Awwwwwwww yeah.

Michael Moore isn’t the only one cashing in on the increasingly violent, deadly Occupy Wall Street Movement.

He’s selling books. Rappyer Jay Z’s hawking t-shirts.

And he’s got no plans to redistribute the wealth:

Jay-Z is releasing a new line of T-shirts in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement Friday via his Rocawear clothing label, but he doesn’t plan to share any of the profits with the protesters.
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The rapper was recently seen wearing one of the shirts, which tweaks the phrase “Occupy Wall Street” by crossing out the “W” and adding an “S” to make it read “Occupy All Streets.”
The protests, which started Sept. 17 in New York, have since spread to Los Angeles and other cities as demonstrators protest corporate greed and corruption.

The Business Insider noted the “irony” in that Jay-Z has no intention to distribute any of the proceeds to protestors.

Jay-Z has the support of fellow 1 percenter-posing-as-99 percenter Russell Simmons.

$22 a pop. Come on, cough it up, progs.

Occupy Jay-Z’s Wallet!

Money Ain’t a Thang…

***

Update: Backlash plus mockery equals no more Jay-Z #OWS swag.

Downtwinkles!

I’ll have my say about the loser Alinsky-ite slumber party that took over the Brooklyn Bridge later today.

For now, I’m keeping it positive on this gorgeous Sunday afternoon. There are signs of hope out there in Hollyweird that punks can and do grow up.

Here’s the trailer for “The Other F Word” — an intriguing new documentary on rocker fathers (including Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Mark Hoppus from Blink 182) who reflect on how having children changed their lives.

Takeaway quote from Flea:

“The classic parent attitude to a kid is ‘I brought you into this world, I gave you life.’ But it’s like, I just think completely the opposite. My kids gave me life.”

Rock on, dad…

Speaking to a gay rights group in Washington last night, President Obama said the following, all while keeping a poker face:

Noting that he had just returned from California, Mr. Obama said he had “held some productive bilateral talks with your leader, Lady Gaga.” The pop diva, with sky-high heels and hair, had towered over the president at a fund-raiser in Atherton, Calif.

Perusing the comments at Newsbusters, somebody wondered, “How do you have bilateral talks with somebody who is on the same side of an issue?” The same way you build an intercontinental railroad, buddy: Determination!

At the same event, Obama also spoke about a gay soldier’s question at a Republican debate a while back, after which a couple of “boos” were heard. It was mostly reported that audience members booed the soldier, though the LA Times wrote that it was the question that was booed. In either case, the topic led Obama to this:

“You want to be commander in chief,” the president said, drawing cheers, “you can start by standing up for the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States, even when it’s not politically convenient.”

In the bigger picture, the narrative on which Obama is campaigning, which now seems to include “Republicans are the party that doesn’t support the military as a whole” and “Democrats are the party of lower taxes,” might be as easy to sell to many voters as his “jobs bill” is to Congress, but he’s making the effort nonetheless.

**Written by Doug Powers

Twitter @ThePowersThatBe

One of the members of the rap group that came up with the 2010 one-hit wonder “Teach Me How to Dougie” died in a drive-by shooting this weekend.

He went by the moniker “M-Bone.”

The First Lady Michelle Obama was recently seen doing the Dougie at a “Let’s Move” event with kids (starts at :32 in the video) — a fact being mentioned in every one of M-Bone’s obits:

To mark M-Bone’s passing, let’s all reflect on his profound contribution to the arts and culture, most recently popularized by the First Lady. Without further ado, the uncensored lyrics to “Teach Me How to Dougie:”

Aye! aye
Teach me how to dougie (aye!)

