#Robert W. Merry

[deadpresidents]

What have you been reading since the last time you posted your latest reads?

It's been a few months since I updated my latest reads, so I'm probably going to forget a few titles, but here's what I've been reading since then:

•The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact, and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•Pancho Villa: A Revolutionary Life by Paco Ignacio Taibo II and translated by Todd Chretien (BOOK | KINDLE)

•The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•Guardians of the Valley: John Muir and the Friendship That Saved Yosemite by Dean King (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day by Garrett M. Graff (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•Too Rich: The High Life and Tragic Death of King Farouk by William Stadiem (BOOK)

•The House Divided: Sunni, Shia, and the Making of the Middle East by Barnaby Rogerson (BOOK | KINDLE)

•Glad to the Brink of Fear: A Portrait of Ralph Waldo Emerson by James Marcus (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•The Founders' Curse: James Monroe's Struggle Against Political Parties by Brook Poston (BOOK | KINDLE)

•Decade of Disunion: How Massachusetts and South Carolina Led the Way to Civil War, 1849-1861 by Robert W. Merry (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•The Age of Reconstruction: How Lincoln's New Birth of Freedom Remade the World by Don H. Doyle (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•Power and Glory: Elizabeth II and the Rebirth of Royalty by Alexander Larman (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis by George Stephanopoulos with Lisa Dickey (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•The Devils Will Get No Rest: FDR, Churchill, and the Plan That Won the War by James B. Conroy (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•Ballyhoo!: The Roughhousers, Con Artists, and Wildmen Who Invented Professional Wrestling by Jon Langmead (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•The Rivals: William Gwin, David Broderick, and the Birth of California by Arthur Quinn (BOOK)

•The Book-Makers: A History of the Book in Eighteen Lives by Adam Smyth (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•A History of the Muslim World: From Its Origins to the Dawn of Modernity by Michael Cook (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

•The Thought of Pope Benedict XVI: An Introduction to the Theology of Joseph Ratzinger, Third Edition by Aidan Nichols (BOOK | KINDLE)

•Avignon and Its Papacy, 1309-1417: Popes, Institutions, and Society by Joëlle Rollo-Koster (BOOK | KINDLE)

[sean-gaffney]

What's Left of the Looney Tunes?

So you’re a Looney Tunes fan, and you’re waiting with baited breath (Greetings, Bait!) for the cartoon list for the next Collector’s Choice Blu-Ray.  And as you wait to see if they add that 1953 Friz Freleng or 1958 Robert McKimson cartoon, you must be thinking:  Surely they’ve released every single cartoon at SOME point since the 1980s, right?  Well, except for the really racist ones.  Right?

Nah.  There’s 129 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies that have never been officially released, restored or unrestored, on home video at all.  And, to be honest, most of them are unlikely to be on the Collector’s Choice sets.  Let’s take a look at the last bastions against having all 1000 LT/MM cartoons available.

Bosko.  Now, there are a few Bosko cartoons available.  There’s 38 Bosko cartoons from 1930-1933, not counting the weird ones like the Talk-ink Kid pilot or whatever Bosko and Honey was.  Of those, 11 have been released officially.  This leaves 27 in limbo.  This is a shame, there are some really good Bosko cartoons.

Buddy.  Even worse, to be honest.  23 Buddy cartoons were made, 5 have had some official release.  That leaves 18.  Now, there’s a reason for that.  They’re awful.  (Also, two of those 18, Buddy of the Apes and Buddy in Africa, also fall under one of the later categories we’ll get to.)

Seven B&W Merrie Melodies.  Two of these, Hittin’ the Trail for Hallelujah Land and Goin’ to Heaven on a Mule, are basically banned for content.  Those Were Wonderful Days, Why Do I Dream Those Dreams, The Girl at the Ironing Board, The Miller’s Daughter, and Rhythm in the Bow, are simply not available, possibly as they’re dull.  However, they have been restored.  (As has HtTfHL.)

Seven B&W Looney Tunes.  Mostly the same as above.  The Daffy Duckaroo and Tokio Jokio are banned for content, though we may see Duckaroo someday (Native American caricatures have traditionally been less banned than Black and Asian caricatures).  Saps in Chaps also has some Native American gags, I think.  As for The Fire Alarm, Joe Glow the Firefly, Gopher Goofy and Nutty News, they’ve been restored but never released.

The rest of the “Censored 11”, of which Hittin’ the Trail for Hallelujah Land was the first.  As most cartoon fans know, this is not a catch all of all racist WB cartoons, it’s just the ones that were owned by Associated Artists productions.  So yeah, Sunday Go to Meetin’ Time, Clean Pastures, Uncle Tom’s Bungalow, Jungle Jitters, The Isle of Pingo Pongo, All This and Rabbit Stew (a Bugs Bunny cartoon), Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs, Tin Pan Alley Cats, Angel Puss and Goldilocks and the Jivin’ Bears.  They’ve all been restored.

The dog cartoons.  There are a bunch of one-shots that have no regular characters but all involve dogs, and (likely as they don’t have a “star” and aren’t really great) they’ve never come out.  Pappy’s Puppy, Mixed Master, A Waggily Tale, Dog Tales.  All but Pappy’s Puppy are restored.

Miscellaneous “banned for content” cartoons.  Which is Witch (a Bugs Bunny cartoon), Tom Tom Tomcat (a Tweety and Sylvester cartoon), and two REALLY late cartoons, Hocus Pocus Pow Wow and Injun Trouble.  None of these have been restored.

Random missing 50s stuff.  A Bone for a Bone (Goofy Gophers), Sock a Doodle Doo (Foghorn Leghorn), Easy Peckin’s, Quack Shot (Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd), Trick or Tweet (Tweety).

60s stuff that’s still actually Warner Brothers.  There’s about 10 or 12 early 60s cartoons that just aren’t very good, and that’s why they’re not out.  They’ve all been restored except Unnatural History and What’s My Lion, which are two of the worst LT/MM shorts that ever came out – not for content, they’re simply pathetically unfunny.

All the post-64 stuff.  There’s a pile, I won’t break them down one by one.  Mostly Daffy/Speedy cartoons, the nadir of both characters.  A few of the Roadrunner cartoons that weren’t stuffed onto that one DVD a while back.  They’re here as no one wants to watch them.

The post-67 stuff, aka the nightmare years.  Cool Cat, Merlin the Magic Mouse, Bunny and Claude… those.  (Though actually, both Bunny and Claude shorts HAVE been released.)  They’re here for the same reason – unpopularity.

