08/25/22 Bonus edition. “In media veritas est.” The truth is in the middle.

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As we awake Thursday morning, we have people telling us that student loan debt forgiveness is a wonderful thing. We also have people telling us that student loan debt forgiveness is a terrible thing. The truth—as is often the case with the truth—is somewhere in the middle.

But it is true that the $300 billion cost of the forgiveness completely wipes out deficit reduction recently achieved in the so-named Inflation Reduction Act. And it’s also true that folks who did not incur student loan debt will be paying to reduce the debt of folks who did.

So it’s true that it’s a “bailout.” But it’s also true that we routinely bail folks out, especially rich folks. Again. The truth—as if often the case with truth—is somewhere in the middle.

Don’t buy the deflections, tangents and irrelevances. He stole government documents and attempted to hide them from view. He was given every opportunity return them and refused to do so. Many of these documents carried the highest level of classified secrecy. Those are facts.

You do understand that the Mueller Report did not “exonerate” or “vindicate” Donald Trump, right? In fact, Mueller cited dozens of examples of clear obstruction of justice, but concluded that a sitting president could not be prosecuted. The distorted “summary” of the report penned and distributed by Bill Barr prior to the report’s full release remains a travesty.

It’s Taliban Trigger Day in Texas, Tennessee and Idaho.

It’s August 25. That’s a date you will never forget if you were living in Port Aransas or Rockport five years ago.

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Paul's Bio

I clearly have the attention span of your median fruit fly.Look! Airplane!

Sorry. I’m back.

It’s both a curse and a blessing. I’ve never bought this stuff about, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” But I do think that a wide range of life experiences helps us grow as people, and helps us better relate to other people. I’ve been fortunate. And I am beyond grateful.

I show up on time. I go like hell. I’m a good listener. I hold myself accountable. I own my mistakes. And I have a natural and an insatiable curiosity. I’m never afraid to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t. But then I try to find out.

The flip side is I’m a lousy ballroom dancer and my clothes sometimes fit me funny.

Stuff matters to me. I care. But while I take that stuff seriously, I try hard to never take myself seriously. As a result, I have sometimes been told, “Paul, it’s hard to tell when you’re serious and when you’re just having some fun. Which is it? Serious or fun?”

My answer is “yes.” But I think that is a legitimate criticism. I promise I’m going to work on that.

This has been the quickest and strangest half-century I’ve ever experienced. During that period, I’ve been afforded amazing opportunities in news and sports journalism across all platforms. I have taught wonderful students at the high school and collegiate level. Always, I learned more from them than they did from me. I’ve been a high school administrator. I spent ten seasons as a high school varsity football coach. I’ve been an advertising executive. I’ve hosted nationally syndicated television entertainment shows. In maybe the biggest honor I ever received, I was selected by NASA to be “Chet The Astronaut” for the “Land The Shuttle” simulator at Space Center Houston. (All I can say there, is “Do as I say, not as I do.” I put that thing in the Everglades more often than not.) Most recently, I just wrapped up a decade as a television news director, during which time our teams distinguished themselves in holding the powerful accountable, achieving both critical and ratings success.

What does all that mean? It means I am profoundly grateful. It also means I’m ready for “next.” So here we are. Radically Rational. It’s an idea I woke up with in 2017. I scribbled “Radically Rational” on a piece of notebook paper and used a magnet to stick it on our refrigerator. I saw it every day, and it just would not leave me alone.

I am second in charge at Radically Rational, LLC. My wife, Jo (also known as BB), is the president. Clearly, I have failed in my attempt to sleep my way to the top of this organization.

I hope you will learn that I’m loyal as a Labrador. But I will admit that this doggie can bite every now and then. My promise to you? I will show up on time. I will go like hell. I will listen to you earnestly and attentively. I will hold myself accountable. I will never be the least bit hesitant to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t.

But then I’ll try to find out. Let’s do it.