Got my wig busted today, and I think it looks good.
War for Ukraine Day 469: Another Day, Another Russian War Crime.
(Image by NEIVANMADE)
Sorry we’re a bit late tonight. I had an afternoon and early evening full of appointments. So tonight’s post will be briefer than usual. Same type of schedule for tomorrow night too.
In addition to blowing up the Nova Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power plant, the Russians have also been going after the ammonia pipeline in Kharkiv:
Of course, the Russian MOD is blaming this on Ukrainians, as if they want to succumb to ammonia poisoning to somehow convince the world that Russia is the aggressor. pic.twitter.com/p42zPy4UW8
— Markian Kuzmowycz 🌻 (@markiank) June 7, 2023
Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump:
War for Ukraine Day 469: Another Day, Another Russian War Crime.Post + Comments (12)
Open Thread & Special Opportunity to Help Ukraine
There has been a lot going on, so I don’t know if everyone has had a chance to read about the dam disaster in Kherson. As if things weren’t already bad enough with the genocidal Putin committing war crimes and murdering civilians, with the collapse of the dam things are now far worse than they were.
The Nova Kakhova Dam disaster in Kherson has affected tens of thousands of people. They are in danger, stranded, without water, without shelter. Not content to blow up the dam, we read reports that Russian occupiers are shooting at volunteers trying to reach stranded residents of the left bank of the Dnipro and preventing Ukrainians from fleeing the flooded regions.
President Zelenskiyy stated that hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians will be without water; the canals that water southern Ukraine, turn it into an agricultural paradise, are drying up, emptying into the Dnipro; experts predict southern Ukraine will turn into a desert (it was pretty dry pretty regularly before the dams were built).
It’s the largest disaster to hit Ukraine since Chernobyl 35 years ago, and its horrifying. You can read more details in Adam’s post from last night.
We always have the link to the Ukraine thermometer in the sidebar, but today we have a very generous offer from one of our BJ peeps – he will match up to $5,000 in donations through our BJ Ukraine thermometer. You can select to donate to just one or the other, but if you click to donate and you do nothing, your donation will be split between World Central Kitchen and Razom for Ukraine.
A Razom volunteer on the ground in flooded areas near Kherson captured this video of a dog being taken to safety.
We’re on the ground and working hard to deliver aid and help with evacuations. Donate to support our work: https://t.co/2LwasDxi3I pic.twitter.com/NheFCPtaAe
— Razom for Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@razomforukraine) June 7, 2023
In the aftermath of the dam flooding in the Kherson region yesterday, WCK is continuing to provide nourishment to families with warm meals & clean water. The water level in the area continues to rise, but the smiles of the kids we get to support keep us going 💙 #ChefsForUkraine pic.twitter.com/hXKeqcuTCD
— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) June 7, 2023
So sad for the Damm destruction in the Dnipro River with terrible consequences. But so hopeful as our amazing @Ukraine team @WCKitchen began cooking increasing the meal output in hours to help the people affected by the water damage in many communities…#ChefsForUkraine pic.twitter.com/HFAKfPKZ2L
— José Andrés 🟧🇺🇸🇪🇸🇺🇦 (@chefjoseandres) June 7, 2023
As I write this, the total sits at $73,561 – as soon as the thermometer hits $78,561, our anonymous donor will add his $5,000, for a total of $83,751 for Ukraine since the war began.
Ukraine needs the help of the world, and I’m guessing that we’ll be able to meet this match.
Totally open thread.
