Saturday 9

Saturday 9: I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You) – 1944
On Saturdays I take a break from the heavy stuff and have some fun…

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

 

1) "I'll Get By" was very popular song in the 1940s, and we're taking a look at the recording by Dick Haymes and Harry James because it got the most airplay. Can you think of another song that has been recorded by more than one artist?

Oh there are tons of them! But the problem that I have is that I don’t listen to contemporary music so that I don’t know what the current bands are playing. So I cheated and just list songs that did it in the past… Respect, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, “Lean on Me”, and Cyndi Lauper dug this one up and made it her hit… “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”

Okay, back in the 80s, family is all up at the lake cottage in New Hampshire. My niece and nephews were all agog about a new song when my sister-in-law started singing it. My niece and nephews couldn’t believe that their “Mother” knew the words to the hit song that juat came out! But it was a Beatles song!

2) In this week's song, vocalist Dick Haymes sings that he won't complain about the rain. Do you have any complaints about the weather this morning? 
Sh… I got my fingers crossed. I’m hoping for rain this afternoon!
Why, because I don’t want to drive up to Northampton MA for Pride. It is a long drive and I’m worried about parking. When it was at the fairgrounds you could park right next to the Pride, but now it is right down in the center of Northampton in a parking lot! I can’t do a lot of walking, so since it is right in the middle of the center of Northampton it is usually mobbed on a Saturday and to get all the way up there to have to walk a couple of blocks and if it is raining, well...

But on the other hand, I'll be able to see friends that I haven't seen in awhile.

Update: @11AM

I backed out. It is a Yucky day and to drive all the way up and back, I decided to wait for a Pride on a sunny warm day.

3) Dick was briefly married to movie queen Rita Hayworth. Known as The Love Goddess and The Strawberry Blonde, Rita was famous for her magnificent mane. She dyed her dark brown hair red to get attention and it worked. Have you ever experimented with a different color? If yes, were you happy with the results?

Ha! I wear a wig. One time at a party out on Fire Island on Long Island NY I just came back from swimming in the ocean and a woman came up wanted to know if she could use my bathing cap… I said, “Naw, I just change wigs!” (I learned that trick from the NH cottage. But with salt water I have to wash out the salt.)

4) Dick was the lead vocalist of the Harry James orchestra. Like Dick, Harry had a movie star wife. Betty Grable was famous for her legs. Her bathing suit poster inspired hosiery manufacturers to single out her perfectly proportioned thighs, calves and ankles. Betty herself joked, "I'm a star for two reasons, and I'm standing on them."  What do you think is your best (physical) trait?
My mind.

5) Betty's weren't the only legs that fascinated Harry. He was known for his stable of thoroughbred racehorses. Have you ever been to the races?
No, but car races yes! I went to the Watkins Glen Grand Prix but not horses. But I have a distant cousin who owns a stable of Polo horses… they are very, very, rich! I mean well into the nine figures. (My cousin was a ski instructor and tended to marry rich women. I father’s worst nightmare, their daughter marrying a ski instructor!) BTW… he raced Porsches at Limerock park in CT (Well if your wife is a multimillionaire your wife is bound to know someone who owns a Porsche dealership to lend you one to race!)

6) Teenaged Harry played trumpet with The Beaumont High School Royal Purple Band. Did you belong to groups or clubs while you were in high school?

Science Club... anyone surprised?

 
7) In addition to "I'll Get By," Judy Garland's "Trolley Song" topped the charts in 1944. When did you most recently take public transportation?
Last summer. Once in while I take the bus into Provincetown MA in the summer. For seniors the fare is $1, parking is $8/hr! You do the math, and the buses run every ½ hour.

 

8) Also in 1944, Diana Ross was born. First with the Supremes, then as a solo artist, she has sold more than 100 millions records, making her one of America's most successful female singers. Who is your all-time favorite "girl singer?"

 Hands down… Linda Ronstadt.

 

9) Random question – Last week we asked about the garage. Let's turn our attention to the glove compartment (aka glove box). What have you got in there?
I have to laugh! Back in the 60s and 70s you could fit an overnight back into them, but now all I can fit in the glove box is the owners manuals! All 850 pages! There are more “!Warning!” then instructions. The only other thing I have in there besides the manuals is a small LED flashlight.

I Am Not Anti-Christian

Before I came out, I never knew any rabbis, ministers, or priests. Now I know about a dozen from all denominations, and they all share one common trait: they are all affirming! So, I am a little confused.

