Tag: Art

May Day, Original Memorial Day, Emancipation Day, “Mission Accomplished” Day, and Much More, all 5/1 in Peace & Justice History

My annual May Day musical offering. Enjoy!

May 1, 1865
Memorial Day was started by former slaves in Charleston, South Carolina to honor 257 dead Union Soldiers who had been buried in a mass grave in a Confederate prison camp.
They dug up the bodies and worked for 2 weeks to give them a proper burial as gratitude for fighting for their freedom.
They then held a parade of 10,000 people led by 2,800 Black children where they marched, sang and celebrated.
 
More of the story 
May 1, 1886

May Day was called Emancipation Day in 1886 when 340,000 went on strike (though it was Saturday it was a regular day of work) in Chicago for the 8-hour workday.

May 1, 1890
May Day labor demonstrations spread to thirteen other countries; 30,000 marched in Chicago as the newly prominent American Federation of Labor threw its weight behind the 8-hour day campaign. 
More May Day info 
May 1, 1933

Dorothy Day
The Catholic Worker newspaper was founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin. Dorothy Day said, “God meant things to be much easier than we have made them,” and Peter Maurin wanted to build a society “where it is easier for people to be good.”

Peter Maurin

Read more about the Catholic Worker 
May 1, 1948

Senator Glen Hearst Taylor
Senator Glen Hearst Taylor (D-Idaho) was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama, for trying to enter a meeting through a door marked for “Negroes” rather than using the “whites only” door, and convicted of disorderly conduct.
Taylor was the Progressive Party candidate for Vice President, running mate of Henry Wallace. He was in Birmingham to address the Southern Negro Youth Congress.
May 1, 1965
Second Factory for Peace opened in Onllwyn, Dulais Valley, in south Wales, employing disabled miners. Tom McAlpine, active in the Committee for Nuclear Disarmament, and a supporter of cooperatives and industrial democracy, established Rowen Engineering in both Wales and Glasgow, Scotland.
May 1, 1966
500,000 Vietnamese marched for an end to the war dividing their country.
May 1, 1967
Soviet youths openly defied police and danced the twist in Moscow’s Red Square during May Day celebrations. In the early ‘60s the Twist had been banned in Buffalo, New York, and Tampa, Florida. The religious right claimed the Twist was actually a pagan fertility dance.

Are you old enough to remember Chubby Checker?
May 1, 1971
Five days of anti-war May Day protests began in Washington, D.C., resulting in over 14,000 arrests—the largest mass civil disobedience in U.S. history.
May 1, 1986
 
One million South Africans demonstrated their opposition to apartheid in a strike organized by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU)
COSATU: a brief history
May 1, 2003
President George W. Bush landed in a jet on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln off the California coast and, in a speech to the nation, declared major combat in Iraq over. The banner his staff posted on the ship read, “Mission Accomplished.”

Since that presidential declaration more than 4500 American and allied troops and nearly 9000 members of Iraqi security and police forces (Jan. 2005 through July 2011) have lost their lives. In addition, tens of thousands (more than 32,000 Americans) injured in the hostilities.
The number of Iraqi civilian deaths is open to dispute, but minimally stands at well over 100,000.
Details of Iraq military casualties
 Civilian casualties 

https://www.peacebuttons.info/E-News/peacehistorymay.htm#may1

On The Phone-

Crank Yankers by Clay Jones

Cranking Trump’s Yank Read on Substack

Shedeur Sanders, who played quarterback for the University of Colorado, and his father, Deion Sanders, who is the head coach, was predicted by draft experts to be selected in the first round. Many saw him going to the Saints, who had the ninth pick, and who need not just a quarterback to build the franchise around, but also immediately. The concern for Saints fans, which I’m one of, was that he wouldn’t still be around at number nine.

On Thursday night, the Saints were on the board just as I was in line to get on my plane in Chicago. I was able to see who the Saints selected before my plane took off, and it was Kelvin Banks, an offensive tackle from the University of Texas. It will be his job in the near future to protect the Saints quarterback, who will NOT be Shedeur Sanders.

