Greetings! No political news or pointed commentary today.  With tomorrow’s kickoff of the holiday season in mind, I offer a list of things that make me smile and fill me with joy… First off, my all-time favorite holiday family movie is Rudy, about a pint-sized kid from a blue collar family who had a crazy dream to play football for Notre Dame.  Inspiring….Route 8, a two-lane highway that starts in the hamlet of Deposit, NY,  and heads north to Utica as it snakes  through the forgotten dairy belt in the heart of the state.  I’ve been driving that road twice a year for three decades and not a thing appears to have  changed.  It’s an authentic slice of slowly vanishing small-town America…The Impressionist collection  at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.  I’ve seen these painting masterpieces countless times and it never fails to move me…The upcoming January NFL playoffs.  Nothing better than spending a cold winter weekend snug in my den with a good game on the flat screen…Fishing, because it provides me with a powerful connection to the beauty and rhythms of the  natural world and makes me appreciate and respect the creatures that share our planet.  (And I’m strictly a catch-and-release fisherman.)…The day after the winter solstice  (December 21) when the days begin to get longer…My Kindle Paperwhite.  If you haven’t already guessed, I’m a big reader.  I never leave home on a trip without it loaded with at least two or three books (just finished the novel The President's Lawyer)….Washington, DC, at night.  It’s easy to forget the visual magnificence of our nation’s capital…And finally, thanks to my two partners in this endeavor: David Noonan and J. Max Robins, who continue to offer sound advice, professional wordsmithing, and positive vibes and good cheer so necessary to keep this little enterprise afloat….See you on Monday after the long holiday weekend….I know it can be tough at times to browse this newsletter that is mostly filled with unsettling headlines, especially as we enter the age of Trump 2.0.  Still, if you can keep reading, I can keep Righting.  Howard

Greetings! One vineyard wants to make American wine great again, especially if it supports MAGA 2.0.  According to its website, the Republican Red Winery,  infuses “quality and patriotism” in every bottle they produce.  Furthermore, the winery promises that “sharing our genuine shades of red is how we unite the Republican Party and bring undecided voters to the right side.”  Some of  Red Winery’s products include Cabernet Sauvignon Second Amendment, Pinot Noir 45 + 47, and Chardonnay Drain the Swamp. Wonder if a Beaujolais Bannon is in the works…Conservative podcaster Megyn Kelly reveals on her website that she celebrates “Fakesgiving” early in November to avoid the holiday rush.  Kelly spills the dirt about her lousy cooking skills, confessing that she once set a turkey on fire…One more thing to keep us up at night.  Human-to-human transmission of bird flu could trigger the next pandemic, according to former Joe Biden Chief Science Officer Dr. David Kessler (NY Times)…Donald  Trump’s Truth Social is on a roll, according to TheRighting’s exclusive research.  The social media platform recorded its fourth consecutive month of double-digit audience growth.  Here’s my theory why: Since the summer, a growing number of Americans appear more receptive to the messaging of The Donald  and his fellow travelers, and they visit Truth Social to reaffirm their new right-leaning beliefs…If you keep reading, I’ll keep Righting. Howard