First Draft | Liberal Politics, Media Criticism & General Mayhem

Cassandra, COVID-19, Diary, Faith

Yielding Sweetness

On Tuesday I learned about a Christmas tradition that I absolutely could not believe was real, despite my source being someone that I trust to tell me the truth.

In Catalonia, families decorate a log—the Tio de Nadal, or the log of Christmas–with a smiley face, a hat, and 2 short front legs. The children “feed” the log all December, and then on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day the adults place a blanket on the log’s back end and the children sing a song, Caga Tio, while they beat the log with sticks. To wit:

You have no doubt noticed that it appears that the candy and toys that the children are running to gather appeared from the back end of the log, as if the log pooped them out. Well, good eye, because you’re right. These are the lyrics to Caga Tio:

Shit, log,
Shit nougats (turrón),
Hazelnuts and mató cheese,
If you don’t shit well,
I’ll hit you with a stick,
Shit, log!

I love this idea so much. I cannot possibly wrap my head completely around it having only learned about it a day ago. It is a metaphor for, well, everything.

Pressure is supposed to be a refining process; after all, diamonds come from all kinds of things: pressure, heat, subduction zones, meteorites. And 2020 was a year of pressure where we were handed a world full of natural hazards and from it we did our best to create diamonds. The pandemic was raging, vaccines and treatments were still just a future blip, and we tried our best to produce diamonds, as tiny as they were.

2021, on the other hand, is just a shitshow. Vaccines were rolled out, things got a lot better, and then everything changed. The huge number of people who won’t get vaccinated stopped the progress toward a kind of normality, and then omicron showed up. There were booster shots and effective treatments, and now there are antivirals on the horizon and yet Covid cases are reaching all-time highs. And we’re all too tired to make any more fucking diamonds.

I noticed that the Twitter thread that introduced me to the Tio de Nadal had another tweet in it, so I went back to read it. And then it all made sense.

So, after this year that has been unbearably shit, a blessing:

May you beat what remains of the year with great delight. May you expel what’s weighing you down. And may that work yield sweetness.

Merry Christmas and see you round these digital streets in the New Year ❤️

— Benjamin Perry (@FaithfullyBP) December 28, 2021

The image of beating the shit out of 2021 is very appealing, isn’t it? And the image of that beating eliciting torrone (I LOVE torrone) is both disarming and delightful, and just like a yield of sweetness should be.

My First Draft colleagues are looking back over 2021, and both Adrastos and JamieO have published their assessments. I wasn’t sure what mine was going to look like, but once I came across the El Tio de Nadal thread I knew want I wanted to say.

Life is often shitty, and this year has really tried its best to be worse than 2021. And while a lot of us were lucky enough to have the emotional reserves to finish out 2020 with some bright spots–and I was one of those lucky people–I hit the wall in 2021.

And so when I started beating the Poop Log, I found in the pile of gifts a deeper relationship with my mom. I’ve always loved her but we are so much alike that we constantly butt heads. For the first time ever I took my deepest pain and frustration and discouragement to her and she gave me the gifts of her empathy, encouragement, and bedrock love. It turned my entire year around.

Now don’t get me wrong—I still want to beat the shit out of 2021 while it’s still here. But I also scooped up the gifts of the Poop Log and know that what Reverend Perry wishes for all of us is both possible and has possibly has already happened for you this year. (He’s also a great follow on Twitter for checking in with your spiritual life.)

Somehow with all of the Anthony Bourdain stuff I have watched and read over the years, I missed this (h/t Benjamin Perry). See you next year. Joy be with you all.

Dec 29 2021

Adrastos, Album Cover Art, Music

Album Cover Art Wednesday: Victim To Villain

I had never heard of the band New Years Day until I consulted with Mr. Google. Their goth-metal music isn’t my cup of tea but I dig this cover:

BERJAYA

If you’re feeling victimized by such a short post, this song is for you:

Dec 28 2021

Adrastos, Comedy, Diary, Fog Of Scandal, New Orleans, Political Crack, Sports, Television, The Darnold, Twitter

Things That Make Me Cringe 2.0

After I wrote my first Things That Make Me Cringe post calling Succession The Big Cringe. I heard from my friend Mr. Cosmic Ray:

“Succession” has nothing on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” in the cringe department! Still the king of cringe, Mr. David.

It’s hard to argue that point after the season finale in which Alexander Vindman plays himself in an episode that parodies Trump Impeachment 1.0. I am not making this up. Here’s a clip as proof:

Curb Your Enthusiasm is the only show I can think of that could benefit from a 9-year gap between season-8 and season-9 followed by a 3-year gap between 9 and 10. That’s a lot of numbers and many, many gaps.

Speaking of gaps:

Neither Larry David nor JB Smoove came up with that song title, but they could have. They’re forever dropping bombs on people. They’re assholes for our time. Most importantly, they make me cringe.

