Author: ali redford

I love dogs and people. I want living creatures to thrive. I love to cook, and share the food, but ya gotta get in line in front of the dog, and greatest good luck with that!

2 From Clay Jones

Darth Hideous by Clay Jones

Trump is looking to suspect habeas corpus Read on Substack

The Trump regime is openly talking about suspending habeas corpus without the approval of Congress. This is the right to see a judge, challenge the government’s evidence against them, and present a defense if you are detained in the United States.

Why would the regime not want you to have that right?

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen “Baby Goebbels” Miller told reporters while hanging upside-down by his feet from a ceiling, “That’s an option we’re actively looking at.”

If Baby Goebbels is looking at it, then you know it’s the wrong idea.

Article 1 of the Constitution states, “the Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.”

Senator Chris Murphy said at a Democratic rally in Sarasota, Florida, “The one power you cannot give the executive is the power to arbitrarily imprison people who oppose the regime. Today, it may be an El Salvadorian immigrant or a foreign student, but tomorrow it is you or me. The slope to despotism can be slippery and quick.” (snip-MORE)

Toon For Flagler by Clay Jones

Palm Coast has a paranoid mayor Read on Substack

This cartoon was drawn for Flagler Live in Palm Coast, Florida. Palm Coast has a weird mayor, and I blame Trump. Donald Trump has made it acceptable for politicians to spout of stupid crazy shit without concern for how ridiculous it sounds.

Want to know more? Read the column this cartoon accompanies.

Creative note: Flagler Live has been good to me. Not only are they a client, but they’re also paid subscribers to this Substack. So when I woke up to a request from the editor for a cartoon on a local subject, I wanted to give him what he wanted. I hate to say no to clients, even if it’s on a Saturday when I already have two deadlines. He was also very easy to work with.

The editor described the situation, sent me the column the cartoon would accompany, and sent photos of the mayor, his truck, and of city hall. He didn’t give me a hard time about the cartoon either. I sent two ideas, he picked his favorite, and he didn’t request any changes to the cartoon when it was completed.

I think I would kick a lot of ass if I lived in Florida and covered the subjects there. But ya know, it’s Florida. It’s full of Republicans and flying buzzy stingy things. (snip-MORE)

Oops!

AI-Powered Coca-Cola Ad Celebrating Authors Gets Basic Facts Wrong

Emanuel Maiberg ·May 12, 2025 at 9:00 AM

Snippet:

In April, Coca-Cola proudly launched a new ad campaign it called “Classic,” celebrating famous authors and the sugary drink’s omnipresence in culture by highlighting classic literary works that mention the brand. The firm that produced the ad campaign said it used AI to scan books for mentions of Coca-Cola, and then put viewers in the point of view of the author, typing that portion of the text on a typewriter. The only issue is that the AI got some very basic facts about the authors and their work entirely wrong. 

One of the ads highlights the work of J.G. Ballard, the British author perhaps best known for his controversial masterpiece, Crash, and David Cronenberg’s film adaptation of the novel. In the ad, we get a first person perspective of someone typing a sentence from “Extreme Metaphors by J.G Ballard,” which according to the ad was written in 1967.  When the sentence gets to the mention of “Coca-Cola,” the typeface changes from the generic typewriter font to Coca-Cola’s iconic red logo. 

(snip-MORE)

A Reblog from Michael Seidel

Sunda’s Wandering Political Thoughts

Some History Posts By Wendy The Druid

Snippets of each. Simply click on the “Read on Substack” links to finish each bit. History is important, and ought to be known. Again, be warned about some language within.

Queer History 104: Martha May Eliot & Ethel Collins Dunham by Wendy🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🌈

Two brilliant women who revolutionized medicine while sharing one bed and one beautiful life Read on Substack

Let me tell you about a love story so powerful it saved millions of children’s lives. Martha May Eliot and Ethel Collins Dunham weren’t just pioneering scientists in a time when women were told to shut up and make babies—they were soulmates who supported each other through nearly six decades of groundbreaking work, homophobia, and institutional sexism. Their love letters tell a story of passion so deep it changed the fucking course of medical history.

Ethel Collins Dunham - Wikipedia

When I think about these two women finding each other in the early 1900s—holding hands under tables at medical conferences, stealing kisses between hospital rounds, and building a home together despite the judgment of their peers—I’m not just impressed. I’m goddamn moved to tears. This is the kind of queer history that reminds us we’ve always been here, always been brilliant, always been changing the world even when the world tried to erase us. (snip-MORE)

Queer History 106: Reed Erickson by Wendy🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🌈

The Trans Guy Millionaire with a Pet Leopard Who Bankrolled a Revolution: How one man’s wealth, vision, and complicated legacy shaped transgender rights in America Read on Substack

Holy shit, you need to hear about Reed Erickson—a transgender millionaire who casually took his pet leopard on private planes while funding the movements that would eventually give trans people like himself basic human rights. This isn’t some fictional character from a Ryan Murphy series; this was a real fucking person who lived hard, loved harder, and threw his considerable fortune behind a revolution most people weren’t ready for.

