The Thing About Podcasts

 Back in 2020....as Covid started up and I didn't go out traveling in central Germany....I started to listen/watch podcasts.  I probably averaged around six podcasts a week....some were for an hour....some for 90 minutes.  

It's a curious habit....it became more interesting than using Netflix or a streaming service, and I found that they started to substitute for what I'd consider regular news.  In fact....several were more competent or developed...than what CNN could offer.  

The added feature....I could get my knowledge level up on climate change, science in general, historical events, and understanding a lot of weird stuff (thanks to Joe Rogan).  

In the past six months?  I'm up to two to three hours a day.....I figure around 15 podcasts a week now.  

The thing that gets me.....cable or regular TV networks can't match up.  The TV networks have become like dinosaurs now, and on a lot of topics.....they just can't openly discuss matters.  You also can't have a product (a show) where some guy can spend three hours asking a lot of intense but insightful questions.  None of the networks will dare sign up to that.   

I'm not saying podcasts are going to destroy the networks.....but I've got a list of twenty-five podcast 'bosses' and I can find something almost daily....that one of them have done....that interests me.  I counted today....probably 4.5 hours spent on three podcasts.  

Brazil

 Back on 2 October....Brazil had an election.  You had two basic candidates.

You had a Trump-like character in Bolsonaro.  In opposition, you had a leftist guy by the name of da Silva.  

If the name da Silva sounds familiar?  He was the president of Brazil from 2003 to 2011.  When he left in 2011....this major corruption mess came up.  It's safe to say it involved literary dozens of big-name politicians.  Eventually, the court system cranked up a case and convicted da Silva on three significant charges...getting 9.5 years in jail.

So, oddly enough....while appealing....he decided to run again in 2018 for President.  This was hindered when the standing gov't said enough, and placed the guy in jail.  He sat there for roughly 500 days, and then the Brazilian Supreme Court system released him.  The chief reason?  The three convictions were from a district where they didn't have jurisdiction for the case.  

Yeah.....they didn't say he was innocent.....it was more of the case that you could have convicted him in the right district, but you failed to do that.

The difference in the vote?  Well....da Silva won, but with 1-percent of the vote (around 2-million votes).

Discrepancies?  The Supreme Court, and the bulk of journalists in the country say zero discrepancies.  If you look at some of the mentions for problems.....there's probably some crappy situations but the question would be.....is it amounting to more than a million votes?  

The military?  They had an opportunity, via the unique way the Constitution is written...to say it was a fraudulent election.  At the end of the review.....they stood to the side and refused to do anything.  Oddly enough, the vow by da Silva is that leadership within the military will be changed out once in office. 

So over the past weekend.....trouble started up.  It's safe to say anti-da Silva folks are aggravated and acting.  

Police to oppose them....like you saw on 6 Jan 2021 in the US....bringing the coup potential back down?  Well....if you go and look at what Brazilians on the street say.....the cops aren't that interested in getting into the middle of this. 

Military to oppose the protest crowd?  Again, if you view what Brazilians on the street say.....there's a limited group who seem to be pro-da Silva.

The attempt off CNN to say that the protest movement will be settled?  It's difficult to compare what occurred in the US to Brazil, or vice-versa.  

If the military reaches a stage where they think da Silva is unable to control things?  Oh, in that scenario.....I think they will just say stability (without da Silva) is the priority.....meaning he and the Supreme Court there.....exit, and a year of 'quietness' occurs....before another election occurs.