Saturday evening links

by | Nov 2, 2024 | Daily Links, Harambe | 303 comments

You offed a pet squirrel?

Okay. Here we are in continued times of weirdness. Cowboy hat wearing squirrel got o-f-t for no good reason. Trump supporters are racist, bigoted, white supremacist neo-nazis, but they are definitely NOT garbage. And anyone woman who supports Trump is obviously weak and stupid.

On the plus side, Webdom and l0b0t are continuing to grind away on their new place, and I would like to think I helped out a bit. I head home in a couple of days.

Another addition to the garbage person list: People who use floss picks in public and them throw them on the ground.

Shopping cart theory.

Links?

They learned it from Teddy.

GOP wins one in Pennsylvania. Complete with a lecture for the lower court.

I approve of the trend.

Interesting plot twist in Alabama hanging.

A local dose of sanity.

Yeah, I’m not sure this went as well as planned. I have mixed feelings over the whole issue, but it’s not my life.

A sad commentary on a once global empire.

Okay, that’s good for today. Peace out, Glibbies. Have a great evening.

About The Author

Spudalicious

Spudalicious

Survey says I’m a Paleolibertarian bitches. That means I eat “L”ibertarians for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Soave tastes a little fruity. Wait a minute, that doesn’t sound quite right…

303 Comments

  1. Ted S.

    On the plus side, Webdom and l0b0t are continuing to grind away on their new place,

    Are they bumping away too?

    /ducking

    • Aloysious

      Spud said he helped out, so I figured it was either a menage a trio, or he stood by and yelled encouragement at those crazy kids.

      • slumbrew

        More brain bleach, please.

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        As long as he is using a bull horn, I have no problem with it.

        “YOU MAY APPROCH I0B0T NOW, FEMDOM!! IOBOT, ASSUME DEFENSE 42B AND A RUSHING OFFENCE!!”

      • slumbrew
      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        Yeah, but then l0b0t would mutter “i am the bat” while getting his tongue caught in the mouth slit.

      • Aloysious

        Zwak, that’s what I was thinking, while also doing the Mashed Potato dance.

    • Old Man With Candy

      She is massively pregnant, so… unlikely.

  2. dbleagle

    WTF UK? You can’t train your own pilots and you want your entire army to be just larger than the number of Soldiers on Ft Bragg? Don’t come looking to us if you want to start a war. You want to fight in Ukraine- plus up Buttercup. You are lucky about the M-man running Argentina because you ain’t taking it back again.

    BTW the UK has the 2d most military power in NATO. Ponder that on the tree of woe.

    We need to get out of the biz of fighting for other people’s interests.

    • juris imprudent

      We need to get out of the biz of fighting for other people’s interests.

      The least we could do is get a gratuity or something out of it.

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        Well, no taxes on tips, no?

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      “2d most”
      Take away the nukes and you misspelled Turkey. Don’t worry about the Brits though, when they stupidly try to smack around the Russians they’ll get us to bail them out (which we just might do depending on what happens next week).

    • LCDR_Fish

      More than France? We’ve seen them projecting a lot more power actively in Africa the last few years.

  3. Mojeaux

    I need to vent. I have already vented to my husband, but I’m still mad.

    I accidentally updated my music player on my Android phone. Now, normally, I’m either VERY careful about not updating my player OR I can just reinstall my older-version apk with my pretty skin I bought.

    HOWEVER, my earlier-version apk won’t install because it’s not compatible.

    Now I’m left with the “new and improved” PowerAmp which UI is just hot garbage.

    I’ve tried other player apps, but they don’t have the mix of features I like with PowerAmp.

    I use MusicBee on my PC, but they don’t have an Android app.

    I used to use WinAmp, but I haven’t gone back to their resurrected carcass after they died and I made the effort to change to MusicBee.

    I am seriously just pissed as hell I can’t find a decent music player for my phone now that PowerAmp screwed the pooch. HOT GARBAGE, I tell you.

    • UnCivilServant

      I don’t have good advice. I’ve grown accustomed to VLC ever since I left WinAmp years ago.

      • Mojeaux

        VLC is video. I find it cumbersome for just music.

      • UnCivilServant

        I get rid of the built in video pane and set it up so that it doesn’t have any space for video unless I’m playing video when a new window opens for it.

        But, I get preferences in UI and workflow. I get worked up if they move a button on me, let alone change the whole layout.

      • Mojeaux

        I am SO SICK of “updates” that amount to tinkering with icons. LEAVE MY SHIT ALONE!

        Now I also have to update my Windows 10 because QuickAssist doesn’t work without the updates and I’m going to need it soon for my MT gig.

        There are REASONS I don’t update anything. A — What I have works beautifully. B — I have worked very hard to get my shit to work beautifully. C — I have utilities I’ve ported from Windows 3.x that still work and that I love. D — Updates break my shit.

        I updated WordPress once and had to rebuild my entire website.

        🤬🤬🤬🤬

    • rhywun

      I use Musicolet on my phone – I like it a lot.

      No online features is the reason I checked it out. All it does is play your local music library.

      • Mojeaux

        Yes, that’s what I want. PowerAmp has features I like (weird nitpicky things), but their UI is making me lose my fucking mind.

    • rhywun

      PS. sorry 🙁
      But I do get a kick out of your rants on this topic 🙂

      I am the opposite – I always update and it almost never bothers me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

      • Mojeaux

        LOL do I rant about it that often? /broken record

      • rhywun

        lol We are all broken records. No worries.

      • R.J.

        So true.

        *continues listening to 1 hour squirrel dance party

    • DenverJ

      Listen, we all know that an update, by definition, is an upgrade. It must be better- it’s new!

      • Mojeaux

        Yup yup yup. 🙄

  4. SarumanTheGreat

    People who use floss picks in public and them throw them on the ground

    As a conservationist (but not a neat freak, as I glance around at the debris-laden table I am typing away at) I dislike litterers in general.

    • UnCivilServant

      Given how many trash cans there are around, why are you people using my margin!?

    • rhywun

      I dislike litterers in general

      It is one of my biggest pet peeves. And it seems to correlate with high/low trust cultures.

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        This. Philadelphia was a trash city.

    • pistoffnick (370HSSV)

      My friend used to pick up just discarded cigarette butts and hand them to the offender saying “You seem to have dropped this!”

    • KK, Plump & Unfiltered

      (new Zoom avatar dropping tonight!)

      • R.J.

        I hope it’s Peanut with the cowboy hat.

    • R C Dean

      Love the new Glibs avatar.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Place has gone to shit. No one on?

      • KK, Plump & Unfiltered

        I just jumped on. Usually we don’t see folkx until after 9pm ET

      • cavalier973

        He should have said, “I have multiple cameras hidden in every room. I can’t even remember where all of them are, but they are recording everything you guys are doing in there.”

