Saturday Surprise — Artists Take On Notre-Dame

Posted on April 20, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Global Issues, Humour, Personal, Saturday Surprise

Welcome to the

I was not at a loss for this morning’s Saturday Surprise post, in fact was debating between taking you to either a turnip festival or a bread-arches festival. But then an email popped up and when I saw it, I thought … hmmm 🤔 … maybe. Monday’s fire at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame has prompted an outpouring of sadness from all around the globe. It has also inspired artists to do some beautiful artwork that I thought I’d like to share with you today. But first, I must share with you my embarrassingly funny story from this past week.

Those of you who have followed this blog for a while may remember last September when my dishwasher went kaplooie. I contacted the rental office … day after day … for 8 bloomin’ weeks, then finally contacted the property owners, and it was fixed the following day! The apartment manager was also terminated that week, but I’m not sure if there is any connection. Anyway, just before Thanksgiving they did bring a new … brand new, still in the box … dishwasher, and all was well.

Then last week, I turned the dishwasher on Tuesday morning, but … nothing happened. Nada. Zilch. Sigh. So, I contacted them … actually, Miss Goose did, for I don’t think she liked seeing me getting ready to go to the rental office with my 18-inch rolling pin in my hand. They said they would ‘try’ to get to it within two weeks. Frustrated I was, but what can one do but … wait. Well, this week on Tuesday, I had just gotten out of the shower and come downstairs, hair still wrapped in a towel, and there was a pounding on the door. The maintenance dude! Okay … I happily lead him to the kitchen where … there was a blob of cat puke right in the middle of the kitchen floor. I wanted the earth to open up and swallow me. Unfortunately, it didn’t. But wait … it gets even better!

The maintenance man walks over to the dishwasher, looks at the wall above it, flips the switch on the wall, and … PRESTO! … the dishwasher springs to life. Now I really, really wanted the earth to open up and swallow me. Again, it didn’t. Folks, I had checked the breaker, had inspected all around the switches and contacts for some food particles or grease, had tried everything short of taking the thing apart. But I never even thought about the switch. We never turn it off! Best I can figure is it accidentally got turned off one time that one of us was turning off the switch next to it that controls the garbage disposer. I felt about as stupid as I’ve ever felt, and I kept repeating, “I’m so sorry … I am so stupid …” until he finally patted my shoulder (I’m pretty sure he just wanted to get away from this crazy ol’ hag so he could go to his truck and have a good laugh) and assured me it could have happened to anybody. Sigh.

And now, how about those pictures I promised?

On 15 April 2019 around 6:50 p.m., a fire broke out in the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. One of the most famous historical buildings, it has a strong value to Parisian and French culture and is one of the most famous buildings in the world with around 13 million tourists every year. After the tragic news about the iconic cathedral burning went viral, many artists showed their respect to the monument by drawing it.

The construction of Notre-Dame started back in 1163 and it was finished almost 200 years later in 1345. It’s important to mention that the iconic spire was added only in the 19th century. Notre-Dame isn’t only known for its incredible architecture, it was also the cathedral in which Napoleon’s coronation by Pope Pius VII took place in 1804.

Since Notre-Dame was first built around 700 years ago, the building required constant renovation. During the last few years, it was in desperate need of reconstruction and that’s exactly what was happening before the fire broke out. The renovation was supposed to cost €6 million. Fires often break out during renovation so it is believed that this might have been the case with the Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Recent news declare that there have been €1 billion donated to the reconstruction of the Notre-Dame Cathedral which has caused some controversy online. Many people claim that during the past few years there have been many tragic losses around the world, with many people losing their home and their loved ones, yet nobody has ever donated this much money to any of the causes. Notre-Dame example shows how many of the world’s problems could be solved if the world’s richest people would donate to those in need.

These are only a few of the artists’ pictures inspired by this tragedy. For more, check it out on Bored Panda. Have a great weekend, my friends!

Chuckles …

Posted on April 18, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Global Issues, Humour, Political commentary

Good afternoon, folks. I have been bouncing about the ‘net for a bit, while waiting for the .pdf version of the Mueller report, and I thought this might be a good time to enjoy a bit of humour. So, let’s take a bit of a break from the news to see how those talented cartoonists are viewing the events of the week, shall we?

