Some Whatever for Sunday

 In case you want to miss it, here is the latest Trump interview:

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Some Saturday Reads

 Trump is throwing a hissy fit and making threats after his party got slaughtered in the midterms.

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Some Reads for Friday

 Obituary:  Jay Rockefeller, one-time Democratic governor and senator  of West Virginia, has died at the age of 89.  He was also married to one of the daughters of the late GOP senator Charles Percy, when the GOP had some good people. Jay's sister-in-law Valerie was tragically a murder victim back in the 1960s, and the perp was never found.  

Jay was a member of one of the richest families on Earth, but he was a liberal Democrat who cared about the economic problems facing the people of his state.  He was governor and then spent many years in the United States Senate.

Snip:

Arriving on Capitol Hill in 1985, after two terms as governor, Mr. Rockefeller worked in the shadow of West Virginia’s long-serving senior senator, Democrat Robert C. Byrd, while burrowing deep into committee work and distinguishing himself as an earnest and dogged advocate for society’s most vulnerable.

His signature accomplishments included expanding eligibility of the earned income tax credit and establishing the child tax credit and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, a federal-state initiative that provides health coverage to children in low-income families. He also worked to protect Medicare, the federal health insurance program for the elderly and disabled, from proposed budget cuts.

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Anothe obit of note:  UK author Simon Winchester 82, who wrote bestselling books like the one about the volcano Krakatoa, died.

He loved travel, and he put that love to good use when he wrote and published a slew of books that sold well.

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Instead of being run out of town or even going to prison, Stephen Miller instead gets promoted to White House Chief of Staff, replacing Susie Wiles.

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Some Thursday Reads

 It appears the 2028 presidential campaign is beginning thanks to dimbulb Marco Rubio deciding to leave the toxic Trump administration.

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From this action, it would seem California's governor Gavin Newsom had decided not to bother to run for president in 2028.

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More Bloodbath Reads

 A record number of women will be serving as governors of various states in the U.S.

Some 116 women (100 D, 16 R) will serve in the House of Representatives next year.

Some 23 will be in the Senate, down from the current total of 27.

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Eloon was one of the biggest losers last night.

Think of how many people could have been helped if the money he wasted had gone to actually helping people.

It is an obscenity.

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It is a Bloodbath for the GOP Tonight

 As of my writing this, 7:30 PST, Democrats are already controlling the House and are well on the way to controlling the US Senate.  It is now just a matter of the final margins of control.

Democrats are going to have to step up their game when they finally take charge of Capitol Hill in January.  They are limited as to what they can pass over a presidential veto unless they can put the pressure on the  remaining Republicans to do the right thing.

The Democrats are in the catbird seat.  Let's hope they don't blow it.

The biggest stories tonight were the Democrats winning the Ohio governorship and James Talarico handily winning in the Texas Senate race.  Another big story was Dr. Annie Andrews winning the SC Senate seat from Darline Graham, who was appointed to the seat earlier this year upon the death of her brother, Lindsey.

I will write more about this tomorrow.

Some Monday Reads

 It appears Fox "News" is losing its grip on the so-called "culture wars."

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I knew I left somebody out when I was writing about obituaries last week.  I forgot to mention the death of German-born  actress Elke Sommer, 85, who had her career peak in the 1960s, most infamously as Kay Bergdahl in the legendary turkey The Oscar (1966), one of my favorite movies of all time.  She is perhaps better known for her appearance in A Shot in the Dark and other more prestigious films than the all-time turkey.

However, who could ever forget her thankless role as the love interest of the despicable Frankie Fane, played by Stephen Boyd, who chewed up the scenery every chance he got?  During one lover's spat in the film, she says, "You represent everything I loathe."  Boyd's retort, "You mean everything you love."

And then near the end of this legendary movie, Elke's character finally sees Frankie for the turd he really was when he tried to "buy" the Academy Award and finally got disgusted with him for good.  Unfortunately, I couldn't find a clip on YouTube, but her parting shot at Fane was:  "I do hope your Oscar keeps you warm on cold nights."  Timeless turkey.

Snip:

Born Elke Schletz in 1940 in Berlin, the daughter of a Protestant pastor, she was evacuated with her family to Bavaria during the war. Intending to work as an interpreter, she was spotted by celebrated Italian director Vittorio De Sica after winning a beauty contest on a trip to Italy in 1958, and subsequently offered roles in a string of Italian comedy films. She crossed back into more serious work with the West German drama The Death Ship, opposite Horst Buchholz (who would go on to appear in cowboy classic The Magnificent Seven).

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Sommer died in Los Angeles October 28 of heart failure.  Her second husband died earlier this year.

Fun fact:  She was reportedly fluent in seven languages though she typically cited five or six in interviews.