Note this doesn’t even get into the cartoons which were fine to release in the 1980s on VHS but *aren’t* fine to release now (all the Merrie Melodies that weren’t banned but have racial stereotypes, such as the Inki cartoons, a huge number of cowboy and Indian cartoons, and Bugs Bunny’s unfortunate wartime cartoon).  Or all the stuff that’s restored and out on Max, but has never hit a DVD or Blu-Ray (half of the 30s Merrie Melodies).  Or the stuff that’s unrestored, not on Max and has never hit a DVD or Blu-Ray (the other half of the 1930s Merrie Melodies).  Or Holiday for Drumsticks, what’s up with that?

In any case, when they announce the cartoons for the 4th set in a week or so, you can look at this list and see if it has any of those.

[tomorrowusa]

Excuse me while I yawn about the pardon for Hunter Biden. 🥱

MAGA Republicans are hyper-hypocritical with their criticism of the pardon and some liberals are being severely naïve with their own criticisms.

John Dean was White House counsel to Richard Nixon. He was a major whistleblower in the Watergate scandal. He is the one who made the famous comment to Nixon about a cancer growing on the presidency.

Mr. Dean remembers how Nixon tried to use the government against perceived enemies. He thinks that Biden should go much further with pardons to protect government employees from a hostile Donald Trump.

The president, who had previously vowed not to pardon his son, is facing criticism from both the left and right over the move. But Dean said he didn’t go far enough ― and urged Biden to issue blanket pardons to everyone President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to target when he returns to the White House next month. That list includes those who have investigated Trump ― including Robert Mueller and Jack Smith and their teams ― as well as “all on Trump’s enemies list.” Biden should keep going with his pardons: Trump, Jack Smith & team, Mueller & team, and a blanket pardon for all on Trump’s enemies list for any and all political statements before December 25, 2024! Merry Christmas:-). Take the wind out of retribution/revenge! — John W Dean (@johnwdean.bsky.social) 2024-12-02T02:37:58.073Z Trump has repeatedly talked up revenge and retribution and, over the summer, threatened to jail adversaries he accused of “unscrupulous behavior.”

Anybody who Trump or his henchmen has ever threatened for doing their jobs honestly should get a pardon. It doesn't matter if they're totally innocent. The pardons will protect them from trumped-up charges in the future.

The list should definitely include people during the Trump administration who chose to speak out about his corruption and abuse of power.

If the pardon does not include several thousand names then it's too small.

[ahedderick]

i think its so cool u farm ur own meat!!! i rly try to stay away from the stuff j bc the industry is so messed up so i wish i had a farmer or invasive species-hunter buddy (saw a video of a guy who traps feral pigs who said hes "totally bored of bacon") so i can have a lil feast w/o feeling so guilty. how do you think eating an animal you personally knew is different? like, does it feel sad, or better because you know they had a nice life? sorry for all the questions per my username i am a vegan and i dont ever rly get to talk to ppl like you!

Ok, hi! Thanks for the questions. I have a dear friend who is primarily vegetarian, and only eats meat if it is either raised in good conditions (like my farm) and humanely killed or wild game. So I understand your position. I grew up on a farm and have been living this way all my life, so I'm sure that affects how I view butchering.

The beef and turkeys I have raised for butcher did have excellent lives and the quickest of deaths. The deer or squirrels we hunt follow the same pattern. I would be thrilled to know someone who hunts feral hogs, but I guess we are fortunate that those are extremely rare (or just rumors) around here. I would like to raise more of our own meat, because I agree that the farming industry is atrocious. It is mildly sad in some cases, or a relief if the animal is a mean one (side-eyeing the murderous turkeys)

I have a book I want to cite, Wild Animals I Have Known by Ernest Seton Thompson, copyright 1898. I'll have to scan the forward later and reblog this with it. It is relevant because he notes, from his own naturalist observations, how tragic the natural deaths of animals often are to our human sensibilities. Quick, painless deaths are precious few in nature.

"The worst that can happen is you can be hanged. No, a merry life and a short one shall be my motto." Black Bart Roberts

[necarion]

My original setting of the ghost story by Robert W. Service.

I've abridged the poem for length; the original has 15 verses and I cut it to 7.

Merry Christmas, and stay warm…

- - - - -

The Cremation of Sam McGee (1907)

- Robert W. Service - Abridged by me

There are strange things done in the midnight sun By the men who moil for gold; The Arctic trails have their secret tales That would make your blood run cold; The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, But the queer'st they ever did see Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge I cremated Sam McGee. Now Sam McGee was from Tennessee, where the cotton blooms and blows. Why he left his home in the South to roam 'round the Pole, God only knows. He was always cold, but the land of gold seemed to hold him like a spell; Though he'd often say in his homely way that "he'd sooner live in hell." On Christmas day we were mushin’ our way, and Sam says with a moan: "It's the cursèd cold, and it's got right hold till I'm chilled clean through to the bone. Yet 'tain't being dead—it's my awful dread of the icy grave that pains; So I want you to swear that, foul or fair, you'll cremate my last remains." Now a promise made is a debt unpaid, and the trail has its own stern code. In the days to come, though my lips were dumb, in my heart how I cursed that load. For upon the sleigh Sam raved all day of his home in Tennessee; And before nightfall a corpse was all that was left of Sam McGee. It was to the marge of Lake Lebarge that I brought my frozen chum; And with coal I found that was lying ‘round, built his crematoreum. The flames just soared, and the furnace roared— such a blaze you seldom see; And I burrowed a hole in the glowing coal, and I stuffed in Sam McGee. And there sat Sam, looking cool and calm, in the heart of the furnace roar; And he wore a smile you could see a mile, and he said: "Please shut that door. It's fine in here, but I greatly fear you'll let in the cold and storm— Since I left Plumtree, down in Tennessee, it's the first time I've been warm." There are strange things done in the midnight sun By the men who moil for gold; The Arctic trails have their secret tales That would make your blood run cold; The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, But the queerest they ever did see Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge I cremated Sam McGee.

