Open Thread

11 Comments

1. 

   Jerry11W on August 26, 2015 at 2:40 pm

   Realize that when the latest gun-fueled tragedy is splashed across the headlines, a whole raft of other issues disappear off the news.  It’s not hard to imagine that some players in our political system like it that way.  Maybe they even promote policies that make it more likely.

   • 

     Jerry11W on August 26, 2015 at 2:42 pm
2. 

   Salunga on August 26, 2015 at 2:54 pm

      Ratings gun violence sells. Can’t make a profit without a nut with a gun. Better yet a jet or drone with a bomb.

3. 

   Raypc800 on August 26, 2015 at 3:11 pm

   Want a little change in topic you all should go and check out the numerous wildfires that are burning in Washington State. The first time since I have lived here (Besides Mount St. Helens) there was smoke and ash around here in Vancouver, Washington two days ago. Hope it rains here soon we need it bad.

   • 

     dww44 on August 26, 2015 at 11:47 pm

     I hope it does rain there soon, mainly for your sake, but for all our sakes.  As miserable as our high humidity and hot summers are, we don’t have forest fires of any consequence here on the diagonaly opposite side of the country from where you are.

4. 

   on August 26, 2015 at 4:41 pm

   Really, the redstate piece on Trump is the best I have read.
   As most know by now, Trump threw a Univision reporter out of his press conference.
   What follows is comedy gold from Leon Wolf at redstate

   The next reporter’s question, naturally, was, “Why did you have him thrown out?” Amazingly, Trump responded to this question, I’m not kidding, by answering, “I didn’t have him thrown out, you’ll have to ask security, whoever they are.” When reporters pressed him with the obvious fact that the person who had him removed was on his staff (he appeared to be wearing a Trump button even, but I can’t swear to that), he immediately changed his tune to say that it was because the reporter was a “highly emotional person,” with no mention of the fact that 30 seconds earlier he had been denying that he had Ramos thrown out at all.

   But this is even better:

   Watching Donald Trump speak and answer questions, though, is like watching a billion targets appear in the sky all at once, for a political opponent. Each thing he says is so bizarre, or ill informed, or demonstrably false, or un presidential in tone or character, that it becomes impossible to know which target to lock on to or focus on. And to the extent that he makes a policy statement, it is so hopelessly vague and ludicrous that it’s impossible to know where to begin, at least within the context of the 30-second soundbite that the modern political consumer requires (and chances are, he will say something diametrically opposed to it before the press conference is over anyway).

   • 

     Shaun Appleby on August 26, 2015 at 5:06 pm

     Fully recanted. It’s like watching baboons play with a taser.

5. 

   centerfielddj on August 26, 2015 at 11:07 pm

   This seems particularly relevant these days:

   http://genius.com/Paddy-chayefsky-network-i-want-angry-shows-annotated

   Diana: “…Look, I sent you all a concept analysis report yesterday. Did any of you read it? Well, in a nutshell, it said, ‘The American people are turning sullen. They’ve been clobbered on all sides by Vietnam, Watergate, the inflation, the depression. They’ve turned off, shot up, and they’ve fucked themselves limp and nothing helps.’ So this concept analysis report concludes, ‘The American people want somebody to articulate their rage for them.’ I’ve been telling you people since I took this job six months ago that I want angry shows. I don’t want conventional programming on this network. I want counter-culture. I want anti-establishment. (She shut the door)

   I don’t want to play butch boss with you people. But when I took over this department, it had the worst programming record in television history. This network hasn’t one show in the top 20. This network is an industry joke. We better start putting together one winner for next September. I want a show developed, based on the activities of a terrorist group. ‘Joseph Stalin and his Merry Band of Bolsheviks.’ I want ideas from you people. That is what you’re paid for. And, by the way, the next time I send an audience research report around, you’d all better read it or I’ll sack the fucking lot of you, is that clear?”

6. 

   Neildsmith on August 27, 2015 at 5:58 am

   The media just gets more awful every day.  Now they kill each other on live TV.  Good grief.  

7. 

   janicket on August 27, 2015 at 10:59 am

   Hey, look on the bright side!  A story like this should keep Trump out of the headlines for at least a day, maybe two!

   Until someone asks him what he thinks about it, anyway.

8. 

   henryhill015 on August 27, 2015 at 11:04 pm

   Good idea!

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   Sandsaver