This blog will host my ramblings about life. To be a bit more specific, I'll probably focus on these subjects: music, sports, food, the everyday beauty of life, and the comedy/tragedy/absurdity of our existence. That about covers it.
I've never been an avid watcher of South Park, but the show is doing some outstanding work this season taking on President Adolf and his lackeys.
This week's episode is wonderful satire of many topics, but my favorite part of the episode is how the characters are so reliant on ChatGPT, how stupid people are about how great it's supposed to be.
My favorite part is when the wife pitches a business idea of turning fries into a "salad," the the AI says it's a great idea.
I'm reading about the darker side of AI via the following book.
After reading about the exploitation and the shit jobs people are doing for the tech companies and billionaires, you better think differently about how great AI is.
The Micah Parsons situation with the Dallas Cowboys is bizarre. Since I am watching the Netflix documentary about the Cowboys in the 90s, the situation seems reminiscent to the Emmitt Smith holdout decades ago.
I haven't chimed in yet about the eventual cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, but the fact he's getting his show taken away is ridiculous.
He has the highest-rated late-night show on TV.
Two days before he found out he was losing his show he criticized Paramount for caving to bribing Trump so they can get its media merger.
Here's a comic that was in Saturday's Washington Post from Tom the Dancing Bug.
I'm surprised Bezos is letting this cartoonist do his thing since he attended President Adolf's inauguration and is trying to limit the coverage of opinions in what was an esteemed paper.
Meanwhile, Congress passed a budget that adds to the deficit/national debt and simply helps rich people and corporations.
And Adolf's tariff's are unlikely, as the authors of "Trumps Global Tariffs 'Victory' May Well Come at a High Price," to do what he purports them to do: "But history tells us that his overarching aim - to return production and jobs to America - may meet with very limited success. And America's long-time trading partners, like Canada and the EU, could start looking to form economic and political connections that bypass what they no longer view as a reliable economic ally."
Jobs aren't going to return to the U.S. because of these stupid tariffs. Our trading partners are going to find more stable countries to trade with. And prices for Americans are going to go up because of tariffs.
I'm glad I bought a half of cow over a year ago because apparently beef prices are high as hell.
Of all the things that the MAGA faithful should be mad about in regard to the doings of President Adolf, they're really concerned about the release of the Epstein files?
I know the Trinidad & Tobago national team is a weak side, but the US Men's National Team had a solid match against them on Sunday in the Gold Cup. As a Tottenham fan and as an American, I want Pochettino to succeed.
I like his brand of football.
But what is the definition of success for the USMNT?
Saturday's insanely expensive so-called celebration of the military/military parade for Moscow Don/President Adolf was a resounding failure in terms of what Adolf expected it to be.
The videos on TikTok and the truthful media coverage have been satirically ruthless about how pathetic and how poorly attended the event was.
So low energy...
So much like a guy with a small dick trying to compensate...
Tottenham hired Thomas Frank after sacking Ange. Of the options available, he was probably the best choice. It should be an intriguing transfer window.
I just hope we keep Romero and Son for at least another season. Ideally, I'd like to see Spurs extend Son for one more season, have this coming season be his last at the club, and sell him to whatever club he wants to go to for a decent fee.
I want to see Archie Gray playing in the 6 and the 8 positions. He's a midfielder. Playing as a right or left back or even as a center-back should be emergency option.
Rachel Maddow covered the imbecility of the Secretary of Education extensively in one of her shows, but the marketing gurus took it a step further with this Instagram post.
That's some pretty good satire right there.
I happened upon an interesting article from the BBC that talks about how people are using brewers spent grain. They're experimenting will turning it into food products and an alternative to leather. Check it out in "How Beer Sludge Is Being Turned into Vegan Milk and Leather."
My word-of-the-day calendar shows that today's word as "mala fide," which is an adverb or adjective meaning "with or in bad faith." That word sums up a lot about the current administration in D.C.
My club, Tottenham Hotspur, have a huge away game tomorrow.
As much as I like Ange, if he doesn't win it all in the Europa League, I think he's going to get sacked.
The team went through a dreadful spell for about three months when they had all kinds of injuries, but with the way he has turned again or criticized the fans, I don't think he'll survive for next season.
But I hope to be proven wrong by him winning a trophy and Spurs doing well in the remaining games in the Premier League.
Unfortunately, his approval rating is still 45%, which is preposterous. What a bunch of morons and clowns.
Yet the Wall Street Journal opinion page has described what's happening as "the dumbest trade war in history."
I suspect those 45% aren't reading the Wall Street Journal.
I've been watching The X-Files lately because there isn't much on in the evening. The series has reminded me that the GM products of the 90s were pretty damn ugly.
I've been an avid viewer of Saturday Night Live since I was a kid.
The sketch about Zelensky's visit to trap in the White House was spot on. And the new agency DOUCHE is strikingly accurate. That's what they're setting out to do: Department of Unmaking Child Healthcare and Education.
Mike Myers had to have a lot of fun imitating Musk's strange mannerisms.
I recently watched the Netflix movies about the start of SNL, Saturday Night. If the depiction is true, I never knew Chevy Chase and John Belushi disliked each other so much.
It's now once again what I call the dead season of sports. I neither watch the NBA nor the NHL. And March Madness hasn't started. Since I quit playing fantasy baseball, I don't watch much MLB. And because Hulu doesn't have the Marquee Network, I don't watch the Cubs.
Democrats are inviting federal workers who were fired because of the draconian efforts of DOGE to Moscow Don's Congressional address on Tuesday. Many of them are veterans.
I like this move because it shows how Trump, Musk, and their goons are just indiscriminately firing people. And I like how pissed-off constituents are showing up at town halls.
Of course, craven Republicans will just stop having town halls if I had to guess.
In what has been circulated via numerous media outlets, there is an online petition to have Denmark buy California, a satirical jab at President Adolf claim of wanting to take over Greenland from Denmark.
If you're interested in signing the petition, it's aptly called Denmarkification.
Please check it out and read about "Why California?", "Why Trump Adolf Might Sell," and "The Tremendous Plan."
I made a couple of new dishes based on recipes from Cooking Light and Milk Street magazines. The first was a slow cooker affair that used apricot preserves and jalapeños as the flavoring agent for boneless chicken thighs. They turned out like chicken sloppy joes. The second was a grated carrot salad that used a bunch of flat leaf parsley from my garden, so I got to use my grating implement of my food processor.
There's some kind of varmint eating my tomatoes in my garden. I suspect it's a damn raccoon.
Recently I've been researching dog breeds. Our dog is getting older, and when she passes, we'll probably get two dogs, one smallish dog for Mrs. Nasty and a dog I like. Because I want a dog that doesn't shed much and one that will make me take it for walks, the two breeds I'm interested in currently are the Vizsla and the German Shorthaired Pointer.
Here are some links about those breeds if you're interested:
I finished watching all of the episodes of Parks & Recreation last night. It was an outstanding series. I don't know why I didn't watch when it was actually on TV, but Netflix bailed me out. Nick Offerman is the man (read his books, btw), and he got the opportunity of a lifetime to play Ron Swanson, who is a character I agree with on some matters (related to manhood) and not many others (government, vegetables, etc.).
Unfortunately, I suspect there are some folks who literally (as Chris is fond of saying) take the character as he is. Satire is wasted on dumbasses. And oh, Leslie Knope, as I've stated before, oh how I have a crush on you.
I've heard good things about Father John Misty, but I got intrigued after reading "Here Is the Scandalous Father John Misty Interview You've Been Waiting For" on Pitchfork. So yesterday I purchased I Love You, Honeybear. I'm looking forward to the new release, Pure Comedy. Here's the title track with lyrics afterward.
"Pure Comedy"
The comedy of man starts like this. Our brains are way too big for our mothers' hips. And so Nature, she divines this alternative. We emerged half-formed and hope that whoever greets us on the other end Is kind enough to fill us in. And, babies, that's pretty much how it's been ever since.
Now the miracle of birth leaves a few issues to address. Like, say, that half of us are periodically iron deficient. So somebody's got to go kill something while I look after the kids. I'd do it myself, but what, are you going to get this thing its milk? He says as soon as he gets back from the hunt, we can switch. It's hard not to fall in love with something so helpless. Ladies, I hope we don't end up regretting this.
Comedy, now that's what I call pure comedy. Just waiting until the part where they start to believe They're at the center of everything. And some all-powerful being endowed this horror show with meaning.
Oh, their religions are the best. They worship themselves, yet they're totally obsessed With risen zombies, celestial virgins, magic tricks, these unbelievable outfits. And they get terribly upset When you question their sacred texts Written by woman-hating epileptics.
Their languages just serve to confuse them. Their confusion somehow makes them more sure. They build fortunes poisoning their offspring And hand out prizes when someone patents the cure. Where did they find these goons they elected to rule them? What makes these clowns they idolize so remarkable? These mammals are hell-bent on fashioning new gods, So they can go on being godless animals.
Oh comedy, their illusions they have no choice but to believe Their horizons that just forever recede. And how's this for irony, their idea of being free is a prison of beliefs That they never ever have to leave.
Oh comedy, oh it's like something that a madman would conceive! The only thing that seems to make them feel alive is the struggle to survive. But the only thing that they request is something to numb the pain with Until there's nothing human left. Just random matter suspended in the dark. I hate to say it, but each other's all we got.
As many of you might know or have gathered if you've read this blog for a while, I tend to have pessimistic attitudes about politics, the "democratic" process, voters, the 24-hour cable news networks, FoxNews, and the intelligence of the average American. "The Dumbed Down Democracy" by Timothy Egan represents my feelings to a degree.
Check out this article from Slate from 2012: "Chaos Theory: A Unified Theory of Muppets." I'm an Order Muppet. And I think Oscar, my favorite Sesame Street character, is one too. In the "Ask Umbra" feature of Grist, a reader asks about the eco-responsbility of certain kinds of liquor: "What Kind of Liquor Is Best for the Environment?" I had no idea Four Roses used non-GMO grains, and my favorite, bourbon, looks like an eco-winner relatively speaking.
