1/ Frank Rich on the politics of the week meaning, of course, the Iowa results......as always, insightful......
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: dissecting the results of the GOP and Democratic caucuses in Iowa.
Both Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio can leave Iowa declaring a victory, which isn't the case for Donald Trump, despite his consistent lead in the Iowa polls leading up to Monday's caucus. What are the expectations for these three going into New Hampshire?
Before I get to your questions, here’s the one thing that is indisputable coming out of Iowa: Once again we’ve learned that almost all predictions of the 2016 race, whether by pollsters or pundits, are worthless. As of last weekend, Nate Silver gave Bernie Sanders only a 20 percent chance of taking Iowa. Trump was thought a likely Iowa winner by most everyone, including me. I will not make the mistake of predicting what will happen in New Hampshire, though it’s safe to say that as goes Iowa, New Hampshire does not.
2/ Stephen Colbert is getting into his stride - this seven minute segment on the Iowa caucuses is wonderful.......
The results finally came in for the Iowa caucuses and it was time for the comedy shows to celebrate. Stephen Colbert, like many of us, was amazed so many candidates are still running as he began his debrief on Tuesday’s “Late Show.”
“The first in the nation, for some reason, contest where the stakes were huge for all the candidates—really, this many candidates? Still? There’s no winnowing process at this point? Did someone get them wet or feed them after midnight?”
The only thing that has changed in this race is that “none of these people will set foot in Iowa again for any reason,” Colbert joked.
3/ Quite fascinating article on how the elites in both political parties have lost the white middle class, which explains the appeal of both Trump and Sanders, for vastly different reasons but generated by the same anger......
If you want to "Make America Great Again,", or if you're "Feeling The Bern" read this....excellent......
LONG after the dust settles in Iowa — and New Hampshire, and even the 2016 campaign itself — one question will remain: Why, after decades of supporting the liberal and conservative establishments, did the white middle-class abandon them? Wherever Donald J. Trump and Bernie Sanders end up, their candidacies represent a major shift in American politics. Since World War II our political culture has been organized around the needs, fears and aspirations of white middle-class voters in ways that also satisfied the interests of the rich and powerful. That’s no longer true.
As we know, the rich are now quite a bit richer. In itself, this need not disrupt the old political consensus. More decisive is the fact that the white middle class is in decline, both economically and culturally.
4/ James Corden is a late late night host, and in this three minute clip dissects the appeal of Ted Cruz.....quite funny.....
If you were watching the Iowa caucus speeches, your cable news station of choice likely cut out on Ted Cruz’s speech. That’s because it was an epically long 32-minute marathon . If you couldn’t take it, you’re not alone, but James Corden told his “Late Late Show” audience on Tuesday “31 of those minutes were people shouting ‘Really? Him? We were kidding! I meant it as a joke!'”
But what about Trump? “He really has egg on his face,” Corden said. “Which pairs nicely with the hashbrowns on top of his head.”
5/ The Iowa results are in, and the spin machine went into high gear.......a very good article by Jeb Lund in Rolling Stone on the next eight months of political bullshit, and how to try to separate spin from the truth!
Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton all but tied in the Iowa Caucuses Monday night.
Here's where the spin begins.
Ordinarily you would think math would settle the issue of who won or did not win an election, but that's not the country we live in. The spin started months ago, and will continue forever. Barack Obama didn't win 2012: That RINO Romney surrendered it to him. And he didn't win 2008: The media didn't vet him, and George W. Bush's big-government conservatism handed half the country over while the New Black Panther Party and ACORN stole the rest.
Even now some buzz-cut Nixon die-hard gasping his last breath in a hospice named Shady Palms Death Quonset is probably still raging against the Daley machine for delivering 1960 to Kennedy. Or against that ghostwritten Profiles in Courage. Or Kennedy's father's money. Or the media, who televised that famous debate.
So naturally for the rest of the week we will learn that nobody who lost actually lost, and that all the winners are frauds. Campaign strategists have to justify where all that money went, and those in the media who prognosticate into lifelong panel-show sinecures have to course-correct reality when it gets in the way of a good story. And as for the candidates — if we absolutely must drag them into this — they have to persuade voters and donors that they haven't wasted their time, energy and money.
6/ Watching this gave me a queasy feeling in my stomach.......a three minute clip of Texas University students being quizzed on current affairs.....it's funny, but it's serious too....
The old joke used to be: Who is buried in Grant's tomb?
Now it's not so funny anymore.
Recently PoliTech, a group of politically engaged students on the campus of Texas Tech University, posted a video titled "Politically Challenged — Texas Tech Edition" in which they quiz contemporary students about history and politics.
On-screen reporter Courtney Plunk tosses the simplest of questions at random passersby "to see just how much our fellow students know about their country."
Question: Who won the Civil War? Answers: "The South?" and "The Confederates?"
7/ And this made me queasy, for a different reason - the Syrian city of Homs was Syria's third largest city, home to about 1 million people - look at it now from a Russian drone camera......90 seconds.....
What have we done, or allowed to be done?
A striking video shot by a drone over the Syrian city of Homs shows the horrifying wreckage left after years of civil war.
Homs, once a city of more than 1 million, is shown mortared and shelled into oblivion, with few signs of life in the areas that were filmed. The footage was taken by a group called Russia Works, whose founder, Alexandr Pushin, has ties to the Kremlin and Russian state television.
Homs once was Syria's third-largest city. It has hosted clashes between forces loyal to President Bashar Assad and rebel groups since 2011. The last rebel pocket left the city late last year under a cease-fire agreement the United Nations said had "great value" toward a possible truce.
Destruction shown in the video is mind-boggling. As Mashable notes, aside from a white car and a glimpse of several kids, the video suggests there are few humans left in the city. Thousands have been killed since fighting began and many others have fled. ISIS has been expanding toward the city over the past months.
8/ Not sure if I've put this video in DDD already, but if so no apologies........it's an amazing, powerful and completely different version of the Simon and Garfunkel classic "Sounds of Silence"......
Sung by "Disturbed", a metal band - the lead singer's voice is powerful. You also find yourself listening to the lyrics......
9/ Floriduh story 1 - up to 300,000 Floridians are on the way to losing their food stamps.....the most vulnerable - the sick, retirees and children will be affected. Republicans are cruel, and this is entirely down to the Legislature and our piece of dog shit Governor. And they call themselves Christians......
This is a national story, but drastically affects Florida.....
JEFFERSON CITY, MO. | More than 1 million low-income residents in 21 states could soon lose their government food stamps if they fail to meet work requirements that began kicking in this month.
The rule change in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program was triggered by the improving economy — specifically, falling unemployment. But it is raising concerns among the poor, social service providers and food pantry workers, who fear an influx of hungry people.
Recent experience in other states indicates that most of those affected will probably not meet the work requirements and will be cut off from food stamps.
For many people, “it means less food, less adequate nutrition. And over the span of time, that can certainly have an impact on health — and the health care system,” said Dave Krepcho, president and chief executive of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.
Advocates say some adults trying to find work face a host of obstacles, including criminal records, disabilities or lack of a driver’s license.
10/ Floriduh story 2 - the Republican House just voted to approve fracking in Florida....the whole state is going to face a water crisis, and the scum in the legislature including our own Jennifer Sullivan voted for it......
Good story from Scott Maxwell.....
If you only read the headlines, Florida looks like it has suddenly gone green.
"New Optimism on Everglades."
"Water bill among session priorities."
"Scott's environmental budget."
Heck, you'd think Gov. Rick Scott had swapped his cowboy boots for Birkenstocks and was suddenly taking part in drum circles beneath the Harvest Moon.
But look closer. It's a con.
Really, this is just the continuation of a systemic effort to bleed taxpayers dry and leave our natural resources unprotected.
These bills aren't about safeguarding water and land. They're about spending your money and awarding multimillion-dollar cleanup contracts to companies eager to suck at the public teat.
Much like the $8 billion cleanup of the Everglades.
11/ Good TV is hard to spot with all of the competing shows, so here's some help from Vox.......
Winter has increasingly become the best time of year for new TV shows. Freed from having to face off against the onslaught of fall broadcast network premieres, cable networks debut their new offerings, while the broadcast shows often grow more experimental. The crop for 2016 isn't as immediately promising as 2015's was, but there are still a bunch of solid shows slated for the months to come — and at least a couple of them should flirt with positions on most TV critics' year-end lists.
In compiling the following recommendations, we only included shows that already have a premiere date. Otherwise, we would also have included shows like AMC's Preacher and FX's Atlanta, both arriving sometime this year and both quite good. We've also only selected shows we've seen at least one episode of, with one exception (which is noted)
Todays video - News blooper collection......
Todays oldies jokes
Todays bear commercial
Todays lost wife joke
Husband : - I’ve lost my wife, she went shopping yesterday and has still not come home.Sergeant : - What is her height ?Husband: - I really never noticed.Sergeant : - Build?Husband: - Not slim, not really fat.Sergeant : - Color of eyes?Husband : - Never noticed.Sergeant : - Color of hair?Husband : - Changes according to season.Sergeant : - What was she wearing?Husband: Dress/suit/ I don’t remember exactly.Sergeant : Did she go in a car?Husband : - yes.Sergeant : - What kind of car was it?Husband : - Black Audi A8 with super charged 3.0 liter V6 engine generating 333 horse power with an eight-speed triptonic automatic transmission with manual mode. And it has full LED headlights, which use light emitting diodes for all light functions and has a very thin scratch on the front left door.……………. at this point the husband started crying...Sergeant: - Don't worry sir.......We will find your car.
