Without Me...

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"I said, this looks like a job for me
So everybody just follow me
'Cause we need a little controversy
'Cause it feels so empty without me"
—Eminem, "Without Me"



Some five years ago, on August 1, 2015, on the campaign trail in Iowa, a nine-year-old boy asked Donald Trump if he was Batman. The question, and Trump's answer that he was Batman, prompted at the time, an amusingly whimsical article in The Guardian, by Michael McGrath, conjecturing whether Donald Trump might not, truly, be the real-life Batman.



Despite its obvious lampooning intent, the article makes a compelling case:





As it turns out, Donald Trump has not been any worse (nor any better) than any of his last three predecessors in the oval office—and, unlike them, he didn't start any wars.

At least, he makes me laugh. In a good way! Which is more than I can say about any of his predecessors.




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Sometimes, some people forget to lie

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Simply put, as one discerning patron (in another establishment), put it:






In acknowledgement of the good humor his wit offers the few discerning patrons, who have been enjoying his comments in the undeserving, unappreciative dive he graces with his presence, it is my honor to bestow upon the gentleman [drum roll]... the much coveted Honest Scrap award!



Congratulations on this well deserved accomplishment.
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Change We Can't Believe In

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I am bestowing the much coveted Honest Scrap award to Jon Schwarz for this witty and incisive oped at The Intercept:

It’s tough to imagine any two human beings more different than Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

...states the author.

One’s black. One’s white. One writes books. One doesn’t read books and may not be sure what books are. One grew up on the periphery of the U.S. empire and it made him deeply cosmopolitan. One grew up in New York City and it made him a provincial hick. One has the self-control of a 1,000-year-old Zen monk. One responds to any stimulus like an amoeba. One’s a slender athlete. One’s a fleshy endomorph with whorls and folds in his face like a Shar Pei.

But their elections have one critical thing in common:

They both came out of NOWHERE to become president, with characteristics that previously would have throttled their chances before they delivered their first speech in Iowa. There’s no need to recount everything from Trump’s florid life and campaign that sensible people were sure disqualified him. But we’ve forgotten how the sensible people at first saw Obama in much the same way, and for reasons that went far beyond him being African American. He’d been a senator for just two years when he started running and would have to beat the entire party establishment. His father was Muslim. He wasn’t just not named Henry Smith, his middle name was Hussein. He’d even used cocaine, and openly admitted it. Yet both Obama and Trump vaulted over everyone and everything into the White House. Tens of millions of Americans were willing to place their lives in the hands of political anomalies whose central pitch was that they would deliver profound change. The rise of Bernie Sanders, who’s proven that you can become the most popular politician in the country without owning a comb, demonstrates the same thing.

"What does this mean?" Schwarz asks.

I’d say it means that something has gone incredibly wrong with this country’s political system, that large numbers of us are desperate, and are willing to hand over power to absolutely anyone. That brings us to the peculiar reality that it’s not just Obama and Trump’s elections that had something significant in common, it’s likely their presidencies. Obama said American healthcare was in crisis and that "plans that tinker and halfway measures now belong to yesterday." Obama was also outraged by pharmaceutical companies gouging Medicare. According to Trump, "People all across the country are devastated" by the healthcare system, but if we put him in charge, "Everybody’s going to be taken care of much better than they’re taken care of now." Trump was also infuriated by Big Pharma and just like Obama vowed to crush them. Yet Obama delivered a halfway measure that tinkered with the problem, and never went after drug manufacturers. Trump is now poised to give America … literally the same thing. Obama called NAFTA "devastating" and "a big mistake" in 2008. In 2016 Trump said NAFTA had caused "devastation" and was "the worst trade deal maybe ever signed." But Obama didn’t renegotiate NAFTA. Trump just announced he’s not going to pull out of it, and it seems clear the odds of any real renegotiation are slim. Obama attacked Wall Street, and so did Trump. Both then stocked their administrations with bankers. And Obama and Trump both ran against the Iraq War, and both of their constituencies understood them to mean they would rethink our entire policy toward the Middle East. Both Obama and Trump then faithfully continued the Afghanistan War, bombed Syria, and helped Saudi Arabia starve Yemen.

