1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:21,395 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. Trump 2 00:00:21,595 --> 00:00:27,515 Speaker 1: and Trump leaning undecided fifty, Biden and Biden leaning undecideds 3 00:00:28,195 --> 00:00:32,315 Speaker 1: fifty in the Harvard Harris Pole, the Harvard Harris Pole, 4 00:00:32,355 --> 00:00:35,515 Speaker 1: about which a Harvard School newspaper columnist wrote on Tuesday, 5 00:00:35,795 --> 00:00:38,875 Speaker 1: Harvard should break up with the Harris Pole because the 6 00:00:38,955 --> 00:00:43,315 Speaker 1: university is quote lending its name to a methodologically flawed 7 00:00:43,355 --> 00:00:48,235 Speaker 1: poll that often promotes a right wing political agenda. So 8 00:00:48,315 --> 00:00:52,235 Speaker 1: forget the Oberman caveat numbers of undecideds and margins of era. 9 00:00:52,315 --> 00:00:56,915 Speaker 1: The Harris Pole itself leans right, yet even it has 10 00:00:56,955 --> 00:01:01,435 Speaker 1: this race a tie. And moreover, with the spoiler candidates 11 00:01:01,435 --> 00:01:05,355 Speaker 1: and with the undecideds undecided, it has it forty thirty 12 00:01:05,395 --> 00:01:09,915 Speaker 1: seven Trump and the eight percent undecided, leaning sixty one 13 00:01:09,955 --> 00:01:14,155 Speaker 1: percent to Biden, including fifty eight percent of independent undecideds 14 00:01:14,195 --> 00:01:18,355 Speaker 1: and forty one percent of Republican undecided. And that is, 15 00:01:18,795 --> 00:01:22,915 Speaker 1: after all, exactly what the Biden internal metrics told the 16 00:01:22,955 --> 00:01:26,595 Speaker 1: president's campaign months ago, And that is exactly why they 17 00:01:26,635 --> 00:01:29,675 Speaker 1: did not panic when everybody else panicked, because they stuck 18 00:01:29,715 --> 00:01:32,195 Speaker 1: to the mantra that the minute Trump actually got the 19 00:01:32,235 --> 00:01:35,955 Speaker 1: Republican nomination. The undecideds and the independents would have their 20 00:01:35,995 --> 00:01:40,315 Speaker 1: oh spit moment and break for Biden, even in the 21 00:01:40,435 --> 00:01:44,515 Speaker 1: right leaning Harvard Harris pole, or as it is colloquially 22 00:01:44,635 --> 00:01:49,915 Speaker 1: referred to the Mark penn Personal Vendetta Pole, and in 23 00:01:49,955 --> 00:01:53,395 Speaker 1: the Bloomberg Morning Consult poll of swing states, which was 24 00:01:53,435 --> 00:01:56,995 Speaker 1: the talk of politics when Trump was ahead everywhere, But 25 00:01:57,115 --> 00:01:59,355 Speaker 1: it is not the talk of politics at this moment 26 00:01:59,395 --> 00:02:01,755 Speaker 1: because in the new one, Biden went up in six 27 00:02:02,115 --> 00:02:05,875 Speaker 1: out of the seven states, leading in Wisconsin, tied in Michigan, 28 00:02:06,115 --> 00:02:10,755 Speaker 1: tied in Pennsylvania, minus two in Nevada. So if you 29 00:02:10,915 --> 00:02:14,795 Speaker 1: looked to skance at last night's fundraiser down the block 30 00:02:14,835 --> 00:02:17,635 Speaker 1: from me at Radio City, the Father, the Son, and 31 00:02:17,675 --> 00:02:20,555 Speaker 1: the Holy Ghost and the twenty five million dollar money 32 00:02:20,555 --> 00:02:24,155 Speaker 1: bomb expected from the simultaneous appearance of Joe Biden, Barack 33 00:02:24,195 --> 00:02:28,475 Speaker 1: Obama and Bill Clinton, don't look askance how much would 34 00:02:28,515 --> 00:02:33,155 Speaker 1: you pay to not live under a Trump dictatorship. More 35 00:02:33,235 --> 00:02:36,795 Speaker 1: to the point, if the Harvard Harris poll is sketchy 36 00:02:36,835 --> 00:02:40,955 Speaker 1: at best, then its rationales are sketchy at best. But 37 00:02:41,235 --> 00:02:45,075 Speaker 1: Harvard Harris said it saw no bump after Biden stated 38 00:02:45,075 --> 00:02:47,675 Speaker 1: the union, but it did see a bump after Biden's 39 00:02:47,675 --> 00:02:52,435 Speaker 1: first wall to wall ad blitz. And yes, it's the economy, 40 00:02:52,515 --> 00:02:55,235 Speaker 1: or more correctly, the perception of the economy. And yes, 41 00:02:55,315 --> 00:02:57,155 Speaker 1: you should be able to win a campaign against a 42 00:02:57,235 --> 00:03:00,395 Speaker 1: lunatic whose brain is leaking out of his ears, and 43 00:03:00,435 --> 00:03:04,595 Speaker 1: it's running on a platform of fascism, despotism, revenge now 44 00:03:04,715 --> 00:03:07,755 Speaker 1: national abortion ban and cutting social security and medicare. But 45 00:03:07,795 --> 00:03:10,115 Speaker 1: in point of fact, you will only win such a 46 00:03:10,155 --> 00:03:14,515 Speaker 1: campaign if you flood all media with proof that Trump 47 00:03:14,595 --> 00:03:16,995 Speaker 1: is a fascist bent on revenge and a national abortion 48 00:03:17,115 --> 00:03:21,515 Speaker 1: ban and severing the safety net. And that is called advertising. 49 00:03:23,275 --> 00:03:27,675 Speaker 1: Wish it were otherwise, but it ain't. By the way, 50 00:03:27,715 --> 00:03:30,795 Speaker 1: if you were waiting for RFK Junior to self destruct, 51 00:03:31,075 --> 00:03:34,675 Speaker 1: he just gave you some of the ammunition. This money spigot. 52 00:03:35,315 --> 00:03:38,995 Speaker 1: He named as his running mate, the Shanahan. She is 53 00:03:39,115 --> 00:03:43,515 Speaker 1: against in vitro fertilization. She revealed this the same day 54 00:03:44,035 --> 00:03:48,155 Speaker 1: that Democrat maryland Lands, who lost Alabama State House District 55 00:03:48,195 --> 00:03:51,915 Speaker 1: ten by seven points in twenty twenty two, she won 56 00:03:51,995 --> 00:03:54,635 Speaker 1: it by twenty five points running on a platform to 57 00:03:54,795 --> 00:04:00,635 Speaker 1: protect in vitro fertilization Tuesday. As a bonus, the Shanahan 58 00:04:00,755 --> 00:04:04,035 Speaker 1: part of the RFK Junior Shanahan ticket is not only 59 00:04:04,115 --> 00:04:08,355 Speaker 1: anti in vitro, but believes IVF can easily be replaced 60 00:04:08,395 --> 00:04:14,595 Speaker 1: because two hours of exposure to morning sunshine can make 61 00:04:14,915 --> 00:04:18,755 Speaker 1: women pregnant. And now you know why crazy Bob Junior 62 00:04:18,795 --> 00:04:21,515 Speaker 1: picked her. Besides all of her money, she makes him 63 00:04:21,555 --> 00:04:26,955 Speaker 1: look less insane. But memo to the Biden campaign, you 64 00:04:27,035 --> 00:04:29,795 Speaker 1: are going to have to spend some of that advertising 65 00:04:29,875 --> 00:04:34,155 Speaker 1: money telling the uninformed and the disconnected that RFK is 66 00:04:34,235 --> 00:04:36,875 Speaker 1: so brain damaged that he does not remember all those 67 00:04:36,915 --> 00:04:40,635 Speaker 1: times when he came out against all vaccines and his 68 00:04:40,755 --> 00:04:44,435 Speaker 1: running mate is such a dits. She called IVF a 69 00:04:44,675 --> 00:04:49,675 Speaker 1: lie and said this at a conference last year. 70 00:04:49,955 --> 00:04:53,915 Speaker 2: Interventions that cost no money, and one of those is sunlight. 71 00:04:54,755 --> 00:04:57,315 Speaker 2: I'm not sure that there has been a really throw 72 00:04:57,715 --> 00:05:03,035 Speaker 2: like mitochondrial respiration study on the effects of two hours 73 00:05:03,035 --> 00:05:06,675 Speaker 2: of morning sunlight on reprint active health. I would love 74 00:05:06,715 --> 00:05:12,675 Speaker 2: to find something like that. Yeah, yeah, let's do it. 75 00:05:14,115 --> 00:05:16,595 Speaker 2: I just have an intuition that could be interesting. 76 00:05:17,035 --> 00:05:24,075 Speaker 1: It's it's on YouTube, her intuition. President's Forum Revolutionizing Women's 77 00:05:24,115 --> 00:05:28,475 Speaker 1: Health twenty twenty three NAM Annual meeting, and it's about 78 00:05:28,555 --> 00:05:33,155 Speaker 1: an hour twenty nine minutes and seventeen seconds in about 79 00:05:33,275 --> 00:05:37,115 Speaker 1: sunlight and her intuition about sunlight. All you have to 80 00:05:37,155 --> 00:05:40,395 Speaker 1: do is dub it from YouTube and add at the 81 00:05:40,395 --> 00:05:43,195 Speaker 1: beginning the part about her calling ivf Ali, and then 82 00:05:43,195 --> 00:05:45,555 Speaker 1: at the end you add I'm Joe Biden and I 83 00:05:45,635 --> 00:05:49,515 Speaker 1: approved this message because the RFK Shanahan ticket is musuga. 84 00:05:50,955 --> 00:05:56,115 Speaker 1: You're welcome. By the way, what did Trump do yesterday? 85 00:05:56,115 --> 00:05:58,795 Speaker 1: He was also in New York to exploit the murder 86 00:05:58,795 --> 00:06:01,115 Speaker 1: of a city cop who was killed with an illegal 87 00:06:01,155 --> 00:06:05,075 Speaker 1: gun so he can try to get elected dictator. And 88 00:06:05,275 --> 00:06:07,795 Speaker 1: he exploited the murder so he could raise money and 89 00:06:07,875 --> 00:06:09,595 Speaker 1: do an interview with Fox in the plane on the 90 00:06:09,595 --> 00:06:12,195 Speaker 1: way to the funeral, and of course make the funeral 91 00:06:12,315 --> 00:06:17,395 Speaker 1: about him. And he attacked the daughter of Judge Mrshawn again, 92 00:06:17,755 --> 00:06:21,035 Speaker 1: this time naming her butt, dropping the reference to the 93 00:06:21,075 --> 00:06:24,155 Speaker 1: social media account he falsely claimed was hers, a claim 94 00:06:24,155 --> 00:06:27,995 Speaker 1: that was disproved Wednesday. Trump issued a statement apologizing for 95 00:06:28,035 --> 00:06:30,075 Speaker 1: his lie. Who am I kidding? He's never apologized for 96 00:06:30,075 --> 00:06:32,915 Speaker 1: anything in his life, and if he started now, he 97 00:06:32,955 --> 00:06:34,875 Speaker 1: would never have a moment left on this earth to 98 00:06:34,915 --> 00:06:39,915 Speaker 1: spend doing anything else. Judge Murshan's daughter should sue him 99 00:06:39,955 --> 00:06:52,395 Speaker 1: for defamation. Speaking of Musuga, The network I invented continues 100 00:06:52,435 --> 00:06:54,835 Speaker 1: to be more entertaining now than at any other point 101 00:06:54,875 --> 00:07:00,195 Speaker 1: since January twenty eleven. Of course, now it MSNBC and 102 00:07:00,355 --> 00:07:04,195 Speaker 1: NBC News are getting help on this front from the RNC, 103 00:07:04,355 --> 00:07:06,875 Speaker 1: the re Publican National Committee, or if you prefer the 104 00:07:06,915 --> 00:07:12,675 Speaker 1: new acronym for RNA's now cool timeline. Trump and the 105 00:07:12,835 --> 00:07:19,275 Speaker 1: RNC fire Ronal McDaniel, then NBC hires Rona McDaniel. Then 106 00:07:19,755 --> 00:07:24,595 Speaker 1: NBC fires ron McDaniel. Then Trump and the RNC make 107 00:07:24,675 --> 00:07:29,115 Speaker 1: a martyr out of Rona McDaniel. The r n C is, 108 00:07:29,515 --> 00:07:35,075 Speaker 1: per Politico quote, weighing whether to restrict NBC's access to 109 00:07:35,235 --> 00:07:39,435 Speaker 1: this summer's Republican Convention. Quote, we are taking a hard 110 00:07:39,435 --> 00:07:43,315 Speaker 1: look at what this means for NBC's participation at the convention, 111 00:07:44,155 --> 00:07:51,675 Speaker 1: says a spokesperson. Okay, how how would how would? How would? 112 00:07:53,635 --> 00:07:59,555 Speaker 1: How would limiting NBC's access to the RNC bullshit festival? How? How? 113 00:07:59,595 --> 00:08:04,635 Speaker 1: How how would that hurt NBC? I mean the year 114 00:08:05,395 --> 00:08:10,315 Speaker 1: that basketball's Los Angeles Clippers won twelve games and lost 115 00:08:10,435 --> 00:08:15,435 Speaker 1: seventy games, they banned me from covering their games or 116 00:08:15,475 --> 00:08:18,675 Speaker 1: going to their practices because they didn't like what I 117 00:08:18,715 --> 00:08:21,715 Speaker 1: said about them on television. And I actually wrote the 118 00:08:21,755 --> 00:08:26,635 Speaker 1: president of the Clippers a letter asking sincerely, why he 119 00:08:26,835 --> 00:08:30,875 Speaker 1: thought this would accomplish anything other than to make me 120 00:08:31,355 --> 00:08:35,355 Speaker 1: the envy of every other sports reporter in Los Angeles. 121 00:08:37,235 --> 00:08:41,915 Speaker 1: I am well aware that nobody at NBC can say this, 122 00:08:42,475 --> 00:08:45,155 Speaker 1: but certainly there must still be some people there who 123 00:08:45,195 --> 00:08:49,995 Speaker 1: at least understand this. Republicans may watch the NBC remake 124 00:08:50,035 --> 00:08:53,795 Speaker 1: of Night Court, or the NBC remake of Quantum Leap, 125 00:08:54,115 --> 00:08:58,355 Speaker 1: or the NBC remake of Gunsmoke, or whatever other remakes 126 00:08:58,395 --> 00:09:00,555 Speaker 1: they have on the TV network these days, because TV 127 00:09:00,635 --> 00:09:02,595 Speaker 1: has not had a new idea since nineteen ninety three, 128 00:09:02,635 --> 00:09:07,755 Speaker 1: but they do not. Republicans do not watch NBC Nightly News. 129 00:09:08,475 --> 00:09:11,475 Speaker 1: They do not watch Meet the Press. They would not 130 00:09:11,675 --> 00:09:14,235 Speaker 1: watch Meet the Press if you had made Ronald McDaniel 131 00:09:14,275 --> 00:09:18,235 Speaker 1: the host. Before she was fired. They had branded her 132 00:09:18,235 --> 00:09:21,955 Speaker 1: a rhino, a failure, a never trumper. They made jokes 133 00:09:21,995 --> 00:09:26,955 Speaker 1: about her appearance, her weight, her makeup. Republicans checked out 134 00:09:27,035 --> 00:09:31,955 Speaker 1: of NBC News long ago. They checked out long before 135 00:09:31,995 --> 00:09:34,035 Speaker 1: I got there, and I got there twenty seven years ago. 136 00:09:34,075 --> 00:09:37,395 Speaker 1: This October they checked out long before Tim Russert got there. 137 00:09:38,235 --> 00:09:42,915 Speaker 1: They are not NBC's audience, and NBC. If the Republican 138 00:09:42,995 --> 00:09:46,835 Speaker 1: National Committee threatens to punish you over firing their current 139 00:09:47,075 --> 00:09:50,515 Speaker 1: enemy number one, oh no, correcting that she has been 140 00:09:50,635 --> 00:09:55,315 Speaker 1: recast and upgraded to their current martyr number one. If 141 00:09:55,315 --> 00:09:57,755 Speaker 1: they threatened to punish you by keeping you out of 142 00:09:57,755 --> 00:10:01,555 Speaker 1: their convention, the correct answer is how can we help? 143 00:10:04,115 --> 00:10:09,195 Speaker 1: Why the next works don't understand this remains a mystery 144 00:10:09,275 --> 00:10:13,755 Speaker 1: to me. Even reading the equivalent of the post accident 145 00:10:13,835 --> 00:10:19,115 Speaker 1: reports about the Rana hiring firing crash at NBC as 146 00:10:19,195 --> 00:10:22,795 Speaker 1: issued by the National Media Safety Board after they recovered 147 00:10:22,955 --> 00:10:27,075 Speaker 1: NBC's black box from where Sezar Conde's brain is supposed 148 00:10:27,115 --> 00:10:31,995 Speaker 1: to be, I still didn't get it. And then, as 149 00:10:32,115 --> 00:10:36,635 Speaker 1: I often do in such mental stalemates, I crashed two 150 00:10:36,715 --> 00:10:40,115 Speaker 1: stories together just to see what would happen. And the 151 00:10:40,155 --> 00:10:43,835 Speaker 1: other one was courtesy of jud Legum's Popular Information, a 152 00:10:43,875 --> 00:10:47,555 Speaker 1: wonderful news site, a great resource, and his piece yesterday 153 00:10:47,595 --> 00:10:50,995 Speaker 1: just happened to total up all of the corporate contributions 154 00:10:51,235 --> 00:10:55,875 Speaker 1: to the campaigns of election deniers, election deniers like Ron McDaniel, 155 00:10:55,875 --> 00:11:00,955 Speaker 1: election deniers like Trump, election deniers that after January sixth, 156 00:11:00,955 --> 00:11:04,675 Speaker 1: the corporations had vowed to never support again. They had 157 00:11:04,795 --> 00:11:08,275 Speaker 1: literally each of these corporations said they would never donate 158 00:11:08,675 --> 00:11:13,715 Speaker 1: to anti democracy election deniers campaigns again. Well, never turns 159 00:11:13,715 --> 00:11:18,635 Speaker 1: out to be a relative term. The total instead of 160 00:11:18,635 --> 00:11:21,235 Speaker 1: being what they said it was going to be zero, 161 00:11:21,555 --> 00:11:25,075 Speaker 1: the total is twenty three million dollars in just over 162 00:11:25,195 --> 00:11:31,315 Speaker 1: three years. It's startling, but again it's American business people. 163 00:11:32,035 --> 00:11:35,635 Speaker 1: And also again Biden raised more than that last night. 164 00:11:36,555 --> 00:11:40,635 Speaker 1: What's really informative and really stands out is the company 165 00:11:40,675 --> 00:11:43,875 Speaker 1: by company totals. And this is all at Legham's site 166 00:11:43,955 --> 00:11:48,675 Speaker 1: popular information, and maybe you want to boycott these companies. 167 00:11:49,475 --> 00:11:53,035 Speaker 1: And I'm stripping out the obviously theocratic ones like Coke Industries. 168 00:11:53,115 --> 00:11:57,955 Speaker 1: You ready. AT and T vowed never to do this again. 169 00:11:58,315 --> 00:12:01,955 Speaker 1: A million, two hundred thousand in donations to election deniers? 