April 22, 2017

Joy gets it #2.

A stoic Ms. Reid wasn't buying what they were selling.

In a shattering interview, Allen and Parnes dropped their grins and desperately tried to seem objective and measured while insisting that their book of anonymously sourced juicy tidbits is serious work of political analysis. "That's why everyone needs to buy it," a panicked, yet profit-driven Allen explained to a stone-faced Joy.

I'm not sure which I liked better, the full on stare or the skeptical side-eye.

April 22, 2017

In Celebration of Science!

"

April 22, 2017

So who's reading "The Destruction of Hillary Clinton"?

Although Susan Bordo's cogent work is not getting the publicity that more gossipy recent releases have garnered, Bordo is an academic who focuses on on gender and cultural analysis rather than unsubstantiated juicy tidbits from anonymous sources.

From her publisher's website:

"Gossip is easy. Get to the deeper truth, with this in-depth look at the political forces and media culture that vilified and ultimately brought down Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Presidential campaign.

The Destruction of Hillary Clinton is an answer to the question many have been asking: How did an extraordinarily well-qualified, experienced, and admired candidate—whose victory would have been as historic as Barack Obama’s—come to be seen as a tool of the establishment, a chronic liar, and a talentless politician?

In this masterful narrative of the 2016 campaign year and the events that led up to it, Susan Bordo unpacks the Rights’ assault on Clinton and her reputation, the way the left provoked suspicion and indifference among the youth vote, the inescapable presence of James Comey, questions about Russian influence, and the media’s malpractice in covering the candidate."

Anyone truly interested in an honest appraisal of what went wrong in 2016 should check it out. You can read excepts on line or take a peak through the pages at the publisher's website.

http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/558341/the-destruction-of-hillary-clinton-by-susan-bordo/

April 22, 2017

Why is the Trump administration going after Assange?

Is it a threat to make sure he doesn't talk, or is it preemptive play to diminish the credibility of any dirt Assange spills?

Or is it something else?

April 19, 2017

Do you have a favorite Pre-Code movie?

If so, what is it and why do you like it?

http://pre-code.com/what-is-pre-code-hollywood/

April 7, 2017

Now that it's spring, why is Trump

still going to the "Winter White House" so often? Is he billing the government for the use of any of his facilities?

April 2, 2017

Elizabeth and Hillary: This is what leadership sounds like.

Both women spoke at events this week. Excerpts and video clips at the links.

"Elizabeth Warren to the resistance: 'Fight like a girl'

At a rally in Massachusetts, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) told a short, sweet story of a little girl and her hand-lettered sign. It will fill every heart in the resistance with hope."

"Hillary Clinton: Advancing rights of women and girls is 'the great unfinished business of the 21st century'

Hillary Clinton has devoted her life and energy toward the cause of equal rights and justice for women and girls around the world. In a wise and thoughtful address to Georgetown University, at a ceremony bestowing awards named in her honor, she showed that she is as dedicated to this cause today as she has ever been"

http://shareblue.com/elizabeth-warren-to-the-resistance-fight-like-a-girl/

http://shareblue.com/hillary-clinton-advancing-rights-of-women-and-girls-is-the-great-unfinished-business-of-the-21st-century/

March 24, 2017

House leadership is clueless on getting legislation to the floor.

The only thing they know how to do is obstruct and pass ridiculous veto ready repeals.

Pelosi was gloating on camera over the rookie mistakes of Ryan and Pos-Potus & Co.

March 18, 2017

The problem with Shaun King's analysis...

In a March 9 opinion piece (illustrated with an outsized photo of Hillary Clinton), Shaun King of the New York tabloid The Daily News bemoans the Democratic party's cluelessness about the reasons behind its "unpopularity". Mr. King seems to have "no earthly idea" of the basic rules of data analysis; he uses evidence concerning favorable / unfavorable ratings to reach conclusions about popularity.

If you look at the actual data, 74% of Democrats give Hillary Clinton a favorable rating. That's probably why she won both the Democratic nomination and the general election popular vote by millions of ballots.

The most delicious irony, however, is that King uses a picture of the candidate who won the popular vote to illustrate his misguided conclusion about popularity based on evidence about something else entirely.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/king-democratic-party-doesn-unpopular-article-1.2993659

http://www.suffolk.edu/documents/SUPRC/3_7_2017_tables.pdf

March 17, 2017

It says so in the dictionary...

trump (v.)

fabricate, devise," 1690s, from trump "deceive, cheat" (1510s), from Middle English trumpen (late 14c.), from Old French tromper "to deceive," of uncertain origin. Apparently from se tromper de "to mock," from Old French tromper "to blow a trumpet." Brachet explains this as "to play the horn, alluding to quacks and mountebanks, who attracted the public by blowing a horn, and then cheated them into buying ...." The Hindley Old French dictionary has baillier la trompe "blow the trumpet" as "act the fool," and Donkin connects it rather to trombe "waterspout," on the notion of turning (someone) around. Connection with triumph also has been proposed. Related: Trumped; trumping. Trumped up "false, concocted" first recorded 1728.

trumpery (n.)

mid-15c., "deceit, trickery," from Middle French tromperie (14c.), from tromper "to deceive," of uncertain origin (see trump (v.2), which has influenced the spelling in English). Meaning "showy but worthless finery" is first recorded c. 1600.

http://etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=trump