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Marie: Sorry, my countdown clock was unreliable; then it became completely unreliable. I can't keep up with it. Maybe I'll try another one later.
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Zoë Schlanger in the Atlantic: "Throw out your black plastic spatula. In a world of plastic consumer goods, avoiding the material entirely requires the fervor of a religious conversion. But getting rid of black plastic kitchen utensils is a low-stakes move, and worth it. Cooking with any plastic is a dubious enterprise, because heat encourages potentially harmful plastic compounds to migrate out of the polymers and potentially into the food. But, as Andrew Turner, a biochemist at the University of Plymouth recently told me, black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid." This is a gift link from laura h.
Mashable: "Following the 2024 presidential election results and [Elon] Musk's support for ... Donald Trump, users have been deactivating en masse. And this time, it appears most everyone has settled on one particular X alternative: Bluesky.... Bluesky has gained more than 100,000 new sign ups per day since the U.S. election on Nov. 5. It now has over 15 million users. It's enjoyed a prolonged stay on the very top of Apple's App Store charts as well. Ready to join? Here's how to get started on Bluesky[.]"
Washington Post: "Americans can again order free rapid coronavirus tests by mail, the Biden administration announced Thursday. People can request four free at-home tests per household through covidtests.gov. They will begin shipping Monday. The move comes ahead of an expected winter wave of coronavirus cases. The September revival of the free testing program is in line with the Biden administration’s strategy to respond to the coronavirus as part of a broader public health campaign to protect Americans from respiratory viruses, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), that surge every fall and winter. But free tests were not mailed during the summer wave, which wastewater surveillance data shows is now receding."
Wherein Michael McIntyre explains how Americans adapted English to their needs. With examples:
Back when the Washington Post had an owner/publisher who dared to stand up to a president:
Prime video is carrying the documentary. If you watch it, I suggest watching the Spielberg film "The Post" afterwards. There is currently a free copy (type "the post full movie" in the YouTube search box) on YouTube (or you can rent it on YouTube, on Prime & [I think] on Hulu). Near the end, Daniel Ellsberg (played by Matthew Rhys), says "I was struck in fact by the way President Johnson's reaction to these revelations was [that they were] 'close to treason,' because it reflected to me the sense that what was damaging to the reputation of a particular administration or a particular individual was in itself treason, which is very close to saying, 'I am the state.'" Sound familiar?
Out with the Black. In with the White. New York Times: “Lester Holt, the veteran NBC newscaster and anchor of the 'NBC Nightly News' over the last decade, announced on Monday that he will step down from the flagship evening newscast in the coming months. Mr. Holt told colleagues that he would remain at NBC, expanding his duties at 'Dateline,' where he serves as the show’s anchor.... He said that he would continue anchoring the evening news until 'the start of summer.' The network did not immediately name a successor.” ~~~
~~~ New York Times: “MSNBC said on Monday that Jen Psaki, the former White House press secretary who has become one of the most prominent hosts at the network, would anchor a nightly weekday show in prime time. Ms. Psaki, 46, will host a show at 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, replacing Alex Wagner, a longtime political journalist who has anchored that hour since 2022, according to a memo to staff from Rebecca Kutler, MSNBC’s president. Ms. Wagner will remain at MSNBC as an on-air correspondent. Rachel Maddow, MSNBC’s biggest star, has been anchoring the 9 p.m. hour on weeknights for the early days of ... [Donald] Trump’s administration but will return to hosting one night a week at the end of April.”
New York Times: “Joy Reid’s evening news show on MSNBC is being canceled, part of a far-reaching programming overhaul orchestrated by Rebecca Kutler, the network’s new president, two people familiar with the changes said. The final episode of Ms. Reid’s 7 p.m. show, 'The ReidOut,' is planned for sometime this week, according to the people, who were not authorized to speak publicly. The show, which features in-depth interviews with politicians and other newsmakers, has been a fixture of MSNBC’s lineup for the past five years. MSNBC is planning to replace Ms. Reid’s program with a show led by a trio of anchors: Symone Sanders Townsend, a political commentator and former Democratic strategist; Michael Steele, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee; and Alicia Menendez, the TV journalist, the people said. They currently co-host 'The Weekend,' which airs Saturday and Sunday mornings.” MB: In case you've never seen “The Weekend,” let me assure you it's pretty awful. ~~~
~~~ AP Update: "Joy Reidis leaving MSNBC, the network’s new president announced in a memo to staff on Monday, marking an end to the political analyst and anchor’s prime time news show."