Back of the party ion really like to boogie
I’m just tryna get bent and meet a thick redbone
(Mmm) she do her dougie and everyboy hatin but I’m bout
To ecsape with a bitch and head home(fuck it)
She bout to dougie and hit wit 2 hands
And I run it run it even if her legs long yaaah
She like you my hubby and I think she love me but,
I change then subject and I do my dougie
But, ion give a fuck, blow trees, get money
Leave 2 heifers feinin like sum playboy bunnies
Dey gon make us do da dougie in da middle of da dance
And when I asked for some head da bitch looked at me funny
Bye! bitch you can’t tell me nothin starr baked da beat
And I just took it out the oven, I just hit the dougie when everybody
Clubbin and I hate skinny jeans cuz da burner keep rubbin! (oh! )

***

Fellow rapper “Twista” pays tribute:

“#RIP to the homie M-bone from cali swag,your family is in my prayers. you got the whole world doin a dance thats what you call a #legacy”

I’ve been a Led Zeppelin fan since the age of about 12 (remind me to tell you about the time I met Jimmy Page at a bar in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1998) so I liked Rep. McCotter’s incorporation of some their song titles into his speech on the House floor addressing the budget standoff.

I’ll give him credit for restraint on not overdoing it, as well as bonus points for not dragging “Stairway” into it. If it were me, I’d have gone all the way — you know, with references to Pelosi not being able to be in town during an important budget debate because instead she was Down by the Seaside, or how future generations are being Trampled Under Foot with debt — but McCotter didn’t step too hard on the gas here, so it works:

(h/t ZIP by way of Breitbart)

Update: In case you missed it, a deal was announced In the Evening (sorry) that will, at least for now, avoid a government shutdown. See the tail end of our ongoing shutdown thread for a little more info.

**Written by Doug Powers

Twitter @ThePowersThatBe

You know, I half expected Harry Reid to hatch from that thing too.

Between last year’s steak and this year’s egg, if the government ever bans Lady Gaga’s act, it’ll be due to cholesterol level and not content.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled news that matters…

**Written by Doug Powers

Twitter @ThePowersThatBe

This will no doubt perk up some ears over at FCC headquarters in Washington — I can’t believe this one’s slipped by them (and it has because I heard the song on the radio recently in its “original form” ::gasp::).

From The Spec by way of Reason:

The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council has ruled that Dire Straits’ 1980s hit Money for Nothing is too offensive for Canadian radio.

The ruling, released Wednesday, was in response to a complaint against St. John’s radio station CHOZ-FM. The listener complained that the word faggot – which appears three times in the song is “extremely offensive” to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

The council is an independent body created by Canadian radio and television broadcasters to review the standards of their content.

The song was released 25 years ago. The CBSC would have taken action sooner but the shipment of Brothers in Arms just recently arrived up there (snow’s been a bear the past decade and a half).

The original version has been banned, but it can be played provided the offending word is edited. I’d suggest that Canadian radio stations who are upset with this decision have a little fun with it and overdub that section of the song with a tribute to political correctness. “That little bureaucrat got his own jet airplane — that little bureaucrat he’s a millionaire.”

Starting at 8 p.m. tonight, K97 in Edmonton will defy the order and play the song unedited for 24 hours in protest:

“We’re not afraid of repercussions. We have never had a complaint in the 25 years we have played the song,” K97 Music Director Todd James told FOX411. “We will play it in its entirety and unedited as we have always done and if someone wants to file a complaint we will take it from there.”

But K97 may be alone.

Most Canadian radio stations that play rock music have been bombarded with phone calls from listeners unhappy about the ban of the quarter-century old Dire Straits hit— still, despite the many complaints, the majority of stations don’t plan to break the rules and broadcast the forbidden tune like the Edmonton station.

For a second there I was thought we might be looking at a full-blown DJ rebellion — a sequel of sorts to the 1978 film “FM” (which the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council is just getting around to seeing) — but probably not.

**Written by Doug Powers

Twitter @ThePowersThatBe

The Senate voted today 65-31 to send a repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell to President Obama’s desk.

Harry Reid was so excited that the first person he wanted to inform was… Lady Gaga?

“P.S. When should I tell my grandkids their free front row tickets to your Vegas concert will be arriving? Just don’t bite the head off Santa in front of them please.”

Harry Reid’s idea of his “constitutional duty” is spending as much of somebody else’s money as possible, and now he’s hell bent to impress Lady Gaga. I’m afraid to speculate what’s next.

Reid was obviously quite moved by Lady G’s impassioned, extended dance remix length DADT plea to the Senate in September:

Update: On Sunday, Reid circulated a list of events that have occurred since the signing of the START treaty. The list included “Lady Gaga debuted her meat dress.”

The needle on the obsession meter just reached “creepy.”