      • R C Dean

        “Why do you ask? If you’re doing nothing wrong, you have nothing to hide, right? I mean, isn’t that what you guys always say?”

      • Rebel Scum

        Nice.

  5. Rebel Scum

    I know we rag on the squirrels, but RIP Peanut.

    • slumbrew

      Nuts out for Peanut

      • R.J.

        Indeed. Nuts out for Peanut.

      • Spudalicious

        Beautiful.

  6. whiz

    From the dedthred:

    A quick update on my polls article. Using the RealClearPolitics averages for battleground states (plus a couple of others), the Electoral College votes by state and cumulative:

    ———RCP
    ———-%. Leader Trump Harris
    OH 18 6.9 Trump 219 319
    GA 16 2.6 Trump 235 303
    AZ 11 2.3 Trump 246 292
    NC 16 1.7 Trump 262 276
    NV 6 1.5 Trump 268 270
    PA 19 0.4 Trump 287 251
    WI 10 -0.2 Harris 297 241
    MI 15 -0.7 Harris 312 226
    NH 4 -4.0 Harris 316 222

    • cavalier973

      The formatting is a little off

    • Madhatter

      Could you explain the numbers for the 3 last entries? How do Trump’s numbers go up for those 3 states?

      • whiz

        Sorry, I was out this evening. The columns are state, electoral votes for the state, % difference between the two (Trump ahead is positive), who’s currently ahead, electoral votes for Trump, electoral votes for Harris. The way to read it is to go down all the states Trump is ahead and that row shows the EV count. Since the last 3 rows are negative (Harris ahead), he doesn’t get those votes, but it shows how many he would get if he did go ahead in WI, MI, and NH. If he lost PA, you would have to go up a row from 287 to 268.

  7. pedantic

    Hi weekend crew! I comment once a year-ish. Tulpa rulez, RIP Peanut..

    Question about open primaries/RCV: My state (MT) is proposing an initiative that will open up the primaries. “Top 4 primary election”, all candidates appear on one ballot and the 4 of any party that receive the most votes advance to the general. And to go along w/ that, a seperate initiative that requires a majority vote rather than just a plurality, so presumably a chance of runoffs after the general.
    State Republican party is super against all this, calling it a back door to ranked choice voting, don’t California my Montana, etc.

    Can anyone explain why this initiative could be good or bad?
    I’m inclined to support it, as someone who generally hates parties but probably votes Libertarian or Republican most the time.

    Why even is ranked choice voting not popular? I get that it hasn’t led to an explosion of 3rd party options in the states it’s been implemented, but has it been a net negative?

    • rhywun

      I have no experience with any of that but all of that stuff seems to always have the support of Dems and no one else, which tells me all I need to know about it.

      • one true athena

        On RCV, Animal and any other Alaska person can weigh in on direct experience, but I’d say for me that unless the ballots are auditable (i.e. better integrity than we have now) it’s just asking for people to not believe outcomes. RCV is complicated for voters and depending on how it’s administered could be really complicated for officials/counters, etc

        However jungle primaries like Cali’s just suck. >50% win at the primary means there’s no runoff. That candidate wins outright. This majorly helps the Democrat machine, because the unions can get out the vote enough since primaries are pretty low turnout. Top two runoff is also shitty just because it’s often two Democrats, and so I have to choose between Mao and Stalin. I suppose the argument there is that if the Republican candidate didn’t win enough votes to go to run-off then he shouldn’t be on the ballot anyway. But it’s annoying to be using the GE as a Democrat primary regardless.

        Oh and it definitely favors name recognition. In a closed primary, there’s a chance the voters of other ‘teams’ will see your ads and develop into your favor by the GE. in a jungle, it’s a shortened process, so it favors incumbents/war chests/names.

    • R C Dean

      No. A party’s candidate should be chosen by the the party (typically by members of the party in an election). Why the fuck should anyone who is not a member of the party have a say?

  8. KK, Plump & Unfiltered

    This fuckin image AI doesn’t know the difference between and human and ape face

    • Rebel Scum

      Sounds racist.

      • R.J.

        Totally racist. JibJab’s face recognition software keeps telling me “no human face detected.”

    • Rebel Scum

      Oral? It wasn’t even a jerking off motion. Besides, people claiming that were at the wrong rally.

    • Ted S.

      The people who want Sexualized Drag Queen Story Time (among many other sexualized things) are complaining about *this*??

    • rhywun

      If Kamala did that, Whoopi and Joy would be orgasming on live television.

      • slumbrew

        Brain bleach, stat!

      • Rebel Scum

        Dude…

      • Spudalicious

        Scissor me, Whoopi!

      • MikeS

        The fuck is wrong with you?

      • Evan from Evansville

        Y’alls’ immediate and.. saucy responses reveal much about where YOUR minds were.

        *Narrows gaze, backs away thru hedges from ‘scissoring Whoopi’ thoughts…*

  9. DenverJ

    “Election workers must manually review every ballot envelope to determine whether it has a ‘correct’ date,” the brief said…” I think the post office has had the ability to read the postmark of an envelope for at least 40 years. In fairness, the post office is known for its innovative culture and quick changing methods, and States can’t possibly keep up with a (cough cough) private company like the USPS.

    • DenverJ

      I think the post office has had the ability to read the postmark of an envelope -automatically- for at least 40 years.

    • rhywun

      Nice smackdown from the court. It’s unreal that it even needs to be said.

  10. Rebel Scum

    It’s an apostrophe or a stutter.

    Biden says Republicans like Trump are “the kind of guys you’d like to smack in the ass.”

    Delivery is kind of angry and violent.

    • KK, Plump & Unfiltered

      Suuuuuuuper ghey!

    • Ownbestenemy

      Well…that’s like grandpa going on about the gooks and everyone tells you it’s okay…he’s old. And next day at breakfast tells you about them damn slit-eyes.

      Dude sees anyone that doesn’t adore him as garbage through and through

      • slumbrew

        “He’s set in his ways”

    • DenverJ

      “Smack” is tough guy talk, “ass” is cursing, in Dementia Land= “I’d kick his ass”

  11. R C Dean

    “Detractors of the theory have cited various reasons why returning a cart is unfavorable, with concerns about leaving children unattended as one of the more commonly referenced.”

    The fact that you think up excuses for not doing something that is common courtesy just moves you to a lower strata of untermencschen. You managed to haul the kids all over the damn store while pushing a full cart, but you can’t manage them when pushing an empty cart to the corral?

    • slumbrew

      That argument is terrible. How did you get the cart to begin with?

    • Mojeaux

      Every new mother knows to park as close to the cart corrals as possible.

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      Summary execution for shopping cart leavers.

    • DenverJ

      “I’m a mom” excuse is such BS. Roughly 49% of humanity can claim that.

