Saturday: Easter Parade

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

 

Saturday 9: Easter Parade

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

Revised and revived from the archives

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

1) This song is best known from the 1948 movie of the same name, but it was originally written for a 1933 Broadway play called As Thousands Cheer. In the play, a young man reads about the parade in a New York newspaper and decides to go and show his lady love off to parade goers. What's the most recent parade you attended?

A Pride parade a couple of years ago. Now unless they have a disability and senior bus, forget it.

2) On Broadway, the song was performed by Clifton Webb. He'd had a busy stage career, appearing in musicals as well as plays by Oscar Wilde and Noel Coward, but when he was in his mid-50s, he was considered too old to be a leading man. Broadway offers stopped coming. He was unexpectedly cast by Otto Preminger for the film noir Laura and a new career was born. He worked steadily in Hollywood for 20 years and earned three Oscar nominations. Tell us about a time you were grateful your life took an unanticipated turn.

When I got laid off and I got my Master’s in Social Work.

I’m not grateful right now, see below.

3) Today he's fondly remembered by the students at UCLA who have benefited from The Clifton Webb Scholarship of the Arts. If you could give an endowment to a school or charity, what would you like it to be used for?

One word… and it is not “Plastics” but photography!

4) The biggest chocolate Easter egg was made in Italy, measured 34 feet tall and weighed a staggering 15,000 lbs. Do you think it's possible to have too much chocolate?

Naw, just do like I did, freeze them!

5) After chocolate, the top-selling Easter candy is Peeps Marshmallow Chicks. They're so popular that they were once the subject of a Jeopardy clue. Do you often watch Jeopardy?

I used to but I don’t like Ken Jenning, I rather wish Mayim Bialik was host.

6) Jelly beans are also popular this time of year. In a 2024 poll, jelly bean fans responded that black licorice is their favorite flavor. It's Crazy Sam's least favorite. How about you? What jelly bean flavor is at the top of your list, and which is at the bottom?

None!

Sugar!!!!!!

7) We've been talking a lot about sweets this morning. The only holiday that generates more candy sales is Halloween. When do you eat more candy: Easter or Halloween?

Why limit to just those two occasion… stock up the sales after Easter and freeze them.

 

8) According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are doing more of their holiday shopping this year at discount "dollar stores" than at department stores like Target and Walmart. Do you often make trips to the "dollar store?" If yes, what do you usually pick up there?

I was there only once when I was in a car accident on Cape Cod and I had to tape a broken part away form the wheel.

 9) Easter is considered the season of rebirth. What makes you feel refreshed or rejuvenated?

Relaxing along side of a mountain lake with a gentle breeze blowing. Watching the sun go down.

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

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I became a statistic this week: fraud.

Oh, they were sweet talkers. They had a reasonable explanation for everything.

The caller ID said Amazon. When I answeRed, he said he was from Amazon and asked if I had ordeRed a $1,200 pair of sneakers to be deliveRed to a California address. No!

“I’m transferring you to the fraud division…” click.

They asked all the right questions. They even suggested it could be my 82-year-old brother. “You can’t tell anyone, because they might be the ones who committed the fraud.”

[1st Red Flag — it still hadn’t dawned on me that it was a scam, but I did think that was strange.]

“Oh, I see there’s money laundering involved. I’m going to turn this over to the U.S. Treasury…” click.

“This is Jay Himes from the U.S. Treasury Fraud Department.”

[2nd Red Flag, he answeRed very fast.]

Very smooth. He got me chatting and relaxed. Then he said he needed a picture of my driver’s license for verification.

[Big, big, big, and even bigger mistake!]

It sounded reasonable because I’ve been asked for that with my brokerage account.

Then he wanted to know which accounts I had so they could check them for fraud. When I said I was looking at my bank page and didn’t see any transactions I didn’t make, he said, “Oh, they hide it on the dark web.”

[3rd Red Flag, they’re counting on us not knowing what the “dark web” is.]

Then he started talking about freezing my accounts while they checked them… um…

I said, “How do I know you are who you say you are?”

He replied, “How about you call your police station and have them call you to verify my cRedentials?”

So I looked up the number and told him. About 30 seconds later, I got a call. The caller ID said it was from the Police Department, with that same number displayed.

[4th Red Flag, that was very fast. I gave him the number, and they called back in less than a minute.]

[5th Red Flag, he had an accent. Now, maybe a town police department might have someone with an accent—but the odds that all of them would—the Amazon guy, the fraud division, the U.S. Treasury it seems pretty unlikely.]

“We want you to withdraw your money from your accounts and...”

[6th Red Flag, looking back it was also so the fact that the Amazon guy connected me right away with the Fraud guy, and the Fraud guy connected me to the Treasury agent immediately should have raised the flags!] 

“You get a warrant signed by a judge, and I’ll…” click.

Over four hours on the phone and I was emotionally drained.

Off to the police station to file a report.

Off to the bank. I notified the police, my banks, my broker, and my cRedit card company. I froze my cRedit reports.

They recommended one more thing: Flag my driver’s license as stolen. I thought, yeah… sounds good. But as a trans person, I stopped and thought—okay, I get stopped by a cop and there’s a Flag for a possibly stolen license. As a trans person, who do you think the cop is going to suspect?

So now I lie awake worrying about this

So… how was your week?

---

** Thoughts **

1. These guys are pros! This is what they do for a living.
2. In hindsight, they never used my name until they had my driver’s license. Always ask who they are looking for. Like I said, these guys are professionals; if they asked for your license right away, you would say no. They work their way up to it until it seems natural to send it.
3. They started small; a theft at Amazon—and worked their way up to the Feds... the U.S. Treasury Fraud Division, an inspector no less.
4. I noticed that they all had accents; a little yellow light started flashing in my head!
5. "I only have your word... I want proof!" "Okay, look up your local police department and we will send them our ID. They will then call you." Two minutes later, the caller ID says "Town Police Department." Hmm... that was fast! Too fast!
6. And another accent!
7. Then it moved to the pitch: "We need you to send your money to..." "FU! I’m off to the police department." CLICK!

APA On The Supreme Court Ruling

APA Statement on the Supreme Court Decision in Chiles v. Salazar

March 31, 2026

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is deeply concerned that the Supreme Court’s decision in Chiles v. Salazar will potentially harm many LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly minors, who will no longer be protected by state laws against conversion therapy.

Being LGBTQ+ is not a mental illness or disorder. Conversion therapy — efforts to change sexual orientation and gender identity — is not a legitimate therapeutic treatment. Leading health care entities, the APA among them, have concluded that these are potentially harmful, discredited practices and are not supported by scientific evidence.

We urge the families of LGBTQ+ individuals, faith-based institutions, and therapists to avoid these harmful practices.

So according to the Supreme Court it is okay to torture someone in the name of religious... Does this mean that "Human Sacrifices" are okay again? Because that is what Conversion therapy is all about brain washing!

The The Iowa Psychological Association said,

The APA affirms that scientific evidence and clinical experience indicate that sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) put individuals at significant risk of harm;

APA encourages individuals, families, health professionals, and organizations to avoid SOCE;

APA affirms that same-gender and multiple-gender attraction, feelings, and behavior are normal variations in human sexuality, being LGBTQ+ is not a mental disorder, and APA opposes portrayals of sexual minorities as mentally ill because of their sexual orientation;

APA opposes making claims that sexual orientation can be changed through SOCE and;

APA, because of evidence of harm and lack of evidence of efficacy, supports public policies and legislation that oppose, prohibit, or aim to reduce SOCE, heterosexism, and monosexism and that increase support for sexual orientation diversity.

But the 1^st Amendment according to the Supreme Court out weights the harm it does.

Jennifer Levi, one of the lawyers at GLAD wrote on her Facebook page,

Here is why the "it cuts both ways" argument is wrong.

Every medical regulation incorporates a viewpoint. That is not a bug. It is the entire point. Justice Jackson explains this plainly. When a state says a dietician cannot tell an anorexic patient to eat less, it is taking the viewpoint that encouraging restriction is harmful. When a state says a doctor cannot recommend cigarettes, it is taking the viewpoint that smoking causes cancer. When a state requires oncologists to follow science-based protocols rather than selling patients on unproven supplements, it is taking the viewpoint that medical consensus matters. Nobody calls those regulations unconstitutional. Nobody demands that states ban the opposite advice in order to achieve some kind of viewpoint neutrality before they can regulate professional conduct.

That is because we have understood, really until yesterday, that regulating medical care is different from regulating speech in the public square. When a state licenses a professional – and that is all that was at issue in Colorado -- and holds them to a standard of care, it is not entering the marketplace of ideas. It is doing what states have done for a very long time: deciding what treatments licensed professionals may offer to patients who are trusting them with their health and their lives. The viewpoint embedded in that decision is not censorship. It is the entire basis of professional licensing.

So does that mean quacks with their miracle snake oil remedies are covered by the 1^st Amendment 

Pop Quiz!

What do Belarus, Hungary, Russia, and the U.S. have in common?

They are all persecuting the LGBTQ+ community. While the first three are established authoritarian regimes, the U.S. is currently home to a few "wannabes."

Belarus parliament approves new law targeting ‘LGBTQ+ expression’

Lawmakers in Belarus have approved a bill introducing penalties for what authorities describe as the “promotion of homosexuality, gender transition, childlessness, and pedophilia”.

Pink News

Apr 03

by Tom Hutt-Dixon

The legislation passed the upper chamber of parliament on Thursday, after clearing the lower house last month. It now awaits the signature of president Alexander Lukashenko, who is widely expected to sign it into law.

Under the proposed measures, those accused of “promoting” such ideas could face fines, community service, or up to 15 days of administrative detention.

Sound familiar? Does that sound like “Don’t Say Gay” to you? Pulling LGBTQ+ books from libraries, gee where have we heard that before?

Activists have also accused the country’s security agency, known as the KGB, of targeting LGBTQ+ individuals, including allegations of blackmail to coerce cooperation.

There are also growing concerns among transgender individuals that the legislation could restrict access to healthcare and legal recognition.

Throughout history, we have been the targets of hate and persecution by petty tyrants (Trump included).

Despicable

Trump got caught again with an open mic! And as usual his comments were worthy of gutter talk.

White House Scrambles to Wipe Trump Meltdown Footage

Trump dished out insults and made crazy claims in an event the White House never expected to become public.

The Daily Beast

Annabella Rosciglione

Apr. 2 2026

The White House posted and then rushed to delete an hour-long recording of an event with President Donald Trump that captured him lashing out at the Supreme Court after justices signaled expressed skepticism about his birthright citizenship case.

The president privately hosted a group of MAGA pastors and religious allies Wednesday for an Easter luncheon at the White House. Trump made several bonkers remarks during the event, which was never meant to be seen by the public, as the White House quickly deleted the footage from its official pages.

[...]

While he thought the cameras weren’t rolling, the president let it rip about his true feelings about Supreme Court justices, including his own appointees, after he stormed out of oral arguments at the court earlier that day.

Oh boy did he have some choice words for the ungrateful oaf! And here is why I'm posting this...

“‘I don’t care if Trump appointed me, I don’t care, if it doesn’t make any difference to me. I’m voting against him!” Trump said, visibly annoyed.

“Cause they want to show their independence, you know, stupid people,” complained Trump.

So Trump feels that the judges he appointed "owe" him something! And then he blurt out,

“I can’t get a ballroom approved. It’s pretty amazing, right? If I was a king, we’d be doing a lot more. I’m doing a lot, but I could be doing a lot more if I was a king,” he lamented.

According to The Baptist News,

iPaula White (right) compares Donald Trump to Jesus while Robert Jeffress (left) looks on. (Screencap)

Paula White and Franklin Graham added to their stacks of praise for President Donald Trump this week, with White comparing Trump to Jesus in Holy Week.

Not to be outdone, Trump also compared himself to Jesus being called “king.”

At a White House luncheon April 1, Trump spoke about Palm Sunday and said he could relate to the story of Jesus.

“On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem as crowds welcomed him with praise honoring him as king,” Trump said. Video of the speech was posted to the White House website and then deleted.

And that...

Some evangelical leaders — including Gary Bauer and First Baptist Dallas pastor Robert Jeffress — have insisted in the past that Trump is “born again” and a follower of Jesus Christ.

Trump is a follower of Trump. 

Going To Hell In A Handbasket!

The economy is collapsing! We are at war! Electric prices are skyrocketing! And what are legislators around the nation focusing on? Us—the trans community!

Democratic governor says “Hell no” to five anti-trans bills on Transgender Day of Visibility

Gov. Tony Evers promised to veto all anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that comes to his desk. He has not failed.

LGBTQ Nation

John Russell (He/Him)

April 1, 2026

On Transgender Day of Visibility, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) once again made good on his pledge to protect LGBTQ+ rights in the state, vetoing five anti-LGBTQ+ bills passed by the state legislature’s Republican majority.

During a private ceremony at the state Capitol on Tuesday, March 31, Evers told a crowd of LGBTQ+ young people and their families that he would have like to have written “Hell no” on the bills which would have instituted anti-trans sports bans, required schools to out trans and nonbinary kids to their parents, and impacted Wisconsin doctors’ ability to provide gender-affirming care to minors.

They knew he would veto it, so why did they take the time to vote on these bills? Why did Republicans take the time to hear and vote on them?

Idaho passes legislation criminalizing transgender use of public bathrooms

By Reuters

March 27, 2026

Idaho's Republican-controlled legislature passed a bill on Friday to ban people in the state from using bathrooms or changing rooms that ​do not match the gender they were assigned at birth, in the ‌latest restriction targeting transgender people in the United States.

The bill, expected to be signed into law by Republican Governor Brad Little, passed the state Senate 28-7 on Friday. It passed the Idaho ​House of Representatives last week.

Transgender people in the country have faced increasing limitations at ​the state and national levels, and those efforts have been bolstered since President Donald Trump returned ‌to ⁠office last year. Trump has issued a series of executive actions targeting transgender rights and stated in a directive that the U.S. government will recognize only two sexes: male and female.

They wasted hours on this bill while more important legislation was left unaddressed!

Bill redefining sex signed nearly a year after it passed

A long-running legal battle over bills redefining sex likely has a new chapter

By: Jordan Hansen

Daily Montanan

March 30, 2026

Gov. Greg Gianforte last week signed the final bill passed during the 2025 legislative session defining sex in state law, likely spawning a protracted legal fight.

Senate Bill 437, which defines sex as only male or female, was signed on March 24, 2026, but sat on Republican House Speaker Brandon Ler’s desk for nearly a year. Senate President Matt Regier, R-Kalispell, signed the bill on April 21, 2025.

The bill is similar to 2023 Senate Bill 458, which also defined sex and was challenged in court. The earlier legislation was thrown out in the midst of the 2025 session, and Missoula County District Court Judge Leslie Halligan signaled at the time any similar bills would also likely be found unconstitutional.

But Ler said Monday that Republicans were deliberate about protecting the law from legal challenges, and the legislation should stand on its own.

“We … believe the law should be evaluated on its own merits, not folded into broader challenges, and we are prepared to defend it,” Ler said in a statement.

The thing is, most people support our rights, just not MAGA. Republicans know that their bigoted, Christian Nationalist base eats it right up!

The Public Religion Research Institute wrote,

A new national survey released today by PRRI profiles LGBTQ Americans and tracks Americans’ views on LGBTQ rights across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Based on interviews with more than 22,000 adults throughout 2025, this new data from the 2025 PRRI American Values Atlas measures public opinion on LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections, religiously based service refusals, and same-sex marriage. It also asks Americans if they agree that transgender Americans deserve the same rights and protections as other Americans.

The survey finds that strong majorities of Americans support nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ individuals (72%) and favor same-sex marriage (65%), although support for both measures has decreased slightly over the past three years (down from 80% and 69% in 2022, respectively). Roughly 6 in 10 Americans oppose allowing businesses to refuse service to LGBTQ people on religious grounds (59%, down from 65% in 2022).

We were never seen as a problem until Trump made us one with his bigotry. Look at Montana, they spent two years on bills targeting us, and they tied up the court system defending oppressive laws!

When I came out in 1999, the atmosphere was more supportive. Then Trump came along in the 2010s and helped fuel the Republican pogrom against us.

How many trans women in the last ten years have attacked women in bathrooms? Zero. Zilch. So why are they going after us? For votes. They are persecuting us for votes. Trans people are suffering and even dying for votes. Trans people’s healthcare has been cut… for votes.

Of all the problems facing our country, trans people are not one of them, and people know it.

 

The Republican Response

At least it wasn't the middle finger but close!

Republicans slammed for “cruel” one-word response to the Trans Day of Visibility

“These people are just so pathetically cruel.”

LGBTQ Nation

Alex Bollinger (He/Him)

March 31, 2026

Republicans are getting criticized for their short and “cruel” response to the Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV), which is today.

The TDOV is a yearly event intended to raise awareness of the discrimination trans people face worldwide. The Democratic Party’s X account acknowledged the day with a supportive message.

And in Connecticut they raised the trans flag over the Capitol!

“Trans rights are human rights,” the Democrats’ message said. “This Transgender Day of Visibility, we honor the resilience of transgender and nonbinary Americans and celebrate their incredible courage.”

The National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC) responded with just one word: “No.” They added a heart emoji, which was probably just an attempt to appear nonchalant about their denial that trans rights are human rights.

I know a trans woman who supports the Republicans... she thinks that because she is a "True Woman" the Republicans will accept her, just like Caitlyn Jenner living in her own little world.

Disappearing...

We are in good company…

• In ancient Rome, emperors like Geta had their names chiseled off monuments and their portraits destroyed.
• In the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin, purged officials were removed from photos, textbooks, and records.
• In China during the Cultural Revolution led by Mao Zedong, historical texts, artifacts, and traditions were destroyed as “old culture.”
• In the United States under Trump, references to trans people have been removed.

Trump minions has been axing us off government websites...

Trump’s minions have quietly disappeared most federal data on gender identity

Some agencies went even beyond what the president ordered on day one.

LGBTQ Nation

Anna Rogers

March 26, 2026

President Donald Trump already has signed more executive orders since January 2025 than during his entire first term — and more than many presidents signed during their tenures in office. But one order has gone far beyond the others in reshaping the ecosystem of information the government and so many others, rely on.

“EO14168 has been overwhelmingly responsible for driving changes to federal forms and survey data,” says Melanie Klein, an analyst with the federal monitoring organization DataIndex who has been tracking these alterations. Although Trump signed EO14168—better known by its title “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government”—on his first day in office, data experts are still getting a sense of its far-reaching scope.

Of more than 500 federal databases affected by Trump’s myriad executive orders, nearly three-quarters were revised because of the Defending Women order alone. Most of the cases involved removing trans-inclusive gender identity options from survey forms, leaving people to choose between male or female.

So far, they haven’t cut us from the research database like PubMed, but in nearly all other areas, we have been erased.

Trump’s pogrom against us is a multi-pronged attack: removing all references to us, erasing our presence from landmarks like the Stonewall National Monument, removing dancing drag queens from public history, and denying us healthcare.

Nope!

In a couple of hours, on this April Fools’ Day, our Fearless Leader will be giving a speech... and I won’t be watching, because I already know what he’s going to say. No, I didn’t get an advance copy.

We all know the talking points; how it’s all Biden’s fault, the Democrats, etc., etc.

So I propose a bingo game! Check off the boxes as Trump rambles through his long-winded speech. Mark them as he says each one:

 

Blames Democrats	"Fake News"	Talks Economy	Mentions Border	"American People"
Self Praise	"Tremendous"	Criticizes Media	Mentions Crime	Repeats Phrase
Nicknames Someone	Blames Past Admin	FREE	Talks Jobs	Mentions Military
Trade Deals	Energy Policy	Big Reaction	Awkward Pause	Random Story
"Never Seen Before"	Sarcasm	Crowd Size	"Witch Hunt"	Off Script

Cuckoo Award!

Today's award goes to Trump for an idiotic statement about oil...

Trump says Strait of Hormuz is the world’s problem: ‘Go get your own oil!’
NATO partners, including the European Union, have largely refused to help secure the strait.

Politico

By Gregory Svirnovskiy

03/31/2026

 

 

 

 President Donald Trump had a message Tuesday for U.S. allies whose access to oil has been imperiled by the White House’s war against Iran: You’re on your own.

“All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT,” he wrote on Truth Social Tuesday.

Oil is a global market!

Oil is a big bucket where everyone pours the oil into and which everyone dips into.

 

So for the stupidly I award the coveted Cuckoo Award to Trump!

