Does lying about having an affair matter and other Sunday Stuff
Bill Clinton lied about having an affair.
Donald Trump lied about having an affair.
Does it matter? It's all about context.
I didn't care about the fact that Bill Clinton lied about having an affair. I cared about the fact that as a member of the Bar, he lied about it under oath. Under penalty of perjury.
I don't care about the fact that Donald Trump lied about having an affair. I care that he lied about the attempt to cover it up, because that may have involved breaking the law regarding campaign finances.
Those who defended Bill Clinton said they didn't care that he lied about having an affair. They rationalized that it was no one's business aside from Bill and Hillary; therefore justifying the lying under oath.
Those who are defending Donald Trump say they don't care that he lied about having an affair. But they cannot defend him if it turns out that he committed a violation of campaign finance law except to use the same flawed defense that defenders of Bill Clinton did. That it is okay to break a law because it is no one else's business who he slept with except for those personally involved.
You have to separate the act of infidelity with the other acts.
Violating campaign finance law doesn't invalidate the election result. Russian meddling would.
* * *
I can think of no one who has done more amazing reporting on sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry than Ronan Farrow. His latest scoop, published in The New Yorker, contains allegations of sexual misconduct by Les Moonves, the Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of CBS Corporation. It also describes a culture at the television network that allegedly condoned such behavior, promoting men who were the subject of accusations of such behavior.
Not surprisingly, his wife Julie Chen has put out a statement on the subject:
There were rumors swirling about an affair between Moonves and Chen going on before Nancy Wisenfield filed for divorce from Moonves in 2003. Maybe they did, maybe they didn't. Doesn't matter. What matters is whether or not the allegations against him and the culture he allowed to exist at CBS are true or not.
In this era of #MeToo, allegations can end careers even if they are unfounded.
* * *
While appearing on a radio show this past Friday (July 27, 2018), actor Ving Rhames told the story of how Santa Monica Police Department officers confronted him in his own home in the city and held him at gunpoint until he was identified.
The incident actually happened in July of 2016. One of the neighbors who allegedly placed one of the two calls denied having doing so.
Why did he wait to tell the story? Ask him. Doesn't make any difference. If this so-called neighbor did not know who lived there, why would she assume any large black man was a criminal? Racial-profiling. It is wrong.
* * *
There is an article in the New York Times about the high administrative costs of healthcare in the U.S. Here is an excerpt:
I believe that
* * *
James Gunn will not be directing the next Guardians of the Galaxy movie because of controversy about his old tweets. Rian Johnson, who will direct Star Wars: Episode IX, deleted 20,000 old tweets to avoid such controversy.
Over 30 years ago, then presidential-candidate Joe Biden was forced to drop out of the race after he got caught plagiarizing another person's speech.
What is the difference? It is far easier today to dig into a person's social media past to find something they've said that is objectionable.
How many people have allowed themselves to get into serious trouble because of their actions on social media? Far too many.
When you're tempted to post something and you aren't sure if it is a good idea, wait. Breathe. Think. Then put it off for a few hours.
* * *
Random Ponderings on a Sunday afternoon
While I'm not a fan of Donald Trump, I don't think anything is accomplished by vandalizing his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
I found this amusing:
Roseanne Barr says she thought Valerie Jarrett was white. Okay, so how is describing her as the union of the Muslim Brotherhood and Planet of the Apes funny if that is true?
In an interview, Meaghan Markle's father says, "perhaps it would be easier for her if I died." Actually, it would be easier for her if you'd just shut the hell up.
Donald Trump lied about having an affair.
Does it matter? It's all about context.
I didn't care about the fact that Bill Clinton lied about having an affair. I cared about the fact that as a member of the Bar, he lied about it under oath. Under penalty of perjury.
I don't care about the fact that Donald Trump lied about having an affair. I care that he lied about the attempt to cover it up, because that may have involved breaking the law regarding campaign finances.
