All Or Nothing?

[Editorial]

This editorial is going to divide us into two camps, those who believe getting the most that you can with compromise.

We cannot let the Republicans make the November elections and election about us. They will be looking for a distraction from the war, from the failed economy, from the violence by ICE, and most of a distraction from the Epstein Files!

You know darn well that the Republicans will be proposing Kansas stile legislation, they saw that it stirred up a hornet's nest! That was a huge distraction, so expect to see more bills like that.

How can we fight those bills? 

You know what I saw in the comments… that people were amazed that there was only 1000 to 1800 trans people in Kansas who changed their driver licenses! People cannot believe that the Republicans are so upset over only 1800 people in the whole state!

The same goes for student athletes… out of around 110,000 student athletes in Connecticut there are less than a dozen trans athletes!

We need to concentrate on our small numbers… the Big Bully the Republican party picking on little ol’ us!

But we also have to compromise!

They keep on harping on children surgeries and we keep on saying that there are not any! So let us concede the fact… “No irreversible procedures” will be done on minors! Puberty Blockers are nor irreversible! Top surgery is not irreversible!

Remember that:

    • Massachusetts (2018) – voters upheld trans-inclusive nondiscrimination protections.

    • Alaska, Anchorage (2018) – voters rejected a local anti-trans “bathroom bill.”

    • Many proposed anti-trans ballot measures (e.g., California, Colorado) never made it to a vote because they didn’t gather enough signatures.

When it comes to the people, the people have supported us! We have to take the long view, if we need to say that there will be “No irreversible procedures” we need to do it. We need to get the voters to see through the Republican subterfuge and lies. Make them realize that we are not a threat to their children.

We cannot make the November elections about us, even if it means to compromise!

[/Editorial]

What's In It For Him?

[Editorial]

Oil?
Replace the Shah?
Ego?
Religious prophecy?
A distraction from dropping poll numbers?
All five?

Oil — did he do it for his oil friends, hoping to create another Shah of Iran?

A brief history of Iran’s oil:

• Oil was first discovered in Iran in 1908.
• British Petroleum controlled the oil, and Iran received only a small share of the revenues.
• In 1951, the Iranian parliament (Majlis) nationalized the oil industry.
• MI6 and the CIA didn’t like that, so they orchestrated a coup that removed Mosaddegh and restored power to Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran.
• The oil flowed again through British and American hands.
• In 1979, the Iranian Revolution forced the Shah to flee and led to the establishment of the Islamic Republic, which nationalized the oil once again.

Is he doing this to install another American puppet? A new Shah who would be beholden to Trump? Does Trump dream of Trump golf courses? Trump casinos? Trump resorts on the shores of the Strait of Hormuz?

Does Trump dream of a new “Trump Doctrine,” like the Monroe Doctrine?

The biblical Book of Revelation describes dramatic final events involving these regions, and many of Trump’s Christian followers believe it is coming. Is Trump playing into that belief?

All of Trump’s problems are piling up: ICE violence, rising costs of living, Epstein, and tanking popularity. Does he think a “glorious little war” will distract the public?

What are Trump’s real reasons? Time will tell. But one thing is obvious… he has whacked a hornet’s nest, and this is not over. No matter what Trump says, the Middle East has a long memory. 

[/Editorial]

Only White Christian Boys Need To Apply!

The Department of Defense had to stick their butt into the the Boy Scouting!

Pentagon and Scouting America reach deal to keep ties after Hegseth’s anti-DEI push

AP News

By  BEN FINLEY and JAMIE STENGLE

February 27, 2026

The Pentagon has made a deal with Scouting America that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday would maintain their century-old partnership but refocus the organization away from diversity initiatives and other “woke” policies he accused it of embracing in recent years.

Hegseth put heavy emphasis on Scouting America’s acceptance of transgender youth, saying the organization will require members to use their “biological sex at birth and not gender identity.” But Scouting America, formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America, said the agreement does not change existing policies regarding transgender youth and that they are welcome.

“We have transgender people in our program and we’ll have transgender people in our program going forward,” Scouting America President and CEO Roger Krone told The Associated Press.

Several of the negotiated changes mirror what the organization suggested to the Pentagon in January, including discontinuing its Citizenship in Society merit badge, introducing a Military Service merit badge and waiving registration fees for the children of military personnel.

It seems like they are talking out both sides of their mouth. We are welcome/We are not welcome... which is it?

“Scouting America is one of the most reliable pipelines to the United States Armed Forces our country has ever known,” the organization added. “Scouts are significantly more likely to serve in uniform than the general population. Eagle Scouts are heavily represented in ROTC programs, service academies and military leadership tracks.”

You know what this reminds me of? Hitler Youth! Hitler Youth indoctrinated young Germans aged 10 to 18 with Nazi ideology. It became mandatory for all "Aryan" youth to join, focusing on physical training, military drills, and lessons in Nazi beliefs to prepare them for future roles in society and the military. 

