Saturday Surprise — Happy Father’s Day

Posted on June 15, 2019 by jilldennison under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, Humour, Random, Saturday Surprise

It’s Saturday, folks!!! The WEEKEND is finally here! For me, it’s a quiet weekend. Chris is in Chicago for a band competition, so it’s just me and Miss Goose. Yesterday … we did nothing useful. We both went for a walk, she took out the trash, I tidied the kitchen, and we snacked on whatever is residing in the fridge that isn’t covered in green fuzz. Who knows what today will bring? I definitely have to at least do a load of two of laundry, but beyond that … probably not much! Sunday is Father’s Day, so before I forget, I want to wish all you dads out there a very Happy Father’s Day!!!

And thus ends another Saturday Surprise! Have a great weekend, my friends!

Snarky Snippets — Two Of ‘Em!

Posted on June 14, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Environmental Issues, Free Press Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary

Just a couple of snarky snippets to share with you today, for my mind has not yet stopped bouncing about from pillar to post.

Let ‘em all go free …

Remember Flint Michigan and the water crisis? I first wrote about it in January 2016 when children in Flint were found to have high levels of lead in their blood, which was eventually traced to the water, and in late December 2015, residents were warned not to drink the water, cook with it, or consume it in any way. The city, in an effort to save money in 2014, had switched from the Detroit water system to using water from the Flint River, without the proper testing, and the result was toxic levels of lead in the water. At least 12 people died from an outbreak of Legionnaire’s Disease as a result of the contaminated water. It is now more than three years later, and the water is still not safe to drink, still does not meet federal standards.

Fifteen state and local officials, including emergency managers who ran the city and a member of the governor’s cabinet, had been accused by state prosecutors of crimes as serious as involuntary manslaughter. Seven had already taken plea deals. Eight more, including most of the highest-ranking officials, were awaiting trial. And then, in a jaw-dropping move yesterday, prosecutors dropped all charges against officials accused of ruining the community’s drinking water and ignoring signs of a crisis.

Why??? The answer is simple: politics and … well, politics. Michigan’s Republican attorney general in 2016, Bill Schuette, appointed a team that began investigating and announcing criminal charges, however they apparently didn’t do much of an investigation. After three years, the cases were moving at a crawl. Then, in 2018, a new attorney general took office, Dana Nessel, a Democrat. New prosecutors assigned by Ms. Nessel expressed concern about evidence collection and decided to drop the charges and open a new investigation. Three years … who knows how much money wasted … and not a single prosecution, not a single person has spent a single day in jail. Even the seven people who had made a plea deal had not yet been sentenced. Understandably and justifiably, the people of Flint are disgusted and out of patience. Although a new investigation has been promised … every promise that has been made to the people of Flint thus far has been broken, and they still do not have potable water, so why should they believe this promise?

You will NOT be missed, Sarah …

It was announced yesterday that White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders till be leaving at the end of June. Mind you, it’s been some 94 days since she last held so much as a press briefing, so nobody knows quite what she has been doing for the past three months anyway. But, if you want a good laugh, consider this … she said she hopes to be remembered for her transparency and honesty! 🤣🤣🤣 She has been anything but transparent or honest, and has been naught but a paid mouthpiece for whatever gaslighting Trump ordered her to do. Surely she has told nearly as many lies as Trump himself, and she is one of the ones who claimed that “God wanted Donald Trump to become president.”

Trump announced Sander’s departure … via tweet, of course …

“After 3 1/2 years, our wonderful Sarah Huckabee Sanders will be leaving the White House at the end of the month and going home to the Great State of Arkansas. She is a very special person with extraordinary talents, who has done an incredible job! I hope she decides to run for Governor of Arkansas – she would be fantastic. Sarah, thank you for a job well done!”

I don’t know whether she actually plans to run for governor against incumbent Asa Hutchinson, whose term will end in 2022, but nothing would surprise me these days. One could hope that the good people of Arkansas have better sense.

Fox ‘News’, meanwhile had this to say …

“Sanders did her job, just not the role the liberal press demanded. She served as President Donald Trump’s press secretary, not the ally journalists wanted to help them oust Trump. Instead of celebrating a woman rising to such an important role, both news and entertainment media mocked her looks, her job performance and, even, her honesty.”

