Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored
than to anything on which it is poured. — Mark Twain

START-5

Rage is a funny thing. Not comic funny, mind you—more of a puzzle.

And not a complicated one. You needn’t draw a straight line from Donald Trump to the rage and anger of his supporters and surrogates, because it all stems from the same hate place. Self-examination or awareness doesn’t seem to be the strong suit of the Trump camp, and it’s making for very odd comments and accusations that have no basis in fact.

It’s also making for off-the-rails rage part of a sad baseline in American politics.

Remember when Trump promised riots at the GOP convention if he didn’t get the nomination? What portion of the GOP “establishment” was cowed by that threat? Fact remains: threats of and incitements to violence were made back then, and they’re happening now.

Following up on my piece over the weekend that documented the death threats, hate mail and homophobia directed at Dem pundit Robin Biro, it’s time to make a plea for sanity right here, right now. I’ve always said that hysteria is not a conservative value—I myself have conservative viewpoints, and have friends and family members who are conservative-minded as well.

The GOP—remade in the mold of Trump and his angry legions of followers—is now the party of hysteria. Some of that anger is justified (see Bruce Springsteen, below) because a portion of the country has been left behind in de-industrialization and gross trade deals.

But it’ll be up to the sanity-inclined Republicans to step up for the love of country and rebuke this rising tide of dumbfuckery. (Writer’s note: Scroll down to the clip of Steve Schmidt on The 11th Hour with Brian Williams to see one in action.)

Trump’s debate performance was the denouement of hysterical visions—where Sec. Clinton is a “hateful woman” and that he might not accept the result of the election. Which is all anyone can talk about today, the day after, instead of contrasting policy differences that might move our country forward.

As the media treats this as an unhinged reality show, blame is ascribed to “both sides” as creating chaos. That is factually and demonstrably false.

Composure, calm and steadiness are not signs of weakness. In the same way, rage and verbal venom are also not signs of strength. I’ll let you decide who fits what category and which presidential candidate fits which mold.

Writer’s note: ALL Americans should be involved in our political process, however flawed. Find your congress person, and make sure you know where your polling place is. Democracy counts on us being active and vocal. VOTE. ❏

 

START-9

This is the comic relief we need after all the shit that’s been flying around this wretched election. Kathy’s quick clip is a spoof on Sec. Clinton’s advert “Role Models” about children watching and listening to Trump’s words on TV. Best satire of this election season.

I’ve seen Kathy Griffin in concert at the Fox Theatre and she slays every time—particularly the moment in 2008 when she took the gloves off and went to town on Sarah Palin. “I owe Sarah Palin a muffin basket.” WATCH:

And then there’s Seth MacFarlane channeling Trump through Family Guy’s Peter Griffin on the Access Hollywood bus. This is amazing too.

 

START-7

You get a twofer this week—score! Steve Schmidt appeared on The 11th Hour with Brian Williams and absolutely NAILED the conundrum facing the GOP and the country. He would know: he suffered through the Sarah Palin debacle.

Then there was Bruce Springsteen on BBC News being asked about the 2016 U.S. election.

“There are a lot of folks that have been left behind and neither party has really addressed their concerns.” amen.

 

START-16

artvisionatlofficiallogoARTvision Atlanta, my art collaborative, had been on-track to celebrate 10 years this December. Unfortunately, the road is paved with good intentions. We’ve decided to hold the event until next year, when we can re-evaluate our status and beneficiary, and where to go from here.

In the meantime, I’ll be holding pop-up Pizza for Good parties as well as continuing my commitment to fundraising. If you haven’t already gotten your copy of PFG, please do—and leave a review while you’re at it!

 

Copy of START-2

Like many major cities across the country, Atlanta real estate is absolutely on-fire. En fuego. Booming. Listings don’t make it to market and new buildings of all stripes are shooting up all over the place, including my beloved ‘hood of Midtown.

What’s notable, especially with the Kodak building, is that they are not demolishing it. They are actually preserving the structure

A few of them crossed my dashboard and they’re worthy of note.

  • The Kodak Building (Midtown). This one is near and dear to me, since it’s right around the corner from my house. The Kodak sign is one of the most iconic in the city and will live on after the site is rehabbed. (Curbed)
  • The Standard (Georgia Tech). Not just fancy and new student housing—The Standard could reopen a tunnel link from the Tech campus to greater Midtown, increasing mobility and access. (AtlBizChron)
  • Clermont Lounge (Poncey-Highlands/Midtown). This iconic and historic home of Blondie (Atlanta’s drag queen who can crush a beer can between her boobies) is getting a much-needed facelift (the building, not the dancer). The building will be restored to its former glory and continue the area’s resurgence. (Curbed)

 

START-2

Nancy Giles is a national treasure. She has had her gig on CBS Sunday Morning and appears frequently on MSNBC. I had the privilege of seeing her show, The Accidental Pundette, in New York a few years ago. Attending and seeing her brought together my favorite things: comedy, real-life tales, politics, theater, and the promise of transforming Twitter in to a real-life experience. Above is our pic after the show, shot by Rob “Reenage” O’Connor.

 

START-14

This news item came and went but it deserves repeating, because it’s an example of random people doing great things while in a confined space. The scene: JetBlue flight to Florida, which had Omar Ocasio-Capo’s grandmother on it. She was flying to Orlando to attend the funeral of her grandson; the flight team, led by Kelly Karas and Melinda Winstead, organized a note-signing in his honor.

The note garnered so many signatures, thoughts and well-wishes that they had to repeatedly get more paper. From the Huffington Post’s Carla Herreria: “As the passengers left the plane, they each left Ocasio-Capo’s grandmother with another act of kindness.

Some just said they were sorry, some touched her hand, some hugged her, some cried with her. But every single person stopped to speak to her, and not a single person was impatient at the slower deplaning process.”

The event was totally spontaneous and unplanned, according to a JetBlue statement later. This is an example of people stopping whatever urgent thing they had at that moment to help support a grieving grandmother.

 

That’s a wrap guys. We’ll see you back here next Thursday at 2 p.m.

Will Pollock is an Atlanta-based freelance multimedia journalist focusing on retail, real estate, travel, politics and human interest. He is the author of two books (Pizza for Good & Leaving Triscuit), with more on the way. Sign up for the mailing list, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram—and check out the book links below.

Make sure to comment often—cranky loves company.

 

 

 

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