Unabridged poem:

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45081/the-cremation-of-sam-mcgee

Full poem, read by Johnny Cash Absolutely worth a listen (Note, he says "toil" instead of "moil")

[dorothydalmati1]

Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies 1936 Episode 25: Toy Town Hall

Score by Carl W. Stalling

Directed by Friz Freleng

Animated by Robert McKimson & Sandy Walker

Voice characterizations by Berneice Hansell, Tedd Pierce, Peter Lind Hayes, Billy Paye, Cliff Nazarro & Jackie Morrow

[prasa-koval]

14) The American Conservative (TAC) - dwumiesięcznik wydawany przez American Ideas Institute. Magazyn został założony w 2002 roku przez Pata Buchanana, Scotta McConnella i Taki Theodoracopulosa w celu promowania antyneokonserwatywnej perspektywy. Został on uznany za jedyną konserwatywną publikację na początku XXI wieku, która sprzeciwiała się wojnie w Iraku, publikując szereg artykułów, które Ralph Nader opisał jako „najbardziej miażdżącą krytykę żądzy neokonserwatystów do bezprawnych wojen” tamtej epoki. Później przypisano mu umieszczenie Hillbilly Ellegy J. D. Vance'a „na mapie” w wywiadzie z Vance'em w 2016 roku. Według publikacji istnieje, aby promować formę konserwatyzmu, która sprzeciwia się niekontrolowanej władzy w rządzie i biznesie, wspiera „tętniące życiem rynki i wolnych ludzi” oraz przyjmuje „realizm i powściągliwość” w polityce zagranicznej.

American Conservative zostało założone przez Pata Buchanana, Scotta McConnella i Taki Theodoracopulosa w październiku 2002 r. Czasopismo przyjęło charakter paleokonserwatywny, mając na celu przeciwstawienie się neokonserwatywnym stanowiskom National Review i The Weekly Standard. Krytykowało administrację Busha, a w szczególności jej inwazję na Irak. Według publikacji istnieje, aby promować konserwatyzm, który sprzeciwia się niekontrolowanej władzy w rządzie i biznesie, promuje koncepcję rodziny nuklearnej, wolnego rynku i wspiera realizm i powściągliwość w sprawach zagranicznych w oparciu o interesy narodowe Ameryki. W pierwszym numerze z 7 października 2002 r. redakcja Buchanana i Taki stwierdziła, że ​​nowa publikacja ma na celu „rozpalenie rozmów, w które konserwatyści powinni byli się zaangażować od zakończenia zimnej wojny, ale tego nie zrobili”. Dalej napisano, że wiele z tego, co wówczas uchodziło za konserwatyzm, było „powiązane z pewnego rodzaju radykalizmem – fantazjami o globalnej hegemonii, arogancką ideą Ameryki jako uniwersalnego narodu dla wszystkich ludzi na świecie, gospodarką hiperglobalną”. W tym samym numerze artykuł Buchanana zakwestionował wojnę w Iraku, pytając „Co nastąpi po całej tej strzelaninie, gdy zły Saddam nie żyje?”, a magazyn został uznany za jedyną konserwatywną publikację sprzeciwiającą się wojnie.

Do początku 2005 roku Buchanan i Taki pełnili funkcję redaktorów magazynu, McConnell był redaktorem naczelnym, a Taki wydawcą. Kara Hopkins została następną redaktor naczelną. W pierwszych latach istnienia magazynu, wzywano do wprowadzenia poprawki do Konstytucji Stanów Zjednoczonych, aby zakazać małżeństw osób tej samej płci. Przed wyborami uzupełniającymi w 2006 roku, The American Conservative wzywał swoich czytelników do głosowania na Demokratów: „Niewielu czytelników powinno być zaskoczonych, że uważamy, że głosowanie, które jest postrzegane — w Ameryce i na całym świecie — jako zdecydowany głos <nie> w sprawie prezydentury Busha, jest najlepszym wynikiem”. Buchanan i Taki przeszli na emeryturę ze stanowisk redaktorów, a Taki ze stanowiska wydawcy w 2005 roku, chociaż Buchanan nadal dla niego pisał. Ron Unz był wydawcą w 2007 roku. W 2010 roku Daniel McCarthy zastąpił Hopkinsa na stanowisku redaktora. We wrześniu 2011 roku magazyn wprowadził redakcyjny redesign swojej publikacji drukowanej, a w maju 2012 roku redesign swojej witryny internetowej. W październiku 2014 roku Benjamin Schwarz, były redaktor krajowy i literacki The Atlantic, został mianowany krajowym redaktorem magazynu.

W listopadzie 2016 r. Robert W. Merry zastąpił McCarthy'ego na stanowisku redaktora, a Lewis McCrary i Kelley Beaucar Vlahos zostali redaktorami wykonawczymi. Po przejściu Merry'ego na emeryturę w lipcu 2018 r. redaktorem został W. James Antle III. W kwietniu 2020 r. Johnny Burtka, dyrektor wykonawczy i pełniący obowiązki redaktora naczelnego The American Conservative, powiedział, że ambicją publikacji jest „stanie się The Atlantic prawicy” i stwierdził, że liczba odsłon jej strony internetowej „znacznie wzrosła” pod rządami administracji Trumpa. The American Conservative jest członkiem rady doradczej Project 2025.

Początkowo czasopismo ukazywało się jako półmiesięcznik, od sierpnia 2009 r. wydawane jest jako miesięcznik, a od 2013 r. jako dwumiesięcznik.

W dużej mierze znienawidzony przez wielu amerykańskich konserwatystów po swoim założeniu z powodu pacyfistycznych i obrazoburczych stanowisk, magazyn spędził swoją wczesną historię, według The Washington Post, jako „niezauważony głos w obliczu obojętnej lub wrogiej opinii elity”. W kolejnych latach publikacja ewoluowała w to, co Matthew Continetti opisał jako „trwałą platformę dla prawicy antywojennej”, a do 2023 roku Vanity Fair donosiło, że „w ciągu ostatnich siedmiu lat Partia Republikańska urosła do tego stopnia, że ​​ucieleśnia niemal wszystko, czego kiedykolwiek pragnął amerykański konserwatysta”.

W lipcu 2016 r. J. D. Vance udzielił wywiadu dziennikowi The American Conservative na temat swojej książki Hillbilly Elegy, której to książce Jennifer Senior z New York Times przyznała później, że przyczyniła się do sukcesu książki i umieściła ją „na mapie”.

W 2004 roku Peter Carlson napisał w The Washington Post, że jeśli chodzi o miażdżące ataki na Busha i inwazję na Irak, The American Conservative może mieć przewagę nad The Nation, Mother Jones i The Progressive. W 2009 roku Reihan Salam, redaktor National Review, napisał, że publikacja „zyskała oddanych zwolenników jako ostry krytyk konserwatywnego głównego nurtu”. W 2012 roku David Brooks, felietonista w The New York Times, nazwał The American Conservative „jednym z bardziej dynamicznych miejsc w politycznej sieci” i powiedział, że jego „pisarze tacy jak Rod Dreher i Daniel Larison mają tendencję do podejrzliwości wobec wielkości: dużych korporacji, dużego rządu, dużego wojska, skoncentrowanej władzy i skoncentrowanego bogactwa”. W 2014 roku Ralph Nader przypisał The American Conservative wykazanie „możliwości fuzji lewicy i prawicy” i przypisał mu „najbardziej druzgocącą krytykę żądzy neokonserwatystów do bezprawnych wojen”. Według Nadera „magazyn The Nation mógłby z łatwością zamieścić większość swoich artykułów bez pomijania akapitu”.

