G+ Migration Blog

One of you posted something that made me think there must be some kind of PB&J food truck? It should have daily selections of jams and jellies, crunchy or smooth nut butters, and choices of bread. For full hipster cred, it must all be at least one of the following: artisanal, locally sourced, or organic. Beverage choices should be various milks: whole, skim, soy, almond, rice; plain or chocolate. Cow milk should be grass-fed, non-homogenized, low temp pasteurized for full hipster cred. Specials should include a fluffernutter variant (this is marshmallow fluff instead of jelly/jam), and a peanut butter and fresh sliced banana (no jam/jelly) variant. Condiments should include honey for people who like that on their peanut butter sandwiches. What else am I missing? Should there be peanut butter ants on a log? Carrot sticks? Some sort of juice or juice drink as an alternative beverage?

Lolsob http://www.theonion.com/article/washington-post-reporter-frustrated-every-space-pa-56136 http://www.theonion.com/article/washington-post-reporter-frustrated-every-space-pa-56136

- very locked - Oh, ok. Mom has just leveled up in the mental pathology game. Holy crap. Totally messing with my sister and niece to do it, too, except it is directed at me. Apparently, the question "How fucked up can someone be?" has no bottom answer. Deeply disappointing, really.

#fridgegate Day 2: We could have a new fridge tomorrow. If my mother could bring herself to tolerate a silver colored stainless steel fridge. But, no. We will have a new fridge in 2 weeks because it has to be a particular color. If we are lucky, it might be a week and a half. I don't have any other factual information because what she said when she walked in was, "I hope you like camping." In a truly classic mean girl tone. I am glad some of you like your mothers and they are not crazy.

Yep, it's the compressor. And they'll be happy to replace it for about $1000. But if any debris got into the system, they can't flush that and if it's in there it will prevent the fridge/freezer from working even with a new compressor. So their recommendation is ... buy a new fridge/freezer. Fun times.

Today wishes to add insult to yesterday's injury. I had to work on some stuff to do with the back yard fence. We have a 6+ foot wooden fence from when we had a large dog. Arachnophobes skip to the end. Thrff jung gheaf bhg gb or terng unovgng sbe onol fcvqref jub pbzr sylvat bhg jura lbh qvfgheo gurve ubzr? On the upside, I did not scream, or jump and flail, I just backed up and started brushing furiously at anything and everything that was crawling on me. Yuck. I will probably still be finding things in my hair or think something is crawling on my skin for days. Happy holiday!

Awesome. The inevitability of timing. The refrigerator/freezer died last night. We have cleaned up the lake on the kitchen floor, I have negotiated with my mother not to get so bent out of shape and she is actually letting me throw some things out. We have assembled the coolers and I am off to fetch some ice. If there is any left anywhere. Major appliances dying on a holiday weekend. Inevitable.

Weekend ramen. Sadly, the Dan Dan ramen was a winter only special and will not be joining the regular menu. I is disappoint. Meanwhile, one of the things they had previously done for summer was fresh soba. Granted it was always cold it was nevertheless another thing I really, really like. I like buckwheat. Alas, it is not to return. Apparently, few people order it and it goes off quickly so it is not worth it to them to make it. Two big frowny faces. This is their Tori Paitan (I think I spelled that correctly) which I had not yet tried. It's chicken based broth with chicken, garlic chips, babby bok choy, corn, soft boiled egg (I think with soy sauce, not tea), green onion, black garlic oil, and obs noodles. It's light and tasty, although there's enough oil that it just skirts the edge of greasy or slimy. Like it's too much for me, but I can see how some other people might describe it as rich and silky. Interestingly, without the oil it's kind of bland to me. It...

I have eaten here, but I do not recall having eaten their wings. http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/05/26/529563192/praise-the-lard-a-barbecue-legend-shows-us-how-to-master-smoked-chicken-wings http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/05/26/529563192/praise-the-lard-a-barbecue-legend-shows-us-how-to-master-smoked-chicken-wings

Sadly, what they have tried has obviously not worked. With the attitude expressed by the people doing the direct killing of the porpoises, I do not expect that they will be able to save them. Rodriguez says the vaquita is pretty much sure to go extinct and he'll keep fighting the environmental groups. http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/05/26/530205523/in-mexico-a-last-ditch-effort-to-save-the-vaquita-on-the-verge-of-extinction http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/05/26/530205523/in-mexico-a-last-ditch-effort-to-save-the-vaquita-on-the-verge-of-extinction

For any of you actually doing the vacation thing this weekend, have an awesome time. May your days be sunny, your beverages copious, and your company convivial. #rumpusing #unofficialstartofsummer

