Thursday Afternoon Links of Hope and Change

by | Mar 3, 2022 | Daily Links | 232 comments

Your music.

 

Glibs here in the 804 are enjoying Spring-like weather this week. And while it may be a tease, hope is in the air. Or, as a friend once put it, “the sap rises in all of God’s creation in the Spring.”

 

 

AND JUST LIKE THAT THE PANDEMIC WAS OVER: The first thing I noticed as I walked into the Kroger supermarket was a scruffy young tradesman down on the floor making a vigorous repetitive motion. Once I got past the lad’s obvious physical charms, I saw that he was scraping up the obnoxious social-distancing signs they had put on the floor near the self-check.

 

 

IT’S NOT GASLIGHTING WHEN WE DO IT: The Atlantic, which used to be a respected publication known for it’s even-handedness and integrity, suddenly discovers that masking mandates negatively affected one of our most vulnerable populations, shamelessly forgetting that as recently as Feb 20 they were some of the biggest cheerleaders for STFU and comply. (links may be paywalled, use private browsing mode)

 

 

TOTALLY NON-POLITICAL: “Regardless of geography we are ALL OncoAlert.” Yeah, right. You might want to change up your website, after that there statement. Full story here.

 

 

HE’S NOT WRONG, YOU KNOW: Loudmouth interweb ranter Jesse Kelly takes on the new calls for reconciliation and national cohesion. Which one of you people is this, BTW?

 

 

About The Author

Tonio

Tonio

Tonio is a Glibs shitposter, linkstar (Thursday PM, yo), author, and editor. He is also a GlibZoom personality and prankster. Tonio is a big fan of pic-a-nic baskets. His hobbies include salmon fishing, territorial displays, dumpster diving, and posing for wildlife photographers.

232 Comments

  1. juris imprudent

    We’ve been getting e-mails about how masks will no longer be required in the office. They’ve not quite gotten around to saying it’s time to come back.

    • Nephilium

      Work has been quiet about the vaccine mandate for us contractors for the past couple of months. Haven’t heard any updates on those cases in a while.

      • Lackadaisical

        One of my friends who was about to get fired now just has to test.

        The NPCs have their new programming.

      • DEG

        I saw a debate about this shit on the NH subreddit (I know, I know, reddit is for porn, but sometimes I can’t help myself).

        Did you know that Biden never mandated vaccines for employees of companies over 100 people? You can get tested instead according to the OSHA rule.

      • Tonio

        Will be interesting to see how various orgs will deal with the new reality.

    • Ownbestenemy

      They just released the gating requirements for FAA.

      If CDC says:

      Community spread is High, masks for everyone, regardless of vaccination status
      Community spread is low or medium, masks are not required…except

      If unvaccinated, weekly screening protocol. Medium to High, masks and tested weekly, except in low areas they do not….

      EEO complaint being prepped.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Wait…new email, all changed! If a union member, regardless of vaccination status, if Medium to Low, no masks. If management or not under a union, weekly tests and masks if unvaccinated.

      • Gadfly

        So scientific. Never knew that union membership conferred virus protection. That’s a nice benefit.

      • Compelled Speechless

        It’s not as strong as the protection you get from forming a mob and burning a Wendy’s to the ground while trying to lock the patrons and employees inside, but it’s close.

    • trshmnstr the terrible

      They’ve not quite gotten around to saying it’s time to come back.

      They have for us. I still need to break it to my boss that I’m banished due to not getting the clot shot.

  2. Tundra

    Your music.

    Perfect choice. Thank you!

  3. kbolino

    The local grocery store finally stopped requiring its employees to wear masks. This is the first time I’ve seen so many unmasked faces around here since like May 2020. I’m very wary that it’s going to last. We’ve played this game before.

    How do you go back from this? How do you undo the realization that 90% of the people around you are just mindless automata? I don’t think you can build cohesion with robots. There’s nothing to cohere around. You can’t build a community with people who just do whatever some external force tells them to. That’s just a geographic grouping of NPCs.

    • Tonio

      Jesse Kelly answers your question, saltily, in the link above.

      • Ted S.

        It’s a video. What does he say?

      • kbolino

        Kelly’s ire seems to be directed at the shot-callers and their peanut gallery. I’m talking about the average person. Not a cheerleader for COVID, just somebody out to get groceries.

        I guess I could move. Not everywhere is like here.

  4. Rebel Scum

    The tank list is missing the Abrams Tank from GA.

    • Tonio

      Sir, I run a nice, respectable chatroom here.

      • Sean

        *looks around*

        Am I in the right place?

      • Tres Cool

        Brah, we’re all “Family Friendly” and shit.

      • Rebel Scum

        I’m not even wearing pants half the time.

      • Aloysious

        Pants are tools of the oppressors. Or capitalisms. Or something.

      • Animal

        Who are you, and what have you done with our Tonio?

  5. Tundra

    I listened to Jesse’s rant this morning. He is one of the funniest Twitter accounts I follow. He’s savage.

    And in this case, 100% correct.

    • The Other Kevin

      Unity does nothing. How about some accountability?

      • Tundra

        I’m thinking payback.

  6. Rebel Scum

    A hawt take indeed.

    Hot take on the State of the Union address, or should I say circus.

    Gaslighter-in-Chief’s entire speech was a contradiction and I feel bad for people that didn’t see right through it.

  7. Tundra

    The Volvo 740 was the last of the real Volvos.

    This was a great ad.

    • EvilSheldon

      There’s just something about fast station wagons…

      • Tundra

        Volvo V70 R is still a really desirable vehicle. They are pretty fucking cool.

      • Tundra

        245, 745, 850, V70.

        850 was FWD (or AWD).

        I still prefer the rear drive, squared off models.

      • Tres Cool

        Me too. I had 2 bricks. A 240 and the horrid 26

      • Tres Cool

        …260
        Give me a solid B23 engine any day over that 6-cylinder PRV design.

      • Rebel Scum

        I think I know that dude.

      • Count Potato

        They weren’t that fast. There was a mailing list (group of people on the interwebs) that was about putting V8’s in them.

      • Bobarian LMD

        Jagz that run!

      • Zwak,The Baddest Johnny on the Apple Cart

        Long roof, brah. Always a good choice.

      • Not Adahn

        BMW put out a 5 series station wagon with an aluminum frame and a twin turbo engine in it. 2001 I think? They brought it out to “Drive for the Cure.”

        No idea that the six speed was for since I was doing 80 in 2nd.

    • Count Potato

      I’d say the 900 series were the last real Volvos. If by “real” you mean looked like Volvo and had RWD.

      • Tonio

        ^This guy knows what I’m talkin’ about.

      • Ghostpatzer

        *Refreshes, weeps*

    • Bobarian LMD

      Those brick shaped Volvos were very good candidates for swapping in a 350 Chevy.

      Like late ’70s Jags and 240Z, they seemed like they were built for the mod.

    • robodruid

      I have to admit, i still love my 05 XC-90, 220K miles on it.
      Yes it had the bad transmission.
      Yes i had to replace the blower on the AC myself.

      But i used it to carry my sick sheep to the Vet. And I don’t plan on replacing it until i have to put a bullet in the block.
      Got it in Gottenborg, drove around Sweden, saw the Vasa. Great time.

      • Tundra

        Lol.

        Blower motors have always been a Volvo curse. You practically had to tear the dash apart to replace those in the 240s.

        My last Volvo (of at least five) was an 01 XC70. It puked a tranny at less than 150K and I tapped out.

      • robodruid

        There is a you tube video out there…..If you are willing to break one of four tabs, you can get underneath the passenger side footwell, and replace it. a $75 dollar repair vs. a $2000 repair.
        I had to spend a couple of hours updside down, with my legs hooked over the seat, but it works.

  8. Lackadaisical

    “HE’S NOT WRONG, YOU KNOW”

    Yeah, hard to say that wasn’t cathartic. All tyrants are slime at any level.

  9. The Other Kevin

    Last night we had practice. Nobody at a table checking vax cards, and nobody wearing masks. I could finally see everyone’s face, and we could all breathe when we skated. It was nice.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Did you ban anybody with a Russian sounding name?

      • Ownbestenemy

        We should be taking them into special areas, that are contracted or owned by the Government and relocated for the time being while we figure out their ideology and loyalty to the country. We must not also care if they are 2nd or 3rd generation American citizens that have only known the US to be their home.

      • Compelled Speechless

        Did you lift that straight from progressive paragon FDR’s Japanese internment order?

      • Ownbestenemy

        *polishes nails* I wrote that myself thank you very much!

      • grrizzly

        Unfortunately or fortunately, it’s often hard to distinguish a Russian name from a Ukrainian one.

      • Compelled Speechless

        Sounds like pro-Putin talk to me. Sounds like you’ve already unified the countries in your mind. Next thing you’re going to tell me that their languages sound the same and that they both have comparably hot women. You disgust me you traitor. The death of each and every Ukrainian is on your hands.

      • R.J.

        Sigh. R.J. Hardest hit. My name is Rasputin Jackoffsky. The endless side-eyes from this last week were all Putin’s fault and I hate him for that.

      • Compelled Speechless

        After years and years of giggles when people hear your name, you’re telling me you’re not at least a little relieved to get the side-eye instead?

      • R.J.

        It was worse before I shortened my last name from “Jacksoffabitch.” For some reason people always tittered at that.

      • Gadfly

        Makes sense. If it wasn’t for the Mongols, Kiev would probably be the capital of Russia instead of Moscow.

    • The Other Kevin

      We’re low on players, so we don’t have the luxury of banning anyone.

      • Certified Public Asshat

        Plus the Russians are good at hockey.

    • Tonio

      Glad to hear, TOK. Sorry I missed your last article. Thanks.

    • Tundra

      Great news!

      A friend wrote that her kid started a job back in November and saw her co-workers faces for the first time this week. This is fucking sick.

      • The Other Kevin

        One of our guys invited his physical therapist to practice with us. She’s been with us for a few months. Last night I saw her face for the first time.

      • Tonio

        And…

      • The Other Kevin

        And I also lack the imagination of all of the writers we have here.

      • The Other Kevin

        But she was cute.

      • invisible finger

        So…would?

      • The Other Kevin

        Were I single, perhaps.

      • Gustave Lytton

        A friend wrote that her kid started a job back in November and saw her co-workers faces for the first time this weekstill hasn’t seen her coworkers completely naked. This is fucking sick.

        I love how Glibs have embraced naturists’ criticisms of clothing.

    • Rebel Scum

      “What the hell was that?”

      You’re in a war zone so I have a few guesses…

      • Ownbestenemy

        You’re assuming they aren’t pulling a CNN and that is a green screen

      • Tonio

        Look at this guy. I remember when he was just a sweet, innocent lad. Now he’s triple-layer tinfoil over TEMPEST-grade copper mesh.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Narrator: I used to be a seasoned member of Abovetopsecret….just say’n. Titor was right by the way…he was only off by a decade?

      • Tonio
      • Trigger Hippie

        Heh. Tru dat. Always assume the 48th hour…day…er, month rule.

  10. Tres Cool

    You have Kroger there?
    Kroger totally rocks my fuckin’ nuts off.

    However, I’d like some of our more brainy members to explain to me how, from a financial point, “fuel points” works out on paper.
    For each $100 I blow in a store with razor-thin profit margins, I get a $0.10 discount on the gas that they likely aren’t making much profit on anyhow.

    • kbolino

      I’ve never seen anywhere that offers fuel points to an otherwise cheap gas station. It’s always for the more expensive gas stations in town, in my experience.

      • grrizzly

        I’ve been maxing out gas discounts from a grocery store chain for years. And some of their gas stations are very cheap. Also, free filet mignon and scallops.

      • Chipwooder

        The local Krogers seem to be about average in gas prices.

        Lately I’ve been buying E88 shit from Sheetz to reduce the pain of filling up, but even that was $3.34 a gallon today. I never thought I’d say this, but I kinda wish I still had my little Versa right now.

    • Sean

      They make it up in volume!

    • Ownbestenemy

      Loss leaders and gas stations don’t make money on the fuel they sell anyway.

      • Tres Cool

        I rarely buy the over-priced crap from the gas stations anyhow so I must be the exception.
        I’d like to have it explained how the math works out. Im sure there’s a bigger picture as a company that I cant see.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Here is the math – no one is losing money over rewards programs.

    • Nephilium

      Giant Eagle is trying to change their point system to make more sense. Instead of 1% off a grocery order, or $0.10/gallon of gas off, you can sign up so that it’s just $1.00 off per x points. So if you’re bad at math, you’ve converted over to the new system.

    • robc

      We have King Sooper here instead of Kroger, but its literally the same thing, my Kroger card that worked at Harris Teeter (tee hee hee) now works at King Sooper.

      The gas is average price. So when I have a big discount, I use it.

      But, Costco runs 20 cents per gallon cheaper, so I fill up there most of the time, although it is always 6-8 cars deep.

  11. Dr. Fronkensteen

    Our company got rid of our mask mandate Tues. The masks are now optional and about 25% are still wearing them. We’re not supposed to harass people who wear the mask. Fair enough, but I wonder where this magnanimity and personal choice was 6 months ago.

    • Certified Public Asshat

      I finally get to go maskless at work on Monday, the last place I have been required to wear one (in a cube farm no less). I am curious how many people will still wear one.

      Of course no one wears them when not required to, the rule is “wear while walking…or when in a conference room with other people.” Everyone takes the mask off when seated at their desk, because we all know covid won’t climb over the 4 ft walls.

      • Draw Me Like One of Your Tulpae, Jack

        I made my bosses VERY clear that there is no way I would sit at a desk for 8 hours with a mask on, and that I would not be going back to the office under any circumstances as long as I had to wear a mask. Of course, I told them I wouldn’t be coming back in general, but I won’t go back even for a single day with a mask mandate.

      • Certified Public Asshat

        I would take the true believers here seriously if they actually wore a mask (N95 or higher) for the entire day. But no, they take it off at their desk like everyone else.

      • R C Dean

        If the N95 doesn’t leave an unbroken line around their face, you should mock them for wearing it wrong.

      • Tulip

        I have one colleague who has immune problems. He has worn an N95 (that leaves a line) since the beginning and mostly works from home. Only comes in when he has to.

      • rhywun

        It hasn’t come up yet, but I won’t go back even when the office is completely mask-free if I still have to wear one for two to three hours of commute time.

      • MikeS

        Don’t be so hasty. It would give you protection from having human feces rubbed in your face.

    • Lackadaisical

      That’s how I know the calls to unity are bullshit.

      ‘Sure, we tried to force you to inject weird new drugs and threatened your freedom and job, but let’s be friends, okay? We’re all in this together.’

      • Compelled Speechless

        I wish it were that nice. They’ve already shifted to calling anyone that hasn’t tatooed the Ukrainian flag across their face a Putin supporter and demanding that the COVID Gustapo change it’s focus to kicking down every front door in America and arresting anyone with any Russian contraband. So much as a stacking doll – even if it’s not Russian, just the concept – will get you sent out to live out your days cold, alone and naked in the wilderness. They’re so goddamn righteous you have to squint when you look at them or else you’ll go blind.

