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‘Thank God I'm A Country Boy’ A Reason To Smile Dan Rather and Team Steady Mar 8 Credit: Getty Images Happy Sunday! This week’s reason to smile is one of those toe-tapping, infectious, high-energy songs that you may not know the words to, but by the second verse, you’re singing along just the same. It is John Denver’s celebration of all things country, “Thank God I’m a Country Boy.” The song was written by John Martin Sommers, a member of Denver’s band, in December 1973. Denver recorded it 52 years ago today. It simultaneously reached number one on the country charts as well as the Hot 100. The song is a classic Texas two-step, which may account for why it makes you feel like getting up to swing your partner. You can feel the audience buy-in during this live performance, driven by Denver’s joyful vocals and his fast-paced fiddle, replacing his ubiquitous guitar. Denver was one of the most popular and best-selling country and folk singer-songwriters of the 1970s. AllMusic has c...

RELEASED TODAY: THE US IS RUNNINNG OUT OF AMMUNITION! “That’s the Way It Is” But it shouldn’t be Dan Rather and Team Steady Mar 2     An Iranian woman attends a memorial in Tehran. Credit: Getty Images One of the most solemn responsibilities of this president, or any president, is to explain to the American people why he is sending our military into harm’s way. And just as important is to explain why and how our service members were killed in the line of duty. Donald Trump has failed in both of those duties since he started a war of choice with Iran three days ago. After failing to address the nation as every president has done since it became technologically possible, the president finally spoke on camera for just six minutes on Monday. It was a rambling preamble to an already planned White House event. In remarks insulting to the intelligence of anyone following the events of the past three days, not to mention to the families of military members killed, Trump oddl...

Roger Daltrey A Reason To Smile Dan Rather and Team Steady Mar 1 Credit: Getty Images During a German bombing raid of London 82 years ago today, Irene Daltrey gave birth to a baby boy. Her son became rock legend Roger Daltrey, whose powerful voice and charismatic stage presence made The Who one of the most influential bands of the 20th century. Daltrey is this week’s reason to smile. Almost every major music award and accolade has been bestowed on Daltrey and his bandmates — Pete Townshend, Keith Moon, and John Entwistle. In addition to winning multiple Grammys, the band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Daltrey and Townshend were given Kennedy Center Honors, and Daltrey was included on  Rolling Stone’ s list of 100 greatest singers. Most recently, he was knighted by King Charles III. The Who had numerous hit songs, but we chose “My Generation” to highlight because it captures the exuberance and revolutionary spirit of the 1960s. Maybe it will inspire th...

At War with Iran Unprovoked, illegal, and confounding Dan Rather and Team Steady Mar 1 The aftermath of an airstrike in Tehran, Iran. Credit: Getty Images One man has made the decision to attack one of the most dangerous countries in the world. No congressional approval. No appeal to the American people. No explanation. No justification. That man has commanded American service men and women to fight a war against Iran. And make no mistake, this is war — not a legally declared war, but one chosen by a president who promised to end foreign wars, not start them. The U.S. military is following the orders of their commander in chief. And it is our patriotic duty to support our troops. It is also patriotic to question those in power. Why are we at war? Why now? What does victory look like? How will we know we have won, if we do? What is the exit strategy? Is there an endgame? Those and a hundred of other questions come to mind today as we are glued to our computers, phones, and tele...

Trump’s Plan to Steal the Midterms Not only is it illegal, it could backfire Dan Rather and Team Steady Feb 26 Credit: Getty Images The president knows if Democrats retake one or both houses of Congress in the midterms, it’s game over for Trump 2.0. An opposition Congress would use its innumerable powers to check the Trump agenda, and, perhaps more frightening to him, spend the second half of his term investigating the deep corruption of the first half. Donald Trump doesn’t want you to vote, especially if you’re a Democrat. It’s becoming increasingly obvious he will do anything to keep eligible Americans away from the polls. The president has hinted at taking executive action around this issue in the past few months, but for the first time, new reporting reveals an actual plan to take away our most cherished right. Trump’s latest gambit: direct White House lawyers to find a legal avenue to take control of the upcoming midterm elections, according to the cable network MS NOW. O...

  Supreme Court Finally Checks Trump The president's ire is fueling his flailing response Dan Rather and Team Steady Feb 23 Credit: Getty Images Before Donald Trump tries to convince you otherwise on Tuesday night, the state of our union is appalling. That’s not just me saying so; a majority of the American people say so too. If you believe the polls — and they are remarkably consistent on this — this president is in a lot of trouble. He’s underwater on every issue, especially the economy, and his disapproval rating is hovering around 60%. It is difficult to understand why roughly 40% of the American people are still buying the unrelenting nonsense and lies coming from this White House. But we’ve seen it before. During Richard Nixon’s final days in office, his approval rating was in the low 30s. Even criminal presidents can count on an unwavering base of support. So, can Trump go lower? Yes. And he will only have himself to blame, though he seems to be incapable of such i...

  ‘Stand by Me’ A Reason To Smile Dan Rather and Team Steady Feb 22 The song “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King was a huge hit when it was released in 1961. It found a second life in the late 1980s when it appeared on the soundtrack of “Stand by Me,” a film directed by Rob Reiner. Twenty-six years after the song was released, it topped the charts for a second time. And 39 years later, it is our reason to smile. King, a rhythm and blues singer-songwriter, was the lead singer of The Drifters, one of the most prolific hit-makers in the early days of popular music. Their songs included, “Under the Boardwalk,” “Save the Last Dance for Me,” and “Up on the Roof.” But not “Stand by Me.” King recorded and released it as a solo hit after the Drifters passed on it. The song isn’t just popular at weddings and graduation parties. It is numbered among the Recording Industry Association of America’s 25 Songs of the Century. The original recording was inducted into the National Recording Regis...

… And For His Next Offense To maintain control of Congress Trump is trying to disenfranchise tens of millions of Americans Dan Rather and Team Steady Feb 16 Credit: Getty Images November 3 is 260 days away. Between now and then, no story is more consequential to the survival of our republic than Donald Trump’s efforts to subvert the midterm elections. These biennial contests have long been viewed as an interesting political exercise about the popularity of the president and his administration’s policies. If only things were still so innocent and uncomplicated. The current president is applying maximum pressure trying to ensure the election keeps Republicans in power, whatever the cost to our democracy. The latest misadventure by Trump and his minions was on Friday when Kristi Noem, the oft-criticized Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, made it clear she believes her agency should be involved in election integrity, claiming she has the authority to find “vulnerab...