Trump has no intention of leaving.

Every day I’m inundated with info from those on the left decrying Trump’s behavior. Hell, even today he refused to wear a mask at the Ford plant. Tune in Rachel Maddow as she scowls at the insanity. She’s positively right, but she cannot see the big picture. Trump ain’t gonna change, if anything he’s tightened the reins on his power. He beat impeachment, punished naysayers and eliminated checks and balances…and this is the guy you think is gonna suddenly wake up and do it your way, the right way? NO CHANCE!

Laurene Powell Jobs bought “The Atlantic.” It’s amazing what a bit of money can do. Kinda like Bezos’s purchase of “The Washington Post.” The D.C. paper was declining and now it’s giving “The New York Times” a run for its money. Meanwhile, “The Wall Street Journal” is writing ever-shorter articles, dumbing itself down for consumption to the point it’s alienating its core business customers. The NYT and WaPo have spent money to gain influence. And despite all the hoopla about “the failing ‘New York Times,” the truth is anything but. As evidenced by new media columnist Ben Smith’s March 1st article:

“Why the Success of The New York Times May Be Bad News for Journalism: In his debut, our new media columnist says The Times has become like Facebook or Google – a digital behemoth crowding out the competition.”

The scuttlebutt is oftentimes wrong. The story has been about the death of newspapers, of the profit-draining distribution by Google and Facebook. Meanwhile, those left standing have only gained power, no news entity as much as “The New York Times.” Hell, digital subscriptions grew by 600,000 in the first quarter of this year. For a total of 6 million. Yes, people are willing to pay for news, as “The Los Angeles Times” shrinks its news hole and heads for extinction. Hell, there’s that hedge fund that buys newspapers like “The Denver Post” and then makes draconian cuts, trying to maintain profit margins and make big bucks before the outlets are worthless and then discarded.

So Laurene Powell Jobs bought a moniker, and built it into a monolith. “The Atlantic” is one of the most e-mailed publications these days, at least in my inbox. And it’s not garbage, it’s not clickbait, but deep thought pieces. And in the new issue, there’s a doozy:

“Putin Is Well on His Way to Stealing the Next Election – RIP democracy”

You don’t need to read every word. A quick scan will do the trick.

Bottom line, our voting infrastructure is full of holes, easy to penetrate by public citizens like the Stanford University hacker in the article, never mind big governments with big money with an investment in the outcome.

Once again, you must listen to the podcast “The Big Steal.” As America circles the wagons, cutting ties with foreign countries, decimating treaties, the rest of the world is not only ignoring us, but some nations, like Russia, are actively penetrating us. You can stick your head in the sand, but that does not make you invisible.

“The Big Steal Podcast”

But as you read this “Atlantic” article, as you focus on Russia’s hacking, you realize…

It really isn’t about Russia at all.

Now one of the biggest stories of the last few weeks has been about voting by mail. Hell, Trump is in a war of words, planning to retaliate against Governor Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan because it’s a swing state.

Yes, as we learned in 2016, the presidential vote of most people in this nation just doesn’t count. But if you live in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and Florida it does.

So the Republicans are trying to suppress the vote in those states.

They say it’s to stop voter fraud, even though every study extant shows it’s a non-issue. The truth is they just want to strip as many indigent and minority voters from the rolls as possible. If you moved, which the poor tend to do more than the wealthy, if you don’t drive, if you can’t provide the required identification…good luck getting to vote. And sure, many people will be able to cast their ballot, but it only takes a very few to change the outcome.

So most of the left believe Trump wants to eliminate voting by mail because he believes it will encourage Democratic voting.

WRONG!

Oh, right to a degree. But there’s a bigger issue. PHYSICAL BALLOTS CAN’T BE HACKED!

Oh sure, there can be tons of fraud. Ballots can be lost. But a paper trail is harder to circumvent. Whereas if the voting is electronic…LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

Trump planned to protest the 2016 results vociferously. He said the election was fixed. But he was surprised to win.

In 2020 one thing is for sure, Trump does what he says he’s going to do.

So let’s say the election utilizes machines/electronics. THE OUTCOME IS UP FOR GRABS!

Of course there are the bad actors, i.e. Russia, and the Republicans themselves. They could swing the outcome making it a done deal. But if the numbers say Trump lost, he’ll never accept it. He already said he wasn’t gonna do this back in 2016. He’ll say it was fixed. And he’s got plenty of people to blame it on. Enemies like Silicon Valley. China. The list goes on and on.

