DRW50

One of my aunt's friends called her, upset, about the synagogue shootings, as she realized she knew one of the victims. It just reminds me that as these shootings get more and more commonplace, they will start to become less of tragedies we hear on the news and more people who have been a part of our lives.

Brazil just elected a far right bigot as President, a man who hates all the right people. He may also help push us completely into suicide mode as a planet, as he wants to gut the rain forests (what's left of them anyway). I was on Twitter and some of the top tweets I saw were from someone saying it was all Steve Bannon's work as Bannon has ties to this man. All I could think was yet again Americans make everything about themselves. From what I've read Brazil has many reasons why they've turned to such dangerous territory.

This has nothing to do with current politics but it's a really fascinating "guerrilla footage" type look at things during the Ford Presidency. The last half, with the focus on DC society, is especially interesting.

I found this tumblr that has a lot of old Roseanne content (sadly the only real posts on tumblr about the show now are far right memes...ugh). They have some old Halloween photos. I'd almost forgotten how much I enjoyed the early Halloween episodes. http://rabbittroop4ever.tumblr.com/post/11487062802/they-always-had-such-amazing-costumes-on-roseanne http://rabbittroop4ever.tumblr.com/post/11561328879/roseannes-halloween-awesomeness-part-2

I forgot to say how much I enjoyed a few of Becky's lines in this episode, like when she said she was getting a mobile home with a tree she could cling to when the tornado hit, and when she said she too was looking forward to meeting the sober Becky. Lecy Goranson has such a unique delivery - it can be very rough at times but when it works it really works. It's one of the things that makes the show feel different.

It is still one of the higher-rated ABC shows, you're right.

I finally watched this today. Pretty good. The dialogue is razor-sharp, great one-liners. Sometimes you can tell a little too clearly that you're hearing zingers rather than real people talking, but that feels like a small complaint to make. The Darlene and Becky stories felt like they were edited in from two separate episodes. Becky's storyline is clearly going to be ongoing. The scenes with Dan catching her drinking felt much more like the old Roseanne. That doesn't mean it was better, just that it reminded me more of the old show's tone and style. John Goodman didn't seem as frail in this episode, and he nailed many of his very funny lines (my favorite was the one when DJ told him that it's never too late to get healthier, and he said, yes, it is too late). His scene with David at the end was priceless - it's still impressive to me how quickly Johnny Galecki gets back into the character all these years later. I'm more invested in the David and Darlene dramas (which had some beautifully written dramatic interludes here) than Darlene with her kids, but the scenes with Darlene and Harris really really work. Their scene with Jackie was probably my favorite in the episode - her line about the Conner women having such wit that leaves them bitter and alone was perfectly delivered. So was her line about the wonders of living with Bev. They still seem to not really know what to do with DJ, or his wife (who has more interaction with Darlene then her husband - of course Darlene is the central character), but the Mamma Mia bit was funny. Michael Fishman still works best as the kid brother Darlene and Becky needle. I'm disappointed, if not surprised, about the ratings. I guess whatever happens happens. I'll keep enjoying the show for now.

I was just watching an old documentary from during Gerald Ford's Presidency, and saw all the crowds out who had little to say about him but basically supported him just because he was the President. One little old lady said all the Presidents are special. I thought to myself - can anyone ever say that again after Trump? We already saw the hardening and contempt toward the office from Clinton on but I think Trump has permanently destroyed the office for many. I see that he is upset the mail bombs have distracted from his wonderful message. I wonder if any of the press is still waiting for him to have his "moment" and show his "stature." He can barely even keep his eyes open.

After reading about how early voting is going to Republicans in Nevada and Florida, I hope people are listening to him. It often feels like people never do until its too late. The media is going wild finding ways to tell us there is no wave. Politico had some bizarre article up from the Charlotte suburbs to that effect. I doubt anyone expected change there.

You'll be shocked to learn people are already working overtime to claim this is all a plant and that the stickers are too fresh, even though various people on social media have mentioned or shown photos of the van going back to last year.

I think it depends on the man and on the Republican who is running. I think Biden would have only won the White House in 2016 - the electorate that year was just right for his tough guy routine and his charm. Even then he might not have won, but it's the only year I think it could have happened. I don't know if Kerry could have won in any year. I think we're at the point with the right where a woman or a minority male Republican could get the nomination and beat a white male Democrat, as long as they are insane, sexist, insane, anti-abortion, insane, contemptuous of poor people, insane, homophobic, insane, xenophobic, insane, and racist. Whether that is a sign of progress or a sign that truly depraved self-destruction now conquers all, I don't know. Speaking of Avenatti: https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/25/politics/julie-swetnick-justice-department-judiciary-committee/index.html

They probably know that if they stick with Trump they will get sweeteners to help bail them out, even if the public gets screwed over. I keep reading that what we're doing to China is a big reason for our slump, because they're slumping. Yet no one in the White House (no one with any voice anyway) saw this coming, or cared. They don't care about anything but themselves and their nihilism and bigotry.

I believe it, to be honest, but it's already come out that NBC likely twisted the data to suit their Republican agenda. The firm that provides the data complained on Twitter.

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/far-right-says-bomb-threats-false-flag-democrats The media will push this too, most likely.

What a monstrous hypocrite Jeff Zucker is. Words didn't matter to him when he was cheering Trump in 2016. He has no room to say anything.

True. I know it was a big struggle for Reagan. Trump's people make his staff look like they were from The West Wing.

I'm torn between agreeing with those who say this is a mental decline and wondering if he has always been like this and it's just been well hidden.

This isn't the first time he's done that.

If anything all of this is likely to make them even more beholden, as they seem to have intractable ties with the GOP now. The amount of time they have spent in the last few years carrying water for literal Nazis is astonishing.

If it's happening to anyone who is not a far right extremist then conservatives won't care and neither will the media.

The sad truth is I think that a lot of people just never will care when this happens to Democrats - I think many on the left see it as part of the process and many others aren't ginned up to care because the press doesn't make them, as the press hates Democrats and liberals anyway (unless they are "good" Democrats who agree with Republicans). There will be more upset over Mitch McConnell being heckled in a restaurant. I have a feeling Republicans are already out there saying that Democrats are doing this to themselves for sympathy.

This channel may have some. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDFFoMg4Avrx4EeNdkEyzdQ

Speaking of Dark Shadows, here's a recent Marie Wallace interview.

A recent Marie Wallace interview.