Another master class in weaving many different threads into an educational tapestry. My favorite might be the intel that we might see much less reality TV.... we will all be smarter for that outcome! More important is Harris not caving to tRumpf bullying....he is a convicted felon and she is VP of the USA. No way should she bend to his whim. Can't wait for November...bye bye to the MAGATs!
A MAGA flush and a reality TV flush. I am not saying I have never watched a home makeover show, or fashion show with my daughter, but a lot of the time I just say no! She mainly enjoys both of these things through websites that cater to a more personal experience anyway. I watched 5 minutes of The Apprentice and knew who Trump was and could not understand why anyone would want to work for him. A teacher has to size both children and parents up fairly quickly, but be open to a changed opinion. Trump has done nothing to change my opinion for the better, only the worse. Trump's existence in the political scene has turned the USA into a dystopian reality. Thank goodness Biden and Harris are wiping away that negative image globally, and hopefully now locally too.
I think far too many people took the Trump of “The Apprentice” as the real thing. Even out in the Midwest, I was well aware of Trump’s various scams and knew he was exaggerating his net worth and accomplishments. Reality TV isn’t very realistic, it doesn’t appeal to me and it’s not very realistic. Curiously though, when I watched the entire “Babylon 5” series, J. Michael Straczynski’s presentation looked entirely prescient, and the Shadows-backed President who succeeds President Santiago looks entirely too much like Donald Trump when he turns Earth into a dystopia.
It always boggled my mind that people believed in the television images of Trump when we were constantly hearing about how he did not pay off his contractors. I wonder how many of them voted for Trump. If they did, or do, or will, they deserve what they get, but we don't! Let us not let their votes count by outnumbering them.
Part of the problem with the current state of news is that people have become so used to the reality tv format, pace and content that they expect news to be entertainment. They want an easily identifiable contest between a good guy and a bad guy. They want lots of quick, short shots, dramatic, simplistic clips and a fairy-tale conclusion to the story. Extra points if the story includes a cute puppy. Have you noticed how short the actual clips of people speaking have become? Two to three seconds. Usually the reporter gives an abbreviated version the conflict and you get a clip of the protagonist saying some sort of quick comment such as, "This is crazy." You don't usually get to hear people tell their own story. You just get an exclamation of emotion because emotion gets the clicks, not facts. This makes it easier to present "the news" that shows the story the reporter/news outlet *wants* you to hear, not the story that actually happened. It's also how news companies make big money. We are being entertained into a dictatorship.
I agree this is a problem. It is changing the configuration of the brain to have such input. Another part of the problem is that people spend too much time on YouTube videos and other in your face, stimulating content. Fewer and fewer people handle down time as a down time. When I am on the bus in Germany I see older people just riding, and younger people on their phones. No down time. Already in grad school they were telling us to get students attention as teachers with practically a clown act. If you cater constantly to the need to grab attention in dramatic ways, the people do not learn to attend to things without all that noise. However, in Germany everyone pays around 18 Euros a month to support television and radio news. It is a broadcasting fee. That is every home regardless of if you do not have a radio or television. So, it is independent in that way, and more trusted. My daughter rents a back little apartment from a family, so she does not have to pay, because she is included in their fee, and if you share an apartment with someone only one fee is expected from the collectivity, but it is nationwide.
"Faith sees best in the dark." —Soren Kierkegaard.
Translation: The worse things get, the easier it is to distinguish between the truth and a lie. The troubled people of Ukraine have no trouble seeing reality in lieu of phony illusions of reality.
NL, the news has become entertainment, period. No more straight news. We have to reject the networks presentation of news as entertainment and demand real, factual information presented in a mature manner. That said, the American people have to start educating themselves in real life and "reality". We owe it to our children to educate them but teaching them how to learn and find joy and reward in learning. People believe in a "brand" rather than the truth. It's truly disturbing.
NL....we still watch the local news and maybe the national news. Right now we can't watch NBC which is our usual channel, so using the CBS channel and I notice the short bits of new on both stations. The NBC channel (8 in Portland, OR) does do an in depth analysis of one topic at 6 for a half hour called The Story.
"good guys bad guys" that was just what was coming to mind when i thought of R tv. Thanks! Sadly, there seems to be a widespread preference for good/bad saintly/evil innocent/diabolical in our entertainment, and likely in our collective genes. Just look at all the revenge movies out there etc....
I watch the MSM like Dystopian Entertainment... Seems a lot of the Correspndents don't get their Facts Straight... I compare the Popular Mood now with that of Y2K when we were all so Hopeful, and Shake-My-Head... If you wrote a Book in 1999 about how it would be in 2024, it would have been classified as Dystopian Science Fiction... Regardless... All We Can Do Is Live In The Present, And Work For The Best...
So well put NLT! I've watched people go from thoughtful engagement to channel surfing over my 73 years. And then came the internet. From my teens on, I hated TV and never saw a "reality" TV show as a result.
I avoid reality tv like the plague, the few minutes i watched of the Apprentice was as much as i could stomach. I figured it was always manipulated, and i guess that's about the size of it. Yet reality tv has been enormously popular, i wonder how much overlap there is with reality tv and the Republican voting base?
When you study the faces of the people who are standing behind him at his rallies, is seems obvious that the maggot base there on display, and the reality tv base are one and the same. They are not following what he is saying because it makes no sense, they appear to be confused human props. I have never listened in it’s entirety to one of his babbles, I can’t make myself, the clips that I do see of him interest me more in who is standing behind him, they always appear to be lost. Instead of holding one of his signs, they might as well be holding a sign that says “I’m a Moron”, which I know is a disservice to the morons of the world for which I apologize. 🙏
I didn't watch The Apprentice or Survivor. I did watch HGTV for a while, but it got boring using the same format time after time. It's always wise to remember that what happens behind the scenes is reality, not what's on camera.
I grew up in the town next to Queens and like everyone else who knew them, the trump family have always been the phony equivalent to reality TV, only with detrimental and terrible consequences, especially for anyone who had to deal with them. Glad both useless entities are on their way out.
The problem is that there are that many Americans who support such a wannabe dictator. When tRump is gone there will be other wannabes, for there is a hot bed of fearful haters waiting to back someone who is anti you name it.
So true, Harvey. Have you read Timothy Snyder's The Road To Unfreedom? It explains the underlying twisted concepts of fascism that Putin is exporting to the West. Although deeply alarming, it's also empowering to understand what is really going on and how we got here. Highly highly recommended, especially to everyone in this group! It should be required reading for everyone.
My family's "Apprentice" story: Spring of 2004 my Mom was 82 and dying; she'd caught pneumonia in February and almost died in hospital. She was in for about a week, improved, and was "ready for discharge". We asked about Hospice, her doc believed that "if she worked hard, she could get back to where she was" (which was hardly able to function). She was released to a nursing home, since she still required a great deal of medical care. (My 2020 hindsight says we should have taken her home and let her go; she'd have at least gotten to the ocean once more, but I digress).
She was close to death, and I had taken family leave to be with her. She had not been conscious for several days, and the end was very near. My sister and I were in her room, and my sister said "I need to go watch the Apprentice; I'll be back when it is over." She left at 5 minutes 'til 8 p.m. Mom started agonal breathing at about 8:20 and I called my sister; she said she'd come as soon as the show was over at 9:00. Mom died at 8:42. To this day, my sister regrets that decision.
I hope your sister came to a couple of important realizations after that. Death of a parent is complicated. Maybe your sister was unconsciously shielding herself from a complicated experience but somethings, many important things, only happen once. You each found your way through in your own way. I'm pretty sure your Mom would understand either way, mothers being the loving, understanding and forgiving creatures they are. Learning from an experience is what helps us go forward. No judgement here. Just accepting ourselves as we are. The ramifications of losing one's mother are always larger than we think they would be at the time. My sympathies to you and your sister for your loss, however long ago it was in time.
I never watched the bullshit called reality TV. Never. It dumbed down on the population and I consider most people to be very naive and plain stupid. Even the smart ones why watch it are stupid. In my opinion.
Lauren -- an educational tapestry indeed! One thing that Heather didn't mention is that the Biden/Harris domestic policy wins happened despite the Dems barely having control of the Senate in 2020 (a 50-50 split with Harris's tie-breaking vote often needed, and two Senators -- Manchin and Sinema -- often voting against their party's initiatives) and with nary a vote to spare for Pelosi in the House, which reverted to Republican control in 2022. It astonishes me to this day that the Biden/Harris team was able to get so much consequential legislation passed for the good of the country, a historic level of accomplishments, with such a closely-divided Congress.
And that is in addition to his foreign policy wins -- particularly in the Indo-Pacific, as cited by Austin, Blinken and Sullivan, but not forgetting the rebuilding of European ties with NATO, support for Ukraine, etc.
It's mind-blowing, and it has prepared Harris well to win and lead. I look forward to hearing of her pick for VP, which Heather will no doubt provide educational commentary and comparison in the next Letter.
In light of Manchin’s awful sell-out on Biden’s agenda and then his brief threat to run against Ms Harris, what do you make of his enthusiastic endorsement of the ticket today? Looking for some sort of redemption?
As a historian, Dr. Richardson's ability to weave "many different threads into an educational tapestry" on a daily basis is among the foremost reasons I am in awe of her.
As someone who's managed to avoid watching much "reality" TV ever since Survivor helped birth the genre, I wasn't even aware it's declined in popularity. I too am hopeful we'll emerge smarter from this. Although, honestly, I'm skeptical. Networks are going to have to fill that time with something, and from their perspective, as cheaply as possible. Scripted shows written and produced by actual humans aren't cheap. I wonder if we'll see networks simply pivot (back) to more traditional game shows.
I also agree that Vice President Harris' not allowing Team TFG to dictate terms is extremely important. I think her team's correctly determined that there's very little, if any, value in debating Trump in a format that's acceptable to him. I actually question the value of debating Trump at all.
One of the right wing's strategies is "flooding the zone." IMO Trump has always had the ability to put out an incredible amount of lies and nonsense, regardless if it's in answer to the question asked or not. Putting out so much nonsense "floods the zone" to the point where Harris would have to spend all of her allotted speaking time combatting the lies rather than focusing on her own platform and message. I don't know if fact checking him can be done any other way. In the last debate with President Biden, I believe some independent fact checkers ran 10 minutes behind! That's not necessarily going to convince anybody who's undecided to vote for her instead of not voting at all.
the lie hydrant is Trump's only strategy, it has worked oh so well in garnering a dedicated minority, but that's just what it is. In a repeat debate I have a feeling that Kamala could handle that torrent nicely. For one thing, you don't preoccupy yourself picking up every little thing, deflect and emphasize you own perspective aggressively while putting little shafts into the Orange guy.
Yes. The Apprentice was the single most influential television program in the short history of broadcast TV. An unintended consequence helped inflict him on the world. Trump himself inhabits a very theatrical world of his own making but my guess is that he also runs black and white “B” movies from the 40’s and 50’s over and over in his head. He , of course , being the main character. Not necessarily the hero or “white hat”. The dumbing down of America as a result of so called “reality TV” is very evident. People with very real concerns were able to channel their fear and resentment of a larger system that has failed them. He used that as an opportunity to go into the greatest of theatrical enterprises. Performative politics. No real philosophical point of view . Just tap into whatever works up the crowd . The crowd that doesn’t have the time to analyze his BS but just gets caught up in the hoopla of the show. Of course he does have an underlying point of view . Self aggrandizement, greed , a real disregard for women , a palpable racial prejudice that borders on a phobia .
Reality TV is on the decline because the public has had it with blurring makebelieve with reality. How about professional wrestling? Talk about fake. I wonder if there is a correlation between professional wrestling fans and supporter of tRump.
That! THIS! The reality vs the make believe ..WOW ..finally 🫶
It a real sort of an odd phenomena what the past 8-9 years focused on..the circus of promises, fake news , mirrors and smoke screens, lies , rude, crude, and an orange dude! LOL!!!
Yes , Americans have WOKE UP.
There’s hope and energy restored.
Hard lessons learned. We eagerly await ..excited no matter who or which one really..all competent performers of the get down , rolled up sleeve crowd …..of Democrats . Who will our new VP BE?
Make no mistake folks, but remember. their .names.
They’re still there…conniving still for another angle to deceive , get richer through misinforming, pretending, creating ruckus and confusion.
I’ll be tuned to the airways to hear… Good Luck and Carry On to you all. Thanks for the job performance already- an impressive line-up of leaders FOR SURE!
11/5 coming up soon, my sisters, my brothers, let’s put the winning team ahead by miles…..
Trump has accomplished the biggest grift and con in world history, president of the United States. I wonder how many billions of dollars he has his family stole from the US and other countries.
Agreed. Very well-written, and hopeful. The end of "reality" TeeVee would indeed be a god thing for the overall intelligence of the American people.
I'm so glad Harris is not only standing up to Cheetolini, but calling him out. Her "Say it to my face" line is classic. I'd love to see both her and Waltz start calling Cheetolini a lying, weird, chicken . . .
One thing that struck me in the conversation between Biden and Harris as the hostages were reuniting with their families was the theme of trust. When individuals trust each other, they have healthy relationships. In the same way, when nations trust each other, they can move forward towards shared goals. In addition to strengthening the trust bonds between the U.S.and Europe, the Biden/Harris team has built new partnerships of trust with other nations, strengthening the bonds between the U.S. and Asian and Pacific nations. I trust Heather to give us the wider historical context of the challenges that we face today. Trust is essential in our lives at every level.
This evening I went to a Jamie Raskin fundraiser. I'll share a joke that he told, urging us to keep it simple when we talk about voting. Voting, he said, is like driving. When you want to move forward, you put the car in Drive. When you want to go backwards, you put it in Reverse.
So true. Would never have thought this, but after listening to ULTRA, reading Prequel, Kochland, Dark Money...seeing how these now ultra wealthy trust fund babies favor autocracy, them aligning with dictators is the obvious position. The dictators have catered to these wealthy people.
My only concern is that the Uber wealthy will try to manipulate the stock market to scare people into voting R. I don’t know if that’s possible, but it worries me. I’d love to hear any thoughts on this one.
I wish we in Ohio had more people in Congress like Jamie Raskin and our own at risk Senator Sherrod Brown, who’s up against Trump-endorsed car dealer Bernie Moreno. We are facing another ballot initiative to get the state to draw districts more fairly. I wasn’t surprised when our term-limited Governor Mike DeWine came out against it. He and the other Republicans voted to impose these unfairly gerrymandered state and Federal districts on us.
The now-retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio, Maureen O’Connor, is leading the effort to get a citizen-led nonpartisan redistricting initiative on the ballot in November. Justice O’Connor is a Republican, but she doesn’t like the extreme gerrymandering the General Assembly and Senate have forced upon the voters. Ohio voters voted in favor of nonpartisan redistricting several years ago, but the General Assembly ignored the citizens’ wishes and did nothing. Justice O’Connor ordered the Ohio senate three times to redraw districts a majority of justices found illegally drawn, but the Senate ignored the Supreme Court’s orders.
Thanks for highlighting this, Kathy. The corruption of our state government here in Ohio is breathtaking. Do you read David Pepper? He and his whiteboards have helped me understand so much about how Ohio is broken.
And make sure you go to his Substack, "Pepperspectives". In it, he's writing weekly chapters of a 'book' about Project 2025. So far, 7 absolutely chilling chapters, done from a human, regular person perspective, of how horrible P2025 would make our lives. Pulitzer Prize worthy; check it out! https://davidpepper.substack.com/
One of DonOld's early executive orders was to allow the salvageable parts of elephants to be shipped into the US. This was because Don Jr. had gone on safari and he had killed on of these majestic creatures.
The numbers of large wild animals will continue to dwindle just as the numbers of all wild mammals continues to dwindle.
I remember. I haven’t read that any reversal has been put in place. I donate to wildlife groups and Nat park groups. I am heartsick at how animals suffer from such callous vicious human actions.
I adopted two babies from Sheldrick Wildlife Trust for my grands two years ago. We get updates and see them grow and thrive. Incredible that some who are out in the wild area will lead an injured elephant to the nursery for care. They are indeed intelligent, caring and kind. Opposite of MAGAts.
Fed Chairman Powell is creating the foundation of a market crash to derail Harris. He was appointed chairman of the fed by sos tfg in 2018. This is the reality show that nobody is watching. Thanks to Robert Reich for this info this morning.
JD Vance showed negligible knowledge of economics, by blaming "Kamala Harris' policies" (which do not exist at present) for the Stock Market crash. No less a personage than the head of the Singapore Stock Exchange blamed the downturn on Japanese investors getting ahead of themselves in selling. I see the markets are bouncing back, as they inevitably do.
Yeah, and Vance blaming Harris that we’re headed for WWIII whilst he and his master are doing everything they can to get us there must be the highest level of hypocrisy I’ve ever seen.
The Asian markets have already started to bounce back. It has nothing to do with the United States, it's just that the markets are so interconnected now. Someone sneezes in Tokyo and we all get symptoms of the flu here in the US.
It's so easy to be a Republican candidate. Take your various hate lines and substitute blame to any candidate running against the GOP candidate.
If one thinks about it, Democrats must be really really smart to steal a Presidential election and not leave any proof of fraud. In fact, they are so smart that the only fraud that's uncovered is Republican fraud. I'm voting for the smart party candidates.
One out of five adults surveyed in ME still believe the 2020 election was stolen. I'm not sure ANY of those deniers will ever vote for a Democrat, but the GOP can't afford to take the chance. On DonOld's death bed he will still be saying, "I won the election in 2020."