Trump task force releases controversial 'anti-Christian bias' report

By BrieAnna J. Frank

USA TODAY

April 30, 2026

President Donald Trump’s task force to investigate "anti-Christian bias" in the federal government published a report on April 30 that criticized former President Joe Biden's administration for what it characterized as actions and policies that negatively impacted Christians around the country.

Several advocacy groups challenged the report's findings, describing them as deceptive and contradictory.

Trump established the task force in a February 2025 executive order that said his administration would “ensure that any unlawful and improper conduct, policies or practices that target Christians are identified, terminated and rectified.”

The report also took time to attack us...

"Those sentiments were reiterated in the task force’s nearly 200-page report, which criticized Biden's "Transgender Day of Visibility" proclamation (a longstanding observance which fell on Easter Sunday in 2024); charges against Christian anti-abortion activists; and alleged discrimination against Christian foster care families.

“By addressing anti-Christian bias and religious discrimination directly, Americans can make religious discrimination unthinkable for all faiths,” the report said.

Okay... everyone else does not think of abortion as a Christian issue, but rather about the right to self-determination! Our rights are not religious! Our rights are human rights!

The Baptist News wrote,

{The Biden administration enacted policies intended to weaponize the federal government against conservative Christians, according to a report released April 30 by the U.S. Justice Department.

The controversial 208-page report was created by President Donald Trump’s Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias, established by executive order in February 2025. Church-state watchdog groups have criticized the task force’s composition and mission from the start, saying it is all about airing evangelicals’ imagined grievances.

The new report claims the Biden White House was adamantly opposed to a “Christian worldview” and determined to shut down “traditional religious practices” wherever it could.

Joe Biden, a devout Catholic, was perhaps the most religiously observant president in recent history. However, evangelicals believe his policies contradicted what they call a “Christian worldview.”}

Did you get that? "Joe Biden, a devout Catholic, was perhaps the most religiously observant president in recent history." But still, the hand-picked religious committee found the exact opposite! The task force claimed that:

The task force has interpreted the enforcement of federal law during the Biden presidency as ideologically motivated attacks against conservative Christians. Examples include prosecutions of anti-abortion protesters under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, fines levied against Christian universities for false reporting violations, mandating COVID vaccines for federal and some private employers, and prohibiting organized religious activities at government facilities.

You know, I do not know a single person who is against any religion; what we object to is those religions forcing their beliefs on us! We see the banning of abortions as a religious attack on those whose religious beliefs allow abortions; we see them forcing their religious beliefs on us... against other people's religious beliefs!

The Pink News reported,

Over the years Trump has cosied up to many evangelical Christian leaders, including prominent, wealthy right-wing evangelicals like American Values president Gary Bauer, and Family Research Council president Tony Perkins.

Family Research Council has been designated an anti-LGBTQ+ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, and Tony Perkins, a former police officer, has repeatedly claimed that LGBTQ+ people are more likely to be paedophiles.

Those are the groups that are on Trump's side. When we passed the Connecticut gender non-discrimination law, we had support from religious leaders in Connecticut, including an Episcopal Bishop.

It is not religion that we are against, but rather them forcing their religious views on us

Are The Republicans Dyslexic?

[Editorial]

One of the primary challenges people with dyslexia face is that their brains may unintentionally add or omit words while reading. It seems many Republicans are suffering from a similar affliction.

The War Powers Act clearly states that a 60-day clock (with a possible 30-day withdrawal period) is triggered when U.S. forces are introduced into “hostilities” or situations where hostilities are imminent. Nowhere does the law state that a ceasefire, pause, or reduction in fighting resets or stops that timer. Yet, somehow, Republicans have read a "pause" button into the text, arguing that the clock resets during a ceasefire.

They are seeing words that simply aren't there. It is much like their stance on protesters carrying weapons; they have effectively added a silent exception to the Second Amendment that only applies when it suits their narrative.

The First Amendment is explicit:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Despite this, Hegseth and Trump act as though they can ignore these constitutional limits. They have restricted press access to the military, threatened the licenses of broadcast stations, and seized reporters' notes. Now, they claim to have found an "on/off" switch buried deep within the War Powers Act.

Regardless of their claims, this war will continue. They are fighting for "wiggle room" when what they truly need isn't measured in days or weeks, but months.

The British Guardian reported that,

However, the Trump administration has repeatedly rejected the deadline, with Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, testifying before a heated Senate armed services committee that the ceasefire agreement reached with Iran more than three weeks ago “means the 60-day clock pauses, or stops”.

