John T. Reed’s news blog

My perspective on cars underwent a sea change when I bought my Lexus SC in 2006.Before that, I owned a Camaro, Mustang, Buick station wagon, Avalon, Camry. My wife had a VW bug, Audi, Granada, Oldsmobile, and two Lincolns before she got her current 2003 Lexus 430 LS.I got compliments on my Camaro, and many more on my SC. People would stop on the street when I put the top up or down. My wife got compliments on the Lexus and on one of her Lincolns. Many of the compliments were about the mirror dashboard. The actual instruments were down...

A Facebook friend, Jose Miura, sent me a Scott Adams (the Dilbert cartoonist) YouTube he thought I might be interested in. I started watching it a day or so ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43oV01a6qY8I posted comments about it then before I had finished reading it. I just resumed watching the last half of it and discovered the SPECIFIC part that caused Jose to do that. I mentioned in my initial remarks that I had sent a copy of my novel the Unelected President to Adams at his home address.At 17:16 in the YouTube tour of his house, he shows some books he has...

The Russia accusations against Trump are a classic opportunity to see innuendo in action. Indeed, this is the second such use of Russia, the first being the McCarthy era, which Dems belatedly opposed. McCarthy was a Republican.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyismBelow I list the verbal tools of the intellectually-dishonest debate tactics known as innuendo and insinuation:24. Innuendo: an indirect remark, gesture, or reference, usually implying something derogatory. 25. Insinuation: a sly, subtle, and usually derogatory reference https://www.johntreed.com/…/60887299-intellectually-honest-…• Where there’s smoke there’s fire. (#11)• This does not pass the smell test. (#11)• Trump, Flynn, etc. have ties, connections, possible contacts, entanglements, etc. to Russia. (#11)•...

I am a journalist. Have been since 1976.The first rule of journalism is “get your facts straight.” The second rule is “only do man bites dog stories, not dog bites man stories.”Somewhere down the list is “get both sides of the story.” But that does not, in my opinion, trump the “man-bites-dog” rule.So why do the media report stories with the following general themes?• Democrats criticize Trump• Democrats call for investigation of Republicans• Democrats call for appointment of special counsel to investigate Republicans• Democrats allege “ties” to [insert bad guy here]• Democrats allege smoke that must mean Republican scandal fire•...

My wife liked the Shari’s Berries cookies I sent her for Valentines Day. So I tried to order the same for Mother’s Day. The guy in India, or so it sounded on the phone, asked me three times what I wanted to send. Three times I told him same as Valentine’s Day.He said he did not know what it was. I pointed out to him that his web site had an order history tab, but that I could not get it to work. He said again he did not know what I ordered on Valentine’s day.These guys send me multiple...