In Case You Missed It (v86)

Here's your recap of last week's posts, in case you missed anything.

In Sunday School, we heard from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy; his week got worse as it went along, didn't it? He talked with Mike Emanuel on Fox News Sunday, and shared some thoughts on what could happen if the Rs regain the majority.

McCarthy said the Rs are not over-confident about winning back the House, but he said they need to do more than just criticize, they must commit to making changes and fixing the big problems. Emanuel asked if they could do that - tackle the national debt, for example - with a divided government. 

We need to have sound fiscal policy, stop the irresponsible spending to curve inflation and make America in a stronger path. But it's not just to balance the budget, you have to pay off the debt. And the only way we'll be able to do that is with fiscal responsibility, with Republicans in the majority.

And I laughed and laughed at that, I really did.

You'll laugh too, when you click that link.

I was fortunate to stumble upon some presidential poetry - some OrangeVerse in my spam folder. It's funny how this stuff just writes itself. 

Apr 18

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My father is about to release a never-bef0re-seen video message

Your wallet needs this

NEVER. HAPPENED. BEFORE.

Contribution status: PENDING

For your Extra Credit, learned from the panel discussion on This Week with George that crime's going to be an issue in November - big surprise, right? 

Former Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) appreciated Adams agreeing with Bratton that it was "progressive policies that have caused this wave in crime" (an over-simplification of what Bratton said and what Adams agreed with), but he thinks Adams, who ran on fighting crime, is "sticking to his word" and he thinks New Yorkers will "give him the benefit of the doubt" for that. 

Biden, on the other hand, doesn't get a pass. He was against 'defunding the police,' but

he was also standing with a lot of these reforms that have made - that have turned out to be a mistake. And it's not only reforms, it's the attitude of local prosecutors that have been elected, in places like Manhattan, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago who are refusing to prosecute some of these crimes.

We also heard from NYC's two top crime-fighters - Mayor Eric Adams, and NYPD commissioner Keechant Sewell. 

I was Wondering on Wednesday all about Florida, and the Florida Man who runs the state, and his attacks on the happiest place in the universe, or whatever they call it, after the legislature decided to revoke the special district in which the happiness has taken root. 

And what about the Imagineers? I wonder if they're going to spend the next few months trying to come up with a theme park ride about a vindictive governor and his minions? Oh wait - can't be minions, maybe they can Imagineer a new name for the Rs in the legislature, and introduce that along with the ride?  

And what about the trailer? Disney always makes a mini-movie when they're ready to roll out a major new 'experience' at their parks, and I wonder, would I have to subscribe to Disney+ to see it, or would ABC carry it on broadcast TV?

And, perhaps against my own best judgment, I dropped a Quick Take on the occasionally armed and frequently dangerous behind the wheel Rep. Madison Cawthorn. Here's just a bit of this 'law and order party' representative's record.

• Oct. 13, 2011, Henderson County, NC: speeding. Case disposed Jan. 25, 2012. Pleaded guilty to a lesser speed, fined $40.
• Feb. 27, 2016, Henderson County, NC: speeding and expired registration card/tag. Case disposed May 18, 2016. Pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of failure to wear seat belt in rear seat; fined $75; The expired registration card/tag charge was dismissed. (How, exactly, do you get that lesser charge option?)

I dropped a Throwback Thursday post, which was actually a Wondering on Wednesday from one year ago, the day the verdict in Derek Chauvin's case gave us the verdict we had hoped for. Here's part of what I wondered that day.

• The prosecution's closing argument - in a nutshell, believe your own eyes and the eyes of the witnesses - made me wonder about the witnesses. How hard it must have been to relive the murder of George Floyd in open court, to be questioned about what you saw, to stay strong with the whole world watching. I wonder if they'll ever know how grateful we are?

• I wonder what Chauvin was thinking when he had his knee on George Floyd's neck, particularly what he was thinking as he held that look, the unflinching look we saw in the video. Was there ever an "oh, shit, what have I done?" moment, I wonder? 

A friend commented on the post. I'm curious what folks think about his question, and my response. Is his fear appropriate? Am I looking at the world through rose colored readers? Chime in if you want.

Finally, it was TGIF time, and I express my concern about what appears to be a 'thing' now, where reporters for the New York Times (and others) at least appear to be holding information for their books, instead of sharing what they learn when they learn it with the rest of us. 

I haven't yet figured out whether the NY Times had a good week or a bad week. While it was the paper's repauthors (reporters turned authors) who have the tapes, the Times itself is in hot water, IMO, for the perception that reporters are holding stuff for their books, instead of serving the public interest by publishing what they know. 

And this is not the first book written by their reporters on Trump, the Trump Years, the Trump White House, the Trump Christmas Decorations, the Trump Rose Garden... and yes, some of that's made up, but none of it is outside the realm of possibility. The Times is not alone, of course - there are television reporters who have done the same thing.

Should they be able to do this? Which master are they serving, themselves or their employer? And should the Times and the rest be so joyfully sharing excerpts from the books, or should they let the book sell themselves?  

I'll be back for Sunday School, if not sooner.