Thoughts for the Day, November 19, 2025: "Quiet, Quiet Piggy". Said not by a fifth grader who would know better.
“Quiet, quiet piggy.”
This is what President Trump said to Catherine Lucey, a White House correspondent for Bloomberg.
From The Atlantic. On Friday on Air Force One, Lucey asked President Trump about the Epstein files. He answered her first question, but when she followed up, the president bent his head down and pointed his finger, the way you might chastise a screaming child or shoo a stray cat. “Quiet. Quiet, piggy,” he said.
Lucey had clearly touched a nerve. Two days later, Trump announced that he would endorse the House’s vote on the release of the Epstein files, likely because he knew that the House had the numbers to do so and would go forth with or without his support. But this category of remark is part of a long-running pattern for the president: Trump’s time in American politics has been marked by repeated attempts to insult and demean female journalists.
How women continue to support Trump is beyond my comprehension.
Trump gets my Onion of the Day.
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Trust me-there is no conflict of interest.
From the NY Times. The leveraging of political relationships for personal profit is ordinary in the Persian Gulf, where hereditary ruling families hold near-total power and the term “conflict of interest” carries little weight.
But the mixing of politics and profitmaking during President Trump’s second term has shattered American norms, shocking scholars who study ethics and corruption. On Tuesday, Mr. Trump will meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, engaging in sensitive national security talks with a foreign leader who also oversees a major construction project, known as Diriyah, that is in talks over a potential deal with the Trump family business.
Since Mr. Trump’s election a year ago, Dar Global, a business partner of the Trump Organization that has close ties to the Saudi government, has announced at least four Trump-branded developments in Saudi Arabia. Other business deals involving Mr. Trump’s family and the Saudi government predate the election.
In response to a request for comment, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said, “Neither the President nor his family have ever engaged, or will ever engage, in conflicts of interest.” This is my Quote of the Day
Asked about conflicts of interest in the Oval Office on Tuesday, President Trump said that he had “nothing to do with the family business.” ”What my family does is fine. They do business all over,” he said. “They’ve done very little with Saudi Arabia actually, I’m sure they could do a lot.”
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More on Saudi Arabia
I was curious to see how the Washington Post was going to report on the Saudi Crown Prince’s meeting with President Trump considering the Crown Prince is accused of ordering the murder and disfigurement of Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018. Here are excerpts from a Post opinion article.
The United States government often advances its national interests by working with nasty people, and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is one of the nastiest. It’s one thing, however regrettable, to deal reluctantly with him. President Donald Trump’s performance at the White House Tuesday was something else entirely: weak, crass and of no strategic benefit to America.
While meeting with the Saudi leader, Trump held forth with journalists in the Oval Office, as he often does. One reporter asked about the murder of Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018. “A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about,” the president responded. “Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen.” He added that the crown prince “knew nothing about it.”
These distortions dishonor Khashoggi’s legacy, stand at odds with the facts and are beneath the office of the president.
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The Pistons
Don’t look now, but the Pistons with their 11-game winning streak are now 13-2 in the young season and have the best record in the Eastern Conference and second best in the NBA.
The Pistons have been missing many key starters due to injury during the streak. The bench has really stepped up, especially Daniss Jenkins. Jenkins was not on the opening season roster, but he has is developing into a key piece of the team as a back up point guard, who can relieve Cade Cunningham when needed.
In the next couple of weeks, most of the starters will be back. When that happens, the Pistons will have depth that other teams can only wish to have.
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More on sports gambling
In a follow up to my blog on Monday about the NBA, MLB, and NFL having a betting problem, I want to share excerpts from a Detroit Free Press article in which the Free Press asked U of M Basketball coach Dusty May his thoughts on sports betting. Here are highlights from the Free Press article.
With Michigan headed to the gambling capital of the world for three games in three days in the desert, it was a natural chance to ask coach Dusty May his opinions on sports gambling. May has one hard and fast rule.
“Those of us that are in [the sport] need to stay as far away as possible,” May said Monday, Nov. 17, in Ann Arbor. “Continue to educate and put up guard rails because as an 18- to 22-year-old, you may not even realize you’re giving information when you’re just having a conversation about your basketball team ... so it’s complicated. “
May said he doesn’t like “prop bets” but understands what runs the world and the sport: money. He added he’s not “naive to the fact” that being able to gamble on games helps draw eyeballs to the sport, and so he doesn’t expect it to go away soon, but he’s always on alert.
Quote of the Day: White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said, “Neither the President nor his family have ever engaged, or will ever engage, in conflicts of interest.”
Orchid of the Day: The Pistons for their 11-game win streak. Last night’s victory over the Hawks was especially impressive, considering it was on the road and was the second game in two nights with travel in between the two games.
Onion of the Day: President Trump for his “Quiet Piggy” response to a female reporter.
Question of the Day: What kind of person says “Quiet Piggy” in response to a legitimate question? Most 10-year-olds know better. Fifth grade teachers would never allow a student to respond that way.
Lyrics of the Day: Waiting, watching the clock
It’s four o’clock, it’s got to stop
Tell him, take no more
She practices her speech as he opens the door
She rolls over, pretends to sleep as he looks her over
She lies and says she’s in love with him
Can’t find a better man
She dreams in color, she dreams in red
If you think you know the answer, post your response in the comment section of the blog.
Lyrics of the Day for November 17, 2025. Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen
Video of the Day: Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska from the album of the same name that inspired the book and movie Deliver Me from Nowhere.
(1656) Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska - The Song (From VH1 Storytellers) - YouTube
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