I would SO watch this movie

I'm wondering just how convoluted the theory is connecting these four stories...

Kavanaugh

Here are several things re that train wreck... some funny stuff at the end!


"It is possible that his accusers might have mistook him for someone else... and the mysteriously disappearing gambling debts may be innocuous, not mafia connected. But there is one absolute inarguable fact from last week's hearing. The bilious, voice-cracking rage and openly partisan expressions of hate toward half of the voting populace were not behaviors of a mature jurist and adult. The simple and politically defensible thing for Susan Collins to say is: "Go back to the bench/bullpen and send us a conservative grownup." -David Brin

This by Albert Burneko:

the skeleton key to understanding American conservatism is this: At bottom, it lacks absolutely any moral or ideological underpinning beyond the reactionary protection of moneyed white men—of their station, their wealth and power, and their egos. Its supposed ideas and abstractions are just a framework for spasmodic lashing-out against anything that can be interpreted as a threat to rich white dudes. It likes supply-side economics because the supply side is made of rich white dudes. It likes tax cuts because the taxes are mostly cut for rich white dudes. It likes cops and soldiers because cops and soldiers uphold a social order with rich white dudes at the top. It likes “traditional family values” because social, economic, and sexual dominion over women are the most traditional family values of all. It likes “Make America Great Again” because rich white dudes used to roll through society and over everyone else with even greater impunity than they do now. All of these things are just proxies for reiterating, over and over and over, forever, the power and security and primacy of rich white dudes.

Something else to think about:

What we do know suggests the likelihood that Kavanaugh, both as Associate White House Counsel under George Bush from 2001 to 2003 and then as his White House Staff Secretary from 2003 to 2006, had significant involvement in the Bush Administration’s torture policies. We need to continue to demand to see Bush White House files to “pin down specifics of any Kavanaugh involvement in detainee policy discussions.” (See the Chicago Tribune article by Michael Kranish, “Kavanaugh’s role in Bush-era torture debate now an issue in his Supreme Court nomination,” July 18, 2018.)

This terrific picture from Boing Boing (is that guy on the left asleep???

And this from Andy Borowitz:

Obama said that it was “a little comforting” to know that he was not the only person Kavanaugh neglected to blame in his remarks. “I just got off the phone with George Soros, and he is bummed as well,” Obama said.

And finally, Randy Rainbow!!!!

Shaving in increments

Alex Trebek this week, shaving the beard despite its overwhelming fan support - his wife disliked it.

Monday he had the full beard. Tuesday it was a goatee. Wednesday, just the mustache. Thursday, clean shaven.

Kathie wondered if he'd come out Friday wearing a bald cap. Unfortunately, he didn't.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

The "Resistance"

Bolling notes* "the author claims to be part of the "Resistance."  The term seems a bit grandiose for someone who is enabling a deranged narcissist under the thumb of a foreign enemy, who is scapegoating and destroying the lives of the most vulnerable in our society, just so that the author's goals of gutting environmental regulations and ballooning the deficit to give tax breaks to the wealthy aren't jeopardized."

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What's your name? Is it Mary or Sue?

Really?

I mean, there's no reason anyone has to know who Angel Blue is. But honestly ... it says right there: "kids meet Angel Blue a professional opera singer".

That's CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow

This was posted in a Facebook group I belong to.

The proper English translation of “Â chryman medi hirgoes henffasiwn” (a phrase from the current book I’m reading) is “With an old-fashioned, long-handled reaping sickle”. However, this is what Google Translate thinks it means

O nice job

Nice job there, Facebook translating algorithm.

But I do wonder: is it the first or second "do" that was unnecessary?

i ♥ my readers

It's still true! Happy Valentine's Day!

Add caption

synchronicity strikes again

I just finished David Crystal's "The Story of Be", and Chapter 6 is "Visitational Be". He notes 

"During the twentieth century, it was increasingly common to see the verb used without the prepositional phrase. Usually, the visit is related to an occupation: the person has come and gone professionally. The location is taken for granted." 

The examples in the book (Has the doctor been? The gardeners have been. You can tell me daughter and her dogs have been.) seemed odd to my American ear.

So does this (See if Father Pancake has been). But it's clearly what he's talking about.

Disbelief will not be suspended

Okay. That's it. 

Look, I can deal with Dunham's inability to draw. I can handle all the animals who wear clothes and speak English. I can deal with the girl mice having one pair of perky breasts. I can accept that there's a generator somewhere on board this ship to power their refrigerator and lights. I can even buy that they have a freaking charcoal grill. 

But a open, apparently brick, log-burning fireplace on a wooden sailing ship?

A bridge too far, my friend.

Clearly

This cracks me up.

Quiz

Oh, come on.

These first two seem to have some pretty clear clues. I mean, okay, maybe this book is about the whole world, and they're showing you the "We the People of the United States" to fake you out. Maybe.

But "Votes for Women" is a dead giveaway - unless the author was downright misogynistic. Which, I guess is possible.

But then this one seems ... pretty obvious.

And this one? Sheesh.

Alexa watches out for us

From a friend's Facebook wall, names removed.

How to have an empty swimming pool

Use GoogleTranslate 😁😄😆

Impressive

This is a Green heron. But still: point made.

Goslings look less fierce but no less prehistoric, by the way.

putting that degree to good use, eh?

Ignore the wolf(?) chasing the chipmunk. Look at Mark's blithe statement that a guy with "a film degree" (MFA, probably) is the right guy to "test new video equipment".

Of course, given that Johnny is currently monitoring a ferret reintroduction program in the Midwest, maybe his degree isn't an MFA, and testing video equipment for a wildlife magazine will be a tempting proposition.

This made me laugh out loud. Really.

My coworkers turned around to stare.

The dialog reads:
"May's already ending. Where are the crowds of tourists in Crimea?"
"It's not the season yet."
"So when does the season begin?"
"In Traven."

Май, may, is the Russian word for "May". Травень, травень, is the Ukrainian one.

Yeah, I know; nothing's as funny if it has to be explained. But still; this cracked me up.

Aw, poor Tony

I was in the local Target earlier today and spotted this endcap. Five "Team Iron Man" sets and zero "Team Cap" sets. Guess we know who's more popular around here ;-)

Nice job, I mean it

Some really sweet machine translations via Facebook - I have to assume it's still Bing, but they aren't putting their name on them any more.

Well...

This is of course the point where she says "Daryl, what part of 'not necessarily' and 'quite often' do you not understand?"