WHERE HAVE ALL THE AUTOS GONE?

General Motors has now recalled more than 28 million of its automobiles, dating back to 1997, for problems mainly with an ignition switch that can, and has, caused fatal accidents.  GM's relatively new boss, Mary Barra, was slammed with this growing problem virtually as soon as she took over.  It seems to me she has handled the problem well, bravely facing Congressional panels and members of the news media with equanimity and promises to fix the problem.

Lawyer Ken Feinberg has been hired to settle with families who have suffered fatalities stemming from the ignition problems and GM has put no restrictions in him.

All of which does not prevent the humorists among us from taking advantage of the seriousness of the issue to post a good joke.  At least I thought it was good.  Sometimes when all hell is breaking loose all around us it is good to have a sense of humor.

A MEMORIAL

One year ago today, on June 30th, 2013, a wildfire near Yarnell, Arizona, took the lives of 19 members of a firefighting team from the Prescott area - the Granite Mountain Hot Shot Crew.

No one has forgotten.  Today in front of the Prescott Valley Municipal Building, flags fly in the breeze in memory of the young men who died together.

Boots rest at the base of 19 of the flagpoles and at one more.  One of the hot shots was deployed as a lookout and survived.

The battle with the Yarnell Fire was terribly bungled by perhaps several agencies.  There is blame enough to go around.  But today is a day to remember the victims.  In memorium.

A SLEEPY SATURDAY

This Saturday begins with a couple of fuzzy pictures of one of the hummingbirds that have taken over our back patio (and its two feeders.)

Those rascals are not easy to photograph, given the speed of their movements.

Next - - - I swear this will be the last photograph I post of rabbits. How could I top six at once in my neighbor's grassy back yard.

You may doubt my count but there's one over against the wall in the upper right.  You can just barely make him out.  I couldn't believe this.  It resembled a scene from Peter Cottontail or Watership Down.

Meantime inside the house, our cats Muggles and Blackwell, have grown totally bored with watching the rabbits.  They both would rather have a nap.

"..and please, if you would, stop flashing that camera in my face!"

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

It must have been a dour week.  I only have a few funnies for you today.

Ah, yes, those were the days.

This next one was probably my favorite.

Of course, I do have one with a cat, as usual.

That's all, folks.  Have a f-f-f-f-f-antastic weekend!

(Oh, and thanks to all of my contributors, whether you knew you were doing it or not.)

THROWBACK THURSDAY

Clowning around at a rest stop during a trip from Indianapolis to Cincinnati where the Lenny Wilson Trio had a recording session. Probably around 1970.

I'm in the middle.  My buddy Orly Knutson is on the left.  He's retired now after a 50 year career as a radio disc jockey in North Dakota, Indianapolis and Minneapolis.  He was known as The Happy Norwegian on the air.  

At one time or another he'd be asked "Is Orly Knutson your real name?"

His stock answer "If I was going to pick a name, do you think that would be it?"

On the right is Dave Morgan.  He was the drummer and occasional vocalist with the trio.  I see that he's gone on to a successful career as a drummer, vibraphonist and vocalist.

Orly was a drummer, too, but he and I were just along for the ride on this trip.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY (almost)

I really need to get out more.

IF YOU CARROT (sic) ALL