Disney Buys Most Of Fox

Ken AshfordCorporate Greed, Popular Culture, Right Wing and Inept MediaLeave a Comment

Big entertainment news: The Walt Disney Co. has struck a deal valued at $52.4 billion to acquire much of the Hollywood holdings of 21st Century Fox, the global television and entertainment conglomerate controlled by Rupert Murdoch and his family. The deal occurs against a backdrop of swift changes to the industry’s finances and uncertainty about succession plans at both companies. The … Read More

Sexual Harassment Allegations Come To Doorstep of White House

Ken AshfordPolitical Scandals, Sex Scandals, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

This morning, three women who have accused Trump of sexual assaulting them appeared on Megyn Kelly’s talk show, sharing new details of what they say was abuse at the hands of the president. They are among at least 14 women who accuse Trump of sexual assault. In response, the White House issued a statement claiming these women are lying. Notably, the White House claims … Read More

Black List 2017

Ken AshfordPopular Culture, Random MusingsLeave a Comment

The Black List was compiled from the suggestions of over 275 film executives, each of whom contributed the names of up to ten favorite  scripts that were written in, or are somehow uniquely associated with, 2017 and will not have begun principal photography during this calendar year. This year, scripts had to receive at least six mentions to be included … Read More

Justice Served

Ken AshfordCourts/Law, Crime, Racial HomicidesLeave a Comment

It has been two and a half years since Walter Scott’s death.  I wrote about it here… but basically, he was running from a cop and was shot IN THE BACK AS HE WAS RUNNING AWAY.  The video makes this crystal clear: Well, good news: Michael Slager, the former South Carolina police officer who shot and killed Walter Scott, was … Read More

Trump Recognizes Jerusalem As Capital Of Israel

Ken AshfordForeign Affairs, Godstuff, Middle East, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Trump’s speech in a nutshell: “Today we finally acknowledge the obvious: That Jerusalem is Israel’s capital,” Trump said. “This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do. It’s something that has to be done.” This is the actual presidential proclamation on Jerusalem. PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP’S PROCLAMATION ON JERUSALEM AS THE … Read More

Time Person Of The Year: The Silence Breakers

Ken AshfordSex/Morality/Family Values, Women's IssuesLeave a Comment

The women featured on the cover include actress Ashley Judd, singer Taylor Swift, former Uber engineer Susan Fowler, Visa lobbyist Adama Iwu, Mexican agricultural worker Isabel Pascual, and one woman whose face cannot be seen. First it was a story. Then a moment. Now, two months after women began to come forward in droves to accuse powerful men of sexual … Read More

Trump Endorses Accused Child Molester For Senate

Ken AshfordCongress, Polls, Republicans, Sex Scandals, Sex/Morality/Family Values, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

The chyrons say it all: Kayla Moore (Roy’s wife) confirms: This is not normal. Can you imagine, in any other time, what would happen if a President endorsed a child molester as a candidate for Senate? Polls have the two pretty close…. Latest @EmersonCollege POLL: We now have a statistical DEAD HEAT in #alabama US Senate Special Election btwn ROY … Read More

Since It Is Sexual Harassment Day

Ken AshfordPolitical Scandals, Sex Scandals, Sex/Morality/Family Values, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Matt Lauer and Garrison Keillor have joined the ranks of men getting fired for sexual harassment.  That’s just TODAY… so far. So I thought I would up a recent Washington Post article about our President: President Trump and accusations of sexual misconduct: The complete list Here’s a list of 13 women who have publicly come forward with claims that Trump … Read More

Today Feels Like A Test

Ken AshfordCyberbullying, Immigration and Xenophobia, Rightwing Extremism/Violence, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

I don’t know. Everything really is awful. Matt Lauer, long-standing host of the Today Show, was abruptly fired last night, after execs at NBC received notice of a credible claim of sexual harassment.  This #MeToo reckoning, as I’ve said before, but it really is disappointing to see otherwise good people go down.  Perhaps even more disappointing is that the only … Read More

Trump Finally Weighs In On Moore

Ken AshfordElection 2018, Political Scandals, Republicans, Sex Scandals, Sex/Morality/Family Values, Trump & Administration, Women's IssuesLeave a Comment

As for the open Alabama seat, Trump has remained unusually quiet, ignoring questions from reporters. But today, he couldn’t help himself. BREAKING: Trump discounts allegations against Republican Roy Moore and says, ‘We don’t need a liberal person in there.’ — AP Politics (@AP_Politics) November 21, 2017 This is worth noting because WH spokesperson Sarah Sanders had said on several occasions … Read More

FCC Announces End Of Net Neutrality

Ken AshfordNet Neutrality, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Very bad news: The Federal Communications Commission announced on Tuesday that it planned to dismantle landmark regulations that ensure equal access to the internet, clearing the way for companies to charge more and block access to some websites. The proposal, put forward by the F.C.C. chairman, Ajit Pai, is a sweeping repeal of rules put in place by the Obama … Read More

And Now It’s…. Oh Dear… Senator Al Franken’s Turn?

Ken AshfordCongress, Democrats, Political Scandals, Sex Scandals, Sex/Morality/Family ValuesLeave a Comment

The sexual harassment purge is getting ugly. WaPo: Broadcaster and model Leeann Tweeden said Thursday that Al Franken “forcibly kissed” and groped her during a USO tour in 2006, two years before the Minnesota Democrat’s election to the U.S. Senate. “You knew exactly what you were doing,” Tweeden wrote in a blog post for Los Angeles radio station KABC, for which she works as … Read More

The Moore Accuser Count Is Up To 8

Ken AshfordElection 2016, Election 2018, Political Scandals, Republicans, Sex Scandals, Sex/Morality/Family Values, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Via WaPo: Roy Moore. Born in 1947. He moved out of Gadsden, Ala., in 1954, returning after his service in Vietnam in 1977. He joined the office of the district attorney that year. In 1982, he again left Gadsden, returning in 1985, the year he married his wife, Kayla. She was 24, and he was 38. In 1992, he was … Read More

In Fairness, It Is Hard To Keep All These Mass Shootings Straight

Ken AshfordGun Control, Race, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

This week saw another mass shooting, this time in Northern California (4 dead, shooter killed — UPDATE: 5 dead — they found his wife’s bodied hidden in his house). Trump, returning from his Asia stint, tweeted this in response late last night: Unfortunately, the Sutherland Springs Texas shooting was LAST week’s mass shooting.  He deleted the above tweet, although it does … Read More