THIS WEEK begins with the sad news that rocker Rick Derringer has died at the age of 77. At one time or another, you probably heard the work of Rick Derringer and his death at 77 is a loss to the rock music world.
Rick is best known for his rock classic, “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo,” but Rick was first known for his role as lead singer in The McCoys, who had a #1 60’s song on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart titled, “Hang On, Sloopy.” The song hit #1 in 1965, a time when American bands picked up on the music and fashion trends introduced by the British Invasion the year before in 1964. But Rick Derringer touched the lives of so many rock music lovers.
In addition to being in The McCoys and having an iconic rock anthem with “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo,” Rick worked with both Edgar and Johnny Winter. Rick Derringer was also a session musician and his work is heard on songs by Alice Cooper, Richie Havens, Todd Rundgren, Steely Dan, Cyndi Lauper, Barbra Streisand, and even KISS.
Trump Warns Putin
The week kicked off with Trump warning Russian President/Dictator Vladimir Putin saying that Putin is “playing with fire” over his continued attacks on Ukraine. Trump is pissed off at Putin and over the Memorial Day Weekend said that Putin must be “absolutely crazy” for continuing to launch attacks into Ukraine while Trump is trying to have a cease fire conversation.
But what is Trump going to do about Putin?
During the campaign talked about having a great relationship with Putin and he would be able to end the war on Day 1. Well, that didn’t happen and right now Putin is slapping Trump in the face with these attacks on Ukraine. And we know how Trump reacts to a good bashing. But I think Trump is backed against a wall. He can’t act like Putin is his friend anymore and he can’t really be too aggressive. This is another lost battle and a sign of weakness from Trump, who won’t be able to retaliate against Putin dissing him.
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley said today that Trump needs to at least announce more sanctions against Russia. But I don’t think that will stop Putin. And Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that if Trump doesn’t do something about Putin he would grind Putin’s “war machine to a halt.” Graham threatened to put Russia on a trade island by spanking it with 500% tariffs on Moscow’s energy products.
Trump wants us all to be afraid of his power and his willingness to execute that power - Putin is a fucking thug and could make Trump look like a choir boy and Trump is not going to like that. Let’s hope cooler heads prevails and what we are seeing now is just two egomaniacal narcissists trying to prove who has the biggest balls.
Punish Liberal Media
A FOX News post on X asked if liberal media outlets should face consequences over how they covered Joe Biden and failed to cover him. We all thought, but didn’t know for sure, that President Biden was not mentally or physically stable. I have had so many calls into my talk show from MAGAists accusing me and everyone else of covering up Biden’s mental state.
We DID NOT know for sure what was going on with Biden. People are saying the liberal media covered up President Biden’s dementia. We don’t even know for sure if he has dementia. But these right-wing bozos who are accusing the media of a cover-up can have their conversations with family and friends or in a bar room and can say whatever they want. The media can’t. We have to know for sure.
During the campaign, I criticized Biden often for not appearing to be in good enough mental or physical shape to serve a second term. But I did not know for sure what was wrong. Now, we have learned a LOT was wrong. And God Bless Joe, who is fighting advanced prostate cancer, in addition to anything else going on with his mind and body.
We should wish him well, even those who disagreed with him as a president. I am in the media and the notion that the media covered up for Biden is absurd. The perceived liberal media may be slanted to the left, but more important the protecting candidates or an ideology is the quest for a great story. If ANY media outlet had known, for sure, about President Biden’s mental and physical condition, that would have been the #1 story in the country.
I’m not wrong about the media caring more about the story than protecting candidates or an ideology. Remember how the perceived liberal media ran with the story about Bill and Monica? That showed that any loyalty to liberal causes were inconsequential to the blow job story.
The FOX News question about punishing the liberal media over its over-coverage or lack of coverage of Biden’s mental health is another suggestion that right-wing radicals do not respect the Constitution and at any moment for any excuse will suggest violating free speech in the name of protecting their politician or ideology.
All Americans must be aware of the overt attempts and the subtle attempts to strip us of our precious freedom of speech - one of the freedoms that really defines America. The Trump Administration is leading an effort to attack the First Amendment because the current president is so weak, as a man. That he can’t take criticism or contradiction of his words and actions.
We are living in dangerous times. But I remain optimistic and celebrate the Republicans who are coming to realize that Trump is not who he says he is. And this is happening at a time when Trump is learning that Putin is not who he says he is.
More soon.
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