Hillary no "Bargain" for Roger Daltrey

Normally I really don't put much stock into celebrities opinions on much of anything other than maybe what they're famous for.
I wold take advice on acting from an actor or music from a musician but anything else I really couldn't care less about.
The only real consideration there is for celebrity opinions might be the fact that most have a better chance of being heard than the regular citizen because of their celebrity.
But even then it's a crap shoot.
I've always had a soft spot for the Who seeing as how they have been one of my favorite bands since I was 15 years old so for what its worth.

Roger Daltrey Says a 'Dead Dog' Would've Beaten Hillary

Singer Roger Daltrey of The Who voiced support for Brexit and took a shot at Hillary Clinton in an interview published Wednesday.~snip~

Bargain

Spiderman, third times the charm?

I wonder how many different versions of spiderman do we need?
If they keep fooling around they may come up with a franchise killer like they did with the last "Fantastic Four" movie.

Barbie Dodged a Bullet

In what would have been one of the poorest casting choices since Rosie O'Donnell was cast to play Betty Rubble in the Flintstone movies,  Amy Schumer has found herself with "scheduling" conflicts and has dropped out of the proposed live action movie "Barbie".

Amy Schumer Drops Out of ‘Barbie’ Movie (EXCLUSIVE)

Amy Schumer has parted ways with Sony’s live-action “Barbie” over a scheduling conflict, Variety has learned.

“Sadly, I’m no longer able to commit to Barbie due to scheduling conflicts,” the actress said in a statement to Variety. “The film has so much promise, and Sony and Mattel have been great partners. I’m bummed, but look forward to seeing Barbie on the big screen.”

The big screen adaptation of Mattel’s iconic toy line was expected to start production this summer on June 23, but Schumer’s busy schedule includes a lengthy promotional tour for her new Fox comedy “Snatched,” which opens in May, as well as an upcoming shoot for Rebecca Miller’s “She Came to Me” opposite Steve Carell.~snip~

I personally find Amy Schumer one of the unfunniest comedians out there, I've also never been a fan of "Barbies" but come on.....there has to be a better alternative than Amy Schumer.
We at least owe that to little girls everywhere.

GOP's AHCA Pulled

Like most older Americans I have somewhat of a vested interest in a reasonable health bill. I hold no hope that we'll actually get one.
As I've said before the government has been interfering with health insurance for years yet they never take the necessary steps needed to make it truly consumer friendly.

House Republicans pull health care bill

President Trump and the House GOP on Friday abruptly canceled a vote on the Republicans’ health care plan minutes before it was scheduled to begin, it was reported Friday.

The move came as a growing number of Republican moderates and conservatives signaled they would vote no.

The lack of GOP support was an embarrassing rebuke to Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan, who had vowed to repeal and replace ObamaCare with their own plan that would cut benefits to millions of Americans.

CNN reported that the health care bill was pulled at Trump’s request, following a meeting with Ryan at the White House.

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of empathetic and caring health care professionals out there but there also are more than few who have taken advantage of our system as it exists and quite a few who have engaged in out right fraud. This increases costs for all of us and forces hospitals and insurances companies to increase costs to compensate for their loses.
Currently the only choices we got are which doctor.....sometimes...and which hospital we go to....sometimes. After that our "choices" are pretty limited.

Something really needs to be done about the fundamental economy of health care, something that benefits consumers more than insurance companies and hospitals.
If the GOP can tackle that they'll have something.

Meme Dump 3/23/2017

Just a few meme images I found this week and thought they were funny. Click on them to enlarge.
 #1

#2

#3

Enjoy.

GOP Health bill in trouble....

....and why shouldn't it be?
Government has been interfering in the health market since WWII when  a wage freeze was put into effect forcing companies to offer benefits instead of higher wagers to attract workers.
They've been tweaking it for decades.

If they hadn't tied health insurance to employment it would have evolved differently. I don't know whether for good or worse but Obamacare was the pinnacle of government interference and indifference.
I don't know what the answer is but I do know that I have never known anything that the government has gotten involved with that made it better.

