Randy Rainbow sings 'I Think I'm Gonna Hate It Here'

Today's post I can share next month, which is also next year, is Randy Rainbow singing I Think I'm Gonna Hate It Here.

Parody of “I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here” from ANNIE (Music by Charles Strouse, Lyrics by Martin Charnin)

Parody Lyrics by Randy Rainbow

Song Produced, Orchestrated, Mixed, Mastered by: Michael J Moritz Jr @michaeljmoritz

Vocal Arrangement - Brett Boles @thebrettboles

Lead and Backing Vocals - Randy Rainbow
Piano, Synths - Michael J Moritz Jr
Drums/Engineer - Billy LaGuardia
Brass - James Canty
Winds/Reeds - Andrew Snapp

Randy quoting sources on the Right calling convicted criminal Donald Trump's picks for his incoming administration "ideologically diverse" reminds me of a line from The Blues Brothers: "Oh we got both kinds. We got Country and Western!"


Snork!

Seriously, that supposed ideological diversity probably comes from former Democrats Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr., who I called cases of failing upwards. I thought I was done with both of them when they dropped out of the 2020 and 2024 Presidential contests, respectively. Instead, I could be writing about them for the next four years. Ugh. At least my readers and I have Randy and others to keep us sane. May Gabbard and RFK Jr. be like Ben Carson AKA Doctor Pyramid, about whom I ended up writing "At least you were too boring to write about for the past four [years]" after Carson's service as HUD Secretary. May we be so lucky with Gabbard and RFK Jr.

Randy's sponsor message also reminds me of what I wrote in the footnote to Randy Rainbow sings 'Look At Me, I'm MTG!'

Randy's plug of Ground News reminds me of what I wrote in Future Proof examines 'The RISE and FALL of Malls in America,' a tale of the Retail Apocalypse, "the paid promotion by Ground News reminds me that I promised a comparison and contrast between AllSides and the Media Bias Chart three years ago." I still haven't done that, but it really is time. Maybe when I make my monthly page view goal and write evergreen entries near the end of the month.

That would make a good post to share next month. Stay tuned to see if I actually write it.

Colbert, Meyers, and 'The Daily Show' take more closer looks at Project 2025

I telegraphed today's topic to conclude U.S. birth rates resume falling while life expectancy increases for World Population Day 2024.

I promise to return to Project 2025 tomorrow now that I've finished celebrating three holidays over two days. Stay tuned.

I'm revisiting Closer looks at Project 2025 and President Biden post-debate as Meyers, Colbert, and Stewart return from break with more from the late-night talk-show hosts. Time to work the eye!

I begin with Stephen Colbert at his desk explaining Project 2025 Is Trump's Blueprint For A Radical Conservative Takeover Of The U.S. Government.

Donald Trump claims to know nothing about Project 2025 but the truth is that over 200 of his former staffers are laying plans for a far-right takeover of the entire federal bureaucracy should the GOP candidate win in November.

Stephen, tell us what you and your writers really think!

Seth Meyers featured both convicted criminal Hoover Cleveland and the Project 2025 logo in the preview image for Trump Returns to Campaign Trail with Deranged FL Rally, Dems Meet on Biden's Future: A Closer Look even though it's not in the title.

Seth takes a closer look at Trump reappearing on the campaign trail with a deranged speech in Florida while Democrats are predicting doom in November.

It's been a long time since I mentioned Ben Carson AKA Doctor Pyramid here, so thank you, Seth, for giving my readers and me another chance to laugh at him, especially since he's one of the authors of Project 2025. Hoover Cleveland can't run away from Project 2025 the way Doctor Pyramid ran away from the reporter.

The Daily Show also examined Trump's Confusing Project 2025 Response & W.H. Dismisses Biden Neurologist Visit.

Desi Lydic & Jordan Klepper cover Trump’s contradictory tweet about Project 2025, President Biden’s Parkinson’s panic, and Gwyneth Paltrow’s shitty house guest. Michael Kosta also helps Desi & Jordan get to the bottom of all of Biden’s medical house calls.

While I'm glad Desi Lydic and Jordan Klepper made Project 2025 the core of this opening segment, they, like Colbert and Meyers, couldn't resist or avoid the drama around President Biden's candidacy. At least Klepper and the show's writers came up with something useful, "Google Ghislaine Maxwell." Hoover Cleveland wished her well, too.

I conclude with my recycled reaction from MSNBC examines Project 2025, part 5.

"I know nothing about Project 2025" — Convicted criminal Hoover Cleveland is doing his best Sergeant Schultz impression about Project 2025.

That means what John Oliver, MSNBC, and bloggers like me have been doing is working. Good. That encourages me to keep it up. As Tom Sullivan at Digby's Hullabaloo says, Time To Work The Eye.

As for Hoover Cleveland (un)truthing "I have no idea who is behind [Project 2025]," check out MSNBC's list of chapter authors.

All of them have worked for him, so of course he's lying. He's not fooling anyone but himself and his most devoted followers.
...
I leave my readers with the following list Digby embedded in Incomplete Cheat Sheet.

As I've written before, yikes! No wonder it's unpopular!

I promise to keep working the eye, but it might not be until Monday, as I might move up the Sunday entertainment feature to tomorrow because Sunday is Bastille Day. I already have plans for the last of three patriotic holidays I celebrate on this blog during July. Stay tuned.

'SNL' opens with Pence getting vaccinated then looks back at Trump's presidency

For the last time this year, I'm sharing clips from Saturday Night Live on a Sunday, beginning with Pence Gets the Vaccine Cold Open. Hi, Cornholio!

Vice President Mike Pence (Beck Bennett) and his wife Karen (Lauren Holt) receive the COVID-19 vaccine live on national television.

Oh, look, this sketch is like a "Christmas Carol" with three Vice Presidents, past, present, and future, onstage at once. Let's not forget the cameos by Rudy Giuliani and Ben Carson. No, Doctor Pyramid, no one will believe you were once a brain surgeon after the past five years. At least you were too boring to write about for the past four. Maybe if you had been handling the COVID-19 pandemic instead of Pence, things might have worked out better and people would accept that you still have "gifted hands." Nah, because Donald Trump would still have been a bad example and worse leader on the pandemic.

Speaking of the soon-to-be-ex-President, Weekend Update opened with A Look Back at Trump’s Presidency.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like Mike Pence and Mitch McConnell receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

"Barring a reverse Christmas miracle" — like a self-coup — "this is the last Weekend Update with Trump still in office." The cheer at the end of that line reminded me of the old Tonight Show skit where Ed McMahon would tell Johnny Carson as Karnak the Magnificent "I hold in my hand the last envelope," to which the audience would erupt in applause and Carson as Karnak would respond with a colorful insult in the form of a curse. I doubt Trump will be able to come up with anything as creative or funny in a retort, although he can always be more vicious.

Before I move on, I have this to say about the op-ed suggesting that Jill Biden not use Dr. Biden because she doesn't have an M.D. — go to Hell. As someone with a Ph.D. who worked hard to be called "Doctor," I fully support the future First Lady's right to be called Dr. Biden, even though she has an Ed.D., not a Ph.D. In fact, because of this controversy, I plan on making a Dr. Biden label for her.

Weekend Update had more to say about vaccines in Michael Che's Neighbor Willie on the COVID-19 Vaccine.

Michael Che's neighbor Willie stops by Weekend Update to discuss the coronavirus vaccine.

Micheal Che is right, none of that makes me feel better about the vaccines except that laughing at anything makes me feel better.

Weekend Update concluded with Weekend Update: Christmas Joke Swap 2020.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news and make each other read jokes they've never seen before live on air to close out 2020.

In case my readers don't get the joke about Scarlett Johansson, she's married to Colin Jost (lucky man!) and she's known for taking roles that people think should go to actors more representative of the role, so Che was making him tell an unflattering joke about his own wife. Now we know that he didn't look at that joke first!

That's it for "SNL" for the year and blogging for today. Off to correct more exams!

Doctors for the fifth year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News

I've been promising "another retrospective for Throwback Thursday" so here it is with only a couple of hours to spare.

The sixth most read entry of the fifth year of the blog was Doctors to Congress: Fund gun violence research at the CDC and NIH.  I'll be a good environmentalist and recycle the explanation of how it earned that status from Monthly Meta for December 2015.

The pattern continued with "Doctors to Congress: Fund gun violence research at the CDC and NIH" from December 3rd, which was the second most popular entry shared at the Coffee Party USA's Facebook page and the second most read for December.  It earned 1261 page views by the end of the month, 1274 according to the raw counter.  It ended the fifth year of the blog as sixth most read entry for that blogging year and ninth in the history of the blog with 1266 page views, 1309 from the raw counter.  It's now in 10th all time.

It has now fallen out of the top ten, being supplanted by Slow drip of Flint Water Crisis erodes Rick Snyder's approval, which has itself since been pushed out by John Oliver and FiveThirtyEight on Tax Day.  Sic transit gloria mundi.

Follow over the the jump for another post about doctors, or rather, one doctor in particular.

Colbert gives a 'Hunger Games' good-bye to Ben Carson

On Sunday, I warned my readers that a regular feature might be delayed.

Stay tuned for the Sunday entertainment entry, which may be delayed until anywhere between tomorrow and Thurssday.  That's happened before.

The Michigan Primary is over and the circus has left town, so it's now time to cash that rain check--or issue another one.  I'll have a proper entertainment entry later, but first here's this shiny object that combines the campaign with one of my favorite dystopian series, Hunger Games.  I present Late Night with Stephen Colbert in Hungry For Power Games: Carson Eversleep.  Looks like I wasn't done with Doctor Pyramid after all.

The sleepiest tribute of all has fallen, and not a moment too soon, as it has always been past his bedtime.

Hunger Games, Stephen Colbert, and the campaign--I couldn't resist!

I'll have some more DOOM tomorrow, as it will be the fifth anniversary of Fukushima, but the next week looks fairly festive.  Daylight Saving Time begins Saturday night, followed by Entertainment Sunday, Pi Day, The Ides of March, and St. Patrick's Day.  The next week looks fairly happy, too, as Nowruz, also the blog's fifth birthday, and Purim occur then.  Add in the several weeks of retrospectives over the past year, plus more election coverage, and it will be party time until April.

Doctor Pyramid departs--Examiner.com article and commentary

Ben Carson in Baltimore
Detroit native Ben Carson, seen here in Baltimore on March 1, announced that he will not attend the Republican debate in his old home town.
Jessica Kourkounis/Getty Images

Ben Carson not attending Detroit debate, sees no 'political path forward'

Thursday's Republican debate in Detroit will be missing the one candidate from Detroit.  In a statement on his Facebook page posted Wednesday afternoon, neurosurgeon and University of Michigan Medical School alumnus Ben Carson announced that he would not be attending the event.

"I have decided not to attend the Fox News GOP Presidential Debate tomorrow night in Detroit" Carson wrote.  "Even though I will not be in my hometown of Detroit on Thursday, I remain deeply committed to my home nation, America. I do not see a political path forward in light of last evening’s Super Tuesday primary results."

Carson stopped short of suspending his campaign in his statement.  "However, this grassroots movement on behalf of “We the People” will continue" Carson reassured his Facebook followers.  "Along with millions of patriots who have supported my campaign for President, I remain committed to Saving America for Future Generations. We must not depart from our goals to restore what God and our Founders intended for this exceptional nation."

More, including a Wochit video of the story, at the link; my readers will have to click on the link in the headline to view it.  However, the article also cites a poll EPIC-MRA did for WXYZ and the Detroit Free Press and the WXYZ video is here: EXCLUSIVE POLL: Trump leads among Michigan Republican voters, many support his proposed Muslim ban.


I'll blog about the second part of the poll's findings later.  Right now, I'll treat Carson as if he's suspending his campaign.  He may not be doing so just yet, but I'm sure he will when he addresses CPAC on Friday.  Follow over the jump.

Darth Trump strikes back as The Farce awakens

I'm not done with Darth Trump.  Here are three cartoons that feature him as evil Star Wars characters.

First, here he is as one of a rogue's gallery of Republican candidates as Star Wars characters.


Seeing this lineup is enough to make one drink.*

Next, Chris Christie isn't the only candidate who reminds cartoonists of Jabba The Hutt.


Just remember what Princess Leia did to her captor.  I'm sure the GOP would like to make life imitate art.

Finally, The Penguin Donald returns as the Dark Lord of the Sith.


Yes, The Farce is strong with this one.

*That reminds me that there is a Democratic Debate tonight.  Here are the drinks and drinking game rules for Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Martin O'Malley.  Happy debate watching, especially in the middle of a data breach scandal.

Carson and Rubio campaign on national security in Michigan

There was more to Ben Carson's visit Wednesday than I could cover in the Examiner.com article on his health care proposals.  Doctor Pyramid also responded directly and indirectly to Donald Trump on the topics of national security and immigration, particularly The Donald's comments on Muslims.  WXYZ focused on those in Dr. Ben Carson stops in Detroit area.

Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson stopped in Ypsilanti for a campaign stop.

Carson was more direct with the Detroit Free Press in the newspaper's interview.

The proposal from fellow GOP candidate Donald Trump to shut the nation’s doors to Muslims, was a violation of the United States constitution which prohibits discrimination based on religion, he said.

Instead, “We need to monitor the Internet to a much greater extent for early warnings and put out different messages to show people there is a very different way. We need to attack their servers and use cyber warfare against them,” Carson said in an interview with the Free Press. “I’d also be working with Imams and clerics and say you’ve got to help us to identify people who are radicalize and encourage the moderate Muslim population to recognize that they play an important role.”

I agree with Carson, which I take as another example of a stuck clock being right twice a day.

Carson wasn't the only Republican candidate to visit Michigan Wednesday.  Marco Rubio made a stop in Oakland County, which WXYZ covered in Rubio campaigns in Waterford.

Senator Marco Rubio is campaigning in Waterford as he visits Michigan.

Between Carson and Rubio, it looks like the Republicans have decided to make national security and the threat from the Sith Jihad a major campaign issue.  After the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, I shouldn't be surprised.

Examiner.com article on Ben Carson's health care proposals

Ben Carson, seen here speaking in Washington D.C., talked about health care in Ypsilanti Wednesday.
Getty Images.

The doctor was in Washtenaw County as Ben Carson talked health care

Detroit native Dr. Ben Carson returned to his home state on Wednesday, December 9, making three stops in Washtenaw County.  He began his day by touring the University of Michigan Medical School.  Carson then attended a fund-raising luncheon in Ypsilanti.  He finished his day speaking at the Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center for the “We the People Town Hall.”

As befitting one of the two doctors campaigning for the Republican nomination for President, the other being Rand Paul, Carson spoke about his ideas for health care.  Those include replacing the Affordable Care Act with what he called "Health Empowerment Accounts," overhauling Medicaid, and raising the age of eligiblity for Medicare to 70.

"We spend, in this country, twice as much per capita on health care than many other countries in the world, and we have terrible access problems. This is meant to really get rid of that. These empowerment accounts will be funded by the same dollars we use to fund everything today," Carson said to the town hall at EMU as quoted by MLive.

Details at the link.

Ben Carson sings "One Wittle Wee Wee"

The scrutiny of Ben Carson that included my razzing him in Doctor Carson and his Amazing Technicolor Labcoat looks likes it's taking its toll, as Politico reported Wednesday Ben Carson tumbles in national poll.  That survey had him tied for third place with Ted Cruz behind Donald Trump in first and Marco Rubio in second.*  Looks like the next Examiner.com article on Carson's polls won't show him leading Clinton and Sanders in Michigan.

It also means that jokes about the candidate, other than ones about his leaving the nomination contest, are approaching their sell by dates.  Since my wife found a good one, I'd better share it before it goes bad.  So in the spirit of Donald Trump dance remix, I present One Wittle Wee-Wee In America (Ben Carson).

One of the greatest Presidential Campaign songs of all time. Dr Ben Carson (Neurosurgeon) and his contribution "One Wittle Wee-Wee". For 'murica.

If you like this, please check out "Bad Lip Reading" on YouTube. This is a snippet from their original video, with some extra patriotism thrown in for my own entertainment.

Here's the full video, in which Doctor Pyramid gets the last song: "FIRST REPUBLICAN DEBATE HIGHLIGHTS: 2015" — A Bad Lip Reading of The Republican Debate.


If only these candidates were this funny in real life.

*The smart money is still on Rubio to beat Trump.

Examiner.com article on Carson leading Clinton and Sanders in Michigan

Detroit native Dr. Ben Carson, seen here on a book tour in Florida, led both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders among Michigan voters in a poll released Thursday.
Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

I wrote that I'd post "the latest news about Doctor Pyramid from Michigan" at the end of Doctor Carson and his Amazing Technicolor Labcoat.  Here it is from Examiner.com: Poll shows Carson leads Clinton and Sanders in Michigan while Trump trails.

EPIC-MRA released a poll Thursday commissioned for the Detroit Free Press and WXYZ television showing that Detroit native Dr. Ben Carson leads former U.S. Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton among likely voters in Michigan, 46 percent to 40 percent.  The poll also found Carson ahead of Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, 45 percent to 36 percent.

Real estate tycoon and former reality television star Donald Trump of New York fared less well in the poll.  The survey said that both Clinton and Sanders would beat Trump in Michigan if the election were held today.  Clinton led Trump 46 percent to 38 percent, while Sanders was ahead 48 percent to 36 percent.

“Clearly, this shows that what’s happening nationally with the surge for Ben Carson is happening in Michigan as well,” said Bernie Porn, president of EPIC-MRA, to the Detroit Free Press. “That quiet manner of his compared to the bombastic approach of Donald Trump is paying off right now.”  Porn elaborated on Carson's appeal for WXYZ, telling the station that “Voters like his style and it has resulted in a 42 percent favorability rate and only 30 percent unfavorable rate.”

More at the link, including a comparison with two national polls released Wednesday asking about the same or similar match-ups, a history of the polling for the candidates in Michigan, and reaction to the results.  There is also a video at the link.  I was hoping that this video from WXYZ was available, but I couldn't find it: Exclusive Presidential Poll.

Exclusive Presidential Poll on who would win for president if vote held today

Instead, it's this one from Wochit: Carson, Trump Get OK for Secret Service Detail.

Donald Trump and Ben Carson could soon have more company on the campaign trail -- in the form of a Secret Service detail. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday, "Homeland Secretary Jeh Johnson has authorized United States Secret Service protection for both Donald Trump and Ben Carson." The spokesperson said, That authorization came after consultation with an advisory committee in Congress made up of the Speaker of the House, the House Minority Leader, the Senate Majority Leader, the Senate Majority Leader, and an additional member selected by the Committee.

The latter is still on-topic and newsworthy, but not ideal.

Stay tuned for a busy weekend of posts.  I have entries on the rejection of the Keystone XL, the state marching band championship, and the first weekend of "Spectre" in the U.S. planned.

Crossposted to Michigan Liberal as EPIC-MRA poll: Carson leads Clinton and Sanders in Michigan while Trump trails.

Doctor Carson and his Amazing Technicolor Labcoat

Dr. Ben Carson has finally said something outlandish enough that it induced me to remark on it.  I'll let Wonkette have the honors of explaining: Surprise, Dr. Ben Carson’s Latest Pyramid Scheme Involves Actual Pyramids.*

My own personal theory is that Joseph built the pyramids to store grain. Now all the archeologists think that they were made for the pharaohs’ graves. But, you know, it would have to be something awfully big if you stop and think about it. And I don’t think it’d just disappear over the course of time to store that much grain.

Carson, of course, is referring to the well-known biblical account of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, in which a dream warns Joseph, held as a slave by the Pharaoh, to stockpile grain during a period of plenty to tide Egypt over during a seven-year famine, saving the grateful nation and inspiring a musical treatment by Andrew Lloyd Webber, which is why the Egyptians worshipped Cats. And to Carson, it’s obvious the huge granaries for that project would still have to be around, since everything in the Bible actually happened, like Noah’s Ark.

I guess Dr. Carson accepts the following advice, whether it comes from the Bible, folklore, or Andrew Lloyd Webber.


After all, it made the character of Potiphar from the Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat film rich.

Starring Maria Friedman as the Narrator, Joan Collins as Potiphar's wife and Donny Osmond as Joseph. From the 'film version of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.'

Follow over the jump for more.