A Little Dose of Snarky Snippets …

Posted on May 1, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry

The big news of the day, of course, is that Robert Mueller let Attorney General Barr know more than a month ago that he was displeased with Barr’s 4-page summary of Mueller’s report, when Mueller had provided summaries for Barr to use. And today, as I write, AG Barr is testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and methinks he has much to answer for. I peeked in on the hearing and saw Barr chewing his lower lip and looking downright unhappy. Serves him right … his lies are catching up with him. Anyway, since I’m not prepared to write about that whole situation today, but as it has left me in a state of some angst, I am bursting forth with more snarky snippets!

Trouble brews over at Fox …

Just as Hermie, in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer did not want to make toys, apparently some of the talking heads over at Fox ‘News’ don’t want to tell lies! It is reported that Fox’s Corporate CEO Lachlan Murdoch has quite the task on his hands to keep Donald Trump and the White House satisfied with regards to loyalty and coverage. They also have to keep advertisers happy. Lachlan also has to deal with the internal conflicts between Fox’s rank and file journalists and the prime time hosts who are the faces of the network.

According to one source …

“Reporters are telling management that we’re being defined by the worst people on our air.”

Ya think? Golly gee. You lie down with the dogs, don’t be surprised to get up with a bad case of fleas!

CEO Lachlan Murdoch is in a bit of a tough spot here, for the people who see themselves as journalists, such as Chris Wallace and Shepard Smith don’t appreciate the image the network has taken on, that of being more of an entertainment venue rather than a news station. And, to further complicate Murdoch’s life, advertisers have begun boycotting some of the more offensive Fox personalities such as Tucker Carlson, Jeannine Pirro, and Laura Ingraham, costing the network money.

Perhaps, however, Murdoch’s biggest worry is that Sean Hannity is said to be leaving when his contract expires in 2021 (Oh yes, please, GO!). According to one of Hannity’s staffers …

“Sean doesn’t feel supported,. He has no relationship with Lachlan. Sean thinks, Wait a second, I was hired to get ratings and I get ratings, but now people are embarrassed about me? He feels Fox spends a lot of time supporting Shepard Smith but his show makes no money. That’s annoying to him.”

Awwww … poor li’l fella …

Donnie’s mad at the firefighters …

The national firefighter’s union, International Association of Fire Fighters, has given their endorsement for the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden, and little Donnie is none too happy. To let the world know just how unhappy he is, he tweeted no less than 60 times about it this morning.

“I’ve done more for Firefighters than this dues sucking union will ever do, and I get paid ZERO!”

“The Dues Sucking firefighters leadership will always support Democrats, even though the membership wants me. Some things never change!”

In addition to his own juvenile tweets, he re-tweeted some 53 tweets by others who claimed to be firefighters in support of Trump. All this in a 30-minute span … wait, is this what we are paying him to do???

He also said that Biden is “not the brightest lightbulb”. Ahem … do I even need to point out the irony here?

There is a bright side, however, and that is that within a short time after his ‘tweet storm’, people began ‘unfollowing’ him and within an hour and a half, he had lost 1,150 Twitter followers! Is it just possible that people are finally getting sick and tired of his crude language, his lies, and his promotion of hate? We can only hope.

Nitpicking words

After the Easter Sunday bombing attacks on hotels and churches in Sri Lanka that killed hundreds, public figures expressed condolences. Three such people were former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former HUD Secretary Julián Castro.

The attacks on tourists and Easter worshippers in Sri Lanka are an attack on humanity. On a day devoted to love, redemption, and renewal, we pray for the victims and stand with the people of Sri Lanka. – Barack Obama
On this holy weekend for many faiths, we must stand united against hatred and violence. I’m praying for everyone affected by today’s horrific attacks on Easter worshippers and travelers in Sri Lanka. – Hillary Clinton
On a day of redemption and hope, the evil of these attacks on Easter worshippers and tourists in Sri Lanka is deeply saddening. My prayers today are with the dead and injured, and their families. May we find grace. – Julián Castro

Note the common denominator is that they referred to the victims as “tourists and Easter worshippers”. Not a problem, right? It was Easter and they were in church, presumably ‘worshipping’. Unless, of course, you are a right-wing evangelical, and then it becomes a problem, apparently.

Fox ‘News’ hosts and other conservatives took this opportunity to rant that it was an attempt to avoid using the word “Christian”.

“How do President Obama and Secretary Clinton both come up with Easter worshippers in their tweets about the murders in Sri Lanka? To have both of them use the same term the same day is strange. Is Easter Worshipper the left’s new way to avoid the word Christian? Pathetic.” – Newt Gingrich

Seriously, Newtie? Have you nothing better to do than nitpick the verbiage of a condolence message? Even Kellyanne Conway jumped on this bandwagon …

“I think there’s anti-Christianity. That’s why the Sri Lankans were gunned down. They’re not Easter worshippers, Obama and Hillary Clinton. They are Christians.”

Nearly 300 people were killed, and all these fools can do is nitpick the words from well-intentioned people who happen to be democrats. I think this speaks for itself.

Well, that’s all I’ve got time for today folks. Have a happy evening!

Jolly is Back … Sort of …

Posted on April 29, 2019 by jilldennison under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, Humour, Politic-Free Mondays

Welcome to Monday, friends. You’ll be pleased to know that Jolly is back … (he’s still under the weather and not quite himself, but don’t tell him I said so) and determined to show up today to help start your week out on the right foot.

So, grab a treat and a cuppa something and let’s go in search of the fun and funny, shall we?

A fool and his money …

So you think you cannot afford a nice vacation this year? Think again! For as little as $19.99, you can have a marvelous vacation at Disney World, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, or even Hawaii! Or, at least, you can make your friends think you did.

The company is called Fake A Vacation and, according to their website …

Can’t make a vacation or vacations are expensive. How about “Fake Vacation”. Now you can fake a vacation and don’t have to be an expert. No messing around with pictures, photo-editing, learning or worrying about perfection, leave that on us. The professionals in the industry for it.

Get your vacation pictures delivered in your inbox and get ready to brag to your friends on where you went. We take care of everything from providing pictures to educating you about the destination. Excited!!

Do you know more than 33% of men say they faked a vacation and the number of millennial doing it is 56%. Vacations are expensive and almost always over budget. So next time when you can’t make a vacation, fake a vacation.

They advertise on such notable venues as Fox ‘News’, Daily Mail, New York Post, and Mashable, so they must be a straight-up business, right? Sheesh … have people really got nothing better to do with their money? Remember that expression … “A fool and his money are soon parted”? Seems there are companies like this one looking to assist in that parting.

When in Idaho …

Back in 2012, the Idaho Potato Commission commissioned a giant potato sculpture to mark its 75^th anniversary. For the past seven years, the potato has toured the nation promoting … potatoes. Well, the day came that the commission decided they needed a new potato, but what to do with the old one? I mean, one doesn’t just throw away a perfectly good potato, right?And so was born the Big Idaho Potato Hotel. Now, I think that calling it a ‘hotel’ is a bit of a stretch, for it only accommodates one person or couple at a time, but so be it. The structure is 28 feet long, 12 feet wide and 11-1/2 feet tall, weighs six tons, and the bathroom is in a nearby detached silo.

The Big Idaho Potato Hotel has now been outfitted with insulation, a wood floor, electricity, running water, heating and air conditioning. The room is furnished with a queen-sized bed, two chairs and an antler chandelier. The hotel is listed on Airbnb for $200 per night and reservations begin in late May.

Here’s one you don’t hear every day …

A man named Dion Calloway is an experienced skydiver and last weekend he and some friends went for a dive out in Sonoma County, California. As he was falling, a gust of wind caught him in just the wrong way and … his leg flew off! Did I mention that Dion wears a prosthetic leg?

