NATIONAL BEVERAGE DAY UPDATES
Water, Beer, Wine, Soda, Coffee, Anything With Electrolytes, Anything That Can Be Shook or Stirred or Sipped That Is Liquid – YAY BEVERAGES!
-Our President has been on a furious social media posting spree for the last several days, likely in reaction to all the negative polling and press he has been receiving over … (gestures wildly) … and while of course aggravating and infuriating and (at least in part) a way to obfuscate the real damage he and his minions are doing and want to do, I would argue the posts (as they always do) reveal the insecurity that lies at the maw of everything Trump does, the actual reality that things are Not Going Well (or as well as envisioned) by everyone in the White House, and (also as always) severe questions about Trump’s mental and physical health.
-(STANDS ON SOAPBOX.)
-Whatever the actual posts say themselves, the fact that the posts are happening at all is an indication that the pushbacks he is getting in the courts, in the streets, in the (still not totally supine) media, and in the world writ large, shows the pushbacks are working. It likely means even more insanity, of course, but it should give us hope and energy to keep pushing back.
-(STEPS OFF SOAPBOX)
-As for the content of the posts, naturally many involve specific ranting against foes common (CA Sen. Adam Schiff) and new (Rep. Jasmine Crockett), \inconvenient facts Trump continues to try to assert (his two impeachments being phony, his winning the 2020 Presidential election when Joe Biden beat his fat ass soundly), and two newer posts that have gotten inordinate attention, both more interrelated than one may think.
-The first was the wild claim/demand/would-be proclamation that the infamous Alcatraz prison be reopened as a prison. This is not going to happen. Alcatraz is now a tourist attraction, and a pretty popular one at that. The cost of making it a modern-day version of the notorious CECOT Prison in El Salvador (which is likely what is prancing through Trump’s oatmeal brain matter) would be more than building a new such prison from scratch. And the fact that the entire idea may have come from a random memory or viewing of the 1979 Clint Eastwood movie ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ or the Nicholas Cage/Sean Connery 1996 movie THE ROCK should not be discounted at all, since watching the tee vee is where Trump spends way too much time (or perhaps not enough time?) doing.
-But movies are very much on whatever constitutes Trump’s mind, as evidenced by the other social media post that has gathered an appropriate massive reaction: a proposed tariff of 100% on “any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands,” due to what Trump dictatedlicked as “a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat.”
-Where to begin? First, a “Foreign Land” could mean anywhere outside of Hollywood – New York? Atlanta? Chicago? – much less favorite-of-the-film-industry Canada. Second, would the tariff mean ticket prices double for a French or Bollywood movie? Would SQUID GAME now mean yet another streaming service price hike? Does Trump think crates of Betamax videocassettes are heading here to keep us watching The Hallmark Channel? Who knows? Who really wants to know?!
-The entire idea is absurd on its face, and apparently Trump got this idea from another MAGA brainiac, delusional once-halfway-decent actor Jon Voight, who is apparently concerned about not being able to get any kind of acting work outside of voiceovers on Fox streaming services finding new and insane ways to get back at daughter Angelina Jolie bringing more domestic movie production back to the states. That pushback has made Trump reportedly waddleshuffle backwards and say “never mind,” but it again shows there is no corner of the economy Trump will not try to put his wee tiny fingerprints all over.
-Of course, when that happens, he will – as he admitted in his latest MEET THE PRESS ‘interview’ with Kristin Welker Todd on Sunday – blame Biden for it anyway. In the interview, Trump was asked about credit and blame for the economy, and he said the obvious part out loud because he has no id anymore, which is that anything good in the economy is thanks to him and everything bad in the economy is the fault of Joe Biden. At least that part of the interview was broadcast intact, as it was revealed by Meidas Touch and other outlets that the Welker interview with Trump lasted an ungodly hour and 40 minutes – but that NBC then edited the interview for broadcast, pulling out multiple rambles about, among other things, the 2020 election denialism Trump still insists on.
-That last bit is important, because CBS continues to negotiate with Trump over Trump’s suing of CBS over … wait for it … not broadcasting the entirety of a 2024 interview with Democratic candidate Kamala Harris to make the black lady seem smart showing in plain images and soundtrack how much smarter she is than Trump try to “rig” the election for Harris. That CBS is doing it is shameful and has already led to the resignation of a longtime 60 MINUTES producer, but not surprisingly there has been little to no attacks on NBC for doing the same thing for Trump, because well, IOKIYDIFT …
-And as for Trump’s fingerprints and all this posting, there continues to be a building sense of dread over the first effects of the tariffs hitting Americans in a matter of weeks – in the form of empty container ships from China and other Asian countries on a wide range of goods that are not coming to the U.S. thanks to the 145% tariffs assessed on Chinese goods.
-Much has been made of Trump’s, ah, “demand” that American girls from ages 9 to 15 (?!) only get two dolls instead of up to 37 (!?) and five pencils instead of 250 (what, he thinks kids get pencils as gifts?!?!), but since these are the weeks Christmas stocks generally get built up for Wal-Marts and Targets and other such stores MAGA (and others, to be fair) shop at, the lean pickings and large price hikes to accompany what is on the shelves looms for Trump, as reports are even the biggest base of support he had in 2024 – low-information voters – are now saying Trump’s second Presidency does, so far, indeed, suck.