Open Thread & Special Opportunity to Help UkrainePost + Comments (45)
Diversions Open Thread: Weird Al, A Role Model for the Rest of Us
weird al in 1992, correctly predicting 2023 https://t.co/PaxSOEE1T5
— Gerry Doyle (@mgerrydoyle) June 7, 2023
From Variety, ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic on Outlasting the Stars He Parodies, Why He’s Not Making New Music and the Truth About His Torrid Affair With Madonna :
… This is a guy who has now spent five decades in the limelight — far longer than many of the artists he has parodied over the years. “Nobody wanted to sign me in the early ‘80s,” he says. “They thought, ‘comedy music, you’re a novelty artist.’ And historically, novelty artists become one-hit wonders, and then they’re forgotten quickly. So yeah, that’s kind of the big irony of my life is, I’m still here.”…
Yankovic has earned five Grammy awards and sold more than 12 million albums. Some of that is in “Weird,” which he wrote with Eric Appel. But make no mistake, this is by no means an actual biopic. Of course the master of parody would ultimately make a parody of biopics: Despite what you see on screen, Weird Al didn’t have a torrid love affair with Madonna (played by Evan Rachel Wood). He didn’t become a drug kingpin. And Dr. Demento (played by Rainn Wilson) never laced Al’s guacamole with LSD…
Weird Al famously always got permission from artists before parodying their songs — which is why he never got to do his take on anything from Prince’s catalog. But when it came to the movie, “our lawyers said, ‘don’t worry about it.’ Public figure.”
Apparently, a number of viewers who have taken “Weird” as a true chronicle of his life, despite the sheer absurdity of where the story ends up going. “I’ve learned about the Internet and the general population, no matter how ironic and obviously insincere you’re being, somebody’s going to believe it,” he chuckles…
A few other tidbits from our chat with Weird Al:
= Don’t expect a new album anytime soon. “I signed a record deal in 1982 for 10 albums, and then I renegotiated twice, and it became a 14-album contract, which I finally fulfilled in 2014,” he says. “I just don’t want to sign under the contract. I like being a free agent and doing whatever I need to do or want to do. I’m more into one-off stuff now. Because when you do an album, if you’re doing my kind of material, it’s hard to have 12 songs ready to go all at once and have them all be topical and timely. I like having the freedom of being able to just put out material whenever I feel like it. Granted, I haven’t done a lot of that since 2014.”
= Weird Al knows there are petitions to get him to perform the Super Bowl halftime show. But he doesn’t think he’ll ever be on the NFL shortlist. “I’m just being real here. I just don’t see it ever happening. Maybe the Foo Fighters will do it and have me on as a special guest… That kind of stage scares me for a number of reasons. One of which is, no matter who you are, when you’re put in front of that many eyeballs, you’re going to have a lot of haters. And I know I don’t like being hated.”…
There are now up-res versions of EVERY SINGLE ONE of my music videos, thanks to the work of our friend Pete Holmberg. So good news if you’ve been looking for an excuse to go down a Weird Al video rabbit hole on YouTube… they’ve never looked better!
— Al Yankovic (@alyankovic) May 19, 2023
Diversions Open Thread: Weird Al, A Role Model for the Rest of UsPost + Comments (36)
Popcorn Futures Spike…
Yesterday, Rep. George Santos (R-Fantasy Island) announced through his mouthpiece that he’d rather go to jail than reveal those who cosigned his bail:
Murray signaled that his client may resort to drastic measures to keep them from facing the public light.
“My client would rather surrender to pretrial detainment than subject these suretors to what will inevitably come,” he wrote.
Why would he be so moved? I’m betting that it’s not for the stated reason, to spare his benefactors the public shaming that might attend the revelation of their support for the congressman from Fabulistan.
It would be irresponsible not to speculate as to the real reason: his backers don’t want to see who has ownership of a GOP MoC. Alternatively, Santos may have dirt on others, and doesn’t want to reveal into whom his hooks have sunk
Today we get to see who has whom by the nethers:
On Tuesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Anne Y. Shields ordered the disclosure of the identities of the bond’s co-signers.
Those names are still under seal as Judge Shields gave Santos until Friday to appeal the ruling, which means there remains a small window of opportunity to stock up on popcorn futures (or just bags of the stuff for present use.)
The serious note in all this is that we’ve (or I’ve) normalized the notion that the GOP is in fact largely owned by malign interests, including some of the worst folks in the world (Putin, MBS, etc.). Santos is no world-shaking mastermind of evil. He’s just useful to folks even more vile than himself. So yeah, it’s fun and funny to see karma in action much more rapidly than usual (looking at you, Deadbeat Donnie), but the mere fact that this carbuncle has attached itself to the body politic even for a cup of coffee is depressing as hell.
