30 Living Songwriters

The New York Times recently posted a list of 30 greatest living songwriters as determined by their critics. Posted here. 

The expanded list of 100 created by a reader's poll is much better. The NY Times post is here.

Ego Power Chaos

From Vets Against Trump

After Fred Trump died and left Donald Trump a fortune estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars, Trump spent much of his life bouncing from one failure to another.

There are really only two undeniable successes on his résumé:
* The Apprentice, which transformed him from a struggling businessman into a television celebrity.
* Winning a second presidential term, which allowed him and his family to cash in on their political fame in ways most presidents never have.
But even as Trump profits personally, the list of failures surrounding this presidency continues to grow.
* Renaming institutions and attaching his name to everything in sight.
* The turmoil surrounding the Kennedy Center.
* Damaged relationships with longtime allies.
* Tariff policies that have created economic uncertainty.
* Continued chaos and turnover within his administration.
* An increasingly unpopular conflict with Iran.

And now there is another warning sign that even some Republicans are beginning to lose confidence.

The House recently passed a War Powers Resolution aimed at limiting Trump’s ability to continue military operations in Iran without congressional authorization. Four Republicans broke ranks and voted with Democrats, sending a message that cracks may be starting to appear in what was once nearly automatic Republican support for Trump.

That’s what makes the vote significant.

It isn’t really about four Republicans.

It’s about the fact that after years of loyalty, some members of Trump’s own party are finally willing to publicly tell him “no.”

Meanwhile, his polling numbers are slipping, public frustration is growing, allies are questioning America’s reliability, and controversy continues to follow this administration from one headline to the next.

Yet through it all, Trump continues to insist he is the greatest president ever, the smartest leader ever, the best dealmaker ever, and the most successful businessman ever.

The question isn’t whether Trump will declare victory.

The question is:

What could possibly go wrong next?

Because every time you think the chaos has reached its limit, Trump seems determined to prove there is always another level.

As this old veteran sees it, real leaders don’t spend all day telling people they’re great. Eventually, the results have to speak for themselves.

If you enjoy my political commentary, observations, and occasional dose of sarcasm, please consider following me. I may not always be right, but I promise I’ll always give you my honest opinion—and probably a few laughs along the way.

– Jim Lager, this old veteran

WOW 2026

This evening we attended the first Parkside Wine on Wednesday for the season. It was a perfectly beautiful night for a neighborhood party and there was a great crowd. We knew most of the people there and met a few more. A lot of old friends.

Looking forward to a few more of these get-togethers.

War Powers Resolution

Today a bipartisan majority in the Republican led House voted to end Trump's illegal war with Iran which was a very clear rebuke of his handling of the conflict and the subsequent economic fallout. The war powers resolution passed by a vote of 215 to 208 with four Republicans joining Democrats in support.

Trump blasted the vote in a post on social media Thursday. He wrote:

"Yesterday, in a meaningless vote, the House voted, 4 bad Republicans and all of the Dumocrats, to limit my War Powers, right in the middle of my final negotiations to end the War with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Who would do such an unpatriotic thing. They know where the negotiations stand. The Democrats are fueled by Trump Derangement Syndrome. They would rather have our Country fail than give me another, of many, victories. The four Republicans, that's a whole other story - They're GRANDSTANDERS! They should be ashamed of themselves. MAGA!!! President DJT."

The administration has furiously pushed against the effort in both the House and Senate. Wednesday's vote signals his support for the war may be slipping even among some members of his own party.

Now more than 90 days into the conflict, some Republicans have expressed frustration that the war does not appear to have a clear end in sight. Talks to end the war have yet to gain clear traction, casting doubt on a fragile ceasefire. Just hours before the vote, Iran and the U.S. traded strikes in the Persian Gulf.

The conflict began on Feb 28 with strikes by U.S. and Israeli forces on Iran. Under the 1973 War Powers Act, the president has 60 days to end hostilities if there has been no congressional authorization – though he is able to seek a 30-day extension. The same law also gives Congress the ability to end hostilities by voting on a resolution to end military action, subject to presidential veto.

