Today's MOZEN: Lipstick on a Pig

 

Illustration by Kaya Mar

We New Yorkers (New Yawkas in the local dialect) are often seen as arrogant by other Americans. I believe that's because we have never had an issue with speaking our minds and telling others exactly how things are - take it or leave it. The choice is yours.

And, THIS one is telling you:

No one knows Donald J. Trump better than we who live and/or work in his hometown. He is a liar AND a thief. He was never anything more than that. And, he never will be - title or not. You can put lipstick on a pig and it's still a pig (no insult to pigs). You can package Mr. Trump as King Midas in a made-for-TV unreality show and what you're left with is still a sad, broken, lying sack of shit.

You can prove yourselves to be like minded if you vote for him. That is your right and privilege. However, we in New York have this for you: FUCK THAT. . . 

F LoBuono

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT: Does Good Always Win?

F LoBuono

In the end, good will always triumph over evil.

This is certainly a positive concept that it used by most of the world's great religions to encourage people when times are tough. 

But, is it accurate? Really?

I say, NO, it is most certainly not true. And, I'm not being overly pessimistic when I make that statement. It's not an emotional response, either. It is based on logic and reason.

Hear me out.

Yin and Yang is the ancient Chinese concept that when simply put explains that a balance between all things was created from the chaos evident at the beginning of the universe. It is represented by a symbol that melds an equal amount of both black and white within a circle. It means that for everything that is seen in the light, there is an equal amount of darkness. In other words, where good exists, evil must too.

And, this concept of balance is not only found in the philosophical/religious communities but within the scientific as well in such concepts as Newton's Third Law of Motion (for every action there is reaction) and the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium in genetics.

So, When You Think About It, good does not ALWAYS triumph over evil. They are forces of EQUAL power. And, in a sense, one cannot exist without the other - except, perhaps in nirvana or heaven, or whatever we decide is paradise. But, in THIS world we had better get used to the fact that evil has always lived side-by-side with good. And, that evil deeds do, in fact, occur in equal measure as good ones.

So, in my mind, we must accept evil for what it is. However, at the same time, as have been given minds that think and emotions that make us human, we must do whatever we can to accentuate the good and minimize the bad. Then, the world will turn . . . 

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT: Hillary Was Almost Right

 

F LoBuono

During the 2016 campaign for the Presidency, Hillary Clinton, when describing her opponent Donald Trump's hard-core base, used the unfortunate phrase basket of deplorables. For as many people it pleased, I also believe that it alienated a significant amount of others who were undecided at the time, prompting them to vote for Mr. Trump. That's why I call it unfortunate.

However, those of us who knew EXACTLY what she meant have seen that deplorable behavior demonstrated over and over again by Mr. Trump and his ardent supporters.

The President lies incessantly and his base marches in lockstep behind him, finding every excuse possible to dismiss his mendacity. It's so blatant that it can only be described as, well, deplorable. No wait, let's make that even more accurate - it's fucking deplorable.

The latest example can be found in the death of legendary Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the political game being played in the US Senate to name her successor as quickly as possible, i.e. before the November elections.

Of course, the Republican led Senate is leading the charge to make this happen, conveniently forgetting the statements, oaths, and promises they made in a similar situation under the Obama administration when then President Obama nominated Merrick Garland to fill the vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. There was still nearly a year left for the Obama Administration.

So, with a full 11 months to go before the 2016 election, GOP Senators like Mitch McConnel, Chuck Grassley, Lindsey Graham and a host of others claimed that The People should have a say in the process and that would be expressed by their choice in the coming Presidential election. Because they were in the majority and led by Mr. McConnel, they successfully blocked the appointment of a man whom virtually everyone said was extremely well qualified. And, ALL OF THEM are captured on tape claiming that, by a matter of principal, they would not bring the nomination to the floor of the Senate. In other words, Mr. Merrick would not even be considered for the post despite his impeccable credentials.

Now, with a mere matter of weeks to go before the big election and with Justice Ginsburg not even officially laid to rest, the GOP canaries are singing a different tune. Suddenly, they have an urgency to do the jobs they were elected for and are rushing to confirm her replacement as soon as Mr. Trump gives it to them - no matter whom it may be.

It is simply unprecedented and reeks of political contamination. Even the VERY few GOP Senators who had doubts about the process, like Utah Senator Mitt Romney, have all adopted the party line and will go along for the ride. Honor, honesty, integrity be damned. Their hypocrisy knows no bounds.

Look, it's Washington and political expediency is part of the everyday vocabulary there. Democrats are also on tape during the Garland affair saying that the nomination should be pushed through. It was certainly in the best interests of THEIR party to have it so.

However, the moral equivalence between the two is not the same.

The average time for the entire Supreme Court process is 71 days or 2.3 months*. With Merrick Garland the time frame was 11 months (about 330 days) before the election. This time the GOP wants it accomplished in  just 42 days or about a 1 and 1/2 months (as of this writing 9/22/2020).

Do the math! The two things are NOT equal. They're not even close.

Certainly, this entire course is being charted by Mr. Trump and his cabal of supporters within his Administration and Congress. I fully understand that this is a grab for more power to implement their vision of American. I get that. What I don't understand is how many Americans can still support the deceit and wanton hypocrisy of Mr. Trump and his ENTIRE Administration.

So, when you think about it, Ms. Clinton was almost right - they are deplorable, but they simply don't make a basket large enough to hold them all. . . 

* Congressional Research Office.

 

Today's MOZEN: The Time Draws Nearer

f LoBuono

Perhaps, you may have noticed that lately I haven't posted any of my usual diatribes over the gross negligence and blatant stupidity of our current President and his entire Administration. It's not for lack of content or enthusiasm to see Mr. Trump and his entire entourage sent packing to the shit pile of history. No. Quite to the contrary, every time that he opens his mouth he provides me with a plethora of morainic statements, falsehoods, and outright lies as grist for my mill.

My reasoning is this: it's highly unlucky that ANY of my writing, or anyone else's for that matter, has changed even one mind - especially among his base. You could shove a stick of dynamite up each one of their asses with Trump written all over it and, if you gave them a match, they would light the fuse themselves - and, thank him for the blast!!!!

For me, the choice was clear from the beginning - as it was for the MAJORITY OF AMERICANS (remember, Mr. Trump lost the popular vote by over 3 million). The man is not only unfit for the historic office of President, his poor character makes him unworthy as a human being.

So, even though I know most of my readers are conscientious citizens and, therefore, consistent voters, I urge all of you to stay involved. Be committed to the cause of not only preserving the ideals that are the truly American, but to work towards making a better America through compassion, understanding, truth, justice, inclusion, education, and vision. And, condemn the hatred, racism, greed, and sloth that have always existed in the dark heart of America but have now been given free reign under a man who cares only for himself.

VOTE    VOTE    VOTE    VOTE

The time to make the change will soon be upon us. We must not fail in our mission. STAND UP AND BE COUNTED. 

Send a resounding NO to Donald J. Trump on November 3rd.

 

Today's MOZEN: Unconscionable

F LoBuono

unconscionable

adjective

not guided by conscience; unscrupulous.

not in accordance with what is just or reasonable:unconscionable behavior.

excessive; extortionate:

an unconscionable profit.[ uhn-kon-shuh-nuh-buhl ]

e.g. Donald J. Trump

In a weird sort of way, I almost hoped that the President's latest exposure of another of his extreme personality flaws, i.e. his unconscionable behavior in choosing his hair over the opportunity to honor America's war dead and the subsequent mocking of their sacrifice, wasn't true. I mean NO ONE could sink that low - not even an bilious blowhard like Mr. Trump - Right?

WRONG!!!!!

The man is simply that vile. The evidence presented by the author of the article published in The Atlantic* accusing him of this heinous behavior is both shocking and incontrovertible. Despite what his mindless minions scream about "Fake News", Jeffrey Goldberg, has had his sources checked by virtually EVERY reputable news agency, including Trump ally, Fox News, and they all vouch for the accuracy and authenticity of the information contained within the article.

Perhaps, the only thing more deplorable than the President's behavior is the defense of it by his mindless cadre of worshipers. I only hope that they come to their senses and get on the right side of history. But, I doubt it - that would take fortitude, independence, and some modicum of intelligence, things his followers simply seem to lack.

Unconscionable. Indeed.

That is all . . .  

*https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/09/trump-americans-who-died-at-war-are-losers-and-suckers/615997/

Today's MOZEN: There is Truth!

F LoBuono at the CBS Broadcast Center

"I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore."  Peter Finch as Howard Beale in Network

I'll be damned before I sit back while people continue to bash the so-called Media and blame the NEWS MEDIA for reporting all the ills that are currently plaguing this Country.

First of all, WTF is The Media? With the explosion of the internet and the various means of communication within it, The Media encompasses a vast array of sources, with NEWS being just one of literally thousands. And, since I work for the NEWS MEDIA and have for over 3 decades, I will limit my comments to that arena.

The NEWS MEDIA is, by and large, staffed with professionals who have been schooled (literally) in the ways of gathering and disseminating information. As part of our training as journalists,(and, that includes not only reporters, but producers, writers, editors, photographers, and even technicians) a healthy dose of ethics is always included in EVERYTHING that we do. It is constantly emphasized that without ethics, we our nothing. In fact, honesty in reporting takes on a sacred role, one that most of us will (and, have) risk our lives for. I know that I feel that way as do ALL of the journalists I work with. Remember, it is not just First Responders who run towards danger while others flee. Journalists are right besides them - I know that I have been - many times. And, I've worked every conceivable hour on every different day of the year, including Christmas, New Year, Thanksgiving, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day, the 4th of July and every other holiday you can possibly imagine. It's a 24/7/365 meat grinder. Why? Because it's what journalists do!!!

You may call this arrogance, but so be it. I believe I have earned the right to say this: unless you have risked your life in an effort to do YOUR job, you should STFU when it comes to blaming the NEWS MEDIA for everything you see going wrong. We don't MAKE it that way, we just REPORT it. What YOU do with that information is your business, not ours.

“There is truth. The truth is discovered, every fact at a time, every piece of empirical evidence at a time.” Christiane Amanpour

That is all . . .