BEST BL SERIES

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This list was compiled last year for the SERENDIPITY website. I might replace a few if I was to do it again, but you can not go wrong with any of these.

My Top 20 Favorite Asian mini-series, by Rich Paschall

The popularity of the BL (Boys’ Love) series has exploded worldwide. While Southeast Asian countries, especially Thailand, are leaders in producing such series, other countries are making some as well. You will find a handful from the US, the UK, and others. The US is not bold enough to put any on broadcast TV.

Asian BL stories can be traced back to Japanese Manga (Comics for girls) from the 1970s. Some series are based on popular manga stories. Others are based on popular novels.

When GMM TV gave the genre a try with SOTUS (2016), they may have been ready for some pushback. They discovered, however, that the series was well received and the chemistry of the leads was undeniable. It is still available on YouTube. The lead actors, Krist and Singto, are reuniting this year at GMM TV for a new series, The Ex-Morning (now available on YouTube). Appropriately, they are playing ex-lovers.

Deal?

With so many titles being produced each year, it is not possible to see them all or even a majority. Therefore, my list might not include some of the most popular series. This is limited to the ones I have seen all the episodes of the series. If I made the list again tomorrow, the order might change, except for the Top two. Some might not be there at all, as I had a few more titles on my short list.

Many of these series are on YouTube. Others can be found on streaming services like Netflix, Wetv.vip (aka Tencent Video), iQIYI, and others. You may need a VPN (Virtual Private Network) or a subscription to unlock some. The ones on YouTube should be available to all.

20. 4 Minutes (Thailand, 2024).
19. Cherry Magic (Thai Version, 2023).
18. My Stand-In (Thailand, 2024).
17. KinnPorsche (Thailand, 2022).
16. Gameboys (Philippines, 2020). It is available on Netflix.

15. See Your Love (Taiwan 2024). The young heir to a business empire, Zi Xiang, is attacked upon arrival in Taiwan. He is saved by a stranger, Shao Peng, with martial arts skills, who fights off the attackers. The young businessman then tries to hire the hearing-impaired stranger to be his assistant. The series does an excellent job of portraying a deaf person and his abilities.
14. The Heart Killers (Thailand 2024). Two brothers run a hamburger stand. They are also paid assassins. Kant (First Kanaphan) is a spy for the police, trying to get info on the brothers. He convinces his friend Style (Dunk Natachai) to try to date the older brother, but does not tell him he is a killer. No, it is not your typical love story.
13. Unintentional Love Story (South Korea 2023). Won Young hopes to find his former company’s favorite but reclusive artist as a way of winning his job back. When he finds Tae Joon running a pottery shop in a small town, he tries to get close to the artist so he can report back to the company. What follows for Won Young is an unintentional love story.
12. I Hear The Sunspot (Japan 2024) Sugihara Kohei is losing his hearing due to a childhood illness. The overexuberant Sagawa Taichi runs across Kohei as they start university and asks for some food from his bento box. Despite his lack of qualifications, Taichi applies to be the notetaker for the hearing-impaired student. He is willing to do it for a lunchbox rather than money. Some may consider this a “bromance” rather than a BL series, depending on how you interpret the final episode.
11. HIStory 2: Crossing The Line (Taiwan 2018). Yu Hao is a troublemaker student who is pushed into joining the volleyball team that needs better players. Zi Xuan is a former player and team trainer who tries to keep Yu Hao in line. This is a well-done sports-themed, enemies-to-lovers story.

10. We Best Love: No. 1 For You (Taiwan 2021) Zhou Shu Yi could not wait to get away from high school rival Gao Shi De, who always came in first in swim competitions. He thought he was free of Gao Shi De until he showed up in his senior year of college and joined the team. It is just 6 episodes, but there is a Season 2. (Tencent Video)
09. HIStory 3: Trapped (Taiwan 2019) I found this to be a more interesting Gangster series than the previously mentioned KinnPorsche. Four years earlier, a police woman and an older gangster were both murdered together. Policeman Meng Shao Fei is stalking the new young gang leader because he is certain Tang Yi must know what happened to his friend and mentor. (Netflix, Rakuten Viki, YouTube Caravan channel).

08. The On1y One (Taiwan 2024) Sheng Wang transfers to a new school and clashes with classmate Jiang Tian. He later learns that his father is planning to marry Jiang Tian’s mother and bring the families together. The popular series was to have a second season to complete the story, but the production company did not go ahead with it for unknown reasons. ( iQiyi, Netflix, WeTV)
07. He’s Coming To Me (Thailand 2019) A university student, Thun (Ohm Pawat), helps a ghost, Med (Singto Prachaya), find out how he died so that he may cross over to the next life. (YouTube GMMTV channel)
06. Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart! (Thailand 2024) The crime/drama series finds popular actors Yin Anon and War Wanarat team up for a complex caper where some things do not go as planned. (iQIYI)

05. A Tale of Thousand Stars (Thailand 2021) After receiving a heart transplant, Tian goes to a remote village as a volunteer teacher in an attempt to fulfill the dreams of the person whose heart he received. There, he meets the serious Chief Forest Officer Phupha, with whom he clashes at first, but Tian is determined to stay on. (YouTube GMMTV Channel)

04. Last Twilight (Thailand 2023) Day is a university student and athlete who is losing his eyesight. Mhok needs a job as he is deep in debt. Despite his mother’s objections, Day will only accept Mhok as his caregiver because he is the only one who does not pity him. After Mhok takes Day on a dangerous journey to see the Sunset they saw in a book they read, will Mhok keep his job or be fired? What did Day actually see in his last twilight? Will they be able to navigate their differences? Jimmy (Mhok) and Sea (Day) do a remarkable job in the lead roles. (YouTube GMMTV Channel)

NOT ME, “Gun” Atthaphan, far left with “Off” Jumpol and other suspects.

