Another Day in America: Running Dogs and Escaping Cows and Emus

Folks in Utah are talking about a 6-month-old female Merle cattle dog that shut down I-80 as first responders tried to catch the errant pooch. 

Thanks to the Utah Department of Transportation cameras captured a video of the exciting chase. 

According to the Salt Lake County Animal Services center the dog was not wearing a collar or microchipped. She's going to be held for five days before being put up for adoption.

You may be thinking..."Is this even a news story?" Well, in Utah it is. It used to be if a man bit a dog that was a news story. Not an errant pooch wandering around lost.

Moving on

The escape wasn't planned.

It was a spur of the moment opportunity that the bold bovines took when the cattle trailer they were in was involved in a crash.

The Arizonia Department of Transportation responded by sending out workers to corral 30 escapees. The truck had been carrying 109 cows before the crash.

The unorganized attempt for freedom ended fairly quickly as workers responded to the location at the Loop 101 freeway in Glendale.

As of this writing none of the escapees would tell authorities who their leader was. Everyone involved was unharmed.

Moving on

Another escape.

Two emus made a daring escape from their enclosure according to officials in an Ohio county who managed to catch them this week.

However, the story doesn't end here. 

There's a third emu that remains on the loose in the same general area. Officials recently said that an unrelated emu has been free since mid-November.

It's been a mystery since then. Highland County locals have been speculating that the Lone Emu (as he's now called) may have helped (or at least encouraged) the breakout of the other two emus lately.

As it stands, I'll be sure to let you know if they capture the Lone Emu who at this very moment may be looking for more of his people to set free!

GOP's Assault on Hunter Biden is Going the Route of Benghazi - into History's Trash Can

Ever since the Republican Party donned their tin foil hats and went all in on the Benghazi conspiracy, they have been searching for a new boogeyman to replace Hillary Clinton.

After years of pursuing Hillary Clinton - including 12 hours of direct questioning by Jim Jordan's kangaroo court - they were unable to charge her with anything.

The disappointment was palpable among the conspiracy-loving conservatives who spent so much time spreading lies and misinformation only to not see their fever dream come true.

Their vile efforts to besmirch Clinton have been consigned to history's trash heap along with a litany of other conspiracies.

This was untenable for the crazies who still roamed in the halls of Congress. Then along came Hunter Biden, President Biden's son in time for the 2020 election.

With the help of Russian disinformation, the Trump team tried to pull off an October surprise by charging Hunter with tax fraud and worse weeks before the election.

Fortunately, most of the mainstream media didn't just jump on the bandwagon and took time to vet the outrageous charges Trump's minions were bringing without evidence.

Biden won. Trump lost. But of course, it didn't end there.

Hunter Biden is going to see an all-out assault against him by the GOP House in January as part of their much-advertised revenge tour. 

The first blow has already come from another alt-right corner as new Twitter owner Elon Musk promoted the leak of Hunter Biden documents.

Substack writer Matt Taibbi released portions of the leak in a rambling Twitter thread on Friday night. For the record, the info was a nothingburger. 

Fact: Hunter Biden has been under investigation by a House Committee for two years now with no conclusions drawn. But Gym Jordan has promised to launch a new one in January.

Let's see now. The same Jordan that led the fruitless Benghazi investigation is about to launch another two-year fiasco that will also end up in history's trash heap.

The thing that really amuses me is the GOP thinks the general public cares about a non-public person with tax and health problems. 

If they were interested in a president's offspring Trump's kids would have been investigated for their part in Daddy's government looting - and illegal foreign contacts - while president. 

The public does care about Trump's tax problems and many celebrated when his taxes were finally given to the House committee last week. It's taken years of obstruction to get to this point.

As it stands, the good news is the public is going to be sick of right-wingers pursuing vendettas and not coming up with any legislation that might benefit them. Can you say Blue Wave?

Crazy Talk: The Latest Conversations from the Lunatic Fringe in Politics

Let's get this party started.

The leading conversation today among the lunatic fringe in politics involves the former TV host and twice-impeached president, Donald Trump. 

He wants to literally tear up the Constitution and overthrow the 2020 election results, citing false conspiracy theories about election fraud. The Big Lie grows bigger every day.

"A massive fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution," he ranted on his social media platform Truth Social.

Meanwhile

Mike Lindell is accusing the media of making him look like he's crazy because he's running for the RNC chair in a rant on his podcast.

