A Long 20 Months — Some Toons To Relieve The Stress

The next presidential election is in just under 20 months, but you’d think it was next week if you looked at the news!  90% of the front page stories have the ‘T-word’ or the ‘DeS-word’ and an alien just dropping in from another universe would be forgiven for thinking the United States is a looney bin!  I tried to avoid every story that was, indirectly or directly, about the election and the two top Republican contenders, which left me only with news of China’s President Xi’s visit to Russia for a photo op.  Okay, so let’s just have a few of the political cartoons I’ve been collecting for this afternoon, as I really don’t feel up to digging any deeper to try to find some actual news.

♫ Total Eclipse Of The Heart ♫

I haven’t played this one since March 2019, so when Clive mentioned last night that it is his favourite by Bonnie Tyler and said it was “OTT” (I had to think on that one for a minute to come up with ‘over the top’) I figured that gave me a good excuse to redux it this morning!


This song from 1983, recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, became Tyler’s biggest career hit.  The song peaked at #1 in the United States, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom. At its peak, it sold 60,000 copies per day, and approximately 6 million copies in total.  It was written by Jim Steinman, producer for Meat Loaf (the band, not the food), who said …

“With ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’, I was trying to come up with a love song and I remembered I actually wrote that to be a vampire love song. Its original title was ‘Vampires in Love’ because I was working on a musical of Nosferatu, the other great vampire story. If anyone listens to the lyrics, they’re really like vampire lines. It’s all about the darkness, the power of darkness and love’s place in the dark…”

Myself being somewhat dimwitted when things are elusive or cryptic, I did not understand this video until I read …

“The music video for “Total Eclipse of the Heart” was directed by Russell Mulcahy and was filmed on location at the Holloway Sanatorium, a large Victorian Gothic hospital near Virginia Water, Surrey, England. The video features Bonnie Tyler clad in white, dreaming or fantasizing about her students in a boys’ boarding school. Young men are seen dancing and participating in various school activities and singing in a choir.”

I love the song, but frankly found the video a bit off-putting.  Incidentally, this was the first record by a Welsh artist to top the US chart.

Total Eclipse of the Heart
Bonnie Tyler

Turn around, every now and then I get a little bit lonely
And you’re never coming ’round
Turn around, every now and then I get a little bit tired
Of listening to the sound of my tears
Turn around, every now and then I get a little bit nervous
That the best of all the years have gone by
Turn around, every now and then I get a little bit terrified
And then I see the look in your eyes
Turn around bright eyes, every now and then I fall apart
Turn around bright eyes, every now and then I fall apart

And I need you now tonight
And I need you more than ever
And if you only hold me tight
We’ll be holding on forever
And we’ll only be making it right
‘Cause we’ll never be wrong together
Together we can take it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time (all of the time)
I don’t know what to do and I’m always in the dark
We’re living in a powder keg and giving off sparks
I really need you tonight
Forever’s gonna start tonight
Forever’s gonna start tonight

Once upon a time I was falling in love
But now I’m only falling apart
There’s nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the heart
Once upon a time there was light in my life
But now there’s only love in the dark
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of the heart

Turn around bright eyes, every now and then I fall apart
Turn around bright eyes, every now and then I fall apart

And I need you now tonight (and I need you now)
And I need you more than ever
And if you only hold me tight (if you only)
We’ll be holding on forever
And we’ll only be making it right
‘Cause we’ll never be wrong together (’cause we’ll never be wrong)
Together we can take it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time (all of the time)
I don’t know what to do, I’m always in the dark
We’re living in a powder keg and giving off sparks
I really need you tonight
Forever’s gonna start tonight
Forever’s gonna start tonight

Once upon a time I was falling in love
But now I’m only falling apart
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of the heart
A total eclipse of the heart
A total eclipse of the heart
Turn around bright eyes

Songwriters: James Steinman
Total Eclipse of the Heart lyrics © Carlin America Inc

Little Things Mean A Lot

I was struggling last night for a topic for my Wednesday good people post, and just as I had about decided that I would have to skip it this week, I noticed an email from Axios, the subject line read “Kindness Continued.”  Turns out that Axios has been doing a series that I somehow missed about the power of small acts of kindness.  All of these acts are very small things, often costing the giver nothing at all, but they mean so much to the recipient.  It just goes to show you don’t have to build houses for the homeless or donate thousands of dollars to feed the poor in order to be a ‘good people’.  Little things mean a lot!  Here are a few …

