That is Judy Garland with Charles Winninger in ZIEGFELD GIRL (MGM 1941) performing "Laugh, I Thought I'd Split My Sides." I mention it because I got home tired this evening. I'd gone to a No Kings protest with a lot of friends and then came home because I got too hot. I blasted the AC as soon as I walked in and got some ice water. Betty came over to check on me and Maggie followed by about five minutes. I'm a red head and both felt my face was as red as my hair. .
So I went to the closet and got a boxed fan and plugged it in and aimed it at the couch. It was not that hot today at all. I'd be surprised if we hit 60 degrees. I don't often use my a.c. and I have two fans -- both box fans -- that I keep in a closet.
So anyway, we sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. I'm not interested in MSNBC pimping a candidate for NYC, by the way? I find that offensive and disgusting when they pull that s**t and pick whomever they want to favorite of the Democratic Party candidates running.
Jen Psaki, you make it so easy for me not to watch you when you pull that s**t.
So we went over to my HBO app. And THE CLOSER is a great movie but I watched it yesterday. It's an action film that is brand new and kind of like DIE HARD. HBO started streaming it Friday. So we looked for something else and they were recommending ZIEGFIELD FOLLIES. I thought Judy's song above was in it.
Nope. She does a great song in this one.
"A Great Lady Has An Interview" is her scene in 1945's ZIEGFELD FOLLIES.
In the earlier ZIEGFELD GIRL, she performs multiple songs and also plays a character in non-singing scenes. She's a Ziegfeld Girl along with Lana Turner (who has a great death scene in the film) and Hedy Lamar. It's a strong film. ZIEGFIELD FOLLIES is more a series of recorded performances -- including Gene Kelly dancing with Fred Astaire.
Film wise, there are three films in the franchise. 1936's THE GREAT ZIEGFELD kicked things off with William Powell playing the show man as he also does in ZIEGFELD FOLLIES but not in ZIEGFELD GIRL. So Powell -- famous for THE THIN MAN franchise, MY MAN GODFREY and HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE (where he's paired with Lauren Bacall and which also stars Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable)
Anyway, I thought we were watching ZIEGFELD GIRL. We got caught up in ZIEGFELD FOLLIES but if I hadn't been so hot and tired and confused (and you know my memory), I wouldn't started it.
But we did enjoy it and it is a good film. Maggie ended up making iced tea -- I consumed at least half the pitcher before I felt hydrated -- and Betty made popcorn and we have fun. We also got to talk and ZIEGFELD GIRL isn't a film you can talk through -- especially not with the tragedies befalling Lana Turner.
Since this is a series of sktches/performances, it's easier to talk through ZIEGFELD FOLLIES.
Here's Lena Horne performing "Love" in ZIEGFELD FOLLIES.
Closing with C.I.'s "The Snapshot:"
In March 2025, Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, reported that he had been accidentally included by Mike Waltz in a Signal group chat where Hegseth shared information about attacks in Yemen hours before they occurred.[113] The discussions involved U.S. officials, including Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio. According to The New York Times, several officials with the Department of Defense expressed shock at the incident, while various former national security officials noted the potential for espionage amid ongoing efforts by China to obtain telecommunications records. A spokesperson for the National Security Council confirmed Goldberg's report and the authenticity of the messages. Hegseth rejected that war plans were shared and called Goldberg "deceitful" and a "discredited so-called journalist".[114][115] Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said no classified information was shared and CIA director John Ratcliffe said Signal was authorized for the group chat.[116]
The incident distressed Hegseth, who threatened to use a polygraph on Christopher W. Grady, the acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[117] Goldberg later published most of the Signal chat.[118] The chat showed that Hegseth posted information including the launch times of F-18 aircraft, MQ-9 drones and Tomahawk missiles, as well as the time when the F-18 aircraft would reach their targets, and the time when the bombs would land.[119][120] Hegseth commented on the chat, writing that there were: "No names. No targets. No locations. No units. No routes. No sources. No methods. And no classified information".[121] The incident led to criticism from both Republicans and Democrats.[122] After the Signal leak, media outlet Der Spiegel searched the Internet using a commercial information provider and password leaks, which revealed Hegseth's personal mobile number, personal email address and its password, and WhatsApp account.[123]
The Wall Street Journal reported that Hegseth had brought his wife to two meetings with foreign defense officials in which sensitive information was discussed, one meeting in February, at Brussels, with NATO officials, and the other in March, at the Pentagon, with British Defense Secretary John Healey.[124] Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported in March that Hegseth's brother, Phil, was listed by the Trump administration as a senior adviser to Hegseth, accompanying Hegseth to meetings, including in Congress, and on official foreign trips.[6] Phil, who previously worked in podcasting and media relations, was confirmed by Hegseth's office to be working in the Pentagon as a Department of Homeland Security liaison to the Department of Defense.[6] That month, The Washington Post detailed a memorandum written by Hegseth orienting the department towards deterring a potential invasion of Taiwan and supporting homeland defense by "assuming risk" in Europe. The document contained passages that were identical to those present in Project 2025.[125]
