Our post-election coverage begins with this prescient ode to the future by Maestro Zikos
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Steve Bannon banned from Twitter : “War Room” episode removed from YouTube
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Bannon calls for Dr. Fauci and FBI’s Wray to have “heads on a pike”
Steve Bannon, ex-White House advisor and former Breitbart executive chairman seems to have gotten himself into some more trouble. His Twitter account @WarRoomPandemic for his podcast show has been suspended for violating the rules against glorifying violence.
Read More: Billie Eilish, Lil John, Johnny Depp, Jack Black and more Say “Hell No” to Trump Train
The video in question, has Bannon, along with his co-host Jack Maxey, discussing hypothetical scenarios they would recommend for Trump if he were re-elected for a a second term. Bannon can be heard saying he would fire FBI Director Christopher Wray and Director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Next, Bannon took the talk much further, by bringing up beheading the men, “I’d actually like to go back to the old times of Tudor England, I’d put the heads on pikes, right, I’d put them at the two corners of the White House as a warning to federal bureaucrats.”
In addition to Bannon’s Twitter account being suspended, one episode from “Steve Bannon’s War Room” has been removed by YouTube. Alex Joseph, a spokesperson for the platform, says “We’ve removed this video for violating our policy against inciting violence. We will continue to be vigilant as we enforce our policies in the post-election period.” Bannon’s channel received a strike due to the policy violation and will be restricted from uploading any new videos for at least a week. YouTube gives channel operators three strikes before an account becomes permanently terminated and they are banned from the platform for life.
Bannon’s Ludicrous Empire is Collapsing
Facebook is the latest platform to have removed the video, having left the video live for a total of 10 hours, while it racked up hundreds of thousands of views. It remains unreported at this time if any other platforms including iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Google Play or Spotify, which also stream the podcast, have taken any action in the removal of the episode(s).
Bannon’s official website for his podcast “War Room: Pandemic”, up until November 5th, was powered by Mailchimp. The company took to Twitter to also confirm that the account has been closed and will no longer serve to host the War Room’s newsletter.
Back in August, Bannon was arrested and charged with fraud, he is currently out on bail as he awaits his trial which is set to take place around May 2021. Bannon did not take any precautions to self-sensor during his podcast, as one might think he would, given that he is currently on bail for federal charges. The latest podcast rant could easily be interpreted by the courts as threatening a federal official, which, if seen as such, could be grounds for revoking his bond and potentially result in his arrest on further charges.
Read More: Steve Bannon and three others charged with Fraud -Arrests made with the help of USPS
Even actresses and comedian, Kathy Griffin weighed-in on Bannon’s violent ramblings. Griffin, back in 2017 shared the now infamous photo of herself carrying a decapitated head that resembled Trump. She received significant backlash for years after she posted the controversial image, which resulted in many lost career opportunities, along with receiving nasty messages and even death threats.
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All Americans need to watch “Totally Under Control” – available to stream for free until Election day
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Made in secrecy during the past 6 months with interviews from administration insiders
The election is exactly three days away. The United States, in the past week, has recorded 500,000 new covid cases, which is the worst week ever. Therefore, this would seem the perfect time to watch, for free, the documentary “Totally Under Control”, which details the failures of Trump and his administration to handle the crisis.
Currently streaming on Hulu, for those that have a subscription, it is also available in case you don’t have a Hulu subscription, for free until November 3rd. Click here to watch for free.
Just when it seemed like 2020 could not get any stranger, President Donald Trump announced via Twitter on October 2nd that he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19. In what some would see as a ‘karmic’ coincidence, within twenty-four hours of this breaking news, Neon media dropped a trailer for the new documentary “Totally Under Control,” which focuses on the President and his administration’s unsuccessful response to the coronavirus.
Read More: Tweets Reacting to Trump-Covid are Evolving at Warp Speed
“Totally Under Control” is the second Trump-focused project from documentarian Alex Gibney. Earlier this year, the director released “Agents Of Chaos,” an HBO mini-series centered on Russian involvement in the 2016 election. Gibney is also responsible for the 2010 Oscar nominated doc, “Client 9: The Rise And Fall Of Eliot Spitzer” and the 2007 Oscar winner, “Taxi To The Dark Side.” Most of his films take on timely topics through an investigative lens. “Totally Under Control” will be no different.
Unsurprisingly, Gibney latest movie condemns the Trump administration, as it chronicles how the President handled the coronavirus across the first half of 2020. Its synopsis states:
“On January 20th, 2020 the US and South Korea both discovered their first cases of COVID-19. However, nine months later, the novel Coronavirus has claimed the lives of over 200,000 Americans and caused staggering economic damage, while in South Korea, there were no significant lockdowns and, in an urbanized population of 51 million, only 344 lives have been lost. Where did we go wrong?”
Read More: Donald and Melania Trump tested positive for Covid-19
The film aims to answer this question and shed light on America’s complicated, corrupted, and fruitless reaction to the global pandemic. To do this, Gibney uses news footage from the past ten months— much of it showing Trump’s early, woefully dismissive thoughts on the coronavirus before it hit the United States.
He also interviews experts from doctors, to scientists, to government officials, all of whom agree that the current administration’s reaction to COVID was absolutely abhorrent from the start.
The trailer plays out like that of a disaster movie, beginning with former Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority leader, Rick Bright explaining, “The scientists knew what to do for the pandemic response. The plan was in front of us, but leadership would not do it.” Bright goes on to recall how he tired bringing this vital information to the public, but was consequentially fired from his federal position.
As the trailer unfolds, the music gets more and more intense. The interviewees retell the all-too-familiar 2020 story of how COVID got worse by the day and the United States government did nothing to combat it. Meanwhile, quasi-apocalyptic images of ubiquitous ambulances, omnipresent sirens, medial personnel in hazmat suits, restless political rallies, and so on flash across the screen.
All the while, Trump’s voice comes in and out with infamous phrases such as “It will disappear,” “It will be wonderful,” and most egregiously, “I don’t take responsibility at all.”
Art imitates life as covid disbeliever enters hospital after contracting virus that affects ‘almost nobody’
Today, these statements are more ironic than ever before, as Trump himself has been checked into the Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland for COVID. The diagnosis occurred just two days after the first presidential debate, where Trump continued to downplay the coronavirus in favor of reopening the country.
“Totally Under Control” will be available On-Demand starting October 13th and will stream on Hulu starting October 20th. Although the film focuses on current (and ongoing) events, it is not the first piece of media to tackle the coronavirus, and it surely won’t be the last.
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Looming Economic Collapse and Ways to Prepare; Historic Echos and Warnings
2008 and it’s Aftermath was a Wake Up Call that was Heeded by Virtually No-one
There are many good films on the economic collapse of 2008 (The Big Short is a favorite), also known as “The Great Recession” for fear of using the “D” word. Books too have opined on the lessons learned and, in some cases, taken dubious credit for the “rescue” of the world economy.
Read More: Conspiracy Theories are gaining adherents like never before: where’s the Reality?
Watched or read closely, these books, with the exclusion of the self-congratulatory ones mentioned above, all point to a sobering conclusion: the underlying issues that nearly led to a protracted worldwide economic collapse were not solved or fixed but “the can was simply kicked further down the road”.
Unfortunately, they also agree that “further down the road”, currently around 11 years later, translates to “soon”. Accordingly, we’d all be wise to revisit the 2008 crisis and read some of the conclusions, in detail, that have been drawn from a deeper study of the remaining and very serious issues faced as we go further forward into the 2020’s.
So much of our destinies are tied to economics, it is always a wise area to begin to look for solutions to all macro-dilemmas
Of course, now, in a crowded life-raft of a planet, we also have the rising threat of Climate Change, the ongoing and terrifying challenges associated with global pandemics and sociopolitical trends, that point towards anything but harmonious co-operation, within and between societies around the world.
