Hi everyone,

Welcome back!  How's your week going so far?  Moving a little slowly here this morning, but other than that, things are good.  Yesterday morning's shoveling was pretty straightforward.  It took about 40 minutes to clear the driveway and sidewalks, but no big deal.  The issue was I also shoveled Dad Clutter's back porch in the afternoon, and that was a whole different story.  The snow was high and heavy, and it took longer to clear than the driveway, so now I might be looking for some Advil. 

I'd say that Dad Clutter was in trouble for subjecting me to such extreme labor, but he gave BDH a number of books to read as a belated birthday present yesterday, so we're good.  BDH and Little Buddha should be set for at least most of March, and that makes everyone here happy.  The fact that we have coffee also brings a smile to our faces.  There's a fresh pot on the counter, so grab yourself a nice medium DD, because it's time to clear out some Wednesday Clutter.

Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson pledged yesterday to have 240 million doses of their coronavirus vaccines available by the end of March.  We're getting there, folks.  We're getting there, but we still need to take every precaution to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe until we all have the opportunity to get our shots.

The first congressional hearing about the January 6 attack on the US Capitol took place yesterday.  Former Capitol security officials blamed poor communication, and each other, for much of the chaos.  Passing the buck is an art form in Washington.  However, the witnesses were all in agreement that this was a case of White nationalists attacking the government, no matter how much conservatives try to claim otherwise.  It's appalling that Senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) was one of the people asking questions about what happened, when he himself is one of the leading figures in the whole assault. 

Former Vice President Mike Pence is starting a new political group to promote the record of the previous administration.  There's nothing positive to highlight about the last four years, but we understand why he would do it.  What is amazing to us is that Pence still claims not to have any hard feelings about Donald Trump sending a violent mob after him on January 6.  Either he's blatantly lying, or he lacks one ounce of self-respect.  Either way, it's weak, and we look forward to watching his 2024 presidential aspirations wither on the vine.  Whatever the future of the GOP may be, it's not this lapdog.

Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance's investigation into Donald Trump's financial dealings is now reportedly expanding to include Don Jr. as well.  If that's true, which one of these two con men  would turn on the other one first to save themselves?  The guess here is that it would be dad.  Jr. is still clearly desperate for his approval, so he might hold out for a little while, but pops would throw him under the bus in a heartbeat.  Of course, the wild card is Eric Trump, who has probably dreamed of burying both men at one point or another. 

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he'll support Judge Merrick Garland's nomination for attorney general, so that should be a smooth confirmation vote.  McConnell's acquiescence here is further proof that him blocking Judge Garland's path to the U.S. Supreme Court five years ago had nothing to do with Garland's qualifications.  It was a purely partisan power grab, which is one of many reasons why no one should ever listen to McConnell complain about Democrats not reaching across the aisle.  

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell testified before the Senate Banking Committee yesterday.  Powell said there are hopeful signs for the U.S. economy this year, but the path is fragile, and the Fed will continue to keep interest rates low for now.  If we've done our math correctly, that means at this rate, we'll earn enough monthly interest to buy an extra coffee sometime around February 2022.

A grand jury refused to indict the Rochester, NY police officers who were responsible for the death last year of Daniel Prude, a 41-year-old Black man who was in the middle of a mental health crisis.  By that description alone,  you know exactly what happened to him.  The police are completely unqualified to handle these kinds of situations, and that's the first category of crisis that should be removed from their responsibilities. 

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker released a proposal yesterday to force school districts to offer in-person only schooling, starting in April.  There are numerous questions about whether or not the administration has the legal authority to do this.  We can't help wondering why this can't wait until September when hopefully everyone involved will have received their vaccinations.  Perhaps this is Governor Baker's attempt to distract from the growing criticism he's receiving for a poor vaccine roll-out.

We didn't realize Elon Musk has tied Tesla's fortune to bitcoin by having the company buy $1.5 billion of the cryptocurrency.  That's just one more reason the Clutter investment team has no interest in getting anywhere near this individual stock.  Management is far too into gambling for the team's liking.  Tesla is probably included somewhere in a mutual fund in the team's portfolio, and that's fine.  Other companies can buffer the volatility, but there's no way they'd get involved with Tesla by itself. 

One of the biggest questions about the 2021 Boston Red Sox, besides their starting pitching, is whether or not J.D. Martinez can bounce back from a disastrous 2020 season.  Martinez hit just .213 with 7 home runs and 27 RBI in 54 games and looked like a shell of his former self last year.  He blamed it on not being able to constantly watch video of his swing during games because of coronavirus protocols.  That didn't feel like the strongest excuse of all time, but players will be allowed to use tablets this season, so all eyes will be on Martinez to see if he can return to being a dangerous hitter again.

We're sorry to hear that Tiger Woods was in a major single-car accident yesterday that left him with multiple injuries to his lower right leg.  According to a statement his team released, Woods had "multiple 'open fractures' to his lower right leg, and he had a rod placed in his tibia and screws and pins inserted in his foot and ankle during an emergency surgery."  That sounds awful.  There will be plenty of speculation about the cause of the accident, but officials say he showed no signs of impairment at the time.  As far as his playing career?  Who knows.  Right now, we just wish Woods a full and speedy recovery.

Best wishes.  (pic via cbsnews.com)

The Boston Celtics are struggling at 15-16 so far this season, but Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were selected as NBA All-Star reserves for the Eastern Conference yesterday, so there's that.  The game will be played in Atlanta on March 7, so it has to be a particularly big thrill for Brown, who is from the area, that this is where he'll make his first All-Star appearance. 

HBO Max has a new Tina Turner documentary coming out on March 27.  That's definitely going on the schedule.

This is pure silliness, but we clicked on this link about "Jennifer Aniston's vocal habit," and now it's probably going to haunt us anytime we see her in a role, so you might as well join our newfound suffering.  Isn't that what friends are for?

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Let's have Tina Turner close things out with a terrific live version of, "Proud Mary" for today's, "Song of the Day."

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you, as always.  BDH and Little Buddha just found out that tonight's "One Chicago" shows are all repeats.  That's disappointing, but the guys want you to know you're still welcome to come back later to read with them, if you like.  They might even let you pick the book.  Otherwise, enjoy the rest of your day, stay safe, and we'll catch up with you again soon.  Until next time, that's today's Clearing out the Clutter, and we are outta here.