TEST1 2018

IN TWEET: LIKE EVERY BUSHEL, EVEN MY FAVORITE NEWS NETWORK HAS SOME BAD APPLES. HERE’S THREE THAT SPARK THE “CHANGE CHANNEL” REFLEX. I’ve been a loyal MSNBC viewer since the days when Keith Olbermann was on the schedule and Rachel Maddow was his fill-in. The network has come a long way since its awkward launch in 1996 as a Microsoft/NBC News hybrid. The “MS” hasn’t stood for Microsoft since the company pulled out of the TV portion of the venture in 2005 and what started as a laughing stock has steadily grown to become the number two cable news network. Over the past few years, MSNBC has staked out a center/left position as a strategic counter to Fox News. In the process,  the walls between the cable network and broadcast baby daddy NBC News have largely been torn down. This has given MSNBC access to a stable of seasoned NBC News vets but it has also created some awkward clashes between the cultures of partisan commentary and old school impartiality. When you release the Kraken, a ...

IN TWEET: A TRIBUTE TO AIRLINE SAFETY VIDEOS THAT DARE TO BE DIFFERENT. Remember when air travel used to be fun? You know, back in the days before you were poked, prodded and wanded prior to boarding. When airline staff gave a damn and, even though the food in coach sucked, the rubber chicken was free. Sadly, that trip is now limited to those flying nostalgia class. But wait! There are some beacons of hope out there in the unfriendly skies. Airlines that go the extra mile and at least try to make something tolerable out of flying in a big toothpaste tube with wings. In most cases, a passport will be required because we all know US domestic carriers aren’t exactly tearing it up when it comes to excellence in customer service. Personally, I’m all about travel foreplay. You know, the tender caress of the airport lounge. The warm snuggle of a genuine smile when you board. That happy feeling you get when you watch a really good in-flight safety video. Yes, I said safety video. I bet you thi...

IN TWEET: IT’S TIME TO TAKE AIM AT THREE STATE GUN LAWS THAT ARE SO BIZARRE AND ASS-BACKWARDS THEY DEFY CONVENTIONAL LOGIC. In the aftermath of another mass shooting here in the US , “discussion” of our woefully inadequate gun safety laws is again front and center. Of course, with our short attention span and 2nd Amendment zealots always at the ready to do the bidding of the NRA , you can expect two things: nothing will change and the next headline grabbing slaughter is probably just around the bend. I don’t mean to sound hopeless or morbid but, let’s face it, gun loving extremists have the upper hand. We can pretend that the majority of gun owners, by and large a rational and law-abiding lot, are in the driver’s seat but anyone paying attention knows that isn’t our reality. In fact, in many states, a semi-automatic weapon is held in higher regard than the rights of a potential innocent victim . Want proof? Check out these three laws currently on the books in at least four states. The...

IN TWEET: I DON’T WANT TO MESS WITH TEXAS BUT I DO QUESTION THE SANITY OF THESE THREE REPUBLICANS FROM THE LONE STAR STATE. No, Rick Perry did not make the list. Top 5, maybe, but not Top 3. He’s just too easy a target and much less of a current threat than these three nut jobs. Forget about their party affiliation. I’m convinced they’re on an entirely different planet than the rest of us. Of course, they each hold an elected office so a majority of the people who turned out to vote supported their oddball platforms. That means they’re not the only inmates running the Lone Star Asylum. TED CRUZ (U.S. SENATE) Forget about the fact that he looks like a mash-up of Sean Hannity and one of those sad sacks you find trolling Christian Mingle looking for a Jesus lady . Ted Cruz is a Tea Party crack-pot masquerading as a guy with all of his faculties intact. He is certainly proof that just because you have an Ivy League education doesn’t mean you will legislate intelligently, rational...