Words that Matter How the News and Social Media Shaped the 2016 Presidential Elections

Words that Matter How

the News and Social Media Shaped the 2016 Presidential Campaign by Brookings Institution Press is an analysis about one of the nastiest and controvertials Presidential Campaigns of all the times: the one that would have "donated" the Usa to Donald Trump.

Analyzing the graphics, and you will meet a lot of them in this book, you'll realize that, after all, words, better, important words, in a Presidential Campaign are few, but they are crucials for the election of a candidate or another one.

Hillary Rhodam Clinton was the most accredited candidate of the democrat party, after that the socialist Bernie Sanders was defeated. 

Hillary Clinton's portrait is portrayed in one of the first chapters like the one of Trump; two facts, the story of the e-mails sent via her own private e-mail without passing through the one of the Department of State  and later her pneumonia that caused her a big weakness when she left the the commemoration of  9/11 meant two crucials moments; not only; the story of these e-mails returned periodically during the Presidential electoral campaign.

Donald Trump was known for being a sort of celebrity; he built the Trump Tower, his father left him a fortune. During the 1980's 1990's lost a fortune but his ability of appearing in the most celebrated magazines as Time, Newsweek but also Playboy remarked his being in the scenes of the American Life in many ways and sectors.

In The Apprentice, an American show long fourteen seasons, the winner won a work at the Trump Organization.

Trump was registered in the democract party although donated money to Republicans and Democrats. Then, the abrupt change and the idea of embracing the Republican party.

Trump attacked Barack Obama with an idea that "navigated" per years in the USA: Obama was born in Kenya and not in the American territory. Trump recognized that that one was a fake news spread by him per years, during his electoral campaign.

Which were the biggest problems of the USA in 2016? Military troops sent overseas, stagnation in the economic growth and climate change. 

Tensions reached the electoral campaign when Trump started to attach heavily most of the press and TV station telling to the potential electorate that they were reporting just fake news. 

But which has been the role of fake news? It was massive, like also the Russian help as the book reports but there is also to add that most of the information spread by people in social medias were of decent and respectable newsmagazines and so absolutely honest.

Probably people thought that was the moment for a change: in the book is reported that just once, after the Second World War people re-voted for the same political party the third time at a Presidential Election. The American elections are long and elaborated and people think that changing after two turns of the same political party in power is the best thing to do.

Analyzing the tweets of the Presidential Campaign you see that only dirty stuff is shared massively; in the case of Clinton the e-mail scandal, in the case of Trump his attacks on Hillary; real problems like crime and shootings, just an example, are marginals. 

In several prospects you will see which have been the words mainly used during the political campaign; Twitter "defined" thanks to its public the campaign of Hillary Clinton with these words - just some- : e-mails, but also FBI , Wikileaks, systems, foundation, people, money, scandal; the ones of Trump on Twitter: policy, president, people, deleted, black, gop, rally...

News reported other words as well. For Hillary: email, Benghazi, health, scandal, speech; in Trump's case women, speech, immigration, Mexico, scandal response...

But is it important for most people what tell candidates? Electors in most cases won't attend rallies, so they will build their ideas thanks to some suggestions.

A big scandal became the ideas of Trump regarding women and girls and his approach, behavior regarding sex because of his priviledged position. 

Brookings created this book thanks also to Gallup and their methods of elaboration.

A book  clear, linear, for everyone, in particular if you love to following a presidential campaign, if you want to discover more, if you are in the world of medias.

Highly recommended. 

I thank Brookings and Eurospan for the physical copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori

  

Il Libro dei Giorni Migliori Ritratto di un Paese ad altezza d'uomo by Mattia Feltri

Il Libro dei Giorni Migliori

Ritratto di un Paese ad altezza d'uomo by Mattia Feltri is a book where you can find all his articles published in Buongiorno a column of La Stampa one of the biggest italian newsmagazines located in Turin. The editor of La Stampa Molinari called Feltri for working on the column. Feltri is a reporter but he hasn't never been enthusiastic of going out trying to discover a news, consuming his shoes, as he says, walking along the streets. No: to him that kind of work was pretty boring. Feltri preferred a different role: his idea of journalism was the one of writing and reading. Why a person writes? For being immortal or for believing in that sense of immortality that each of us should cultivate; for being read at the end of a tiring day, more commonly. This book, adds the author is not written for the readers but just for himself. Feltri thinks that writing for others is an error: writing means writing for ourselves and for being, later, read by other ones.

You can read articles here and there, of course the book leave you a complete freedom. You will find policy, singers, articles of customs, and in a few words our Italy.

Highly recommended.

I thank Marsilio for the physical copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori

L'Ordine Nascosto La Vita Segreta dei Funghi by Merlin Sheldrake

L'Ordine Nascosto La Vita Segreta dei Funghi

by Merlin Sheldrake or if you prefer the english title  Entangled Life.How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Future is a beautiful, stunning, incredible succulent account on this topic; the world of mushrooms, fungi, is intricated, sophisticated, absolutely unique in the world. 

