Worst possible news at my temp job on Friday: They like me, and have asked me to work longer than my original two-week assignment.

“Oh,” I said, and not in an excited tone of voice. Then I recovered and said, “‘Scuse me, what I meant was Oh!” (with a more chipper tone). The boss took it as humor, which is OK by me, but it wasn’t a joke, and it’s not merely my laziness that made the first “Oh” painfully honest. The work, up and down all day, standing and bending and frequently lifting fairly heavy boxes, leaves me weary and aching at the end of every day.I’d been looking forward to the end of my two-week sentence, but I need the money so I’ll stick around.
Just generally speaking, I’ve always assumed I’d work until I couldn’t work any more. That day seems to be coming more quickly than I’d expected.

You know the feeling when you come up with the perfect retort, hours too late? I fear I may have set a record in that regard.

CRANKY OLD FART #429  [archive] JUNE 8, 2024

The years have become a blur, but it was probably 2010 when my wife, after increasing pain and weakness in her right leg, had the amputation. The surgery was botched, leading to complications, and she spent the better (but far worse) part of a year in recovery, at the world’s worst assisted living facility.When she finally got on her foot, so to speak, and we came home, she said to me one night, “What adds insult to the injury was that I’d always thought my legs were my best feature.” It was a serious moment, so I gave her a serious reply, which I remember not at all.What I should’ve said was, “You still have great leg,” but that line didn’t occur to me until Thursday afternoon as I was riding the bus home from work. 14 years too late.

Hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s straight to hell we go. 

After more than 50 years, U-Cal Berkeley has successfully murdered People’s Park. The park preservationists won in court, so the university asked the state legislature to change the pertinent law; the legislature obeyed promptly, Gov Newsom signed it, and the dormitories are coming soon.There’s promise that there’ll be a park-like space; I’m skeptical, but if there is it’ll be just another park. It certainly won’t be what’s been bulldozed.There are also claims that what’s built will include some units for homeless or poor non-students, but those claims are scheduled to be forgotten as construction gets underway.

Cops, terrorists — really, what’s the difference? For some idiotic reason, Vermont high schoolers attend class at the police station, where cops are their teachers.

Kari Lake, the wingnut election-denier who still hasn’t conceded after losing the race for Colorado Governor in 2022, is now the Republican candidate for US Senate there. As part of her campaign, she delivered a speech on election fraud, of course, while standing in front of a Confederate flag, of course.

⚡ LINKS FOR THINKS ⚡ Inside the rot-com bubble When desegregation came to Harlan County KY: An oral history  Inside Helen Keller’s head Forbidden thoughts about 9/11/2001 How card catalogues worked 

♫♬ MUSIC YOU SHOULD HEAR ♫    Chances
by Athlete     Get Up, Jimmy Newman
by John Denver     Let the Sunshine In
from Hair     Rain on Me
by Cyndi Lauper     We Can’t Make It Here
by James McMurtry 

⚰️  DEAD PEOPLE  ⚰️
William Anders
astronaut Ezra Bozeman
49 years in prison Brother Marquis
rock’n’roller, 2 Live Crew Ian Gelder
actor, Torchwood Albert Knight
forgotten man Elizabeth MacRae
actress, The Conversation Ed Mann
rock’n’roller, The Band From Utopia  Barry Romo
activist

  6/8/2024   Cranky Old Fart 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 the AVA, BoingBoing, Breakfast at Ralf’s, Chuff, Dirty Blonde Mind, It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time, Lemmy.world, Looking for My Perfect Sandwich, A Sudden Violent Jerk, Mr Souza’s Happy Place, Voenix Rising, and anywhere else I’ve stolen links, illustrations, or inspiration.Special thanks to Linden Arden, Becky Jo, Wynn Bruce,
Joey Jo Jo emeritus, Jeff Meyer, John the Basket, Dave S, Name Withheld, and always extra
special thanks to my lovely late Stephanie, who gave me 21 years and
proved that the world isn’t always shitty.