Jolly Monday At Last!!!

Posted on February 17, 2020 by jilldennison under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Humour, Politic-Free Mondays

Good morning, folks and welcome to … Monday.So, how was your weekend? Mind was spent in utter chaos. I should have taken pictures of my house during the building of the desk. We bought Miss Goose a new desk from Amazon and it arrived last Thursday. Now, I could have had them assemble it for an extra $150, but … nah … we can put it together. How hard can it be, after all? Probably take 2-3 hours, right? WRONG! Six hours on Saturday just to put the desk part together, then about another 5 hours on Sunday to put the hutch together and hoist it atop of it. Solid wood. Heavy — 193 pounds worth of heavy. Meanwhile, all the crappola she had in her old desk was scattered throughout the house and I damn near broke bones more than once trying to get to the washing machine, and at one point it was an obstacle course just to get to the bathroom! I have bruises and a back that seems not to want to bend, but it is complete now and she is quite happy, so … I told her it has to last her past my death, ‘cause I am never going through this again! Should have just spend the $150 for the professional installation. Here’s a look at the finished product …

Today is a special Jolly Monday, for our young friend Benjamin is on school break and will be joining us! So, grab a snack and lets find a few smiles before we have to head off to our various jobs, shall we?

Larry’s bacon

Matchmaker, Matchmaker …

Jeff Gebhart of Prairie Village, Kansas, is looking for a girlfriend. Jeff told a local television station, KCTV, that he is tired of the ‘traditional’ methods and also of online dating, so he’s come up with a whole new approach. Gebhart debuted his own dating site last Sunday, exclusively dedicated to finding himself a new partner, and he’ll give $25,000 to anyone who sends the perfect match his way. He’ll also sweeten the pot by donating $25,000 to a no-kill dog shelter or charity. He seems a bit desperate to me, but Jeff says …

“I don’t need a person to ‘complete’ me, but I’m looking for a person with qualities that will allow us to complement each other.”

Sounds simple, right? But wait … there are rules. The person Gebhart is matched up with must date him and him alone for a year before the matchmaker will be paid, and even then, he/she will be paid in installments of five $5,000 payments over a five-year stretch. If Gebhart and the gal split before the final payment, the matchmaker gets only what he or she has earned to that point. There’s also an online quiz that applicants will need to take to see if their personalities sync with his. So what, exactly is he looking for? Someone who is …

“… fun, easy to spend time with … confident, driven … and has a zest for life. The main objective of this is to find the right girl for me, wherever she is.”

Okaaaay … well, good luck, Jeff!

Mickey D’s?

This is what the inside of your average McDonald’s restaurant looks like …Plastic tables and chairs, nothing special … just your average kid-friendly fast food joint. But, if you happen to be in Rome, Italy, or more specifically the Roma Termini, and have a craving for a Big Mac, this is what you’ll see …What is it, you ask? It is a small section of the Servian Wall that was unearthed during the construction of the station’s underground shopping mall, and was thus integrated into the dining area of McDonald’s.

The Servian Wall was constructed around the city of Rome during the 4th century B.C. The outline of the wall possibly dates back to the times of King Servius Tullius, for which it garnered its namesake. The wall stood for generations as the first line of defense against the Gauls and Carthaginians. By the early Imperial age, the wall became unnecessary as the Roman army grew in number and power. Eventually, it was superseded by the Aurelian Wall constructed by Emperor Aurelian in 275.

Definitely not the atmosphere you expect to see while munching on your chicken nuggets, eh?

Whose playlist???

Now, you all know how much I love critters, right? But even I, the ultimate critter lover, find this just a bit over the top. The Swedish audio-streaming company Spotify recently announced that it has made playlists and a podcast for dogs to listen to in their owners’ absence. Why, you ask? Apparently, it found in a survey that 74% of pet-owners play music for their pets to listen to for company when they are away from home, with 42% of owners saying their pets have a favorite type of music. A quarter of pet owners said they have even seen their pets dancing to music.

So, what kind of music does Spotify think dogs like to hear? The podcast features soothing music, “dog-directed praise”, stories, and messages of affirmation and reassurance narrated by actors to alleviate stress for dogs who are home alone. Meanwhile, the playlists aimed at pets offer tracks selected by algorithms to match pets’ characteristics such as energetic or slow.

Okay, then, but … what about cats, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, birds and other pets? Won’t they feel left out? Oh wait!!!

In another article, I found that the company says that if you have a pet rabbit, Spotify may not be able to fulfill her musical needs right now. For now, it can only musically accommodate dogs, cats, hamsters, birds, and iguanas!

Take heart all you iguana families out there … they haven’t forgotten you after all!!!