  • “The first time I was traveling alone with my daughter — who was 11 months old at the time — a stranger on a plane offered to hold her after we landed so I was able to gather our things and have a moment to breathe. It meant the most to a young mom with her hands full.” —Abby D., Des Moines, Iowa
  • “A fellow lawyer, a total stranger, put money in a parking meter for me when he realized that I would get stuck in court beyond the time I had left.” —Avraham M., West Hempstead, New York
  • “Just the other day I was trying to navigate a stroller through a coffee shop … not a glamorous task. When I went to leave, a man came darting from across the entire coffee shop to open the door for me. … It truly set the tone for my entire day.” —Lily M., Atlanta, Georgia
  • “My wife and I, both in our 70s, were loading heavy bags of rock for a landscaping project into our car.  A woman approached and loaded the rest. As she finished and turned away, I shouted, ‘You have restored my faith in humanity.’  She responded, ‘We all need that.'” —Roger R., Ballwin, Missouri
  • “I left my backpack, complete with my work laptop and files, on the busy NYC subway one evening. I was certain it was lost forever. I made a claim, panicked, and worried and worried again. … Then came an email and a text: ‘I have your red backpack.’ This amazing and kind medical student brought my backpack to me.” —Jane C., NYC
  • “Several years ago I was struggling to lace up my very large and cumbersome — but totally awesome — dress in the Maryland Renaissance Faire parking lot. The girl getting dressed at the car next to mine offered to help me do up my laces.” —Caroline M., Walnut Creek, California
  • “My first day working in a new city, I exited my office building and couldn’t remember how to find the train station. A stranger walked by, noticed I looked lost, and doubled back to see if I needed directions. I fell in love with Chicago that day.” —Spencer W., Chicago, Illinois

It just goes to show that all of us have the ability to be a good people, and sometimes it seems to me that those who have the least in life, are the ones who give the most!

The Future Of Teaching U.S. History???

Alexandra Petri is a satirical columnist for The Washington Post.  This week, she opines on the re-writing of history to suit the racists in Florida, led by none other than Governor DeSantis, and it is both appalling and yet at the same time humorous.  Remember, this is tongue-in-cheek, satire … until it becomes reality.


Excerpts from a civics textbook I assume would be welcome in Florida

By Alexandra Petri

20 March 2023

“Rosa Parks showed courage. One day, she rode the bus. She was told to move to a different seat because of the color of her skin. She did not. She did what she believed was right.”

“Rosa Parks showed courage. One day, she rode the bus. She was told to move to a different seat. She did not. She did what she believed was right.”

— Two versions of a first-grade lesson from Studies Weekly, a publisher whose social studies curriculums are currently used in Florida elementary schools. Studies Weekly revised the lesson more than once, omitting any mention of racism or segregation, to submit for a state review of social studies materials.

American history is full of many heroes, whose accomplishments we will have no problem telling you about in the state of Florida! They fought for justice, which was brave of them, if a little redundant, because there was no specific injustice to fight against. Here are just a few of their stories!

Harriet Tubman is considered an inspiring figure by many because she made many trips on foot, often with other people. She specifically led trips from the South to the North, often at night. At night, you can see the stars! It is great to lead trips. She was a hero.

Frederick Douglass was famous, too! We celebrated him during the Trump administration for being someone “who’s done an amazing job” and whose contributions are still being “recognized more and more.” He also gave a noteworthy speech about the Fourth of July. Who doesn’t love the Fourth of July?

John Brown is regarded by some as a heroic figure. Famously, he went to what is now West Virginia (Wild and Wonderful!). He also grew a luxurious beard. Once, he was very excited to visit a weapons arsenal. We support West Virginia tourism!

Abraham Lincoln was a tall man who did something that was a very important thing to do, and especially at that time. He was president during the Civil War, which was fought from 1861 to 1865 between a group of people whom it was universally agreed would make wonderful, handsome statues and some other people who may have had reasons. He even made a proclamation, probably unnecessarily! He famously went to the same play as John Wilkes Booth, a very talented actor who also loved to exercise his Second Amendment rights! It is nice when actors support the Second Amendment. Too often, woke Hollywood doesn’t.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and some of her friends went to Seneca Falls, N.Y., and had a conference there. At the conference, she talked about things related to ladies. Seneca Falls is a nice place to visit, especially in the summer!

Jonas Salk was a famous doctor. He invented a vaccine against polio, which was good because it made not being vaccinated against polio a choice, which it had not been before. Giving people choices is wonderful!

Rosa Parks was asked to move to a different seat, but she didn’t. People who sit are heroes! For instance, Thurgood Marshall famously sat on a bench. He was a hero, too.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was born on March 15, 1933. She spent 71 years of her life on the planet at the same time as Ronald Reagan! This was a big achievement. She also famously sat on a bench. We love it when people sit!

