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The candidate 3.0. Same old lies.

*EFD refuses, at this time, to name the already over-exposed GOP presidential candidate.

The Republican candidate for president of the U.S. is speaking in Michigan after  posing for photo ops among the people helping the Louisiana flood victims. I will give the candidate props for supposedly donating a truckload of supplies for those victims. That is, if the candidate actually donated his money.

He is once again, cynically, attempting to reach African-Americans, no black faces are sitting behind him. Neither were many people of color when the Candidate 3.0 made a so-called issue speech Thursday in Charlotte, N.C., according to numerous press accounts.

Paul Manafort, the shady dealer whose alleged ties with Russia is under scrutiny, announced his “resignation” today as head of the GOP presidential campaign. In other words, he was fired. That hardly seems like a stable ship on which to sail the candidate to the CEO of the U.S.

Looking at some of the folks today sitting behind the candidate look hot and bored. They — and by the way I see a wider shot on the screen and still see no African-Americans — like trained seals, lift their signs with the candidates when they apparently are prompted. Okay, I do see two black faces. There are a few more Asian faces. A few supposed veterans with their vet organization caps. And perhaps five or six brown faces.

I am tired of listening to the lies and droning on by the candidate who says: “I am the change agent. I am the change agent.”

Now he complains about Hillary and Bill Clinton making money after leaving office. That is certainly chump calling the kettle black, this alleged billionaire who says he alone is funding his campaign. What utter bullshit.

Well, I hope this change agent changes into a human being. I hope he will change into the former GOP presidential candidate.

By the way, don’t you think it’s odd the candidate’s rallies are ending with the Rolling Stones “You Can’t Always Get What You Want?”

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Campaign T — Let the story write itself

*Campaign T (or just, T) — What EFD refers to as the campaign of the Republican candidate for president of the United States of America. Here’s why I refuse to mention his name.

T read his speech last night like he was a third-grader running for class recording secretary. It seems he was even trying to sound ridiculous. Well he did sound ridiculous. Of course, he sounds ridiculous anyway. He promised everything except the moon. I’m sure he might do that on down the line. Provided he doesn’t do something foolish, which his candidacy for president and his campaign has been by and large.

But I don’t need to report all of this. I can just link and link some more. Hell, this story writes itself. Why should I wear my fingers to the bone?

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What’s a thought worth? Just ask me.

Penny for your thoughts?

Well, a penny is worth $0.01 these days, says the government. Although when I was a kid back in 1963, the penny was worth $0.08 in today’s dollars, and it would have been worth nearly a quarter when my father was born back in 1915.

penny
What’s that cent? I don’t know. It smells like a penny to me. Ha. Ha.

The origin for the saying, which basically means, “What are you thinking about?” is not certain. The question-and-answer newspaper and web column, The Straight Dope, places the saying’s first mention in print occurring in 15th century England. That column is entertaining although it takes some reading to get to the point, which is an answer to where did this saying originate? All of this is well and good, but it leaves one wondering about the worth of thought.

The old Greek philosophers were many times teachers of rich kids, or so I have heard. Aristocles a.k.a. “Plato” was one of these rich kids. He was a student of Socrates and apparently fell under his spell, according to this handy guide to ancient philosophers written by C. George Boeree Ph.D. He is a retired philosophy professor who taught at Shippensburg University, located in a Pennsylvania town of the same name. I mean Shippensburg, not University. I thank Dr. Boeree for this interesting article.

The Payscale.com site lists the earning power for those who graduate with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy at No. 75 on a list of earning power. Salaries for those with this degree ranges from $42,200 for starters to mid-career earnings of $85,000. That is somewhat lower than my degree in journalism fares. A Ph.D in philosophy is not listed in the rankings, curiously enough.

There are folks who credit study in philosophy for a successful career. The web site Business Insider published a list of very accomplished persons who majored in philosophy. Among them, Carly Fiorina the former HP CEO and failed candidate for the Republican nomination for president. Also mentioned in the article: investor Carl Icahn, progressive activist and zillionaire George Soros,  and PayPal co-founder and former CEO Peter Thiel. The latter is lately famous, or infamous, for helping wrestling legend Hulk Hogan take on the website Gawker in a lawsuit for invasion of privacy after the site published a sex tape of the wrestler. Oh well!

Once again, it is great that one who studied philosophy gains incredible wealth at some point in time of their career. But this highlights a fundamental question: What is a thought or what are thoughts, worth?

I would think it would depend on the thought and the action that is brought about or ignored with that thought. I mean, I’ve had some great thoughts. Some were impulsive and worked out. Others were not so successful.

