CRANKY OLD FART
WITH THE NEWS #339

• Biden to nominate Elliott Abrams, who lied over Iran-Contra, to key panel
    Sometimes I wonder why someone like Biden goes into politics. As a young man, was he driven by a passion to make the world the same place it’s always been?• Seattle goes to court against chalk-on-sidewalk graffiti criminals
    “The victims of graffiti — the public as a whole, business owners, property owners, and others – must have a voice. Graffiti is a crime that has an enormously negative and costly impact.”
    To be clear, that’s City Attorney Ann Davison talking about the “enormously negative and costly impact” and the “victims”… of chalk on the sidewalk.

• US religious right at center of anti-LGBTQ+ message pushed around the world
    If these Republicans ever met Jesus, they’d have him arrested.• No discipline for Texas judge who used racial slur to describe Latino defendants
    How would you feel, if your name was Hernandez or Rodriguez, walking into court to have this judge decide your fate?• French President Macron wants the authority to block social media to curb protests
• Reddit NSFW protesters now given “final warning” by company • Aussie wingnut accuses zoo of faking the whole “gay penguins” thing • Maker of mysterious octagons on the seafloor finally revealed 

• Earth saw hottest day yet Thursday, the fourth straight global record • Farmers are struggling all across the Corn Belt • Heat waves of climate change could fuel urban violence

• Disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar stabbed multiple times at Florida federal prison
    Nothing
bad that happens to Nassar could make me sad, but I gotta say this:
    When
you’re in the custody of cops or jailors, ensuring your safety is
part of their job.
    So
every time someone’s assaulted by cops, or assaulted in a jail or
prison, even (like in this case) when the assailants aren’t cops or
guards, still, every time, a cop or a guard needs to be fired or at
least disciplined.
    Which, it goes without saying, doesn’t happen nearly
as often as the assaults.• Florida sheriff’s office employee allegedly made up a story about two Black men attempting to carjack him – after he shot himself in the leg while “playing” with his gun 

• San Francisco sends the riot squad to round up skateboarding kids • Henry County sheriff to make “changes” after four deputies suspended for use of force • Witness says several cops were standing over bloodied and beaten man, and then the cops left • Racism and ethical lapses alleged at San Bernardino Police Department • Point Pleasant’s detective commander caught on surveillance shoplifting at Walmart • Illinois Police Chief is suspended with pay for “unspecified reasons” • Cop indicted on 119 counts of child porn • Family of Melissa Perez files lawsuit after (another) police / mental health killing

• Florida bans driver’s licenses of immigrants living in US illegally
    My
immediate thought is that this violates Article IV, Section I of the
Constitution, wherein states must respect the laws and judgments of other
states.
    More immediately and obviously, I don’t think illegal immigrants visiting
Florida will suddenly park their cars and stop driving, but when there’s an
accident they’ll be more likely to flee the scene, and when there’s a
crime they’ll be more likely not to report it.• “He kicked me in my balls” — Fight at Michigan Republican meeting turns physical
    More Republican ball-kicking, please.
• Another “Moms” Moms” group funded by Big Lie donors is stoking voter suppression • Tennessee’s war on trans people: court OKs ban on gender-affirming care as Attorney General demands medical records • The only shocking thing about Clarence Thomas’ corruption is how little we’re doing about it

🖯  MY BROWSER HISTORY  🖯• The trillion-dollar grift: Pandemic relief • What did people do before smartphones? No-one can remember.
    Nobody remembers thinking, from back before smartphones. The article is supposed to be humorous, perhaps, though to me it’s simply sad.• Madalyn Murray O’Hair: An infamous First Amendment activist becomes the “most hated woman in America,” then mysteriously disappears (podcast)• When an app asks for permissions… • Remaining calm about climate change will kill us
by Adam McKay• The stats are in on Cannon
    If you’re old like me, you might remember Cannon, a 1970s private dick show. I watched weekly, and can still whistle the snappy theme song.
    Well, some old dude watched the entire box set to tally the action: 103 fist fights, and 183 gunfights. 

♫♬  AUDIO  ♫• Blue Moon — The Marcels • Excentrifugal Forz &  Apostrophe — Frank Zappa • I Love Rock n’ Roll — Joan Jett • Maggie May — Rod Stewart • Simple Song of Freedom — Tim Hardin 

👁  VIDEO  👁• Groundhogmanay of the Daleks • That’s a lot of laundry • Bob Newhart on King Kong • Even the bathroom rotates 

❔  MYSTERY LINKS  ❔• Click                   
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 ⚰️  THE DEAD  ⚰️ • Paul Justman • Mutulu Shakur

Cranky Old Fart is annoyed and complains and very occasionally
offers a kindness, along with anything off the internet that’s made me
smile or snarl. All opinions fresh from my ass. Top illustration by Jeff Meyer. Click any image to enlarge. Comments & conversations invited. Tip ‘o the hat to ye olde AVA, BoingBoing, Breakfast at Ralf’s, CaptCreate’s Log, Looking for My Perfect Sandwich, One Finger Medical, Two Finger Magical, Miss Miriam’s Mirror, Nebulously Burnished, RanPrieur.com, Spock Variety Hour, Voenix Rising, and anywhere else I’ve stolen links, illustrations, or inspiration.Special thanks to Linden Arden, Becky Jo, Wynn Bruce,
Joey Jo Jo, John the Basket, Dave S, Name Withheld, and always extra
special thanks to my lovely late Stephanie, who gave me 21 years and
proved that the world isn’t always shitty.