Refresh? Or hide?

November 1, 2020

Jim Reeves Personal , , , , , , 1 Comment

It’s getting down to the wire, and I’m in a quandry.

I can’t decide what to do.

On one hand, I want to run and hide until well after next Tuesday’s election. I’m afraid of what might happen. This is worse than thinking we’d elect Mitt Romney President in 2012, after just one term of Barack Obama. That November night I was really worried the racists and the bigots would pull it out of the hat, and give the win to Romney. Fortunately, it turned out well that time. I was stunned when we then handed this country over to Donald Trump in 2016. How could anyone think he’d be a better President than Hillary? Even if you hated her with a passion, how could Trump be a better choice?

On the other hand, I find myself hitting the refresh icon on my Twitter and Facebook feeds much too often, worried I might miss something. These Trump caravans of lifted trucks, and these super-spreader rallies worry me. He’s whipped them into a frenzy, and I’m afraid they’ll go nuts when he loses. Especially if he loses by a landslide.

I’m crossing my fingers and hoping we’re smart enough to toss the right-wing, fascist trash out, and clean house. The White House. The Senate, too. But I’m really worried about the after-math. It’s making me as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

If we’re not, smart that is, we’ll deserve our fate. Putin will be cackling with glee if we don’t toss Trump, McConnell, McCarthy, and Nunes from office with numbers that clearly repudiate them and their malfeasance.

So I’m sitting here trying not to be nauseous, telling myself that everything will be fine, and that on January 20 we’ll have real leadership and experience at the helm. That no matter what Trump and the GOP did to damage our country, the repair crews will be dispatched, damage control parties will be at work, and we can step down from Red Alert to merely Yellow Alert. The ship of state will be refitted, even if we have to go into space-dock to do it.

As much as I keep telling myself that, though, I keep wondering about a remote bunker without internet access or cell phone coverage.

Oh, who am I kidding?

“click” refresh

Devin Nunes calls media “freaks”

March 18, 2020

Jim Reeves commentary, News , , , , , , 1 Comment

NUNES_DERP_STATE

On the Hannity show on Fox “News”, Devin Nunes called the media “freaks”. Why? Because they had the audacity to report his “go to the pub” advice. Now he’s trying to claim he meant go to the drive-thru, even though he clearly said “pub”.

Guess what, Devin? We have the video. We can hear what you said. You directly contradicted the CDC’s advice, and that of other medical professionals.

Go back to suing fake cows. You might do a little better there, if you can get your case in front of a judge appointed by Hair Furor.

The effect is only one way…

September 6, 2019

Jim Reeves commentary, News , , , , , , , Leave a comment

NUNES_DERP_STATE I’m on Devin Nunes’ email list, and boy, is it a roller coaster ride!

Here’s part of the latest blast:

“Jim,

Breaking: Big tech giants may be manipulating information to sway votes.

This is a disturbing discovery, and it should concern all Americans.

Tech oligarchs have become a huge part of our daily lives. They control what information we see and what we don’t. They have incredible power and could use this power to manipulate elections and voters.

This should give every American great concern. Conservatives must fight back.

Research has shown that Silicon Valley tech oligarchs supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election and could have biased their platform users in favor of their personal politics.
If we want to ensure a fair election in 2020, then we MUST fight back now.”

Amazing.

Nunes wants us to believe two contradictory things at one time –

That Facebook, Twitter, and similar tech giants could manipulate their customers in favor of Hillary Clinton, but that Russia’s concerted efforts to do the exact same thing on the exact same platforms did not influence anyone to favor Donald Trump.

Manipulation in favor of Clinton: YES

Manipulation in favor of Trump: NYET

“… may be manipulating…” and “They… could use this power…” and “could have biased their platform…”

He doesn’t claim they DID do that, but only that they COULD have, and that they should be investigated.

Meanwhile, Devin is suing a Twitter cow. He’s also trying to use federal racketeering laws to go after people who have said “mean” things about him. Like he’s not really a “farmer”, even though he got a court to rule he could claim that on voting pamphlets. (He recently bought a $15,000 farm, presumably so he could claim to be a farmer for real)

Derp state, is right. Devin is the Speaker of that House.

Image: Daily Kos

The begging bytes

August 31, 2019

Jim Reeves commentary, News, Personal , , , , , 1 Comment

deleteBoy, do I get emails! I’ve managed to end up on just about every candidate’s begging list, and it seems to be getting worse every day.

Now, I don’t mind the emails, they’re easy enough to delete. I find the ones from Devin Nunes and Donald Trump endlessly entertaining. I have noticed a theme, though, from all sides, that I find annoying.

They’re all “falling short of their fundraising goal this week (or month)”, and need my immediate donation to reach it. It’s important, they’ll say, that they show how strong the support for their campaign is (I’m assuming they mean for the big, high-dollar donors, the ones they never mention by name).

They’ll go on about how important it is that they reach their goal, so they don’t fall behind in their battle to save the country.

