Sunday in a sip

Welcome to Sunday in a Sip. It's January 19th, 2025 (Bald Eagle Appreciation Day). Today, I have a question for you. Have you already lived your best day ever? Life is a buffet, and what better way to savor it than by choosing a “delicious way to spend your life”? Speaking of taste, confirmation hearings remind me of a potluck dinner. Where everyone brings something, but half the time, it’s just reheated leftovers or something they picked up at the grocery store on their way. Let’s aim for fresh flavors and less hot air. Stay in bed for a while and relax, sip a sip, and here we go... Grab your Sunday in a Sip mug (don’t tell me you still don’t have yours) …

The week started with the news that L.A. is still burning, and the citizens of North Carolina and other states affected by Hurricane Helene are still without services and needing help as the cold weather settles in. Hurricane Helene made landfall in North Carolina in September 2024, causing catastrophic flooding and landslides that killed 100 people. The estimated economic losses in the states affected by Hurricane Helene are over 80 Billion dollars. These are the states: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. If you want to help in a fun way, Join the Trump Dance Challenge, post a video of yourself or a group doing the Trump Dance, and offer your support as a donation that will help ALL affected by these disasters using the Hashtag #TrumpDanceHelp. Visit the Trump Dance Challenge website for more information.

Straight from the Beltway blender. Trump’s Cabinet nominees sat through Senate hearings that were less about qualifications and more about political theater. Democrats raised concerns over nominees' qualifications and appeared more focused on political grandstanding, personal attacks, and ideological point-scoring. Seemed like they were auditioning for cable news old-school.

The hearings missed an opportunity to discuss pragmatic solutions that would materially improve Americans' economic and social conditions. Now, after the hearing, the full Senate will ultimately vote on whether to confirm each nominee. This process could drag on longer than Sharron Osborn’s facelift. Why? Filibusters. That’s right, Democrats may throw every wrench they can find into the works. The goal? Delay, delay, delay. Stay tuned, sippers.

Carrie Underwood is scheduled to perform at Trump's inauguration along with Lee Greenwood. Donald Trump's second inauguration as U.S. President is set for January 20, 2025, at noon ET. Carrie Underwood will perform "America the Beautiful," while Lee Greenwood and Christopher Macchio will also sing. The Village People will also perform at inaugural events, including "Y.M.C.A.," the big Trump Dance number, and "Macho Man." Due to the extreme cold forecasted for tomorrow’s event, the inauguration ceremony will be held indoors at the Capitol Rotunda. This is only the second time in modern history an inauguration will be held indoors, with the last being Ronald Reagan's second inauguration in 1985. Just a little tidbit: Ronald Reagan had two inaugurations that year because January 20, 1985, was a Sunday, a small get-together was held in the Oval Office, and a much bigger one was held Monday, January 21, 1985, in the Capital Rotunda.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of MLK Day as a National Day of Service. Vice President Kamala Harris may skip the inauguration to focus exclusively on the day. Before Monday's inauguration, Washington had become a fortress city of roadblocks and barricades. More than 30 miles of anti-scale fencing will be installed, the most ever for an inauguration. An estimated 250,000 ticketed guests and thousands more are expected on the National Mall.

Well, because it’s Sunday, I can’t predict who will win the coveted Lombardi Trophy, but yesterday saw some really exciting, good-old American Football.In the AFC, the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Houston Texans 23-14, seeking their third consecutive Super Bowl appearance. I want to wish the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens good luck today.While the NFC’s Detroit Lions (enjoying their best season in decades) lost to the Washington Commanders 45-31. The Philadelphia Eagles will take on the Los Angeles Rams today. All the best to these teams, as they all had a great season, and I enjoyed watching some really amazing football. It was one of the best seasons, showing off some amazing talent and athleticism. The year of the punchout, and trick plays.

The winners of these matchups will advance to the Conference Championships on January 26, with the Super Bowl LIX scheduled for February 9, 2025, in New Orleans.

The deal is to pause the 15-month-long war in Gaza. The agreement includes a 6-week halt to the fighting, the release of 33 hostages by Hamas, the freeing of Palestinian prisoners by Israel, and increased humanitarian aid to Gaza. Know that 23 of the hostages are alive, and the others are presumed dead.

Oil price is $80 a barrel of Brent Crude. This is the oil used to produce gasoline.

BitCoin $104,629.41

225 Billion Dollars - The estimated cost of rebuilding L.A.

L.A. is 3% of the GDP. United States GDP is estimated to be approximately $27,881 billion. That makes the affected economic cost to the United States approximately $836.43 billion. What is GDP? Gross Domestic Product is how much money the USA makes by creating things and providing services. The L.A. fires are expected to take a devastating toll, wiping out 25,000 jobs and leaving thousands of people without work or income. The impact will hit the leisure and hospitality sectors especially hard. These are the industries that serve as economic lifelines for many in Los Angeles. This ripple effect underscores the vulnerability of these major employers in the face of such disasters.

10-year U.S. Treasury yield is 4.79%, its highest intraday level since November 2023, reflecting ongoing inflation concerns. Persistent inflation fears have dampened expectations for early interest rate cuts in 2025.

NASA's Blue Ghost and Japan's Resilience shared a rocket to the moon. SpaceX launched two private robotic lunar landers on a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Blue Ghost, carrying 10 NASA instruments, aims to land in Mare Crisium. The target landing date is March 2, 2025. Resilience, with four instruments and a micro rover, will take a longer route, and its landing is expected to occur between late May and early June 2025.

The worst farewell address in presidential history…

Watching the farewell address, I felt, was another embarrassment for President Biden. Trying to make himself again look like he was a cool kid. He made a dig into Hi-Tech and warned us all about the "tech-industrial complex.” (In reality, this is the one sector that sets us apart from our real enemies. Our enemies want to steal our knowledge and data and use it against us.) He lectured and struggled to articulate coherent thoughts. He seemed hurt and abandoned by his party, damaging the Democratic Party's prospects as he made a plea to the DNC. His mixed messages and disconnect from his previous messaging with the American public. Including telling us to pay our fare share while his son Hunter looked on. (Biden granted a controversial blanket pardon to his son Hunter for federal gun and tax violations, as well as potential federal offenses over an 11-year period.) Sadly, this last speech, along with pardons and commutations, represent a significant part of Biden's legacy.

TikTok faces imminent ban in the US as Supreme Court upholds law requiring Chinese parent ByteDance to sell or shut down by Sunday. 170 million US users could lose access. Biden signed PAFACA (Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act) in April, citing national security concerns. Users preparing for a potential shutdown are exploring alternatives like RedNote. Like TikTok, RedNote collects user data, including location and browsing habits. RedNote, also known as Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) in Chinese, would fall under the same law as it is another Chinese product. Here is a little history. The Little Red Book, officially titled "Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong," played a significant role in communist history, particularly in China. First published in 1964 by the People's Liberation Army. It contained 267 quotations covering 25 topics, including war, peace, discipline, and communist ideology. It’s a tool for spreading communist ideology and as a weapon against perceived "class enemies" - America?

Start your day on a positive note by taking control of your time and setting the tone for success. Before bed, set your alarm to something that actually makes you want to get up, like your favorite pump-up jam, a soothing ambient sound, or, heck, a recording of someone whispering, “You’re amazing. Go out and slay the day.” Just don’t hit snooze. Snooze is the sneaky little thief of energy that tricks you into thinking five more minutes will fix everything (spoiler: it won’t). Once you’re up, dive straight into your morning routine. Mine involves stumbling to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee, which is basically my lifeline to civilization. Treat each morning as if it’s the start of your best day ever. Yes, live it. It would be sad if you had already lived your best day ever. Today is the day, start it strong, and you’ll crush the day like the hero you are.

Get your mug and show your support Sunday in a sip, our LIMITED EDITION mug, or share it as a gift. Yes, give it to someone you love (Valentine's Day is 25 days away.) This mug is only available for the next 10 days. Yes, it is only available until January 31st, so hurry. They are going fast. It’s called the “Ocean calm and sunny breeze.” Start collecting and be the first to get this LIMITED EDITION mug.

And if this sparked your interest, hit❤️ , restack 🔁, and follow for more.

Thank you for letting me be a part of your day today. Embrace the sunrise, chase your dreams, and make today the day you turn possibilities into realities.

Grab your favorite hot beverage and join me in keeping Sunday in a Sip thriving. Your financial support—no matter the amount—fuels the heart and soul of this weekly inspiration. Together, we can lift Sundays to new heights, turning quiet moments into something extraordinary. Every sip, every contribution, makes a difference. Let’s make it happen—together.

If you want to learn more, send me an email. Leave comments, and I will answer. Don't forget you can also read all past newsletters here.