Bo Diddley’s “I’m Sorry” is an atypical slow song with a conventional beat. It was released as a single in February 1959.
Los Lobos, famous for their later cover of another 1950’s song “La Bamba”, recorded a live version in 1984.
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Racial incidents in Philadelphia area schools
Racists have been emboldened by Trump’s election. Read this article for examples in Philadelphia area school districts such as “Cheerleaders called the N-word. A black doll hanging by a tie. Pumpkins carved with a swastika and a reference to the Ku Klux Klan.”
231 W. Pratt St., Baltimore
This photo of a boarded up building with a deteriorating 1976 Jimmy Carter poster was probably taken in 1977. The location is now part of the Convention Center.
Speaking of the nuke button…
I was reminded of the 1986 music video by the group Genesis for “Land of Confusion”. It ends with Reagan making a choice between two buttons labeled “Nurse” and “Nuke” and hitting the “Nuke” button which sets off an explosion.
There are a lot of clever references in the video which are explained here.
Trump and nukes
A Time article shown on Yahoo states:
“In an open letter to Congress on Thursday, a group of 17 former nuclear launch officers argued that President Trump “poses a clear and present danger to the country and the world” and warned that “there are no reliable safeguards” to prevent Trump from deciding to launch a nuclear missile on his own.”
These people ought to know. If they’re concerned, I’m concerned. Can’t they get Trump a Staples Easy button and tell him it’s the nuke button?
I think we are at a greater risk of nuclear war than any time since the early 1960s. I’m too old to hide under my desk. Sad!
The tax law and charitable donations
Charities may get fewer donations under the new tax law. A study estimated donations could drop by 4.5% or $13 billion. Under the new law, the higher standard deduction will mean that many middle-class taxpayers will not qualify for the charity deduction. It is not expected to affect donations from the wealthy. The article notes that wealthy people donate more to museums and universities while donors of smaller amounts are more likely to donate to social service or religious organizations.
This article discusses tax-related strategies for donating under the new law.
update: Projected impact of tax cuts on deductions
Trump and farmers
Trump has sought support from farmers but this New York Times article says that his tax law could hurt farmers.
The article states “New analyses of the tax law by economists at the Department of Agriculture suggest it could actually lower farm output in the years to come and effectively raise taxes on the lowest-earning farm households, while delivering large gains for the richest farmers.”
Trump had lied earlier and said the estate tax was a burden on farmers. However, only 153 out of 38,328 farm estates paid any estate tax in 2016.
Sad!
Trump and Iran
Trump is supporting anti-government protesters in Iran but Iran is one of the countries on his Muslim ban so he doesn’t want them to come here. That’s hypocrisy. Sad!
Trump should not tell businesses to fire people
I thought Republicans were opposed to government intervention in private business. Yet, Trump:
- Said individuals working for the media (ESPN, the Washington Post, and ABC) and NFL players who kneeled should be fired. Should he be telling private businesses who to fire?
- Made sure Carrier got a deal to keep jobs in Indiana. (Carrier later cut jobs anyway.) Is this fair to Carrier’s competitors?
He’s wrong to say things like this but the gutless hypocritical Republicans in Congress won’t stand up to him. This doesn’t even cover the conflicts of interest from his businesses competing with private businesses not owned by government officials. That’s wrong, too. Sad!
Randy Newman’s “Political Science”
Randy Newman’s satirical “Political Science” (1972) reminds me of Trump’s foreign policy bluster. It was funny 45 years ago but it sure isn’t funny now. Sad!
Sad! 