Those who defended Bill Clinton said they didn't care that he lied about having an affair. They rationalized that it was no one's business aside from Bill and Hillary; therefore justifying the lying under oath.
Those who are defending Donald Trump say they don't care that he lied about having an affair. But they cannot defend him if it turns out that he committed a violation of campaign finance law except to use the same flawed defense that defenders of Bill Clinton did. That it is okay to break a law because it is no one else's business who he slept with except for those personally involved.
You have to separate the act of infidelity with the other acts.
Violating campaign finance law doesn't invalidate the election result. Russian meddling would.
* * *
I can think of no one who has done more amazing reporting on sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry than Ronan Farrow. His latest scoop, published in The New Yorker, contains allegations of sexual misconduct by Les Moonves, the Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of CBS Corporation. It also describes a culture at the television network that allegedly condoned such behavior, promoting men who were the subject of accusations of such behavior.
Not surprisingly, his wife Julie Chen has put out a statement on the subject:
— Julie Chen (@JulieChen) July 27, 2018
There were rumors swirling about an affair between Moonves and Chen going on before Nancy Wisenfield filed for divorce from Moonves in 2003. Maybe they did, maybe they didn't. Doesn't matter. What matters is whether or not the allegations against him and the culture he allowed to exist at CBS are true or not.
In this era of #MeToo, allegations can end careers even if they are unfounded.
* * *
While appearing on a radio show this past Friday (July 27, 2018), actor Ving Rhames told the story of how Santa Monica Police Department officers confronted him in his own home in the city and held him at gunpoint until he was identified.
The incident actually happened in July of 2016. One of the neighbors who allegedly placed one of the two calls denied having doing so.
Why did he wait to tell the story? Ask him. Doesn't make any difference. If this so-called neighbor did not know who lived there, why would she assume any large black man was a criminal? Racial-profiling. It is wrong.
* * *
There is an article in the New York Times about the high administrative costs of healthcare in the U.S. Here is an excerpt:
"A
distinguishing feature of the American health system is that it offers a lot of
choice, including among health plans. Because insurers and public programs have
not coordinated on a set of standards for pricing, billing and collection —
whatever the benefits of choice — one of the consequences is high
administrative burden. And that’s another reason for high American health care
prices."
Back in the day when I was coordinating health benefits for 200 or so employees, I dealt with that issue all the time. Doctors would submit claims that would be sent back for additional information. This could happen more than once. I dealt with it in my own health issues before the VA became my healthcare provider.I believe that
* * *
James Gunn will not be directing the next Guardians of the Galaxy movie because of controversy about his old tweets. Rian Johnson, who will direct Star Wars: Episode IX, deleted 20,000 old tweets to avoid such controversy.
Over 30 years ago, then presidential-candidate Joe Biden was forced to drop out of the race after he got caught plagiarizing another person's speech.
What is the difference? It is far easier today to dig into a person's social media past to find something they've said that is objectionable.
How many people have allowed themselves to get into serious trouble because of their actions on social media? Far too many.
When you're tempted to post something and you aren't sure if it is a good idea, wait. Breathe. Think. Then put it off for a few hours.
* * *
Random Ponderings on a Sunday afternoon
While I'm not a fan of Donald Trump, I don't think anything is accomplished by vandalizing his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
I found this amusing:
So, it occurred to me that Seung-Hwan Oh is wearing 18 now, which results in a pretty hilarious back of the jersey only for those who understand Korean curse words. pic.twitter.com/GAXMU3nJdp— Sung Min Kim (@sung_minkim) July 29, 2018
Roseanne Barr says she thought Valerie Jarrett was white. Okay, so how is describing her as the union of the Muslim Brotherhood and Planet of the Apes funny if that is true?
In an interview, Meaghan Markle's father says, "perhaps it would be easier for her if I died." Actually, it would be easier for her if you'd just shut the hell up.
posted by me at 7:03 AM
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