Tom Petty Anthology - Kitchen Listening

Kitchen Listening with a couple of Tom Petty anthology compilations. Started yesterday with the Anthology: Through The Years, 2000. A double CD album featuring the best of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. I followed that up today with The Live Anthology, 2009 which is a 4 CD compilation of live material recorded from concerts between 1980 and 2007. This awesome set of music played for nearly 6 hours. I'm sorry I never got to see him perform live in concert.

Scott Pelley & CBS

From Occupy Democrats

BREAKING: Iconic “60 Minutes” journalist Scott Pelley drops EXPLOSIVE allegations after the new pro-Trump CBS News FIRES him after 37 years, saying he “was told to lie" in news stories by Trump's corporate minions.

For years during the Trump era, Americans have watched one news organization after another bend the knee to political pressure, corporate interests, billionaire owners, and partisan agendas.

But what veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley just alleged may be one of the MOST disturbing warnings yet from inside a major American newsroom.

After 37 years at CBS News, Pelley says he was FIRED tonight because the network's new pro-Trump leadership abandoned the principles that made 60 Minutes one of the most trusted institutions in journalism.

And his allegations are HISTORIC in nature.

Pelley didn't merely complain about management. He didn't simply criticize corporate restructuring. He accused the new MAGA CBS leadership of attempting to CORRUPT the news itself:

"New management has instructed me to inject falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story."

Read that again.

"New management has instructed me to inject falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story."

WOW. Pelley is openly accusing CBS News of lying to the American people to hide Trump’s corruption. He continued: "I've been told to include assertions that are unverified. To date, in every case, I have managed to ignore these instructions or refuse them."

This represents a DIRECT assault on the core principles of journalism.

But Pelley says the problems didn't stop there.

"Recently, politicians have been invited to choose correspondents for interviews on the broadcast."

That is an EXTRAORDINARY accusation.

The entire purpose of an independent press is that journalists decide how politicians are questioned — NOT the other way around.

As Pelley bluntly put it:

"Giving politicians control over 60 Minutes interviews is not how this is done."
No kidding. The allegations become even more alarming when viewed in the broader context surrounding CBS and Paramount.

For months, critics have questioned whether CBS corporate executives were softening coverage and restructuring news operations in hopes of maintaining favorable relations with the Trump administration to enrich shareholders and ensure that Paramount’s multibillion-dollar upcoming merger with Skydance is approved by Trump’s FCC.

Now one of the most respected journalists in America appears to be CONFIRMING those fears from the inside.

"Now, the new owner of our network is casting this legend aside, apparently to curry a moment of favor with the Trump administration."

"60 Minutes lost its DNA. Our entire senior leadership and two of our best on-air correspondents were cruelly fired without cause."

"Good people were silenced because they stood up for our audience."
"They stood for fairness against the forces of political bias."

"They stood for professionalism against chaos."

But perhaps the most heartbreaking part of Pelley's statement was his conclusion:
"The collapse of values at the top has become untenable. The leadership of 60 Minutes is no longer recognizable. The principles I hold dear are gone."

"And so I must leave as well."

Let that sink in. Scott Pelley spent nearly FOUR DECADES building his career at CBS News. He could have quietly accepted the changes. He could have collected a paycheck and remained silent. Instead, he chose to walk away while publicly warning Americans about what he says is happening behind the scenes.

"I pray for a day when those people and their ideals are honored again—a day when sanity, competence, and courage return."

Whether you're a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, one thing should unite us: No corporation should be telling journalists to LIE in stories. No politician should be CHOOSING which reporters interview them. And no news organization should sacrifice truth in exchange for political favors.

We salute Scott Pelley for being a shining example of integrity in the face of Trump's war on truthful journalism!

Life Goes On - Songs 1987 FV

A second set of music featuring songs from albums in my collection released in 1987 and part of my Final Version series. Lots of favorites here and some deep cuts too. It was fun putting this one together. It runs an hour and a half or so.

