Hamilton!

 I've seen Hamilton 5 times now and it gets better each time. The more ya know the more ya appreciate the entire story. The Lin Manuel Miranda phenomenon may have faded a bit but the packed house in Omaha last night didn't seem to notice. Yeah, it's a decade old now and tours constantly while still being a Broadway staple but goddamit I'll wait for it every time it comes around.

The packed house was full of younger people fresh from whatever schools they attend. And the electricity began immediately. From the opening notes of Alexander Hamilton, they cheered loudly. They cheered loudly when the song ended. They cheered loudly for the remainder of the 2 1/2-hour spectacle.

We all know the story. Hamilton the son of a whore, comes to New York to do something with his life, which he treats like a burden that will end sooner than later. He becomes a lawyer, meets Aaron Burr, joins the revolution to kick the Brits out, marries Eliza Schuyler, becomes an absent Dad, has an affair, has his career ruined, loses his son in a duel defending his father's honor, and subsequently is killed in a duel himself that seems more like suicide than honor. Thats the story.

The musical itself is epic in its songs, its youthful exuberance and its performances. In the current touring company, there are no weak performances. The big voice needed from Angelica (Lauren Mariasoosay) is there and the big voice needed from George Washington (A D Weaver) is there. Both received huge applause.

Hamilton is played by Tyler Fauntleroy, who has the moves and the look to make it work. Marja Harmon is Eliza and plays Hamilton's long-suffering wife with grace and sadness. Aaron Burr is played by Jimmy JJ Jeter as the milquetoast politician without a principle he wishes to put forth. The feud between Hamilton and Burr is real. One stands for nothing, and one can't stop standing for everything. The inevitable end is apparent from the get-go. All these actors are first rate.

Now for the characters that never stop entertaining. Jared Howelton plays the dual role of Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, and he does both justice and more. Howelton plays Lafayette with vigor but when he becomes Jefferson in Act 2 and descends down those stairs milking the crowd the play takes a turn for the better. Howelton has a rubber face and a great voice. His facial expressions and Prince like 'tude make the story. He hates Hamilton because he represents his main rival. The gloating of Jefferson as Hamiltons scandal comes forth is prized comedy. He aint never gonna become President. He is phenomenal.

King George, the comic relief that Lin Manuel Maranda brilliantly put in the musical at perfectly appropriate times, is played by Justin Matthew Sargent. He glides onto the stage like he's floating on air and delivers the 3 songs everyone loves. He adds comic relief when he steps up on his tippy toes to appear taller than the woman informing him about John Adams. He makes the King his own character. It's brilliant.

The sound at the Orpheum still leaves a lot to be desired. It seemed like Act 2 made the sound worse. The orchestra sometimes drowned out the lyrics which could confuse people not familiar with what's happening. But if you are a Hamilton veteran, it doesn't matter, you know exactly what's happening.

Sorry but I am a fanboy. It never gets old. If I could, I'd see it again tonight. But if you want to experience a 10-year-old phenomenon, take it. Highly entertaining and informative. Thats how you teach America it's history.

Cuz ya know "immigrants we get the job done". The line never fails to hit hard. In this day of anti DEI and anti-immigrant prejudice, the fact a play with mostly black and Latino folk still draws huge crowds makes it hopeful that this asshole America will end. Soon please.

Did You Hear That Joe Was Old?

 Did ya hear the "bombshell " news? Joe Biden is old. He was old in 2024. Did y'all know that?

Jake Tapper, CNN's guy that both sides hate, has a new book coming out called Original Sin in which Tapper and his coauthor, Alex Thompson, Axios's guy that both sides hate, tell us that Joe Biden was old. Yeah, no shit. Did I want him to run again? Nope. When he decided to run did I throw a tantrum? Nope. When he dropped out after shitting the bed on national television during that debate did I despair? Nope. When Kamala Harris lost did I despair? You are goddamned right I did.

