Hi everyone,

How are you?  I'm trying to get a sense of the weather forecast for the next couple of days.  BDH and Little Buddha said things should be okay around here for most of today.  The highs will be in the low 40's, but once it starts raining tonight, it's going to last for about 36 hours with heavy winds.  The temperature drops after that, so it sounds like ice will be the lingering issue for us this weekend.  I have to figure out what errands still need to happen this week, because we'll probably stay home tomorrow. 

On a related note, should we lose power on Friday, we'll be out of the office until Monday.  Hopefully that won't happen.  Now, let's get to 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 Thursday Clutter.

President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to a joint session of Congress last night to urge continued support for Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion.  It was President Zelensky's first trip outside of his country since this war began last February.  It was important for him to make this speech now, before Republicans take over the House.  There were 18 standing ovations, as Zelensky invoked World War II, 9/11 and other historic events, while thanking Americans for their ongoing support.  Zelensky said he believes there will be a "turning point" in this fight in 2023.    Hopefully this was enough to secure the passage of another $45 billion in aid, before the likes of Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Green start pulling the strings on the next House speaker.

A true leader fighting for the survival of his country.  (pic via cnn.com)

Something to remember when discussing the House Ways and Means Committee releasing Donald Trump's tax returns:  The Democratic members of the committee said they wanted the records to see whether or not the IRS presidential audit program was working.  These files prove it was not.  Trump wasn't audited for the first two years he was in office, as is required.  The only reason the agency began an audit in 2019 was because Rep. Richard Neal asked about it. 

The committee proved that the process was broken during the Trump administration.  Republicans are running around talking about releasing other figures' returns in retaliation, because they're trying to distract from the fact that their leader evaded accountability once again.  As a result, the American public was kept in the dark about the financial obligations of the former White House occupant.  The GOP doesn't want to talk about that, so if the other records aren't enough of a distraction, they'll go off on the usual racist anti-immigrant rants to see if that diverts attention.  This party has nothing to offer besides tax cuts for the economic top 1%.

The CDC says the average U.S. lifespan is now down to 76.4 years, the shortest it's been in almost two decades.  The COVID pandemic and drug overdoses account for the majority of the drop in 2021.  When you break it down by gender, women are living to be about 79 years old, while men are only getting to 73.  It's a pretty depressing picture.

A new report says at least a third of state execution attempts were botched this year.  Everything about this story is horrific.  Even if it all went without a hitch, capital punishment is irreparably racist and biased against the poor.  It's also reprehensible and not an effective deterrent.  Add in the problems that come from having to use prison personnel instead of medical professionals, and you're so far into torture, there's no coming back, except to end the practice once and for all. 

The Clutter investment team is happy to see that the new proposed government spending bill in Congress includes language automatically enrolling eligible employees into company retirement plans.  People could still opt-out if they like, but so many folks put off participating, for a variety of reasons, and their financial futures take a hit as a result.  Hopefully this proposal will be in the final legislation.  However, the country also needs to deal with the fact that almost half of employees don't have access to these plans in the first place. 

Rumors are growing that Nate Eovaldi may return to the Boston Red Sox after all.  We have no real problem with the big righty, but tell us the details of the deal before we have an opinion about it.  The 32-year-old had a good run with Boston, but he always seems in danger of missing some time with injuries.  The Red Sox are already wasting millions on Chris Sale.  (We'd say the over/under on the number of innings Sale pitches in 2023 is 15.5.)  They need pitchers who are both good and can consistently stay healthy.  Any potential new contract for Eovaldi should be three years long at most.

Boston Globe sports reporter Nicole Yang asks, what should the New England Patriots do for the final three games of the season? We know they're technically still in playoff contention right now, but we'd suggest they play every rookie they have any interest in keeping, and see how they do in the closing weeks.  You might as well let the veterans start healing in preparation for next season.  Of course, all of this will be moot if the Patriots don't have a competent offensive coordinator next year.

"Retired" tight end Rob Gronkowski tweeted that he's "kinda bored" yesterday.  Is this his way of saying he wants to reunite with Tom Brady for one last playoff run?  Even if Gronk returned, we'd still say the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers are more likely to be the NFC champions, but there's always potential for surprise in the postseason.  The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are currently 6-8, which is still good enough to lead the NFC South division.  It would be hysterical if the winner of the Super Bowl had a losing record, so we say, sure, big guy, come on back.

We're sorry to hear Franco Harris died yesterday.  The famous Pittsburgh Steelers running back was best known for "The Immaculate Reception" in a playoff game against the Oakland Raiders in 1972, a play which helped set the Steelers on their championship path.  This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of that historic moment, and Harris was supposed to have his number retired as part of the celebration.  It's sad he won't be here for it.  Franco Harris was 72 years old.  Our condolences go out to his family, friends, and fans. 

The first reviews are in for the new Whitney Houston:  I Wanna Dance With Somebody movie, and they seem to generally be positive.  Our biggest question with biopics is their level of historical accuracy.  We're not watching a documentary.  However, there should be some commitment to accuracy, and it sounds like this film provides that during its look at the talented singer's life.

Charlie Cox had the perfect response to "fans" who were angry about his appearance in She-Hulk:  Attorney at Law:  Watch something else.  Boom, nice, simple, and direct.  Anyone who would actually get mad about his cameo desperately needs to go outside, get some fresh air, and put away their phones for a while.  Cox and She-Hulk star Tatiana Maslany had terrific chemistry, and as Cox mentioned, he was appearing on her show.  It was his job to fit into her world, and he did it beautifully.

A deleted Sandman scene featuring Dream and Death?  Yes, please.  These two siblings were our favorite part of this year's Netflix series:

The guys in Journey just can't stay out of court:  Neal Schon served Jonathan Cain with a cease-and-desist letter after Cain performed the band's hit, "Don't Stop Believin" for Donald Trump at a Mar-a-Lago event in November.  Schon apparently doesn't like Journey being associated with politics.  This is in addition to Schon and Cain already fighting over the band's corporate credit card.  The most fascinating part of the article is that Cain's wife, Paula White, is described as Trump's "spiritual advisor."  We have no idea what that job could possibly entail.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Here's Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band to close things out with, "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" 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 we'll catch up with you again soon.  Until next time, that's today's Clearing out the Clutter, and we are outta here.