Hi everyone,

Welcome back.  How are you?  I enjoyed helping Dad Clutter yesterday, but I got to sleep later than usual, so today might be a little rough.  The good news is that BDH and Little Buddha haven't put a lot on today's to-do list.  There are a handful of errands, and a meeting later this morning.  Once that's all done, I might be able to grab a quick nap.  (Yes, please.)

However, first I need some caffeine while we check out the headlines.  The guys made coffee, so grab yourself a nice medium DD, because it's time to clear out some Wednesday 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!

The first seven jurors have been selected for Donald Trump's hush money trial.   That just leaves 11 more to go.   Trump is facing 34 felony counts for falsifying business records connected to payments he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential campaign.  While that's happening, Judge Juan Merchan scheduled a separate hearing for April 23 regarding whether or not Donald Trump has already violated the limited gag order in the case.  (Spoiler:  Of course Trump did.) 

Prosecutors are asking the judge to fine Trump $3000 for the social media posts in question.  Everyone knows that won't be enough to stop the man from blatantly going against the court order, so the question, as usual, is, how far is Judge Merchan willing to go if this behavior continues? Donald Trump will continue to act out unless there are real consequences for his actions.

Lock up the sleepy defendant.  (pic via www.nashuatelegraph.com)

Members of the January 6 select committee have confirmed they expect retaliation by the Trump administration if Donald Trump returns to the White House.  Jailing political opponents is not how democracies function.  That's the approach of dictators, which Trump has already confirmed he intends to be if he gets a second term.  The future of the United States depends on sending him and his accomplices packing once and for all.

The media is already talking about who could replace House Speaker Mike Johnson if/when conservatives launch their next attack on their own party.  Should we start setting odds on how much longer Johnson will hold on to the job?  Let's make the initial over/under July 1.  While Republicans obsess about devouring themselves, the country would do well to give Democrats a House majority again in November.  Let the party who actually wants to govern do the job, instead of a bunch of clowns who are focused on getting Donald Trump's approval.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said he has "complete confidence" in President Biden's mental competence, despite allowing special counsel Robert Hur to carry out a political hit job on Biden in February.  Garland never should have allowed that unprofessional report to be released.  In hindsight, it might be just as well that he never made it to the U.S. Supreme Court.

It looks like Steve Garvey should focus on paying the millions he owes in taxes instead of running for the U.S. Senate.

Arizona Democrats will once again try to repeal the pre-Civil War abortion ban that's about to become law in the state.  They need Republican help to do it, but their first attempt failed.  Who thinks this will be different?   Donald Trump begged Arizona Republicans to do something about the law, because he knew he was going to get crushed for it.  However, undoing this statute is basically political suicide with the anti-choice extremists who run the GOP.  These fanatics are obsessed with controlling women, and they'll punish anyone who stands up to them.

Trump Media's stock price fell another 14% yesterday after the "company" announced plans to get into streaming.  The stock is down 70% from its peak, and there's no reason to think it won't continue to plummet.  Even at $22.84 a share, there's no correlation between the price and reality.   The Clutter investment team encourages folks to stay far away from this mess, even if it falls another $22.83.  It was designed to be another way for Donald Trump to pay his legal bills.  Let him get stuck holding an empty bag.

Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell hinted yesterday that interest rate cuts aren't coming anytime soon, as the battle against inflation continues.  That will be disappointing for some.  On the other hand, it's good news for folks who are currently enjoying solid yields on their savings accounts.  It keeps this group from having to go against their risk tolerance by chasing those returns via stocks.

CNET.com has a look at the current rumors regarding the cameras for the upcoming Apple iPhone 16 series.

Let's see, the Boston Red Sox lost 10-7 in 11 innings to the Cleveland Guardians last night, thanks to closer Kenley Jansen blowing a save opportunity in the 9th inning.  On top of that, Rafael Devers (knee) and starter Garrett Whitlock (oblique tightness) both left the game because of injury concerns.  Oh, and there was slow-footed first baseman Triston Casas trying to steal third base in the second inning and being thrown out by a mile, a mental lapse which left manager Alex Cora visibly stunned.  Other than that, everything was fine. 

