SoINeedAName

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s “Soup D’Etat” – It Will Make a Chill Run Down Your Spine

 Posted by at 2:09 pm  Politics
Feb 112022
 

By now, most of you have seen Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (MTG) claim on the right-wing network OAN (without an iota of evidence) that Speaker Pelosi is in charge of the “Gazpacho Police” in order to secretly spy on Congress critters.  But if not:

Transcript of MTG

“Not only do we have a D.C. jail — which is a D.C. gulag [MTG probably meant to say “goulash”] — but now we have Nancy Pelosi’s Gazpacho Police spying on members of Congress, spying on the legislative work that we do, spying on our staff, and spying on American citizens that want to come talk to their representatives.”

Just to clear things up, @RepMTG

Gazpacho: a vegetable-based Spanish cold soup

Gestapo: Nazi Germany’s secret police

 

It’s not the first time that MTG has served up some haute quisling.  With this malaprop she’s doing her best Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi imitation by declaring: “No Democracy for you!!”

And if you thought the Twitterverse was going to pass up a golden opportunity to mock MTG’s confusing “Gestapo” with “Gazpacho”, you’d be wrong!  So, let’s enjoy a few …

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thought Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) put a wonderful positive spin while throwing huge shade on MTG’s ignorance:

 

It’s easy to agree that MTG makes Sarah Palin look smart in the same way that Trump makes Dubya look presidential.  And I realize that half the entire population has an IQ below 100.  But do republicans have to keep electing them all to Congress?

As you all know, olive doing puns – and I think here and now is the thyme and place for a few.  So, playing off her ignorance of history and lack of culinary knowledge (why, some mean-spirited folks have even called her a stupid bisque) let’s see what we can come up with.

First, my disclaimer: Having personally met a few members of Pelosi’s Gazpacho Police, I have to say they are consommé professionals.

With MTG’s endless invectives and lies, it’s obvious she’s constantly pandering to her bouillabaisse.

Next, she’ll be claiming that back on 1/6/21 Pelosi’s Gazpacho Police were searching those “patriotic tourists” for mazel tov cocktails.  And it won’t be long before she starts demanding all those foreign prisoners down in Guacamole be locked up forever.

When a reporter confronted her about the “Gazpacho Police” gaffe, she asked MTG if she happened to have ever even seen a Thesaurus.  MTG replied: “You mean one of those computer-generated dinosaurs in Jurassic Park”?

I guess we can all try to romaine calm, but record-shattering ignorance like that makes me want to drink an entire giraffe of wine.

Given her long history of unhinged shenanigans, I really think she has a lentil disability.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if she just admitted it and confessed: “Miso stupid.”

The truly sad thing is that besides MTG, all her buddies – Boebert, Gaetz, Cawthorn, the list goes on and on – are also all crepes.

We cannoli hope they all lose in the next election.

 

🎵 I say gestapo and you say gazpacho.

I hate the Nazis and you hate doc Fauci.

Gestapo. Gazpacho.

Nazi. Fauci.

Let’s call her whole term off. 🎵

 

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For Aaron Rodgers: A Dish Served VERY Cold

 Posted by at 1:58 pm  Politics
Jan 232022
 
EDITOR’S NOTE – A Sunday Smile Bonus: While we might not all be sports fans, most of us have probably heard about Green Bay’s quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, who LIED WRT his Covid vaccination status, then started spewing “Fox News” talking points and finally began bashing Pres. Biden for speaking the truth.
So when the Packers (who I actually like, after my Chiefs and Bears) got whooped by San Francisco 49ers last night, I learned I wasn’t alone in my contempt for Rodgers.  So I put together this Diary (for us old Kossacks) or article over at Daily Kos.  And as luck would have it, it reached the top of the Trending List.  So I decided to share it.

If “Revenge is a dish best served cold” then the 49ers last-second defeat (13-10) of Aaron “I’ll-Do-My-Own-Research” Rodgers & the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field last night was a frozen treat!

And the Twitterverse wasted no time in mocking an arrogant Aaron “Natural-Immunity” Rodgers …

 

Bottom Line:

 

And so Rodgers now has some extra time on his hands …

 

It does appear Rodgers is now able to keep one promise …

 

If only Mike Pence wasn’t such a “pu$$y”  …

 

 

Wonder if there’s a vaccine for that …

But maybe we should ease up a bit …

 

At least Dr. Fauci gets a break …

 

And the good news for the rest of us:

 

 

UPDATE: Oops! Forgot to include the link to my Daily Kos Diary/Post:

For Aaron Rodgers: A Dish Served VERY Cold (dailykos.com)

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Friday Fun: Thanks, Canada!

