Trump satire gets my vote

I giggled my way through “The Day of the Donald,” occasionally even laughing out load.

But I just about fell out of my chair over the reference to Secretary of State Omarosa.

“The Day of the Donald” (Crooked Lane Books, $14.99) is a spoof that takes place in Washington, D.C., during the summer of 2018 — a year and a half after President Donald Trump moved into the White House.

Written by best-selling author Andrew Shaffer (best known for humorous works such as “50 Shames of Earl Grey” and “How to Survive a Sharknado”), the silly and witty novel arrives just in time for the Republican National Convention, which begins Monday in Cleveland.

It’s a wicked parody of The Donald, the man who would be president.

The story takes the form of a whodunnit. It follows unlikely hero Jimmie Bernwood, a washed up tabloid journalist who had gone to seed before getting his career jump-started as Trump’s ghostwriter. With full White House access, Jimmie uncovers a string of White House murders that could be the scandal of the century.

Written in “Airplane” style, the jokes come at you fast in this farce. Of course it will have a short shelf life, but it’s a great beach read for now. The trade paperback is broken up into 68 chapters that average two or three pages in length.

Shaffer paints a portrait of the Trump White House that’s larger than life. Omarosa – the Youngstown native who was a regular on Trump’s “The Apprentice” and who has been a strong supporter of the candidate – is mentioned as part of the cabinet. Also in the inner circle is chief janitor Chris Christie.

Ohio Gov. Kasich’s name also surfaces – and it’s not flattering.

A lingering problem in the novel is that Corey Lewandowski is the press secretary. Lewandowski, of course, was Trump’s campaign manager until he got fired a few weeks ago. It happened too late to change the book, but it really does no harm and certainly doesn’t make “Day of the Donald” any less fun.

I LIKE THE SOUND OF THIS UNUSUAL YOGA ROOM EVENT

Every now and then I get a press release about something that’s really different and is written so luxuriously that there’s no need to rewrite it.

Like this one about an event called Sound Journey with Gongs and Himalayan Bowls.

It will take place at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Yoga Room, in the Park Plaza shopping center on U.S. Route 422 in Niles. It is presented by the duo Crown of Eternity. Tickets are $25 in advance at trumbullyogaroom.com ($30 at the door).

I will let the press release explain it:

“Enter a cosmic journey as you bathe in waves of sound from multiple gongs, bells and metal singing bowls. The deep complex harmonics of multiple gongs quickly silence the mind and entrain the brain into a spontaneous state of deep meditation.

“The rhythmic sound oscillations of therapy-grade Himalayan bowls placed on or around the body penetrate into the tissues and are often experienced as a full body sound massage that allows us to let go – letting go of stress, worries, anxieties, doubt, fears and feelings that have a negative effect on our health and life.

“Listeners often describe out of body experiences, seeing beautiful colors behind their eyes, past life impressions, expanded awareness and higher states of consciousness.

“We will begin to prepare the body to enter a state of healing and receptivity through the sacred practices of guided meditation, breathwork or deep listening. We will then relax deeply to the sounds of multiple gongs for a vibrational experience like no other!”

Imbibe Martini Bar to mark its eleventh anniversary

Imbibe Martini Bar opened 11 years ago, launching the renaissance of downtown Youngstown into an entertainment district in the process.

On Saturday, the stylish martini lounge at 124 W. Federal St. in downtown Youngstown will celebrate its anniversary with a party that begins at 8 p.m.

Imbibe was founded inside a former bank building by Brad Schwartz, Jeff Kurz and the late Dave Abrahamson, who wanted to bring a bit of upscale, big-city nightlife to their hometown.

Saturday’s celebration will begin with the unveiling of some new cocktails.