    • MikeS

      I bring the cart all the way back into the store.

      • Spudalicious

        That’s just virtue signalling.

      • UnCivilServant

        It was all the way from his house and because a judge told him return it or go to jail.

  12. Evan from Evansville

    Half vent, half plan: Surrounded by my True Blue family, I’ve a new plan of defense, hopefully revealing the insanity we’re surrounded in. I’ll openly tell them I feel like my beliefs cannot be expressed because I honestly feel I’ll be shamed, thought less of, perhaps ostracized. I’m actively being confined, forced to bite my tongue to get along, and made to Go Along Nicely with the program. Not very inclusive.

    Diversity; Equity; Inclusion, yeah? The rallying cry. How about: Include diverse THOUGHTS equitably. Perhaps to ENGAGE and compromise. Ya know. Like adults should. And no one at this table has any idea what I think and believe, cuz I’ve purposefully kept quiet. For safety. Stressful.

    Republicans aren’t listening to women? Aren’t hearing them voice their concerns? “Ok, I’ll ask a tricky question. Even SCOTUS Justice Jackson could answer it. Define ‘woman.’ Go forth.” Well. I’m brain damaged but they’ve known my pro-Ron Paul beliefs for 20 yrs. They won’t think The Incident ‘changed’ me. Well. Maybe they will. Fuck.

    ^^ Huh. Sorry. That turned into a longer vent than intended. Well. Good to get thoughts out. Toronto outplayed St. Louis hard in the 1st Period.

    • R C Dean

      “my beliefs cannot be expressed because I honestly feel I’ll be shamed, thought less of, perhaps ostracized. I’m actively being confined, forced to bite my tongue to get along, and made to Go Along Nicely with the program”

      Welcome to the longhouse, bro.

      • slumbrew

        Welcome to Massachusetts.

        (This part, anyway)

      • rhywun

        I solve these issues by simply not talking about politics to anyone in real life.

        Not family, not neighbors (I live in crazy far-left-town), not anybody.

        Sometimes friends, but I have to be really high or drunk.

      • Evan from Evansville

        “Welcome to the longhouse, bro.”

        ^^ Yep. It’s a BigBig longhouse. Dumbest shit is how obviously darkly dangerous it all is. Ya know all those fuckin’ “Garbage People” ya hate? Uh. They are WAY BETTER ARMED THAN YOU. Why do you wanna box and provoke them to begin with?! DUH, ya hate the 2nd and are terrified of guns! They may be used against your plan to control the lives of 100s of millions! Your plan may slow! STALL! *GASP!*

      • slumbrew

        Oh, yes. No political talk at all IRL, other than my one friend who is a registered Republican.

        We were out together election night 2016 and had to be circumspect in our schadenfreude as everyone around us slowly started to lose their shit.

      • Evan from Evansville

        @Rhy: Yep. Staying quiet is wise and I’m sadly good at it. Journalist Ev gets on and keenly observes. Folk say FAR more when ya just let ’em. Give ’em more rope. Frequently gets gooooood.

        I miss my Tight Knit communities. I’m an extremely expressive person, from my thoughts to my face, speech, fingers and toes. It’s tough to keep silent ALL the time. I always had an outlet or two or three. It is hard to never get to get it out.

        BUT! First day at my new job is on Tues. Whole new slew of folk to learn. I hope some’ll be cool. Many places to go. Eager for busy days and $$ to s̵p̵e̵n̵d̵ save. 𝐈’𝐦 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈’𝐦 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐲.

        [Orig comment was deleted! Damn!]

    • Evan from Evansville

      [Whoops Edit]: Republicans aren’t listening to women? Aren’t hearing them voice their concerns? “Ok, I’ll ask a tricky question. Even SCOTUS Justice Jackson could answer it. Define ‘woman.’ Go forth.” Well. I’m brain damaged but they’ve known my pro-Ron Paul beliefs for 20 yrs. They won’t think The Incident ‘changed’ me. Well. Maybe they will. Fuck.

      • Evan from Evansville

        Dammit. Wrote/edited in both this and another doc. Sorry for much repetition. Actually is semi-emotional to think and type about in my little covey of the house.

        Quite damning. There’s a neighbor with a Trump sign, and not knowing her otherwise, Dad quite loudly expressed in the car how she couldn’t possibly have any empathy at all and blah blah pretty much is a terrible person. He puts no thought into his political beliefs like 85%+ of the population. Like all human history, politics–what leader you trust– is religious. (Until it stomps on your balls.)

        Dad probably rah-rahed when Biden called them all “garbage people.” Well. He obviously thinks it. In the car we agreed that we shouldn’t speak about politics at all. I will not tell him, as there’s no point. I will tell Mom. There’s prolly zero chance I tell Bro.

      • cavalier973

        What is their opinion of Ron Paul?

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        You could aways jus ask him: “So, then do you think I am a garbage person?”

        The point being to humanize, not to make you father feel bad.

      • DenverJ

        “Like all human history, politics–what leader you trust– is religious.” Not really. In this country, within my own lifetime, both sides thought the other side were normal people, just with different policy preferences. They still were neighbors and friends, would even date each other. The current level of political discourse seems extreme and unsustainable.

      • Evan from Evansville

        @Cav: They didn’t hate my decision, I suppose. If I were a Bush voter things may have been different. I told ’em I didn’t vote for Obama in -08, whom they were in love with. That was the first one I could vote in, and that felt reaaaal good as a yute. They don’t hate Ron Paul, rather they rather admire him and his thoughts… they just don’t want to see any of ’em implemented? I don’t know. They never think about spending. Or the future.

        They used to be all against war. No one has verbally expressed an opinion about why they voted for Harris. “Not Trump,” equally mixed with what Dad thinks.

        @Zwak: “So, then do you think I am a garbage person?” Oooh. I COULD. That’s would be pokin’ a nest that don’t need pokin’. Mom will honestly listen, and if I bring up my fears of Harris around them both, oooh. That would be interesting. Nothing would change his mind, but I honestly would love to hear his response.

        @DenverJ: “The current level of political discourse seems extreme and unsustainable.”

        ^^I think I’m with you. In my lifetime also, I’ve never seen anything like this. (Born in ’87.) Trump v Harris feels ‘bigger’ than I’ve ever felt. Important However: Tech has never moved information this quickly before, either. The acceleration intensifies it all to a new level. Or so it feels. *Shrug*

    • R.J.

      You’re supposed to smile and nod. Just smile and nod.

      • Evan from Evansville

        I’m not terribly good at doing what I’m “supposed” to. If I am “supposed” to, I’m likely to NOT do it. Only changes if someone’s paying me or if it’s family.

        So yep. I smile and nod away. For the most part. Mom knows I purposefully didn’t vote and a couple sentences about why. That’s it. This jittery bug gets lots of jitters out in this jittery environment. It’s a damn effective part of my ‘rigorous’ diet regimen.

