Hi folks,

How are you?  I finished most of yesterday's errands and even finally got around to something that's been sitting on the list for a month, so that was good.  There were also a few unhelpful detours, mostly focus-related, but nothing too serious.  BDH and Little Buddha already gave me today's tasks, and they're excited that the last item is watching a new Loki episode tonight.

The guys are also happy that you're all here, because they're eager to check out today's headlines with you.  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.

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Rep. Jim Jordan lost the second vote on his bid to become House speaker yesterday by an even larger margin than the first round.  This time, he was opposed by 22 of his Republican colleagues, as he lost 199-212 to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.   Rep. Jordan remains defiant that he has a path to victory.  However, it looks like his opposition is solidifying, and it's hard to think of someone in the House who is worse at building coalitions.  Some Republicans think Jordan is too extreme, some are still angry about how Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise were both treated in this process, and some don't like getting death threats.  (Of course, none of them seem to complain when the MAGA cult's violence is designed to help them.)

Personally, we object to a guy who tried to help Donald Trump overturn the 2020 presidential election, and also covered for a sex predator.  Call us crazy, but that kind of guy has no business being in charge of anything.

So.  Much.  Losing.  (pic via wmbdradio.com)

As Rep. Jordan's dreams of becoming speaker dim, Republicans still can't get it together to do their jobs.  It seems clear there's no one who can unify the caucus.  If anyone in the GOP is actually serious about governing, they need to look at a bipartisan solution.  With all of the chaos in the world, and the looming threat of a government shutdown on November 17, our country can't afford this ongoing incompetence.  All of these people need to be thrown out of office next November and replaced with adults.

Joran van der Sloot finally confessed to killing Natalee Holloway 18 years ago.  His confession came as part of his pleading guilty to extortion and fraud for trying to get Holloway's family to pay him $250,000 for the location of her body.  Vand der Sloot was sentenced to 20 years.  However, he's already in jail in Peru for killing another woman, and this sentence will run concurrently.  The man is garbage, and he should spend the rest of his life behind bars, but hopefully finally knowing for sure what happened to their daughter will at least give her loved ones some comfort.

Netflix raised the price of its premium plan to $23 a month.  Our standard plan, which is hanging on by a thread, will remain unchanged at $15, so we're staying with it for now, but that could change.  BDH and Little Buddha have been watching Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, which has been generally entertaining.  However, it's certainly not "must-see," and we're still struggling to justify keeping our subscription.  The guys are considering dropping Netflix and adding Hulu.  Which one do you think is the better streaming service?

Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo was named as an AL Gold Glove finalist for right field yesterday.  That's a bit of a surprise, since the Red Sox fielding was atrocious this year, but Verdugo did a fine job in right.  The winners will be announced on November 5.  Best of luck to Verdugo, but regardless of the outcome, the team should still move him this winter before he becomes a free agent at the end of the 2024 season.  It speaks volumes that manager Alex Cora has repeatedly had to bench Verdugo for attitude/effort issues.  Don't repeat Chaim Bloom's mistakes with guys like Xander Bogaerts, Nathan Eovaldi, and J.D. Martinez.  Get some value for Verdugo before he leaves.

A lot of NFL fans won't like this one:  The owners officially extended Roger Goodell's contract through 2027 yesterday.  The man may be a clown, but he does two things well: 1) He keeps the money flowing in the NFL, and 2) He's willing to take hits for the owners, no matter how stupid it makes him seem.  That's all his bosses care about, so they'll keep him in front of the operation for at least another four years.

Longtime professional wrestler Sting announced that his retirement match will be next year.  Sting has been in the business since 1985, which was when we first started watching.  We remember him as part of a new tag team called "the Blade Runners," where his partner was a guy named "Blade Runner Rock," who eventually became the Ultimate Warrior in the WWE.  We watched Sting become a star over the years in WCW, and suddenly we're talking about retirement matches. That went by quickly.

Mind you, pro wrestling retirements are like rock stars calling it quits - you can never 100% assume it's actually going to stick.  (Sting already retired once in 2015.)  However, he's had a remarkable run over the last couple of years in AEW, and this would be a chance to go out on a high note, so we wish him the best.

We're sorry to hear Burt Young died.  The actor was known by millions as Rocky Balboa's brother-in-law Paulie in the Rocky movies.  He also had a memorable guest appearance as an aging mobster in The Sopranos.  Young was 83 years old.  Our condolences go out to his family and friends.

Speaking of Rocky, there's a new documentary about Sylvester Stallone coming to Netflix on November 3.  Guess we'll keep our subscription active for at least one more month:

The newest SNL promo sees this week's host/musical guest Bad Bunny poking fun at his periodic involvement with professional wrestling.  Gotta say, we saw Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest at Backlash this past May.  It takes two to tango, and the two men are apparently real-life friends, so Priest may have worked even harder than usual to put his friend in a good light, but Bunny held his own as a wrestler that night.  We wouldn't object if he wants to make another return to the ring at some point.

There's a new teaser trailer out for Season Two of Time, a BBC drama about life inside a women's prison.  Former Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker has joined the cast, and it's safe to say this is a much different role than playing the Time Lord.   Good for her for shaking things up like this.  The new season of Time starts on October 29 in the United Kingdom.   Not sure if we'll be able to watch this from the U.S., but we might give it a look if it's available.

John Stamos has a new memoir coming out next Tuesday.  If you could only pick one, would you go with that or Britney Spears' story?   We lean towards Britney.   The actor's tale feels like something to quickly skim through in a few minutes at the bookstore. 

Singer Adele recently revealed that she quit drinking a few months ago, after being "a borderline alcoholic" for much of her twenties.  Good for her, even though she doesn't sound like she's enjoying her decision very much.  We wouldn't be preachy about it to anyone, but sobriety beats the alternative on pretty much every level.  Adele also said she cut out caffeine, a thought which makes us shudder. There's being healthy, and then there's having a reason to enjoy life.

Peter Gabriel announced that his new album, i/o will be released on December 1.  This is the singer's first collection of all-new material in 21 years.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  We're feeling a bit of a Johnny Cash vibe at the moment, so here's the Man in Black to close things out with, "Ain't No Grave" for today's, "Song of the Day."

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It's always a treat to hang out with you.  BDH and Little Buddha want to make sure you know you're welcome to come back tonight to watch Loki with them.  Otherwise, enjoy the rest of your day, be good, 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.