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Many people believe that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is a White Christian Nationalist because of his tattoos and his guest at his "Pentagon Pray Service"

Hegseth invites controversial Idaho pastor and self-described Christian nationalist to lead Pentagon’s monthly prayer meeting

Spokesman Review

By Alexandra Duggan

Feb. 18, 2026

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth invited controversial Idaho pastor Doug Wilson, a self-described Christian nationalist whose church doesn’t believe women should vote, to lead the Pentagon’s prayer service on Tuesday.

“Thank you for your leadership, your mentorship for the things you’ve started, the truth you’ve told, the willingness to be bold,” Hegseth told Wilson on stage as service members and government employees looked on. “It’s the type of thing we are trying to exercise here.”

Wilson is the founder of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho. He has faced massive backlash there for claiming enslaved people in the south had an “affectionate” relationship with their owners, for his perspective on barring same-sex marriage and his church’s belief about repealing the 19th Amendment. Wilson told The Spokesman-Review that Hegseth invited him to address the monthly prayer meeting. Hegseth started the Pentagon’s monthly prayer meeting in May.

[...]

Wilson’s views don’t just reach the Pentagon. In Moscow, a small college town where Christ Church was established, Wilson’s public comments frequently draw protest. In 2020, he referred to a Super Bowl performance as a “skankfest” during a talk at the school.

The pastor has numerous posts discussing his disdain of women’s liberation, calling it a “false flag operation.” Some of these posts involve talking about women’s breasts in graphic language, comparing a woman leaving her husband to a slave owner and their slave, and saying “wives are to be submissive to their own husbands in everything.”

While the Military Times writes,

Democratic congresswomen, including several military veterans, are demanding Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth apologize and resign after reposting a video about a Christian nationalist church with pastors who advocate for the repeal of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, and feel women should not serve in certain combat and leadership positions.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), an Army helicopter pilot who lost both of her legs during combat in Iraq, told Military Times, “these views are antiquated, flat out wrong and — more dangerously — designed to justify discrimination and mistreatment of women, including those who sacrifice in uniform to defend Americans.”

“He is the least qualified secretary of defense in our nation’s history — despite commanding tens of thousands of women who actually are qualified and earned their jobs, unlike him," she added. “Hegseth’s incompetence and outright idiocy continue to put our troops and national security at greater risk every day he remains in office, and he should resign in disgrace immediately.”

And he is the type of unqualified far right people that Trump has put in his cabinet!

Saturday 9: Farewell, Amanda

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9: Farewell, Amanda (1949)

On Saturdays I take a break from the heavy stuff and have some fun…  

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here. 

 

1) The record begins with a long instrumental interlude, and when the lyrics kick in at about the 1:00 mark, they bid Amanda "farewell, adios, addio, adieu." Of course you recognize "farewell" as English. Without looking it up, can you identify the other languages?

Adios = Spanish

Addio = Italian?

Adieu = French?

2) Can you say "goodbye" in a language not represented in question #1?

Nope!

3) The lyrics reference a night full of stars. When did you last take a moment to check out the night sky?

When it was warmer… 

Usually in the summer, the New Hampshire cottage night sky was amazing. The nearest streetlight was 20 miles away. The Cape Cod is dark with ocean on both sides but there still is a lot of light pollution.

 

4) This song was written for Adam's Rib, a comedy starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. The movie is about husband-and-wife lawyers who square off against one another in court. Have you ever served on a jury?

Yes once for a civil case but was called to jury duty a number of times.

We actually went on strike in the court house!

They showed the movie “Help” and the lawyer settled out of court but there was still about a half hour left to the movie so we refused to leave until the movie ended!

 

5) "Farewell, Amanda" was composed by Noel Coward. Though best known as a playwright, he also wrote more than a thousand songs and was a director and an actor. His epitaph reads, "A talent to amuse." How would you like to be remembered?

As a kind caring person who helped others.

6) There's even a book of Noel Coward paintings. It was published after his death, in part because Coward considered himself only an amateur painter. When did you last pick up a paintbrush?

Um… what type of paintbrush? Painting something, this summer at the cottage. Art paintbrush? Probably in in kindergarten.

7) In 1949, when audiences first heard "Farewell, Amanda," Americans began playing Clue. What's the last board game you played?

Qwirkle, before the plague hit. There used to be game night at a local art studio.

 

8) The best-selling novel of 1949 was Point of No Return by John P. Marquand. Tell us about the last book you finished.

Well I doing audiobooks now and of course it was Science Fiction; Backyard Starship by J.N. Chaney book # 12

Song of Darkness: Backyard Starship, Book 12

Calamity, the digital plague, is spreading, and where it strikes is both ruthless and random. Fearful of the Earth being ravaged, Van and the crew go on high alert to keep his homeworld free of galactic influence.

That vision is shattered when Tony Burgess captures an alien ship... in Wisconsin. The ship isn't just a stray workboat. It's the opening ploy of a group that sees humanity as a business opportunity too big to pass up.

Advancing in rank, Van is torn between two duties—to his crew and to his home. Since he isn't willing to give up the safety of either, he'll have to find a third way. Unfortunately for the forces against him, that path will include violence.

