Centered From Reality

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. 

Politics in a Box, The Forest Defenders vs. the Police & a Looming Health Crisis in France

In this episode, Alex starts by discussing how Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin may be the next big player in Russian politics. As Putin continues to struggle in Ukraine, Prigozhin is a master of creating “politics in a box” and funding ultra-nationalist groups (like the Wagner Group). It seems like Prigozhin is up to something. Next, Alex reflects on how Kobe Bryant died three years ago. Time is strange and the death of Bryant was the beginning of a tragic and chaotic 2020. Later, Alex goes into new revelations from the National Archives, CNN has reported that the National Archives are asking former presidents and vice presidents to check into their classified documents. Later, Alex discusses a troubling trend in France — according to new reports, the obesity rate has doubled to almost 17% of the population. This trend is occurring throughout Europe and is problematic for the future. Finally, Alex discusses a very chaotic and contradictory event that occurred between the police and activists in Atlanta, Georgia. He sides with the police after the city was only trying to create a more hospitable environment for all. 

Tanks to Ukraine, War Games in South Africa, Russian Subs in Hawaii & Tucker Carlson Deep Dives into Crazy!

In this episode, Alex starts by looking into why Tucker Carlson is more worried about fearmongering around the M&M “spokescandies” and a Space Vagina instead of real issues. He breaks down why Tucker does what he does. Later, Alex focuses the rest of the episode on recent revelations associated with the War in Ukraine. He talks about Russian submarines spotted in Hawaii, what the US and Germany sending tanks to Ukraine means, and the implications of a military drill between South Africa, China, and Russia. 

Driving Through Utah: Hotel Room Horrors, Chinese Decline, Mike Pence Hypocrisy & Shootings

In this installment of Alex’s “Driving Through” series, Alex sits in the passenger seat as the car moves through the Great Salt Lake. He reflects on some horrors that occurred the night before in his hotel room, relates these events to the recent shootings, and discusses why extreme gun rights have become negative impacts on people’s individual liberties. Later, Alex discusses a report that the Chinese population has declined for the first time since the 1960s. This will lead to severe health system issues and high societal costs as a large, older population is growing. Alex also notes that this decline is just another issue in China, as the COVID protests and anger in younger populations are leading to a ticking time bomb. Finally, there are recent revelations about classified documents being found in Mike Pence’s residence in Indiana. Alex argues that the US has a classified documents problem that covers the entire political spectrum.