Saturday 9: London Town (1978)

Saturday 9: London Town (1978)
On Saturdays I take a break from the heavy stuff and have some fun… 

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

 

1) Have you ever visited London?
No, but I have been to New London does that count?

2) In this song, Paul sings of encountering a London street musician playing the flute. Are there street musicians in your town?
No, but… In Provincetown MA on Cape Cod there was a street musician, Ellie Castillo who sang in front of the town hall, she sang mostly Frank Sinatra songs with a portable mic setup.

3) It's raining as he wanders around London. How is the weather where you are today?
Well they say mostly sunny, but they got me fooled!

Ooh... Ooh... the sun is peaking through the clouds since I wrote thing!

4) "London Town" is one of a handful of songs credited to Paul McCartney and Denny Laine, his bandmate in Wings from 1971 to 1981. They became fast friends in the mid-60s when Denny was with The Moody Blues, the band who opened for The Beatles on their final UK concert tour. Paul has acknowledged Denny's outstanding vocals and guitar playing, as well as his humor and generosity. Share the good qualities of one of your close friends.
I won’t share the good qualities of one friend, but I’ll share the good qualities of all my friends… empathy. They care about others!

5) Wings broke up in 1981 when Paul decided he was weary of touring. His kids were in school, his Beatle bandmate John Lennon had been murdered, and he simply felt more comfortable staying put and working in the studio, rather than performing live. Denny believed this would mean his role, and his financial compensation, would diminish so he quit Wings. Tell us about why you left one of your jobs.
Well I’ll tell you about why I left all my jobs.
Job #1, Went bankrupt. (From that I learned that the employees are way down the list of creditors).
Job #2, Got bought out, I saw the hand writing on the wall and bailed with some other engineers to...
Job #3, For 28 years, many of which were with my old engineers from the previous job (Sadly, I just learned the other two just passed away.). They closed the factory and moved it South Korea and I took early retirement.

6) Linda McCartney also wrote and performed with Wings. In addition to music, she is known for her photography and cookbooks. Of these three – music, photography and cooking – which do you enjoy most?
Oh! Oh! What a choice “photography and cooking” I claim both! Because each you do separately. (Well I guess some can argue that you can photography your food.) 

7) Paul's first car was a 1964 Aston Martin DB5. He selected it himself before The Beatles went off on their first world tour and it was waiting for him when he got home to London. He drove it when he shouldn't have, as he didn't get his license until spring of 1965. When did you get your driver's license?
When I was 17.
Oh and do I have a good story for my driving test!
So we show up at the motor vehicle department and it is snowing!
We sit down waiting for me to be called, so I take the vision test, the written test, and then came the dreaded driving test!
I look out the window and the snow is coming down horizontally! We go out to my mother’s car, I get in start it up and turn on the defroster, and get out! Clean the whole cars off and by then the car is toasty.
I drive out to the main road, wipers beating out that one long song, I drive a block, the inspector says do a “K” turn. And we drive back. So my driving test was less than a ¼ mile long in a blinding blizzard! Best of all my mother let me drive home with my new license (I always thought that it was because she didn’t like to drive in snow.).

8) Speaking of driver's licenses ... Last year someone bought one of Paul's expired driver's licenses at auction for $20,000. When you get a new license, passport, or state issued ID, what do you do with the old one?
All but the passport gets shredded. My old passport I kept because under this administration I cannot get a new one because my names don’t match. Also if the SAVE Act passes I will not be able to vote just like millions of women who names do not match their name on their birth certificate, welcome to the club of not being able to vote.

9) Random question – Which do you have more of: dirty dishes in the sink or dirty clothes in the hamper?
Well today’s Saturday!
So the dishes went from the sink to the dish washer to be washed over night.
And it is laundry day! (At least I don’t have to check to make sure snow is not blocking the dryer vent.)

---

As many of you know I like to see what an AI can do, so I asked ChatGPT...

Your mission, should you choose to accept it… One of the labors of an avid reader—or listener—is deciding what to read next, or in my case, what to listen to.

The books I enjoy include works by David Weber, Elizabeth Moon’s Vatta’s Peace series, and the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold for hard sci-fi. For fantasy, I like Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Moon’s The Deed of Paksenarrion series.

So your mission is to find me new authors—especially those whose audiobooks are available on Hoopla.

*******

Mission accepted 😄 — and you’ve got excellent taste. Based on your mix of military sci-fi, character-driven space opera, and classic fantasy, here are some strong author picks—especially ones that often show up on Hoopla audiobooks.

---

🚀 If you like David Weber & Bujold (military / character-driven sci-fi)

🔹 John Scalzi

• Try: Old Man’s War series

• Why: Military sci-fi with humor, fast pacing, and strong characters

• Hoopla odds: High (very common in audio catalogs)

---

🔹 Marko Kloos

• Try: Frontlines series

• Why: Gritty military sci-fi, similar boots-on-the-ground feel as Weber

• Hoopla odds: Moderate–High

---

🔹 Tanya Huff

• Try: Confederation series

• Why: Space marines + strong character work (very Moon/Bujold adjacent)

• Hoopla odds: Moderate

---

🔹 Jack Campbell

• Try: The Lost Fleet series

• Why: Tactical fleet combat + leadership themes (very Weber-like)

• Hoopla odds: High

---

🔹 Becky Chambers

• Try: Wayfarers series

• Why: More character-driven and optimistic (like the softer side of Bujold)

• Hoopla odds: Moderate

---

🐉 If you like McCaffrey & Paksenarrion (classic fantasy)

🔹 Mercedes Lackey

• Try: Valdemar series

• Why: Strong character arcs, magic systems, and classic fantasy feel

• Hoopla odds: High

---

🔹 Raymond E. Feist

• Try: Riftwar Saga

• Why: Epic scope, accessible storytelling, old-school fantasy vibes

• Hoopla odds: Moderate–High

---

🔹 Tamora Pierce

• Try: Protector of the Small

• Why: If you loved Paksenarrion’s growth and training arc, this hits similar notes

• Hoopla odds: Moderate

---

🔹 Kristen Britain

• Try: Green Rider series

• Why: Classic fantasy adventure with strong female lead

• Hoopla odds: Moderate

---

🔹 David Eddings

• Try: Belgariad

• Why: Comfort fantasy, very classic and character-focused

• Hoopla odds: High

---

🎧 A quick Hoopla tip

Hoopla availability varies by library system, but:

• Big-name authors (Scalzi, Campbell, Lackey) are very likely

• Older/classic fantasy is often surprisingly well stocked

• Series availability can be partial—worth checking before you commit

---

👉 If you want a sharper mission

I can narrow this down further if you tell me:

• More military sci-fi or more fantasy?

