Chapter 107: January 2014 – June 2014
“You come to us and tell us that the great cities are in favor of the gold standard. We reply that the great cities rest upon our broad and fertile prairies. Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic. But destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country.”
– William Jennings Bryan, 1896
Grammer began 2014 by calling for a second “wave” of tax cuts in order to give economy “one more additional boost” in the face of an economy that was recovering “too damn slow[ly],” as the new Mayor of New York City kept saying.
The White House communications team spun the situation in order to cast the new legislation as being libertarian in nature, claiming it would “release” millions of “economic hostages.” White House Communications Director Armstrong Williams coined the terms “economic patriotism” and “patriotic spending” to simplify the concept of freeing up tax money to allow more people to invest in the re-growing markets, in order to bring the said markets back to their pre-recession levels.
The Grammer administration also discreetly sought to work with Democrats to address the Big Banks having fooled around loopholes to get past Jackson-era regulations in the years leading up to the recession. MF Global’s actions were especially heinous to the President, who had reportedly told the pro-bailout RNC Chair “As far as I am concerned their chicken have come home to roost!”
– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021
Chaffetz concluded, “I know I said I’ve been working here for too long, but now that it’s all over, I actually think I’m going to miss this place.”
His boss sighed, “Well I’d be lying if I said I won’t miss you. I hate to see you go, but I understand you just have to do this. Farewell, good sir” Standing up, he reached his hand out, “Once again, don’t think I don’t appreciate all that you’ve done for us.” As the two men shook hands, the President added, “And good luck running for Congress.”
“Will I have your vote?” Asked the outgoing Secret Serviceman.
“Given that I don’t live in your district, how about I give you my endorsement?”
“That might actually be more helpful than your vote!”
With a smile and wave, Grammer bid farewell to the serviceman and returned to his office to face even more national issues rearing their ugly heads, starting with the new Mayor of New York’s “crusade” against landlords…
– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022
McMillan was a man of many adversaries, but in 2014, his biggest opponents were the landlords and the International Olympics Committee, neither of whom appreciated the new Mayors policy goals.
“The expensive infrastructure developments of buildings that immediately fall into disuse is not worth the increase in global stature. Let other countries keep their prestigious global economic organizations. We don’t need to spend millions of dollars on swimming pools when public housing is a growing concern,” McMillan ranted during one of his many mayoral press conferences.
Behind closed doors, McMillan proposed repurposing Olympic event locations into affordable housing centers once the Olympics left town in order to justify their construction costs. “We’ll have all this space, I say rent it out to whoever wants to live in Hamberg’s mistakes.”
Meanwhile, McMillan pressed forward with a proposed rent freeze, eviction limits, and a free school lunch and free school breakfast, paid through a “humanity tax” of 0.1% on the top 5% of NYC residents. When wealthy New Yorkers went on TV to suggest that the Olympics could bring in enough revenue to cover anti-poverty measures, McMillan was quick to point out how unlikely it would be: “We can’t rely on games. They have historically been nothing but money pits. We have to invest in NYC businesses to better look out for NYC families.”
Announcing a “Capital commitment” of $1.5billion for affordable housing in his first month in office, McMillan sought to work with “all community leaders, Black and White, Yellow and Red, Blue and Green and Purple and Brown, because we can’t have it so that every time a Black family moves in to one neighborhood, eventually all the white neighbors move out,” as he explained in the second week of his mayoral tenure. He clarified that “This voluntary segregation is not the fault of the white people moving out, but the fault of the white racists who spread lies and stereotypes to trick them into not loving they neighbor. Don’t be tricked. Think for yourselves. You’re New Yorkers, you should be good at that.”
By his third week in office, weekly press meeting for "professional rants" were practically becoming expected from him. The one for late January began with McMillan explaining how “Developers care about profitability, but two-thirds of this city is renters, so the city’s new affordable housing program will require all land developers to set aside 33% of all housing units for low-income residents in exchange for tax exempt financing. And that rate fluctuates – the more you provide for the poor, the less you have to pay in taxes! Because taxes are supposed to go to helping the people and to helping the poor, so the more you contribute to their plight, the less time we the government have to spend playing the middleman! …We’re also working with city council to ease the process of getting an apartment. We’re starting by removing the housing lottery system. It’s dehumanizing. We’re not cattle. Getting a home shouldn’t feel like an auction. You need a home, you get a good home. You have money you, get a good home, too.” To do this, McMillan bolstered the capabilities of the Tenant Protection Agency.
As a city councilman, McMillan had wanted to update the city’s zoning laws to allow more than half of his own district to be zoned for public housing. Now, he wanted to pass it again in order to get warehouses and factories converted into homes and shops. “Those Olympic buildings won’t be empty until 2017. Poor people can’t wait that long for new homes,” McMillan reportedly told his Chief of Staff Kris Davis and his Communication Director Christialle Felix.
– Maria Stevenson and John Capozzi’s RITDH: The Jimmy McMillan Story, Vagabond Books, 2021
The point I’m trying to make here is that it was easy for me to sneak around. I have a pretty genetic face. I can be anywhere. I can be anyone. You wouldn’t know. You wouldn’t assume I was an international gun smuggler. But I am. And once Sudan’s breakaway states began to stabilize, their respective governments fortunately turned a blind eye to black markets, provided that some of the revenue went to the tax payrolls. Even still, the industry was seeing tighter clampdowns and I felt like my work there was done anyway. The warfare was over and the cops had me listed as a “Person of Interest.” I love that term. It sounds vague but it so isn’t. So, where next? Why, Eritrea of course! The hideaway for soldiers of fortune, the oasis for those like me who make a living off of what isn’t legal. I provide services for those put down by their governments. I’m a tool-provider, a giver of hope to all who wish to someday cause some beautiful horror.
– Tommy Gun Thompson’s With Cold, Dead Eyes: A Gun Runner’s Confessions, Borders Books, 2015 [1]
…The rioting, protests, and down-spiraling approval ratings convinced the German Chancellor to reverse his stance. In order to alleviate the people, and protect his political future, Schroder finally signed off on a proposed deal to guarantee all private bank accounts…
– Paul van den Noord’s A Continent In Crisis: Europe During The 2013-2014 Recession Era, Routledge, 2018
EUROPEAN CRISIS UPDATE: Slow Uptick Bringing Hope To Consumers
…European governments are investing hundreds of billions of euros into their banking systems, and are beginning to express more sincere confidence that aggressive financial moves will restore consumer confidence in international financial markets. Financial leaders on the continent are also confident that the slowly-but-surely improving situation over there will cool tensions in riotous places in Germany and Spain…
– The Toronto Star, Canadian newspaper, 1/24/2014
The moment of change came before the end of his first month into office, when McMillan convinced city council to sign off on the establishing of a one-year (12-month) freeze on rent in order to help the city’s budget office better stabilize financial issues, citing the Unlucky Recession. “It’s not just for elderly residents, the disabled, the poorest of the people, but for everyone. This is for all the people, even the ones who don’t like me.”
McMillan also sought to implement higher tax credits and tax break to combat rising housing costs.
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Mayor McMillan was a captivating speaker who butted heads with state and local government officials in his crusade to lower rent in New York City
Almost immediately, lobbyists and TV mouthpieces for the wealthy began to try and hammer in the claims that “rent control appears to help affordability in the short run for tenants, but in the long-run decreases affordability, fuels gentrification, and creates negative externalities on the surrounding neighborhood”
[2] and that rent control can make a “bubble of ignorance” (“as inflation still continues, the longer things are frozen and locked into place, the worst it will be when the bubble “pops,” argued libertarian John Stossel on ABC). Of course, McMillan dismissed these concerns, saying that “the people are not going to be okay starving now because some out-of-touch rich person says that if they eat now, they’ll starve later.”
McMillan also pushed for rent caps, which are “caps” on how high landlords can charge for rent, while still allowing landlords to earn the market price for their real estate. A counterpoint made was that rent also covers repairs, to which McMillan replied by encouraging “the people” to learn home upkeep skills, saying, in an informal ontech video posted to the official Mayoral netsite, “teach yourself a skill, get licensed to fix your own home, or hire someone poorer than you to clean your house. We could all hire each other to clean another’s home in a long chain of inter-relying employment.”
However, in an act of politics leveraging, McMillan did agree with city council to back a program raising insurance benefits for landlord.
…In regards to city issues not connected to rent, McMillan ended felony disenfranchisement of certain ex-cons, restoring voting rights for those who have completed their sentences and paroles/probation periods, via a Mayoral order that was upheld by local and then later state-level courts…
– Maria Stevenson and John Capozzi’s RITDH: The Jimmy McMillan Story, Vagabond Books, 2021
SENATE SIGNS OFF ON “MONEY-FOR-LIFE” BILL
Washington, DC – On partisan lines, the US Senate today approved of a controversial bill to promote adoption over abortion, with the vote being 56 “yea” to 48 “nay.” Introduced in the Senate last August at the urging of President Grammer and the enthusiastic urging of Vice President Brown, the bill, if passed by the House, will create a federal program that will pay single and/or “financially distressed” expected mothers, who express wanting to have an abortion due to financial or emotional concerns, roughly $1,000 for every month they keep the pregnancy, with the final payment being double upon child being born and then placed into foster care. The bill aims to encourage women to carry unwanted pregnancies to term instead of aborting them, with the monthly payments being meant to cover financial losses or emotional distress not covered by their employer’s maternity leave program or by the maternal care aspects of American UHC. The bill controversial due to it implying that one can pay people to do what is “the morally correct thing to do,” as put by US Senator Helen Chenoweth (R-ID)...
– The Washington Post, 1/29/2014
…Prime Minister Rogers’ cabinet included a diverse collection of PC rising stars, including Jim Prentice, Jason Kenney, Alanna Koch and André Bachand…
– Richard Johnston’s The Canadian Party System: An Analytic History, UBC Press, 2017
MCAFEE TO TRAVEL TO THE I.S.S.!
Cape Canaveral, FL – NASA Director John McAfee has received a security clearance pass to travel onboard the next shuttleplane heading to the International Space Station. McAfee is heading to the international habitable artificial satellite in order to oversee the implementation of software protection coding that he himself wrote several years ago and personally updated as part of NASA’s Wellstone-era efforts to help the international scientific community upgrade and modernize the ISS’s technology.
