1.30.2016

Do not try this at home

The State Department: Hillary Clinton’s email correspondence contained ‘top secret’ material - The Washington Post

“'This flies in the face of the fact that these emails were unmarked at the time they were sent, and have been called ‘innocuous’ by certain intelligence officials.’ [said Clinton shill Brian Fallon]"

You’ll wind up in the slammer if you do.

If you're keeping score at home

An Iowa To-Do List - The New York Times

"Cruz and Rubio are both the offspring of immigrants, and both have a stupendous record of duplicity when it comes to the issue of what to do with more recent arrivals. First Cruz loved all legal immigrants, then some not so much. He offered an amendment to allow undocumented immigrants to stay in the country, then claimed it was only a ploy to destroy immigration reform. Rubio went from immigration hard-liner to bipartisan reformer — cynics say because he wanted to cozy up to Republican donors. Then he changed his mind entirely when the Tea Party got steamed."

–Gail Collins

1.29.2016

What is there about this that makes me vaguely uneasy?


And what would be an example of an unnatural flavor, I wonder.

Wait. I'm unsaying that.

Hey, easy on the rodents there

The Quisling Establishment

"Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, now head of the Financial Services Roundtable, maintains that Trump 'sounds and looks like somebody you’d meet in the heartland who’s ticked off about the economy and government.' If this is true, Pawlenty needs to meet a better class of people in the heartland. The Gopher State may just be populated with more egotistical braggarts than anyone ever thought."

Snow day

This probably explains why I was too lazy to go out this morning—it's snowing. The forecast is for 0.5" by tomorrow morning—barely enough to register on the 29th of January in Massachusetts.

Let's be clear: I'm not complaining. But there is no snow on the ground here and only a few little puddles of ice in the mornings. Good thing I gave up skiing, I guess.

Cheap oil bad?

Why Cheap Gas Might Not Be Good For The U.S. Economy : NPR

"Jim Bianco, president of Bianco Research in Chicago, evokes an old adage: 'The day that the price of oil falls, you might not like the reason.'"

Or even understand the reason. But here’s what I understand: As long as the house I live in is heated by oil and as long as it’s feaking January, cheap is good.

Full of sound and fury…

Megyn Kelly: Please criticize Donald Trump. Ted Cruz: Sure. - Vox

…signifying, as the Scottish king would have it, nothing. Or nothing much, at least. Jeb! seemed to have a little more energy. (!) Ben, less. 

Me, I’m still trying to wake up. 

No need to wait any longer; you can panic right now

Drug Shortages Forcing Hard Decisions on Rationing Treatments - The New York Times

"In recent years, shortages of all sorts of drugs — anesthetics, painkillers, antibiotics, cancer treatments — have become the new normal in American medicine. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists currently lists inadequate supplies of more than 150 drugs and therapeutics, for reasons ranging from manufacturing problems to federal safety crackdowns to drugmakers abandoning low-profit products."

1.28.2016

If The Donald doesn't win here he can always go to Europe

Mass expulsions ahead for Europe as migrant crisis grows

"'People who do not have a right to stay in the European Union need to be returned home,' said Natasha Bertaud, a spokeswoman for the EU's executive Commission."

My lucky day

I shoved some stuff around in a kitchen cupboard to make room for a can of tomato sauce and discovered a can of Spam I didn't know I had. Huzzah.

I'm pretty sure it was half of the winter foul-weather emergency stash I put away, as a matter of course (this is New England after all), in early December: A jar of peanut butter and a can of Spam, which will get me through a week at least. Unaccountably, we haven't had any weather emergencies this year (so far) and I cracked open the peanut butter a couple of weeks ago. Completely forgot about the Spam. Until just now.

Since I also laid away a can of Spam for the big Snowzilla last week that didn't manage to show up here, I now have two cans of Spam and half a jar of peanut butter on the shelf. I could hold out longer than an Oregon militiaman on that.

Today in WTF

Catwoman turns up in Norway

Norwegian woman says she is cat trapped in human’s body - NY Daily News

"The 20-year-old known as Nano said she possesses a slew of catty characteristics: ultra-sharp hearing, laser night vision and fierce aversions to both dogs and water."

I'm saying absolutely nothing about this; not a word

Gun-Toting Women Give Rise To Firearms Fashion Accessories : NPR

"Lightfoot sells bra holsters, concealment leggings, lace waistbands and leopard print gun holders for cars. She says sales are up 130 percent since the summer."