Hegseths’s comments reflect what a senior Trump administration official told the Guardian earlier: “For war powers resolution purposes, the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28, have terminated,” the official said.

This follows a bizarre statement from the Trump administration about the war being over:

Trump administration says Iran war ‘terminated’ before 60-day deadline for congressional approval

The statement furthers an argument Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth laid out during testimony before the Senate earlier Thursday.

MS Now

May. 1, 2026,

By The Associated Press  and Emily Hung

The Trump administration is arguing that the war in Iran has already ended because of the ceasefire that began in early April, an interpretation that would allow the White House to avoid the need to seek congressional approval.

The statement furthers an argument Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth laid out during testimony before the Senate earlier Thursday, when he said the ceasefire effectively paused the war. Under that rationale, the administration has not yet met the requirement mandated by a 1973 law to seek formal approval from Congress for military action that extends beyond 60 days.

A senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration’s position, said for purposes of that law, “the hostilities that began on Saturday, Feb. 28 have terminated.” The official said the U.S. military and Iran have not exchanged fire since the two-week ceasefire that began April 7.

An administration official did not immediately respond to MS NOW’s question about what would happen if either side breaks the ceasefire.

While the ceasefire has since been extended, Iran maintains its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, and the U.S. Navy is maintaining a blockade to prevent Iran’s oil tankers from getting out to sea.

Under the War Powers Resolution, the law that sought to constrain a president’s military powers, President Donald Trump had until Friday to seek congressional authorization or cease fighting. The law also allows an administration to extend that deadline by 30 days.

Despite the clear intent of the law, it seems certain that a Republican-controlled Congress will simply ignore the statutes and do as they please.

[/Editorial]

---

Updated: 5/2 @ 7AM

There he goes again put in words that are not there! Nowhere in the law does it say anything about a cease fire! There is no such thing as a time out in the law!

Pentagon calls timeout on War Powers

Axios

Hans Nichols

April 30, 2026

Senate Republicans are calling on the Trump administration to clarify how it is interpreting the 60-day clock under the War Powers Act in its military campaign against Iran.

Why it matters: The 60-day deadline, depending on who's counting, is arriving on requiring the president to seek authorization or wind down operations. The first strikes against Iran were on Feb. 28.

• But Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered a different view during testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, suggesting the clock can "pause or stop" during a ceasefire.

Zoom in: Republicans, including some who have flirted with supporting a war powers resolution, appeared open to Hegseth's interpretation.

• "It sounds like there's some wiggle room he provided there for himself," Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) told reporters. "We'll take a look at whatever they send over."
• "Presumably, they will communicate that in a formal way," Young added. "They have, in a very careful way, followed the War Powers Act so far."
• "I imagine the administration will send us some sort of formal notification saying, 'Here's where we think we are under the War Powers,'" Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said. "Either we want 30 more days, or we don't think we need additional time because of X, Y, Z."

The other side: Democrats sharply rejected Hegseth's argument.

• "A ceasefire means bombs aren't dropping," Sen. Tim Kaine ((D-Va.) said. "It doesn't mean there are no hostilities. If we're using the U.S. military to blockade everything going into and out of Iran, that's still hostility."
• "That answer showed they know they've got a 60-day problem, and they're trying to come up with a rationale to get around it," Kaine added.

To paraphrase "A League Of Their Own," there's no crying in War”  Obey the freaking law! 

The Gender Police Is Coming To Take You Away!

All across the country women are being accosted by the "gender police" to prove their gender!

All women in Idaho are now at risk from the anti-trans bathroom law | Opinion

The Idaho Statesmen

By Brian Dittmeier and Brandalyn Bickner

April 29, 2026

She was 18 years old when a restaurant server followed her into the bathroom, pounded on her stall door, and demanded she leave. The server refused to believe Gerika Murda was a woman, so Murda unzipped her baggy sweatshirt and stepped forward. Only after seeing her breasts in a tighter shirt did the server finally back down.

This is what gender surveillance looks like in practice. It’s where you, your friend, your daughter or your wife must undress to “prove” their womanhood in a public restroom. For over a decade, conservative lawmakers have justified trans bathroom bans as protection for women and girls, despite the overwhelming lack of evidence that transgender people pose any danger to women, and the fact that crimes in bathrooms — such as sexual assault or indecent exposure — are already crimes.

