From Wikipedia: The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which low-ability individuals suffer from illusory superiority, mistakenly assessing their ability as much higher than it really is. Psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger attributed this bias to an incapacity, on the part of those with low ability, to recognize their ineptitude and evaluate their competence accurately.
Yesterday’s diary was well received so I think I will close out with that bang and let this one be a denouement of sorts.
It’s just too depressing to think of revisiting the highlights and lowlights of what we have been through since January 20. I’m just grateful that so far SecDef Mattis and others have held DJT back from deploying the nuclear bombs he seems itching to drop. Every day without a nuclear war is a good day! It’s sad that people are actually saying that to each other, but it is true.
In looking back I’d rather concentrate on the delights of the resistance: marching, calling, supporting new candidates and campaigns, encouraging each other, holding on to hope together. That's how I made it through with my sanity (more of less) intact.
Well that, and the ridiculous idea of writing 100 diaries in 100 days.
TBR will not be a daily offering from now on.
But it will continue to appear on an occasional basis as situations arise.
As much as I live and breathe political commentary, I want to go back to writing about things not (directly) related to politics.
Also I am coming up on a milestone birthday and need to get my real world life in order a bit before then, so I need the time back.
This will also be the last diary with the list of previous diaries. Any future TBR posts will just link to the Black Star Resistance subgroup. In spite of the frequent criticism I received for it, I still feel that making TBR a single unit, having all the diaries connected to each other, was the right thing to do under the circumstances.
I am resisting the temptation to print them all out, out of a paranoid fear that the coming apocalypse wipes out the entire archive, by reminding myself that if a real-world or internet apocalypse does come, carrying around a notebook with hard copies of blog posts will probably be low on the survival priority list.
But before the TBR first wave signs off, we have to give out a whole bunch of ribbons!
Basically, everyone in the resistance all over the world gets a symbolic ribbon for just surviving 100 days of the Dunning-Kruger president, who didn’t know what he didn’t know. He didn’t know health care was complicated. He didn’t know trade deals were complicated. He didn’t know he would have to deal with two other branches of the government.
He actually thought being “leader of the free world” was going to be easy.
Apparently it looked easy to him from the outside looking in, which is about all anyone needs to know about his tenuous grasp on reality.
I also give out with great gratitude special ribbons to everyone who read TBR every day and left comments and recs. I was writing mostly for my own catharsis, but it was also important for me to publish here at my blog home for whoever wanted to stop by and read and commiserate. As helpful as it was to do the writing, the positive feedback was an even bigger part of coping with the roller coaster of emotions since inauguration day.
Last but not least, a silver and blue ribbon for the True Blue Report series author, TrueBlueMajority! When I first made the commitment to do this I admit I didn’t even look at the calendar to realize the period would end during the busiest time of the year for my line of work. If I had thought ahead I would have known better than to try it LOL! So yeah, I’m going to pat myself on the back for persevering in spite of everything. It was a wonderful self-imposed writing ordeal. These diaries are my small contribution to the resistance. Something they can never take away. My personal testimony to what these first 100 days felt like.
Looking forward, nobody knows whether DJT will make it to the end of his term.
Maybe we will take back Congress and impeach him.
Or maybe he will step down voluntarily.
He might get frustrated because the job really is too hard for him, and he does not like to do things unless he can pretend to be doing them well.
Maybe he will have a health scare of some kind and retire on a medical recommendation.
Maybe he will just get bored.
I do not want violent harm to come to him, but I do fervently hope something happens to keep him from subjecting us to this for another 1,362 days. (And I absolutely refuse to entertain the possibility of another 2,824 days.)
Thanks again to everyone for indulging my fantasy of being a political columnist over these last 100 days.
This community means the world to me.
TRUE BLUE REPORT—THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE DJT ADMINISTRATION:
Apr 28: How in the world did DJT get a degree from Wharton?
Apr 27: DJT says—if I give you $1,000, can I give myself $30,000,000? Thanks, suckers!
Apr 26: The desperate bully is always spoiling for his next fight
Apr 25: Can you reason with a racist?
Apr 24: Will DJT ever learn the limits of bullying?
Apr 23: TBR SUNDAY: Did Putin or Bannon direct DJT to “endorse” Le Pen?
Apr 22: BLUE RIBBONS: Flipthe6th voters, tax return marchers, and (international!) marchers for science
Apr 21: But he’s not *running* as a prolife candidate?
Apr 20: Is it good or bad that DJT has no idea what he is doing with respect to North Korea?
Apr 19: What Huckabee actually DID say, about journalism, was totally outrageous
Apr 18: Another 20 point swing means the Rs are scrambling to regroup
Apr 17: The number of persuadables is growing as people lose confidence in DJT
Apr 16: TBR SUNDAY: He shook up the world—Easter fears can be overcome with Easter JOY
Apr 15: BLUE RIBBONS: David Fahrenthold, Amariyanna Copeny, Chasity Wells-Armstrong, the ASAN
Apr 14: Everyone talking, everyone reaching out—is it helping?
Apr 13: Three ways to respond to the stress overload of current political news
Apr 12: Republicons--the party of cruelty
Apr 11: Spicer’s comment was MUCH more than just an “insensitive reference to the holocaust”
Apr 10: If DJT changes policy based on televised images... let’s show him some
Apr 9: TBR SUNDAY: DJT supporters do not realize nuclear war could mean the end of the world
Apr 8: BLUE RIBBONS: Jeff Merkley, Gina Mathew & Connor Balthazor, 70 (!) advertisers dump Bill-O
Apr 7: Not taking our eyes off Heitkamp, Manchin and Donnelly—they should be primaried
Apr 6: Take Me to Your Leader
Apr 5: DJT ran for POTUS to get back at Obama but the person he is discrediting is himself
Apr 4: Obama’s is bigger—Twitter following, inauguration crowd size, and approval rating
Apr 3: Filibuster a SCt nominee? Ds are changing the rules! This never happened before !1!
Apr 2: TBR SUNDAY: Put Your Lights On
Apr 1: BLUE RIBBONS for 4/1/17—Dick Cheney, Richard Burr, Rick Wilson
MARCH
Mar 31: The possible reasons Flynn was refused immunity are all good for the Blue Team
Mar 30: Special Assistant Ivanka—every word she says from now on is a DJT advertising ploy
Mar 29: “It’s just that valuable” — do you know the MAIN reasons Ryan wants to pass the AHCA?
Mar 28: Nipping at their heels
Mar 27: In cheering Republicon failures, think like a surgeon
Mar 26: TBR SUNDAY: Dare we hope the tide is turning? Or is that unrealistically optimistic?
Mar 25: BLUE RIBBONS: Sheldon Whitehouse, Al Franken, Bobby Brooks, Betsy Anderson, ACA phone callers
Mar 24: HaHaHa-Ha-Ha You’re gonna need Congressional approval and you don’t have the votes
Mar 23: Rcons hate Obamacare for selfish, greedy, racist reasons, but not enough to fix it.
Mar 22: Neil Gorsuch’s attempt to seem wide-eyed and innocent makes him look even worse
Mar 21: Using Trump as a bad example—no Trump Sleep, Trump Food or other Trump habits
Mar 20: Is DJT a compulsive liar, or out of touch with reality? Five scenarios...
Mar 19: TBR SUNDAY: A budget is a moral document—a statement of public compassion
Mar 18: BLUE RIBBONS: CBO scorers, Senate Intelligence Committee, Judge Derrick Watson
Mar 17: They know DJT is lying. Here’s one sad reason they follow him anyway.
Mar 16: Mick Mulvaney's ignorant, callous, evil, Republicon definition of compassion
Mar 15: Message Discipline 101—Pushback against Rcon talking points re DJT 2005 tax return
Mar 14: Message Discipline 101—Pushback against Rcon talking points about Obamacare repeal
Mar 13: Culture, Civilization, Rural America, Working Families—the missing word is a “tell”
Mar 12: TBR SUNDAY: The Rcon definition of Christians is as wrong as the Rcon definition of Democrats.
Mar 11: BLUE RIBBONS: A Day Without a Woman, Native Nations Rise, Voting Rights Act still lives
Mar 10: How to talk to people who have trouble understanding actions have consequences
Mar 9: Where’s the fire? The real reason Rs are trying to rush TrumpCare through Congress
Mar 8: Message Discipline 101: TrumpCare, RyanCare, GOPCare, DonTCare—what’s in a name?
Mar 7: How very hard it is for a woman to go a day without paid (or unpaid) work
Mar 6: Can DJT really be stumbling into the exact investigation we want?
Mar 5: TBR SUNDAY: How is it even possible that deplorables see a man of faith when they look at DJT?
Mar 4: BLUE RIBBONS: Chris Hayes, Malcolm Nance, Cierra Fields
Mar 3: I’m glad Bannon, Conway, Carson, Sessions, Miller, et al. are in the DJT Administration
Mar 2: “In every major fire it always starts with smoke. And smoke is what kills you.”
Mar 1: Am I the only one whose skin crawled at the Carryn Owens BIRGing moment?
FEBRUARY
Feb 28: Spinspotting 101: Special Prosecutor for what? It’s so easy to answer that question
Feb 27: Spinspotting 101: I’ve seen no evidence because I haven’t looked for any evidence!
Feb 26: TBR SUNDAY: If Neil Gorsuch were a man of integrity, he would decline the S.Ct. appointment
Feb 25: BLUE RIBBONS: Russia Flag trolling, Dixie Swastika grabbing, District Days demonstrating
Feb 24: There is no such thing as a compassionate conservative
Feb 23: Chief of Staff, Nat’l Security Advisor, GOP Head, President Bannon—too many hats!
Feb 22: DJT has a few questions for you—SMURF THIS POLL!
Feb 21: The end of “access journalism” means it’s time to #sendtheinterns
Feb 20: KAC lying low for now… can we banish her (and all her ilk) from the airwaves completely?
Feb 19: TBR SUNDAY: DeVos cartoon, Ruby Bridges, unearned unhappiness and childlike faith
Feb 18: BLUE RIBBONS: Vice Adm. Harward, Melissa McCarthy, and intel whistleblowers
Feb 17: And Ain’t I an American?
Feb 16: Please tell your family and friends—If you regret your DJT vote, speak up NOW
Feb 15: R-supported forced childbirth laws deny the autonomy of women
Feb 14: What did the president know? Everything. When did he know it? From the beginning.
Feb 13: Coping with The Madness of King Donald by hoping political comedy will save us
Feb 12: TBR SUNDAY: The Poverty and Justice Bible
Feb 11: BLUE RIBBONS: Swastika removers, Ninth Circuit Panel, and the Persisterhood!
Feb 10: The first three words of the Constitution are “We, the People” not “I, the President”
Feb 9: Who first inspired your political activism? Who inspires you now?
Feb 8: We cannot and will not be silenced—Here’s what to do if they try to silence you
Feb 7: Plain Talk Tuesday: Tell people the Affordable Care Act is the same as OBAMACARE
Feb 6: Interview Skills 101—Internalized oppression and what Ryan Lizza did right. BRAVO!
Feb 5: TBR SUNDAY: These protest signs with Bible cites will confuse and befuddle RWNJs
Feb 4: BLUE RIBBONS: Temple B’Nai Israel, Judge Robart, CNN, Senate Phone Callers
Feb 3: Not rich, not smart, not a good businessman, not a winner—DJT is NOTHING he claims to be
Feb 2: Thursday action—Encouragement, thanks, and apologies (pick one or more)
Feb 1: July 7, 2009 to August 25, 2009 and September 25, 2009 to February 4, 2010
JANUARY
Jan 31: If you’re on overload that’s part of their plan—there’s more than one way to #resist
Jan 30: Interview Skills 101 for reporters attempting to interview KAC and other Rcons
Jan 29: TBR SUNDAY: Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness
Jan 28: BLUE RIBBONS: Women's March participants and #NoMuslimBan demonstrators and...
Jan 27: I wish Steve Bannon would tell me to keep my mouth shut
Jan 26: Thursday Action—Have you ever written a letter to the editor? Here’s how to start
Jan 25: The Asch Conformity Study, inauguration crowds, and the importance of speaking out
Jan 24: #ResistTrumpTuesday—good news day or another paying dues day?
Jan 23: Spy the Lie 101: How to enjoy watching Rcon spokesbot interviews, even KAC!
Jan 22: TBR SUNDAY: Why I prayed for the President* today
Jan 21: The only silver lining in the midst of these clouds
Inaugural (!) diary: Stop expecting Republicons to make sense