But still, we have to take our amusement when we can. The Santos trial could be a ton of fun, and I for one, plan to enjoy it to the fullest.
Open as OTB on Derby Day this thread is.
Image: Charles Ethan Porter, Still Life With Corn, c. 1880
Holy Forking Shirt Balls
Holy forking shirt balls! It’s all speculation of course – but informed speculation! Legal twitter thinks it’s really looking like we will see Jack Smith indict Trump this week. I’m not entirely sure about that because Jack Smith is still bringing people in to testify in front of the grand juries.
We seem to be building to a major crescendo this week, including with the Meadows thunderbolt. Thanks very much as always @NicolleDWallace for having me at the table. https://t.co/55ExibbIzL
— Harry Litman (@harrylitman) June 6, 2023
This seems like a big deal to me. The DOJ’s head of counterintelligence is questioning the person in charge of Trump’s super PAC. I hope all of Trump’s minions are squirming like the little worms they are.
Significant. DOJ’s head of Counterintelligence is handling questioning of Trump super PAC chief. Unlikely this is just about obstruction: Multiple witnesses subpoenaed in Florida in Trump Mar-a-Lago case | Donald Trump | The Guardian https://t.co/BHZHAfh764
— Frank Figliuzzi (@FrankFigliuzzi1) June 7, 2023
As I understand it, they don’t have “targets” testify before a grand jury, so Meadows doesn’t appear to be a target of the investigation. His comment that essentially said “I tell the truth when I am required to by law” leaves me thinking that he was not taking the 5th, and that he was actually testifying.
What say you all? Has Meadows been cooperating all along?
Update: This is NOT good news for Donald Trump!
1. Mark Meadows to plead guilty to lesser federal crimes in exchange for testimony under limited immunity.
2. Federal grand jury to vote on a Trump indictment on charges of Obstruction of Justice and Espionage Act violations.
Buckle up.
— Jack E. Smith ⚖️ (@7Veritas4) June 7, 2023
— Jack E. Smith ⚖️ (@7Veritas4) June 7, 2023
BREAKING: Jack Smith is prepared to ask a grand jury to CHARGE TRUMP with ESPIONAGE and OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE as early as TOMORROW, and MARK MEADOWS HAS FLIPPED and will plead guilty to several lesser charges in exchange for limited immunity. https://t.co/RNC7flxm6K
— Mueller, She Wrote (@MuellerSheWrote) June 7, 2023
Open thread.
Adios, Jackass
Licht is done:
Chris Licht, the former television producer who oversaw a brief and chaotic run as the chairman of CNN, is out at the network.
David Zaslav, the chief executive of CNN’s parent, Warner Bros. Discovery, informed staff on Wednesday morning that he had met with Mr. Licht and that he was leaving, effective immediately.
Mr. Licht’s 13-month run at CNN was marked by one controversy after another. He got off to a bumpy start even before he had officially started when he oversaw the shuttering of the costly CNN+ streaming service at the request of its network’s new owners, who were skeptical about a stand-alone digital product. The cuts resulted in scores of layoffs.
“For a number of reasons things didn’t work out, and that’s unfortunate,” Mr. Zaslav said, according to a recording of his remarks. “It’s really unfortunate, and ultimately that’s on me. And I take full responsibility for that.”
Because of my always sparkling disposition and recognition that Zaslav is a complete and total idiot who thinks that the Flash is the greatest superhero movie ever made and that it was a good idea to give a commencement speech in the midst of a writer’s strike only to be drowned out with boos the entire time, I fully expect this out of touch corporate hack to pick someone worse. It’s just his nature.
But since they still have a chance, let me give them this novel idea. Do good journalism. Do the basics, do them well, and audiences will follow. Stop trying to chase gimmicks and trends and give MAGATs sugar highs with unmonitored Trump town halls, and invest in reporters. Stop trying to balance opinions, and just present the news. The ratings will follow.
Also, before you misfist have a god damned aneurysm, I fixed the errant bolding from Mr. Andersen’s post below, so you can stop screaming in the comments that “sOmEThiNg iS DifFErenT.” I didn’t even check the comments but I know you did, Baud. You son of a bitch.