About The Author

Banjos

Banjos

Wife of sloopy, mother to three bright, curious, and highly active young girls. Perpetually exhausted.

414 Comments

  1. Festus

    Run, Kitteh!

  2. Drake

    We have the right to peacefully assemble.

    “Chansley… faces several counts for trespassing and disorderly conduct. He has been incarcerated since January, denied bail awaiting trial. He has no criminal record.”

    So much for that nice idea.

    • Rat on a train

      Trespassing is the worst crime you can commit. He’d be free today if only he’d stayed outside and tried to burn it down.

      • Sean

        +1 commercial grade fireworks

    • WTF

      Equal justice under the law is a dead letter.
      BLM/Antifa riots = peaceful protest; Democrats pay your bail and prosecutors drop charges
      Enter the Capitol and wander around without breaking anything = violent armed insurrection and jailed indefinitely without bail while prosecutor throws book at you

      • db

        Don’t forget the part where if you’re not a Democrat-favored protestor, anyone trying to pay your bail or donate to your legal aid fund will be doxxed and attacked in the media, themselves.

  3. Rat on a train

    Missing tiger running about in Houston to live in animal sanctuary.
    Better surround the sanctuary with rocks.

    • WTF

      You mean the masks don’t also repel tigers?!

      • Rat on a train

        Ending the mask mandate endangers us all.

      • Surly Knott

        Equity!

  4. Trigger Hippie

    ‘Lt Col. Matthew Lohmeier, commander of 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base, Colo., was relieved from duty over a “loss of trust and confidence in his ability to lead,” a Space Force spokesperson told Military.com.

    “This decision was based on public comments made by Lt. Col. Lohmeier in a recent podcast. Lt. Gen. Whiting has initiated a Command Directed Investigation on whether these comments constituted prohibited partisan political activity,” the spokesperson added…

    Lohmeier earlier this month self-published a book titled “Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military,” which is described as “a timely and bold contribution from an active-duty Space Force lieutenant colonel who sees the impact of a neo-Marxist agenda at the ground level within our armed forces.”’

    As Tulip pointed out yesterday, one doesn’t go on a podcast, much less write a book that criticizes your employer and not expect repercussions.

    He’s probably on point with this but the dude should have known better.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      What baffles me is how political CRT is. The military doesn’t seem to have a problem with that.

      • Trigger Hippie

        Oh, I agree. I’m no fan of an overtly political ideology, any ideology, been pushed by the military brass. And if this guy intentionally sabotaged his career on principle, good for him. Just saying don’t shit on your employer in a public setting if you’re not prepared to be a former employee. That goes for any job.

      • zwak

        Someone pointed out that Wolk is the language of the upper class in the western world, and anyone who wants to be counted in that group will use the terms and conditions of CRT. And from that point of view, actions like how political it is, how totalitarian, makes sense for someone who wants that but isn’t a natural member of that class.

        The most fervent Nazis were those who looked Jewish.

    • Sean

      It’s also the #1 best seller in Amazon books right now. So he has that going for him.

    • db

      If, by “on point,” you mean “the guy leading the march through the forest who sets off the first Bouncing Betty,” then, yeah, probably.

    • Gustave Lytton

      much less write a book that criticizes your employer and not expect repercussions

      *looks at HR McMaster’s career*

      Yeah…

      • juris imprudent

        I am so hoping he writes a book that uses the same analysis he applied to Dereliction of Duty to his service in the Trump Admin. I’m probably hoping in vain.

      • Gustave Lytton

        Two schools of thought

        1) Lobotomized when he got his first star pinned on

        2) Reread his own book as a how-to manual.

        I still find it amusing that Douglas MacGregor has become a voice railing against the warmongers.

  5. Fourscore

    Morning Banjos !

    If the New Yorkers fill up FL some will be moving on to TX. Too bad . TX will never recover.

    • Urthona

      I moved from New York and am awesome.

      • db

        That’s exactly the kind of thing a New Yorker would say about himself.

      • Urthona

        You mean a Texan.

      • SDF-7

        Nah… everyone knows the people who are really obnoxious about their state are from Rhode Island

      • Urthona

        Yup. Seen it. My kids actually love that show.

        And truth be told, we thought New Yorkers were extremely arrogant about where they lived. And they are. But Texas may have them beat.

      • SDF-7

        Out of pure curiosity — what do they think of the new(er) cast?

        And if we’re recommending BYUtv shows, I’m also partial to Dwight in Shining Armor..

      • Urthona

        They don’t like the newer cast as much is all I know.

        They actually began watching it on their own because apparently it was word of mouth among kids.

        I’ve never heard of it, but I’ll check it out.

      • Not Adahn

        Texans are propagandized from birth. It’s pretty amazing moving there.

      • Banjos

        Texas can’t help being so fucking awesome.

      • Ted S.

        You are?

      • Urthona

        Do I detect a note of complete agreement here?

      • UnCivilServant

        We stipulate you may be from New York.

      • Urthona

        ahem… *clears throat*

        “y’all”

        Yup. It doesn’t get more Texan than that.

      • Not Adahn

        I’m noting a suspicious lack of Yee-Haws.

      • Urthona

        I wear a ten gallon hat whenever it’s sexy time. Does that count?

      • Tundra

        Try spurs and report back.

      • Not Adahn

        Are you wearing spurs?

      • Urthona

        No comment.

        Also, I’m not wearing chaps. Don’t want any sneak attacks from behind.

      • CatchTheCarp

        I remember reading this on a shit house wall a long time ago but never forgot it.

        Here I sit sphincter flexin’
        Ready to give birth to another Texan

      • Animal

        The best of those was from Kurt Vonnegut:

        “Those who write on bathroom walls,
        Shall mold their shit in little balls.
        And those who reads those words of wit,
        Shall eat these little balls of shit.”

    • Spartacus

      Dear New Yorkers,

      Please don’t come down here.
      This place is full of wild animals and crazy people, and vice-versa.
      In summer anyone who stays outside for more than five minutes boils alive, except on odd-numbered days when we have hurricanes.
      You’d hate it, trust me.

      Sincerely,
      Spartacus

      • Urthona

        Too late for Texas. And probably Florida.

        When we moved here, about half our neighborhood was from New York.

        It was probably the more conservative types with actual real jobs though. That may change in the future.

    • I'm Here To Help

      I have noticed a huge increase in the number of cars with NY plates in and around Tampa. We used to escape most of the worst of the NY invasion as people tended to stick to their interstate corridors when moving down (i.e., NY and MA people would congregate on the east coast of FL, following I-95 down, and the west cost of FL got more people from PA and MA coming down I-75). Now we have the worst of both worlds…

    • Animal

      <— Joins Alaska Independence Party

    • Rat on a train

      Val Kilmer did a good title song.

      • Sean

        ????

      • Tres Cool

        I knew what that was before I clicked.

      • Tres Cool

        “They asked me to help out in pre-teen maternity…”

    • Trigger Hippie

      I almost posted that.

    • Agent Cooper

      Yes, how dare Banjos besmirch the name of former Cleveland Indian Joe Carter.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      We’re going to need more ecstasy.

      • Rat on a train

        Virginia is for lovers of petty tyranny.

      • Semi-Spartan Dad

        ^
        When I still lived in Tidewater, I received a warning letter from the city for placing a bed headboard out on the curb for pickup a mere 4 hours before the allowed time.

        Another time, my wife received a ticket for partially parking on our own grass. There was a cul-de-sac without a curb on our side yard and all of the neighbors parked half on the street and half on our yards or else there wouldn’t enough to room for a car to turn around in it. Some asshole cop when through at 2am one night and gave all of us tickets.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        It sure does seem that way anymore.

  6. westernsloper

    Good morning! U.S. Space Force commanding officer fired for criticizing Marxism and CRT in US Military. Wow.