Excuse me! He's already crazy without any help from the media.

Meanwhile

There's a juicy battle of insults going on today between Marjorie Taylor Green and White Nationalist Nick Fuentes. Fuentes is urging his callers to heckle Greene. He gave her the nickname Large Marge and took issue with her "divorce" and being a "MAGA mom."

The insults have been rolling all day from Fuentes basement where he accused her of being an "adulterer" and "weak" because she visited the Holocaust Museum.

You know Greene didn't take all of that sitting down. She called him a racist (oh, the irony!) and said he is a very immature young man saying hateful things about people.

"He knows nothing! she ranted on the Right-Wing Watch channel today. What's he ever done with his life? she sneered.

Meanwhile

A week ago, the right-wing candidate for Michigan governor Tudor Dixson (who lost in the midterms) invoked a conspiracy that the COVID-19 pandemic and protests in the summer of 2020 after the killing of George Floyd were part of a decades-long plan by the Democratic Party to topple the United States as retaliation for losing the Civil War, adding the party wanted to enslave people again.

And the merry game goes on.

As it stands, I'll say one thing for all of this crazy talk... it can be vastly entertaining! 

Holiday Greetings from Oregon's Unofficial Sage

Have you got the holiday spirit yet? 

As the unofficial (and self-appointed) sage of Oregon I hope good times are ahead for you this festive month.

Not a lot of things happen here in Oregon. We're kind of a bland state with no major theme park and a lot of rural area divided up between warring counties.

Our state motto is Alis Volat Propiis, which is Latin for "boring state!" No seriously, it means "She Flies With Her Own Wings." Whatever the hell that means.

A recent local holiday story

A buck with its antlers covered (photo top of page) in Christmas lights was spotted in city of Dallas (15 miles west of Salem) advertising Christmas.  Or at least that's what the locals thought at first but then some wit noted the bulbs were not flashing!

Putting one plus one together they soon discovered the buck had gotten accidentally tangled up in someone's yard display and was in distress... not drunkenly celebrating the holidays.

You gotta love Oregon. 

Did you know we're the only state that has a depiction of the state seal on one side of its flag and its motto on the other? A two-faced flag. 

Where were we? 

Oh yea! This is a holiday greeting post. Do you like to ski? The Ashland Ski resort opened early this year and Christmas parties have started in the resort's Lodge. The same is true for the dozen other ski resorts in the area.

Here's a list of the Top Ten Ski Resorts in Oregon according to Expedia this season.

Local lore says Santa stops by ski lodges occasionally throughout December. Or Bigfoot. It just depends on who you're talking with.

Oregon's rivers and forests are the stuff Holiday Greeting cards are made of, with snow covered landscapes and sleigh riding revelers dashing through the countryside.

You may wonder why I've become the state's unofficial Sage. The answer is simple. Like me. No one else wants to!

As it stands, full disclosure: I wasn't born in Oregon I've only been here for ten years. That doesn't stop me from opining about my adoptive state, however.

Right-Wing Makeover of Florida Assures the Dumbing Down of an Already Red State

Thanks to the once and current governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, the state's- educational system is being further dumbed down in his second term.

Much to the alt-right's absolute delight, school superintendents in three counties were sacked because they defied DeSantis mandate against wearing masks last fall when COVID-19 and its variants were everywhere in the state.

What a sick way to punish educators trying to protect their students but that's only the tip of the iceberg. Thanks to DeSantis alt-right political activist appointments are polluting the state's educational system at an alarming rate.

A recent PEN America report shows that Florida has the second highest number of school-related book bans in the nation. In 21 school districts there were 566 book bans.

Fun Fact: GOP dominated Texas gets the dubious credit for having banned the most student books anywhere in the nation.

Here's a list of 411 books banned in Florida school libraries and classrooms.

The concerted effort to dumb down and indoctrinate students into being good young republicans has made vast strides under DeSantis' right-wing administration.

There's a generation of Floridians that will not know about large parts of American history because it makes whites (of the alt-right wing) uncomfortable.

Let's be honest.

Florida doesn't exactly have a stellar reputation for education. It's just not known for turning out geniuses. 

Florida Man memes have dominated the internet for decades - highlighting the crazy inhabitants who share the state with alligators and boa constrictors.

When it comes to phone scams Florida is in the forefront of perpetrators in the country.

