Three Time Loser

Oh - for fuck's sake, there was no assassination attempt. Not really. 

A gun. A might-be shooter. No shot. Nothing hit. No one hit.  .....and let's face it, the target isn't small. 

Let's face it: someone had a disastrous debate that social media was NOT letting go of. They / We were running it into the ground all at his expense. And LOVING it. And since his ego is onion paper thin, what could he do?  

Play his greatest hit. That's what. 

A "shooter" who knew where he'd be, even though by the would be victim's own admission, golfing was a last minute decision. Another "shooter" who could evade secret service until the last minute. A fund raising email referencing the shooting immediately after the incident - even though there was no shooting.  None. 

Leonard Berntstein couldn't arrange that kind of orchestration. 

Yes, his life is in danger, but mostly from fat and hopefully 95% clogged arteries. 

I respect people's views here about violence and all, but with this guy, you know, I'd turn a blind eye. Sometimes sacrifice for the greater good has to happen. He is collateral damage for this nation. For the world, really. 

While I know everyone thinks Tiffany is the simpleton of the family, I do think title goes to the fourth favourite son (and yes, I know there are only three.......but I'm standing by this). 

It seems Eric is hyper-unaware of his father's stance on guns, and lack of accountability for licensing, eduction, background checks and training for them. Also, you know, the entire GOP positioning. 

But as this was posted on ABC's IG site, I did answer Eric's question:

"Third time is a charm."

Song by: Dan Seals

Again

Yes, I'm using this image once again. 

Unfortunately it seems necessary. 

It's hard to miss some news, even though I have yet to visit a new site of any kind, even for this. 

I did see hear they 'captured the suspect', which I deciphered as that he was white.  

And since there hasn't been a female who has done a school shooting since the Boomtown Rats recorded "I Don't Like Mondays", I'm assuming it was guy. 

It just seems all too predictable. 

Granted the NRA can't be blamed for all of it. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have done little (read: almost nothing) to prevent this or even provide any kind of speed bump. The Dems pretend to care, which is a little more than the GOP's not giving a fuck at all. No one moves off the dime. 

Not that I want any kid to die, but as it happens all too often, just once it has to be a senior politician's kid or grandkid. Sorry - it just has to be if there is going to be any movement at all. A freshmen representative's kid isn't gonna cut it. 

When I heard this happen, I immediately thought of comedian Anthony Jeselnik's take on this. Say what you will about him, but in this clip, he is spot on. 

It's not even comedy. It's political commentary. 

Song by: Janet Jackson

Reverse Psychology

Honestly, the Democrats are just stupid as fuck. And I should know - I'm one of them. 

Gun control has not worked. They can't even get it up for a vote, let alone pass diddly squat. Fuck, they're not even smart enough to have a good debate where they're not shut down. 

Naturally, you're debating with someone who is even a bigger idiot, so that's never gonna work in the first place.  

Logic and statistics mean nothing. NOTHING. 

So stop. 

I'm going to give them the key - right here, right now. 

Tell the GOP motherfuckers it is required for every household to have an AR-15 or larger weapon. Call for a mandate on those weapons. Required to have. Must have. No exceptions. 

The GOP will ban weapons that very day, just so the Dems don't get their way. 

Plain and simple. 

If a Democrat said the sky was blue, there'd be legislation stating it is illegal to say "blue" when describing the sky.  

It's very simple:  make every day Opposite Day. 

Reverse psychology. 

They're gonna do whatever the Dems don't want to, so change the narrative. Say you DO want to do something even though we don't, and the GOP will try to fuck us over doing the exact other thing.  Honestly, it will like a decade before anyone catches on. 

You're welcome!

Song by: Debbie Gibson*

*no, I don't own it and never heard it. But I didn't own a song with that title, so I looked it up on the iTunes. 

How Much More?

I don't really have anything.  And if I write about the shootings at Michigan State, I'm kind of making myself out to be a big fat liar, as I said I was going to write about shootings in the U.S. 

I mean, I am two of those things, so may as well just round it out. 

Oddly (not really) there were two other events happened close in timing. 

1. 710 had 'active shooter' training yesterday. In person. 

Seriously, I said, "show the 'Run, Hide, Fight' video everyone else does for safety training".  He said, they did. I said, "it's on YouTube", and replied - "thats how they played it." But the actually brought in two police officers to conduct this training. It doesn't seem like time well spent. 

2. Where I work is affiliated with, and adjacent to, a university. Apparently Monday afternoon, as many people left work, there was an "active shooter" situation at said university. It's unclear if it was just a gun that was seen, or one that was used.  For this writing, I'm not sure it matters. 

Hundreds of people, myself included, were leaving around that time. But not notification of anything going on. My work has a safety app that pushes messages. There were to be none. 

Yesterday there was an email from our COO, stating, we should download the university's app to get messages.  WTF?  Out police force knew about - and nothing. Apparently keeping staff and patients safe is less of a priority than - I dunno - bad word of mouth? 

I'd say, "I need another app like I need a hole in the head"........but you know............

BTW - the note on the rock in the image?  The question is rhetorical. 

Song by: the Go-Go's

Shot Down

 

Honestly, this might be the last post I do on gun violence / mass shootings in the U.S. 

I mean, what's the point? 

Seriously - look at the headline above. We are 24 days into the year.  I mean, I know I'm not influencer in law or on-line, and clearly no one is doing one fucking thing about ANY of this. 

I'm just wasting time and keystrokes here. You're wasting time reading this nonsense. And in 2023, we're doing both while people bleed out from multiple gunshot wounds. And Congress is more worried about pride and trans flags flying over embassies. They're pro-life, but only if you're a 6 week old fetus wanna be. Other than that, fuck you. 

Fuck Them.  Both parties. 

Not for nothing, but the Doomsday Clock was just moved to 90 seconds to midnight. 

.....or the closest we've come to the apocalypse since it was created in 1949. 

Mind you, this has more to do with making the Earth uninhabitable, or you know, nuclear annihilation, but let's face it - the chance of any of us dying at the hands of gunman (yes 'man' !!) are more realistic than Putin or Jun Un ending life for everyone because they have their thongs in a bunch. 

Doom is Doom - one way or the other. It's hard inhabit the Earth with a bullet through your skull. 

So yes, maybe I will post again on gun violence, but it's gonna have to be a doozy. They keep upping the game - and the numbers - so, it's really gonna have to get my attention.  

.....and that is just fucking sad.   And frightening. 

Song by: the Sonics

Shot Down

A new year, a new shooting. Possibly killing. There isn't a determination on if the teacher will live. 

By accounts, the teacher had reprimanded the student on his behaviour.  The next day he brought in a gun and shot her. 

So.....yay. 

I did post on social media that we can stop pretending to cloak our gun violence issues on 'mental illness'. It's a bullshit excuse and it always has been. 

While clearly there are parental issues going on here - we have a gun problem. Plain and simple. 

Of course, it's not so simple. You think it would be. But it really isn't that hard either. Believe it or not, the problem isn't insurmountable. 

I'd say this kid has his college entrance essay all written, but who are we kidding, this kid isn't going to juvie or college. This wasn't a whim on the kid's part. It was calculated - and yes, even for a 6 year old. If he goes into the foster system, or if he's scared in whatever institution in which they've placed him, I'm not sorry for whatever tears he sheds. 

I'm assuming - and hoping - the teacher's family goes after the kid's family and takes them for all their worth, which I'm guessing is about $238.  The gun was probably the fanciest thing they owned. 

.....and the kid got it. Easily. 

On a Family Guy episode, Stewie & Brian become a folk duo who write songs from a child's point of view. Most of them a humourous.   This one, is just spot on.   (I think it should start in the right place and it's only a few seconds long.)

Song by: Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Life'll Kill Ya

While I had no blog post planned for today, even I thought, "Blob, you should do something that isn't about mass shootings". 

.....but fate had other plans. 

I'm sure Ted Fucking Cruz is touting some: "......if the hospital only had one door, this wouldn't have happened...." bullshit.

Part of me hopes these keep up right until the mid-terms. 

I mean, they are going to keep happening. History has taught us this. So let's just keep 'em coming in these gun loving states of Texas and Oklahoma.  Let them keep killing their own. 

Maybe - just maybe - someone........anyone.......will get the message.  And maybe right around election time. 

There I go again. That fucking potential, but never gettable, silver lining.  "Maybe this time".  

Yes, insanity. Doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results.  

I'm a moron. 

Song by: Warren Zevon

Kill

I'm still on a gun rant.  There is no 5-day waiting period for that. But apparently, no one else seems to adhere to that phony bullshit. 

Just days after the mass school execution, our Sunday paper opted to take money to run this four page ad - three times.............in a row. Not three days in a row.  Ad after ad........for 12 full pages......right before the Mini-Page and comics. 

I shit you not. 

I do love the "Father's Day" angle.  Hey Kids - get your "dad" a gun. 

Maybe pops would be less thrilled when he finds Jr. took the gun to school and killed a bunch of kids. But YAY for shooting and killing things!

Song by: Jimmy Eat World

Hell is for Children

Almost 10 years after Sandy Hook, and nothing has changed.  Not a g-ddamn fucking thing. 

Well, not true. As of yesterday, you can add 14 more elementary school children to the death statistics. 

Truth be told, I got home from work and saw the headline and that's it.  I've read nothing. Nor do I plan to. It is far too sad in so many regards. 

Say what you want, and while every life counts in this regard, it seems a lot lot worse when they are elementary school-aged kids. We are number to the high school shootings, which the shooters are usually high schoolers themselves. 

But this is Texas. A gun state. Ironically, a severe pro-life state - unless your trans, then they're not. But gun deaths of children there don't mean prof-life. It means more pro-gun.  Arm everyone and this won't happen. 

Reality: arm everyone and it happens more often. 

The NRA is having their convention in Houston next week. Their last in-person convention guns were not allowed in the venue.  Irony. 

In more reality news, around the same time as the newest shooting, Ohio gets this:

And with this fucking shit-eating grin too. 

Irony #2:  Firearms are prohibited at the Ohio Statehouse. 

While not at retirement age, we are nearing it. We've been wondering what to do in our aging year - and where. But the where had been beach? city?   Now the discussion has turned to: which country? 

It's not longer a "joke". You cannot emigrate to Canada. It's not that easy. But I'd gladly live out my days in Paris.  But with this gun shit, women's rights, the soon to be challenged same-sex marriage and the potential return of BLOTUS (which = the last dying gasp of the U.S), the joke is no longer funny. 

Yes, we'd miss some family, and friends, but at least I'd have peace of mind. 

I think. 

Song by: Pat Benatar

Bullet with Butterfly Wings

 I'm just gonna leave this right here.  

Song by: Smashing Pumpkins

Shoot

This is one of the better stories I've heard in a while - and g-d help me, I hope it's true. 

The former head of the NRA - which I swear in my extended lifetime has always been Wayne LaPierre - David Keene spoke at "a graduation" (oh yes, quotes) for 3,044 students. 

Well, Keene did, as did John Lott, a guns right activist. 

The pair were told it was a dry run......a practice session for James Madison Academy. 

And 3,044 empty chairs represented the 3,044 students who would have graduated high school this year, had it not been for their deaths due to gun violence. 

It seems that neither men believe in background checks - for gun ownership or checking out where they're giving a speech. Had they, one of them might have stumbled upon the fact that James Madison Academy does indeed not exist. 

Allegedly, their speeches were pro-gun, and even mentioned that Madison was a proposed the 2nd Amendment.ro-gun. Keene told the empty crowd that “many” of them would “be among those who stand up and prevent” changes to laws aimed at addressing gun violence in the country. 

Oh, sweet sweet delicious irony. 

Song by: Sonic Youth

Out of Control

This sign, to your right, allegedly sits at a church across the street from Congress.  I cannot attest this to be true.  I looked at a detailed map of all sides of the capitol but didn't really see a church.

"Across the street" could mean just about anything or anywhere in internet terms.

Still, real or not, the message remains a truism.

I am fully committed to there needing to be something to be done regarding gun control.

I am also fully aware that if Sandy Hook and Parkland didn't spur a single fucking thing, that with the Senate Majority leader still in place, nothing - and I mean NOTH-ING - will be done. Moscow Mitch said as much yesterday.  He'd only put 'something' forward if BLOTUS agreed to sign it.

Sign what? 

If you don't have a detailed, oh say, bill, how would you know that Congress would pass it to even BE signed?  So, it sounds like Moscow Mitch and BLOTUS would concoct and go back to Congress as opposed to way 243 years of procedure is supposed to work.

I'd say it's 'baffling' except that anymore it is not - and it is borderline dictatorship. The "president" telling the legislative branch what they're thinking / doing.

You want to know what else is baffling?    This!

Srsly.  While I applaud them, WTF? 

I'm guessing only because they've had two shootings at their stores this year alone.  When Walmart is seemingly (I'm not sold on anything they say) on the right side of history, it makes me start to question everything I've done..........ever!

Don't worry folks. The internets brought me back to reality with this one.

I'll just end the post with that.



Song by: the Rolling Stones

Over & Over

Two Parkland suicides within a week. And an additional one from the father of a Sandy Hook student.

W.T.F.

Parkland has kind of broke the barriers on so many aspects of a mass shooting. Almost never has their been a student response like the one they had. Never have they been so outspoken, so visible. They've taken a tragedy and made it a teachable moment.  Moments.

Now it's time for round two..............unfortunately.

The reality is, the tragedy doesn't stop with the funerals and the reopening of the school doors - though with drop in coverage, many would think that is where it ends. Trauma lasts for years, decades or a lifetime. I think this is pretty evident in the last few days.

I don't really know how people get over these kind of events. Right now, it is clear that some do not, if any of them do.

It is hard to quantify the cost of these events. There are direct and indirect costs - the latter harder to actualize.  There is the amount of money and time on therapy. There is just the time off of work / school and the downstream loss of revenue from that - and all that entails.

I think the most distressing thing about these suicides is - after all said and done - they were carried out with the item that affected their lives so much prior to this:  a gun.

As the country (read: government) is unwilling to do anything to stop mass shootings - of kids or adults - this is a cycle that will go on.  And on.

It seems the next step is to educate, educated, educate after these shootings. While I don't think any of the survivors and families want to live their lives in the media, the second someone stops broadcasting, most of us stop remembering and stop helping.

The GOP might be unable to really pull off trickle-down economics, but they certainly have a huge success rate of trickle-down murder / suicide.




Song by: Fleetwood Mac

Caring is Creepy

It has finally happened.

A mass shooting and almost no one cared.

Maybe it's because it happened on a Sunday, and folks were busy doing weekend things.  Maybe because it wasn't at a school.  Maybe it was because for eons "they've" said that video games causes violence and makes people kill people.

Or maybe, it's because it happens so often, no one truly cares anymore.

For g-d's sake, I didn't even hear anyone give phony "thoughts & prayers"™.    So you know it's bad.

And it was a Madden Football Video game tournament. It wasn't a shoot-em-up, Grand Theft Auto thingy.  The chances are, if anyone was gonna die at a Madden competition, it would have been from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.   .....or a DVT from sitting on their asses playing video games all day.

What do you do with white-on-white crime?  Politicians aren't engaged in that.  NRA ain't touchin' it.  Media didn't really overdo it like they do every other story. 

This is the numbing down of America.




Song by:  the Shins

50,000 Watts

Not only is J.J. Watt hot, talented and genuinely seems like a decent guy, he's a do-gooder too.

While looking to raise $200,000 for Hurricane Harvey relief last year, he ended up raising $37,000,000 instead. And he help load the trucks, not just for a photo op.

He's doing one better for the families of victims in Santa Fe, TX.  ....if you can call this 'better'.  Watt is paying for the funerals for all the victims.

It's nice move in what should be an unnecessary gesture.

I'd say another school shooting shouldn't have happened, but here we are.....like clockwork.  Since nothing has been done since the last 429 school shootings, why would anyone think it wouldn't happen again........and again........and again.

We have the usual dipshit politicians weighing in, of course. Again, just like clockwork.  The Lt. Governor of Texas - because the actual governor can't speak up? - citing too many exits and entrances in schools.

Guns don't kill people; too much egress does.  Of course, he's missing the obvious:  When (not if) a gunman got into the school, the students / targets are trapped with no way out.  Yeah Yeah - I know he meant only having one access point in, I'm assuming.  But you have to have multiple exits, so really, where there's a will, there's a way.

The bigger political jackass of course is BLOTUS. His insistence after the Parkland, FL shooting that something had to be done.  His snubbing of those students in person and then at the NRA national meeting where he puckered up, then extended his tongue firmly and deeply up their anuses.

He will be no change-agent when it comes to gun control, but of course, he had the fucking audacity to say, "This has been going on too long in our country. Too many years. Too many decades now.”

Is he fucking serious? Is he the last to know?

Grow up folks - he's placating you. He doesn't give a shit about school shootings unless it's about arming teachers and making sure the NRA is still happy. They're just words.....not even good ones.

So now the countdown clock has been reset. The silver lining is school is almost out for the year. So I guess - watch out churches!



Song by: Rosanne Cash

Open All Night

Another mass shooting.  Another time I'm not remotely surprised.

Of course, the location and dress, or lack thereof, is what made the story unique........at least to start.

Nekkid he came.  Nekkid he shot.

I never bother with the shooters name. It's meaningless and they're not going down in the annals of history or anything. They are blips. Giving them names - repeating and publishing them - gives them a feeling of power, or being someone.  They're not.

First off - the only wearing a jacket into Waffle House was a genius move. Do you know how sticky every surface is in there?  Boysenberry syrup all over the counters and floors. That stuff is murder to get out of your clothing.     (too soon?)

Practically though, it's probably harder to trace a scent, should one be using dogs, if you dress later.

While of course the murders are horrible - W.T.F. with the FBI and this dude's dad?

The FBI confiscates this will-be killer's guns a year ago after being arrested near the White House (which now is really just a northern Waffle House.....with the same clientele).......and gives the fucking guns BACK to his father? 

What the hell, man?

I don't care if they were owned by the dad or not (and I don't know if they were). But when Secret Service and the FBI see you as a threat here's a little hint:   keep. the. confiscated. weapons.

...and dad just giving them back to the kid?   I'm sorry - but this guy is an accomplice. The criminal court might not see it that way, but I bet the civil one will. Doubtful that guy will have anything to give the defendants, but fuck it, take everything he owns and sell it.

The truly plausible part of this whole tale?  The "delusions" that Taylor Swift was stalking the gunman. It's quite possible. I mean, is there anyone left she hasn't dated?




Song by: Darryl Hall & John Oates

Terrorise Me

BLOTUS believes that Wayne Lapierre and his cronies are - and I quote - 'great American patriots'.


Bitch, please!


I call them: accomplices.

As you saw in yesterday's post - they are terrorists. Well, I think they are.