All the more reason to embrace what at times appears to be the lone bright spot, in this saga of seemingly-endless doom and gloom: we have educational resources available and the modern marvel of human-networked-communication devices (a.k.a. the internet and the software and hardware we use to access it), is becoming a more powerful ally by the hour.
Here are books we highly recommend to start your journey towards your heroic contributions to finding solutions and hope, as we look to the future:
The Great Devaluation: How to Embrace, Prepare, and Profit from the Coming Global Monetary Reset
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Also available on Amazon.
The Great Devaluation is the #1 bestselling book that explains why the real crisis facing the world today is not the Coronavirus. The real crisis facing the world is explosive government debt and deficits. Governments are now left with no choice but to spend more than they make, borrow more than they can ever repay, and devalue their currencies to cover it all up.
Former Hollywood storyteller Adam Baratta brings monetary policy to life in this follow-up to his national bestseller, Gold Is A Better Way. You’ll learn how and why Federal Reserve polices have facilitated an explosion in government debt and have systematically undermined the world financial system in the name of profit. The result? An out of control system where financial inequality has become a ticking time bomb set to blow up the global economy. Click here to see “The Great Devaluation” and help Independent Bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World
We live in a world where dramatic shifts in the domestic and global economy command the headlines, from rollbacks in US banking regulations to tariffs that may ignite international trade wars. But current events have deep roots, and the key to navigating today’s roiling policies lies in the events that started it all–the 2008 economic crisis and its aftermath.
Despite initial attempts to downplay the crisis as a local incident, what happened on Wall Street beginning in 2008 was, in fact, a dramatic caesura of global significance that spiraled around the world, from the financial markets of the UK and Europe to the factories and dockyards of Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, forcing a rearrangement of global governance. With a historian’s eye for detail, connection, and consequence, Adam Tooze brings the story right up to today’s negotiations, actions, and threats–a much-needed perspective on a global catastrophe and its long-term consequences. Click here to see “Crashed” and help Independent Bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises, Seventh Edition
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Also available on Amazon.
This seventh edition of an investment classic has been thoroughly revised and expanded following the latest crises to hit international markets. Renowned economist Robert Z. Aliber introduces the concept that global financial crises in recent years are not independent events, but symptomatic of an inherent instability in the international system.
Covering such topics as the history and anatomy of crises, speculative manias, and the lender of last resort, this book puts the turbulence of the financial world in perspective. Click here to see “Manias, Panics, and Crashes” and help Independent Bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
The Fed and Lehman Brothers: Setting the Record Straight on a Financial Disaster
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Also available on Amazon.
The bankruptcy of the investment bank Lehman Brothers was the pivotal event of the 2008 financial crisis and the Great Recession that followed. Ever since the bankruptcy, there has been heated debate about why the Federal Reserve did not rescue Lehman in the same way it rescued other financial institutions, such as Bear Stearns and AIG. The Fed’s leaders from that time, especially former Chairman Ben Bernanke, have strongly asserted that they lacked the legal authority to save Lehman because it did not have adequate collateral for the loan it needed to survive.
Based on a meticulous four-year study of the Lehman case, The Fed and Lehman Brothers debunks the official narrative of the crisis. It shows that in reality, the Fed could have rescued Lehman but officials chose not to because of political pressures and because they underestimated the damage that the bankruptcy would do to the economy. The compelling story of the Lehman collapse will interest anyone who cares about what caused the financial crisis, whether the leaders of the Federal Reserve have given accurate accounts of their actions, and how the Fed can prevent future financial disasters. Click here to see “The Fed and Lehman Brothers” and help Independent Bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System–And Themselves
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Also available on Amazon.
Brand New for 2018: an updated edition featuring a new afterword to mark the 10th anniversary of the financial crisis. The brilliantly reported New York Times bestseller that goes behind the scenes of the financial crisis on Wall Street and in Washington to give the definitive account of the crisis, the basis for the HBO film.
In one of the most gripping financial narratives in decades, Andrew Ross Sorkin–a New York Times columnist and one of the country’s most respected financial reporters–delivers the first definitive blow-by-blow account of the epochal economic crisis that brought the world to the brink. Through unprecedented access to the players involved, he re-creates all the drama and turmoil of these turbulent days, revealing never-before-disclosed details and recounting how, motivated as often by ego and greed as by fear and self-preservation, the most powerful men and women in finance and politics decided the fate of the world’s economy. Click here to see “Too Big to Fail” and help Independent Bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
Crash of 2008 and What It Means: The New Paradigm for Financial Markets
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Also available on Amazon.
In the midst of one of the most serious financial upheavals since the Great Depression, George Soros, the legendary financier and philanthropist, writes about the origins of the crisis and proposes a set of policies that should be adopted to confront it.
Soros, whose breadth of experience in financial markets is unrivaled, places the crisis in the context of his decades of study of how individuals and institutions handle the boom and bust cycles that now dominate global economic activity. In a concise essay that combines practical insight with philosophical depth, Soros makes an invaluable contribution to our understanding of the great credit crisis and its implications for our nation and the world. Click here to see “The Crash of 2008 and What it Means” and help Independent Bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
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Tower of Lies: Trump Tower Project Manager unveils the President’s unsavory business origins
Longtime former Trump aide pens tell-all about his repugnant behavior
In 1980, Barbara Res became the first woman to spearhead a major construction project in New York City. The project was Trump Tower, and thus began a tumultuous partnership with Donald Trump, a professional relationship that Res relentlessly unfolds in her new book, “Tower Of Lies.”
Read More: Important New Books on WWII, fascism and threats to Democracy
For two decades, Res worked as an executive for Trump’s real estate company. In that time, she had nearly unparalleled access to the man’s business practices and (un)professional conduct. While working on Trump Tower—perhaps the President’s most famous endeavor before entering politics—she quickly learned who he really was.
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As the book makes clear, the President has always presented himself as an image of luxury, class, and business prowess. However, this image persistently strays far from his true nature.
Res explains, “He was able to control others, through lies and exaggeration, with promises of money or jobs, through threats of lawsuits or exposure. He surrounded himself with yes-men, blamed others for his own failures, never took responsibility, and always stole credit.”
Perhaps most distressingly, Res recounts instances where the President demonstrated unambiguous racism and misogyny. Reportedly, Trump did not want black people working on his Tower and even resisted letting them inside upon completion. He similarly made disparaging comments against his Jewish employees and constantly objectified the women around him.
Although hiring Res to oversee Trump Tower may have seemed like a progressive feminist action at first glance, the author shares how Trump constantly belittled his female employees by obsessing over their bodies and stressing the importance of looks.
The long list of Character Defining “bad acts” is virtually endless
Unsurprisingly, then, Res also exposes how Trump preferred to distance himself from the “common man”— the very constituents that he now claims to stand for in Washington. Apparently, he surrounds himself with powerful people to boost his ego, viewing average workers as inferior and those who disagree with him as blasphemous. Res further writes that Trump’s “regard for himself had increased exponentially” as he gained more power, and today, “these tactics are still at work, just deployed at the highest levels of the U.S. government, with all the corruption and chaos that necessarily ensue.”
Res is far from the first Trump insider to come out against the President. Just this year, Michael Cohen, John Bolton, Bob Woodward, and even the President’s niece Mary Trump, have all revealed hidden details about the POTUS’s seedy past. Most recently, even White House Biomedical Research and Development leader Rick Bright exposed the President’s shortcomings in handling the COVID-19 pandemic in the documentary “Totally Under Control.”
Naturally, the Trump administration has renounced all these claims against the president, playing the victim and calling the facts erroneous. Res’ new book will surely meet no different of a fate. In previous instances where Res has spoken out against Trump—such as when she endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016—the President has lashed out against her, claiming that she should be grateful for the opportunities he gave her so long ago.