A Lot of High Fives

[Editorial]

There is much glee about Kristi Noem’s husband being outed!

Kristi Noem and Trump have responded to shocking cross-dressing photos tied to him.

But I take the opposite view.

No one should be outed against their will. Period.

I have always said that outing someone can cause harm, and no matter how despicable or how anti-trans they may be, they should not ever be outed.

That has long been one of the tenets of our community: you never out someone without their permission. Some of the lasting effects include higher anxiety and depression, as well as an increased risk of self-harm or suicidal thoughts. As trans people, we know better than most what happens when someone else takes control of our identity.

When I counsel people on coming out, I always tell them to make sure they have a “safety net” in case it goes badly. That option is not available to those who are outed.

If we only defend people’s dignity when it’s easy, then it isn’t a principle at all. No, I will not celebrate a person being outed against their will.

[/Editorial]

Specials Treatment

It involved a Trump-favored crooner, Kid Rock, and taking a helicopter on a joy-ride, military discipline, bypassing the chain of command and raising concerns about political interference. 

 Hegseth says suspensions lifted for helicopter crews who hovered over Kid Rock home

Pentagon chief’s remarks come after US army said crews suspended amid investigation into incident in Tennessee

The Guardian

Tue 31 Mar 2026 

Defense secretary Pete Hegseth said the crews of two US army AH-64 Apache helicopters that hovered next to the singer Kid Rock’s swimming pool while he clapped and saluted on Saturday are no longer suspended.

“No punishment. No investigation,” Hegseth wrote on social media. “Carry on, patriots.”

Hegseth’s announcement came just hours after a US army spokesperson said the crews had been suspended from flying pending a investigation.

“The army has confirmed that on 28 March, two Apache helicopters from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Campbell conducted a flight in the Nashville area that has attracted public and media attention,” according to a statement from the army on Tuesday.

The army said it was reviewing “the circumstances surrounding the mission, including compliance with relevant FAA regulations, aviation safety protocol, and approval requirements”.

I never been in the military but in work you never by-pass the chain-command. So I asked ChatGPT why this was wrong.

Why people say “this doesn’t seem right”

You’re picking up on a real issue. Critics are raising a few concerns:

1. Chain of command / discipline

• Normally, local commanders investigate and enforce standards
• A top-level political appointee stepping in early can be seen as undermining that process

2. Appearance of favoritism

• The flyby involved Kid Rock, a high-profile political ally of the administration
• That raises questions about whether rules are applied equally

3. Military neutrality

• The U.S. military is supposed to stay apolitical
• A flyby tied (even informally) to a political figure or event blurs that line

4. Safety and precedent

• If crews can deviate from missions for unofficial reasons without consequence, that’s a discipline and safety concern

And our Fearless Leader's henchman steps in to quash the investigation!  

---

Update: 4/2 @ 8:30AM

The Hill wrote;

One of Newsmax’s primetime hosts on Wednesday ripped into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after two AH-64 Apache helicopters flew near Kid Rock’s Nashville, Tenn., home.

“So what if those ‘fly boys’ flew by Madonna’s house and Took a Bow?” anchor Greg Kelly wrote on the social platform X. “Or Robert DeNiro. That would Not be cool, right? But it’s just fine for Kid Rockhead? What an amateur move, posting it on Social Media”

They are right... it is all because it was "Kid Rock" 

Happy Birthday!!!!

Do you know what today is?

It was Twenty years ago that I wrote my first blog here!

 

 

---

March 3^rd
I have been away on a business trip to our corporate headquarters' for most of the week and I was stuck in boy mode. However on the bright side, I got to fly out and back on the corporate jet. That was so neat that it almost, almost made up for being stuck in boy mode. The plane is a Gulfstream IV and it holds eight passengers. When I arrived at the private plane end of the airport, I just walk up to the plane and handed the co-pilot my bags and she checked off my name. On takeoff from Bradley field I looked down the aisle and out the cockpit window, I could watch the pilot and co-pilot and see the runway. We cruised at 30,000 ft at 497 mph, on the bulkhead of the passenger cabin there was an altimeter and ground speed and on the rear bulkhead there was also an altimeter and speed but it also had airspeed, mile to go and a map with our location.

The only thing that got me a little nervous was when the co-pilot brought out the plane manuals and started reading. I thought what is she doing that for, is there a problem? But they both seemed OK, not rushed or excited and there were no flashing lights in the cockpit. So I thought it couldn't be any major problem, probably something minor like a radio or something. At work today, someone who is a pilot said that she was probably just reading the manual learning the aircraft.

On the way back the plane was almost filled and there were a couple of VP's on board as soon as we got airborne they raided the icebox and broke out the beer and snacks They started talking about business so I had to sit there while they were talking about some contract or other. Then one of them started making small talk with me. When someone mentioned that there was six inches of snow on the ground, I said "Shit". He asked me if I had some plans for the night and I said "Yeah, I was planning on going out." My brains slip's into "Little White Lie Mode", after all I couldn't say I was going out drag bar with some tranny friends and me dressed as Diana, so I said I had a date. So he asked, "Where were we going?" Brain spins a couple times trying to get into gear, so I said, "Hartford for dinner, but they probably have a parking band so I probably get a pizza and go over to her apartment", wink, wink, nod, nod and after that he just smiled and stop asking questions. Whew!

We made great time coming back, our airspeed was 600 mph with a 100 mph tailwind, but once we got on the ground and I had to drive home, it took longer to drive home than fly back from almost Ohio. I-91 traffic was going 30 - 40 mph in the snow, the roads were very bad.

---

That was my first here, before the Blogger site I had a blog on Yahoo, a Goecities account. And that was a once in lifetime experience. It was like a RV, the seats reclined, a little kitchen 

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Scr*wed Again!

I am sick and tired of hearing “religious freedom” used as a justification for harm—especially when many of the states that have banned conversion therapy, including Connecticut, have done so to protect people’s health and well-being.

Supreme Court says state bans on ‘conversion therapy’ violate counselors’ free speech rights

The Los Angles Times

By David G. Savage

March 31, 2026

• The ruling in a Colorado case is likely to invalidate similar bans in California and 23 other states.
• It is the third significant defeat at the Supreme Court for LGBTQ-rights advocates in the past year.

The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that state laws forbidding “conversion therapy” for minors violate the free-speech rights of licensed counselors.

The court said Colorado’s law violates the 1st Amendment, and the ruling is likely to invalidate similar laws in California and 23 other states.

In an 8-1 decision, the justices said Colorado’s ban on “talk therapy” may prevent Christian counselors from helping teens work through their feelings about sexual attractions or their gender identity.

[...]

“Colorado may regard its policy as essential to public health and safety. Certainly, censorious governments throughout history have believed the same. But the 1st Amendment stands as a shield against any effort to enforce orthodoxy in thought or speech in this country,” Gorsuch wrote. “... However well-intentioned, any law that suppresses speech based on viewpoint represents an ‘egregious’ assault on both of those commitments.”