      • Dr. Fronkensteen

        “We’re all in this together.’

        That’s what chaps my hide the most. We weren’t all in this together. You had the laptop class working from home joking about gaining the pandemic 15. What about the people who lost the pandemic 15, their jobs. or their businesses? What about the people who had to work in person masked up? The people who most wanted this, the media and the politicians were the ones who lives were least impacted by the lockdowns.

      • Compelled Speechless

        No self-reflection over the COVID non-sense. None. They just move right on to the next thing to be sociopathically, falsely concerned about. I can not wait to read all the think pieces in a year about all the Russians all over the world that had nothing to do with the war, but they were wrongly condemned and removed from society and not allowed to participate in Eurovision – all written by the same people writing the pieces right now enthusiastically proclaiming that Russian cats are every bit as morally culpable for this injustice as Putin himself. How do they not just get exhausted from moving from virtue signal to virtue signal. Ten minutes on Twitter seeing the Ukrainian flag on every profile that used to have a masked emoji and I’m so tired I need to hibernate for a month.

    • Fourscore

      I’m waiting for all those that insisted I wear a mask, get the vaccine like they did, because I’m in the vulnerable population to apologize and admit they may have been wrong.

      “300K is a big number”

      I’m going to have to wait a long time. I’ll just assume a smug air and ask if they’ve had the 2nd booster and flu shot for ’22. Can’t be too safe, ya know.

    • The Other Kevin

      I have a teammate who used to work for the Republican party in presidential campaigns. He told me in DC, polling is showing Americans are completely done with COVID. The Dems are panicking, because they know they’re going to lose big. They’re trying to roll things back, but they did such a good job scaring their true believers that they can’t un-scare them. Everything I’ve seen this week supports that.

      • Compelled Speechless

        They’ll just have to figure out something new to make them even MORE scared of to shift their attention away. I’m not joking, this will be their actually strategy. Constant threat of nuclear and cyberwarfare will do nicely.

      • R C Dean

        Constant threat of nuclear and cyberwarfare will do nicely.

        If the Russians don’t launch a major cyberattack, I’m sure the NSA will be happy to do so.

      • Compelled Speechless

        I fully expect the false flag attack on ourselves any minute if Putin can’t get his shit together to do it himself. The people that run things here can only get hard for their wives and mistresses if they know that they’ve orchestrated some kind of completely irrational panic in the general populace.

      • Zwak,The Baddest Johnny on the Apple Cart

        That is the feeling I am getting too. I have inside into the workings of the Ivory tower, and the people who should damn well know better is seriously pathetic. People who mask while alone on a zoom call, drive by themselves with a mask on, etc. And yet, drive 10 miles away and no one cares. They are so afraid of kids bringing it home, that they do not care how much damage they do to the youngsters. I am sure that county will keep the mask restrictions as long as possible.

        Damn actually looking at science, full fear ahead.

    • Chipwooder

      That Max Cady clip was gold.

  12. Yusef drives a Kia

    Great Choice of Music Tonio!
    /Tall Cans Y’allins!

  13. Draw Me Like One of Your Tulpae, Jack

    My salon has gone mask-optional just in time for my appointment tomorrow!

    It is my penultimate cut with the stylist I have been going to for 15+ years. Leaving DC, as much as I want it, is going to be hard, mentally.

    • Gender Traitor

      Much sympathy. I live in terror of the day my stylist retires.

      • Tres Cool

        Same with my barber, since Ive been seeing him on & off since I was around 6 years old.
        If I think about it, Ill send you a pic of Tres V 2.0 at the same barber 10 years ago.

    • Tulip

      Woo hoo! My appt is Sunday

  14. DEG

    Or, as a friend once put it, “the sap rises in all of God’s creation in the Spring.”

    These euphemisms.

    I saw that he was scraping up the obnoxious social-distancing signs they had put on the floor near the self-check.

    These have been gone from the grocery store I go to for a long time. Unfortunately they brought back mandatory face diapering for staff. We’ll see this weekend if the staff are still wearing face diapers.

    Oh, and they never took down the Plexiglas around the registers.

    IT’S NOT GASLIGHTING WHEN WE DO IT: The Atlantic, which used to be a respected publication known for it’s even-handedness and integrity, suddenly discovers that masking mandates negatively affected one of our most vulnerable populations, shamelessly forgetting that as recently as Feb 20 they were some of the biggest cheerleaders for STFU and comply. (links may be paywalled, use private browsing mode)

    Fuck the Atlantic and anyone who pushed face diapering.

    Loudmouth interweb ranter Jesse Kelly takes on the new calls for reconciliation and national cohesion. Which one of you people is this, BTW?

    Not me. A+ rant. Would listen again.

    I like the vehicle identification guide.

    • Nephilium

      These have been gone from the grocery store I go to for a long time. Unfortunately they brought back mandatory face diapering for staff. We’ll see this weekend if the staff are still wearing face diapers.

