29 Comments
founding

OK Gene I need your assessment of this COVID joke from the Czech republic.

"The flu and the covid virus were sharing stories in their favorite pub over beers. The flu virus said, 'You know I killed 2 million people this year and no one noticed'. The covid virus said, 'Well I only killed 1 million people this year, but I had a great PR team!'"

Is it any good or too offensive?

Expand full comment
founding

On that matter of Shakespeare authorship: "who done it" continues to stir debate among those scholars with tenure and too much time on their hands. Sir Francis Bacon was the first alternative author (of the more than 80 — so far…) suggested for his works through tortured reasoning including — and this is my favorite — cryptographic cipher and code clues in the plays and sonnets. One often cited example is the word "honorificabilitudinitatibus" in "Love’s Labour’s Lost," which has been rendered (conveniently) in Latin as, "These plays, F. Bacon’s offspring, are preserved for the World." Uh, okay… But, more eye-watering, is the conspiracy portion of the theory which has Shakespeare serving as Bacon’s beard to protect the latter’s political career (wouldn’t do to be known to write plays for public consumption) and nearly everyone around the two men knowing this but keeping silent. If pressed, I would have to confess that I believe it was, in fact, Murray who ran the concessions stand at the Globe. I have the uh...receipts.

Expand full comment

Regarding 'neopronouns': NEVER SURRENDER, JOURNOCOP.

Expand full comment

PLEASE let us have more purpose than to create AI.

Expand full comment

I will never relent on “infer” meaning '“imply,” or on the acceptance of, say, “irregardless.”

Gene, do you mean this disirregardless of who is saying it?

Expand full comment

Lynne Larkin is correct in her comment below. Having held high clearances (some of the clearance names were classified) it was beat into us how to handle classified documents. I suspect these politicos and aides don't get any training on this and if they do, they don't pay attention.

Expand full comment
founding

On the matter of those (1) declassified (2) planted or (3) material collected for the next International Paper Airplane Throw-Off to be held at Mar-a-Lago --- documents. (Select all which don't apply) --- word is the feds first became aware that many were still to be recovered when they noticed the offer of a classified document with every three night stay.

Expand full comment
founding
Feb 23, 2023·edited Feb 23, 2023

Many people in the lower echelons of all venues where classified docs are handled are trained to place such materials in safes or trash them in classified [mashed, swirled and burned] bags. It's the upper levels where people of varied experiences get access to them, such as TFG who's never even been potty trained, where so many errors/slips occur. Also, people such as Congresssmen have their staff members do everything, and that is also a mixed bag of training, TBH. Mostly in places like the CIA, you have to intend to take something [see "Petraeus, General" or "Ames, Aldrich"].

Expand full comment

Thank you for the pee research. Now I just need the cure

Expand full comment

Re Kevin McCarthy's mouth: It evidently (and understandably) went full bore on Jan. 6 when he got on the phone trying to get Trump to do something:

According to the recent book "Weapons of Mass Delusion," quoted in a Politico story:

“Well, Kevin,” President Trump said to McCarthy by phone shortly before three in the afternoon on January 6, “I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are.”

“More upset?” McCarthy yelled back incredulously, according to an account he gave a few hours later to a Republican colleague. “THEY'RE TRYING TO FUCKING KILL ME!”

Expand full comment
founding

Medieval Kneivel. I guffawed.

Expand full comment

Thank you for the The The link. A great band indeed.

Expand full comment

Q: This is Gene. I dunno if any of you have noticed it, but I have solved the problem of long delays between new answers. I figured it out in a Covid fever dream.

A: Spacing out postings, hanging onto some of them for a while, even though they're finished?

Expand full comment
founding

Just got the email 5 minutes ago, sorry to be late. I only want the socks because the Empress' feet have touched them. Wait . . .

Expand full comment

Valerie's animated GIF of the acrobat is superb -- love the drop down. Hire that nepo baby!

Expand full comment

So I, too, made it nearly 3 years into this thing and have tested positive. I thought it was a costume ball. I mean, I thought it was a cold. Joke's on me. And my colleagues since Monday I attended an all-staff in-service sans mask.

As for laughs, these captions were funny and all but I didn't actually LOL and cover my viral mouth until I hit Mr. Raffman's entry for G. Well done!

Expand full comment