Vance knows how the stock market works; he's just trying to stir up agitation among the vast number of rubes who don't.
PS- there's no evidence of any fundamental weakness in either the US markets nor the US economy. The stock market decline in the past week is a needed correction and some profit-taking, and an excellent time to buy in.
There isn't a person alive that can explain the psychology behind why the markets rally or crash. There are just too many variables. Only AI can analyze what is happening in real time because it has access to a lot of the variables including trends on the day. Yesterday, the Down was up over 700 points at one point, but closed up around 300 points. But each stock within the Dow reacted uniquely so how does the average investor know whether to buy at 11 am or at 3 pm. My broker has reminded me on many occasions, "don't try to time the market."
And yet----every single day the "pundits" tell us why the market did what it did. EVERY SINGLE DAY. They could care less if it makes sense or not, they are just trying to make a buck. And many of them do.
The markets are like any other complex system. The mornings are typically a time for day traders, and others, to sell. On a good day, there are buyers who show up in the afternoon, to buy what has become available. I take anything said by "pundits", on any subject, with several grains of salt. Yes, the pundits, like the rest of us, are out to get what they can for their nest eggs, or leisure pursuits.
A lot of attention has been given to the Billionaire behind JD Vance.
Thiele's stated philosophy isn't nearly as bizarre (I almost wrote "weird") as the person who he seems to follow, Curtis Yarvin. Someone worth watching in so far as Vance may well want to implement Yarvin's open support for unrestrained autocracy.
Curtis Guy Yarvin (born 1973), also known by the pen name Mencius Moldbug, is an American blogger. He is known, along with philosopher Nick Land, for founding the anti-egalitarian and anti-democratic philosophical movement known as the Dark Enlightenment or neo-reactionary movement (NRx).[1][2][3][4]
In his blog Unqualified Reservations, which he wrote from 2007 to 2014, and on his later Substack page called Gray Mirror, which he started in 2020, he argues that American democracy is a failed experiment[5] that should be replaced by an accountable monarchy, similar to the governance structure of corporations.[6] Yarvin has been described as a "neo-reactionary" and "neo-monarchist" who "sees liberalism as creating a Matrix-like totalitarian system and who wants to replace American democracy with a sort of techno-monarchy".[7][8][9]
"Corporate governance" is a favorite topic of mine. Here is my new law:
Every public corporation must have an independent board of directors. The CEO may not sit on the board. The board must be comprised in a way that all stake holders are represented. That would include include employees.
CEO and top officers would have limits on their "golden parachutes".
I love Heather today on "the decision to invest money in ordinary Americans, and it worked."
Trouble is, too, something else has worked. More reporting today uncovers more corruption from Clarence, of the corrupt court he has long led. We could rephrase Heather's summary of the Biden-Harris program so it applies equally to "the decision to invest dark money in Clarence, and in his fellow corrupt." We could keep Heather's conclusion, however: "and it worked."
The latest Clarence hidden pay-offs come from 2010 -- which is when corruption really paid off: Clarence and his peers delivered Citizens United to the rich that year.
Clarence, of course, isn’t a criminal – technically – because he and his fellow far-right ideologues all answer to zero accountability. Thus they scurry to assist proven, convicted criminals, like their orange felon, the former reality TV entertainer, setting themselves up, too, as if they, too, were now and forever also above and beyond the law.
Probably, but we've watched several seasons of "Alone" and I am totally unable to empathize with the contestants that are allowed to take 10 items into a wild environment in the late fall.
In the first season, they dropped off 10 men on 10 different spots on Vancouver Island. Within 72 hours 6 of them had already quit. I'm pretty sure, I wouldn't have made it until nightfall the first day.
But like the other reality shows, it has probably run it's course having been on for 11 seasons.
But we have watched a lot of home improvement shows because we've done a lot of renovations. Are those reality shows? Everybody seems to usually win on those.
I must confess that "Deadliest Catch" is my favorite reality TV show, although I haven't watched it much since just before the pandemic. The "cast" changed, and the producers did not build the same degree of.... familiarity? likeability? understanding? in their newer boats and crews.
I was successful in my mission which was to help my wife’s aunt (80) and uncle (90) leave their home of 45 years and relocate to Oregon. Got them settled in with my in-laws while they begin their search for a new home.
I take issue with your verb, Gisele, as if "Trump . . . thinks" at all.
I've just finished the 1947 mini-classic, Dorothy Hughes’ “In a Lonely Place.” A few days ago I’d written here how amazingly good she is on how our criminal class may be doing its criminalities out of hatred first of something deep in themselves (which they can’t face). Then, too, out of contempt for reality to parallel their contempt for themselves.
The ending, I see now, provides more. She also shows how criminal characters totally forget, totally cannot see much, much of their criminality.
If our schools taught humanities, more would feel reality checks. More would be conscious of others out there – conscious of how others have personal lives, personal complications.
Not Clarence. Not Trump. And none of the clown show U.S. Republicans eager only to serve dark money, corruption, dictators and demagoguery anywhere in the U.S. or anyhow allied with the worst of that ilk worldwide.
DonOld is so boring and well, old. He hates everyone except himself. There is no one he wouldn't throw under the bus. And he whines like a 4 year old that doesn't want to go to bed. Yesterday, he blamed Harris for the stock markets crashing. A few weeks ago when they hit all time highs -- crickets.
But MESSAGING these great accomplishments to ordinary Americans—especially undecided and independents, and low income Rethuglican white men—is crucial!
Also would be great to spread on social media direct quotes from JD Vance of derogatory statements he made about Trump before being picked as VP!
Unfortunately, you can dispense with trying to change the minds of Rethuglican White men, they are mindless pirates and Trump is their Captain Hook. (btw, love "Rethuglicans")
As to be expected Convicted Felon DonOld Trump (and soon to be sentenced) blame Kamala Harris for single handedly crashing the stock markets the last couple of days. Most amazing was crashing the Nikeii from 6000 miles away in what was it's worst selloff since 1987.
As Neil Cavuto of Fox Business News reported yesterday, three of the worst trading days happened while CFDT was President. If only we had known at the time that Kamala was responsible for the down days in the market, Biden would surely have picked a different VP. /S
HCR is big on "follow the money," and for decades the Republican Party has become an antidemocratic vehicle for self-enrichment of money, power, and privilege, in addition to Christian nationalism.
It's not Christ. It's not the Constitution. For piety influencer and court capture operative Leonard Leo et al - it's the cash. Ending civil rights and enacting culture war oppressions is the curtain behind which the real work - of stopping government's ability to administer equitable taxation and to fulfill its regulatory functions - takes place. That's what Charles Koch et all pay the big bucks for.
As someone who is bludgeoned with the Bible for who I am, in my mind (as a non-theist) if you beat me with a Christian Bible, then you are a Christian. I think I might be able to get behind Christo-fascism...
"WASHINGTON, DC – New reporting from NBC today revealed over $55 million flowing from Leonard Leo’s and Charles Koch’s dark money networks into Project 2025 advisory groups, shedding new light on the key conservatives bankrolling the dangerous initiative. . . Since 2021, Leonard Leo’s network has funneled over $50.7 million to the groups advising Project 2025, including donations from key Leo-linked groups such as The 85 Fund, the Concord Fund, and DonorsTrust. Leo — right-wing judicial activist and Supreme Court “billionaire matchmaker” — was a key architect of the current conservative Supreme Court majority and has since worked to shift the entire American judiciary to the right. . .Oil billionaire Charles Koch’s network also directed over $4.4 million in 2022 to Project 2025 advisory groups through its donor conduit, Stand Together Trust.
Is it gone for good? Promise? Because Reality TV is ... Unreal. 😉
But seriously.
Is there anything genuine about this guy? Lies, broken promises, unpaid bills, phony hair, phony tan, phony bone spurs, phony business records, phony electors. What else will we learn from Jenna Ellis? And will his other co-conspirators prove to be just as phony? This TV show is also getting boring. Let's move on, put the peeps in jail, and focus on creating a more perfect Union with the next administration.
Deb, we will learn quite a bit from JENNA ELLIS as a witness for the AZ AG prosecution of the 18 Arizona Fake Electors: Mark Meadows, John Eastman, Rudy & Gang.
Kyle Cheney & Betsy Swan posted a Politico article this afternoon at 2:42 PM that attached the Ellis Plea Deal as Exhibit A . Exhibit A is a very good read & AZ AG Mayes praised Jenna's assistance & "insights".
Knows all the dirty tricks, loopholes, cheat sheets, bribery, threats, short cuts, petty crimes, financial crimes, sins and a catalog of betrayals. Just the man for the top job.
A couple of months ago there was a poll asking whether they trusted Trump or Biden more on the economy. And Trump came out ahead by about 10%.