Tapper can write whatever he wants. He can sell books galore by stating the obvious, But the excerpts that have been released are misleading. Sure, the public was bombarded with daily reports that Biden was too old. The guy walked funny (probably because he busted his foot in 2020 and didn't wear the boot long enough), he spoke in an old man whisper, and quite frankly he was the perfect foil for the other old man who said stupid shit all the fucking time. In normal times, a presidential candidate stating "They're eating the dogs they're eating the cats" would have been laughed out of the race, but these are not normal times.

While Tapper has plenty of information in the last 100 days to report, ya know the Nazi crap and the outright bribery of a gutter thief, but he decided to rehash the past to write a book saying Biden was old. GASP! This is proof Tapper has no fucking idea of what's important. Joe Biden is old pales in comparison to Donald Trump is a fucking Nazi. But you go right ahead Jake. Tell the people the obvious. They will be fascinated to finally learn what they already knew.

The word BOMBSHELL has been plastered all over. The "bombshell" is that Old Joe Biden, had he won (which of course is ludicrous) might have needed a wheelchair. You know, like FDR and that prick from Texas. Oh, the horrors. But the real misleading part of the "Bombshell" is the whole wheelchair "scandal" was based on a what if. IF Joe Biden had tumbled off his bike again, like he did that once that became a MAGAt gif, and IF he hurt himself real bad, like IF he had busted a hip or a leg, he may have needed a wheelchair to get around for a while. And THAT was unacceptable to his blabby aides.

This stuff in this book is more like a novel. Biden was 82. Nobody is better at 82 than they were at 62. The mental decline happens to EVERYBODY. Including 78-year-old whackadoodles without a living brain cell in their noggin. I mean come on; the 78-year-old economic illiterate took a roaring economy and fucked it up in literal weeks. But Tapper would rather bring up that somebody somewhere said Biden didn't recognize George Clooney once. Shit I'm not sure I would either in a room full of celebrities. Theres a thing like too much perfect makes you blind. But Joe was old.

Chrissakes, we have a regime of Fox News nitwits, 1893 tariffs, rising prices, a gang of Gestapo running around throwing women with babies in their arms to the cement, planes crashing, air traffic controllers losing contact for 90 seconds at a time, a South African ketamine addict and a band of cargo shorted incels firing everybody who looks funny to them, drunks sending war plans to journalists and now a $400 million bribe from a terrorist funding country Trump hammered in 2017. 

But Biden was old.

Wow, I'm blown away by the information Jake.

Fascinating.

Hmmmm or Dohhhhh!

 Jesus H Christ it's all so exhausting. New Pope, 100 days of corruption, airplane bribes, ICE raids, Democrats arrested. Good lord

The New Pope. Pope Bob. Pope Leo XIV. American. White Sox fan. Despite initial reaction from the MAGAts on take that libs (assuming of course all Americans are assholes like them) now after being told by the right-wing media that the Pope is "woke" they are pissed. Well for crissakes, if the Pope aint "woke" who the hell is? The Pope defines "woke". Of course, to the neanderthals, "woke" means commie homo lovin gay feminists soy boys who dont accept white supremacy. Woke is actually tolerating the underrepresented, the minorities, the ones without a voice, the ones who need equality. Woke means educated. Willing to learn and change ones mind. The Pope is Pope Woke I whether you like it or not. Fuck Tedesco.

ICE, a gang of Proud Boys, Jan 6ers and the bottom of the barrel of law enforcement goons unable to secure legitimate police department employment, have run out of criminals. The criminals are all in jail or have been deported by the prior administration. So now, to meet Botox Barbie Noem's quota system, have started arresting anybody who looks brown, black or has a funny accent. The clowns who constitute ICE in their cosplay body armor, big guns, masks and jeans (?) are raiding neighborhoods with brutal force. These short men, most of whom were shoved into lockers as high schoolers, now have the power denied them by nature. And dammit they will have their revenge on women, children and babies. The strategy of cowards. Crazy overreactions to a family of madres and ninos breaking the law by existing, serving white people, white corporations and white farmers. This is what ICE does. They are bullies and trash. The very thing they suffered in their past they have now become. You are what you hate.

