Compulsion

The primary diagnostic source for psychologists and psychiatrists is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).  The current revised text editions is the DSM-5-TR, and is published by the American Psychiatric Association.  Known both here and abroad, it is the standard reference for the classifying and diagnosing of mental disorders.

While I majored in psychology as an undergrad a million years ago I'm not suggesting I have even the slightest capacity to diagnose even a quirk in personality, much less a serious psychosocial disorder.  Nevertheless , in case you have been wondering lately about what's going on here at the blog; there is this....

 

March Astronomy - Blood Moon

The full moon for the month of March is frequently called the Full Worm Moon.  The backstory is because of the earthworms that wriggle out of the ground as the earth begins to thaw in March.  As a consequence some Native American Tribes referred to it as the Worm Moon and the return of robins to feast on the emerging worms.

The fact of the matter is that Northern tribes would not have embraced this name for the March moon as there were no earthworms. A Southern tribe maybe – but certainly not a Northern tribe.

Historically, earthworms did not exist in the northern reaches of continental North America. The ice sheets of the last glaciation wiped them out. All of the earthworms and night crawlers we see nowadays were introduced by European colonists – brought here in plant root balls and soil used as ship ballast. That’s right – earthworms are an invasive species.  But I digress.

Northern American tribes such as the Shawnee tribe know this as the Sap Moon - a reminder for the tribes that they can begin tapping maple trees for the making of syrup.

In general, March’s full moon is known as a herald for the beginning of spring and new agricultural cycles. The European settlers referred to this as the Lenten Moon and as a way to measure the progress of their crops. They called it the Storm Moon if the weather was inclement – an indicator their crops might fail. Under ideal growing conditions they called it the Rugged Moon – a sign of a successful harvest that year.

One of its other names is the Chaste Moon, symbolizing the purity of early spring. The Pueblo tribe named it the Moon When the Leaves Break Forth, The Cree called it the Goose Moon, while in Shoshone culture it was known as the Warming Moon. The Ojibwa called it the the Crows Come Back Moon, after the crows and other birds that appear as winter draws to a close.  It is also called the Crust Moon, because of the snow that becomes crusty when it thaws in the sun and freezes in the moonlight.

The moon will be at its fullest tomorrow evening although to the casual observer it will appear full this evening.

There's a bonus this year; a total lunar eclipse.  This full moon will pass directly through the Earth's umbral shadow producing a total lunar eclipse visible to about 2.5 billion people (a third of the world population) across North America, Australia, New Zealand East Asia and the Pacific.  At my latitude the action will unfold around 3:50 AM Tuesday morning with the first "bite" out of the moon beginning.  Totality will commence at 5:04 AM and at maximum eclipse, 5:33 AM, the moon will be fully in the earth's shadow and it will appear reddened - a Blood Moon.  Totality will end at 6:02 AM and, depending-upon your precise location, the moon will set around 6:26 - 6:33 AM.  

Viewing Tips:  Look toward the west/northwest and find a clear, unobstructed view of the western horizon as the moon will be very low in the sky at totality.  If you live in the city, Newport State Park is designated as a 'Dark Sky Park' and a prime viewing location.  If you live in flyover country like me you'll likely have near-optimal viewing conditions.  Lastly, this is a lunar eclipse and no special eye protection is needed.  If  you have a pair of binoculars or a telescope - use them.

Fingers-crossed for clear, early morning skies...

Fact or Fantasy?

As a major voice in the American Libertarian movement the Cato Institute focuses primarily on policy analyses and independent research of contemporary topics including subject matter related to foreign policy, regulations, taxes and libertarian-influenced public advocacy.  

 

Naturally, over the last decade most anyone I'm acquainted-with who previously self-identified as libertarian have, for the most part, gone full-on MAGA.  Any of the remaining few diehard libertarians have gone underground or silent. Either way you slice it none of them are engaged in any meaningful dialogue with me anymore.  Which is too bad.  Productive dialogue lost and in some instances friendships broken is a waste.  I'm not sure how to fix or repair that condition; or if it is even worth the effort.  Time will tell and apologies for the digression.  

 

The purpose of this post is to discuss a recently-published commentary from the Cato Institute titled:  Trump's $18 Trillion Fantasy.  This article also appeared in The Dispatch on February 19, 2026 immediately preceding the recent groundbreaking SCOTUS tariff ruling.  You'll find it linked more than once in the post and I encourage you to read it at your leisure.  What follows is a summary of Cato's critique of White House claims that tariff policies have secured more than $18 trillion of new investment in the United States. 

