My new avatar is the official 2023 City of Chicago Christmas tree, located at the entrance to Millenium Park just off Michigan Avenue. Spectacular isnt it? 

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Shane MacGowan, Legendary Frontman of The Pogues, Dies at 65

The Pogues were one of the first Irish bands, that I know of, that melded traditional Irish musical themes and musicianship with modern punk sensibilities . My favorite example of this is the remarkable "If I Should Fall From Grace With God"

Shane MacGowan, the larger than life frontman of The Pogues, has died. He was 65. “It is with the deepest sorrow and heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of Shane MacGowan,” read a statement posted on the band’s   X   account on behalf of MacGowan’s wife, sister, and father. No cause of death was given, but the statement said MacGowan “died peacefully at 3am” on Thursday morning “with his wife Victoria by his side.”

If I Should Fall From Grace With God - The Pogues

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Speaking of falling from grace , we come to the latest in the Elon Musk saga.  In an interview on a business show, Musk declared "war" on Disney (that has worked out so well for DeSantis /s) by telling Disney chairman Bob Iger "Go fuck yourself". Musk is annoyed that Disney is pulling its advertising from X (the cesspool formerly known as twitter) over Musk's repeated flirtations with bigotry. 

"What this advertising boycott is going to do is, it is going to kill the company," Musk said, per  The Hollywood Reporter . "And the whole world will know that those advertisers killed the company." "Go f*** yourself, is that clear? Hey Bob, if you're in the audience. That's how I feel, don't advertise."

A day or two ago the mayor of Paris announced she was leaving Xtwitter, saying that the site had become a sewer.

Elon Musk Declares War on Disney (newsweek.com)

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Then we have news from the king of "falling from grace", the presidential candidate Keith Olbermann calls "Dementia J Trump" (I wonder if the Biden campaign will adopt that snappy nickname for our national traitor).

Trump has decided , with deranged "sincerity", that he wants Black Lives Matter on his side . Recall that , presumably in another life, Trump had called BLM "a symbol of hate". 

Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday welcomed the idea that he'd be supported by the Black Lives Matter movement, a group that he's treated as a public enemy for years.

He was responding to an   interview that Maryland activist Mark Fisher   gave to "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday, during which Fisher expressed support for Trump and condemned the Democrat party.

Fisher was introduced by Fox as a co-founder of Black Lives Matter Rhode Island.

"Personally I love the man. I mean," said Fisher. "How could you not like a real man? How could you not relate to someone like that?"

Trump then   wrote on TruthSocial   that he had spoken with Fisher, whom he called a "great guy."

"Very honored to have his and BLM's support," Trump said, before claiming to have "done more for Black people than any other President (Lincoln?)," an oft-disputed remark that he's   regularly made in the last few years.

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Trump told O'Reilly he saw some interviews featuring Black Lives Matter members and decided they were up to no good. "I looked at a couple of the people that were interviewed from the group," he said. "I saw them with hate coming down the street last week talking about cops and police, and what should be done to them. And that was not good. And I think it's a disgrace that they're getting away with it."

Expect this election bed conversion to last as long as it takes for Black Lives Matter to tell him to "go fuck yourself". 

Trump, who's railed against Black Lives Matter for years, now says he'd be 'very honored' to have its support (yahoo.com)

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Finally, an 84 year old Pennsylvania man has been arrested for murdering his wife during an argument over the vet bills for their cat. 

An elderly man in   Pennsylvania   brutally beat his wife to death during an argument about their pet cat’s vet bills, authorities said.

Barton Seltmann, 84, is accused of killing his 85-year-old wife, Margaret Seltmann, in their home in Lower Pottsgrove Township on Tuesday. Authorities said Barton called 911 himself to report an “unresponsive female” at their home—but responding officers found that Margaret was “obviously deceased” when they arrived.

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Lower Pottsgrove Township Police Chief Richard Bell said in a joint   news release   that law enforcement arriving at the home also found Barton “on the rear porch, with blood on his hands, face and clothing.” He was taken to a local hospital to receive treatment for a hand injury.

A homicide investigation was launched and detectives determined that the couple had been “arguing about money for veterinary care of their cat when the fight turned physical,” according to the release. “Evidence found on scene indicated that the victim was struck multiple times in the head while lying on the kitchen floor.” An autopsy found that Margaret had died from blunt force injuries to her head.

Elderly Man Beat Wife to Death in Row About Cat’s Vet Bills, Police Say (thedailybeast.com)

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Christmas song of the day

Happy Holiday - Sal Valentinetti