The country of Quatar. The funder of Houthis, Hamas and various other terrorists has jumped into the corruption of Trump. Last week the Felon, or through his corrupt spawns of Satan, announced a $5.5 billion dollar golf course and resort in Quatar. Over the weekend, Quatar announced they were "donating" a $400 million dollar airplane to the United States which could be used as a bugged Air Force One and THEN once the gutter crook is out of office will be "donated" once again to the Trump Library Foundation. Never use library and Trump in the same sentence. How could any of this be legal? But our esteemed bribe taking nitwit Attorney General, Pam Blondi, says it's all legal and above board, much like her $25K "donation" she took to drop the fraudulent Trump University case. Oh ad by the way, Blondi's last job before being appointed AG, was a lobbyist for the country of, wait for it, Quatar. The absolute criminality is as obvious as Karoline Leavitt's nose job.

Finally, on Friday, Democratic lawmakers and the Mayor of Newark protested outside an ICE concentration camp   detention center, ICEhwhitz if you will. ICE opened the gates to the facility, let them step inside and then arrested the mayor for whatever they thought of at the time. Being a decent human being perhaps. Instead of saying oops sorry, the ICE thugs doubled down, threatening more Democrats with arrest. Meanwhile someplace somewhere, Stephen Miller is furiously masturbating to his picture of Heinrich Himmler. Miller, the Goebbels look alike, who also threatened a suspension of habeas corpus, the very cornerstone of American justice. Miller is 39-year-old vermin who suffers from a lifetime of rejection by both women and decent folks who don't throw trash on the ground to make work for janitors. Ya know, people who actually return shopping carts to the corral. Miller is a spineless little rat suddenly given power and he will exact his revenge. Ya know, like the ICE thugs.

Fuck this place.

Thoughts!

 Jesus Christ, now they're arresting judges, deporting America citizens, raiding night clubs, sticking mug shots on the White House lawn while a 34 times convicted felon runs the show, and inviting paid Russian propagandists to the White House press pool. Trumps ICE is a rogue police force that has no rules. Per AG and bribe taker, Pam Bondi, no warrant is needed to bust into houses. If they look thru your garbage and find taco seasoning, I guess that's "probable cause" to these goons. It's madness. And it must be stopped. I guess if regulation of guns is a non-issue, let's let that 2nd Amendment fly its freak flag high. Reminder here, liberals own guns too. Tread lightly.

The Pope's funeral was Saturday and world leaders from all over were there to pay their respects. Our illustrious dementia stricken POTUS, The Felon, was there in his blue suit so he could stand out among the rest of the world who followed protocol and wore black. Trumpski sat there, next to Melania (I think it was her) and fell asleep, No he wasn't fucking praying Magats. That heathen has never prayed in his entire miserable life. Unless it was for underaged girls to shut up. After Zelensky received a round of applause, and Macron ignored his handshake and other world leaders shunned him for being the peasant he is, he pouted and immediately left so he could play golf with a sellout named Saquon Barkley. The dumb is astounding.

Pete Hegseth, drunk, is still there. Despite opening his war plans to any idiot on the internet because he's too lazy to go thru proper channels, or too loaded. This because nobody in this putrid regime accepts responsibility for anything. It's Bidens fault, or the borders' fault or the liberal media or blah blah. Kristi Noem had her fucking passport and $3K in cash stolen. Of course, it was an illegal. Yeah sure it was wink wink. This cabinet is full of liars, cheats, drunks and divas. 

Finally, Trumps approval rating are in the toilet. 39% after 99 days of chaos. Who the hell are these 39%? It is amazing that 10 years ago only 25% of anything was fucking nuts. Now its 39%. But Trump knows all bad news is fake. All facts are lies. All science is junk. All elections are rigged (unless they win). All morals are suggestions. All immigrants are illegal. All brown people are illegal. All black people are cheats. All women are deranged. All Asians are sneaky. It's like Archie Fucking Bunker got elected. Remember him? We used to laught at his antics and racism. Apparently, too many people thought it was a documentary on "America Foist". 

Geez.

Bill Maher!

