A FUTURE BEST SELLER.

I was editing my collection of books today. Amazing the tomes you save that take up too much room and you will never read them again. One book I do value is Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, which often comes in handy when you don't feel like bothering with your computer. But as I riffled through Bartlett's it occurred to me that in a few years this 1540 page volume will be usurped by an even larger and more popular collection: The Collected Lies of Donald Trump.

TRUMP THINKING.

"Why him? I'm as much of a war hero as he is. If I had been in the service, I'm sure I would have been more decorated than anyone"

LINDSEY'S CHANGING MIND, CHANGING FACE.

I saw some footage of Lindsey Graham tonight on the news. I surprised me by showing me something I hadn't noticed before that revealed something about Graham's mercurial changes. He's a drunk. It was obvious from his mottled skin, cloudy eyes, and increasingly bulbous nose. I'm sure he has lots of reasons to drink: his loss of McCain, his ambivalence about Trump, the trashing that he rightfully takes in the news, his worries about reelection. He used to look respectable. Sadly more and more he looks like a lush.

There are 95 million households in America that have a cat as a pet. Which brings up the question: Why would Allstate insurance frequently run a commercial that vilifies cats and make their owners look like masochistic idiots for even having one in their home?

A VERY BIASED BIRD.

Twitter suspends accounts which violate the Twitter Rules. That's what it says when I click on my
inactive Twitter logo. But Twitter also suspends accounts which do not violate the Twitter Rules. Like every social media, they have employees who are petty, mean spirited and unfair. Which is why I was banned for calling Laura Ingraham a bitch. We're talking about the same Laura Ingraham who suggested that Lt.Colonel Alexander Vindman, a decorated war hero and true American was in some way biased as is she. She has been soundly criticized for this obscene, unpatriotic attack and revealed to be a—what do you know?—a bitch. Seems to me that Twitter owes me an apology just as Laura owes one to the nation.

SSSSSSSSSSSSS!

After thousands of often trenchant tweets on twitter, I was permanently banned for rightfully calling Laura Ingraham a bitch.( Just as well since I didn't realize that Twitter was such a narrow-minded and dictatorial force.) The ban is what sent me back to writing a blog, which I am not sure anybody reads, but no matter. Anyway today, after seeing Laura Ingraham attempt to vilify American hero Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman,  I realize that I regretted calling Laura a bitch. She is a far more evil entity and deserved better epithets like harpy, harridan, shrew, simpleton, and any number of words starting with c like callous, contemptible, crude. common, cheap and, of course, the c word for which this aging 56-year-old cobra is most deserving.

THREE LITTLE WORDS TO WATCH FOR.

Watching creepy Mike Pence on the news the other night, I realized one of the most deceitful expressions Republicans use. It is three words that convey their contempt for truth, their belief in the gullibility of every person, and their most frequent and repeated lie. The three words are, "The American People". They use this expression to suggest that they know what their countrymen want,
the very countrymen whom they are constantly denying truth and fairness. They use this expression to suggest that these same American People are solidly on their side, which they are not. It is an expression of deceit, of subterfuge, of substitution for honest answers. E.g. "The American People do not want this impeachment inquiry against the president." How would Pence know? He wouldn't. The good news is that this pseudo-Christian hypocrite comes across as every bit as mendacious as he is.
But then you can't look like a Nazi and appear as a hero.

There are so many new nicknames we can give our president after he, once again, revealed so much classified information.This after lying once again, saying he didn't inform Nancy Pelosi of the attack on Baghdadi because she tends to  leak, a complete lie and another of his endless projections.  So our choice so far of new nicknames for Trump include Loose Lips,Blabbermouth, Yenta, Yacky, Spillit, Yapalong, Gabby, Justask, Motormouth, Windbag, Tell-all, and Trumpeter.

"LOCK HIM UP. LOCK HIM UP."

I absolutely cannot understand why anybody would want to impeach a president who lies constantly, blabs confidential information, cheats on his wives, creates a scam college, imprisons children, is guilty of tax fraud, doesn't pay his bills, breaks every Constitutional rule, refuses to give credit to anyone but himself, betrays his country's allies, cheats in every area of his life, is a misogynist, a racist, and egotist, a narcissist, and a moron. I cannot understand why anyone would want to impeach such a president. I can understand why they would want to lock him in a cell for life.

CARELESSNESS OR TERRORISM?

For years Isis has suggested that its followers can cause a lot of destruction and chaos by setting wildfire's. Now that California is besieged by the worst wildfires in its history, why does no one suggest that they were set or fanned by Isis? It makes perfect sense that Isis could easily start conflagrations that could do great damage to the economies of California and other states. It also makes perfect sense that Trump would not want such a crime to be publicized.  Is it possible that there is great suspicion that Isis is behind these California wildfires, but that fact is being kept from he public to avoid any sense that a terrorist group has been able to wreak so much destruction on our country with retribution?

THE WORRIED WEASELS OF WASHINGTON.

If you watch crime shows, you will note that the innocent suspects are always willing to take a lie detector test. The guilty on the other hand, find reasons they can't: "My lawyer won't let me."I don't trust them," If they are finally forced to comply, they are found to be lying, ergo guilty. This same rule applies to our Republican Senate and all those Trump defenders who refuse to testify. The ones who comply with the subpoenas usually provide information that shows Trump to be guilty. The ones who refuse usually behave in a guilty manner and are later proven to be liars and withholders of evidence. So, refusing to respond to a subpoena doesn't really protect your information, it only suggests that what you know will only make the case against Trump worst.

"FRANKLY, MY DEAR , THEY DON'T GIVE A DAMN."

Infinity aka Comcast likes to portray itself as a worthy provider of cable TV to millions of people, ah, but at what cost? Recently they deprived many thousands of its customers of one of their favorite channels for no other reason than sheer greed. It seems in attempt to wrest more money from users they ripped Turner Classic Movies from their customers' lineup and moved it to a new absurdly created combination of Sports and Military programming in order to charge an extra $9.00. Many fans of TCM are seniors, like me, and, unlike me, are living on Social Security. Thus even an extra $9.00 is a sudden added expense, not that Comcast cares. I personally didn't jump at regaining TCM out of principle and will probably switch providers, even though they are all greedy. Comcast, as I have often stated is the most hated company in America. That doesn't seem to bother them one tiny little bit. If it did, they would restore TCM to the many viewers who I'm sure miss it as much as I do.

'THREE STRIKES AND YER OUT."

How heartening to hear that President Trump was booed at the World Series. It shows that country is not being fooled by his lies and the lies and excuses of all his toadies like creepy Matt Gaetz (who kiss-assed his way to joining the ballpark party). How surprised they all must have been by the angry chants of, "Lock him up", since they were anticipating exultant cheers over the death of Baghdadi whom Trump has suggested he killed with his bare hands. Naturally all these losers skulked away before game end,  proving that they came for praise not to support America's pastime.
P.S. Since the death of Baghdadi, Trump has been trying to suggest that the Isis leader was much more important and famous than Osama Bin Laden, which is not only completely untrue but a pathetic boast by a totally insecure boob.

STOP SAYING, 'DIED LIKE A DOG".

Trump in describing the death of Big Daddy said, "he cried, he whimpered, he died like a dog." Not surprising that our illiterate president reaches for the nearest cliche. (Today he said Baghdadi was,"as dead as a door nail.") I would remind Don that it was brave dogs that chased Baghdadi into the cave, and brave dogs that aid our servicemen, police, firemen, blind and handicapped persons, and rescuers throughout the world. Many of our veterans apply to be reunited with the dogs that served with them overseas during the war and provide so much comfort once they return home. Dogs are brave, loyal, often fearless and always trustworthy. "Died like a dog" is an unfair and ignorant cliche.Not surprised that Trump tossed it out without ever considering how inaccurate it is.

SO WHAT'S THIS SUDDEN FUSS ABOUT "SO"?

Almost every contestant on Jeopardy starts their story with it. Richard Engel begins lots of news reports with it. So do dozens of other reporters. It's epidemic on talk shows. It's constantly used on the evening news. Why do so many people begin reports, stories, explanations, and anecdotes with "so"? Yes, it's been around for ages, but suddenly it's everywhere. Why? Think I'm exaggerating?
Listen.

HUH?

I don't know what the hell they are talking about in the new Chrysler Pacifica commercial. Too often today if the creative team knows what a spot's about, and the client knows, they assume everyone knows. Wrong. 

AN EVIL LEADER IS DEAD, AN EVIL LEADER REJOICES.