Next up: Tanner Houck takes the mound for Boston against Cleveland tonight.  We're already wondering what could go wrong/who else will be injured. What a mess.

The New England Patriots are projected to have the second-hardest schedule in the NFL next season.  That seems unfair for a 4-13 team who has just started a rebuild.  Looks like new head coach Jerod Mayo and company are getting thrown into the deep end of the pool right out of the gate. 

98.5 The Sports Hub continues to dominate the Boston sports radio market, once again crushing rival WEEI in the latest ratings.  Nothing lasts forever, but it's hard to see what would eventually end the station's reign at #1, apart from all of the hosts quitting on the same day.  We enjoy one of 'EEI's programs, but other than that, 98.5 gets our time and attention.

Neil Gaiman said he's writing the third season of Good Omens now, and that filming starts next January.  We're already impatient to see David Tennant and Michael Sheen reunite as the demon Crowley and angel Aziraphale, but we're sure the final result will be worth the wait.  Thankfully, Doctor Who's return is less than a month away, so that will keep us distracted for a few weeks.

Speaking of our favorite Time Lord, Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa graces the cover of the new Entertainment Weekly.  The lengthy piece is a terrific read.  We're so excited for the 15th Doctor and Ruby Sunday to return on May 10!

Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane said he sees no reason to end the show anytime soon, even though it is in its 22nd season/25th year of existence.  The ratings are still apparently strong after all this time, and we've heard MacFarlane say he doesn't have to do much besides record his lines.  If that's the case, it's easy to understand why he'd keep things going for as long as possible. 

Much like with NCIS, we used to watch Family Guy regularly but bailed out years ago.  H1owever, all of the seasons are on Hulu, so we've been slowly catching up on some episodes, and it's still a fun way to pass the time if nothing else is on TV.

The cast of Young Sheldon shared some thoughts about the upcoming series finale which airs on May 16.  It's time for this show to end, because they've told their story.  However, it's too bad they didn't get a full season to do it, thanks to the actors and writers strikes.  They could have used a little more time to bring this story in for a satisfying landing.

On a related note, there's speculation about whether or not The Connors will be renewed for a seventh season.  We're rooting for it to get at least one more round, if only because cancelling it now would mean a makeshift series finale.  That would be so disappointing to viewers who have invested their time in the show.

Former Monty Python star Michael Palin said he doesn't expect the remaining members of the group to reunite again, 10 years after their last appearances together.  That's not really much of a surprise, since two of the guys are dead, and the rest of them don't seem to get along particularly well.  They made their cash grab a decade ago, and they're getting on in age, so why work with people who make you unhappy if you don't have to? 

Palin also lamented that Python couldn't happen today because of "political correctness."  It's so lame when comedians whine about that.  Society's standards evolve over time.  This group had their run, the world has moved on, and that's just life.

A lot of folks (both parents and non-parents) seem to be talking about the latest episode of the children's TV show Bluey.  Have you seen it, and if so, did you have the same strong reaction?

A remastered version of the 1970 Beatles documentary Let It Be is coming to Disney+ on May 8.  We're looking forward to watching that one.

Journey's Greatest Hits album has been on the Billboard 200 for 800 weeks.  You read that right.  Only two other records have been on the chart for that long.  Can you name them?  (The linked article has the answer.) 

Josh Freese recently discussed how he came to be the Foo Fighters' new drummer after the passing of Taylor Hawkins.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Let's have Journey close things out with a track from their Greatest Hits collection.  Here's, "Be Good to Yourself" for today's, "Song of the Day."

Thanks for stopping by, folks.  It was great to see you, as always.  There aren't any new "One Chicago" shows on tonight, but BDH and Little Buddha say you're still welcome to come back later if you want to watch some Family Guy reruns, so something else on Hulu, 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.