Time for this week’s OpinionList.

POLITICS

Go Not So Proud: Politico reports, “GOProud co-founder Jimmy LaSalvia announced last week that he would renounce his affiliation with the Republican Party and become an independent nearly five years after he founded the group aimed at gay conservatives.” LaSalvia had a few important things to say about the Republican Party, “I just came to the realization that the Republican Party doesn’t represent my principles and values. I’m a small government conservative and they’re for big government. They’re happy to have big government as long as they’re in charge. More importantly, I don’t tolerate bigotry of any kind, whether it’s anti-gay bigotry, anti-Muslim bigotry. And they do and that’s just not OK with me. I think there’s a cultural problem within the Republican Party that’s beyond fixing. I think the leadership of the Republican Party is so out of touch with life in America today that I just decided that it’s not worth fixing. I don’t think they can win a national election again. Pull the plug on the patient, the party’s brain dead.” Yes, the party’s brain dead, but they’re giving the rest of us a huge headache.

Black Thoughts: You’ve probably already heard of the Florida’s state House Republican candidate, Joshua Black, who tweeted this about President Obama, on Martin Luther King Jr Day, “I’m past impeachment. It’s time to arrest and hang him high.” Why is it that the biggest assholes always come from my state of Florida? Well, I have a theory. Florida is the penis-shaped state that attracts all the [RWNJ] dicks. When Salon wrote about the story, 2 days ago, Joshua Black had 429 followers. One day later he has 1229.

Roving Asshole: Wow, I’m really foul-mouthed (or should I say foul-fingered) today. This happens when I read through stuff about RWNJ’s and the establishment Republicans who welcomed them with open arms. But, honestly, even if the tea party had never happened, I wouldn’t be a blue-blooded Democrat if I didn’t despise Karl Rove and everything that he stands for. A Newsweek article claims to know, “The Real Reason Why Rove Went Into Denial On Election Night.” I had my own idea back in 2012 when I wrote, On Karl Rove’s Fox Freakout.  What’s yours?

McDonnells: I’m lovin it: Bob & Maureen McDonnell, the former Virginia governor and his wife have been indicted on federal corruption charges (14 felony counts in total). While, I normally don’t rejoice in other people’s misfortunes (or in this case fortunes), I cannot pass up a chance to point out how another Republican is in trouble because of his greed for money, even though it’s so boring. At least Democrats usually get in trouble for sex (another reason to be a liberal). Jamelle Bouie at The Daily Beast comments, “With McDonnell’s indictment, and the ongoing investigation into New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s role in “bridgegate,” this month has been terrible for the GOP class of 2009. The two governors were supposed to stand as standard-bearers for the right against the overreach of Barack Obama.” What overreach by President Obama? It seems to me the McDonnells were overreaching into someone’s pocket. As for Christie it’s now worse than “bridgegate,” it seems he was overreaching for some prime piece of real estate for his buddies.

AMERICANA

First Slam Dunk: What happens when you pair our awesome First Lady with the awesome Heat? A slam dunk, that’s what, and one carried out by none other than First Lady Michelle Obama, with a little help from LeBron. Best part of all she videobombed the Heat, and her after-slam dunk reaction is priceless. If I didn’t like her before, this would have definitely changed my mind.

What The Heck, Beck? Glenn Beck is sorry that he helped to tear the country apart. In his own words, “I remember it as an awful lot of fun and that I made an awful lot of mistakes. I wish I could go back and be more uniting in my language because I think I played a role, unfortunately, in helping tear the country apart and it’s not who we are and I didn’t realize how really fragile the people were. I thought we were kind of a little more in it together. Now I look back and I realize if we could have talked about the uniting principles a little bit more, instead of just the problems, I think I would look back on it a little more fondly.” Well, we would look at him a little more fondly today if he had kept his mouth shut. But, if he really wants to make amends, I have an idea. He should put all the money that he made destroying our country into something that could unite it. For example, fighting Rush Limbaugh. Maybe then I’ll believe him.

Noble Speech: I found The Daily Beast’s Malcom Jones’ article on Martin Luther King Jr’s Nobel Peace Prize speech extremely interesting. I’m grateful that he took the time to write it as it led me to discover the speech itself. What a great man he was. In a time when we have the Becks and Limbaughs of today joined by a multitude of tea partiers spewing hatred, Reverend King is sorely missed and needed. Yes, we need more Martin Luther Kings today.

LIFE

Of Course He’s Crazy:  ABC News reports, “A Florida engineer accused of abducting his two young sons and sailing with them to Cuba was declared legally insane in court Wednesday and will likely undergo treatment for mental illness before he can stand trial.” When I first heard about this story, I knew that he was crazy. Most people are desperately trying to get out of that island, not into it.

Emails To Happiness: According to an article in The Week, you can improve your life by sending emails. 1. “Every morning send a friend, family member, or co-worker an email to say thanks for something.”  2. “At the end of the week, send your boss an email and sum up what you’ve accomplished.”  3. “Once a week, email a potential mentor.” 4. “Email a good friend and make plans.” 5. I think it has something to do with emailing “weak-ties” (acquaintances on social media, for instance) and sending them links you find interesting (like how many emails to send to improve your life).  What would actually improve my life would be to receive (and send) less emails. What now?

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