Entrances and exits

 

It's not clear if it was the mob yelling abuse while his daughter lay dying or the censure by the Arizona Republican Bund, but Rusty Bowers is through with Trump.  "My vote will never tarnish his name on a ballot," he said cryptically.  But he won't have to because they'll find something better, like a small puddle of brown liquid, possibly creosote.  Sounds optimistic.

Trump doesn't care because he's got another Black woman to despise, and she isn't even political.  For weeks Antony Blinken has tried to organize a swap of arms dealer Viktor Bout for Brittney Griner and former Marine/businessman Paul Whelan.  What he probably doesn't need is comment from the twice-impeached loser and Putin puppet turned international golf criminal.  Griner was arrested with vape cannisters and a doctor's prescription, or as Trump characterizes it, "loaded up on drugs."  She's also "potentially spoiled," whatever that means, and "makes, you know, a lot of money," and money never influenced him when some worthy person like Conrad Black or Sholam Weiss needed a pardon.  Poor Mr. Whelan was ignored, as usual.  Surprisingly, Trump had nothing to say about the NBA legend and justice warrior Bill Russell, who died yesterday.  Just as well.

We saw a softer side of Trump when he buried his first wife next to the first tee at Bedminster just to have her near, at least during the few weeks he spends in New Jersey.  Or did we?  Turns out he's tried to pull this stunt before, turning bits of real estate into cemeteries for the considerable tax breaks.  Then there's the weed-choked Donald J. Trump State Park and Tax Scam in Yorktown, New York, which the state doesn't even pretend is a park.  Saved on a plot and the greenskeepers have to tend the grave.  ABC:  Always Be Chiseling.

As the war that was supposed to last a week grinds on, Russia has released another list of "People I'm Not Speaking To" -- no, sorry, that was a thing when I was in sixth grade.  I mean "British people who are not welcome in Russia."  The meanies include Keir Starmer, David Cameron, a number of politicians and journalists and Piers Morgan.  Good grief, we have to be nice to Piers Morgan?  I'll bet they're fine with Tommy Robinson and Nigel Farage.

Their friend China is also pissy today, warning that if Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan its military will "not sit idly by."  Hmph.  What are they going to do, drop more rocket debris on her?

Speaking of space junk, a piece of a probable SpaceX rocket which landed on a sheep farm in New South Wales is described as looking like "an alien obelisk."  I sense a re-make of 2001 but much funnier this time.  Maybe with Anthony LaPaglia.

If you haven't read Finding Freedom, the "unofficial" biography of Harry and Meghan Windsor (I guess), better hurry:  Omid Scobie promises a sequel next year.  By then, will they have accomplished something worth reading about?  I mean, with that title I would expect a life of Nelson Mandela or Harriet Tubman.  

Alabama carried out one of its barbaric "lethal injection" killings last week, lasting more than three hours, but the real scandal was the inappropriate attire of two female reporters.  Kim Chandler of Associated Press had to stand for an inspection by salivating corrections officers, while Ivana Hrynkiw of AL.com was forced to put on a pair of borrowed waders because her skirt was deemed too short for watching a man die.  She also had to exchange her open-toe pumps for sneakers.  I wonder what Alabamians used to wear to lynchings.

"Hello, I must be going..."  Shortly after the Uvalde school massacre, Greg Abbott said he stopped at a fundraiser in Huntsville, Texas, to let folks know he couldn't stay.  Three hours and $50,000 later he was still there.  His spokeswoman released a statement accusing Beto O'Rourke of "taking advantage of the tragedy" by talking about it.   Abbott really is a piece of shit.

In closing, if you are now or have been married to a short-fingered vulgarian, the Sky Organization strongly recommends you make your own funeral arrangements now.