170 00:12:02,035 --> 00:12:06,155 Speaker 1: Does that nice lily from the commercials that arch liberal 171 00:12:06,275 --> 00:12:10,435 Speaker 1: actress does she know about this? AT and T, which 172 00:12:10,515 --> 00:12:14,755 Speaker 1: vowed never to donate to election deniers again, has donated 173 00:12:14,915 --> 00:12:20,555 Speaker 1: a million two in campaign donations to election deniers. Ups 174 00:12:20,715 --> 00:12:25,755 Speaker 1: nine hundred and twenty six thousand. Lockheed Martin Hello eight 175 00:12:25,875 --> 00:12:28,835 Speaker 1: hundred and seventy Home Depot eight hundred and sixty two, 176 00:12:29,155 --> 00:12:33,275 Speaker 1: Charter Communications that's Time Warner Cable eight hundred and forty 177 00:12:33,315 --> 00:12:37,115 Speaker 1: eight thousand, Boeing eight hundred and thirteen grand. Well, now 178 00:12:37,115 --> 00:12:38,715 Speaker 1: you know why they didn't have the money to put 179 00:12:38,755 --> 00:12:41,555 Speaker 1: in all the doors they should have. Boeing spent it 180 00:12:41,595 --> 00:12:45,755 Speaker 1: on election deniers. Comcast seven hundred and eighty seventy five. 181 00:12:46,675 --> 00:12:55,275 Speaker 1: Wait a minute, Comcast, Comcast, Comcast, NBC Comcast the leading 182 00:12:55,435 --> 00:13:01,795 Speaker 1: donor to election denying campaigns. Among companies that own TV 183 00:13:01,955 --> 00:13:04,995 Speaker 1: networks and vowed never to donate to election deniers camps 184 00:13:05,035 --> 00:13:09,075 Speaker 1: but did anyway, the leading donor is Comcast, the people 185 00:13:09,075 --> 00:13:13,155 Speaker 1: who just hired Ronal McDaniel. I mean, the next TV 186 00:13:13,355 --> 00:13:16,195 Speaker 1: programming company on this list is Cox three hundred and 187 00:13:16,195 --> 00:13:18,675 Speaker 1: fifty seven thousand. They're only twenty ninth on this list. 188 00:13:18,915 --> 00:13:25,795 Speaker 1: Comcast is eighth. So there you have it. NBC's news 189 00:13:25,835 --> 00:13:29,595 Speaker 1: executives who dann well know that they need to make 190 00:13:29,635 --> 00:13:32,035 Speaker 1: it look like they care what magas think of them, 191 00:13:32,035 --> 00:13:34,515 Speaker 1: but that nothing they will ever do will ever make 192 00:13:34,635 --> 00:13:37,595 Speaker 1: magas think well of them or actually look at them. 193 00:13:38,075 --> 00:13:42,795 Speaker 1: They hire an election denier, an election denial conspirator, and 194 00:13:42,835 --> 00:13:46,355 Speaker 1: of course their bosses in Comcast knew nothing about it. 195 00:13:47,555 --> 00:13:50,755 Speaker 1: News Chairman, saysar Conde, who wants to be chairman of 196 00:13:50,835 --> 00:13:55,435 Speaker 1: NBC Universal itself, did not boast to Brian Roberts of 197 00:13:55,515 --> 00:13:58,555 Speaker 1: Comcast that he was gonna hire Ronal McDaniel. No, of 198 00:13:58,595 --> 00:14:02,035 Speaker 1: course not. And of course it never dawned in them 199 00:14:02,355 --> 00:14:04,675 Speaker 1: that the folks right above them and right below them 200 00:14:04,755 --> 00:14:08,475 Speaker 1: on this contributions list At and t Ups, Home Depot, 201 00:14:08,635 --> 00:14:14,355 Speaker 1: Valero Energy, Marathon, Oil, FedEx, United Health, Walmart, Delta, Toyota, GM, Verizon, Chevron, 202 00:14:14,515 --> 00:14:17,915 Speaker 1: and Aflack. It never dawned on them that those companies 203 00:14:17,915 --> 00:14:22,515 Speaker 1: are also advertisers or would be advertisers on NBC outlets. No, 204 00:14:24,195 --> 00:14:30,475 Speaker 1: of course, not the hiring of Rona McDaniel, and the 205 00:14:30,475 --> 00:14:33,555 Speaker 1: fact that when she had already become a dead pundit 206 00:14:33,635 --> 00:14:39,075 Speaker 1: walking by Sunday afternoon, that when that happened, the person 207 00:14:39,115 --> 00:14:43,035 Speaker 1: that NBC's Vice president for political coverage, Carrie Boodolph Brown, 208 00:14:43,155 --> 00:14:47,235 Speaker 1: called for help to gin up outrage in McDaniel's defense. 209 00:14:47,475 --> 00:14:51,195 Speaker 1: The person she called was the former McDaniel chief of 210 00:14:51,235 --> 00:14:54,635 Speaker 1: staff at the Republican National Committee, and the weapon she 211 00:14:54,755 --> 00:14:57,755 Speaker 1: reportedly gave that guy was remember to point out that 212 00:14:57,915 --> 00:15:02,435 Speaker 1: Jensaki is on MSNBC and that's okay, But suddenly Roda 213 00:15:02,555 --> 00:15:06,755 Speaker 1: McDaniel isn't okay, even though on the both sides of them, 214 00:15:06,835 --> 00:15:09,635 Speaker 1: and though what about ism scales, they're exactly the same thing, 215 00:15:09,675 --> 00:15:13,475 Speaker 1: even though they're anything but the same thing. Yeah, it's 216 00:15:13,715 --> 00:15:25,755 Speaker 1: all just a coincidence, no doubt. Back on the ground 217 00:15:26,435 --> 00:15:30,355 Speaker 1: at the NBC, continuing fluster cluck not getting many leaks 218 00:15:30,395 --> 00:15:34,795 Speaker 1: out of Editorial President Rebecca Blumenstein's triage meeting at the 219 00:15:34,915 --> 00:15:39,275 Speaker 1: NBC News Washington bureau yesterday, which lends credence since there 220 00:15:39,315 --> 00:15:42,675 Speaker 1: have been no leaks about Blumenstein in any of this, 221 00:15:42,915 --> 00:15:46,035 Speaker 1: but there have been too many to count about Rana, 222 00:15:46,395 --> 00:15:50,835 Speaker 1: about Sesar Conde, about Carrie Boodolph Brown, about Rashida Jones, 223 00:15:50,875 --> 00:15:54,515 Speaker 1: about Kristin Welker. Since all of the leaks have been 224 00:15:54,555 --> 00:15:58,555 Speaker 1: about them and none of them have been about Blumenstein, 225 00:15:59,035 --> 00:16:03,715 Speaker 1: this lends credence to a theory that only really smart 226 00:16:03,715 --> 00:16:07,555 Speaker 1: people could understand, and that all the leaks are coming 227 00:16:07,595 --> 00:16:17,115 Speaker 1: from Blumenstein. This tidbit is echoing that McDaniel not only 228 00:16:17,155 --> 00:16:20,475 Speaker 1: once the whole of the six hundred k NBC offered 229 00:16:20,475 --> 00:16:23,635 Speaker 1: her for two years, and her part in this arrangement 230 00:16:23,675 --> 00:16:27,515 Speaker 1: was to say, Okay, where do I sign? NBC has 231 00:16:27,515 --> 00:16:31,995 Speaker 1: no argument against that, but McDaniel continues to leak that 232 00:16:32,035 --> 00:16:36,195 Speaker 1: there's more. Now she's exploring potential defamation and hostile work 233 00:16:36,315 --> 00:16:40,795 Speaker 1: environment suits because of what was said about her on MSNBC. 234 00:16:41,955 --> 00:16:44,915 Speaker 1: Now somebody has to take her aside and say, you 235 00:16:45,075 --> 00:16:50,875 Speaker 1: got paid six hundred grand for literally twenty minutes work. Also, 236 00:16:52,395 --> 00:16:56,195 Speaker 1: you can only sue for defamation if what they said 237 00:16:56,235 --> 00:17:02,635 Speaker 1: about you is not true. See how this works. We 238 00:17:02,715 --> 00:17:05,675 Speaker 1: do have two delightful sidebars, though, The first courtesy of 239 00:17:05,675 --> 00:17:08,995 Speaker 1: The Washington Post on Monday, when she found out from 240 00:17:08,995 --> 00:17:12,715 Speaker 1: her agent at the CAA agency that NBC was probably 241 00:17:12,755 --> 00:17:15,795 Speaker 1: going to fire her, so he was dropping her as 242 00:17:15,795 --> 00:17:20,115 Speaker 1: a client. That apparently was the first time Ronal McDaniel 243 00:17:20,195 --> 00:17:26,995 Speaker 1: realized that her agent also represented other people at NBC. Surprise, 244 00:17:28,835 --> 00:17:31,395 Speaker 1: and I mentioned yesterday that of the four NBC News 245 00:17:31,475 --> 00:17:35,155 Speaker 1: executives likeliest to get Frick aside over this continuing disaster, 246 00:17:35,595 --> 00:17:40,035 Speaker 1: Conde Jones, Blumenstein, and Boodolph Brown Bootoff. Brown is also 247 00:17:40,075 --> 00:17:42,915 Speaker 1: presumably on the ropes in her other role as chair 248 00:17:43,075 --> 00:17:48,635 Speaker 1: of the Board of Directors of the International Center for Journalists. 249 00:17:49,155 --> 00:17:54,435 Speaker 1: Little did I know that Ms Blumenstein is also a chair. 250 00:17:55,235 --> 00:17:59,155 Speaker 1: She is chair of the it thinks very highly of 251 00:17:59,195 --> 00:18:05,275 Speaker 1: itself Columbia Journalism Review. Well, at least she us chair. 252 00:18:05,355 --> 00:18:08,555 Speaker 1: When I wrote this, I haven't been able to check 253 00:18:08,595 --> 00:18:16,835 Speaker 1: the Internet in twenty minutes. Also of interest here, he 254 00:18:16,915 --> 00:18:19,115 Speaker 1: is a member of the Michigan State Legislature and he 255 00:18:19,155 --> 00:18:20,995 Speaker 1: put up a picture of a bus at the Detroit 256 00:18:21,075 --> 00:18:23,995 Speaker 1: Airport and he said they were illegal invaders getting a 257 00:18:24,035 --> 00:18:27,035 Speaker 1: police escort. And it turned out they were one of 258 00:18:27,035 --> 00:18:29,835 Speaker 1: the teams playing in the sweet sixteen stage at the 259 00:18:29,955 --> 00:18:35,195 Speaker 1: NCAA Basketball Championship. And the guy still doesn't believe this 260 00:18:35,275 --> 00:18:41,515 Speaker 1: is true. Also, Charlie Kirk attacks Larry David for being 261 00:18:41,675 --> 00:18:50,235 Speaker 1: too New York. Guess what that's a euphemism for. That's next. 262 00:18:50,835 --> 00:18:58,875 Speaker 1: This is Countdown. This is Countdown with Keith Oberman. Oberman 263 00:19:20,635 --> 00:19:23,835 Speaker 1: still ahead of his on this initiative Countdown Fridays with Thurber. 264 00:19:23,955 --> 00:19:26,755 Speaker 1: There really isn't a Thurber's story that fits in with 265 00:19:26,835 --> 00:19:30,955 Speaker 1: the presidential polls or with the forest at NBC, except 266 00:19:30,995 --> 00:19:34,635 Speaker 1: maybe how to relax while broadcasting. On the other hand, 267 00:19:34,675 --> 00:19:36,795 Speaker 1: If there's one thing Ronald McDaniel is not going to 268 00:19:36,835 --> 00:19:39,195 Speaker 1: have to worry about anytime soon, it's how to relax 269 00:19:39,275 --> 00:19:42,475 Speaker 1: while broadcasting how to relax while sitting on top of 270 00:19:42,475 --> 00:19:45,035 Speaker 1: a pile of six hundred thousand dollars in small bills. 271 00:19:45,715 --> 00:19:48,395 Speaker 1: So instead we'll just go to one of Thurber's classics, 272 00:19:49,035 --> 00:19:53,355 Speaker 1: Life at Ohio State University a century ago and how 273 00:19:53,395 --> 00:19:56,035 Speaker 1: it felt for a one eyed botany student who couldn't 274 00:19:56,035 --> 00:20:00,555 Speaker 1: see a damn thing in the microscope University Days by 275 00:20:00,635 --> 00:20:04,595 Speaker 1: James Thurber. Next, first, still, some more idiots talk about 276 00:20:04,755 --> 00:20:06,835 Speaker 1: daily round up the miss Grants, morons and Dunn Kruger 277 00:20:06,835 --> 00:20:10,875 Speaker 1: effects specimens who constitute two days worse persons in the worruled. 278 00:20:11,515 --> 00:20:13,675 Speaker 1: And we have a theme warning this time around. See 279 00:20:13,675 --> 00:20:15,915 Speaker 1: if you can figure out what the theme is. Before 280 00:20:15,955 --> 00:20:20,835 Speaker 1: I get to the winner, first, the Bronze Worse, I'll 281 00:20:20,875 --> 00:20:23,995 Speaker 1: cite a full on racist Nazi Twitter account called I 282 00:20:24,115 --> 00:20:27,635 Speaker 1: Am Yes you Are No, with two hundred and seventy 283 00:20:27,635 --> 00:20:29,715 Speaker 1: seven thousand followers and not a peep out of the 284 00:20:29,715 --> 00:20:32,555 Speaker 1: white supremacist Elon Musk. But it could have been almost 285 00:20:32,595 --> 00:20:36,875 Speaker 1: anybody on Twitter, it seems. First in this sequence, Maria Bartowomo, 286 00:20:37,115 --> 00:20:40,155 Speaker 1: who is also a white supremacist and incidentally possibly the 287 00:20:40,195 --> 00:20:44,835 Speaker 1: worst advertisement for her own bias. Where's the supremacist part? 288 00:20:45,795 --> 00:20:49,155 Speaker 1: She insisted that the Baltimore Bridge collapse because of wide 289 00:20:49,155 --> 00:20:52,835 Speaker 1: open board US. Each day since she has hosted some 290 00:20:52,995 --> 00:20:57,115 Speaker 1: Trump Nazi to argue against spending federal money on rebuilding 291 00:20:57,115 --> 00:20:59,155 Speaker 1: the bridge, and then, of course the next stage of 292 00:20:59,195 --> 00:21:04,555 Speaker 1: this will be complaints about the supply chain being blocked. Anyway, now, 293 00:21:04,675 --> 00:21:08,235 Speaker 1: how Twitter is burning up with blame for the Mayor 294 00:21:08,275 --> 00:21:12,795 Speaker 1: of Baltimore, Brandon Scott, cause he's black. That one Twitter 295 00:21:12,795 --> 00:21:17,475 Speaker 1: account I reference wrote, this is Baltimore's DEI mayor commenting 296 00:21:17,555 --> 00:21:20,155 Speaker 1: on the bridge. It's going to get so so much worse. 297 00:21:20,195 --> 00:21:24,315 Speaker 1: Prepare Accordingly, that tweet and others have been community noted. 298 00:21:24,875 --> 00:21:28,555 Speaker 1: The mayor won election in Baltimore by seventy percent of 299 00:21:28,595 --> 00:21:31,475 Speaker 1: the vote in twenty twenty, compared to seven percent for 300 00:21:31,515 --> 00:21:34,795 Speaker 1: the Republican But so what the slur is at twenty 301 00:21:34,835 --> 00:21:38,635 Speaker 1: six million views in counting, at least Mayor Scott is 302 00:21:38,675 --> 00:21:40,995 Speaker 1: telling it like it is quoting him. We know what 303 00:21:41,075 --> 00:21:44,275 Speaker 1: these folks really want to say when they say DEI mayor, 304 00:21:44,595 --> 00:21:49,595 Speaker 1: They really want to say the n word unquote. Trump 305 00:21:49,595 --> 00:21:53,115 Speaker 1: has given them license to musk, has given them a platform. 306 00:21:53,195 --> 00:21:59,875 Speaker 1: Two the runner up worse, Sir Charlie Kirk, as an aside, Honestly, 307 00:21:59,995 --> 00:22:03,395 Speaker 1: is there an actual medical condition wherein the head slowly 308 00:22:03,435 --> 00:22:07,075 Speaker 1: inflates like a balloon. I'm not talking Barry Bonds and 309 00:22:07,195 --> 00:22:10,955 Speaker 1: human growth hormone. I'm talking like Terry Gilliam's opening credits 310 00:22:10,995 --> 00:22:14,115 Speaker 1: to Monty Python's Flying Circus, where there's a guy's head 311 00:22:14,435 --> 00:22:16,475 Speaker 1: and a guy next to it with a bicycle pump, 312 00:22:16,555 --> 00:22:18,515 Speaker 1: and he keeps hitting the bicycle pump and the guy's 313 00:22:18,555 --> 00:22:21,995 Speaker 1: head gets larger and larger and then bursts. I'm waiting 314 00:22:22,035 --> 00:22:24,755 Speaker 1: for this with Charlie Kirk, though I doubt it will 315 00:22:24,795 --> 00:22:30,995 Speaker 1: actually happen AnyWho. This was as predictable as rain. Larry David, 316 00:22:31,315 --> 00:22:34,275 Speaker 1: our announcer today. That was him doing his impression of 317 00:22:34,275 --> 00:22:38,075 Speaker 1: the late Yankee Stadium PA guy Bob Sheppard. Larry David 318 00:22:38,355 --> 00:22:41,915 Speaker 1: savaged Trump in an interview with CNN in the way 319 00:22:41,955 --> 00:22:44,995 Speaker 1: that only Larry can. Now. He's not a close friend 320 00:22:44,995 --> 00:22:46,515 Speaker 1: of mine. I'm not going to make that boast, but 321 00:22:46,555 --> 00:22:49,315 Speaker 1: I've had the joy of meals with him, and we 322 00:22:49,395 --> 00:22:53,035 Speaker 1: trade emails and He's not the guy you see on TV. 323 00:22:53,155 --> 00:22:56,755 Speaker 1: He's a warm, generous man and like all great humorists, 324 00:22:56,835 --> 00:23:00,475 Speaker 1: he is the easiest audience in the world. If a 325 00:23:00,555 --> 00:23:04,275 Speaker 1: nitwit like me says something halfway funny, he roars, I 326 00:23:04,275 --> 00:23:06,835 Speaker 1: thought he was gonna fall off the chair at lunch 327 00:23:06,915 --> 00:23:10,595 Speaker 1: the one time loves to laugh. Bring your B minus material. 328 00:23:10,635 --> 00:23:14,195 Speaker 1: He's on the floor. Anyway. I mentioned that, So if 329 00:23:14,275 --> 00:23:17,675 Speaker 1: you've ever seen his evisceration of Trump, or you go 330 00:23:17,795 --> 00:23:21,235 Speaker 1: check it out now, you will appreciate that it sounds 331 00:23:21,315 --> 00:23:24,875 Speaker 1: like the Larry David of Curb Your Enthusiasm. It's surgery 332 00:23:24,915 --> 00:23:29,035 Speaker 1: without anesthesia. And it's when Larry's really mad that it 333 00:23:29,075 --> 00:23:32,595 Speaker 1: gets like that in real life. And that, by the way, 334 00:23:32,635 --> 00:23:34,075 Speaker 1: is that's the debate I want to see. I want 335 00:23:34,075 --> 00:23:37,115 Speaker 1: to see Larry David against Trump. When that was over, 336 00:23:37,155 --> 00:23:40,675 Speaker 1: they'd have to carry Trump off the stage in a bucket. Anyway, 337 00:23:41,035 --> 00:23:44,155 Speaker 1: Larry shreds Trump on Wednesday, and then on Thursday the 338 00:23:44,235 --> 00:23:48,515 Speaker 1: giant inflating head Charlie Kirk says, I never like Larry David. 339 00:23:48,955 --> 00:23:52,075 Speaker 1: He's not the brains of the operation of Seinfeld. He's 340 00:23:52,115 --> 00:23:56,475 Speaker 1: your typical kind of New York Woody Allen type that 341 00:23:56,635 --> 00:24:02,715 Speaker 1: is constantly complaining. Well, hold on, first, Charlie Kirk's show 342 00:24:04,155 --> 00:24:12,635 Speaker 1: is complaining, his political philosophy is complaining. His party is complaining. 343 00:24:13,315 --> 00:24:19,155 Speaker 1: January sixth was complaining. If Trump stopped complaining, he'd stop breathing. 344 00:24:19,555 --> 00:24:26,835 Speaker 1: Charlie Kirk's life is complaining. Secondly, not the brains typical 345 00:24:26,955 --> 00:24:32,475 Speaker 1: kind of New York Woody Allen type constantly complain. Charlie 346 00:24:32,555 --> 00:24:37,475 Speaker 1: Kirk means Jewish, just say Jewish. In fact, Woody Allen 347 00:24:37,515 --> 00:24:42,115 Speaker 1: made this exact reference in one of his films. I 348 00:24:42,155 --> 00:24:45,675 Speaker 1: think Nick Fuentes should get the cask of a mantado treatment. 349 00:24:45,715 --> 00:24:48,995 Speaker 1: But I respect him more than I respect Charlie Kirk. 350 00:24:49,515 --> 00:24:53,075 Speaker 1: I mean, these are both not measurable totals. It's like 351 00:24:53,315 --> 00:24:56,555 Speaker 1: one three millionths of an inch. But I respect him 352 00:24:56,595 --> 00:24:59,795 Speaker 1: more than I respect Charlie Kirk because they're both anti Semites. 