We’ve heard reports for days now that Donald Trump is super-mad that outgoing Secretary of Defense James Mattis (who resigned this week because Trump unilaterally decided to pull all troops out of Syria) called out the president’s “rejection of international allies and his failure to check authoritarian governments,” as the New York Times writes, in his resignation letter.
The goodbye letter led to mucho bad press for the Trumpster.
So much so that now he’s decided Mattis will now be gone as of January 1.
I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019. Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!
Also, who knows what Mattis will say publicly once he’s no longer running DOD. His letter makes clear he’s alarmed. Why would he stay quiet? https://t.co/OXltI9Fd6h
During an appearance on ABC News’ This Week, incoming ‘acting’ White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney acknowledged (outloud!) that Mexico can’t actually “pay for the wall.”
Mulvaney tried to sell the idea that the wall is getting built and Mexico is taking part in improved border security. But host Jon Karl points out that Mexico isn’t ‘paying for the wall.’
Mulvaney – “Technically, you and I both know that it cannot work exactly like that.”
Shhhhhh – don’t tell the Donald.
Watch below.
Mick Mulvaney: We’re in a “good place” on getting wall built and having Mexico “participate” in border security.@jonkarl: “But none of that is Mexico paying for the wall”
Last night, we watched the fab holiday movie musical, White Christmas, after Michael shared he’d NEVER seen the full movie!
How is that possible???
Of course, it’s completely wonderful.
Steve Hayes of Tired Old Queen at the Movies just happens to feature it on his YouTube channel this week.
Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen have a musical filled day singing and dancing to the tunes of the legendary Irving Berlin in Michael Curtiz’s WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954). Along for the festivities are Oscar winner Dean Jagger and the irascible and hysterical Mary Wickes. It’s a Technicolor, musical extravaganza that will have your holiday hearts singing into the New Year!
As we head into the final stretch of the 2018 holiday season, I thought it would be helpful to share this ‘tips-palooza’ episode from The Randy Report podcast because it’s never too late for holiday tips.
Author and lifestyle expert Candi Fox joins me for tons of decorating, travel, cooking and entertaining ideas to make your holiday season the very best it can be.
Some ideas to help save money, and some to help celebrate the holidays in new ways.
We also have suggestions for taking care of yourself and ways to reduce stress throughout the season.
Plus, we share some Christmas music from out musicians Ann Hampton Callaway, Bright Light Bright Light and Matt Zarley to make your season bright. Take a listen then go support these awesome out artists.
For over two years, Candi and I were The Candi & Randy Show on BlogTalkRadio, where we racked up over a million downloads of talk radio episodes.
Some of our most popular episodes were our annual roundup of holiday ideas woven in between some of our favorite Christmas songs. I’m thrilled to have Candi join me again.
Hit the play button below and listen as we share new ideas to celebrate the holiday season.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced that his chamber would not return to legislative business until Thursday, which means many federal agencies will remain closed until later next week at the earliest and hundreds of thousands of federal workers will be left in limbo about their status.
“Listen, anything can happen,” McConnell said. “We’re pulling for an agreement that can get 60 votes in the Senate and a majority in the House.”
The decision came after Trump had a lunch with conservative Republicans and dispatched Vice President Pence to the Capitol to make the latest offer to Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). That meeting ended after 30 minutes with no resolution.
I won an election, said to be one of the greatest of all time, based on getting out of endless & costly foreign wars & also based on Strong Borders which will keep our Country safe. We fight for the borders of other countries, but we won’t fight for the borders of our own!
Republicans control the House, the Senate, & the White House. But instead of honoring his responsibility to the American people, @realDonaldTrump threw a temper tantrum & convinced the @HouseGOP to push our nation into a destructive #TrumpShutdown during the holiday season.
House Minority Leader Pelosi writes letter to her colleagues:
“Until President Trump can publicly commit to a bipartisan resolution, there will be no agreement before January when the new House Democratic Majority will swiftly pass legislation to re-open government.”
The federal government shut down early Saturday after congressional and White House officials failed to find a compromise on a spending bill that hinged on President Trump’s demands for $5.7 billion for a border wall.
It is the third shutdown in two years of unified Republican rule in Washington, and it will stop work at nine federal departments and several other agencies. Hundreds of thousands of government employees are affected.
Any hope of a compromise ended about 8:30 p.m. Friday, when both the House and the Senate had adjourned with no solution in sight. Talks are expected to begin again on Saturday.
A burst of late-afternoon activity could not break the deadlock, even as Vice President Mike Pence met with Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, and senior House Republicans, searching for a solution to a logjam that Mr. Trump has shown little interest in breaking.
The partial shutdown sends about 380,000 workers home without pay.
Another 420,000 deemed too essential to be furloughed will be forced to work without pay. These federal employees include the Border Patrol officers Trump pretends to appreciate so much.
If @realDonaldTrump & Republicans choose to continue this #TrumpShutdown, the new House Democratic majority will swiftly pass legislation to re-open government in January.