In April, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General announced an inquiry into Hegseth's disclosure of classified information in the Signal chat.[126] That month, The New York Times reported that Hegseth had shared details on the attack in a second Signal chat with his wife, brother, and personal lawyer.[127] At the White House Easter Egg Roll, Hegseth suggested that the revelations were a coordinated smear campaign.[128] John Ullyot, the former spokesman for the Department of Defense, wrote in a Politico Magazine opinion piece hours later that the department was in a "full-blown meltdown" and warned that Hegseth was at risk of losing his position.[129]
According to NPR, the White House began looking for a secretary of defense to replace Hegseth the following day.[130] Nonetheless, he retained support from Trump,[131] who privately did not seek to relitigate a grueling Senate confirmation, enjoyed Hegseth's presence and appearance on television, and believed that firing him would lead to questions over Waltz's retention, while he publicly associated the controversy to "disgruntled employees" and boasted of Hegseth's work.[132][133] Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, stated that "the entire Pentagon is working against" Hegseth.[134] Representative Don Bacon became the first Republican House member to urge that Hegseth be fired.[135]
According to The Washington Post, Hegseth had Signal installed on his computer to circumvent cellular communication issues and to communicate with other Trump officials easier.[136] CNN later reported that Ricky Buria, a former aide to secretary of defense Lloyd Austin, had set up Signal on Hegseth's computer.[137] According to the Associated Press, the computer was on an unsecured internet line that was not using one of the Department of Defense's IP addresses.[138]
At least five political appointees within the Department of Defense resigned by April 24.[117] That day, Joe Kesper, Hegseth's chief of staff, resigned, but stated that he would remain at the department as a special government employee.[139] The firings and resignations led to a crisis within the Department of Defense that was described as a "free-for-all" by one employee who spoke to Politico.[140] Hegseth received criticism from Senate Democrats over alleged civilian deaths in the Yemen strikes.[141] In the same month, Sean Parnell, Justin Fulcher, Patrick Weaver, and Ricky Buria were announced as new senior advisers.[142]
Secretary Pete Hegseth: Because I refuse to accept a false hypothetical that's attempting to put me in a corner.
US House Rep Jill Tokuda: At a time when we have more Marines and National Guard in Los Angeles than we do in Syria and [Iraq] alone, I don't think this is a hypothetical. This is an actual situation that we are dealing with right now.
Hegseth is unqualified and ignorant. He's forever yammering on about the border, for example, but he doesn't have a clue as was made clear in the following exchange in yesterday's hearing.
US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Secretary Hegseth, do you know how many border miles there are in New Mexico?
Secretary Pete Hegseth: I don't know. Not the exact number of miles.
US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Can you give me a round figure?
Secretary Pete Hegseth: Hundreds.
US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: 180 miles. Can you tell me where the border wall starts and ends on this map of New Mexico?
Secretary Pete Hegseth: Not properly oriented to your map but I know fortunately because of the administration previous they did not have the opportunity to finish the border wall
US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Thank you, Secretary. Thank you. You have been to New Mexico. Can you tell me where in New Mexico you've been to?
Secretary Pete Hegseth: I've been to the border twice to look at once our national security defense down there because, uh, I can't recall a time when a Secretary of Defense has gone down the first four or five months of his tenure --
US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Was that in an urban area or a rural area?
Secretary Pete Hegseth: Both areas. Traversed rural areas and urban areas.
US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Okay, so you must be familiar with --
Secretary Pete Hegseth: Some with walls. Some without.
US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: So --
Secretary Pete Hegseth: President Trump --
US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Thank you, Mr .Secretary, I'm reclaiming my time. The most remote part of New Mexico is called The Boothill. And I'm not sure that you spent any time in The Boothill of New Mexico. Mr. Secretary, I was raised on the border. I've lived there my entire life. I've worked alongside ranches, farmers, wild life biologists and other stakeholders for over a decade. I headed a border security task force in my community before coming to Congress. I've traveled with border patrols on ATVs, I've hunted the border on horseback and hiked dozens of miles in the most remote stretches of the border in this region. Now do you happen to know why there hasn't been a border wall in The Boothill?
