As time goes by

 I always feel like a new month is a new chance to read that book, clean out those drawers, delete the unread mail.  I'm always disappointed by noon, but this one seems promising.

Here's a little item that has everything -- Florida, mildly kinky sex, rape and trumpist politics.  The Sarasota police are investigating state Republican chair Christian Ziegler for something.  The SPD released a "heavily redacted" report which contained the words "rape" and "sexual battery."  Ziegler is married to Bridget Ziegler, member of the Sarasota County school board and -- here it comes -- co-founder of Moms for Liberty.  It's a little vague at this point but the Miami Herald says the complainant was involved in a three-way consensual relationship with the Zieglers.  (Don't say play?)  Apparently there's video.  Would it be greedy to hope it was made at Mar a Lago?

It wasn't even close.  The House voted 311-114 to expel legendary bebop trumpeter George Santos.  Five other members have been expelled, three for fighting on the Confederate side and two who were convicted of crimes.  I'm a little disappointed that Rep. Albatross von Munchausen won't be hanging from the neck of every Republican next year but look forward to the salacious stories he threatened/promised to reveal about his faithless colleagues.  Like Max "Wife-beater" Miller of Ohio, whose mother Santos robbed of $5,000.  Dish, Kitara, dish!

But first, enjoy video of Capitol security changing the lock on Santos's office door.  They're very efficient.  Remember how Kevin McCarthy moved into Nancy Pelosi's office while she was at Dianne Feinstein's funeral?  It seems only a few months ago.

Last week Avigail Aidan was released by Hamas a day after she turned four.  All decent humans rejoiced and wondered how her family would manage to explain that her parents were dead.  Over at Fox News, of course, Maria Bartiromo had to show the new boss Lachlan Murdoch that she is indecent enough to compete with Watters, Hannity, Gutfeld! and the other moral defectives:  "Her aunt actually bought Hunter Biden's art!"  Because terrorists give a damn how many paintings HB sells?  Because Hunter's dad is in charge of who they release?   Maria shouldn't try to drink with Judge Jeanine at lunchtime.

Which is weirder -- that someone drew a map of the shit in San Francisco or that Ron DeSantis carries it around?  The governissimo is obsessed with people "defecating" on the city's streets, which he claims to have witnessed, and blames it on "leftist politics."  At least Gavin Newsom had a good laugh during their "debate," which he won despite the refereeing of Sean Hannity.  All it takes to win a debate with Bootsie is to rattle him a little so he starts wobbling his head and forgets to "smile."  Then call him on mispronouncing Kamala -- really, it's not so hard and it's not as clever as they think. (More slapping-around of DeSantis here.)

Largely out of sight the Senate Judiciary Committee is making the Republicans nuts.  Subpoenas were issued to Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo to come talk about their warm friendships with Clarence Thomas and the rest of the cabal.  Then Chairman Dick Durbin advanced the vote on two Biden judicial nominees without debate, a tactic that's only kosher when Republicans do it.  Graham, Cotton, Blackburn and Cornyn had what I believe are known as conniption fits.  Tough toenails.  Now, if Jack Reed of Armed Services would do something similar about Tommy Tuberville it would be a brilliant December.

When I got up this morning I didn't know the Severomuysky tunnel of the Baikal-Amur highway existed.  Ukraine blew it up and I couldn't be happier, because they severed the main rail link between Russia and China.  Re-supplying Russian forces just got much harder.  Slava Ukraini!

Trump's ambulance chasers -- no, that's unfair.  They don't chase ambulances, they hang from the axles like bats.  And they're certainly earning every dollar he will never pay them.  The Fulton County crew are arguing that the charges be dismissed on First Amendment grounds.  (Takes fast look at First Amendment -- nothing that protects racketeering.)  That Trump not be on trial while he campaigns.  That if he wins, the trial be delayed until 2029.  That one's easy -- if he wins there will be no trials, no elections, nothing we now recognize as democracy.  As for what there will be, I suggest reading Robert Conquest's The Great Terror.

Absolutely everything is performance art for these idiots.  At a Senate luncheon Joni Ernst choked on a canape or something and Rand Paul, who is definitely a doctor of some description, was there to Heimlich her.  Wasn't that lucky?  But instead of thanking him and reaching for another canape, instead of thanking Dr. Henry Heimlich, she grabbed her phone and Xitted:  "Can't help but choke on the woke policies Dems are forcing down our throats.  Thanks, Dr. @RandPaul!"  You eat like a glutton.  Don't blame Joe Biden, you inexpressibly silly woman.  And don't talk with your mouth full.

This is the Mauna Kea Weather Center in Hawaii yesterday, in snow.  It's been that kind of year.