Here’s an idea, folks. Set more realistic goals, if you’re never reaching them. I know you want to give the impression of being the underdog, that you’re the come-from-behind-anti-establishment-only-hope-for-all-mankind who will win in the end… but geez!

Let me give you some free advice.

Don’t run with this “we’re behind” theme in your ads. You’re claiming you’re a loser. Start setting lower goals, and then blow past them! Tell your supporters you’re gaining support across the country. Let them join the bandwagon of a winner! Everybody loves the underdog who comes from behind to win at the last moment, but you can’t *all* be the underdog.

Other email annoyances from the political mob:

Kamala, I *really* don’t need three or four emails *every* single day!

Devin, this “it’s me against the deep state” crap is getting old. Nobody but a few hard-core Republicans really believes it. Also, hold some real town halls in your district. The only places you show your face these days is “pay-for-play” fundraisers, usually in some distant district! Locking the doors to your offices is a clear sign of what you think about your constituents.

Donald, you and Donny Jr. can quite lying to me in every other email.  I am 99.99999999% sure neither of you has noticed my name is not on your contributor’s list. If you have, how about sending me a short video of you in the Oval saying “why hasn’t Jim Reeves donated yet?” You have my email address.

So I scan the emails, and hit “delete”. The bits and bytes are recycled, to live again in some other form. Probably another email begging for money.

 

 

‘Till the cows come home

April 12, 2019

Jim Reeves commentary, News , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

devin_nunes_twitter_cow_parody

Washington, D.C. does something to people. Especially government people. I don’t know when it happened to Devin Nunes, but somewhere along the line, possibly about the time Barack Obama was elected President, Nunes dove into the deep end, and he’s not yet come up for air.

From the bottom of the sump pond that is Washington politics, nastier than any
dairy lagoon, he’s now suing a fake cow, and a honey bee. He’s up to 400 million dollars, claiming that his reputation has been impugned. He asserts that Twitter has “shadow banned” him (which Twitter denies*), and that a few parody accounts, which didn’t have much of a following until *after* his lawsuits were filed, tweeted mean things about him. He’s also suing The Fresno Bee, claiming they lied about him (they did not), and knew the things they were printing were lies (but he never responded to The Bee’s repeated attempts to contact him for rebuttal or comment).

So, that’s $250 million against Twitter, a fake cow, and a fake Nunes’ mom account. That action by Nunes generated endless parody accounts, and now we have everything from Devin Nunes’ Gay Cow, to his cat, his cow’s attorney, his “dad“, his “grandma“, the drag queen, and his skin (still thin, according to the one Tweet). Another $150 million against McClatchy and the Bee. For reporting about a drug-and-prostitute fueled party boat in the San Joaquin Delta, hosted by a winery in which Nunes owns stock. One can argue whether the story was worth pursuing, but The Bee reported factually, and Nunes refused to comment on it when the paper tried to contact him about it. His go-to, now, is the same as Trump’s: “FAKE NEWS!!”

While Nunes occupies his time suing a fake cow and his local newspaper, his district still has serious water issues, high unemployment numbers, high poverty levels, pollution, bad roads, and gang problems. Maybe he should devote some of his time to serving his constituents, and leave the bees and the cows alone.

*it’s amazing how many people in the top spots of government have no clue how things like Twitter work, and why people might not see a posting. Algorithms are apparently much too complex a concept for them to grasp.  

Devin Nunes is suing a cow.

March 21, 2019

Jim Reeves commentary, Humor, News , , , , 3 Comments

devincow  So a fake cow said mean things about Congressman Devin Nunes (R-Tulare), and he’s suing.

Twitter parody account @DevinCow had about 1,000 followers Saturday night. Monday morning the news hit that Nunes, former head of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and now ranking member, was suing Twitter, the person behind an account called “DevinsMom” (since removed because Nunes’ real mother complained to Twitter), and the cow*.

Twitter users immediately dumped a skip-loader’s worth of cow-pie scorn on him. Parody accounts flourished, all taking him to task for attacking an account that had only about a thousand followers before Monday. Twitter users flocked to follow the herd, and cow jokes have been thicker than flies around a sump pond. Steven Colbert even set up a one-Tweet parody page, Devin’s Skin. It’s message? “Still Thin”.

By Wednesday, @DevinCow had surpassed the 398,000 followers on Nunes‘ personal account, and as of this writing has 608,000. Nunes’ official Congressional Twitter account has only 32,000 followers, and is rarely used by the California Republican.

You’d think a dairyman would know how NOT to step in a pile of cow shit, but since it’s been a long time since Devin has actually worked on, or owned any interest in, a dairy, perhaps he’s forgotten. Maybe he became used to the muck in Washington, D.C., and this all just seems very normal to him.

So… he’s suing Twitter. Devin says he’s due $250,000,000 for all the pain, suffering, mental anguish, and damage to his reputation (because, see, he *almost* lost the last election. Too many of his constituents must be too easily swayed by that low-down, no-good, scurrilous cow and her mean Tweets!).

This is the same Devin Nunes that told C-SPAN in 2010 that he had no problem with people saying demeaning, rude, or hostile things to government officials.

This is the same Devin Nunes that is a co-sponsor on a bill to prevent frivolous lawsuits.

My, how times have changed!

*ok, he’s not suing a real cow. He’s going after whoever runs that account. Legal observers say it’s udder-ly crazy for him to expect to win. 1st Amendment, you know.

Oh, and I’m still blocked from his personal account. I’m assuming it’s something I said.

Maybe it was something I said…

December 23, 2017

Jim Reeves commentary, Personal , , Leave a comment

Occasionally I re-visit Congressman Devin Nunes’ personal Twitter page, just to see if I’m still blocked.
nunes_blocked_cropped

Yep, still blocked. When I first noticed the block, I thought, being the generous sort that I am, that perhaps he kept his personal Twitter feed limited to just family and friends. Then, after my more cynical side spoke up, I decided to test that theory. I have access to a second Twitter account that I co-manage, so a test was in order.

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Banned in Boston? No, but Twitter is close, right?

December 14, 2016

Jim Reeves commentary, Humor, News, Personal , , , , Leave a comment

nunes_block_12142016_full

My heart is all a-flutter! I just discovered that I’ve been banned from my Congressman’s Twitter feed! Apparently someone took notice to some of the comments I’ve made, and questions I’ve asked (but never had answered), and decided the most effective response was to block me from his Twitter.

Here’s my latest Tweet at Congressman Nunes:

nunes_tweet_daily_briefings

I’m assuming this is what precipitated my banishment, but it could be that some other questions and comments I’ve made have left a…  shall we say, poor impression?… on the Congressman. Or someone on his staff, more likely.

At any rate, I’m tickled.

Hobnobbing with the stars

November 10, 2012

Jim Reeves commentary, News, Personal , , , , 1 Comment

This afternoon I attended a gathering at the Tulare County Democratic Party’s office in Visalia.  The event was hosted by Otto Lee, who ran against Devin Nunes for the office of Congressional Representative for the 22nd District of California.  Nunes won, but Otto made a respectable showing, even with Nunes refusing all offers to debate or appear together to discuss issues.

I spent two hours at the event, meeting a few people, talking with Otto and others, and came away hopeful for the future.  In a very red area, there’s real potential for putting a bluer hue on the picture.  The future may surprise Nunes, especially if he continues to discount competition for his seat.  Nothing in politics is guaranteed, and taking your constituents for granted is never wise.  Next election, Nunes will have been in office for 12 years, and his district has next to nothing to show for it.  It’s still one of the poorest in California, with some of the highest unemployment, and that has not changed during his tenure.

I don’t know if Otto Lee will run again in two years, but I hope he does.  This district could use new ideas, and a fresh perspective.  Sometimes, it’s possible to be to close to a problem to see a solution, and having the viewpoint of someone new to the area might just be the fresh air we need.  Regardless of whether the next election sees Otto run again, or some other Democrat steps up, the demographics of the region are rapidly changing, and the GOP has been doing everything in it’s power to run from the very groups that will dominate the future.  If they don’t change, their party faces a future of marginalization and irrelevance.

Otto Lee 2014!  😉

The Definition of Insanity

August 13, 2012

Jim Reeves commentary, News , , , , , , 1 Comment

… is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.

For almost ten years, voters in the Visalia area have elected, and re-elected, Devin Nunes to be our congressman in the House of Representatives.  In at least one election, Nunes ran unopposed.  In those ten years, we’ve seen a dramatic jump in the number of dairies in Tulare County and the surrounding area.  Tulare County is now #1 in dairy production in the United States.  Tulare County is also consistently #2 or #3 in overall agricultural production in the United States, usually hot on the heels of Fresno County.  Despite this leadership in the dairy industry (Representative Nunes’ family business) and agriculture, Tulare County is also one of the poorest counties in California.  Nearly a quarter of the population live in poverty, and one in three residents receives state aid.

One has to ask, in the midst of such wealth, why is the poverty level so high, and what has Devin Nunes done in his tenure in Congress to alleviate that poverty?  The answer, based on continuing high poverty levels, would seem to be “not much”.  Republicans love to talk business, and clamor for government to be run “more like a business”.  Well, we’ve had ten years of Mr. Nunes’ being in our employ, and we don’t have much to show for it (unless you’re a dairyman or farmer).  It’s time we seriously considered firing Mr. Nunes for his lack of success in solving the problems that have been plaguing Tulare County for years.  After all, that’s what any business would do, right?

On Sunday, August 12, 2012, I attended the grand opening of the Otto For Congress office in Visalia.  Otto Lee is a Commander in the Navy, Bronze Star recipient, private business owner, and former Mayor and Council member in Sunnyvale.

Otto Lee brings a fresh perspective to the needs of the new 22nd District.

Sunday’s office opening was a chance for people to meet the candidate, and talk to him about his goals and plans for the future.

There are many different groups that fall under the banner of what might be called Democratic “special interests”, and my interests are, of course, in the area of LGBT issues.  I had an opportunity to sit down with Otto for a few minutes, and discuss those subjects.

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