I've been pondering....opening up a Signal account with a fake name...'Marvin McDougal McBubbles' and getting set up on the Pentagon addressee list....so I can have input to Pentagon and White House decisions.
I've got time since I retired, and readily admit....I might be better prepared for the BS required.
So if you read up on some new CNN scandal and some guy named McBubbles is mentioned....it's me.
1. Gov Gavin Newsom. He'll talk for 20 minutes, and then you come to realize that 98-percent was pure BS. He's the only guy who suggests to write a study....over a study...about studies....on how to analyze a study.
2. Jasmine Crockett. While 43 years old....she has the maturity level of a 11-year old kid.
3. Elon Musk. Most all billionaires have a collection of cars....a island....a yacht...and seem hellbent on avoiding mentions of their visit to Epstein Isle. He's the oddball guy....the exception.
4. Katherine Maher, NPR CEO. Out of her league, and will be unable to keep the network afloat if funding dissolves.
5. Joe Biden. I think symptoms of memory loss were notable from 2018. From 2022....he was full-blown 'out'.
6. Ambassador John Stevens....dead, and likely never understood the whole mission...he was supposed to get some missiles 'back', and pay in some way for them.
7. Ilhan Omar, House Representative. Look....there's no doubt that she married her blood-relative (brother)....but this was to get him a Green Card. Later they divorced. As long as it was just a paper-act and nothing else....just get over the illegality of the act.
Just odd....yesterday...several folks commented that this Pentagon Security Advisor...Waltz....KNOWS Goldberg (leaked to him before). This unknown status that Waltz proclaims? Probably BS.
Waltz also has been connected to Romney and McCain in the past (another problem).
It's entirely possible that Waltz set Wang (the junior Exec of his) up for the fall....figuring Wang would get blamed and fired.
And one other observation....this is a situation where I would have asked the seven or so folks....if they wanted to comment....come to the Pentagon at x-time, and I'd have a catered situation lunch or dinner....for 90 minutes in a secure place. Or you could have had a classified 'Zoom' meeting set (each has such a facility).
Within 90 days....the 2026 budget will shape up, and I'll make three predictions:
1. NPR is given a massive cut....enough to complete 2025, and to provide for a quarter or two of 2026. At that point....no further gov't funding.
2. I think NPR could survive via foundations, and a major cutting of management folks. But I also think the 'hosts'/journalists core would have to be cut....with probably half the new folks limited to $60k a year on salary for basic starter pay (1st ten years). Whether they are interested in this business model? I have no idea.
3. As for public TV? If they were to stick to education and culture....leaving the news format out....they might get the funding to survive on. They probably will argue news/talk is part of their requirement.....thus getting nothing.
From the mid-70s to the early 1990s....I was a regular listener of NPR. At some point around 2000....I considered more of a propaganda vehicle....than what they were designed for.
