Friday, January 31, 2020

The On-Crack Ass Clown for January, 2020


January is one of those months which offers five, rather than four Fridays, the distribution of which means that we have three opportunities, rather than two, to shine the Spotlight of Shame on deserving Ass Clowns. And so it is that we turn our attention to

The On-Crack Ass Clown for January, 2020


The monumental degree of ass clownery on exhibit as a result of the impeachment trial of Der Furor has made it extraordinarily difficult to narrow down the candidate field. I wrote the first draft of this period's award earlier this week, but breaking events in the course of the Senate blather masquerading as a trial caused me to reconsider. I saw no reason to not present the award as I'd originally intended, but saw the need to cast the net wider ... thus, I have decided to present a dual award.

And the award is presented to

Supreme Court Chief Justice
John Roberts


and

Presidential Attorney
Alan Dershowitz


Chief Justice Roberts this month found himself in the unenviable, yet Constitutionally-mandated position of being the presiding judge at Der Furor's impeachment trial in the Senate. The Constitution does not specify how he is to exercise this role - only that he needs to perform it. The Constitution also gives the Senate the responsibility of trying impeachments done by the House of Representatives, but does not specify how it is to perform this duty. As a result, the Senate writes its own rules on how to conduct impeachment trials ... rules which also specify the duties of the Chief Justice as the presiding judge. These duties are discussed in more detail in this article from the SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) Blog ... which makes the point that the Chief Justice's role "... is subject to the critical limitation that the presiding officer may only act in accordance with the will of the Senate."

As the presiding officer, the Chief Justice thus has a role primarily as a figurehead. Indeed, as the SCOTUS Blog article explains,

"What little precedent we have in such cases [presidential impeachments] suggests that chief justices keep their heads down and, so far as possible, defer assiduously to the will of the Senate majority."

His position as a Constitutionally-mandated potted plant notwithstanding, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is the most senior judicial official in the country - the one person we might expect to remain above the partisan fray and take a fair and impartial approach to the management of an historic and critically important impeachment trial. We would expect that in vain, though.

On the first day of the trial, the Chief Justice admonished both sides to remember where they were and to conduct themselves in a civil and respectful fashion ...



That was a good start. But for the rest of the trial (at least, up to the time of this writing) he has remained utterly silent other than to recite his administrative lines, failing to call out the presentation of obvious, documented lies, irrelevant commentary, and obvious gaslighting and water-muddying conducted by Der Furor's defense team. He even remained silent in the face of the breathtakingly terrifying assertion by his co-winner, lawyer Alan Dershowitz, that

"Every public official that I know believes that his election is in the public interest ... And if a president did something that he believes will help him get elected, in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment."

In other words, anything a sitting president does which he or she believes will help his reelection is perfectly okay. And the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court let that incredible assertion go unchallenged.

The impeachment of a president is one of the most serious acts Congress can undertake, and should never be undertaken for frivolous or purely partisan reasons. Der Furor's defenders argue that "abuse of power" is not an impeachable act. They maintain that impeachment requires the breaking of a specific law in the US criminal code ... which, of course, did not exist when the Constitution was written in 1789. And the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court remained silent.

The presiding judge does not set the standards and guidelines for an impeachment trial - he or she is but a figurehead whose opinions and guidance can be overridden by Senate vote. But the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court speaks (or should be expected to speak) with an authority and gravitas possessed by no other official in government. Even if a partisan vote of the Senate should refuse to accept the Chief Justice's comments or guidance, the simple fact that those comments and guidance have been voiced is important.

But Chief Justice Roberts has not commented on anything, even Mr Dershowitz's bald and frightening assertion of unlimited presidential authority.

If we are to have a figurehead, it should at least be a figurehead more decorative and meaningful than a judge in simple black robes -


At least the lantern would symbolize the search for a safe path through the fog in search of truth and justice ... a path sure to avoid collision with Alan Dershowitz.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, Chief Justice John Roberts and Professor Alan Dershowitz are the joint winners of our On-Crack Ass Clown for January, 2020.

