Waitin' for the Weekend

Red flannel is soft and warm.

Does anyone know this guy's name?  Woof.

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Cavalcade of Food: Winter 2025 Window Displays

THAT album cover, which Kevin displays in today's video, was mighty damn risque in 1965, and put Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass on the map.  I well recall the straight boys all lost their minds over this Playboy-style photo.

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Your Head Trucker spends a lot of time revisiting past eras, so I can relate to Kevin's interests in old recipes, appliances, furniture, and decor.  And what a collection of stuff he has in his private museum up in Croswell, Michigan!  So many things we or our parents used to own, but which in the course of time have slipped out of our hands.  Certainly brings back memories.

I don't necessarily share all of Kevin's interests in these antiques, but I do admire his presevationist spirit - and am astonished at all the energy he puts into redoing these big window displays throughout the year.  The latest items all have to do with music from the late 50s and early 60s.  Enjoy.

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Ancient Greek Drinking Games

Ancient Greek symposium in full swing.
Click to enlarge.

 

A professor of Greek and Roman history explains how to party like an Ancient Greek:

 

Very amusing; but I must tell you that Dr. Ryan's videos are usually more dignified and educational, such as this one:

 

He posts a new video every week, so check out his YouTube channel if you are antiquely inclined.

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Sunday Drive: Piano for Elephant

An outdoor piano concert for a blind old elephant in Thailand.  Learn more in the video description.

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Big Cats Like Boxes

From bigcatrescue.org: 

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Waitin' for the Weekend: Waiting for Love

Photo montage by Tom Hewitt.  Tip:  use your right arrow key to skip through and pause on the ones you like.

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Crowder, Pritzker, Sanders Tell It LIke It Is

First up, the Liberal Redneck has something to say about MAGA madness and the DOGE boys:

While we're on that subject, Governor J.B. Prizker of Illinois, in his State of the State address yesterday, rang the alarm bell loud and clear on the Nazi parallel with Trump's actions:

And Senator Bernie Sanders makes plain the parallels between Putin and his American wannabe:

I was never a Bernie supporter, but he would sure get my vote now, if I could cast it for him.

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United States Begins Final Voyage

With cosmic irony, the S. S. United States, once admired as a modern wonder of the world, departed from Philadelphia yesterday bound for a watery grave in the Gulf of Mexico.  CBS News reports:

 

In February 2013, CBS Sunday Morning reported on the glamorous ship's history up till then:

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THIS JUST HAPPENED

From the official White House Twitter/X account:

"CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!"
–President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/IMr4tq0sMB

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 19, 2025

The Independent (UK) reports: 

Donald Trump declares himself ‘king’ after striking down New York congestion pricing 

Pride goeth before a fall.--Proverbs 16:18

What did I tell you just yesterday about the REIGN OF TRUMP?  What more proof do you want?  And just what will the Republicans have to say about this?  Just wait and see how they twist and turn, hem and haw, and try to laugh it off.  THEY HAVE NO BALLS.

But of course, that's just what they want:  an all-powerful king to completely remake American government and society, sweeping away all opposition.  And that's what a majority voted for, too.  Oh, what weeping and wailing there will be when their fantasy turns into nightmare.

So stop trying to figure out the whys and wherefores of shithead's pronouncements:  there's only one purpose to it all, and you see it in the picture above.  He wants to be the Emperor of America, from the North Pole to the Equator.  Meanwhile enriching his billionaire buddies beyond the dreams of avarice, to use an antique phrase, and getting endless praise for himself from millions of adoring fanatics or slaves.  (Just like the dick daddy dictators he admires so much - they are the father figures whose approval he desperately craves.)

THAT is his one and only ambition - limitless power and worship to fill the gaping hole where his soul ought to be.  And the gutless wonders in Congress are lapping it all up.  No one else in all of American history would have lasted five minutes in office if they put out something like the image above.  No one else in American history would have dared even to think of it.  But here we are.

Fasten your seat belts, boys - it's going to be a bumpy ride.

