661 Comments
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Martini Glambassador's avatar

Groundhog Day info for ya (French Creek Freddie mentioned, but I skipped the stuff about Manchin sucking the air out of the room). https://open.substack.com/pub/martiniambassador/p/happy-groundhog-day?r=angu9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Joe Z's avatar

Groundhogs live right behind my workplace. I always like seeing them.

theCryptofishist's avatar

If they see you, is that six more days of winter?

Menotsure's avatar

We are supposed to get to a high in the high 60's, here in bucolic NW GA. I don't expect it to last for six weeks, but I'll take it.

BTW : Georgia's groundhog is called General Beauregard. If he sees his shadow he retreats fron Sherman's army.

fuflans's avatar

we're almost 60 here in chicago so there's that.

Martini Glambassador's avatar

I’m imagining him talking in a Foghorn Leghorn voice, Ah say, Ah say…

Joe Z's avatar

That boy talks so much, his tongue'll get sunburned.

bluePNWcats's avatar

Ah say boy, the cheese done slid off yo cracker. 😁

Thalia Is Not Amused's avatar

“Smart boy, got a mind like a steel trap – full of mice.”

Thalia Is Not Amused's avatar

“That boy’s about as sharp as a bowling ball!”

Menotsure's avatar

THAT'S A JOKE, A JOKE, SON!!

Thalia Is Not Amused's avatar

“I keep pitchin’ ‘em, and you keep missin’ ‘em!"

Menotsure's avatar

I'm a chicken hawk.

Thalia Is Not Amused's avatar

Boy, I say boy, tell me something I don't know!

Granny's Delusions of Grandeur's avatar

One of my earliest memories is being carried around the West Virginia Wildlife Center (then called French Creek Game Farm) on my older brother's shoulders. I still stop there every time I can.

Martini Glambassador's avatar

I really hope they can get their regulatory issues met and reopen permanently.

Granny's Delusions of Grandeur's avatar

I have a sentimental attachment to it, but I'm not sure it's particularly useful.

Stroke1's avatar

I don't know what it's like now, prolly been toned down a lot, but back in the day they used to bus up to 15,000 kids from Pitt and Penn State and IUP and other nearby colleges to Gobbler's Knob, where they would spend the night getting riotously drunk and doing whatever else it is 15,000 college kids might do to stay warm in a cold place at night.

Babe Paley's avatar

When my best friend moved to Philly and would mention Gobbler's Knob, I refused to believe such a place existed for several years!

Martini Glambassador's avatar

One article I read said that they have banned drinking for a few years now (no, I don’t recall the EXACT number, get off my tail 😝). Things were getting too out-of-hand, too many arrests.

Lucinda the Pook's avatar

We went up there maybe 20 years ago now and they were cracking down. Fireworks over snow, I remember.

Richard Von Busack's avatar

A hungover groundhog sees no shadow

theCryptofishist's avatar

The see sunshine at the end of the tunnel and turn right around.

Stroke1's avatar

I can only imagine, never having been there myself.

Eileen's avatar

I would've LOVED it back in the day.

Robert Eckert's avatar

"Medieval murder maps" first illustration is of the killing of king Candaules of the "7th century" as an example of how many murders there were in medieval times. But: Candaules was from the 7th century BCE: his case is the opening story in the history of Herodotus.

a. diderot's avatar

Whoah, that sent me down a rabbit hole. Turns out your man Candaules is the origin of the term Candaulism, where someone exposes their naked female partner to others, not sure if the ladies are consenting or aware, since voyeurism is involved (shudder)

Robert Eckert's avatar

That's why the wife is murdering him in the picture

a. diderot's avatar

Of course, silly me, the angry victim of voyeurism seeking retribution. Hope she did not suffer too much from the justice of the time. Although, and I could be wrong on this, I feel that my favorite goddess at Going Medieval considers 7th century to be early medieval

Robert Eckert's avatar

She and Gyges (the guy Candaules showed her off to, who tipped her off about it since he felt icky about it) took over the kingdom. This is 7th century BCE, not even Classical Antiquity yet. Gyges ("Gug" in Lydia) appears in the Old Testament as Gog.

martin.english@gmail.com's avatar

Re the link to the Colin Cowherd statements on Swift / Kelsey ...

It hurt my brain a bit to find Pat Mcafee making sense 😀

marxalot's avatar

I would *love* for my next car to be a cargo e-bike. Even if I do end up moving to Chicago, where the windchill is often "the Moon, Alice," I could make it work with a shopping trolley and the public transit. Here in Iowa, where the windchill is frequently "Mars! and not the nice parts," the car is all that prevents me from dying of exposure from Nov-March, but I take the bus or bike to work year-round and do my shopping dans le velocipede from about April through sometimes October (depending on how big a shop I'm doing-- still need panniers).

fuflans's avatar

hey hey hey i'm a year round biker here in Chi (do not have e anything, just huge ass heavy step through that's been my transportation since 2013.). it's REALLY not like iowa (i assume i only went to the quad cities once and it was in the summer).

my joke (not joke) is chicago is cloudy and 35 degrees from november to april. with a couple cold/snow spikes. but absolutely bikeable all year (50's today) - also they clear the bike paths when they clear lake shore drive. also also no hills.

really great bike city.

marxalot's avatar

I get that impression! It's just that even with the insulated lobsterclaw gloves *over* my good full-finger gloves, I lose the feeling in my fingers at minute 12 when it's below about 40F. I'm just not built for moving that fast (my pace is quietly impressive for a middle-aged pleasure cyclist, I'll say it) in the cold, and going slower just prolongs the agony.

fuflans's avatar

i am also a middle aged slow biker (see note above about heavy ass step thru with TWO steel baskets..). i confess my hands are my serious weakness. anything below 40 and i resort to 'hot hands'. nothing else works (and i have all the gadgets, claws, handle bar mitts, etc.). mr fuflans works production on 'chicago fire' and they're often outdoors for 14 hour shifts. all the old hands (no pun intended) say only the chemical heat helps...

but if you DO move here: welcome and hit me up for a drink sometime!

marxalot's avatar

I use the chemical heaters in my shoes, sometimes even when I'm taking the bus: negative ten is No Joke!

I have to go SOMEWHERE as of July this year, and it just might be Chicago: I've been several times and I always have a good time.

theCryptofishist's avatar

Signs that the Daily Show is coming out of hibernation? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfM9-pufexY

ziggywiggy's avatar

Announcing a Wonkette Movie Night Special Event! Anti-Valentine’s Day for those of us tired of being surrounded by pink hearts, cupids and the word sweetheart! Alone on Valentine’s Day? Now you are not, come watch a super fun movie with me.

Birds of Prey is available with subscription on Netflix and Max. For $3.99 on Vudu, YouTube, Google Play and Apple TV.

Let’s watch some awesome women kick some dirtbags’ asses! https://youtu.be/2W-Yrdwgj8E?si=mw7ar2-Hx0MfVaGL

https://substack.com/@ziggywiggy/note/c-48691167?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=2knfuc

Kay Ducky's foot hurts's avatar

The revamped Static X is on tour with Sevendust as co-headliners?! Holy fucking god dude. I am spending all of the money to get to Grand Rapids, MI for that. Maybe I'll see you some other time, Rebecca...

beb's avatar

The cargo bike story also appeared on Ars Technica where it was sourced to a German study. Europe in general seems to be more bike friendly, Where in the US car drivers seems either indifferent to bikers if not openly hostile.

Wookiee Monster's avatar

The problem with the immigration debate is that republicans and their allies in the media shape the terms of the debate. That’s why the default thinking becomes that alol immigrants are a problem and they immigrants are “illegals” by default.

Btw, a study by the rightwing Cato Institute found that while Trump managed to curb LEGAL immigration thanks to Stephen Miller’s racist policies, he did exactly jack shit to curb ILLEGAL immigration.

Wookiee Monster's avatar

Taylor Swift reportedly got 35,000 people to register to vote and it caused republicans to lose their goddamn minds.

Tecolote's avatar

353,000 jobs added in January. Even the NYT thought that was really good.

Biff52 vrag naroda's avatar

"Fucking Manchin."

Evergreen.

ziggywiggy's avatar

Colin Cowherd makes a good point. "He contrasted the venom directed at Swift with the reaction to male celebrities who attend sporting events, like Matthew McConaughey, Drake and Jack Nicholson.

"We celebrate it. ... But a talented and beautiful woman is on the air — one who would never pay attention to lonely men — and it bothers them," Cowherd said."

Emil Muz's avatar

He's the poster boy for shitty takes on everything so it's a bit jarring he's on the right side here.

easelox is on timeout's avatar

Yay cargo bikes!!!!

It's a big big piece of the solution to climate change. EV cars are great, but at least for the next 10 years they hoover up too many battery cells for too few replacement miles of ICE cars.

Cargo bikes, eBikes, eBusses. MAYBE NEVs (like fancy golf carts, under 25mph limits, around town only).

eBusses are also a big piece of the puzzle, use them to replace commuting, and has the added knock on effect of reducing congestion.

A BIG waste of resources that should be scaled way back is Autonomous cars. It's just taking too many $$$ and smart people away from the life or death race against climate change, for maybe a benefit in 20-40 years, and THEY ADD TO CONGESTION IN THE SHORT TERM.

AI cars are only really going to help in the short term the Ubers of the world be more profitable by eliminating labor, and fucking up congestion.

That's my soap box, I never get off it.

(disclosure: I'm an EV bike designer, so BIASSSSS)

Corvid Opera's avatar

Thanks for the work you do, so cool! We have a cargo e-bike that we absolutely love, and it has changed our lives. So convenient and fast for doing grocery runs/other errands. Also, I have chronic health issues that mean that sometimes when I’m out and about, I need to get home quickly to lie down/hydrate. So, I like to set out walking (for fun/exploration/exercise), and my husband follows on the bike as we roam around the city. If I start feeling “off,” we can zip home easily.

easelox is on timeout's avatar

That's so cool! Great to be able to get out.

Alpaca22's avatar

I bought a Day 6 e bike last year and love it. It is designed for people with knee issues - mine will not do a full revolution. It has a pivoting crank arm and it means I can go out and about on a bike again after 14 years of not being able to.

Biff52 vrag naroda's avatar

I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

Katerwauler's avatar

Is that not just an ad for those big, dumb cups? Says STANLEY in big, dumb letters right on the front, everything is advertising, yes? Fuck everything.

M-X's avatar

Fuck Ted Cruz and Fuck Everything.