The Messy House of Mouse

Posted: January 30, 2024 by chrisharper in Uncategorized
Tags: , ,

By Christopher Harper

After 15 years at ABC News, I left the company after Disney took control. 

The House of Mouse’s heavy-handed influence over ABC became clear to me when I was prevented from using footage of Disney World when I was doing a story about a crime committed there.

As a result, I’m happy to see that Disney is a mess!

–CEO Bob Iger had to return from retirement in 2022 after his handpicked successor had mismanaged the company. Now, Iger must find a new successor.

–Various questionable investments, such as the acquisition of Fox Entertainment and losses from streaming services, have affected the bottom line.

–Iger faces a major proxy battle because Disney’s shares are trading at their lowest point in a decade.

“Iger is a little over a year into his second stint as CEO, and his return to the House of Mouse isn’t going as planned. The decline of Disney’s long-lucrative TV business is quickening, and the supposed solution, streaming, has left Disney with billions of dollars in losses,” The Wall Street Journal reported recently. “Iger returned for his second stint as CEO to a changed media business and impatient shareholders. He is under pressure to ensure Disney’s streaming business reaches profitability in the final quarter of its current fiscal year, after racking up more than $11 billion in losses in its first four years.”

 Major Disney stockholder Nelson Peltz is waging a massive proxy fight against Disney for mismanagement and non-accountability. Peltz has help from former Marvel Entertainment chairman Isaac Perlmutter, who played a crucial role in Disney’s rise as a superhero movie producer.

Disney also has been taking a decidedly leftist turn in its approach. In 2022, a group of employees circulated an open letter. 

“The Walt Disney Company has come to be an increasingly uncomfortable place to work for those of us whose political and religious views are not explicitly progressive,” the employees wrote. “We watch quietly as our beliefs come under attack from our own employer, and we frequently see those who share our opinions condemned as villains by our own leadership.”

The employees noted Disney’s “Reimagine Tomorrow” campaign to promote “underrepresented voices.” They said that “the tomorrow being reimagined doesn’t seem to have much room for religious or political conservatives within the company. Left-leaning cast members can promote their agenda and organize on company time using company resources. They call their fellow employees’ bigots’ and pressure TWDC to use corporate influence to further their left-wing legislative goals.”

Even though I receive a monthly pension from Disney, I don’t have a dog in the hunt. But it appears someone has to hold Iger and his compatriots accountable for their actions. 

To Those Who Hate America These Bugs Are Features

Posted: January 29, 2024 by datechguy in Blame Biden Administration, culture
Tags: ,

Gandalf: Always remember Frodo, the Ring is trying to get back to its master. It wants to be found.

The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring 2001

Glenn Reynolds made an important point today that a lot of people seem to be missing but let me sum things up:

Item: The FBI is falling apart:

“SIERRA 23 [an informant who talked to congress] said most of the Agents disappear during the day, go home early or never want to work late for after-hours operations. SIERRA 23 does not trust of the Agents with his/her life since they have questionable competence, tactical abilities and work ethic…. SIERRA 35 said many are entitled and need to be spoon-fed and have their hands held.”

Why Because the FBI has changed the rules and the rule of the day is DEI:

SIERRA 87 described how the traditional Boston FBI standards have now gone nationwide:

“Failure to adhere to financial responsibilities is no longer a disqualifier. A candidate who was arrested and fought with police officers was not disqualified. People with a documented mental illness are not necessarily disqualified. Lack of candor is no longer a disqualifier.”

Once upon a time, a G-man at least had to be able to read and write. Now, not so much, because… DEI. The Congressional report is full of anecdotes about new agents who are basically illiterate.

But I’ll wager they can name 27 genders and really what more do you need from a federal agent in the Biden Administration?

Item: A Gravy Train for illegals and vagrants in Denver:

Apparently you don’t have to buy a book from a guy in a weird suit on late night TV to get free government money anymore:

Denver launched a multimillion-dollar experimental universal basic income (UBI) program during the pandemic with the funds “earmarked for women, families, and transgender and gender non-conforming individuals,” but now we learn they won’t be the only beneficiaries.

The city is putting illegal aliens on the UBI gravy train, too.

Because nothing says “don’t come illegally” like flat payments of thousands plus monthly payments too:

“Payments range from $50 per month to $1,000 per month as well as a one-time cash transfer of $6,500 in addition to 11 payments of $500 per month, all dependent on how the participants were classified.”

The program has been extended another six months, and DBIC will add 39 more people to the program in 2024 — and illegal aliens (migrants in the mainstream media parlance) are now welcome to apply “as long as they meet the criteria.”

Remember these are the same blue cites that say they don’t want more illegals sent there.

Item Here comes the Terrorists:

No intro needed:

He’s not alone:

Border Patrol caught 172 terror watchlist suspects attempting to enter the U.S. illegally during fiscal year 2023. Former homeland security officials say the constant deluge of illegal immigrants hitting the southern border is making it easier for bad actors to slip into the country.

What do all these stories have in common? All are things that hurt the US and help our enemies.

What a lot of people don’t realize is that when we warn them that this will destroy the US their reaction is the same as Sheldon when told his cats would eat him when he died:

You don’t have to sell the left on the destruction of America, they’re already a fan.

Leftist group of Chicago municipal staffers cheers on students cutting class to attend Gaza ceasefire rally

Posted: January 28, 2024 by John Ruberry in crime, education, Israel vs Hamas, News/opinion, opinion/news, politics
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

By John Ruberry

On Friday afternoon, just blocks from Chicago’s City Hall, two students–Robert Boston and Monterio Williams–were shot to death on a crowded street outside Innovation High School. It was like a scene from the old Untouchables television show.

Yesterday on X, Chicago Progressive Staffers, which describes itself as a “coalition of progressive staffers from the Mayors [sic] Office and [the] City Council, posted this troubling message. “WOW! Thousands of @ChiPubSchools students are organizing a walk out on Tuesday in support of @AldermanLaSpata & @RossanaFor33’s Ceasefire resolution that’s being voted on Wednesday Jan 31. The youth will always lead us.”

Yes, “The youth will always lead us.” That’s the messaging that was drilled into Mrs. Marathon Pundit when she was a Young Pioneer in the Soviet Union.

Like Washington DC, Chicago is built on onetime swamp land. Think of the Chicago Progressive Staffers as part of the city’s Deep State. As for the two alderpersons mentioned in that X post–Daniel LaSpata and Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez–the sponsors of the Gaza ceasefire resolution, both are members of the Democratic Socialists of America.

Leftists nationwide, nearly to a person, are calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war because Hamas, which attacked the Jewish state on October 7, is losing.

Back in Chicago, so far this weekend—as of 3:00pm CST on Sunday–two people have been shot to death and at least 12 others have been wounded. 

And Gaza ceasefire resolution–or no ceasefire resolution–however Chicago’s City Council votes won’t make a difference. Just as the countless resolutions approved by the City Council condemning communism in Eastern Europe had no effect on America winning the Cold War. 

Tuesday of course is a school day in Chicago, so essentially, Chicago Progressive Staffers, this anonymous group of city hall leftists, is cheering on students cutting class.  

On the flipside, it’s easy to say that Chicago Public Schools students who play hooky on Tuesday won’t miss much. Not even one-quarter of them are proficient in reading or math at grade level. And nearly half of CPS students missed 18 days of class during the 2021-22 school year. 

So, what’s one more day away from school, right?

Chicago might be a better place if the Chicago City Council plays hooky–indefinitely. Last month, Edward Burke, who was a Chicago alderperson for a record 54 years, was convicted on corruption charges. In the last five decades, 38 members of the Chicago City Council have been found guilty of federal crimes, which averages to one aldercritter heading to the House of Many Doors every 16 months.

Perhaps Hamas might reply, “Thanks, but no thanks” if the Chicago City Council’s Gaza ceasefire resolution passes. Hamas deservedly already has a very bad reputation.

But as bad as the Chicago Public Schools system is, its students belong in school on Tuesday. And the Chicago City Council needs work on improving life in the city.

Such as aiding law enforcement so it can adequately protect Chicagoans. Or bringing back school choice to Chicago.

John Ruberry regularly blogs at Marathon Pundit.

Want People to Stop Worshiping Trump? Stop Trying to Crucify Him for the People’s Sins

Posted: January 28, 2024 by datechguy in Uncategorized
Tags: ,

You might recall that when ranking Donald Trump as the 4th best president of all time it was really a question of him vs Teddy Roosevelt who I consider Trump the most like in terms of temperament and effectiveness. TR also had a reputation for physical fitness and mental acuity which Trump also processes and was loved by the common people while hated by many of the elites.

That was best illustrated to me on a trip to Lancaster County PA a few years back for the a Catholic Marketing Network event when a waitress was simply enthralled by the idea that I had met Trump and he had publicly complemented me on my reporting (you’d be surprised at how many doors that closed for me over the years, I sure was at the time.) Given Trump’s success as president that type of admiration is not odd and even justified.

What I object to and still object to has been the almost messianic worship of Trump to the point where if you merely treat him as an effective ex-president or as a candidate to consider for re-election you are not considered sufficiently worthy.. I suspect this is one of the reasons why my friend that I wrote about this week has said in no uncertain terms that however bad Biden is he will not be voting Trump. (I strongly disagree with his position). Some of his followers take this to absurd lengths and frankly it’s reached the point were it’s a violation of the 1st commandment.

That being said let’s cut to the chase. I submit and suggest that a lot of people would not be treating Donald J. Trump as their messiah or a messiah and an object of worship if the left in general and the Biden Justice Department and the various deep blue states did not insist on treating some of his supporters like the early Christian martyrs and trying to publicly crucifying Trump himself for our sin of supporting him and electing him in 2016.

The treatment of Donald Trump has been beyond anything I’ve seen in my lifetime and the irrational hatred of him and the bending of judicial rules and changing of laws in an attempt to destroy him is a disgrace to the republic. The folks at flopping Aces who are declaring the Trump-Carrol case “The biggest miscarriage of Justice in Modern American History” are not far off. I’m rather sure if they could get away with killing him they would. Seriously we’ve reach the point were someone protesting his innocence is considered defamation? Please.

People see how Trump is being treated for his actions which have been in support of the American People and they react viscerally. If Trump was treated like the normal president that he governed as none of this would be the case and frankly if the last election had not been stolen we would be seeing the back of him at the end of this year and those who hate him would be done with him.

That is the source of the over the top Trump worship I see. I understand the source of it. Trump could have led an easy and comfortable life but he decided to fight because he loves America. He came at the right time at the right place to make a difference and the country should be grateful for it, but for me that doesn’t include taking a knee.

As I’ve already noted I’ll be happy to vote for Trump in the general and with DeSantis out will vote for him in the primary as he was my 2nd choice but if anyone expects anything beyond that let me repeat what I I already have already said to those who feel I am not sufficiently adoring of him: “I’m voting for a President, I already have a God.”

Older Entries
Newer Entries