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream and told people about it! King made some people upset, probably because it is annoying when people recount their dreams to you at length, but possibly for other reasons. He is no longer with us, but he is still celebrated today because his works provided so many out-of-context quotations for White people to use to explain why it is not important to fight racism any more. (Which was never important to do, because it did not exist.)

John Lewis was a hero! He famously marched across a bridge. This upset some people. People have strong feelings about infrastructure. Have you ever walked across a bridge? He was such a hero that they named a whole road after him and then some people wanted to rename a little piece of it after Donald Trump!

The Little Rock Nine went to school! Some people did not want them to go to school, and there were protests and guards were called in. It is sad: Even today, some people just don’t want other people to learn! They went anyway. It is good to go to school, where you can learn so much about history!

♫ It’s A Heartache ♫

I’m not typically a fan of country music or of Bonnie Tyler, but I do like this one.  When I last played this back in 2020, I only played the Bonnie Tyler version, but shortly thereafter, Clive joined Filosofa’s Word, and I know that he really likes Juice Newton, so for you, Clive, I’m playing her version as well tonight.  I still think Tyler knocks it out of the ballpark, but we each have our own ears and tastes.


This Bonnie Tyler song, released in 1977, was written by Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe, who were Tyler’s managers.

The song topped the charts in Australia, Canada, and numerous European countries, and reached no. 3 in the USA and no. 4 in the UK. It is listed among the best-selling singles of all time with sales of over six million copies.

There isn’t much trivia about the song itself, other than that it was covered by Juice Newton, Dave & Sugar, Lorrie Morgan, Gene Pitney, Rod Stewart, and Trick Pony.

What I did find interesting, though, is that Bonnie Tyler of Wales, was born Gaynor Hopkins, but when RCA offered her a recording contract in 1975, they recommended a name change.  After compiling a list from a newspaper, she settled on Bonnie Tyler.  In 1976, the year before this song came out, doctors found many nodules on Ms. Tyler’s throat due to years of singing in nightclubs.  After the nodules were removed, her voice was huskier than ever, but … it’s just the right sound.

It’s a Heartache
Bonnie Tyler

It’s a heartache
Nothing but a heartache
Hits you when it’s too late
Hits you when you’re down

It’s a fool’s game
Nothing but a fool’s game
Standing in the cold rain
Feeling like a clown

It’s a heartache
Nothing but a heartache
Love him ’til your arms break
Then he let’s you down

It ain’t right with love to share
When you find he doesn’t care for you
It ain’t wise to need someone
As much as I depended on you

Oh, it’s a heartache
Nothing but a heartache
Hits you when it’s too late
Hits you when you’re down

It’s a fool’s game
Nothing but a fool’s game
Standing in the cold rain
Feeling like a clown

It ain’t right with love to share
When you find he doesn’t care for you
It ain’t wise to need someone
As much as I depended on you

Oh, it’s a heartache
Nothing but a heartache
You love him ’til your arms break
Then he let’s you down

It’s a fool’s game
Standing in the cold rain
Feelin’ like a clown
It’s a heartache
Love him ’til your arms break
Then he let’s you down
It’s a fool’s game

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Ronnie Scott / Victor William Batty
Si tout s’arrête (It’s a Heartache) lyrics © Universal Music – Careers, Lojo Music Ltd

Filosofa’s Broken Heart 💔

As I sit here on Monday night perusing the news of the past day, I find myself feeling very sad, heartbroken actually.  It saddens me to see the state of this nation, the nation I live in and have done so since my birth.  I first wrote about what I call “the great divide” around 2016, for obvious reasons, but I thought that people would find reasons to come together, to narrow the gap between right and left ideologies.  I thought that at the end of the day, we would remember our humanity, our shared interests and concerns, and mend some of the fences that were torn down during the 2016 election cycle.

Instead, we have pushed even further apart, we have gone from bad to worse, and today I do not even recognize this country.  On any social media site, you will find people spewing hateful rhetoric, conspiracy theories, and incitement for violence.  You will find people like me who care more about humanity than about wealth, who support what has come to be known as ‘woke’ ideas, denigrated and taunted, called ‘Communists’ and any other label they can think of to pin on us.  I don’t see many like myself fighting back, except for an occasional one-liner, something of which I have been guilty as well a time or two.

A monster of a man who has broken the law multiple times, even while sitting behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, is about to be indicted for just one of his lesser crimes, and half the nation is going nuts, calling for riots, violence, and even executions.

Tonight, I read of a man, a right-wing radio host named Pete Santilli, who has called for the execution of former President Barack Obama, former Attorney General Eric Holder, and former National Security Advisor Susan Rice.  Execution!  That’s … murder.  When did we come to this point, and where are the limits on free speech that need to nip this sort of talk in the bud?  Is this who We the People of the United States of America have become???