Secretary Pete Hegseth: Well based on what you just described, you should be a big fan of what our administration just is --
US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Well, Secretary, I'm asking why a border wall has not been built. Funds have been allocated for a border.
Secretary Pete Hegseth: Here's what I know, our commanders on the ground and engineers and others would understand what goes where and why and where there should be a border wall there --
US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Okay, Secretary, are you with Animas Mountains, with San Luis Mountains, with Guadalupe Pass or Long Canyon?
Secretary Pete Hegseth: Again --
US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Critical border areas.
Secretary Pete Hegseth: I'm aware that there are gaps in different places --
US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Thank you, Secretary, I appreciate your answer on that --
Secretary Pete Hegseth: -- where it makes the most sense --
US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Thank you, thank you, Secretary. So you agree that a border wall doesn't make sense for the entire country?
Secretary Pete Hegseth: I-I think we need a border wall across our entire border.
US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Okay, then you should know why it's almost physically impossible to build a border across the Animus Mountains and the terrain challenges that poses and the billions of dollars. Do you know if there's roads on those mountains currently?
Secretary Pete Hegseth: If we're going to spend money on --
US House Rep. Gabe Vasquez: Okay, I'll take that as a no The point I'm trying to make, Mr. Secretary, is that if this is so important to the military than you as Secretary of the Dept of Defense should know more about the border. Mr. Secretary, I urge you to skip the photo ops next time you go to a port of entry and spend time on the ground in places like Diamond Day Ranch.
Hegseth then exploded with nonsense and I've had enough nonsense this week. It was so bad the Chair (a Republican) had to step in and note what Vasquez had already noted -- that Vasquez had "reclaimed my time" meaning: Shut up, you raving idiot. Your angry outburst has nothing to do with reality or the question you were asked.
Hegseth started the hearing week on Tuesday cocky and full of s**t as he grinned and boasted in his opening remarks that he had killed DEI. All he's killed is our national defense. He's a raving loon who was never qualified for this job.
Vasquez would go on to further reveal how the administration and Hegesth are uninformed and uneducated. Vasquez was surprised that Hegesth didn't even know what an AST was. Vasquez explained, "It's an Autonomous Surveillance Tower. They're equipped with these advanced cameras that have the capability to relay critical information to border agents on the ground. And this type of technology is badly needed on The Boothill and it's a much better expenditure than a border wall is."
After the hearing, US House Rep Gabe Vasquez issued a statement which included:
"Pete Hegseth couldn’t name how many miles of border exist in New Mexico. He couldn’t point to where the wall starts or ends. He couldn’t say whether there are roads in critical terrain. And he had no meaningful answer when I asked about surveillance technologies despite their clear value as modern, cost-effective alternatives to a border wall,” said Vasquez. “This is not just concerning—it’s disqualifying. The military doesn’t belong on our border.”
Again, this all goes to pattern, it all goes to how he was never qualified and still is not. How long is the press going to continue to pretend that this is even functional? Hegesth fails on every standard and needs to go. The coverage of him needs to reflect all his failures including his ignorance, his arrogance and his inability to meet basic deadlines such as being months behind in submitting a budget request due in Febuary -- a budget request still not submitted despite the fact that Congress held three hearings this week on this topic.
Okay, we have to get this up. I was trying to wait so anyone posting this morning -- community members -- could be noted. I can update that after the snapshot goes up. Senator Alex Padilla was attacked by Kristi Noam and her goons yesterday. It was outrageous and offensive. Heads should roll. It was a topic in the roundtable for the gina & krista round-robin -- the longest roundtable we've ever done. Most went to sleep after and were planning to blog this morning. A few have but let's get this up.
First, here's the statement from the senator's office:
Next, here is speaking about it on MSNBC.
And reactions from other members of Congress.
This is a good time to again note that Saturday will see protests. Donald Chump's going to strap on the catheter and bask in his urine and fascist soaked Depends to have a military parade in his order and, yes, tanks will rumble in US streets. Counter-protests will take place to remind him that he is not a king. Or for that matter, not a functioning president. Khaleda Rahman (NEWSWEEK) reports that the protests will take place across the country but not in DC::