So, even if Trump loses, he wins.

Forget telling me about the inanities. How Trump voted by mail himself. Doesn’t matter, don’t you get it! It’s not about truth, justice and the American Way, it’s about perpetuating Trump’s reign. Like Putin, he’s running a kleptocracy. Forget his hotels and golf clubs, the head of vaccine development is a drug maker himself?! We see the movie again and again and again. Trump pushes the limits, installs loyalists, makes sure they make money, and life goes on, no matter how many complaints there are. People keep waiting for transparency and justice, but it never arrives. We still don’t have the tax returns… He’s in control of the government, they’re still auditing? He beat impeachment. He installed right wing justices, but you expect to be saved?

Don’t call me hysterical.

For over a year, Bill Maher has said Trump has no intention of leaving. And he posits this question to Democratic candidates and toadies ad infinitum and they laugh and brush it off. Cite nonsense like the law says otherwise, or they’ll employ the military to remove him.

The Putin playbook is to muddy the water. To get you to doubt your beliefs, or become overwhelmed and stop paying attention all together. Ever notice that Trump does the same thing? Every day there’s crazy behavior. But Trump’s reign goes on.

And he wins.

Come on, would all these states be rushing to reopen if Trump didn’t plead for his acolytes to protest? Furthermore, a lot of these protests were astroturfed. Funded by dark money. Protesters paid to do so, going from location to location. If Jane Roe can be paid to change her mind, do you think others are not open to the buck?

And it is all about bucks. The fat cats want those factories humming. Hell, the latest statistics say the workers, those who have to inhabit the offices, are reluctant to go. But, already they’re being threatened. They won’t get unemployment, there will be no choice. No one can predict the future of Covid-19, but one thing is for sure, the policy of Trump and the Fortune 500 is to open America for business and if some people die, so be it. Come on, you can see it already. All your friends who were locked down tight suddenly aren’t. Trump shifted the wind of belief, and it wasn’t that difficult.

I thought Trump’s refusal to leave office was crazy until I started listening to Sarah Kendzior. Unlike those on the coasts, the talking heads who are part of the media-industrial complex, Sarah has her boots on the ground in the middle of the country and she is not climbing up the pundit ladder, it’s not important to her. Meanwhile, “The New York Times” and “The Washington Post” have refused to review her new book, “Hiding in Plain Sight,” despite it being a best-seller, despite it being #1 in Amazon’s Democracy category, despite it debuting at #14 on the aforementioned “Times”‘s best seller list. And it’s not like “Hiding in Plain Sight” is a vanity project, rather it was published by Macmillan.

Meanwhile, all we read about is Ronan Farrow’s insistence upon Hachette canceling his father Woody Allen’s book. Our priorities are screwed-up. We’re more worried about ALLEGATIONS of Me Too as opposed to facts we can see with Trump every day.

But the media establishment does not want to piss off Trump. Or Jared or Ivanka, whose classmates and friends inhabit the ranks of the media.

I know, I know, it sounds like too much.

Keep telling yourself that. Keep watching MSNBC with your fist in the air. You’re the same person who missed Trump in 2016, who thinks since some Democratic congresspeople won in 2018, it’ll be no problem defeating Trump.

Hell, the Democrats argued for a year who was the best candidate to run. IT DOESN’T MATTER! Statistics say ALL of them would beat Trump, at least all those in contention at the end. But the left is busy triangulating, believing it’s about issues when the truth is it’s about mechanics.

If Democrats vote, Trump loses.

It’s not about switching pro-Trump people back to the blue side, it’s about getting out the vote of those already blue. Rachel Bitecofer goes on about this seemingly daily, but her words fall on deaf ears, because the DNC believes it knows better.

But it’s really about the integrity of the vote.

Come on, do you believe it’s been this long without the propping up of the Post Office? Public companies with CEOs that make millions can get government funds, the Fed rescues Wall Street, but there’s no cash for the Post Office?

You keep telling yourself that someone will take care of it, that the Post Office can’t fail. Who are these people again? The ones who’ve stopped Trump so far? The Republican senators who declined to convict him at the impeachment trial?

