Jeff Tiedrich does a weekly post titled “This Week in Stupid” … I think I’ll take a page out of his book, for there is plenty of stupid already, and it’s only Wednesda…

**We have the power and are claiming it together. No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.** What began in 2025 as a single day of defiance has become a sustained national resistance to tyranny, spreading fr...

**In America, we don’t put up with would-be kings.** Our peaceful movement is only getting bigger and stronger. “NO KINGS” is more than just a slogan—it’s the foundation our nation was built upon. Bo...

I can't believe that Kinks Week is almost over already!  Since our friend Clive has helped me out so much with this week, I'm playing one of his most favouritest ones tonight to show my appreciation and gratitude!  I'm also playing two versions of the song.  The only other time I played this one, just under a year ago, I played the original live version, but Clive steered me to a studio version that has a better sound quality, so since both have value in their own way, I'm playing both!

On Monday, May 19th, 60 Minutes anchor Scott Pelley delivered the commencement speech at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  I’d like to share with you just a few meaningful snippets from his speech … Good morning, everybody. What a beautiful day. What a beautiful North Carolina day for a graduation. Incredible. Thank you, President Wente, Provost Gillespie, members of the Board of Trustees and Katy Harriger, my faculty sponsor, for this precious Wake Forest honorary degree.

Apparently it's been a while since I last did a cartoon post, for my 'toon cup runneth over!  Let's see ... according to my records it was last Saturday -- five whole days!  I hope you're ready for some new ones ... the one good thing about the nightmare of the Trump regime is that it gives the cartoonists plenty of material to work with!

I played this one for the first time just under a year ago, in June 2024, as I was beginning to get some hints for doing a Kinks Week series.  This is one that Pete (Beetley Pete) mentioned he'd like to hear, and I know from last time that David, Janet, Clive and others really like this one, so for day #4 of Kinks Week, I give you ...

I just have to take a brief break from my usual snarky fare to tell you about something that happened yesterday.  I promise this is not one of my rare forays into the world of fiction, but it actually happened. It was around 1:30 p.m. … Daughter Chris was at work, I was working on my afternoon post for yesterday and Granddaughter Natasha was just getting ready to fix herself a bit of breakfast…

One of my readers, Judy, asked this question in a comment this morning: I understand that Musk is no longer there…? My concern is, why, and who comes next? Since Musk's name and ugly mug haven't been in the news nearly as much these days, I really hadn't given him or DoGE much thought, if any, so I had no answer for Judy's question. 

Day #3 of Kinks Week already!  I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy this one at first, but I really am having a great deal of fun with it, and am finding Kinks songs that I once knew and had long since forgotten!  Today’s selection was on the list Clive so generously provided, and was also especially requested by our friend rawgod.

Every Wednesday, I write a 'good people' post that focuses on ... well, good people!  Sometimes the focus is on a person or group who does something truly huge, like feeding the homeless for a year, donating money to a worthy cause,  or rescuing 100 people from a burning building.  Other times, the focus is on smaller things like helping shovel snow from an elderly neighbor's sidewalk, or changing a tire for a stranded motorist. 

At first I was puzzled over why Trump claimed he would pay $1,000 for every baby born between January 1, 2025 and January 1, 2029.  The planet is already over-populated, so why encourage more?  Not to mention that $1,000 would only buy diapers, formula, and other baby-essentials for about a month, then it’s gone!  Oh, but wait … I misunderstood … the baby doesn’t get the money now. 

Wow ... Day #2 of The Kinks Week already!  I'm just getting started, but this is one I played back in 2023 that most seemed to really like.   If any of you have a favourite you'd like me to play this week, please mention it in the comments and I'll do my best to include it! This song sounds very similar to the aforementioned…

I gave myself a little break yesterday ... took several 'cat naps', read for a couple of hours (James Comey's new book, "FDR Drive") and just indulged in a bit of laziness.  So, now here it is time to get my morning post on the schedule and I haven't written a word!  But luckily, I have a decent stash of memes all ready to go, so I really hope you're in the mood for some memes this morning! 

Today is a national holiday in the U.S. – Memorial Day.  What is the purpose of Memorial Day?  Memorial Day is a day of remembrance in the United States, observed on the last Monday of May, to honor and mourn those who have died while serving in the U.S. military. It is a time to reflect on their sacrifice and pay respects to their memory. 

I may have hinted at another weeklong artist series to come, and a few of you figured out who it would feature, having read comments between myself and Clive.  He (Clive) let it … um, be known … that he wouldn’t mind seeing a Kinks Week, and I agreed, but only if he would help me out by suggesting some tunes, for I’ve never been a huge Kinks fan and wasn’t sure I could pull off an entire week. 

Good Monday morning once again, friends!  It is a holiday here in the U.S., so people get an extra day to sleep in a little longer and spend time with friends 'n family.  Jolly, Joyful and I have been hard at work trying to find some humour to start your week off with smiles, chuckles, and maybe even a laugh or two, but first let's grab a little snack! 

On Friday, Felon Trump gave the commencement address to graduating cadets at West Point.  Why a draft dodger, rapist, and convicted felon was even considered for the honour of addressing these young people is a mystery to me, but so be it.  Here are just a few snippets from his speech: On DEI: I have liberated our troops from divisive and demeaning political trainings.

I wanted to go in search of something new and different tonight, but I ran out of time and energy (seems to be a recurring problem for me, doesn't it?)  So instead I give you one of my all-time favourites that I haven't played for two years!  Sit back, relax, and enjoy ... let your toes tap a bit. The year was 1965. 

It should come as no surprise that people in the U.S. are beginning to consider moving out of the country.  My daughter, granddaughter and I have been considering it ever since November, and while we don't have the resources right now to do so, it's an option we're looking into.  If you need to ask me why, then you haven't been paying attention for the past four months. 

I hope you're up for a few 'toons on this Saturday afternoon, for I slept in this morning and am lacking motivation this afternoon.  Fortunately, the cartoonists have come to my rescue ... Now, go forth and have a HAPPY WEEKEND!  

I was thinking tonight ... well, last night now ... that I was in the mood for a CCR (Creedence Clearwater Revival) tune, but which one? And that's when for some unknown reason I popped over to Clive's place and guess what I found? An entire album of CCR songs, including some of my most favouritest! So, why reinvent the wheel, right? Thank you, Clive, for reading my mind ... or did I read yours? Either way ... thank you!

As the Trump regime goes after universities and plans to shutter the Department of Education, we would be fools not to wonder what the future holds for this nation.  Educating our young people must be the highest priority … and I mean educating, not indoctrinating, but teaching them the good, the bad, and the ugly; teaching them how to think for themselves, how to understand concepts and ideas.

I don't know about you guys, but I've got a case of the grrrrrrrrrrowlies today, after reading the news o' the day!  Every morning when I boot my computer, I hope to see 'breaking news' about one specific event, but so far no joy.  Ah well ... at least I have my blogging family to share the angst and growls with!

All the songs that I thought of for today's music post I had either played recently, else they didn't go over well the first time I played them, and I'm just too exhausted, both mentally and physically, to go in search of a new song tonight.  Maybe tomorrow night.  Anyway, I last played this one in 2021 and I think it's a good song, despite the religious connotations. 

The past few days, I’ve found it hard to focus, to concentrate, to write my usual snarky posts.  The state of our nation, the disregard by those whose salaries are paid by our blood, sweat and tears, the ignorance of so many who still wear those ugly red hats and proclaim their undying loyalty to a ‘man’ who already has the blood of humans on his small hands … it’s overwhelming, it’s depressing…

Well, it looks like Trump threatened and cajoled enough of our elected members of the House of Representatives to get his big ugly, facist bill passed this morning.  It is the most blatantly corrupt bill I've ever seen pass, robbing from We the People to put more wealth into the coffers of millionaires and billionaires.  It passed by only one vote -- not a single Democrat voted for it, and a few Republicans either voted "Nay" or else simply did not vote, but the Republican's reason for opposing it was that it…

A few nights ago when I played Duke of Earl, our friend Keith commented that Billy Joel had referenced the Duke of Earl in his song, Keeping the Faith.  I didn't remember the song, so I Googled and found the coolest video ... I just had to share it with you guys!  Thank you, Keith!!! From SongFacts … This is an autobiographical song about Joel's teen years in the 1960s and his love for the era's music and culture.

I am tired and at a loss for words (a rare occurrence, I know!), so I’m turning you over to John Pavlovitz to give you reason to be hopeful even in these dark days … Right now, is hope stupid? By John Pavlovitz 20 May 2025 Things are terrible right now: objectively, inarguably, breathtakingly terrible. In fact, the list of atrocities, offenses, and abominations is too lengthy to document, even if we made that our exclusive waking work.

Whew ... the news today was enough to make me want to go back to bed, pull the covers over my head, and stay there until November 7th  of 2028!  The Department of "Justice", and I use that term loosely, is dropping all lawsuits charging police brutality against police departments nationwide, meaning that now every cop can beat or even murder people for any or no reason and not be held accountable. 

Last night ... or was it the night before???  Anyway, one night recently, my friend Suze wasn't fond of the music post I played that day ... whichever day it was ... and so I asked her what she would like to hear.  She responded that she'd like something by The Doors ... okay, not my most favourite group, but they had a few songs I liked well enough. 

I believe that every human mind feels pleasure in doing good to another. - Thomas Jefferson

I have shared the writing of Viktor Kravchuk a couple of times before.  He is a Ukrainian just trying to protect his family and survive under the constant barrage of attacks by Russia.  When I read his words tonight, they took my breath … Viktor Kravchuk is something that about half the people in the U.S. are not, something that almost no politician in the U.S.

I hadn't given any thought yet to a song for today until yesterday afternoon, when I saw comments by Carolyn (Joy of Roses) and Clive mentioning this song, so ... from there came my motivation!  I've actually played this one three times before, the latest being in July 2023, but it's a beautiful song and deserves another round!  See Clive, Jill…

This is a repeat of a post I have shared every year since 2020, with a few additions.  Today is World Bee Day and I cannot think of another species that deserves its own day of celebration more than bees!  Quite literally, our lives depend on bees, and the bee population has been in serious decline for years now.  This year, perhaps more than ever before, bees are in serious danger as the United States not only ignores the climate crisis but implements more ways of damaging nature and threatening the very things that enable the human species to live. 

Just one morning … just ONCE … I’d like to get past noon without growling until I’m hoarse.  (In case any magat Republicans are reading this, that’s h-o-a-r-s-e, not the animal 🐎.) Here’s just a sampling of what has brought on the GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRs so far today: Ed Martin, the new “pardon attorney” at the Department of ‘Justice’ (DOJ), just announced he's opening an investigation into President Biden’s pardons.

I went digging through the archives tonight for one I hadn't played often or recently, and this one jumped into my lap!  I've played it only once, back in 2020 (assuming the archives are accurate ... sometimes they lie to me!).  It's one that pops into my head from time to time and I enjoy it when it does! Sometimes When We Touch…

It's that day again, my friends.  That dreaded first day of the work week when whatever can go wrong likely will.  But take heart!  Jolly, Joyful and I are here to help you start the week with smiles, chuckles and laughter ... not to mention a few edible treats.  So, let's go see what's on the buffet, grab a cuppa and a snack, and go find that humour to get us through the week ahead!

There are a number of people whose writing I avidly follow – Dan Rather, Robert Reich, Thom Hartmann, Joyce Vance, Heather Cox Richardson, and John Pavlovitz to name just a few.  When their words strike a certain note in my head, I try to share them, but obviously I cannot share everything I read and approve of.  But today, I feel compelled to once again share the words of John Pavlovitz as he writes about Bruce Springsteen’s latest foray into the socio-political mess in the U.S. 

I last played this one almost two years ago and as I went searching through the archives tonight for something fun and pleasing to the ear, I came across it, and it made my ears smile.  So sit back, grab a cuppa something, and enjoy the music! This song came out in 1962, and I remember well loving this song, trying to emulate the singer's deep voice…

After working for CNN as an anchor, correspondent, and chief White House correspondent for 18 years, journalist Jim Acosta left CNN in January when CNN ‘punished’ him for his views on Donald Trump by moving his show to air at midnight, when most people are engaged in such things as sleeping or something other than watching CNN.  Since then, Acosta has created a very successful Substack blog that combines written commentary, interviews, podcasts and more. 

It's been a strange weekend in many ways ... I won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that anything I would write today would likely be either disjointed or gloomy, so instead I've decided to empty out my meme stash and share a few with you!  I hope you're all having a good weekend and I'll try to get my head back on straight for tomorrow's posts!

Been a long day, a stressful day, and I'm wiped completely out tonight, so ... how 'bout some upbeat Beach Boys to help us all forget our troubles for a few minutes while our toes are a-tappin'? I liked the Beach Boys well enough in their heyday, the 1960s, but then their "fifteen minutes of fame"  (actually around 4 years) came to an end, and for me, life got real very fast, and by 1988, I had been married, divorced, and was struggling with three jobs trying to support three children, one severely disabled, and earn a Master's degree. 

Paul Krugman is a Nobel Prize winning economist who has taught at MIT and Princeton, is the author or editor of some 27 books, and from 2000 until December 2024 was a columnist for the New York Times.  He left the Times last December because he grew tired of "toning down voice" and "pressure for what I considered false equivalence"

I first heard of Judge Michael Luttig when he testified before the January 6th committee, and I found him to be intelligent and the voice of reason.  This week Judge Luttig wrote an important article in The Atlantic magazine entitled “The End of Rule of Law in America.” In it, Judge Luttig provides a scathing, extended criticism of President Trump, of whom he says…

It's time for some Motown today!  I've played this one only once, way back in 2019, so it seems a good time for a redux, yes? This song, written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed, was originally recorded by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics in 1971.  Then in 1974, Motown singing duo, Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye recorded the song, and that is the version I am sharing tonight, in honour of what would have been Marvin Gaye's 80th birthday. 

It's Friday ... finally!  It's been a long and not very promising week, news-wise, and I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired ... both physically and mentally.  My mind seems to want to just shut down, cannot seem to absorb any more just now.  Between this big move, which has taken every ounce of my phsical stamina and then some, and the destruction of our nation that is so mentally exhausting & depressing, I just want to sleep for about the next three-and-a-half years! 

I've shared some of Jason's work from over at The Flensburg Files a few times before.  Jason lives in Germany now, but his roots are in the U.S. and he is appalled by the state of everything here right now, but rather than sit and bemoan the situation, he's inspiring us to make our voices heard!  Note that all the protests in the world won't change anything Donald Trump thinks or does, but we might ...

I've only played this once, back in 2020, and for some reason it came into my head this evening and doesn't seem to want to leave!  So, you know what that means ... it must be shared! Earlier tonight, this song was mentioned in a conversation with a friend, and at first it didn't ring any bells.  Oh sure, I well remember Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, well remember other of their songs, such as…