Of course, Trump Tower did indeed do a lot for Res’ career. Nevertheless, that same project also made her realize that the man in the White House is a con artist who continues living in his own one-track, uninformed, egotistical world. The only difference is that he now holds more power than ever before.
The electronic version of “Tower of Lies” goes on sale starting October 20th, just two weeks before Election Day, with the hardcover edition available November 30, 2020.
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The Justice Department finally issues antitrust suit against Google for “unlawfully maintaining monopolies”
Internet giants finally receiving long overdue legal scrutiny
After months of investigation and inquiry, the United States’ Justice Department has formally accused Google of illegally sustaining a monopoly over search and search advertising in America. The Department filed the lawsuit on October 20th in the U.S. District Court, beginning what could be a turning point in the Internet economy.
Read More: Amazon, Facebook, and Google will be accountable if Anti-trust law revisions hold
Republicans and Democrats alike have been watching big tech companies for a while now, scrutinizing the big four—Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon – as they’ve grown into corporate behemoths and played cat-and-mouse with American antitrust laws. Only now is the federal government (along with over forty states and jurisdictions that have investigated Google) finally making a move to attempt to keep these juggernauts in check.
Antitrust laws essentially make sure that American businesses cannot develop into illegal monopolies. Monopolies are illegal if they are established or maintained through improper conduct, sfor example, exclusionary or predatory acts.
Conventionally, the laws protect consumers from situations where a single company holds all of the supply. In the current digital age, though, most of these services are nominally free to consumers. Nevertheless, they can still become hegemonic at the expense of competition.
Because the site’s ascendency has left consumers with the impression that they are unaffected, superficially, Google personnel have long been able to refute the fact that they hold a proper monopoly. However, given that eighty percent of Internet searches go through Google, many politicians (and users) suspect something legally dubious at hand.
As is also the case with Amazon and Facebook there are, like an iceberg of crimes hiding beneath the waterline, these giant firms are engaged in many practices are highly anticompetitive. The behaviors, however rampant, have either gone unnoticed or, in a purported attempt to bolster internet commerce in a general way, have been intentionally overlooked by governing bodies for decades.
In order for the case to effectively convict Google on antitrust laws, the Justice Department must prove two things. First, that Google has dominance over search. Second, that it actively stifles competition in the search market through deals with other companies.
The fact that Google has dominance over search is quite hard to argue against nowadays. To sell the second part of the case, however, the DOJ will have to look into Google’s business behaviors and deals with other companies such as Apple.
Google essentially pays Apple up to $11 billion to be the default search engine on all iPhones, iPads, and Macs. This is just one example of Google buying its way to the top of the market and making sure that other search engines do not stand a chance.
Of course, Google denies doing anything illegal or sidestepping antitrust laws. The company argues that users actually retain choice when it comes to search engines, but people consistently go to Google for quality. As for the deals with companies like Apple, Google likens it to a cereal brand paying a grocery store for a better spot on the shelf. To Google, it’s simple business.
The courts, however, might not find it quite so simple, as many politicians are reframing antitrust laws in their perspective toward the case and the online marketplace.
This is not the end of the story but barely the beginning with many revelations yet to come
American antitrust laws, and how they are applied, are severely outdated. Most of them were written over a century ago when computers (let alone the Internet) were hardly a concept. Despite a few public outings where tech moguls have had to answer before Washington, the Federal government has not taken much action against these massive modern institutions. Exceptions include a 2001 antirust case against Microsoft for maintaining a monopoly over PC software and a former near-trial against Google when the Federal Trade Commission investigated the Alphabet Inc. for antitrust in the early 2010s.
Meanwhile, other countries have been far more active in holding big tech accountable. The European Union enforces much more timely antitrust policies, and has brought three cases against Google in recent years.
In America, however, Google has been riding off of the free market since its very conceptualization at Stanford University in 1998. The same could be said for Amazon, or Facebook and their respective, nearly mythic, ostensibly humble origins. While this nation’s laws and economy give companies the unique ability to grow, thrive, and expand into global phenomenon, they also have a duty to protect the people and even the playing field when those same companies abuse freedom or gain too much power.
This case will not be a short ride. It will likely take years, but such is the slow, magnificent, changing tide of justice and progress.
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Quibi Gone after Shortest Stint in Streaming History: WSJ Reports
From the Bigger they come dept.
From initial announcement of the high level duo of former eBay CEO Meg Whitman and Hollywood Mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg there was always something unlikely about Quibi.
Read More: Quibi Shifts Gears Following Rough Start: Katzenberg Blames Underperformance On Coronavirus
In some ways like “WeWork” for streaming – at least in the hype and over-financing department, the concept of reinventing the way that stories are told on screens and arbitrarily cutting all traditional sizes into 10 minute “bites” (quick-bites, hence the wonky name) seemed from day-one, to many, as a dubious goal.
Not only driven by outdated thinking on the creative-business axis: stars-only, big money leading the way, astronomical budgets, virtually no one involved with a current digital media background, in some ways its shocking it lasted this long.
Quibi Holdings LLC, which according to the WSJ article, had raised 1.75 billion in start-up capital is shutting itself down.
A lawsuit from a tech company who claims ownership of the streaming tech used by the service, in particular the “turn style” feature, where the videos could be watched either in landscape mode or portrait, with the viewer able to switch back and forth at any time. Interactive-video company Eko initiated a lawsuit with the help of Elliot Management.
This is a better, more plausible, reason, in addition to the lack of interest from viewers, than using the pandemic and the timing of the initial launch coming during lock-down as an excuse.
Although Quibi attracted major advertisers and achieved a pre-sale of $150 million in booked ad-revenue, ahead of the initial launch, payments where predicated, as is typical, on viewership numbers which never materialized.
This news is yet another indicator of the incredibly volatile nature of the online video market, and is a harbinger of likely many more shake-ups and flame-outs in the near future…
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Books on Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro X and DaVinci Resolve for content creators
The best software helps creators to make the best content
Clearly, video content is the future and along with image capture and manipulation the key to all online business success. And since we are all, partly out of necessity, migrating our lives online, this is an important area for anyone looking to expand their digital horizons.
Adobe Creative Cloud, although not the cheapest, has some of the best content manipulation software. The long history of the company and its products, many dating back to before the internet was in full swing, is at once the strength and weakness of these solutions.
Adobe Premier and After Effects for video and, of course, Photoshop and Illustrator for images, are just the best known and, perhaps, most popular of the many products included in Creative Cloud.
A user friendly workflow will improve your quality of life if you choose wisely
In the pure video software category, Apple’s Final Cut Pro and BlackMagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve are the two top video production suites. With a free version and a $299 “studio” version (one time purchase) and hardware add-ons for the high end, DaVinci is gaining adherents at a rapid pace.
BlackMagic Design also has some great official user guides that go into depth on the almost infinite options within the system.
Final Cut Pro, which in this writer’s opinion, has a steeper learning curve, does benefit, when used with macOS, from frequent updates, both to the software itself and via the system, with major macOS versions released (at no cost) every year.
Pretty much all the software mentioned in this article can benefit, on a Mac with integrated thunderbolt 3 ports, from an eGPU and software updates are coming at a rapid pace, and include, at times, significant new features and capabilities.
Below we have compiled further reading on the subject, and bear in mind that, with specs constantly changing, it’s best to research compatibility of all hardware and software elements when putting together a new system for your content creation needs.
The Focal Easy Guide to Final Cut Pro X
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Also available on Amazon.
The newly revised third edition of Rick Young’s The Focal Easy Guide to Final Cut Pro X is the ultimate mentor for getting up and running with Apple’s professional editing software, regardless of your skill level.
In this step-by-step, full-color guide, Rick clearly explains the key concepts and essential knowledge needed to edit your project from start to finish, providing clear, time-saving instructions on producing and outputting using Final Cut Pro X.
