Saturday, March 5, 2022

It’s Only Censorship When We Say So

I see Russia has joined the techno-autocrats at Google, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram in the fight against misinformation. After effectively shutting down Russia’s independent media last week when they began reporting mis-misinformation, Putin has now shut down most of the Internet for the same infraction.

The interior forces came from Roskomnadzor, Russia’s censor, which Friday announced plans to block Facebook, which already had been throttled for several days. In a post on the popular Telegram social media site, the agency accused Facebook of blocking the free flow of information to Russia after it took steps to fact-check state media and restrict it in Europe. Roskomnadzor said it sent similar letters to TikTok and Google, the owner of YouTube. Twitter has also confirmed that its service is being restricted for some people in Russia. - WaPo

Autocrats of all breeds like to do that but I would have expected Putin to get a little more support from his Big Social Networks brothers-in-arm. Except I suspect this might impact their bottom line and that my friend, is where censorship gets off the bus.

misinformation

My favorite part of the Russian censorship story:

The BBC, CNN and other international news organizations said they were suspending reporting in Russia because of a new law that could result in 15 years of prison for publishing what government officials deem false news on the war.

They’ll not be putting their butts on the line for truth. But still: imagine being punished for simply reporting the truth.truth in media Unheard of!

 

deplatform truth deceit

Off-topic but on-Caturday:

a real cat in this pictureThere is no Norwegian forest cat in this fur coat. Nor is there a Russian Siberian forest cat.

In fact it might even be a dog under there.

snoopy

Friday, March 4, 2022

A Bit Of Quiet Reflection In Solitude Might Be Just The Ticket

2022It appears our trepidation was in order

I checked the headlines this morning: there is nothing that requires your attention. Certainly nothing you can do anything about. Therefore I suggest you light a candle,

260219ce6c778f966e286d7525589c680ba11c73

read a book,

what a book store should look like

or write a book…

take me there

…even if it never gets published.

Calvin's book proposal

Carve out a bit of solitude that allows the world to slip by until such time as you are ready to be in it again.

silence and solitude

When from our better selves we have too long
Been parted by the hurrying world, and droop,
Sick of its business, of its pleasures tired,
How gracious, how benign is solitude.

William Wordsworth

 

Thursday, March 3, 2022

Open Thread Throwback Thursday

It’s open-line Throwback Thursday: time to recycle one of the best squirrels of all time.

russia russia russia

It’s a useful ruse in many variants and applicable to multiple situations: from undermining a sitting president to diverting attention from corruption, inflation, Covid-fatigue, plunging approval ratings – so many things!

Just toss it out there and wait awhile.

spin cycle russia russia russia

P.S. The ‘sanctions’ aren’t working Joe, maybe you should consider including the U.S. purchase/import of Russian oil to the mix. Just a thought.

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

First We Get Rid Of The Mad Cows…

Allow me to state upfront my blood pressure is far too high to have watched the SOTU live. But I did read it, and others’ take on it, posthumously. Aside from the blather of praise from the Potato’s usual political hacks and MSM  cheer squad the highest praise I’ve seen for the speech was “it was painfully short.” Rantingly’s screenshot captures the essence:

Screen Capture #1349

He sailed along effortlessly, dropping such nuggets along the way as:

“You can’t build a wall high enough to keep out the vaccine.” 

Putin may circle Kiev with tanks, but he'll never gain the hearts and souls of the Uranian people.” (I think he was referring to the Clintons.)

There are too many other lies, mis-misinformation points and utter nonsense to document here. If you are really curious you will just have to suffer through it yourself.

Maybe it’s because we recently binged our way through Boston Legal, but Joey’s performance last night reminded me of nothing if not William Shatner’s portrayal of Denny Crane, one of the show’s protagonists. The 5 season show is essentially a chronicle of “Mad Cow” Denny’s descent into Alzheimer's. (Note: the show’s last few seasons seem to have been scripted by writers suffering from the same affliction.)

511AIE9m6HL._AC_“Don’t waste your time trying to get into my head. There’s nothing there. – Denny Crane”

We have here an egomaniacal, sometimes incoherent, sexually inappropriate senior who loves guns and is prone to a malapropisms. And then we have Joey B, presumed President of the U.S.. You decide which is worse.

joe biden shoots

But Joey told us last night he’s prepared to take aim and “tackle mental health.”  I vote he start with his own Mad Cow disease. Even Denny Crane finally conceded he was no longer qualified to argue a case before the Supreme Court. 

denny joeyDenny Crane Joey B: Pop goes the weasel. How are you? Denny Crane Joey B. Still cuckoo for Coco Puffs. Who's your daddy? Denny Crane Joey B. Pop goes the weasel.”

