humortimes--2020-11-04--William Gropper: Cartoonist for the Downtrodden

The title of “ Alay-Oop , ” a graphic novel by William Gropper , comes from the French “ allez-houp !
” the cry of an acrobat about to leap ( “ Let ’ s go !
Up !
” ) .
I ’ VE ALWAYS WONDERED about William Gropper .
His name crops up here and there without much amplification .
Who was he ?
And why ?
Maybe I ’ m just obtuse and have overlooked revealing clues on all sides .
Maybe not .
Then last summer , a book appeared — a graphic novel by Gropper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-founder of the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction , Vermont ( and the founder of the National Association of Comics Art Educators , an organization committed to helping facilitate the teaching of comics in higher education ) — and the person likely responsible for re-issuing the book .
Entitled Alay-Oop , the novel runs 210 5.5×8-inch pages , b/w ( New York Review Comic , hardcover , $ 24.95 ) .
The book ’ s title comes from the French “ allez-houp !
” the cry of an acrobat about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go !
Up !
” ) .
The title is the book ’ s only words .
The wordless story involves vaudeville acrobats , a man and a woman , who are friends with another theatrical act , an opera singer , who admires the woman .
The three often go dining together , and the opera singer regales them ( the woman particularly ) with his stories .
One night , the woman dreams a dream about a woman , herself perhaps , and a stallion .
The next day , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who shows her his bank book and tells her ( via speech balloon pictures ) about what a grand life is possible .
He concludes by offering her an engagement ring .
Right away , she marries the singer , and she and her acrobatic partner terminate their engagement at the theater .
The three maintain a friendly relationship , and years later , after the woman has given birth to twins , her acrobatic partner shows up to entertain the kids while their mother washes clothes , irons , cooks , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids ’ father , is still telling stories about great wealth in the future .
But there ’ s nothing in the present .
He grows jealous as he sees that his kids worship the acrobat visitor .
He even wonders if the acrobat isn ’ t secretly the father of the twins .
Then the acrobat begins training the twins to do simple tricks , and when they become quite accomplished , he suggests to their mother , his former partner , that they develop an act for the four of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the singer comes home and sees them doing a trick .
He orders the acrobat to leave and begins berating his wife .
His tirades grow so furious and unending that she leaves him , taking the twins with her .
The singer , having wrecked their apartment in one of his rages , slinks off .
Years later , he has found employment selling fruit from a horse-drawn wagon — singing about his wares to attract customers .
The male acrobat now flies high as a steelworker on the girders of skyscrapers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circus with her twin daughters , working with trick horses .
Sturm says he wishes Gropper had done more graphic novels .
“ For here was an artist in total command of his craft , in the prime of his career , directing his energies toward an art form whose potential was just beginning to be tapped.
” He bought his copy of Alay-Oop for $ 100 .
“ It was the most I had ever spent on a book , but I had to have it .
Part of its appeal was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a graphic novel before the term existed ! )
but it was far more than that : it told a very human story with style and verve .
In any era , that is a rare and beautiful thing.
” Originally published in 1930 , Gropper ’ s tale is one of several wordless books of narrative illustrations that appeared about then , inspired by Frans Masereel , a Belgian , who would produce over 50 wordless books of woodcut pictures .
His first , in 1918 , offers a criticism of “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the expense of a population of workers living in squalor , ” as David Berona puts it in his survey , Wordless Books : The Original Graphic Novels ( Abrams 2008 ) .
Masereell ’ s second woodcut novel , Passionate Journey ( 1919 ) , is “ perhaps the seminal work in the genre , ” saith Berona .
Lynd Ward , an American , saw Masereel ’ s 1919 The Sun while studying in Germany in 1926 , and subsequently produced his first wordless woodcut novel , God ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same time , cartoonist Milt Gross did a wordless novel , He Done Her Wrong ( 1930 ) .
Inspired , doubtless ( while Gross was then working on a screen play in Hollywood ) , by the melodrama of silent adventure films , the book is an outright lampoon of the genre — and of Ward ’ s pretentious oeuvre — but drawn in the much simpler style of a cartoonist rather than an illustrator .
Moreover , Gross ’ s book is humorous ; Ward and Masereel ’ s books are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ step in the same direction of simplification as Gross : some of his drawings are nearly abstractions .
Neither Gross nor Gropper produced any other graphic novels , wordless or wordy .
But Gropper ’ s book prompted me to find out more about him .
He eventually took his cartooning talent into painting and illustration and became famous at each endeavor , and everywhere his radical socialist views persisted .
St. Wikipedia calls William Gropper a painter , lithographer , and muralist , but his first love was cartooning , and most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much like colored cartoons .
And I wonder now , having researched him for this essay , why we who love cartooning in all its aspects have heard so little about Gropper , who , as one of my sources observed , “ is unique among artists in America ” in having so resounding a success in his double profession , painter and cartoonist .
BORN IN NEW YORK CITY in 1897 to immigrant parents , he grew up on the Lower East Side in poverty : his father , university-educated and fluent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work in a field for which he was suited and was forced to accept manual labor , and whenever he found a job , he had difficulty holding it .
This failure of the American system to make proper use of his father ’ s talents probably soured William ’ s attitude about capitalism , and when a favorite aunt died in the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire on March 25 , 1911 , his antipathy was completed .
( In the fire , 146 people died because they could not escape from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9th and 10th floors of the building : the doors were all locked to prevent workers from taking unauthorized breaks and to reduce theft .
Many of those who died leapt to their death from the burning factory floors . )
In a biographical essay in his book William Gropper ( 1983 ) , Louis Lozowick , a painter and critic , says the neighborhood in which Gropper grew up “ was an amazing social laboratory in which , at the expense of thousands of lives , politicians earned their spurs , racketeers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organism ’ s endurance was tested in the face of exploitation , poverty , and disease.
” Young Gropper ’ s interest in art “ began at a young age .
As a child of six , he took chalk to the sidewalks , decorating the concrete with elaborate picture stories of cowboys and Indians that extended around the block.
” At the age of 13 after graduating from public school , he took his first instruction in art in Harlem at the radical Ferrer School , which had been founded by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Emma Goldman .
He earned a scholarship to the Parson ’ s school of fine and applied arts and but continued to work part-time in a clothing store to help support his family .
In 1917 , William Gropper joined the staff of the New York Tribune , and for the next four years , he earned a steady income ( and a good one — $ 40/week ) doing “ tiny ” drawings for the paper ’ s special Sunday feature articles .
As a socialist , he mixed with radical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Young , Boardman Robinson , and Robert Minor among others , some of whom drew for the left-wing magazine , The Masses .
Founded in 1911 , The Masses went out of business in 1917 after its editors were tried for treason because of the magazine ’ s anti-war posture during World War I ; neither of two trials reached a guilty verdict .
The Masses was catholic in “ its freedom from the one-track mental habit of the rabid devotee of a cause , ” Max Eastman , its editor , once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone out of business under various legal pressures brought against it .
Eastman continued : “ I never could see why people with a zeal for improving life should be indifferent to the living of it .
Why can not one be young-hearted , gay , laughing , audacious , full of animal spirits and yet also use his brains ?
The everlasting cerebral attitude of such papers as The Nation and The New Republic , the steady , unbillowy , unjoy-disturbed throbbing of grey matter in their pages , makes me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ And yet on the other hand , I hate and always did hate smart-alecky and irresponsible leftism… The basic political trait of The Masses was its emphasis on liberty as the goal of the class struggle… [ Among its motivating goals , perhaps the last of them after mostly political ones , was ] also the religious motive , the desire of God ’ s orphans to believe in something beyond reality.
” In his notebook , Eastman reports , he once had written : “ I can bear the prospect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but I can not bear the prospect of my living in it and not taking part in the fight for freedom.
” In 1918 , Eastman established a new magazine , The Liberator , to continue in the same vein as The Masses , and Gropper became a contributor .
In January 1921 , the year Gropper left the Tribune to freelance , Eastman made him “ a special contributor ” ( akin , I suppose , to “ staff member ” ) .
Years later , Eastman recorded his first meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the brightest mornings in the office when a youth with large blue eyes and the manner of a just-about-to-be-startled fawn stepped in softly with a little sheaf of drawings in ink on tiny squares of paper .
They were signed with the funny name of Gropper , and they were funny .
Some of them had no captions ; others had captions not of themselves jocular , like ‘ You ’ re a Liar !
’ or ‘ An ’ you mean to tell me that that dog ain ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were all funny .
They were his first drawings to be offered for publication [ no : Gropper had been cartooning at the Tribune since 1917 ] , and I never felt more definitely in the presence of what is called a budding genius .
“ Gropper has gone in for political-party-regulated cartoon wit rather more than is good for him , but I think he still has more humor in his actual drawing than any other American artist since Art Young .
At least I would place him side by side in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sort of liquid humor unhinges the very muscles of these men when they draw .
The drawing is funny as well as the things drawn .
There may be a witty caption , bit its wit is not so much illustrated as enriched by the picture .
“ Gropper [ is ] as instinctively comic an artist as ever touched pen to paper… ” Increasingly through the years , Eastman edited The Liberator as an editor rather than as the chairman of a co-operative : he changed syntax in articles and captions for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributors finally threatened a mutiny , he resigned as editor and went to visit Soviet Russia .
Meanwhile , The Liberator became a de facto organ of the Communist Party from late 1922 ; in 1924 , it was renamed The Workers ’ Monthly .
GROPPER , who was contributing to other radical magazines ( like The Rebel Worker , The Morning Freiheit , and The Revolutionary Age ) as well as mainstream magazines ( The Bookman , The Dial , and Frank Harris ’ New Pearson ’ s Magazine ) , married @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the two spent a year in Russia , where William Gropper was employed briefly by the All-Union Communist Party ’ s newspaper , Pravda .
In 1927 , Gropper toured the Soviet Union with novelists Sinclair Lewis and Theodore Dreiser in recognition of the tenth anniversary of the Russian Revolution .
In 1925 , Gropper was hired by the New York World .
And in 1926 , he joined several alumni of The Masses and The Liberator to found The New Masses , to which he contributed regularly through the 1930s and 1940s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , painting generally and painting murals particularly .
His painting , says Lozowick , “ was impressive for the effortlessness with which the artist handled the medium and the obvious pleasure he took in its sensuous quality : in the endlessly rich possibilities of pigment and color , the juxtaposition of related and contrasting tonalities , the transparency of some areas and the textual impasto of others .
He seemed to enjoy the very act of laying on color and mixing of one paint with another .
As might be expected from an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backbone of Gropper ’ s painting .
It provides a scaffolding for the intricate pictorial architecture in which color is an integral part.
” In his cartoons and other illustrations , Gropper reflected a keen sense of social injustice , and during the Great Depression , his work was very influential ; he faithfully championed workers as noble but subjugated and exploited laborers while politicians and industrialists were heartless monsters .
He attacked the growth of fascism in Germany and Italy , and he was determinedly against anti-Semitism .
During World War II @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growth of the extreme Right in the U.S. “ His best known subject matter is biting caricature of America ’ s wealthy and powerful , of politicians , moguls of business and industry , yet many of these same types proudly number Gropper work among their private collections , ” reports August L. Freundlich in his William Gropper : Retrospective ( 1968 ) .
His subjects always included grasping politicians but also peasants , American folklore , war , and Jewish village life .
“ You don ’ t paint with color , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ you paint with conviction , freedom , love and heartaches — with what you have .
The other end is the technique , the equipment with which you convey that.
” Time magazine , reporting on a one-man show of Gropper paintings , noted “ the most important fact : stocky William Gropper , a punch-packing cartoonist , is a still better painter .
He paints as he draws , quickly and simply , without benefit of model , in reds , blues , yellows , whites… [ producing ] typically class-conscious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ’ who is mending other men ’ s shoes while barefoot himself ; Brenda in a tantrum , which shows 1939 ’ s Glamor Girl No.1 streaming indignantly through the air ; and ‘ Art Patrons , ’ a jut-jawed couple gazing bleakly at a picture they dislike.
” Time continues : “ For The Freiheit , Manhattan ’ s Yiddish Communist paper , Gropper does a daily cartoon , gets paid when The Freiheit can afford it .
Without pay , he cheerfully draws for The New Masses , The Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for capitalist publications , from Vogue to Fortune , painting murals for bars , hotels , government buildings .
His conservative employers run no risk of embarrassment .
‘ To paint a mural that doesn ’ t fit the place would be like painting swastikas in a synagogue , ’ observes Artist Gropper .
‘ If I were to paint a proletarian scene in a post office , [ Postmaster General ] Farley would jump out of his pants .
My only interest , where I haven ’ t got a free hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job as possible.
’ ” In spite his contributing regularly to an array of communist publications ( and his friendship with John Reed ) , William Gropper was never formally a member of the American Communist Party .
But his attacks on Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s resulted in his being called before the House of Un-American Activities Committee .
He refused to answer questions , claiming ( correctly ) that the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution gave him the right to do so .
Although blacklisted , Gropper was never imprisoned like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( His being blacklisted may be why we haven ’ t heard about him : the blacklist worked . )
In 1956 , a major exhibition of his work was mounted at Piccadilly Gallery in London .
The next year , came the Galerie del Frente Nacional des Artes exhibition in Mexico .
Gropper ’ s work was featured in 25 major exhibitions from 1921 to 1972 — in Rome , in Prague , in New York ( ACA Galleries ) , Los Angeles , San Francisco , Miami and elsewhere .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Says Lozowick : “ He was already known as one of America ’ s outstanding cartoonists and caricaturists ; now , he took his place with its leading contemporary painters .
In this double career , he is unique among the artists in America .
Actually , Gropper has never been exclusively a painter or a cartoonist , although he has worked predominantly in one or the other mode at certain points in his career .
“ Despite his enormous output of drawings , cartoons , illustrations , and sandpaper print , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and occasionally for exhibiting .
As early as 1921 , he had a show of monotypes , and in 1935 , he completed a mural , The Wine Festival , for the Schenley Corporation.
” In 1932 , Gropper was one of several artists invited to submit to the Museum of Modern Art sketches for murals on themes of their own choice .
Gropper ’ s theme was so critical of the establishment , “ particularly of the military-industrial complex , that the trustees could not decide whether to hang it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ J.P. Morgan .
‘ Of course you ’ ve got to hang it , ’ said Morgan .
‘ Don ’ t give it a second thought.
’ “ The picture was hung .
And that was the last Gropper ever saw of it.
” It famously disappeared .
His last major work was the production of stained glass windows for Temple Har Zion , River Forest , Illinois ( 1965-67 ) .
Gropper died from myocardial infarction at Manhasset on January 6 , 1977 .
We close with a short gallery of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope that this brief encounter with his work , cartooning and painting and both together , may prompt a revival of interest in the stocky guy with the blue eyes , William Gropper .
Just for practice , say his name a few times .
Get to know him .

