Occasional Reader 3/8/2022 6:01:39 AM

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So the Biden plan seems to be to try to fill the gap in Russian oil, with oil from… Venzuela.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-07/u-s-in-talks-with-venezuela-amid-push-to-round-up-oil-supplies

buzzsawmonkey 3/8/2022 6:39:18 AM

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In #1 Occasional Reader said: So the Biden plan seems to be to try to fill the gap in Russian oil, with oil from… Venzuela.

You may recall I mentioned getting an email last week proposing that very thing, sent out by a former college classmate who's been a rabid Lefty journalist for years.

BTW, the "Marketplace Morning Report" on NPR was earnestly explaining how important oil is---not just for gasoline, but for fuel to transport things, and for all the stuff petroleum contributes to things like agriculture and manufacturing---as though their audience was/is not aware of all that.  Well, given that it's a Leftist NPR audience, maybe they're not.   

Anyway, after 5 or so minutes of explaining just how and why we're screwed when the price of petroleum goes up, they left the topic without having once bothered to mention that not so very long ago, back in the era of He Who Must Not Be Named, we were doing quite nicely as far as low prices and energy independence.  Oh, and by the way---Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia.  Oceania has never been at war with Eastasia.

Occasional Reader 3/8/2022 6:46:23 AM

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In #1 Occasional Reader said: Venzuela

Ugh.  Serves me right for trying to type first thing in the morning on an iPhone screen.  

I meant to write:  Valenzuela.  No, wait... 

Occasional Reader 3/8/2022 6:47:18 AM

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In #2 buzzsawmonkey said: Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia.  Oceania has never been at war with Eastasia.

Indeed.

Oil is important - who knew?!!

lucius septimius 3/8/2022 6:49:41 AM

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In #3 Occasional Reader said: I meant to write:  Valenzuela.  No, wait... 

Or "mi abuela." Which would be infinitely worse, really.

lucius septimius 3/8/2022 6:50:28 AM

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In #4 Occasional Reader said: Oil is important - who knew?!!

I thought energy came from magical sun and wind fairies

Occasional Reader 3/8/2022 7:58:40 AM

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In #6 lucius septimius said: I thought energy came from magical sun and wind fairies LGBTQI2SA+++ persyns

FIFY

buzzsawmonkey 3/8/2022 8:05:02 AM

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Reply to lucius septimius in 6: Reply to Occasional Reader in 7:

That must be the "light in the loafers" I've heard so much about...

vxbush 3/8/2022 8:13:33 AM

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In #2 buzzsawmonkey said: Anyway, after 5 or so minutes of explaining just how and why we're screwed when the price of petroleum goes up, they left the topic without having once bothered to mention that not so very long ago, back in the era of He Who Must Not Be Named, we were doing quite nicely as far as low prices and energy independence.

This inherit need in leftists to completely ignore facts from just over a year ago still makes me shake my head. You would think by now we would be use to this ignorance of reality, yes? 

Morning, campers. 

Occasional Reader 3/8/2022 8:19:50 AM

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In #5 lucius septimius said: Or "mi abuela." Which would be infinitely worse, really.

Speaking of which (sort of):

I was once again torturing myself listening to NPR on Sunday while driving back from dropping off Little OR with his mom; in particular, a show called "Latino USA".  The interviewed guests were, well, latinos, who were involved in filmmaking and/or film criticism; and of course, this being NPR, the theme was how oppressed!!!!  they are in racist AmeriKKKa, etc.  As proven by the fact that In The Heights wasn't nominated for Best Picture, or something.  

But one comical aspect of the whole thing was hearing the interviewer and interviewed stumbling around with the bullshit, made-up "Latinx" nonsense.  They kept trying to use it, and then forgetting to follow through.  For instance, the film critic guy said something about oppression! oppression! oppression!  of "Latinx actors, and Afro-Latino actors".   Hey, shouldn't that be "Afro-latinx actors"?  No, wait... "Afrx-latinx actors"? 

And then, of course, there's the name of the show itself.  PROBLEMATIC, as these Red Guard nutcases like to say.

These people would simply be risible, if they didn't have actual power, and aspire to much, much more power. 

lucius septimius 3/8/2022 10:40:01 AM

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In #8 buzzsawmonkey said: That must be the "light in the loafers" I've heard so much about...

Nice.

lucius septimius 3/8/2022 10:44:01 AM

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In #10 Occasional Reader said: Afro-Latino actors. 

Tweeet!  Tweeeeeet!! Dog whistle!!!!!

Everyone knows that "Afro" is a derogatory term, a way of mocking Africans because of their hair.

(no lie - I had a summer job that involved replacing every mention of "Afro-American" with "African-American" in a university library catalogue because the older term, a relic of the 70s rejection of "Negro" had suddenly been declared "raaaaaacist" by the Politburo).

