Saturday 9

Saturday 9: The Men in My Little Girl's Life (1965)

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

BANNER

 

 Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here. Chosen for Father's Day.

1) In this song, a father shares the story of his daughter's life through first the boys, then the men, she brought home. The first is Rod, a little kid who wants to play in the backyard. Who were your playmates when you were young? Did you find it more fun to have them over to your home, or to go to theirs?

They don't call up "Baby Boomers" for nothing. We all hung around together until we got the keys to Daddy's car.

We terrorized each other's home equally... from one basement to another on a rainy summer day.  

2) Then his daughter asked if Lee could carry her books on the walk to/from school. During your junior high years, how did you travel to school (bus, bicycle, car pool, shoe leather)?

By bike

We lived at the end of a dead-end street, this get out you had to peddle up a 150Ft hill. Then it was all downhill from there, a mile and half. But that meant it was a mile and half pumping up hill back the the house. End is a breath taking coast down the hill and in to the driveway.

3) Throughout this song, the father recalls that his daughter alternately called him "Daddy," "Dad," "Popsie," "Pop" and "Father." How did/do you address your father?

Dad.

4) The song ends with the daughter asking her father to babysit. When did you last look after someone else's child?

Um… um… you should asked “Have you ever…”

5) This record was a Top 10 hit in the US and it made the Top 20 in Canada. Much of its success was attributed to Mike Douglas' TV popularity. From 1965 to 1981, he hosted a daytime talk show. Do you watch much daytime TV?

Sad to say but over the winter I watched a lot of TV… western reruns.

6) Mike Douglas was a father himself. He had three daughters, including twins. Are there twins in your family?

Nope.

 

Now about Father's Day ... 

 

7) Retail chains like O'Reilly Auto Parts, Auto Zone and Jiffy Lube are all promoting gift cards and car-related gifts for Father's Day. If you got a gift card from one of those stores, how would you upgrade your ride?

Detailed the inside of the car.

 

8) Dick's Sporting Goods also enjoys a spike in gift card sales around Father's Day. Have you more recently given or received a gift card?

Once again… Um…  I never received a gift card. I given some but never received one.

9) In days gone by, ties were the #1 Father's Day gift. But as today's workplace has become more casual, fragrance has taken over the top spot. Dove Men+Care offers gift sets with shampoo/conditioner, body wash and antiperspirant. Think about your shower routine. Are your shampoo, body wash and antiperspirant all the same brand or the same scent?

Well first off, you only need shampoo if you have hair. Scented body wash. 

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Today I am down in central New Jersey today and my niece's for the last of the current crop grand-nieces of college graduates. Down and back in one day... dinner at a restaurant at 1, and back to my niece's house. I plan on leaving around 5 or 6, it should be around 3 hour drive back. 

Do You Know The Symbolism?

Of Trump signing the MOU at the Palace of Versailles?

The treaty oft Versailles in 1919 ended World War I, and piled a deep burden on Germany that resulted in WW II.

Too bad, they did arrange the room like it was in 1919.

You Knew This Was Going To Happen

[Political Analysis]

Is the U.S. backing out of the Iran agreement?

The optics of the Iran war have shifted, leaving Trump with what appears to be a defeat. He has always needed to be seen as the “top dog,” but now he is being viewed as a loser.

The reflection pool has turned green.

The anti-weaponization slush fund was blocked.

Immigration policy was overturned.

The Kennedy Center rebranding failed.

Things have not been going well for Trump.

Now people are calling the MOU a surrender document. Even more damaging for the author of “The Art of the Deal” is the growing sentiment that President Obama’s treaty was better than Trump’s. Trump invested significant political capital in presenting this agreement as a major achievement and an improvement over previous Iran diplomacy, but that narrative is now unraveling.

Criticism is coming from multiple directions: some argue the agreement gave Iran too much, while others say the military campaign failed to achieve its stated objectives. Now he is hearing that he lost the war, and his ego cannot accept that. Even many Republicans in Congress see it as a bitter pill to swallow.

