The Feed

March 19, 2026 By Ray DeGraw No, I'm not talking about the untimely demise of Mama Cass here. God bless her gigantic soul! I want to discuss how unsettling it is when I get fresh ham from the deli counter and it's rectangular in shape. I wonder what kind of farm this particular pig came from? Do they squish them into large rectangular metal boxes after they've been relieved of their "farming" duties? Or have these particular pigs been exported from a teenage Minecraft ma

March 17, 2026 By Ray DeGraw The year was 2005. My tail was between my legs as I was living back at Mom's house yet again. Although, this time, I was saving money to buy a house. I was living the dream, playing the part of Sam Malone, tending bar in a small Irish pub and loving every damned minute of it. My friends and I started a blog called the Liberal Phoenix, and other than this current moment of time in my life, was the most engaged I had ever been in my writings. We

March 6, 2026 By Ray DeGraw As a parent of two children, I have done my best to keep them out of harm's way. A little life lesson here and there and some sage advice from the Old Man to keep danger at bay; that's how I've rolled. When I was a youngster, my father would take me on long walks around the neighborhood to bestow his wisdom upon me. As I would love to do the same, my neighborhood doesn't have sidewalks for some strange reason, so I've had to take a different tac

February 26, 2026 By Ray DeGraw It was the spring of 1989. There was an enormous thunderclap that woke us out of our sleep. My father, half awake and dazed, came into my bedroom, the clock read 5:00a.m. He asked if that was me, and rubbed his eyes. Then the second blast happened. The house shook so violently that the dust on top of the bedroom door fell on his head. He rushed over and grabbed me, ushering me out of the room. My sisters soon rushed in too. Terrified, we

February 23, 2026 By Ray DeGraw Well the Winter Olympics have come and gone, and it's now time to digest all that we have learned over the past few weeks. So, without further ado, here is my top 10 list of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games... Yes, curling is indeed a sport! And in four years, I will remind you all of this revelation yet again. J.D. Vance proved that it's not just in the United States where he gets booed at a sporting event. Ski jumpers are just plain old

February 19, 2026 By Ray DeGraw As we see special election after special election overwhelmingly go the way of the Democrats, even in traditional GOP strongholds, one has to think the midterms will go the way of the Donkey. The Republican party knows the shitstorm that is coming. They've been playing dirty pool since the Orange Turd blossom somehow returned to office. The United States, whose collective memory lasts as long as a single news cycle, somehow forgot the madnes

February 1, 2026 By Ray DeGraw I love pizza. And why shouldn't I? I live in New Jersey. Other than the pies they're serving up on the other side of the Hudson river, we have some of the best pizza in the world. I do, though, have a problem that needs immediate attention, and I'm not sure who to write to on this matter. I can not stand when the slices aren't even. I mean, come on for crying out loud! How hard is it to make sure every delicious hot piece of melty cheese

January 23, 2026 By Ray DeGraw In the anticipation of the blizzard coming Sunday, we here at the DeGraw household are well prepared. A dozen fresh baked New Jersey bagels have been procured. A tub of Philly Cream Cheese and butter are on the ready. A bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Hearts for that little extra push has been added to the inventory. But most importantly, wine, beer, whiskey and vodka to warm our spirits! New shovels and new sleds eagerly await their Christenin

January 22, 2026 By Ray DeGraw I'll start off by saying I am not a huge fan of winter. I mean, who is? Sure, you get your occasional knucklehead who likes to break out his sweater collection and proclaim to the world just how much he prefers the icy cold tundra to a white sandy beach in the tropics...but putting that anomaly aside, most of us prefer warmer weather and greener pastures. If I could figure out how to hibernate like a bear, I would. As a matter of fact, I woul

January 5, 2026 By Ray DeGraw I'm guessing on Saturday night, right after dinner. That's how you did! You know what I'm talking about, don't pretend that you don't. Yup, you sat on your couch, probably queued up Stranger Things and reached to your side table and realized something was missing. Oh, yes, that glistening glass with your Saturday night libation. Shit, that's right, you decided to jump on the bandwagon and try this thing we call "Dry January". "Okay, I can d

December 30, 2025 By Ray DeGraw It's that time of year again and the resolution wheels are spinning. Damned the torpedoes! Full steam ahead. This is the year I lose 20 pounds. This is the year I give up drinking during the week. This is the year where no midnight snacks will be had. This is the year the screenplay will be written, another book published...yes, I will finally start making money. You better bet your bippy this is the year when success knocks on my door.

December 27, 2025 By Ray DeGraw Get the tinfoil out and ready, because old Uncle Ray has a crackpot theory to share. This time, it's concerning the lottery. Over the last couple of years, the jackpots have risen to absurd levels, as has the cost of the lottery tickets themselves. It's two bucks for the Powerball, or three if you want to play the powerplay (a separate drawing that multiplies your winnings). Which let's face it, you kind of have to. Can you imagine hitting

December 18, 2025 By Ray DeGraw For the first time in my life, I have no urge whatsoever to watch any of the classic Christmas specials on television. Do you recall the utter excitement and exuberance that was brought to your school day when you knew Rudolph was going to be on that night? The Grinch? Frosty the Snowman? Or my Personal Favorite, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas? It was an all out event! It made your day! It made everybody's day! The anticipation was con

December 13, 2025 By Ray DeGraw Bartesian Cocktail Maker, for those of you who have become so fucking useless you can't even pour your own drink any more. Well done society, well done indeed! Seriously, have you seen the commercial for this absolutely useless machine? Similar to the Keurig coffee maker, but instead of making a crappy cup of coffee, it makes your cocktails for you. Really? You can't put ice in a glass, add an ounce of liquor and pour fruit juice or soda o

December 12, 2025 By Ray DeGraw It's good soup weather! For sure! My mother used to say that all the time. Of course back in those days we got our soup from a can. I can't even begin to tell you how much my mother took advantage of Shoprite's Can Can sale back in the day. I can bet you there are still some stocked away down in the basement. Reagan era chicken noodle soup. Vintage, I could probably sell them on eBay. Yes, I do enjoy a nice hearty bowl of soup after spen