Just weeks ago, Idaho made using the “wrong” bathroom in a private business or government building a crime punishable by up to five years in prison. The math here is perplexing: Why is the Idaho Legislature focused on restricting the rights of the 0.64% of Idahoans who identify as transgender while 41% of Idaho households are struggling to pay for housing, childcare and food?

Just think what the legislature could do if they devoted their time and effort in to the real problems in Idaho? Then again, that might be the real reason that they are going after us... to distract us from what they are really doing or not doing.

This is not the first time this has happened! Just searching last year I found these articles.

Two Cis Women Kicked Out of a Boston Hotel Bathroom After One Was Ordered to "Prove" Sex

The hotel says it has suspended the security guard responsible and will conduct mandatory retraining for all staff on inclusive protocols.

Them

By Abby Monteil

May 6, 2025

A queer couple said they were ordered to leave a Boston hotel on Saturday after a security officer demanded one of the women to show identification to “prove” her sex while using the women’s restroom. Both women are cisgender.

In an online Google review of Liberty Hotel published on Monday, Boston.com reports that Elizabeth Victor said the security officer approached her girlfriend, Ansley Baker, while she was in a stall, using the toilet. The couple was attending a Kentucky Derby party at the hotel when, according to Victor, Baker was “forcibly removed from the women’s restroom by a staff member.”

And that is on top of the fact... it is not like Republican states where they discriminant against us... this is Massachusetts!

Both women are cis, CBS’ local affiliate reports, but it is important to note that according to the Movement Advancement Project, Massachusetts does not prohibit people from using the bathroom consistent with their gender identity. The state also explicitly prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

“She was humiliated and physically confronted while still inside the stall, pulling up her pants, and forced to show ID to ‘prove’ her sex,” Victor wrote. “Even after verifying she is a woman, we were both ejected from the event entirely, while shaken, crying, and publicly shamed… No guests stepped in. No staff de-escalated the situation. No compassion was shown. This was not just unprofessional — it was traumatizing, discriminatory, and dehumanizing. My partner and I are devastated.”

Watch out! The "Gender Police" is out there!

Teen Claims Buffalo Wild Wings Server Followed Her into the Bathroom and Forced Her to 'Prove' She’s a Girl

Gerika Mudra, an 18-year-old high school student in Minnesota, has since filed a charge of discrimination against the restaurant

People

By Sam Gillette

August 13, 2025

A high school student is fighting back after a Buffalo Wild Wings employee allegedly followed her into the bathroom and wouldn't stop harassing her until the teen ended up unzipping her hoodie to "prove" she's a girl.

On Tuesday, Aug. 12, Gender Justice filed a charge of discrimination with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) on behalf of 18-year-old high school student Gerika Mudra, according to a press release from the nonprofit.

Mudra, who is a biracial lesbian, according to NBC News, was eating at a Buffalo Wild Wings in Owatonna when she got up to use the bathroom.

In a video released by Gender Justice, the teen said the server followed her into the bathroom and "came in yelling, 'This is a women's restroom, the man needs to get out.' "

Watch out! The "Gender Police" is out to get you!

“Gender policing” is pinching cis women who don’t conform to expected appearance norms!

This isn't new, I wrote about the same thing back in 2006 at boxing match where a security guard yelled  "This is Security! Everyone out! There's a man in the bathroom!" Then again in 2016, in Trump's first term I wrote where a grandma was jailed in a men's jail with 40 male prisoners for over 10 hours!

Watch out! The "Gender Police" is enforcing Trump's version of female beauty... how many long haired blonde women work in the White House? Have you seem any women working there with short dark hair? Hmm...? Just saying.

---

Updated: 5:00PM

'Power Book II: Ghost' Wesley Han

NYC Hotel Discriminated Against Me For Being Non-Binary!!!

Exclusive

By TMZ Staff

April 29, 2026

Wesley Han, a non-binary actor famous for their work in "Power Book II: Ghost," is suing a swanky hotel in New York City for harassment and discrimination ... and it sounds like it's all about which bathroom they allegedly used.

In a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Wesley claims they were attending a private event at the Soho Grand Hotel when they were accosted by a security guard who forcibly removed them from the women's restroom.

Wesley says they were dressed in women's clothing when they attempted to use the women's restroom ... and they say a security guard asked women in the foyer, "Excuse me ladies, have you seen a man enter?”

Wesley alleges the guard was told "no" but entered the restroom anyways and would not allow them to wash their hands. They claim the guard escorted them to the men's restroom, humiliating them in a walk of shame.

Um... NYC and New York have non-discrimination laws!