Meyers and Kimmel take closer looks at Ivanka Trump testifying, election results, and the third GOP debate for World Freedom Day

Happy World Freedom Day! I'll get to the third Republican presidential debate, as I promised yesterday, shortly. Instead, I begin with Ivanka Takes Stand in Trump Fraud Trial, GOP Loses Big in Key Elections: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at Republicans wallowing as presidential frontrunner Donald Trump faces more legal trouble and his daughter Ivanka takes the stand in their New York fraud trial.

I've been avoiding writing a sequel to Don Jr. and Eric testifying for a week, particular when Don Sr. was on the stand. I didn't want to give him any more oxygen. It's bad enough that he's sharing the preview image with his elder daughter, whose testimony I couldn't resist.

I also couldn't resist a comic take on Tuesday's elections. Seth and his writers agreed it was a good night for Democrats or at least a bad night for Republicans. So did Jimmy Kimmel in his monologue last night, Republicans Debate in Miami, Ivanka Testifies in Daddy Donald’s Fraud Case & Rough Election for GOP.

The CMA Awards were on ABC tonight hosted by Peyton Manning & Luke Bryan, the Republican debate took place in Miami and Donald was absent once again, Ivanka took the stand in the $250 million fraud case against her father, it was not a very good election night for the MAGA-verse, voters in Ohio overwhelmingly passed a measure to protect a woman’s right to choose, we discovered that Mike Lindell makes unusual sounds when he’s making a point, the mayor in Saskatchewan Canada has an interesting name, a pre-owned vehicle in New Jersey had an unfortunate encounter with the local wildlife, and country star Jelly Roll has a great new holiday gift idea for you!

LOL, GOP Dopefuls. Apparently, the highlight of last night's debate was Nikki Haley calling Vivek Ramaswamy "scum," Between that and her telling him "Every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber from what you say" in the second Republican debate, it's obvious that she doesn't like him.

I might have more on the debate tomorrow, but then the actors strike ended today. Stay tuned to see which shiny object I write about Friday.

FiveThirtyEight thinks 'The 2023 elections were good for Democrats'

I told my readers to "stay tuned for last night's election results" as today's second post, so I'm sharing The 2023 elections were good for Democrats | FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast.

In this late-night edition of the 538 Politics podcast, the crew unpacks the results from election night 2023. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear won reelection in Kentucky and Ohioans voted to enshrine abortion protections in the state constitution. The night was a decent performance for Democrats, despite a spate of recent polling suggesting Americans are pessimistic about Joe Biden's presidency.

The intro to Election 2023 results and analysis: Democrats excel in Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia on the website included an update.

Nov. 7, 2023, was Election Day in at least 37 states, and Americans cast their votes on everything from governorships to local referenda. When the dust settled, it was a solid night for Democrats and their allies: According to ABC News projections, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear won reelection in Kentucky, and Ohio voters passed Issue 1 to codify abortion rights in the state constitution. The AP also projected that Democrats won both chambers of the Virginia legislature and an open seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. However, there were a few bright spots for Republicans: ABC News projected that Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves beat back a strong challenge from Democrat Brandon Presley.

Issue 2 to legalize recreational marijuana use passed in Ohio as well. Things went as well as both the polls projected and I hoped in FiveThirtyEight's 2023 elections to watch. Yay!

Stay tuned, as I might cover the third Republican presidential debate for World Freedom Day tomorrow. May it be even more interesting than the second Republican debate.

CityNerd asks 'Urbanism: Insidious Globalist Conspiracy or Self-Evident Common Sense?' for World Urbanism Day

I outlined my choices for today in the conclusion to 'Last Week Tonight' examines abortion rights for Election Day.

Stay tuned to see what I blog about tomorrow, whether it's election results, Trump Senior testifying at his organization's fraud trial, or a new holiday, World Urbanism Day. Right now, I have the last one penciled in. See if I keep it.

I decided to do the first and last. I could have written about the middle topic yesterday but didn't feel like it. I still don't. I begin with the topic I penciled in for today by sharing CityNerd asking Urbanism: Insidious Globalist Conspiracy or Self-Evident Common Sense?

Ask 100 people what "urbanism" is and you'll get 100 different answers. Well, since you watch this channel, you might as well know what I think it means.