Did you expect otherwise? I wonder who Trump will find to replace her? She’s leaving some pretty big shoes to fill …

That’s all I’ve got for today folks! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Tidbits From A Bouncing Mind

Posted on June 13, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Election 2020, Humour, Law and justice, Political commentary, Social commentary

Once again in the throes of mind bounce, and having many disruptions and distractions, I think it’s better I stick with a few bits ‘n pieces today, rather than try for a longer post. First off, I would like to share with you the latest Borowitz Report … it explains some things we’ve all been curious about …

MINNEAPOLIS (The Borowitz Report)—Scientists have discovered a powerful new strain of fact-resistant humans who are threatening the ability of Earth to sustain life, a sobering new study reports.

The research, conducted by the University of Minnesota, identifies a virulent strain of humans who are virtually immune to any form of verifiable knowledge, leaving scientists at a loss as to how to combat them.

“These humans appear to have all the faculties necessary to receive and process information,” Davis Logsdon, one of the scientists who contributed to the study, said. “And yet, somehow, they have developed defenses that, for all intents and purposes, have rendered those faculties totally inactive.”

More worryingly, Logsdon said, “As facts have multiplied, their defenses against those facts have only grown more powerful.”

While scientists have no clear understanding of the mechanisms that prevent the fact-resistant humans from absorbing data, they theorize that the strain may have developed the ability to intercept and discard information en route from the auditory nerve to the brain. “The normal functions of human consciousness have been completely nullified,” Logsdon said.

While reaffirming the gloomy assessments of the study, Logsdon held out hope that the threat of fact-resistant humans could be mitigated in the future. “Our research is very preliminary, but it’s possible that they will become more receptive to facts once they are in an environment without food, water, or oxygen,” he said.

Bye-Bye Kellyanne! We won’t miss you!Breaking news in The Washington Post this morning: Office of Special Counsel recommends removal of Kellyanne Conway from federal office for violating the Hatch Act

The Office of Special Counsel has recommended the removal of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway from federal office for violating the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from engaging in political activity in the course of their work.

The report submitted to President Trump found that Conway violated the Hatch Act on numerous occasions by “disparaging Democratic presidential candidates while speaking in her official capacity during television interviews and on social media.”

The counsel said Conway was a repeat offender and recommended that she be removed from federal office.

The Office of Special Counsel is run by Henry Kerner, whom Trump nominated to the post.

Best guess is that Trump will choose to ignore the recommendation just as he does all others, but it was a nice try, anyway. And by the way … if the Hatch Act “bars federal employees from engaging in political activity in the course of their work”, then isn’t Trump in violation of the Act for holding all his rallies, and denigrating all his political opponents? Think on that one for just a minute.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch …

While we have always believed that no person is above the law of the land, Trump claims otherwise. He filed a brief in The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia that takes the position that Congress cannot investigate the president, except possibly in impeachment proceedings. According to Kellyanne’s husband, George Conway …

“It’s a spectacularly anti-constitutional brief, and anyone who harbors such attitudes toward our Constitution’s architecture is not fit for office. Trump’s brief is nothing if not an invitation to commencing impeachment proceedings that, for reasons set out in the Mueller report, should have already commenced.

The House Committee on Oversight and Reform subpoenaed Trump’s accountants in mid-April for relevant documents, and Trump tried to block the move, only to be sternly rebuked in mid-May by a federal judge in Washington.

The appeals brief filed Monday by Trump attacks that decision. But to describe Trump’s brief is to refute it. He argues that Congress is “trying to prove that the President broke the law” and that that’s something Congress can’t do, because it’s ‘an exercise of law enforcement authority that the Constitution reserves to the executive branch.’”

It’s rather akin to saying that a police officer who shoots an unarmed person without just cause cannot be fired or prosecuted. So … a return to the days of the Old West??? There is, it seems to me, more than ample cause to start impeachment proceedings immediately, if for no other reason than to ensure that Bozo the Clown is not on the ballot in 2020!

And that’s a wrap for this afternoon, folks! Have a good one!

Time For ‘Toons!!!

Posted on June 10, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Election 2020, Humour, Political commentary

Ever have one of those days where nothing goes right? It started with getting up late, finding that the kitties had knocked over my flowers and water was everywhere, then trying to quickly get a beef roast into the crock pot for supper took me nearly an hour for some reason. So, long story short, I am in a time crunch today and thought … what a perfect opportunity to showcase some cartoons! Political cartoons sometimes make us laugh, sometimes shake our heads, and sometimes make us want to cry, but they say so much with a simple drawing. So, let’s see how the cartoonists have viewed the past week or two …

Trump does love tariffs. Too bad he doesn’t understand them.

