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rodger coghlan's avatar

The Haka brought tears to my eyes

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GiggleSnort's avatar

Yesterday Magnus Carlsen, the best chess endgame player of all time, surprisingly blundered in the endgame against Benjamin Bok, turning a win into a draw. He also could not win against Hans Niemann, despite having a crushing advantage. But today he bounced back and won the World Blitz Championship. He was in the sudden-death playoffs with GM Nepomniachtchi, but after several draws, he proposed and the organizers agreed that they share first place.

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π•Ίπ–“π–™π–π–Šπ–”π–™π–π–Šπ–—π–π–†π–“π–‰'s avatar

Dok forgot to mention he got a new EV. I was expecting that at the top of the list.

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Steven Cowling's avatar

I think they should have followed "weird" with "pathetic" and just kept going with new words every couple of weeks

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Erisian's avatar

"Satirical news site The Onion, seemingly out of nowhere, submitted the winning bid in a bankruptcy auction to buy InfoWars, the lies-and-conspiracies factory Alex Jones used to make America a measurably shittier place for years."

Dok, I need to thank you for setting the record straight in my mind. For years I thought they were the same site but with different URLs. I mean, it is extremely difficult to tell which is the parody site and which one considers itself as a serious news source.

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"The rich didn’t flee Massachusetts for Florida or Texas"

* Anyone with a few dollars in their pocket is fleeing the Free State of Florida unless they're MAGA RINOs. Most of the state will be under water due to (non-existent) climate change within 25 years, anyway;

* No sane person would voluntarily move to Abbottland. [NB: It seems that sane folk, which rules out the MAGAdroids, don't seem to like being told how to live and what to do.]

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"Biden’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) income-driven debt repayment plan was only in place for about a year before being blocked"

Next to be blocked is student loan forgiveness for American seniors:

"Unaffordable student loans are often seen as a problem afflicting young people, but in 2022, 3.5 million Americans over the age of 60 held $1.25 billion in student loan debt. The number of Americans approaching retirement age with student loan debt skyrocketed over 500 percent in roughly the last two decades." https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/collections/older-americans-with-student-loan-debt/

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"And boy, oh boy, were the Rs falling all over themselves to insist they and their imaginary culture wars obsessions weren’t weird, no YOU are.

Remember, this was when many Americans were first learning of JD Vance’s weird obsession with women’s fertility as a measure of their worth."

Anyone who believes that fighting bogus culture wars is sound policy for retaining long term control of the government rather than... you know... actually legislating for the general good (and not just what MAGA wants) deserves the government they get; and unfortunately, so do the rest of us.

I'm less concerned about how the Hillbilly views American women than I am about his love of couch-fucking. (Does anybody know if the Hillbilly's couch is 18 years old or more? I'd hate to see our new Veep be accused of Statutory Sofa Rape.)

The bottom line is that one must be weird if they think the RINOs, the Make America Grotesque Again cultists, the WORMs (White Old RINO Men), and the other Right wingnuts ruin... sorry... running the US under the Fulvous Flatulence will be good for the country going forward.

fnord

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Pope Scipio Newburyporticus's avatar

The wealthiest people in Massachusetts are old old old money. Do you really think they would leave Martha's Vineyard or Cambridge or Newburyport, where their family has owned property for 300 years, because it's "too expensive"?

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Erisian's avatar

I think you might have misinterpreted my comment. First, it was Dok who said that "[t]he rich didn’t flee Massachusetts for Florida or Texas[,]" not me. (I assume that this is to what you are replying.) And second, I do say that it is the Floridians scampering *away* and not rich Bay Staters running *to* the Free State of Florida. In fact, my comment doesn't mention Massachusetts at all, just DeSantis' broken toy and Abbottland.

Dok doesn't seem to be using the qualifier "[t]he wealthiest people in Massachusetts" just the rich in general.

Oh, one more thing, "[t]he wealthiest people in Massachusetts are old old old money[,]" doesn't exactly ring true:

* #1 Sheldon G. Adelson Newton, MA Net worth: $35.4B "Born poor in Boston"

* #5 Robert K. Kraft Brookline, MA Net worth: $6.2B

* #8 William I. Koch Osterville, MA Net worth: $3.0B

* #12 Valentin P. Gapontsev Worcester, MA Net worth: $2.1B "Russian native"

* #23 Stephen K. Conine Boston, MA Net worth: $1.25B

(partial list compiled from: https://affluenceiq.com/50richest.php)

fnord

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Sister Artemis's avatar

Just being reminded of the legislative Haka challenge, and seeing those wonderfully fierce faces brought shivers - the Good Trouble kind - and a few tears to this not quite jaded gal.

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BillEGoatSmile's avatar

Thanks, Dok!

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Zyxomma's avatar

Ta, Dok. Happy New Year to you, Kid Zoom, and Thornton.

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jeleonard193's avatar

Yay Massachusetts!!!

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Stephanie Hobbs's avatar

A great reminder that something good happened this year. Happy New Year!!!πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰

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Bitter Scribe's avatar

The star QB for the U of Florida played the first half of the Pop Tarts Bowl -- no, I didn't make that up -- which was long enough to set a single-season record (so far) for TD passes. Then he sat out the second half and watched his team lose, to Iowa State.

A bunch of old white sportswriter dudes and others got pissy about this. How dare he not want to risk a potentially crippling injury in a meaningless football game. Some of them speculated that sitting out the second half means he will sink in the NFL draft.

Sure.

