Hi everyone,

Welcome back!  What's the plan for today?  I have an errand which involves a bit of a hike.  It looks like the sidewalks are in decent shape now that it's stopped snowing, so that should be fine.  As a bonus, it will bring me near another bookstore, so maybe I'll find something good for BDH and Little Buddha to read.  Other than that, it will probably be a pretty quiet day.  Oh, the guys want to make sure you know that the first day of spring is one month from today!  Let's check out the headlines.  There's a fresh pot of coffee on the counter, so grab yourself a nice medium DD, because it's time to clear out some Saturday Clutter.

Hey, we just noticed the birds are chirping this morning.  Spring is coming, friends.  Yes indeed, spring is coming!

The House Budget Committee is expected to review the new $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package on Monday, and the full House could reportedly vote on the bill as soon as by the end of next week.  It's important to approve this legislation as soon as possible to help the millions who continue to struggle during the coronavirus pandemic.  However, we still say that a one-time $1400 direct payment isn't nearly good enough.  People who are hanging on by a thread right now need more substantial assistance.  We should be talking about monthly $2000 payments from now until the end of this crisis.  A country that can give away billions in tax cuts to wealthy corporations can afford to provide real help to average Americans.  It's not a matter of finances, it's a matter of values.

Senator Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) says he'll vote against President Biden's nominee for budget director, Neera Tanden, because of partisan tweets she made before her nomination.  Manchin said, " I believe her overtly partisan statements will have a toxic and detrimental impact on the important working relationship between members of Congress and the next director of the Office of Management and Budget."  This is coming from a guy who voted to confirm Jeff Sessions as attorney general. 

President Biden said he won't pull Tanden's nomination, because he thinks he can get the votes elsewhere.  If that's true, great.  If not, he should make a recess appointment when he has the opportunity.  Much like the country must not held hostage any longer by Mitch McConnell, the conservative Manchin should not be allowed to drive Biden's agenda.  This is also a reminder that it's important Democrats build a large enough Senate majority in 2022 that they don't have to rely on Manchin's vote.  Support grassroots organizing efforts, friends.  Last year's election shows how important that work is for this country.

Temperatures are expected to slowly start improving in Texas today, but millions are still struggling to recover from the collapse of the state's power grid over the past week.  There's no excuse for this kind of suffering, which is a direct result of privatizing the state's utilities to avoid federal regulation and increase corporate profits.  There has to be a reckoning for all of the public officials who completely failed their constituents. 

Cheers to Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has now raised over $2 million for Texas relief efforts.   We have to admit we're a little confused, because conservatives told us AOC was responsible for the disaster in the first place, and they also claim public officials can't really do anything to help in an emergency, so those "leaders" might as well go to Mexico.  It's almost as if these folks have no idea what they're talking about.

Here's hoping Facebook pays the price at home for its bullying in Australia.  The social media giant blocked news sharing in Australia this week in protest of a proposed law that would force them to pay publishers for using their content.  It was a heavy-handed move to say the least, and it's new material for the anti-trust lawsuit that was filed against Facebook.  It also gives Congress plenty to work with as they look at possible new regulations for the tech industry.  Facebook has been damaging democracies and destroying personal privacy for profit for years with few repercussions.  It's time someone finally said "enough."

The UK Supreme Court ruled yesterday that Uber drivers are employees, not independent contractors.  That's the final word in a case which was first decided in 2015.  This means Uber is now responsible for things like a minimum wage and holiday pay.  It will be interesting to see how this forces the company to change their business model, and what it also means for the rest of the gig economy which largely operates under a similar premise regarding worker status.

A large part of the hopes for success for the 2021 Boston Red Sox depends on the health of starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, who battled the coronavirus and myocarditis in 2020.  E-Rod says he's "100%" and ready to go this season, which is great to hear.  Of course, manager Alex Cora will have to keep a close eye on the talented lefty, but Rodriguez's return will be a significant upgrade to Boston's starting pitching if he can make it through the whole year.

Can E-Rod return to form this year?  (pic via nbcsports.com)

New Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer went after New York Mets ace Noah Syndergaard on Twitter yesterday, saying Syndergaard should treat fans better on social media.  That's some Grade A trolling from Bauer, who was previously called out for harassing a woman on Twitter.  The Dodgers clearly picked up a talented pitcher when they signed the current NL Cy Young Award winner.  However, Bauer has the kind of abrasive personality which could very well blow up the Dodgers clubhouse, and the team may very well end up regretting signing him to that three-year/$102 million deal.

Former Boston Red Sox outfielder Johnny Damon was arrested for driving under the influence on Friday morning.  Damon reportedly had a blood alcohol level of over .20, which is more than twice the state's legal limit of .008.  The guy was never the brightest bulb.

WandaVision continues to fascinate us.  This week's episode confirmed the real villain of the show, (unless it's someone else), and everyone in the cast did a terrific job.  You could also say that this was the origin story for another Marvel superhero, and it may be a hint of the big cameo coming before the end of this season.  We don't want to give away spoilers here, but this week's development implies the appearance of one of our top two choices.  We'll be honest and let you know whether or not it's who we're hoping for once the big reveal actually happens.

We also finished It's a Sin last night, and it's fantastic.  The show is a wonderful tribute to the generation of gay men lost to the AIDS crisis in the 1980's in the United Kingdom.  It's a powerful, love-filled, and important story which is well worth your time.  Check out this interview with show creator Russell T. Davies and one of the stars, Olly Alexander, to learn more about it.

Criminal Minds is apparently returning, just one year after it was cancelled.  The new version will be part of the Paramount+ streaming service.   We'll probably take a pass on that one.  We watched the show for years, but it eventually started feeling like "crime porn."  The (then) series finale was also a dud which left us feeling fine about the show's demise.

Apparently Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are divorcing after almost seven years of marriage.  That translates into about 21 years for non-celebrities, so congratulations to them for making it that long. 

We're not particularly fans of the Kardashian family, and lord knows we don't drink tequila anymore, but it's weird that Kendall Jenner is being criticized for launching her own tequila line.  It's not that we disagree with the argument that this is a case of cultural misappropriation.  Our issue is that Jenner is just the latest in a long line of celebrity tequila makers (including Sammy Hagar and Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson), and we don't remember hearing about any of them dealing with the same objections.  Is this being treated differently because Jenner is a woman?

Drew Barrymore had an emotional reaction to a surprise guest appearing on the birthday edition of her talk show that airs next week.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Here's Prince and Chaka Khan to close things out with, "Sweet Thing" for today's, "Song of the Day."

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you, as always.  Enjoy the rest of your day, stay warm and safe, and we'll catch up with you again soon.  Until next time, on behalf of our crew, that's today's Clearing out the Clutter, and we are outta here.