One of the biggest issues dividing this nation … one of the few hundred, that is … is guns. Every time there is a multiple-death shooting as there was in Virginia Beach on May 31st, the debate becomes more vocal, with the gun nuts saying “this isn’t the time to discuss it”, and the rest of us positing that this is exactly the time to discuss it.

Of course, regardless of political party, the “I-word” is on everybody’s mind these days …

Who can resist poking fun at ol’ 2-faced Lindsey Graham?

And just for kicks …

Have a great week, folks … remember, humour helps us maintain perspective in these troubled times!

Jolly Monday — Slightly Short

Posted on June 10, 2019 by jilldennison under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, Humour, Politic-Free Mondays

Good morning friends! I’m so happy to see you, for Jolly and I have missed you! I must admit that I am fairly exhausted this morning and have struggled to even pull together this pathetically small Jolly Monday post. In fact, I considered saying “to heck with it” and going to bed, but … Jolly reminded me that you guys count on our humour to get your week started. So, it may not be much, but hopefully you will find something to bring about a smile this Monday morn … grab a snack and a the beverage of your choice …

What would you do if you were craving tacos, went to your local Taco Bell, only to find that they had run out of taco shells? Personally, I would then head to the grocery, pick up a pack of taco shells, go home and make my own. It takes 15 minutes and it ain’t rocket science. But a patron in Slidell, Louisiana, had other ideas. He … or she … called 9-1-1!!!No word as to whether the caller was cited or not, but I certainly hope so. And perhaps Taco Bell should have been cited, too … I mean, that’s like Ben & Jerry’s running out of ice cream! It’s like Burger King running out of ground beef! It’s like … it’s like Starbucks running out of coffee!

Ben Burville said he was deep sea diving off the coast of Northumberland, England, when a curious grey seal took an interest in first his face mask, then when he couldn’t get that off, his headwear. Ben sat mostly still, letting the seal give it his best shot, and eventually the seal lost interest and left.

Topdezigners is an Instagram page that reposts gorgeous sleek, modern, and innovative furniture, room, and even outdoor architectural designs. Some of these are truly amazing, and I thought I’d share a few of my favourites. You can find many more by just hopping over to Bored Panda.

I must have this!!!

And this … what a brilliant idea for using otherwise wasted space!!!

A wooden slide alongside the staircase … it would make getting the basket of laundry downstairs SO much easier!!!

Imagine falling asleep at night looking up at the stars … I love it!

A goat toilet tissue holder … COOL!

Imagine this room, with all the skylights, on a snowy day …

What a way to spend a summer day, eh?

A teacher had her Pre-K class contribute recipes for a cookbook. Here are some of the results …

And of course, we cannot end Jolly Monday without a cute animal video …

Have a wonderful week, my dear friends, and remember to share those smiles with people you meet who don’t have one of their own.

Love ‘n hugs from Filosofa and …

JOLLY!!!

Sigh … More Snarky Snippets …

Posted on June 9, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Global Issues, Political commentary, Social commentary

Some nights the mind bounce simply does not allow me to focus on my more in-depth projects … I have three of them in-process at the moment … and so nothing will do but a few snarky snippets. Sorry, folks … I simply cannot help myself. Sigh.

Underpaid???

I want you to get out your box of tissues and don your sympathy hats, for this one’s a real tear-jerker. Members of Congress have not had a pay raise … not even so much as a cost-of-living increase … since 2009 – ten years!!! The horror! I mean, the majority of them only earn a paltry $174,000 per year! How on earth are they managing? So, two republican representatives, Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise, have quietly proposed a pay increase … just about a 2.5% increase … ballpark $3 million per year in total … nothing to break the bank.

But wait! The minimum wage rate of $7.25 also has not been raised since 2009. The full-time minimum wage worker earns $15,080 per year. Um … that is a mere 8.67% of what those members of Congress are earning. All of which might not cause a raised eyebrow except … back in March there was a bill in Congress to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour in increments by 2024. Guess what? The bill ran into a bit of a snag, with every single republican, including Representatives Scalise and McCarthy, committed to voting against it, and even some democrats refusing to support it, saying it would place an “unfair burden” on small businesses. Unfair burden? Unfair burden??? What about the burden of all those people working second jobs just to survive???