It's rather pathetic to see President Trump ridicule Isis-leader Baghdadi for his alleged cowardice when Mr. Trump is one of the world's leading cowards. Put in the same situation not only would draft avoided Trump whine and whimper even more than the man he ridicules, but he would never have the courage to detonate  the explosives. How stupid of Trump to use the cliche "he died like a dog" when it was our courageous military dogs that chased Baghdadi into the tunnel. I'm sure that Trump is so delighted with this victory that he is not at all disturbed about the children that died with Baghdadi. Already he is insanely comparing this death to that of Osama Bin Ladin as we all knew he would, since he is unable to achieve a victory without turning it into a defeat for Obama or other imagined enemy. Like most cowardly braggarts this death will not be forgotten and the details are sure to grow, each time  making Trump more of a hero. You will note he gives most of the credit to his ruler, Russia, the least to the most significant heroes, the Kurds,  whom he abandoned. Also, being a petulant, petty, vengeful sissy, he never notified the Democrats of this event as he should have. Already Trump's toadies are clinging to this death in hopes that they will save our scummy president from justifiable impeachment. The world is better off that Abu Barr al-Baghdadi is dead. However he will be replaced and Isis will be even more violent because of the excessive ridicule stupidly heaped on their beloved leader by Trump. It is just another form of "Bring it on."And the world is worse off because our useless president has found something that will elevate him in the eyes of all the fools that cannot see that he is as much a danger to the world as was Baghdadi.

CREATORS OF DEATH AND CHAOS.

I don't think Monica Lewinsky realizes how much damage she and Clinton have done to the world. If there had been no affair, Clinton would not have been impeached. Gore would have been duly elected president (by a margin too wide to ignore). Global warming would have been addressed early.  There would have been no assault on Iraq who had nothing to do with 9-11. Thousands of Americans would still be alive as would thousands of Iraqis. Not having a war means we would not have left valuable weapons behind to give terrorists a foothold. Republicans would not have had their ammunition for exaggerated scandals. Hillary would not have been tarred so bad and might be our first female president.Obama hopefully would still appear when he did. And. best of all, Trump would not have been able to slither into the presidency after years of strong and valued democratic leadership. So while Monica behaves as if she was guilty of an indiscretion, she is responsible for far, far more.

There's nothing funny or clever about the Downy Wrinkle Guard commercial in which the neurotic mother wrests her daughter from the young man because his shirt is—horror or horrors— wrinkled. It makes the mother look like crazy, the daughter look abused, and the young man look rejected over nothing. Surely Downy's agency could come up with a better solution than this angry and absurd scenario.

IGNORAMUS

Amazing how ignorant of the English language Trump is. Today part of his whining was the line, "...if he would have said that..."  That's the kind of ignorant misuse of English one should never expect from an educated person, and Trump says something similar all the time. Someone should tell Dumb Donnie the correct way to say it is "if he had said that." Trump keeps bragging he is well educated. Obviously not in English.

AS DUMB AS HE LOOKS.

This petulant troublemaker reflects the kind of quality that Republicans have brought to Congress in recent years. And he shows the amount of thought that Floridians give to voting. The orange outfit is not a fashion choice. It's prison issue. Matt Gaetz was arrested for drunk driving. He was taken to jail because he refused to take a Breathalyzer test. But since he has a powerful father, who has as little regard for law as Matt does, no record, no punishment.  So now he's a congressman, in name only, and he and his boyfriend coatless Jim Jordan have become the Katzenjammer Kids of Congress. Although at 37 and 55, they are both a little old for childish pranks and hero worship of you know who.

Huffington Post, which isn't nearly as good as it used to be, seems to be obsessed with the word queer. It doesn't matter to them that most gay men are offended by being referred to as queer, that the word queer is an age-old insult that is still used as a vicious attack word today. The only gay men who "embrace"the word queer are those who regard their homosexuality as their raison d'être. It is a medal of honor for the flamboyant and defensive. I can't imagine the evening news introducing a story that leads off with, "Queer presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg said today..." or "Entertainment Tonight features queer Clay Aiken."  Queer is a poisonous word that will never be anything else. Get over it.

CRUDES DESCENDING THE STAIRCASE.

Trump had it wrong saying that "Never Trumpers are human scum". Like most of thing things he says, it's backwards. Trumpers are human scum. They are persons who approve of putting children in prison, separating families, racism, cheating on your spouse, abandoning allies, betraying your country, stealing, scamming, and any other immoral act. Look at Matt Gaetz, Jim Jordan, Lindsey Graham, all of Trump's fans are flawed, joyless, angry malcontents out to punish the world for who knows what. Trump is a fat vat of poison and the sooner he is dumped and his supporters weakened, the sooner American can get back to being the highest standard for democracy.

THE BLOOD HAS BEGUN.

For the longest time Trump didn't have any blood on his hands, other than raping and punching out Ivana. But those days are over.  The first blood was of children who who died while confined in border prisons and separated from their parents. He seems to have escaped the blame for those deaths. But now he's on a murderous tear. First with the Kurds, whom he abandoned and sacrificed to the Turks. Many have died because of his betrayal, including children, and many more will die at the hands of the Turks and Isis. Then because of his petty fear of Joe and Hunter Biden, he arranged a quid pro quo denying the Ukrainians the military power they needed to fight the Russians. Ergo many more more deaths of still more allies, people who trusted us and were betrayed. So for a long time we couldn't actually compare Trump with Hitler and other murderous dictators. But we can now. And the Republicans are defending him with the same kind of loyalty the SS displayed for Adolph.

Says who?

TD just denied me a satisfactory credit limit because Experian must have given me a less than satisfactory rating. I suspect these credit rating companies are all scams, so I have no interest in calling them, hanging on the phone for hours and listening to their smug bullshit. Plus I don't really need TD's blessing. I have a high credit limit with other banks. What I don't have is a mortgage since I paid it off years ago, or a credit balance since I pay all bills in full the day I get them. I must say I'm very disappointed with TD for being so gullible.  I thought a bank with longer hours, water bowls for dogs, and such nice employees would be smarter than other banks. I don't like them anymore because they limited my credit to $1,300. An acquaintance of mine loves them because despite a weak work record and being unemployed, they gave her a credit limit of $10,000. Go figure.

One of the all-time sickies in the world today is the person who calls random numbers and lets the phone ring endlessly. These creeps are sure someone is deliberately not answering the phone and must be punished for ignoring them. Thus they will let it ring 40, 50 times. If the person is napping and finally answers the phone, concerned it may be important this sicko will hang up. It's amazing how many sadistic nutcases there are in the world, who have these kind of jobs.

WHAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE AND NO ONE DESERVES.

Here's something you can take to the bank: Anyone who has a personal fortune of a billion dollars is a pig. There is no person on earth who requires a thousand million dollars to maintain their lifestyle unless they are a pig, a selfish, greedy, self-centered, uncharitable pig. So if you find yourself admiring a billionaire, who is not a major philanthropist, get over it. That is a person who does not share such incredible wealth. No one requires a billion dollars, it is sheer indulgence. Nobody needs that amount even if they have a large family. With a billion dollars you could give a thousand children a million dollars each. It is an obscene amount and any person who brags about having achieved it, or earned it, or inherited it and does not continually give most of it away to charities is nothing less than a pig. Oink.

I haven't known many renaissance women in my lifetime but this woman is certainly one of them. Sharon was an art director at an agency I worked for. She was always coming up with new ideas and never seemed to have a dry spell. Later I was impressed with a winning calendar she created and her skill at oil painting; still later at the songs she wrote, lyrics and tunes; still later at a complete musical she wrote with her sister and, at the same time with the same sister,  a chilling mystery novel. All those talents would be enough but she is also stand-up-comic hilarious, at least with me.  But she also seems to have a knack for a well-ordered life that includes a handsome, successful husband and three adult daughters, all successful and all beautiful.  Shown here: Sharon with just one of her inspiring books for children: There's A Day Out There.

DID SHE DESIGN THAT HAT?

Happily we haven't seen Ivanka Trump for awhile. Now I see that the First Bimbo is back and parasititing her way into every important meeting like a spoiled 7-year-old. This is a 37-year-old woman who hasn't got a clue of how inept she is and wastes her time time trying to force her way into the public scene when she should be home being a mother to her three neglected children. Having been spoiled himself, her feckless father couldn't possibly have taught her anything of value and her effete husband isn't going to be of any help. So this big-busted mannikin wanders her way through life convincing herself that her opinion matters, her designs are original, and she has something to contribute to the world. She is blind to the real problems of the world, and fortunately deaf to all the snickers that follow her everywhere she goes.

DOES THIS GUY LOOK LIKE TROUBLE?

At a time when so many animals need homes, we don't need an attack on cats like the commercial from Allstate featuring Mayhem. To hear him tell it cats are nothing but destructive, which is totally untrue, Cats are loving, amusing, playful, and clean. They learn to use the litter box and scratching post with amusing speed,  and they're willing to listen to all your problems when they're not napping. (Plus they're not nearly as dependent as dogs, which are also great and need loving homes as much as cats.) Cats are fantastic and most of my friends have one or more and wouldn't be without a feline to lift their spirits. I think Alllstate should be ashamed for creating such a negative commercial sure to reinforce some people's inaccurate opinion of cats and deny many lovable cats a secure home. Don't let anyone talk you out of giving a home to a cat or dog in need.

"STEP RIGHT UP, FOLKS."