Packed with tutorials and real-world examples, The Focal Easy Guide to Final Cut Pro X will take you through the ins and outs of the software and have you editing and outputting your movies in no time! Click here to see “The Focal Easy Guide” and help Independent Bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
Rapid DaVinci Resolve
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Also available on Amazon.
Are you one of the many editors who have decided you need to quickly learn Blackmagic’s DaVinci Resolve? If you are, then Rapid DaVinci Resolve was written for you. The 160-page book provides a comprehensive introduction to editing and color grading using the free version of DaVinci Resolve 15.
Unlike the free version of Media Composer, DaVinci Resolve has not been crippled to force you to upgrade to the expensive version. And, while Premiere Pro CC is a fine editor, do you really want to pay Adobe every month? Rapid DaVinci Resolve presents DaVinci Resolve 15 in a manner that eliminates your need to learn the application’s massively complex menu system. Click here to see “Rapid DaVinci Resolve” and help Independent Bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020 Classroom in a Book
” Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020”
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Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020 Classroom in a Book is the most thorough and comprehensive way for you to master Adobe’s industry-leading consumer-targeted photo-editing software. Each chapter in this step-by-step, lesson-based guide contains a project that builds on your growing knowledge of the program, while end-of-chapter review questions reinforce each lesson.
You will learn the basics of editing your images with Photoshop Elements and learn how to best use the program’s many new features. This edition covers many new and improved features in Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020, including two tools based on Adobe Sensei AI technology that smooth skin to improve people’s appearance while still looking natural, and colorize black and white photos or give a new look to color images. Click here to see ” Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020” and help Independent Bookstores.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Classroom in a Book
“Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Classroom 2020”
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The fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Classroom in a Book(R), the best-selling series of hands-on software training workbooks, offers what no other book or training program does-an official training series from Adobe, developed with the support of Adobe product experts.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Classroom in a Book (2020 release) contains 12 lessons that cover the basics and beyond, providing countless tips and techniques to help you become more productive with the program. You can follow the book from start to finish or choose only those lessons that interest you. Purchase of this book includes valuable online features. Follow the instructions in the book’s Getting Started section to unlock access. Click here to see “Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic Classroom 2020” and help Independent Bookstores.
Mastering Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020- Second Edition
“Mastering Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020”
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Adobe Photoshop Elements is a raster graphics editor for entry-level photographers, image editors, and hobbyists. Updated and improved to cover the latest features of Photoshop Elements 2020, this second edition includes focused coverage of Adobe’s new AI-powered features that are designed to make the editing process more efficient, creative and fun.
This book takes you through the complexities of image editing in easy-to-follow, bite-sized chunks, helping you to quickly recognize the editing challenge at hand and use suitable tools and techniques to overcome it. You’ll start by learning how to import, organize, manage, edit, and use your pictures in a format that’s designed for creative photography projects. Throughout this Adobe Photoshop Elements book, you’ll discover how to fix different photographic problems using an extensive repertoire of commonly applied solutions. Common processes such as applying artistic effects to creative projects, custom image makeovers, processing images for social media, and other file export methods will also be covered. Click to see “Mastering Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020” and help Independent Bookstores.
Adobe Premiere Pro Classroom in a Book 2020
“Adobe Premiere Pro Classroom 2020”
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Creative professionals seeking the fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe Premiere Pro choose Adobe Premiere Pro Classroom in a Book (2020 release) from Adobe Press. The 17 project-based lessons in this book show students step-by-step the key techniques for working in Premiere Pro.
Students learn skills to take a project from beginning to end, including the basics on things like organizing media, using audio, creating transitions, producing titles, and adding effects. Once they have the basics down, they’ll learn how to take their projects further by sweetening and mixing audio, compositing layered footage, adjusting color, customizing motion graphics, exporting files, and much more. The companion DVD (also available as an online download) includes lesson files so students can work step-by-step along with the book. All buyers of the book also get full access to the Web Edition: a Web-based version of the complete eBook enhanced with video and multiple-choice quizzes. Click here to see “Adobe Premiere Pro Classroom 2020” and help Independent Bookstores.
Adobe Illustrator Classroom in a Book 2020
“Adobe Illustrator Classroom 2020”
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The fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn. The best-selling series of hands-on software training workbooks, offers what no other book or training program does–an official training series from Adobe, developed with the support of Adobe product experts. Contains 16 lessons that cover the basics and beyond, providing countless tips and techniques to help you become more productive with the program. You can follow the book from start to finish or choose only those lessons that interest you.
Build a strong foundation by following hands-on projects for creating logos, illustrations, and posters. Learn how to use the Shaper tool and Live Shapes along with dynamic symbols to streamline graphics creation. Create website assets and export them in multiple formats to support modern responsive web designs. Click here to see “Adobe Illustrator Classroom 2020” and help Independent Bookstores.
Adobe After Effects Classroom in a Book 2020
“Adobe After Effects 2020”
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Adobe After Effects Classroom in a Book (2020 release) is the best-selling guide to Adobe’s powerful motion graphics program. The 15 project-based lessons in this book teach students step-by-step the key techniques for working efficiently in After Effects and delivering in the widest possible range of media types.
In addition to the key elements of the After Effects interface, this revised edition covers new features and techniques. Learn how to create, manipulate, and optimize motion graphics for film, video, DVD, the web, and mobile devices. Gain hands-on experience animating text and images, customizing a wide range of effects, tracking and syncing content, rotoscoping, removing unwanted objects, and correcting color. Learn to create 3D content with both After Effects and Maxon Cinema 4D Lite (included with the software).
The online companion files include all the necessary assets for readers to complete the projects featured in each chapter. All buyers of the book get full access to the Web Edition: A Web-based version of the complete ebook enhanced with video and multiple-choice quizzes. Click here to see “Adobe After Effects 2020” and help Independent Bookstores.
Adobe Animate Classroom in a Book 2020
“Adobe Animate Classroom 2020”
and help Independent Bookstores.
Creative professionals seeking the fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe Animate choose Adobe Animate Classroom in a Book (2020 release) from Adobe Press. The 11 project-based step-by-step lessons in this book show users the key techniques for working in Animate. Adobe Animate provides more expressive tools, powerful controls for animation, and robust support for playback across a wide variety of platforms.
Create interactive virtual reality immersive environments with VR 360 and VR Panorama documents. Gain advanced control over character animations with layer parenting and AI-driven lip syncing. Learn to create dynamic strokes with the new fluid brush, and work smarter with the revamped Timeline, Tools palette and Properties inspector. Support for SVG, WebGL, HTML5, animated GIFs, and HD video, and seamless collaboration with other designers and with other Adobe applications through Creative Cloud libraries make Adobe Animate the ideal development environment for creative animation and multimedia. Click here to see “Adobe Animate Classroom 2020” and help Independent Bookstores.
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A Literary Renaissance of Books and Photography related to Barack Obama, just in time for ByeDon Election
A potent commentary on the Presidency — and our country
After a CNN documentary aired last Friday – centered on the official White House photographer during the Obama Presidency, Pete Souza; a funny thing happened on the bestseller charts.
Pete Souza’s #1 NYT bestselling coffee table book of photographs shot during his time in the White House, “Obama: An Intimate Portrait”, re-entered the charts at #3 and was followed by, not one but 2 other books at #1 and #22 respectively: the Hardcover (#1) and Paperback (#22) editions of “Shade”.
“Shade“, unlike “Obama: An Intimate Portrait” is a chronicle, not merely of the Obama years of yore, but a diary of sorts detailing the unfolding disgrace of the Trump years we’ve all endured since.
Having spent so many intimate moments with the Obamas, indeed years of close interaction and friendship, he is in a unique position to contrast the differences, not only of the personalities but also of the actions and acts of these two historical figures, and the vast differences between the two.
