Month: January 2018

Andrew Jackson’s parrot

The controversy over Trump’s “shithole” comments has revived interest in cursing by prior presidents.

My favorite story concerns Andrew Jackson’s parrot.  It attended his funeral but was removed because it was cursing.  You can find lots of articles online with the basic story but none that show what the parrot said.  I guess we’ll never know. The story has not been authenticated.

Covers: When I Paint My Masterpiece

“When I Paint My Masterpiece” is a rare instance where the cover version was released before the original recording.  The Band’s version is on their 1971 album Cahoots.  Bob Dylan, who wrote the song, also recorded it in 1971 and released it on 1972’s Greatest Hits. Vol. II. (Not available on YouTube).

A live version by Dylan and the Band recorded at the 1971 concerts that became the Band’s Rock of Ages (1972) was issued on the 2001 remaster.

Dylan has changed lyrics over the years.  The Band’s version and the live version have “Got a date with a pretty little girl from Greece.”  Dylan has changed it to “Got a date with Botticelli’s niece”.  The first recording, released on Another Self-Portrait has a girl from Greece.

The official lyrics have Botticelli’s niece.

Another unqualified Trump appointee

A 24-year-old Trump campaign worker was appointed to a high position at the National Office of Drug Control Policy.   His only post-college work was on the Trump campaign.

He is clearly unqualified.  At least he’s not an obvious bigot like some other Trump appointees. Now, we learn that he was let go from a job he held in college because he missed work.  He has also revised his resume after the Washington Post checked into it.  Sad!

Make America Horny Again

I am amazed that the there hasn’t been much reaction to the story that Trump allegedly had an affair with a porn star and paid her off to be quiet.  Evangelicals are showing themselves to be hypocrites.  Apparently, Trump can do anything immoral but it’s fine if he’s opposed to abortion.

Stormy Daniels appeared yesterday at a strip club in South Carolina.  This Washington Post article describes the scene.

Now there’s a Ben Roethlisberger role in the affair.

The payoff may have been an illegal campaign contribution.  Sad!

The latest group of Trump judicial picks

The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved 17 Trump judicial nominees.

They include Thomas Farr from North Carolina, who was opposed by the Congressional Black Caucus and has a long history of white supremacy.

Republican Senator Burr from North Carolina, who supported Farr, had previously blocked the Obama selection of an African-American woman for a judicial appointment.  African-Americans are 27% of the population of the area covered by the court but there had never been an African-American judge in that district.  Sad!

Chronology of the “shithole” comments

Here’s the chronology of the Trump “shithole”  comments.

Thursday: Trump makes his “shithole” comment in a meeting

Friday:  The Washington Post reports the “shithole” comment and states that “White House officials did not dispute the account.”  Democratic Senator Durbin, who was in the meeting,  says that Trump said “shithole”.   Republican Senator Scott says that Republican Senator Graham, who was in the meeting, confirmed the Washington Post account.

Trump tweets that the Democrats made it up.  However, he allegedly takes a “victory lap” by phoning people to see how it played out in the press.

Republican Senators Perdue and Cotton, meeting participants, said they did not recall Trump saying these comments specifically.

Republican Senator Flake, who was not in the meeting, tweets that Trump’s comments “were not “tough,” they were abhorrent and repulsive”

Sunday: Now, Senator Cotton says that Trump did not say “shithole countries”.   Why didn’t he remember this on Friday?

Trump said “shithole”, lied about it and is being helped by other Republicans to make it seem like it didn’t happen.  Sad!