I know, right!?!

Yes, I am sure there are plenty of reasons why they chose this path that benefit them, but I rarely get to applaud corporations for doing what is “right” and dang it, ABC deserves the applause!

Totally agree. :)

Except that it wasn't free.

"Freedom of speech" sometimes has consequences. Keep in mind that Trump and company are increasingly spewing this identical rhetoric as defense. They've gone from "nobody met with any Russians" and "fake news" all the way down the playing field to "so what if we did" and "freedom of speech," which is inarguably a very long way for the proverbial goalposts to move.

If she hadn't been getting paid very well to represent the show and all of its actors and crew, and ABC, and the Walt fucking Disney Corporation, she could have said anything she wanted to say without any repercussion.

I'm a big fan of The Walt "f" Disney Company too. I think they get way more right than they do wrong. Kudos to them for maneuvering through today's political environment/minefield.

So when Roseanne evidently got drunk and tweeted this vile slur, should anyone have been surprised?

No one who saw her sing the National Anthem and grab her crotch and spit should have been at all surprised, but imagine my surprise hearing the same people who criticized that bemoaning Roseanne's right to "freedom of speech." <-- I generally put that in quotes because it so frequently does have consequences.

That's the background music for the whole Trump phenomena, isn't it?

Yes, sir, and absolutely has been Trump's theme music for decades. He's a lying con artist and always has been. He does and says whatever he has to do to "win the day." He isn't the least bit concerned about anyone not named Trump. You may be aware that I refer to him as "Benedict Donald," but in my defense, there's a bona fide reason for that.

Nor can Trump, ultimately. McCarthy went on for four years before his fortunes turned.

"Where is my Roy Cohn?"

Trump's shtick is already beginning to grow old and predictable - the opposite of his vaunted reputation.

His shtick has always been predictable. See above.

Trump might start considering doing the same, before he makes the same sort of tragic mistake that Roseanne just did.

Too late for Benedict Donald. It's RICO with communists to undermine the United States democracy. I wonder what Roy Cohn and McCarthy would say?

Except that it wasn't free. ABC was getting $175,000 for 30 second ads for that show. If she hadn't been getting paid very well to represent the show and all of its actors and crew, and ABC, and the Walt fucking Disney Corporation, she could have said anything she wanted to say without any repercussion. And her name was on the whole thing, so you can't just replace her with Reba McEntire. So it's kaput. Gone with a tweet.

But see, that's not the end of it, because when Roseanne first came on the air, the network and all of its advertisers thought that it was cute that her character would be a Trump supporter.

Trouble is, she was a Trump supporter in real life as well, and in real life alot of the basis of Trump's appeal is his racism. I refer you to the comments section of any pro-Trump blog (or Reddit generally) for evidence. So when Roseanne evidently got drunk and tweeted this vile slur, should anyone have been surprised? That's the background music for the whole Trump phenomena, isn't it?

But Roseanne is only the latest in a long line of folks who have learned that only Trump can actually get away with being Trump. No one else can be as crude, as boorish, as self-congratulatory, as bigoted, as crass, as corrupt, as dishonest, or as ignorant as Trump in public without consequence.

Nor can Trump, ultimately. McCarthy went on for four years before his fortunes turned. Trump's shtick is already beginning to grow old and predictable - the opposite of his vaunted reputation. Even Alec Baldwin is reputed to be looking to hang up his Trump imitation, passing the torch before the bit grows stale. Trump might start considering doing the same, before he makes the same sort of tragic mistake that Roseanne just did.

Why are you ignoring this and leaving the commenters to act as your surrogates while they speculate on why you are ignoring this?

Why are you ignoring your own blog and commenters and trolling CW's?

Could you even acknowledge that this would be a good thing? Or is it that if you acknowledge that it is possible that your own blog could have an impact if you'd just create your own reality and stop trolling this one? :)

The biggest loser of the War of 1812 was the great American fur merchant, John jacob Astor. Read about it in the Peter Stark book "Astoria"., or in the journal of the expedition's leader, Hunt (I've forgotten his first name) on the internet. Great story for lovers of history of western U.S.

That "biggest loser" (your term and certainly not mine) may have had his fur trade interrupted by the British during the war but soon began smuggling opium to China and to the United Kingdom and making a fortune thusly.

Even before the War of 1812, Astor had been steadily amassing a fortune in real estate buying up property along the waterfront in New York City, most notably that of Vice President Aaron Burr who needed some quick cash after his famous duel.

Congress passed a protectionist law banning foreign fur traders which set up JJ Astor for life, and the rest is history. Astor was indeed the richest man in America for nigh on the last two decades of his life and was laid to rest at Trinity Church... wherein lies Alexander Hamilton.

that's only because you don't know the other verses.

Good point... but I would wager the majority of Americans have no idea regarding the pathetic other stanzas of the contrafactum by Mr. Key, rich American slave owner who believed the value of a man was determined by the color of his skin. They're likely equally unaware that the British hired the marginalized Native Americans and enslaved African Americans to fight in the name of the King. Sad part of our history.

Hearing a lot of talk today about "freedom of speech" because Roseanne Barr's idea of "comedy" includes comparing a human to an ape. The Fox News minions are whining about the "right to free speech" because Disney exercised theirs and fired somebody for the act of "speaking freely." Remind me whether or not Fox was discussing free speech when Kathy Griffin was fired for the distasteful and disgusting photos wherein she displayed the severed head of Donald Trump, but I know for a fact they're not the least bit concerned about "freedom of speech" on the Fox News Entertainment propaganda channel when Colin Kaepernick and NFL players choose to exercise their "rights." #Hypocrisy

that's only because you don't know the other verses.

https://www.snopes.com/news/2016/08/29/star-spangled-banner-and-slavery/

TS: Nice addition of your memories. That word "fusty" was used to describe the 9 "maids" of Apollo, the Muses. Disgusting song really, to sing thusly "To Anacreon in Heaven" and Greek gods. Pity that "poor" group of men decided to disband when they were "requested" to tone down their bawdy singing to accommodate the Duchess of Devonshire, Georgina Cavendish, a Spencer and quite the political activist and celebrity of her time.

What sticks in my memory most about that particular war?

** The killing of so many Native Americans allied with the British who promptly abandoned them thereafter.

** The British burning our "President’s House" and congressional buildings and thereafter the fortification of those structures and one Thomas Jefferson sending his collection of books to replace those lost in the fires, the foundation for our Library of Congress.

** A parade in New York City held in 1905 for the last veteran of the War of 1812 who died at the age of 105, may they all rest in peace.

Rudy get's massively booed on his 74th birthday!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_ViD1dxP3g

Nobody humbles the proud better than a NYC crowd. I'm confident that at least two of my 1st cousins were in the chorus.

Rudy is not one of those people who gets to hear "man you look REALLY GOOD for 74!"

Outside of North America the War of 1812 is regarded as a minor theater of the Napoleonic Wars. The outside of North America has a pretty good case: the War was a direct result of the British naval Blockage of the Napoleonic Empire and was ended shortly after Napoleon was defeated and the blockade lifted. This is one of the few things I remember clearly from my college European History class.

If there is any fundamental military lesson from the War of 1812 it would be "God is usually on the side of the bigger frigates."

The stem tune for The Star Spangled Banner (Anacreon in Heaven)can be heard on (where else?) YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydAIdVKv84g

The word "fusty" in the original lyrics is less interesting than I would of hoped: think moist and smelly.

Indeed!