Wśród współpracowników The American Conservative znaleźli się m.in.:

Helen Andrews

Andrew Bacevich

Doug Bandow

Pat Buchanan

Andrew Cockburn

Rod Dreher

Paul Gottfried

Leon Hadar

James Kurth

Christopher Layne

Michael Lind

William S. Lind

Douglas Macgregor

Eric Margolis

Scott McConnell

Robert W. Merry

Rand Paul

Mark Perry

Scott Ritter

Steve Sailer

Paul W. Schroeder

Benjamin Schwarz

Roger Scruton

Taki Theodoracopulos

Ron Unz.

[almackey]

CWTR Episode 2103: Decade of Disunion

This is a conversation between host Professor Gerald Prokopowicz and his guest, retired journalist Robert W. Merry, about Mr. Merry’s book, Decade of Disunion: How Massachusetts and South Carolina Led the Way to Civil War, 1849-1861. It seemed to me this book is an attempt to “blame both sides” for the Civil War, though that impression may be in error.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"FIRST IN 70 YEARS IS INEBRIATE'S PLEA," Toronto Star. July 7, 1934. Page 3. --- Gets Remand on Promise Not To Be Back for Another 70 ---- Short shift was given two of the thirteen "drunks" in early morning court to-day, when it it was learned they were on their "umpteenth" trip through the mill. The two, James Carr and Patrick Beattie, were fined the maximum - $50 or one month. With the exception of Lawrence Keogh, who, at the crown's request. was asked to stay around until Monday, the others were freed on remanded sentences.

"Give me a chance your honor. I haven't been here for 70 years," pleaded John Cumming, one of the thirteen.

"Seventy years?" asked the cadi. "Yes, and I won't be here for an- other 70 years."

"All right, I'll take your word for it."

"I asked him to leave like a lady. but he answered like a bully, so I called a cop," protested a young woman, explaining why she had laid a charge of trespass against Archie Fordie.

Fordie and his boy friends, she told the court, used the alley beside her house for an open air club house. And when they started in to serve liquid refreshments, she said it was too much.

"That the trouble," added Inspector Guthrie. "They get a wine jug and go up there and get drunk."

Fordie was placed on a year's probation and told to seek his fun elsewhere.

The usual crop of youthful ride stealers lifted their tousled heads above the rail, and accepted $5 or ten-day penalties for riding gratis on the C.P.R.

The trio said they had come in from Hamilton.

Held on $1,000 Bail Held on a charge of breaking and entering a cigar store on Lake Shore Blvd., Elmer O'Donnell was held over to July 11, on $1.000 bail.

Other remands were granted to Victor Taylor and James Montgomery on charges of stealing a truck. Bail was allowed at $1,000 each.

Held on several charges of theft and receiving, Kenneth Stroud and Robert Prince were remanded to July 13 and released on $2,000 bail.

George Prince, charged with receiving in connection with the same crimes, was remanded in custody.

Defence counsel T. B. Horkins strongly protested against the crown's recommendation that George Prince be held, but Crown Attorney W. O. Gibson, K.C., remarked the police had already been put to the expense of bringing him back from Brockville.

"Besides this is not an ordinary case of auto theft," he said. "The car in question was stolen in Toronto. License plates for another car were taken out in Milton, and the driver's permit Smith's Falls."

Charged with Intoxication. Karrall Venn was found guilty and fined $50 or one month. Immediately after Magistrate Coatsworth had passed sentence, Venn's wife fell heavily to the floor in a faint. She was car- ried from the courtroom by two policemen.

Venn was arrested after he had been found attempting to "fix" a car, after the owner had been arrested for being drunk. Venn himself was so drunk, police officers testified, he "didn't know what he was doing." They didn't have the key, and they were trying to make it go, the court was told.

On $150 cash bail, Ronald Hirst was remanded to July 10. Hirst, facing a charge of keeping a betting house, was arrested yesterday, after leading Morality Officer Joseph Sunderland and Plainclothesmen Holden and Adie a merry chase through his house. Police allege they found Hirst conducting a $150 a day racing business.

Would Take Whole Blame "Last night I saw the two accused men, James Clark and David Cunningham, go up a lane on Lombardi St. with a bottle," said P.C. Phillips in liquor and traffic court to-day.

Clark and Cunningham came up on a charge of having as the result of their apprehension by P.C. Phillips last night.

"I searched the men and found a bunch of skeleton keys and a small hack-saw in Clark's pocket," the officer added.

Clark avowed that he had the keys for 25 years. "They are the keys of to trunks," he said. "I'll have break the locks if you keep them."

Clark pleaded guilty through his counsel, T. O'Connor. "I'm going to take the whole blame," he declared.

"No, you're not. I'll just give you $25 of it," Magistrate Jones said.

Cunningham, who guilty, was deprived of $10.

[deadpresidents]

JOHN TYLER •President Without a Party: The Life of John Tyler by Christopher J. Leahy (BOOK | KINDLE) •John Tyler: The Accidental President by Edward P. Crapol (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •And Tyler Too: A Biography of John & Julia Gardiner Tyler by Robert Seager II (BOOK)

JAMES K. POLK •Polk: The Man Who Transformed the Presidency and America by Walter R. Borneman (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, the Mexican War, and the Conquest of the American Continent by Robert W. Merry (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •James K. Polk and His Time: Essays at the Conclusion of the Polk Project edited by Michael David Cohen (BOOK)

ZACHARY TAYLOR •Zachary Taylor: Soldier, Planter, Statesman of the Old Southwest by K. Jack Bauer (BOOK) •Zachary Taylor: Soldier of the Republic by Holman Hamilton (BOOK | KINDLE) •Zachary Taylor: Soldier in the White House by Holman Hamilton (BOOK | KINDLE)

MILLARD FILLMORE •Millard Fillmore: Biography of a President by Robert J. Rayback (BOOK | KINDLE) •Millard Fillmore by Robert J. Scarry (BOOK | KINDLE)

FRANKLIN PIERCE •Franklin Pierce: New Hampshire's Favorite Son by Peter A. Wallner (BOOK) •Franklin Pierce: Martyr for the Union by Peter A. Wallner (BOOK) •Franklin Pierce: Young History of the Granite Hills by Roy Franklin Nichols (BOOK)

JAMES BUCHANAN •Worst. President. Ever.: James Buchanan, the POTUS Rating Game, and the Legacy of the Least of the Lesser Presidents by Robert Strauss (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •Bosom Friends: The Intimate World of James Buchanan and William Rufus King by Thomas J. Balcerski (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •The Worst President: The Story of James Buchanan by Garry Boulard (BOOK | KINDLE)

[ffcrazy15]

It Is Later Than You Think

By Robert W. Service

Lone amid the café’s cheer,

Sad of heart am I to-night;

Dolefully I drink my beer,

But no single line I write.

