Thoughts On “Karen” and … Another DAMMIT

Posted on April 13, 2021 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Environmental Issues, Law and justice, Racism & Bigotry, Rants, Social commentary

Sometime last year, I noticed I was seeing more and more news stories about women named ‘Karen’. Now, I’ve known a few people named Karen in my live, and in fact even have a niece who is so-named, a former co-worker, and one of my daughter’s bandmates. But suddenly there is a surge of women with this name. I wondered if it were a generational thing, or what. But then one day I read an article that ‘splained it to me.

Apparently ‘Karen’ is the name given to women who act like grade-A jerks, being racist and intolerant in this, the 21^st century. It rather makes me feel sorry for women who were given the name ‘Karen’ at birth and are stuck with it in this, the era of having to name every behaviour. I have written about a few ‘Karens’ before , but today I have another one for you …

Last June, a woman named Debra Hunter was shopping at a Pier 1 store in Jacksonville, Florida where she was loudly verbally abusing the store’s staff. Another customer, Heather Sprague, began recording the altercation because …

“I wanted her to know she was being held accountable for her actions. It only took her to decide she was done and to leave the store, which really was the goal.”

But, once Hunter turned and saw that she was being recorded, she flipped Ms. Sprague off and then walked over to her and coughed directly into her face. This at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. What Hunter could not have known is that Heather Sprague is a cancer patient, currently undergoing treatment for a brain tumour, but I somehow don’t think it would have made a difference even if she had known.

On Friday, a judge in Jacksonville sentenced Hunter to 30 days in jail and also ordered her to pay a $500 fine, serve six months’ probation and participate in a mental health evaluation along with anger management. Hunter’s husband pleaded in her defense that they had faced numerous hardships leading up to the incident, including losing everything they had in a house fire …

“It was like air being inflated into a balloon, and it finally got to the point where she couldn’t handle any more air. And then she finally rubbed up against something and just popped.”

Hunter told the judge her family has paid the price for her mistakes, adding that her children continue to lose friends, and that they don’t go out in their community anymore. It is sad that Mr. Hunter and the children are paying the price, but it doesn’t negate what Ms. Hunter did, and frankly from all I’ve read, there has been no sign or remorse or apology.

Okay, so there are lots of ‘Karens’ in the U.S. today, but … what do we call a guy who acts like a jerk? Shouldn’t there be some equivalent for males? Hmmmm … how about a ‘Mitch’ … or a ‘Tucker’ … or a ‘Matt’?

And now I must turn from the topic of Karens to … yep, you got it … another tragedy, another Black man killed by a white cop.

On Sunday there was another tragic shooting death of an unarmed Black man by a white police officer, this time just about ten miles from Minneapolis, where the trial of Derek Chauvin is entering its third week.

The victim’s name was Daunte Wright. Say his name … SAY HIS NAME!

Duante Wright

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says he and his wife are ‘praying’ for Duante Wright’s family. Sorry, guv, but that does not help … it does not help his family and it damn sure does not bring him back to life! Keep your goddamn prayers and do something useful, like initiate some police reforms in your damn state! First George Floyd and now Duante Wright. How can you even sleep at night???

It started as a traffic stop. Mr. Wright called his mother and told her he expected they had stopped him for the air fresheners he had dangling from his rear-view mirror, which is illegal in Minnesota. But, when police checked his license they discovered that he had an outstanding warrant or warrants, so they attempted to take him into custody. Mr. Wright jumped back into his vehicle and as he was attempting to drive off, Officer Kim Potter, a 25-year veteran of the Brooklyn Center Police Department, shot him through the window of his vehicle.

Mr. Wright managed to drive for several blocks before striking another vehicle. Mr. Wright was pronounced dead at the scene. He was 20 years old.

Officer Kim Potter

Yesterday it was reported that Officer Potter shot Mr. Wright “by accident”, that she thought she had fired her taser rather than her gun. She’s been on the police force for 25 years, she’s president of the Brooklyn Center Police Officer’s Association, and she didn’t know the difference between a gun and a taser??? Oh please, don’t take me for a damn fool!

This community is already stressed, with the trial for Derek Chauvin, the officer who brutally murdered George Floyd, taking place just down the road a piece. Naturally, protesters gathered ‘round the police department on Sunday night after Mr. Wright’s murder.

