The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

Donald Trump is the absolute worst when it comes to holiday greetings. Here's how I foresee said greetings over the next year. Memorial Day: "Happy Memorial Day to all the fine men who died for our country and the losers who are supposed to be at home giving birth to babies, while cooking us the best meatloaf this side of Michael Lee Aday, may he rest in peace. Good guy. He always proved the saying right, you really are what you eat. I'm the same way. The reason why I'm the most macho man in recorded history is because I eat nothing but Village People records." Juneteenth: "Happy whatever stupid day this is. What even is it? Like Black people invented June or something? Look, I like Black people. I once paid one to deliver me a few whoppers and diet Cokes. But, if anyone invented June, it was me, okay? I was born in June; I married my dear wife, Melanie, in a month that starts with 'j;' my middle name starts with 'j,' has 4 letters, and incl...

I binge-watched the docu-series Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story the other day. While I had been fairly well versed on the story, I wasn't fully versed and came away learning a number of things from the 6-part series. First off, while the series was expectantly sad and often times anger-inducing, it was rather interesting, educational, and I'd recommend people to check it out to, at the very least, garner a different perspective of the events. When it comes to the events, while comparisons to the O.J. Simpson trial were made during the course of the series, I only see a partial resemblance. In the Simpson trial, I feel the LAPD slipped up to such a grand extent, the jury was right to rule the prosecution didn't prove their case against the former NFL star beyond a reasonable doubt, thus declaring him as "not guilty." I also haven't been convinced one way or the other on his level of guilt or innocence with regard to his murder charges. Yes, I may be...

As I say at least a handful of times every year, some reviews should not be written. Whether it be for a movie, an album, or a play, some critics come across as biased - having a bone to pick with someone involved in the product. Such is the case with Roisin O'Connor's ( Independent ) review of Muse's latest album, Simulation Theory . The article is titled, "An overly polished, politically paranoid mess," and starts with this gem: "Exasperated Muse fans probably had relatively low expectations for the British rock band's eighth record, given the quality of its predecessor, Drones." Right from the start, it sounds as though Ms. O'Connor is bothered by something, almost like she's holding a grudge against the band. She continues:  "The question as to whether frontman Matt Bellamy is intent on turning Muse into a Spinal Tap-level parody of a band or if he still takes it seriously is a real distraction on Simulation Theory. Wh...

Democratic California Representative Maxine Waters has come under fire after making the following comments at a weekend rally in Los Angeles: "You think we're rallying now? You ain't seen nothing yet! Already you have members of your Cabinet that are being booed out of restaurants ... protesters taking up at their house saying 'no peace, no sleep.' Let's make sure we show up wherever we have to show up. If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them and you tell them they're not welcome anymore, anywhere. History is not going to be kind to this administration. We want history to record that we stood up, that we pushed back, that we fought and that we did not consider ourselves victims of this president." House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has since responded to Ms. Waters' call with this: "In the crucial months ahead, we must...

While I think the far-right has greatly exaggerated the level of violence and destruction perpetrated by the group known as antifa, even those on the far-left can't deny there has been some violence and destruction perpetrated by them, and no matter how much we want to "punch a Nazi," we can't stoop to their level in doing that. Yes, many far-right websites have spread false information about antifa, even going so far as to photoshop violent acts from foreign nations, claiming they were the work of the far-left group. However, in saying that, even reputable sources such as the Washington Post  have reported attacks by antifa on marchers with whom they disagree, and we can't have that. Anger begets anger. Hate begets hate. Violence begets violence. If we truly want to show the world we disapprove of white nationalism and the anger, hate, and violence its members project, we must do so by, instead of following their lead in attitude and behavior, going the opposite ...

Following the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend, which resulted in 3 deaths and several injuries, while President Donald Trump has remained relatively silent regarding the event and tragedy, several Republicans condemned the acts, even going so far as to say, "This is not us." For as much as I'd hate to disagree, I have to call a spade a spade - Charlottesville is what the modern-day Republican Party has become, and unless moderates fight to retain control of the GOP, this is what the party will be in the future. Of course, when making such a claim, many self-described Republicans will say: "These are fringe extremists! They're not actually Republicans!," "That'd be like saying all Democrats are like the hate group Black Lives Matter!," and "Trump had nothing to do with this!" First off, these "fringe extremists" were referred to as "Unite the Right." That's not to say they...

In light of the horrific shooting at a Congressional Republican baseball practice this past week, while many GOPers stayed respectful to their colleagues on the other side of the aisle, some were uncoy to speak out about shooter James Hodgkinson's anti-Republican Party leanings. These individuals went as far as to blame liberals' hateful rhetoric, the recent New York City rendition of Julius Caesar , and yes, I even read at least one report of a Republican Congressman partially blaming former President Barack Obama. If that weren't enough, a far right-wing pastor called for a liberal/Democratic-purge. Look, no matter what this man's political affiliation was (or religious affiliation for that matter), there's absolutely no excuse for what he did. In saying that, however, as I've said numerous times before, one person does not make a group, and therefore no group should be seen as represented by one person. James Hodgkinson may have been a self-described liberal,...