Y! Entertainment: "Meanwhile, [Alex] Wagner will also be removed from her 9 pm weeknight slot. Wagner has already been working as a correspondent after Rachel Maddow took over hosting duties during ... Trump’s first 100 days in office. It’s now expected that Wagner will not return as host, but is expected to stay on as a contributor. Jen Psaki, President Biden’s former White House press secretary, is a likely replacement for Wagner, though a decision has not been finalized." MB: In fairness to Psaki, she is really too boring to watch. On the other hand, she is White. ~~~
~~~ RAS: "So MSNBC is getting rid of both of their minority evening hosts. Both women of color who are not afraid to call out the truth. Outspoken minorities don't have a long shelf life in the world of our corporate news media."
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts. — Anonymous
A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves. — Edward R. Murrow
Publisher & Editor: Marie Burns
I have a Bluesky account now. The URL ishttps://bsky.app/profile/marie-burns.bsky.social . When Reality Chex goes down, check my Bluesky page for whatever info I am able to report on the status of Reality Chex. If you can't access the URL, I found that I could Google Bluesky and ask for Marie Burns. Google will include links to accounts for people whose names are, at least in part, Maria Burns, so you'll have to tell Google you looking only for Marie.
I came across mention of this bit while searching reviews of Conan O'Brien's new TBS show. This clip is from Conan's old NBC show, & is part of his reaction to the writers' strike:
... Naturally, the original vid was unavailable on NBC & YouTube, so the site where I finally dug it up explained it like so: "Conan O'Brien, faute de writers, décide de chanter une chanson d'Elvis pour divertir son public...et il le fait plutôt bien." I liked that even better. ...
... A friend writes, "I can never hear that song without chuckling at the fact that Bill Monroe was so miffed that Elvis covered his song at such an up-tempo, that he re-recorded Blue Moon of Kentucky and set the metronome just a tad faster than even Elvis' version. I guess that showed him who was boss!" So here's Bill Monroe singing it the way he writ it & in its up-tempo incarnation:
But Elvis did know how to sing it Bill Monroe's way (played over various early Elvis clips):
And here's the version you'll remember, recorded at Sun Records in 1954:
Paul Krugmancouldn't be more disgusted with the draft proposal presented by the chairmen of the catfood commission. After lambasting it's major provisions, he concludes, "The deficit commission should be told to fold its tents and go away." ...
... CW: in The New Republic, economist Dean Bakerteaches Econ 101 to Simpson & Bowles (and, frankly, to me, too). Baker excoriates the Catfood Boys on a number of basic, basic points, but this one stands out: Social Security is none of their goddamned business.
... Jackie Calmes of the New York Times: "By putting deep spending cuts and substantial tax increases on the table, President Obama’s bipartisan debt-reduction commission has exposed fissures in both parties.... Among Democrats, liberals are in near revolt against the White House over the issue, even as substantive and political forces push Mr. Obama to attack chronic deficits in a serious way. At the same time, Republicans face intense pressure from their conservative base and the Tea Party movement to reject any deal that includes tax increases, leaving their leaders with little room to maneuver in any negotiation and at risk of being blamed by voters for not doing their part." ...
... ** Steve Kornacki of Salon: the public doesn't really care about the deficit; never has. It's a Repubican talking point that Republicans, including Republicans who call themselves independents, parrot.
Ariana Eunjung Cha of the Washington Post: "Frustrated by the banks' response to the foreclosure mess, a growing number of public officials - including chief judges, attorneys general and sheriffs from jurisdictions big and small - are pushing the boundaries of their powers to slow down foreclosures in their areas." CW: it is just shocking that local sheriffs & judges must do this job because the federal government won't do it. The result, of course, is a completely slapdash, iniquitous method of handling foreclosures. Fire HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. Please.
