Hi everyone,

Welcome back!  Come on in, have a seat.  How are we all doing?  Hopefully you made it through yesterday's storm in one piece.  The Clutter Tree is still standing, so our crew is happy.  BDH and Little Buddha want to know if we should talk about the possibility of another storm next week or just leave it alone for now.  Raise your hands if you want to leave it alone for now.  Looks like it's unanimous.  In more immediate news, the guys say the coffee is ready, so help yourself to a nice medium DD, and let's clear out some Clutter.

Of course, the big news right after we left yesterday was that Donald Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and will replace him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo.  Tillerson was atrocious, so we're not drowning in sympathy, but we are curious to see if he's got anything interesting to say once he leaves the job on March 31.  Has he already talked to Robert Mueller?  We also once again ask why anyone in their right mind would join this administration when the odds are overwhelming that you will leave humiliated.  How castrating is it to go from running Exxon to being told to watch for the tweet that says you're fired?

You're fired.  (pic via usnews.com)

Again, Tillerson is no loss, but Mike Pompeo doesn't look like an improvement, given his history of anti-Muslim bias.  This government continues to fail without pause.  There better not be anyone talking nonsense about how voting in the mid-term elections this fall doesn't matter.  Each one of us has a duty to do our part to knock Trump's henchmen out of office.

Trump also fired personal aide John McEntee because the man is under investigation for "serious financial crimes."  Is there anyone in this clown show who isn't a criminal?  Of course, this didn't stop McEntee from immediately taking a job with the Trump campaign.

NBC News is calling Conor Lamb (D) the winner in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District special election.  That has yet to be officially confirmed, but no matter what the final result, considering Donald Trump won that district by 20 points, Republicans should be worried.  Their day of reckoning is coming in the mid-term elections.

It's disappointing to hear that Florida prosecutors will be seeking the death penalty for Nikolas Cruz, the teenager accused of killing the 17 victims in the Parkland shooting.  Capital punishment remains one of the biggest stains on this country's soul.  This isn't going to bring those kids back.

We're saddened by the news that legendary physicist Stephen Hawking died this morning.  The author of A Brief History of Time was 76 years old.  Our condolences go out to his family, friends, and fans.  The world was a better place for him having been here.

RIP, Professor Hawking.  (pic via abc7chicago.com)

Bad news for New England Patriots fans (Part 1):  Danny Amendola is signing a deal with the Miami Dolphins.  It's reported to be a two-year contract worth $12 million, with $8.25 million guaranteed.  Amendola was money for the Pats, particularly in the post-season.  This off-season seems to be the biggest test to-date of the "in Bill we trust" mantra, because all of the other teams seem to be moving quickly to address their various needs, and the Patriots aren't doing diddly at the moment.

Bad news for New England Patriots fans (Parts 2 and 3):  Malcolm Butler and Dion Lewis are both expected to sign with the Tennessee Titans.  Can't be surprised about Butler.  When a guy doesn't play in the Super Bowl, it's clear he's not staying, but it's still a disappointing end to what was once a great Patriots story.  He apparently got himself a five-year deal for $61 million, with $30 million guaranteed.  Dion Lewis was always fun to watch on the field, and now the running back is getting a four-year contract for $23 million with $11.5 million. 

Congratulations to all of these guys, and we thank them for their time with the Patriots.  Now we really want to know what New England is going to do about the growing list of roster concerns.

Pay inequality applies to the (TV) monarchy.  Claire Foy was paid less than c0-star Matt Smith in the first two seasons of The Crown.  The show's producers say they'll correct that going forward, but Foy and Smith are both gone now as the show prepares to recast for season 3.

Hey This is Us fans:  We got you a little insight about what's to come in season 3.  No need to thank us, that's what we're here for. 

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Let's have Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks close things out with a touching performance of, "Learning to Fly," for today's, "Song of the Day."

 You can't beat that.

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It's always a treat to hang out with you.  Enjoy the rest of your day, be good, and let's do this again soon.  Until then, that's today's Clearing out the Clutter, and we are outta here.