Die-hard Trump supporters befuddle me to no end. Let's think about this for a moment here. Most of these individuals identify as "Christian," are big into "family values," and claim to vote Republican for their children's well-being and futures. It's also common to hear them berate celebrities for not being good role models to their kids. Yet here they are steadfast in their support for Donald Trump, a man who: - Has been married three times - Has cheated on all three of his wives - Has a history of making lewd comments toward women - Has allegedly sexually harassed/assaulted 20+ women - According to Pulitzer Prize-winning site Politifact , lies approximately 69% of the time, while telling the truth just 17% of the time - Has a history of making discriminatory remarks against minorities of all stripes - Has a tendency to get angry - Has trouble taking responsibility for his own actions, often casting blame elsewhere - Seems to believe t...

While speaking with CNN's Jake Tapper, Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks said the following with regard to the House's latest healthcare bill: "My understanding is that (the new proposal) will allow insurance companies to require people who have higher health care costs to contribute more to the insurance pool. That helps offset all these costs, thereby reducing the cost to those people who lead good lives, they're healthy, they've done the things to keep their bodies healthy. And right now, those are the people--who've done things the right way--that are seeing their costs skyrocketing." While I'm tempted to simply go off on Mo Brooks right now, I'll try to keep my cool. Are the odds better for those who "lead good lives" to be healthy and not require as much healthcare as those who don't "lead good lives"? Sure. However, is it a guarantee? Absolutely not! I was born with epilepsy. What did I personally do to deserve being ...

Ever since it became apparent Donald Trump was going to be our next president, I've been going through a series of emotions: Sadness, anger, guilt, a fighter's mentality, a screw-it mindset, and back to sadness. I keep trying to find a silver-lining to Tuesday night's results, yet every time I do, I'm greeted with a heart-breaking story about how Trump's America could look tomorrow, let alone in 4 or 8 years. There's no other way to put it - when Donald Trump won on Tuesday night, America lost. We're now seen as a joke around the world (excluding Russia), and unfortunately, this joke is no laughing matter. Donald Trump is a showman first, a businessman second, and a politician last. Yes, that was a major charm to many of his supporters, but let's take off the blinders for a moment. Would we want a person with no construction experience to build our home? Would we want a man without any doctoral experience to be our surgeon? Would we want a woman withou...

The only argument I can understand as to why some people still insist on voting for Donald Trump is out of protest. That's it. They see the man as an outsider to the federal government (which isn't entirely true), are angry at the government, and want to see a big shake-up by providing a couple of middle fingers to this nation's capital. In saying that, however, while I can understand these individuals' feelings on the matter, allow me to just say that the "anti-establishment" candidate isn't always the "change-for-the-better" candidate. Let's think about this for a moment here. With Hillary Clinton, we basically know what she's going to bring to the table as president. Yes, with some slight differentiation, she will bring to Washington a third Obama term. Is that really so bad, though? Under President Obama, we've gone from losing 800,000 jobs a month to regularly gaining 200,000+ jobs per month. We've gone from a large percent...

While I normally can't stand cable news networks, I'm hooked during election season. This morning, unfortunately, that resulted in me seeing a painful interview on MSNBC's Live with Tamron Hall  between host Tamron Hall and pastor and Donald Trump supporter, Darrell Scott. Here are a few of the highlights (or lowlights depending on how you look at it): - "Inciting (violence)? No, because you don't see Donald Trump supporters fighting each other." - Denied 78-year-old Trump supporter (John McGraw), who sucker-punched an African-American protester as he was walking out of a Trump rally, (before later un-denying it), was actually a Trump supporter, adding, "If he had punched a white man, we wouldn't have had the controversy." - Compared the Trump rally (a white man punching a black man) to a Katt Williams show where a black man stomped on another black man - "If I hear that, I don't throw a tomato. Why would you throw a tomato anywa...

Following a Nazi rally in Looneyville, Texas this past Saturday, where several fights broke out between Nazi supporters and Jewish protesters, which left 12 injured and hundreds with IQs in the single digits, GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump said the following about the matter:  "This is about two things really: 1) The First Amendment and 2) The biased lamestream media. The Jews at the rally are thugs, plain and simple. They were trying to take away Nazis' free speech with their protests! They need to take their anti-free speech ideas and shut up about them already! Seriously... Oh, and don't believe what the lamestream media is feeding you about this whole thing. They want you to believe these Nazi rallies are violent, that the people who go to these things are angry people, and that many often get hurt at these things, but that's not true; that's not true at all. If anything, these Nazi rallies are love-fests. Everyone here loves each other, well, unt...

