Pretty Boy and The Scarecrow!!!

 There are some real shitbags in the "Greatest Deliberative Body on Earth". Usually in the past, it was a group of statesmen with a few dopes who weren't all the smart but had a streak of decorum they adhered to. Then came Bill Clinton and the right wing went fucking nuts. First the House went under the spell of eye rolling nuts out there and a few IQ challenged nitwits entered the House and began throwing their feces at the wall. Here in "Ne 02" after years of moderate Republicans and some moderate Democrats representing us, the electorate went crazy under the influence of newly formed right-wing media and elected John Christensen, voted the dumbest member of Congress year after year. We wised up after two terms of this cretin and elected a Republican whose greatest achievement was outlawing cruising on the main drag of Omaha (yeah we ARE the worlds biggest hick town) but at least he wasnt nuts. 

Anyhoo, The US Senate has caught up with the morons running the House by accepting dipshit voters electing dipshit after dipshit to the Senate. It has also caught up by accepting downright evil people elected by other evil people. 

For once Ted Cruz, perhaps the most evil man to have ever been elected to the Senate, is not the focus of what I am about to write. Oh Cruz probably agrees with them but he's too busy being an Islamophobic bigot right now to win re-election.

Nope I'm talking about the Senator from Virginia   Arkansas and the other Senator from Virginia Missouri. Senator Tom " If I Only Had a Brain" Cotton and Senator Josh "Run Away" Hawley. These two jackboots are really upset with students at Columbia sitting around listening to loudmouths with bullhorns (non-students of course) scream about Gaza and genocide. These two guys, who would both look cool in Waffen SS gear, are so upset with peaceful protesters they just cannot hold in their inner Nazi. 

Cotton, who wanted to call in the 82nd Airborne to squash BLM protesters back in 2020 drawing no quarter (this means killing everybody in your way arms up or not) now wants Joe Biden to call in the National Guard to go bust heads up at Columbia which shouldn't be tough since the protesters just sit on the grass and listen to crazy people. Cotton has such a yearnin to kill his fellow Americans he just can't stand the reluctance by reasonable people to let the protests yell themselves out. In other words, Cotton cannot wait for another Kent State.

Now Hawley, a "Missourian" whose only tie to the state is his sisters Ozark fun house, has joined Cotton to wish for a massacre of them dirty hippies. Hawley has equated the deployment of the Guard in 1957 to protect black children from mobs of white racists and thugs to Columbia's really loud screeching into a bullhorn lamebrains with an agenda of antisemitic nonsense.

Hawley and Cotton are the herpes simplex of the Senate. They won't go away as long as their constituents keep enabling them. Cotton bamboozled Arkansas voters in 2022 into sending his scarecrow looking ass back to DC. Hawley is running this year in a state that has become exactly what America thinks it is. Jed Clampett, Lil Abner and Daisy Mae. So, he'll be sent back to try and further his 2028 presidential ambitions.

But the fact these two misanthropic blood lusters pretend to be so concerned about Jewish students they want to turn the campus into Gaza itself with death and destruction is concerning. If they get away with the bullying bloodlust without consequences (which of course they will), it will only encourage them in the future, and if somehow Trump wins perhaps those Waffen SS unis will be ok to wear in the Senate.

The Trial Of The Century??!!

 The trial has begun. The trial of the century ( JFC stop already). Florida Phony and bad human Donald Trump has actually gone on trial in a New York courtroom for fraud. Why fraud? Well in his payments to Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougall and some doorman who knows all about his love child with a Trump Tower maid, Donald Trump, stable genius and shitty businessman wrote off the $300K plus as "legal expenses". Sorry Donnie but that's misdemeanor illegal on its surface BUT if it's done to further a subsequent crime well then its a felony. Welcome to Felony World!

Trump has gone into court two straight days. Falling asleep, rolling his eyes and being the nightmare client his lawyers know him to be. Trump has been gagged by the judge in the case because Donnie can't stop bragging, insulting and putting jurors and courtroom family members in danger from the actions of Trumps more mentally ill fans. He's been gagged and he does not stop. He puts the Judges daughter out there to be harassed, he rails against the judge's wife and the judge himself on his worthless Truth Social. He has a young lady he has hired (get the cash up front sweetheart) just to peruse the internet for positive stories about him, print them out, and hand them to him as he leaves court so he can have a stack of unnecessary papers to wave around claiming they are all from "legal scholars" who have exonerated him. He violates the gag order literally minutes after being ordered not to. He rants about his martyrdom, his unfair prosecution and exactly what he's been ordered to not discuss. Yet he gets away with it. 

He belongs at Rikers Island yesterday.