 Look, I used to watch Bill Maher on Politically Incorrect way back and I didn't care for the guy then. Not that he didn't make me think, he did, but he came across as an arrogant prick. Then he got cancelled, which I think affected him far more than he let on. So, he went to HBO and started a show called Real Time on Friday nights. His monologue is trash. He so obviously imitates Johnny Carson right down to the sideways glances and audience scolding. Then he talks to a news maker one on one which can be interesting, but Bill makes it all about him. Then the panel and depending on the week, it also can be interesting. He regularly invites conservatives and liberals and then came 2016. The panel began to contain nutjobs like Ben Shapiro, Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon types. These people are bomb throwers, not conservatives, thus you get nothing out of it. Then came 2020. Biden won, and Maher went all I gotta hate whatever is in power. He slammed liberals. some of it justified, but some of it was pure hey look at me, I'm a free spirit. I am so fair. You're out of touch not me. His happiest day may have been when Kamala lost. Even though he had predicted her to win, he couldn't wait for the I told you so. It's almost like never mind what I said then, what I say now is all that counts. I am never wrong, just flexible. WHO does that sound like?

Bill Maher spoke to Kid Rock on his show and Bob invited him to the White House for Dinner With Donald. Maher, ever the publicity hound, said sure. We just HAVE to talk with the other side. Bill is so fair. Then he went to dinner with 4 meatheads. Trump, UFC lunkhead Dana White, the aforementioned Kid Rock, fave of rockin meth heads everywhere and Trump himself, the ultimate lame brain. Bill posed for pictures, bragged that he wore a suit, and clinked wine glasses with the Bonehead Brain Trust.

Bill came home, kept the trip details under wraps, and then spilled the beans on his show. Trump laughed, he was cordial, he listened, he was funny and nice, and it all went well. Then Bill shrugged and said in his oh so typical smarmy way, Hey he was nice to me so therefore he must be an ok guy.

The reaction is furious. He is being slammed by not only libs, but by normal Republicans not under the spell. He got called out by a panelist for allowing himself to be used as a prop and the thin skinned Maher got personal, because, like Trump, he is never ever wrong. Maher doubled down and insisted Trump was personable, at least to me. And it continues. Maher will not back down with the Trump's a nice guy shit. He's killing himself and I've got popcorn.

Larry David hit the kill shot on Maher over the weekend. An opinion piece in the New York Times titled My Dinner With Adolf. A fictional meeting with Hitler in 1939, in which Larry met Hitler, who was personable and funny and made jokes about Goering. A real cool guy that Hitler. And then Larry left and fired off the Nazi salute he was so taken with Adolf. 

Larry David is everyman. He is self-deprecating and not afraid to make himself the bad guy, and Curb was perhaps the funniest show ever, But Maher just keeps up the arrogance and the condescending attitude and the I'm better than you persona.

Larry lives in the real world. Maher lives in a world in which he is King of Comedy. He sits on an imaginary throne and he aint gettin off.

So, Maher and Trump are the same guy. Thin skinned, never wrong, thinks he knows best and fuck you if you disagree.

The problem is Trump was elected by 77 million idiots. Maher is elected by nobody and is subject to ratings. I have a feeling those ratings are about to go the way of the Dow Jones. Crash and burn.

The Pope!

 I retired from Catholicism years ago. Probably around 1968 or so I stopped paying attention, stopped going to communion, stopped going to confession and stopped going to Mass, at least mentally. The whole thing seemed cult like with costumed humans pretending to know the answers (tho whenever I asked a question the answer was shut up). I suffered thru Catholic school for 12 years and once out I vowed to never return. I have returned for funerals and weddings but that was for the people involved. But being a "cultural Catholic" will never leave me. Living in the Midwest, Catholicism is often just an extension of conservative politics. It is foreign to me. The teachings of Jesus are ignored in order to preserve the white privilege and to whip yourself into a frenzy over somebody else's choice you don't like. The poor are there by choice, the homeless are also, racism is bad but what can I do about it, sexual abuse in the church is to be ignored and the American hierarchy must be MAGA.