But I digress.

My point is the last thing Florida needs is an assault on education resulting in even more stupid people. It's scary.

As it stands, I expect to lose some Floridian readers after they read this post... if they can! 

Trump Endorses Mike Lindell for Head of National Republican Party: What a Good Idea!

Mirror, mirror on the wall who is the craziest of them all?

That's right. The My Pillow guy Mike Lindell!

With that kind of a credential, he should be a shoo-in to lead the National Republican Party into darker conspiracies for the deplorable base who demand crazier things daily. 

Trump just endorsed him for the Republican National Committee leadership over Ronna McDaniel (a minion who somehow fell out of Trump's grace).

It's a match made in hell that will make the slim majority of Republicans in the House of Representatives more toxic. With Lindell calling shots on a national scale, it would be something right out of the old TV series The Twilight Zone.

But you know what? It just might be a good thing... for the democrats. 

Think about it. With Lindell leading republicans down the yellow shit road, it can only mean disaster for the cult's (they call themselves republicans, but we all know better) 2024 election prospects.

Americans showed they were weary of right-wing maggots' antics in the midterms. So, it's only reasonable that two more years of bat shit crazy republican antics (on steroids with My Pillow fascist Lindell) would only enhance sane Americans desire to vote for democrats in 2024.

Then there's the entertainment value.

What will Lindell do or say today? 

Where in the world is Lindell? (Hint, follow fascist rallies around the country)

Who will be called vile names and put on Lindell's daily shit list?

Witness the lengths Lindell reaches when attacking computers and machines in every other sentence. Machines are bad and they're a threat to humanity in the My Pillow creep's world.

Best of all, what a show it would be watching republican lawmakers trying to avoid a complete split from reality but too afraid to go against Trump's political puppet.

They would have to wear sneakers in the corridors of Congress to outrun and avoid reporters. Some of the older one's may have to get rocket-powered wheelchairs to stay ahead of the inquiring media.

Beginning to get the picture?

As it stands, if you happen to know some republicans (family, etc.) encourage then to support the My Pillow guy. He might even give them a discount on their pillow purchases!

Have You Heard About...?

Welcome!

A lot is happening in the world today so I'm going to take you on a brief tour.

Have you heard about Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano erupting for the first time in nearly 40 years yesterday?

Sidebar

Did you know that Marin County, California claims to have the highest concentrations of hot tubs in the world?

Back to current events

Have you heard about the turnout surge in Georgia for early voting in the runoff election between Rev. Warnock and Hershell Walker?

Have you heard about the good news for a small-town college in McPherson, Kansas? An anonymous donor offered $500 million to McPherson College's (800 undergraduate students) Car Restoration program.

Have you heard that California Food Stamp costs have reached record highs?

Have you heard about the two men seriously injured in a small plane crash into high-voltage power lines near Washington D.C.?  

Have you heard about Jay Leno who is back on stage after suffering serious burns to his face and hands weeks ago?

Have you heard that 2.2 million people in Houston, Texas who have to boil their water to make sure it's safe?

It's impossible to keep up with all the daily news so I've selected the above stories randomly (taking into account limited space). 

As a reader what would you like to see me write about? Do you have preferences like parodies or just straight news?

Email me at richarddavestancliff@gmail.com with your reply. I reply to all emails respectfully.

After last month's record readership of over 14,000 average views daily, I'm happy to report this month's readership has increased to 15,000 average views daily.

I'll be straight forward with you. I have no idea why readership has swelled over the last six months. I've made few changes to this blog since starting it 20 years ago.

As it stands, thank you for stopping by and tell a friend about my humble blog. Cheers!

It's Come Down to This: Is Reality Real?

Who ever thought they'd ever see such a direct challenge in our society to reality? 

I certainly didn't.

It's bad enough that we live in the era of Trump where facts are swatted down with lies and misinformation daily without a group of cool cat neuroscientists and philosophers questioning reality.

What is reality they're asking? Perhaps it's just a simulation created by our brains they opine. Or as literary figures have claimed throughout societies for eons, life is just a dream.

Neuroscientists don't stop there as they take us down a rabbit hole where reality is something that exists independent of our minds. Neuroscience and philosophy have joined hands in trying to explain that reality is not real.

I can't help but thinking that this denial of reality should be codified for the Trump wing of the republican party. They're already reality-deniers.

