Journalism 101

The first thing I was taught in my first Journalism class: Never report an event, object, person, whatever as the first, biggest, smallest, oldest, youngest, fastest, and so on.

Never trust your source to be correct.

Within hours, somebody will show up with proof that whatever you labeled as an extreme is not, never was, never will be.

I thought Prez DJT might hire experts in deception—gotta be some Nixon people still breathing—but his first 24 hours as POTUS are not just amateurish, but resemble a first-grade show where the teacher was out sick and the kids took charge.

Bowling in heels? Honestly?

Donnie, honey, have your people explain "video" and "film" and "research."

Your brain won't explode.

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Chirp chirp chirp

DJT is so thin-skinned that he cannot stop himself from striking back at any insult, usually via Twitter. Wiser people than I have suggested ways to manipulate this lying, money-grubbing narcissistic throw-back.

Here's an easier plan: Everybody insult him 25 times a day.

His head will explode.

The catch: the new VPOTUS is a religious fanatic. Has any Christian fanatic ever subdued 300 million people? If God tells him to, he'll try.

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Words fail me but not them

Copied from A Word a Day

 

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

When the field is nationwide, and the fight must be waged chiefly at second and third hand, and the force of personality cannot so readily make itself felt, then all the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre -- the man who can most easily adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum. The Presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.

- H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (1880-1956)

ANOTHER THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Once or twice in every generation a line is crossed so egregiously that where you stood on the issue will forever define you. 

- Kara Vallow, artist (b. 1967) 

Where I stand: My country has been stolen. Greedy, amoral UnAmericans are in charge.

 

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He'd fail at the violin

DJT does not have small hands. He has stubby fingers, which work fine for money-grubbing. And, apparently, grabbing things he shouldn't.

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Wisdom of the Greek

Ochlocracy: mob rule. 

Greek historian Polybius coined the word ochlocracy, meaning mob rule; multitude or throng, with a pejorative whiff. The angry mob, unwashed. 

Polybius came up with a theory he called anacyclosis, an evolutionary theory of systems of government. His study of ancient Rome led him to conclude that the stages went like this: 1, monarchy; 2, tyranny; 3, aristocracy; 4, oligarchy; 5, democracy; 6, ochlocracy; and 7, back to monarchy. 

— Slate.com

USA has reached stage 6. Long live King DJT!

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Truer words were never spoken

From Word A Day:

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

 

The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country.

—  Hermann Göring, Nazi military leader (12 Jan 1893-1946)

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I'm not a big fan of the Great Outdoors, but after two weeks of snow, rain, wind, warm rain, snow, wind, and flood water everywhere ...

I'm no longer a fan of the Warm/Safe Indoors. It's really boring, especially when there's snow on the satellite-TV dish.

Also, it is way more fun to talk to my Best Friend by telephone while she reports on the rising Truckee River in front of her house than it is to live here and watch the river myself.

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For the first time in my surprisingly long life, I live in a community that went through a Boil Water Order, courtesy of the Northern Nevada flooding.

For the first time since Monday, I get to brush my teeth the regular way tonight. As for the toothpaste gunking up the toothbrush, the brush is headed for the trash.

This is Long Valley Creek, with a crew replacing the water line that went away when the bridge above these culverts failed. Two other bridges survived.

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So far, 2017 sucks and blows

Visited family Christmas Day. Learned later that two of the family were not feeling well.

Me, two days later: raging sore throat, hacking cough.

Two more days: wacked out on cough syrup but no coughing, much.

Eight days after I got sick: throat's OK, cough seems to like 2 a.m. as a starting point.

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