Accentuate The Positive, Eliminate The Negative*

First up at eliminating the negative, Don Lemon.  As most of our regular readers know, we go where no one else dares to go.  So, we got an inside look at the training that Don Lemon received, before he got back on the air.  And, just in case you didn't know, Don Lemon is a Talking Head for CNN.  He's been on various CNN shows over the years and all have had terrible ratings, even by CNN standards.  In his latest recasting, he's on a morning show that no one watches but while he's there he has taken to yelling at his female co-hosts, both on and off the air.  Last week, he made a really bad faux pas and actually drew heat from all corners of the Mass Hysteria.  So, CNN sent him on a long weekend and then let it be known that he won't be back until he gets the proper training.  CNN is not going to let one of their employees mansplain and disrespect women.  Like we said, we go where all others fear to tread.  So, we hacked into his laptop and here is the training.

'I will not yell at or say nasty things about women.  

I will not yell at or say nasty things about women.  

I will not yell at or say nasty things about women.'  

We're going to cut it short here, as he has to sit in his Boss Chris Licht's office and write this 500 times a day, every day and you get the picture.

And, South Park the infamous cartoon show has viciously taken on Meghan and Harry or as we like to refer to them as Megharry.  In the spirit of Bennifer and Brangelina, other names given to star crossed media couples.  But South Park has trashed them unmercifully and there are reports that Meghan is furious and even thinking of ways to sue South Park.  But our sources tell us that Meghan and Harry sit on the couch every night and actually watch that episode over and over again with Meghan squealing.  "That's us!  That's us!  They're talking about us!"  Then they rush upstairs to the bedroom.  Sometimes they don't quite make it to the bedroom and the stairs or even a random chair will suffice.  

So, as you can see here with Megharry, sometimes what people perceive as a negative, is really a positive.

And yes that's Paige Spiranac at the top of the page.  She's a golf influencer.  As you can see, she's got a golf club in her hands.  She was a top golfer in college but she couldn't quite make it onto the LPGA tour and before any of you make snarky comments, try to realize you couldn't either.  And, that goes for you guys out there too.  Even if the LPGA gave you a shot at their tour, you wouldn't make it.  But Paige has gone on to give golf tips and be an all round influencer and social media star.  And, we added her here, so we could begin and end this article, on a positive note.

Dicens simile factum est

Pro Bono Publico

* Johnny Mercer

Quiz Time!

Every once in a while we like to have a quiz, just to see if everyone is paying attention.  So, here goes.

1. China sending spy balloons over the United States was a stupid thing for them to do because..

A. They already have satellites and satellites do a much better job.

B. They could have used Google Maps that already have very detailed images of the same areas.

C. There are better ways to drop off, take out menus.

D. All of the above.

E. A and B.

2. President Old Brains did not order the Communist China balloon to be shot down because.

A. He still thinks he's a Senator from Delaware and had no idea he could.

B. He was told he couldn't and thinking he was just the Vice President, he thought that made sense.

C. He thought it might hit somebody when it came down.

D. He went into the Situation Room deep in the bowels of the White House to order the balloon to be shot down but when he walked into that room, he forgot why he was there.

E.  None of the above.

F. All of the above.

3. Alex Murdaugh is on trial for

A. Absconding with Church funds.

B. He was the leader of the J6 cabal.

C. Murdering his son and wife.

D. Making balloons for Communist China.

E. All of the above.

F. None of the above.

4. Alex Murdaugh is innocent because.

A. As some Defense Attorney's have said, on the many TV shows and websites that are covering this, why would he do this?

B. He has an alibi.

C. There was no blood on his clothes.

D. He's not.  

Answers.  For every correct answer give yourself 25 points.

Question 1.  The correct answer is A and B.  If you picked C that one has been in the news a lot.  We didn't print that here as we think it's a little xenophobic but you may have read that more than once.  So, if you picked C, give yourself 5 points.  And, it's funny.

Question 2. Now this one is tough because Old Brains has referred to himself more than a few times as the Senator from Delaware and the Vice President when he is the President.  He also said recently that when they announce "The President of The United States", he looks around thinking where is that guy?  So, both A and B would be correct.  He also said C, so that would be correct.  And, he obviously has senior moments, so D could be correct.  And, the real problem is the whole decision process here, would be marked classified and all the records will be filled away for fifty years.  So, unless we can gain access to Old Brains garage or bathroom, there is no way to know which answer is correct.  So, as long as you picked an answer give yourself 25 points.  If you left this blank, go back and fill it in and give yourself 25 points.

Question 3.  The correct answer is C and if you missed this one, you must be living under a rock.

Question 4. Anytime someone says.  "Why would I do that?"  It means they did it.  So, when defense attorneys starting asking.  "Why would he do it?"  It means, they know he did it.  Alex Murdaugh's alibi is falling apart, as the trial progresses.  When you shoot someone with a rifle you're usually more than a few feet away.  That's the whole idea of using a rifle.  So, why anyone would think the shooter would have blood all over him, is a mystery.  So, the correct answer is D.  He did it.

If you got a 100, you're a winner!  We intended to send all the winners a voucher for a full tank of gas but inflation being what it is and the price of gas being what it is and the economy being what it is, we really can't afford to.  But you have our congratulations and the knowledge that you really know what's going on in this world.  Take a bow.