But I digress.

Philosophy tells us that reality is something that exists independent of our minds. It exists outside our brains and can be known through reason and observation. 

Neuroscience tells us that our brain creates our reality. It takes input from our senses and creates a model of the world we experience.

Not surprisingly this controversy over reality goes back to the early civilizations like the Greeks. Plato and Aristotle chimed in on the subject. 

Plato believed that reality was made up of abstract ideas. In contrast, Aristotle believed that reality was made up of material things.

It's apparent that academia's questioning of reality has slipped into real world politics at a time when truth has to defend itself daily and democracy is fighting against right-wing lunacy.

As it stands, truth is a reality in my world.

New Frontiers for Tourism Revealed

Like everything else in the 21st century traditional tourism has been upended in favor of a new and crazier breed of tourist.

For example, you can go to Cuba to the remote beach town of Playa Santa Lucia and hire a shark guide to take you out for a swim with the bull sharks.

Shark tourism is becoming more common with lots of countries because experts say it has the potential to bring in millions of dollars to the local economy 

Let's pause and consider what a bull shark looks like and its nasty disposition. They have more than 350 teeth, a muscular appearance and have the occasional propensity to attack boats and people.

Enough said. It would be a nightmare for people like me who fear sharks more than anything and that includes my wife's wrath when I piss her off!

New Tourism Sites

If you ever go to Florida (for some strange reason) you should check out its newest entertainment destination - TrumpLand.

Young Republicans have been slithering to the new site in greater numbers this season because Trump is making more appearances since announcing he's running for president again. 

The most popular attraction takes place beside a penis-shaped swimming pool where Trump (dressed up as a carnival barker) orders his minions to perform tricks in seal costumes. The highlight of the act is when the "seals" flap their flippers in tune with the QAnon anthem. 

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Tourists like going to Bubblegum Alley in California. 

The attraction is a wall that runs for 65 feet that is completely covered with used bubble gum. Pretty exciting don't you think?

Want something more exotic for your vacation destination? Go to India and check out the Karni Mata Temple.

Your hosts will be 20,000 plus rats! Karni Mata is also called the rat goddess by the faithful. The temple was dedicated to her, and rats have been encouraged to hang out there for eons. 

In recent years Trump supporters have been gathering at the temple to see who's the biggest rat of the year among them.

Don't Miss This

Have you ever seen "toilet themed art" or gone to a Golden Poop Festival? 

If not book a ticket to the Toilet Theme Park in Suwon, South Korea.

New frontiers for tourism are being explored every day around the world in the hope of improving economies.

As it stands, I can go the rest of my life and not see one of the tourism destinations mentioned here and still be a happy man.

The Benefits and the Fine Art of the Nap

We need naps.

The problem is Americans don't seem to understand that like other countries who actually celebrate a good nap.

Instead, we "don't have time" and/or we have a negative impression of taking a nap during the day.

Do you like naps? Millions of people like naps.

The benefits of a good nap are too numerous to list here in this post. Here's a link explaining sleep disorders and the advantages of taking a short nap every day.

The Art of the Nap

Best demonstrated by cats, naps can be a work of art. 

Have you ever watched how comfortable they look when napping (a favorite pastime in the feline community)? The internet is full of photos and videos of cats sleeping in oddly comfortable positions.

Artists worldwide throughout the centuries have painted pictures of slumbering felines.

From the literary world here's some quotes about naps.

"I don't feel old. I don't feel anything until noon. That's when it's time for my nap."

Bob Hope

"Laziness works. And the simple way to incorporate its health benefits into your life is simply to take a nap."

Tom Hodgkinson

"I have a nap every afternoon like a little boy. Or an old man. Depending on how you look at it."

Gino D'Acampo

Astute regular readers have probably noticed that I've talked about naps two days in a row now. (See yesterday's post.)

You might even be thinking, "Dave, you're losing it. Maybe you better take a nap."

My feeble defense is "I'm not losing it, because I never had it!"

As it stands, full disclosure; I don't take naps because I'm not able to sleep at night if I do.

Feeling Sleepy After Your Thanksgiving Meal? Don't Blame it all on the Turkey!

Happy holiday!

I've been elected by the National Turkey Union of America to dispel the myth that turkeys are the only one to blame for sleepiness when you eat your thanksgiving meal.

They also asked me to shoot down the myth that they are so stupid that they drown in the rain by looking up at it.

