Musical Sunday

If nothing else, the weird and bizarre characters on the MAGA far right give us plenty to laugh at, even if it's a nervous laugh. One of the best recent memes was this one featuring Der Furor's evil henchman Stephen Miller ...

But, of course, he's not the only bizarre person following the siren song of Der Furor - there are plenty of other Strangers on the Right ...

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

Bilbo

Cartoon Saturday

As my Dad would have said, if this week had been a fish, I'd have thrown it back.

An ICE agent in Minnesota murdered a mother of two protesting their actions, who was immediately labeled a "domestic terrorist" by the administration; when asked in a New York Times interview whether there were any limits on his international power, Der Furor replied, "Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me;" NASA has decided to cut a space station mission short because of a "medical issue" involving one of its astronauts; in the Philippines, two persons were killed and 36 are missing after a landfill collapsed, burying them in a mountain of garbage; and an analysis of records from 117 mammal species kept in zoos and aquariums around the world has indicated that animals receiving ongoing hormonal contraception or undergoing permanent surgical sterilization lived about ten percent longer on average ... whether they enjoy life less without sex was not indicated. 

This week, just because it feels so appropriate to the moment, a collection of cartoons featuring Pandora and the box-that-shall-not-be-opened ... 

I'll be she wishes it were so ...

Pandora as a mischievous child ...

It probably seemed like a good idea at the time ...

Take two ...

Nowadays, it could happen ...

TSA vs Pandora ...

I've made that mistake myself ...

Uh, oh ...

I think we all have one of those ...

Makes for easier delivery, doesn't it? ...

And that's your Pandora-themed Cartoon Saturday for this week ... I wonder if Der Furor is familiar with the story.

Have a good day and a great weekend. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

The Right-Cheek Ass Clown for January, 2026

The first Ass Clown award of the new year is always (for me, at least) a big deal, because it sets the bar for further awards in the course of the coming months. It's always difficult to pick the winners, because the level of ass clownery is so high and its practitioners so gleefully proud of themselves; indeed, I've toyed with the idea of issuing weekly, rather than bi-weekly awards, but I've decided that the current structure of two (occasionally three) awards per month plus special awards as needed provides a better focus on the truly deserving.

For the first award of 2026, I think the winner is especially well-deserved. Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, with the traditional roll of muffled drums and flatulent blare of trumpets, we announce

The Right-Cheek Ass Clown for January, 2026

and the tinfoil and toilet paper crown goes to

Republican Gaslighters

and

Rewriters of History

If you were conscious and aware on January 6th, 2021, you saw - with your own eyes - a howling mob of supporters of Der Furor who stormed the U.S. Capitol, injuring more than a hundred police officers and causing millions of dollars of damage to the Capitol Building, egged on by Der Furor's evidence-free fever dream of a stolen election. Vast quantities of video evidence of the riot exist, as do thousands of first-person testimonies, convictions of participants after jury trials, and the work of the House committee that investigated the event.

Of course, we know what happened after ... Republicans at every level began to rewrite the history of that evil day in a desperate attempt to avoid accountability, claiming that the actions of the mob were nothing more than a "normal tourist day" and that someone - anyone - else was responsible for the deaths and destruction. The White House website now hosts a page that brazenly rewrites the history of the January 6th riot with false claims attempting to absolve Der Furor of any responsibility for that horrific event. The new White House page blames Capitol Police officers, who defended lawmakers that day, for starting the assault; Democrats, who were the rioters’ main targets, for failing to prevent it; and former Vice President Mike Pence, who rejected falsehoods about the 2020 election, for allowing the results to be certified. Rioters who injured police and damaged property are described as "patriots" and "political prisoners," who were later granted clemency for their crimes by a president eager to whitewash his own crimes. Alabama GOP Senator Tommy Tuberville had the gall to actually accuse Democrats - on the floor of the Senate - of perpetrating a "January 6th hoax."

In his classic novel 1984, George Orwell described a dystopian future in which the government constantly revised history to meet the political needs of the moment. The classic quote, often cited in this fraught moment in our history, is

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command."

The moral cesspool that is today's Republican Party is a stain on our history and our reputation as a nation of freedom, goodwill and the rule of law. The relentless efforts of these people to put lipstick on the pig of their despicable behavior is an affront to Americans everywhere and a gross insult to the law enforcement officers who were injured or killed as a result of the actions Republicans cheered on and now would rather ignore.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, the Right-Cheek Ass Clown for January, 2026 goes to the Republican Gaslighters and Rewriters of History. Don't let them get away with it. It's your history, too.

LAST MINUTE ADDITION: It's not bad enough that Republicans shamelessly try to rewrite the history of the January 6th, 2021, riot ... today, they are working hard to gaslight the nation and smear the name of American citizen Renee Good, the Minneapolis mother of three who was murdered by a masked government agent while demonstrating against ICE operations in her town. Vice President JD Vance, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt led the charge, wasting no time in grotesquely blaming the victim for her own death. This is beyond despicable, and should horrify every decent American.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow, when Cartoon Saturday takes a look at Pandora, who seems to have found a bigger box for 2026. See you then.

