Centered From Reality

A UFO Fever Infects the US, Nikki Haley Announces & Ohio Chernobyl?

In this episode, Alex starts by going over Nikki Haley’s announcement that she is officially running for president. He plays her campaign ad/announcement ad and then ponders many things. He questions why she is running, whom she will appeal to, and whether she can even beat Liz Cheney or Mike Pence. Next, Alex discusses the train derailment that happened in East Palestine, Ohio, that led to dozens of cars falling off the tracks and the release of toxic chemicals that ended up burning into the area and the air. People were evacuated but have since returned to their homes. There are reports of pets showing illness and people complaining of burning eyes and other symptoms. Alex is worried that this issue not only shows regulation and infrastructure concerns but also may lead to a new “cancer cluster” in which the people of this area are negatively impacted by this disaster. Finally, Alex goes into the recent chaos around a recent “object” shot down over Lake Huron. As CNN has reported, this recent object over Huron marks“ the third day in a row that an unidentified object was shot down over North American airspace. An unidentified object was shot down over northern Canada on Saturday. On Friday, an unidentified object was shot down in Alaska airspace by a US F-22.” Alex goes into all the different theories, how the Pentagon has reacted, and why he is not convinced these are UFOs. 

A False Narrative Spreads in Peru as Violence and Turmoil Follow

In this episode, Alex talks about the congressional hearings that are aimed at  Twitter and free speech. Then he reflects on why he thinks the GOP is merely focused on projection instead of solutions. Finally, he goes into the recent events in Peru. Political turmoil has crippled the country as a false presidential narrative has spread like wildfire. Alex worries that Democracy and Peruvian stability are at stake.

The State of the (Dis)Union

In this episode, Alex goes into his thoughts after viewing a problematic, yet entertaining State of the Union address. He goes into how President Biden used some fascinating traps, how Republicans created an unnecessary optics problem, and why George Santos and Mitt Romney won't be best friends. 

A Spy Balloon of Disinformation, Earthquake Horrors in Turkey/Syria & Santos Strikes Again

In this episode, Alex discusses his thoughts on the State of the Union address and why he is okay with a little chaos. Then he goes into the chaos around the Chinese Spy Balloon getting shot down. He is surprised that the reaction from the right has been so chaotic, disingenuous, and completely illogical. It shows time and time again, that the Republicans only want Biden to fail and don’t care about governance. Later, Alex goes into George Santos, and new issues that the freshman congressman may face, as he rocks an AR-15 pin to fit in with his new tribe. Finally, Alex goes into the devastating earthquake and its aftershock that occurred in Turkey and Syria. He discusses how this tragic act of nature will only lead to an emergency on top of existing emergencies. 

Democracy is Dying in Georgia, One Slow Prison Death at a Time

In this Saturday special, Alex starts by laughing about how the NBA All-Star Game is going to be held in Salt Lake City. Usually, the game brings in people wanting to party for the weekend, Utah may be a hard sell for a party weekend. Next, Alex admits he was wrong — the Chinese balloon was shot down after the Biden Administration waited for it to fly over the Atlantic Ocean. He notes that politicians must look for answers but also must be patient and be sure to not escalate the situation. Finally, Alex discusses why democracy is dying in Georgia. Its former president, and a reformist for democracy, is currently dying in a Georgian prison on trumped-up charges. In an Atlantic article, Anne Applebaum notes that these forms of death were common in the Soviet Union, “The slow prison death was a Soviet specialty: not a murder, not an assassination, just a well-monitored, carefully controlled, long, drawn-out decline. Most of the people who died in Soviet prison camps were not executed; they were merely starved until their heart stopped beating.” Alex goes into why Georgia is on the brink. 

Spy Balloons Over Montana, Post-Fascist Populism on the Brink & Larry Hogan’s Moral Dissonance

In this episode, Alex starts by discussing his irritation with the Former Governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan. After years of criticizing Trump, Hogan has now gone into the zone of moral dissonance and has said he would support the Republican candidate no matter what. Alex ponders this and wonders why this is happening because this will not help Hogan gain any support, he is closer to Biden than Trump on politics. Next, Alex goes into the Chinese Spy Balloon that was found 60,000 feet above Montana. He goes into what it means, why it hasn’t been shot down yet, and why he supports mutual surveillance if it stops conflicts. Finally, Alex looks into the state of populism (mainly right-wing populism) in Europe. He is skeptical, yet also optimistic, and thinks that it is slowly waning due to a myriad of factors. One example Alex discusses involves a recent presidential election in the Czech Republic where a moderate, institutionalist, beat the Trumpian populist. 

