Farewell, Scott Pelley
While I realize a momentous event happened in Washington today, I am choosing to let President Trump's announcement he's withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate agreement sink in for a bit before commenting upon it. Instead, I'd like to offer up a personal farewell to Scott Pelley, since it was announced this week that CBS is demoting him from the anchor chair of their evening news broadcast. I, for one, will miss Pelley.
There are all sorts of rumors flying to explain the sudden decision to demote Pelley (he'll still have a job over at 60 Minutes), but what it really boils down to is ratings. CBS has consistently fallen behind NBC and ABC in the nightly news category. But I have to wonder if this lack of popularity isn't precisely why I found his style so much better than his competitors. I'm admittedly a contrarian when it comes to such things, I should mention.
When Pelley read the news, he rarely engaged in sensationalism. That, to me, was what made his the best evening news broadcast to watch. The difference between him and the other network anchors was pretty plain to see -- which is what probably led to his downfall. The American public wants infotainment on the news these days, which I consider a shame.
Because I write about politics and the news, I regularly flip between the channels when watching the evening news. I have to try and absorb the zeitgeist of network news styles in order to see how the public is receiving news stories (that I have already read lengthy written analyses of -- I don't watch the nightly news to get information, I watch it to see how that information is presented). Network news usually only hits the high points, so it is important to me to see which high points are chosen and how they are emphasized.
ABC has been regularly winning the ratings battle, but I find their evening news to be barely watchable. It's the equivalent of either a tabloid newspaper, or (at the very best), USA Today. It has lots of sensational videos, lots of breathless shock value, and not a whole lot of sober reporting. This is why I find it almost unwatchable, personally.
NBC went through their own anchor problems a while back, which I thought led to an improvement. Lester Holt is better, in my opinion, than Brian Williams ever was. Williams seemed not to be able to construct a sentence without (1) at least three or four superlatives, and (2) an absolute obsession with where he was and what time it was. Williams, reading a story: "Tonight, on this very evening, here in New York City, right in the heart of Manhattan, a monumental news story is underway that will on this very day massively affect tens of millions of Americans, especially those here in the Big Apple on this fine evening. Reporting tonight from New York...."
OK, I exaggerate. But not by much. Williams, however, fit the "celebrity anchorperson" mold perfectly, which is why it was ironic that what got him demoted was his many appearances on late-night shows, where he'd offer up dramatic stories of his own personal experiences (which were later shown to be either false or wildly exaggerated). Williams is a nice guy, and it would probably be fascinating to sit down and have a beer with him, but he was always a wee bit too full of himself, even when reading the news. Lester Holt is a step back from the celebrity anchor mold Williams fit into, which has largely been a relief. However, whoever writes the script for him to read still leans pretty far in the "sensationalize everything -- especially the weather" direction. NBC is better in this regard than ABC, but that's not really saying much.
All of this made CBS a welcome respite from the breathlessness of the other two networks. Scott Pelley wasn't full of himself, and he strove to deliver the news in as close a style to the old and sober "Walter Cronkite era" as he could manage. Pelley tried to tell the public the straight news, but this style is no longer what the public really wants. Which, as I said, is a shame.
Ironically, Scott Pelley took over the CBS evening news broadcast after a failed experiment named Katie Couric. Now, Couric did occasionally break stories and get real scoops (Couric's question to Sarah Palin about what newspapers she read immediately springs to mind), but her chirpy and perky style was the reason she was initially hired. The idea was to remake the evening news in the mold of (shudder!) morning news broadcasts, where Couric initially rose to fame. I found this emphasis on fluff over substance highly annoying, and apparently I wasn't the only one. When Couric was forced out, Pelley took over and the tone of the news on CBS changed overnight.
I sincerely hope it isn't about to change back. No permanent replacement for Pelley has been announced, so there's always a chance they could find another sober and non-sensationalistic anchor to take his place. Hope springs eternal, in other words. But when the network is looking to make inroads in the ratings, this may not actually happen.
Now, I realize this is all just one man's opinion, and a rather curmudgeonly one at that. I'm showing my age, in other words. I realize the changes in nightly news broadcasts that have been happening over the past 40 years or so aren't going to change back at any point in the foreseeable future. News used to be a "loss leader" for the networks, a civic duty they engaged in as a result of being given use of the airwaves. Somewhere along the line, though, it started to pay for itself and ratings became important to the bottom line of ad sales. Then cable television developed the 24-hour news channels, and there was just no going back.
Even without all of that disruption in the industry, there has always been a divide between blow-dried anchors with very little intellectual heft or knowledge of the subject matter and true journalists. You need look no further than the caricature of Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show -- a sitcom from the 1970s. Even back when Walter Cronkite was still around, the problem of airheads reading words they didn't understand already existed, in other words. So not all of the blame can be placed on ratings or cable television. Central-casting good looks and a impressively deep voice have long been things networks look for when hiring anchors, whether they could form a cogent thought or not. Even the most serious of the broadcast news programs -- the Sunday morning long-format political interview shows -- occasionally get infected by such bubbleheads (see: Meet The Press, David Gregory).
This is why I will miss Scott Pelley, because he was pretty much the antithesis of the Ted Baxters of the airwaves. His calm demeanor and unslanted reporting was much better than the other two network anchors (who admittedly got higher ratings).
This doesn't mean I will start ignoring the CBS evening news, and I certainly hope his replacement comes as a pleasant surprise. CBS has lots of people who could do a very good job of filling Pelley's shoes, so I remain cautiously optimistic that they'll pick someone with an impressive intellect who resists the push to make every story as sensationalistic as possible. I'll probably be disappointed, but I remain hopeful for now.
If, however, they go in a different direction and try to copy what ABC and (to a lesser extent) NBC do to the news, then watching any of them will become much more of a chore, at least for me. Oh, well, I guess there's always the PBS NewsHour.
I don't know about anyone else, but I will indeed miss Scott Pelley every weeknight on my television.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
A little catching up to do, apologies for the off topic nature of all the following comments-
Liz (and anyone interested in Iran, Iraq, SA, Syria)
delayed response to comments 23, 30, 31 from Trump's Exhausting First Road Trip
Not sure if you read the article by Rania Khalek I linked to about the false narrative of the Sunni/Shiite divide in Syria a few weeks back, but I would strongly urge you to check out this series from The Real News Network.
It's a 6 part interview with an Iraqi who is now a professor in Canada and he dispels the false notions that were trotted out by the neocons pre and post our invasion of Iraq and which continue to be cited regularly today.
.
He also provides some historical information about pre-Saddam Iraq most people are completely unaware of (myself included),valuable insight into the Iran issue, Trump's motive in his dealings with Saudi Arabia, the battle against ISIS and an intriguing personal history too.
It is a rather lengthy series, but is broken up into parts that can be viewed at your leisure.
Part 6 hasn't been posted yet.
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=74&jumival=1625
And, btw, no idea what either the interviewer or interviewee think of Biden and if they are acceptable to you as sources of information the corporate media ignores :)
A
neil, Liz, Kick, CW, trumpling
delayed response to the comments about the Manchester bombing from Trump's Exhausting...
The unfortunate reality not being reported in our media and desperately being avoided by the flailing UK PM Theresa May (whose previous government job included such matters) is that the bomber was well known to British intelligence, was reported to British authorities by British Muslims who worried about his talk of violence, and was allowed to leave the UK (like his father) to aid in the US/UK/etc. regime change war in Libya.
From Libya, he went to Syria (also known by British intelligence) to train with ISIS... and then not properly monitored upon his return to the UK.
http://therealnews.com/t2/story:19206:From-Libya-to-Manchester%2C-Western-Intervention-Endangers-Civilians
My apologies if this discussion improved under future columns I am working my way to reading, but the trumpling ranting about refugees and vetting when the truth is that the bombing was blowback from a regime change war with the government using jihadis as proxies... in other words, due to the government policies that favor intervention abroad over security at home, MOT immigration, refugees or vetting... and indifference to the consequences thereof.
A
Hi there. Long time reader, first time commenter here. Ted Baxter is the character on The Mary Tyler Moore Show you are thinking of. Ted Knight was the actor who portrayed him. The reason I mention this is that Ted Knight was by all accounts, an intelligent and thoughtful person, and he was constantly made frustrated and unhappy because people didn't distinguish between him and the character he portrayed. People would treat him as though he were stupid and oafish because he portrayed a stupid oaf so memorably that they either assumed he must actually be like that, or they just didn't distinguish between fiction and real life. Even though Knight passed away decades ago, it seems respectful to his memory to make clear you are talking about the character "Ted Baxter", not the human being who portrayed him.
I liked your post though, and am a fan of your blog in general.
Hey CW
delayed response to The How Many Years War
I don't think it's appropriate to lump in Afghanistan, Iraq, (Libya), Syria, Yemen, and our drone warfare as one war.
By itself, Afghanistan is our longest war and we remain nowhere near winning. And there was never a period of quiet there.
And we also have about 30,000 "defense" contractors working on our dime in addition to the soldiers.
Of course, contractors don't get celebrated with a holiday... a holiday that often seems like a hypocritical means of both maintaining endless war and glorifying the horrors created while the warmongers cash in... now seeking to privatize the VA using the problems they created through their consistent underfunding and over-stressing of the system.
And, the interventionists are calling Afghanistan a success because the government we installed remains nominally in charge of a portion of the country... and our generals are asking for a few thousand more troops, because this time that will be enough to turn the tide.
As for Iraq, the "victories" reclaiming territory lost to the terrorist group we helped create amount to further obliterations of cities and civilians, and ISIS continues to be able to launch attacks throughout the country and in other continents, while continuing to sap our treasury... so the praise seems more than a bit misplaced despite the lamentations about the duration.
Our wars have been one failure after another, making us less safe.
Working to end the wars and prevent new ones is in my opinion the best way to honor those who have paid the ultimate price.
A
Wow.
Gone for weeks and only three comments needed to catch up.
The discussions were worth missing.
Anyway... a couple of outstanding issues.
neil- the UK election seems to be getting a little more interesting. It seems that policies to help people are actually popular... the last poll, which could of course be an outlier, had Corbyn just 3 points behind after starting more than 20 points in the red.
Even the BBC poll tracker has favorable trends.
And still a week to go.
Looks like Theresa's plan is backfiring badly.
I was particularly fond of the positive response when Corbyn called the War on Terror a failure and suggested a new approach... the establishment really flipped out about that one.
Liz- 175,000 construction workers go on strike in Quebec, and instead of supporting the workers the Liberal government passes legislation making the strike illegal???
What is going on up there, eh?
Kick- I did catch your old response.
Sorry to hear about that rock and shock.
That certainly wasn't the rock I had in mind.
A
re: 2
That should have been NOT immigration... rather than MOT immigration...
Oops.
A
I don't know about anyone else, but I will indeed miss Scott Pelley every weeknight on my television.
They can always bring back Dan Rather... :D
Oh, that's right.. You don't want a newscaster that out and out lies...
My bust... :D
While I realize a momentous event happened in Washington today, I am choosing to let President Trump's announcement he's withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate agreement sink in for a bit before commenting upon it.
What's to say??
The Left Wingery has jumped into bed with the Big Business and Big Corporations the Left has demonized on a daily basis...
As usual, ignoring the hurt and pain caused Joe and Jane SixPack...
The more that the Left sides with Big Business and Big Corporations against the American middle class, the more that Democrats will continue to lose elections..
It's really THAT simple....
And please.. Spare me the OH MY GODS!!! THE SKY IS FALLING!!! THE SKY IS FALLING!!! so-called "science" ya'all espouse.
The shrillness of ya'all's hysterical fear-mongering gives me a headache..
The planet is not in ANY danger of being destroyed...
The human race is not in ANY danger of imminent extinction...
Get a grip, people...
This concludes this Public Service Announcement brought to you by REAL science, FACTS and REALITY...
Let's look at some of the totally hysterical and completely unhinged reactions from the Left Wingery...
I know, I know.. I said this type of fear-mongering hysterics gives me a headache... But most of these ALSO give me a good hilarious belly-laugh, so it's worth it.. :D
"President Trump just committed a traitorous act of war against the American people!!"
-Democrat Uber Donor Tom Steyer
Don't keep it all in, bonehead. Tell us how you REALLY feel.. :^/
Leaving the Paris agreement is a massive step back for racial justice and an assault on communities of color across the U.S.
-ACLU
Leave it to the ACLU to throw in a whole mess of racism where none exists... What IS it about Lefties that *EVERYTHING* simply *MUST* be about race???
Is the entirety of the Left Wingery REALLY feeling that guilty for slavery??? I mean, it's understandable and all.. The Democrat Party and the KKK were one and the same.. But gods, that was how long ago???
The nations that remain in the Paris Agreement will be the nations that reap the benefits in jobs and industries created. I believe the United States of America should be at the front of the pack.
-Barack Obama..
Oh.. so NOW Odumbo wants to lead from "the front of the pack"...
But!! But!!! But!!! Mr Odumbo!!! Isn't it better to LEAD FROM BEHIND and let others take the risks!!!???
Hypocrite...
"Trump's decision will rightly be remembered as one of the most shameful any president has made."
-John Kerry
Really!!!??? So, pulling out of an agreement that screws over Americans is more "shameful" than when FDR incarcerated Japanese Americans in concentration camps??? More "shameful" than when JFK invaded a sovereign country???
Once again, this is exactly why it's impossible to take the Left Wingery seriously...