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented alone in a 35-page opinion.

Do you know what PubMed is? It is the medical databased of peer-reviewed medical studies.

Understanding harms associated with gender identity conversion efforts among transgender and nonbinary individuals: The role of preexisting mental well-being

Int J Transgend Health

2024 Apr 4

Tural Mammadli, Jarrod Call, Darren L Whitfield, Brendon T Holloway, N Eugene Walls

Abstract

Background: Affirmation of gender identity is critical for the mental health and overall well-being of transgender and nonbinary (TNB) persons. Gender identity conversion efforts (GICE), an outlawed practice for licensed professionals in numerous U.S. jurisdictions, have been associated with negative mental health and substance use outcomes. Limited previous literature examining GICE exposure has been criticized for failing to distinguish mental well-being for TNB persons before or after GICE. Our study builds on current literature by examining differences in TNB persons' psychosocial risk indicators based on their GICE exposure, accounting for pre-GICE mental well-being. Methods: We conducted a secondary data analysis using the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (N = 25,810), the largest available national survey aimed at understanding TNB persons' experiences. Using logistic regression models, we examined how GICE exposure (disaggregated by temporal precedence of initial suicide attempts) is related to health (psychological distress, extra-medical prescription use, healthcare avoidance), socio-structural (public restroom avoidance, housing instability), and interpersonal outcomes (sexual assault, emotional and physical intimate partner violence (IPV)). Results and conclusions: Initiating a suicide attempt post-GICE or in the absence of GICE were the only consistently significant predictors of poor outcomes across all domains compared to participants who never experienced GICE or attempted suicide. Findings suggest, however, that a combination of GICE with a history of suicide attempts (pre- or post-GICE) was indicative of the highest risk across outcomes, highlighting the particularly hazardous nature of combining poor mental well-being and GICE exposures. Our study adds much-needed complexity to our understanding of how GICE exposure's role in the well-being of TNB persons may differ related to their pre-GICE mental health. Our findings add further credence to previous studies identifying harms associated with GICE exposure, regardless of pre-GICE mental well-being.

These studies consistently show that conversion therapy leads to higher psychological distress, increased substance use, greater healthcare avoidance, and a higher risk of violence and instability (such as housing insecurity).

The Supreme Court has disregarded our pain and suffering. What about our rights?

In the PubMed study “Lifetime Exposure to Conversion Therapy and Psychosocial Health Among Midlife and Older Adult Men Who Have Sex With Men,” the findings are clear: the effects last a lifetime. The study looked specifically at midlife and older adults and found links to depression, PTSD symptoms, internalized stigma, and overall poorer psychosocial health.

Yet the courts are putting “religious freedom” over our health.

The Supreme Court disregarded our pain and suffering! What about our rights? In the PubMed article "Lifetime Exposure to Conversion Therapy and Psychosocial Health Among Midlife and Older Adult Men Who Have Sex With Men" that effects last a lifetime and results in; tudy looked specifically at midlife and older adults and found links to: depression, PTSD symptoms, internalized stigma, and overall poorer psychosocial health!

Yet the courts are putting “religious freedom” over our health.

This is not "Speech" it medical care! 

---

This was delayed because of the paperwork I have to do, my identity was stolen yesterday... tons and tons of paperwork. I was at the police station filing a report.

On The Road To...

Bob Hope did a series of movies call "Road to..."

Trump is on the road to ruin... he brags about the country's 250 Anniversary and is even having a coin with his image upon it like a Roman Caesar! Well the question is will we make it to July?

Between Trump's War and what it is doing to the economy with gas prices skyrocketing and the stock market diving it sure raises the questions. In Iran Trump is going through ordnance bring down our stockpiles of missiles. There are military leaders and retirees who in private worry that with the stockpiles low that China might think it is a good time to go after Taiwan.

While others worry about the growing Christian Nationalists in the military!

Invoking faith in wartime, Pete Hegseth breaks norms and worries critics

The Washington Post

Story by Michelle Boorstein

March 29, 2026

U.S. military leaders have long understood the power and perils of invoking faith — especially in wartime.

Facing the Germans in World War II, Gen. George Patton ordered a chaplain to write an interfaith prayer for troops to say on the battlefield.

It took just a week in September 2001 for Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to change the name of the campaign against terrorism from Operation Infinite Justice to Operation Enduring Freedom — a switch meant to clarify that the U.S. was not in a religious war.

[...]

But those longtime norms are being upended by the proselytizing Christian campaign of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, say multiple former high-ranking military officials and experts on religion and law. Rather than boosting cohesion through a more universal spiritual uplift, they say, the new approach violates the Constitution and undermines the bonds of mutual respect between troops that are essential, especially in wartime.

Hegseth lives in a dream world Walter Mitty and that is very, very scary! He imagines himself in armor on a white horse with a Crusader's flag!

“The American military has had a remarkable ride of equanimity and fairness and justice and all manner of good adjectives with regard to religion. It’s done this in a way that’s really remarkable — until now,” said retired Army Col. Larry Wilkerson, who served as chief of staff to Colin Powell when he was secretary of state and then was chair of the Joint Chiefs. Hegseth’s actions, Wilkerson said, “are totally violative of everything that transpired before it. This has come on us in a very quick fashion.”

[...]

Retired Army Maj. Gen. Randy Manner, who was second-in-command at the National Guard from 2011 to 2012, has worked in recent years to train hundreds of interfaith military chaplains. Manner said he has talked with “dozens and dozens” of active-duty chaplains in recent weeks who say those who don’t identify with Hegseth “are being marginalized.” They feel they can’t voice their concerns to their own superiors, he said, and feel their work as the primary advocate for troops’ spiritual, mental and moral health is being threatened.

“I’ve had people tell me they’re not included in staff meetings,” Manner said.

He sees the war as a "Just" war to bring the true faith to the infidels!   

At Pentagon Christian service, Hegseth prays for violence ‘against those who deserve no mercy’

AP News

By  TIFFANY STANLEY

March 25, 2026

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, hosting his first monthly Christian worship service at the Pentagon since the Iran war began, prayed Wednesday to have “every round find its mark.”

“Every month it is fitting to be right here,” he told the gathered civilian employees and uniformed military personnel. “All the more fitting this month, at this moment, given what tens of thousands of Americans are doing right now.”

He read a prayer he said was first given by a military chaplain to the troops who captured then-President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela.

“Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation,” Hegseth prayed during the livestreamed service. “Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.”

He is on the road to war crimes!

During the expanding Iran war and global conflicts, Hegseth’s Christian rhetoric has drawn renewed scrutiny, including his past defense of the Crusades, the brutal medieval wars that pitted Christians against Muslims.

Statements of faith are common in American public life, across political parties and religious traditions. Pentagon aides and Hegseth’s defenders pull examples from history, such as President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s support of giving Bibles to troops. Hegseth regularly cites George Washington, who pushed to establish the military chaplain corps.

