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When Someone Shows You Who They Are...

...believe them the first time. That is what Maya Angelou supposedly said, though note that all sources for that quote are secondhand. In any event, it's a good observation, whether Angelou came up with it herself or not.

Truth be told, we already knew what kind of person Donald Trump is. We've been writing about Trump the politician for a decade now, and he's shown over and over and over that he's boorish, and petty, and self-important, and mean-spirited, and utterly lacking in class (despite the liberal use of gilded decorations that are supposed to make us think otherwise). There's the Barack Obama birth certificate conspiracies, and the mockery of the disabled reporter, and "grab 'em by the pu**y," and the various snubs of John McCain's memory, and the nasty nicknames for various political opponents, and the palling around with Jeffrey Epstein, and the Mohammad bin Salman ballwashing, and... well, it goes on and on. And note, this is not a list of things that are illegal or are bad governance (though some of them are arguably that, as well). It's just a few of the high-profile examples in which Trump showed the world that he's a godawful excuse for a human being.

Once in a while, though—and it's very rare these days, after 10 years of developing Trumpian armor—he manages to surprise us with his utter and complete lack of grace. So it was yesterday. Among the first tasks of the day for (Z) are to check e-mail and cell phone messages. And both personal and Electoral-Vote.com channels were flooded with messages about the unbelievably classless message that Trump sent out on his a-pathetic-place-for-pathetic-people social media platform. In case you haven't seen it already, here it is:

A very sad thing happened last night in Hollywood. Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star, has passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS. He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before. May Rob and Michele rest in peace!

Honestly—and we were not the only ones who reacted this way—we initially thought it was a fake from some sort of parodist. But it's not. And in case there was any doubt, Trump doubled down during a press conference yesterday, telling reporters: "I was not a fan of Rob Reiner at all, in any way shape or form. I thought he was very bad for our country."

Just in case you might think we were having a bad day, or something along those lines, here are a few messages from readers who were also disgusted by Trump's response:

D.E. in Lancaster, PA, writes: I've tried several times to write a measured response to Trump's obscene comments on the horrible and senseless murders of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, but failed with each attempt. All I can muster is: Is it too much to ask that we have a human being with a some sense of empathy for our president, or, if that's a hill too steep for him to shuffle up, for someone to shut him the fu** up? That's my Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Winter Solstice wish. Just take him away some place where he can yell till his little chest cavity's content, but where we don't have to hear his filth, ever again.

That and I just donated to Indivisible to hopefully aid in their organization of the next No Kings Rally.

To the incredibly talented and generous Rob Reiner, your life and works impacted mine in so many ways, and to his lovely wife, Michele: "Zichrono/Zichrona Livracha." To the surviving children, even to his troubled son who is charged with these horrible murders: "Min haShamayin Tenuhamu."


T.J.R. in Metuchen, NJ, writes: I try hard to be fair. I try very hard to be fair and charitable. I try to appreciate every human being's value. I try hard to value other's opinions, even though I disagree with them. People have different experiences than I do. I understand that. And these experiences may have led them to opinions different than my own. I get that. I truly do.

But Donald Trump's comment on Rob Reiner's death has crossed a boundary I didn't believe could ever—ever—be broached. And I call him by his name so there can be no doubt who I mean.

He has crossed any bound of simple human decency. Crossed where 99.99999999% of humanity would never dare cross, simply because they are, in essence, humane.

I constantly tell my partner that nothing Trump does shocks me. She is perpetually aghast by his actions, but I keep saying, "It's Trump. What can you expect?" This has surpassed that. This is more reprehensible than I even thought him capable of.

Although I am not a believer in God or heaven and hell, on this, in this instance, I sincerely hope I am wrong. When Donald Trump passes, may he burn in eternal torment in hell's damnation.

I also just pray that his followers see the reprehensibility of his words. And look within themselves and realize they are chaining their souls to a false idol.


A.B. in Wendell, NC, writes: This. Is. Not. Normal.

This is how the current occupant of The White House reacts to the tragic death of Rob Reiner and his wife? "[Reiner] was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump."

No, Donald. The only person with a raging obsession of Donald J. Trump is YOU, as witnessed by the fact that you have to make EVERYTHING about YOU.

The facts are not all known yet, but it would seem that Reiner's son Nick is responsible... and that points to family dynamics as a more likely cause. This is a tragedy for all involved. For ONCE IN YOUR LIFE can you be respectful, and not make it about YOU?


D.S. in Layton, UT writes: Fu**ing a**hole.

So, yeah, it wasn't just us who felt that way.

Oh, and Trump condemnation was all over the Internet yesterday, from all sides of the political spectrum. He was slammed by an entire panel on Fox, shortly after the aforementioned press conference; while at least a dozen other Foxers blasted Trump on social media. Quite a number of evangelical leaders also spoke up. For example, Russell Moore, editor in chief of Christianity Today, wrote: "How this vile, disgusting, and immoral behavior has become normalized in the United States is something our descendants will study in school, to the shame of our generation."

And now, because we are academics who try to see the meaning behind things, here are the things we take from this ugly incident:

And that's the biggest news of the day. Sigh. (Z)

Trump Declares Fentanyl a "Weapon of Mass Destruction"

Just in case his ill-conceived vendetta against Rob Reiner wasn't enough, Donald Trump made some additional headlines with a new executive order, one that "officially" designates "illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)." You can read the XO here, if you wish.

We will note, yet again, that we really don't know what Trump's agenda is these days. Is he trying to create a distraction from EpsteinScam, or from his various grifts, or from his poor approval ratings? Is he trying to start a war, so he can then lean more fully into the fascism than he's already doing? Is he desperately trying to juice up MAGA in advance of the midterms? Is he just a brain-addled old man who does whatever crazy things that Steven Miller or Stephen Bannon or Secretary of Small Dongs Defense Pete Hegseth tell him to do?

In any event, we'll just pass along these four observations:

And now, we wait and see what happens. (Z)

Trump Always Chickens Out, Empire State Edition

The Republican Party has a problem in New York State. There is one person who can plausibly do something about it, but he refuses to get involved. And so, GOP operatives are currently busy tearing their hair out.

The problem is the gubernatorial race. The people of New York have sent just one member of the red team to the governor's mansion in the last half-century, but Republicans like their chances in 2026. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) is not terribly popular, and the GOP wants to portray her as both a tool of the upstate elites (an old trick, going at least as far back as complaints of Martin Van Buren's "Albany Regency") and yet also a clone of Zohran Mamdani. The Republicans think this might just be the path to the promised land.

The issue is that even if Hochul is vulnerable, disunity on the Republican side simply will not do. A messy primary will cost a lot of money and will leave the winner bruised and bleeding. And a messy primary is what is on tap, at least as of the moment. On one side is Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and on the other side is Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R). They're both very MAGA, they both have a relationship with Donald Trump. Usually, when it's MAGA vs. MAGA, the contest turns into a lot of personal attacks and a lot of claims about who is the Trumpiest. And Democratic operatives are going to record every single one of those statements, so they can put them in ads once the primaries are over.

Trump, of course, could ride to his Party's rescue by making an endorsement. It would be hard for someone to keep going as "the MAGA candidate" if the other person has Trump's backing. But, as much as Republican operatives beg, Trump refuses to pick a horse. Instead, he's picked TWO horses, doing the thing he does where he endorses BOTH candidates. That's good for purposes of his peacocking on social media, we suppose, since he can claim to be on the winning side no matter what happens. It's not great for his political party, though.

Truth be told, we believe the Republican thinking on this race is pure fantasy. It is possible that, one day not too far in the future, New York will again have a Republican governor. But it's not going to be in 2026. Hochul is not especially popular, but she's not radioactive, the way that Andrew Cuomo might be. There's also the great likelihood that all Republicans are going to face midterm-backlash headwinds. Oh, and just as we don't believe an outspoken lefty can win statewide in Texas, we don't believe a MAGA candidate can win in New York. It would have to be a normal Republican, not a Trump sycophant. Also, the GOP strategy here is basically nonsensical. They're going to sell Hochul as a wild-eyed leftist upstate, but as a tool-of-the-establishment centrist in NYC? Do they think there is a wall running through Woodstock that keeps sound from crossing over? Do they think voters in the various parts of the state aren't going to figure out that the Republicans are selling two very different Hochuls, and they couldn't possibly both be true?