Often you will read that some doctor has found a cure for some problem: fatigue, ED, insomnia. Then this arrogant doctor expects you to watch his propaganda video in which he lists all kinds of fake studies supposedly proving that he's right. And while the opening suggests you just have to add something to your diet, you soon learn you must buy his products for at least $80.00. Eventually most of these cure-alls are scams, frauds, fakes, or something you can achieve with $4 vitamins or a few buck worth of veggies. Sadly no one is controlling fraudulent ads any more. Look at how often commercials for Prevagen run on TV. These are very costly ads for a totally useless product that millions of suckers purchase. Many will tell you they got results for the same reason people who spend $100 to see a musical have to say it was wonderful. It's all show biz.

A VERY HANDY LITTLE WORD.

Somebody taught me an expression a long time ago that I use frequently and so do many off my friends.The expression is "The cheaps".  The cheaps is a a sense of embarrassment or discomfort that you can feel for yourself or anyone else. It's not your ordinary sense of embarrassment at ordinary gaffes or goofs. It's more personal, most people may not even know you're feeling it. If you had a child who insisted on singing at a gathering and couldn't sing, you would feel the cheaps. Just watching Trump tell lie after lie doesn't give most people the cheaps, but seeing your Republican senator cover up for him does. Being asked to lend money usually gives both the borrower and lender the cheaps. If a friend comes to you because he has a new job, and tries to sell you something, that's the cheaps. The cheaps happens often. There's group cheaps, and self cheaps, and even cheaps when you're completely alone, which is one of the worst. A person who tries to be funny and just isn't is a constant source of the cheaps. A frequent comment among my friends when asked, "What did you think of Jerry Lewis?" would be, "He always gave me the cheaps."

SCROOGE MCTRUMP.

One of the sickest things about Trump, out of so many sick things, is that he is obsessed with having money he doesn't plan to spend. He has no interests. He's not a traveler. Supports no charities. Doesn't like pets. Certainly is not an elegant dresser. Is far from generous. And apparently having one or two incredibly vulgar residences is enough for him. Yet he is constantly in pursuit of millions, ready to screw the American tax payer or any foreigner who can add to his useless wealth.  I suspect he has no intention of leaving it to his kids or anyone else. He'll probably want it entombed along with him.. If so, the sooner, the better.

I CAN HARDLY WAIT.

One of the problems we're going to have to deal wth in the future is deciding which impeachment party to attend. Every one of them will be a joyous occasion of course, and I suppose you could attend several in one day. But then do you really want to give up the dancing in the streets, the free celebration meals at restaurants, the thousands of open houses with free drinks and refreshments,  the
burning in effigy of Donald, Junior, Eric and Ivanka, and the joy of being alive again? They'll be so many fun things to do, you won't have time to watch TV and  see Willam Barr arrested, Lindsey Graham pelted with tomatoes, and all the traitorous Republicans with their heads shaved running down Pennsylvania Avenue naked.

COPY (WRITER) CATS.

During my 40 years in advertising, I was not aware of much copying of ideas. That's why I am so surprised at the spate of ads today that use the line, "Only pay for what you need." Naturally the most frequent user is Liberty Mutual with its collection of absurd commercials, most recently with Doug and the Emu. I don't get it, but then I didn't get the guy jumping into the river or the goon with giant calves. I'm already bored with this subject.

NOTHING EVEN COMES CLOSE.

There's a product I'm crazy about, but you can't get it in Miami. I don't know why since it' s so delicious, even more so when it's frozen and buttered. What is it? Drake's Coffee Cakes. It's so superior to any other crumb cake, Seinfeld even made it the star of one off his episode, suggesting it is was so delicious Newman could be bribed for a single rapturous taste. Recently because of similar packaging, I mistakenly bought Hostess Coffee Cakes, which taste horrible. I'm amazed they are so available, they're so bad. And this weekend, I tried Entemenmann's, which were less unsatisfying.
 I usually go to Boston every winter where Drake's Coffee Cakes are readily available. I'm going to be heartbroken if I can't find them this year.

Is Ari Melber the only anchor on television who knows the difference between a lectern and a podium?

ONE OF TRUMP'S CRUELEST, MOST TRANSPARENT LIES.

Our stable genius president maintains that the Kurds are thrilled with Trump's brilliant dealings with the Turks. They are so happy to be evicted from their homes, have their children slaughtered, be victims of ethnic cleansing, be betrayed by the United States for whom they fought so bravely. You can just imagine how happy they are. Happy? Do you still have any regard for a mental case who can so betray people and hand Putin the kind of world situations that must thrill him. You are either an American or you're not. If you have any regard for Trump, you are not.

A HEFTY CUSTOMER IS NOT GLAD.

