Today is Friday, August 18, 2023. For those who are wondering whether Donald Frump is affected by his many indictments, an online article in Boing Boing says that he definitely is, according to two cancellations he’s made in the last day. The article is entitled “Indictments are getting to Donald Trump, as he cowardly cancels two events in one day.”

As we all know, the twice-impeached, four-times-indicted former president is known for his reckless bravado when it comes to saying and doing anything to rouse his manipulated MAGA followers in line. “But when his lies and stupid actions get him over his head, he makes a quick exit (think hiding out in White House bunker during a protest in 2020), which is what he did – from two separate events, in two separate announcements.”

His first cancellation came on his ridiculously named Truth Social platform in which he posted that he was cancelling the “major press conference” that he had promised for Monday that would, finally, after three long years, reveal “Irrefutable & Overwhelming evidence” of his baseless 2020 election fraud claims. But how many of us thought that was this bold announcement was just more bullshit coming from a huge bullshitter? I hadn’t expected anything to come out of this sham, did you?

On the same day, Frump announced that he was going to snub next week’s Republican presidential debate, scheduled for Wednesday, August 23, with this cowardly statement, “People know my record . . . Why would I debate?” he asked without irony in a second Truth Social post. He then reverts to his horrible use of capitals, stating, “I’M YOUR MAN. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.” This is so laughable. This absurd statement just shows how pathetic this man is – repeating such an empty tag line.

The writer concludes about Frump’s announcements, “It’s no surprise that the rattled four-times indicted, ex-one-term president is in cowering mode, but it does show that this last, fourth indictment, which might have enough oomph to finally make him accountable for his crimes, has got him running scared.”

So who is going to watch the sorry spectacle of the worst candidates for president who are part of the repugnican gang on that stage next Wednesday debate one another? There should be an empty dais on stage to symbolize where the frontrunner for president would have placed his over-270-pound frame behind it and where everyone on that stage should wag their finger at it and condemn the man for not showing up! I’m positive that Chris Christie will vilify Frump for not showing up; none of the other pusillanimous candidates will speak out against the jerk. I could be wrong since Frump is now in a very weakened state and possibly some of these weak candidates themselves will realize they have to take the kid gloves off already if they want to finally distance themselves from the Orange Hemorrhoid.

As for that first Republican presidential primary debate, Fox “News” will host it, with anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum coanchoring the clunker at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

As for Frump surrendering himself to Fulton County, Georgia, next week, his appearance is expected no earlier than Thursday which would not conflict with the Republican debate since he’s not showing up anyway. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis gave Frump and his 18 other codefendants until next Friday to surrender.

I can’t wait for the mugshot from this appearance!

Today I felt somewhat better than yesterday. I went out for breakfast at my usual haunt and went to the gym later in the afternoon. At some point, Elliot and I watched a gay film called Of an Age, a 2022 film that I entertained seeing when it first came out but let it go before it premiered on Amazon Prime just recently.

The movie begins in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, in 1999 and it tells an intimate story about a Serbian-born teenager, Kol (Elias Anton), who is all set to appear for a ballroom dancing contest final, but who gets a frantic call from his dancing partner Ebony (Hattie Hook) that very morning where she finds herself on some beach after waking up not knowing where she is. She demands that Kol pick her up wherever the hell she is and Kol mentions he doesn’t have a car. Eventually, Kol gets Ebony’s gay brother Adam ( Thomas Green) to drive him to his sister and it this chance meeting with an older man who is comfortable being gay in 1999 since he mentions he just broke up with his lover that changes his life forever.

During the ride to pick up Adam’s sister, the two principals have a very thoughtful discussion about reading and whatever comes into their heads, all the while not focusing on their attraction to one another. Kol is more shy than Adam; he is also not really aware of who he is until he meets the more assured Adam. The latter informs Kol during the ride that he’s leaving the next day to travel to Buenos Aires to complete his Ph.D. which creates an unbearable pressure from the very start if the two should ever launch a physical relationship.

There is a second act, so to speak, 11 years later, when both Adam and Kol return to their small town to attend Ebony’s wedding to a local lad and deal with the old feelings that were buried for so long as both men led different lives, with Adam living in Venezuela and working for an aid agency, and Kol now working in public health research somewhere in Australia. Kol had been living in his uncle’s house at the beginning of the film, but now he tells Adam he doesn’t talk to some of his relatives since coming out.

The film is directed by Goren Stolevski who allows the two principal actors to strike up a fast connection through dialogue that doesn’t seem stilted or rehearsed. There are many closeups of the two men in the car as they engage in harmless chitchat that leads to something else at the end of the ride.

Have a good weekend.

Stay safe and be well.