Greetings fellow travelers.  What awaits us on the dark path we’re about to enter beginning at noon ET today?...President Reagan’s first inauguration was the coldest on record (7 degrees).  JFK’s inauguration exactly 64 years ago was a relatively balmy 22 degrees, although eight inches of fresh snow blanketed Washington that morning.  Kennedy – gotta love him – gave his 15-minute inauguration speech without a topcoat.  Check it out. It’s worth remembering that in his speech, Kennedy reminded Americans that “civility is not a sign of weakness.” Our incoming president and his administration should heed those words. Here’s the transcript…Outspoken right wing actor James Woods suggested in tweet last night that there may be an assassination attempt on Trump today.  “Is anybody besides me gravely concerned for President Trump’s and the First Lady’s safety during the inaugural walk,” he wrote.  “The insane left has tried everything to thwart the will of the people, and they will stop at nothing”…Book of the day: Philip Roth’s The Plot Against America, which followed the impact on one family after America elects a charismatic, isolationist president. It was also a great HBO miniseries. Songs of the day: CSN&Y’s Déjà Vu and Tom Petty’s It’s Good to Be King.  Movie of the day: Groundhog Day…Question of the day: When Trump is sworn in as the 47^th president today, will his hand be on his God Bless the USA Bibles that retail for prices ranging from $59.99 to $1,000? It may represent an irresistible marketing opportunity for him...If you keep reading, I’ll keep Righting. Howard

Greetings! The Washington Free Beacon dropped a snarky satire imaging what an early draft of President Biden’s farewell address looked like.  Here’s just a sample: “We oversaw the most successful gender transformation of America since FDR, the invalid war hero.  We endured so that NATO would be part of Finland”…SteveGruber.com suggests without any evidence that there’s trouble in the marriage of Barack and Michelle Obama.  The former first lady’s decision not to attend the Trump inauguration with her husband helped trigger the speculation.  “Then again,” wrote the site’s Liberty Paige,  “does anyone really care about these washed-up, divisive relics of political theater now that we have MAGA on the way to save America?”…Incoming autocrat Donald Trump named over-the-hill stars Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone and Jon Voight as his ambassadors to Hollywood, whatever that means. Actor James Woods, one of the entertainment industry’s most vocal conservatives, must be seething with jealously….Dept. of Sticks & Stones: Conservative podcaster Megyn Kelly called Jill Biden a “geriatric mean girl” on her latest program…”Real Time with Bill Maher” returns to HBO tonight for its 23^rd season.  Gotta wonder how the outspoken, independently minded comedian will handle references to the Los Angeles fires that have devastated his hometown of Los Angeles.  And will he attack California’s liberal politicians?…Weekend Watch: American Primeval on Netflix.  This action-filled series set in 1850s Utah follows a woman and her crippled son as they trek across the deadly landscape in search of her husband encountering dangers around every corner. It may be too dark and violent for some, especially on the eve of Trump 2.0, but the show’s fast pace, intriguing characters, and magnificent outdoor settings kept me glued…If you keep reading, I’ll keep Righting. Howard