In a recent Hefty ad, a handsome hunk bursts through a stack of Hefty products to impress female supermarket customers. When one woman's toddler says, "da da" his mother respond with "I wish".
I find it weird that Hefty suggests that a customer, any customer, is dissatisfied with her husband and turned on by this hunky stranger. I'm sure nobody will be bothered, but imagine how offended viewers would be if it were a female bombshell arousing a male customer not happy with his wife.

SYCOPHANTS ON PARADE

Just now Pence and Pompeo (the peepee league) each made Trump-dictated, ass-kissing speeches regarding the cease-fire in Syria designed to make Trump seem like an actual leader. Pence was particularly obsequious and repeated and intoned Trump's name as reverently as he was told to do. Other than that, it was  the kind of  hesitant stuttering speech one would expect from an amateur politician. The goal seems to be hopes of getting credit for the Kurdish lives that will not be lost and the world forgetting the Kurdish lives that have already been lost because of Trump's incredible stupidity and inept deal-making.  Of course this is another futile attempt at redemption from an idiot who is sure to be impeached and removed from the office he has continually disgraced from the first day of his illegitimate election. Though Pence the Pius is crediting prayer as well as Trump for this supposedly blessed 120 hour cease fire, I expect the time will fly by and the bullets and missiles will be flying again in no time. Our president, being a moron, will be very smug tonight in the mistaken belief that anyone bought this gossamer propaganda and the cowardly Pence will breathe a sigh or relief feeling that he has once again satisfied the monster and gets to live another day.

NA NA NA NA NA NA

Hey, Trump fans. If your child started calling all the kids he didn't like by nasty names. you'd probably send him to a shrink. But your 73 -year-old president does the same thing, acting like a
neurotic 7-year-old and it doesn't concert you a bit.

TO CALL OR NOT TO CALL?

Here's a dilemma. My Comcast land phone isn't working. If I call Comcast, it will take forever to reach them which will raise my blood pressure. And it isn't like anyone important ever calls on the land phone anymore, so  I don't really need it. Still I hate to give those greedy pigs even a dollar for a service I'm not using, especially after their recent TCM scam. On the other hand I did give the number to some valuable persons that may call, but then again I also gave them my cell phone. But then I have pretty much decided that dealing with Comcast is so unpleasant, I won't even mention their defunct phone.

ONLY GARLAND IS GARLAND

Having read glowing reviews of Judy,  I broke my rule and went to a local cineplex to see the film. I can't say it was bad, but it wasn't good either. Renee Z was excellent in her role, but she wasn't Judy Garland anymore than Judy Davis was Judy Garland in the 2001 TV bio. While she sometimes looked and sounded like Garland, her singing voice did not have Judy's unique and magical quality. I think it was a mistake to let Renee do her own singing, as she came across as a talented performer, but not a musical giant which Judy was. Sadly I think too many young people will go away saying, "I don't get it." which they would if they heard Judy's voice. The movie went on too long without a musical number and the soundtrack was not always clear. I feel certain the producers could have found teen-agers that looked more like Judy and Mickey Rooney, and a senior actor who did a better Louis B. Mayer. A major flaw was that lack of comedy. Judy Garland was famous for her wit and one liners and even in the depths of despair came up with much quoted zingers. (Check any Jack Paar interview.) I don't know if there is any truth in the climax of the film. If there is, it must have been an amazing moment. If there isn't, the screenwriter should be ashamed of having written it. For a Judy thrill, go to YouTube and look up Judy singing, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."

IT USED TO BE SO MUCH FUN.

Today I made my last trip to a movie theatre. At least to one of these chain multiplexes. Not only am I annoyed that the price has risen to over $10.00 and that the smallest popcorn costs $8.50, but I have other gripes. For one the AMC theaters and others require you to choose your seat, which is then assigned to you. How absurd. Gone are the days of walking into a theater and sitting in any vacant seat where you damn well choose. Our seats had ripped upholstery and were much closer to the screen than they were shown on the diagram. So we moved since there were only eight other customers. But of those eight, you can bet that at least three were constantly checking their e-mails, thus lighting up their reserved-seating areas. Surprisingly no one was talking, which is unusual. We arrived when they said the feature began, which meant sitting through six minutes of commercials and 20 minutes of coming attractions (now called trailers, though they're at the beginning). I wondered why I was even there, since the theater was hot, the sound was much too loud, and the film
itself (Judy) like most films today was not really worth the effort, despite Renee's performance. But that's for anther blog.

Just saw a commercial for the Chrysler Pacifica. It appears that a car being replaced by the Pacifica is taunting the owner. What I want to know is why so many inanimate objects and talking animals are given African American voices and cliched attitudes. A bit racist, don't you think? I have long complained that most commercials featuring African Americans suggest all they do is play basketball. Come on, you supposedly creative people out there. Let's start seeing more black musicians, actors, artists, dancers, accountants, lawyers, etc. and fewer African-American cars, cats, bears. lions, cheese, etc.

