A rare event - a double Frank Rich, our premier political commentator!
1/ Rich on Trump getting to the White House.....
Most weeks, New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich speaks with contributor Alex Carp about the biggest stories in politics and culture. This week: the terror attacks in Brussels, the GOP quest to unite around an anti-Trump, and a farewell to Margaret Sullivan, the New York Times public editor.
In the wake of the terror attack in Brussels this week, NBC's Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie caught some criticism for practically suggesting to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton that torture might be necessary. How much do such responses of high-profile journalists contribute to creating fear and panic in the U.S.?
Fear has brought out the worst in America throughout its modern history. We tirelessly recall that FDR told America it had nothing to fear but fear itself at his first inaugural address in 1933, but often omit the part that he signed an order to incarcerate Japanese-Americans in internment campslater in his presidency. So many calamities in modern American history have been prompted by fear, it’s impossible to list them all, from the Red Scare of the McCarthy era to the failure of the Reagan administration to address the AIDS crisis to the misbegotten, 9/11-generated Iraq War, which helped create the Islamic State that has rained down blood on Paris, San Bernardino, and Brussels in less than five months.
Fear has brought out the worst in America throughout its modern history. We tirelessly recall that FDR told America it had nothing to fear but fear itself at his first inaugural address in 1933, but often omit the part that he signed an order to incarcerate Japanese-Americans in internment campslater in his presidency. So many calamities in modern American history have been prompted by fear, it’s impossible to list them all, from the Red Scare of the McCarthy era to the failure of the Reagan administration to address the AIDS crisis to the misbegotten, 9/11-generated Iraq War, which helped create the Islamic State that has rained down blood on Paris, San Bernardino, and Brussels in less than five months.
2/ And the second of our Frank Rich twofer.....
Most weeks, New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich speaks with contributor Alex Carp about the biggest stories in politics and culture. This week: Obama's media criticism, the GOP's Second Amendment extremism, and the box-office success of Batman v. Superman.
Addressing an audience of reporters and editors at a journalism prize ceremony this weekend, President Obama censured the coverage of the presidential campaign, saying that reporters' inability to be critical of candidates, and their caving to the economic pressures of their industry, had tarnished the "American brand" in the eyes of world leaders. Do the president's comments matter?
Presidents are notoriously thin-skinned and myopic press critics. Even John Kennedy canceled his White House subscription to the GOP-leaning New York Herald-Tribune in a moment of pique. Obama is no exception. His underlying theme, that the press helped enable Trump by not fact-checking his ludicrous claims and that it gave a free pass to Bernie Sanders (whose name went unmentioned) by not doing a reality-check on his policy wish lists, is false.
3/ Adolf Hitler in his bunker finds out Trump is running for President.....three minutes.....
The captions are mildly amusing, but it's quite fascinating to see how well it's made.....the German movie had to be wonderful....
4/ Every now and then we find an essay worth passing on like this long, somewhat rambling but very good story from David Cohea in our Mount Dora Topic....it's a riff on where we are nationally, globally and also locally with our own Mount Dora politics but applicable to all small cities everywhere....
Worth a look.....
Citizen Journalist: Riding the Spike
Our present moment is a strange one — awesome, dizzy and breakneck, edgy with the sense were are headed toward a cliff we can’t see over. What kind of local beat is that?
Significant challenges to the fabric of everyday life appear to be spreading everywhere at once.
Washington seems hopelessly broken and now the democracy it is serves is facing its greatest challenge from an authoritarian alternative channeled by a boor.
The global environment we depend upon for our daily food and water is transforming so fast that scientists can’t keep up with the data’s ever direr implications. (Just last week, new research published in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics warns that nations are not moving fast enough to curb fossil fuel emission and the world is on a verge of abrupt climate shift now decades, not centuries, away.)
5/ Paul Krugman with a column on how the Republican elites are in complete denial of the anger fueling both Bernie and Trump.....
“Sire, the peasants are revolting!”
“Yes, they are, aren’t they?”
It’s an old joke, but it seems highly relevant to the current situation within the Republican Party. As an angry base rejects establishment candidates in favor of you-know-who, a significant part of the party’s elite blames not itself, but the moral and character failings of the voters.
