Hi everyone,

Welcome back!  Come on in, have a seat.  It looks like winter is finally here for real.  We can't tell exactly how much snow is on the ground at the moment.  It looks like it might not be "that" bad.  The problem is that it's shifting over to freezing rain soon, and then the temperature is going to crash later today, so this will all turn to concrete.  Hopefully we can find a window to take care of at least some of it before then.  BDH and Little Buddha say the keys to proper shoveling technique are to stretch first, not overdo it when you're out there, and make sure to drink plenty of coffee.  As it turns out, they just made a fresh pot, so help yourself to a nice medium DD, and let's clear out some Sunday Clutter.

We're still trying to figure out why Donald Trump bothered to make a speech about his wall yesterday. His proposed "compromise"  is to temporarily restore the DACA program in exchange for said wall.  First off, his administration's halting of the DACA program has blocked by the courts for the time being, so he's got no leverage there.  Second, why would Democrats be enticed by a temporary program in exchange for a permanent wall?  Third, his anti-immigrant base is going to have a fit about his even appearing to give any sort of ground on this issue especially when it's a dead on arrival.  Other than that, it was a strong proposal. 

As expected, Democrats have already rejected Trump's idea.  They continue to pressure Trump to reopen the government and stop wrecking the lives of the 800,000 government workers who haven't been paid because of his mess.  (Note:  Trump didn't mention any of those folks during yesterday's speech.)  The guy is drowning as he continues to desperately try to distract people from talking about impeachment.  Rather than ask someone for a life preserver, he apparently decided to tie a rock to his leg instead.

A low-energy idea and delivery.  (pic via apnews.com)

Trump also didn't do himself any favors when he rambled about a non-existent border wall in San Antonio, Texas.  It's almost as if he's making it all up off the top of his head or something.

Last night's SNL addressed Trump's speech and also finally revealed where Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been hiding this entire time:

There was an uproar over the story of the group of Catholic school teenagers wearing MAGA hats who were taunting a Native American elder yesterday. The footage shows pure hatred, and it will fit right into the history books as the follow-up to the pictures of the young people who harassed African Americans in the 1950's.   Officials from the Covington Catholic High School in Park Hill, Kentucky immediately tried to distance themselves from the students, who were in Washington DC for an anti-choice rally.  In other words, they were there to tell women what to do with their bodies, but the racist part is a no-no.

Best wishes to Senator Angus King (Independent-Maine) who will begin eight weeks of radiation to battle prostate cancer.

There was another women's march in Massachusetts, as well as others across the country, yesterday.

Sorry to hear that former CIA officer Tony Mendez died yesterday.  Mendez was made famous in Ben Affleck's 2012 movie Argo, about his rescue of six American diplomats in Iran in 1980.  He was 78 years old.  Our condolences go out to his family and friends.

Yet another study warns about the dangers of red meat consumption, this time from a global perspective.  It's bad for your health, and it's bad for the environment, so researchers continue to call for a switch to eating more fruits, nuts, and vegetables instead.

The Boston Red Sox are making it clear that they want Mookie Betts to stay for the long-term, and Mookie is making it just as clear that he'll explore free agency after the 2020 season.  It would be foolish for him to do otherwise, because his value is only going to increase over the next two years if he continues to perform at this high level, but we hope the team is able keep this year's MVP when the time comes.

The New England Patriots face the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game tonight.  This should be a terrific battle.  The Chiefs have been good all year, young quarterback Patrick Mahomes looks like he's the real deal, and the Kansas City stadium is loud, so that's going to be a legit home field advantage.  However, there's no way we can bet against Tom Brady in this situation, and the way the New England defense manhandled the Los Angeles Chargers last week leaves us feeling much better about them.  We expect to be nauseous for the entire game, but we're going with a close New England win, to the frustration of the entire rest of the NFL.

Over in the other conference, we've got the New Orleans Saints going against the Los Angeles Rams for the NFC Championship. The game is in New Orleans, and we see the veteran Drew Brees maximizing the home field advantage against Jared Goff and the Rams.

Good for the Philadelphia Eagles for still paying Nick Foles a $1 million bonus he just missed.  The Eagles owe a lot to the quarterback, who is likely on his way to another team, so following through on this incentive was the right call.

We need to wish a very happy birthday to former Doctor Who star Tom Baker, who turns 85 years old today!  Baker played the 4th Doctor, and he was "our Doctor," and the one who got us (along with legions of other people) into the show in the first place.

Pete Davidson and John Mulaney did their best to convince people to give Clint Eastwood, The Mule, a chance:

Eddie Trunk says there's no chance of Sammy Hagar being part of any Van Halen reunion. This isn't surprising, given that David Lee Roth was the one to set the rumors in motion about the band doing something this year.  Presumably Roth would be the frontman if anything actually happens, which is unfortunate.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Still not seeing an obvious window for shoveling, so we better get out there and see what we can do now before it all freezes over.  On that note, let's have the Bangles close things out with their cover of, "Hazy Shade of Winter," for today's, "Song of the Day."

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you, as always.  BDH and Little Buddha want you to know you're welcome to come back later to watch both of the football games with us later today, as long as you can get here safely.  Otherwise, enjoy the rest of your day, stay warm, and we'll meet up again for more fun soon.  Until next time, that's today's Clearing out the Clutter, and we are outta here.