One For the Road 1776

To read the full text of the podcast and the links to the quoted materials, please see: ⁠ https://erm76.substack.com/p/podcast-video-and-text-dickens-and Photo Credit: NASA/Keegan Barber "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the se...

Most folks don’t realize that your vote is about the bestthing you got in the world because it is the best thing you can use to change the world and make it better.”   Woody Guthrie, in an essay to Alan Lomax, ca. November, 1940   The podcast explores some of the protest and topical songsand their writers/singers from the 1960s through to the present day. This is Part 1 of a 2-part podcast. In Par...

Most folks don't realize that your vote is about the best thing you got in the world because it is the best thing you can use to change the world and make it better.” Woody Guthrie, in an essay to Alan Lomax, ca. November, 1940 The podcast explores some of the protest and topical songs and their writers/singers from the 1960s through to the present day. This is Part 1 of a 2-part podcast. In...

T o read the full text of the podcast and the links to thequoted materials, please see: ⁠ https://erm76.substack.com/p/podcast-and-full-text-some-people⁠   During a press conference with reporters in the White House,Trump was asked  why the US didn’t inform its allies about the upcoming attack against Iran. Trump answered, “We wanted surprise,” he said, with Ms. Takaichi seated nextto him. “Who kn...

To read the full text of the podcast and the links to the quoted materials, please see: ⁠ https://erm76.substack.com/p/podcast-and-full-text-some-people⁠ During a press conference with reporters in the White House, Trump was asked why the US didn't inform its allies about the upcoming attack against Iran. Trump answered, “We wanted surprise,” he said, with Ms. Takaichi seated next to h...

To read the full text of the podcast and the links to thequoted materials, please see: ⁠https://erm76.substack.com/p/podcast-and-full-text-war-with-iran This is an update about the war in Iran. We first coveredthe war, which has also been called an “excursion” by the President, in an earlier podcast.  According to President Trump, the attacks obliterated thetargets. Yet, one of the reasons given f...

To read the full text of the podcast and the links to the quoted materials, please see: ⁠ https://erm76.substack.com/p/podcast-and-full-text-war-with-iran This is an update about the war in Iran. We first covered the war, which has also been called an “excursion” by the President, in an earlier podcast. According to President Trump, the attacks obliterated the targets. Yet, one of the...

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was founded by in 1945following the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.   One mission was to urge fellow scientists to help shapenational and international policy. A second mission was to help the public understand what the bombings meant for humanity.   These scientists anticipated that the atomic bomb would be  “only the first of many dangerous presen...

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was founded by in 1945 following the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. One mission was to urge fellow scientists to help shape national and international policy. A second mission was to help the public understand what the bombings meant for humanity. These scientists anticipated that the atomic bomb would be “only the first of many dangerous pre...

A number of decisions by the Trump Administration define itsproclivity for military action. These decisions give context to the attack on Iran. They’re almost a path to the present conflict. And a part of this path is what can be called thechicken-hawk factor. The term describes an individual who has avoided military service but who promotes a martial or pro-fighting stance. It’s a show of bravado...

A number of decisions by the Trump Administration define its proclivity for military action. These decisions give context to the attack on Iran. They're almost a path to the present conflict. And a part of this path is what can be called the chicken-hawk factor. The term describes an individual who has avoided military service but who promotes a martial or pro-fighting stance. It's a show of brava...

When exploring climate change, we’re moving further in the realm where science is either ignored or condemned—everyone becomes an expert and all opinions have equal weight. In this universe, A no longer equals A. A can equal D, or Z for that matter, if someone deems it so. But science doesn’t care if you say that climate change is a hoax. You can say it, but then you may be condemning hundreds, th...

When exploring climate change, we're moving further in the realm where science is either ignored or condemned—everyone becomes an expert and all opinions have equal weight. In this universe, A no longer equals A. A can equal D, or Z for that matter, if someone deems it so. But science doesn't care if you say that climate change is a hoax. You can say it, but then you may be condemning hundre...