Done and done.

Let's start with the science.

While it's true that turkeys contain tryptophan, which scientists say acts as a natural sleep aid and a good mood, it's also true that you'd have to eat about twenty servings of turkey to get the knockout effect!

Allow me to explain.

A few slices aren't going to knock you out. You would have to eat 20 servings of turkey which would provide about 410 milligrams of tryptophan to equal one dose of tryptophan pill form. 

Adults who take tryptophan supplements take doses of 5 grams before bed to help improve sleep. By comparison, two servings of turkey contain 410 milligrams tryptophan which is considered an important daily nutrient dose.

Therefore, as the turkey's told me, there are other culprits that slip tryptophan into that Thanksgiving meal.

They are (in no particular order) milk, cheese, beef, chicken, nuts and soybeans. 

Throw in the fact that it gets dark earlier at this time of the year and your body naturally gears up its melatonin (the sleep hormone) and you get the picture.

Couple that with booze which is a common feature in most holiday feasts, and you're ready for a short winter nap.

I'm honored to have been selected as this year's National Turkey Union's representative.

There's a rumor going around that the National Pig's Association is going to ask me to discourage people from eating ham this Christmas. Their president suggests eating turkey this Christmas.

As it stands, if you fall asleep during the football games don't blame it all on the turkey!

Musk Releases Hounds from Hell into Twitterverse

Every day now a new devil gets his/her pitchfork since billionaire bad boy Elon Musk bought Twitter and restored them to the platform.

The worst of the worst - former TV host, former president, Florida retiree known for rabid rants, Donald Trump, led the line of losers getting a second chance to rave again on Twitter. 

Marjorie Taylor Greene and other white Christian supremacists who were banned have got their claws back and their rejoicing.

But for how long?

As Musk passes out megaphones to further pollute the Twitterverse advertisers are fleeing from the site. The writing may be on the wall right before us.

After firing half of the folks at Twitter when he bought the platform, only a skeleton staff remains under intense pressure to please Musk. Breakdowns are already occurring in the worldwide system. 

I'm not sure Musk thought the deal over that much. It seemed like an impulse at the time when he agreed to purchase Twitter. Afterall, it was already losing money. Maybe he actually believed he could make a profit by stripping his human resources to the bone.

That's not the way things like this work.

So, what then?

The whole thing was just a lark for a bored billionaire? He took bad advice? He wouldn't take any advice? 

There are too many billionaires openly and contemptuously displaying their power in public these days without restraints.

Because Musk's space satellites help the United States see what's happening on the ground between Russia and Ukraine, Congress doesn't have enough incentive (or guts) to challenge Twitter's content - even if it does cause riots and raging racism.

When Congress does get exasperated and calls Musk in to face a committee nothing - let me repeat this - NOTHING ever happens.

Moonface Musk can toy with the American people all he wants because he's wealthy beyond measure.

It used to be that billionaires kept a lower profile, preferring to keep their agenda behind closed doors with the use of dark money. Don't get me wrong, they still do, but this new generation of billionaires are without shame or conscience.

As it stands, the last thing this country needed right now was an avalanche of more vile and violent rhetoric into the public discourse.

In Case You Wondered: Pooping in Public is Not Covered Under the First Amendment

Just about everything these days is covered under the First Amendment but pooping in someone's yard isn't.

I can't imagine the country's founders claiming it's okay to crap where you want to in public places when writing the First Amendment.

What brought the subject up?

In 2017 a Colorado Springs neighborhood was plagued by a "mad pooper" defecating on their front lawns and sometimes right in front of their children.

From what little authorities have gathered the mad pooper is a woman jogger. Numerous blurry amateur videos that have surfaced on the internet proves that much. To this day she hasn't been caught.

A while back some clown came forward claiming to be the jogger's spokesman. According to him her actions were protected under the First Amendment, and therefore the government cannot control when and where she relieves herself. He actually compared her actions to breastfeeding in public.

Needless to say, authorities weren't playing that game and were intent on finding her and charging her for indecent exposure.

But they have to catch her first. 

The toilet paper company Charmin recently offered her a year supply of toilet paper if she turns herself in. 

Apparently, she's not that stupid to trade a year's supply of toilet paper to be registered as a sex offender because there's been no reply.

As for her spokesman, no one has seen him for years. If authorities did interview him after his announcement, no one reported on it. I understand it's still an open case.