 Posted by at 8:18 am  Politics
Jan 212022
 

NOTE: An email that Mitch shared inspired me to put this homage together honoring our Canadian friends.

 

One has to admire the ability of our neighbors to the North to adapt to what might seem like unfortunate conditions – like WINTER!

But not only do they succeed, they do so with a great deal creativity and humor …

And when those Canuck scallywags get mischievous, they do so with a wink and a twinkle in their eye …

Some even display great talent …

But when Old Man Winter hits them with a wallop, they all pitch in to get the job done …

Although occasionally problems do crop up …

And when someone offers something for free, they’re more than happy to take creative advantage of it – even if “Some Assembly” is required …

But you can’t always take their pronouncements literally …

And they will NOT let Winter cheat them out of their entitled summer fun …

While it’s true that many Canucks love to hunt, their approach to our Second Amendment is delightfully unique …

 

Thanks to our Canadian friends, who have shown they are more than adept at turning lemons into lemonade!

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Weekend Update: ICYMI – Odds & Ends

 Posted by at 2:39 pm  Politics
Nov 072021
 

In case you missed it (but how could you?) – this was not a particularly good week for us Democrats, with Glenn Youngkin winning the governorship of Virginia.

BUT you might have missed this little tidbit:

ICYMI: Glenn Youngkin’s UNDERAGE Son Tried to Illegally Vote – NOT Just ONCE, But TWICE – in This Week’s Virginia Election

 

Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo provides the basics:

A little more details from WaPo:

About 20 minutes later, the teen returned, insisting that he be allowed to vote, saying that a friend who was also 17 had been allowed to cast a ballot.

Youngkin had emphasized “election integrity” as the centerpiece of his campaign to win the GOP nomination. He announced the formation of an “Election Integrity Task Force” of citizens who would work “to ensure free and fair elections in Virginia.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/glenn-youngkin-son-vote-election/2021/11/05/f5eb7ce0-3e62-11ec-8ee9-4f14a26749d1_story.html

Where’s the GQP outcry about election fraud?  Where’s the GQP outcry about illegal voting?  And why aren’t they calling for an “audit” to find that 17 y/o friend of Thomas Youngkin who DID vote – at least according to Thomas.

They obviously have NO knowledge about irony, but have an amazing familiarity with hypocrisy.

ICYMI: Melania Scowls and Rolls Her Eyes at TFG During World Series Game

This past week TFG & Melania went to the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves World Series game in Atlanta where the camera caught Melania trading in her smile for rolling her eyes, turning her head away and scowling.

But it’s hardly the first time Melania has let her true feelings show.  We all remember her famous vanishing smile during the Inauguration …

 

Or when she slapped his hand away while visiting Israel …

And my favorite: Who can forget her most poignant plea for help from Michelle Obama disguised as a gift from Tiffany’s:

As long as we’re enjoying mocking TFG, let’s compare how his visit with Pope Francis went compared to Pres. Biden’s visit a week ago.

ICYMIT: Trump v Pres. Biden on Meeting Pope Francis

Trump’s meeting with the Pope did not go well …

Compared to Pres. Biden meeting with Pope Francis this past week:

Pope Francis was not the only one at the Vatican who was dumbfounded when dealing with TFG.  A reminder of what an honest reaction to utter incompetence gets from a totally unbiased translator back when Donnie visited the Pope:

 

And here’s a side-by-side snippet comparing the same translator dealing with Biden compared to TFG:

What a difference having a caring, compassionate and competent President makes!

ICYMI: Biden Puts an End to Trump’s Weekly “INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK”

The other big story I’m sure no one missed was the ending of Trump’s FOUR-PLUS YEARS of promising “Infrastructure Week”.  But let’s review a snippet of TFG’s endless promise of “Getting it done”.

Oh, and when the GQP starts whining that Biden’s Infrastructure Bill and Build Back Better will cause inflation (and they will, because lies are all they have), just inform that SEVENTEEN Nobel Prize-Winning Economists disagree!

ICYMI: Nobel Prize Winners: Biden’s Build Back Better Social Safety Net Will EASE Inflation – NOT Cause It

Seventeen recipients of the Nobel Prize in economics signed a letter in support of President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion Build Back Better package on Monday. They refuted arguments made by Republicans and moderate Democrats that the massive “human infrastructure” bill—which would provide funding to expand education, health care, child care, and climate efforts—is far too expensive. 

