I am urging a boycott and divestment of ABC, Disney, Disney + and Hulu on my SM pages. Canceling subscriptions en masse is a proven, effective protest. I would also like to point to advertisers to boycott, etc. if someone has that info. I'll keep coming back here to post what I learn.
Per the New York Times, the decision to suspend Kimmel was made by Bob Iger:
The decision to suspend “Jimmy Kimmel Live” was made by Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, and Dana Walden, the company’s television chief, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private process.
Although the news of the suspension is being reported as “ABC” suspending Jimmy Kimmel, in fact, Kimmel was suspended on the orders of the CEO of the Walt Disney Co., Bob Iger.
DO NOT BE QUIET IN THIS MOMENT......GOVERNOR PRITZKER SPEAKS ON MSNBC...
"They're using the power of the government to intimidate companies to fire people... Everybody should be saying ABC should reverse their decision (Re/Jimmy Kimmel). I must say, I do not understand why people are not standing up and pushing back when they ought to, because what is at stake here is free speech, our Constitution, and our way of life. If we want to get action we can't rely upon a Maga-controlled Congress, - we can't rely on the President of the US, and seemingly - although we'll see if we can rely on the Supreme Court of the US - but increasingly, it doesn't appear that way."
"We only have one other thing to do, which is public action - people actually speaking up, boycotting, showing up and protesting - and their Representatives who agree with them, doing the same thing. I think if we can work on ABC to make them understand how wrong the decision is - Inotherwords, if people will write letters, write emails, post online, speak up, protest - that's what I am calling for."
This is the Playbook (Authoritarian) folks. If you are not paying attention now and doing something about it - well then you are going to have to sit down the rest of your life, because Democracy is being taken away." INDIVISIBLE! " NO KINGS 2" PROTEST DEMANDS HUGE PEACEFUL PARTICIPATION on OCT. 18!!!
Don't be quiet, indeed. Do not use their language, do not give your consent, and absolutely, positively, refuse to play their game by their rules.
All of this speaks to psychiatric levels of insecurity and delusion, not confidence or success. This isn't strength -- it's chickenshit fascism, together with preemptive capitulation to it. It is important we see right through their over-emoted performance of histrionics to focus on what's underneath --- weakness, stupidity, pointlessness, failure.
Half-assed authoritarianism never engenders respect -- it just becomes the stuff of satire overnight, with or without Jimmy Kimmel. They cannot put the toothpaste back in the tube. They might have scrubbed the Department of Justice's 2024 Report by seasoned experts who studied domestic political violence since 1990 and found that right-wing extremist events and casualties of violence since then have GREATLY exceeded left-wing ones -- 660% more victims, 227 events taking 520 lives, with 42 events of left-wing violence taking 78 lives. So of course they had the report scrubbed! But they forgot that all internet pages get "archived." That toothpaste ain't going back in the tube...
Winter is coming. They are not prepared, and they know it. Do not give into despair, but keep your joy intact. Our humor and resoluteness is 100 times stronger than their desperate, psychotic gaslighting. The moment is deadly serious, but our laughter and derision is their kryptonite -- and they know that, too. My own take on this:
Absolutely true! Do not give in to Dispair. do not continue to fill peoples consciousness with fear and dred. Yes this is a critical moment ,we know this , yes the truth is horrifying and yes it is true. They are afraid, more afraid than we are . The fact is their behavior is being duly noted all over the world. And yes it is true that when their leaders are laughed at they immediately resort to threats and fear mongering. OH yes, to be laughed at, ridiculed, a fate worse than reality. Yep, how can we exploit this.
I heard DT press conference with Stormer. Nightmare for US. To work, everyone. America is about to become only as free as WE THE PEOPLE make it. Even if it’s roadside signs with your neighbors. Ramp up your printing skills. If you don’t have broad ink writing pens, use your narrow paint brush and leftover house paint. Work for you life!
Of course you can protest to your representatives in Congress, but if they’re MAGA, you’re wasting your breath, except in a town hall. Protest to your local government may be useful. Or get together with like minded friends and family to figure out what might be effective in your neighborhood.
If you live with farmers, you KNOW THAT CHICKENS HAVE TO EAT, and that the price of chicken food is up and climate change is affecting wheat crops.
Spelling police here: I think you meant "dread" instead of "dred" but then again I am reminded of how awful the Dred Scott SCOTUS decision was. Maybe it wasn't a typo after all? As to how we can exploit this, subscribe to The Borowitz Report. You won't regret it.
I've never been to a Grateful Dead (Dread?) concert, and don't think I've ever listened to them, but I'm definitely for Make America Groovy Again. (Feelin' Groovy…)
Once again, it’s profits over people. Before Reagan there were laws against media consolidation. There was also the Fairness Doctrine. But when the Republicans took over, the primary purpose of America became making the rich get richer and have control of American wealth. After 40 years, the middle class is gone, replaced by corruption. Trump is working on his 4th personal $billion since taking office. He remains a pedophile and Putin’s puppy. No Republican says anything. The Supreme Court takes the money.
Right now, it’s up to Blue States to protect our freedoms until the midterms. If MAGA distorts the election WE shut down America peacefully.
It's not just the blue states. There are political battles in the seven purple states -- NC, PA, MI, WI, NV, AZ, and GA. In 2026, there will be hotly contested Senate races in NC, ME, OH, IA, GA, MI, TX, MN, and possibly even NE and KY. If Democrats retake the Senate, Trump's agenda is dead and he becomes accountable. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/key-senate-contests-2026-elections/
I wish I were a billionaire also. The amount of $$$ spent on every campaign is ridiculous and getting worse. Now, thankfully, the use of ourside billionare money can be used against the people who take it. This happened in Wisconsin; it will happen more often with the right appraoch.
I will point out that Reagan was the first to use the "Mandate for Leadership", today known as Project 2025. So the Heritage Foundation has been working to take the country down for a good part of my lifetime.
And before them, the John Birch Society was laying the groundwork for those like HF that followed. I think we were all sort of amused at these crazies who met secretly at night in people's barns to conspire against the government. We should have been paying more attention and taking them more seriously.
I actually had no idea what the John Birch Society was up to, other than it was something to stay miles away from. I've never been able to figure out what makes republicans - the so-called party of Lincoln - be so hot to destroy our government, our democracy. It just occurred to me that if we did away with the electoral college we could become a real democracy, where the voices of sanity would have a chance to win out. (I've long been aware of arguments to get rid of the electoral college, but it just finally hit home today.)
We have let corporations get too large. They gain too much influence. The sole purpose of their existence is to increase profit and value. Kimmel is of little worth to the corporation that is maneuvering over billions. Trump is using financial leverage to eliminate any criticism and at the same time increase his own power.
I know you live in DC or I think you do. So I had applied and been accepted to perform my songs in a new open mic event at the upcoming Congressional Black Caucus convention. We were originally given 15 minutes. Then they cus performance time to 10 minutes. I explained that it was too brief to travel from CT for 10 minutes. She countered that I would be offered the original 15 minutes. I thought about it then responded. “absolutely no way. You want to offer me special privileges as a white man to perform at a Black function? No way…” I quickly cancelled my hotel reservations.
Like the delusion that Trump is the first and only king, oops President, to be received by the King and Queen and he will come home and demand a gilded carriage. What a mangled mess that speech was and he was reading it.
A grown man playing dress- up or pretending he was in some long- ago theatrical performance. All of his visit made me ill. S'pose we could paint up an old farm wagon for him to ride around town in....
Hello Michele2... Today I watched Snippets of the British Royal Pageantry at Windsor Castle in the UK... It Looked like DJT stayed awake, mostly... The Pageantry was Impressive... It made DJT's BirthdayParade look Dull & Uninspiring... I wonder if changes to USA Military Regalia are coming...
Did he have the drooping side of his face as he did at 9/11 ceremony? If not, I would wager money he had a mini stroke at the 9/11 ceremony. Especially as his minions got mad at the news showing that picture..Perhaps the picture has disappeared. Did you see that picture of him...
The ride in the gilded golden carriage turned my stomach. Though King Charles looked so bored and somewhat amused during the speech at the dinner. One hopes because of the Kings’s long time interest in the environment they are merely keeping the current president occupied. Babysitting perhaps.
Maybe, the man with the Red Osprey nest on his head will give the high-ranking officers beautifully colored helmets with golden chin straps and of course, tall Regal tassels spewing forth from the center of their helmets. oh and of course those boots, you know the kind that go up to the knee, with those old fashioned tapp shoe things that go on the soles so that when they lock step it will give one the chills!
It started much before Winnie the Pooh Christopher, but the question is when this rolling nightmare is going to end and how. In the meantime there's more to come.
There are things we all can do ASAP Alexandria's post at top of page has great info. Perhaps you could start a group to boycott and/or protest. I am in a group that protests once a week... Or you could dispense all this info. and get a group together to take and spread the word. Lots to do...
I'm European. I am encouraging my fellow citizens in France and the UK to boycott Disney (which streams over here, plus DVDs of films, etc.) and a lot of other American corporations, but I leave American democracy to the Americans to defend.
Awww. But if you're anything like our elders over here, you're full on resisting what's happening. We have old ladies in their 80s being arrested at anti-genocide protests. I'm so impressed.
Uh, taking unauthorized brain days off? I want to scream but, the assholes who need to hear it are too far away. I keep asking my state politicians what the heck they are doing. Don't get any answers from any of the republicans.
Is it still true that a cable subscriber in most municipalities is supporting Fox with a substantial portion of their monthly fee? I remember trying and failing to find a cable package that did not include Fox.
One-dimensional caricatures aren't exactly helpful here, to put it mildly. "Craven, neutered...lickspittle, etc etc." might play well in your imagination, but it doesn't tell us much about true sociopathy.
I seem to remember the love of mammon being a human problem for a very long time, back in the days of the Sermon on the Mount, even before SAT tests had become a thing.....Just saying.
It's, Yes, all the things that we see now have been around for millennia. I have always considered the rich as parasites while the peasants did all the work. I guess we can thank them for some nice artwork and music.
I haven't been involved in it for years, mainly controlled by political entities.
Local regulation of cable services in the US is primarily conducted by franchising authorities—local or state bodies—through the negotiation of a cable franchises.
Concast is/was controlled by the Roberts family, Philadelphia. Brian Roberts is chair. Owns a minority stake in the economic shares of Comcast, but has 33.3% of the combined voting power of the company through his ownership of all Class B common stock. He owns over 23 million Class A shares, but these carry no voting rights and are a small percentage of the total outstanding Class A shares. From Google. Trump has called Comcast, CEO Brian Roberts disgraces to 'integrity of Broadcasting' https://cbsaustin.com/news/nation-world/trump-calls-comcast-ceo-brian-roberts-disgraces
Some of the most widely available channels, Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC are often referred to as the "big three" and Fox News has the highest viewership and ratings. While the networks are usually referred to as 24-hour news networks, reruns of news programs and analysis or opinion programming are played throughout the night, with the exception of breaking news. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_cable_news
Cable networks like MSNBC and USA Network are part of NBCUniversal, which was owned by Comcast but is undergoing a spin-off into a new, independent, publicly traded company that will be separate from Comcast but will include many of its cable assets.
Right, and Larry Ellison and his son are working on buying up others. They got Trump to approve the Paramount deal and are now working on owning TikTok. There’s another network too but I can’t remember which one. He’s Oracle.
It started early post WWII and was supposed to go be a vehicle for free speech but quickly became corporatized. I have never seen a thorough history but worth going down several rabbit holes. In my area there were the extra channels that somehow are related to cable as we know it. They all bought up a lot of the Hollywood film vault and showed some pretty inappropriate films for kids in my eyes. So on one Saturdayvafternoon I watched the original Manchurian Candidate in sheer terror and finally walked out of the tv room. My husband was ten years older and the films he saw in theaters I saw at home sometimes more than snatches of this snatches of that. When we moved the tv room was gone abd a family room instead. I don’t remember watching any too scary or confusing films after that. I also think some Christian folks have been involved with cable as well. I tried not to use cable but forced to so glad that I was thinking along the correct path.
Good idea, shut your devices off, get some exercise, touch grass, feel the sun on your face. Maybe volunteer someplace? Seems like all most of you do is further wear out the fabric on your 30 year old sofas being keyboard warriors. Far too many spend hours every day in this echo chamber looking for companionship but getting more and miserable everyday. Gotta run- literally!
GJ, we now have an antenna for what we watch locally. Unfortunately, we do watch some sports and have to subscribe to Sling and Big10+ for the seasons we want to watch. We also subscribe to some streaming services that are British or international series. No Hulu or Disney. We now only watch the local news on NBC, but rarely the national news.
Pardon me for piggybacking on your comment, I'm trying to get this closest to the top of Alexandra's comment.
I just called the Disney number she posted. They must be getting a ton of calls, and the voice message says "if you are calling regarding ABC programming, hand up and call 1-818-460-7477
When you call ⬆ that number, the voice message directs you to leave messages on their email.
Thank you Michele2. Governor Pritzker kept using the term 'stand up'. It reminds me of this: "Everyone who can stand, stand now. If you can help others, do so."
~ Wise words from an exceptional 24 year old Welles Remy Crowther from the South Tower on September 11, 2001 / R.I.P. You may remember him as the man in the red bandana.
I so admire Pritzkers' integrity, humanity, and bravery.. I have transcribed his main speeches. The fact that he established a Holocaust Museum and how he considers his constituents first and foremost is admirable in my opinion... I have been watching the news and pushback is growing. Today I did my usual protest, and our numbers grew and the cars were honking beyond belief.. The energy may finally be "turning a corner"... Boycotts are powerful! And so is protest... Thanks for all your comments!
I use Youtube a lot to learn from independent experts about the world situation. I'm grateful they are there but fearful they will be banned. How long will independent experts like Heather be free to teach us?
Mr. Kimmel’s remarks were part of a “concerted effort to lie to the American people,” and that the F.C.C. was “going to have remedies that we can look at.”
Judith, on Substack we have access to our entire email list of subscribers. So as long as we’re downloading and saving the updated lists every so often, we are able to contact our subscribers directly. I’m sure Heather’s team is on top of this and if Substack does capitulate to fascist pressure, she will be able to set up in her choice of places.
Bryan, to access your subscribers, go to your newsletter dashboard, then in the column at the left of your screen, click on Subscribers. That will load your subscriber list. Now click on the three dot symbol on the left of that screen. The pull down menu will give you an option to Export and download your list. I do it every so often as my list grows!
How is it that Fox News gets to lie to the AMERICAN people every day and criticize democrats and let the president lie on their shows and no consequences and no pushback. Where is the FCC on that? “ free speech for me but not for thee”
<<Brendan Carr said that Kimmel’s words were part of a “concerted effort to try to lie to the American people”>> Lie?! There's the pot calling the kettle black... and anyway, Kimmel is not a news program, unlike those programs on Fox.
cuz they're hypocrites. they don't give a fuck.Only aim is to have state run media to control the people. they have the courts, they have unies,they have law firms, they have the rw evangelicals, dark money at work.
And you can bet they won't release the Epstein files. Where's a whistleblower when you need them?
Same kind of big forces will not allow the truth to come out about Kirk's murder....no matter how much Kirk's followers who knew he was moving away from Zionism bitch and moan.