MyPillow in the Machine, ChatGPT Solves a Problem it Created & Chaos in the House!

In this episode, Alex starts with some troubling news about a groundhog from Canada that died right before he was to predict that winter was remaining for six more weeks. Alex rants about how Groundhog Day is a perfect metaphor for the GOP ignoring the looming threat of Trump 2024. Next, Alex goes through some of America’s most pressing issues, these include an amazingly funny interview between Jimmy Kimmel and Mike Lindell (who is in a claw machine), Ilhan Omar being removed from her committee for anti-semitism while the deciding vote was from an antisemitic guy named George Santos, and MTG being unable to hold a hearing. Later, Alex goes into the meeting between Kevin McCarthy and Joe Biden, why nothing happened, and why “strengthening social security” is a lie and it really means cutting social security to bring it back to solvency. Finally, Alex goes over his experience with ChatGPT and discusses why it won’t be taking over the United States yet. He also goes into how ChatGPT has created a problem in education and then has provided the solution, and why he thinks these intelligence platforms could be both beneficial and a problem. 

Egypt and Netflix are on the Brink, Hot-Spot Policing Sucks & Matt Schlapp Schlapps a Schlapp

In this episode, Alex discusses the most democratic and least democratic countries in the world, then he goes into his grievances with the new Netflix policy over password surveillance. He asks the question, “does Netflix hate its viewers and want them to leave!?” Next, Alex touches on Tom Brady and then goes into Matt Schlapp, the President of CPAC, who seems to be vehemently against “traditional family values.” Later, Alex goes into new revelations about how the Memphis police department managed to both over-police and under-police neighborhoods while failing to address the cultural issues inside of the department. Finally, Alex takes a deep dive into the Egyptian Coup of 2013, the country’s recent economic collapse, and why it all matters.

Thoughts on the Tyre Nichols Murder, Judicial Deference & Qualified Immunity

In this episode, Alex starts with a pallet cleanser. He goes into new revelations from the George Santos saga; apparently, Santos is stepping back from his committee positions until his “issues” are resolved. For the remainder of the episode, Alex goes over the atrocious, tragic, and brutal murder of Tyre Nichols. Nichols was beaten and killed by five police officers in early January. Alex goes over his thoughts on why racism is part of the issue, why systemic issues persist, why police reform may not be enough, and why accountability/oversight is still lacking in police departments across the United States. Alex also discusses his thoughts on the failures of body cams and why interactions between the police and the public must be reduced. Finally, Alex goes into some of the systemic issues that have allowed these incidences of brutality to persist. He discusses how victims of police brutality rarely get justice. Alex argues that this dilemma is caused by constitutional and legal barriers that are in the United States government, administration, and legal system. He goes over judicial deference, judicial review, and qualified immunity. All of these terms are related to granting public agencies the ability to self-investigate and regulate themselves under the view that agencies are better fit to interpret their own rules and policies. 

Biden’s New Chief of Staff, Good Economic News From Spain, the RNC Election Circius & Fireball Lawsuit

In this end-of-week episode, Alex covers a plethora of topics. He starts by talking about some new grifts/lies from George Santos. Then he gets into a lawsuit against Fireball Whiskey. Next, he talks about economic trends that are promising out of Spain and how they may backfire. For the rest of the episode, he looks at Jeff Zients, Joe Biden’s new chief of staff. Alex argues that Zients is a corporatist that will go against the progress that Biden’s administration has accomplished. He goes into Zients’ long resume which leads to many contradictory actions. Finally, Alex looks into the recent chairperson election in the Republican National Committee. It was a circus; however, Ronna McDaniel held out and was re-elected. Alex compares McDaniel to Kevin McCarthy and notes that her struggles have just begun.