Nixon and Elvis -- Trump and Kardashian, Dana White, any stooge with a promotion or a deal

What's the deal with the President of the United States having time to promote the UFC?

Oh. Right. That's Donald Trump. Back when he was a Reality Show guy, he was an unabashed fan of goofy-ass celebrities (to whom he'd say YOU'RE FIRED) and he'd indulge in crazy crapola. This included "fighting" with steroid-loaded right-wing nut Vince McMahon, head of the Worldwide Steroid-Filled Wrestler Association. Or whatever it's called.

You remember those news clips of Trump winning a "bet" and forcing the whining McMahon to get his head shaved?

Now that he's PRESIDENT, he's happily re-Tweeting crap from McMahon's Twitter feed, and posing for promotional pictures like this one that was on Twitter today:

Yes, the Presidentially-approved UFC. Gosh, Donnie, where's the bottle of MONSTER energy drink? Your souvenir autographed photo of Conor McGregor attacking a bus in New York City and breaking a window and nearly blinding another athlete?

I guess the good thing that can be said about this picture, is that the UFC is actually a sport, and not a bogus homoerotic stooge-circus for muscular dudes in panties to grapple with each other and stomp the canvas while throwing a fake punch. Dana White tries to keep it real.

This current President seems to have a habit of inviting D-listers for photo opportunities. Not too long ago, the twisted-lip slow-talking cow-eyed Sylvester Stallone sauntered in for a photo op. He also had a favor to ask: give a pardon to Jack Johnson. This was something Obama wouldn't even bother with. Trump was all smiles. Yes, Donnie will honor a black guy as long as he's dead.

How about this:

Media-whore Kim Kardashian, also got to meet with the President. She got to do something that probably 80% of the world leaders haven't been able to do. Then again, many world leaders would be embarrassed to have a picture taken with Donnie. As for asking for a favor, they'd wonder what "the art of the deal" would require in return.

Trump's behavior goes back to Richard Nixon, who was delighted to use Elvis Presley to try and put a rosy glow on the faces of Red State twits. The picture of Elvis and Tricky Dick is the stuff of legend, and even movie recreations.

The number of pictures in which other Presidents posed with ridiculous has-beens, ludicrous pop stars or idiot media whores? Not too many.

Yoko and the other Celebs who people think are their FRIENDS

One of the disturbing things about social (disease) media is how many celebrities mess with it.

I mean MESS with it, as in answering stupid questions on FACEBOOK. It's one thing to have a FACEBOOK page to promote an event or two, or let people know you're alive until the next time you can PROVE IT via a TV appearance or book deal.

It's another to actually INTERACT with idiots and to suffer fools gladly. How gladly? To the point where GUYS are saying to female D-listers, "When I'm in your area, I'd like to take you out to dinner" and "How are you today, Milady? Thanks for posting that photo. I was on line for your autograph and we shook hands. I kissed my palm a thousand times!" THAT kind of thing.

It's a surprise that celebrities have short memories for such names as REBECCA SCHAEFFER and JOHN LENNON. Some of the bigger female stars, such as Taylor Swift and Brooke Shields and Gwyneth Paltrow, know, from bitter stalking experiences, to keep fans at a distance. They behave themselves in public in a very "look but don't touch" way.

That's now how it goes with FACEBOOK D-listers, who are desperate enough to prefer strangers as "friends," and to very obviously read and reply to posts and not have a secretary do it.

Comedians on TWITTER are something else. They often like to sharpen their wit by encouraging and then destroying trolls and hecklers. Insult John Cleese or Ricky Gervais and you seem to be doing them a favor. But...say something nasty to Steve Martin, and he might quit TWITTER for months.

Yoko Ono, after seeming to have had enough of it, is once more encouraging her TWITTER followers to ask her questions. Yes, what a thrill. A lot of people who formerly hated her, now love her because she FOLLOWS almost everyone who follows her, and if she replies to somebody, that validates them.

But what are they asking and what is she answering? She gets questions that would try the patience of the Pope. Or Oprah.

The point of some of these questions? Why they couldn't be asked of somebody's REAL friend, or religious leader, or teacher, instead of Yoko? Who knows. What Yoko gets out of having to reply with something pat, or with something general, I also don't know.

Sometimes stars only end up alienating the fools they're supposed to be suffering. One D-lister was asked some time-wasting question like, "What beach is it you're on in the bikini photo" and the reply was "Why do you care?" Which left the poor questioner in a dither of sorrow and apology.

Questions fielded off social media and answered on Yoko's own website...might encourage people to buy something on her site, or to at least stop the "Yoko singing" punchlines. Some celebs on Facebook seem to constantly point to where items can be bought or downloaded, which unfortunately indicates more of a financial problem than a sense of pride. It's a tricky thing, managing to walk the line between being accessible and directing fans to purchases, and being used, bored, abused, or targeted.

IF a star has enough going on to do without a SOCIAL MEDIA account, or even an official website, the star generally stays away from the hoi polloi. The smart ones put up an invisible shield. George Clooney is a master at walking along the street, a hotel lobby, etc. and smiling, giving a pat on the back...but not stopping. Even those way below his level learned to do that. Abe Vigoda, who lived in my neighborhood, kept moving, too. He'd be recognized, and as jive-ass idiots shouted "That's Fish" or "That's the GODFATHER guy" or some well-meaning fan said, "Love your work Mr. Vigoda," he'd say, as he continued along, "That's me...that's me..." As in, right, you recognized me, thanks, I'm moving on.

ALL WET PHOTO CAPTIONS

Life'll Kill Ya - - - Zbigniew Ścibor-Rylski

And so, a final salute to Zbigniew Ścibor-Rylski.

Some ignore the Polish contribution to World War 2. They dismiss Polish, and even shoo Polish, which is quite a feat. However…these people did their best against the Nazi invaders.

Of course one name that springs to mind is Zbigniew Ścibor-Rylski. Yes, Ścibor-Rylski of Poland springs to mind and our eyes water.

The man was captured by the Germans but escaped from a P.O.W. camp to keep on fighting. All through the war, he fought…this includes the Warsaw Uprising and the Battle of Kock.

He passed away on August 3rd, giving truth to the Warren Zevon lyric….”some die in their sleep at the age of a hundred and one.”

Dead Zombie Boy ... but let me tell you 'bout the way he looked....

Yes, it's always sad when a role model dies.

Lady Gaga, who affectionately calls her fans "little monsters," used this guy in a rock video.

You know Lady Gaga. One of her most famous songs is "BORN THIS WAY."

So far, in the obits on this guy, nobody's shown a baby picture of him. I'd like to see it. He was BORN THIS WAY?

He either fell or jumped off a balcony on the third floor. His girlfriend suggested he went out to smoke a cigarette, and there was no sign that he was depressed or stressed.

That most jumped to the conclusion of suicide (at 32) might suggest that people had the idea that a pat, musical phrase "BORN THIS WAY" doesn't solve everyone's problems.

It may be impossible to determine whether this was a suicide or accident, but there's no question that some people who think tattoos are the answer, or joining some cult, do take their own lives. It's a dangerous thing to suggest they were BORN that way, and beyond help.

We seem to be in a New Age of pop psychology that dictates NOTHING is acquired. At least, NOTHING from very vocal minority groups, which includes not only gays, but skinheads, Nazis, and even serial killer fans. The latter will boisterously scream that their idols should be freed. They'll even marry their favorite killer if they can.

The excuse? They were, altogether, BORN THIS WAY. Natural born killers, in the case of John Wayne Gacy, Charles Manson or the handsome and delightful Ted Bundy, etc. etc. The pop psychology of the day is that they aren't to blame for their behavior. BORN THIS WAY.

It used to be that a guy like Zombie Boy would be considered "Society's Child." If we don't blame the parents for him walking around like an extra in a shitty D-level horror film, we can blame society. Then what? Then we get the person some help. But today, when the excuse is BORN THIS WAY, then there's no help and no hope. Just be proud.

Despite appearing in a Lady Gaga video, BORN THIS WAY little Zombie Boy still had his problems. Would it have been so wrong to have said, "Take a look at you: you need some psychiatric help"? To have done that before he tattooed himself into oblivion? Is it wrong to say to people who tattoo Britney Spears' name and face all over, "You have an identity problem"?

Zombie Boy began making his tattoos pay when he became a freak. Yes, there are still "freak shows" that travel around, with odd looking people, sword swallowing, "extreme" stunts, etc. 90% of his body had tattoos which turned him partly into a human skeleton, partly into an exhibition of innards, partly a collection of gruesome stuff, and it partly turned peoples' stomachs. But it was a living and he was proud. Then Lady Gaga discovered him. After that? The Fashionistas decided he was a perfect model, and he showed up on runways wearing expensive designer crapola. His real "biggie" was being chosen by a make-up company to advertise...concealer. Got a blemish? Take a look at what we could do with THIS guy!