There are so many important issues that we need to take a stand on, but each one seems to only add to the divisiveness.  Covid, the war in Ukraine, climate change, world hunger, wealth inequality, the gun culture, voting rights … all need serious attention, but instead of researching, thinking, and coming together to help solve problems, we take it out on each other, don our weapons of words and sometimes guns, and take to the streets.

I don’t see how this level of hatred can continue.  Already, it has split marriages and families, wrecked friendships, and made many of us feel isolated, hopeless.  President Biden ran on a platform of unifying the nation, and I sincerely believe he has tried his best, but … people can only be unified if they are willing, and if they can find common ground.  Have we completely lost our common ground?  Did it fall through the huge crack we created with the great divide?  And most importantly, have we lost our humanity?  The reason for my sadness tonight is that I think we have.  I think we have lost our humanity and that the divide we created is too wide to be healed.  Might a bridge be built?  I wish I could say I had hope.

So You Want To Be ‘Exceptional’, Eh?

We’ve all heard the term ‘American Exceptionalism’, one which causes me to shake my head and roll my eyes.  It ties in with the ultra-discriminatory ‘America First’ ideology and other supremacy notions and has no place in this world.  But, it turns out there is one area in which we are ‘exceptional’ … we, particularly the wealthy in this nation, contribute more per capita to the destruction of the environment than any other nation.  Not something to take pride in, is it?

Somini Sengupta is the international climate reporter for the New York Times, and what follows is her column/newsletter from February 28th.


The American Exception

When it comes to climate footprints, rich people in the United States are in a class of their own.

By Somini Sengupta

28 February 2023

Climate change may be a global problem. But we are not all the same. Far from it.

The wealthier we are, the more climate pollution we produce, because of how much electricity we consume, what we eat, and how much we drive. But it’s not just wealth. It matters a lot in which country we are wealthy.

Take a look below at this chart that my colleague Mira Rojanasakul prepared based on an International Energy Agency analysis of per capita carbon dioxide emissions by income.

You will see the wealthiest people in the United States have an astonishingly large climate footprint, far larger than rich people in wealthy, industrialized Europe and in fast-rising China.

Not only that: Nearly everyone in the United States, even those in the lowest income brackets, produces a lot of climate pollution relative to everyone else in the world. It’s the way our economy is built. We take for granted long commutes and frequent flights. Our electricity comes from sources that are relatively carbon-intensive. The rest of the world is different.

Americans are exceptional.

I know this intuitively. I’ve reported from more than 50 countries. But seeing the spread of per capita emissions from the world’s four largest economies — the United States, the European Union, China and India — still surprised me.

The richest 10 percent of Americans, or those who make an average of $233,600 a year, produces 56.5 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per person, per year on average, according to the I.E.A. analysis. That’s more than double the emissions of the richest 10 percent in Europe. It’s nearly double that of the richest 10 percent of Chinese.

Everyone else in the United States has a big footprint, too, relative to their counterparts in Europe, China and India. For instance, the poorest 10 percent of Americans, those making $2,500 a year on average, have a carbon footprint that’s almost as big as everyone in India, except India’s richest 10 percent.

Likewise, the poorest 10 percent of Americans have a climate footprint larger than the poorest 30 percent of Chinese.

This is about emissions per capita. Not about total emissions.

India and China are obviously much more populous than the United States and Europe. So their small footprints add up. I get that. I wrote about the population question not long ago. But for those at the bottom, and even middle, of their class ladders, they do not produce a lot of emissions.

Inequality within countries really matters.

In China, for instance, the richest 10 percent have a footprint 33 times the size of the poorest 10 percent.

In the United States, the richest 10 percent pollute 16 times as much as the poorest 10 percent. See where you fall on this graph:

In India, the climate pollution produced by the poorest 10 percent of the population is negligible. Many of them still cook with charcoal or cow dung. They may not have access to electricity around the clock. They most certainly don’t own a car. At best, a bicycle.

This could make climate action simpler (in theory).

A small number of relatively wealthy people can make a very big difference. Most of all, in the United States. “The richest individuals have many ways to reduce their emissions,” the International Energy Agency analysis pointed out. They include individual changes and policy changes.

(Note: replacing a massive petroleum-burning car for a giant electric truck isn’t quite a silver bullet.)

And bear in mind that the so-called yacht class, the richest 0.1 percent of the population, are super polluters of another order. Their emissions are 10 times as much as the whole world’s richest 10 percent combined.

I have learned something else from going over these numbers.

I have frequently used the term “we” in writing about climate change. Are we doomed? Can we limit temperature rise to relatively safe planetary boundaries? How quickly can we wean ourselves from fossil fuels to slow down warming?

But who is we, exactly? I’m going to think harder about when I use the term. Because when it comes to our role in this profound global problem, we are not the same.

♫ Dancing In The Moonlight ♫

Yesterday in a comment on a post, Orca mentioned and sent me a link to this song.  It’s a song I’ve always loved, but haven’t thought about in ages.  A trip through the archives shows I played it just once, back in 2019.  The version I played in 2019 was the only one I was familiar with, by King Harvest, but the one Orca sent is by a group I don’t recall hearing of before, Toploader, but I think I like their version just as well, so this time ’round I shall play both!  Interestingly, the King Harvest version did better in Canada (#5) and the U.S. (#13) but did not chart in the UK or much of anywhere in Europe, but the Toploader version hit #7 in the UK and charted throughout most of Europe.

It was written by keyboard player/songwriter Sherman Kelly in 1969 after a trip to the Caribbean island of Saint Croix, where he was attacked by natives and left for dead

“On a trip to St. Croix in 1969, I was the first victim of a vicious St. Croix gang who eventually murdered 8 American tourists. At that time, I suffered multiple facial fractures and wounds and was left for dead. While I was recovering, I wrote “Dancing in the Moonlight” in which I envisioned an alternate reality, the dream of a peaceful and joyful celebration of life. The song became a huge hit and was recorded by many musicians worldwide. “Dancing In The Moonlight” continues to be popular to this day.”

Every line of the lyric ends with a word rhyming with “light”:

Everybody here is out of sight
They don’t bark and they don’t bite
They keep things loose they keep it tight
Everybody’s dancing in the moonlight

So, take my hand, and let us dance in the moonlight, shall we … ???

Dancing in the Moonlight
King Harvest/Toploader

We get it almost every night
When that moon is big and bright
It’s a supernatural delight
Everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight

Everybody here is out of sight
They don’t bark, and they don’t bite
They keep things loose, they keep ’em tight
Everybody was dancin’ in the moonlight

Dancin’ in the moonlight
Everybody’s feelin’ warm and bright
It’s such a fine and natural sight
Everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight

We like our fun and we never fight
You can’t dance and stay uptight
It’s a supernatural delight
Everybody was dancin’ in the moonlight

Dancin’ in the moonlight
Everybody’s feelin’ warm and bright
It’s such a fine and natural sight
Everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight

We get it almost every night
When that moon is big and bright
It’s a supernatural delight
Everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight

Dancin’ in the moonlight
Everybody’s feelin’ warm and bright
It’s such a fine and natural sight
Everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight

Dancin’ in the moonlight
Everybody’s feelin’ warm and bright
It’s such a fine and natural sight
Everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight

Dancin’ in the moonlight
Everybody’s feelin’ warm and bright
It’s such a fine and natural sight
Everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight

Dancin’ in the moonlight
Everybody’s feelin’ warm and bright
It’s such a fine and natural sight
Everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight

Dancin’ in the moonlight
Everybody’s feelin’ warm and bright
It’s such a fine and natural sight
Everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight

Songwriters: Sherman Kelly
Dancing in the Moonlight lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Jolly ‘N Joyful Green Monday!!!

Good Monday morning, friends!  You’re all up bright and early and looking mighty perky this morning … must be that you’ve made up for the hour you lost a week ago, eh?  Well, we’re glad you’re here.  Did you have a good weekend?  It was bitterly cold here, so I stayed in while the girls went shopping to try to find Goose a new pair of shoes, and buy new pillows for their beds.  Then we had Chinese take-out on Saturday night, so overall it wasn’t a bad weekend.  And now, time to grit the teeth and get ready to face another week!  I think it’s supposed to be a bit warmer here this week, so maybe I’ll get out for a bit one day.  Joyful has been in the kitchen all morning preparing some treats for Jolly Monday, so let’s go see what’s on the table, shall we?   Oh … it looks like we’re just a few days late for St. Patrick’s Day!


Jolly wants to start with some cool pictures he found over at Phil’s Phun …


And we’ve got a few fun animal memes and puns for you …


Okay, okay … I hear you chanting “Cartoons, Cartoons, Cartoons” … so here you go!


Along with a few memes …


And we simply must have a cute critter video, yes?


Well, my friends, it seems our time is always too short!  But, we’ll be together again next Monday, so it gives us something to look forward to.  Keep safe this week, and be sure to share those gorgeous smiles!  Love and many hugs from Filosofa, Jolly ‘n Joyful!