Then Sanders started falling and was even available to the Saints when their next pick came up, number 40 in the second round. And they did select a quarterback in the second…who was NOT Shedeur Sanders. They selected Tyler Shough from Louisville. The Saints selected four more players before Shedeur was taken in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns.

During Shedeur’s free fall to the fifth round before the Browns ended his suffering, he got a phone call. He received a call during the second round from someone claiming to be Mickey Loomis, the general manager of the Saints, who said he was about to draft him.

It was a prank call.

Shedeur later said he knew it was a prank because no one is supposed to have his number, but he didn’t know. You see in the video that he’s clearly distressed from it while having a draft party with his friends and family. So, how did the prankster get the number? (snip-MORE)

“Open Windows” and Clay Jones

Slapshot by Clay Jones

That ship’s gonna sink Read on Substack

If they weren’t so pathetic, you might could possibly be sad for some MAGAts. Take Juanita Broaddrick as an example, whose entire national profile is built upon debunked claims she was raped by Bill Clinton in the 1970s and who is now a full-fledged lying MAGAt.

After Canada’s Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre distanced himself from Donald Trump, Broaddrick claimed he would lose the election because Canada loved Trump so much, which didn’t make any sense.

If Canadians loved Trump so much, then why did they just elect Liberal Mark Carney to become their new Prime Minister? That’s like denying Trump’s current favorability numbers. They suck.

There’s also the fact that Trump lost this election for the Conservatives. The Conservatives were ahead by double digits when Trump entered office last January, then he started barking at Canada, waged a tariff war, and repeatedly insulted them by claiming they should be America’s 51st state.

If Donald Trump had kept his mouth shut and had waited at least 100 days for his stupid tariff war, Poilievre would be Prime Minister today.

Yesterday, thanks to Donald Trump, Canadian Liberals won. Trump is now internationally toxic. Everything Trump touches…dies. Super Bowl champion running back Sequon Barkley played golf with Trump a few days ago, and now I expect his knees to give out during the preseason. Trump is poison. I would tell you to ask Elon, but he hasn’t figured it out yet.

Pierre didn’t just lose his race for Prime Minister, he also lost his seat in parliament. (snip-MORE)

A four-year old cancer patient deported by Ann Telnaes

The boy and his sister, both U.S. citizens, were deported to Honduras with their undocumented mother Read on Substack

https://www.democracynow.org/2025/4/28/us_citizen_children_expelled_from_country

Three From Clay Jones

Preaching, Praying, Grifting by Clay Jones

Our international embarrassment continues Read on Substack

For just $59.99, with the Pope discount, you too can be buried with your very own Trump Bible. It’s the number-one Bible favored by dead popes, and will help you skip the line as it’ll impress St. Peter. Be the envy of all the other dead popes with your very own Trump Bible. For a limited time only, you can get two Trump Bibles for $119.00 in what we call the MyPillow Special! Act fast, as supplies are limited and tariffs are coming. The Trump Bible is the Popeiest!

I feel I need to remind everyone that having a grifter president (sic) is not normal and is an international embarrassment, which Trump excels. But just in case the grifting wasn’t enough of an embarrassment, Trump doubled and tripled down.

The dress code for Pope Francis’ funeral was black…all black. Melania followed the code. Naturally, Trump did not. Trump, who was placed in the front row to embarrass us further, wore blue, but at least the $97 Trump suit was dark blue. Trump talked about his Catholic voters before the trip, but wearing blue at the Pope’s funeral only showed them disrespect. (snip-MORE)

Negative Criminals by Clay Jones

Deporting underage US Citizens won’t make your polls go up Read on Substack

One reason Donald Trump will never be a good negotiator is that he cares about the polls too much.

Before he shut down the government in his first term, he boasted to Nancy Pelosi that he would take the blame. After he shut down the government and the polls blamed him, he couldn’t take it, and he caved. He got none of his demands, and Nancy played him like a cheap pair of cards. Other nations notice this. China notices.

Question: Who cares more about what their people think about them, Donald Trump or Xi Jinping? Do you remember the last time citizens protested in China? Tanks were involved. Trump is trying to deport protesters, but we haven’t gotten to the tanks yet.

Usually, when a president has low poll numbers, they avoid talking about it. Not Donald Trump. He can’t stop talking about it. When Trump has higher ratings, which is rare, he exploits it as much as he can and praises himself. When the same polls give him very low numbers, he calls them “rigged” polls. His supporters say you can’t trust those polls, even if they’re the same ones they cited months ago.

Now, Trump wants the latest polls “investigated,” and accuses the pollsters of election fraud, as if they had called a state election official and asked for more votes. (snip-MORE)

Fredericksburg is for the Birds by Clay Jones

Don’t feed the birds? Feed the birds? Read on Substack

This was drawn for the FXBG Advance.

Sometimes, when a cartoonist draws a cartoon for a local audience, they don’t expect readers outside the area to understand it. That’s the case for today’s cartoon, and I’m OK with that. I would like all my regulars to understand every cartoon I draw (because I love them), even if they weren’t drawn for them. I have a policy of not explaining my cartoons to people who don’t understand them. Not out of anger or arrogance, but out of acceptance that the cartoon probably didn’t work and they should wait for the next one. But that policy doesn’t apply to the local cartoons, so I’m going to try to explain this one.

I’m also concerned that local readers won’t get this one unless they’re all Advance readers (not advanced readers, but readers of the FXBG Advance, though I’m sure anyone reading my work or the Advance are advanced readers). The reason I’m concerned about local readers not getting this is that the story broke late Friday, and I’m not giving any back story in the cartoon.

The city of Fredericksburg sent out a public health notice that said, “Do not feed the birds.” Why? Because Avian Flu has invaded Virginia like a bunch of no-good Kristi-Noem-Gucci-Handbag-stealing illegals (sarcasm). (snip-MORE)

Woot! New “Cover Snark”!

Cover Snark: Lice Check

Well, the preview looks different from the post; the link embedded as usual on the post, but on the preview, there is simply the title as a hyperlink. Either way, go there and prepare to be amazed and amused!

Posting In Order To Comment-

Chop Wood Carry Water …

Stop by here whenever you feel; there’ll be a light on, I bet! And I get what you’re saying, I believe. It does seem a good time to look around oneself locally, take stock, and be surrounded with the little things.

Strangely Random Stuff

Sunday, April 27, 2025

In Good Company 4

She was not actually just there for bacon and sex. Once they were showered and she had slipped into a shirt he had loaned her (Her clothes were a hopeless cause. “It would fit you like a dress,”–It did.) she took on the look of someone with very bad business to conduct. She sat on the side of the bed and watched him get dressed as if waiting for him to be sufficiently attired to also discuss business.

He found himself wanting to dress very slowly. 

“What happens to Madeline Dupree?” 

Oh. That. “There’s a….let’s call it a retreat, isolated. Secure. Away from other people. She won’t be able to leave, but she has to….”

She winced. “Why does it sound like a farm upstate with plenty of room to run around?”

He was shocked at first and then reconsidered what he was saying. “Maybe. We’re humane. We know how to deal with a rogue were.”

“How secure is secure?”

“She won’t escape.” 

She motioned him to sit by her on the edge of the bed, “I need you to understand she has killed before she got here. And when I talked to her, I got the sense that this was not a were problem. Not entirely. ” (snip-this is a great piece, go read it!)

“Secure” Locations

Classified Dum-Dums by Clay Jones

This is what happens when you only hire morons Read on Substack

I read a theory on Facebook yesterday, which means there was heavy research behind it (sarcasm), that Trump only hired morons because they would provide distractions from all the Trump Fuckery he’s implementing. I think that might be a bonus, but I don’t agree with it.