I made myself cringe by forgetting this cringey post from last fall about a cringey kids book written by a cringey wingnut:

All The Children Cringe

My ability to self-link is the stuff of legend in what my old pal and former work wife Liprap calls the blogpocheh. I let down the side. Oh well, what the hell.

You’re probably wonder where this post is going. In addition to straight to hell, it’s time for more things they make me cringe. The cringiest stuff is presented in cringey bullet points, which make me, uh, cringe:

The inability of political Twitter to take a break from politics. They should follow the example of former presidents Reagan and Obama who took the time between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day off. The news cycle may churn 24-7, but sometimes one needs a break. Overexposure is one thing that doomed the 2020 Trump campaign.

Pete Townshend got it right:

Bad Company missed the mark:

The way the media gives exposure to rude assholes like Jared Schmeck aka the Let’s Go Brandon guy. After being rude to Joey B Shark, this cretin went on the contemptible Mr. Bannon’s podcast. Schmeck is a schmuck. I’ll let Los Lobos dispatch him:

The continuing bible banger support for Trumpism even though Trump Junior proclaimed that “the teachings of Jesus have gotten us nothing.” I guess they really think that Pennywise is the second coming or some such stupid shit. Barack Obama was right when he said that some people cling to their guns and religion. They’ve added the Impeached Insult Comedian to the list. The notion of that moron as the messiah makes me sigh-a…

I don’t think Jeff Lynne had false idols in mind when he wrote this song snippet, but I love ELO so here it goes:

I wish the cringiest event of the week was that short, but they played the whole damn game. My New Orleans Saints were obliged to play and lose a home game with 21 players on the COVID list. It was a farce, which nearly got rookie 4th string QB Ian Book killed because of the makeshift offensive line “blocking” for him. It was as bad as watching Billy Joes Tolliver and Hobert quarterback the Saints during the dismal Ditka days. I am not making the Billy Joe thing up.

My friend Clancy DuBos mock-volunteered to fill the gap. There’s that word again:

So you’re Kamikaze Clancy now?

— Shecky (@Adrastosno) December 28, 2021

FYI, Clancy is one of the sanest, least cringeworthy people I know.

That concludes this cringe-fest. The last word goes to Nick Lowe and Rockpile with a song dedicated to bruised and battered Saints QB Ian Book:

Dec 28 2021

3 Comments

Current Affairs, Elections, Immigration, Political Crack, Race, Religion, Shapiro

What America Means To Me

The New York Times last Sunday ran an article about the city of Enid Oklahoma. It was very illuminating, insightful, and ultimately disturbing.

In summary the story told was ostensibly about an attempt to institute an indoor mask mandate in the midst of the pandemic we are about to “celebrate” the second anniversary of. The mandate was ultimately voted down when a group of Enid citizens, calling themselves the Enid Freedom Fighters, shouted down all attempts at institution at a city council meeting. While this group claimed to have logically and civilly presented their views on the mandate, what they really did was shout, yell, make unfounded claims about the US Constitution and the bible, invoke the names of discredited quack “doctors”, and in general parrot the talking points of the far right. That “victory” emboldened them to become a political force that forced out all those council members who voted for sanity…er…I mean the mandate, take over the city council and the school board and suddenly become a political arm of religious extremists and white supremacists.

The story asks more, though, about what it means to be an American these days. So as we slouch out of this old year (thank you Joan Didion for all you wrote) I thought I’d share some of my thoughts on what I think it means to be an American.

First of all, being an American is a choice (ooh, that’s a word full of contention these days). There is no ethnicity called American. This country was founded, it didn’t naturally evolve as a confederation of related and or conquered tribes like Anglos, Saxons, Gauls, Gaels, et al created Britain, France, Ireland, et al. The Founders (and that right there shows you a difference) made a conscious choice to disassociate from their former country and re-associate with the folks they were living around, mostly British, but also Dutch, German, French, and yes even Africans. Since then America has been a melting pot. Or a salad. Or a quilt. Or whatever analogy you want to use to signify that we aren’t all the same. And then of course in the last several decades we have all become hyphenated Americans, even the increasing number of citizens who are multi-hyphenated because their Australian-Chinese mother married their Belgian-French father making them so many shades of humanity about the only thing they CAN be called is American. We are the mutts of the world. And proud of it.

And I like that. I’d rather live in a land where who your parents were or where they came from makes no matter. Or at least a country that aspires to be that.

Being an American means you have an opportunity to make yourself into the best self you can be. It makes no matter if your desire in life is to have a house in a small town with 2.3 kids, a spouse, a pet, and just enough to retire comfortably on or if you want to have the mansion up on the hill and own all that you can see. The opportunity is open to all who wish to take advantage of it. Your background shouldn’t matter, your family shouldn’t matter, where you grew up or went to college or even if you went to college shouldn’t matter. As long as you are willing to do the work, and do it honestly, then you should be allowed to climb as high as you want. This is an asperation for our country as we have certainly gotten closer but never reached the nirvana of complete equality. Again, this country isn’t a finished product, it’s still in the rough drafts stage. The important thing is to believe we can get there and to have the strength to help get it there.

