Goodness, is February almost over?
+ The decision to acquit President Trump was not surprising, but disappointing regardless. The trial was a slapdash mess, a rushed effort by Democratic congressman in a feeble attempt to persuade Republican senators that weren't going to listen. You could even argue that it was complete cowardice, of self-protection in a contested election year, disguised as a moment of party solidarity. More evidence of Trump's wrongdoings with Ukraine is bound to surface, and the GOP took the fast way out.
+ I make no illusion of my misgivings about Bernie Sanders. However, if he does become the Democratic nominee for president, so be it. Even though the logjam has subsided, the primary race is still very contested. Sanders is the front-runner for now, though one wonders if he'll stick to his agenda, swerve further left, or make any sort of appeal to moderates.
+ I'm heading back to Austin! For the third time in 23 months, I'm flying to central Texas for some "Bob Zula" related business. My friend Brandon's indie bildungsroman made it into two film festivals, both in state. I will keep you all posted when the film is available for wider release.
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Showing posts with label Bernie Sanders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bernie Sanders. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Thursday, February 21, 2019
Random Notes, February 2019
Warm opinions, never reheated:
+ The crisis in Venezuela is not only under-reported, but also quite misunderstood. Authoritarianism knows no political stripe, and the blithe narcissism of Chavez gave way to the deadly fumbling of Maduro. The structure of a government, whether its democratic or monarchic, is irrelevant when its leader is beyond incompetent.
+ Bernie Sanders, you had your chance in 2016. Let someone else vie for the Democratic nomination. We've overdue for a woman as president anyway.
+ I've more or less given up trying to find temp work, or any sort of office work. This school year is the first where I'm totally committed to substitute teaching. I'm not taking a two- or three-month breather for a seasonal gig, let alone a position that offers being promoted to full-time but never quite pans out. Its been almost nine years since I was replaced at Salem Communications, and as time has worn on I feel far less motivated to find work elsewhere. (I still maintain a spreadsheet of jobs that I've applied for, mostly for posterity.) Some of you will recall that I considered teaching full-time, but reconsidered. Its not perfect, but I've found a distinct groove between subbing and ride-sharing.
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Next week and the week after: a redux of my 1988 and 1989 music blogs.
+ The crisis in Venezuela is not only under-reported, but also quite misunderstood. Authoritarianism knows no political stripe, and the blithe narcissism of Chavez gave way to the deadly fumbling of Maduro. The structure of a government, whether its democratic or monarchic, is irrelevant when its leader is beyond incompetent.
+ Bernie Sanders, you had your chance in 2016. Let someone else vie for the Democratic nomination. We've overdue for a woman as president anyway.
+ I've more or less given up trying to find temp work, or any sort of office work. This school year is the first where I'm totally committed to substitute teaching. I'm not taking a two- or three-month breather for a seasonal gig, let alone a position that offers being promoted to full-time but never quite pans out. Its been almost nine years since I was replaced at Salem Communications, and as time has worn on I feel far less motivated to find work elsewhere. (I still maintain a spreadsheet of jobs that I've applied for, mostly for posterity.) Some of you will recall that I considered teaching full-time, but reconsidered. Its not perfect, but I've found a distinct groove between subbing and ride-sharing.
(615)
Next week and the week after: a redux of my 1988 and 1989 music blogs.
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Rhapsody in Tan/Orange
Last week I wondered if Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner could already be written off as a failure. Now I wonder if the GOP has conjointly lost its soul. Death notices aside, it was the abject failure of Republican Party leaders to acknowledge and tamp down the grass-roots momentum of Donald Trump that caused this presidential race to turn into a mud-slinging train wreck. The rich oligarchy that almost unilaterally dominated sustained the GOP until the Tea Party movement has let that power slip through their fingers. They underestimated the number of Americans that are both conservative and poor, and embraced an unpredictable candidate that didn't want or need their campaign money.
In spite of Donald Trump's polarizing presence, his ability to galvanize social conservatives and libertarians alike does not ensure an easy victory for whomever wins the Democratic nomination come November. Trump's campaign hit a sweet spot for a portion of the populace that leans right but never votes. Common sense aside, the "Trumpeters" will come out en masse in November, ensuring only a close race against Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders. Perhaps its the fault of party leaders, the "mainstream" conservatives that didn't anticipate --or vastly underestimated-- the anti-establishment ruminations of the past decade. (The Democrats have a similar issue.) In any case, the people have chosen their candidates, and now this three-ring circus is consolidating into its final act.