There’s the wretched rent to pay,

Yet I glower at pen and ink:

Oh, inspire me, Muse, I pray,

It is later than you think!

Hello! there’s a pregnant phrase.

Bravo! let me write it down;

Hold it with a hopeful gaze,

Gauge it with a fretful frown;

Tune it to my lyric lyre ...   

Ah! upon starvation’s brink,

How the words are dark and dire:

It is later than you think.

Weigh them well .... Behold yon band,

Students drinking by the door,

Madly merry, bock in hand,

Saucers stacked to mark their score.

Get you gone, you jolly scamps;

Let your parting glasses clink;

Seek your long neglected lamps:

It is later than you think.

Look again: yon dainty blonde,

All allure and golden grace,

Oh so willing to respond

Should you turn a smiling face.

Play your part, poor pretty doll;

Feast and frolic, pose and prink;

There’s the Morgue to end it all,

And it’s later than you think.

Yon’s a playwright — mark his face,

Puffed and purple, tense and tired;

Pasha-like he holds his place,

Hated, envied and admired.

How you gobble life, my friend;

Wine, and woman soft and pink!

Well, each tether has its end:

Sir, it’s later than you think.

See yon living scarecrow pass

With a wild and wolfish stare

At each empty absinthe glass,

As if he saw Heaven there.

Poor damned wretch, to end your pain

There is still the Greater Drink.

Yonder waits the sanguine Seine ...

It is later than you think.

Lastly, you who read; aye, you

Who this very line may scan:

Think of all you planned to do ...   

Have you done the best you can?

See! the tavern lights are low;

Black’s the night, and how you shrink!

God! and is it time to go?

Ah! the clock is always slow;

It is later than you think;

Sadly later than you think;

Far, far later than you think.

[sean-gaffney]

Looney Tunes Collector's Vault contents

The list is out! Let's dig into what's on the new Looney Tunes Blu-Ray set out in June!

First disc: 25 shorts, new to DVD and Blu-Ray, but most have been restored and were streaming on Max before Max decided to pull every cartoon from streaming.

As with previous Collector's Choice releases, the cartoons are in alphabetic order. I guess they feel chronological would be too dull?

1) Bars and Stripes Forever, 1939, directed by Ben "Bugs" Hardaway and Cal Dalton. Essentially a spot gag cartoon around a prison. Has been released on laserdisc and (unrestored) as a DVD extra in 2010 to a movie. Restored for streaming on the "Ride" app.

2) Beauty and the Beast, 1934, directed by Friz Freleng. The 2nd experiment with color cartoons, after which they'd go back to B&W for a bit. It's in 2-strip Cinecolor as Disney still had a monopoly on Technicolor. A girl dreams she's in Toyland, but gets menaced by The Beast. Freleng's first solo Merrie Melodies cartoon. Has been released on laserdisc. Restored for streaming on Max.

3) A Day at the Zoo, 1939, directed by Tex Avery. Blue Ribbon reissue. Public Domain. A spot gag zoo cartoon. Features Egghead (not getting into the Elmer Fudd argument, don't go there) as a running gag. Has been released on laserdisc. NEWLY RESTORED!

4) The Dixie Fryer, 1960, directed by Robert McKimson. Foghorn Leghorn runs into the chicken hawks who were after Bugs in Backwoods Bunny. Restored for streaming on the "Ride" app and Amazon Prime. NEW TO HOME VIDEO!

5) Double or Mutton. This… was put out on Collector's Choice 4, so is likely an error? We'll see. [EDIT: Yes, it is on the set by accident. They'll add an extra cartoon next set to make up for it.]

6) Each Dawn I Crow, 1949, directed by Friz Freleng. A parody of the radio show The Whistler, with the narrator driving a rooster crazy with paranoia that Elmer Fudd is going to kill him. Jerry Beck famously hates this cartoon. Has been released on a few VHS tapes, and unrestored on a 2006 DVD extra. Also streamed on iTunes. NEWLY RESTORED!

7) Easy Peckin's, 1953, directed by Robert McKimson. A fox tries to raid a chicken coop, but keeps running into the rooster guarding it. Restored for streaming on Max. NEW TO HOME VIDEO!

8) Feather Dusted, 1955, directed by Robert McKimson. Foghorn Leghorn has to deal with Miss Prissy's son "Egghead, Jr.". LOTS of cuts for TV to remove gunplay, it will be unedited here. Was on a lot of VHS releases, and has been restored for Boomerang and Amazon Prime.

9) A Fox in a Fix, 1951, directed by Robert McKimson. A fox tries to raid a chicken coop, but keeps running into the dog guarding it. Better than Easy Peckin's, which has a very similar plot. Was released once on VHS, and was restored for Max.

10) Good Night Elmer, 1940, directed by Chuck Jones. Elmer Fudd tries to go to bed but is too stupid to make it there. Another one on Jerry Beck's least favorite list, and I have to agree. It's amazingly frustrating to watch. Came out on VHS and Laserdisc, also restored for Max.

11) The Goofy Gophers, 1947, directed by Art Davis, was originally planned by Bob Clampett before he left the studio. Blue Ribbon. The debut of the titular gophers, as well as the dog who is their nemesis in their first three cartoons. Bugs Bunny cameo at the end. Released on laserdisc. Streamed on Max, but they used a 1995 dubbed print. NEWLY RESTORED?

12) I'd Love to Take Orders from You, 1936, directed by Tex Avery. A young scarecrow boy wants to be scary like his dad, but finds it's harder than it seems. One of Tex's cutest cartoons. Has been released on laserdisc, streamed restored on Max.

13) A Kiddies Kitty, 1955, directed by Friz Freleng. Sylvester hides from a bulldog and ends up as the pet of a young girl, but her abuse/affection ends up hurting him worse. Came out on VHS, was released restored on Max. Apostrophe was missing in the original title as well.