Hegseth often goes beyond standard calls for God to bless the country or its troops. Last week, he asked Americans to pray for service members “in the name of Jesus Christ.” On Wednesday, he again prayed in Jesus’ name.

We are floundering we are on the road to disaster!  The Washington Post goes on to write,

Americans United earlier this week sued the Defense Department for not turning over public records requests about the Hegseth-led Christian prayer services at the Pentagon. In a release, it said Hegseth is abusing his position and taxpayer funds to impose his preferred religion.

“Even if these prayer services are presented as voluntary, there is pressure on federal employees to attend in order to appease their bosses — especially since these services occur amidst the Trump administration’s campaign to punish anyone who doesn’t comply with its Christian Nationalist agenda,” AU wrote.

Hegseth’s change comes as the Supreme Court has in recent years weakened church-state separation and supercharged the free exercise of religion. Among the concepts the justices are reexamining are what constitutes religious coercion and an illegal government “establishment” of religion.

Couple an military with a Christian Nationalist and we have a problem! A question arises, is Hegseth promoting generals with his religious views and firing those who don't?

Hegseth wrote a book called American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free! This is the cover to the book...

Hegseth’s pastor said...

“I think the morale is very high, because we don’t have admirals in dresses, who aren’t supposed to be wearing dresses. Pete’s emphasis on lethality and warrior readiness is, for the average sailor or marine — that’s just the jam,” Wilson said. “People feel like someone is running this department who wakes up in the morning knowing what he thinks.”

Hitler Youth?

I know that is a powerful headline but that is what I thought when I read this...

Scouting America moves to shed ‘woke’ label with major recommitment to military, traditional American values

Chief Scout Executive Roger Krone says about 70% of sponsoring organizations are churches and the program is 'very apolitical'

By Charles Creitz , Andrew Mark Miller  Fox News

Published March 28, 2026

Scouting America, the Texas-based national organization founded as the Boy Scouts of America, is working to shed claims it has gone "woke" in recent years as it renews its focus on training young people with life skills, providing fun and educational outdoor experiences and revitalizing its partnership with the U.S. military.

Since its inception by Lt. Gen. Robert Baden-Powell in February 1910, what is now Scouting America has remained dedicated to providing the key life tenets of faith, character and service to young people, as in one example it eliminated an otherwise recently conceived "DEI" merit badge and replaced it with a military-centric one.

Chief Scout Executive Roger Krone told Fox News Digital that scouts have been central to key moments in history, a testament to the program’s values, importance and longevity.

Boy does that sound like they want to make it into a para-military organization?

Business Insider wrote,

Merit badges that "mask" DEI "activism" have been "discontinued," he said, and a new military service badge will be added, in partnership with the Pentagon.

So they are even going to have a merit badge like the Hitler Youth Proficiency Badge of the 1930s and 40s!

Beginning in 2012, "the Boy Scouts lost their way," Hegseth said in the Friday post. "A once great organization became gravely wounded. Diversity, equity and inclusion, DEI, crept in. The name was changed to 'Scouting America.' Girls were accepted. The focus on God as the ruler of the universe was watered down to include openness to humanism and Earth centered pagan religions."

STOP RIGHT THERE! "...The focus on God as the ruler of the universe..." Does this sound like "grooming" to you? Do this sound like Hegseth wants to turn it into a para-military Christian Nationalist organization?

Tennessee

It almost feels like there’s a competition to see who can come up with the most draconian laws.

Down in Tennessee, if this bill passes, doctors will have to register child trans patients:

Tennessee House passes de facto transgender registry bill

Republican lawmakers say it’s about health data. Critics say it’s about tracking trans people.

The Advocate

Christopher Wiggins

Mar 27, 2026

Tennessee lawmakers on Thursday advanced a bill that critics say could lay the groundwork for something more sinister than its text alone suggests: a system that doesn’t just regulate transgender health care, but maps trans people.

The Tennessee House passed House Bill 754 after a charged floor debate and protests inside and outside the Capitol in Nashville, advancing legislation that would require data collection on patients receiving gender-affirming care. Supporters of the bill describe the measure as a tool for understanding medical outcomes. Opponents say it is something else entirely. They say it is a mechanism for tracking a vulnerable population.

This is something out of 1930s Germany!

The legislation would require clinics to report detailed information about gender-affirming care to the state, part of a broader effort, lawmakers say, to study treatment trends. But similar proposals in Tennessee have already raised alarms about what happens when “data collection” begins to resemble identification.

A related measure advancing through the legislature would compel providers to submit extensive details about care, including age, treatments, and geographic data, to the state, which would then publish aggregated reports. While the bill bars the release of directly identifying information, privacy experts warn that the level of detail could still make individuals identifiable, particularly in smaller communities.

Did you know that here in Connecticut, when a non-discrimination bill was being debated, Republicans introduced a proposal that would have required trans people to register with the Department of Motor Vehicles and they would keep a list of all trans people?

Back in 2011 I wrote about it here and when the bill was being debated in the Senate here, and I called it the Scarlet Letter! The amendment was...

["Sec. 501. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2011) Any person holding a motor vehicle operator's license whose gender-related identity is different from that traditionally associated with the person's physiology or assigned sex at birth shall notify the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles of such identity and the commissioner shall indicate such identity in the electronic record maintained by the commissioner pertaining to such person's operator's license. "]

Connecticut isn’t that far from becoming a red state, we’re really more of a purple state.

Back in 2011, I wrote: “...Jerimarie and Jennifer were there from the beginning when the hate crime bill was first introduced, and we were there at the end.” But it wasn’t the end, just a waypoint in an ongoing fight for our human rights.

No Kings

The New York Times had five takeaways from the "No King" rallies...

• The war seemed to galvanize younger voters.
• Trump’s immigration crackdown remains a focus.
• Dueling protests unfolded near Mar-a-Lago. (Grab ’em by the midterms)
• Midterm candidates came out in force.
• Democrats found fresh fuel for their ‘No Kings’ slogan.

The article ends with,

In a nod to the protests, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, the chair of Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, said on Saturday that she planned to introduce a bill to bar presidents from putting their name, likeness or signature on federal property or money.

“In America,” Ms. Gillibrand said in a statement, “we do not bow to kings.”

Idiots!

Hegsith and his merry band of Crusaders planned a war and all they could think of bombs, bombs, and bigger bombs!

Did they ever consider protecting the assets in the Middle East, like radar sites or airborne radar planes? Did they even think of protecting our "eyes and ears" in the sky?

Iran Strikes U.S. Military Communication Infrastructure in Mideast

Satellite images show damage near vital equipment on sites in at least five countries.

The New York Times

By Devon LumHaley Willis and Riley Mellen

March 3, 2026

Iranian strikes conducted over the weekend and on Monday damaged structures that are part of or near communication and radar systems on at least seven U.S. military sites across the Middle East, according to a New York Times analysis of satellite imagery and verified videos.

Visuals show damage on or close to mechanisms used to track incoming ballistic missiles, satellite dishes and radomes, which are weatherproof covers that protect sensitive equipment used by forces to communicate over long distances.

