“White House shares doctored video to support punishment of journalist Jim Acosta”

I don’t ever remember being addicted to the news like this.

I used to get the “New York Times” in high school and college, but I can’t tell you I read much more than the sports pages.

And then my law school girlfriend’s father bought her a subscription to the “Wall Street Journal” so I got hooked on that, back when it was only one section.

And I figure if you live in L.A., you’ve got to read the “Times,” but so many don’t anymore, that’s what happens when you eradicate content, people give up on you, protect the bottom line at your peril. Why is it always corporations protecting their margins at the price of the product and those who produce it? If only artists ran the world…then we’d feel good but be broke!

But the greatest thing for a newshound is the smartphone. I turn off notifications, I don’t know how you can live with those, I hate interruptions to begin with. But being able to get news instantly…wow! On the go, whenever you want. Sometimes I refresh the app to see if anything’s changed in real time. Yesterday the “Washington Post” updated election results every minute, I loved that! Yes, I had to get the WaPo too, to read Margaret Sullivan, to get the beltway story and…

There was enough election analysis to blow a whole day. As it was, I laid in bed in my hotel room for an hour yesterday morning catching up on the election on my phone, John and Yoko had a bed-in for peace, maybe now we need one for truth.

You see the problem is a great swath of the public only saw the doctored video And since this same half has been taught not to trust the NYT, WaPo and CNN and MSNBC, they believe it’s truth.

Now truth has always been a slippery subject. Especially in the arts, where there is no ombudsman, no real rules. If you trust movie grosses, you’re not a profit participant. As for Soundscan, how in hell did ticket bundles ever become included? Years back Soundscan used to fight against shenanigans, skewing the system, but now it’s all right, meaning those outside the industry believe these number ones are truly number ones, when they’re not. And the truth is the music industry likes it this way. Never mind the inane ratio of streams to physical product.

But where does it stop?

We have chaos because there are too many messages to begin with. Now if everything’s untrustworthy…

Were twelve people killed in Thousand Oaks or a hundred, or maybe it didn’t happen at all. Maybe the shooter used a bow and arrow, not a handgun. Or maybe an AK-47. We can make it up as we go, we can say anything and some people believe it!

Why trust the encyclopedia?

Why trust Wikipedia.

Maybe facts are fungible.

It used to be we argued with different facts, now we make up our own facts. And if they do it at the highest level…

And the truth is Sanders knows she’s lying, but she’s doing it for the team. But the team always abandons you in the end, there’s always someone younger and hungrier to take your place, your good deeds are forgotten.

And Trump is smart enough to know he’s winning by losing. He’s already lost the left wing, he’s just strengthening his position with his base, and that base seems very strong, it took seats in the Senate. The problem is the WaPo, not Sanders. And how can you hurt that little intern… Who’d want to be a White House intern anyway? What kind of school did you go to, what kind of family do you come from that you think working with Trump is an honor. Used to be people could say no, have a backbone, character was everything. Now it’s all about money and status.

And they protest at Tucker Carlson’s house… Do you think you can get away with saying these heinous things forever? Do you listen to Tucker? I do, on Sirius XM, they’ve got all the news channels. It’s positively horrifying, and he won’t let you get a word in edgewise if you don’t agree with him. Words have consequences, not only actions. So people hate you… Imagine if you were doing this in high school, you’d really be in trouble. Now we’ve got two gangs in America, the red and the blue, and the red keeps saying the blue can’t fight back, but that is untrue.

And if you’re in the cheap seats, way above the action, you’re completely flummoxed. Has politics turned into the WWE, where the storyline is fake but the entertainment is real? Hell, Mrs. WWE ran for Congress. Fame is king in America, more than money. But fame is hard to get, and everybody’s fighting for it. You see we never really graduate from high school, we all want to be POPULAR!

And that video director Matt Mahurin darkened O.J.’s skin on the cover of “Time.” And Facebook thinks it lives above the law, being a universal product run by King Zuckerberg, who is a Jew, so he’d better watch out, no one’s safe these days, which makes you wonder why anybody would really like to be famous. As for Google, didn’t they pioneer this in the digital age, by giving us different answers to the same query? And despite the cries, ironically mostly by techies themselves, nothing changes, because people love the show, they feel empowered by technology, they can tweet Trump and he can block them, or at least he used to be able to, and Twitter doesn’t block Trump, showing everybody is not equal in America and since I’ve attacked the right these same Republicans believe I should attack the left, false equivalency reigns, everybody’s opinion is worth hearing, has the same weight, just because you’re uneducated and dumb that does not mean you can’t have your say. The earth is flat, global warming is a hoax, it goes on and on, and you’re not ostracized, you’re embraced! Used to be you were proud of your education, which was the liberal arts, not pure business, you went to college to be a better person, not to get a job. You developed honor. Your word was your bond. Used to be people were afraid cigarettes in movies were causing smoking in the youth, portraying it as cool. Is duplicity now cool, since Trump exercises it all day long?

I know, I know, we lost the election, I should just shut up and go home.

Or you’ll work the refs, that’s what the right is best at, blowing the whistle, stopping the game, crying foul.

But Conway’s husband thinks the new AG is unentitled to serve and if what’s black is white and white is black…

You just can’t stop watching the show.

And they tell you to vote, but the truth is we feel powerless. It’s their game, they control it, we’re just bystanders, they tell us they hear us, will stand up for us, but few believe it.

Few believe anything anymore, unless it aligns with their world viewpoint. People tell me falsehoods every day, they see them online they hear them from friends, Snopes has been sidelined, what’s it like living in a post-truth society?

That’s what we’re finding out right now.

We took WOW Air to Reykjavik. It’s one of those discount airlines, and unlike the major carriers, they fly direct, so we did. I’m warming up to the concept. Since they charge for absolutely everything, people took fewer bags on board. And since they sell everything, you buy what you need, there’s no regular drink service. It’s more civilized. We had the “Big Seat,” which is a fraction of business class and the seat doesn’t lie completely flat but it’s less than $500 each way and it includes food and bags and…I’d like to complain, but I can’t, I enjoyed it!

And we landed in Reykjavik at four in the morning. Maybe that’s why it’s so cheap. But Reykjavik is not. Didn’t the economy crash back in ’08? And I read that it rebounded. But I don’t know whether it’s stuff needing to be imported or what, food is pricey, but extremely good, and after taking a short nap, we went out to hit the town.

It’s cold here. Although they’re having a heat wave. It’s between forty and fifty Fahrenheit, but everybody outside America uses Celsius. Maybe we should just switch to metric overnight, since nobody in America, I mean the States, since Canada went metric eons ago, can do math anyway, metric is easier, and much more coherent.

And Reykjavik is tiny, almost a fishing village. There are a few high rises off in the distance, but the inner city is positively low-rise, walkable, cute. For me it’s kinda like going back to where I once belonged. Last night I didn’t see one woman without a knit cap. Everybody wears casual clothing. It’s like living in Vermont.

So we went to the Settlement Museum, where they unearthed a longhouse from two centuries ago. History is so fascinating, makes you feel like a bug, so little, inconsequential. And the language comes from Norway, as do the people, and do you know they had ornamental beads and bracelets back then? Status, appearance, it’s always a factor.

And around six we moseyed over to this church-like building for the opening of Iceland Airwaves, that’s why we’re here, I’m speaking tomorrow. It’s been going on for twenty years, the airlines started it, they used to have name-brand talent, now it’s all locals and…

The mayor gave an introductory speech, while holding a Heineken. We talked to him afterward, he said he was a medical doctor! And it turns out everybody from Iceland stays here, or comes back here, or so everybody told us. They talked about the quality of life, the good jobs… As for the weather, our driver told us the short days in the winter contributed to more children, he had four, although he was only planning on two. And everybody does speak English, with an accent, but everybody’s super-friendly and you tell yourself “I can live here,” even though you won’t. When you live in a big city it’s hard to fathom living anywhere else, everything’s at your fingertips, but living off the grid in Iceland would be kind of liberating, at least I think so.

