I figured out Trump, and I’m not angry anymore

Post author By reeljerc
Post date December 9, 2020
1 Comment on I figured out Trump, and I’m not angry anymore

Riled beyond belief.

That was a daily event for me, but then I figured it out.

Trump’s blatant lies, misinformation campaign, personal attacks, incompetence, prejudice, inability to take responsibility, the list goes on.

But it’s all part of the plan.

Or rather, it’s all part of the show.

Trump will not concede and will continue to be a spectacle. It’s partially narcissism, but mostly customer retention.

He has a captive audience consisting of 10’s of millions of fervent supporters, who are also active American voters.

That’s the reason so many Republican politicians also do not officially recognize Biden’s win. Yet.

Trump’s departure from the White House will be spectacular and a nationally televised event.

Why?

Because it’s theater, drama, it’s good TV.

Do you want to know the secret? What I figured out?

It’s about the money. It’s always been about the money.

Trump donates a quarter of his salary, each fiscal quarter and retains $1 as annual income, because it’s illegal for a president of the USA to work for free.

Fact: Trump is making money from being president.

Visiting USA politicians and foreign dignitaries stay in Trump hotels and resorts. When he travels, he and his substantial entourage stay at Trump properties, at full pop.

Political events take place at Trump properties, including at his inauguration.

In the past, that kind of story would make be blow my top, but not now.

What do addiction professionals say? The first step is recognizing the problem.

I recognize that Trump is about the money, and has always been about the money. So are his kids, because they don’t know anything different.

Everything handed to them, every step of the way. Kinda like Olivia Jade admitting that (to three black women, marketing? just sayin’) she was surprised to learn that she lived in a bubble and discovered recently that she was ‘privileged’.

Give me a break.

Well folks, Donald John Trump also lived in a bubble growing up and had everything handed to him. He did not have to “work his way up”. He’s always been the son of an extremely successful New York real estate developer.

Disclaimer: I am not intimately involved with Trump finance.

Trump, historically claims, that he built his empire from a small one million dollar loan from his father (which in today’s money is more like 140 million). But that number wasn’t necessarily accurate. Trump got closer to $60 million from his dad.

This is from foxbusiness

One of Trump’s greatest tools is irony. He has convinced his supporters that he is fighting the “elites”, when he is the definition of elite. He accuses Biden and Democrats of cheating and stealing the election, while he launches multiple lawsuits, and has the arrogant audacity to tell states to throw out millions of ballots and overturn the election results, just because he wants them to. Which in deed is an actual attempted coup.

Even before election day, he stated that the Supreme Court would decide the result.

All part of the masterful spin this guy has been honing his entire life.

When Trump becomes a civilian again, does anyone, for a second, believe he will not capitalize on his stint in the Presidency?

Speech engagements, Book and TV deals. Plus the extra added value of Trump properties.

Anyone?

Southern District of New York is after him. So what. Those cases are about finance. Fines, whatever.

He’s going to score big in the AfterMarket.

His appearances will be in demand for at least the next four years, or longer if he plays his cards right. Which he will!

It’s a business move.

Speaking of business, did Donald Trump suffer at all from the tell-all book by his niece Mary? Nobody stopped it from being published. It sold very well. Made headlines all over the world.

If it was so defamatory, why hasn’t he sued? He sues (or threatens to anyway) everyone else that paints him in a bad light. Proceeds from the book go to a Trump.

He always promised to treat the Presidency as a business.

Damn. He did.

Politics

Accept it, return to reality, move on

Post author By reeljerc
Post date November 14, 2020
No Comments on Accept it, return to reality, move on

Dear Good People,

I was not thrilled when Trump won in 2016, but I accepted it, a thing some of you refuse to do today.

There has been no proof of widespread, systemic voter fraud, despite what some continue to claim, without presenting any formal, credible evidence. Misleading videos by Project Veritas and James O’Keefe are not proof. Errant video clips of unverified people on YouTube are not proof. Memes on facebook and twitter (and now Parler I suppose) are not proof.

Trump started the “system is rigged” mantra in the 2016 Republican primaries. After losing the Iowa primary, he asserted that Ted Cruz “stole it” (sound familiar).

He continued to vehemently cast doubt on our election process throughout the 2016 campaign, even arrogantly asserting that if he loses it’s because the election is “rigged”, but then he won the nomination and the presidency. So, by his logic, 2016 was not rigged, right?

He only claims an election is rigged when he doesn’t like the result, like in 2012, and it continues today. He continues to consistently make these accusations, without presenting any credible evidence, and sadly many of us believe him.

Presidential Election Table:

2012……..rigged
2016……..not rigged
2020……..rigged

We’re being swindled by possibly the best conman in US history, a master at manipulating the media he purports to despise. The media he convinced us to distrust, for no other reason than they published an unflattering Trump article or a piece that doesn’t push his narrative, or a favorable poll performance.

I’m acutely aware that Trump supporters minds will not change. And respectfully, speaking with some of them is like trying to reason with a sandwich. I suppose many of them hold that same sentiment for Biden supporters.

But that’s not how they refer to Biden’s supporters is it?

No, Trump supporters have an arsenal of colorful language they use to describe anyone that doesn’t share their view.

So how far are we going to allow this culture of suspicion and distrust to go?

There are Republican Secretaries of State publicly stating that there are no indications of widespread, systemic, voter fraud. If we don’t believe them, then Trump has successfully turned the party on itself. Bravo!

Because the only person in the world anyone can believe is Donald J Trump.

The entire Trump administration has been chipping away at basic trust of our Democratic process and honest, reputable journalism since 2016, and ushering in the era of “Alternative facts”. Rumor and conspiracy theories have gone nuclear in this age of the internet and social media, and determining what is real, what is authentic, has become increasingly difficult without the added confusion of constant misleading messaging from the White House.

We can all agree that the system is not perfect, and historically, there have been proven instances of impropriety. But those are exceptions, not the norm.

Until there is solid proof that widespread vote tampering has occurred, it’s an unsubstantiated allegation. But if Trump and his administration has been successful in stripping the last morsel of trust between us, then it doesn’t matter, does it? We won’t believe it anyway.

So brainwashed by anger, fear, prejudice and a constant barrage of mis- and disinformation campaigns. Coupled with an unabashed unwillingness to consider anything other than our own personal opinions.

The view has been completely skewed, and we don’t want to believe anything we see or hear that opposes it. Awash in a sea of artificially manufactured disbelief.

So what now?

What happens when Americans completely lose faith in the instruments that choose our elected officials?

Anarchy? Is that what you want?

I don’t.

Daily Journal Politics

Climate Change

I know, a light subject right?

Q: is the climate changing?

A: yes

Q: how?

A: It’s getting more extreme, and it’s getting a little warmer.

Q: should i be concerned?

A: yes, but more important is being informed. informed on a fact-based level, meaning the details of the thing described are irrefutable.

The earth rotated today (we’d all be abundantly aware if it hadn’t).
Greenland’s ice sheet is melting faster than anytime in 12,000 years.

Things like that.

Conjecture and assertions are not welcome at this point.

The climate is changing, that is irrefutable (evidence)

Global Temperature Rise
Ocean warming
Shrinking Ice Sheets
Glacial Retreat
Decreased Snow Cover
Sea Level Rise
and more…

So it’s definitely happening. But why?

I don’t think anyone definitely knows why.

Did all the exhaust from those carburetor cars from 1886 to somewhere in the 70’s or 80’s help?

No, they did not, but you knew that.

reeljerc: “Hey, I surfed River Jettys in Huntington Beach in the early 70’s, when OC companies were using the Santa Ana River has their own personal hazardous waste dump.

Many a time we came across big brown clumps or whatever the hell it was, while paddling hard to catch set coming in.”

The earth is really fricking old. Most of us were not around for the first 4 billion years. And while I’m a fan of science, I mean a huge fan, how old things are and what happened during those years is a guess.

A very good guess, but a guess just the same.

We, as humans, may have some freaky cellular granular genetic memory thing going on. But we still don’t know what happened before we got here.

So in the 4 billion years before the arrival of humans, it’s possible similar atmospheric events took place.

It could very well be that the current atmospheric shift is simply an organic, natural occurrence in the evolution of this planet. And the damage our industrial age inflicted is/was minor.

But that doesn’t change the undeniable fact that things are going to change. Ice is melting, sea level is rising. The coastlines the planet enjoys today are in flux. We (those of us that are still breathing) may not suffer the imminent changes afoot, but if you have spawn, well…

Make a plan. Geological changes will happen over the course of many years, with any luck, but it’s still worth figuring out today. It makes sense to have a plan.

You may have a friend or family member who completely disavows the idea of Climate Change, but probably because this has become a political issue.

It may be a manufactured political issue, but it’s happening.

And the carbon emissions we are contributing is not helping. That’s a fact.

So, why not do something to lessen blow?

Fossil fuels and coal are finite resources.

One day, they will be gone.

Are you thinking to yourself, “won’t happen in my lifetime”?

What about your grandkids? Not that you care, but here’s the thing;

If we can improve a most obvious condition, that will only help, not hurt…what’s the deal? Why not?

Tags earth, ice melting, rising sea level

Daily Journal

I don’t know Joe Biden

I don’t.

Never met the man.

Vote for him in 2020?

Yes.

Why?

Because he’s a smart, caring guy who knows how the game is played.

Really?

He’s on the good side of history. Have there been mistakes? Many. Many. He’s in it for the public at large, not just himself.

Daily Journal

Fake News

The internet is dangerous.