They are always so hysterical and completely and utterly clueless about reality and facts....
Leave it to George Takai to be the most tasteless asshole around..
"Trump is having the U.S. pull out of the Paris Climate Accord. Too bad someone didn't tell his father that he shoulda pulled out, too."
Takai, with your comments about Justice Clarence Thomas and anyone else who disagrees with you, you are an insult to Star Trek and all that it represents...
And I don't make such statements of fact lightly either..
Here is the utter and complete moronic-ness of the Left...
Left wants to make the world green..
CO2 is air and food for plants, which are green...
The Left wants to get rid of CO2..
Which will KILL plants....
Killing plants will make the world BROWN, not green..
Brown is the color of shit..
So, when all is said and done, the Left wants to make the world shit...
Class dismissed...
As to the subject of the current commentary..
I am kinda with CW.. I miss the Walter Cronkite days where news was news and not entertainment...
Just the facts.. No embellishment, no political correctness.. Just report the facts and let the chips fall where they may....
Political correctness has caused the demise of so much good in this country...
Al,
What is going on up there, eh?
You need to concentrate on what's going on in your neck of the woods and leave the rest of the world to us.
"Ouch!!! And the ref takes a point away!!!"
-Jim Carrey, LIAR LIAR
:D heh
Liz,
If it's all the same to you, we down here in our neck of the woods would prefer if Altohone would just worry what's going on in your neck of the woods..
America first and all that jazz :D
CW,
https://www.quora.com/Does-a-cars-AC-consume-more-fuel-if-I-put-it-on-HI-power
Near as I can tell, it's the AC compressor that is the draw on the engine that causes the extra use in gas. And the compressor is an on/off absolute drain..
Meaning that an AC that is on low will 'waste' the same amount of gas as an AC that is on high...
On the other hand, an AC on high might actually 'waste' LESS gas, because it reaches the set temp faster and allows the AC to be used less, thereby actually saving gas...
The best analogy comes from that link above..
If you have a fridge that stays closed, the cool is retained and the fridge uses less electricity than a fridge that loses cool via the door being opened and closed a lot...
Less use of the compressor on the fridge/car means less electricity/gas utilized for the purpose of cooling...
Seems logical to me...
Since it's a slow day, I'' mention that Kathy Griffin has lawyered up. I'm not entirely sure why, but I'm betting it has something to do with the showbiz maxim "all publicity is good publicity." Trump seems to operate according to that principle too. Trump and Griffin may be entering into a symbiotic shark:remora relationship. Add the tabloids and you get a three-way. As social media media pile on you get a thriving ecological community for David Attenborough to narrate and PBS to broadcast.
Finally, an ABCNews/Washington Post poll conducted between April 17 and 20th, 2017 found that 62% of respondents viewed the Republican Party as being “out of touch with people’s concerns.” While 67% held that view about the Democratic Party.
:D
"Gee.. I wonder why we can't win elections??"
-Democrat Party
When they speak to us publicly, they seem to speak first as members of their Party and only second a government representative. Since the laws and policies Congress puts in place bear no relationship to what the people by large majorities want them to do, they do not speak to our issues, they speak representing their Party’s and their donors’ view of government. When they do speak to our issues, they are either lying or paying lip service.
And THEREIN lies the problem.. Exactly...
Party first... Country second...
It's what I have been saying all along..
And those who try and pass off these FACTS as "false equivalences" have a vested interest in perpetuating the idea that one Party is better than the other...
Which is WHY I voted for Donald Trump..
Since BOTH Partys hate and oppose Donald Trump, he must have something going for him...
Since it's a slow day, I'' mention that Kathy Griffin has lawyered up. I'm not entirely sure why,
Oh, that's easy...
She's a Democrat...
Duh.... :D
Actually, Griffin is likely lawyering up because clients are canceling their relationship with here left and right..
Grass Valley venue cancels Kathy Griffin show due to controversial Trump photos
http://www.kcra.com/article/grass-valley-venue-cancels-kathy-griffin-show-due-to-controversial-trump-photos/9958556
Let this be a lesson to Dumbocrats and Hysterical Left Wingers..
The American people are fed up with ya'all's hatred and violence and intolerance..
You have been warned...
Liz
12
The old don't look behind the curtain while workers get the shaft from Canadian Liberals argument?
You want me to mind my own business while granting you a waiver on cross border criticism?
Do as I say, not as I do?
I think there's a word for that.
The corporate media is doing such a bang up job covering the story... it almost got mentioned somewhere.
The world is my oyster.
And corporatists hosing the little guys in Canada... acting like Reagan and Trump while pretending to stand for better, deserves the attention of everyone.
