Today is Tuesday, November 22, 2022. Today is the 59th anniversary of the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. In a way, that momentous event signaled the death of innocence in this country and we haven’t recaptured it ever since. The assassination also fueled so many conspiracy theories that emerged as a consequence of the shooting. But we are the land of flourishing conspiracy theories that makes us unique among other western countries and this era is no exception to that atmosphere clouding many ordinary Americans’ minds. Hell, we’re the land of QAnon and other bizarre theories that millions of people strangely believe in, despite all of the evidence to the contrary. A chronicler of our fascination with bullshit in our history is Kurt Andersen who wrote Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire way back in 2017 when Trump was still in office. The book reviews America’s 500-year history and how Americans have become suckers to fantasy, as in assassination conspiracies, all the way to believing in the “Big Lie” which is not covered since the book came out in 2017. I do have the book, but I must admit that I haven’t read it yet.

Today the Supreme Court dealt a death blow to the former conman in the White House as it cleared the way for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to release Dumpf’s tax returns to a Democratic-led House Committee.

This welcoming breaking news for the American people is covered in an online CNN article by Ariane de Vogue, Supreme Court Reporter, entitled “Supreme Court clears way for House to get Trump’s taxes.”

The court’s move is viewed as a major loss for the former insurrectionist, who has sought for years to shield the release of his tax returns and is currently under multiple investigations. Tellingly, there were no noted dissents, even from Ms. “Ginni Thomas,” who is known as Justice Clarence Thomas. What a trump card (no pun intended) that this was an unanimous decision by a Supreme Court supposedly in the hip of the former president.

To illustrate how long Democrats have desired Dumpf’s tax returns, it was first requested by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, a Massachusetts Democrat, who first sought the returns from the IRS in 2019, where the agency, under the Trump administration, initially resisted turning them over. “The case moved slowly until 2021, where, under the Biden administration, the Justice Department changed its legal posture and concluded the IRS was obligated to comply with the committee’s request.”

Then a Trump-appointed judge ruled in the House’s favor late last year and the U.S. DC Circuit Court of Appeals refused to reverse that ruling, most recently with the full appeals court declining to take up the case. The court held that the request for the documents served a legitimate legislative purpose to look at tax laws as they apply to a sitting president and rejected Dumpf’s argument that the stated purpose was mere pretext to hide a political calculation.

Applauding the high court’s decision today, Neal said in a statement following the ruling, “We knew the strength of our case, stayed the course, followed the advice of counsel, and finally, our case has been affirmed by the highest court in the land.” He added, “Since the Magna Carta, the principle of oversight has been upheld, and today is no different. This rises above politics, and the committee will now conduct the oversight that we’ve sought for the last three and a half years.”

All I can say is that the Orange Blob must be shitting in his Depends tonight and must be cursing his three appointees for not upholding his specious argument for withholding the tax returns from scrutiny. The world will now find out to whom he is obligated in in terms of debt he owes and whether or not he is a true “billionaire.”

Another bad development for Donald Trump in the ongoing Georgia criminal investigation was having South Carolina Senator “Lady” Graham being forced to appear before a Georgia grand jury investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Not good for the old man if Lady Graham truthfully answers queries posed to him about his alleged interference in the affair.

This breaking story appears in an online CNN article by Sara Murray and Chris Youd entitled “Lindsey Graham testifies before Georgia grand jury investigating 2020 election aftermath.”

This arrogant senator has also fought for months to quash the subpoena to testify. But today, he was forced to appear since his blocking actions were rejected by the court. It depends on what the pusillanimous lawmaker actually said in the proceedings since Graham has been given room by the courts to object to certain questions, which could have limited the scope of his testimony and responses.

The whiny senator had argued he should not have had to comply with the subpoena because he is protected under the Constitution’s Speech or Debate clause, which shields lawmakers from some criminal or civil proceedings related to their legislative duties.

After Graham’s 2020 phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the election official said he was under the impression that Graham was suggesting he should discard some ballots, which sounded exactly like that since the country heard that incriminating tape all throughout the time the 2020 election was being disputed by Team Dumpf and his minions.

As would be expected, Graham has denied that he ever suggested Raffensperger should toss any ballots, but now it’s up to a grand jury to make that decision regarding who is telling the truth.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has continued to battle in court for testimony from a handful of witnesses she would still like to hear from in her probe. Despite the uphill battle that this indefatigable district attorney has been conducting ever since she opened this investigation, she previously said she wants to wrap up the grand jury’s investigative work this year. And in a separate court proceeding, a prosecutor from her office said the grand jury was not planning to hear testimony for much longer. Thus the case could be wrapping up very soon and let’s hope indictments against certain individuals will come out of it.