Of course, "this doesn’t make Obama and Trump the same," Schwarz amends. "Obama’s policies made life better for many regular people at the edges. Trump’s will unquestionably make them worse — and that’s the best case scenario, in which he doesn’t accidentally terminate human civilization."

But it does mean that on the core issues of politics — the ones about which the one percent/globalists/Bilderbergers/disguised space lizards truly care — Obama did not produce genuine change. And, it now seems more and more likely, neither will Trump.

Given Trump’s atrocious methods and goals, it’s impossible not to take joy in this. “Now that we have vanquished the Dhimmicrats and cuckservatives,” Steve Bannon proclaimed, “we shall —” and then tripped on his shoelaces and fell down 97 flights of stairs. We can’t enjoy this for long, though. If left unaddressed, the anguish that Americans demonstrated by voting for both Obama and Trump will not evaporate. I once believed there could never be a worse, lazier, more frightening president than Ronald Reagan. Then I was sure of the same thing about George W. Bush. Now I’ve learned my lesson. We have to get busy creating a place for this country’s anger and despair to be used constructively, or it will eventually birth something even worse than Trump. What happens to an American dream deferred? We lucked out once when it elected Obama. We may survive it electing Trump. But if we keep deferring it, it is absolutely certain that one day it’s going to explode and take the whole world with it.

In other News:

- Esquire (Matt Patches) 05.28.2015:
Shepard Fairey on the Future of Political Art and Whether Obama Lived Up to His 'Hope' Poster

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Moral Clarity

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You want to know what moral clarity is?

This is what moral clarity is:

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii just endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders in his bid to become President of the United States. She also resigned as Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee.



This is her interview on Meet the Press, this morning:





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Truth in advertising

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At first glance, for a second or two, there, I just thought it was Anna Faris on that billboard.

It's an easy mistake to make...



She's such a really truly talented professional.

Anna Faris, I mean.

She makes me laugh. It’s no secret that humor is sexy. Who wants to be around anyone who is serious and stiff all the time, right?



Anyway, apparently that billboard didn't stay up very long.



Don't ask me why.

Somebody in Chicago who found it offensive, no doubt, must have made them take it down.

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) said he asked Urban Core Outdoor, the billboard company, to be a good neighbor and voluntarily take down the billboard.

Much ado about nothing, if you ask me.

A kiss is just a kiss.

And a billboard is a billboard is a billboard is....

...NOT a Bill board...



If you know what I mean.

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Sense and Sensibility

Louisiana Rep. Joseph Cao is quite upset about the whole bloody mess.

I understand.

Everybody is.

What we have here is a man-made disaster of gigantic proportion.

It didn't have to be: it could have been prevented.



But seriously now, let's keep a cool head about this.

In what, let me ask you, would BP America President Lamar McKay committing seppuku help solve anything?



Would it somehow miraculously help reverse the damages in any way?



I don't think so.

Seriously people, this is not some science fiction fantasy television drama series, you know. Let's deal with the problem in a constructive and realistic way.

Everybody just calm down. I am sure the White House has a plan and the President is already working on something a bit more sensible.



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51 Senators who will vote YES on a reconciliation bill if it includes a public option

Full Text Continued on Democracy For America
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Eat, Drink, Rock, Raise Hell

Quite a charming find by the Gentleman from Seattle.

And right up the alley of the Gentleman from Ohio.

A mere one hour and a half drive from Athens.

What does the gentleman say?



Head east on W Washington St. toward N Court St.

Take the 1st left onto N Court St.

Take the 2nd right onto Fern St.

Turn left at E State St.

Turn right at W Stimson Ave.

Take the ramp to US-33 W

Keep left at the fork to continue toward US-33 W and merge onto US-33 W

Slight right to merge onto I-70 W toward Downtown

Take exit 101A to merge onto I-71 N toward US-40/Broad St/Cleveland

Take the exit on the left onto I-670 W

Take exit 3 to merge onto W Goodale St. (a portentous name , sir)

Turn right at Neil Ave.

Turn right at W 5th Ave.

Turn right at N High St.

And Ta-Da, there you are, sir.

The Surly Girl will be on the gentleman's left!
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Honest Scrap!

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The last bastion of sanity:

I am sorry, what is that that you are mumbling, Glib?














What are you saying, Senator?
















I have got news for you, Senator; there is an election coming up in 2010. And another one in 2012, Glib. We soon shall see who is a "rational" or an irrational person, and what is "irresponsible" or not.

How gullible exactly do you think people truly are , anyway?

Here is one comment I picked up on the blogosphere:


I wonder how many more like him there are, out there, who are feeling betrayed.

There is a storm brewing up.

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The Real Scrap

Hmm...What do you think?
More free quizzes on pollsb.com
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That's refreshing!

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CNN Grand Inquisitor questioned Representative Errant Joseph Cao (R-La):

	I didn't expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition.
	NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! ...Amongst our weaponry are such diverse elements as: fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency, an almost fanatical devotion to the GOP, and nice red uniforms - Oh damn!

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But seriously now

Ten honest things? And the gentlesimian is asking me?

Uh...you are actually serious about this, aren't you?


In truth, there is nothing I could tell the gentlesimian that she doesn't already know.

Like, you know... There'll be days like this:


And then...

[leaning over] ...there'll be days like those:


Especially here at The Wulfshead, Ma'am.

The former helps to take the latter with a grain of salt.

Speaking figuratively, of course. I wouldn't want this to be taken the wrong way---the part about the salt---the fairy folk, Ma'am, they do not care much for it.

You know...

Like that little fellow over there by the fireplace. [Whispering] You'll only see him if he wants you to.

Or the Blue Fairy.

The Blue Fairy says it's an old superstition---the salt, that is. And so is the Bible---I mean, the stories claiming that the Bible and Christian religious symbols are a ward against fairies. The Blue Fairy says that it is a rumor propagated by the Christian Church to "demonize" the old folklores and replace them with its own dogma. She once told Pinocchio that lies are easily recognized because there are two kinds: "There are lies with short legs and lies with long noses."

Yes, well, I am not exactly sure what she meant precisely by that, either.

The Fae is famous for their cryptic statements.

Raggedy Ann, Ma'am...she doesn't believe in fairies. She thinks they're silly.

She told me that everybody knows that it's not Pinocchio's nose that grows long.


She says that Pinocchio is a Tuscan word meaning "pine nut."


The standard Italian term is pinolo, a compound of Italian pino meaning "pine" and occhio meaning "eye."

If you ask me, Ma'am, way too much attention has been paid to Pinocchio's nose.

"It's not one's outward appearance that matters, it's what's inside you," isn't it what people say, Ma'am?



Ambiguity can be the road to clarity. But only if you pay attention.

But I am wasting the gentlesimian's time. Surely the gentlesimian didn't come all the way here, to speak with such as me.

The gentlesimian should walk around The Wulfshead, mingle with some of the people here, and ask around.

I am sure that among the lot of them the patrons should have no problem thinking of seven blogs or more to which they feel the Honest Scrap award ought to be passed on.

*´¨)
¸.·´¸.·´¨) ¸.·-> Sometimes the greatest journey is the distance between people.
(¸.·´ (¸.·´
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Honest Scrap

There is no knowing what unexpected visitors might be dropping by The Wulfshead.


Or what startling present they might be bearing.


As the bartender currently on duty, it is my privilege to recognize Nurse Scrap's devotion to The Wulfshead and present her with the prestigious Honest Weblog Award bestowed upon her and "a whole bunch of people at The Wulfshead" by the Simian delegation on behalf of Dr. Zaius.


This award is an exceptional distinction:


The Wulfshead's distinguished patrons and visitors, "strange and unusual" as they may be, are "distinguished" by what they value, by whom they honor, and by what they aspire to be: their individual’s stories enrich the significance of this award. And so, I hope that many will be the patrons and regulars who will avail themselves of this unique opportunity to partake in the spirit of the Honest Scrap distinction presented to them.

The rules of the award are:

1. You must brag about the award

2. You must include the name of the blogger who bestowed the award on you and link back to the blogger

3. You must choose a minimum of seven (7) blogs that you find brilliant in content or design

4. Show their names and links and leave a comment informing them that they were prized with Honest Weblog.

5. List at least ten (10) honest things about yourself.

Then pass it on with the instructions!

To be continued . . .


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