"This guy had his team ahead at the half, and they lost when he left the game. Gee, I guess that means he's not a very good player." --No NFL scout, ever

Luckily, the OWSDs are dying out. Not so luckily, there is a big supply of younger knotheads to replace them.

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"M"'s avatar

I saw the mascot thingy for the Pop Tart Bowl, toaster and all

Seemed so macabre

Like for them to enjoy anything there has to be some kind of death involved

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Bitter Scribe's avatar

The mascot thingy for Cheez-Its performed a marriage during halftime of the Cheetz-Its Citrus Bowl.

No, I am not kidding.

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"M"'s avatar

So a Cheez-Its married a πŸ‹ πŸ‹ ...?

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Dorothea is a Democrat's avatar

This kind of shit will be ongoing. They will try and shame kids for leaving their schools or not playing in stupid ass bowl games that mean less than nothing except advertiser dollars while at the same time praising kids when they move from one university to another. It would help if they would all stop pretending that NCAAF has anything to do with college anymore. You'll note they NEVER talk about how much money these kids are making. TABOO.

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Bitter Scribe's avatar

You had me until they never talk about money. That's all the OWSDs CAN talk about. They're bitterly resentful at these upstart kids daring to demand their share of the pie.

Sometimes they even mention the coaches' bloated salaries, too. But that's no sure thing.

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Satanic Pancake's avatar

Woke up on the right side of the dirt every day in 2024, so mission achomlished to me. So far my goal to live to 250 is still on track. Might need a few replacement parts eventually, though.

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Spotts1701's avatar

On his last day in office, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has commuted 15 death sentences to life without parole.

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WasX's avatar

πŸ†

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Raccoon of Vengeance's avatar

Me:

Won Sexiest Procyonidae Alive

Found an new dumpster with tossed out sushi

Got rabies

Climbed onto a train and wound up in Gary, Indiana.

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goCatgo's avatar

Didja git to play card games with the old men in the club car?

Penny a point ain't no one keepin' score

Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle

Feel the wheels rumblin' 'neath the floor.

Oh sorry. Wrong train.

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Hops: 86/47 or bust's avatar

It could have been worse; you could have ended up in Bakersfield (been there, done that).

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goCatgo's avatar

The county bought the old Kress building across the street from Woolworth's.

Put in offices for county services. But left all the old Kress signs.

I guess cause they hate gubmint but Kress was cool.

Well, they do like a liddle bit of gubmint.

Like roads, bridges, water, reservoirs, canals, parks, schools, hospitals, clinics, utilities, airports, police, fire, (Cal Fire are Gawds!) EMTs, post office, Dept of Agriculture, Social Security, Medicare, MediCal, Fed loans, regulated markets, subsidies, price supports, and insurance on everything and the dog.

But that's all!

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WasX's avatar

Or fuckin' Yuma.

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Hops: 86/47 or bust's avatar

Never had the "pleasure". Nice locals?

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Saviour of Bread's avatar

Livin' the dream.

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Babe Paley's avatar

The Maori thing made me just sob even more than when I first saw it.

I'm home now. 20 years of work for nothing at all. I tried. I spent a half a day at court and everything's done. I gave everyone their cards to thank them individually for everything. Everything's out of my court and my chambers. Everything's done.

I have to pull it together because it's my husband's birthday, but I'm just home and nobody and nothing now. I hate tomorrow. I hate everything.

Okay. I don't hate everything. I love my precious husband, and my family, and my friends--I have the BEST friends. I love the people at my job and they were so kind to me today. I love you all. Today just sucks all the way. I tried to be flippant and said to some folks at work "you can't love the new judge more than you love me!" and one of them said "we'll never love anyone like you!" I almost couldn't drive home.

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Zyxomma's avatar

To your husband: Happy birthday. May your next trip around the sun bless you with love, health, peace, grace, abundance, prosperity, integrity, longevity, laughter, tears, friendship, courage, compassion, creativity, community, and joy. 🌺

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Babe Paley's avatar

Thank you! I was hoping that you'd see this so he could get your wonderful blessing--somehow it makes me feel better!

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Happy Camper's avatar

You did good things and gave it your all. I look forward to hearing about what new pathway opens up for you.

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Eileen's avatar

I am REALLY sorry about this!

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Satanic Pancake's avatar

This is why I avoid hopes, dreams, and aspirations. Aim low, and you’ll occasionally make it is my motto.

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WasX's avatar

Oh, most certainly not nothing or even close, fren. You are just not remembering at the moment all the goodness you've done in that seat. You will remember and I hope with pride. Not even counting the lives you've affected off the bench, with those folks you just showed how a human being ought to behave. And they will definitely remember.

We love you, darling Babe. You will be okay and better than okay, with this challenge building your strength even more. And we're proud of you.

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Babe Paley's avatar

I know, I know, but I am just dissolving right now.

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WasX's avatar

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((BP, hero)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

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Eileen's avatar

YES!

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Alternative Dog's avatar

20 𝘺𝘦𝘒𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘡𝘩π˜ͺ𝘯𝘨 𝘒𝘡 𝘒𝘭𝘭

I doubt that. I'll bet there are many people who would be happy to tell you that you had a positive influence on their lives.

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Saviour of Bread's avatar

Babe you are a good person and will do more good things. What you have to do now is get on the Edinburgh Hogmanay schedule.

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Hops: 86/47 or bust's avatar

Nr. 6: OJ Simpson passes into oblivion. Which is a real shame, since he was so close to finding his wife's killer.

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Babe Paley's avatar

It's too bad that we'll never know.../s

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