Thank you MSM for doing such a great job at educating the people on the economy over the past 7 1/2 years. /S
CFDT had one major piece of legislation pass in 4 years and that sure didn't make America great -- it made America broke costing the economy $2.5 trillion in new debt and once again proving that trickle down economics doesn't work.
Bet Rupert’s spin machine worked overtime after Rupert ditched Jeb Bush. He never portrayed the real chump, never. Always him with some comment re his presidential duties. Cut and paste works for tv as well as for word processing. And MSM deferred to the image rather than the reality. This whole scenario was a put up job. Production just like Mark Burnett created for that stupid show. Why our population is stupid. Sorry, ignorant
Hopefully, essays like this one will get through to the four-to-six per cent of the voters in swing states who are truly undecided. One fine instance of the truth setting you free.
Stephanie Ruhle (give her credit for knowing Wall Street stuff) had a guy on tonight who explained that all the crap that happened today was due to traders who had used low-interest cheap Japanese money to make deals in the US and Europe had to unwind their deals with the interest rate increase in Japan last week. And as of tonight, the market is going back to where it was Friday before all this happened. So much for Trump and Boy Couchfucker having a clue about anything. Between the two of them they add up to a tenthwit.
As someone in Duh Biz, I wish there was a better outcome for all the people losing their work with the news about Reality-TV, I can only cheer the death of all that worthless bullshit. May it all disappear soon.
another outstanding post, thank you, Heather. How many abortions do you all think Trump has paid for, speaking of reality? I think more than one, I also believe by now he has forgotten that he was once more tuned in to the pragmatics of abortion than the moral issues it raises for many. I loved what President Obama said, "abortions should be fewer; they should also be legal."
I now have offering bowls for a Buddha brought back from the Himalayas, in my American way turned into prayer rather than thanks. One is: please help us all be nice to each other and stop fighting and hating, so that our species can have more fun and dedicate energy to save our planet instead of kill each other.
In Texas, if you rape and impregnate your victim, there is about a 4% chance of being indicted for rape. If your victim doesn't become pregnant -- about 2% chance.
Remember when Abbott said that Texas would start prosecuting rapes more after their arcane abortion bill passed? Typical Republican bullshit.
When that topic came up after Dobbs, I tried to dive into the numbers in Texas after the 26,000 pregnancies from rape number surfaced. I know that this reporting body included rapes not reported to police. In 2023 there were 14,000+ rapes reported and there were 1,400 convictions for rape. That stat is kind of meaningless, because often a trial takes place in a different year than the crime does, but it was very illuminating to me.
I have always felt that reality tv in general played a large part in coarsening the American character, which in turn has enabled the MAGA phenomenon. Teaching audiences to see the misfortunes and humiliation of others ( being “fired”, kicked off the island, rejected by peers, etc.) as entertainment lead pretty easily to accepting a leader who makes fun of a disabled reporter and insults other people in public and political life. Empathy became a sign of weakness. Those who, deep down, wanted permission to harass, threaten, and even physically attack others to make themselves feel powerful, have been actually unleashed.
Feeding the gods of wealth and power is tough work but somebody's got to do it. In the course of nine years the Republican Party has morphed into a bizarre theatrical Christian Nationalist death cult. Donald Trump led the historic takeover as an avatar warrior priest. Several years of ritual snorting crushed Adderall on the set of The Apprentice wiped out the membranes of his sinus passages. Sometimes stray chunks fly out his mouth. Sometimes they lodge around the frontal, ethmoid, and sphenoid cavities, causing errant pulsing signals to randomly ping different parts of his brain so that three separate perfectly rational trains of thought sound mixed up to those not attuned to the ways of The Shaman High Priest - Dear Leader. It's sad, very sad that dear leader had to sacrifice himself so that we may be delivered into the holy colony of oligarchic custody, but here we are, just when the death cult is spectacularly flaming out on live television, on a daily basis.
Another master class in weaving many different threads into an educational tapestry. My favorite might be the intel that we might see much less reality TV.... we will all be smarter for that outcome! More important is Harris not caving to tRumpf bullying....he is a convicted felon and she is VP of the USA. No way should she bend to his whim. Can't wait for November...bye bye to the MAGATs!
The sound of a big MAGA flush would not bother me in the least. It’s been too much for too long 🚽🚽🚽.
A MAGA flush and a reality TV flush. I am not saying I have never watched a home makeover show, or fashion show with my daughter, but a lot of the time I just say no! She mainly enjoys both of these things through websites that cater to a more personal experience anyway. I watched 5 minutes of The Apprentice and knew who Trump was and could not understand why anyone would want to work for him. A teacher has to size both children and parents up fairly quickly, but be open to a changed opinion. Trump has done nothing to change my opinion for the better, only the worse. Trump's existence in the political scene has turned the USA into a dystopian reality. Thank goodness Biden and Harris are wiping away that negative image globally, and hopefully now locally too.
I think far too many people took the Trump of “The Apprentice” as the real thing. Even out in the Midwest, I was well aware of Trump’s various scams and knew he was exaggerating his net worth and accomplishments. Reality TV isn’t very realistic, it doesn’t appeal to me and it’s not very realistic. Curiously though, when I watched the entire “Babylon 5” series, J. Michael Straczynski’s presentation looked entirely prescient, and the Shadows-backed President who succeeds President Santiago looks entirely too much like Donald Trump when he turns Earth into a dystopia.
It always boggled my mind that people believed in the television images of Trump when we were constantly hearing about how he did not pay off his contractors. I wonder how many of them voted for Trump. If they did, or do, or will, they deserve what they get, but we don't! Let us not let their votes count by outnumbering them.
Part of the problem with the current state of news is that people have become so used to the reality tv format, pace and content that they expect news to be entertainment. They want an easily identifiable contest between a good guy and a bad guy. They want lots of quick, short shots, dramatic, simplistic clips and a fairy-tale conclusion to the story. Extra points if the story includes a cute puppy. Have you noticed how short the actual clips of people speaking have become? Two to three seconds. Usually the reporter gives an abbreviated version the conflict and you get a clip of the protagonist saying some sort of quick comment such as, "This is crazy." You don't usually get to hear people tell their own story. You just get an exclamation of emotion because emotion gets the clicks, not facts. This makes it easier to present "the news" that shows the story the reporter/news outlet *wants* you to hear, not the story that actually happened. It's also how news companies make big money. We are being entertained into a dictatorship.
I agree this is a problem. It is changing the configuration of the brain to have such input. Another part of the problem is that people spend too much time on YouTube videos and other in your face, stimulating content. Fewer and fewer people handle down time as a down time. When I am on the bus in Germany I see older people just riding, and younger people on their phones. No down time. Already in grad school they were telling us to get students attention as teachers with practically a clown act. If you cater constantly to the need to grab attention in dramatic ways, the people do not learn to attend to things without all that noise. However, in Germany everyone pays around 18 Euros a month to support television and radio news. It is a broadcasting fee. That is every home regardless of if you do not have a radio or television. So, it is independent in that way, and more trusted. My daughter rents a back little apartment from a family, so she does not have to pay, because she is included in their fee, and if you share an apartment with someone only one fee is expected from the collectivity, but it is nationwide.
"Faith sees best in the dark." —Soren Kierkegaard.
Translation: The worse things get, the easier it is to distinguish between the truth and a lie. The troubled people of Ukraine have no trouble seeing reality in lieu of phony illusions of reality.
NL, the news has become entertainment, period. No more straight news. We have to reject the networks presentation of news as entertainment and demand real, factual information presented in a mature manner. That said, the American people have to start educating themselves in real life and "reality". We owe it to our children to educate them but teaching them how to learn and find joy and reward in learning. People believe in a "brand" rather than the truth. It's truly disturbing.
NL....we still watch the local news and maybe the national news. Right now we can't watch NBC which is our usual channel, so using the CBS channel and I notice the short bits of new on both stations. The NBC channel (8 in Portland, OR) does do an in depth analysis of one topic at 6 for a half hour called The Story.
"good guys bad guys" that was just what was coming to mind when i thought of R tv. Thanks! Sadly, there seems to be a widespread preference for good/bad saintly/evil innocent/diabolical in our entertainment, and likely in our collective genes. Just look at all the revenge movies out there etc....
I watch the MSM like Dystopian Entertainment... Seems a lot of the Correspndents don't get their Facts Straight... I compare the Popular Mood now with that of Y2K when we were all so Hopeful, and Shake-My-Head... If you wrote a Book in 1999 about how it would be in 2024, it would have been classified as Dystopian Science Fiction... Regardless... All We Can Do Is Live In The Present, And Work For The Best...
So well put NLT! I've watched people go from thoughtful engagement to channel surfing over my 73 years. And then came the internet. From my teens on, I hated TV and never saw a "reality" TV show as a result.
I avoid reality tv like the plague, the few minutes i watched of the Apprentice was as much as i could stomach. I figured it was always manipulated, and i guess that's about the size of it. Yet reality tv has been enormously popular, i wonder how much overlap there is with reality tv and the Republican voting base?