And Trump is working all avenues. No Post Office, no mail-in vote. Trump is establishing so many ways to make sure he wins in 2020. And only one or two have to work to tilt the election.

They should cancel MSNBC. All left wing outlets, all Democratic voters should be working 24/7 on the integrity of November’s election. And making sure it happens. Jared Kushner wasn’t convinced. Forget the law. Hell, Trump said government agencies could ignore regulations in an effort to reopen the economy:

“Trump orders agencies to cut regulations that ‘inhibit economic recovery’

Trump signed the order Tuesday, there was no debate, you probably aren’t even aware of it.

You keep saying it can’t happen here.

But it does.

And will continue to do so.

WAKE UP!

Writer/investor/musician Roger McNamee was there at the beginning of the tech revolution, ultimately becoming a venture capitalist, most notably with Bono in Elevation Partners. An investor in Facebook, McNamee is now a critic, his book “Zucked” took on the negative consequences of social media. Roger is insightful and articulate and raises the questions that too many in Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. do not. Listen as we discuss today’s cultural, political and technical landscape.

ihr.fm

apple

spotify

stitcher

Writers & Lovers: A Novel

An author is trying to give you an immersive adventure.

The protagonist is a writer.

But don’t let that turn you off.

It’s kinda like a musician. They’ve got their whole life to write their first album, but less than a year for the second and at some point in the future they talk about being on the road and how hard that is and…

It’s hard to relate.

We live in a country based on income. That’s the only marker. Especially now that credibility has gone out the window. Used to be how good a person you were, but if you’re not wealthy today, you don’t count.

Then there is academia.

Unless you’re a household name writer, you’ve probably got a gig at a college, teaching writing. Yes, even if you’ve had a well-reviewed book in the “New York Times,” chances are you are not rich, that you need the supplemental income.

So there’s a whole world, a complete industry, of less than successful authors teaching others to be writers. Kinda like music business school, but with some creative talent involved. We don’t need more passionate people in the music industry, we need entrepreneurs, people who can think outside the box, who can push the envelope. And too many of these writing factories turn out books that only appeal to those who’ve gone through the sausage-making writing factories themselves.

You hear that writing is rewriting.

I couldn’t disagree more.

And to tell you the truth, much of what is considered literature I find unreadable. Because the writers are so busy impressing their friends, the writing industry, that each sentence is dense, it doesn’t sound like real people, and the story takes a back seat, if it’s even in the car to begin with. Think of a record made with ace studio musicians, that sounds perfect, but with lame songs, you’ve got it.

But in “Writers & Lovers” Lily King seems to bridge both worlds. It’s kind of amazing in fact. You can tell the book was rewritten, to conform to the ethos, but the story flows nonetheless.

This book called out to me. I loved living in its world. It was easy to read and I wanted to read it. Which is a far cry from much of which is hyped.

So, Casey is a struggling writer.

Now most writers don’t make it. And most musicians don’t either.

But there are two layers of wannabe musician. Those living off their parents’ largesse, and those struggling to get by. Forget those who’ve achieved success, that’s a different world with different problems. But while you’re woodshedding in music, writing, rehearsing, learning, you’re either close to broke or driving the car your parents bought you and servicing it on their credit card.

This is a world we’re rarely exposed to. Educated, talented people on the wrong side of income inequality. The underprivileged underclass gets all the ink. But those who’ve chosen the path less taken? They’re seen as losers.

Or, they’ve got a backup plan. They’ll try for three to five years and then they’ll go straight. Become a lawyer, marry someone rich, so they can have some of the perks of life, like health insurance and a house.

And then there are those who are lifers.

But not all of them make it.

Casey is living in a potting shed, her landlord is an overbearing friend of her brother, who lives across the country. She works as a server, i.e. a waitress. The restaurant is upscale, but comes with its own issues. She’s developing skills at the restaurant, but how many of them are transferable to the world she desires to inhabit?

So, she’s writing.

But she has a best friend and…

She’s got love interests.

One thing about working at a restaurant…you’re interacting with people. Too many writers do not. Sure, you get insight at the restaurant, but you also get camaraderie, social interaction, that satisfies your soul. But, you could be drifting to nowhere.

So, Casey’s got her work friends, a successful writer friend, she rides her bike to work, but…

She’s got her love life.

That’s what seals the deal here.

Her family background is complicated. Her mother just died and she used to be a golf prodigy and…every childhood is different, just like every family is different. Then again, the winning families too often are similar. The parents make beaucoup bucks and the kids went to private school and were the beneficiaries of all these enrichment programs, like digging wells in Africa and…

You learn the most from those who are different from you. But unlike in the sixties and seventies, there’s been pushback against lifting up the disadvantaged, the privileged don’t want their space being taken. Kinda like the rich…they don’t mind if you have more money, they just don’t want to sacrifice any of their own.

So, Casey attends a writers’ retreat.

This is another thing about the world of literature. It’s sponsored. There’s a whole game of residencies and grants and…prizes too. You read about all these awards academics and writers get…take them with a grain of salt. Oh, the recipients might be deserving, but the truth is they’ve kissed butt and worked their way up the awards ladder. They didn’t get that MacArthur genius grant out of the blue.

Yes, it’s a scam.

But life isn’t.

And how do you run your life? Do you go for your goals, putting everything on the line, or do you compromise? You can’t have it both ways. You can’t work at Apollo and be a rock star, you can’t go to med school and be a Broadway actor.

So, while some are notching their belts, there are others throwing the long ball, that may never be caught.

So, on one hand I have contempt for the world of writing. The authors go to the best graduate school they can get into, where they’re all taught to do it the same way. This was illustrated well in the final season of “Girls,” when Hannah/Lena Dunham goes to the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the Harvard of the world, and doesn’t fit in, and ultimately drops out.

These people spend years writing and rewriting their novels. Casey’s taken six. And most of them end up going nowhere, if they’re published at all.

I believe writers are born, not made. Same as musicians. You’ve either got the talent or you don’t. Someone can teach you to be a journeyman, but they can’t teach you to be new and different, can’t teach you inspiration, can’t teach you to be better than all the rest, all that depends upon you. Sure, you can have a little coaching, but the key is not to beat out the creativity in those who can grab the brass ring. Too often education makes you conform, when we’re truly looking for the nonconformists.

Skills are not enough. We learn this all the time with television singing programs. There’s a winner, with good pipes, but no hits, because they cannot write. Whereas someone with a more colored voice, who could never win the competition, composes something that touches our hearts.

Then you’ve got Lily King, who jumped through all the writing industry hoops, and delivered “Writers & Lovers.” Proving there’s an exception to every rule.

So, if you’re a fan of non-fiction, “Writers & Lovers” is not for you.

But if you’ve got more questions than answers, if you want to retreat to a place where it’s about feelings, emotions, choices… Reading “Writers & Lovers” is about opening a door to a whole world, that is strangely your own. Meanwhile, the door shut behind you. It’s only you in this new world. And the characters.

I’ve read so many mediocre books during lockdown. Many highly reviewed. I just don’t get what the industry sees in them. It’s like they check certain boxes but that’s all they do, they do not possess the je ne sais quoi that draws you to a book, that makes you hold it close to your heart, that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy when you read it, that makes you feel human and alive.

Reading should not be a chore, but an experience. Sure, movies and TV can be incredible, but rarely. You just sit there passively in your chair and take it all in.

But a book?

As you read it your mind is set free, it starts to wander, to previous experiences in your life, to your hopes and dreams, to your choices.

Somehow, the publishing industry has lost touch with the public. It’s too insular, just like the writing industry itself. Whereas books should be a big tent. That’s the advantage of the written word, it can be more encompassing than any other medium, it can open your mind at the same time it resonates.

Then again, it’s the educational system that turns people off to literature. Making readers jump through hoops of books taught by boring teachers. And, as you move up the food chain, to college and graduate school, it’s all analysis of technique, deeper meanings, when first and foremost a book should be an adventure, a ride at Disneyland, it’s truly all about what the reader feels.

And what the reader feels is valid. It’s the same with listening. You can’t explain why you like the track, it just hits you in a certain way.

I won’t say “Writers & Lovers” is a chick book. But too often men deny their feelings. Yet, if you’re open to yours, you’re gonna love “Writers & Feelings,” male or female.

Show playlist:

Spotify
Pandora

Now, SiriusXM streaming is FREE through May 31st.

Listen tomorrow, 4 PM Pacific, 7 PM East, on Volume 106 at:

siriusxm

Listen to previous shows on demand:

previous shows