Related: Another Mad Pooper in Denver Has Struck - It Was a Man this Time. (2021)

As it stands, there's a neighborhood in Colorado Springs where people are still on the lookout for the return of the mad pooper! Parents use her as a boogeyman who might crap in their kid's room if their bad!

Animal House in the House: Creature Features for Everyone's Entertainment

I know democrats are feeling blue right now because the GOP gained control of the House of Representatives during the midterms.

Skip the pity party people!

It's not the end of the world. As a matter of fact, it could be the best thing that could happen by driving democratic voters to turn out in record numbers in 2024.

Two years of republicans turning the House into an Animal House is going to motivate millions to vote the democratic ticket.

Upcoming sideshows

With MAGA morons becoming committee chairman you can expect a despicable and vile assault against the president of the United States and his son Hunter.

Fox News will gorge on the daily drama of GOP lawmakers on the loose in the House badgering democratic lawmakers.

Investigations into Trump's political rivals will spring up like poisonous toadstools in the congressional committees. Everyone knows the long-awaited Revenge Tour (it's not been a secret) starts in January.

There's a wrinkle in the plan.

The animal factor.

Republicans have devolved into an in-house collection of animals that are motivated by different agendas. Maggots' have no agenda beyond revenge for perceived slights. 

The (Ironically named) Freedom Caucus will find itself fighting with their colleagues over nearly every issue in the next two years. No political pundit would bet it'll be kumbaya among House republicans. 

You can count on those MAGA lawmakers for laughs. From (I don't have to wear a jacket like everyone else) Jim Jordan, to crazy Marjorie Taylor Greene and her Jewish space laser collection, it's going to be entertaining.

I understand it's not going to be easy watching lunatics mangle the Constitution and violate every law in Congress for the next two years.

As it stands, it helps to remember that we have a democrat for president and a democratic Senate to counter some of the madness.

A Warning Sign I Never Thought I'd See

Have you ever heard the fairy tale about a prince that was turned into a frog by an evil magician and could only break the spell if a beautiful princess kissed him?

I got one better than that and it's not a fairy tale.

People are going out into Arizonia's Sonoran Desert and are licking toads! No shit. It's true and the National Park Service has had to resort to putting up signs everywhere imploring tourists not to lick toads, banana slugs, and unfamiliar mushrooms.

What going on there? I've never seen a public sign warning people not to lick toads. Are people that stupid nowadays? You don't have to answer. We both know there are strange and disturbing people among us.

Are the toad lickers hoping to be turned into princes or princesses? 

Seriously (for a moment) there are nimrods that have discovered that the toad's toxic secretions contain a powerful hallucinogenic known as 5-MeO-DMT. 

Apparently getting really sick by touching or licking poisonous toads doesn't deter some crazy tourists or drug pilgrims.

Authorities say that in recent years, smoking the toad's secretions has grown in popularity putting the amphibian on the endangered list in New Mexico (one of two states the toads live in.) The Department of Game & Fish says collectors want them for drug use. At least they don't kill them.

I've read reports that public figures have been experimenting with the toad's extracted toxins. Not the brightest bulb in any room, boxing legend Mike Tyson has spoken about using it.

There's potential hope, according to some researchers, that 5-MeO-DMT might offer therapeutic benefits.

I think it's interesting to know that Hunter Biden has written about using 5-MeO-DMT therapy as a form of addiction treatment.

Back to the clods walking through the Sonoran Desert at night (the best time to catch them) searching for toxic toads.

Stop it you clowns!

As it stands, I never thought I would see a sign warning people not to lick animals on public lands. I guess there's a first for everything.

Hug a Turkey Instead of Eating it this Thanksgiving

Well, why not?

Hug a turkey this year instead of eating it.

I must admit it's a fascinating concept. Theoretically the same idea could save thousands of pigs, cows (they do have some at Gentle Farms), and other assorted living things we eat if it catches on which I wouldn't bet on.

Power to the turkeys! Host a turkey cuddling event at your home this year. Where did this crazy idea come from in the first place? 

There's a farm in California (Gentle Farms) that's having an event to display their "reverence for all life" this year and it's featuring turkey hugs (for $50 visitors can spend 90 minutes getting to know a turkey better by hugging it, feeding it treats and making small talk).

If you ask me the biggest turkeys are the people paying $50 a pop to pet and hug a big bird!

