Embrace, maybe, but not quite hug

Great White Sharks Are Swarming Cape Cod and It’s the Government’s Fault - The Daily Beast

"‘If anything I’ve noticed, among the business community of the town of Chatham, which is the epicenter of white shark activity, they’ve embraced these animals as a way to make money and draw people to the town,’ says Dr. Greg Skomal, a senior biologist with the Massachusetts Marine Fisheries department, leading expert on these apex predators, and essentially the New England great white guru. ‘Virtually every shop on Main Street is selling some kind of shark trinket or shirt, you name it. I think it’s been a positive response, one of people trying to embrace these animals.’"

And, oh yeah, the “government’s fault” thing is about laws protecting seals, which result in more food for the sharks (sharks eat seals), therefore a growing shark populations. Cute, huh?

That makes two of us

XKCD

Good drone

Uncharted Waters: Drone Used to Spot Sharks Off California Coast - NBC News

"Before implementing the drone, lifeguards had been going out via jet ski in a tedious, hours-long process to look for sharks. Now, they drive the drone to nearby Surfside, launch it, and within 10 minutes, can get a complete look at the area from 100 to 150 feet above the water's surface, Bailey said."

The way things are

The Massacre In Charleston Is Unlikely To Lead To Gun Control Legislation | FiveThirtyEight

"Americans have turned against gun control over the past 25 years. We can see this clearly in Gallup’s data since 1990 and the Pew Research Center’s data since late 1993."

Furthermore, for better or for worse, the comparison to “other advanced countries” (Obama made it in remarks the other day) is specious because those other countries don’t have our Second Amendment, which tends to make gun control legislation (and we have lots of gun control laws at every level of government) pretty toothless in the end. So unless there are changes made to the constitution or to the courts’ interpretation thereof (pretty difficult to imagine) we are going to have more than our share of gun tragedies (or, possibly, in view of the Constitution, exactly our share of gun tragedies) in the U.S. pretty much forever.

Anything's worth a try

How baboons reach consensus: A lesson for Congress? http://t.co/4feyTXyfyh

— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 20, 2015

The way it is

Why the gun lobby is winning | The Economist

"The fieriest arguments of 2015 involve ‘constitutional carry’—the claim that the constitution’s second amendment is the only permit Americans need, allowing citizens to carry a concealed or visible gun without any licence, checks or training. Such laws already exist in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Vermont and Wyoming. "

Another election year

Library of Congress

Seriously, we're lucky there's no entertainment tax on life

Kim Kardashian appeared on NPR and listeners are outraged - The Washington Post

"‘My first impulse after her introduction on the show was to question the meaning of life,’ one commenter wrote.

"Another listener angrily informed NPR’s ombudsman, Elizabeth Jensen, that they found the show ‘so misguided and offensive, I fear I will never be able to listen again.’"

Wait, what?

National Kissing Day

PowerPoint, old school

Library of Congress

Some photos from the 50's

Robert Frank's Photos of America Still Feel As Poignant As They Did 60 Years Ago | Mother Jones

Wearable unwearable?

Tom Ford Turned His Apple Watch Into a Pocket Watch - Tom Ford Apple Watch

"Perhaps not content with its bulk, fashion genius and ageless wonder Tom Ford has reportedly turned his Apple Watch into a pocket watch."

On the history of fuming

In the Footsteps of Popes Seeking Worldly Change - New York Times

"When an elderly Pope Leo XIII released a document in 1891 on the rights of workers to unionize and of owners to hold private property, European capitalists and socialists alike cried foul. Why should we listen, they fumed, to a pope’s pronouncements on economics and politics?"

Unreal

My word of the day from dictionary.com is:

unreality

\uhn-ree-AL-i-tee\
noun
1. something that is unreal, invalid, imaginary, or illusory: She appeared to be living in a world of unrealities.
2. lack of reality; quality of being unreal: the unreality of dreams.

Finally, they're here!

Spam Snacks Are The Weirdest Snack We've Ever Seen

"Rick Williamson, manager of external communications for Hormel, told The Huffington Post that the small pieces of dried Spam will be available in select regions later this fall. They will come in bacon, teriyaki and classic flavors."

–Noted by Some Guy in Seattle

You named your horse Bear, Dear?

Rich Californians balk at limits: ‘We’re not all equal when it comes to water’ - The Washington Post

"‘I think we’re being overly penalized, and we’re certainly being overly scrutinized by the world,’ said Gay Butler, an interior designer out for a trail ride on her show horse, Bear."

But wait until next year

Mac fest cheeses off neighbors - Toledo Blade

"The event’s big cheese, organizer Philip Suos, was duly chastened and apologetic rather than making excuses. He acknowledged to The Star that ‘the system started to fail.’"

Humans did it: Bad humans

Pope blames climate change on humans in 183-page call for action | TheHill

You mean, hiding under our bed won't work?

Opinion: The reasonable expectation fallacy - CSMonitor.com

"If your personal 'expectation of privacy' is based on the impossibility of observability or even the impossibility of identifiability, then your logic, like that of the Supreme Court, is temporary and weak. "

That's nothing; we saw one appear on a piece of toast

Woman will appear on $10 bill - Jon Prior and Sarah Wheaton - POLITICO

This is what is called, I think, an academic distinction

Scott Walker’s latest target: College professors - Kimberly Hefling - POLITICO

"‘After lots of hammers, this seems to be like a large mallet,’ said James Grossman, executive director of the American Historical Association."

Sure enough.

Make yourself nuts

A polar clock.

New to our Work Avoidance Hall of Fame

The World Carrot Museum

The south face

Oops, might have to put up

G.O.P. Is Wary About Winning on Health Law - The New York Times

"Republicans in Congress would face an enormously complicated challenge to fashion an alternative, and they fear the fallout could lead to election losses if millions of Americans abruptly found themselves without health insurance."

Awkward.

The Donald does not need facts

The Donald is a fact. 

Election 2016: Fact-checking Donald Trump's presidential campaign kickoff - CBS News

And in other news…

Nutella is dividing Europe http://t.co/ft7ypplpEe via @POLITCOEurope | Getty pic.twitter.com/TUwoH5FDL8

— POLITICO (@politico) June 17, 2015

Sit

When this app says "turn right" you're gonna turn, right?

Schwarzenegger now gives turn-by-turn directions to the choppa

Now this is serious

James Bond (literary character) Wikipedia article edited anonymously from US Senate https://t.co/H4lOXn2nZR

— congress-edits (@congressedits) June 17, 2015

If only

Donald Trump: 'We'd Win Easily' With Oprah As My Running Mate @TPM http://t.co/sCCsdH6VsY

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) June 17, 2015

The unkindest cut

Joyce Mitchell may not have been escaped prisoners' only help - CBS News

"A law enforcement source told CBS News officials suspect they may have used prison employee Joyce Mitchell as 'Plan B' and arranged for someone else to help them get away."

Plan B? Really? That’s cold.

And there's nothing more emotionally distressing than a kangaroo without its Happy Meal

Wis. city declares: Kangaroos aren't service animals - CBS News

"Beaver Dam police say the woman wrapped the baby kangaroo in a blanket and tucked it in an infant car seat, then took it inside a McDonald's in February. The woman has said the kangaroo is a therapy animal to help her cope with emotional distress."

From our homemaking desk: Ants eat bed bugs

Sez right here. So if you do have bed bugs (I’m just saying), all you have to do is dump a batch of ants in your bed and…problem solved. How cool is that?

Also, cockroaches eat bed bugs.

We might get three debates before it's over

John Kasich for president? A second poll makes the case | cleveland.com

"Unlike two other swing states, Florida and Pennsylvania, where Clinton leads or would be in a statistical tie against her potential Republican foes, Kasich, a Republican, would beat Clinton in Ohio by 7 percentage points, the new Quinnipiac University poll shows.

"There's a big 'if' factor: This would occur if the election were held today. It won't be."

"Power hungry co-op boards" to blame?

Upper West Side condo board demands doggy DNA tests | New York Post

"‘That is just doggie discrimination. This is New York, the melting pot. New Yorkers should not put up with this kind of discrimination.’"

Not an auspicious start for The Donald

New York Daily News

Tomorrow is the 200th anniversary of the famous battle

200 Years After Waterloo, Napoleon Still Wins by Losing - The New York Times

"‘Napoleon, without a shadow of doubt, won the postwar publicity and PR campaign,’ said Alasdair White, a British expert on the period and author of books on the 1815 struggle between France and a British-led alliance. ‘This was where Wellington fell flat on his face.’"

Hey, the A stands for American: What did you expect?

ACLU Uses Tracking Software To Monitor Capitol Hill Staffers | The Daily Caller

"When staffers click on these links, the staffers are briefly redirected to a link that installs tracking ‘cookies’ on the staffers computer. Once the staffers are infected with the cookies, the ACLU can personally identify each of them every time they click on a link in an ACLU email henceforth."

If we have to be reminded the Secretary of State is live, we might be in big trouble here

LIVE now: @JohnKerry delivers remarks from Boston during Daily Press Briefing. Watch: http://t.co/58Uc9lZRv7. pic.twitter.com/xilxb9SnA5

— Department of State (@StateDept) June 16, 2015

The country's in the very best of hands

Obama bans trans fat - POLITICO

Just don’t mess with my Spam.

My day is complete

Donald Trump: "I am officially running for president of the United States" http://t.co/O3RqWdPDMS http://t.co/bJn9UDoLt9

— CBSN (@CBSNLive) June 16, 2015

JV debating team is already my favorite one

What Fox News Still Isn’t Saying About Its GOP Debate | FiveThirtyEight

"We have known for a few weeks that Fox News and CNN are going to invite the top 10 candidates based on a national polling average.1 We also have known that CNN is going to have a secondary debate for those candidates who missed the cut but hit at least 1 percent in the polls."

Wrong is right

Jeb!, schmeb. Here comes Trump!! - Yahoo News

"Yes, in February we said Mr. Trump would move to Maine and raise beets before actually entering the race. Perhaps we were wrong."

How far from a passing cloud to your teakettle?

A Thirsty Colorado Is Battling Over Who Owns Raindrops - The New York Times

"Colorado is one of the last places in the country where rainwater barrels are still largely illegal because of a complex system of water rights in which nearly every drop is spoken for."

Oh sweet irony

Jeb Bush: "The presidency should not be passed down from one liberal to the next."

— Roger Simon (@politicoroger) June 15, 2015

We have about 37 gazillion photos on Flickr; this is one

Rainy days can be pleasant…

…until about noon. Then they ought to go away. Enough already, just go. 

(It’s going to rain tomorrow too, but maybe less.)

Whew, close call for Lyle

Worker ‘planned hit job’ on husband in prison break | New York Post

"Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie said Sunday that Mitchell’s change of heart came when she realized she still loved her hubby, Lyle, and felt guilty about what she had done."

What you're up against now, Bunky

The Ladies Who Love Hillary Clinton | The New Republic

"Ruth Christianson, 28, said of the candidate, ‘Sometimes I just go sit and read her Wikipedia page.’ "

Well, it's not like they were Ohio or anything

School district's diploma cover features wrong state seal

"The covers protecting the diplomas carried the state seal of Oregon. Kelso High School is in southwest Washington."

Oops.

What is this, a time warp or something?

Urbanologist Grades Government's Response to Katrina With an "F"

Or is it just that things are going so swimmingly in Washington we have to go back to bitching about Dubya again?

Yeah, that must be it.

Who is this mystery man?

Jeb Bush to Declare Presidential Run, Playing Down His Surname http://t.co/iUcqzeYLqG

— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 15, 2015

State? What state?

The Big Ass News Uses Kim Kardashian to Make You Care About Stuff

"Basically, that’s all there is: a bunch of photos of Kardashian with headlines accurately placed on the rear. Obviously, it’s not as much an actual news medium as it is a commentary on the state of American media."

Yeah, I thought this whole thing was settled with Gutenberg

@Pontifex Says We Have A Technology Problem - The Daily Beast

"The Catholic Church, in particular, has reason to be concerned. Technological discoveries have rarely been its friend. The Reformation—a financial, human resources, and public relations disaster for the Catholic Church—was propelled forward by the invention of the printing press. In fact it was the printing press that made the Church’s corruption and disorder so very public."

Wanted: Tax accountant who can keep fingers crossed for six months

After recent breaches, IRS promises to add additional security measures by early 2016 http://t.co/0YTOTB0AHy http://t.co/aY3M4TZaa4

— Techmeme (@Techmeme) June 14, 2015

OMG the world is coming to an end this time for sure!

How Adulthood Happens - NYTimes.com

"As Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa write in their book ‘Aspiring Adults Adrift,’ the average student at a four-year college studies alone just over one hour per day. That is roughly half of how much students were compelled to study just a generation ago."

(NYTimes is behind a paywall.)

Pah! Who needs sources anyway? This is the internet, remember?

Greenwald attacks credibility of anonymously sourced anti-Snowden story using anonymously sourced pro-Snowden story pic.twitter.com/Nn9VZ5PNym

— Matt Wahnsiedler (@MattWahnsiedler) June 14, 2015

Maybe there really is an app for everything

MarineTraffic Ships & Wind on the App Store on iTunes

"Marine Traffic displays near real-time positions of ships and yachts worldwide. Connected to the largest network of AIS receivers, the app covers most major ports and shipping routes."

Calling Hillary a champion of the struggling middle class is sort of like calling Anheuser-Busch a craft brewer

Anheuser-Busch should buy these craft beer brewers next - MarketWatch

Wait, what?

See and Be Seen - NYTimes.com

"More intimate than underpants…"

Chocolate Chip Mint: Screw It

Chocolate Chip Mint: Screw It

“The Allegro Handbell Choir…might want to consider getting a new photographer for the rest of the tour."

Click on the link for a link.

And this, Bunky, is what vote fraud is all about

Hack the vote: Cyber experts say ballot machines easy targets | Fox News

"The recent cyber theft of millions of personnel records from the federal government was sophisticated and potentially crippling, but hackers with just rudimentary skills could easily do even more damage by targeting voting machines, according to security experts."

It’s not some guy with a fake ID wandering into a polling place as the Rs would have us believe. It’s hacking the back room, jiggering the machines, cheating on the count that’s the problem—and has been the problem for as long as there have been elections. As good old Joe Stalin once remarked, "It's not the people who vote that count. It's the people who count the votes."

All this monkey business about voter ID laws is misdirection at best, and at worst, a flat-out effort to keep people out of the voting booths. 

If you're not live tweeting, are you dead tweeting?

Longtime Jeb Bush Adviser Ends Up Next to Rand Paul on a Plane—and Live Tweets the Whole Thing - NationalJournal.com