I've been watching CityNerd ever since the YouTube algorithm recommended the video I featured in CityNerd lists 'Ten Lovely Cities You Can Migrate To and (Maybe) Survive Climate Havoc'. I already agreed with most of his takes on transportation and housing topics already, so I guess the algorithm knew what it was doing. I've been looking for opportunities to embed one of his videos and today was just that opportunity. So is the next driving update for Pearl. That should be next month. In the meantime, happy World Urbanism Day and stay tuned for last night's election results.

'Last Week Tonight' examines abortion rights for Election Day

The headline election in yesterday's FiveThirtyEight's 2023 elections to watch was Ohio's Issue 1, which would keep abortion legal in the Buckeye State. Reproductive rights are also campaign issues in the Virginia's legislative elections and Kentucky's election for Governor. Abortion Rights: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) mentioned all three.

John Oliver discusses the ongoing fallout from the overturning of Roe v. Wade as the November elections approach.

I hope all of you reading this blog in Ohio, Virginia, and Kentucky not only voted, but voted in a way to keep abortion safe and legal. I did that last year, and the candidates and proposals that would do that won in Michigan. I like being a good example.

Stay tuned to see what I blog about tomorrow, whether it's election results, Trump Senior testifying at his organization's fraud trial, or a new holiday, World Urbanism Day. Right now, I have the last one penciled in. See if I keep it.

FiveThirtyEight's 2023 elections to watch

2023's off-year election day is tomorrow, so I'm featuring FiveThirtyEight's series on 2023's elections to watch, beginning with Ohio's abortion vote.

Nathaniel Rakich breaks down Ohio's Issue 1 ballot measure, one of the key races in the 2023 elections.

This is the election I'm most interested in because Ohio is next door, the nearest state to where I live in Michigan, and reproductive rights have been a focus of mine on this blog since it became clear that the Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade. While I think that Issue 1 will win, I'm not certain.

There is also an Issue 2 on Ohio's ballot to legalize recreational marijuana. I'm even less sure that will pass, although these measures usually do.

The elections for Virginia legislature also have implications for reproductive rights, as a trifecta would allow Republicans to pass laws restricting abortion.

Republicans are hoping to win a "trifecta" this November in Virginia’s 2023 legislative midterm elections. Nathaniel Rakich takes a look at what issues are at stake for both parties in this pivotal contest.

These elections will also take the temperature of the electorate in a state that's trended Democratic since 2008. If Democrats have trouble here, then they might have issues nationally next year.

On the other hand, FiveThirtyEight has generally good news for Democrats in Kentucky governor.

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear is popular, but Kentucky is a deep red state. Nathaniel Rakich looks into the tight governor's race in the state between Beshear and state Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

Here's to hoping Beshear can win a state that is considered solidly Republican again.

I close with Mississippi governor, which is the most watched of all these videos, much to my surprise.

Mississippi currently has one of the most unpopular governors in the country in Republican Tate Reeves. Nathaniel Rakich wonders if a Democrat could win in this year's election in this deep red state.

I can see why Reeves is unpopular, but I'm not so sure that will translate into a Brandon Presley win. I'd be pleasantly surprised if he does.

I'll return with some comedy tomorrow. Stay tuned.

How could Disney World adapt to climate change and extreme weather?

For today's Sunday entertainment feature, I'm examining Disney World's challenges from climate change, the extreme weather it will increase, and what it will take to make the parks more sustainable. I begin with DNSY Newscast outlining The Future of WALT DISNEY WORLD's Extreme Weather - Disney News Explained.

The World is heading for a dramatic global temperature increase as result of the polar ice caps melting and sea levels rising. And not even The Most Magical Place on Earth can wish it away. So here is an in-depth analysis of how climate change is predicted to impact Walt Disney World by 2053 and what they will need to do to mitigate the biggest challenges.

Special thanks to Bright Sun Films, Hey Brickey, TPM Vids, Midway to Main Street, Drew The Disney Dude.

Fan and travel accounts like DSNY Newscast and those he thanked aren't the only ones to notice the climate projections for Orlando. WGRZ-TV in Buffalo uploaded Climate Minute - It's A Hot World After All in Disney World three years ago.

By far, the number one vacation booked this time of year is Disney World in Orlando, FL. Florida’s weather is a welcome reprieve from a Western New York winter with sunshine, warmth and some may even appreciate the humidity. But those hot and humid days are getting even more so because of climate change. A study from Climate Central projects that central Florida may see an extreme jump in 95 degree days in the next 80 years: from 6 days to an astounding 127 days.

Add Climate Central to First Street Foundation as a source predicting more days of higher temperatures for Disney World.

Jack reversed proximate cause and effect and ignored the ultimate cause in his video description. Higher temperatures will melt the ice caps, which will then raise sea levels. Higher temperatures are the result of increasing greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere because of burning fossil fuels. Disney is doing something to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels by investing in solar energy, which Jack of DSNY portrayed as an effort at energy independence. Rob Plays of Midway to Main Street examined this effort when he asked How Much Solar Energy Does Disney World Generate?

Disney owns a whole lot of land in Florida, a state that’s known as the sunshine state. It’s almost a perfect setup for solar power, and it’s why Disney has two solar farms. Today, let’s take a look at just how much solar energy they’re using, and where they can go from there.

Disney is doing what it can to reduce its part in contributing to the problem by working on solutions beyond mere adaptation. I just hope the replacement for the Reedy Creek Improvement District doesn't get in the way. I wouldn't put it past them and Ron DeSantis.

Be Smart claims 'Fixing Daylight Saving Time Is THIS Easy'

Daylight Saving Time ends tonight (technically at 2:00 A.M. tomorrow), so it's time for my biannual observance of the changing of our clocks as well as a call to end the practice. Watch Be Smart explain the history and effects of Daylight Saving Time and claim Fixing Daylight Saving Time Is THIS Easy.

Every year, hundreds of millions of people voluntarily turn their lives upside down by setting their clocks forward one hour in the spring and back one hour in the autumn on a particular date mandated by the government wherever they happen to live. Daylight saving time is a perfect example of how a few people with the best of intentions can end up annoying millions of the rest of us for the better part of a century. And it’s time we take an honest look at how we got to this place where half the world comes unstuck in time twice a year, and ask if the supposed advantages for springing forward and falling back still hold up!

Joe Hanson uploaded this video on March 10, 2020, the day that the pandemic arrived in Michigan and the day before the WHO declared a global pandemic, which makes it feel a bit quaint. In addition to making every day feel like Groundhog Day, the pandemic delayed the European Union ending Daylight Saving Time. I don't know if I can blame the response to COVID-19 for delaying the U.S. allowing permanent Daylight Saving Time, but I do know that most Americans want to "lock the clock." Just see the preview image for Yahoo! News asking Tired of changing your clock every 6 months? You're not alone — here's how to cope.

This Sunday at 2 a.m. local time, daylight saving time will end in the United States, forcing millions of Americans to begrudgingly set their clocks back one hour and bringing suddenly shorter days as we head into winter. Polling shows 64% of Americans support getting rid of seasonal time changes — and health experts agree the practice is an unnecessary strain. Yahoo Life explains simple steps you can take to make the time change more manageable.

As I wrote last March, "I just want the twice a year time changing to stop. I'll go with whatever the rest of you decide. Just make a decision!"

That's my biannual rant. Stay tuned for the Sunday entertainment feature.

Meyers, Colbert, and Kimmel take more closer looks at Don Jr. and Eric testifying and George Santos surviving another expulsion vote

I'm returning to the comedy well today because Don Jr. testified another day, leading to Seth Meyers describing Trump "Livid" About NY Fraud Trial as Don Jr. Gets Grilled by Prosecutors: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at Donald Trump Jr. testifying in the fraud trial against his family's business that he had virtually nothing to do with his own company's financial documents, despite personally signing them.

As I wrote yesterday, "Pass the popcorn."

I did write that I might return with more Colbert today, but not Adam Kinzinger, although he's still on my to-do list.* Instead, I'm embedding last night's monologue, World’s Longest Zucchini | Trump Kids Take the Stand | George Santos Survives Expulsion Attempt.

Stephen examines an extra-long Canadian zucchini, looks at courtroom sketches of Donald Trump’s children testifying at their father's civil trial, and thanks Congress for voting not to expel Republican Rep. George Santos.

Before I address the rest of the monologue, I'm sharing Tim Curry - The Zucchini Song as my response.


Saturday Night Live should post that clip on the show's YouTube channel. It deserves a better quality upload and would be even more hilarious.

Don Jr. may or may not have inherited his father's business sense or lack thereof, but he certainly inherited his vanity. In all my 64 years, I don't recall anyone being so concerned about how his courtroom sketches looked.

Jimmy Kimmel examined both the Trump sons testifying and George Santos surviving a vote to expel him in Trump’s Dumb Sons Testify in Fraud Trial & George Santos Lives to Scam Another Day.