      Here that seems to have been scrapped. You’ll still see a worker here and there wearing them, but most are bare faced now. Just realized that the spin studio I go to (which had gone back to masking for employees) has changed their policy, as the staff was maskless (though several people coming in still wore them).

      Looking at the local concert venues, I’ve noticed the statement saying proof of vax/negative test has been removed from the websites. I don’t quite trust them yet, so I’ll hold off for a while (even though there’s a couple shows coming up I’d like to see).

      • EvilSheldon

        We live in hope. I’d really like to go back to Wolf Trap.

  15. Rebel Scum

    Yas! Queen! Slay!

    Speaker Pelosi relayed a simple message to GOP Reps. Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene, who had numerous outbursts during Pres. Biden’s State of the Union address: ‘Shut up’

    • Drake

      Okay if they quietly tear up the speech?

      • Ownbestenemy

        Could you imagine? Someone or rather, all of them should have, for theatrics. Just to hear the wails of how it was detrimental to the sacred halls of Congress to do so and that they would be exploring charges of sedition.

    • R C Dean

      I expect to hear much outrage at Pelosi for silencing women.

    • Lackadaisical

      Sounds like misogyny

  16. Compelled Speechless

    That Atlantic story is the shit that I just cannot take. The wastes of oxygen that populate the limousine liberal media that thinks they get to pivot positions on a dime and never ever have to be held accountable make my blood boil. They literally and unironically called people grandma murderers and science deniers until they were blue in the face for not complying with masks and advocated censorship and criminal penalties for any dissenters and then think they can do a 180 as if nothing ever happened. As if none of the people the tried to hang from the rafters are going to remember it. You don’t get to have zero principles and treat your perceived enemy de jour as if they need to be taken out back to be shot for not bowing to your every whim and be the good guy. That is bad guy behavior. I know it shouldn’t bug be so much since legacy media is lying shriveled up, cold and alone on it’s death bed precisely because of this sociopathic behavior, but it still makes me want to scream.

  17. Rebel Scum

    So you are saying that we are all fucked.

    This is not just about Ukraine. That’s just part of it. It’s about the Petrodollar. Bitcoin and Ethereum are a distraction/prototypes/toys. I’m buying XRP , XLM & Gold.

  18. Drake

    I believe the picture of the zsu is incorrect unless more than 1 Russian vehicle has that designation.

    This is what we called the zsu-23. A nasty thing that infantry feared due the 4 23mm cannons.
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZSU-23-4_Shilka

    • dbleagle

      It could be a zsu 57-2. But I don’t know if they are still in service.

    • Not Adahn

      The only reason I, a civilian know what a BMP is, is when we stayed at army barracks they’d give us these bound a the top books which taught you how to fire a LAW and where to target various combloc vehicles.

      • Drake

        As if you would get close enough to shoot it inside Minute-of-Vehicle without being riddled by a machine gun.

    • The Other Kevin

      Good. It should be a shitshow, and it should keep getting worse, until he finally does the right thing and allows more production here.

      • Drake

        And if she keeps snapping at people, they need a leash and muzzle on her.

      • The Other Kevin

        I’ve said it 100x before, but these people do not know how to do politics. That is a terrible look for someone who’s the face of the administration.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Thats the thing…he won’t. He is committed by blackmail or some other dark magic to ‘green’ energy. This thing with Russia could go on for 2 1/2 more years and oil prices through the roof and he will not produce here at home until voted out or other means…***

        *** other means meaning 25th Amendment or natural death Mr lonely NSA watcher ***

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      This is a good thing.

      Now get rid of Blinken and put somebody competent in.

    • Dr. Fronkensteen

      “Less supply raises prices.”

      You don’t say.

      • R C Dean

        *furiously scribbles notes*

  19. db

    re: Jesse Kelly rant.

    I want to have a beer with this guy. Maybe we can have him as a guest on GlibsChat when we hit the big time.

    • Draw Me Like One of Your Tulpae, Jack

      How did your Rumble go the other night? I wanted to join, but I didn’t want to actually listen to the thing

      • db

        Pretty well. I’m hoping we can have a discussion about moving forward on tomorrow’s Zoom.

        If you feel comfortable discussing via e-mail, hit me and/or OBE up in the forum.

      • Ownbestenemy

        I realize I absolutely hate my voice. I need an autotuner or something. Oh and I curse a lot.

      • pistoffnick the refusnik

        I popped into the Rumble briefly. I left before the bile caused me to throw things at my monitor (not because of you two, but because of that doddering fool reading the speech)

      • Ownbestenemy

        Its okay, we talked over 90% of it cause we are novices and piping in the audio wasn’t done correctly.

      • Tonio

        You AV Club boys will get it right next time, I’m sure…

  20. Rebel Scum

    Such a nasty woman.

    Just your daily reminder that Nancy Pelosi is an absolutely disgusting human being.

    “Republicans want tax cuts for the rich and cancer for our veterans, that’s how we see this discussion”

    • Compelled Speechless

      I don’t see the problem. She’s just trying to unify Americans with straightforward, honest talk.

    • Certified Public Asshat

      No, no, they want to cut cancer by taxing the veterans.

      • Compelled Speechless

        Is there anything that can’t be solved by extracting a pound of flesh?

      • R C Dean

        There are certainly some cancers that can.

      • Ownbestenemy

        If its a pound of Ukranians, Joe has this all figured out.

      • Compelled Speechless

        I’m looking for about 120 -130lbs of Ukrainian. Preferably with a sizable amount of that in the bra.

  21. Draw Me Like One of Your Tulpae, Jack

    You want to know why government web sites suck? Beside the onerous regulations related to design & content?

    You spend a year – a year – getting feedback from stakeholders, hammering out a design & several 100 iterations, and then actually developing the thing. Then literally the day before you’re supposed to import content from the old site, the Head Honcho decides she wants a host of other shit that will require additional design & development.

    Good news is I may not have to spend my 50th birthday vacation working.

    • Tonio

      I feel your pain.

      Party at KK’s place! Or come down here…

      • Ownbestenemy

        Didn’t realize Tonio was so forward

      • Tonio

        KK and I are buds IRL, OBE. We have girls’ range time together. Pew, pew, pew…

      • Draw Me Like One of Your Tulpae, Jack

        I’m going to be on a ship in the Caribbean…but probably working. I told my bosses I would give them 3 hours a day.

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      Happy imminent birthday! ?

    • Draw Me Like One of Your Tulpae, Jack

      Just got off a call with my boss and she is FUMING. Apparently our Power That Be doesn’t want to follow our official branding guide, either.

      • Gender Traitor

        Doesn’t include the Ukrainian flag?

  22. Rebel Scum

    The walls are closing in.

    The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol said on Wednesday that there was enough evidence to conclude that former President Donald J. Trump and some of his allies might have conspired to commit fraud and obstruction by misleading Americans about the outcome of the 2020 election and attempting to overturn the result.

    In a court filing in a civil case in California, the committee’s lawyers for the first time laid out their theory of a potential criminal case against the former president. They said they had accumulated evidence demonstrating that Mr. Trump, the conservative lawyer John Eastman and other allies could potentially be charged with criminal violations including obstructing an official proceeding of Congress and conspiracy to defraud the American people.

    The filing also said the men might have broken a common law statute against fraud through Mr. Trump’s repeated lies that the election had been stolen.

    If any of that is legit you will have to lock up every single Dem in Congress for prior transgressions.

    • rhywun

      a common law statute against fraud through Mr. Trump’s repeated lies that the election had been stolen

      I’m sure they’ll welcome the opportunity to prove that the election wasn’t stolen.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Wait…why are they filing a civil case in Cali for this?

    • trshmnstr the terrible

      Do it! Do it! Make it hinge on the factual question of whether the election was stolen! I dare you!

      • Chipwooder

        *laughs in Wisconsinese*

    • Compelled Speechless

      Of course it’s not legit. If you haven’t seen the movie “The Death of Stalin” I can’t recommend it highly enough. The last scene of the movie is the most perfect microcosm of politics I’ve ever seen. I’ll try not to spoil too much, but I need to make my point. The two people who have most established themselves as the apparent heirs to the Soviet criminal organization spend the movie orchestrating coups against one another and waiting to get just enough allies to strike against each other. One of them finally makes their move, has the other arrested and in a perfect visual allegory, hold an impromptu kangaroo trial for him in a barn. They go on to list his crimes – crimes that literally everyone that is trying him is guilty of themselves – and summarily deal with him permanently right then and there. He may have been the worst of them, but only by a slight margin. The main point is that in politics, none of this ever truly has a higher goal, no matter how much they drape themselves in talk of justice, fairness, equality, or whatever buzz words they like to use, politics is no different than the animal kingdom. It’s an amoral climb to the top of the food chain – kill or be killed.

    • JaimeRoberto (shama/lama/ding dong)

      That’s a lot of weasel words. “might…could potentially…theory of potential…might…”

      • Compelled Speechless

        That’s still more responsible than their wording of things during Russiagate. Remember “breaking stories” with witnesses who’ve “seen the evidence” – usually John Brennan or similar.

        Serious question to anyone who took that seriously. If you were a Russian watching RT and one of the people disseminating information had “Former KGB” under their name, would you take that person seriously or would you suspect they’re planting info and building a narrative? Then why would you trust someone who says “Former CIA” even if you liked what they were saying? Here’s a hint, there’s no such thing as “former” deep stater. You get out at your funeral.

    • R C Dean

      a common law statute

      There’s no such thing. Common law is law from court decisions. Statutes are law from legislatures.

      In a court filing in a civil case in California, the committee’s lawyers

      What the fuck are a Congressional committee’s lawyers doing making court filings in a state civil case?

  23. Animal

    Glibs here in the 804 are enjoying Spring-like weather this week.

    Glibs here in the 907 are likely getting snowed on this weekend. Them’s the breaks.

    As for sap rising, that’s strictly between me and Mrs. Animal. (I”m trying to get her to show up in the Zoom again sometime soon.)

    • Tundra

      Glibs here in the 303 are sweating in shorts and t-shirts.

      Fuck yeah.

  24. Rebel Scum

    Glibs here in the 804 are enjoying Spring-like weather this week.

    Is it autumn yet? Spring is ok (except for wrecking my sinuses) but I hate the summer (except for thunderstorms). It’s hot. There’s bugs. I have to cut the grass every week. I don’t see the appeal.

    • pistoffnick the refusnik

      SUNDRESSES.

      • Ownbestenemy

        And a light breeze

      • MikeS

        aaayup!

    • rhywun

      Me neither. Being cooped up inside where the air conditioning is blows.

  25. Stinky Wizzleteats

    Fake news, if it has tracks the press considers it a tank. Probably wheeled vehicles with turrets too…or armor..the Volvo’s a bit much though.

  26. robc

    Since my cell is a 502, does that mean I am still in the 502, even though I live in Colorado now?

    One my night in a rental, close tomorrow on our house.

    • Animal

      My cell is still a 303, but my Colorado residence is long since done past.

      • robc

        I am in 970, so north of 303. I was confused at first when you said 907, as I was like “but he left Colorado”.

    • Compelled Speechless

      If your phone isn’t 303 (ideal), 720 (tolerable), 719 (silly evangelicals) or 970 (mountain folk) you ain’t a real Coloradoan.

      • B.P.

        And today is 303 Day. 75 degrees and sunny.

      • DEG

        And today is 303 Day

        /checks calendar

        Oh yeah. It is.

        Apropos I suppose.

      • Zwak,The Baddest Johnny on the Apple Cart

        303. 303. Say it backwards, 303

        That was my Boy Scout chant. We were troop 303.

      • R.J.

        Instead of a cross of ash, can it be something more positive, like a smiley face?

  27. The Late P Brooks

    I went to Idaho Falls to look at a place this afternoon. It showed up on Zillow this morning. I’ll tell you what- some people have an exceptional talent for making a house/garage on a lot the size of a postage stamp look a whole lot bigger than they really are. It was an interesting place, in a pretty good spot not far from the river and the old downtown, but not for me. There’s no room for all my stuff. Not even close.

    But I got a good lunch out of it, in a breakfast-all-day place with awesome sourdough pancakes.

    Still looking.

    • Compelled Speechless

      That’s way far away from the Twin area. I’ve spent zero time in eastern Idaho. Are you basically open to anywhere in Idaho other than the Treasure Valley? What about around Moscow (not the one with Putin’s Palace)? I liked that area when I’ve been there and I think it’s still fairly reasonable.

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      wide-angle lens?

    • Zwak,The Baddest Johnny on the Apple Cart

      There is a good brewery there, down on the river. Called the Snow Eagle.

  28. grrizzly

    L.A. County will lift indoor mask rule Friday after hitting crucial milestone

    Los Angeles County has officially exited the high coronavirus community level, as calculated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, meaning it will lift its indoor mask order Friday.

    L.A. County was determined to be in a low coronavirus community level, according to CDC data published Thursday afternoon.

    Local health officials had been waiting for the CDC’s update before acting. Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer confirmed Thursday that the county will issue a new health order — effective Friday — that will lift the indoor mask order in places such as bars, stores, offices, restaurants, gyms and movie theaters.

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      I’m sure Adam Carolla will have an apt rant. And Dr. Drew will make sympathetic noises.

  29. The Late P Brooks

    Apparently the White House is singling out individual “oligarchs” for sanctions and financial sanctions stealing their money. Is that legal?

    I crack myself up.

    • Compelled Speechless

      It has the same legal frame work as metadata collection, the executive branch declaring war and civil forfeiture. If memory serves it all falls under a section in the commerce clause designated FYTW.

  30. The Late P Brooks

    If your phone isn’t 303 (ideal), 720 (tolerable), 719 (silly evangelicals) or 970 (mountain folk) you ain’t a real Coloradoan.

    *thinks back to the days of “NATIVE” Colorado license plate bumper stickers*

    • Raven Nation

      I saw one last year: it was the green and white of the standard CO license plate with the caption: “I ain’t from here, but I got here as soon as I could.”

    • JaimeRoberto (shama/lama/ding dong)

      We used to have those bumper stickers in CA too. They’d probably be considered a hate crime now.

      • Zwak,The Baddest Johnny on the Apple Cart

        Yeah, I remember those. All of my family, except me, was born in Cali, I felt so left out. In the end, I was the last too leave.

  31. The Late P Brooks

    That’s way far away from the Twin area. I’ve spent zero time in eastern Idaho. Are you basically open to anywhere in Idaho other than the Treasure Valley? What about around Moscow (not the one with Putin’s Palace)? I liked that area when I’ve been there and I think it’s still fairly reasonable.

    My original/preferred landing zone is Pocatello, but I have widened my search area recently. I spent a year in Moscow at U of I. I liked it, but the winter sucked; rainy and dreary.

    • Compelled Speechless

      I live in the Treasure Valley and I still like it here a lot, but I got in six years ago before the prices went California insane. I cannot emphasize enough how batshit this market is. I work for a builder and our sales guy just told me that they just sold a 1/4 acre lot in a mid-priced neighborhood that backs right up to a major street and a Costco for $800k before the house is even figured in. To be fair you can see some mountains about 40 miles behind the Costco.

      I’ve thought about cashing out, taking my equity and buying something super nice with cash somewhere else before the bubble bursts, but my wife is less enthused.

      • Gustave Lytton

        I haven’t been back in almost ten years. I can’t imagine what it looks like these days.

      • Compelled Speechless

        It looks like a goddamn Californian refugee camp. Everyone of them promising that they’re not “those Californians”. But they are. They always are…..????.

      • trshmnstr the terrible

        Wife and I were talking about this today. We have a friend who gets all butt hurt when people complain about the Californication of Texas. The friend is a legitimate outlier, but she doesn’t realize that for every one of her, there are ten thousand California moderates moving here.

        She misses the fact that this isn’t a team red v. team blue issue. It’s a cultural issue. Even the team red Californian refugees aren’t Texas conservatives, they’re the “I’m not insane on economics, but I buy the woke shit” moderates. It only goes leftward from there.

        I got notice about a runoff in my precinct/whatever because the conservative incumbent in the city council couldn’t beat “the independent thinker”. Interesting how this seems to happen in the epicenters of Californication over and over.

        I’m with you, it doesn’t matter what they say, they’re (a large part of) the problem.

  32. The Late P Brooks

    There is a lot more snow on the ground right now in Idaho Falls than there is in Pocatello. Things we learn.

    • The Bearded Hobbit

      We often stayed in Idaho on our way back and forth to Montana, sometimes Pocotello but lately it’s been Idaho Falls. Jakers was across the street from our hotel and Sandpiper just down the road. My travel tales generally involve food.

      Jakers

      Sandpiper

  33. Brochettaward

    Bow….be be booooww booooooooowwwwwww…

    I am Firstman.

  34. KSuellington

    TOK wrote:

    “ The Dems are panicking, because they know they’re going to lose big. They’re trying to roll things back, but they did such a good job scaring their true believers that they can’t un-scare them. Everything I’ve seen this week supports that.”

    Abso-frigging-lutely. Here in Caliunicornia they ended the mask mandate a couple weeks back. When we were up in Tahoe we saw very few people wearing them and almost no one outside with one on. Here in SF a solid majority are still wearing them to walk into restaurants and stores. The true believers are not about to give up their security blankets just yet.

    My wife just got told yesterday her religious exemption got approved for her not to take a booster at the hospital she works at. That’s some good news as it was causing a fair amount of stress at the Suell household.

    • Ghostpatzer

      My wife just got told yesterday her religious exemption got approved for her not to take a booster at the hospital she works at

      Good news, although somewhat surprising. Over in NYC they don’t want to give up the vax mandates just yet and it’s nearly impossible to get a religious exemption.

      • KSuellington

        Thanks GP. We were both pretty surprised especially as she said her religion was pagan as we aren’t religious. Here in SF they still haven’t given up the vaxx mandate to eat in a restaurant. I’m hoping that is soon to go as even though I got two shots back last May I refuse to go to any place that asks for it.

    • JaimeRoberto (shama/lama/ding dong)

      We were in Tahoe a couple times during the pandemic, and very few people wore masks. Even fewer on the Nevada side. Even fewer still in Mammoth, which seems to attract an Orange County crowd.

      • KSuellington

        Yup, the Bay Area and LA have the vote numbers but they certainly don’t represent most of California

    • Gustave Lytton

      Gov Shitstain just eliminated her stateworker mandate here.

      • rhywun

        I’m wondering if they expect to ramp the theater back up next winter and most of America will go along (again).

      • Tundra

        Nope. The numbers are dismal. Even the freaks are done with it.

        I am kind of curious what the next crisis will be.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        If it doesn’t involve nuclear weapons, it can’t be much worse.

      • Tundra

        Sure it can.

        CBDC, for instance.

      • rhywun

        I saw Generation X there back in the day.

      • Tundra

        Lucky!

        Maximum rockabilly.

        I saw Billy post-GenX. Great show but I would have loved to see him then.

  35. limey

    Nancy Rommelpersonn is going to Ukraine to bring/distribute medical supplies (?) and report on the happenings for Reason.

  36. The Late P Brooks

    To be fair you can see some mountains about 40 miles behind the Costco.

    I love the ads that say “mountain views”. The mountains are 75 miles away, but there is nothing but farmland as flat as a pool table in between. Nothing to block the view.

  37. Draw Me Like One of Your Tulpae, Jack

    Only 5 more sleeps til the sun hits Longyearbyen again (no rolling in the snow in a sports bra in this one)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2-N7uyNuiI

    • dbleagle

      The sound of the first step on the snow confirms it is a tad chilly. That “squeaky” sound says it all.

      If the lightning holds off the Thursday night race starts in a couple of hours. Sailing for winning free booze, that’s the ticket.

    • Count Potato

      Missed it by this much.

      • Raven Nation

        Meh, you both missed by a post.

      • Ownbestenemy

        This could turn feral

      • Mojeaux

        A real catastrophe.

      • commodious spittoon

        No need to get your hackles up.