And if you do make it there, it is your responsibility to make sure the ladder you climbed up on is still there for the next person to use.

Dec 27 2021

1 Comment

COVID-19, Elections, Jamie O, Political Crack, So Called Liberal Media

One Weird Year

This really happened.

While I think nostalgia is a two-edged sword and I am often a nostalgic memory skeptic, I do admit to missing the Good Old Days. And by Good Old Days, I mean before the year itself became a meme/joke about something terrible.

This started in 2016, when we all joked about how the year was so bad, nothing can top it. Then each year after said “hold my beer” and was terrible in its own way. 2021 was no exception.

Along with being kinda lousy, 2021 was also weird. And on occasion, good. I cherry-picked a few examples of the good, the bad, and the weird that stood out to me. Perhaps you can add yours in the comments.

The Good: Joe Biden became president, despite the best efforts of people like 9/11 Hero to Suckers Rudy Guliani, Crazed Lawyer Sidney Powell, and The My Pillow Guy. Biden hasn’t been perfect but he has done some good things. And with two very sad and key exceptions, he mostly seemed to unite Democrats, including having one of his biggest advocates being a member of The Squad, Jamila Jayapal.

The Bad: The Big Lie lives on and is a driving force in the Republican Party, which is now focused on wrecking our democracy, something you can say without hyperbole. Unfortunately, too many people in America either view this development as super awesome coolness, or are clueless enough to think that thinking there is a real threat to democracy is hyperbole.

The Weird: Even as a screwup, the Four Seasons Landscaping fiasco (see the above image) was bizarre and surreal. One of those things that if it were part of a movie, critics would slam it as a ridiculous plot development, and yet it happened in real life.

The Good: We got a vaccine – several of them! The research into mRNA is showing potential for other medical treatments as well. There is no doubt, the vaccine has saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

The Bad: The anti-vax movement has become even larger, more heinous, and more dug-in than ever before. Instead of getting a simple two shots, then a booster, way too many Americans (mainly conservatives) decided the best path forward was trying one of a sad number of convoluted Rube Goldberg-like solutions to fighting COVID. Many died while bringing the term “horse paste” into the American lexicon.

The Weird: This year featured a very odd obsession with “owning the libs” over COVID from some pundits, including a lot of mocking of those who are treating a pandemic like a, well, pandemic. On May 4, Emma Green published in The Atlantic a long “lol” at those libs who are “addicted to the pandemic.” Since that date, as per Johns Hopkins University data, 238,532 Americans have died from COVID. On Dec. 13, Matthew Wahler, also in The Atlantic, lectured everyone that the down-home folksy thing to do was not give a flying shit about infecting others. Since that date, 18,824 Americans have died from COVID. Most recently, on December 20, Shadi Hamid posted about “Omnicron Panic and Liberal Hysteria.” Since that date, 9,717 Americans have died from COVID. You get the idea.
Continue reading →

Tagged 2021, Year end

Dec 27 2021

Two advisers close to Trump who were briefed on his condition told the book’s authors that the former president was “gravely ill” and they feared that he “wouldn’t make it out of Walter Reed.”

Adrastos, Comedy, COVID-19, Diary, Mardi Gras, New Orleans, Sports, Television

Fatigue Fatigue

BERJAYA

Everyone is tired of the pandemic. I know I am. I’m tired of being tired. Instead of mere pandemic fatigue, I have fatigue fatigue.

One of the most worrisome, even irksome, recent developments have been premature declarations of victory. Everyone wants it to end but hoping that it’s over, is a poor substitute for proof that the pandemic is on its way out. That’s the phase we’re in right now. It’s mentally and emotionally more dangerous than the reaction to past waves.

The amateur epidemiologists tell us that Omicron is not that bad: it’s not as long-lasting and kills fewer people. To say that’s a low bar is like saying I’m a cat person or Saints fan. Most early reports are anecdotal and/or journalistic. The data is sparse but encouraging except for one problem: it’s the most contagious wave thus far.

Speaking of the New Orleans Saints, the easiest way to be infected with Omicron is to hang out with my local NFL team. They’re so decimated that they were obliged to sign Jason of The Good Place’s favorite player:

BERJAYA

Blake Bortles is the journeyman’s journeyman as well as a running joke on The Good Place. And Jason is a lovable dolt. So it goes.

How decimated are the Saints? So decimated that Sean Payton tried to lure Drew Brees out of retirement to backup green rookie Ian Book. How green is Ian Book? He played QB for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. That’s green, y’all.

Showing more sense than he did during his playing days, Drew Brees wisely declined. Besides, being around the Saints is a surefire way to catch Omicron. That would get in the way of Drew’s lucrative teevee gig.

I wish that New Orleans Mayor Teedy had the sense of Drew Brees. I think that having Carnival parades is a bad idea based on what we know now. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: a yellow light is in order, not boosterism.

I’m the guy who usually catches everything, but I’ve stayed COVID-free during the pandemic. I’m unwilling to risk my undefeated record just because Mayor Teedy wants to spike the ball. They can have parades but I’m unlikely to attend or entertain company.

As you can see, my fatigue fatigue is aimed at wishful thinking. It makes me want to make like Paul Douglas in the Panic In The Streets featured image.

Worst-case scenario thinking is in order when it comes to the pandemic. I want it to be over but in the immortal words of Lawrence Peter Berra:

BERJAYA

You know times are tough when I quote a New York Yankee legend or praise Drew Brees’ acuity. Oh well, what the hell.

One thing my fatigue fatigue does not extend to is the annual Jon Swift Roundup of satirical blog posts. My Owning The Commies With John Neely Kennedy post joined this year’s festivities. Props to Batocchio of Vagabond Scholar for keeping this tradition alive. While we’re plugging away, a reminder that The Best Of Adrastos 2021 is online.

I also never tire of Dave Barry’s annual year in review piece in the WaPo. I stole “I am not making this up” from Dave. I only steal from the best.

Finally, I write my posts on WordPress then feed them into MS Word for a spell/grammar check. It nearly had a stroke over this post title: DELETE REPEATED WORD.

Since I had a green reverie earlier and the word fatigue is rarely used in song lyrics, the last word goes to Al Green:

Dec 27 2021

7 Comments

COVID-19, Free Republic, Political Crack, The Darnold, Tommy T

Today on Tommy T’s Obsession with the Freeperati – “I – Can’t – help – falling out of love with you” edition

Oh, Darnold, Darnold, Darnold.

You unleashed the monster, and now it’s nibbling at your toes.

How does it feel?

(President) Trump says he got Covid vaccine booster shot, tells fans not to boo him for it
CNBC ^ | MON, DEC 20 20211:07 PM EST | Dan Mangan

Posted on 12/20/2021, 5:17:35 PM by entropy12

POINTS Former President Donald Trump says he received a booster vaccine shot for Covid-19 “Oh don’t!” Trump said, waving his hand as some people in an audience in Dallas at a show with former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly seemed to react negatively to him saying he got the booster. A relatively large percentage of Republican voters have refused to get even initial doses of the coronavirus vaccines. GOP governors around are resisting vaccine and mask mandates.

******************************************************

Does this mean president Trump will no longer be popular here on FR?

1 posted on 12/20/2021, 5:17:35 PM by entropy12

Good question.

To: entropy12

Booooo

2 posted on 12/20/2021, 5:18:41 PM by Brimack34 (If Palin was VP Trump would still be in office.)

Boo who?

To: entropy12I

don’t understand him when it comes to this vaccine. He must think they really work.

Well, he did spend some time in the ICU at Walter Reed, so maybe he wishes he had gotten vaccinated.

Very disappointing. It makes me wonder if he knows what is actually going on with the global takeover.

4 posted on 12/20/2021, 5:20:25 PM by JudyinCanada (Aim low, avoid disappointment.)

To: entropy12

“Oh don’t!” Trump said, waving his hand as some people in an audience in Dallas at a show with former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly seemed to react negatively to him saying he got the booster.

YOU don’t. You’re blowing this one POTUS 45.

10 posted on 12/20/2021, 5:25:06 PM by philman_36 (Pride breakfasted with plenty, dined with poverty and supped with infamy. Benjamin Franklin)

Well, you blew him daily here for over four years, so maybe you’re even?

To: entropy12

Trump is either nowhere near the very stable genius many here had thought.

Or he is nowhere near the good and faithful American many here had hoped.

Spin can’t fix this, only repentance.

15 posted on 12/20/2021, 5:26:59 PM by BuddhaBrown (Path to enlightenment: Four right turns, then go straight until you see the Light!)

Aw, c’mon – surely ye hath not forsaken The Darnold?

To: entropy12

Simply put he is wrong here. I won’t harass him about it because quite frankly I’ve never considered him very intelligent to begin with, (snip) I still like what he represents to many people, but he’s getting a bit old at this point and personally I’ve moved on to DeSantis.

18 posted on 12/20/2021, 5:29:39 PM by jimwatx

What’s DeMoron going to do when HE catches COVID at one of HIS campaign events?

To: entropy12

He has nothing to worry about. In addition to his 3 shots,

Maybe it’s the Fauci/Gates microchips making him say that?

he has already had COVID and has no known co-morbidities.