I suppose the big news yesterday could have been the new charges brought up against Manafort and Gates.  ....and it is big news, but laundering $30,000,000?  Big whoop.

The NRA moves that kind of money around every election - we are worried about Russian infiltration when we already have someone manipulating the outcomes of our elections.

But can we go back to the 'accomplice' part??

You know, Charles Manson never stabbed or shot one person in the Tate-LaBianca crimes. Yet those were the crimes that put him away for life........until death.

Sure, Charlie provided the means, and maybe even the idea, to use those means to kill others. And still, he rotted away in prison  - oh and convicted - for seven counts of first degree murder.

Hell, he wasn't even seen as an accomplice, but as a murderer.

In theory, we have a mass murder, walking around free, conspiring with and funding the biggest politicians in the country.

His name is Wayne Lepierre.


I have way more respect for Manson.



Song by: Neil Finn

Turning Tide

Colour me surprised.



NOT.


Note: I did not place BLOTUS' lie statement that he asked his Keebler Elf to "propose changes that would ban bump fire stock".

It's a "we'll look into it" to placate the people who have their panties in a wad.

Maybe it's me, but the aftermath of this school shooting seems different. These kids are not not going to be heard. ...and I fucking love it.

There are some viral videos going around of camera crews following law makers who have accepted NRA money and asking what they are doing more than sending - yes, say it with me - "thoughts and prayers".

They're not getting to real big law makers. And some accepted.......$3,500.  Oooooh.  They're not getting to the Rubios or Portmans who are in $3,000,000 (and up) range.  $3,500 isn't anything in the scheme of things.......though it means their vote is cheap.

What I don't hear these folks with the cameras asking - and not that it would ever be answered is - "is absolute support of the 2nd amendment and lax gun control worth the cost of a few dozen children's lives every few months?"

Should anyone find a backbone to even reply it's a no win answer for said person - which is why they don't touch it (not that I've ever heard the question asked in the first place).

But really - isn't that what it comes down to ?   What is acceptable amount of lives lost before there is reasonable gun control?

Right now, the number seems to be "infinite".    There seems to be no limit.


B.T. Dubs....... Loving the NY Daily News cover.........again.

Song by: Clannad

In the Mood

 I'm still bent out of shape over that last school shooting - but the good thing is, those students are NOT letting up.

But instead of a diatribe here from me.........I'm just throwing up some screen shots I've been seeing.....

Submitted almost without comment.

We just had fire and tornado drills when I was growing up. 

Students today have very very different reality. 

I'll leave it on a positive note. 

Song by: Robert Plant

Nothing Ever Changes

Business as usual.

I mean, it is, right? 

Thoughts and prayers have been distributed per protocol. Nothing done in regards to either gun control (not elimination) or mental health services....per protocol.

Add 17 to the 'dead' list.

Spare me the 'had the teachers been armed...' bullshit. You have a 19 year old terrorist with an AR-15 that can unload 600-700 rounds per minute. But he's part of a well regulated militia, so we're all good.  I mean, except for those 17.

Personally, I wish these fucking politicians just came out and were honest about their feelings for their lobby-group: "A few dozen dead bodies per month is the price we pay for 'freedom'".  Clearly, they're saying it anyways........just not out loud. I might respect their honesty, but not their thoughts. Or their beings. Right now, they get zero respect.

And yes, if there must be a few dozen deaths per month due to 'senseless shootings', I fully advocate those deaths be family members (especially their children and grandchildren) of the senators and representatives who so strongly and steadfastly defend guns without, or with few(er), restrictions. The ones who take NRA money.

Make no mistake. I want the senators and representatives to be spared. I want them to have to live with that every single fucking day of their lives.

Forever.

Harsh?  Absolutely.

But their actions (or lack of) affect thousands of families per year. Let it truly touch those who influence laws and have let it happen to others.

Until then? Well.......I'll see you back here in a week or two when the counter goes back to 0 days.




Song by: Stevie Nicks