SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:52 P.M. ET:

A LITTLE LIGHTNESS – FROM THE DAILY MAIL:   President Donald Trump on Saturday said he was offended by North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un after official state media in Pyongyang referred to him as a 'lunatic old man.'  'Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me "old," when I would NEVER call him "short and fat?"' Trump tweeted on Saturday.  'Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!'  In a related tweet on Saturday, Trump praised China's president, Xi Jinping, for 'upping sanctions against North Korea.'  '[Xi] said he wants them to denuclearize,' Trump tweeted. 'Progress is being made.'  Well, the president does have a sense of humor.  He seems to be doing well on this trip, as he did on a trip to the Mideast early in his term.  You would never know it from the mainstream media.

AH, THE ROMANCE IS OVER – FROM AFP:   Sign of the times in Rome: the city's cash-strapped administration is eyeing up the coins tossed by tourists into the celebrated Trevi Fountain.  Previously swept up and handed over to Catholic charity Caritas, the coins, which can add up to as much as a million euros a year, will now be claimed by Mayor Virginia Raggi for projects to be decided by a city hall working group, according to reports in the local media on Friday.  Legend has it that anyone who lobs a piece of change into the nearly 300-year-old fountain while facing away from the Baroque masterpiece is guaranteed to return to the Eternal City.  The tradition is as strong as ever following the landmark's restoration two years ago and thousands flock there almost every day to see where Anita Ekberg took her famous dip in Federico Fellini's 1960 film, "La Dolce Vita".   This may give our tax writers some ideas.  Don't we have some fountains?

I'M SO RELIEVED –  FROM MEDIAITE:   Check your Cisgender Privilege and watch the closing doors, the New York subway and bus systems are now adopting gender neutral language in all their announcements to passengers, according to sources within the Metropolitan Transit Authority.  A bulletin sent to all transit workers orders transit staff to cease and desist any use of the offensive term “ladies and gentlemen” and begin utilizing non-gendered terms, including “passengers,” “riders” or “everyone.”  Recorded subway announcements that currently use the horribly offensive “ladies and gentlemen” will now be overridden by a live announcement from the train conductor utilizing the politically correct terms until new recordings can be installed. Of course, for most subway riders not listening so keenly so they can find any possible opportunity to be offended, the announcements will still sound the same… that is, completely and totally unintelligible.   I'm sure this will solve all of New York's problems.  I'm glad they found the cause.

November 11, 2017