353 00:25:00,115 --> 00:25:03,515 Speaker 1: But Fuentes doesn't pretend he hates Jews because they remind 354 00:25:03,555 --> 00:25:07,995 Speaker 1: him of New York. Frente says he hates Jews. Kirk 355 00:25:08,035 --> 00:25:11,955 Speaker 1: says he's mad the brands in the Appias in Seinfeld. Okay, Charlie, 356 00:25:11,955 --> 00:25:16,075 Speaker 1: who is is it Jerry? Is it Jerry Seinfeld, Charlie, 357 00:25:16,755 --> 00:25:20,195 Speaker 1: I got some bad news for you about Jerry Seinfeld 358 00:25:21,075 --> 00:25:27,155 Speaker 1: christ But our winner Matt Maddoc the singular form of 359 00:25:27,195 --> 00:25:30,835 Speaker 1: Mattock's I guess a Michigan State representative. First words in 360 00:25:30,835 --> 00:25:34,435 Speaker 1: his bio are Trump endorsed. Wife was one of the 361 00:25:34,435 --> 00:25:37,595 Speaker 1: fake electors. They were at January sixth, but they claimed 362 00:25:37,595 --> 00:25:39,635 Speaker 1: they couldn't get in, Which is the best story I 363 00:25:39,675 --> 00:25:43,635 Speaker 1: heard all day? Has no neck? Is a bail bondsman 364 00:25:44,675 --> 00:25:49,795 Speaker 1: Moscow bail bonds and what has Trump endorsed? Matt Maddock, 365 00:25:49,875 --> 00:25:53,835 Speaker 1: the bail Bondsman, contributed today to Life's Rich pageant. He 366 00:25:53,915 --> 00:25:57,155 Speaker 1: has posted two photos from the Detroit airport. They look 367 00:25:57,235 --> 00:25:59,395 Speaker 1: like they were taken by somebody who had illegally breached 368 00:25:59,395 --> 00:26:02,075 Speaker 1: a secure area. By the way. One is of a plane, 369 00:26:02,635 --> 00:26:05,035 Speaker 1: the other is of three buses, and Matt Maddock has 370 00:26:05,075 --> 00:26:08,395 Speaker 1: added quote happening right now. Three buses just loaded up 371 00:26:08,395 --> 00:26:11,675 Speaker 1: with illegal invaders at Detroit Metro. Anyone have any idea 372 00:26:11,675 --> 00:26:15,915 Speaker 1: where they're headed with their police escort. Turns out, in fact, 373 00:26:16,275 --> 00:26:19,475 Speaker 1: most people who read that did know where they were 374 00:26:19,475 --> 00:26:22,755 Speaker 1: headed and who they were. Even if Matt was unable 375 00:26:22,795 --> 00:26:26,555 Speaker 1: to escape his paranoid delusion. The buses with the police 376 00:26:26,715 --> 00:26:31,115 Speaker 1: escort were headed to Detroit's Little Caesars Arena because they 377 00:26:31,115 --> 00:26:34,315 Speaker 1: were filled not with the illegal invaders, but with the 378 00:26:34,395 --> 00:26:39,675 Speaker 1: Gonzaga University basketball team playing Purdue in the sweet sixteen 379 00:26:39,715 --> 00:26:43,715 Speaker 1: of March Madness tonight seven thirty nine pm tip off Eastern. 380 00:26:44,355 --> 00:26:47,755 Speaker 1: And a lot of people told Matt Maddock bail Buns 381 00:26:48,555 --> 00:26:51,235 Speaker 1: about this fact, and he responded to them with the 382 00:26:51,275 --> 00:26:55,155 Speaker 1: same answer time and time again. Nice cover story, Commie 383 00:26:56,115 --> 00:26:59,555 Speaker 1: COMI with a K did I mention? Matt drives a 384 00:26:59,635 --> 00:27:02,915 Speaker 1: church bus for a teen ministry. At least he says 385 00:27:02,955 --> 00:27:07,315 Speaker 1: that's why he's driving teens around anyway, Matt is unconvinced 386 00:27:07,515 --> 00:27:09,915 Speaker 1: the way Charlie Kirk wants to punish Larry David for 387 00:27:09,955 --> 00:27:13,715 Speaker 1: criticizing Trump, the way they're calling Brendan Scott a dei mayor, 388 00:27:13,915 --> 00:27:18,475 Speaker 1: because these guys are white trash. I check for drug 389 00:27:18,595 --> 00:27:21,675 Speaker 1: use to opioids. Probably these guys act like people do 390 00:27:21,875 --> 00:27:25,595 Speaker 1: when they're on opioids, and that universal sense we all 391 00:27:25,635 --> 00:27:28,435 Speaker 1: had of I shouldn't do this. I might get caught 392 00:27:29,075 --> 00:27:32,075 Speaker 1: that gets shut off, as opioids will do to you. 393 00:27:32,755 --> 00:27:36,115 Speaker 1: There's also some chance of PTSD or traumatic brain damage. 394 00:27:36,635 --> 00:27:39,955 Speaker 1: But underlying it all, they're white trash. But if you 395 00:27:40,035 --> 00:27:43,755 Speaker 1: guess that white trash was the theme, not quite. It 396 00:27:43,915 --> 00:27:46,635 Speaker 1: dawned on me as I sat down to write, and 397 00:27:46,715 --> 00:27:49,555 Speaker 1: I looked at all of these stories and all the 398 00:27:49,595 --> 00:27:54,835 Speaker 1: other stories like them, last days, weeks, years, decades, the 399 00:27:54,915 --> 00:27:58,875 Speaker 1: increasingly crazy things they do and say that it suddenly 400 00:27:58,915 --> 00:28:04,475 Speaker 1: becomes way easier to understand them, to understand Maga, to understand, 401 00:28:05,315 --> 00:28:09,435 Speaker 1: to understand this whole. Racism is the new tolerance mindset 402 00:28:10,155 --> 00:28:16,075 Speaker 1: if you remember that it is psychologically adjacent to mass shooters. 403 00:28:17,155 --> 00:28:20,675 Speaker 1: I mean, think about it. The blind hate, the belief 404 00:28:20,715 --> 00:28:23,115 Speaker 1: you can do anything and get away with it, the 405 00:28:23,195 --> 00:28:28,315 Speaker 1: desire to inflict mass harm usually a target, some minority 406 00:28:28,355 --> 00:28:32,755 Speaker 1: group or special category of people, a conviction that they're 407 00:28:32,915 --> 00:28:36,395 Speaker 1: entitled to do this, and of course insanity that can 408 00:28:36,435 --> 00:28:40,315 Speaker 1: be hidden just long enough that they don't get committed 409 00:28:40,355 --> 00:28:44,395 Speaker 1: in time. Not meaning anybody in particular, but think of 410 00:28:44,435 --> 00:28:50,115 Speaker 1: all these right wingers and Magas and Trump and people 411 00:28:50,155 --> 00:28:54,435 Speaker 1: who have their own websites. Think of them not as 412 00:28:54,555 --> 00:28:58,515 Speaker 1: would be mass murderers, but as psychologically adjacent to them, 413 00:28:58,755 --> 00:29:01,595 Speaker 1: And suddenly it's all a lot clearer. And while it 414 00:29:01,675 --> 00:29:04,435 Speaker 1: is much more disturbing this way. It is always better 415 00:29:04,475 --> 00:29:08,355 Speaker 1: to see and understand the menace for what it really is, 416 00:29:08,875 --> 00:29:12,115 Speaker 1: and not for the simpler thing that we wish it were. 417 00:29:13,715 --> 00:29:18,875 Speaker 1: So have a nice day after that, and then back 418 00:29:18,915 --> 00:29:23,315 Speaker 1: to the original topic here Matt Gonzago's in California. That 419 00:29:23,355 --> 00:29:27,955 Speaker 1: means I was right, they are invaders. Maddock bail Bunds 420 00:29:28,835 --> 00:29:54,075 Speaker 1: two days. Worst person and the closest thing James Thurber 421 00:29:54,155 --> 00:29:58,075 Speaker 1: ever wrote to a novel was the story of his childhood, 422 00:29:58,315 --> 00:30:02,715 Speaker 1: somewhat exaggerated, or, according to his family, almost completely exaggerated. 423 00:30:03,195 --> 00:30:05,955 Speaker 1: It was called My Life and Heart Hard Times. In 424 00:30:06,035 --> 00:30:09,195 Speaker 1: it are stories like the night the bed fell and 425 00:30:09,355 --> 00:30:12,875 Speaker 1: such as that. But my favorite, perhaps of all of 426 00:30:12,915 --> 00:30:18,755 Speaker 1: his stories from his supposed youth, is called University Days. 427 00:30:19,795 --> 00:30:23,395 Speaker 1: There's a lot of well you'll hear, there's a lot 428 00:30:23,395 --> 00:30:26,115 Speaker 1: of stuff in University Days. And so I presented to 429 00:30:26,155 --> 00:30:31,435 Speaker 1: you for the first time on Fridays with Thurber University 430 00:30:31,555 --> 00:30:37,435 Speaker 1: Days by James Thurber. I've passed all the other courses 431 00:30:37,475 --> 00:30:39,515 Speaker 1: that I took at my university, but I could never 432 00:30:39,635 --> 00:30:44,755 Speaker 1: pass Botany. This was because all botany students had to 433 00:30:44,755 --> 00:30:47,075 Speaker 1: spend several hours a week in a laboratory looking through 434 00:30:47,115 --> 00:30:51,235 Speaker 1: a microscope at plant cells. And I could never see 435 00:30:51,275 --> 00:30:55,635 Speaker 1: through a microscope. I never once saw a cell through 436 00:30:55,635 --> 00:31:01,315 Speaker 1: a microscope. This used to enrage my instructor. He would 437 00:31:01,355 --> 00:31:04,515 Speaker 1: wander around the laboratory, please with the progress all this 438 00:31:04,675 --> 00:31:07,915 Speaker 1: students were making and drawing the involved and so I 439 00:31:07,955 --> 00:31:12,995 Speaker 1: am told interesting structure of flower cells. Until he came 440 00:31:13,035 --> 00:31:17,435 Speaker 1: to me. I would just be standing there. I can't 441 00:31:17,475 --> 00:31:21,515 Speaker 1: see anything, I would say. He would begin patiently enough 442 00:31:21,795 --> 00:31:25,075 Speaker 1: explaining how anybody can see through a microscope, but he 443 00:31:25,075 --> 00:31:27,715 Speaker 1: would always end up in a fury, claiming that I 444 00:31:27,755 --> 00:31:30,555 Speaker 1: could too see through a microscope, but just pretended that 445 00:31:30,595 --> 00:31:34,995 Speaker 1: I couldn't. It takes away from the beauty of flowers anyway. 446 00:31:35,115 --> 00:31:37,355 Speaker 1: I used to tell him, we are not concerned with 447 00:31:37,435 --> 00:31:40,195 Speaker 1: the beauty in this course. He would say, we are 448 00:31:40,395 --> 00:31:46,715 Speaker 1: concerned solely with what I may call the mechanics of flowers. Well, 449 00:31:46,795 --> 00:31:52,395 Speaker 1: I'd say, I can't see anything. Try it just once again, 450 00:31:52,835 --> 00:31:55,155 Speaker 1: he'd say, And I would put my eye to the 451 00:31:55,195 --> 00:31:58,235 Speaker 1: microscope and see nothing at all, except now and again 452 00:31:58,595 --> 00:32:05,275 Speaker 1: a nebulous milky substance, a phenomenon of maladjustment. You were 453 00:32:05,275 --> 00:32:09,155 Speaker 1: supposed to see a vivid, restless clockwork of sharply defined 454 00:32:09,195 --> 00:32:13,035 Speaker 1: plant cells. I see what looks like a lot of milk. 455 00:32:13,275 --> 00:32:16,115 Speaker 1: I would tell him. This, he claimed, was the result 456 00:32:16,155 --> 00:32:19,755 Speaker 1: of my not having adjusted the microscope properly. So he 457 00:32:19,795 --> 00:32:23,195 Speaker 1: would readjust it for me, or rather for himself, and 458 00:32:23,235 --> 00:32:28,475 Speaker 1: I would look again and see milk. I finally took 459 00:32:28,475 --> 00:32:31,435 Speaker 1: a deferred pass, as they called it, and waited a 460 00:32:31,515 --> 00:32:34,875 Speaker 1: year and tried again. You had to pass one of 461 00:32:34,915 --> 00:32:38,715 Speaker 1: the biological sciences or you couldn't graduate. The professor had 462 00:32:38,755 --> 00:32:41,715 Speaker 1: come back from vacation brown as a berry, bright eyed 463 00:32:41,755 --> 00:32:45,675 Speaker 1: and eager to explain cell structure again to his classes. Well, 464 00:32:46,115 --> 00:32:48,075 Speaker 1: he said to me cheerily when we met in the 465 00:32:48,115 --> 00:32:51,955 Speaker 1: laboratory first hour of the semester. We're going to see 466 00:32:51,995 --> 00:32:57,435 Speaker 1: cells this time, aren't we, Yes, sir, I said. Students 467 00:32:57,555 --> 00:32:59,395 Speaker 1: to right of me, and to left of me, and 468 00:32:59,475 --> 00:33:01,755 Speaker 1: in front of me were seeing cells. What's more, they 469 00:33:01,755 --> 00:33:05,275 Speaker 1: were quietly drawing pictures of them in their notebooks. Of course, 470 00:33:05,395 --> 00:33:12,715 Speaker 1: I didn't see anything. We'll try it, the professor said 471 00:33:12,715 --> 00:33:17,235 Speaker 1: to me gently. With every adjustment of the microscope known 472 00:33:17,355 --> 00:33:22,235 Speaker 1: to man, as God is my witness, I'll arrange this 473 00:33:22,395 --> 00:33:26,395 Speaker 1: glass so that you see cells through it, or I'll 474 00:33:26,475 --> 00:33:32,035 Speaker 1: give up teaching in twenty two years of botany. I 475 00:33:34,155 --> 00:33:37,115 Speaker 1: he cut off abruptly, for he was beginning to quiver 476 00:33:37,435 --> 00:33:41,995 Speaker 1: all over, like Lionel Barrymore, and he genuinely wished to 477 00:33:42,035 --> 00:33:44,395 Speaker 1: hold on to his temper. His scenes with me had 478 00:33:44,435 --> 00:33:48,355 Speaker 1: taken a great deal out of him. As an editor's 479 00:33:48,395 --> 00:33:51,355 Speaker 1: note here, if you don't recognize the name Lionel Barrymore, 480 00:33:51,675 --> 00:33:54,475 Speaker 1: if you've ever seen the movie It's a Wonderful Life, 481 00:33:55,155 --> 00:33:59,515 Speaker 1: mister Potter, the evil financier in the wheelchair that was 482 00:33:59,555 --> 00:34:05,035 Speaker 1: played by Lionel Barrymore, who used to quiver all over. 483 00:34:06,075 --> 00:34:09,875 Speaker 1: Back to Thurber, So we tried it with every adjustment 484 00:34:09,915 --> 00:34:12,755 Speaker 1: of the microscope known to man. With only one of 485 00:34:12,755 --> 00:34:16,195 Speaker 1: them did I see anything but blackness or the familiar 486 00:34:16,275 --> 00:34:20,155 Speaker 1: lacteal opacity. And that time I saw, to my pleasure 487 00:34:20,235 --> 00:34:25,595 Speaker 1: and amazement, a variegated constellation of flex specs and dots. 488 00:34:26,515 --> 00:34:30,835 Speaker 1: These I hastily drew. The instructor, noting my activity, came 489 00:34:30,875 --> 00:34:33,395 Speaker 1: back from an adjoining desk, a smile on his lips, 490 00:34:33,515 --> 00:34:36,275 Speaker 1: his eyebrows high in hope. He looked at my cell, 491 00:34:36,395 --> 00:34:40,395 Speaker 1: drawing What's that? He demanded with a hint of squeal 492 00:34:40,395 --> 00:34:44,075 Speaker 1: in his voice. That's what I saw, I said, you didn't, 493 00:34:44,595 --> 00:34:48,595 Speaker 1: you didn't, You didn't, he screamed, losing control of his 494 00:34:48,675 --> 00:34:51,915 Speaker 1: temper instantly, and he bent over and squinted into the microscope. 495 00:34:52,075 --> 00:34:57,355 Speaker 1: His head snapped up. That's your eye, he shouted. You 496 00:34:57,515 --> 00:35:04,835 Speaker 1: fix the lens so that it reflects you've drawn your eye. 497 00:35:04,915 --> 00:35:08,355 Speaker 1: Another course that I didn't like but somehow managed to 498 00:35:08,395 --> 00:35:13,035 Speaker 1: pass was economics. I went to that class straight from 499 00:35:13,075 --> 00:35:16,155 Speaker 1: the botany class, which didn't help me any in understanding 500 00:35:16,235 --> 00:35:19,875 Speaker 1: either subject. I used to get them mixed up, but 501 00:35:19,955 --> 00:35:22,635 Speaker 1: not as mixed up as another student in my economics 502 00:35:22,715 --> 00:35:25,915 Speaker 1: class who came there direct from a physics laboratory. He 503 00:35:26,035 --> 00:35:30,435 Speaker 1: was a tackle on the football team named Balentsowitz. At 504 00:35:30,475 --> 00:35:32,835 Speaker 1: the time, Ohio State University had one of the best 505 00:35:32,875 --> 00:35:36,155 Speaker 1: football teams in the country, and Balentsuwitz was one of 506 00:35:36,195 --> 00:35:40,355 Speaker 1: its outstanding stars. In order to be eligible to play, 507 00:35:40,355 --> 00:35:42,955 Speaker 1: it was necessary for him to keep up in his studies, 508 00:35:43,715 --> 00:35:47,995 Speaker 1: a very difficult matter, for while he was not dumber 509 00:35:48,035 --> 00:35:53,275 Speaker 1: than an ox, he was not any smarter. Most of 510 00:35:53,315 --> 00:35:56,955 Speaker 1: his professors were lenient and helped him along, none gave 511 00:35:57,075 --> 00:35:59,995 Speaker 1: him more hints in answering questions, or asked him simpler 512 00:36:00,035 --> 00:36:04,075 Speaker 1: ones than the economics professor, a thin, timid man named 513 00:36:04,315 --> 00:36:07,515 Speaker 1: bass One day, when when we were on the subject 514 00:36:07,555 --> 00:36:11,795 Speaker 1: of transportation and distribution, it became Balentsowitz's turn to answer 515 00:36:11,995 --> 00:36:19,035 Speaker 1: a question. Name one means of transportation, the professor said 516 00:36:19,075 --> 00:36:23,275 Speaker 1: to him. No light came into the big tackle's eyes. 517 00:36:23,875 --> 00:36:30,795 Speaker 1: Just any means of transportation, said the professor. Balentuwitz sat 518 00:36:31,035 --> 00:36:37,675 Speaker 1: staring at him. That is, pursued the professor, any medium, 519 00:36:37,715 --> 00:36:43,355 Speaker 1: agency or method of going from one place to another. 520 00:36:45,115 --> 00:36:47,195 Speaker 1: Balentsowitz had the look of a man who is being 521 00:36:47,275 --> 00:36:52,315 Speaker 1: led into a trap. You may choose among steam, horse drawn, 522 00:36:52,595 --> 00:36:56,955 Speaker 1: or electrically propelled vehicles, said the instructor. I might suggest 523 00:36:56,995 --> 00:37:00,915 Speaker 1: the one which we commonly take in making long journeys 524 00:37:01,115 --> 00:37:09,955 Speaker 1: across land. There was a profound silence, in which everybody 525 00:37:09,995 --> 00:37:18,035 Speaker 1: stirred uneasily, including Balentuwitz and mister Bassom. Mister Bassom abruptly 526 00:37:18,035 --> 00:37:25,755 Speaker 1: broke this silence in an amazing manner. Chew, chew, chew, 527 00:37:26,355 --> 00:37:29,875 Speaker 1: he said, in a low voice, and turned instantly scarlet. 