Police ordered the protesters to disperse, and when they refused, they were hit with tear gas, some were arrested, and shots were fired, though in honesty I do not know whether the shots were by protesters or police, as details remain sketchy. Today, the schools are closed in this suburb of Minneapolis and the Minnesota Twins (a Major League baseball team) postponed their game against the Boston Red Sox.

I also do not know what the warrant or warrants against Mr. Wright were, but given the fact he was only 20 years old, I’m guessing they weren’t serious enough to end his life over.

This country has many, many causes for shame, but this … racism in police, the very people we hire and PAY to protect us … is among the biggest reasons that we should all hang our heads. R.I.P. Mr. Duante Wright … you deserved better.

The Week’s Best Cartoons 4/10

Posted on April 12, 2021 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Environmental Issues, Humour, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Re-blogs, Social commentary, voting rights

People like Matt Gaetz and Mitch McConnell give the political cartoonists much material to work with these days! It’s almost impossible not to mock them … it’s almost as if they’re begging us to! Our friend TokyoSand found some of the very best ones last week, as she always does. Thank you, TS!

See All The ‘Toons!

J-J-Jolly M-M-Monday!!!

Posted on April 12, 2021 by jilldennison under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Humour

Good morning, my friends, and welcome to another Monday! Do you realize that this year is already 28% over? Yes, more than a quarter of a year has passed since we welcomed in 2021 and … what have we done with it? In my case, not a damn thing! I’ve been out of the house exactly 14 times, once a week to the grocery store that is just one mile from my front door. Whoopee, huh? Ah well … enough of that, else you’ll all be joining me down here in the rabbit hole! Oh, and in case you are wondering, Christmas is just 257 days away, so you better start making those lists and buying some cards! Given the time it took my packages to arrive in the UK last year, I’m thinking to try to have them ready for the mail by July this year! So, this week we have some ‘toons, some funny signs, some cute pics, and for a special treat, a … well, Joyful says she wants it to be a surprise, so I best say no more. Grab a snack and let’s find something fun to start this Monday morning with, okay?

As always, our friend over at Phil’s Phun has some cool ‘toons for us this week …

I think these cute pictures will melt your heart … they melted mine and it’s still in the freezer attempting to re-solidify!

Just a few funny memes that I stumbled across …

A few funny signs …

And of course, if it’s Jolly Monday, there MUST be a cute or funny animal video, yes? Since autumn, a pair of squirrels have been visiting my patio and giving me so much joy. At first, I purchased some fairly pricey food from the National Audubon Society that they were guaranteed to love, and it was healthy for them too. They hated it … the neighbor’s dogs finally ate most of it, and the birds finished the rest. So, I now buy 4 pounds of unsalted, unshelled peanuts each week for them and feeding them, along with the kitties and the birds, are among my first chores of each morning. They also get bananas, apples, and sometimes other nuts such as pecans or walnuts. Yes, they eat as well as the humans in this family! So, is it any surprise that tonight I went in search of a cute squirrel video?

I don’t know if our friend Hugh will drop in this morning, but in case he does … Hugh, please get well, my friend, and I hope this at least gives you a chuckle this morning …

And sadly, my friends, that concludes our time together on this lovely Monday morn. I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead, and that you share those gorgeous smiles I see, for there are many of us who are having a really hard time finding our own smiles these days. Much love and many hugs from Filosofa, Jolly, and Joyful!

Saturday Surprise … Bits ‘N Pieces

Posted on April 10, 2021 by jilldennison under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, Humour, Saturday Surprise

My posts this week have been rather downers, and now here it is the weekend, so I thought you guys deserved something more fun than hearing me rant. To start your weekend with an ‘Awwww’, I have just a couple of cute and fun things that I hope you’ll enjoy.

Fresh out of hibernation, this mama black bear is trying to get all four of her adorable cubs across a road and to safety, but two of them don’t seem to want to cooperate. This video is courtesy of a man stopped in his car filming the cuteness …

The article was titled “Baboon, Bear, or Bison: Find Out Which Animal Personality Best Matches Yours in a Free Fun Quiz”. Okay, it was only 10 questions, so surely that will only take a couple of minutes. And it did, in fact, take less than 2 minutes. But … fully expecting to find that my personality matches some cute little animal like a wolf, koala, panda, or bear, I was a little disappointed with the result: a warthog!