Since we don't actually see much relevance to the New York governor's race here, that means there's only one reason to talk about this story, and it's Trump. Once again, he shows he doesn't have the spine to make tough choices when it involves people who have flattered him and puffed up his ego. We have no doubt that Stefanik and Blakeman have found a way to make sure he knows how very impressed they are with his having won the FIFA Peace Prize. Such an important honor!

Also, it's reminder #237 that Trump doesn't give two craps about his Party's fortunes; he only cares about his own needs and his own image. After all, what's it to him if Hochul remains as governor? Truth be told, that's probably better for him than if one of the Republicans wins, since he can use Hochul as a bugaboo when needed. In any event, the needs of Trump and the needs of the GOP will continue to diverge, and the longer that GOP muckety-mucks refuse to accept and deal with that fact, the more damage that will be done. (Z)

Twelve Days of Christmas... Games, Part VI: Putting the T and the V in... Hanukkah?

This was the game that was supposed to run yesterday. We held it, of course, and under the circumstances, we strongly considered swapping out the first question. However, we have no doubt that Rob Reiner would want his work to be remembered, and erasing him seems exactly the wrong thing to do. So, the first question stays.

The game is pretty basic. We've given screen shots and summations of eight episodes, from U.S. TV shows, episodes that had a significant Hanukkah element. You just have to identify the shows. (Please no Google, etc., for this one; that would make it too easy.)

Here are the episodes:

The show's four protagonists stand in the doorway to their house with shocked looks on their faces

Episode Title: "Archie Is Branded"
Air Date: February 24, 1973
Synopsis: Although 1970s shows relied heavily on Jewish talent, particularly behind the scenes, they had to keep the Jewish-centric stuff a bit under the radar most of the time. So, it's only implied that it's during Hanukkah that the Bunkers have a swastika painted on their front door. They receive a visit from Paul Benjamin, of the Hebrew Defense Association, who tells them their house was mistaken for that of a nearby Jewish neighbor.

What's the TV show?


A man with a rabbinic beard and a blue-and-white Santa Claus-style hat.

Episode Title: "Andie MacDowell/Tracy Chapman"
Air Date: December 16, 1989
Synopsis: Santa Claus falls ill, and "Hanukkah Harry" has to fill in. He pulls it off, though at great peril to his own life.

What's the TV show?


Jerry, George and Elaine stand beneath a banner that says 'Happy Hanukkah'

Episode Title: "The Strike"
Air Date: December 18, 1997
Synopsis: The episode has three subplots. One involves railing against the commercialization of Christmas. A second involves a labor action at a bagel shop. And the third involves Jerry, Elaine and George attending a tacky Hanukkah party. "This place is like Studio 54 with a menorah," Elaine notes haughtily.

What's the TV show?


Fran, dressed in 1960's garb, holds a menorah

Episode Title: "The Hanukkah Story"
Air Date: December 16, 1998
Synopsis: The newly married Fran looks forward to celebrating Hanukkah with her husband, but he and the family are en route to New York City from Boston, there isn't enough gas in the car, and there are no gas stations open because of a massive snowstorm. Somehow, 1 hour's worth of gas lasts for 8 hours of driving, and they get back just in time.

What's the TV show?


Superman and Santa Claus sit on a couch watching, while a man in an armadillo costume holds an elementary-school-aged boy on his lap

Episode Title: "The One With the Holiday Armadillo"
Air Date: December 14, 2000
Synopsis: Ross is chagrined to learn that his son Ben knows nothing of Hanukkah, and he isn't too interested in hearing about it from his father. So, taking a cue from Santa Claus and Superman, Ross invents the Holiday Armadillo to help teach the story.

What's the TV show?


A teenager in a tacky holiday sweater holds a menorah

Episode Title: "The Best Chrismukkah Ever"
Air Date: December 3, 2003
Synopsis: Seth Cohen invents a hybrid Hanukkah-Christmas holiday, so all his friends and family can participate. Because the show is a teen-focused soap opera, much teen drama ensues.

What's the TV show?


The three kids stand around a spherical tree, decorated with Hanukkah ornaments and colors. It just looks like a ball-shaped Christmas tree, though.

Episode Title: "A Christmas Story"
Air Date: December 9, 2015
Synopsis: Disappointed by her kids' lack of interest in Hanukkah, Beverly creates "Super Hanukkah," though every idea she comes up with for the "new" holiday ends up being a pretty clear knock-off of one Christmas tradition or another.