• Prefer serious tone or okay with humor (like Scalzi)?

• Want long series or tighter trilogies?

Or I can go even deeper and build you a “start here on Hoopla right now” list.

The Noose Tightens

It is getting worse, now they are going after online pharmacies!

Major ‘DIY’ hormone hub shuts down as the anti-trans brigade targets more sites

A major ‘DIY’ hormone resource website appears to have closed just days after being targeted by right-wing and gender-critical media outlets.

The Pink News

Mar 13

Written by Amelia Hansford

HRT Cafe, a grassroots database of tutorials, resources, and information on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), closed its doors earlier this week.

The website, which was maintained by a small, anonymous group of developers, was considered one of the biggest resources for ‘DIY’ HRT in the UK.

‘DIY’ HRT, also known as self-medicating, is the practice of obtaining and administering medication with minimal or no medical oversight. It is considered a last resort to accessing gender-affirming care. It is not illegal to possess non-controlled hormones for personal use without a prescription in the UK.

When I first started hormones my insurance wouldn't cover it back in 2004, so I ordered mine from overseas. I also had prescription and was being monitored by a doctor.

Its closure came just days after a number of right-wing news outlets, including The Daily Signal, published articles on ‘DIY’ vendors citing HRT Cafe and other resource sites. Gender-critical pundits also posted on social media to suggest this was just the first step in getting additional resource sites shut down.

While several LGBTQ+ and trans non-profits advise against self-medicating, warning of potential harm due to contamination from unregulated vendors, several members of the community have said it is the last feasible way for them to access the potentially life-saving medication.

I would also guess they are doing the same with abortion medication! I also wonder if they are scanning emails address to the overseas pharmacies and when you search for them! Is "Big Brother" watching you? Are they making databases of whose been naughty and nice?

The overseas press is even worse!

Online pharmacy selling HRT SHUTS after handing transgender people drugs without checks

GBN

By Alice Tomlinson

Published: 13/03/2026

A website that helped transgender people find hormone treatments online has shut down after coming under scrutiny over the sale of medication without medical checks.

HRT Cafe, a grassroots online database that compiled information on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), appears to have gone offline days after coming under scrutiny in the media.

The site, maintained by a small anonymous group of developers, had become one of the most widely used online resources for people seeking so-called “DIY” hormone therapy in the UK.

“DIY” HRT refers to the practice of obtaining and taking hormone medication without direct medical supervision, often through online pharmacies or overseas suppliers.

You know if it wasn't for Trump lies this wouldn't be happening! It is always the Republicans! 

The Lavender Scare -- Republicans

Save Our Children -- Republicans

Book bans -- Republicans

Drag show bans -- Republicans

All the anti-trans laws -- Republicans

We lived with no problems until the Republicans came along, and not just any Republicans but MAGA Republicans!

Did you know that a lot of the early pro-trans legislation came from Republican states? Because they said by changing our documentation we could become productive members of society! Now they've done a 180 and have declared a pogrom against us!

Women History Month!

I don’t know about you but I had some preconceived ideas about traveling in colonial times and when I read about her journey it was amazing! I don’t think were many woman can do that today! I can across her journal and I asked ChatGPT to write about it and recommend other stories about women traveling!

In 1704, a Boston businesswoman did something almost unthinkable for her time: she set out alone on horseback, traveling south through Connecticut to New York City. Her name was Sarah Kemble Knight, and her journey would become one of the earliest known travel diaries by a woman in colonial America.

Knight wasn’t traveling for leisure. She was handling legal business for a friend’s estate. But the story she left behind shows a woman bold, clever, and unafraid of the risks of the road. She navigated muddy post roads, crossed rivers with no bridges, and stayed in inns where the beds were often crowded, uncomfortable, or infested. Along the way, she observed townspeople, inns, and local customs, recording everything with sharp wit and humor.

Her diary, later published as The Private Journal of a Journey from Boston to New York in the Year 1704, reveals a woman actively shaping her own experience. Knight complains, jokes, and critiques the people she meets, showing intelligence and independence that defied the norms of her era.

What makes her story extraordinary isn’t just the physical journey — it’s her determination to live life on her own terms, traveling through spaces most women of her social class would never enter. For a brief glimpse, you can imagine her riding through forests, dodging poor roads and the occasional rude traveler, notebook in hand, documenting the world in her own voice.

Sarah Kemble Knight reminds us that even in the early 18th century, women could step outside prescribed roles, pursue work and adventure, and leave a record of courage and curiosity that still inspires today.

---

## 1. Isabella Bird – adventures in the American West

One of the most entertaining travel writers.

    • Book: A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains

    • Written in the 1870s as letters during her travels in Colorado.

    • She rode horses through mountain wilderness and frontier towns.

The book describes frontier life, landscapes, and colorful characters she met along the way. ([Wikipedia][1])

Her style is very similar to Knight’s—personal observations, humor, and everyday details.

---

## 2. Isabella Bird again – traveling across America

Another free book:

    • The Englishwoman in America

It describes her journey through Canada and the United States and her impressions of American society. ([Project Gutenberg][2])

---

## 3. Stories about many women travelers

There’s also a collection called:

    • Celebrated Women Travellers of the Nineteenth Century

It tells the stories of multiple women explorers and travelers who wrote journals about their journeys around the world. ([Project Gutenberg][3])

---

## 4. Other colonial-era travel journals

Historians often group several early American travel diaries together, including:

    • Sarah Kemble Knight

    • William Byrd II

    • Alexander Hamilton

Their writings describe the difficult roads, taverns, and daily life in colonial America. ([Samson Historical][4])

---

💡 Why these are great blog material

Travel diaries are fascinating because they show:

    • what roads and towns were like

    • how people ate and slept while traveling

    • social customs and regional differences

They often feel surprisingly modern and personal, even though they were written centuries ago.

---

✅ 

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Lady%27s_Life_in_the_Rocky_Mountains? "A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains"

[2]: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7526? "The Englishwoman in America by Isabella L. Bird | Project Gutenberg"

[3]: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31479? "Celebrated Women Travellers of the Nineteenth Century by W. H. Davenport Adams | Project Gutenberg"

[4]: https://www.samsonhistorical.com/products/colonial-american-travel-narratives? "Colonial American Travel Narratives - Samson Historical"

Is MAGA Collapsing?

It seems Trump has crossed an invisible line he didn't see coming. His MAGA base, however, saw it clearly and are throwing their usual hissy fit.