      • R.J.

        If you ever find out what I’m supposed to be doing, let me know. I still haven’t figured that out.

  13. Rebel Scum
    • Evan from Evansville

      That is absolutely fantastic. Wowza.

    • DrOtto

      Lol – I just said this exact thing to my wife and it’s already a meme, beautiful!

  14. ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

    I for one welcome our new squirl overlords, and will start with the peace saying:

    Nutz Out For Peanut!!!

  15. trshmnstr

    I approve of the trend.

    Today we were discussing plans for expanding the homestead next spring. We’re adding a few raised beds and some ground level crop beds, raising meat chickens and turkeys, and likely getting a beehive going.

    Currently, we have more sweet potatoes than we know what to do with, and we’re still eating through our pickles. The goal is to have 10 preservable crops next year instead of 2.

    We have an ample flow of eggs (averaging a dozen a day right now), but we want to start putting a dent in our meat bill.

    • slumbrew

      Mashed sweet potatoes are a standard side dish in this house. So easy, so tasty.

    • Ownbestenemy

      We got a good division of labor right now with some neighbors. Though none have chickens. Must fix that.

    • Mojeaux

      Yammer pie. Lots of it. Sub out pumpkin for cooked/riced yams.

      Fed my kids pumpkin pie for breakfast every fall for years (and they still like it). The reason I got into that was because XY loved the yammer pies at Gates BBQ, but they were pot-pie sized and expensive as hell. THEN as I was making a batch of pumpkin custard, I accidentally made twice as much custard as I meant to, sent my husband to the store for emergency pie crusts, made 8 pies, and never looked back. My pantry is always stocked with pumpkin.

      Remember, the custard substrate doesn’t much matter as long as you’ve got the spices.

    • Spudalicious

      That is awesome. Good for you. As much as you can do it, subsistence living is a good thing.

    • The Hyperbole

      Meh, looks like Kelce violated the NAP here, Dude was filming and talking, you don’t get to destroy someone else’s property for that.

      • R.J.

        Agreed. It was an ass move to smash that. He acts like a big baby.

      • Mojeaux

        Technically correct.

      • kinnath

        technically correct is the best kind of correct

      • R C Dean

        I personally would prefer a societal norm where randos didn’t film people they didn’t know in public or elsewhere, much less verbally harass them.

        If I’m on the jury for Kelce’s NAP-violation trial, I vote Not Guilty.

      • Mojeaux

        If I’m on the jury for Kelce’s NAP-violation trial, I vote Not Guilty

        Yes.

        What’s the NAP for harassing people? Does NAP only apply to personal property or outright violence to one’s person?

      • MikeS

        If I’m on the jury for Kelce’s NAP-violation trial, I vote Not Guilty.

        WTF? Seriously? What happened to “be the bigger man”? Kelce acted like a fucking child here.

      • groat scotum

        See, that’s the relevance of Fuck You money. Yeah, take your roid rage out on some dweeb in a parking lot, then slip him a couple thousand to get his nose fixed and a couple tens of thousands in emotional damage or whatever. Everyone wins. It’s like enforcing in hockey, only monetarily and legally and it’s not on ice and I forget where I was going with this metaphor

      • trshmnstr

        Meh, the NAP is, at very best, highly insufficient as an entire legal system.

      • DrOtto

        He didn’t initiate, soyboy did. As soyboy would argue, words are violence. So it was self defense. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

    • Evan from Evansville

      Yeah, I’m not seein’ anything defending Kelce, there. I also can’t hear/ didn’t understand what started the ruckus to begin with. The camera dude ‘said’ something? wUh? I have no idea what, tho apparently something gay may be involved.

      Irritating photogs, uh. NFL folk are used to that. It would take far more to justify that $700 ‘accident.’

      • groat scotum

        WHAT

        IS

        THIS

        RUCKUS??

      • slumbrew

        Could you describe the ruckus, sir?

      • groat scotum

        See, when I hear ruckus I think Underworld and Bill Nighy, not Breakfast Club. Been quoting that back and forth with my brother for twenty years.

      • slumbrew

        *thinks about pleather-clad Kate Bekinsale*

      • groat scotum

        Beckinsale in Underworld > Jovovich in RE

      • slumbrew

        ¿porque no los dos?

      • Evan from Evansville

        Y’all are makin’ me think of startin’ a ruckus in my bunk.

    • MikeS

      So Kelce is an asshole. That’s what I’m seeing in this video. What happened that this rich and famous person was justified in destroying this rando’s $1000 phone?

      • R.J.

        My point as well. He gets paid as much in a year as I get in a decade. He is paid to make his team look good on and off the field. Smashing a dude’s phone for some perceived slight is not acceptable.

      • Spudalicious

        In a normal world, he would have been punched in the face for talking shit about his brother. But in 2024, trashing his phone is the lesser offense. I can’t condone it, but I can understand it.

      • Spudalicious

        Because you’re privileged, you should just take it?

      • MikeS

        I’m honestly shocked at the number of people I respect here defending this asshole. All he had to do was keep walking. And I don’t want to live in a “normal” world where saying “your brother is a faggot” deserves a punch in the face.

      • R C Dean

        I file this under “Don’t start nuthin’, won’t be nuthin’.” Asshole soyboy was provoking a man walking down the street minding his own business. Doesn’t matter that it was a former NFL player. You provoke a man, well, don’t complain when he gets provoked.

        Like I said, I would prefer a societal norm where, if you story something, and you get something, well, you got what you deserved.

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        Having a $1000 phone is a violation of the NAP.

      • MikeS

        I have a suspicion that if this video didn’t include a famous football player(‘s brother), the pro-property destruction comments and jury nullification comments would not happen.

      • Evan from Evansville

        I can’t hear nor do I get any reference to people talking (what?) shit about Kelce’s brother. Or relationship with Swift. What was said? I have no context and have zero clue. Nothing physical? Then it better be HARSH words to justify anything. Perhaps a face-to-face turn-around mighta scared the shit outta the photog, to start. To jump to his reaction is fucked.

        He’s a pro NLFer. Uh. The press and interrupting, shitty photogs is part of the grind. Yes, there are boundaries. I don’t see any being broken here.

      • R C Dean

        At least in my case, MikeS, you’d be wrong.

      • R C Dean

        Consider also, that there was a second asshole filming asshole number one. This was a setup from the jump. The purpose of asshole number one was to provoke a response so asshole number two could get it on video.

        This assumption that you can do shit and be immune from consequence is something we would all be better off without.

      • MikeS

        Not everything is a conspiracy. There were what, a dozen or more people following him? I think he just walked out of a college football game. When do you suppose these masterminds hatched their plan to get this on video?

