#man. i should try playing it again. i need to play aoc again
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age of calamity isn't comparable to the og hyrule warriors due to the fact that it isnt nearly as unhinged as the og hyrule warriors
#like yes. sure. the main antagonist is NOT calamity ganon but instead some greasy twink who is just evil for the sake of being evil#(no but actually what is astor's backstory i never finished the dlc lmao)#but it's nowhere near whatever the fuck is happening in hyrule warriors#man. i should try playing it again. i need to play aoc again#i forgot about kohga's right hand man we all thought was his husband until the game went âum actually he's more like a son to kohgaâ#and then we all promptly ignored that#bad take nintendo. let kohga have a husband like god intended#I FORGOT ABOUT THE EGG??????#anyways
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WEEK 9 - Wrap Up
ELECTION EDITION
Yes, I know. Politics and football don't mix. And yes, I wish the Presidential election's in this country were as fun and entertaining as the Reese Witherspoon/Matthew Broaderick film "Election", but they are not. Nevertheless, this is a big week for our country. No matter who you vote for or what your belief's are - it's good to remember we are all American's who love football. Let's go!
WHAM BAM THANK YOU LAMB vs BOOMER SOONER
All i can do is laugh. Laugh at Stu Jones! Laugh at Zay Flowers for having a big day for me. Laugh and cackle and laugh some more at my win! I needed a win and I got one! #stopthesteal
FUNK GUY vs TREE HUGGERS
This one was the "too close to call" game. It spurred a flurry of chatter on the text thread and apparently really upset the Funk Guy...as he lost maybe because of a field goal? I must be honest and tell you that I didn't watch this one very close but from looking at the line ups if I were going to blame anyone I would say Cole Kmet who put up 0 points for Dana. Scott as usual found a great defense to play and took home the win. Sorry Dana. Maybe focus on your Strategery moving forward.
TuPADRE vs TRADE WITH ME
Look at Brett. Pushing Gully out the way. Gully showed up this week and put up 114 points but Brett is like...doesn't matter I will put up 126 and take the win. It looks to me like he has Smith-Njigba to thank for the big win. Gully has now lost 2 in a row and might be on a downward trend. Nice win Brett!
LONG LEFT BALLERS vs LANAKILA
C'mon man! What the hell is going on with Bebo. This can't be possible. No one is this bad. Not trying to take anything away from Cliff. He will probably take high point after tonight so congrats on that but 1-8. It's just sad. Sad like an old man who should have retired decades ago still trying to do the job like he's young and ambitious. You know what i am talking about? Not a joke! Ah, anyway -you know the thing.
HOWARD vs MR AWESOME
Yeah...Rob Howard is probably the Frank Underwood of this league. He runs the show. Finds a way to win. And will shoot at his neighbors to get what he wants, as seen in the draft order video. This week he was up against Gabe Scott...and although he didn't grab the high point again this week - he did grab the win...easily. Just like Frank would. Nice win Rob.
MOOSES ON THE LOOSES vs THE HUNT FOR BROCKTOBER
And here we come to the "what the hell is going to happen game of the week". Mitch goes into MNF with 85.10 points facing Kyle with 81.42. Kyle with Kareem Hunt still to play and Mitch with the gift I gave him earlier this season - Baker Mayfield. Hunt did have an amazing game - with 106 rushing yards...and a game winning TD...but Kyle comes up a bit short (3 points). So with 107 electoral points, The Moose becomes the Winner elect.
CHEERLEADER OF THE WEEK

Yes, I thought about making it Nancy Pelosi (so many pictures that would have worked for that joke) but we all know who the hottest girl in the House of Representative is....AOC. Undisputed.
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Brand Recognition
I heard somewhere yesterday that people don't vote for individuals who change their lives, they vote for brands. Like, you don't vote for the policies of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez but you do vote for AOC because she plays Mario Kart over stream. Now, for me, i don't function that way. I need to know things. I need to make informed opinions. It's a facet of my hyper-vigilance. I know AOC's politics. I know what she stands for. I am assured in my decision to support her agenda. It's the same with why i do not support Trump and, by extension, the Republican party and Conservative ideals as a whole. Conservatives are in the business of now-thinly-veiled Fascism and the vast majority of their supporters are eating that sh*t up. Why? What happened to the Republican Party? I mean, Trump happened but why continue following this man who has been indicted four goddamn times? Who has the Feds all in his sh*t? Who has a RICO case going on in Georgia, built on the fact he's on tape bargaining for voter fraud? Then it hits me: They're not voting for Trump the man, they're voting for Trump the brand. If you do any amount of Google-fu, that cursory search will reveal how goddamn bad Trump is at business. From being a straight up slum lord in the Eighties, to failing upward again and again at real estate during the Nineties, to becoming a master at marketing during the Aughts. You can't tell me that a man who suggests dropping an atomic bomb in the heart of a hurricane to counter its spin, should have his finger on that button. You can't seriously say to me that someone who believes they "fell in love" with the brutal dictator of North Korea, should ever sit in the big chair of the US ever again. This motherf*cker printed off two trillion dollars in two months, trying to "fix" the economy, inflation be damned! Just print more money was his solution to the country not having enough money, basic economic theory need not apply. Never mind the rapes. Never mind the abortions. Never mind the adultery. Never mind the hypocrisy. The things i cited above are things he actually DID and you still vote for this man? Because you're not voting for the man, you're voting for the brand. Donald trump is a master of PR. He's been on TV. Dude was a celebrity long before he was anything political. The money he actually made in an honest days work, not by shorting the Feds on taxes for thirty years or making borderline illegal deals with the Saudis, was his time on The Apprentice. People ate that sh*t up. Why do you think 45 is so obsessed with ratings? Because The Apprentice is where the Trump Brand took root. The vast majority of the Tens, Trump licensed his name to everything he could and collected a check on it. He wasn't some miraculous businessman who was outside the sphere of Washington influence. He was a scuzzy slime lord who had reality TV clout and a weirdly bulletproof confidence that he could get away with anything. Dumb people flock to that. Dumb people think that's strength. Dumb people buy into that brand. Republicans are a cult of personality. They vote for an in image. They vote for a Brand. They vote for Trump, not Trump, and when you look at it from that perspective, of course they do.
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Brand Recognition
I heard somewhere yesterday that people don't vote for individuals who change their lives, they vote for brands. Like, you don't vote for the policies of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez but you do vote for AOC because she plays Mario Kart over stream. Now, for me, i don't function that way. I need to know things. I need to make informed opinions. It's a facet of my hyper-vigilance. I know AOC's politics. I know what she stands for. I am assured in my decision to support her agenda. It's the same with why i do not support Trump and, by extension, the Republican party and Conservative ideals as a whole. Conservatives are in the business of now-thinly-veiled Fascism and the vast majority of their supporters are eating that sh*t up. Why? What happened to the Republican Party? I mean, Trump happened but why continue following this man who has been indicted four goddamn times? Who has the Feds all in his sh*t? Who has a RICO case going on in Georgia, built on the fact he's on tape bargaining for voter fraud? Then it hits me: They're not voting for Trump the man, they're voting for Trump the brand. If you do any amount of Google-fu, that cursory search will reveal how goddamn bad Trump is at business. From being a straight up slum lord in the Eighties, to failing upward again and again at real estate during the Nineties, to becoming a master at marketing during the Aughts. You can't tell me that a man who suggests dropping an atomic bomb in the heart of a hurricane to counter its spin, should have his finger on that button. You can't seriously say to me that someone who believes they "fell in love" with the brutal dictator of North Korea, should ever sit in the big chair of the US ever again. This motherf*cker printed off two trillion dollars in two months, trying to "fix" the economy, inflation be damned! Just print more money was his solution to the country not having enough money, basic economic theory need not apply. Never mind the rapes. Never mind the abortions. Never mind the adultery. Never mind the hypocrisy. The things i cited above are things he actually DID and you still vote for this man? Because you're not voting for the man, you're voting for the brand. Donald trump is a master of PR. He's been on TV. Dude was a celebrity long before he was anything political. The money he actually made in an honest days work, not by shorting the Feds on taxes for thirty years or making borderline illegal deals with the Saudis, was his time on The Apprentice. People ate that sh*t up. Why do you think 45 is so obsessed with ratings? Because The Apprentice is where the Trump Brand took root. The vast majority of the Tens, Trump licensed his name to everything he could and collected a check on it. He wasn't some miraculous businessman who was outside the sphere of Washington influence. He was a scuzzy slime lord who had reality TV clout and a weirdly bulletproof confidence that he could get away with anything. Dumb people flock to that. Dumb people think that's strength. Dumb people buy into that brand. Republicans are a cult of personality. They vote for an in image. They vote for a Brand. They vote for Trump, not Trump, and when you look at it from that perspective, of course they do.
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HSMTMTS 2x01 Review
New Yearâs Eve was a great way to return to HSMTMTS especially after such a long gap. Letâs dig in!
Vladimir Lenin once said that, ââ there are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen". Itâs been almost a year and half since S1 ended but this past week has seen revelation after revelation as the fandom has resurrected itself and promotion for S2 kicked into high gear: Joshua Bassett came out, Frankie and Joe confirmed that they are a real life couple, Larry seemingly confirmed that S2 will only have 11 eps rather than the 12 initially ordered, and perhaps most importantly Olivia revealed that she and the main cast are under contract for 4 seasons and made clear that sheâs leaving the show as soon as her contract is up.
I really enjoyed this premiere, it felt like picking up right back where we left off. Iâm guessing that S2 was originally supposed to premiere around Christmas or New Yearâs but the holiday decorations and real Utah snow add a charming aesthetic to the ep. Tim Federle deserves credit for giving HSMTMTS more of an ensemble feel which is no easy feat with a cast as large as this show has. It likely wonât last due to covid restrictions but at least for tonight we got to see all the characters hanging out together acting like a real group of friends.
The dialogue tonight really reminded me of Glee and I think I mean that as a compliment. Miss Jenn in particular seems to be doing her best April Rhodes impression minus the alcoholism.Â
The rini scenes tonight were lovely. Perfect gift was a great song and I loved the rini duet during the music in me as the world faded around them leaving just the two of them. The Harry Styles reference is funny in light of Joshâs coming out interview. Of course, itâs hard now to separate Nini and Ricky and Olivia and Josh. Their chemistry shines through as 2x01, 2x02, and possibly parts of 2x03 were filmed pre Jolivia breakup which seems to have happened around summer 2020. Whether they can keep that same chemistry later on in S2, not to mention future seasons, remains to be seen.
A major theme tonight was communication and clearly Rini need to work on theirs. Poor Ricky had to learn that Niniâs moving to Denver the night before she leaves town which has to remind of him of his mom effectively abandoning him. Ricky saying that heâs never gonna breakup with Nini ever again sure sounds like foreshadowing for a disaster though the odds that this time Nini initiates the breakup are pretty good.Â
Iâm glad that the show is continuing to delve in the Bowenâs divorce story with their house being sold and Ricky and his dad having to move into an apartment. Divorce is expensive and the division of assets typically leave people less well off. Mike Bowen needs to work on his communication skills but heâs rocking that beard; it takes him from depressed divorced dad to depressed divorced daddy.
Seblos was cute and in a nice change of pace Disney doesnât seem to be cynically teasing them then cutting their scenes. It was refreshing to see them just being a couple and to hear Carlos casually refer to himself as gay. In that regard tonightâs ep didnât seem like it was a Disney show at all and itâs major progress that there are now two main gay characters on HSMTMTS. We learn that Carlos is rich which seems likely to be a source of conflict with Seb who comes from a large farming family.
Bet on It was really fun and I liked that Ricky apparently couldnât stop singing it. The medley of HSM 2 songs was fun but Iâll be real with you wildcats, I never thought HSM 2 or 3 were nearly as good as the first movie so Iâm not sad that theyâre doing something else this year.
Wild that Big Redâs mom also calls him Big Red. Salt Lake Slices seems poised to be a big part of S2 both as hangout spot and work location for some of the characters. Redlyn are sweet together but sometimes Big Red comes off as a closeted gay guy which isnât ideal for a het pairing that is supposedly a big part of S2.