When he landed, he and his friends went in search of the $15,000 appendage, but with no luck. On Monday morning, employees at the Cloverdale Lumber Yard arrived to work and were scratching their heads, puzzled by the sight of a prosthetic leg in the yard. They called the Sheriff’s department who did some investigating and found that Mr. Calloway had reported his leg missing to airport staff the previous day. Happily, the man and his leg were soon reunited.

But the ultimate irony is that Dion lost his natural leg a few years ago in a skydiving accident! Personally, by now I would have decided to keep my feet … er, foot … on the ground, but Dion says he will fashion a tether to ensure it doesn’t happen again, and will soon be right back up in the air! My hat is off to him!

And what would Jolly Monday be without a cute animal video. Jolly picked this one out himself.

And now it’s time for you to go work or something, and leave me to my chores, for it is Monday and as you can see, the house is in sore need of some attention today. Please share your smiles with others today, for they are even more valuable when shared. Keep safe and have a wonderful week! Love ‘n hugs from Filosofa and Jolly!

I Just Couldn’t Resist …

Posted on April 28, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

… Concluding the week with a few little tidbits. A couple may border on being ‘snarky snippets’, but I did not start out with that intent.

Another one 😞

Another synagogue shooting. Another death. More injuries. Why? Because we are becoming a nation of haters. We are becoming a nation of people who think that the lighter their skin, the more worthy and deserving they are. We are becoming a nation of “Christian” vs everybody-else. We are becoming a bunch of jerks. The latest in the long series of jerks is John T. Earnest, age 19, who entered Chabad of Poway synagogue north of San Diego, California, on Saturday while about 100 people were inside celebrating the final day of Passover. He opened fire, killing Lori Kayne, age 60, and injuring four others. One of the injured was Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, who was leading the service, and bullets penetrated both hands, shattering the bones. Among the others injured were Noya Dahan, age 8, and Almog Peretz, age 34.

What possessed John T. Earnest to do this horrific thing? John Earnest posted an anti-Jewish screed online about an hour before the attack. He described himself as a nursing school student and praised the suspects accused of carrying out deadly attacks on mosques in New Zealand last month and at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue Oct. 27 last year.

I. Don’t. Get. It. What the Sam Heck makes a Jew or a Muslim any less worthy than a Christian? What makes a black man less valuable than one with lighter skin? What makes a man more important than a woman? What makes people hate based on nothing more than superficial differences? We may be African, Israeli, French, or Iraqi … it does not matter! We are all a part of the human race!!! Isn’t it about damn time people wake up and realize that???

Update on the migrant children …

I haven’t written lately about the migrant children who, upon crossing into the U.S. at the U.S.-Mexico border, had been separated from their parents. Other things have occupied space in my mind and on my blog. But, last night I decided it was time to check in and see what, if anything, had been happening since my last post on the subject, the one where I reported that the government had said it would take up to two years to reunite these children with their parents. Quite by accident, my timing was good.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw, the same one who ordered the children be returned to their parents in June of last year, gave the administration exactly six months, not one day more, to straighten out the mess they have made. I really like Judge Sabraw!

“It is important for all government actors to have a time frame, a deadline. You tend to stand on it.”

I will make a note to re-visit this one each month, for this is too important for us to let it fade into the background. Trump claims there is a ‘crisis’ at the border. Yes, there is a crisis … a humanitarian crisis in the form of potentially 2,800 children who cry for their mamá every night.

Finally, a bit of justice

The song, Too Much, Too Little, Too Late comes to mind. Trayvon Martin’s murderer got off scot-free. Philando Castile’s murderer got off scot-free. Alton Sterling’s murderer got off scot-free. Samuel DuBose’s murderer got off scot-free. Freddie Gray’s murderers got off scot-free. And more. What did these have in common? The victim was an unarmed black man, and the killer was a white police officer.

On Thursday, however, the tables turned for once. Former Florida police officer Nouman K. Raja was sentenced to 25 years in prison for each of two counts: manslaughter by culpable negligence and attempted first-degree murder with a firearm in the shooting death of Corey Jones.

