At this point, Martini could be sitting over there totally making up animals and generating AI pictures and we would be nodding and smiling and saying I never knew that! And if somebody called her out on it, she could claim that it was now extinct, and how could we prove that it wasn’t?
Gee - I remember back in the 60s that there was some scandal in NYC that some meatpacker had used kangaroo meat in their kielbasa. Good thing my grandmother made her own!
Zohran and aoc are killing it, too bad so many other dems can't follow. As for AI, I fail to understand why people even use those features. Are people really that lazy or intellectually challenged? I have been in a bubble I guess, surrounded by people who value education and critical thinking, but these seem to be relics of a past era.
Awww, yay for pademelons, we do love them. Here in Tasmania it is the end of summer and we see the pademelons pop out at dusk on the lawns, looking for green grass. They trim, fertilise and politely pop back into the shrubbery until the next evening. Public service pademelons! I have more than once mistaken a pademelon for my plump tabby cat. Thank you for spreading the joy of pademelons.
OK, here’s a picture that was worth the zipping outside barefoot to get. The sunrise (first photo)is on the other side of the ridge now (second photo) I know that ridge doesn’t look very impressive, but it’s been several months since the sunrise was visible there which means the daylight has been expanded, it’s almost equinox, and winter will be on the run any old time now. Maybe not this morning (third photo), but it’s coming.
I am here simply to crow that I slept all through the night and I am dangerously well rested, and the Plow Man was a busy boy last night, because I thought I was gonna have to finish digging a path all the way up to the access road for the water man to drag his hose down to the house for the delivery scheduled today, and instead, I got up and looked out the door, and my driveway is wide open. Sort of kind of.
Which means, someone is going to town today! This is my first trip in in over two weeks. I won’t know how to dress for it. Probably fashions have changed since I last went. I suppose this means pants…
It’s -33°F this morning, but who fucking cares, because the sun is going to be out as soon as it rises, the sky is blue, it’s almost March. What could winter possibly do to us now at this point, amirite? Ha ha. OK I didn’t mean that. Also, I will be stocking up on groceries, so if I have to make it until spring, I can.
We just endured out coldest week of the year. Granted, nothing like your cold, but still, single digits long enough to freeze some outdoor plumbing. I spent a good part of last Friday fixing the break well enough to get me through until warmer weather so I can dig up the yard and maybe finally do a permanent number on it.
[wonders why Biff is careless enough to leave his plumbing outdoors, but it is far too well-bred to say that out loud, assumes forgot to bring it inside last fall]
Here in my civilized exurb of another larger exurb, we have outdoor landscaping that requires irrigation. My old house has some Rube Goldberg-type stuff going on, and that bit of plumbing is among them. The main comes to the house from the road and from that point it is distributed to the house, the sprinklers, a hose bib and the swamp cooler. When the ground thaws out I’ll dig up about six feet of the main and put in laterals to separate them so they don’t all meet in one cluster that is susceptible to freeze damage. The swamp cooler saddle valve will be the most difficult thing to figure out. I’ll no doubt have to put everything in a vault with individual shutoff valves.
"In the casino, the cardinal rule is to keep them playing and to keep them coming back. So how come yours went broke, Donald? " – Ace Rothstein (Casino, 1995)
"Someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets. That means you, Donald." – Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver, 1976)
I feel like there should be far more memorable DeNiro quotes, but maybe AI is being little bitch today.
"New draft rules would allow slaughterhouses that participate in certain inspection systems — which account for the majority of poultry and pork processing in the US — to move even faster than they already do. Chicken slaughterhouses would be able to increase kill line speeds from 140 birds per minute to 175 — a 25 percent increase. Turkey slaughterhouses would be able to accelerate from 55 birds per minute to 60. Pig slaughterhouses currently have a maximum line speed limit of 1,106 pigs per hour, but under the new rule, there will be no speed limit."
In Ireland, every tiny little village has a butcher shop, and somehow enough work to keep two or three people busy. And each cut of meat for sale has a little sign next to it with the animals’ assigned number and the farm it came out of. [said wistfully]
I 'member old fashioned butcher shops growing up in San Francisco. Everything was walkable, so shopping wasn't an ordeal. You need a loaf of bread? Go get it from the bakery. Meat? Go to the butcher. Produce or dairy? Well, that was at the farmers market a bit too far to walk. They delivered milk to your doorstep. Still though, when the supermarkets took over, they had butchers and bakers in-store and meat was cut to order. Now it's all shipped from lard knows where, often not even from USAmerica, produce too. Makes me wish I could farm, but I'm too old and gimpy for that nonsense now.
HuffPost/Politico: "As the drumbeat of war between the U.S. and Iran grows louder, Politico reports that some White House officials are spitballing a scenario that makes conflict in the Middle East more palatable to the American public because the “optics” are better. The outlet claims some senior advisers to Trump would prefer Israel to attack Iran first, prompting a retaliation from Tehran and giving the U.S. cover to then join in. The report states: “The calculus is a political one — that more Americans would stomach a war with Iran if the United States or an ally were attacked first.”"
The thing about The American President movie is that it was usurped by The West Wing, which is sort of what the movie was trying to do, but done to much better effect, IMO. Anyhoo, it's got a crack cast, so it's got that going for it.
I've an uncle who I'm pretty close (he's one of Eldest's namesakes) to who was a practicing child psychologist, then went on to be a professor & even head of the department for a while. I also have kids and questions that because Uncle's related to us, he cannot really answer. It's a smidge frustrating. Ah well.
It’s a pademelon Joey in your hed gif. Learn about ‘em here: https://martiniambassador.substack.com/p/pademelon-joey
And your meme chat: https://open.substack.com/chat/posts/97f222a3-a8fd-4091-b0f1-c6ae36228ef0?utm_source=share
Tazzy is great.
The Padamelon
is a small marsupial
she lives in Tasmania
where her Joey is her star pupil
TIL about another animal new to me. I thought it was just a tiny kangaroo. Thanks for the cuteness, and the education. ❤️
At this point, Martini could be sitting over there totally making up animals and generating AI pictures and we would be nodding and smiling and saying I never knew that! And if somebody called her out on it, she could claim that it was now extinct, and how could we prove that it wasn’t?
Martini's a chick? Shouldn't her name be "Glambassadress" in that case?
I hadn't really thought about that...but that would be very clever of her!
And we already know her to be that. Hmmm.
[glances suspiciously Franceward]
Who'da thought wonkette of all places would expand my zoological knowledge? And not for the first time, either!
Wonkette continues to be educational!
But for Wonkette and Wiki ("The Big W's!") I'd know nossing, like Shutz.
I just learned there are tree kangaroos and rock wallabies. Nature is so stinkin' cool.
Your gifs make me happy. That isn't easy lately.
I prefer a pandamonium of pandalemon joeys to the kakistocracy that is happening right now.
"a pademelon Joey", how do you know when it's ripe?
Press its navel with your thumb?
Build a bridge out of 'er?
He looks like fun.
Do you know why IPAs are pademelons' favorite beers?
.
.
.
.
.
IPAs have extra hops.
kalories.
Grooooannnn
Dad!
wut
Hopping cat!
Long tailed Bunny!
Remember Skippy? I always thought he was a wallabee but it turns out he was an Eastern Gray.
Wellalbee!
Yes Skippy, the Aussie version of Flipper!
Dawww he's too cute! I would never eat him.
Did you ever have a hamburger from Jack in the Box?
Better yet, I have eaten Roo steaks!
Gee - I remember back in the 60s that there was some scandal in NYC that some meatpacker had used kangaroo meat in their kielbasa. Good thing my grandmother made her own!
Kanga Bangas!
I remember that McDonald's refuted rumors that they were cutting their hamburger with worm meat by saying that worm meat was too expensive.
Pandemonium Joey seems rather calm.
Hey, Team Wonkette: Don’t link to toxic social media sites owned by scumbags specially when they don’t let you share posts.
Why are we supporting our enemies again?
Zohran and aoc are killing it, too bad so many other dems can't follow. As for AI, I fail to understand why people even use those features. Are people really that lazy or intellectually challenged? I have been in a bubble I guess, surrounded by people who value education and critical thinking, but these seem to be relics of a past era.
Is that header pic a wombat, perchance? Or only a koala?
(There's a pun in there about "koala-tee," but I'm too lazy to tease it out.)
I liked The American President. Particularly Michael J Fox's character. He played the hell out of that role.
Awww, yay for pademelons, we do love them. Here in Tasmania it is the end of summer and we see the pademelons pop out at dusk on the lawns, looking for green grass. They trim, fertilise and politely pop back into the shrubbery until the next evening. Public service pademelons! I have more than once mistaken a pademelon for my plump tabby cat. Thank you for spreading the joy of pademelons.
People magazine is definitely doing better journalism these days than, let's say, NYT, WAPO, or Newsweek.
They always had decent true-crime reporting, but they are really stepping up lately.
People magazine.
OK, here’s a picture that was worth the zipping outside barefoot to get. The sunrise (first photo)is on the other side of the ridge now (second photo) I know that ridge doesn’t look very impressive, but it’s been several months since the sunrise was visible there which means the daylight has been expanded, it’s almost equinox, and winter will be on the run any old time now. Maybe not this morning (third photo), but it’s coming.
https://substack.com/@ontheotherhand124816/note/c-220117682?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=106di
Lovely photos. The light returneth.
https://www.icealaskaphotos.com/2026-ice-alaska-world-ice-art-championships/2026-multi-block-competition
I am here simply to crow that I slept all through the night and I am dangerously well rested, and the Plow Man was a busy boy last night, because I thought I was gonna have to finish digging a path all the way up to the access road for the water man to drag his hose down to the house for the delivery scheduled today, and instead, I got up and looked out the door, and my driveway is wide open. Sort of kind of.
Which means, someone is going to town today! This is my first trip in in over two weeks. I won’t know how to dress for it. Probably fashions have changed since I last went. I suppose this means pants…
It’s -33°F this morning, but who fucking cares, because the sun is going to be out as soon as it rises, the sky is blue, it’s almost March. What could winter possibly do to us now at this point, amirite? Ha ha. OK I didn’t mean that. Also, I will be stocking up on groceries, so if I have to make it until spring, I can.
Giddy, in case that didn’t come across.
"What could winter possibly do to us now..."
Do not mock winter!
We just endured out coldest week of the year. Granted, nothing like your cold, but still, single digits long enough to freeze some outdoor plumbing. I spent a good part of last Friday fixing the break well enough to get me through until warmer weather so I can dig up the yard and maybe finally do a permanent number on it.
Good Times!
[wonders why Biff is careless enough to leave his plumbing outdoors, but it is far too well-bred to say that out loud, assumes forgot to bring it inside last fall]
Here in my civilized exurb of another larger exurb, we have outdoor landscaping that requires irrigation. My old house has some Rube Goldberg-type stuff going on, and that bit of plumbing is among them. The main comes to the house from the road and from that point it is distributed to the house, the sprinklers, a hose bib and the swamp cooler. When the ground thaws out I’ll dig up about six feet of the main and put in laterals to separate them so they don’t all meet in one cluster that is susceptible to freeze damage. The swamp cooler saddle valve will be the most difficult thing to figure out. I’ll no doubt have to put everything in a vault with individual shutoff valves.
You could be describing life on another planet. That sounds so exotic to me.
Wait til you hear about street lights and traffic signals!
Doesn’t that scare the dogsled teams?
I woke up this morning thinking about PAB wanting to deport Robert DeNiro. Paraphrasing:
"You wanna deport me?" – Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver, 1976)
"In the casino, the cardinal rule is to keep them playing and to keep them coming back. So how come yours went broke, Donald? " – Ace Rothstein (Casino, 1995)
"Someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets. That means you, Donald." – Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver, 1976)
I feel like there should be far more memorable DeNiro quotes, but maybe AI is being little bitch today.
How Trump will win affordable groceries:
"New draft rules would allow slaughterhouses that participate in certain inspection systems — which account for the majority of poultry and pork processing in the US — to move even faster than they already do. Chicken slaughterhouses would be able to increase kill line speeds from 140 birds per minute to 175 — a 25 percent increase. Turkey slaughterhouses would be able to accelerate from 55 birds per minute to 60. Pig slaughterhouses currently have a maximum line speed limit of 1,106 pigs per hour, but under the new rule, there will be no speed limit."
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/480302/trump-slaughter-line-speed-usda
So you're saying I can expect more baby/child/teen fingers in my meats? Score!
In Ireland, every tiny little village has a butcher shop, and somehow enough work to keep two or three people busy. And each cut of meat for sale has a little sign next to it with the animals’ assigned number and the farm it came out of. [said wistfully]
I 'member old fashioned butcher shops growing up in San Francisco. Everything was walkable, so shopping wasn't an ordeal. You need a loaf of bread? Go get it from the bakery. Meat? Go to the butcher. Produce or dairy? Well, that was at the farmers market a bit too far to walk. They delivered milk to your doorstep. Still though, when the supermarkets took over, they had butchers and bakers in-store and meat was cut to order. Now it's all shipped from lard knows where, often not even from USAmerica, produce too. Makes me wish I could farm, but I'm too old and gimpy for that nonsense now.
It's all about the optics
HuffPost/Politico: "As the drumbeat of war between the U.S. and Iran grows louder, Politico reports that some White House officials are spitballing a scenario that makes conflict in the Middle East more palatable to the American public because the “optics” are better. The outlet claims some senior advisers to Trump would prefer Israel to attack Iran first, prompting a retaliation from Tehran and giving the U.S. cover to then join in. The report states: “The calculus is a political one — that more Americans would stomach a war with Iran if the United States or an ally were attacked first.”"
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/latest-news-live-updates_n_699c2475e4b0f41da8d4babb
That's it. I'm downloading Duolingo and learning Spanish. Even though I cannot roll my r's.
The thing about The American President movie is that it was usurped by The West Wing, which is sort of what the movie was trying to do, but done to much better effect, IMO. Anyhoo, it's got a crack cast, so it's got that going for it.
I've an uncle who I'm pretty close (he's one of Eldest's namesakes) to who was a practicing child psychologist, then went on to be a professor & even head of the department for a while. I also have kids and questions that because Uncle's related to us, he cannot really answer. It's a smidge frustrating. Ah well.
Looking at picture of Zohran SMILING makes me less anxious. MOAR PLEASE!