BloggeRhythms

On October 6th of this year, Emily Greenhouse headlined her column @bloomberg.com: “Barry Diller Says He'll Leave the Country If Donald Trump Wins the White House”

Ms Greenhouse went on: “Barry Diller, the founder and chairman of IAC Interactive, knows show biz and New York real estate—and he is not impressed with the New York real estate mogul and superlative showman currently topping national political polls. 

“All he is is a huckster,” Diller said of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. 

“Somebody who learned long ago in real estate that if you can make a big name for yourself, it can get you an extra dollar.” In addition to questioning the GOP front-runner's motivation for running, Diller attacked Trump for appealing to the nation's worser angels. “He’s a self-promoting huckster who found a vein,” Diller continued. “A vein of meanness and nastiness.” 

“Asked to take account of his popularity, Diller would credit him with nothing.
“Zero,” he said. 

“I don’t think it’s got anything to do with American anger at the elites. He has no communication strategy—except to be what he has always been, a nasty mean person criticizing people and doing, you know, silly kind of showman stuff. Where did he get a national reputation? From ‘The Apprentice.’ What did he do on ‘The Apprentice?’ He fired people.” 

But that was then, and this is now where, Diller has apparently not only changed his mind, but sounds like he’s become a fan of Trump, although retaining a couple of reservations. 

Yesterday, Christine Wang wrote @cnbc.com, “Media executive Barry Diller said a Donald Trump administration is kind of like a "grand experiment."

"Every day, we see things we've never seen before," Diller said Tuesday on CNBC's "Fast Money." 

Remaining somewhat skeptical of Trump, Diller indicated he's interested to see what this development will bring, saying: “Look, 50 percent of the country wanted things to continue as they were, 50 percent wanted change. The 50 percent that wanted change has gotten the chance for it. As far as I'm concerned, bring it on.” 

Opining that it appears Trump will bring about "almost undiluted change,” he went on “One of the changes the United States will see is that Trump is a better negotiator than someone who has trained in government.” Adding, “he's hopeful that Trump will actually be really good across the table" and not "manhandle people" or "do one-off things that just sound good."

“When asked about his opinions on Trump's recent dealings with Boeing and United Technologies, Diller said that "it's interesting stuff" and that "it's never happened before."

All of which sounds like, Diller’s leaving his suitcase and passport packed away for the moment. 

Along the same lines, Berkeley Lovelace Jr., also @cnbc.com wrote last week: “CNBC's Jim Cramer said Wednesday he was taken aback by Steven Mnuchin and Wilbur Ross' proposed policy agendas under a Trump administration.

"Look, we're going to do responsible tax cuts. Everybody wants tax cuts," Cramer said on "Squawk on the Street." "I was blown away. These two guys are basically saying, listen, we have a traditional Republican agenda — bring money back. You know, try to help the middle class, maybe give some breaks for the rich, but take them back in terms of the way it's done. Republican agenda." 

“Cramer said the proposals by Mnuchin and Ross — in line with Trump's previous statements — seemed much more responsible. Cramer called Trump's choices "sophisticated" and Wall Street businessmen who understand the environment.

"Going in, I had felt that President-elect Trump stood for big tax cuts and lots of spending," Cramer said. "Today, I felt like he stands for bring that money back, repatriate nice tax cuts for the middle class and things will work out." 

He added: "I think the ultimate takeaway is, Mnuchin and Wilbur Ross are business people. ... I mean, pure business people who have done great business in their life made a lot of money." 

So, what we have here are two well-known businessmen, Diller and Kramer, both of whom previously voiced strong opinions for quite some time that Trump was a self-serving charlatan, huckster, con man, being little more than a fast-talking TV show host.  

However, it’s quite remarkable how soon “expert” opinion changes when a formerly worthless fraud winds up in the White House.  

On another subject, last week it was written here that AlGore was introducing his new movie, Melting Ice, about the global-warming threat at this year’s Sundance Film Festival taking place in Park City, Utah in January, 2017. 

And then, six days ago on November 30th it was noted here that according to Mark Morano @climatedepot.com: “[T]here are changes unfolding across the Northern Hemisphere that will likely bring a widespread very cold air mass into the US next week. This cold air mass is first going to arrive in Alaska this upcoming weekend with some spots in that state plunging to 40 degrees below zero and way below normal for early December. After that, the cold air dives into the western US during the first half of next week and then it’ll likely blast into the eastern US late next week.  In fact, by the time Saturday, December 10th rolls around, there may be colder-than-normal conditions all the way from Alaska to the southeastern US.  