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Old Men Tell It Like It is

Statue of Socrates at the Academy of Athens

 

Soon after you turn 60, it begins to dawn on you that you no longer count as a human being and fellow citizen.  From 16 to 40, you are in the groove; after that you are on the downhill run but making good money (you hope), so you don't mind.  But after you retire on a small pension, and you can no longer shake your booty without throwing your back out, you are just not wanted in the social whirl anymore.  A harsh truth of human life.  If you can't run with the big dogs, better stay up on the porch.

Old age is no fun, though between aches and pains it can be fairly pleasant as long as your body holds together.  A compensating factor is that, having lost your juvenile awe of authority figures, and having no job to protect, you feel free to say exactly where the cow bit the cabbage.  And old men who have paid attention through all the stages of life usually have some very keen wisdom to share, if anybody will put down the goddamn smartphone long enough to listen.  

Here's a few old guys like your Head Trucker who speak their minds and give some damn good advice.  I don't necessarily agree with everything they say, but I do like the way they say it.  They can be pretty funny, too.

First up, Tom Powell, Jr., from Illinois, gives a mini-review of a Canadian comedian's rant:

 

Blue Dot in Texas, down in the southern part of the state, doesn't mince words about the state of the country: 

 

Pissed Off Bartender, somewhere in Alabama, isn't quite an old man yet, but we'll grant him honorary status on account of his awesome beard and stache:

 

Finally, fired-by-Trump National Security Advisor John Bolton is a Republican with great expertise in foreign and military affairs; I'd never vote for him, but he really knows what he's talking about:

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PURGE: "It's What We Voted For," Say Republicans

Citizens around the country on this frigid winter day protested the Tyrant's massive purge of the federal civil service, including about 30 who showed up in the pretty little town of Granbury, seat of Hood County, southwest of Fort Worth.  Excerpt from the WFAA report:

"They're dismantling agencies of the United States government that have been here for decades," Hood County protester Payton Fletcher said. 

But Republicans said they voted for a downsize, and they're not concerned by the way it's being accomplished. 

"President Trump is doing exactly what we elected him to do," Hood County Republican Party vice chair Tina Lawrence said. "The first time, he tried to be slower and nice. See what that got him? I couldn't be prouder for what he is doing." 

What he is doing is DESTROYING THE CIVIL SERVICE AND DEMOLISHING THE RULE OF LAW.  In other words, TAKING A WRECKING BALL TO DEMOCRACY.

People, it's not about budget deficits or national debt or anything but SEIZING COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT. 

It's also about DESTROYING ALL POSTWAR ALLIANCES that our fathers and grandfathers set up to keep the world steady and at peace. 

It's all about ONE MAN RULE. Complete, absolute, unquestioned. Yes, the DICTATORSHIP is here.

Probably soon to be followed by financial depression, food shortages, famine, pandemics, and war. (Ukraine is a dead duck. Europe may be next.)  All these will be used as excuses to rachet up support for the Tyrant - who by then will control all sources of information.  The propagandists are already working full time.

And what little help the government might provide through all this will no doubt be limited to LOYAL FOLLOWERS OF THE LEADER. (No need to go out and buy a party card; an algorithm will determine your loyalty for you.)

Why am I the only one who foresees this?  Am I the only one left who ever read The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich?  Now our very own nightmare empire is arising before our eyes.

Of course, I could be wrong. I'm an old graybeard without a crystal ball or even a smartphone, so what do I know? 

But all that the Democrats foretold about the REIGN OF TRUMP is coming true, so watch out! 

The world we have known all our lives up till now is gone. Welcome to the "golden era" - fool's gold, that is. 

For the record, here's just two videos that sum up what's happening now, here and abroad. I fear that much worse is yet to come.  God help us all.

Addendum:  As of this writing, here's a list of agencies where layoffs have taken place or which have been infiltrated by that overgrown teenager and his goon squad of sticky-fingered geeks, doing who knows what damage to millions of financial and personal records in government files:

Sunday Drive: Misty

A happy surpise:  legendary Johnny Mathis still has it at age 89, singing his 1959 hit "Misty" just a month ago with that famous velvet voice.  Sit back and enjoy.

Today's reading for the 6th Sunday in Epiphany at 

Forward Day by Day

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Tired Old Queen at the Movies: My Favorite Wife (1940)

 

 Steve Hayes reviews the delightful screwball comedy, starring Irene Dunne and Carry Grant.  M.P. and I recommend it highly.  It was remade by Doris Day and Jim Garner in 1963 as Move Over, Darling, which is also a treat.

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Waitin' for the Weekend: Hiya, Handsomes #1

Valentine's Day . . . a celebration of lovers . . . love the one you're with . . . bless the ones you miss . . . life is short, love is precious . . . great or small, a thing to treasure.

Hiya, Handsomes #1 by Collide Press

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Borowitz: The New Ballerina

 No comment.

Trump Names Himself Principal Ballerina 

of Kennedy Center Ballet

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Cavalcade of Food: Pizza in a Box

Note to my truckbuddies:  I can't keep up with all the bad news.  You know the country is going over a cliff, and no one can stop it for now.  I'm staying sane by posting lighter topics until further notice.

Who else remembers Chef Boyardee pizza?  M.P. and I both have fond memories of making pizza at home when we were teenagers.  Kevin shows how it's done.

 

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Sunday Drive: My Funny Valentine

For M.P. 

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Waitin' for the Weekend

M I D W I N T E R   B A R G A I N S

Pre-tariff clearance sale!  Buy 1, get 1 free!  All stock must go!  

Cash sales only.  Sorry, no refunds.

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In Memoriam: Cody

My late husband Cody died 20 years ago today.  We had five years together before he died unexpectedly.  Our story is linked in the sidebar with our photograph.  Miss you, cowboy.  Rest in God.

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"A Tiger in a Petting Zoo": What's the Endgame?

The naked truth is plain to see.

I can't keep up with all the news, and you fellas don't expect me to.  So here's just a few items worth noting.  But first, the legit weather report from the Washington Post, off my Google newsfeed:

Senators Schumer and Warren sound the alarm about that overgrown juvenile delinquent and his geek squad who now have their grubby fingers in all your government records and on your bank account:

 

And because they know all about you, they could tailor your Social Security check as they please - or withhold it for "undersirable" behavior. Does your retired Aunt Sadie, so upset about the price of eggs, know about this? What about disabled, gun-loving Cousin Clem in his red cap? Whenever the news finally trickles down to them and their pocketbooks, I hope they choke on it. 

Senator Adam Schiff tells it plainly: "this is a corrupt scheme to turn this country into one-man rule, and enrich Donald Trump and his wealthy friends like Elon Musk."

And now, not content with scooping up Canada, Greenland, and Panama - a costly invasion is not necessary; economic terror is enough to bring them all into submission - the Very Stable Genius wants to take over Gaza and rebuild it as "the Riviera of the Middle East" - after expelling the 2 million people who live there:

 

And here's a headline from Canada, which just got played like a hockey puck over tariffs, where all those nice, polite, friendly folks are trying to figure out the game plan:

 

Now you can watch the video if you like; suave Andy Chang has some very good charts and facts to show the big picture, but he misses the really big picture.  So your Head Trucker is going to cut to the chase here.

iT'S NOT ABOUT DRUGS.  IT'S NOT ABOUT TRADE BALANCES.  IT'S ALL ABOUT TOTAL DOMINATION BY GLORIOUS LEADER:  EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE, ALWAYS.

Why am I the only one who sees this?

Canada, stop trying to find a logical reason for the tariffs; there is none. If it's not one issue, the Orange One will make up another.  Any hammer will do to beat you into submission while he takes all your valuables.

People, it's all right out of Hitler's playbook:  Border problems.  Fake outrage about neighboring countries.  Scare tactics.  A police state.  Removal of civil servants and political opponents.  Demonizing one section or another of the citizenry.  A constant barrage of lies from state mouthpieces.  Scrubbing away facts from books and schools.  Keeping other states in perpetual fear of what might happen next.  Lebensraum - i. e., fake justification for seizing foreign territory.  Redrawing the map, renaming things.  Deportations.  Concentration camps.  And there is more yet to come!  It's only just begun . . . 