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In spite of Donald Trump's polarizing presence, his ability to galvanize social conservatives and libertarians alike does not ensure an easy victory for whomever wins the Democratic nomination come November. Trump's campaign hit a sweet spot for a portion of the populace that leans right but never votes. Common sense aside, the "Trumpeters" will come out en masse in November, ensuring only a close race against Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders. Perhaps its the fault of party leaders, the "mainstream" conservatives that didn't anticipate --or vastly underestimated-- the anti-establishment ruminations of the past decade. (The Democrats have a similar issue.) In any case, the people have chosen their candidates, and now this three-ring circus is consolidating into its final act.
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Sunday, November 15, 2015
Random Notes, November 2015
The election is now less than a year away, but the chaos is only slightly beginning to subside. Where the Democratic primary has weeded out some of the weaker candidates --I forgot Larry Lessig was running until, well, he quit-- the Republican primary is still an insane dogfight. You have at least three candidates (Dr. Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee, and Rick Santorum) that are all fighting for the same Christian-conservative demographic. You also have Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, John Kasich, and George Pataki struggling to make any leeway against one another for the more moderate sector of the GOP. I don't know Rand Paul is aiming for, because he keeps flip-flopping. It is sort of amusing to see that the GOP prides itself in unity, but couldn't be more splintered on the national stage.
At the same time, the Democrats can be like herding cats, yet their strategy for 2016 is actually inching toward coelescing. For obvious reasons, Saturday's Democratic debate was dominated by domestic security and foreign policy. With limited extra effort, Sec. Clinton more or less proved why she was the most electable of the three candidates; Sen. Sanders seemed wishy-washy about gun control, and his comment about how the Middle East should defend itself against ISIS was a tad naive. Martin O'Malley made some valid points, but he's not a strong debater. In spite of her many flaws, Hillary Clinton is the Democrats' best shot in 2016; with the growing populist movement within the party --a Bizarro Tea Party, one might say-- she needs to shake off some of her establishment ticks and roll up her sleeves. Her extensive history with foreign affairs resulted in a crucial KO last night, but Clinton still has a long way to go.
Other notes:
+ I'm very reluctant to air out my dirty laundry, but I felt like this was sort of worth sharing. For the past two years, I've been manhandled by crippling credit card debt. In the summer and fall of 2013, in quick procession I had to deal with multiple car repairs, on top of producing a show that did not turn a profit. I put nearly everything on my Visa, then relied upon on my Mastercard for future purchases. Then I went through an extended period where I wasn't working a regular basis, so then I ended up maxing out both cards nearly every month. I'm proud to say, however that after some shrewed budgeting most of that debt has now cleared. I'm still living on modest means, but I don't quite feel as handcuffed as before.
+ I have no words for what has transpired in France this weekend. This was a massive act of cowardice, one that cannot be justified or quickly forgotten. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Paris.
Next Week: My annual thanks/no thanks list.
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At the same time, the Democrats can be like herding cats, yet their strategy for 2016 is actually inching toward coelescing. For obvious reasons, Saturday's Democratic debate was dominated by domestic security and foreign policy. With limited extra effort, Sec. Clinton more or less proved why she was the most electable of the three candidates; Sen. Sanders seemed wishy-washy about gun control, and his comment about how the Middle East should defend itself against ISIS was a tad naive. Martin O'Malley made some valid points, but he's not a strong debater. In spite of her many flaws, Hillary Clinton is the Democrats' best shot in 2016; with the growing populist movement within the party --a Bizarro Tea Party, one might say-- she needs to shake off some of her establishment ticks and roll up her sleeves. Her extensive history with foreign affairs resulted in a crucial KO last night, but Clinton still has a long way to go.
Other notes:
+ I'm very reluctant to air out my dirty laundry, but I felt like this was sort of worth sharing. For the past two years, I've been manhandled by crippling credit card debt. In the summer and fall of 2013, in quick procession I had to deal with multiple car repairs, on top of producing a show that did not turn a profit. I put nearly everything on my Visa, then relied upon on my Mastercard for future purchases. Then I went through an extended period where I wasn't working a regular basis, so then I ended up maxing out both cards nearly every month. I'm proud to say, however that after some shrewed budgeting most of that debt has now cleared. I'm still living on modest means, but I don't quite feel as handcuffed as before.
+ I have no words for what has transpired in France this weekend. This was a massive act of cowardice, one that cannot be justified or quickly forgotten. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Paris.
Next Week: My annual thanks/no thanks list.
(498)
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