The Complicated History of Reed Erickson | Autostraddle

Reed’s story hits me in the gut because it’s so goddamn messy and human. He wasn’t a sanitized LGBTQ+ icon with a perfect narrative arc. He was brilliant, visionary, and deeply flawed—a three-time divorcee who became a drug fugitive while still managing to fundamentally reshape how America understood gender. His life reads like a fever dream, but his impact on transgender rights was dead serious. (snip-MORE)

Queer History 107: The Daughters of Bilitis by Wendy🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🌈

From secret social club to revolutionary force – the women who changed queer history forever Read on Substack

In a world where being yourself could get you arrested, institutionalized, or worse, eight women decided to host a goddamn picnic. That picnic club – the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB) – became the first recognized lesbian civil rights organization in the United States and sparked a revolution that would change queer history forever. This isn’t just another boring historical footnote; it’s the story of women who risked everything to carve out space for themselves when no one else would.

The Women of Color Behind the Daughters of Bilitis — Malinda Lo

Let’s be real – what started as a way for “Sapphics to dance and talk together” (the most lesbian thing I’ve ever heard) evolved into the first nationally published lesbian magazine in America and eventually led to the first gay wedding in California. These women weren’t just creating community; they were planting the seeds of a movement while the rest of society was trying to pretend they didn’t exist. (snip-MORE)

More History

Kickass Women in History: Ta-bu-ce

The Poor People’s Campaign in Peace & Justice History for 5/12

May 12, 1968
The Poor People’s Campaign, organized by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) began when contingents of the poor, mainly from the south, began pitching tents in a “Resurrection City” near the Lincoln Memorial. It was dismantled by police on June 24.
Aerial view of Resurrection City, next to the Lincoln Memorial
How a Photographer Illuminated the Plight of the ‘Invisible Poor’ 
The Poor People’s Campaign Today!

https://www.peacebuttons.info/E-News/peacehistorymay.htm#may12

Peace & Justice History for 5/11

May 11, 1973
Charges against former Pentagon analyst Daniel Ellsberg (including conspiracy, espionage and larceny) for his role in the release of The Pentagon Papers (a comprehensive classified study of the origins and conduct of the Vietnam War) were dismissed.
Judge William M. Byrne cited government misconduct, including attempts to bribe him with an appointment as FBI Director, and previously undisclosed wiretaps of Ellsberg. His compatriot, Tony Russo, a former RAND Corporation analyst, was also released.

Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers a book review
 Daniel Ellsberg’s website 
May 11, 1975
80,000 turned out in New York City’s Central Park to celebrate the end of the Vietnam War.

https://www.peacebuttons.info/E-News/peacehistorymay.htm#may11

Unity

Clay Jones Def Deserves His Pizza

(Cubbies fan here. I’m not Catholic, so it matters not to me which team the Pope prefers.)

Chicago Pope by Clay Jones

The Pope is a Sox fan Read on Substack

I apologize for the lateness of today’s blog, but I had three deadlines today. I’ll explain further in a future blog.

We have the first American pope, and to add to that, he’s from Chicago. How cool is that? I think Chicago all by itself spites Trump, but a pope who’s criticized the administration for its policies on immigration is a nice plus. Also, Pope Leo XIV is against the death penalty, racism (Trump is a racist), and understands that Climate Change is a real thing and not a “hoax” created by China.

One of the first things I was curious about with our Chicago pope was if he is a Cubs fan. The Chicago Cubs posted on their famous marquee above Addison Street at Wrigley Field that Pope Leo is a Cubs fan. They got it wrong. So did some cartoonists.

Henry Payne is already an idiot. That’s not new news. Randy Bish rushed to judgment.

But it didn’t matter to him because he just made a simple swap when he found out he was wrong.

Sorry, Randy, but this is generic cartooning. Plus, nobody should listen to you about Chicago. You’re from Pittsburgh.

What else is from Pittsburgh is this shit.

The Digital Research Library of Illinois History Journal™ : "Chicago Dog Sauce," a new condiment, was introduced by the Kraft Heinz Company in 2017.

What is it? It’s ketchup. There’s nothing special about this ketchup. It’s just regular shitty Heinz ketchup, but the company was trying to trick Chicagoans to fuck up their hot dogs with it. It didn’t work, and Eater.com let them know it.

I’m sure the Pope would agree that it’s sacrilege to put ketchup on a hot dog, but since he’s the Pope, he would probably forgive you, but I won’t. How dare you put ketchup on a hot dog? What are you? Five?

I used to have a theory that people who love ketchup had mothers who couldn’t cook. I developed this theory because my ex-wife LOVED ketchup, and her mother could not cook. I hope she doesn’t read this because she’s very nice and my son’s grandmother. My father-in-law, may he rest in peace, made the best fried pork chops I’ve ever had.

I think there are only four acceptable reasons for using ketchup, and they are, for crinkle-cut fries, very bad fries, meatloaf, and if you’re five. I kid, I kid. I know some of you love your ketchup, and none of us is perfect. For example, Donald Trump LOVES ketchup. Let that sink in.