Cracks appear in Trump’s MAGA base as leading figures criticize the Iran war

AP News

By  DAVID BAUDER, MEG KINNARD and ALI SWENSON

March 4, 2026

For President Donald Trump, some of the sharpest criticism he’s faced in the early days of the Iran war has come from once-loyal media figures far more accustomed to singing his praises.

Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Matt Walsh are among those to express discontent. It’s been noticed in the White House, which has been playing defense on social media and in interviews.

To be sure, these critics are the minority of the media MAGAsphere, where Fox News’ biggest stars remain cheerleaders. But their words illustrate conservative media’s influence and how valuable it is to Trump when all runs as a well-oiled machine — and, by contrast, how much of a problem it can be if it fractures.

[...]

“It’s hard to say this, but the United States didn’t make the decision here. Benjamin Netanyahu did,” Carlson said on his podcast, referring to the Israeli prime minister.

I would argue that Trump's "loyal" base isn't that loyal anymore, and observers on the other side of the pond see it, too.

How the Iran war exposed cracks in Trump's Republican coalition

BBC News

Lucy Proctorand Mike Wendling

March 14, 2026

"This is Israel's war. This is not the United States' war."

The video was posted to YouTube less than two days after the US and Israel began their most recent attacks on Iran. It's been viewed more than two million times. But it wasn't made by an anti-Trump activist or critic of the president.

The monologue came from one of the most influential voices on the right of American politics: former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

"Countries become less free during war, a spirit of violence descends and people change fast," said Carlson, a long-time supporter of Donald Trump, who reportedly met the US president several times last month in an attempt to dissuade him from ordering military action. "You can feel on people the bloodlust, the hate, and it accelerates."

Carlson's advice was clear: "Get out right away. It's just that simple. Of course, it's also incredibly complicated, but the first step is deciding that we're leaving."

While many of Trump's most fervent supporters back the current military action, polls indicate that one in four Republicans take the opposite view.

The MAGA crowd finally saw through the rhetoric. Israel pulled Trump’s strings! They essentially said, "We are attacking; you're going to be left behind if you don't join us!" So, like a good lapdog, he went to war. In another AP News article...

It was no surprise when Joe Kent showed up on Tucker Carlson’s podcast a day after quitting his counterterrorism job in President Donald Trump’s administration. Here was a top official who resigned to protest the war with Iran turning to right-wing media’s leading critic of the conflict.

“The Israelis drove the decision to take this action,” Kent said in Wednesday’s interview.

[...]

The conversation encapsulated two schisms within the Republican Party and the right-wing media system, both of which have reached high into the national security establishment of the Trump administration.

There’s a foreign policy debate over the wisdom of Trump’s war with Iran and the future of the United States’ longstanding alliance with Israel.

Trump spent years feeding his base statements they took as Gospel truth... claiming the Democrats started all the wars and they believed him. He promised he would never start a war, and the MAGA movement ate it up. And now?

But look closer, and there are splits apparent on the right.

Nine out of 10 Republicans that self-identify as "Maga" (Make America Great Again) support the war, according to NBC.

These are Trump's ride-or-die supporters, the type of people who show up to his rallies wearing red hats and almost always support his agenda.

The same poll indicated that Republicans who don't call themselves Maga are much more sceptical about the war – just over half said they approved, and more than a third say they oppose it.

You know I think that I am beginning to smell a grassfire. Responsible Statecraft reported that...

According to a new poll of Trump 2024 voters commissioned by the Quincy Institute (which publishes Responsible Statecraft) and the American Conservative, and conducted by Ipsos from March 12-14, 79% say they would prefer the president declare victory and get out of the war now.

“While Trump voters by and large stand behind Trump, they overwhelmingly want him to declare an end to the war,” said Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute. “Trump risks losing significant portions of his base if he escalates the war with ground troops and allows the war to further push up gas prices.”

Craa... ck! That sound is of Trump base cracking!

When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall,

And down will come baby, cradle and all

Yeah, But...

This totally doesn't make sense that the 14^th Amendment wasn't ever being considered back then!

The Supreme Court’s Birthright Citizenship Decision Hinges on a Case You’ve Never Heard Of

Slate

By Smita Ghosh

March 18, 2026

On April 1, the Supreme Court hears oral argument in Trump v. Barbara, a class-action lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship for certain people. No one will be surprised to hear lawyers discussing the text of the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause and the history that led to its ratification—that clearly relates to the Trump administration’s claim that birthright citizenship doesn’t apply to children of “undocumented” or “temporarily present” noncitizens because their parents cannot establish “domicile,” meaning permanent presence in the country. But court watchers may not expect to hear debate about an 1844 inheritance case from New York. Yet that case, Lynch v. Clarke, has become incredibly important. Indeed, it may be instrumental in determining the fate of millions of American-born infants.

In the 1844 case, Judge Lewis Sandford held that Julia Lynch, the child of Irish parents who was born during their “temporary sojourn” in New York, was a U.S. citizen. The issue arose amid a heated battle over the fate of Lynch & Clarke, a firm that sold bottled spring water from Saratoga Springs to New York City residents in the early 1800s. Thomas Lynch and John Clarke were partners in the firm until Lynch died in 1833. Lynch had no will, and his only surviving heirs, which included his brother Bernard and a deceased brother’s daughter—his niece Julia—lived in Ireland. A year after Thomas’ death, when Julia was 15, she and her uncle Bernard sailed to New York and geared themselves for a fight for Thomas’ property.

I would like to point out the Fourteenth Amendment was ratified in 1866!

Sandford also rejected Bernard’s argument that Americans had abandoned the English concept of birthright citizenship. He acknowledged that American authorities had rejected some aspects of British law and society. But he concluded that birthright citizenship was by now distinctively American. As Sandford recounted, the Founders understood that their new nation was, in James Madison’s words, “indebted to emigration for her settlement and prosperity.” American authorities therefore embraced the rule of birthright citizenship, referring, for example, to a “natural born citizen” in various statutes and cases.

You know that the current Supreme Court Juices are so called "Originalists" so this goes to show that it was where you were born matters, not your parent's nationality. Kind of shots holes in the Republican's argument. 

The Republicans Are A Bottomless Pit

Tennessee House Bill 754.

It seems as though Republican-led states are in a competition to see who can pass the most draconian laws, and Tennessee just moved to the head of the pack.

Republican bill would require TN medical facilities to share some info on gender-affirming care, or face up to $150K fines

The bill would also prevent local governments and parents from barring mental health therapy for transgender minors.