But this Pope. This guy, Pope Francis, made me more of a cultural Catholic than ever before. The Pope was a positive force in the world. He didn't condemn anyone. He preached love and fairness and climate change and welcoming immigrants and just be kind. For that, we have resistance from conservative Catholics (an oxymoron if there ever was one) and online today pieces of shit like Marjorie Taylor Greene openly celebrating the demise of "evil". 

I loved the Pope. He was exactly what I always believed what a Pope should be. A decent man doing the Lord's work. Rich people don't need a Pope sticking up for them. The poor and the sick do need a voice. Pope Francis was that voice. 

Now let's just hope the Conclave doesn't screw this up and install a "Tedesco" to the seat. In this day and age of asshole, fascist leadership all over the world, a Pope should be the one fighting them. 

So long Jorge Mario Bergoglio. You were the best.

The picture is to remind us that Popes have senses of humor as do Presidents. Senses of humor that do not involve punching down as we have become.

The world is a less kind place today.

50501 Rallies!

 Did it make me feel better? Yep! Did I feel I accomplished anything? Probably not but everything starts somewhere and I will be in on the ground floor of a revolution that topples fascism. Or I'm heading for the gulag. Whatever. Living in this country, at this time, with the cruelty and the lies and the number of total assholes who crawled out of the swamp doesn't really make me feel safe any longer. Oh, not from the so-called rampant crime and all those "illegals" that are murdering white women thousands of times a day, but from suit and tie wearing Nazis working hard to Make America White Again. This administration is unlike anything I've ever seen, and I am old. I've been thru Nixon and Reagan and the  Bush boys and as bad as that seemed, this is beyond belief. A reality show host, embraced by losers who need to place to blame on their loser status by blaming anyone unlike them. Immigrants, women, gays, trans, liberals, minorities or the intelligentsia. Whatever I don't like, is keeping me down. It's sad.

Yesterday all over the nation, people of all stripes, all ages, all genders, all believing that fascism, Naziism, revenge, and lack of due process are wrong, came out to wave signs and be together to not feel so alone. Red states, blue states, cities, rural towns (special shoutout to Rushville, Nebraska, as ruby red of an area as there is in this nation had 43 brave souls line the street to express themselves) all stood together for a couple of hours or so and said no more. Will it work? Again, everything starts somewhere.

Look, I am not afraid to live in a state that has elected some of the stupidest people on Earth year after year because despite 30 some years of GOP rule, the majority of the state is unwilling to change. Vote R no matter what. They raise your property taxes to outrageous levels, raise income taxes rates on everyday people while granting virtually any business tax breaks, and ban abortion, fuck around with this idiot bathroom shit, ban transgender treatment, and vote to give everybody breathing a fucking gun but you still vote for them. Political fear is not a reaction, its cowardice.

I got in trouble in high school for advocating the end of a war in Vietnam. Take off that black armband they said. Stop rabble rousing they said. We will make your life miserable unless you fall into line and stop with this anti Nixon shit. Let me put it this way, they succeeded in making my high school experience a miserable slog of daily abuse. I hate the place to this day.

I've stepped up against Reagan, against the first Gulf War, the second Gulf War, Trumps first fiasco and now, at my advanced age, against this current band of authoritarian pricks. I am too old to stop now.

So, did yesterday make me feel better? Fuck yeah it did. And if you think that this does no good, well you're just an apathetic dope, probably either a fascist yourself, rich enough to withstand economic collapse or so cynical you are beyond help, sitting in the easy chair cutting down anything you feel too beaten down to understand. Chrissakes, the rally in Omaha featured a long rambling speech by some local self-proclaimed "communist "who bathes in the limelight of pissing into the tent by hammering "white liberals" as worse than the KKK. So far off the edge, he's just another fascist.

In conclusion, I am selfish enough to enjoy feeling better and thinking it's good for MY mental health. If you don't, well continue to do nothing. And when they finally come for you, broke and mentally exhausted, there will be nobody to stand up for you.

Special shoutout yesterday to the assholes gunning their Harleys and disrupting speeches, flipping us off, and riding around without helmets (Cmon organ donors!). You clowns give the bike riding community a bad name. It was so precious to watch the little boys having fun.

Foxtrot Delta Tango my friends. Forever.