Guadalcanal Diary in the pic. 

Life Goes On  - Songs 1987 FV

1. Litany (Life Goes On) - Guadalcanal Diary
2. One Day In Your Life - 54-40
3. Same Old Walk - Paul Kelly & The Messengers
4. O Lucky Man - Grapes of Wrath
5. The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death - The Housemartins
6. Vanishing Girl - Dukes of Stratosphear
7. Spectacular Fall - The Long Ryders
8. Painted Moon - The Silencers
9. Small Circles - The Rainmakers
10. 5 Will Get You Six - Blue Rodeo
11. This Is Easy - Marshall Crenshaw
12. Finest Worksong - R.E.M.
13. I'll Never Get Better Than This - Bill Lloyd
14. Somewhere in My Heart - Aztec Camera
15. Cherry Bomb - John Mellencamp
16. 4th of July - X
17. One Step Up - Bruce Springsteen
18. Rain On You - Fire Town
19. Footprints - Squeeze
20. Ship of Fools - World Party
21. What's My Scene? - Hoodoo Gurus
22. This Is Where It All Begins - Balancing Act
23. Did Ye Get Healed - Van Morrison

On the Curb

Things we got rid of the past couple of days... First we had some stuff on our neighbor's lawn for their yard sale. Then we also had a bunch of stuff for the city heavy trash pickup. Lots of people came by and took what we had out front. Only a very few things actually made it to the trash collectors.

• Gas lawnmower
• Old scale
• 2 stand up fans
• Lamp
• 2 lawn chairs with the black walnut holes
• Old table with drawer
• 3 lawn sprinklers
• Skateboard
• Badminton net, rackets and birdies
• Car roof rack storage bag
• Car seat heater
• 100 ft power cord
• 2 water canteens
• Lots of garden lights that don't work anymore
• Small round grill

Philip K. Dick - Authors List

Philip K. Dick - Authors List. 6 Books. An interesting science fiction author who has written about 45 novels and numerous short story collections. I've read five novels and one collection. I had known about this author for many years but it took the movie Blade Runner for me to read a novel. Then it was another 20 years before I starting reading him again. There are plenty more I should check out.

I also liked the TV series of The Man in the High Castle. 

• Blade Runner: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, 1968 - Nov 1986
• Ubik, 1969 - Nov 2007
• The Divine Invasion, 1981- Aug 2009
• VALIS, 1981 -  Oct 2009
• The Minority Report: Collection of Short Stories, 2002 - Dec 2009
• The Man in the High Castle, 1962 - Jul 2016

I Need A Man - Songs 1987 FV

A collection of songs from albums in my collection released in 1987. This set covers a lot of the sounds from that year that I was listening to at the time and have been used in various mixes over the years.

This is the first of about a dozen mixes I've recently updated as part of my Final Version series. This mix runs a bit over an hour and a half.

The Eurythmics in the pic.

I Need A Man - Songs 1987 FV

1. I Need A Man - Eurythmics
2. Need You Tonight - INXS
3. It's A Sin - Pet Shop Boys
4. True Faith - New Order
5. Why Can't I Be You? - The Cure
6. Mandinka - Sinead O'Connor
7. Who's That Girl - Madonna
8. Love Will Save The Day - Whitney Houston
9. Thinking of You - Earth, Wind & Fire
10. Everywhere - Fleetwood Mac
11. Jammin' Me - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
12. Dumb Things - Paul Kelly & The Messengers
13. Only Love - BoDeans
14. Sweet Fire of Love - Robbie Robertson
15. I Ought To Know - The Silencers
16. Brilliant Disguise - Bruce Springsteen
17. This Is Love - George Harrison
18. The One I Love - R.E.M.
19. Thing Called Love - John Hiatt
20. Carry The Torch - Fire Town
21. Rose-Coloured Glasses - Blue Rodeo
22. All Come True - World Party
23. Queen of the Slipstream - Van Morrison