On the night of Oct. 18, 2015, Mr. Jones was on the side of an Interstate 95 exit ramp in Palm Beach County at about 3:15 a.m. calling for a tow truck, as his vehicle had broken down. Mr. Raja, an officer with the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department who was on duty in plainclothes, approached Mr. Jones’s SUV in an unmarked van. Mr. Raja did not identify himself as a police officer. Within moments of approaching Mr. Jones, Mr. Raja fired six shots and struck Mr. Jones three times, killing him.

Mr. Raja’s defense team tried to invoke the infamous “Stand Your Ground” law, but after listening to a recording of the incident by the tow-company’s dispatcher, that argument held no water. This is the first time since 1989 that an officer has been sentenced for an on-duty killing in Florida. It’s about time.

And just a few mini-snippets …

Attorney General William Barr is scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, May 2^nd, regarding the Mueller report in general, and also over those portions he, Barr, chose to redact. But apparently Mr. Barr did not like the format that committee chairman Jerry Nadler plans, and is now threatening to ignore the hearing. Mr. Barr seems to think that, just as he believes the president is above the law, he himself is also above the law. I hope he is proven wrong, and quickly before his ego has a chance to grow any bigger.
It is just possible (highly unlikely, but possible) that in some states next year, Donald Trump’s name will not be on the ballot! Fourteen states are attempting to pass legislation that requires every candidate to make public their tax returns in order to qualify to be placed on the ballot. If the legislation passes in those states, and if Trump continues to hide his tax returns, he might find himself out in the cold in states like North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Arizona, all states he won in 2016. Just thinking about this makes me smile.
As our friend Gronda noted in a recent post, Fox ‘News’ commentator Judge Andrew Napolitano wrote a piece earlier this week that was fair and honest, therefore not kind to Donald Trump. Napolitano opines that Trump is, in fact, guilty of obstruction of justice which we know to be an impeachable offense. He concluded by saying, “… ordering obstruction to save himself from the consequences of his own behavior is unlawful, defenseless and condemnable.” As you might guess, Trump didn’t take kindly to his own personal media venue allowing such a voice to be heard, and he came back with … what else? Tweets, of course!

Well, that’s a wrap, folks. Enjoy the last few remaining hours of your weekend, and I’ll be back with Jolly Monday in the morning!

Saturday Surprise — Puds and Cacti

Posted on April 27, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Saturday Surprise

If it’s Saturday morning, then it must be time for Saturday Surprise, yes? Last night, I traveled ‘round the globe (without leaving my chair!) looking for something with which to regale you, and I found a couple!

The Pudding Club …

You know how sometimes you can go through life without ever having heard of something, and then all of a sudden twice in a period of days you hear of it? Such a thing happened to me this week. Our friend David mentioned something called ‘cheese-rolling’, and when I asked him what the heck that was, he sent me a link. In a nutshell, somebody throws a big ball of cheese from the top of a very steep hill, and the contestants go chasing after it, most often tumbling down the hill, head-over-heels. Okay, and then yesterday I got an email from Atlas Obscura about a restaurant, Three Ways House, famous for its puddings, and also in the Cotswold area noted for its cheese-rolling! I’ve never heard of cheese-rolling until this very week, and now it’s been mentioned twice in a span of about 3 days!

Here … check out the cheese-rolling for yourself …

Now, about Three Ways House. In 1985, fed up with the sad dessert trolleys so common in hotel restaurants at the time, the then-owners of Three Ways House eschewed the typical black forest cake and fruit salads. Instead, they got a group of friends together to eat inordinate amounts of pudding. These Friday night feasts became tradition, and so the Pudding Club was born.

Now, I have friends on both sides of the pond, but I have only recently discovered that North Americans and Brits do not mean the same thing when they say “pudding”. To us on this side of the pond, pudding is a smooth, creamy, custard-like sweet dessert made with sugar, cornstarch, milk, and flavouring … most often chocolate, vanilla or butterscotch.

To the Brits, however, pudding can mean many things.

The Pudding Club has a self-proclaimed mission of preserving the “great British pudding.” In Britain, a pudding is a dish traditionally made with suet, or hardened animal fat, along with flour and fruit for sweetness. Then, it’s steamed for several hours. This type of pudding can be sweet or savory, but the word can also apply to dessert in general. Confused yet?

Orange Christmas pudding (left) and Rhubarb Steamed pudding

These look more like a very moist cake to me, but the sweet ones definitely look worth a try. I didn’t think a savory steamed pudding would be appealing, but the one on the right, at least, actually looks pretty good. I do not have an adventurous palate, as the Japanese associates always told me when I worked at Honda. Most things I will try at least once, unless they stink or are slimy.

Steak and Ale suet pudding (left) and Steak and Mushroom pudding

Lucy Williams is the assistant manager and Pudding Master of Three Ways House, seen here announcing the puddings of the night.It’s Williams who decides which puddings are served every Friday. Positively obsessed by pudding, she’s protective of its place at the Three Ways House. She’s also a purist, often consulting the definitive tome on the subject, Regula Ysewjin’s Pride and Pudding: The History of British Puddings, Savoury and Sweet. Who knew?

Yorkshire pudding

The Three Ways House is a small hotel, and seven of the rooms are pudding-themed. There’s the Spotted Dick room (I’m not even going to ask), the Summer Pudding room, and a Chocolate Suite, where everything from the bathroom tiles to the cushions on the bed look like chocolates.On Friday nights, Pudding Club nights, there are seven different puddings presented, and at the end of the night, each guest fills out a score sheet, voting for the top dessert of the evening. The Club has earned worldwide acclaim and has even been invited to bring their puddings to New York and Tokyo! I don’t see how anybody could possibly eat all seven, but then I could only eat about half of one anyway. Still, it sounds like fun, don’t you think?

More than you wanted to know about … Cactus!

Moving from puddings to cacti, I bet you didn’t know that they have their own fan club! It’s called the Crested Saguaro Society, a group of amateur naturalists bound by one mission: to find and document all of Arizona’s fasciated saguaros. Founded by Bob Cardell and Pat Hammes back in 2006, its members trek across the northern patch of the Sonoran Desert, where they’ve logged everything from specimens that split like a whale tail to ones that resemble gangly candelabras.On a normal saguaro, accordion-like pleats run vertically up its base, tracing the ribs like mountain ranges. But on a cristate, things get funky. Its “growing tip”—the apical meristem, in technical terms—flattens and elongates. The saguaro’s pleats split chaotically, forcing them closer together until they crimp, at times warping the trunk so it spirals. As the pleats smush together, they cause the plant’s growing tip to fan. The final result is a rippled crest as unique as a fingerprint.

Saguaros, icons of the American Southwest, are protected by the Arizona government. But poachers still manage to snatch the cacti from public lands. The slow-growing plants—it takes upwards of 75 years for an arm to form—can go for about $100 per foot on the black market. Again, who knew? Crested saguaros, because of their alien-ness, are particularly enticing.

They are rather fascinating to look at, but I don’t think I would like to spend time trekking around the desert looking for them.

I like this last one, for it makes me think it’s flipping the bird at someone.

And on that note, I wrap up with a wish that you all have a safe and fun weekend, my friends!

Couple of Things You May Have Missed …

Posted on April 23, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Free Press Issues, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry

Stepping away from the chaos that has everybody mesmerized, I find that there are other things happening that nobody seems to have noticed. I am determined to write about something other than Trump, Mueller, Barr and others for at least one post. It’s already causing my blood pressure to be through the ceiling and my mood to be pitch black. But, do you know how hard it is in the U.S. mainstream media to find anything that does not even mention Trump? Damn. Near. Impossible. Anyway, here are a couple of things you may have missed …

Free Press endangered …

Reporters Sans Frontières, or Reporters Without Borders, issued their annual report last week, and predictably the United States did not fare well. Oh sure, our reporters are safer than those in, say, Saudi Arabia, but we have lost ground and gone from being considered “satisfactory” to “problematic”. Out of the 180 countries ranked by the group, the U.S. dropped to #48 this year.

“Never before have US journalists been subjected to so many death threats or turned so often to private security firms for protection.”

Ten journalists have been physically attacked so far this year, and 89 since Trump took office in 2017. When Trump called the media “the enemy of the people”, he opened a can of worms. In January, reporter Tina-Desiree Berg was interviewing people outside of a regional meeting of the California Democratic Party when a woman upset by her questions stole her phone and hit her. Just this past Tuesday, Tennessee Highway Patrol threatened several reporters with arrest and blocked them from continuing reporting while they were covering a sit-in protest outside Governor Bill Lee’s office in Nashville.

Then there was the pastor of Relentless Church in Greenville, South Carolina, who threatened …

“I cut people. I got a knife right in that pocketbook. Greenville News, come on. We done went through this. I’m still here, and guess who else is still going to be here?”

Apparently, she failed grammar in school. Relentless Church’s new leaders, pastors John and Aventer Gray, had recently been the subjects of investigative reporting by Greenville News, which wrote in January 2019 how John Gray lives in a nearly $2 million home funded by the church. In another piece, Greenville News covered lavish personal purchases he made for his wife.And then, of course, there was the mass shooting on June 28, 2018 at the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Maryland, where five people, four of them journalists, were killed and two others injured. The gunman, Jarrod Ramos, was upset with the paper’s reporting of his court case, among other things.

We live in troubled times, times when we cannot trust our federal government, for there is more corruption among the nation’s leaders than at any other time in history. Our last bastion of defense against the top leaders seizing power and taking our voice away is the free press. You may not always agree with them, and there are times they don’t get everything right, but they are what keeps this nation relatively free from oppression and dictatorship. Honour them, respect the job they are doing, and yes, call them on the carpet when they screw up, but always … always support our free press.

Vigilantes, not ‘patriots’ …

The man’s name is Larry Mitchell Hopkins. He has been operating under the alias of Johnny Horton, Jr., and has a FaceBook account under that name, used mostly to spread hate and collect donations. He is the self-professed ‘leader’ of a band of vigilantes who operate under the name of “United Constitutional Patriots (UCP)”. This group, based in New Mexico and denounced by the ACLU as “racists and armed vigilantes”, has been seizing children and their parents in a stretch of the New Mexico desert near El Paso, then handing them over to Customs and Border Patrol. They are not operating under the authority of any department or agency of the United States government, but merely have taken it upon themselves to terrorize migrants crossing the border in New Mexico.

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, as well as the state’s two democratic Senators, Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich have condemned the group and its actions, saying it is unacceptable and must stop immediately. However, republican Gavin Clarkson, a former Trump administration employee who now happens to be running for the U.S. Senate next year, met with masked members of the group in March and praised their efforts. The group claims to be sanctioned and working closely with Border Patrol, which if true, is in violation of the law. Border patrol agents deny that such a relationship exists, but … border patrol agents are seen in the periphery of several videos the group has uploaded. The group also claims to be a 501(c)(3) non-profit. They are not. However, that doesn’t stop them from soliciting donations.

Larry Hopkins

Back to the ‘leader’ of this group, Larry Hopkins. He has three previous felony convictions dating back to 1996. In 2006 he was convicted for impersonating an officer and felony firearm possession. He is a conspiracy-theorist who claims to be in direct and frequent contact with Donald Trump. Yesterday, Mr. Hopkins was arrested by the FBI on charges of firearms possession by a felon. Further charges are expected to be brought.

The FBI began investigating Hopkins after receiving reports that the United Constitutional Patriots were targeting Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton and George Soros for assassination because “these individuals’ support of Antifa.” If no other charges are brought, Mr. Hopkins could face up to 10 years in prison. Think about it … ten lousy years for terrorizing small children and their parents seeking asylum in the U.S. Ten lousy years for promoting hate and plotting to murder prominent and innocent U.S. citizens.

The group, UCP, meanwhile remains active, refusing to break camp. According to the spokesman, Jim Benvie, they have no intention of stopping their activities. PayPal and GoFundMe have both banned the group, making it harder for them to collect donations, and Union Pacific railroad has stopped them from trespassing on their land. I don’t understand why only Hopkins was arrested … they are all operating outside the law and should be stopped, one way or another.

And that’s all I have for this morning, folks. Here’s a thought for you, though …

Tryin’-To-Be-Jolly Monday

Posted on April 22, 2019 by jilldennison under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, Humour, Politic-Free Mondays

Good morning, friends, and welcome to the first day of a new {yawn} week. Now, I want to start by reminding you all that today is Earth Day! I tried … I really tried to find a way to combine Jolly Monday with an Earth Day post, but it just wasn’t working out, and finally I had to admit that it was about as much fun and as interesting as a trip to the dentist. Part of the problem, of course, is that Jolly is in the shop for repairs and without him I’m … well … Jolly-less. Sigh. I may have an Earth Day post this afternoon if I can quell the mind bounce and focus later on, but for this morning, I think we shall just try to have a bit of humour with which to start our week, okay?

I did not bake this morning, so you’ll have to settle for treats from the local donut place. Leave the one with sprinkles for Benjamin, okay? It’s the only kind he likes. Grab a bite and let’s see what we can find to bring a smile to our faces.

…………………………………………………………………………. 🤔

…………………………………………. 🤔

…………………………….. 💭

………. 😣

Okay, well … um … that worked out well, didn’t it? Tell you what … how ‘bout I dig up some jokes?

A man and his pet giraffe walk into a bar and start drinking. As the night goes on, they get drunk, and the giraffe finally passes out. The man decides to go home.

As he’s leaving, the man is approached by the barkeeper who says, “Hey, you’re not gonna leave that lyin’ here, are ya?”

“Hmph,” says the man. “That’s not a lion — it’s a giraffe.”

Um … yeah … fell flat, huh? Let me try again …

Q: What do you get when you cross a bear with a deer?

A: Beer.

Not even a chuckle, eh? One more try … lawyer jokes are always good for a grin at least …

Farmer Joe decided his injuries from his recent accident were serious enough to take the trucking company responsible for the accident to court. In court, the trucking company’s fancy lawyer was questioning farmer Joe.

“Didn’t you say, at the scene of the accident, that you were fine?”

”Well, I’ll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite mule Bessie into the–”

”I didn’t ask for any details,” the lawyer interrupted. ”Just answer the question. Did you not say, at the scene of the accident, that you were fine?”

”Well I had just got Bessie into the trailer and was driving down the road–”

”Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the Highway Patrolman on the scene that he was just fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question.” By this time the Judge was fairly interested in Farmer Joe’s answer and told the lawyer so.

”Well,” said the farmer, “as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my favorite mule, into the trailer and was driving her down the highway when this huge semi-truck and trailer ran the stop sign and smacked my truck right in the side. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie was thrown into the other. I was hurting real bad and didn’t want to move. However, I could hear ol’ Bessie moaning and groaning. I knew she was in terrible shape just by her groans. Shortly after the accident a Highway Patrolman came on the scene. He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning so he went over to her. After he looked at her he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes. Then the Patrolman came across the road with his gun in his hand and looked at me. He said, ‘Your mule was in such bad shape I had to shoot her. How are you feeling?'”

Ah, at least a few grins, so I think I’ll quit with the jokes while I’m ahead … kinda sorta. Okay. I have no choice but to revert to my old standby … cute critters. {Oh Jolly, please get well soon … I NEED you!}

According to one site … a couple, actually … these are the ten cutest animals in the world:

Fun Fact: Hedgehogs are largely immune to snake venom.

Hedgehogs are spiny mammals that can be found in Asia, Africa and Europe. Although they look more like a rat but are undeniably cute and harmless too. Which is the reason they are increasing in popularity as exotic pets. If you are looking for a cute pet which is also unique in itself, go get a hedgehog.

Fun Fact: Penny the Little Penguin was the mascot for the 2007 FINA World Swimming Championships held in Melbourne, Victoria

What could possibly be anything cuter than penguins, it’s their little version. These penguins are absolutely similar to normal penguins except for the size. Their small size make them much more cute than normal ones, so much so they can be said one of the top 10 cutest animals on earth.

Fun Facts: Northern little owls often take prey same size or larger than themselves.

Northern Pygmy Owls are small owls native to western north America. These little birds are the smallest species of owl. Adults are 15-17 cm in overall length (nearly 6 inches) and are gray, brownish-gray or rufous in color.

Fun Fact: Koalas do not drink much water as they get most of their moisture from the leaves they eat. Even the word “koala” means “no water”.

Koalas are easily recognizable animal by its stout, tailless body and large head with round, fluffy ears and large, spoon-shaped nose. The koala has a body length of 60-85 cm and weighs 4-15 kg. Koals are very cute animals, and their face has innocent kind of expression, which just enhances the adorableness.

Fun Fact: Arctic foxes can survive extreme cold, they won’t start shivering until temperature go lower than -70 degree Celsius.

Arctic foxes also known as polar foxes or snow foxes are the breed of fox adapted to live in extreme cold environment. Their round body shape is good to minimize heat escaping from the body, and it also give them a very cute fluffy look.

Fun Fact: They are Herbivorous Carnivoran, means genetically they belong to carnivore group but are more similar to Giant pandas (which are herbivorous).

Red pandas are mammals native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. Even though, their name consists of Panda, genetically they are not closely related to Giant Pandas.

They have reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs, and is slightly larger than a domestic cat.

They are an endangered species. Habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and inbreeding depression, although red pandas are protected by national laws in their range countries.

Fun Fact: Two dogs were rescued from Titanic wreckage and one of them was a Pomeranian.

Pomeranians are also known as toy dogs due to their small size and cute teddy bear like appearance. They are continuously going smaller in size. But their smaller size is rapidly increasing their popularity.

In terms of registration figures, since at least 1998, the breed has ranked among the top twenty most popular breeds in the USA, and the current fashion for small dogs has increased their popularity worldwide.

Fun Fact: Rabbits have a lot of babies. Mommas can give birth as much as nine babies each year.

Rabbits are small cute herbivorous mammals that are some of the most popular pet animals on earth. Rabbits come in many different colours and patterns, just like cats and dogs, and are family friendly. Although require some special measures around kids due to those little teeth, that can easily pierce human skin.

Fun Fact: Those oversized ears are not only excellent for listening purposes but also serve as a way to dissipate heat and keep cool in the desert environment.

Fennec Foxes are exotic animals that you can also have as pet, though they require different treatment than domestic cats and dogs. They are extremely playful and family friendly, even look more like a mix of cat and dog than a fox. Their furry body, small size and big ears make them one of the cutest animals on earth.

Fun Fact: Persian Cats‘ long hair look may look like it requires high maintenance. But in reality, they are considered to be one of the most low maintenance and friendliest cat breeds.

Even though almost all of the cat breeds are cute. Watching a playing kitten in the early morning puts a big smile on your face. If you’re are an animal lover, you most likely have a cat or dog in your home or around you right now. If you own a cat and it’s not Persian, so please don’t be upset. But we’re choosing Persian cat for this entry as they’re tiny bit more cute than other cats. Note: We have a part-Persian and she is the meanest darn cat I’ve ever known. We named her Tiger Lily before we knew how ornery she was!

Friends, this isn’t much of a Jolly Monday post, and for that I apologize. I’ve had the wind knocked out of my sails in the past week, between the Mueller report and related reactions, the Notre-Dame fire, and yesterdays horrific bombings in Sri Lanka and I just can’t find my humorous side, especially with Jolly gone. Next week … I promise to do better. Meanwhile, have a great week, and please, find a smile and share it with someone this week. Love and hugs from Filosofa … and the missing Jolly!

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!

Filosofa's Word

Cogito Ergo Sum

Category Archives: Bits ‘n Pieces