But he wasn't born with some skin deformity. He grew up and eventually decided to create his own skin deformity. Because he wasn't BORN THIS WAY; he began to think that way.

The backlash of BORN THIS WAY thinking, probably came from the misguided people who thought homosexuality could be "cured." The response was NO, we can't be CURED because...we were...(all together now) BORN THIS WAY.

Actually, nobody's done the research and produced the proof that all homosexuals were BORN THIS WAY. We're dealing with psychology more than physiology. Is there a gay gene? No. There are gays named Gene, but, no, you can't prick a homosexual and find that his DNA is different from a straight man. (A straight man is defined as somebody who can ignore making a joke about pricking a homosexual).

All seriousness aside, the answer should be, "Look, I'm gay, and I like men. YOU like to read pudgy E.L. James and do "Shades of Grey" crazy crap wearing leather. YOU like to cosplay as a "Game of Thrones" character. YOU like a wide variety of things in the Kraft-Ebing catalog. Do you want to go to therapy or spank the wife while she calls you 'Daddy?'"

In other words, most people would prefer to do what they want and not be "cured." Many also know that their adulthood, shaped by their childhood more than being BORN THIS WAY, makes it very difficult not to fall back on what comforts or drives them.

People lock up pedophiles because they are sex offenders and they will do it again and again and again. It's hard to "cure" them except perhaps via chemical castration or heavy medication. Do these pedophiles say BORN THIS WAY? Is that the excuse?

So this guy was a role model. Kids who weren't BORN THIS WAY, took a look at him, and how he became famous for making every day Halloween, and SOME of them shaved their heads or got tattoos or wore goth make-up and costumes that may or may not ultimately alienate them further, and fail them when their few "little monster" friends aren't enough to get them through the day. With or without drugs.

Lady Gaga has brought relief to a lot of "little monsters," but it's like a cough drop. Temporary relief of a sore throat. Lady Gaga is upset now? Suicide has often been called a permanent answer to a temporary problem. Permanent tattoos can't always solve a temporary problem either.

"RANKED" is the past tense of "RANK" - And after you stink, you stank. (Like The Daily Beast)

The copycat websites can't ever be original.

When they aren't plagiarizing (re-writing) what they see on the real newspaper websites, they steal ideas from magazines.

Rolling Stone puts out guides to the "must have" classic albums of Stevie Wonder, Elton John, etc. etc., so why shouldn't "The Daily Beast" steal the idea...if it gives them precious "clicks" so they can get banner ads?

Zzzzz. (And no, that doesn't mean I want a list of ZZ Top's crap...")

First off, the Grateful Dead's best can fit on a "Greatest Hits" album: "Casey Jones," "Uncle John's Band," "Touch of Grey," and what, the hippie-dippie "Sugar Magnolia?"

More disturbing than trying to amuse people with "ranked" albums almost nobody listens to anymore, is how desperately the "sea change' or "climate change" or "new paradigm" is destroying the publishing world.

Anybody and everybody can upload books to Amazon, self-publish a ton of crap, have a website, and dilute and pollute the Internet. A "dotcom bust" could happen again, and it wouldn't be bad at all. Is going back to the old days of buying a newspaper so frightening?

We see that many major publications, forced to move to the Internet and offer the latest news FREEEEEEEE, are begging, "Please, turn off your adblock" and "Please, buy an online subscription, the first 3 months for just 99 cents!" Few pay attention.

Substituting grim news about politics and crime and offering up KARDASHIANS, and lists of what Grateful Dead records are best, is awfully pathetic as an alternative. Even that ploy is failing, because everybody can toss KARDASHIAN photos around, and every asshole has an opinion on movies, music and other forms of entertainment. Some even sit behind a desk and run a camcorder and float their idiocy to YouTube.

This sub-species of silly-named parasites, including BUZZFEED and NEWSER and DECIDER and DAILY BEAST and HUFFITY PUFFITY, never break news. Their staff never breaks a sweat, just breaks wind, farting around looking for ideas to steal and news to re-write. The New York Daily News had to lay off about half their WRITING staff, including their editor, who could only gloomily tweet about the death of journalism.

It's all pretty RANK. I'd rather have a Daily News at my doorstep than the stink of The Daily Beast.

A New One From Nick Lowe

Come on, bring back 45's. Bring back the great rockers...