Skip to main content

SPARKS BRIEF: The Mystery of the Swampy Pool

 



Washington, D.C. – When D.C. police investigators, the National Park Service, Kash Patel’s FBI, and Ratcliffe’s CIA failed to uncover the vandals who Trump claims created a 350-foot “gash” in the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin hired super-sleuth Nancy Drew to solve the mystery.

Durbin said he remembers Drew being a first-rate detective when he was a young boy

“My sister often read Drew’s case files and would talk about her skills,” Durbin told our reporter. “I’ve also contacted Frank and Joe Hardy in case Drew needs backup.” 

Nancy has years of experience. She solved her first case in 1930 and made national headlines, which named her a teenage James Bond, minus the British accent and a vodka martini “shaken, not stirred.” Ms. Drew is now 112 years old but doesn’t look a day over eighteen. The biggest mystery surrounding Nancy is who’s doing the nipping and tucking. 

When a source reached out to her associates, Bess Marvin and George Fayne, they responded that Nancy doesn’t need any surgeons to lift her perky assets. She has generations of ghostwriters keeping her forever in her teens. 

“It seems supernatural to never age,” said Ned Nickerson, Nancy’s long-suffering boyfriend. “I’ve been in college for 94 years and have never been able to grow a full beard. Yet, Nancy and I have never been more on top of our game. So, the pen is mightier than the scalpel."

Ms. Drew arrived in Washington last week after Trump claimed “Radical Left Vandals” ripped waterproof padding from the bottom of the Reflecting Pool, causing algae to grow and the “beautiful American Flag Blue” paint to peel. 

After her initial inspection, Drew said it resembled a giant bowl of split pea soup. 

“The pool definitely holds secrets—and an offensive odor,” she said. “A kind of Trumpian smell that permeates Washington.”

Drew spent several evenings wearing wading boots, carrying her trusty magnifying glass and a notebook. 

“I’ve been conducting my surveillance at night to avoid being seen by the National Guard and U.S. Park Police, who are patrolling the Reflecting Pool,” Drew reported. 

Drew informed Durbin she feels like she’s being followed by a large shadowy figure carrying a box cutter, smelling like a McDonald’s meal deal, and hiding in the trees. 

“On my second night of my investigation, I thought I found a huge box turtle sitting at the water’s edge.” Drew said. “Because of its size, it could potentially do some damage to the bottom of the pool. But it turns out it was just Mitch McConnell.”

“So far, the only things Drew has found are lots of algae, peeling paint, dead ducks, and a soggy recipe for Peking duck on stationery with the initials RFK,” Durbin reported to a small committee of unnamed Democrats.

 The committee claims to have conclusive evidence that Trump and the contractor John J. Cafaro—who was previously a Dick Tracy villain—are responsible for a no-bid contract costing the taxpayers more than $16 million, resulting in incredibly shoddy workmanship.

Dead ducks were found floating in the Reflecting Pool shortly after hydrogen peroxide was used to tackle the algae. Several wildlife agencies have condemned the Trump administration for the unnecessary use of the peroxide in the pool’s water. 

“The peroxide used for killing the algae is the best in the world and entirely safe,” Lame Duck Donald rebutted. “It’s from my own exclusive Trump Peroxide stock that I use on my hair. I only deal in the best chemicals. People are saying it’s the gold standard of peroxides.” 

“The only result for the ducks would be beautiful platinum-blonde feathers,” Trump told the press, referring to the cloud of hair that floats over his head. 

Reportedly, Drew has measured the water, snorkeled through the murky mess, and still has found no evidence of Trump’s "vandals." She contacted the Hardy Boys and Scooby-Doo to help secure any concrete clues. However, Joe and Frank Hardy were immediately distracted by lobbyists for Axe Body Spray, and when Scooby arrived, he refused to enter the water after one sniff. 

“Ruh-roh” he mumbled, and was out of there. 

Drew appeared before Durbin and his committee to render her final conclusion. 

"Gentlemen," she announced, dramatically removing her waders, "it's hard to solve a case when the people in charge are clueless. The Reflecting Pool is full of algae because algae grows. Just like the orange mold at the White House. Every mystery doesn’t end with a villain—just a highly incompetent president.” 

Drew packed up her magnifying glass, and she’s headed toward her next mystery: The Case of the Missing $5 Million for E. Jean Carroll. Drew reports this will likely be her easiest case in ninety-seven years.

 

  

 

Comments

Recent Posts

Waking Up in Vegas - Happy 2014!

Neither, Gary or I, are really gamblers, so we try to find other activities to occupy our time when visiting Vegas. We have visited Red Rock, Hoover Dam and Valley of Fire State Park on previous visits. We had even traveled as far as Zion National Park in Utah, during an earlier stay. There are definitely natural beauties to discover while in Nevada, and they have nothing to do with showgirls or stripper poles. This visit was about relaxation and ringing in the New Year, so we didn’t need to stray far from Vegas this time. We bought tickets for a concert featuring Kristin Chenoweth. She is a very talented singer and actress best known from Broadway shows, movies, and multiple guest appearances on GLEE. The concert was on New Year’s Eve at the newly built Smith Center. Although she is about three feet tall, Kristin has a powerhouse voice. She sang songs from her career and, of course, sang one of my favorites “For Good” from WICKED. It was a great way to ...

Mental Health - Destroy the Stigma

I believe that I am a fearless writer. I share my personal experiences, thoughts and beliefs. I’ve not been afraid to express my emotions. Self-expression is fundamental to writing. I am a man of my words Recently, I became concerned that my blogs about depression and mental health might shape my reader’s opinions of me in a negative way.   The more I thought about it, I realized that I had internalized the stigma that surrounds mental health. Stigma is defined as “a mark of disgrace or infamy.” The word bears a negative connotation and it devalues the person to whom the stigma is applied. While the conversation about mental health is receiving a larger forum, damaging misconceptions are widespread. According to surveys, there are between 42.5-46 million adults in the US that have some type of mental illness.   Statistics show that one in four adults experience mental illness in a given year. These numbers of individuals are all impacted in some manner b...

Summer Adventures Part 2 – The Backyard Backlot to Broadway

  My childhood summers weren’t all the glitz and glamor of vacationing with cousins, wobbly shopping carts and bloody feet. Actually, most of my summer days were spent right at home in my yard. My parents never took a vacation. Our family never packed its bags and took off for other ports of call.   I never boarded a plane, a boat, or a train for a family adventure. My adventures were self-created. They were products of an imaginative mind that could travel to the moon, ride the rapids in the Amazon Jungle and lead a battle for the Knights of the Round Table, all before a lunch of Spaghettios with a side of Hawaiian Punch . I have always loved going to the movies. This helped provide the inspiration to my over active mind. The Saturday afternoon matinee was a childhood staple for me. The smell of fresh popcorn as you entered the lobby and the crisp cold air of the air-conditioned theater helped set the atmosphere on those hot, summer afternoons. I would get lost in the d...

Depression, Drugs & DNA

When diagnosed with Clinical Depression, my doctor recommended medication to help the illness. The art of medication management can challenge professionals who need to find the right drug and dosage that will be effective for treatment. It’s frustrating for patients combating the effects of depression when their medication doesn’t quite alleviate the symptoms. Part of this cocktail of drugs can also cause intolerable side effects ·       Sleepiness ·       Insomnia ·       Dizziness ·       Weight Gain ·       Headaches ·       Increased Anxiety ·       Sexual Problems ·       Nausea The feeling of hopelessness and frustration is just compounded when you’re waiting for relief that never really arrives. There are so many drugs available...

Communication - The Art of Words

I read a posting, a few weeks ago, that the song “Enjoy the Silence” by Depeche Mode was celebrating its 25 th anniversary. The song, released in 1990, speaks of how you can be beyond words. It relays the message that there are times when words can’t describe feelings or emotions and seem inconsequential. I do understand when people say that something is “indescribable.” We all have moments when we just want silence and time to appreciate the world beyond words.   A feeling or an emotion can be hard to verbalize at times, but are we ever beyond words? We have to realize that if we want a space of non-communication we have to communicate that. We can’t “Enjoy the Silence” unless we can tell everyone we want silence.   For people to know we are at a loss for words, we have to tell them that. Everything we say and do lies in communication. We could not function as a community or a society without it. We don’t stop to contemplate that our whole world is cr...