And for bonus points, here’s a link to Lightfoot’s store, The Well-Armed Woman.

We might not need a third party; we might just need a new second one

Republicans point fingers: Who let Trump get this far?

"Trump, many in the GOP’s upper ranks are convinced, would lead the Republican Party to an epic defeat in November, with consequences all the way down the ballot."

Charles Blow on Hillary

Hillary Clinton’s Crucible - The New York Times

"It is an odd, cyclical exercise to continue to praise her for climbing out of holes she digs for herself."

The fastest elevator in the world (and a lot more)

Take a tour of new One World Observatory - YouTube

(Noted by Charlie from Wisconsin.)

1.27.2016

Two things about Bernie

Here’s one.

Here’s the other.

Look. I was a Democrat from 1960, when I voted for JFK, to 1988, when I voted for Michael Dukakis. For a lot of those years I carted around a DNC card in my wallet. For a few of them, I was a precinct committeeman in Illinois. For all of them, I campaigned for and voted for people I wanted to win. Most of them didn’t. But so what.

Then along came Bill Clinton and I got introduced to the idea of voting for people I really didn’t like, just because the other guys seemed worse. I’ve been doing all too much of that since.

But no more. I’m back to voting for people I like and if you call that a wasted vote, well, tough. We’re never going to get the government we want if we keep voting for people we don’t. That’s the way I see it, and that’s that.

Ugly ain't cheap

Sarah Palin's sparkly sweater thingie is sold out at $695.00. (Just for the record, importantly, I find this out following a link about Tina Fey on SNL.)

Imagine our relief

In case you haven't already notice…

…Safari is crashing today, everywhere. All over the world. This is possibly some kind of server problem, or maybe it’s Megan Kelly, Megan Kelly seems to be crashing a lot of things these days, or maybe it’s The Donald.

The debates are no longer what Trump might call a classy venue.

1.25.2016

That's that, then

Rick Perry endorses Ted Cruz

 

No way are we going to discuss this

Wisconsin hunter pink-wear bill reaches governor's desk | Reuters

"Wisconsin hunters could choose blaze pink protective wear, a first for a U.S. state, if Governor Scott Walker signs a bill intended to draw more women to the sport."

Introducing the fridgiPad

Or, the 20th Century strikes back.


Bad times at the Toledo Club: Newspaper reports on restaurant inspections

Restaurant inspections 1-25 - Toledo Blade

"Refrigerated steak grain and caramelized onions date-marked with eight-day expiration rather than seven."

We understand the importance of getting scientific measurements right

So here's a 12-page (no kidding) publication from the National Weather Service on how to measure the depth of snow.

And remember, it's only 54 more days until Spring.

Now you wish you had a blizzard of your own, right?

Snowzilla: What to do with the leftovers - The Washington Post

 

Broncos and Bernie

We're into underdogs today: Go horses.

And, if the Penguin says Bernie, who are we to say otherwise? (Do you think we're that crazy?)


1.24.2016

Now it's serious

Danny DeVito Is Feeling the Bern, Despises ‘Disgusting’ Donald Trump - The Daily Beast

 

Nobody messes with the Tut

Eight Egyptians facing possible jail time for breaking King Tut's beard - CBS News

 

The last few games

2015 NFL Predictions | FiveThirtyEight

 

Snow in Manhattan

Travel ban lifted after storm dumps 26 inches of snow on NYC - NY Daily News

It’s fine. Suddenly, there’s no noise. And everything smells better, even the garbage. And people wander around in the streets. The parks turn magic.

Then it all turns into a horrendous mess. And stays that way for quite a while. 

Bernie might be tired of hearing about Clinton's emails, but I'm not

Hillary’s team copied intel off top-secret server to email | New York Post

“Receiving Top Secret SAP intelligence outside secure channels is a mortal sin,” said Chris Farrell, director of investigations for Judicial Watch, the Washington-based public law firm that has successfully sued State for Clinton’s e-mails.

“A regular government employee would be crucified, and they are, routinely,”

Is "growing lack" an oxymoron?

Clinton needs an Iowa victory to blunt the momentum of Bernie Sanders - The Washington Post

"Clinton’s burden is to find a way to overcome the lack of enthusiasm for her candidacy."