Today is Friday, August 29, 2025. Out of a show of support, Elliot and I attended an invitation-only screening of our polymath friend “Ralph”s film which was a filmic recreation of his Dictator for a Day musical that played off-off Broadway last October – before the election. The showing was supposed to have begun at 6:30, but it was delayed a full hour. There were supposed to have been about 50 people at this event, but I was informed there were only about 35 people instead. I had no idea that the screening was planned to take place in someone’s huge loft apartment on Canal Street, right near the Holland Tunnel. It was truly a schlep to get to our destination, but we had all the time in the world, since we left much earlier to spend some time in historic Chinatown and have dinner there.

As the film finally rolled at 7:30, the audience was treated to a pastiche of skits, musical numbers, dancing, all over about 85 minutes, and all on the gaffes and foibles of the 45th president. The Dump impersonator, J-L Cauvin, really outshone as the dimwitted president; I can’t name the other cast members since we didn’t really receive a program of any sort. I do know that some of the other performers were probably friends of Ralph. There was one who did a very good impersonation of Columbo the detective from television, but here I thought the segment was superfluous and could have been cut. But I’m no critic. There was even a Bernie Sanders impersonator who had two numbers; his latter routine could have also been pared down a bit, I think. However, after listening to some of the songs now, many things that have played out during Chump’s second term were forecasted in these songs. Remember, this played originally in October, a month before the election.

Right after the film, three cast members appeared up front to take questions from the audience. At this point, Elliot darted out to go home. I waited until the bitter end, which was about 9:30. Someone asked J-L Cauvin the question I would have asked him, which was when did he originate his Trump impersonation and how long has he been doing it. Now I can’t recall the answer. It was a long day. I have checked him out and he does have videos on YouTube, so if you’re intrigued, check him out yourself.

Of course, when Ralph wrote this skewering of Dump during his first term, he never envisioned him actually winning on Election Day. He spoke about this in remarks he made to the audience before the film was shown. He thought he would just go away, which was what everyone in the room probably thought too. Boy, were we wrong!

This is news you don’t want to hear, but there is a huge nationwide spike in COVID cases and emergency room visits as Labor Day nears. This is not very good news, considering that the head of the Health and Human Services agency is a lunatic, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who is the most unqualified of Dump’s lackeys in his cabinet. There is an online article from Axios on this issue entitled “CDC warns of huge COVID spike amid internal turmoil,” by Herb Scribner.

This dire warning comes as the federal health agency struggles with its own internal chaos and the ramifications of a new COVID vaccine policy.

If you haven’t followed developments within the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) lately, there have been walkouts and resignations fostered by the stupid head himself, Kennedy, who just terminated the CDC director just weeks after she was sworn in, Susan Monarez. On Thursday, dozens of staff members and leaders at the CDC rallied in support of departing colleagues.

In an email Wednesday, a CDC spokesperson told Axios, “COVID-19 activity is increasing in most areas of the country.” He added, “Emergency department visits for COVID-19 are low but increasing” for all age groups.

Five states thus far have driven that increase: Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas, and Louisiana. These states have a positivity rate of 15 percent to 19.9 percent.

The CDC’s warning comes as Kennedy announced new recommendations for the coronavirus vaccine.

I seriously hope that Democrats push for this idiot’s termination from the very agency that is responsible for saving lives in this country. There is no room for a vaccine denier in the highest pinnacle of this agency. Kennedy is no doctor, no medical professional of any kind, just a privileged member of an old-guard political clan whose family members have practically disowned him. If anyone deserves the boot before people die on this orange asshole’s watch, just like during the first pandemic, it’s Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. We might just be closer to a second pandemic than anyone thinks! Heaven forbid, but the warnings are there, and when this happens, this will be a total disaster!

Today’s adventure took us to a general appliance store in my old neighborhood to purchase a new refrigerator. Yes, a new refrigerator! For only about two days, we noticed that items in the appliance were not cold. We played with raising the coolant numbers in the refrigerator, but nothing happened. Today we called the store where we bought it and a spokesperson recommended a repair person to come to our apartment. And he did! Unfortunately, he declared the 15-year-old silver Amana dead and not worth repairing. Something about a hole in the back letting freon out. That it was expensive to repair the appliance, given its advanced age. Thus we drove as quickly as we could to Len Harris Appliances and ordered another similar refrigerator. This one is now a Whirlpool. Luckily for us, we were promised delivery and installation tomorrow. However, we intended to drive to Ralph and Sandy’s house in Easton, Pennsylvania, to have a sleepover with them before driving to Sellersville, Pennsylvania, to attend a retirement party for “Harold,” my childhood friend from the Bronx. Now we have to wait for the appliance to be delivered and installed before doing this.

As I just reported then, today is my last blog before Sunday or, even, Monday. I don’t know when we’ll get back on Sunday, so I might just pass on writing my blog if we come home late that day.

By the way, there are protests planned for Monday, Labor Day, to demonstrate against the authoritarian policies of this autocrat. I have participated in at least three protests against this administration but have sadly missed a few because of scheduling conflicts. I haven’t even considered going to this one if it is even going to be held in New York.

It’s hard to believe I’m writing have a good Labor Day weekend, but here I am doing just that.

And so it went!