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Month: April 2022

While We Look at Sean Hannity’s Text Messages…

Let’s take a look at ALL the text messages of every on-camera news anchor or show host on both cable and network TV. But, it’s super easy to call out Hannity. Everyone on the left hates him and wants him silenced.

Fox News host Sean Hannity was taking orders from the White House even as he ranted about the “lunatics” supporting then-President Donald Trump, according to new details in a trove of text messages revealed by CNN.

Hannity and then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows exchanged 82 texts from Election Day 2020 up until Joe Biden’s inauguration as president, CNN reported.

Let’s check Paul Begala’s phone, or maybe Chris Cuomo’s for any text where they did the bidding of a White House staffer. People…EVERYONE DOES IT.

Yet, here’s a focus on one of the most prominent conservative show hosts on cable. An easy target.

Newsflash: TV talking heads have contacts, some of which are at the highest levels of government. How do you think they get stories for their broadcasts? How many times have you heard an on-camera personality say, “my sources tell me…”. Those sources are often press secretaries, advisors, and members of Congress. It’s not shocking. What’s more, in this example of CNN highlighting Sean Hannity paying fealty to the Trump White House, what’s he really doing? He’s trying to get out the vote. For his own party. For a candidate he’d like to see elected. He can do that when he is a show host. He doesn’t pretend to be a straight news journalist like the aforementioned Cuomo.

Sean will be fine, of course. This kerfuffle is just one more example of the left-wing media aiming for TV personalities that have the kind of ratings they only hoped they could have.

Rachel Maddow, can we see your text messages?

$17 Million Per Year

The lawyer whose role it was to be Twitter’s chief censor might just be on her way to collecting a pink slip if new owner Elon Musk has his way.

Vijaya Gadde, who earned $17 million last year as Twitter’s top legal counsel, could be on the chopping block as Musk is reportedly planning to slash jobs and reduce executive pay as he looks to secure financing for his Twitter bid.

After disclosing plans to acquire the company earlier this month, Musk expressed “no confidence” in Twitter’s current management — which doesn’t bode well for their future once he takes the helm later this year.

$17 million. One employee’s salary.

Makes you want to know the other salaries of Twitter’s existing management. I’ve said that Silicon Valley pay is crazy. But does the average American really know how crazy? They’re getting a look at it now. Will Elon expose the outrageous pay rates for other Twits in leadership? Unlikely given his net worth. But if more stories like the one above are written in the coming days, we’ll likely end up getting a peek into more than just take-home pay.

I wonder what those unqualified board members get paid?

At least Twitter is fun again.

Looking Back: Civil War II

In 2014, I wrote this:

We’re on the brink of a second Civil War in America, and there will be no winner.

So, we’re now 8 years from this post, and I think I’m closer to being right than I’ve ever been. Right and Left are hundreds of miles apart from one another – on COVID, on race, on politics, on wokeism…heck, Republicans now hate Disney. I couldn’t have predicted that. Uncle Joe can’t do anything to change where America is. In fact, he’s divided us further than Trump ever did.

Meanwhile, China and Russia watch us. They must love seeing us eat each other alive.

So, in 2022, I’ll say it again. We’re on the brink of a second Civil War in America. Will it be in 2022? 2024?

Netflix Rocket Ship Slowly Falls to Earth

I’ve followed certain Netflix employees on LinkedIn and through Rand’s Leadership Slack channel. For years, the place seemed like “heaven on earth” for people smart enough to be employed there. Great compensation. Great severance (if you don’t work out). Seemed to be the ultimate place to work (along with Apple, and Google). The culture had the typical Silicon Valley elitist atmosphere. So, it’s fascinating to watch now as Netflix experiences their first major subscriber loss in years. This adjustment has had some employees wondering why the party is over. Compensation plans are changing. Teams are being cut. Confidence about the future is waning.

All the weeping and gnashing of teeth seems typical of the millennial coder who lives in an alternate universe where a mid-six-figure salary is adequate but not great. Couple that with free food, free laundry, free haircuts, and, well, almost free everything, and these individuals are accumulating life expectations that can’t possibly be sustained.