Following the recent Donald Trump rallies which have resulted in one cancellation and potential multiple criminal charges (against both Trump supporters and protesters), Florida Senator Marco Rubio, while laying some of the blame on the GOP frontrunner's rhetoric, as well as the protesters, also claimed that President Obama is partially to blame. He's not the first Republican politician to suggest this, for many have come forward and laid claim that Obama is the most divisive president in this country's history - some even blaming him for the rise of Donald Trump. I'm sorry, but the GOP calling President Obama divisive is so ironic Alanis Morissette is currently rewriting her hit song to reflect Rubio and many other GOPers' sentiments on the subject. Republican politicians can believe all they'd like that President Obama is divisive, but let's look back at Obama's tenure before casting him as such, shall we? - When he was elected in 2008, the GOP ...

As I pointed out in a blog yesterday, multiple parties deserve at least some of the blame for the escalated tension and violence at Donald Trump rallies, including: The media (5% of the blame), the protesters (10% of the blame), and Trump supporters (10% of the blame). However, no matter what the current GOP frontrunner wants to believe, a large majority of the blame is with him and his rhetoric (75% of the blame). Based on Trump's commentary following recent protests at his rallies, which have resulted in one cancellation and potential multiple criminal charges (on both Trump supporters and protesters), he appears to be quite confused on the concept of cause and effect. He has yet to bear any responsibility for the escalated tension, anger, and violence at his rallies, instead fully blaming the protesters. Just from a chronological standpoint, how does that work exactly? According to Donald Trump Cause: Protesters respond to his angry rhetoric Effect: His angry rhetoric whi...

In light of the protests at a Donald Trump rally in Chicago, Illinois last night, which resulted in Trump cancelling the event, many politicians and media personalities have been partaking in the blame game. Liberals have tended to place the brunt of the blame on Donald Trump's rhetoric and, to a lesser degree, his supporters. Conservatives have tended to place equal blame on Trump's rhetoric and the protesters' responses. Donald Trump and his supporters, meanwhile, have tended to place the full blame on the protesters, the media, Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, and even Barack Obama. So, let's take a closer look at the matter... Barack Obama : How in the world can the president be blamed for the anger, violence, hate, divisiveness, and protests exhibited at many of Donald Trump's rallies? Did he help spread the hundreds of lies about him on social media, especially in the form of chain emails? Did he lead the charge in spreading the myth that he's not eligib...

Speaking on MSNBC's Morning Joe  on Wednesday, journalist Bob Woodward had some interesting comments regarding Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton, as he said the following: "There is something unrelaxed about the way she is communicating. Has nobody told her that the microphone works? Because she always keeps it up here. The genius of Reagan was...Reagan kept it down low." NPR's Cokie Roberts responded to Woodward's critique by saying, "These are rallies, though, and it's hard to do that at a rally." Kristin Soltis Anderson then added, "When she's loud and feisty, she's trying to support this narrative that she's fighting for us." Later in the show, Woodward brought up the topic again, saying, "I'm sorry to dwell on the tone issue, but there is something here, where Hillary Clinton suggests that she's almost not comfortable with herself. And self-acceptance is something that you communicate ...

During Fox News' annual miniature golf outing, The O'Reilly Factor host Bill O'Reilly apparently lost his cool on the 18th green, as his ball bounced against an alligator's mouth and into the water for a one-stroke penalty, which eliminated him from winning the coveted FNMG Trophy (Fox News Mini Golf - called F'in MG by its competitors). When asked to rehash the events, eventual winner of the competition, Chris Wallace, said, "I'm not sure what got into him. As soon as his ball bounced against that alligator's mouth and into the water, he must have known it was over, and started yelling some obscenities that I had never even heard before. He then tried breaking his club over his knee, wound up hurting his back in the process, but instead of stopping there and taking it easy, he decided to throw the club as far as he could. It wound up going a couple feet and hitting Shepard Smith in the back of the head as he was trying to take a sip of his Snapple. T...

I'm frankly getting fed up with hearing about all of these stories concerning white cops killing unarmed black men, and then hearing people's defense of the cops (including the cops themselves), as they resort to stereotypes, fallacies, and dehumanization as a means for excuse. So, in response to this, and in conjunction with a building rage inside of myself, I've decided to resort to writing a poem regarding matters. Black Lives Matter Don't wear a hoodie, Even if it's raining, Always bring an umbrella, Even though no one else does, Don't wear baggy pants, Where guns can be lodged, Even though that's a myth, So says Snopes.com, Don't put your hands in your pockets, Even when it's cold and snowing, Don't wear a coat either, That might worry people too, Don't wear anything nice, That may make people wonder, "Did he rob a store?" "Is that what he did with welfare?" Don't drive a nice car, As that...

Ever since President Obama took office in January of 2009, he's spoken out about the need for immigration reform. Much to his dismay, however, through a term and a half, Congress has been negligent on taking action regarding the matter. Democrats feared losing votes on election day and Republicans feared a Democratic President being credited with accomplishing immigration reform, and with that, losing millions of former illegal immigrants to the Democratic Party in coming elections. In other words, the two parties decided their own political futures were more important than proving they deserved political futures by actually working together and accomplishing something in Washington. Upon seeing that there was less chance of Congress working together on the matter than of a dead man winning the lottery, President Obama decided to, like Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush before him, take executive action on immigration. This infuriated Congressional Republicans. Some called for a ...