When asked if it was wise to take the trip at today’s news conference, McAfee replied “This might be the only chance I get to ever go up there, so you better believe I’m taking it!”
His voyage will mark the first time that a sitting NASA Director has travelled to outer space…
– popularmechanics.co.usa/space/news, 2/1/2014
LARRY WILLIAMS TO RUN FOR RE-ELECTION AFTER INITIALLY DECLINING INTEREST
…the moderate Republican has decided to make a late entry into the GOP primary race and pursue for a seventh term, he says, because he disagrees with the direction that both the Democratic and Republican parties are heading. “Limited government does not mean sitting around and doing nothing while other people suffer. Republicans are not doing enough to help people… It is immoral and irresponsible to view people through the lenses of numbers, statistics, and profit potential.” Williams, whose daughter is Democratic activist and award-winning TV/film actress Michelle Williams, has critical comments to make about the Democratic party as well. “Democrats are becoming the opposite extreme of libertarianism by suffocating people with help – to the point that the help can’t honestly be called help anymore.”…
– usarightnow.co.usa, 2/2/2014
…Ironically, Yugoslavia being more economically isolated than its economically interconnected European neighbors made the nation better-off during the 2013 Crisis. In fact, some Italians actually moved the regions of Croatia and Albania to find work in 2013 and 2014, reversing a trend of Croatians and Albanian s moving to Italy to either seek more fruitful employment or to be more “westernized” in a rejection of Yugoslavia’s continued “and somewhat outdated third way” stance...
– Frederick B. Chary’s The Modern Balkans: The History of Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Greece, Romania and Turkey After The End of the Cold War Era, Greenwood Publishers, 2018 edition
JIM EDGAR BEGINS TENURE AS FINANCIAL CORRUPTION COMMISSION CHAIR
…former Governor and US Senator Jim Edgar (R-IL) today became the inaugural Chair of a new commission meant to advise the Grammer administration on combating financial misconduct and illegal market activities…
– The Washington Post, 2/5/2014
VP BROWN MEETS WITH NYC MAYOR MCMILLAN: Taxes, Rent, and Sea Barrier Discussed
– usarightnow.co.usa, 2/6/2014
…Brown another supporter was NYC native Valerie Percy. A daughter of Republic politician Charles Percy, who served as the Governor of Illinois from 1965 to 1973, Valerie helped evacuate Manhattan hospitals during Hurricane Sandy and had the connections to bring more media attention to the proposal. During an early 2014 meeting with Brown in D.C., Percy praised the proposal’s potential to encourage research and innovation in industrial design in “the engineering feat of a generation.”
Due to his experience as the Governor of Idaho, Vice President Brown understood very well the importance of balancing a budget. As a result, he also understood the reluctance his fellow Republicans had to proceeding along with what could be an incredibly expensive public works project, costing no less than US$20billion by even the least generous estimates. After meeting with NYC Mayor McMillan in February 2014, Brown told reporters, “I’m a bit disappointed in the slow progress I’m being. This is a great dam-barrier proposal, and I was hoping Jimmy [McMillan] could speed things along.”
In the meeting, McMillan reportedly remarked, “We have to ensure it will provide work for New Yorkers,” before shifting the conversation over to his efforts to ensure children had “breakfast, lunch and dinner” by easing job burdens on city families. “Parents already spend too much time struggling to make ends meet – time they could be spent raising and feeding their children they instead spend slaving away behind grills, cranes, assembly lines, custodial mops and steering wheels. The barrier would make more competition because it will be a project not just for New York but for the surrounding areas, too.” McMillan expressed concern that other cities would benefit more from the immediate construction than from NYC residents.
“He said he’d look into it, but he wasn’t really enthusiastic about it,” said VP Brown. “He seemed like a liberal, but at the end of the meeting, he gave me a very anti-liberal reason for his reluctance – government overreach. He was concerned that government coordination with state and local governments would be chaotic. He said that you’d, for instance, have the New York and New Jersey governors each trying to take credit for success and blame each other for any SNAFUs along the way. There’d be tension between groups, between overlapping government agencies. He was concerned that it could go from being a cautionary plan to protect the city from the next Hurricane Sandy and turn into the greatest money pit the country had ever seen. But you know what? There’s a solution to that – we give it up to the private sector! You streamline the government agencies – get them in order, get them to fall in line – and you keep them out of the way of the businesses and enterprises that can build these barriers.”
Despite the enthusiasm of Brown and other supporters of the barrier proposals, it was acknowledged that the project would still take years to be built once finalized, and as a result of the controversy of such a “long term” project, the Grammer administration shifted its focus towards more immediate and more nationwide concerns. However, Brown was certain to make the barrier project a talking point during the next several election cycles, whether it remained on the administration’s backburner or not…
– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022
ALL EYES ON (THE MARKETS OF) TURKEY AS WINTER OLYMPICS BEGIN
…with the economic crisis impacting Greek and Turkish markets, the success of the city of Ankara hosting these Winter Olympic Games could make or break them financially. Due to this, financial analysts are taking notes as the games officially begin today…
– The Financial Times, UK newspaper, 2/7/2014
…In 2014, the Yemeni Houthi tribe, allied with the Zaidi tribe, began to wage war with the Wahhabists of Saudi Arabia over territory dispute, as the nations of Saudi Arabia had not established a clearly-defined border with the nations of North Yemen and South Yemen (nor with Oman, Qatar, and the U.A.E. for that matter). This regional warfare lacked air support but did have exceptional infantry power. However, due to its small numbers and remote location, it was ignored by most media outlets. Western sources were still invested in covering the steps taken to improve economies, while Saudi Arabian outlets simply downplayed the deadlines of the “local spat”…
– Madawi al-Rasheed’s The History of Modern Saudi Arabia, Sunrise Books, 2019 edition
FLOTUS GIVES BIRTH TO HEALTHY BABY BOY!
Washington, DC – First Lady of the United States Marissa Joan Hart Grammer announced that today she gave birth to a healthy baby boy at George Washington Hospital, which lies on the border of Foggy Bottom Potomac. The newborn, weighing in at a hefty 7.4 lbs, is Joan’s fourth baby, and her fourth with President Grammer, but is the President’s eighth child overall; the newest member of the Grammar family will grow up with two brothers and five sisters – three are older siblings and four are older half-siblings born between 1983 and 1998. Hart, 37, and Grammer, who turns 59 in 11 days, have also announced, via social media updates posted by their staff members, that the boy has been given the name William Franklin Grammer, after his mother’s father William Hart and his paternal grandfather Frank Grammer.
The birth makes Kelsey Grammer the first President to father a child with the First Lady while serving in office in 121 years. This kind of event last occurred in 1893, when President Cleveland fathered Esther Cleveland with First Lady Frances Folsom Cleveland.
– The Hartford Courant, Connecticut newspaper, 2/10/2014
…after three years of declining health, Monroe passed away on February 15, 2014, the day after Valentine’s Day, at the age of 87. Her husband Harry Belafonte was reportedly at her bedside at her passing. …She was survived by her husband and several stepchildren from her previous marriages…
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– clickopedia.co.usa
…With Ted Kennedy dead, the remaining and less famous co-founder of Kennedy-Turner Broadcasting and the Kennedy News Network became more prominent in media, taking complete control of the company from Ted’s wealthy Kennedy family in Massachusetts in the aftermath of Ted’s passing. Turner shook up internal workings of the company to promote more “catchy” material in the face of rival networks.
Outside the board room, Turner increased the visibility of his philanthropic work, giving millions to various organizations and efforts aiming to combat Global Climate Disruption. Turner considers GCD to be “highly dangerous,” and in a PBS interview that aired on February 16, Turner suggested that, if GCD was not properly addressed and rectified, “have of us will die and the remaining half will become cannibals.” Turner also suggested, in another issue, that all American couples should not be allowed to have any more than two kids in order to cut down on overpopulation…
– Michael O’Connor’s A Tale of Two Teds: How Kennedy And Turner Built A Media Empire, Greenwood Press, 2017
“Hi, I’m Kristy Swanson. I used to slay vampires in the ’90s, but nowadays I slay hunger by buying my family Chick-fil-A, the best chicken on the market. Because when it comes to chicken, Chick-fil-A will fill you up.”
– Kristy Swanson, Chick-fil-A commercial, first aired 2/17/2014
PRESIDENT AGREES TO “EXTENDED CAMEO” IN FRASIER REUNION SPECIAL!
...before gaining access to the nuclear launch codes, Kelsey Grammer starred as radio psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the hit TV show “Frasier” from 1993 to 2004… According to the White House Press Secretary, Charlotte Schultz, the President has been in contact with the producers of the reunion special, and has agreed to record a brief exchange, as Dr. Crane, with the other characters of the series for two brief scenes, and appear in several brief VidCall messages.
Neither NBC nor the White House have disclosed the special’s plot details. All that is currently known about the reunion special is that all other members of the original series have agreed to resume their respective roles for the primetime TV one-hour-long spot, and that it is set to be filmed in the summer and then air sometime in mid-November...
– The Los Angeles Times, 2/21/2014
“WATCH: Incredible Celebrations At The Ankara Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony”
Description: Turkey wows the crowd with stunning special effects and fireworks display, ending the games with a bang!
– video uploaded to OurVids.co.can, a video-sharing netsite, on 2/23/2014
The Unlucky Recession of 2013 inhibited consumer confidence, causing a brief halt in foreign purchasing. This impacted China’s trade with other nations, and was complicated further by unfortunate developments along the Yangtze River. Accounting for 70% of China’s rice production, recent floods in the Yangtze River basin had damaged millions of acres of cropland. The country’s National Bureau of Statistics subsequently recorded a 9% increase in average food prices. Pestilence resurges, most notably armyworms invading wheat fields and swine fever infecting hogs, also added to the politburo’s worry that another Great Famine was on the horizon.
In order to avoid this, Beijing was forced to release and use over 40 tons of rice, 30 tons of corn, and 500,000 tons of soybeans from China’s Strategic Reserve. And to ensure their people would be fed (and thus, not revolt), China turned to several nations, hoping to open exclusive trade treaties with one of them in order to speed up the global markets impacted by the recession.
– Carl Krosinsky’s Modern China: A Complex Recent History, Borders Books, 2020 [3]
The fried poultry arms race is getting more intense! With upgraded sandwiches rolling out of the industry across America, Burger Chef is now unveiling its all-new selection of high-quality Big Chef chicken sandwiches. Now available at all Burger Chef locations and ontech, pick up some of this deliciousness today! Burger Chef – Better Than The Rest!
– Burger Chef ad, paid promo space on various techsites, first “air-posted” 3/1/2014
US Senate, Texas
Primary Elections, 3/4/2014:
Democratic Party Primary Results:
Nancy Nathanson – 52.7%
Dr. HyeTae “Harry” Kim – 35.9%
Yvonne Davis – 11.4%
Republican Party Primary Results:
Mac Thornberry (incumbent) – 70.1%
George Strake Jr. – 11.6%
Dwayne Stovall – 9.8%
Linda Vega – 5.9%
Jerome Corsi – 2.6%
– ourcampaigns.co.usa
…UK PM Creagh worked hard with her secretaries to keep their nation’s national debt from growing faster than their GDP. Because the level of debt as a percentage of the total economy is more important than the total level of debt on its own, Creagh approved an amount of deficit spending not seen since the days of PM Dingle Foot...
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– Hanspeter Kriesi and Takis S. Pappas’ In The Shadow of The Great European Recession, ECPR Press, 2021
…Wellstone re-entered the main news cycle for a while in early 2014, when he collapsed at a fundraiser for the Mayo Clinic. He was rushed to the hospital and left the next day, looking tired a worn out, but still better than he had looked in his last year in office.
Democrats often overlook just how much Wellstone had major health issues during what would have been his second term. His multiple sclerosis led to him experiencing a stiffening pain in his legs that led to him sometimes relaying on a cane to walk, and occasionally even using a wheelchair on particularly bad days. The former President, though, was optimistic that his freed-up schedule would allow him to spend more time on physical therapies and other treatments…
– Billie Lofi’s The Wellstone Way: The Life of a Passionate Progressive, University of Minnesota Press, first edition, 2017
IRISH COURT RULES AGAINST TECH COMPANY
…the Anglo-French IT services company Sema Group, which has a production facility near Galway, must pay Ireland 7 billion euros in back taxes on “foreign sovereignty” grounds. Sema Group will likely try to appeal the ruling…
– The Daily Telegraph, UK newspaper, 13/3/2014
POPEYES CLOSES MORE LOCATIONS IN SPITE OF ECONOMIC UPTICK
…10% of the chain’s locations, closed to make up for lost revenue during recession, making hundreds of their worker either out of work or furloughed, have failed to re-open. Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, usually referred as just “Popeyes,” is a regional fast food chain sprawled out across the Sun Belt of the southern United States and concentrated around the Deep South and Texas. The chain continuing its scale-down is likely linked to its recent leadership shakeups as the company struggles to establish a healthy and stable workplace environment, especially in light of a recent sexual pestering accusation made against one of the former members of the company’s Board of Directors… While some diehard fans of Popeyes claim ontech that Popeyes’ chicken is even better than KFCs, that is debatable to say the least, given KFC outpolling its competitors in most ontech polls…
– The Wall Street Journal, 3/15/2014
…Kelsey explained his idea to Secretary of State Dick Morningstar. “In the 1950s, the United States government would invite the Heads of State of other countries over to the US, treat them to a dinner hosted by the President, and give them a tour of our plants and factories. Even give them a ticker tape parade and a key to some city sometimes. Long gone are those days.” He continued, “Nowadays, most Presidents or Prime Ministers or whatever they’re called will just sit in at the UN General Assembly and, maybe, meet with the leader of State the Department.”
Morningstar chimed in with “Yes, Mr. President. In fact, I just met with King Vong Savang of Laos.”
“Now see, that’s what I’m talking about – we should have invited him to the White House! Colonel Sanders famously hosted a dinner at the White House for that old man’s father. Julia Child was involved, for Pete’s sake! And that dinner completely shifted Laotian foreign policy.”
“So what are you getting at, Kelsey?”
“This: we need to strengthen our ties with other governments beyond mere impersonal lip service. We have to improve our image and reputation abroad, and prove to the rest of the world that Americans are not overweight foul-mouth slobs.”
Harley burped as he finished his burrito with a satisfied grin. “Hey, listen, is this gonna take long? I want to work on my motorcycle this weekend.”
“Please be more patient and less poignant, Harley, especially since you should strongly support this. You always talk about how great thing were in the ’50s.”
“Yeah, because Americans were respected back then,” Brown noted.
“And why?” Grammer quizzed the Vice President.
“We had freedom, we had rock-and-roll, and we nukes.”
Grammer shook his head slightly, “We also had diplomacy that went above and beyond for visiting Heads-of-state.” Turning back to Morningstar, the President continued. “
We need to be more generous with other heads of state to encourage them to adopt the democratic values we have in the hopes that it will encourage them to try and replicate our success.”
“Well that’s just it, isn’t it?” sighed Secretary Hamm.
“What?” Morningstar asked.
“Why we stopped pulling out all the stops. We’re running out of things to be proud of. The liberal media keeps on harping about our racist past, highlighting the worst parts of our history instead of celebrating the best parts of today. Manufacturing’s being lost to China and India, two countries that are becoming way too big for their britches if you ask me. Some countries don’t like us intervening overseas all the time, and. apart from the Chicago Spire, we’ve got no big projects worth showcasing anymore. You can only look at wind turbines a certain number of times before you start to get bored by them.”
“Well then we’ve got to put an end to all that,” Grammer proclaimed. “There’s still plenty of thing in this country to be proud of. Police reform, urban renewal, exciting clean energy projects like Harry Braun’s hydrogen thing, conservation and environmental protection efforts led by Harley.”
“Sorry, what?” The Vice President was unwrapping another burrito.
“Harley, are the roads of America not better than they were 30 years ago?” Grammer addressed Brown.
“So yeah, we have some smooth roads all over this country,” Brown answered, reflecting on his experience of driving motorcycle across the nation’s landscape, roughing the patchy, chipped and cracked surfaces of roads in need of repair. Having a tendency to “go for a ride” – across miles upon miles of roads during when Congress was not in session, the VP could proudly report back that things were looking up for America’s vehicular infrastructure, at least overall. “Potholes are still a bitch, though. We need to come up with a new type of gravel that doesn’t collapse like that whenever cold snaps sweep through the northern states like that. Creates nothing but busywork jobs and clogged-up traffic.”
“Harold, have someone look into that,” Grammer directed Energy and Technology Secretary Hamm.
Morningstar continued Grammer’s list of symbols of Modern American Pride. “We’ve also got NASA, Disneyland, Arlington National Cemetery, the TVA, the graves of Ralph Abernathy and Hosea Williams – those all highlight the American struggle for liberty, the benefits of capitalism, and our success at innovation.”
“We could also begin to show foreign leaders the success of our economic, and sports stadiums and cattle ranches and feed lots,” Grammar nodded, rather excited that Morningstar was warming up to the idea. “We need to encourage countries to, well, not necessarily westernized, but, say, to democratize, and maybe improve trade and relations with us along the way.”
“Oh, so that’s how it would benefit us – trade deals,” Hamm nodded in understanding.
Grammer nodded, “Right. At the moment, Africa makes up less than 5% of all of America’s foreign investment. Back in the day,
diplomatic trips outside the Beltway promised some pomp and circumstance sorely missed in official Washington itineraries, often with local flair that could deepen a visiting diplomat or leader’s understanding of our politics and forges lasting positive impressions about us.”
“Of course, this renewed focus on diplomatic trips would not just be about trade,” noted the stoic Secretary of Defense Eileen Collins. “It’s also be our way of combatting China and India.”
Morningstar said, “I get what you mean. China’s picking up where we at some point left off, and India’s not too far behind. Just last month, China’s Premier treated the leader of South Africa to a trip to the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and to their latest industrial parks, factories, and universities and research centers.”
Grammer remarked contemplatively, “When the newly-sworn-in President of Uganda visited Lubbock, Texas in 1977, he was the guest of honor at a college football match. The band struck up his country’s national anthem. The student section held up colored pieces of cardboard to represent the country’s flag. The whole thing brought tears to the man’s eyes. And why? Because we cared enough about developing countries to give the red carpet treatment. It contributed to them becoming our allies and forming stable governments of their own. It’s high time we bring back that kind of diplomacy.”
– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022 [4]
AMERICA FOR SALE?!: Asian Banks Are Buying Out Ours!
…Chinese and Indian banks are investing in banks struggling to survive while gobbling up the remains of those who have fallen apart in the past year…
– Associated Press, 3/19/2014 exposé
“It’s finger lickin’ good because nobody does chicken like KFC”
– famous A-list actor Rob Lowe, KFC commercial, first aired 3/22/2014
“I don’t want to impeach my President, but the fact that let down the American people, causing millions of people to suffer by letting the big banks falter, possibly in violation of the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, leads me to believe that maybe he did commit impeachable offenses back in May of last year. …No, we haven’t opened a committee on it or anything, but given the President’s reckless behavior regarding the banks last year, maybe we should. Maybe.”
– US Senator Allen West (R-FL), TON segment, 3/27/2014 broadcast
CHI-CHI’S REPORTS FIRST FQ SALES DROP IN TEN YEARS
…When the SARS pandemic broke out in 2002, the company was quick to establish many outlets with multiple pickup lanes and closed-off dine-in seating in its wake, and that kind of investing in customer safety finally yielded positive financial results for the company more a year later, in early 2004. Like all industries involving people being less than several feet apart, food services were upended by the SARS pandemic, leading to the need for innovative amendments to how Americans eat fast food. Deliveries and pre-order pickups replaced dine-in accommodations, and many companies have maintained such amenities due to the subsequent financial benefits.
Chi-Chi’s joined these companies in adjusting to the changed ways of customer interactions, trying the drive-thru only business model locally in the Southwest before successfully expanding it nationwide as customers increasingly used their computers, lar phones, pocketcomps or other device to simply place orders and then drive through to pick them up.
However, the Unlucky Recession, combined with the rising prominence of taco chain competitors such as Taco John’s, seems to be cutting into Chi-Chi’s profit margin. A newly released study (
found here) found that Americans’ top taco pickup spots are Zantigo’s in first place, Chi-Chi’s in second, and Taco John’s rising into third place, to the detriment of Chi-Chi’s numbers. The study also confirmed that Americans’ taco consumption increased 15% during the pandemic and has only dropped 5% since, with roughly 1 in 5 Americans eating at least 1 taco per day on average…
– businessinsider.co.usa, 4/2/2014 e-article [5]
…Things were finally starting to look up for the continent in April, when the US sent a generous “relief package” to several Western European countries such as Spain, France, Germany and the UK. Before too long, other countries began contributing to donation boxes meant to help raise relief for the people of the countries hit worst. …In an ironic twist, Eastern Europe essentially bailed out Western Europe…
– Hanspeter Kriesi and Takis S. Pappas’ In The Shadow of The Great European Recession, ECPR Press, 2021
…After weeks of the Stimulus Package working its way through the GOP-held House’s committees, the bill only passed after conservatives successfully attached the “adoption-over-abortion” bill to it, essentially merging the two legislative proposals to create another large omnibus spending package. Less prominently featured in this omnibus package were FJG occupations covering transportation and infrastructure improvements, as well as the controversial Employee Non-Discrimination Act, and a deregulation of federal overtime rules…
– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021
…While passing the 2014 Omnibus Stimulus Package improved how conservatives in the party viewed Grammer, with even Pastor Dale Huckabee praising Grammer for passing the bill, the President’s boosted numbers were overshadowed by praise given to Harley Brown. While both men were religious and pro-life, Brown was more open about it, consistently flaunting his faith and beliefs. As a result, Brown received even more praise from the far right than before. On one hand, this praise helped to bring back voters lost to the waning Boulderite party, lowering the chances of that populist third party spoiling narrow congressional elections in November. On the other hand, some of the praise was inaccurate, with many claiming that Brown had pushed Grammer to sign it into effect despite Grammer being both publicly and privately enthusiastic for it, and the two men agreeing on the issue of abortion as well…
– Gary C. Jacobson’s The Power and the Politics of Congressional Elections, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2015
NARRATOR: “While Wiseau was working on securing a better special effects team to accommodate Trump’s requested script changes, The Don took a month off for a marriage and honeymoon.”
MINNILLO: “I just thought he was a fun guy at the time.”
NARRATOR: “Vanessa Minnillo was the former Miss Teen USA of 1998 and was a struggling actress, appearing in several small roles before dating the three-time divorcé. The two married on April 10, 2014. Trump was roughly twice her age.”
MINNILLO: “I remember asking him, Donald, why isn’t Wiseau on the guest list? He said he wasn’t going to be able to make it and wouldn’t say more than that. But right after we came back from the honeymoon, I get a call from Wiseau, and he’s complaining about Donald abandoning their film project. So I ask Donald about it, and he says Tommy’s acting like a baby. Each one was claiming the other is not pulling their own weight. It started to get even uglier from there...”
– Scott Neustadter’s Horrificent: The Trump-Wiseau Film Trilogy, TON Movies documentary, 2021
MCAFEE SENDS NASA HIS REGARDS FROM THE I.S.S.!
…his voyage comes at an exciting time for the agency. McAfee’s ambitious plans for a lunar robot hub to be built ahead of any further missions to Mars and beyond could re-energize American interests in space exploration. …McAfee’s trip comes six months after the Japanese space agency JAXA announced that their unscrewed space probe “Falcon 3,” launched in 2010 from the Tanegashima Space Center on a six-year (round-trip) mission to collect rock samples, had landed on the near-Earth and potentially hazardous asteroid Ryugu…
– popularmechanics.co.usa/space/news, 4/12/2014
…That was a wild wide – the most intense experience that I have ever had! I know it is a cliché to say, but I’ll say it nonetheless – if I had to do that all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing!...
– John McAfee’s autobiography Outer Space Deserves More Iguanas: My Life Being Me, numerous on-net publication sites, 2022
A YEAR LATER: How Are We Doing Now?
…In the one year that has passed since it was officially declared on April 15, 2013, many Americans are still feeling the effects of the Unlucky Recession…
– Time magazine, mid-April 2014 issue
MEXICO ON THE RISE?
…Another report on Mexico’s handling of the 2013 wave of nationwide recessions seems to confirm that, when comparing ratios, percentages and rates, Mexico got through the economic contraction better than did the US. More jobs became available in the immediate aftermath, and more positions were either retained or were kept at typical employment rates in certain sectors of Mexico’s economy. This suggests that the government has learned its lessons from their bankruptcy crisis of the 1980s…
– Business Weekly, mid-April 2014 issue
…Botswana’s Central Province contained the Orapa Mine, and the nearby Damtshaa Mine and Letlhakane Mine; farther to the southeast was the Tswapong Mine, not far from the South African border. It was at these mines that the men of Saan People, abducted and threatened, were forced to toil as diamond mine workers. The Diamond profits allowed for prolonged conflicts and increased human rights abuses in conflict zones such as Sudan and the DRC.
But the spark that ignited the revolution was the fatal beating of a ten-year-old boy named Xan Sanawi. The child of the Saan People had been put to work in the diamond fields, and when he protested to working on a particularly hot day, they promised him food and water if he found any diamonds. The boy worked for seven straight hours and unearthed three small diamonds. Then he asked if he could have some water. The guards laughed at him. Enraged by the welching of the deal, the boy bit into one of the guards’ leg, leading to said guard hitting him with the butt of his rifle. The guards, either five or seven depending on the source, converged onto the boy and proceeded to beat him with their rifles. Xan’s injuries were so severe that he passed away from internal organ damage.
Children had been killed before, but never so shamefully, and never so blatantly in front of so many workers on such a hot day. The image of the beating prompted several workers to raid the manager’s office, killing two “supervisors” and holding “the boss” hostage. And when they failed to get a reply from his superiors, he too was killed.
News of child murder at labor mining camps spread, and with each retelling the atrocities of Xan’s demise only grew more distorted, exaggerated, numerous and grotesque. It was one child, ten two, then ten children being tortured to death. Riots at the camps led to more “managers” being killed as waves of workers stormed the HQ of their “employers.”
With weapons seized the Saan People would tolerate the corruption permeating the diamond companies no more. And neither would they tolerate their corrupt government any more. Botswana had in the past twenty years become one of the most corrupt countries on the continent. After the nation’s founder Seretse Khama died in office in 1980, the nation experienced one disastrous President after another, with each one either proving himself to be corrupt, incompetent, or both, mismanaging budget and responding abysmally to drought crises. Because of these inept leaders, the 2013 recession was particularly hard on the hard-working people of Botswana.
Frustrations finally came to a head with Botswana’s corrupt President Otsweletse Moupo being overthrown on April 22. Interim co-leaders Duma Boko and Mokgweetsi Masisi then asked former South Africa President Steve Biko, aged 68 in 2014, to serve as Acting President until a new government could be established, in order to give the now-nationwide revolution a sense of legitimacy. Biko was highly popular in the country for living there during the late 1970s and early 1980s, using his location as the base of anti-Apartheid operations and then moving back to south Africa once Apartheid collapsed in the early 1980s. After much contemplation, Biko agreed.
– Davi Kowe and Roy Sesana’s Vulture, Trees And Blood: The Botswana Revolution, Borderless Books, 2020
…Grammer purportedly concluded, “We have to uphold this administration to the three Ds of good governing – democracy, diplomacy, and deregulation. We’ll offer to negotiate peace, and if that fails, we’ll send the freedom fighters support. Experts, weapons, medicine, food, whatever supplies and other backup they need, but we will stop short of sending in our own men unless absolutely necessary. And even then, it will be like in Sudan – we won’t go in alone, we’ll bring back up in the form of allies. That way, if intervening militarily turns out to be a stupid idea, we won’t be the only government with egg on its face”…
– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022
…Under Kelsey Grammer, the IRS’s lax approach to groups seeking tax-free status was increasingly criticized on the left, especially in regards to VP Brown’s “chummy” relationship with certain religious groups, including major organizations such as the Church of LDS, and multiple evangelical and Pentecostal groups…
– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021
“Today, in the nation’s capitol, Congressman Brian Calley was sworn in as the new US Secretary of Commerce, replacing Acting Secretary Heidi Nelson. Now, some are calling the promotion sexist given that only a third of the positions in the White House Cabinet and inner circle are currently held by non-male individuals, but, I dunno, I think that maybe Kelsey Grammer’s just nostalgic for his acting days. I mean, Congressman Calley
does look a bit like Niles Crane, doesn’t he?”
[pic:
imgur.com/unOasrs.png ]
– Seth Meyers, “Weekend Update” segment, SNL, Saturday 4/26/2014 broadcast
“...And in religious news, the Catholic Church today simultaneously canonized Popes John the 23rd and John Paul the 2nd…”
– CBS Evening News, 4/27/2014 broadcast
“Now available at KFC – it’s the brand-new KFC Chicken Katsu Sandwich, the tried-and-true classic KFC original herbs-and-spices recipe together with a fresh Japanese style. It’s a tasty Kentucky Fried Chicken cutlet coated in a rich soy sauce-filed teriyaki sauce and topped with thin-sliced cabbage, mayo, and a sunny fired side-up egg omelet. All new at KFC – the place where chicken’s done right. It’s finger-lickin’ good!”
– transcript of KFC-US advertisement, first aired 4/28/2014 (the Katsu Sandwich was first introduced in KFC Japan in 2009)
…The general election was held on 5 May 2014 and pitted the majority Labour party, led by incumbent Prime Minister Mary Creagh, again the minority Conservative party, led by Jacob Rees-Mogg (a member of Parliament since the conservative “wave” of 2006). Other prominent parties in the election were the Liberal Democrats (led by Greg Mulholland), the Scottish People’s (led by Blair Jenkins), and the Green Party (led by Caroline Lucas).
…PM Creagh’s response to foreign affairs in Sudan was widely praised leading up to the election. Most prominently, though, was her strong “helping-hand” government policies lifting many Britons out of dire straits and allowing the UK to recover from the Unlucky Recession faster than many other European nations such as Germany, France and Spain. For these reasons, Labour increased the size of their majority by 17 seats, with the Tories losing 18 and the LDs gaining 1. Ergo, Creagh stayed on as Prime Minister…
– clickopedia.co.usa
United States:
[snip]
National GDP per capita: $61,022.35 USD
Unemployment rate: 4.5%
Life expectancy: 79.8 (average)
– statistica.co.uk, c. May 2014
SPAIN SIGNS TRADE DEAL WITH AMERICAN ENGINEERING COMPANY
…Pullmantur Cruises, the largest cruise line company in Spain, plans to construct a fleet of small cruise ships in ports found in both American and Spain in order to encourage travelling and spending, following President Grammer’s model for economic recovery…
– The New York Times, 5/7/2014
“It looks like we’re saving Europe’s ass once again!”
