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Boorish U.S. President

While mainstream media rhetorically and tepidly asks the question, “Did President Trump push aside a world leader?”,  I’ll simply express the obvious having watched the clip.  President Trump pushed aside the President of Montenegro in an effort position himself in what he thought was a more favorable position amongst a crowd for whatever reason was circulating in his self centered mind. Will he apologize?  You and I know he’s not big on apologies. Will the incident be shrugged off by Europeans having been witnesses to the tumult en masse via social media?   On the surface – yes but I suspect there will be a metaphorical impact which will linger as supplemental subconscious residue.

On Line Mainstream News Brief User Guide

Let’s start with the worst.  MSNBC apparently thinks you are illiterate and hence is only providing videos for you to watch.  I suppose it’s all in an effort to get you connected with Lawrence O’Donnell and Rachel Maddow and tilted to the left.

Postmedia (Calgary Herald and Vancouver Sun among others) have finally figured out that you are deleting your cookies in an effort to circumvent their effort to get you to subscribe.  Now they just throw up a subscription box overlay preventing you from viewing an article.  The Globe and Mail is now doing the same thing. For some reason, Postmedia’s National Post still seems reasonably accessible.  This is their right and it is also your right to determine if you pay enough already through your monthly internet access and viewership of their advertisements.  Although their subscription rates are palatable, where does the nickel and diming stop? Does the whole internet universe deserve access to your email address? Should you decide to treat yourself to one subscription, would you then be denying yourself access to alternate editorials with differing opinions….thereby narrowing your lens of seeing the world?

The Washington Post and NY Times also eventually want your subscription dollar as does the LA Times and Boston Globe.  The Calgary Sun will get you a $0.99 rate but “conditions will apply”.  You may be as unenthused as I about researching the qualifiers and exclusions.

As for CNN, if you are looking for links on topics such as the top ten photos famous people don’t want you to see, this is the news site for you.

In lieu of the above, in Canada I find ctvnews.ca and your taxpayer subsidized cbc.ca the places which best cut through the crap without even the occasional spam box thrust upon your inquisitive eyes.  Reuters remains user friendly but surprisingly their content is leaner than what we would expect from such a large news organization.

Subject to edit based on future experience with aforesaid  and / or other on line news outlets.

First Presidential Debate

The first presidential debate went off largely as expected with Trump doing some bulldozing while Clinton exalted in elitism. Unfortunately for the campaigns, neither attribute is appealing to the undecided. Advisors will be reeling in frustration wondering what it’s going to take for their candidates to draw affinity from swing voters. Much of Trump’s message has been strong but his propensity for wielding insults is a simple character flaw unfitting of the presidency. This messenger does in fact “live in his own reality” as characterized by Mrs. Clinton last night.

Of course in the interests of national security, the thousands of emails produced by Mrs. Clinton from her private server should not be released and suggesting their release as a predicate for Trump releasing his tax return is exemplary of poor mental capacity.  Trump appears to lack the ability to hold his tongue long enough to formulate cohesive strategic remarks.  He is reactionary and boorish. His manner suggests that every conceived action is perpetrated from any and all perceptions of another’s weakness.  Although at times expressing empathy for the underprivileged, one is left curious about his sincerity.  I contend that one massive ego at the helm of the world’s largest military power is not a formula for long lasting world peace.  The conservative message was squandered in a fashion similar to substantial tax receipts entrusted to Washington and those would be tax receipts from Trump had he not had access to loopholes for the wealthy.

Robyn Hood Chronicles Beginnings

Robyn Hood Chronicles, Beginnings, is a masterful work in adventure written by the mysterious Cam Clark.  I’ve always known Cam to be this quiet spoken fellow with some kind of bottled up force awaiting release. He had told me of a project some four years ago over lunch and despite my prodding, the evolution of this book stayed as serene as his disposition.  It has been very well worth the wait.

The architecture of this craft has many moving parts dealing with the present and the past.  The writing is eloquent and characters are illuminated in terms that radiate emotion.  Particular characters are awarded their own voice providing opportunity for apt reflection.

It’s riveting because of the proximity you feel to the action.  What you and I take for granted becomes an obvious challenge for actors enlivened by peculiar circumstances.  Value inscribed motives are inherent to decisions sought by the protagonist.  Interpersonal subtleties among players have implications as we learn late.  Intense moments of drama recede but take precedence in the ultimate unfolding of Robyn’s quest.

I highly recommend this book!

Latest Scoop from DNC

The Democratic convention ratings are bound to tick up in lieu of today’s Wiki Leaks divulgence. Although Debbie Wasserman Schultz will be stepping down as DNC chair due to alleged favoritism exercised during the nomination process, apparently as reported by CNN today Hillary Clinton will award her as an “honorary chairwoman with a 50 state program to build the party in every part of the country”.  I know you’ve never been cynical about politics? One would think that Mrs. Clinton would at least wait a day before announcing such a reward for Wasserman Shultz’s behavior in the context of her portrayal by the FBI:

“Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information, there is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information.”

Suddenly, Trump’s projection for picking up Bernie Sanders supporters is not looking so far-fetched.