Nice to see Gina so excited to have sleepovers with Ashlyn. We know from 2x03 that Gina contends with being single on Valentineâs day and from her glances at Ricky tonight sheâs clearly not over him. Timâs playing with fire and I can only hope he knows what heâs doing. I liked the little detail of Kourtney having AOC on her vision board, it feels true to the character (hopefully AOC gets elected president one day if the USA doesnât collapse into a fascist dictatorship or civil war before then). EJâs beard has got to go but I like that he seems committed to being a better version of himself; very doubtful his plan to go straight to Duke like his forefathers doesnât change by the end of the season.Â
Derek Hough did a good job of playing Zach as a subtly condescending man who managed to swiftly undermine Miss Jennâs confidence, weâll see what he and North High bring to the table.
Looking Ahead:
Next week are auditions for Beauty and the Beast, we know Ashlyn gets the role of Belle and EJ has conveniently removed himself from the running for Beast which presumably clears the path for Ricky to take the lead. Thereâs been some controversy over the casting choices and Iâll save my comments about it for the 2x02 review.
We get to see Lily who looks like a meaner version of season 1 Gina, weâll see how much depth she actually ends up getting. Howie is introduced in 2x03 and Antoine likely shows up later on. Jack likely shows up towards the end of the season.
Howie seems to have a connection with Kourtney though the character synopsis does say he gets close to a wildcat or two which certainly leaves room to slide him into Ginaâs plot. We know Antoine is into Ashlyn so thatâs another love triangle to look forward to. Jack was described as having wanderlust and most of the cast seems not to have filmed with him so I think itâs likely that he plays a role in convincing EJ to take a gap year rather than head straight to Duke.Â
A translation leak on TikTok reveals that in 2x03 Gina is sad that sheâs only gotten a Valentineâs Day gift from her mom. A brief clip from the promo shows up her on her porch at night holding a heart shaped box of chocolates. If thatâs supposed to be from a secret or semi-secret admirer than it has to be from either EJ, Ricky, or Howie. If itâs a platonic gift then it could be from anyone, weâll see what Tim has up his sleeves.
Nini moving back to SLC is a question of when not if. Itâs going to be very difficult to bring her back in a way thatâs justified and also doesnât leave the time she spends in Denver looking like a total waste. Frankly, Iâd rather the show just bite the bullet and bring her back with as little fuss as possible.
Weâre possibly around a quarter way through HSMTMTS given that the mains have 4 season contracts and presuming that the show is not cancelled earlier. At the very least the show will be radically different after S4 if they try to continue it as Olivia has made very clear that sheâs going to leave asap to pursue her burgeoning music career full time (notably sheâs only done the bare minimum of promo for S2).Â
Looming over the remaining seasons of HSMTMTS is what the professional relationship between Olivia and Josh looks like especially since in many ways the show is built around Ricky and Nini. Off screen relationships have often caused on screen problems and dating a co-worker is rarely a good idea since even clean breakups leave lingering resentments. Obviously the Jolivia breakup was not clean, Driverâs License, Deja Vu, and Good 4 U (which is a certified bop) were clearly written from a place of hurt and in some ways were written to hurt. Itâs no surprise that Joshua has dropped his duet with Sabrina Carpenter from his EP; someone on his team at least is trying to stop the damage to his reputation. Thereâs a decent chance that Oliviaâs songs becoming such hits has irreparably damaged Joshua Bassettâs reputation among the same pool of largely young women that heâs targeting his music towards thereby cutting off his music career at the knees. If nothing else this behind the scenes drama should keep things entertaining for a while.
Until next week WildcatsÂ
#HSMTMTS#Rini#Seblos#Ricky Bowen#Nini Salazar-Roberts#Carlos Rodriguez#Seb Matthew-Smith#Gina Porter#ej caswell#HSMTMTS Reviews
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Your style of description is a true delight to read, thank you for blessing us with all the yiga content,
How about some Sooga body worshipping his master?~
Thank you! And yes you can! (also you can totally send in ANY botw/aoc content, not just the husbands! People just seem to like them the most)
Kohga groaned as he slowly woke up. He slept pretty damn hard last night, and for a second, he had no idea where he even was. Right, they switched it up, and they had done some hanky panky in Soogaâs room. It was smaller than his own, but in a way, it was comfy. Though, Sooga kept it way too clean for his liking. It was so stiff and neat. Though, it suited the guy in question, he supposed. He was about to pick up his clothes from the floor, before the door to the room opened. Sooga. He was always a morning riser.
âAh, youâre awake. I brought you breakfast.â
âSurprised you can walk, given last night.â
Kohga chuckled to himself. He was a real beast in the sack (not that it was any surprise to anyone). Sooga nodded, before bringing the tray to Master Kohga. A freshly made honey crepe, served with fried bananas, one hard boiled egg, and a piece of salt grilled meat (specifically red tusked boar. Kohga can tell the difference). Topped with a nice noble pursuit, Kohga was in breakfast in bed heaven. Kohga helped himself to the crepe first, and upon tasting it, he knew something was up.
âThis is...good. Really good.â
âAs it should be.â
Sooga seemed curious by his glare, and he apparently needed it to be explained to him.
âYou suck at making crepes. You didnât make this.â
âI...did not. I tried, but I burnt it.â
He was hopeless. An absolute himbo of a boyfriend. And did Kohga fucking love him. Kohga rolled his eyes, before continuing to tuck in.
âNext time, give it to me anyway.â
âDonât...you want good food?â
Sooga asked, sitting right by Kohgaâs side, ready to do whatever he wanted at any given second, like usual. Kohga tucked into the bananas, and knew it was the one thing Sooga made (he always added a bit too much sugar cane. Just a little).
âI want food YOU made me. Even if it kills me. I mean donât TRY to kill me, but you get the idea. Youâre my boyfriend, itâs just a thing we do for each other. Besides, itâll help you be a better cook.â
Sooga seemed puzzled, before he softly chuckled.
âI...understand. I will make a note to try to perfect my skills. You deserve nothing less than perfect.â
âTrue. But we canât all be perfect. Youâre hot, youâre sweet, you can fight, thatâs a pretty big deal.â
Kohga kept eating, before he caught Sooga smiling at him. He was sitting there like an idiot, swooning at him. Kohga stuffed his mouth full of the salted meat, eating it alongside the hard boiled egg. He swallowed, putting the remainder of his food down.
âWhat are you starinâ at?â
âI just...really think youâre perfect. Iâm sorry, is me watching you eat disrupting you?â
Kohga motioned for him to take the tray, and Sooga obeyed, just putting it out of reach. Minus his drink of course. Kohga shook his head.
âNo no no, I love the attention. But Iâm just saying, you look like you wanna say something.â
Sooga hesitated, before Kohga prompted him with his hand. Sooga took his free hand, and massaged it carefully in his own hand.
âItâs just...seeing you in my bed feels like a dream. Iâve had men in my bed before, but no one I was in love with. No one like you. No one who is so perfect.â
âGo on.â
Kohga chuckled. He sensed some praise kink coming on, and who was he to tell his man no? He took a sip of his drink (he could tell Sooga didnât make this one, this was actually kinda strong, Sooga always made shit light), and let Sooga do his thing. He pushed his mask back, just a bit, kissing the back of his hand.
âI Love everything about you. I love how soft your hands are. I love watching them when you fight. Theyâre so nimble, so skilled, Iâm envious of them.â
Kohga chuckled, taking another sip of his drink. This was the life. A big, lovesick man, a drink in his hand, and a belly full of food, all without leaving his bed. Sooga kissed the back of his hand, each and every single finger, and his palm. This was the first time he kissed his bare hand, rather than through his uniform, so he was a BIT more eager than usual.
âGo on, what else?â
âI love your belly. I love how big and beautiful it is. I love how soft it feels. I love how it makes you look distinguished with it, I love how I ALWAYS want to rest my head upon it.â
Sweet talker, this one was. He even put his hand down in order to crawl into bed, and kiss his bare belly. He could tell Sooga was just a BIT too excited about it, given how plentiful the kisses were on his bare belly, but who was he to stop him? Kohga took another sip, grinning at the lovesick puppy in his arms.
âYou hear some of the footsoldiers calling it âpoochyâ?â
âYes, Iâm quite aware, and I find myself accidentally saying it sometimes.â
Kohga snickered. It was a stupid thing that got started a while ago, and he personally didnât mind it.Â
âSo you like my âpoochy tummyâ?â
Sooga looked up at him with an almost exhausted expression, before nodding.
âYes, I like your âpoochy tummyâ. And your ability to make me say something ridiculous, just for the sake of your amusement.â
Kohga took another swig, trying not to grin.
âUh huh. What else do you like about me?â
He gave his stomach one more kiss, before he lifted himself up, and started to play with Kohgaâs messy, curly hair.
âI love your hair. So soft and beautiful, so soft and wonderful. I could play with it for hours, days even. It always smells like mighty thistles, and I love how only Iâve seen it down like this. I love when you let me watch you put it up. Itâs beautiful. Youâre beautiful.â
Kohga grinned, giving him a moment to play with his hair. He knew it was pretty, and knew HE was pretty. He let Sooga have his moment to worship him, before he gestured him to on.
âGo on, something else.â
âI love your lips. I love how theyâre more beautiful than any flower in any part of Hyrule. I love how theyâre softer than rito feathers.â
Sooga pressed his lips against his. Once, twice, thrice. After a while Kohga lost count. Big, handsome man ravishing him like that? Oof, it killed him. Kohga parted after a moment, clearly satisfied by Soogaâs worship. He was giving him such loving, such bedroom eyes.
âHmmm...you DO like my lipsâŚ~â
âI like many other things about you, Master Kohga.â
âOh yeah? Like what?â
Sooga pulled away the sheet, making Kohga totally nude again.
âI could tell you...Or I could show you.â
Kohga didn't have time to respond before Sooga nearly pounced on him, making Kohga drop his drink.
âSooga! You dropped my drink!â
âFix it later.â
He mumbled, nearly pinning Kohga down by his weight, and showering his neck in kisses.
âSoooooga!!â
Kohga would allow a spilled drink. Just once. He was lucky he was so goddamn cute.
#asks#kohga#sooga#suggestive#let him woo his man god dammit#i almost never made sooga totally charming
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So Iâm rewatching Into the Light
Nobody asked for my live thoughts, but Iâm giving them to you anyway. Enjoy!!
â˘Flashback to 17x01: Gibbs knocks the gun out Zivaâs hand and she immediately pulls another one on him
â˘I shouldnât find that funny, but I still do. Itâs so Ziva.
â˘âI was awake yesterdayâ is still a MOOD
â˘âWe try to avoid shooting people...â poor local LEOs had no idea what was coming lol
â˘âSpecial Guest Star Cote de Pabloâ
â˘I STILL CANT BELIEVE THIS IS REAL
â˘âPlease tell me we didnât just lie to the director again...â
â˘Poor Nick. This family will literally do anything for each other.
â˘Betcha anything Gibbs taught Ziva to swing the bat like that.
â˘Bishop and Ziva coming face to face. I have so many feelings...
â˘âMy life is a series of bad timesâ lol itâs not funny except it kind of is
â˘âTo be honest, Iâm not really sure what I need right now.â Ziva that might be the most honest thing youâve ever said.
â˘Zivaâs little smile when she finds out Gibbs didnât know Bishop was coming
â˘I am HERE for this big sister/little sister dynamic
â˘The two political people McGre talked to? Iâm pretty sure theyâre supposed to represent Biden and AOC. Just a thought but thereâs a lot of resemblance there.
â˘âShe thanked me for rescuing Morgan Burke
â˘wahhhhh
â˘The flashback to shooting Ari...poor bby
â˘Ducky and Ziva...cue the Ross Gellar âIâm fineâ gif
â˘âI was not aloneâ
â˘When this first aired I really thought she was about to say something about Tony but then...
â˘The ice cream day story. And picture. And everything really. đ
â˘âDoes Tony know?â âItâs complicated.â
â˘âI left him [Gibbs] a trail, Ducky. One that only he could see.â
â˘âAnd he didnât come looking.â
â˘I CRY
â˘âAm I right, girlfriend?â Lolololol Jack
â˘Jimmyâs need to see Ziva. I love it so much
â˘âWhat the heck am I supposed to say to Tony when he calls me for our monthly Fortnite session?â
â˘idk Palmer but knowing you itâs going to be awkward and hilarious and I would LOVE IT for us if we could see and/or hear that!!