It was hometown date night on “The Golden Bachelor,” the Texas Rangers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks last night to bring home their first ever World Series and Ted Cruz chimed in, Trump’s most embarrassing sons took the stand in the $250 million fraud case against their family business, Donny is planning to start another University called “The American Academy,” Congressman George Santos will live to scam another day after the House rejected a resolution to expel him from Congress, and there is a bombshell announcement from the American Ornithological Society in regards to naming birds.

Both Colbert and Kimmel have acknowledged what I've been writing about George Santos since January; he will be a great inspiration for comedy as long as he stays in the news. That's been one of my best and easiest predictions.

All I have to say about renaming North American bird species right now is that Kimmel shouldn't be giving Fox News any ideas. They have enough bad ones already.

I close with last night's cold open for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Trump Kids in America.

Eric, Donald Jr., and Ivanka Trump wrote a special song dedicated to the judges handling their father's civil fraud trial.

More popcorn, please.

*So is Pete Buttigieg, who was on last night. Maybe tomorrow, although I have both the end of Daylight Saving Time and the Sunday entertainment feature already on my agenda. Stay tuned to see what I blog about.

Colbert, Meyers, and Kimmel take closer looks at Don Jr. testifying and DeSantis allegedly wearing lifts

I told my readers to "Stay tuned for non-holiday programming" yesterday, so I'm returning to some of my favorite sources today, beginning with Stephen Colbert asking Why is Ron DeSantis Wearing Lifts? | Donald Trump v. The People | Biden’s Chilling AI Warning.

Stephen tries out Gov. DeSantis’s cowboy boots trick, the former president’s five court cases are chasing him down the campaign trail, and the current president issued an executive order to protect us from the dangers of artificial intelligence.

I'm being a good environmentalist by recycling my commentary from 'SNL' satirizes Jim Jordan's losing bid for Speaker: "I haven't mentioned Ron DeSantis this month, so good for SNL bringing him up. He deserves this kind of attention." I think he probably needs the boost, based on these passages from The Daily Dot.

Many politicians’ heights are listed on their Wikipedia page. Not DeSantis. His Wikipedia contains no mention of his height. One site noted that estimates of his height vary from 5’9" to 6’2". Others say he’s closer to 5’7".

Height obviously has no bearing on a person’s ability to govern. It’s also true that taller candidates are more likely to win the U.S. presidency. DeSantis has faced an uphill climb in the polls ever since he announced his candidacy, as voters appear to prefer Trump.

But is it because of his height?

To answer the question, probably not, but it's fun to ask.

My comment on President Biden's AI executive order is that it wouldn't be the first time watching a movie prompted a U.S. President to act on an apocalyptic scenario. Ronald Reagan reacted to watching The Day After, acknowledging how terrible nuclear war would be, saying that nuclear weapons were there as deterrents, but eventually reaching an agreement with the USSR to reduce nuclear arsenals. Behold the power of entertainment!

I have nothing to say about Don Jr. testifying and his father's reaction that Seth Meyers said better in Trump Freaks Out as His Son Don Jr. Takes the Stand in New York Fraud Trial: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at Donald Trump's son Don Jr. testifying in the Manhattan civil fraud trial that could cost the Trump family their entire business empire.

Pass the popcorn.

Jimmy Kimmel covered the same ground Colbert did and more in Don Jr. Gets Grilled in Court, Trump Plays Victim & Rober and Kimmel Teach Candy Thieves a Lesson.

Today marks the first day of November, Jimmy took his kids trick-or-treating last night, a kid from Arizona dressed up like Guillermo, Heidi Klum was a peacock for her annual Halloween party, Mitt and Anne Romney went as Travis Kelce & Taylor Swift, Donald and Melania partied it up at the Mar-A-Lago Halloween party, Donald Jr was being grilled today as part of the $250 million fraud case, Daddy Donny spent some time lashing out on Truth Social at the judge and he’s very busy trying to paint himself as the victim of a conspiracy masterminded by Joe Biden, the Biden Administration is cracking down on A.I. thanks in part to the Mission Impossible franchise, people continue to submit videos pretending to eat their kids’ Halloween candy despite us not asking for them, and evil genius Mark Rober stops by to teach criminal trick-or-treaters a lesson they’ll never forget.

I've written that I should embed Mark Rober's videos here. Consider this a down payment on that promise. Here's to hoping I remember next October, both for Wester and Halloween.