And then we went club-hopping.

There are hundreds of bands in multiple venues and you listen to the rumors and you check the app and you wander from joint to joint, although they include the Art Museum and the Opera House, to see bands…

Who never seem to have heard of the Spotify Top 50.

Yes, two acts rapped, but we saw a prog rock act, a yacht rock act, it was all music, very liberating, going back to where we once belonged, since you can’t make any money playing music in Iceland, the focus is on the music itself. But unlike America, and like every other country in the world, the government supports the arts. The bigwig is Sigi, who used to drum for the Sugarcubes, his card says “Supreme Glorious Leader” of Iceland Music, cracked me up. And music is a hard job to keep, a hard business to stay in. Sure, there’s a thin layer of superstars, but below that everybody’s got an angle. A rent-controlled apartment, a rich uncle, some kind of niche that pays the bills. But it’s an addiction, that too many can’t give up. And a club, that most don’t understand.

And today we woke up to go to the Blue Lagoon. You’ve seen pictures. Google it, you’ll recognize it.

It’s about forty five minutes from Reykjavik, and the landscape is a moonscape, all lava, with rivulets where water used to be, if you fall asleep and veer off the highway you’re gonna be in big trouble.

And our friend Ellen told us we needed to go to the Retreat, but it’s temporarily closed for repairs. So we entered the big lagoon with the hoi polloi.

They’re organized, you get a wristband, and a robe and zories and you descend into the water slowly, inside, and then…

YOU’RE IN THE BLUE LAGOON!

It’s pretty massive. And not so deep. From about thigh to neck, depending upon where you are. And it’s warm in some spots and hot in others and you wander around, feeling the heat.

Oh, that’s another thing, it was raining and blowing when we got there… The three minute walk from the parking lot was torture, like being at the top of the mountain before you ski down on a blustery day. And once in the lagoon…

You get a face mask, of silica. That’s why the water’s so blue supposedly, silica. The water’s hot because it comes from nearly a mile underground and it’s unfathomably hot at first, close to a thousand degrees they said, but at the surface it’s around a hundred and…

You wander around, you can’t swim, the water doesn’t feel good in your eyes and…

You glide over to the bar, I had a banana smoothie, made with skyr, Felice had some firefly drink, with carrot and ginger with quite a zing. And the water’s supposedly great for your skin, and the people watching is insane! Different nationalities, different shapes, bad tattoos. I wonder if there’s such a thing as a good tattoo. Maybe you think so, right after you get out of the shop, but give it some years. I wandered into the steam room with a guy who had people on both knees, I’m not sure if they were relatives. And so many women had sleeves, but seemingly no one could stop there. And it’s funny, they don’t seem to know they have tattoos, but they’re new to the viewer.

And after showering we went to the adjacent restaurant, Lava, a reservation at which was included with our admission. It was fabulous! The bread was crusty and moist. Why was the center moist? I don’t know! And the desserts! Felice’s creme brulee was the best I’ve ever had, and not skimpy, but not cheap either!

And on the way back…

We drove through some fishing village. That was scary. Even the police station was closed after dark. Living there in the winter… Although our driver said it was mostly people working in fishing and construction, Poles. Did you see that Poland pulled back from its authoritarian government, at least in the hinterlands? Maybe it’s only a phase.

And our driver said he had no problem with the Poles. Although he did have a problem with the mayor, who he said wanted to give everybody a bicycle and insist they drive the same car, he wanted to be rewarded with the fruits of his labor, but to me the mayor seemed pro-business, but maybe not enough.

And on the drive back, I fell asleep. And have just been napping in the hotel room, it’s impossible for me to stay awake after all that sugar and those carbs, but when out of town I lift the limits…but maybe that’s not a good enough rationalization.

Trump is no fluke.

That’s what we learned as a result of the 2018 midterms. And that you can’t change anybody’s mind. You can get out the vote of your party, changing demographics can flip seats, egregious behavior can be penalized, but not in all cases, and states that are half and half can switch leaders. But it’s the same as it ever was, only we didn’t know it was this way, it took Trump to tell us so.