For anyone who doubts President Trump’s authoritarianleanings, look no further than the Department of Justice headquarters and its new banner with PresidentTrump’s image. It’s a declaration of political control over what should be an independent department.  While similar banners have been hung from other governmentbuildings, the one created for the DOJ is particularly concerning. Since Watergate,...

This is part 2 of The Haitian Refugee Crisis. The Trump Administration, Racism and the Law . We'll be covering one of Trump's actions in 1989 concerning the Central Park 5 and how 1989's racism is still prevalent in 2026. We'll also explore how the government is trying to force hundreds of thousands of Haitians and others, under TPS protection, to leave the United States. Both Noem and Trump claim...

This is part 2 of The Haitian Refugee Crisis. The Trump Administration, Racism and the Law . We’ll be covering one of Trump’s actions in 1989 concerning the Central Park 5 and how 1989’s racism is still prevalent in 2026.  We’ll also explore how the government is trying to force hundreds of thousands of Haitians and others, under TPS protection, to leave the United States. Both Noem and Trump clai...

Ana C. Reyes, a United States District Judge, ordered atemporary stay of a Trump Administration order to strip Temporary Protection Status, also known as TPS, from thousands of Haitian refugees in the United States. The TPS program was created by Congress to provide a safe and legal haven for nationals from other countries living in the United States who can't return home because of natural and-or...

Ana C. Reyes, a United States District Judge, ordered atemporary stay of a Trump Administration order to strip Temporary Protection Status, also known as TPS, from thousands of Haitian refugees in the United States. The TPS program was created by Congress to provide a safe and legal haven for nationals from other countries living in the United States who can’t return home because of natural and-or...

President Trump announced a new class of battleship, the“Trump” class. It’s interesting, given this is the president who avoided the draft through a questionable medical situation, bone spurs. But this new identification with a battleship is a quintessential chickenhawk maneuver.   According to Trump, each ship will be the largest battleshipin the history of our country, the largest battleship in...

President Trump announced a new class of battleship, the “Trump” class. It's interesting, given this is the president who avoided the draft through a questionable medical situation, bone spurs. But this new identification with a battleship is a quintessential chickenhawk maneuver. According to Trump, each ship will be the largest battleship in the history of our country, the largest ba...

The Trump Administration has managed to pillage and plunder the American ethos in less than a year. The goal? The President wants to redefine it in his own image. And the damage created by Trump's assault may take years to repair. In some cases, it may be beyond saving. For example, can you remove the river of gold paint in the White House without damaging the underlying structures? While a paint...

J'Accuse is Émile Zola's famous 1898 open letter to the President of the French Republic in defense of Alfred Dreyfus, a French army officer who was accused of spying for Germany. The incident blew up in to a political scandal, and the military's general staff used Dreyfus as a scapegoat. Dreyfus was also Jewish, and this contributed to his being targeted for the accusation. We briefly expl...

President Trump met with European leaders in Davos,Switzerland, this week. It was an economic meeting with a broad-based agenda, including climate change and other global issues. Politics run deep, and thisis particularly true this year in light of Trump's potential actions, ranging from the taking of Greenland to attacking and then complimenting NATO. And let's add a diatribe against Switzerland,...

This is a two-part post. The first explores President Trump’s January 17, 2026,  Truth Social  post about Greenland. It’s a mix of inaccurate statements and the levying of new tariffs. Organizationally, a section of the  Truth Social  post is listed, followed by a quick analysis of that section. The Analyses are so-noted. The second part is an unpacking of the Greenland situation and where the Uni...

Originally recorded on January 13, 2026. Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado is set to meet with President Trump at the White House this week. Machado received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025. This is the prize that Trump believes he deserves. These actions have taken place today. More information, including the references for the quotes, can be found at: https://erm76.substack.com/p/a...