Kosh's Shadow 3/8/2022 11:15:10 AM

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In #12 lucius septimius said: (no lie - I had a summer job that involved replacing every mention of "Afro-American" with "African-American" in a university library catalogue because the older term, a relic of the 70s rejection of "Negro" had suddenly been declared "raaaaaacist" by the Politburo).

Good practice for a job at the Ministry of Truth

doppelganglander 3/8/2022 11:42:09 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 9:

I just finished a fascinating book called "Patient HM" about a man who underwent surgery similar to a lobotomy for a seizure disorder in 1953. He was left completely unable to form new long-term memories. People he had met dozens or hundreds of times remained total strangers. 

It may be cruel to say so, but he would have been the ideal Democrat voter. 

vxbush 3/8/2022 11:47:37 AM

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In #14 doppelganglander said: I just finished a fascinating book called "Patient HM" about a man who underwent surgery similar to a lobotomy for a seizure disorder in 1953. He was left completely unable to form new long-term memories. People he had met dozens or hundreds of times remained total strangers.  It may be cruel to say so, but he would have been the ideal Democrat voter. 

Oh, wow. That does sound interesting, if horribly sad. I know years ago I read a story about a STEM professor (math, if I remember correctly) who lost his short term memory as a result of some sort of injury. He was able to teach calculus because those topics were, at the time of his injury, long-term memories. But he couldn't remember where he parked, who his fellow professors were who arrived after his injury, etc. He was able to stay gainfully employed, but his life had serious difficulties. 

Occasional Reader 3/8/2022 12:06:42 PM

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Reply to doppelganglander in 14: Reply to vxbush in 15:

See the film Memento for further details. 

Occasional Reader 3/8/2022 12:09:00 PM

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Reply to lucius septimius in 12:

I still say we run "Afrx-Latinx" up the flagpole, and see who salutes. 

(And of course there's the meme that's circulated on conservative sites for a long time now, along the lines of: "I've decided that the term 'Chinese' does not adequately capture the rich tapestry of ethnic diversity contained in that nation.  So from now on, I will be referring to such people as 'Chinx'. ") 

Kosh's Shadow 3/8/2022 12:32:56 PM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 17:

Reminds me of how relatives would refer to going to a Chinese restaurant (in this case, Ho Sai Gai in Newton, iirc), as "Go Chink's"

Kosh's Shadow 3/8/2022 12:34:25 PM

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In #18 Kosh's Shadow said: Ho Sai Gai in Newton, iirc)

Which sounds like a name for a Chinese gay bar, which would have "Sum yung gai" on the menu. (Couldn't resist)

buzzsawmonkey 3/8/2022 12:36:06 PM

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Reply to Kosh's Shadow in 18:

Well, they were going to fill the chinks in their stomachs...

buzzsawmonkey 3/8/2022 12:37:49 PM

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Reply to Kosh's Shadow in 19:

I always heard that one as "hung young gai guy"...

Occasional Reader 3/8/2022 12:55:48 PM

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Random thought: Would the Catholic church see something of a resurgence if they modified Mass to include tastings of really good wines?

"When supper was ended, He took the cup; again, He gave you thanks and praise, and said: 'This is a precocious Pinot Noir from a small producer in Oregon; it's strong on the vanilla, with hints of oak and tobacco'."

Kosh's Shadow 3/8/2022 2:23:51 PM

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I just got spam with my email address as the From field, and the subject was "New private message from your Russian girl".

Are the spammers so stupid as to think Russian is a good nationality to use as bait right now?

Occasional Reader 3/8/2022 2:52:01 PM

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In #23 Kosh's Shadow said: Are the spammers so stupid as to think Russian is a good nationality to use as bait right now?

That is indeed some amateur-level bait.  Definitely not master bait. 

JCM 3/8/2022 2:57:28 PM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 22:

After I stop laughing I have to yell, BLASPHEMY! 

Kosh's Shadow 3/8/2022 3:26:47 PM

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In #22 Occasional Reader said: Would the Catholic church see something of a resurgence if they modified Mass to include tastings of really good wines?

Only if they also served artisanal whole-grain wafers/

lucius septimius 3/8/2022 3:49:59 PM

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Reply to Kosh's Shadow in 26:

They already have gluten free ones.

Kosh's Shadow 3/8/2022 3:59:38 PM

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In #27 lucius septimius said: They already have gluten free ones.

Interesting, Gluten free matzah is not suitable for the mitzvah of eating matzah on Passover.

buzzsawmonkey 3/8/2022 4:28:51 PM

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Kosh's Shadow 3/8/2022 4:41:10 PM

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In #31 buzzsawmonkey said: I thought gluteny was one of the Seven Deadly Sins...

For some people, it can be deadly.