I was happily surprised to read Tom Philpott's article in the May/June issue of Mother Jones. In "Playing Chicken," the author informs readers about how Perdue, the chicken industry giant, has gone to not using antibiotics. Let's hope other meat producers follow their lead because Perdue has based its decision on science and the fact that antibiotics really don't significantly increase weight gain.
The President killed it at this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner.
I'm not surprised at all that students who have a "consumer" mindset to their coursework often get lower grades than students who see themselves as learners. Read all about it in "Students with Consumer Mindset Get Lower Grades." The final ¶ is noteworthy because students are getting that attitude from somewhere: "Government, too, should be cautious when talking about the ‘value’ of higher education purely in terms of a financial transaction as it may encourage students to feel like they are simply buying their degree. As a result, they may start to develop a ‘you teach me’ attitude rather than one that fosters effortful engagement with their chosen subject.” I'm glad to see the Game of Thrones tv series has rediscovered the Iron Islands. I suspect they'll play catch-up with the books as new happenings unfold. I had suspected Ian McShane will play Victarion Greyjoy, one of my favorite characters in the books, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
As much as the Simpsons' cavalcade of characters are seen in church, the series definitely has had some satirical comments about religion. Check out "The 18 Greatest Simpsons Religion Jokes."
If you're not watching Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, you're missing something. It's too bad the show is only on once a week. Here's a greatest hits from the first six weeks of the show posted on sheknows.com: "8 Times Samantha Bee Has Positively Owned Late Night." The other day my daughter and I were watching the program, and she said, "I want to be like her," meaning she wants to be someone who does investigative reporting and calls out people on their bullshit. This is the same young lady who volunteered to enter a speech contest and won second without any help from her parents. If she does it again next year, I'm going to make sure I consult on the speech. Next time we'll be gunning for first. Seth Meyers had a nice piece on the nonsense of trickle-down economics happening in Kansas. Those policies are as dumb as a box of dildos. Literally.
"Why Donald Trump Is Wrong about Manufacturing Jobs and China" from The New Yorker is an interesting read. I wrote about reshoring in 2012 and 2013. I'd still like to see more jobs come back to the U.S.A. One move both Trump and Sanders have made is tapping into resentment about "free trade." In fact, Trump talks like a protectionist, which among other Trump-based matters, is roiling the GOP establishment. Unfortunately, Sports Illustrated has predicted that the Cubs will be in the World Series this season. That's bad news because SI is notorious for being horrible at predictions.
Here are some interesting stats from the March Harper's Index:
Number of refugees arrested in the United States on terrorism-related charges since 2001: 10
Number of natural-born U.S. citizens: 320
Portion of people who worry that a family member will be a victim of terrorism: 1/2
Number of people killed by political or religious extremists on U.S. soil since September 11, 2001: 93
Percentage of these deaths attributable to far-right-wing political extremists: 52
Number of times the average American checks his or her phone each day: 46
The Fix of the Washington Post has a good interview with the esteemed historian Eric Foner who answers questions about this coming presidential election. It's interesting and related to some conservative commentators' calls for establishment Republicans creating a new party. Check out "Is the GOP Really on the Verge of Breaking in Two? Here's What History Says."
Also in the same issue of The Atlantic, there was a very positive piece of what is going on in some parts of America. James Fallows' "How America Is Putting Itself Back Together" might brighten people's spirits.
The other day I had to watch a tv show in real time like a common animal rather than watching the dvr recording of it. It was horrible. All those commercials. I am so angry and frustrated with my local state representative and state senator that for the first time in my life I"m going to vote in a GOP primary rather than the Democratic primary, so I can vote against them. It'll be hard to stomach voting for a president on the GOP ballot, but I may have to go with Trump because his candidacy could spell doom for the Republican party in a Whig-like shakeup. It's an extreme outside shot, but it could happen. Or at least a Trump candidacy would flush all kinds of voters to the Democratic side. As much as I agree with Trump that we need to get American industry going again (which is part of Sanders' message too), I also agree with Rubio's notion that Trump is a con-man. For example, see Jon Oliver's wonderful takedown of Donald Drumpf, "a litigious serial liar with a string of broken business ventures and the support of a former Klan leader." #MakeDonaldDrumpfAgain
I'm loving this fact because it is one of my favorite comic strips of all time.
Because the strip ended with Donald Trump buying the strip and replacing the characters, it'll be interesting to see how Breathed plays with Trump now that he's a presidential candidate. I suspect Mr. Breathed is going to have a lot of fun with the upcoming presidential race.
Regardless of all that, I'm happy to have the strip back because of its mixture of political and social satire and low humor.
He's going to publish the strip through his Facebook page, so I'm a bit concerned I'll miss some of the installments. I guess I'll just have to be more disciplined with my Facebook activity.
