Jacobsen's postcard paid with federal taxpayer funds.

By DARRELL EHRLICK | Editor-in-Chief

“There is, in short, no connection whatsoever between Senate Bill 97’s asserted anti-forum shopping purpose and its actual pro-forum shopping effect. It is as though a casino announced that it was going to stamp out cheating by handing every craps dealer a pair of loaded dice.” –A brief filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana challenging a law that allows a lawmaker to transfer a court challenge to a court in their county.

Gov. Greg Gianforte celebrates all the products that Montana exports in an effort to highlight how Montana agriculture helps feed the nation. Last week, he went to a farm in Power to highlight the products.

President Donald J. Trump said that his administration has had good, productive talks with Iran about ending the conflict, but meanwhile, the Iranian regime said no talks have taken place.

On a week usually synonymous with spring break, major airports across the country were reporting that Transportation Security Administration airport staff were calling out, struggling with trying to pay bills because of the impasse in Congress about the Department of Homeland Security. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has called in ICE agents to try to help.

First, they sent him to El Salvador. Then, they wanted to send him to Africa. Then the U.S. government released Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who had been wrongly deported in the first place. Now, the Trump administration announces it wants to deport him to Liberia.

The United States Supreme Court will hear a case involving immigration, asylum and citizenship. The high court will consider whether immigrants can apply for asylum in America at the border, or whether it is legal to have them remain in a foreign country until the United States decides the status of their case.

President Trump has embraced a lagging coal industry in America, even as many of the domestic power plants that relied upon coal have been spooling down, or converting to other sources. However, Stateline News reports that running back to coal could cost American consumers billions.

In a late-night vote, the United States Senate voted to confirm one of their own members, Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, as the next Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Mullin’s confirmation was seen as fairly certain, even though his background had little to do with homeland security. And since he hasn’t resigned yet, he voted for himself.

Former publisher and now full-time fisherman Bill Schneider writes that Montana could do like some of its neighbors when it comes to record-setting fishing catches: We could catch-document-and-release, thereby allowing the best of the species to continue on. However, he says the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks seems like it can’t be bothered with a more innovative and humane way to fish.

A good friend of mine and I have been trading songs for decades. While we often trade new discoveries or hidden gems, we also like sharing some of the worst examples of lyric writing. Sometimes, it’s wondering what was going through some songwriter’s minds. Take, for example, an example from the recently departed Neil Sedaka when he wrote his most famous hit, “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.”

Did he sit down, urgently scratching out: “Do-do-do-down-do-be-doo-down-down, comma, comma, down-do-be-do-down-down?” How does a lyric like that get created? Or maybe more importantly, how does it get through record executives and DJs who say, “Yessir, Neil. I think you have a hit with that one.”

Other lyrics are kind of amazing in the wrong way. Another favorite example of mine is Rick Springfield’s smash hit, “Jessie’s Girl,” which rhymes “cute” with “moot” — as if rock-and-roll fans are thinking, “Yes, that is a moot point.”

But my friend Jim shared with me this hidden horror from John Sebastian and The Lovin’ Spoonful in 1967. Sebastian, a pretty good songwriter, really boxed himself in a corner when he stumbled on the word “dawdled.” If that choice was bad, his rhyming couple was “toddled.” Oh that it were a one-time lyrical aberration, but in the song, “Darling Be Home Soon” he uses the rhyme scheme in chorus four times.

In other words, he makes a bad decision, then reinforces four more times.

Here are the lyrics:

DARLING BE HOME SOON
The Lovin’ Spoonful

Come
And talk of all the things we did today
Here
And laugh about our funny little ways
While we have a few minutes to breathe
Then I know that it's time you must leave

But, darling, be home soon
I couldn't bear to wait an extra minute if you dawdled
My darling, be home soon
It's not just these few hours, but I've been waiting since I toddled
For the great relief of having you to talk to

And now
A quarter of my life is almost past
I think I've come to see myself at last
And I see that the time spent confused
Was the time that I spent without you
And I feel myself in bloom

So, darling, be home soon
I couldn't bear to wait an extra minute if you dawdled
My darling, be home soon
It's not just these few hours, but I've been waiting since I toddled
For the great relief of having you to talk to

So, darling
My darling, be home soon
I couldn't bear to wait an extra minute if you dawdled
My darling, be home soon
It's not just these few hours, but I've been waiting since I toddled
For the great relief of having you to talk to

Go
And beat your crazy head against the sky
Try
And see beyond the houses and your eyes
It's okay to shoot the moon

Darling be home soon
I couldn't bear to wait an extra minute if you dawdled
My darling, be home soon
It's not just these few hours, but I've been waiting since I toddled
For the great relief of having you to talk to

If you have a song that you’d like to share, or would like to get in touch with us, please send us a note at [email protected]

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