When you study the faces of the people who are standing behind him at his rallies, is seems obvious that the maggot base there on display, and the reality tv base are one and the same. They are not following what he is saying because it makes no sense, they appear to be confused human props. I have never listened in it’s entirety to one of his babbles, I can’t make myself, the clips that I do see of him interest me more in who is standing behind him, they always appear to be lost. Instead of holding one of his signs, they might as well be holding a sign that says “I’m a Moron”, which I know is a disservice to the morons of the world for which I apologize. 🙏
Probably a lot of them watch this garbage. I don’t and never saw The Appentice. I don’t know why it’s called reality TV when it all seems fake to me!
From what i just read, overall reality shows are more watched by Republicans than Democrats.
Linda, the convicted felon only pays off porn stars, not contractors.
I didn't watch The Apprentice or Survivor. I did watch HGTV for a while, but it got boring using the same format time after time. It's always wise to remember that what happens behind the scenes is reality, not what's on camera.
I grew up in the town next to Queens and like everyone else who knew them, the trump family have always been the phony equivalent to reality TV, only with detrimental and terrible consequences, especially for anyone who had to deal with them. Glad both useless entities are on their way out.
And I can picture Trump watching :Hillbilly Elegy" and thinking Vance would make a great vice president.
The problem is that there are that many Americans who support such a wannabe dictator. When tRump is gone there will be other wannabes, for there is a hot bed of fearful haters waiting to back someone who is anti you name it.
And Trump has cultivated so many openly hateful people.
"Surely you jest"....
So true, Harvey. Have you read Timothy Snyder's The Road To Unfreedom? It explains the underlying twisted concepts of fascism that Putin is exporting to the West. Although deeply alarming, it's also empowering to understand what is really going on and how we got here. Highly highly recommended, especially to everyone in this group! It should be required reading for everyone.
Also required reading: Timothy Snyder's short but powerful book, "On Tyranny: 20 Lessons from the 20th Century."
I'm looking forward to reading that next, as well as his new book On Freedom.
My family's "Apprentice" story: Spring of 2004 my Mom was 82 and dying; she'd caught pneumonia in February and almost died in hospital. She was in for about a week, improved, and was "ready for discharge". We asked about Hospice, her doc believed that "if she worked hard, she could get back to where she was" (which was hardly able to function). She was released to a nursing home, since she still required a great deal of medical care. (My 2020 hindsight says we should have taken her home and let her go; she'd have at least gotten to the ocean once more, but I digress).
She was close to death, and I had taken family leave to be with her. She had not been conscious for several days, and the end was very near. My sister and I were in her room, and my sister said "I need to go watch the Apprentice; I'll be back when it is over." She left at 5 minutes 'til 8 p.m. Mom started agonal breathing at about 8:20 and I called my sister; she said she'd come as soon as the show was over at 9:00. Mom died at 8:42. To this day, my sister regrets that decision.
Ally, the care emoji for this one. Personally I can't imagine this.
Thank you. It was tough. Tougher on my sister.
I hope your sister came to a couple of important realizations after that. Death of a parent is complicated. Maybe your sister was unconsciously shielding herself from a complicated experience but somethings, many important things, only happen once. You each found your way through in your own way. I'm pretty sure your Mom would understand either way, mothers being the loving, understanding and forgiving creatures they are. Learning from an experience is what helps us go forward. No judgement here. Just accepting ourselves as we are. The ramifications of losing one's mother are always larger than we think they would be at the time. My sympathies to you and your sister for your loss, however long ago it was in time.
That is so sad! Hopefully, your sister in not a Trumper today. I never watched that show or that much TV during that time.
She is NOT. Probably more liberal than I am.
SPW Could a Trump turd get past the top secret documents clogging the Mar a Lago con house?
Lord NO! That would be a complete backup.
I never watched the bullshit called reality TV. Never. It dumbed down on the population and I consider most people to be very naive and plain stupid. Even the smart ones why watch it are stupid. In my opinion.
Floaters
Lauren -- an educational tapestry indeed! One thing that Heather didn't mention is that the Biden/Harris domestic policy wins happened despite the Dems barely having control of the Senate in 2020 (a 50-50 split with Harris's tie-breaking vote often needed, and two Senators -- Manchin and Sinema -- often voting against their party's initiatives) and with nary a vote to spare for Pelosi in the House, which reverted to Republican control in 2022. It astonishes me to this day that the Biden/Harris team was able to get so much consequential legislation passed for the good of the country, a historic level of accomplishments, with such a closely-divided Congress.
And that is in addition to his foreign policy wins -- particularly in the Indo-Pacific, as cited by Austin, Blinken and Sullivan, but not forgetting the rebuilding of European ties with NATO, support for Ukraine, etc.
It's mind-blowing, and it has prepared Harris well to win and lead. I look forward to hearing of her pick for VP, which Heather will no doubt provide educational commentary and comparison in the next Letter.
Amen! Amen! Nice summary, Doug
Some statistics to back that up:
https://yadontknow.blogspot.com/2024/07/when-again.html
Thanks Tim.
In light of Manchin’s awful sell-out on Biden’s agenda and then his brief threat to run against Ms Harris, what do you make of his enthusiastic endorsement of the ticket today? Looking for some sort of redemption?
"Another master class in weaving many different threads into an educational tapestry" That's it! So beautifully said!
Agreed!
Spot on Lauren…I was in awe at the strands woven in here. Yet again, an amazing post of perspective and insight.
As a historian, Dr. Richardson's ability to weave "many different threads into an educational tapestry" on a daily basis is among the foremost reasons I am in awe of her.
As someone who's managed to avoid watching much "reality" TV ever since Survivor helped birth the genre, I wasn't even aware it's declined in popularity. I too am hopeful we'll emerge smarter from this. Although, honestly, I'm skeptical. Networks are going to have to fill that time with something, and from their perspective, as cheaply as possible. Scripted shows written and produced by actual humans aren't cheap. I wonder if we'll see networks simply pivot (back) to more traditional game shows.
I also agree that Vice President Harris' not allowing Team TFG to dictate terms is extremely important. I think her team's correctly determined that there's very little, if any, value in debating Trump in a format that's acceptable to him. I actually question the value of debating Trump at all.
One of the right wing's strategies is "flooding the zone." IMO Trump has always had the ability to put out an incredible amount of lies and nonsense, regardless if it's in answer to the question asked or not. Putting out so much nonsense "floods the zone" to the point where Harris would have to spend all of her allotted speaking time combatting the lies rather than focusing on her own platform and message. I don't know if fact checking him can be done any other way. In the last debate with President Biden, I believe some independent fact checkers ran 10 minutes behind! That's not necessarily going to convince anybody who's undecided to vote for her instead of not voting at all.
the lie hydrant is Trump's only strategy, it has worked oh so well in garnering a dedicated minority, but that's just what it is. In a repeat debate I have a feeling that Kamala could handle that torrent nicely. For one thing, you don't preoccupy yourself picking up every little thing, deflect and emphasize you own perspective aggressively while putting little shafts into the Orange guy.
Yes. The Apprentice was the single most influential television program in the short history of broadcast TV. An unintended consequence helped inflict him on the world. Trump himself inhabits a very theatrical world of his own making but my guess is that he also runs black and white “B” movies from the 40’s and 50’s over and over in his head. He , of course , being the main character. Not necessarily the hero or “white hat”. The dumbing down of America as a result of so called “reality TV” is very evident. People with very real concerns were able to channel their fear and resentment of a larger system that has failed them. He used that as an opportunity to go into the greatest of theatrical enterprises. Performative politics. No real philosophical point of view . Just tap into whatever works up the crowd . The crowd that doesn’t have the time to analyze his BS but just gets caught up in the hoopla of the show. Of course he does have an underlying point of view . Self aggrandizement, greed , a real disregard for women , a palpable racial prejudice that borders on a phobia .
Too much truth for comfort, George!
Reality TV is on the decline because the public has had it with blurring makebelieve with reality. How about professional wrestling? Talk about fake. I wonder if there is a correlation between professional wrestling fans and supporter of tRump.
One can only wonder! Theatrical wrestling is also on my not watch list!
The report of a downturn in reality TV is some of the best news I've heard in a LONG time!
Noel Casler's comments about 'The Apprentice'/trump are worth reading. Mark Burnett played a real part in launching the trump debacle.
The Harris Walz, the new slogan
That! THIS! The reality vs the make believe ..WOW ..finally 🫶
It a real sort of an odd phenomena what the past 8-9 years focused on..the circus of promises, fake news , mirrors and smoke screens, lies , rude, crude, and an orange dude! LOL!!!
Yes , Americans have WOKE UP.
There’s hope and energy restored.
Hard lessons learned. We eagerly await ..excited no matter who or which one really..all competent performers of the get down , rolled up sleeve crowd …..of Democrats . Who will our new VP BE?