Bilbo

January 6th

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the storming of the Capitol by a howling mob that believed Der Furor's fever dream that the presidential election of 2020 had been "stolen" from him. Rioters smashed windows in the Capitol Building, smeared feces on its walls, and ransacked Congressional offices. Police officers were beaten with flagpoles bearing American flags. The mob shouted "hang Mike Pence" when the Vice President did his duty and presided over the counting of electoral votes rather than ignoring them as Der Furor demanded. 

Today, five years later, Der Furor is back in power. He has pardoned his followers who attacked the Capitol. He calls them "patriots," as if beating police officers while trying to overturn an election is a patriotic act. He works every day to rewrite history, to remove the stain of his criminality.

Do not forget what you saw with your own eyes on that day ...

Do not let the despicable liar-in-chief and his enablers rewrite the history of what happened on that awful day ...

Be a Real American. Stand up for democracy and the rule of law. 

DO NOT FORGET what you saw and what Der Furor and his supporters and enablers want you to forget.

Have a good day. Remember the truth. Defend your democracy.

More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

Poetry Sunday

The new year has arrived, for better or for worse. The champagne toasts have been drunk, the parties cleaned up, the hangovers recovered from, and the new year beckons us into a dangerous unknown. For our first Poetry Sunday of 2026, I found this wonderful little poem by Brian Bilston that totally sums up how the past year went ...

This was the year that was not the year

By Brian Bilston

This was the year that was not the year

I repaired the bathroom tap

and emptied out the kitchen drawer

of a lifetime’s worth of crap. 

This was the year that was not the year

in which I launched a new career. 

A West End hit eluded me 

as did Time Person of the Year. 

This was the year that was not the year

I became a household name. 

Action figures were not sold of me. 

I wasn’t made a dame. 

This was the year that was not the year 

I spent less time on my phone. 

Nights of passion did not happen

in boutique hotels in Rome. 

This was the year that was the year 

I didn’t get that much done – 

much the same as the year before, 

much like the one to come.

All true, although I really will try to make this one, if not better, at least more productive.

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

Bilbo

Cartoon Saturday

The new year is only three days old and I already want my money back.

Around 40 people were killed and more than a hundred injured in a fire at a New Year's Eve party in a Swiss ski resort; Der Furor announced (on social media, of course) that the United States had carried out “a large scale strike against Venezuela” and had captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife; Zoram Mamdahni was sworn in as the first Muslim mayor of New York City; Der Furor warned Iran’s government that Washington was “locked and loaded” and ready to intervene if authorities kill protesters demonstrating against the clerical regime;  and the mayor of Derwent Valley in Tasmania has issued an statement warning local residents not to eat public toilet seats after bite marks were discovered on a public toilet seat.

It's the first Cartoon Saturday of the new year, and we'll go with a random collection because, why not? 

Perhaps it really is time to rethink how our healthcare system works ...

One wonders if this is how it really happened ...

I prefer the old-fashioned church social, but what do I know? ...

When your wedding planner is a Second Amendment zealot ...

History classes were a lot easier back then ...

I've been waiting for Karoline Leavitt to start doing this for a while, now ...

If you've ever lived in a community with one of those hypercontrolling homeowners' associations, you'll appreciate this one ...

and this one ...

I tune in the same way ...

I wonder if this is how Der Furor would like to deal with Fed Chair Jerome Powell ...

And with that, our first Cartoon Saturday of the new year comes to an end. I hope you enjoyed it, and it helped you ease into the first full week of 2026.

Have a good day and a great weekend. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

Great Moments in Editing and Signage

What better way is there to celebrate the dawn of a new year than with a new collection of Great Moments in Editing and Signage? 

Yes, thank you for your resume, just put it right here ...

We know it's a funpark, but ...

According to Der Furor, the price of grapeless grapes should have come down by 500% ...

It's nice to know that there's a designated area for it ...

Who are you calling a bag? ...

Ah ... the wonderful scent of number two ...

Priced to move ...

I wonder if the poopy loaf needs those number two scent beads ,,,

Stock up at this low, low price! ...

Uh ... where else might they happen? ...

And that's it for our first collection of Great Moments in Editing and Signage for 2026 ... I hope they helped you get over the shock of the transition from a sucky 2025 to a potentially sucky 2026.

Bilbo

The Ass Clown of the Year for 2025

Welcome to 2026! Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, it is time to announce the result of the voting for the Ass Clown of the Year!