U.S. military communication infrastructure is highly classified, making it difficult to determine which exact systems may have been affected. But the targeted locations appear to indicate Iran was aiming to disrupt the U.S. military’s ability to communicate and coordinate. Iran has attacked the U.S. military’s communication capacity as recently as last June, when it struck a Qatari base it hit again over the weekend.

DUH!

Iran Claims It Struck American AWACS Aircraft In Saudi Airbase Strike

The strikes reportedly hit Prince Sultan Air Base, where the now-destroyed E3 AWACS command and control plane was stationed alongside other US military assets.

NDTV News Desk

Mar 29, 2026

Iran on Friday claimed to have significantly damaged a United States aircraft during a retaliatory missile and drone strike on an American air base in Saudi Arabia.

The strikes reportedly hit Prince Sultan Air Base, where the now-destroyed E‑3 AWACS command and control plane was stationed alongside other US military assets.

Newly released images, published by Iran's Press TV, show the body of the plane damaged, with only the head and tail intact. The attack reportedly involved six ballistic missiles and 29 drones.

At least 10 US personnel were wounded, with two reported in serious condition, Associated Press reported. The strike involved an Iranian missile and several drones targeting the base.

Multiple refuelling aircraft were also damaged in the attack, preliminary reports indicate.

DUH!

Al Jazeera reported,

On Friday Iran attacked Prince Sultan Air Base which included at least six ballistic missiles and 29 drones, according to The Associated Press. At least 15 American soldiers have been wounded and five of the injured US troops are in “serious condition”, AP reported, citing unnamed sources briefed on the strikes.

[...]

Iran’s retaliatory attacks have targeted several sites across Israel as well as oil refineries, US military bases, airports and commercial shipping across the six Gulf states and beyond.

[...]

The war has now expanded beyond Saudi Arabia. Yemen's Houthi rebels reportedly fired missiles at Israel on Saturday. Tehran has also threatened retaliatory strikes on Israeli and US universities following attacks on Iranian academic institutions.

[...]

Iran, on the other hand, is using a trifecta of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles and one-way attack drones.

Drones have delivered volume, with cheap, mass-produced Shahed drones making it difficult for radar to spot due to their ability to fly at low altitude.

DUH!

Did our Crusaders even think Iran would retaliate? Did they think the so-called “Iran terrorist organization” would just sit by and twiddle their thumbs?

Did our "Crusaders" honestly think Iran wouldn't retaliate? Did they think that  “Iran terrorist organization” would just sit by and twiddle their thumbs?

Trump's War was planned by idiots! And that is what happens when politicians plan a war! 

The Guardian writes that...

Simultaneously, faithful to his master’s desire for total domination and destruction, Hegseth announces future war crimes on live TV (“no quarter”) and encourages gratuitous cruelty: “We are punching them while they’re down.” The obscene focus on “lethality” is part of this shift towards war understood as inflicting maximum destruction and pain (as opposed to achieving strategic objectives – which the administration has of course been utterly incapable of articulating).

The reality of war itself recedes because the airwaves are filled with an endless series of entertaining images and empty talk. Hegseth, fond of laughably overwrought language and alliterations in particular (“warriors, not wokesters”), seems unable to articulate anything other than cliches (“unbreakable will”) or snippets of a Christian nationalism which flies in the face of the first amendment’s prohibiting an established religion: one cannot make it a litmus test of patriotism that citizens pray for the troops on bended knees and in the name of Jesus.

The point is not to equate the two men, but one cannot help but remember how Hannah Arendt, in her highly controversial book on the Eichmann trial, described the Nazi bureaucrat: someone utterly incapable of thinking, someone who instead just produced an endless stream of hollow phrases.

Will all this have an effect in legitimizing an illegal war? Hegseth has also created a fantasy world inside the Pentagon itself; instead of press conferences with critical questions and genuine answers, there is gentle back-and-forth between “the secretary of war” – a fantasy name, as Congress has not authorized changing the department’s name – and figures from the Epoch Times and LindellTV (the world according to “the MyPillow guy”).

Even with this extra layer of insulation from reality, Hegseth insisted that the press was not being positive enough about US attacks on Iran. Like with many Maga men performing puerile stunts for the manosphere, the fragile ego inside seems incapable of facing up to the reality of what has been unleashed so thoughtlessly.

We are being lead ideological zealots who dream of the Crusades and bring the "Bringing the end times"

I Can't Figure Them Out

[Editorial]

I can’t figure out Trump’s cabinet members… are they really that uninformed, or do they just blindly stick to the party line?

This morning, on one of the talking-head shows, I think it was the new head of Homeland Security, footage was shown of the long lines at the airports. And what did he say? That the lines have gone down! This was while a video of the very same lines was playing! He was trying to gaslight what our own eyes were clearly showing. He claimed that ICE agents were a big help, while in the background, the video showed them just standing around with coffees in their hands.

We see this pattern with all of Trump’s cabinet members... they lie.

How many times have you heard them say: the war will be over in 8 weeks, inflation is under control, unemployment is dropping, or that the elections were rigged? And yet, when you point out that Trump got elected, which seems to contradict their claim, they still insist the elections were rigged.

Our eyes and wallets tell us one thing, but the Republicans tell us the opposite and seem to think we’ll believe them over our own pocketbooks.

[/Editorial]

Oh When Will They Ever Learn?

It almost seems like they want a fight!

The courts have stuck down the same thing over and over! So now they are saying, once again, that it is obscene!

Ohio House passes bill to criminalize drag shows deemed 'obscene'

By Haley  BeMiller

Columbus Dispatch

March 25, 2026

• The Ohio House passed a bill that would restrict certain drag shows to adult entertainment venues.
• Supporters of the bill say it aims to protect children from obscene or harmful content.
• Opponents argue the legislation targets the LGBTQ community and will cause a decline in drag shows.

Ohio may soon restrict certain drag shows to bars and nightclubs.

The Ohio House voted 63-30 on March 25 to pass House Bill 249, which would criminalize performances anywhere but adult entertainment facilities if they're deemed obscene or harmful to children. It also changes the definition of public indecency, with an exception for women who are breastfeeding.

[...]

Proponents say House Bill 249 doesn't completely ban drag and will instead protect kids from explicit content. It's already a crime in Ohio to disseminate obscene materials or performances to minors.

But hey, it plays in to the bigotry of their MAGA base!

"This is about shielding the next generation from premature sexualization, from the erosion of their innocence," said Rep. Angie King, R-Celina.

Yup, right into their bigotry, fear. and ignorance!

The Buckeye Flame writes...

Anti-LGBTQ+ language in the bill would disproportionately affect LGBTQ+ performers, heavily restricting “performers or entertainers who exhibit a gender identity that is different from the performer’s or entertainer’s biological sex using clothing, makeup, prosthetic or imitation genitals or breasts, or other physical markers …”

Additionally, a separate section of the bill that substitutes the phrase “private part” for “private area” would also help criminalize trans and gender non-conforming people who use gendered public facilities during daily life.

