Blog: If I understand this

Didja Know Dept.: “America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee)” uses the same melody as that of the British national anthem, “God Save The Queen.”

And:  “The Star-Spangled Banner”: Its melody is the same as the 18th-century British tune “To Anacreon in Heaven,” which was originally a song for a gentlemen’s club and was not originally a patriotic anthem.

And yes, reading that stuff is inspired by watching the Burns’ special on our Revolution.  Every time I see something about the really old days (colonial times, native lives, medieval etc.) I am amazed at how physically difficult things were, like just to stay warm.

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Useless Fact:  There’s a planet mostly made from diamond. Called 55 Cancri e, it’s around twice the size of Earth and some 40 light-years away from us within the Cancer constellation. From Fact of the Day

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History fact:  In the 1950s, when America had the biggest middle class the world had ever seen, a third of all private-sector workers were unionized. Now, it’s 6 percent.

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This: President Trump said Tuesday he will designate Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally.  – So, he can do that on his own?  And sell them jets?  How much did Trumpy get for this?  Wait, I know, those things are just investments in his crypto company.  Not bribes.

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So, ICE is going to pick on my old hangout, New Orleans?  In the case of New Orleans, Border Patrol is setting its sights on a city with a Democratic mayor but a Republican governor. – Ah, well.

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One of Charlie Kirk’s buddies:  Austin Smith — a former Arizona state legislator and Turning Point USA official who spread false claims of election fraud around the 2020 election — pleaded guilty on Monday to election fraud charges.

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Also, in Re: to Kirk: “Gun deaths,” Kirk said in 2023, “were unfortunate but ‘worth it’ if they preserved the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given Rights.” – God gave us the rights to have assault rifles?  I did not see that in the Bible.  Maybe the one I had when in Bible School wasn’t the latest interpretation.  Maybe I need that one Trump sells for $60. that was printed in China.  Maybe that one has it.

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Great Offer Dept:  Somebody in Kuala Lumpur emailed me and wants to help me improve my website!  What an offer!  Wait . . .

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A win for law, Constitution and common sense:  The Supreme Court already ruled against the Ten Commandments in classrooms. That’s why lawsuits against new Republican-imposed displays keep winning. It just happened again in Texas.

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Couple words about Dick Cheney:  Iraq War

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Pepsi (used to be called “Brad’s drink”) isn’t the only major company to undergo a name change — 7-Eleven used to be known as Tote’m Stores, Nike was founded as Blue Ribbon Sports, and Canon was originally called Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory, among others.

I remember when 7-11 stores were new, and yes, they were open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

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Think the Epstein bill passed will do it?  This:  The Justice Department “may withhold or redact” the identities and “personal and medical files,” of Epstein’s victims, the bill states.

I think the fix is in.

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From Chris Murphy: “The President of the United States just called for Democratic members of Congress to be executed.  This is not normal.” – Me:  This is insane.

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From the Washington Post:  I was intrigued to learn this week how writing can help rewire your brain (in a good way). Putting your thoughts into words, especially in handwriting, can ease cognitive load and create clarity. – I have always liked it when people put their thoughts into written words (email fine) as it makes one focus on what to say, not just ramble like in a phone call.

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Sports:  I get a kick out of watching the Oklahoma teams.  Their mascot is a wagon, and they call themselves the “Sooners.”  Recall that the Sooners in history were all cheaters.

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From the Washpost:  The EPA said it will abandon a rule that would strengthen limits on fine-particle pollution, which causes heart and lung disease. – Yes, damn those regulations getting in the way of profits, er, progress!

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Trump talked about what a “fat slob” the governor of Illinois is . . . him calling someone else fat?

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Useless Palindromes you might not know of:

Madam, I’m Adam.

Race car

Dammit, I’m mad

Never odd or even

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Trump does the impossible again:  From the BBC:  The US president said he had not heard the audio, but that it sounded like “standard” negotiations.

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“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky

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For you fans of comics (like me):  40 years ago — on November 18, 1985 — a new comic strip appeared in the newspaper: Calvin and Hobbes.  The artist drew it for 10 years, then stopped.

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Looks like all 18 election criminals in Georgia, including Trumpy, will get away with it.  Posing as an elector when you are not one is a crime.  I dunno if the decision was made by a Republican, but I would bet dollars to doughnuts it was.  (The previous expression courtesy of my high school geometry teacher, Mr. “High Pockets” Fowler).

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Didja see that Trump called the Gov. of Illinois a “fat slob.”  Trump, calling someone else “fat.”

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Ted Cruz is not eligible to be President.  He was born in Canada.

John McCain wasn’t either; he was born in Panama.

The Constitution makes no exceptions for the “natural born citizen” law.

Of course, if you are a Republican, you would ignore that for Cruz, like McCain, even though you likely thought Obama was not eligible because “everyone knows he was born in Kenya!”

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Dad Joke:

Why did the turkey join a band?

Because it had drumsticks.

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I like this Thought of the Day:

“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.”

It is kind of like: “Any fool can carry on in a storm; it is the wise man who knows when to shorten sail in time.” – Joseph Conrad

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This is being done in your name:

The Washington Post published a stunning report Friday based on interviews and accounts from seven people “with knowledge of” a Sept. 2 military strike that killed 11 people on board a boat near the coast of Trinidad. Intelligence analysts suspected that the boat was smuggling drugs.

“The order was to kill everybody,” one person told the Post.

To fulfill Hegseth’s directive, Adm. Frank M. “Mitch” Bradley then ordered a second strike to kill two men in the water who had initially survived, according to the Post.

This is against all laws everywhere.  To me, a former officer in the merchant marine, this is murder.  Same as German U-boats machine gunning survivors of a torpedo attack in WWII.  Same.

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Four killed and 10 wounded, all shot, at a children’s birthday party.  Who takes a gun to a kids’ party? Do they think they might have to defend themselves from a clown?

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Keep on Truckin’, as the kids used to say,

All Take care,

Kevin