The Catchup: Bad Apple

See? This is what I get. On Friday I wrote that I was looking forward to a Badgers v. Marquette March Madness matchup next weekend. But I was worried that Bucky might not make it past Duke in the second round, completely ignoring their first round game against James Madison University. (By the way, I understand James Madison will soon change its name to Vel Phillips University.) And just like that, my hopes were turned over… 13 times in the first half alone.

Let’s see if we can find any happier news from last week.

I like Apples. The Justice Department announced last week that it’s suing Apple. Really? Why go after a company that produces a high quality product that American consumers love? Now, on the other hand, cable and streaming companies that are making us pay more for stuff we’re already paying for? I tuned into a show on Prime or Netflix or something or other and they informed me that I could now watch without commercials for another five or ten bucks a month or some other extortionary amount. I thought I was paying through the nose for cable precisely so I didn’t have to sit through the damn ads. This is the sacred covenant that the cable companies made with viewers: pay us and you will be forever free from commercials. Now, they’re breaking the ageless bond. Geez Merrick, leave my phone alone and go after those bastards!

Speaking of really bad apples… What was NBC thinking? The network is thought by some to have a liberal bias and, I don’t know, maybe it does. But the NBC execs over-reacted by hiring Ronna McDaniel, the former National Republican Committee chair and Trump sycophant, to be a paid commentator. McDaniel backed Trump’s lies about the election. She’s also been known to lie and to encourage the attacks on journalists. She even refused to go on Meet the Press when she represented the RNC. Chuck Todd did a nice job of taking down his bosses for this head-scratching decision. If NBC wanted to provide some ideological balance why not hire Mike Gallagher? He just announced he’s resigning from Congress next month. He needs the job and, now more than ever, NBC needs his conservative credibility.

Gothard continues stonewalling. And speaking of bad press relations, the Wisconsin State Journal ran a story on Madison’s new schools superintendent’s record in St. Paul (it’s mixed), but without Gothard’s cooperation. The paper says that he refused multiple interview requests and the Madison district refused to set one up. In addition, not one of St. Paul’s school board members would be interviewed. Gothard has yet to grant a single interview request from Madison media. For a district that recently had to fire its communications director for stonewalling and berating the press, this is a really bad start. More on this tomorrow.