THE FUTURE OF TRUMPISTS.

I can picture thousands of Americans going to shrinks to deal with Trump's impeachment and removal. The most frequently asked questions by these psychiatrists or therapists will be, "We're you aware you were a racist before Trump's election?" and, "Why were you unable to perceive that Mr. Trump was mentally impaired." Of course all these patients will have to deal with the fact that their children are totally screwed up, most of their coworkers despise them, and they can't deal with a new president that isn't as full of hate as they are. They will probably have secret photos of Trump hidden everywhere and write love letters to him in prison assuring him that twenty years will go by in no time. They will be furious at the parody of him by Woody Harrellson. who had to put on fifty pounds and shave his head for the part, and agree that Melania marrying Arnold Schwarzenegger was a betrayal. It will be a sad time for all Trump supporters.

WHAT'S HAPPENED TO PIZZA?

Lately I've had very bad luck with delivery pizza. My local Domino's can't seem to get any order correct and what good is their make-good offer when it takes another 45 minutes. The last Domino's  order was not only barely scored, but it was far too salty. Add to that that they promote it as costing $5.95 on take-out, which turns out be $30 on delivery. I figured I'd give Papa John's another chance the other night, despite their pathetic new ads featuring Shaq O'Neal to show they really don't hate blacks as their accusers testify. Anyway the Papa John's pizza was scored even less effectively than Domino's, and while I ordered half vegetable and half pepperoni, it was hard to tell the difference. So I'm giving up on delivery, which is fine, because Publix has been coming up with some really tasty pizzas, and I  don't have to tip them.

WHO HANDLES REAL ESTATE SALES?

Realtors do. Not Reel-ah-tors. Realtors. It's a two-syllable word and has only one pronunciation. Despite that, many persons who have been realtors for their entire careers still say real-ah-tors. I would suggest you find somebody else to handle your real estate transactions. How can you trust somebody who can't even pronounce what they do for a living? 

COMCAST HOLDS TCM FANS HOSTAGE FOR ANOTHER PRICE INCREASE.

Many seniors like me depend on Turner Classic Movies for commercial-free entertainment featuring 24-hour mostly classic movies. And for years I have had access to these films for a premium price that I was told was included in the package I was required to choose. Now Comcast, in their endless greed, has removed TCM from my viewing choices (oddly enough right in the middle of Giant) so they can slam it into their military and sports package and charge customers $9.00 more. I personally have no interest in sports of military, and not wishing to be blackmailed into paying more money have opted out. I was told I would save nothing since I was never charged for TCM, which is, of course, a bold-faced lie. I don't know why our government doesn't do something about these robber barons who control entertainment and despite demanding money for cable still inundate users with a zillion commercials. Comcast, alias Xfinity, is the most hated company in America for obvious reasons. Trying to reach them is a blood-pressure soaring event, and when you do you are often dealing with an angry, robotic American  or a sickeningly obsequious clerk in Japan or India. Why don't I switch to A T & T? Because I am told they are just as greedy and equally difficult.

P.S. I just spoke to a friend in Boston who is as furious as I am about this Comcast bullshit. I am sure that there are TCM fans everywhere who are furious about this situation. Hmm. As if Comcast wasn't hated enough, they pull a stunt like this.

TWO-FACED TURNCOATS.

The greatest mystery of the Trump administration will be why did so many once intelligent and moral Republican toss all their standards aside and defend and support a liar, a cheat, a philanderer, a grifter, and an ignorant incompetent? Why did Lindsey first oppose the obvious charlatan called Trump and then become a loyal toady? Why did so many men and woman campaign to work for someone so disloyal and abusive? Even today why does he still have supporters like Rand Paul and Mick Mulvaney when he has shown himself to be such a traitor to his country and a betrayer to some of our most loyal friends, the Kurds? What does he offer these people? Not money. He's too cheap for that.. Not prestige. He's sure to go down in history as a cruel buffoon and they along with him. Not necessarily reelection. His name is an increasingly poisonous symbol of corruption. Add to that mystery that most of these men have wives. Do they stand by while Trump breaks up families, puts children in cages and hurls foul insults at female Democrats?  Will they day come when this devil is out of our lives and we learn why so many people sold him their souls?              

"THE 24 IS LATE AGAIN."

Miami bus stops have very few shelters,
So when one is waiting, one constantly swelters,
Which often leads to a terrible fate,
For most of the busses are often skin cancer late.

