Wednesday Clutter: GOP Presidential Primary, Ted Cruz, Burger King, Fruit Juice, Boston Red Sox, Mike Tomlin, Ewan McGregor, Adam Sandler, SNL, Friends, Motley Crue, No Doubt, and more
Friday Clutter: Trump, DeSantis, Defense Secretary Austin, Uvalde Massacre, Google, Bill Belichick, NFL Playoffs, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Van Halen, Green Day, and more

Thursday Clutter: Trump, Ron DeSantis, Missouri Abortion Campaign, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Howard Stern, Richard Simmons, One Chicago, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and more

Hi everyone,

How are you?  BDH and Little Buddha were just reminding me again to bundle up today, because we're looking at a wind chill of 12-16 degrees.  That's not fun.  The guys say this will be the warmest day until next Monday, so we may need to hold a staff meeting later to revise the to-do list between now and then.  These two are the best.  They maximize my productivity while making sure I stay safe.  The best.

They say I'm making them blush, and we need to get to work, so let's do it.  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.

We have teamed up with Clearly Balanced Days, a NH-based/women-owned CBD company.  Enter promo code "cmoore" to get $5 off your next purchase!

Judge Lewis Kaplan threatened to remove Donald Trump from the courtroom during the latest defamation case against him if Trump can't control himself during the proceedings.  Trump was apparently talking loud enough for the jury to hear while E. Jean Carroll testified about the threats and harassment she's endured from the MAGA mob.  Let's remember, Trump isn't required to be present.  He could be focused on the campaign trail, but it was important to him to 1) try to intimidate Carroll, and 2) once again show his complete contempt for our country's justice system. 

Donald Trump believes he's above the law, and he's shown once again that he doesn't have an ounce of self-control.  These are both important reasons why he should never be allowed to return to the White House.

Donald Trump January 18 2024Donald Trump belongs behind bars.  (pic via finance.yahoo.com)

A new poll shows Donald Trump leading Nikki Haley in New Hampshire by a margin of 52% - 38%, thus further damaging the notion that Haley's a viable alternative to the cult leader.  Governor Chris Sununu endorsed Nikki Haley, but he's already downplaying expectations for next week, and he's also already admitted he'll vote for Trump once Trump becomes the GOP nominee.  This party is lost, and it should be tossed overboard.

As his presidential campaign continues to fade away, Governor Ron DeSantis is continuing his white nationalist assault on his home state:  The Florida Board of Education is prohibiting the use of federal or state funds on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs in the public college system.  Few things work conservatives up into more of a lather than any effort to help marginalized groups in this country.  What, do these people think they should get an equal opportunity to succeed, or something?  That's not the GOP way.  According to Republicans, if you're not a rich/straight/white guy, you have no value.

Good luck to the Missouri reproductive health advocates who are working to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot which would protect abortion access in the state.  The language would ensure services up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, and then in cases after that where an abortion would "protect the life or physical or mental health" of the woman.  Missouri currently has a near-total abortion ban, and approving this question would basically undo that prohibition. 

These types of campaigns have succeeded across the country since the U.S. Supreme Court repealed Roe v. Wade, and we hope Missouri becomes the next victory for privacy.  The majority of the country doesn't want the government interfering in their health care decisions.  A legitimate "conservative" would support that position, but instead, the GOP is overrun with religious and misogynistic extremists.

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo made it clear during his introductory press conference yesterday that he's not Bill Belichick 2.0.  Mayo was open and friendly with the media, which immediately broke the status quo of the past 24 years.  He also said that he learned a lot from Belichick, but he's his own man and will do things his way.  That includes engaging in a collaborative process instead of ruling from the top of the mountain, which is again, a new direction.  Coach Mayo has a lot of work ahead of him, from roster construction, to finding new coaches and front office staff.  We wish him the best of luck with all of it.

The Dallas Cowboys will stick with head coach Mike McCarthy next year after all, despite the team being knocked out of the first round of this year's NFL playoffs by the Green Bay Packers last weekend.  This is a mild surprise, only because we wondered if Cowboys owner Jerry Jones might want to consider Bill Belichick as an option to finally make his team relevant in the postseason again.  It's for the best, because we would have felt bad rooting for Belichick to go 0-17 in Dallas next season.  We would have done it, mind you, but we would have felt bad about it.

According to a police report, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay was found unresponsive in his home on December 8 and was administered a dose of Narcan.  Irsay has been open about his addiction issues before, and we wish him the best.

Howard Stern believes football fans will  eventually "rebel" against the NFL's increasing move to streaming platforms.  We'll take the other side of that bet and predict most fans will eventually fork over the money for a monthly subscription to NBC's Peacock, Amazon's Prime Video, or wherever else the league decides to air their games.  People may rightfully complain about the greed, but they'll still hand over their money.

1980's fitness guru Richard Simmons is unhappy that a biopic is being made about his life, saying he never gave permission for the film.  The producers say they respect his privacy...but they're still going to make the movie.  It's okay though, noted thespian Pauly Shore will play Simmons, so you know this will be a classy tribute.

A movie is also being made about Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis.  The singer is on board with the project, and he will be a producer for the film, which is based on his memoir, Scar Tissue.

BDH and Little Buddha were thrilled that NBC's "One Chicago" shows finally returned last night, but they noticed the impacts of budget cuts.  The guys can't help but wonder if the clock is ticking on these ensemble programs:

Chicago Med's return was fair.  There were the usual medical and personal problems, but what was most notable was what seemed to be a cut in the show's lighting budget.  The whole episode looked cheaper than previous seasons, and it really felt like this could be the start of the end.

Chicago Fire was solid.  It was good to see Kelly Severide back after actor Taylor Kinney checked out for a good portion of last season.  Blake Gallo's departure was abrupt, and we'd still like to know more about what happened there.  Was actor Alberto Rosende a victim of a reduced budget, or is there more to that story?  We know Sylvie Brett is leaving, but at least the show is giving us a month and a half to prepare for Kara Killmer's exit.  In any case, it was good to have Firehouse 51 back on the air again.

Chicago P.D. was generally okay, but the temporary absence of two cast members was glaring.  We know Detective Hailey Upton is leaving this season, and this episode was the start of that story arc.   TVInsider.com has some details about what's ahead for the Intelligence Unit for the rest of this season.

Ed O'Neill said he was offered a job with the mob after his dreams of being a pro football player ended.  The Modern Family star decided that getting into acting seemed like a better choice, a decision which worked out well for him.

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the passing of music icon David Crosby.  That sure went by quickly.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Here are the Red Hot Chili Peppers to close things out with a live version of, "Dark Necessities" for today's, "Song of the Day."

Thanks for stopping by, folks.  It's always a treat to hang out with all of you.  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.

 

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