What I learned about Chicago pizza is that most Chicagoans eat more tavern-style than deep dish. Chicagoans like deep dish, but it’s more for special occasions and when they have visitors. Deep dish is more for tourists. I don’t really get deep dish, and I don’t even think it should be considered a pizza.

Do you remember Pizza Rat’s first trip to Chicago last year? He tried the deep dish.

Not a fan.

Today’s cartoon put me in the mood for tavern-style tonight, and Pizza Hut has it as a special. When I picked it up, the manager apologized because they had accidentally cut it into triangles instead of squares. A lot of Chicagoans would not stand for that, but I’m tolerant. I thought of Pope Leo, and I forgave them…this time.

Shout-out and dedication: I dedicate this cartoon to Greg Zaborniak, who introduced me to Old Style beer and tavern-style Chicago pizza last year during the Democratic convention. Thank you again, Greg.

Creative note: I didn’t know what I was going to draw today, and I also had a deadline for the Advance. And then, one of my clients contacted me wanting a cartoon on a local issue, and they wanted it today. So, I was facing three deadlines with zero ideas. But they came to me, one by one, and I knocked ‘em all down.

I deserved that pizza.

There’s a version of this cartoon without Pizza Rat. I didn’t include him because not everyone who will see this cartoon will be a regular reader of mine, and they might think the rat is an aspersion on Catholicism. So I sent it to my clients without Peezy. But then, a reader changed my mind because he thought it was a bigger sin to include a pizza without Pizza Rat. I figured I was going to hear more howls about missing Peezy than I’d hear from angry Catholics. The version at GoComics may not feature Peezy because sometimes a new file won’t override the existing file. I did resend the Peezy version to my clients, but they’ll use the one they want, and maybe not even care.

Drawn in 30 seconds: (snip-go see it!)

Peace & Justice History for 5/10

May 10, 1857
The Sepoy Rebellion was triggered in Meerut, India, when native troops (known as Sepoys, which also designated a rank equivalent to private) turned on their British officers.It was the first instance of armed resistance against colonial rule. Indians constituted 96% of the 300,000-man British Army. Loading the Lee-Enfield Rifled Musket assigned to the Sepoys involved biting the end of a cartridge greased in a combination of pig fat and beef tallow.

“Attack of the Mutineers,” a British illustration of the Sepoy Rebellion
The former is haraam (forbidden) under Islamic law, the latter offensive to Hindus who consider the cow as aghanya (that which may not be slaughtered). When the Sepoys, including both Hindu and Muslim Indians, became aware of this, some refused to load their weapons. Mangal Pandey, a soldier in the Army shot his commander for forcing the Indian troops to use the controversial rifles. When others were charged with mutiny for refusing, Sepoys turned on their officers and released the imprisoned soldiers.
The rebellion is now considered the first Indian war for independence.
More on the rebellion 
May 10, 1967
Army Captain Howard Levy, a physician, was imprisoned three years for refusing to train U.S. Special Forces soldiers for Vietnam. He refused an order to perform the training as he considered it a violation of his medical ethics.
“The United States is wrong in being involved in the Viet Nam War. I would refuse to go to Viet Nam if ordered to do so. I don’t see why any colored soldier would go to Viet Nam: they should refuse to go to Viet Nam and if sent should refuse to fight because they are discriminated against and denied their freedom in the United States, and they are sacrificed and discriminated against in Viet Nam by being given all the hazardous duty and they are suffering the majority of casualties.”
– From the Supreme Court case, Parker, Warden, et al. v. Levy.
May 10, 1968

Peace talks began in Paris between the U.S. and North Vietnam with businessman, former New York governor, ambassador and cabinet secretary W. Averell Harriman representing the United States. Former Foreign Minister Xuan Thuy, heading the North Vietnamese delegation, immediately demanded cessation of U.S. bombing.
May 10, 1972
Jane Briggs Hart, the wife of Senator Philip A. Hart (D-Michigan), informed the Internal Revenue Service that she wouldn’t pay some of her taxes; instead, she deposited her quarterly estimated tax of $6,200 in a special bank account.
She wrote: “I cannot contribute one more dollar toward the purchase of more bombs and bullets.”

Jane Briggs Hart
More about Jane Briggs Hart 
May 10, 1980

The National Organization for Women (NOW) organized 85,000 people to march in Chicago in support of Illinois’s ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

A chronology of the Equal Rights Amendment, 1923-1996 
Visit the NOW Foundation 
May 10, 1980

A federal judge in Salt Lake City, Utah, found the U.S. government negligent for its above-ground testing of nuclear weapons in Nevada from 1951 to 1962.
The land of the Nevada Test Site is scarred with craters from nuclear testing.
May 10, 1994

Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as South Africa’s first black president. He had won the country’s first election in which all South Africans could vote, regardless of race. Mandela had spent nearly three decades imprisoned for his part in the struggle to attain political and civil rights for black and colored citizens. This ended more than three centuries of white rule, beginning with the Dutch in 1652.
Biography of Nelson Mandela 
South African chronology 

https://www.peacebuttons.info/E-News/peacehistorymay.htm#may10