Have a good day and come back tomorrow for Cartoon Saturday. More thoughts then.

Bilbo

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Musical Sunday


I've featured this song by Warren Zevon twice before, but at the end of the first week of Der Furor's impeachment trial, it seems more appropriate than ever ...



Lawyers, guns, and money. Welcome to the United States of America, 2020.

Have a good day and enjoy the rest of your weekend. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Cartoon Saturday


There are only 31 Days in January, but it sure seems as if there are 973 …

The House Impeachment Managers completed their presentations and the defense team prepared to start its presentation as Der Furor's impeachment trial ground steadily along to an almost certain acquittal vote along party lines; the potentially deadly coronavirus continued to spread in China, as the first cases were identified in the United States and Europe; Pentagon sources stated that as many as 34 US troops suffered traumatic brain injuries in the Iranian missile attack on US bases in Iraq, even as Der Furor characterized the injuries as "headaches and a couple of other things;"  at least two people were killed and many nearby homes and businesses were damaged on Friday when a massive explosion demolished a warehouse in Houston, Texas; and an environmental disaster of a sort occurred when a 97,000-gallon tank of cabernet sauvignon wine ruptured and spilled its contents into California's Russian River. 

This week, in honor of the ongoing drama of Der Furor's impeachment trial and its preordained outcome, here's a collection of cartoons about criminals ...

Bank security has improved ...


Some career changes are easier than others ...


One of the classic crime schticks is the body in the trunk of the car. Here's a set of cartoons that riff on that theme ...


Getting the noise checked out ...


You might want to be careful with those family window stickers ...


Test drive ...


The wake ...


I think they'll need a lot of those dangling pine air fresheners ...


Clever ploy ...


And that's it for this criminally funny collection of cartoons. I hope they helped provide a bit of humor to take your mind off the impeachable criminality now facing the country.

Have a good day and come back tomorrow for a timely Musical Sunday. More thoughts then. 

Bilbo

Friday, January 24, 2020

Great Moments in Editing and Signage


It's that time again ...

Well, that will certainly help clarify things ...


You need to make sure you use all the potatoes ...


Decisions, decisions ...


Speaking of deer (we weren't, but just bear with me on this, okay?) ...


The universe remains in balance ...


This may take a while ...


Good to know ...


I wonder how the peer review was conducted ...


Hmmm ...


Perhaps Der Furor might obtain some help here ...


And that's it for your last collection of editorial gems for January. Don't forget - if you see examples of your own, be sure to send them to me so I can share them in future collections!

Have a good day, and come back tomorrow for Cartoon Saturday. More thoughts then.

Bilbo

Monday, January 20, 2020

Ass Clown Special Achievement Award for January, 2020


Last Friday I awarded the Left-Cheek Ass Clown award for this month to White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham. That presentation was a toss-up, and my initial intent was to award the citation to a different person.

That was then, this is now.

Since I made that choice, new evidence has appeared that calls into question my decision to present the award to Ms Grisham ... evidence of behavior so disturbing, amoral, and un-American that I have decided to present a special out-of-cycle award - the first I have ever seen a need to present. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you

The Ass Clown Special Achievement Award
for
January, 2020


which is presented to

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo


Mr Pompeo is a two-time previous winner of this award (December 2018 Right Cheek and November 2019 Left Cheek), but his most recent behavior outshines every previous qualification for this award. In the face of allegations that US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch had been surveilled and possibly targeted, Mr Pompeo remained totally silent for more than 48 hours ... before finally making a statement in which he claimed he would investigate, but that “I suspect that much of what’s been reported will ultimately prove wrong."