I believe Trump will pivot to domestic issues, targeting groups like the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, and other minorities. When he is backed into a corner, he tends to go on the offensive against those with less power to push back.

Expect more posts about “unemployment fraud” on his X platform. You may see crackdowns on blue cities over alleged fraud that is more likely due to administrative or billing errors rather than actual wrongdoing.

You may also see a wave of anti-trans legislation—anything to distract from the situation in the Middle East.

Trump has blurred the lines between politics, personal branding, media presence, and business interests more than any recent president, and this is increasingly becoming a liability for him.

 

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Updated: 9:45AM 

 

 

[/Political Analysis]

He Is Politicizing Everything

The Trump administration is now “weaponizing” unemployment insurance, cutting it off to blue states that don’t kowtow to him.

Trump administration warns governors to crack down on unemployment insurance

By Nick Viviani

FOX 5

June 17, 2026

The U.S. government wants states to do more to combat fraud, waste, and abuse in their unemployment insurance programs and is threatening to withhold federal dollars until they do.

Big picture view:

Letters from the Labor Department were sent to the governors of every state warning that, if they do not crack down on their unemployment programs, administrative funds would be withheld. The move is the latest action by President Donald Trump’s administration to combat fraud and waste in state programs. 

What they're saying:

"We are officially putting governors on notice," Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said in a statement Wednesday. "The American people will no longer tolerate the blatant waste, fraud, and abuse of their hard-earned tax dollars — no state should allow it either. If states allow it, they will suffer the consequences."

The backstory:

The Labor Department blamed poor oversight, outdated technology, weak identity verification, and lax control for "allow[ing] unprecedented fraud to flourish." Its statement cited examples from California, Illinois, and New York to show how hundreds of millions of dollars have been reportedly lost to fraud, improper payments, and mismanagement.

Funny how they all Blue states named.

Back in April,

Vance to focus fraud efforts on Democratic states, Trump says

By Reuters

April 3, 2026

President Donald Trump on Friday ​said Vice President JD Vance will ‌focus on investigating fraud in Democratic-run states in his new role as "fraud czar."

"His focus will be 'EVERYWHERE,' ​but primarily in those Blue States," ​Trump said in a post on Truth ⁠Social, singling out California, Illinois, Minnesota, Maine ​and New York.

First it was ICE going after blue states, now it is unemployment insurance being framed as fraud in blue states. But as usual, they offer no data to back up their accusations.

Trump’s Department of Labor claims without data that states defrauded government

Acting secretary Keith Sonderling threatens to withhold administrative funds from states for first time in history

The Guardian

Michael Sainato

Wed 17 Jun 2026

Keith Sonderling sent letters to 53 states and US territories demanding action to “combat waste, fraud, and abuse” within the unemployment insurance program, threatening to withhold administrative funds from states for the first time in history.

“We are officially putting governors on notice,” said the acting US secretary of labor. “The American people will no longer tolerate the blatant waste, fraud, and abuse of their hard-earned tax dollars – no state should allow it either. If states allow it, they will suffer the consequences. This department is no longer afraid to use every lever available to ensure taxpayer money is protected.”

The agency did not provide data on fraud or alleged fraud in unemployment systems, but highlighted three Democrat-led states – California, New York and Illinois – and made claims about each.

The article also noted that much of the so-called “fraud” is actually billing and payment error.

The Department of Labor also claimed that New York loses an estimated $2m a day in unemployment insurance fraud and improper payments, but did not differentiate between the two. They also cited that Illinois had improper payments of $320m, at a rate of 14%.

Improper payments are not fraud, rather are most often cited as due to antiquated technology, with an estimated improper payment rate of 14.9% across the US.

This is the Trump administration’s typical MO: make broad, attention-grabbing accusations that dominate headlines, but are not supported by clear data.