NPR gets snarky! I daresay it is the very best fourth sequel ever made to a movie based on a 50-year-old theme park ride. http://www.npr.org/2017/05/26/529671543/yo-ho-hum-johnny-depp-returns-for-more-pirates http://www.npr.org/2017/05/26/529671543/yo-ho-hum-johnny-depp-returns-for-more-pirates

More food from the newest Mexican place I posted about May 4. This time I got tacos - al pastor and veggie. Amazingly, you could actually taste the pineapple in the al pastor (this has frequently not been my experience). The veggie was cactus, zucchini, corn, potato, and mushroom. The first picture is without goodies, the second is after hitting the goodie bar. You can also see some guacamole in the corner of the first picture. I washed it down with grapefruit Jarritos. Nom. #buenprovecho

People are garbage. That person should not be a teacher. http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/26/us/terrorist-award-junior-high-school-backlash-trnd/ http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/26/us/terrorist-award-junior-high-school-backlash-trnd/

See what happens when you educate women? #genvaconventions http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-40056693 http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-40056693

Speaking of problems women cause ... http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40058986 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40058986

The other thing I forgot to do yesterday was share these pictures I took at the park. #allthelittleangels

I forgot to do two things yesterday. One was to note the anniversary of the original Star Wars premiere (May 25, 1977). Insert Fox/Williams fanfare here. http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/05/25/530039999/40-years-after-star-wars-error-newspaper-apologizes-to-wookiee-community http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/05/25/530039999/40-years-after-star-wars-error-newspaper-apologizes-to-wookiee-community

#tiredofwinning https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-gop-inherits-what-trump-has-wrought/2017/05/26/4e1943ea-4177-11e7-adba-394ee67a7582_story.html?utm_term=.69b830bea7d9 https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-gop-inherits-what-trump-has-wrought/2017/05/26/4e1943ea-4177-11e7-adba-394ee67a7582_story.html?utm_term=.69b830bea7d9

- very locked - - string of expletives - Ok. So, I knew something had gone on the other night when my parents went to dinner because the sweet smell of tension was in the air when they got home. Mental and emotional abuse is a seriously fscked up thing. I really don't understand any of this. Probably because it is not, in any normative sense, understandable. You guys have helped keep me sane when I was overwhelmed. In case I don't do it often enough, I want to thank you. Both for listening, and for respecting the privacy of what I talk with you about. I don't know how to give details without blathering, here. I'm just going to say that my father had a completely shitty upbringing and that he made changes in his life before he ever met my mother to completely turn that around. This was not an insignificant thing. Earlier this week, my mother, while eating dinner publicly in a restaurant, threw his having been abused in his face. She did this while also trying to bully hi...

Welcome back to the 80's? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj_fc6bG8aE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj_fc6bG8aE

Actual headline: Montana GOP Congressional Candidate Cited With Misdemeanor Assault of Reporter It is probably legitimately how the law categorizes what level of charge to bring, what type of injury is documented. However, if he put his hands around someone's throat and threw them to the ground, his intent was clearly not minor. He could easily have pushed just a little too hard in just the wrong place or the reporter could have fallen just the wrong way. You don't charge people with what they could have done, but his intentions and behavior were not minor. Too bad newspapers pulling their endorsements probably doesn't have the impact it might once have had. http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/montana-congressional-candidate-allegedly-assaults-newspaper-reporter-n764421 http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/montana-congressional-candidate-allegedly-assaults-newspaper-reporter-n764421

Merriam-Webster weighs in on Montana. Normally, you should not read comments, but this exchange is gold: > Can someone make a word for something that directly produces both fire and shade at the same time? >"Balrog." You're welcome. "Lookups for 'body slam' are up 136,900% ..." https://twitter.com/MerriamWebster/status/867571562844651521 Link for how to style "body slam": https://twitter.com/MerriamWebster/status/867575994944811008 https://twitter.com/MerriamWebster/status/867571562844651521

Sigh. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/may/24/us-officials-leak-more-manchester-details-hours-after-uk-rebuke https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/may/24/us-officials-leak-more-manchester-details-hours-after-uk-rebuke

This review of 'Sweet Jesus' ice cream shop in Toronto cracketh me up. I mean, the reviewer is a bit clueless about Cinco de Mayo but that does little to take away from the snarky, vitriolic description. P.S. If you're going to name an ice cream cone after a major drug lord, you ought to at least have thrown some of his product in there. P.P.S. There is a definite hipster bro tone to the ownership. Like, they can't quite figure out where that line is that they shouldn't cross. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/torontos-most-overrated-ice-cream-and-where-you-should-go-instead/article30106615/ https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/torontos-most-overrated-ice-cream-and-where-you-should-go-instead/article30106615/

So, handwriting. The first two are some old notes, so the messy version when writing during a lecture. Yes, I take notes in color in real time, leave me alone. The recipe (which is really tasty) is just casual writing but on purpose. I'm sure I have a terrible scribbled note somewhere, but this is what happens when you grow up with a mother who taught cursive writing. You should see her handwriting.