What's the TV show?


A man in his sixties stands next to a holiday display that includes garlands and a menorah

Episode Title: "Merry Christmas, Johnny Rose"
Air Date: December 19, 2018
Synopsis: Johnny Rose decides that his down-on-its-luck family needs to have a whiz-bang Christmas celebration, even though the holiday is only 12 hours away. "That reminds me!," he declares. "Somebody needs to find the menorah!"

What's the TV show?

And the tiebreaker question. Several years ago, the Hallmark Channel announced it would begin producing one Hanukkah movie a year. This year's entry is Oy (To the World). On a scale of 0 to 10, and keeping in mind the site's ratings go to one decimal point (e.g., 3.5), what is the movie's average rating on IMDB right now?

Submit your answers here! (Z)

Twelve Days of Christmas... Games, Part I: Ugly Sweaters (Answers and Results)

And now, our first set of answers and results:

1. December 5:

The sweatshirt says 'WIE ZOET IS KRIJGT LEKKERS

a. Sinterklaas (69.6%)
b. St. Swithin's Day (6%)
c. Lek Gifting Day (Albania) (13.4%)
d. Unification Day (Germany) (11.1%)

Comments: We had many readers write in to point out "errors" in our various multiple choice options. Part of the art of writing wrong answers (known, in technical terms, as "distractors") is including blatantly erroneous ones, so that test takers who are in the know can eliminate those choices. For the record, we knew full well that St. Swithin's Day is celebrated on July 15, while Germany's Unification Day is October 3. There is no such thing as Lek Gifting Day (though the Lek IS the official currency of Albania).


2. December 14:

The sweater says 'THIS IS HOW WE JEW IT' and has dreidels, Stars of David and menorahs

a. Simchat Torah (0% of readers chose this answer)
b. Hanukkah (88.9%)
c. World Dreidel Championships (Final Round) (10.1%)
d. Rabbi Appreciation Day (1%)

Comments: Simchat Torah is typically in October, while Rabbi Appreciation Day is on June 13th (aka 6/13) because there are 613 mitzvot (commandments) in the Torah. There are no World Dreidel Championships, which seems like a missed opportunity.


3. December 15:

The sweater is green and white and says 'FA-LA-LA-LA F*CK SCOTUS

a. Founders' Day (Democratic Socialists of America) (19.4%)
b. Bill of Rights Day (70.5%)
c. Public Defenders' Appreciation Day (6.9%)
d. Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-VT) Birthday (3.2%)

Comments: Bernie was born on September 8, and it's actually National Public Defender Week, not Day (and it's in March anyhow). The DSA do not have a Founders' Day.


4. December 17:

An ugly brown and purple sweater with a drawing of a plane and the words 'Wright Bros.'

a. Wright Brothers Day (66.7%)
b. International Aviation Week (23.6%)
c. North Carolina Heritage Day (5.6%)
d. Pilot Appreciation Day (4.2%)

Comments: Pilot Appreciation Day is April 26, there is no International Aviation Week (though there's a National one in August), and North Carolina Heritage Day does not exist officially, though there are unofficial celebrations with that name at various times across the state.


5. December 21:

Brown background, decorative elements in green that look like Maltese Crosses, a wreath at the center, and a pentagram within the wreath

a. Birthday of Anton LaVey (Founder of the Satanic Church) (10.6%)
b. Winter Solstice (72.2%)
c. Samhain (Druids) (16.2%)
d. International Heavy Metal Day (1%)

Comments: LaVey was born April 11, Samhain coincides with Halloween, and International Heavy Metal Day is not celebrated on December 21. Some prefer to commemorate it on December 12 (aka 12/12), while others have pushed to move it to November 11 (aka 11/11) in reference to Nigel Tufnel's amp in This Is Spinal Tap.


6. December 21, Also:

Black background, and a pattern with white question marks. There is a white bar across the sweater, and marching across is something that looks like upside-down snow cones

a. International Dalek Remembrance Day (81.9%)
b. Giving Tuesday (2.7%)
c. Ashura (4.6%)
d. Little Yule (9.7%)

Comments: We thought that a lot of readers would say "There's NO WAY there's an International Dalek Remembrance Day," but we were wrong. Giving Tuesday is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (December 2 this year), Ashura was in June this year, and Little Yule (aka St. Lucy's Day) happens on December 13.