But this is where we are.

TORPEDO: Freedom Caucus To Oppose Healthcare Bill With 25 Members, Sinking It

No one will be happy with whatever they come up with.
We've tried government interference for a long time, maybe it's time to try something different?

Dualing outrage

This is the kind of crap America has come to.
On the one hand we got this....which really don't make sense.

Waiter fired after asking Latinas for 'proof of residency' at upscale Huntington Beach eatery

And then this unhinged encounter.

Guy wearing Trump hat sues bar for refusing to serve him

In the first instance it's not the waiter's job to ensure he's serving those who "reside" here. I mean I'm assuming since they pointed out the women were "Latina" that the guy wanted to know their legal status.
Why?
Is that restaurant in the business of only serving citizens? Are foreign tourists not allowed to eat there?

In the second instance is the bar in the business of policing someone's fashion sense or their politics?
Every bar I've ever been to was in the business of making money. If you don't agree with their politics is the money somehow tainted?

Funny also how the media printed these particular stories, 2 out of millions of interactions in a day, specifically to malign supporters of the administration.
People need to get a grip and not allow themselves to be manipulated by the media.

Bids for Trumps wall pouring in

And why not, there's a lot of money at stake, real businessmen would be fools to turn down an opportunity to help build the wall even at the risk of democrats and the lickspittle media not liking them.

What Trump's wall will look like

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officially opened its request for proposals to design and build President Trump's border wall on Friday, per WSJ.

Here's what they want it to look like:

• About 30 feet high (minimum is 18 feet) and made of concrete or "alternative material" 

• Stretching all the way from San Diego to Brownsville

• Including anti-climbing fixtures, and sturdy enough to withstand chisels and torches

• Running at least 6 feet below ground to prevent tunneling

• A "see-through" component would be ideal, and it should incorporate "sliding gates" to allow cars and pedestrians to pass through. 

• The U.S.-facing side of the wall should be "aesthetically pleasing", so it is consistent with the surrounding environment.~snip~

A real perk with your coffee

You really gotta love the entrepreneurial spirit out there.
In stark contrast to Starbucks promise to hire 10,000 Muslim refugees you got these competitors thinking outside the box.

The coffee isn’t the only thing that’ll perk you up at this cafe 

A coffee shop has a bikini dress code which the female boss claims is “empowering” but a city councillor has argued it exploits women.

The uniform sees the women don bikinis or underwear with some choosing to simply have colourful stickers over their nipples, as they serve coffee from a stand in Washington.

Bikini Beans Espresso is owned by entrepreneur Carlie Jo and has seen huge success – possibly due to the dress code.

Ratings have soared on Yelp and customers regularly leave comments about the staff online.

Although the risky uniform has received criticism the owner is adamant it empowers women.~snip~

You know I get really tired of hearing about the idea that men shouldn't be able to appreciate the female form.
There's whole industries based on making women more attractive, in movies, magazines and on television and it's ridiculous to expect men not to notice.

I'll bet the coffee is good to.

Great Congressional Makeover?

Personally I don't see what the big deal is. There's no reason in the world that someone can't be attractive and intelligent.
If you got the goods why not show em off?

Congressional candidate who posed for Maxim wants you to get over it

This congressional candidate’s resume includes a degree from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, a White House gig — and a Maxim photo spread.

But Alejandra Campoverdi, who is running for California’s 34th district, has a powerful message for any critics of the latter. She pushes back against sexism she has faced for the photos in an essay for Cosmopolitan titled “I Posed For Maxim and I’m Running for Congress. It Shouldn’t Be That Shocking.”

Campoverdi opens up in the essay about the “double standard” on the campaign trail, saying many of her experiences are not unique.

