Bette’s Weekly Roundup - The Motherlode
Celebrating wins, blue skies, and all good things + an exclusive interview with Elon Musk!
First, a shoutout to all the mothers and all the people who mother me - I feel so loved and blessed. Celebrating the good eggs and the wins along the way is vital to my sense of purpose. It is easy to get lost in the directionless of despair, but you know how I feel about that - we are at our best when we maintain a positive mental attitude. Are we downhearted? A thousand times no!
Blue skies from now on…
That thing in your home that transmits messages of ugly despair in HD is a malignancy - I cut mine out nearly two decades ago. I know it’s weird that I was a television producer without a television, but it worked for me.
As I have written a million times and will write a million times more, platforming propagandists is irresponsible and dangerous, and if you see a network doing so, it would be advisable to not trust that network.
The criminals thrive on attention - it’s their life blood - and I am now understanding that they thrive on negative attention. That is why no violence will ever be enough (RBG). But those of us who have managed to retain our sense of right and wrong, our belief in decency and professional expertise know what to do - organize and vote the bastards out. All of them. And then keep going.
And do know, we are collectively starting to see consequences for criminals. No amount of disinfommercials on Der State TV can delete the phrase “sexual abuser” from preceding the twice impeached, disgraced, violent insurrection leader. No amount of lawfare can eliminate the fact that Michael Flynn and Roger Stone’s frens have been convicted of seditious conspiracy.
As my podcast partner Jim Stewartson says, “Who were they conspiring with?” 🤔
Damn, it feels good to be writing for you again. The radio silence from me over the last few days is because I have been spending a lot of time taking care of the people I love and finishing some writing assignments. I am so damn caught up that the two French films sitting on my bed may just get watched tonight lol.
Among the writing I’ve been doing are memoirs of my time as an LA Times nightlife columnist. Gave me all the feels, and reconnected me with some people who were my night family.
And of course, I’ve been investigating 24/7.
I would like to give you a preview of an interview I did with Elon Musk for an upcoming investigation.
Heidi: Do you have any comment on the doubling of hate speech since you took over the Twitter Operation?
Musk: 💩
Heidi: Do you have any comment on the forced removal of two-factor authentication, putting users’ safety protections at increased risk?
Musk: 💩
Heidi: Can you please address the overall degradation of Twitter?
Musk: 💩
Heidi: Can you comment on Russian analyst Fiona Hill saying you are passing messages for indicted war criminal Vladimir Putin?
Musk: 💩
Charmed, I’m sure.
Please look for that investigation to run in Byline Supplement this week.
Alright friends, who is obeying in advance? Not us.
Pass it on…
Bette’s Weekly Roundup - The Motherlode
Before I jump into the top Bette Dangerous stories of the week, I want to make sure that anyone who is not yet a member and wants to start joining us for our special guest ‘Speakeasy’ zoom forums and our weekly Bette’s Happy Hour wellness checkins takes advantage of the motherly special I’m offering of 25% off the first year of annual membership.
Alright, let’s go. Behold, the news that matters…
To understand why a disgraced general is suing my podcast partner Jim Stewartson, learn his backstory. Jim’s rad.
‘Despair Is the Enemy of Action’ - And Other Quotes to Help You Fight Fascism
I was shocked when I was reading the chatter at a zoom meeting last week that so many people thought we’d had a bad week. Such is the power of the malignant normalcy (RBG) being spread on Der State TV and anti-social media. Dudes, E. Jean Carroll persisted and George Santos - aka Russian-financed chaos agent - was hit with a 13-count federal indictment for fraud and money laundering involving various companies in the Russian Federation State of Florida. The very next day he confessed to stealing checks in Brazil to get fraud charges dropped. Let’s face it, Russia is not sending us their best and his tenure may be as short lived as the last disgraced congressional chaos agent, Madison Cawthorn, remember him? 🙄 So, to remind you to look on the winning side of life I put together some of my favorite despair-busing slogans: Among the fan favorites: “None of us demons.”-Jason Stanley
Have a read, feel inspired, and then go back to having a beautiful day. Blues skies from now on.
‘Keep Working’ - But Savor the Wins
As I have noted, we take the wins where we can get them, and we cherish community. Here is an excerpt from this report:
‘She Persisted’
I got off our weekly Happy Hour zoom call and sat quietly for a moment. I’ve been doing this work for seven years, suffering the slings and arrows of the online hate tormentors for having the fortitude to stay loud and focused on the work.
And then I cried.
I sat with the realization that a jury unequivocally determined that Trump is a sexual assaulter.
I had first written about Trump’s sexual assault charges seven years ago.
But we take the wins where we can get them.
I for one will savor the permanent stain on the con man’s record.
‘Everything Was A Lie’ - The ‘Sainting’ of Killers
Last Sunday’s Bette Dangerous ‘Speakeasy’ with Alex Alvarova as our guest was perfectly timed. I recommend you read this very important report in full. Alex - who is from the Czech Republic and grew up under Soviet rule in - offers tips to inoculate against disinformation. This report also reveals how massacres occurring throughout America are often originating in chat rooms and that these radicalization chat rooms are a global problem. Join me in demanding Western leaders address the radicalization problem.
“We need you to address the radicalization problem in the US with all the fervor of the Allied forces in World War II. No more massacres. No more brainwashed extremists. The good people of the world demand action.”
Alright, that’s enough out of me.
Wishing all the lovely mothers a day surrounded by loved ones and flowers, of course, and to all the motherly people who share their love with the Bette community, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
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Bette Dangerous is a reader-funded magazine. Thank you to all monthly, annual, and founding members. Thank you as well to all those who support my work with your generous coffee tips and who buy my ebooks. A private link to an annual membership discount for activists and members of the media is available upon request.
More info about Bette Dangerous - This magazine is written by Heidi Siegmund Cuda, an Emmy-award winning investigative reporter, author, and veteran music and nightlife columnist. She is the cohost of RADICALIZED Truth Survives, an investigative show about disinformation and is part of the Byline Media team. Thank you for your support of independent investigative journalism.
The next Bette Dangerous ‘Speakeasy’ Zoom for paid members is Sunday, May 21, 4 pm PT, featuring geopolitical analyst Monique Camarra, cohost of Kremlin File and WTF podcast, as well as the daily EuroFile Report. Monique will update us on Italy’s ‘Soft Fascism’ and the Ukraine war, which she documents daily.
Paid members will also receive invites to our new weekly Bette’s Happy Hour, a wellness checkin. This week’s checkin is Tuesday at noon, PT, and a registration invite will be sent to members on Tuesday morning.
Thank you to everyone - you have no idea how grateful I am for all your memberships and additional support. You know who you are💘🥹.
(Mary Parker, at 100, Women’s March DC, January 21, 2017)
🤍🤍
“I say a silent prayer of thanksgiving as I walk upon the earth.”-Audrey Peterman.
“May the viral hope for truth and humanity wash away the chaos of these years.”-S.C., Bette community member
“Something Sacred never dies in almost all of us, that can hear the invitation of Truth…”-words from a Bette Dangerous community member
“Nothing but blue skies from now on…”-Irving Berlin
🤍🤍