Thursday Afternoon Links

by | Jul 13, 2023 | Daily Links | 249 comments

Thanks for confirming what we knew all along – that it’s all made up bullshit.

 

SEVENTY BILLION TONNES: Massive Norwegian phosphate rock deposit can meet fertilizer, solar, and EV battery demand for 50 years. Bonus – nobody can complain about conflict minerals or exploited child miners.

WHITE HOUSE COCAINE ORIGIN REMAINS A MYSTERY: US Secret Service closes investigation, fails to find suspect. All done, nothing else to see, move along.

FUCK THESE PEOPLE: Tax-filing services TaxAct, H&R Block, and TaxSlayer shared customers’ personal tax data With Meta And Google without customer consent.

FIRE UP THE WOODCHIPPER: Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy punches a woman while she is holding her baby.

FDA APPROVES FIRST DAILY ORAL OTC CONTRACEPTIVE: And there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth? Why, you ask? Because insurance won’t cover OTC meds, and doctors had a nice racket where they insisted on an office visit to write the prescription. FWIW, I understand OTC oral contraceptives are used as DIY puberty blockers by Thai Ladyboys.

GO, TEAM INDIA: India Space Research Organisation will make a second try at joining the Lunar Softlander Club with a mission that launches July 14 and includes a lander with a solar powered rover. I wish them well.

About The Author

Tonio

Tonio

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

249 Comments

  1. Common Tater

    A Fistful of Links?

    • Tonio

      Il buone, il male, e il cattivo.

      • SDF-7

        The Good, The Bad and The Catbutt?

      • Tonio

        Okay, I tried to give you an applause gif, but WordPress is being pissy so you get the [golf clap]

  2. SDF-7

    Guaranteed to have plenty of narrow gazes and a mule that don’t like folks laughin’?

  3. Common Tater

    So they have oil and phosphorous?

      • Homple

        And lefse, and gjetost, and Julekaka and gamalost and fattimand and sandbakkels and pickled herring and trollkrem and Kvæfjordkake .

      • Common Tater

        At least I recognized “pickled herring “. Is it as good as (((pickled herring)))?

      • Homple

        Very similar, the Norwegian stuff seems to come in smaller pieces, but much the same taste in my experience. My experience with the kosher stuff is limited, however.

      • Common Tater

        The (((pickled herring))) with onions and sour cream is great.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        “From eight to nine Ulla eat big Swedish breakfast. Many different herrings.”

        My quotations habit is a bad one, ugh.

  4. SDF-7

    SEVENTY BILLION TONNES: Massive Norwegian phosphate rock deposit can meet fertilizer, solar, and EV battery demand for 50 years. Bonus – nobody can complain about conflict minerals or exploited child miners.

    No, they’ll just complain about phosphate runoff and leave it for China or other countries that ignore them to use…

    • Drake

      Yep – I thought they decided that phosphate fertilizer.was bad for Gia? One reason they *have* to seize Dutch farms and turn them into ghettos.

      • Nerfherder (Non-Non-Man)

        But it’s great for batteries which make Gaia happy.

        YOU WOULDN’T WANT TO UPSET GAIA, NOW WOULD YOU?

      • Animal

        STEVE SMITH OFTEN UPSET GAIA. BY UPSET GAIA MEAN RAPE GAIA. MANY TIMES.

      • Tonio

        Yeah, fertilizer runoff does cause algae blooms. It’s a problem. But we can’t feed the earth’s population without artificial fertilizers. Of course we all know what some people’s preferred solution to that is…

      • JaimeRoberto (carnitas/spicy salsa)

        I think ammonia is the pretense for seizing Dutch farms, but phosphate will do too.

      • B.P.

        Nitrogen.

      • Common Tater

        Nitrogen fertilizer is usually ammonium nitrate, so you’re both right.

      • B.P.

        Yesssss.

  5. Nerfherder (Non-Non-Man)

    And just like the Big Bang, the Cocaine Bag did spring into existence from nothing.

    • SDF-7

      I’m really not looking forward to The Cocaine Bag Theory‘s spinoff Young Hunter….

    • Nephilium

      Will it vanish into a black hole?

      • Nerfherder (Non-Non-Man)

        Physicists will be debating the origins of the Cocaine Bag for centuries to come.

        What came before the Cocaine Bag? Can we detect the remnants of the Cocaine Bag in the stars above us?

      • SDF-7

        Will it all be absorbed once again into the Cosmic Nostril and blown back out to renew the cycle?

        Is spacetime curved because we rest on a transdimensional hooker’s buttocks?

      • Nerfherder (Non-Non-Man)

        Watch this explanatory video that describes the lifecycle of the Cocaine Bag.

        https://vimeo.com/162875215

      • Tonio

        Nice. Thanks.

      • JaimeRoberto (carnitas/spicy salsa)

        And out the other side of the black hole Hunter will appear wearing his jock strap and feather boa. That’s how he makes those sudden appearances in Joemala.

    • Tonio

      I suppose it’s good that they didn’t frame some intern or low level aide for that.

      • Nerfherder (Non-Non-Man)

        Low expectations and all that

  6. Common Tater

    “Tax-filing services TaxAct, H&R Block, and TaxSlayer shared customers’ personal tax data With Meta And Google without customer consent.”

    Worse they used pixel, so it was also a security violation.

    • Certified Public Asshat

      Even worse still, they shared the information with the IRS.