And fellas, cut the crap about "Oh my, we still have 1400+ days to go before his term ends."  HIS TERM WILL NEVER FUCKING END.  If good ol' Joe Biden had to be prised out of the Oval Office with a crowbar, do you really think Tyrant Trump will just quietly walk away from the power and glory?

Seriously, people??  HE'LL NEVER LEAVE.  HE WANTS TO BE KING OF THE WHOLE WORLD.

There now, I've said it.  You have been warned.  What to do about it, I don't know.  You'll have to figure that out for yourself.

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Father David: Rituals (and Tyranny)

Yesterday's video sermon from Father David, a retired Episcopal priest in Hawaii.  This is a brilliant meditation on rituals, mythology, life, death, and resurrection.  Well worth a listen if you care about spiritual things.

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Sunday Drive: Have You Ever Seen the Rain?

Dear Canadian friends - chers amis canadiens - queridos amigos mexicanos:

I apologize with a heavy heart for what is being done to you by America's self-proclaimed dictator.  Not in my name!  

As I type these lines, I weep - actually, I am sobbing - to see what is happening to my country, and soon to happen, I expect, to many other nations.  My father fought against the Nazi tyranny in World War II, when America and the Allied nations fought a titanic struggle to rid the world of that evil.  The democracies in that day were the sane middle way between communism and fascism; but where is the via media today?

In my old-fashioned mind, America is still, despite all its flaws and sometimes egregious mistakes, the torchbearer for liberty, justice, democracy, and human decency.  Why else do all the world's refugees want to come here, or to Canada or one of the other Western democracies?  Nobody's breaking down the gates to get into Putin's Russia or the other dictatorships, are they?

Say what you will about our politics and politicians, the fact is undeniable that America in many ways, many times, and many places has led, fed, and healed the world:  a magnificent record of good deeds to counterbalance the bad. But now it seems the long golden afternoon of postwar peace and America's benign dominance of the free world has come to an end.  It may be that a long dark night will follow.  I hope not.

There is no need for me to repeat the news reports out of Washington, but I will say this:  You do not deserve to be mistreated, bullied, or perhaps bludgeoned into submission to the tyrant's whims.  Nor do most of us American people.  Please remember that half of us voted against the dictator.  But now all of us must live with the terrible consequences.

Click to enlarge.  From Wikipedia.

Of course, you all must do what you have to do to protect yourselves.  But there is no good reason for our peoples to hate one other after many long years of peace and friendship, north and south.  One day, the sun will rise again, the clouds will part, and the upward path of civilization will begin anew - sooner rather than later, I pray.  Whether this old man will live to see it, who knows.

But do not be deceived;  the only thing a bully respects is strength, and a punch in the nose.  Appeasement only feeds the appetite for conquest.  And no doubt there will be quislings in your own countries, ready and willing to sell you into slavery.  Do not submit without a fight for your freedom and dignity, though the price be steep. God bless you, friends and neighbors, and God help us all.

This song fits my mood today - more the vibe than the vague lyrics - perhaps it will speak to you, too.

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Bernie: Stand Up and Fight Back

In the history of the world, if we stand together and oppose right-wing efforts to divide us up by our race, by our religion, our sexual orientation, or where we were born -- if we stand together, there is nothing we cannot accomplish.

Bottom line, let us go forward and fight for a government and an economy that works for all, not just a few.

We simply do not have the luxury of moaning and groaning.  We have got to stand up and fight back.

We can do it.  Let's go forward together.

Your Head Trucker is not a socialist; but I'd damn sure rather see Bernie remake our country than Jackass Genius & the Wrecking Crew.  I agree with everything Bernie says here.  God bless him.

P. S. -- While I'm on the subject, I think it's obscene that 3 men have nore wealth than half the population of the United States.  NOBODY SHOULD BE THAT RICH OR THAT POWERFUL.  There's a limit to everything earthly, including capitalism.

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