"Morning Line
In the Review's moving average of polls, Donald Trump is a comfortable 10 points in the lead among Republicans with Walker and Bush statistically tied for second place. Everyone else is in single digits."
7.25.2015
Status
OK, we give up
As Democrats fret over 'sharing economy,' GOP moves in
“…the bright-blue precincts of Silicon Valley have become a regular stop on the GOP circuit…"
Can you spell "outrageous"?
Maybe not, but Nigel Travis can.
Dunkin’ CEO slams N.Y.’s $15 minimum wage move | Boston Herald
"The CEO of Dunkin’ Donuts’ parent company blasted a move by New York to hike its minimum wage for fast food workers to $15 over three years as 'absolutely outrageous'…"
Maybe that’s why he collects $10 million/year from Dunkin’ Donuts. (I was gonna say “earns,” but….)
Whatever you call us? Let's not open that can of worms
Trumpeting The Donald | Boston Herald
"'In terms of Trump reaching out to activists and grass-roots people — or whatever you call us — they have done that,' state Rep. Pam Tucker, a Greenland Republican who has remained neutral in the race. "
7.24.2015
Aww, quit teasing
Debating The Donald: GOP rivals preparing with caution
"While there were some rumblings about trying to bar Trump from the stage, some GOP leaders say they're happy about Trump's participation, predicting it will attract a far larger audience, exposing new people to Republican ideas."
Bacon? Biting? Get it?
Which 2016 Candidate Has the Worst Logo? - POLITICO Magazine - POLITICO Magazine
"Kasich’s attempt—with simplistic font and a suspiciously bacon-like red flag—has already drawn biting remarks on the Internet."
If the Donald drops out before the R show gets here I might vote for this guy, just to go with eggs.
But why bother when just dripping it into a vein works fine?
You Can Now Inhale Caffeine Instead of Drink It | TIME
"Perhaps taking a cue from increasingly popular e-cigarettes, marketers have now created a way for people to vape their energy. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that products like Eagle Energy Vapor allow people to forgo their morning cup o’ joe and puff their caffeine instead. "
Go ahead, tell us what you really think
The food at 1 WTC is a tower of garbage | New York Post
"A dreadful evening for two, with minimal alcohol, cost me more than $400 at One Dine, the observatory’s “fine-dining” venue. The feast included flavor-free “tuna crudo” that would be indistinguishable in a blind tasting from mammal, fish or Jell-O."
7.23.2015
The Donald catches on
Trump May Consider Third-Party Run: 'The RNC Has Not Been Supportive'
"They were always supportive when I was a contributor."
Me, I’m thinking of starting a Let’s Draft Donald to Run as a Democrat committee. That’d really be a hoot.
Who is the fairest in the land
Bison attacks woman taking selfie with it - CNET
"Of course, this bison wasn't the first animal to be subjected to the modern scourge of the selfie-obsessed. In New York, for example, they've introduced a bill to prevent people from taking selfies with tigers."
Perfect timing
And to think you almost missed it.
(And yes, there’s always one troll who wants to spoil it all.)
At the grocery store yesterday I intended to buy a can of emergency Spam but…
…but it turned out just down the shelf was a big sale on tuna. Normally I resist buying more stuff than I need right then but this time, hey, the price was right. Also, principles aren’t everything.
So now I have four cans of fish. And it’s been all downhill since.
I’ve been pretty good about watching what I eat for a while. I’ve lost 25 lbs. since the first of the year and I’m only one short step from vitamin OD. But enough is e freaking nough. I’m declaring this Comfort Food Thursday.
I should have bought the Spam but I didn’t, and now look.
Of course if you'd taken my class you would have known this 20 years ago…
Ashley Madison breach a painful reminder of online data's permanence - CSMonitor.com
"Even on personal computers, deleting data takes a more effort than dragging a file to the trash, emptying it, and calling it a day. Users must go a step further to eradicate the file. While the you can’t see the file anymore, White, who also teaches at Roger Williams University said, the information can still exist on the hard drive."
…but…pay attention…it’s never too late.
Or. Well. it’s also true, as this article points out, the internet already knows far more about you than you do and it’s never, ever going to forget. Get used to it.
