Sunday Morning Trying Again Links

by | Oct 20, 2024 | Daily Links | 126 comments

Yes, another one.

This time, I’m being smarter about it- we’re meeting up at a brewery, so if/when we hate each other, at least I can have some beer.

Birthdays today include a guy who might have been your uncle; a guy who made major contributions toward destroying American education; a guy who could be in three places at once; a fantastic comic actress whose skills as the straight man were unparalleled; Martin Landau’s best role; a guy whose fame rested on always being neutral; a famous humorist who, to be fair, wasn’t very funny; a woman who was mostly famous for constantly being boring on night-time talk shows; a guy who managed to live off his pee-pee money; creator of one of the most unintentionally entertaining museums; a baseball player known for the spitter; and yes, this is too broad, but a serious candidate for dumbest senator; a without-contest winner of the dumbest former senator award; and a guy who has ridden a single joke into eternal fame and fortune.

And with that out of the way…

“No, seriously, I really DO hate Jews.”

Gaffe (n) – The unintentional telling of the truth.

Look, it’s as relevant as anything else they’re talking about.

At least he’s using his own money and not taxpayers’.

Catching up to the US.

/raises hand “Ummm, I think I know why…”

Wishbone Ash seems to have been forgotten over the years which the Old Guy thinks is a pity. Dueling guitars, dueling vocals, great harmonies. This is a song my band covered. Not well, mind you, but we gave it a shot.

About The Author

Old Man With Candy

Old Man With Candy

Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me. Wait, wrong book, I'll find something else.

126 Comments

  1. SDF-7

    This time, I’m being smarter about it- we’re meeting up at a brewery, so if/when we hate each other, at least I can have some beer.

    Good luck sir — here’s hoping you find a cure for what ales ya and not a strange brew.

    I certainly couldn’t do it, that’s for sure.

    • The Other Kevin

      He can just hops right out of there if it comes to a head.

    • Tonio

      Don’t be such a worry-wort, OM.

      • Gender Traitor

        “Lager? I just met ‘er!”

    • juris imprudent

      Hoping it gose better this time.

      Yes, another one.

      Though really, isn’t this the textbook definition of insanity?

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        I don’t know, it seems a repeat of what I did in my 20’s and 30’s.

        Which worked, eventually. (19th anniversary dinner last night.)

      • Pat

        isn’t this the textbook definition of insanity?

        I think this gets a pass because he’s not actually expecting a different result.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Triumph of hope over experience?

    • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

      If it gose sour, I think is what he is saying.

      But, he can crack a good bock and at least get some studying done.

  2. Pat

    a famous humorist who, to be fair, wasn’t very funny

    Happy birthday Garrison Keillor?

    • Pat

      a woman who was mostly famous for constantly being boring on night-time talk shows

      Happy birthday Chelsea Handler?

    • Old Man With Candy

      He was a humorist? Who knew?

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        Al Franken.

      • Fourscore

        Those guys are really funny in Minnesoda. Maybe he water?

  3. rhywun

    a guy who has ridden a single joke into eternal fame and fortune

    Ugh there is not a single day that asshole isn’t on my television hawking something or other. I don’t get the “appeal”. Go away already.

    • Ted S.

      Happy birthday Jimmie Walker?

      • rhywun

        Ha not this year. Thank god.

        This year it’s a bunch of unknowns hawking medicare stuff every ten minutes.

    • DrOtto

      He has 2 jokes. First, the one he lifted from Frankie Smith. The other one he lifted from Willie Nelson.

  4. Ted S.

    Q would like a different TV Bra.

  5. SDF-7

    “No, seriously, I really DO hate Jews.”

    “Or at least I’m going to pander like hell to Michigan!”, yeah… nice contrast with the “Jesus is Lord” heckling she did just prior as well — “You’re in the wrong rally!” Ok… so Christians who actually still believe in Christianity shouldn’t be in her Democrat Party… believers in “Zionism” and abortion are the important ones.