The very people who are poised to grant themselves a $4,500 per annum pay increase, would deny the minimum wage worker an increase. The bill hasn’t garnered the 218 votes needed to pass the House, and even if it passes the House, Mitch McConnell has indicated that he will not bring the bill to a vote in the Senate. And even if it passed both the House and the Senate, in all likelihood Trump would veto it.

Think about that one … the people who are making 11.5 times as much as minimum wage earners, most of whom are already millionaires, want a raise for themselves, but none for the man or woman who is struggling every day to feed their children, pay the rent, pay the doctor’s bills, and keep the electricity from being shut off. My answer to the members of the U.S. Congress is do what the minimum wage earners are having to do … take a second or even third job!!!

Ignorance

In year’s past, a president might be applauded for a brilliant speech, or criticized for one that wasn’t so good, but it tells you all you need to know about Don Trump when he is praised for not veering off-script. The speech he gave at the ceremony for the 75^th anniversary of D-Day was praised by two of Trump’s media antagonists, Jim Acosta and Joe Scarborough, not for it’s content (Trump didn’t write it) or sincerity (there was none), but because he stayed on script and didn’t go off on a tangent as he is prone to do.

“This is perhaps the most on-message moment of Donald Trump’s presidency today. We were all wondering if he would veer from his remarks, go off of his script but he stayed on script, stayed on message …” – Jim Acosta, CNN

“I’m also glad the president chose to have the discipline to stick to script …” – Joe Scarborough, MSNBC

Sorry, guys, but given that he spent three full days making an ass of himself and of this nation while visiting our allies, he gets no kudos from me for managing a few minutes reading from a paper without veering off course. Two and a half years in office, and this is his crowning achievement – being able to read a speech that somebody else wrote??? That’s sad. That’s really, really sad.

Truer words have never been spoken than these by President Dwight David Eisenhower

Th-th-that’s all f-f-folks

Jolly Monday … sans Jolly

Posted on June 3, 2019 by jilldennison under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Humour, Politic-Free Mondays

Wha … what? It … it’s Monday??? Nobody told me! I thought it was … I dunno what day I thought it was, but … Monday never crossed my mind. Hold up … have a seat … let me … let me just go get some clothes on, okay? Um … I’ll be back in a jiffy.

Okay … that’s better … I don’t have much to offer today, but there’s coffee ‘n donuts over on the table … help yourself and then let’s find something to help us start the week off with a laugh, shall we?

You’re how old???

I came across a story in The Guardian that caused my jaw to drop. Did you know that in South Korea they tally a person’s age a bit differently than we do? Every newborn baby turns one on the day they are born and two on the next New Year’s Day. This means that a baby born say just a few minutes before midnight on December 31^st, would be counted as being two-years-old when it was but a few minutes old!

When asked their age by a foreigner, many South Koreans give both their “Korean age” and “international age”. The system’s origins are unclear. One theory is that turning one year old at birth takes into account time spent in the womb – with nine months rounded up to 12. Others link it to an ancient Asian numerical system that did not have the concept of zero.

Now think about this … if the age for a child to start school is five-years-old, then the kid born on New Year’s Eve is going to have to start school at age three! Of course, there is a benefit on the other end … you could retire two years earlier!

Where did I leave my brain?

I came across some fun things over at Bored Panda … things that make you think maybe somebody wasn’t thinking too clearly …

Did Brian not ever notice? I’m not sure who is dingier, Rachel or Brian.

Didn’t they mean the date it was installed?

Where’s da panda?

I came across this brain teaser created by Hungarian artist Gergely Dudás last night. Can you find the panda among the sea of snowmen? I couldn’t, but I do know where it is, so later today I’ll post the answer in comments.

Is it a horse … or a dog?

Last, but not least, we must have our cute animal video of the week, yes? We’ve all seen or heard of miniature horses, but this little girl named Martha is said to be the tiniest, fuzziest horse in the world! Take a look …

I know this is a short Jolly Monday, but frankly Jolly has buried his head under the covers and is refusing to come out … I think he’s missing our young friend Benjamin … and I just can’t do humour so well without my Jolly. So, let’s wrap up with a few funny ‘toons, and a wish that you have a great week ahead! Be sure to share your smiles this week, okay? Love ‘n hugs from Filosofa and the pouting Jolly!

And for our dear friend Hugh …

A City Of Two Tales …

Posted on June 1, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Law and justice, Political commentary

Saturday Surprise is on hiatus this week for mysterious, undisclosed reasons. Mis disculpas.

Washington D.C. … so much goes on there these days that it sucks the air out of the rest of the nation. Every day there are more and more stories of lies and corruption. Today I bring you two tales from that city … one encouraging, one discouraging.

There are conscionable republicans? Who knew?

In Thursday’s Snarky Snippets post, I mentioned an organization, Republicans for the Rule of Law (RRL) who are planning a 30-second ad calling for Trump’s impeachment (the ‘I’-word) that will be aired on none other than Fox and Friends, Trump’s favorite show, next week. Curiosity piqued, for I had never heard of this group, I went in search of more information about RRL.

On the “About Us” section of the group’s website, they state …

“Republicans for the Rule of Law is a group of life-long Republicans dedicated to defending the institutions of our republic and upholding the rule of law. We are fighting to make sure that the laws apply equally to everyone, from the average citizen to the president of the United States. We believe in fidelity to the Constitution, transparency, and the independence of prosecutors from politics.”

On Thursday, RRL announced that it would hand-deliver a copy of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report to every lawmaker in the republican party. In a letter to lawmakers, the group said …

“As Republicans and conservatives, we consider an uncompromising commitment to the rule of law in the best interests of both the Republican Party and the United States. With this pre-highlighted copy of the Mueller report in hand, all Republicans in Congress will have an easy defense against charges of not having read it.”

Along with the letter and highlighted report, Republicans for the Rule of Law released a video with three GOP-appointed federal prosecutors claiming Trump would have been indicted if he were not president. These three men, all republicans, all having worked under republican administrations, make a clear and concise case that Donald Trump is, in fact, guilty of obstruction of justice. Take a look …

Chris Traux, legal advisor and spokesman for Republicans for the Rule of Law, said …

“The rule of law has always been a nonnegotiable principle of the conservative movement and the Republican Party. These veterans of the Reagan and Bush Administrations are reminding us that the law applies the same to everyone — even the president. Republicans and all Americans need to listen.”

The 30-second ad to be aired on Fox and Friends is said to be a clip from the above video.

I find it encouraging that there are republicans who are willing to put country first, for it seems that with the lone exception of Representative Justin Amash, none of the republicans in Congress are willing to do so. My hope is that this group and their actions can stir the consciences of at least a few of the republican members of Congress so that we might proceed with the impeachment of Donald Trump, for it is increasingly obvious that he is taking our nation down a path of destruction.

But … it’s a court order, for Pete’s sake!

In early May, U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan ordered that the Justice Department make public various materials related to the case against Michael Flynn, Trump’s first National Security advisor. The order included transcripts of any audio recordings of Flynn, such as his conversations with Russian officials, specifically Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, as well as unredacted version of portions of the Mueller report related to Flynn.

These requests by Judge Sullivan were not subpoenas from Congress but were a direct order by a court of law. And guess what, folks? The United States Department of Justice under Attorney General William Barr refused to comply with that court order. Prosecutors Brandon L. Van Grack and Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah Curtis of Washington provided little explanation as to why they were not turning over the transcripts but indicated that the judge had asked for material that was not relevant to Flynn’s eventual sentencing.

The Justice Department did provide one of the items the Judge ordered … a full transcript of a voice mail that John Dowd, a private attorney for Trump, left for Flynn lawyer Robert Kelner in November 2017. But guess what? It was fully quoted in Mueller’s report anyway.

So, let’s recap here. The House of Representatives is conducting an investigation as is not only their right, but their constitutional duty, and as such, they are issuing requests and subpoenas for information, but the Trump, Barr, Mnuchin and others are flat out refusing to provide such information. Michael Flynn, who served only 24 days as Trump’s national security advisor because it was proven he had lied to the FBI about the nature and content of his communications with Kislyak, has been tried, found guilty, and is awaiting sentencing. The judge in the case asks for relevant information, but Trump’s hand-picked, corrupt Attorney General refuses the order.

Law. Either we have one or we do not. What do you think would happen if you were subpoenaed to court and didn’t show up? What do you think would happen if a policeman pulled in behind you, lights flashing, and you kept going? That’s right, folks … the law applies to us. Obviously, at this point, it does not apply to the officials in the federal government. Can there be any doubt that this is the most corrupt government in the 230+ year history of this nation?

Now go forth and have a lovely weekend!

Jolly Holiday Monday!

Posted on May 27, 2019 by jilldennison under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, Humour, Politic-Free Mondays, Social commentary

Good Monday morning, folks! And for most of you, it is a better-than-average Monday, for here in the U.S. it is the Memorial Day holiday, and in the UK it is a bank holiday. Holidays, no matter the occasion, tend to be good things, yes? Nonetheless, since tomorrow will be a back-to-the-grind day, I thought I’d get your week off to a fun start. If necessary, you can put this aside until tomorrow and come back for your weekly smile tomorrow when you’re grumbling about returning to the salt mines!

Pull up a chair … snacks are over on the table, so help yourself! I’ve been negligent on the snacks lately, forgetting rawgod’s tea and Benjamin’s juice boxes, so Jolly and I made a checklist and hopefully we got everything in order today.

Some people just don’t think …

The State of New York, like several other states, requires vehicle owners to purchase an annual safety/emissions sticker. The sticker costs $21, and if you are caught driving a vehicle with an expired sticker, you can be fined between $25-$50. One driver, Manuel Muniz, had a unique idea for saving money and decided to create his own sticker!

Official sticker

Hand-drawn sticker

Now, the idea wasn’t bad … if Mr. Muniz had done it on the computer, he could likely have created a reasonable facsimile that would have passed at casual glance, but he didn’t even use a ruler to draw the lines straight! A Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputy with a keen eye noticed the sloppy handiwork right away and Mr. Muniz is now in possession of a citation. This happened last Monday, so I guess that for Manuel Muniz, it wasn’t a very Jolly Monday, was it?

A heartwarming ‘duck tale’ …

It happened in Littleton, Colorado on Wednesday. A family of baby ducks somehow got separated from Mama Duck and slid into a curbside storm drain. Somebody noticed the mother duck frantically pacing back and forth by the drain and called the fire department.

These guys are heroes in my book. One firefighter climbed into the storm drain and scooped all ten ducklings into his helmet, then another carried the helmet over to where the Mama Duck was pacing, wringing her … webbed feet, the ducks exited the helmet and there was a joyful reunion! Watch …

And speaking of storm drains …

In Houston, Texas, a storm drain became clogged and when crews went to check on it, they found …Yep, a rather icky 40-inch flat screen television. Neighbors said that while it is the largest thing they have seen pulled out of the drain, it is not at all unusual to find backpacks, articles of clothing, and other things. Do people not understand the difference between a storm drain and a trash receptacle?

A welcome intruder …

Imagine Nate Roman’s surprise last week when he returned home with his 5-year-old son to find an intruder had been in his house! But imagine the look on his face when he discovered that nothing had been taken except, perhaps, a bit of dirt, for the house had been cleaned from top to bottom … except the kitchen.

Now, I’m puzzled … I always start in the kitchen, so how did they miss the kitchen???

According to Mr. Roman …

“It was terrifying to know someone was in your house. You could smell the cleaning chemicals.I could tell something was wrong so I started looking around the house, and I found that my bathrooms had been cleaned.”

But it gets even better. The intruder left behind toilet paper folded into origami roses.

“It was really the roses that really got me thinking that some professional cleaner had accidentally stumbled into my house. If I was going to judge the quality of a toilet paper rose I would call this high quality. It’s funny now, but didn’t feel funny at the time. I kept the toilet paper roses as souvenirs.”

When I told my daughter about this story, she suggested that perhaps Mr. Roman has a secret admirer. Makes as much sense as anything, I suppose, but I’m still puzzled how they missed the kitchen.

And it just wouldn’t be Jolly Monday without a funny animal video, now would it?

Well, folks … I hope you enjoy your holiday immensely and that you have a wonderful week. Please remember to share those beautiful smiles you’re wearing, for I’ve seen some people who don’t seem to have one of their own. Love ‘n hugs from Filosofa and Jolly!

Sunday Snarky Snippets …

Posted on May 26, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Election 2020, Global Issues, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

Sunday afternoon seems a perfect time to share a bit of snarkiness, don’t you think? As usual, I didn’t have to look far to find some targets for my sharp tongue.

Don’t believe it for a minute

On Thursday, this headline appeared in The Washington Post:

Racial prejudice has declined as a reaction to Trump’s presidency, a new study suggests

Racial prejudice has not increased among white Americans since the explosive 2016 election, argues political scientist Daniel J. Hopkins. It has actually decreased by some measures, he found, possibly as a reaction to Trump’s unexpected ascension to the White House.

… Hopkins believes the study provides evidence that the racially incendiary rhetoric and policies issuing from Trump’s White House have pushed the majority of Americans in the opposite direction.

Unbelieving, my jaw dropped. Sorry folks, but I’m not buying this one. Look at the number of people clamoring for Trump’s horrendous border wall to keep out Mexicans and Central Americans … is that not racism? Look at the people pushing for laws to remove protections from LGBT people … is that not homophobia? Look at the people who denigrate Muslims … is that not Islamophobia? And then this from the Associated Press …

Hate makes a comeback in the Pacific Northwest

White nationalism has been on the rise across the U.S., but it has particular resonance along the Idaho-Washington border, where the Aryans espoused hate and violence for years.

In 2018, at least nine hate groups operated in the region of Spokane and northern Idaho, including Identity Evropa, Proud Boys, ACT for America and America’s Promise Ministries, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Keegan Hankes, a researcher for the Southern Poverty Law Center, said the number of hate groups is growing across the U.S., driven in part by a toxic political culture. The human rights group counted 784 active hate groups in the U.S. in 2014 and 1,020 in 2018. In particular, white supremacist groups are growing because of fears that the country’s racial makeup is changing.

That is an increase of 30% in just four years. But racial prejudice is declining? I think not.

How quickly they forget …

Remember back in November when I wrote about Cindy Hyde-Smith, the junior United States Senator from Mississippi who had said that if she were invited to a lynching, she would be “in the front row”? It was discovered at that time that she has a history of making racist comments, and had posted this picture, captioning it with “Mississippi history at its best!”

When that news broke, a number of companies requested a refund of campaign monies they had previously donated to Ms. Hyde-Smith.

However, memories are short and this is, after all, the era of Trump, the era of white supremacy in the United States. Hyde-Smith won her special election last November, despite her racist ways, and is now campaigning for re-election in 2020. And the following companies are lining up to contribute to her campaign:

ExxonMobil ($5,000), the fossil fuel behemoth
National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors ($5,000), the trade association for distribution companies
National Chicken Council ($5,000), the trade association for the poultry industry
National Association of Realtors ($3,000), the trade association for real estate agents
American Waterways Operators ($2,500), the trade association for the tugboat, towboat, and barge industry
T-Mobile USA ($2,500), the telecom giant
Genentech ($2,500), the biotech company that makes Tamiflu and Boniva — now a subsidiary of Roche
Foley & Lardner ($1,000), a large legal and lobbying firm
General Dynamics ($1,000), the defense contractor and aerospace company
Resolute Forest Products US ($1,000), the American branch of a Canadian pulp and paper manufacturer

Hyde-Smith also received the legal maximum donation of $10,000 from Dirigo PAC, the leadership PAC controlled by Senator Susan Collins of Maine. I’ll leave you to make of that what you will.

I though Japan had better sense …

Trump traveled to Japan this weekend (on our tax dollars) and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe rolled out the red carpet. Understandable, I suppose, given that Japan is currently experiencing an economic slowdown and Abe is hoping for a lucrative trade deal from Trump. Still …

It began with a round of Trump’s favourite activity, golf. I wonder if he cheated? Silly me, of course he did!

Why am I suddenly reminded of that t.v. show, “Jake and the Fatman”?

Then there was the sumo wrestling “basho”, complete with a special new trophy, a 60-pound ‘President’s Cup’ trophy designed just for Trump to present to the tournament winner, Asanoyama.

Twins???

Dinner was a lovely affair … wait!!! We paid for Melania to go too??? I can’t afford a weekend trip to the Smokies and … Sheesh!

Presumably Trump and Abe managed to find some time to talk business, as Trump said …

“The prime minister and I talked lot today about trade and military and various other things. I think we had a very productive day.”

Your tax dollars hard at work.

On that note, I shall leave you with something to ruin your appetite so you don’t eat too much this holiday weekend …

Filosofa's Word

Cogito Ergo Sum

Category Archives: Bits ‘n Pieces