â˘McGee and Ziva! My heart is not ready!!
â˘Also I 100% knew that was a drop when she walked in to meet McGee before they revealed it
â˘âSaved me from having to begâ
â˘Poor McGee just wants to see his little sister!!
â˘âCan I have that hug now?â
â˘Zivaâs face đ
â˘âI hear youâre a father nowâ
â˘Itâs fine, Iâm fine
â˘âI donât have all the answers, McGeeâ
â˘âSo come with me, to NCIS, and we can answer them togetherâ
â˘HE JUST WANTS IT TO BE LIKE OLD TIMES
â˘âWhatever you think of us, we still think of you as family.â
â˘Cause, you know, FAMILY FIRST GUYS
â˘âZiva, come home. Come home.â
â˘YEAH DO IT DO IT DO IT ZIVA
â˘and her face again đĽ
â˘ASFFDAVAGk SHEâS HOME
â˘I asked for this but I was not ready!!
â˘Her eyes are locked on Tonyâs desk
â˘just like his were locked on hers when she âdiedâ
â˘and sheâs got this little smile on her face
â˘THE TIVA THEME
â˘BLESS YOU BRIAN KIRK
â˘AND THE FLASHBACK THAT PARALLELS TONY FINDING OUT SHE âDIEDâ
â˘I AM NOT FINE. AT ALL.
â˘I AM A SOBBING MESS
â˘Nick and Ziva sizing each other up lol
â˘Bishop is so amused
â˘Nick has no idea what to do here hahaha
â˘Ziva totally sees whatâs going on with those two.
â˘You can tell sheâs thinking about something as they walk away
â˘Or someONE. Ahem.
â˘Tony, sheâs definitely thinking about Tony.
â˘And wondering if the two of them were ever that obvious
â˘They were. Stupid, married idiots.
â˘Sheâs probably remembering all of the looks and banter and everything that took place between them in this room over the years
â˘Moving on now...
â˘I hate to break it to you Nick but Ziva absolutely would beat you in a fight
â˘âPossibly in a chairâ lol Kasie
â˘âIf you deny it Iâm just going to say it louderâ
â˘CALL HIM OUT JACK
â˘Gibbs sigh of relief when McGee and Bishop walk in lol
â˘âOh, no, please Boss donât do thatâ
â˘Poor McGee and his technology
â˘Oooh little sister is not happy with big sister
â˘Nicholas and Eleanor
â˘WHAT A MOM
â˘âJust, please, make it look real.â
â˘This whole conversation is GOLD
â˘âDonât be a wuss, tell her how you feel!â And her smirk đ
â˘âYour friend played your assâ Gibbs was so happy here lol
â˘âI miss doing this with you, Zivaâ
â˘I MISS SEEING YOU TWO DO THIS TOGETHER
â˘The looks...Ziva knows Gibbs knows
â˘âI miss things sometimes. So I hear.â
â˘This is PAINFUL
â˘I GOT IT IN PARAGUAY
â˘SHE WENT TO PARAGUAY
â˘AND TOOK OUT AN ENTIRE FREAKING TERRORIST CELL FOR HER FAMILY
â˘after surviving a Somalia terror camp she VOLUNTARILY went to another terror camp, knowing Tony wouldnât be around to save her if needed this time, BECAUSE THATâS WHAT YOU DO FOR FAMILY
â˘ASDFFGSKAN I feel like we need to make a bigger deal about this!!
â˘âYou couldnât even hope I was still aliveâ
â˘Iâm sobbing again
â˘âMay I have a lifeline?â
â˘Hahaha oh Duck-Man
â˘Bishop is all about defending big sister. Love it.
â˘You can tell on Zivaâs face that sheâs up to something when sheâs transferring the assets lol
â˘These poor LEOs hahaha. What a 24 hours for them
â˘McGeeâs âZivaâ and the smile on his face đĽş
â˘Iâm crying again
â˘âI donât kiss and showâ
-âTellâ
-I MISS THEM SO MUCH
â˘âHowâd you know?â
â˘âI didnât. Hoped.â
â˘ASDFGFGSJAGA
â˘Weâre just missing one member of the three musketeers here.
â˘Hereâs hoping these next two episodes give us that!!
â˘Ziva apologized - twice - and no mention of the rules. Love that.
â˘âI get it in my head that youâre alive, and Iâm out there looking, and it turns out youâre not...I wouldâve uh...I would of...â *is speechless*
â˘Has Gibbs ever been this speechless before because of feelings?
â˘I donât think so
â˘Here come the tears again
â˘âI would have lost you a thousand times if thatâs what it tookâ
â˘THE ACTING HERE. MARK AND COTE FOR PRESIDENT. GIVE THEM ALL THE AWARDS
â˘Ugh but what do you have to do alone Ziva??
â˘Gibbs wiping Zivaâs tears away. Zivaâs nose boop. So pure. So Mark and Cote đđ
â˘DINOZZO
â˘âHe should hear it from youâ
â˘âAnd he willâ
â˘ASSFSFAVgavHavJa I CANNOT
â˘How will he hear it?? Will we get to see it? I JUST WANT THEM TO REUNITE ALREADY DANG IT!!
â˘Is it time for the next 2 episodes yet??
#anyway there are all of my thoughts#what a rollercoaster#this might be one of my favorite episodes#it was just missing tony#he was so present though#even without being physically there#you just really cant have one without the other#tiva#tony dinozzo#ziva david#ncis#season 17#17x02#into the light#leroy jethro gibbs#timothy mcgee#eleanor bishop#nick torres#jack sloane#kasie hines#donald mallard#ducky#jimmy palmer
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blog post two: fame vs infamy after the siege: heroes and the hive mind
How can we heal as a nation from these twin viruses: COVID19 and The Big Lie/QAnon Conspiracy Contagion? What are some of your proposed antidotes?
What a loaded question! The year of 2020 has clearly been one of the most difficult, and it has felt very polarizing and hostile - but there also has been such a sense of fighting for what is right and community. As we talked about last week, Amanda Gorman in her inauguration poem said it all. We need to stand for love, and put down our arms to instead wrap them around one another to work towards the common goal of bettering this country. We need a sense of togetherness, and although this will be an extremely difficult task, we can start by engaging in helpful dialog, making change, understanding more, and being open to admitting our faults. There is a lot of healing to do!
What are your thoughts on Eugene Goodman's actions the day on Jan 6th?
Eugene Goodman deserves all the âhypeâ that he is receiving, because there is immense bravery and strength in what he did during the horrific day of when the Capitol was stormed- as a young black man, by himself (along with a reporter), he went up against the masses of seemingly large white males carrying flags and signs that hold systemically racist connotations, to help save those who were inside the Capitol fearing for their lives. His selflessness and courage are what this country should be looking towards; to do the right thing.Â

Do you think AOC demonstrated bravery in telling her story? How does such a narrative redefine power? How do her relationships with other staff members provide solace and assist with collective healing?
Yes, although I may be bias because I love AOC, sh did demonstrate bravery through telling her story. I think any woman that shares a story in which the narrative has the potential to be controlled by the media, and blames a majority of white men, for fearing for their lives, demonstrates a great strength - to call out your oppressors. AOC was taking back her power by telling her own account of what happened, rather than people trying to peg it down by saying it wasnât âthat badâ as if they were there. I thought it was comforting to see that she was in a room with two other female colleagues, and to see that her staff members respect and care for her enough to put their own lives on the line for her safety was extremely admirable. Itâs again, comforting, to have a shared experience (although I wish it didnât have to happen this way) for her to share with other females who felt the same sense of fear - to lean on women who can share an understanding of a horrific incident and get through it together.
What is the difference between Fame and Infamy? What does the insurrection say about the shadow side of celebrityhood and false idolatry?
Fame tends to hold a more positive connotation, while Infamy is largely associated with negative connotations. If someone is well known for something good, they are seen as famous - but if someone is well known for something bad or evil, they are considered infamous. The shadow side of celebrityhood and false idolatry can be dangerous, as we can see from these events, and even from social media. Following somebody famous in admiration with a proper sense of attribution for their fame is different than the blind obsession from the followers of somebody infamous.Â
The social media, live-streamed insurrection: what does it mean that the perpetrators of the Capitol siege provided photographic and video evidence of their crimes? Was this more evidence of delusion? Of white privilege?
The perpetrators of the Capitol siege provided photographic and video evidence of their crimes because they believe that they are above the law, the government of which has been elected does not âproperlyâ represent them, and they seemingly want to be seen or known for infamy. It is completely delusional to believe that storming the Capitol will in any way change the vote in favor of their preferred party, or anything else for that matter. I was completely shocked, but not entirely, on what I saw on my TV screen that day because it made absolute no sense on how violence would ever be the answer to their âproblemsâ or help them in any way. White privilege does take a play in this, I think we can all agree that if these were people of color, the story would be very different. They had no shame, seemingly not even thinking twice, about posting what they were doing in almost a prideful sense - almost expecting that whatever consequence that was coming their way would not be lethal.Â
Discuss the role of citizen sleuths and the anonymous creator of Faces of the Riot in this ongoing collaboration with the FBI. How does the hive mind serve as a corrective?
When Joe Biden was elected, CNNâs Van Jones said it pretty perfectly, âItâs easier to be a dad this morning. Itâs easier to tell your kids, âCharacter matters, being a good person matters.. This is a big deal for us to get some peace and have a reset. Being a good man matters. I want my son to look at this. It is a good day for this country.â When we collectively work together to combat an evil, like those who helped identify the people who helped commit the horrific crimes in which took place in the Capitol, we become better. The hive mind can serve as a corrective when we can work together, not for what stands in between us, but what stands before us.Â
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Wine 101: American Red Blends

This episode of âWine 101â is sponsored by Apothic Wine. From rich red blends, to an alluring white and a rosĂŠ with dark secrets, Apothic makes wine that is anything but ordinary. Ignite your curiosity with Apothic red, the intriguing red blend that launched the Apothic legacy. And yeah, thereâs a sly, roguish wink to every one of our bottles, because we think a good wine, like a good time, should mix things up a little. I mean, bold nights call for rebellious wine. Apothic Wine: Thereâs mischief in the making.
In this episode of âWine 101,â host Keith Beavers is joined by VinePair co-founder and CEO Adam Teeter. The two discuss the wine style and trend that is taking American wine culture by storm: red blends. Teeter lends a hand in tracing this style back to its roots and explains that red blends really emerged at the tail end of a previous obsession with Zinfandel. As American consumers grew tired of the Zinfandel that had flooded shelves for years, winemakers had to get creative and start blending the fruit with other grapes.
This process was led in part by David Phinneyâs Prisoner wine, which spurred a new line of lush, plush red wines. Other wineries like Apothic have continued to produce new red blends each year with varying grapes, and enjoy the fact that thereâs no solid definition of what goes into a âred blend.â Unlike other blended, area-specific styles like Chianti and Bordeaux, red blends can still live by their own rules.
This new wave of popular red wines has finally created an âeveryday drinkingâ wine in America. While other countries are able to play on softer styles or versions of their own national wines, red blends have launched a new way for American oenophiles to end the workday â with or without steak, pasta, or other popular pairings.
Here, Teeter and Beavers dive deep into the history of red blends and what consumers should look out for when shopping for one today. They also discuss the one term that became consumersâ go-to descriptor for red blends â yet failed to make its way to wine tech.
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Keith: My name is Keith Beavers, and â oh, hey, dude.
Adam: Hey, Keith. Iâm Adam Teeter, the co-founder of VinePair.
K: I know you are, but what are you doing here?
A: I actually donât know what Iâm doing here, I think to help you.
K: Well, since youâre here, I mean, itâs a little bit annoying. Itâs my podcast.
A: I know.
K: But, you know, if you want to hang out, I do have a couple of questions if youâre totally cool with that.
A: Yeah, sure.
K: Thanks for your time. Adam Teeter, CEO of VinePair.
A: Youâre welcome, Keith.