14) Let It Be Me, 1936, directed by Friz Freleng. Blue Ribbon. The debut of "Emily the Rooster", who dumps her hayseed boyfriend for Bing Crosby rooster, only he turns out to be a massive asshole. One of two films that had Bing threatening to sue Schlesinger. Released on laserdisc, had a restored release as a Blu-Ray extra last year. Streamed restored on Max.

15) Of Fox and Hounds, 1940, directed by Tex Avery. Blue Ribbon. The debut of Willoughby, a dumb dog. This is basically A Wild Hare, only with a fox in place of Bugs and the dog in place of Elmer. Came out on laserdisc and VHS. NEWLY RESTORED!

16) Quackodile Tears, 1962, directed by Art Davis, his only director's credit after 1949. Daffy is forced to sit on his egg while his wife goes out… only the egg gets swapped with an alligator egg. Came out on VHS way back when. Was supposed to be on the Daffy Duck DVD, never was. Streamed restored on Max.

17) Ready, Woolen and Able, 1960, directed by Chuck Jones. This is a wolf and Sheepdog cartoon, you know how they go. Was released on VHS on the Wile E. Coyote sets, as back then they did not care if it wasn't quite him. Streamed restored on Max.

18) Robin Hood Makes Good, 1939, directed by Chuck Jones. Blue Ribbon. Classic "slow, Disney-esque" Jones, as a squirrel is bullied by his older brothers about who gets to play the bad guy. Was on laserdisc, came out on DVD and Blu-Ray unrestored as an extra. Streamed restored on Max.

19) The Squawkin' Hawk, 1942, directed by Chuck Jones. Blue Ribbon. The debut of Henery Hawk, and the debut of Michael Maltese and Chuck Jones as a writer/director powerhouse. Henery wants chicken for dinner, and goes out to find some, his father tries to stop him. Was out on laserdisc and VHS, unrestored on Blu-Ray. Streamed restored on Max.

20) Terrier-Stricken, 1952, directed by Chuck Jones. The second Claude Cat/Frisky Puppy cartoon. Came out on VHS and unrestored on DVD. Streamed restored on Max.

21) Tweet and Lovely, 1959, directed by Friz Freleng. Sylvester tries to catch Tweety, with hilarious results. This was on VHS a lot, and was on a foreign Blu-Ray restored. It also streamed restored on Max.

22) Tweety's Circus, 1955, directed by Friz Freleng. Sylvester tries to catch Tweety, with hilarious results. Lots of violence cut for TV, mostly involving a lion. Was on laserdisc, VHS, and that foreign Blu-Ray. Streamed restored on Max.

23) Two's a Crowd, 1950, directed by Chuck Jones. The first Claude Cat/Frisky Puppy cartoon. Claude going through a washing machine tends to get cut. Came out once as a DVD extra, its only home media release. Streamed restored on Max, with its correct opening rings.

24) Wild About Hurry, 1959, directed by Chuck Jones. Coyote/Roadrunner cartoon. The one that ends with him in the steel ball rolling everywhere. Came out once on VHS, also streamed restored on Max.

25) Zip 'n Snort, 1961, directed by Chuck Jones. Coyote/Roadrunner cartoon. The one that ends with him trying to outrun a train while his feet are covered in grease. Has been released a LOT on VHS, laserdisc, and DVD, all unrestored. Streamed restored on Max.

It's a nice list of cartoons. Nothing censored except for violence, so still playing it safe.

The second disc has stuff already released to DVD restored, but in Standard Defintion. These will be HD restorations.

Golden Collection 2: Ain't She Tweet, Gee Whiz-z-z-z-z-z-z, Hare Conditioned, Rhapsody Rabbit, Snow Business, Zoom and Bored Golden Collection 3: Bye Bye Bluebeard, Daffy Duck and Egghead, Gonzales' Tamales, Odor-able Kitty, Rabbit Punch Golden Collection 4: Cat-Tails for Two Golden Collection 5: Red Riding Hoodwinked Golden Collection 6: Birth of a Notion, Hare Trigger, Horton Hatches the Egg, Much Ado About Nutting Foghorn Leghorn DVD: Banty Raids, Little Boy Boo, Two Crows from Tacos Daffy Duck Frustrated Fowl DVD: Daffy Dilly Bugs Bunny Hare Extraordinaire DVD: Hare Trimmed Pepe Le Pew DVD: Past Perfumance The Essential Daffy Duck: Porky's Duck Hunt Porky Pig Hilarious Ham DVD: Tom Turk and Daffy

Also a very nice list of cartoons. This has a bit more controversy, with two Pepe Le Pew cartoons (he's been unofficially banned), two Speedy Gonzales cartoons (ditto), and Two Crows from Tacos, another one with heavy Mexican stereotypes.

Statistics!

B&W cartoons: one. Color cartoons: 49

For the first disc, 1 Hardaway/Dalton, 3 Avery, 6 Freleng, 4 McKimson, 9 Jones, 2 Davis (one started by Clampett)

Bugs: 1 cameo. Daffy: 1. Elmer Fudd: 2. Egghead: 1 (still not going there). Foghorn Leghorn: 2. Coyote/Roadrunner: 2. Wolf/Sheepdog: 2 Goofy Gophers: 1. Henery Hawk: 1. Sylvester: 3. Tweety: 2. Claude/Frisky: 2. One-shots or close enough: 9.

[laresearchette]

Saturday, December 02, 2023 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: THRILLER 40 (Paramount +) LADIES OF THE 80's: A DIVAS CHRISTMAS (Lifetime Canada) 8:00pm A CHRISTMAS SERENADE (OWN Canada) 9:00pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT? CHRISTMAS ON WINDMILL WAY (Premiering on December 08 on CTV Life at 8:00pm) A NOT SO ROYAL CHRISTMAS (Premiering on December 09 on CTV Life at 8:00pm)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

CRAVE TV ALVINNN!!! AND THE CHIPMUNKS (Season 3) PAW PATROL (Seasons 4 - 5)

DISNEY + STAR DOCTOR WHO: WILD BLUE YONDER

2023 FIFA MEN'S U17 WORLD CUP (TSN4) 6:48am: Final - Germany vs. France

NHL HOCKEY (SN) 2:00pm: Lightning vs. Stars (TSN3) 3:00pm: Chicago vs. Jets (CBC/City TV) 7:00pm: Detroit vs. Habs (SN1) 7:00pm: Kraken vs. Sens (SN) 7:00pm: Bruins vs. Leafs (CBC/SN) 10:00pm: Canucks vs. Flames

NBA BASKETBALL (TSN4) 4:00pm: Warriors vs. Clippers (SN Now) 8:00pm: Hawks vs. Bucks (TSN4) 9:00pm: Thunder vs. Mavericks

A MERRY CHRISTMAS WISH (CTV Life) 6:00pm: An NYC advertising executive returns to her hometown to sell the family farm but instead reconnects with her childhood friend and gets involved with organizing the yearly Winter Wonderland, which takes place on the property.

