Because the US taxpayer profited SO MUCH from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Someone/Some groups made a lot of money on those wars. A wild guess tells me it wasn't the majority of taxpayers. 

RT: US will ‘make a ton of money’ from Iran war – senator.

Lindsey Graham has described the ongoing conflict in the Middle East as “a good investment” 

To quote Sporanos' character Paulie Walnuts regarding Graham, "[he's]  a wormy co᧑ksucker." 

Of course if you're rah-rah bomb Iran pom-pom girls, when not long ago Graham was on your sh/t list because of his commitment for "everything for Ukraine/Zelensky", it's amusing to see you pivot so damned fast. TF is wrong with you?

Tuesday's Friday Morning Music Video

The Sopranos original opening. Other than the credits (guest stars, writers, directors), it remained unchanged its entire span, except after Season 3, because of 9/11, the Twin Towers images were removed.

Full song and band info HERE.

Father's Day Close-Out.

Hoping all Dads (Grand-dads, etc) out there all had a great day. Some of us no longer have our Dads around. I'm in that club; for a number of years. Father's Day isn't the same. Same for Mother's Day. Just move forward. My favorite Tony Soprano quote is, "Try and remember the times that were good." 

Phil had a great day. He came to mind the moment I saw the cartoon: 

^  Gary Plauché  ^

^AMEN!

Everyone stick around so we can do this again next year. 👍

The largest and most influential lobbying group isn't a lobbying group.

The American-Israeli Political Action Committee (AIPAC) doesn't have to register as a foreign lobby group, isn't that convenient for them? 

It's not only AIPAC. They're the tree with many, many branches. How many?

Israeli-Palestine News: The Israel lobby: A List.

It consists of numerous institutions and individuals that work to influence Congress, the president, academia, the media, religious institutions, and American public opinion on behalf of Israel. It has been active in the U.S. for many decades.

These groups drive legislation to expend $20 million per day on behalf of Israel despite Israel’s violations of international law and U.S. law, and Israel’s long documented human rights abuses[.]

Hit that link. You'll get a sore finger from scrolling, the PARTIAL list is that long.

Here are more pro-Israel PACs.

And the site below, a user friendly data base of tracking who and what AIPAC is influencing ⏬.

Track AIPAC.

About Us
It's time for accountability in Washington D.C.

We are grassroots volunteers tracking AIPAC, the Israel lobby, and their anti-democratic influence on the United States.

Friday Morning Music Video

The Sopranos original opening. Other than the credits (guest stars, writers, directors), it remained unchanged its entire span, except after Season 3, because of 9/11, the Twin Towers images were removed.

Full song and band info HERE.

I can't believe it's 25 years.

RS: 'The Sopranos' Turns 25: How David Chase's Series Changed the TV Rules.

On January 19, it will be 25 years since The Sopranos debuted. A lot of people have said over the last quarter century that the series fundamentally changed television.

David Chase pitched The Sopranos to all the networks. They turned it down. He went to HBO who said, "Sure." The best decision HBO ever made.

Yes, it did change television, imho, it's the Citizen Kane of dramatic series. We have the series on DVD. Over the years I've watched it, beginning-to-end, 5(?) times. I've never noticed a continuity error. And it never Jumped the Shark.

James Spader's The Blacklist ends 10 season run.

** Story & Links contains Spoilers. ** 

If you haven't yet viewed Thursday's Final 2 Episodes Finale which concluded the ten year run of "The Blacklist," SKIP reading this post. 

5,
4,
3,
2,
1,
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.
.
.
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9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1,
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Ten seasons,  we never missed a live, broadcast episode; except I did miss one episode the first season which was the only season I recall having some reruns. So I caught the rerun prior to the next new episode. 

Thursday night's Finale? For me it was expected, but not. Fitting and in keeping with the Reddington character, yet, not really. But definitely par for "The Blacklist" course. Is Red dead? Maybe. Maybe not. 

Entertainment is subjective. For me, The Blacklist ranks right up there with The Sopranos (best series ever), Weeds, Black Mirror, The Prisoner (original series) The Rockford Files and ZNation.

Cinema Blend: James Spader Reveals How He Feels About The Blacklist’s Ending.

Hard to believe 3-4 other actors were considered to play Reddington before Spader, among them Keifer Sutherland who turned it down. Now that it is, it's impossible to imagine any other actor portraying Red than Spader.

The Ending. Bail now if you don't want a SPOILER. 

The initial hook of The Blacklist, for me, was Spader, the story arc of The Global Cabal and the Fulcrum, and anytime Spader as Reddington shot or killed somebody. 

The supporting cast and re-occurring characters are fantastic. Few long-running series manage to continue excellent standards of writing over multiple seasons. The Sopranos and The Blacklist are shining examples. 

It was a fitting ending. It worked.

*Published post then had to revert to Draft to fix the video, then repost. FIXT!

Target's VP of brand management is treasurer at LGBTQ group that pushes school districts to allow children to secretly change gender.

Daily Mail: REVEALED: Target's VP of brand management is treasurer at LGBTQ group that pushes school districts to allow children to secretly change gender: Company donated $2.1 million to organization.

A marketing executive at Target also serves as the treasurer of a LGBT organization which receives millions of dollars from the retailer and advocates allowing trans and nonbinary school students to keep their gender identity secret from parents.

Carlos Saavedra, 43, is Target's vice president for brand management and also volunteers as a director at GLSEN, which supports LGBTQ youth in schools.

Details of Saavedra's role at GLSEN come as Target's donations to the organization were placed under the spotlight following a backlash to the retailer's Pride month range, which includes 'tuck-friendly' women's swimwear.

Target has reportedly donated $2.1 million to GLSEN, whose policies include ensuring school staff should 'ensure that all personally identifiable and medical information relating to transgender and nonbinary students is kept confidential'.

GLSEN's policy said this should include withholding the information from 'parents or guardians... unless the student has authorized such disclosure'. Critics say the policy 'violates [a parents'] right to parent their own children]'.

 .

No conflict of interest here between Target and Saaverda's organization and no attempts at grooming going on, not at all.

Another Cynical, Useless, Gun-Control Push by Democrats.

Townhall: Get Ready for Another Cynical, Useless, Gun-Control Push by Democrats.

All mass shooters obtain guns illegally, or legally before having any criminal record (or because of a mistake by the police, as was the case in Charleston and elsewhere). Most incidents are perpetrated by young men who have exhibited serious antisocial behavior. In many, if not most, cases, the shooter is already on the cops' radar because he has threatened others, as was the case from the Parkland shooter to the Highland Park shooter to the Half Moon Bay shooter and many, many others. In a study of mass shootings from 2008 to 2017, the Secret Service found that "100 percent of perpetrators showed concerning behaviors, and in 77 percent of shootings, at least one person -- most often a peer -- knew about their plan." The best thing we can do is uphold laws that already exist.
[.]
The central problem in this debate is that Democrats believe civilian gun ownership itself is a plague on the nation, so it doesn't really matter to them what gun is being banned or what law is being passed, as long as something is being "done."

 

The Sopranos - Mikey Palmice Gets Whacked:

If you're familiar with the Sopranos plot, Mikey deserved it. It's just a television series.

Magnet Fishing for guns!

Outdoor Life: As Magnet Fishing Booms, More Guns Are Being Pulled from America’s Waters. Can Magnet Fishers Legally Keep Them?

The answer is more complicated than you might expect.

(Bryce Nachtwey, 21, seems to come across a gun in almost every one of his popular magnet fishing videos.)[Caption under image at story link]
[.]
North Dakota criminal defense attorney David Dusek considers this conundrum a question of moral obligation versus legal obligation. Is there a legal obligation to turn a gun in? Not necessarily. Nachtwey’s morals tell him it’s the right thing to do, but as Dusek says, “you can’t legislate morality.”

“If I find a gun, I’m taking it to the police to find out if it’s a part of a crime,” Dusek tells Outdoor Life. “But if someone finds a gun, cleans it up, and doesn’t turn it in, is that legal? Probably. You don’t have to call it into police. You found it.”
[.]
What to Do If You Find a Gun While Magnet Fishing.

I dunno about you, but over my life, I've found so many stray, discarded handguns and rifles while fishing, hunting, the frozen section at the supermarket - heck, just walking around the block! They're everywhere. I adopt and keep them. I call them "rescue firearms." Sadly, I lost all of them in a tragic kayaking accident years ago.

Story Archived.

Doctor Science "doesn't recall" 174 times.

Breitbart: Fauci Deposition Transcript Released: 'I Don't Recall' 174 Times.

...throughout the [seven hour] deposition, Fauci feigned ignorance, stating, "I don't recall" 174 times when facing questions about various emails, interviews, or "other important documents," as described by Landry's press release. At one point, for instance, Fauci claimed he was not aware of an EcoHealth Alliance grant, awarded by the NIH[.]

This does NOT include the number of times Fauci said, "I don't know," (101x), "I don't remember," (11x), "I'm not sure," (38x) and, "maybe," (17x). 

Fauci said he's not, "always sure what papers come across his desk," because, "thousands of pieces come across my desk each day." 

Thousands! Whoa Nelly! That's a lot of paper! Doesn't sound environmentally friendly. Why does he hate trees?

The full deposition is HERE.

As "Sopranos" character "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri once called another character - and I think it's appropriate for Fauci - "he's a wormy cocksucker."

Wednesday's Friday Morning Music Video

"Woke Up This Morning" (The Sopranos Theme) by Alabama 3, from 1997's Exile on Coldharbour Lane.

Johnny Sack...

...just because.

Reddit: Johnny Sack appreciation thread.

"Is nothing scared? What happened to this thing? If this was years ago would I even have to ask? For God sakes, we [the mob] bend more rules than the Catholic Church!"

Pine Barrens - The Sopranos.

Pine Barrens. One of the funniest and best Sopranos' episodes of all time.

Disclaimer: Mature language.

"Valery Escapes" segment, with Tony Sirico, James Gandolfini and Michael Imperioli .

Up the volume:

‘Sopranos’ actor Tony Sirico dead at 79.

NY Post: ‘Sopranos’ actor Tony Sirico dead at 79.

Actor Tony Sirico — best know for his role as mobster Paulie Walnuts on “The Sopranos” — is dead, his brother, Robert, announced on Facebook on Friday. He was 79.

​”It is with great sadness, but with incredible pride, love and a whole lot of fond memories, that the family of Gennaro Anthony ‘Tony’ Sirico wishes to inform you of his death on the morning of July 8, 2022,” wrote Robert, who is a priest.

“Tony is survived by his two beloved children, Joanne Sirico Bello and Richard Sirico, grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews and many other relatives.

“The family is deeply grateful for the many expressions of love, prayer and condolences and requests that the public respect its privacy in this time of bereavement.”

His “Sopranos” co-star Michael Imperioli — who played Christopher Moltisanti, protégé to Tony Soprano, portrayed by the late James Gandolfini — also posted a remembrance on Instagram, saying in part: “Tony was like no one else: he was as tough, as loyal and as big hearted as anyone i’ve ever known.”

Another co-star, Steven Van Zandt, who played tough guy Silvio Dante, tweeted his condolences to the actor’s family.

“A larger-than-life character on and off-screen. Gonna miss you a lot my friend,” he wrote.

    RIP Tony Sirico. Legendary. Silvio’s best buddy “Paulie Walnuts” in The Sopranos, Frankie “The Fixer’s” older brother Antonino “Father Tony” Tagliano in Lilyhammer. A larger than life character on and off screen. Gonna miss you a lot my friend. Deepest condolences to the family. pic.twitter.com/pAkDnqfLEs
    — Stevie Van Zandt (@StevieVanZandt) July 8, 2022

Sources told TMZ that he had been living in an assisted living home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for a few years due his declining health.

This news sucks.

mrc Newsbusters Culture Contributing writer Lindsay Kornick couldn't be more wrong on "The Blacklist" and 2A.

TLDR: BIG SWING and a MISS, by Ms. Lindsay Kornick writing at mrc Newsbusters about "The Blacklist" being, "a liberal show" and that episode 'Gordon Kemp' is, "anti-2A."
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Read the story AND the COMMENTS. Then come on back for my commentary. Or not, just refer back to the TLDR.😈

-

Last night's "Blacklist" didn't "lecture us about gun issues...through the mouths of criminals." Nor was it a, "grisly attempt at addressing political issues."

I now realize how much time I wasted reading Newsbusters (NB). I used to be a frequent visitor to NB. They lost me as a regular reader long ago when they went full ass-clown conspiratorial advocacy with any notion that didn't fit their very narrow narrative. NB has morphed in a Lunatic Right version of supermarket checkout aisle tabloids. Did Bozell abandon his site and now sits on the porch with Biden debating the best flavors of pudding cups?

Did Kornick pay attention to "The Blacklist" episode? Did she even watch it or is her column based on nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction to a tip sent in by an apoplectic reader, typing in all caps, "DID YOU SEE THE ANTI-SECOND AMENDMENT EPISODE OF 'THE BLACKLIST' LAST NIGHT?"

Kornick obviously hasn't seen the many "Blacklist" episodes where the bad guys are LIBERALS.

The episode is titled, "Gordon Kemp". Is Kornick at all familiar with the program and the character of Raymond Reddington (played by James Spader)? How many seasons or episodes of "The Blacklist" has she really watched? We don't know, she doesn't tell us, but that doesn't mean she can't write about something she's never seen. Sounds like the qualifications someone from The Left would use in justifying their opinion on something of which they are unfamiliar.

The episode "Gordon Kemp" was anything but anti-2A. It was the exact opposite. Kornick couldn't crawl out of her tunnel-vision long enough to see the big picture. Instead, she was Triggered because a character, Gordon Kemp, was the owner of a company that specialized in manufacturing cheaply-made handguns bought by straw-buyers which were then sold to criminals.

Kornick is upset that (spoiler alert) Reddington, using one of Kemp's cheaply made handguns, shoots and kills Kemp at the end of the episode. Reddington is upset because he earlier witnessed an innocent woman with a promising future who was shot to death by a thug using one of Kemp's handguns.

"The Blacklist" 'Gordon Kemp' episode wasn't, (as Kornick and those who commented at NB), just another Hollywood, hour-long anti-2A agenda programming. The circle of irony of the episode escapes them. The darkness of the Reddington character, that has evolved over seven seasons, flies over their collective pea-brain heads.

In a weak attempt to bolster her argument that "The Blacklist" is, (quote) "a liberal show," Kornick refers to a line by "Blacklist" character FBI Detective Ressler who says, "Look, I'm a member of the NRA, and I believe in the Second Amendment, but what you do, pouring more and more weapons into high-crime areas -- that has nothing to do with keeping a well-regulated militia and everything to do with making a buck."  

 - - - - AND? This ties into an anti-2A agenda how? It doesn't. It's not so much taking dialogue out of context, it's misrepresenting the content in an attempt to make an analogy where one doesn't exist. Kornick isn't able - or deliberately won't - follow the logic of a fictional script because in the end, it doesn't make her point.

At best, I'm going to guess, she actually viewed the last ten minutes of the program, that's it. The rest - - - nowhere in her story does she write that she actually watched the program - - - she read about it online and received email from the hypersenstive overreacting crowd.

Yes, by way of 2A, gun makers can manufacture everything from quality firearms to the cheapest 'Saturday Night Specials' favored by criminals. Raise your hand if you're a strong advocate of 2A and you also support straw-buyers who resell to criminals. Anyone? Anyone?

The best comment at Kornick's feeble story is the one asking, "Is this show still on?" Huh - one would think when reading a story that mention's "the April 17 episode", one could reasonably conclude that, yes, this program is still on. My question to the person who wrote that comment is, when you address your parents, do you refer to them as, 'Mom and Dad' or 'Brother and Sister'?

I would have added a comment to Kornick's story, but you have to register, and I'm not going through that BS.

"The Blacklist" is one of the finest hour-long dramas on television. IMO, it's right up there with "The Sopranos".

Considering "The Blacklist" is in its seventh season, now...suddenly...Kornick concludes it's, "a liberal show." I'm guessing the very misinformed and misguided Kornick would also conclude that "The Sopranos" is, "a liberal show."

Kornick concludes her column with this gem:

In response, I’ll answer with how Maya Angelou put it: when people show you who they are, believe them. This is what liberals think of gun-makers, believe that.

Yes, Kornick isn't off the mark, generally, in saying that liberals think gun-makers are bad (although I personally know some Libs who don't think that). It's too bad that that has nothing to do with Friday night's episode of "The Blacklist".

I'd suggest Kornick watch the "Gordon Kemp" episode and that she pay attention to it. If not, heck, maybe her next column will be on the hidden, anti-2A liberal agenda portrayed in all westerns. Those Liberal cowboys didn't pass background checks and buy their guns from an FFL dealer.

Take a glance at Kornick's columns. In almost every article she's Triggered and Offended by fictional programming. This is a good thing. I can't imagine the damage and misinformation she'd inflict if she wrote about non-fictional events. She must be blood-related to Bozell. There's no other way she'd be on the payroll.

I wonder if Kornick has found an anti-2A liberal agenda in "Baby Shark"?
-
mrcNewsbusters Archived

Arlando Henderson; The first thing you do with stolen cash is post images of yourself with it on social media.

Arlando Henderson, a former bank employee in Charlotte, North Carolina, allegedly stole $88,000 from a bank's vault. (Obtained by New York Daily News)

NY Daily News: Man accused of stealing $88,000 from bank where he worked arrested after posing with money, posting photos on social media.

Arlando Henderson was arrested by the FBI on Dec. 4 and charged with financial institution fraud and related charges — based off Henderson’s greenback-laden Instagram post.
[.]
On at least 18 occasions in 2019 he stole cash from deposits made by the bank’s customers from the vault, and then deposited some of it in a nearby ATM.
[.]
Henderson also made a $20,000 cash down payment on a 2019 Mercedes-Benz, according to the indictment[.]
[.]
He might have even gotten away with it, weren’t for his wish to tell the world — via social media ― what an accomplished professional he was.

In several Facebook and Instagram posts, Henderson posted pictures where he is seen holding large stashes of cash, or posing in front of his new car.

“I make it look easy but this s--t really a PROCESS,” he posted on Facebook on Aug, 4, from Charlotte.

Less than a month later, on Sept. 1, in a post tagged as written from San Diego, Henderson wrote, “Looking at my brand thinking this how I got rich.”

His 15 minutes of fame probably made it easier for investigators to locate him.

He likely never bothered watching "The Sopranos" or "Breaking Bad."

-
NY Daily News Archived

Jussie Smollett now considered a suspect in his hate crime hoax.

CNBC: Jussie Smollett considered a suspect.

Jussie Smollett has been classified as a suspect in the case that sprang from his reporting being a victim of a hate crime attack last month, police said Wednesday, NBC News reports.

"Jussie Smollett is now officially classified as a suspect in a criminal investigation by #ChicagoPolice for filing a false police report (Class 4 felony)."

Chicago Tribune: Key timeline of events in Jussie Smollett case.
- - -
UPDATE - The Telegraph: Jussie Smollett charged with filing false police report.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said prosecutors charged Smollett with felony disorderly conduct, an offence that could bring one to three years in prison and force the actor to pay for the cost of the investigation into his report of a January 29 beating.

Police were trying to get in touch with Smollett's lawyers to "negotiate a reasonable surrender," Mr Guglielmi said. That could involve Smollett turning himself in to a Chicago police station.

Time to turn yourself in, Jussie. Total hoax. Fabricated assault.
- - -
UPDATE 2 - Sky News: Smollett staged own attack, Osundario brothers paid to stage attack. 

Empire actor Jussie Smollett has been charged with making a false police report after claiming he was targeted in a racist and homophobic attack.
[.]
Abimbola "Abel" and Olabinjo "Ola" Osundairo, who are bodybuilders and aspiring actors, have claimed they were paid to stage an attack on Smollett.

CCTV footage shows the brothers buying a red hat and ski mask, which the actor's alleged attackers were said to have been wearing.
[.]
...initial reports of the assault drew outrage and support for him on social media, including from Senator Kamala Harris of California and TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.

Osundario brothers buying sundry items for staged attack; Sky News

When you need a staged attack or event, and you need it done so that it's not questioned and accepted as factual and wanna get it right, ya gotta talk to Sil.

Lunch lady and husband accused of selling marijuana.

Grand Forks Herald: St. Paul lunch lady and husband accused of selling marijuana.

A St. Paul lunch lady and her husband are suspected of growing marijuana in California and having it shipped back home for sale.

...police at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport intercepted a UPS package containing 18.3 pounds of marijuana addressed to the East Side home of Vang Xiong and his wife, May Yang.
[.]
Local and federal agents delivered the package that day and then searched the house. They found small marijuana plants, 13 guns, a money counter, multiple cellphones, documentation of a California marijuana grow operation, bank records of purchases from hydroponic stores in California, a drug ledger notebook and $30,839 in cash in a safe, which also contained 10 of the guns.

Ehhh, people, people, people...one: don't be shipping nuggs by UPS. Two, only 13 guns? Come on, they were small business. (And credit to them for having ten of the guns in a safe. Gun safety matters.) Three, don't keep a drug ledger; or if you do, write it all in code. Four, learn how to properly launder your cash. Sheesh. I learned these things in Business 101 and watching "The Sopranos".

Nothing in the linked story, or others, mentions their product being sold to "school kids". Heh - their customer base was probably a lot of teachers. 

Lunch Lady Doris and "Chef". Not representational of the suspects.

Whatever happened to Gary Cooper?

(Contains adult language)
... the clip says it all:

Harry Dean Stanton and Frank Vincent; Rest In Peace. (Sometimes 80 and 91 years old are still just too young).

Actor Frank Vincent has died.  Some obits list his age at 78, others mention 80.

Frank Vincent

Vincent appeared in many hit films, including Martin Scorsese's "Casino," Raging Bull," and "Casino."

But perhaps he will be best remembered as ruthless mob boss Phil Leotardo in The Sopranos.

"There's no scraps in my scrap book."

THE NY Daily News:

Scorsese, [remembering Vincent said],  "... he understood the world we were portraying so well that he really didn't appear to be acting at all."

- - -
Harry Dean Stanton  has died at age 91.

Harry Dean Stanton 1926-2017

Stanton's film and television credits are many; the guy was always working. He appeared in many films of David Lynch,   playing characters that only he could do.

Lynch, paying tribute to Stanton said: EW:

“The great Harry Dean Stanton has left us. There went a great one. There’s nobody like Harry Dean. Everyone loved him. And with good reason. He was a great actor (actually beyond great) — and a great human being — so great to be around him!!! You are really going to be missed Harry Dean!!! Loads of love to you wherever you are now!!!”

From Showtimes' "Twin Peaks," - Keep The Blood scene:

From Allmusic.com:

[Stanton said]  "... I had to decide if I wanted to be a singer or an actor. I was always singing."

Dean's "Blue Eyes Crying in The Rain":

And, a very nice tribute to Harry Dean at Threedonia.