– US Vice President Harley Brown, 5/8/2014 (Brown apologized for the remark on 5/10/2014)
…The US established restrictive immigration polices under Iacocca and Dinger that were then relaxed under the twelve years of Jackson and Wellstone. …The US is still a favored destination for people in other countries due to our reputation as a land of opportunity; one common sentiment among immigrants to the US is wanting to go to a land “where even the poor are overweight,” highlighting the notion that “American poverty” is of comparatively better quality than poverty found in other countries. …The easing of legal immigration has curbed illegal immigration but has seemingly not significantly increased the rate of immigration…
[6] …Currently, a plurality of people who come to live in the US are coming from Africa, where the wars in the DRC, Sudan nations, and Sierra Leone America have led to refugee crises. It is important to understand the difference between immigrants and refugees, though. Immigrants move from their nation voluntarily, while refugees flee from their nation in order to not be killed. Currently, a plurality of those immigrating to the US hail from South America due to the effects of the Unlucky Recession, while a plurality of those seeking refuge in the US hail from parts of Africa and parts of Asia…
– migrationpolicy.org.usa/date-hub, c. May 2014
>MOTHER-POST: Just Announced: Alex Hirsh’s “Mystery Shack” Season 2 Will Premier September 12!
The next season will contain 15 episodes, each roughly 22 minutes long. This is really exciting news for me because I just this series. Thoughts?
>REPLY 1:
Eh, I liked Hirsch’s “Imaginary Friend” series better. It only lasted from 2008 to 2010 but it was fun!
>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1:
You mean that one about the idiot kid who can’t make up his mind who or what he wants his imaginary to be/look like so it’s a different thing each episode all while he doesn’t realize his imaginary friends are all the same shapeshifting alien who just wants to have a friend? I thought that show was weird!
>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to REPLY 1:
I think it’s where Hirsch got to think out a lot of idea and learn what works comedy-wise and what doesn’t. Mystery Shack is a lot more fine-tuned.
>REPLY 2:
I can’t wait for it to come out!
>REPLY 1 to REPLY 2:
Same! My favorite character is Graunty Lois, she and Grandpa Stan have good comedic chemistry.
>REPLY 3:
Looking forward to watching this! Season 1’s cliffhanger with the abducted pigs was surprisingly good for a kids’ show.
>REPLY 1 to REPLY 3:
It’s not just a kids’ show! Mystery Shack appeals to lots of people – I watched Season 1 with my dad and he’s an old guy and he loved it! He said it reminded him of Futurama and Life In Heck And Other Fun Places, and some Mark Frost show called The North.
>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to REPLY 3:
Hirsh actually grew up watching all three of those shows. That last one was made in 1988 after Hill Street Blues was cancelled and Frost wanted to make a dark, supernatural version of the kooky St. Olaf town mentioned in The Golden Girls (1985-1994), BTW.
>REPLY 4:
Which one of his shows was the one that had the Homestar Runner reference as show within a show?
>REPLY 1 to REPLY 4:
That was the weird show “Laika,” about unsung animal heroes or something like that. Even Hirsch said it’s like his least favorite of the like three or four shows he’s worked on.
>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to REPLY 4:
Our wrong. It was Imaginary Friend, the same crossover episode with some other short-lived DisneyToon Channel show. Hirsh wanted to work with Disney from the get-go but got his start/got his foot in the door by working for the people behind Homestead Runner. You can remember by remembering that both I.F. and H.R. were released under Disney’s Touchstone label.
>REPLY 5:
Yes we finally got a release date! I can hardly wait!
– euphoria.co.usa, a public pop-culture news-sharing and chat-forum-hosting netsite, 5/12/2014 posting
PRIMARY RESULTS SET THE STAGE FOR MIDTERM ELECTIONS
…In Nebraska, incumbent Orrin Hatch easily won the Republican nomination in tonight’s GOP primary over challengers Sid Dinsdale, Shane Osborn, Bart McLeay and Clifton Johnson. In the Democratic primary, David Domina defeated Larry Marvin by a decent margin.
…The primary races in West Virginia were more contentious, with the incumbent US Senator Nick Rahall, a liberal Republican known for often siding with Democrats on legislation on occasion, fended off more conservative challengers Matthew Dodrill and Larry Butcher in tonight’s GOP contest. Concurrently, WV Democratic voters selected Paul T. Farrell Jr. to be their nominee over two other candidates, Dennis Melton and David Wamsley…
– usarightnow.co.usa, 5/13/2014
POLAND’S KRYSTYNA BOCHENCK RE-ELECTED PRESIDENT
– The Daily Telegraph, side article, 14/5/2014
ANCHOR 1: “…And in political news, the final primary election of the night can now be called – while Oregon Democrats voted to renominate incumbent Democratic US Jefferson Smith over primary challenger Pavel Goberman, the GOP primary for that state was narrow – very narrow – coming in at a margin of 1%, and requiring a recount in one county. But the state Secretary of State has finally confirmed that controversial political activist Jo Rae Perkins, a former member of the Boulder Party of Oregon and a strong supporter of Vice President Harley Brown, has won the Republican nomination for US Senate over challengers Jason Conger and Time Crawley.”
ANCHOR 2: “Perkins’ nomination is an upset for sure, but it is not as shocking as the results we saw unfold earlier tonight in Idaho.”
ANCHOR 1: “That’s right. For those of you who weren’t watching earlier tonight, incumbent US Senator Helen Chenoweth, a populist conservative Republican from Idaho, has lost re-nomination to her sole primary challenger, the controversial constitutionalist Dr. Rex Floyd Rammell.”
ANALYST 1: “Yes, those results were a stunning upset, and was a bit reminiscent of a very similar upset in the state four years ago, when incumbent US Senator Bo Gritz lost re-nomination to state lawmaker Carlos Bilbao. Here, however, there’s one very noticeable difference. In 2010, the primary victory was of the more moderate, traditionally-conservative lane of Republicanism. But tonight, the victor was someone who was even further into the populist right wing of the GOP than was Chenoweth. Rammell attacked Chenoweth’s mixed voting record, claiming she was not conservative enough for the state of Idaho, and that she had been in Washington D.C. for too long with little to show for it. Rammell also campaigned really heavily, so there are some signs for how he pulled this off, but they’ll be studied in greater detail as time goes on.”
ANCHOR 2: “Also in Idaho, the state Democrats selected Nels Mitchell to be their party’s nominee for US Senate over perennial candidate William Bryk.”
ANCHOR 1: “And earlier in the night, two other states held primary elections as well.”
ANCHOR 2: “Right you are. In Arkansas, incumbent Democratic US Senator Jim Guy Tucker won re-nomination over challenger Bobby Tullis in a landslide, while Republicans nominated US Congressman Tom Cotton (R) over Steve Womack and Nathan LaFrance. Despite that state being heavily pro-Republican, Tucker is still quite popular there, and so is expected to win re-election in the fall.”
ANCHOR 1: “And finally, in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, another incumbent Democratic US Senator, former Governor and former US Presidential candidate Martha Layne Osborne, easily won re-nomination over Burrel Farnsley and Tom Recktenwald, while state lawmaker David Patterson won the Republican nomination over initial frontrunner Shawna Sterling. Osborne’s chances of winning re-election in November are less than Tucker’s, but still favor her. So what do all these mean?”
ANALYST 2: “Well the fact that the incumbents on the ballots tonight underperformed overall suggest there is a case of incumbency fatigue settling in over the nation. But given how heavily Democratic-leaning Oregon is and how heavily Republican-leaning Idaho is, it is very likely that Smith and Rammell are going to win in November. The same may be true for Tucker and Osborne, meaning that while the number of Democrats in the Senate next January may not rest on tonight’s states, their winners – especially Rammell – may still impact things – partake in proceedings, raise awareness on certain issues, et cetera…”
– KNN Evening News, 5/20/2014 broadcast
MIAMI MAYOR FERRE UNHARMED IN MINOR TRAFFIC ACCIDENT
– Miami Tribune, 5/21/2014
List of Mayors of Miami
12/1/1957-1/1/1967: 29) Robert King High (D) – resigned to become Governor
1957: Randall N. “Randy” Christmas (R)
1959: William Wolfarth (R), John M. Gibson (D), Roland Horovitz (I), and George Kalil (I)
1961: Arthur H. Patten Jr. (R), Otis Shiver (I), George B. Collins (I), and George Kalil (I)
1963: George B. Collins (I)
1965: Jerome Stern (I), Jon Carlton (I), and George Thomas (I)
1/1/1967-12/1/1967: Acting) W. E. M. Johnson (R) – interim
12/1/1967-12/1/1969: 30) Robert Lester Floyd (D) – finished in third in the 1969 blanket primary
1967: O. D. “Jack” Henderson (R)
12/1/1969-12/1/1985: 31) Maurice A. Ferre (D) – first Hispanic Mayor; entered office at age 34
1969: Jon Carlton (I)
1971: Carlos De Torres (I) and John Leach (I)
1973: Gloria M. Calhoun (I), James Angleton (I), Roland Horovitz (I), and August J. Savarese (I)
1975: Peter N. Williams (I)
1977: Evaristo “Ever” Marina (R) and Celeste Coonan (I)
1979: Rose Gordon (I)
1981: Rodolfo Nodal Tarafa (I)
1983: Xavier L. Suarez (R), Mike Simonhoff (I), Rose “Jackie” Floyd (Socialist Workers), and Eduardo Lambert (I)
12/1/1985-8/2/1988: 32) Evelio S. Estrella (R) – former US Representative; died in office suddenly from a heart ailment at age 61
1985: Maurice A. Ferre (D), Otis Shiver (I), and Harvey K. McArthur (SW)
1987: Ernest “Ernie” Mailhot (SW), Marvin Dunn (I), and Manuel Benitez (I)
8/2/1988-12/1/1989: Acting) Raul Pablo Masvidal (I) – interim; still alive at age 79 as of 7/4/2021
12/1/1989-12/1/2001: 33) Wellington Rolle (R) – still alive at age 88 as of 7/4/2021
1989: Danny Couch (D), Armando Lacasa (R), and Miriam Alonso (R)
1993: T. Willard Fair (D), Laura Garza (SW)
1997: Janet Post (SW), Kenneth Merker (I), and Juan Miguel Alfonso (I)
12/1/2001-12/1/2013: 34) Maurice A. Ferre (D) – entered office at age 66
2001: Wellington Rolle (R), Michael Italie (SW), and Juan Miguel Alfonso (I)
2005: Evaristo “Ever” Marina (R) and Omari Musa (SW)
2009: Joe Sanchez (R) and Cynthia M. Jaquith (SW)
12/1/2013-present (7/4/2021): 35) Francisco “Pancho” Ferre (D) – incumbent, currently (7/4/2021) age 58; son of Mayor Maurice A. Ferre
2013: Jeff Benjamin (R) and Tom Baumann (SW)
2017: Francis X. Suarez (R) and Rose “Jackie” Floyd (SW)
List of Mayors of Miami-Dade County (since 1996)
1996-2000: 5) Alex Penelas (D) – retired to successfully run for a US Senate seat
1996: Xavier Suarez (R)
2000-2005: 6) Arthur E. “Art” Teele Jr. (R) – committed suicide soon after being indicted on corruption charges
2000: Pamela Lynn Cheatham (D)
2004: Jimmy Morales (D)
2005-2006: 7) Jay Love (R) – interim county mayor
2006-2012: 8) Miguel Diaz de la Portilla (R) – finished in third in the 2012 blanket primary
2006 (special): Helen B. Williams (D), Jose Cancela (I), and Jose “Pepe” Cancio (R)
2008: Roosevelt Bradley (D)
2012-2020: 9) Luther Roderick “Uncle Luther” Campbell (D) – unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for a US Senate seat in 2018 and was the nominee for a US House seat in 2020; may run for high office again in 2022 and 2024.
