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Yesterday, the House of Representatives formally delivered an article of impeachment against Donald Trump to the Senate. The House voted to impeach one week after Trump incited the January 6th insurrection, and that was the sole charge the House voted on: incitement of an insurrection. After the House vote, Speaker Pelosi slow-walked sending the article to the Senate until the new Democratic senators were sworn in and Chuck Schumer became the Majority Leader. Schumer and Mitch McConnell consulted about the Senate trial and now it’s set for February 8th.

For the second time in just over a year, the House on Monday sent an article of impeachment against Donald J. Trump to the Senate for trial, thrusting his political fate into the hands of 50 Republican senators who for now appear reluctant to convict him.

On a day marked more by ceremony than substance, nine House managers walked across the Capitol to inform the Senate that they were ready to prosecute Mr. Trump for “incitement of insurrection,” a charge approved on a bipartisan basis after the former president stirred up a violent mob that stormed the Capitol earlier this month. But senators planned to quickly hit pause, putting off the heart of the trial until Feb. 9 and buying Republicans time to prepare for a proceeding that will be as much a referendum over the future of their party as it will be on Mr. Trump himself.

Unlike Mr. Trump’s last impeachment, when Republicans quickly and enthusiastically rallied behind him, several Republicans, including Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, have signaled they are open to convicting the former president after a mendacious campaign to overturn his election loss that turned deadly. That would allow the Senate to bar him from ever holding office again. But at least at the trial’s outset, their numbers fell well short of the 17 Republicans that would be needed to join Democrats in securing a conviction.

Instead, with the trial on hold, Republicans’ initial fury about the Jan. 6 attack appeared to be giving way to cold political calculations about the price they might pay for abandoning Mr. Trump, given his continued hold on the voters who comprise the party’s base.

President Biden, in an interview with CNN on Monday, said that while he thought the trial was necessary, he did not believe 17 Republican senators would vote to convict Mr. Trump. “The Senate has changed since I was there, but it hasn’t changed that much,” Mr. Biden said.

[From The NY Times]

Because Trump is no longer the sitting president, Chief Justice John Roberts was able to make his own choice about whether or not to preside over the impeachment trial in the Senate. Roberts was tasked with the job last year, for Trump’s first impeachment trial, but for the second trial, Senator Patrick Leahy will preside over the trial. Which should be good – Leahy will keep things moving and he’s not beholden to MAGA politics in any way. Still, I think President Biden is right – the Senate trial is important because we need to show that there are consequences for inciting an insurrection, and we need to get these f–king Republicans on the record about it. But Trump probably won’t be “convicted.”

Interestingly enough, something else happened yesterday which might provide more accountability and repercussions for the Republicans who incited the terrorists and tried to overturn the election. The Justice Department’s inspector general has launched an investigation “to examine whether any former or current department officials ‘engaged in an improper attempt’ to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Inspector General Michael Horowitz said Monday that the investigation will investigate allegations concerning the conduct of former and current Justice Department officials but will not extend to other government officials.” I don’t see how it could NOT extend to elected officials since it’s all connected.

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Photos courtesy of Getty.

There are so many things I’ve ordered from Amazon which I use every day. It’s hard to remember them all, but they include my awesome coffee maker, which I’ve had for almost two years, this magnetic 2021 page-a-week meal planner that fits on the fridge. I got it at the end of last year and it’s 50% off now! Also I got this affordable high quality webcam under $24! I got that about a month ago but wanted to test it out for a while and it works great. I also still really like the laptop stand we talked about last month. Here are some more things I’m looking at on Amazon.

Nanofilter Masks you can breathe in that are also protective

My mom was telling me about these new masks from Korea my aunt loves. My aunt has asthma and says she can breathe easily in them, but from what I’ve read they seem to offer good protection too. My mom ordered them and I’ll be getting some for us too. (I will still double mask with a visor.) This is a set of seven three-layer nanofilter masks for $12.50. They have 4.5 stars, 19 ratings and an A on Fakespot. Reviewers like how breathable they are and say they can be sterilized without affecting how they filter. (I found a science article that seems to support this, but please be aware that I write for a gossip blog and am not qualified to give medical advice.) Reviewers write “They fit beautifully to your face, there’s absolutely no sucking the mask into your mouth when you talk (even loudly), they are super comfortable, and lightweight. Very easy to breathe in also.”