03. Not Me (Thailand 2021) White is determined to find out who beat his twin severely and left him unconscious and in a hospital. Even though he has not seen his brother for 15 years and is unfamiliar with his life, White takes on the dangerous task of taking his brother’s place. He learns to ride his motorcycle, dress like him, and then tries to fool the members of the gang the twin belongs to. Finding the traitor, fooling the suspicious Sean, and staying alive will lead White into a very different world than his own. (YouTube GMMTV Channel)

I Feel You Linger In The Air

02. I Feel You Linger In The Air (Thailand 2023). Jom, an architect given the job of renovating a historic mansion, learns his boyfriend is breaking up with him. After getting drunk and driving his car into the river, he is rescued but finds he is pulled into a different period in 1920s Chiang Mai. There, he is forced to be a servant at the house he was to renovate. He slowly became close to the son of the lord of the estate and master of the house, Yai. Nonkul Chanon turns in a masterful performance as the confused young architect hoping to find a way back home. (YouTube YOUKU English channel)

Pat returns Pran’s guitar

01. Bad Buddy (Thailand 2021) Pat (Ohm Pawat) and Pran (Nanon Korapat) grew up next door to each other. They were taught by their parents to hate one another. When they meet again at university, things slowly start to change. By the middle of the series, Pat is determined to win over Pran’s friendship. Many put this story at or near the top of their lists. It is often referred to as a masterpiece of the genre. Although there is a bit of a side story with Pat’s sister, Pa, all scenes drive the story of Pat and Pran forward. (Rakuten Viki by free subscription or paid if you want to avoid ads, Daily Motion Asian Drama TV channel, and others)
GMM TV has made the unfortunate decision to take this series off YouTube and has given it limited availability on select websites, not available in all countries. Fortunately, I own a copy. This iconic Episode 5 scene is still up on YouTube:

I know I am late for your Pride month binge watch list, but these are good any time.

Reviews: The Bad Buddy Phenomenon, SERENDIPITY, September 2, 2022.
The Art of Bad Buddy Series, Clues, Hints, Irony, and Chemistry, SERENDIPITY, October 16, 2022.
I Feel You Linger In The Air, SERENDIPITY, November 5, 2023.

LAST TWILIGHT REVISITED

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This excellent 2024 BL series is still available on the GMM TV YouTube channel. It is our Pride Month recommendation. The original review was posted to the SERENDIPITY website.

LAST TWILIGHT

LEFTY IN A RIGHT-HANDED WORLD

/ Rich Paschall / 4 Comments

Last year on the SERENDIPITY website, we had some thoughts concerning our left-handed friends:

When you were in school, you may have noticed that left-handed students had some difficulties in class. One of the first obstacles could have been the desks. While you may have had complete desktops in the lower grades, by the time you got to high school, you probably had those “Tablet Arm School desks.” That is to say, they were only comfortable for right-handed students. Lefties had nowhere to rest their arms to write.

Spiral notebooks were a problem. A lefty may have needed to rest his hand on the metal or plastic spiral to write. When we were young and still using fountain pens, a lefty might drag his hand left to right along the page as he wrote, smearing the words and getting ink on his left hand. Messy notebooks did not please Catholic nuns in the mid-20th Century.

“Pick-up” baseball games were a problem if we could not all afford baseball gloves. Players from the teams would share, so everyone had one for defense. If the one left-handed player did not have his own glove, the lefty was left out.

If he was in the game, he could only play first base or outfield positions. It was too difficult to turn and throw to first from other infield positions. Of course, if you had a good “Southpaw” on the mound, you had a big advantage, at least in Little League.

Recently, I had the dreaded “rotator cuff” surgery. I had a complete tear of the tendon on the right shoulder. Basically, the repair involves reattaching the tendon to the bone using suture anchors. Afterwards, they put my arm in a brace and said not to move it for at least six weeks. “We will move it for you,” the therapist happily exclaimed the following week. I was not so happy.

This meant I was a lefty overnight. Everything I used to do with my right hand had to be done with my left. It was not like having one arm because I could place items in my right hand. For example, I could hold the toothbrush with my right hand while squeezing out the toothpaste with my left. It was awkward.

Design of the shoulder

When it came to eating, I could not figure out how to hold the fork with my left hand. I would place it in my right to see how it was done. Even with that, I could not comfortably hold the fork. I was always dropping food. Using a spoon was no better.

Dressing was a challenge. Using one hand was difficult after all the decades of using two hands. Being a lefty made it harder. Zippers on men’s pants are made for right-handed people because of how the material covers the zipper. Fortunately, I had someone to help me with zippers and buttons. Without a mate to help, I guess I would have to run around in sweats.

Someone told me that tying shoes and ties is difficult for lefties to learn. I don’t know about that, but it is almost impossible if you are one-armed, too. The protective mate would hover over me and dress me like a toddler when I had to go to therapy in the winter.