The virtually immediate and resounding success of the more recent, and more outspoken, tomes is a testament to how many of us share his frustration and outrage at what was, hopefully only temporarily, lost when Obama handed over the “keys” to the White House to its current resident. For a short time longer, perhaps?
Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents
in Paperback and Hardcover versions
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Also Available on Amazon.
From Pete Souza, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Obama: An Intimate Portrait.
As Chief Official White House Photographer, Pete Souza spent more time alongside President Barack Obama than almost anyone else. His years photographing the President gave him an intimate behind-the-scenes view of the unique gravity of the Office of the Presidency — and the tremendous responsibility that comes with it.
Now, as a concerned citizen observing the Trump administration, he is standing up and speaking out. Shade is a portrait in Presidential contrasts, telling the tale of the Obama and Trump administrations through a series of visual juxtapositions. Here, more than one hundred of Souza’s unforgettable images of President Obama deliver new power and meaning when framed by the tweets, news headlines, and quotes that defined the first 500 days of the Trump White House.
What began with Souza’s Instagram posts soon after President Trump’s inauguration in January 2017 has become a potent commentary on the state of the Presidency, and our country. Some call this “throwing shade.” Souza calls it telling the truth.
In Shade, Souza’s photographs are more than a rejoinder to the chaos, abuses of power, and destructive policies that now define our nation’s highest office. They are a reminder of a President we could believe in, and a courageous defense of American values.
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Trump rejects everything about the final debate yet vows to attend anyway
Rules that favor the sane are clearly unpopular with the chief of interruptions and accusations
The final Presidential debate, currently scheduled for Thursday October 22 will have 90 minutes divided into six fifteen-minute segments. Each segment will have 2 minutes of time for each candidate to speak, guaranteed without interruption, before the topic is “discussed” in open debate format.
Trump, whining to reporters last night disagreed with virtually everything about the debate: “I will participate but it’s very unfair that they changed the topics and it’s very unfair that again we have an anchor who’s totally biased.”
During an hour long interview with “Fox & Friends” he went further:
‘This was supposed to be a foreign policy debate, and new all of a sudden we’re talking about things that are not foreign policy. And, frankly, it was a change that they made that was far bigger than the mute button, I mean, frankly. But they made a change, and it shouldn’t have happened. It shouldn’t have happened”
and help Independent Bookstores.
Also available on Amazon.
During Barack Obama’s two terms, Pete Souza was with the President during more crucial moments than anyone else — and he photographed them all. Souza captured nearly two million photographs of President Obama, in moments highly classified and disarmingly candid. Obama: An Intimate Portrait reproduces more than 300 of Souza’s most iconic photographs with fine-art print quality in an oversize collectible format.
Click here to see “Obama: An Intimate Portrait” and help Independent Bookstores. Also available on Amazon.
Some are already speculating that Trump will scream and yell and wave his arms during the time that his mic is muted. Alternatively, he could choose to cancel, which appears to be unlikely at this late juncture. Apparently, while the last debate was all about talking over, interrupting and generally trying to disrupt the proceedings, this time it will be about complaining outside the actual performance itself. I guess we’ll all have to tune in to see.
“We realize, after discussions with both campaigns, that neither campaign may be totally satisfied with the measures announced today. We are comfortable that these actions strike the right balance and that they are in the interest of the American people, for whom these debates are held.”
– The Commission on Presidential Debates
In addition to the 2 minutes of time each is given to speak without interruption there will be an attempt made to calculate the time one candidate loses due to an interruption by the other candidate will be credited back to the candidate that was interrupted.
Read More: Important New Books on WWII, fascism and threats to Democracy
Since Trump interrupted three times as often as Biden in the first debate; 71 times vs. 22 by the former Vice President, it was always unlikely that these rules would be welcomed by the Trump campaign. The bizarre strategy of “winning by interruption” will have far less potential in the new format.
The groundwork has been laid to choose to blame and mock the commission and the moderator or simply refuse to attend
On Monday a complaint in advance was already sent to the commission by Bill Stepien, Trump’s campaign manager:
“It is completely unacceptable for anyone to wield such power, and a decision to proceed with that change amounts to turning further editorial control of the debate over to the Commission which has already demonstrated its partiality to Biden,” said Stepien.
Additionally, the Trump campaign appears to be unhappy with the topics that were announced by the debate commission and in the same letter quoted above attempted to steer the debate topics away from the Covid-19 pandemic and into “foreign policy” and other issues.
Read More: Trump’s Disinformation Propaganda Production fueled by Steroids and Hubris
All the grousing could be a set-up for a last minute cancelation by the Trump camp, as has been speculated.
That would likely only benefit Biden, and speed-up the need for Trump to find a country that would host him in exile.
However, as of last night this quote from Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien still stands: Trump “is committed to debating Joe Biden regardless of last minute rule changes from the biased commission in their latest attempt to provide advantage to their favored candidate.”
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Mercedes teases Vision EQXX: new EV with 750 mile range with hope to catch Tesla
Promise of Virtually Double Max Range shows intent to Get in the Game
During the most recent company update from Dailmer AG, Mercedes-Benz teased a new breakthrough in electric car innovation. The automotive manufacturer talked about its plans for developing the Vision EQXX, an EV with more range than ever before.
To be exact, the Vision EQXX aims to have a battery that can go 750 miles off of a single charge; that is the distance from Beijing to Shanghai, in the automakers’ words. Right now the longest range of any EV is just 373 miles, which Tesla only achieved recently with the Model S Long Range.
In order attain this audacious goal, Mercedes insists on not just packing the EQXX with an oversized battery, but developing new technology that offers unprecedented efficiency. Research is already being done at the Mercedes factory in Stuttgart and the Mercedes-Benz F1 HPP group in the UK.
“This is a serious project, chasing next generation technologies. We intend to incorporate the learning into the next generation of series production cars.”
Markus Schafer / head of Mercedes-Benz R&D
The project is still in its earliest stages, though. Right now, there is no word about when Mercedes might release a prototype or even any design concepts for the EQXX. We don’t know if it will run on the same kind of Electric Vehicle Architecture as Mercedes’ previous EVs—all EQE sedans and SUVs still in development—or if it will have an entirely different infrastructure.
50% by 2030 if Ambitious but will need to Be Minimum is Planet to Survive
Regardless, Mercedes reportedly hopes EVs will account for 50 percent of sales by the end of the decade. If it achieves the 750-mile range goal, then the EQXX will be a huge leap for technology as well as business.
Likewise, it will drive the market in a capitalist society. Car manufacturer Lucid is already trying to surpass Tesla with a 500 mile range EV. If Mercedes then ups the ante even further, it will cause all the competition to play catch up and optimistically lead to even more innovations.
At the end of the day, the growing EV market is dependent on innovation. While SpaceX once had dominance over EVs with Tesla, traditional car companies from Mercedes to Ford to Volkswagen are now joining the party. In order to stand out, these automakers will need to think big and get creative.
And in the process, it will make for a cleaner planet.
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Trump’s Disinformation Propaganda Production fueled by Steroids and Hubris
The Wannabe Emperor’s Clothes are on Full Display and growing more revolting by the day
Trump’s penchant for propaganda has taken a steroid filled-turbo-charged turn for the worst. In the build-up phase to his now obvious plans to contest any election result other than a Trump win, initially during protests in Portland and Washington DC (The violent state initiated street clearing [bible-holding stunt]), we began to point out the incredible comparisons with [Mussolini and Hitler]. These comparisons are now fully accepted by the [main-stream media].
Read More: Yet another White House aid: Stephen Miller tested covid-19 positive
That an imaginary “organization” that has as it’s creed to fight fascism (which is what America fought against in WWII) could be painted as the ultimate enemy (I guess Mexican rapists are out of style) is even more bizarre. Meanwhile, Trump continues to paint himself as some kind of Fascist-Hero, at the same time hugging American flags at every opportunity.
