Muzical interlude . . .

Watching that Dylan Ratigan/Luke Russert scuffle made this song pop into my head . . . wonder if it was playing in Ratigan's head too as he was dressing down young Luke?

Lol.





TFG

Journalism 101 . . .

Ooh ... now this is the proper way to handle bullshit spouting village reporters.

I'm not much of a Dylan Ratigan fan, but in this clip he just did something which 99% of mainstream media reporters are either too afraid or too ethically compromised to do --- HE DID HIS FUCKING JOB! --- by questioning the substance and the veracity of the load of crap he was being fed!

And you can tell Ratigan did his job too, because poor Luke Russert started giggling like a stoned Valley girl, his face turned red, and stammering uncontrollably, he more or less came right out and admitted that he was simply reading a goddamn script that some corporate lackey had loaded on to his teleprompter.

Anyhow -- you have to watch it. It's priceless:





TFG

So Simple Even a Sponge Could Understand It . . . .

This truly is the end all of visual metaphors which represents the intellectual bankruptcy that calls itself "Fox and Friends."

The evidence here is two-pronged:

On one level they're too fucking stupid to "get" what Spongebob Squarepants as a cartoon is all about and claim that they cannot even begin to fathom why kids like the square little cartoon guy. On the other level their dishonesty concerning the role human emissions play in global climate change is so low brow, you just want to reach thru the teevee screen and bludgeon them all with a nail spiked baseball bat.

Ultimately the Fox clowns are left flailing about attempting to smear poor Spongebob by insinuating he's being used as a dupe to promote "unproven science" in the climate change debate and brainwash kiddies into believing evil liberal views.

I've long since stopped feeling pity for these Fox jagoffs and their glassy-eyed followers. I truly do hope the Justice Department is digging deep into the allegations that Murdoch's thugs were tapping the phones and hacking the e-mails of 9/11 victims and their families here in the U.S. - because it would thrill me to no end to see that cocksucker lose control of his putrid media empire and his broadcasting license -- and no wingnuts -- not because they present conservative viewpoints!!! Because they present provable lies over the public airwaves - endlessly and without repercussions ... and it's time to put a stop to it.





TFG

One Thing Leads to Another . . . .

Oh this will truly get some right wing forehead veins to pop - lol:

Gilligan tracked rates of suicide and homicide over a century, from 1900 to 2007 and was intrigued by the peaks and valleys he saw. Over that period, he writes, “I saw three large, sudden, and prolonged increases and decreases in these measures of lethal violence, which reached a peak and were then followed by equally dramatic decreases.”

He scratched his head over that until he realized that “all three of the epidemics of lethal violence corresponded with the presidential election cycle.”

Now, the next part of this item will get Republicans’ noses out of joint and will no doubt start Democrats thumping their chests. What Gilligan found was that suicides and homicides started climbing to epidemic levels following the election of a Republican president. If that isn’t annoying enough to the Grand Old Party, he also discovered that the rates remained around epidemic levels throughout the time Republicans occupied the White House. “The increase began during their first year or years in office, and peaked in their last year or years,” Gilligan writes.

And what happened when a Democratic president toodled up to the White House gate in a moving van? Those epidemic levels of violence, according to Gilligan, began to reverse direction in the first year or two of a Democratic administration and the rates reached their lowest point in the last year or years of the Democratic term.

... The cause: policies. In Gilligan’s view, the policies of Republican administrations increase socio-economic distress which has all sorts of ramifications that lead to higher rates of murder and suicide, while Democratic administrations reduce socio-economic distress which aids the psychology of the masses and brings down the levels of violence.

Indeed it does.  Indeed.


TFG

How 'bout them Apples? . . .

Oh bravo!

I liked this immensely not so much because Damon deftly crushed the snotty MBA views of the interviewer and the shriveled balls of the smug cameraman but because he STOOD UP AND DEFENDED THE HONOR OF SOME VERY HONORABLE PEOPLE WHO WE USED TO LOOK UP TO IN THIS COUNTRY - TEACHERS!  The Democrats and Obama could learn something from viewing this clip a few hundred times non-stop.