Clearly works better than using a bit of creeper held under the dorsal guiding feathers. http://nypost.com/2017/05/24/cops-catch-pigeon-with-backpack-of-drugs/ http://nypost.com/2017/05/24/cops-catch-pigeon-with-backpack-of-drugs/

This is helpful in that it is a relatively concise reminder of why this isn't simply prurient political hating and baiting. At least, it's helpful as a reminder to me of why I should neither get totally overwhelmed and give up, nor tolerate and accept our current climate. http://www.npr.org/2017/05/24/529781094/why-the-russia-investigation-matters-and-why-you-should-care http://www.npr.org/2017/05/24/529781094/why-the-russia-investigation-matters-and-why-you-should-care

Oo, it's all tingly! Wait. http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/05/22/529151256/if-raw-fruits-or-veggies-give-you-a-tingly-mouth-it-s-a-real-syndrome http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/05/22/529151256/if-raw-fruits-or-veggies-give-you-a-tingly-mouth-it-s-a-real-syndrome

A picture is worth 1000 words.(I'm just amused by the photo and the fact that it looks like someone is smiling at a funeral.) https://www.vox.com/world/2017/5/24/15684774/donald-trump-pope-meeting-vatican-photo https://www.vox.com/world/2017/5/24/15684774/donald-trump-pope-meeting-vatican-photo

Terrible video but psychedelic rock from the 60's that makes no sense only it kind of does, especially these days. #waybackwednesday https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rw1_FNdy-Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rw1_FNdy-Y

I don't know if any of you are watching the current season of Doctor Who, but here's my catch up review of last week's episode, "Oxygen". I will say that this episode may have my favorite line of any episode yet. It probably shouldn't be, but it was so well delivered. Overall not a bad episode, but the ending is not in its favor. There's some good moments and some good character development, not all of which will be dissected below. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1) I sense a gratuitous nerd/geek reference to Star Trek. Well, I mean, it was a straight up Star Trek reference. There's also a classic biblical quote that I always think of in terms of Handel's "Messiah". 2) A touching opening. That pretty much guarantees somebody is about to die. Ymmv. 3) Space zombies. Ok. (Shades of "Waters of Mars"?) 4) How many times have we been trapped on a space base and been unable to get back to the TARDIS? Let's see, th...

Well, he'll have plenty of health crises to deal with, no doubt. http://www.bbc.com/news/health-40010522 http://www.bbc.com/news/health-40010522

I like peaches. Do they grow them in the Middle East? https://twitter.com/Levitt_Matt/status/866669447133761536/photo/1 https://twitter.com/Levitt_Matt/status/866669447133761536/photo/1

Josh Schoof reminded me of these old Sesame Street things with the muppet Lefty the Salesman. I'm guessing this sort of character wouldn't fly nowadays. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfelvI_ikf4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfelvI_ikf4

This cracks me up. Snarky reviews of selected Arthurian films. Like this tiny bit of comments about Merlin: (Yes, I know: he's a late addition to the legend of Arthur. He was inserted by Geoffrey of Monmouth blah blah blah shut up. He's awesome. Merlin 4ever.) Snarky, but totally useful. I may or may not have seen most of these films. #nerd #nicolwilliamson4evar http://www.npr.org/sections/monkeysee/2017/05/14/528101431/camelot-on-film-9-not-so-brief-intermittently-shining-moments http://www.npr.org/sections/monkeysee/2017/05/14/528101431/camelot-on-film-9-not-so-brief-intermittently-shining-moments

I know this is about the worst third world situation imaginable, but I think there's something to be learned from this about medical education that is the opposite of fancy, high tech, and something we could learn from about how to teach medicine here. Not least that you don't have to scream at people to train them well. http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/05/21/523969459/why-a-surgeon-taught-a-non-doctor-to-do-brain-surgery http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/05/21/523969459/why-a-surgeon-taught-a-non-doctor-to-do-brain-surgery

Yes, this. http://www.npr.org/2017/05/21/529419470/muslim-american-thought-leaders-react-to-trumps-speech-in-saudi-arabia http://www.npr.org/2017/05/21/529419470/muslim-american-thought-leaders-react-to-trumps-speech-in-saudi-arabia

I think the article pretty well covers the issues. I particularly like this quote, although it hardly touches on the Trump family form of diplomacy. "But the Saudis could try letting women drive cars too. That would be good for entrepreneurship," http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/05/21/529417148/saudis-and-the-uae-will-donate-100-million-to-a-fund-inspired-by-ivanka-trump http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/05/21/529417148/saudis-and-the-uae-will-donate-100-million-to-a-fund-inspired-by-ivanka-trump

He's going to arm the middle east while claiming to be fighting terrorism and talk about how many jobs he's creating. The only historical examples I can think of where selling arms created a measurable number of jobs are major wars. Am I missing something? And he's going to make it ok for people to treat their citizens like dirt without saying a word. So, basically what we did as Cold War policy in, say, Central America. As long as your dictator is anti-communist he can do whatever he wants and we will support him. Just keep buying your weapons from us. I also find it vastly amusing in the sickest way that there is a Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology in Riyadh. In the country that exported Wahabism. And we're gonna create a joint Terrorist Financing Targeting Center "to formalize longstanding cooperation and search for new ways to cut off sources of money for radical groups" with Saudi Arabia. Right. Because none of the money that supported spread...

He's everywhere. Wait. What if there's more than one of him? http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39989986 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39989986

LOL. http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/05/19/529135011/will-someone-please-adopt-this-utter-bastard-of-a-cat http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/05/19/529135011/will-someone-please-adopt-this-utter-bastard-of-a-cat

This kind of sounds like a joke in places, but it has a serious point. Hollywood and advertising are kind of inseparable at this point. Even something silly like "Megamind" follows these tropes - Megamind is hydrocephalic and blue, the cameraman nobody notices is short and fat (until he gets turned into a super villain). You can imagine the names a kid with a skin condition gets called growing up. If you're not conventionally pretty, you're a bad person or at least an acceptable target. https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/why-does-hollywood-keep-equating-beauty-with-virtue/2017/05/18/8a9c1f72-397a-11e7-a058-ddbb23c75d82_story.html?utm_term=.a242a330d513 https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/why-does-hollywood-keep-equating-beauty-with-virtue/2017/05/18/8a9c1f72-397a-11e7-a058-ddbb23c75d82_story.html?utm_term=.a242a330d513

- locked - Mom started out being a complete and total beach this morning. I believe today's rationalization is allergies. But that's crap, because lots of people have terrible allergies, and lots of people get irritable, and they do not turn into people who make "jokes" about other people killing themselves, and tell people to frak off when they ask if they had a nice walk with their friends. Hateful and spiteful are not symptoms of allergies.

What necessary evolutionary niche do ticks fill, again? Any chance we could do without them? https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-jersey/articles/2017-05-20/lyme-disease-on-rise-amid-diagnosis-treatment-controversy https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-jersey/articles/2017-05-20/lyme-disease-on-rise-amid-diagnosis-treatment-controversy

The Onion but Not The Onion. http://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/paul-ryan-sets-google-news-alert-for-the-moment-when-trump-becomes-unpopular-enough-to-betray http://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/paul-ryan-sets-google-news-alert-for-the-moment-when-trump-becomes-unpopular-enough-to-betray

TIL James Beard was from Oregon. (I switched from CNN to PBS and they are doing a program about him.)

CNN says there's info that Russia was bragging during the campaign about relationship with Flynn and using it to influence Trump? But the Russians might have been exaggerating? And the WH response is that's not collusion and Obama admin didn't think so, either? It's a good thing this isn't a boat. This much leaking and it would have sunk, already.

Wait. This whole thing talks about what sounds like Trump and his team, whoever that would be, keeping Pence and his team completely uninformed. Pence knew nothing about Flynn, he was totally siloed away from all of it. And then concludes with this: Asked about a letter from Rep. Elijah Cummings to Pence on November 18 that warned the transition team about Flynn's work for Turkey, the source asserted: "I'm not sure we saw the letter." What, a letter from a current senior member of Congress to a former member who was the new VP just disappeared? Did the dog eat it? Give me a break. http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/aide-claims-pattern-keep-vice-president-pence-out-loop-n761916 http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/aide-claims-pattern-keep-vice-president-pence-out-loop-n761916

"If he took a dump on his desk you would defend him." Anderson Cooper to Jeffrey Lord. This administration is really elevating the opportunities for dialogue in this country.

What is with Alan Dershowitz? I AM A CIVIL LIBERTARIAN. Yeah, ok. The question you were asked was to differentiate between criminal obstruction of justice and political impeachment. OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE IS INVALID. MARSHALL JEFFERSON BURR. Um, yeah, right, ok. Whatever, dude.

Just a quick visual difference in Lake Ontario levels over the past few months. This is the same pier at Pier 4 park in Hamilton, Ontario. Hard to imagine that ALL over Lake Ontario the level has risen this much.

Those of you who would know, any thoughts, pro or con, about visiting the UP? Suggestions? Caveats? Mockery? Support? Eh? #sayya

Sounds legit. Good president, not so good candidate does not get you the job. However, it really ought to be a wake-up call that you can't just sit on your analytics and win. You have to be paying attention and do the work. If she has acolytes rather than professional political operatives with a sense of the street and the tools to use that info, well, maybe they ought to re-examine their thinking, too. She chose the wrong team and she listened to the wrong people and she made the wrong decisions as a candidate. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/05/19/biden-disses-clinton-i-never-thought-she-was-a-great-candidate-i-thought-i-was-a-great-candidate/?utm_term=.d2fff1085608 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/05/19/biden-disses-clinton-i-never-thought-she-was-a-great-candidate-i-thought-i-was-a-great-candidate/?utm_term=.d2fff1085608

Eloquent. http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2017/05/18/528985961/it-began-at-the-ditto-tavern-chris-cornells-life-as-grunges-true-seattle-son http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2017/05/18/528985961/it-began-at-the-ditto-tavern-chris-cornells-life-as-grunges-true-seattle-son

- much locked - While therapy seems to be being very helpful, it certainly drags up some awful stuff. Better out than in, I guess.

Authentic Ligurian pesto pasta - homemade pesto with potatoes and green beans on trofie.

You guys have done this before, so am asking thoughts re: sets of cookware. Mom's pots and pans are old and need replacing. Once upon a time I would have just gone to a department store and gotten a good to decent mid-level set during a sale, or something. Now, I'm not so sure. Also, fewer places to look for said cookware. Definitely do not wish to spend exorbitant sums. Thoughts?

And where do we go from here Which is the way that's clear #throwbackthursday https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x6SYcGLJ_Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x6SYcGLJ_Y

I am putting the link only so you know where I got this. It is just a rehash that provides neither help nor new info with an annoying scrolling thing at the beginning. I just feel like the opening few sentences pretty well sum it all up: What a year the last few days have been, huh? This is news in the era of President Trump. It slaps you awake, follows you around all day, intrudes on your conversations, interrupts your dinner, whispers as you try to sleep. #seemslegit #sob https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/18/us/trying-not-to-drown-in-a-flood-of-trump-news.html?_r=0

I suppose it's a bit early, but do we start hoping Mueller finds a smoking dress, or not?

in response to that charming tweet from potus, I'd just like to point out that witches were reputed to keep pussies as familiars.

Hi, Jeffrey Huo, I'm being lazy and not reading the original papers. What's the detailed info? Is this legit? https://www.nature.com/news/lab-grown-blood-stem-cells-produced-at-last-1.22000 https://www.nature.com/news/lab-grown-blood-stem-cells-produced-at-last-1.22000

This does not sound like Trump. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-reaction-special-counsel-measured-wh-source/story?id=47478461 http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-reaction-special-counsel-measured-wh-source/story?id=47478461

So maybe it is a bad idea to try to scapegoat Rod Rosenstein? I can only imagine the reaction in the WH to, in whatever form it took, the statement that 'in 30 minutes I am publicly naming a special counsel'. I know it didn't but I am wishing it included a postscript of 'have a nice trip' (trapped on Air Force One with your seething id of a boss). #schadenfreude What are the odds that this will drag out for years and still not stop the painful slow drip of infuriating misery? Only the British did a more thorough job of leaving the WH a smoking ruin. Congrats, GOP.

This musical is another one that's been distressingly relevant in recent times. Notwithstanding that there's narcissism aplenty, feel free to imagine the unidentified executives as the 7/301 Republicans who might actually be unhappy about Trump. Now, imagine Robert Morse is Paul Ryan singing not to his reflection but to Trump. You're welcome. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLEXE3oT3KA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLEXE3oT3KA

A/C - on.

I have worked for and around people like this, but never this bad. Unless the communications staff is the source of the leaks, which they cannot be for almost any of it because they weren't there, they bear no responsibility for his mouth and his and his people's complete incompetence at the jobs of being potus and running a white house and the executive branch of the US gov't. Not that that will stop him. He clearly has whatever frame of mind is required to believe nothing is ever your responsibility or fault. Thus worse than a child because a sufficiently young child is theoretically not capable of certain levels of understanding. Whereas, his scapegoating indicates he clearly understands the concepts of responsibility or fault. Although he conflates them and seems to feel that a specified individual has to be at fault for everything and it is never him. P.S. The communications staff is not a PR firm, and even a PR firm would have trouble with a client who constantly unde...

"Says things that don't resemble the facts" is NOT lying?? Come on, Kasich.

#waybackwednesday preview: what white house staffers are asking each other. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN1WwnEDWAM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN1WwnEDWAM

I have run out of popcorn and am concerned that I may start chewing off limbs. #darkesttimeline

This is what I made for my dad's birthday. I accidentally discovered that besides fruit pies, he likes cannoli. So I made him some. Part of that led me to read the labels on the available candied fruit you can buy in the stores. Sugar was the least of the toxic nasties. So I made my own candied citrus peel, after hunting down organic citrus late/out of season in the hope that it hadn't been impregnated or sprayed with nasty chemicals. Turns out making candied citrus peel is the most sciency cooking. It's just like embedding tissue for sectioning. Well, the fancier process that fancy confectioners use is. However, now that I have done it once, I would totally go get culinary glucose and use that instead of dissolved sucrose, esp since it is theoretically less unhealthy. Also, can probably do without hot sugar syrup. In any case, it turns out that it tastes infinitely better than the store-bought stuff, as well, so that's a bonus. Oh, and I hope some of you like candied c...

Great. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/15/sovereign-citizens-rightwing-terrorism-hate-us-government https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/15/sovereign-citizens-rightwing-terrorism-hate-us-government

For reasons explained below, #waybackwednesday from the musical theater vaults. I would love to play this for the GOP and Trumpkins. Please, let that moment come as soon and as painlessly as possible. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SdMra6u2Ow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SdMra6u2Ow

I know who wrote this, but I am still thinking it is a pretty accurate and disturbingly valid assessment. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/opinion/trump-classified-data.html?_r=0 https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/opinion/trump-classified-data.html?_r=0

I do believe I missed your birthday yesterday - apologies. Hope it was a good one and hope your sinuses are healing up well. :)

Hi, I'm bored. Let's read about what a cesspool Fox is. I feel like I've woken up in a sick alt history byzantine fiction. I suppose I should just borrow #shocking anymore, but I really don't like living in a sick, twisted modern day version of AGOT. It's only fun on TV. http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/05/14/fox-news-scandal-impact-politics-215135 http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/05/14/fox-news-scandal-impact-politics-215135

Reading about reviews of the SNL skit led me to this. Just shaking my head at the comments supposed to be from FBI insiders. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/05/10/new-fbi-boss-could-be-more-controversial-than-comey http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/05/10/new-fbi-boss-could-be-more-controversial-than-comey

This was on npr, but this link has more info and an interview with him. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/curt-lowens-dead-holocaust-survivor-wartime-hero-actor-was-91-1002760 http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/curt-lowens-dead-holocaust-survivor-wartime-hero-actor-was-91-1002760

Bad pun, no biscuit. https://www.apnews.com/03f6feff890a49268f075b5a1395052c/'Sting'-operation-leads-to-recovery-of-stolen-bees https://www.apnews.com/03f6feff890a49268f075b5a1395052c/'Sting'-operation-leads-to-recovery-of-stolen-bees

Rant incoming. This is absolute, unbelievable, indescribable bullshit. I simply do not have the words to express the total rage that this triggers. And it's true. The culture in the US puts babies on some sort of deified pedestal and the women that you have to have to have the babies are some sort of inconvenient afterthought of necessity. It is inseparable from the culture that is so adamantly anti-abortion in that regard. You can always find another breeder, but each baby is precious! Bullshit. Our maternal mortality is higher than how many other developed countries? And the fsking GOP wants to make insurance coverage of maternity care fsking optional???? Nevermind cutting off access to that care for the mothers who would have gone to Planned Parenthood. Bullshit. Do I believe it's possible that there are programs to train physicians not only in general Ob/Gyn, but in specialties like MFM (Maternal Fetal Medicine) that have critical inadequacies? Yes. And that's bullshit,...

Barfy cute. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39907481 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39907481

Inspired by Amanda Rose, I have two stories for you about the positive power of poo. Story 1: http://www.cbc.ca/radio/outintheopen/perfect-strangers-1.4100944/meet-canada-s-certified-super-pooper-1.4101295 Story 2: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/not-glamorous-doc-universal-donor-fecal-transplants-1C9884982 http://www.cbc.ca/radio/outintheopen/perfect-strangers-1.4100944/meet-canada-s-certified-super-pooper-1.4101295

I cannot believe how expensive ice wine has gotten. It's more expensive than sauternes. I live within 30 minutes to 2 hours of every ice winery in Southern Ontario; sauternes is imported from France. Unreal.

Good grief. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wMvItIDMPU&index=3&list=PLiZxWe0ejyv8SKbIlQ0GZDP_FT__V8yjX https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wMvItIDMPU&index=3&list=PLiZxWe0ejyv8SKbIlQ0GZDP_FT__V8yjX

I heard about this on the radio and finally watched on line. We got nothin' on this kind of pageantry. It's a freaking palace. Plus the EU anthem is Beethoven's "Ode to Joy". Ain't no school like the old school. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBmeb_pvBrY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBmeb_pvBrY

Candidate for weirdest video. Yet it somehow makes more sense than our government. Hint: stick around for the twist ending. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE7ez3HOMvc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE7ez3HOMvc

Oh, god, I'm old. http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2017/05/12/austin-powers-anniversary http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2017/05/12/austin-powers-anniversary

- much locked - This weekend is going to suck. It already sucks. First of all, as you know the relationship of just about everybody with my mother is at shit level. We are so burned out on compassion and every other decent emotion we just ain't got it anymore. Every effort she makes to not be awful is regularly undermined by her turning around and being awful. So I at least try to be enough in the moment to accept a not horrible thing for not being horrible, even though I know that something horrible will happen any moment. I do not want to harsh on anyone who does not have an exploded relationship with their mother, but I want to punch every single Mother's Day ad, promotion, commercialized guilt trip, etc. It's, like, way past time for the divorce but it can't happen yet for reasons. Meanwhile, there is accumulating shit related to my brother. And yay therapy for helping me to start to understand just how deep and long standing those problems are, but that does not he...

Kinda want. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/electroninks/circuit-scribe-draw-circuits-instantly ?

Possible contender for word of the day: ignominious. (Repugnant didn't make the cut.)

This is the guy who got lambasted at a town hall in NJ. I believe him that he was trying to craft a serious and thoughtful compromise to get a republican bill passed. I think he is lacking insight as to why he got yelled at. I am at a loss to understand how he thinks that someone in his father's position (no insurance while his mom had cancer)++ or his position (a seriously ill child from gestation onwards with insurance)+++ would be better protected under any form of the Republican plan than under the ACA? The odds of him ending up in debt would have been less under the ACA. Unless I am grossly misunderstanding something. Plus, he and his wife seemingly had choices and they had insurance. Does he not understand that people will end up uninsured under every Republican plan they've put forward? And it will not solve the problem he had, that of ending up in debt even with insurance for intensive, expensive care. It will probably make that problem worse. If this is what having th...

This is more fun than the other stuff. http://www.nbcnews.com/video/watch-live-200th-spacewalk-at-international-space-station-942305347875 http://www.nbcnews.com/video/watch-live-200th-spacewalk-at-international-space-station-942305347875

Opinions from knowledgeable people? http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/hacking-of-america/new-trump-executive-order-would-move-federal-cybersecurity-cloud-n758141 http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/hacking-of-america/new-trump-executive-order-would-move-federal-cybersecurity-cloud-n758141

Not linking to give him clicks, Trump tweet: Russia must be laughing up their sleeves watching as the U.S. tears itself apart over a Democrat EXCUSE for losing the election. I'm sure they're laughing, but I think it's at you.

Headlines are, necessarily, oversimplistic. Meanwhile, dreadnoughts are our future. Where's Jutland, again? https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/05/trump-wants-goddamned-steam-not-digital-catapults-on-aircraft-carriers/526386/ https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/05/trump-wants-goddamned-steam-not-digital-catapults-on-aircraft-carriers/526386/

Pertinent to a posting from one of you. https://www.merriam-webster.com/video/is-it-wrong-to-use-decimate-to-mean-destroy https://www.merriam-webster.com/video/is-it-wrong-to-use-decimate-to-mean-destroy

Skip picture number 9. Just keep clicking and skip it. Unless you like spiders. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/05/animals-week-5-may-2017/ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/05/animals-week-5-may-2017/

Somehow, I relate to these panda cubs. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/naughty-panda-cubs-make-adorable-10381479 http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/naughty-panda-cubs-make-adorable-10381479

You know how sometimes people joke about the list of names of people who need to be first to go? We're gonna need a bigger list.

I wish these things didn't keep coming to mind. #throwbackthursday https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8P80A8vy9I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8P80A8vy9I

Is it time yet for lovers of the subgenus asinus to start a campaign to make the GOP change their emblem? I mean, if I was an ass, I wouldn't want to be associated.

I think I may have mentioned that since I can choose to listen to NPR or CBC on the radio that I thought it was a clever plan to listen to CBC. Nope. Not only do the local stations occasionally actually play each other's programs (CBC plays NPR and vice versa), the CBC keeps covering the disaster to their south. Even Ici Musique, the French language station of the CBC has this stuff on the news. Even the comedy programs on CBC are making Trump jokes. Well, except The Debaters. But that's one 30 min. show a week. It's everywhere. Ima just curl up and weep hopelessly in a corner. #darkesttimeline

This has a link at the very beginning to the article that uncovered this guy. Do not read the link if you will be triggered. It is long and detailed on his and his cohort's abusive behavior toward women. It names him and a number of other people who are horrible retrograde examples of the worst of humanity and their online behavior towards women. To believe that none of them have carried this over into reality is stretching belief. There are regrettably but unsurprisingly overlaps with members of the GOP, especially the Trump GOP. The main article does not get into details, just the general facts and why he is up for possible expulsion from NH government. I know that there are procedures to follow, and that is appropriate, but it is very frustrating that you can't just kick people like this out on their ear and make it very clear that this is unacceptable. This is disgusting. http://www.npr.org/2017/05/11/527806966/new-hampshire-state-lawmaker-accused-of-online-misogyny-faces-...

Ok. So are we going to fight with the government (Medicare) and the insurance companies to start covering things like physical therapy long term? We don't want anyone ever using opioids again, we're busy scaring the heck out of everyone about nsaids, and you might be lucky enough to get 20 PT visits a year covered, but that might only be if you've had surgery. Surgery they will pay for, but is now being shown to be less effective than something like PT. http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/05/11/527915056/arthroscopic-surgery-doesnt-help-with-arthritis-knee-pain http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/05/11/527915056/arthroscopic-surgery-doesnt-help-with-arthritis-knee-pain

So hiding and hoping not to get out of bed does not seem to be working. The world and all its terriblenesses is still here.

Interesting. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-illinois-abortion-idUSKBN186306 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-illinois-abortion-idUSKBN186306

Oh, really. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-comey-decision-idUSKBN1862WP http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-comey-decision-idUSKBN1862WP

This is super cool. http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/05/10/527449714/a-lost-rice-variety-and-the-story-of-the-freed-merikins-who-kept-it-alive http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/05/10/527449714/a-lost-rice-variety-and-the-story-of-the-freed-merikins-who-kept-it-alive

Fun times. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hanford-nuclear-site-tunnel-collapse-causes-workers-take-cover-n756896 http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hanford-nuclear-site-tunnel-collapse-causes-workers-take-cover-n756896

OMG. I feel so much better, now. (Hi! Do you know about instant rewards?) #randyrainbowftw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77bZFgjM3l8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77bZFgjM3l8

Meeting with Kissinger will not further remind people of associations with Nixon. Nope. Not at all.

So, the latest new Doctor Who ... s p o i l e r s p a c e i s s o a n n o y i n g So close to brilliant! So close. Glimpses of possible genius episode that never quite achieves its potential. David Suchet is an amazing actor. They needed to use him more, good grief. Facial expression, vocal tone, body language. Super creepy! Classic haunted house, teen horror flick genre. Could and should have dragged it out to really make something of it. Two part episode would have been great. Better way to go would have been Suchet's character being the one with some plot twist connection to the alien(s) keeping him alive, or using him to keep them alive, or being an alien trying to survive. The whole father/daughter/mother/son thing didn't work. Probably because they didn't take the time to create a scenario in which it could have worked. Don't go for movie plots if you haven't got movie length amounts of time to work with. Speaking of the aliens, meh. Making them bugs that are...

Paging The Onion. http://makezine.com/2017/05/10/tiny-cooking-its-an-actual-thing/ http://makezine.com/2017/05/10/tiny-cooking-its-an-actual-thing/

Cooking conundrum: suggestions for what to do with a bunch of leftover flesh from lemons and oranges if you've used the peels for something else? Maggie Brazeau, Jessica Musinski, Mike Bruce, Christina L Brainard, Kenneth Cavness, Bueller?

And the Democratic Party couldn't leverage this during the campaign. -_- Trump’s worldview, based on hundreds of interviews in the last year and a half, as well as an extensive, ongoing study of what he’s said and done for decades, is that everybody is out to get everybody. Life is a zero-sum struggle, and you’re on your own. For him to win, others must lose. “Man is the most vicious of all animals,” Trump told People in 1981. http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/05/10/donald-trump-fires-james-comey-215123 http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/05/10/donald-trump-fires-james-comey-215123

On the second antihistamine of the day. Woo.

Neat. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39842975 http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39842975