted with annoyance to the condemnation — particularly since it is coming from Breton, who appeared to speak more in his function as a French envoy than a politically neutral European Commission representative. At a press conference on Tuesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz argued that Breton should take a closer look at the energy support measures Paris is taking.
https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-criticism-energy-subsidies-france-eu/
But there is some good news and this is something we wanted to bring up while on the subject of Germany and also since we’re at the Great American Beer Festival – it’s back! That’s right, the original Oktoberfest has returned after a nearly two year hiatus. Think about it – it’s been two years since we were able to drink large quantities of lager and eat our weight in pretzel bread with Bavarian mustard until we puke! But we are very grateful for the return of Oktoberfest, just as we are with events and festivals all over the world. So to that we say: drink up!
The beer is flowing at Munich's world-famous Oktoberfest for the first time since 2019.
With three knocks of a hammer and the traditional cry of “O'zapft is” — “It's tapped” — Mayor Dieter Reiter inserted the tap in the first keg at noon on Saturday, officially opening the festivities after a two-year break forced by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Oktoberfest has typically drawn about 6 million visitors every year to packed festival grounds in Bavaria’s capital, The event did not take place in 2020 and 2021 as authorities grappled with the unpredictable development of COVID-19 infections and restrictions.
Those worries were put aside this year. The city announced in late April that Oktoberfest would go ahead, and Reiter said Saturday that “it was a good decision.”
https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/tapped-germanys-oktoberfest-opens-year-hiatus-90054229
With three knocks of a hammer and the traditional cry of “O'zapft is” — “It's tapped” — Mayor Dieter Reiter inserted the tap in the first keg at noon on Saturday, officially opening the festivities after a two-year break forced by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Oktoberfest has typically drawn about 6 million visitors every year to packed festival grounds in Bavaria’s capital, The event did not take place in 2020 and 2021 as authorities grappled with the unpredictable development of COVID-19 infections and restrictions.
Those worries were put aside this year. The city announced in late April that Oktoberfest would go ahead, and Reiter said Saturday that “it was a good decision.”
https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/tapped-germanys-oktoberfest-opens-year-hiatus-90054229
[font size="4"]Scorecard: [/font]
Tourism: A
Culture: B+
Political Spectrum: B+
Liberal Appeal: A+
Overall: B+
Change from 2017: No change
[font size="4"]Next Week: [/font]
Well, because of last week’s SNAFU, we are skipping Mother Russia next week and heading directly to the land of oil and old, old, really old school religion – Saudi Arabia!
[font size="4"]And Now This: [/font]
[font size="4"]Flogging Molly[/font]
Folks, my next guest has a great new album out called Anthem. You can see them on tour this spring and their own cruise this December. Playing, appropriately enough, their song “These Times Have Got Me Drinking”, give up for the one, the only Flogging Molly!
Thank you Denver! Oh look at that, we’re just in time for the mile long festival line! Let’s get out there and drink some beers! I want to thank the good folks at the Brewers’ Association for helping us put on this cross-promotional shindig! We’re off to Missoula, Montana next! See you next week!
Credits
Host: Initech
Flogging Molly Appears Courtesy Of: Rise Records
Top 10 Conservative Idiots Recorded In Front Of A Live Audience At: Ogden Theater, Denver, CO
Special Thanks To: Brewer’s Association
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Videos: All videos copyright belongs to respective copyright holders
Articles: All article content copyright belongs to respective copyright holders
Writing: Top 10 Writing Department
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