Absolutely Thinking About Getting Around to Doing Something About the Lawn

Your love is like  marijuana edibles without the marijuana

• Australia has mandatory voting. Some French said they didn't vote because nothing will change. The US stays home, watching Americans Idle and the new Kardashians show. Ultimately, only the French are correct.

Today I identify as  a chest of drawers

Yes, it's that time again. Time when the repeated rains (Hello, London!) cause certain grass to grow. And by certain grass, I mean mine. It might not even be grass, but it's green and it grows and I have to mow it. It grows in clumps, as does most of my yard. It grows mainly in front, so I can share the view of unmowed grass with my neighbors, who hopefully know of my trauma and PTSD around lawnmowers. Nobody knows where from the trauma comes... perhaps I was bitten by a lawnmower when I was little. The doctors can't tell. Wife says it's weeds and we have to put some chemicals on them so just the grass will grow and I don't have to cut it every few minutes. Well.... wife..... get out the ($&# chemicals. You're not making this any easier on me. But then again, that may be the definition of wife.

• Stone Age people may have gathered at night to watch animated “fireside art”
• The Masked Furry would not go into production for a few thousand years...

Efforts to ban books jumped an 'unprecedented' four-fold in 2021, ALA report says

Book banning efforts are inspiring readers to form banned book clubs

C'mon people - it's 2022 - can we do away with the pitchforks and torches?

No.

Every Teen in the US Can Now Get Free Access to Banned Books

How Democracies Spy on Their Citizens

Please read this - knowledge is good  

WINNING!

Army of worm larvae hatch from man’s bum, visibly slither under his skin

It's great that 'magazines' review cars, for obvious reasons. However, I really don't understand why somebody reviewed the new electric Fedex truck. First they mention the 'infotainment' system. Why do delivery drivers need more than a radio? I can't imagine the bosses approving this. Then they mention certain areas being spartan. IT'S A DELIVERY TRUCK, STUPID. It's not the latest Porch SUV or a Lamborghini. More from the review....

• It has four tires. They are very effective at sticking to the road, and as part of the peppy electrical drive system.
• It does not have the VOOM that the Mercedes SUV has.
• the ride suffers when compared to a Cadillac
• room for 12, but only one seat
• surprising amount of room for cargo

Flying AIDS News 

By way of observation, when I've been out, there are very few masks.

Cases of rare vulvar ulcers have been diagnosed in adolescent girls after 2nd dose of Pfizer mRNA vaccine

Mysterious outbreak of hepatitis in children grows, first death reported

Fauci confirms parents’ nightmare: FDA may delay COVID vaccines for kids under 5

Beijing kicks off mass testing after spike in Covid cases

Bill Gates Gives TED Talk Proposing New Global Team to Quickly Prevent Epidemics 

Two words should always make you wary: Bill and Gates. He is not here to help us.

When Tom Justice failed to make the Olympics he decided to use his cycling skills to rob banks instead. 

Now this is the kind of feel-good Olympic story we need!

Presidential Hijinks

Boris Johnson is fighting claims of misogyny.

I told you he was England's Trump 

France's Emmanuel Macron said he's "the president of all."

This will probably come as a surprise to all the other presidents - they're probably humoring him, like Biden.

In certain species of spiders, after insemination, the female eats the male.

This has direct parallels to humans, only it happens painfully slowly, over years.

Sometimes it's so slow, the male doesn't realize it and staunchly denies it to the other males.

Wife is talking back to the tv today. Overheard:

Don't give it to her - she'll use it against you. Women are evil.  

• Google’s AI-Powered ‘Inclusive Warnings’ Feature Is Very Broken
• A feature rolling out this month uses algorithms to suggest edits in Google Docs, but falls into the same bias traps it’s trying to prevent.
• Errr.. why does anyone need their word processor to warn them when their language is not inclusive? Another case of the small diameter squeaky wheel getting the attention. 

The US Is Sending Ukraine a New Type of ‘Suicide’ Drone

Thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster (and Grumman). Although we're not going boots on the ground, we're still spending/sending millions in killing technology their way. Although the tech is expensive, it won't develop PTSD and be subject to the VA because it's not returning. So although this doesn't look like Endless War, it still is. In fact, no one can track what we sent to Ukraine. I'm sure the next 'war' is already planned and is heating up.

Elon Musk 

What do you do after you put together $42 billion to buy Twitter?

Watch an Autopiloted Tesla Crash Into a Multimillion-Dollar Jet

It's not like the technology is Not Ready for Prime Time, like I said repeatedly, but it's Not Ready for Prime Time. 

I haven't read anything on it, but I can just feel insurance companies hiring lawyers and ramping up for autopilot.

Speaking of Twitter, it's hilarious to see heads exploding, from staff to users. "OMG - he will allow people to say stuff we don't like!"

I reserve judgment.

Viola Davis responded to critics of her Michelle Obama portrayal

People complained because she pursed her lips too much.

Others complained about her erection.

Seriously? Were her nails not the right length? Teeth not bright enough?

There must be something in the water. Or people need stuff to do.

Finance 

Two 9volt batteries are $10.

Gas went nuts, Exxon showed massive profits, Congress went nuts (redundant, I know), gas went down a bit.

I can't wait to see what happens to prices when this is over. Will they go down to pre-Flying AIDS levels?

Deppaholics 

America (at least) has gone nuts over the Depp/Heard trial.

I'm not a lawyer. I have seen brief snatches of it, so I can't say much.

However, today there was a (smokin' hot) psychologist on the stand, and a Court TV banner that said Heard was diagnosed with multiple personality disorder. This is my wheelhouse, having a wife with that diagnosis. Observations:

• MPD is now referred to as Dissociative Identity Disorder, and has been for quite a while. The banner was just there for an exciting headline.
• The MMPI test is a good start for diagnosing DID
• You are not likely to walk in, examine the patient, and come away with a diagnosis of DID unless the person is faking. It *can* take quite a while, provided the therapist believes DID is a legitimate diagnosis. Some are still in the Dark Ages.
• The term 'personality disorder' was being thrown around a lot. Multiple Personality Disorder is not in the category of personality disorders, believe it or not.
• I called it before the psychologist did: Borderline Personality Disorder. This diagnosis would cover Heard's alleged volatility and odd behavior. Again, I don't know too much about her and BPD was a decent guess.

When watching trials, you start to realize how lonnnnng and drawn out they are. 

They ask some of the most interesting questions:

• What were you wearing on the first day of your job, twenty years ago?
• Did you have any previous school experience when you started college?
• Have you ever seen your mother naked?
• Have you ever seen your parents 'do it'?
• Where were you, Sir, at the moment of your birth?
• Were you bottle or breast-fed? And don't tell me you don't know.
• Have you ever been to a Turkish prison?
• When was the first time you dressed as a woman, ma'am?
• Did you, in fact, have a cat that you referred to as Dog?
• How long have you been an adolescent, son?