I’ve never entirely bought the old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words.” But it works with that image of Reichsfuhrer Musk heiling his ass off. His fellow travelers have claimed it’s not a Nazi salute and the NYT has tried to muddy the waters by calling it a hand gesture. BULLSHIT. I’m skipping the obligatory NEO and calling a Nazi a Nazi. Like his grandfather before him, so-called free speech champion Elon Musk is a Nazi.

I boycotted TV inaugural coverage until the man known in our house as Uncle Lawrence came on the air. He looked worn out by a day of reporting on MAGA folly and the disgraceful pardons issued by President Pennywise. Just as appalling, were the commutations of the sentences of two notorious Fascist assholes convicted of sedition: Proud Boy Caudillo Enrique Tarrio and Oath Keepers Honcho Elmer Stewart Rhodes. Sedition is treason. In a word: Disgusting.

Equally disgusting are the millions of people who have been bamboozled by the MAGA scam. Some of them are stupid, others ignorant, others hateful, others greedy, but they’ve been conned by a man who swindled his brother’s children out of their rightful share of their grandfather’s estate. As we all know that’s not even close to the worst thing Trump has ever done but it was a pre-presidential indicator of the kind of person he is. Still, millions voted for the crook. Thanks, you stupid motherfuckers.

I mentioned bamboozled Trumpers because I have one in particular in mind. He happens to be my cousin. I don’t know him well, but I used to think of him as a decent Republican and genuine conservative. He’s coming to New Orleans for a meeting and said he’d like to see us. Initially, I was on the fence because a free meal at a good restaurant beckons. But once I learned that he was in Washington yesterday, I said to myself NO FUCKING WAY. Giving up free food is some serious shit for me because my father’s motto was “Never turn down free food.”

And I rarely do, but I’ll do it in this case. It’s not a hard call, we’re not close. I feel bad for anyone out there who has Trumper parents. That would be a tough one but neither of my parents is alive. More importantly, neither would be a Trumper. My mom was a liberal and my dad hated extremists and revered the military. The slurs on General Mark Milley would have irked the father as much as they do the son.

Speaking of General Milley, let’s talk Biden pardons. I expressed reluctance when the idea was first floated, but I’ve come around to it. I’m glad Joe did it, especially after Trump wiped his ass with the constitution and took a dump on the rule of law by pardoning the Dipshit Insurrectionists. Inelegant and downright gross language but true.

The Milley pardon was particularly important. I’ve been worried that Dirty Hands Hegseth would go after Milley as a way of smoking out generals with traditional American military values. A Pentagon purge looms. Will the military defend its position or fold like a plutocrat? Come on down, Bezos and Zuck.

I wish I had some words of wisdom to counteract the gloom and doom of the moment. I’m busy hunkering down for the winter storm they call Enzo. The baker from The Godfather has come a long way.

Repeat after me: Elon Musk did a Nazi salute three times in public. To hell with heiling Elon.

The last word goes to Spike Jones: