Afternoon folks!

More great stuff this week (surprise!) Anyway, starting off we've got an album from the great Chicago blues harmonica player, James Cotton, followed by a compilation album from a talented fellow that far too few people know about, Eugene Church. After that we've got an album of tunes from a bunch of Delta blues musicians. Big Joe Williams, Luther Huff and Willie Love. Moving on to more modern bluesy music we've got a live album from the Amos Garrett, Doug Sahm and Gene Taylor Band, followed by a blues rock album from Dave Alvin. We finish up in the diversity department with an album from the Texas Tornados a band that's stylistically a little hard to pin down but well worth a listen.

Enjoy the tunes and have a great weekend!

ATTN: Friend
FROM: NRSC HQ

You have received a CONFIDENTIAL NOTICE from Republican leadership.

Your strategic input is being officially requested as part of a critical 2026 policy assessment. This is not a mass message — your response will directly inform key priorities for the GOP heading into the midterms.

We cannot afford delays.
We’re preparing the next phase — and you’re on the list of trusted conservatives we’re counting on.

Good morning, good people!

I will start with Judge Nap's Weekly Wrap:

Happy Friday everyone. Welcome to Friday Night Photos your once a week escape from the day to day insanity of the world we live in. Post any photos, memes, music or whatever else you find of interest that helps tune out the madness.

Last month I replaced my old macro lens with an updated version. I finally got around to trying it out this week. Since the Rosemary in my backyard is blooming like crazy right now the plan was to photograph the bees that are attracted to the blossoms. Unfortunately we had scattered showers most of the week. Even when it wasn't raining it was to windy for macro photography. So I moved inside and tried out the new lens on a few of the silver coins I picked up as insurance for when the dollar goes bust.

Lady Liberty

Excerpt from Daily Beast

Conan O’Brien has a message for ‘screaming’ anti-Trump comedians

In his Mark Twain Prize acceptance speech last year at the Kennedy Center, O’Brien reiterated his belief in comedy’s power as a weapon against power.

Morning - sorry for the delay, words for a diary simply would not come together last night and this am hit the snooze button on the alarm.

Yeesh
I was hoping 2026 would be better than 2025, but, the first week of January 2026 makes it clear that at least with world-wide happenings, that was just wishful thinking. I'm not a Madero fan, but I'm also not a fan of kidnapping another country's leader. And the heightened threats against... Greenland? Good grief! Stay the hell away from Greenland. No invading, no seizing, no 'buying'. Stay away!

So, I'm presenting some interesting things that have to do with archaeology and not with world politics. At least, modern world politics.

Fire!
Evidence has been found in England that Neanderthals were making and using fires some 400,000 years ago. This is like 350,000 years older than the next oldest evidence of human fire making. Here's a very good BBC presentation/article about the finds.