A Genley that’s so versatile

I have so many shirts but just end up wearing my long sleeve t-shirts the most. I would love a Henley to mix it up. This Henley by Tobrief comes in both short and long sleeve versions, some with waffle weave, and in 16 different colors and prints. It has 3.8 stars, 1,400 ratings and a B on Fakespot, most of the other Henleys had Ds or Fs. It comes in sizes small to x-large. Some reviewers say to order a size up if you like a loose fit. Many say it’s comfortable, flattering and stands up to multiple washings. “Simply love this shirt. Feels great. Fits perfect.” “I love this too more than I thought I would! I am always on the hunt for cute but unique tops I can wear out around town or to work (I’m a teacher). This top is one I always find myself wanting to wear.”

A set of cosmetic brushes to blend like an expert

This 16 piece set of cosmetic brushes by Bestope is under $9! You can get them in white or rose for just a few dollars more at under $13! You get so many brushes that you’ll be applying makeup like an expert. This is the number one bestseller in makeup brush sets and has 4.6 stars, over 35,000 ratings and a B on Fakespot. Reviewers are surprised at how many tools you get and say that they’re high quality for the price. A makeup artist writes “The bristles are super soft and they don’t shed at all. The face brushes are super dense and don’t soak up too much product. The eye brushes are soft and can blend and pack on shadow really well. I also didn’t notice any odd smells. I would definitely recommend this!” Another buyer says “So high quality and the price is great. Includes pretty much every brush you would need to do your make up!”

A refillable oil mister so that you can save on sprays

I’ve been buying those Bertolli olive oil spray bottles but they run out quickly. This refillable oil mister by Misto has over 20,000 ratings, 4.1 stars and an A on Fakespot. It’s under $10 for the brushed silver version. Home chefs say it’s great at dispensing a fine, even mist of oil for cooking, salads and dressings. You do need to follow the directions by only filling it halfway (so it has enough pressure to spray) and cleaning it periodically. “I love this for spraying a very light coating on everyday salads and caprese salad. Also when I make no knead bread (sourdough and instant yeast) I oil the bowl slightly then place the dough in the bowl for the bulk ferment.. and using the sprayer gives me a perfect mist of oil on the sides and bottom of bowl.” “I filled it just under half way and it works perfectly. These are reasonably priced, I don’t have to spend $3 a pop on solo use oil spray.”

Make your own beef jerky, dried fruit and pet treats with a dehydrator

This 6 tray food dehydrator by Elechomes is under $70 and currently has a 15% off coupon, making it around $60. It has over 1,000 ratings, 4.6 stars and a B on Fakespot. I’ve always wanted a dehydrator since watching those Ronco commercials as a kid! This is said to be excellent at making snacks at home. Reviewers love how easy it is to use and clean and like that it has an auto shutoff feature. “It makes great tasting Jerky in about half the time of other dehydrators. Definitely worth every penny.” “It’s a workhorse and handles beef jerky as well as peaches, apples, bananas, nectarines, tomatoes, onions, and zucchini (what we’ve tried in last week); super easy to clean; runs quietly; light and easy to lift so it can be moved around the kitchen; The heat distribution is wonderful and it makes the best jerky!”

An outlet shelf to clear space on your bathroom or kitchen counter

We’ve featured these outlet shelves before and I looked through so many of them before deciding on this one, which has served me well for months now. This outlet shelf by Wali has 4.5 stars, over 1,900 ratings and an A on Fakespot. I’m not a handy person, but it was easy for me to install, you just switch out the outlet place. It’s perfect for my echo dot (I like to listen to Sirius in the morning) and I like that you can stick the cord up in the hidden area of the shelf to hide it. Other buyers wrote “I bought this to keep my new electronic toothbush off the counter and am pleased it works wonderfully. I bought one for my kitchen too to keep my phone off the counter while I follow recipes.” “Great little shelf that is easy to install and you don’t need to drill any holes in your wall.”

An eyeshadow palette for day and night looks

We got asked to find eye shadow palettes in our last post. (I always plug this one by Lamora, which I’ve bought a couple of times and it’s awesome.) This Blushed Nudes palette by Maybelline is just over $9 and comes with 12 different matte and shimmery shades. It has over 13,600 reviews, 4.4 stars and an A on Fakespot. Years ago I had the regular nudes palette, which is available on this listing, and there’s also the 24k nudes which has darker and more shimmery shades. Women say this is comparable to Urban Decays Naked 3 palette and that the shades are pretty and last long. You may want to use an eyeshadow primer (I use this one) to get the best effect. “The pigments are awesome. I love the colors and they’re all very easy to blend. I don’t have problems with the eyeshadow creasing, flaking or not holding its color during the day.” “I have had this for almost five months now and still find myself using it every day for a glowy, natural look.”

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Last night was Burns Night for Scotland and Scottish people, a celebration of Scottish poet/literary figure Robert Burns. January 25th is celebrated every year as Burns Night, and there’s a Burns Supper, recitations of Robert Burns’ written works and all kinds of activities. Because of the pandemic, the British royals were left Zooming their celebrations of Burns Night, attaching themselves to the Scottish celebration in the hope of reminding Scotland of their historic ties.

The thing is, the Scottish independence movement has never been stronger. Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon announced this past weekend that if her party, the Scottish National Party, wins a majority in the May election, she’ll call for another independence referendum. There’s also ample evidence to suggest that Prince William and Kate’s Covid Choo Choo tour strengthened the Scottish independence cause – Scots were completely pissed off at the royals’ insistence at traipsing into Scotland during a full pandemic lockdown. Even Scottish royalists were rolling their eyes at William and Kate’s tone-deaf super-spreader tour. So it’s really funny to me that Will and Kate decided to record a lil’ message for Burns Night:

This Burns Night, we’ve teamed up with @NHSCharities to provide staff at @NHSTayside with a Burns celebration lunch of haggis, neeps and tatties.

Thank you for all that you do — Slàinte Mhath! #BurnsNight2021 ??????? pic.twitter.com/nvALnO9LzR

— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) January 25, 2021

A haggis dinner? I would not give my enemies a haggis dinner, but I get that it’s a “Scottish thing.” I would think overworked nurses and doctors would much prefer a cappuccino and some donuts, but what do I know. Also: when William and Kate are in Scotland, they are the Earl of Strathearn and Countess of Strathearn, but Kate’s red tartan is not the Strathearn tartan. She knows what the real Strathearn tartan is because she’s carried scarves with the tartan before – the real tartan is a yellow background with red and green plaid. I have no idea why she theme-dressed in a red tartan dress?

Anyway, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall recorded separate messages for Burns Night.

“With Auld Lang Syne, he gave us words which have become a symbol of fellowship the world over – and never has that sense of connection been more important than now.”

? During virtual celebrations with @RobertBurnsFed, The Prince recited one of Burns’ most famous poems. pic.twitter.com/nRxvbLsvoN

— The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) January 25, 2021

The Duchess has also marked Burns Night in a message to @aberdeenuni, of which Her Royal Highness is Chancellor.

? Watch as HRH reads a favourite Robert Burns poem, ‘My Heart’s in the Highlands’. pic.twitter.com/5qoVIYfALI

— The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) January 25, 2021

Screencaps courtesy of video.

Hunter Schafer has been captivating me with her portrayal of Jules, a transgender teen, in HBO’s Euphoria. Hunter, who is herself a trans woman, is very multifaceted. Not only does Hunter have a love for Basquiat and ice cold showers, she also loves pickup trucks. Hunter was recently on Jimmy Fallon where the two bonded over Hunter’s newest purchase, a pick-up truck (she doesn’t share the make and model), and Jimmy’s Ford F-150. Hunter tells Jimmy that she loves the fantasy of dressing super femme and getting out of a big ass masculine pickup truck. Hunter also shares with Jimmy that she recently drove across country in her pickup truck. Hunter was promoting the special Jules episode of Euphoria for which Hunter has bragging rights for co-writing and producing the episode. She said that taking Shonda Rhimes’ Masterclass and watching Grey’s Anatomy helped her a lot.

Hunter also told Jimmy a cute but dark story about how she was in a bad place at the beginning of quarantine. She felt so isolated that she drove to North Carolina from Los Angeles and began researching reviews of mental hospitals there. Hunter said none of the hospitals had good reviews on Google Maps. She spoke with the series creator, Sam Levinson, and said that writing the Euphoria episode helped her to move past her depression. Here are some highlights:

Her description of Euphoria
It’s a show that follows a group of high schoolers navigating addiction, sex, drugs, family dynamics, life.