      • MikeS

        OK. So he crossed a line by calling his brother a faggot for dating Taylor Swift. (???) Apparently that’s a line that cannot be crossed. How about if he had just said that his brother was ugly? How about if he had said his brother was a terrible football player? Or that he cost the Chiefs their last game? Where exactly is the line that justifies a volent response to words? Because we’re apparently going to have to rewrite the NAP.

      • R C Dean

        Don’t know, don’t care. Provoke a man, and take the consequences like a man.

      • Evan from Evansville

        Ooooh, I take much of my statement back. This wasn’t after a team practice or whatever? Um. Yeah. Then he’s just a dude. He ain’t at work. Why was there a flock of people following him? That’s… odd. Public event? One thing. Not? Whole other.

      • Evan from Evansville

        *whispers* Whoops. I thought Travis Kelce was the phone breaker. Me no follow odd-shaped-ball game.

      • R C Dean

        “Where exactly is the line that justifies a volent response to words?”

        I’m comfortable saying that it’s following a man walking down the street minding his own business, sticking a phone in his face, and insulting his family.

        Naturally, the violent response isn’t unlimited. If Kelce had blown his head off, that would be over the line. Busting the phone that some rando stuck in his face while insulting his brother strikes me as an acceptable response. Don’t want your phone busted? Don’t stick it in someone’s face while insulting his family.

      • kinnath

        So he crossed a line by calling his brother a faggot for dating Taylor Swift

        No, he crossed a line by getting in Kelco’s personal space and sticking a cell phone in Kelco’s face.

        If the twink had been 30 feet away and screamed an insult at Kelco, then it would be a completely different situation.

      • MikeS

        Provoke a man, and take the consequences like a man.

        Come on RC. You’re better than that. I missed the iron law that says I can kick your ass if I don’t like your words. Do you want a civil society or honor killings and duels on main street at high noon?

      • MikeS

        No, he crossed a line by getting in Kelco’s personal space and sticking a cell phone in Kelco’s face.

        Kelce had his back to him. He was walking away and then turned and got in the “twink’s” face. Kelce coulda just keep walking.

      • trshmnstr

        I have a suspicion that if this video didn’t include a famous football player(‘s brother), the pro-property destruction comments and jury nullification comments would not happen.

        Remember that dumbshit tiktoker who caught a bullet for harassing some doordash driver? Yeah, he deserved it, too.

        Harass strangers, receive aggression. I’m not against that at all.

      • Mojeaux

        I suspect the twink was bucking for a fist so he could sue. Bigger payday. All in all, I thought Kelce’s reaction was commensurate with the offense.

      • R C Dean

        MikeS, you continue to claim that Kelce “kicked his ass”. He did not.

        I want a civil society that has norms like “you don’t get stick your phone a man’s face while he’s minding his own business and insulting his family”. Are you saying are opposed to a norm such as that?

        If not, how do propose such a norm should be enforced? I say that grabbing the phone and smashing it is within bounds. Curbstomping the twink would be out of bounds, but that’s not what happened.

        I also say that a healthy civil society allows its members to take action, within reason, to enforce its norms. Do you disagree with that?

      • MikeS

        Interesting that you keep calling him a twink, too.

        So, by your guys’ rules for society, you can keep calling that guy a twink right to his face, or what ever else slurs and slights you want, because he’s not strong enough to physically defend himself and make you stop. And if he were to follow within some undefined number of feet from you, or if he said something mean to you within this zone, you’d have every right to assault him, or at a minimum destroy some of his property.

        I find this fascinating. Please get all the ground rules written down so we all know how to behave.

      • MikeS

        MikeS, you continue to claim that Kelce “kicked his ass”

        Absolutely false. I never once said that. He smashed his phone. I should smash your phone for defaming me.

      • MikeS

        I also say that a healthy civil society allows its members to take action, within reason, to enforce its norms. Do you disagree with that?

        No. But Kelce’s actions were not within reason. He gave no warning* of any kind that he was going to escalate. He made no verbal attempt to warn the “twink” he was about to receive his punishment.

        *based on this short video

      • trshmnstr

        And if he were to follow within some undefined number of feet from you, or if he said something mean to you within this zone,

        This is pretty close to the textbook definition of harassment. Following strangers around in close proximity, refusing to allow them to disengage, and yelling offensive things at them is harassing behavior.*

        *i watched the video without audio, so I have no clue what he said or any of the actual context that wasn’t shown in the short video clip… I’m just sick of the pedantatarian idea that you can just keep swinging your arm an inch in front of my nose and I can’t do anything about it until you touch me.

      • MikeS

        Lotta people keep claiming the “twink” shoved his phone in Jason’s face. No, Jason turned around and put his face in front of the phone. Then smashed it. Then STOLE it.

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        What this whole kerfuffle, both here and there, comes done to is; what is the NAP, and when is it violated? I would posit that following someone with a camera while insulting their family in an attempt to catch them out is, in fact, a violation of the NAP. So, responding with destroying the camera/phone is within bounds. It seems that you don’t think this is a violation, so it is OOB to you.

        And therein lies the rub.

      • MikeS

        This is pretty close to the textbook definition of harassment.

        Pretty close. Except for the important part about needing to be regular or repeated over a period of time. Right?

        This isn’t one guy following Kelce for blocks and badgering him and “sticking his phone in his face”. The “twink” is one guy in a seemingly large group of people who all just left a venue.

      • trshmnstr

        regular or repeated over a period of time. Right?

        No. You’re thinking of stalking. Harassment, as far as I know, doesn’t require a particular duration. Regardless of the legal definition, following somebody around for the purpose of annoying them and catching their reaction on video fits into the colloquial definition of harassment.

      • MikeS

        It seems that you don’t think this is a violation, so it is OOB to you.

        I think it probably is a minor violation. But I feel that Kelce’s reaction was disproportionate to the violation. Kelce escalated too quickly by skipping over verbal warnings/threats and went straight to property destruction and theft.

      • MikeS

        Harassment, as far as I know, doesn’t require a particular duration.

        From my work HR training (groan) and this random internet legal dictionary, I believe it does.

      • MikeS

        Now, the “regular and repeated” threshold would be met (IMO) if he followed him for blocks and blocks and ignored requests to stop. But from the short video we’ve seen, that is not the case.

      • trshmnstr

        “continued or regular”

        Him following the football guy down the street is “continued”. If he had just screamed some epithet and walked the other direction, it wouldn’t be harassment.

        The assumption I’m making is that this video was edited to hide some immediate prior comments by phone boy (this is common in such staged altercations). I don’t imagine that football guy would be slamming the phone on the ground after a single comment.

      • MikeS

        I don’t imagine that football guy would be slamming the phone on the ground after a single comment.

        I can imagine big manly football guy doing just that over one comment.