Can't you manage to be upset with Tar Sands Trudeau and Trump at the same time?
Is the plight of your exploited neighbors unworthy of a single word?
Do you buy into the notion that construction workers are a vital element of national security, and that their not working is therefore justifiably criminalized... the argument trotted out by the strike breakers?
And if construction workers ARE vital to national security, shouldn't they get paid accordingly?
Don't you think that unionized workers losing their right to go on strike, the ONLY effective means of leverage in negotiating a contract for better lives, is wrong?
Particularly coming from politicians who they helped get elected?
A
7
Rallying to defend Big Oil and Wall Street and the status quo and then trying to project your sickness onto the critics of the status quo is deranged.
10
A pollution defender posing as an environmentalist is rather funny.
You need to brush up on the science though.
14
Pity party.
Table of one... right this way.
A
Rallying to defend Big Oil and Wall Street and the status quo and then trying to project your sickness onto the critics of the status quo is deranged.
If I ever rallied to defend Big Oil or Wall Street, you would have a point..
But I haven't, so you don't..
A pollution defender posing as an environmentalist is rather funny.
You need to brush up on the science though.
Actually, I brush up on ALL the science, which is why I know more than you do..
You only brush up on the "science" that supports yer ideological bias..
Pity party.
Table of one... right this way.
Oh, don't take it so personally.. I am just funnin' with ya... Don't get yer panties all in a snit...
But if you REALLY want pity, I shall be happy to bestow it upon you...
A pollution defender posing as an environmentalist is rather funny.
And I am on the record as stating that fighting pollution is a noble and worthwhile goal..
So you are lying when you claim I am a pollution defender...
Which is par for the course for you... :^/
Today's episide of GOP Perfidy:
Drumpy issues order to agencies to ignore information requests from Democrats. Being buried as he is under all these investigations and not wanting more, he attempts to obstruct justice in new ways!
Meanwhile, since Republican leaders are wedded to dishonesty:
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/06/why-mick-mulvaney-complaining-about-cbos-score-republican-health-care-bill
In fact, Mulvaney doesn't care a fig about AHCA. He's just preparing the ground for an assault on the CBO when it comes time to score his cherished tax bill. A few years back Republicans finally badgered the CBO into accounting for the "dynamic" effects of tax cuts, but they've never been satisfied with CBO's refusal to use the most fanciful dynamic models, which assume that tax cuts pay for themselves entirely. And CBO is obstinate about this even with a Republican in charge! What to do?
The answer is "lie". That's what they do.
Meanwhile, Democratic Mayors and Governors around the country are moving on with their own Paris Accord efforts because they aren't sacks of cowardly. greedy stupidity.
History will not be kind to the GOP.
Wormtongue, meanwhile, leans back in his recliner and imagines himself carefully untying Vladimir Putin's and Dumpy's shoes and removing them reverently, then tying them together -- a rope of 4 shoes -- and inhaling the fragrance of his dear leaders' corns and bunions. Carried away by the soothing scents, he falls asleep and dreams of young Barron.
Barron says "Help me. My father is a monster! Save me!"
Wormtongue, his heart wrung, thinks.
Then he shakes his head "no".
"Sorry Barron. You're good as a symbol for fake-compassion. Beyond that I got nuthin'."
Barron looks at Wormtongue, realizing he's strayed into the dreams of yet another hollow republican, one in whom he can place no trust or rely on for help. He sighs and withdraws. Back to his rich prison where he is a tool and pawn and symbol to be used by others. At least his father has been staying away. That's something.
Wormtongue awakens, refreshed.
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/02/federal-agencies-oversight-requests-democrats-white-house-239034
When you can't beat 'em, block 'em!
Wormtongue leans back in his recliner and imagines himself carefully untying Vladimir Putin's and Dumpy's shoes and removing them reverently, then tying them together -- a rope of 4 shoes -- and inhaling the fragrance of his dear leaders' corns and bunions. Carried away by the soothing scents, he falls asleep and dreams of young Barron.
Barron says "Help me. My father is a monster! Save me!"
Wormtongue, his heart wrung, thinks.
Then he shakes his head "no".
"Sorry Barron. You're good as a symbol for fake-compassion. Beyond that I got nuthin'."
Barron looks at Wormtongue, realizing he's strayed into the dreams of yet another hollow republican, one in whom he can place no trust or rely on for help. He sighs and withdraws. Back to his rich prison where he is a tool and pawn and symbol to be used by others. At least his father has been staying away. That's something.
Wormtongue awakens, refreshed.
