The tour minus the last few bits
Apology
I live in northern[1] Vermont and don’t get far from my small town so the scope of this travelogue is limited to Vermont’s northwest quadrant. I don’t know much about the southern[2] part of the state or what’s on the east side of the Green Mountain range.
Google Maps limits the number of points on a journey. From Swanton in the upper left corner extend the blue line north nearly to the border and then back down south through St. Albans and back to Burlington.
A note about the weather
Vermont has a number of seasons: Mud, Black Fly[3], Grow, Leaf, Hunting, and Ski. If you’re visiting Vermont then I don’t recommend the first two unless you’re here for Sugaring which coincides with Mud. If you come during Ski season then you’d better be prepared to ski because there’s little else to do.[4]
It all starts in Burlington
Burlington is Vermont’s largest city with 45K people. That makes it a small town by real-state standards and the city has a weird psychological split because of it, trying to have the advantages of both a city and a small town. It generally works but I feel there’s a sense of desperation.
Church Street is the obligatory tourist attraction but I prefer to go down the hill to Lake Champlain where one can dine on the waterfront and watch the excursion boat come and go. There’s also a lake aquarium and science center ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain the name of which pisses me off.[5]
Just to the south of Burlington is the Shelburne Museum with an outstanding collection of Americana but the only thing I care about is The Ticonderoga which was retired in 1953[6] and brought in as a permanent exhibit. Some readers may find interesting the museum’s collection of old Vermont Firearms.
GTFO of Burlington
Montpelier is Vermont’s capital city with 8K people. It’s 39 miles southeast of Burlington on Interstate 89. The gold-domed capitol building is picturesque but there’s little else to do there except count lawyers.
On second thought, let’s not go to Montpelier. ‘Tis a silly place.
Three quarters of the way to Montpelier is the town of Waterbury with the Ben and Jerry’s manufacturing plant, Vermont’s biggest tourist attraction. Put aside your politics and ice cream! Then head north on Route 100 to Stowe. There, among other attractions, is The Alchemist brewery where you can buy[7] a six-pack of Heady Topper and try to figure out why some consider it the best beer In the world.[8]
Then go north on Route 108 and pass through Smuggler’s Notch famous for historical smuggling, trucks ignoring the “No Trucks, We Really Mean It” signs and getting stuck, and being closed during Ski season.
Cue the banjo
A scenic journey north on Route 108 to 109 to 118 to 242 gets you to quaint Montgomery. A few miles up 242 on the right is The Belfry owned and operated by some friends[9] of mine. A few miles past that is Jay Peak with a year-round[10] tram going to the top of the mountain where refreshments are available, and a year-round water park that seems surreal when visited in the middle of Ski season.
Make your exit from Jay Peak by continuing east on 242, a jog north on 101, and then west on 105. This crosses the Green Mountain range again and eventually you’ll encounter Richford only notable for a quick stop that’s both a gas station and a liquor store. Who says Vermont lost all of its libertarian principles?
Getting out of Vermont the hard way
Pack your passport and vax card and engage in International Intercourse by crossing the border into Canada. From Richford head north on Vermont Route 139, cross the border to Quebec Route 139, and journey 11 kilometers[11] to Sutton which has a fine old French restaurant, and competing brewpubs across the street from each other. 110 kilometers further northwest is the city of Montreal which deserves an article to itself. Your humble correspondent lived in Montreal for a year.
The Missisquoi River Valley
I’ve heard that getting back into the U.S. is easier than getting out. Return to Richford and get on Route 105 going west. Route 105 intertwines the Missisquoi River and some old train tracks turned rail trail. Turn right onto Route 78 to go to Swanton where enthusiasts may enjoy the Railroad Depot Museum which contains some of my family’s artifacts. Then head north on Route 7. This would take you back to Canada but just before that is…
A family affair
The Tyler Place in Highgate Springs[12] is a family resort the shtick of which is that they take your kids off your hands every day for a week. The entire family stays in a cottage but children and adults are separated for breakfast and reunited after dinner. Kids are organized in age groups and by all reports have a blast. Your humble correspondent worked there as a waiter one summer in 1982.[13]
Returning to Swanton there’s a choice of getting on Interstate 89 or Route 7 going south. Both will take you to St. Albans the Main Street of which used to be vacant and sad but is now quite lively. Liveliness is enhanced by the 14th Star brewpub. St. Albans is the location of the annual Vermont Maple Festival held during the last weekend of April.
The end of the road
My journeys to Burlington are almost always speeding down Interstate 89 with few stops in-between. There may be wonders between St. Albans and Burlington but I don’t know of them.
Footnotes
[1] I used to[14] own a stretch of the Canadian border so I’m about as north as you can get.
[2] They have funny accents down there anyway.
[3] The parts of Vermont with which I am familiar don’t have a bad black fly problem. I deal with bugs this way.
[4] For some reason ice fishing isn’t a big tourist draw.
[5] Dedicated in 2003 to Senator Patrick Leahy who is still alive. I think this was, and remains, in incredibly bad taste.
[6] My grandmother rode on the Ti’s final excursion and my family has souvenirs of the event.
[7] Heady Topper used to be unobtanium outside of Stowe. It’s now more widely available. I’ve never seen it in my small town but I’ve seen it in an adjacent town.
[8] I think it tastes like grapefruit juice. I prefer The Alchemist’s Luscious which is like drinking liquid chocolate.
[9] No, dropping my name won’t get you comped but if enough of you do I might be.
[10] During Ski season the tram is packed with eager skiers. I don’t know if single round-trip tickets are even available then.
[11] 11 kilometers is 6.8 miles for those not conversant with Napoleonic systems of measurement.[15]
[12] In the unlikely event you ever go to Highgate Springs let me know. I can provide accommodations and reveal secrets.
[13] Not a typo. 40 years ago!
[14] Alas[16], I sold that lot and so cannot entertain any new smuggling[17] opportunities.
[15] Remember that in Canada the speed limit signs are in KPH so don’t get all excited when you see “90”.
[16] Not really. It was just a property tax burden and I was happy to get rid of it.
[17] I used to specialize in cigarettes and beer.[18]
[18] This is a joke.
Vermont huh? What’s Styx really like?
Haven’t met him:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7555036/
Live from Vermont! It’s Friday night!
Actually the rain is making my crappy Internet connection even more crappy than usual. If I seem unresponsive it’s because radio waves are dying between my cabin and the AT&T tower.
Interesting. Thanks!
The Heady Topper is also commonly used as big trade bait in the beer geek communities. It’s also quite delicious, although I’m a bit tired of the NEIPA’s.
I had a college friend come visit last summer. We went to a grocery store for supplies and there was a four-pack of Heady Topper in the cooler. He likes beer but had never heard of it before. I don’t think he believed me when I told him what he was in for when we got back. He believed me shortly after.
So, Heady Topper is the Pliney the Elder of New England?
That would be an equivalent comparison. In local distribution, no wide distribution, and commonly imitated.
bwahahahaha
Some readers may find interesting the museum’s collection of old Vermont Firearms.
Yes.
competing brewpubs across the street from each other.
Quebec brewers make some excellent beer, and I’m certain the competition makes it even better.
Thanks Richard!
Do you have to speak French in the brewery?
No. They’re all frighteningly bilingual.
I have an oddly specific distaste for Montreal. I went there on a family trip about 40 years ago. After our dinner was served, the waiter asked my father if he wanted potatoes. My dad thought it came with his meal so he said yes. When the bill came, there was some absurd charge for the potatoes.
The only saving grace was I think I saw Rick Emmett of Triumph fame.
I like small towns that punch above their weight, except they tend to have ridiculous politics.
See: Ithaca, NY for a canonical example of that in action.
LOL
Huh, I’ve never seen so many commercials for GOP governor candidates for the primary – three different candidates so far. They must think they have a chance.
You can’t be talking about Vermont. Vermont is so right-wing that our Republican governor is certain to be re-elected. (smiley face emoji)
New York.
Yeah, I’m originally from Rochester. Getting out of Rochester was the first thing I did after graduating from high school.
? Me too.
Of course, I only made it as far as Buffalo.
I actually got a mailer for one of them. I was only aware of two of them, who’s the third?
Astorino, Zeldin, and… *looks up*… Harry Wilson. Never heard of the last one until tonight.
Never heard of Wilson either.
I’m going to have to actually do some research this year.
St. Johnsbury was one of our favorite places to visit. We did the maple syrup tour and ate at a wonderful Italian place which seems to be no longer there.
Thanks Richard, wish we’d had this 2 years ago! We ended up camped near St. Johnsbury in Leaf season which had the benefit of introducing us to Dog Mountain. We also took the extra-back-road up to Burke and Newport and somewhere in between dropped in on a terrific woodcrafter (and bought a salad bowl as a Christmas present[1] for my son and his fiance). We ended up in that godfersaken zone up there – forgetting the name at the moment. Since this was all deep amidst COVID we did not obviously enough even contemplate crossing into America’s hat. A couple of days later we made it over to the Sunday River restaurant that DEG had recommended, and then eventually caught up with DEG himself. It was a splendid trip and the leaf-peeping was, as one Vermonter put it “not bad”.
[1] This stands as my all time earliest Christmas present purchase, an activity I normally refuse to engage in before Dec. 1st (and most typically after Dec. 19th).
Ah – not Newport, NORTON. We got back to Brighton and then made our way to Newport.
If I had to move to the Northeast Kingdom It would be to Newport or St. J. Probably Newport because of the lake. I very much like this place:
https://www.eastsiderestaurant.net/
I remember that meet-up.
Sunday River Brewing is under new ownership now. The previous owner, Rick Savage, lost his fight with the state. Lower courts ruled in his favor, higher courts did not. He sold the business. Supposedly he is still involved behind the scenes.
Details:
https://www.sunjournal.com/2021/06/02/bethels-sunday-river-brewing-co-reopening-new-owner-on-deck/
Supposedly they don’t have their doughnut maker anymore.
I just started watching this,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UyN3bDMvjA&t=0s
Lauren Southern on Mexico’s illegal immigrant crisis, the doc looks good
I had no idea it was that small. My random increasingly prog infested town in the People’s Republic on NJ has 20,000 people.
Mind you one of my Japanese friend finds that quaint as her city has 450,000 people. In Japan it seems like you are either in a major city or the country which has small towns of 100s to 1,000s of people. This middle size of 10,000s is strange to her.
her city has 450,000 people
How does she like living in inaka?
Amagasaki. Just a whee speck between Kobe and Osaka.
Thanks, Richard!
My VT travels were all to the east of this – stayed in Morristown for a funeral n Andersonville, with a wake in Glover and a surprisingly excellent meal in Barton[1]. And then hiking Stowe Peak the next day.
Beautiful up there. And, man, are you in luck if you like products made with goat’s milk (for sale at every single business, AFAICT).
[1] https://www.parsonsdinnerhouse.com/
NE is gorge in general. Been around southern NH a few times and it’s so lovely up there.
I’ve got neighbors with goats. I’m thinking of renting them to eat the thicket that I call my front yard.
This article really gives Vermont short thrift. The Northeast Kingdom is great.[1]
[1] I’m still not mentioning the south.
What’s your beef with southern Vermont? It touches Massachusetts?
I very seldom go further south than Montpelier. I don’t know the southern part of the state. It makes me wonder what their sympathies were during the Late Great Unpleasantness.
I’m starting to get the impression you are a happy hermit.
FWIW I haven’t left NYC since 2018[1] and I’m totally a happy hermit now.
[1]Excepting a handful of encouraged visits to my place of work in New Jersey.
I am not happy. I’m out of orange juice and the cheap vodka that’s left is terrible by itself.
Rhywun feels your pain.
I just ran out of Mt. Dew to mix with my cheap vodka but I’m drunk and tired so I’m OK with that.
Sounds like an interesting part of the state Richard. I will have to visit one day.
One of the first-world problems of living in north-nowhere Vermont is that it takes new coins forever to get here. I’ve been telling people about the new quarter design for months and I still don’t think they believe me.
I have no idea what a new quarter design is. I haven’t received coins in months.
https://uscoinnews.com/2021/11/10/mint-confirms-fraser-design-on-2022-washington-quarter-obverse/
I think it’s excellent.
We have the same issue regarding coinage in Hawaii. Of the four primary coins I have not seen any 2022 (1 exception) and only a handful of 2021, plus they are uniformly from Denver. I did get a roll of the new quarters (Maya Angelou) in a mint release roll from the bank because I needed some coins for a car wash. No Sally Rides yet and I only have seen a handful of the 2021 quarters.
I don’t like the new obverse. The details are muted and Washington will quickly erode into a blob. I think is the biden Treasury Dept’s intent. The reverse on the example I have is crisp and with lots of detail totally unlike the obverse of the coin. Given a few years the icky slave owning white guy will be a blob while the “strong woman” on the reverse will still be in good detail, and with their name still readable.
That’s too bad. I was pleased with the resumption of depth of Washington’s figure on the 2021 quarter.
One advantage of living in north-nowhere Vermont is that older coins still circulate. I recently got an MS 1976 quarter and find wheat cents a few times a month. It’s been over a year since I’ve seen any silver. (Boy, the toning on that quarter is weird!)
It can’t be that three-dimensional, can it?
Anyway… grrrl power!
Also…
It annoys me that all my life coins were the same boring designs and precisely when I growed up the mint decided to throw up all these new designs.
I kind of like the “new” nickels that have been in circulation for what? a decade now? And I’ve probably never actually used one.
That said… I *hate* the “new” reverse of the penny. It looks so cheap.
I like the shield. It’s Civil War-era-esque:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shield_nickel
But since it stands for unity and strength I’m surprised the current administration hasn’t tried to change it.
I’m with Richard. IT hearkens back to older coinage. Very cool. That said, I wouldn’t mind seeing all four presidents on the 4 coins get replaced with something completely different. Or at least please, please start with FDR.
Hm. Y’all make good points.
I do like the older coinage with more symbology than hero worship. I might have to revise my opinion.
I would like “liberty” to return to the obverses, but I am afereed that somehose a depiction of an ideal will get woked. The change from liberty to people has not been for that long, except for the cent.
I am cool with using the quarter reverse to change on a periodic basis. We did the states and territories, followed by “beautiful” for each, now 20 women over four years. Maybe the amendments? Just don’t woke them, we already have the Barber coinage to be embarrassed by.
I would be delighted to see a gun toting Harriet Tubman.
Im off to work kids.
Hold the line.
Hold the Line or Hold the Line?
I’m a fan of this one: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6MOWr0kPemQ
Hi Richard! Thank you for the article! Happy Friday!
You’re welcome! The Friday night Internet gods are being kind. Despite the rain the bits keep a’flowin.
Starlink any sort of option/improvement for you up there?
Several of my neighbors have Starlink but I built my cabin[1] before the electric power lines came down the road and when they did I declined to hook up. My 250W solar panel array keeps my 220AH battery bank charged up enough for me to enjoy a few creature comforts but a 100W Starlink terminal isn’t going to be one of them until they get the power draw down.
[1] 30 years ago.
Nice. My trip was to go from DFW to Shreveport today. Someday I shall make another trip to Vermont and visit your sites.
Excellent article. I like a man that commits to the footnotes…. and the footnotes of the footnote’s footnotes.
Yes. The footnotes gave me a tingle up my leg.
If you’re over sixty, that might be pee!
AGEISM!!11 I can piss myself at age fifty just fine, thank you very much!
Isn’t that why they invented boxer-briefs? To catch the drips?
Very true. No tiger print polyester bikini briefs for the old men.
Be easier if they were linked. ?
If they had been, I may have passed out.
Linked footnotes can be dangerous, particularly footnotes-within-footnotes. If you accidentally create a footnote loop the spacetime continuum could collapse and suck the entire universe into a black hole.
Nice save.
You say that like it’s a bad thing
Didn’t I see that on an episode of ST:TNG?
The problem with doing it is that there’s no-one left to appreciate it.
The gold-domed capitol building is picturesque but there’s little else to do there except count lawyers.
The law firm of Larry, Darryl & Darryl?
Dewey, Cheatham and Howe
Payne, Hurtun, and Slaughter.
Tom Wolfe, who famously hated lawyers, named the law firm in A Man in Full Wringer Fleasom & Tick.
Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel
This is great. I really hope to get a chance to explore your part of the US some day. Until then, I will have to be content with all the great links. Thanks!
This corner of the country is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live here.
You just don’t like banjo music.
Banjo metal! ??
It took my an embarassingly long time to realize that a fiddle and violin were the same instrument.
Just a little purty fiddlin’.
Can you swordfight to it?
See [12]. That’s a secret.
https://archive.ph/y6oyK/1706817b69b5914d6f1d3e504b43e222b49da7cf.webp
NSFW.
https://preview.redd.it/ne7z5prrl0291.gif?format=mp4&s=4005c1868290609f99cad84f294b50ba0907d347
NSFW.
https://archive.ph/2Um0S/d74dae07a332d047a9e2091c96369afa179f640e.webp
NSFW.
https://archive.ph/uC1rC/305d4d018f0f1343accb0dc2cbbddeaf1829f222.webp
NSFW.
My one visit to Vermont was with my mom to visit her best friend in Burlington. Highlights included a trip to the von Trapp house in Stowe, along with an adventure on the local alpine slide (a type of concrete luge run that you negotiate on a wheeled sled). BTW, if you overcook it on that thing, you can roll over, leaving a baseball-sized patch of skin on the slide. Burlington, like most college towns, is a bit sleepy in July.
For a few years now, I’ve been trying to convince The Bosslady to go here with me for a few days to a week, up in the Northeast Kingdom. Getting there entails flying into Burlington or Manchester, NH and acquiring a rental or Turo. From there we could take day trips into New Hampshire and Maine, as well as Quebec. Figured we could do the tourist thing and see covered bridges and drink hard cider and craft beer, and I’d try to entice the local fish to engage in battle. So far, no luck.
Manchester’s airport isn’t bad. Though, it is small and doesn’t have a lot of connections.
I’m used to LGA and JFK. Anything smaller is a great relief. Cleveland, Buffalo, Rochester, Manchester… all much more pleasant.
The Rabbit Hill Inn looks fantastic. I particularly like this:
Some friends and I once spent a week at a time-share condo at Smuggler’s Notch and they kept the TV on the entire time.
My #1 criterion for a hotel now is can I open a window. I must have fresh air, and the hotel industry does not want to comply.
Is that hard to come by? I’m not a prodigious traveler, but I’m having a tough time thinking of a hotel window I couldn’t open. Once in LA.
My recent traveling was all business trips so kind of channeled into chain hotels which are all sealed windows these days.
But yeah if I’m going to take a personal trip, I’m going for something more funky.
Yeah, I’m gonna back peddle a bit….the more I think about it, the more I remember pane glass windows. Not all, but the newer ones, for sure.
My last trip I specifically chose a grande olde hotel and yep… sealed windows. I do recall looking for the availability of “smoking” rooms which is kind of a barometer for the availability of fresh air plus I was still you know smoking at the time and the closest one was some joint in a Cleveland suburb that would be impossible to use as a staging point for working downtown so ugh.
AirBnb we rented in Morristown had no TV, but did have some sweet vinyl. Had Aja spinning while I read and drank some wine. Good times.
At the other end of the country, my suggestion of Little Palm Island got vetoed precisely because of this. To wit:
A true escape, Little Palm’s perfect combination of privacy and luxury is maintained through a long-standing tradition of keeping televisions and telephones out of the guest rooms and public areas. While WiFi is available, ringing phones are taboo here.
Heaven forbid that the missus might have to forego her cooking competition shows and true crime dramas for a few days. And not getting constant texts and emails from her faculty buddies? Gaaah!
That looks gorgeous. Your wife is nuts to pass on that.
Maybe she saw that the ship taking them to the island is named “The Truman” and became indignant.
If she’s a 90 year old Japanese woman, then it makes sense.
Burlington also has the Grand Point North Music Festival every September. It was started by Burlington’s most famous citizen (to me), the lovely and talented Grace Potter.
If Live From Daryl’s House ever came out with a greatest hits album, this song with Grace would be one of the first ones chosen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypwcitHSEQo
When I was young we lived at Plattsburgh AFB. My dad’s parents lived in Montreal, and my mother’s family was in Manchester, NH, so every other weekend we’d take the ferry across Lake Champlain and drive through Vermont down to Manch. I love northern New England.
*lights the Nephilium signal*
I’ve noticed two regional beers lately switch to shrink-wrapped plastic labels. One of them (Summit) even has a “zipper” on the back to pull in order to remove the label for recycling. I wonder…
A) is this something that is going to spread amongst small to medium sized breweries?
2) should I be buying stock in whatever company is at the forefront of this?
Some Stowe Cider:[1]
https://www.stowecider.com/
I recently bought had this. I thought it disconcerting to see a naked aluminum can. Maybe I’m just a prude.
[1] Another place to see in Stowe when you’re there.
The Josh Donaldson and Tim Anderson shit is really the perfect example of how watered down and diluted the term racist has become.
One guy pretentiously and ridiculously compared himself to Jackie fucking Robinson. A white player dared to mock him for being a self-important cunt, and this is racist. None of these sports journalists clutching their pearls can explain what about it is exactly racist. They can’t show the logic behind their thought process in the slightest. They just know a white guy made a reference to something vaguely racial, and is thus racist…
And they are perfectly happy to condemn thousands of Yankees fans, you know, people who probably in large numbers just voted for a black mayor, as racist for starting a chant mocking the rival player the next day.
Let me explain, now, why exactly there’s nothing racist about this in a way that none of the people on the opposite side of this position can. By calling White “Jackie” derogatively, no one is mocking White for being black. They are mocking him for comparing himself to a historically great athlete whose greatness and significance transcended sports in a way that White never will. They are, in fact, pointing out Robinson’s greatness and pointing out that White will never live up to that and it’s moronic of him to compare himself to this person simply because he’s…well, black.
The racists are praising a great black athlete and man and mocking a self-important imbecile.
OT: YouTube has completely crawled up it’s own self-righteous ass.
For whatever dipshit reason I’ve been watching “reaction” videos to forms of music and film by people who are generally speaking, not the original targeted demographic. Is this a recently formed habit of self absorbed, self indulgence on my part? Absolutely. Yet during this time I’ve noticed it’s a common phrase that has begun to irrate me; most often used by young, male, black hip-hop fans…got nothing better to do.
“What’s up, YouTube? It’s your boy…”
So I click on a Stevie Ray Vaughan Live rendition of Texas Flood reaction…Sure enough…
Me: Please don’t say “What’s up? It’s your boy…” to start this video reaction…For the love of God: Please don’t start this video by saying “What’s up? it’s your boy…” to start this video reaction…
*clicks on video*
Goddammit.”
This is apparently now considered racially motivated hate-speech and will get your account suspended.
It’s 2022 – stay in your own lane, bigot.
Just listening to them going over that nonsense on The Fifth Column; you have to be willfully stupid to think that was some sort of racist insult. Or a sportswriter. But I repeat myself.
Sort of related, Jason Gay’s column in today’s WSJ can suck it. I’m from the shut up and dribble camp. If I’m reading the sports section then tell me about sports. I don’t care what you think about the Uvalde school shooting.
On a related note, the San Francisco Giants’ manager has decided to stay in the clubhouse during the pre-game playing of the national anthem because he is “not okay with the state of the country.”
Hey, dude: I’m not happy with the state of the country, either — though that has more to do with $5 gas, two years of coof nonsense, my portfolio dumping 25%, and the clown show on Capitol Hill and the White House than any school shooting. And I’m not going to toot my own horn about performing a pointless and futile gesture every time some sexually frustrated loser with a 5.56mm rage boner decides to have a homicidal temper tantrum.
This is a simple game, skip. You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball. Leave the wokeism to dumbass college kids.
I’m sure this will go over well in SF. I hope gets mercilessly taunted on the road.
They seem to have forgotten that sports is supposed to be a respite from all that. A substitute for violence and an outlet for aggression that might otherwise rear its head in another manner.
That’s it for me brethren and mythical sisteren. I thank you for your kind attention.
I’m starting to rethink my anti-waterboarding stance.
https://dailycaller.com/2022/05/27/mass-shootings-nina-jankowicz-dhs-disinformation-board/
Her or Mayorkas? Because that quote in there from him, my god. “What it will do is gather together best practices in addressing the threat of disinformation from foreign state adversaries from the cartels and disseminate those best practices to the operators that have been executing in addressing this threat for years.”
First of all, bureaucratese always sounds like bullshit, no matter what people are saying. Second, he’s describing one event – basically writing a memo (“best practices”) and sending it to Google. You don’t need a agency for that, so clearly he’s lying. Third, even if we think that’s necessary or helpful to do, why does DOJ/CIA not have the capacity to do that, right now? What tf do they do here?
To answer your question, both. I agree with everything you said.
I tried quoting part of the article, as well, but the weird glitch this site has when copying and pasting certain texts prevented it.
They’re full of shit in so many ways. Like the part where they claim the DHS doesn’t have the ability to track and monitor what people do online. Bitch, like you want me to believe the DHS has no access to any of the massive amounts of data being collected by the NSA?
Mayorkas is a typical Biden hire: bad at everything. His lies are unbelievable. His bureaucratese is indecipherable. He persuades no one.
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Anyone about? Just got a text from the new contractor. They want to meet to discuss processes. They have no clue how to do the job. They are obviously swimming at the deep end of the pool. My first reaction was jump in and help the drowner but now with a little reflection, they can sink or swim. It took me years to master that job and nothing I say over coffee is going to impart that knowledge. I think what is really going on is that they are hard-selling me to stay on. Dude, I’ve said no twice, already. Don’t make me yell for help. #FestusLivesMatter. It’s odd to have the high hand but I don’t owe a single thing to anyone involved. I’m putting the new contractor on “ignore” mode.
I actually just texted the guy back with “You broke it, you bought it”. Felt quite freeing in a sense…
Good for you Festus. Are they asking for free advice or are they willing to pay you?
They were paying but I suspect they were selling. Fuck that shit, I’ve harder rows to hoe at the moment. They are desperate. Fuck them. Conniving sales pitches don’t work well if you are the son of a conniving salesman.
You could begin a new career as a consultant for the inept. Charge $100 a hour to explain to these people how to do the freaking job. You don’t even need to leave the home. A simple phone call will do.
I bet them donning boaters and singing a song about “trouble” was a dead giveaway.
Festud, you’re my hero.
Semi-coworker is quitting after vacation. He gave the new boss his notice. New boss said his calendar was tied up and needed quitter to come back after vacation for out processing. Fool agreed. ?♂️
You tell them you fucking First for a living and that they can fuck right off.
Conversely, I may have just aged out of the job and want to retain what little pride I have left. But yeah, I’ll go with Bro’s formula!
Time to start that new career as a gigolo.
Gigolos need to use their appendages to make females orgasm. Firsters can do it with their thoughts.
Why would Festus ever debase himself in such a way?
Because I want my two dollahs!
Instagram Influencer seems all the rage, lately. Titty pics only for subscribers. My Onlyfans will be off the chart!
OMG I just dozed off in my chair for two hours with my iTunes running.
It’s like I’m in college again.
What? Chasing tail out of your room so you can then spiff up for a date? SSSS (Shit, Shower Shampoo Shave)
The new KITH is pretty great! I’ve been watching with bleary eyes. SUPER DRUNK!
And just like that, everyone fell fast asleep,
Covfefe! and hello Glibbies!
I’ve haven’t been to Vermont since I was a kid and we used to go skiing at Stowe. I was perpetually in trouble for leaving the group and pretty mouthy about how slow everyone else was. That’s twelve for you.
https://youtu.be/54LEywabkl4
Wake up, bitches.
Ugh. I am contractually obligated to wake up by 7 now, it seems.
Weekend bonus – Sandford & son:
https://youtu.be/EbcQKRwU4E8
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2022/05/27/pennsylvania-gov-wolf-advocates-rally-for-stronger-gun-laws/
No, douche bag. Enforce the ones you have.
Now, go fuck yourself.
https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/southeastern-pa/pa-s-longest-married-couple-honored/article_9458318e-de09-11ec-b839-83bcad04988a.html
Awww.
“They have three children, seven grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.“
My parents have three children. The family just learned that grandchild number 18 will be born this fall.
80 years, though. That’s amazing.
I wonder if the husband felt the seventy-year itch.
Powerline
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2022/05/the-week-in-pictures-colliding-narrative-edition-2.php
I hope I didn’t wake the little one up after seeing the one about the UK sending baby formula to the US.
How about a lil Nikki Glaser?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m9lv0kSYK8Q
Nsfw audio, but no one here works anyway.
Double tap. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G73C-kC1IfM
suh’ fam
whats goody yo
Holiday weekend.
*Points to avatar*
Perhaps for you. Im working the next 2 nights.
I hope Rufus is happy.
*sad trombone*
We drove across the northern tier on our “Around the Great Lakes Tour”. It was gorgeous in the fall with miles of leaf changing. Stopped in a country store and they were heating with apple tree wood. The guy explained that the old, dead, diseased trees are culled and re-used while folks like me buy apple wood for smoking fish and other culinary delights.
Beautiful area but not enough lakes for me. Thanks, Richard.
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