The fire on Monday that destroyed parts of the historic Notre Dame Cathedral is certainly nothing to joke about, but I came across a few cartoons that I thought tastefully paid homage to the great landmark …

Last week, Trump threatened to relocate immigrants to sanctuary cities, specifically in Speaker of the House Pelosi’s district, as a retaliatory measure for failure to provide funding for his border wall. Thus far, he has been stopped from doing so by slightly cooler heads who question both the cost and illegality of such a childish measure …

Those who follow sports celebrated Tiger Woods’ comeback moment last week …

Monday was the deadline to submit your taxes to the IRS. Remember that little box on the first page …

Many of us see that the entire system of checks and balances, of democracy, indeed the Constitution itself, is being eroded under the current administration, and the ‘toonists haven’t let that one slide …

And, of course, the main topic on the minds of us all this week is the release of the Mueller report and Attorney General Barr’s boot-licking antics surrounding the release …

Last but not least, scientists have taken a picture of a black hole. Not being a science-minded person, I didn’t get as excited about this news as some, though if we could find a way to toss our current administration into that black hole, I might manage a bit of joy …

And that’s a wrap for today, my friends!

It’s Time For … Snarky Snippets!

Posted on April 18, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Election 2020, Environmental Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary

You could probably have predicted my angst would be running high today and I would pop up with a new batch of Snarky Snippets, yes? You guys know me so well! I have been pounding my keyboard so hard that I no longer have an ‘I’, ‘O’, ‘L’, or ‘N’ … the keys work, but the lettering has been worn off. Good thing, I guess, that I took that typing class back in high school so I know where the letters are even without lettering to guide me!

Aw shucks, Mr. Barr … we can read as good as you … maybe even better!

I don’t know about you folks, but I learned basic reading skills at an early age. Since then, those skills have been enhanced and honed, and I am now quite capable of reading many things. There are things I choose not to read, for they either bore me or are offensive, but my literacy skills are at least on a par with most people’s. Why, I have even read the U.S. Constitution, something that has not, as I understand it, been done by the ‘man’ who swore under oath to uphold said document.

Along comes Mr. William Barr, the alleged Attorney General of the United States, who determines that We the People are not capable of reading a 400-page document, the Robert Mueller report, and that we haven’t the intelligence to understand it, even if we could make out the words. So … Mr. Barr decided that he would just save us the trouble of having to struggle with all that reading, and he would call a press conference and ‘splain it all to us! Why, isn’t that nice of him?

And, guess what else! Mr. Barr delayed the release of the document in order to have numerous meetings with Trump’s lawyers. Why, you ask? Well, remember back when Robert Mueller first presented the report to Mr. Barr, and Barr wrote his own 4-page little summary, whereby he informed us that Trump, Ivanka, Kushner and all the rest were innocent of any and all wrongdoing, and that Mueller’s report cleared their names? Turns out that Barr felt Trump’s lawyers ought to write their own little report to ‘splain just how, even though Trump & his cronies were in frequent communication with Putin and other Russians, there was no wrongdoing, for we might mistakenly decide on our own that there is some guilt there. William Barr — Trump’s puppet on a string.

I will not be watching Mr. Barr tell fairy tales at 9:30 a.m., nor do I have any immediate interest in the rebuttal document by Giuliani and Co., though I will no doubt read that later just to see how the spin doctors played their hand. I will, however, be reading the document prepared by Mr. Robert Mueller, whom I trust emphatically. And I will draw my own conclusions based on the modicum of intelligence that I possess. The next act in this play needs to be for Robert Mueller to testify before Congress, specifically the House of Representatives, where not everybody is drinking Kool-Aid.

Two thumbs up 👍 👍 for New York City!

Some good news from New York City. While Donald Trump and his cronies trash regulations to protect our environment and do everything they can think of to hasten the demise of the human race, New York is taking a big, positive step. The New York city council is expected to pass legislation today that will set emission caps for buildings and impose strict fines for those buildings that are found not in compliance. Their stated goal is to achieve a 40% overall reduction in emissions by the year 2030. It’s not enough, but it’s a start, and a damn sight better than our federal government is doing!According to the New York Times …

Buildings are among the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions because they use lots of energy for heating, cooling and lighting, and they tend to be inefficient, leaking heat in the winter and cool air in the summer through old windows or inadequate insulation. An inventory of greenhouse gas emissions published in 2017 found that buildings accounted for 67 percent of the city’s emissions.