If the mountain won't go to the Bush…
Jeb Bush dares to take on Mount Washington - Politics - The Boston Globe
"'I would highly recommend that he not attempt to downsize our New Hampshire landmark, Mount Washington,' Bradley wrote in an e-mail. 'After losing our Old Man of the Mountain, we Granite Staters would not look fondly on anyone attempting to downsize our mountain!'"
7.22.2015
3,970 of these aircraft…
…Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers, were built during the years 1943-1946. Only one is still flying, this one, in the air over the air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this afternoon.
Photo by Phil Compton, our Midwest and Elsewhere bureau chief.
Photo by Phil Compton, our Midwest and Elsewhere bureau chief.
When I left home for college…
…my father, the practical one, gave me a case of toothpaste and a tux; my mom, ever the dreamer, insisted I learn how to iron my own shirts. Now after all these years the toothpaste is gone (not to mention teeth) and the tux won’t fit (or even close), but I can still iron shirts. Which is one reason today turned out to be extraordinarily busy: I had a pile of shirts to be at least smoothed out some, or else.
And other stuff. Once upon a time men wore hats and carried watches on chains and carried knives in their pockets–pocket knives they were called (with a certain lack of imagination). The knives were tools, not weapons, and came in handy for all kinds of things. I carry a two-inch Swiss Army number on my keychain (it’s also a flashlight, a pen, a scissors, a nail file, and a screwdriver) but my dad’s was twice that long, with three good cutting blades and no frills. It was also, until last weekend, black with tarnish from many decades of neglect. So I decided it was time to clean it up, as well as two Boy Scout knives from the late 1940’s and a larger Swiss Army from who knows when, and sharpen them all, and all the knives in the kitchen as well.
Talk about your manic, huh? My goal is to be slicing tomatoes by the end of the month. Real tomatoes, I mean.
I’m not counting any of this as work. (Well, OK, maybe the shirts.)
Ambiguous much?
Hug a Diet Coke drinker, because they’re going extinct http://t.co/X7QWAzpaeS
— TIME.com (@TIME) July 22, 2015
Imagine our sorrow
Apple Profit Up 38%, but iPhone Sales Disappoint Wall Street (New York Times)
"'That’s mind-boggling' growth for a company that produces more than $200 billion in annual revenue and clocks in with a market capitalization of $753 billion, said Toni Sacconaghi, a financial analyst for Sanford C. Bernstein. 'That said, everyone expected that and a little bit more.'"
7.21.2015
"in the top 2% of the oldest continuing community bands in America"
I have absolutely no idea what that means. But they play concerts at a local park (pictured) on Tuesday evenings in July and so far, this year, every one of them (two) has been called off for rain. There’s a line of rainy radar in upstate New York headed this way right now and timed exactly to make it three in a row. Maybe it’ll change. But we’re running out of month here.
Whoa! Didn't see this coming
Science reveals what makes trolls so nasty - The Washington Post
“…'it might be said that online trolls are prototypical everyday sadists,' the authors concluded."
Welcome to the self-surveillance society
Two Utah teens livestream ice cream burglary, get scooped up | Reuters
"A resident in West Weber, about 40 miles north of Salt Lake City, called sheriff's deputies late on Sunday to report seeing the crime being streamed live on social media using Twitter's Periscope App, police said."
Who says there's never any good news?
New York Today: Just Add Twinkies - The New York Times
"This year, the Twinkie turns 85, possibly making it older than most people you know.
"To celebrate its birthday, Hostess has revamped its Twinkie cookbook, with 50 recipes submitted from around the country, including a few from New Yorkers."
The unsinkable Donald?
Disavowed by GOP leaders, Trump has supporters cheering
"'I think it's going to improve his viability to be honest with you,' argued Lou Gargiulo, one of Trump's county chairmen in New Hampshire. 'The more Mr. Trump is being beaten on by people, obviously the better his polling numbers are.'"
7.20.2015
Our work avoidance hero of the day
Employee Executes Daring 3:30 P.M. Escape From Office - The Onion - America's Finest News Source
“I’m leaving my monitor on, and there’s a full glass of water sitting on my desk so it’ll seem like I’m still in the building. And I won’t bring my laptop bag with me. That way, if anyone sees me leave, I’ll look like I’m just stepping out for a minute. Then I should be home free.”