        However, my entire argument, and presumably those arguing against me, is based entirely on this short video. If there is any evidence to back up your assumption (and I wouldn’t be shocked if you’re right), I reserve the right to change my opinion.

      • Mojeaux

        Dude was following him for half a block in close range shouting, “How do you feel about your faggot brother dating Taylor Swift?” over and over again.

      • MikeS

        @Moj’: I suppose he had a pitbull with him, too.

        😝

      • Mojeaux

        Wow.

        Okay.

      • MikeS

        Moj’, it was a joke.

        Love ya’

      • Spudalicious

        If it’s not worth saying, it’s worth not saying.

    • kinnath

      I’ll say it.

      If you get within arms reach of a stranger, stick a phone in the strangers face, and then insult the stranger (or the stranger’s family) then you have violated the NAP.

      It doesn’t justify great bodily injured, but a knuckle sandwich in the face is not out of line.

      You can’t start a fight, but you can’t provoke a fight either.

      • R C Dean

        Preach it, kinnath.

        Here’s the thing about civil society – that means a sector of society that isn’t under the government’s thumb. It doesn’t mean everyone has to drink tea with their pinky thusly and make snide comments in an Oxbridge accent. Civil society can easily encompass, and may even need, the occasional robust enforcement of norms via a busted phone or even a knuckle sandwich. You rule those out of bounds, but if so you are expanding the zone where only the government can enforce (and thus define) norms.

      • groat scotum

        I’m happy with this, as long as it’s a social construct, not a legal framework.

        Which means it instantly falls apart when you start to involved lawyers.

      • MikeS

        “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.”

        “Civil” society does not mean punching anyone who slights you.

      • R C Dean

        Kelce didn’t punch anybody.

      • kinnath

        It’s not the insult. It’s violating someone’s personal space.

        They’re not crammed into a subway shoulder to shoulder. They’re out on a public sidewalk with lots of room for everyone. The twink had not business getting into Kelco’s space and shoving a cell phone in his face.

      • groat scotum

        Once again why Fuck You money should be the defining rule. You want to take a swing at someone? Can you afford it?

      • R C Dean

        And a civil society that can’t enforce its own norms (within reason) without calling in the state isn’t a civil society any more. It’s a subsidiary of the state.

      • R C Dean

        Kelce didn’t take a swing at anybody.

      • groat scotum

        I was thinking of the douchebag who accosted Mike Tyson of all people on a plane, and took one to the chin for his troubles. Attention seeking asshole? I have no idea. Did Tyson end up paying out for it? Maybe! That’s between him and his lawyers. But I think this sort of thing is much better served as a civil complaint, and if you want to wreck some douchebro’s cellphone, well, if you can afford it, why not?

      • R C Dean

        Dirty little secret of civil complaints: Poor people are judgment proof, and thus effectively immune from them.

      • groat scotum

        Nobody’s suing the idiot who gets punched. But to get to punch an idiot with a phone he shoves in your face, and the consequence is some fraction of your income goes to pay off his lawsuit, well, that seems like a fair bargain.

      • Evan from Evansville

        That’s not Travis, that’s his brother? (Whom I don’t know. ) That many people filming and surrounding a non-player in a non-public/ game event is puking over the line. Let alone putting shit in a non public figure’s face, they’re intimidating and inciting a fight by surrounding and following him. Remarkably behaved of him if NOW I get the context, which I still admit: I do not know.

        Hrm. Seems we have an Iron Rule for that. We have it for a reason and I’m likely sill completely wrong cuz I don’t know the full deal, and never will cuz I wasn’t there.

      • MikeS

        Evan, Jason, Travis’ brother, is also (was?) a player. He’s semi-famous in his own right.

      • slumbrew

        Poor people are judgment proof, and thus effectively immune from them.

        Per Mark Geragos: “an empty bag”

      • Mojeaux

        Jason Kelce, retired center for the Philadelphia Eagles.

  16. groat scotum

    lol J.K. Rowling liked one of my twitter replies.

    Completely meaningless but a little bit surreal when my nothingburger account rubs shoulders with famous people. I just use it to talk trash with other political brainworms twitter addicts.

    • Mojeaux

      Link!

    • Evan from Evansville

      Damn. I’d wanna put that on my fucking resume. *Doffs cap* to both sentiment and the silly- but-meaningful Upper Crust nudge.

  17. groat scotum

    Today has been a banner day for memes.

    A little levity before what I’m sure will be an absolute shitshow of a week. For once I’m glad I’m so busy at work. Speaking of which… google finally did a driveby of our biggest project! The marked data center is mostly finished, and the one on the corner visible in street view is currently being erected. We’ve got two other similarly sized campuses under contract and more being promised as quickly as we can design.

    • Rebel Scum

      Haitians are going after the squirrels now.

      (and the AI messed up the squirrel tail)

    • cavalier973

      That’s a huge erection!

      • groat scotum

        And they was right!

    • Spudalicious

      I hadn’t seen that. That is glorious. Bill holding forth and speaking truth.

    • Evan from Evansville

      Ooooh, that’s gold. The anti-war thing is the only thing I have made loudly known. How the fuck can acolytes keep the cognitive dissonance under control, until I remember… ‘[the vast majority of] folk don’t think about it. It’s more religion than reason.’

      “And I think part of it is that Hamas did not care about a homeland for the Palestinians. They wanted to kill Israelis and make Israel uninhabitable.

      Well, I got news for them, they were there first before their faith existed.” ~ Bill Clinton

      • groat scotum

        Say what you like about the Muslims, at least they’re willing to die for their faith. Lefties in the West are happy watching them die by the thousands and then taking to social media to spit venom at any Jew who pops his or her head over the parapet while pretending it’s just about Israel and Zionism. In that respect alone, I have less contempt for Hamas than I do their ideological allies in Europe and especially the US.

  18. Mojeaux

    The women’s volleyball coach from SJSU who filed the Title IX complaint against having the dude on her women’s team got suspended.

    • Gender Traitor

      I guess SJSU isn’t concerned about losing $$$ from alumni and other donors (because they’re an SU?)

      • Spudalicious

        Plenty of money in the State coffers. And it’s Silicon Valley.

    • Spudalicious

      And Newsom just made it a crime to ask for voter id.

      • rhywun

        That’s just bananas. So corrupt how can anyone even with that? They are just so smug they know they will get away with it I guess.

    • groat scotum

      Wtaf. I realize there’s not any sort of whistleblower protection in play here, but that seems terribly unethical for the university. They’re (I’m assuming) respondents to the complaint, and suspending her looks like retaliation.

      Good on her for standing up for her players.

      • R C Dean

        “I realize there’s not any sort of whistleblower protection in play here”

        Why woudn’t there be?

      • groat scotum

        I have no idea but I expect because she’s objecting to written, published policy, not something done sub rosa, that this isn’t a whistleblower complaint.