20 posted on 12/20/2021, 5:30:04 PM by Socon-Econ (adi)

Followed by :

To: entropy12

Trump is getting up there in age and is overweight

54 posted on 12/20/2021, 5:59:27 PM by conservative98

Otherwise, ok?

And now – the post of the thread!

To: JudyinCanada

“I don’t understand him when it comes to this vaccine. He must think they really work. Very disappointing. It makes me wonder if he knows what is actually going on with the global takeover.”

Clearly, Trump has been comprised by the Deep State Cabal – why else would he take the vaccine?? In fact, anyone who has taken the vaccine is now under the influence of the Deep State nanobiots, and no longer to be trusted!!

The ship will be lifting of at exactly 2342 hours on December 29th, departure point Bravo. Be there or be left behind to become part of the Global Consciousness!!

Somebody please hold me. I’m so frightened.

36 posted on 12/20/2021, 5:38:56 PM by Bruce Campbells Chin ( )

Yippee!!!

More below!

Tagged Clown shoes, Free Republic, Freeperati, Freepers, Freeperville, Freerepublic, Right-wing nutcases, the stupid it burns, Tommy T, TommyT, Wingnuts

Dec 26 2021

Music, Random Ruminations, Tommy T

Today in Tommy T’s Random Ruminations – “Powerhouse” edition

I promised last time that I was going to explain how Warner Brothers cartoon scorer Carl Stalling led me to discover composer Raymond Scott.

Stalling loved to lift bits of public domain music – (“Tea for two”, “The Lady In Red”, “Oh You Beautiful Doll”, “California, Here I Come”, “Oh Suzanna” – all either publc domain, or owned by Warner Brothers music publishing). He used most notably “Dance of the Comedians” from “The Bartered Bride” as the background music for the Road Runner tearing up the highway.

And then, he lifted a composition by an avant-garde composer Raymond Scott for scenes featuring assembly lines. It’s the second movement of this piece at 1:25 by the Raymond Scott Quintet. See if this sounds familiar ;

Here’s the version you’re probably more familiar with :

Raymond Scott wasn’t just a pianist and composer. He was an inventor, as well.

He hung out with Bob Moog, and actually invented not the synthesizer, but the first sequencer – he called it the “Electronium”.

Here’s Mark Mothersbaugh giving it a look-see :

And here’s the man himself in his laboratory :

And all this I discovered from some cartoons and books.

Tagged Dave's not here, music, Random Ruminations, Tommy T, TommyT

Dec 26 2021

Adrastos, Film, Sunday Morning Video

Sunday Morning Video: Star In The Night

Tis the day after Christmas and I’m posting some holiday fare. It’s a short film made in 1945. It tells the “no room at the inn” story in then contemporary drag.

It’s good but its pedigree is more interesting than the film. It was the first directorial outing for the great Don Siegel and an early outing for cinematographer Robert Burks who would go on to shoot most of Hitchcock’s films from 1951 to 1964.

Dec 25 2021

Adrastos, Best Of Adrastos, Odds & Sods

Saturday Odds & Sods: The Best Of Adrastos 2021

Merry Christmas from Bad Santa & Thurman Merman.

It’s been a tough year for everyone, but hard times are good for satire: I have posted 583 times thus far in 2021. I am not making this up.

Being that prolific made winnowing down this list difficult. I started with 80 candidates then cut it to a top-50 list. I’ve done that in past years but Dr. A encouraged me to cut it to a top-40 list. When she speaks, I listen.

I’ve done something different this year. Instead of text links, I’ve used the image links below. That means it will not pop up in a separate tab and you’ll have to click back to the main post. It’s not as hard as it sounds. Plus, you get to experience the featured images that brought the posts to life. The image box things are different shapes and sizes because WordPress. What can I tell ya? I’m a writer, not a tech person.

Without further ado, I give you the sixth annual Best Of Adrastos arranged in chronological order.

It may not be much of a Christmas present, but it will have to do until I can score some coal for your stockings. Maybe I should ask the Man of La Manchin.

I guess that last paragraph qualifies as further ado. Oh well, what the hell.

January 2:

Saturday Odds & Sods: Listening To Old Voices

January 12:

Mike Pence Is Made Of Calmer Stuff

January 20:

Joe Biden’s Time

February 11:

It’s Not A Horse Race, It’s A Crime

February 18:

A Racist Pig Is Dead

February 27:

Saturday Odds & Sods: Do You Feel Like We Do

March 8:

Gentle On Tucker’s Mind

March 15:

Jab Talking

April 14:

Small Town Cops

April 20:

Fritz Mondale, R.I.P.