There has been a lot of buzz over the past few days about an article by Kevin Williamson in National Review, vigorously defended by other members of the magazine’s staff, denying that the white working class — “the heart of Trump’s support” — is in any sense a victim of external forces. A lot has gone wrong in these Americans’ lives — “the welfare dependency, the drug and alcohol addiction, the family anarchy” — but “nobody did this to them. They failed themselves.”
6/ I appreciate good photography, and here are 20 lovely pictures of our beautiful planet.......
7/ A nice pop video from Snakehips, with the distinguishing feature of having the chorus stick in your head for days....it's eerie how it grabs you.....
Dare you....."all my friends are wasted" will dig in to your brain....
8/ Tom Engelhardt with an essay on how we [humans] are witnessing the start of irrevocable change to our lives......he argues in this fascinating piece we are in uncharted territory in politics, our real government meaning the military industrial complex and more....
Ponder this sentence "In these first years of the twenty-first century, we may be witnessing a new world being born inside the hollowed-out shell of the American system".
This is a most interesting story from an intelligent writer who is trying to make sense of the bizarro world we seem to be in.......although the picture is of Trump, the story is only peripherally about the real estate developer....
Great article....
Donald Trump (Credit: Reuters/Jim Bourg)
This piece originally appeared on TomDispatch.
The other week, feeling sick, I spent a day on my couch with the TV on and was reminded of an odd fact of American life. More than seven months before Election Day, you can watch the 2016 campaign for the presidency at any moment of your choosing, and that’s been true since at least late last year. There is essentially never a time when some network or news channel isn’t reporting on, discussing, debating, analyzing, speculating about, or simply drooling over some aspect of the primary campaign, of Hillary, Bernie, Ted, and above all — a million times above all — The Donald (from the violence at his rallies to the size of his hands). In case you’re young and think this is more or less the American norm, it isn’t. Or wasn’t.
Truly, there is something new under the sun. Of course, in 1994 with O.J. Simpson’s white Ford Bronco chase (95 million viewers!), the 24/7 media event arrived full blown in American life and something changed when it came to the way we focused on our world and the media focused on us. But you can be sure of one thing: never in the history of television, or any other form of media, has a single figure garnered the amount of attention — hour after hour, day after day, week after week — as Donald Trump. If he’s the O.J. Simpson of twenty-first-century American politics and his run for the presidency is the eternal white Ford Bronco chase of our moment, then we’re in a truly strange world.
Or let me put it another way: this is not an election.
9/ A funny little three minute video from some young voters, asking for details of Donalds vitals.....
Amusing....
The gang at College Humor put together a video around a simple request. Donald Trump has demanded Obama reveal his birth certificate and Hillary release her emails. Well, it’s now his turn as Candidate Donald Trump has made a claim that only he can verify.
He’s the one who brought up the subject. Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary proof — and Trump has a serious problem with truth. Well here’s one he can settle quickly. The video makes a compelling argument.
It’s a question America didn’t want asked, let alone answered — but it’s out there now. This is your democracy America — cherish it.
10/ Fascinating story on North Carolina's new anti-gay law, and why they don't give a shit if you like it or not......it's what the owner of NC wants....
How a rich homophobe like Art Pope can buy a State Legislature.....
Parade viewers cheer at the 41st annual Pride Parade Sunday, June 28, 2015, in Seattle. (Credit: AP/Elaine Thompson)
If recent headlines out of North Carolina and Georgia have you worried that you stumbled through a rift in spacetime and ended up back in 2014, I have some good news. You did not pull a Franco; the year is still 2016; Jan Brewer does not currently hold elective office.
As firmly ensconced in the here and now you may be, however, the same can’t be said for a significant chunk of the political class in those two aforementioned Southern states.
In North Carolina, for example, the governor, Republican Pat McCrory, is vigorously defending the statehouse’s right to override local anti-discrimination laws protecting LGBT people. You could even say he’s “shoving” bigotry “down their throats.” The outrage the move has inspired, he says, is “more political theater than reality.” (Let’s assume his choice of words is not a dogwhistle.)
11/ Climate scientist James Hansen with a new report on climate change......it's accelerating.....but you knew that, didn't you.....
The rewards of being right about climate change are bittersweet. James Hansen should know this better than most—he warned of this whole thing before Congress in 1988, when he was director of NASA’s Institute for Space Studies. At the time, the world was experiencing its warmest five-month run since we started recording temperatures 130 years earlier. Hansen said, “It is time to stop waffling so much and say that the evidence is pretty strong that the greenhouse effect is here.”
Fast forward 28 years and, while we’re hardly out of the Waffle House yet, we know much more about climate change science. Hansen is still worried that the rest of us aren’t worried enough.
Last summer, prior to countries’ United Nations negotiations in Paris, Hansen and 16 collaborators authored a draft paper that suggested we could see at least 10 feet of sea-level rise in as few as 50 years. If that sounds alarming to you, it is—10 feet of sea-level rise is more than enough to effectively kick us out of even the most well-endowed coastal cities. Stitching together archaeological evidence of past climate change, current observations, and future-telling climate models, the authors suggested that even a small amount of global warming can rack up enormous consequences—and quickly.
However the paper, publicized before it had been through peer review, elicited a mix of shock and skepticism, with some journalists calling the news a “bombshell” but a number of scientists urging deeper consideration.
Now, the final version of the paper has been published in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. It’s been reviewed and lightly edited, but its conclusions are still shocking—and still contentious.
12/ The Carol Burnett show had some of the funniest skits ever made, even though it was broadcast 50 years ago! To prove it, have a look at Tim Conway discussing the circus elephant.....a hysterical four minutes......
Tim Conway tells this hilarious story about a circus elephant on “The Carol Burnett Show” and the entire cast breaks character to have a laugh. Carol Burnett, Harvey Kormann, and Vicki Lawrence all absolutely lose it and have to spend the majority of the sketch with their hands covering their faces because they just can’t help themselves. This is how comedy should be!
13/ Good story on political satire, and how Samantha Bee is the true heir to Jon Stewart.....
Jon Stewart, Samantha Bee, Stephen Colbert (Credit: AP/Jason DeCrow/TBS/Richard Shotwell)
Ever since Stephen Colbert retired his pundit persona and went over to host “The Late Show” on CBS and Jon Stewart passed his job as host of “The Daily Show” to Trevor Noah, we have all wondered who would step up to fill the void.
Stewart and Colbert were arguably the two most important political comedians in our nation’s history. They played a crucial role in helping the U.S. public navigate the post-9/11 meltdown when bluster and hype took over for reason and logic. They offered sharp satire in the face of stupidity and evil.
So we all had reason to worry when they left us as we entered into the current presidential race—a race that continues to astonish and continues to demand the satirical insights of irony, wit, parody and puns. That was at least until Samantha Bee entered the fray. Her new TBS show “Full Frontal” promises to offer the exact sort of political comedy this electoral race demands.
14/ Here is La Bee with a riff on the GOP.....wonderful.....two segments, three minutes and four minutes.....
Samantha Bee opened last night’s episode of Full Frontal by mourning the arrival of the Republican Party’s “death rattle” in the form of who else? Donald Trump.
Bee joked about how “the Republican Party, home to more than a century of great statesmen, died the way Chester A. Arthur did: violently tearing itself in half.” After presenting an In Memoriam video reel for the GOP, Bee proceeded to dig into how establishment figures have all failed to stop Trump’s party takeover despite their very best efforts.
“With all due respect, sir, the last time you tried to stand between a charismatic guy and the White House, you got beat like a Muslim girl at a Trump rally,” Bee said in response to Mitt Romney. As for John McCain, Bee thought his condemnation was rich seeing as how his 2008 team-up with Sarah Palin made her the “Trump 1.0.”
15/ Is anyone awake? Are you aware Floriduh just passed an abortion law worse than Texas's? And Planned Parenthood is defunded?
Yup.....the abortion religious crazies are at it again in Floriduh, but the media has ignored it because anything Trump is more newsworthy than this....
Yup.....the abortion religious crazies are at it again in Floriduh, but the media has ignored it because anything Trump is more newsworthy than this....
Look at this face.....what would YOU like to do to it.....
Gov. Rick Scott (Credit: AP/Chris O'meara)
For some time now, we’ve been following a long series of red-state reproductive Jim Crow laws incrementally making it more and more difficult for women to retain sovereignty over what happens inside their bodies. Each new law seems to get creepier than the last, especially a recent law signed by Indiana Governor Mike Pencethat not only forces women to undergo unnecessary medical procedures but also effectively bans all abortions after 20-weeks, even in the event of pregnancy-related threats to the lives of women — and criminalizes doctors who perform abortions knowing the fetus is suffering from a severe physical deformity or disease.
Of course many of the laws being proposed and passed are direct reactions to the series of deceptively edited YouTube videos alleging that Planned Parenthood has been somehow illegally harvesting and selling fetus body parts. As many of us are aware, countless nonpartisan fact-checkers have debunked the claims made in the videos; around a dozen state investigations have cleared Planned Parenthood of any wrongdoing; and the scam-artists responsible for the videos have been indicted in Arizona.
One of the state-level investigations to have exonerated Planned Parenthood took place in Florida at the request of Governor Rick Scott. As vigorously as Scott tried to frame the healthcare clinics, the investigation turned up exactly zero illegal activities. In other words, the Florida investigation, ordered and conducted by an anti-choice administration, concluded that Planned Parenthood hasn’t been doing anything that the anti-choice administration claimed that it had been. That means, no, Planned Parenthood isn’t selling fetus parts in Florida.
Nevertheless, Rick Scott is poised to sign a new anti-choice bill into law which defunds Planned Parenthoood anyway, in addition to any and all clinics that provide abortion services. Just because.
Todays video - a very amusing French ad "Emma"......
Todays puns - from Tinder....
Todays "How to discuss politics with your family" joke.....
- First things first: Leave the car running in the driveway.
- Begin any counterpoint by irately screaming “I respectfully disagree!” inches from your loved one’s face.
- Don’t languish in a circular argument. The quicker you can draw parallels between your friend’s opinion and militant fascism, the quicker you’ll win.
- Be considerate when your views differ from those of close family members. You’ll find they’re more receptive to your opinions if you preface them with a long, wet raspberry.
- Listen twice as much as you talk, and talk twice as much as you wave a gun in the air.
- Your grandmother has lived a lot more life than you have. Who knows? Maybe gays really were godless filth in the ’40s.
- Wait until the perfect moment to deploy your ace in the hole: that you read about this very topic somewhere just recently.
- Always remain open to the possibility that you’re wrong about how much you respect your father.
- Regularly remind yourself not to let political differences affect your personal relationship with your family. That’s the job of your grandfather’s estate.
Todays signage jokes
Gynecologist's Office:
"Dr. Jones, at your cervix."
In a Podiatrist's office:
"Time wounds all heels."
On a Septic Tank Truck:
Yesterday's Meals on Wheels
At an Optometrist's Office:
"If you don't see what you're looking for,
On a Plumber's truckyou've come to the right place."
"We repair what your husband fixed."
On another Plumber's truck:
"Don't sleep with a drip. Call your plumber."
At a Tire Shop in Milwaukee :
"Invite us to your next blowout."
On an Electrician's truck:
"Let us remove your shorts."
In a Non-smoking Area:
"If we see smoke, we will assume you
are on fire and take appropriate action."
On a Maternity Room door:
"Push. Push. Push."
At a Car Dealership:
"The best way to get back on your feet - miss a car payment."
Outside a Muffler Shop:
"No appointment necessary. We hear you coming."
In a Veterinarian's
waiting room:
"Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!"
At the Electric Company
"We would be delighted if you send in your payment.
However, if you don't, you will be."
In a Restaurant window:
"Don't stand there and be hungry;
come on in and get fed up."
In the front yard of a Funeral Home:
"Drive carefully. We'll wait."
At a Propane Filling Station:
"Thank heaven for little grills."
And don't forget the sign at a
CHICAGO RADIATOR SHOP:
"Best place in town to take a leak."
And the best one for last............
Sign on the back of another
Septic Tank Truck:
"Caution - This Truck is full of Political Promises "
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