HISTORY DOES REPEAT ITSELF

If you are a true patriot, a news junkie, interested in "America First", a student of American History or about 80 years old, you should understand the importance of Rachel Maddow's podcast titled "ULTRA".  Listen to it here. 

WHEN ALL SENSE IS LOST, IT'S TIME TO LAUGH

 

MEET A MASS MURDERER IN TRAINING

AP Top News
U.S. News

California man avoids prison after 2021 attack on tortoise

Michelangelo, the 70-year-old African tortoise and San Jose preschool pet, wanders around at ARCHVET Animal Hospital in San Jose, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, following surgery the day before after being beaten and stabbed by an assailant. On Friday, Dec. 16, 2022, a judge sentenced the assailant to two years of probation and mandatory mental health and substance abuse treatment, according to The San Jose Mercury News. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group via AP)

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — A Northern California man avoided prison time Friday after he drunkenly trespassed at a preschool last year and attacked a pet tortoise named Michelangelo, The San Jose Mercury News reported.

The 42-year-old man was also linked to other break-ins at the East San Jose school, and stole thousands of dollars of items in the days before and after the attack on Michelangelo, a decades-old African sulcata, in January 2021.

The school's owner discovered Michelangelo bleeding last year after the attack, impaled in the shell with 6-inch (15-centimeter) shards from a wooden garden gate post. The man had also shoved a rake handle between the animal’s head and leg and broke flood lamps and put the shattered glass on the tortoise’s back, The Mercury News reported.

A judge sentenced the man Friday to two years of probation and mandatory mental health and substance abuse treatment. He had pleaded no contest to charges of animal abuse, commercial burglary and vandalism earlier this year, the newspaper reported.

The man is now also banned from having any animals for 10 years. His public defender said his client’s behavior against the tortoise was the result of excessive intoxication, rather than animal cruelty, the newspaper wrote.

The preschool did not return the newspaper's request for comment Friday.

BARBARA WALTERS (SEPT 1929 - DEC 2022)

When I thought about it, I knew in my gut that Barbara Walters was getting on in age but -- like most of you -- I was still both surprised and saddened to read of her passing on Dec 30th at age 93. 

It recalled memories from ~40 yrs ago when I was directing  "20/20" -- before Barbara arrived on the scene to share hosting duties with the gentlemanly Hugh Downs. That was after she was hired away from NBC News at the princely sum of $1,000,000 (unheard of) to anchor the ABC evening news with Harry Reasoner. That didn't go well. So 20/20 inherited Barbara; the Queen Bee arrived and life changed.

 

New office arrangements had to be made, bla, bla, bla and so forth and so on & Hugh had to make a few adjustments.

 

I had the "pleasure" of working with Ms. Walters a few times during my time on "20/20" but the one I remember most was her interview with Richard Nixon. Nixon had agreed to an interview, but only if it was live. He didn't want anyone editing his words. No problem for me as I had come off of Good Morning America and was used to going live but the "20/20" staff was not as sanguine about the idea. Naturally tensions were higher as "20/20" was really a recorded magazine type program.

 

A separate area of our set was arranged for the one-on-one interview, lighting and camera shots were set. We timed moving cameras from the "20/20" positions to the interview area; no need for more cameras (cameras were made to move, after all). And so 20/20 went on the air, live with Hugh at the anchor spot; Barbara & Tricky Dickey nowhere in sight. The change over occurred during a commercial break (usually 60 seconds, maybe 120 seconds; I don't remember) but everything worked smoothly & everyone was in position, lit, miked and ready to go.

 

Now we all know Barbara had this knack of asking pointed questions, sweetly but pointed....like a javelin to the heart. Barbara to Monica Lewinsky: 'What do you think you will tell your children? Lewinsky: That mommie made a big mistake.' You get the idea. So, in the back of my brain, I wondered what Barbara was going to do with Nixon.

 

Demanding that an interview go live is a two edged sword much like a taped interview but different. A taped interview is honed down by a producer, frequently overseen by a lawyer. That could be good or bad. On the other hand, a live event airs.....well.... live with few controls. Remember Geraldo Rivera's prime time hunt for Al Capone's safe?

 

As usual, Barbara had done her meticulous research and the interview started off pleasantly enough. Nixon was stiff..... as usual... and a bit arrogant... as usual.... and Barbara asked some good but relatively innocuous policy questions (for her) to soften him up, to make him feel like he had this but you just knew that Watergate had to come up. But when? 

 

By the first commercial break, the questions became more personal and that trend continued through the 2nd break. By the final segment, Nixon was somewhat uncomfortable, fidgety & a bit  argumentative but Barbara smoothed the waters.

 

But at 58:00 minutes into the 58:30 minute interview, she pounced. Barbara: "Are you sorry you didn't burn the tapes?" … "If  you had it to do all over again, you would have burned them?" Nixon: "Yes". And so the interview and the hour-long program ended. Guess what everyone remembers? Boom! Talk about a mike drop. That was the magic of Barbara Walters.

 

Link to Nixon Interview

TOM CRUISE AT IT AGAIN!

 

CLICK HERE FOR THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE

POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS

I once had the temerity to suggest that the best "punishment" for Trump's misdeeds was to put him under house arrest at Mar-A-Lago where he could focus on himself without interruption.  Then I read the following in Vanity Fair:

Inside Trump's sad little Mar-a-Lago life, where his assistants beg people to call him and 'boost his spirits with positive affirmations' and people clap after he cuts his food with a fork and knife.

Here's the full article. I guess I was prescient. 

SIGN OF THE TIMES

First, the background.

.....so the former POTUS, who served the Nation from 2016-2020, had a wonderful Mar-a-Lago lunch with  white nationalist Nick Fuentes and rapper Kanye West (aka Ye). 

Part of the conversation centered around Ye's intention to make another run for POTUS in 2024. He asked the former POTUS, who served the Nation from 2016-2020, if he would serve as his VP.  

The former POTUS, who served the Nation from 2016-2020, became irate & according to Ye:

"When Trump started basically screaming at me at the table telling me I was going to lose — I mean has that ever worked for anyone in history,”West said in the video. I'm like hold on, hold on, hold on, Trump, you're talking to Ye.”

SOURCE: Vanity Fair

Time For Some Humor

 

Subversion anyone?

If you are in the mood to read a long, but very revealing, article about Congressional support for invoking Marshall Law to overturn the results of the 2020 election, read this.  I thought I had a handle on the attempted coup but  this article gave me a jolt.

SOURCE: Talking Points Memo

WHO?

If you ever wondered about the [ WHO ] World Health Organization's  value, wonder no more. WHO else could have handled the following situation w such deftness & sensitivity? The WHO. That'S WHO.

"The World Health Organization announced yesterday it would begin referring to the monkeypox virus as "mpox," the result of a six-month effort to find a nondiscriminatory alternative to avoid stigma. The name "monkeypox" will be phased out over the next year. "

SOURCE 1440 Daily Digest

Tis The Season.....Ho, Ho, Ho

 

Today's Public Service Announcement

"London-based tattoo removal studio NAAMA is offering free tattoo removal of Kanye West tattoos amid the musician's ongoing anti semitic comments."

WTF? Who would get a Kanye tattoo in the first place? Steven Miller, that's who.

American Presidential Speech in Your Dreams

Click Here

Go Donald!

Do you remember, as I do, Ivanka saying about her father: you will not find anyone who will work harder for the American people; that he will never give up. Well, god bless her little heart, she was right. Keep it up, Donald. You're the best at positioning the Democratic party for continued success.

AND IN THE CENTER RING...

CLICK HERE

STOP CALLING THEM “REPUBLICANS"

Words Matter

I try never to paint groups of people with the same brush but I will now.

In the modern history of the United States we've only had two great political parties: Democrats & Republicans. We have now been reduced to one. 

Millions belonged to the Republican Party. They had some good ideas & stood for some principles. Some identified as “Conservative”, “Middle-of-the-Road” or “Compassionate Conservative” but you can forget that nomenclature. They have vanished; co-opted. Now we have Democrats & Cultists. 

Cultists have only fealty to the dear leader & are guided by his lies and conspiracies. The truth escapes them. They live in an alternate universe and entertain such rich ideas as “alternative facts”. There. Is. No. Such. Thing; IT IS AN OXYMORON. 

Consider Jones, Koresch, Rajneesh, Jeffs, Raniere & perhaps, the best known: Adolf Hitler. They all lived by “alternative facts”. Most who followed them lost everything, have suffered or perished.

Malcolm X argued that the word “integration” was only an invention to make middle class whites feel comfortable. The more accurate word, he argued, was “mongrelization”. Only as people intermarry, have families and successful careers in society will there be true integration. 

Fast forward. Today, you rarely hear anyone use that word, “integration”, referring to race. People no longer march for integration. We are now beginning a discussion on “systemic racism”.  

Those who once proudly identified as Republican can no longer do so. Thousands have resigned from the Republican Party. Some are simply disgusted. Some have become virulent Anti-Trumpers. Those who remain have sipped the Kool-Aid. They have morphed into the Alt-Right, Qnoners, Racists, Conspiracy Mongers, Purveyors of Misinformation, Bullshitters, Cowardly Lions; certainly not constitutionalists.. 

Current members of congress who identify as "Republican" can no longer claim to be the loyal opposition. They have done nothing to earn the title but have managed extreme fealty to Donald Trump. He paralyzes them, He mutes them. He has them running scared. He tweets at them. Oh my. They are no longer guided by truth & principle. Constitution? What Constitution? Truth? What truth? Law? What law? They are no longer "Republicans". They cannot debate with credibility, make statements or offer up ideas that make sense. Words matter. Stop calling these people “Republicans”. They are certainly not. Call them something else. 