Sleepy Donnie!

Sleepy Donald went to trial this week in New York for paying hush money to Stormy Daniels to shut her up two weeks before the 2016 election. Oh, it is much more than that, it's an "accounting error" where Trump took the $130K payment as a write off for "legal expenses" also. But what it really is is the same thing The Defendant keeps typing in CAPS over on his plunging to hell Truth Social. ELECTION INTERFERENCE! Sleepy Don tried to cover up his payment to the porn star for sautéing his mushroom-like toadstool. He also paid money (thru a third party named Pecker) to one Karen McDougall to shut up about their affair while Melania was knocked up with the future gigantic. Barron Trump. 

So, what we have here is a trial about good old fashioned cover up of a sexual affair. Would it have mattered in 2016 had the public known of this creeps philandering? Of course not, but Tired Trump probably thought so or the payoffs wouldn't have occurred. He survived the pussy grab tape, he survived the making fun of the disabled guy tape, he survived all of it because of his cult members total devotion and their inability to tell truth from fiction. This has only gotten worse among the faithful and even a trial isn't going to change their screechy fandom of this sleepwalking scumbag. Racism and homophobia are powerful motivators among the assholes who crawled out from the Under World they'd been existing in since 1968 when they loved George Wallace.

Now comes the jury selection part of this trial. As the Defendant sits in a courtroom falling asleep because he cant have his 12 Diet Cokes a day, jurors are screened. Their social media is screened, their lives are upended, their employers are revealed and the right-wing media publishes it all. Guys like the despicable Jesse Watters, who claims the jurors are all left-wing plants, and the deplorable talking puppets on Newsmax and OAN will all point the jurors out to the goons of MAGA, this information dump results in harassment and death threats from the Trump thugs. So, if Trump, who apparently thought he could challenge all 1.6 million residents of Manhattan called for jury duty with strikes, cant strike enough jurors, his surrogates can with threats of violence to their families and employers. Its the tactics of a mob boss, which of course Drifting Donald is.

This trial has already gone off the rails. And it hasn't even started yet.

Much like the 2016 election did.

Pretty Woman!

 I must confess. I remember watching the movie Pretty Woman in 1990 with a friend and sitting there listening to people def jam laughing and wondering what the hell is so funny? I also can't stand the ballady guitar solo heavy music of Bryan Adams. Thus, I put it out there before I tell you what I thought of the Broadway tour version of the musical Pretty Woman that hit Omaha last night for a weeklong run.

The story everybody knows and quite frankly who cares? It's My Fair Lady, its Pygmalion, its every love story ever made. Two misfits hate each other, they like each other, then they fall in love. In this case it's a hedge fund manager and a street hooker. He wants no strings attached companionship; she needs money. Oh, how romantic. A greedy scumbag who destroys lives and a prostitute who walks the streets of Hollywood, remains beautiful with no addictions or diseases and who wouldn't want those two crazy kids to get together? The story is ridiculous. Vivian and Edward. Pass.

In cases like that, where I don't care about the main characters at all, I look to the minor characters to care about. And in the case of Pretty Woman there's plenty of minor characters who are actually major characters.

Adam Du Plessis is Happy Man, the hotel manager, a street guru, a piano player, a store manager and a crazy opera conductor. This guy dominates. He is immensely talented in comic acting, singing and sincere empathy. The guy does it all. He makes you wish the two main characters would get off the stage so he can reappear. 

Connor Kabat as Guilio, the bellman. He has the moves of a contortionist. He is a joy to watch. He's funny and he isn't onstage enough. His scenes with Du Plessis as the hotel manager are absolutely the best part of this musical especially the ballroom dancing scenes. Hilarious.

Rae Davenport as the hooker roommate of Vivian, Kit DeLuca. She isn't in a whole lot of scenes but when she is, holy schnikes. Her voice is powerful. It's like going to church in a play about hookers and scumbags. Her scenes with the Happy Man towards the end were a delight.

Finally, Sara Wang isn't up there a whole lot, But the opera scene and subsequent scenes showcase her operatic chops. She's impossible to not want more of. 

Finally, the main characters. Yeah, they're fine. Ellie Baker as Vivian does her best Julia Roberts snort and laugh. But to be honest, when she and Chase Wolfe as Edward are onstage there's really no chemistry. It was tolerable but for Maxs Mom and I, we both wished them to finish so we could see more of the Happy Man, Kit, Guilio and the ensemble.

Should you see it. Sure, why not? It's two hours of fun. It means nothing, it's not Les Mis or Hamilton, hell it's not even Mamma Mia. but there's enough up there to make it enjoyable despite the grumpy old guy next to me who never applauded once and seemed like he'd rather be at Monday Night Raw. 

