Khan

So, I followed Vee's advice/nudging and read the darned thing. First of all, I'm not convinced the NYT op-ed was written by one person. The paper’s editorial staff says it was. I dunno, maybe it was. Or maybe, one was selected from the group to “fall on the grenade,” as it were, and present it to them as its' sole author. Regardless, reading it gave me "Virgin Suicides" vibes, so if Trump is determined to uncover the author's identity, all I can say is, best of luck. Do I disagree with the arguments that the op-ed presents? Of course not. But I also found the op-ed to be self-serving — an act of covering one’s ass — rather than the Norma Rae-esque act of defiance this individual, or these individuals, probably wanted us to view it as. You're absolutely right, DD: in a way, these “resistors” ARE worse than your average Trump supporters, because they KNOW the man is dangerously unfit for office, yet they refuse to take the steps necessary to have him removed. ("We don't want a constitutional crisis." Well, WTH do you think this administration has been from the start?) Admitting they know he is incompetent does not, in any way, absolve them of anything; and the good they THINK they've been able to do in spite of his authoritarian impulses...? Well, as the saying goes, let's just agree to disagree, and then move on. So, here's my bigger question: is the writer -- whether male or female, one person or actually several -- naive enough to believe his/her/their identity will never be exposed? Or was the decision to remain anonymous, in fact, part of an agenda, along with writing the letter itself, to sow the seeds of even more chaos within an already frustrated regime and ultimately, send the president, or at least those working closest to him, packing? If it's the latter, then what does THAT say about the overall moral character of the Trump administration? That a man who was once host of a "reality" series that encouraged its participants to "win at all costs," week after week, has now brought the same sense of cutthroat gamesmanship to a far more influential group who, in many cases, are the only ones separating the rest of us from total annihilation; and that, while the nefariousness he endorsed on "The Apprentice" and its spinoffs is very well leading to his own undoing as this nation's chief executive, it is also creating a dangerous precedent for administrations to come? To put it another way: "Is this just a game to you, people?" Sigh. I dunno. The more I sit on this, the more it seems to disagree with the little man in my stomach, to quote Edward G. Robinson's character in "Double Indemnity." Of course, I could be way off-base, this whole matter blows over by tomorrow, and we're onto the next dog whistle. On the other hand, Trump is already demanding the NYT turn over the letter-writer to the government "at once," setting the stage for a battle between the president and the fourth estate over the right to protect the identity of anonymous sources in the pursuit of news. So, this could get really ugly, really fast. Furthermore, I'm not liking the timing of the editorial’s publication. Nothing in the article suggests it couldn't have been published last month, six months ago, or last year. Yet, here it is, as hot and ready as a Little Caesars pizza, as Trump's designated "enemy of the people," the American press, remains under siege, and with full publication of Bob Woodward's book mere days away. To the person (or persons) responsible for writing that piece, my advice would be thus: whether or not you intend to remain invisible, know that you will be found out. Nothing and no one stays hidden forever; and in the meantime, your fearless leader will leave no proverbial stone unturned until he finds you (or finds someone to rat you out). Heads, as they say, will roll. If you don't have a contingency plan, get one. And to anyone in the entertainment and/or publishing industries who will, no doubt, entice the author(s) with lucrative deals of one kind or another, my advice would be to think twice. Trump is a loathsome human being, but so is the person (or persons) who would expose even an imbecilic tyrant to the light of public scrutiny, especially when they won't even leave their name(s) at the sound of the beep. Don't let this individual profit from their cowardice. This is me, giving my fiercest "WAKANDA FOREVER" salute.

Yeah, I think he was referring to her admission that she had retired from acting, not that she was outing the men who basically forced her into it.

ICAM. IOW, you want everyone to agree with you.

"At war with the establishment"? Oh, please. "The establishment" has proven they will kiss Trump's ring like everyone else. If TrumpCo. is actually scared of "the establishment," then they must not be paying attention. Sure, he might be fuming about Woodward's book at the moment, but because he has one of the shortest attention spans on record, he'll be over his butt-hurt by the time I finish typ -- and oh, look, he's over it already. Like I've said before, if you really want to destroy this man's ego, implying that he's incompetent and dangerous won't do it. It might sting him a lil' bit, but that's all. No, if you REALLY want to ring his chimes, so to speak, tell him he ain't rich. THAT will be the kind of hurt that lasts with him. Either way, I'm not reading it. I don't care what anyone within the administration has to say at this point. Anonymous, or not. If they aren't working to get that man removed from office (and sent away to a mental health facility), then they're just part of the trash that's way past needing to be taken out. Look, I'm no fan of Alex Jones', but if he wanted to pick a fight with a Congressman, he should have chosen a worthier target than Marco [!@#$%^&*] Rubio.

I thought running into a bunch of annoying teenagers would do the opposite.

Yep.

I'm sure the right will bring up "Wired" as a means of discrediting this book.

Was this the same pastor who groped Ariana Grande? Unfortunately, I've attended several Black funerals where the pastor(s) responsible for the eulogy took it upon himself to speak out on things that did not pertain to the occasion at hand. There's a difference between a sermon and a eulogy. However, some don't seem to understand that. I understand that Aretha wasn't just anybody -- but, honestly, her service was much too long.

But, on the plus side, it's renewed my love for Carly Simon's music.

That's my opinion as well. Even JER, who was supposedly a master at that kind of storytelling, burned out eventually. His second run at DAYS was about as godawful as it could get.

I think Ellen Dolan quit GL, because she was uncomfortable playing stepmother to someone (Rick/Michael O'Leary) who wasn't that much older than she.

But numbers always have a way of trending upward again. (Unless we're talking about soap opera ratings, of course. They're the Weebles that DO fall down.)

I'm disappointed, of course, but I'm not surprised. Filth like that will take any and every opportunity to grab some of the spotlight. But I trust the power of Mother Franklin's voice to repel all demons in the name of Jesus. Aaaaaaaaaand it's still going. Y'all, I know we lost a nat'l treasure, the likes of which we will never see again. But the point of these things is not to wait around and see if the dead will come back. #WrapItUp

If I know my Black funerals, they'll still be there a week from today.

Now that is truly sickening.

ICAM.

Forgive me, y'all, but I am not here for "Ariana Grande Does Aretha."

It just irks me how Goutman REFUSED to alter his ridiculous vision for Craig to fit the actor who freaking originated the role.

I'll say! It's embarrassing af!

Frankly, Beverlee McKinsey's shadow loomed too large even for the likes of Joan Collins. Now, had they brought on JC to play a Von Halkein, or maybe one of Brandon's or Alan's former paramours from Europe, I think she would have done tremendous things for the show, and for its' ratings.

Yes.

Gives new meaning to the words "Chain of Fools," lol.

"Serve their time"? What "time" has Louis C.K. "served" besides having to walk around in public for awhile in a pair of dark sunglasses and a cheap wig? Unless and until he does actual time in an actual jail, he won't be getting a pass from me.

Well, you know what I say...?

Needless to say, I'm glad to see the GOP incumbents ousted in my state. I won't get my hopes up TOO high, but I do think the fiasco over teacher pay raises was the last straw for many. We're losing teachers at an alarming rate.