On how she ended up writing an episode
Sam [Levinson] the writer/director/creator of the show were talking a lot over quarantine. I drove across the country [in a new truck I bought]. I will be honest, I was not doing super well mentally at that time [in] quarantine.

I had taken it upon myself to research mental hospitals in North Carolina. I was like ‘it might be a good decision to do that’ with where I was at. All of them had like terrible reviews on Google Maps. I fortunately haven’t been to one before. Then Sam called me later that day [and I told him] ‘I have been researching mental hospitals for two hours. Why do they all have terrible reviews?’

He was like, ‘Hunter, no one likes being at mental hospitals. No one’s going to leave a good review for a mental hospital.’ He started tossing around ideas for the episode again and I wrote the episode instead of going to that kind of institution. Which isn’t to say – I think mental hospitals are good if you need to go to them.

It was really nice to be able to put my energy into something. I did take Shonda Rhimes’ Master Class earlier in quarantine. I got into Grey’s Anatomy while I was stewing in LA. I [would watch] eight hours of Grey’s Anatomy and then I would watch her Master Class.

[From The Tonight Show on Youtube]

How adorable is Hunter? The more I find out about her and watch her in interviews the more I love her and have hope for Gen Z. I was so digging her outfit and those dope gold finger caps she was wearing. Hunter continues to surprise me and I think it is amazing that at 21 she has not only starred in a very popular show but she now has co-writing and co-producing credits. I love how Hunter and Jimmy bonded over their love for pick-up trucks. I love pickups but I am more a cross-over sort of girl. Not quite a car, not quite an SUV. Androgynous if you will. I thought it was adorable when she talked about wanted to dress high-femme but drive a big truck.

I am glad she got so much joy out of taking Shonda Rhimes’ Masterclass (I hope to take Shonda’s Masterclass as well at some point along with Annie Leibovitz’s photography Masterclass). However, my favorite part of Jimmy and Hunter’s entire exchange was when she talked about Googling reviews for mental hospitals. I don’t think it would have come to my mind to check reviews for a mental institution. I would assume they were all bad, but good for her for having the forethought to look into it. I am sure many of us are experiencing some form of trauma and depression due to the pandemic. Hunter’s experience of isolation and depression is a very real thing.

I am glad Hunter was able to find an outlet that helped and I do look forward to seeing what she does next. Like I said in my previous article Hunter is someone whose career we should keep tabs on. I am going to go watch the new episodes of Euphoria and see if I can find those awesome gold finger caps she was wearing.

Here is the full interview:

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A post shared by Hunter (@hunterschafer)

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Photos credit: Avalon.red and via Backgrid

Hunter Schafer has been captivating me with her portrayal of Jules, a transgender teen, in HBO’s Euphoria. Hunter, who is herself a trans woman, is very multifaceted. Not only does Hunter have a love for Basquiat and ice cold showers, she also loves pickup trucks. Hunter was recently on Jimmy Fallon where the two bonded over Hunter’s newest purchase, a pick-up truck (she doesn’t share the make and model), and Jimmy’s Ford F-150. Hunter tells Jimmy that she loves the fantasy of dressing super femme and getting out of a big ass masculine pickup truck. Hunter also shares with Jimmy that she recently drove across country in her pickup truck. Hunter was promoting the special Jules episode of Euphoria for which Hunter has bragging rights for co-writing and producing the episode. She said that taking Shonda Rhimes’ Masterclass and watching Grey’s Anatomy helped her a lot.

Hunter also told Jimmy a cute but dark story about how she was in a bad place at the beginning of quarantine. She felt so isolated that she drove to North Carolina from Los Angeles and began researching reviews of mental hospitals there. Hunter said none of the hospitals had good reviews on Google Maps. She spoke with the series creator, Sam Levinson, and said that writing the Euphoria episode helped her to move past her depression. Here are some highlights:

Her description of Euphoria
It’s a show that follows a group of high schoolers navigating addiction, sex, drugs, family dynamics, life.

On how she ended up writing an episode
Sam [Levinson] the writer/director/creator of the show were talking a lot over quarantine. I drove across the country [in a new truck I bought]. I will be honest, I was not doing super well mentally at that time [in] quarantine.

I had taken it upon myself to research mental hospitals in North Carolina. I was like ‘it might be a good decision to do that’ with where I was at. All of them had like terrible reviews on Google Maps. I fortunately haven’t been to one before. Then Sam called me later that day [and I told him] ‘I have been researching mental hospitals for two hours. Why do they all have terrible reviews?’

He was like, ‘Hunter, no one likes being at mental hospitals. No one’s going to leave a good review for a mental hospital.’ He started tossing around ideas for the episode again and I wrote the episode instead of going to that kind of institution. Which isn’t to say – I think mental hospitals are good if you need to go to them.

It was really nice to be able to put my energy into something. I did take Shonda Rhimes’ Master Class earlier in quarantine. I got into Grey’s Anatomy while I was stewing in LA. I [would watch] eight hours of Grey’s Anatomy and then I would watch her Master Class.

[From The Tonight Show on Youtube]

How adorable is Hunter? The more I find out about her and watch her in interviews the more I love her and have hope for Gen Z. I was so digging her outfit and those dope gold finger caps she was wearing. Hunter continues to surprise me and I think it is amazing that at 21 she has not only starred in a very popular show but she now has co-writing and co-producing credits. I love how Hunter and Jimmy bonded over their love for pick-up trucks. I love pickups but I am more a cross-over sort of girl. Not quite a car, not quite an SUV. Androgynous if you will. I thought it was adorable when she talked about wanted to dress high-femme but drive a big truck.

I am glad she got so much joy out of taking Shonda Rhimes’ Masterclass (I hope to take Shonda’s Masterclass as well at some point along with Annie Leibovitz’s photography Masterclass). However, my favorite part of Jimmy and Hunter’s entire exchange was when she talked about Googling reviews for mental hospitals. I don’t think it would have come to my mind to check reviews for a mental institution. I would assume they were all bad, but good for her for having the forethought to look into it. I am sure many of us are experiencing some form of trauma and depression due to the pandemic. Hunter’s experience of isolation and depression is a very real thing.

I am glad Hunter was able to find an outlet that helped and I do look forward to seeing what she does next. Like I said in my previous article Hunter is someone whose career we should keep tabs on. I am going to go watch the new episodes of Euphoria and see if I can find those awesome gold finger caps she was wearing.

Here is the full interview:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hunter (@hunterschafer)

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Photos credit: Avalon.red and via Backgrid

My cousin got me a new shirt pic.twitter.com/DuHhgRto7b

— JoJo Siwa!???? (@itsjojosiwa) January 22, 2021

Over the weekend, 17-year-old JoJo Siwa made a big announcement by posting the photo above to her social media. As she’d intended, her fans accepted this as JoJo’s coming out. And the news was met with a great deal of joy, which is nice to hear because she is a teenager and sometimes the outcomes of these stories can go in a very different way. But not this one. The old adage of you get back what you put out in the world worked in JoJo’s favor because she was so overwhelmed by the support, she filmed a video for her fans telling them how incredibly happy she was to live her life openly and how much their love and support means to her.

JoJo Siwa is happier than ever before. The 17-year-old star took to Instagram on Saturday to thank her followers for “the most endless amount of love and support” after coming out.

“I am really, really, happy! And now that the world gets to see this side of my life, it makes me really really happy,” she expressed in her 15-minute video. “Now that I got to share that with the world, it’s awesome…I want people to know that there is so much love in the world and it is so incredible!”

She noted that her career has always made her “super happy,” but that “personally” she’s never felt happier.

“Somebody said, ‘What label are you?’ And you know, I have thought about this and the reason I am not ready to say this answer is because I really don’t know this answer,” Siwa shared. “I think humans are awesome. I think humans are really incredible people.”

“I want to share everything with the world, I really do. But I also want to keep things in my life private until they’re ready to be public,” she added. “What matters is that you guys know that no matter who you love, that it’s OK and that it’s awesome, and that the world is there for you.”

The singer and dancer added that she knows that it might be harder for other people to come out, but she said, from experience, that coming out is so much easier these days.