    Here’s hoping the electorate pays attention — I know there are a lot of really squishy “Christians” out there (he says throwing the stone firmly through his lapsed Catholic glass wall [Francis and the Church hierarchy have really soured me, though I still hold to the tenets]), but surely the heckling dismissal versus the outright pandering should make it clear how well you’d be “represented” in your concerns once you’re no longer useful.

    Of course, I say that — but look at the urban African American demographic and how they keep getting absolutely nothing but denigration and corruption for their votes for night unto 70 years now. Sigh.

    • rhywun

      Watching the party having swung to the far left over the last few years only to get henpecked by the keffiyeh set which is largely comprised of the even farther left has been one of the few bright spots in this hideous election season.

    • Nephilium

      While I was watching the Indians lose to the Yankees last night, I was chatting with a couple people at the bar. Both (in the modern parlance) people of color, both had done time, both were 100% on the side of Trump and vehemently opposed to Harris. One of them said (in regards to Trump), “I don’t care if he calls me a spic, or threatens to deport me. As long as my W-2 is better again, he’s got my vote.”

      • juris imprudent

        Is there any better definition of not knowing what is in your own best interests? This is why he NEEDS progressives to tell him!

      • Chafed

        That crystal clear message is lost on Team Blue.

    • creech

      All the urban A.A. need to know is that the GOP will put them back in chains if the Dems don’t win.

      • SDF-7

        “It worked, didn’t it?”

        Sigh…

  6. Pat

    Gaffe (n) – The unintentional telling of the truth.

    Well fuck the universe for putting me on Lizzo’s side of anything.

    • rhywun

      lol Not if you listen to what she actually said. 🥴

      • Pat

        Technically correct and all that.

    • Nephilium

      I’m waiting for someone to juxtapose that line with the opening scene in Barbarian or Don’t Breathe.

  7. SDF-7

    Gaffe (n) – The unintentional telling of the truth.

    Does Detroit have wealthy gated enclaves of privilege? Because I’d argue the goal is more of a “whole country is California” (the worst parts… not Cascadia) model instead… peasants in squalor… effete elites still getting treats and meats.

    But yeah… smooth move there, slick.

    • rhywun

      It’s a whole “Detroit Strong” thing they’re playing. So yeah, it’s one message to one group but with a completely different meaning for most of the rest of America.

    • DrOtto

      Grosse Pointe and (((Bloomfield Hills))).

      • The Last American Hero

        Neither of which are in Detroit. Grosse Pointe borders the city but is a suburb.

        Short answer is no, outside of a couple of swanky condo complexes. The money fled Detroit decades ago and went to the suburbs. It isn’t like some cities where there is a rich, swanky gated community and a bunch of slums on the other side of town. The town was gutted and the money and young professionals never came back.

        And now some member of the commentariat is going to sharpshoot me because they put in some condos across from the stadiums.

  8. SDF-7

    At least he’s using his own money and not taxpayers’.

    I say good sir — are you imputing that our honorable elected officials might seek to bribe their voting blocs using the public purse? Why, such an idea! As ludicrous as the government selectively hiring based on skin color…. or taking money from honest tradesmen to pay for the education of their devoted minions or the children of their friends!

    Harumph!

    Harumph, I say!

  9. Pat

    compounded by the U.S. embargo

    Yeah, Cuba can’t keep the lights on despite being able to trade with every other country on planet earth besides The United States, because apparently you can only buy copper wire, transformers, and turbines from GE.

    • mindyourbusiness

      Why aren’t others selling power equipment to Cuba? Perhaps because companies and countries believe it isn’t productive to shovel fleas into a barnyard.

      Why the Cubans haven’t tossed their erstwhile rulers into the Caribbean is a mystery.

    • OBJ FRANKELSON

      So what you are telling me is that for your socialist model to function you need access to the (relatively) free markets of the US?

      Funny that.

      • Timeloose

        Why don’t they just boost power from a neighbor. Any one have a 90 mile long extension cord?

      • The Last American Hero

        That’s how China made it work.

  10. DEG

    This time, I’m being smarter about it- we’re meeting up at a brewery, so if/when we hate each other, at least I can have some beer.

    Good idea.

    Pop star Lizzo was ripped online after she claimed that if VP Kamala Harris is elected president “the whole country will be like Detroit” at a rally for the Dem candidate in her hometown.

    They aren’t sending their best.

    “When he took the showers with other pros, they came out of there. They said, ‘Oh my God. That’s unbelievable,’” Trump said with a laugh. “I had to say. We have women that are highly sophisticated here, but they used to look at Arnold as a man.”

    How do you know it wasn’t a bummer of a birthmark?

    All the presenters have a learning disability or autism. They speak more slowly than on normal TV news shows.

    So they’re more intelligent than the typical TV news talking head?

    Old Guy Music is good.

    • R C Dean

      “The TV station is called TV BRA, which means “TV Good”.”

      Q approved?

      • DEG

        Depends on the bra.

  11. ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

    I got to thinking (I know) about our little conversation yesterday morn, and I was confusing Jaco with Arto. Lindsay than is. Hence why I wrote guitar as opposed to bass.

    Also, saw a street beggar (panhandler, whatever) with gas cans as his schtick and a sign that said “fuck the Jews” yesterday.

    Portland, moving up in the worlds

    • Old Man With Candy

      Thinking hurts. 1/10, would not recommend.

  12. juris imprudent

    destroying American education

    Happy birthday Horace Mann!

  13. Timeloose

    Trump can’t help himself from spewing stream of consciousness ad libs at his rallies.

    It’s not a problem when he is at a social or informal event, but boy does it look bad when he his supposed to be serious and acting as a leader of our Country.

    • creech

      I can’t think of another presidential race where “none of the above” probably could have won had it been offered.

      • Chafed

        I’d vote that line in a heartbeat.

  14. Grumbletarian

    /raises hand “Ummm, I think I know why…”

    It’s just bad luck.

  15. ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

    In honor of one of our birthday boys, a song, live in studio the first time they had ever recorded, and was done in a single take:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy9h2q_dr9k

    • Chafed

      Great song

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      Batty batty batty! 🦇

  16. Gender Traitor

    Catching up to the US.

    ::clicks::

    Reporters follow rules to make sure they do their job fairly.

    So…not at all like the US. ::clicks link from “easy English” version to “standard English” version::

    “If they are going to be respected as reporters and journalists they need to follow the ethical standards of other news organisations.”

    Ah! So none at all! THAT’S what you mean!

    • Pat

      I’d discuss literature with #20.

      • Chafed

        I can see why.

    • SDF-7

      A pure example of the seed of good intentions sprouts into reams of unneeded paperwork. Someone, somewhere is earning a fat pension (okay — several someones) making sure this sort of thing is done.

      But yes, the Elon and OMB comedy tour should be a thing (hopefully after his next and final term — he can retire to that).

      • Sean

        I’d watch that.

  17. The Late P Brooks

    Apropos of nothing…

    The other night I watched a movie called The Texans. Appeared in 1938. It was an interesting historical artifact, set in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, carpetbagging Yankee plunderers featured prominently, and it was pretty sympathetic to the ex-Confederate characters. In the end, justice, unity, and the Union prevailed.

    Could you make a movie like that again? Who knows?

  18. LCDR_Fish

    Think you used the same line for Margaret Dumont last year…but no worries. Need to decide if I want to go ahead and upgrade all my Marx Bros to Blu-ray in the short term or just rewatch all the DVDs (once I get them unpacked). Not really a wrong answer here.

  19. The Late P Brooks

    Elon does standup comedy on accident.

    “the whale had it coming”

    Holy shit.

  20. LCDR_Fish

    Was the site actually down last night? I tried getting to it sometime after 8 to check links and couldn’t connect at all.

    • Chafed

      I didn’t have any problems after I turned it off and on again.

  21. The Late P Brooks

    NPR digs deep

    While the collapse of the electrical grid comes as a surprise, the crisis is years in the making. Cuba’s power plants are dilapidated and in desperate need of maintenance. In addition, Cuba produces very little fuel of its own, meaning it relies on imports to keep the electrical grid afloat.

    The big problem for the island is that Venezuela — a political ally that for decades was Cuba’s principal provider of fuel — has slashed shipments amid its own economic crisis. Mexico and Russia have also cut exports, leaving Cuba in a vulnerable position.

    Total surprise. It’s like watching a big tree overhanging your house getting older and deader and rottener for years without doing anything and being astonished when it falls on top of you in the middle of the night.

    • juris imprudent

      For the life of me, I can’t understand how OM keeps going to a well full of stupid, because if you follow NPR regularly (and unironically) you ain’t the brightest bulb on the grid.

      • The Last American Hero

        Somebody needs to stare into the abyss. Better him than me.

      • R C Dean

        It’s the only game in town, from what I understand.

  22. The Late P Brooks

    Cuba’s economy initially began tanking during the pandemic, when international tourism plummeted and inflation soared. During that same period, former President Donald Trump imposed a range of sanctions on Cuba after re-designating the country a “state sponsor of terrorism.”

    Never saw that coming. Cuba should declare war on us.

    • R C Dean

      “Cuba’s economy initially began tanking during the pandemic”

      That’s an odd way to refer to when Castro took power in the ‘60s.

  23. Dr. Fronkensteen

    While the collapse of the electrical grid comes as a surprise, the crisis is years in the making.

    How did you go broke? Slowly at first and then all at once.

  24. The Late P Brooks

    While the causes of the crisis are multifaceted, the country-wide blackout is a new low for the government — and those Cubans still living on the island. Amid growing desperation, an unprecedented number of Cubans are trying to migrate to the U.S. by any means possible. The island has lost an estimated 10 percent of its population over the last three years.

    Send rope.

      • Chafed

        That’s awesome

    • DrOtto

      Lol – I sent the Lizzo clip followed by this clip to a bunch of friends last night.

  25. The Late P Brooks

    if you follow NPR regularly (and unironically) you ain’t the brightest bulb on the grid.

    Intentions matter. Exclusively.

  26. juris imprudent

    Speaking of intentions!

    Next to her association with the deeply unpopular Biden presidency, the suite of left-wing stances Harris adopted in that ill-fated effort are still, five years later, the largest obstacles in the path of her presidency. What makes this all so maddening is that those obstacles were placed there by well-meaning progressives.

    Personally, I think the only intelligent political ad I’ve seen is the Trump one that quotes Harris talking about how tough the economy is now juxtaposed with her talking about how great Bidenomics is.

    • rhywun

      well-meaning progressives

      🙄🙄🙄

      • juris imprudent

        Oh yeah, I didn’t read that as anything but arrogant narcissists.

  27. The Late P Brooks

    The progressive movement is largely composed of thematic issue groups, dedicated to a cause or causes, such as climate change, women’s rights, economic justice, and so on. All of these groups, naturally, see their own issue as having special importance. Accordingly, they generally understand their role as pushing the Democratic Party to the left on their issue of concern.

    An organization dedicated to changing the world on Issue X isn’t going to raise much money or inspire its staff if it takes the posture that Issue X is politically dicey and that the prudent course for Democrats would be to trim their sails. It’s standard for activist groups to insist their specific cause is highly popular (or, if that stance is too implausible for Democrats to believe, at least not unpopular).

    Nice try. The people pushing those issues couldn’t care less if they are popular. They’re IMPORTANT. Too important for the lowbrow masses to be allowed to have a say.

    • R C Dean

      “The progressive movement is largely composed of thematic issue groups, dedicated to a cause or causes”

      “The cause is never the cause. The cause is always the revolution.”

      Therefor:

      “Accordingly, they generally understand their role as pushing the Democratic Party to the left on their issue of concern.”

  28. juris imprudent

    What was that quote about the purpose of lies is so that people can’t even recognize what is true?

    Carville and Psaki are typical. The left often portrays itself as the rigorous defender of truth against relentless right-wing disinformation while resolutely promoting progressive disinformation, including the falsehood that disinformation is a distinctively right-wing phenomenon.

    • rhywun

      “The Supreme Court and Clarence Thomas have totally greenlighted the idea that you could round up, use the military to round up your political enemies.”

      I was told that Trump is the one who shoots his mouth off.

      • The Last American Hero

        I was told Clarence Thomas is part of the Supreme Court. Not sure why he gets singled out. Actually, I am.

      • rhywun

        Yeah, it is a mystery.

    • Suthenboy

      They have been using this canard since Trump vs US. As usual their outrageous lies are for short term gain, in this case to prosecute Trump which is in essence ’rounding up and prosecuting their political enemies’.
      Talk about logical and rhetorical pretzels. I cant think of anything even close to that coming out of the right. Their faults are egregious but c’mon, nothing on par with that.

  29. The Late P Brooks

    News stories about the king and queen of England touristing in Australia. It’s hardly anything I’ll lose any sleep over, but I thought what’s-her-name was disallowed from claiming the title of queen, and had to be the Royal Side Piece.

      • Chafed

        That’s a bold move Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off.

      • Suthenboy

        I dont pay much attention to the British royals. I was under the impression that Charles, famous for being a booger eating moron, was essentially in hospice care and expected Camilla to take on the ‘Dr. Jill’ role. Last picture I saw of Charles he appeared very poorly.

        https://royalfamily.news/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/king-charles-new-portrait.jpg

        My usual response when the subject of that lot comes up: “Dont blame us, we shot as many of them as we could.”

    • UnCivilServant

      Turns out the King and Queen vacationing there were Henry VIII and Victoria. It was a bigger story until the pictures got mixed up and the paper had to use stock photos of living people.

      /lies

  30. The Late P Brooks

    Scurrilous poppycock

    Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Sunday is expected to visit a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania as he continues to criticize Democrat Kamala Harris and claim without evidence that she never worked at the fast-food chain while in college.

    His plan is to visit a McDonald’s and work the french fry cooker before heading to an evening town hall in Lancaster and then attending the Pittsburgh Steelers home game against the New York Jets.

    The former president has fixated in recent weeks on the summer job Harris said she held in college, working the cash register and making fries at McDonald’s while attending Howard University in Washington. Trump has claimed the vice president never worked there, the latest example of his longtime strategy to seize on conspiracy theories and question the credentials of his political opponents.

    Hey look over there!

    • cavalier973

      Would you eat a burger cooked by Donald Trump?

      • UnCivilServant

        I don’t eat McDonalds

      • Suthenboy

        Hell yeah, why not? The dude is a germaphobe.

        I see that subsequent to the accusation of Trump failing to prove a negative the accuser fails to prove a positive.

      • Spudalicious

        The fact he’s a germaphobe is one of the reasons he eats so much McDonalds and eats his steak well done.

    • Gender Traitor

      …attending the Pittsburgh Steelers home game against the New York Jets.

      He’d best trade The Hat for a Steelers cap to make his (likely newfound) loyalty clear.

    • MikeS

      Wait…who’s claims about McDonalds are without evidence? 🤡🌎

    • Ted S.

      Kamala Harris claimed without evidence that she did work at a McDonald’s.

  31. juris imprudent

    Warboners at the ready! Stroke, stroke, stroke!!!

    Who gives a shit about 10,000 bits of North Korean cannon fodder?

    • UnCivilServant

      Or, as it’s called in communist east asia – a platoon.

  32. The Late P Brooks

    Harris, who was a California prosecutor before becoming a senator and vice president, raises her McDonald’s experience as a way to show she understands working-class struggles.

    ——-

    “Part of the reason I even talk about having worked at McDonald’s is because there are people who work at McDonald’s in our country who are trying to raise a family,” she said. “I worked there as a student.”

    Harris also said: “I think part of the difference between me and my opponent includes our perspective on the needs of the American people and what our responsibility, then, is to meet those needs.”

    Isn’t that what they call “cultural tourism”? Maybe she wrote a paper for her sociology class.

    • Gender Traitor

      Maybe she can get her old job back in January.

      • Fourscore

        I worry the Walz will get his old job back and take it out on the locals.

    • MikeS

      there are people who work at McDonald’s in our country who are trying to raise a family

      Maybe someone in a position of authority, someone those people look up to, someone with practically unlimited access to the media should tell these people that is generally a terrible idea.

  33. The Late P Brooks

    Trump has promoted false and baseless claims throughout his campaign

    It’s far from the first time that Trump has promoted baseless claims. Most notably, he claims falsely that he lost the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden due to voter fraud. Trump said during his presidential debate with Harris that immigrants who had settled in Springfield, Ohio, were eating residents’ pets.

    Trump has long gone after opponents based on their personal history, particularly women and racial minorities.

    At least the Democrats take the high road and abjure ad hominem attacks.

  34. juris imprudent

    An establishment of entrenched interests exists; a uniparty does not.

    Well that just makes all the difference – see assholes, we can vote for either party and have some minor differences, but those entrenched interests? Those are fucking untouchable. And I don’t care that Republican-leaning third parties score Republicans better than Democrats. I want to see a party that looks at entrenched interests and has a Marvin Heemeyer like solution.

  35. cavalier973

    I hold that Duck Soup is the Marx Bros.’ funniest film, but I think that A Night at the Opera is more accessible to anyone who hasn’t seen one of their movies.

    My favorite will always be Animal Crackers. Once I was in the public library, with a book that was just the script, along with stills from the movie. I found myself laughing heartily. A movie that can get me to laugh just by reading the script; impressive.

  36. The Late P Brooks

    As the dominant voice in American journalism, the Times could have fundamentally changed the way Trump has been covered not just by its own journalists but by the political media as a whole. It could have stopped using soft, empty language and false equivalence, and made it crystal clear to the public that if elected Trump would turn America into a racist, authoritarian regime where facts don’t matter.

    Gracious sakes alive.

  37. The Late P Brooks

    “I see no lack of passionate, morally confident actors sounding the alarm,” Sulzberger said in a speech this past spring. “Indeed, the alarm seems so loud and so constant that much of the public has by now put in earplugs.”

    No shit, Shirley?

  38. Evan from Evansville

    Well, well-played with Hernandez as known for his “spitter.” Brilliantly written, acted, and surprisingly(?), the ’79 (co?) MVP winner did a great job in his role. He’s not a bad (non-)color(ed!) Color Man for MLB, either. Haven’t seen him in a bit, but damn good.

    Nothing outranks Harry Carey, cultural figure though often just in his own (hilarious) place by the end, and Steve Stone, with legit, the best insight I’ve seen for foreseeing how at bats and pitch selections would go.

    • MikeS

      +1 “I contend there was a second spitter on the gravely road!”

  39. Evan from Evansville

    Anyone had any experience on the MeetMe /MeetUp apps? Scoped out the former last night to.. better success than Tindr for findin’ (some) real folk. MeetUp seems a good one to investigate and find more social shit happenin’ ’round.
    Costanza nails the social issue, though I’ve got plenty o’ hair:

    “Elaine, bald men, with no jobs, and no money, who live with their parents, don’t approach strange women.”

    Still feel outta place in Carmel, IN, and kinda right in dead-center fancy part. New work should start soon and I’m not ‘Out’ of $, but shit’s exorbitant for a guy like me. HOWEVER! I have a new gig, tentative start date Nov 5. I’ve confirmed the invitation offer and am awaiting the official job offer paperwork. Finalized Fri eve, and with weekend and closed on Monday, a rare opportunity to “chill.” This is rare and to be enjoyed.

    • Evan from Evansville

      Musk says he’ll award $1 million every day to Pennsylvania voters who sign his petition…The petition asks signers to support free speech and the right to bear arms …“The only thing we ask for the million dollars is that you be a spokesperson for the petition,” Musk told the awardee.

      DAMMIT! I’d sign up and be damn good at it! Alas, PA ain’t my territory. I’m an actor, trained and by nature. I’d kill the PR TVspots *and* Releases. (See also: Valtrex to fight Shingles. I’d (nearly) do an add for that shit for fuckin’ free. (‘Nearly’ free. Outstandingly delivered , with multiple takes to appeal to certain audiences.