Family Fridays: Meanwhile, Back at The Cabin (Beverly Hillbillies, 1962)

 From season 1 of The Beverly Hillbillies:

While the Clampetts have settled in Beverly Hills, Cousin Pearl (Bea Benaderet, The Flintstones) is minding the store back in their old cabin. However, the Clampetts have run out of water, except for what is in their cement pond.

Includes an in-show ad for Kellogg's Corn Flakes with Jethro (Max Baer) & Jane (Nancy Kulp).

Weasel of the Week: Care to take a guess?

 China's Xi Jinping is in Washington this week, and the official pandering twit of the USA, Donald Trump, hosted a state dinner for him on Thursday night at the White House.

CNN, Politico, & MS Now had their press credentials reinstated earlier in the day via judge's order, but, as we'd find out, CNN & MS Now had their reporters banned from the dinner. Why? Because Trump thumbed his nose at the judge's order, then had the audacity to claim the outlets pulled a no-show. You can't have it both ways, fella.

Trump also had the lack of brains to call Democrats "communists", when he had the leader of one of the few communist countries left visiting with him. No one filters what Trump says because of his volatile, impulsive nature. For this, he gets another set of Weasel ears, plus a tail.

Grow up, Mr. President.

Who do New Yorkers really want in November?

 You've seen the ads all summer.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman would rather use AI generated images to smear NY Governor Kathy Hochul than deal in facts. Hochul's camp, meanwhile, is playing up Blakeman's shameless loyalty to president Trump, ignorant of the damage Trump has caused since returning to Washington in 2025.

A Trump cheerleader.

Blakeman has blinded himself to reality, thinking that the unstable genius is doing a great job. Trailing by 9 points according to a recent Siena poll, Blakeman is finding out the hard way, as Lee Zeldin did four years ago, that just being associated with Trump, and they happen to be good friends, is asking for trouble.

Governor Hochul, however, isn't as popular, leaving the door open for an upset.

Still, it's rare that an incumbent loses a bid for a 2nd term. Blakeman has to lose the AI and smears, and agree to a debate.

Then, there's a vacancy in the 21st Congressional District, where Elise Stefanik had been before resigning. Farmer Blake Gendebein and Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino are dueling for the empty seat. Both are political newcomers. Constantino doesn't mention his company by name in his ads, largely because the Amsterdam-based company sounds too rural on a larger stage. The statue he erected in honor of Trump marks him as another shameless Trump drone. Gendebein's approach could work a little better with emphasis on the issues. Again, a debate would be necessary.

The mission for Hochul & Gendebein is to confront their GOPer counterparts on the issues, and raise the fact that Trump is making it more difficult for New Yorkers to survive because of his misguided policies.

November 3 can't come soon enough.

Sports this 'n' that

 The Mets took the interim tag off manager Andy Green prior to Tuesday's win over Texas, giving him a 3 year extension. Similarly, in Boston, the Red Sox did the same with Chad Tracy. Philadelphia, on the other hand, hasn't exactly made a commitment to Don Mattingly, whose son, Preston, is in the Phillies' front office.

Andy Green. Photo courtesy Yahoo!.

The Phils & Red Sox are set for the playoffs, which begin next week. The Mets are not. Still, having stability in the dugout is a wonderful thing.

The Giants, on the other hand, will lose 2nd year QB Jaxson Dart for the season after an MCL sprain led to reports of knee surgery following Monday's loss to the Rams. Jameis Winston will be the starter going forward, but Big Blue will be looking for help prior to Sunday's game vs. Tennessee.

Texas, the #1 team in college football, will visit Tennessee on Saturday. They should hope not to get any sort of endorsement from the worst sports fan in America.

Yeah, president Trump is heading to Knoxville for the game. Anything to leech attention away from the players. If only they could seat him next to that Liberty Biberty puppet. It's his speed.

Fox must love Ohio State. The network will feature the Buckeyes for the 3rd time this month on Saturday, with Big Noon Saturday, their pre-game show, originating from Columbus.

Notes from around town

 Dollar Tree is down one store in the 518.

The Albany Times-Union is reporting that the chain's Colonie location on Albany-Shaker Road was closed by the town of Colonie due to being "unfit for human occupancy". In other words, it had to have been in a severe state of disrepair for the town officials to step in.

No word on whether or not the store will reopen.

Real estate mogul Anthony Gucciardo has been a fixture on local television between commercials and infomercials, the latter with retired WRGB reporter Jack Aernecke as the moderator.

Last month, Gucciardo decided to try radio, landing a deal with WROW AM/FM for a Saturday morning show moderated by Ben Patten. Gucciardo, in effect, replaces John Bevilacqua, whose show was cancelled a year ago. Meanwhile, the Anderson Autism Center has taken over the Saturday 8 am berth, which the Herzog Law Firm gave up when they ended their run on August 1. Hey, I'd be happy if they replayed both on Sundays, too.

In case you haven't noticed, Unagi Sushi has moved from its long standing 4th Street home across the road to the former Tony of Italy salon. The eatery will reopen after renovations are completed. In the meantime, a new restaurant will soon open in the former Star Bartending School. Expect Craveon to be ready in a few weeks, if not sooner.

The White House launches Trump TV. It immediately tanks

 After deciding to ban CNN, MS Now, & Politico from the White House because of their reporting facts, president Trump found himself in a most unusual situation on Monday. One that, well, is his own fault.

ABC, NBC, CBS, & Fox News banded together with CNN to suspend press pool coverage, leaving only One America & Newsmax, and any other right wing garbage dispensing service, to cover President Onions.

The response from the White House? How about we take our YouTube channel, and make it Trump TV?

Oh, boy, did that go over like a wet fart. Archived speeches of Orange Narcissus aired on the channel starting Monday night, and viewership actually went down as the evening went on, per media reports.

Today, Trump was at the UN, where CNN's Kaitlin Collins was invited by the UN. Trump, of course, pitched a fit.

Given the threat of litigation from CNN, MS Now, & Politico, I'd think Trump will cave in first. He found out the hard way that he crossed too many lines with the media, and as of yesterday, he's paying for it. Seeing him try to give a speech with no microphones around was lovely to see.

You made your bed, Mr. President. Now, lie in it.

The weekend in GOP stupidity

 On Sunday, Republicans found themselves having to defend the indefensible on national television.

First, Wyoming's John Barrasso falsely claimed that president Trump had not violated the 1st Amendment when he banned MS Now, CNN, & Politico from the White House. Barrasso was interviewed on NBC's Meet The Press. Truth is, Trump did.

Someone should spend a day reading the Constitution to this man.

Not long after, Steve Scalise was left fumbling when he tried to defend Trump on ABC's This Week when interviewed by Jonathan Karl.

At the end of the day, Trump's impulsive action has left his party scrambling. Of course. He's 80 years of age physically. Mentally is another story altogether.

Then comes word this morning that MS Now, CNN, & Politico have, predictably, filed suit against Trump, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, & communications flack Steven Cheung, seeking to lift the ban. That'll force Trump to reverse course. We think.