Projection is their mantra. Every accusation is a confession. Hypocrisy is their oxygen. Disinformation is the playbook of Project 2025. And every viewer of Faux News hears only what this fascist regime wants them to hear.
FOX must have a very big salary budget & comp package. I hear about behind the scenes comments from the reporters but, in the end, they sit & spew shit with a smile. Wonder what drugs & booze they need to sleep after 'reporting'?
If they ban YouTube, they will need to ban all of the Meta websites like Google, Google maps and Gmail. Good luck with that. These are the most used sites in the world.
Since CITI bank is not a bank, do the same bank rulings apply? You can always contact your state banking people to spread the news. Be the squeaky wheel Vincent. :-)
Colbert and Kimmel have too much talent to be toppled. Colbert has until May to say anything he wants (and he does) and can't wait for Kimmel to pop up with his own gig...
Both have just achieved Super Hero status. They could run as a team,, Pres. and V. Pres. with alternating days. The world would love us again.....(if that's at all possible)
The attack on Kimmel's even bringing up the subject in an amusing but rational way shows how desperate the big guys are to make Kirk a precious hero, instead of the important influencer who had gone off the plantation......
P.S.: ....love your emphasis on our aging Pres. DonOLD!
This is Carr's version of Trumpian projection. Carr appears to have learned the technique well! Anything I have done or the Prez has done, will be projected onto anyone who offends in any way, no matter how minor. In the face of these threats, institutions fold like houses of cards. Trump prizes "loyalty" above all, and the "loyalty" they offer to Trump requires knees on floor fealty. How feudal can you get?
Not only a boycott of the networks but perhaps research the major advertisers of ABC and Disney / Hulu and target them as well. Follow the dollar and stop that flow of cash. Actually CBS and Paramount also.
Where are our antitrust laws…,..or what is left of them? All this cowering by broadcast channels has to do with mergers and consolidation of news outlets which is dangerous. A large swath of radio and print news are already in the hands of a rightwing owner…..a fact that few Americans are aware of. Sinclair Broadcasting regulates what local stations are allowed to report and how they report it. They also integrate out and out propaganda into “news” broadcasts. The attack on Public Radio and TV is a desperate attempt to shutter what looks like being the only truly independent news source. What we can do today is to contribute to both radio and TV so that they can continue to report factual news in spite of the Republicans attack on unbiased news reporting. L
Antitrust laws at the federal level are no longer enforced. We had a great opportunity with Lina Khan at the Federal Trade Commission during Biden's term, but it's back to unrestrained corporate mergers and near-monopolies in many industries.
IMO that problem can only be addressed with an amendment defining the section of the preamble of our Constitution , "...to promote the “General Welfare...” IMO it must be made clear that it is an affirmative upon Congress duty to act; e.g., duty to promote; 1. Education, 2. Healthcare, 3. Environmental protection, and 4. the Commerce clause = duty to regulate. Moreover to regulate means no corporate personhood with "rights."
Yes, and I read that some were arrested with users on the site asking "on what charge"? I hope to read that they have been set free later today. Perhaps there will be an inquiry on the police officers that arrested them?
I was pleased by the British reaction. As to Trump staying in King Charles house I thought of the expression "keep your friends close and your enemies even closer" Europe and the world is worried.
The "charges" will have an effect. In Russia, there are plenty of people in labor camps having their minds straightened out. We are already numbing things up. Kimmel is just another flag thrown in the dirt.
Probably. Especially since we pretty much know that he is suffering from some medical malady. Also probably thinks it's just cool to do. After all, that man is certifiable. Check out how the new cool group travels..
That is exactly why this “State Visit” is confined to the grounds of Windsor Castle……so the “royals” are not embarrassed by the British public’s disgust with Trump, as was obvious during Trump’s recent visit to Scotland.
Poor old Charles waited and waited for his turn and now Willie is trying to horn in. King Willie may be the end of this whole farce. He is a petty little man who reminds me of DJT. He resents his more popular brother and hates that Harry spilled the tea on how the “royals” try to continue to pretend that they are without fault and appointed by “god”.
In actuality, I disagree. The monarchy is like the pole in a tetherball game The Democratic or Labour Party squares off against the Conservative / Liberal Parties and the G.O.P. The monarchy keeps the ball spinning without flying off to no-man's-land.
I’m in the UK right now. Channel 4 put on a brilliant special last night “Trump vs The Truth playing and rebutting 100 of his lies so far in this presidency.
Yes GJ. But, let's wonder for a moment..., where did the money for that huge soccer-field banner come from. Who (or what) is beneath that. It's almost too obvious. We may find out that China is ultimately running the whole show. They've sucked in Putin (piece-of cake), N.Korea, and the rest who will fall willfully to the economics of it all. China has experience handling a large population, we're nothing for them. GM and Ford are pissed because their cars are so cheap and being EV's, they don't breakdown so much. Watch.
Good shot, Christine! Same thought goes for the two incidents with Numbnuts. I mean knocking a few people off is co-lateral damage for this bunch. Big big dollars along with reputations are on the line here. By the way.., how're are our "young ladies" doing..? Any word? They might oughta re-locate. I don't think they will find a sponsor big enough or untouchable enough to protect them. Jusss sayin.
If it's the one I saw, it was even more pathetic. A reporter from Australia asked whether it was appropriate for him to be raking in billions through his business while president. Our 3-year-old daily violator of the Emoluments Clause's first response: "I'm not running my businesses, my family is." Then he demanded know where the reporter was from, accused him of making Australia look bad, then warned him that he had a good relationship with the Prime Minister of Australia....
The nicest thing I can say about this whinybutt moron is that he's just a piece of shit.
I listened to that clip of the exchange he had with the Australian reporter. Said he was going to tell on him to the Prime Minister because the reporter was saying or asking very bad things.
Phil, I'm so overcome with sadness and fear for our country that I didn't have the energy to describe the depth of my feelings. If I don't back down, I would stay in a fit of blind rage, which is not healthy. One has to take care of oneself to carry on the cause.
A friend of mine was just diagnosed with Broken Heart Syndrome. Don't laugh, it's a real thing. Has nothing to do with romance however. It is STRESS INDUCED. No prior heart related issues.
Take some comfort in the probability that China will save us...and/or BRICS....or, at least, humble us down to going back to taking care of us, our people, instead of making war everywhere.
very interesting and happy that someone besides me is tuned into stuff one won't see in corp.media like the NYTimes or WaPo.
I'm a paying subscriber to Timothy Snyder.
On youtube, check 2 guys, both Chinese.
Carl Zha, is American; great sense of humor; I would imagine he will be getting more attention as time goes on.
KJ Noh, I'm not sure where he's located.
... Experts, no propaganda, just brilliant analysis of the world situation and def. China. Anytime one comes up, I take in every word.
I said quite a while ago: we will be saved by the BRICS.
China and even Russia!...Crazy, considering we get so much negative stuff about both.
Give me a break. I have discovered so much negative stuff about the USA.
And, Iran! Please leave Iran alone. I believe making war with Iran will just take us down further. Iran is "connected". It's huge. The population is motivated. Look what they did to Israel. Not to the civilians either. Military facilities. Going after civilians is what Israel does. In spades.
The world has moved on. The USA is a mess. Countries that were developing have developed. They can't be stepped on as easily as in the past. There will be consequences.
Money talks and boycotts work. A list of ABC advertisers is a great idea. Meanwhile, boycott Koch Industries GEORGIA-PACIFIC. Www.Gp.com. Angel soft, Brawny, Dixie, Sparkle, Quilted Northern, Vanity Fair. Pulte Homes. Amazon.
Per the New York Times, the decision to suspend Kimmel was made by Bob Iger:
The decision to suspend “Jimmy Kimmel Live” was made by Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, and Dana Walden, the company’s television chief, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private process.
Although the news of the suspension is being reported as “ABC” suspending Jimmy Kimmel, in fact, Kimmel was suspended on the orders of the CEO of the Walt Disney Co., Bob Iger. Per the New York Times, the decision to suspend Kimmel was made by Bob Iger:
The decision to suspend “Jimmy Kimmel Live” was made by Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, and Dana Walden, the company’s television chief, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private process.
Although the news of the suspension is being reported as “ABC” suspending Jimmy Kimmel, in fact, Kimmel was suspended on the orders of the CEO of the Walt Disney Co., Bob Iger. Email Bob Iger on his Official Site or robert@disney.comrobert.iger@disney.com ☎️
This attack on Kimmel is far, far from over. The attack was launched by a federal agency the FCC specifically by the Chairman of the FCC, Brendan Carr, meaning NOT by a private actor. Carr/FCC's threat against ABC unless the they "took action" against Kimmel is unconstitutional. Full Stop.
Kimmel must take precise & competent constitutional legal action on Constitution Day no less. Kimmel has the assets, the YouTube platform & the smarts.
Interesting but to me, sadly, pragmatic. Why? Have we already forgotten the lawsuits and the attempt to bring Disney down by Trump and Governor DeSantis? Disney prevailed but it was expensive. Sadly, many NBC affiliates, including the one in Washington DC, are owned by Sinclair. Sinclair was already going to stop airing Kimmel. With far fewer stations , and the fact, that late night talk is already faltering and losing money, Sinclair stations not airing Kimmel would have definitely made things worse. From Disney's perspective, this hastened what appeared inevitable, and placated the bully in chief without expensive lawsuits. And, perhaps, Disney is hoping public outcry will do what their own defense of lawsuits, only placated.
"The firing of Jimmy Kimmel comes amid Nexstar's $6.2 billion merger with Tegna, which requires FCC approval. Nexstar, which is seeking FCC approval for a $6.2 billion merger with Tegna, said it strongly objects to Kimmel's comments.
The company also announced that it will replace his show with alternative programming in its
Billionaire media barons fire journalists to appease Trump: How To Fight Back Action Kit.
This kit includes specific ABC shows to boycott as Alexandra Sokoloff suggested "I am urging a boycott and divestment of ABC, Disney, Disney + and Hulu on my SM pages. Canceling subscriptions en masse is a proven, effective protest."
That's a great cartoon with oligarchs offering money and Mickey Mouse laying prostrate at the feet of Donald Trump. We have to get Alexandria's info out to as many as possible and, for once, do our own "flooding the zone" with action. Great link - I hope others see it...Thank you!
Ann Telnaes is the cartoonist. Her substack is Open Windows. The cartoon should probably be credited. She quit WAPO when they refused to print this cartoon.
I cancelled Disney last night as soon as I heard about Kimmel's show being suspended!! Hit them where it hurts.This is the way to get our country back!
There is no end to this. Can we wait until October 18? No we should have massive protests every week. We need musical events as well. We need revolution in the streets.
Wow, it was not so long ago that the mouse roared against desatan. What a difference a few years of tyranny makes. Sorry Disney, you are FAR from being the happiest place on earth anymore. May your crowds be nonexistent, worldwide.
Thank you for the contact information Alexandra, I just called ABC and expressed my concern and anger over their decision.
When will the people in this country be angry enough to take to the streets in large numbers to peaceful protest. At 80 I will be at the protest on 10/18, with my walker and water. We are allowing them to take away our First Amendment rights.
They have, for the most part, taken away a women’s right to control her body, now birth control and our right to vote is under attack. Please forgive my rant, but I’m devastated at what has been done to our country in just several months.
The thing about humor, it always looks at things from odd angles.
That’s where the fun comes from – from our own surprise that – hey! – I hadn’t seen that.
Donald’s sycophants Pam Bondi, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, Tom Homan, Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem, Kash Patel, J.D. Vance, Russell Vought, and all have no humor but, instead of it, a dour, abstracted, packaged schema.
No room in any of them for complications – none for nuance, serendipity, contradictions, tied-in layerings, or related allusions.
If our schools taught writing (other than the formulaic for machine grading), we’d have more in our population patient with the complexities of humanity.
Jimmy Kimmel caught the dour, intolerant side of MAGA. They want to distance themselves from the alleged assassin – as said Jimmy Kimmel – not because said assassin killed Charlie Kirk, but because he brings complications (his boyfriend a trans girl) which their catechism brands with a scarlet letter.
On the PBS NewsHour tonight, there were multiple clips of Trump. Dour, as you said, Phil, is the expression that they caught every time. It has often been noted that Trump almost never smiles, the kind of smile that we see on people who are happy, and that he rarely laughs, maybe because he has no sense of humor. Surely some great philosopher warned against men who have no sense of humor. We need the laughter that late night TV has provided. Otherwise, we will all start to look dour.
Humor is an art form of human communication. The "cartoons" of Thomas Nast and "Herblock " made it into my school history books. Ridicule does not always fight on the side of the angels, but it has it's uses, especially when a vainglorious Emperor is truly ridiculous.
I agree that humor is an art form, given my own unique sense of humor woven into my life-long style of communication & expression. Given my challenging life over many years, I’ve always been thankful for how vital & therapeutic the role of humor can be. It not only enhances communication, but also favorably impacts interaction, health & well-being. I cannot imagine a world without it, nor want to. It’s unnatural & simply depressing to live & think without humor, albeit the loss of free speech to support it.
Even way back when absolute monarchs had court jesters. They served multiple functions one being that it was a relatively safe way to communicate truth to power,. IOW, even absolute monarchs knew the importance of truth, a non-existent concept in the Trump Administration and much of MAGA world.
The history of court jesters is extremely important. Many had disabilities and Shakespeare( or whoever Shakespeare was) wrote Yorick into Hamlet. Many had disabilities. Sone were female.
And he uses the age old weapon of "starvation." Is it genocide if you starve millions of people as opposed to murdering them with bullets or machetes?
Bibi is doing the same thing as are other autocrats like Trump and the MAGAs in the Senate and the House with their OBBBA. Plus, they are putting all of us at risk by taking away vaccines. CA, OR, WA and New England are fighting back against the anti-tax MAGAs and the insurance companies realize it is not cost effective to have thousands of children hospitalized and die.
I was just looking at a book about The Plant Institute in Russia. During the siege of Leningrad mass starvation. The Plant Institute the first seed and global seed institute was almost destroyed but many of the employees saved the seeds. Many employees died as well. I had hoped when an young adult that we would move beyond these primal evil tactics of control. I though the children of Biafra would have lit the way to better.
We have Save the children ( NYT obituary of its English founder recently) CARE ( WWII post time) World Central Kitchen( recent) IRC ( Albert Einstein) Caritas ( Roman Catholic Church) Oxfam ( English missionary start I think )
Partners in Health ( the late Paul Farmer MD ) UNICIEF, the International Red Cross and all its subunits. Many others I fail to remember or recall. We do not have to have starvation. The fact of all the food banks in our country a shame to all of us as well.
Jimmy Kimmel would not, could not, did not say anything as hateful and ignorant as what Fox News host Brian Kilmeade said last week that homeless people should receive "involuntary lethal injections." Yet, R.I.N.O. Party Comrade Brendan Carr, chair of the Federal Communications Commission contacted Disney whining about Kimmel's monologue as "the sickest conduct possible" telling Disney to take action. Yet we hear not one word from the Nazi in Chief or comrade Carr about Kilmeade’s mouth.
As for this B.S. about Charlie Kirk. He once said “I can’t stand the word empathy, actually,” he said. “I think empathy is a made-up, new age term that does a lot of damage.” Thus out of due respect for Charlie perhaps we should not have any empathy for what has happened to him nor for his family. I sure as hell do not.
This is not normal. This is a Nazi takeover of the United States. If people are not already involved they can search for the official website of their local Democratic Party and/or specific local club chapters. Then contact them and get involved registering new Democrats in their Congressional District. Knock on doors and get to know Democrats. Assure they have transportation to vote and rally all to vote when the ballots come out.
Fox News is reality TV. In true reality how in the hell can you one day advocate murder and next say, oh gosh what got into me, I am sorry about that. ...wink, wink, nudge, nudge,
Fox News jerks seem to have a record of saying sick stuff and then "apologize." It seems to be a way of getting free advertising for Fox with reporting on other networks. Fox ratings increase after such crap. That says a lot about the people who watch Fox and who Fox knows will watch; think Trump family! It sure worked with the brand of Planter's Peanuts with the "Mr. Peanut death commercial" at the January 2020, Super Bowl add. And more recently with Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., removing the image of "Uncle Herschel" from the logo. was that ever really the plan? ...oh right.
Thanks Phil. My father would say that. And Cardinal Richelieu! Oh my! French history helps me these days. So much ferment for century after century. A new book to read as a act of learning and resistant and hope for any one with grandchildren or cares about children. Mona’s Eye by Thomas Schlesser. A bit pricey so library it but I don’t buy books much anymore but this has beeen very much worth it. Also on things such as Audible.
I’m getting more stand-up inclined every day. My emerging theme is that “I’m a boomer from the peace and love generation and I now hate everyone including my immigrant grandparents who should have stayed in Europe where they belonged. Then I would be European today.”
I’m working on it. I was already kicked out of a Methodist church for announcing that “God made a mistake allowing the wrong primate tribe up the evolutionary trail…” when I asked the host what was wrong with that line she yelled, “Because God doesn’t make mistakes.” Now that ws funny. I wanted to yell back that her lesbian marriage was a mistake but in my heart I knew that would have been a lie.
You would be a proud European. Also, that response of "...God doesn’t make mistakes." it reminds me of Sarah Palin saying climate change is a "myth" arguing you cannot change anything God has made. I wondered whether Palin could make ice cubes or boil water. Then I realized, "of course not."
Perfect State for this story. I live in Calif. We have many earthquakes. A 4.1 earthquake is no big deal. So I must conclude that if this Utah Earthquake is a sign of God’s feelings then she must be saying "no big deal."
I swear, they have been taught to use the word "believe" wrongly to reinforce their world of beliefs and have no clue they are doing it. For example, they will say, "I don't believe in evolution. I believe in creationism." Evolution is not a belief. Evolution is a science that you either accept or deny.
Reading Karoline Leavitt's equation of an earthquake with Charlie Kirk's death leads me to believe there is a brainworm "contagion" in the White House...We might refer Karoline to the 9th Commandment.. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" which is often translated as ...You shall not lie through your teeth every chance you get for praise and or "perks" from your "cult" dictatorial leader...
I wish my grandparents had stayed in Europe as well. However, they saw this country as a dream just as my mothers grandparents. They lived in a time when you could accomplish those dreams. If they were alive, they would be heartbroken to see what has become of our country.
On a humorous note, did you happen to see the Royal Guard, as they moved past trump on horseback, one of those beautiful large black horses lifted his or her elegant tail and took a, well you get the idea, just as he or she passed trump. Who says horses aren’t intuitive.
You can rest assured he will have taken his own life after his bureau of prisons surveillance video has several minutes cut out and a rope is found to have left in his cell by "accident", just like Epstein.
I think Kirk was eliminated by the Zionists. And, I am NOT a conspiracy theory type of person. Too much circumstantial evidence. Kirk was leaving the fold....now, dead, he's being brought back in. Why are the "forces" going ape shite to make him a hero...forever. Will it work? Many in his Christian college base had brought him to a point of having issues with killing children. They may get vocal.
Not all Zionists are Jews. Not all Jews are from Israel, not all Jews practice Judaism, not all who practice Judaism are Jewish. There are plenty of Zionists in the USA and many of them are white Christians purporting the protection and absolution of the state and sovereignty of Israel for any and all actions because they are God's chosen people, and their actions are ordained.
Maybe Judith did mean Jews, as in the Jewish people group and not the religion, but she said Zionists. Do you see racists and anti-semites under every rock? If I were to say I disagree with Israel's current war and genocide on Gaza, does that make me an anti-semite? Does thinking the USA engages in false flag operations make me anti-American? Does believing that foreign countries interfere with US cultural and political affairs make me anti-globalist?
The Mossad theory *is* a conspiracy theory, and *can* come from anti-semite sentiments, but doesn't necessarily. Conspiracy theories can be, by themselves, problematic (our current situation being prime evidence) but they don't necessarily make someone racist or hateful. Based on Judith's singular comment, though, you have no reason to single her out as an anti-semite other than your own bias.
Do you have proof of Judith's anti-semitic sentiments? Have you seen her post things blatantly racist or anti-semitic?
If there's one thing I've learned on the internet, it's that what most people post is missing exposition, because it's "implied", and that no one but the author can understand the implications because they wrote it. Text communication is inherently vulnerable to the biases of the reader — the reader can impose whatever tone or meaning they'd like into the text. Over 50% (or 93%, if it can be applied to the Mehrabian Rule) of communication is non-verbal, as in, beyond the words used. Which means in online conversations, you can be missing *most* of what someone is saying if they don't *explicity* state the tone and definition of every word used.
In a community like this, it is important to confront people if you feel they are breaking community rules or mores, but it needs to be direct and with an open mind and humility. "Innocent until proven guilty," right? And one post with an ambiguous epithet does not guilty make.
If the person being confronted continues to display unacceptable behaviors, then harder boundaries are needed, up to and including reporting, blocking, and banning. We cannot start policing based on single posts without perpetuating the grudge culture that brought us here in the first place.
Give grace to others so that grace may be extended to yourself. Ask questions, don't make accusations; be inquisitive, don't fall into absolutes until you can be *sure*. We all deserve kindness, open mindedness, and gentle and constructive correction when and where appropriate.
All this to say, if you think Judith is being racist or antisemitic, then *ask*. There has to be some level of intrinsic trust and grace for us to ever truly be a community.
Also....I never said Jew. But, I will now. The Jews who have taught me the most are Norman Finkelstein, Ilan Pappe, Daniel Levy, Gideon Levy, Katie Halper, the lovely old academic from Iraq (can't recall his name)..and there are others. They get called self hating Jews which is worse than anti-semitic.
Anyone who stoops to calling names should do some research.
Being accused of anti-semitism has been getting thrown out for decades. It's worn out now. Whoever does that can't be taken seriously.
I considered responding: "How silly."
I have been studying this situation since Oct7 which has led to studying the whole world situation.
Having learned how unlimited and even original the cruelty towards Palestinians has been for a century....who can doubt there could be something else going on with the Kirk murder besides the official story.
Kirk getting a kill shot to his neck with only one shot fired ....one had to think of the IDF sharpshooters.....
One of the youtube sources that makes me question:
Hello Judith... Shooting Sports are Popular in Utah... Tyler Robinson is a local that used an old Hunting Rifle... Tyler showed talent in Marksmanship, and Planning... However, I don't think that Tyler planned for the Aftermath, after all he is just 22 years old...
But he was cleverer than most murderers, just not clever enough. If he had taken the evidence and destroyed it and then headed to any major city (except Salt Lake City) he would still be on the lam. Of course, Trump and Vance would still be blaming the left for the shooting if he was still at large as would every loser on Fox News and all of the conspiracy podcasts.
Unfortunately, a half hour's training on a shooting range is more than enough if you have a rifle designed for hunting. Just think how many Americans have both the rifle and the training. The Europeans think we are absolutely wacko to allow such easy access to firearms. And that's not the only reason so many think we're crazy and dangerous.
Just sort of kidding. But, Cuba is safe...it's just that the country has terrible conditions....thank you very much USA. If it weren't it would be a great place to live. Beaches, mountains, great tobacco.
There are people from other countries who have taken up residency. One major issue for Americans would be how to get money, It's illegal to spend a penny there so if you did you probably can't return to the USA.
BTW: one can fly to Cuba. It's just the very poor Cubans who travel by rafts made out of spare parts, into shark infested waters.
My understanding is it was a Mauser model 98 style '.06 caliber rifle. Very accurate with iron sights, even more so with a scope. It is a very ubiquitous caliber rifle used for big game- elk, deer and antelope- in the western high plains and mountain west.
Sometimes I’ll read a comment without noticing the name of the writer, and think it’s so astute; so well said; something I need to save. And then I smile when I see that Phil Balla has done it again.
Phil, we still don’t know the motive for this murder. His having a girlfriend who happens to be trans was divulged in isolation, without attachment to motive. Red herring or in this case red meat? They described the relationship as same-sex. Wow, a two-fer. He’s gay AND his partner is trans. I’m assuming you’ve not considered how this information was dog whistling to constituents.
Addendum: other than that, great comment. I agree with you about our educational system being broken for a very long time.
As one of the banners said at the ‘Trump Not Welcome’ march in London yesterday, (which was huge fun, and contrasted savagely with all that buttering up going on in Windsor Castle) below an image of Trump stuffing in a whopping cheeseburger, “ Where is a heart attack when you need one”.
Will it all be over in a too short 250 years?
I met plenty of Americans at the march yesterday. Lovely people. Mostly pretending to be Canadians!
Btw, the march was against Trump, the man, not America the country.
Don't mistake the purpose of that buttering-up. Not only was he battered about the head with politeness and class, they neatly hamstrung him with hours of protocollary pomp and circumstance, which he had to stand/sit through without talking. That carriage parade was hysterical! carriage parades are designed for the streets of London, and this all happened inside the walls of Windsor Castle, like a Disneyland ride. He won't get within a bus-route distance of London - the prime minister's country house is equally isolated. He was made to look at paintings and books from the Royal Collection, all connected with the first independance of America, and all painstakingly explained by a qualified curator (Trump's fallback observation: "Wow" and "Amazing"). After the visit to Queen Elizabeth's tomb, he had to sit in the church and listen to choristers singing the first movement of Vivaldi's "Gloria". Oh yes - when they got to the 50 meter long banquet table, the menu was written in French... And, talk about an effective public protest: the huge Epstein pictures projected on to the walls of the castle! The four perpetrators were properly arrested, but I have no fear for their future. And the pictures have gone round the world. Interesting that Tiffany Trump was the only family member present. Melania wore the hat, smiled, conversed, and gave a full shoulder display at the banquet. (The public hand-holding is now looking like a form of handcuffing, as there is no other contact between them.)
Melanomia was apparently under the impression that the "Lost in Space" Jupiter 2 purple flying saucer 'brimming with contempt' look was making a comeback.
Hopefully they managed to make time for Trump to spend with Prince Andrew, so they could reminisce about the good old times with Epstein, hopefully somewhere with cameras and voice recording setup by MI6 and the BBC.
Thank you for the great analysis and detail of the 'buttering-up' events! Hopefully those 'secrets' will come out and trump over the official msm stories of official pomp & circumstances!
I was delighted at how well the situation was handled. Even to avoiding a repeat of Trump walking in front of the Sovereign when inspecting the guard. This time the officer addressed himself directly to "Mr President", telling him that the guard was ready for his inspection. The King then walked behind him at a discreet distance, where he could have steered him if he took a wrong turning - I didn't see him so much as glance to right or left as he walked between the long lines of guardsmen he was supposed to be inspecting. Maybe the word "inspect" isn't in his vocabulary, come to think of it.
Bang on to you Maam! Could not agree more. His visit makes my toes curl but at least he gets the full monty…..and a part of Charles would happily have quiety popped in to Parliament Square, to enjoy the placards. And no, he was not allowed anywhere near the public or Parliament…he wiuld have been showered with flying sandwiches!
Thank you for that detailed post. However, Led by Donkeys who planned the projection on the Great Tower of Windsor Castle had done similar projections- such as on Parliament- in other protests with police standing by and no arrest. They didn't trespass or commit criminal damage nor endanger anything at Windsor. (As soon as Trump's itinerary details were confirmed awhile ago, Led by Donkeys booked a hotel room right across from the Castle, took their super-bright projector in their luggage on the day and projected the film.) There was really no reason for the police in Windsor to arrest them but Trump pollutes the very air around him.
Thanks for those details! I think I like Led by Donkeys. As far as the arrests were concerned, optics. Maybe a little fine, but no risk of midnight deportation to the Democratic Republic of Congo, for example.
There is a photo of FOTUS and the king processing side by side, with FOTUS' hands going side to side as is his wont. I actually felt kinds sorry for the queen having to walk with Melania.
Besides being a good head of the IT department, a social worker, a teacher and a language expert, you are also a good social reporter. Great you didn't use a nutshell this time. I didn't have to use my imagination other than to enjoy how much the scumbag president heated all those hours without being able to interrupt and fly away in a helicopter. Thanks Anne-Louise 😄
I believe not. LBD primarily does large scale projections- on buildings, overbridges, bridges across the Thames. But there are many witty, committed Brits!
If you believe there is anything this administration will not do to cement and perpetuate its power, I fear you are sadly mistaken. The only time Trump and his cronies tell the truth is when they are describing their next illegal and outrageous claim to absolute power. It is just a matter of time before they go after Dr. Richardson, Jay Kuo, Joyce Vance, etc.
I canceled Disney subscription today. I also wrote a fine letter to Brendan Carr.
“I object to the politically motivated attack on ABC and Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show.
Jimmy voiced what the majority of Americans voters are thinking. His views are similar to those voiced by the President, although in reverse.
You’re a hypocrite. You allow Fox “News” to pour disinformation and propaganda into the airwaves daily. Then have the nerve to chastise Jimmy Kimmel. You have no shame, and no backbone.
Our country will perform a reset of Congress in a the coming year. You will understand where power actually is derived. History will not be kind to you and the fools in this Administration.”
I’m certain after reading my email he will come to his senses and issue a retraction. 🤨👍
I also believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny 😜🤣🤣
Unfortunately Fauxnooz does not come under the direct control of the FCC like the three MSM channels do. That is a situation that has needed a remedy for a very long time
Easy…50% of the country should just stop watching ABC. I know I will. The major networks are practically irrelevant anyway and this could simply be the right moment to drive them into bankruptcy.
And, HAMMER your local ABC affiliate, too!! Go after local businesses that advertise on ABC, and tell them WHY you're boycotting them! This needs to hit every corner of the nation, and it needs to start ASAP!!
Surely true Margaret but it's not the first time ABC soils it's pants and embarrassingly gives up to the regime demand of submission in the name of profits. Hope this time it's the breaking point and we the people take this situation as seriously as it deserves and takes action.
"A shrewd victor will, if possible, always present his demands to the vanquished in installments. And then, with a nation that has lost its character -and this is the case of every one which voluntarily submits - he can be sure that it will not regard one more of these individual oppressions as an adequate reason for taking up arms again." - Mein Kampf
They will not stop selling their product soon either; Charlie kirk martyr. Charlie Kirk's memorial service will be Sunday, Sept. 21, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. All are invited to the venue with 63,400 seats. Kirk, at 6'5" tall, was motivated, enthusiastic and maybe even charismatic. That however can be said about most successful salespeople and Charlie was that. He was a damn good salesmen. Charlie was a community college dropout. Without any education whatsoever in American history, politics or economics he sold books he claimed to have written about it all. The first book was about free markets and small government, “Time for a Turning Point: Setting a Course Toward Free Markets and Limited Government for Future Generations” (2016). There are two authors listed; 1, Kirk who was almost 23 years old then, and; 2, Brent Hamachek who was 52 years old and a political and business consultant with a degree in finance and economics.
These facts combined with Charlie’s ridiculous and faulty reasoning in support of his racist, sexist, anti LGBTQ B.S. make me wonder whether Charlie actually wrote his next five books. A good project for an investigative reporter would be to use a technique known as stylometry (using advanced software, AI and statistical analysis) to find a "linguistic fingerprint" and thus the most likely author from a list of possibilities.
IMO, it all just has the image of a promotion of a brand using an actor as the brand ambassador. Then force feed him with talking points. Imagine a community college dropout debating with Oxford debate team members. Reality TV BS.
I doubt he wrote any of them himself. No education and knowledge of history just a self-styled expert on everything. The dumbing down of America indeed
It's not just the talking KB, they are acting fast and decidedly as if that was on the planning and waiting for the first opportunity. And here we are again, being pushed every day closer to the abyss, the point of no return.
Use/share this spreadsheet (bit.ly/Goodtrouble) as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to those in your own state, and those in a committee that fits your topic. Call. Write. Email. Protest. Unrelentingly. We deserve better ❤️🩹🤍💙
My mind is still spinning. Really? Our democracy is going to die over flipping Charlie Kirk (HE is their martyr and savior???) and at the hands of Donald Trump, a spoiled, talentless (except for conning, he's very good at that), dull, tacky, classless, selfish, silver-spoon completely devoid of empathy or compassion but who somehow convinced the poor working class that he cares about them? If any fiction writer wrote any of this, the book would never be published because it is so unbelievable.
Dana, my MAGAt crowd of retired cops is all over Kirk as a martyr and savior, and anyone who says anything contradictory (trust me, I know this part) is seen as a godless heathen. Which I am, of course.
He was just a white nationalist and a punk who loved to troll people. But then the religious MAGA think Trump is a literal savior even though he has broken every one of the ten commandments publically at least once and he exhibits the opposite of everything that Christ stood for (fictional character or no). If Christ is not a fictional character, Trump might very well be the Anti-Christ and the "Christians" are the ones who brought him to power as they further take the Christ out of Christianity.
I suspect that you intend humour here, Mark; bravo.
Horribly you’re also on the mark with your comment.
There is a report in today’s BBC by Katty Kay, “Why America is at a dangerous crossroads…”, which highlights the dangers in the division and rancour between the sides, abetted by the freedoms in social media posting. IF (caps because I hope it never happens) Americans ever end up physically fighting one another over the differences between them, my hunch is that excessive repression (by the current administration) might be the trigger. I hope it never happens, but I can’t count on the current President of the United States to prevent it from happening…
As HCR says, it will get worse from here, at least for a while. We can never give up. We can never back down. The world will get much darker but we must never stop shining light wherever it is needed to show the truth.
What precisely about America is left to be worth fighting for? Corn fields? Lynching? Time for the decent places to live to cut bait and tell flyover country to get fucked.
Essential workers need to protest by calling in sick and stay at home. Shut down the schools, air ports, and stop the delivery of mail. Bring the government and economy to a halt. The Trump administration will crumble and fail when they are blamed for this protest.
Did Jimmy Kimmel lie? Did he post videos that were false and AI generated? No. This is what is so disturbing. They get upset about the truth being told. They lie and lie andie about things that are easily proven to be false, but they lie anyway. It oggles the mind.
In canceling Jimmy Kimmel, ABC has taken another giant step toward irrelevance and thus its own demise. Kimmel’s 20+ million young YouTube subscribers aren’t going to abandon him, they’re going to abandon ABC.
(I’m pushing 75. I abandoned ABC and the other two big national networks eons ago.)
Media outlets that bend the knee to the Trump Junta are, in the end, digging their own graves
I am urging a boycott and divestment of ABC, Disney, Disney + and Hulu on my SM pages. Canceling subscriptions en masse is a proven, effective protest. I would also like to point to advertisers to boycott, etc. if someone has that info. I'll keep coming back here to post what I learn.
See fully updated Boycott list and links: https://alexandrasokoloff.substack.com/p/freedom-of-speech-under-direct-attack
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Per the New York Times, the decision to suspend Kimmel was made by Bob Iger:
The decision to suspend “Jimmy Kimmel Live” was made by Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, and Dana Walden, the company’s television chief, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private process.
Although the news of the suspension is being reported as “ABC” suspending Jimmy Kimmel, in fact, Kimmel was suspended on the orders of the CEO of the Walt Disney Co., Bob Iger.
Email Bob Iger robert@disney.com robert.iger@disney.com
Call Bob Iger at 818-560-1000 (Walt Disney Co.).
Bob Iger’s corporate mailing address is:
Bob Iger
c/o Walt Disney Company
500 S. Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521
Follow Deepak Purl's link to an action kit with links, specific ABC shows to boycott, and other actions:
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/09/17/billionaire-media-barons-fire-journalists-to-appease-trump/
Please add HULU to your list (a Disney-owned company) - you can cancel your Hulu subscription by logging in to your account:
http://hulu.com
Even without an account you can send a message to Hulu here: https://help.hulu.com/feedback?type=report-a-problem-with-hulu
Complain to the FCC:
fcc.gov/complaints.
Complain to Sinclair Broadcasting - tell them you are boycotting and urging your friends and networks to boycott ALL Sinclair stations.
https://sbgi.net/contact-us/
Write to NEXSTAR - tell them you are boycotting and urging your friends and networks to boycott ALL NEXSTAR stations.
nxst@jcir.com
communications@nexstar.tv
Thanks all!
DO NOT BE QUIET IN THIS MOMENT......GOVERNOR PRITZKER SPEAKS ON MSNBC...
"They're using the power of the government to intimidate companies to fire people... Everybody should be saying ABC should reverse their decision (Re/Jimmy Kimmel). I must say, I do not understand why people are not standing up and pushing back when they ought to, because what is at stake here is free speech, our Constitution, and our way of life. If we want to get action we can't rely upon a Maga-controlled Congress, - we can't rely on the President of the US, and seemingly - although we'll see if we can rely on the Supreme Court of the US - but increasingly, it doesn't appear that way."
"We only have one other thing to do, which is public action - people actually speaking up, boycotting, showing up and protesting - and their Representatives who agree with them, doing the same thing. I think if we can work on ABC to make them understand how wrong the decision is - Inotherwords, if people will write letters, write emails, post online, speak up, protest - that's what I am calling for."
This is the Playbook (Authoritarian) folks. If you are not paying attention now and doing something about it - well then you are going to have to sit down the rest of your life, because Democracy is being taken away." INDIVISIBLE! " NO KINGS 2" PROTEST DEMANDS HUGE PEACEFUL PARTICIPATION on OCT. 18!!!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=82uil4QPfZ4
I
Don't be quiet, indeed. Do not use their language, do not give your consent, and absolutely, positively, refuse to play their game by their rules.
All of this speaks to psychiatric levels of insecurity and delusion, not confidence or success. This isn't strength -- it's chickenshit fascism, together with preemptive capitulation to it. It is important we see right through their over-emoted performance of histrionics to focus on what's underneath --- weakness, stupidity, pointlessness, failure.
Half-assed authoritarianism never engenders respect -- it just becomes the stuff of satire overnight, with or without Jimmy Kimmel. They cannot put the toothpaste back in the tube. They might have scrubbed the Department of Justice's 2024 Report by seasoned experts who studied domestic political violence since 1990 and found that right-wing extremist events and casualties of violence since then have GREATLY exceeded left-wing ones -- 660% more victims, 227 events taking 520 lives, with 42 events of left-wing violence taking 78 lives. So of course they had the report scrubbed! But they forgot that all internet pages get "archived." That toothpaste ain't going back in the tube...
Winter is coming. They are not prepared, and they know it. Do not give into despair, but keep your joy intact. Our humor and resoluteness is 100 times stronger than their desperate, psychotic gaslighting. The moment is deadly serious, but our laughter and derision is their kryptonite -- and they know that, too. My own take on this:
https://sylvestercat.substack.com/p/chickenshit-fascism
Absolutely true! Do not give in to Dispair. do not continue to fill peoples consciousness with fear and dred. Yes this is a critical moment ,we know this , yes the truth is horrifying and yes it is true. They are afraid, more afraid than we are . The fact is their behavior is being duly noted all over the world. And yes it is true that when their leaders are laughed at they immediately resort to threats and fear mongering. OH yes, to be laughed at, ridiculed, a fate worse than reality. Yep, how can we exploit this.
Despair is a killer.
I heard DT press conference with Stormer. Nightmare for US. To work, everyone. America is about to become only as free as WE THE PEOPLE make it. Even if it’s roadside signs with your neighbors. Ramp up your printing skills. If you don’t have broad ink writing pens, use your narrow paint brush and leftover house paint. Work for you life!
Of course you can protest to your representatives in Congress, but if they’re MAGA, you’re wasting your breath, except in a town hall. Protest to your local government may be useful. Or get together with like minded friends and family to figure out what might be effective in your neighborhood.
If you live with farmers, you KNOW THAT CHICKENS HAVE TO EAT, and that the price of chicken food is up and climate change is affecting wheat crops.
Spelling police here: I think you meant "dread" instead of "dred" but then again I am reminded of how awful the Dred Scott SCOTUS decision was. Maybe it wasn't a typo after all? As to how we can exploit this, subscribe to The Borowitz Report. You won't regret it.
Ah! Fond memories of many Grateful Dread concerts!
Let's Make America Groovy Again ☮️
I've never been to a Grateful Dead (Dread?) concert, and don't think I've ever listened to them, but I'm definitely for Make America Groovy Again. (Feelin' Groovy…)
Once again, it’s profits over people. Before Reagan there were laws against media consolidation. There was also the Fairness Doctrine. But when the Republicans took over, the primary purpose of America became making the rich get richer and have control of American wealth. After 40 years, the middle class is gone, replaced by corruption. Trump is working on his 4th personal $billion since taking office. He remains a pedophile and Putin’s puppy. No Republican says anything. The Supreme Court takes the money.
Right now, it’s up to Blue States to protect our freedoms until the midterms. If MAGA distorts the election WE shut down America peacefully.
It's not just the blue states. There are political battles in the seven purple states -- NC, PA, MI, WI, NV, AZ, and GA. In 2026, there will be hotly contested Senate races in NC, ME, OH, IA, GA, MI, TX, MN, and possibly even NE and KY. If Democrats retake the Senate, Trump's agenda is dead and he becomes accountable. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/key-senate-contests-2026-elections/
I wish I were a billionaire also. The amount of $$$ spent on every campaign is ridiculous and getting worse. Now, thankfully, the use of ourside billionare money can be used against the people who take it. This happened in Wisconsin; it will happen more often with the right appraoch.
I will point out that Reagan was the first to use the "Mandate for Leadership", today known as Project 2025. So the Heritage Foundation has been working to take the country down for a good part of my lifetime.
And before them, the John Birch Society was laying the groundwork for those like HF that followed. I think we were all sort of amused at these crazies who met secretly at night in people's barns to conspire against the government. We should have been paying more attention and taking them more seriously.
I actually had no idea what the John Birch Society was up to, other than it was something to stay miles away from. I've never been able to figure out what makes republicans - the so-called party of Lincoln - be so hot to destroy our government, our democracy. It just occurred to me that if we did away with the electoral college we could become a real democracy, where the voices of sanity would have a chance to win out. (I've long been aware of arguments to get rid of the electoral college, but it just finally hit home today.)
We have let corporations get too large. They gain too much influence. The sole purpose of their existence is to increase profit and value. Kimmel is of little worth to the corporation that is maneuvering over billions. Trump is using financial leverage to eliminate any criticism and at the same time increase his own power.
I know you live in DC or I think you do. So I had applied and been accepted to perform my songs in a new open mic event at the upcoming Congressional Black Caucus convention. We were originally given 15 minutes. Then they cus performance time to 10 minutes. I explained that it was too brief to travel from CT for 10 minutes. She countered that I would be offered the original 15 minutes. I thought about it then responded. “absolutely no way. You want to offer me special privileges as a white man to perform at a Black function? No way…” I quickly cancelled my hotel reservations.
Let's see what happens when Lohran Mamdani is mayor of NYC....
Like the delusion that Trump is the first and only king, oops President, to be received by the King and Queen and he will come home and demand a gilded carriage. What a mangled mess that speech was and he was reading it.
A grown man playing dress- up or pretending he was in some long- ago theatrical performance. All of his visit made me ill. S'pose we could paint up an old farm wagon for him to ride around town in....
https://sylvestercat.substack.com/p/chickenshit-fascism
A must-read link. Outstanding analysis and pep talk. Count me in!
Good!
My own, considerably briefer, message is "RIDETE."
Any Latin scholars out there?
\Vince S
Hahaha!
I had to look it up, but I agree with you completely. I don't thank that verb was covered in my Latin classes in junior high and high school.
"Laughter"?
Jocelyn:
You're close.
It can be translated either as "laugh" or as "smile."
It's the imperative form of RIDERE. Ridere is the root of the French "rire" and of the English word, "risible."
\Vince S
I had to look it up! Ridere!
BULLSHIT.
ABC pulled it because affiliates threatened not to air KIMMEL's program.
THIS IS ALL A LIE.
James:
Not to mention the heavy hand of the FCC commissioner, Brendan Carr.
See https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/fcc-commissioner-speaks-abc-pulling-180233760.html
\Vince S
Thank you for your comment and the article you wrote on Substack! So true!
Cnns only guest is the rt wing person Jennings
Harry:
Right!
Keep messages short and sweet.
Let's not bludgeon people into passivity.
\Vince S
Years ago when I heard that Winnie the Pooh was banned in China I thought it was a terrible portend of things to come.
I mean Winnie the Pooh!
When big people have thin skin.
And now in the USA.
Just remember, it all started with Winnie the Pooh in China.
Well you do have a president with a very little brain and he does have a trouble with understanding long words-or even short ones like tariffs
Another short word he does not understand the full implications of is Putin.
Hello Michele2... Today I watched Snippets of the British Royal Pageantry at Windsor Castle in the UK... It Looked like DJT stayed awake, mostly... The Pageantry was Impressive... It made DJT's BirthdayParade look Dull & Uninspiring... I wonder if changes to USA Military Regalia are coming...
Did he have the drooping side of his face as he did at 9/11 ceremony? If not, I would wager money he had a mini stroke at the 9/11 ceremony. Especially as his minions got mad at the news showing that picture..Perhaps the picture has disappeared. Did you see that picture of him...
The ride in the gilded golden carriage turned my stomach. Though King Charles looked so bored and somewhat amused during the speech at the dinner. One hopes because of the Kings’s long time interest in the environment they are merely keeping the current president occupied. Babysitting perhaps.
I wonder if he knows he is being played?
Maybe, the man with the Red Osprey nest on his head will give the high-ranking officers beautifully colored helmets with golden chin straps and of course, tall Regal tassels spewing forth from the center of their helmets. oh and of course those boots, you know the kind that go up to the knee, with those old fashioned tapp shoe things that go on the soles so that when they lock step it will give one the chills!
I was thinking the same thing about his parade.
PUKE! Gawdy is more like it.
Another short word he doesn't get is never mind RELEASE THE COMPLETE EPSTEIN FILES!!!
That, as a complete sentence, is especially hard for him. But a picture is worth a thousand words....
Oh… and how!
:-)
It probably started long before that with banning Animal Farm in the Soviet Union, but we get the drift!
It started much before Winnie the Pooh Christopher, but the question is when this rolling nightmare is going to end and how. In the meantime there's more to come.
Christopher? As in Robin?
I love the metaphor 😂
I did not know that. Unbelievable.
Christ on a bike. October 18 is in a month! Where the hell are the Americans TODAY?
There are things we all can do ASAP Alexandria's post at top of page has great info. Perhaps you could start a group to boycott and/or protest. I am in a group that protests once a week... Or you could dispense all this info. and get a group together to take and spread the word. Lots to do...
I'm European. I am encouraging my fellow citizens in France and the UK to boycott Disney (which streams over here, plus DVDs of films, etc.) and a lot of other American corporations, but I leave American democracy to the Americans to defend.
Thanks for what you are doing...
On training wheels Sophie :-)
Sure it’s not a walker? 😉
I resemble that remark!
Awww. But if you're anything like our elders over here, you're full on resisting what's happening. We have old ladies in their 80s being arrested at anti-genocide protests. I'm so impressed.
Uh, taking unauthorized brain days off? I want to scream but, the assholes who need to hear it are too far away. I keep asking my state politicians what the heck they are doing. Don't get any answers from any of the republicans.
Also cancel your cable subscriptions. Check out HD antennas for local stations if available in your area.
https://techjury.net/industry-analysis/cable-tv-subscribers/
U.S. cable TV subscribers declined to 68.7 million in 2024, down from 72.2 million in 2023—a 4.9% drop.
The global pay TV market was valued at $211.19 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $262.54 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 2.2%.
Comcast lost 487,000 cable TV subscribers in Q1 2024, continuing its subscriber decline.
Approximately 51% of Americans still subscribe to cable TV, with many citing live sports and familiarity as key reasons.
CBS led U.S. broadcast networks in the 2024–2025 season with an average of 9.1 million viewers, surpassing NBC (7.2M) and ABC (6.9M).
Interesting statistics. This is probably a stupid question, but who exactly owns cable TV companies?
Nice Q, Michele: "who exactly owns cable TV companies?"
But, really. Really, really, Michele. You know the answer.
1) predators;
2) leeches;
3) M.B.A. grads;
4) high scorers on all their craven neutered years of standardized testing;
5) foaming, mad, lickspittle, corporate-packaged packagers;
6) high income (thank you estate tax deductions) nepotism beneficiaries;
7) those whom Donald covers up for himself and pals Jeffrey and Ghislaine.
Here's another question.
Is it still true that a cable subscriber in most municipalities is supporting Fox with a substantial portion of their monthly fee? I remember trying and failing to find a cable package that did not include Fox.
\Vince S
One-dimensional caricatures aren't exactly helpful here, to put it mildly. "Craven, neutered...lickspittle, etc etc." might play well in your imagination, but it doesn't tell us much about true sociopathy.
I seem to remember the love of mammon being a human problem for a very long time, back in the days of the Sermon on the Mount, even before SAT tests had become a thing.....Just saying.
It's, Yes, all the things that we see now have been around for millennia. I have always considered the rich as parasites while the peasants did all the work. I guess we can thank them for some nice artwork and music.
I haven't been involved in it for years, mainly controlled by political entities.
Local regulation of cable services in the US is primarily conducted by franchising authorities—local or state bodies—through the negotiation of a cable franchises.
The FCC has regs. https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/cable-television#:~:text=Introduction,or%20not%20served%20by%20microwave).
I think they are mostly corporations listed on the various exchanges.
For example-
Comcast Corp
As of September 17, 2025 • 4:00 PM EDT
Concast is/was controlled by the Roberts family, Philadelphia. Brian Roberts is chair. Owns a minority stake in the economic shares of Comcast, but has 33.3% of the combined voting power of the company through his ownership of all Class B common stock. He owns over 23 million Class A shares, but these carry no voting rights and are a small percentage of the total outstanding Class A shares. From Google. Trump has called Comcast, CEO Brian Roberts disgraces to 'integrity of Broadcasting' https://cbsaustin.com/news/nation-world/trump-calls-comcast-ceo-brian-roberts-disgraces
Some of the most widely available channels, Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC are often referred to as the "big three" and Fox News has the highest viewership and ratings. While the networks are usually referred to as 24-hour news networks, reruns of news programs and analysis or opinion programming are played throughout the night, with the exception of breaking news. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_cable_news
Cable networks like MSNBC and USA Network are part of NBCUniversal, which was owned by Comcast but is undergoing a spin-off into a new, independent, publicly traded company that will be separate from Comcast but will include many of its cable assets.
Most of the corporate media is sensitive to institutional investors that control large blocks of stock. Corportate media.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concentration_of_media_ownership#:~:text=Discovery%2C%20Fox%20Corporation%2C%20Hearst%20Communications,Discovery%2C%20and%20Paramount%20Skydance.
It's possible that there will be shareholder derivitive suits stemming from capitulation to Trump extortion. https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/did-9-law-firms-making-deals-with-trump-violate-bribery-anti-fraud-laws-democratic-letters-seek-answers
Daniel:
Thank you.
You are a valuable resource!
Keep on keeping on.
\Vince S
Phew Daniel. That's a lot of facts & numbers. I'll re- read later with a glass of wine.
Right, and Larry Ellison and his son are working on buying up others. They got Trump to approve the Paramount deal and are now working on owning TikTok. There’s another network too but I can’t remember which one. He’s Oracle.
It started early post WWII and was supposed to go be a vehicle for free speech but quickly became corporatized. I have never seen a thorough history but worth going down several rabbit holes. In my area there were the extra channels that somehow are related to cable as we know it. They all bought up a lot of the Hollywood film vault and showed some pretty inappropriate films for kids in my eyes. So on one Saturdayvafternoon I watched the original Manchurian Candidate in sheer terror and finally walked out of the tv room. My husband was ten years older and the films he saw in theaters I saw at home sometimes more than snatches of this snatches of that. When we moved the tv room was gone abd a family room instead. I don’t remember watching any too scary or confusing films after that. I also think some Christian folks have been involved with cable as well. I tried not to use cable but forced to so glad that I was thinking along the correct path.
Michele, many, many small stockholders & a few rich folks.
Good idea, shut your devices off, get some exercise, touch grass, feel the sun on your face. Maybe volunteer someplace? Seems like all most of you do is further wear out the fabric on your 30 year old sofas being keyboard warriors. Far too many spend hours every day in this echo chamber looking for companionship but getting more and miserable everyday. Gotta run- literally!
GJ, we now have an antenna for what we watch locally. Unfortunately, we do watch some sports and have to subscribe to Sling and Big10+ for the seasons we want to watch. We also subscribe to some streaming services that are British or international series. No Hulu or Disney. We now only watch the local news on NBC, but rarely the national news.
Thanks for the information and link
We haven’t had cable since 2008. We only use streaming now.
#PublicHealthHaiku
Resistance growing /
Many ways to object /
Cannot accept injustice.
Lovely haiku...
📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢📢
Michele2
Pardon me for piggybacking on your comment, I'm trying to get this closest to the top of Alexandra's comment.
I just called the Disney number she posted. They must be getting a ton of calls, and the voice message says "if you are calling regarding ABC programming, hand up and call 1-818-460-7477
When you call ⬆ that number, the voice message directs you to leave messages on their email.
PLEASE EVERYONE, take a moment to email them!!
A friend emailed the following to Iver:
Do you think capitulating to Trump and his regime is going to ultimately pay off?
You just showed them that you are a willing lapdog for their next shakedown…and the one after that…ad nauseam.
Cowardice for cash - particularly since you would most likely win legal challenges against Carr and the Trump regime - is reprehensible.
Would be great if the big banks wouldn't accept their ill- gotten cash for deposit?
I called the original number again, and someone answered, so go ahead and call!!! I will also be writing!
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.
Powerful words...
Didn't MSNBC just silence Matthew Dowd?
Thank you Michele2. Governor Pritzker kept using the term 'stand up'. It reminds me of this: "Everyone who can stand, stand now. If you can help others, do so."
~ Wise words from an exceptional 24 year old Welles Remy Crowther from the South Tower on September 11, 2001 / R.I.P. You may remember him as the man in the red bandana.
Yes... A profile in courage.... Break my heart.... Thank you for giving us a reminder and inspiration to fight back.
The General Strike needs to happen. Pritzker is my governor and I am grateful that he is rising to the occasion.
I so admire Pritzkers' integrity, humanity, and bravery.. I have transcribed his main speeches. The fact that he established a Holocaust Museum and how he considers his constituents first and foremost is admirable in my opinion... I have been watching the news and pushback is growing. Today I did my usual protest, and our numbers grew and the cars were honking beyond belief.. The energy may finally be "turning a corner"... Boycotts are powerful! And so is protest... Thanks for all your comments!
Michele2, thank you for your actions. We are in this together. ✌🏾❤️
I use Youtube a lot to learn from independent experts about the world situation. I'm grateful they are there but fearful they will be banned. How long will independent experts like Heather be free to teach us?
Mr. Kimmel’s remarks were part of a “concerted effort to lie to the American people,” and that the F.C.C. was “going to have remedies that we can look at.”
LYING! to the American public? That's a rich one.
Judith, on Substack we have access to our entire email list of subscribers. So as long as we’re downloading and saving the updated lists every so often, we are able to contact our subscribers directly. I’m sure Heather’s team is on top of this and if Substack does capitulate to fascist pressure, she will be able to set up in her choice of places.
Choice of hiding places?
I don't think Substacks are as vulnerable as Youtubers who are getting censored and even kicked off. I'm surprised so many are getting away so much.
YouTube never takes anything down, no matter how many people complain.
I have heard they have...just comments by broadcasters....
Youtube is owned by Goggle. Is Goggle immune from this current evil empire?
Google is not immune, and it's likely to fold like the others.
Nope. They took down "First of May," a favorite of mine. Not small child friendly.
Thank you Alexandra. I can figure it out but, exactly how do you access the entire email list of subscribers?
Bryan, to access your subscribers, go to your newsletter dashboard, then in the column at the left of your screen, click on Subscribers. That will load your subscriber list. Now click on the three dot symbol on the left of that screen. The pull down menu will give you an option to Export and download your list. I do it every so often as my list grows!
🙏
How is it that Fox News gets to lie to the AMERICAN people every day and criticize democrats and let the president lie on their shows and no consequences and no pushback. Where is the FCC on that? “ free speech for me but not for thee”
<<Brendan Carr said that Kimmel’s words were part of a “concerted effort to try to lie to the American people”>> Lie?! There's the pot calling the kettle black... and anyway, Kimmel is not a news program, unlike those programs on Fox.
cuz they're hypocrites. they don't give a fuck.Only aim is to have state run media to control the people. they have the courts, they have unies,they have law firms, they have the rw evangelicals, dark money at work.
And you can bet they won't release the Epstein files. Where's a whistleblower when you need them?
Same kind of big forces will not allow the truth to come out about Kirk's murder....no matter how much Kirk's followers who knew he was moving away from Zionism bitch and moan.
Projection is their mantra. Every accusation is a confession. Hypocrisy is their oxygen. Disinformation is the playbook of Project 2025. And every viewer of Faux News hears only what this fascist regime wants them to hear.
Under the tRvmp umbrella. The FCCwe knew is no longer in exist.
FOX must have a very big salary budget & comp package. I hear about behind the scenes comments from the reporters but, in the end, they sit & spew shit with a smile. Wonder what drugs & booze they need to sleep after 'reporting'?
Because those are the lies that Trump and Vance and Bondi and Miller approve of.
HCR has urged us all to join her YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson
HCR is trying to get her message out across multiple platforms and is aware it is unwise to put all the apples in one cart.
So is the FCC the “Government”? Or one of “us” that we have given permission to regulate what is said?
Heather does a "Hey, folks" almost every day.
Pay for Youtube Premier: no ads.
If they ban YouTube, they will need to ban all of the Meta websites like Google, Google maps and Gmail. Good luck with that. These are the most used sites in the world.
Meta paid millions to the predator's campaign to keep that from happening. And will pay again, if they need to.
Speaking of META --
In the last two weeks, my wife and I have detected three charges to our CITI VISA card that we never authorized.
All three were identified as META / fb. Each was for one dollar!
We are disputing those charges.
I wonder how many others might find that they are unwittingly supporting META.
\Vince S
Vincent, glad you are telling us about those charges. Please, let us know how this gets resolved.
Cindy:
So far, no confirmation one way or the other from my VISA account with CITI. I can be patient.
\Vince S
Since CITI bank is not a bank, do the same bank rulings apply? You can always contact your state banking people to spread the news. Be the squeaky wheel Vincent. :-)
Judith:
I have watched the Kimmel monologue. He said nothing critical of Charlie Kirk or of Turning Point USA.
Kimmel simply pointed out how shallow and perverse and mendacious was the fascists' attempt to canonize Charlie Kirk.
Did those who lashed out at Kimmel even watch his monologue?
\Vince S
This Kirk thing rivals the Epstein thing. Look how desperate the big guys are to cover up the truth and use dead Kirk as a major power grab.
It may not work, Kirk had followers who also did like the baby killings.
Probably not. Just were told to react.
Colbert and Kimmel have too much talent to be toppled. Colbert has until May to say anything he wants (and he does) and can't wait for Kimmel to pop up with his own gig...
Both have just achieved Super Hero status. They could run as a team,, Pres. and V. Pres. with alternating days. The world would love us again.....(if that's at all possible)
And here i thought DonOLD had the corner on lying.
And, Israel.
There's no question that lying is in.
And, cheating openly. Proudly.
The attack on Kimmel's even bringing up the subject in an amusing but rational way shows how desperate the big guys are to make Kirk a precious hero, instead of the important influencer who had gone off the plantation......
P.S.: ....love your emphasis on our aging Pres. DonOLD!
This is Carr's version of Trumpian projection. Carr appears to have learned the technique well! Anything I have done or the Prez has done, will be projected onto anyone who offends in any way, no matter how minor. In the face of these threats, institutions fold like houses of cards. Trump prizes "loyalty" above all, and the "loyalty" they offer to Trump requires knees on floor fealty. How feudal can you get?
Judith, they are so practiced in denial speech that no other words can come out of their mouths.
Not only a boycott of the networks but perhaps research the major advertisers of ABC and Disney / Hulu and target them as well. Follow the dollar and stop that flow of cash. Actually CBS and Paramount also.
Where are our antitrust laws…,..or what is left of them? All this cowering by broadcast channels has to do with mergers and consolidation of news outlets which is dangerous. A large swath of radio and print news are already in the hands of a rightwing owner…..a fact that few Americans are aware of. Sinclair Broadcasting regulates what local stations are allowed to report and how they report it. They also integrate out and out propaganda into “news” broadcasts. The attack on Public Radio and TV is a desperate attempt to shutter what looks like being the only truly independent news source. What we can do today is to contribute to both radio and TV so that they can continue to report factual news in spite of the Republicans attack on unbiased news reporting. L
Antitrust laws at the federal level are no longer enforced. We had a great opportunity with Lina Khan at the Federal Trade Commission during Biden's term, but it's back to unrestrained corporate mergers and near-monopolies in many industries.
IMO that problem can only be addressed with an amendment defining the section of the preamble of our Constitution , "...to promote the “General Welfare...” IMO it must be made clear that it is an affirmative upon Congress duty to act; e.g., duty to promote; 1. Education, 2. Healthcare, 3. Environmental protection, and 4. the Commerce clause = duty to regulate. Moreover to regulate means no corporate personhood with "rights."
There is no one willing to enforce the laws against Trump and his cronies at the DOJ.
And the silo-set universities, Albert, who assembly-line neuter all these ghouls?
BINGO!! Money talks.
Joyce Vance wrote about this incident.
https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/trump-free-speech-abc-reporter-charlie-kirk-video-b2827626.html
Trump even threatened a reporter of live television saying the reporter treats him unfairly and that Trump will come after him.
https://joycevance.substack.com/p/dont-be-afraid-to-speak-up
Thank goodness for the British. They posted thousands of billboards and signs around London with messages like - "Trump is a Pedophile."
That was great. Beaming it on to Windsor Castle. Quite a contrast with the country that invented the First Amendment
Yes, and I read that some were arrested with users on the site asking "on what charge"? I hope to read that they have been set free later today. Perhaps there will be an inquiry on the police officers that arrested them?
They were arrested for malicious communications. But that charge won't hold. It was just a stunt to pacify Trump.
I would love to see people laugh hysterically as the motorcade goes by with some chanting, "Trump's a joke! Trump will choke."
I was pleased by the British reaction. As to Trump staying in King Charles house I thought of the expression "keep your friends close and your enemies even closer" Europe and the world is worried.
we are: and it's mainly over NATO. Until Europe is fully armed up, we can't do without the US.
I believe Europe has the power now to push back a weakened Russia. Please do not wait until this war becomes existential.
Have you listened to Paul Warburg latest piece on YouTube? It’s exactly about that. Very interesting.
The "charges" will have an effect. In Russia, there are plenty of people in labor camps having their minds straightened out. We are already numbing things up. Kimmel is just another flag thrown in the dirt.
I could not believe it -- the head of the F.C.C. saying he might A.B.C.'s license. Disgusting. Well, Mr Kimmel will be a great pod-caster, I am sure.
perhaps someone can verify this: I saw a comment from a person in the UK that is saying Trump brought and is returning with his own bed linens.
Hmmm......true? If so, why?
Probably. Especially since we pretty much know that he is suffering from some medical malady. Also probably thinks it's just cool to do. After all, that man is certifiable. Check out how the new cool group travels..
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/scrubbed-clean-north-korean-staff-erase-every-trace-of-kim-jong-uns-dna-from-room-furniture-after-putin-meet/articleshow/123684189.cms?from=mdr
In fact, Mr Colbert said that Trump is not the only one who sheets his bed.
I heard that on the Colbert Night Show.
That is exactly why this “State Visit” is confined to the grounds of Windsor Castle……so the “royals” are not embarrassed by the British public’s disgust with Trump, as was obvious during Trump’s recent visit to Scotland.
.
I admire King Charles III. Not so keen of King Baby however.
Poor old Charles waited and waited for his turn and now Willie is trying to horn in. King Willie may be the end of this whole farce. He is a petty little man who reminds me of DJT. He resents his more popular brother and hates that Harry spilled the tea on how the “royals” try to continue to pretend that they are without fault and appointed by “god”.
Wow. I did not know William was like that.
I'm an American. The whole British royal family can go piss up a rope.
In actuality, I disagree. The monarchy is like the pole in a tetherball game The Democratic or Labour Party squares off against the Conservative / Liberal Parties and the G.O.P. The monarchy keeps the ball spinning without flying off to no-man's-land.
I’m in the UK right now. Channel 4 put on a brilliant special last night “Trump vs The Truth playing and rebutting 100 of his lies so far in this presidency.
The hardest part of making that show is narrowing the big lies down to one hundred.
Yes GJ. But, let's wonder for a moment..., where did the money for that huge soccer-field banner come from. Who (or what) is beneath that. It's almost too obvious. We may find out that China is ultimately running the whole show. They've sucked in Putin (piece-of cake), N.Korea, and the rest who will fall willfully to the economics of it all. China has experience handling a large population, we're nothing for them. GM and Ford are pissed because their cars are so cheap and being EV's, they don't breakdown so much. Watch.
I would not be one bit surprised if Charles paid for it himself!!! Hosting trump is nothing more than a political necessity.
Good shot, Christine! Same thought goes for the two incidents with Numbnuts. I mean knocking a few people off is co-lateral damage for this bunch. Big big dollars along with reputations are on the line here. By the way.., how're are our "young ladies" doing..? Any word? They might oughta re-locate. I don't think they will find a sponsor big enough or untouchable enough to protect them. Jusss sayin.
Not sure what you mean.
If it's the one I saw, it was even more pathetic. A reporter from Australia asked whether it was appropriate for him to be raking in billions through his business while president. Our 3-year-old daily violator of the Emoluments Clause's first response: "I'm not running my businesses, my family is." Then he demanded know where the reporter was from, accused him of making Australia look bad, then warned him that he had a good relationship with the Prime Minister of Australia....
The nicest thing I can say about this whinybutt moron is that he's just a piece of shit.
He's banned the Australian public broadcaster ABC from his London presser because of that reporter's question.
He doesn't like to be questioned.
I listened to that clip of the exchange he had with the Australian reporter. Said he was going to tell on him to the Prime Minister because the reporter was saying or asking very bad things.
POS! yup.
Yeah, very, very gross.
I think he said that to Jonathan Karl. What a childlike whiner man baby. He displays his many insecurities on TV.
MLMinET, he is a hormonal, adolescent, psycho, man-child.🤯👶
Why, Pam, such a short sentence from you?
Phil, I'm so overcome with sadness and fear for our country that I didn't have the energy to describe the depth of my feelings. If I don't back down, I would stay in a fit of blind rage, which is not healthy. One has to take care of oneself to carry on the cause.
A friend of mine was just diagnosed with Broken Heart Syndrome. Don't laugh, it's a real thing. Has nothing to do with romance however. It is STRESS INDUCED. No prior heart related issues.
Trump's whiney behavior used to be mildly entertaining . . . used to be.
Wreck attacked Jonathan Karl & an Australian reporter among others.
Hey, Bryan, didn't the Clarence court declare him immune from reality?
Nope. Not here nor in the UK.
And it was an ABC reporter, Jon Karl.
I couldn't believe my eyes Ned.
I did not sleep well. Some days, I feel whipped and tired and fed up.
Take some comfort in the probability that China will save us...and/or BRICS....or, at least, humble us down to going back to taking care of us, our people, instead of making war everywhere.
Interesting. I recently posted about this very subject. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7368846643988684801/ Links to articles if you are not on linked-in.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323963/sco-has-10-year-plan-multipolar-world-chinas-wang-yi-says
https://thecommonwealth.org/about/joining
https://snyder.substack.com/p/look-on-my-works-ye-mighty
very interesting and happy that someone besides me is tuned into stuff one won't see in corp.media like the NYTimes or WaPo.
I'm a paying subscriber to Timothy Snyder.
On youtube, check 2 guys, both Chinese.
Carl Zha, is American; great sense of humor; I would imagine he will be getting more attention as time goes on.
KJ Noh, I'm not sure where he's located.
... Experts, no propaganda, just brilliant analysis of the world situation and def. China. Anytime one comes up, I take in every word.
I said quite a while ago: we will be saved by the BRICS.
China and even Russia!...Crazy, considering we get so much negative stuff about both.
Give me a break. I have discovered so much negative stuff about the USA.
And, Iran! Please leave Iran alone. I believe making war with Iran will just take us down further. Iran is "connected". It's huge. The population is motivated. Look what they did to Israel. Not to the civilians either. Military facilities. Going after civilians is what Israel does. In spades.
The world has moved on. The USA is a mess. Countries that were developing have developed. They can't be stepped on as easily as in the past. There will be consequences.
Money talks and boycotts work. A list of ABC advertisers is a great idea. Meanwhile, boycott Koch Industries GEORGIA-PACIFIC. Www.Gp.com. Angel soft, Brawny, Dixie, Sparkle, Quilted Northern, Vanity Fair. Pulte Homes. Amazon.
Per the New York Times, the decision to suspend Kimmel was made by Bob Iger:
The decision to suspend “Jimmy Kimmel Live” was made by Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, and Dana Walden, the company’s television chief, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private process.
Although the news of the suspension is being reported as “ABC” suspending Jimmy Kimmel, in fact, Kimmel was suspended on the orders of the CEO of the Walt Disney Co., Bob Iger. Per the New York Times, the decision to suspend Kimmel was made by Bob Iger:
The decision to suspend “Jimmy Kimmel Live” was made by Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, and Dana Walden, the company’s television chief, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private process.
Although the news of the suspension is being reported as “ABC” suspending Jimmy Kimmel, in fact, Kimmel was suspended on the orders of the CEO of the Walt Disney Co., Bob Iger. Email Bob Iger on his Official Site or robert@disney.com robert.iger@disney.com ☎️
Call Bob Iger at 818-560-1000 (Walt Disney Co.).
Bob Iger’s corporate mailing address is:
Bob Iger
c/o Walt Disney Company
500 S. Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521
This attack on Kimmel is far, far from over. The attack was launched by a federal agency the FCC specifically by the Chairman of the FCC, Brendan Carr, meaning NOT by a private actor. Carr/FCC's threat against ABC unless the they "took action" against Kimmel is unconstitutional. Full Stop.
Kimmel must take precise & competent constitutional legal action on Constitution Day no less. Kimmel has the assets, the YouTube platform & the smarts.
Interesting but to me, sadly, pragmatic. Why? Have we already forgotten the lawsuits and the attempt to bring Disney down by Trump and Governor DeSantis? Disney prevailed but it was expensive. Sadly, many NBC affiliates, including the one in Washington DC, are owned by Sinclair. Sinclair was already going to stop airing Kimmel. With far fewer stations , and the fact, that late night talk is already faltering and losing money, Sinclair stations not airing Kimmel would have definitely made things worse. From Disney's perspective, this hastened what appeared inevitable, and placated the bully in chief without expensive lawsuits. And, perhaps, Disney is hoping public outcry will do what their own defense of lawsuits, only placated.
I think Disney will find out the hard way that public anger is directed as much at them as at the FCC and Trump.
Wonderful info... Thank you!
The Mouse gave the Orange Putrescence a real tongue-bath, taking turns with the head of the FCC. Then they french-kissed afterward.... 🤢
Now that's an image I'd like to be able to forget...
So FCC contacted head of network , Iger?
That is key legal counter attack point --- federal NOT private action.
Update: House Oversight Committee & Sub-committee investigation into exactly who were theTrump II operatives.
"The firing of Jimmy Kimmel comes amid Nexstar's $6.2 billion merger with Tegna, which requires FCC approval. Nexstar, which is seeking FCC approval for a $6.2 billion merger with Tegna, said it strongly objects to Kimmel's comments.
The company also announced that it will replace his show with alternative programming in its
ABC-affiliated markets."
Complain to the FCC:
fcc.gov/complaints.
Will do. Spent yesterday castigating the NFL.
Done!✅
Exactly on-point Gail Adams VA/FL -- as usual.
Thanks Bryan.
I’ll have to go back to the article but there’s another merger out there that FCC must approve.
Billionaire media barons fire journalists to appease Trump: How To Fight Back Action Kit.
This kit includes specific ABC shows to boycott as Alexandra Sokoloff suggested "I am urging a boycott and divestment of ABC, Disney, Disney + and Hulu on my SM pages. Canceling subscriptions en masse is a proven, effective protest."
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/09/17/billionaire-media-barons-fire-journalists-to-appease-trump/
That's a great cartoon with oligarchs offering money and Mickey Mouse laying prostrate at the feet of Donald Trump. We have to get Alexandria's info out to as many as possible and, for once, do our own "flooding the zone" with action. Great link - I hope others see it...Thank you!
Ann Telnaes is the cartoonist. Her substack is Open Windows. The cartoon should probably be credited. She quit WAPO when they refused to print this cartoon.
She is artistic and courageous! Thanks for providing her name...
I cancelled Disney last night as soon as I heard about Kimmel's show being suspended!! Hit them where it hurts.This is the way to get our country back!
The Onion published this a few days ago: https://theonion.com/report-you-to-be-fired-for-reading-this-headline-about-charlie-kirk/
Thank goodness we're both retired Judith.
Thank goodness we lived in a time where politics was boring.
Good. Thanks, Alexandra.
There is no end to this. Can we wait until October 18? No we should have massive protests every week. We need musical events as well. We need revolution in the streets.
As noisy as possible.
Si, senoria. Me dispiache nostra mondo. (Oops my spelling doesn’t even go far in English either.)
Me too, but cheer up! Your Italian is somewhat Spanish, but I've seen worse. And it's the thought that counts.
When I visited Italy in May, I realized I was adding Spanish to my Italian. Maybe called SpanglishItalio.
Right Sinora or senora ah right.
Thank You, Alexandra Sokloff for your list of count-actions. Yes, fight back.
Wow, it was not so long ago that the mouse roared against desatan. What a difference a few years of tyranny makes. Sorry Disney, you are FAR from being the happiest place on earth anymore. May your crowds be nonexistent, worldwide.
Jimmy Kimmel for President!
Along side Colbert!.......an alternating team.
Exactly my thoughts…
Thank you for the contact information Alexandra, I just called ABC and expressed my concern and anger over their decision.
When will the people in this country be angry enough to take to the streets in large numbers to peaceful protest. At 80 I will be at the protest on 10/18, with my walker and water. We are allowing them to take away our First Amendment rights.
They have, for the most part, taken away a women’s right to control her body, now birth control and our right to vote is under attack. Please forgive my rant, but I’m devastated at what has been done to our country in just several months.
OK. I just e-mailed Iger
The thing about humor, it always looks at things from odd angles.
That’s where the fun comes from – from our own surprise that – hey! – I hadn’t seen that.
Donald’s sycophants Pam Bondi, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, Tom Homan, Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem, Kash Patel, J.D. Vance, Russell Vought, and all have no humor but, instead of it, a dour, abstracted, packaged schema.
No room in any of them for complications – none for nuance, serendipity, contradictions, tied-in layerings, or related allusions.
If our schools taught writing (other than the formulaic for machine grading), we’d have more in our population patient with the complexities of humanity.
Jimmy Kimmel caught the dour, intolerant side of MAGA. They want to distance themselves from the alleged assassin – as said Jimmy Kimmel – not because said assassin killed Charlie Kirk, but because he brings complications (his boyfriend a trans girl) which their catechism brands with a scarlet letter.
On the PBS NewsHour tonight, there were multiple clips of Trump. Dour, as you said, Phil, is the expression that they caught every time. It has often been noted that Trump almost never smiles, the kind of smile that we see on people who are happy, and that he rarely laughs, maybe because he has no sense of humor. Surely some great philosopher warned against men who have no sense of humor. We need the laughter that late night TV has provided. Otherwise, we will all start to look dour.
Humor is an art form of human communication. The "cartoons" of Thomas Nast and "Herblock " made it into my school history books. Ridicule does not always fight on the side of the angels, but it has it's uses, especially when a vainglorious Emperor is truly ridiculous.
I agree that humor is an art form, given my own unique sense of humor woven into my life-long style of communication & expression. Given my challenging life over many years, I’ve always been thankful for how vital & therapeutic the role of humor can be. It not only enhances communication, but also favorably impacts interaction, health & well-being. I cannot imagine a world without it, nor want to. It’s unnatural & simply depressing to live & think without humor, albeit the loss of free speech to support it.
Even way back when absolute monarchs had court jesters. They served multiple functions one being that it was a relatively safe way to communicate truth to power,. IOW, even absolute monarchs knew the importance of truth, a non-existent concept in the Trump Administration and much of MAGA world.
The history of court jesters is extremely important. Many had disabilities and Shakespeare( or whoever Shakespeare was) wrote Yorick into Hamlet. Many had disabilities. Sone were female.
And, Melania hides under her hat! Pathetic creature!
Disguised as the Hamburgler.
But she shows off her midriff.
It's not just that trump lacks a sense of humor. He has no sense at all.
TWENTY LESSONS ON TYRANNY read by John Lithgow for Jimmy Kimmel
https://open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p/twenty-lessons-read-by-john-lithgow?r=kxzps&utm_medium=ios
This is well worth sharing. Thank you.
Thank you so much JaKsaa... Hearing John Lithgow read Timothy Snyder's words was quite powerful. I hope others hear this...
Yes, JaKsaa, and written by historian, Timothy Snyder. Thanks for sharing the link, TWENTY LESSONS ON TYRANNY, it's so important.
Thank you for this. I've just copied the link and will share it with others.
He is amused by hurting people.
And he uses the age old weapon of "starvation." Is it genocide if you starve millions of people as opposed to murdering them with bullets or machetes?
Bibi is doing the same thing as are other autocrats like Trump and the MAGAs in the Senate and the House with their OBBBA. Plus, they are putting all of us at risk by taking away vaccines. CA, OR, WA and New England are fighting back against the anti-tax MAGAs and the insurance companies realize it is not cost effective to have thousands of children hospitalized and die.
I was just looking at a book about The Plant Institute in Russia. During the siege of Leningrad mass starvation. The Plant Institute the first seed and global seed institute was almost destroyed but many of the employees saved the seeds. Many employees died as well. I had hoped when an young adult that we would move beyond these primal evil tactics of control. I though the children of Biafra would have lit the way to better.
We have Save the children ( NYT obituary of its English founder recently) CARE ( WWII post time) World Central Kitchen( recent) IRC ( Albert Einstein) Caritas ( Roman Catholic Church) Oxfam ( English missionary start I think )
Partners in Health ( the late Paul Farmer MD ) UNICIEF, the International Red Cross and all its subunits. Many others I fail to remember or recall. We do not have to have starvation. The fact of all the food banks in our country a shame to all of us as well.
I think he thinks it makes him look Churchillian.
Churchill had a sharp wit. Trump, not even half.
Yes, calling Trump a half-wit gives him too much credit. Zombie is more like it.
😂😂😂😂😂…. All the way home!
Jimmy Kimmel would not, could not, did not say anything as hateful and ignorant as what Fox News host Brian Kilmeade said last week that homeless people should receive "involuntary lethal injections." Yet, R.I.N.O. Party Comrade Brendan Carr, chair of the Federal Communications Commission contacted Disney whining about Kimmel's monologue as "the sickest conduct possible" telling Disney to take action. Yet we hear not one word from the Nazi in Chief or comrade Carr about Kilmeade’s mouth.
As for this B.S. about Charlie Kirk. He once said “I can’t stand the word empathy, actually,” he said. “I think empathy is a made-up, new age term that does a lot of damage.” Thus out of due respect for Charlie perhaps we should not have any empathy for what has happened to him nor for his family. I sure as hell do not.
This is not normal. This is a Nazi takeover of the United States. If people are not already involved they can search for the official website of their local Democratic Party and/or specific local club chapters. Then contact them and get involved registering new Democrats in their Congressional District. Knock on doors and get to know Democrats. Assure they have transportation to vote and rally all to vote when the ballots come out.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9mq3oKI2KhY
Other resources for helping to register voters:
Field Team 6 works to register Democrats:
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
The Civics Center does nonpartisan voter registration in high schools:
https://www.thecivicscenter.org/
My Thanks.
Correct. Empathy is what makes all cooperative human endeavors possible.
nor did he ever say anything as hateful and vile as kirk.
I still wonder why Kilmeade’s “comments” haven’t been talked about more……oh right, he apologized.
Who owns the media? Billionaires. So Cobert and Kimmel are axed but Kilmeade is overlooked. The legacy press is a real problem.
He needed to apologize. He was advocating murder. Kimmel did nothing wrong.
I totally agree, Carolyn. That really wasn’t my point, though.
Well, we are talking about it. But they won't. Double standard. They do no wrong. Take care.
Fox News is reality TV. In true reality how in the hell can you one day advocate murder and next say, oh gosh what got into me, I am sorry about that. ...wink, wink, nudge, nudge,
Fox News jerks seem to have a record of saying sick stuff and then "apologize." It seems to be a way of getting free advertising for Fox with reporting on other networks. Fox ratings increase after such crap. That says a lot about the people who watch Fox and who Fox knows will watch; think Trump family! It sure worked with the brand of Planter's Peanuts with the "Mr. Peanut death commercial" at the January 2020, Super Bowl add. And more recently with Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., removing the image of "Uncle Herschel" from the logo. was that ever really the plan? ...oh right.
"Many wearing rapiers are afraid of goosequills,"
“The pen is mightier than the sword.” G and S?
I did a search, Virginia. Result:
"The exact sentence was coined by English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839 for his play Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy."
Thanks Phil. My father would say that. And Cardinal Richelieu! Oh my! French history helps me these days. So much ferment for century after century. A new book to read as a act of learning and resistant and hope for any one with grandchildren or cares about children. Mona’s Eye by Thomas Schlesser. A bit pricey so library it but I don’t buy books much anymore but this has beeen very much worth it. Also on things such as Audible.
I’m getting more stand-up inclined every day. My emerging theme is that “I’m a boomer from the peace and love generation and I now hate everyone including my immigrant grandparents who should have stayed in Europe where they belonged. Then I would be European today.”
I’m working on it. I was already kicked out of a Methodist church for announcing that “God made a mistake allowing the wrong primate tribe up the evolutionary trail…” when I asked the host what was wrong with that line she yelled, “Because God doesn’t make mistakes.” Now that ws funny. I wanted to yell back that her lesbian marriage was a mistake but in my heart I knew that would have been a lie.
So it goes.
You would be a proud European. Also, that response of "...God doesn’t make mistakes." it reminds me of Sarah Palin saying climate change is a "myth" arguing you cannot change anything God has made. I wondered whether Palin could make ice cubes or boil water. Then I realized, "of course not."
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/charlie-kirk-death-karoline-leavitt-prophecy-earthquake-b2828284.html
Perfect State for this story. I live in Calif. We have many earthquakes. A 4.1 earthquake is no big deal. So I must conclude that if this Utah Earthquake is a sign of God’s feelings then she must be saying "no big deal."
I swear, they have been taught to use the word "believe" wrongly to reinforce their world of beliefs and have no clue they are doing it. For example, they will say, "I don't believe in evolution. I believe in creationism." Evolution is not a belief. Evolution is a science that you either accept or deny.
Reading Karoline Leavitt's equation of an earthquake with Charlie Kirk's death leads me to believe there is a brainworm "contagion" in the White House...We might refer Karoline to the 9th Commandment.. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" which is often translated as ...You shall not lie through your teeth every chance you get for praise and or "perks" from your "cult" dictatorial leader...
Certainly something along those lines.
Hi Bill,
I wish my grandparents had stayed in Europe as well. However, they saw this country as a dream just as my mothers grandparents. They lived in a time when you could accomplish those dreams. If they were alive, they would be heartbroken to see what has become of our country.
On a humorous note, did you happen to see the Royal Guard, as they moved past trump on horseback, one of those beautiful large black horses lifted his or her elegant tail and took a, well you get the idea, just as he or she passed trump. Who says horses aren’t intuitive.
Well, Bill Katz, you certainly have a sense of humor!
Robinson's "boyfriend a trans girl"! My gosh. Isn't then a girlfriend?
What I'd like to know is where did he get the training to become a dead on accurate sharpshooter? One perfect kill shot......... Israel?
Will we soon be hearing that he has "committed suicide"?
You can rest assured he will have taken his own life after his bureau of prisons surveillance video has several minutes cut out and a rope is found to have left in his cell by "accident", just like Epstein.
I think Kirk was eliminated by the Zionists. And, I am NOT a conspiracy theory type of person. Too much circumstantial evidence. Kirk was leaving the fold....now, dead, he's being brought back in. Why are the "forces" going ape shite to make him a hero...forever. Will it work? Many in his Christian college base had brought him to a point of having issues with killing children. They may get vocal.
You are absolutely disgusting.
Do you see Jews hiding behind every tree and under every rock?
I have news for you. You ARE a conspiracy theorist. And an anti-Semite.
Not all Zionists are Jews. Not all Jews are from Israel, not all Jews practice Judaism, not all who practice Judaism are Jewish. There are plenty of Zionists in the USA and many of them are white Christians purporting the protection and absolution of the state and sovereignty of Israel for any and all actions because they are God's chosen people, and their actions are ordained.
Maybe Judith did mean Jews, as in the Jewish people group and not the religion, but she said Zionists. Do you see racists and anti-semites under every rock? If I were to say I disagree with Israel's current war and genocide on Gaza, does that make me an anti-semite? Does thinking the USA engages in false flag operations make me anti-American? Does believing that foreign countries interfere with US cultural and political affairs make me anti-globalist?
The Mossad theory *is* a conspiracy theory, and *can* come from anti-semite sentiments, but doesn't necessarily. Conspiracy theories can be, by themselves, problematic (our current situation being prime evidence) but they don't necessarily make someone racist or hateful. Based on Judith's singular comment, though, you have no reason to single her out as an anti-semite other than your own bias.
Do you have proof of Judith's anti-semitic sentiments? Have you seen her post things blatantly racist or anti-semitic?
If there's one thing I've learned on the internet, it's that what most people post is missing exposition, because it's "implied", and that no one but the author can understand the implications because they wrote it. Text communication is inherently vulnerable to the biases of the reader — the reader can impose whatever tone or meaning they'd like into the text. Over 50% (or 93%, if it can be applied to the Mehrabian Rule) of communication is non-verbal, as in, beyond the words used. Which means in online conversations, you can be missing *most* of what someone is saying if they don't *explicity* state the tone and definition of every word used.
In a community like this, it is important to confront people if you feel they are breaking community rules or mores, but it needs to be direct and with an open mind and humility. "Innocent until proven guilty," right? And one post with an ambiguous epithet does not guilty make.
If the person being confronted continues to display unacceptable behaviors, then harder boundaries are needed, up to and including reporting, blocking, and banning. We cannot start policing based on single posts without perpetuating the grudge culture that brought us here in the first place.
Give grace to others so that grace may be extended to yourself. Ask questions, don't make accusations; be inquisitive, don't fall into absolutes until you can be *sure*. We all deserve kindness, open mindedness, and gentle and constructive correction when and where appropriate.
All this to say, if you think Judith is being racist or antisemitic, then *ask*. There has to be some level of intrinsic trust and grace for us to ever truly be a community.
Also....I never said Jew. But, I will now. The Jews who have taught me the most are Norman Finkelstein, Ilan Pappe, Daniel Levy, Gideon Levy, Katie Halper, the lovely old academic from Iraq (can't recall his name)..and there are others. They get called self hating Jews which is worse than anti-semitic.
Anyone who stoops to calling names should do some research.
Being accused of anti-semitism has been getting thrown out for decades. It's worn out now. Whoever does that can't be taken seriously.
I considered responding: "How silly."
I have been studying this situation since Oct7 which has led to studying the whole world situation.
Having learned how unlimited and even original the cruelty towards Palestinians has been for a century....who can doubt there could be something else going on with the Kirk murder besides the official story.
Kirk getting a kill shot to his neck with only one shot fired ....one had to think of the IDF sharpshooters.....
One of the youtube sources that makes me question:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdPgHjnvV7w
Agree Marla
You can report JD. 3 clicks on the right.
Collapse and Report.
Those comments are despicable, rascist trash.
A conspiracy theorist does not have to also be an anti-semite, or vice versa.
Hello Judith... Shooting Sports are Popular in Utah... Tyler Robinson is a local that used an old Hunting Rifle... Tyler showed talent in Marksmanship, and Planning... However, I don't think that Tyler planned for the Aftermath, after all he is just 22 years old...
But he was cleverer than most murderers, just not clever enough. If he had taken the evidence and destroyed it and then headed to any major city (except Salt Lake City) he would still be on the lam. Of course, Trump and Vance would still be blaming the left for the shooting if he was still at large as would every loser on Fox News and all of the conspiracy podcasts.
GJ, they ARE still blaming the left. Blaming MAGA is what got Kimmel fired.
If it's really him, then, gotta say, he was doing the Zionist's dirty work for them.
Hello Judith.... How so?...
Just one in youtube re: the Zionist's recent BIG problem with Charlie Kirk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdPgHjnvV7w
Unfortunately, a half hour's training on a shooting range is more than enough if you have a rifle designed for hunting. Just think how many Americans have both the rifle and the training. The Europeans think we are absolutely wacko to allow such easy access to firearms. And that's not the only reason so many think we're crazy and dangerous.
And, that's not the only reason I live in Mexico.
Do you know you would be safer in Cuba than the USA?
Safer in Cuba?
OK so what? Funny I don't hear of anyone building a raft out of spare parts and making out into shark infested waters to escape to Cuba. Damn MSM!
Just sort of kidding. But, Cuba is safe...it's just that the country has terrible conditions....thank you very much USA. If it weren't it would be a great place to live. Beaches, mountains, great tobacco.
There are people from other countries who have taken up residency. One major issue for Americans would be how to get money, It's illegal to spend a penny there so if you did you probably can't return to the USA.
BTW: one can fly to Cuba. It's just the very poor Cubans who travel by rafts made out of spare parts, into shark infested waters.
My understanding is it was a Mauser model 98 style '.06 caliber rifle. Very accurate with iron sights, even more so with a scope. It is a very ubiquitous caliber rifle used for big game- elk, deer and antelope- in the western high plains and mountain west.
Here's Robinson : why does he look like a zombi? Drugs? Programming? MKUltra?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2BZSJc8Y2M&t=35s
And yet, you claim not to be a conspiracy theorist
I think the conspiracy theorists just watch Fox, basing their "theories" on BS.
I'm suspicious. Given the most likely entity that needed to get rid of Kirk....Given the reputation of Mossad, ....what can I say.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdPgHjnvV7w
I find Miller and Hegseth particularly humorless.
Superb comment.
Sometimes I’ll read a comment without noticing the name of the writer, and think it’s so astute; so well said; something I need to save. And then I smile when I see that Phil Balla has done it again.
Phil, we still don’t know the motive for this murder. His having a girlfriend who happens to be trans was divulged in isolation, without attachment to motive. Red herring or in this case red meat? They described the relationship as same-sex. Wow, a two-fer. He’s gay AND his partner is trans. I’m assuming you’ve not considered how this information was dog whistling to constituents.
Addendum: other than that, great comment. I agree with you about our educational system being broken for a very long time.
Jesse Welles gives creative humor to our times by his many songs, for example, Red, https://youtu.be/TPHafKOd9A4?si=T3NBG5uPJ71P2hBg
As one of the banners said at the ‘Trump Not Welcome’ march in London yesterday, (which was huge fun, and contrasted savagely with all that buttering up going on in Windsor Castle) below an image of Trump stuffing in a whopping cheeseburger, “ Where is a heart attack when you need one”.
Will it all be over in a too short 250 years?
I met plenty of Americans at the march yesterday. Lovely people. Mostly pretending to be Canadians!
Btw, the march was against Trump, the man, not America the country.
Don't mistake the purpose of that buttering-up. Not only was he battered about the head with politeness and class, they neatly hamstrung him with hours of protocollary pomp and circumstance, which he had to stand/sit through without talking. That carriage parade was hysterical! carriage parades are designed for the streets of London, and this all happened inside the walls of Windsor Castle, like a Disneyland ride. He won't get within a bus-route distance of London - the prime minister's country house is equally isolated. He was made to look at paintings and books from the Royal Collection, all connected with the first independance of America, and all painstakingly explained by a qualified curator (Trump's fallback observation: "Wow" and "Amazing"). After the visit to Queen Elizabeth's tomb, he had to sit in the church and listen to choristers singing the first movement of Vivaldi's "Gloria". Oh yes - when they got to the 50 meter long banquet table, the menu was written in French... And, talk about an effective public protest: the huge Epstein pictures projected on to the walls of the castle! The four perpetrators were properly arrested, but I have no fear for their future. And the pictures have gone round the world. Interesting that Tiffany Trump was the only family member present. Melania wore the hat, smiled, conversed, and gave a full shoulder display at the banquet. (The public hand-holding is now looking like a form of handcuffing, as there is no other contact between them.)
The projection on the tower was priceless. In the horror of Epstein, a touch of (however grim) humor. Thank you to the “perpetrators.”
Melanomia was apparently under the impression that the "Lost in Space" Jupiter 2 purple flying saucer 'brimming with contempt' look was making a comeback.
The look on Camilla's face said it all.
Hey! "Brimming with contempt". Brilliant caption for at least two photos we've seen. I love a double meaning.
The little Disneyland jaunt around Windsor Castle --- Mr. Toad's Wild Ride indeed.
Now that's funny. Thank you.
yeah, Queen Consort Camilla was not impressed ,same for King Charles. trump and Melanie are white trash
I'm not sure who is more of an embarrassment - Donold or Melania.
Ok, the pedophile and sex trafficker wins, but she is pretty darn loathsome.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/omg-spot-on-perfect-gavin-newsom-s-crew-obliterates-trump-after-he-shifts-blame-off-himself-again-as-the-cankles-punchline-leaves-fans-howling/ar-AA1MJmuP
Right along with the banana with a pink rubber band around it dress for dinner.
Ghastliness on a popsicle stick. "I don't care, do U?"
Lol. A friend commented on the hat outfit “She looks like a lamp”.
If you clap your hands twice, will she go away?
Is this her idea of being "best?"
Sad.
I've replied, but it seems to have landed in the wrong place.
Hopefully they managed to make time for Trump to spend with Prince Andrew, so they could reminisce about the good old times with Epstein, hopefully somewhere with cameras and voice recording setup by MI6 and the BBC.
Thank you for the great analysis and detail of the 'buttering-up' events! Hopefully those 'secrets' will come out and trump over the official msm stories of official pomp & circumstances!
I was delighted at how well the situation was handled. Even to avoiding a repeat of Trump walking in front of the Sovereign when inspecting the guard. This time the officer addressed himself directly to "Mr President", telling him that the guard was ready for his inspection. The King then walked behind him at a discreet distance, where he could have steered him if he took a wrong turning - I didn't see him so much as glance to right or left as he walked between the long lines of guardsmen he was supposed to be inspecting. Maybe the word "inspect" isn't in his vocabulary, come to think of it.
No, Anne-Louise, "inspect" is too long for his vocabulary.
So, get rid of the "sp." Then we have "insect," "bug," "vermin," his view of over half of the U.S. population.
Phil, that’s a good one.
Bang on to you Maam! Could not agree more. His visit makes my toes curl but at least he gets the full monty…..and a part of Charles would happily have quiety popped in to Parliament Square, to enjoy the placards. And no, he was not allowed anywhere near the public or Parliament…he wiuld have been showered with flying sandwiches!
Release the files you creep.
Likewise to you, Anne-Louise: my wholesome thanks.
Whew, I was worried for a while that the badly made up buffoon would slip through it all without a care.
I’m not a fan of DJT….!
Neither, I suspect, is his old friend "Charles".
Thank you for that detailed post. However, Led by Donkeys who planned the projection on the Great Tower of Windsor Castle had done similar projections- such as on Parliament- in other protests with police standing by and no arrest. They didn't trespass or commit criminal damage nor endanger anything at Windsor. (As soon as Trump's itinerary details were confirmed awhile ago, Led by Donkeys booked a hotel room right across from the Castle, took their super-bright projector in their luggage on the day and projected the film.) There was really no reason for the police in Windsor to arrest them but Trump pollutes the very air around him.
Thanks for those details! I think I like Led by Donkeys. As far as the arrests were concerned, optics. Maybe a little fine, but no risk of midnight deportation to the Democratic Republic of Congo, for example.
This is brilliant!
There is a photo of FOTUS and the king processing side by side, with FOTUS' hands going side to side as is his wont. I actually felt kinds sorry for the queen having to walk with Melania.
I really needed this explanation and perspective. Thank you.
Besides being a good head of the IT department, a social worker, a teacher and a language expert, you are also a good social reporter. Great you didn't use a nutshell this time. I didn't have to use my imagination other than to enjoy how much the scumbag president heated all those hours without being able to interrupt and fly away in a helicopter. Thanks Anne-Louise 😄
Oh the agony! I love it.
Brilliant!
Brilliant, Jonathan. A big Thank You from me to you for this post, and to the clever wits at the demonstration.
Do google Vance, Parliament Square, beach ball.
A huge beach ball bearing the Vance meme was punched repeatedly volleyball-style by the protest crowd. So heartening to see.
Another great idea for such a packed crowd - physically participatory as well as funny. Was this also the work of Led by Donkeys?
I believe not. LBD primarily does large scale projections- on buildings, overbridges, bridges across the Thames. But there are many witty, committed Brits!
Oh, great fun!
If you believe there is anything this administration will not do to cement and perpetuate its power, I fear you are sadly mistaken. The only time Trump and his cronies tell the truth is when they are describing their next illegal and outrageous claim to absolute power. It is just a matter of time before they go after Dr. Richardson, Jay Kuo, Joyce Vance, etc.
It's not a matter of time ER, we are there already .
Its the night of the long knives.
Exactly Clayton.
And SCOTUS even more so!
Fascism always ends. It's a matter of when and how violent the overthrowing will be. I expect deaths in concentration camps by trump.
I canceled Disney subscription today. I also wrote a fine letter to Brendan Carr.
“I object to the politically motivated attack on ABC and Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show.
Jimmy voiced what the majority of Americans voters are thinking. His views are similar to those voiced by the President, although in reverse.
You’re a hypocrite. You allow Fox “News” to pour disinformation and propaganda into the airwaves daily. Then have the nerve to chastise Jimmy Kimmel. You have no shame, and no backbone.
Our country will perform a reset of Congress in a the coming year. You will understand where power actually is derived. History will not be kind to you and the fools in this Administration.”
I’m certain after reading my email he will come to his senses and issue a retraction. 🤨👍
I also believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny 😜🤣🤣
Unfortunately Fauxnooz does not come under the direct control of the FCC like the three MSM channels do. That is a situation that has needed a remedy for a very long time
Easy…50% of the country should just stop watching ABC. I know I will. The major networks are practically irrelevant anyway and this could simply be the right moment to drive them into bankruptcy.
Not JUST stop watching. Write ABC and tell them WHY you'll not be watching any more. And the same with Disney, Disney +, Hulu, and Nexstar.
And, HAMMER your local ABC affiliate, too!! Go after local businesses that advertise on ABC, and tell them WHY you're boycotting them! This needs to hit every corner of the nation, and it needs to start ASAP!!
My local ABC affiliate is the only non-Sinclair station in the region.
Sigh.
Surely true Margaret but it's not the first time ABC soils it's pants and embarrassingly gives up to the regime demand of submission in the name of profits. Hope this time it's the breaking point and we the people take this situation as seriously as it deserves and takes action.
And what better form of protest. Hit them where it hurts without drawing blood.
You can't draw blood if they don't have any Anne-Louise. Thanks for your reply 👍
Paying the blackmail just invites future demands.
Capitulation is no different than collaboration. I hope Kimmel sues the christ out of the. He should own ABC by the time his lawyers are done.
"A shrewd victor will, if possible, always present his demands to the vanquished in installments. And then, with a nation that has lost its character -and this is the case of every one which voluntarily submits - he can be sure that it will not regard one more of these individual oppressions as an adequate reason for taking up arms again." - Mein Kampf
The only book DT ever read. Then came Putin and he didn’t have to read. Just telephone.
A potent contribution. I can't even bring myself to like it, it is so terrible.
Trump's a crime boss that needs to be stopped.
it's an international crime organization, Epstein's sex trafficking of minors was part of that.
I saw tonight someone posted ‘This is the longest MAGA has ever talked about a school shooting’.
They will not stop selling their product soon either; Charlie kirk martyr. Charlie Kirk's memorial service will be Sunday, Sept. 21, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. All are invited to the venue with 63,400 seats. Kirk, at 6'5" tall, was motivated, enthusiastic and maybe even charismatic. That however can be said about most successful salespeople and Charlie was that. He was a damn good salesmen. Charlie was a community college dropout. Without any education whatsoever in American history, politics or economics he sold books he claimed to have written about it all. The first book was about free markets and small government, “Time for a Turning Point: Setting a Course Toward Free Markets and Limited Government for Future Generations” (2016). There are two authors listed; 1, Kirk who was almost 23 years old then, and; 2, Brent Hamachek who was 52 years old and a political and business consultant with a degree in finance and economics.
These facts combined with Charlie’s ridiculous and faulty reasoning in support of his racist, sexist, anti LGBTQ B.S. make me wonder whether Charlie actually wrote his next five books. A good project for an investigative reporter would be to use a technique known as stylometry (using advanced software, AI and statistical analysis) to find a "linguistic fingerprint" and thus the most likely author from a list of possibilities.
that stadium would be a good backdrop for the video of Epstein/ trump on Windsor Castle!
Kirk received a pretty good ass whomping at Oxford. Videos on YouTube. There’s a high possibility of a ghostwriter methinks.
IMO, it all just has the image of a promotion of a brand using an actor as the brand ambassador. Then force feed him with talking points. Imagine a community college dropout debating with Oxford debate team members. Reality TV BS.
I doubt he wrote any of them himself. No education and knowledge of history just a self-styled expert on everything. The dumbing down of America indeed
It's not just the talking KB, they are acting fast and decidedly as if that was on the planning and waiting for the first opportunity. And here we are again, being pushed every day closer to the abyss, the point of no return.
Don't forget the night of the long knives. It started very much like this.
History repeats itself although with little variations every time Clayton.
The murder of Kirk is trump's
Reichstag moment
I disagree. It is their Horst Wessel. The Reichstag moment is next.
💯 % the right comparison Doreen. Hopefully our nation doesn't end up as Germany did. What a terrible thought.
it's going to get terribly worse. buckle up but defend your democracy
Use/share this spreadsheet (bit.ly/Goodtrouble) as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to those in your own state, and those in a committee that fits your topic. Call. Write. Email. Protest. Unrelentingly. We deserve better ❤️🩹🤍💙
Things have become so bad in this country, I'm actually being forced to agree with Tucker Carlson of all scumbags.
Desperate times. Bizarre bedfellows. Chickenshit fascism.
Ha! I thought exactly the Dame thing!
",Same", not "Dame"
🤣
Thanks for the laugh! There is nothing like a Dame.
Dame Edna would agree -- may she rest in peace!
Rest in Peace? She wouldn't DREAM of it, possum!
🤣
I read it as "damn", so maybe same damn thing!!
My mind is still spinning. Really? Our democracy is going to die over flipping Charlie Kirk (HE is their martyr and savior???) and at the hands of Donald Trump, a spoiled, talentless (except for conning, he's very good at that), dull, tacky, classless, selfish, silver-spoon completely devoid of empathy or compassion but who somehow convinced the poor working class that he cares about them? If any fiction writer wrote any of this, the book would never be published because it is so unbelievable.
now people understand how Hitler was able to dupe the Germans and upend the Weimar Republic in in 10 months
Dana, my MAGAt crowd of retired cops is all over Kirk as a martyr and savior, and anyone who says anything contradictory (trust me, I know this part) is seen as a godless heathen. Which I am, of course.
He was just a white nationalist and a punk who loved to troll people. But then the religious MAGA think Trump is a literal savior even though he has broken every one of the ten commandments publically at least once and he exhibits the opposite of everything that Christ stood for (fictional character or no). If Christ is not a fictional character, Trump might very well be the Anti-Christ and the "Christians" are the ones who brought him to power as they further take the Christ out of Christianity.
We are living in a dictatorship. If they come for the comedians, no one is safe.
I suspect that you intend humour here, Mark; bravo.
Horribly you’re also on the mark with your comment.
There is a report in today’s BBC by Katty Kay, “Why America is at a dangerous crossroads…”, which highlights the dangers in the division and rancour between the sides, abetted by the freedoms in social media posting. IF (caps because I hope it never happens) Americans ever end up physically fighting one another over the differences between them, my hunch is that excessive repression (by the current administration) might be the trigger. I hope it never happens, but I can’t count on the current President of the United States to prevent it from happening…
I'm wondering if Kimmel will still be on YouTube 5 times a week. They said they won't air his show, but will it still be produced?
As HCR says, it will get worse from here, at least for a while. We can never give up. We can never back down. The world will get much darker but we must never stop shining light wherever it is needed to show the truth.
This is insane. This country is at a crossroads. It’s up to all of us to make sure we choose the correct road. Don’t leave! Stay and fight.
What precisely about America is left to be worth fighting for? Corn fields? Lynching? Time for the decent places to live to cut bait and tell flyover country to get fucked.
Essential workers need to protest by calling in sick and stay at home. Shut down the schools, air ports, and stop the delivery of mail. Bring the government and economy to a halt. The Trump administration will crumble and fail when they are blamed for this protest.
Did Jimmy Kimmel lie? Did he post videos that were false and AI generated? No. This is what is so disturbing. They get upset about the truth being told. They lie and lie andie about things that are easily proven to be false, but they lie anyway. It oggles the mind.
Kimmel was fired for criticizing the mango menace not Kirk.
In canceling Jimmy Kimmel, ABC has taken another giant step toward irrelevance and thus its own demise. Kimmel’s 20+ million young YouTube subscribers aren’t going to abandon him, they’re going to abandon ABC.
(I’m pushing 75. I abandoned ABC and the other two big national networks eons ago.)
Media outlets that bend the knee to the Trump Junta are, in the end, digging their own graves
I agree.