Not a good day for the ex-president, would you say?

The empty expression of sympathy proffered by newly reelected Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert (who should have been sent back to her ranch or wherever she lives by saner voters in her district) was shredded by Whoopi Goldberg, The View moderator who destroyed the gun-toting representative’s dismal record of anti-LGBTQ+ slurs. On today’s episode, she slammed the congresswoman on behalf of the victims, chastising: “They don’t really need your prayers and thoughts. That’s what they need.”

The fiery host of the show was referring here to Boebert’s awful record on gun safety. This is the same woman, as you know, who promised to conceal a gun on her person while in the Capitol Building and doesn’t possess the most rational view on commonsense gun laws. She has consistently voted against reforms most of the country agree on, like universal background checks and red flag laws – which take firearms temporarily away from people who show themselves to be a danger to themselves and others. This would refer then to the person of the 6-foot-4, 260-pound suspect who was brought down by Richard Fierro, the hero of the massacre at Club Q.

Goldberg continued to slam the dimwitted gun nut for her anti-LGBTQ+ tweets, saying, “This is what rhetoric brings. Words matter. And people like Lauren Boebert, who, you know, has been in the forefront of dissing LGBTQ+ people is now saying her prayers and thoughts go with the families.”

Over the past few months, Boebert and others vile like her have been at the forefront of the chorus of far-right politicians fueling conspiracy theories about LGBTQ+ members and drag shows. She has regularly referred to the LGBTQ community as “groomers,” saying they’re all out to get your children – convincing them that they’re gay so they can have their way with them. This is the worst kind of homophobia which links it to pedophilia, kidnapping, whatever you want to call it, maybe even murder.

Even though we still don’t know what the suspect’s motives were in this horrific attack, there have been real attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, where people have been attacked on the street and venues have been set on fire just for hosting drag shows. What is with these despicable people and drag shows? Why are they so bothered with an innocuous form of entertainment? Maybe they’re really jealous of the drag performers in secret! Just as anti-Semitism is rising in this country, antigay sentiment is ratcheting up as well. The hate is rising, and it’s increasing on the voices of Lauren Boebert who want to vilify the LGBTQ community for no reason other to show how fucking mean they can be to a marginalized community and to attract the votes of their basest voters. When will this antipathy toward “others” end?

Anyway, today I had my follow-up appointment with my hernia surgeon in New Hyde Park at 11:30 a.m. We left the neighborhood at 10:30 and got to the medical building a little before 11, so we had to wait awhile before being called into the examining room. This time I entered the room without Elliot who entertained everyone the last time.

I was told to sit and wait for a physician’s assistant. One did come in, her name being “Mavis,” and reviewed my case. She removed the Steri Strips and then took questions from me regarding what I should expect in the coming weeks. I did mention that we intend to travel to Florida by December 8 and she responded that she would have the office write a letter stating that I needed assistance in putting my luggage in the overhead bins on the plane. I was assured that I could use the gym for just walking on the treadmill. I mentioned my puzzling banana sensitivity to her and she answered that I should see an allergist. She didn’t know where this reaction comes from, she said.

Within minutes, my surgeon walked in, Dr. “Scalia,” who was rather brusque, I thought. She did mention that I left my umbilical hernia untreated and that I should return in three months. I never asked if I left it as it is, could this situation not result in surgery. I really wouldn’t want to undergo one other surgery in just three months. So let’s see what happens.

When I mentioned the banana phenomenon, she remarked that she never heard of this reaction arising from such surgery. Oops, now I have a mystery on my hands. That was the extent of my examination.

I did say to have a good holiday to the doctor and then mentioned to the receptionist that I didn’t have a definite appointment. She said that the office would get in touch with me. I then walked out of the crowded waiting room and took the elevator out of the medical building with Elliot.

We then drove to the Floral Park Diner where we had a bite of lunch. Except for the shroud of uncertainty over my head over what to do with the third hernia, I felt somewhat contended over seeing the surgeon and getting a clean bill of health. Well, almost!

Later in the day, I went out and ran some errands, going to the bank for Elliot and returning a book to the Forest Hills Library. In the evening, I spoke to my good friend “Harold” for at least an hour. We talked about my appointment this morning, reminiscing about movies and plays we’ve seen, and what our Thanksgiving plans are this week. I was amazed over my friend’s long-term memory that he accessed many times during our long conversation.

Stay safe and be well.