 

They've performed yeoman's work in producing this commentary and hopefully this summary will tweak your interest in rolling-up your sleeves and engaging in some cognitive dissonance.

 

The key criticism from Cato is that a purported $18 trillion in new investment into our economy claimed by the White House is unsubstantiated and doesn't hold-up under scrutiny.  Trump's hyperbole and puffery is famous; and Cato describes the figure alternately as fantasy or a hoax correctly pointing-out that the number is nearly as large as the entire GDP of China.  Lacking any published evidence from the departments of Commerce or Treasury, or the Federal Reserve the real number, whatever it may be, is naturally much, much smaller.

 

The White House lists 132 'deals' totaling approximately $9.6 trillion; the lion's share of that doesn't come close to meeting the definition of 'new investment'.  Significantly, this figure includes previously-announced or planned technology ventures, routine and on-going business expenditures, orders already in the pipeline and vague promises lacking any enforcement mechanism.  The later are basically a verbal IOU with a promise of 'we'll see'.  

 

Foreign 'deals' are even sketchier as most of the 'pledges' lack even the creditworthiness of a verbal IOU as they come from countries unable to afford them anyway; or the respective government lacks any authority to dictate private business investment.  Previous pledges to purchase military aircraft and equipment or those that come with an implied Trumpian threat of a 'protection racket' do not count.

 

In my own view much of this is political theater intended to pacify Trump's mercurial tendencies before the Supreme Court brought-down the hammer on inconsistent acts provoked by one sole personality. 

 

On tariffs alone, Trump's claim of a manufacturing boom doesn't jibe with the continued decline of direct investment in American manufacturing which, in reality, has been falling and is continuing to fall uninterrupted.  Sure, tariffs may induce some domestic investment through protectionism; nevertheless, this comes at the cost of higher prices for business and consumers.  The math doesn't work.

 

Cato's concludes that the $18 trillion figure is a politically-motivated exaggeration used to justify a flawed and inexplicably contorted obsession with a high tariff regime that is lacking any basis in recorded economic data or accounting.

 

But don't take my word for it.  Read the the commentary in its entirety and draw your own conclusions about how much of it is fact or fantasy.

 

We've been to this rodeo before. 

 

 

Raising An Eyebrow

This is both strange but true.

The Eyebrow Auto Brake—a car braking system operated by the driver’s eyebrows—featured in Popular Mechanics magazine, 1965.

It is not a real safety system.  Rather, it is a tongue-in-cheek illustration of a car that braked when the driver raised their eyebrows.  The idea played on the notion that drivers instinctively widen their eyes (and lift eyebrows) in moments of surprise or danger.  Sensors were humorously depicted as detecting eyebrow movement and triggering the brakes.

Mid-1960s Popular Mechanics occasionally published April-Fools-style concepts and speculative futurism.  Naturally,these columns appeared during an era when:  Power brakes were still not universal, seat belts were controversial and real automated safety systems were a figment of most people's imagination.

Fast forward to today - six decades later - and safety technology commonly found in today's vehicles.  Including but not limited to:

Seat and shoulder belts, anti-lock brakes, airbags, crumple zones with passenger cabin safety cages, traction control, rear-view camera, adaptive cruise control, speed limit recognition, automatic high beams, electronic stability control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors - including autonomous parking, automatic reverse braking, lane departure warning and lane-keeping assistance, forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, intersection collision detection with evasive steering assist and 360 degree camera systems.

And let's not forget the eyebrows; there is driver attention and drowsiness monitoring too.  If my eyes wander for only a second too long my daily drive issues a visual and audible warning.  Don't think about this very hard - this technology is going to keep older drivers on the road; longer and safer than ever before.

Popular Mechanics may have been pulling someone's leg in 1965 yet they were prescient. 

Friday Fish Fry

‘Tis the Lenten Season. Yet, just because it is Lent is not to imply starvation. 

It is Friday. And in the Roman Catholic tradition of the Christian faith there is a fish fry.  Wild-caught pickerel (walleye) from our friendly neighbors north of the border. 

The secret is a light brining of the fillets, a dusting of seasoned Wondra flour, dip in egg wash and Panko crumbs.

Fry in hot canola oil, turn only once. 

Pretty good chow if you can get it.

By the way. See how light it is at quarter of 6?  Daylight savings is only a little more than a week away.

Friday Music

 

Written in 1969 by John Lennon and credited to both Lennon and McCartney this tune covers the events surrounding the wedding of John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

It was the Beatles' 17th Number One hit in the UK and their last for 54 years until Now and Then in 2023.  

Meanwhile in the US it was banned by some radio stations as a consequence of the lyric's reference to Christ and crucifixion.

The single peaked at Number Eight on the US Billboard Hot 100.  And it was the first single by the Beatles to be released in stereo.

This is a really fun cover record at John Lennon's Memorial at Central Park, NYC, October 9, 2022.

The Ballad of John and Yoko... 

A Disturbance In The Force

The first of my age cohort, the Baby Boomers, turn 80 this year, 2026.  Born between 1946 and 1964 all 76.4 million of us are kicking-off the new year with our growing dominance of consumer spending.  Why is this important anyway?  The US economy is primarily service-driven; not manufacturing.  Consequently, consumer spending accounts for roughly 68-70% of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This means that consumer spending is the largest component of the U.S. economy, and a major driver of economic growth.  More old people and fewer young ones are reshaping jobs and spending in all kinds of ways.  There's nothing nefarious about any of this; it's pure demographics. For instance, nearly all of January's job growth came from the healthcare and social assistance sectors with healthcare employment as the largest contributor to labor market growth in 2025.  

For any of you reading this who happen to be a dues-paying boomer ask yourself what of any of the following applies to you and your own situation. 

Exhibit 1 - The collective wealth of the baby boomers - estimated at over $78 trillion - is fundamentally reordering the global economy.  Retired and no longer accumulating assets boomers are spending discretionary funds while prioritizing quality of life over material accumulation.  Consider this: While younger generations may be tightening their belts due to inflation; boomers are the principal drivers behind a $544 billion travel market in 2026.  

Exhibit 2 - Boomers are more proactive with regard to medical care and lifestyle choices.  Whether it is preventative medicine, diet, exercise, active recreation and smartwatches boomers are investing in their future.  While some may choose to downsize, many are investing in their current homes and choosing to age in place.  This includes high-end appliances, landscaping, home improvements and upgrades in accessibility and other services to simplify daily life. 

Exhibit 3 - Value-based frugality.  Despite their wealth, it took a lifetime of saving, sacrificing and investing for boomers to get to where they are.  Consequently, they remain incredibly value-conscious.  Boomers demonstrate consistent brand loyalty and are more likely to drive their vehicles for longer periods than most Americans. They'll invest in home improvements if they believe it will add value to a future sale.  They're also less likely to spend on themselves and more likely to spend on their family members. 

To be clear, everyone's personal situation is different.  Moreover, as a cancer survivor I am smart enough to understand that anyone's number can be up at any time. Consequently, one day at a time.  Nevertheless, there's no escaping the fact that boomers are growing as a share of the overall aging population.  This demographic, referred to as the pig moving thru the python, along with their financial muscle is going to influence all sorta new business startups and marketing trends.  It's a good time to be alive.

Sound like anybody you know?

Update On The Peanut Gizmo

On the recommendation of my pal, Braumeister, at the start of this month I hung the contraption you see below from a branch on a red maple in our yard.  It is a bird feeder that you fill with peanuts.  Peanuts in the shell; raw, unsalted.   

I bought a big bag of nuts at a local bird food joint.  And while they're clearly labeled:  NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION I suppose if I tried one I don't think it would kill me.  But you never know.  

It took a few days for the local birds to figure-out what it's for and now I'm restocking it almost twice a week.  I figure before too long some other undesirable critter is going to discover it; so it's hung on a branch (likely limber-enough to NOT support a large mammal) from a carabiner using a length of army-surplus metal cable parachute rigging connected to the feeder.  It might just be raccoon-resistant.

These four photographs are a bit of an experiment.  It's an old trail camera on its last legs and the position is all wrong as it's aimed generally into the sun.  I'm thinking I'll have to reposition the cam 180 degrees and relocate the feeder - if the tree and its branches allow.

Photos are from this morning.  Chickadee, white-breasted nuthatch, blue jay and a downy woodpecker.

Stay-tuned....

