Music Friday: "Down Home with Homey"

 I'm late again. Damn it. 

Here's a classic tune from Uptown Ruler Soul Gestures in Southern Blue Vol. 2 by Wynton Marsalis. 

Music Friday: "The Great Divide"

I got so busy with matters yesterday that I forgot to put out a Music Friday post. So here's a Music Friday post on Saturday. 

I watched the Netflix documentary on Kahan this past week. It came out a couple of weeks before his new album comes out. 

Here's the single that has been played quite a bit. 

Fumbling Toward Culinary Talent: Apricot Banger

In my most recent Random Notes from a Crank post, I brought up the cocktail of the Baltimore Bang, and I mentioned I might play around with the recipe. 

I did. 

I cut the lemon juice and upped the sugar a bit to highlight the apricot flavor more. I also wonder if a half ounce or an ounce of triple sec might make it interesting because the original recipe calls for an orange garnish. 

Or maybe adding some bitters to the mix? 

So here it goes for now.  

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces of bourbon (I use standard Evan Williams instead of crap like Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 or Jim Beam)

1 1/2 ounces of apricot brandy

1 teaspoon of sugar or half a teaspoon of simple syrup

Process

It's pretty dang simple. Put the ingredients in cocktail shaker, fill with ice, shake, and drain into a high ball glass or chilled cocktail glass. 

Random Notes from a Crank

I discovered a new (to me) cocktail that I'm taking a shine to. It's called the Baltimore Bang. 

I'm a huge fan of bourbon, of course. But I also love apricots. The current recipe includes 1 oz. of lemon juice, so I may experiment doing without the lemon juice to bring out more of the apricot flavor. 

But I'm also a fan of the classic Manhattan cocktail. 

I was recently alarmed by the high prices for blueberries. I was in my local supermarket, and a carton was over seven bucks. 

Apparently, there are a number of factors why they are so high right now: climate change, the lack of migrant workers, and shipping problems. This article from 2025 explains it all: "Why Your Blueberries Are Suddenly So Expensive." 

Also, a more recent article in Business Insider cites the Iran War as a major factor for higher grocery prices across the board.

And the New York Times has an article on just that issue because, as an expert says in the article, "Berries are often the first category where consumers notice fuel inflation. When fuel prices rise, those costs move through the supply chain almost immediately." 

Read all about in "Where Might the Iran War Hit Your Grocery Bill? Start with Raspberries."  

Other significant factors are President Adolf's stupid tariffs, a weak US dollar, and a lack of migrant workers to pick produce. 

The political cartoonist usually isn't this blunt with his work, but I like it. 

Jeff Stahler 4/9/26 GoComics.com

In what is great news, the dictator Orban lost his election to remain Prime Minister of Hungary: "Orban, Beacon to the Right, Concedes Defeat in Hungary Election." 

And the new PM Magyar plans to get back on the right footing and stop the propaganda machine that Orban created: "Hungarian Election Winner Magyar Vows to Rebuild EU Relationship after Stunning Defeat of Orban." 

Random Notes from a Crank

As expected, the Vice President's trip to negotiate with Iran was a total failure. 

And then President Adolf talked about blocking the Strait of Hormuz. How the Hell is that going to help anything? 

Meanwhile at home the cost of gas/diesel is driving everything up. 

Bill Bramhall 4/12/26 GoComics

In news not related to a stupid war the US is waging for no good reason, A-Day at the U of Alabama was Saturday. 

From the report I read from TiderInsider, the sophomore QB Keelon Russell had a solid day and stood out among the quarterbacks. 

I'm really interested to see which NFL team takes Ty Simpson. Will he be a first round pick? Teams have to love his footwork as a quarterback. He's so fundamentally sound but only has the one season to look at from a standpoint of experience. 

Music Friday: "One Thing At a Time"

I recently discovered that Courtney Barnett had a new album out this year. Its titled Creature of Habit. 

Here's the fifth track from the new album. 

Random Notes from a Crank

I"m guessing this so-called cease-fire in Iran isn't going to last. And what President Adolf has done is damage the credibility of the U.S. 

The New York Times has a great analysis of this situation in "A Cease-Fire for Now in Iran, but a Blow to American Credibility." 

As one expert states in the article, "There has never been a time when the United States was more distrusted, by both traditional friends and by rivals, as at the present."  

Here's a visual representation by Bill Bramhall. 

And here's a cartoon by Clay Bennett that sums up his war crimes and financial crimes while in office. He's grifting America for his own personal gain. 

Music Friday: "Grown"

I'm in a grouchy mood for a number of reasons today.

One song that consistently puts me in a better mood when I hear it is Isbell's "Grown," which is from his first solo album. 

Here's to getting in a better mood.  

Random Notes from a Crank

Existential Comics is back it again by taking down Plato through David Hume. The comic explains why people vote for imbeciles and take positions on issues without a lot of forethought. 

As reported by The New York Times, The U.S. is back to bombing civilians in Iran: "New U.S. Missile Hit Iranian Sports Hall and School, Analysis Shows." 

As a result of President Adolf "excursion" (sarcasm intended), gas prices are skyrocketing, especially the price of diesel that drives up the costs of lot of products because semis haul all kinds of stuff around the U.S. 

Inflation and possibly stagflation here we are. 

Making America More Expensive

And the idiotic attacks on Iran are simply going to create less safety for Americans because many terrrorist groups are aligned with Iran from a philsophical standpoint. 

Making America More Dangerous

Here are some interesting stats and figures from the March "Harper's Index":

• Portion of people detained by ICE between October 1 and November 15, 2025 who had a prior violent criminal conviction: 1/20
• Who had no prior criminal convictions: 3/4
• Port of U.S. small business owners who plan to hire new staff or otherwise expand this year: 1/10
• Who worry that their business will not survive the year: 3/4

The cost of diesel fuel is going to drive costs for everyone. So I see why business owners are worried.