2012: Julio Robaina (R)
2016: Marcelo Llorente (R)
2020-present: 10) Daniella Levine Cava (R) – incumbent; younger brother of Miguel Diaz de la Portilla
2020: Monique Nicole Barley (D)
– clickopedia.co.usa
SUDAN MILITARY LEADER FOUND GUILTY OF WAR CRIMES
Human Rights Violator Unrepentant: “I Feel No Guilt In My Conscience!”
– tumbleweed.co.usa/news, 5/22/2014
…When I saw the footage on TV of the people of Botswana joining in on the overthrowing of their own government, with people passing out so many guns and other people happily accepting them, I was horrified. I thought, “Why on Earth am I there to make money off of all those ammo purchases?” So, within two days, I had relocated the focus of my operations from Eritrea to Botswana. The plight of the bushmen of the country, the Saan People suffering from De Beers diamond company operations, merged with anger all the other Botswanese peons had toward their country’s corrupt government. A revolution decades in the making, except nobody outside of southern Africa really cared so long as the rich got their diamonds.
[pic:
imgur.com/bj0uBY2.png ]
In fact, the revolution was not as harmful as many announced it was. The diamond industry artificially inflating the price of diamonds was not going to be stopped by a bunch of rebels storming their nation’s political offices; that was the responsibility of the UN and multinational trade organizations. Diamonds can be mined by literal slave labor elsewhere; the top diamond producers in the world are Russia, Canada, Botswana, South Africa, Angola, the DRC, and Namibia, with China, India, Australia, Tanzania, and Guinea also contributing to the diamond production side of the industry.
Global corporations were only concerned that their practice of actively politically destabilizing and corrupting local and regional governments to ensure workers can’t seek better treatment would be inhibited by similar revolutions in other countries as well. That is what made me so valuable to people like them. I could supply guns to their allies, to their enemies, or even to both. The higher bidder determined which of those three options I went with.
With my reputation from the good work I had done in the post-KW2 fallout, I was able to easily fly guns into the region from Eritrea through my regular channels.
“The dictator of Tajikistan will just have to find another gun runner until I am available,” I remember telling Moko Johnson, my then-ally in all this…
– Tommy Gun Thompson’s With Cold, Dead Eyes: A Gun Runner’s Confessions, Borders Books, 2015
SENATE PASSES HOUSE-APPROVED ANTI-LOOPHOLE BILL, 54-50
…the bipartisan bill aims to clamp down on corruption in the banking industry...
– The Washington Post, 5/26/2014
JUST A QUICK DRIVE
Premiered: May 27, 2014
Genres: buddy comedy/road trip comedy
[snip]
Cast:
Ty Burrell as Frank
Eric Garcetti as Ryan
Treat Williams as Arnold
Selena as Maria
Jessyn Farrell as Hildy the angry bar maid
Robin Williams as The Woodsman (minor role)
Chris Farley as Matt Foley (uncredited cameo)
See Full List Here
Synopsis:
When they learn that an old family heirloom could be worth millions, brothers Ryan and Frank must travel from Maine to Seattle to collect the antique from the old family home’s attic before the house is demolished by developers. However, due to a past incident, neither of them can fly, and so must take trains, then buses, then hotwired vehicles to reach Seattle before it is too late.
Reception:
The film was modestly successful at the box office and received positive views from critics and audiences. Reviews for the film noted it having a “good balance of zaniness and heart.”
Trivia Facts:
Trivia Fact No. 1:
The running gag concerning one character – an out-of-touch woodsman who thinks SARS is still in effect and so continues to practice safezoning measures – was almost cut from the script over concerns that audiences would find it offensive. The film’s director, however, told the writers to take the risk due to her belief that the audience would relate to it, and look back on that awful era without being offended by the comedy pulled from it, believing that enough time had passed that “you can at least chuckle about it, especially viewers too young to remember the era,” as she put it in a post-premier interview.
– mediarchives.co.usa
“When I got to travel to the ISS to oversee software upgrades, the feeling of weightlessness, the ability to see the Earth, this seeming peaceful sphere, from God’s perspective, it was, man, it was just amazing. And the drugs only heightened the experience.”
“Drugs?”
“Yeah, I did some drugs while on board. Brought them along with me up to the ISS. That old thig is falling apart, you know. We need to build a bigger one.”
“You did drugs?”
“Yeah. I smoked this cocaine-marijuana mix, I codenamed it ‘stardust.’ It was surprisingly easy to sneak onboard, and then we I excused myself for a bathroom break, I just lit it up. And let me tell you something. Best – high – ever.”
– NASA Director John McAfee and host, WAMR-FM (107.5 MHz), Florida radio interview, 5/28/2014
CALLS FOR SCOTLAND TO SECEDE WIND DOWN AS REGION’S ECONOMY BOUNCES BACK
…Scotland was struck particularly hard by the efforts of the Unlucky Recession. In order to combat a rise in protests and violent incidents, PM Creagh has spent months working with Scottish leaders to lower unemployment rates and improve consumer spending in Scotland, and it seems those efforts are at last yielding results…
– theguardian.co.uk, 5/29/2014 report
“…The President’s leading advisor on financial corruption Jim Edgar has returned to full-time office activities after recovering from heart surgery last month, humorously proclaiming to reporters today, quote, ‘I’m as fit as the fiddle my voice sounds like,’ end quote...”
– ABC Morning News, 6/1/2014 broadcast
ROCKEFELLER TOWER FINALLY OPENS
…the former Senator added, “and I think my father would be very proud of what we have accomplished here, too”…
– The New York Times, 6/2/2014
LIST OF TALLEST BUILDINGS
Key: 1 – Name – City, Country – year of completion – height (feet) – notes
1 –
Dubai Tower – Dubai, UAE – 2009 – 2,626
2 –
Nakheel Tower – Dubai, UAE – 2018 – 2,460 – located next to Nakheel Harbor
3 –
Shanghai Office Building – Shanghai, PRC – 2020 – 2,073 – tallest “twisted” building in the world; tallest building in the PRC
4 –
The Chicago Spire – Chicago, IL – 2012 – 2,000 – built at 400 N. Lake Shore Drive; tallest building in the US
5 –
Shenzhen Financial Center – Shenzhen, PRC – 2019 – 1,975 – second tallest building in the PRC
6 –
Bashnya Rossiya (Russia Tower) – Moscow, Russia – 2013 – 1,919 – part of the Russia Tower Office Complex of Moscow’s International Business Center
7 –
Unity Tower – Dan-Ilseong, United Korea – 2021 – 1,875 – located on the former DMZ/North-South border; tallest building in United Korea
8 –
Rockefeller Tower – New York City, US – 2014 – 1,776 – designed by Emery Roth & Sons and co-funded by former US Senator Michael Rockefeller
9 –
Tianjin CTF Finance Center – Tianjin, PRC – 2017 – 1,739 – third tallest building in the PRC
10 –
China Zun – Beijing, PRC – 2016 – 1,732 – fourth tallest building in the PRC
11 –
Tapei 101 – Tapei, Taiwan – 2004 – 1,667
12 –
International Commerce Center – Hong Kong – 2009 – 1,590
13 –
Central Park Tower – NYC, US – 2019 – 1,575 – third tallest building in the US
14 –
Saigon Center – Saigon, United Vietnam – 1999 – 1,525
15 –
Petronas Tower 1 and Petronas Tower 2 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – 1998 – 1,500 – tallest “twin” towers in the world
[snip]
19 –
Sears Tower – Chicago, IL – 1974 – 1,450 – fifth tallest building in the US
20 –
Guangdong Tower – Guangdong, PRC – 2015 – 1,445 – also known as “Canton Tower”; fifth tallest building in the PRC
[snip]
27 –
Princess Farahnaz Memorial Tower – 2011 – 1,400 – also known as “Princess Tower”
[snip]
31 –
1 World Trade Center – New York City, US – 1972 – 1,368 – the “North Tower” half of the WTC building complex’s “Twin Towers”
32 –
2 World Trade Center – New York City, US – 1973 – 1,362 – the “South Tower” half of the WTC building complex’s “Twin Towers”
33 –
Al Hamera Tower – Kuwait City, Kuwait – 2001 – 1,354
34 –
Marina Tower – Dubai, UAE – 2012 – 1,350 – eighth tallest building in the UAE
[snip]
39 –
Trump Sunrise Tower – Santa Monica, US – 1997 – 1,331 – tallest building constructed by The Trump Organization
41 –
City Plaza Center – Guangzhou – 1996 – 1,325
42 –
Nanning International – Nanning, PRC – 2008 – 1,321
43 –
Golden Eagle Tower – Cairo, Egypt – 2019 – 1,300
44 –
Tour Sans Fin (Endless Tower) – Paris, France – 2018 – 1,296 – office building
[snip]
56 –
Empire State Building – New York City, US – 1931 – 1,250 – 16th tallest building in the US
[snip]
68 –
The Stratosphere Tower – Las Vegas, US – 1999 – 1,175 – more commonly known as “The Strat”; hotel/casino; tallest observation tower in the world
[snip]
85 –
Signature Tower – Nashville, TN – 2012 – 1,000
– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 7/4/2021
PRIMARY NIGHT 2014: Moderate Dems Prevail As GOP Incumbents Stand Firm
…In Alabama, incumbent US Senator Spencer T. Bachus III (R) won re-nomination unopposed, while in the Democratic primary, African-American state lawmaker Quinton T. Ross Jr. bested two conservative former Republicans, Harris Garner and Suzelle Josey.