Make no mistake folks, but remember. their .names.
They’re still there…conniving still for another angle to deceive , get richer through misinforming, pretending, creating ruckus and confusion.
I’ll be tuned to the airways to hear… Good Luck and Carry On to you all. Thanks for the job performance already- an impressive line-up of leaders FOR SURE!
11/5 coming up soon, my sisters, my brothers, let’s put the winning team ahead by miles…..
💙💙VOTE BLUE AND END.THE.COUP.💙💙
Amen!
Fox 'News' is registered as Fox Entertainment.
Trump has accomplished the biggest grift and con in world history, president of the United States. I wonder how many billions of dollars he has his family stole from the US and other countries.
Agreed. Very well-written, and hopeful. The end of "reality" TeeVee would indeed be a god thing for the overall intelligence of the American people.
I'm so glad Harris is not only standing up to Cheetolini, but calling him out. Her "Say it to my face" line is classic. I'd love to see both her and Waltz start calling Cheetolini a lying, weird, chicken . . .
I'm tired of celebrities running for office without any qualifications.
One thing that struck me in the conversation between Biden and Harris as the hostages were reuniting with their families was the theme of trust. When individuals trust each other, they have healthy relationships. In the same way, when nations trust each other, they can move forward towards shared goals. In addition to strengthening the trust bonds between the U.S.and Europe, the Biden/Harris team has built new partnerships of trust with other nations, strengthening the bonds between the U.S. and Asian and Pacific nations. I trust Heather to give us the wider historical context of the challenges that we face today. Trust is essential in our lives at every level.
This evening I went to a Jamie Raskin fundraiser. I'll share a joke that he told, urging us to keep it simple when we talk about voting. Voting, he said, is like driving. When you want to move forward, you put the car in Drive. When you want to go backwards, you put it in Reverse.
To operate a car, use D for Drive, R for Reverse.
To vote, use D for Democrat, R for Russia.
R for Republican Putin lovers.
Isn't Repubgnant the same as Putinski??? Or any autocrat for that matter?
Yes. It is also the same as triple T--treacherous, treasonous, traitor. Throw a name on the end and you get a quadruple T.
Too mild!I Do not think there is a word yet for how I feel about the SOB.
<insert my favorite meme here> "Some days, the available supply of curse words is insufficient to meet my demands"
Veronica, there are far too many, and most of them are blasphemy, vulgarity, and profanity in action.
So true. Would never have thought this, but after listening to ULTRA, reading Prequel, Kochland, Dark Money...seeing how these now ultra wealthy trust fund babies favor autocracy, them aligning with dictators is the obvious position. The dictators have catered to these wealthy people.
My only concern is that the Uber wealthy will try to manipulate the stock market to scare people into voting R. I don’t know if that’s possible, but it worries me. I’d love to hear any thoughts on this one.
A legitimate concern. Carnegie told steel workers in 1896 he would close the mill the day after the election if Bryant won, so it is not beneath them.
It goes both ways: these wealthy people have catered to the dictators.
And Jamie Raskin is a treasure.
I wish we in Ohio had more people in Congress like Jamie Raskin and our own at risk Senator Sherrod Brown, who’s up against Trump-endorsed car dealer Bernie Moreno. We are facing another ballot initiative to get the state to draw districts more fairly. I wasn’t surprised when our term-limited Governor Mike DeWine came out against it. He and the other Republicans voted to impose these unfairly gerrymandered state and Federal districts on us.
The now-retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio, Maureen O’Connor, is leading the effort to get a citizen-led nonpartisan redistricting initiative on the ballot in November. Justice O’Connor is a Republican, but she doesn’t like the extreme gerrymandering the General Assembly and Senate have forced upon the voters. Ohio voters voted in favor of nonpartisan redistricting several years ago, but the General Assembly ignored the citizens’ wishes and did nothing. Justice O’Connor ordered the Ohio senate three times to redraw districts a majority of justices found illegally drawn, but the Senate ignored the Supreme Court’s orders.
What your General Assembly did is disgusting! I support your ballot initiative and am sorry you need to do it AGAIN!
Meanwhile, I have been donating to support Sherrod Brown. I hope it helps!
Not THIS Senate?! I HOPE.
May Justice O'connor receive many blessings for her bipartisan fairness!
Thanks for highlighting this, Kathy. The corruption of our state government here in Ohio is breathtaking. Do you read David Pepper? He and his whiteboards have helped me understand so much about how Ohio is broken.
And make sure you go to his Substack, "Pepperspectives". In it, he's writing weekly chapters of a 'book' about Project 2025. So far, 7 absolutely chilling chapters, done from a human, regular person perspective, of how horrible P2025 would make our lives. Pulitzer Prize worthy; check it out! https://davidpepper.substack.com/
It’s a wonderful read! I agree 100%.
Kathy, he is nationally known. He’s the author that made me see the critical role of state legislatures in citizens’ lives.
Me, too.
Good for Justice O’Connor. I have long time Republican friends who are voting for Harris. I find this encouraging.
And you supreme court just decided boneless does not mean boneless
Wasn’t that ludicrous?!
Welcome to The Most Corrupt State in the Union! Yeah, ( hanging my head in shame ) I live here.
Sending 600 Reminder to VOTE postcards to Ohioans. Hope they help.
An open society is enabled by justified trust.
"I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful, one hundred percent."
- Horton
The elephant needs to be released from the republican association. It is demeaning and slanderous. The majestic animal deserves better.
One of DonOld's early executive orders was to allow the salvageable parts of elephants to be shipped into the US. This was because Don Jr. had gone on safari and he had killed on of these majestic creatures.
The numbers of large wild animals will continue to dwindle just as the numbers of all wild mammals continues to dwindle.
I remember. I haven’t read that any reversal has been put in place. I donate to wildlife groups and Nat park groups. I am heartsick at how animals suffer from such callous vicious human actions.
That just sickens me. Does killing these innocent, beautiful animals make hunters feel more masculine? It's disgusting.
Elephants are intelligent and caring. Perhaps the donkey vs the COVID virus would be a better match.
Or a stinking pile of 💩
💯💯💯
Absolutely! They are kind, intelligent and caring animals, they should not be associated to that cesspit of hatred.
I adopted two babies from Sheldrick Wildlife Trust for my grands two years ago. We get updates and see them grow and thrive. Incredible that some who are out in the wild area will lead an injured elephant to the nursery for care. They are indeed intelligent, caring and kind. Opposite of MAGAts.
Thank you, Jon; could it be that we read the same book while growing up in the same neighborhood?
“The union says its members will knock on more than 3.3 million doors for Harris in swing states.” YESSSSSS!!!!!!
You don't have to be a union member to knock on doors for Harris. Make your 'steps' count for democracy!
Fed Chairman Powell is creating the foundation of a market crash to derail Harris. He was appointed chairman of the fed by sos tfg in 2018. This is the reality show that nobody is watching. Thanks to Robert Reich for this info this morning.
I wondered about this. I’ll go read Robert Reich now. Thanks 🙏
Hope they don't read X. Read Dan Rather's substack today. "Who's minding Musk?" Very alarming.
I was very alarmed when I read that article by Dan.
https://steady.substack.com/p/whos-minding-musk/comments
Thanks Lynelle for that link to Dan Rather's substack.
You're welcome, Doug!
Morning, Lynell. Dan is second on my read list, after the Professor.
Dan's a keeper, for sure.
Thank you for the link!
No problem, Heather!
Dan is always telling us the truth
Yes. Unfortunately, in this case, which is why it's so alarming.
There are so many truths coming. Soon, I hope
Easier to brace against an unpleasant truth than against an undefined fear. Yes, I hope too. Truth makes you free.
Chump makes sure that he threatens with both. A mob boss to be feared, and mocked, of late
That’ll help the Nevada Senate candidate, Jackie Rosen, as well…
JD Vance showed negligible knowledge of economics, by blaming "Kamala Harris' policies" (which do not exist at present) for the Stock Market crash. No less a personage than the head of the Singapore Stock Exchange blamed the downturn on Japanese investors getting ahead of themselves in selling. I see the markets are bouncing back, as they inevitably do.
Yeah, and Vance blaming Harris that we’re headed for WWIII whilst he and his master are doing everything they can to get us there must be the highest level of hypocrisy I’ve ever seen.
The Asian markets have already started to bounce back. It has nothing to do with the United States, it's just that the markets are so interconnected now. Someone sneezes in Tokyo and we all get symptoms of the flu here in the US.
Agree…a relief to see these headlines in this morning’s euro news ( edging out Olympic coverage!)
It's so easy to be a Republican candidate. Take your various hate lines and substitute blame to any candidate running against the GOP candidate.
If one thinks about it, Democrats must be really really smart to steal a Presidential election and not leave any proof of fraud. In fact, they are so smart that the only fraud that's uncovered is Republican fraud. I'm voting for the smart party candidates.