The economists also came out in support of a proposed $2.9 trillion increase in taxes to pay for the program. The new rates, which would mostly impact the wealthiest Americans and large, multinational corporations, would represent the largest tax increase in decades. 

https://fortune.com/2021/09/21/nobel-prize-winning-economists-back-joe-biden-build-back-better-plan/

The signees, who are all currently employed as professors at the nation’s top universities, wrote: “Because this agenda invests in long-term economic capacity and will enhance the ability of more Americans to participate productively in the economy, it will ease longer-term inflationary pressures.”

That should bring you up to speed on those fun stories that might have slipped right passed you this past week.

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Spooky Halloween Bonus Prank – Courtesy of Mitch!

 Posted by at 1:49 pm  Politics
Nov 012021
 

Originally I was going to add this to my yesterday’s “Boo-tiful Babies” post – but it got to be so long I thought I would spread out the Halloween happiness and post it today.

Mitch was kind enough to send me a video of amazing telekinetic powers that would take my breath away if I were there back then.  One aspect I appreciated is they show you how they accomplished it.

It was created and filmed in 2013 at the ‘sNice Café & Coffee Shop in the West Village.  Mitch indicated that when he lived in NYC he was aware of it.  But sadly, it closed in 2014.  (It’s a cleaners now, which saddened Mitch when I told him.)

Enjoy this very clever and well performed video – courtesy of Mitch!

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Let’s Celebrate Halloween With Some BOO-tiful Babies

 Posted by at 3:28 pm  Politics
Oct 312021
 

With few exceptions, Halloween has become a universal holiday celebrated by almost everyone – not only here, but around the world.

So just because you happen to be one of those who made a point to arrive too early and found yourself in a Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU), doesn’t mean you couldn’t join in the fun.

It’s become a very common tradition to dress-up the preemies in cute costumes.  Many NICUs organize costume craft parties for parents and nurses to engage their creativity.  Parkland Hospital NICU in Dallas has special education students involved in creating the little one’s ensembles.

When I first started researching for this post, I had NO idea I would find as many different outfits as I did.  And even the ones with the same themes were interpreted a bit different.

It kinda got away from me, but not wanting to leave out too many, I decided I’d put them into GIFs.  I’ll start with one-offs and then move to similar ideas and close with favorites.

MISC

 

BEES

BOXERS

COWS

CRAZY CAT LADY

FLOWERS

LIONS

MERMAIDS

POPCORN

SUPERHEROES

TWINS

MY FAVORITES

The Viking with a beard; the Chipotle burrito; the skeleton with candy in his tummy; the mouse with all that cheese; the fire-breathing dragon

 

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Weekend Whimsy: It Just Wouldn’t Be Autumn Without …

 Posted by at 1:13 pm  Politics
Oct 232021
 

Yep, my favorite time of year is once again upon us.  And by now I suspect you are all close to being experts on the science of the panorama produced by ending photosynthesis.  (Like that’s going to stop me.)

After a new leaf is fully formed, the tree will spend its energy on preparing for the next year’s leaf buds.  They rely on the leaves already in place to create and store food as carbohydrates/sugars for the energy needed for that new leaf bud.  Trees are unique in that they’re able to manufacture their own food/energy, courtesy of photosynthesis.

We all know the green pigmented chemical in leaves as Chlorophyll.  It utilizes the energy courtesy of the sun during the process of photosynthesis to convert water (from the roots) and carbon dioxide (from the air) into sugars and starches while giving off oxygen as a by-product.

Of course the green from chlorophyll is not the only color pigment that’s always present in leaves.  Equally important are the carotenoids (carotene and xanthophyll).  These pigments are used in capturing light energy needed in the process of photosynthesis.  It’s just that the carotenoids are masked by the green of the chlorophyll during the summer months.

Once there’s the nip of autumn in the air, as daylight hours shorten and temperatures drop, cells near the juncture of the leaf and its stem start to divide very rapidly.  This creates the corky abscission layer where the leaf will eventually break from the tree and flutter to the ground.  And then that corky layer serves to protect the branch through winter.

The rapid growth of the abscission layer physically blocks transport of nutrients needed by the leaf to manufacture the carbohydrates.  Consequently the photosynthesis that’s been creating chlorophyll ends.

And once the chlorophyll is gone, the carotene and xanthophyll chemical pigments that have been present all summer long now take center stage.

These carotenoids (carotene and xanthophyll) give their characteristic orange and yellow colors to not just leaves, but also to carrots, corn, canaries, and daffodils – as well as egg yolks, rutabagas, buttercups, and bananas.

