Category Archives: United States

Music Monday – “I’m sentimental, if you know what I mean/I love the country but I can’t stand the scene/And I’m neither left or right/I’m just staying home tonight/Getting lost in that hopeless little screen”

“Democracy” – Leonard Cohen

Loretta Lynn and Banned Songs

RIP Loretta Lynn. Not sure if its true but I read that this trailblazing songwriter had more of her songs banned from radio airplay than every other male country artist *combined* in the 20th Century. Loretta Lynn had more songs banned from radio than every other male country artist combined in the 20th century. pic.twitter.com/IOchPjwmWL […]

Secular Sunday – The Longer Lasting Harm of 9/11?

9/11 was caused by religious extremism but an ever-longer lasting harm of this attack is the culture of conspiracy theories that sprang up around the attacks which continues to affect our society in ways ranging from vaccine hesitancy to lack of faith in government to the idea that mass shootings are actually false-flag operations are […]

Secular Sunday – Supreme Injustice

Secular Sunday – Tampa Bay Players Refuse To Wear Gay Pride Logo On Their Uniforms Saying Their Religion Forbids It

I always chuckle as how selective (some) Christians are about which “rules” they follow and even how they decide that these rules exist in a book that was written thousands of years ago. Tampa Bay Rays players refused to wear the Gay Pride logo on their uniforms this weekend — saying their religious beliefs wouldn't […]

Saturday Snap – Catching Up With An Old Friend

A lifelong buddy who now lives in Arizona and who we haven’t seen in years sent me a text that he was back in town for the weekend and wanted to meet for a pint. I was so excited I booked a time with him, completely forgetting that we’d also planned a family supper for […]

The New Corporation – Documentary

It was pretty cool to go to the world premier of an anti-corporate documentary called “The Corporation” at the Calgary International Film Festival twenty years ago which featured a Q&A with the filmmakers after the screening. It’s less cool that this film has an “unfortunately necessarily” sequel released a couple years ago…

Music Monday – “What do you want to do?/I’m scared to even say the truth/This has been the hardest year/Is it even legal here?”

“The Problem” – Amanda Shires with Jason Isbell “Our Problem” – Amanda Shires with Friends

Still Negative (And Some Random Covid News & Thoughts)

I’ve probably felt like I had Covid dozens of times over the past couple years – every sniffle, every scratchy throat – but the last few days were the first time I was *certain* I had it due to my symptoms – heavy cough, tight chest, fatigued, etc. etc. – along with the sense from […]

The Legend of How Gilbert Gottfried Turned a 9/11 Joke Into “The Aristocrats”

More than an uniquely annoying voice, Gilbert Gottfried was a comedian’s comedian and a comedy legend. RIP. Around two weeks after the attacks, one of the first big comedy events held in New York City was the Friar’s Club Roast of Hugh Hefner. Throughout the night, as funny as it was, there was also an […]