 

How To Blow-up The Budget

From the WSJ there is this.

According to projections from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) U.S. debt will rise to more than 100% of U.S. gross Domestic product (GDP) before the end of this year. 

Debt held by the public will balloon to more than $56 trillion by 2036 as annual deficits continue to mount, according to the latest projections from the Congressional Budget Office.  By later this year, the federal debt held by the public is expected to surpass the size of the entire U.S. economy.

The main drivers:  increased spending on entitlement programs as the nation's population ages as well as rising costs related to paying interest on the debt itself.  Republicans have taken issue with the projections, suggesting the CBO's assumptions on economic growth are too low.

Here's a closer look at the numbers, in five easy charts.

The CBO projects that the annual U.S. budget deficit will top $3 trillion by fiscal year 2036. The deficit was briefly that high when the federal government spent heavily during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

By fiscal year 2036, the deficit will hit 6.7% of GDP, up from 5.8% in 2025.

Social Security and Medicare costs will drive mandatory spending to 15% of GDP by fiscal year 2036. Mounting debt will increase spending on net interest to nearly 5% of GDP.

CBO projects a $23 trillion deficit from 2026 to 2035, up around $1.4 trillion from its last projection. Tariff revenue will only partly offset effects of the GOP’s ‘one big, beautiful’ tax law.*

Debt held by the public will surpass 100% of GDP this year and is projected to exceed 120% by fiscal year 2036.

 *Projected revenues generated by import taxes are uncertain as a consequence of the recent SCOTUS decision.

  

Captains Of Market Cap

In case you missed it, only four of the 10 largest companies in America were on the list ten years ago:  Apple, Microsoft, Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan Chase.

Technology companies - like the Magnificent Seven - are so ubiquitous some days they seems like they'll be around forever.  Nevertheless, change is like trying to sip from a fire hose.  It can change in a giant gush.

Fun Fact:  In 2015 the total market capitalization of the top ten was $3.2 trillion.  By the close of 2025 it was a staggering $19.4 trillion. 

Funny how things change over time.  You snooze; you miss something.

 

Peninsula Still Life

This is singularly the best photo to come across my device in quite a while.

Quintessentially, Door County Winter.....

photo credit - Rosann Hollinger (click on image to enlarge)

   

Eat More Deer

Before sunset today this was the view east from the bedroom window.

I refer to this image as the solution to solving hunger in northeast Wisconsin.

I stopped counting at twenty.

In our household the culinary goal is a weekly venison dish; minimum. 

Lasagna tonight with fresh spinach on the side. 

Next time I’m gonna just incorporate the spinach in the lasagna and be done with it.

Pretty good chow if you can get it.

Eat more deer!

 

Highway Patrol

 

Is this photo a still taken from a Blues Brothers movie?  I dunno.  It appears to be a 1967 Chevrolet Impala Police Cruiser.

In the mid-1960s the Chicago Police Department favored the use of Impalas of this era for their size - sufficient room for two officers and their equipment, winter driving capability, ability to engage in high speed expressway pursuits and their over-all reliability.

This vehicle was produced by GM's Chevrolet motor division as a spec-built fleet vehicle for taxi and police department use.  Consequently, it was assembled with 'beefier' components including: a heavy-duty rear axle including a limited slip differential, heavy duty suspension, springs and shocks, larger sway bars, a reinforced frame, power steering and plain steel wheels with bias-ply tires including 'dog-dish' hub caps.  Later models included experimental front disc brakes but virtually all vehicles produced included heavy duty drum brakes all-around.

 

Tennessee State Trooper 1966 Biscayne model 

I'm familiar with this vehicle line as our household ride in the 1960s included a 1965 Chevy Belair later replaced by a 1967 Chevy Impala SS (Super Sport).  Both of those vehicles were equipped with a 283 (4.6L) V8 and the police version was powered by a 327 (5.4L) V8 rated at 275 hp.  Pursuit-model law enforcement models were generally equipped with a 396 (6.5L) V8 rated at 325 hp.

Hitched to the rear-wheel drive was a 2-speed 'Slush Box' Powerglide automatic transmission - same as my 1968 Pontiac Le Mans convertible.  Later years witnessed the introduction of a 3-speed Turbo-Hydromatic transmission.  