9) Random question: Growing up, did you share a bedroom?

Yeah, with my brother.

Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend!

Is It My Imagination...

[Editorial]

Or did we just drag all the Middle East’s oil-producing countries into a war… just months after invading Venezuela?

Am I seeing a pattern here?

[/Editorial]

It Is Not Just Us!

It is not just Trump and his cohorts attacking the trans community, but also everything they label as “woke”!

White House Appeals Decision Requiring Sign Language Interpreters

Abe News

by James Weisman, Esq.

Feb 1, 2026

There are two legal defenses to a charge of discrimination on the basis of disability built into the Americans with Disabilities Act, passed in 1990, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. They can be called “undue burden” defenses – undue financial and/or administrative burdens, i.e., the accommodation necessary is financially disproportionate to the defendant’s ability to pay or is so disruptive to the defendant’s operations that it is unreasonable.

Since “reasonableness” is all the “reasonable accommodation” laws require, a defendant’s failure to make legally required accommodations is considered unreasonable.

President Trump is attempting to create another defense. It can be paraphrased as “if making reasonable accommodation cramps your style you don’t have to do it.”

Do you believe this? How petty can the White House be! They are claiming an “undue burden” to provide sign language interpreters!

The Biden Administration provided ASL interpreter services at White House press briefings. The second Trump Administration eliminated them as part of its efforts to root out diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Reasonable accommodation is not “woke” behavior or optional. NAD sued again, in May 2025. The President raised a unique defense, one that was bound to fail. His lawyers argued that ASL interpreters intrude on President Trump’s ability to control his image, i.e., it cramps his style.

Federal District Court Judge Amir H. Ali granted an injunction to NAD requiring the White House to provide ASL interpreters at press briefings. The Trump Administration has appealed and is quibbling over things like what constitutes a press briefing (scheduled and/or spontaneous events).

Where I went to college, every classroom had an interpreter! When CTAC held conferences, we hired interpreters whenever someone needed one. Providing interpreters is not an “undue burden” it’s a matter of respect for others.

This Struck Me!

When I read this headline from Reuters you know what got me?

Kansas invalidates driver’s licenses, birth certificates of over 1,000 transgender residents

So, what caught my attention?

What struck me was “over 1,000 transgender residents.”

What really hit me was that they passed this draconian law for only one thousand people. In the whole state of Kansas, there are only about one thousand trans people! They passed this law for one thousand people! They took time out of their legislative session for one thousand people!

The Kansas state government has invalidated the driver’s licenses and birth certificates of transgender residents who changed the gender on those documents, in accordance with a law that took effect on Thursday.

The move affects more than 1,000 people. The law requires residents to change their gender identification to the sex they were assigned at birth, and also bans residents from changing their gender on those documents in the future.

1,000 people!

Kansas residents were permitted to change their gender markers on driver’s licenses and birth certificates until 2023, when those changes were halted amid litigation initiated by the state’s Republican attorney general, Kris Kobach. Last year, the courts permitted transgender residents to once again make those changes. State lawmakers then introduced the bill enacted into law after the Kansas legislature overrode Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s veto.

How bitter are these Republicans! They are passing all these anti-trans laws for 1,000 people!

From their rhetoric, you would think there were tens of thousands of trans people in the state… not just 1,000!

The Hill writes that,

The GOP-led Kansas Legislature passed the bill last month. While Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) vetoed it, the Legislature overrode that veto earlier this month.

This is all the Republican doing, they have a super-majority in the legislature!

“This bill is about forcing people into the wrong bathrooms and opening up all Kansans to scrutiny and gender policing by strangers,” said Logan DeMond, ACLU of Kansas policy director, in a release. “Bathroom bans are grounded in prejudice and misinformation, and they don’t actually make anyone safer.”

Once again… only one thousand people have transitioned! All this vitriol directed at just one thousand people!

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If you’re trans and living through laws like this, the comparison to Jim Crow probably isn’t an abstract rhetorical exercise. It’s about what it feels like to have the state:

• Reclassify you against your will
• Override how you live and are recognized
• Control where you can safely exist in public
• Signal that your identity is up for debate

The Jim Crow laws and the anti-trans laws share:

• Both both involve government restrictions on a defined group’s rights and autonomy,
• Both singled people out by law
• Both were told by the state that their identity isn’t recognized
• Both experiencing exclusion from public spaces
• Both feared stigma, harassment, or legal consequences

People, you want to know what the Jim Crow laws were like? Well now you know!

When you’re the one affected, you’re not sitting there weighing Dread Scott 1896 Supreme Court* case against modern equal-protection standards. You’re asking: Am I safe? Am I respected? Am I legally recognized?

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*The Dred Scott v. Sandford case said Black people could not be citizens and had no rights the federal government was bound to respect. It wasn’t just wrong; it entrenched dehumanization at the highest legal level. And that runaway slaves had to be returned to their "owners"

Today, there are legal cases before the courts involving transgender people and women seeking abortion who travel across state lines for care and face potential legal consequences in their home states.