CHRISTMAS EVE UPDATES

These Reviews Don't Smell ... but SOMEONE ELSE Does ... !!

-'Tis the season for THANKYOUS - and so here are mine to all you readers and all you subsccribers and all you who left tips in the form of paid subscriptions. I do not have paid subscriber-only content, but I have dipped my toe in subscriber-exclusive posts, so that I will continue to do. To grow this little newsletter of mine, please subscribe if you haven't (you get it first in your inbox if you do!), leave a paid subscription as a year-end tip if you so desire, recommend to anyone who you may think will enjoy (special shout-out to all who have discovered me via non-TwiX micro-blogging social media), and SPREAD THE WORD!

-Now, on to the updates ...

-Last night while you were prepping Christmas, Ex-President Trump XCI's attorneys aired their Festivus grievances in the form of their filing before a Federal appellate court in his attempt to secure a legal Free Pass for Anything Done Ever While President, aka Presidential immunity (or as the brief describes it, "absolute immunity"). In the filing, Team Trump - who has lost every appeal made on this motion, often with barely-concealed derision - invited more of that by arguing with theoretical straight faces that the actions taken by Trump leading to the January 6, 2021 insurrection and attempt to overturn his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 Presidential election were "quintessential" Presidential acts that are part of any President's regular line of work. Special Prosecutor Jack Smith has one week to file his response with a hearing on January 9 and a ruling expected well before the end of next month.

-At that point, Team Trump would have the option of taking this motion to the U.S. Supreme Court, which you may have heard declined to hear the same case at this time. That has led to this weekend's Democratic Pha-REEEK-Out!, wailing and teeth-gnashing at the certain doom of that trial at the hands of the corrupt SCOTUS who will take 15 years to hear the case if not outright give Trump all the power her wants, and one more time WHAAR MARRIK GAAALANN?!?

-Everyone? Breathe.

-Saner legal analysts have pointed out that SCOTUS' one-sentence ruling simply declined to take the case right now - and that they could decide as a block not to take the case at all, supporting whatever the Appellate Court rules (which most agree is a laughing rejection of the plea) and thereby not only end the immunity discussion but maintain the March date for Trump's trial - and even if SCOTUS did take it up, the case would most likely be rescheduled for May with a verdict potentially around Labor Day. So again ... breathe.

-But, if you breathe, don't breathe too close to Trump. At least that is the message of the most popular social media tag of the last 72 hours: #TrumpSmells. The tag started with a post from former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who talked about, well, just how bad Trump smells like if you have to be close to him. That post was amplified by others, particularly actors that have, ah, interacted with Trump while on THE APPRENTICE. Kathy Griffin describing Trump's musk as a mix of "body odor," "perfume" and "hair products," former APPRENTICE writer Noel Casler claiming as he has in the past that Trump is incontinent due to massive drug use and needed constant adult diaper changes while on that show, and posters have had a field day finding pictures of politicians cowering while standing beside or behind Trump as if Trump clearly dealt it. Word is Trump is aware of the posts and Does. NOT. Like. Them!

-#TrumpSmells

-Polling in New Hampshire continues to see a surge for former SC Governor Nikki Haley, with one poll having her within 4%. That seems to have been followed by rumblings from the Trump camp that Trump would be receptive to bringing Haley on as his Vice President, though as many others have noted such promises have always been reneged on by Trump, who has already christened Haley "birdbrain" because Trump always thinks he's really witty, too.

-In realit, #TrumpSmells, and so does that rumor if you asked me!

-Amidst Vladimir Putin's bravado over his UltraMAGA minions blocking (at least through the calendar year) more formal U.S. aid to Ukraine - SLAVA UKRAINI! - the New York Times yesterday reported a very different tone from the Russian strongman. Namely, that Russian diplomats may be sending a message that they are receptive to opening peace talks to end the conflict they started. With a staggering estimate of over 350,000 Russian troops killed in action almost two years into the conflict, the exposure that Russia's vaunted military might was all potato and no vodka, and rumblings that the White House is considering seizing over $300 billion in seized Russian assets to turn over to Ukraine as a counter to GOP Putin-fluffing, the move makes some sense, although it is believed Volodymyr Zelenskyy would accept nothing less than all Russian forces retreating from all Ukrainian lands going back to the Crimea War in 2014. Watch and wait ...

-And stay downwind, because #TrumpSmells

-In closing, this is just one of those things I discovered in the last few days that isn't a news story but is kind of fun ... DID YOU KNOW (and you probably didn't), that the Biden Administration has just hired a new advisor for his campaign to help defend Social Security who has been working doing that for years? Probably not - but I mention because for folks of a certain age you will be tickled because you'll recognize the name: Jon Bauman ... or should I say, Jon "Bowser" Bauman, the pompadoured large-mouthed lead singer of the 1950s retro group ShaNaNa, who performed at Woodstock and later had a syndicated variety show in the 1970s. Admittedly it may not be as much fun as #TrumpSmells, but kind of fun anyway!

-Happy Preparations for Christmas!

-On this date in 1814 the Treaty of Ghent was signed, formally ending the War of 1812. On this date in 1923, the first national Christmas Tree was lit by Calvin Coolidge. On this date in 1943, Dwight Eisenhower was named Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force. On this date in 196, Curt Flood demanded he be allowed to sign with a team of his choice, challenging Major League Baseball's 'reserve clause' for the first time. On this date in 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. (It did not go well.)  

-Happy Birthday to Kit Carson, Michael Curtiz, Howard Hughes, I.F. Stone, Ava Gardner, Mary Higgins Clark, Robert Joffrey, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Paul Tagliabue, Mike Curb, Lemmy Kilmister, Nicholas Meyer, Hamid Karzai, Anil Kapoor, Lee Daniels, Kate Spade, Jay Bilas, Deidrich Bader, Ricky Martin, Stephanie Meyer, Ryan Seacrest, and Jehenny Beth.

-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Vasco da Gama, Bernard Hermann, Peter Lawford, Norman Vincent Peale, John Osborne, James Komack, Toshiro Mifune, John Cooper, Laci Peterson, Harold Pinter, George "Sports Machine" Michael, Cheetah, Charles Durning, Jack Klugman, and Liz Smith.

-Notable premieres: "Silent Night" (1818), AIDA (1879), the bicycle back pedal break (1889), "The Truth About Father Christmas" (the first radio play, 1922), AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS (1951), THE ARISTOCATS (1970 - and NOT THE ARISTOCRATS, a VERY different movie).

-Feed the Worms: the Ku Klux Klan was formed on this date in 1865. Racist elf Jeff Sessions and turncoat ex-military gigaMAGAt Michael Flynn entered Earth on this date.

-The Number One Movie in America ... in 2023, AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOME ... in 2013, THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG ... in 2003, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING ... in 1993, THE PELICAN BRIEF ... in 1983, SUDDEN IMPACT ... and in 1973, SERPICO.

-Yes, it’s still true: #TrumpSmells