The title of “Alay-Oop,” a graphic novel by William Gropper, comes from the French “allez-houp!” the cry of an acrobat about to leap (“Let’s go! Up!”).
I’VE ALWAYS WONDERED about William Gropper. His name crops up here and there without much amplification.
Who was he? And why? Maybe I’m just obtuse and have overlooked revealing clues on all sides. Maybe not. Then last summer, a book appeared — a graphic novel by Gropper with an Introduction by James Sturm, co-founder of the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vermont (and the founder of the National Association of Comics Art Educators, an organization committed to helping facilitate the teaching of comics in higher education) — and the person likely responsible for re-issuing the book. Entitled Alay-Oop, the novel runs 210 5.5×8-inch pages, b/w (New York Review Comic, hardcover, $24.95).
The book’s title comes from the French “allez-houp!” the cry of an acrobat about to leap (“Let’s go! Up!”). The title is the book’s only words. The wordless story involves vaudeville acrobats, a man and a woman, who are friends with another theatrical act, an opera singer, who admires the woman. The three often go dining together, and the opera singer regales them (the woman particularly) with his stories. One night, the woman dreams a dream about a woman, herself perhaps, and a stallion. The next day, she is visited by the opera singer, who shows her his bank book and tells her (via speech balloon pictures) about what a grand life is possible. He concludes by offering her an engagement ring. Right away, she marries the singer, and she and her acrobatic partner terminate their engagement at the theater.
The three maintain a friendly relationship, and years later, after the woman has given birth to twins, her acrobatic partner shows up to entertain the kids while their mother washes clothes, irons, cooks, and so on. The singer, the kids’ father, is still telling stories about great wealth in the future. But there’s nothing in the present. He grows jealous as he sees that his kids worship the acrobat visitor. He even wonders if the acrobat isn’t secretly the father of the twins.
Then the acrobat begins training the twins to do simple tricks, and when they become quite accomplished, he suggests to their mother, his former partner, that they develop an act for the four of them. Once when they are rehearsing, the singer comes home and sees them doing a trick. He orders the acrobat to leave and begins berating his wife. His tirades grow so furious and unending that she leaves him, taking the twins with her. The singer, having wrecked their apartment in one of his rages, slinks off.
Years later, he has found employment selling fruit from a horse-drawn wagon — singing about his wares to attract customers. The male acrobat now flies high as a steelworker on the girders of skyscrapers. And the woman is in the circus with her twin daughters, working with trick horses.
Sturm says he wishes Gropper had done more graphic novels. “For here was an artist in total command of his craft, in the prime of his career, directing his energies toward an art form whose potential was just beginning to be tapped.”
He bought his copy of Alay-Oop for $100. “It was the most I had ever spent on a book, but I had to have it. Part of its appeal was that it was a historical novelty (a graphic novel before the term existed!) but it was far more than that: it told a very human story with style and verve. In any era, that is a rare and beautiful thing.”
Originally published in 1930, Gropper’s tale is one of several wordless books of narrative illustrations that appeared about then, inspired by Frans Masereel, a Belgian, who would produce over 50 wordless books of woodcut pictures. His first, in 1918, offers a criticism of “the growing power and wealth of industrialists at the expense of a population of workers living in squalor,” as David Berona puts it in his survey, Wordless Books: The Original Graphic Novels (Abrams 2008). Masereell’s second woodcut novel, Passionate Journey (1919), is “perhaps the seminal work in the genre,” saith Berona.
Lynd Ward, an American, saw Masereel’s 1919 The Sun while studying in Germany in 1926, and subsequently produced his first wordless woodcut novel, God’s Man, in 1929. About the same time, cartoonist Milt Gross did a wordless novel, He Done Her Wrong (1930).
Inspired, doubtless (while Gross was then working on a screen play in Hollywood), by the melodrama of silent adventure films, the book is an outright lampoon of the genre — and of Ward’s pretentious oeuvre — but drawn in the much simpler style of a cartoonist rather than an illustrator. Moreover, Gross’s book is humorous; Ward and Masereel’s books are grimly serious. William Gropper takes a step in the same direction of simplification as Gross: some of his drawings are nearly abstractions.
Neither Gross nor Gropper produced any other graphic novels, wordless or wordy. But Gropper’s book prompted me to find out more about him. He eventually took his cartooning talent into painting and illustration and became famous at each endeavor, and everywhere his radical socialist views persisted. St. Wikipedia calls William Gropper a painter, lithographer, and muralist, but his first love was cartooning, and most of his work in other genre looks much like colored cartoons.
And I wonder now, having researched him for this essay, why we who love cartooning in all its aspects have heard so little about Gropper, who, as one of my sources observed, “is unique among artists in America” in having so resounding a success in his double profession, painter and cartoonist.
BORN IN NEW YORK CITY in 1897 to immigrant parents, he grew up on the Lower East Side in poverty: his father, university-educated and fluent in eight languages, could find no work in a field for which he was suited and was forced to accept manual labor, and whenever he found a job, he had difficulty holding it. This failure of the American system to make proper use of his father’s talents probably soured William’s attitude about capitalism, and when a favorite aunt died in the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire on March 25, 1911, his antipathy was completed. (In the fire, 146 people died because they could not escape from their work places on the 8th, 9th and 10th floors of the building: the doors were all locked to prevent workers from taking unauthorized breaks and to reduce theft. Many of those who died leapt to their death from the burning factory floors.)
In a biographical essay in his book William Gropper (1983), Louis Lozowick, a painter and critic, says the neighborhood in which Gropper grew up “was an amazing social laboratory in which, at the expense of thousands of lives, politicians earned their spurs, racketeers learned their professions, and the human organism’s endurance was tested in the face of exploitation, poverty, and disease.”
Young Gropper’s interest in art “began at a young age. As a child of six, he took chalk to the sidewalks, decorating the concrete with elaborate picture stories of cowboys and Indians that extended around the block.” At the age of 13 after graduating from public school, he took his first instruction in art in Harlem at the radical Ferrer School, which had been founded by a group of anarchists that included Alexander Berkman and Emma Goldman. He earned a scholarship to the Parson’s school of fine and applied arts and but continued to work part-time in a clothing store to help support his family.
In 1917, William Gropper joined the staff of the New York Tribune, and for the next four years, he earned a steady income (and a good one — $40/week) doing “tiny” drawings for the paper’s special Sunday feature articles. As a socialist, he mixed with radical cartoonists such as Rockwell Kent, Art Young, Boardman Robinson, and Robert Minor among others, some of whom drew for the left-wing magazine, The Masses. Founded in 1911, The Masses went out of business in 1917 after its editors were tried for treason because of the magazine’s anti-war posture during World War I; neither of two trials reached a guilty verdict.
The Masses was catholic in “its freedom from the one-track mental habit of the rabid devotee of a cause,” Max Eastman, its editor, once wrote, years after the magazine had gone out of business under various legal pressures brought against it.
Eastman continued: “I never could see why people with a zeal for improving life should be indifferent to the living of it. Why cannot one be young-hearted, gay, laughing, audacious, full of animal spirits and yet also use his brains? The everlasting cerebral attitude of such papers as The Nation and The New Republic, the steady, unbillowy, unjoy-disturbed throbbing of grey matter in their pages, makes me, after some months, a little dogsick.
“And yet on the other hand, I hate and always did hate smart-alecky and irresponsible leftism… The basic political trait of The Masses was its emphasis on liberty as the goal of the class struggle… [Among its motivating goals, perhaps the last of them after mostly political ones, was] also the religious motive, the desire of God’s orphans to believe in something beyond reality.”
In his notebook, Eastman reports, he once had written: “I can bear the prospect that the world may never be free, but I cannot bear the prospect of my living in it and not taking part in the fight for freedom.”
In 1918, Eastman established a new magazine, The Liberator, to continue in the same vein as The Masses, and Gropper became a contributor. In January 1921, the year Gropper left the Tribune to freelance, Eastman made him “a special contributor” (akin, I suppose, to “staff member”). Years later, Eastman recorded his first meeting with William Gropper:
“It was one of the brightest mornings in the office when a youth with large blue eyes and the manner of a just-about-to-be-startled fawn stepped in softly with a little sheaf of drawings in ink on tiny squares of paper. They were signed with the funny name of Gropper, and they were funny. Some of them had no captions; others had captions not of themselves jocular, like ‘You’re a Liar!’ or ‘An’ you mean to tell me that that dog ain’t got no fleas!’ But they were all funny. They were his first drawings to be offered for publication [no: Gropper had been cartooning at the Tribune since 1917], and I never felt more definitely in the presence of what is called a budding genius.
“Gropper has gone in for political-party-regulated cartoon wit rather more than is good for him, but I think he still has more humor in his actual drawing than any other American artist since Art Young. At least I would place him side by side in that respect with James Thurber. A sort of liquid humor unhinges the very muscles of these men when they draw. The drawing is funny as well as the things drawn. There may be a witty caption, bit its wit is not so much illustrated as enriched by the picture.
“Gropper [is] as instinctively comic an artist as ever touched pen to paper…”
Increasingly through the years, Eastman edited The Liberator as an editor rather than as the chairman of a co-operative: he changed syntax in articles and captions for cartoons without consulting anyone. When his contributors finally threatened a mutiny, he resigned as editor and went to visit Soviet Russia. Meanwhile, The Liberator became a de facto organ of the Communist Party from late 1922; in 1924, it was renamed The Workers’ Monthly.
GROPPER, who was contributing to other radical magazines (like The Rebel Worker, The Morning Freiheit, and The Revolutionary Age) as well as mainstream magazines (The Bookman, The Dial, and Frank Harris’ New Pearson’s Magazine), married his second wife in 1924, and the two spent a year in Russia, where William Gropper was employed briefly by the All-Union Communist Party’s newspaper, Pravda. In 1927, Gropper toured the Soviet Union with novelists Sinclair Lewis and Theodore Dreiser in recognition of the tenth anniversary of the Russian Revolution.
In 1925, Gropper was hired by the New York World. And in 1926, he joined several alumni of The Masses and The Liberator to found The New Masses, to which he contributed regularly through the 1930s and 1940s. He also began doing book illustration, painting generally and painting murals particularly.
His painting, says Lozowick, “was impressive for the effortlessness with which the artist handled the medium and the obvious pleasure he took in its sensuous quality: in the endlessly rich possibilities of pigment and color, the juxtaposition of related and contrasting tonalities, the transparency of some areas and the textual impasto of others. He seemed to enjoy the very act of laying on color and mixing of one paint with another. As might be expected from an accomplished graphic artist, drawing is the backbone of Gropper’s painting. It provides a scaffolding for the intricate pictorial architecture in which color is an integral part.”
In his cartoons and other illustrations, Gropper reflected a keen sense of social injustice, and during the Great Depression, his work was very influential; he faithfully championed workers as noble but subjugated and exploited laborers while politicians and industrialists were heartless monsters. He attacked the growth of fascism in Germany and Italy, and he was determinedly against anti-Semitism. During World War II, he was increasingly concerned with the growth of the extreme Right in the U.S.
“His best known subject matter is biting caricature of America’s wealthy and powerful, of politicians, moguls of business and industry, yet many of these same types proudly number Gropper work among their private collections,” reports August L. Freundlich in his William Gropper: Retrospective (1968).
His subjects always included grasping politicians but also peasants, American folklore, war, and Jewish village life.
“You don’t paint with color,” Freundlich quotes Gropper as saying, “you paint with conviction, freedom, love and heartaches — with what you have. The other end is the technique, the equipment with which you convey that.”
Time magazine, reporting on a one-man show of Gropper paintings, noted “the most important fact: stocky William Gropper, a punch-packing cartoonist, is a still better painter. He paints as he draws, quickly and simply, without benefit of model, in reds, blues, yellows, whites… [producing] typically class-conscious canvases [of] ‘The Shoemaker,’ who is mending other men’s shoes while barefoot himself; Brenda in a tantrum, which shows 1939’s Glamor Girl No.1 streaming indignantly through the air; and ‘Art Patrons,’ a jut-jawed couple gazing bleakly at a picture they dislike.”
Time continues: “For The Freiheit, Manhattan’s Yiddish Communist paper, Gropper does a daily cartoon, gets paid when The Freiheit can afford it. Without pay, he cheerfully draws for The New Masses, The Sunday Worker. He makes his living freelancing for capitalist publications, from Vogue to Fortune, painting murals for bars, hotels, government buildings. His conservative employers run no risk of embarrassment. ‘To paint a mural that doesn’t fit the place would be like painting swastikas in a synagogue,’ observes Artist Gropper. ‘If I were to paint a proletarian scene in a post office, [Postmaster General] Farley would jump out of his pants. My only interest, where I haven’t got a free hand, is to do as good a job as possible.’”
In spite his contributing regularly to an array of communist publications (and his friendship with John Reed), William Gropper was never formally a member of the American Communist Party. But his attacks on Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s resulted in his being called before the House of Un-American Activities Committee. He refused to answer questions, claiming (correctly) that the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution gave him the right to do so. Although blacklisted, Gropper was never imprisoned like the Hollywood Ten of the same period. (His being blacklisted may be why we haven’t heard about him: the blacklist worked.)
In 1956, a major exhibition of his work was mounted at Piccadilly Gallery in London. The next year, came the Galerie del Frente Nacional des Artes exhibition in Mexico. Gropper’s work was featured in 25 major exhibitions from 1921 to 1972 — in Rome, in Prague, in New York (ACA Galleries), Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami and elsewhere.
His first one-man show was in 1936. Says Lozowick: “He was already known as one of America’s outstanding cartoonists and caricaturists; now, he took his place with its leading contemporary painters. In this double career, he is unique among the artists in America. Actually, Gropper has never been exclusively a painter or a cartoonist, although he has worked predominantly in one or the other mode at certain points in his career.
“Despite his enormous output of drawings, cartoons, illustrations, and sandpaper print, he managed to steal time for painting, and occasionally for exhibiting. As early as 1921, he had a show of monotypes, and in 1935, he completed a mural, The Wine Festival, for the Schenley Corporation.”
In 1932, Gropper was one of several artists invited to submit to the Museum of Modern Art sketches for murals on themes of their own choice. Gropper’s theme was so critical of the establishment, “particularly of the military-industrial complex, that the trustees could not decide whether to hang it. Nelson Rockerfeller took the matter up with J.P. Morgan.
‘Of course you’ve got to hang it,’ said Morgan. ‘Don’t give it a second thought.’
“The picture was hung. And that was the last Gropper ever saw of it.” It famously disappeared.
His last major work was the production of stained glass windows for Temple Har Zion, River Forest, Illinois (1965-67).
Gropper died from myocardial infarction at Manhasset on January 6, 1977. We close with a short gallery of more of Gropper’s oeuvre and hope that this brief encounter with his work, cartooning and painting and both together, may prompt a revival of interest in the stocky guy with the blue eyes, William Gropper. Just for practice, say his name a few times. Get to know him.


