OK, Siri, fine

Siri put on my grocery list (I find out when I get to the store this morning) “glad rap.” I think he (I cycle through the voices, and my Siri is currently an Australian guy)…I think he means that plastic stuff you wrap leftovers in but maybe he just thinks I need cheering up. He knows I’ve been watching that Senate “trial."

 

(Seriously, if that is the greatest deliberative body on Earth then Earth is in one fight-like-helluva mess.)

 

 

It's time we stopped picking on that poor Donald

Yes! According to Brittany Bernstein, writing in National Review, in the present Senate “trial” proceeding from the orange fellow’s impeachment…

 

"Trump’s lawyers are arguing that it is unconstitutional for the Senate to hold an impeachment trial for a former president and that his rhetoric is protected by the First Amendment. They also say that he did not incite the rioting and that the House rushed to impeach Trump without offering him time to prepare a defense."

Such a shame.

Meanwhile, for my part, although I’ve never been much of a Hillary fan, I have to agree with her on this:

 

“If Senate Republicans fail to convict Donald Trump, it won’t be because the facts were with him or his lawyers mounted a competent defense, it will be because the jury includes his co-conspirators.”

It's come to this

Verify Your Valentine

This Valentine’s Day, before you go looking for love in all the wrong chat rooms, CISA reminds users to be wary of internet romance scams…

Dibs: The Chicago way

Man freezes his jeans to ‘reserve’ parking spots, inspires others

“I saw the first picture, and I knew it was chicago immediately,” wrote one gawker.

The impeachment trial in an historical nutshell

Ted Cruz, Republican from Texas:

"They have charged the president with incitement of violence and insurrection," Cruz said. "Nothing he said meets the legal standard for incitement. Incitement is very clear. Incitement is very deliberately saying 'go, attack.'"

Henry II, King of England:

 

"Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" (also expressed as "troublesome priest" or "meddlesome priest") is a quote attributed to Henry II of England preceding the death of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1170. While the quote was not expressed as an order, it prompted four knights to travel from Normandy to Canterbury, where they killed Becket. The phrase is commonly used in modern-day contexts to express that a ruler's wish may be interpreted as a command by his or her subordinates.

Travel exec says "will decmate the industry"

COVID-19 Testing Requirement for Domestic Flights Under Consideration

"To put in place a testing mechanism for domestic travel would require a 42% daily increase of COVID testing throughout the country."

 

Sounds fine to me.

Tactical napping (cont.)

Before the Capitol floor there was…

 

 

–Bill Mauldin, Stars & Stripes

Gotta draw the line somewhere

Fans flout COVID-19 rules to party on Tampa streets after Buccaneers’ Super Bowl win

One person was reportedly arrested for climbing a tree.

Which means half don't, I guess

AP-NORC poll: Americans are split on Trump’s impeachment

WASHINGTON (AP) — A majority of Americans say former President Donald Trump bears at least some blame for the Capitol insurrection, and about half say the Senate should vote to convict him at the end of his impeachment trial.

 

Among the most innovative reasons for acquittal: "Maybe he didn’t understand mob psychology."

 

(I wonder if that Brooklyn bridge is still up for sale.)

 

And then there’s this:

 

In fact, more [Americans] call themselves better off than worse off than they were when Trump took office, by a margin of 38% to 27%.