  7. SDF-7

    WHITE HOUSE COCAINE ORIGIN REMAINS A MYSTERY: US Secret Service closes investigation, fails to find suspect. All done, nothing else to see, move along.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3Sle_o1bcs

    • The Other Kevin

      They are just toying with us now. What are you peasants going to do about it?

    • Brochettaward

      I believe I called this last week. It was just a garden variety sweep under the rug and not some great political machination.

  8. Sean

    FWIW, I understand OTC oral contraceptives are used as DIY puberty blockers by Thai Ladyboys.

    The things I learn here…

    • Tonio

      Glibs is a font of erudition.

      • Pope Jimbo

        Too bad antibiotics aren’t OTC so you could clear up that erudition without a doc visit.

    • Certified Public Asshat

      Norgestrel should not be used:

      If you have or ever had breast cancer
      If you are already pregnant or think you may be pregnant
      Together with another birth control pill, vaginal ring, patch, implant, injection or an IUD (intra-uterine device)
      As an emergency contraceptive (morning after pill)
      If you are male</strong

      And away we go.

      • Certified Public Asshat

        I aborted my tag.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        It wasn’t viable anyway.

    • Common Tater

      *thows flag*

      No, those are not puberty blockers. They are just a cheap easy way to get hormones. They also used after puberty.

      • Common Tater

        Also, norgestrel is a progestin-only oral contraceptive. It doesn’t contain estrogen.

      • Tonio

        Thanks. I didn’t do my research on that part. The danger of editorializing.

      • Common Tater

        There is an important difference between hormones and puberty blockers.

      • milo

        I’m being serious here. What is the difference? I really would like to know.
        I realize I don’t understand.

      • Common Tater

        Well, there are at least three major differences.

        1) Using hormones (eg. estrogen or testosterone) on adults for gender transition is established practice. Using puberty blockers on children for gender transition is at best experimental, and at worse willful ignorance. It’s simply bad medicine.

        2) Both estrogen or testosterone occur naturally in both sexes, where men have more testosterone and women have more estrogen. Cross-sex hormones reverse that. (The OTC birth control Thai ladyboys use contain estrogen.) Puberty blockers are synthetic drugs that fuck up the hypothalamus. As they are not sex hormones, puberty blockers neither masculinize nor feminize. They don’t add anything (eg. facial hair, breasts). They arrest development.

        3) Puberty blockers are not used for gender transition after puberty, and people should not transition before puberty. Therefore they shouldn’t be used for gender transition. Their main use on adults is to chemically castrate sex offenders.

        How do you make a hormone? Don’t pay her.

      • milo

        Thanks for the reply. I’m ok with most of it until it involves kids. Then it is a hard no.

    • JaimeRoberto (carnitas/spicy salsa)

      Probably why the FDA finally approved it for OTC.

      • Nerfherder (Non-Non-Man)

        That’s what I was thinking.

        GOP states banning puberty blockers? We’ll just make a drug that can be used for that purpose OTC.

      • Common Tater

        See above, it can’t.

      • Nerfherder (Non-Non-Man)

        I’ve drawn my conclusions. It’s too late now.

      • JaimeRoberto (carnitas/spicy salsa)

        Stop talking to me with your facts and reason. That’s white supremacy.

  9. Nerfherder (Non-Non-Man)

    Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy punches a woman while she is holding her baby.

    Just like at home.

    • Drake

      That video started at least 5 minutes too late for me to have an opinion.

      • Nerfherder (Non-Non-Man)

        Unless she was actively trying to harm the child, attempting to remove the baby from her arms was beyond stupid, but predictable cop behavior. They can’t let any defiance go unanswered. De-escalation and waiting it out isn’t an option.

      • pistoffnick

        I have an opinion regardless of the lack of previous video:
        1) Don’t forcibly take children from their mothers
        2) Don’t punch people in the face who aren’t being violent towards you.

        /Ain’t no bad situation a cop can’t make worse.

      • R C Dean

        Hard to tell what exactly was going on, but it looked to me like she was using the baby as a get-out-of-jail-free card. Why did she have it in her arms in the first place? The kid would have been fine in his car seat.

        Punching her was a bit much, but given that she was using her own baby to try to get an advantage on the police, I have approximately zero sympathy for her.

      • R C Dean

        OK, no car seat. Well, then she could have left the kid on the, er, car’s seat. I’m still filing this one under “play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”

    • Sensei

      Not justifying it in any form, but there are no heroes in the story.

      • Pope Jimbo

        I think this is my position too.

        A lot of dumb people in a crowd shouting at each other leads to bad outcomes.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Its Palmdale…lady is lucky he didn’t recruit her to run meth to get out of the ticket.

  10. Common Tater

    “Richard Pippin, president of the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, framed it differently. In an emailed statement he said that the infants’ safety was “clearly our deputies’ highest priority” as the footage showed authorities talking with the women for several minutes before the violence. He added that “some will no doubt say that things could have been done differently.” ”

    CWAA

    • Nerfherder (Non-Non-Man)

      Some might say a whole lot more than that.

    • SDF-7

      Some might even say not using a car seat being spun into felony child endangerment is a gross overreach and maybe if the driver was drunk just getting the mothers and children home safely with a misdemeanor ticket was better than invoking the power of the state to steal their children and incarcerate them and all…

      Some…. unfortunately the Big Nanny Staters control things. If I were feeling uncharitable, CPS pipelines and human trafficking might cross my mind… if I were uncharitable….

      • Nerfherder (Non-Non-Man)

        NO CAR SEAT?

        HANG THEM!

      • Sensei

        As I said above I hate everyone in the story.

        I also hate how long it took for the video to come out.

    • The Gunslinger

      Some might say this deputy should be tied to a chair and given the Gustavo Gaviria Narcos treatment by the male friends and relatives of mom.

      • The Last American Hero

        I’d settle for giving him a ride in the chair without a seat a la Daniel Craig in Casino Royale.

    • Pope Jimbo

      In fairness she might have been a wily scofflaw like these people

  11. Certified Public Asshat

    fails to find suspect.

    But there was always a suspect.

  12. Brochettaward

    What sort of Firster would be handling their own plumbing? I don’t even hold my own cock when I piss.

    • SDF-7

      You heard it hear first folks… no one (not even Bro) wants to come near his junk….

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Sitzpinkler.

      • Common Tater

        Like Jim Acosta?

      • JaimeRoberto (carnitas/spicy salsa)

        The next time someone comes near his junk it will be the first.

    • Certified Public Asshat

      Don’t you just flop it over the waistband?

    • MikeS

      You acknowledge I am a Firster. That’s the First step.

    • milo

      Dribbles down your leg then?
      Sorry. I like your schtick. Somewhat.
      Maybe ease up on it. Familiarity and all that.
      Throw it out there sparingly. Let it grow.

  13. KK, Non-Man

    Is India’s plan to take a bunch of scammers up there and leave them? If so, I’m all for it

  14. Evan from Evansville

    They decided to NOT allow me in the ER inpatient because I wasn’t currently going through DTs. Called my shrink and she didn’t like that, so a session with her on Sat, that might involve my family to some extent…which I will minimize.

    They prescribed my short-term Librium, which certainly is an effective sedative. I purposefully won’t be taking them because I fully intend on continuing to drink over the weekend. Might as well show them what they wanna see. And I’m back in my own place. My other therapist legit understood why I was doing this pre-Wednesday. Part of it is for side-effects, and part is that last psychological “I do what I wanna” to psych myself up for whatever is up next.

    I don’t have much trust in myself and quite serious depression is a major part of that. Loneliness plays a major role.

    Who said life was supposed to be easy? Before I know what’s upcoming, my goal is to write my former bosses and apologize/try to keep in touch. I want my portfolio/etc as well. This is another chapter and I have plenty of other stories. I want to write at least a rough draft a day.

    We shall see what the future holds.

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      🤨

      Evan, hun: are you looking to get/cement a reputation for medical noncompliance?

      • Sensei

        Thanks.

        Evan, as a person that’s been forcibly Al Anon’d, I’m asking do you want to get better? Until you want to really get better it won’t happen.

        We’d all like for you to get better, but that’s up to you.

      • Evan from Evansville

        Not sure about cementing anything. I have (in-jokingly) thought of being jailed just to get eyes on me. An asylum would be most appropriate. I believe in bringing them back, sans insane corruption that occurred yesteryear. A convent, even. Just give me writing assignments. Sure.

        I am deeply ambivalent about “getting better.” I am not sure what it means. Nothing about me is ever going to get better:

        My hips aren’t coming back and eventually will need worse replacing.
        My brain is never going to recover the chunk it lost.
        My memories are never coming back.
        Epilepsy is ‘mostly’ under control but still springs up in ‘interesting’ ways. That ain’t goin’ away.
        Gout is having fun afflicting me in a new spot!
        My GAD and family social anxiety ain’t going away.

        And I’m 36. Age is going to make everything worth, see also: being Human. If this is the ‘apex’ of the rest of my life…why not at least enjoy a few moments? I’m specifically not taking meds that will interfere badly with hooch.

        They constantly ask me about suicidal thoughts, which I do not have, though I know exactly how I WOULD. That seems to get their attention. Maybe just play that up, but that also runs the risk of…oh wait. Pretty much the exact inpatient I’m willing to bite the bullet for.

      • Evan from Evansville

        *Age is going to make everything worse.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Noooo. Deny any hint of such thoughts to professionals. You don’t want to be an involuntary patient.

        Maybe a retreat in a monastery would in fact suit you (but, loneliness).

      • Evan from Evansville

        I really just need structure stability. Running a print/online newspaper alone as a rookie gave me no schedule, no time off, no regular anything. I fucked up on my own with my bad habits to get rid of that constant stress, but that lack of structure is to be avoided in the future.

        I’d love to work as a janitor or whatever and just have something straight-up and familiar.

        “Accomplish Tasks A, B and C by 5 p.m.”

        I don’t want to have to be creative at work right now. Just menial labor or basic factory/warehouse shit that I can handle, certainly nothing complicated. If I do something that requires thought, it requires much thought to keep my organism together.

        When I get home, I don’t have any desire to be creative because I spent all day teaching/reporting etc and had to be on my feet and mind. And when writing was my job, I certainly didn’t feel like writing at home for my hobby.

        I’ve got several books in me. I know that is the skill I’m best at. I also actively enjoy editing. I’m a weirdo. I consider it fun.

        Hrm.

        @Tox: Yeah, I’ve only said my “how I would” to separate dr-patient folk. Not at all at the ER. Involuntary patient sounds. Um. Terrible. But what I kinda need. Just, I wanna do it my way and not be taken away.

      • Fourscore

        Evan, there are others that suffer pain constantly. When I see those little kids with all the suffering, the vets with limbs missing, I realize that there are people with serious problems, not some pissy inconvenient and uncomfortable troubles.

      • Evan from Evansville

        That’s why I was outspokenly upset that I was told to go to the ER, where EVERYONE I saw had far worse issues to deal with than I did. I knew this and fought against it.

        I went. I was displeased with the advice I was given, but I did it anyway. And it properly wasted 8 hours of everyone’s time. So it goes.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        @E: for liability? 🤷‍♀️

      • Mojeaux

        Look, I have lots of things to say, but I finally decided that if I can’t get my sugar addiction and weight under control in the simplest of circumstances, why should I be telling you what to do?

        However, I think TO’G’s idea of joining a monastery could be just the ticket.

      • Evan from Evansville

        The monastery isn’t the craziest idea, though I doubt they’ll let me smoke. It worked before. Reliability is trustworthy.

        Just need a direction to go in. I want to see if I can get old travel pics from my busted external HD, but it’s a start. The process I’m about to go through is certainly a primary source project.

        Ev is such a silly organism.

      • Mojeaux

        though I doubt they’ll let me smoke

        … that’s … the point.

      • Evan from Evansville

        I only need to quit one drug. The one that causes Slow-Motion Suicide.

        The other has proven to be effective. And far less disruptive than the other fucking meds they’ve got me on. Those just deaden me and take away everything. MJ is the safest drug in the history of human civilization. It helps myriad symptoms. I’m confident in my decision.

      • Name's BEAM. James BEAM

        ^^THIS.

        Evan, as someone who’s sent you cash in the past, I’m weighing in ever-so-briefly on this:

        Change. Your. Thinking. (The *literal* meaning of the old “religious” word “repent.”)

        It’s an act of will, and maybe the only thing that truly separates us from the brute beasts of the field and forest.

      • Sensei

        BEAM,

        We are still in the bargaining stage here.

        I have two close family and friends that are recovered and one that’s been to rehab more times than I can count.

        Right now with the current attitude we are in single digits for success.

        That’s Evan’s choice as he told us above. I will point that doing so hurts those around him although I can’t speak for his family one would assume they would like him better.

      • Name's BEAM. James BEAM

        I don’t bargain, and don’t care about it in others.

        This is why Spousal Unit doesn’t normally let me speak with my nieces.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Not join… Just go somewhere quiet for a week or month.

      • Mojeaux

        From his description, it seems to me that unstructured alone time with his thoughts might be suboptimal for the purpose.

      • Common Tater

        He can go to an ashram and have structured time with other people.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        I thought he said it had worked before. “It” meaning smoking, rather? I’m also unsure now what substance is being smoked.

      • Mojeaux

        Weed.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Yeah, I gather that now.

      • Evan from Evansville

        @ BEAM: Will is what I need. I have a long-time friend, whom I’m getting stronger relationship signs from. That will give me a reason to have will. I’m gonna call her in a bit. I love her. Certainly not IN love w her yet, but we get along lovely.

        @ Sensei: Family support is the one thing I am Blessed with. ^^Lady is an adopted orphan and can’t imagine. My family is with me on all of it. I am making steps. I tried full inpatient but my psychiatrist may be able to grease the wheels. She knows folk.

        @Tox: Being wholly alone is bad for me. My autonomy isn’t wholly to be trusted. Escapism is a constant. Eyes on me is good. I also thrive on being miscellaneous and unknown/seen. Tricksy.

        ^^ Weed. Worked before EASILY for six months before. Getting on my own is what sent me adrift. Relapsed on the Slow-Motion Suicide. They’ll let me smoke “sealed packs of cigarettes” but apparently vapes, which I use 95% of the time…are bad news. Hrm.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        S-M S is cigs? I thought maybe you meant alcohol.

        I wouldn’t lump vaping in with cigarettes; how narrow-minded.

      • Evan from Evansville

        Alcohol is my primary sin.

        Cigs, SEALED!, they allow, but tobacco vapes, which I use ~90% of the time, and weed vapes (duh) are completely outlawed. They encourage people to smoke rather than vape. Iron Rule on that…HRM….

      • milo

        Evan. You seem like a much younger man than me.
        You have done more than I ever dreamed of.
        I am so frightened that I might step outside my zone. I only live through people like you. And I am thankful for it.
        I’ve read your adventures here. And they have helped me.
        You need to understand that you are important. You mean something in the universe.
        Alcohol is a damned sorry mistress. You need to just say goodbye to her. She is not your friend.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Evan, you somehow remind me of a hypomanic and less whiny Holden Caulfield. Not meant as either compliment or insult.

      • Evan from Evansville

        @ Milo: It’s another adventure. They’re supposed to be difficult for a reason. (Makes for a better story.) Also provides more insight into what this world is all about. It ain’t supposed to be easy.

        @ Tox: Nothing at all taken. I’m a goofy little creature. I’ve seen the world and been broken in multiple ways. But I’m still on my feet. Complaining is a crime for me and Dad/others. It does nothing but spiral one down further into the depths of despair.

        I just have to make this next step. I’m aboard. I don’t think it will be pleasant, but I’m always remarkably chipper. I find the flower in the weeds. Growth is a big one. Possible New Lady is a great incentive.

        She’s going to call me when she’s done with dinner.

      • milo

        Evan. Alcohol is not an adventure. It’s a journey to the lowest point that you will ever experience.
        Suffering is not necessary for the “Muse” to inspire you. Suffering just makes you suffer. That is the lie writers live with.
        I’m almost 60 years old and have not done a tenth of what you have done with your life.
        Get serious about turning it around. Get God. Get a friend that will stand by you.
        Life is easy if you let it. You have to let it.

      • Fourscore

        I quit drinking over 40 years ago. Had I not I’d either be dead or in jail. I realized that alcohol was not my friend, I cold turkeyed, couldn’t sleep well for 3 weeks. Never wanted to drink again. One was never enough.

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      Keeping on good terms with your old employers is wise too, if you can keep it brief, sincere, and not too 4th-Step.

  15. KK, Non-Man

    Now the latest thing is that women are walking talking hate-crimes, according to Event Brite.

    So look out for new Zoom pronouns this weekend

    • Nerfherder (Non-Non-Man)

      What?

    • Ownbestenemy

      Well…we should host them!

    • rhywun

      To be fair, I bet a “men’s” activity would get the same treatment.

      These are the same ilk who banned the phrase “ladies and gentlemen”.

  16. Tundra

    Thanks for the lynx, Tonio!

    Why aren’t most drugs OTC?

    J/K, I know why.

    Tax-filing services TaxAct, H&R Block, and TaxSlayer shared customers’ personal tax data With Meta And Google without customer consent.

    I think it is safe to assume that privacy is mostly dead. We are gonna need Miracle Max I think.

  17. The Late P Brooks

    Bloody Hell, it’s like Jack’s fekkin beanstalk out there. I noticed some ivy doing a STEVE SMITH on one of my trees (No idea- tall skinny evergreens, about thirty feet or so tall) a day or two ago. I went out there to deal with it, and it’s growing like crazy twelve or fifteen feet high in this tree, rapidly taking it over like the Borg. I think I got it cleaned out of there, and cut the roots.

    • Tundra

      Paint the cut roots with poison. Otherwise you’ll be back out there very soon.

      • Name's BEAM. James BEAM

        It’s what the Spousal Unit does; nukes cut foliage with full-strength RoundUp and a paintbrush.

        Dead’s dead.

    • Sean

      You been feeding it Brawndo?

      • Nerfherder (Non-Non-Man)

        It does have what plants crave.

    • Drake

      I just cut the roots and let nature deal with the rest.

  18. Common Tater

    “EXCLUSIVE Health crises strike two North Carolina counties: Chemical factory has been dumping PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ into drinking water since the 1980s — now residents say they’re being struck down by wave of cancers, disease and miscarriages”

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-12292999/PFAS-chemicals-linked-wave-cancer-illness-North-Carolina.html

    Still no idea how they can be “forever” and reactive at the same time, because I’m not a chemical engineer.

    • Sensei

      Paging OMWC…

    • Nerfherder (Non-Non-Man)

      There’s two things that make me believe that it’s a very bad thing.

      1) DuPont
      2) Fayetteville

      Beyond that I have little information.

      • Homple

        Back in my basic training days at Fort Bragg (or whatever they call it now), Fayetteville was called “Fatalville”. Sounds like it still might merit the name.

    • Tundra

      Revealed: The dangers of abusing steroids

      Oh, fuck off.

      • milo

        Lord, yes. He has an IQ around 160. Doesn’t mean he’s immune from being stupid in this life.
        He looked around…saw what he had in the physical department and decided that was the way to go.
        Seems logical to me.

      • milo

        Lord, yes. He has an IQ around 160. Doesn’t mean he’s immune from being stupid in this life.
        He looked around…saw what he had in the physical department and decided that was the way to go.
        Seems logical to me.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Wonder what that is like…fiancé younger than daughter lol

      • JaimeRoberto (carnitas/spicy salsa)

        That would be weird, but what should be the appropriate gap? I’m thinking about 10 years older.

      • Pope Jimbo

        I wonder if that girlfriend had told him “I must make you broke”?

      • The Last American Hero

        Half your age plus 7. So dolph should shouldn’t be dating much under 40, which would mean a minimum 13 year gap to the daughter.

    • rhywun

      Dolph showed off his impressive muscular physique as he went shirtless in patterned board shorts.

      Journalisming like it’s 1999.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Just like taut bums and perky breasts

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Leggy and busty displays…

      • Pope Jimbo

        In shape and a name that is one letter from being very, very bad.

        Yup, totes white supremecist.

  19. Common Tater

    “EXCLUSIVE: Scientists who denounced Covid lab leak theory as a conspiracy secretly believed it was ‘highly likely’ the virus escaped Chinese research facility, leaked messages obtained by DailyMail.com show

    Dr Kristian Andersen, a Danish evolutionary biologist, co-authored a now-notorious research paper published in March 2020 that denounced the origin scenario as a conspiracy theory and xenophobic…

    Separate, publicly-available communications between the virologist and his co-authors show how the group backed the natural origin theory – the idea the virus jumped from an animal to a person in the wild – for ‘political’ reasons and feared pinning the blame on the Chinese lab would cause a ‘s***show’ and threaten future funding of virus manipulation research.”

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-12289007/Scientist-denounced-Covid-lab-leak-theory-said-privately-highly-likely.html

    Like those Maybeline models, Occam has a full beard.

    • The Other Kevin

      Example #34,759,490: “Disinformation” does not always equal “untrue”.

      • grrizzly

        Disinformation is anything that’s considered harmful to the regime.

  20. The Late P Brooks

    Bidenomics watch: I was at Lowe’s earlier. I am pleased to report a forty dollar wheelbarrow now costs ninety. I did not buy one.

    • The Other Kevin

      You’ve just got a bad attitude, the economy is doing great! /CNN

      • creech

        It seems that cost of living increases, while annoying, don’t trouble a whole lot of people. It is when lots of folks you know start losing their jobs (which hasn’t really happened yet) that wholesale changes are made at the ballot box. Of course, such job cuts are usually blamed on the employer being a greedy rich s.o.b. and not on anything coming out of the Swamp.

      • milo

        It troubles those stupid enough to retire in the last few years. I never worried about food prices while I was working. Now, it is a prime concern.
        Interest rates exploding…food prices exploding…gas prices exploding…I saw it coming and still retired to a fixed income.
        I’m starting to worry that I may be slightly below average as far as smarts go.

    • kinnath

      Hey, that’s not inflation. That’s fascists causing supply chain disruptions to make Biden look bad.

    • Sean

      Steal it.* Duh.

      *Advice only good in Democrat run shit holes.

    • The Gunslinger

      It costs more because they had to make it weaker.

    • JaimeRoberto (carnitas/spicy salsa)

      Just a part of the war on mobility.

    • SDF-7

      Of course prices are going up — they have the Weimar Republic precedent to know their stock will be replacing wallets soon.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Wheelbarrowing used to be only a 10 upcharge downtown. What a shame.

  21. The Late P Brooks

    Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy punches a woman while she is holding her baby.

    At least he didn’t snipe her from afar.

  22. rhywun

    Why, you ask? Because insurance won’t cover OTC meds

    Cue the cries for “free” birth control in 3, 2, 1, ….

    • Tundra

      Technically that already exists.

  23. Ownbestenemy

    Tax-filing services…

    This news broke months ago, so interesting to see it regain steam (it should cause its all bullshit)

  24. kinnath

    The Drinker Recommends… Sound of Freedom

    Apparently, the liberal media are going bonkers over this movie. I saw a hit piece on Slate this morning.

    And yet, a friend on facebook (retired teacher) posted that she has just seen the movie and thought it was very important.

    I think this is going go cause so fractures in the political left.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Its reactionary horror because “not my side did it!”. If Sean Penn put the movie out they would be fawning over it.

    • Nephilium

      One of the local bars/restaurants (they deal with paleo/keto/vegan/etc. meals) has offered a $20 credit (on a future visit) if you bring in your ticket stub to that movie.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Well when fresh recruits are hard to come by you pull out the inactive reserves I guess. I am so glad I got out as a hardship case that made me ineligible for inactives.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Opps, misread. Its ready reserves he is calling up.

      • Tundra

        What does that mean?

      • Pope Jimbo

        It means FourScore better make sure his uniform fits. Democracy in Ukraine needs him!

      • creech

        I hear Ukraine is lovely in the Fall.

      • Fourscore

        The hat still fits, if I get a haircut.

        Ya know, this is sort of a draft. The unintended consequences is that the reserve recruitment will suffer. Then what?

      • The Last American Hero

        I’d pay to see that movie. Paperwork fuckup means a retiree who did a stint several decades ago gets called up to report, hijinx ensue.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Trump did it to ‘combat COVID’, but he told us he was doing that and the media of course was all over it. Biden and the current DOD and media are silent on his call ups. He recently called them up to ‘combat drug runners’ or some such in April.

        The EO does state it is for https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Atlantic_Resolve

      • SDF-7

        Operation Saber Rattling and Operation I Double Dog Dare Ya You Pony Soldier were obviously taken already.

      • Nerfherder (Non-Non-Man)

        Don’t forget Operation Push Up Contest

      • Ownbestenemy

        Well this one would be Operation Beer Garden or Operation Bitter Clingers

    • Nerfherder (Non-Non-Man)

      Hopefully just stroking the Poles’ a little and nothing more.

  25. Shpip

    I was reminded earlier that today is National Barbershop Music Appreciation Day.

    I was planning on shrimp and grits for dinner, but now I think I’ll have hominy instead.

  26. The Late P Brooks

    In other news

    A 19-foot Burmese python — the longest ever recorded — was caught by local hunters in South Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve this week. To put the catch into perspective, the snake is as long as an adult giraffe is tall.

    It was caught on Monday by 22-year-old Jake Waleri, who brought the python to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida in his hometown of Naples, the conservancy said. Officials there measured the snake at 19 feet and 125 pounds, and said it set a new world record for length.

    A video of Waleri’s record-breaking catch on Instagram shows the python lunging at Waleri as he pulls the snake onto the road by its tail. Waleri and the snake wrestled on the ground until others joined in to help peel the snake off the hunter.

    Yee haw.

    • B.P.

      “the snake is as long as an adult giraffe is tall”

      I’m going to need that measured in hot dogs.

      • Name's BEAM. James BEAM

        What if they’re Kirkland foot-longs? What about Hebrew National dogs?

      • UnCivilServant

        Those deviant sausages? Not a good unit of measure.

  27. The Late P Brooks

    but now I think I’ll have hominy instead.

    “BOOOO! Get off the stage!”

  28. Pope Jimbo

    This story made me realize that I hadn’t heard anything from IO lately. Too bad the streak had to end.

    Rep. Ilhan Omar said “no way in hell” would she attend a speech by Israeli President Isaac Herzog to a joint session of Congress next week, provoking former Vice President Mike Pence to call the Democratic lawmaker’s remarks antisemitic.

    Herzog is visiting Washington, D.C. to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Israel. But he is part of a far-right Israeli government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, who has provoked protests for its attempt to unilaterally enact legislation that would weaken the nation’s Supreme Court and other democratic institutions so his government could more easily create settlements in the West Bank on Palestinian lands.

    “There is no way in hell I am attending the joint session address from a President whose country has banned me and denied @RashidaTlaib the ability to see her grandma,” Omar, D-5th District, said on Twitter. Omar and fellow progressive Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, have been barred by the Israeli government from its nation.

    “Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s address comes on behalf of the most right-wing government in Israel’s history, at a time when the government is openly promising to ‘crush’ Palestinian hopes of statehood – essentially putting a nail in the coffin of peace and a two-state solution,” Omar said in her Twitter thread.

    • MikeS

      essentially putting a nail in the coffin of peace and a two-state solution

      You mean the two-state solution that the Palestinians refuse to discuss?

      • SDF-7

        She’d probably be upset to hear that “Took them long enough” is my gut reaction (and I suspect I’m not alone).

      • MikeS

        I can guarantee you aren’t alone.

    • Nerfherder (Non-Non-Man)

      I’ve come to the conclusion that Israel and Palestine can both go to hell.

      • Tundra

        #metoo

      • Name's BEAM. James BEAM

        Israel gets the third circle. Palestine goes so deep that Satan has to invent a new circle for ’em.

    • Ted S.

      But he is part of a far-right Israeli government,

      The President is elected separately from the government, much closer to the ceremonial presidents that a lot of European countries have.

      And the proper pejorative for Shas and UTJ would be something like “ultra-Orthodox”, not “far-right”.

  29. Pope Jimbo

    Prairie reparations today, tomorrow and in perpetuity!

    The troubled history of the relationship between Minnesota’s Native Americans and the University of Minnesota was detailed in the TRUTH Report, released in April. The 600-page study by a team of Native scholars says it “details how the founding regents and the University of Minnesota have undermined Tribal sovereignty and Indigenous self-determination, using genocide, land expropriation, and exploitation of Indigenous knowledge systems to transfer and accumulate wealth.” The report also said the university “has participated in the development and teaching of revisionist narratives that conceal the systemic harms perpetuated against Indigenous peoples.”

    The TRUTH Report also recommended “reparations in perpetuity” from the Permanent University Fund, “to Indigenous peoples.”

    I think that that team of Native scholars is guilty of cultural appropriation. Unless their study was done entirely using pictographs on buffalo hides, I think they might have stolen from us white eyes.

    • rhywun

      “reparations in perpetuity”

      That’s how you know it’s totally not a scam.

      • Nerfherder (Non-Non-Man)

        That’s how you get another genocide.

  30. The Late P Brooks

    Insufficiently harsh

    The Justice Department plans to appeal the 18-year-prison sentence handed down for Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right Oath Keepers, in the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, as well as those of other Oath Keepers, because the terms were not as long as what prosecutors had sought, according to court papers filed Wednesday.

    Although Rhodes received a lengthy sentence for seditious conspiracy and other convictions, the 18-year term was less than the 25 years the Justice Department had asked for in one of the most serious cases to go to trial in the Capitol riot and below the range recommended under federal guidelines. Still, Rhodes’ sentence was the longest handed down so far in over 1,000 Capitol riot cases.

    Defendants routinely appeal their convictions and sentences, but it is more unusual for prosecutors to challenge the length of a prison term imposed by judges who have wide discretion when handing down punishments.

    Land of the free, they said. Home of the brave, they said.

    • Nerfherder (Non-Non-Man)

      If they put all the US Attorneys to the gallows, I would not shed a tear.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Don’t try to hide that political persecution people!

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      *redacted*
      *redacted*
      The Justice Department is lower than whale shit IMHO.

    • creech

      If DOJ was allowed to have used piano wire and a meat hook, they would have.

    • LCDR_Fish

      Gord- stupid autocorrect

    • Name's BEAM. James BEAM

      Excellent. Thanks, LCDR_Fish.

    • rhywun

      If these men are exonerated, Canadians will start demanding answers about a whole lot of other things.

      Terrific line. Does it smell like bananas in here?

    • rhywun

      Bandwagon + inertia.

      Everyone wants to push this shit because think it’s “the right side of history” except it’s already played out. Maybe this ad was created weeks or months ago, before the pushback started.

      • Sensei

        Yeah, this guy isn’t arguing for irreversible child surgery.

        However, not sure how this is going to make women feel this increases their femininity.

      • rhywun

        It isn’t.

        The ad’s goal is to demonstrate that the company is woke.

  31. Timeloose

    Serious question the Glibertariate. My 14 year old dog has started having seizures. One Monday and one today at the vet. The doctor took blood and is not seeing any other indications but possible cancer. The cancer related blood tests will be available tomorrow

    My wife is worried about him suffering and I’m trying to be open to him possibly having some time left if we can treat his seizures. She is home with him all day, but is going away for two weeks soon.

    If it is cancer we will likely have him put down to give him death with dignity. If not then it becomes a harder question.

    How have you dealt with this in the past? It was black or white for me with other dogs.

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      Is that him, your avatar?

      What sort of cancer? And what can you do but wait for the results?

      • Timeloose

        That’s him. 14 is old for a 85# pitbull. Since he is having sudden seizures likely brain cancer.

        Waiting is hard, but what to do if it is cancer is the issue. He still walks 2-3 miles a day is less active than 1 year ago, but could he still have some time left?

        I’m worried I’m being too optimistic and my wife too fatalistic.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Have you been to the specialty vet? Is there one near you?

        Is home euthanasia (I hope not soon) an option? We did this recently but it turned out to be about triple the usual price.

      • Timeloose

        In house hospice vet has been contacted.

      • Tundra

        We opted out because of the other dog. No idea if that was the correct decision.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        I hear that it helps the remaining dogs to observe. OTOH, I have seen some RDs recover quickly.

      • Sensei

        Remarkably it was cheaper for us at home compared to our prior overpriced vet.

        Much less stressful on the animal and us.

      • PutridMeat

        I’ve, unfortunately, done it both ways. With the vet, it’s perhaps a bit easier, cleaner. With in home, at least in our case, I found it more difficult for me. It wasn’t do the deed, walk out. We were there for the whole process after the actual act. However – it was infinitely better for him. He got to lay on his familiar bed and relax, no getting him into the car, out, into the office, etc. Just a nice walk to his favorite bushes, then come back and relax on his bed. To spare him the disruption of the whole process of getting to the vet, if you’ll permit me what may be a bit of anthropomorphization, I think it was worth it.

      • db

        We have had an in-home euthanasia done, and it was 1000x better for the animal (and us) than having to take the poor pet on a stressful ride to the vet’s office.

      • rhywun

        LOL I don’t even walk 2-3 miles a day.

        Best wishes for the doggie.

      • PutridMeat

        My girl had cancer (bladder) back in 2014. We got her treatment and she had 6 months of good quality life, walks, chasing lizards and bunnies. Cancer seemed under control, but she took a turn for the worse. We may have held on for week too long, but the 6 months were high quality for her. And us.

        It’s impossible to say; but if he still walks 2-3 miles a day, has a good appetite, alert, and is only ‘less active’; I’d say that it’s still a good quality of life for both you and the pup. Get the test results, and keep a very close eye on him. It usually seems that it isn’t a long lingering thing – as long as you are observant and pay attention to his signals, you’ll know when it’s time. Of course, if the seizures continue and get worse with no diagnoses, regardless of test results, that’s no way for either of you to live. I can say that no matter what you end up doing, you will always have a lingering fear that it was wrong, either direction.

        Sorry and small consolation; one always wonders if the joy and happiness we get from them makes up for the pain that will ultimately come, no matter what. But I mostly remember the good and only occasionally get a bit misty.

      • Zwak , “There is infinite amount of hope in the universe… just not for us.”

        First of all, talk to your vet. See what he has to say, and whether you should be optimistic or pessimistic should stem from that conversation. They aren’t going to say something they don’t mean in that situation. And at that point, make an informed choice.

        I have been there with the seizures, and we had a couple good years after that the vet saw her and treated the cause. But we were very watchful, and when it was time, we took care of our little girl.

    • Sensei

      Sorry. Can’t speak for dogs, but we knew when it was time for our late cat.

      It was a bit gray at first, but it became clear when his quality of life diminished.

      • Mojeaux

        We put our cat down after listening to her struggle to breathe for weeks/months (can’t remember when we noticed). Congestive heart failure? You’ll never have to struggle for breath again, sweet cat.

      • rhywun

        Yeah, I learned my lesson a couple years back after kitty #1 collapsed on the kitchen floor and she died at the emergency vet. There were signs that I chose to ignore.

        Kitty #2 rapidly declined after that and I did not let her go through such pain.

    • Tundra

      July 22 will be a year since we put our PON down. He didn’t have cancer or anything, but he could no longer walk down the stairs and I had to help him with one of those slings.

      I was ok with kicking the can until my best friend, after his wife told him of conversations with my wife, called me to ask me what the fuck I was doing. It was a kick in the balls, but he was right. Max was almost 15 and his quality of life was getting bad. We were leaving, too, for a trip and he asked me if I was comfortable with the house/dog sitter having to deal with an even worse turn. I wasn’t. So we made the call. The kids came over and spent a few hours with him before we went to the vet. Our vet couldn’t have handled it better. They had a lovely room that was comfy and calm. We hung out with Max, the doc came in when we were ready and he went really peacefully.

      I can’t tell you what to do, but I waited too long with my GSD. She collapsed one Sunday morning and ended up being euthanized at the emergency clinic surrounded by stress and anxiety. I almost did it again.

      We owe our pets our best judgment, especially at the end. Good luck, brother. Prayers out for you and your family

      • Timeloose

        Thanks everyone. This is going to be a rough one. My wife is going to be a mess and I’m not immune. I don’t want to wait too long but also not too soon.

        He was having stairs problems about two months ago. We got him anti-inflammatory pills and he has been jumping up on the porch like he used to.

        Now I wonder if he was having neurological issues as well.

      • Gender Traitor

        I’m so sorry. I dread having to make those decisions some day. Didn’t have much choice with Previous Black Cat – he suddenly started struggling to breathe, and our vet directed TT to take him to the emergency vet clinic on the opposite side of town (!!) Shortly after they finally got there, he went into cardiac arrest. In hindsight, I remembered that one of the first times we took him to the vet, she said she detected a heart murmur. I assume it just finally caught up with him.

        Best wishes, hugs, and ear scritches for the dogie.

  32. rhywun

    Ugh I’ve had my fill with “eccentric” people. 🙄

    • rhywun

      That was re: Paddleball Paul or Handball or teenager of color fan Paul or whatever the fuck was going on in that rambling mess of an article.