Reading time – 3:13; Viewing time – 4:18 . . . In Brené Brown’s new book, Braving the Wilderness, she quotes Harry G. Frankfurt in differentiating between liars and bullshitters. The liar rejects the authority of the truth; the bullshitter pays no attention to the truth at all. She also quotes Brandolini’s Law: “The amount… [read more]
Comrade Nunes
On February 2, 2018 Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) released the memo written by his staff at his direction. He claimed and continues to claim that it exposes wrongdoing by the FBI, as well as offering evidence of exoneration of the President of all crimes. You’ve likely heard more than you can stand about the memo,… [read more]
Fable
Reading time – 2:10; Viewing time – 3:25 . . . Once upon a time there was a democratic republic called the United States of America. It was thought of by many as the shining city on a hill. It was the best hope for millions coming there from around the world and proved to… [read more]
Best Metaphor
Reading time – 43 seconds . . . Crozet, VA, January 31, 2018, 3:10PM EST The Amtrak train left the station this morning carrying GOP members of Congress and their families to their annual party conference at a retreat facility in West Virginia. The train crashed into a garbage truck at a crossing near the… [read more]
Invertebrates
Not so long ago the Republican Party proudly boasted of being the party that stood for law and order. They let us know in no uncertain terms that they were the guys who would defend against international threats. They were the tough guys who were best suited to ensure our national security. Now, though, they… [read more]
A Challenge For Moderates
Reading time – 4:51; Viewing time – 7:44 . . . Preface If in these darkly polarized times you and I aren’t in the same bubble, if our notions about politics, policies and what it means to be an American aren’t in lock step, try this on for size and decide then how far apart… [read more]
MLK, Jr. Day – Special Report
Reading time – 2:29 . . . The Bigot-In-Chief The President made it clear that we don’t want immigrants from any of those s***hole African countries. No Nigerians coming from their huts. No Salvadorans, either, even if they’re trying to avoid certain death. He postulated that it would be good to have more immigrants from… [read more]
There’s a Surprise On The Way
Reading time – 3:57 seconds . . . I admit that I got a kick out of this picture from a Tea Party rally several years ago. First and most obvious is that Medicare is government, so there’s no way to have Medicare without government being in it. Second, there’s no way this guy is… [read more]
Leadership and The Tax Bill
Reading time – 5:12; Viewing time – 8:03 . . . Others, nearly everyone, really, are doing a fine job of chronicling the insane Trump administration as revealed by Michael Wolff in his “best seller before it’s even released” book, Fire and Fury, and the stupid reactions of the Temper-Tantrum-Tweeter-in-Chief. So, I’ll have a look… [read more]
Address to Congress, January 3, 2018
Reading time – 4:52; Viewing time – 7:07 . . . Mr. President, colleagues, fellow citizens, I rise today to speak to the obvious. That I do so is grounded in the Confucian admonition, “The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their proper name.” Once so named, the resultant clarity may spawn wisdom…. [read more]