I might return with more Colbert tomorrow, as Adam Kinzinger was one of his guests last night. Stay tuned.

La Llorona and Malinche, two connected tales for Day of the Dead

I closed Monstrum on 'The Golden Age of Movie Monsters' for Halloween with a program note.

That's it for Halloween, but spooky season continues for one more day with Day of the Dead. I'm feeling like continuing with Monstrum's examination of Mexican monsters. Stay tuned to see if I follow through with that thought.

I am, although I found only one uniquely Mexican monster among the many that Monstrum has examined, The Legend of La Llorona.*

The legend of La Llorona, the “weeping woman,” has terrified generations. This female ghost wanders in the darkness, crying as she searches for her children--the children she murdered. Some even say that she will capture other kids in her desperation. How could a murderous mother become such a cultural symbol?

In this episode, Dr. Zarka traces the history of La Llorona back hundreds of years, showing how her story represents the social history of greater Mexico from Aztec religion to the Spanish Conquistadors.
...
A special thank you to my students at Mesa Community College for sharing their La Llorona stories, and to Arizona State University’s Dr. Marivel Danielson for her expertise in Chicana/Latina literature.

Connecting La Llorona to Mexico's colonial history in general and Malinche in particular is an angle I hadn't encountered before, serving as an example of why I enjoy Dr. Zarka's videos. For more about Malinche and her role in the conquest of Mexico, watch NativLang's How Interpreters Helped Topple the Aztec Empire.

Travel to old Mexico. Uncover the linguistics behind the legend of La Malinche and the conquest of Montezuma's Aztecs!
...
This video tells the history of the translators involved in major early events of the Spanish conquest of Mexico. See how Classical Nahuatl, Chontal Maya, Spanish and Montezuma's flowery Aztec poetry all contributed to political decisions that led to the fall of the Aztecs.

NativLang is my favorite language channel on YouTube and I've watched all of the videos on it, so I'm surprised I've never shared any of them here in more than a dozen years. I'm glad to finally have the opportunity.

I close with a drink recipe, La Llorona Drink Recipe - TheFNDC.com, created for Day of the Dead.

La Llorona is a traditional story in [Hispanic] culture, told around Dia de los Muertos. Our drink contains tequila, blue curacao, fresh lemon and lime, orange bitters, and lime Jarritos. This drink was suggested by our viewer Erica Vela, right outta the 916.

The Legend of the Weeping Woman, or La Llorona, started about 500 years ago. Many people feel it has its roots in history (Ferdinand Cortes and his mistress). The traditional story: A village girl named Maria is the most beautiful girl in her village, but she wants not just any scrub from her village, she wants a wealthy muthafukka who is handsome and has it going on. Eventually she meets a wealthy ranchero, the son of a prestigious rancher with inheritance in his future. This cat is a steady rollin' kind of man. He likes the lonesome prairie, and he's a rambler. He does marry Maria, and has two kids, but eventually, his heart calls him back to the ranchero life. He spends longer and longer amounts of time out on the plains. When he does come home, he dotes on the children, but ignores Maria.

She's getting fed up with this guy's bullsh*t. Turns out his parents don't even know he's married to her, and they want him to marry someone from his social stratus, a lady with aristocracy behind her name.

So, next time her husband is rolling through town, she sees him with some other B*TCH riding next to him on his carriage. Maria is PISSED. She grabs her two children and drowns them in the river. When she finally comes to her senses, she realizes what she's done, and commits suicide by drowning herself in the same river.

When Maria goes to heaven, the guardian of the pearly gates asks her where her children are. They're on to her game up there. She is banished back to Earth; she cannot enter heaven without her kids.

La Llorona is said to appear near rivers or bodies of water, looking for children she can abduct, so that she may enter heaven. This story is seen as sort of a cautionary tale not only for kids to stay close to home and not wander off, but also to young women who look to be gold-diggers, because in the end they get played out.

LA LLORONA
========================
Muddle :
2 oz tequila
Half a lime
Half a lemon
0.5 oz blue curacao
Dash orange bitters
Top with Jarritos limon soda
Garnish:
Lime wedge
Lemon wedge

So ends spooky season. Stay tuned for non-holiday programming tomorrow. In the meantime, drink responsibly.

*Monstrum also has a video about chupacabras, but those are originally Puerto Rican monsters, even though reports of them come from Mexico as well and the Mexican version is different. I'll save that for a future Piña Colada Day.