Friendly news outlets like Fox News plaster it all over their headlines: “Massive Fraud Crackdown.” What they don’t mention is that much of it is billing error and that states are actively pursuing actual fraud cases. But they don’t mention that.

I also want to point out that states are going after fraud:

• Audits uncover issues with timely delivery of N.C. unemployment benefits, $47 million in fraudulent payments
• California’s troubled unemployment agency squandered $4.6M on cellphones, devices that went unused for years
• Colorado: State audit finds $5M in UI overcharges to employers

It is not as though the states are doing nothing. Much of the data the federal government is using comes from the states themselves. This is nothing more than grandstanding.

And you know darn well that if the feds do this the courts will overturn it like they did with the ICE and CBP fake claims. The courts blocked him in cutting funding to Sanctuary Cities. When he cut funding to states' Welfare & Social Services programs. When he tried to cut Public Health & Research. So if he goes through with these threats I foresee the court blocking him again.

Judge Shopping?

This is really off the deep end—they are grasping at straws. They are going after a medical association! Now get this... for fraud!

FTC sues transgender care group, arguing it deceived parents and patients

The World Professional Association for Transgender Health has a leading role in determining how gender-affirming care is provided.

Politico

By Simon J. Levien

06/17/2026

The Federal Trade Commission is suing the leading transgender health care group in federal court. The agency argued on Wednesday that the World Professional Association for Transgender Health made “deceptive claims” in its health care guidelines for transgender children. The group’s members include psychiatrists, surgeons, pediatricians, endocrinologists and primary care doctors who work with transgender patients.

The FTC, like the Health Department, has been on a monthslong legal tear to clamp down on providers and hospitals that offer gender-affirming care. Gender-affirming care refers to medical interventions for minors experiencing distress that their bodies do not align with their gender identity.

This is total bonkers!

“Medical organizations must follow the science, disclose conflicts and put patients first,” said Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a news release praising the FTC’s action.

The agency alleged that WPATH’s trans care recommendations violate the FTC Act by misleading parents and patients about the necessity and efficacy of these treatments. The FTC filed its complaint in the federal court in Fort Worth, Texas, alongside several red states, which joined the suit: Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas.

Ah... now I see. RFK Jr. has his two cents in this politically motivated attack on WPATH. And this appears to be a spinoff from a British investigation.

 The Trump administration has pointed to a British government review that found the evidence supporting gender-affirming care’s efficacy is weak, and produced its own study arguing the same. The administration supported Tennessee’s defense of its law barring gender-affirming care for minors in a Supreme Court case last year that Tennessee won 6-3.

So why Texas and not Washington, D.C. to file the case? Because the FTC had recently received an unfavorable ruling from Judge Boasberg in D.C. in related litigation involving WPATH. Meanwhile, down in Texas, they had a very good chance of getting a judge that Trump appointed... and they got Judge Mark Pittman! Who is he?

• In 2022, Pittman struck down the Biden administration's student-loan forgiveness program,
• In April 2023, Pittman issued the first major ruling in the case seeking to suspend the FDA's approval of mifepristone,

And of course the Republican states are jumping on board...  The Advocate writes;

The Federal Trade Commission, joined by the attorneys general of Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska, and Texas, filed the lawsuit against the World Professional Association for Transgender Health in federal court in Texas. The complaint alleges that WPATH made deceptive or unsubstantiated claims about the safety, effectiveness, medical necessity, and evidence base for puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries for young people.

It doesn't look good for us!

I'm not a legal expert, but I believe that this case is mainly to show the MAGA base that they are tough on us. The grounds they are basing their case on have been called novel and aggressive. What are its chances of succeeding? I give it a 50/50 chance to win in the Supreme Court. They seem to be essentially trying to reclassify medical consensus and clinical guidelines as "commercial marketing." It is an aggressive stretch of consumer protection law designed to bypass the traditional medical boards and go straight for the financial and legal jugular.