“Support your free press. It’s really looking like
we’re gonna have to do this ourselves.” — Rachel Maddow
Traditional government no more. At least for now.
Our government functions on checks and balances, defined by Dictionary.com as “competition and mutual restraint among the various branches of government.” That sounds positively quaint in the days of Trump. As of this writing, all those “checks” to presidential power and “balance” of congress is completely and totally fucked up.
CRANKYYANK VOL. 51: MEET THE изменой партия (TREASON PARTY)
Why? We have an entire party—the GOP—playing ostrich with the idea that a hostile foreign power meddled, interfered and possibly colluded with Americans to swing our election. They are loathe to investigate because it might a) undermine their hold on power and b) undercut their ability to pass laws that nobody asked for and nobody wants.
Analysis: On nearly every issue, more Americans oppose Trump’s agenda than support it https://t.co/TwrhjY96Nj
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 8, 2017
But now, as Rachel Maddow so clearly stated Tuesday, Russian election “meddling” sounds adorable. The real question is this: How much did the Trump Campaign (and Trump himself) know, and when did they know it? How many advisers were in touch with officials in Russia, and did they collude to swing the 2016 presidential election?
Evidence is mounting. Even with writers I respect urging caution, each day another droplet in the drip-drip of information falls. And it smells like horseshit.
Reporting from a “resistance stance” is not a liberal or conservative action—it’s about truth.
If it’s determined that the Trump campaign wasn’t just in contact with Russia, but in collusion, it’ll be a scary day for our democracy. Rachel also pointed out that many career state-department officials were fired by Rex Tillerson—some of them with 40+ years of experience. And many of those positions, including Tillerson’s deputy, haven’t been filled.
Here’s the point: we have to keep pushing. Reporting from a “resistance stance” is not a liberal or conservative idea—it’s about truth. A functioning democracy relies on a strong independent press to dig, push and pull that truth out from the shadows. Journalists are not “the opposition party”—reporters should be party crashers if they’re doing their job correctly.
[just after Andrea Mitchell trips over Trump handcuffed to a dead hooker]
"tonight, we examine Hillary's trust deficit."
— Will's Media Reform School #DoBetter ⚖️ 🌻 (@bywillpollock) September 10, 2016
As many of my Twitter peeps can attest, I’m no fan of Andrea Mitchell. But her incessant questioning of Exxon magnate and overall wretched cretin Rex Tillerson is exactly what we need right now.
Writer’s note: If you are a whistleblower or a former state department official who’d like to share a story with me, please send a message via encrypted e-mail. Part of my service as a resister and disruptor is to bring attention to injustice happening at all levels of our current government.
Best purchase in recent memory: Brian Willis’ handmade dreamcatchers are now hanging in my home and are cleansing the energy as I type. Brian does a superb job in this hand-crafted items, and I highly recommend them. He also has a line of crystals, bath salts and many other products that will heal your mind and soothe your soul.
Visit The Foraging Squirrel and make sure to support indie artists and authors everywhere.
Reese Witherspoon was already a national treasure. With turns in the Legally Blonde series and Sweet Home Alabama, she cornered the marked on ditzy blondes who rose above the odds. She even did a fantastic turn as Rachel’s (Jennifer Anniston) sister Jill (left) in two episodes.
Cut to today, and Witherspoon is leading Pacific Standard productions—a company she co-founded to focus on female-driven films and roles. That decision has turned out very well for her: “Gone Girl” was a box-office smash and Witherspoon was nominated for Best Actress for her role in Wild (which, by the by, is an intense and exceptional film).
Which brings us to her latest project, Big Little Lies (HBO). We are three-episodes in to this epic mini-series and I have to say: it’s one of the best works I’ve seen put to film. Engrossing, existential, combative, edgy, unpredictable. Lies is based on a book of the same name by Liane Moriarty, optioned by Witherspoon and bestie gal-pal Nicole Kidman to produce for HBO (which won a bidding war against Netflix, according to IMDB).
I’m struck by the humanity of the subject matter actually—spoiled people who think they’re self-aware reminds us in-real-life humans to double-down on our own humanity. It’s a tale of privilege gone sour; rich people fluttering in the wind with false senses of their world, and much time to develop grudges and expel pent-up anger. Laura Dern is perfect as a scorned, insecure housewife, and Shailene Woodley shines as the earthy fish-out-of-water; but it’s Witherspoon that shines the brightest here, with her signature quips adding a cutting, humorous edge to great dialogue.
Written exceptionally well by David E. Kelley (Ally McBeal, L.A. Law), Big Little Lies will win a raft of acting and producing Emmy awards. You heard it here first.
This ad push from the Ad Council is a sad tale about the life and times of a grocery-store strawberry. Roughly 40% of our food in America is wasted—and I want to bring attention to that fact every chance I can. Here are real steps you can take:
- Composting. I’ve implemented composting at my house and have diverted many pounds of methane-producing food scraps from the landfill. Here are some tips.
- Buy local. The less miles your produce and food has to travel the better. Check your supermarkets (even the chain stores like Publix or Kroger) for nearby farms.
- Educate yourself. Save the Food has some great tools and stats up at their website to help make your food last longer.
The more we work on this problem the less sad those strawberries will be. ❏
That’s a wrap guys. We’ll see you right back here next Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m.
Will Pollock
is an Atlanta-based freelance multimedia journalist focusing on pop-culture, politics, journalism & media, 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.
Support independent authors, writers, artists, journalists, reporters and professionals. Buy a book, leave a review, start a discussion. Thank a reporter if you like a story you see or read. Our success as a nation depends on your engagement and involvement at every level.
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