A LITTLE GIRL IS DEAD.

We don't know her name or how old she is. We don't know how many brothers and sisters she had. We don't know how her grieving mother is going to cope with her loss, that is if she's still alive. All we know is she was from a Kurdish family who was abandoned by Donald Trump who made a devil's deal with Turkey's president Erdogan giving him license to attack the Kurds without interference from our forces. There is no question with the amount of firepower, a little girl is dead, and a little boy, and dozens of other children and adults whose dream of peace will never be realized. And while parents are mourning the death of their children, and children are terrified by the loss of their parents, Trump is busy creating excuses for his satanic behavior so that nobody will say that that little girl's
death was his fault, which of course it was.

XFINITY SCREWS ITS CUSTOMERS AGAIN.

The latest greedy, idiotic move from Comcast, the most incompetent company in America is to move the TCM channel into a more costly sports and military package. I have no interest in sports and as much as I love TCM I will not be blackmailed by Comcast. So I will cancel it .That is if I can ever reach them.  Recently they supposedly improved my service,which meant getting rid of my favorite crime channel. Comcast or Xfinity or whatever you call these thieves are another one of the heartless corporations who know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

Speaking of kissing asses, did you notice from the highlights (or lowlights) of last night's rally in Minneapolis that Trump was down on his knees and puckered up to kiss Fox's as again and again citing each Fox host in the most obsequious manner. Now that even Fox is beginning to see how toxic  Trump is, he's begging for reacceptance. (Their only sane reporter She Smith resigned today.) Also if you go through the Internet for the past several years, you'll find that the most significant ass-kissers were those who foolishly wanted a position with Trump. That's Trump, always projecting.

PROBLEM. SOLUTION.

There are certain words that even the most intelligent celebrities cannot seem to master. Many, for instance, say pundints when they mean pundits. Using antisemetic instead of the correct antisemitic is epidemic, and it's surprising how many educated people say incindiary instead of incendiary. Both Chris Matthews and Bill Maher say irony as iony instead of irony. And tonight on Meet the Press Amy Klobuchar made a mistake that's all too frequent, in accusing Trump of flaunting the Constitution when she should have said flouting. But no matter what mistakes people make, none will ever offend me as much as the super inaccurate but incredibly ubiquitous "if I would have known". Yuck.

                         If I had known.

PROFESSED MINNEAPOLIS CHRISTIANS CHEER THE ANTI-CHRIST.

Donald Trump is so incredibly stupid that he has risked his future by trying to get dirt on Biden, who may not even be his opposition next year. It's just another example of how unhinged he is. And it won't be long before he's evicted from the White House and all his cronies are wearing scarlet Ts. And not just his cronies, but all those grinning, applauding morons on the rally videos that will be viewed and scanned by true patriots on the hunt for racists. How hateful are his fans? They are not even bothered by the fact that Trump betrayed our friends, the Kurds, and abandoned them to the murderous Turks. Last night's rally was so over-the-top even MSNBC refuses to show it. As inconceivable as it is, America has elected to the presidency the most evil, shallow, satanic man in America to its highest office. And, in doing so, we have overturned millions of rocks under which lay somewhat dormant our country's most bigoted and despicable people.

TRUMP'S FAVORITE BOZO.

Trump as we all know thinks of himself as a king. This despite the fact that he has no loyal courtiers, no actual wisdom, no crown, no sceptre, and not a single orb. Almost nothing he has ever said will go down in posterity other than as a malapropism or a humorously stupid comment. However, Trump does have one thing that most kings of the past have had: a court jester. His source of endless amusement is Rudy Giuliani. And while Rudy can't sing or dance or create a single bon mot, he does create endless amusement with each fabulous faux pas, hilariously transparent lie, foot-in-mouth comment, and caught with his pants down moment. Just this week he had America rolling in the aisles as he tried to rush two co-conspirators clowns out of the country only to have them apprehended at the airport pathetically clutching their very expensive one-way international tickets. Now that's what I call first-class comedy.

TRUMP'S NEWEST ANGRIEST ENEMIES.

What would be really satisfying is for Trump to fly to Northeast Syria and personally explain to the Kurds why he withdrew American soldiers from the area and left these people, our loyal allies, defenseless. Being a "stable genius" I'm sure he can convince the Kurds that protecting his hotels in Turkey was more important than protecting their children and their own lives. I have no doubt that they would lift Trump on their shoulders and carry him triumphantly through their war torn streets and over their many corpses. I really would love it if Trump went to Syria. But even if he doesn't, no problem. I'm sure that if any one of those young Kurds survives the Turkish invasion and manages to get to America, they will come looking for him.