Keeper of the Clown Bell

People who've never had a child or have forgotten what it's like to have a curious 4 year old are surprised (even angry) that a toddler snuck his way into the gorilla cage at the Cincinnati Zoo over the weekend, but not me. I know all about 4 year old boys and they're pretty illusive when they want to be. A human being develops much slower than a monkey and those formative years between birth and age 7 are filled with perilous moments, surprising acts of stupidity and sheer terror. Just imagine what goes through a mothers mind when she looks down into the monkey pit and sees her child being dragged around by a gigantic wild animal - some people just can't put themselves in those shoes . Yep, we keep 'em in cages for a reason and if for some whacky laps of attention one of ours falls into that cage we shoot the beast because, though it takes us years longer to develop and mature, once we're able to reason we've got the upper hand. Check out the video below

Let it be said that Politico is one of the most worthless web sites with clout on the internet - it's like the Washington Post after a night of hard drinking in the Georgetown bars that passed out on a friends couch. Predictable and stupid at the same time - Also, the editors appear to despise democracy as a political science and as practiced here in the USA. Their latest "explanation" for the Trump phenomenon takes aim at the voters and their knowing ignorance which can be easily explained by the  Dunning-Kruger Effect . The article written by shrink/educator David Dunning illuminates a big, glaring problem in any democracy, and that is, "we all run the risk of being too ill-informed to notice when our own favored candidates or national leaders make catastrophic misjudgments." Shit, now you tell us, for surely this is not a problem unique to 2016 and probably was in effect in 2000 and 1980 and 1968 and so on... But as a psychologist who has studied human

"We come to ponder a terrible force unleashed in a not-so-distant past."  That force is currently making the rounds in APAC where he  spoke nuclear war in Hiroshima, Japan and informed the Japs that " we have a shared responsibility to look directly into the eye of history. " An admonishment for which I must make the recommendation that those living in Nippon not "look directly" for more than a few seconds lest their eyes melt out of their sockets like they were hit by a 15 kiloton atomic bomb. Oh heartless KOTCB, how could you make light of Hiroshima and its symbolic significance - A symbol that cries out for a moral awakening and recognition of the universal brotherhood of man? Well, I've actually been there and I've walked the thriving streets of Hiroshima. I arrived by "bullet train" from Tokyo (which, by the way, had been obliterated in the spring of '45 in a one day firebombing ) and slept the night in a youth host

Of all the insults hurled at DJT the one that really gets me riled up is the Trump = Wallace meme so popular among the haters on the right and left . The Elvis from Queens is many things to many people but one person he is NOT is  George Corley Wallace, Jr. from the great state of Alabama. It's not unreasonable to suggest that the Governor would be a solid Sanders supporter and fervent opponent of the Yankee tycoon playboy promising to Make America Great Again by ushering in 70 years of Republican rule from Washington DC. That is not what "the fightin' little judge" was about . He was a loyal FDR Democrat who aligned with the "liberal" or "progressive" ideology championed by the New Deal pyramid with DC at the top (run by Democrats) and states and localities steppin' and fetchin' as commanded. When the northern progressives started toying with going back on their deal with the southern segregationists Wallace fought back and demanded th

Does this DC matron look like a fighter? Does this old man look like the future? The answer to both questions is no. HRC is fighting for her political life - not for "us" and Bernie is all about the past as all 74 year olds tend to be. It's a slow, painful unraveling of a political party in its death throws and about to rupture in two. God help the news media who won't know what to do if the Democrat party crumbles and they're only left with Trump or death for I know what their preferred choice would be.

When I was a boy I watched the evening news broadcasts of dead and wounded soldiers being choppered out of the Nam jungle. Revolution was in the air in those 1968 days and the military conflict on the other side of the world was touchstone for those who wanted to overturn "the system" and usher in the age of Aquarius. Thinking back on those restive days it's almost comical to see our contemporary techno-robot "revolutionaries" and the political upheaval they cause compared to the real deal of '68. Nixon was elected President in a truly insane political climate and he saved the country while slowly unwinding the dangerous societal pathologies that engulfed the nation and he all but ended the Vietnam conflict before succumbing to his (virtual) political assassination. He sacrificed much to save his country and, except for the vets (both real and hollywood hero/villans) the war in the Asian jungle became a nostalgic memory - A millennial would be hard pressed

I'm not a college sophomore so I rarely watch Comedy Central but my daughter is and she alerted me to this hilarious segment on The Daily Show by the Colored misogynistic, anti-semite comedian Trevor Noah who stumbles upon the GOP/Trump romantic comedy playing out on cable news 24/7. It's very funny and true - and has become more true since it aired in March of this year. The love has always been there but the sissy-wimps in the GOP couldn't get over the personality and background of their brash suitor. Some of them still can't see true love when it's staring them right in the face. But that's okay because love takes time and " the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice ." So I don't know if we're on "the right side of history" (or herstory or transtory) with this election but I think it's safe to say that we are living through Trumpstory and over the long, long haul everything's gonna be alright

From my head to my toes I used to think that argyle sox mad a statement but fashionistas have taken the sock to a whole new level. Slap a pair of these on your dogs and you're speaking truth to power everywhere you go.

You learn something new every day. I've been on Facebook for X number of years and I've never, ever noticed the "trending on Facebook" feed on the right panel of the interface. It turns out that this overlooked (by me) "news" feed is a primary news source for billions of Facebook users. A rumor spread that Facebook employees were surpassing conservative trends by twerking the algorithms to just highlight news from the NYTimes, CNN and Mother Jones and this accusation forced Zuck to take unusual measures  - basically to deny the charge. However, he did invite "conservatives" to come visit the FB HQ and learn something about the company. My question is: Why would anyone care what's trending on Facebook? Have you ever seen the crap that people post and link to on Facebook? It's all mindless drivel and political propaganda with some of the stupidest memes imaginable. I'm not talking about the great unwashed - I'm talking about my F

We are in this together. The truth is, on some level, when you hurt, when your children hurt, I hurt. And when my kids hurt, you hurt. — Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) May 18, 2016 "On some level" way up above the clouds - some level that's never been seen or achieved in the course of human history - some level so remote and etherial that it exists only in the fevered imagination of prophets and hucksters this universal "truth" exists. But it's no where to be found here on earth for someone like, say, Chelsea Clinton who is hurting right now . “We are not electing a king, we are electing a president,” Chelsea said. “We need someone who understands what they have to do in the job [as president] but also in partnership with Congress, governors and mayors.” She added, “My mother understands how the government works.” Poor little hurting Chelsea doesn't yet comprehend the allure of Constitutional Monarchy and it's requirement for a "king"

Between the Bush/Romney powwow on Jan. 22, 2015 Bush backers have expressed doubts about a third try at the White House by Romney, while Romney supporters question whether Bush has the passion it takes to mount a successful bid. And Meet the Press Jan. 25, 2015 CHUCK TODD: No, there were some other interviews. I want to quickly get to Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush a minute. First, I should play that. Kelly O'Donnell was referring to Donald Trump and his little laugh line or whatever you want to call it . Let me play it really fast. DONALD TRUMP (ON TAPE): It can't be Mitt because Mitt ran and failed. He failed. The last thing we need is another Bush. He's totally in favor of Common Core. He is very, very weak on immigration. CHUCK TODD: Helene, nobody's going to mistake Donald Trump for a presidential candidate. I don't think. Other than Donald Trump these days. But the fact that Mitt Romney and Bush were essentially a punch line. something very interest

The picture John D. Sutter shows you in his CNN Op-Ed ' We need a restroom revolution ' is of trans-rube activist @JayShef and this declaration does not spring from John D. Sutter but from Kathryn Anthony, an architecture professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. What a surprise that an architecture professor wants Federal, State and Local laws enacted to force the redesign of every public toilet in America - I'm sure this justice warrior's aims are purely altruistic. It's received wisdom that under our Federal system of government the 50 States are unique "lavatories of democracy" and while one toilet bowl might be delicately showered with Golden State sweet-pee another might be caked with man poop blacker than a Tar-Heel . Hence the need for a "revolution" that can unify and dictate a nation wide potty policy that is inclusive of transgender folks and getting in the toilet bowl is just the first step in a thousand mile jo

Another example of our hope and change economy was posted in last weekends news . After 180 years  E.A. Clore Sons is shutting down it's furniture business and that's the end of that. The grandfather of E.A Clore, Moses Clore, began making furniture in Madison County, VA in 1830 when James Madison was old (but still alive) and the United States was young. The Clores make beautiful furniture that lasts forever but it ain't IKEA or Pottery Barn so it's expensive. Too expensive for people  to buy anymore - especially with all that inexpensive furniture that's made somewhere else and imported to American shores. Globalism sinks another US manufacturing plant and a small town community looses an institution. I'm glad I was able to see it in operation - the factory and the showroom filled with hand crafted chairs, tables and desks. It was a company that cared about it's workforce and the town where it was based - A true Virginian company that survived wars, dep