They were waiting for someone to harness their anger, who promised to flip the script, go back to where they once belonged, or at least believed they did, bring back mom and apple pie, along with a lot of racial hatred, but that was baked in anyway.

Then again, there are right wingers who are pissed I said that.

But the left should stop listening to them, the way the right stopped listening to the left.

I could go deeper, about defining the debate, playing the game, but I’m tuckered out. Agent Orange has been President for two years and what we’ve learned is he deserved to be. Sure, he lost the popular vote, sure the game is rigged, but under the rules as presently promulgated, he was victorious, and they’re not gonna change the rules.

And I could go all wonky on you, but the truth is the left never saw it coming. The results of globalization, the results of income inequality. The left did get a good job of getting out the vote, as did the right, but the underlying message was lost to those not fully aligned with its viewpoint. It was all about stopping Trump, in a country where so many love Trump.

Those on the left had hope, that it was just a bad nightmare, that the ship could be righted given another chance. But this does not seem to be the case. And it’s scary for Democrats, Roe v. Wade has already been limited in so many states, it’s going to get worse. And little progress will be made in a leftward push, despite controlling the House. It’s basically just a defense, and all the fun is in playing offense.

So now what.

Democrats should stop listening to Republicans the same way Republicans stopped listening to Democrats. Republicans have parlayed this fiction that we live in one big homogenous country, and therefore the Democrats should blink, should adjust, but that turns out to be hogwash, the country is divided, you’re on one team or the other, and the left should play to win, just like the right.

And what does this mean?

The left controls the culture. They should start throwing touchdowns irrelevant of right wing blowback. Rap lyrics, movie scenes, producers should do whatever they want, because there’s no way in hell they’re ever going to satiate the right other than to cave.

The future is based on culture. And even though the left thought they controlled it, it turns out they don’t. But they play music everywhere, and go to movies and watch Netflix… This is our stealth operation to change this country.

MTV purveyed racial integration and normalized homosexuality to the point that gay marriage was passed. That’s the power of art, that’s the power of a position. It takes years to make change, just like it took years for the Republicans to produce dividends from the Federalist Society.

In other words, forget those who are not on your team.

I know, I know, this does not fit with your kumbaya philosophy, where we all must get along, but we don’t.

Furthermore, tech is controlled by lefties, and everybody is ruled by tech, forget those without a cellphone, the ones who don’t go on the internet, there’s always a fringe whose story gets amplified way out of proportion, like those who believe they should get a front row seat at sticker price an hour before the show, or think cassettes are making a comeback. Don’t blink, that’s what we’ve learned.

There is no harmony.

We can’t all just get along.

But art has power. It’s hard to listen to rap and hate black people, and the sound of the youth is rap.

And films may be all about superheroes, but Netflix is not. Which is why an indie film should sell to a streaming service, not play in an art house, then you’re destined to obscurity. You only get to hype once in this world, so do it when and where it has the most effect, when people can experience your work.

So it’s a long game folks, a very long game. And those who grew up in the protest era can know that those days are through, snuffed, gone. We can’t build on the foundations of the sixties, because they’ve been eviscerated, but we can build a new edifice, it’s just got to look different.

There’s no protest because today’s music-makers were brought up in an era where Mariah Carey was the progenitor. It’s about melisma, it’s about fast cars and good times. It’s about lifestyle. But even if you create a protest song it can’t be heard, there’s too much cacophony.

So it’s depressing for an oldster. The state of the country. The Supreme Court. It’s finally the youth’s country.

But change happens on the sly, when you’re not paying attention. The color of this nation is changing, has changed, and that will have political effects. The cities lead, the country follows along. For a long time you had little media in the hinterlands, but now you’ve got plenty, and the parents may be watching “Gunsmoke,” but the kids are not.

And just like everybody moved to the city while we didn’t realize it, the fabric of this country can change while no one’s paying attention. But it’s not gonna happen fast, and it may not be recognizable, and people hate change.

But it’s coming.

Not only MAGA people, but the music business too. Remember all that anti-internet stuff, the anti-streaming stuff? There are still acts complaining, still wannabes complaining, wanting the old opportunities that have disappeared. But change is here to stay.

It flipped one way, it can flip back.

But not by trying to convince those on the other team they’re wrong, but by digging down deep and just doing your job.

Can we all stop paying attention to the news 24/7?

I hope so, then again, we’ve got a President who says he wants to end birthright citizenship when the Constitution says otherwise, and heinous hate crimes all over our country.

But please, stop listening to the other team. It may be in power now, but it has no future. Fox has lost all credibility now that Hannity has gotten on stage with Trump. But that proves the point, either you’re in or out, a believer or not, it makes no sense to rail against Fox if you’re not a believer, and it makes no sense to take crap if you watch MSNBC. We are a divided country. As bad as it was during the Vietnam era, only worse. Then we had strong unions, then we had a middle class, back when the mantra was we were all in it together, to love your brother.

Those days are through.

Bodyguard

There are enough twists and turns to eclipse a roller coaster.

Then again, roller coaster rides end ninety seconds later, “The Bodyguard” stays with you.

It’s tense. Tension is underrated. It makes the world go round. Or maybe that’s anxiety. Both are feelings we want to avoid, but we’re never more alive than when we experience them. So you can turn “The Bodyguard” off, or you can stay tuned in while your blood temperature rises and you keep watching until the end for relief.

And the final episode is a bit of a disappointment, it gets a bit cheesy. But that final scene in the examination room…

We’re afraid of terrorists. Many of us are afraid of Muslims. But if you live in America, your contact is minimal. The funny thing is the people who are most scared live where terrorists will attack last. At least foreign terrorists, whether Muslim or not. You see they go for the cities, they want to have the most impact, and ironically those are the blue districts. Which are relatively kumbaya. But then you watch “The Bodyguard” and ask yourself…should I be afraid?

And should I be afraid that Trump is burying the FBI and CIA, that the truth is never gonna come out. Or that these organizations have gone rogue. And what is everybody hiding, one thing’s for sure, Trump’s hiding a bunch, then again, a lot of his misdeeds are out in the open and he’s surviving just fine.

But this is the U.K. With a long history of terrorist attacks. How much of your freedom are you willing to give up to feel safe?

But it’s worse than that, you’ve already given up so much. CCTV. There are cameras everywhere, especially in England, but here too. If you want to commit blue collar crime, if you want to commit crime based on physicality, you’d better stop right now, you’re gonna get caught. That’s what overwhelms you with “The Bodyguard,” they’ve got it all on hard drive. And we may think the police are incompetent, but give them enough time and they start to connect the dots…

Is this the kind of society we want to live in?

I’m flummoxed. We want no crime, but we don’t want Big Brother, and we are moving toward Big Brother, while the techies have no moral compass and the Luddites just tell us to tune out… But the worst thing is you’ve already given up your privacy. All your data is online, mostly for free, your address, your age, even if you never ever fired up the internet.

That’s one thing that killed the rock business, the shenanigans in hotel rooms. Now everybody’s got a camera, you cannot abuse women.

And “The Bodyguard” is full of powerful women. The Home Secretary, the head of the police. And the government workers are a rainbow of colors. There’s nowhere in the U.S. that’s like this. Maybe Toronto in Canada, but in England all the races have to get along, but that does not mean some are not suspicious, especially those inured to the old ways, living in the hinterlands, afraid of the other. Trump shouldn’t have bothered focusing on the caravan, he should have just told his acolytes to watch “The Bodyguard,” it would have scared the crap out of them.

But at times you wince, some things are too convenient, some of the plot twists unbelievable.

But the love, the desire…

You see women oftentimes make the first move. They send a signal. Most guys are passive, they’re waiting for the green light. And the most uptight appearing leader is a sexual animal just like the loser on the street. We’re all the same under the skin.

And the scenes of passion are real, they evoke desire in the viewer.

But “The Bodyguard” is less believable than “Fauda.”

But you’ve already decided not to go to the West Bank. But London?