A Blue Heaven

We tend to think of the northeast as a liberal heaven but we are not homogenous there are pockets of conservatives here. Here in Connecticut it is the northeast corner of the state that sticks up it's red neck, So it should comes as no surprise that...

Transgender pride ribbons cut down in Pittsford; mayor calls act 'mean-spirited'

WHAM

by Daniel FinkelsteinFri,

April 17, 2026

Pittsford Village Mayor Alysa Plummer is asking for people to come forward with information about 63 ribbons, bearing the colors of the transgender pride flag, that were taken off of poles in the village, calling the act "mean-spirited" and "deliberate."

The nonprofit organization that put them there, Pittsford CommUNITY, raised concerns, saying they were supposed to remain until April 4.

"We put up ribbons for Transgender Day of Visibility," said Tharaha Thavakumar, president of Pittsford CommUNITY. "We received a permit. We applied for a permit in the village."

When volunteers returned to take them down, they were already gone.

"We found out that nobody in our group had taken them down, (and) we then went to the mayor and asked if she knew of any staff the village staff had taken it down," Thavakumar said. "They said no. And so that's when we decided to file a police report."

They have surveillance video of the culprit in a green hoodie and the town is asking for its citizens to check their video on the night in question.

"It's a sign of belonging," Thavakumar added. "When something like ribbons get taken down, it just tells people that we're not welcome here, which, you know, it's not just the transgender community, but anybody that's marginalized who feels like they don't belong."

And when the town backs us up... it makes us feel welcomed.

Get Your Birth Certificates Or Passport Out

Because under new regulation you will need it to open a bank account!!!! As the xenophobic Trump adminstration is sticking a citizenship requirement on your banking.

Is Citizenship Becoming The New Banking Requirement?

Forbes

ByVirginia La Torre Jeker, J.D.,

Apr 16, 2026,

A driver’s license and a utility bill have long been enough to open a bank account in the United States. That may not remain the case for much longer. There are growing indications that financial regulators are exploring whether citizenship or nationality should become part of the standard banking verification processes.

While no formal rule or guidance currently mandates such verification, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated on April 15, speaking at the Invest in America Forum that an executive order requiring U.S. banks to verify the citizenship or nationality of account holders is currently in process. He noted that the measure is intended to align financial oversight with immigration enforcement and national security objectives.

I have to ask why? We already need a Social Security number... why a passport or birth certificate?

According to the U.S. Department of State, there were approximately 183 million valid U.S. passports in circulation in fiscal year 2025. In a country of more than 330 million people, this means a substantial portion of the population does not hold what is often the most readily accepted documentary evidence of U.S. citizenship in financial onboarding contexts. This creates what might be described as a “passport gap.”

What happens to existing bank accounts? Will they be closed? 

The Street wrote that,

Banks already carry the weight of extensive anti-money laundering and fraud detection obligations. Adding citizenship verification creates a new category of data with its own legal, privacy, and reputational dimensions. Institutions could find themselves caught between government mandates and customer backlash, particularly if the rule applies broadly to existing account holders.

[...]

The question of whether the executive order arrives narrowly targeted or broadly written will determine how disruptive this becomes. Either way, Bessent’s message to the banking sector was unambiguous: be ready.

And why does it have to be valid passport? Does your citizenship expire with your passport?

This is all about one thing... Trump & Company hatred of immigrants! There is no need to prove you are a citizen because non-citizens can open bank accounts all you need is a TIN. There is no federal law requiring you to be a citizen to bank!

The Bottom Line

[Editorial]

I believe what is motivating Trump right now is a golden medallion.

In the back of his mind, he is focused on the singular goal of being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He may think that if he ends the war he helped create, he’ll finally get to grab the brass ring on the carousel.

He doesn’t care who or what gets in his way, after all, Obama got one. Trump believes this is his legacy. He has claimed that he "ended eight wars" and has been nominated for the prize multiple times; however, official nominations are kept secret for fifty years. For Trump, the prize isn’t just a byproduct of his policy... it is the primary benchmark of his success.

At a deep level, this is what I believe is truly driving him: his love of gold. But it begs the question: will he bring down the United States economy just for that brass ring?