Disinformation, Propaganda and Possible lead up to “False-flag-Op”
Even more disturbing is the success his massive, foreign backed, disinformation campaign has had, most of all in rural areas, in convincing actual Americans that he and his “Reality-TV-Fascist” approach is actually some kind of twisted patriotism. One that they should adopt, cheer-on and defend with assault rifles, if it does not succeed in taking over our democratic system completely by November 3rd.
We have already moved on from “awaiting the outcome of the election” to planning and / or fearing the outbreak of insane right-wing fascist violence when he loses. The big question is, who will there be to fight?
Read More: Tweets Reacting to Trump-Covid are Evolving at Warp Speed
There is no “antifa” to speak of. There’s no need to protest (except by Trump fans) if he loses. And the police, FBI and Government in general have no right or reason to treat angry Trump supporters who protest any differently than BLM protestors, angry over the murder of innocent black people.
One retired, raving-mad-reality-TV-star can’t topple our Democratic system, even with foreign assistance, right?
If they incite or commit violence against anyone, unprovoked, they will be arrested. Since there will not be millions of people insane enough to follow their “leader” into certain defeat and likely incarceration, the crowds, if there are any, will dwindle and fade. There will be, no “enemy” to fight against.
They can continue to hate Biden and Democrats, even hate democracy, but that hate, just as was the case during eight years of Obama in the White House, will amount to little more than racist grumbling and sad idiotic hate for hate’s sake.
Naturally, if Trump takes his Nazi-Fascist campaign to the level of treasonous criminality (assuming he hasn’t already) and follows the 1930s script further to setting fire to the equivalent of the 1933 [German Reichstag fire] – then blaming it on “antifa” so he can declare a state of emergency – this will be an overly obvious coup attempt, conveniently happening just before an election he is certain to lose, and would be dealt with accordingly.
In the case of this madman-on-steroids nothing can be ruled out, but day-by-day, even the most extreme escape-routes seem to be disappearing for our Orange Maniac “leader”.
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Amazon, Facebook, and Google will be accountable if Anti-trust law revisions hold
New Reports call for laws to rein in giant monopolies
Amid a zany week of political theater and election drama, the federal government has actually managed to make quiet, nonpartisan progress on an important issue. On Tuesday, October 7th, Democratic members of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust finally released a long-awaited report concerning the dominant technological companies in America and their legally dubious corporate power.
The report comes at the end of a sixteen-month investigation into the tech giants, arriving to the conclusion that America’s four biggest tech companies—Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Apple— all partake in anti-competitive practices that could be reprehensible by law.
Essentially, with the exception of Apple, these four conglomerates have created near-monopolies in their respective fields. Amazon controls 40% of e-commerce in America, and endorses business models that squander the competition and abuse third-party sellers through data mining. Apple has argued that they do not have a monopoly stake in phones, Android (google) and Samsung, have a larger worldwide base, and in other areas Apple has an even less dominant position. Only in dollar denominated success do they hold the absolute top spot.
Google has an even larger monopoly on Internet searches, also utilizing data to bind users to their content and prioritize their services over all other websites.
Facebook, meanwhile, is a hegemonic vacuum for social media outlets, endorsing a “copy, acquire, and then kill” technique according to the report. Essentially, rather than compete with other platforms, Facebook sucks them into inescapable, self-serving positions.
Apple is not in quite as much hot water as the other three companies. The report mainly accuses Apple of binding its users to the Apple Store, which creates an extra, sometimes expensive, hurdle for App developers to get over if they want their product widely available. The report accuses Google of doing something similar with Android, saying that the software forces people to use Google on their devices.
Read More: Zuckerberg Promises Change as Facebook Value plummets $56 Billion after Ad Boycott
Of course, all of these companies have denied any illegality in their actions— each citing the free market and defending their business practices as entirely fair when responding to the report.
Generally in gridlock and inept, this is one area where Government must act decisively
However, Congress does not seem to agree. In light of the recent report, many Democrats are in favor of rewriting the U.S. Antitrust Laws to better protect a fair, competitive economy. Traditionally, the Antitrust Laws keep businesses in check on behalf of consumers, but they have not been touched in decades, and capitalism has developed immensely since then.
The amount of power that these three companies have garnered demonstrates that the laws now need to consider affairs between businesses as well, lest a handful of power-hungry entities override the market.
Some Republicans, however, have pushed back against the idea of rewriting the Antitrust Laws. Notably, Representative Kelly Armstrong from North Dakota did not sign the committee’s report on Tuesday. While he agrees that something nefarious is at hand with these tech companies, his remedy focuses on greater oversight from the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, upping the enforcement rather than adjusting the laws itself.
Read More: Google about to face Long Overdue Antitrust Charges from Department of Justice
Even if certain politicians disagree on how to address the issue, the nonpartisan support for cracking down on big-tech in America is nevertheless a milestone, and it comes at a crucial time. While thousands of Americans are facing economic strife due to the COVID-19 pandemic, billionaires (especially tech moguls) are seeing their stocks skyrocket.
According to a financial study covered in USA Today, billionaires now hold more of the world’s wealth than ever before— $10.8 trillion. Tech billionaires in particular hold $1.8 trillion of that, a whopping 42.5% increase from just a year and a half ago.
The bulk of American Antitrust Laws were written at the turn of the twentieth century. Since then, the state of the world has changed. The state of the economy has changed. And perhaps most immensely, the state of technology has changed. Algorithmic dictatorships are growing almost as quickly as class divides in America. So perhaps it is time for the law to change as well.
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Gasping for Air: A Balanced Message from, who else, The Lincoln Project
“Covita” shoots campaign ad on the White House Balcony jacked on steroids and behaving like a cartoon
The reactions to the latest and most bizarre, and many would say, disgusting, campaign photo-op continue to pour in. The Lincoln Project, a well known Republican super-pac, founded by George Conway, who’s wife Kellyanne and possibly daughter have both tested positive for covid-19 (see video at end of article), put together several ads and Twitter videos pointing out the extreme, irresponsible and tasteless implications of Trump claiming to have “learned so much about coronavirus”.
In a second clip, which has since gone viral, playing video recovered during the video shoot for his misguided campaign ad, Trump can be heard and seen gasping for air, since steroids only mask the underlying medical issues but do nothing to cure or improve them. This is a creepy and disconcerting view of what is really going on here.
While the world gasps at his “insane” behavior, Trump gasps, literally for air, in full view of cameras while pretending to be superman and trying, yet again, to downplay the virus that has killed nearly 210,000 in the US alone. Will he have a relapse before the next debate, which he swears he is planning to attend?
Read More: ‘Schadenfreude’ is exploding in word and deed on the ultimate weekend of karma
While it may be from the added delusions, brought on by steroid side-effects, it’s clear that Trump wants to spin his own infection into some kind of massive political victory that will propel him, miraculously, into four more years of power. Sadly, and just plain sad, it is more likely to propel him into a pine box.
The October Surprises are coming daily now
Who would have thought that the ultimate October Surprise would be one that Trump is, ultimately, unleashing on himself. Any shred of believability that he might have had, after his constant 4 year long history of lying about everything, is now gone for good particularly regarding anything related to Covid.
The breaking news that the top US general, Mark Milley, who is Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman is now quarantining, due to exposure to a top Coast Guard official, who tested positive for covid-19, is not helping matters. Several members of the Pentagon’s senior leadership are quarantining leading to the press continuing to speculate about how this looks to foreign adversaries.
Mounting positive test results among Republican elite is leading to possible dark news ahead
Take it from Herman Cain, who died of coronavirus after attending Trump rallies where masks and social distancing were scarce to none. When asked if he thought Cain, at that point already deceased, caught it at his rally, Trump replied “No, I don’t think he did”.