So it is also a bathroom!

The Pink News says,

Critics warn the bill goes far beyond performances, pointing to language that targets individuals whose gender expression differs from their sex assigned at birth.

Lawmakers backing the bill have openly stated it could be used to restrict transgender people from using gendered facilities like locker rooms.

[...]

Equality Ohio CEO Dwayne Steward said the bill “takes regular, everyday activities and turns them into potential crimes,” while Rep. Dontavious Jarrells added: “This bill is not about children. This is about the dehumanisation of people… This bill literally singles out people who are trans, those who are gender non-conforming, and basically calls into question, ‘Should you exist in the public eye?’ That is the reality of this bill. When you talk about what this bill really is, it is an attack on human lives.”

You know that this bill is so vague that it can cover anything drag story telling to burlesque to a strip joint! Besides, laws like this have been struck down by the courts under the 1^st Amendment rights.

Crossed The Red Line?

Trump's war has expanded. A terrorist organization has joined the battle in the Middle East.

A Middle Eastern militant group has said they are prepared to attack the U.S. and Israel; they are backed by Iran.

Houthis threaten to join Iran war if these 3 red lines crossed

The Hill

by Ryan Mancini - 03/27/26

The Houthis on Friday warned that if three lines are crossed by the U.S., Israel or other Middle East countries, they will join the Iran war and fight back.

The Yemen-based group backed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps released five points, issued by the Yemeni Armed Forces, regarding the conflict. They include demands for a diplomatic solution to the conflict with Iran and a “cessation of aggression against Muslim countries in Palestine, Lebanon, Iran, and Iraq, and the lifting of the unjust siege on Yemen.”

[...]

The Houthis also warned they would enter the conflict if vessels tried to pass the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The strait is located 1,200 miles off the Strait of Hormuz and sits between Yemen and Djibouti.

President Trump designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization shortly after he returned to the White House in January 2025.

Of course, they coined a word for that—“asymmetric warfare,” which means when a big guy beats up on a little guy.

I don’t know those fancy words. I see it as terrorism. I see it like what happened when we went into the Banana Republics. I see it like what happened when we put the Shah in Iran, and when we went into Afghanistan. Those all went well, didn’t they?

Whenever a president uses a “big stick,” it doesn’t work out well for us in the long run.

Trump just poked a hornet’s nest, and he says it is almost over—but history says, “not so fast.”

This Was Disturbing!

[Editorial]

 

 Fish tanks! That is where the invasion began.

Someone didn’t want to kill their pet goldfish, so by a unanimous family vote, they decided to give "Charlie" the goldfish his freedom. They went down to the local brook and read a proclamation freeing Charlie. By the word of "Lord Dad," they tearfully gave him his liberty—and a new invasive species was introduced into the environment!

Many of you know that I have a wetland in my backyard. We’ve had a lot of rain and snowmelt recently, so the water level is quite high. Normally, there is only a seasonal stream, but now it is a couple of feet wide and about half a foot deep with very little current.

Today, I noticed a big green mat in the middle of the brook. Upon closer inspection, I found that it is Hydrilla!

The town has been spending tens of thousands of dollars to keep this weed out of our local waters. How did it get into my backyard? It probably hitched a ride on the family living back there in the wetland: the ducks. Just like boats carrying Hydrilla between lakes, birds and animals carry it too.

How Was It "Let Loose"?

• Intentional Planting: In the early 1950s, an aquatic plant dealer in the Tampa Bay area reportedly discarded bundles of Hydrilla directly into local canals after it failed to sell.
• Aquarium Dumping: Many infestations result from individuals dumping the contents of their home aquariums—both fish and plants—into local ponds and rivers.
• Misidentification: At first, many dealers and hobbyists didn't realize how dangerous it was because it looks so similar to the native plant Elodea.

Now, we are all paying the price for exotic plants and animals being let loose. I can see the consequences right in my own backyard!

 

[/Editorial] 

Saturday 9: Indian Lake

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

Saturday 9: Indian Lake (1968)

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

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

1) In this song, a family gets on a bus and heads off on vacation. Think about the last trip you took. Did you travel by car, bus, train, boat, or plane?

By car. To my brother’s in New Jersey.

2) Once they get to Indian Lake, they swim, have a picnic and go canoeing. Are you looking forward to any of these activities this summer?

We used to own cottage on a lake in New Hampshire where we had a canoe, a sailboat and power boat.

But now I’m on Cape Cod during the summer.

3) "Indian Lake" became familiar to TV audiences because it was used in commercials for the Dodge Charger. In the 1960s, most households didn't have remote controls to enable viewers to mute or skip commercials. Today, we do. When a commercial comes on, do you watch or do you turn down the sound or, if possible, fast forward past it?
I don't watch it, usually I am also on the computer.

4) The Cowsills were a family singing group who had four Top 10 hits between 1967 and 1969. The brothers were self taught musicians who enjoyed playing at church and school events. When their father, Bud Cowsill, became their manager, he insisted his wife Barbara and their youngest, Susan, join the band. He wanted the Cowsills to become "a latter-day Von Trapp family." Without looking it up, do you know who the Von Trapps were?

I have seen “The Sound of Music” I have also seen the Von Trapp family lodge in Vermont when I was little.

5) The Cowsills were the inspiration for the sitcom The Partridge Family. It ran for four seasons and the fictional Partridges had three Top 10 hits, were nominated for a Grammy and made David Cassidy a star. Are you familiar with The Partridge Family?

Oh yeah, I saw the show yesterday, well not the whole show just the opening bars. It comes on after Barney Miller.

6) The Cowsills starred in an advertising campaign for the American Dairy Association. On TV and in magazine ads they proclaimed that "Milk is the lift that lasts." Decades later, oldest brother Bill recalled that he seldom drank milk. How about you? Do you often drink milk?

Yes.

I like the milk from a local farm, it is pasteurized but not homogenized. As a matter of fact I am haivng glass of hot chocolate milk and a farm-fresh chocolate chip cookie right now. By the time I finish the glass some of the cream will float to the surface… Mmm.

Remember the milkman and milk box on the porch? Well that was unhomogenized, I think it tastes a lot creamier than homogenized milk.

7) While Bud Cowsill engineered the family band's success, he also contributed to their demise. The Cowsills were scheduled to appear 10 times on the influential Ed Sullivan Show, but were fired after the second because Bud was too confrontational backstage. He also had a reputation for being abrasive with record company executives and concert promoters, and this affected the the band's ability to find work. Do you have a hard time biting your tongue or controlling your temper?

I find the older I get the mellower I get, Been there, seen that, done that...

8) In 1968, when this song was popular, Leonard Bernstein released his award-winning recording of Mahler: Symphony No. 8. Do you enjoy classical music?

No.

But I do like this…

9) Random question – Here we are in March. If you made any New Year's resolutions, have you kept them?

Yes, I am still above ground. My resolution was to make it to next New Year’s When you get old it is the simple things.

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