Please note that you can leave a comment on any of our posts at our Facebook page.  Subscribers can also comment at length at our Angel's Corner Forum.

MARCH 28,  2018

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:56 P.M. ET:

HILARIOUS – FROM DEADLINE.COM:  ‘Roseanne’ Revival’s Huge Debut Stuns Hollywood, Prompts Soul-Searching.  That's the headline.  My reaction:  How can you search something that doesn't exist in Hollywood?

THE WEIRD NEW WORLD – FROM CBS LOCAL:    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) — A self-driving car was slapped with a ticket after police said it got too close to a pedestrian on a San Francisco street.
The self-driving car owned by San Francisco-based Cruise was pulled over for not yielding to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Cruise says its data shows the person was far enough away from the vehicle and the car did nothing wrong.  A witness, Kevin O’Connor, snapped a photo after seeing the motorcycle officer pull over the self-driving car as O’Connor drove through the South of Market area last week. “There was another car stopped alongside and he looked a little befuddled,” said O’Connor. “The cop was just writing a regular ticket like they always do.”  How do you pull over a driverless car?  Do you send it a text message?  Do you deploy a robot?  Do you ask for license and registration?

QUALITY – FROM FOX:  If you’re looking for a car that will go 200,000 miles without much trouble, you basically have three choices:  Buy a Toyota.  Buy a Honda.  Buy an F-150.  That’s the gist of the latest survey conducted by the folks at Consumer Reports, who tallied the responses from its members and figured out which models made it that far the most often without needing much in the way of major repairs.  The Toyota Camry topped the list, which was ranked by the percentage of each model that didn’t require any work done in the past year, and doesn’t specify any particular model years, just the full spectrum of cars that hit the mileage mark. The Honda Accord came in second, followed by a variety of cars from the two brands and a lonely Ford F-150 in the tenth spot.  Sad that the great old names of American cars just don't cut it.  But hand it to Honda and Toyota.  Many of their cars are built in the USA, and to very high standards, and by American workers.  Shows it can be done.

March 28, 2018       Permalink

IS THERE A MESSAGE FROM THE AUDIENCE? – AT 12:19 P.M. ET:  Roseanne Barr's new sitcom has just premiered with huge audience ratings – this after it became well known that Roseanne is a Trump fan.  Is the audience sending a message?  From Entertainment Weekly: 

The revival of Roseanne premiered to massive ratings Tuesday night.

The return delivered an incredible 18.2 million viewers along with an equally impressive 5.1 rating among adults 18-49.

According to ABC, this is the highest-rated comedy telecast on any network in nearly four years (since a premiere episode of CBS’ The Big Bang Theory from 2014).

So, yes, even bigger than NBC’s mega-hit This Is Us during any of its regularly scheduled episodes, where the weepy dramedy usually tops out around a 3.0 adult demo rating (the special This Is Us post-Super Bowl episode was bigger, but that’s to be expected).

In the adult demo, it also trumps Sunday’s blockbuster 60 Minutes episode which featured an interview with Stormy Daniels.

Also kinda incredible, given how ratings have declined over the years: Roseanne’s return was actually higher among total viewers than its 1997 finale 21 years ago! 

The Roseanne premiere audience also grew slightly from its first quarter to its second, which is a good sign.

A couple other data points: This is Tuesday’s highest-rated entertainment telecast in six years among young adults and ABC’s best results in the time slot since 2006.

And from Roger L. Simon at PJ Media: 

Yes, there were a fair number of funny lines.  But forget writing, acting, directing, and the rest, it was positively thrilling to see something fictional transpiring on the television screen that reflected the half of America that has been so consistently and deliberately hidden from view or reviled by Hollywood. You almost couldn't believe your eyes.  Was this actually happening?  When were Matt Damon or George Clooney going to walk in to set these people to rights?  It had to be coming after the commercial. But it didn't.

The show reminded me of how much I liked the real "Deplorables" while covering the presidential campaign.  They were the furthest thing from the caricature promulgated by Obama, Hillary, and other elites, but kind and decent people with normal struggles as portrayed in this new Roseanne series.  Not that the producer-star doesn't give the other side their innings.  Her sister Jackie, who comes back as a life coach in a "Nasty Woman" sweatshirt, has her moments and is usually shown sympathetically, if a little goofily, in the show.

COMMENT:  Absolutely fascinating.  We'll be following this show (I didn't see the premiere) and watch what develops.  Will Hollywood get the message?  Well, that depends on what's important.  It's a choice between attracting the largest audience and being invited to A-list liberal Hollywood parties.

The parties will probably win, but ya never know.

March 28, 2018        Permalink

IF TRUE, THIS IS GREAT – AT 11:14 A.M. ET:   China announces that North Korea has agreed to pursue denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, and to meet with the United States.  But is this on the level?  From Reuters: 

BEIJING/SEOUL (Reuters) - China said on Wednesday North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to denuclearize the Korean peninsula during an historic meeting in Beijing with President Xi Jinping, who promised China would uphold its friendship with its isolated neighbor.

After two days of speculation, China and North Korea both confirmed on Wednesday that Kim had visited Beijing and met Xi during what China’s official Xinhua news agency called an unofficial visit from Sunday to Wednesday.

The trip was Kim’s first known journey abroad since he assumed power in 2011 and is believed by analysts to serve as preparation for upcoming summits with South Korea and the United States.

North Korea’s KCNA news agency made no mention of Kim’s pledge to denuclearize, or his anticipated meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump that is planned for some time in May.

Beijing has traditionally been the closest ally of secretive North Korea, but ties have been frayed by North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and China’s backing of tough U.N. sanctions in response.

Xinhua cited Kim as telling Xi that the situation on the Korean peninsula is starting to improve because North Korea has taken the initiative to ease tensions and put forward proposals for peace talks.

“It is our consistent stand to be committed to denuclearization on the peninsula, in accordance with the will of late President Kim Il Sung and late General Secretary Kim Jong Il,” Kim Jong Un said, according to Xinhua.

North Korea is willing to talk with the United States and hold a summit between the two countries, he said.

COMMENT:  None of this was happening during the lead-from-weakness Obama administration.  It is happening because President Trump led from strength in confronting the North Koreans and their repeated violations of their promises.

Now, we know that this can all be propaganda.  But it is unlikely that China, which seeks to be accepted as a major world power, would simply be led around by the North Korean chief.  If there is truth in China's announcement, it is a major breakthrough.

Trust, but verify.

March 28, 2018       Permalink

THIS MUST BE FIXED – AT 10:54 A.M. ET:  This is disturbing.  Most Americans report, as determined by this poll that they are not seeing benefits from the recent tax cuts.  From The Hill:

A majority of Americans say they are not yet seeing President Trump's tax cuts reflected in their paychecks, according to a new poll.

A CNBC All-America Economic Survey finds 52 percent of respondents say they haven't seen a change.

Just 32 percent of respondents report taking home more money due to the tax cuts, which Trump signed into law late last year.

Of those saying they are taking home more money, 38 percent say the extra pay they receive helps them a "great deal" or a "fair amount."

Forty percent say the extra pay helps "some" or "just a little," and 22 percent report that the extra pay "does not help much at all."

The poll was conducted from March 17 to 20 among 800 Americans. Its margin of error is 3.5 percentage points.

The Treasury Department and IRS released new guidance earlier this year that adjusted the amounts that companies set aside from their employees' paychecks for federal taxes.

Employers were instructed to adopt the new withholding tables by Feb. 15.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said that 90 percent of wage earners would see bigger paychecks due to the guidance.

COMMENT:  This has to be addressed vigorously and immediately.  It is hard to believe the numbers are accurate.  If they are, in my view, we would have known it weeks ago.

But they may be, and that's disturbing.  It's disturbing for employees, and certainly for the Republican argument in November. 

The White House and Treasury Department have to get on this immediately.  Maybe there's an explanation.  Maybe many employers didn't make the February 15th deadline.  Maybe the cut will show up in a bulk payment.  I don't know.  But this is major, and the press, what there is of it, should demand a response from the administration.

March 28,  2018     Permalink

MARCH 27,  2018

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:55 P.M. ET:

THE ANNALS OF JUSTICE – FROM FOX LOCAL:  MANSFIELD, Ohio -- A 54-year-old Ohio woman was arrested Saturday afternoon for allegedly making lewd comments to an Easter Bunny at a carousel park, WJW reports.  According to Mansfield police, LaDonna Hughett appeared to be drunk when she made the comments to the Easter Bunny while having her picture taken with it at the Richland Carrousel Park. She then began riding the carousel.  CNN is undoubtedly investigating the Trump connection. 

ACADEMY PRESIDENT CLEARED – FROM DEADLINE.COM:  After a review, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences concluded, based on its Standards of Conduct that they have cleared the allegation made against Academy President John Bailey.  The Membership and Administration Committee and its sub-committee thoroughly reviewed and considered the claim, Bailey’s response, and corroborating statements from both parties. The Academy took the claim very seriously and was aware of the rights of both the claimant and the accused, including consulting with outside counsel with expertise in matters related to harassment.  The Academy reportedly received three sexual harassment complaints earlier this month against Bailey, but contrary to those reports there was only one claim under consideration which was received on Tuesday, March 13, 2018.  Bailey's being cleared reminds us that a charge is only a charge until it's proved to be true. 

IDIOT – FROM BREITBART:  Documentary filmmaker and left-wing activist Michael Moore had a revelation about when Americans should be able to vote after Nikolas Cruz killed 17 people with a legally purchased AR-15 rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.  Michael Moore took to Twitter on Monday and shared “one thing” he says we’ve “learned” since last month’s horrific mass shooting.  “If there’s one thing we’ve learned since Parkland, it’s that the voting age should be lowered to 16. Other countries do it, we should too.”  How about twelve, or even eight?  Who needs maturity when you're governing a nation?  Young people tend to be liberal, before they grow up to real responsibilities, and this is a transparent attempt to guarantee votes for the Democratic Party.

March 27, 2018       Permalink

A CRITICAL THREAT – AT 1:54 P.M. ET:  We started to speak seriously about this threat in the 1990s, but it is still with us, and, in some ways, growing.  From the Washington Free Beacon: 

The U.S. electric grid has become increasingly vulnerable to what the federal government is describing as an unprecedented wave of attacks that threatens to cripple the nation, according to a new investigative report that warns the energy industry is lagging in efforts to boost physical security of these critical sites.

Amid a wave of increasing attacks across the country on key power stations, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, or NERC, has been struggling to force the power industry to enact a series of security improvements meant to stop would-be attackers and terrorists from crippling the nation's infrastructure.

Since 2014, "security risks to the power grid have become an even greater concern in the electric utility industry," according to a new Congressional Research Service report that warns the power industry "has not necessarily reached the level of physical security needed based on the sector's own assessments of risk."

In the three years since federal overseers implicated a series of new standards for physical security of grid locations, the industry has worked to improve its defenses but has struggled to implement all of the government's recommendations, according to the report.

The slow moving pace of reforms, combined with an increased threat level and inability of the federal government to warn of upcoming attacks, has fueled concerns that the U.S. electric grid could be easily taken down by a rogue actor.

COMMENT:  This should be a national priority, as important as any other aspect of our defense.  I'm sure money plays a major role in our slow response – money, and the fact that the threat doesn't crash into the headlines periodically, as mass shootings do.

A major attack on the power grid could shut down large sections of the country in an instant, possibly leading to starvation, disease, and death.  And the economy would be destroyed.

Congress must holding serious, highly publicized hearings on this, in the hope that the press might even be interested.

March 27, 2018       Permalink

REVOLT IN CALIFORNIA – AT 1:18 P.M. ET:   There's a revolt brewing in some California towns and counties over the state's broad sanctuary laws.  This could provide an opportunity for statewide Republican candidates, if any show up.  From the L.A. Times: 

Just more than a week after tiny Los Alamitos voted to defy California's law protecting immigrants in the country illegally, Orange County is poised to become a counterpoint against the state's resistance to the Trump administration's policies.

On Tuesday, Orange County supervisors may consider whether to take up a resolution to condemn and possibly take legal action against the state's "sanctuary" laws.

"These state laws are preempted by federal law," Orange County Supervisor Shawn Nelson said. "Our officers actually face penalties under state law if they so much as talk to federal agents for the wrong thing. That's just unacceptable and it's contrary to federal law."

Nelson said he'll broach in closed session whether to join a federal lawsuit against the state or launch its own litigation.

Other cities in the county, including Yorba Linda, Buena Park, Huntington Beach and Mission Viejo are also starting to take action to voice their grievances against the state's sanctuary laws aimed at protecting immigrants from President Trump's immigration crackdown.

On Monday, Texas and more than a dozen other states led by Republican governors got behind the Trump administration and filed an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit against California's sanctuary laws.

COMMENT:  This is fascinating, with the potential to shake up some important political arrangements in many states.  I find it hard to believe that a majority of voters in an entire state would favor sanctuary cities, which do violate federal law, but of course I can be wrong. 

Are we seeing a true, and rare, political revolt?  We should know within several months.

March 27, 2018       Permalink

TRUMP TO PUTIN – AT 11:46 A.M. ET:  The fine analyst Benny Avni examines Trump's latest move against Russia, and finds it good.  From the New York Post: 

Monday’s coordinated Euro-American action against Russia may signal the end of an era: Goodbye, empty UN blather, hello again, coalitions of the willing.

And welcome to John Bolton, President Trump’s soon-to-be national security adviser. Caricatures of his “unilateralism” aside, Bolton is a big proponent of coordinated action among allies, like this week’s bright display of solidarity with Britain.

Trump announced the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats Monday and closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle on suspicion of espionage activities there. It was the most significant diplomatic retaliation to date for Russia’s chemical attack in Britain and the assassination attempt on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

America wasn’t alone — 21 countries, including France and Germany, as well as former Soviet satellites Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, expelled a handful of Russian diplomats each on Monday. All told, more than 100 Russian diplomats were told to leave world capitals in one day.

True, Vladimir Putin is riding a nationalist wave after “winning” a sham election that extended the term of his seemingly endless presidency, and his name is invoked in the elections of his Western democratic counterparts, so it may not force a change of his ways.

But it’ll get Putin’s attention.

And...

Contrary to his detractors, Bolton is no stranger to multilateralism. In 2003, while at the White House, he created the Proliferation Security Initiative, a coalition of like-minded countries determined to end the transfer of chemical, biological and atomic weapons to and from rogue regimes.

Initially, 10 allies joined America in the initiative, which authorized seizing shipments of WMDs and dual-use items on the high seas. Now 105 countries are PSI members. They can intercept malicious deliveries without authorization from the UN Security Council, where such actions necessitate agreement from all permanent members.

COMMENT:  And yes, welcome John Bolton.

March 27,  2018     Permalink