Wait, there's a crazy governor?
America's Craziest Governor Goes Off the Rails - Colin Woodard - POLITICO Magazine
"The strangest month in memory at Maine’s State House started with Gov. Paul LePage stepping out of his office to squeeze a squeaking rubber pig…"
Oh.
Or maybe it's just The Love
How much water should you drink every day to stay healthy and hydrated? - CBS News
"According to WebMD, other signs of dehydration may include weakness, dizziness, heart palpitations, sluggishness, fainting, or heart palpitations."
On wars without end
El Chapo, His Escape, and at Least One Not-So-Crazy Theory of What’s Behind It - ProPublica
"“There’s no real fight against drugs,” he said. “It’s all a perverse game of interests.”"
Would bit rot have saved Harper Lee?*
Nikki Usher, writing at Medium:
"I know in my home there are at least four computers that have some files that haven’t moved from computer-to-computer. There are hard drives that have gone caput for no reason (and external hard drives, too). And there have been viruses that have eaten computers, and hardware that just died."
*Of course all this depends on whether or not she needs saving. I haven’t read Watchman so I don’t know.
Must we be nagged about everything, John Oliver…
Watch John Oliver Take on Food Expiration Date Myths
"According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, the average American throws away between $28 and $43 in the form of about 20 pounds of food each month. That adds up to about $165 billion worth of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and meats that are never consumed. It's food that "went bad," "looks funky," and/or "took up too much space." It's food that's totally edible and nutritious. The problem boils down to aesthetics."
…(and Esquire and the Natural Resources Defense Council, whatever that is)?
And by the way, you may throw away 20 pounds of food per month but I don’t come even remotely close to that.
(And these are some of the dumbest ideas I’ve ever heard. Buy ugly veggies at the farmers market? That’s a joke, right?)
For a minute there I was feeling pretty good but now I’m grumpy again.
It's been a little steamy here for the last couple of days (whew)…
…but hey, it’s July (yea!) so who cares. The nights have been sleepable and the mornings have been cool. Best of all, it’s not February any more.
Probably. And anyway, we're having too much fun to quit now
Nope. Trump's Latest Outrage Will Not Sink Him One Bit
"Trump is running an angry, populist campaign focused on xenophobia and "I don't care what you think" aggression against 'the establishment' and 'elites' of all stripes. To think that trash talk against an establishment favorite, who is only marginally relevant to the politics of the moment in any case, will upset that apple cart is to thoroughly misunderstand the politics of the moment."
7.19.2015
Walker plays dumb
Walker: 'I don't know' if being gay is a choice | TheHill
"“That’s not even an issue for me to be involved in,” he said. “I don’t have an opinion on every single issue out there.”"
(Or is it an act?)
Spare us the purple prose
Exclusive: Russian Hackers Target The Pentagon - The Daily Beast
"'To use a military analogy, the level of sophistication of this attack is like comparing a World War I propeller-driven fighter plane to a stealth bomber coming in under the radar, completely destroying its target, and leaving before the enemy even realizes they have been attacked,' Adams said."
Ooops
Tex. man shoots himself at 21st birthday party, dies - NY Daily News
"Alcohol was a factor in the shootings, police said."
Quelle surprise.
Today is gonna be the hot one
Mid-90s, with maybe a squall pushing through in the early evening to take the edge off; nighttime temp around 70, so it’ll be pretty warm tomorrow too, just not as much. Quite.
It’s July.
Not enough conspiracy this morning? Try this:
Obama collecting personal data for a secret race database | New York Post
"Obama is presiding over the largest consolidation of personal data in US history. He is creating a diversity police state where government race cops and civil-rights lawyers will micromanage demographic outcomes in virtually every aspect of society."
Noted
Hairless Head in a Clueless Photo Booth - The New York Times
"There is nothing subtle about the Walgreens photo booth in Times Square. It is a vicious, high-tech, head-chopping, dignity-devouring contraption, and until it’s fixed, someone ought to slap on a warning sign: “Abandon hope all ye who enter here. At least if ye need a regulation passport photo, and ye are bald.”"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)