“Sexism and misogyny are nothing new in politics. Female political staffers and politicians have been facing off-color comments and leering glances and have been excluded from ‘at capacity’ meetings for decades,” she writes.~snip~

I do have to say though that I'm a little disturbed by the tendency of female candidates preempting their possible loss by claiming sexism and misogyny up front before the votes are cast.

It's a poor strategy that assumes the ideas that the candidate is running on don't deserve to be examined.
Instead failure can be attributed to prurient interest as opposed to a faulty message.

Constitutional Confusion

Here's another Tucker Carlson video highlighting why the left can't let us have nice things.



Makes you wonder if they really believe our constitution extends to every human on the planet then what was their big deal about extraordinary rendition?
Isn't it our duty then to enforce our laws worldwide?

Budgeting out the arts

I got nothing against the arts or the humanities....I just don't think government should be supporting them.
Now National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service is another story, if they are going to engage in propaganda then the groups who benefit from said propaganda should support them financially.

Anyway.

Trump budget proposes entirely eliminating National Endowment for the Arts

President Trump's proposed budget would cut entirely the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities (NEA), according to a new report by The New York Times.

Federal officials told The Times that the chairwoman of the arts endowment told her staff the news Wednesday. It was reportedly met with a mix of sadness and surprise.

Chairwoman Jane Chu reportedly told staff that the arts endowment would continue business as usual as the budget process moves forward and said she called the meeting because she didn't want staff hearing from the media.

Trump's plans to eliminate the NEA were first reported in January, shortly before his inauguration.

His administration considered privatizing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CBP) and eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

While public broadcasting and the two arts programs have been popular conservative targets for decades, control of both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue gives the GOP a real chance to achieve a long sought-after goal.
Funding for the national endowments is a relatively thin slice of the nearly $4 trillion federal budget. The NEA secured $148 million from the federal government in 2016, roughly the same amount requested by the National Endowment for the Humanities. 

You know some of the greatest works of art and music where created  by artists and composers who went out and found patrons:

 pa·tronˈpātrən/
noun1.
a person who gives financial or other support to a person, organization, cause, or activity.
"Charles became a patron of Rubens and van Dyck"

synonyms:

sponsor, backer, financier, benefactor, benefactress, contributor, subscriber,  donor; philanthropist, promoter, friend, supporter;  informalangel "a patron of the arts"

They had to convince someone to support their artistic vision and pay for their time and materials. If they could find someone who felt their art was worth sponsoring then they were on easy street.
If not then tough noodles.
Taxpayers shouldn't be shouldered with the bill for someone who's "vision" is so bereft of redeeming value that they can't get a private person to embrace it financially.
Maybe it's time for the artists and humanity ....whatever they are....to reevaluate the appeal of their respective disciplines to figure out why more wealthy people don't want to invest in them.

Blocking Trump

I'm sure this isn't the last we'll see of this kind of stuff.

Judge in Hawaii puts Trump’s travel ban on hold

(AP) — A federal judge in Hawaii has put President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban on hold.
U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson issued his ruling Wednesday after hearing arguments on Hawaii’s request for a temporary restraining order involving the ban.

His ruling prevents the executive order from going into effect Thursday.

More than half a dozen states are trying to stop the ban, and federal courts in Maryland, Washington state and Hawaii heard arguments Wednesday about whether it should be put into practice.

Hawaii argued that the ban discriminates on the basis of nationality and would prevent Hawaii residents from receiving visits from relatives in the six mostly Muslim countries covered by the ban.

The state also says the ban would harm its tourism industry and the ability to recruit foreign students and workers.

I can't say this was a surprise. I mean democrats/leftists and #NeverTrumper's have made it well known that they will do everything in their power to obstruct anything coming out of Trump's White House.
Even judge shopping.
It will take years to dig out the worms that Obama left burrowing their way into the judiciary.

Zappa Drama

I've kind of been keeping an eye on this, Not obsessively, just when it shows up on my news feed.
I think it's a shame to see any family go through this kind of acrimony, I personally think Dweezil Zappa is a pretty talented guitarist and his efforts to keep his fathers music alive is a noble effort.

I used to enjoy Frank Zappa's music and actually I still do with One Size Fits Allbeing one of my all time favorite albums.
Most of this comes from gossip sites so I'm sure there's a lot of information missing, I wish the whole family a lot of luck and hope they can resolve their issues.

FAMILY WAR
DWEEZIL VS. AHMET AND DIVA

Here's Inca Roads from the Zappa plays Zappa tour.

Hizzoner Hillary?

Hillary Clinton 'Thinking' About NYC Mayoral Run https://t.co/HrZby1eNN9

— TMZ (@TMZ) March 15, 2017

I would suppose this would be the logical step after being assured of a presidential victory. Although there are a few hidden dangers.
I mean if she gets rejected by NYC Bill will have to have help hiding all the knives and razor blades for sure.

How not to answer direct questions

I really enjoy watching Tucker Carlson interviewing people from the left and/or democrats.
Most just plow on with memorized talking points and either refuse or don't know answers to direct questions.
So they try and deflect. Only the most obtuse thinker wouldn't notice.
Here's the latest and as usual a democrat is unable to provide any clear answers.

The "Trump" effect

It's funny that when Trump got elected and promised to enforce the law that it actually has an effect on the behavior of criminals.

Jorge Ramos says the ‘Trump effect’ is scaring away illegal aliens

Univision anchor Jorge Ramos believes he has found the explanation for the recent drop in illegal border crossings reported by immigration officials: fear or what he calls the “Trump effect.” In an interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN Thursday night, Ramos laid out his theory in detail.

“Jorge, the massive drop in border apprehensions last month, the customs border protections says 40 percent, it’s down 40 percent, people trying to cross illegally. What do you make of that?” Cooper asked. “Is it possible that the tough talk on illegal immigration by Trump is working, that he deserves credit for that drop?”

“Let me just say that fear is stronger than any wall,” Ramos responded. “What we are seeing right now is the ‘Trump effect.’ ”~snip~

What other conclusion is there to draw other than, for at least 8 years if not longer, the governments refusal to enforce the law encouraged illegal behavior?

Modern Problems

I suppose it's one of those issues that we have to argue about now that it's 2017.

Garfield’s a boy … right? How a cartoon cat’s gender identity launched a Wikipedia war.

Garfield is lazy; Garfield is a cat; Garfield likes lasagna.

Is there really much more to say about Garfield? The character is not complicated. Since the comic debuted in 1978, Garfield’s core qualities have shifted less than the mostly immobile cat himself.

But this is 2017 — a time of Internet wars, social conundrums and claims to competing evidence about Garfield’s gender identity.

Wikipedia had to put Garfield’s page on lockdown last week after a 60-hour editing war in which the character’s listed gender vacillated back and forth indeterminately like a cartoon version of Schrödinger’s cat: male one minute; not the next.

“He may have been a boy in 1981, but he’s not now,” one editor argued.

The debate has spilled into the broader Internet, where a Heat Street writer complained of “cultural marxists” bent on “turning one of pop culture’s most iconic men into a gender fluid abomination.”~snip~

On Trumps Speech

So I watched Trumps speech and like a lot of people I thought it was thoughtful and uplifting, even some liberal partisan hacks came away saying good things.


There's a lot of things to like about it, the best thing I heard was him saying his jib wasn't to represent the world but to represent the United States of America.
Personally that's what I want a president to do, look out for our interests and make decisions about our relationship with other countries based on what is good for America.

Of course democrats did everything they could to throw cold water on his speech during and after. They are just pandering to their base and we need to remember that moving forward. Who they and their base are.

There're some things that some "conservatives" may not care for like compromising some on immigration or maybe the paid parental leave but these are issues that haven't moved forward with solutions.
Not everybody will be completely happy but aside from the hysterical ideological partisans on both sides, Trump wants to move forward with some kind of solutions on issues so we can get past them and get on with the work of making America great.

That's what leaders do.