528 00:37:30,315 --> 00:37:33,115 Speaker 1: He glanced appealingly around the room. All of us, of course, 529 00:37:33,155 --> 00:37:36,795 Speaker 1: shared mister Bassom's desire that Balentuwitz would stay abreast of 530 00:37:36,835 --> 00:37:39,235 Speaker 1: the class in economics for the Illinois game, one of 531 00:37:39,235 --> 00:37:40,915 Speaker 1: the hardest and most important of the season, was only 532 00:37:40,915 --> 00:37:46,755 Speaker 1: a week off. Too, too, too, Some student with a 533 00:37:46,755 --> 00:37:50,355 Speaker 1: deep voice moaned, and we all looked encouragingly at Balentsuwitz. 534 00:37:51,195 --> 00:37:53,995 Speaker 1: Somebody else gave a fine imitation of a locomotive letting 535 00:37:53,995 --> 00:37:57,675 Speaker 1: off steam. Mister Bassom himself rounded off the little shell. 536 00:37:59,115 --> 00:38:05,795 Speaker 1: Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong, he said hopefully. Balentsowitz 537 00:38:06,075 --> 00:38:09,915 Speaker 1: was staring at the floor now trying to think. His 538 00:38:10,035 --> 00:38:17,195 Speaker 1: great brow furrowed, his huge hands rubbing together, his face red. 539 00:38:19,195 --> 00:38:22,355 Speaker 1: How did you come to college this year, mister Blentowitz, 540 00:38:23,075 --> 00:38:27,515 Speaker 1: asked the professor. Chuff chuff, chuff, chuff, chuff of chuff, 541 00:38:28,715 --> 00:38:34,355 Speaker 1: my father sent me, said the football player. What on, 542 00:38:35,475 --> 00:38:41,515 Speaker 1: asked bassm A getting loans, said the tackle in a low, 543 00:38:41,675 --> 00:38:47,075 Speaker 1: husky voice, obviously embarrassed. No, no, said Bassim. Name a 544 00:38:47,195 --> 00:38:55,395 Speaker 1: means of transportation? What did you ride here on train? 545 00:38:55,955 --> 00:39:00,355 Speaker 1: Said Balentsowitz. Quite right, said the professor. Now, mister Nugent, 546 00:39:00,915 --> 00:39:05,155 Speaker 1: will you tell us if I went through anguish in 547 00:39:05,195 --> 00:39:09,195 Speaker 1: botany and economics for different reasons gymnasium work was even worse. 548 00:39:09,595 --> 00:39:11,955 Speaker 1: I don't even like to think about it. They wouldn't 549 00:39:11,995 --> 00:39:14,595 Speaker 1: let you play games or join in the exercises with 550 00:39:14,635 --> 00:39:18,315 Speaker 1: your glasses on, and I couldn't see with mine off. 551 00:39:18,675 --> 00:39:26,075 Speaker 1: I bumped into professors, horizontal bars, agricultural students swinging iron rings, 552 00:39:26,195 --> 00:39:28,395 Speaker 1: not being able to see. I could take it, but 553 00:39:28,475 --> 00:39:33,315 Speaker 1: I couldn't dish it out. Also, in order to pass gymnasium, 554 00:39:33,355 --> 00:39:35,955 Speaker 1: and you had to pass it to graduate, you had 555 00:39:35,955 --> 00:39:39,355 Speaker 1: to learn to swim if you didn't know how. I 556 00:39:39,595 --> 00:39:43,715 Speaker 1: didn't like the swimming pool. I didn't like swimming, and 557 00:39:43,835 --> 00:39:48,315 Speaker 1: I didn't like the swimming instructor, and after all these years, 558 00:39:48,475 --> 00:39:52,995 Speaker 1: I still don't. I never swam, but I passed my 559 00:39:53,115 --> 00:39:56,955 Speaker 1: gym work anyway by having another student give my gymnasium 560 00:39:57,075 --> 00:40:00,755 Speaker 1: number nine seven eight and swim across the pool in 561 00:40:00,835 --> 00:40:04,555 Speaker 1: my place. He was a quiet, amiable blonde youth number 562 00:40:04,555 --> 00:40:07,075 Speaker 1: fie Foar seven three, and he would have seen through 563 00:40:07,075 --> 00:40:09,035 Speaker 1: a microscope before me if we could have gotten away 564 00:40:09,075 --> 00:40:11,995 Speaker 1: with that. But we couldn't get away with that. Another 565 00:40:12,035 --> 00:40:14,315 Speaker 1: thing I didn't like about gymnasium work was that they 566 00:40:14,315 --> 00:40:17,875 Speaker 1: made you strip the day you registered. It is impossible 567 00:40:17,915 --> 00:40:20,195 Speaker 1: for me to be happy when I am stripped and 568 00:40:20,275 --> 00:40:24,275 Speaker 1: being asked a lot of questions. Still, I did better 569 00:40:24,355 --> 00:40:27,275 Speaker 1: than a lanky agricultural student who was cross examined just 570 00:40:27,315 --> 00:40:30,955 Speaker 1: before I was. They asked each student what college he 571 00:40:31,075 --> 00:40:34,835 Speaker 1: was in, that is, whether arts, engineering, commerce, or agriculture. 572 00:40:35,795 --> 00:40:38,515 Speaker 1: What college are you in? The instructor snapped at the 573 00:40:38,515 --> 00:40:42,955 Speaker 1: youth in front of me Ohio State University. He said promptly, 574 00:40:44,875 --> 00:40:48,075 Speaker 1: it wasn't that agricultural student, but it was another a 575 00:40:48,075 --> 00:40:50,475 Speaker 1: whole lot like him, who decided to take up journalism, 576 00:40:50,475 --> 00:40:52,715 Speaker 1: possibly on the ground that when farming went to hell, 577 00:40:52,755 --> 00:40:55,955 Speaker 1: he could fall back on newspaper work. He didn't realize, 578 00:40:55,955 --> 00:40:58,435 Speaker 1: of course, that that would be very much like falling 579 00:40:58,475 --> 00:41:02,675 Speaker 1: back full length on a kit of carpenter's tools. Haskins 580 00:41:02,755 --> 00:41:06,315 Speaker 1: didn't seem cut out for journalism, being too embarrassed to 581 00:41:06,355 --> 00:41:09,595 Speaker 1: talk to anybody and unable to use a typewriter, but 582 00:41:09,715 --> 00:41:12,755 Speaker 1: the editor of the college paper assigned him to the cowbarns, 583 00:41:12,995 --> 00:41:16,995 Speaker 1: the sheep house, the horse pavilion, and the animal husbandry department. Generally, 584 00:41:17,955 --> 00:41:22,875 Speaker 1: this was a genuinely big beat for took up five 585 00:41:22,955 --> 00:41:25,995 Speaker 1: times as much ground and got ten times as great 586 00:41:25,995 --> 00:41:30,435 Speaker 1: a legislative appropriation as the College of Liberal Arts. The 587 00:41:30,475 --> 00:41:34,915 Speaker 1: agricultural student knew animals, but nevertheless his stories were dull 588 00:41:35,035 --> 00:41:40,195 Speaker 1: and colorlessly written. He took all afternoon on each of 589 00:41:40,235 --> 00:41:43,075 Speaker 1: them on account of having to hunt for each letter 590 00:41:43,395 --> 00:41:46,475 Speaker 1: on the typewriter. Once in a while he had to 591 00:41:46,515 --> 00:41:52,235 Speaker 1: ask somebody to help him hunt. C and L in particular, 592 00:41:52,315 --> 00:41:56,195 Speaker 1: were hard letters for him to find. His editor finally 593 00:41:56,235 --> 00:41:58,635 Speaker 1: got pretty much annoyed at the farmer journalists because his 594 00:41:58,715 --> 00:42:02,635 Speaker 1: pieces were so uninteresting. See here, Haskins. He snapped at 595 00:42:02,675 --> 00:42:05,075 Speaker 1: him one day, why is it we never have anything 596 00:42:05,115 --> 00:42:07,715 Speaker 1: hot from you on the horse pavilion here we have 597 00:42:07,755 --> 00:42:10,275 Speaker 1: two hundred head of horses on this campus, more than 598 00:42:10,275 --> 00:42:13,795 Speaker 1: any other university in the Western Conference except Purdue, and 599 00:42:13,875 --> 00:42:16,115 Speaker 1: yet you never get any real low down on them. 600 00:42:16,475 --> 00:42:19,275 Speaker 1: Now shoot over to the hears barns and dig up 601 00:42:19,315 --> 00:42:24,195 Speaker 1: something lively. Haskins shambled out and came back in about 602 00:42:24,195 --> 00:42:28,835 Speaker 1: an hour. He said he had something. Well tart it off, snappily, 603 00:42:28,915 --> 00:42:33,155 Speaker 1: said the editor, something people will read. Haskins sent to 604 00:42:33,155 --> 00:42:35,235 Speaker 1: work and in a couple of hours brought a sheet 605 00:42:35,275 --> 00:42:37,675 Speaker 1: of typewritten paper to the desk. It was a two 606 00:42:37,875 --> 00:42:40,955 Speaker 1: hundred words story about some disease that had broken out 607 00:42:41,235 --> 00:42:45,395 Speaker 1: among the horses. Its opening sentence was simple but arresting. 