WBIR Ch 10

Chris Salvemini

March 13, 2025

A Republican bill in the Tennessee legislature would require medical facilities share some information about gender-affirming care with the state, or else face suspensions of at least 6 months and fines of up to $150,000.

The bill, HB 0754, was introduced by Representative Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) and would apply to medical facilities that both offer gender-affirming care and receive state funds. Those clinics would need to share information with the state whenever pharmaceutical or surgical gender-affirming care is prescribed. Faison said it would include patients whose gender-affirming care is paid for with insurance.

It would need to tell the state when procedures were prescribed or when referrals were made for procedures. It would also need to tell the state the "age and sex" of people who are prescribed or referred to others for gender-affirming care. If they get prescribed drugs as part of their care, the facility would need to share the drug's name, dosage, frequency, duration and how it is administered. They would also need to share patients' states and counties of residence.

The names and contact information of healthcare professionals who prescribe gender-affirming care would also need to be given to the state, along with a list of "neurological, behavioral or mental health" diagnoses that patients received.

This is incredibly dangerous. It is likely one of the worst state bills ever introduced because it targets the privacy of our medical records. However, this is just one of a whole slew of anti-trans bills currently being considered.

Tennessee lawmakers weigh a dozen new Republican anti-LGBTQ+ bills

Advocates warn that the proposals targeting employment protections, health care, marriage equality, and Pride displays could reshape life for LGBTQ+ Tennesseans.

The Advocate

Christopher Wiggins

Mar 04, 2026

 Tennessee lawmakers are taking up more than a dozen bills affecting LGBTQ+ people this week, a package advocates warn could dramatically reshape the legal landscape for queer and transgender residents. Hearings began Tuesday and continue through Wednesday at the Cordell Hull Building in Nashville.

The Tennessee Equality Project has called the moment a “legislative crisis,” noting that committees in the Tennessee General Assembly are set to hear at least 13 measures touching nearly every corner of LGBTQ+ life, from employment protections and health care access to marriage recognition, library books, and Pride celebrations.

It is getting bad out there, really bad for us!

The Tennessee Conservative writes,

In the Senate, a bill that prohibits TennCare from providing reimbursement for Trans “gender affirming” procedures, not just for minors but for all Tennesseans covered under the state’s Medicaid program, passed in an 8 to 1 vote along party lines in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee on Tuesday and now heads to the Senate floor for a final vote.

These bills are designed to inflict pain and harm upon our community. This effectively places "Big Brother" in the doctor's office, looking over your shoulder.

This is our Trail of Tears. This is the worst type of government: one designed to cause targeted harm to a specific group for nothing more than political gain. It is designed to break our community!

Couple this with the Kansas laws... it is becoming very, very dangerous for us! We are becoming "Healthcare Refugees" we are fleeing the states where we were born to the safety of the Blue states. 

Question.

You do know that Trump is also the Commander-in-Chief the military, well this is one thing you never what to hear a commander say... "Gee I didn't think they would do that!"

Trump Makes Bombshell Confession He Was Shocked at Middle East War Escalation

The comments came as insiders expressed dismay at the way the war has been carried out.

Daily Beast

Farrah Tomazin 

Mar. 16 2026

Donald Trump has admitted he was “shocked” by Iran’s retaliatory strikes across the Middle East, in a tacit acknowledgement that the U.S. may have miscalculated parts of the war.

As the conflict enters its third week, the president also demanded NATO allies help him reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil choke point, as a standoff with Iran sparks more pain at the pump for consumers.

You know when you surround yourself with "Yes" men, men who are too scared to say their shoes don't fit!

But it was Trump’s confession about Iran’s escalation against Gulf allies that particularly raised eyebrows when he gave his latest update on Monday.

“They weren’t supposed to go after all these other countries in the Middle East,” he told reporters at the White House.

“Those missiles were set to go after them. So they hit Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait. Nobody expected that. We were shocked!

“And they fought back. They could have yielded, but think of it, if we weren’t around. They had tremendous power.”

Scary hun? 

Okay I have a question for you...

online polls

Burning Bridges!

Europe just told Trump FU! In proving the old saying... you reap what you sow,.

‘Blackmail is also not what I wish for’: America’s allies are ghosting Trump on Strait of Hormuz

By Eva Roytburg

Fortune

March 16, 2026

More than two weeks into a war President Donald Trump started without asking allies for buy-in, he is now asking for backup, and mostly getting left on read.

Trump spent the weekend demanding that allies, China, and other Asia-Pacific nations send warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint through which a fifth of the world’s oil normally flows. He even warned Sunday that NATO faces a “very bad future” if allies don’t step up, marking another threat just two months after he precipitated an existential crisis for the alliance over Greenland.

Since the U.S. and Iran launched strikes on Feb. 28, Iran has effectively shut the waterway and may have even begun laying mines. Over the weekend, the messaging around the Strait of Hormuz remained muddled: Tehran said that the Strait was “open to all” except America and its allies, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed on CNBC Monday morning that it was the U.S. that “allowed” Iranian oil tankers to cross the strait. The price of U.S. oil lowered significantly on Bessent’ s comments, now under $95 a barrel. 

[...]

Germany was very blunt. 

“This war has nothing to do with NATO. It is not NATO’s war,” a spokesperson for Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Monday, adding that Berlin had “not considered” participating before the war began and will not be considering it now. 

Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister Xavier Bettel also laid it on thick, saying that the NATO member is happy to help with satellites and communications but “Blackmail is also not what I wish for.”

Okay folks, remember last summer when Trump wanted to annex Greenland and hurled all kinds of threats at NATO and Europe? He’s living out every cliché in the book: burning bridges, reaping what he sowed, and painting himself into a corner. After the way he’s treated them, what does he honestly expect? Trump is now stewing in his own juice as his chickens come home to roost and suffering the consequences of his own ineptitude.

Dominating!

[Editorial]

Trump always has to have the upper hand and national leaders are playing into his ego and that he always dominates him… nobody but nobody upstages him. If they do, he will never forget or forgive.

Trump's Handshake Attempt Fails to Faze Paraguay's President

Santiago Peña stands firm during Trump's signature pulling grip at Florida summit

National Today

Mar. 9, 2026

At the Shield of the Americas summit in Doral, Florida, a brief handshake between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Paraguay's President Santiago Peña went viral after footage showed Peña refusing to be pulled by Trump's familiar exaggerated handshake style. While some interpreted the moment as Peña 'humiliating' Trump, the exchange was more a quiet display of agency, with Peña maintaining his composure and stance despite Trump's attempts to dominate the greeting.

Why it matters

The handshake moment gained attention as it occurred at a summit meant to project unity and strength in the region, with Trump urging Latin American leaders to use military force against cartels and gangs. Peña's refusal to be pulled by Trump's handshake can be seen as a subtle form of resistance against the performative power dynamics often on display in such diplomatic meetings.

Look, I’m not a therapist or anything but I have two eyes, Trump has a long memory and if you cross him or do anything to make him look bad… watch out! He has to be center stage. me. Me. Me.

We all have seen that revenge is part of narcissistic behavior. And foreign government are playing him like a fiddle. Some say that Israel played him to attack Iran.

I even think that his hatred of the trans community goes all the way to the Miss Universe Canada where a court ordered the pageant to allow a trans woman to compete. I think that Trump took this as a personal attack on his manhood!

[/Editorial]

Help Me Get This Straight

[Editorial]

Venezuela = Oil$

Cuba = Oil$

Iran = Oil$

Russia Oil Embargo = Oil$

Do I see a trend here?

[/Editorial]

Me, Me, Me!

Have you noticed, it is always about Trump... he has to work himself in the narrative somehow!

Heads explode at Donald Trump’s “delusional” perspective on Venezuelan baseball victory

“The ignorance and stupidity is exhausting.”

LGBTQ Nation

Molly Sprayregen (She/Her)

March 17, 2026

People are infuriated by a recent Truth Social post in which Donald Trump managed to make the World Baseball Classic semifinal about himself.

“Wow! Venezuela defeated Italy tonight, 4-2, in the WBC (Baseball!) Semifinal,” the president wrote. “They are looking really great. Good things are happening to Venezuela lately! | wonder what this magic is all about? STATEHOOD, #51, ANYONE?”

The post seems to imply that the U.S. military’s likely illegal invasion of Venezuela earlier this year could somehow contribute to the “magic” of the country’s baseball team.

Folks on social media were also horrified by Trump’s casual suggestion that Venezuela become the 51st state, especially considering his administration has been brutalizing Hispanic communities in its deportation rampage.

You know what... other nations see that and use it to exploit Trump by playing to his narcissism! And he only cares about himself, not the country, not the people, not the voters!

A Coincident?

Across the pond, the European Parliament says we are women! Meanwhile, Trump says "FU" and imposes more junk on trans people here.

European Parliament resolution backs ‘full recognition of trans women as women’

Non-binding document outlines UN Commission on the Status of Women priorities

The Washington Blade

By Michael K. Lavers

February 16, 2026

The European Parliament on Feb. 11 adopted a transgender-inclusive resolution ahead of next month’s U.N. Commission on the Status of Women meeting.

The resolution, which details the European Union’s priorities ahead of the meeting, specifically calls for “the full recognition of trans women as women.”

“Their inclusion is essential for the effectiveness of any gender-equality and anti-violence policies; call for recognition of and equal access for trans women to protection and support services,” reads the resolution that Erin in the Morning details.

Was this Trump's response to the ruling? The timing makes you wonder, especially looking at the State Department’s latest move:

State Department visa rule sets stage for ICE scrutiny of transgender immigrants

New visa requirements could create document conflicts that follow gender-nonconforming travelers into immigration enforcement databases.

The Advocate

Christopher Wiggins

Mar 14, 2026

The U.S. Department of State has finalized a new immigration rule requiring visa applicants to identify their sex assigned at birth. Advocates warn that the change will expose transgender and nonbinary travelers to scrutiny, delays, visa denials, or deportation if their documents do not align with the Trump administration’s definition of sex.

The regulation, published Wednesday in the Federal Register, updates federal immigration procedures to align with an executive order issued by President Donald Trump last year directing agencies to recognize sex as a fixed biological classification and remove references to gender identity from federal policy.

Under the new rule, visa and immigration systems will record sex assigned at birth rather than gender identity and recognize only male or female classifications. The policy applies to visa processing and immigration records maintained by the State Department, including applications for programs such as the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.

So how in hell will the CBP and ICE suppose to figure out who is "trans" and who is "cis"? So trans people like me will get booted out of the country but those who can blend in can enter the country!

For transgender and nonbinary travelers, particularly those whose passports reflect gender markers that differ from their sex assigned at birth, the policy could create bureaucratic conflicts between identity documents and federal immigration records. Such discrepancies could carry heightened consequences amid the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement posture, where inconsistencies in official documents can trigger additional vetting or allegations of misrepresentation during visa adjudication.]

Yup, this is exactly what Trump wants: he wants us living in fear the moment we hand over our passports. And what happens to cisgender women who happen to look masculine? Will they also be booted? Is "perfectly feminine" the only look allowed now? Of course, Trump & Company gave no thought to trans men!

In Europe, the courts are moving in the opposite direction, according to Reuters...

The European Union's top court ruled on Thursday that ​national legislation barring gender information changes ‌was incompatible with EU law, citing the challenges faced when a person's lived ​gender identity does not align ​with official documents.

The case concerned a ⁠Bulgarian citizen registered male at ​birth who has begun hormone treatment ​and identifies as a woman.

She moved to Italy and asked Bulgarian authorities to change ​her legal gender, name and ​identification number. Courts denied the request, pointing to ‌national ⁠rules that define sex strictly in biological terms and ban changes to gender information.

But here in the courts have ruled the exact opposite!

Justices Uphold Lower Court in Birth Certificate Case Involving Transgender Woman

KOTA

South Dakota’s Supreme Court has ruled that transgender individuals cannot change the gender marker on their birth certificates to reflect their gender identity.

The decision stems from a 2024 case involving Sigrid Nielson, a transgender woman who petitioned to have her sex designation changed from male to female. A circuit court denied the request, and Nielson appealed.

In its ruling Thursday, the Supreme Court upheld that denial, finding that state law allows changes to a birth certificate’s sex designation only when the original record was entered in error at the time of birth.

Let’s get down to the basics. What is the purpose of a birth certificate? Trump and the Republicans think it’s a historical document carved in stone. Europe and the Democrats see it for what it is: a functional identity document. Can you imagine a hairy trans guy standing at a border with a passport that says he’s a "woman"? There is a massive Constitutional showdown coming!

It Is All About Oil!

By lifting sanctions on Russian oil amid the Iran war, the U.S. is "essentially" gifting Russia "$140 million a day!"

Ultimatum!... Now What?

What happens when you throw down the glove and nothing happens? Then what do you do?