Me … a warthog! I must admit, though, that the description they give is pretty accurate: Industrious • Bright • Brave • Blunt • Cranky. Yep, I am all of those things, especially that last one. Sigh. A warthog. If you’re interested in trying the quiz, you can do so here. Let me know if yours is … um … cuter than mine!

A stray dog in North Carolina fell in love with a stuffed purple unicorn in a Dollar General Store. He loved that stuffed unicorn so much that he kept sneaking into the store and trying to take the unicorn off the shelf. Finally, after the fifth time, store employees called the Country Animal Services Department who sent Joe Newburn to investigate …

“The store called and said they had a stray dog in the parking lot that kept coming into the store. He’d walk in, go to that unicorn and try to get it. He did it four or five times before they locked the door and called us to come get him. Maybe he had a stuffed animal like that in his original home. I don’t know, but he wanted that purple unicorn bad.”

The pup found himself at the local animal shelter, where he was booked in as a stray and given the name Sisu (a nod to a character in Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon). But on the bright side, the animal control officer who took him to the shelter, first purchased the purple unicorn and let Sisu take it to the shelter with him.

As of this writing, Sisu and the unicorn are pending adoption and will soon have a forever home.

And on that note, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Ranting … Again

Posted on April 8, 2021 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, education, Election 2020, Free Press Issues, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Rants, Social commentary

I am disappointed and angry at a large portion of the people in this nation. I really thought we were better than this, but the number of people who simply have zero concern for others is … overwhelming. Those who still, five months after the election, have their heads stuck up their rears is astounding, but worse yet … compassion among those same people is dead. I hope … I sincerely hope … that this nation can mend its broken fences, that people can learn to live together without hatred and bigotry, but each and every day the news makes that hope seem less and less possible. I have three snarky snippets tonight … the first one is just for laughs, but the other two have sent me even deeper into the rabbit hole.

Still good for a few laughs

You just have to laugh when you read that former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany says that liars should be held accountable. When McEnany took over the job of press secretary, the very first words out of her mouth were her first public lie … she said she would never lie to the press, and then she proceeded to tell lie after lie after lie. So … should she be held accountable? McEnany now works for … wait for it … Fox ‘News’, and as such she appeared on Sean Hannity’s show to discuss the controversy surrounding Florida Governor Ron DeSantis …

“It’s just really important to point out that the standard is so high to hold any of these news organizations accountable. You have to prove intentional malice. It is extremely hard to prove. It’s why 60 Minutes — It’s why the left, MSNBC, CNN, they get away with murder each and every day. They can say whatever they want because you can’t hold them accountable. It’s a travesty.”

Right, Kayleigh, and can we now hold you accountable for the hundreds of lies you told in your relatively brief tenure as press secretary? How many lies did you attempt to feed the public, using the press as your bullhorn? What a hypocrite!

Where did they leave their brains?

Yes, I know that rage and fury are self-defeating, that they don’t help anything. But I made the mistake of looking at comments on one of President Biden’s tweets this afternoon and … I am furious at the ignorance, the stupidity, the blindness of some in this ‘country’.

The comments were on President Biden’s tweet reading …

Not one damn thing that should stir controversy there, right? Not like the tweets of the former guy who cursed, lied, denigrated others, incited violence, and ranted in nearly every one of the tens of thousands of tweets he posted. But yet, leave it to the fools and idiots to find a way to bitch …

And it went on and on and on. You’ll note that not a single one of these actually addresses the topic of Biden’s tweet, but rather go off on their own agenda. Yes, there were some positive comments, but at the time I saw the post, the negative outweighed the positive by about 2-to-1. Is this really the nation we’ve become??? If it is, I want out … NOW!

Do these freaks not understand that they drive over those unsafe bridges, they ride the unsafe railways, they drink the damn tap water that is contaminated with lead? Are they really so damned stupid? Yes, the answer is obvious … it was, after all, a rhetorical question.

As I see it, there is no longer a “United States”, only a conglomeration of states peopled with both intelligent people of good conscience, fools like those above, and the majority of us somewhere in between. I cannot be united with someone who, despite overwhelming proof and evidence, still claims last year’s election was “rigged”. I cannot be a citizen of the same country as a person who is so ignorant that they are shooting themselves and their children in the foot by fighting against policies that will help them, their families, and future generations. I cannot … I will not.