• Handsome InstaHunk Jim Newman (above) has been running a fabulous “Days of Christmas” campaign over on his Instagram taking daily pics au naturel with items in his home blocking just the barest of body parts. Well-worth clicking over to as this was the most tame I can post here 😉
• An amateur photographer from England received a 16-year jail sentence for drugging and raping male models. “I get a kick out of robbing a straight guy out of his masculinity,” he shared in a conversation.
• Donald Trump, who promised his infamous wall along the Mexican border would be paid for by Mexico, now says “The wall will pay for itself.”
“The wall will pay for itself on a monthly basis,” Trump said, contradicting his previous claim that Mexico would pay for the border wall and threatening a government shutdown if a spending bill doesn’t include his $5B demand for funding it https://t.co/QTj5qScUCnpic.twitter.com/NUNy53tGWX
• Even though the play opened to very good reviews, the Broadway revival of Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song, starring out actor Michael Urie, has announced it will close January 6.
• The stock market moved into bear territory this week as the Dow fell another 417.11 points today, closing the week with a loss of 6.75% – its worst weekly decline since October 2008. #ThanksTrump
• In a year of ups and downs, the world searched for “good” more than ever before — according to Google Trends. From the epic headlines to the everyday moments, here’s to all the good that people discovered in 2018.
Donald Trump’s week just got that much worse as the Supreme Court has refused to reinstate Donald Trump’s asylum ban while a government appeal is pending.
The court was closely divided, with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. joining the four-member liberal wing in turning down the administration’s request for a stay of a trial judge’s order blocking the program.
The court’s brief order gave no reasons for its action. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr., Neil M. Gorsuch and Brett M. Kavanaugh said they would have granted the stay.
In a proclamation issued on Nov. 9, President Trump barred migrants from applying for asylum unless they made the request at a legal checkpoint. Only those applying at a port of entry would be eligible, Mr. Trump said, invoking what he said were his national security powers to protect the nation’s borders.
Lower courts blocked the initiative, ruling that a federal law plainly allowed asylum applications from people who had entered the country unlawfully.
“Any alien who is physically present in the United States or who arrives in the United States,” the relevant federal statute says, may apply for asylum — “whether or not at a designated port of arrival.”
In related news, NPR is reporting that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent surgery Friday for early stage lung cancer.
Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering hospital in New York performed a lobectomy, removing one of the five lobes of the lung.
Short of complications in recovery, doctors say prospects look good for a full recovery for Ginsburg, 85. She hopes to be back on the court for the start of the next argument session in early January.
Acclaimed singers Tom Goss & Liz DeRoche celebrate 200th anniversary of ‘Silent Night’
For a song to cross borders and oceans, cultures and languages, epochs and genres, one might imagine complex melodies and immense lyrics, not a lullaby for a troubled world.
An internationally recognized masterpiece would certainly be the work of profound composers, not a humble assistant priest and school teacher who played guitar.
And yet, this is the origin of one the world’s most cherished carols, “Silent Night,” celebrating its 200thanniversary on Christmas Eve, 2018.
Reminiscent of our own troubled times today, “Silent Night” was written in 1816 as a poem by Joseph Mohr under Austria’s oppressive rule, limited freedom of expression, and despair.
Two years later, Mohr asked Franz Gruber to set his words to music as an expression of solace, hope, and peace to be performed in Oberndorf near Salzburg, Austria.
Accompanied only by the guitar, during Christmas Eve mass at St Nickola Church in 1818, the pair performed their composition, “Silent Night.”
Over the last 200 years, “Silent Night” become known as ‘the song of peace,’ having been translated into more than 300 languages and dialects
It’s the holiday hymn which brought a “day of peace” to the Western Front of WWI on Christmas 1914. It reminded soldiers of home and inspired the liberation of Austria from the Nazis during WWII.
Bing Crosby’s iconic recording of the song, released in 1935, is the 3rd best-selling recording of all time.
Recognized and listed by UNESCO as a work of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011, “Silent Night” has become a gentle anthem for world peace. Now, and for our future.
“I feel most inspired by being around those I love,” says Goss. “I wanted to honor the holidays, family, friends and love with Liz DeRoche, someone who’s musical light and tender heart always inspire me. And, of course, what better way to do that then with ‘Silent Night?’ A song that has been moving people for 200 years.”
Tom Goss & Liz DeRoche celebrate 200th anniversary of ‘Silent Nig
Tom and Liz bring their considerable musical powers to bear on the quintessential Christmas song in classic ‘Goss’ style.
Never veering from thoughtful, pensive attention to the lyrics, the two artists blend their voices in quiet homage that is sensitive, yet simultaneously brimming with emotion.
Ethereal and light, Tom and Liz find the heart of a delicate melody that is literally celebrated around the world without resorting to heavy-handed production or studio trickery.
The musical duo echo here the same peaceful sentiment born 200 years ago in Austria.
Speaking of ‘around the world,’ you can be a part of a global sing-a-long of “Silent Night” by clicking over to www.stillenacht.com on the 24thof December (5.00 p.m. MEZ; 4.00 p.m. UTC; 11.00 a.m US EST – east coast; 8.00 a.m. US PST – west coast).
Thanks to my friend and fellow blogger Larry at the LGBTQ blog, theOUTfront.com, for collaborating on this post.
