Evelyn Taft's Clearing and Warmer Forecast

It was actually partly overcast today. Kinda of strange weather.

But it's supposed to clear throughout the remainder of the week. A repeat of last weekend's warm coastal weather wouldn't be bad.

Here's the lovely Ms. Evelyn, for CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

The Media Bubble is Real

It's real, bro.

At Politico, "The Media Bubble Is Worse Than You Think":

This is why @SalenaZito was so effective this cycle when few other journos were: https://t.co/gbQfUfcis0

— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) April 25, 2017

How did big media miss the Donald Trump swell? News organizations old and new, large and small, print and online, broadcast and cable assigned phalanxes of reporters armed with the most sophisticated polling data and analysis to cover the presidential campaign. The overwhelming assumption was that the race was Hillary Clinton’s for the taking, and the real question wasn’t how sweeping her November victory would be, but how far out to sea her wave would send political parvenu Trump. Today, it’s Trump who occupies the White House and Clinton who’s drifting out to sea—an outcome that arrived not just as an embarrassment for the press but as an indictment. In some profound way, the election made clear, the national media just doesn’t get the nation it purportedly covers.

What went so wrong? What’s still wrong? To some conservatives, Trump’s surprise win on November 8 simply bore out what they had suspected, that the Democrat-infested press was knowingly in the tank for Clinton all along. The media, in this view, was guilty not just of confirmation bias but of complicity. But the knowing-bias charge never added up: No news organization ignored the Clinton emails story, and everybody feasted on the damaging John Podesta email cache that WikiLeaks served up buffet-style. Practically speaking, you’re not pushing Clinton to victory if you’re pantsing her and her party to voters almost daily.

The answer to the press’ myopia lies elsewhere, and nobody has produced a better argument for how the national media missed the Trump story than FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver, who pointed out that the ideological clustering in top newsrooms led to groupthink. “As of 2013, only 7 percent of [journalists] identified as Republicans,” Silver wrote in March, chiding the press for its political homogeneity. Just after the election, presidential strategist Steve Bannon savaged the press on the same point but with a heartier vocabulary. “The media bubble is the ultimate symbol of what’s wrong with this country,” Bannon said. “It’s just a circle of people talking to themselves who have no fucking idea what’s going on.”

But journalistic groupthink is a symptom, not a cause. And when it comes to the cause, there’s another, blunter way to think about the question than screaming “bias” and “conspiracy,” or counting D’s and R’s. That’s to ask a simple question about the map. Where do journalists work, and how much has that changed in recent years? To determine this, my colleague Tucker Doherty excavated labor statistics and cross-referenced them against voting patterns and Census data to figure out just what the American media landscape looks like, and how much it has changed.

The results read like a revelation. The national media really does work in a bubble, something that wasn’t true as recently as 2008. And the bubble is growing more extreme. Concentrated heavily along the coasts, the bubble is both geographic and political. If you’re a working journalist, odds aren’t just that you work in a pro-Clinton county—odds are that you reside in one of the nation’s most pro-Clinton counties. And you’ve got company: If you’re a typical reader of Politico, chances are you’re a citizen of bubbleville, too.

The “media bubble” trope might feel overused by critics of journalism who want to sneer at reporters who live in Brooklyn or California and don’t get the “real America” of southern Ohio or rural Kansas. But these numbers suggest it’s no exaggeration: Not only is the bubble real, but it’s more extreme than you might realize. And it’s driven by deep industry trends...

Pretty interesting.

And notice above that nice shout-out Bethany Mandel gives to Salena Zito.

Keep reading, in any case.

Ivanka Rocks Berlin

Sometimes we're lucky to have Breitbart news, with all the bogus news outlets spinning their endless stream of useless negative drivel.

Here's the headline at Politico, via Memeorandum, "Ivanka Trump gets booed, hissed at during Berlin event."

I read the piece. The fact is she was attacked from the moment the event started, and the moderator, Miriam Meckel, editor-in-chief at WirtschaftsWoche (whatever that is), encouraged the crowd to harangue the president's daughter. Of course, Ivanka handled it like a pro.

So, in contrast, see Breitbart's report, "Exclusive — Ivanka Rocks Berlin: President Trump's ‘Policies Are Central to the Economic Empowerment of Women’."

Boyle's latest: "Ivanka Rocks Berlin" https://t.co/pwqGArddE4

— Rosie Gray (@RosieGray) April 25, 2017

(Note, though, that Stranahan attacks Breitbart author Matthew Boyle here and here. I can't keep up sometimes, sheesh.)

New Demi Lovato Bikini Pics

At the Mirror U.K., "Demi Lovato takes the plunge in sexy orange swimsuit as she shows off enviable body yet again."

And on Instagram.

ADDED: At Drunken Stepfather, "DEMI LOVATO KEEPS BUSHING THE BIKINI OF THE DAY."

'See that girl, watch that scene. Dig in the dancing queen...'

I haven't been listening to the Sound L.A. so much this last couple of weeks. My routine's off, or something.

So, until I get back my mojo, here's Abba and "Dancing Queen": "The music video on YouTube has more than 160 million views as of March 10, 2017."

That's because it's wonderful!

You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
See that girl
Watch that scene
Dig in the dancing queen

Friday night and the lights are low
Looking out for a place to go
Where they play the right music
Getting in the swing
You come to look for a king
Anybody could be that guy
Night is young and the music's high
With a bit of rock music
Everything is fine
You're in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance

You are the dancing queen
Young and sweet
Only seventeen
Dancing queen
Feel the beat from the tambourine
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
See that girl
Watch that scene
Dig in the dancing queen

You're a teaser, you turn 'em on
Leave 'em burning and then you're gone
Looking out for another
Anyone will do
You're in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance

You are the dancing queen
Young and sweet
Only seventeen
Dancing queen
Feel the beat from the tambourine
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
See that girl
Watch that scene
Dig in the dancing queen
Dig in the dancing queen

Shop New Deals

At Amazon, Shop Deals.

More, Mountain House Just In Case...Classic Assortment Bucket.

And, Magnum Whole Bean Coffee, Jamaican Blue Mountain Blend, 2 Pound (Pack of 2).

Also, KIND Breakfast Bars, Peanut Butter, Gluten Free, 1.8 Ounce, 32 Count.

Plus, Quick-Up Cabana Style XL Beach Tent – 2 in 1 Sun Canopy and Summer Shelter – Perfect for Family Outings, Camping Trips, or Lakeside Activities – By Wildhorn Outfitters.

BONUS: Stanley G. Payne, A History of Fascism, 1914–1945.

Donald Trump's First 100 Days

Following-up from Sunday, "President Trump's Approval Holds Steady with Base of Supporters."

Don't miss this outstanding essay from Salena Zito, at the New York Post, "How Trump voters feel about his first 100 days."

I went back out and talked to the voters I interviewed before the election. Here's what I found #trump100days https://t.co/LUBfRaG3sk pic.twitter.com/IM9uFC7YS2

— SalenaZito (@SalenaZito) April 24, 2017

Trump’s supporters are unfazed that a new health care law is not in place (yet), thrilled with the appointment of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, weary of the constant accusations of his ties to Russia, supportive of his strike against Syria for using chemical weapons against its people and dismayed that House Republicans and Democrats are unwilling to compromise. To them, the president remains disruptive, unconventional, defiant and willing to change his mind — appealing attributes to his supporters, but not to the press.

Mark Gubicza Responds

On Twitter, from last night.

Gubicza's the color analyst for Angels Baseball broadcasts on Fox Sports West (and a darned nice guy).

@AmPowerBlog @PujolsFive Thx my man! Need a W tonight

— Mark Gubicza (@Markgubicza) April 25, 2017

A. James Gregor, Marxism, Fascism, and Totalitarianism

This book looks useful for my own course prep.

At Amazon, A. James Gregor, Marxism, Fascism, and Totalitarianism: Chapters in the Intellectual History of Radicalism.

The Coming Millennial Civil War (VIDEO)

It's Faith Goldy, for the Rebel.

She's really awesome, heh.

Tuesday Rule 5

Have a wonderful day!

❤ ATP#ClassyBabes 💕💕 pic.twitter.com/UPEkNpfvmh

— ❤ ALMOST_Too_PERTTY❤ (@kkoij75) April 23, 2017

'Assuming I did not botch the task, by the time this posts I will have been dead via suicide for several hours...'

Will H. Moore, a professor of political science at Arizona State, took his life last week, and, most dramatically, scheduled a blog post to go live a couple of hours after he planned to complete the deed.

His blog's still up (search "Will Moore blog" if you're up for reading it).

I cribbed the opening quotation from his scheduled post from Inside Higher Ed, "Aftermath of a Professor's Suicide: A death this week leads to renewed discussions about academics and mental health."

ICYMI: Recent suicide by prof sparks renewed discussions about access to mental-health services for faculty members https://t.co/QpZmLQj5b8 pic.twitter.com/P9n0fFwaWm

— Inside Higher Ed (@insidehighered) April 24, 2017

Professor shares suicide note on blog https://t.co/bZCrcsVHIU #highered

— Inside Higher Ed (@insidehighered) April 20, 2017

Danielle Gersh's Warming Weather Forecast

We saw low 70s today in coastal L.A. and Orange County, but that might be a short reprieve from the heat.

Here's the lovely Ms. Danielle, with the tightest pink dress ever, heh.

For CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Michelle Malkin with Sean Hannity

Following-up from this morning, "Debbie Schlussel is Psycho Scum."

Beautiful.

I #standwithsean - gentleman, patriot & mensch. Grace under fire. See you on Hannity 10pm. https://t.co/JUF2m7htx7 pic.twitter.com/svH8KOyMTH

— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) April 24, 2017

James J. Rawls, Chief Red Fox Is Dead

Rawls' Indians of California: The Changing Image is good. I'm a couple of chapters invested. It reads casually, like an entry-level textbook, and is interesting and informative.

Hence, let me recommend his second book, James J. Rawls, Chief Red Fox Is Dead: A History of Native Americans Since 1945.

I have no doubt this one's a pleasure to read as well.

(I still have much more on California's Indians to post, so stay tuned --- and thanks for your support.)

ICYMI: Jean-Yves Camus and Nicolas Lebourg, Far-Right Politics in Europe

At Amazon, Jean-Yves Camus and Nicolas Lebourg, Far-Right Politics in Europe.

For Calexico, the Border's Just a Line to Cross

At the Los Angeles Times:

What does the #border mean to kids who cross daily for school? My story on bond between Calexico, CA & Mexicali, Mex https://t.co/pkh8apWEBH

— Hailey Branson-Potts (@haileybranson) April 24, 2017

Wheaton College Student Killed at 'Hammer Throw' Track and Field Event (VIDEO)

Dang, you gotta keep your bearings man!

You could get killed out there, and this dude did. He got hit in the head.

At CNN, "Student killed at track and field event: A 19-year-old college student died after being hit in the head while standing near a hammer throw event."

Jennifer Delacruz's Patchy Fog Forecast

Here's Ms. Jennifer from last night.

She's so lovely and can't resist her.

French Political Parties Unify Against Le Pen: 'This Is Deadly Serious Now'

The French are forming the "Republican Front" against the National Front, as I predicted earlier.

Following-up from yesterday, "'It is worth underlining that this is the first time in modern French history that neither of the mainstream centre-right or centre-left parties of government that have governed France since the second world war have qualified for the second round of a presidential election...'"

At the New York Times:

French parties unify against Le Pen: "This is deadly serious now" https://t.co/iM7ZKA09cZ pic.twitter.com/CYCgC3y7HL

— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 24, 2017