♫ A Day In The Life ♫ (Redux)

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, music, music history

I’ve played this one twice, the last time two years ago … most seemed to like it then, so given that my mind is tired tonight, I’m gonna … Play it again, Sam!!!

Often when I decide on a song to feature here, I struggle to find any pertinent trivia, but the opposite is true of tonight’s song!  In fact, my screen was overflowing with trivia about this song, its origins, its recording, reception and more.  I would need at least four posts to cover it all, so I shan’t even try, but will cover only a couple of the more interesting bits.  I do, however, encourage you to check out some of the trivia on either SongFacts or Rolling Stone … or both!

Released as the final track of the Beatles 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, this was credited to Lennon–McCartney, but the verses were mainly written by John Lennon, with Paul McCartney primarily contributing the song’s middle section. It is widely regarded as one of the finest and most important works in popular music history.

Interestingly, this song did not chart in either the UK or the U.S.

A 41-piece orchestra played on this song. The musicians were told to attend the session dressed formally. When they got there, they were presented with party novelties such as false noses, party hats, and gorilla-paw gloves to wear, which made it clear this was not going to be a typical session! The orchestra was conducted by Paul McCartney, who told them to start with the lowest note of their instruments and gradually play to the highest.

This was recorded in three sessions: first the basic track, then the orchestra, then the last note was dubbed in.  That final chord was produced by all four Beatles and George Martin banging on three pianos simultaneously. As the sound diminished, the engineer boosted to faders. The resulting note lasts 42 seconds; the studio air conditioners can be heard toward the end as the faders were pushed to the limit to record it.

The beginning of this song was based on two stories John Lennon read in the Daily Mail newspaper: Guinness heir Tara Browne dying when he smashed his lotus into a parked van, and an article in the UK Daily Express in early 1967 which told of how the Blackburn Roads Surveyor had counted 4000 holes in the roads of Blackburn and commented that the volume of material needed to fill them in was enough to fill the Albert Hall.

And on that note, I’ll leave you to listen to the song, then check out the rest of the trivia on the two links I provided at the beginning!

A Day in the Life
The Beatles

“Dub the mic on the piano quite low this
Just keeping it like maracas, you know
You know those old pianos”

“Ok, we’re on”

“Sugarplum fairy, sugarplum fairy”

I read the news today, oh boy
About a lucky man who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad
Well, I just had to laugh
I saw the photograph

He blew his mind out in a car
He didn’t notice that the lights had changed
A crowd of people stood and stared
They’d seen his face before
Nobody was really sure if he was from the House of Lords

I saw a film today, oh boy
The English Army had just won the war
A crowd of people turned away
But I just had to look
Having read the book
I’d love to turn you on

“Five, six, seven, eight, nine
Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen
Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen
Twenty”

Woke up, fell out of bed
Dragged a comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup
And looking up I noticed I was late
Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Made the bus in seconds flat
Made my way upstairs and had a smoke
And everybody spoke and I went into a dream

“Oh shit”

I read the news today, oh boy
Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
And though the holes were rather small
They had to count them all
Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall
I’d love to turn you

“See the worst thing about doing this
Doing something like this
Is I think that at first people sort of are a bit suspicious
‘You know, come on, what are you up to?’

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: John Lennon / Paul McCartney
A Day in the Life lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Saturday Surprise — Beards, Beards, Beards!!!

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, Humour, Political commentary, Saturday Surprise

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m a little overwhelmed at the moment … the Los Angeles fires, the hateful lies about those fires, Felon Trump’s juvenile threats and “oh-poor-me” whines, his threats to other nations who are our allies, the racism and misogyny that seems to have slithered into every corner of life in the U.S.  I need a break from it all … just a little one … I’ll be back in the saddle by this afternoon … but I thought a bit of lighthearted humour might help us all reset just a bit.  So, I dug up this one from the archives back in 2018 … no political commentary just for a bit, but a bit of … well … you’ll see …

From October 2018 …

Hey folks!  Here it is, the weekend once again.  I have something fun in store for us today!  We are going to the Great American Beard and Moustache Championship that took place on September 29th in Richmond, Virginia.  Yes, yes, I know that was two weeks ago, but that’s the cool thing about the Filomobile … we can go backward, forward, or whichever ‘-ward’ you wish!  Personally, I like beards on guys and there was a time I wished I had been a guy for that sole purpose – so I could grow a beard.  But some of these beards … well, I have trouble imagining cuddling with some of them. The event is sponsored by the RVA Beard League, of which I’ve never heard, and all proceeds are donated to the Humane Society of the U.S.  Hop aboard and let’s go take a look …

beard-1.png

Beard-2

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Beard-4

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Beard-8

Beard-9

Beard-10

Beard-7

Beard-6

Aarne Bielefeldt

Aarne Bielefeldt took 1st Place in the Freestyle Category.  Last October, Mr. Bielefeldt’s home burned to the ground in the Redwood Complex wildfire that swept through Northern California.  Gone was the barn, the workshop, the garage, the biodiesel generator, the old trucks, the vegetable garden. Gone were the little cabins he’d built himself the old-fashioned way — with hand tools and 27 years of sweat equity.Aarne burnt homeWorse yet: He had no insurance.  He was devastated … but before he knew it, along came his bearded buddies to help, and this humorous piece turns now into part ‘good people doing good things’!

The RVA Beard League in Virginia set up a PayPal donation site. Wisconsin’s Brew City Beard Alliance held a beard contest in Bielefeldt’s honor and gave him the proceeds. In England, the Wessex Beardsmen sold T-shirts with a drawing of Bielefeldt’s face on them. Bartender Mark Beneda, of the Omaha Facial Hair Society, donated a night’s worth of tips.  Billy Braker, of Michigan’s Bearded Sinners club, organized a raffle and sent catnip for Bielefeldt’s cats (I just loved this one!).  Most of Bielefeldt’s tools perished in the fire. So tools the beardsmen sent.  Bryan Nelson, president of the Austin Facial Hair Club, set up a GoFundMe page.

For months, guys from various beard clubs across the country have been driving up to help Bielefeldt rebuild. They fix broken waterlines, repair solar panels, clear debris. They assist Bielefeldt with the gnarliest of the backbreaking tasks.

“Every two weeks, I have two beards show up here with a camper or a trailer. They don’t ask for anything. They drive a distance. They say: ‘We don’t need a guest room. We have our own bathroom.’ They spend some days here and help me.  They helped me with shoveling here, shoveling there. They have taken down endless burned trees.”

Awesome camaraderie and a great bunch of people, even if their beards are rather strange.  Just goes to show you should never judge a book by its cover or a man by his beard.  I must say, though, that I don’t think I would risk cuddling with some of those beards … a few looked positively lethal!

Well, folks, I hope you enjoyed our trip the the Great American Beard and Moustache Championship and seeing the fun facial fur!  And now, get out there and enjoy the weekend!  Weekend

We’re Sorry, World 😿

Posted on by under Election 2024, Global Issues, History, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

I think that John Pavlovitz speaks for all decent people in this nation when he offers a heartfelt apology to the rest of the world …

Dear World, (An Apology From Decent Americans)

By John Pavlovitz

10 January 2025

Dear World,

We felt we needed to say something while saying something is still allowed.

We know many of you have lived under malevolent, unhinged dictators before, but this is new for us. For its history, our nation has been led by men who, despite their varying flaws and deficiencies, some of which were quite disturbing—were by and large, normal human beings. Whatever darkness in them, they had at the very least a baseline of humanity and decency that more often than not insured rational behavior.

This man is not normal.

He is lacking in empathy, absent of nobility, devoid of integrity—and he does not speak for us. We are not with him. His America is not our America.

Over recent months, we’ve watched long-erected pillars of our Republic bulldozed by him and his complicit cadre of ghouls and sycophants. We’ve seen the very hallmarks of who we are as a nation tossed in the garbage:
– the celebration of diverse coexistence,
– the open welcome to the oppressed,
– the promise of inalienable rights for every person,
– the guarantee of free and fair elections,
– the same access to health and opportunity and safety afforded to everyone,
– the freedom to speak without censor or restraint.
At this moment these are all in great jeopardy.

Things we took for granted in our leadership: things like goodness, wisdom, and basic truthfulness are no longer in play, and as things are eroding quickly here we wanted to let you know that we’re sorry.

We’re sorry that our apathy and laziness have yielded such a reckless, impulsive, small man to steward this nation.
We’re sorry for the jagged, bitter ugliness that is characterizing us in these moments.
We’re sorry to those suffering greatly, who have braved such peril to seek refuge here and who will be turned away and disregarded.
We’re sorry to our Mexican neighbors who’ve been fashioned into convenient villains to justify erecting a grandiose, wasteful display of false protection that we do not want.
We’re sorry to Muslims everywhere who’ve been used as pawns to generate irrational fear among those already susceptible to bigotry and discrimination.
We’re sorry to the leaders of the world, who instead of being met by level-headed, measured, intelligent dialogue, are now greeted with the incoherent social media rantings of a perpetually-furious man-child.
We’re sorry to those who now experience the Christian faith as a racist, Nationalistic bully pulpit wielded with malice toward the very diverse humanity Jesus lived and died for.
We’re sorry to people everywhere whose lives are now more tenuous, more violent, less safe, less secure than they had been before.

We want you to know that this is not who we are. It may be who this man is. It may be who those sharing power with him are. It may even be the tens of millions who voted for him.

But this is not the totality of this nation. It is not the steady, strong beacon of freedom that it was intended to be. It is not the America our people have fought and died for. It is not the one first formed in the crucible of oppression and cast into the words of our ever-disregarded Constitution.

This is not the America of the tens of millions who did not vote for him and who reject him.
Our America affirms the inherent, priceless beauty of every human being.
Our America declares that no person is ascribed less value because of their pigmentation, religion, gender, financial means, sexual orientation, nation of origin, or any other variable.
Our America is home for those seeking hope and joy and rest.

And we are going to fight for this America. Through political channels and through grassroots activism, through the use of our Press and of our personal voices, we’re going to expose this man’s incompetence, call out his heart sickness, and condemn every violent, reckless, vicious act when it does not reflect our hearts and our will. Please do your best to disregard anything that comes from his mouth or from those loudly and continually parroting his propaganda. They have proven themselves mortally allergic to the truth.

And we hope that in whatever way you can, that you will stand with us. We know that we have made this mess ourselves. We understand that you have your own problems to contend with, some far more urgent and pressing than this, but we believe that we are a single community; that we are all tethered together in our humanity, that we are in real-time crafting the life our children and their children will inherit.

Dear World, we’re sorry and we hope you’ll endure these days with us.

With despair and hope in equal measure, in peace and unity with you.

Sincerely,

Decent Americans

♫ Let Your Love Flow ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, music, music history

Well, folks, the weekend is finally here.  Has this been a long week or what?  So much angst-inducing news all week long, but no matter how stressed we are, there’s always … MUSIC!  I went in search of something really upbeat tonight and found this one that I have only played once, back in 2021 …

A search of my archives shows that I haven’t played anything by the Bellamy Brothers since I began doing these music posts two-and-a-half years ago!  Of course, that might be because I only know one of their songs!  They are a country duet and I’m not a big fan of country, but I always rather liked this song — it has a certain beat to it.

According to Howard Bellamy, who is half of the Bellamy Brothers duo …

“Around ’74, we moved from Florida to L.A. to kind of pursue a career. We’re from here in Central Florida in a little community called Darby – there is not much of a music scene here, to say the least. So we moved out there and met a lot of guys and met Neil Diamond’s band, became good friends with his band. And one day Neil’s drummer came over to our house and brought the demo of ‘Let Your Love Flow,’ and said, ‘Hey, this sounds like something you guys would do.’ So we went off to record that, and the rest is kind of history. It became not only the largest song of that year, it’s become somewhere in the area of one of the largest songs ever, as far as being played. And it’s become a standard, basically. I wish another one of those would come along.”

Larry Williams, who was one of Neil Diamond’s roadies, wrote this song. Neil Diamond, however, turned it down. Says Bellamy …

“Well, it really wasn’t in Neil Diamond’s vein. I would say the guy who wrote this song is the wealthiest roadie now that ever was. Actually, Johnny Rivers had passed on the song. It had been pitched to a few people. It was recorded once by a guy named Gene Cotton; he recorded a kind of unusual version. But when we heard it we had an idea of how we wanted to record it because it kind of fit our style, acoustic bass with a groove, and I think that has a lot to do with it. You’ve got to really match songs with artists, and I think it was the perfect song for us, a great match.”

The song hit #1 in the U.S., #3 in Canada, and #7 in the UK in 1976.

Let Your Love Flow
The Bellamy Brothers

There’s a reason for the sunshine in the sky
And there’s a reason why I’m feeling so high
Must be the season
When that love light shines all around us

So let that feeling grab you deep inside
And send you reeling, where your love can’t hide
And then go stealing
Through the moonlit nights with your lover

Just let your love flow like a mountain stream
And let your love grow with the smallest of dreams
And let your love show
And you’ll know what I mean, it’s the season

Let your love fly like a bird on a wing
And let your love bind you to all living things
And let your love shine
And you’ll know what I mean, that’s the reason

There’s a reason for the warm, sweet nights
And there’s a reason for the candle lights
Must be the season
When those love lights shine all around us

So let that wonder take you into space
And lay you under it’s loving embrace
Just feel the thunder as it warms your face
You can’t hold back

Just let your love flow like a mountain stream
And let your love grow with the smallest of dreams
And let your love show
And you’ll know what I mean, it’s the season

Let your love fly like a bird on a wing
And let your love bind you to all living things
And let your love shine
And you’ll know what I mean, that’s the reason

Just let your love flow like a mountain stream
And let your love grow with the smallest of dreams
And let your love show
And you’ll know what I mean, it’s the season

Let your love fly like a bird on a wing
And let your love bind you to all living things
And let your love shine
And you’ll know what I mean, that’s the reason

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Larry E. Williams

Some Good News, Some Not-So-Good

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, Environmental Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Rants, Social commentary

This morning at 10:00, the sentencing of Felon Trump will commence.  Donnie had petitioned every court he could think of to halt the sentencing, even a last ditch plea to the Supreme Court, and he was denied every time.  I liked what satirist Andy Borowitz had to say about it …

“Moments after the United States Supreme Court rejected Donald J. Trump’s request to delay sentencing in his hush money case, Americans were in a state of shock over the apparent existence of the rule of law.

‘I didn’t see this coming,’ said Cincinnati resident Harland Dorrinson, echoing the sentiments of millions. ‘I thought that the Supreme Court exercising independence was kind of an old-timey thing.’”

I know I was definitely surprised, to say the least, especially after reading yesterday that Justice Samuel Alito, whose integrity is already questionable due to his acceptance of lavish gifts, etc., had actually spoken on the telephone with Felon Trump the day before.  Turns out that Justice Amy Barrett and Chief Justice John Roberts cast their votes with the three honest justices to deny Trump a 4-year or indefinite delay in his sentencing.

Granted, the sentencing is more of a formality than anything, as Judge Merchan has already said he would not sentence Trump to prison time, probation, or even a fine for his traitorous actions, but still … it will cement the title “convicted felon” forevermore.  It is a shameful title that Trump must wear for the rest of his life, and I for one think it is a well-deserved title.  I’m still furious that he has largely escaped any consequences for any of his crimes against We the People, but I’ll take what little consolation I can get that he failed to get his sentence delayed.

As you all know by now, Southern California is in the midst of some horrible, devastating wildfires, fueled by strong winds, that are engulfing communities in the Los Angeles area.  As of this writing, seven  ten people have died, but officials expect that death toll to mount, and nearly 200,000 have been forced to evacuate.  This is a time for the people of this nation to come together, to care about our fellow humans who are losing their homes in the blink of an eye, who are at risk of dying.

Most of us, I think, do care and our hearts are breaking for those affected.  Ben Meiselas, co-founder of Midas Touch Network, has been evacuated and has no idea whether his home has survived or not, but he says he is just thankful that he and his family got out safely.  As of this writing, the fires are nowhere near being contained … of the three major fires, only one is 6% contained, the others still 0%.  Many, many lives will be affected, many families devastated by loss of life and home.

And yet, certain Republican politicians and right-wing podcasters are using this tragedy to promote even more hatred, blaming everything from DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) policies, to Democrats, to California Governor Newsome, to an LGBTQ fire chief, to Black people.  I’ve heard it all, and every time I hear a new one of their conspiracy theories, my jaw drops.  How in the Sam Hell can these people be so damn heartless???  How can they even call themselves ‘human’???  At this time, I will not name the names of those who are playing this very dangerous game, nor repeat any of the crappola they are spouting, for this is much too serious a situation and I don’t wish to take away from the tragedy of it all by distracting our attention.  Suffice it to say, those bigots who would play games like this with people’s lives do not deserve to be heard.

The cause of the fires has its roots in climate change, so in essence we all have some blame here.  I would like to thank our Canadian friends, for they have sent water-bombing planes, helicopters, and firefighters to help battle the blazes.  Thank you, Canadians … we appreciate it!

Hopefully the fires will start to be contained soon, and I also wish the voices of the haters could be contained, as well!

Time For Some ‘Toons!!!

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Economic issues, Election 2024, Free Press Issues, Global Issues, Humour, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

It seems like it’s been a while since I shared some ‘toons!  My stash didn’t start overflowing after just 3-4 days like it usually does, so I didn’t notice.  But I think it’s time for some political ‘humour’ … don’t you?  Note that a couple of them are done in tribute to Ann Telnaes …

♫ Twistin’ The Night Away ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, music, music history

Okay, I’m on a roll this week … this is the 2nd night I’ve played one that wasn’t a redux!  I was in the mood for some Sam Cooke, and found an old favourite that I haven’t ever played before here on Filosofa’s Word!  So, get the dance shoes out and get ready to … twist the night away!!!

From our friends over at SongFacts …

The Twist was a huge dance craze in the late ’50s and early ’60s, and Sam Cooke can’t get enough of it on his Twistin’ The Night Away album. The 1962 release finds him “Twistin’ In The Kitchen With Dinah,” “Twistin’ In The Old Town Tonight,” and doing Hank Ballard’s “The Twist,” but it’s the title track that had the soul singer twisting up the Billboard charts. In the US, it peaked at #9 on the Hot 100 and went to #1 on the R&B chart. It was also his highest-charting single in the UK, where it peaked at #6.

He sings about a place in New York where the move brings some unlikely pairings together on the dance floor, like the man in evening clothes twisting with a chick in slacks, and a fella in blue jeans grooving with an older queen who’s dolled up in her diamond rings.

With artists like Chubby Checker and Joey Dee And The Starliters landing huge hits with their Twist-inspired songs – Checker with “The Twist” and “Let’s Twist Again,” The Starliters with “Peppermint Twist” – it made sense for Cooke to try his hand at the theme. Joey Dee And The Starliters were the house band at The Peppermint Lounge in New York City, where celebrities and socialites converged to do the dance and inspired them to write their hit single.

According to the biography Dream Boogie: The Triumph Of Sam Cooke by Peter Guralnick, Cooke wrote the lyrics to his song after seeing TV footage of wealthy old women getting their twist on at the club. “Look at those old ladies dressed in diamonds, twisting away,” he told his business partner, J.W. Alexander.

Cooke started out as a gospel singer, fronting the group the Soul Stirrers, before enjoying crossover success in 1957 with the hit “You Send Me.” In 1960, he signed a deal with RCA Victor and began working with the songwriting/production duo Hugo & Luigi, who helmed all of Cooke’s albums at the label. Twistin’ The Night Away was his fifth RCA release and came to fruition during the team’s move from New York City to Hollywood, which led to the stellar West Coast talent rounding out the album credits.

Cooke’s conductor, Sammy Lowe, invited rock-and-roll guitarist/arranger Rene Hall to bring his skills to the recording, and Hall brought members of the famed group of session musicians the Wrecking Crew along with him. The lineup on the title track: Rene Hall (guitar, arrangement, conducting), Tommy Tedesco and Clifton White (guitars), Ed Beal (piano), Red Callendar (bass guitar), Earl Palmer (drums), Stuart Williamson (trumpet), John Ewing (trombone), John Kelson aka Jackie Kelso (tenor saxophone), and Jewell Grant (baritone saxophone).

This charted at #6 in the UK and #9 in the U.S., and as far as I can tell, did not chart in Canada.

Twistin’ The Night Away

Sam Cooke

Let me tell you ’bout a place
Somewhere up-a New York way
Where the people are so gay
Twistin’ the night away

Here they have a lot of fun
Puttin’ trouble on the run
Man, you find the old and young
Twistin’ the night away

They’re twistin’, twistin’
Everybody’s feelin’ great
They’re twistin’, twistin’
They’re twistin’ the night away

Here’s a man in evening clothes
How he got here, I don’t know, but
Man, you oughta see him go
Twistin’ the night away

He’s dancin’ with a chick in slacks
She’s movin’ up and back
Oh, man, there ain’t nothin’ like
Twistin’ the night away

They’re twistin’, twistin’
Everybody’s feelin’ great
They’re twistin’, twistin’
They’re twistin’ the night

Let’s twist a while
Lean up
Lean back
Lean up
Lean back
Watusi
Now fly
Now twist
They’re twistin’ the night away

Here’s a fella in blue jeans
Dancin’ with an older queen
Who’s dolled up in her diamond rings and
Twistin’ the night away

Man, you oughta see her go
Twistin’ to the rock and roll
Here you find the young and old
Twistin’ the night away

They’re twistin’, twistin’, man
Everybody’s feelin’ great
They’re twistin’, twistin’
They’re twistin’ the night

One more time
Lean up
Lean back
Lean up
Lean back
Watusi
Now fly
Now twist

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Sam Cooke

Snarky Snippets Dripping Off My Fingertips

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, Global Issues, History, Political commentary, Social commentary

Okay, put your safety helmets on and strap in, for da snark is overflowing tonight and needs a vent.

I’ll start with something fun …

Felon Trump has, in addition to his other wet dreams such as taking control of Greenland and making Canada the 51st state, opined that he would change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America”.  Now, you’ll remember that Mexico proved itself to be far above the United States back in October of last year when they overcame fear of women in leadership positions and elected Claudia Sheinbaum as the nation’s president.  Well, Ms. Sheinbaum had something to say to Trump’s ridiculous suggestion …

President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico used her Wednesday morning news conference to show a world map dating from 1607. The map labeled North America as Mexican America and already identified the Gulf of Mexico as such, 169 years before the United States was founded.

“Why don’t we call it Mexican America? It sounds pretty, no?” Ms. Sheinbaum said while pointing to the map and smiling.  I like this lady already!!!

Score one for Mexico and its president!!!  Take that, Felon Trump!!!

The people, and I use that term loosely, who violently attacked the Capitol on January 6th, 2021, who attempted to overthrow a free and fair election, who attempted to smother We the People of the United States, are now likely to be “pardoned” by the incoming Felon Trump.  But that isn’t enough for them!!!  Noooooo … now they are claiming that they also want “reparations”!!!!!!

From an article in Slate …

On Monday, the four-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot, members of the self-proclaimed “J6 community” gathered at a Washington hotel ballroom to lionize those who had stormed the Capitol and to rail about the “civil rights abuses” Jan. 6 defendants faced as “political hostages.” Pardons were not sufficient, speakers at the event argued. Those who had committed criminal acts at the Capitol deserved restitution.

At the event advertised as “The Official January 6 Pardon Press Conference,” the crowd swarmed with QAnon radio hosts, boxers, social media influencers, conspiracy theorist journalists, Overstock’s CEO Patrick Byrne, and prominent figures associated with the “Stop the Steal” movement, including Mike Lindell. Actual Jan. 6 defendants spoke of the hardship they said they faced in the criminal justice system. A number of people choked up during their speeches.

I urge you to read the entire article but be forewarned — it will make your blood boil!

Republican member of the House, Dusty Johnson from South Dakota, is planning to introduce a bill that would authorize the president to purchase the Panama Canal and put it under U.S. control.  Well, not actually the president, but the Felon-elect, soon-to-be occupant of the Oval Office.  At any rate … he is expected to introduce his bill today.  Meanwhile, Panama’s Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha sees it a bit differently according to his recent statement

“The sovereignty of our canal is not negotiable …”

The Panama Canal Authority leader Ricuarte Vasquez Morales told the Wall Street Journal that granting Trump’s demand for US ships passing through the Panama Canal to get preferential treatment would “lead to chaos.”

“Rules are rules and there are no exceptions. We cannot discriminate for the Chinese, or the Americans, or anyone else. This will violate the neutrality treaty, international law.”

As I said in my post yesterday, Trump’s plans seem designed to open the floodgates to WWIII.

But that doesn’t stop the fools ‘n idiots like Senator Rick Scott who said that says he backs potential moves to bring Greenland and the Panama Canal under American control that have been floated recently by Felon Trump …

“Well, it would be pretty exciting. If you think about it, we’ve got a President that’s going to focus on our national security. It would be a great strategic asset, Greenland would be, for our defense. No. 2: The Panama Canal, if they’re not treating us fairly, I mean that’s not fair. We built it, we paid for it. And so they need to treat us fairly. I’m excited that he cares about American commerce. I’m excited that he cares about national security.”

Oh Ricky … just go bury your head somewhere, would you?  Who the hell elected you to the Senate, anyway???

I’m Not Laughing

Posted on by under Election 2024, Global Issues, History, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

We may have laughed when Felon Trump first said that Canada should become the 51st state in the U.S.  We may have chuckled when he once again said he would buy Greenland or take over the Panama Canal.  But I, for one, am not chuckling nor laughing any more.  No, I don’t believe that he can do any of those things, but I do believe he can start World War III if he persists in his threats.

Those who have studied history know that attempts by arrogant, delusional men to take that which doesn’t belong to them always end badly.  For everyone.  Donald Trump is mentally ill … seriously mentally ill.  He truly believes that he is a superior being who can do whatever he wishes without consequence.  Congress, the courts, the right-wing media and the cultists who worship at his feet have fed that belief, and in so doing have created a monster.  Donald Trump is every bit as dangerous today as Adolf Hitler was nearly a century ago, and that is not hyperbole.

Let me make one thing perfectly clear:  Americans are not superior to people in any other nation.  America is not superior to any other nation.  With that in mind, read what Fox “News” host Jesse Watters said to Ontario Premier Doug Ford:

“I used to love the idea of gobbling up Canada. Vast energy reserves, doubling our geography, we’d never lose another Winter Olympics. But do we really want to add that many liberals to our population?  I’d still like to add stars to our flag and Canada does seem ripe for the picking. Maybe we just take Saskatchewan and Alberta, because the fact that they don’t want to become part of America makes me want to make them.  You say that Americans don’t have a problem with Canadians, and we don’t, but it seems like you have a problem with us, because if I were a citizen of another country and I was a neighbor of the United States, I would consider it a privilege to be taken over by the United States of America. That’s what everybody else in the world wants, American citizenship. [Emphasis added] For some reason, that’s repellent to you Canadians, and I find that personally offensive.”

What an obnoxious, arrogant ass!!!  Some portion of this country, including Felon Trump, Elon Musk, and their sycophants, have a superiority complex that, if given free rein, will lead to war.  I used to cringe at Trump’s “make America great again” catchphrase … now it makes me want to throw up.  The United States of America is like any other country – it has its strong points and its flaws.  Those flaws today are paving a path that, if allowed to continue, will lead to the destruction of this nation and cost perhaps millions of lives around the world.

Already, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot warns that the European Union (EU) will not “let other nations of the world attack its sovereign borders, whoever they are.” 

No, my friends, the people of Canada have no desire to become the 51st state, the people of Greenland have no desire to be ‘owned’ by the U.S., and in fact I think it’s safe to say that at this point, the U.S. is the laughingstock of the world, thanks to two people:  Felon Trump and Elon Musk.  And to those who plan to help them destroy this nation from within.  And to the fools who cast common sense aside and voted for a rapist and convicted felon with the IQ of a cockroach to lead the nation.

Don’t believe me?  Read The Rise and Fall of Adolf Hitler by William L. Shirer.  It’s a short book, only 80 pages, but I think you’ll see some chilling similarities.  I don’t know about you guys, but I’m not laughing.

♫ R.I.P. Peter Yarrow ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, music, music history, Tributes

Peter Yarrow, one-third of the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary, died yesterday at the age of 86.  According to the New York Times …

On many of the trio’s recordings they split the vocal parts equally, braiding Mr. Yarrow’s precise tenor around Noel Paul Stookey’s gentle baritone and Mary Travers’s warm contralto. But Mr. Yarrow also had some prominent lead vocals as well, fronting such well-known group recordings as “Puff the Magic Dragon,” “Day Is Done” and “The Great Mandala,” all of which he either wrote or co-wrote. “Puff” became a No. 2 Billboard hit, while “Day Is Done” grazed the Top 20.

Mr. Yarrow wrote many other songs recorded by the group, often in collaboration with Mr. Stookey, the last surviving member of the group (Ms. Travers died in 2009 at 72).

In their peak years, Peter, Paul and Mary reached the Billboard Top 40 12 times; six of those songs made it onto the Top 10, including one, their cover of John Denver’s “Leavin’ on a Jet Plane,” that reached No. 1. They racked up five Billboard Top 10 albums and twice topped the magazine’s album chart.

Like many folk groups of the day, Peter, Paul and Mary were as well known for their progressive politics as for their music. In August 1963, they took part in the March on Washington, the site of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “I Have a Dream” speech. Performing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, they sang Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind,” which they had turned into a Top Five Billboard hit that month; their Washington performance helped establish it as a civil rights anthem.

I have long been a fan of PP&M and was saddened to hear of his death, even though they have long since stopped performing.  So, today I thought a brief tribute in the form of some of their music would be in order.  No lyrics this time … just some good music.