April 21:

The Chauvin Trial: Evidence Matters, Lawyering Matters

April 23:

Malaka Of The Week: Amanda Chase

April 27:

The Dingbat Right

April 29:

Long Time Gone

May 1:

Saturday Odds & Sods: Tell Me Why

May 5:

Malaka Of The Week: Twitter Famous Rob Anderson

May 26:

It’s A Yellow Star, Not A Gold Star

June 10:

The Ghost Of Roy Cohn

June 30:

The Law Is Slow

We’ve reached the midway point in the year. You know what that means: let’s jump to the break.

Adrastos, Diary, Friday Cocktail Hour, Music

The Christmas Song

BERJAYA

I’m not big on Christmas music but I love Mel Tormé. The Velvet Fog wrote my favorite Christmas standard. The “chestnuts roasting on an open fire” opening line makes me think of my mother’s chestnut laden stuffing. Growing up in the Bay Area, Jack Frost never nipped at my nose. Can’t imagine why.

The Christmas Song was written in the summer of 1945 by Mel and Robert Wells. It became such a success that Mel often referred to it as his “retirement account.”

We begin with the songwriter:

The first version of The Christmas Song was cut by the Nat King Cole Trio in 1946:

I’ll let the good people at WWL-TV provide the facts:

Adrastos, David Vitter, Diary, Law/Justice, Malakatude, New Orleans

Malaka Of The Week: Rutledge Deas IV

BERJAYA

The last thing I want to read or write about on Christmas Eve is politics. It’s time to send politics to bed without its supper and have some fun. And that is why Rutledge Deas IV is malaka of the week.

This story involves diapers and literal malakatude; a combination I haven’t written about since the heyday of Diaper Dave Vitter. Oops, I slipped in some political crack. Bitter Vitter is a washed-up politician, so he doesn’t count. He was, however, a troll.

NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana State Police arrested a 31-year-old man for offering to pay people to change his diapers.

This isn’t the first time Rutledge Deas IV has tried to get caretakers to change his diaper. In November 2019, he was arrested on human trafficking charges.

Deas posed as a younger man with special needs and hired babysitters who he would pay to change his diaper and treat him like a child.

In December of 2020, Deas plead guilty to those charges and was placed on probation.

Investigators say they started a second investigation on December 20, 2021, after learning of a text message sent by Deas. The message said that he was engaged in ‘alternative therapy’ and offered to pay the victim to change his diapers. He attempted to recruit a person to solicit other babysitters to care for him while he again posed as a younger man with special needs.

Detectives got an arrest warrant through the 24th Judicial District Court and he is being charged with one count of human trafficking and one count of attempted human trafficking.

He was arrested at his home in Metairie and booked into the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center.

I’m in a festive mood so I don’t feel like reading the Gret Stet’s human trafficking statute, but this sounds more like self-trafficking to me. Whatever it is, it’s a gross fetish. Ugh, just ugh.

I assume that Rutledge Deas IV is a rich white guy with a diaper fetish. If that’s the case, why didn’t he hire an escort? This is easy money for a sex worker. It would just entail baby powder and a trip to suburban Metry. That reminds me of this local holiday song:

I wonder why Benny Antin d/b/a Benny Grunch chose to spell Metry correctly. He must be slipping. Oh well, what the hell.

FYI, David Vitter also lived in Metry in his diaper days. Apparently, diaper Deas are here again…

I googled Rutledge Deas IV to see what else I could learn about a man that WWL called a “diaper-changing scammer.” I’m not sure if he’s related to a wealthy Gret Stet oil family with the same surname, but they have some Rutledges. If I were Rutledge Deas III, I’d demand this sick creep take the number off his name pronto. Rutledge III could even belt out this song:

As is my wont, I searched for “songs with diaper in the title” and found this ad:

John Legend has a diaper changing song? Who knew? That’s what I get for not watching the Super Bowl. I only watch Saints games.

The world of politics is grim right now. We all need some comic relief. And that is why Rutledge Deas IV is malaka of the week.

The last word goes to Eartha Kitt:

1 Comment

Books, Business, Film, Of Interest, Shapiro

Follow The Red and Green Road To Xmas

So here’s a fun story as we come to the end of the Xmas shopping season.

Back in the mid 1890’s when department stores were just beginning to become the shopping norm, they very often had dull, uninspired window displays that did little to attract customers into the stores. This is ironic as once inside the shops, storekeepers did everything they could to keep their customers, mostly women, happy and content. They offered amenities such as complimentary tea service and lounges to rest in. Very nice of them, but those amenities were useless if no one was coming through the door.

A failed playwright and actor, desperate for money to feed his family, thought a bit of showmanship could encourage folks into the stores. He convinced a Chicago department store to let him decorate their windows with life sized dolls, these new fangled things he called mannequins, to display clothes and accessories. In addition he set up theatrical scenes that used stuffed animals and other products sold inside as key focal points for the displays. He even devised a mechanical head that seemed to magically float in thin air and then disappear.

Just to be on the safe side and to make sure he could draw a crowd, he hired an actor friend to portray a “gentleman of considerable wealth” to walk down the street and be suddenly (and very theatrically) entranced by what he saw in the window. This tactic is still used by stores even today. And of course it has morphed to online shopping. Or did you think influencers just popped up out of nowhere?

Though the department store owner had been skeptical at first, the crowds streaming into his store convinced him otherwise. This window display idea was a hit. So much so that it didn’t take long for this new style to catch on. Quickly the failed playwright and actor was in demand from all the department stores in Chicago to do their windows. Even the venerable Marshall Fields store, then managed by the legendary Harry Selfridge, asked him to do their window displays. Soon stores around the country came calling. When Selfridge moved to London and opened his self-named store, one of the first things he did was to imitate the window displays. Once again they were a rousing success.

Our wizard of windows eventually started a magazine detailing the techniques he used, a magazine that became the bible of the window dressing industry for many years to follow called The Show Window. He was also the founder and for many years after an officer of the National Association of Window Trimmers of America and published the first book dedicated to the subject in 1900, “The Art of Decorating Dry Goods Windows and Interiors”. That book would be a boon to the industry, but it’s selective audience made it’s sales minor, especially compared to the OTHER book our man published that year.

You see his window display work made him a lot of money. That money allowed him to go back to his first love, that of writing; specifically writing children’s books. One of the books he wrote was about a young woman who goes on a journey to find a fabulous storehouse of wondrous things, aided by a couple of mannequins (one straw, the other metal) and a stuffed animal. The mysterious mechanical head makes an appearance as well, as do all of his other display ideas like a fairy granting wishes and yes, even flying monkeys.

Oh I’m sorry. Have I ruined The Wizard of Oz for you now that you know it’s really all about going shopping at a department store? L. Frank Baum wouldn’t think so.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Holidays. Be kind to one another, that’s the greatest present of all. And remember, there’s no place like home.

And that while you can get back, you can’t buy love…

Shapiro Out

Adrastos, Catblogging, Music

Friday Throwback Catblogging: Oscar Gets Lit

Oscar was the only cat we’ve ever had who was good natured enough to put up with this:

BERJAYA

The last word goes to another Oscar:

Have I told you lately how much I love Oscar Peterson? That goes for Oscar the cat as well. RIP.

Congress, COVID-19, Food and Drink, Jamie O, Political Crack

A Festivus For The Rest Of Us

This is pernil, and it will be amazing after being roasted for 4-5 hours on Saturday.

First off, The Reason for the Season, at least the reason for today (Festivus):

Yeah, I’d air my grievances but we’d be here a while. Lots of reasons for grievances, including one I’ll aim at a certain senator, with apologies to ol’ Charlie Dickens:

“Spirit! are they yours?” Manchin could say no more.

“They are Man’s,” said the Spirit, looking down upon them. “And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware of them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. Deny it!” cried the Spirit, stretching out its hand towards the city. “Slander those who tell it ye! Admit it for your factious purposes, and make it worse! And bide the end!”

“Have they no refuge or resource?” cried Manchin.

“But they’ll use the child credit to buy drugs!” said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. “They’ll use paid leave to just go hunting!”

P.S. The actual passage from “A Christmas Carol” is really something in how it remains relevant all these years later, including the part about slandering people who dare point out the ignoring of suffering.

So, there is lots to be doomscrollin’ pissed about right now, including Fake Good Old Boy Joe Manchin’s antics. But there are also some things to be happy about after today’s airing of grievances, moments of grace in a dark time. Right-wing Obsession Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez offered a very nice video that talks about 21 good things that happened in 2021.

Dear Dem communicators: This is very good. It’s upbeat, unifying, and achievement-focused, a template for future Democratic messages. I think she’s a very savvy politician, and if you see her during a hearing, watch her question people. She does not fool around with grandstanding.

And, as she shows in this video, her humanity always comes through in how much she really does care for the American people. For example, in the video, she includes that moment when a certain state’s U.S. senator ran off to Cancun during a massive state-wide power outage, and those darn divisive Democrats raised millions for them, including those “out of touch” big-city Congresspersons. We shouldn’t be shy about tooting our own horn in this way.

So yes, there are things to celebrate. The Democrats are seemingly ready to try to salvage Build Back Better, as Cassandra outlined here. People need it, and it’s good it’s not dead. And while Omicron is certainly scary, we are not slipping back to the dark days of March 2020. We are much better prepared.

My wife and I are celebrating at home on Christmas, with a traditional Puerto Rican Christmas dish, pernil. It’s already in the marinade, as the image above showed. Pernil is a slow-roasted pork shoulder, and something I remember Puerto Rican friends in my old neighborhood of York, Pennsylvania, eating around this time of year. The marinade is different in just about every recipe online as it’s one of those dishes that vary in every household, but my marinade includes sofrito, sour orange juice, and some other good things. With arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas) and tostones (flattened and twice-fried unripe sliced plantains which are marvelous), it makes for a merry feast.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season, and a good 2022. We have a lot of work ahead of us as a nation, but nothing wrong with a recharging break and a celebration.