K: Whatâs going on wine lovers? Welcome to Season 2, Episode 3 of VinePairâs âWine 101â podcast â itâs a lot to say. My name is Keith Beavers. I am the tastings director of VinePair. Not the CEO. Whatâs going on? Today, weâre talking about red blends, and I got to say, itâs a history thing happening right now. So I had to bring somebody in to help me understand what this new movement is. So we can move into the future with it as an American drinking culture. I brought in ⌠the CEO. So the term âred blendâ is pretty self-explanatory. Right? But the thing is, itâs evolving. That term is evolving into a new category of wine here in the American drinking culture. And itâs happening right now, in real time. So for me as a history buff, I was like, where do I start? How do I start researching something thatâs actually happening right now? So, thing is, weâve been talking about this at VinePair for a while, for a few years now, this idea of the red blend. Weâve been watching this thing evolve. So I decided to have a recorded conversation with CEO of VinePair, Adam Teeter, because heâs got it down. And I just wanted to pick his brain about it. And so the two of us kind of riff back and forth. And I think weâve figured out whatâs going on. Actually, I know we figured out whatâs going on. Actually, Adam told me what was going on and I figured out what was going on. So I know this is a little bit different, but this is really good information because right now, this is happening. And as we move into the future, this could be a good timestamp. Like this is when it really started to take off, because for the last few years, the Nielsen Ratings have finally been tracking this idea of the red blend. So weâre just in the beginning of it. So sit back, relax, hang out. Me and Adam Teeter, CEO, letâs have a convo about the new phenomenon of red blends. Adam, thank you for coming on my podcast.
A: Youâre welcome. Keith. Itâs always great to be here. Well, itâs my first time, actually. Longtime listener. First time guest.
K: Do you listen to the podcast?
A: Yeah, I do, man. Every week.
K: All right, fine. So I brought you on here because I love this idea of the American red blend. I just need to understand what we do about it and where did it come from? I guess if you think about it, Iâm going to say this â itâs going to sound really âwine pretentious.â But when I think of red blends, most of the wines from antiquity until now and around the world that we drink are blends from Chianti, Bordeaux, Champagne. These are all blends. But we have this term that weâre using to define something. And I need to understand whatâs up. Can you riff for a second on what you know about whatâs going on?
A: Yes, I think thatâs what is so interesting about this, is that for people who are traditionally âlearnedâ in the world of wine, letâs say, your WSETs, your self-taught people like yourself. Those that follow, as you refer to her, Jedi Master Jancis Robinson. We know of lots of wines being blended. Right? So if you say, âOh, Iâm really into red blends,â you could mean youâre into Southern Rhone wine. You could say you love Bordeaux. As you said, you could be really into lots of different styles, Chianti, etc. But what happened in the U.S. is, about 10, 15 years ago, you had this emergence of red wines on the market that in place of the label saying Merlot or the label saying Cabernet or Pinot Noir, just said âRed Blend.â And because we donât name wines after places here, we donât have our own version of âNapa,â letâs say, right? If you see a wine on the shelf and it just said âNapaâ on it, you have no idea what it was. But we donât do that. It was a way for American wine producers to market a new style of wine that was basically an old style. They were doing the same thing that winemakers in Chianti had done. They just were actually telling you it was a blend because they couldnât say that their wine was called âPaso.â Did that for you.
K: Thanks, Adam.
A: Yeah. So basically this idea of âred blendâ really took off. And now, red blend is looked at by a very large portion of American consumers to be the same thing as asking for a Merlot or asking for Cabernet. Not a trade-off. Right? Youâre not going to drink a Merlot or a red blend. But what I mean by that is that when you order a red blend, you expect to receive a wine at your table or at the store that says red blend on the label. And I think that itâs kind of hard to wrap your mind around, right? Because we are talking about a new category of wine. And a category of wine that is treated the same as if a consumer were to say they like to drink Zinfandel. And actually, thatâs whatâs really interesting is that red blend is, in a lot of ways, the creation of the demise of Zinfandel.
K: The creation of the demise of Zinfandel? The demise of Zinfandel?
A: Out of the ashes of Zinfandel came the red blend.
K: Right! Because isnât it true that most of these red blends are based on either Zinfandel or maybe Petite Sirah or something like that?
A: It used to be. But again, this is why this is crazy. So if we were in France or Italy, and we were in one of these AOCs, DOCs, etc., and we had written laws that said weâre going to name our category of wine, the red blend, âKeithâs Paso Blendâ or whatever.
K: Aw.
A: Like if we were to say that, we would say, OK, well, this came about, letâs see, 20 years ago, 10 years in it became really popular. And when it was popular, the grapes used to make this specific kind of wine were Zinfandel, of which 65 percent was used; Petite Sirah, which the majority winemakers were making, like 20 percent. Then people were using a little bit of Merlot, whatever, you could use anything else you want. But those were the main. And then we would sit down and we would have a meeting, right, among all the people who voted in the AOC. And weâd write the guidelines and weâd vote on those guidelines. And weâd ratify them much like we try to ratify the tax code. Right? So weâd say these are the laws. But because, as you like to say all the time, âThis is America,â we didnât do that. And so the red blend has become basically any blend of red grapes that creates a red wine, for the most part, which is crazy. But the way that the red blend came about was, as you said, as a way for a lot of winemakers to use Zinfandel and Petite Sirah â primarily Zinfandel â that had gone out of fashion.
K: OK.
A: So basically in California, there was so much Zinfandel. I mean, I remember when I even came of drinking age, which was, you know, only 14, 15 years ago.
K: Thatâs all?
A: Thatâs all. Itâs a long time ago, though, right? Even then there was still a lot of Zinfandel. I used to see it all over the place. And when I was in college and drinking underage, it was definitely everywhere. Youâd walk into Publix and Kroger and thereâd be all these Seven Deadly Zins and Ravenswood. Tons of Zinfandels all over the shelf. And they started to dwindle because Zinfandel became less popular. Now, youâve talked about this before, but ripping up vines and replanting is very expensive.
K: Right.
A: And so all of a sudden, there were a lot of these grapes just on the market that nobody wanted. Or they didnât want them for the price that people were originally paying for them. So a lot of really smart winemakers were like, âWell, this is still really high-quality fruit.â This wasnât like this was fruit that was garbage. Right? This was really good fruit that made really good wine. Just the problem was that American tastes had changed. People didnât want Zinfandel anymore. It wasnât seen as like âThe wine you always order with steak.â You know, big bad boy Cabernet Sauvignon was like, âNo man, youâre not taking my spot. And so basically it just wasnât something that people were ordering as much. And so these winemakers said, âHuh, what can I do with this really high-quality fruit?â And one of the winemakers who was trying to figure this out was a guy named Dave Phinney. And Dave Phinney is from Napa.
K: Oh!
A: Yeah. You know, Dave, he is from Napa. And he had access to all this fruit that other people didnât want because they were going after Cabernet and Merlot, but there was a lot of Napa, and then I think also, if Iâm correct, also the surrounding area of Sonoma etc., a lot of Zinfandel that was there that was really good. It was being grown in the same vineyards. And he said, âHuh, Iâll take all of that, and Iâll make a blend with it. Zinfandel will be the base, and I will call it The Prisoner.â
K: The Prisoner, the big old bottle that everybody buys.
A: Yep, and so basically he creates this bottle. It becomes this sort of cult wine. And at the same time, you had other winemakers making other wines like Apothic, another really big red blend. I mean, big in terms of popularity. And all kind of doing the same thing. Like they saw that they had access to these grapes. And so then when people asked someone like David, âWhat is the Prisoner?â he wasnât gonna call it a Zinfandel because it was out of fashion. He said âOh, itâs a red blend.â And so thatâs kind of the origin story. I mean, the wine thatâs really famous for making red blends what they are actually isnât The Prisoner. It is Apothic. You can look at just what happened with that wine and how it just exploded on the American market and just became this massive phenomenon.
K: I remember buying it for my wine shop in 2009 when it came out.
A: Yeah. I mean, itâs really helped define what the red blend is. But now itâs really expanded past that. And now the red blend grew, and grew, and grew. And I think American consumers started saying, âHuh, I like this.â And so what is the flavor profile of the red blend? Thatâs whatâs interesting, because itâs not now based on any specific grape, thereâs no laws like we talked about. Itâs hard to say, âWell, with all red blends, you will get X, Y, or Zâ in the same way that you could probably say to me, âWell, when you have Chianti and itâs from this commune, you should expect to have this.â Or when you have Bordeaux from the Right Bank, you should look for wines that are softer and more supple, maybe drinkable at an earlier stage because theyâre heavily based on Merlot, where on the Left Bank youâre going to get wines that you probably need to lay down for a while because theyâre more based on Cabernet and things like that. Youâre not going to get that with a red blend because every blend can be different. And so then here, I guess, flash-forward to another interesting part of the story with red blends is, I donât know if this is responsible or not for also why red blends just kind of became any kind of blend of wines. But there did come a time when Mr. Phinney had a very successful product, and he sold it to another winery. And in selling that wine, he was not allowed to make a blend of wine, red blend of wine based on Zinfandel, for I think it was seven years or eight years.
K: Wow.
A: I think he has a wine called Seven Years in the Desert, or Eight Years in the Desert. I feel bad that I actually donât know the actual name. So we might have to look that up. You can correct me. But yeah. And that now is sold through his label Orin Swift, but itâs the first Zinfandel-based red wine he was allowed to make after selling The Prisoner. And so he made other red blends that maybe were based on, like you said, Petite Sirah. Maybe he found some Malbec in California that people werenât using as much or some Syrah or things like that. And it kind of just became this idea of red blends as these usually bigger, powerful, luscious wines.
K: Luscious is the big key there right?
A: Luscious is the word. I mean, thatâs what I choose to use when I talk about red blends, they are luscious.
K: Every one that I have tasted and reviewed itâs about lush, plush fruit. It can be a big wine with a ton of alcohol, or it could be even a medium-bodied wine with lesser alcohol or the perceptions of either or. But, itâs always plush and smooth.
A: Yes.
K: So this is my theory, because again, I dig history, and I love watching how we evolve as a drinking culture in the United States because weâre so young and we had 10 years of Prohibition to mess around with our drinking culture. And then when we came out of Prohibition, we had to rebuild everything. And the first thing, we rebuilt instead of just like everyday wine, we built a fine wine region in Napa Valley and made it so that it was a fine wine region. And then there were all these AVAs across America and all this stuff. So then Robert Parker comes around with the point system and now everyoneâs learning how to drink fine wine in America. But thereâs never really been an everyday wine, which you have in Europe. Every DOC, like you said, even though they have these hard-and-fast rules that lasts for decades and decades, thereâs always some sort of fun, easy-drinking wine that the region will make, whether itâs joven in Rioja.
A: Yep.
K: Or itâs, Rosso di Montalcino in Montalcino, or something like that. So it seems to me that because we are who we are and how weâve come up in drinking culture and especially in wine, we came out of the Prohibition era with a big sweet tooth because all the wine that was being poured during Prohibition was kind of a sweet red wine. And when we started to actually learn about what fine wine was, we missed that one thing. We miss that everyday wine thing, the stuff that helps a culture build as a drinking culture. And you donât just build as a drinking culture, like, âOK, we drink fine wine now. Itâs all we do.â So this seems to me a great moment in our history of wine, is that we have now created this thing. We call it the red blend.
A: Yeah, just the red blend.
K: Just the red blend. And what it is, is itâs like, âHey, every year the blend is going to be different.â Because I talked to Deb Juergenson. She is the winemaker at Apothic. And that wine is always smooth, always chill, always plush, always deep. But she changes the blend every year based on what they get. So itâs like itâs our version. Even though they can get â I donât know what The Prisoner, I donât know how much that bottle costs nowadays. But in our range of whatâs available, what weâre willing to pay for for everyday wine, the red blend is now there for us to have that everyday drink instead of freaking out, stressing out every night about buying something thatâs fine wine for dinner. Does that make sense?
A: Yeah, man. So hereâs what I think itâs interesting. Because first when youâre talking, I of course looked it up, so it depends on where you buy it. But from most places, The Prisoner is $55 a bottle.
K: Thatâs not inexpensive.
A: No, but I think for red blends, itâs really interesting â whether itâs Apothic, which is, you know, a more everyday red blend, itâs more affordable, or itâs some of the other really amazing red blends that Orin Swift makes, obviously. So Phinney, when he left The Prisoner, he started Orin Swift. And Orin Swift makes a lot of red blends. For a lot of people, it hits everything theyâre looking for. It has that power, it has the plushness. I think whatâs interesting about red blends that I hadnât thought about until you were talking, and I think itâs really interesting because we like to geek out on this kind of stuff, is we always talk about Malbec is the wine that became popular without the help of the wine industry, if that makes sense. It wasnât a wine that was really popular. The red blend, actually, is truly that wine. We sat here being wine writers and journalists, whatever you and I do, being like, âOh, itâs Malbec.â But actually Malbec in a lot of ways was very traditional in the way that it still came out. I mean, yeah, fine. In America, maybe it became popular through the people and through wine shops, but in Argentina and things like that, it was still very highly touted by sommeliers and stuff.
K: Well they didnât give us any. Initially, they drank all of it. Until like the â90s.
A: Exactly. But in the U.S., the red blend is 100 percent a wine that became popular because of consumers. It is the peopleâs wine. Itâs the best way to describe it.
K: Cool. Thatâs very American.
A: Yeah it is. Itâs this phenomenon. And I think itâs really cool because you canât define it. As youâre saying, I didnât know that about Apothic. Thatâs crazy. That every year the blend is different. I mean, that is very much âIâm going to use the best things that are available to me to make the best wine I can,â as opposed to having to use this grape or that grape. Thatâs whatâs so interesting about the blend, and the reason that I caught you and said you canât say American red blend anymore is that that used to be true. But now you are seeing entrepreneurial winemakers around the world who are saying, âHuh. Thereâs something here.â
K: Especially Argentina.
A: Yes. And also, Iâve seen it now in Australia, too. They are now making â mostly, of course, New World wine regions. Can we say that term anymore?
K: I think so. It sounds a little bit.
A: Yeah, but so we are seeing now red blends coming out of Argentina. Weâre seeing red blends coming out of Australia, and itâs all the same idea. And it all is kind of that same profile weâre talking about: lush, plush. And the word that consumers use that the trade doesnât: smooth.
K: Smooth.
A: And I think smooth is the most interesting word to me. And like you can have a whole podcast about what smooth is.
K: I know. I know.
A: But smooth is this word that every time, when you and I first started really digging on wine, going to the wine festivals and teaching and stuff there together, thatâs the one word we used to hear every single consumer say: âOh, I love this wine. Itâs so smooth.â
K: Right.
A: And if you were ever to talk to a WSET-trained â
K: They hate it.
A: Or they donât really know what it means, because they donât use it.
K: Itâs rejected. I should say itâs rejected.
A: Right. They werenât taught that, they didnât come into wine using the term. And itâs one of these things that is such this, like, disconnect, because I think because wine professionals donât know what that term means to most consumers, they donât know how to fulfill what that consumer is looking for. And basically what that consumer is looking for is what you said. To me, âsmoothâ is the red blend. It is like this wine that is luscious and plush and ripe and very low in tannin with a nice amount of acidity that is not super-high acidity. But that has acidity. So itâs not a flabby wine, but it is a wine that is very easy-drinking even at a high alcohol content.
K: And it goes with burgers, pizza, steak. It can go with pasta.
A: Yes.
K: It can go with hot dogs. Pretty much everything you would drink with a red wine, a red blend will go there.
A: Exactly. And I think the most interesting thing about red blends is the beginning of the red blend was also the beginning of the change in behavior amongst American consumers, where a lot of people were choosing wine at the end of the day in the way they used to have a cocktail or beer, meaning sans food.
K: Right.
A: And I think that is also where the red blend also comes in, where, as you said, it goes with everything. But if you chose to pop on Netflix and pop a bottle of Apothic, it would be fine.
K: Yeah. Pairs with âBridgerton.â
A: Itâs funny, I knew you were going to say that. But yeah, it pairs with âBridgerton.â So itâs like that is really what has been so interesting about the red blend. And this year you saw in just sheer data the interest, especially the pandemic of it, just skyrocket. I mean, still behind; youâre not going to knock King Cab off the throne.
K: Right.
A: But just behind it.
K: Yeah, I read that Cabernet Sauvignon is by far No. 1. But the second category for wine, not just the grape, but as wine â the second category is red blend. I think up until 2014 or something like that, the term red blend was lumped into the âsweet wineâ category. The Nielsen data wasnât even looking at red blend, but since it has, itâs increased over like a three- year period. It just keeps on increasing, increasing, increasing in popularity, and it just canât be ignored now. And I think itâs so great that we have this, and itâs weird. I know that people would try to copy big oak to please the Parker thing back in the day. But itâs very interesting how now, other New World regions are sort of â weâve spent a lot of time in America from the beginning until now just trying to emulate what happened in Europe. Thatâs a lot of what happened back in the day. And then we slowly but surely figure out our own style in the â90s using these big, oaky red wines. And we kind of backed away from that. But we still have that structure in our lives. And itâs very interesting how now it seems like places like Argentina are looking at what this red blend is. And now theyâre trying to say, âOK, we know what Americans like. They like the smooth, rich, red blend. Weâre going to try to now create something thatâs similar to that.â And I think that itâs a major success. I mean, Santa Julia has a Malbec-Cab Franc blend. Itâs called Mountain Blend. Itâs their red blend. Itâs awesome. Itâs like $12.
A: Yeah.
K: Thatâs another thing. I know The Prisoner is expensive, but isnât it true that most of these red blends are pretty affordable?
A: Yes, theyâre pretty affordable. Theyâre usually $10 to $20. But thatâs the thing is that I think what people are showing is, OK, you have some of those. But then you do have these much higher-priced ones that are more premium, and I guess what Iâm trying to say is itâs a flavor profile now that people have gotten used to and like, both as a more everyday bottle as well as one of these bottles that when they go to the steakhouse they would order and they would like. And I think a lot of the things with red blends that people also appreciate is they pretty much pop and pour at whatever price range. They are wines that are good to go the second the cork is popped. Youâre not as worried about the things that might come along with Cabernet and what was the vintage? Itâs very different in a lot of ways with the red blends, because they can blend so many different things in to achieve the profile theyâre looking for in any given year. Again, no rules.
K: And itâs not easing into some sort of complexity and tertiary aromas. What itâs doing is enduring.
A: Exactly.
K: So The Prisoner is a few years old or 10 years old. It may not have changed into a very kind of brickish, beautiful wine, but what it is instead is like this wine holds. You can have this wine in 10 years. It may not be complex, but itâs going to be a little bit more solid. Thatâs it. It kind of feels like this is just a good, solid wine. But then again, these wines arenât aging. They are ready to drink now. Thatâs why you have that sort of everyday feel. We finally, as Americans, have everyday red wine to drink thatâs actually really good and smooth and easy. And we can say smooth. I think the wine industry needs to get used to that word. The science of smooth. We gotta get it.
A: Yeah, man. So thatâs red blends.
K: Wow. Man, thank you so much for coming in. I guess itâs cool you came to my podcast because I got some info, so thanks a lot.
A: Yeah. Man, I appreciate, you know, somehow winding up here.
K: Yeah. I donât know how you got here. All right thanks a lot.
A: Youâre welcome.
K: So there it is. I think we have in America, finally, for the first time in our history, a category that defines our everyday, easy-drinking style. It took a while, but here we are. So red blends, theyâre fun, theyâre expensive, theyâre not expensive. But theyâre always plush, soft, smooth, and ready to drink. And thatâs an awesome American innovation. Youâre welcome.
@VinePairKeith is my Instagram. Review this podcast wherever you get your podcasts from, it really helps get the word out there. And now for some totally awesome credits. âWine 101â was produced, recorded, and edited by yours truly, Keith Beavers at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big olâ shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin for creating VinePair.
And I mean, big shout-out to Danielle Grinberg, the art director of VinePair, for creating the most awesome logo for this podcast. Also Darby Cici for the theme song. Listen to this. And I want to thank the entire VinePair staff for helping me learn something new every day. See you next week. See? Totally awesome credits.
This episode of âWine 101â is sponsored by Apothic Wine. From rich red blends, to an alluring white and a rosĂŠ with dark secrets. Apothic makes wine that is anything but ordinary. Ignite your curiosity with Apothic red, the intriguing red blend that launched the Apothic legacy. And yeah, thereâs a sly, roguish wink to every one of our bottles, because we think a good wine, like a good time, should mix things up a little. I mean, bold nights call for rebellious wine. Apothic Wine: Thereâs mischief in the making.
Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.
The article Wine 101: American Red Blends appeared first on VinePair.
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A simple man accidentally joins Qanon.

I am looking for the trunklike opening of a cavern that is  promising a hermitage of monks. Instead, I accidentally got recruited by Qanon.Â
I only ended up with them because I thought the rough looking recruiter woman with desperate destruction in her eyes said âQui-Gon Jinn.â He is a real big influence on my overall look. The recruiter grabbed me by the pip of my ponytail and gave me a fierce rub down. She did not manage to extract anything from me because she wasnât looking for anything special for me, I was basically cornmeal to her. A necessary means to an end. I try to quickly terminate my contract with the Qanoners, Iâm a goner.
There is no mesh bag thrown over your head. I watch myself get dragged and kidnapped. I stand outside of myself and spit on myself. I hope I rot in Qanon mud club basement for all I care. Alas, I am very much chained to my corporeal form and rejoin back inside my raging crunching bones being dragged across an empty gymnasium. Old prom decorations are adorning the rafters; the apparent theme is Trapped In The Closet. This dates the decorations as a typical early 00âs macro-aggression. What do these people want with me? I try to remember all of the rest of the whoâs, whyâs, what and how I should be trying to grasp at as I continue to be dragged onwards and onwards. How large can the expanse of this gym be? Every time it looks like I am approaching a halfway full court circle the room seems to grow further in distance. A very roomy and interactive treadmill.
My assailant snaps her head around and with a tension in her throat, she croaks, âArenât you going to put up a fight?â
âIâve been dragged longer.â I respond. I am not trying to be cheeky. I am stating a clear fact, but she begins dragging me faster and faster. The gymnasium becomes a bleak parking lot full of abandoned cars full of bloody empty car seats and cabbage patch doll sitting on top of smashed dash boards. The texture of the ground changes from glossy and buffed gymnasium wood flooring into typical pavement. I am starting to bleed more than I am comfortable with.
âAlright I give. Please stop. Enough.â
âLook weâve reached our hide-out. Youâve passed, youâre a real Qtie.â
âYou donât call yourselves that.â
âFake news to you too.â This woman with her exacting haircut sounds really tired. Maybe a tad attention starved as well. I donât feel any sexual pleasure being dragged and humiliated by her, I just feel like she really needs a win. This is certainly not the forested idyllic hermitage haven where I could be with men who made soap and floral craft beer. I had to get out of here. The only way down is up.
âI could use a doctor. Are there any any Qute doctors.â
âNo one reveals their civilian lives here. Cut that shit out. Throw those lives away when you commune with Q.â
Quetzalcoatl have mercy on my soul. I am starting to remember a vague idea of what these Qanon people about. I have been taking sketch comedy writing classes and people would occasionally mention these group. I donât see how these people are funny anymore. These people are monsters. I hate being surrounded by only white people. And as my captor cum guide peels back the security layers of bricks and mortar sealing away their underground den I try to appreciate the outside as much as possible. I am not sure if the sky is still a simulation, but the sky is disappointing tonight. There are some parts of the country that are like this. Rarely if ever a nice night sky to look up. Clearly these safety sign orange skies add up to a lot of restless white supremacists, apparently. These people always want so many excuses for their behavior.
What kind of people are Qanon? They are not hicks. They carry glints of rolodex watches and sweaty pit stained polos. I know which way the khaki blows and itâs directly into my stake. Iâm aiming for where it really hurts. I have no stake, I only have my torn and bloodied office attire and swelling inner violence. The sex cult accusations robbed me of my trust of Tom Hanks and for that they must pay. A man inside of a muscular blow up suit in the shape of a gimplike strongman is wheeled out onto stage. The woman who was dragging me tenderly injects his arm with a substance in the manner of heroin. That is if heroin is a slightly glowing gooey substance. A wet and warbling voice sputters out from inside of the man inside of the man.