Before the Great Rotator Cuff Adventure, we decided to get a new recliner. The one I had was decades old and uncomfortable. A friend told me he slept in a recliner for weeks after his surgery. It is almost impossible to lie down.

We went to a showroom filled with every style of recliner you could imagine. One problem we immediately noticed was that most recliners had a handle on the right side to pull up to make the recliner go back. The salesperson advised us that they did not have any models with the handle on the left. We decided we would need to go with a model that had a remote control.

Since we needed it in three weeks, we ended up with a few choices. The helpful mate pointed to a large leather recliner with a cup holder in one arm. I told him we could not do that unless he was going to add 2000 USD. That was the additional cost compared to the others we considered. We are not disappointed with our choice.

The recliner is still my bed of choice. Lying on my back or right side is difficult. In the first few weeks, it was impossible. Having a recliner with a remote so you can set it to your most comfortable position is a great advantage.

Shaving seemed a bit dangerous. I used the hair trimmer on the lowest setting. Combing my hair was awkward. You would think that switching hands to comb your hair would be simple.

We could make a long list of items made with right-handed people in mind. The spouts on many pots are for the right-handed. The number pad on your keyboard is for the right hand. Scissors are generally made with right-handed people in mind. Can openers are, too. Do you drink from a coffee cup with a design on one side? You did not want to see it, did you?

I am told that some surgical instruments are for right-handed surgeons. I forgot to ask my Orthopedic surgeon if he was right-handed or left-handed. He said he had done a lot of Rotator Cuff surgeries, so I left it at that.

After a couple of months of switching hands, I can not say that I know what it is like to be left-handed. Being forced to switch after decades of using my right hand for most things does not give me the same perspective as those born left-handed. I now understand that it is a right-handed world.

LINES AND CREASES

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Last year on the SERENDIPITY website, we shared some thoughts on the practice of printing photos. Do you still do it?

Faded Photographs – by Rich Paschall

People still collect them. Perhaps not as ardently as they once did, but they still get them. They order them online. They print them at home. They might even go to the store to order them. Something about having it in your hand beats looking at it on your phone or even your desktop computer.  At one time, taking your film to be developed and having pictures printed was a big thing.  A huge thing.


I guess there are still stores that specialize in printing pictures, but they are all online shops. I can download pictures to the drug store and go get prints. I can take a flash drive to Walgreens, where a teenager will print my pictures and might even thank me for coming (okay, probably not the latter).

I have used online services to print vacation pictures in the past, but not so much anymore. I usually keep them all on SD cards, flash drives, and folders on my desktop. This means I am not likely to find them if I need them in a hurry, unless they are still in my camera or phone.

Despite this drifting away from the printed photographs, I still have plenty of pictures. I don’t mean hundreds, I mean countless thousands of them. I know I could probably hold them all on a large flash drive or two, but that is now. Then we had no other way to enjoy our pictures but to take the film to the photo shop (Fotomat?) and have them developed.

faded photograph

After dropping off a roll or two of film, we would anxiously wait up to a week to find out if we actually captured what we saw in the viewfinder. If we really wanted a picture of something, we might take more than one shot, but since there was no deleting a bad one and taking another, we would just hope for the best. Films cost money, and prints cost money too. There was no buying an SD card and using it over and over. We had no built-in flash on our cheap cameras, so we had to buy one-use flash bulbs, flash bars, flash cubes, or whatever was in fashion for the camera model we had.

My mother had every type of cheap camera there was over the years. She used every film format that came along for small “pocket” cameras. There were 110 and 126 films. There were film discs, a short-lived idea.  Some cameras had to be wound, and others had auto advance.  When the camera broke, we would get another. For a while, there was even a Polaroid camera for the joy of instant prints. The joy faded quickly, like the prints themselves.

When my mother passed away, we found a camera that had 126 film in it, and most of the shots had been taken. There is no telling how many years the film was in the camera. It is a good bet she had not used the camera in 15 years, perhaps much longer, since she had an odd collection of cheap, working cameras. I could never find anyone to develop that film, and I do not live in a remote location! I am sure there is someone who would do it, but I doubt it was worth the money it would probably take to get it done. Perhaps it is washed out by now anyway.

Mom in the early 1920s

Still, we have countless pictures from my mother. The number tailed off at the beginning of the century. A stroke in 2003 put an end to the picture-taking hobby. By then, she had boxes and bags full of pictures. Many were in the photo envelopes you got back from the developer. Fortunately, most of those were dated. If the date was summer but they were Christmas pictures, then they were from the previous Christmas. Mom was not too quick about getting to the Photo shop or Osco Drug to get them developed. Was the joy just in going around family events with a camera in hand?

In the year that followed my mother’s death at the age of 88, I spent a lot of time shipping off hundreds of pictures to my brother, sometimes in frames, and organizing the rest into bags. There are the 1920s and 1930s, clearly taken by someone else. The 1940s were not a particularly big collection, but the decades that followed contained many pictures. Despite the ones my brother now has, I am left with more than I could count. What to do with all these pictures?

Mom (left) and sister, circa 1950

The months of organizing them into decades and shipping some off were all the nostalgia I needed from this group. I doubt seriously I will ever haul them out of the closet to look at them again. In whatever years I have left on the planet, I can not imagine spending time gazing at these memories, especially since some are best forgotten. But I could not imagine dumping them either. What would you do with thousands of prints?