(h/t HAP)

**Written by Doug Powers

Twitter @ThePowersThatBe

We’re all pretty much “livin’ on a prayer” these days, so I guess this is a good fit:

Actor. Poet. Musician. Performer. Rocker Jon Bon Jovi can now add one more title to his impressive resume: White House appointee.

On Tuesday, President Barack Obama signed an executive order establishing the White House Council for Community Solutions, and Bon Jovi appears as one of the individuals appointed to the group.

“The Council will provide advice to the President on the best ways to mobilize citizens, nonprofits, businesses and government to work more effectively together to solve specific community needs,” states the release.

The “community needs” these days are jobs, so the best thing Bon Jovi could do would be to add several million good-paying percussionist positions to his band.

Here’s the introduction of the newly formed council on the White House website.

WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order establishing the White House Council for Community Solutions. The Council will provide advice to the President on the best ways to mobilize citizens, nonprofits, businesses and government to work more effectively together to solve specific community needs.

With any luck, Bon Jovi’s first recommendation as Community Solutions Czar will be to get the federal government’s nose out of community issues, but I’m not counting on that.

**Written by Doug Powers

Twitter @ThePowersThatBe

Joe Biden once called paying higher taxes a patriotic act, and some millionaires are trying to wrap themselves in Joe’s “Tread on Me” flag by begging the government to raise their taxes.

From the Daily Caller:

While the New York Post reported Wednesday that more than 80 percent of Americans believe that keeping the Bush tax cuts is “a priority,” more than 80 millionaires are asking President Barack Obama to “please let the Bush tax cuts expire and raise our taxes.”

In a letter addressed to the President, the millionaires make their case, saying that as successful Americans they are ready and willing to do their “fair share.”

“For the fiscal health of our nation and the well-being of our fellow citizens, we ask that you allow tax cuts on incomes over $1,000,000 to expire at the end of this year as scheduled,” they write. “We make this request as loyal citizens who now or in the past earned an income of $1,000,000 per year or more.”

The Patriotic Millionaires for Fiscal Strength, include musician Moby, Men’s Warehouse CEO George Zimmer, Princeton Review founder John Katzman, and Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

It’s funny how a group that claims to be concerned with “fiscal strength” wants the most fiscally irresponsible entity this side of John Daly to confiscate more of their money. But at least “Patriotic Millionaires for Fiscal Strength” sounds better than “We have so much money we can afford to pretend America was built on high taxes, irresponsible spending and foolishness.”

I’ve mentioned this before, but I want to remind these 80-plus millionaires who think their taxes aren’t high enough of something: They can pay higher taxes, and right now. The US Treasury accepts donations. They don’t have to wait for the Bush cuts to expire to pay their “fair share.” No more excuses!

But if they’d like to alleviate some guilt immediately, I’d be more than happy to take some of their burden off their hands.

It would be interesting to know how much money these people who are begging for a tax increase spend each year on accountants to sniff out every possible loophole.

**Written by Doug Powers

Twitter @ThePowersThatBe

Don’t ask me why, but I have a theory that TOTUS moonlights as a romance novelist:

At a White House event today with Stevie Wonder, President Obama said the music legend’s tunes help him “sweet-talk Michelle” — and generally get his heart rate up.

“I happened to be listening to him this morning when I woke up,” Mr. Obama said. Wonder joined Mr. Obama as the president signed legislation expanding access to phone and Internet for disabled Americans.

“He’s what I work out to,” he said. “He’s what I sweet talk Michelle to.”

I thought Obama listened to expletive-laden hip-hop when working out? I guess not.

Every morning, President Obama wakes up, snaps his fingers, and Reggie Love brings his slippers, hits “play” on the boom-box and Stevie Wonder tunes start playing. Then, the president looks deep into Michelle’s eyes, takes her hand, and says, “honey… I’m gonna go play golf.”

**Written by Doug Powers

Twitter @ThePowersThatBe

All this time I thought that maybe ONE was an acronym or something, but it looks like the Bono’s organization is so named because just one percent of the money raised makes it to its promoted destination:

Bono’s anti-poverty foundation ONE is under pressure to explain its lavish salaries after it was revealed that only a small percentage of money it raises reaches the needy.

The non-profit organisation set up by the U2 frontman received almost £9.6m in donations in 2008 but handed out only £118,000 to good causes (1.2 per cent).

The figures published by the New York Post also show that £5.1m went towards paying salaries.

So ONE (percent)™ paid out around $8 million (US) to employees to monitor the disbursement of about $185,000? How did these guys not end up in charge of the stimulus?

ONE makes Sting’s Rainforest Foundation look like a beacon of fiscal efficiency.

And way down at the end of the story:

ONE said it took no money from the public and that most of its funding came from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Well in that case, party time! (two of ONE’s employees wouldn’t happen to be named “Bill” and “Melinda” would they? Just checking…)

Based on this, it has to be asked: does Bono give any money to Bono’s “charity”?

And speaking of charity…

Twitter @ThePowersThatBe

In the past couple of years there has been a concerted effort to destroy the theater. First an Obama stage horror called Hope: The Musical, and now an opera about Bill Clinton:

Everything sounds better when set to music, though on might argue that President Bill Clinton’s life story has been operatic even without the addition of music. Nevertheless, auditions for Billy Blythe are being held today in Little Rock Arkansas “a coming of age story set in the late 1950’s in Hot Springs.”

According to reports, the opera “will explain how the natural state helped shape and mold the man we now know as President Bill Clinton.”

I know it’s tempting to come up with alternative titles, like “Chokelahoma”; “William, (I’m Gonna) Tell”; “La Bloheme”; “Cigaro”; “A Midterm Night’s Dream” or “Phantom of the McDonalds,” but let’s keep it classy and avoid such a temptation.

Insiders tell me that the aria featuring Clinton’s character lamenting his prediction that the public would embrace Obamacare is even more moving than the overture to Billy Carter’s “Beerthoven.”

**Written by Doug Powers

Twitter @ThePowersThatBe

You can’t blame these desperate Democrats, really — as of today, Justin Bieber is the only issue that Democrats aren’t running away from:

The organization [Campus Progress] is highlighting a submission to its VoteAgain2010 video contest that argues, while Bieber can’t vote in our midterms (he’s both too young and too Canadian), shouldn’t you?

“This isn’t your standard election year video of celebrities asking you to vote,” the ad says. “It’s us, asking you to vote for celebrities who can’t, celebrities like Justin Bieber. Bieber’s too young to vote, yet whomever we elect in the 2010 midterm elections will impact his future and ours. … So tell your parents, your grandparents, your Facebook friends … If they won’t do it for you, ask them to do it for Bieber.”

Also note that “Bieber Fever” is not endorsed by Justin Bieber:

Come on, America — if you’re not going to vote for Democrats for yourselves, think about all the wealthy, underage Canadian entertainers you’ll be saving! It warms my heart to know that if we re-elect Democrats on behalf of Justin Bieber, at least Justin Bieber has the means to flee the disastrous end results. So what do we have to lose?

Obama’s already threatened to kill the Jonas Brothers, so Bieber is now the only hope. What other angles can Dems take? “Recovery Summer Soiree”? “Stimulus-Palooza”? “Unemployment Line Shindig”?

Bieber Fever it is.

**Written by Doug Powers

Twitter @ThePowersThatBe

On Monday I wrote a bit about President Obama’s now semi-notorious “they talk about me like a dog” line that was supposedly improvised during a speech in Milwaukee.

As it turns out, some intrepid researchers are speculating that Obama might have been channeling a line from the Jimi Hendrix song “Stone Free.”

I was skeptical at first, but it kind of makes sense, because another line in that song is “I got to, got to, got to get away” — perfect for somebody who just came off several weeks worth of vacations.

Not only that, but the Hendrix song “Spanish Castle Magic” would cover the first lady’s Antoinette-esque trip to Costa del Sol.

“Hey Joe” creates a nice parallel with Vice President Biden, and “Purple Haze” has the SEIU written all over it.

If that’s not enough, Obama is left-handed, and so was Jimi. I’m officially creeped out!

If you’re still not convinced, consider the fact that Jimi Hendrix once also recorded a song called “I will not extend the Bush tax cuts” — or so I hear.

**Written by Doug Powers

Twitter @ThePowersThatBe