Hi everyone,

Welcome back!  How are you?  Everyone still in one piece?  I was just talking to BDH and Little Buddha about today's to-do list.  I need to mail something, so that's going to be my excuse to take a short walk at some point this afternoon.  Other than that, it looks like we'll be taking care of the houseplants for a bit and stretching in anticipation of Monday's compost delivery for the garden.  The guys just told me that there's snow in Monday's forecast.  Sounds about right.  Anyway, that's where we're at right now.  There's a fresh pot of coffee on the table, so grab yourself a nice medium DD, and let's clear out some Saturday Clutter.

(Quick programming note:  We expect to be out tomorrow and then back again to hang out with you on Monday before we work on the garden.)

Donald Trump tried to claim yesterday that he was being sarcastic when he talked about looking into people injecting themselves with disinfectant to fight the coronavirus on Thursday.  First off, that's a blatant lie that only the most devout of the MAGA cult followers would believe.  Anyone who saw the video of Trump's comments knows full well he thought he sounded like a genius talking about hitting people with UV light and Lysol.  The man is an idiot, and every time you think you understand just how stupid he is, he manages to drop a few more rungs on the I.Q. ladder.  Also, let's say he was telling the truth yesterday.  He's saying he's a guy who looks at the death of 50,000 Americans, and his natural response is to make a joke.  He's a disgrace and should resign from office for his incompetent handling of this pandemic.

The country needs a leader who isn't a public health threat.  (pic via newstribune.com)

Donald Trump refused to answer questions at yesterday's coronavirus press briefing, after embarrassing himself with the disinfectant comments the day before, and he will apparently start cutting back on appearing at these events.  Perhaps someone finally explained to him in words he could understand that he makes it clear he's an unhinged moron every time he speaks.  There's also the fact that he's not doing himself any favors with most Republican voters when he encourages them to go back to work and give up their lives in tribute to the economy.

Something to remember as we get closer to November:  A property Donald Trump co-owns got a $200 million loan from the Bank of China in 2012, and it's due in 2022.  Keep that in mind every time Trump says anything about China owning Joe Biden if Biden is elected president.  As always, Trump is projecting, because China is apparently one of his many financial masters.

The World Health Organization warns that there is currently "no evidence" that having the  coronavirus once protects people from getting it again.  That's depressing, but it's also an important fact to keep in mind as governments try to figure out who will eventually be able to safely go back to work.

Good for the Navy for recommending that Captain Brett Crozier be reinstated as the commanding officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt.  He never should have been removed from that position in the first place.  Captain Crozier was punished for protecting the sailors under him after he sounded the alarm that there was a coronavirus outbreak on his ship.  That's real leadership, which of course makes Donald Trump angry, because it's beyond his own limited capabilities.  Defense Secretary Mark Esper hasn't made an announcement about whether or not he agrees with the recommendation.  There's no doubt it's the right call, but if he signs off on it, that's a clear disagreement with Donald Trump, and people who disagree with the Great Pumpkin tend to lose their jobs.

Fidelity says the average 401(k) balance fell by 19% in the first quarter of 2020 because of the economic impact of the coronavirus.  That's just about how much the S&P 500 fell during the same.  The index is now down 12.2% for the year, so at least these portfolios are moving in the right direction again, but it will likely be a while before they recover all of their losses caused by this crisis.  However, there's still reason to be confident in the long-term, even when the immediate future looks like a dumpster fire.

Facebook is paying a $5 billion fine to settle the Cambridge Analytica scandal.  As the linked article points out, that's less than one month's worth of revenues for the social media giant, so they're likely thrilled with the slap on the wrist.

Meanwhile, Facebook is also taking on Zoom by increasing the capabilities of its Messenger app.  Who thinks that's going to be a secure feed?

Thursday was YouTube's 15th anniversary.  It's hard to remember back to a time when you couldn't find any music video or TV clip you like with just a simple search.

The New England Patriots were busy during the second round of the NFL draft last night after trading out of the first round on Thursday.  The Patriots first went for defense, picking one safety and two linebackers.  They used their last two picks of the round on tight ends.  We don't know if any of these guys can play, but we like the activity.  It feels like Bill Belichick's approach will be to have the Patriots defense take as much pressure off quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who appears to be the new starter.  We're on board, but we'll still have to buy a media guide before the season starts (whenever that happens) to learn all of the new names on the team.

If you're looking for something new to watch, Bad Education, starring Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney, comes out on HBO today.  It's the story about a scandal at a Long Island school district, and the movie is getting good reviews.  Check out the trailer:

Sony is adjusting its movie release schedule again because of coronavirus-related issues.  The Spider-Man franchise is the key focus of this rescheduling, which is fine with us, because that's not our top focus here.  However, it also means the next Doctor Strange movie isn't coming out now until March 25, 2022.  Bugger.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Let's have Alanis Morissette close things out here with a track of her new album.  Here's, "Diagnosis," for today's, "Song of the Day."

What do we think?

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It's always a treat to see you.  BDH and Little Buddha say you're welcome to come back later if you want to watch Bad Education with them, but we have to admit we don't have many snacks to offer right now.  Maybe we could split a pizza?  Anyway, the offer is on the table.  Otherwise, be good, stay safe, and we'll catch up with you again soon (likely Monday.)  Until next time, that's today's Clearing out the Clutter, and we are outta here.