PS--the applause at the curtain call was heavy for the same characters I just mentioned and not so much for the main characters Edward and Vivian. Maybe the rest of the crowd agreed with us. And the booing of the greedy lawyer was spot on. Chefs kiss!

Nebraska It's Not For Everyone!!

 The Nebraska Legislature. Oh, last year was bad what with the filibusters and the anti-gay and anti-trans garbage that rolled thru like shit through a unisex bathroom. Last year was a total clown show. I know cuz I was there when they passed the anti-transgender anti-abortion anti LGBTQ hybrid bill that turned this state into an embarrassment. Watching a tiny little man (School Board member Kirk Penner) walk around packing a gun on his hip to keep us "leftists" in hand was truly the most ridiculous thing I may have ever seen.

Then came 2024. How could it be worse? Well, it can be argued it really is. The Nebraska Unicameral is unique in its makeup. There are 49 state senators, period. There is no House, no Senate, it's a one house body. 49 people. Elected from cites like Omaha and Lincoln. Also elected from counties with dozens of people and its these people, along with the West Omaha Republicans that run the place. There are no parties, per se', but it's one of the most partisan things you will ever see.

This year has seen very little happen in comparison to last year. But the things that have happened are horrific at best and criminal at worst. The standard bill, written by outside interests of course since most rural Senators couldn't write their names, was to ban "porn" from the school libraries. What's "porn"? Anything that doesn't fit the Christian nationalist definition. Keep the kids dumb, keep them on the farm, and avoid all talk about reality. The bill caused quite a ruckus. Senator Steve Halloran, a tiny little man with a Napoleon complex, read from Alice Seybold's  Lucky, a book that features a graphic description of her own rape. Halloran read from the book, then inserted a female Senators name into the reading (give me a blow job Senator Cavanaugh). Female senators and a few male senators called for the little prick to resign. But because the majority of men and a few women have an MAGA agenda absolutely nothing was done. He was "reprimanded" which is nothing. Halloran remains unrepentant.

This event has caused a tension that hangs over the entire session. 

And then came the last 7 days. Charlie Kirk, a balloon headed 30 something talk show host who likes to hang around college kids and try and convince them old white Republican men are the future, learned about a bill in the legislature regarding changing Nebraska's electoral vote from district to winner take all. Nobody gave a shit about this bill until Kirk and his goons found out about it. And then came Trump. Trump also ordered the bill to pass and all the MAGA morons, from the Governor on down to a lowlife like Halloran, all fell into line to fast track this bill to satisfy their Orange god. The marching orders had come in from MAGA HQ. Kill Nebraska's electoral district vote and do it now to give Trump the electoral vote.

Senator Julie Slama, who had earlier demanded Halloran to resign, fell back into line and brought the bill up as an amendment to a different bill. It failed badly. But it's not over because Kirk is bringing his traveling bullshit show to Omaha (the state capitol is in Lincoln you dumb fuck). It is being held at a church (tax exempt status anyone?) next Tuesday. Oh, there's still time for these sneaky bastards to get this bill back to the forefront. As of now, it doesn't have the votes, but death threats and bullying tends to work here. So, its not dead enough. 

Meanwhile a state senator named Mike McDonnell, a first responder union boss from Omaha, changed parties from Democrat to Republican causing mass erections from out of state interests who know nothing about this state. Its nonpartisan you idiots. McDonnell, a real rat bastard, votes with the conservatives all the time anyway so it matters not. He's a professional Catholic that cares about abortion and only about abortion. The Nebraska Democratic Party, which is a real shitshow, had "censured" McDonnell for some reason. And again, though it doesn't matter, McDonnell changed parties. Yeah, big fucking deal. 

Today it's the standard bathroom bill. Senator Kathleen Kauth, a real sourpuss, has taken her win from last year and doubled down. No men in women's sports, use the bathroom of your birth certificate gender, and cause mass panic on an issue that truly doesn't exist in Nebraska (there a grand total of ZERO trans athletes in Nebraska schools). 

So here we go. Turn Nebraska into Alabama, Do Trumps bidding. Discriminate even further against LGBTQ folks.

Nebraska used to have the worst fucking slogan for tourism ever "Nebraska...It's Not For Everyone."

No shit. Other than white males and their female co-conspirators, who the hell would come here? Get out Kids. Keep the brain drain going. Or stay here and try and stop these bigots that run the place. I choose #2.

Update---the anti trans bill died a grisly death today as there weren't enough votes to stop a filibuster.

The Winner Take All Bill apparently also is dead as only 4 days remain in the session and there's no time to rig the 2024 Nebraska election. 

So Stay Home Charlie Kirk

Frampton Comes Alive!!

It was 1976 and Frampton Comes Alive was issued to every white kid west of 60th Street and we all loved it. The moppy haired 25 year old Frampton, already a guitar legend to those of us enamored with Humble Pie and Framptons Camel, was a freakin golden god. His live album was the rage, new fans came to be, and he was milking it for all it was worth. His tour included the Civic Auditorium in Omaha, a giant cement 1950s arena with terrible sound (I swear you could still hear sound from the Buddy Holly tour bouncing around if you listened closely). August 1976. I secured two tickets by standing in line at the box office (remember those "good" old days?) and my buddy and I couldn't wait. Anyway, Frampton was phenomenal, running around stage and gawking at the love he was getting. When he sang Show Me The Way and the line "I cant believe this is happening to me" you could tell he meant it. He was glorious.

The 73 year old version came to Omaha last night and dammit his voice sounds 25, his guitar sounds 25 and his songs are timeless. He has the disease Inclusion-Body Myositis , a muscle disease that affects his hands and he at one time claimed he was done playing. Well thru physical therapy and pure will, Frampton hobbled out with a cane, sat in a chair and played and sang like he was the healthiest man on Earth. He's still glorious.

The setlist ranged from Humble Pie (Shine On) to Frampton's Camel (Lines on My Face featuring a pictorial retrospective of Peters life) to Winds of Change (All I Wanna Be Is by Your Side) To Frampton Comes Alive (Show Me The Way). The man is one talented musician.

People may love the hits like Baby I Love Your Way and Show Me the Way which he did. But the last song of the set, Do You Feel Like We Do, brought the crowd to its feet. All of us Frampton fans know that song is HIS masterpiece. From the opening notes, to the lyrics sung by the crowd, to the middle jam session, to the talk box which amazed us in 1976, to the ending this was the ultimate experience. It was a fantastic concert and I hope his health gets better so we can hear him for years to come.

Now the crowd. Some people go beyond the cheering, the woo hoos, and the applause. When Frampton picked a "random" seat to give away a signed vinyl, the "winner" ran to the front of the stage and made it all about herself (which I guess it was) hopping up and down and screeching until she was basically forced back to her seat. Then he gave away another signed vinyl to a fellow IBM sufferer, a lady in a wheelchair and that was moving. A woman behind us kept screaming whenever the roadie brought out a new guitar and it was red would screech "Reds my favorite color!!!" The third time she did this virtually everyone in front of her (Like me) turned around and hollered "Yeah we know". We didn't hear from her again. 

Anyway, Peter Frampton is a good as ever, from the opener Golden Goose to the closer Do You Feel Like We Do. Go see him if you get a chance. He's still coming alive!

The Lion King!

 I am not by any means a Disney fan. In fact, until Ron DeSantis picked a stupid fight with them, I thought Disney was a cult. Well, it is, but they also are harmless, unless taking your money and holding you hostage pisses one off. 

The Lion King is in Omaha for one more week after opening a month ago. I've never seen it; Max's Mom and Max have so it was my turn. I expected nothing other than typical Disney over the top entertainment I was ready to hate it. Oops. I loved it.

The familiar story of the King Mufasa, the evil Scar, the young Simba and Nala, the grown-up Simba and Nala, the comic relief of the parrot Zazu, the wise cracking warthog Pumbaa and the even wiser cracking cat Timon, along with the crazy hyenas. The story is murder, a power grab, a flight to safety, and the return to claim a rightful crown. Thats it.

The spectacle of the set, the costumes, the animals, the puppeteers, it is really mind boggling. From the opening of the familiar chant from the storyteller Rifiki, and the parade of characters down the aisle, I was hooked. Enchanted maybe. I watched in wonder, and I really have no wonder any longer. There were fewer songs than I thought. But the music was constant, including drummers in the Lincoln seats right in front of us, including a brief appearance by Zazu. It's a freakin must see.

The performances were great. Peter Hargrave as the evil Scar has a deep and powerful voice. Gerald Ramsey as Mufasa has a sense of power onstage during his Act One only scenes. But the unsung heroes of this massive production are Mukelisiwe Goba as Rafiki and 10-year-old Mase Lawson as the young Simba. Goba's chanting and singing, and narration is something you cannot get enough of. And this kid, Mase, is a phenom in his powerful voice and is even better acting. You will be hearing from him. Christ, he's only 10?

There's only 4 days left to see this. As a professional Disney cynic, they finally beat me. Beat me like a drum.