After contemplating the matter for a while, I realized that the parents of my living cousins are in many of these pictures. Many faded photographs may be welcome at the home of these first and second cousins for the memories they contain, even if they are “covered now in lines and creases.”

WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW

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Last year, we put together a playlist for the SERENDIPITY website. It seems we need these love songs now more than ever. We offer the following again.

Peace and Love Songs, by Rich Paschall

With all the hate, violence, disease, and anger in the world, it seems like a good time to reach for some peace and love. There was a time when music spoke to the social conscience of society. In the late 1960s and the 1970s in particular, the force of music moved our hearts and our society away from war and civil disruption and toward a calmer, more loving society, at least on the surface anyway. The rallies, the marches, and the songs all spoke, or should I say sang out, to the need we had then to stop the violence.

No H8
No H8

It’s a much different society today. The rallies are against Oligarchy, the elimination of civil rights, and the right to due process under the law. Will they help lead us away from the geopolitical chaos we see now? Can music inspire us? It doesn’t hurt to try, so I bring you some moments of peace.  You can find all of these and a few others on a playlist on my YouTube channel.

So, it’s time to ask “What’s Going On?” as we look “From A Distance” for “Joy To The World.” “People Got To Be Free” and “We Have Got To Have Peace.”  Sing out in joy with the “Rainbow Race” and “Let There Be Peace On Earth.”

10. Get Together – The Youngbloods, 1967.
Love is but a song to sing
Fear’s the way we die
You can make the mountains ring
Or make the angels cry

09. Why Can’t We Live Together? – original Timmy Thomas, 1972 – Sade, 1984.
Tell me why, tell me why, tell me why.
Why can’t we live together?
Tell me why tell me why.
Why can’t we live together?

08. Why Can’t We Be Friends? – War, 1975.
I seen ya around for a long, long time
I really remember you when you drank my wine
Why can’t we be friends
Why can’t we be friends

PHOTO: The Beatles, left to right, Paul McCartney, George Harrison (1943-2001), Ringo Starr, and John Lennon (1940 – 1980) arrive at London Airport, February 6, 1964 (Photo by Getty Images)

07. Imagine – John Lennon, 1971.
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one

06. Give Me Love – George Harrison, 1973.
Give me love
Give me love
Give me peace on earth

05. Peace Train – Cat Stevens, 1971. This was Stevens’ first Top 10 hit in the US.
Oh, I’ve been smiling lately
Dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be
Someday it’s going to come

04. Give Peace A Chance – John Lennon, 1969. This Lennon/Paul McCartney composition was Lennon’s first solo single.
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance

03. All You Need Is Love – The Beatles, 1967.  Another Lennon/McCartney song was a single in ’67, and Britain’s contribution to the first worldwide television broadcast by a satellite link.
All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need

02. Love Train – The O’Jays, 1972.  It was their only number 1 record.  Here they ride with the Soul Train too.
People all over the world (everybody)
Join hands (join)
Start a love train, love train

01. What The World Needs Now Is Love – Jackie DeShannon, 1965. The popular tune was written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some but for everyone

For 6 through 10 above, click on the title to go to the video. You may wish to hear all of them together, along with a few bonus plays. Click on the playlist to go to 15 Peace and Love songs.

FAILING GRADE, PART TWO

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Last year, we examined the Department of Education’s actions that affect Civil Rights cases. That article follows. Things have only gotten worse since. In April of 2026, the Office of Civil Rights rescinded agreements protecting gender Identity under Title IX.

Chicago Edition, by Rich Paschall

“OCR’s mission is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence through vigorous enforcement of civil rights in our nation’s schools. “

That is the stated mission anyway. The Department of Education Office for Civil Rights has open cases investigating a variety of complaints, including sexual violence, sexual harassment, Denial of Disability Benefits, Age Discrimination, Racial Discrimination, Gender Harassment, and every type of civil rights violation you can imagine. Everyone should have the right to equal educational opportunities, but many are denied.

You might think that protecting the rights of students of all ages and backgrounds in all schools and school districts across the country would be a high priority for any administration. You might be wrong.

The Office for Civil Rights in Chicago was located in the Kluczynski Federal Building in downtown Chicago. On March 20th, NBC Chicago reported that the office had 906 “active investigations.” The complaints involved “school districts, colleges and universities throughout Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota.” With all the work to be done, you would think the staff would be hard at work on their investigations. Instead, a shredding bin was located outside the main doors, and trash bins were on hand. The Office was to be closed and eliminated the following day.

Downtown Chicago

Donald Trump signed an Executive Order on March 20th directing Linda McMahon, the Secretary of Education and former wrestling promoter, “to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities.”

Seven of the 12 Offices for Civil Rights (OCR) were closed. In addition to Chicago, the Department eliminated OCRs in New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, San Francisco, and Dallas. The cases are supposed to be switched to the remaining 5 offices. Much of the investigative work is done on-site at the school or school district. An investigator in Denver, let’s say, may have to travel to Illinois to check on a complaint. Perhaps they will not travel at all.

It is interesting to note that the list of pending cases is supposed to be updated “as a public service” on the Department website every Tuesday. As of this writing, the site was last updated on January 14, 2025. In other words, there are no new complaints listed after Trump took office. Do we think there have been no complaints filed?