Dicens simile factum est

Pro Bono Publico

Roy Wilkins

Roy Wilkins was a Civil Rights leader from the 1930's through 1970's.  He held various executive positions in the NAACP.  If there was a strike like the Pullman Porters or a march or some kind of a Civil Rights demonstration, he was there.  Roy Wilkins was also a reporter and later Editor of various publications and if anyone was needed to testify before Congress, talk to a President or go on TV to speak about dismantling Segregation and promoting Civil Rights, he was the guy.  So, back in the 1960's if you turned on one of the many News/Discussion programs on a Sunday Morning, he'd be one of them.  One other little fact, by the 1960's, Roy Wilkins lived in the Borough of Queens.  The Borough of Queens is home to the two major airports of New York City and if you had to travel around as much as he did, it's the perfect place to live.

Now Queens in the 1960's is much more rural place than it is now.  Queens was originally populated by farms, cemeteries and golf courses but by 1960's it was a place of private homes and garden apartment complexes.  There were no big buildings like you might see today as you travel through on your way to and from the airports.  There were still a lot of empty spaces and we even had a few farms in the eastern part of the Borough.  And, the world is a different place back then.  There is no cable TV or internet, no Tik Tok, no social media.  There is no color TV.  It's all in black and white.  Now in New York City we had six channels, but other parts of the country, only had three channels or even less.  So, the number of people who are on TV are much smaller group than now.  And, you never see in real life, anyone who you see on TV.  At least not in Queens.  Maybe if you live in Manhattan, you'd see some actors or TV people on the street but I lived in Queens.

So, this is like 1966 and I'm walking up Union Turnpike one night and I'm doing that because I'm 16 years old and when you're 16, you have a lot on your mind, like playing ball and girls and school and stuff that bewilders your little 16 year old mind and I'm probably talking to myself too. And, Union Turnpike is deserted with hardly anyone walking on the street and here and there a passing car, maybe.  And, then I see this guy walking towards me and as he draws close, I see he's Roy Wilkins.

Now like I said, you don't see people who you see on TV in real life and Roy Wilkins is the first person I've ever seen, who I've seen on TV.  And, as we draw close he smiles and says.  "Good Evening."  And, I'm like really stunned because I'm 16 and I know what's going on in the world and he's famous, so at first I can't even speak.  But I manage to find my voice and we exchange pleasantries like two neighbors and then we go our separate ways.  And, I'm also struck by how wise and dignified he is.  I mean if you look at the pictures of him you can see it but up close and personal it was even more so.  He looked like what the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court should look like but usually doesn't.  Or a guy who you would climb a mountain to ask about the meaning of life, would look like.  It was far more than him being older or the white hair.  It was something that went deep, soul deep, some intrinsic quality.  It was impenetrable, indominable.

Now think for a moment of all the insults and the names and the vitriol that must have been directed towards him, in his life.  Like I said he's at the forefront of every major demonstration or march that the Civil Rights movement ever had.  He didn't have to imagine someone might have said something racist, those people were right there, up close, personal and in his face.  He must have heard every racial epithet anyone could ever think of, hurled at him.  And, yet there he was in his mid 60's seeing some young kid, talking to himself and he probably remembered being 16 and talking to himself and he's kind, congenial, wise, neighborly and like I said, he had that dignity, that impenetrable, indominable dignity.

And, this brings us to an old adage and the moral of the story here which is.  You can't disrespect a man who respects himself.  And, no matter what insult or invective or trash someone tried to heap upon Roy Wilkins head, it never made a dent.

Dicens simile factum est

Pro Bono Publico

Somebody Said... OMG!

We've sort of been wondering why everyone gets so upset over somebody said... whatever.  We mean certain people in the government have spent all kinds of time, that we pay for, to stop certain people and certain things from being said.  Either on the TV, radio, the internet in general and social media in specific.  And, the Barons of Social Media have assigned all manner of personnel, spent God knows what amount of time with all kinds of algorithms to censor what someone, might say.  We wonder about this because %99.9999999 and we'll stop with the 9s here as we have just so much room for the rest of the column but you get the picture.  Almost everything, anyone, ever said, in the history of the human race, is all forgotten almost as quickly as it was spoken or written down and read. Perhaps something lingers for a few hours in your mind or even a day but the rest of it?  Oh yes, there are famous quotes but that's just it, they are famous because they hit on something that is intrinsic to our existence and has meaning.  And, well, you can put all those quotes in a single volume.  Measure that against the rest of the voluminous verbiage that comes out of the rest of us, all of which just goes... poof.  Unless we're wrong and you can remember what you said last Tuesday.  Or remember what most anyone else said, last Tuesday.

Oh yes, people get offended.  Certain words, certain phrases, certain subjects OMG, no this is double OMG!! if there ever was.  And, as all our regular readers know double OMG!! is the absolute end of it all.  But when people get offended and we're not entirely sure what happens when this happens, as we have to strike whatever offended from the record, least anyone hear it, or read it and get offended!  But what happens?  We mean, if they happen to hear it or read it and get offended?

And, does anyone, ever, recover from being offended?  Or does it haunt them all their days and then they die?

BTW, who in their right mind has the expectation of getting up tomorrow morning, and then going through the rest of their days without being offended?  To you, whoever you are, we say, good luck.

We can think of many answers as to why somebody gets so upset over what someone said or might say  but then we could be wrong, God forbid.  We might just be tilting at windmills too and besides in this journalism thingy, we're just supposed to ask the questions.

Dicens simile factum est

Pro Bono Publico.