Wealth is a topic near and dear to the hearts of my country men and women. Some people, among those women I have dated, apparently thought long and hard about the thought of wealth. I’m not saying that is why I am not married. I am just saying that is why I am not married to certain individuals who apparently thought wealth was more of a guiding thought than a young guy with a great sense of humor, nice hands and a cute butt. Hey, that was more than 30 years ago. Give me a break!

I hope that some day I might receive some compensation for my thoughts. If I don’t, that’s okay. Those thoughts are mine and mine alone. And many of those are near and dear to me. As a philosophy major once said: If Immanuel Kant perhaps Nietzsche will.

 

 

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Paywall? We don’t need no stinkin’ paywall!

It seems that media corporations are constantly shifting income streams, or at the very least, what could be income streams. I speak, particularly, of newspapers online.

I can’t remember which site is behind a paywall and which is not. I just signed up for an introductory offer from The New York Times. No, I’m not being haughty. I am just acknowledging the newspaper’s place in the media food chain. I can handle $8 a month for a year, at least. Who knows, maybe by the end of the year the paywall might be gone.

Some of my favorite newspapers, including those I have freelanced for, now block me by a wall. I suppose if I freelanced for those papers again, they might just send me background stories for free.

Other papers, including those for whom I was employed, would most likely send me a hard copy. Reporters or editors are not usually sticklers for their paper’s paywall. That is, at least a story or two they would email me.

Yes, it is THAT Washington Post March. Do you have a problem with the MARINE CORPS band playing it? That's what I thought.
Yes, it is THAT Washington Post March. Do you have a problem with the MARINE CORPS band playing it? That’s what I thought.

I usually begin the day reading Google News, that great aggregator of various newspapers, magazines and blogs. The other, or another, great American newspaper — famous Marine Corps bandleader John Phillip Sousa wrote a stirring march at the behest of the paper — The Washington Post also limits my viewing. They didn’t for several years. I can read Post articles at work, on my work computer, but some folks have to actually work at work.

I am very glad that most of the articles I read on Google News, even the Post articles that are posted on Google  News sometimes, let me read the entire story without having to pay like some toll road with hidden signs.

No doubt, newspapers large and small, need to make money. And probably reversing the normal path for newspaper leadership, was my first newspaper job. It was a small weekly where I was editor, writer, photographer, janitor and boss to an assistant. I was also, I suppose one might say, a de facto publisher, or at least “associate publisher.” That means I not only had to fill up usual eight pages, I likewise was — although no mandate was mentioned — had to think about the bottom line. The publisher’s step-daughter became my advertising rep and she was spectacular. She and I would collaborate on ways we could raise a little money here and there. I suppose the testament given to me about the job I had done, presented by my publisher/boss upon my leaving, paid me the ultimate compliment.

It was funny. I went to talk to my boss — a newspaper guy who started out selling newspapers on the street as a boy — with the intention to give him my two-weeks notice. Before I could even begin taking about a new job as a reporter at a small daily, the publisher spoke about the good job I did and asked me if I wanted the job as editor of a larger newspaper. I don’t remember if it was weekly or twice-weekly.

“We made a profit for the first time with you working there,” said my boss.

I ended up resigning but I came away feeling really good about my first two and a half years in newspapers.

There must be a way for the whole story where users read stories without paywalls in the way. I don’t like all the pop-up ads on websites. I hate with a passion those sites that come at you in a multi-media assault. Those video ads dig into the data usage I have to monitor on my Verizon account. But a newspaper has to make a profit and has to figure out how to fit into this digital world.

We have gone so far from my first uses of the internet some 20 years ago when I could only see text products. I don’t know how, but surely — and don’t call my Shirley — where there is a will there is a way with free internet contact. How to get there is the big question.

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That “guy” is driving his party nuts.

Okay. I will no longer, at least until I decide I will, use the name “Donald Trump,” or “Trump,” or “The Donald,” or any such combinations including “that ass***e Trump.” In keeping with my present guidelines, I will just make a few comments on the Republican candidate for U.S. president.

It seems the headline today for political news would be “Disarray!” Yes, and make that hed in big old 72-point, bold letters.

There is no doubt plenty of dumpster fires are around for the Republicans to extinguish as the GOP candidate continues shooting off his mouth. But there is one thing continuing to work in favor of the big orange man, that is the networks — especially the cable ones — can’t stop talking about him. That he can control the news cycle has worked in his favor, such as during the primary when these networks gave him virtually free advertising.

Still, as my friend Paul in Tokyo said some time over (my) night on the What’s App chat app:

 “Yep, Meg Whitman, the dominoes are falling.”

“I’m not quite there yet,” the GOP candidate said, mocking Paul Ryan’s hesitation.

My question is where will all those former strippers — those who act as the GOP candidate’s surrogates on the news shows — go?

I know. That isn’t nice. But what the hay? I don’t like my Goebbles in short skirts (or anywhere else for that matter.)