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

Time To Make The Paczki!

Today is Fat Tuesday: the day before Lent begins. Depending on where you hail from the day of debauchery is known as Mardi Gras, Carnevale, Carnival, Fasching.

mArdi gras mask

As we’ve discussed before, in Detroit it’s known as Paczki Day. There was a time not so long ago that if you didn’t live in Detroit or Chicago or another city with a sizable Poletown you would have never heard of the paczki. It was made just once a year and could only be snagged from authentic Polish bakeries such as Hamtramck’s New Palace, where people still wait in long lines for the real deal.

new palace bakery paczkiThe Paczki line

But since the dawn of the internet the popularity of this legendary pre-lenten doughnut with the unpronounceable name has spread far and wide. Every supermarket bakery and donut shop saw a golden marketing opportunity and hence rebranded their filled donuts as “Paczki” for a month either side of Ash Wednesday.

Grocery store donuts are NOT real paczki, no matter what the box they pack them in says.

Real,authentic paczki are made just once a year. They are made with eggs, flour, lard and grain alcohol mixed into fruit fillings like cherry, raspberry, apricot or – most traditional of all, prunes, now marketed as ‘plum filling’ by the fake paczki bakeries. They are topped with with sugar – granulated or powdered – or glazed with icing. In time New World flavors such as custard, chocolate and lemon were added to the repertoire.

authentic paczkiAuthentic Paczki

As the popularity of the pre-Lenten treat spread, so did the spin-offs and charlatans. Everything from Paczki Day vodka

paczkiShot_7

to Detroit’s American Coney Island paczki dogs.

detroit's American coney island paczki

Now, for a little coaching on proper pronunciation: A singular donut is a pączek, pronounced “poon-check.” Pączki is plural and pronounced “poonch-key” because Americans have a very difficult time with the actual Polish pronunciation which is more like “pownch-key.” But according to comments on this helpful guide, none of this is definitive.

Regardless of how you pronounce them, or whether they are authentic or not, get yourself out there and snag some delicious paczki – or a king cake if you happen to live near the epicenter of Mardi Gras in this country.

king cake

Savor your sweets today as Lent begins tomorrow. And remember: Lent is God’s way of giving you a second crack at your New Year’s resolutions. Alternatively you could follow JohnS’ lead and give up your New Year’s Resolutions for Lent. It’s all good!

Laissez les bons temps rouler i22

Post Script:

dog powdered sugar nosePaczkis? What paczkis?

Monday, February 28, 2022

Make Coffee Not War

I didn’t think it possible to grow more jaded. Sometimes I underestimate myself. But perhaps you understand. What with all the corrupt media,

catturd media corrupt

the war mongers (both foreign and domestic),

war mongers

and all the other miscellaneous liars and hypocrites perforating the peace I find that my capacity for being jaded has not yet maxed out. Unfortunately.

burned out and jaded

Being jaded is like being burned out…only with more cynicism: two things I do not need more of at my age. Plus weariness is catching and cynicism spreads as fast as the latest WuFlu variant. So…

chemex coffee

Full steam ahead! When I can no longer rely on coffee to facilitate an attitude adjustment I might just be dead.make coffee not war

Today I pledge that I will not let the idiots and the bastards beating the drums of war drum all the good out of life. Besides, it’s Mutt day -

mutt day dog waiting for coffee to kick in

and there are more important things to focus on.

Sunday, February 27, 2022

Honk While You Still Can

Let us take time to reflect on the world for a moment today.

honk goose

War on freedom is breaking out all over the place.

ukraine but canada still

It would be wise for us to squash communism wherever and whenever it creeps up on us…

nea indoctrination

starting with the classroom. Because once it’s embedded there it spreads out to every aspect of society and your freedoms will eventually be confiscated by the state.

you masked for it

Gracious me! I don’t know if this is Canadian maple syrup or Canadian whiskey.

don't know what's going on here but I want some_thumb

But somebody in Canada is sure pouring it on thick. Don’t fall for it. Honk if you value your freedom. While you still can.

honk