Trump makes SAVE America Act ultimatum

By Thérèse Boudreaux

The Center Square

Mar 9, 2026

Pressure from the Trump administration is mounting on Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to revive old filibuster rules and ensure the passage of Republicans’ elections reform bill.

In multiple social media posts, President Donald Trump promoted “using the Filibuster, or Talking Filibuster, in order to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, an 88% issue with ALL VOTERS,” adding that the bill “supersedes everything else.” 

Trump also vowed to “not sign other Bills until this is passed,” with the exception of the last fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill funding the Department of Homeland Security.

But you know what… Trump may have shot himself in the foot! He may not have thought it through. In many cases, by not signing a bill it becomes law after 10 days (Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution).

And now the House is putting in its two cents.

House Republicans Give GOP Senators Ultimatum Over SAVE America Act

Newsweek

By Mandy Taheri

Mar 14, 2026

GOP Representative Anna Paulina Luna issued an on-air ultimatum to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, saying on Fox News’ Saturday in America the House would block Senate legislation unless the chamber debated and voted on The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.

The Florida Republican had made a similar ultimatum on X on Friday, as had Representative Brandon Gill, a Texas Republican, who noted that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding should be exempt.

“I’ll be voting ‘no’ on all Senate bills - other than DHS funding - until the Senate passes the SAVE America Act,” he wrote on X on Friday.

Okay, what are the Republican options? What happens if the Democrats in the Senate dig their heels in? Does the government come to a grinding halt? Let’s look at Trump first.

If he doesn't sign any bills, what happens to them? Well, it depends.

If he does nothing, under certain circumstances the bill becomes law after ten days, as described in the Constitution. But… you always know that politicians leave wiggle room.

A pocket veto: If Congress adjourns before the 10-day window ends, then the bill dies automatically and Congress cannot override it.

His third option is to simply veto it outright.

Then the Senate also has what is called the nuclear option; the repeal of the filibuster. But that has some serious side effects for the Senate.

So will they repeal the filibuster rule? If they do, it will do exactly what its nickname implies. Right now it means that most major bills need bipartisan support to pass. If repealed, a party could cram through bills like voting laws, immigration reforms, healthcare changes, and environmental legislation.

But when Congress changes parties, all that legislation could be undone.

MS Now wrote,

“The SAVE Act is Jim Crow 2.0,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in an online statement responding to Trump’s ultimatum. “It would disenfranchise tens of millions of people. If Trump is saying he won’t sign any bills until the SAVE Act is passed, then so be it: There will be total gridlock in the Senate.”

The New York Democrat concluded, “Senate Democrats will not help pass the SAVE Act under any circumstances.”

So what happens when their ultimatum fails?

A New Level Of Hatred.

The Republicans have just gone to a new level... a new level of persecution. I believe it rises to the level of a pogrom. The courts have ordered the seizure of records from a peer support group in Texas.

PFLAG must turn over records in Texas probe tied to transgender youth care ban, court rules

The Texas Supreme Court said the state only needs a reasonable belief that the group may have relevant information, not proof, and allowed PFLAG to redact identifying details about families before producing documents.

Texas Public Media

Lucio Vasquez, Texas Newsroom

March 13, 2026

The Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday that the Texas Attorney General’s Office can require LGBTQ advocacy group PFLAG to turn over documents related to an investigation into medical care for transgender minors.

The court overturned a previous district court decision that had largely blocked the AG’s office from seeking certain records.

The dispute stems from a civil investigative demand issued in 2024 by Texas AG Ken Paxton. His office is investigating whether medical providers may have violated state law by misleading insurers about treatments provided to transgender minors.

This echoes Europe in the 1930s, when the Germans seized the records of the Institute for Sexual Science run by Magnus Hirschfeld. It was also the era when people were smuggling Jews and LGBTQ+ individuals out of Eastern Europe while the Nazis hunted them down. And now families are fleeing Texas! Think about what they are asking: suddenly everyone becomes a suspect. A mother asking for help for her child becomes a suspect.

Fox 7 reported,

Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office argued those statements created a "reasonable belief" that PFLAG possessed information about medical providers attempting to circumvent the state ban through deceptive billing. PFLAG sued to block the state’s subsequent civil investigative demand in February 2024, alleging it was an overreach that threatened member privacy.

Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock wrote that the courts should not interfere with the investigative discretion authorized by lawmakers.

"Whether or how vigorously the Attorney General’s office should pursue investigations of this nature are political questions entrusted by the Legislature to the Attorney General, not to the courts," Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock wrote. "Courts are well suited to resolve discovery fights. Courts are not well suited to second-guess the wisdom of investigatory decisions made by an elected executive officer entrusted by the law with broad discretion."

They are making the Inquisition look mild compared to the damage this will do to our community. This will decimate us. I used to be on the board of a peer support group called the Connecticut Outreach Society, and I regularly received emails asking for trans-friendly doctors. If we were in Texas under this ruling, those emails could be subpoenaed. Think about that: in Texas, peer support groups have effectively been branded as criminal enterprises.

Texas Public Media went on to write...

The court said PFLAG must turn over several categories of documents, including:

• Communications about “contingency plans” or alternative care options
• Referrals or lists of health care providers for transgender youth in Texas
• Communications involving certain health care providers referenced in the investigation
• Records tied to the executive director’s comments in the lawsuit affidavit about families seeking ways to maintain care in Texas

I look back at the time when I was helping run COS and remember all those frightened voices on the other end of those emails. They weren't criminals; they were human beings reaching out for help. Now the state of Texas has effectively criminalized that help. Compassion is being treated as evidence in a witch hunt.

This isn't just a “Texas problem” or a “trans problem.” When a court rules that a politician’s “political discretion” outweighs the privacy of law-abiding families and advocacy groups, every American’s right to associate and speak freely is in jeopardy. If they can do this to PFLAG today, they can do it to any group they deem a political enemy tomorrow. Any peer-support group is now fair game for their political crusades—even groups for battered spouses could be vulnerable to these inquisitors.

Can you imagine authorities seizing records from a women’s peer-support group for miscarriages because they suspect someone might have had an abortion? Where does this madness stop?

Texas has already tried to obtain the medical records of trans children from other states and was rebuffed by those states’ courts. So now they are digging into the records of support groups. Does that mean people like me should be combing through our emails for any out-of-state messages from people asking for help?

This is a witch hunt that sends shivers down my spine. Are we going to see mass arrests of parents of trans children?

In their zeal to erase us, trans people will die. But clearly, that is exactly what they want. We are such a small population that we are especially vulnerable to government tyranny and persecution.

---

Updated: 3/19 @ 5:30 

PFLAG just issued a statement...

It’s a scary time. And we know that the Texas Supreme Court decision has created additional fear and anxiety for trans people and their loved ones. 

We want to be clear: PFLAG National has always been steadfast that we would not turn over our members’ names or identities to the State of Texas. And last week, after two years of litigation, the Texas Supreme Court agreed, making it crystal clear that PFLAG National can continue protecting information about our members’ identities, that the Office of the Attorney General is not above the law, and its actions are subject to meaningful review by the courts.

Even though PFLAG is required to turn over documents that respond to these demands, that does not include information identifying PFLAG members or their families. We have been unwavering in our commitment to protecting our members’ rights to come together without violating their privacy or identities being revealed. PFLAG has always been clear on that point and that has not changed. It never will, and we will never back down.

We’ve got you.

While the court order doesn't include names... it still does include correspondence with names redactive,

The Great Divide: Rush or Where We Live!

[Editorial]

What changed? How did we go from a nation that had civil discourse to one antagonistic and at odds with each other? How did we become so polarized?

When did politics go from talking to violence?

My thoughts changed with talk radio. Some guy named Rush Limbaugh.

Before he started, the radios in the shop played music all day. You walked around cubicalville; you just heard music or the occasional news radio show. Then Rush came.

WTIC AM changed from all news to all talk to conservative talk with Rush and a local Rush wannabe. We were split right down the middle, half listening to Rush. Then a small minority started listening to PBS and NPR.

But so did politics. Reagan began the political split. Echo chambers started to form, directed at liberals, at Democrats, and then at immigrants.

Talk radio was all right-wing pundits spouting their dislike of anything "liberal." They disliked the educated elite, the Harvard-educated. The talk shows catered to the anger of the working class—at the unions, at the liberal colleges, at trans people, at gays, at immigrants. The shows were what stirred the pot.

Then came politicians who used that anger, like Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, to rally their base.

Then Trump used that anger the first time to get elected. He was stymied by Congress, so he went away and reformulated the anger. In his speeches, you can hear the vitriol; he plays to their hidden racism, letting it out of the box with his "anti-woke" messaging targeting hate. He plays to their xenophobia, claiming things like "the Haitians are eating pets!"

He changed the discussion from big government vs. small government, from regulations vs. deregulations, to hate and anti-Christian sentiment. Trump used minorities to stir up his base.

The Republican message changed; to anti-immigrant, to anti-trans, to anti-minority. Along with that came hate, executive orders, draconian laws, and enforcement.

The question remains… how do we end this? Or, more importantly, where is this leading us?

[/Editorial]

A Clown Car!

[Editorial]

This war is being fought by amateurs!

I was never in the military, but I’ve had to organize big projects at work, so I know all the planning a job needs before you actually start. Will the roads handle the extra loads? Are the wires high enough for the trucks to pass under? I see none of that with Gulf War III!

Hegseth fired all the “woke” generals (i.e., those with years of experience) and replaced them with “yes men.” Did any of them say, “You know, I think we should get our tankers in the air instead of leaving them sitting ducks on the runway like at Henderson Field”? Nope… some of the air-refueling tankers went up in smoke while sitting on the runways, or were damaged and put out of service.

A $1 billion air defense radar, the AN/FPS-132 early warning radar at Al Udeid Air Base, was destroyed or badly damaged. It sure looks like they didn’t protect it from missile attack!

Just before the war started, did anyone think, maybe there might be mines and we shouldn’t decommission minesweepers? Nope.

Did they ask: do we have enough missiles? Do we have enough stockpiles to fight a two-front war?

Trump said the war would be over in weeks, but then added, “Oh, by the way… California might get hit in the meantime!”

Did they learn anything from the war in Ukraine? About drones? About putting drones in trucks or ships?

Nope. Instead, it looks like a bunch of kids put this all together!

Ooo… ooo… “I want to use my B‑1 and B‑2 bombers! Can I use my submarines, Petey? Can I, can I, pretty please?”

They all sounded so gleeful announcing the strikes—but not one word about the damage. That only comes up when others report it, like in the British papers: The Guardian, The Independent, and BBC.

No, this war is not over. This war is just beginning! This war was planned by clowns!

[/Editorial]

The First Amendment. What's That?

This is what authoritarian governments do... like Putin's, like Orbán's. Control the media, control the messaging, control the propaganda!

Trump administration threatens news outlets over critical coverage of Iran

FCC chair says news outlets that share ‘distortions’ about US war with Iran could lose their licences.

Al Jazeera

By Brian Osgood

14 Mar 2026

The administration of President Donald Trump has warned that news outlets could have their broadcasting licences revoked over critical reporting on the war against Iran, accusing the media of “distortions”.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr said in a social media post on Saturday that broadcasters must “operate in the public interest”, or else lose their licences.

“Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions — also known as the fake news — have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up,” Carr wrote.

The warning was the latest apparent threat from Carr, who has repeatedly attracted scrutiny for statements that appear to pressure broadcasters to conform with Trump priorities.

Despots need to control the messaging!

Carr’s latest statement prompted swift condemnation from politicians and free-speech advocates, who likened his remarks to censorship.

“This is a clear directive to provide positive war coverage or else licenses may not be renewed,” Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii wrote.

“This is worse than the comedian stuff, and by a lot. The stakes here are much higher. He’s not talking about late night shows, he’s talking about how a war is covered.”

Why what is Trump hiding? His ineptitude?

USA Today wrote,

Carr recently urged broadcast companies to air “patriotic, pro-America content” as part of programming aligned with the country's 250th anniversary.

MSN...

Trump calls 'lowlife' media 'sick and demented' over Iran war coverage

KCBD writes that,

The Trump administration denounced CNN on Thursday for airing a portion of the new Iranian supreme leader’s public statement, the second time in three days that he’s targeted the network for reporting on how the regime is responding to the American attacks.

The attack illustrated the care news outlets must take in reporting during wartime, and the responsibilities of American journalists to report the perspective of countries its government views as enemies. It also exposed inconsistencies. The message of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei during his first public statement since he succeeded his father, who was killed in an Israeli air strike, was widely available elsewhere.

The White House said on social media that “fake news CNN just aired four straight minutes of uninterrupted Iranian state TV, run by the same psychotic and murderous regime that prided itself on brutally slaughtering Americans for 47 years.”

Question: How can it be fake news when they are showing him speaking? Is Trump saying it is AI like the stuff he puts out? He must think that because he does everyone is doing it?

