Mongolia to the rescue!

Maybe you believe in resurrection or reincarnation, and that's OK. Everybody makes occasional mistakes. Hell, I used to believe in Jesus — and Hell!

This life is all we have for certain, though, and along the way, we'll all sometimes step in dogdoo or make dumb decisions, and of course many things are out of our control. Then it's over and you're dead.

#104
2/21/2022

With such a short time living and breathing and often no warning when it'll end, I try to avoid too much worrying about things that bring no joy, no satisfaction, or irresolvable arguments over petty matters that don't matter. Such stuff makes no sense to me, when there's blueberry pie and a plate and a fork.

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For moving, my target timetable is one room emptied per week. That'll be leisurely enough that it won't make me too sweaty and stinky, won't overflow the building's dumpsters, while still allowing plenty of breaks in my recliner, on my way to getting the hell out of here.

Most of my too-much-stuff will be tossed or donated or left behind. I am not shipping all these fake-wood shelves across the country, nor my wife's cookware that I never use, the spare refrigerator, clothes that don't fit, the rickety desk I never sit at, or the bed I haven't touched in a year cuz I sleep in the recliner.

And I am not taking any of the above to Goodwill — it would be fifty trips worth, maybe more, not even counting the stuff too heavy for me to lift. I'll call and invite Goodwill to send a truck and haul it all away, and hope they will. If they won't, I'll leave everything where it sits and let the landlord dispose of it.

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Fifty years of Behind the Green Door, the groundbreaking porn film that upset the Supreme Court 

Semen flies through the air, Halley’s Comet-style, for the better part of 10 minutes. We’re watching a film, yes, but it also feels akin to social commentary. The action is captioned — or leads you, the viewer, to provide your own captions. It’s never just banging, licking, stroking.

Added to my movie watchlist.

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Michigan Republicans were asked about a landmark contraception case. Their answers were “terrifying.” 

Griswold was the 1965 Supreme Court decision that struck down Connecticut’s ban on the sale of contraception. The landmark decision, a rare opinion to invoke the Third Amendment, articulated a “right to privacy” that would go on to be cited in Roe v. Wade. With the Supreme Court poised to strike down or at least thoroughly gut Roe, it was notable to see a conservative activist ask three men who oppose it, and who are aspiring to be the chief law enforcement officer of a state that still has an abortion ban on its books, what they think of the famous contraception case.

Without the Griswold ruling, states would have the right to ban birth control. Once this was explained to the candidates — they'd never heard of the court case — all three Republicans thought Griswold had been wrongly decided.

They'd take away the pill, the patch, diaphragms, tubal ligation, vasectomies, and your condoms. Allowable choices would include the rhythm method and abstinence.

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UK PM Boris Johnson to lift all remaining Covid restrictions in England

What could possibly go wrong?

An open letter from around 300 scientists and medics published Sunday called into question the scientific basis for the government’s decision to end free testing, surveillance surveys and legal isolation of Covid cases.

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Roughly 75% of Russian conventional forces deployed against Ukraine, US official says 

Sounds like the perfect time for cheeky Mongolia to march in, on the other side of Russia.

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Vast leak exposes how Credit Suisse served strongmen and spies 

There'll be some brief tsk-tsking about this, and maybe Credit Suisse will pay a trivial-to-them fine of a few million dollars. A junior executive might be fired. The only serious response, though, will be the effort into finding and punishing the person responsible for the leak.

It's the leak that's news, never any bank's evil. All banks are always open for business with bad guys.

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Driving somewhere to do something here in Wisconsin, I saw a car with California plates. They've been redesigned since I lived there, or since I noticed. It used to say "the golden state" at the bottom, but now it says "dmv.ca.gov" — the web address for the state's Department of Motor Vehicles.

Of what useful purpose is the DMV's URL, on a license plate, while you're driving?

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The hot bands and rising stars of music always seem to be young bucks and pretty women in their teens, twenties, maybe 30s. Even Leonard Cohen, famously 'old' when he earned his first fame, was only in his mid-30s.

It's quite rare for anyone with gray hair to achieve artistic recognition or financial success in music, as a newcomer. Susan Boyle is the only name that comes to mind. 

It's music, not athletics, where the young have a natural competitive advantage. Gotta assume it's capitalism again, with the mantra that "Youth sells, age smells."

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FDA warns consumers not to use certain Family Dollar products in 6 states after discovering more than 1,000 dead rodents at plant 

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Sell towed trucks to pay down costs of policing convoy protest, Ottawa mayor suggests 

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Flights into danger: The many adaptations of the story that became Airplane! 

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If you'd like to hire the services of Joe the People Follower, don't miss the small print at the bottom of the page: "Service not available in Alameda County (I am banned)."

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One-word newscast, because it's the same news every time...
• cops
• Fox News
• Google
• Republicans

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 Mystery links  — Like life itself, there’s no knowing where you’re going:

—①—
     —②—
          —③—

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♫♬  Sing along with Doug ♫

"Home" — The People Brothers Band

2/21/2022 

 

Cranky Old Man is annoyed and complains and very occasionally offers a kindness, along with anything off the internet that's made me smile or snarl. All opinions fresh from my ass. Top illustration by Jeff Meyer. Click any image to enlarge. Comments & conversations invited.

 

Tip 'o the hat to All Hat No Cattle, Linden Arden, ye olde AVA, BoingBoing, Breakfast at Ralf's, Captain Hampockets, CaptCreate's Log, John the Basket, LiarTownUSA, National Zero, Ran Prieur, Voenix Rising, and anyone else whose work I've stolen without saying thanks.

 

Extra special thanks to Becky Jo, Name Withheld, Dave S., and always Stephanie...

Cranky Old Man
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