      • R C Dean

        Whistleblower protection absolutely extends to protesting written, published policies.

      • groat scotum

        If she can get a payout from her stupid, stupid university, funnel that money baby.

  19. slumbrew

    I’m reading a book where the characters in Manhattan keep saying ‘upstate’ when talking about places on Long Island.

    IT’S DUE EAST OF MANHATTAN

    ‘Upstate’ NY is north of Westchester county, at a minimum.

    Long Island locations are ‘on the island’ or ‘out east’ if you’re talking about way out there, like the Hamptons.

    It’s bumping me every time and annoying enough that I’m going to email the author.

    Also, a plot point involves Manhattan cocktails and “vermouth is bitter”. NO. Sweet vermouth, as used in Manhattans, is very much not bitter. Manhattans have some bitterness due to the 3rd ingredient, the _bitters_.

    Both errors feel a bit lazy.

    Utah-based author may not know New York geography or colloquial directions, and maybe {{{he}}}? doesn’t know cocktails, but in that case expand your beta reader pool.

    /rant off

    • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

      This is why I have a hard time watching and reading a lot of stuff. Once you spot something like this, it is hard not to keep noticing little errors. Breaking Bad? Yeah, what pubsec teacher doesn’t have iron clad insurance? Had to stop watching at that point. A bunch of other ones too, same problem. Getting guns or vehicles wrong, etc. But, oddly, some authors don’t bother me with this. Silencer on a revolver? Sure, why not, because the story is too good, and you know they don’t care. And maybe that is the difference; that if I like the story, I can live in the authors version of the world, and not worry about it. While if I don’t like it, I am much less tolerant of it.

      But, I am perversely happy when I come across a small detail that is immaterial to the story, but the author gets right.

      • slumbrew

        “School teacher turns to crime due to lack of health insurance” _is_ ridiculous.

        Still love the show.

      • DrOtto

        How about school teacher turns to crime because low pay? Teacher, like Vegans and Canadians are going to tell you before you ask.

    • slumbrew

      Oh, a really minor geography thing – “the coast of Long Island”. Sure, it’s an island so it has a coast but it’s so narrow people only refer to “the north shore” or “the south shore”.

      • rhywun

        Yeah, as a geography nerd both of those things would irritate the shit out of me.

        It’s not that hard to get basic stuff like that right.

    • Q Continuum

      No one cares about BosWash.

      /runs away from Acela-Glibs

    • Evan from Evansville

      I strongly approve of and with your rant. That’s damn sloppy. I was thinking it MIGHT be a Euro writing, and then. Well. Utah is like half a Euro on the weird scale.

      I kid. However, not now: The Utah Hockey Club. What the fuckity fuckfuck is that. No one could come up with a ‘compromise-for -now name’ with the owners/funders? Hrm.

      • rhywun

        The Utah Redskins, I hope.

      • Q Continuum

        Utah Polygamists.

        (isn’t polygamy like hip and with it now?)

      • slumbrew

        Utah Redskins would be 🔥🔥🔥

        They’d sell a million jerseys.

  20. groat scotum

    Burn After Reading remains one of the most amazing films I’ve seen.

    • groat scotum

      Brad Pitt’s dumb, dumb smile lives in my head

      • groat scotum

        Tilda Swinton as the least likeable character ever depicted on celluloid and yet I can’t help but identify

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        Malkovich with the hatchet is perfect.

      • groat scotum

        And John Malkovich

        He’s my heart and soul, you understand. Puffed up by his job, but ultimately a loser. A drunkard. A complete turd. And finally, mercifully, destroyed.

      • groat scotum

        Christ you really are the brain scientist

      • groat scotum

        It’s less bleak than In The Loop.

      • Mojeaux

        Tilda as the White Witch in Lion, Witch, Wardrobe was fabulous. Also, the prettiest I’ve seen her. She has an odd charisma.

        I book marked that movie. Last Brad Pitt movie I saw was Bullet Train, which was fun.

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        “And what did we learn here?”

        “I, I don’t know…”

        (also, I aways kinda had the hots for tilda)

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        When they reveal the project Cloony has been working on in his basement… Hoo Boy!

    • Evan from Evansville

      FUCK, I had forgotten that film and its glorious wit and flow. (I also forgot the time.)

      *puff-puff on vape, pass to scrotester* (pipe is in the garage. not goin’ down there.)

    • groat scotum

      MOJ JUST WATCH IT AND DON’T LOOK IT UP.

    • DrOtto

      Because of Clooney’s Roadmaster Estate?

  21. Q Continuum

    Nature is a merciless Old Testament bitch meting out brutal judgement upon pretenders and nebbishes disconnected from reality.

    We must fear and love her (and yes she is Chthonic female to the core) in equal measure. She is the only thing redeeming us, yet she is horrifying and to be avoided and subverted. Thus we live in some awful liminal space that can’t be reconciled. I see it every time I’m in the Far North. The wilderness is a siren song in which I know contentment lies, however it will surely kill me; so I slink back to central heating and wifi.

    Pathetic.

    • groat scotum

      I forgot you’re Jewish.

      What, dare I ask, affliction do you have planned for our Hamas brothers?

      • Q Continuum

        The IDF seems to be carrying out G-d’s plan quite well.

      • groat scotum

        Inshallah.

    • slumbrew

      Why _does_ one travel to Yellowknife, anyway?

      Strikes me as the sort of place one might be from, but not a place one goes.

      • Q Continuum

        See the Canadian Shield, eat poutine, hopefully see the Aurora.

        Enjoy the Far North.

  22. groat scotum

    4/5ths into a bottle of Tito’s and I can fairly say I might have a drinking problem.

    The problem is I don’t get as drunk as I want anymore.

    • MikeS

      You’ve admitted to yourself that things aren’t right. That’s the big first step. You’ll get nothing but support here. You’re amongst friends. How can we help you?

      • groat scotum

        I have no bone of contention in my body. I would never harm anyone.

        I don’t have a woman in my life and I have no children.

        The drinking I do is for me alone, and I like it.

        I’m harming no one but me, and I could give a piss about me.

      • MikeS

        But we like you. And don’t want to see you drink yourself to death for no reason.

        Not trying to push anything. Just want you to know there are random internet strangers who care about you.

      • slumbrew

        “But we like you. And don’t want to see you drink yourself to death for no reason.”

        This is true.

      • Fourscore

        Been down that road.

        Learning to like ones self is the hard part.

        Only good things happened after I made certain changes. That was 40 years ago.

    • Gustave Lytton

      Tolerance is a hell of a drug*. Can go the other way to regain magic.

      *autocorrect changed this to drunk, which is a bit too on the nose

  23. Gustave Lytton

    It’s 2024 and being called gay is still an insult. 🤡 🍿

    • Suthenboy

      It is?
      I am the straightest straight guy that ever drew breath yet not everyone in the world thinks I am the bee’s knees. I dont care.

      • Fourscore

        I’ve been called Asshole so many times it sort of rolls off.

        Is it an insult if it is true?

  24. groat scotum

    5/5 LET’S FUCKING ARRIVE

  25. Gustave Lytton

    Watching Fetterman on JRE. It’s RFK Jr level painful. I’d still toss him out of the Senate, but there are lot more dumber and more evil.

    Defending not requiring voter ID with the same canards. Don’t investigate none, don’t have none. Sure, Lump.

  26. rhywun

    I don’t think the drunk kids streaming out of the bars now realize that they have another hour until it’s 1am again.

    • MikeS

      Kids are lame these days.

      It just dawned on me that I have an extra hour to smoke an extra cigar and post extra shit that’ll irritate some people.

  27. MikeS

    I feel the need to do this. And no, it’s not for virtue signaling. I just want to semi-publicly declare that I’m a Zionist. And I don’t really give a fuck who that might offend.

    • grrizzly

      This is literally the most banal/in-group thing to announce here.

    • Gustave Lytton

      Cmon MikeS, get with the pogrom.

  28. DrOtto

    I’m calling it – last! At least until the a.m. crew shows.

  29. The Hyperbole

    Sean’s very late.

    • Sean

      I’m on weekend schedule.

      Mornin

  30. Not Adahn

    Good morning!

    Not much to add. I like rodents in general. Which doesn’t mean I won’t kill the fuck out of them if they decide to colonize areas I have claimed for my own personal use. Fortunately, none of those that live in my woods have decided to move in. I assume the house was well built.

    • Gender Traitor

      Good morning, NA, Teh Hype, Suthen, and ZWAK!

  31. ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

    God do I hate this day. Screws up my sleep for at least a week.

    • Gender Traitor

      I have two atomic clocks – an analog wall clock and my digital alarm clock. Neither of them has yet reset themselves to the new time, apparently because they haven’t yet been able to connect to “the Mothership” in CO. Last spring, I believe it took setting the wall clock on the sill of the kitchen window that faces NW to get it done. I’ve set my alarm clock on the bedroom window sill (which faces SE,) and I think that usually works, but not necessarily the first night. Tomorrow I may have to rely on my cell phone’s alarm (which I guess is what the kids do these days anyway.)

    • Fourscore

      Oh no, another Peanut Butter day but alas, poor Peanut has departed.

      /looks out the window, sees more Peanut replacements

      • cavalier973

        One of the police officers felt so guilty about killing Peanut, and returned to the owners and offered to replace the squirrel.

        The owners said, “Fine, but can you crack walnuts with your teeth?”

    • Gender Traitor

      Do you want your grilled cheese sammich sliced vertically, horizontally, or diagonally?

      • Ted S.

        I want a Möbius strip-shaped grilled cheese, cut off-center.

      • trshmnstr

        Diagonal.. Better for dipping in a tomato based soup.

  32. cavalier973

    Been reading the “diesel punk” entry at tvtropes, which lead to the “two-fisted tales” entry, which lead to the “Doc Savage” entry.

    I checked to see if there were any Doc Savage stories on LibriVox. There are not.

    So, I may be back to listening to Frankenstein by M. Shelley, but I am unable to give it my full attention while I work, and I seem to have missed something. The main narrator at this point is not Frankenstein. Frankenstein, I think, is one of the main narrator’s professors, but I only heard the name mentioned once.

    Having not ever read the novel before, at this time Inguess that the narrator will assist Frankie in making the monster, or the narrator gets adopted by Frankenstein, because I am pretty sure that the monster seen driving a carriage across the icy, Arctic plain at the beginning of the book seems to be the responsibility of the narrator.

    But, I may be misinterpreting or may have missed some key details.

      • Ted S.

        The district I’m in has a TEAM BLUE man claiming that his TEAM RED female opponent is anti-woman because she doesn’t consequence-free sex and murdering the resulting oopsies.

      • cavalier973

        “Women have the right to control their own bodies!!”

        Well, why don’t they, then?

  33. trshmnstr

    Ugh, I woke up sick, the 3 year old woke up sick, the wife is out running a relay marathon, and I have speaking responsibilities at church in 2 hours. This is gonna be a shitshow.

    • Old Man With Candy

      Hook me up with Zoom and I’ll speak at your church. I’m sure they’ll be talking about it for years to come.

      • Ted S.

        I was looking up living centenarians of note yesterday, and came across this article that I thought might be of interest to you.

      • Old Man With Candy

        I was lucky enough to see him a few times in the ’70s. He name-checks Roy Haynes, who SP and I saw a few years back and the guy was kicking ass at almost 90.

    • Gender Traitor

      Hope you and the kiddo feel better ASAP! Is the church speaking anything you can delegate to another?

      • trshmnstr

        Probably, but not to OMWC. 🤣 I like them too much for that.

        The problem is that it’s supposed to be prepared remarks, and I’m prepared but nobody else is. They’d be winging it, which I don’t want to do to them.

      • cavalier973

        Just ver what Old Man is going to talk about, beforehand. It’ll be fine.

      • Ted S.

        To be fair having a (((homily))) at a church might be an issue, too.

  34. cavalier973

    I started thinking about the local mall, and the empty section that used to be Sears.

    It might make a really good place to install a laser tag, I thought.

    Then, I thought further, and wondered if it would be possible, instead of making a normal, PvP laser tag, if the place could be set up as a “survival horror” laser tag.

    Imagine this: the setting is a spaceship crashed on an alien world.
    There are three phases, each listing a set amount of time:

    Phase one: everyone shoots at approaching space alien monsters that are approaching the ship.

    Phase two: the lights go out, and animatronic aliens are bursting through walls and stuff

    Phase three: everyone has to make it to the airlock to board the rescue craft that just arrived.

    Everyone’s blaster has a limited amount of shots—say, fifty. There are recharge points around the ship. If an alien “tags” someone, he loses 5 shots. Getting within three feet of an alien means one is tagged.

    • cavalier973

      “Approaching monsters approach, approachingly”.

    • cavalier973

      Maybe, to shake things up, anyone “tagged” to zero shots by an alien becomes an “alien ally”, and can only score points by laser tagging the other players.

  35. Tres Cool

    suh’ fam
    yo whats goody yo

    TALL SABBATH CANS!

    • cavalier973

      I agree with AC that Peanut’s owners had gotten popular on the Internets, and so Cabal had them shut down.

      Also, the police investigating the house for five hours while the owners had to sit outside and were denied legal counsel, plus the police asking if they had cameras installed, pretty much confirms for me that the police installed all sorts of spyware (bugs, hidden cameras, etc.) in their house.