NLL LACROSSE (TSN) 7:00pm: Rush vs. Thunderbirds (TSN) 10:00pm: Panther City vs. Warriors

CTV NEWS SPECIAL: RICK HANSEN: UNBREAKABLE 50 YEARS LATER (CTV) 7:00pm

IRON MAN 3 (CTV) 8:00pm: After a malevolent enemy reduces his world to rubble, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) must rely on instinct and ingenuity to protect those he loves as he searches for a way to avenge his losses.

LETTERS TO SANTA (W Network) 8:00pm: When young siblings receive a magic pen from Santa that appears to be granting wishes, they request a Christmas gift they want more than anything -- for their separated parents to reunite.

CHRISTMAS AT THE DRIVE-IN (CTV Life) 8:00pm: A property lawyer finds romance during the holidays while trying to save her town's local drive-in from closing down.

WILD BABIES OF AMERICA'S NATIONAL PARKS (Nat Geo Wild) 8:00pm: Baby animals in the National Parks struggle through a perilous first year.

CATERING CHRISTMAS (CTV2) 9:00pm: Fledgling caterer Molly Frost is hired by perfectionist Jean Harrison for the renowned Harrison Foundation's annual Christmas Gala, but things get complicated when she falls for Jean's nephew.

TUCKED (OUT TV) 9:00pm: A veteran drag queen with a terminal illness begins a new friendship with a younger man and cleans up unfinished business with his estranged daughter.

INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR (Crave) 9:00pm: Josh Lambert heads east to drop his son, Dalton, off at school. However, Dalton's college dream soon becomes a living nightmare when the repressed demons of his past suddenly return to haunt them both.

SELENA + CHEF (HBO Canada) 9:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): Alex Guarnaschelli and Selena prepare roast beef and "Chantilly" mashed potatoes.

JOY RIDE (Starz Canada) 9:00pm: Four unlikely friends embark on an epic, no-holds-barred journey of bonding, belonging and wild debauchery that reveals the universal truth of what it means to know and love who you are.

SNOW ANGEL (Super Channel Fuse) 9:00pm: After a fatal accident in a snowy village at the eastern tip of Quebec, a screwed-up ex-pro snowboarder decides to pack up her cabin and leave town for good, but someone -- or something -- seems intent on stopping her.

THE LITTLE THINGS (CTV) 12:35am: A deputy sheriff joins forces with a sergeant to search for a serial killer who's terrorizing Los Angeles.

[theoutcastrogue]

Solid start! "Robin Hood and Other Outlaw Tales" is an amazing resource. I would also suggest Robin Hood: Bold Outlaw of Barnsdale and Sherwood, which is more accessible to beginners, I think. But how about an appetiser? Here's some of my favourite ballads:

Robin Hood and the Beggar: trickery, disguises, daring escapes!

Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar: Friar Tuck shenanigans

Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford: nobody likes bishops

Robin Hood and Maid Marian: the 2 nobles (Robin's a noble here, it's 17th century) fight each other in disguise, they recognise and kiss, and go off to the forest to live happily ever after "by their hands, without any lands"

Robin Hood and the tanner: sometimes you root for the other guy!

I agree that Scott's Ivanhoe was important and started a lot of things (it invented Robin of Locksley, for one), but Robin's a tertiary character in the book (secondary? I don't remember, it's been a while, by which I mean decades), and if that's all you're interested in, just check out wikipedia's section on "Lasting influence on the Robin Hood legend" and get done with it.

For how Robin Hood evolved in modern times, I'd start with Howard Pyle and The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (1883), it was hugely influential for both the story and the imagery, and it's fun to read. (Another important illustrator is N.C. Wyeth, whose Robin Hood (1917) also influenced superhero costumes.)

All this is laid out in detail and chronological order in Robin Hood: Development of a Popular Hero: Part I, II, and IV. (Tumblr ate Part III, dammit, but you can read the full text sans pictures at The Robin Hood Project.)

If you like podcasts, Criminal Records Podcast and The History of English Podcast have episodes on Robin Hood.

For analysis, there's tons out there, I suggest Stephen Knight's Robin Hood: An Anthology of Scholarship and Criticism and Robin Hood in Greenwood Stood: Alterity and Context in the English Outlaw Tradition. More recently, there's Lesley Coote's Robin Hood and the Outlaw/ed Literary Canon. I also think it's a good idea to read Hobsbawm's Bandits, where the whole social bandit theory is laid out. There's a lot to be said and argued about it, but it's foundational.

And here, lemme copy the Robin Hood section from my Rogue Studies™ Resources / Bibliography :

Robert B. Waltz, The Gest of Robyn Hode: A Critical and Textual Commentary (2013)

University of Rochester, The Robin Hood Project

Stephen Knight & Thomas H. Ohlgren, Robin Hood and Other Outlaw Tales

Allen W. Wright, Robin Hood Bold Outlaw of Barnsdale and Sherwood

Stephen Knight, Robin Hood in Greenwood Stood: Alterity and Context in the English Outlaw Tradition (Brepols, 2012); Robin Hood: Anthology of Scholarship and Criticism (Boydell & Brewer Ltd., 1999)

Alexander L. Kaufman, British Outlaws of Literature and History: Essays on Medieval and Early Modern Figures from Robin Hood to Twm Shon Catty (McFarland & Company, 2011)

Lesley Coote (ed), Robin Hood and the Outlaw/ed Literary Canon (Routledge, 2020); Robin Hood in Outlaw/ed Spaces (Routledge, 2021)

Stephen Basdeo, Geste of Robin Hood blog, especially the tags Robin Hood, Outlaw and Bandits ; “Robin Hood the Brute: Representations of the outlaw in eighteenth century criminal biography”

Howard Pyle, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (1883)

Joseph Ritson, Robin Hood: a collection of poems, songs, and ballads relative to that celebrated English outlaw (1853)

Thomas Percy & J. V. Prichard, Reliques of Ancient English Poetry (1900)

Peter Sutton & William Langland, Piers Plowman: A Modern Verse Translation (McFarland & Company, 2004)

Mike Dixon-Kennedy, The Robin Hood Handbook: The Outlaw in History, Myth and Legend (The History Press, 2006)

Nick Rennison, Robin Hood: Myth, History & Culture (Pocket Essentials, 2012)

David Baldwin, Robin Hood: The English Outlaw Unmasked (Amberley Publishing, 2010)

…I really need to make a Robin Hood masterpost.

Any recommendations on where to start for someome who wants to know about Robin Hood?

Sure thing!

The thing about Robin Hood is that, because what we have are later written recordings and remixes of an older oral tradition, the sources are somewhat spread out between multiple texts. So what you want is a good collection of different sources, and preferably one that's a modern translation with regularized spelling (unless you like struggling with Middle English).

Waltz' The Gest of Robyn Hode: A Critical and Textual Commentary is a good place to start, because it not only has a modern translation of the Geste (the earliest written text of Robin Hood), but also a wealth of context and analysis.

Knight and Ohlgren's Robin Hood and Other Outlaw Tales also has a good selection of the Robin Hood ballads that introduced important characters like Guy of Gisborne, Maid Marian, Friar Tuck, and so forth to the narrative, as well as some of the 16th and 17th century Robin Hood plays that were responsible for the whole shift from the yeoman Robin Hood to the noble Robin (or Robert).

I can also recommend Ritson's Robin Hood: A Collection of All the Ancient Poems, Songs, and Ballads, Now Extant Relative to That Celebrated English Outlaw, which was the first scholarly attempt to collect and collate and make sense of the disparate historical texts and attempt to fit them into a coherent narrative.

Finally, you should probably read Walter Scott's Ivanhoe, which is the work of meta-fanfic that made Victorian medievalism the massive fandom that it was.

[arcticdementor]

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

That’s a natural reaction to the revelation of Andrew G. McCabe, the former deputy FBI director, that top Justice Department officials, alarmed by Donald Trump’s firing of former Bureau director James Comey, explored a plan to invoke the 25th Amendment and kick the duly elected president out of office.

…

But to understand what kind of constitutional crisis this would unleash and the precedent it would set, it’s necessary to ponder the rest of this section of the 25th Amendment. The text prescribes that, if the president, after being removed, transmits to the same congressional figures that he is indeed capable of discharging his duties, he shall once again be president after four days. But if the vice president and the cabinet majority reiterate their declaration within those four days that the guy can’t govern, Congress is charged with deciding the issue. It then takes a two-thirds vote of both houses to keep the president removed, which would have to be done within 21 days, during which time the elected president would be sidelined and the vice president would govern. If Congress can’t muster the two-thirds majority within the prescribed time period, the president “shall resume the powers and duties of his office.”

…

For the past two years, the country has been struggling to understand the two competing narratives of the criminal investigation of the president.

One narrative—let’s call it Narrative A—has it that honorable and dedicated federal law enforcement officials developed concerns over a tainted election in which nefarious Russian agents had sought to tilt the balloting towards the candidate who wanted to improve U.S.-Russian relations and who seemed generally unseemly. Thus did the notion emerge, quite understandably, that Trump had “colluded” with Russian officials to cadge a victory that otherwise would have gone to his opponent. This narrative is supported and protected by Democratic figures and organizations, by adherents of the “Russia as Threat” preoccupation, and by anti-Trumpers everywhere, particularly news outlets such as CNN, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.

The other view—Narrative B—posits that certain bureaucratic mandarins of the national security state and the outgoing Obama administration resolved early on to thwart Trump’s candidacy. After his election, they determined to undermine his political standing, and particularly his proposed policy toward Russia, through a relentless and expansive investigation characterized by initial misrepresentations, selective media leaks, brutal law enforcement tactics, and a barrage of innuendo. This is the narrative of most Trump supporters, conservative commentators, Fox News, and The Wall Street Journal editorial page, notably columnist Kimberley Strassel.  

The McCabe revelation won’t affect the battle of the two narratives. As ominous and outrageous as this “deep state” behavior may seem to those who embrace Narrative B, it will be seen by Narrative A adherents as evidence that those law enforcement officials were out there heroically on the front lines protecting the republic from Donald J. Trump.

And those Narrative A folks won’t have any difficulty tossing aside the fact that McCabe was fired as deputy FBI director for violating agency policy in leaking unauthorized information to the news media. He then allegedly violated the law in lying about it to federal investigators on four occasions, including three times while under oath.

Indeed, Narrative A people have no difficulty at all brushing aside serious questions posed by Narrative B people. McCabe is a likely liar and perjurer? Doesn’t matter. Peter Strzok, head of the FBI’s counterespionage section, demonstrated his anti-Trump animus in tweets and emails to Justice official Lisa Page? Irrelevant. Christopher Steele’s dossier of dirt on Trump, including an allegation that the Russians were seeking to blackmail and bribe him, was compiled by a man who had demonstrated to a Justice Department official that he was “desperate that Donald Trump not get elected and…passionate about him not being president”? Not important. The dossier was paid for by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic Party? Immaterial. Nothing in the dossier was ever substantiated? So what?

…

Porter notes that a particularly sinister expression in May 2017 by former CIA director John O. Brennan, a leading Trump antagonist, has precipitated echoes in the news media ever since, particularly in the Times. Asked in a committee hearing if he had intelligence indicating that anyone in the Trump campaign was “colluding with Moscow,” Brennan dodged the question. He said his experience had taught him that “the Russians try to suborn individuals, and they try to get them to act on their behalf either wittingly or unwittingly.”

Of course you can’t collude with anybody unwittingly. But Brennan’s fancy expression has the effect of expanding what can be thrown at political adversaries, to include not just conscious and nefarious collaboration but also policy advocacy that could be viewed as wrongheaded or injurious to U.S. interests. As Porter puts it, “The real purpose…is to confer on national security officials and their media allies the power to cast suspicion on individuals on the basis of undesirable policy views of Russia rather than on any evidence of actual collaboration with the Russian government.”

That seems to be what’s going on here. There’s no doubt that McCabe and Rosenstein and Strzok and Brennan and Page and many others despised Trump and his resolve to thaw relations with Russia. They viewed him as a president “who needed to be reined in,” as a CNN report described the sentiment among top FBI officials after the Comey firing.

[dorothydalmati1]

Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies 1942 Episode 9.5: Any Bonds Today?

Written and directed by Bob Clampett

Animated by Virgil Ross, Robert McKimson, Gerry Chiniquy & Rod Scribner

Music by Carl W. Stalling

DISCLAIMER: This short was produced as a propaganda piece for WWII. Understandably not as obvious to brainwash nowadays, but, it also contains Bugs Bunny preforming a blackface, which is nowadays considered racist to African-Americans, although this was unintentional racism since blackface was seen as okay for the time period. Plus, the blackface sequence was adopted as a meme by the alt-right on 4chan.

SANIC DERP!