    • juris imprudent

      Really stupid headline when it turns out he was C.O. of some minor section and an O-5, not a 3 or 4 star.

  7. Festus

    Re: Capitol Police – Come into my parlor said the Spider to the Fly…

    • WTF

      We still don’t know who killed Ashli Babbit.

      • Festus

        We still don’t know much of anything regarding Vegas and probably never will, Citizen.

      • WTF

        The complete lack of curiosity on the part of the media is interesting, to say the least.

      • juris imprudent

        Why do we always expect nice clean stories to round out horrible events?

      • Nephilium

        What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

        /except for bad jokes told by NOFX, that will cause them to be blacklisted from concerts forever.

      • rhywun

        Check the list of recent promotions.

      • Not Adahn

        For such heroism, I think you also get a night with the President’s daughter.

  8. db

    If, by “on point,” you mean “the guy leading the march through the forest who sets off the first Bouncing Betty,” then, yeah, probably.

    • Tres Cool

      Im pretty sure I met Bouncing Betty on Craigslist once.

      • Festus

        Hope that you were able to stay “on point”.

      • Tres Cool

        The great thing about fat women ? No matter what part you grab, it feels like it could be titty.

      • Festus

        I was more concerned with breakage.

    • Trigger Hippie

      I HEARD YOU THE FIRST TIME!!!

      😉

      • db

        That was weird, but this was actually the first time. I was playing around with script blocking settings, and that apparently caused any posts to go to the end of the line, rather than be properly threaded. I tried it out a couple of times without posting, and it was definitely the script settings.

      • Trigger Hippie

        Just blame WordPress, that’s what I do.

  9. Festus

    Wow. That tune takes me back!

  10. robc

    Baseball birthdays are meh:

    Hal Carlson, Carlos Pena, Billy Hoeft, Pascual “I-285” Perez.

  11. UnCivilServant

    gosh darn you microwaves!

    How can you render part of a meal hot enough to force wrought iron, and leave others frozen?!

      • robc

        I was going to be mean and do that as a “let me google that for you” link, but I liked that the link I found had “lesson for kids” in the title.

      • UnCivilServant

        Gee it’s almost as if I was asking a nonserious question.

      • Tres Cool

        +1 STRIPES

      • Sean

        I was going to be mean

        “Learn to stir.”

      • UnCivilServant

        The food in question is solid.

      • Tres Cool

        I tend to use the power function, and heat things slowly. Instead of full-on for 1 min., perhaps 40% for 3.

      • db

        That’s how I do it. I don’t mind waiting 6 minutes for properly heated food that isn’t rubbery, dried out, or cold in spots.

      • Sean

        But I’m hungry now! 3 minutes? Ain’t no one got time for that.

      • rhywun

        #metoo

      • Spartacus

        Good lord! Might as well cook.

      • Mad Scientist

        That’s too much trouble. It’s much easier to just go to Taco Bell.

    • db

      Well, microwaves are shaped like waves, and therefore the part where the wave washes over the food instead of going through it stays cold.

      //3rd grade understanding of EM

      • Urthona

        Disagree. They are cubes and you open them up and put food inside.

      • Festus

        The sentient pickle for the win!

      • Nephilium

        The pickle’s smarter then the girlfriend’s aunt, who still won’t use the microwave to heat up water for tea. Apparently that makes the water bad to drink, since it’s been heated with radiation.

        But she loves fucking science!

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        *sigh*

      • UnCivilServant

        To be fair, there are valid risks in microwave heated water, but not radiation.

        /superheated scalding for the lose.

      • robc

        easy to prevent by creating a nucleation site in the water. Or, just heat in 30 second increments.

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        I’ve heard people saying the microwave “bruises” the water at which point I just nod and smile and refrain from rolling my eyes.

      • UnCivilServant

        I just hate broken blood vessels in my water.

      • Sean

        *stares blankly*

      • nw

        Better not tell her how plants work.

  12. Trigger Hippie

    ‘Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, who was fired in 2018 after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, is once again working for law enforcement, but in a lesser role this time around.

    Israel will monitor traffic through red light cameras and will appear in court if a person wishes to challenge their ticket, the Sun-Sentinel reported.’

    It would be worth getting a ticket just to tell the guy what a pants-shitting, children abandoning coward he is during the court appearance.

    • db

      Israel will monitor traffic through red light cameras and will appear in court if a person wishes to challenge their ticket, the Sun-Sentinel reported.’

      Wow, they really are cracking down on the Palestinian uprising now.

      • Festus

        How is that guy not mouldering in the grave? You hid outside while innocents died. I’m no fucking hero but I would have done whatever I could to stop that madness. You just do what you need to do when the situation presents. Don’t even think about it. That’s always been my go-to.

      • EvilSheldon

        Israel was the sheriff. I don’t think he was actually at the scene.

        The chickenshit who hid behind the building while the shooting was underway was a different guy. Who, as I recall, retired with a full pension.

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        Hey, you’re right and that’s quite a demotion. That he was hired at all indicates they didn’t have a problem with how he handled things, unfortunately. And 65 grand for doing that job? GTFOOH.

      • Trigger Hippie

        Ah, damn, you’re correct.

      • EvilSheldon

        Yeah, I kinda wish I wasn’t though.

      • Ownbestenemy

        And I bet Princeton staff and faculty still rail against and demand action against the secret society of bigoted bakers that don’t want to bake the cake.

    • Q Continuum

      I pledge to continue believing that the Ivy League is an overpriced scam for aristocratic shitstains.

      • OBJ FRANKELSON

        To be fair, the Bachelor of Arts was mostly created to serve as a finishing school of sorts for the children of aristocrats. So they could become credentialed before taking their place in the power structure. So really, it isn’t that much of a change.

      • zwak

        They really are no different that getting an MrS from a finishing school, like Vassar.

    • WTF

      Another example of white privilege, I guess.

    • db

      What if the headline were

      “Bob Jones University Pledges to Do Less Business with Companies Owned by Gay Men of Color.”

      Let’s see how that gets reported.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Baker in CO is wondering the same thing

    • Mad Scientist

      “Yes, I’m a white male, but these sheep will attest that I don’t discriminate sexually.”

    • OBJ FRANKELSON

      Can you get a contract if you are bi-curious? Asking for a friend.

      I mean they don’t do some sort of practical test to prove your sexual orientation, right?

      • db

        I thought quid pro quo was illegal.

    • Festus

      Huh. Retirement age is just around the corner. Shame that a loaf of bread will cost about $3600.

    • Q Continuum

      While I find all types of welfare abhorrent, given the choice I’d actually prefer a UBI iff all other forms of government assistance were abolished.

      Of course we all know that’s never going to happen.

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        I agree and would prefer that but an open discussion needs to be had and not a stealth implementation that’s built on top of the existing structure. What they’re working towards is the worst of both worlds.

      • Certified Public Asshat

        The trial run for UBI is not returning good results. I agree if we “have to do something!” then UBI would probably be the best of a bunch of terrible options, if only as you say we eliminated every other redundant program.

      • trshmnstr the terrible

        I think it’s important to point out that UBI cannot, by design, exist by itself. It doesn’t solve the problem It is supposed to solve, and thus there will always be a need for additional programs for those who can’t or won’t spend their money wisely.

      • zwak

        UBI doesn’t buy votes?

        Oh, I think it does.

    • Urthona

      How much in every day buying power has inflation cost us so far?

      I’m curious to know if people are even coming out ahead here.

      • Festus

        Well, if not having to clock into work everyday yet still stuffing your gaping maw with food that kills?

    • Rat on a train

      Call up the National Guard! We are running out of helicopters.

    • DEG

      #2 looks crazy.

      Yes to #24.

      #25 is Piper Blush.

      #52’s parents must be very proud.

    • zwak

      #1 looks store bought. On the bargain rack.

  13. Ownbestenemy

    Wife wants me to stop telling my boys advice and just let them figure things out. To a degree I can see where she is coming from. However, when I was 16 I had an absent father and although my stepdad is awesome, he wasn’t the talkative type on life lessons.

    I don’t hover but give advice to them like…stop buying $200 worth of video games a month, dont capitalize the bathroom for 30 minutes in the mornings, etc.

    • Festus

      Sorry to hear of the one’s heart-ache. He’ll be fine, she’ll get fat. Fifteen years down the turnpike she’ll want to reconnect. Sunrise, Sunset…

      • Festus

        I might have benefitted from some parental guidance at that age. More seriously, I was pretty much on my own for my entire pre-teen and teen years. Talk to the boy if he’s willing. Gentle nudges work better than hard and fast rules. He’s 16, practically a man.

      • Fourscore

        My kids are nearing 60, they sometimes come to me for advice (which they ignore). I am not into giving advice to anyone, ’cause I could be wrong. More like try to point out various options.

        “What should I do?”

        “HTF would I know?”

        If you’d pid attention when you were 16 you would already know the answr”

      • Atanarjuat

        Wise.

    • Mojeaux

      I wrote my girl a life manual. How to get electricity in her apartment, what to expect in terms of car repair, how to go to the doctor…

      Don’t stop giving him advice. He shouldn’t have to learn EVERYTHING on his own.

    • The Other Kevin

      Same with my wife and I. My 20 and 16 year olds are just not capable of navigating life at this point. But she wants to throw them in the deep end.

    • Tundra

      SHe’s wrong. Provide the structure, let them fuck up the small things.

      • Animal

        A few years back, our second daughter, who is now married with three kids, told her Mom that the best thing we ever did to prepare her and her sisters for adult life was to let them fail, and to then learn the consequences of failure, and how to recover from that failure on their own.

      • trshmnstr the terrible

        Failure produces resilience, which produces confidence.

        Cushioning the fall produces self-esteem, which produces fragility.

    • Fourscore

      Only 3 things in life we are individually responsible for.

      Our money
      Our time
      Our weight

      Weigh the options beyond that

    • OBJ FRANKELSON

      Yeah, my dad is very much of the laconic Midwesterner, ‘do, don’t say’ school of parenting. He didn’t provide me with a great deal of overt advice but he set a decent example as far as competence and a stoic mindset that has served me very well. However, I have kinda gone the opposite way, I take every opportunity to make events into explicit teaching moments.

  14. The Late P Brooks

    Poor Bill Gates, his reputation as a nerdy do-gooder is being besmirched by all these divorce allegations.

    Weep for him.

    • UnCivilServant

      What reputation? I thought he was a skeezy corporate predator who bought/stole everything he built his business on.

    • Urthona

      I actually never knew what a creep he was.

      It makes me wonder.

      If I had billions, would I would be a creep?

      I mean even more so than now.

      • EvilSheldon

        If I had billions, I’d be a pervert. I don’t think I’d be a creep, although I guess there’s usually some overlap…

      • Urthona

        The thing is he’s married and apparently they wanted to remove him from the board because he kept showing up to Microsoft scamming on the ladies.

        Moderately creepy I guess.

        But the Epstein island thing. We’ll never know how creepy that was.

      • Mojeaux

        Heh. Watched an HBOMax original series called Made for Love, in which Ray Romano’s character is the town pervert because he has a “synthetic partner” (sex doll) he takes with him everywhere.

      • Urthona

        Yeah. I saw that. I haven’t finished it though so no spoilers.

        The real sexual creep was the rich guy though, right? Of course.

      • Mojeaux

        He is, IMO, a Gates knock-off.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        I never really doubted his douchebagginess.

        Microsoft made an industry out of stealing other people’s ideas back in the 90’s.

      • Urthona

        I was a big fan of MS-DOS.

        After that, all downhill.

      • UnCivilServant

        Embrace, Expand, Exterminate

      • Q Continuum

        Whore island here I cum!

      • Not Adahn

        It’s sad that GRRM will never get around to answering the question “Where do whores go?”

  15. Q Continuum

    “Video shows US Capitol police gave protesters ok to enter.”

    INSURREKSHUNUSTZ!!

    • Urthona

      That guy should be lying in state.

  16. The Late P Brooks

    Unintended consequences

    But with a big part of the country still unvaccinated, some experts say the move came too fast and has resulted in many more Americans now shedding their masks than the CDC recommended.

    “I think the CDC meant to say something really good, which is these vaccines are really protective,” emergency physician and CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen told CNN on Sunday. “The thing is though, there were unintended consequences of their actions.”

    “We’ve seen governors and mayors and business owners drop mask mandates, and as a result of that we’ve now made life much less safe for people who are unvaccinated, for immuno-compromised individuals and for young children who cannot yet be vaccinated,” Wen added.

    Emergency physician Dr. Megan Ranney also expressed concern over the weekend about the Americans who haven’t yet gotten a shot because of challenges with access, and how they may be affected by local leaders and business leaders lifting mask requirements.

    “I would urge businesses to keep those mask mandates in place as long as possible in their businesses to protect their workers,” she told CNN. “It’s particularly an equity issue. We know that Black and Brown folks across the United States who are most often our frontline employees with public facing jobs, are also those who have had the hardest time accessing the vaccines.”

    I would urge you to blow it out your ass, slaver.

    • Urthona

      I actually thought it was a deliberate move to get more people vaccinated.

      I think saying “everything’s exactly the same if you get vaccinated” is a terrible selling point.

    • Q Continuum

      “We know that Black and Brown folks across the United States who are most often our frontline employees with public facing jobs, are also those who have had the hardest time accessing the vaccines.”

      So “those people” are too stupid to go to Walgreens and ask for a vaccine if they want one? Just like they’re too stupid to get an ID and show up to vote in person? Fucking racist motherfuckers need a beat down.

      • Urthona

        And by “hardest time accessing the vaccines” they mean “less likely to go get them because they don’t trust whitey”.

      • OBJ FRANKELSON

        The only principle that these people have is, “I should be in charge.” Whatever contradictions or hypocritical behavior they participate in are immaterial to them. Taking a position the opposite of the position you held yesterday, is perfectly acceptable, so long as it gets them closer to the levers of power

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      That’s the Chinese lady with the weird gums and the bizarre intonations in her voice, right? Everything she says sounds like she’s explaining to a two year old why he shouldn’t stick his hand in a toaster.

      • Festus

        She must be a clone of the Chief Health Officer for my Province. Every time I hear Dr. Bonnie speak I get the urge to stuff a bobby pin into a wall outlet.

    • Spartacus

      Publix is now taking walk-ins.
      If you do go on their web site to schedule an appointment, it will offer you one an hour from now.

      I don’t think “differential access” is the issue anymore, if it ever was. Anyone who is not getting vaccinated now just doesn’t want it.
      Which is fine. My body, my choice–or is that only for some things? I can’t keep up.

      • Not Adahn

        The grocery stores here are also doing “no appointment needed” coofshots.

      • Ownbestenemy

        “If you do go on their web site ”

        According to our president black and brown people don’t know how to use the intertubes.

      • Spartacus

        According to our president the greatest dilemma facing today’s youth is Betamax vs VHS.

      • juris imprudent

        My body, my choice

        Only for innies; outies are just to shut up and do as your told.

    • Not Adahn

      much less safe

      Quantify or GTFO and FOADIAF.

    • rhywun

      It’s particularly an equity issue.

      Because of course it is.

      • Festus

        Those poor dusky folk are too stupid to function! Something, anything must be done!

  17. DEG

    “Our intelligence and law enforcement apparatuses require accuracy, precision, and justice. I’m encouraged that the FBI has updated its classification of that nearly catastrophic event to reflect the actual motives of the assailant, and I commend Director Wray for his oversight of that correction,” Wenstrup said Saturday.

    Prediction: Nothing else will happen.

    For those in PA: Primary day is tomorrow. There are two constitutional amendments on the ballot. Vote yes on them to rein in Wolf.

    • db

      Hear, Hear!

    • Sean

      I’ll be among the first in line.

  18. The Late P Brooks

    I actually never knew what a creep he was.

    Anybody who runs around telling people he is going to save the world is is a creep.

    Wanna save the world? Leave people the fuck alone and stop telling them how to live.

    • Urthona

      Oh yeah. I meant sexual predator kind of creep.

      I always thought he was a narcissistic ass.

    • Festus

      Heh. I took a beginner’s course through work thirty years ago and the instructor actually went to school with Gates. She had absolutely nothing good to share about him. Mind you, he became a Billionaire and she was teaching saw-monkeys how to move a cursor.

      • Urthona

        I mean I am here on a Microsoft-driven PC right now, but I never had the idea that he was a brilliant visionary. He seemed like more of a right place/right time kinda guy.

      • SDF-7

        Yeah, amazing what can happen when your Mom is friends with the IBM board, knows they’re looking for a PC OS and you’re willing to swipe CP/M from its owner….

      • slumbrew

        ^^^ so much this ^^^

        Thanks, Mom!

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Jobs was a visionary. A raging asshole, but a visionary.

      • Drake

        He had the vision to recognize what Xerox had developed with the mouse and gui and copy it shamelessly.

      • ignoreLander

        $2.99, bought it. Can’t wait to read.

      • Drake

        This scene was perfect.

        Xerox was the rich neighbor that Gates and Jobs both robbed.

  19. db

    Has anyone else experienced this? Up until about 2 days ago, Brave covered up all ads on Youtube with a white/light gray rectangle, muted the audio, and showed a “skip ads” button in the lower right corner of the rectangle whenever Youtube tried to play an ad for me (either before or during the video). This morning that has stopped, and the videos show (with the audio cranked up). I fiddled with my Brave settings but nothing appeared to have been changed, and nothing I do brings back the previous behavior.

    Any ideas?

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Yeah, youtube figured out how to circumvent the blocking.

      Yet one more escalation in the internet ad wars.

      • db

        I had searched around for this, and saw that about a year ago, a similar issue was reported, but only found one search return on Reddit within the last few days, so I wasn’t sure if this was universal or not.

    • Hyperion

      It’s part of the heroic and patriotic fight by benevolent government and their big tech allies against you resurrectionists using that extreme right wing browser named Brave.

    • commodious spittoon

      Youtube seemed to have disabled the player for the Adblock browser last week. Now it’s playing videos again… with ads.

    • rhywun

      Same here though it was Safari with an ad-blocker that doesn’t work now.

      Today on Edge, with a couple different plugins*, I don’t see any ads. Not even the “Skip Ads” button. Knock on wood.

      *uBlock Orgin, which works great on most sites, but doesn’t work for shit on videos like it’s supposed to, so I finally found another one that stops autoplaying videos (“Autoplay Stopper”) and works as advertised.

      • UnCivilServant

        My combination of adblock, noscript, and pihole is still stopping these ads.

  20. The Late P Brooks
    • Not Adahn

      Burning bright?

      • Rat on a train

        No. The car didn’t catch fire.

  21. The Other Kevin

    I was born in 71, so I remember a lot of the decade. Bad music, bad fashion, bad home decorating, a bad economy, and hostages. Let’s not go back there.

    • Urthona

      I was born in 1975 so I don’t believe in inflation.

      I am joking, but almost every person my age I talk to has that attitude.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Looking at your list…we are already back there…maybe the home decor is a bit better

      • Not Adahn

        When people list 1970s stereotypes, they never seem to mention macrame

      • UnCivilServant

        Some things are best forgotten.

      • OBJ FRANKELSON

        Yeah, pet rocks get all of the 70’s tacky glory.

      • UnCivilServant

        Oh, that’s perfect. NA – you need to put eyes on the free pebbles.

      • juris imprudent

        I note the conspicuous absence of harvest gold and avocado green.

      • Sean

        *points to Corelle dishes*

      • zwak

        And Blondie!

    • Hyperion

      Best music ever.

      Avocado green and harvest gold appliances, formica, shag carpet, and paneling in every room.

  22. The Late P Brooks

    I was born in 1975 so I don’t believe in inflation.

    I am joking, but almost every person my age I talk to has that attitude.

    “It’s different, this time.”
    -Krugabe

    • Urthona

      And I’m full on serious.

      Every Democrat my age: “Republicans have always warned us about inflation but it never actually happens.”

      Yeah. This fellow has only passed about 1/8th of his multi-trillion dollar set of terrible ideas so far. Hopefully he doesn’t succeed and you can keep being kind of right.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        We already have inflation.

        If you’re incapable of looking at the cost of goods from this year to any previous year, you’re hopeless.

      • Urthona

        Yes. But it’s being marketed heavily that it’s “transitory”.

        Which may be true. Some of the high prices are from other factors and may go away.

        It is not at the point yet where it can’t be handwaved, and I actually hope it doesn’t get to that many months of misery stage.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Pfffftttt…..

        It’s not going away.

        The Fed is desperately scared of deflation, so much so that they’re willing to risk a currency collapse by stimulating an economy that is suffering from supply issues, not demand issues.

      • Urthona

        That really blows ass.

        There is a part of my Ron Paul loving brain that is screaming “told ya so” though.

      • Aloysious

        Candy bars are a good example of inflation.

        Just ask him/her to explain why they are so much more expensive than in the past while at the same time being so much smaller than in the past.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        And shittier with more wax and less chocolate.

    • zwak

      It’s this BS that gave us Regan and, across the pond Thatcher. When the left’s social construction ideas get to play out, they hate the course corrections that those damn voters make.

      • ignoreLander

        Difference is, this time they were smart enough to secure the Dem vote for all time…. There will never be another “course correction”.

  23. Hyperion

    “Video shows US Capitol police gave protesters ok to enter.”

    That always happens during an ‘insurrection’. It’s a key feature, along with unarmed people who just later go back home.

  24. Cy Esquire

    Mornin peeps!

    • Tundra

      Good morning, CY!

  25. The Late P Brooks

    CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told CNN on Sunday the agency’s new guidelines don’t mean that every American who’s been vaccinated should take their masks off.

    For example, Walensky said immuno-compromised people and others at higher risk should consult with their physicians before deciding to stop wearing a mask.
    “Not everybody has to rip off their mask because our guidance changed,” she said. “If you are concerned, please do consult your physician before you take off your mask.”

    Which, of course, brings us back to the still-unanswered question of, “Whom does the goddam scrap of snot rag protect, and how?”

    If it’s “my mask protects you”, as long as there is a single immunocompromised person anywhere, everybody should be forced to wear a mask. FOREVER.

    • Tulip

      Stop giving them ideas

    • rhywun

      “If you are concerned, please do consult your physician before you take off your mask lock yourself indoors and let the rest of us live their lives again.”

      FTFY

  26. Hyperion

    Much Brave

    A patriot who really loves democracy.

    • The Other Kevin

      “Trump critic Cheney cautions Jan. 6 riot could happen again”
      Just in case, we should keep that green zone around the capitol indefinitely.

      • Hyperion

        At least she gets to be a lefty hero for her remaining 5 minutes of fame before drifting off into oblivion. The great Neocon graveyard is not full yet.

      • Jarflax

        Jan. 6 won’t happen again. Peaceful protesters from the right generally have jobs and can’t afford to end up as felons for exercising their first amendment rights. On the other hand if the powers that be keep on fucking around next time they may get to find out.

  27. Count Potato

    Good morning. I think I’m feeling a bit better.

    • Tundra

      Good. Did you eat anything?

      • Count Potato

        Yes, not a lot, but I did eat.

      • Tundra

        Good deal. Make sure and get a little extra sodium, potassium and magnesium. Your electrolytes are most likely fucked up.

    • Urthona

      Were you depressed because you never became Duke Potato?

      • Pope Jimbo

        How can he ever get promoted. Any minor slipup and everyone notices and he can’t build up any cred for promotion.

        No one ever succeeds with so many eyes on them.

      • Not Adahn

        *stunned silence*

      • db

        Idaho where that inspiration came from but it’s Gold, Yukon Gold, Jerry.

      • Pope Jimbo

        What? I’d like to a peel your decision.

    • DEG

      Good that you’re feeling better.

    • Fourscore

      Good to hear. Time will heal a lot of things besides a broken heart.

      Keep eating, rest today

  28. The Late P Brooks

    If you’re incapable of looking at the cost of goods from this year to any previous year, you’re hopeless.

    The best and brightest minds in economics are frenziedly working to redefine inflation as we speak.

    There is no inflation. You’re not really spending thirty per cent more on groceries now. Just look at the charts we prepared for you.

    *hypnotoad*

    • The Other Kevin

      Who you gonna believe, our scientific models or your lyin’ eyes?

    • TARDis

      Just look at the charts we prepared for you.

      Bite my shiny metal ass.

    • robc

      The problem is that they already redefined inflation.

      Ye olde definition of change in money supply (I would got with M2, but whichever) was much cleaner and better than trying to calculate the changes in prices of some arbitrary basket of goodies.

      • Fourscore

        You’ll never get a job in government, with that kind of thinking.

      • juris imprudent

        Classical monetary theory is now dead. That much we can see. What exactly it all means isn’t quite so clear, but the school of Friedman was just wrong.

      • mrfamous

        That basket is definitely not “arbitrary.” It’s specifically designed to make inflation seem as low as possible.

    • Agent Cooper

      River rock for my landscaping in the backyard went from $3.99/bag to $4.91/bag in 2 weeks.

  29. The Late P Brooks

    Just in case, we should keep that green zone around the capitol indefinitely.

    Our rulers do not deserve to serve in fear!

    • SDF-7

      They deserve much, much worse for the most part….

    • Surly Knott

      Well, no, they deserve to serve in prison.

    • juris imprudent

      I think we need to expand that zone, and protect it with a wall, a really great wall. With extremely limited access in, and none out.

      • Jarflax

        Can the limitations on access inward be set up to include air?

      • juris imprudent

        Ooooo, not just a wall, but a dome!

  30. Pope Jimbo

    My home town (and youthful stomping grounds) steps up and represents.

    The “Spirit of 1776” caravan rolled into the quiet streets of Ottertail at 4 p.m., right on schedule.

    In response to the planned appearance of Gov. Tim Walz at the Governor’s Fishing Opener in Otter Tail County, a group gathered to voice their unhappiness with the Minnesota governor.

    A group of about 60 protesters gathered outside the Detroit Lakes Pavilion on Saturday, May 15, with plans to caravan through Becker and Otter Tail counties to Thumper Pond on Otter Tail Lake, where most of the Governor’s Fishing Opener activity was taking place.

    About 65 trucks, cars, and motorcycles flying gigantic American flags passed Thumper Pond Resort where Walz had spent the night, then continued, lights on and horns blaring, into the old part of Ottertail.

    The Pavilion where all this started is just a couple blocks from my parents’ house. I should have gone back and gotten into that mayhem.

    Later in the story they said that King Walz wasn’t around to see the protesters because he had left early in the morning to return to St. Paul for budget negotiations. It figures that Walz is a complete poser and left the fishing opener so early. A real Gov would have fished all day and Sunday too. Budget negotiations can wait.

    • Pope Jimbo

      I was amused by this graf:

      The organizers have been disparaging toward the Black Lives Matter movement, saying it stands for “Burn, Loot and Murder.”

      “They say defund the police? I say let’s defund the government,” proclaimed Larvita McFarquhar, owner of a Lynd, Minn., restaurant who is being sued by the Minnesota Department of Health for violating Walz’s executive order closing restaurants. Her comment drew loud applause and cheers.

      Why it amused me is that McFarquhar is black. She also somehow lives in rural Minnesoda without being killed by all those rural racists. In fact Brother Keith the AG is the only one who seems to be hassling her.

    • Fourscore

      He’s a Nebraska guy that thinks a set line for carp in the river is serious fishing. I hope he “can go home” in spite of the old tales.

  31. The Late P Brooks

    Budget negotiations can wait.

    Those BidenBuxx won’t spend themselves.

  32. Count Potato

    I looked up the difference between rapid and PCR covid tests. Every single website had different numbers.

    NO ONE KNOWS SHIT.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      If I had to guess, the Germans probably have some good data.

      • Count Potato

        Well, if you can find a link, I’ll read it.

    • Hyperion

      Good to see you’re feeling better.

    • Pope Jimbo

      Yup. I linked to a different story above. Completely pussed out. The fact we weren’t treated to gushing stories about the fish he caught, I’m going to say he got skunked too.

      Even more delicious is that he hung the county commissioners out to dry. The locals were calling their commissioners and asking why the hell they were hosting King Walz for the opener given his hostility to the region. One commissioner said that Walz and his posse would lead to all sorts of extra $$ and media coverage.

      Now by bailing out early I bet most of the $$ never showed up and all the media coverage of the event is less than glowing.

      • Fourscore

        Did I ever tell you the story of the brave National Guard sergeant major that retired rather than take a troop leading assignment where gunfire was not uncommon ?

        One of those protesters might have said a bad word and not worn a mask, exposing all to trial by covid.

      • Swiss Servator

        I despise that guy for bailing on his soldiers more than he can imagine.

      • Fourscore

        There’s a word for a person (particularly a soldier) that does that….

  33. I'm Here To Help

    Off topic question for y’all – has anyone ever done a made-to-measure suit? I have a bad feeling I’m going to need a suit in the coming years for funerals (very likely) and weddings (less likely), but have a great bit of difficulty finding anything off the rack that will fit. My neck, shoulders, and chest have maintained their bulk from my football/rugby days, but all the mass from my legs and butt has migrated to my belly as flub. Just as an example, I have a 21″ neck, a 52″ chest, a 38″ waist, and that only goes up to about 42″ at the widest part of my butt. Add in long arms for my height, and it’s hell trying to find clothes that fit.

    Any experience in how well they can take into account these things? Any examples of prices I’ll pay?

    • UnCivilServant

      The low end of the market is basically slight modification of off the rack. It sounds like you’re going to need someone who does bespoke work. I’d reserve four figures in cash to cover that work.

      • juris imprudent

        You could spend less money going bespoke in SE Asia, including flights and hotel. Either Bangkok or Singapore – not my own experience, but a couple of people I know have done that.

      • UnCivilServant

        You’re overlooking the big downside – that plan involves going to SE Asia.

      • kinnath

        Singapore is great.

      • juris imprudent

        Not a downside to everyone.

      • I'm Here To Help

        I’m with UCS on this one. Been on too many 16+ hour flights in my lifetime. Not keen on doing another.

      • Evan from Evansville

        I got a purposefully ridiculous (but damn cool) blazer made in Hoi An, Vietnam. I picked out every bit of the outer-and-inner materials and style. I was measured and they got to work. I came back three times in the day to have them remeasure and tailor it to perfectly fit. I ordered it and got the finished product within about 8 hours.

        Whole thing cost I think about $120 at max. It’s purposefully ridiculous and absolutely glorious. Well-crafted and beautiful, despite it’s absurdity. I wear it every year for Halloween so I can be in costume but also be comfortable. I don’t wear it on a daily basis. That would be silly.

        I lived in Singapore for 2 years but never saw a tailor. I’m damn positive that you can get everything ya want done there, but that doesn’t make sense being in the West. What a great city state. I don’t love the government, but it never affected me personally and I didn’t have to deal with their bizarre single party state that local co-workers were more than happy to (rightfully) bitch about.

        And SE Asia is fantastic once you get there and eat the plane price. I love living in Asia. But Singapore was an especially fantastic place to live, as long as you ignore the profound nastiness of living on the equator. Jesus that place is hot and every single fucking day 12 hours of daylight and you have no seasonal changes whatsoever. Ya get used to that, but the heat is profoundly oppressive. They are very serious about A/C there. Walking down the street you get to adore the open doors bursting out their cool air that has to constantly escape, always finding your awaiting brow.

        I have written an update and hopefully it will be published soon! A big rung up my ladder was achieved. Makes me want to reward myself with another preposterous jacket to relish in the gains. Hope you can read soon.

      • Evan from Evansville

        Thought that escaped me about the 12 hours of daylight every day for the year: My friends and I talked about it. We lost track of time. Without having seasons to have a rough idea of when shit happened…months just became numbers and had no meaning and we all lost a basic connection with time.

        “Oh, that happened…” Uh….back when it was cold? No…hot? No…No reference point at all other than what you wrote down to remind you of what fucking month it was. Nothing in the environment gave you any clue at all of when in the year it was. That was a pretty odd experience, and we all openly admitted to not knowing when certain things happened because we were deprived of a natural way of distinguishing longer periods of time. Just look at your phone to know the date so you could sign paperwork correctly. Other than that, there was no distinction whatsoever. That still strikes me as being pretty interesting.

        And Singapore rightfully deserves it’s reputation for food. And for language. Almost everyone at home speaks Malay, Chinese, Tamil, or maybe 5% or so speak English. But out in public…English is King. Everything’s done in English. I taught 3-12-year-olds how to read. Mostly 4-6 or 8-years-old, but I had all sorts.

        What a bizarre and fun place. Rent was $4400/month. But the ex and I got paid well for our work. That rent was pretty standard. I think only one couple in our group had a cheaper rent than we did. But we did have an absolutely lovely place. Still. Yikes.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      It’s been years since I had it done.

      I expect prices have gone up because availability is lower.

      Are you anywhere near a major metro like LA?

      • I'm Here To Help

        No, and I won’t be any time soon. Best possibility is that I have to go to DC sometime at the end of summer for my agency awards celebration, but that’s one of the reasons I need to get a suit – my agency is very likely gotten insane enough to possibly give me an award. So going to a place there wouldn’t be an option.

        There are a couple places here in Tampa that look promising, but I doubt they go very far beyond what UCS said – modifications to already existing patterns. I have a feeling that I will need to go full bespoke, and my wallet is already crying at that thought.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Ounce of gold?

      • I'm Here To Help

        Ounce of gold I could swing. I’m just hoping it isn’t a not insignificant percentage of a bitcoin level.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        You’ll find what you need in Orlando.

        If you’re lucky, you’ll find a Korean tailor with a small shop that won’t rape your wallet.

      • Fourscore

        I had several made by the PX Hong Kong tailors that worked out of the PXs in Europe. My son is the same size I was at about 28, he wears them yet.

        I was the opposite shape, tall, skinny.

        You’ll be happy if you get a good one, price be damned.

    • Not Adahn

      Someone here has used a service where you mail them your measurements and was pretty happy with it.

      • Semi-Spartan Dad

        I recall that too. I think it was HM.

    • slumbrew

      Yes, I had a lovely Samuelsohn suit made to measure at a local place for my wedding – it is indeed pricey but fits great.

      You won’t have to go full bespoke (where they truly make everything from scratch), made-to-measure should be able to accommodate you.

      While I haven’t had them do a suit, I’ve gotten a bunch of made-to-measure shirts from J. Hilburn that I’ve been very pleased with. as well as some pants; I like that you meet a real person who takes all of your measurements and goes through your options (vs. the various “mail your measurements to us” services like Indochino).

      https://jhilburn.com/partnerlocator

      I’m short and stocky – 27″ inseam with a 43 extra short jacket (if they made such a thing). I used to hate “getting dressed up” since nothing ever fit before; being able to button your collar without feeling like you’re choking is a wonderful change.

      On the plus side, a good quality navy suit will cover most occasions and will last for years.

      • I'm Here To Help

        I just spoke to one of the stores here in town (and I just checked – they do Samuelsohn). Explained my general body shape and the troubles I’ve had in the past with suits and shirts, and they said that they’d be able to accommodate me. Their process is that they do the measurements, send it out to be made. When it returns, they do an initial fitting, and make the adjustments in house. Price range wasn’t bad – they said that their suits top out at about $1,500, which is not as bad as I thought.

      • slumbrew

        That sounds about what I paid 3 years ago (I had some shirts made too, so that kicked up the price).

        Mine ended up being re-fit a couple times through no fault of theirs – I had lost weight between the initial fitting and when they got the suit back. They kept at it until it was perfect.

        (of course, I have lost more weight since then – I need to bring it back in, though I’ll have to pay for the adjustments this time).

        Samuelsohn makes nice, classic suits – should stay in style for years.

    • Gustave Lytton

      Have you tried MW/JaB and see if they can come up with something that will work? Particularly if it’s a one off or occasional. I think covid has shutdown many of the MTM roadshows for now. I haven’t seen them advertising like they were and a quick check of one or two doesn’t show a current schedule.

      Probably your best bet is to buy a plane ticket to a suiting locale and visit a couple of places, phone first to narrow them down. Any colleagues in DC that could give you some leads?

      • I'm Here To Help

        I’ve been to both for suits in the past, and wasn’t overly pleased. The trend was that they’d get one aspect right (be it the jacket in the shoulders, or the trousers at the waist), but everything else would be a bit off.

        As mentioned above, there is a store here in Tampa that looks promising. They’ve been in business for 30 years, and the two people who will be helping me have been there pretty much the whole time.

      • slumbrew

        They’ve been in business for 30 years, and the two people who will be helping me have been there pretty much the whole time.

        That’s exactly the sort of place you want.

      • Gustave Lytton

        Yeah, saw that above after posting. Sounds like a much better option.

        Good luck! ? I’ve been putting off getting a new suit for a while. Suits are rare here, outside of a few professions and even then barely. Hipsterism has narrowed down the options even further.

      • slumbrew

        “What do you call someone in a suit in Hawaii?”

        “The defendant”.

        Between the schools and the tourists, Boston is a very casual town, sadly. I like to wear a suit when we go for a fancy meal but I don’t think there’s any place that requires a jacket anymore.

    • zwak

      I remember hearing something about a company that does the measurements here in the states, but the sewing in India or Thailand. Unfortunately that’s all I remember, but something to look into.

      • slumbrew

        That’s the model for a few places, including J. Hilburn (I think that’s where their tailors are).

  34. Pope Jimbo

    So mixed bag on the lifted mask mandate this weekend.

    Menards: Very pissy person and big sign demanding that they still insist on masks. Got a hearty “Fuck you, I’ll spend my money elsewhere”
    Home Depot: No masks required. A semi-shady sign sort if implying that they should be worn (Sign: “Free complimentary masks for you to wear in the store”)
    ACE: No sign, no pressure, freedom
    O’Reilly Auto Parts: No masks (and they were unofficially no masks throughout the pandemic).

    Most disheartening was the number of people still wearing masks. Well over 80% were wearing masks. But I didn’t get any stinkeye from any of them, so whatevs.

    • Hyperion

      “Home Depot: No masks required. A semi-shady sign sort if implying that they should be worn (Sign: “Free complimentary masks for you to wear in the store”)”

      Home Depot is facing a massive boycott from all of those DIYer professional activists living in their mum’s basement.

    • Tundra

      I went without at Menard’s, HD, Autozone, Fleet Farm, and Cub. No one said a word to me but I was the only maskless person at Menard’s.

      You are right, though, the panic is still ongoing.

      • Pope Jimbo

        MG Menard’s? Or the Brooklyn Park one?

        I won’t go to the MG one until construction on 94 ends. What a nightmare.

        The one I got turned away at was the BP one. Big foldable sign out front telling people that masks were necessary and a young self-important guy telling anyone like me trying to get in that they needed masks.

        I loudly said I was taking my money elsewhere. Another guy near me just pulled a mask out and put it on. I gave him the evil eye on the way out.

      • Tundra

        Yep, MG. This was Saturday. I heard they were cracking down yesterday. Fuck them. I can hit Jerry’s or even HD.

    • Hyperion

      From what I’ve seen, it’s still at around 100% here. I anticipate those who are teens right now will still be wearing them when they reach retirement age.

      • Pope Jimbo

        They’ll be wearing them because they block the Male Gaze!

        The women who preferred keeping masks were interviewed by The Guardian, which reported some of these comments:

        “I don’t want to feel the pressure of smiling at people to make sure everyone knows I’m ‘friendly’ and ‘likable.’ It’s almost like taking away the male gaze. There’s freedom in taking that power back.”

      • Pope Jimbo

        Of course as noted in the same article, it isn’t always 100% effective:

        “Of course, a mere face covering isn’t going to deter the more dedicated cat-callers and unwanted attention-givers among us. After all, the lips may be the vagina of the face or whatever, but suffice to say cat-callers still have plenty of other material to work with even if the mouth and chin remain out of sight.”

      • Akira

        If she’s so worried about men checking her out and finds relief from covering her face, why stop there? Maybe she should invent some kind of drab, baggy garment that covers her entire body so that those filthy males have nothing to ogle. Who knows, such a garment might really catch on!

      • R C Dean

        the more dedicated cat-callers

        Its been at least 20 years since I saw anybody “cat-call” a woman (meaning, make a loud suggestive remark in public). Where the hell do these people live?

      • slumbrew

        Where the hell do these people live?

        In their heads.

      • Agent Cooper

        Navel gazing is the new national pasttime.

      • Mad Scientist

        The new Spring burkas are coming out! So many options!

      • Hyperion

        Black, XXL and XXXL! Choices!

      • rhywun

        To be fair, it works. I deliberately ignore anyone I see on the street wearing either of those things.

      • Nephilium

        Yep. I do the same when I’m cycling.

      • Hyperion

        Dumb wiminz. No one is staring at your face, you dumb broad, they’re starting at your ass if you have one worth looking at. If not, buzz off, Karen.

      • EvilSheldon

        I mean, you’re clearly a shrewish pain in the ass, so why try to fake it? Just own your disgusting personality and walk around with your bitchface on full blast.

    • Not Adahn

      The only lightening here is that one grocery store (out of the three I’ve visited) has removed the one-way arrows.

    • DEG

      O’Reilly Auto Parts: No masks (and they were unofficially no masks throughout the pandemic).

      I went to the O’Reilly near me during Sununu’s mask mandate. There were a lot of signs on the door. In my quick glance, the only sign I saw that had anything to do with Lil Rona was a sign that can be summed up as, “If you have symptoms of COVID-19, don’t enter.”. I walked in bare faced. None of the staff said anything to me.

      When I walked out, I noticed that among all those signs on the door, there was near the bottom of the door a sign stating masks were required. Huh.

      Sununu ended his mask mandate in mid-April. Yesterday I went to the local O’Reilly’s. Now that I know where the mask sign was, I looked for it. It was not there. I checked each of the many signs on the door. No sign about masks. The “If you have symptoms of COVID-19, don’t enter” sign was still there.

    • Sean

      Yeah, I posted my travels over the weekend posts. Still a super high mask wearing rate.

    • PieInTheSky

      Well over 80% were wearing masks – here I estimate about 1/3 still wear them.

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      Will have to give a listen. Congrats to all again!

    • westernsloper

      I listened this morning. Good for him!

      • Muzzled Woodchipper

        Awesome!

        The kids are a bit flummoxed as to how NPR successfully turned a young, 1/2 German boy in to a black woman via a terrible butchering of his name, however.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        So cute! Don’t tell them that though.

  35. The Late P Brooks

    Prioritize spending? That’s just crazy!

    President Joe Biden wants to go big with his infrastructure plan. But a look at the state of America’s bridges shows he may not be going big enough.

    Biden’s plan would repair 10,000 of the nation’s smaller bridges, along with 10 of the most economically significant ones. But an NBC News analysis of data from the Federal Highway Administration found that more than 35,000 of the nation’s smallest bridges, those with two lanes or less, have been rated in need of repair in their most recent inspection.

    Biden announced his $2 trillion infrastructure plan in March, which among other things proposed rebuilding 20,000 miles of the nation’s roads, along with the bridges. The plan did not detail which bridges would meet the criteria for repair.

    You wouldn’t want to redirect spending on dog parks in tony zip codes or light rail pie-in-the-sky white elephants.

    • SDF-7

      Not mentioned in said article: Just what the hell the states have been doing with gas taxes, truck tolls/fees, etc. that are supposed to go to highway maintenance instead of expecting Uncle Sugar to step in.

      Mentioned in said article instead: A quote from a rep for the “American Road and Transportation Builders Association” — who shockingly favors sending the road construction industry more money. Shocking, I tell you….

      Next up, Newport News wants the Navy to build more carriers, AWS wants the NSA to buy more cloud storage and water is wet.

      • juris imprudent

        Biden Adminstration makes shocking announcement that water is not wet enough, $2T dedicated to improving wetness.

      • Muzzled Woodchipper

        Because they know that even liberals would give the confused face if they were to openly state that gas taxes go towards supporting things like subways in NY, and public transportation in SF, and not the roads the gas taxes are supposed to pay for.

        It’s fucking crazy that gas taxes I pay for in rural KY predominantly pay for public transport in one of a handful of big cities.

    • PieInTheSky

      gunsmithing tools should require a government permit.

    • EvilSheldon

      1.) A professional certification from Piedmont or Colorado School of Trades.
      2.) A shitload of practical experience.
      3.) An 01 FFL.
      4.) An account with Numrich.
      5.) A bigger hammer.

    • zwak

      It’s hard to trust a gunsmith that has such a gigantic POS of a vice in use. Someone who cares so little about his tools does not engender trust when talking about tools.

  36. The Late P Brooks

    “Of course, a mere face covering isn’t going to deter the more dedicated cat-callers and unwanted attention-givers among us. After all, the lips may be the vagina of the face or whatever, but suffice to say cat-callers still have plenty of other material to work with even if the mouth and chin remain out of sight.”

    That mask makes you look fat.

    And stupid.

    • juris imprudent

      So, Lena Dunham?

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Gross, man.

        I’m getting ready to have lunch and you’re bringing her up? Not cool.

    • Pope Jimbo

      Also you should shave your face vagina

  37. The Late P Brooks

    Today, in Solutions in Search of a Problem

    A recent survey found that nearly 80% of Asian Americans don’t feel respected and say they are discriminated against by their fellow Americans. Additionally, a significant portion of respondents of multiple races said they were unaware of an increase in hate crimes and racism against Asian Americans over the past year.

    The survey, commissioned by the new nonprofit Leading Asian Americans to Unite for Change (LAAUNCH), was based on responses from 2,766 U.S. residents between March 29 and April 14.

    Other results found 90% of Black Americans and 73% of Hispanic/Latino Americans say they are discriminated against in the U.S.

    ——-

    Hate crimes against Asian Americans, ranging from verbal abuse to violent attacks, increased in several cities in 2020 from 2019. And six Asian American women were killed on March 16 in spa shootings in Atlanta.

    According to the survey, 37% of white Americans, 30% of Black Americans, 24% of Hispanic Americans and 13% of Asian Americans said they are unaware of an uptick in hate crimes against Asian Americans.

    “We thought maybe some people were unaware, but after the Atlanta attacks, everyone should be aware,” LAAUNCH CEO Norman Chen tells NPR.

    We’ll stir up a moral panic, one way or another.

    GIMME YO MUNNY.

    • Agent Cooper

      “And six Asian American women were killed on March 16 in spa shootings in Atlanta.”

      JFC. Correlation is not causation.

    • rhywun

      I am completely shocked they got the survey results they were looking for!

      • trshmnstr the terrible

        The survey, commissioned by the new nonprofit Leading Asian Americans to Unite for Change (LAAUNCH)

        Totes unbiased, much credible.

        Seriously, this weaponized non-profit thing needs to be tackled. It’s getting crazy, and has become a major component in the very quick shift toward fascism we’re seeing.

      • rhywun

        Yeah, the primary purpose of these things is to get picked up by the media to prop up The Narrative.

        They’re a little late to the party, but this ought to help feed another few weeks of “news” about how much we hate Asians.

      • trshmnstr the terrible

        Just gotta keep that undercurrent running. Then blow it up into front page hysterics again next September/October, complete with “studies have shown that Asians feel particularly oppressed”.

      • Pope Jimbo

        That is part of the purpose. I think the bigger purpose is money laundering.

        1) start non-profit.
        2) Get grants from state/feds
        3) Issue press releases furthering The Narrative.
        4) Hire various cronies ne’er do well family members of pols.
        5) Contribute to pols campaign funds
        6) goto 2

      • trshmnstr the terrible

        Yes. I’ve documented in the past how constellations of non-profits are established to accept government and corporate money under the guise of (non-partisan) charitable work, but they then funnel the money to the usual suspects on the left (or to a growing cloud of new radical lefty non-profits).

        Just as an anecdata example, my company was touting a partnership with some innocent sounding social charity, but when you clicked over to the charity’s website and looked at their partnerships, they were connected with NARAL, Planned Parenthood, BLM, SPLC, etc.

    • PieInTheSky

      say they are discriminated against by their fellow Americans. – if by their fellow Americans they mean white well off progressives they probably are

    • pistoffnick

      A recent survey found that nearly 80% of pistoffnicks don’t feel respected and say they are discriminated against.

      See I can grift too!

      GIMME YO MUNNY.

  38. PieInTheSky

    What is the Official Glibertarian Position on cumin? I can’t really say I like it or dislike it…

    • UnCivilServant

      It’s a spice that’s going to cause intentional misreading of the name.

    • Jarflax

      It is best used to dust pineapple before use as a pizza filling in a deep dish.

      • Gustave Lytton

        I bet you put Tajin on your grapefruit, you sick bastard.

      • slumbrew

        – pineapple on pizza
        – deep dish vs. real pizza
        – chili

        Am I missing any other battlefronts of the Great Food Wars?

      • slumbrew

        Now you’re just pulling my leg – no adult would do that.

      • Agent Cooper

        BBQ.

        Of course, I am Switzerland in the BBQ Wars. I like all BBQ.

      • The Sleeper

        Whatever, as long as it’s not Kentucky or Ohio where their idea of BBQ is putting BBQ sauce on normally cooked meat.

      • Akira

        I’m from Ohio and I hate that. I got really into BBQ for a while (as in actually slow-smoking the meat with wood) but then my BBQ rusted out and fell apart, probably from being used way more than it was meant for.

        I’m trying to decide on a design for a brick firepit with a lid so that I can get back to it.

      • slumbrew

        Same same.

        The best local BBQ place does a variety of styles – NC pulled pork, KC burnt ends, etc. All of it good.

    • juris imprudent

      Use sparingly.

    • Drake

      Love it and add it in when making tuna salad.

    • PieInTheSky

      I randomly bought some and put a little on a boneless turkey thigh I grilled

    • Tulip

      Depends what you’re doing with it. I add it to hummus, or other middle eastern stuff. I also add to TexMex style dishes.

      • UnCivilServant

        I think cumin is the aroma I associate with “taco seasoning” mix

      • Tulip

        Yes. I use a lot of it in all kinds of recipes. I don’t think I’ve used it alone on meat, but it is almost always included in rubs.

      • Nephilium

        Yep. To me it’s a requirement for chili as well.

      • PieInTheSky

        Usually when I buy a spice I put it on the first thing I cook after. When I first bought turmeric it was a piece of tuna I pan seared.

      • Tulip

        Sounds like a smart way to test a new spice

    • db

      It is a primary spice in good chili con carne.

    • westernsloper

      Depends on what it is going in or on.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      I enjoy it when it happens.

    • Hyperion

      Cumin is the key ingredient in chili. Chili without cumin is not chili, it’s some sort of soup, but not chili. Don’t even get me started on putting kidney beans in chili, it’s an abomination.

      • PieInTheSky

        I saw Mark Rippetoes chilly recipe and it was some meat and a shitload of spices

      • robc

        What is your thoughts on skyline?

        **runs away and hides**

      • Hyperion

        I like Goldstar better.

      • Akira

        Haha joking aside, I do enjoy making a Skyline-like sauce. Mine is thicker and tastes much more strongly of spices. I mostly use it on pasta and lasagna. I even slathered some on a pizza crust with mozzarella and cooked it like a pizza, which wasn’t half bad.

        I think that substance has suffered due to being called chili when it should be thought of as a Greek-Macedonian meat sauce. But the immigrant family that brought “Cincinnati chili” over here in the ’20s probably had to name it something familiar in order for Americans to try it, though.

      • db

        Aye, see above.

      • db

        But pinto beans are important to have.

      • Hyperion

        I only use pintos in chili.

    • rhywun

      Tastes like beef tacos.

    • The Other Kevin

      That is one of the few spices I buy by the “big” container. (The others being garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and paprika). Cumin is used in a lot of things but it really compliments pork.

      • Mojeaux

        I use mainly rosemary for pork chops.

    • zwak

      Avoid all Eileen branded Cumin.

      • db

        Cumin, Eileen
        Oh, the chili (with beans)
        It will taste like a dream-with sour cream
        The spice in that press
        My tastes (I confess)
        Verge on sav’ry
        Oh, cumin, Eileen

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        ?

      • Rat on a train

        Have you tried anything Neil Patrick Harris branded?

    • Pope Jimbo

      The Pope heartily agrees with cumin.

      It is a grave sin to try to keep it in a bag though that you pull out when needed.

    • Akira

      It’s best if you buy whole seeds, crush them, and saute them with the aromatics if you’re doing that.

      … Probably good advice for all dry spices, actually.

  39. Muzzled Woodchipper

    In an extreme example of sexual dimorphism, however, males are typically only 1 inch long. Male Pacific football fish become “sexual parasites,” where they eventually become part of the female fish itself. In the process, they lose their eyes, internal organs and everything else but the testes, “and serve as an easily accessible source of sperm,” Cal Academy explained on its website.

    This fish is a feminist wet dream.

    https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/potrero-hill-sf-shootings-boudin-statement-16180637.php

    • EvilSheldon

      Life imitates anime. Wonderful.

  40. The Late P Brooks

    Its been at least 20 years since I saw anybody “cat-call” a woman (meaning, make a loud suggestive remark in public). Where the hell do these people live?

    1962.

  41. westernsloper

    Sunday brunch on Monday FTW!

  42. ignoreLander

    Damn it all to hell.

    They still very much want their party to show loyalty to Mr. Trump and adhere to the idea that President Biden didn’t legitimately win.

    They’ll just never get it, will they? These people aren’t loyal to Trump; they’re excited at the notion of ending business as usual in D.C. In fact, most of the people I have spoken to about this are vehemently opposed to the idea of following and/or deifying individuals in politics.

    But lefties can’t get that into their lizard brains can they? For them, it’s all about “who do we worship in Washington” and “who can confiscate my money and tell me what to do?”