09 September 2018

Link round-up for 9 September 2018

Various interesting stuff I ran across on the net over the last week.

o o o o o

Watch where you're going, you stupid cat.

Rate the ants.

How the hell does someone think up this stuff?

Have a reservation or be devoured.

She Who Seeks has a round-up on the legal profession.

Another anonymous op-ed by two Trump insiders has been published.

A mom takes her kids on an outing to the local pool (found via Jerry Coyne).

It's destiny.

Trumpanzee tries to troll Frozen, gets pwned.

Kangaroos are scary.  But we have a weapon that can defeat them.

This is one heck of a mirage.

Here's a computer operating system for fundies.

For once, the list of big upcoming fall movies (found via Miss Cellania) isn't completely dominated by sequels, "reboots", and "franchises".  Mortal Engines at least looks visually interesting.

4Chan wingnuts have made a curious fetish character out of.....David Hogg.

Culture is important no matter where you are (found via Jerry Coyne).

Some popular beliefs about animals are true; some are not.

Down with the smug elites!

"If your beliefs can't stand up to scrutiny....."  More here and more here.

Funerals have never been used for political purposes.

The US is missing out on the future.

Their work is vital.

Actually, the stuff we left behind up there weighed more.

Somebody needs to "take a stand against" this generational-essentialist nonsense.

Sometimes it runs in the family.

Racism is racism.

Not-very-happy Labor Day.  Fight to keep our gains.

Two patriots honor each other.

These slime-buckets always start spouting crap about "healing" and "forgiveness" when they get caught doing something disgusting.

Nike's online sales jumped 31% after the launch of the Kaepernick campaign, and they seem ready to accept potential losses (both found via Progressive Eruptions).  Opponents of Kaepernick are attacking Nike by burning stuff that they already paid for.

Right-wingers demand respect for the flag.

This deserves to be the defining image for Kavanaugh (found via Yellowdog Granny).  Some of the enemy aren't happy with him, though; there was a fire-breathing wingnut option available.

Hundreds of voucher schools "teach" mythology in place of science.  Here's a better term for "creationists".

A government jobs guarantee polls better if the jobs involved are in green energy, even among Trump supporters.

Who will speak at Trump's funeralHere are some possibilities (found via Yellowdog Granny).

Bill Donohue responds to the Catholic Church's latest molestation scandal with a lot of shouting.  The chief asshole compares accusers to "wild dogs".  Yet another diocese has been hit with new accusations.

Miscellanea Agnostica's "Great Christians" series looks at Cyril of Alexandria and Tertullian.

These strange artifacts from Roman times still baffle us today (found via Mendip).

Yet another confused book claims that a new discovery undermines evolution as we know it when it does nothing of the sort.

Parasites parasitize parasites (found via Miss Cellania).

Saturn has ultraviolet auroras.

A 3D-printed coral reef has just been installed in the Maldives in an effort to encourage marine ecosystems (found via Jerry Coyne).

An Australian company is using solar power and seawater to grow food in the desert (found via Miss Cellania).  More work like this, please, for the sake of heavily-populated arid areas like the Middle East.

Other democracies support the UK in accusing Putin's regime of the Salisbury attack.

This is the place where Hitler died, as it is today.

India's supreme court has struck down the country's law against homosexuality, a relic of the British colonial period, and the enemy is not happy.  Islam-dominated Malaysia lags further behind.

A single project in Borneo supports both reforestation and medical care for poor people.

This is what happens when a gangster regime doesn't have to respect freedom of the press.

Electoral-Vote is going live with its day-by-day poll analysis for this year's election.  Their current Senate map projects one Republican pick-up and three Democratic ones, enough for a bare 51-49 take-over, and one exact tie (Florida).

Shower Cap once again reviews the week in Trumpland.

Here's an analysis of the NY Times op-ed.  For the Trumplings, identifying the author will pose certain problems.

House Republican leaders want to stamp out dissent within their ranks.

Obama's speech wasn't just to rebuke Trump -- he's urging us to keep the big picture in mind.

Most of our endangered Senate Democrats are doing pretty well right now.

Americans overwhelmingly favor keeping Obamacare's protections for pre-existing conditions.

Steve M argues that Republicans will soon be ready to ditch Trump once he's given them control of the Supreme Court.  But I agree with Andrew Johnston's comment that Pence could have done everything for them that Trump has, and at less cost.  I still think they're just afraid to challenge Trump because they fear the Trumpanzee voters.

Gun owners are more likely to vote, and the gap is growing.

A post-Trump Republican party will still be evil.

[Image at top found via Scottie]

15 Comments:

Blogger Debra She Who Seeks said...

Ha ha, that kangaroo on the trampoline! Love that smug elites cartoon too. "Don't be fooled by impastas" -- lol! "Primate Change Deniers" -- love it!

09 September, 2018 08:03  
Blogger Adam said...

One thing is certain, Kavanaugh isn't fit to be the judge of a small town courtroom, let alone the Supreme Court of the United States.