Journalists, opinionists, public figures & writers, please find another name. Remember words do matter. And stop calling the man in the White House “the most powerful man in the world”. He is not. 

From 2015-2019 journalists "fumphered" around trying to describe Donald Trump’s exaggerations, untruths & flights of fancy. Only in 2020 did the mainstream media finally begin to call it “lying”. "Oorah"! That’s accurate and has made a difference in our collective conscience.

Meanwhile former “Republicans” need to find a new home and a new name. Many have found temporary asylum in the Lincoln Project but sooner or later, the Lincoln Project will morph into a political party with an alternate name, like, let’s say, “The National Union Party (United States)”. Check it out.  

Abraham Lincoln was actually part of “The National Union Party” so were “Republicans” really the “Party of Lincoln”? When Lincoln ran for President under the “The National Union Party” banner, he won by a landslide. Of course, that was in 1864. 

What makes this country viable is debate, voting and the law. Without “Republicans”, there can be no debate. You end up talking to yourself. That's what is happening now.

Discussion between Democrats and Cultists consists of “I’m right & you’re wrong.” One cannot discuss an issue with cultists who dispense conspiratorial smoke & mirrors and expect to arrive at a reasoned conclusion. But Democrats debating “The National Union Party”? Now that could be a healthy debate between equals. 

We hear the “talking heads” use the phrase “words matter”.  Yes, they do.So let’s start using more of them.

THE NEW HIGH FOR THE 45TH POTUS

My new theory: the imPOTUS is not lying. He DOES feel better. It's a drug induced high. That's what steroids do for you. 

In fact, he feels SO GOOD that he has ORDERED his military doctor to continue the STEROID regimen to which his doctor replies: "Yes Sir". 

It's is drug of choice and because he now feels bigger, stronger, even more confident, he is even more DANGEROUS.  

That's what steroids do to you. 

Be careful, very careful.

For those of you who have been prescribed a regimen of steroids, you know I'm telling the truth. For those of you who haven't had this experience, ask a doctor, a nurse,  a nurse practitioner or your local pharmacist.

There are legitimate reasons to be discussing the 25th amendment. Let's just not take too long....

HAVE A LAUGH.

CLICK A LINK

WAIT A MINUTE!

This is certainly worth your time & attention

GEORGE FLOYD'S PLACE IN HISTORY

George Floyd was murdered before our eyes. For over eight minutes he begged for his life but no matter. Mr. Floyd had the life squeezed out of him by a policeman who pressed his knee across Mr. Floyd's neck, choking the breath out of him. 

Colored peoples have historically been & continue to suffer from racism that is deeply ingrained in our history. But change must come to America for it to live up to its ideals. Maybe, just maybe, we will now make real strides towards those ideals. 

Once upon a time, fire fighters & EMS workers were routinely called "heroes". But with the pandemic upon us, the "hero" ranks have swelled to include doctors & nurses, cleaning staff, grocery store clerks, care givers, truck drivers, warehouse & food factory workers. And deservedly so. 

But is George Floyd a "hero"? Was he a good person? Is that important? Would it make a difference if he wasn't really?

Do you want to know him better? I do. But, short of a speech from attorney Crump, the family lawyer, an emotional eulogy delivered by the Reverend Al Sharpton & short statements by a few family members, we don't know much about him.  I don't even know the actual events surrounding Mr. Floyd's arrest.  But would that change the narrative?

Into this void, stepped black conservative commentator Candace Owens who vlogged a rant about Mr. Floyd's past. @Kevin Rose (NYT Tech  Columnist) tweeted that Ms. Owen's "video is at 58,000,000 views & is now the 'top-performing' Facebook post of the past week. It was also featured in a Daily Wire article [...] for another 300,000 views." (I can't verify these  numbers.)

I've watched Ms. Owen's vlog. I'm deeply troubled by her vlog. While everyone should enjoy Freedom of Speech, what troubles me is that her narrative has gained so much traction when, in reality, it doesn't make any difference who Mr. George was. It's a red herring.

The real issue -- the only principle that should guide us here -- is how Mr. Floyd died at the hands of a policeman, an instrument of the state & what that represented.

I don't want to see this moment in history diluted or corrupted or perverted or disfigured by politics or some 'ism'. 

Would it make a difference if George Floyd was a thief or high on meth? Would that make his murder less important? I don't think so but Ms. Owens' rant seems to be resonating with a large portion of our population if you can believe the count. And that's just unacceptable.

If you are not crystal clear-eyed about WHY what is happening in the streets & if the issue of racism is important to you, I strongly urge you watch Kerry Washington in the Netflix production of "American Son". It's all dialogue; something we desperately need in this country and it illustrates the depth of our problem.