Afternoon folks!

An album by Muddy Waters starts us off this week, followed by a compilation of tunes from Little Junior Parker and Bobby Blue Bland - each from their early days with Duke records. After that there's a compilation album of r&b/doo-wop from Otis Williams and His Charms. Following that there's an album of Hot Tuna doing an acoustic set and an electric set live - I'm pretty sure that it's from a performance broadcast by KSAN in the early 70's. After that there's a Stray Cats album and we finish off with some bluegrass from The Dreadful Snakes, featuring banjoist Bela Fleck and Dobro monster Jerry Douglas.

Enjoy the tunes and have a great weekend!

I have been reflecting on news of the past week. Not just a lot to absorb, but a lot to absorb about how questionable news is today throughout the country.

The first example is the terror event in Moscow. 55 minutes after it happened, the US knew who pulled it off. The same bunch that can't quite nail anyone for the assassination of JFK to this day.

Within minutes after the announcement from our US authorities pinning down the perps, here comes other assessments that differ, even blame the CIA setting this up for Ukraine.

Next, the Key Bridge disaster. This is even a starker example of the distrust of media. Hell, we all saw the video of the actual wreck, but the who/what/where/how/why? info flooded the internet immediately. We don't even believe our eyes anymore.

Are the people who question and propose alternate assessments to events conspiracy theorists? Always? Are those conspiracy theorists nuts? Always?

Does the fear of being called a ct cause anybody to self-censor? Who benefits from or controls the societal shame of calling out cts? After all, does anyone want to step up to the nutty ct plate and hit a ct grand slam? Who wants to go first?

As for The Five Eyes,

This is the clearing brush edition. I've been busy clearing brush all week, gotta' get it before it gets too hot. I haven't had time to do a proper write-up so I'll post one I had in the drafts for quite a while. It's unfinished and unpolished and hasn't been fleshed out so it's basically just an outline, so hopefully you can help fill it in.

Did you cause the wars we fight in?

Did you force the banks to become criminals?

Do you have military outposts all over the world?

Do you spy on your neighbors and friends?

If you have an argument with someone do you lock them up for disagreeing?

Do you threaten to blow up a neighbor's house because they wont bend to your will?

Do you use political influence to enrich yourself?

28 March 2024 - Social Security and Some Fun!

Back in August RJ Eskow wrote 'Social Security, FDR, and the Real Meaning of Liberty' on his substack: The Zero Hour Report: A Newsletter from Richard (RJ) Eskow.

The article is about the meaning of the 'social security' act at the time it was created and now. Eskow writes that the word 'security emphasizes its goal for individuals'. That is, it's about financial security for every man, woman and child in the country. The word social emphasizes the act's broader societal goals; everyone has to be secure, everyone has to be able to eat, to have housing, to live decently.

FDR signs the Social Security Act. From Wikimedia Commons.

As Eskow writes, Roosevelt framed this as an extension of the liberty upon which the Constitution, Bill of Rights, etc, were founded. That is, liberty for everyone, not for the rich or those in control, but everyone.

I am going to begin to collate sources of information on the post collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 90s and the struggle the Russian people endured in those terrible days.