Number of the Day: 2,864,974. (Popular votes.)

El Trumpo's World View: The Enemy's Within!!!

Orange model Brainiac.

Apparently I'm the only person left in this world of shit & pain capable of reading; certainly the only one capable of understanding what he's reading. If not, why hasn't this quote received any attention? (Possibly because no one is reading the site, which was started by two of the chief shitheads behind POLITICO.)

"I've had a lot of briefings that are very … I don't want to say 'scary,' because I'll solve the problems," he said. "But … we have some big enemies out there in this country and we have some very big enemies — very big and, in some cases, strong enemies."

Besides the sadly familiar feeling of a listening to a not very smart grade-schooler trying to bullshit his way out of a question ("some very big enemies — very big and, in some cases, strong enemies") for which he was unprepared, did you notice the phrase "big enemies out there in this country"? Is he just confused? Did he perhaps mean "the world", but let slip a Freudian revelation of his true beliefs about us? Dollars to dough-nuts there's already an enemies list (if not several) making its way around the Executive Mansion.

And of course, he'll solve the problems. Because everyone else is stupid, & he's, like, very SMRT. (You can tell by the way he talks like a third-grader.)

Musical Birthday

Born this date in 1910, Django Reinhardt.

Which Commandment Was That Again?

John Nolte / Daily Wire:

Response to Ben Shapiro: Five Reasons I Don't Care If Donald Trump Lies  —  Let me first acknowledge Ben Shapiro's Sunday piece about those who excuse from Donald Trump what they never would from Barack Obama.  On this particular subject, I have been very clear since the beginning, since The Donald stepped out onto the political stage.

Discussion:

Neil Stevens / RedState:   It Begins: The Apologists Are Cheering For Trump's Lies

ni·hil·ism

/ˈnīəˌlizəm,ˈnēəˌlizəm/

noun

1. the rejection of all religious and moral principles, often in the belief that life is meaningless.

The dream is over: Cast off the yoke of bourgeois morality & take a page from this guy's book before it's too late!

Impending Mortality

Reductions in Medicare & Social Security outlays should help you go before many more of your heroes do.

2017 Wk. Three Morbidity & Mortality Report

Wk. of 15-21 January 2017:
Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, pro wrassler, accused murderer, Sunday the 15th.

Eugene Cernan, last humanoid to set foot on Luna, 82, Monday the 16th.

"Poppy" & "Bar" Bush, not to worry; hospital stays just an excuse not to attend Trump's illegit inaug.

Cheese or a cheese-like product on a cracker, this hasn't turned out to be much of a report. Reckoned (hoped) they'd be dropping like flies in the new yr.

Insecure (& Illegitimate) Presidential Drama Queen

Who you gonna believe: Trump, or your lying eyes?

Srsly., how effin' pathetic is this egomaniac?

A presidential speech that was intended to thank the intelligence community quickly went off the rails Saturday as Donald Trump talked about himself, his inauguration crowd, the dishonest media and how great his party was.

Trump appeared at the CIA on his first official day as the 45th president after a rough few weeks where he'd heavily criticized the agency, blamed it for leaks and questioned their assessment that Russia had interfered in the U.S. election. In a brief 15-minute statement, Trump meandered, but without the kind of discipline or grace one might expect from the commander in chief.

"I am so behind you and I know maybe sometimes you haven't gotten the backing that you've wanted and you're going to get so much backing," Trump told the intel community with whom he has feuded. "Maybe you'll say, 'don't give us so much backing. Mr. President, please, we don't need that much backing,' But you're going to have that, and I think everybody in this room knows it."

It seemed at every turn, Trump would pivot to himself. As he talked about his choice to lead the CIA Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS), Trump noted that he himself was smart.

"I met him and I said, he is so good. Number one in his class at West Point. I know a lot about West Point, and I'm a person that very strongly believes in academics. In fact, every time I say I had an uncle who was a great professor at M.I.T. for 35 years, who did a fantastic job in so many ways," Trump said. "He was an academic genius, and then they say, there's Donald Trump, an intellectual, trust me, I'm like a smart person."

Then, when he talked about wanting to help America win again, he noted how young he felt.