-Too bad so sad except we’re all stuck in it …
-We move on, because we have no choice, to Pete Hegseth, the ongoing problem that is the Secretary of Defense. Already under continued and oh-so-justified heat over the Signal communications scandal (which continues, as it has now been revealed by the Wall Street Journal that a sub-program within Signal that is supposed to archive chats that should be deleted – because that’s sort of the point of Signal in the first place – not only means discussions that should be archived in more secure areas are not, but also that it makes the already not-secure-enough-for-defense app even MORE insecure ), this morning it was revealed that Hegseth just unilaterally blocked a shipment of ammunition and weapons to Ukraine.
-Naturally, there is confusion about whether and how the White House actually ordered Hegseth to do this or not (this morning they are saying they did), but it is yet another example of the continued chaos (and possible issuing of the materiel equivalent of a drunk dial?) that continues to infuriate the Pentagon (already reeling from an order by Drunky McHoneyPotAnyone? to cut the number of four-star generals by 20% in a … cost-cutting move?) but, so far, not made Dear Leader want to remove his looks-like-a-military-guy-on-the-tee-vee requirement that Trump always has.
-Yeesh … and, SLAVA UKRAINI!
-Let us move on to Election news old and new, which again seems to be good for The Forces of Good. In Old Election Good News, a Federal court yesterday ordered the North Carolina Supreme Court to quick dcking around and once and for all declare Allison Riggs the winner of the state Supreme Court election she won in November. Since November, sore loser MAGA Republican Jefferson Griffin has sued and sued and sued, using his GOP buddies on the North Carolina Supreme Court to try to find ways to throw out legitimate votes that gave Riggs the 734-vote victory – and despite it all, failing because YA LOST, DUDE. That all this is over a seat that will still result in a 5-2 GOP majority is all the more infuriating, but MAGA follows Dear Leader, and with it comes an inability to lose with anything approaching grace.
-Ah, but there’s still more good election news, this aiming at 2026! Despite massive pushes, GA Governor Brian Kemp has announced he will NOT be running to try to beat Democratic incumbent Senator Jon Ossoff – a definite middle finger to Trump, as Kemp, while also being a vote-suppressing goon that twice defeated Warrior Queen Stacy Abrams, is still a burr in Trump’s side because he is one of the very, very few GOPers that hasn’t bent the hips towards Trump. Ossoff is arguably the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent in 2026, and so the news of Kemp not running may be a big help in keeping the seat blue …
-… ah, but something else may happen that could be even BETTER than Kemp not running. Not to build anyone’s hopes up too much, but there are rumblings and whispers that Ossoff may soon have a very prominent opponent for that Senate seat. And who, you might wonder, could be such a horrific statewide Republican candidate that Ossoff may become a favorite … in … GEORGIA?
-See where I’m going yet?
-Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes! There are rumors that none other than MAGA Party Leader JEWISH SPACE LASER CATFIGHTS WITH LAUREN BOEBERT AND LAURA LOOMER ON AISLE 47 DIMWIT HALL OF FAME MEMBER MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (Z-Q-R) is seriously considering a run for the Senate!!!!
-Like I said, don’t get too enthused quite yet, but a candidate running on a platform of a horrific economy and American international reputation in tatters at the hands of Donald Trump as reasons FOR voting for a blockheaded ignoramus just may be the ticket and sideshow we would really desperately need. (And NO, actual Republicans in Georgia would HATE this as she would likely get smoked state-wide.)
-Ah dreams …
-I was going to wrap this update with the fun second round of the NBA Playoffs which have featured all three home teams lose their first games and, at least on paper, home court advantage – but really, the Petty Atrocity of MTG as a potential Senate candidate is, I think, a good place to talk daily history and get us on our way for the day. (C’mon, Sporky!!)
-NEWS ON THIS DATE: In 1937, what is believed to have been a thunderbolt hit the German zeppelin Hindenburg, making it erupt into flames while landing in New Jersey, killing 36 and creating one of the most famous live news reports in broadcast history. Two sitcoms – the iconic I LOVE LUCY (in 1957) and the massively overrated FRIENDS (in 2004) ended. In 1994, Paula Jones accused President Bill Clinton of sexual harassment. In 2013, three women abducted between 2002 and 2004 were rescued from a kidnapper in Cleveland after one of the women escaped and screamed for help (and became the unlikely inspiration for the sitcom THE UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT). In 2023, Charles III finally became King of England.
-DEBUTS ON THIS DATE: The Eifel Tower (1889), Babe Ruth home runs (1915), the Works Progress Administration (WPA, 1935), Bob Hope starring in a USO show (1941), a sub-4:00 mile (1954), “Paint it Black” (1966), JOHNNY CASH AT FOLSOM PRISON (1968), the English Channel tunnel (1994), the iMac (1998), SpaceX (2002).
-HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Maximillien Robespierre, Robert Peary, Sigmund Freud, Rudolph Valentino, Toots Shor, Weeb Eubank, Orson Welles, Theodore H. White, Willie Mays, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, Anton Furst, Bob Seger, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Lynn Whitfield, George Clooney, Martin Brodeur, Dani Alves, Chris Paul, Meek Mill, and Angel Reese.
-REST IN PEACE/POWER: Henry David Thoreau, L. Frank Baum. Maria Montessori, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Marlene Dietrich, George Lindsey, Newton Minow, and Vida Blue.
-FEED THE WORMS: George W. Bush’s poodle, Tony Blair, entered Earth on this date. William Casey bought it on this date.
-Jose Altuve was born on this date. You decide if he gets a Happy Birthday (that is, you believe him when he says he was unaware of the Houston Astros pitch-tipping cheating scandal of the 2010s) or if he Feeds the Worms (if you don’t).
-TODAY’S MUSIC INTERLUDE: Happy Birthday to John Flansburgh, half of perhaps the best indie rock duo ever, They Might Be Giants!