What does he want? Coverage like it was during the Stalin era in Russia?

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover (2001)

Selected in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

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

1) This is one of the songs included in Willie Nelson's Rainbow Connection album. He named it after his daughter Amy's favorite song when she was a little girl. She'd been asking him to record "The Rainbow Connection" for 20 years and finally, in 2001, he came through for her. Think of something you had to wait for. Was it worth the wait?

Me.

I let you figure it out.

2) Willie can trace his family tree back to the Revolutionary War. Are you interested in genealogy?

Naw.

But few comments from my grandmother kind of raised my curiosity. She said he father gambled away apartment they owned in New York City and that we are related to Benedict Arnold.

3) Today Willie is legendary performer, but as a child, he was very uncomfortable in front of crowds. He recalled that during his school days, reciting in front of his class made him so uncomfortable he suffered nose bleeds. When did you most recently have a bloody nose?

I don’t even know if I ever had a bloody nose.

4) During the 1990s, Willie had problems with the IRS. His management team set up illegal tax shelters and he ended up owing millions in back taxes and penalties. This year's IRS filing deadline is Wednesday, April 15. Will you be early, on time, or will you need an extension?

No, I will file around the beginning of April.

I had a nightmare last year! I go to a national chain, and the idiot filed that I had to pay monthly even though I said I’ll pay it in a lump sum. So every month I got a letter from the IRS said that I hadn’t paid the monthly payment of $0.00. And every month I got that letter!!!!!

5) In "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover," Willie sings about appreciating something he has previously overlooked. Is there anything positive in your life you feel you may take for granted?

Not pushing up daisies!

I could be looking for four leaf clovers in a clover patch and not find one in an hour, my mother would walk out lot at the patch and pick a four-leaf clover.

6) Four leaf clovers and shamrocks are considered good luck. Do you have a lucky charm? 

Nope.

7) "The wearing o' the green" is one way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Will you wear something green in honor of the day?

Naw… I’ll cause trouble and wear orange. (JK)

8) According to Irish folklore, if you catch a leprechaun he must either give you his pot o' gold or grant you three wishes. Would you choose the gold or the wishes?

Golden wishes? I’ll take the wishes, more choices.

9) Traditional Irish stew is made with mutton or lamb, though here in the US beef is also very popular. What's your favorite soup/stew?

Soupy stew?

Actually, both. When I buy a rotisserie chicken it end up in a pot and then I freeze the leftover soup. And when stew meat goes on sale I do the same, freeze the leftovers.

---

Updated @ 9:20AM

I hated reading! Books like Great Expectations, The Scarlet Letter, and Wuthering Heights... I hated them. Boring! Those were the books we were forced to read in school, and I hated every second of it. I couldn't put them down fast enough; it was like they were made of acid or on fire.

But then, in junior college, we read Heart of Darkness... hmm... not bad.

Then in college, my roommate said, "Here, read this: Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein."

"Naw."

"Go ahead, try it!"

Whoa! The floodgates opened! 

Starship Troopers! 

The Martian Chronicles! 

Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness! 

And Kurt Vonnegut’s The Sirens of Titan, Cat’s Cradle, and Player Piano.

He wrote Player Piano in 1952, and now, with AI, it’s actually coming true!

The floodgates were open! It wasn't the reading I hated; it was what we were told to read back then. Dull, boring books. Books that offended no one; books that didn’t make you think! Books that didn't make you want to expand your horizons.

Is that where we are going again? Back to dull, boring books that limit your horizons?

Do you grok?

This Proves It! There Is No Doubt!

The Republicans are like automatons, they march to the tune of Trump & Company and have no thoughts of their own!

Cisgender kids in Texas can’t get care due to anti-trans laws

A Texas trans health ban also cuts off hormone treatments for kids with special medical needs.

The Advocate

Jack Walker

Mar 11, 2026

For Texas children with special medical needs, a 2023 state law banning gender-affirming care for minors has had unplanned consequences, according to a new investigation by The Texas Tribune.

Texas passed a law in June 2023 banning doctors from providing residents under age 18 gender-affirming care, blocking hormone therapy as well as gender-affirming surgeries, which are already rare.

See, it is right there in black and white: “blocking hormone therapy.” They are spreading fear among doctors. If they prescribe a blocker, will they get a visit from the Texas Rangers?

While the bill maintained hormone therapy for reasons unrelated to gender-affirming care, the Tribune found it had a chilling effect on medical providers who offer those services. As a result, some cut off much-needed medical services.

Big Brother is watching over the doctor’s shoulder. Remember the Republican mantra, “Get the government off your back”? Well, now they are right in your doctor’s office. And what does it say about our government that it is creating refugees like you see in the Middle East? People are fleeing their homes because of persecution by their own government!

All these laws buck the Republican mantra of parental rights. You see them all screaming “Parental Rights” when it comes to what is taught in schools. You see them all shouting “Parental Rights” when it comes to what books are on the library shelves. But when it comes to medical treatment, they are strangely silent! This next quote is from 2023, but it still proves my point; even more so after all these new, draconian anti-trans laws.

In a political era of “parental rights,” Texans raising trans kids say new law strips them of choice

Senate Bill 14, which is set to take effect on Sept. 1, bans transition-related care for minors. Parents of transgender kids say it blocks their ability to support their children.

By Rebecca Schneid

July 17, 2023

Gov. Greg Abbott and state lawmakers have used variations of the phrase “parental rights” this year to push a litany of legislation, with varying degrees of success.

They’ve vowed to empower Texas parents in their fights for everything from sweeping changes to the state’s foster care system and what can be taught in schools to using tax dollars to subsidize kids’ private school tuition.

But Kari, a Georgetown mother of a transgender 17-year-old, says she feels like she has “no choices at all” as she and her family stare down a ban on puberty blockers and hormone treatments for trans minors that goes into effect Sept. 1.

“My rights as a parent have not only been infringed upon, but they’ve been stripped. I’ve been removed from making a decision about my child’s health care with my child and for my child,” said Kari, who agreed to talk to The Texas Tribune if her full name wasn’t used because she fears her family could be targeted by hate groups.

"Methinks" the Republicans speak out of both sides of their mouths! When it comes to "Parental Rights," it seems only the rights they approve of actually count.

The newest Hate Crime Investigative Unit (HCIU) that the the state police is putting out, the stats: 5 reports for gender identity, 2 for expression for last year. While Republicans talk about 'Parental Rights' to pull a book off a shelf, they are ignoring the fact that the atmosphere they've created means some parents are literally afraid to let their kids walk to the library in the first place."