My dog LOVES people, especially women. No idea where he got that from. In any case, he’s now racked up two injuries from jumping on people, a habit that is proving quite difficult to break him of. Last weekend, he put Tomb Raider in the hospital with a concussion by knocking her over into a brick sidewalk, and following a night in the ER, she’s sporting quite a shiner plus several stiches. We took a walk through a Target store, and when people asked her what happened, she’d look at me nervously and say, “Ummmm… I fell down.” Thursday, he decided that he loooooves our department administrator and whacked her in the nose with a leap to kiss her. This is the Glibs equivalent of Commander.
Birthdays today include the Emperor of Oats; a guy everyone liked; the guy who inspired Archie and Mehitabel; a man of many qualities; a puzzling political theorist; a cool cat; a guy who rocked a beard and a uniform; the poor man’s Sean Connery; a man of many grifts; an old-fashioned liberal (((Democrat))); Mel Torme’s biggest fan; and Saint Wifebeater. Sorry, no obscure chemists.
On to Links.
But the real problem is Islamophobia, amiright?
If they had installed Massie, I might be convinced that there’s a difference between Team Red and Team Blue. There isn’t.
Every academic meeting starts with a useless and performative “land acknowledgement.” What could possibly be more useless and performative? Look to the Antipodes.
Politicians are not bound by the Second Law of Thermodynamics when it comes to grift.
Old Guy Music is one of the first bands to incorporate classical music into their rock oeuvre. I only got to see them once before their breakup, alas, but the reincarnation with Greg Lake and Carl Palmer wasn’t too terrible.
10% of $7Bn to the Big Guy aint too shabby.
whaddup doh’
Ha! Finally one I knew before hovering! 😉 Morning, OMWC… hope you don’t get a little visit from the po-po on domestic battery after the Target conversation.
I guessed Michael Richards on that one…
Both are acceptable.
Good morning, Old Man!
Have you considered a dog that doesn’t weigh more than the average full-grown adult human?
It’s not the mass, it’s the momentum. What doesn’t help is that Tomb Raider is a tiny woman.
I have yet to see a dog that isn’t cured of that habit when it finds itself running into a raised knee. Maybe it takes a couple of times.
Meet Kaiser. That was entirely ineffective. Ditto a shock collar, which he completely ignored.
Then that is one dumb dog, with all due respect.
My dog loves the raised knee to the chest for some reason. What finally broke him of the jumping habit was something someone here suggested, which is grabbing his front paws when he jumps and then holding them up or even scooting him gently backwards. He hates it, and starts to whine and no longer jumps.
Boy, it is a good thing I haven’t been in the academic world for almost 25 years now. I’d be channeling John Sheridan no doubt… (“I’m sorry the people who killed all the people who were here before died of plagues just before we arrived. I’m sorry we interrupted them scalping their neighbors. And I’m sorry we introduced large scale agriculture, industry and capitalism and have helped make the world a better place for 200 years.”)
Yeah. I couldn’t do that bullshit either.
Such “land acknowledgements” really should name the the tribe not that Whitey ran off, but the tribe run off before that.
Or as I like to say to Canadians, First Nations are the peoples who ethnically cleansed Zeroth Nations to points mostly farther south.
“I acknowledge that mammals ate the eggs of the dinosaurs, who are the rightful owners of this land…”
That’s perfect
But what an omelette!
“I acknowledge that my compatriots are birdbrains, and that there’s nobody here but us chickens…”
Ok, now that I read the article — failed voter referendum? I’m sure they’ll use the EU and California model… they’ll just keep putting it back there until they get the result they want. (Or act like they did anyway).
The kumbaya is thicker down there – “land acknowledgements” aren’t just for academia, they’re everywhere there. I bet it only takes two or three tries to pass after the voters are explained to vote “correctly” next time.
Didn’t they get themselves to vote for their own disarmament?
Aussies have guns.
I’m sure they’ll use the EU and California model… they’ll just keep putting it back there until they get the result they want. (Or act like they did anyway).
Our local school budget approval process would like a word.
Of you accept this proposed budget, your taxes go up 5% of you reject it, we only raise it 10%. /Common core math
… And common core typing.
I don’t know the full details but I’m assuming it will lead to some sort of graft and therefore be useful to someone.
Apparently not
https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/seekers/iamaustralian.html
Birthdays today include the Emperor of Oats;
Happy birthday Daryl Hall!