7. December 22:

Cream background, red trim, a bunch of winter symbols like snowmen and santas, and on the chest are a half-dozen GIANT math symbols, like square root and infinity

a. Founders' Day (M.I.T.) (10.6%)
b. Nerd Appreciation Day (4.1%)
c. National Mathematics Day (U.S.) (80.6%)
d. Albert Einstein's Birthday (4.6%)

Comments: There is no Founders Day at MIT, and there's no Nerd Appreciation Day (though Geek Pride Day is celebrated on May 25, primarily because that is the day Star Wars opened in 1977, though it's also connected to Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy). Einstein was born on March 14.


8. December 25:

A crocheted sweater with a reindeer that is clearly meant to be Rudolph, but has crazy eyes

a. National Mental Health Awareness Week (Canada) (4.6%)
b. International Save the Reindeer Day (14.7%)
c. Christmas (78.3%)
d. Techno Day (2.4%)

Comments: Canada does not have a commemoration under that name, though it does have Mental Illness Awareness Week in October. Techno Day is celebrated on December 9, and there is no International Save the Reindeer Day. Note that we actually made up a lot of these answers (e.g., Techno Day), only to learn later that there are holidays for damn near everything.


9. December 26:

Blue and red background, various winter decorations, and the center is a cat in a cowboy costume holding gifts, with the word 'UMOJA' underneath

a. Kwanzaa (71.9%)
b. Umoja (Saudi Arabia and parts of Syria) (12.9%)
c. Klöpfleinsnächte (Knocking Nights) (8.8%)
d. Cat Appreciation Day (Egypt) (6.5%)

Comments: "Umoja" is Kiswahili for "unity." and is the first principle of Kwanzaa. It is not a holiday in Saudi Arabia, Syria or anywhere else. Knocking Nights take place on the three Thursdays before Christmas. And Egyptians do not celebrate Cat Appreciation Day. Maybe they did 5,000 years ago, but not today.


10. December 26, Also:

A figure that looks like Mike Tyson, carrying a bag of gifts, and the caption 'MERRY CHRITHMITH'

a. International Speech Impediment Awareness Day (6.9%)
b. Mike Tyson's Birthday (27.6%)
c. Procrastinators Day (0%)
d. Boxing Day (65.4%)

Comments: International Speech Impediment Awareness Day, more commonly known as International Stuttering Awareness Day, takes place on October 22. That's another one we didn't know about until after we posted this game. National Procrastination Week (not Day) is usually held in March, but is sometimes pushed back (really!). Mike Tyson was born on June 30.


11. December 28:

A white sweater with a bunch of giant, 3-D vegetables

a. International Farmers Day (17.5%)
b. Eat Vegetarian Day (32.7%)
c. Veg Out After the Holidays Day (34.6%)
d. Ōmisoka (Japanese New Year) (15.2%)

Comments: Ōmisoka is actually Japanese New Year's Eve, and it takes place on the same day as New Year's Eve does in all other countries on the solar calendar. Shōgatsu is Japan's name for New Year's Day. Veg Out After the Holidays Day and International Farmers Day are completely made up.


12. December 30:

Pink background, with three ribbon-shaped lines running across it, the ribbons are the color of bacon, but look like what would happen if you took a scalpel to someone

a. Surgeon Appreciation Day (3.7%)
b. Jurassic Park Week (the first film in the franchise was released on December 30, 1995) (4.6%)
c. Bacon Day (90.7%)
d. Roadkill Appreciation Day (1%)

Comments: There's no Surgeon Appreciation Day, though they're included in National Doctors' Day on March 30. There is no Jurassic Park Week, and even if there was, the original Jurassic Park was released on June 11, 1993 (at least, in the United States). Roadkill Appreciation Day is another one we THOUGHT we were making up, but it's actually celebrated on September 25. We do not want to know HOW it's celebrated.

There were 11 readers who got perfect scores. Here they are:

Tomorrow will be the answers to "Twelve Days of Christmas... Games, Part II: Christmas Movie Trivia," so if you want to play that one, click here now, because time's running out. (Z)


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