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In a blow to the future of live cinema – Regal shutting down all U.S. 536 theaters
Struggling cinemas may not survive the impact of the pandemic
On Thursday, October 8th, Regal Cinemas— the second largest movie theater chain in America—will be shutting its doors to audiences. This occurs as British parent company Cineworld deems the market far too unstable for its theaters to continue operating through the pandemic.
Read More: ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ showcases New Trailer during the virtual DC FanDome event
Cineworld owns 536 theaters in the United States and 127 in the UK. All of them will be closed indefinitely by the end of the week. According to the New York Times, these closures will impact 40,000 employees in the U.S. and over 5,000 in Europe.
Many theaters have been holding on for dear life since COVID-19 arrived this year. Most were forced to shut their doors in April and have only reopened within the past couple months— notably for the release of Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet.”
While “Tenet” should have been a blockbuster hit, though, the $200 million budget film only managed to earn $300 million at the box office. Evidently, even if the theaters are open, audiences are still tepid about returning to the cinema.
Read More: Covid-19 Documentary Exposes still more inside details of Trump’s failure to contain the Pandemic
Simultaneously, “Tenet’s” underperformance showed studios that they remain better off waiting to releasing their films or moving them onto other platforms. Unfortunately, this means a shortage of product for the theaters.
The dominos are falling with Bond as the last straw
Non-coincidentally then, Cineworld decided to close up just days after MGM delayed the release of its 25th James Bond movie, “No Time To Die.” This is the second time the film has been pushed back, as it was originally billed for this Spring, but was delayed until November, and now won’t see the screen until next April.
In fact, almost all of the 2020 blockbusters have seen perpetual delays. Warner Brother’s “Wonder Woman: 1984” was supposed to come out earlier this year, but is now aiming for a Christmas release. Likewise, Marvel’s “Black Widow” was meant to be a summer sensation, but now sits on the backburner until 2021. Meanwhile, Disney’s “Mulan” went straight to the company’s streaming site, for the premium price of $30 on top of the monthly subscription fee.
Clearly, “No Time To Die” was simply the straw that broke the camel’s back for Cineworld.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cineworld had already lost $1.6 billion in the first half of 2020. Now, on top of moviegoer’s concerns about COVID, there is not enough exciting content to get people into the cinema.
Perhaps people would risk going to the movies to see a new James Bond, Marvel, or DC film, but with these releases being continually postponed, staying open becomes a major and unrewarding gamble for theater owners.
Part of the struggle may also be tied to a reticence to consider theaters amongst other indoor businesses that warrant reopening. New York City and Los Angeles, for example, provide a huge portion of domestic audiences, but their respective government officials have been nervous about letting people return to the cinema. Without such hubs being operational, ticket prices will inevitably fall short of expectations.
As of right now, there is no telling when Regal Cinemas might reopen, or if other theater chains will follow in its footsteps. All of that depends heavily on how the country and its leaders deal with the coronavirus.
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Covid-19 Documentary Exposes still more inside details of Trump’s failure to contain the Pandemic
Made in secrecy during the past 6 months with interviews from administration insiders
Just when it seemed like 2020 could not get any stranger, President Donald Trump announced via Twitter on October 2nd that he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19. In what some would see as a ‘karmic’ coincidence, within twenty-four hours of this breaking news, Neon media dropped a trailer for the new documentary “Totally Under Control,” which focuses on the President and his administration’s unsuccessful response to the coronavirus.
Read More: Tweets Reacting to Trump-Covid are Evolving at Warp Speed
“Totally Under Control” is the second Trump-focused project from documentarian Alex Gibney. Earlier this year, the director released “Agents Of Chaos,” an HBO mini-series centered on Russian involvement in the 2016 election. Gibney is also responsible for the 2010 Oscar nominated doc, “Client 9: The Rise And Fall Of Eliot Spitzer” and the 2007 Oscar winner, “Taxi To The Dark Side.” Most of his films take on timely topics through an investigative lens. “Totally Under Control” will be no different.
Unsurprisingly, Gibney latest movie condemns the Trump administration, as it chronicles how the President handled the coronavirus across the first half of 2020. Its synopsis states:
“On January 20th, 2020 the US and South Korea both discovered their first cases of COVID-19. However, nine months later, the novel Coronavirus has claimed the lives of over 200,000 Americans and caused staggering economic damage, while in South Korea, there were no significant lockdowns and, in an urbanized population of 51 million, only 344 lives have been lost. Where did we go wrong?”
Read More: Donald and Melania Trump tested positive for Covid-19
The film aims to answer this question and shed light on America’s complicated, corrupted, and fruitless reaction to the global pandemic. To do this, Gibney uses news footage from the past ten months— much of it showing Trump’s early, woefully dismissive thoughts on the coronavirus before it hit the United States.
He also interviews experts from doctors, to scientists, to government officials, all of whom agree that the current administration’s reaction to COVID was absolutely abhorrent from the start.
The trailer plays out like that of a disaster movie, beginning with former Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority leader, Rick Bright explaining, “The scientists knew what to do for the pandemic response. The plan was in front of us, but leadership would not do it.” Bright goes on to recall how he tired bringing this vital information to the public, but was consequentially fired from his federal position.
As the trailer unfolds, the music gets more and more intense. The interviewees retell the all-too-familiar 2020 story of how COVID got worse by the day and the United States government did nothing to combat it. Meanwhile, quasi-apocalyptic images of ubiquitous ambulances, omnipresent sirens, medial personnel in hazmat suits, restless political rallies, and so on flash across the screen.
All the while, Trump’s voice comes in and out with infamous phrases such as “It will disappear,” “It will be wonderful,” and most egregiously, “I don’t take responsibility at all.”
Art imitates life as covid disbeliever enters hospital after contracting virus that affects ‘almost nobody’
Today, these statements are more ironic than ever before, as Trump himself has been checked into the Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland for COVID. The diagnosis occurred just two days after the first presidential debate, where Trump continued to downplay the coronavirus in favor of reopening the country.
“Totally Under Control” will be available On-Demand starting October 13th and will stream on Hulu starting October 20th. Although the film focuses on current (and ongoing) events, it is not the first piece of media to tackle the coronavirus, and it surely won’t be the last.
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The Proud Boys Can’t Save You
“Stand back and Standby” ?!
Mr. Trump, you can cry and whine all you want. You can refuse to “accept” that the ballots, once counted, hand you defeat. But your refusal will fall on deaf ears. And the “Proud Boys” can’t save you. And you know it.
Read More: Donald and Melania Trump tested positive for Covid-19
At the first (and possibly last) presidential debate 2020 Trump scowled, ranted and raved about various untruths he felt were “unfair” to him (surprise). And at the end of the debate was asked if he would accept the certified election results, once all the votes are counted. He refused to do so. He went on a nonsensical tirade (his umpteenth of the night) about “ballots in creeks” and “unsolicited” ballots, mentioned the words “rigged” and “fraud” and fraudulent ( no, not in connection with his tax returns, that would be honesty).
Does it even need to be said that all the huffing and puffing about ballots and fraud was itself a fraud?
Isn’t it obvious that when a constant liar repeats the same nonsense figures and examples over and over that it’s just another gambit? The river where all the ballots were supposedly tossed?
Read More: Trump Attacks Hunter Biden Again and Shows His True Colors
There is no river and no ballots that “just happened to be marked Trump” were ever thrown into one. There are trash cans in the world, but no one has been able to corroborate any specific trash can with any Trump ballots ( or Biden ballots either).
It was embarrassing enough when the president’s chief spokesperson effectively and grudgingly conceded that Trump’s “river” references weren’t accurate. It’s quite a bit worse now that the underlying claim about ballots appears to be wrong, too. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported late yesterday:
No Wisconsin absentee ballots were found in mail discovered in a ditch in the Fox Valley last week, the state’s top election official said Thursday.