The last word goes to Vince Guaraldi, whose “Christmastime is Here” recently was the subject of a very nice “CBS Sunday Morning” piece.

Tagged Festivus, Holiday, Manchin

Adrastos, COVID-19, Diary, Dipshit Insurrection, Fog Of Scandal, Legal Docket, Mardi Gras, New Orleans, Political Crack

Rando Notes

BERJAYA

I woke up with a terrible sinus headache this morning; compounded by the Benadryl I took at 3 AM to help me get back to sleep.

In short, I’m foggy and headachy but not Omicrony or Covidy. I seem to have shut down my holiday socializing in time to avoid earning a new nickname: Mr. Breakthrough.

That last line opened the door to an early musical interlude:

Door, Doors whatever.

Grogginess does not make for good writing. Instead, I’ll make the odd one liner and suggest some articles for your perusal.

I adapted the post title from Rolling Stone magazine, which I haven’t read in so long that I don’t know if they still have the Random Notes feature. Googling it proved as murky as the lighting on Being The Ricardos. I’ve changed Random to Rando just for the fun of it.

The Proud Boys are back in the news. Even before the Dipshit Insurrection, I didn’t understand what they had to be proud of.

Larry Tribe and two other lawyers have written an op-ed in the NYT urging the Justice Department to go after former President* Pennywise, They convinced me. Of course, I’m an easy sell on charges that could bar Trump from running for federal office as a convicted felon. That’s not the case with the Georgia and New York state investigations.

Also on the legal docket, an article by Slate’s brilliant legal eagles Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern whose title is self-explanatory, Gorsuch’s Crusade Against Vaccine Mandates Could Topple a Pillar of Public Health. That’s what happens when a libertarian purist becomes a Supreme.

In New Orleans news, Mayor Teedy gave the green light to Carnival 2022 because she thinks Omicron is no BFD. Thank you, Dr. Teedy. She may be on the verge of messing up the only thing she did right in her first term.

I think a yellow light is in order because it’s still unclear how long the wave will last or how severe the variant is. In either event, I may sit out the parade season because with my luck I’ll stand next to some infected anti-vaxxer on the parade route. Extending the traffic signal analogy, I guess that qualifies as a red light:

I hope that gave you something to chew on.

I knew it was going to be a muddled morning when I awoke to an email from a reader telling me I’d ended today’s Pulp Fiction post oddly. It was the ending to tomorrow’s catblogging, which is a tribute to my favorite Oscars. Easy editing is the best thing about being an internet writer.

Time for more aspirin.

The last word goes to The Smithereens with some holiday rock and roll:

Michael F

The Echo Chamber

BERJAYA

More proof we’re the ones stuck in the dystopian Spock-with-a-goatee universe (requires registration, but you can read the main points from the Twitter thread).

Basically, another fine example of Cokie’s Law, adding that, for all the carping from the wingers about the media, their own version has an echo chamber large/broad enough to flood the zone, which creates its own reality, at least with the political press.

To the extent where, sure, irony here — and here — but not long ago record low unemployment in a deep red state (if I remember, Nebraska) was straight up reported as a crisis.

Hmmm…I’m so old I remember, decades ago (has it really been that long?…sigh), that the Clinton era budget surpluses were also seen as worrisome.

Luckily, Bush the Younger took care of that, though now the same people who demanded tax cuts then — and DJT’s tax cuts — insist national debt that might give national defense something worth defending must not be permitted…

And they’ll continue to play that game until another GOP administration proposes more tax cuts for the rich…and, possibly, though I’m only speculating here, some kind of tax increase for the rest of us (am I right in recalling some variant of “[lower income people] need more skin in the game” was an actual conservative policy talking point, at least until the Mittster made a few ill-advised remarks in 2012?).

Anyway, I guess what I’m getting at is that we’re all still stuck in a Fox Noise cycle, despite what should be, aside from Manchin-On-The-Hill (and, yeah, the pandemic, but does anyone doubt the degree to which Fox and the other winger outlets are actively undermining/sabotaging control efforts?); anyway, what should be a solid set of accomplishments from the Biden Administration — is nonetheless considered, at best, perhaps capable of minimizing the inevitable losses next November.

Which then gets picked up by the other elite news outlets, because…why?

Asking for a friend.

What the hell does Biden have to do? Save Christmas? Um…

Oh, of course, if all else fails, watch for Fox et al to go silent/ignore anything that can’t amp up the outrage to eleven.

Note: the same agenda setters would be nominating ANY GOP Daddy Hero with the same achievements for a Nobel Prize (not just Trump, but he still rules their world…which is even more proof of the dystopian thing…or that the media is bugfuck nuts)…