Naturally, I responded with my own snarky brand of vitriol … thus far, I haven’t been suspended from Twitter … yet. Don’t really care if I am, if they are given over to the fools who haven’t got brains in their heads!

They’re CHILDREN, for Pete’s sake!

A child is a child, whether it’s your child or mine, whether it’s a John or a Jill, whether it is dark-skinned or light, whether it wears its hair in braids or has a buzz cut. A child is a child and they are, each and every one, precious. They are the future of this world, if in fact the world as we know it has a future. And yet … the folks over at Fox ‘News’ seem to think otherwise.

Last month, the San Diego County Office of Education put out a completely voluntary call asking teachers in the region for their time. The reason: the city’s convention center will be holding as many as 1,450 unaccompanied children, all girls, as sponsors (usually a relative already here) are sought out for them. “We want to instill hope, instill joy, and show care for our students while they are with us, no matter if that’s for a few days or a few months,” San Diego County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Gothold said according to Border Report.

By the end of the month, about a dozen teachers had signed up to volunteer their time, some of it likely after day hours, for these children. A dozen??? That’s all? Only a dozen out of how many thousands in the area? But to the point … Fox ‘News’ seems to have a problem with this and decided to make it a target of their never-ending bigotry. Their headline read …

“San Diego public school teachers to give migrant kids in-person instruction before their own students.”

The article included a quote from a parent in San Diego, who said that “what is happening right now is immoral” and asked, “Why are taxpaying students put last?” The article also quoted Rep. Darrell Issa, a U.S. Representative from California, who said, “The decision to provide in-person instruction to illegal migrants is outrageous and parents have every right to be angry.”

Fox anchors Shannon Bream and Bill Hemmer both treated the story as if they had uncovered some mass criminal investigation … the education of children. Wow, way to show compassion, Fox! But it didn’t end there, and to date Fox has covered this story some 30 times! For additional details, check out the full story on Media Matters.

Good People Doing Good Things … Overflowing Love

Posted on April 7, 2021 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Good people doing good things, Social commentary

Some weeks putting together the good people post is a challenge, but this week … I have so many good people they are overflowing the bucket! So, let’s jump right in …

A young man gives back …

Ashis Dhakal immigrated to the U.S., Salt Lake City, Utah, to be exact, at the age of 18 after spending years in a refugee camp in Nepal. His first experiences were trying, being bullied at school because of both his ethnicity and his Hinduism, but Ashis dealt with it and still wanted to ‘give back’ to the community that was now his.

“I got bullied in school … they called me a terrorist and stuff like that. I practice Hinduism, and in Hinduism, service is very, very important, because, you know, we’re taught to give, and even if you don’t have anything, we try to give as much as we can.”

A few years ago, while working at a local KFC, he met a man who was homeless. While cleaning tables, Dhakal and the man connected, and the man shared his story about how he became homeless. And all at once, an idea was born.

“One of the necessities he needed was clothes, and so that’s where I got the idea.”

Ashis Collects Clothes hosted its first clothing drive in 2019. Dhakal collected everything, including socks, hats, jackets, coats and shoes.

“With that project, I was able to bring so many people together and change so many lives. My biggest ‘why’ in my life is that as a young child, going through poverty, I was in the same shoes as they were in right now. I have a house. I have a computer now. I have a phone. But think about it. Those kids are still suffering. What I can do is better others so that, you know, they can give back to their community.”

For Dhakal, Ashis Collects Clothes is just a start: In the future, he wants to own a multimillion-dollar business that focuses on giving its money away to help others. There is more to Ashis’ story and I encourage you to check out his Facebook page (link above) and his story as reported on MSN.

New parents … again!

I’d like to introduce you to Pam and Gary Willis.

Pam and Gary recently became new parents … to a family of seven children, ranging in age from four to fifteen. Pam and Gary had already raised one family and were what is known as ‘empty nesters’, with their five children grown and gone from the nest, when one day Pam read an article about seven siblings from San Diego who had lost both their parents in a car crash. They needed a home, but even if they found one, they would likely be separated. Says Pam …

“In that instant, their sweet smiling faces jumped off of the screen and into my heart. That evening I asked my husband if he’d seen the post. ‘Yes’, he said. ‘We should adopt them’. My heart stopped. ‘We should’, I said. We knew deep inside that this mission was being placed before us. If not us, then who?