The teabaggers and conservative media by hook and crook (meaning mostly lying) have demonized public education and public educators to the extent that if it were solely their viewpoint being heard a completely uninformed individual would think that Teachers are some of the most horrid creatures on the planet and therefore worthy of extermination.

We can most definitely have a sane conversation as to the methods for reforming and improving public education in this country if you wish, but if you think you are going to engage me on this subject and just blindly sing the praises of private and charter schools and spout Michelle Rhee bullshit talking points read straight from a Heritage Foundation study - think again.

This is very sore spot for me as I have friends and family who are public educators.  I doubt they would disagree with me when I say that they are not Bentley driving millionaires who only work 30 hour work weeks 6 months out of the year, live in $500k homes in gated communities and vacation on the French Riviera - as the teabaggers and the odious Fox news serial liars would have some believe.  And they are certainly not the cause of this country's economic woes as the David Kochs and Dick Armeys of the world would snidely tell you.

On the contrary, the ones I know are people who basically are in one of the toughest careers one can choose.  It's a career that requires long hours and incredible resolve dedicated to producing (in conjunction with parental/student participation) functioning, literate, decent human beings to send out into society.  Are they always 100% successful.  No.  Name a career field that is.  There are many extraneous factors that determine how successful a child's educational progress will be -- the teachers are a big factor, sure -- but it also requires family and community, and yes - even government participation in that endeavor.

Bottom line is Matt Damon just got a smiley face hero sticker for doing what he did here.  Hopefully others will take note and start standing up to the thugs on the right and do what's right by America's education system and the people who have dedicated their lives to it.


TFG

Must.....remain.....calm....., Must.....resist.....urge.....to.....destroy.....

I'm going to defer for the moment posting my view about the debt ceiling debate and it's hideous outcome.  Suffice to say, there is enough anger and horror in my soul about the whole affair to make me want to say some very corrosive things about some people (which I will still likely do, but I just need a little more time to figure out exactly how fucking corrosive I'm going to be about it).

It truly is horrifying!

TFG

Oh I'm just gettin' started (no-really I am!)...

Welcome to my new blogging adventure!

The Frolicking Gadfly will be exploring a myriad of subjects including but not necessarily limited to politics, humor, music and modern media.  If you are not already familiar with my views personally or through my previous blog www.krazeeinjun.blogspot.com, I would simply and humbly request that you drop in now and then, see what I have to say and even feel free to participate in robust debate through the open commentary format on posts.  It will not take long for a fairly clear picture to emerge of what it is that I am about, what I do and do not believe in, and what my aspirations and visions are in my quest to see a more equitable, gracious and compassionate America be left to my children and grandchildren before I exit this earthly existence.

So enjoy the scenery and experience, strap your seat belts on and let's go for a rocket ride. . .

. . . Oh - one last thing, while I welcome open debate and comments, you better come prepared to back up any of your rebuttal claims with facts - and by facts, I am not referring to the stink-finger globs of goop that the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin and Glenn Beck pluck from their hoary sphincters and fling on the wall in desperate hopes of obfuscating the suject matter with the sole goal of confusing and misinforming.  I will not let you off the hook that easy because when it comes to the truth, I Shoot to Thrill and Play to Kill baby . . .

Remember, wherever you are and whatever you're doing, it's only the beginning.

TFG

Official Launch Date Announcement! Mark Your Calendar!

The Frolicking Gadfly's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious blog will officially commence annoying a whole lot of fucking people and having a whole lot of fun on August 1, 2011.  Just tidying up a few loose ends and firming up the game plan.

Stay tuned.

TFG

Are you ready?!

Launch day draws nearer . . .

Standby For Launch!

The Frolicking Gadfly's brand spanking new blog will be taking off in the very near future.  Standby for further updates of this momentous event!