Beyond that, it looks like this colder pattern will indeed have some staying power as we move deeper into the month of December.” 

And now, today as reported by Cole Lauterbach/Illinois Radio Network @wjbc.com via Drudge: “The first snowfall to hit Illinois this fall was no polite dusting, but a record-breaking event.” 

State Climatologist Jim Angel said Sunday’s snowfall was “the greatest first-of-the-season daily total for Chicago at O’Hare Airport,. That’s the biggest one-day jump to the winter snowfall season.” 

“Sunday’s 6.4 inches of snowfall at O’Hare blew past the old Chicago record of 4.8 inches in November of 1940. 

“Angel said the snow hit hardest near the Quad Cities, with some areas recording more than 9 inches.” 

As far as the article regarding AlGore’s concerned, only 29 readers bothered to comment. All of them, however, ranged between negative to outright insultingly hostile toward him and his strongly disputed climate agenda. 

An example came from sofakingcool1: “Algore should have won the Nobel Prize for Science Fiction….” 

On another issue, many on the left harp about Trump's visitors choosing to stay at his hotels when meeting with him for interviews. Trump responded that the amounts spent by those coming to see him is “peanuts,” and nothing to worry about. 

Recent events indicate, that as far as the amounts involved in hotel  stays versus some of the results to date, what’s taken in by those hotels is truly chump change. 

For example, as reported by Amber Wang @yahoo.com: “Taiwan's tech giant Foxconn confirmed Wednesday it is in talks over a new US investment, while SoftBank shares soared after President-elect Donald Trump unveiled a $50 billion deal with the two firms. 

“Trump announced the agreement -- which he said would bring 50,000 jobs -- in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York, alongside SoftBank's flamboyant chief executive Masayoshi Son. 

“Son brandished a document featuring the names of his firm and Foxconn which read: 
"Commit to invest $50bn + $7bn in US, generate 50k + 50k new jobs in US in next four years." 

“Foxconn, a major supplier to Apple, confirmed in a statement it is "in preliminary discussions regarding a potential investment" that would expand its current US operations, but would give no further details.” 

When introducing SoftBank's chief executive Masayoshi Son, Trump said: "This is Masa of SoftBank from Japan and he's just agreed to invest $50 billion in the United States and 50,000 jobs."

“Son has led the firm in a string of acquisitions including early investment in Alibaba, China's equivalent to eBay. 

“He pointed to Trump's business experience as a plus. 

"I expect there will be various forms of deregulation," under Trump, Son told Japanese journalists in New York. 

"He has a lot of experience as a businessman. Unlike many politicians who do a lot of talking, but only talking, I feel like he will take action," he said.” 

That's certainly a far cry from Solyndra, the solar panel manufacturer who took more than $535 million from taxpayer’s under Obama’s ill-fated stimulus plan, lying to federal officials in the Energy Department to secure the loan. 

In closing today, though it’s hardly worth mentioning, Andrew O'Reilly @FoxNews.com, reports: “Statewide recounts in key 2016 battlegrounds are proceeding in fits and starts -- but doing little to change the math behind Donald Trump's victory.  

In Wisconsin, one of three states where Green Party candidate Jill Stein has sought a fresh tabulation, the president-elect has even gained on Hillary Clinton.

While Stein paid $3.5 million for the recount after alleging reports of fraud, Trump is actually gaining. “By [this] morning, Trump had widened his victory margin over Clinton in Wisconsin by 146 votes, with 23 of the state's 72 counties having finished their recounts as of Tuesday. In those counties, Trump gained 105 votes and Clinton dropped 41 votes.”

As far as the other two states in question are concerned: “The push for a recount in Pennsylvania, meanwhile, is awaiting a federal court's OK, and a similar effort in Michigan has run into new judicial turbulence. But while Trump narrowly defeated Clinton in all three states, the numbers trickling in look unlikely to call into question the Nov. 8 results.” 

A reader, John10065, posted an appropriate thought, considering how much Stein claims she truly cares about helping people who can’t help themselves, as follows:  

“Gee I wonder how much good could have been done for the citizens of these states with the money that is being wasted.” 

That’s it for today folks. 

Adios