Kind of like being a journalist in the right wing media. No research needed because facts don't matter only outrage.
That’s not being a journalist, it’s being a cheerleader for the dear leader. 👎🏻👎🏻
The MAGAs have had almost four years to find proof of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Where is the Beef?
One out of five adults surveyed in ME still believe the 2020 election was stolen. I'm not sure ANY of those deniers will ever vote for a Democrat, but the GOP can't afford to take the chance. On DonOld's death bed he will still be saying, "I won the election in 2020."
Vance knows how the stock market works; he's just trying to stir up agitation among the vast number of rubes who don't.
PS- there's no evidence of any fundamental weakness in either the US markets nor the US economy. The stock market decline in the past week is a needed correction and some profit-taking, and an excellent time to buy in.
Agreed on all points.
They do. The trader class makes money short or long, it's all just a game. The fundamentals are still there, but it's a gamblers game short term.
There isn't a person alive that can explain the psychology behind why the markets rally or crash. There are just too many variables. Only AI can analyze what is happening in real time because it has access to a lot of the variables including trends on the day. Yesterday, the Down was up over 700 points at one point, but closed up around 300 points. But each stock within the Dow reacted uniquely so how does the average investor know whether to buy at 11 am or at 3 pm. My broker has reminded me on many occasions, "don't try to time the market."
And yet----every single day the "pundits" tell us why the market did what it did. EVERY SINGLE DAY. They could care less if it makes sense or not, they are just trying to make a buck. And many of them do.
The markets are like any other complex system. The mornings are typically a time for day traders, and others, to sell. On a good day, there are buyers who show up in the afternoon, to buy what has become available. I take anything said by "pundits", on any subject, with several grains of salt. Yes, the pundits, like the rest of us, are out to get what they can for their nest eggs, or leisure pursuits.
An empty suit, nothing but smoke and mirrors. “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtains!”
Scott, “all hat, no cattle”!
A lot of attention has been given to the Billionaire behind JD Vance.
Thiele's stated philosophy isn't nearly as bizarre (I almost wrote "weird") as the person who he seems to follow, Curtis Yarvin. Someone worth watching in so far as Vance may well want to implement Yarvin's open support for unrestrained autocracy.
Never heard of Yarvin. Seems that he fits in with chump, unrestrained autocracy is his plan, man.
I looked him up. WIKI:
Curtis Guy Yarvin (born 1973), also known by the pen name Mencius Moldbug, is an American blogger. He is known, along with philosopher Nick Land, for founding the anti-egalitarian and anti-democratic philosophical movement known as the Dark Enlightenment or neo-reactionary movement (NRx).[1][2][3][4]
In his blog Unqualified Reservations, which he wrote from 2007 to 2014, and on his later Substack page called Gray Mirror, which he started in 2020, he argues that American democracy is a failed experiment[5] that should be replaced by an accountable monarchy, similar to the governance structure of corporations.[6] Yarvin has been described as a "neo-reactionary" and "neo-monarchist" who "sees liberalism as creating a Matrix-like totalitarian system and who wants to replace American democracy with a sort of techno-monarchy".[7][8][9]
Corporate governce is what JD espoused when he said people with more children should have more votes.
"Corporate governance" is a favorite topic of mine. Here is my new law:
Every public corporation must have an independent board of directors. The CEO may not sit on the board. The board must be comprised in a way that all stake holders are represented. That would include include employees.
CEO and top officers would have limits on their "golden parachutes".
Such as Leonard Leo and Harlan Crow?
Definitely those two!
Oz indeed!
I love Heather today on "the decision to invest money in ordinary Americans, and it worked."
Trouble is, too, something else has worked. More reporting today uncovers more corruption from Clarence, of the corrupt court he has long led. We could rephrase Heather's summary of the Biden-Harris program so it applies equally to "the decision to invest dark money in Clarence, and in his fellow corrupt." We could keep Heather's conclusion, however: "and it worked."
The latest Clarence hidden pay-offs come from 2010 -- which is when corruption really paid off: Clarence and his peers delivered Citizens United to the rich that year.
Clarence, of course, isn’t a criminal – technically – because he and his fellow far-right ideologues all answer to zero accountability. Thus they scurry to assist proven, convicted criminals, like their orange felon, the former reality TV entertainer, setting themselves up, too, as if they, too, were now and forever also above and beyond the law.
Government of the people, by the rich, for the rich.. Feudalism 2.0
Feudalism with no reciprocity.
A protection racket with no protection for anything except stolen goods.
Sounds just like modern day Russia and Hungary
Ali Baba jailed for finding the stash of the 40 Thieves.
40 Thieves include the cops...
Robin Hood's head on a pike above the gates of Nottingham. Our new hero, the Sheriff of that fair city...
No reciprocity from Trump certainly.
Didn’t remember date of Citizens United. Thanks.
Now they are denying rump lies!
Trump still thinks the Apprentice was a documentary.
"Reality TV" is another fine product of the Ministry of Truth.
Exactly, why it’s such total bullschittery.
Probably, but we've watched several seasons of "Alone" and I am totally unable to empathize with the contestants that are allowed to take 10 items into a wild environment in the late fall.
In the first season, they dropped off 10 men on 10 different spots on Vancouver Island. Within 72 hours 6 of them had already quit. I'm pretty sure, I wouldn't have made it until nightfall the first day.
But like the other reality shows, it has probably run it's course having been on for 11 seasons.
Those are hours you will never get back. Never heard of that one. The ads for Big Brother make me heave. Humans who seem to have lost their humanity.
LOL. True.
But we have watched a lot of home improvement shows because we've done a lot of renovations. Are those reality shows? Everybody seems to usually win on those.
I call them "house porn".....
I like “Life Below Zero” on Natgeo
Betcha scripted these days. I used to watch til all homes were McMansions when all was said and done
I must confess that "Deadliest Catch" is my favorite reality TV show, although I haven't watched it much since just before the pandemic. The "cast" changed, and the producers did not build the same degree of.... familiarity? likeability? understanding? in their newer boats and crews.
Welcome back Ally. I hope you had fun wherever you were.
I was successful in my mission which was to help my wife’s aunt (80) and uncle (90) leave their home of 45 years and relocate to Oregon. Got them settled in with my in-laws while they begin their search for a new home.
Gary, “Alone” with a TV crew documenting your “alone-ness”
I take issue with your verb, Gisele, as if "Trump . . . thinks" at all.
I've just finished the 1947 mini-classic, Dorothy Hughes’ “In a Lonely Place.” A few days ago I’d written here how amazingly good she is on how our criminal class may be doing its criminalities out of hatred first of something deep in themselves (which they can’t face). Then, too, out of contempt for reality to parallel their contempt for themselves.
The ending, I see now, provides more. She also shows how criminal characters totally forget, totally cannot see much, much of their criminality.
If our schools taught humanities, more would feel reality checks. More would be conscious of others out there – conscious of how others have personal lives, personal complications.
Not Clarence. Not Trump. And none of the clown show U.S. Republicans eager only to serve dark money, corruption, dictators and demagoguery anywhere in the U.S. or anyhow allied with the worst of that ilk worldwide.
Thinking, he, they, Gisele, or slavering?
He seems to mature his felonious little plans.
DonOld is so boring and well, old. He hates everyone except himself. There is no one he wouldn't throw under the bus. And he whines like a 4 year old that doesn't want to go to bed. Yesterday, he blamed Harris for the stock markets crashing. A few weeks ago when they hit all time highs -- crickets.
He tries to take credit for the highs
I mis-read yours at first here, J L.
I read "plans" as "pants," and so thought "mature," your verb, as "manure" (as if OK verb).
Only problem is, or would have been, adjective "little."
So then I'd edit, to: "He seems only to manure his stinking-full, gaseous, odorous, rank, fully-poetic-justice-foully-diapered pants."
HaHa! Pirates of Penzance!
https://youtu.be/2tHnDlMC6KI?si=Ci2-w1MDnFF6_TUH
So do a few too many other people still.
Lol !!!
That’s sharp. Thank you for that.
Incredible and rich summary. Thank you Heather!!!
But MESSAGING these great accomplishments to ordinary Americans—especially undecided and independents, and low income Rethuglican white men—is crucial!
Also would be great to spread on social media direct quotes from JD Vance of derogatory statements he made about Trump before being picked as VP!
Unfortunately, you can dispense with trying to change the minds of Rethuglican White men, they are mindless pirates and Trump is their Captain Hook. (btw, love "Rethuglicans")
As to be expected Convicted Felon DonOld Trump (and soon to be sentenced) blame Kamala Harris for single handedly crashing the stock markets the last couple of days. Most amazing was crashing the Nikeii from 6000 miles away in what was it's worst selloff since 1987.
