FESTIVAL OF UNMENTIONABLE THOUGHTS DAY UPDATES
(Insert Said Thoughts Here ... if you wish!)
-So, some days will be better than others for the next few years, and it's pretty hard to say the last day and change was a good day, to put it mildly. But we will note, mock where appropriate, find gilmmers of hope, and keep on keeping on. Okay?
-Okay!
-The first bit of sadness came late Tuesday when a bankruptcy judge put a stop to The Onion's purchase of InfoWars, ostensibly because the process - which was approved as part of the bankruptcy judgment won by parents whose children were killed by a mass shooter at Sandy Hook Elementary School in CT by hate broadcaster and guy who needs to eat more of his supplements by the bucket, Alex Jones - was deemed not to be "transparent" enough and left "money on the table" for plaintiffs. This despite the fact that the judge saw nothing illegal or untoward about the bidding process, nor that the other bidder was a suspicious company allegedly created by allies of Jones that could have resurrected InfoWars for Jones - and that the process was returned to the administrator to try to complete it, albeit without an auction.
-The Onion's corporate overlords, Global Tetrahedron Company, expressed their "disappointment" in the odd decision (which Jones praised, so you know it was a crap decision) but vowed to continue to try to get the entity (which it was going to use as a parody site designed to promote gun control) and vowed to continue in its goal to "make a better, funnier Internet."
-Another bit of sadness - this one with ramifications - came courtesy of The Two Worst Faux Democrats Out There, who of course are Joe Manchin (Total D, WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (The "I" in "Independent" AZ). Deciding they needed to stab Democrats and Joe Biden in the back one more time before leaving Congress, the two sided with the MAGAGOP to reject an appointment to the National Labor Relations Board. That shiv will allow the incoming administration to fill the position, which combined with a looming Supreme Court decision courtesy of a choice made by new Trump manservant Elon Musk (who just purchased a $10 million condo near Mar-a-Lago to be close when a new Diet Coke or change is needed), may place the NLRB in as tenuous a position as it has ever been, with organized labor a huge target of Project 2025.
-Thanks, Joe and Kyrsten. Let the heaviest door with the tightest spring in DC hit both of you square in your scumbag arses as hard as it can as you leave.
-The next bit of fury is directed at the woman who apparently has looked at Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Anna Maria Luna and inexplicably thought, "I want to be even crazier than they can so I can be as close to Trump's crotch as I can!" That would be South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace, who has decided to be the point person to bring this country's transgender community in true danger with her bigotry and hatred - and her most recent act allows her to swim in that sewer in what she thinks is achievement.
-The incident involves a reception held earlier this week in support of Foster children. There, an advocate named James McIntyre met Mace at a reception line and shook her hand. From there, Mace claimed she was "accosted" by McIntyre in an "aggressive" manner, and claimed to need medial assistance which features her now having her arm in a sling on Capitol Hill. McIntyre was arrested for assault.
-The problem: according to multiple witnesses ... and you'll be shocked to hear this ... McIntyre did not shake Mace's hand in an "aggressive" manner. No, what made Mace throw her shoulder out was McIntyre simply asking Mace to have some consideration for the transgender community, given Mace has become a loud center of hate for the trans community. That message clearly has not gotten through, as Mace - who has already "banned" transgender Rep. Sarah McBride from not using the women's restroom and today, on Russian-financed Benny Johnson's podcast, threaten anyone who dares imply that she nearly had her arm torn out of her sockets in defense of one man one woman and THAT'S IT!
-Disgrace rhymes with Mace ...
-After that, an anti-transgender provision in the defense department appropriations bill was passed in the House with 80 Democrats shamefully voting for the bill with the provision in it. That is a shot across the bow, as incoming womanizing Christian nationalist-supporting anti-woman pro-alcohol (ALLEGEDLY) (eyeroll) Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth will reportedly follow through on his leader's demand to expel transgender soldiers from the military (assuming Hegseth gets approved, which is looking somewhat better but not completely in the clear just yet) - because throwing good soldiers out of the military for bigotry at a time when recruiting has become difficult is always a good idea.
-One of the very few Democrats who has been vocal in support of the transgender community is PA Senator John Fetterman - but other things Fetterman is doing is driving many Democrats up the wall, including being critical of McIntyre and accepting Mace's story. Fetterman has been meeting Trump Cabinet nominees and not immediately expressing violent opposition to all of them, which is making Democrats hungry to see Democratic legislators push back harder and not, as the phrase goes, pre-emptively obey Trump. That Fetterman has also decided to open an account on failing Trump social media network Truth Social is yet another note that some fear Fetterman may be gearing up to switch parties, or at the very least fill the nobody-wants-it-filled Manchin Chair of Democrat Who Is Not To Be Trusted.
-The rest of the day had smaller aggravations that at least have entertainment value, such as mega-MAGA Trumper Kari Lake be given the directorship of Voice of America radio, raising fears that it will become multilingual NewsMax.
-Another intriguing if annoying move: Kimberly Guilfoyle, until apparently dating lead failson Donald Trump Jr., being nominated as Ambassador to Greece - an apparent signal that the relationship that started while Junior was married may be over, and also yet another Trump nominee with a history of sexual abuse and harassment accusations (while Guilfoyle worked at Fox). Indeed, Junior once remarked in public that Guilfoyle - who apparently was still dating him at the time - should be the Ambassador to what he referred to as "butt things."
-Classy with a "K" that family.
-With all this, you may be surprised that only now will I bring up the news that made most people who dislike fascism despondent: the announcement that Christopher Wray will resign as FBI Director before Trump takes office. Doing so takes a big obstacle out of the way for Trump to attempt to get who may be his worst appointment, Trump-worshipping and utterly deranged-as-he-is-unqualified Kash Patel, into the office. BUT, here, there may be more of a glimmer of hope than one realizes ...
-You see, as both the New York Times and Wonkette wrote, by stepping down before Trump takes office, Wray prevents Trump from sticking ol' Ka$h in the FBI office via absentee appointment and forces a full hearing on him, during which the litany of why he is a hideous choice (not qualified, has a hit list of people he wants to go after, not qualified, is monetizing his connection with Trump to the point where it leaves him vulnerable to bribing, not qualified, and did I mention he's not qualified yet?) will get public airing. And in his announcement to the rest of the Bureau, he made a very clear point that the Bureau should be non-political so they can investigate allegations of impropriety "wherever they lead, no matter who likes it, or doesn't ... it means not pursuing investigations when the predication is not there." So, maybe Wray did the country a solid?
-That's a lot of tough stuff, I realize, but there has been some good news out there, arguably leading with the fact that it looks like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will be the new Ranking Member on the House Oversight Committee - a powerful slot she is likely to use for what will be profoundly-necessary dogged tracking of Trump and his Putz Parade. There is also an apparent building strategy, led by Pramila Jayapaul and Elizabeth Warren (and possibly Richard Blumenthal, because if he isn't in on this he's on Fetterman Watch, too, given recent comments), to try to use the massive vanity of Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to their favor to divert some of their Government Efficiency Commission (IT'S NOT A DEPARTMENT) energies to what might be called "good" things by, well, flattering them. (It works with Trump, why not?!)
-And, President Biden - who is still President - set a record by commuting over 1,500 Federal prisoners today, raising hope that he will continue to do so, possibly by (as many activists are advocating for) closing federal Death Row by commuting all those sentences to life without parole. (Not to mention continued discussion of pre-emptive pardons to protect, for example, those on the January 6 Commission.)
-We will end with a few Sportsball News and notes ...
-Having apparently been shunned by the NFL, Bill Belichick has decided to pivot hard and has accepted the Head Coach job at the University of North Carolina - an odd move for a 72-year-old who had hopes of breaking Don Shula's all-time win record, but instead will need to settle for dealing with 18-22 year old athletes who are every bit the kinds of free agents he used to see in the NFL, and do so with his 24-year-old girlfriend. Really. (Eep.)
-The NBA's second almost-annual Emirates NBA Cup moves on to their Final Four in Las Vegas (yes, Michael Imperioli, WE NOTICED!), and the goal of early season basketball that has some meaning has generated a rather interesting roster: two up-and-coming Western Conference teams (Houston and Oklahoma City) in one game, and an Eastern Conference final matching up a former champion (Giannis Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks) against a surprise mid-level team with a star (Trae Young's Atlanta Hawks). The Semis are tomorrow, the final Tuesday.
-Finally, congratulations to the three newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame: Veterans' Committee selections Dick Allen (CHW) and Greg Parker (CIN, PIT and others) and especially Ford Frick Award-Winner Tom Hamilton, the super-awesome radio play-by-play voice of the Cleveland Guardians.
-BALLGAME!!
-On this date in 1930, a revision to the rules of baseball made a ball that bounced over a fence a ground rule double. On this date in 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered a stop to the ballot count in Florida, stealing the election from Al Gore (as forensic analysis of the ballots later determined) and gifting the Presidency to George W. Bush. Also on this date in 2000, General Motors announced the end of Oldsmobile. And on this date in 2009, Houston became the largest city to elect an LGBTQI+ Mayor, Annise Parker.
-Debuts on this date: The Katzenjammer Kids (1897), telegraph signals across the Atlantic Ocean (1900), Kenya (1964), "You've Lost That Loving Feeling " (1964), A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS (1966), GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER (1967), THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (1972), NIGHT MOVES (1976), SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (1977), the Kyoto Protocols (2015).
-Happy Birthday to John Jay, Gustave Flaubert, Edvard Munch, Frank Sinatra, Joe Williams, Bob Barker, Ed Koch, John Osborne, Bob Pettit, Buford Pusser, Connie Francis, Dionne Warwick, Terry Kirkman, Dickey Betts, E. Jean Carroll, Grover Washington Jr., Rob Tyner, Emerson Fittipaldi, Irving Azoff, Bill Nighy, Cathy Rigby, Robert Lepage, Shiela E., Tracy Austin, Jennifer Connelly, Madchen Amick, Orlando Brown, Jenny Conlee, Mayim Bialik, and Otto Warmbier.
-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Robert Browning, Douglas Fairbanks, Tallulah Bankhead, David Sarnoff, Jack Cassidy, Clifton Chenier, Anne Baxter, Ken Keltner, Mo Udall, Keiko, Peter Boyle, Pat DiNizio, Danny Aiello, Ann Reinking, Charley Pride, John LeCarre, Roland Hemon, Mike Leach, and Stuart Margolin.
-Feed the Worms: Ike Turner bought it on this date.