“It’s been 48 hours of the world knowing, right? I think so. It’s been the best 48 hours,” she said, touching on her “Best Gay Cousin Ever” shirt and revealing TikTok from earlier in the week. “Last night I laid in bed and was like, ‘Whoa, this is really awesome. I am so happy’….I’ve never been so happy.”

[From ET]

You can watch JoJo entire 15-minute video here. It is, quite possibly, the most enthusiastic thing I have ever experienced. I know of JoJo, but this is the first time I ever heard her speak. Her optimism is infectious. She’s incapable of doing anything other than conveying how incredible she feels in this moment and my gawd, that must be a glorious feeling. I like that JoJo differentiated that her career has always made her happy, but this is the happiest she has ever been in her personal life. Again, with my limited knowledge of JoJo, her performance persona seems to be very bubbly and optimistic and it’s nice to know that’s not an act. The other thing I am glad she touched on was not labeling herself until she was ready. I’ve found that in the younger LBGTQ community (I don’t know how it is in the older community) once a pre-teen or teen comes out, there is some pressure to identify and the individual may not know their label yet. It’s, unfortunately, another form of pressure that a young person doesn’t need. So I appreciate JoJo emphasizing that labels don’t need to happen right away.

Unfortunately, not everyone was wonderful as JoJo’s fans. She said that her family was swatted right after she made her announcement. Swatting is when someone calls in a bogus claim and the police send a tactical team to your home, demanding you to exit the building. Once the members of the home file out onto the front lawn, the media, most commonly the paparazzi, swarm from their hiding places and get shots for their seedy outlets. JoJo was incredibly forgiving, saying she wished they hadn’t wasted the policemen’s time. She also pointed out, if they had just been patient, she would have eventually left her house anyway. And this is why JoJo is a much better role model than me, because my response would have involved bananas in tailpipes.

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A post shared by JoJo Siwa (@itsjojosiwa)

Photo credit: Twitter and Instagram

Just after President Biden’s inauguration, we learned that Queen Elizabeth II had sent Biden a private letter congratulating him and saying words about the British-American “special relationship.” I thought this was shady for a number of reasons, one of which is that it struck me as entirely too “political” for a Queen who uses her courtiers and henchmen to shame the Duchess of Sussex for simply encouraging people to vote and reject hate. It was also striking because… there wasn’t much said about Prime Minister Boris Johnson making any kind of special effort to make a pledge to work with President Biden. BoJo and Biden did speak after the election, and Johnson did make a statement in defense of a peaceful transfer of power in America, as many horror-struck European leaders did following Donald Trump’s incitement of the Jan. 6th insurrection. It seemed like BoJo was finally breaking with Trump in significant ways.

All that being said, Biden and Johnson’s relationship has been historically rocky. Boris was racist to and about Barack Obama. Biden was anti-Brexit, Boris is pro. Biden referred to Boris as Donald Trump’s “physical and emotional clone” in 2019. On the day of the inauguration, the Guardian reported that there were some concerns in Boris Johnson’s camp that Biden is too “woke,” because British people hate wokeness, apparently. So… that’s probably why the Johnson government requested that the Queen do some bridge-building with the Biden administration. Now we’re learning that President Biden made a White House call to Johnson.

Great to speak to President @JoeBiden this evening. I look forward to deepening the longstanding alliance between our two countries as we drive a green and sustainable recovery from COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/Y4P3G74PPz

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) January 23, 2021

This was not Biden’s first call to another country’s leader since the inauguration. Biden’s first call was to Justin Trudeau, which I’m sure was a relief to Trudeau and all Canadians. America is still the “meth lab in the basement” to Canada, but at least we’ve got Grandpa Joe trying to shut down the meth lab malarkey. As for Johnson and Biden’s call, obviously Biden believes in strengthening NATO alliances, which are in tatters following Trump’s steady dismantling of the historic alliance (at Russia’s bidding). And now the conversation has turned to when the Queen will host Irish Joe:

As Donald Trump’s tumultuous presidency drifts into history, Buckingham Palace confirmed this week that the queen had called Joe Biden to offer him her congratulations prior to Biden’s inauguration. Its exact contents, as always with HM’s private conversations, are a mystery and shall remain so. Attention now will turn to when the Bidens will make a state visit to Britain. And it is very much a case of when, not if. The queen’s reign has seen 13 American presidents, and she has met them all except Lyndon B. Johnson.