When it comes to the forest, they provide the predominant color for about 15-30% of our tree species.  They’re most commonly found in the hardwood species of hickories, ash, maple, yellow poplar, aspen, birch, black cherry, sycamore, cottonwood, sassafras, and alder.

But there’s a third class of chemicals that leaves have (after chlorophyll and the carotenoids) that produce the reds and purples of anthocyanin.  Oddly enough, unlike the other two classes, anthocyanin has not been present in the leaves during the entire summer, but are created brand new – just for autumn’s fall foliage!

It’s a mystery why a tree would expend extra energy when it’s shutting down for the winter to use stored energy to create a new product.

We do know the brighter the sunlight during this period, the greater the production of anthocyanins – and the more brilliant the resulting reds and purples.  This direct proportion of redness to sunlight exposure explains why the periphery of hardwood trees are bright red, while the foliage lower down and inside are the more typical oranges and yellows.

Anthocyanins also account for the coloring of cranberries, red apples, blueberries, cherries, strawberries, and plums.  They are present in only about 10% of hardwood species – mainly maples, sourwood, sweetgums, dogwoods, tupelos, cherry trees and persimmons.

But in a few lucky areas — most famously New England — up to 70% of tree species are the type that produce the anthocyanin pigment.  That high concentration of anthocyanin accounts for the intense (but relatively brief) autumnal color display in New England.

So while other areas that enjoy a mix of tree varieties the colors may not be as intense, but the season lasts longer.

And this year, rather than individual photos of fall I’ve found a wonderful aerial video to share featuring foliage of New England:

 

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Weekend Wisecracks: Medical Student Bloopers

 Posted by at 5:38 pm  Politics
Oct 172021
 

PERSONAL NOTE:

I apologize for being somewhat sporadic in my contributions as of late.  Unfortunately, my 91 year-old uncle (by marriage) has been admitted to the hospital three times in the last two months. 

Fortunately, they were able to get him stabilized and into the Cardiac Rehab unit.  Last week we were able to move him to an Assisted Living facility.  He hopes to make it back to his apartment, but I’m not sure as he’s still on 2 Liters of O2 with barely acceptable FiO2s.

His 83 year-old sister (my aunt) lives less than a mile from me, and doesn’t drive, except to the grocery store and church.  He has a son (cousin), but he lives on the other side of the Metro, so I’ve become the designated driver for his sister – and it’s a little over a half-hour drive one-way to the Assisted Living place.

But it did get me thinking that maybe I could use a little medical humor to lighten the moment.

So I’ll begin with a classic story that’s frequently told on your first day of Medical School orientation:

 

Brand new M-1s (First-Year) medical students were being oriented to their anatomy class involving a cadaver.  They gathered around the stainless steel tank with the body covered by a white sheet.  The professor started the class by telling the students:

“In medicine, there are at least three important qualities a physician must possess: The first is absolute Respect for your patients, so treat these cadavers with respect during your dissections.

“The second is that you absolutely cannot be disgusted by anything involving the Human Body”.

As an example, the anatomy professor pulled back the sheet, stuck his gloved-finger in the rectum of the corpse, slowly withdrew it and then put his finger in his mouth.

“Now I want each one of you to do the same thing,”

Stunned, the M-1s hesitated for a long moment before one brave soul broke the ice and did as instructed.  Slowly, with great hesitation, they all stepped forward to take their turns doing the same exam, and all with disgusted faces.

When everyone finished, the professor looked at them shaking his head, and informed them: “The third most important quality is Observation.  If you had paid attention you would have noted I stuck my middle finger in the rectum, but sucked on my index finger.  Now learn to pay attention.”

 

Let’s enjoy a few actual entries by medical students in patients’ charts – obviously oblivious to the third quality: PAY ATTENTION!

By the time he was admitted, his rapid heart had stopped, and he was feeling better.

On the second day the knee was better and on the third day it had completely disappeared.

She has had no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband said she was very hot in bed last night.

Discharge status: Alive but without permission.

The patient refused an autopsy.

The patient has no past history of suicides.

The patient’s past medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a 45 pound weight gain in the past three days.

She slipped on the ice and apparently her legs went in separate directions in early January.

Between you and me, we ought to be able to get this lady pregnant.

She is numb from her toes down.

While in the ER, she was examined, X-rated and sent home.

When she fainted, her eyes rolled around the room.

The pelvic exam will be done later on the floor.

Rectal examination revealed a normal size thyroid.

Examination of genitalia reveals that he is circus sized.

 

And I’ll close with this well-meaning health information sign that was clearly created by a republican:

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