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

While complaints by citizens are taking a back burner, the administration has launched its own “civil rights” investigations. They are investigating 45 universities, including the University of Chicago, regarding their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. The administration claims it wishes to “end the use of racial preferences and stereotypes.” One might conclude that they really mean to return preference to white people only, particularly rich ones.

Other universities are being investigated regarding free speech. That would be the kind of comments the administration does not like. There are 60, including Northwestern University in Evanston and Illinois Wesleyan University in downstate Bloomington. These allegedly involve what the Department calls Title VI violations. Northwestern responded that they have updated the student code of conduct and would fully cooperate with the investigation.

The only rights the Department seems to be interested in since January 2025 are its right to investigate those who do not agree with the administration. At one time, the Office of Civil Rights could be proud of fighting for the individual student. Now 5 remaining offices must do the work of 12. The administration can not eliminate the Department of Education. Only Congress can do that. They can, however, reduce staffing to a minimum level and use those remaining to attempt to enforce their way of thinking.

Note: Fascism: a populist political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual, that is associated with a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader – Merriam-Webster.

Sources include: “Education Department layoffs gut civil rights offices in Chicago, nationwide,” By  WBEZ and Chicago Sun-Times staff, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago.suntimes.com, March 12, 2025.
“Tough lesson for Chicago employees of US Education Dept.: They’re gone,” By Chuck Goudie, Katy Smyser and Lisa Capitanini, NBC5 Chicago, nbcchicago.com, update March 21, 2025.
“How gutting the U.S. Education Department impacts Illinois schools and universities,” By Nader Issa, Lisa Kurian Philip, NPR, nprillinois.org, March 21, 2025.
“The Education Department is being cut in half. Here’s what’s being lost,” by Cory Turner, NPR, npr.org, March 13, 2025.
“Pending Cases Currently Under Investigation at Elementary-Secondary and Post-Secondary Schools,” Office for Civil Rights, Department of Education, https://ocrcas.ed.gov/ Last Updated: January 14, 2025.

See also: FAILING GRADE (Part One), Trump vs Education, Sunday Night Blog, April 19, 2026.

FAILING GRADE

/ Rich Paschall / 1 Comment

Last year, the following article was presented on the SERENDIPITY website concerning the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the Department of Education. Since then, the administration’s war on learning has continued.

Trump vs. Education by Rich Paschall

It should have come as no surprise. Last year, we mentioned in “2025 or 1984” that the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025, Mandate for Leadership” called for the elimination of the Department of Education. Candidate Trump disavowed any knowledge of the 922-page document, but President Trump has added 31 contributors to the conservative blueprint to his administration, including 6 Cabinet Department heads.

It might seem difficult to believe that the well-documented purveyor of misinformation has fooled us again, but that is what appears to have happened. In fact, many of the Executive Orders signed by the head of the Trump / Musk administration seem to come right out of the pages of Project 2025.

“I love the poorly educated.” – Donald J. Trump, February 2016.

The desire to abolish the Department of Education appears to be founded on the faulty premise that the federal government is interfering with the curriculum laid out by state and local school boards. In fact, the Obama administration took steps to make sure that would not happen.

“The future of education freedom and reform in the states is bright and will
shine brighter when regulations and red tape from Washington are eliminated.” – Project 2025

There were concerns that the Bush administration may have come close to overstepping its authority at the Department of Education with the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. The law demanded “adequate yearly progress” under threat of increasing consequences for not meeting their standards.

Late in the Obama administration, NCLB was replaced by the “Every Student Succeeds Act” (2015), which returned more control of testing and accountability to the state and local school districts. The Orange Leader has repeatedly claimed he would “return control” of education to the states, but that is where it lies now.

Speaking of lying, the President has claimed that students “ranked 40 out of 40” in Education compared to other countries and “ranked No. 1 in cost per pupil.” Neither one is true. According to data compiled by the intergovernmental Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, U.S. high school students were above average in reading and science and a bit below average in math.


“Education is primarily a State and local responsibility in the United States. It is States and communities, as well as public and private organizations of all kinds, that establish schools and colleges, develop curricula, and determine requirements for enrollment and graduation.” – U.S. Department of Education

If there is no “Woke agenda” (awareness of racial prejudice and discrimination), or a mandate to teach “critical race theory” (the systematic racism in society) as the red and orange side of the aisle suggests, then what does the Department of Education do? With a budget of 79 billion USD (much higher if you count student loans and grants), they have grown significantly since the Department was created by Congress in 1979. The Department is 4 percent of the Federal Budget for fiscal year (FY) 2024, down from the 2022 post-pandemic budget that was 10 percent.

Federal funding is provided to schools in low-income communities under Title I authorization. In FY 2024, this assistance was about 18.4 billion dollars. When distributed across the needs of the nation, it is just a small amount of a school district’s budget. Title I was created by an Act of Congress and cannot be eliminated legally by Trump or Musk.

The Department also distributes funds under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This federal law ensures that children with disabilities can receive free public education based on their needs.

We are all aware that the cost of higher education in the USA is out of reach for many students. The Department of Education manages college financial aid and federal student loans. If these programs were cut back or eliminated, how would many Americans afford higher education?