…Republican Iowans chose to re-nominate incumbent US Senator Terry Branstad over challengers Sam Clovis and Matthew Whitaker. Concurrently, Democratic Iowans selected Stephen N. Six over initial frontrunner Bob Quast, progressive “rising star” Ako Abdul-Samad, and freshman state lawmaker Leonard Boswell. Meanwhile, the primaries in Mississippi resulted in incumbent US Senator Peter H. “Pete” Johnson (R) besting challengers Thomas Carey and Chris McDaniel in a landslide, while state senator Travis Childers (D) won his party’s nomination over Bill Marcy, William Compton, and Jonathan Rawl with 50.1%, and thus narrowly avoiding a runoff…
…Incumbent US Senator Larry R. Williams (R-MT) won re-nomination tonight over Susan Cundiff and Champ Edwards with a plurality, while Montana Democrats selected Amanda Curtis over John Bohlinger and Dirk Adams…
…The Garden State saw former EPA Director Lisa Perez Jackson win the Democratic nomination for US Senate over Eugene Martin Lavergne in a landslide, after most state politicians opted to not challenge her in order to maintain a united front. The NJ Dems reportedly believe that they can flip this seat for the Democrats after being held for many years by a liberal Republican. This may be the case come November given who the Republicans have nominated – the controversial conservative Steve Lonegan, who bested moderate Richard J. Pezzullo, liberal Brian D. Goldberg, and libertarian Murray Sabrin in tonight’s primary. The US Senator currently holding the seat, Mary V. Mochary, is retiring, make this a race for an “open” seat…
…In South Dakota, Native-American advocate and incumbent US Senator SuAnne Big Crow (R) easily won over challengers Larry Rhodan, Stace Nelson and Dr. Annette Bosworth, while R. J. Volesky (D) won his party’s nomination over Democratic state senator Rick Weiland…
– The Washington Post, 6/3/2014
CIVIL RIGHTS ACT PROTECTS TRANSGENDER WORKERS, SUPREME COURT RULES
…With Chief Justice Alan Cedric Page leading the majority, with Associate Justices Aida M. Delgado-Colon, William Joseph Nealon Jr., Sylvia Bacon, Michael Joseph Sandel, Check Kong “Denny” Chin and Mary Murphy Schroeder agreeing and only Larry Dean Thompson and Emilio Miller Garza dissenting, the US Supreme Court today ruled that the language of the Civil Rights Act of 1962, which prohibits sex discrimination, applies to discrimination that is based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity. The ruling comes roughly 11 years after the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage was legal in all 50 states…
– The Los Angeles Times, 6/4/2014
Total World Population By Half-Decade:
1990: 5,280,911,000
[7]
1995: 5,704,380,000
The Global Population reaches 6 billion in late 1998
2000: 6,134,581,000
2005: 6,592,342,000
The Global Population reaches 7 billion in early 2010
2010: 7,022,794,000
Current Population (June 2014): 7,375,789,000
– clickopedia.co.usa/world_population/history, c. June 2014
Current US Population, including citizens, student visa users, dual citizenship holders, undocumented immigrants and all other applicable residents: 327,928,000
[8]
– census.gov.usa/US_population/by_year, c. June 2014
“…After several days of internal debate, the House Ethics Committee has decided to launch a formal investigation into NASA Director John McAfee’s reported actions on board the I.S.S. this past April. McAfee claimed in a radio interview last month to have smoked a cocaine-marijuana mix onboard the ISS, which, if true, was a violation of international conduct regulations. The equivalent of smuggling contraband onto an airplane, McAfee could face serious charges as a consequence…”
– CBS Evening News, 6/7/2014 broadcast
LOSE IT
Premiered: June 10, 2014
Genres: horror/drama/suspense/thriller
Directed by: J. J. Burrows
Written by: Jurgen Wolff
Produced by: Steven Levitan and Paula Buckley
Cast:
“James Blunt” as Hogan Mayfield
“Andrew Fields” as Marty Isaacson
Treat Williams as Texas Tremaine
Amanda Donohue as Lily Garmen
Jeffrey Hirschfield as Jack LeRoy
See Full List Here
Tagline: There’s a surprise in store for you…and you’re
not going to like it!
Synopsis:
A seemingly typical horror movie where the main character is an average man (seemingly played by an actor in his film debut) living in a small town in the Mojave Desert that is attacked by a masked maniac. Trying to survive the slaughter of his coworkers, he loses his medication, which turns out to be antipsychotic medication, causing him to snap and eventually attack the attacker, leaving the audience to wonder how far the average person can be pushed before they “lose it.” The “Starring” part during the end credits reveals – via the actors peeling off makeup – that Pauly Shore and Brock Pierce were playing the two main roles the whole time.
Reception:
Released in the mid-2010s, at the height of late ’80s nostalgia period in popular culture, the audiences who remembered that time period were initially shocked but retrospectively impressed by the range shown by Shore and Pierce in the film. As Shore and Pierce were starred in several films during that time period, the film led to a renewed interest in them, and indirectly helped resurrect Shore’s and Pierce’s respective long-dormant film careers.
– mediarchives.co.usa
INDEX
[snip]
List of Heads of State of ROMANIA (1945-present)
As GENERAL SECRETARY (1945-1982)
10/16/1945-4/19/1954: Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej (Communist) – stepped down
4/19/1954-9/30/1955: Gheorghe Apostol (Communist) – stepped down
9/30/1955-3/19/1965: Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej (Communist) – died in office from lung cancer
3/19/1965-3/29/1971: Gheorghe Apostol (Communist) – ousted in a coup
3/29/1971-7/21/1971: Ion Gheorghe Maurer (Communist) – assassinated by an unknown sniper
7/21/1971-4/28/1981: Elena Ceausescu (Communist) – fled the capitol during riots but continued to claim office until her capture and execution in July 1982
4/28/1981-7/25/1982: Ilie Verdet (Communist) – stepped down
7/25/1982-12/12/1982: Gheorghe Apostol (Communist)
As PRESIDENT (1982-present)
1) 7/25/1982-12/12/1991: Gheorghe Apostol (Communist, then Independent after June 1983) – resigned after holding Moldovan unification referendums
2) 12/12/1991-1/7/1993: Alexandra Barladeanu (Independent) – led the unofficial “transitional government”
3) 1/7/1993-1/7/1998: Michael I (Independent) – former King of Romania; retired after one term, as promised; officially called “Michael Romanescu”
1992: Mircea Snegur (Independent) and Petre Roman (Democratic (big-tent centrist))
4) 1/7/1998-1/7/2003: Nicolae Manolescu (Liberal Democratic (left-wing centrist)) – retired after one term, as promised
1997: Gyorgy Frunda (Christian Democratic)
5) 1/7/2003-1/7/2013: Theodor Stolojan (Christian Democratic (right-wing centrist)) – term-limited
2002: Neculai Ontanu (Social Democratic (far-left)) and Dumitru Braghis (Liberal Democratic)
2007 (first round): Corneliu Vadim Tudor (National Democratic (far-right)), Eugen Plesca (Social Democratic (far-left)) and Traian Basecu (Liberal Democratic)
2007 (runoff): Corneliu Vadim Tudor (National Democratic)
6) 1/7/2013-present: Dumitru Ciubasenco (Liberal Democratic (endorsed by Social Democratic)) – incumbent; first President from the former Moldova
2012: Sorin Paliga (Christian Democratic) and Emil Strainu (National Democratic)
– Frederick B. Chary’s The Modern Balkans: The History of Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Greece, Romania and Turkey After The End of the Cold War Era, Greenwood Publishers, first edition, 2014
Filmography:
Film
Date: Title – Role – Note(s)
1992: Galaxies are Colliding – Peter
1996: Down Periscope – Lt. Commander Thomas “Tom” Dodge
1997: Disney’s The Twelve Dancing Princesses – The King and The Court Jester – voice (two roles)
1998: The Real Howard Spitz – Howard Spitz
1999: Standing on Fishes – Verk
1999: Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas – Narrator – voice; direct-to-MLD
2001: 15 Minutes of Fame – Robert Hawkins
2001: Star Wars: Episode III: Guardians of The Force – General Daygn Vindigadge – minor role
2001: Just Visiting – narrator – voice; uncredited
2001: God Lives Underwater: Fame – Robert Hawkins – short film
2002: Bandito: The Life of Patton – General George S. Patton – nominated for an Academy Award for Best Thespian, 2003 (lost)
2003: The Big Empty – Agent Banks
2003: Barbie of Swan Lake – Rothbart – voice; direct-to-MLD
2004: Stewie: The Dog Boy: The Movie – Dr. Ivan Krank – voice; direct-to-MLD
2005: The Good Humor Man – Mr. Skibness
2006: Even Money – Detective Brunner
Television
Year: Title – Role – Note(s)
1979: Ryan’s Hope – Waiter – 1 episode; uncredited
1982: Another World – Head Paramedic – 1 episode
1982: Macbeth – Lennox – TV film
1983: Mondale – Minister Lester Mondale – TV film; minor role in flashback
1984: Kate & Allie – David Hamill – 1 episode
1984: George Washington – Lt. Stewart – 1 episode
1984-1993: Cheers – Dr. Frasier Crane – 203 episodes; nominated twice for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (1988, 1990)
1986: Crossings – Craig Lawson – 2 episodes
1987: You Are The Jury – Stuart Cooper – 1 episode
1987: J. J. Starbuck – Pierce Morgan – 1 episode
1988: Disney Presents: Mickey’s 60th Birthday – Dr. Frasier Crane – TV Special
1988: Dance ‘til Dawn – Ed Strull – TV film
1989: 227 – Mr. Anderson – 1 episode
1989-1990: Star Trek: Excelsior – Captain Morgan Bateman Sr. – 3 episodes
1990: Disney’s Earth Day Special – Dr. Frasier Crane – TV special
1991: Baby Talk – Russell – 1 episode
1991, 1995, 2003, 2005, 2011: SNL – himself – 5 episodes (host, 3; cameo, 2)
1992: Wings – Dr. Frasier Crane – 1 episode (crossover episode); nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
1993-2005, 2010: Futurama – Dr. Whitemarsh Telesphore Cherubusco Schwarzchild – 29 episodes; won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance (2003)
1993: Roc – Detective Rush – 1 episode