I think Trump only hires morons, not because they’re morons, but because they’re all sycophants and none will challenge his Trump Fuckery. For the love of God, Kristi Noem even got the Melania hairstyle. I’m kinda shocked JD Vance didn’t get it too.

We’ve gone over the idiot picked from Fox & Friends in the Defense Department, Pete Hegseth, inadvertently leaking classified intel, so let’s discuss the puppy-murdering idiot at Homeland Security.

Kristi Noem had her purse snatched while at Capital Burger in Washington, DC. Surveillance footage showed the suspect purposefully moving close to Noem as he zeroed in on her Gucci bag near her feet.

A source said the thief, dressed in dark clothing, sat down at an empty table next to Noem with his back facing her and used his left foot to slide the bag away. He surveyed the restaurant before eventually picking up the bag, covering it with his jacket, and leaving.

He was a smooth criminal, but ya ain’t gotta be that smooth to steal from a Trump dummy.

Country mouse still has a lot to learn about living in the big city (knock on wood since I’m still in Chicago), and one of the things you should know is to keep your bag in your vision. For example: My backpack, which my iPad, passport, keys, and other items is in right now, is sitting on the chair right across from me in this Starbucks while I write this.

See? No one’s gonna steal my Mocha Frappe either.

So Kristi doesn’t know how to traverse the big city, but what’s her detail’s excuse? While Noem was dining with her family, who still hasn’t alienated her despite the puppy killing, the Secret Service inside the restaurant keeping an eye on things. Well, most things.

The thief managed to swipe Noem’s purse right in from of her, the Secret Service, and every member of those yee-haw fuckers she calls her family. This must be a criminal mastermind. If the government catches him, I suggest they hire him. He can teach the Secret Service how thieves steal from MAGA morons.

But what’s interesting is what was inside Noem’s Gucci bag, as it included a Louis Vuitton Clemence wallet, her driver’s license, medication, apartment keys, passport, DHS access badge, makeup bag, blank checks, and about $3,000 in cash.

Ya know, if a Russian, North Korean, or Chinese spy wanted to access our government, they don’t have to do none of that Tom Cruise Mission Impossible crap. They would just need to snatch Kristi Noem’s purse…or just wait for Pete Hegseth to share classified intel on a chat app, or for Trump to Tweet it or hand it to Russians in the Oval Office.

But what was Kristi doing with $3,000 in cash? Did the thief also steal her pager? Paging Director Dumbass! A DHS spokesgoon said, “Her entire family was in town, including her children and grandchildren – she was using the withdrawal to treat her family to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts.”

Hey, country mouse. Have you ever heard of a bank card? Even the food trucks in DC take them. Try the Venezuelan food truck by the L’Enfant Metro station. It’s amazeballs.

Sure, we should all keep some cash on us, because you never know, but $3,000 is a bit much. And why is she carrying blank checks? Hardly anyone takes checks anymore, and everyone should be advised not to take checks from Trumpers. Elon’s probably still waiting for Trump’s check to clear for the Tesla he purchased on the White House lawn.

Jonathan Wackrow, a CNN law enforcement analyst and former Secret Service agent, said, “If necessary, the Secret Service will need to make operational changes on how they deal with these types of private events moving forward.” If anything, it’ll be necessary for the Secret Service to adjust and realize they’re guarding very stupid people now, people who aren’t smart enough to keep their stuff in their sight.

Wackrow also said Noem remains “at higher risk for targeted threats, both by foreign and domestic actors, and just her public profile alone makes her a symbolic target.”

Well, she’s a higher target now that everyone knows how stupid she is.

Chicago note: After my deadlines were met yesterday, I was free to go exploring. I got a meatloaf sandwich at a place where the waiters insult you.

(snip-MORE, go see!)

Clay Jones & Open Windows

Cheeto Benito by Clay Jones

Cheetos and Cheatahs Read on Substack

On Tuesday, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration announced a series of measures to phase out eight artificial food dyes and colorings from America’s food supply by the end of next year. Get ready for boring Cheetos.

RFK Jr, the nation’s laughingstock of a Health Secretary, said, to a crowd of “Make America Health Again” supporters (that’s a thing?), “I just want to urge all of you, it’s not the time to stop; it’s the time to redouble your efforts, because we have them on the run now, and we are going to win this battle.” Who do we have on the run? Food colorers? The Easter Bunny? He also said, “And four years from now, we’re going to have most of these products off the market, or you will know about them when you go to the grocery store.”

Are they sure that brain worm is dead?

FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said the agencies are looking to revoke authorization for two synthetic food colorings and to work with the food industry to eliminate six remaining synthetic dyes used in cereal, ice cream, snacks, yogurts, and more. They’re going to fuck up ice cream.

He said, “Today, the FDA is taking action to remove petroleum-based food dyes from the U.S. food supply and medications. For the last 50 years, American children have increasingly been living in a toxic soup of synthetic chemicals.”

Now get this. These bans will be voluntary with the food companies. RFK Jr. said, “We don’t have an agreement; we have an understanding.” Good luck with that, Mr. Wormy Bear Killer.

The food companies would like an agreement, and that is for there to be one federal regulation on food dyes, and regulations from every state. Remember state rights? That will be the case for abortions but not for the color in Cheetos. (Snip-MORE + Chicago trip stuff)

======================

The three branches of government, 2025 by Ann Telnaes

Dictators, defenders, and dysfunction Read on Substack

“Why, is it possible the vice president (sic) is a moron?”

Rope-A-Pope by Clay Jones

What did JD do now? Read on Substack

So JD Vance meets the Pope less than 24 hours before he dies. Coincidence? I’m sure it is, but can you imagine all the conspiracy theories if a Democrat had met the Pope within 24 hours of him dying?

Take note of the kind of person JD is. The Pope is dying, but JD still wants his photo-op, which makes sure he’s one of the last people the Pope sees in his life. And forget about Joe Biden declaring Easter Sunday Trans Visibility Day (he didn’t), JD made this request on Easter Sunday.

An archbishop read the Pope’s final Easter homily. The message decried “how much contempt is stirred up at times towards the vulnerable, the marginalized, and migrants.” The address also warned against elected officials who “yield to the logic of fear, which only leads to isolation from others.” I’m sure JD was too obtuse to notice it was about people like him, as the Trump regime continues a war on migrants.

Vance, who’s a new convert to Catholicism, disagreed with the Pope on the treatment of migrants and other teachings of the church, and wanted to lecture the Pope…on Catholicism.

Just a few days ago, Vance criticize the “smug, self-assured bullshit” coming from people like the Pope who were criticizing Trump’s deportation policies.

Vance told the Pope, who was barely able to speak, “I know you’ve not been feeling great, but it’s good to see you in better health,” just a few hours before Pope Francis died. I’m kinda surprised JD didn’t bring him balloons.

Last February, Vance cited a homily Pope Francis gave to an empty St. Peter’s Square in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020. Vance’s wife, Usha, had just had their second baby weeks earlier, and the world was shut down. Vance had bought 900 rounds of ammunition from Dick’s Sporting Goods and two bags of rice from Walmart, Vance told those at the prayer breakfastthat the Pope’s words were so meaningful during that time of uncertainty, that he has repeatedly reread the sermon since, which I’m sure with repeated mentions of the rice and ammo.

Talk about not being able to read a room. How did Vance find a way to mention buying 900 rounds of ammo and praise the Pope at the same time?

Why, is it possible the vice president (sic) is a moron?

Creative note: I was awake when I got a news alert that the Pope died. I could have been the first with a Pope cartoon, but I had to get on a train. A few hours later, I was in the terminal at DCA, sitting across from a young lady who wanted to talk about politics and the Pope (she was on our side) when I suddenly got the idea for the cartoon. After the nice lady got on her flight, I started on the cartoon, but didn’t finish it until I was in my hotel in Chicago.

I did not sleep last night, and that’s partly why you’re getting a late and short blog. I’ll give you some Chicago notes tomorrow.

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