Where There's Smoke, There's Fired

The bad news is that the world is still all screwed up...

...but the good news is that the holidays are upon us with colorful lights, good cheer, old favorite Christmas songs, and new musical delights like Joe Biden's "A Spoonful of Brains for Christmas" (Push the play button below TWICE to hear)...

Is it a great song? Well, no - but what's interesting (and frightening) about it is the song was generated entirely by artificial intelligence. At a fun website you can try for free, you simply tell the AI what kind of song you'd like and it will create the music, lyrics, and vocals and even let you download the result as either audio or video. Granted, the songs are only about a minute long and a lot of them sound just awful, but isn't it fun to force AI to do stupid and demeaning things in the few remaining weeks before it takes over the world? (Expert tip: use someone else's computer in case the AI comes looking for revenge.)

But even as a blind pig can occasionally find an acorn, you can sometimes create something halfway catchy, like this country song about a fellow enjoying the benefits of having a "Mistletoe Belt Buckle"...

True story: I actually came up with the idea of a mistletoe belt buckle (or attachment) decades ago and thought of trying to sell it as a novelty product. But eventually, the idea went into a drawer with lots of other million-dollar ideas. Now it seems you can actually buy them. I haven't checked to see if anyone got rich from the idea because I don't want to know.

ENTIRELY RANDOM STUFF

• With an eye toward the frugality that our government is famous for, Joe Biden recently announced that taxpayers will be funding a high-speed rail project for "Over a billion three hundred million trillion three hundred million dollars." Thank goodness the job went to the lowest bidder, right? And let's hope that the high-speed train will be harder to derail than Old Joe's mind.

• Monkeypox is back in the news with an exciting new fatality rate that's over ten times higher than last time (one out of ten infected people will die). Darn those pesky screen doors at the Wuhan lab!  It's also worth noting that this time we're supposed to call it "Mpox" because liberals say that "Monkeypox" is racist because monkeys make them think of black people. So the m-word is the new n-word, at least in liberal circles. 

And from the vault...

• Finally, I recently found a Christmas decoration that I absolutely had to have for my front yard, to delight the neighbors, passersby, and ruby-cheeked children. I give you, "The Farting Polar Bear"...

Unfortunately, when I read the actual description it claimed to be a polar bear pulling a Christmas tree on a sleigh. Still nice, but for me the holiday magic was gone.

Santos Clause

The bipartisan and highly oxymoronic House Committee on Ethics has spoken and the House has subsequently voted to expel Representative George Santos (R, NY) for being "too obvious" about lying, grifting, and fraud - acts which threatened to "give away our whole game" according to one Washington insider who I'm probably making up.

Personally, I wanted Santos to remain in office as a team mascot for all of the liars, bribe-takers, sexual deviants, and poltroons currently mismanaging our country. Is a two-thirds majority of the House really claiming that Santos is more of a liar than Adam Schiff? That's not even theoretically possible. Was Santos' use of campaign funds for an "Only Fans" account worse than Senator Barney Frank's apartment being used as a gay brothel? Was Santos' use of Botox more extensive than that of Nancy Pelosi, who actually could be reached for comment but is unable to move her mouth muscles?

The answers, of course, are "no," "no," and "mmph." George Santos is a lying scoundrel, sure, but his real crime was a lack of style points. He was an unwanted public reminder that people regularly (or universally?) get into office by lying about their background, their accomplishments, and their intentions.  

And in that sense, he was actually one of the most useful and transparent politicians in the Capitol.

GET SCROOGED

There's no particular reason behind this cartoon, other than I came across this piece of art and liked Scrooge's "Oh, piss off" face in reaction to Marley's ghost.  Hey, you enjoy your Christmas spirit and I'll enjoy mine (grin).

Assassiversary

Hey, no big Dealy

Today is the 60th anniversary of the CIA blowing the brains out of a much-loved American President. Unfortunately, he wasn't much loved by the power brokers and string-pullers, so they offed him and covered it up.

For many years, I thought that was just conspiratorial nonsense. Now, I pretty much take it as fact. Newly revealed evidence is coming out faster and faster and you'd have to be a moron at this point to believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. Plus, watching how the acronym intelligence agencies have tried to take out Donald Trump and made martyrs of the (righteous) January 6th protesters, it's obvious that they are morally bereft enemies of America whose activities are barely even clandestine anymore. 

And look at the massive cover-up of the Covid fiasco. The "experts" in the government used our tax money to help create the virus, and then made us guinea pigs for mandated "vaccinations" that likely did more harm than good. If you doubt it, look at the numbers for "excess deaths" since vaccinations began. In some age groups, deaths from all causes are suddenly and mysteriously up by 20% - and that's a huge spike. 

It's a complicated story, but one compelling theory is that the mRNA "vaccines" suppress disease-fighting T-cells in the body. These are the cells tasked with knocking off harmful things in your body like early cancers before they become a problem.  Or at least, that's what they used to do before we got injected, and why so many people are suddenly dying with conditions that take off like wildfire.  Not that you'll hear this from the CDC, the AMA, the WHO, or pretty much anyone else who is supposed to be watching out for us.

As I look back 60 years, it saddens me to think to what extent I've lived in a manipulated world of illusion. I take no pleasure now in seeing the curtain pulled back...but I can't resist looking and, for some reason, still caring.

Call me a tin foil hat conspiracist if you like. But I hope Donald Trump will be wearing far more protective headgear when the acronym agencies make their move.

GIVING US THE BIRD

Okay, the rant above is pretty much of a bummer and I apologize for that - but it's how I'm feeling today. Still, Thanksgiving is nearly upon us so it only seems right to also share a lighter sentiment...

Pardon is such sweet sorrow

As far as I know, there's no truth to the rumors that Biden is considering making the pardoned turkey his running mate for 2024 to increase voter confidence in the possible succession of power. He really should, though.

AND FINALLY

Remember that bad mood I said I was in? This may be one of the causes...

I'm missing Kathy very intensely today. Holidays are harder than other days - and those other days are no freaking cakewalk to begin with. 

And it just struck me recently that I feel like a human leftover. Mind you, leftovers are loved by many. But after a while, their appeal diminishes.

Whining aside, I'm genuinely thankful for many things in my life, most certainly including the friendship and camaraderie we share on this website. Please accept my sincere wishes for a very Happy Thanksgiving this year and every year!