Goofy Elizabeth Warren is weak and ineffective. Does nothing. All talk, no action -- maybe her Native American name? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2016  The Elvis from Queens does go for the kill shot and this time his scope is calibrated and targeted right between the eyes . It's a silver bullet takedown of a vastly overrated schoolmarm who's way out of her Ivy League. Goodbye  Fauxcahontas - slink back to your Senate office and Tweet away. The Kiss-off Last Tuesday Senator Warren started Tweeting hate at the presumptive GOP nominee (probably as a proxy for HRC) and The Donald decided to take her out now before she could snag a VP tap to sooth the Bern. I continue to think Plan B is still in effect and Hitlery will never make it to Philadelphia this summer because she's stupid, weak and corrupt: 1. Stupid - this is the most idiotic set of "attack ads" ever conceived. The first one is a set of Trump greatest hits that have put the guy

I know it's unkind to find amusement in other peoples misery but (and this is true) I did burst out laughing at Peggy Noonan's WSJ column of 4/28 " That Moment When 2016 Hits You " (like an axe in the head). It happened right about here: I watched dumbly, tiredly. Then for no reason—this is true, it just doesn’t sound it—I thought of an old Paul Simon song that had been crossing my mind, “The Boy in the Bubble.” I muted the TV, found the song on YouTube, and listened as I stared at the soundless mile of cars and the soundless demonstrators. As the lyrics came—“The way we look to a distant constellation / That’s dying in a corner of the sky / . . . Don’t cry baby / Don’t cry”—my eyes filled with tears. And a sob welled up and I literally put my hands to my face and sobbed, silently, for I suppose a minute. Because my country is in trouble. Because I felt anguish at all the estrangements. Because some things that shouldn’t have changed have changed. Because too

1986 or 2014? A bridge to the 21st Century With the Indiana primary results now official everyone is focused on the Elvis from Queens and his historic achievement which is interesting and worthy of comment at some point in the future. But the big news is the win for Constitutional Monarchy on the jackass ticket and the questions it raises which absolutely no one seems interested in asking. It's amazing but Hitlery has won 25 States or territories while Bernie is right behind her having won 19!!! They're practically tied now and with a slew of States favorable to Sanders on the horizon it could be a dead heat by June 5th and the Cali primary. The question every Democrat needs to ask themselves is: Is it about men, women, choices, friendship and love? or Is it about compromise, love and being a good wingman? There is going to be a reckoning for my Blue friends who are about to see what a contested convention actually looks like - everyone's been calling for one in

It's pure nostalgia to stroll into a country store and take in the wonderful sights and smells of America at its best. Pork rinds, honey buns and dip stacked on the shelves with auto supplies kept at the back of the shop. It reminds me of my childhood - before the ubiquitous 7-11 mini marts popped up on the outskirts of town and stole the soul of America with generic, cookie-cutter monotony. They're still out there in the hinterland if you drive far enough off the well beaten path. Go grab yourself a pork sandwich and a grape soda before they're all gone - better yet, bring them back.

"It's funny how you scrap and save to buy something really expensive and then you scrap and save some more to buy the very best of that thing only to find that it's so expensive that you can't even use it or take it anywhere so you just have to arrange it on your breakfast room table and just look at it." $30,000.00 worth of beads

The KOTCB blog has been tough on Larry Wilmore in the past, but not today my friends, not today. Today he rules because of his routine last night at the nerd gala in DC . 22 minutes of pure joy as he face-plants over and over and over again leaving the press and politicians befuddled and stern-faced at the prospect of being made fools of. It was a brilliant performance which I post below in it's entirety - please watch in it's entirety for no commentary can capture the moments accurately. The highlights of the evening are the cut away shots of the audience stewing in their seats and hating every minute of this prolonged bombing campaign . Jerry Seinfeld did a show in 1989 where he completely bombed for a solid hour and 20 minutes.  When the MC asked him why he went on much longer(about 25 minutes) then he had to he replied, "to punish them". Punish them Larry, punish them.