They had been in foster care for a year since their parents had been killed in the car accident that they all had miraculously survived.

Who would keep them all together? Who would have the space for them? Who would have the time, and the love, and the patience for their trauma? The answer was clear… we would. Why else did we have a six bedroom house that was about to have it’s last child’s bedroom vacated? Why else would our nest that had raised our first five babies be empty just in time? It was only to make room for our new babies. They were ours from the minute we saw their faces on the news story.”

It took time and patience to go through the process, jump through the hoops, and maneuver through the mounds of red tape, but last June Pam and Gary brought the children home.

“We have never looked back since the day we met them and never doubted what we’re doing is the right thing to do. I have noticed how incredibly happy they are and that makes me so happy too, because that’s all we ask for. The oldest of the seven, Adelino, said to me recently, ‘Thank you for giving us this life,’ and there is no other feeling like that.”

Two thumbs up to these two caring, wonderful people for their courage and their love to these 7 young children.

Joshua Morris is a Delaware State Trooper … one with a huge heart! Periodically, Trooper Morris drops by the local basketball court where the kids hang out and shoots a few baskets with them. Recently, one of the kids on the court, 9-year-old Ra’kir Allen, shot a video of Morris and the kids having a bit of fun and the video went viral, as they say.

In the video, young Allen can be heard cheering for Trooper Morris …

“Oh that’s Curry, that’s Curry, that’s Curry!” yells Allen, comparing the officer to NBA Golden State Warrior Stephen Curry.

And it was that enthusiasm, coupled with the comparison to Curry, that inspired Trooper Morris to do what he did. After speaking with Ra’kir’s mother, he went out and bought Ra’kir a pair of Curry sneakers (trainers for my Brit friends). You have to see the video to feel the love, the joy, the excitement …

But that wasn’t all … he included a $50 bill in the left shoe. Now, before joining the force, Trooper Morris earned his Master’s degree in Education, so … he understand kids and says he believes that police should never be strangers in the communities they serve.

“When he laces up those sneakers, he has somebody who believes in him. He has somebody who loves him. He has somebody that will be kind to him.”

THIS, my friends, is what police officers around the country should be doing. They could earn so much trust and respect if only they gave some, showed they care. My hat is off to Trooper Joshua Morris!

I had more, but I will save the rest for next week, for it’s late and I’m very tired. I hope you enjoyed this week’s good people … I certainly did.

Everything From Guns To Cereal

Posted on April 6, 2021 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, guns, Humour, Law and justice, Political commentary

Today I want to share Stephen Colbert’s monologue from March 23rd, the day after the mass shooting in a Boulder, Colorado grocery store that killed 10 people. Please take the 10 minutes to watch this … he is spot on and echoes my own opinions. Oh, and there’s a bit of humour thrown in here and there!

Still More Never-Ending Snarky

Posted on April 6, 2021 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

The snark-o-meter is still running high and needs a release … fasten your seat belts!

Does free speech cover incitement to violence?

Justice Clarence Thomas is apparently upset about social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook banning the former guy from their platforms. Oh REALLY, Clarence??? He, along with your nasty wife Ginny set a marvelous example for the youth in this country, teaching them that violence is the way to solve the problems of the world! For any who may not be aware, Thomas’ wife endorsed the attacks on Congress and the Capitol on January 6^th. She later, no doubt as the Justice was coming under some fire as a result of her actions, apologized to the Court saying she had no right to “impose [her] passions” on them. So, her ‘passion’ is to overthrow the government, killing police officers and others in the process? Where the hell did he find this ‘wife’ and why isn’t she in jail with the rest of them?

Justice Thomas (whose salary we pay) had nothing better to do with his time than to write a 12-page diatribe about the power of social media firms like Twitter. Thomas’ opinion amounts to an invitation to Congress to declare Twitter, Facebook and similar companies “common carriers,” essentially requiring them to host all customers regardless of their views. Note, please, that it wasn’t the former asshole’s views that got him in trouble, but his inciting a riot, inciting a takeover of the legitimate, elected government by white supremacist madmen for his own nefarious purposes!

While I don’t always agree with nor appreciate the lax and uneven attitude these social media sites take toward hate speech and destructive verbiage, I do see that they are at least making an effort. If Thomas has his way, then we will also have to make it legal for a person to scream “BOMB” on an airplane or “FIRE” in a crowded theater … both currently crimes under the law. Justice Thomas apparently believes there should be absolutely zero limits on free speech. So, if I call for somebody to please shoot the former guy, then that’s okay, right Clarence?

Funny, isn’t it, that Justice Thomas supported the Masterpiece Cake Shop’s right to refuse service to a LGBT person, but he doesn’t support Twitter’s right to refuse ‘service’ to a person who is inciting violence. Methinks the Justice has his priorities skewed a bit.

A brief pet peeve …

We all use acronyms … a set of letters that stand for something, such as EPA for Environmental Protection Agency, FBI for Federal Bureau of Investigation. In common vernacular, there is WTF for What the F**k, SOB for Son of a Bitch, etc. I get it, I grew up with most of those, and the ones for governmental agencies are so well-known that we rarely think twice about them. But people! Draw a line somewhere!!!

I popped into Twitter tonight and saw a post about the recent ruling of the Senate Parliamentarian that will give more leeway in the Senate to avoid a filibuster, but the tweeter said it was BFD. So, I was confused as to whether he was pro or con … what the Sam Hell is a BFD??? Pretty soon, our speech is going to consist of nothing more than acronyms! HhaymniJ (Hi how are you my name is Jill). BFD … Balanced Feeding Development? Bored Fireman’s Dance? Bring Food Down? I commented on the man’s post that while I am grateful for the fact that more legislation will be able to pass through the Senate sans filibuster, I am nearly 70 years old and for the sake of the people in my generation, might he possibly use whole words.

Infrastructure, anyone?

Everyone, even congressional Republicans, agree that the nation’s infrastructure is crumbling and badly in need of an overhaul. Yes, even Republicans such as Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, Governor Tate Reeves of Mississippi, and Senator Roger Wicker also of Mississippi have expressed their state’s dire need for money to repair roadways, bridges, water supply lines and more. But, of course, anything that is proposed by President Biden will get a red light from these same people. I’m tempted to say, “Fine, let the whole damn thing fall down around our ears and then see what happens to that damned economy you’re all so worried about.” But of course, the people who would suffer if that were to happen are not those rich dudes in Washington but the poorest among us out here in the field. Which is at least part of the reason they can sit on their fat posteriors and do nothing about anything – it doesn’t affect them.

So, do you know why the Republicans claim not to like President Biden’s infrastructure bill? C’mon … take a wild guess. Yep, you got it … because it would mean a tax increase on their big corporate donors, and probably hit their own pocketbook as well. If you spend money to repair an Interstate highway or run new water lines to Flint, Michigan, then that money has to come from somewhere, right? Right now, corporations and rich assholes are paying almost nothing … some actually pay nothing … in federal income taxes. President Biden seeks to change that and let the rich pay their way for a change. The Republicans in Congress have no doubt been warned by their big-money donors not to vote for this.

Biden’s proposal actually leaves them with nearly half of the tax cuts they received in 2017, raising their effective tax rate to only 28%, rather than the 39% it was in 2016 and years prior. The current federal tax rate for corporations is only 8.84% … far less than most middle-income earners pay!

Despite corporations receiving huge tax cuts in 2017, I did some quick and dirty calculations on a per-item basis the other day and the price of food has increased between 25% and 40% since 2017. Now … ‘splain that one, Lucy! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Filosofa’s “Ask Me Again” Snarky Snippets

Posted on April 5, 2021 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Free Press Issues, guns, Political commentary, Social commentary

Filosofa is full of snark these days. Sure, I’m pleased with most of what President Biden is doing, but the reality is that the damn fools in the Republican Party, aka the Party of Trump, are attempting to block every single good thing such as infrastructure, voting rights, education and more.

Why build a library if you can’t even read?

Every president, it seems, has a presidential library built after leaving office, but the former guy may not be getting a library dedicated to him. According to Bloomberg News …

Planning for a library would suggest he’s done being president and that’s not something he’s ready to concede. Trump has publicly dangled the possibility that he will seek the Republican nomination in 2024. Once he says, ‘I am going to be raising money for my library,’ he’s given up even the pretense of trying to run again,” said Anthony Clark, who has written about the politics and history of presidential libraries. Clark said he doubts that Trump will ever have a presidential library because of how expensive and complicated they are to build, how difficult it is to secure a location and because he didn’t start raising money and planning before leaving office as other presidents did.

One must ask the question … since the former guy does not read, has likely never read an entire book in his lifetime, why the hell would he even want a library?

Cheers to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki!

Fox ‘News’ reporters and personalities just put themselves on the front lines for being mocked. Most recently …

The day after President Joe Biden’s first press conference last month, Fox News reporter Peter Doocy arrived at the White House press briefing feeling unloved. Having not been called on at the formal Q&A with Biden, and dwelling on his oversized sense of importance, Doocy raised his hand and asked if there is an official White House policy of not calling on him — he wanted to know if there was a coordinated campaign to ignore the Fox staffer constantly in search of a partisan fight.

Looking slightly bemused while giving her patented third-grade-teacher head tilt that conveys a willing patience, but also an unspoken and stinging, “really?”, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki patiently addressed the grievance:

PSAKI: We’re here having a conversation, aren’t we?

DOOCY: Yes, but.

PSAKI: And do I take questions from you every time you come to the briefing room?

DOOCY: Yes, but…

She soon concluded the back-and-forth by complimenting the reporter on his “awesome socks.” And in another exchange a few weeks ago, Psaki again made her point …

REPORTER: Americans are saying immigrant surges are happening under President Biden’s watch.

PSAKI: Who are the Americans?

REPORTER: The former president.

PSAKI: Former President Trump?

REPORTER: Yes.

PSAKI: We don’t take our advice or counsel from former President Trump.

Ooooohhhhh … good one! I like this lady!

Fools got more money than sense …

Auto sales were down by, on average, 10% in 2020 as compared to the prior year. Not surprising with the pandemic that has so many people struggling just to pay the rent and put food on the table. A new car is probably the last thing on most of our minds. But, there are a few notable exceptions … luxury cars costing more than $100,000 are selling like hotcakes!

From an article in CNN Business …

In the United States, overall passenger car sales were down 10% last year compared to 2019. Even as auto sales recovered strongly in the fourth quarter, they only just matched the pace seen in the fourth quarter of 2019, said Tyson Jominy, vice president for data analytics at J.D. Power.

But sales of cars costing more than $80,000 were almost double in the fourth quarter what they had been the year before. And for cars costing more than $100,000, sales in the US were up 63% that quarter, said Tyson Jominy, vice president for data analytics at J.D. Power.

“There’s a fairly fantastic wealth effect going on,” Jominy added.

“I’ve been in this business 40 years and I’ve never seen it like this,” said Brian Miller, president of Manhattan Motors, a high-end dealership that sells Bentleys, Lamborghinis and Bugattis, among other ultra-luxury brands.

Miller credits the boom, in part, to people sitting around with not much else to do but look at expensive cars on the Internet.

And yet, in January luxury automakers Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Lamborghini were asking the federal government to reduce taxes on luxury autos, saying the premium segment of the auto industry has not been able to grow due to high taxation besides being hit hard by coronavirus. Hmmmm … something wrong with this picture!

Fools! Ask me again why I’m not a fan of people with great wealth.

And in Iowa …

It is now legal to own and carry a gun without a permit, without a background check. Yep, you heard me right. The Des Moines Register reports:

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed a law allowing people to buy and carry handguns in Iowa without a permit, fulfilling a longtime goal of gun rights advocates. The law, which some advocates call “constitutional carry,” will take effect July 1.

Democrats and gun violence prevention groups say the law will roll back background checks on handgun sales between private citizens.

That’s because, under current law, Iowans must pass a background check to obtain a permit to carry or acquire a handgun before they can legally buy one in a private sale.

Welcome to the United States where killing is a popular hobby supported in full by the Republican Party. Ask me again why I’m in a funk these days.

Jolly ‘n Joyful Monday … Sans Gwammie

Posted on April 5, 2021 by jilldennison under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Humour, Politic-Free Mondays

When me ‘n Joyful reminded Gwammie last night dat we needed to get a start on Jolly Monday, she threw a water bottle at us and told us to … erm … [insert bad word] Jolly Monday. We think Gwammie is in a funk or somethin’. But, me ‘n Joyful talked it over an’ … well, we know you guys count on Jolly Monday to start your week off good, so we did da best we could. Joyful made some cookies ‘n other tweats, while I found some ‘toons I think will make you laugh, so have a snack and see da ‘toons, okay? We’re sowwy there’s no bacon dis week, guys …