Hi everyone,

Welcome back!  How are you?  We've got a rainy start to the day here, which is fine.  BDH and Little Buddha say the Clutter Tree always loves more water, and I can't disagree with that.  In addition to learning bird calls, I think these two are becoming tree whisperers, and I couldn't be more proud.  They also made coffee, so help yourself to a nice medium DD, and let's clear out some Thursday Clutter.

Donald Trump is owned by Russia, and the Republican response is to file articles of impeachment against Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.  The occupant of the White House is a traitor to this country, and the GOP will do whatever they can to distract the public from that fact, even if this proposal never actually comes up for a vote.

Remember when Donald Trump got all amped up for a trade war with the EU and a fall visit with Vladimir Putin?  Never mind.  Perhaps someone finally explained to the Great Pumpkin that having his boss visit him right before the mid-term election was not the greatest idea of all-time.

Best of luck to Massachusetts State Senator Karen Spilka, who takes over as president of the Senate today.  The Senate has gone through multiple challenges over the last eight months, but Spilka is a good choice to get things back on track, and we expect she will have the Senate continue to push for a progressive political agenda as a contrast to the House and Governor Charlie Baker.

A new study says a parasite spread by cat poop might help you start a business.  On the other hand, the same parasite, "has been tied to increased risks of "car accidents, mental illness, neuroticism, drug abuse and suicide."  In other words, owning a cat is a complicated.  BDH and Little Buddha try do do whatever they can to reduce fear around here without having to deal with all of those other issues.

Scientists found evidence of a lake of liquid water on Mars.  That's exciting, but every Doctor Who fan knows that coming into contact with the water is a bad idea.

The Boston Red Sox raced out to a quick 5-o lead against the Baltimore Orioles last night, but they only made it to the 2nd inning before the game was eventually rained out.  Not sure why the game was started in the first place, given the terrible weather forecast, but the 29-73 Orioles clearly didn't mind messing up Boston's travel schedule.  The Sox are back home tonight, and Brian Johnson takes the mound as Boston starts a series against the Minnesota Twins.

The Boston Red Sox acquired Nathan Eovaldi from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for minor league pitching prospect Jalen Beeks yesterday.  Eovaldi is 3-4 with a 4.26 ERA this year after coming back from his second Tommy John surgery.  He throws hard, and the move shores up the back end of the Sox starting rotation with a right-hander as well as giving them some additional bullpen options this fall if needed.  It's not a blockbuster move by any stretch, but it does seem like an upgrade.

We're not Dan Shaughnessy fans around here, but good for him for asking Bill Belichick yesterday about why Malcolm Butler didn't play in the Super Bowl.  There was no chance Belichick would be accountable and answer the question, but Patriots fans still want to know what happened, so at least Shaughnessy did his job and asked.

Jerry Jones says Dallas Cowboys players will be expected to stand for the national anthem this year, no matter what the NFL's final policy ends up being on the issue.  The team doesn't seem to care when their players are accused of domestic violence off the field, but protesting for civil rights is a no-no in "Jerry World."   Jones tried to look like he had any backbone in terms of Donald Trump, calling Trump's comments on the policy, "problematic," but we fully expect to see Trump tweet something about the Cowboys following his lead.

While we'll continue to root for his team to fail miserably, we are rooting for Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck to make a strong comeback this season.  Luck missed all of 2017 with a shoulder injury.  The NFL is better off with as many big-name QB's as they can find, and we'd also hate to think that Luck's career was completely wasted by an inept Colts management.

Hey Game of Thrones fans, it looks like the first half of the final season will air at some point in the first half of 2019.  Got that?  Also, it appears that four out of five planned spinoffs have been scrapped.  On behalf of Doctor Who fans, we sympathize with your frustration over the long wait between seasons.  Maybe you should come hang out with us and the 13th Doctor this fall?  It would help you pass the time.

The waiting is the hardest part.  (pic via uproxx.com)

It's understandable why Kelsey Grammer would be interested in a Frasier reboot, since nothing else he's done since the show ended has been that memorable.  We were regular viewers "back in the day," but we're not sure how we feel about a show that wouldn't include the late John Mahoney as Martin Crane.  He was such a terrific "regular Joe" counterbalance to his more uptight sons.

A happy belated birthday to Jennifer Lopez who turned 49 years old on Tuesday.

Jane Fonda says a 9 to 5 sequel is coming.  That could do pretty well at this box office, given the #MeToo movement's strength.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Let's have J-Lo close things out with, "On the Floor" (featuring Pitbull), for today's, "Song of the Day."

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you, as always.  (Hey, look at that, the sun just came out.)  Enjoy the rest of your day, be good, and we'll meet back here again for more fun soon.  Until next time, that's today's Clearing out the Clutter, and we are outta here.