But the owners of the Santa Clarita-based farm (The Gentle Barn) believe turkeys are affectionate and are really helping people in therapeutic sessions.

There are two other farms associated with the Santa Clarita farm that also charge for turkey hugs. One in Nashville, Tennessee, and the other in St. Louis, Missouri.

Needless to say, this new humane concept of celebrating Thanksgiving without eating a turkey, has spread far and wide among turkeys in America who are seeking to enlist at one of the three farms.

Personally, I had no idea that turkeys have been cherished throughout history for their intelligence, affection, and dynamic personalities. At least according to the folks at Gentle Barn.

It's probably a good time to correct some gobble gossip. Turkeys looking up at the sky during a rain fall don't drown. It's an old wives tale that needs to be shot down.

So, I guess we can agree that turkeys aren't dummies and they have a soothing effect on humans.

As it stands, the word has been getting out to other animals we eat during the holidays, to organize hugging events if they want to live longer!

Festive Weekend in Washington DC: Hunter Biden's Daughter to Marry in the White House and Joe Biden Marks Historic Birthday

Photo - President Joe Biden, Naomi Biden, granddaughter Naomi Biden and fiancé Peter Neal walk to the White House from Marine One in Washington D.C. 

Photo by Pete Marovich/Getty Images

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What a weekend!

Hunter Biden's daughter Naomi is getting married on the White House South Lawn (a first by the way) on Saturday, and Sunday is Joe Biden's 80th birthday making him the oldest sitting president ever.

I can't help but think about the crazed members of the so-called Freedom Caucus who are probably incensed at seeing their #1 enemy enjoy a day of celebrations at the White House.

I think the marriage between Naomi and Peter Neal symbolically kicks off a fresh life chapter by putting a youthful spin on Joe's 80th birthday on Sunday.

Insiders say the wedding date was no coincidence with the president's day - noting the "age issue" is never something Joe wants to highlight.

Be that as it may the White House will be filled with music this weekend in a rare show of dancing and fun.

Political pundits are gushing that the wedding will be the social event of the White House this year, perhaps of the entire Biden administration.

Wedding watchers are babbling about who's putting on the gala event. It's Bryan Rafanelli if that means anything to you. They're also speculating on other such important issues as,

-- what flavor the cake will be and who made it?

-- who designed Naomi's wedding gown?

-- who'll be the official photographer?

-- and a host of other ridiculous details that the media eats up like pot brownies.

The word among reporters covering Joe Biden is that he'll be going back to his house after this weekend and will hold a family meeting on the subject of running for a second term. I'd sure like to be a fly on the wall during that conversation!

As it stands, the bottom line is it's great to see such a positive event during these stressful times. Even if you're not an avid wedding watcher (like me) you can appreciate a weekend of hilarity!

Back to the Moon but Why?

Here's a quick historical fact; the first American spaceflight that landed humans on the moon was in 1969.

Yeah. That long ago. 

It made heroes out of Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin when they landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20.

I remember watching them on live TV as they bounced around on the moon's surface and planted an American flag (which probably turned to dust decades ago).

Flash forward to 2022.

NASA sent (what they call) an historic Artemis I mission to the moon a couple of days ago. To be clear, this mission is ultimately about returning astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time in 50 years.

But the Artemis I is an uncrewed (if you don't count the crash dummies inside) spacecraft that will just be circling the moon. 

Wait a moment! Circling the moon doesn't sound like we've advanced very far in the last 50 years. What happened? Did NASA lose all their notes about safely landing the Apollo Lunar Module?

The whole mission is an embarrassment.

One of the Artemis I mannequins riding in the capsule is named Commander Moonikin Campos. Need I say more?

When the landing capsule splashes down it's going to provide some great photos (taken by 16 cameras) of the moon's surface. Again. Did NASA lose the photos they've been taking for the last five decades since we landed there?

This ground-breaking (lol!) lunar flyby is going to come the closest to the moon on November 21. Somehow that doesn't sound thrilling or impressive to me.

That's it in a nutshell. This vaunted effort by NASA is a pathetic rerun without even landing on the moon, a feat NASA accomplished a half century ago. And here we are, spending billions to do it.

As it stands, I can think of better places for taxpayers' money to go where it'll really help them.

Will the Temperature Eventually Turn Down with More Women in Political Offices?

