~

Here comes our heat wave. Supposed to hit 80F today.
For today only though.
Spring is here.
Snowpack in the local Cascades is 100% or better and the skiers are delighted. Should make for a great summer for boating and swimming and other such watersports. Fishing and farming too!

Half-Assed Peace President

The Donald seems to be trying to broker a peace deal in Ukraine, but Ukraine and the EU aren't interested. The partial ceasefire is being ignored and Russian energy infrastructure is being attacked. In an act of stupidity, the US started bombing the Houthis in a pre-emptive strike while they were refraining from blocking shipping despite the renewed genocide in the Gaza. Now the Houthis are directly striking Israel. Is this a move to start a war with Iran? To top it off we have deportations and censorship of anyone protesting the Palestinian genocide... What about the first amendment? Trump continues his good, bad, and ugly policies. All that plus the economy, food, and farming below the fold.
A real peace president...

(6 min) Retrospective of JFK's "Peace Speech"

Afternoon folks!

Good stuff this week, we start off with an album from Sam Lay, a drummer for Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and scads of other Chess artists, later to become the Butterfield Band's drummer in the early days. Following that there's a late 60's album from Etta James and one from The Chambers Brothers from the mid 70's. Moving on to blues rock/r&b, there's an album from Wet Willie and another from Billy Price and the Keystone Rhythm Band. After that we're in diversity territory with a compilation of old recordings from slide guitarist Cliff Carlisle and we finish up with an album from The Red Clay Ramblers. (I'll be adding some tracks to the Ramblers album on Sunday)

Enjoy the tunes and have a great weekend!

I hope this spring Saturday morning finds you you good people enjoying your lives.

Oh, I know we have near-constitutional crises, active participation in a genocide, and that we are one shot away from WWIII, but that is exactly the same situation we have been for all our lives.

Can you believe this shit? What a show.

The West has lost its Enlightened minds. Most of Europe is turning away from free speech, freedom of the press, and individual rights and is goose stepping towards totalitarianism. Their blood lust is palpable, their leaders insane, as they turn their backs on opposition parties and free elections, all in the name of holy democracy.

The US is headed in the same direction, albeit a bit slower in pace. I had thought that we had seen peak craziness in the last administration, but we've only got one foot on the step of the crazy train and still haven't boarded yet. The divisions so carefully crafted have become yet wider and deeper. We the People, compartmentalized and fenced into smaller and smaller factions, grow further apart with each division, are much easier controlled that way.

Free speech and freedom of the press are under assault and the Constitution is hanging on by a thread, one tragic event away from obsolescence. The balance of powers are being tested in a power struggle that is rushing headlong towards a constitutional crisis.