1993-2004: Frasier – Dr. Frasier Crane – 263 episodes; nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award nine times, won four times; nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Thespian in a Television Series Comedy six times, won twice; nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award 17 times, won once; won 2 out of 3 nominations for the People’s Choice Award, won 2 out of 3 nominations for the Satellite Award, and nominated twice for the Television Critics Association Award; nominated for the American Comedy Award twice, won twice
1994: The Innocent – Detective Frank Barlow – TV film
1995: Biography – George Washington – documentary; 1 segment
1996: London Suite – Sydney Nichols – TV film
1997: Fired Up – Tom Whitman – 2 episodes
1998: Just Shoot Me! – narrator – voice
1998: The Pentagon Wars – General Partridge – HBO TV film
1999-2000: Star Trek: Deep Space Seven – Captain Morgan Bateman Jr. – 6 episode; recurring role
1999: Animal Farm – Snowball – voice; TV film
2000: Stark Raving Mad – Professor Ted Muttle – 1 episode
2001: The Sports Pages – Howard Greene – TV film; 1 segment
2002: Mr. St. Nick – Nick St. Nicholas – TV film
2003: Becker – Rick Cooper – 1 episode
2003: Gary The Rat – Gary Andrews – voice; 13 episodes
2004: A Christmas Carol: The Musical – Ebenezer Scrooge – TV film
2005: Star Trek: Liftoff – Mordecai Bateman – 1 episode
2005: Sesame Street – himself – 1 episode
2014: Frasier: The Reunion – Dr. Frasier Crane – cameo; TV special (pre-production)
Theater
Year: Title – Role – Venue (note(s))
1981: Macbeth – Lennox – Vivian Beaumont Theatre
1982: Othello – Michael Cassio – Winter Garden Theatre
1982: Plenty – Codename Lazar – The Public Theater
1983: Quartermaine’s Terms – Mark Sackling – Playhouse 91
1983: Sunday in The Park with George – Young Man on the Bank and soldier – Playwrights Horizons (two roles)
2000: Macbeth – Macbeth – Colonial Theater and Music Box Theatre (two venues)
2000: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – Sweeney Todd – Ahmanson Theatre
– mediarchives.co.usa/Kelsey_Grammer/filmography, June 2014
“You know, it really says something about our society, like modern society, we’re a lot more accepting of things. I mean, we never would have elected an actor, to like, to the Presidency, you know back in the day, like when I was growing up I mean, you know what I mean?”
– TON Nighttime News co-anchor Sarah Heath, 6/17/2014
…In political news, the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Oklahoma have held primary elections for their respective US Senate seats. In North Carolina, Dan Clodfelter won the Democratic primary over Ernest T. Reeves, while the incumbent US Senator, Margaret A. “Meg” Ryan, who should not to be confused with and is not related to the actress Meg Ryan, who re-nomination over Will Stewart, Greg Brannon, Heather Grant, Ted Alexander, Alex Lee Bradshaw and Edward Kyrn.
In Oklahoma, incumbent Republican US Senator Steve Largent has easily bested primary challengers Erick Wyatt, Randy Brogdon and Eric McCray, while a big name in state politics, US Congressman and “legacy” candidate Dan Boren, has won the Democratic nomination over Matt Silverstein and Patrick Hayes. Boren’s political weight in the state could make this election the first competitive general US Senate election in Oklahoma in several years. No Democrat has been to the US Senate from Oklahoma since the “blue wave” year of 2004, but state senator Boren could change that.
And finally, in the contests held in South Carolina, Republicans held a runoff between J. Gary Simrill and Lee Bright, the top-two finishers of the state’s June 10 primary contest, where Simrill and Bright finished ahead of Republican candidates two candidates Bill Connor, Randall Young, and Benjamin Dunn. Simrill, who was strongly endorsed and supported by House leader Dargan McMaster, edged out a victory over Bright. This means that Simrill will face off in November against incumbent US Senator Mike Thurmond, a Democrat, who won his party’s nomination on June 10 in a landslide over challengers Brad Hutto, Joyce Dickerson, Sidney Moore, Harry Pavilack and Jay Stamper…
– CBS Evening News, 6/22/2014 broadcast
ANNOUNCER: “The American Veterans Committee, together with the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, is pleased to welcome Vice President of the United States Harley Davidson Brown.”
[pic:
imgur.com/aQaHfFP.png ]
BROWN: “Thank you, heh, thank you! Yeah! Wow, what a great turnout. Which is good because this is a noble cause we have here, supporting our troops, our brave men and women coming back from Sudan. You guys and gals have sure put together a great veteran charity dinner thing here. …[snip]… My heart goes out to all the veterans who suffer from the sneakiest of scars, the one that can’t be treated with some bandages and gauze – PTSD. …[snip]… It is inherently messed up for those who risk their lives, and kind of sacrifices their sanity, to have their patriotism be criticized by sheltered privileged upper-class college snobs who haven’t worked a real day in their lives. And I am sincere when I say that military veterans get discriminating looks from some people when they go onto certain liberal campuses. And I can relate to that.
As a person who has been discriminated against, as a motorcycle guy, I’ve experienced firsthand tremendous discrimination by police forces. It seems like if you’re riding a Harley-Davidson and you’re wearing black leathers, they automatically got you pegged as a bad guy. And I can empathize [sic] with the tremendous, I say again, the tremendous discrimination against gays. Those poor people have been walked on by society”. Trans people, too. So to be gay and to be a combat veteran is to have two kinds of bravery at once. I’m very proud of the BLUTAGOs who served under me in Korea – or should I say the
former North Korea? Heh-heh! – and I will always defend their rights and uphold the libertarian and deeply American philosophy of individual freedom and keeping the government out of the bedroom. Unless that’s your kink. Because, hey, to each their own, right?”
[9]
– remarks made at a Veterans of Sudan dinner function, Washington D.C., 6/24/2014
…The successful deployment of US military personnel to lead a coalition of “concerned nations” into war-torn Sudan was a badly-needed shot in the arm for the Grammer White House. Claims that President Grammer had worsened the economic recession by breaking from the non-libertarian wing of the GOP and refusing the bail out the big banks was plaguing his approval ratings within the GOP. The Commander-in-Chief’s perceived strength at handling foreign affairs led to a nearly 10% uptick in interparty support for the President, allowed his inner circle to breathe a sigh of relief, albeit small one, as the midterm elections began to take form…
– Gary C. Jacobson’s The Power and the Politics of Congressional Elections, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2015
NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)
[1] Credit must go to
@ajm8888 for reminding me about this guy (he was last mentioned in March 2009)
[2] Pulled almost verbatim from an OTL article from brookings.edu: “What does economic evidence tell us about the effects of rent control?”
[3] Concept for this segment pulled from here:
https://thehill.com/opinion/interna...ng-china-struggles-to-meet-basic-food-demands
[4] Several passages, not just the ones in italics, were pulled from the 11/18/2020 csis.org article “Rediscovering America: Why African Leader Tours Benefit U.S. Foreign Policy”
[5] Segment based on this article that
@ajm8888 brought to my attention: “Brooklyn Park is first to get Taco Bell’s new drive-through prototype,” the startribune.com, 2/25/2021
[6] This is because, without the destabilizing of the Middle East, and Mexico doing much better ITTL due to the destructive but effective activities of the Cartel Wars of the 1990s lowering the destructiveness of drug cartels, those countries are doing better than IOTL, and thus, immigrant to the US from those countries is lower than it is in OTL.
[7] In the late 1990 Chapter, I explained in detail how the world population in TTL’s 1990 has 17,318,000 more people than OTL’s 1990 (roughly 5,263,593,000, depending on what source you use (I used the one listed on the wikipedia article for the year 1990)). Basically, it was because several wars played out differently, and TTL’s version of Roe-v-Wade did not happen until roughly twenty years later than did in OTL. With the continuation of that rate of 17million more people – but also factoring in the higher number of deaths in Korea and the implementation of TTL’s version of Roe v. Wade – I added 30 million more to OTL’s 1995 total and 64 million more to OTL’s 2000 total. The SARS pandemic killed hundreds of thousands of people, so I only added 80 million more to OTL’s 2005 total, and due to the OTL stagnation of the world population growth rate, added only 100 million more to OTL’s 2010 total. For 2014, I add 120 million more than there are in OTL.
[8] The US population is equivalent to 4.25% of the total world population in OTL. ITTL the US has had UHC since 1990, likely saving thousands of lives at the very least. The twenty-year delay in a Roe-v-Wade case lead to 15,000,000 Americans not being aborted. More successful foreign policy spared thousands more as covers in the footnotes of the late 1990 chapter. Gun violence became less prominent due to the gun laws passed in the wake of the Iacocca assassination, sparing roughly 400,000 lives at the very least (IOTL, roughly 1.4 million people died from firearms in the US between 1968 and 2011, many of whom were suicides). All in all, I estimate that this means that the US has roughly 16,000,000 more people in it than in OTL’s 2014 (318,000,000, meaning here that number should be 334,000,000 in TTL’s 2014). To check this, I calculated that 4.25% of TTL’s total world population in 2014 (7,375,789,000, see the above Note for further information) and got 313,471,033. I split the difference and got 323,735,517, roughly 5million more people than in OTL. But I thought this “felt” a little low, so a sort of rounded it up as I felt more people would be immigrating to TTL due to its less archaic immigration policies and many other variables. Plus butterflies, of course.
[H1] Italicized lines here were pulled from the OTL time.com article “Idaho GOP’s Biker Candidate on Life as a Viral Sensation”
The next chapter’s E.T.A.: soon!