1/ Just listened to @russ1mitchell on TC's Chartcast. I have listened to all 29 episodes. Many great ones, but without a doubt, this is the best. I knew it would be good, but it blew me away. Link here, but at the end, too, so follow along...
feeds.buzzsprout.com/758369/4078106…
feeds.buzzsprout.com/758369/4078106…
2/ @TESLAcharts & @georgia_orwell_ always start by inviting their guest to lay out a biography. The biographies are invariably interesting (only the first interviewee dodged the exercise). The Russ Mitchell biography is amazing & unforgettable...
3/ Russ's journalism career started early. First, reporting for a homebound brother. Then, in 8th grade, the editor of the Jr High newspaper saw a huge breaking story when a cafeteria brawl erupted, & scrapped his front page to report it, right down to the tell-tale Kleenex.
4/ ...Mobbed by eager readers (after astutely raising price). Grabbed by the collar (the principal) and whisked away. Subjected to waterboarding. (okay, I exaggerate). But, palms on table, face-to-face, defiant. "The First Amendment."
God Bless This Man.
Expelled in 8th Grade.
God Bless This Man.
Expelled in 8th Grade.
5/ Yet years later, understanding the sole questionable aspect of his reporting, he contacted the victim. She had no recall. Rather than exonerate himself, he entertained the possibility that it caused deep trauma. That, my friends, is intellectual honesty. Oh, please, do listen.
6/ Life cannot be planned. The kid from the South Side of Chicago (Jim Croce's Leroy Brown come to life), with blue collar upbringing, & some first-hand knowledge of gangs, could not afford college, even though journalism was already in his blood. So, off to the factory.
7/ Eventually, he enrolls in the low-budget choice. Finds himself a minority student. So minority as almost to be a protected species. All of us should have that experience. He had it, and profited by it.
8/ Then, an astonishingly varied, fascinating, and unsettled career. You must listen to believe. I was so happy when he trusted his mountain man instincts. Alas, he found it too slow for his tastes. Still, I forgive.
9/ Among the many topics in this dense & fascinating episode: Journalism in the age of social media. Twitter. Google & the others stealing your content. My friends, honest-to-goodness journalism is about to disappear. Listen carefully.
10/ The "Ah-ha!" $TSLA moment. The importance of short sellers. The cruciality of having multiple sources. The importance of hunches. It's all here.
11/ Some interesting observations on how Musk has overcome the consumer reluctance to embrace EV's by grasping the regulatory willingness to do so, and to offer punishing mandates to ICE makers & enticing subsidies to EV buyers.
12/ Great discussion of environmentalism & the Chevy Bolt. Do, I encourage you, google "Russ Mitchell and Bob Lutz".
13/ I subscribe to @latimes. Would I do so if Russ were not there? Probably not. (Nah. Let me be honest. Definitely not.) Do I agree with the paper's editorial stances? Only to some extent.
14/ Am I in philosophical agreement with Russ on most issues? No. On some, fully. On others, only partially. On a few, not at all.
Does Russ mind honest & civil disagreement? Not in the least.
Does Russ mind honest & civil disagreement? Not in the least.
15/ This was a tour de force. Russ Mitchell is an accomplished, admirable, fascinating, and very wonderful human being. I urge you not to miss this episode. $TSLA bear, or bull, or indifferent, it's terrific.
feeds.buzzsprout.com/758369/4078106…
feeds.buzzsprout.com/758369/4078106…
16/ It was negligent of me not to note what Russ has noted: all these podcasts are so wonderful not merely because of the talents of @TESLAcharts & @georgia_orwell_, but also (dare I say, but especially?) because of the talents of @evacuationboy & (the poet laureate) @PollsTesla.
17/ As noted earlier, I subscribe (for a pittance) to @latimes. I'll stick with it as long as Russ is there. But, I think it's a great paper. Is it (far) more left-leaning than me? Yup. Well written? Certainly. Insight into fascinating California? Indeed. Keep journalism alive.
I think @evacuationboy is the overlooked hero of TC's Chartcast. @TESLAcharts & @georgia_orwell_ would doubtless agree. He is a fanatic when it comes to excellent audio quality. Very hard to achieve, and yet the Chartcast keeps racking up audio accolades.