Photo by Artem Podrez on Pexels.com

The Department of Education tracks student achievement via the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), aka “The Nation’s Report Card.” They also collect data on colleges and college students. How else will we know if Americans are receiving a quality education?

This is important. After all, not everyone can keep their college test scores a secret.

Sources include: “The Project 2025 Contributors Helming the Trump Administration,” by Kate Plummer, Investigative Reporter, Newsweek, newsweek.com, March 9, 2025.
“‘I Love the Poorly Educated,’ Donald Trump Said but Do They Still Love Him,” by Dew Langrial, published in Illumination, medium.com, October 30, 2020.
“A guide to what the U.S. Education Department does (and doesn’t) do,” By Nicole Cohen, Jonaki Mehta, Elissa Nadworny, Cory Turner, npr.org, February 4, 2025.

GOODBYE AND GOOD LUCK

/ Rich Paschall / Leave a comment

The following short story first appeared on the SERENDIPITY website. It is a tale all too familiar to some Seniors.

Thanks for your service, Rich Paschall

He had been in the business for almost 40 years. The last twenty-seven of those with the same company. He liked his job and thought he was good at it. In just a few more years, he would retire. Everything seemed to be on track.

When Carl started his career, orders were processed with typewriters. Carbon paper was used when multiple copies were required. Details of international orders were sent overseas by telex machine. Everything was done manually, and file cabinets were stuffed with files of all the orders and shipments.

Carl made it through all the changes.  At first, he thought an electronic typewriter with memory was just about the coolest thing. Fax machines took the place of telex machines, and worldwide communication was getting easier. As the decades went on, technology and communications advanced faster and faster, but Carl kept right up with everything. You could never say that Carl was behind the times.

Despite the efficiency of his work life, the same could not be said of Carl’s personal life until recent years. Only as retirement thoughts started weighing on his mind did Carl pay attention to his accounts. For the last few years, he contributed to the 401K plan. He even took out some small CDs for better interest return, since savings and checking accounts returned him only pennies per month, literally.

With the passing years came the problems of advancing age. Bifocals were no longer good enough to do his job. He was recommended to get trifocals, but opted for a second pair of glasses just to see the computer. His hands were stiff and sore, and he needed medication for that.

Nerve pain in the feet demanded a drug, as did high cholesterol. His blood tests never satisfied his doctor, and even when he felt well, there were many pills to take. With all these issues, Carl still carried on grandly and handled his job like a pro.

When Carl got a new boss, they seemed to get along well.  She appeared to appreciate his experience, and they often had nice little chats. When Carl asked if he could come in late so he could have his annual physical, his boss seemed disappointed. He assured her he would make up the time during the week, and she finally voiced approval.

The doctor’s visit showed the usual issues, but also “abnormal cells of undetermined significance.”  Carl was referred to a specialist, and he had to ask for another morning off. The boss looked quite perturbed when she said “OK, if you must.” Unfortunately for Carl, he did in fact feel he must see the doctor.

The specialist was a handsome young man with a sunny disposition. He indicated all the dire situations that may be happening with such a cute smile, Carl still felt at ease.  His examination and subsequent biopsy led to “dysplasia, but cells are undetermined.”  Carl was recommended to a surgeon.

Again, Carl asked for a morning off. The stares of the boss led Carl to say he would make up his time the same week, and he would not ask for any more time off in the coming months. He was greeted with a long and painful silence.  “Fine,” the boss stated with an air of exasperation.

The following day was a Wednesday, and Carl worked hard all day under the glare of his much younger boss. Whenever Carl looked around, she seemed to be nearby, staring at him. Needless to say, it was a rather uncomfortable day. Normally, Carl had pleasant days and nice little chats with coworkers. He never got close to any of them or saw them socially. One young man loved having random little conversations with Carl about anything every day, but he was the only friend, if you could call him that. Carl was just at work to do his job.

At the end of that day, just past 5 pm, the facilities manager, the superior to Carl’s boss, invited Carl down to her office for a chat.  When he got there, his boss was already seated and staring at the floor.  The facilities manager began.

“Carl, you know we think you have been doing excellent work for us for many years, but…” Then there was a long pause while the manager looked for the words. “Well, business has fallen off some. A stronger dollar means weaker business. We are well behind budget for the year, and we must eliminate a position. I am sorry, but we have to let you go.”

Carl was dumbfounded. He planned to work another two or three years and retire. He was not ready for this. His boss continued to look at the floor when the manager spoke up again. She explained about the last paycheck, vacation pay, COBRA insurance, and unemployment. She said she would write a nice letter of recommendation. She closed by saying she was sorry, it was not personal, it was just economics. She thanked him for his years of service. His boss continued to stare at the floor.

He returned to his desk, took a few personal items while his boss hovered nearby, and he was then prepared to leave.  That’s when she came over and asked for his badge and ID and walked away.  “What was that?” a longtime female coworker asked. “I was fired,” he replied. The coworker started to cry. Carl quietly said goodbye and looked around for his young friend, who was already gone, and he left.

After a few days of reviewing jobs online and making a few calls, Carl saw it would be difficult at his age and salary range to find a new position. That night, he lined up all of his prescriptions on the kitchen table, including the container of powerful painkillers for his hand pain. Next, he got a bottle of one of his favorite wines, appropriately chilled. He opened the wine, poured himself a glass, and sat down at the kitchen table. There, he looked over the table and contemplated his future.

