A Grave New World... With Such People In It.

There has been a lot of talk about the hacking allegedly done by Russian operatives during the 2016 presidential campaign.  People seem to be missing that Trump’s response to this story is more important than the story itself.  There is no question that hacking occurred.  Much of the information remains classified making it somewhat unclear exactly how much tampering there was, but we do know for a fact the DNC and Clinton’s campaign manager John Podesta were hacked.  As Clinton herself pointed out before the election, 17 US intelligence agencies have independently examined evidence and concluded Russia is behind these hacks.  Recently the CIA has gone farther in concluding that Russia was actively attempting to help Trump win.  Today the Washington Post reported that the FBI Director and the Director of National Intelligence agree with this finding by the CIA.  Several congressmen with security clearances, both Republican and Democrat, have backed this assessment also.  It seems every human being with the security clearance to see this evidence has come to the same conclusion except one.  Donald Trump has flatly refuted even the possibility of Russian tampering, and that response is the biggest and brightest of the many red flags we’ve seen.

Trump could’ve had many response to this.  He could have admitted  that intelligence points towards Russian involvement but remind us neither he nor his campaign aided in Russian efforts.  He could have said that foreign powers attacking private US citizens to sway US policy is unacceptable and we will do all in our power to prevent such events in the future.  He could’ve said that it’s impossible to tell how much the Russian’s influenced our election, but you can’t unring a bell so we must now stand together, move forward, and tighten up our cyber security.  He said none of that.  Instead he is attempting to cover up for Putin.  He offered off-hand denials which can be explained in one of only two manners. He is either A) corrupt to his core B) dangerously delusional.  Neither of these options are good and both have heavy implications moving forward. 

Scenario A) Trump has seen the classified evidence, knows it means Russia tampered with our election, and is choosing to publicly deny it to preserve his relationship with the Kremlin.  I feel like the pitfalls of this reality are pretty clear.  Having a president who cares only about himself but whose decisions affect over 300 million people will leave just about all of us in jeopardy.  Even if Trump doesn’t go out of his way to screw us over as a millionaire businessman his personal interests are fundamentally different from the other 99% of the people he is supposed to be advocating for.  The best case scenario is that he advances policies that help only the 1%.  The middle case scenario is something akin to him starting trade war with China because he wants to build a hotel in Taipei sending our nation into an economic tailspin, the brunt of which won’t even touch his real estate empire.  The worst case scenario is that he colludes with domestic powers and foreign governments behind our backs to ruin the integrity of our elections leading us into a terrifying dictatorship.  “That sounds extreme,” you say.  Is it?  If he’s willing to cover up crimes that got him in power (whether he was involved with them personally or not) then what would ever make us think he wouldn’t ignore crimes to keep him in power?  What makes you think he wouldn’t actively facilitate those same crimes once he has the power to do so?  He’s not even attempting to act like it bothers him.  If obtaining power through corruption doesn’t bother you then you will become more corrupt.  The more power you get the more you’ll be able to get away with so the more you will abuse it. 

Scenario B) Donald Trump genuinely believe that Russia was not involved in hacking Podesta’s e-mails.  This scenario is slightly trickery as we obviously not seen the evidence.  However seeing the sheer breadth of independent sources who have seen this evidence and all reached the same conclusion, I feel confident that the data is conclusive.  There is also a very good chance Trump hasn’t even seen the intelligence briefings about Russia.  He doesn’t listen to his daily intelligence brief and he has openly said he doesn’t need them.  This is a man with no experience in government or military affairs who assume he just innately knows everything.  This is made even scarier by the fact that he spent years promoting a conspiracy theory that Barrack Obama was not born in the United States.  This is representative of his amazing impeccable judgement that is so great he doesn’t need to look at data or learn facts?  His National Security Advisor is a known conspiracy theorist.  They are pretty much the only people who will have access to the most important classified findings of our government’s intelligence agencies and they have no regard for facts.    Best case outcome is they get it mostly right and go on a few bizarre conspiracy theorist tangents.  Middle case we act erratically on unsupported theories and permanently mar our working relationships with any number of nations, and possibly even endanger active US military personal and innocent civilians in other nations.  Worst case scenario is someone drops a nuclear warhead.  “That seems extreme,” you say?  It isn’t.  It’s honestly pretty much a miracle that no one has dropped a third nuclear warhead.  It has taken decades of constant and intense negotiation to keep the world safe, as well as a respect for the devastating consequences of nuclear impact.  Even with all that effort we were a trigger’s hair away from it happening during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  The ONLY reason we avoided nuclear war was the calm, measured, response from our government.  That is not a response we’ll get from Trump.   Add to that the general bizarreness of conspiracy theories and there’s honestly no predicting where Trump’s whims might take him. 

There is of course a third case scenario: Donald Trump is right and literally every other US official is wrong.  The men and women with decades of experience and no personal axe to grind somehow all screwed up simultaneously.  Whereas the man who hypothetically benefitted from these actions is the only one who can see things clearly.  This is absurd and clearly not the reality.  Donald Trump is fundamentally dishonest.  He had to pay millions of dollars for defrauding people with a fake university.  He has been tied up in countless discrimination lawsuits.  He relentlessly denies making comments there is footage of him making.  Whether he refuses to deal with reality because he is corrupt or delusional, it’s honestly not even relevant any more.  We have to be prepared for the fact we can no longer trust the judgement of our commander in chief.  Every word he says, tweet he sends, decision he makes will boil down to a worldview tainted by his own ego and self-interests.  He is invested not in any ideology or group.  Any he aids he aids strictly out of his own self interest at the time, and he will dump that ideology the minute it is no longer helpful to his personal narrative.  We all have to be acutely aware of this moving forward.  We need to question everything.  We need to draw everything back to hard, indisputable evidence.  We can’t accept inference or opinion.  His judgement is too questionable to trust. No matter what comes, in all situations ask yourself what is the evidence.  So in a situation like this where the evidence is classified, where he can’t show you something, do not trust him.  He will take advantage. 

Rage against the dying of the light.

Blogging is a bit of an odd animal to me. I find myself very hesitant to ever get 'too personal' on my blog which on it's face seems a little silly considering it's supposed to be MY blog about ME. Still there's something just wholly unnatural to me about saying 'Hey world here I am at my most open and intimate state. Please do read, enjoy, form opinions and internal unspoken criticisms' See that's... that's just weird. It's certainly not something you'd actually say yet it really does seem to be what we're doing when we publish our personal thoughts for the entire world to see. It seems to fly in the face of everything our society normally tells us and whether that's a good thing or a bad thing I haven't yet figured out. Either way I feel compelled to make an exception as what happened last week, though deeply personal, is too important to be omitted from any chronicling of my life.

When I was about six years old we moved in with my grandparents. From that point on my grandfather was essentially my father. He raised me and my brother, going above and beyond anything that was ever expected of him. Last week he passed away, and on the very long plane ride from New Jersey back to California there were many, many thoughts running through my head. I took that time to write them down and have decide to post them below in loving memory of my grandfather.

My grandfather is probably the most ordinary man I’ve ever met, and while this likely doesn’t seem like the grandest way to remember someone to you or me, I can think of no greater honor he would want bestowed upon him. He never got entrapped in fairy tale dreams of fame or fortune, ensared in the artificial aspirations that lesser men are all too tempted to covet. My grandfather was a simple man; he wanted only to work hard, raise a family, and love them all. He was wise enough to know what was actually important in this short life, and because of that he got it. Few men can say at close of night that they have lived their dreams in full. Fewer still can say that these dreams served them well. Of these precious few, he is one. He achieved his dream not in a fleeting moment but with each breath he took over the last eighty years.

Because of him, I have no doubt that love exist. Sixty one years he was with my grandmother and he loved her for even more. I’ve never seen, and likely never will again, a man who is so wholly and selflessly devoted to another human being. He thought of her constantly and her care was his number one concern. Without a moments hesitation he’d walk across the world should it be asked of him. And though he’d likely grumble and complain along the way he’d just as readily do it again come the next day.

He was a man without pretense. Everything he ever said he truly meant. He possessed a sincerity that is as remarkable as it is rare. Maybe that’s why he felt life so powerfully. Because there was strength and intensity to his emotions, which no common man could ever match. When he laughed it was near impossible not to break a smile. When he was angry the whole world knew it and when he was proud you could just see it in his eyes. And he was a proud man, proud of his family and all that they’ve done. And on this day I can honestly say that I am so very proud of him. There is not a better role model I could’ve had growing up. He was a credit to his generation, with a humility, integrity, and honesty that is seldom seen today. John E. Wilson Jr. was a simple man, and would want to be remembered as such. He liked to fish, watch John Wayne, and cheer on the Yankees. He worked hard and loved his wife. He will be deeply missed and forever loved.

I'm Alive!

So it's been over a month of radio silence but I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. I have been crazy busy however. The quests were many and they often consumed my time and energies so that the blogging got minimal, by which I mean no, attention. But it would appear that these quests have uniformly come more or less to completion. The first and longest quest was that for a roommate. But after many many craigslist ads, several showings, and more than a couple almost roommates it seems like I finally filled (knock wood) the vacated room in my apartment. Second there was the quest for employment. As my position at work was going to sees to exist when filming wrapped I was anticipating another all out search for a job but luckily an even better position on the production opened up and I got it. As these quests came to a close I got to go on various daytime adventures with my family, as they came to visit on week. But now all seems to have calmed down for this second so it looks like the blogging will resume.... unless it doesn't.

And The Beat Goes On

Life has been pretty consistent. Simple but fun. Work and just spending time with friends. As my night job leaves most my days open however I do believe that I'm going to register to be an extra and probably do that in the day for extra cash. So be prepared to possibly glimpse me in the background of shows. Also one of my roommates has told us he's moving out so finding a new one will likely be the new adventure. I've already gotten a couple... colorful e-mails and a few normal ones too so time will tell.

So that's it for now but I'll leave you with this. Five hundred bonus points if anyone can guess what sentence originated this telephone pictionary drawing.

Confidentially Awesome

My new job is awesome. I can't really say much about it what with the non-disclosure agreement I had to sign, which makes it feel infinitely more awesome. But yeah, I am very pleased just thought that I should acknowledge that here somewhere.

Additionally awesome but not as confidential, recently graduated Bay State alums to be arriving today or within the next few. I forsee television marathons, board games, geocaching, and economical yet awesome adventures in my future.

Better Living Through Retail

Seven years ago I walked into a store and filled out an application that basically asked me in a variety of different ways if I was going to steal from them (The answer they were looking for was no, fyi). After three stores, two degrees, and two internships it appears as if I may finally be done working in the world of retail. I can't say so definitively, but at least for the time being I have a real job. So before making that huge leap into the next stage of my life. I figured I'd take a quiet moment to reflect on what valuable life lessons cashiering has taught me.

*Most people are pleasant, apathetic, and easygoing. Many are total assholes.

*Training videos are hilarious, especially when they don't try to be.

*Regardless of where you are working or what you are doing there will always be people who fail to understand the most simple and upfront directions.

*Children are evil. They are loud, manipulative and most parents haven't the faintest clue how to handle them.

*The lady who delivers the weekly tabloids dresses like an 80's pirate hooker, always wearing one of her many neon bandannas, matching shirt with one shoulder torn, hoop earrings, and very very thick hooker make-up.

*Signs are useless. Customers ignore them, and frequently interpret them erroneously.

*They make their own waffle cones at the Ben & Jerry's in Universal. It is easier than you think.

*The only people who will choose an oatmeal raisin cookie over a chocolate chip are the French.

*Australian tourists are frequently confused by our change.

*There are people who have mini-trapperkeepers full of coupons, divided by product and expiration date. These people typically keep their money in a huge unruly ball at the bottom of their purse.

*Far too many people's pets are on alprazolam.

*Old people are convinced you are typing the price of every product in manually even when they can clearly see the scanner and you don't have a keyboard.

*No matter how repetitive, annoying, or frustrating a job, is if you do it long enough you're bound to be a little nostalgic.

Thesis

I've decided to make a blog. You've likely figured this out because you are reading it. But I figured that I'd state that anyway because... well it seems as good a way as any to start. And truthfully starting is the hardest part. I know because I've meant to start a blog for quite some time, but I just never knew how I'd start. Should I be clever and witty? Should I attempt to explain who I am? You know pour the entirety of my being into a tightly written, acutely self-aware, modest yet complimentary "Bio" paragraph. That seems like a lot of work. So I opted instead for several months of procrastination followed by just typing whatever popped into my head.

So now that I've wasted a good amount of time explaining a thought process you likely didn't care about, I guess I should kind of try and outline my plans/goals for my blog, a blog thesis statement if you will. I figure the whole point of a blog is to focus on yourself so that's mainly what I'll be doing here (with occasional diatribes about politics, religion, and philosophy when I feel particularly self important). I'm going to rewind a bit and talk about my cross-country journey and the first few months of life in L.A. to start things off. After that I can't promise how interesting my life will be. It most likely won't be that interesting and I'll feel the need to talk about TV shows and movies about which most people don't care. I realize that such a thing could become kind of annoying. Which brings me to this... http://nthentherewasblog.blogspot.com/

That would be blog number 2. I've decided to make 2 blogs. One blog, this one, focusing on what I'm actually doing. And a second blog, that one, that deals with my overly passionate opinions about silly pop culture things.

I feel the need to have a zippy blog sign off. But at this moment I've got nothing, and I need to scurry over to blog two and write a similar intro post so I can FINALLY start rambling almost incoherently about LOST. So until then I will leave with simply...

Welcome.