[/Editorial]

Cuckoo Award: Going Cuckoo Over The Straits

If this wasn't so serious it would be a three ring circus. What? Trump's War. It is so crazy it wins the Cuckoo Award!

 

Here is a brief summary...  Iran closes the Strait almost immediately after Trump announced it was opened. Which was contingent on an Israel/Lebanon ceasefire. Trump said he had ordered Israel to do so.  Israel said that Trump is not the boss of them and bombed Lebanon to prove it. Iran now has total control of the Strait. Turns out Trump lied about sinking all their ships, too.

 

What did we call that back when I was working? A Cluster F**k?

Iran closes Strait of Hormuz again over U.S. blockade and fires on ships
Iran’s joint military command warned it would continue to block transits while the U.S. blockade remained in effect.

AP News

By  SAM METZ and SAMY MAGDY
April 18, 2026

 

 

 The standoff over the Strait of Hormuz escalated again Saturday as Iran reversed its reopening of the crucial waterway and fired on ships attempting to pass, in retaliation after the United States pressed ahead with its blockade of Iranian ports.

New attacks on the strait, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil normally passes, threatened to deepen the global energy crisis and push the countries into renewed conflict as the war entered its eighth week.

A fragile ceasefire is due to run out by Wednesday. Iran said it had received new proposals from the United States, and Pakistani mediators were working to arrange another round of direct negotiations.

Iran’s joint military command said “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state ... under strict management and control of the armed forces.” It warned it would continue to block transits while the U.S. blockade remained in effect.

Trump's is being run like a three ring circus! But unlike the circus people are dying.

 

Saturday 9: Drive My Car

Saturday 9: Drive My Car (1965)

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

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

 

1) Who would you allow, without hesitation, to drive your car?

Besides family members… yes I would let others drive my car.

 

2) When you're riding in the backseat, do you use your seatbelt?

I am not usually in the backseat but when I am, I do. Back in the 70s I tried to see what it was like to go through the front windshield and I decided that it could definitely ruin your day… or week in that case. And since then I always buckle up no matter where I sit.

 

3) In this song, a young girl tells her boyfriend she wants to be a movie star. What were your aspirations when you were in your late teens/early 20's? Did you realize them?

To become an engineer… yes.

 

4) The song was reportedly inspired in part by the relationship between popular British singer Cilla Black and her future husband. Cilla wanted him on the record label's payroll, so he became her road manager and driver. Have you ever worked for, or with, someone with whom you were romantically involved?

Nope… 

 

5) Although this Beatles song is credited to Lennon-McCartney, it was written mostly by Paul. He recalls showing up at John Lennon's house with the tune ready to go, and lyrics they both agreed were "crap." John gave Paul the car theme, and he took it from there. When has someone recently helped you out of a jam?

Well you all know I had my ID stolen and that a mole on my face is Basal cell carcinoma, well I was down in the dumps that week… all of sudden friends were stopping by. During my hard times, friends were there.

 

6) Paul also handles the lead vocals. When you hear a Beatles record, can you tell which band member is singing lead?

Nope.

7) When it was first released, this record got a lot of attention for the intricate guitar work by Paul and George Harrison. It's got a lot of percussion on it, too, including cowbell and tambourine. Have you ever played either cowbell or tambourine? (Do you think it sounds like fun?)

I can’t keep a beat and it is called Congenital Amusia, involving how the brain processes patterns.

8) Lava lamps were already popular in England but they weren't introduced to the United States until 1965. Today Walmart carries more than 20 different lava lamps. Have you ever owned one?

I must confess… I did. Back in my college days, along with black-light posters and incense.

 

9) Random question: Do you have a recurring dream?

I don’t even think that I dream. I don’t remember any when I wake up.

---

It is amazing—the difference from one side of the road to the other.

The wetlands are connected by a culvert under the road, yet my side is silent. While the other side has a whole choir of insects.

While on my side...

Mr. and Mrs. Duck are gone.

The bullfrogs are quiet.

There are no peepers.

Nothing but silence.

The Hydrilla.

 

The thick mats of the invasive Hydrilla has choked the life out of the wetlands. I enjoy watching the variety of life... no it is lifeless.