"When I was young and I feel young, I feel like I'm 30, 35, 39, somebody said, 'Are you young? I said, 'I think I'm young.' You know, I was stopping when we were in the final month of the campaign, four stops, five stops, seven stops. Speeches, speeches, in front of 25,000, 35,000 people, 15,000, 19,000, from stop to stop," Trump said. " I feel young. When I was young, we were always winning things in this country. Would win with trade. Would win with wars. And at a certain age, I remember hearing from one of my instructors the United States has never lost a war. And then after that, it's like, we haven't won anything."

It was a strange juxtaposition: a President, standing before the memorial wall at the CIA that honors the lives lost by agency officers as he talked about crowd size and his intelligence. According to the pool report, there were about 400 CIA employees at the agency Saturday. At first, the cheering came from across the crowd, but the pooler noted that as the speech continued, the senior officials in the front grew "subdued."

"Probably almost everybody in this room voted for me but I will not ask you to raise your hands if you did but I guarantee a big portion because we're all on the same wavelength," Trump said.

Trump also couldn't resist talking about his feud with the media.

"I have a running war with the media. They are among the most dishonest human beings on Earth. And they sort of made it sound like I had a feud with the intelligence community. And I just want to let you know, the reason you're the number one stop is exactly the opposite," Trump said. "We did a thing yesterday at the speech and everybody like the speech? But we had a massive field of people. You saw that. Packed. I get up this morning, I turn on one of the networks, and they show an empty field. I'm like, wait a minute. I made a speech. I looked out, the field was, it looked like a million, million and a half people."

[T.P.M.]

As we type the White House Press Secretary is trying to figure how the massive street demonstrations currently happening can be spun. Good luck!

Post-American Bandstand

It's Separation Time; Rasta No Deal W/ Crime

Nobody Likes Me, Everybody Hates Me, Guess I'll Go Eat Worms

The schaden freudes itself: What if they gave an illegitimate inaugural & (relatively) no one came, including much of Trump's enthusiastic movement?

Nobody likes this jerkwad or any of his little fascist friends. When does the snarking stop & the shooting start?

Jennifer Calfas / The Hill:

Poll: Trump approval rating hits new low hours before inauguration  —  Just over a third of Americans approve of President-elect Donald Trump  —  , according to a new poll released hours before his inauguration.  —  The survey from Fox News showed that 37 percent of Americans approve …

Discussion:

Anne Applebaum / Washington Post:   Trump's dark promise to return to a mythical past

Fox News:   Fox News Poll: A divided, yet optimistic country awaits Trump

Natalie Dickinson / Occupy Democrats:   Trump Just Stole A Photo Of Obama's Inauguration Because Nobody Came To His

AOL:   POLL: Americans have low expectations for Trump as he enters White House

Susan Wright / RedState:   Latest Trump Approval Rating Hits Historic Low

Bonnie Kristian / The Week:   Trump loses support as he becomes The Man

Piling on.

Donald Trump took the oath of office in front of a comically small crowd

The size of his crowds was the entire premise of his campaign.

The flash of his cards ...What Google hath wrought: First result of "the flash of his cards was sprayed" is this eerily prescient four-&-a-half yr. old Greater Trumpery from our iNternet friends sitting on top (if you discount Patagonia & the Malvinas) of the world.

Instant Inaugural Karma

It's no secret this reporter has hated this shit hole country & the filthy non-stop hypocrisy it's spewed at the rest of the world since long before he started bitching & moaning about it & everything else on the iNternet; now that America's chickens have come home to roost (& already dropped loads of chickenshit on everything) I'm very happy (even if my corpse will be in the streets rotting w/in months) because most of you sonsabitches will suffer (Maybe die?) lying in the beds you made for yourselves. Bend over & spread 'em, bit-chezz, 'cause here it comes!!

Hamburger All Over The Highway ...

Literally.

Truck hauling 138 cows overturns,
killing 37 heifers east of Los Angeles

Wait for it.

The Latest

A mere sample:

"I tell you what": We're about to have a 70-yr. old "President" who has the intellectual acuity of the proverbial high school drop-out working in a gas station.

Except self-service would've put him out of a job long ago.

Q: What books are you reading?
A: Look over there. There are some books. pic.twitter.com/9cItkOPMQ7

— Peter Hamby (@PeterHamby) January 18, 2017

This is slightly different from when @michikokakutani interviewed Obama about books https://t.co/XUxRzyyixS

— Farhad Manjoo (@fmanjoo) January 18, 2017

Tweets via Anne Laurie at Balloon Juice.