Since we opened the voting on December 17th, 13 individuals or groups have received votes toward the award. The finalists were:

In fifth place, with 800 votes - a tie between "All of the Above" and Der Furor and Pete Hegseth (the joint winners of the September Special Award);

In fourth place, with 850 votes - Der Furor's Enablers;

In third place, making a strong last-minute showing with 1025 votes - Elon Musk (the January Left-Cheek winner); 

In second place, our runner up with 1300 votes - The Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches of the Federal Government (the December Left-Cheek winner);

And now, our winner,

The 2025

Ass Clown of the Year

and winner of the prestigious Tinfoil and Toilet Paper Crown with Poop of Distinction Device

with 2686 votes

Der Furor

In a year brimming over with amazingly well-qualified ass clowns, Der Furor stood head and shoulders above the competition with his narcissism, crude and insulting behavior, incompetence, corruption, ignorance of the Constitution, weaponization of the Justice Department against his perceived enemies, and indifference to the rule of law. Aided by a cabinet and federal agencies stocked with incompetent and dangerous individuals whose only qualification was slavish devotion to their leader, he has wrecked the economy, the federal government, the rule of law, public health, and our international standing. Historian Dr Heather Cox Richardson has taken a comprehensive look back at the damage he's wrought in her "Letter from an American" of December 30th - I urge you to read it for a masterful summary of a terrifying year for the nation.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, the 2025 Ass Clown of the Year award is presented - for the 20th time, including two annual awards - to Der Furor. Sadly, we are probably stuck with him for the next three years, unless Congress and the Supreme Court unexpectedly grow spines.

For those of you who are interested, the other vote-getters in this year's competition were (in descending order of vote totals):

Nick "alpha male" Adams;

The Congressional GOP;

The American Electorate;

The Supreme Court;

House Speaker Mike Johnson;

"MAGA;" and,

Kristi Noem's Dog (who received a single dump of 3.14159 votes).

Before we sign off, here's a recap of the Ass Clown of the Year winners since the annual award was first presented in 2011:

2011: The Republican Party

2012: NRA President Wayne LaPierre

2013: The Tea Party

2014: Former VP Dick Cheney

2015: Der Furor

2016: The American Electorate

2017: The Republican Party and Its Congressional Majority

2018: Sen Mitch McConnell (R, KY)

2019: Sen Mitch McConnell (R, KY)

2020: Sen Mitch McConnell (R, KY)

2021: Tucker Carlson

2022: Texas Governor Greg Abbott

2023: The Republican Party

2024: The American Electorate

2025: Der Furor

Have a good day, and consider the future carefully as you prepare for the November midterm elections and the 2028 presidential election. The cleanup on aisle 47 will be the politically necessary equivalent of Hercules' cleanup of the Augean Stables.

More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

Cleanup on Aisle 47

As we approach the end of 2025 and the first anniversary of Der Furor's ascension to his second reign, it's time to ask ourselves a few hard questions:

How did so many people choose to put their faith in a man so manifestly unsuited for the nation's highest office?

Why did the Senate magnify Der Furor's instability and incompetence by confirming so many disastrously unqualified appointees?

Why did the Supreme Court decide, after more than 200 years that it hasn't been an issue, that presidents need to be above the law?

How can we rebuild a responsible and competent working government after it was gutted by clueless DOGE zealots and incompetent political appointees? 

How do we encourage our children to embrace empathy, honesty, morality, and good citizenship when their president and his appointees proudly display the exact opposite every day?

How can we return to policies based on scientific rigor rather than personal biases? 

How can we regain the trust and confidence of the allies we have demeaned and abandoned? How long will it take for our international standing to recover? 

In summary,

How do we clean up the wreckage once Der Furor and his cronies are gone ... if we can at all? 

How can we regain trust in our fellow Americans who have reveled in the cruelty, mendacity, and utter incompetence of the worst presidency in our history?

I wish I knew, because I deeply regret the state of the once proud and prosperous nation we're bequeathing to our children and grandchildren.

Have a good day. Think about how you vote in the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential election ... assuming elections are still a thing once this administration is done demolishing the rule of law. And don't forget - voting for the 2025 Ass Clown of the Year ends at midnight tonight! Make sure your voice is heard - vote early and vote often!

More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

Ass Clown of the Year Voting Status!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers!

We opened voting for the 2025 Ass Clown of the Year on December 17th, allowing the traditional two weeks for you to cast your votes. If you missed the original announcement that spelled out the rules for this year's competition, you can view it here.

Voting for this year's award ends at 11:59 PM tomorrow, December 30th. Here are the standings as of the time of this post:

In the lead, with 626 votes, Der Furor;

In second place, with 500 votes, the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches of the United States Government;

In third/fourth place, with 300 votes, a tie between Der Furor and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (as a pair) and "Der Furor's Enablers;"

In fifth place, with 211 votes, Nick "alpha male" Adams.

Lesser numbers of votes have been cast for the "Congressional GOP," "The American Electorate," "The Supreme Court," "House Speaker Mike Johnson," "Kristi Noem's Dog," and "MAGA."

There's still time to cast your votes, so don't delay - vote early, vote often, and make sure your voice is heard and that we properly shine the light of shame on the 2025 Ass Clown of the Year.

The winner will be announced in this space on Thursday, January 1st, 2026.

Vote now!

Have a good day. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo