The Grouchy Editor

 

 

I’ve felt for a long time that Donald Trump’s fatal flaw is a stubborn reluctance to recognize the traitors in his own orbit, the backstabbers who insinuate themselves into his inner circle. These modern-day Bruti* include most Republicans in D.C. — swamp creatures like Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Mike Pence — and bureaucrats in his own administration, especially in the intelligence agencies.

And why on Earth does Trump persist in granting interviews to obvious (to most of us) foes like The New York Times? Does he really believe he can sway them to his way of thinking? Is the liberal media Trump’s equivalent of Citizen Kane’s “Rosebud,” something he once loved but lost a long time ago?

Trump is like a little boy who believes that if he’s nice to the schoolyard bully, the mean kid will eventually stop stealing his lunch. Not gonna happen.

Trump can trust a few people, like son Don Jr.

Ivanka and Jared? Not so much.

 

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Elon Musk continues to discover the same type of backstabbing at Twitter that Trump had in office. Thankfully, unlike Trump, once Musk learns the truth about the weasels, he stabs them before they can stab him.

 

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I love me some LandumC goes there on YouTube. The mysterious “LandumC” is a dude who posts short videos about old movies and TV shows, mostly from the 1960s-‘70s. The videos are entertaining, informative and, if you’re a geezer like me, nostalgic.

But LandumC goes a bit overboard in the thumbnails promoting his channel. He has discovered that sex = hits and is carrying this marketing ploy to the extreme. For example, take a look at this thumbnail/heading for the cop show Mannix: **

 

 

If you watch the video, you learn that the heading refers to Lucille Ball’s production company pleading with CBS to keep Mannix on the air — and not to sexual hanky-panky involving the actors in this picture.

Be honest (unlike LandumC): Are you thinking about production companies when you read that headline? 

 

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No idea who “Peach” is, but she’s got the right idea.

 

**

 

Oops, he did it again

 

 

So let me get this straight. Biden falls on his scrawny ass — again — but we’re not supposed to laugh because he’s old and if we do, then we are “mean.”

Considering that this sick fuck is doing his best to tear down the country, and if there was any real justice he’d be sitting in a prison cell … getting laughed at for repeatedly humiliating yourself in public is the very mildest form of punishment.

 

**

 

Asterisks!

 

• * You say “Brutuses,” I say “Bruti.” They both seem to be acceptable. Look it up.

 

• ** Last week we received a comment from a reader who was unhappy that we haven’t posted enough gratuitous nudity of late. In watching the above Mannix video, we noticed a lovely lass with an amazing ass. Hence, we went down the Francine York rabbit hole. Turns out the actress is from a small town in our home state. Please enjoy this week’s gratuitous nudity, featuring the most famous of Aurora’s areolae:

 

 

Joe Mannix checking out Francine

 

 

George Peppard enjoying Francine in Cannon for Cordoba

 

 

(Click on pics for a larger view)

 

© 2010-2023 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

 

This Week on “Culture Wars”

 

 

To Boycott, or Not to Boycott

 

Bud Light was an easy boycott for me. Could have something to do with the fact that I quit drinking 14 years ago.

 

Target is also an easy boycott. I needed a new coffeemaker, something I might have purchased at Target two weeks ago. Yesterday I got one at my grocery store, instead.

 

 

Who needs fucking Bud Light? Who needs fucking Target?

 

*

 

 

I stopped watching Fox News a couple weeks ago. I’ve been getting my news fix from Newsmax, Tim Pool, YouTube and Twitter.

 

My advice: If you can’t bring yourself to boycott Budweiser, Target, Fox News, Disney, or professional sports, at least do the next best thing and cut back.

 

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Mayors of sanctuary cities whining about immigrants and demanding taxpayer relief? Fuck them.

They’re getting what they asked for.

 

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Reparations that turn your black neighbors into instant millionaires — at your taxpaying-expense? The idea would have appealed to Charles Manson, who dreamed of instigating a race war.

 

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Henry Kissinger still in the news at age 100? More evidence that only the good die young.

 

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Wish I had a better handle on who would do better in the general election, Trump or DeSantis.

I need a damn crystal ball.

 

*

 

Now that anyone who displeases the left is a racist — thinking of you, bicycle lady — does the word no longer have meaning?

 

*

 

 

FUBAR on Netflix: The most striking thing about the show, to me, is Arnold’s face.

Aging stars need to accept that wrinkles look much better on them than the freak-show number that plastic surgery does.

 

*

 

My ancestors lived in a village called Sunndalsora, located in central Norway.

I learned from this video that, during the Viking Age, the toughest Vikings in Scandinavia came from Norway. Not Sweden, not Denmark — Norway.

Within Norway, the toughest of the tough Vikings were from central Norway. You guessed it, the same region that includes Sunndalsora.

 

So don’t fuck with me. If you do, I might feel compelled to rape and pillage.

 

 

© 2010-2023 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

 

Compassion Fatigue

 

What do Dianne Feinstein, John Fetterman, the fat airline passenger, the dead Michael Jackson impersonator, illegal aliens, and transgender pronoun-changers all have in common?

Answer: When they do something bad, you are not allowed to think ill of them, much less punish them. If you do, then you are a “bad” person.

 

Fuck that. Here is why each of them is undeserving of our sympathy:

 

 

Dianne Feinstein — The senator makes feeble-minded Joe Biden look like Albert Einstein. She is physically and mentally incapacitated, and yet there is nothing wrong with her queen-sized ego. Retire already, lady.

 

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John Fetterman — Progressives railed that Donald Trump was “unfit” for office. But because Fetterman suffered a stroke, we are expected to ignore his obvious unfitness (and lack of fashion sense) and simply feel sorry for him.

 

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Fatso on the airplane — Doesn’t matter that she’s obviously a Twinkies addict, the rest of us must accommodate her travel discomfort by paying for her additional space on airplanes. The world is expected to conform to her, not the other way around.

 

*

 

 

Transgender, et al., pronoun changers — Listen, as far as I’m concerned, you can call yourself whatever you want. But you do not get to change the English language. You are not a “they.” This is another case of the world expected to conform to a bitter minority, not the other way around.

 

*

 

 

“Asylum seekers” — We need to stop letting the left frame the debate by referring to illegal border crossers as “asylum seekers.” The migrants might call themselves that, but only because it helps them achieve their real goal: better-paying jobs in the U.S. The vast majority of them appear to be healthy young males, not families fleeing from evil dictators.

 

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Jordan Neely — Much like George Floyd, we are all expected to think of this guy as a benign fellow, a Michael Jackson impersonator who had the misfortune of running afoul of a deranged ex-Marine. We must ignore Neely’s scores of criminal offenses, including his penchant for punching 60-year-olds in the face. You know, just like we are expected to ignore Floyd’s penchant for pointing guns at pregnant women.

 

Screw “compassionate conservatism.” Where is the liberal compassion for pregnant crime victims, minimum-wage-earning citizens, cash-strapped airline passengers, and lovers of the English language?

 

**

 

The Durham Report

 

I can’t get too excited about this report, which confirms what we already knew about government corruption. I can only get excited if, as a result of the report, big-shot heads begin to roll.

In other words, I will not likely be getting excited.

 

**

 

It’s getting harder to find anything new worth watching on Netflix. I stopped watching Tom Hanks in A Man Called Otto about one-third into the film because, unlike the similar-themed Clint Eastwood movie Gran Torino, Otto was drab and depressing. 

 

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I’ve been playing catchup with Bill Maher’s podcast, Club Random. For the most part, it’s an entertaining show.

I say “for the most part” because, in nearly every episode, Maher lets his Trump Derangement Syndrome get the best of him and cannot resist goading his guest into agreeing with him that “orange man bad.” It’s amusing/annoying to watch this repetitive game, in which Maher tries his damndest to get hesitant guests like Aaron Rodgers, Kid Rock, Adam Carolla, and Jay Leno to join him in venting about Trump.

Much as Trump simply refuses to let go of the 2020 election, Maher simply refuses to let go of Trump.

 

On the positive side, it’s hard not to be amused at the sight of a drunken Richard Dreyfuss conducting his chat with Maher with his torso half on a chair, and half on the floor.

 

 

© 2010-2023 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

 

Headlines!

(plus my two cents)

 

 

 

By firing and then smearing popular host Tucker Carlson, it looks like Fox News is hellbent on becoming the Anheuser-Busch of cable news.

Alienating your core customers in a misguided attempt to broaden your clientele does not shout: “winning strategy!”

Just as Budweiser’s decision to thumb its nose at Joe Six-Pack has backfired spectacularly, Fox’s dumping of Carlson is going to result in a viewer exodus.

 

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Best-case scenario for Anheuser-Busch: It looks to its left, then to its right, realizes it cannot win, and then reaches out to other corporate behemoths also being blackmailed/extorted by ESG and social-credit proponents. Anheuser-Busch says, “Let’s band together and fight this progressive bullshit.”

 

Yeah well, I can dream, can’t I?

 

*

 

 

In my humble opinion, one reason the right can’t seem to gain any ground in the immigration debate is its decision to let the left set the ground rules.

Rather than focus on the core problem — millions of people choosing to break the law, aided and abetted by the Biden administration — the right seems to believe it can persuade by pointing out the plight of the migrants. They are portrayed first and foremost as victims, not as lawbreakers.

Never mind the migrants’ callous disregard of our laws, nor the impact they have on Americans in terms of lowered wages and costly drains on strained social services. No, above all, the bipartisan argument goes, we must slow immigration to help the immigrants.

Whatever you do, do not point out that the migrants willingly put themselves in harm’s way. 

 

*

 

 

When they eventually shuffle off this mortal coil, I propose that Donald Trump and CNN be buried side by side.

Their story was the ultimate example of a love-hate relationship.

 

*

 

 

Silly me. I thought that “E-Verify” was already a requirement.

 

*

 

 

I can’t decide if this Mayorkas guy is stupid, mentally ill, or just plain evil.

 

**

 

Now that House Republicans have finally come up with actual evidence of Joe Biden’s corruption (bank records), it’s disheartening, but not surprising, to observe the mainstream media’s response: crickets.

 

**

 

I’ve been watching Newsmax. Too many of its hosts are media castoffs I’d forgotten about. It’s a place where former talking heads go to die. People like Greta Van Susteren, Dick Morris, and Eric Bolling. Newsmax desperately needs someone with heft. Someone like Tucker Carlson. Or Megyn Kelly.

Carlson and Kelly — now there’s a dynamic duo.

Another downside to watching Newsmax: I had hoped that moving away from Fox might spare me this, but no, those ulcer-inducing, hair-pulling, obnoxious My Pillow ads followed me there.

 

© 2010-2023 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

Why does her crown look bigger than his? Is that why he looks sad?

 

 

British whoop-de-doo over the monarchy

 

As an American, I fall into the “mixed feelings” camp concerning Britain’s monarchy. I enjoy — sometimes immensely — shows like The Crown, The Queen, and Downton Abbey. The real royal family’s escapades are an endless source of soap-opera entertainment.

Also, I have little doubt that the whole monarchy thing benefits the psychology of Britons. It makes them feel special.

But intellectually and morally, kings and queens seem to me like an anachronistic waste of time, money, and resources.

But hey, so long as my tax dollars don’t go toward any of it, I’m happy to sit back and watch the show.

 

In related news …

 

Left, the pride and joy of Britain’s royal family. Right, the pride and joy of America’s royal family.

 

**

 

Political Incorrectness

 

 

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Yup, methinks it’s time to resurrect the sobriquet so aptly coined by Arnold Schwarzenegger: “girly men.” You know, to describe folks like Dylan Mulvaney.

 

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I suppose we aren’t meant to ascribe literal definitions to the four archetypes described in the Strauss and Howe book The Fourth Turning (my review is here). But it gives me pause to think of myself as a “prophet” when the only thing I can safely predict in life is that the Minnesota Vikings will never win a Super Bowl.

As for the idea of millions of spoiled-brat Millennials acting as the world’s “heroes” … well, God help us.

 

**

 

Red Pilled

 

In the AllSides chart below, I’ve circled the media I consumed ten years ago in blue, and the media I consume today in red. The Web site circled in purple is the only crossover.

This is what happens when you get older and wiser:

 

 

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© 2010-2023 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

TV Tidbits

 

Jury Duty

 

I watched the first two episodes of this Amazon Freevee “mockumentary” and thought they were hilarious. Unlike so many reviewers, I do not use the word “hilarious” lightly, because in my experience very few comedies deserve it.

But Jury Duty, in which a clueless nice guy is unknowingly surrounded by fake jurors, lawyers, bailiffs and a judge, had me laughing out loud — another term I rarely use. This good-natured juror is appointed foreman and participates in a fake trial and fake everything else, all while a supposed documentary crew films the proceedings. Think The Truman Show in a sitcom format.

But a funny thing happened somewhere in the third episode, when situations and characters began to seem contrived to me, a bit too made-for-television. Is the real dupe on this show just its audience?

Say it ain’t so.

 

The Diplomat

 

I was a big fan of The West Wing, a lauded show that, in retrospect, sugar-coated what liberals hoped Bill Clinton’s administration was actually like.

Yeah, dream on, liberals. Me included (at the time).

So now, some 25 years later, we have The Diplomat on Netflix, which is written in part by West Wing alumnus Debora Cahn. Like its CBS predecessor, Diplomat features lots of “walk and talk” banter, clever dialogue, and charming characters we are meant to admire.

It is an entertaining show, albeit one that tilts more humorous than the often-heavy-handed drama on West Wing.

But if The Diplomat’s showrunners are hoping that viewers will see their show’s politicos as an enhanced, idealized version of the Biden administration, uh, I have three words: “Let’s go, Brandon!”

 

**

 

 

LeBron James got nut-slapped by another player during a playoff game.

Yes, I realize it’s not very nice, but I enjoyed seeing the moronic NBA superstar writhing in agony on the floor.

 

 

**

 

 

Yes, I get it. Tucker Carlson will do just fine after getting unceremoniously dumped by Fox News. He will find another outlet and make lots of money.

That’s not the point. That’s not what makes Carlson’s canning a bad thing for conservatives.

Like it or not, Fox is a primary source of news for millions of (mostly) conservatives. Many of them will not likely find Carlson on whatever Web site or channel he turns to. Fox will not replace him with another strong, anti-establishment voice.

Nope, it’s bad news all around. Turns out Rupert Murdoch is just another crocodile in the swamp, and the swamp has claimed another victim.

 

**

 

From the Department of “Some Things Never Change”

 

 

When I was ten years old, I would have thought this video, in which a hacker jacks off during a Zoom meeting of some local officials (blurred at top left in the picture), was funny as hell.

I still think it’s funny as hell.

(Apparently, board member Adam Sammon in the bottom-right square also has a case of arrested development.)

 

**

 

 

If this chick is representative of female cops in New York City, it’s little wonder that crime has gone up in the Big Apple. The bad guys probably want to get arrested.

 

© 2010-2023 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

 

I miss Craig Ferguson.

I don’t watch late-night talk shows anymore. Not since Ferguson left and not since Kimmel, Fallon, Meyers, and Corden showed their true colors as leftist suck-ups and sellouts.

For all I know, Ferguson is also a true-blue progressive. But the thing is, he was an equal-opportunity celebrity basher. Possibly because he was an “outsider” (Scottish turned American citizen), Ferguson brought a fresh perspective to American political humor.

Plus, he was more entertaining than the clowns who pollute late-night these days.

Come back, Craig. We need you.

Unless, of course, I’m wrong about you and you were just disguising your “wokeness.”

 

**

 

 

Thanks to A.I. and deep fakes, this could be true, or it could be bogus.

Fucking A.I.

 

**

 

 

**

 

 

Stone Ridge Creamery Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream. I recommend it.

In the 13-year history of this Web site, I have never pitched a food product. But I am now.

That should tell you how strongly I feel about this.

 

© 2010-2023 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

 

Biden does his thing

 

Putin bonding with his people

 

Russia’s leader kisses a little boy’s bare belly, the Dalai Lama tries to tongue a kid, and Joe Biden creeps on little girls.

With this kind of “leadership,” is it any wonder that so many people think it’s fine if grown men in thongs twerk their sweaty butts in the faces of children?

 

**

 

I used to have mixed feelings about government leakers like Edward Snowden and Julian Assange. Not anymore.

Now that we understand the level of corruption in the Deep State, the military and intelligence communities, what we need is more whistleblowers, not fewer.

 

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Here’s a litmus test to discern which Fox News hosts are establishment lackeys, and which are pro-regular people: observe how they cover this online leak about Ukraine.

Tucker Carlson emphasized the lies we’ve been told about Ukraine — by Biden, the military, and hawks in general — while Neil Cavuto had his panties in a bunch about the 21-year-old leaker. When Cavuto guest John Ratcliffe tried to steer the conversation to those lies (“The Biden administration was misleading the American people”), Cavuto quickly changed the subject back to the leaker.

Yes, fatso establishment boy Cavuto sucks.