Ezra Klein of the Washington Post finds another reason to despise Joe Lieberman: Lieberman's "incoherent intransigence" in killing what would have been a popular and cost-effective plan to allow 55+-year-olds to buy into Medicare probably cost Democrats seats in the midterm elections.
Perry Bacon of the Washington Post: "Democratic activists Thursday sharply criticized White House officials after a published report indicated that President Obama is likely to back a temporary extension of tax cuts for households with income over $250,000 a year."
Rachel Maddow interviews Jon Stewart (the full interview, runs 50 min.):
... James Poniewozik of Time: "I was disappointed that so much of Maddow's questioning — like the earlier complaints from Keith Olbermann and Bill Maher — boiled down to: 'But the other guys are worse, right? Say that they're worse than we are.'"
In GQ, Wil Hyltontries to write a positive piece on Attorney General Eric Holder. Hylton presents Holder as conflicted over the concessions he has made to political expediency. CW: but it's impossible not to see Holder as a sell-out.
Cindy McCain, wife of Sen. John McCain, participates in a campaign against bullying gay teens:
... as Ben Smithnotes, "This is pretty sharp language. [Cindy] McCain isn't just opposing the [DADT] law -- she's attacking the politicians who support it." CW: one of those "politicians who support it"; in fact, the leading opponent to repeal is John McCain. ...
Katy Steinmetz of Time: Niccolò Machiavelliassesses the midterms.
Mitch McConnell -- Even Worse than You Thought. The editors of the Louisville Courier-Journal read Dubya's book & find that in September 2006, even as he was excoriating Senate Democrats for asking the President to reduce troop levels in Iraq, McConnell privately urged Bush to bring home some troops to reduce the risk of Repubicans losing seats. "This incident," the editors write, "This incident, which Sen. McConnell's office has not denied, shines brightly on the contemptible hypocrisy and obsessive partisanship that have come to mark the senator's time in office."
Charlie Savage of the New York Times finds another Bush "misremembery" in Decision Points. Bush claims he "... resolved that I would not pardon anyone who went outside the formal channels." But Savage notes that Bush pardoned at least five people "who had gained special access to the White House," one of which he rescinded when it became a huge embarrassment.
Robert Mackey of the New York Times: "An English politician was arrested on Thursday for joking on Twitter that a columnist he disagreed with should be stoned to death. Gareth Compton, a 38-year-old member of Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party who serves in local government in Birmingham, was suspended by the party following his arrest...." CW: a certain former governor & current reality TV star had better not move to England where her incendiary language could earn her a place in gaol.
Our Miss Brooks is even more asinine than usual -- and Brooks is consistently asinine -- today. Here, in his own words, is his plan for saving the economy: "We now need a movement transcendent of partisan cliques and organized around a broad revitalization agenda and love of country."
The Constant Weader comments:
I don't think I have seen such nonsense in a New York Times column since way back on Wednesday when Maureen Dowdturned her column over to her (perhaps fictional) brother Kevin. (You can read my comment on Dowd's column here [#6].) But Kevin, if he's a real-life person, does not get paid to know what he's talking about. You do, Brooks, and like the deficit commission you trumpet, you are not earning your paycheck.
Case in point. It's nothing short of stunning that you could make your fingers type, "The report from the chairmen lists some of the best ways to raise revenue and cut spending." This isn’t a wrong-headed opinion. It’s a flat-out misstatement of fact. The catfood commission chairmen's proposal is a disgusting, duplicitous plan to redistribute the wealth upward. Nothing could be worse for our economy. Nothing could do more to bring on the doomsday scenario that you have envisioned than to turn all but a few Americans into serfs who will die when they get sick or old for want of a safety net. The chairmen's draft proposal is so Dickensian that I am at a loss for words adequate to condemn it.
Your solution, on the other hand, is something I would expect to hear from a dimwitted beauty pageant contestant. And here I mean one of the losers, not the winner, who would have to come up with something better than "patriotism" as her idea of solving the nation's economic problems.
"Revived patriotism"? That's your plan? What will get us out of this economic mess is millions of serfs waving tiny American flags made in China and purchased at the Walton family store? Maybe there's still time to go back to your computer & write another column, Mr. Brooks. This one is, as Nancy Pelosisaid of the Alan & Erskine show, "simply unacceptable."
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