Here’s a fun video on the defenses of medieval castles. Basically, they were designed to be very difficult to take militarily.
Sadly, “medieval scalder” is a job that has been made obsolete by modern life, replaced by something like “ballistic missile launch technician”, which itself is soon to be replaced by Terminators. Chris Farley and Macauley Culkin, 1991. RIP Chris Farley. Macauley Culkin is 45.
In this Open Culture article, Jerry Seinfeld describes three keys to success as “Transcendental meditation, lift weights, espresso.” Compare this to my “four keys to happiness in the moment”: sleep, coffee, exercise, and down time. I am not claiming my keys will work for everyone or that, obviously, I am as successful as Jerry Seinfeld.
In truly important fashion news, mullets are making a comeback. While looking at mullets is enjoyable, reading (AI generated?) articles about them is even more enjoyable. Even just reading the headlines is enjoyable. Here are a couple from a site called Fashion Beans.
Subtle Mullets That Master the Art of Tactical Hairstyles
Professional Mullets With Elegant Style for the Modern Office
The professional mullet is a refined take on the classic mullet, tailored for the modern man who desires a balance between edgy and elegant. This hairstyle typically features a medium to long length at the back, gradually tapering towards the sides and top for a polished look. The texture is smooth with a slight wave, achieved through careful layering. This style suits those with oval, square, or diamond face shapes and works well with medium to thick hair. Differing from its wilder 80s cousin, this version combines the mullet’s rebellious spirit with a professional finish, making it suitable for both formal and casual occasions. In recent fashion, it stands out as a bold statement while remaining workplace appropriate.
“The Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act which…anyone?…raised or lowered?…raised…tariffs in an effort to collect more revenue for the federal government. Did it work?…anyone?…anyone know the effects?… It did not work and the United States sank deeper into the Great Depression.”
Recent outbreaks in US dairy farms, underscore the urgent need to understand the transmission pathways. The study aimed to evaluate the modes of introduction and transmission to dairy farms, through geospatial and exposure analyses. Our findings favour a singular introduction over multiple independent introductions, with non-waterfowl species exhibiting the highest dairy farm exposure, which is a major shift from historical waterfowl spread. Moreover, bidirectional spread between cattle and poultry highlights the intricate nature of disease transmission within the agricultural ecosystem.
medrxiv.org
just…can’t…resist…
I thought the State of the Union went okay for Biden. No doubt, a medically appropriate dose of a 100% legal methamphetamine prescribed by a doctor could help a person get through something like that.
Oh, but the Onion captures the spirit put out by the other party’s senile candidate so well…
Most frightening and/or depressing story: The war on terror continues, and the propaganda umbrella has expanded to cover attacks on any group labeled as “Iran-backed”. Fentanyl gets an honorable mention, but affects mostly the poor and miserable whereas the war on terror threatens to immolate us all.
Most hopeful story: The people who are in charge of the USA’s nuclear weapons still believe in the ideals behind the founding of the country, at least more than the rest of us. Okay, this is lean times for hope, but seriously this at least buys us time to figure some stuff out.
Most interesting story, that was not particularly frightening or hopeful, or perhaps was a mixture of both: I am not a great chef by any means, but all hail recipe websites, however pesky they may be, for helping me make edible food.
This is some seriously dark humor. But ha ha, also so true. You have to scroll forever to get to your recipe, and at least for me the mobile version of any recipe site is infuriating because it constantly crashes. And yet…what is also true is recipe websites have made our world better. Instead of winging a recipe, or relying on one book you happen to have lying around, you can find out the ingredients, measurements, and even watch a video of how to make it well. You can even look at several versions of a dish, then wing it, and it will usually come out pretty well. And if you wing it in the future, it will come out better than if the recipe sites did not exist. So thank you, recipe sites.
Lindsey Graham was on Meet the Press on Sunday, October 16 (yesterday as I write this) saber-rattling against Iran. I couldn’t help myself thinking of this catchy little hit from 1980…uh, what year is it now?
I looked up the lyrics to this 1980 song. Pretty offensive. Or, let’s go with intended as parody.
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb
Bomb Iran
Let’s take a stand
Bomb Iran
Our country’s got a feelin’
Really hit the ceilin’, bomb Iran
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb IranWent to a mosque, gonna throw some rocks
Tell the Ayatollah, “Gonna put you in a box!”
Bomb Iran. Bomb, bomb, bomb
Bomb Iran
Our country’s got a feelin’
Really hit the ceilin’, bomb Iran
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb IranOl’ Uncle Sam’s gettin’ pretty hot
Time to turn Iran into a parking lot
Bomb Iran. Bomb, bomb, bomb
Bomb Iran
Our country’s got a feelin’
Really hit the ceilin’, bomb Iran
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb IranCall the volunteers; call the bombadiers;
genius.com
Call the financiers; better get their ass in gear
Bomb Iran. Bomb, bomb, bomb
Bomb Iran
Our country’s got a feelin’
Really hit the ceilin’, bomb Iran
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran
(Let’s nuke ’em! Whoo!)