However, with the world still battling the coronavirus pandemic, and the queen having hardly seen anyone outside of a small bubble for almost a year now, it seems hugely unlikely a state visit will be organized this year.

Positive signs that relations between the U.K. and the US could flourish in the new era are to be found in the fact that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was the recipient of Joe Biden’s first international phone call to another head of state outside of the Americas on Saturday evening. Downing Street said Johnson congratulated Biden on his inauguration and that the two leaders looked forward to “deepening the close alliance” between their nations.

The call is said to have been a source of some relief in Downing Street: Johnson’s Brexit cheerleading went down badly with Biden’s camp, Johnson called Obama “part-Kenyan” in 2016 and Biden once described Johnson as a “physical and emotional clone” of Trump.

[From The Daily Beast]

I guess the new palace spin is that the Queen didn’t like welcoming the Trump family to the UK several times, but at the time, the Queen seemed happy enough about it. So did BoJo. Anyway, I think President Biden genuinely wants to re-strengthen NATO alliances and rebuild our relationships with European allies. But I bet he can’t stand Boris and I doubt Biden gives a f–k about the Queen’s pomp.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red.

The Witcher, based off the book series by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski, is one of Netflix’s most popular shows. The Witcher was the Bridgerton of 2019 as it dropped a few days before Christmas and ended up being the most streamed Netflix Original series in Netflix’s history. It reached 76 million households. Now, Netflix is in production for a Witcher prequel limited series called The Witcher: Blood Origin. It’s based off of the The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny short stories that precede The Witcher saga. It would seem that Netflix is about the business of casting Black actors in the fantasy genre which tends to mostly exclude Black and Brown people.

Bridgerton will not be the only hit show to boast a diverse cast because Jodie Turner-Smith has been cast as a lead in The Witcher: Blood Origin. Jodie will be playing the role of Eile, an elven elite warrior and musician who must return to her warrior ways. Below are more details from Deadline:

Set in an elven world 1,200 years before the world of The Witcher, Blood Origin will tell a story lost to time – the creation of the first prototype Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal “conjunction of the spheres,” when the worlds of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one.

Turner-Smith will play Éile, an elite warrior blessed with the voice of a goddess, who has left her clan and position as Queen’s guardian to follow her heart as a nomadic musician. A grand reckoning on the continent forces her to return to the way of the blade in her quest for vengeance and redemption.

[From Deadline]

First of all, a dark skinned Black woman playing an elf in a fantasy series that is extremely popular? My mind is blown. I definitely did not see that coming at all. The last time we had a Black woman in a lead role in a fantasy series this huge was Danai Gurira’s character in The Walking Dead. Even though I fell in love with several of the characters on the show, Danai was one of the main draws of the Walking Dead for me. I am also in love with Jodie Turner-Smith so I will definitely be watching this series. I mean, Jodie is a frigging goddess of the highest order. I am hoping that Jodie brings some Dora Milaje energy to the role of Elie. I want Jodie to be a fierce elven warrior in the vein of 1980s Grace Jones but with some um grace and heart.I am over the Black woman trope of being hardened without the ability to be vulnerable. I am sure however Jodie embodies Elie, she will be without a doubt kick ass.

The Witcher is one of my other obsessions. Henry Cavill as Geralt and Anya Chalotra as Yennefer kept me satisfied going into 2020. I have been waiting not so patiently for season two ever since. I know there won’t be any crossover between the two shows but I don’t care. Despite not ever reading any of The Witcher source materials, I am riveted by the world that Andrzej has created. I also think what Netflix is doing with its content is extremely bold. Their original content with diverse voices and casting will continue to get me to toss my coins their way. It is not hard to create films and series that reflect the world we live in. Representation matters and Netflix is definitely off to a good start. I will continue to watch out for the casting for both Bridgerton season two and The Witcher: Bloodline Origin. 2021 and 2022 are going to be lit as far as representation in film is concerned. Now I would like to see more South Asians and Indigenous women being cast. We do not have to sacrifice one for the other or only have tokens sprinkled throughout. There can be social cohesion between ethnicities in entertainment. Now I’m waiting for Children of Blood and Bone to finally be made into a movie or series.

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photos credit: Avalon.red, Katalin Vermes for Netflix and via Instagram

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