Tartan sheep …

Get a load of these Tartan sheep found in the Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre in Scotland! If you’re wondering about these unique animals, the sign here explains it …Who knew??? Well … actually … they are spray painted to look like that. But don’t worry … this is a special, non-toxic spray paint, the same that is used to number them during lambing season, and is perfectly harmless. It was the idea of the owner of the Wildlife Centre, Maxine Scott, when she first purchased the park ten years ago.The park had already had a tradition of creating painted sheep, so she kept up this tongue-in-cheek practice. The sheep in these photos are April and Daisy. Of all the tourists that come by, it is the Americans that seem to enjoy the joke the most. She tells people that the Tartan Sheep change color often and encourages people to come back to see her ewes again.

Now, are you ready for some ‘toons, courtesy of Phil’s Phun?

While I was mooching around over at Phil’s, I came across this video and it is just so much fun that I had to share it. It’s a group of guys that have formed a friendship over the years of waiting for their wives shopping at Target! If you are in the mood for a few laughs, you really must see this!

Well, if it’s Jolly Monday, then it must be time for a cute animal video, mustn’t it? I bet you never thought of these guys as being fun pets, but just watch …

Okay, folks, the clock is ticking and we’ve all got work to do. I have to clean up the mess from the weekend’s construction project, so … Oh, by the way, before I forget … today is National Random Acts of Kindness Day, so … let’s all try to do something nice, no matter how small, for someone. Buy a stranger a cup of coffee, take a neighbor’s trash out, or whatever opportunity presents itself, okay? And smile … share those smiles … bring one to somebody else’s face today, okay? Love ‘n hugs from Filosofa and Jolly!

The Week’s Best Cartoons ⚡ 2/15

Posted on February 16, 2020 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Election 2020, Environmental Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Re-blogs

The past two weeks have certainly provided plenty of material for the political cartoonists, haven’t they? Our friend TokyoSand always seems to find the best of the bunch, and this week is no exception. These cartoons pretty well sum up the current situation … thank you, TokyoSand for this post, and for your kind permission to share!

Political⚡Charge

By Marc Murphy, Louisville Courier-Journal

Here are some of the best editorial cartoonists in the country (and a few from abroad) with their visual opinions about this week’s news:

Trump Seeks Revenge

By Morten Morland

By Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

By Bill Bramhall, New York Daily News

By Banx

Barr Interferes with Justice

By Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune

By Pat Chappatte

By Rick McKee, The Augusta Chronicle

By Ann Telnaes, Washington Post

By Mike Peters, Mother Goose and Grimm

By Jeff Darcy, Cleveland.com

By Matt Davies, Newsday

By Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

And Other News

By Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune

ByJim Morin, Miami Herald

By Christopher Weyant

By Matt Davies, Newsday

By Kevin Necessary

By Rod Emmerson, NZ Herald

⚡

Want to get these political cartoon roundups every…

View original post 20 more words

Snarkier Than Usual Snippets

Posted on February 14, 2020 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Free Press Issues, Global Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry

Disclaimer: Filosofa is in a foul mood tonight. While doing laundry, I cursed one of my daughter’s shirts, calling it a bitch and threatening to cut it into a thousand pieces, if that gives you any indication. All day long I’ve tried to write my piece for mine and Jeff’s Discord & Dissension project for tomorrow, and I feel completely dysfunctional, unable to focus. So, long story short, you can expect the snippets to be even snarkier than usual tonight.

Ay, Pobrecito Barr …

Poor Bill Barr, ultimate boot-licker and sycophant who has sacrificed the integrity of the United States Department of Justice for whatever it was Trump promised him. Now he is whining that mean ol’ Donnie isn’t being fair to him. In an interview with ABC News yesterday, Barr said …

“I’m not going to be bullied or influenced by anybody … whether it’s Congress, a newspaper editorial board, or the president. I’m gonna do what I think is right. And you know … I cannot do my job here at the department with a constant background commentary that undercuts me.”

Say WHAT???This from the man that has given the keys to the kingdom to Trump and told him that no matter what he does, as long as he is the sitting president, he cannot be charged with a crime? This from the man that has changed the laws to suit the president, has opened an investigation into one of Trump’s rivals even though it has already been proven that there was no wrongdoing? And this from the man who totally and completely misrepresented the results of Robert Mueller’s report? Are we actually supposed to feel pity for Billy boy? The man who once had a decent reputation sold his soul downriver to become one of Trump’s toadies, and now we’re supposed to feel sorry for him? No way, José!

Barr said he was determined to lead the justice department without being influence by outside forces, including the president.

Too late, Billy Boy!Former Justice Department official, Matthew Miller, wrote on Twitter: “Don’t be fooled by this one, people. Barr is telling the president that his impulsiveness is making it politically harder for him to deliver the results he wants. If Trump would just shut up, Barr could take care of him much more effectively.”

No doubt.

Trump’s bloody wall …

Yesterday, the Pentagon informed Congress that it intends to divert some $3.8 billion earmarked for military equipment to Trump’s damn stupid, useless, abominable border wall! You know what? If the Pentagon has so much more money than it needs, then let’s cut their budget and leave only enough to take care of the troops – salaries, benefits, medical care, housing, etc. They are obviously well over-funded, if they can afford to give it away for something so useless.

If Congress intended to fund the bloody wall, they would have allocated monies for it. They didn’t. Therefore obviously the representatives of We the People do not see the wall as a priority at this time. Congress, and We the People, have spoken, MISTER TRUMP. Even some of Trump’s boot-lickers in Congress were actually upset over this one, saying that Trump had overstepped his constitutional authority by second-guessing congressional spending decisions.

“Once those choices have been made, the Department of Defense cannot change them in pursuit of their own priorities without the approval of Congress. Attempts to do so undermines the principle of civilian control of the military and is in violation of the separation of powers within the Constitution.” – Representative Mac Thornberry, top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee

Frankly, I hope the wall gets blown to bits, section by section, until there is naught left but a brick or two.

John Kelly found them!

Former Chief of Staff John Kelly finally, some 13 months after leaving Trump’s employ, found his cojones! I wonder where they were hiding all this time? Kelly, who is also a retired Marine Corps general, was giving a speech at Drew University in Morristown, New Jersey, on Wednesday night when he let off a bit of steam about Trump’s firing of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman last week. Of Vindman, Kelly says …

“He did exactly what we teach them to do from cradle to grave. He went and told his boss what he just heard. Through the Obama administration up until that phone call, the policy of the U.S. was militarily to support Ukraine in their defensive fight against … the Russians. And so, when the president said that continued support would be based on X, that essentially changed. And that’s what that guy [Vindman] was most interested in. We teach them, ‘Don’t follow an illegal order. And if you’re ever given one, you’ll raise it to whoever gives it to you that this is an illegal order, and then tell your boss.’”

But, once the box was opened, Kelly didn’t stop there. Kelly laid out his doubts about Trump’s policies regarding North Korea, illegal immigration, military discipline, Ukraine, and the news media. He said he did not believe the press is “the enemy of the people”, and he sharply criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Trump has steadfastly courted. He also disapproved of the president’s language about migrants, saying that most migrants are merely looking for jobs …

“In fact, they’re overwhelmingly good people … They’re not all rapists and they’re not all murderers. And it’s wrong to characterize them that way. I disagreed with the president a number of times.”

Kelly faulted Trump for intervening in the case of Eddie Gallagher, the Navy SEAL who was convicted last year of posing with the corpse of an Islamic State fighter, and later pardoned by Trump …

“The idea that the commander in chief intervened there, in my opinion, was exactly the wrong thing to do. Had I been there, I think I could have prevented it.”

Too bad that Kelly didn’t find his conscience when he was still there, as perhaps he might have done some good. Trump, of course, was quickly informed of Kelly’s words and had to retaliate, for that’s the only thing Trump knows to do …

“When I terminated John Kelly, which I couldn’t do fast enough, he knew full well that he was way over his head. Being Chief of Staff just wasn’t for him. He came in with a bang, went out with a whimper, but like so many X’s, he misses the action & just can’t keep his mouth shut, which he actually has a military and legal obligation to do. His incredible wife, Karen, who I have a lot of respect for, once pulled me aside & said strongly that “John respects you greatly. When we are no longer here, he will only speak well of you.” Wrong!”

One can only hope that Karen Kelly is undergoing psychiatric care.

One bright spot …

I shall end with a bit of uplifting news. Former ambassador to the Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, who became a central witness in the impeachment inquiry against Trump, received the Trainor Award at Georgetown University this week, in recognition of her 33-year career as a diplomat. If anybody has earned the award, it is Ms. Yovanovitch who had a difficult and unexpected role during the House investigation into the administration’s shadow diplomacy and the pressure campaign on Ukraine. She was vilified by Trump and his family, and it was later learned that Trump directly ordered her firing, claiming she had shown ‘disloyalty’ to him – sound familiar?

Thumbs up to Ms. Yovanovitch. 👍

And on that note, I shall leave you and go finish my post for this afternoon, hopefully in time for Jeff to review it before posting.

Jolly Funday Monday!

Posted on February 10, 2020 by jilldennison under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Humour, Politic-Free Mondays

Good Monday morning, friends! Come in and get warm … it’s f-f-freezing out there! I don’t know about you guys, but I am ready for some sunshine! I know, I know … a few months from now I’ll be complaining about the heat and wishing for rain … never satisfied, am I? So, did you guys have a great weekend? Mine? Meh … it’s always good to have daughter Chris home, and we did go out yesterday, despite the frigid temps and blustery conditions, but I guess the events of last week just left me in rather a foul humour. Plus, the battery is dead in my van … again. But, I’m not complaining … honest I’m not! I’ve got you guys here and we’re going to go in search of something fun, so grab a snack and a cuppa and let’s get this show on the road!

Caerphilly cheese for David

Oopsie, Mr. Postman …

Be thankful you are not Dan and Dee Cain of Twinsburg, Ohio! Mr. Cain recently went to the post office to collect his mail, and his first clue there was a problem came when the clerk at the post office told him that his mail wouldn’t fit in his box, and he would need to drive around back to collect it. Hmmmm …

So, he drove his truck around back and … well, it’s a good thing he has a truck instead of a Volkswagon, for he had to make two trips, even in his truck. The postal workers helped him load 79 plastic mail bins, each packed with around 700 letters into his truck. You’d think Dan had a huge fan following, but turns out each of the approximately 55,000 pieces of mail were identical! Yep … 55,000 reminders that the payment on the student loan he and Dee had taken out for their daughter was due!

“I was shocked. Are you kidding me? Who makes that kind of mistake?”

The student loan carrier apologized to Cain, blaming a glitch in its new outgoing mail system. But, it gets even better … the loan company said they will issue another statement to Dan, for the one(s) they sent used the wrong interest rate! Dan is concerned, and with good reason, I’d say. Even if the company used the bulk rate, that mail cost the loan company $11,000 and change.

And now Dan & Dee have a garage filled with useless mail they don’t know how to dispose of. I know what I’d be tempted to do with it … but, Jolly Monday is a family-friendly feature, so I’ll just keep my ideas to myself for now.

I was thinking … I haven’t done jokes in a while … what say we have a few jokes?

In his late 80s, my father-in-law went to the DMV to renew his driver’s license. At one point during the road test, he approached a four-way stop, looked to his left, and cruised straight through the stop sign. “Sir! You didn’t look to your right,” yelled the frightened inspector.

My father-in-law calmly shook his head. “That’s Mum’s side.”

My 35-year-old son and I had just finished our meal when I realized I’d left my wallet in my truck. As I headed out the door, I told the waitress what had happened. “But don’t worry,” I said with a grin. “I’m leaving my son for collateral.”

She looked at him. He winked at her. She turned back to me. “What else you got?”

I was instructing new recruits when an officer entered my classroom to observe and report on my teaching style. I thought I was on top of my game that day, but he was quite scrupulous, as evidenced by the fact that his written evaluation of me cited this issue: “Instructor loses eye contact with class while writing on blackboard.”

While taking a clinical history from an elderly patient, I asked, “How’s your love life?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll ask my wife.” He got up, walked into the hallway where his wife was sitting, and shouted, “Hey, the doctor wants to know if we still have sex.”

His wife shouted back, “No, the only thing we have is Medicare and Blue Cross.”

Did you hear how they caught the great produce bandit? He stopped to take a leek.

Our manager kept reminding us waitresses to encourage customers to order dessert. At the end of an especially exhausting day, I walked over to a couple who had just sat down, gave them each a menu and a glass of water, and asked, “Would you care for anything else?”

A man goes to the doctor, concerned about his wife’s hearing. The doctor says, “Stand behind her and say something and tell me how close you are when she hears you.”

The man goes home, sees his wife in the kitchen, cutting carrots on the countertop. About 15 feet away he says, “Honey, what’s for dinner?” Nothing. He gets halfway to her and repeats the same question. Nothing. Very concerned, he gets right behind her and asks again “What’s for dinner?”

She turns around and says “For the THIRD time, beef stew!”

A man came in to give his application to the manager. But the manager asked, “Why is there a four-year gap in your application?”

And the man responded, “Yale.”

The manager hired him and the guy said, “Thanks. I needed a yob.”

I especially loved the one about the man and his wife’s hearing! Ready for some ‘toons and memes?

And of course, I cannot wrap up Jolly Monday without a cute animal video! Sloths get a bum rap, but they are so darned cute! I want one!

Folks … no matter which side of the big pond you’re on, we have all had some tough times these last few weeks. Let’s make an extra effort to give somebody an extra smile and a hug this week, shall we? I hope you all have a great week … keep safe and try to stay warm! And this one last thing is for our friend Hugh who, last I heard, had a foot or so of snow!

Snarky Snippets — Yes, Again

Posted on February 5, 2020 by jilldennison under cartoons, Election 2020, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

Good afternoon, my friends! As you might expect, the events of the last two days – Iowa caucus, impeachment trial, State of the Union address – have my hackles raised and have left me filled with snarky angst. And you know what that means, right? Snarky Snippets!

The economy is … what???

Trump claims the economy is so great, but I see signs to the contrary. One of the largest and oldest retailers, Macy’s, plans to shut down 125 stores over the next three years, 30 in this year alone. They will also be cutting some 2,000 corporate jobs. Hmmmm … that doesn’t sound like a sign of a booming economy to me.

Yesterday it was announced that the number of homeless students in the U.S. is at its highest number in over a decade – 1.5 million! Most are staying with friends or other family members, but some 7% are living in abandoned buildings or cars. It begs the question, for whom is the economy so great?

As I mentioned in a previous post, there is more to the economy than just the stock market and employment rates.

Time for her to go

The self-serving senator from Maine, Susan Collins, lost part of her vertebrae and found it impossible to stand for what is right, once again, so she plans to vote to acquit Trump on both charges today, along with all but two of the other republican boot-lickers. But Sue had an interesting spin … she is convinced that because of the impeachment, Trump will be a better president going forward …

“I believe that the president has learned from this case. The president has been impeached. That’s a pretty big lesson. He was impeached. And there has been criticism by both Republican and Democratic senators of his call. I believe that he will be much more cautious in the future.”

Oh, sure, Sue … he’s going to stop calling people names, stop using vulgar language, start acting like a human, stop throwing away OUR money on his damn wall, start supporting humanitarian causes, and treat our allies like friends instead of like enemies. Perhaps we should all sit in a circle and sing Kumbaya?

Susan Collins wasn’t alone in her blind stupidity, though. Senator Joni Ernst was equally sycophantic …

“I think that he knows now that, if he is trying to do certain things — whether it’s ferreting out corruption there, in Afghanistan, whatever it is — he needs to go through the proper channels.”

Are these people really so utterly clueless, so stupid? No, I don’t think so … I think they know full well that Trump has broken just about every law in the book in his efforts to first get and then hold the center of power that is the Oval Office. I simply think they care more about their own future than ours.

A few had courage

Kudos to four members of Congress who skipped the campaign rally/State of the Union address last night:

Ayanna Pressley: “The State of the Union is hurting because of the occupant of the White House, who consistently demonstrates contempt for the American people, contempt for Congress & contempt for our constitution. I cannot in good conscience attend tonight’s sham.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “After much deliberation, I have decided that I will not use my presence at a state ceremony to normalize Trump’s lawless conduct & subversion of the Constitution. None of this is normal, and I will not legitimize it. Consequently, I will not be attending the State of the Union.”
Maxine Waters: “To think that I would attend the #SOTU to hear the message of an IMPEACHED president is a thought that in no way would be consistent w/ my fight and struggle against this dishonorable president. I will certainly NOT be there!”
Bobby Rush: “It would be painfully hypocritical of me to endure 90 minutes of unrelenting lies and all types of distortions and untruths, while at the same time watching his Republican apologists cheer. I cannot honor this man in any way.”

I’m told that several other democrats did walk out during the speech, once they realized that it was being turned into little more than a campaign rally. What, I wonder, kept the rest of the democrats in Congress from doing the same? I’m sure they will claim professionalism, but frankly the time has come for them to show the nation that this “president” is not legitimate, that he deserves no respect. At least House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave him the proverbial finger when she ripped up her copy of his speech, later explaining that she couldn’t find a single page that contained truth.

A slap in the face

I do not know of another time in the history of the nation that the Presidential Medal of Freedom was awarded to such an undeserving person as Rush Limbaugh. Mr. Limbaugh is a racist, a misogynist extraordinaire, a hypocrite who calls abortion “murder”, yet fully supports the death penalty. He is a climate denier and referred to the 2017 Women’s March as “”Deranged Feminazi March”. While not of the same caliber as Alex Jones, Limbaugh has engaged in a number of his own conspiracy theories, and his statements have an 84% “untrue” rating. He has done not one damn thing in his entire adulthood that would qualify him for the Presidential Medal of Freedom … not one!

And yet, during his State of the Union address, Donald Trump awarded him that honour. Why? No doubt because Mr. Limbaugh has been such a strong supporter of Trump’s, has defended the indefensible time and time again. This, my friends, is a slap in the face to the people such as Rosa Parks and Mother Teresa who have received the medal for acts of bravery and humanitarianism. In fact, this is a slap in the face to every person in this country. The medal no longer has any meaning, any value. It is naught but a trinket, handed out for political favours.

There will no doubt be some who tell me that I shouldn’t criticize Limbaugh, who has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer, but let me make my position clear from the outset: being ill does not suddenly erase all the evil he has perpetuated. He is not a good man, not a kind man, not deserving of any honour, let alone the freedom medal.

Jolly Monday …

Posted on February 3, 2020 by jilldennison under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Humour, Politic-Free Mondays

Good Monday morning, friends! Yes, it’s really Monday already … did you all have a great weekend? I must forewarn you that Jolly and I are having just a bit of a downer morning, so while we’ve tried to pick out some fun things, if it falls flat or seems a bit less than usual, please forgive us? We had some help with the treats this morning, so grab a cuppa and a bit of a snack and let’s find some fun!

ATM dispenses what???

There’s a new bar in London called Vagabond … they just moved into an old building that used to house a Santander Bank. Apparently the bank left behind an ATM machine, and the owners of Vagabond had to figure out what to do with it.

Most times when you see an ATM machine, it is used to dispense cash, right? But this ATM machine is special … it dispenses wine … specifically, Prosecco, an Italian white wine! The wine was free for a couple of days to celebrate the opening of the bar, the 8^th Vagabond to open in London. But, only one cup per person! I’m pretty sure that would have brought the law running here in the U.S., but it’s rather a fun way to celebrate the bar’s opening, don’t you think?

She was plump …

Animal rescuers in Britain said an owl found stranded in a ditch was initially feared to be injured but turned out to be merely too fat to fly.

The Suffolk Owl Sanctuary said a member of the public reported spotting a possibly injured owl stranded in a ditch a few weeks ago, but rescuers took the female bird for an examination and discovered she wasn’t injured, just overweight. Now … guess how much Plump weighed … are you ready for it? A whopping 8.6 ounces! I was prepared to read she weighed 20 pounds or so, but 8.6 ounces is barely a half-pound! Officials at the sanctuary say this is about one-third heavier than the average weight for a healthy female of her species.Officials said they initially suspected Plump may have lived in captivity or received food from humans, but her eating habits at the sanctuary showed she prefers the dark mice she would feast on in the wild, indicating her weight is “an unusual case of natural obesity.”Plump was put on a two-week diet and lost nearly 1½ ounces, enough to allow her to be released back into the wild.

Belarus …

His name is Belarus, and he has become an overnight internet sensation. It’s not hard to see why – his adorable little face and funny shenanigans are all we need to make our day brighter.Belarus was born cross-eyed due to an eye condition called strabismus.

It’s nothing serious though and poses no threat to Belarus’ health.

He was adopted by his owner Rachel almost two years ago when Belarus was 1. Rachel instantly knew that she was the one to take Belarus home as she fell in love with him the minute she saw him.

Since the adoption of Belarus, his owner has continued supporting the shelter that this boy came from, to help other cats there. By using the now-famous face of Belarus, Rachel is hosting fundraisers for the animals in need. In 2019, Rachel was able to donate $4000 to the shelter through various fundraising campaigns.

Belarus is a very active and curious boy …

Belarus, like any other cat, has his favorite activities. One of them is playing in the shower, even when the water is running. The boy’s owner admits that he is a bit of a troublemaker: “He loves knocking things off of the sink while I’m in the shower. He also loves exploring EVERYTHING and squeezing inside the smallest corners and crannies he can find.”

How about a few ‘toons and memes to bring a chuckle?

And lastly, if this cute animal video doesn’t make you smile, then nothing will! It even made me smile, and had Jolly rolling on the floor in stitches!

I hope you found something to smile about, and if you did, share that magical smile today … we all need one this week, methinks! Keep safe and have a great week. Love ‘n hugs from Filosofa and Jolly!

Jolly Monday — Happy Australia Day!

Posted on January 27, 2020 by jilldennison under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Humour, Politic-Free Mondays

Good Monday morning, friends! I hope your weekend was lovely, and I know you are all eager to get back to work! Jolly and I are grateful that you stopped by to share a few laughs with us to start the week before heading to the salt mines. Do any of you actually work in the salt mines? Do they even still have salt mines? Were there ever salt mines? I thought salt came from sea water!

So, did you all have a wonderful weekend? Mine? Meh … it was okay. Daughter Chris had a band performance on Saturday night … she is in a Pipes & Drums band, and every year they play for the Caledonian Society on Burns Night, honouring the dead poet Robert Burns.Then on Sunday, we had to go out and find a birthday present for our friend and neighbor Ali, who claims he was 35, but the reality is that he must be dyslexic, for it’s actually 53. Then we had dinner & birthday cake with them Sunday evening. They are wonderful friends, and it’s such an honour that we are considered a part of their family.

Well, let’s go find some fun stuff to get this week off on the right foot … or even the left one … but first, grab a snack over on the table.

Larry’s bacon

Benjamin’s juice boxes — but he’ll share if you ask nicely!

Da fishies liked it …

Last week, a California winery, Rodney Strong Wine Estates, had a little accident. Well, a rather largish accident if you ask me … they sprung a leak and accidentally dumped some 97,000 gallons of Cabernet Sauvignon wine into Reiman Creek, which empties into the Russian River. Had it not happened on Wednesday, nearly a week ago, I would be online buying my plane tickets to California as we speak!

The Department of Fish and Wildlife is investigating, but as yet it appears that no fish died, though some appeared to be hungover the next morning. I’m picturing a bunch of old men lying on their bellies by the river, lapping up river water like pups at a stream.

Misdemeanor charges and penalties are likely to be levied against the company, and a company spokesperson says they suspect a mechanical failure but haven’t quite figured it out yet.

Did the horse pay for a ticket?

Over in Wales, they even let horses ride the city buses. A horse found running loose in traffic on the busy A48 road Thursday evening was captured by witnesses and loaded onto a bus for a brief ride.

The bus driver offered his vehicle when police determined it would be awhile before they could get a horse trailer to the scene. The horse took a 5-minute ride on the bus and was reunited with its owners at a nearby parking lot. The bus was taken for a thorough cleaning.

Define 24 hours?

I always thought a “24-hour” facility, whether grocery store, convenience mart, or gym, meant that they never close. So, imagine my puzzlement at the following headline …

Utah man locked inside 24 Hour Fitness gym after closing

Dan Hill said he visited the gym in Sandy for a late night workout Saturday and he finished swimming laps in the pool after midnight Sunday to discover he was alone in the building and the doors were locked.

Hill said he called his wife, who suggested he “find a comfortable place to sleep.” Sounds like maybe she was happy enough to be rid of him for a night, eh? He ended up calling 911 …

“So, I called dispatch and the guy pauses for like 10 seconds and says ‘You’re where?’ And I said, ‘I’m in 24 Hour Fitness, and there’s an alarm system here and I don’t want to get busted for breaking and entering.'”

Hill took his Facebook friends on a tour of the gym while waiting for police to arrive. Officers showed up to let him out of the building just before 1 a.m.

The manager of the gym said the hours changed in December from 24 hours to 4 a.m.-midnight. Nice of them to let people know, eh?

To our Aussie friends …

Yesterday was Australia Day. I meant to dedicate an entire post to that day, however I had a busy day yesterday and it completely slipped my mind. That said, given the trauma that has been taking place in Australia for the past few months, the bushfires, loss of wildlife, vegetation and structures, and now a terrible hailstorm that has ravaged Melbourne, I couldn’t just let it go without some recognition. However, since this is Jolly Monday, I will only present a few pictures … and a heartfelt hope that the fires are soon out, and that the nation can begin to heal. Love ‘n hugs to all our Australian friends … Andrea, Simeon, Paul, Anne, and so many others.

Now, how about just a few ‘toons and memes …

My favourite!

Seems to me that humans could take a lesson from these guys!

And, dare I finish Jolly Monday without a cute animal video? Of course not … and Jolly has found just the thing in honour of Australia Day — koalas!

Funny, but I always heard koalas were a bit on the mean side, but you sure couldn’t tell it from these cuties, could you?

Well, friends, it’s time for me to tackle the laundry, plus finish taking the Christmas lights off the windows – not a word from you guys — yes, I DO know it’s January 27th!!! And, it’s time for you to head to work, or grab the snow shovel so you can get out to get some groceries! Please share those smiles today – we’ve all got our share of troubles at the moment, whether it’s the politics of the day, fires, or the threat of deadly illness, and a smile, a kind word, or a hug surely does help sometimes. Meanwhile, keep safe & warm, and have a great week! Love ‘n hugs from Filosofa and Jolly!

The Week’s Best Cartoons ⚡ 1/25

Posted on January 26, 2020 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Election 2020, Humour, Law and justice, Political commentary, Re-blogs

Once again this week, TokyoSand has come up with some great cartoons, and since I see no reason to re-invent the wheel, I shall share her post! Thank you, TokyoSand!

Political⚡Charge

Infuriating. Accurate. Insightful.

The best editorial cartoons express a strong opinion, and in so doing, make us feel something emotionally. This week, these were the cartoons that made me stand up and take notice. Which ones grab you the most?

Republicans Set the Terms

By Matt Davies, Newsday

By Walt Handelsman,The Advocate

By Matt Davies, Newsday

By Ann Telnaes, Washington Post

By Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

By Matt Wuerker, Politico

By Kevin Siers, Charlotte Observer

The Trial Begins

By Ann Telnaes, Washington Post

By Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

By Ann Telnaes, Washington Post

By Bill Bramhall, New York Daily News (from 2019 but so relevant)

By Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

By Lalo Alcaraz

Screen Shot 2020-01-24 at 11.44.30 PM

And Other News

By Ed Hall

By Lalo Alcaraz

By Marc Murphy, Louisville Courier-Journal

By Paul Szep

View original post 28 more words

The Little Boy Who Cried 🐺

Posted on January 25, 2020 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Law and justice, Political commentary

Remember the story about the little shepherd boy who cried wolf? You don’t? Aw, c’mon … you’re not so old you’ve forgotten that one. Well, the story goes that the little boy got bored while tending his master’s sheep, and I suppose to get attention, kept crying “Wolf!!!”, even though there was no wolf after him (not to mention that wolves aren’t bad guys anyway). The townspeople all ran to his rescue, only to find there was no wolf, no threat, the kid was just bored. Then one day, a wolf really was after the kid, or more likely the sheep, and though he kept crying “Wolf!!!”, nobody came to his rescue, for they were all onto his tricks. Thus, the wolf ate all the sheep and the little boy, mostly to get him to shut up (poor wolf had a severe case of heartburn for days after). And the moral, according to Aesop, is “this shows how liars are rewarded: even if they tell the truth, no one believes them”.So why, you ask, do I tell you a fairy tale on this Saturday afternoon? I wish I could remember! I know I had a purpose … but I cannot remember it just now. So, I shall just proceed with a few snippets and perhaps it will come back to me, eh?

The impeachment trial, for those who might not know, is in its fourth day. Funny, the senators haven’t done a bit of work all year, but they are so eager to get this trial out of their way, supposedly so they can, as one senator claimed, “get back to doing the work of the people”. What work??? What “people”? They haven’t passed a piece of meaningful legislation in the Senate in over a year now! They don’t even discuss meaningful legislation. Oh wait … they voted to re-name a few federal buildings … that was pretty important to us all, wasn’t it?

Anyway, one Senator, Roger Wicker from Mississippi, responded to the impeachment charges that Trump had acted inappropriately, had abused the power of his office, in attempting to withhold aid to the Ukraine in exchange for personal gain …

“I do things every week that are inappropriate. So no, I’m not going to go down that road.”

Yo! Mississippi voters … are you listening here? Your ‘esteemed’ Senator does things that are inappropriate every week! Now, I might make mistakes on a near-daily basis, but … ‘inappropriate’ carries a connotation of corruption, of a lack of morals, of values. I think you Mississippians better be keeping a closer eye on ol’ Senator Wicker!

He looks a little confused, don’t you think?

Funny, but the republicans seem a mite on edge these days, don’t you think? For example, yesterday Mike Pompeo apparently didn’t like some of the questions asked of him by NPR radio host Mary Louise Kelly. His answers were brief non-answers, but it was what happened after the interview that is telling. As he walked out of the room, he stopped at her desk, leaned in and silently glared at Kelly for several seconds before leaving the room. Within a minute, an aide asked Kelly to follow her into Pompeo’s private living room at the State Department without a recorder.

She would have been wise to decline, but curiosity got the better of her, I suppose, and she went. According to Ms. Kelly, Pompeo shouted his displeasure at being questioned about Ukraine. He used repeated expletives, according to Kelly, and asked, “Do you think Americans care about Ukraine?” Either the republicans are nervous about something and on a short fuse these days, else they are trying to win brownie points by emulating their idol, King Trump.

And then there was the freshman senator from Tennessee, Marsha Blackburn – a real nasty piece of work in my book. It seems almost as if each republican picks his or her own target to vilify, and Ms. Blackburn’s target is Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman. Vindman, you’ll remember, testified to House impeachment investigators about Trump’s July 25^th phone call to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and concluded that he considered it to be inappropriate.

Notice anything about the mouth … the exaggerated contortions … reminds me of??? And didn’t women stop teasing their hair in the ’70s?

Blackburn has been busily tweeting, appearing on television and social media that she considers Vindman to be vindictive and a coward. A coward? Excuse me, but Vindman is a combat veteran of the Iraq War. He served in Iraq from September 2004 to September 2005. In October 2004, he sustained an injury from a roadside bomb in Iraq, for which he received a Purple Heart. He was promoted to the rank of major in 2008, and to lieutenant colonel in September 2015. That, to me, is not the career path a ‘coward’ would take.

During his Army career, Vindman earned the Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, and Parachutist Badge, as well as four Army Commendation Medals and two Defense Meritorious Service Medals, yet Ms. Blackburn writes …

“Alexander Vindman broke the chain of command and leaked the contents of the President’s July 25th phone call to his pal, the “whistleblower.” Over a policy dispute with the President! How is that not vindictive?”

“Vindictive Vindman is the “whistleblower’s” handler.”

“Adam Schiff is hailing Alexander Vindman as an American patriot. How patriotic is it to badmouth and ridicule our great nation in front of Russia, America’s greatest enemy?”

There is absolutely no evidence whatsoever to support any of her claims.

I think Tennesseans, like Mississippians, need to re-think their choice of people to represent them in Congress!

I still don’t remember quite where I was going with the ‘little boy who cried wolf’ story, but perhaps you guys can come up with something? Ah well, it’s a good story anyway. And now, I shall return you to your weekend activities!

The Week’s Best Cartoons ⚡ 1/18

Posted on January 20, 2020 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Election 2020, Humour, Political commentary

Once again, our friend TokyoSand has found some great political cartoons! They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and these pictures surely fit that bill. Thank you, TokyoSand, for digging these up!

Political⚡Charge

By Christopher Weyant