I admit a bit of demonic glee picturing Trump trying to figure a way around the law. That is, until I remember that he is ‘above the law’ and will likely be the largest violator. I hope the city goes after him with the big guns!

It makes sense … it makes perfect sense!When I first heard that Bernie Sanders, not only a democrat, but a democratic socialist candidate, was appearing on Fox ‘News’, it was one of those wtf moments. But then I pondered on it, did a bit of reading, and suddenly the 💡 came on over my head. It’s positively brilliant, for a few reasons:

Most Trump-supporters are Fox viewers, and vice versa. Therefore, they really have no idea what the democrats stand for, because all they have to judge by is what they are told by the likes of Sean Hannity, Jeanine Pirro, Tucker Carlson, and of course Trump himself. This gives them an opportunity to see that democrats are not, in fact, the big bad wolf, but people whose goals are humanitarian. Now, I don’t look for them all to jump up and go change their party affiliation after seeing Bernie or another democratic candidate on their favourite news network, but it might open their minds a bit, might actually cause them to start thinking about some of the issues, realizing that there is more to it than they have been told.
It gives the democrats an edge they would not otherwise have … it shows they are not pandering only to their own supporters, but are reaching out to everyone. That’s important, folks, if you remember my post from last night where I posited that Trump is not our president because he speaks to and for only those who praise him. The democrats, by appearing on Fox, are showing that they are for the entire nation, not just their own corner.
It is irritating the heck out of Trump! Could this be the end of the romance between Trump & Fox?

Other democratic candidates are slated to appear on Fox as well, including Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Julián Castro, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Cory Booker. Sanders’ appearance at a Fox Town Hall garnered the biggest television audience of any 2020 Democratic candidate — more than 2.5 million people. This is a great way for the candidates to begin ‘reaching across the aisle’, and who knows … maybe a few Trump supporters may decide to sit on the other side of the aisle.

Well, I’m about out of snark for tonight, so I’ll return you to whatever you were doing.

‘Joyful’ Monday

Posted on April 15, 2019 by jilldennison under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Humour

Good morning, folks … c’mon in … please forgive the mess … the kitties decided to shred a couple of cardboard boxes last night, and I haven’t had a chance to vacuum yet. I’m sad to tell you that Jolly is still not up to himself, but his girlfriend Joyful, to whom I introduced you back in October, has volunteered to fill in for him! I couldn’t have done it without her!

Now, I let Joyful help me prepare the snacks for this morning, so I know you’ll all be nice and overlook a few … um … shall we say … burnt offerings. (I made the coffee myself) Grab a snack and let’s get this week off to a happy start, shall we?

This really happened in China last week. A woman named Li had just withdrawn ¥2500, an amount of yen equal to about $371 USD from an ATM machine, and as she turned to leave, a man named Deng came up behind her, armed with a knife, and demanding she hand over the cash she had just received. She did as told, but when he counted the cash, Deng apparently wasn’t satisfied and told her to go back into her account to withdraw more. Apparently, Li had withdrawn all, or mostly all, of the funds she had, and when Deng saw the balance in her account, guess what he did? He started laughing. And then, he handed the money back to Li. Now, we don’t know what was said because all we have is video footage, but I can imagine him saying, “Here, lady, you need this more than me!”

Deng surely must have known he was on candid camera, and that is how police caught up to him. Almost makes you feel sorry for him, doesn’t it?

Now, imagine that you are house-sitting for a friend and you suddenly hear strange sounds coming from one of the bathrooms. That is exactly what happened to a woman in Portland, Oregon. Now, I have to ask, why does anybody need a ‘house-sitter’? I can understand a pet-sitter, for pets need to be fed, groomed, pottied, and kept an eye on, but a house isn’t going anywhere, it doesn’t eat, it doesn’t poop! Anyway, this woman was house-sitting, when she heard really odd noises coming out of the bathroom. The door to the bathroom was closed, but she could see movement under the door, so she drew the conclusion that there was a thief in the bathroom. And she did what anyone would do, right? She called the cops! (Note, here, that I am an aberration and likely would have opened the bloomin’ door, because … a), I’m not right bright, and b) why would a burglar be holed up in the bathroom???!)

Well, the cops show up in force, guns drawn, and burst into the bathroom … to find …Yep, one of those Roomba thing-a-mah-doos that vacuums the floor by itself. Apparently, this Roomba decided the floor had become dusty … now who in the heck vacuums the bathroom, anyway? According to Sergeant Danny DiPietro …

“In 13 years, this is my first Roomba burglar.”

It’s been a while since I’ve done a piece with some funny road signs …

Yo … Joyful … I’m struggling here … what do you have to share with our friends?

I gots some cartoons, ‘cuz Jolly tol’ me dey like cartoons. Okay?

Okay, Joyful … take over for me … show us what you’ve got!

Those were great Joyful! Thank you, honey! Now go back and see to Jolly … here, take him a fresh cup of tea …

Wait … I gots one more thing I liked, ‘k? Lookie …Awww … that’s so cute, Joyful! Thank you!

Folks, I’ve got just one more thing for this morning … it’s a short one, but so funny it even made me laugh!

And that’s a wrap for this Monday, I’m afraid. Without my Jolly … well … I’m just not very good at this on my own. I hope you all have a wonderful week, and please, take a smile on your way out to share with somebody who might need one this week. Love and Hugs from Filosofa, Jolly and Joyful!

Snarky Snippets … Version MCXII

Posted on April 13, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Global Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary

I used to do Snarky Snippets once every couple of weeks. Now, it’s more like several times a week. There is just so much …

Who could blame him?

Yesterday, a man in a wheelchair tried to set fire to himself outside the White House gates. The man lit his jacket, officers immediately responded, extinguishing the fire and giving the man first aid, the man was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries yada, yada, yada.

A “suspicious package” was found near the area … turned out to be the man’s backpack. The White House was put on lockdown because the Idiot-in-Chief was there, even though it was obvious there was no threat to him. And thus ends the story, right?

So why did the guy do it? There comes a point where hopelessness leads to not caring anymore which leads to … this. A man who figures life isn’t much worth living any more, and whose fault is it? Donald Trump’s. And so … let’s put an end to it, but let’s make sure Trump knows that this blood is on his hands, that he is responsible for the death.

The official story, by later today or tomorrow, will be that the man had a history of mental illness. I’m betting not. I’m betting that he’s given up on the hope of seeing this country rise above the abomination that is Donald Trump, decided it’s not worth sticking around to watch the final chapter, but wants Trump to know … as if Trump had a conscience and could understand human pain, the suffering of humanity.

Score one for Maxine Waters

Steve Mnuchin … just seeing his picture makes me want to relieve him of that smirky little smile he always seems to wear. For any who are unaware, Mnuchin is Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, another of Trump’s boot-lickers.

Well, on Tuesday he met his match in the persona of one Representative Maxine Waters!

Mnuchin had been testifying before the House Financial Services Committee, when he decided he had enough and cited a meeting with a “foreign leader” as his reason for needing to leave. Ms. Waters, chairperson of the committee, asked Mnuchin if he could give the committee another 15 minutes so members who had been waiting for their five-minute turn could ask him questions. He again cited the importance of his meeting.

Finally, Ms. Waters said, “If you wish to leave, you may.” Well, Mnuchin was caught off-guard by that, apparently, and responded with …

“Please dismiss everybody. I believe you are supposed to take the gavel and bang it.”

WHOA-DEE … You could have heard a pin drop, for about 3 seconds, until Representative Waters said …

“Do not instruct me as to how I am to conduct this hearing.”

Mnuchin stayed the extra 15 minutes and then told Waters, “I look forward to being back in May, and we will work on a date.” Waters responded, “Thank you very much.”

The lady has class!

He just keeps coming back …

Ol’ Roger Stone just won’t go away and stay gone. On Friday, his lawyers asked a federal judge to dismiss Stone’s indictment for lying to Congress and obstructing justice and to order that Stone receive a full unredacted copy of Mueller’s recently completed report. Say WHAT??? We the People are as unlikely to see it as a man is likely to give birth, but Roger Stone thinks he deserves a copy? Yo … Roger!!! You can read the heavily-redacted version in the New York Times the same as the rest of us! At least, I suppose they let you read the Times in prison.

“No other person, Committee, or entity has Stone’s constitutionally based standing to demand the complete, unredacted Report,” said the lawyers.

A new bromance for Trump?

Trump has found himself another strongman dictator to love … what a surprise, eh? This time it is Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi, a ‘president’ in name only, but in reality, a dictator who is in the process of making changes to Egypt’s Constitution that will make him a de facto dictator for life, while permanently enshrining military control over Egypt’s political system. He continues to hold tens of thousands of political prisoners, including at least a dozen U.S. citizens.So, how did Trump respond when al-Sissi arrived at the White House for a visit on Tuesday?

“I think he’s doing a great job. I don’t know about the effort. I can just tell you he’s doing a great job. Great president.”

The Egyptian president, naturally, returned the compliment …

“Let me emphasize, Mr. President, that the relations have not been better over the years of our bilateral relationship, and that is why I’m extending, Mr. President, to you our thanks … All the credit goes to you, Mr. President. Thank you very much for your support on all fronts.”

Feeling sick yet? 🤢 Trump also took the opportunity to lie and whine to al-Sissi …

“We are building a lot of wall, and we are being very strong on the border. But we are bucking a court system that never, ever rules for us, and we are bucking really bad things with the Democrats in Congress not willing to act. Nobody can believe these decisions we’re getting from the 9th Circuit. It’s a disgrace.”

And al-Sissi sat smiling at Trump, for he has had his own troubles with judges who were trying to thwart him by upholding the law. President al-Sissi’s answer to his troubles was to change the law. Think about that one for a minute.

Okay folks, I’ve vented enough for one day. Enjoy the rest of your weekend … I’ll be back!

Saturday Surprise — Who Knew?

Posted on April 13, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Humour, Saturday Surprise

Good morning, my friends, and welcome to the weekend! I almost skipped out on Saturday Surprise today, for I’m afraid Jolly is very sick, and I wasn’t sure I could do it without him. Oh no, don’t worry about disturbing him, for he is deep down in the rabbit hole at the moment. Anyway, then I came across a couple of things that had me shaking my head, saying “Who knew?”, and I thought I would see if I could do this post on my own, without Jolly’s help.

Drive it or eat it???

When you think of Volkswagon, what do you think of?

This, right? Well, it turns out that Volkswagen sells more sausages than Beetles! Yes, you heard me right … sausages! In fact, in 2015 and 2017, it sold more sausages than cars overall! Who knew? Some would say it makes sense, since sausages have both a lower overhead cost and a lower purchase price than the average car.

In 1973, the company started making the currywurst sausages, known as “item no. 199 398 500 A” in the Volkswagen factory, at the company headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. Meant as a breakfast or lunch item in the company’s cafeteria, the sausages were served whole or chopped up and tossed with Volkswagen’s own factory-made curry-flavored ketchup. I guess they must have gone over well, for these days, 30 kitchen staffers, most of them trained butchers, are put solely on weiner duty, making 18,000 sausages every day. The pork is sourced from local farms, and the recipe, which includes curry powder, pepper, and ginger, is a company secret. The sausages come in two lengths, and are dried, smoked over beechwood, and then steamed at 350°F for 100 minutes. The finished product is shipped in packs of five to VW dealerships all over the country, who then gift it to customers after a successful sale.

In 2017, Volkswagen sold nearly 7 million sausages, more than the number of VW-brand cars sold worldwide that year. Given their role in the recent emissions scandal, perhaps they would be better off to stick to sausages?

Send it via pigeon …

I use a free greeting card service to send an occasional e-card for birthdays, get-well wishes, or sometimes just to let somebody know I’m thinking of them. The one I use is 1-2-3 Greetings, for they are quick, simple, remember your contacts, and have a fairly decent selection. And free … did I mention free? So, a couple of days ago, I received this email from them …

Back by popular demand:
Our messenger pigeons

Hi Jill!

Following the requests of many of our users, we are resuming our pigeon delivery service. Starting from April 8, it will again be possible to send real greeting cards by our top trained pigeons.

We are proud to announce that we had the top bird trainer in the country – Barbara Heidenreich – training pigeons for over a year to deliver your greeting all across USA. Currently we have over 20 pigeons available. This amazing service will start in United States only, but please be patient as more countries are to follow.

This extraordinary option will be available starting from $199 for each delivery and, due to limited availability, will have to depend on the geographical location of the sender.

More details here

Rather than a “who knew?” moment, this was more of a “Say WHAT???” moment. Who in their right mind, using a free greeting card service, is going to pay upwards of $200 for a carrier pigeon to deliver a card??? I can mail a greeting card for 45 cents, for Pete’s sake!

Now, I saved this message because I was so incredulous. Just last night, as I was cleaning out my email box that had gotten up to over 600 messages, I came across it again and notice the “More details here” at the end of the message. I had not clicked on that when I first received the message, so I clicked this time to see what else they were trying to profit from … perhaps you could have a bottle of Dom Perignon delivered by carrier pigeon. Well …

I now have a bit of a sheepish grin on my face, for … had I bothered to look at the date of the email … April 1st … April Fool’s Day … Oopsie. Got me!

More Lego art — kitties!

Remember … was it last week or the week before … when I posted a bit about some magnificent Lego sculptures? Well, last night I came across another … the sculptures are not huge like the ones from last time, but they are … well, take a look for yourself …Being a housemate to currently six, and at one time as many as ten of these furry critters, I thoroughly enjoyed these!

I saw this on a friend’s post on Facebook last night and found it humorous. Might be an idea for some of you who are parents of teens!

Well, folks, without Jolly to help, I’m afraid that’s all I can come up with for this morning. Let us hope that Jolly feels better by Monday! But never mind, for it’s the beginning of the weekend, and you no doubt have better things to do anyway. Take care and have a great weekend, my friends! Thanks for stopping by!

‘Toons To Make You Laugh (Or Cry)

Posted on April 10, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Environmental Issues, Humour, Law and justice, Political commentary

I think it’s time for another batch of toons, don’t you?

The two biggest topics in ‘Toonland’ this week are ones I refuse to touch, so let’s start with the third biggest. Recently the Idiot-in-Chief declared that wind turbines, or rather the noise from them, cause cancer. This notion came from the cavernous depths inside his rather spongy head, but it made for some good humour at his expense.

And of course one of the big topics remains, as it has been for over two years now, immigration, or rather Trump’s use of immigration as a fear-mongering tactic.

On a related note, there was his demand for Kirstjen Nielsen’s resignation because, although she was a cruel and heartless b**ch, she was not quite cruel and heartless enough to suit the ‘man’ without a conscience.

Let us not forget about his determination to squash ‘Obamacare’ and replace it with … the grim reaper.

And beyond all of that, it’s pretty much the usual chaos and insanity that define the reign of Donald Trump.

Have a great weekend, folks! Wha … WHAT??? It’s not the weekend yet? It’s only Wednesday?

Who Says It’s A … Jolly Monday?

Posted on April 8, 2019 by jilldennison under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Humour, Politic-Free Mondays

Welcome friends! I can’t believe it’s Monday again already! At least it’s warm enough to be out without coats, hats, and gloves! I’m so happy to see flowers starting to bloom and buds on the trees. I haven’t seen a single bee yet, and that disturbs me a bit. Plenty of ants, though! Did you all have a wonderful weekend?

Grab a bite and a cuppa and let’s kick off this week with some fun, shall we? Sorry rawgod, but I ran out of tea … have a juice box for today and I’ll get some tea before next week, I promise!

A lot of love … and patience

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this one. D.W. and Willie Williams just celebrated their wedding anniversary. Their 82^nd wedding anniversary!

D.W. (left) is 103 years of age, and Willie is a mere 100. What a beautiful couple! When asked the secret to the long success of their marriage, Willie answered …

“I don’t have a secret, just be nice to each other.”

Hmmm … sounds like excellent advice, don’t you think? Congrats to D.W. and Willie!!!

Hee Haw …

Payton Dankworth is a high school student in Ballinger, Texas. One day not long ago, she received a call from a friend who had been out riding (horses — it’s Texas, remember) and stumbled across a baby donkey. The donkey was not well … malnourished and dehydrated. The friend’s parents absolutely put their foot down and refused to keep the little donkey, so he asked Payton, knowing she had a soft heart.

Payton took the little guy in, bottle fed him and nursed him to health, and from that day forward, she was his momma! She named him ‘Jack’, a fitting name for a donkey, although I likely would have named him Eeyore.“He became really playful and now loves playing with my dogs. Right now he sleeps inside with me since he’s still so little and I give him a bottle about every two hours and then take him outside to use the bathroom. Jack also will not go to sleep unless my dog is with him. He will cry all night instead. I grew up showing steers and I’ve had my fair share of what you would call life on the farm. I don’t actually live on a farm but we do have property with other livestock animals on it.”

Since Jack came into her life, she has been inspired by his transformation to the point that she is now determined to look after animals for a living.“Jack’s transformation has been the greatest thing ever to watch. It’s been so heart touching watching him thrive. From watching him barely have enough strength to stand up to watching him run around and play with my dogs has been the greatest thing ever!”There’s a saying that they grow them big in Texas … I think this young lady’s heart is proof enough of that!

Dance On, Wika!!!

Wirginia Szmyt, also known as DJ Wika, is eighty years old and still going strong. She is Poland’s oldest DJ. Donning yellow trousers, shiny platform shoes, red lipstick and headphones, she stands behind the decks, mixing party music in a huge Warsaw club.

“I don’t care if someone likes it or not that I am dancing or jumping behind the console, because I cannot play and stay still. When I play, I feel the melody, I feel the rhythm.”

Every Monday night, she entertains about 1,000 people at the Hula Kula club, smashing stereotypes and empowering seniors as she plays everything from disco and rock to samba and ballads.

“I do not fit the stereotype of an elderly person. I don’t see a reason why my age should determine my life norms. I used to work with young people and I kept this youthful outlook and youthful expectations … My message to youths is that your life does not end when you are 70. They would say ‘Miss Wika we are already 40, we are so old’. And I am twice as old as you and … I am not old, by no means.”

What an awesome outlook, don’t you think?

Here are a few humorous memes I happened across last week …

And what would Jolly Monday be without a cute animal video?

And on that note, I shall send you off to your Monday duties, hopefully with a bit of a smile on your face, one which I will no doubt relieve you of later today with my next post. Sigh. Have a great week, my friends, and remember to share your smiles & hugs … we all need a few extras these days! Love ‘n hugs from Filosofa and Jolly!

Trump’s E-Score?

Posted on April 7, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Humour, Political commentary, Social commentary

I struggled to focus tonight, being tired, tired of Trump, and in rather a black mood. But then, thanks to our friend Ellen, I found something with which to amuse you, my friends! Y’know, late night comedians like Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Myers, John Oliver and others are much the same as the political cartoonists we all enjoy — they can say so much with humour. Good ol’ Stephen Colbert is always good for some laughs, and Friday night’s monologue is no exception. So, grab a fresh cup of coffee and spend a few minutes having a few laughs at Trump’s expense! Thank you, Ellen, for pointing me in this direction!

Filosofa Rants …

Posted on April 6, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

Sometimes I rant. I try not to. I try to remember that civil discourse is the best way, that Theodore Roosevelt’s advice to “walk softly, but carry a big stick” is sound advice, and most days I succeed to a greater or lesser degree. But sometimes the absolute idiocy of our world today, specifically of our government in this, the reign of terror Trump, gets to me and if I don’t blow off a little steam, I will have night terrors all night, yell at Miss Goose, and break another toe, all of which have happened in the past week! So, brace yourself for Filosofa’s Headline Rants, based only on the headlines that made me say a bad word, even if under my breath. Oh, and thank you, Roger, for giving me some new words to use, such as fornacazoni!

From the Associated Press …

The White House said Thursday that Democratic efforts to obtain President Donald Trump’s tax records are “political games.”

Now, first off, I have never heard of a building speaking. The White House said nothing, unless it groaned under the weight of the obese ‘man’ walking its hallowed halls. Second, NO, whomever was speaking on behalf of the building at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, it is not a “political game”. Let me make this perfectly clear: WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DEMAND TO SEE THE TAX RETURNS OF THE ‘MAN’ WHO IS MAKING THE DECISIONS THAT ARE RUINING OUR LIVES!!!

Yes, Ms. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and yes, Donald Trump, and yes, Mick Mulvaney … I am angry … no, scratch that … I am furious! As the saying goes, ‘there’s something rotten in Denmark’, we know there is something rotten in the White House, and we’re pretty sure we know just exactly what it is. I really want to know how much Donald Trump pays in taxes on average each year. I will tell you that if it’s less than ten percent of his AGI (Adjusted Gross Income), then he paid less taxes than my daughter did, dollar per dollar. I want to see for myself.

Every president since Richard Nixon has provided at least a few years’ worth of tax returns in the interest of transparency, in the interest of ethics. Since Trump has far more questionable ethics than any other president in history, it is only right and just that Congress and the taxpaying public be given access to his tax returns. Get over it, ‘White House’!

From The Guardian …

San Francisco: residents of wealthy area shout down mayor over homeless shelter

Turns out the Mayor of San Francisco, London Breed, was attending a meeting to discuss a proposed homeless shelter in San Francisco to house at least some of its 7,500 homeless residents. But the rich snobs in the area actually launched a GoFundMe to raise $100,000 for legal fees to block the shelter! As of Thursday, they had actually raised $92,000! Damn, but there are a lot of snobs in this world!

But … there is some good news. A group called Coalition on Homelessness started their own fundraising page to benefit a local advocacy organization, and they have raised $164,000 from more than 1,700 people, including big names such as the Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, the Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson and the GoFundMe organization itself.

The shelter is to be built on land owned by the city, but apparently the rich snobs are taking the “not in my backyard” tact. You know … I’m pretty darn sick of rich people who think this country should be run to their benefit, and to hell with the rest of us. And I propose that every person with a net worth of more than $1 million should be forced to spend one week living on the streets, just so they can get a feel for how the other end of the spectrum lives. Ever been homeless? I have. It’s scary.

From The Root …

Louisiana Town Swears in Police Chief Who Really Likes Racism

The town is Estherwood, Louisiana, and the new Police Chief is named Wayne Welsh. Back in 2017, when Welsh was the Assistant Chief of Police in Estherwood, he posted this meme to Facebook …After the resulting uproar when the post went viral on Twitter, Welsh took the post down, announced that he would tender his resignation and everyone was satisfied. Only one little problem … Wayne Welsh did NOT tender his resignation because … his boss, Police Chief Ernest Villejoin, did not request it! Although Villejoin had publicly said he “would not tolerate” this sort of behaviour, apparently after giving it some thought, he decided it was just fine and dandy after all, and Mr. Welsh continued in his position.

Then last year, Welsh was briefly named interim police chief until he ran unopposed for the seat in November. Donald Popp, the new mayor of Estherwood, says he “doesn’t foresee any problems”, and that he “was hoping this would have been taken care of”. He doesn’t foresee any problems??? I “foresee” plenty of problems!

Welsh sent a statement to CNN, saying …

“What happen [sic] two years ago is behind me and my punishment was done to me. And now I’m moving forward with my life and as the new chief of police.”

To me, it says as much about the townspeople who voted him in as it says about Welsh himself. He’s proven he’s a racist bastard, but now the people of the town have proven themselves as well. The town, by the way, is less than 3% African-American.

And this, my friends, is the wave that Donald Trump rode into the White House. Racism. Call it whatever you like, but it is intolerance and hatred of any who are not WASPs, pure and simple. Racism is built on ignorance and we seem to have an awful lot of ignorance in this country today.

Okay, folks … I could go on, but it’s Saturday and I have other things to do, as do you. Thanks for letting me vent a bit! Have a happy Saturday!

Filosofa's Word

Cogito Ergo Sum

Category Archives: Bits ‘n Pieces