humortimes--2020-11-04--The Waiting Game: The Election Results Need to Come to a Head

The waiting game for both pregnancy terms and election results is the same , or at least it can seem that way !
My second baby was a week & a half late !
As any pregnant woman playing that waiting game can attest – that ’ s forever in election years !
The doctor said it ’ s a large baby & can only get larger .
Oh goody !
I saw his scribbling : ‘ Baby ’ s fine – Mother is delirious & speaking in tongues ’ !
During the wait for both pregnancy terms & election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being in this same condition for the rest of our lives or it just seems that way !
This phenom is called ‘ Waiting For Gestation ’ or ‘ How ’ d We Elect Trump in the first place ’ !
‘ Don ’ t worry ’ , the docs say – ‘ No one ever goes more than a year ’ .
Well , I & the rest of the world have waited 4 years !
Just so you know , in the coming days of waiting – we may experience Heartburn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But ‘ the will to live ’ is trailing !
If you ’ re male & in a 6 foot radius – I have to warn you not to mention any nipple irregularities !
You can ’ t get thru a door , see your feet or pick up the newspaper saying , ‘ Trump Still Not Winner Yet ’ !
‘ Where ’ s my waist , my belly button , my ‘ Volvo ’ ?
said the late great Robin Williams in the hilarious movie , “ Nine Months ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or in this mess in the first place ?
Well , they say , escalators had something to do with it .
“ We ’ re Pregnant ” , say the husbands .
No , you are not !
Are you kidding me – when you ’ re constipated & backed up for 2 days ; you call 911 !
But , we shouldn ’ t be surprised at the length of time it ’ ll take to declare a winner for President !
After all , Elephants deliver in a year & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complain about the nervous tic or the weight they gained during the wait !
BTW : My Baby ’ s grown & still fine & never , ever late !
*If Biden wins unequivocally November 3rd – feel free to line your Bird Cage with my article !

The waiting game for both pregnancy terms and election results is the same, or at least it can seem that way!
My second baby was a week & a half late! As any pregnant woman playing that waiting game can attest – that’s forever in election years!
Nine months plus overtime!
The doctor said it’s a large baby & can only get larger. Oh goody!
I saw his scribbling: ‘Baby’s fine – Mother is delirious & speaking in tongues’!
During the wait for both pregnancy terms & election results; we may have visions of being in this same condition for the rest of our lives or it just seems that way!
This phenom is called ‘Waiting For Gestation’ or ‘How’d We Elect Trump in the first place’!
‘Don’t worry’, the docs say – ‘No one ever goes more than a year’. Well, I & the rest of the world have waited 4 years!
Just so you know, in the coming days of waiting – we may experience Heartburn, Shortness of breath & Nipple changes. But ‘the will to live’ is trailing!
If you’re male & in a 6 foot radius – I have to warn you not to mention any nipple irregularities!
You’re welcome.
You can’t get thru a door, see your feet or pick up the newspaper saying, ‘Trump Still Not Winner Yet’!
‘Where’s my waist, my belly button, my ‘Volvo’? said the late great Robin Williams in the hilarious movie, “Nine Months”!
How’d we get pregnant or in this mess in the first place? Well, they say, escalators had something to do with it.
I never passed ‘Sex Ed’ – give me a break!
“We’re Pregnant”, say the husbands. No, you are not!
Are you kidding me – when you’re constipated & backed up for 2 days; you call 911!
But, we shouldn’t be surprised at the length of time it’ll take to declare a winner for President!
After all, Elephants deliver in a year & a half & they never seem to complain about the nervous tic or the weight they gained during the wait!
BTW: My Baby’s grown & still fine & never, ever late!
*If Biden wins unequivocally November 3rd – feel free to line your Bird Cage with my article!


humortimes--2020-11-03--Modernizing the Wisdom of the Great Philosophers

The great philosophers left us much wisdom , but , hey , it ’ s 2020 !
It ’ s not easy to update the great philosophers .
But let ’ s give it a shot : One thing only I know , and that is that I know nothing – Wait , could I know that ?
The unexamined life is not worth living .
Neither is the examined life , with Plato tailing you 24/7 .
By all means , marry .
If you get a good wife , you ’ ll become happy ; if you get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become a philosopher ; if you marry someone like Xanthippe , you ’ ll invent jokes like “ Take my wife , please.
” [ Historical Note : Not a confirmed Socrates ’ quote . ]
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark ; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light , or insist on using incandescent bulbs .
Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly , while bad people will find a way around the laws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There are two things a person should never be angry at , what they can help , and what they can not .
Note to self : forget anger .
Human behavior flows from three main sources : desire , emotion , and knowledge .
Wait , sex , so four sources .
Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder .
Unfortunately , so does ugly .
It is not once nor twice but times without number that the same ideas make their appearance in the world .
It is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the same ideas make their appearance in the world .
All human actions have one or more of these seven causes : chance , nature , compulsions , habit , reason , passion , desire ( Plato should have stuck with geometry ) .
There is nothing so strange and so unbelievable that it has not been said by one philosopher or another , or a certain American President .
The first precept was never to accept a thing as true until I knew it as such without a single doubt .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a doubt as true until it survived the first precept .
I am indeed amazed when I consider how weak my mind is and how prone to error .
I probably should have skipped that third Remy Martin .
No matter how thin you slice it , there will always be two sides – but I don ’ t think this applies to pie .
Will and intellect are one and the same thing ( not sure what happens if you slice that thin ) .
Blessedness is not the reward of virtue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will and intellect .
Peace is not an absence of war , it is a virtue , a state of mind , a disposition for benevolence , confidence , justice .
Kidding !
It ’ s an absence of war .
If a lion could speak , we could not understand him .
That ’ s because of the guttural rrrrrrrrrr ; also , one gets distracted by the sharp teeth .
Whereof one can ’ t speak , thereof one must shut the fuck up .
Man is the cruelest animal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are no beautiful surfaces without a terrible depth .
Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid help , too .
All truth passes through three stages .
First , it is ridiculed .
Second , it is violently opposed .
Third , it is accepted as being self-evident .
Fourth , it is condemned as Fake New on Facebook by Russian trolls .
It is not once nor twice but times without number that the same ideas make their appearance in the world .

The great philosophers left us much wisdom, but, hey, it’s 2020!
It’s not easy to update the great philosophers. But let’s give it a shot:
Socrates:
One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing – Wait, could I know that?
The unexamined life is not worth living. Neither is the examined life, with Plato tailing you 24/7.
By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you’ll become happy; if you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher; if you marry someone like Xanthippe, you’ll invent jokes like “Take my wife, please.” [Historical Note: Not a confirmed Socrates’ quote.]
Plato:
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light, or insist on using incandescent bulbs.
Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws. Note to self: forget laws.
There are two things a person should never be angry at, what they can help, and what they cannot. Note to self: forget anger.
Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge. Wait, sex, so four sources.
Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Unfortunately, so does ugly.
Aristotle:
It is not once nor twice but times without number that the same ideas make their appearance in the world.
It is not once nor twice but times without number that the same ideas make their appearance in the world.
All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire (Plato should have stuck with geometry).
Rene Descartes:
There is nothing so strange and so unbelievable that it has not been said by one philosopher or another, or a certain American President.
The first precept was never to accept a thing as true until I knew it as such without a single doubt. The second precept was not to accept a doubt as true until it survived the first precept.
I am indeed amazed when I consider how weak my mind is and how prone to error. I probably should have skipped that third Remy Martin.
Benedict Spinoza:
No matter how thin you slice it, there will always be two sides – but I don’t think this applies to pie.
Will and intellect are one and the same thing (not sure what happens if you slice that thin).
Blessedness is not the reward of virtue but virtue itself. Kind of like will and intellect.
Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice. Kidding! It’s an absence of war.
Ludwig Wittgenstein:
If a lion could speak, we could not understand him. That’s because of the guttural rrrrrrrrrr; also, one gets distracted by the sharp teeth.
Whereof one can’t speak, thereof one must shut the fuck up.
Friedrich Nietzsche:
Man is the cruelest animal. No, wait, 13-year-old girls.
There are no beautiful surfaces without a terrible depth. Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid help, too.
Arthur Schopenhauer:
All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. Fourth, it is condemned as Fake New on Facebook by Russian trolls.
Aristotle:
It is not once nor twice but times without number that the same ideas make their appearance in the world.


humortimes--2020-11-06--The Russian Connection Election Blues… I Mean Reds!

As Donald Trump lawyers-up – listen in as his Russian connection , Vladimir Putin , tries to ghost him on his way out of the White House !
As Trump struggles to get his Lawyers all in a row disputing the election results – he has his last conversation with his chief enabler , Russian connection , collusion buddy & alleged lover… Where the hell were you , man ?
I just had the best bowl of Borscht Soup !
Focus , Vlad !
How ’ s my Visa-Passport looking for January ?
I ’ m in a bind , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wife of yours ?
Haven ’ t actually talked to her since the escalator .
Send her over here ahead of you – we could use her Christmas Decorating Tips !
Where did I go wrong , Vlad ?
Had the ‘ Hunter Biden Thing ’ going for a while , didn ’ t we ?
That ’ s enough for me !
My work is done .
Just like that ?
That ’ s what Melania said last night !
You mean you ’ re just gon na drop me like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Sour Cream is…what can I say !
Then ‘ The Pee Pee Thing ’ stays in Moscow , right ?
Oh , ‘ The Pillow Guy ’ says , ‘ No worries – it ’ ll come right out ” !

As Donald Trump lawyers-up – listen in as his Russian connection, Vladimir Putin, tries to ghost him on his way out of the White House!
As Trump struggles to get his Lawyers all in a row disputing the election results – he has his last conversation with his chief enabler, Russian connection, collusion buddy & alleged lover…
… but that’s only a Meme-ory!
TRUMP
Where the hell were you, man?
PUTIN
I just had the best bowl of Borscht Soup!
TRUMP
Focus, Vlad! How’s my Visa-Passport looking for January?
PUTIN
Not good – try 2035!
TRUMP
I’m in a bind, you know.
PUTIN
Bringing that pretty little wife of yours?
TRUMP
Haven’t actually talked to her since the escalator.
PUTIN
Send her over here ahead of you – we could use her Christmas Decorating Tips!
TRUMP
Where did I go wrong, Vlad?
PUTIN
You’re too honest.
TRUMP
Finally – someone understands me!
Had the ‘Hunter Biden Thing’ going for a while, didn’t we?
PUTIN
Had Joe sh_ _ in pants!
TRUMP
That’s enough for me!
PUTIN
My work is done.
TRUMP
Just like that?
PUTIN
I never met you!
TRUMP
That’s what Melania said last night!
You mean you’re just gonna drop me like a hot potato?
PUTIN
Potato is good – but Sour Cream is…what can I say!
TRUMP
Then ‘The Pee Pee Thing’ stays in Moscow, right?
PUTIN
Oh, ‘The Pillow Guy’ says, ‘No worries – it’ll come right out”!


humortimes--2020-11-08--Lame Duck a L’Orange Recipe

Lame Duck a L’Orange Recipe

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humortimes--2020-11-08--The Jerry Duncan Show Interviews Alaskan Truck Driver Melissa Pickle

Live from under a rock in your backyard , it ’ s The Jerry Duncan Show .
Good morning listeners nationwide .
Is it a good morning ?
We ’ ll soon find out .
Today on the show my guest is Alaskan truck driver Melissa Pickle .
Good morning , Melissa .
Looks like you ’ re in this interview for the long haul .
Shut up .
Keep on truckin , Duncan .
I ’ m one of the few women long haulers in Alaska .
Yep .
They called me The Diva Crusher .
Would make women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the head with a chair .
For shits and giggles , I tossed them into the crowd .
Sounds like a lot of fun .
Reminds me of the other day when I watched two silkworms in a wrestling match .
Oh , brother .
This interview is going south .
What do you haul , Crusher ?
For Santa Claus , dummy .
There ’ s more than one fat man in a red suit traveling on Christmas Eve .
You ’ re right .
How could one man that porky make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a chimney ?
Bottom line , kids need their presents .
What do you call a kid who doesn ’ t believe in Santa ?
Go change your Depend diapers .
You idiot .
I need to wear diapers when I ’ m driving in Alaska .
Cause every time I cough or sneeze , my radiator leaks and my exhaust backfires .
Don ’ t worry .
I keep plenty of extra jeans in the trailer .
Cutting you short , Big Bertha .
Have a call coming in from president-elect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alaskan friend .
What ’ s the first thing you did when the news broke that you won the election ?
Bought a new pair of Aviator sunglasses .
Now I can stare longer at hot women and the sun .
I can ’ t believe it .
This is your third try and you won the presidency .
I ’ ve overcome so much .
Being a stutterer was life changing .
When I was a kid , I hung around with some bad dudes .
Every car in Scranton had only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sold them .
I ’ m not proud .
But the worse part is my buddy Jimmy Krumholtz , who was also a stutterer got caught and went to jail .
He was a thief .
Thieves go to jail .
No .
You don ’ t understand .
He died in his cell .
That wasn ’ t it , Jerry .
The reason Jimmy the stutterer died was because he couldn ’ t finish his sentence .
It ’ s a turd , I mean a nerd , shoot… absurd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed Barr ’ s credibility .
Are you still there , Crusher ?
No .
I ’ m boarding a cruise ship in Juneau .
Hell , I ’ m driving through a blizzard in the Yukon !
Got ta pullover .
Yukon say that again .
See you tomorrow everyone .

Wherein our intrepid talk radio show host interviews Alaskan truck driver Melissa Pickle.
(Watch The Jerry Duncan Show YouTube series here.)
ANNOUNCER
Live from under a rock in your backyard, it’s The Jerry Duncan Show.
JERRY
Good morning listeners nationwide. Is it a good morning? We’ll soon find out. Today on the show my guest is Alaskan truck driver Melissa Pickle.
JERRY
Good morning, Melissa. Looks like you’re in this interview for the long haul.
MELISSA PICKLE
Shut up. Keep on truckin, Duncan. I’m one of the few women long haulers in Alaska.
JERRY
You’re a big lady. Weren’t you a former wrestler?
MELISSA
Yep. They called me The Diva Crusher. Would make women wrestlers cry when I hit them over the head with a chair. For shits and giggles, I tossed them into the crowd.
JERRY
Sounds like a lot of fun. Reminds me of the other day when I watched two silkworms in a wrestling match.
MELISSA
Who won?
JERRY
It ended in a tie.
JERRY
Oh, brother. This interview is going south. What do you haul, Crusher?
MELISSA
Potatoes, barley, oats, reindeer.
JERRY
Reindeer?
MELISSA
For Santa Claus, dummy. There’s more than one fat man in a red suit traveling on Christmas Eve.
JERRY
You’re right. How could one man that porky make it across the world without getting stuck in a chimney? Bottom line, kids need their presents.
MELISSA
What do you call a kid who doesn’t believe in Santa?
JERRY
No clue.
MELISSA
A rebel without a Claus.
JERRY
Go change your Depend diapers. You idiot.
MELISSA
I need to wear diapers when I’m driving in Alaska. Cause every time I cough or sneeze, my radiator leaks and my exhaust backfires.
JERRY
Eww. I need a barf bag.
MELISSA
Don’t worry. I keep plenty of extra jeans in the trailer.
JERRY
Cutting you short, Big Bertha. Have a call coming in from president-elect Joe Biden.
JOE BIDEN
Hi Jerry.
JERRY
Congratulations, Mr. President. You beat the crazy Trumpster.
BIDEN
Thank you, my Alaskan friend.
JERRY
What’s the first thing you did when the news broke that you won the election?
BIDEN
Bought a new pair of Aviator sunglasses. Now I can stare longer at hot women and the sun.
JERRY
I can’t believe it. This is your third try and you won the presidency.
BIDEN
I’ve overcome so much. Being a stutterer was life changing.
JERRY
How so?
BIDEN
When I was a kid, I hung around with some bad dudes. Every car in Scranton had only two hubcaps. We stole the others and sold them. I’m not proud. But the worse part is my buddy Jimmy Krumholtz, who was also a stutterer got caught and went to jail.
JERRY
He was a thief. Thieves go to jail.
BIDEN
No. You don’t understand. He died in his cell.
JERRY
That’s awful. Too bad there wasn’t police reform.
BIDEN
That wasn’t it, Jerry. The reason Jimmy the stutterer died was because he couldn’t finish his sentence. It’s a turd, I mean a nerd, shoot… absurd. Have to run. Kamala just killed Barr’s credibility.
JERRY
Are you still there, Crusher?
MELISSA
No. I’m boarding a cruise ship in Juneau. Hell, I’m driving through a blizzard in the Yukon! Gotta pullover.
JERRY
Knock. Knock.
MELISSA
Who’s there?
JERRY
Yukon.
MELISSA
Yukon who?
JERRY
Yukon say that again. See you tomorrow everyone.
The Jerry Duncan Show
(c) Dean B. Kaner


humortimes--2020-11-08--RBG Asks Heaven to Wait

RBG Asks Heaven to Wait

The Notorious RBG Appeals to a Courtroom in Heaven Ruth Bader Ginsberg ( RBG ) stands at a podium facing nine justices known as The Supreme Court of the Universal Ministry ( SCOTUM ) .
Seated on their respective thrones are : Mother Teresa , Martin Luther King Jr. , Stalin , Aristotle , Shakespeare , Mahatma Gandhi , Einstein ( Chief Justice ) , Charles Darwin , and Elvis .
RBG : Your honors , if it please the court .
We are in the midst of the most important election in history .
The President is trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ s ignoring science , creating racial unrest , stoking white supremacy- Einstein : Oy , enough Ruthie .
We see what that putz is doing .
Mother Teresa : It was an honest mistake .
The angel meant to get Ruth Bader Ginzberg from The Boca Raton Home for the Aged .
Have mercy on the poor man .
Stalin : He ’ s been dealt with .
His wings have been clipped and he was sent to Siberia -I mean the sub-basement .
Ruth : Are you saying you brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protest !
Shakespeare : The lady doth protest too much , me thinks .
Elvis : Hey Willy , no one talks like that anymore man .
Ruth : Please , I promise I ’ ll come back after he ’ s out of the White House .
Einstein : Some of his tweets do make my hair stand on end- MLK : Your hair always looks that way .
Aristotle : It ’ s the hard water up here Al .
Mother Teresa : Be grateful , the Lord has blessed you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mahatma Gandhi : I would kill for your hair .
Ruth : Can we please stop with the hair ?
The mashugana won ’ t even put on a damn mask , and people are dying .
Mahatma Gandhi : An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind .
Mother Teresa : We must have compassion for the President .
I play canasta with a woman who knew the family and she swears that the father , Fred , dropped the boy on his head numerous times .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mama T. You ’ re all a bunch of candy asses .
I say we poison him- Not like that numskull Putin .
He can ’ t even poison a guy properly- and they say he was KGB-NET !
Darwin : That won ’ t be necessary Justice Stalin .
The man is weak of mind and body .
He will die off on his own .
Let nature take its course .
Ruth : We can ’ t wait for that .
Our democracy is at stake .
Aristotle : No man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a man , so he is not above the law .
Ruth : He won ’ t go to jail .
The Attorney General will protect him .
Mother Teresa : Is that the poor soul with the overactive sweat glands ?
Stalin : Let ’ s do things Russian style .
According to my golf buddy , John McCain , there ’ s been enormous progress in the field of torture .
Mother Teresa covers her ears : No , No , No If you judge people you have no time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we speed things up here ?
I ’ m late for pickle ball with Regis Philbin .
Einstein : We will take a brief recess and deliberate on your arguments .
Justice Antonin Scalia pokes his head into the room .
Scalia : Psst , Ruth !
What ’ s taking you so long ?
We have front row seats on Cloud Nine to see Pavarotti in Puccini .

The Notorious RBG Appeals to a Courtroom in Heaven
Ruth Bader Ginsberg (RBG) stands at a podium facing nine justices known as The Supreme Court of the Universal Ministry (SCOTUM). Seated on their respective thrones are: Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Stalin, Aristotle, Shakespeare, Mahatma Gandhi, Einstein (Chief Justice), Charles Darwin, and Elvis.
RBG: Your honors, if it please the court. We are in the midst of the most important election in history. The President is trying to suppress the will of the people. He’s ignoring science, creating racial unrest, stoking white supremacy-
Einstein: Oy, enough Ruthie. We see what that putz is doing.
Mother Teresa: It was an honest mistake. The angel meant to get Ruth Bader Ginzberg from The Boca Raton Home for the Aged. Have mercy on the poor man.
Stalin: He’s been dealt with. His wings have been clipped and he was sent to Siberia -I mean the sub-basement.
Ruth: Are you saying you brought me up here by mistake? I protest!
Shakespeare: The lady doth protest too much, me thinks.
Elvis: Hey Willy, no one talks like that anymore man.
Ruth: Please, I promise I’ll come back after he’s out of the White House.
Einstein: Some of his tweets do make my hair stand on end-
MLK: Your hair always looks that way.
Aristotle: It’s the hard water up here Al.
Mother Teresa: Be grateful, the Lord has blessed you with a full head of hair.
Mahatma Gandhi: I would kill for your hair.
Einstein: It’s not too poufy?
Ruth: Can we please stop with the hair? The mashugana won’t even put on a damn mask, and people are dying.
Mahatma Gandhi: An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.
Mother Teresa: We must have compassion for the President. I play canasta with a woman who knew the family and she swears that the father, Fred, dropped the boy on his head numerous times.
Stalin: There you go again, Mama T. You’re all a bunch of candy asses. I say we poison him- Not like that numskull Putin. He can’t even poison a guy properly- and they say he was KGB-NET!
Darwin: That won’t be necessary Justice Stalin. The man is weak of mind and body. He will die off on his own. Let nature take its course.
Ruth: We can’t wait for that. Our democracy is at stake.
Aristotle: No man is above the law. Donald Trump is a man, so he is not above the law.
(Elvis starts singing “Jailhouse Rock.”)
Ruth: He won’t go to jail. The Attorney General will protect him.
Mother Teresa: Is that the poor soul with the overactive sweat glands?
Stalin: Let’s do things Russian style. According to my golf buddy, John McCain, there’s been enormous progress in the field of torture.
Mother Teresa covers her ears: No, No, No If you judge people you have no time to love them.
Ruth: I must go back.
The justices are silent.
Einstein: I’m sorry Ruth, it’s mathematically impossible.
RBG: But-
Stalin: Can we speed things up here? I’m late for pickle ball with Regis Philbin.
Einstein: We will take a brief recess and deliberate on your arguments.
The justices leave the room.
A few minutes later…
Ping: A text alert on RBG’s phone reads: Joe Biden wins the Presidency.
RBG smiles.
Justice Antonin Scalia pokes his head into the room.
Scalia: Psst, Ruth! What’s taking you so long? We have front row seats on Cloud Nine to see Pavarotti in Puccini.
RBG: Coming Nino.


humortimes--2020-11-08--‘Lefty Righties’ Appear in ‘Trump Country’

Lefty righties ?
A multitude of overtly progressive ballot issues won majority support on Tuesday , even in so-called Trump Country .
Many years ago , literary critic Dorothy Parker skewered an unfortunate author with her sharp wit : “ This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly .
It should be thrown with great force !
” That ’ s how a lot of us feel about this presidential election year , which has been distinguished by an incumbent who is so self-centered , incompetent and both mentally and morally unsteady that he ’ s more dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold of a hammer .
Swinging wildly , he ’ s tried to win by demolishing the truth , shattering the law , smashing basic rights , annihilating fair play , trashing the common good , busting up social trust , splintering justice and … well , generally eradicating the egalitarian principles that unify Americans into a functioning democracy .
The worst , most divisive election ever , right ?
No .
That horror belongs to the 1860 contest , a four-man race that Abraham Lincoln won with 39.8 % of the vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters ; blatant manipulation of ballots ; personal attacks so vicious they ’ d even make President Donald Trump cringe ; and daily death threats not only from the goofball “ proud boys ” of the day but from Southern elected officials and establishment newspapers .
“ If Lincoln is elected , ” a Virginia member of Congress told the New York Herald , “ we will go to Washington and assassinate him before his inauguration.
” It was a campaign of demonic fury : Mobs attacked and wrecked Republican offices in Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wouldn ’ t even put his name on the ballot .
Despite the vitriol and violence , Lincoln won , stayed calm yet firm in a time of dangerous turmoil , held a bitterly divided nation together and even expanded our democratic ideals and advanced the possibilities for ordinary people to achieve them .
He didn ’ t wear a silly red cap arrogantly proclaiming , “ Make America Great Again.
” He did it .
Indeed , he died for it .
The point is that Lincoln didn ’ t preserve the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law but by altering the culture , pushing the people themselves to act on their better natures .
So , 160 years after that toxic election , here ’ s another one , and there ’ s no Lincoln in sight .
That means that We the People have to do the healing ourselves .
“ Good grief !
” cry many progressives .
“ How has America turned so right-wing that a flabby , narcissistic , wannabe dictator such as Trump is even in the running ?
” But wait .
Aside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , misogynistic voters , plus a bunch of uber-wealthy corporate profiteers making a killing from his rich-man ’ s agenda , most of Trump ’ s rank-and-file voters are not right-wingers at all .
To see evidence of these “ lefty righties , ” look at the multitude of overtly progressive ballot issues that won majority support on Tuesday , even in so-called Trump Country .
• Fifty-three percent of Arizona voters said yes to a tax surcharge on incomes above $ 250,000 a year for individuals and $ 500,000 for joint filers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recruit more teachers .
• A whopping 78 % of Oregon voters approved a populist proposition to put strict controls on the corrupting power of big-money corporate donations in elections .
• Sixty-one percent of Floridians voted to raise the state ’ s minimum wage to $ 15 an hour , a working-class advance vehemently opposed by corporate giants and right-wing groups .
• Fifty-seven percent voted yes on a Colorado provision requiring corporations to let employees earn paid time off for medical and family needs .
• Between 53 % and 69 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including such supposedly conservative bastions as Arizona , Mississippi and South Dakota — approved initiatives liberalizing and even legalizing marijuana and other drug use .
• Plus , there were some big symbolic victories , such as Mississippi replacing a Confederate symbol on its state flag with a magnolia blossom , and the people of Nebraska overwhelmingly voting to amend their constitution to excise an antiquated provision authorizing slavery as a punishment for certain crimes !
The hope that resides in these progressive policy positions is the prospect that a truly great American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around some mega-politician but around our people ’ s basic shared values of fairness , justice and equal opportunity for all .

Lefty righties? A multitude of overtly progressive ballot issues won majority support on Tuesday, even in so-called Trump Country.
Many years ago, literary critic Dorothy Parker skewered an unfortunate author with her sharp wit: “This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force!”
That’s how a lot of us feel about this presidential election year, which has been distinguished by an incumbent who is so self-centered, incompetent and both mentally and morally unsteady that he’s more dangerous than a baby who’s gotten hold of a hammer. Swinging wildly, he’s tried to win by demolishing the truth, shattering the law, smashing basic rights, annihilating fair play, trashing the common good, busting up social trust, splintering justice and … well, generally eradicating the egalitarian principles that unify Americans into a functioning democracy. The worst, most divisive election ever, right?
No. That horror belongs to the 1860 contest, a four-man race that Abraham Lincoln won with 39.8% of the vote: rabid racism; furious intimidation of voters; blatant manipulation of ballots; personal attacks so vicious they’d even make President Donald Trump cringe; and daily death threats not only from the goofball “proud boys” of the day but from Southern elected officials and establishment newspapers. “If Lincoln is elected,” a Virginia member of Congress told the New York Herald, “we will go to Washington and assassinate him before his inauguration.” It was a campaign of demonic fury: Mobs attacked and wrecked Republican offices in Washington and Baltimore, and 10 Southern states wouldn’t even put his name on the ballot.
Despite the vitriol and violence, Lincoln won, stayed calm yet firm in a time of dangerous turmoil, held a bitterly divided nation together and even expanded our democratic ideals and advanced the possibilities for ordinary people to achieve them. He didn’t wear a silly red cap arrogantly proclaiming, “Make America Great Again.” He did it. Indeed, he died for it.
The point is that Lincoln didn’t preserve the noble idea of America by rewriting the law but by altering the culture, pushing the people themselves to act on their better natures. So, 160 years after that toxic election, here’s another one, and there’s no Lincoln in sight. That means that We the People have to do the healing ourselves.
“Good grief!” cry many progressives. “How has America turned so right-wing that a flabby, narcissistic, wannabe dictator such as Trump is even in the running?”
But wait. Aside from a minority of racist, xenophobic, misogynistic voters, plus a bunch of uber-wealthy corporate profiteers making a killing from his rich-man’s agenda, most of Trump’s rank-and-file voters are not right-wingers at all. To see evidence of these “lefty righties,” look at the multitude of overtly progressive ballot issues that won majority support on Tuesday, even in so-called Trump Country.
Fifty-three percent of Arizona voters said yes to a tax surcharge on incomes above $250,000 a year for individuals and $500,000 for joint filers, specifically to raise teacher pay and recruit more teachers.
A whopping 78% of Oregon voters approved a populist proposition to put strict controls on the corrupting power of big-money corporate donations in elections.
Sixty-one percent of Floridians voted to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour, a working-class advance vehemently opposed by corporate giants and right-wing groups.
Fifty-seven percent voted yes on a Colorado provision requiring corporations to let employees earn paid time off for medical and family needs.
Between 53% and 69% of voters in six states — including such supposedly conservative bastions as Arizona, Mississippi and South Dakota — approved initiatives liberalizing and even legalizing marijuana and other drug use.
Plus, there were some big symbolic victories, such as Mississippi replacing a Confederate symbol on its state flag with a magnolia blossom, and the people of Nebraska overwhelmingly voting to amend their constitution to excise an antiquated provision authorizing slavery as a punishment for certain crimes!
The hope that resides in these progressive policy positions is the prospect that a truly great American majority might yet be forged — not around some mega-politician but around our people’s basic shared values of fairness, justice and equal opportunity for all.


humortimes--2020-11-10--Ripping the Headlines Today, 11/9/20

Ripping the Headlines Today, 11/9/20

Making fun of the headlines today , so you don ’ t have to The news doesn ’ t need to be complicated and confusing ; that ’ s what any new release from Microsoft is for .
And , as in the case with anything from Microsoft , to keep the news from worrying our pretty little heads over , remember something new and equally indecipherable will come out soon : Really all you need to do is follow one simple rule : barely pay attention and jump to conclusions .
So , here are some headlines today and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary Clinton put on her big boy pantsuit and conceded .
Time to order a pair of Under Armour big boy golf pants .
Oregon becomes 1st state to decriminalize drug possession as New Jersey , Arizona legalize marijuana Which answers the question the rest of the world is asking : “ Seriously , America , what drugs are you on ?
” They ’ d be really happy if they knew .
Trump ’ s attempts to sabotage USPS , Democrats hurt his own voters more Frankly , Trump being against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that his brides tend be mail ordered .
Nigerian prince says he rented out an entire NYC restaurant for his first date with his now-wife , who had no idea he was a royal So , that ’ s why my Nigerian uncle never emailed me back with my inheritance , he was busy .
Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost have tied the knot … to anyone upset , like you had a shot .
Her own or Biden ’ s ?
Lori Loughlin is apparently a ‘ wreck ’ in prison , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s no crew team … Fortunately for Trump it was Morgan so not a lot people saw it .
What is “ F & % k you 2020 for a thousand ?
” Tucker Carlson saying Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will FORCE you to drink Starbucks coffee every day C ’ mon , Tucker , you are so full of Crappuccino .
USPS failed to deliver 27 percent of mail-in ballots in South Florida : report On the upside no one missed out on those 20 % off coupons from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressure , California Governor won ’ t budge on reopening Disneyland , other large theme parks … if only there was a disease themed park like Knott ’ s Beriberi Farm !
… well , if Trump won ’ t leave White House then just turn it into a Trump Casino ; and it ’ ll be empty in no time…

Making fun of the headlines today, so you don’t have to
The news doesn’t need to be complicated and confusing; that’s what any new release from Microsoft is for. And, as in the case with anything from Microsoft, to keep the news from worrying our pretty little heads over, remember something new and equally indecipherable will come out soon:
Really all you need to do is follow one simple rule: barely pay attention and jump to conclusions. So, here are some headlines today and my first thoughts:
Trump continues contesting election results after Biden’s win
Four years ago Hillary Clinton put on her big boy pantsuit and conceded. Time to order a pair of Under Armour big boy golf pants.
Oregon becomes 1st state to decriminalize drug possession as New Jersey, Arizona legalize marijuana
Which answers the question the rest of the world is asking: “Seriously, America, what drugs are you on?”
The Amish trend on Twitter
They’d be really happy if they knew.
Trump’s attempts to sabotage USPS, Democrats hurt his own voters more
Frankly, Trump being against the Post Office was just weird … given that his brides tend be mail ordered.
Nigerian prince says he rented out an entire NYC restaurant for his first date with his now-wife, who had no idea he was a royal
So, that’s why my Nigerian uncle never emailed me back with my inheritance, he was busy.
Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost have tied the knot
… to anyone upset, like you had a shot.
Lara Trump denies mocking Joe Biden’s stutter, suggests cognitive decline
Her own or Biden’s?
Lori Loughlin is apparently a ‘wreck’ in prison, just days into her sentence
Probably because there’s no crew team …
Piers Morgan mercilessly ridicules ‘tantrum-throwing’ Donald Trump with ‘baby’ clip
Fortunately for Trump it was Morgan so not a lot people saw it.
RIP Alex Trebek
What is “F&%k you 2020 for a thousand?”
Tucker Carlson saying Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will FORCE you to drink Starbucks coffee every day
C’mon, Tucker, you are so full of Crappuccino.
USPS failed to deliver 27 percent of mail-in ballots in South Florida: report
On the upside no one missed out on those 20% off coupons from Bed, Bath and Beyond.
Despite pressure, California Governor won’t budge on reopening Disneyland, other large theme parks
… if only there was a disease themed park like Knott’s Beriberi Farm!
Trump threatens to never leave White House
… well, if Trump won’t leave White House then just turn it into a Trump Casino; and it’ll be empty in no time…


humortimes--2020-11-09--Justice Barrett: First Days on SCOTUS Marked by Practical Jokes, Pranks

Both liberal and conservative justices on the court have been pranking Trump ’ s pick , Justice Barrett , since her first day on the Court .
Justice Amy Coney Barrett , President Trump ’ s Supreme Court appointment following the death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg , has been the subject of multiple practical jokes during her first days on the job .
According to our sources , the pranks—ranging from whoopie cushions on her seat to stink bombs in her office—have come from both her liberal and conservative colleagues .
The only justice not participating in the shenanigans has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Roberts who called the pranks “ damaging to the legitimacy of the court ” but also “ freaking hilarious.
” The first reported practical joke came on Barrett ’ s first day when clerks for Elena “ Cheech ” Kagan replaced the sour cream Barrett intended to use on her lunch with Crisco .
( Because the justices have been working remotely , the justices ’ clerks are carrying out the pranks . )
The next day , Barrett discovered several ounces of glitter in her judicial robe , a joke allegedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Brewski ” Kavanaugh .
The glitter quickly became ingrained in the surrounding furniture , carpeting , and electronics , with Barrett ’ s husband , Jesse Barrett , describing the scene as “ so devastating we may have to move .
Not cool , bro !
” When asked why the pranks are occurring now , Supreme Court watcher Tom Goldstein remarked , “ [ Ruth Bader ] Ginsburg was the adult in the room and held the others to a higher standard .
Now that she ’ s gone , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Other experts have disagreed that Ginsburg ’ s passing was the catalyst for the frat-like atmosphere ; some have pointed to the late justice ’ s superhuman ability to keg stand and her still-unbeaten win streak at beer pong : 87 consecutive wins alongside teammate and colleague Justice Sonia “ Line ’ em up ” Sotomayor .
Justice Barrett , for her part , has not taken the pranks lightly and has retaliated against some of her colleagues .
Following the glitter incident , Barrett allegedly had images of Senator Amy Klobuchar—who famously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s house to startle him .
In the days since the images were placed , Kavanuagh has refused to re-enter his home out of fear , instead crashing on Justice Neil “ Squeech ” Gorsuch ’ s futon .
It ’ s not clear how long this hazing will last .
Some of the clerks have feared it could grow into an all-out prank war , something Barrett may be well equipped to handle : one of her former classmates at Notre Dame Law School advised the other justices “ not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blind in one eye because of one of her pranks involving a prophylactic and a slingshot .
”

Both liberal and conservative justices on the court have been pranking Trump’s pick, Justice Barrett, since her first day on the Court.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump’s Supreme Court appointment following the death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg, has been the subject of multiple practical jokes during her first days on the job.
According to our sources, the pranks—ranging from whoopie cushions on her seat to stink bombs in her office—have come from both her liberal and conservative colleagues. The only justice not participating in the shenanigans has been Chief Justice John “Big Cheese” Roberts who called the pranks “damaging to the legitimacy of the court” but also “freaking hilarious.”
The first reported practical joke came on Barrett’s first day when clerks for Elena “Cheech” Kagan replaced the sour cream Barrett intended to use on her lunch with Crisco. (Because the justices have been working remotely, the justices’ clerks are carrying out the pranks.) The next day, Barrett discovered several ounces of glitter in her judicial robe, a joke allegedly orchestrated by another Trump pick, Brett “Brewski” Kavanaugh. The glitter quickly became ingrained in the surrounding furniture, carpeting, and electronics, with Barrett’s husband, Jesse Barrett, describing the scene as “so devastating we may have to move. Not cool, bro!”
When asked why the pranks are occurring now, Supreme Court watcher Tom Goldstein remarked, “[Ruth Bader] Ginsburg was the adult in the room and held the others to a higher standard. Now that she’s gone, it’s like a frat house.” Other experts have disagreed that Ginsburg’s passing was the catalyst for the frat-like atmosphere; some have pointed to the late justice’s superhuman ability to keg stand and her still-unbeaten win streak at beer pong: 87 consecutive wins alongside teammate and colleague Justice Sonia “Line ’em up” Sotomayor.
Justice Barrett, for her part, has not taken the pranks lightly and has retaliated against some of her colleagues. Following the glitter incident, Barrett allegedly had images of Senator Amy Klobuchar—who famously grilled Kavanaugh during his confirmation—hidden throughout Kavanaugh’s house to startle him. In the days since the images were placed, Kavanuagh has refused to re-enter his home out of fear, instead crashing on Justice Neil “Squeech” Gorsuch’s futon.
It’s not clear how long this hazing will last. Some of the clerks have feared it could grow into an all-out prank war, something Barrett may be well equipped to handle: one of her former classmates at Notre Dame Law School advised the other justices “not to poke the bear… I’m still blind in one eye because of one of her pranks involving a prophylactic and a slingshot.”


humortimes--2020-11-11--The One-Term Presidents Club: A Letter to Donald from a Special Friend

I ’ m sure it ’ s been tough these last few days what with losing the election and all .
Believe me ; I know what it ’ s like and it ’ s definitely not fun .
I just wanted to write and let you know that things will get better .
After a few weeks moping around the house , Rosalynn kicked me in the butt and got me started with all my volunteering .
Now I don ’ t imagine you ’ re a big one for volunteer work such as building houses for Habitat for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are a real estate guy and hopefully you can put your talents to work for others as in something , say , like Hotels for Russians or Casinos for Crackers .
If all this is too painful , you can always pretend you ’ ll run again in 2024 .
Frankly , I wouldn ’ t recommend it .
You ’ ll be 78 and , trust me , once you ’ re looking at 80 , being President is a daunting task .
Just ask Joe Biden .
Don ’ t forget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member of the Ex-Presidents Club .
It ’ s a very select fraternity with only five members , now including you .
I know you ’ re not a big fan of Obama , Bush and Clinton but I think you ’ ll enjoy the occasional golf outing or poker night with them .
I should warn you , however , that those guys are pretty snobby .
They ’ re all former two-term Presidents and they ’ re pretty hoity-toity about it .
I ’ m not saying they ’ ll outright @ @ @ @ @ @ @ golf foursome invites any time soon .
I no longer get invited and I don ’ t think it ’ s just because I ’ m 96 with a golf handicap half that .
No one says anything particular but you definitely get the feeling you ’ re second class .
The silver lining to all this is that you ’ re now a member of an even more exclusive club : the One-term Presidents Club .
It ’ s just you and me , Donald , and , let ’ s face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long before it ’ s just you .
Anyway , give me a call when you feel up to it .
Maybe we could go golfing so long as you ’ ve got a really good golf cart and don ’ t mind a lot of bathroom breaks .
Or maybe we could go out for dinner together with our spouses .
Rosalynn may take a bit of convincing but I ’ m sure she would agree to at least make nice with Melania .
Or maybe we could just chat on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know how lonely it is to be a one-term president so I can help you through those dark times .
I ’ m thinking I might also have some advice to give you on image burnishing .
I ’ m not saying I can help you get a Nobel Peace Prize or anything like that but I do have a few tips on rebranding , a topic you also know something about if I ’ m not mistaken .
After all , I left office with about as low an approval rating as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now .
Trust me ; I ’ m sure I can make even you likeable .

A consoling letter from a friend, re: One-Term Presidents Club.
Dear Donald,
I’m sure it’s been tough these last few days what with losing the election and all. Believe me; I know what it’s like and it’s definitely not fun.
I just wanted to write and let you know that things will get better. After a few weeks moping around the house, Rosalynn kicked me in the butt and got me started with all my volunteering.
Now I don’t imagine you’re a big one for volunteer work such as building houses for Habitat for Humanity or the like. Yet you are a real estate guy and hopefully you can put your talents to work for others as in something, say, like Hotels for Russians or Casinos for Crackers.
If all this is too painful, you can always pretend you’ll run again in 2024. Frankly, I wouldn’t recommend it. You’ll be 78 and, trust me, once you’re looking at 80, being President is a daunting task. Just ask Joe Biden.
Don’t forget; you’re now a lifetime member of the Ex-Presidents Club. It’s a very select fraternity with only five members, now including you. I know you’re not a big fan of Obama, Bush and Clinton but I think you’ll enjoy the occasional golf outing or poker night with them.
I should warn you, however, that those guys are pretty snobby. They’re all former two-term Presidents and they’re pretty hoity-toity about it. I’m not saying they’ll outright exclude you but don’t expect golf foursome invites any time soon.
I no longer get invited and I don’t think it’s just because I’m 96 with a golf handicap half that. No one says anything particular but you definitely get the feeling you’re second class.
The silver lining to all this is that you’re now a member of an even more exclusive club: the One-term Presidents Club. It’s just you and me, Donald, and, let’s face it, it won’t be long before it’s just you.
Anyway, give me a call when you feel up to it. Maybe we could go golfing so long as you’ve got a really good golf cart and don’t mind a lot of bathroom breaks.
Or maybe we could go out for dinner together with our spouses. Rosalynn may take a bit of convincing but I’m sure she would agree to at least make nice with Melania.
Or maybe we could just chat on the phone from time to time. I know how lonely it is to be a one-term president so I can help you through those dark times.
I’m thinking I might also have some advice to give you on image burnishing. I’m not saying I can help you get a Nobel Peace Prize or anything like that but I do have a few tips on rebranding, a topic you also know something about if I’m not mistaken.
After all, I left office with about as low an approval rating as you can get and look at me now. Trust me; I’m sure I can make even you likeable.
Electorally yours,
Jimmy C.


Trump’s Anti-Labor Department

Trump has been the Anti-Labor President , all the while bombastically asserting at rallies that he ’ s the workers ’ champion .
In building glittery enclaves like Trump Tower , luxury resorts and casinos , our shady dealmaker of a president has routinely used lies , bankruptcies , union busting and plain-old wage theft to stiff the working people who built and staffed them .
So , it ’ s no surprise that , while bombastically asserting at rallies that he ’ s the workers ’ champion , he ’ s been the Anti-Labor President , waging a savage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees wholly subservient to the profiteering whims of CEOs and rich investors .
How savage ?
Consider just a few of Trump ’ s nonstop assaults on workplace safety — direct life-and-death threats to millions of people in America ’ s workplaces .
Trump and his appointees have done the following : • Eliminated the Fair Pay and Safe Workplace rule requiring federal contractors to follow safety and labor laws .
• Commanded by executive order that agencies repeal two worker protections for every new one they adopt .
• Directed all agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be labeled “ burdensome ” to industry and , therefore , are subject to repeal .
• Withdrew more than a dozen rules protecting mineworkers from major hazards such as explosive coal dust and mining chemicals .
• Halted implementation of an Obama-era rule requiring hospitals and nursing homes to adopt plans , provide staff training and stockpile equipment ( respirators , masks , etc . )
to protect health workers and patients from future outbreaks of airborne infectious diseases — yes , like COVID-19 .
• Abandoned an Obama initiative meant to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by silica dust ( created when “ engineered stone ” is fabricated and cut to make imitation marble and granite ) .
• Scorned the importance of workplace safety by pointedly failing throughout his tenure to put anyone in charge of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration , or OSHA .
• Gutted OSHA ‘ s enforcement ability by reducing its number of safety and health inspectors to the lowest level in its 49-year history .
( There are so few inspectors now that it would take the agency 165 years to visit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , 14 workers are killed on the job each day , and up to 5 million are injured each year .
This abominable governmental performance comes , of course , at the behest of our gilded president ’ s corporate peers — the CEOs and lobbyists who keep demanding that the financial “ burden ” of worker safety be removed from their multibillion-dollar balance sheets .
To gauge Trump ’ s deep empathy for protecting profits over lives , just look at the three men he ’ s chosen to preside over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specifically intended to stand up for working stiffs .
Choice No .
1 : Andrew Puzder , former CEO of the Hardee ’ s and Carl ’ s Jr. chains .
Puzder was notorious for exploiting low-wage fast-food workers .
He has a rap sheet of employee abuses so ugly that even the GOP-controlled Senate gagged , refusing to confirm him .
Choice No .
2 : Alex Acosta , a longtime Republican partisan and legal activist for corporate interests .
He lasted barely two years in the Trump maelstrom .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , as a Florida prosecutor , he had cut a sweetheart deal for infamous pedophile and sex trafficker Jeffery Epstein .
Insiders say , however , that Acosta ’ s real sin in Trump ’ s eyes was not moving fast enough to kill worker protections enacted by Obama .
Choice No .
3 : Eugene Scalia .
Finally , a year ago , Trump got the kind of deregulatory wrecking ball he wanted as labor chief .
Son of Antonin Scalia , the late , ultra-right Supreme Court justice — Eugene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become Corporate America ’ s go-to attack dog in legal fights .
From Boeing to Walmart , he defended blue-chip giants in cases of sexual harassment , union busting , stealing tips , killing workers and a litany of other abuses .
( He even argued that UPS workers — not the corporation — should pay for essential workplace safety equipment . )
AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka called Scalia ’ s appointment “ insulting ” and “ dangerous.
” Sure enough , this “ labor ” secretary has served as a tool for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Most recently , he ’ s been a pompom-waving cheerleader for cutting off working people ’ s unemployment benefits in order to force them back into COVID-19-infested jobs .
“ We want workers to work , not become dependent on the unemployment system , ” he babbled in April , apparently considering collecting unemployment benefits worse than death .
What about his statutory duty to protect worker interests ?
His aides pointed to a poster Scalia ’ s agency had released suggesting steps corporations can take to help employees avoid infection — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must take.
” Seriously , a poster !

Trump has been the Anti-Labor President, all the while bombastically asserting at rallies that he’s the workers’ champion.
In building glittery enclaves like Trump Tower, luxury resorts and casinos, our shady dealmaker of a president has routinely used lies, bankruptcies, union busting and plain-old wage theft to stiff the working people who built and staffed them. So, it’s no surprise that, while bombastically asserting at rallies that he’s the workers’ champion, he’s been the Anti-Labor President, waging a savage war behind the administrative curtain to make employees wholly subservient to the profiteering whims of CEOs and rich investors.
How savage? Consider just a few of Trump’s nonstop assaults on workplace safety — direct life-and-death threats to millions of people in America’s workplaces. Trump and his appointees have done the following:
Eliminated the Fair Pay and Safe Workplace rule requiring federal contractors to follow safety and labor laws.
Repealed requirements that corporations maintain accurate injury records.
Commanded by executive order that agencies repeal two worker protections for every new one they adopt.
Directed all agencies to identify existing worker safeguards that can be labeled “burdensome” to industry and, therefore, are subject to repeal.
Withdrew more than a dozen rules protecting mineworkers from major hazards such as explosive coal dust and mining chemicals.
Halted implementation of an Obama-era rule requiring hospitals and nursing homes to adopt plans, provide staff training and stockpile equipment (respirators, masks, etc.) to protect health workers and patients from future outbreaks of airborne infectious diseases — yes, like COVID-19.
Abandoned an Obama initiative meant to protect workers from deadly lung disease caused by silica dust (created when “engineered stone” is fabricated and cut to make imitation marble and granite).
Scorned the importance of workplace safety by pointedly failing throughout his tenure to put anyone in charge of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA.
Gutted OSHA‘s enforcement ability by reducing its number of safety and health inspectors to the lowest level in its 49-year history. (There are so few inspectors now that it would take the agency 165 years to visit every U.S. workplace just once.) Meanwhile, 14 workers are killed on the job each day, and up to 5 million are injured each year.
This abominable governmental performance comes, of course, at the behest of our gilded president’s corporate peers — the CEOs and lobbyists who keep demanding that the financial “burden” of worker safety be removed from their multibillion-dollar balance sheets. To gauge Trump’s deep empathy for protecting profits over lives, just look at the three men he’s chosen to preside over the Labor Department, the one agency specifically intended to stand up for working stiffs.
Choice No. 1: Andrew Puzder, former CEO of the Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. chains. Puzder was notorious for exploiting low-wage fast-food workers. He has a rap sheet of employee abuses so ugly that even the GOP-controlled Senate gagged, refusing to confirm him.
Choice No. 2: Alex Acosta, a longtime Republican partisan and legal activist for corporate interests. He lasted barely two years in the Trump maelstrom. He was nominally forced to resign over the disclosure that, as a Florida prosecutor, he had cut a sweetheart deal for infamous pedophile and sex trafficker Jeffery Epstein. Insiders say, however, that Acosta’s real sin in Trump’s eyes was not moving fast enough to kill worker protections enacted by Obama.
Choice No. 3: Eugene Scalia. Finally, a year ago, Trump got the kind of deregulatory wrecking ball he wanted as labor chief. Son of Antonin Scalia, the late, ultra-right Supreme Court justice — Eugene is a virulent anti-worker lawyer who had become Corporate America’s go-to attack dog in legal fights. From Boeing to Walmart, he defended blue-chip giants in cases of sexual harassment, union busting, stealing tips, killing workers and a litany of other abuses. (He even argued that UPS workers — not the corporation — should pay for essential workplace safety equipment.)
AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka called Scalia’s appointment “insulting” and “dangerous.” Sure enough, this “labor” secretary has served as a tool for corporate interests to pry loose labor protections. Most recently, he’s been a pompom-waving cheerleader for cutting off working people’s unemployment benefits in order to force them back into COVID-19-infested jobs. “We want workers to work, not become dependent on the unemployment system,” he babbled in April, apparently considering collecting unemployment benefits worse than death. What about his statutory duty to protect worker interests? His aides pointed to a poster Scalia’s agency had released suggesting steps corporations can take to help employees avoid infection — “can take,” not “must take.” Seriously, a poster!