The Progressive Wing

In music news, Jimmy Buffett has died at the age of 76. I saw a photo of him taken 5 years ago, and he does not look well. Gaunt and thin as in cancer victim. He did some great music though. He was born in MS, but considered FL his home. Easy to see why. 🙂

“Pirate” of my favs by him. I wasn’t aware he was ill. His passing took me by surprise.

Another one of favs, but done with a country ensemble.

My dad was in several bands that always covered him. From the poolside gigs to Pleasure Island at Disney, when tourists requested music, they wanted to hear Jimmy Buffet cause they were in Florida. His music was always playing throughout my childhood. Rest in Peace, Jimmy Buffet! https://t.co/IeychSFEXt
— Maxwell Alejandro Frost (@MaxwellFrostFL) September 2, 2023

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Another nice commemoration…I heard they had a parade yesterday in Key West. From CBS Miami:

Key West residents and visitors gathered to pay tribute Sunday to the late musician Jimmy Buffett with a second-line procession Sunday evening.
About 2,500 people gathered for the “It’s 5 o’clock in Key West” second-line procession which began shortly after 5 p.m. on the island’s Duval Street to honor Buffett, a longtime island resident who died early Saturday. He was 76.
According to reports, Buffett passed away Sept. 1 at his home in Sag Harbor, Long Island while surrounded by family and friends. He had waged a four-year battle with skin cancer, according to reports.
His death was announced in a statement posted on his website and social media channels early Saturday,
“Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,” the statement said. “He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.”
It took organizers a day to stage the second-line march, which drew a crowd of revelers and mourners to the Margaritaville restaurant and bar.
When they arrived in front of Margaritaville in Key West, the group began singing Buffett’s hit song, many of them decked out in colorful costumes and floral printed clothes.
There were several dogs spotted in the crowd also wearing flowers around their necks.
Others carried signs with the word “salt” on them and other signs were printed with “Rest in Paradise.”
While fans are mourning, they’re celebrating his life and legacy.

Many of us probably remember how the Conchs celebrate the sunset everyday, and the celebration fits the bill. Bubbles up, fins up!

Cartoon commerating the passing of Jimmy Buffett Screenshot 2023-09-04 104434.jpg

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Buffett was born in MS and grew up in a boat-making family. They lived on the Gulf coast. For some reason, after he grew up and got a journalism degree, he settled on the west coast of FL. He lived in a sailing boat. I worked in a bookstore when I was getting my MA, and my boss/later friend was from St. Petersburg. She knew plenty of folks who knew Buffett. She was invited to some of his boat parties when she would go home to visit. She never had time cos back then (late 1970s), there was plenty of music going down. 🎼🪕🎸❤️ She was also re-locating to Daytona Beach where I worked for her. Buffett was similar to the Allman Brothers in that locals around here who were music nuts knew who they were. We weren’t surprised when they hit the big time. 🎼🎼👏👏

I read that Buffett had been in hospice since Monday. Sir Paul was one of his last visitors this week.

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Great news: The Biden administration has just recommended the director of the Drug Enforcement Agency to reschedule marijuana from a schedule 1 drug to a schedule 3 drug. This is good & yet another reason why Gen Z will vote for President Biden.
— Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020) August 30, 2023

Biden finally figured out that he had to do something about this or else, he may not win re-election. If the DEA does lower it to schedule 3, Biden will win my vote. Bets lots of apps coming for research.

Former governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson dies at 75 https://t.co/d181i6OBES
— Dawn Wildman (@WildmanDawn) September 2, 2023

Bill Richardson, a two-term Democratic governor of New Mexico and an American ambassador to the United Nations who also worked for years to secure the release of Americans detained by foreign adversaries, has died. He was 75.
The Richardson Center for Global Engagement, which he founded and led, said in a statement Saturday that he died in his sleep at his home in Chatham, Massachusetts.
“He lived his entire life in the service of others—including both his time in government and his subsequent career helping to free people held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad,” said Mickey Bergman, the center’s vice president. “There was no person that Gov. Richardson would not speak with if it held the promise of returning a person to freedom. The world has lost a champion for those held unjustly abroad and I have lost a mentor and a dear friend.”

I met him once, at a Harkin Steak Fry in 2007. He was very friendly. I felt sorry for him as he and then Senator Biden were the last to speak, and most people left by then. Obama, Clinton, and Edwards were all of the big contenders then.

Bill Clinton came to the presidency seeking to reinvent the New Deal for an era of deindustralization. Instead he consolidated the defeat of organized labor and hollowed out the welfare state.https://t.co/dECGBCO9bH
— Jacobin (@jacobin) August 31, 2023

This is epic.
Literally no one cares or hardly even notices Bill Clinton 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/xvF1An8cgK
— Eric Spracklen🇺🇸 (@EricSpracklen) September 2, 2023

He’s been known as Bubba and Slick Willie around here for decades. They aren’t compliments either.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis rejected $350 million in federal funds meant to help tackle climate change—just months before Hurricane Idalia flooded his state. https://t.co/elQSbLYMv0
— The New Republic (@newrepublic) September 2, 2023

This ahole yahoo is running out of campaign funds and is term limited. GOOD DAMNED RIDDANCE!

x 2700000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

A typical GQP I dont want any of that socialism (Money),Oh wait a minute now we need that socialism (money) to help clean up after the Hurricane. Defascist -please hurry up with that.

DeSantis’ Florida Redistricting Map Is Unconstitutional And Must Be Redrawn: Judge
huffpost.com/entry/…

Orl, Any chance of something posative out of this ruling? GQP seem to ignore judge’s rulings around the country when it comes to these.

We’ll see. Gov. MIA will be history soon.

Aint Supposed to Die A Natural Death

Howie Klein addressed this issue in a post on DWT today,
Good News From Florida For A Change: DeSantis’ Racist Gerrymander Struck Down By Republican Judge

Yesterday was a pretty slow news day— except for one thing: the groups challenging DeSantis’ racist congressional gerrymander, won. Second Circuit Judge J. Lee Marsh, originally appointed to the bench in 2018 by Rick Scott, struck down the map DeSantis used to turn the Florida congressional delegation whiter and more right-wing in clear defiance of the voter-passed Fair Districts Amendment. The ruling— which will be challenged by the Florida racists— would give Blacks in Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Gadsden County an opportunity to elect another Black Member of Congress.
The appeal will come fast and, as we noted last week, it’s likely that a new map will be in effect in time for the 2024 election, when Alan Grayson said that “It has simply been another way for DeSantis to assert dictatorial powers. The Jacksonville-centered African-American Congressional seat was established 30 years ago. DeSantis thought that he could steal it for the GOP, and he did.”

There’s more –

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bernie-sanders-joe-biden-will-win-2024-presidential-election-strong-progressive-agenda-face-the-nation/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab8f&linkId=233026358

Bernie is on Face the Nation today. I will post a video clip if it appears this afternoon. Thank goodness the regular host is off this Sunday as she is too neoliberal for my taste.

Harold Meyerson's tremendous look at the state of the unions breaks some more news: NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo is looking to address first contract delays, even though the Board is barred from mandating arbitration:https://t.co/Iek40waGu6 pic.twitter.com/13s8MsbU75
— David Dayen (@ddayen) September 4, 2023

Labor Day music…

Wi Weather, Record highs could fall this holiday weekend with temps in the Mid 90s, Sat,Sun set records with today “cooling” off to around 90 or so, of course dew points are in the upper 60s , Come Wednesday we go to seasonal norms