608 00:42:46,195 --> 00:42:50,795 Speaker 1: It read, who has noticed the sores on the tops 609 00:42:50,795 --> 00:42:56,795 Speaker 1: of the horses in the animal husbandry building? Ohio State 610 00:42:56,875 --> 00:42:59,515 Speaker 1: was a land grant university, and therefore two years of 611 00:42:59,555 --> 00:43:03,835 Speaker 1: military drill was compulsory. We drilled with old Springfield rifles 612 00:43:03,875 --> 00:43:06,275 Speaker 1: and studied the tax of the Civil War, even though 613 00:43:06,315 --> 00:43:08,955 Speaker 1: the World War was going on at the time. At 614 00:43:08,995 --> 00:43:12,195 Speaker 1: eleven o'clock each morning, thousands of freshmen and sophomores used 615 00:43:12,195 --> 00:43:15,275 Speaker 1: to deploy over the campus, moodily creeping up on the 616 00:43:15,315 --> 00:43:18,835 Speaker 1: old chemistry building. It was good training for the kind 617 00:43:18,875 --> 00:43:22,035 Speaker 1: of warfare that was waged at Shiloh, but it had 618 00:43:22,075 --> 00:43:25,275 Speaker 1: no connection with what was going on in Europe. Some 619 00:43:25,355 --> 00:43:28,595 Speaker 1: people used to think that there was German money behind it, 620 00:43:29,355 --> 00:43:31,955 Speaker 1: but they didn't dare say that, or they would have 621 00:43:31,995 --> 00:43:35,195 Speaker 1: been thrown in jail as German spies. It was a 622 00:43:35,235 --> 00:43:38,995 Speaker 1: period of muddy thought and marked I believe the decline 623 00:43:39,075 --> 00:43:42,875 Speaker 1: of higher education in the Middle West. As a soldier, 624 00:43:43,155 --> 00:43:46,515 Speaker 1: I was never any good at all. Most of the 625 00:43:46,555 --> 00:43:51,555 Speaker 1: cadets were glumly indifferent soldiers, but I was no good 626 00:43:51,795 --> 00:43:56,555 Speaker 1: at all. Once General Littlefield, who was commandant of the 627 00:43:56,595 --> 00:43:59,635 Speaker 1: Cadet Corps, popped up in front of me during regimental 628 00:43:59,675 --> 00:44:04,115 Speaker 1: drill and snapped, you are the main trouble with this university. 629 00:44:05,755 --> 00:44:08,595 Speaker 1: I think he meant that my type was the main 630 00:44:08,635 --> 00:44:11,435 Speaker 1: trouble with the university, but he may have met me individually. 631 00:44:12,195 --> 00:44:16,035 Speaker 1: I was mediocre at drill, certainly, that is until my 632 00:44:16,195 --> 00:44:19,835 Speaker 1: senior year. By that time I had drilled longer than 633 00:44:19,875 --> 00:44:23,635 Speaker 1: anybody else in the Western Conference, having failed at military 634 00:44:23,675 --> 00:44:25,955 Speaker 1: at the end of each preceding year, so that I 635 00:44:25,995 --> 00:44:28,155 Speaker 1: had to do it all over again. I was the 636 00:44:28,195 --> 00:44:32,395 Speaker 1: only seniors still in uniform. The uniform, which when new 637 00:44:32,435 --> 00:44:36,555 Speaker 1: had made me look like an interurban railway conductor, now 638 00:44:36,595 --> 00:44:39,515 Speaker 1: that it had become faded and too tight, made me 639 00:44:39,555 --> 00:44:45,555 Speaker 1: look like Bert Williams in his Bellboy Act. This had 640 00:44:45,595 --> 00:44:50,675 Speaker 1: a definitely bad effect on my morale. Even so, I 641 00:44:50,715 --> 00:44:54,515 Speaker 1: had become, by sheer practice little short of wonderful at 642 00:44:54,555 --> 00:44:59,155 Speaker 1: squad maneuvers. One day, General Littlefield picked our company out 643 00:44:59,155 --> 00:45:01,115 Speaker 1: of the whole regiment, tried to get it mixed up 644 00:45:01,275 --> 00:45:03,915 Speaker 1: by putting it through one movement after another as fast 645 00:45:03,915 --> 00:45:06,755 Speaker 1: as we could execute the squad's right, squad's left, squad's 646 00:45:06,755 --> 00:45:09,355 Speaker 1: on right into line, squad's right, about squad's left, front 647 00:45:09,355 --> 00:45:13,675 Speaker 1: into line, et cetera. In about three minutes, one hundred 648 00:45:13,755 --> 00:45:17,915 Speaker 1: and nine men were marching in one direction, and I 649 00:45:18,195 --> 00:45:21,755 Speaker 1: was marching away from them at an angle of forty degrees, 650 00:45:21,955 --> 00:45:28,435 Speaker 1: all alone. Company halt, shouted General Littlefield. That man is 651 00:45:28,515 --> 00:45:33,595 Speaker 1: the only man who has it right. I was made 652 00:45:33,635 --> 00:45:39,795 Speaker 1: a corporal for my achievement. The next day, General Littlefield 653 00:45:39,835 --> 00:45:42,915 Speaker 1: summoned me to his office. He was swatting flies when 654 00:45:42,915 --> 00:45:45,675 Speaker 1: I came in. I was silent, and he was silent too. 655 00:45:45,755 --> 00:45:48,275 Speaker 1: For a long time. I don't think he remembered me 656 00:45:48,955 --> 00:45:51,155 Speaker 1: or why he had sent for me, But he didn't 657 00:45:51,195 --> 00:45:54,835 Speaker 1: want to admit that. He swatted some more flies, keeping 658 00:45:54,835 --> 00:45:56,915 Speaker 1: his eyes on them narrowly before he let go with 659 00:45:56,955 --> 00:46:02,195 Speaker 1: the swatter. But not up your coat, he snapped, looking 660 00:46:02,275 --> 00:46:05,395 Speaker 1: back on it. Now I can see that he meant me, 661 00:46:06,275 --> 00:46:09,475 Speaker 1: although he was looking at a fly. But I just 662 00:46:09,515 --> 00:46:12,195 Speaker 1: stood there. Another fly came to rest on a paper 663 00:46:12,235 --> 00:46:13,995 Speaker 1: in front of the General and began rubbing its hind 664 00:46:14,075 --> 00:46:18,555 Speaker 1: legs together. The General lifted the swatter cautiously. I moved 665 00:46:18,595 --> 00:46:22,435 Speaker 1: restlessly and the fly flew away, you startle them, barked 666 00:46:22,435 --> 00:46:26,755 Speaker 1: General Littlefield, looking at me severely. I said I was sorry. 667 00:46:27,355 --> 00:46:30,875 Speaker 1: That won't help the situation, snapped the General with cold 668 00:46:30,955 --> 00:46:34,635 Speaker 1: military logic. I didn't see what I could do except 669 00:46:34,675 --> 00:46:37,275 Speaker 1: offered to chase some more flies toward his desk, but 670 00:46:37,835 --> 00:46:40,915 Speaker 1: I didn't say anything. He stared out the window at 671 00:46:40,915 --> 00:46:43,835 Speaker 1: the faraway figures of co Ed's crossing the campus towards 672 00:46:43,875 --> 00:46:48,115 Speaker 1: the library. Finally he told me I could go, so 673 00:46:48,235 --> 00:46:51,915 Speaker 1: I went. He either didn't know which cadet I was, 674 00:46:52,035 --> 00:46:54,235 Speaker 1: or else he forgot what he wanted to see me about. 675 00:46:55,075 --> 00:46:57,955 Speaker 1: It may have been that he wished to apologize for 676 00:46:58,075 --> 00:47:00,635 Speaker 1: having called me the main trouble with the university, or 677 00:47:00,675 --> 00:47:03,675 Speaker 1: maybe he had decided to compliment me on my brilliant 678 00:47:03,755 --> 00:47:06,755 Speaker 1: drilling of the day before, and then at the last 679 00:47:06,755 --> 00:47:13,235 Speaker 1: minute decided not to. I don't know. I don't think 680 00:47:13,275 --> 00:47:28,475 Speaker 1: about it much anymore. I've done all the damage I 681 00:47:28,475 --> 00:47:31,075 Speaker 1: can do here. Thank you for listening. Countdown Musical directors 682 00:47:31,115 --> 00:47:34,075 Speaker 1: Brian Ray and John Phillip Schanel arranged, produced, and performed 683 00:47:34,075 --> 00:47:36,875 Speaker 1: most of our music. Mister Ray was on the guitars, 684 00:47:36,875 --> 00:47:40,075 Speaker 1: bass and drums, and mister Shanelle handled orchestration and keyboards 685 00:47:40,475 --> 00:47:43,675 Speaker 1: produced by Tko Brothers. Other music, including some of the 686 00:47:43,715 --> 00:47:46,715 Speaker 1: Beethoven compositions, were arranged and performed by the group No 687 00:47:46,795 --> 00:47:50,115 Speaker 1: Horns Allowed. The sports music is the Olberman theme from 688 00:47:50,315 --> 00:47:54,315 Speaker 1: ESPN two, written by Mitch Warren Davis courtesy of ESPN Inc. 689 00:47:54,835 --> 00:47:58,275 Speaker 1: Our satirical and pithy musical comments are by Nancy Faust. 690 00:47:58,355 --> 00:48:01,315 Speaker 1: The best baseball stadium organist ever hour and ounce to 691 00:48:01,395 --> 00:48:04,195 Speaker 1: today is my friend Larry David. And you know what 692 00:48:04,235 --> 00:48:08,995 Speaker 1: that means. Everything else was pretty much my fault. So 693 00:48:09,115 --> 00:48:11,675 Speaker 1: that's countdown for this the two hundred and twenty second 694 00:48:11,755 --> 00:48:16,915 Speaker 1: day until the twenty twenty four presidential election, the seventy 695 00:48:16,995 --> 00:48:20,795 Speaker 1: ninth day since dishonest Jay Trump's first attempt at coup 696 00:48:21,075 --> 00:48:24,475 Speaker 1: against the democratically elected government of the United States. Use 697 00:48:24,555 --> 00:48:29,195 Speaker 1: the fourteenth Amendment and the not regularly given elector objection option, 698 00:48:29,755 --> 00:48:32,355 Speaker 1: use the Insurrection Act, use the justice system, use the 699 00:48:32,395 --> 00:48:35,275 Speaker 1: mental health system to stop him from doing it again 700 00:48:35,755 --> 00:48:39,355 Speaker 1: while we still can. The next scheduled countdown is Tuesday. 701 00:48:39,675 --> 00:48:42,915 Speaker 1: Bolletins as the news warrants till then. I'm Keith Ulreman. 702 00:48:42,995 --> 00:49:03,355 Speaker 1: Good morning, Good Afternoon, good Night, and good Luck. Countdown 703 00:49:03,395 --> 00:49:07,155 Speaker 1: with Keith Olreman is a production of iHeartRadio. For more 704 00:49:07,235 --> 00:49:12,195 Speaker 1: podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 705 00:49:12,235 --> 00:49:14,075 Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts.