Last weekend, we had the Garvin Gate Blues Festival in Old Louisville, featuring two days of free blues music. Sadly there was rain on Saturday, so turnout wasn't as high as experienced in recent years. Here's how local news reported on it. From Sept. 17-20, Louder Than Life took place at the Kentucky Fairgrounds. Practically every hard rock band was there.

This piece in the Kentucky Lantern is a head scratcher: One of the best reasons for nonpartisan judge elections? KY law requires it. A recent column said nonpartisan judicial elections present a problem for voters, namely, “How can voters know how judges may rule on the cases that come before them?” The key word in that sentence is “may.” Judges should not commit to ruling one way or the other, but to decide cases based on the law and the facts.

We've already noted in past post how Kentucky's MAGA GOP candidate for the U.S. Senate, Garland Hale Barr IV (who goes by the "Toy Story" name Andy to prove he's a real boy), had taken every hateful stance in his campaign to Make Kentucky White Again, even though the state's population is 84% White. He's a tool of oligarchs who are pouring millions of dollars in his campaign.

The above illustration accurately presents the history of the Republican Party since the 20th century. The video below is about Texas, a GOP dominated state, but most of it applies to Kentucky: Think that's an exaggeration? Look at the campaign web site for Garland Hale Barr IV, the racist, sexist, xenophobic, transphobic Kentucky candidate for the U.S. congressional seat held by our own undead Schrödinger’s senator Mitch McConnell.

This was the scene Friday night at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium (not the most appealing name for a stadium) before the Louisville Cardinals football game against the Florida State Seminoles. Couple of quick thoughts: 1: One of the motivators for this stunt was that the game was televised nationally on a Friday night. It turned out to be the best game of the night.

Earlier this week Charles Booker showed up for a public television "Kentucky Tonight "debate against the MAGA-Trump-fluffer Garland Hale Barr IV (who takes on the "Toy Story" name Andy). Guess who didn't show up (from Booker's Facebook page): Tonight was supposed to be the first Senate debate between myself and Andy Barr. We even held it in his Congressional District!

Remembering Oct. 7; preparing for Nov. 3, working with ICE is not cool; fossil fuels mean terminal illness; reflections on the dead and undead; another "No Kings" rally on the way; notes on art, and the joy of music. This episode includes: The Dead and the Undead Forbes Real Time Billionaires 2026 Kentucky Mayor Election Polls, Odds & Candidates Another successful art show

OK. We all know the "Nancy" comic strip at the top isn't an official Nancy comic, because it's actually funny. You can tell it's fake because Nancy has always been one of the lamest comic strips you will ever read. Here's a real one for today: I mean, what the hell does this even mean. And this is typical Nancy.

For more than a year now, I've been using a wireless Logi keyboard and mouse on my Mac mini. They weren't overly expensive and had more options than my Apple keyboard and mouse. Yesterday, I downloaded the most recent Mac update. Today, the Logi keyboard and mouse did absolutely nothing. I changed batteries. I powered down my Mac and restarted it.

Well, the first weekend in October has passed, and another successful St. James Court Art Show is in the books. Despite a rainy Friday, artists at the show told me they had great first days, even with the reduced foot traffic. Saturday and Sunday were beautiful days, and my neighborhood was overrun with art buyers and people having a good time.

Think about the image at the top and ask yourself, "Why is Fox News afraid of Miss Rachel, a children's entertainer/educator?" Because: Image one: DSA candidates are the only ones calling for things like healthcare for all, better childcare, the respect for other people's rights and the elimination of a militarized police force picking people off the streets because of their skin color.

Can we do anything for ourselves anymore? This video shows why the goal of corporate America, particularly tech companies, is to enslave us (we type on a computer that literally is watching us): People can't fix things anymore and are slaves to customer service when things go wrong, which in itself is transforming into AI madness. For example: We recently ordered a couple of products from Amazon.

Ned Pillersdorf is running as a Democrat for the 5th congressional district seat held by MAGA-moron Hal Rogers. The Lexington Herald Leader recently slashed it's newsroom. What do these things have in common? Ned tells us (from his Facebook page): Received stunning news from the Lexington Herald Leader today . As a result of the mass layoffs they will not be following through with coverage of the congressional campaign in the fifth congressional district, and curtailing any coverage in general in eastern Kentucky.

Al Gore was mostly right, as the above chart shows. The former U.S. vice president's documentary on climate change, "An Inconvenient Truth," came out in 2006. It detailed the climate disasters we see today: stronger hurricanes; heated areas leading to massive wildfires; and rising sea levels as polar icecaps melt, to name a few. Here's what Gore said this past July when reflecting on the documentary's 20th anniversary:

Peter Thiel, who bought and paid for pretend hick J.D. Vance's post as vice president of the United States (photo above), is both-sidezing evil: From Snopes: Billionaire Peter Thiel once said, "If you're evil, you're at least competent. And if you're evil, you're not bad. And therefore, maybe you're actually kind of good because you're at least getting something done."

From Amy's Facebook page: Hello, dear friends. I want to share the below story with you from Karissa Porter, an incredible volunteer with Calor Humano. If you were not aware, our group aids our neighbors in immigration detention in much of Kentucky--connecting them with legal resources and covering legal fees when possible, making sure they have funds for phone communication and a little extra food from the commissary, helping them get home (which can be hundreds of miles away) upon release, and just helping them through our care and actions to know that they are indeed cared about and valued through all of the hell they're being put through for no good reason.

I just read a Substack piece by Glenn Kessler, who worked at The Washington Post the same time I did (yes, I did edit his copy back then), and this piece of GOP perfidy from the late 20th century jumped out at me: In 1993, Bill Clinton pushed through Congress a massive budget bill designed to reduce the federal deficit, ostensibly a goal of fiscal conservatives.

I'm in my eighth decade of life, so Miss Rachel (Rachel Accurso) shouldn't even be on my radar. But I have grandchildren, and Miss Rachel has been a major part of their lives, in particular that of my youngest grandson. We know the songs. We remember when she teamed up with "Sesame Street" and sang the alphabet with Elmo: …

Remember when MAGA (née Tea Party) morons freaked out over Barack Obama doing things like ... oh, I don't know ... fist bumping with his wife? Or how about when he wore the infamous tan suit? Remember how those were the most horrible things that defaced the noble office of the presidency? So let's play "If Obama..." (From…

Republicans in Kentucky's 4th congressional district, currently represented by Thomas Massie, aren't happy. Is this a sign MAGA fever is breaking? (From the CJ): A popular Republican dinner in Northern Kentucky was canceled at the last minute – prompting some Republicans to declare that voters are 'unenergized' after a divisive Trump-induced congressional primary. The 4th District Lincoln Day Dinner was canceled just hours before it was slated to start in Independence on Sept.

In our most recent Bluegrass Blues Podcast (Episode 33), Amy and I talked about the takeover of our news media by billionaire-owned corporations. But this isn't a new development. "Saturday Night Live" ran the following "Schoolhouse Rock" parody, not this year, not 10 years ago, not two decades ago, but way back in in the last century (the 1990s). …

Money makes the world go round: Buying "free speech" in religion, politics and sports, and paying for silence. The corpse of Schrödinger’s senator wheels through the U.S. Capitol, while MAGA policies kill Kentucky kids. And finding refuge in bugs, sports and art. Our podcast includes: Bugfest 2026: Celebrate insects and the vital ecological services they provide!

You don't need $100 million to be a complete douchebag, but this guy has managed to pull it off (from the CJ): A Kentucky man who won a $167.3 million Powerball jackpot in April 2025 is facing charges related to public intoxication, according to an arrest citation. James Farthing, 51, of Georgetown, was charged with alcohol intoxication in a public place.

When you think it can't get worse being sick in the Bluegrass State, something shows we underestimate how bad things can get. This from the Kentucky Lantern: The Kentucky Department for Public Health is investigating reports of an unusually high number of brain tumors diagnosed in Eastern Kentucky children. Beth Fisher, a spokeswoman with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, told the Lantern the state is “aware of reports concerning a potential increase in pediatric brain tumor cases.” …

This message was released yesterday by Zach Dembo, who is running as a Democrat for the congressional seat now held by Garland Hale Barr IV, who in turn is running for the seat of Schrödinger’s senator, Mitch McConnell. Let's not forget that Dembo is running against MAGA Trump sycophant Ralph Alvarado, who, after getting on his knees and kissing the behind of the incontinent Orange pedophile, did this, because he thinks his constituents are stupid.

What does the current presidential administration have in common with professional wrestling? Well, a cabinet officer used to run pro wrestling, and will probably go back to that job (or to jail like other cabinet stooges) when this nightmare of a presidency is over. And, the photo at the top is real. The Orange Menace is in a wrestling ring, shaving the head of the husband of the pro wrestling cabinet officer.

Just looking at this map of the ethnicities that dominate each U.S. county and realize that just based on this map, there should be far more minority representation in Congress and in state legislatures in general. What this map tells me is that a great number of Americans have no representation at all, because racist practices of the past have never been addressed.

From The Guardian: YouTube star Ms Rachel has said she is matching rapper Macklemore’s $1mdonation to organizations supporting Palestinians, calling on other public figures to follow suit. Macklemore, who was fired as the opening act on Ed Sheeran’s tour after saying “Free Palestine” on stage at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, pledged to donate the entirety of his earnings from Sheeran’s tour to several organizations focused on the Palestinian people.

Louisville football tomorrow hosts SMU at 3:30. This one goes a long way in determining the Cardinals chances of going to the national playoffs, since the Mustangs rank 16th nationally, while the Cards are seven places behind them at 23rd. But how do programs reach that ranking. A lot of it is money. Take a look at this chart from the Athletic…

Let's not forget we're in one of the poorest states in the country, and our elected MAGA GOP stooges in the U.S. House and Senate are doing everything they can to make sure we reach the bottom in poverty rankings. Here's the argument they use: But this scare tactic is quintessential Republican playbook. Here's what one president said about the GOP spewing claims of "socialism":

Well, Schrödinger’s senator, Mitch McConnell, showed up at Capitol Hill yesterday after going missing for more than three months. According to the New Republic: What would you think if your senator went nearly 100 days without speaking publicly? It’s been over three months since we have heard Senator Mitch McConnell’s voice, after he was found unconscious in his D.C. home in June and spent all summer collecting a paycheck while offering few updates on his health.

The cartoon above shows how easy it is to manipulate MAGA devotees. Their worship of their incontinent Orange conman, rapist, felon, racist leads them to parrot the most inane stupidity ever spewed by an American president, and this president is the one that has spewed the most. But why is MAGA so venomous? Perhaps this: MAGA is a predominantly White movement.

The image at the top comes from the Intellectualist Substack, but the numbers are from France-based Reporters Without Borders: Reporters Without Borders (RWB) is an international non-profit organisation governed by principles of democratic governance. We are neither a trade union nor a representative of media companies. Founded in 1985 in Montpellier by four journalists, RSF is at the forefront of the defence and promotion of freedom of information.

A hedge fund is gutting the Herald-Leader in Lexington. I'm reprinting the full story from Louisville Public Media (link here) because this is a great example of tough and honest reporting. Things to note: They specify that the action has been taken by a hedge fund. History shows hedge funds don't take over companies to build them up. They buy them to strip them down for parts and dispose the remaining husk, well after they've gotten all the cash out of them they can.

It's a rainy morning in Louisville now. But 25 years ago, I remember a clear blue sunny day as I sped down U.S. 1 in New Jersey, heading to the emergency backup facility for The Wall Street Journal, because the lower Manhattan building I had worked in for more than a decade was in ruin. The World Trade Center had collapsed, the result of al Qaeda terrorists using passenger jets as missiles, and my office was in the World Financial Center, directly across the street.

It's been months since anyone heard a word from Kentucky's Schrödinger's senator, Mitch McConnell. He was carted in an ambulance in mid-June, and his constituents have heard a word from him since. But since I keep referencing Schrödinger, I should at least provide a simple explanation of its significance. But if I write it all in a post, your eyes will glaze over (much like Mitch's ...

Toward the end of our most recent podcast, we reflected on ways to take a break from today's political, social and economic turmoil. One source of enjoyment: the University of Louisville's volleyball team. The chart above is from the Facebook group Supervolley.org, and here's what it says about its No. 3 and No. 4 ranked teams: • 𝗟𝗢𝗨𝗜𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘 — It’s not just that they swept Texas.

