Empty larder days indeed…
The most popular name for boys in England and Wales is now Oliver, which is remarkably serendipitous in that, thanks to the new Coalition government’s savage evisceration of the social safety net, most of the children on that cursed isle will be begging for extra helpings of gruel very soon.
from The Awl
Scott is introducing Tube-Free Toilet Paper. Seems like a great idea to me – much less wasteful. Of course, I am partial to Northern TP, despite their recent 1/2 inch reduction in the width of their rolls. I generally regard Scott as the brand that is sold by single rolls at the corner store and, due to its unhappy combination of gauzy thinness and splintery roughness, is suited only to dire emergencies. So let’s hope the other TP manufacturers follow suit on shunning the tube.
In the comments section of the post, though, someone looking forward to trying the new tubeless technology complained that they’d just purchased 24 rolls – which for them was a year’s supply. I. Heart. Cars had this to say in response:
24 rolls in a year? What, do you tear off one square, stick your finger through the middle of it, wipe with your finger, then use the square to wipe your finger?
Of course, this all just reminds me again that using wads and wads of TP is barbaric; and that this country needs to embrace the vastly superior Japanese technology for bum-and-vag-cleaning.
from Gizmodo
Despite my gruff and embittered exterior, I am ultimately just a big sap. So I was unable to resist sharing this video of a guy sending a love letter via YouTube to his deaf boyfriend. Of course, the fact that he delivers the message while shirtless and is a hot piece by any objective standard doesn’t hurt either.
from Towleroad
You know, I think this is the first time I’ve agreed with her – things really were much better in California 30 years ago.
And here’s her latest campaign commercial.
via Gawker
There are so many things I love about my furry little (well, not so little) companion. But the one thing that never fails to turn me into a puddle is his purring. He purrs pretty much all the time – something I hope means that he’s happy with his life of leisure.
But the best of all is when he’s curled up next to me dozing, silent as a mouse. As soon as I rest my hand on his neck, his belly or under his leg, the purring starts up instantly. Maybe I’m not such a bad guy after all, if little tubby is any indicator…
I didn’t think I could love this dude anymore than I do… But then I saw this.
Former president George W. Bush appeared before a sold-out (!) crowd at the University of Texas at Tyler’s Distinguished (!) Lecture (!) Series. He was greeted by a standing ovation (!) and fist-pumps (!).
Looking back on his presidency (!), he had this to say about what he missed:
I miss being pampered; I miss Air Force One; I miss being commander in chief of an awesome group of (people).
Mr. Bush received two more standing ovations (!) during the course of the evening.
from Tyler Paper via Think Progress
The Freedom From Religion Foundation (of which I am a life-time member) sent a letter to the Superintendent of Hamilton County Schools in Tennessee, asking that the district discontinue the practice of praying over the loudspeakers at football games, graduation ceremonies and other official events. As FFRF accurately points out, this practice is an “unconstitutional government endorsement of religion.”
Hamilton County Board of Education member Rhonda Thurman had this to say:
Everybody is offended by something, I’m offended by a lot of those little girls running around with their thong panties showing, but I can’t make that go away.
She added that those who objected to the god-bothering could “put their finger in their ears.” Clearly, thong-wearing teens and government-supported religious rites are completely identical!
Jim Rogers, whose son is a football player at the school in question, incorrectly asserts:
(The founders) incorporated God into our money, the oath of office, our legal system, the Pledge of Allegiance. You cannot find one aspect of our secular government that doesn’t make reference to our creator…
Sigh. Every component of his statement is demonstrably false.Why can’t there be an amendment to the Constitution banning ignorance?
from Times Free Press via The Awl
So, Tron Legacy is coming out in December. And Disney (being Disney after all) is doing a full-court press with merchandising for the film – including these extremely glamorous shoes – priced at $795, no less.
So, Jezebel had a post about all of the Tron merchandise being marketed to women. And I’m sorry, but my comment on that post should’ve not only earned me a star – it should’ve been comment of the day! To wit:
Um, sorry, but that shoe is not being marketed to women – it’s being marketed to Tronsvestites.
Thank you! I’ll be here all week!
This is great in so many ways.
OMG, I can’t stop laughing. This is the second night in a row I’ve been home alone watching this, shrieking like a maniac…
This just shuffled onto iTunes and I’d forgotten how much I liked this particular mix of “Lady Marmalade”. I’m actually a pretty big fan of most of the music from Moulin Rouge!
And, day-um! These are some fierce-ass trannies in this video…
Vodpod videos no longer available.
OK, the nickname is sort of vomitous, but the idea is rather clever. Air New Zealand has announced that their fleet of 777-300 is being equipped with Skycouch seating. Basically, you get the whole row of three seats for the price of two-and-a-half and the seats can convert into a lie-flat surface for two. Granted, it’s a far cry from business class, but when flying from USA to NZ, I can see the appeal.
But the best part? This simple guide to the rules of the Skycouch:
from Gizmodo
I remain steadfast in my atheism. That being said, it’s quite delightful to listen to Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson preach a message of love and kindness toward others, rather than the hate-filled judgments that are so much more common. It seems a lot more in keeping with the actual teachings of that Jesus guy… I can’t even imagine how horrible it must be for gay kids growing up being inculcated with the belief that their sexuality makes them lesser in the eyes of the god they’ve been taught to believe in.
Also, I love Bishop Robinson because of his hilarious appearance on The Daily Show.
According to Bryan Fischer of the highly-Christian American Family Association, the gays were primarily responsible for the rise of Nazism, Hitler and the Holocaust.
“Homosexuality gave us Adolph Hitler, and homosexuals in the military gave us the Brown Shirts, the Nazi war machine and six million dead Jews.”
Well!
Fischer conceded that gays were persecuted by the Nazis — in fact, thousands were sent to concentration camps — but said this was “almost exclusively the effeminate members of the gay community in Germany, and … much of the mistreatment was administered by masculine homosexuals who despised effeminacy in all its forms.”
Twinks and bears – can’t we all just get along?
Honestly, though I suppose I oughtn’t laugh. People like Mr. Fischer are frightening and dangerous – particularly since they are still treated by the mainstream media as representing legitimate viewpoints in discussions of political and legal issues. Abe Sauer over at The Awl has a great write-up on Bradlee Dean, a creepy, homophobic “Christian” minister and how scary he and what he does really are.
from The Awl and Southern Poverty Law Center
Was reading the comments on Gawker about who pays for a date when I came across this gem from i’m a bottle:
I once was involved with a girl whose family considered it bad manners to not only not pick up the check but to not fight over the check. One evening ended with her mother handing her money to throw into the window of her aunt’s moving vehicle. This is a Chinese custom. Be advised.
OMG, Meg Whitman is so horrible and disingenuous and awful! And I love the fact that the audience is so very aware of it – her response to Jerry Brown is met with a combination of groans, boos and laughter. The audience is laughing at her – not with her! – when she lamely claims that when her campaign manager (the loathsome Pete Wilson) uses the word “whores” it is “a completely different thing.” Ugh, she is the worst!
Of course, to be honest, she’s more of a john, given how much money she’s already spent trying to fuck California in the ass…
from Gawker
It's a Complete Outrage 