THE WAR PRESIDENT

/ Rich Paschall / Leave a comment

In case you missed this Sunday on the SERENDIPITY website, here it is again. Since then, the situation has gotten worse, and more civilians have died.

Trump vs Global Peace by Rich Paschall

“Our president will start a war with Iran because he has absolutely no ability to negotiate,” Donald J.Trump said of Barack Obama in November 2011

The guy who desperately wanted someone to give him a Peace Prize has been busy starting wars around the world, despite his promise to MAGA that he would not do that. In fact, he spent ten years telling people that he was a Peace candidate. What is his story now?

Even on Election night, he promised his supporters that there would be no war:

And yet here we are. The self-absorbed and self-described Peace candidate has dropped bombs on seven countries and has started a major war. Is this Making America Great? The regional war has affected 14 countries at this writing and could expand to more as countries try to fend off the attacks by Iran and Hezbollah. Starting a war that engulfs a large part of the world may not be World War III, but will that follow under this type of authoritarian leader?

“When you go to war, some people will die.” Donald J Trump, March 2026.

Some Americans have died, but many Iranian civilians have died, including about 180 when a girls’ school in Southern Iran was hit. This is the type of action that could lead to terrorist reprisals. There doesn’t seem to be any further objective to the continued fighting, except perhaps regime change. What, if anything, was the plan? Now, Trump wants unconditional surrender. Will the Orange Ruler send ground troops?

TIME Photo Illustration (Source Image: Neilson Barnard—WireImage/Getty Images)

Attempts at regime change in Middle East countries have never gone well, and the Orange Leader said in September 2016, “We must abandon the failed policy of nation-building and regime change.” Shifting positions seemed to be the orange one’s strong suit. You don’t know where he will land next.

Aside from the US, these countries have been affected by the war: Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Azerbaijan, Syria, Lebanon, and Cyprus. If the orang guy and his War Secretary were thinking of a quick regime change like Venezuela, they were mistaken. War Secretary Pete Hegseth now says the United States “has just begun.”

The research group Airwars reports that the US-Israeli war on Iran has “significantly more targets [hit] per day than any campaign in recent decades”.Perhaps the joint operation will seek the complete destruction of Iran, as was done in Gaza. To become the Supreme Orange Leader of Iran, Trump has threatened to hit Iran “very hard.”

The International Criminal Court has indicted Israel’s leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, for war crimes and crimes against humanity. An arrest warrant has been issued, and he cannot travel to most countries. Perhaps the orange one will be next on the list. MAGA likely does not care.

Let’s recap the actions of the “Peace President” so far. Countries bombed: Iran, Venezuela, Somalia, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Nigeria.

In addition to all of the places in the world where American troops are stationed, and all the US cities already invaded, Trump and his War Chief have sent troops to Nigeria (100 so far), Venezuela (200 Special Forces plus regional build up), and Ecuador (an unreported number of Special Forces). He is also interested in sending troops into Iran since his air campaign has not achieved whatever result he and the indicted war criminal friend were seeking.

“Cuba is gonna fall pretty soon.” – Donald J Trump to CNN’s Dana Bash

The sovereignty of countries that have been threatened by Trump includes Cuba (regime change), Colombia (regional security?), Greenland (Arctic security?), and Mexico (Drug cartels). Trump is also seen as a threat to any boat in the Caribbean or Pacific that the orange one and his war chief believe to be a drug boat. They have blown up at least 44 boats, killing approximately 150 people, without offering any proof of crimes.

The Orange Leader has already weakened Cuba by cutting off oil imports from Venezuela and elsewhere. He threatened countries that might help Cuba. That forced Mexico to stop aid. By punishing the people of Cuba and cutting off aid, he believes he can force change, or that an American takeover will be easy. In fact, the Department of Justice is looking for any charges it can bring against Cuba’s leaders as an excuse for the same type of raid done in Venezuela.

According to the New York Times, “Leading the new effort in Florida is Jason A. Reding Quiñones, a relatively inexperienced federal prosecutor and Trump loyalist.” He is using government agencies to try to find charges so that Trump has a legal justification to take over Cuba.

Perhaps the War Monger in Chief, aka Felon in Chief, and possibly Pedophile in Chief, thinks all this chaos will make us forget about the Epstein Files. Perhaps he thinks we will forget about the crimes committed in his name by ICE and other of his storm troopers. Perhaps he thinks this will distract us from falling manufacturing and rising costs of just about everything. Perhaps this will make the weak job numbers go away.

It won’t. We will also remember the Republican Congress that enabled all the questionable actions of the Trump Administration.

Sources include: “Trump has cornered himself with his war in Iran,” by Sidney Blumenthal, The Guardian, theguardian.com, March 3, 2026.
“On the US seeking regime change,” by Amy Sherman, politifact.com, March 3, 2026.
“Any attempt at regime change is likely to repeat past mistakes,” by Philip Gordon, The Economist, economist.com, March 5, 2026.
“Trump’s War,” by Eric Cortellessa, Time, time.com. March 5, 2026.
“Mapped: How Trump’s war on Iran has spread to 14 countries and plunged the region into crisis,” by Harriette Boucher, Maira Butt, Alex Croft & James C. Reynolds, The Independent, the-independent.com, March 6, 2026.
“Trying individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression, Netanyahu.” Arrest warrant issued on 21 November 2024.
“US and Israel attacking Iran at ‘record pace’, war monitor says,” By Al Jazeera Staff, aljazeera.com March 6, 2026.
“A Running List Of The Most Inspirational Trump Quotes About The Iran War,” “Like I said, some people will die,” by Ryan Grenoble and Lilli Petersen, HUFFPOST, huffpost.com, March 6, 2026.
“One week into the Iran war, the fallout is global,” By Juliana Kim (NPR) and Alyson Hurt (NPR), opb.org, March 7, 2026.
“From Iran to Venezuela, Here Are the Countries Trump Has Ordered Strikes On in His Second Term,” by Tiago Ventura, TIME, time.com, March 2, 2026.
“What would Trump’s threatened strikes on Colombia, Mexico or Cuba achieve?” by Dr Christopher Sabatini, CHATHAM HOUSE, chathamhouse.org, January 2026.
“U.S. Deploys Special Forces to Ecuador in New Expansion of U.S. Operations in Latin America,” Democracy Now! democracynow.org, March 4, 2026.
“US Military Gives Update After American Attacks in Ecuador,” By Gabe Whisnant, Newsweek, newsweek.com, March 6, 2026.
“Trump Tightens Pressure on Cuba as U.S. Pushes for Charges Against Leaders,” By Glenn ThrushAlan

WHAT IS YOUR SONG?

/ Rich Paschall / 4 Comments

Last year on the SERENDIPITY website, we discussed the artists who fill our personal soundtrack. Here are our thoughts again.

The Soundtrack of Your Life, Rich Paschall

You have probably heard that phrase before. Oldies radio stations love to use it. They want you to think they are playing the soundtrack of our lives. You know what they mean. They want you to think that they are playing the songs you remember from when you were younger. That could mean a few years ago or a few decades ago, depending on who they are pitching their playlist to. What is the soundtrack of your life?

After you leave your twenties, your soundtrack is probably set with the most often played and most often heard music. We inevitably love the music of our teens and twenties. It is linked to those big moments that never leave our memory banks. That could be our high school dances and proms. It could be college concerts and parties. They might include weddings and select family events. It certainly includes your record, tape, or CD collections, and maybe even some digital playlists. In future years, our soundtracks will all be held in digital form in a cloud that you can download when you feel nostalgic.

Chicago, Tinley Park

Certainly, people from 16 years old to those who saw the beginning of the rock era can tell you the songs that meant the most to them, that held the greatest memories. I feel confident in saying that these songs will come from your early years. This is not just because it holds true for me, but it does for many of my friends as well. It is reflected in the crowds that show up to concerts. In the last dozen years or so, I have seen Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones, Chicago, and REO Speedwagon, as well as Barbara Streisand, Barry Manilow, and Brian Wilson. These stars could fill concert venues across the country with people who may have seen them generations ago. The reason is not a mystery. They wrote and performed our soundtrack, and the people who connect with that music continue to go to see them. As they disappear from the concert scene, we still have their recordings.

Fleetwood Mac at United Center, Chicago

Of course, I have gone to see current acts. They included One Republic, Maroon 5, David Archuleta, Hunter Hayes, Lifehouse, Bruno Mars, as well as MAX Schneider, Fall Out Boy, and a few others. I like their music, but their songs do not hold the nostalgic connection I feel when I see Paul McCartney, Frankie Valli, or Neil Diamond.  When I saw The Monkees at the Chicago Theater after the loss of Davy Jones, I heard screaming inside the Theater as I came through the outside doors. It was as if the place was filled with teenagers. I rushed in to see what the commotion was. Mickey Dolenz was just starting Last Train to Clarksville and the AARP set was reacting as if it was 1966 and they were teenagers. Yes, there were younger people in the crowd. These songs were not on their soundtrack, however, but they were on ours.

While leaving the Davy Jones songs to a couple of music videos from their 1960s television show, The Monkees delighted a crowd with an evening of hits. The band’s recording of a Neal Diamond composition, I’m a Believer, was the last number 1 song of 1966 and the biggest-selling song of 1967. Since that performance, Peter Tork and Mike Nesmith have also passed. I am glad I saw them while we could.

One thing the Rolling Stones do not lack after all these decades is energy. Maroon 5 may want to Move Like Jagger, but only Mick can do that, and he still does. Here I have taken a few moments from the show at the United Center. They were true rock stars of a previous era. They went on an hour late. Since this performance, Charlie Watt passed away.

The opening of Moves Like Jagger is shaky as everyone jumped to their feet, so of course, I had to also.  The venue is The Woodlands.  I should have known everyone in the crowd would try to move like Jagger, too.

Without a doubt, the number 1 song on my soundtrack is Beginnings by Chicago. The 1969 song, written by band member Robert Lamm, failed to chart on its first go around. A re-release in 1971, when the band was red-hot, brought success to a song that was featured at dances, proms, graduations, and weddings for many years to come. The album version ran 7 minutes and 55 seconds while the “radio version” ran about 3 minutes. In July 2010, I did not have a camera that could zoom in close or record in HD, but it got decent sound, so I have this piece of nostalgia:

Chicago, the band, will be appearing this summer in the Chicago area (Milwaukee, WI, and Peoria, IL), and will probably add a Chicago stop. They always do.

RJ Paschall music videos here.  See my concert videos and “liked” performers.