“There was mail found outside of Appleton and that mail did not include any Wisconsin ballots.”
-Meagan Wolfe, director of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, during a virtual news conference
The truth in all of this and the “message” is that Trump has already conceded the election and is proceeding with the plan of contesting the outcome. 32 days before election day.
In the end all his bloviation amounts to less than the stale windbag-fumes that will leak from the fat-baby-trump blimps that are going to be retired in a few months. And the “Proud Boys”? They’ll all be in jail if they so much as lift a weak imbecilic hand in his defense. What do you think?
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Donald and Melania Trump tested positive for Covid-19
Revealed via twitter, this follows the confirmation previously that aide Hope Hicks was infected
This news was confirmed by POTUS medical staff and there is great concern now for any symptoms, particularly in light of his age and physical condition. This is a breaking news story and will be updated as additional information becomes available.
Sean Conley, White House physician released a memo confirming the positive tests, and said the president and first lady were doing well and were planning to remain at home:
“Rest assured I expect the president to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any future developments,” wrote Sean Conley, physician to the president.
The hashtag #TrumpHasCovid is, naturally, trending on twitter, and many posted tasteless tweets pointing out the irony, considering that POTUS played down the virus and was, for all intents and purposes “anti-mask” up until this news was announced.
As follows a relatively tasteful example:
Stock market futures appear to be reacting to the news, the E-Mini S&P 500 Future Continuous Contract dropped at around midnight EDT and is down nearly 2% as of this writing. Although there have, as of yet, not been any reports of symptoms, although Trump’s closest aide, Hope Hicks, was reported to have been showing symptoms, CNN citing “a source” who stated that she was “feeling achy and pretty bad”.
With election day only 32 days away, this could not come at a worse time for POTUS. The October lead up to the election would be strenuous for anyone, let alone a 74 year-old man who has contracted covid-19 and has at least one underlying health condition.
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Trump Attacks Hunter Biden Again and Shows His True Colors
This debacle was caused by one loser, not 3
The first 2020 presidential debate was, according to many pundits, a sh*t show, and that’s no lie. But just how bad it was, clearly caused by one participant in particular, can only be seen when you do not have to sit through the entire 90 minutes of pain.
Read More: Trump won’t commit to peaceful power transfer at press briefing
In this clip, the first in our “Trump’s True Colors” series, we highlight his rabid-dog-like attack on Joe Biden’s only living son, Hunter. Joe handles the onslaught like the strong survivor that he is. His patience is truly astounding. Anyone else would be driven to distraction and ultimately get dragged down into the disgusting mud that Trump loves to wallow in. Not Joe. He does get the last word, however.
More desperate than ever, as the clock goes tick, tock, tick, tock…
While the entire debate was bereft of any unexpected revelations, the sheer quantity of petulantce, lies and ad hominem attacks was amazing, even for the mud-slinger from Queens. Right wing pundits tried to put a positive spin on it, comparing Trump to a “bucking bronco”, but the way he interrupted with contestant lies and attacked the moderator, barely recognizing who he was attacking, it’s clear we are looking at a truly desperate man.
The Trump propaganda machine has already declared his performance “The Greatest Debate Win in U.S. History”, a psychotic fantasy so absurd that only the sociopath-in-chief could have come up with it. Unfortunately, for Trump, the schtick is getting old, very old. This is not the first time the circus came to town, and all the pratfalls and pantomime this clown can muster will not help him to win back his audience. Or? Check out the clip and see for yourself.
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GOP Must Be Stopped from Desperate Power Grab
From the looks of it Moscow Mitch and his sycophantic GOP senate will slam through Trumps SCOTUS pick with little the Dems can do to stop them.
Read More: Get off the Trump Train Wreck this November in MeidasTouch ad
But there is something we can do. Stop the hypocrites where they stand – get rid of the senators that follow Moscow Mitch and Madman Trump like blind fools on a sinking ship. Make sure that ship lands at the bottom of the deepest ocean never to be heard from again.
They must be stopped. This ad from Lincoln Project tells the story that is now front and center – the damage that they can do if they succeed in their desperate power grab is incalculable, desperate because they know that anyone with a brain and a pair of eyes would vote them out with no hesitation. But they must pull every dirty trick, tell every lie, follow their king of corruption and incompetence to the bitter end.
Let’s make it sweet for our future, which can only get better if they are gone.
V O T E
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Get off the Trump Train Wreck this November in MeidasTouch ad
A “typical” American family trying to deal with pandemic isolation, safety and all with “advice” from a president who is a proven liar and a sociopathic narcissist, if not an outright psychopath.
Read More: Is this what you Really want? Meidas Touch Ad blasts Trump’s America again
The family, represented by these cute dolls (except for the bleach drinking Grampa, for some reason) each have a way to try and cope, not only with the pandemic and associated (looming) economic depression but with the sh^$tstorm of lies they are surrounded with daily on how they should behave and survive.
This Ad, created by the Meidas Touch, has a “softer” tone and addresses the likely perspective of a large number of people in this country who are, more or less, apolitical, and just want to live and try to have their lives and freedoms intact, without endangering themselves or others.
In the end, the women of the house, who have the best sense, a realistic projection indeed, come to the conclusion that, a change, particularly one that involves getting rid of Trump and his stooges, is needed, and pronto!
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Trump won’t commit to peaceful power transfer at press briefing
“Get rid of the ballots and there won’t be a transfer”
During a White House news briefing when asked the question if he loses this year’s election would he commit to a peaceful transfer of power, Trump was quick to reply with a vague non-answer, “We’re going to have to see what happens. You know that,” he said. He then took the opportunity, instead, and, quite predictably, make continued unsubstantiated claims about the reliability of the vote-by-mail ballots.
He later commented “Get rid of the ballots and you’ll have a very peaceful -There won’t be a transfer, frankly, there will be a continuation.” The reporter, Brian Karem who questioned Trump on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 took to his social media and commented: “This is the most frightening answer I have ever received to any question I have ever asked.
The reporter, Brian Karem, who asked Trump the question Wednesday, September 24, 2020
This is the most frightening answer I have ever received to any question I have ever asked. I’ve interviewed convicted killers with more empathy. @realDonaldTrump is advocating Civil War.
Brian Karem
I’ve interviewed convicted killers with more empathy. @realDonaldTrump is advocating Civil War.” Trump refusing and skirting around the subject of a transfer of power, continues to cast grave uncertainty on how the November election will play out, and its aftermath.
It is beyond unusual that a sitting president would have the audacity to publicly express anything other than confidence in how the electoral process will be handled. Yet it isn’t surprising, given Trump’s track record.
Four years ago he also declined to honor the election result if Hillary Clinton won. After the 2016 election he also made unsubstantiated claims that ?millions” of illegal votes were cast for Hillary. Not a single one of those he spoke of has been proven to be illegal.
Less than 40 days and Trump can test his plan
With the election just 40 days away, many in the Republican party pushed back against Trump’s refusal to commit to a peaceful transition of power. At once, appearing to intend to clarify that there definitely would be a transfer of power, presumably in the event of a definitive Biden win, yet with most statements also dismissing the president’s comment as a hypothetical situation.
“The winner of the November 3rd election will be inaugurated on January 20th. There will be an orderly transition just as there has been every four years since 1792”.
Mitch McConnell
“Fundamental to democracy is the peaceful transition of power; without that, there is Belarus,” Mr. Romney wrote. “Any suggestion that a president might not respect this Constitutional guarantee is both unthinkable and unacceptable.”
Mitt Romney
“The peaceful transfer of power is enshrined in our Constitution and fundamental to the survival of our Republic. America’s leaders swear an oath to the Constitution. We will uphold the oath.”
Liz Cheney
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