I've always considered women more reasonable than men. 

There's a boatload of scientific data showing women are better at bargaining and controlling their temper. Men on the other hand generally start beating their chests when conversations don't go their way.

With more and more women entering politics I'm hoping they can cool the fires down in congress and the state houses. I've heard other men disparage women and say they are too emotional to lead anyone.

That's bullshit.

All you have to do is look around the country at women politicians to see the positive impact they've already had in political discourse and organization. Take Nancy Pelosi or Liz Cheney for example.

Single women voted for Democrats, adding to their winning margins in the surprising midterms. Young people's votes were huge in the contest. My point is that a solid democratic base has to include (at least) equal numbers of women to win contests.

It's an historical fact that men have always underestimated women. The reasons are myriad, but the underlining problem is men are afraid of women.

This country is full of misogynists who devote their time to restricting women's rights in the workplace and society. 

The good news is the glass ceiling has been broken in American politics allowing women to hold important government offices and positions in congress.

But we still haven't elected a woman president yet. Maybe 2024 will be the year we get a democratic woman in the Oval Office. It's a thought. 

Frankly I don't know who a good woman candidate would be... yet. Give it time. Maybe midyear of 2023 we'll have a clearer picture of democratic candidates for the next election.

I should add that I also don't have any men on my list of potential candidates either. 

Before you say there's too many crazy women in politics already let me state the obvious; the majority of crazies in politics are men. Go ahead and count them.

Being somewhat of an expert on women - I've been married to the same one for 48 years - I can tell you their clever and canny in ways men will never be. It's kind of like their superpower.

As it stands, underestimate a woman at your own risk!

Trump's Re-Election Announcement Spells Doom for Republicans in 2024

Finally, after a year of teasing his MAGA faithful Trump dumped his load and declared he's running for president... again.

Democrats were ecstatic to hear the news yesterday.

Champagne corks were popping as Trump ranted and raved about how great he was as a president. The 200 guests in the Mar-a-Lago ballroom looked like club members forced to show up for his big announcement. The tepid applause every now and then didn't reflect any true enthusiasm. 

The goal of keeping a democrat in the Oval Office in 2024 got that much closer. Think about it. How is a three-time election loser going to take the GOP to the promised land after another ridiculously bad showing in the midterms?

It gets better.

The Republican party (the Mitch McConnell wing) wanted Trump to wait until the Dec. 6 runoff in Georgia between Hershel Walker and Rev. Warnock was over. They had a slim hope of winning but if Trump steals the thunder and donations, Walker's chances of winning are greatly reduced. 

The gift of announcing his presidency now is going to keep on giving the democrats ammunition and motivation for the 2024 presidential election.

Meanwhile the Republican party is squabbling about why there was no Red Wave and Trump is getting backlash for losing the senate and nearly losing the House.

McCarthy won the leadership nomination against his challenger Andy Biggs. McConnell may face a challenge to his leadership but in the end, he's going to keep his roost. The backbiting against him is coming from Ted Cruz who's desperately looking for someone to blame for the historic losses.

Let's consider a few more things that are going to be beneficial for democrats in the next two years.

-- It's likely the crazies in the GOP caucus will get their way and they'll try to impeach President Biden. I can't think of a better motivation for democrats to turn out in record numbers in the next election.

-- It's really unlikely that Republicans will pass any meaningful legislation. Voters notice things like that.

-- If these midterms taught us anything Americans are tired of the eternal warfare and conspiracies the GOP has polluted our political system with in the last six years.

-- A new Trump campaign will set up a test between the growing skepticism of his ambitions among the upper echelons of his party and the adoration millions of his base voters still feel for the twice-impeached ex-president.

I could go on with more examples, but I think I made my point here. Americans are weary. We have enough challenges with climate change, the economy, and a lingering COVID-19 that keeps mutating.

I'd like to believe that some maggots will desert Trump's decreasing tent and move on to someone else who isn't a loser. I don't expect a significant amount of his supporters will stop idolizing him, so we can expect a three-ring circus for the next two years.

The new House committees plan on conducting a revenge tour by investigating everyone they don't like. These mini-theatrical events will only motivate democrats, independents, and even some republicans to vote against extremism.

So, yeah... do your worst Donny! Your days are numbered.

P.S. What a pathetic performance!

As it stands, Trump and minions won't go gently into the night. That's what democrats are counting on.