As Neil Cavuto of Fox Business News reported yesterday, three of the worst trading days happened while CFDT was President. If only we had known at the time that Kamala was responsible for the down days in the market, Biden would surely have picked a different VP. /S
That’s it. “The Republican Party has become an antidemocratic vehicle for Christian nationalism.”
HCR is big on "follow the money," and for decades the Republican Party has become an antidemocratic vehicle for self-enrichment of money, power, and privilege, in addition to Christian nationalism.
Christian nationalism. . .
It's not Christ. It's not the Constitution. For piety influencer and court capture operative Leonard Leo et al - it's the cash. Ending civil rights and enacting culture war oppressions is the curtain behind which the real work - of stopping government's ability to administer equitable taxation and to fulfill its regulatory functions - takes place. That's what Charles Koch et all pay the big bucks for.
I agree and prefer the term Christo-fascism.
Ellie, I like that one.
As someone who is bludgeoned with the Bible for who I am, in my mind (as a non-theist) if you beat me with a Christian Bible, then you are a Christian. I think I might be able to get behind Christo-fascism...
Didn't Charles Koch's foundation put up $20 million for the Heritage Project? Or something like that.
"WASHINGTON, DC – New reporting from NBC today revealed over $55 million flowing from Leonard Leo’s and Charles Koch’s dark money networks into Project 2025 advisory groups, shedding new light on the key conservatives bankrolling the dangerous initiative. . . Since 2021, Leonard Leo’s network has funneled over $50.7 million to the groups advising Project 2025, including donations from key Leo-linked groups such as The 85 Fund, the Concord Fund, and DonorsTrust. Leo — right-wing judicial activist and Supreme Court “billionaire matchmaker” — was a key architect of the current conservative Supreme Court majority and has since worked to shift the entire American judiciary to the right. . .Oil billionaire Charles Koch’s network also directed over $4.4 million in 2022 to Project 2025 advisory groups through its donor conduit, Stand Together Trust.
https://accountable.us/leo-koch-networks-funnel-55m-into-project-2025-groups/
I've read that's over 40% of the funding - but cannot find the citation right now
Just another reason to hate Leonard Leo.
Agreed. though I think the whole charade has plutocratic roots.
“When obscenely wealthy people make monumental financial decisions, PAY ATTENTION to timing.”
https://project2025istheocracy.substack.com/p/how-project-2025-will-decimate-the
Is it gone for good? Promise? Because Reality TV is ... Unreal. 😉
But seriously.
Is there anything genuine about this guy? Lies, broken promises, unpaid bills, phony hair, phony tan, phony bone spurs, phony business records, phony electors. What else will we learn from Jenna Ellis? And will his other co-conspirators prove to be just as phony? This TV show is also getting boring. Let's move on, put the peeps in jail, and focus on creating a more perfect Union with the next administration.
Peace, my friends.
Deb, we will learn quite a bit from JENNA ELLIS as a witness for the AZ AG prosecution of the 18 Arizona Fake Electors: Mark Meadows, John Eastman, Rudy & Gang.
Kyle Cheney & Betsy Swan posted a Politico article this afternoon at 2:42 PM that attached the Ellis Plea Deal as Exhibit A . Exhibit A is a very good read & AZ AG Mayes praised Jenna's assistance & "insights".
This news had me hopping up and down yesterday! And “left the proof in the hotel room” had my eyes rolling.
Thanks! We were on the road and didn't see this. We'll look for it.
Agreed. As a camera man from a television company once told me: “There is no such thing as ‘reality’ TV…”
It’s an oxymoron 🤷♂️
It definitely is. "Contradictio in terminis"...
Phony is the operative word
And rump is being projected as our modern day King David. Frightening indeed!
Donald Trump: Draft Dodger
Donald Trump: Debate Dodger.
Hmm - Is there a pattern here?
Donald Trump: Tax Dodger.
"That makes me smart", he once said.
Knows all the dirty tricks, loopholes, cheat sheets, bribery, threats, short cuts, petty crimes, financial crimes, sins and a catalog of betrayals. Just the man for the top job.
A couple of months ago there was a poll asking whether they trusted Trump or Biden more on the economy. And Trump came out ahead by about 10%.
Thank you MSM for doing such a great job at educating the people on the economy over the past 7 1/2 years. /S
CFDT had one major piece of legislation pass in 4 years and that sure didn't make America great -- it made America broke costing the economy $2.5 trillion in new debt and once again proving that trickle down economics doesn't work.
Bet Rupert’s spin machine worked overtime after Rupert ditched Jeb Bush. He never portrayed the real chump, never. Always him with some comment re his presidential duties. Cut and paste works for tv as well as for word processing. And MSM deferred to the image rather than the reality. This whole scenario was a put up job. Production just like Mark Burnett created for that stupid show. Why our population is stupid. Sorry, ignorant
LOLOLOL
Donald Trump: Accountability Dodger.
Short and sweet truth
The unartful Dodger. (apologies to Dickens).
Hopefully, essays like this one will get through to the four-to-six per cent of the voters in swing states who are truly undecided. One fine instance of the truth setting you free.
How in heavens name could any conscious person be undecided at this point.
It's perplexing. Certainly history records many vile leaders around the world. They are even still around, and pretend to be palsy with Trump.
History records the suffering that has ensued as well
Like 'palsy' -- double entendre with buddy-buddy and palsied ( of mind and soul.
Does not really matter how or why; the mission now is to persuade such people.
Not really a mystery, propaganda works. Deprogramming is a challenge
Stephanie Ruhle (give her credit for knowing Wall Street stuff) had a guy on tonight who explained that all the crap that happened today was due to traders who had used low-interest cheap Japanese money to make deals in the US and Europe had to unwind their deals with the interest rate increase in Japan last week. And as of tonight, the market is going back to where it was Friday before all this happened. So much for Trump and Boy Couchfucker having a clue about anything. Between the two of them they add up to a tenthwit.
As someone in Duh Biz, I wish there was a better outcome for all the people losing their work with the news about Reality-TV, I can only cheer the death of all that worthless bullshit. May it all disappear soon.
TC, I’ve come to depend on your grasp of all things minutia for insight. In another life, you coulda been Radar OReilly
Excellent parallel, Dave.
another outstanding post, thank you, Heather. How many abortions do you all think Trump has paid for, speaking of reality? I think more than one, I also believe by now he has forgotten that he was once more tuned in to the pragmatics of abortion than the moral issues it raises for many. I loved what President Obama said, "abortions should be fewer; they should also be legal."
I now have offering bowls for a Buddha brought back from the Himalayas, in my American way turned into prayer rather than thanks. One is: please help us all be nice to each other and stop fighting and hating, so that our species can have more fun and dedicate energy to save our planet instead of kill each other.
To quote Bill Clinton, “abortion should be safe, legal, and rare.”
In Texas, if you rape and impregnate your victim, there is about a 4% chance of being indicted for rape. If your victim doesn't become pregnant -- about 2% chance.
Remember when Abbott said that Texas would start prosecuting rapes more after their arcane abortion bill passed? Typical Republican bullshit.
When that topic came up after Dobbs, I tried to dive into the numbers in Texas after the 26,000 pregnancies from rape number surfaced. I know that this reporting body included rapes not reported to police. In 2023 there were 14,000+ rapes reported and there were 1,400 convictions for rape. That stat is kind of meaningless, because often a trial takes place in a different year than the crime does, but it was very illuminating to me.
I have always felt that reality tv in general played a large part in coarsening the American character, which in turn has enabled the MAGA phenomenon. Teaching audiences to see the misfortunes and humiliation of others ( being “fired”, kicked off the island, rejected by peers, etc.) as entertainment lead pretty easily to accepting a leader who makes fun of a disabled reporter and insults other people in public and political life. Empathy became a sign of weakness. Those who, deep down, wanted permission to harass, threaten, and even physically attack others to make themselves feel powerful, have been actually unleashed.
Bullies have had their day, time to stand up and be counted.
Feeding the gods of wealth and power is tough work but somebody's got to do it. In the course of nine years the Republican Party has morphed into a bizarre theatrical Christian Nationalist death cult. Donald Trump led the historic takeover as an avatar warrior priest. Several years of ritual snorting crushed Adderall on the set of The Apprentice wiped out the membranes of his sinus passages. Sometimes stray chunks fly out his mouth. Sometimes they lodge around the frontal, ethmoid, and sphenoid cavities, causing errant pulsing signals to randomly ping different parts of his brain so that three separate perfectly rational trains of thought sound mixed up to those not attuned to the ways of The Shaman High Priest - Dear Leader. It's sad, very sad that dear leader had to sacrifice himself so that we may be delivered into the holy colony of oligarchic custody, but here we are, just when the death cult is spectacularly flaming out on live television, on a daily basis.
This was epic shade:
“ …but the change seems to represent Americans’ souring on the blurring of reality and entertainment that gave us the Trump era.”
And it also gave us Trump himself.
and sadly true.