âWar! All out full blown war. There is no other option.â
âYes Q!â mummers and sputters out the rest of the room. No one is saying the letter with bravado, everyone is saying it like a dirty secret for them and them alone.
A large man with the odor of bleach wearing nothing but overalls is carrying a steel suitcase and has come up to stand next to Q. Q begins to sputter and groan. The woman has begun strapping him to a chair, wrapping him so tightly that his arms immediately bruise and purple. The man opens the suitcase and begins rapidly assembling a preteen girl. The sort of tomboyish puckish preteen girl with a slight gap and whistle between her teeth, she is adorable or at least she becomes adorable once the the man snaps her head into place.
âSp-sp-sp-spppppeak!â Q burbles he sounds like he is swallowing his own tongue back into his pinpoint shaped head.
âThis man touched me! This man raped me! This woman tried to abort me! This woman helped child predators. This woman is a child predator. This man fucked me every which way. I no longer know whatâs real anymore. What am I? This is so fucked up man! Iâm losing my mind!â The preteen girl begins to scream and sob. With every accusation thrown out Qâs two main  assistants have thrown out portraits of Bill Clinton, Bill Gates,  AOC, Judy Blume, Oprah, and Paul Rudd. The rest of the room begins whispering the letter Q all over again, this time more confident.
Qâs two assistance look like they are going to come in for a group hug with the girl and they do, but when the man and woman meet together the girl immediately collapses into a pile of limbs. The suitcase closes and the man scurries off like a child during a panty raid. The woman begins scanning the room while she smashes chapstick across her trembling lips. Despite knowing exactly where I am standing because I have been firmly planted and transfixed in rictus horror as I try processing this spectacle she makes a big showcase with her eyes when gaze bores into me. I try to do the look side to side, âWho, me?â routine but two sausage fingered women with ballcaps pulled over their faces push me from behind and up onto the stage with Q.
âHow do you do Qties and of course you too Q?â
âYou donât speak to Q!â Says the woman who is now starting to blend and blur together with the rest of these agitated pale faces. As I decent white person I can only handle being in the approximate of so many white people, the saturation point has been completely shattered.
I swear I see a greasy wide, chode tongue lick the rubber lips in the depths of Qâs costume. The suit begins squeaking and falls deflated onto the ground. There is no trace of the man called Q. I appreciate a good vanishing act by trying to throw up. The woman acts like sheâs mad at me like I am some sort of noble house cat regurgitating on her Pendleton, sheâs crowding up at me and getting in my face. She speaks, her breath smells like fuel.
âYour lucky he likes you fella. We donât do this for all the boys.â Of course, the bleach man comes back this time reeking of chlorine as well. Heâs riding a rolling dentist chair using his leg to push him along like a scooter. He reaches the lip of the stage and without any effort sweeps the dental operatory chair onto the stage as well. I am not liking where this is going and try to make a break for what I believe to be the exit.
The man scoops me in his wretched hairless and freckled arms.âHold up. Q likes you.â
âThere is no doubt that he likes him. Q accepts everyone who looks a little bit like Jesus.â The once tired woman now suddenly seems completely rejuvenated. The puffy bags under her eyes are glistening. The joys of dentistry. She pulls out a completely golden drill. A satin sheen gold that looks like no spray can job. My head is held back and my tooth is extracted and held up under the expectation. The rest of the crowd of Qties have more or less dispersed and are murmuring to one another over hunched over rings of phone lights. The jukebox plays Ted Nugent with pitched and slow down vocals to fit the anonymous motif.
Bleach and chlorine man takes my tooth and skips off in the manner of a fairy tale character but returns quickly this time. He is still carrying something but his hand is cupped and I cannot see if itâs my tooth.
âYouâve grown awfully quiet. Are you taking it all in? Do you see what this is truly all about?â
âYeah you guys have a real serious project going on. This seems like an immense job. I want to help out in any way I can.â
âYou wonât. Youâll forget you ever saw this place. Youâre lucky to make it out alive, luckier still to not end up on a sex offender registry. Q has different plans for you. Now go follow the trail of innocent blood and open your mouth.â
âAgain?â As I say this the woman sprays me with a slightly acidic and fizzy tasting spritz that makes the roof of my mouth feel dense. The feeling gradually dissipates as I stumble down through the gallery of wretches and human refuse that is populating the joint. Sure some of these people probably have legitimate struggles and a hard working background, but thereâs a lot of corrupted doughiness to go around. Not chubby. Chubby people are full of joy and adventure, this was more of a kind of excessive candle wax flesh coating these people, mostly the men. The women were of more stripes. Some look like innocuous librarians or Sunday School cheerleaders or Boss bitches. The whole gambit.
I reach the exit. The bleach chlorine man is already waiting for me. He wrings out a blindfold that was bunched up uncomfortably close to his groin. I am not a homophobic man. I appreciate the smell of a musk, there is a refined strain of dick cheese out there, and a man this overwhelming chemical should have a sterile blindfold. Except he is wringing this blindfold out. Some kind of liquid is dropping on the floor, but before I can make out what drips have dropped my eyes have been folded into the blinds. There is no graceful exit.
After much leaves are rustled. Drivers negotiating with the bald patches of darkness dotting the byways and leeways of my swampy homeland. I purposely made a trip out of joining the monks. I didnât want to join a local enclave so I made sure to cross several state lines. Once I can smell the odor of burning leaves do I realize I have actually been driven all the way to my backwoods home. The home I tried so hard to leave behind. A light has come on and my parents, older sister and the gentleman trying to pretend to be our maid all come out all wearing various robes and sleepwear, arms crossed in unison. I finally take off my blind fold.
âChrist almighty I didnât think you were alive. I thought I was doing another corpse drop off. Get the fuck outta here. Cant afford any bad luck, fuck!â He drives his miserable reliable fiat as fast as it will go and when my family discerns that I am more or less in one piece they march single file back inside. I Â sit outside on the perpetually damp cushioned porch swing and sway myself into a woozy and necessary sleep.
///
My tooth, my back right molar is sprouting sinister veins of terrible pain throughout my jaw. I cannot speak. I am rendered a strong, silent handsome type. I refuse to accept these parameters. People love my reedy and oaty mellifluous voice. Remember how much I look up to Qui-Gon Jinn? Good, it should give you idea of what Iâm dealing with. I am in my basement bathroom. Always the basement dweller never the chic chateau bachelor. I take a bottle of vodka, a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and a bottle of mineral water. I slosh them together in a plastic watering can that I use to sustain my miserable array of jungle flowers.
My older sister, Cottontail, has arrived with my mail and more. She says this unlabeled package was delivered by a woman that could only be described as a real Karen. My sister then reminds me how much she hates using that sexist phrase but she calls them like she sees them. Cottontail gives me an overly long slab of sustained eye contact, and then she asks about the violence across my face. I wave her away, I begin tearing into the envelope. The jutting dental pain makes the process of opening the envelope feel like a real superhero pal adventure, an overly long and painful slog. After several bouts of muffled screams of agony and several miles of drool streaks of blood I get into the envelope. How do I have so much blood in my body? Inside the envelopeâs interior flap is bold and American flag covered Q. Thereâs a sugar and carmel dusted pretzel shaped as a Q inside of the envelope and a note that says, âTake a bite out of this.â
Merely reading the word bite causes a castanet snap of bile in my throat, but I hold the pretzel up to my mouth. I realize that it is not a pretzel and that the brown coloring is made from the dark brown crystal sugars. The entire Q is made out of  sugar. Maybe one bite will give me the quick and lethal kind of diabetes? I chomp down and am met with a surge of relief as soon as the sugar crystals sing and fizzle in my mouth pooling around the suspect molar. All pain has been wiped clear as long as I keep the sugar flowing.
I must have all the candy under Godâs gaseous and toxic land. I run up to the candy striper and shake her by the shoulders and tell her I need my sugar rush! Q has sent me! My face and a negative circle of the banned lines nearly every location sugary confections are sold.
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Politics is Show Business for Ugly PeopleâŚ
Digital Elixir Politics is Show Business for Ugly PeopleâŚ
 âItâs too late baby Now itâs too lateâ âCarole King
 Politics is show business for ugly people. And youâve got to play by show business rules.
Show business is all about preparation, getting the act, song, movie, TV show, ready and then marketing it so people will be aware of it and buy it.
And you always want to be first, and you want to eliminate all chance.
You want an upward curve, even if you start low and slow.
You want no lulls. You want to keep people interested, by teasing them with new information on a regular basis.
You want to control the narrative.
And what is the narrative the Democrats are trying to sell?
Damned if I know. The only thing they can agree on is they hate Trump. I hate KISS, but that doesnât keep them off the road, playing to empty arenas, their fans support them. And speaking of KISS, Gene Simmons is one of the greatest marketers of all time, a complete blowhard, but heâs making it work for himself and the band. Maybe he learned it all from Neil Bogart, who changed his name from âBogatz,â to give the right âimpression.â Bogart failed on his first attempt, trying to sell a record of Johnny Carson routines, it went instantly into the cut-out bin, but then he pivoted to disco and Donna Summer and KISS.
And Bogart was a showman, full of crap. Seemingly everything he said was inflated and wrong. Remember when there were four simultaneous KISS solo albums and Neil said they were instantly gold? The press bought it, even though all of them but Peter Crissâs came back.
You see itâs all about perception. Sell the myth, not the facts.
Itâs more important that Elizabeth Warren be seen as a fighter against the man than any specific policy position. People donât go that deep. CONGRESS doesnât go that deep! Did you read the âNew Yorkerâ story on Al Franken? His accuser told boldfaced lies, there was history disputing her account, but she got out there first and what she said ruled, even though she was working for a pro-Trump radio station. Once again, the Democrats reacted, and now theyâre doubling-down, canât see why they were wrong. Kirsten Gillibrand, YOUâRE HISTORY!
The press said Trump was losing because he brought up the âiâ word before the Democrats. But Trump knows you get ahead of the blowback, you make the first punch, and you load the media with so much b.s. that it canât keep up.
Meanwhile, the public doesnât know the difference between impeachment and conviction and Pelosi seems as old as she really is. Sheâs Perry Como after the Beatles. Doesnât she realize THE RULES HAVE CHANGED?
Happens in entertainment all the time. Suddenly you canât sell hair bands. Suddenly hip-hop is burgeoning. And if you fight the tide, you drown. Oh, little fish can still swim in their own private backwaters, but if youâre playing for everything, if you want to run the table, youâve got to be looking to the future, not the past!
Trump speaks to the public. Pelosi speaks to insiders.
Thatâs why AOC gets so much traction, she speaks to the public-at-large, itâs less about legislation than attitude, which is move over you old farts and let the younger generation take the reins, you oldsters have no idea what is going on anymore!
But Team Pelosi says youâve got to run to the center, because youâve got to appeal to those districts that flipped for Democrats in 2016. Thatâs like making Aerosmith play acoustic, and refusing to let them play new material.
Of course, Aerosmith doesnât play new material, and Chris Christie is a big Boss fan. Itâs kinda like long hair. Once upon a time it symbolized something, you were either for us or against us, then it was just a fashion choice.
Anyone who plays to the rearguard is always disrupted. Didnât you ever read Clayton Christensen? Everybody pooh-poohs the new, saying itâs not as good as the old, and then it becomes better and the old folds overnight. Christensen says to embrace the new, and then eliminate the old when the new gains traction. The DNC is being disrupted and their answer? Letâs go back to Good Olâ Joe. Thatâs like asking your grandfather for music advice.
So what weâve got is candidates who want to throw the baby out with the bathwater and the Democrats are freaking out, they canât even get aligned on one position. Criticize the Republicans all you want, but after Trump they all got in line. Thatâs how you win, when you play like a team!
And if you try to appeal to everybody, you lose. The road is littered with middle of the road artists, who fail on the chart and play to a dwindling audience in Branson and clubs. You want to get people EXCITED! Thatâs what Warren and Harris and Bernie and Buttigieg are doing.
And what does the establishment say?
THEYâRE TOO FAR LEFT!
AC/DC was too heavy until suddenly they werenât. âBack In Blackâ is still streaming prodigiously today, âYou Shook Me All Night Longâ is an American anthem! Of course Mutt Lange helped. The right has Karl Rove, who do we have on the left?
So the reason you wanted impeachment is so the whole world would watch, so Trumpâs bad behavior, criminal or not, would infect the public. When the truth outs, itâs hard to deny.
But no, it was never time. Pelosi and her pals are like a Silicon Valley outfit that never releases its product. Itâs so busy getting it right that it can never come out. Meanwhile, Facebook becomes so big by having a motto of âmove fast and break things.â Forget that Zuckerberg is the enemy now, heâs on top of the pyramid, he controls the conversation more than not only Congress, but the mainstream media! Furthermore, he just pivoted, saying it was about private conversations, when the Democrats are still looking for that elusive consensus. Everything worth paying attention to starts off the radar, small, and then it blows up and BECOMES THE MAINSTREAM!
So Barr says Trump is innocent.
The Dems folded their tent.
Then Mueller sends his letter and they thinkâŚwow, maybe thereâs something here. Like a band the label has stopped working that is suddenly selling ticketsâŚthe label is on to something else, itâs hard to get it restarted on your old product.
And then the Democrats placed all their hopes on Mueller testifying. Thatâs like taking someone with a great record, whoâs never been on stage, and having them headline Coachella! No one would do that, the odds of failure are too high.
So Mueller didnât deliver. Oh, donât make it about Russia, the Dems thought Mueller was gonna blow a hole through the curtain, reveal that Trump was culpable and should be charged. Not only did Mueller not do this, he said as much after he delivered his report earlierâŚthis was his final statement!
And the Dems are playing by old rules and crying to the nonexistent refs that the Republicans are cheating. No, Trump and his posse have invented new rules, like no one in the regime needs to testify. When they up the ante, so do you! You donât say thereâs no crying in baseball!
So now, on left wing radio, all the talk is about getting the transcripts from the grand jury. God, even in the NFL when you lose, you lose, no matter how heinous the call. Because without rules, youâve got no game.
And thatâs whatâs happening now, WEâVE GOT NO GAME! Trump and his cronies are running ragged and the Dems and the media are so flummoxed, they do NOTHING!
Come on. Even the most lame influencer knows youâve got to deliver product on a regular basis. Youâve got to hook the audience and deliver. Thatâs certainly what Trump has done, and all the left keeps saying is HE SHOULDNâT TWEET!
Meanwhile, these same wankers are posting to Instagram, the national pastime, and despite their constant disparagement of the internet and Twitter, Twitter is where the news happens, and if youâre not on it, you donât know whatâs going on.
So impeachment failed in the marketplace. Itâs like Annapurna, Megan Ellisonâs movie company. No matter how great the film, and sheâs put out plenty, they never reach expectations. âBooksmart,â one of the best-reviewed movies this year, which appeals to oldsters and youngstersâŚdead. Product is only one part of the puzzle, you need the aforementioned marketing. The big studios may put out lame films, but theyâre experts in marketing them.
When you fail, you write it off. Just look at the Fortune 500, thatâs what they do. Did Bezos try to improve the Fire phone? No, he deleted it from the catalog. And today, your mistakes donât haunt you as long as you continue to play and make noise. Once again, the game has changed, thereâs so much noise that the biggest challenge is just reaching the public. And if you donât, people forget what you were selling, theyâre inundated with new messages.
And Iâve used a plethora of metaphors here, but now Iâm gonna use one more. Pro football used to be a running game. Now running backs make a fraction of what they used to, all the emphasis is on passing and receiving! You change with the times!
Seems like everybody can change with the times but the Democrats.
So forget impeachment. This is the gang that canât shoot straight, even if they have clear evidence that Trump needs to go, the right will spin it otherwise and rule the marketplace, i.e. public opinion. And just like a record, you donât have to appeal to everybody to win. How come Trump knows this and the Democrats donât?
Instead of clinging to the past, trying to rebuild the old edifice, itâs time to build a new one. And there are a number of candidates promising this. Safe rarely succeeds. Can you say Romney? Can you say Kerry! One of the reasons Obama won was because he HAD little history. There was little to nail him on and he promised hope.
Believe me, Olâ Joe is not promising hope. Heâs like a boomer musician waiting for Hilary Rosen to save them from streaming. But Hilaryâs moved on from the RIAA, and streaming has already won, soon there wonât even be any hardware to play discs! Apple kills the iPod because the innards are no longer manufactured, and the Democrats keep trying to prop up oldsters, held together by baling wire. Bill Clinton had Linda Bloodworth-Thomason and her husband selling him, and despite baggage, he won anyway!
Who do the Democrats have?
Maybe itâs time to hire Bill Belichick.
Oh, thatâs right, HEâS A TRUMPER!
 ~~~
Visit the archive: https://ift.tt/IH9kjT â @Lefsetz http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz â If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter
  Politics is Show Business for Ugly PeopleâŚ
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                              NOVEMBER       2019
PAGE RIB
 Look for the production of Boeing Boeing at the Hyde Park Opera House in Vermont. Director Gene Heinrich will bring the story on Nov. 8-10 and again the 15th -17th. Woo Hoo!
*****
Amber Guyser was found guilty and the strange part was the hugs she got from the judge and the victimâs brother.
*****
Robot Chicken is back for season 10.
*****
Days alert: Little Arianna is out.
*****
Word is that Mike Pence is behind the scenes working on health and human services. He has hired Alex Azar to revamp title 10 by putting $ into Obria which emphasizes abstinence. Itâs sort of like a global gag rule. The conscious and religious freedom division helps medical workers who donât want to help people if said patient lives against their faith.
*****
Itâs been ruled that Northern Irelandâs abortion ban is a breach of the UKâs human rights commitments.
*****
The Native American Voting Rights Coalition has conducted hearings to get the lowdown on the trouble that exists in Native American voting rights. The barriers include poverty, closeness to polls and mailing addresses that include RR#âs and post office boxes. Letâs make the process easier for everybody. Â We should all be able to vote!
*****
Congresswoman Katey Hill is getting divorced and losing her position after photos of her with another woman and a bong surfaced.
*****
Tim Ryan is out!
*****
John Kelly warned Trump of impeachment.
*****
Trumpâs brother Robert was awarded a $33 million government contract.
*****
Why do all the older stars want to dance their way on to a talk show?? UR hip, we get it!!
*****
What DOJ?? A criminal investigation into the origins of the Russia probe?? Seriously??
Did ya see the Fallon interview with Joaquin Phoenix? It just sort of shows how wrong Jimmy can be. I think Phoenix was ready to take over the whole operation.** Joker got the biggest October opening ever.
*****
Inside the Actorâs Studio is back.
*****
Matt Lauer was accused of the rape of Brooke Nevils and NBC covered it up. Anne Curry and others have stood up for Nevils. It seems the management at NBC has themselves been charged with their own misconduct and tried hard to keep Ronan Farrow from telling us all about it. Comcast, NBC and Noah Oppenheim are in a bit of a spot.
*****
The NBA is distancing themselves from the coach who tweeted support for human rights but then they apologized. China has been pulling merch and cancelling games. Many companies including Mercedes and Tiffany are really trying to keep China happy.
*****
Drew Barrymore will debut a talk show for CBS.
*****
Thru all the crap that Kathy Griffin went through, at least she now owns all her shit. See the new movie she made: Â A Hell of a Story
*****
ABC will bring us Craig Ferguson in the game show, The Hustler.
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If you havenât heard Brittany Howardâs new Jaime album, do it now!! The song Stay High is so fab.
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Larry king is getting a divorce from Shawn Southwick King after 22 years.
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Zoe Kravitz is the new Catwoman.
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HBO is giving Sarah Silverman a late night pilot and a stand up special.
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Shep Smith is out at FOX. He shocked most everyone by leaving in the middle of his contract. He claims that it was his decision. Some say a WH rep visited with Fox management before the announcement.
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Pierre Delecto is the fake twitter account of Mitt Romney. ! ?
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The Nobel peace Prize was announced and will go to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali.
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The Dem debate was the best yet. I am all for keeping it civil, Mr. Booker, but it is a fucking debate. I am glad they shook it up a bit. Mayor Pete did a wonderful job of imagining the world after Trump. I think he soared above them all this time. Tulsi Gabbard really stood out in her white suit. Since then there have been some illusions to her favor in Russia but her performance that night was great. Tom Steyer talked to the camera like a robot. I am all for his enthusiasm about impeachment but Drop Out! He kept spouting statistics. Yang always jumps right into his financial speeches but he and Bernie were so right about how we need to stop talking about Trump. It would be nice if they asked him more about foreign policy and such. But Yang knows how to give real examples of automation that we can all relate to like, McDonaldâs and CVS. He not only talks of the truckers affected but of those who serve them as well. Bernie also talked about the much needed infrastructure. Biden seemed angry and defensive but he was right about a number of things. When the talking heads were asked if Biden did good, one answered that, âhe was coherent.â Yikes! Once again, Warren wonât give us a straight answer about taxes and it is the thing that hurts her the most. Â Her âletâs be clearâ is not clear enough for many. One of the things the average person has really come to hate is avoidance. She also blames more of the job loss on trade. I have to hand it to Klobachar, she was forceful and called people out. I loved her points on paper ballots, why isnât everyone on board with this?? Castro had the best gun line of the night, âPolice violence is also gun violence.â Harris and Beto held their own but did not stand out to me. If you put them altogether they would make a hell of a cabinet. What about Bernie and Buttigieg for Pres and VP. Warren to run the War dept., Yang the Treasury, Beto to run alcohol, tobacco and firearms, Harris for Sec. of State, Klobahcar for the FBI and Castro for homeland security. Just a suggestion.
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Former career diplomat Bill Taylor opened his inquiry questioning with a âbeautifully writtenâ 15 page statement. Many later said the testimony was disturbing which elicited gasps. His words named names and connected the dots. Thank you Mr. Taylor for being a meticulous note taker and paper trail keeper.
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The State Department finally finished the internal investigation of Hilâs e -mails. Â They found 38 unidentified people were âculpableâ in 91 cases of sending classified info that wound up on her personal server.
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Republicans stormed into a secure hearing room with recording devices for a show they were filming. Some of these very republicans are included in these closed door meetings and given the same time to ask questions as anybody else. The participants do have clearance so it gives them the right to do this. This stunt happened the day after Taylorâs testimony and after Trump asked his fellow republicans to do something. They blocked testimony for over 5 hours. Thanks for wasting our money. Â I guess their point was that they have no respect for our laws and traditions and they are very slimy.
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It was good to see Sam Donaldson back out there on the case.
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Hooray for the all- female spacewalk. Â Thanks Christina Koch and Jessica Meir.
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Bernie had a huge NY rally where he was endorsed by Michael Moore and AOC.
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Harrison Ford made an impassioned speech about climate change.** Jane Fonda was arrested on the 11th at a climate change protest for unlawful demonstration at the U.S. Capital. She vows to keep coming back.
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Homeland security secretary Kevin McAleenan is out.** Mike Pompeoâs senior advisor Mike Mckinley resigned and testified on the impeachment inquiry.** Rick Perry is out.
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Jennifer Lawrence has married Cooke Maroney.
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The Viola Davis produced, In A Manâs World looks interesting.
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This month in sexual harassment news: Â 43 new women have leveled allegations against Trump.** 3 new women have come forward about Cuba Gooding Jr. Word is that there are many stories of his grab ass tactics thru the years.
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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has released the names of this yearâs noms which includes Pat Benatar, Dave Matthews Band, Doobie Brothers, Depeche Mode, Whitney Houston, Judas Priest, Kraftwerk, MC5, Motorhead, Nine Inch Nails, Todd Rundgren, Soundgarden, T Rex, Thin Lizzy and Notorious B.I.G.
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Stumptown on ABC is a great new show with that grit of the tough 70âs detective but with a chick. Nice! The cast is fab with Michael Ealy, Camryn Manheim and the sublime Tantoo Cardinal.
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The Prince estate was livid that the President used Purple Rain at a rally. âWe will never give permission to President Trump to use Princeâs songs, Â â a spokesperson said.** Queen has told Trump not to use âWe will rock youâ in his new campaign video.