Police units came factory-equipped with a single 'Gumball' red rotating beacon, dash-mounted or column siren control, a Motorola radio console, drive side spotlight and sometimes a steel [partition between the front and real seats. 

From a post just about a couple of years ago is a Wisconsin State Patrol 1967 Chevrolet Biscayne.

This is not a police model but it is a most excellent surviving restoration of a 1967 Impala Super Sport (fully loaded).

Vroom!

If Only The Dead Could Talk

Ruben Ray Martinez, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen, was killed last year by an ICE agent, with the Department of Homeland Security accusing him of having struck an ICE agent with their vehicle. However, DHS’ account of the incident was fiercely disputed by Martinez’ childhood friend, Joshua Orta, who was present during the encounter and claimed neither had offered any resistance to ICE officers’ demands.

On Saturday, Orta died in an unrelated car crash while driving in San Antonio, Texas, with his stepfather confirming his death to the New York Times on Monday.

 

Incredible Hockey Shot

Now that the 2026 Milano Cortino Winter Olympic Games are behind us​, this retired curler had to share this classic.

Further evidence of how much mobile technology, and videography, have advanced  since this Samsung Mobile Explorer advertisement from the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games sixteen years ago.

Adding an entirely new emphasis on the slap shot; hockey meets curling...

If Only The Dead Could Talk

Originally reported on Wednesday by Newsweek we learned of another Immigration and Customs Enforcement connection to the shooting death of an American citizen in March of 2025.  A shooting death kept from public scrutiny until only last week.

Coincidentally, and leading up to this, a review of internal emails obtained under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) indicate that senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials were informed of a significant rise in reported use-of-force incidents compared to the previous year.  In this case incidents in early March alone had quadrupled year-over year.  

Now the public learns of 23-year-old Ruben Ray Martinez shot last March in South Padre Island.  ICE's involvement in the shooting was not disclosed to the public until this last week.  

According to ICE documents, the episode, which occurred around 12:40 AM on March 15, 2025, Mr. Martinez failed to follow commands to exit his vehicle. Martinez initially did not follow officers' instructions but eventually slowed to a stop after receiving verbal commands.  Agents surrounded the vehicle and told him to get out of the car before he accelerated and hit a federal agent who reportedly landed on the hood of the vehicle.  Another agent then fired multiple times through the driver's side window.  

The Department of Homeland Security described the shooting as an act of self-defense, saying the agent had "fired defensive shots to protect himself, his fellow agents and the general public" after the driver "ran over" a Homeland Security Investigation special agent.

That agent was treated and released for a minor knee injury.  Martinez is dead.

According to Homeland Security Department policy an immigration agent is supposed to use deadly force only if the officer has reasonable belief that the subject poses an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury.  Furthermore, the policy specifically states that officers should avoid placing themselves in positions in which they have no other option but to use deadly force.  

In ICE's own reporting this appears another instance of ICE agents not complying with department policy concerning placement of personnel in connection to apprehended vehicles.  Haven't we seen this before?

ICE has not reported the existence of dash cam or body cam video of the incident and no known public video has come forward.  Martinez had been celebrating his birthday with a friend known since elementary school.  He was employed at an Amazon warehouse in San Antonio and had no known criminal or arrest record at the time of this post.

Some will take exception to my view on this subject but I happen to believe federal agents concealing their faces behind a mask and not wearing identification is a bad look.  They need to be up-front like law enforcement we're all accustomed-to.  A sinister look invites nothing but trouble.  Sure, a few of you will tell me about doxing of federal agents.  But you know what?  If rampant doxing was as big as you might imagine, then all law enforcement everywhere would be masked all the time.  

It's not.  

Where I live law enforcement officers wear a badge with a number, including a name tag and rank, they don't hide behind a mask and produce a business card before we part company.  They're professionals and go about their job like professionals.  They're so good at their job they never, never, ever stand in front of a stopped vehicle.  Even I know not to do this.  Your local LEOs are likely identical to mine.  But I digress and apologize for the cheap shot.

Do you know what is an even bigger bad look than masked federal agents?  

Another of our countrymen gunned-down by a federal agent.  

Naturally, there's that small handful of my acquaintances who will bask in their ghoulish reflected glory over this and crow on social media about how Martinez had it coming and it was all his fault.  Nevertheless, I figure most people reading this are standard-issue citizens who understand that federal agents shooting Americans to death is just, plain, smarmy.  It looks terrible and doesn't poll well.  