There is to say I remained impressed again by the author, another wonderful mind!

Fungi: they are everywhere; in our bodies, in our forests, in food thanks to the yeast, in medicine thanks to that drugs where mushrooms play a big role as ingredients, or, if you prefer, components.

Fungi don't have a brain but they are in grade of thinking, for later elaborate new paths, chosing the best strategies to them, using other animals as ants, for example, like vehicles for their own purposes. They are sly, opportunists, they try to better themselves all the time and in various measures.

An interesting chapter the one of truffles. Why white truffles' got such a persistent smell? I smiled a lot, understanding the real reason, to me absolutely unknwon. Mushrooms, the most common ones are visibles in fields, forests, and the transmission, their perpetuity is permitted because of their visibility. Truffles, white one, dark one don't have this luck, so with the time  developed a special, fragrance for being found by wild pigs and other animals, eaten for re-born thanks to the powerful vehicle of faeces somewhere else!

Merlin, went in Bologna's area years ago for assisting at the discovery of some white truffles. When found, the fragrance is absolutely wonderful but just after two days that fragrance can be lost because of a chemical reaction, so it's indispensible to act quickly for bringing truffles in New York or Japan in a short time.

White truffles writes Merlin, manifest the worsest part of the human being under many aspects.

Merlin's family was a close friend with a scientist pretty, pretty eccentric. Terence McKenna: he studied the so-called magic mushrooms, the ones in grade of presenting hallucinations and lived in a house that had to be magical.

I have always seen around sad cases of people who tried them and later had their brain devastated without any kind of possibility of recovering. I was happy to discover that differently, most people, in particular the ones suffering of terminal cancer under treatment with these kind of mushrooms, (an experiment) discovered a new identity and less pain. The self wasn't anymore important; there was an expansion of the soul in several different directions.

Magic mushrooms were studied, used during the XX century, Aldous Huxley was a great consumers of these mushrooms, but later the American government lost the patience deciding to cut funds for this research.

Merlin has tried several different substances, participated to experiments,  he also enjoyed to prepare many kind of alcoholic drinks for all his friends during his years of college, co-living in his bedroom with many boiling cointainers; it was amazing to see the variety of mushrooms and how they became once mutated in the various beverages he tried; sweet, bitter, disgusting, fabulous and so on.

It's a book this one nost just of mushrooms, but also of our relationship with them; it's a story of healing the planet passing through mushrooms. It's a book about wonderful creatures.

It's a fascinating trip that I know you will surely adore!

Highly recommended.

I thank Marsilio for the physical copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori 

By Cows who Chew Lilies by Bill&Mia Belew

Bill & Mia Belew are a father and daughter. While Bill is a retired parent, Mia is still a 6th grader student. She created with her father,a character called Aimi Wilby. Aimi Wilby, you will see, inventing stories and many ebooks for the joy of readers. Adults and children.

I picked up for the review the ebook By Cows Who Chew

Lilies. This ebook speaks of multiculturalism but also relationship between parents and children and their own expectations and...misunderstanding.

The Giant Forest will remark these questions as well.

I thank the authors for the ebook-

Anna Maria Polidori  

Thornyhold by Mary Stewart

Thornyhold

by Mary Stewart is a relaxing book you'll cherish a lot. Days ago an internet connection asked us if we loved her books. I remembered I bought online some of her books. Thornyhold, I remember, was waiting for me from a long time and I decided that I would have completed that book.

Thornyhold is an immersion in nature, magic, new friends, neighbors, distant relationships, good feelings, love, old houses and...pigeons.

Thornyhold is the house of beloved Cousin Geillis. The cousin of Gilly,  the protagonist, had the reputation of being a witch. 

A witch practicing white witchery, so she was in grade of being helpful when people or animals in need.

Gilly met rarely her cousin but everytime she did, in crucial moments of her existence, the meetings marked her profoundly.

Immediately after her father's departure, Gilly received a pleasant news: she had inherited the house of cousin Geillis.

It was an old house immersed in the powerful and enchanting british countryside once the house of a prestigious witch; after all not too distant from Stonehege, the house conquers immediately Gilly although, as you will see, some people in particular Jessamy and his mother Mrs. Trapp will induce her at a sort of diffidence and sunspect. For real reasons.

A person Gilly finds adorable because very intelligent and pleasant is William the son of a writer called Christopher John and big fan of her cousin Geillis and her medicaments good for people and animals.

Gilly met the writer in a situation pretty singular: she was setting free a sheep but substantially was love at first sight!

A positive tale, told in first person, richly descriptive, that portrays the british countryside during the last world war with a light, fresh, romantic, touch.

Highly recommended.