09 September, 2018 08:10  
Blogger Ten Bears said...

Works with Apple but not recommended for women may be the best joke I've heard in twenty-eight years of computer science. Not particularly funny nor applicable in the real world, but in the context as presented ... well, priceless.

09 September, 2018 08:13  
Blogger Mary Kirkland said...

They can do so many great things with those 3D printers now.
I find pretty much any info about the other planets to be interesting.
Mirages are really neat.
A Viking vampire angel sounds like my kind of book. lol
The lion falling in the water was pretty funny. The other lion looked worried.

09 September, 2018 13:02  
Blogger Scottie said...

Another great round up. Be well. Hugs

09 September, 2018 13:15  
Blogger Infidel753 said...

Debra: Kangaroos and trampolines definitely don't mix. Now this, on the other hand.....

Adam: He seems like quite the weasel, all in all.

Thomas: Especially if recommended by a talking snake.

Mary: I'm a little puzzled by the popularity of romances featuring dangerous folkloric creatures like vampires. Maybe Twilight started it?

Scottie: Thanks!

09 September, 2018 14:38  
Anonymous nonnie9999 said...

Hi Infidel. Happy Sunday.

Poor lion who fell in the water. I liked watching the other one. He was so concerned with his buddy who fell in. Even after his buddy got out of the water, he looked like he was investigating to see what it was that sucked his poor buddy in.

Apple's ant is a work of art. I like the shading, and it is right on the edge or realism while still keeping it cute and not something I would smash if I found it on my kitchen counter. The HTC one was rated way too high.

As if the premise of that "romance" book was not ludicrous enough, how do you name your main character "Cnut" and not think it that it won't be distracting every time someone reads it, especially among those readers who might have a touch of dyslexia?

I was watching the Kavanaugh hearings last night (I recorded them to make sure I didn't miss anything. Yes, I am a nerd.), and I saw the brilliant Sheldon Whitehouse explaining what is really going on in courts today, and I was livid. I knew it was bad, but I didn't realize how bad it really was. So, I was prepared to be pissed off at the round-up of the legal profession, but I laughed at each entry. Thanks for that.

I feel for The Onion. Trying to outdo what is really happening is an impossible task. I have to say that they rose to the occasion with that op-ed. By the way, they have the best message about whitelisting their site when you have an ad blocker on.

Those bears look like they are having a ball in the pool. Let's hope some polar bear doesn't call the cops on them.

Destiny, indeed. Many people didn't know that's how Mother Goose became Mother Goose.

A kangaroo being done in by a trampoline is like irony squared.

I had never heard of a Fata Morgana before. I would have guessed that it was the name of a woman who was the Italian equivolent of Tokyo Rose.

4Chan wingnuts need more imagination if they want to draw attention to anything other than their own perversion.

I think I had rather go on a French expedition in 1903 than go on any of the booze cruises they have here.

I guess, from now on, I will have to be more precise and say that I eat like a hungry pig.

People who do vital jobs aren't paid even enough to live on, but the shithead CEO of Pfizer just got a 61% raise to $27.9 million while the price of the life-saving drugs his company sells climb.

Forgive me, but I think the worship of John McCain is way over the top. His mobster father-in-law's money sure bought him a dandy legacy. Daniel Inouye was just as brave, if not moreso, and I don't remember every minute of his funeral being televised or the suggestion that the Russell Building being renamed in his honor. I don't remember a televised standing ovation of Mazie Hirono when she came back to the Senate after her Stage 4 kidney cancer and thyroid cancer surgeries. That's all I will say, as it is not polite to speak ill of the dead.

Vile Barbie Tomi Lahren announced on Twitter that she was going to make a statement about horrible Nike on her show. I tweeted back to her that I didn't think her Nike-shaming would have much impact on sales, since Nike doesn't make orthopedic shoes that would appeal to Faux News audiences.

Kavanaugh is a bought and paid for partisan. David Brock. (Google. I tried to link, but it wouldn't work)

There won't be any speakers at Twitler's funeral. Just a 21-fart salute.

I won't read or listen to anything William Donohue has to say. He's a vile nasty asshole who never says anything that makes any sense at all.

Parasitic Love Vines. A new app for clingy people who are looking for romance.

Print 3-D coral reefs, not guns!

(to be continued...)

09 September, 2018 14:39  
Anonymous nonnie9999 said...

Part deux....

Hitler's bunker is now a non-descript parking lot. Twitler Tower should meet the same fate.

Let the Rethugs in Congress eat their own. And may they suffer the worst heartburn evah afterwards.

I was amazed at how just the sound of Obama's voice was so calming to me.

I'm in Floriduhhh. I am hoping for a Gillum landslide and that his voters don't forget to vote for Bill Nelson, too.

I don't think the Rethugs are going to throw Twitler overboard. They are afraid of what they will say about them when he is out of office. If he's this nasty about some of them now, when he needs them, can you imagine what he will say when they are no longer needed?

I still don't understand how fully Dems have embraced Never-Twitlerers like Nicolle Wallace, Steve Schmidt, George Will, Ana Navarro, Charlie Sykes, etc., etc. It's not that difficult to take a moral stand against Twitler. However, once he is gone, all those people will still stand for a lot of things that are not in line with Democratic principles and beliefs. Beware of Trojan horses, even the ones who aren't sneaking around and writing anononomonous op-eds. They might be resisting, but they are not The Resistance.

09 September, 2018 14:40  
Anonymous nonnie9999 said...

I'll try one more time to link to David Brock's article.

I was getting little messages in preview that my comment was too long and wasn't using proper HTML tags. I think I used the correct tag, but if the comment is too long, the site gets nasty about everything. Still, I persisted. ;)

P.S. I apologize for 3 comment. That's just obnoxious.

09 September, 2018 14:44  
Blogger Ranch Chimp said...

One of the things I wanted to comment on while browsing some of these, is that Independent Lens piece, concerning creationism in school,etc. You and I know clearly what this is all about, it's slippery slimy stuff as usual out of this bunch. I been seeing this happen and been following this movement, I even seen some piece on Netflix, how they bring in scientists (of course who are fundi's) to make it sound professional, of course, to promote creationism, they go after the schools, because that is the age that kids are vulnerable to this stuff. I heard some politician here in Texas a couple years ago, cant recall which one, but he is right wing (one of them new wave religious types, not actually conservative)... he liked the idea of creationism "in public schools", because he painted it that "IF" we dont give children alternative theories, we are "shortchanging" them on education (I mean like, is there an alternative theory for math too?). I mean, what's next? ... the "flat Earth" shit? ... because that too is a growing movement. I talked to a flat earther back about a year ago, at a cookout some libertarians had in rural Texas on a ranch ... he was shocked that I actually believe that the earth is round, and was equally surprised, that I believe we landed on the moon ... Thank God, we didnt start talking about f*ckin religion, he would have really shit a brick. Frankly, even if you are a person of faith in one of these religious institutions/ cults, you should be opposed, at teaching your kids creationism as if it had evidence, it is so different than actual tested and proven scientific facts, and does NOT serve educational purpose, in something like a science class, as far as basic education, if students want to seek that out of their own, or their church or familia, that's fine ... because that is REALLY shortchanging our kids, in my view ... when you shove shit down their throats without evidence to back it.

09 September, 2018 15:50  
Blogger Ten Bears said...

Back when I was teaching (grinning sheepishly in his fist) I often compared computer sales-persons to used cars and snake-oil.

09 September, 2018 16:42  
Blogger Ranch Chimp said...

BTW, what caught my curiosity was the "Roman Dodecahedron". Before I read any of the article/ theories, just looking at the photo on top ... my first reaction was a cool defense weapon. I looked at it as like the brass knuckles we used to have years back (well, at least I had a set). Being that because of the various hole sizes, it would be ideal to fit a couple of your fingers in it and use it to swing at an assailant in defense, or to even put your finger(s) in it to "throw/ release" with a full arm swing at something or someone. Still, I'm curious what it actually was tough?

10 September, 2018 10:31  
Blogger Infidel753 said...

Nonnie: No worries, I don't have a "one to a customer" policy.

Cnut was actually a fairly common medieval Scandinavian name. The guy we know as King Canute was actually King Cnut. But it can always happen that an innocuous word in one language resembles something unfortunate in another.

The Onion does have a tough job these days. If you showed some of our real headlines in 2018 to somebody ten years ago, they'd think they must be satire.

Perhaps the 4chan wingnuts were put here to generate now ideas for perversions. The people who write those romance novels can't be expected to think up all that stuff on their own.

The wealth gap between the workers and the parasite class is getting as bad as France in the time of Louis XVI. They need to think about that.

A 21-fart salute would be fitting for Trump. The farters can gorge on Trump steaks first to ensure impressive volume and smell.

My calling attention to anti-Trump Republicans is not because I think of them as allies (unless their views overall have come around), it's because the more divided against itself the enemy is, the better.

Ranch: If they want to teach creationism as an "alternative theory", they really should teach the flat Earth in geography class, the demons-and-curses theory of disease as alternative to the germ theory, etc. Or we could just stick to science and leave the fantasies to the vampire romance novelists.

I can't think of what those dodecahedrons might have been. The rangefinder idea makes sense, but I'd think there would be surviving written records in that case -- military technology tends to get documentation.

Thomas: I think most salespeople have to have some degree of bullshitting skills.

11 September, 2018 04:33  
Anonymous The Hawk said...

About the Johnston comment you linked to:

A president can serve for a maximum of ten years.

If the GOP dumps Trump before January 20, 2019, Pence can only be elected once. He would be ineligible for re-election in 2024 because that would put him over the ten-year limit.

If the GOP dumps Trump after January 20, 2019, Pence can be elected in 2020 and re-elected in 2024.

Wait for February or March 2019. If the Republicans are going to oust Trump, they'll do it then.

15 September, 2018 02:15  
Blogger Infidel753 said...

Interesting point. I checked, and the ten-year limit is in the 22nd Amendment. So this might indeed be a factor.

15 September, 2018 05:11  

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