Happy Birthday, Fidel Castro!
Did you ever see them together?
Hmmm.
a guy who rocked a beard and a uniform
Narrows list down to many Confederate generals.
Relevant
Oooh! I’ve got an In w Bday gal, the puzzling the puzzling theorist Hannah Arendt, whom I’ve never heard of.
Damn. Cutie. (Her wiki pic. She’s 33 in it smoking semi off-camera) And she studied at the University of Freiburg. I did too! Lived there, in Vauban, which does contain a hyper-lefty half shanty-town, half off-the-grid community.
Freiburg is my favorite city in the world. I’d love to live there again. It’s like a real Disneyland, but a real, ~200k metro total city w a dope cathedral that amazingly was about the only building not flattened by bombing. Just a stunningly gorgeous Bavaria w a legit historical feel amidst a Evansville-sized (population-wise modern city.
I’d wine and dine her w glee.
I’ve always found her banal.
That’s why I’m eager to inject some of me in her. I am quite the rarity.
I should feed on that more. I’m sure she’ll cherish the outlier-spark of my soothing extract.
Hopefully, we’d gel. I’ve also fallen in love w an opposite of me. She was a saint. I, a foolish boy. She was my saint during The Incident.
I(If we didn’t gel, Id love to inseminate her w some ideas of personal autonomy and Cubs lore.)
I don’t recall Disneyland having streams running down the streets that are perfect for stumbling into after a couple liters of bier.
Freiburg historical lore is if you stumble into one of the street gutters where water soothingly flows through the medieval part of town (it’s fucking lovely), you will marry a local.
Anyone else been? Some folk have lived or visited nearby. It’s a beautiful part of the world. Really is special.
Your comment about Massie reminds me of how Churchill became Prime Minister in 1940.
What are your thoughts on Jordon? I figured he must be OK because so many of the right people hate him.
He’ll rassle with the big problems.
No, Fetterman is in the Senate.
I don’t know nor care enough about stats, but he’s the Greatest. Just a living part of language, like Babe Ruth.
Jordon is trouble.
Not sure about him. I’ll be impressed if he makes sure all (hell, even just most) of the Jan 6 video is released. But I suspect he’s a garden variety conservative – otherwise he wouldn’t have relatively broad support across the Republican caucus.
Liz Cheney despises him. He gets points for that.
https://sanduskyregister.com/news/331977/you-did-this/
I played https://squaredle.com 10/14:
49/49 words (+15 bonus words)
📖 In the top 27% by bonus words
I played https://squaredle.com 10/14:
49/49 words (+12 bonus words)
📖 In the top 43% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 20
I played https://squaredle.com/xp 10/14:
*18/18 words (+2 bonus words)
🎯 Perfect accuracy
I played https://squaredle.com 10/14:
*49/49 words (+9 bonus words)
🎯 In the top 22% by accuracy
🔥 Solve streak: 20
I played https://squaredle.com 10/14:
49/49 words (+22 bonus words)
📖 In the top 6% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 3
Not trying to start anything, but this is why I dislike dogs…
Anyway, glad your lady is using it against you. 😂
I think the proper answer when asked about a black eye is “I talk too much.”
Much like children, I like other people’s dogs.
Most dogs like me but one neighbor’s dog absolutely goes crazy, tried to bite my pants leg the other day. Has hated me for a few years. The owner has to leash him when I show up, dog weighs about 20 lbs.
At least the neighbor kids don’t try to bite me.
This is me. The kids eventually wore the wife and me down and we got one. Now the kids are both moved out and were going to leave the dog with us, but I brought him down to their place when the youngest was gone because the oldest is a fraidy cat, and the dog hasn’t been back since. So I like him again.
Saw this vehicle being towed on my drive home yesterday.
https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared/Lzz1OnRbRKeaa8Upi8FacQ.oCuCoxPBq64VGsk8Os8c1z
Now I’m curious about what the interior looks like.
Red accents.
Standard urban trim
Don’t they know they make stickers that give a similar effect?
@Fourscore, Marina and Trey’s one big problem is sex.
Also, JI helpfully, rightly, characterized Marina as a utilitarian. She’s not really thinking about the big picture. She had a problem (ledgers and cash in the house) and she wanted to solve it. To her, it’s not a matter of law or morality. She doesn’t really think in those terms.
Thanks Moj. Growing up is hard to do. She does seem to enjoy the luxuries that the cash bring in though. The utilitarian in her.
Now I’ve got a damn Neil Sedaka earworm.
OK, which one of you is this?
https://nypost.com/2023/10/13/im-drinking-10-beers-a-day-for-200-days-i-think-its-impressive/
If I had been able to monetize my alcoholism, I’d still be drinking. Or dead. 10 pints a day? Piker.
He needs to start earlier in the morning.
“Once I’m finished, I will go to the doctor and have a scan,” May said.
Good luck with that, Britain’s Health Service laughs.
Skinny fuck.
OFFS!
‘alcohol czar’
He’s the emperor of vodka?
“Xe have so much disdain for you Deplorables, xe can’t even be arsed to shovel semi-believeable bullshit your way.”
Right?
Been there, done that.. It was called grad school.
I drank 24 in a day on spring break one year. After going to bed, I woke up in my car at a 4 way stop. I then tried to find my parents house from where I thought the 4 way stop was. Turns out I was still in Florida and not Minnesota.
I’m in Utah and will be observing the eclipse today. Mrs N and I planned a tour of the Utah National Parks before we knew there would be an eclipse. Turned out our planned trip landed us in a perfect location (Tropic, UT, outside of Bryce Canyon National Park). Learned from our BnB host that the Navajo avoid being outside during an eclipse. They have Navajo staff who clean the rooms, so they’re asking us to get out a little early so they can be sure to cover all the windows.
We were debating whether to drive an hour or so toward San Antonio to view the full annular eclipse, then said nah, 95% from our patio was good enough.
Next year the total eclipse is coming through Ohio in April, but it’ll be north of where we live, so we have to decide if we’re making a road trip.
If so you’d better book lodging in advance!
Good morning, Old Man!
Sorry to hear about the dog and the girlfriend. Probably time for some help before you get your ass sued.
If they had installed Massie, I might be convinced that there’s a difference between Team Red and Team Blue. There isn’t.
We’ll know pretty quick if they dismantle the procedures that got fuckface tossed.
Besides, the whole thing is so rotten, I’m not sure who wields the gavel means fuck all. Check this out: https://twitter.com/unusual_whales/status/1712872753739845778
Or this: https://twitter.com/unusual_whales/status/1712931053424271757
It’s a great account if you enjoy learning about financial fuckery.
Cold here. Finally seeing some freezing temps but still a beautiful day.
We’re going hiking down by Conifer. Y’all doing anything fun?
Trimming shrubs if last night’s rain didn’t leave conditions too wet to use the electric hedge trimmer.
Oh, c’mon!
These euphemisms
Hey TPTB, I threw an article together, finally. Schedule as you see fit, it’s pretty much fluff.
Appreciated!
Machines desire freedom
Yikes!
The future of rodeo? Bucking broncos are so passe.
If they installed Massie, it would be solid proof that team R is composed of complete idiots, and in need of being taken back behind the woodshed and given a sound thrashing.
Seriously, both he and Goetz, or whatever his name is, are serious retards, who do not understand what political capital is, and how the R’s barely have enough to turn the lights on as they enter the building. And the idiot play they made could cost them the house, which would set back any chance of reducing gov’t spending. Thank fuck Biden is such an actual retard that it is like watching pee-wees use the t-ball stand and still get two strikes.
If the Massie’s of the party get there way, the gov’t shuts down. Awesome, right? Wrong. It gives the D’s ammo to show that everyone who is reliant on gov’t AND VOTES that the R’s hate them. Doesn’t make it true, but that is how politics works. And shutting down the gov’t is always R’s in the house when the D’s have the executive, Which gives the D’s the stronger hand. Of course they make it hurt, that is the point! Politics is hardball, and Bill Clinton summed it up best “politics is the art of the possible”. If you can’t slow spending by in ways that don’t hurt voters, you are gonna take it in the ass.
Eventually, you run out of other people’s money. The idea that we have to keep doing the same stupid shit because Our Team is better than Their Team is nihilistic.
Oh, I know they will run out of money, but until then, people will still vote. This ship definitely needs turning around, but you need to do it slowly, lest it capsize while you are at the helm.
set back any chance of reducing gov’t spending
Wait a minute – where did you get the idea that was even an option? Spending will only be reduced when the whole shitshow collapses.
If that is true, them Massie is even dumber.
At the supermarket today.
The 3 lb. Butterball turkey breast thinthings that were $13.99 last Thanksgiving are now $16.99.
Fuck anyone who claims inflation is down.
Definitely. Dog treats that were $12.99 not long ago jumped to $16.99 and yesterday were $18.99.
In the cupboard today I noticed Walmart prunes dropped 2 ounces than those from a couple months ago. Didn’t check the price but probably the same.
They took more water out.
Extra-special Darwin award.
A carjacker died after he accidentally blasted himself in the chest while trying to smash a window with the butt of his shotgun, an inquest has heard.
Daily ray of sunshine?
Also, fake news. There are no guns in UK.
https://spotify.link/MKq5KgFnTDb
Terrific podcast about the Bronze Age collapse
Was moving little spruces in pots on the patio just now, found a baby snake curled around a pot.
Decided the rearranging could wait. Went inside:
Me: “Might wanna stay off the porch awhile.”
Mrs Prole: “Why?”
Opened door. Pointed.
Mrs. Prole: “Aaaahhh!” Slams door shut. Locks it.
Me: “Locking ain’t necessary.”
Mrs. Prole: “I’m never gonna step foot in the yard again.”
Me: “Again? Like you’ve done it once before? Please.”
Enjoy the couch tonight.
I got a two night penalty for holding up a foot long Garter and showing it to Mrs. Creech on the other side of a glass door.
Awwww! What kind of snake?
I like the local snakes, non poisoness and eat little critters like mice and gophers. Snakes are my friends.
Dunno. Foot long, about the color of mulch, complicated pattern. Swept it off the patio, instead of killing it as Mrs Prole wanted.
The prime minister had approached the campaign as a personal mission, and this week he returned to Uluru, the huge rock formation in the country’s center, where Indigenous leaders agreed in 2017 to reach out for constitutional recognition.
Sitting in the dirt holding hands with Indigenous women, his eyes welled with tears as they sang a traditional song.
That’s positively Trudeau-esque. Should’ve rubbed on a little blackface to get the full Abo / Twink o’ the North effect.
Annular eclipse starts in about 10 minutes (for me).
Here’s a decent map:
https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/usa/everett
And you can type in your town to find peak time and beginning and end times.
I’m in Seattle so… clouds. 🤷♀️
The moon is about to start covering the Sun in a few minutes here in Utah. We have clear skies.
I think peak time here in DFW is 11:50?
Here is a handy eclipse finder that works by city:
https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/usa/dallas
Drugs/ass in the very same thread!!
The coverage has started. The moon is coming from the top; I expected to come from the side.
Awesome! Thanks!
I haven’t really paid any attention to the eclipse. If current conditions prevail it won’t matter.
Indigenous leader Noel Pearson, one of the architects of the calls for constitutional change, said in a speech to the National Press Club in September that the largest motivation for voting Yes was the “love of country.”
Not grifting and special privileges? Huh. Interesting.
Did they trade it for oil?
The White House on Friday announced North Korea has delivered military equipment to Russia amid the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Due in part to our sanctions and export controls, Russia has been forced to desperately search around the world for military equipment,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. “We now have information that North Korea has delivered arms to Russia for use in Ukraine. Our information indicates that in recent weeks, North Korea has provided Russia with more than 1000 containers of military equipment and munitions.”
The White House released imagery Friday showing the movement of these containers from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) into Russia by ship.
“We condemn the DPRK for providing Russia with this military equipment,” Kirby said, adding that the White House will monitor the situation and continue to expose such arms deals.
The update follows weeks of concerns over North Korean attempts to negotiate an arms deal with Russia. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month.
I guess we’ll have to put North Korea on the “naughty” list.
Yeah, and we’ll give ‘em a bunch of coal in their stocking! That’ll teach ‘em!!
Kirby said U.S. officials are now monitoring closely whether Moscow will provide Pyongyang with materials.
“This expanding military partnership between the DPRK and Russia, including any technology transfers from Russia to the DPRK, undermines regional stability and the global non-proliferation regime,” he said.
If there is any undermining of regional stability to be done around here, that’s our job.
Cracking down on crime
Bay Area drivers will soon be getting speeding tickets in the mail from automated cameras.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation Friday approving the installation of speed cameras in several California cities including San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose next year.
The cameras will automatically record license plates and issue tickets and will be put up in school zones and areas with speeding problems.
Bay Area drivers will soon be getting speeding tickets in the mail from automated cameras.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation Friday approving the installation of speed cameras in several California cities including San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose next year.
The cameras will automatically record license plates and issue tickets and will be put up in school zones and areas with speeding problems.
This comes as pedestrian deaths have spiked in California.
Spiked. Spiked, I tell you.
Don’t ask us to quantify it. There’s too many to count.
Given the history of Israel / Palestine, there is no way most people will evacuate. Evacuations – some encouraged by Arab leaders sure of victory – are how everyone arrived at their current positions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1948_Palestinian_expulsion_and_flight
My guess is that Israel’s plan for what to do on the ground goes something like:
– tell all the civilians to get out of the north end and give them a few days to do it
– go into the north end and hold the edges of the rest, all the while doing targeted hits in the south
– clear the north very aggressively
– set up a hard line between the north and the south, with 1-2 controlled crossings, and tell civilians to come back into the north
– individually vet the returning folks very hard at the chekpoint – women and children can come in, but no military-age men
– clear the south
– tell all the civilians to spread back out
Clouds. Many many clouds.
Fuck Congress. What’s Taylor Swift up to today?
Here in town, pretending to be banging Travis Kelce all weekend.
About halfway to “ring of fire” eclipse coverage. Looks like a Cheshire cat smile.
NZ election news
Centre-right opposition National is on track to win the New Zealand election, ending six years of Labour government.
Early results in the New Zealand contest are hugely positive for Chris Luxon’s party with the former Air New Zealand CEO set to become Prime Minister.
Polls in the lead-up to election day suggested National would win the contest but would need support from two minor parties – ACT and New Zealand First – to govern.
However, election results suggest National might only need its preferred partner, right-wing libertarians ACT, to hit a majority of MPs in parliament.
This week’s Powerline fun
Randy Johnson Photography.
It’s a killer.
For those who can’t see the eclipse, here’s the least annoying livestream I’ve found. Has some cheesy music in the background but no talking heads taking up the screen like on NASA.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HY3RVPTGrmU
Never let an opportunity go to waste
When former President Donald Trump spoke at a campaign rally in New Hampshire on Wednesday, he ostensibly was laying out a vision for American foreign policy in the wake of Hamas’s brutal attack on Israeli citizens last weekend. Instead, Trump kicked an ally while they’re hurting, heaped praise on our mutual enemy Hezbollah and tied the attack to his own delusions of the “stolen” 2020 election. In case anyone had forgotten, Trump’s incoherent remarks reminded us all that he is a fickle friend, a terrible ally and a walking national security risk.
Since news of Hamas’ attack broke, President Joe Biden has been the model of a responsible leader. He immediately condemned Hamas’s assault and pledged support for Israel’s defense, while reminding the Israeli government of its obligations under the rules of war. He sent Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Israel and Jordan and promptly engaged with heads of state around the world to make sure we are containing the crisis and providing support as needed. President Biden also reaffirmed his commitment to a negotiated two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians.
——-
The consequences of Trump’s remarks can be far reaching in this fraught moment. As the United States rallies leaders to defend Israel, Trump is a warning to those same leaders that in just one year, the United States may turn on a dime and abandon its allies. Trump’s mercurial nature and his focus on personal grievance will leave leaders hedging their bets before going all in on any deals or agreements with the United States.
Few Americans recognize the ugly version of this country that Trump presents to the world. Trump’s America is callous in the face of shared hardship and willing to praise our enemies while hanging our allies out to dry. Trump would use the mantle of leader of the free world to demoralize communities under attack and settle his own feuds. As this crisis continues, and even if it ends long before next November, Trump’s recent remarks must be a reminder to all of us that our national security will also be on the ballot.
What did Trump actually say? Don’t know, don’t care.
But heaven forbid anybody might pass up an opportunity to accuse him of being an existential threat to world order. If Trump gets back in the White House, the world will be consumed by strife.
You gotta be kidding me. Trump did more for Israel than Obama and Biden combined.
How about the Abraham Accords did more for Israel than anything Obama or Biden did, *and* Trump is being a gratuitous dick to the current (well, the pre-emergency government) Israeli government.
My wife commented that it seems to be getting cooler as the sun gets more covered. I think she’s right.
The moon is causing climate change. We need to get rid of it!
I think the cooling effect here is being counterbalanced by the normal daily warming.