Mr Pompeo is also notorious for his lack of support for US diplomatic personnel who have been attacked by Der Furor, preferring instead to support a chief executive who relentlessly undermines the State Department and its dedicated professionals, and obviously believes that he is the only part of the government that matters.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, I present an Ass Clown Special Achievement Award to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo - a man to whom history will not be kind for his miserable stewardship of America's diplomatic corps.

Have a good day. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Poetry Sunday


In this bittersweet poem, George Bilgere muses on how adulthood isn't all it's cracked up to be ...

Horseplay
by George Bilgere

I am floating in the public pool, an older guy
who has achieved much, including a mortgage,
two children, and health insurance, including dental.

I have a Premier Rewards Gold Card
from American Express, and my car
is large. I have traveled to Finland.
In addition, I once met Toni Morrison
at a book signing and made some remarks
she found “extremely interesting.” And last month
I was the subject of a local news story
called “Recyclers: Neighbors Who Care.” In short,
I am not someone you would take lightly.

But when I begin to playfully splash my wife,
the teenaged lifeguard raises her megaphone
and calls down from her throne, “No horseplay in the pool,”
and suddenly I am twelve again, a pale worm
at the feet of a blond and suntanned goddess,
and I just wish my mom would come pick me up.


I sometimes wish my mom would, too.

Have a good day and enjoy the rest of your weekend. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Cartoon Saturday


The beatings will continue until morale improves ...

The House of Representatives delivered its articles of impeachment on Der Furor to a reluctant Senate; Queen Elizabeth II called a family meeting to discuss what to do about the desire of Prince Harry and his wife to "step back" from royal duties; in a dramatic postscript to the latest Democratic candidates debate, Senator Elizabeth Warren accused Senator Bernie Sanders of calling her a liar on national television; a West Point cadet tried to raise money online to cover the travel expenses of his favorite adult-film star so she could be his date at the service academy’s annual winter banquet; and the US and China have signed a "Phase 1" trade agreement that aims to ease the trade war between the two countries, but does not address the most important US concerns.

This week, as we prepare for the spectacle of Der Furor's impeachment trial, I thought a collection of cartoons about lawyers and courtrooms would be appropriate ...

What a tangled web lawyers weave ...


Who knows, any more? ...


In this administration, it's a justifiable concern ...


Good try, but it's unlikely to help ...


If we had a real Department of Justice and a legitimate Senate trial, we probably wouldn't need the dancers ...


Three takes on the classic objection of "Leading the Witness" ...


and ...


and ...


This is probably the most critical question in most modern trials ...


How Der Furor probably looks at things ...


And our trials go on. Sigh.

Have a good day and a great weekend. More thoughts tomorrow, on Poetry Sunday. See you then.

Bilbo

Friday, January 17, 2020

The Left-Cheek Ass Clown for January, 2020


SPECIAL NOTE: This post was written at the beginning of this week. Recent events have led me to decide that I should have gone with my original front-runner, although I stand by the "worth" of the nominee I eventually chose. I believe that I may need - for the first time - to provide an out-of-cycle winner in the next few days. Stay tuned.

Bilbo

As we gather speed with our headlong plunge into the election year and the Hollywood awards season, the number of potential Ass Clown awardees is staggering. Many of you have contacted me to urge selection of your favorite nominees, one of the most frequently mentioned being Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Indeed, Mr Pompeo* was the front-runner for this period's award until he was shoved unceremoniously aside by the person who is - at this moment - a more "worthy" nominee. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you

The Left-Cheek Ass Clown for January 2020


White House Communications Director
and Press Secretary
Stephanie Grisham


Although one must admit up front that there are easier jobs than that of Press Secretary to Der Furor**, one must also admit that Ms Grisham has more than filled the shoes of her predecessor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders***.


"I also think that in this day and age, with a president who has — so unorthodox in politics and has really rewritten the rules of politics. He talks to the American people via Twitter every single day and he talks to the press constantly during the week, constantly. Press briefings should be in the absence of the president and the president is just not absent. And I would say to those former press secretaries — White House press secretaries — they know this to be true: This president has probably spoken directly to the press more than all their bosses combined."