 

**

 

Speaking of fatso Cavuto, there’s nothing like watching him and fellow fatso Karl Rove whine about Donald Trump ads that insult fatsos Chris Christie and Bill Barr. “This stuff has gotta stop,” Cavuto huffed. “Let’s slim it down,” said Rove.

The only problem, which neither Cavuto nor Rove brought up, is that Trump himself is a fatso.

 

**

 

 

I’m sorry, French protestors, because I’m sure Emmanuel Macron and his government are just as corrupt as ours. However … as an American who doesn’t qualify for full retirement until the age of 67, it’s hard for me to summon much empathy for you having to work until age 64. Especially when you expect us to pick up most of the tab for NATO — your national security — while you enjoy weeks and weeks of vacation time.

 

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There’s no other way to describe it: Tim Pool’s live podcast Friday from Austin, Texas was an unmitigated disaster. The sound was inconsistent and often unintelligible, the picture was crap, and after 45 minutes of suffering through the production, I had to stop watching because it was, well, unwatchable.

Too bad, because Pool had a pretty good lineup of guests: Alex Jones, Blaire White, Michael Malice, and Alex Stein. But if Pool wants to keep taking his show on the road, he’s going to have to suck it up and hire some professional technicians who know what they’re doing.

You’re never going to win the culture war if your podcast resembles a third-grade talent show.

 

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The Bud Light controversy brings to mind the infamous “Heidi Bowl” of 1968. Remember that one? In the closing minutes of a tight game between the New York Jets and Oakland Raiders, NBC decided to cut away from the cliffhanger so that a scheduled showing of Heidi would not be delayed. Bad decision. Outrage ensued.

Fast forward to 2023 and Anheuser-Busch’s decision to align top-selling Bud Light with weirdo Dylan Mulvaney.

Great move by the marketing executive pictured above. I mean, who better to understand the tastes of beer-swilling (mostly) male customers than a privileged, woke, young white woman? If only the Neanderthals could be exposed to dress-wearing, TikTokking Mulvaney, surely they would see how fun he is and raise a toast to their new role model — right?

 

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© 2010-2023 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

 

War Sailor

 

Three cheers for Norway!

I’ve often wondered why it is always Sweden (Wallander, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Denmark (Borgen, The Killing) that dominate “prestige” shows from Scandinavia, while neighboring Norway seems to settle for cult stuff like 2009’s Dead Snow, a horror comedy about zombie Nazis. That’s right: zombie Nazis.

War Sailor, a three-hour movie-turned-miniseries now streaming on Netflix, is the anti-Dead Snow. The recipe is this: Take some Deer Hunter, toss in a bit of Casablanca and The Best Years of Our Lives, and add three stellar performances from the lead actors. The result?  The best thing from Norway since lefse. (Look it up.)

 

Left to right: Pal Sverre Hagen, Ine Marie Wilmann, Kristoffer Joner

 

The plot: At the dawn of World War II, two lifelong friends sign up for an 18-month stint on a Norwegian merchant ship. When Germany occupies Norway, their voyage stretches into years of separation from friends and family in Bergen.

The first two episodes are heavy on action and suspense (very good) while the final hour is pure heartbreaking drama (magnificent). The entire production looks and sounds great, and actors Kristoffer Joner, Ine Marie Wilmann, and Pal Sverre Hagen turn in unforgettable performances.

Zombie Nazis, my ass.

 

**

 

 

I am bewildered by Jordan Peterson’s YouTube presence. Are there YouTubers who enjoy posting thumbnails of the venerable Canadian that consistently make him appear tearful to downright suicidal?

I’ve never seen so many mournful, hangdog, despondent, just-shoot-me-now-and-put-me-out-of-my-misery images of an individual.

And then there are the apocalyptic headlines ….

 

 

Makes me want to send Peterson a box of lefse.

 

© 2010-2023 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

 

If there was any question about whether we are on the verge of a civil war, this Trump indictment by a crooked tub of lard in New York … well. It’s obvious we are not on the verge of a civil war; we are smack-dab in the middle of one.

 

Baby Boomers have always been a messy bunch (I am one of them). As we head out the door, we are leaving Millennials and Gen Z with the ultimate mess.

You’re welcome.

 

**

 

Are arrested people allowed to flip the bird at the camera in their mugshots? If not, too bad, because that would be an appropriate look for Trump.

 

**

 

 

I wonder when the woke police will get around to more modern writers. You know, writers like …

 

 

© 2010-2023 grouchyeditor.com (text only)