“The more wonderful the means of communication, the more trivial, tawdry, or depressing its contents seemed to be.” 
― Arthur C. Clarke, 2001: A Space Odyssey

I’m dropping this post early on Saturday because god only knows what’s going to land before the end of the day and I need to get this thing published; it’s huge!

Let’s review what’s happened in the world, whilst acknowledging I’m missing a BUNCH of stories this week. Because, 2018. I’ve put most of the political news at the end of this post…just in case you don’t want to be reminded of how much happened this week, and how few consequences it all engendered.

Let’s catch up in the comments, my ducklings!

 

 

Why Facebook keeps making messes, and stepping in them. This week, consequences started to catch up, it seems.

Another reason why buying second hand is great: nothing is new and everything will come back around. I still hate the Dior Saddle Bag, I don’t care how “iconic” it is, and if I see one more ad or sponsored content post about it I may scream.

I reported ads for this app so many times it’s ridiculous; they angered me so much. There is a word for people who rely on natural birth control: parents.

This broader theory as to why the president behaves the way he does towards Russia feels correct to me. There need not be a big nefarious underlying plot for the overall information out there on an individual or organization to be potentially compromising or politically dangerous. Per my previous links post, I feel it most likely that damaging information about Mr. Trump is far more likely to come from a 20 year business record than anything else. That’s the only overlap to his gross sexcapades I care about.

On the other hand, it’s becoming hard not to see something deeply, deeply weird overall in the relationship per Politico Magazine.

Either way, November is going to be a blast…

It’s not going to end well, that’s what I’m saying.

I am an admiring of the Duchess of Sussex. It’s not her fault that her extended family seem to be awful and the US media keeps giving them attention they don’t deserve (truly, the root of most of our current societal problems).

Fiscal responsibility?

The Devil Wears Prada days are behind us! But seriously, the magazine world used to be luxe for a lot of people, and I think it’s not incomparable to the heights of blogger/YouTuber PR relationships. It’s interesting to observe how both industries have undergone highs and lows in the past year, and to wonder what the next medium is going to be that replaces them in terms of PR clout.

There are so many female stories being told lately that I have been ignorant of and am so grateful to learn.

Certain members of Congress were revealed to have acted either in ignorance or deliberate bad faith in their attempts to frame an investigation into Mr. Carter Page. Turns out, why yes, the Justice Department did go through all the correct channels to investigate this guy! As usual, no consequences.

Good. This is a problematic policy and was created to kowtow to political pressure from the state. I recognize the League’s right to do this, but I don’t think that it is right in the slightest.

This is all super normal…/s.

This glorious thing landed in Potters Field in London recently and a lot of people had a LOT of feelings to share about it.

I’m honestly torn between, “That’s right, stick it to the patriarchy!” and “Shhh! Don’t tell all the dudes, they’ll ruin it!”

YAS, HONEY!

Things to genuinely look forward to in media!

The President showed his conservative principles again by bailing out farmers (it’s not “welfare” if it’s not specific identity groups, of course) who are worried about the futures markets for their crops because of a trade war and tariffs that…the President put in place. Tariffs and government subsidies, oh my! I imagine our Republican controlled Congress is in revolt–nope, still silent. Mr. Ryan must be enjoying the fact that under his fiscally conservative watch, our national deficit is now on track to break one trillion dollars.

Finally, this Mr. Cohen released a tape of a conversation with then candidate Trump which he recorded secretly and included fuzzy dialog about payments regarding his relationship with Karen McDougal. Mr. Giuliani says that Mr. Trump was trying to be above board in his financial transactions, which is exactly why people set up shell companies to move money. Sarcasm aside, none of this is actually criminal, just super, super gross. Especially since earlier in the same recorded conversation, the pair discuss which evangelical pastors can be politically useful to them. You know what? I don’t care about mistresses and playboy models and alleged romps with prostitutes–that’s been the president’s MO for literally years. I care about whether this or other information (specifically about his businesses) violated campaign finance law, or was leveraged over him in any way that has affected his governing policies, or to encourage cooperation from anyone in his circle in election interference. Other than that, it’s just more sleazy news about a sleazy guy and his sleazy cronies who have all been sleazy together for years. And once again, Giuliani can’t get his story straight in trying to defend it. Literally nothing new. It feels like a lot of old plot lines are resurfacing lately, like the bad, scripted reality TV it is. The President, of course, handled this news with his characteristic grace and poise.

Friday update: Cohen makes more allegations, the Trump team fires back. Rudy Giuliani still can’t get his story straight. Two months ago Cohen was a fine person, now he’s a “pathological liar.” Season two of the Trump Show continues apace.

The Helsinki disaster happened approximately 39 years ago, by my reckoning…

Oh. And Sean Spicer dropped his book. I’m not linking to anything about this because no one should give this many any more clicks, views, or money as far as I’m concerned. One in three separated immigrant families still haven’t been reunited, there are other more important things in the world than this sad, silly man.