Biatch,
You sure put a lot of thought into your fantasies about me.. :D
Face it, BitcheyBiatch... Yer Democrats are getting pounded... Your hero, NOT-45 is completely wearing out her welcome amongst Americans...
And Democrats are on deck to lose ANOTHER special election..
No wonder you have to invent fantasy worlds.. :D
We NOW come to find out that the bitch, Griffin actually TARGETED Barron Trump...
“I’m happy to deliver beat down to Donald Trump — and also to Barron. You know a lot of comics are going to go hard for Donald, my edge is that I’ll go direct for Barron. I’m going to get in ahead of the game.”
-Kathy Griffin
Oooo what a brave social warrior this totally useless human being is...
The REALLY sad thing is, Kathy Griffin epitomizes the typical Left Winger..
We see it in BitcheyBiatch and many others here...
Sad......
23, 24
"If I ever rallied to defend Big Oil or Wall Street, you would have a point..
But I haven't, so you don't.."
Wow.
You don't even know whose boots you're licking.
Personal and science denial all wrapped up in one package.
"So you are lying when you claim I am a pollution defender..."
Lying about me lying while you serve the interests of polluters is just pathetic. Only polluters, their bankers, and the establishment of both corrupted parties benefit from your swill.
I'm not surprised you are unaware of the facts though.
It's a shame that you can't even see you are helping Hillary's funders too. It should be offensive to you... but I guess ignorance is bliss.
Do you need more pity for wanting me to go away and having your desires crushed?
A
Barron looks at Wormtongue, realizing he's strayed into the dreams of yet another hollow republican, one in whom he can place no trust or rely on for help. He sighs and withdraws. Back to his rich prison where he is a tool and pawn and symbol to be used by others. At least his father has been staying away. That's something.
Even BitchyBitch has no problem attacking a 10 yr old little boy....
Like I said... The epitome of the Left Wingery...
Sad......
At least it's good news for CW...
The MDDOTW award is going to be really easy... :D
Wormtongue: I like the "tongue" part. It fits so beautifully with the whole "bootlicker" idea.
So what are the consequences of Donald Trump pulling America out of the Paris Agreement on climate change? Bad news: the planet is going to die.
http://thefederalist.com/2017/06/02/paris-climate-withdrawal-re-triggers-global-warming-doomsday-cult/
BBBWWWAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Oh my gods, the sky is falling!!! The sky is falling!!!! :D
Seriously... The Left Wingery needs a new schtick... Failed prediction after failed prediction is getting really REALLY old....
"Bitchybitch" -- C'mon Wormy, you can do better. That's a pretty obvious insult -- no creativity, no vision. It's just garden variety slagging.
But then righties don't "create" -- they just copy, steal, mimic.
Sad.
BitchyBitch...
Wormtongue: I like the "tongue" part. It fits so beautifully with the whole "bootlicker" idea.
You like my tongue???
Sorry, but I am happily married to the same beautiful woman I have known for the last 36 years..
My tongue is only for her..
But I am flattered that you would want my tongue.... :D
"Bitchybitch" -- C'mon Wormy, you can do better. That's a pretty obvious insult -- no creativity, no vision. It's just garden variety slagging.
Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't put a lot of thought into attacking people and name-calling like you do...
It's just not in my nature to be a total jackass like you...
Wow.
You don't even know whose boots you're licking.
Personal and science denial all wrapped up in one package.
Do you have any facts to bring to the table??
No??? Didna think so...
Lying about me lying while you serve the interests of polluters is just pathetic.
If I was lying about you lying, you would have a point..
But I am not, so you don't...
Only polluters, their bankers, and the establishment of both corrupted parties benefit from your swill.
ANd only scumbags who hate America and love NOT-45 benefits from your swill..
All things being equal, I like my company better than yours...
I'm not surprised you are unaware of the facts though.
And I'm not surprised that you still think you are aware of ALL the facts..
But I think it's so cute that you think you are.. :D
It's a shame that you can't even see you are helping Hillary's funders too. It should be offensive to you... but I guess ignorance is bliss.
Actually, you and NOT-45 are in bed together on this issue..
The sad thing is, you are NOT ignorant of it, but you still do her anyways....
Now THAT is disgusting...
Do you need more pity for wanting me to go away and having your desires crushed?
Considering I just bitch-slapped you to hell and back, you can stay.. I'll allow it.. :D
Altohone...
Do you need someone to change yer diaper??? :D
hehehehehehehehehehe
@cw,
News that isn't sensationalist doesn't seem to exist anymore. Ever seen the film idiocracy?
@liz
Thank you for posting troll-free.
Yer Democrats are getting pounded... Your hero, NOT-45 is completely wearing out her welcome amongst Americans..
All that I can figure is that, in the rightie bubble, Hillary must be (ironically) much more visible than she is in the mainstream media. So much the better.
As for 'Dems getting pounded', you're not talking about polls, for sure, because Trump's approval is still down where it's been since his presidency began, and he's not making many friends among foreign leaders, unless you want to count dictators. More on that in a sec.
As one commentator said last night, his saving grace is his sheer incompetence. He's gotten nothing significant done legislatively. His Healthcare bill (did I say 'his'? I meant Ryan's) is comatose, and his 'budget' is DOA.
And at this point, the only hope the GOP has of passing any tax breaks seems to be dependent on their ability to get some in during the upcoming debt ceiling debate. CW did an excellent column about that recently.
In the Courts, the rightie agenda has also been getting creamed. Fun Fact: many of Trump's Executive Orders will be challenged in the courts, and many of his other executive orders won't be, because they didn't actually do anything. It'll be interesting to see how Gorsuch rules on Trump's Muslim Ban. After all, he famously relied on the fact that he'd voted with the majority in 95% (or somesuch) cases that came before the Appeals Court that he was on.
Finally, the Executive Branch as an institution is in chaos. Dozens and dozens of top jobs haven't even got nominees, much less confirmed appointees. Many of Trump's White House Staff have required Ethics Waivers, an embarrassing turn of events for someone who'd run on 'draining the swamp'. His National Security staff has been in disarray, and his top advisors are having public screaming matches. Trump's inner circle are lawyering up, and questions about their ability to hold security clearances are circulating. Kushner, Trump's closest advisor/project manager/negotiator/son-in-law now has more attention on him than a turd in a swimming pool, and active investigations include activities ranging from money laundering to treason.
And all of that doesn't include the hash that Trump's recently made of his foreign policy, having managed to piss off every major ally at least once, and having insulted or annoyed Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Montenegro, Ukraine, Israel, NATO and the G7 just in the last few weeks.
And Next week: Comey speaks again!
Republican fortunes are tied to the fate of Trump like Captain Dan was lashed to the mast of the shrimpboat. They hope that they can weather the storm until the midterms, but whether they have the good Captain's balls for the storm depends on just how leaky they think the boat is, and right this moment it's leaking like a fishing net.
Wormtongue: It's just not in my nature to be a total jackass like you…
Thank you, thank you. High praise indeed from the world's greatest troll!
But still…uninspiring.
Of all things, this is what distresses me about your stagnation as a troll. Yes, you pull out all the usual rightwing tricks: projection, ad hominem, moving the goal post, demanding people defend a negative, infinite contradiction a la Monty Python (now they were brilliant): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn9Y
But you aren't ADVANCING your craft.
That's always the problem with old-timers in any field -- they become complacent. You have to make a point of staying current and keeping your skills fresh.
I mean: Do you need someone to change yer diaper??? might have been a real knee-slapper in junior high but you should be beyond such juvenile taunts by now.
I don't think you're really trying.
Of course, when one doubts he may fail he might choose -- subconsciously -- not to try and therefore not risk failure. That might be your problem here.
Or your standards may just be low. Possibly you figure grade school level name-calling was good enough for you then, why mess with a winning formula? But, I say this earnestly, that kind of thinking sells you short. You must aim higher if you're going to stay on top!
Especially if your goal is to troll for the most corrupt disaster of a presidency or political party in American history! That takes WORK!
As for 'Dems getting pounded', you're not talking about polls, for sure, because Trump's approval is still down where it's been since his presidency began,
And if Dems are happy with JUST "winning" polls, but losing ALL the elections...
Well, I am happy with that too.... :D
BitchyBitch,
Thank you, thank you. High praise indeed from the world's greatest troll!
Says the bitch who has posted NOTHING but trollings in this entire commentary... :D
That takes WORK!
Make up your mind...
Either I am not even trying or it takes real work..
I have you going every which way, you don't even know what you are saying anymore!!! :D
And Next week: Comey speaks again!
Yea, he was supposed to speak LAST month...
Guess he had to confer with President Trump and get the story straight!! :D hehehehehe
if Dems are happy with JUST "winning" polls, but losing ALL the elections...Well, I am happy with that too.
Well it is one step closer to the next election than 'Team Trump' has achieved to date.
Yea, [Comey] was supposed to speak LAST month..
And, ever the dedicated lawman, Comey checked in with his old friend Bob Mueller to make sure that whatever he says to Congress won't impede prosecution of Trump. Damned decent of him, I'd say.
Altohone [4]:
This, for me, is an election without a winner.
I think May's reaction to the depression induced by Brexit is going to be to squeeze the country, and she will do it in as business friendly way as possible - so a lot of pain for the majority.
I think Corbyn has no clue how to run an economy and is further to the left than Michael Foot. Nationalization of the economy is Corbyn's "Make the Country Great" by going back to an imagined 1950' paradise.
The middle has no hope.
The whole thing is a disaster.
The pain from May is at least a known to me, it will be Britain in the 1980s, and is one that builds wealth painfully today to spread tomorrow - but only if it is actually spread tomorrow, the Tories don't have a good record on that.
The pain from Corbyn is also known to me - it will be Britain in the 1970s - three day week, Unions running the country, British Leyland and British Steel both going down the drains at the taxpayer's expense. Private industry squeezed for profits in a country that has just cut itself off from its largest trading partner, that happens to be its closest trading partner, and, just to add to the fun, the World's largest market.
"F%^&ing Asinine" doesn't even begin to express my feelings towards Britain and its political system at the moment.
And if one more person tells me that the Germans are going to roll over because they are worried about BMW/Mercedes UK market ... ;)
[44] Wormy: "That takes WORK!"
It's embarrassing for you when you miss the point, but I'll spell it out: for you to get past relying on childish insults and all your routine comebacks, you have to WORK. And you aren't!
You're just not holding up your end of things. You're phoning it in. It's just sub-standard trolling at this point. I can only give you a D+ -- a C- if I'm feeling generous.
To do a good comeback you have to read the post to which you're replying more carefully, otherwise you end up looking, I hate to say it, a bit dim.
Now, it was probably just carelessness, but that kind of carelessness reflects poorly on all of us. If you're going to do something (like troll), do it to the best of your ability!
Bclancy [3] -
OK, before I get to everyone else (someone else might have pointed this out, in other words)...
Welcome to the site! Sorry for the delay in posting your first comment. New commenters are held for moderation, but from now on, you should be able to post comments instantly.
Just don't put more than one link in each comment -- multilink comments are also held for moderation (which, obviously, can take a while).
As for your point --
Whoops! You are right, I goofed. I always get mixed up as to which was the character and which was the actor.
I've fixed it in the text. Thanks for pointing it out!
Mea culpa, everyone.
-CW
michale [16] -
I will check the link out. That's what I thought -- no pulley clutch, no pulley transmission means compressor is indeed on/off.
Side note: this is a complaint true gearheads make about the very first Mad Max movie. It's got what appears to be a supercharger on top of engine (sticking out of hood), that is switched on when he needs extra power. But that's not how they're designed -- they run constantly, there is no on/off switch. Look up "Mad Max technical complaints" or something similar to hear this discussion...
But this got me thinking. Which would stress the compressor more? If it's on/off, then there would be a (very slight) change in the load depending on how much work it was doing. But it seems to me that it'd be backwards from what you'd think. If the flow of the fluid is restricted (when you put the interior temp on low), then wouldn't that mean more pushback from the system on the pump that's driving the fluid? Think of having to blow harder to blow up a balloon if the neck of the balloon was smaller (I think).
By this logic (which might admittedly be wrong), opening it up all the way (setting it to as cold as possible) would mean the fluid would flow unencumbered, with less resistance (from whatever valve system is used), so that would actually mean the compressor worked LESS with the temp on extra-cold.
But don't take my word for it. Fluid dynamics and hydraulics were never my specialty.
Fun note: Nash (original maker of Rambler) also owned some small-engine brands. Rambler keys are the same as Briggs & Stratton, if memory serves. But they also owned Kelvinator. Meaning they had the beefiest AC systems around! The temperature setting on a 50s/60s Rambler AC inside the car has the lowest setting marked "Desert only".
Heh. just a bit o' trivia...
-CW
TheStig [18] -
OK, listening to David Attenborough explain Trump's biological place in the world would probably be pretty funny, I'll admit.
But I'm still mad at the Brits for naming that ship after him rather than the internet-preferred name: "Boaty McBoatface."
Heh.
-CW
Balthy,
Well it is one step closer to the next election than 'Team Trump' has achieved to date.
non sequitur...
BitchyBiatch,
You're just not holding up your end of things. You're phoning it in. It's just sub-standard trolling at this point. I can only give you a D+ -- a C- if I'm feeling generous.
Maybe.. But today's MDDOTW award is an O+!!!!!! :D
If ya want to stop all the childish and immature name-calling, you and you alone have the power to stop it completely...