Today is Saturday, August 7, 2024. Yesterday Elliot and I attended a screening of 1967’s Valley of the Dolls at the Cinema Village East, hosted by that irrepressible figure in green, Hedda Lettuce. The entertainment started a little after 7 when the grande dame of drag, Ms. Hedda Lettuce, took to the front of the auditorium.

Earlier, we dined at an Italian restaurant right around the move theater, John’s, which is celebrating its 116th year in business. It began all the way back in 1908, can you believe that? Nothing ever lasts that long in New York City, and if it does, it has to be good. That’s how I feel. So to make good on the restaurant’s longstanding reputation, I ordered the polpetto di vitello (veal meatballs) which have been featured in the Food Channel’s Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives hosted by Guy Fieri. Elliot had the mozzarella, basil and tomatoes as an appetizer. To save some money and stave off indigestion, we ordered one entree: veal cutlet parmigiana with penne. We begged off having any dessert this time and just had cappuccino.

When we entered the restaurant, we were mistaken for people going on a tour within the restaurant, so when we were seated by our very young and dark-haired waiter, we asked him what this tour was all about. He informed us that it was a tour of where the Mafia worked its magic in the corridors of the building on East 10th Street in the 20s and 30s. This was new to us. We met people from Scotland who were actually on this tour.

As for the film, we have to say we were somewhat disappointed in that we couldn’t hear all of Hedda’s remarks during it. I thought I was hard of hearing, but as we were leaving the auditorium, we heard another patron saying exactly the same thing. So this took away from totally enjoying this interactive rendition of the film as envisioned by Hedda Lettuce. And we paid enough: $27 for a film I can see for nothing. But the theater was packed, so we weren’t the only ones willing to pay such an exorbitant price for a ghastly film. We were sitting in the very rear of the theater, at Aisle N, a few rows from the back. If we ever resolve to do this again, we’ve decided to sit up front in order to hear Hedda better.

It’s getting late here since I had to charge my keyboard for two hours, sorry. But the story that is on everyone’s radar these days is the incoherent rambling responses uttered by the senile candidate for president this past Thursday at the Economic Club of New York in which the old man has been mocked mercilessly for his answer to a question posed to him concerning child care. The Daily News editorial board wrote a scathing editorial on what the candidate said or couldn’t say at this conference. It was published just today and the editorial is titled “Stumped by Trump on the stump.” This long, rambling, incoherent word salad should be very concerning to those who are still considering casting their vote for him. They would be very stupid – even more so – if they don’t realize their man is neurologically challenged right now. Here is how the editorial puts it:

“At an appearance at the Economic Club of New York this Thursday, Donald Trump confounded listeners and produced plenty of mockery with a long, rambling and fundamentally unintelligible answer to a simple question about whether he’d support legislation to bring child care costs down under control.”

Donald Duck’s response was nearly 400 words long, according to the Daily News, in which he referenced Senator Marco Rubio for no sane reason, tariffs, America first, the deficit, his daughter Ivanka,”and other disjointed points,” none of them having anything to do with child care concerns. I heard his remarks that were aired on MSNBC, and it was appalling. Everyone at that meeting must have wondered what the fucking hell did this guy just say.

The editorial makes the point that the press has so far made a big fuss over President Biden’s cognitive failings, and now the press must do the same for Donald Duck since he is running for the highest and consequential office in the land. It is now Drumpf who must provide proof to the media that he’s not losing it.

We will see how this unfit candidate squares off with a more focused, articulate speaker in Vice President Harris just three days from now, on September 10. The results should prove quite devastating, I think, for Dump.

Have a good Sunday.

Stay safe and be well.