This reporter is leaving the bunker to look at the last full day before the shitheels of the "Real America" take over these United Snakes. 240 yrs. is probably more than could have reasonably been expected, so fuck it all to hell; it's the will of (some of) the people!

Thermonuclear Thurs.

Play simultaneously. Then bend over, place your head between your legs, & kiss your ass goodbye.

King Yellow (NOT Orange)

Everything You Know Is Wrong, Also Too

As noted yesterday, straight outta Hellmouth (& 1974) The Firesign Theatre!

At Least I Was Warned

Weasel-Dick Weds.

Tragic Davos avalanche? We can only hope.

Will no one rid us of these parasites, hedge fund managers & whore-mongers who are literally killing & maiming us every day w/ their never-ending greed & lust for power?

Coming up on Wednesday

The first day of Davos 2017 is drawing to a close, but there's plenty more coming up tomorrow. Here are some of the key sessions to follow on Wednesday:

0800 GMT - Squeezed and Angry: How to Fix the Middle-Class Crisis
0930 GMT - Special Address by Joe Biden, Vice President of the United States
1000 GMT - A Compact for Responsible Business Leadership
1000 GMT - Politics of Fear or Rebellion of the Forgotten?
1300 GMT - A Positive Narrative for the Global Community
1445 GMT - Fixing Europe's Disunion
1700 GMT - The Great American Divide
1715 GMT - An Insight, An Idea with Jack Ma

N.B.: If you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

I.C.Y.M.I.: Twit Of The Day

RESIST, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE, REBEL!
(You can be revolting too.)

— M. Bouffant (@MBouffant) January 17, 2017

Alliteration is awesome, innit?

Everything You Know Is Wrong

Directly from Pappy's, the inner front cover of the first edition of Gorgo, The Monster From The Sea.

Not sure if I believe even the text in the first panel (Now that "scaled like a fish" has registered, no.); I suppose there's nothing egregiously inaccurate about the third's text or image. Still, it's "Jesus rode a dinosaur" country.

Civil Rights Day (Observed)

International Hero

Martin Luther King - Scientist w/ The Forces Of Music

Fear Of A Black ... Museum?

National African-American Museum. All sources lead to the LDS Church.

We see that the Pants-Pisser-elect is afraid he'll soil his uuge pantaloons if too many swarthy types get near him.

Rebecca Savransky / The Hill:

Trump no longer expected to visit African American museum on MLK Day: report  —  is reportedly no longer expected to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  —  The president-elect will no longer make the visit on Monday because of scheduling issues …

Discussion:

alan.com:   Trump no longer to visit African-American museum on MLK Day

Barbara Morrill / Daily Kos:   Trump cancels MLK Day visit to National African American Museum because he's too busy

RELATED:

 John Santucci / ABC News:
Trump Changes Plans on MLK Day Visit To African American History Museum

Discussion:

Dara Lind / Vox:   Donald Trump's attack on civil rights leader John Lewis, explained

Esme Cribb / Talking Points Memo:   Pence: Trump ‘Has The Right To Defend Himself’ Against Rep. John Lewis

Atlanta Journal-Constitution:   John Lewis' memoir sells out after Trump's Twitter tirade

Sarah Jones / Politicus USA:   Cowardly Trump Backs Out Of Commemorating MLK Day At the African American Museum

Beth Elderkin / Gizmodo:   Rep. John Lewis' Graphic Novel Skyrockets After Trump Twitter Storm

David Edwards / Raw Story:   DON'T MISS STORIES.  FOLLOW RAW STORY!  —  Donald Trump's …

Sally Bronston / NBC News:   Rep. Lewis: I Would Not Invite Trump to Selma

Juan Cole / Informed Comment:   5 Images that refute Trump's attack on Hero John Lewis

David Smith / The Guardian:   Fear and loathing in Washington DC: progressives dread Trump inauguration

Lindsey Ellefson / Mediaite:   Rep Lewis' Graphic Novel About Civil Rights Sees 106,700% Skyrocket on Amazon After Trump Tweet

Anne Laurie / Balloon Juice:   Sunday Morning Open Thread: Appreciate Them While You Can

Dienekes / The Great American Movement:   BOOM! A Mike Pence Fan Puts Right Perspective On John Lewis v. Donald Trump Spat

Zahra Shati / New Century Times:   Former RNC Chair BRUTALLY Takes Down Trump For Attacking John Lewis & It's GLORIOUS (VIDEO)

Chris Enloe / TheBlaze:   Ben Sasse gracefully responds to Dem congressman who called Trump an ‘illegitimate’ president

Digby / Hullabaloo:   Trump's little white slip is showing again

CBS New York:   Trump Unleashes Twitter Tirade Against Civil Rights Legend

Andrew Blake / Washington Times:   Donald Trump blasts Rep. John Lewis as ‘all talk’ after congressman questions election's legitimacy

Natalie Dickinson / Occupy Democrats:   Dan Rather Just Went Viral Defending John Lewis From Trump's Attack

Nicole Gallucci / Mashable:   People are fuming over Donald Trump's comments about John Lewis

Tom Tillison / BizPac Review:   ‘I stand with John Lewis’: How many Dems will skip inauguration now that they have ‘a cause’?

Bonnie Kristian / The Week:   Trump faces backlash after criticism of civil rights leader John Lewis during MLK weekend

Laurel Raymond / ThinkProgress:   These lawmakers are disgusted by Trump's attack on civil rights icon John Lewis

Bill Moyers:   John Lewis Is a True American Profile in Courage

Kaitlan Collins / The Daily Caller:   Trump Strikes Back After House Dem Says He's Not ‘A Legitimate President’ [VIDEO]

Patterico / RedState:   Trump Snaps Back at John Lewis on Twitter

John Hinderaker / Power Line:   Trump Hits Back at John Lewis [Updated]

Max Greenwood / The Hill:   Lawmakers condemn Trump for attack on John Lewis

Perhaps Trump is only afraid he'll learn something. But either way, fuck that ol' John Lewis guy, right?

2017 Wk. Two Morbidity & Mortality Report

Wk. of 8-14 January 2017:
Dick Gautier, 85 (Five great-grandchildren!) on Friday the 13th.

Gautier, who started his career as a stand-up comic, received a Tony nomination for playing Conrad Birdie, the character based on Elvis Presley, in the memorable, original 1960 production of Bye, Bye Birdie, starring Dick Van Dyke.

The handsome actor appeared as Hymie on just six episodes of Get Smart over four seasons, yet he was one of the spy spoof's most popular characters.

And many others I never knew whom no one will remember or even have the slightest idea of in just a few generations; if you wanna throw in failed institutions, the 146-yrs. touring Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®. Touring by train? Not the greatest financial model. Seen by this reporter at the Cow Palace when he was young.

Half-way through January & few indications of increased post-holiday mortality. We are very disappointed.

'Phone-y Photographs

New (to me) 'phone seems to work well, although it & the Spectrum modem had trouble shaking hands. ("Authentication problem.") "Solved" by connecting the lap-top via Ethernet, leaving the 'phone & Chromecast the only unwired devices.

Biggest deal is that the new 'phone is recognized by the devil-box, meaning that photos on the previous 'phone's SD Card are now easily available w/o posting them to Twitter. (If I knew exactly where the adapter for the mini SD Card was I could have inserted it directly into the computer, but no image taken seemed worth looking through several drawers & the boxes therein.)

Therefore, having suffered ... it's your turn.

VERMIN!!

Note Mohawk Youth. Pseudo-ironic post-punk, two decades late?

Above: Writers Guild of America West bldg., S.W. corner of Third St. & Fairfax Ave., 23 December 2016, 1516PST.

New camera's same 2.0 megapixel/plastic lens crap as the old, but it has a flash.

Free slightly-bent rack, free crummy 'phones.
I am such a taker.

Last & least, obligatory new 'phone selfie.
"Nothing left to life but a pair of glassy eyes."

M. Bouffant's Local Action Video Bandstand

Kee-rist, not these assholes again!Reduced to car (& girl) commercials after 50+ yrs., I see. (Was hoping giant ants would pop out of the flood drains in the "river", but no.)

Other localized televised crap.

The 20 Best Music Videos Ever
Shot in Los Angeles

What. Ever.

My choice for No. 1 (not on above list) because much of it was shot at the Pioneer Chicken on Sunset (at Fuller) which was just around the corner from me in the late '70s & early '80s. Lotta late-nite snack action there, you betcha.