In addition, Ms Grisham defended Der Furor's tweeting of a faked photo of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Shumer, wearing Middle-Eastern headgear and standing in front of an Iranian flag, this way:

"I think the president is making clear that Democrats are parroting Iranian talking points and almost taking the side of terrorists and those who were out to kill Americans."

I would suggest that if Der Furor is making anything clear, it is that he is so morally bankrupt that he can see no difference between treason and principled opposition to his amoral, seat-of-the-pants style of governance. 

Well, it seems that if the administration is looking for money to build Der Furor's Magnificent and Totally Unbreachable Border Wall™, there's $183,000 that can be spared by simply eliminating the position of White House Press Secretary ... since it's not being used.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, White House "Press Secretary" Stephanie Grisham is the runaway winner as the Left-Cheek Ass Clown for January, 2020.

Have a good day, and come back tomorrow for Cartoon Saturday. See you then.

Bilbo

* Who has already won this award twice.

** Such as emptying and disinfecting porta-potties.

*** A five-time winner in her own right.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Musical Sunday


This past Wednesday we celebrated the birth of The King - Elvis Presley - who left the building permanently in 1977, creating an employment opportunity for legions of Elvis impersonators. Elvis has been memorialized in many ways, including this song from 2005 by Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper ...



E-P, phone home!

Have a good day and enjoy the rest of your weekend. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Cartoon Saturday


If you hoped that 2020 would be better than 2019, your hopes are not off to a very promising start ...

In a relatively measured act of revenge for the US assassination of IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani, Iran launched a barrage of guided missiles against two American facilities in Iraq, causing damage but no American casualties - apparently by design; a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck the island of Puerto Rico, which has still not yet recovered from the damage caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017; Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, revealed they intend "to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent" - an announcement that apparently blindsided Queen Elizabeth and the rest of the royal family; intelligence briefings provided after the fact to members of Congress to justify the assassination of Qasem Soleimane were angrily denounced as simplistic and ineffective - even by staunch Republicans; and in Washington, Der Furor announced a massive rollback of environmental regulations he denounced as "dysfunctional."

There's a lot of controversy lately about wealth inequality in the country ... it's not going away (in fact, under Der Furor it's gotten worse), so we might as well run some cartoons about it ...

How the 1% fights fires ...


One has to wonder what Jesus would have made of the so-called "prosperity Gospel" ...


If you're rich enough, you can buy your way out of just about anything ...


Do you suppose this is how Eric Trump built his model railroads? ...


If you're rich, you don't eat lunch at a taco truck ... you go to a taco limo ...


Bedtime prayers of the wealthy ...


"Run-for-office rich" ... a good way to describe those who serve in a Congress full of millionaires ...


We can only hope ...


You know you're rich when you can hire someone to do your playing for you ...


The sort of discussion that probably occurs in the Congressional GOP lounge ...


That's it for another week. If you can, hunker down for the weekend with a few cases of adult beverages and prepare for what's coming.

Have a good day and a great weekend and come back tomorrow, when we'll make a call to The King. More thoughts then.

Bilbo

Friday, January 10, 2020

Great Moments in Editing and Signage


Well, here we go again ...

You need to get your priorities right ...


Doesn't it sort of defeat the purpose? ...


I guess that about sums up the press operation under Der Furor ...


Nice of the suspects to pose for the home surveillance system ...


Treating animals right ...


Hope you didn't drink and drink, either ...


That didn't take long ...


The Catholics can be very generous when they want to ...


Okaaaaaay ...


I'm glad we cleared that up ...


And there you go ... your first set of Great Moments in Editing and Signage for 2020. It's gonna be a heckuva year, and you need the funnies.

Have a good day, and come back tomorrow for Cartoon Saturday. More thoughts then.

Bilbo