№ 587.1: EXTRA! A Rosy Scenario With A Comment From Nicolás Maduro (a shoe on another foot?)

CARACAS, May 4

Trump, we know, belongs behind Barrs —

both Roseanne and Billy.

But picturing him behind some other kind

is optimistic. And silly.

Unless the solution's a revolution

and Maduro says Bernie Sanders

is U.S. leader and then somehow co-opts

Army, Navy and Air Force commanders.

(And, by some means, the U.S. Marines,

who must be co-opted since they run Trump's copter.)

“If a coup's good for me

it's good for you, too.

I'd enjoy seeing you 

in the hullabaloo 

that, thanks to you

we have in Venezuela,  

if you think overthrow's

good for what ails ya.

I, unlike you, received a majority.

Though it was fake, it gives me authority.”

№ 587: Looking Forward As Justice Looks Backward

BEST OF NO POSSIBLE WORLD, May 2

I hope Chief Justice John Roberts remains so vain he

would wish not to be seen as a new Roger Taney*

the Chief Justice who wrote the Dred Scott decision^†,

who, I've heard said, loved the dread Inquisition.

Both Taney and Roberts came from privileged positions

without feeling for/interest in others' positions.

To their similarities (many) I will not allude,

except to add that if they're equal we're screwed.

—————

*[F]ifth chief justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. . .He was the first Roman Catholic to serve on the Supreme Court. — Encyclopædia Britannica

†legal case in which the U.S. Supreme Court on March 6, 1857, ruled (7–2) that a slave (Dred Scott) who had resided in a free state and territory (where slavery was prohibited) was not thereby entitled to his freedom; that African Americans were not and could never be citizens of the United States; and that the Missouri Compromise (1820), which had declared free all territories west of Missouri and north of latitude 36°30′, was unconstitutional. —  Ibid

№ 586.2: EXTRA! Theme From Mondo Trump

Stephen Moore, Trump ally, withdraws from contention for Fed seat (Paywall)

President Trump was dealt another setback in his bid to put a political ally on the Federal Reserve board as plans to appoint Stephen Moore, a conservative commentator and economist, collapsed amid a backlash sparked by Moore’s past writings and statements that disparaged women and gender equity.

Trump said in a tweet Thursday that Moore “has decided to withdraw from the Fed process.” It came just hours after Moore insisted publicly that he was not dropping out.

(with apologies to Riz Ortolani, Nino Oliviero,  Marcello Ciorciolini, Norman Newell and dogs everywhere)

Email subscribers click here.

Moore, okay sure, he's a Trump-like guy
but why should that be any reason why
Moore is unfit to serve on the Fed Reserve —
jus' coz he treats the babes the way they deserve?

Moore, he's in Donald's camp and would be a rubber stamp,
jiggling rates without question bringing on the Trump Depression.
Is only two more years sufficient time
to assure U.S. complete decline?
Under this dumb dud Trump each day brings a new speed bump
so queue up the next best Stephen Moore.

Under this dumb dud Trump each day brings a new speed bump
so queue up the next best Stephen Moore.

№ 586.1: EXTRA! Questioning The Attorney Generally

THE SWAMP, May 1

Trump thought he'd relax
after Bill Barred the facts.
But, dang it, it isn't that simple.
GOP side (again!) played the Hillary card,
Dem side tried (hard!) catching Bill Barr off guard
and sly Lindsey G. shyly peeked from his wimple.
Answering questions Bill Barr seemed aloof
and stupid when queried on Mueller's reproof.
(As for el jefe — dear God, what a goof,
the man has the brain of a pimple!)

Breathe deep. Close your eyes. Count up to ten.
Everything's better. We're great again!
(So long as our eyes remain unopened.)

[updated 5/2/2019, 12:25 p.m.]

№ 586: Alien

ABOARD THE NOSTROMO, May 1

Believe it on not,
Alien does not hate Ripley.
She sees her as an impediment.

To this single MOM raising her brood

humans beings are nutritious food —

their purpose is alimentary.

Food.

If cinema alien creatures require it,

I would prefer that it die quietly,

without screaming and grand guignol FX.

Why can't movies treat slaughter like sex?

Showing less, implying more.

How entertaining is killing floor gore?

Who needs to know what Alien did?

Who wrote the screenplay? 

Was't perhaps Thomas Kyd*?

The Alien franchise would have made me a leaver,

if I did not so enjoy seeing Sigourney Weaver.

_____________________

*Also see

№ 585: Dreamers Are Ever Extremists

EXTREMIS, April 30

Far right and far left
brains have equal heft —
ether heavy as helium —
both think thoughts
all ones and naughts
and are subject to bouts of delirium,
with the world view
that they, the few
destined to the Imperium,
could bring perfect order
if they only slaughter
all things in their way
from whales to bacterium.

№ 584: Humanity – A Natural Disaster

EARTH, April 29

When disaster strikes others not us,

why should we even discuss it.

Let foreigners wallow. It's heaven's will.

If they are drowning, should we foot the bill

trying to rescue, protect and preserve

their lowly lives? They have some nerve,

expecting we'd care for others.

We barely care for sisters or brothers.

Let alone cousins, uncles and aunts

or anything, really, that does not enhance

our personal wealth and sense of well-being.
For though we believe God all-seeing in theory,
we know people other than us leave Him weary.

№ 583: Elephantine Concerns

ELEPHANT GRAVEYARD, April 28

I'm concerned about Donald.

I fear he's unwell.

That there is a problem

within his shell.

He seems not himself,

the man I admire.

I fervently hope

nothing untoward's transpired.

While Kim is important. . .

to North Koreans,

Donald's important

to all human beings.

To everything living

all flora and fauna,

even illegals

in Tijuana

who, truth be told,

wish to come here

to be near to this man

all people hold dear.

Nowadays Donald seems —

what's the word — distracted?

As though in fear of being impacted

by what Bill Barr’s memo

ignored and compacted,

that stuff in Mueller's Report

Billy barred and redacted,

that his conflict with Democrats

will be protracted,

that at day's end

a penalty will be exacted,

that part of his pelf

will be subtracted

as he is, himself, from

the White House extracted.

I'm concerned about Donald.

I fear he's unwell.

That there is a problem

within his shell.

He seems not himself,

this man the wide world admires.

I pray nothing further
untoward transpires.