Moreover, the image of the best professional ICE agents suffer because of this nonsense.  From the top down the reputation and credibility of the entire department suffers.  If, as a consequence, agency leadership comes-across as evasive or furtive the public will take notice and the people will mutter about it.  None of this is rocket science.  Hearts and minds; it is all about winning in the court of public opinion. Appearance counts for a lot.  

So, what do we know for sure? 

Martinez is dead and cannot speak for himself.  This is conspiracy fodder.

No dash cams, no body cams, no identification or accountability for the shooter.  Unheard-of in the world of professional law enforcement this is sloppy meatball policing for sure.  If this is a deliberate policy to never leave a digital trail; that is a really bad look.  (See about conspiracy above)   

How about the boss?  Yup, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem hiding this from the public as long as she has.  Or is this just another oversize example of garden-variety incompetence?  Both looks are really bad; the former is much worse than the latter.  

Hidden from the public for a year.  Sloppy or deliberate?  Reader's Choice - you pick.  

What are they hiding from us anyway?

Roto-Rooter

Again, I have had the unwelcome but necessary opportunity to drink of the substance that facilitates the Big Porcelain Fountain Flush.  

A cocktail taken straight-up with a chaser of several bottles of Gatorade.

You know; The Purge.

If you know; you know.

Give thanks I am not sharing the digital imagery from my Roto-Rooter experience.

See ya in five years! 

 

Fools and Lapdogs

The U.S. merchandise trade deficit hit a record $1.2 trillion last year, despite President Donald Trump’s promise to eliminate it by imposing the highest tariffs in eight decades on foreign-made products.

Thursday’s Commerce Department report represents the first full-year assessment of the president’s ambitious reordering of global trade. The persistence of the deficit in the face of steep new taxes on imports from China, the European Union and scores of other nations reflects the limits of Trump’s blunt policy tool.

As expected, the Supreme Court today nullified Donald Trump's signature economic policy this morning in a ruling that invalidated the president's arbitrary and capricious imposition of trillions of dollars of import taxes on our trading partners around the world.  

Naturally, the President's response was to be presidential and call the justices fools and lapdogs for ruling against him on tariffs.    

 

Back in August the president threatened the court stating that this ruling would: Literally destroy the United States of America. 

Well, it's happened and in the long term we're all likely to be better-off for the ruling.  Tariffs, on their own, are not likely to raise-up or destroy the country inasmuch as imported goods account for only about ten percent of our total economy.  Because we are largely a service economy tariffs don't have much direct impact on things like education and healthcare.  Manufacturing constitutes less than ten percent of the US economy.

Nevertheless, the imposition of import taxes at the sky-high levels the administration imposed are a tax on all consumers, business and manufacturers shrinking the country's Gross Domestic Product by an estimated .3 percent per year. If you put a number on that it amounts to roughly $90 billion a year in losses. That isn't insignificant but nowhere close enough to destroy America.  It just raises everyone's cost of living, jeopardizes farmers, ranchers, small business and contributes to inflation.

So where is this all going to lead us?  Too early to tell but I suppose there are companies for whom imports are a necessary part of doing business; and they're going to want a tax refund. 

Meanwhile, I guess none of us are getting the tariff dividend we were promised and the income tax isn't going to be replaced by tariff revenue.  Of course the DOGE dividend never showed-up in my checking account either.  

Money talks, baloney walks.....

Friday Music

This is a gospel-influenced track composed by Curtis Mayfield and released by the Impressions as a the title track from their People Get Ready album.  Released as a single it became the group's best-known hit reaching number three on the Billboard R&B chart and Number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.  

In 1965, the date of the song's release, Mayfield was beginning to manifest a growing sense of social and political awareness in his writing.  Martin Luther King shared that this song was the 'unofficial' anthem of the Civil Rights movement.

Rolling Stone magazine names it the 24th greatest song of all time and also placed itt at number 20 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.  It's also included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.  Whew!

It has been covered by everyone from Jeff Beck, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Bob Marley, Al Greene, Aretha Franklin, The Chambers Brothers, Eva Cassidy, Everly Brothers, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, the Staple Singers and way too many more to count.  Whew!!

In my view Curtis Mayfield is one of the greatest soul singer/composers of all time.

To provide for contrast and for a sense of the timelessness of this song and how it has  transcended boundaries over multiple generations, social, political and religious movements I am posting a 1987 soulful Live In Montreaux performance by Mayfield followed by a contemporary white evangelical cover by Lindy Cofer and Matt Redman.

Good stuff. 

People Get Ready...

The Dear Leader

click on the image to enhance your worship experience

Yup.  Another massive banner bearing the image of Donald Trump was hung from another federal building today; above the main entrance to the Department of Justice Headquarters in Washington, DC

Further evidence of the vast improvement of your and my prosperity and general lot in life.  Along with making the world a safer place. 

All Hail The Dear Leader! 

Trail Camera Update

A funny thing happened to the trail camera supply chain this winter.  There wasn't a Moultrie trail camera to be had.  Nothing in stock locally.  Nothing on Amazon Prime.  Nada.  Was it a chip shortage?  A consequence of tariffs?  A shipping container that fell from a ship and is bobbing-around somewhere between China and a California port?  I have no clue.  What I know for sure is I've been wanting to acquire two more cams and I'm not used to being denied for 3 months.

Since they don't need to be cellular-equipped I know I should be able to snag them for under a $100 apiece; only they've been unavailable.  Other brands and models, yes.  Moultrie. no.  Pardon me for brand loyalty but it is what it is.  It's a boomer thing.

Anyway, after waiting for months, the Missus announced they were back on Amazon and that I should check-out the selection so she could include them on our order.  In short order they arrived - a couple of A-900 bundles including SD card and batteries - free shipping too. Set me back about $90 a camera.

I deployed the first, replacing the last of two A-25i models deployed April 24, 2020.  Its twin succumbed in 2025 and after five years of continuous use this cam was nearing the end of its useful life and will be held in reserve or maybe finish its tour of duty as the 2026 Oriole Cam this year.  We'll see.  Bottom line is I have one new camera still in the box and one old cam in reserve for the present.

Here are the last two pics from the old trail camera... 

Prepping and deploying the new camera...

Stay-tuned for some new photos before too long....

Don't Kiss The Frog

You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your handsome prince.  So goes the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm about the frog prince.  

The version ending with the Princess kissing the frog, who transforms to a handsome prince, is unfaithful to the original in both spirit and content. In the original tale it is the abject rejection of the frog that culminates in the princess violently hurling the hapless amphibian against a wall that transforms him.  The Brothers Grimm sometimes dispensed with nuance.

The version with the kissing is more about doing what you are told - and for women anyway - compliantly accepting their fate.  The original fairy tale is edgier, much more about societal status, the traditional role of women in general and the assertion of free will.  The tale is dripping in allegory and bears little resemblance to a Disney production.  Naturally, all things Disney become fantasized.  Besides, I have the book and have read the tale.  You can fight me over interpretation any time you care.

If only Russian dissident and opposition leader Alexei Navalny had an opportunity to toss his assassins against a wall. 

According to five European governments, recent forensic testing reveals that Navalny was likely murdered with epibatidine, a potent neurotoxin found in South American poison dart frogs.  This finding has resurrected scrutiny over the circumstances of Navalny's 2024 death barely two years ago. 

France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK have reported that independent laboratory analysis detected the rare toxin in preserved tissue samples from Navalny's body.  They argue that inasmuch as there is no credible natural explanation for its presence they have reported the findings to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons as a possible violation of international law.

I am not a biologist, but even I know that poison frogs are not native to Russian Gulags situated above the Arctic circle.  What I do know is that even small amounts of this toxin can disrupt the human nervous system, causing paralysis, respiratory failure and death. 

Navalny died February 16, 2024 imprisoned in a remote and frozen Soviet-era penal colony.  Naturally, the Putin regime denies any involvement insisting that their problematic citizen passed away of natural causes.  

Six years ago I had the opportunity to learn more about South American poison dart frogs on a museum tour.  You can see them here in captivity - duplicating their tropical environment.

 

Got to hand it to Vlad.  It used to be Sudden Russian Death Syndrome; the accidental falling from hotel windows phenomena that has claimed the lives of a mind boggling number of businessmen, bureaucrats, oligarchs and journalists as a mechanism to silence opponents would suffice.  Having dispensed with the messiness of Polonium-210 as the poison of choice the play list now includes a toxin from South American poison frogs. 

If only the Brothers Grimm were alive today to spin a fairy tale with this material.....