Driving from Paradise Found to Paradise Lost; MAGA politicians think (and say) their constituents are idiots; Democrat faces a DINO in the Louisville mayor's race; racism behind a local data center; a Bluegrass philosopher's take on technology; how citizens can get involved in coming elections, and finding entertainment in bugs and sports. We make references to: Celebrate insects and the vital ecological services they provide!

There's a lot to unpack on the rush by Louisville Mayor (and Trump quisling) Craig Greenberg and his developer political funders to put a data center in the western part of Louisville. (That's the planned site in the photo at the top.) But first, let's listen to an expert on the strategy by tech bros and their developer friends to place centers in Ohio communities:

The map at the top of this post says it all. The purple doesn't signifying the political climate is a mix of red and blue. It shows counties where at least 20 percent of the population lives in poverty. So, let's focus on Eastern Kentucky, where there is a major saturation of purple. That's the 5th congressional district, and its representative in Washington is Harold Rogers.

So instead of writing a thousand word piece on ex-proto-Trump MAGA Kentucky governor Matt Bevin (pictured above in his fashionable prison orange, because orange is his favorite color), we'll refer to this piece from the Miami Herald: “Former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, who was arrested in Central Kentucky Thursday, will spend 60 days in jail for contempt of court, a Louisville judge ordered Sept.

Within the past two weeks, we've posted on how the MAGA Republican Hal Rodgers of Kentucky's 5th Congressional district voted against a huge Biden-era infrastructure bill, calling it "socialism," then recently posed with a multimillion dollar check that was the result of the bill he said he was against: Exhibit A: Then we posted on how Garland Hale Barr IV, pictured above, redesigned his U.S.

This Aug. 31 death was a huge blow to Kentucky arts and culture (from the Courier Journal): Wendell Berry, the prolific novelist, poet, essayist, philosopher, agrarian, activist, pacifist and farmer, who was one of Kentucky's greatest writers and helped inspire the farm-to-table and modern American food movement, has died. He was 92. Berry's death, on Aug. 31, was confirmed by his publisher, …

Here's a screenshot from the campaign site for the racist Garland Hale Barr IV, who's running for the currently vacated seat of Schroedinger's senator, Mitch McConnell: Hmmm? Something (or someone) is missing from the site. I wonder who? Let's have a look at who was the cover perv on the site not that long ago. Why would Garland do something like this?

The Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville recently announced that its Humanitarian of the Year Award will go to former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The ceremony is schedule for Nov. 7. Kaepernick, pictured above wearing No. 7, was discarded by the NFL, not because of subpar play, but because he actually took a knee and said police brutality was wrong.

As a relatively recent retiree, imagine my disappointment in seeing this (From Kiplinger): 50. Kentucky Although Kentucky is known for horse racing, bourbon, bluegrass music and southern hospitality, the state is prone to various natural disasters, including floods and tornadoes. That (and other things, like humidity and pesky bugs) lands Kentucky at the bottom in 2026, where it also ended up in 2025.

The deluded MAGA fantasy, when they elected the Orange Menace as president, was that things would be so much better under a pedophile, conman, rapist swindler. You remember: My cost of living is too high. Let's get rid of immigrants and attack racial and sexual minorities. The chart at the top shows what prices were on the last day of Joe Biden's presidency, and where they are now.

My daily walks are taking me into other parts of the city, so here's a third entry on the street artwork that enhances Louisville's culture. The photo at the top is in the California neighborhood (which I didn't know existed until I took this shot). Apparently people in the olden days called it California because it was the westernmost part of the city.

The image at the top says it all about the decrepit MAGA Republican representing Kentucky's 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. I'll let Facebook say the rest: Wow 88 year old Hal Rogers with infrastructure checks. Perhaps Hal forgot that when some moderate Republicans joined in to help pass the Biden infrastructure bill in 2022- Rogers not only voted no- he issued a press release complaining that the infrastructure spending was leading us to "socialism."

This appeared in my social media feed today: WDRB News and WAVE News are excited to join their digital products, combining two powerful newsrooms into one news website, app and streaming platform. Our two newsrooms have come together to provide the best news, weather and sports content to Kentucky and southern Indiana viewers. "By bringing these two legacy newsrooms together, we are creating a single, comprehensive destination for viewers," WDRB+WAVE General Manager Jay Hiett said.