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Where do I begin with Scary Clown 45? By the time a month has gone by all his insanity is old news. When we see his family and piers act like everything he does is normal, it shows how dysfunctional they all are. I canât tell you how many families I have seen that would have been pretty happy groups if it werenât for the mad man running the show. How can people act so entitled and want to help no one?  Is it the water? Do they remember how much they gave grief to the Obamaâs and Clintons? Are they scared of Trump or do they just love their money that much? How can so many be filled with so much hate and why do we always let them get by with everything? But it goes on⌠A DC court rules congress can see Trumpâs taxes. The man is using our Justice Department to block a subpoena for his tax returns?  Merrick Garland is the presiding judge over the circuit court. **The Ukraine thing started with Scary Clown giving a little quid pro quo to Zelinsky. Multiple whistleblowers have come forward and their testimony has been confirmed. He then told us to look at Pence, Rudy, Perry or anybody else he could think of.  Pence plays stupid, Kurt Volker resigns, Rick Perry resigns** Now Trump has pulled troops out of Syria and betrayed the Kurds. We destroyed our own stuff so Turkey could not get at it. After Trump said there were no more troops there, actually there were about 1000. Now there is talk of sending some back after all the backlash. ISIS militants are now back on the loose. More troops are being sent to Saudi Arabia. ** Igor and Lev were arrested. ** Marie Yovanovitch testified against the wishes of the WH. Rudy claims that she was blocking him from his Ukraine shenanigans.  Trump said that the former ambassador wasâbad news.â  Yovanovitch claims that she was forced out as a direct result of pressure from the boys.** A NY judge blocked the Trump rule to limit legal status for those who use public benefits. A Texas judge ruled that Trumpâs use of emergency funds to build a wall was unlawful. ** John Bolton is starting to talk.
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Scary Clown called Nancy Pelosi a third rate politician n what they described as a meltdown.** Pelosi pushed thru a rules package for the impeachment as October came to a close.
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âIf you support Donald Trump, donât be afraid to get down on your knees.â Mrs. Pence
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720,000 acres of California public land will now be given over to oil and gas companies for fracking leases.** In better California news: Â Hooray for bill AB32 which looks to stop private, for profit prisons and immigration detention facilities. Itâs about time!!
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The National Enquirer is threatening a libel suit against Ronan Farrow.** Trump has threatened to sue CNN.
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Arizonaâs Joe Arpaio lost his lawsuit against CNN, the Huffington Post and Rolling Stone. Reporters called him an ex-felon but the judge cited a case which states that, âin the interest of free expression, there is breathing room when it comes to public figures.
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Professor Allan Lichtman has properly predicted the last 9 elections. He says he canât make a decision until the impeachment predicament is worked out.
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R.I.P. Kim Shattuck, Diahann Carroll, Marcello Giordani, Ginger Baker, Rip Taylor, Robert Forster, Elijah Cummings, Scotty Bowers, Bill Macy and John Witherspoon.
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Listening to Elizabeth Warren reminds me of Adlai Stevenson. Are some people just too smart to be president?
Philosophically, that is to say, in terms of Democratic Socialism, Bernie Sanders and AOC are virtual clones, but all things Sanders are in the rearview mirror of AOC and her Green New Deal. Among other things, AOC is the future of the ERA.
COMMENTARY:
This is an excellent question. Itâs exactly why I will never run for President.
My cousin Woody ran and won and his legacy is a very mixed bag. I went to Vietnam on the basis that I was the leading edge of the League of Nations, but I live in DC to try to stay as far away from white Southern Scots Presbyterians, who represent the absolute existential core of America whte supremacy, as possible. And, as a Christian, I prefer to avoid the economics of the Anti-Christ distilled in the Pro-Live Evangelical business model they generally embrace. Itâs why so many of them send their children to DC with MAGA hats instead of tin foil.
Woody was smart as hell. My dad aspired to emulate him in the way Robert E. Lee attempted to emulate George Washington. Iâm pretty smart, myself, but dad is really in a different league, number one, and, number two, he was probably an NT and Iâm an SP and, in many was, he was from Mars and I was from Uranus. I have learned to consciously think like the way my did did like fielding a ground ball and my odd manner of acquiring knowledge has begun to pay off in my eight decade, but itâs been a long, strange trip.
Sometimes all you can do is to be willinâ to keep on truckinâ.
Any of these people running could be a potent President of the United States. The Oval Office expands the capacities of the individual by literally channeling George Washington, spiritually, as an inheritance. It just does. Lincoln may be the only individual who came to office fully formed, but even he had to complete the 2 year learning curve compelled by the US Constitution.
It takes some people longer than others. JFK was as about on track, primarily because he was a very smart person in a Adlai Stevenson as PT Boat action figure kind of way. Once upon a time, Harvard produced scholars but, since the take-over of Columbia by the SDS in 1968, itâs become more of a vocational degree, like auto mechanics and HVAC engineers, than Oxford or Cambridge. There are still very smart people going through Harvard Yard, as a proxy for the American academe, but, when it comes to grand strategy, the post-modern dialectical deconstruction of the SDS forces a choice between the two wings of the Oliver Stone version of Vietnam, John Lewis Gaddisâs Kennon Long Telegram orientation on the one hand and Victor Davis Hansonâs relentless Churchhill oriented Fascist sophistry and you end up doing stupid things like the Obama Russian sanctions. Obama is a very smart man but he let himself be misled by the advice Hillary Clinton was being fed by Robert Kagan, the co-author of the Project for the New American Century that informed the invason of Iraq.
Obama likewise came to the Oval Office fully formed, but he was prevented from fully realizing his potential by a number of things, one being Mitch McConnellâs obstructionism, as a proxy for what has become the MAGA hat coalition of white Southern Scots Presbyterians who are pulling Duck Ass Don around by his dick in the way he learned to expect from Roy Cohn. Obama had absolutely no room to manuever after Rahm Emanuel squandered Speaker Pelosiâs gavel and the majority in the Senate, legislatively. Until AOC came along, the Democrats didnât exhibit much spine and a great deal of appeasement if not out-right ideological collaboration with Newt Gingrichâs Contract with America. That was the biggest problem he faced and he got about as much out of it as possible,
But a more significant obstacle to his personal growth was Valerie Jarrett, who shaped and maintained the cacoon in which she ensconsed him. People who think like her in the Democrat conference are the biggest danger to the Green New Deal. As a business person, she is perfectly content with the Tory Socialism and class warfare of Reaganomics. The only difference between Valerie Jarrett and Condoleezza Rice, in terms of Russia, are their political patrons. Hillary Clinton and Laura DâAngelo Tyson fall into this catagory. As the leading edge of the ERA generation, they all played the hand they were dealt and represent the rising value added of the 19th Amendment and Title IX. They are the base line from which AOC has been launched, but they have become reactionary. And thatâs what may have been the most profound inhibition on Obama in becoming POTUS. Iâd vote for him and Hillary again because, unlike virtually any white Southern Scots Presbyterian male with an (R) behind his name, they can learn. And will learn. It just hasnât started yet.
Elizabeth Warren falls into this generation on some issues, but, in terms of banking and securities, she represents important, if not necessary, financial structures of the Green New Deal. Finance is probably the greatest single fallacy of Marxism and the singular seat of the essential criminal intent of the Tory Socalism and class warfare of Reganomics and the macroeconomic populism of Donald Duck Ass. A HUGE difference between America in 1981, before Reagan, and the Soviet Union in 1981 was our banking system and securities milieu, both of which have been systematically corrupted by people in the GOP Deep State I associate with Donald T. Regan, Phil and Wendy Gramm, and Newt Gingrich. There are other Republican villians in the mix, but thatâs a good place to start, especially when you toss in Roger Stone, Steve Bannon and Mick Mulvaney, the sort of creme de la creme of crypto-Fascist cesspool scum. If Elizabeth Warren could pass all the banking and securites legislation she desires by 2020, she would be able to hit the ground running to implement the Green New Deal without having to thing about it all that much,
In terms of learning curve, 43 didnât really become his own president until he fired Rumsfeld and installed Bob Gates at DoD. In that respect, he had a 6 year learning curve. Until then, Cheney had basically dictatated national policy, especially in terms of Iraqâs oil. This fig leaf of spreading democracy is just that. At best, the invasion of iraq was a blunder of cosmic proportions but my personal opinion is that it was a war crime, pure and simple. The lesson Bush should have learned from Vietnam that his daddy did was to not invade Iraq.
Clintonâs Dayton Accords is the reason why the invasion of Iraq hasnât been a bigger disaster for America and why I say Obama fucked up the US-Russian relations on the advice of Robert Kagan. Clinton should have been given a Nobel Prize for that project because it is exactly what the Marshall Plan was all about, especially as it pertains to George Kennanâs Long Telegram.
As I say, I went to Vietnam as the leading edge of the League of Nations, keeping a family heritage alive, and as part of the triangulation of the United Nations Blue Helmet Peace Keepers, the Peace Corps and the Greet Berets. We were in Vietnam to give those collateral agendas the space and time they needed to get traction, globally. Circumstances forced America to sacrifice the Republic of Vietnam towards that end, but the result, the collapse of the Soviet Union, has worked out well for us.
And the signing of the Dayton Accords in 1995 was the fruits of that grand strategy, in that the Treaty ending the Bosnian War was the first time an active conflict was put tamped down by the tactical peace keeping of the UN Blue Helments and then smothered by the combined UN Blue Helmets/NATO intervention made possible by the Dayton Accords AND the active acquiesence, if not enthusiastic participation, by Putinâs Russia. This project occurred in the TRADITIONAL Russian sphere of influence and it couldnât have happened if they didnât want it to, but it seems the Russians realized they didnât have any solutions and they were willing to try something new. And when they handed over the keys to Prestinka Airport to the NATO column being led by Wesley Clark, it represented a brand new era in international cooperation. We couldnât have conducted our operations against Terroism in that region without the strategic easement Russia continues to provide.
And this is what Obama fucked up. And heâs a very smart guy.
In regards to Donald Duck Ass, there doesnât seem to be any constructive learning curve operating. Heâs like the entire Roger Stone wing of the GOP, who are like bank robbers who get caught and go to prison but, instead of changing their ways, learn how to become better bank robbers. For example, these sanctions against South Korea, China, India, Turkey and Japan have nothing to do with any grand strategy beyond Duck Ass Donâs need to keep the Bull Market going and high prices for gas at the pump here, in the states. provides the liquidity thatâs being sucked out by the 2017 Tax Reforms the markets need to keep the party going. Duck Ass Don is still running the lie, cheat and steal âArt of the Dealâ pyramid scheme he has run his entire life. He has a certain genius in a Rainman kind of way but I think he understood, intuitively, at a very early age he isnât smart at all beyond a certain animal cunning of the Brooklyn street thug with aspirations of being an uptown made man. And probably the real problem is that he has managed to surround himself with people who are even more stupid than he is, or willng to suppress their smarts for a paycheck and the future rewards that the GOP Deep State will provided once they are out of public service in the manner of John Kasich, David Stockman, Brett Kavanaug and Bob Barr before he blundered back onto the federal payroll.
By and large, Republicans have never produced an Adlai Stevenson: itâs a Democrat thing. Bernie Sanders is an example, the difference being that Sanders helped Democrats shake off the intellectual topor that had set in after the moral impotence of the McGovern campaign: McGovern was what Bernie Sanders would have been in 2016, but thatâs changed. In terms of coalition building, Sanders ishe light years ahead of where he was in 2016 and in a different universe from where McGovern or Adlai Stevenson ever became.
Philosophically, that is to say, in terms of Democratic Socialism, Bernie Sanders and AOC are virtual clones, but all things Sanders are in the rearview mirror of AOC and her Green New Deal. The trade off is that, as President, Sanders and/or Warren are smart enough to implement the Green New Deal as it emerges while AOC, if sheâs smart, will inherit the Speakerâs gavel and retire after a career of providing the constancy of purpose as the Green New Deal evolves as we advance past the dawning of the Age of the 19th Amendment.
And Adlai Stevenson could never have accomplished that. He wasted a great deal of energy spinning his wheels as an intellectual. Bernie was like that until 2016 BUT AOC came out of the chute with her big wheels posi-traction digging into with big chucks of dirt and the only thing really slowing her down is the ERA generation. She is the future of the ERA.
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