Anybody with internet access can pretty much create any kind of website and have an instant platform to say anything.

Whether it’s true or otherwise.

And if they’re SEO adept, can actually get eyes.

No fact-checking, no vetting, no editors, just sweaty fingers on a plastic keyboard projecting into the cyber-universe.

And because it shows up in your search results, you believe it.

We have trusted newspapers and broadcast news because that has been the standard. At least for the Boomers.

For me…Walter Cronkite.

No opinions, no leanings, no conjecture.

Just the facts.

But the advent of the internet has subjugated the facts.

And now anyone can say anything, and be believed.

Algorithm evolution has only compounded the problem.

Your personal search results are a product of the searches you have made and the keywords you used.

In an effort to bring you relevant information, you are also subjected to websites that may or may not be reputable.

The search results do not vet, do not fact check, do not verify anything.

It’s up to you.

It’s really easy to want to believe a post/article that speaks to your beliefs.

It’s a little harder to vet. Or at least, it’s a little more time consuming to verify the source of the information.

Especially if you want to believe it.

Please do.

The internet has changed how we communicate.

Which is actually a good thing.

We have access to people we’d never had access to before.

We can actually interact with them.

That’s a good thing.

I’ve had conversations with people all over the world because of the internet.

Learning about other cultures and then having the opportunity to interact, to converse, is amazing.

And, you have to be smart about it.

There is very little in place to protect you against bad actors, or those whose aim is to profit from your ignorance.

Daily Journal

Basketball saved my life

More than once…

Taught me skill

Taught me teamwork

Taught me sportsmanship

Taught me humility

Taught me intuitiveness

Taught me respect

Daily Journal

Trump Watch: Monday, July 8, 2019 – UK Ambassador

Post author By reeljerc
Post date July 8, 2019
No Comments on Trump Watch: Monday, July 8, 2019 – UK Ambassador

Trump tweets incessantly

A constant barrage. Why do you think? (please leave thoughts in comments).

Why does the president of the United States of America feel the need to tweet so much?

Donald J. Trump? @realDonaldTrump

Replying to @realDonaldTrump

….thought of within the U.S. We will no longer deal with him. The good news for the wonderful United Kingdom is that they will soon have a new Prime Minister. While I thoroughly enjoyed the magnificent State Visit last month, it was the Queen who I was most impressed with!

72.3K

11:31 AM – Jul 8, 2019

Trump read the derogatory leaked statements about him and his administration, and returned with unfounded personal attacks.

That’s his goto.

Daily Journal

My Son

Post author By reeljerc
Post date March 18, 2019
No Comments on My Son

I died today. Okay, I didn’t, but if I had, it’d be cool.

My kids are doing alright, got to spend time with all of them recently. So it’s cool.

Daily Journal

Abortion

Abortion is not a Federal decision, or a State decision, it’s a personal family decision.

Crimes are crimes and should be treated as such, but personal decisions, personal, sometimes life and death decisions, should be weighed by the family first.

In cases that only affect the family.

Daily Journal

Sperm donor Valentine

Two and a half years — your age when we met.

Your mom (my high school obsession) called me on Superbowl Sunday 1989.

We set a date to meet, but as would happen repeatedly the following 20 years, drama intervened and we convened days earlier in front of a liquor store on La Paz road in Mission Viejo. She’d driven up from San Diego after attacking your grandmother with a shoe, more on that later, but this isn’t about her.

You were in the backseat.

After a few months, we all moved in together in Huntington Beach, and your mom and I married a couple years later.

I think it’s wonderful that you remember your sperm donor so fondly.

Those times when he:

brushed the knots out of your hair (because you’re mom didn’t have the patience)

held you during the night terrors until you were 4

changed your wetted underwear and bed sheets

provided a home, food to eat and your own bed

taught you that there’s nothing you can’t overcome, especially homework that time when you were giving up, crying on the kitchen table because you didn’t get it, and then you did

video taped every one of your school shows

took you to the emergency room at all hours, regardless

bought the albuterol, amoxicillin, claritol and all the other meds prescribed to keep you breathing

encouraged you to follow your dream

objectively gave you kudos where deserved, and offered constructive criticism where needed

warned you about Sean, let you make that mistake, on your own, anyway, but always watching (yes, there’s things you don’t know)

paid for car insurance, bought you a car, bought you a phone, paid for your phone and usage, even when you upgraded without asking. but that’s just money.

paid for two semesters at the University of Hawaii

Took you back and forth to work, at whatever job, whenever, when asked.

Showed up at your door with the uhaul at 5am, with the contents of your storage unit, already packed, for the Dec. 10 combo garage sale we had planned. In which you made out pretty well, including the meatball sandwich from Lucci’s, while we were making deliveries after a long day.

Oh wait, that wasn’t the sperm donor. that was me.