Anna Maria Polidori 

Books for Dogs News! ❤️

Books for Dogs is an important charity located in Umbertide, Umbria. Founded by two Britons, this reality wants to better the existence of all that poor dogs located in various  kennels of the area. 

That two British ladies, legend wants, started to take action when the Christmas' Day of many years ago, in visit to the kennel of Lerchi, they noticed a lady dog who had given at birth some puppies that would have been dead because in... the cold. Warm water was missing like many other indispensible services. Britons, Americans, Canadians are a large group in Umbertide, years ago there were more than 107 families; these ladies asked for help. They sorted out some problems, but...It was necessary to present a continuative welfare to these dogs. How to do that?

The idea was the creation of a charity passing through the sale of books.

And here we are.

Angela Nutt speaks with joy of the latest events: "A few weeks ago a work group was organized to carry out some essential work at Ponte Pattoli canile. The day went well and a lot of work was accomplished."

These ladies actively promote dogs adoptions.

"We have been so happy that  a lady called Bina adopted Gaia and that Tim Hudson and his lady adopted Ponte, an 8-week old puppy."

Another dog, Fiera, has had 7 lovely puppies. Four boys and three girls. They need names and these ladies want to involve the supporters of Books for Dogs "to come up with some suggestions." Angela adds that the winner will receive a prize.

With the time the book-stall was replaced by a shop, a real  emporium where people find used books, DVDS but also clothes, games, jewelry, everything for the house, from blankets to plates, glasses, and much more.

It's a real charity shop.

The shop is back to life after the lockdown...Do you want to say something, Angela?

"We have been doing really well and our footfall

is increasing greatly with many more local

people coming in, and buying! We are also very happy to see that some tourists are also around and coming to see us."

Angela tells then that they donated 1000 euros to "Help Lia at Ponte Pattoli with funding her invaluable helpers at the canile." These ladies donated some money to Morenna as well. "She is our dog training friend."

A new ambitious project? "We are still exploring the possibility of funding a small surgery on the Ponte Pattoli site which the vets can use for much-needed treatments."

Now let's speak of dogs and urgent rehoming. 

"Monna is ten years old, female very friendly, she loves people; Kikko  is about 5 years old; he is also very friendly and loves humans; Ringo can't live anymore in that little apartment; contact 351 222 5969; we found a new, lovely dog at Montefalco. He was starving but he has been lucky. He found compassionate people, but they will leave soon for Milan. If any of you can offer a home, we would be happy."

There are great news regarding Ponte Pattoli. "Lia needed a new car because her old ones was falling to bits. We asked around and found for Lia a new, used car. This one is still serviceable. Now Lia has a great car which will help her with the tranportation of of dogs and so on. We want to thank to donor for the kindness."

Anna Maria Polidori

 

7 Proven ways to restore joy in hard times by Mary Demuth

Covid-19 is weird; it let us think compulsively, I hope that it happens to you as well, because after all is normal, to death, seeing it under many different perspectives. 

I won't share here my thoughts, because I want to speak with you of joy, that joy passing through the Word of God. 

I received today this ebook written by Mary Demuth,  called 7 Proven Ways to Restore Joy in Hard Times.

Demuth analyzes these incredible, exceptional times and the difficulty of staying mentally relaxed. 

For obvious reasons there are difficulties and people are worried of losing their existences, their work; there is the perception that this one is a point of no return or better, a moment of big changes. Let's hope that we will see them of course. The fight against this temible virus is still long.

But joy is waiting for us.

In the first chapter of this little ebook the author insists that pain, grief must be visible, because it's important experience grief without closure.

It's important to feel sadness, impotence, grief and it's important to write our sentiments down. 

Un untold story never heals writes Mary and so it's important to staying focused and to writing down what we feel. 

“A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume...A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time” says the  Ecclesiastes. 

In this moment in which our brain is absorbed by sad news in the world and sometimes we think that we are too sad for thinking clearly let's try to focus on what we make us happy. 

Let's write a letter to a relative passed away for thanking him/her of having played a great role in our existence, let's search for that friend that we don't hear from some while, let's paint, let's be creative; we must permit to creativity of expressing our emotions.

Another advice is also to writing a Lament Psalm, but also seeing obstables as a moment of personal growth . Stay in touch with everyone, send gifts also without reason, e-cards,  flowers, plants if appreciated remembering, always remembering of being joys, colored, creative; women in love for this crazy, unique world.

Mary at the end writes "Perhaps the gift of the Covid-19 virus is simply this: it reminds us of our mortality. And in that reminder, we are forced to consider the reality of

our true life...In light of this future glory, don’t give up. Persevere....Love the people in your life.

Forgive freely. Move on from bitterness... Seek to bless the family and city God has sent you to.

Beautiful advices.

Highly recommended. You can download this ebook. The author illustrated also the cover and internal pages with relaxing and at the same time joyius drawings. 

I thank Mary Demuth for the copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori