03/16/23 News flash: The Russians are lying. – Radically Rational

03/16/23 News flash: The Russians are lying.

I just saw the video released by the Pentagon documenting a piloted Russian fighter jet’s interception of a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea. Yeah, it was pretty damn rude. Dumping that jet fuel all over the drone’s face looked like a frame from a Pepe Le Pew cartoon. “Disrespectful” would be an understatement.

The Russians are lying. How do we know? The Russians are moving their lips. Russia continues to claim that their fighter never made contact with the U.S. drone. The video clearly shows the fighter clipping the drone’s propeller, which led to a U.S. decision to intentionally ditch the drone. Pentagon officials say all sensitive data collected by the drone were successfully wiped clean prior to the controlled crash.

Intentional provocation? Certainly. “Act of war”? No need to go there now.

But the State of Texas is clearly at war with Texans. The-judge shopping in the abortion pill case is scandalous. And the premise of the lawsuit is absurd and dishonest. That pill was fully vetted by the FDA.

And the Texas Taliban has now invaded Houston ISD. This is a jaw-dropper, or at least would have been before we became numb to these outrages.

This is just the start, of course. I consider Abbott’s proposed “school voucher” scam to be the single most alarming issue facing our state. Public money belongs in public schools. I’ll draw my line in the sand on this one. I’ll fightcha.

So there’s Trump clearly, improperly and illegally pressuring yet another Georgia state official to rig the 2020 election. It’s on tape, of course. This is not a “hoax” or a “witch hunt” or “fake news.” It’s on tape. All of this is on tape.

Remember when folks had the courage to believe their own ears and eyes?

I do. That’s why we do Radically Rational.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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.