Sunday, February 13, 2022

Davids Daily Dose - Sunday February 13th

 


1/. We [Americans] are collectively "over" the pandemic, and the Dems need to cope with that....
Photo: Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

The American people are sick of the pandemic and the public-health mandates. Unable to end the former, Democrats are now moving to roll back the latter.

In a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey, 75 percent of adults declared themselves “tired” of the pandemic, while nearly as many described themselves as “frustrated” by it.




2/. Bill Maher - "New Rules" - Karma explained.....pretty good....he's back on form....



3/. What the hell is happening in the UK? The Times explains the Boris issue and 
indeed the Conservative Party's dilemma....

LONDON — British Conservatives, who have ruled the country for longer than any other party in recent history, are in an agonized, self-flagellating panic. Should they get rid of Boris Johnson, their populist leader, whose deceit and breaking of lockdown rules have infuriated so much of the country and embarrassed his party? Or stick with a man who, so far, has kept them in power?



4/. One of SNL's better skits - Amazon Echo, Silver edition......you may decide you want one of these.....



5/. And what the hell is happening in Canada? Ond many countries as well? 
Matt Taibbi has a theory....and you won't like it....

The White House issued a statement Friday, after Joe Biden chatted with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau:

The two leaders agreed that the actions of the individuals who are obstructing travel and commerce between our two countries are having significant direct impacts on citizens’ lives and livelihoods… The Prime Minister promised quick action in enforcing the law, and the President thanked him for the steps he and other Canadian authorities are taking to restore the open passage of bridges to the United States.

Translation: Biden told Trudeau his testicles will be crushed under a Bradley Fighting Vehicle if this trucker thing is allowed to screw up the Super Bowl, or Biden’s State of the Union address. Trudeau’s own statement that day came off like the recorded video message of a downed pilot:



6/. Fox News Sunday?



7/. Ezra Klein, with the benefit of hindsight, tells us how the Covid response 
could have been handled better....

If the C.D.C. had recommended better masks from the beginning, how many people would have worn them and for how long? If the Biden administration had flooded stores with cheap rapid tests, would people have used them? If boosters had been pushed earlier, and more loudly, would the United States no longer trail peer nations in vaccinations?

Put differently: How much would getting our pandemic policies right have mattered?



8/. Tom Tomorrow with his wisdom.....toons tell it all.....


9/. Every SB Half Time Show ranked by Rolling Stone......and you will love their #1 choice, and probably watch it again!

There is no gig in music like the Super Bowl halftime show. You have 15 minutes to justify your legend. You have 150 million people watching, most of whom are distracted by the nachos platter, how much beer is left in the fridge or how much of the rent they bet on the game. Chances are it’s the biggest worldwide audience of your life, and getting it right means rising to the hugeness of the moment. Best of luck to Sunday’s performers!

Related: How to Watch the 2022 Super Bowl Online

And with Super Bowl 56 set for this Sunday, what better time to rank the Big Game’s halftime shows from worst to best. Here’s a subjective, personal, irresponsible and indefensible breakdown of the winners and losers. The Bonos and Beyoncés and Bruces and Britneys. The Janets and Justins. From Prince and Madonna, from Michael to Macca. Plus the year they trapped poor Gloria Estefan in a Minnesota “Winter Magic” pageant with a bunch of figure skaters and inflatable snowmen. Believe it or not, all these Super Bowl halftime shows really happened. Some were transcendent. Some sucked. Pass those bacon fritters and enjoy the show.



10/. Bill Maher with one of the best "New Rules" ever......he is so right on this one.....



11/. If you are ambivalent about who you are rooting for for Super Bowl, read this....interesting....
The next next Tom Brady? Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

The NFL has come out of the last two exhausting years somehow even more popular and dominant than it was before.

The league benefited from a little luck early on: COVID hit American shores just after the 2020 Super Bowl, sparing the NFL any disruption for eight months and letting baseball, basketball, and hockey figure out pandemic best practices.



12/. The Chinese know what they're doing.....cynicism personified....


13/. This looks interesting.....coming in March....

Renée Zellweger likes the idea of people seeing the murdering Midwestern mom from The Thing About Pam and not realizing right away that it’s her. “Oh, gosh, if you don’t recognize an actor or an actress in a performance, that’s a great compliment,” the two-time Oscar winner says. “You’re not trying to tell your own story.”

The story of this series, which debuts March 8 on NBC, happens to be true, although that’s sometimes difficult to believe. Zellweger stars as Pam Hupp, a middle-aged mother and insurance office worker, who in 2011 became embroiled in a brutal slashing murder for which she is currently facing charges. 



14/. Often overlooked, film documentaries are great TV....

Just look at any streaming service’s offerings: Nonfiction cinema (or just “documentaries,” if you prefer) is in its heyday. Filmmakers are bending and twisting and experimenting with the form, and the results are often more exciting than what’s happening with their fictional counterparts. 

So it’s no surprise that this year’s Sundance Film Festival, which often premieres the year’s buzziest and most brilliant documentaries, was loaded with fascinating, challenging, and entertaining offerings. From playful explorations of the natural world to portraits of countries — and even one film shot entirely in virtual reality — here are the 15 nonfiction films to watch for this year, and where to find them.



15/. Can't wait for this series....wow!
Galadriel’s world is a raging sea. Far from the wise, ethereal elven queen that Cate Blanchett brought to Peter Jackson’s acclaimed films, the Galadriel played by Morfydd Clark in Amazon’s upcoming series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is thousands of years younger, as angry and brash as she is clever, and certain that evil is looming closer than anyone realizes. By episode two, her warnings set her adrift, literally and figuratively, until she’s struggling for survival on a raft in the storm-swept Sundering Seas alongside a mortal castaway named Halbrand (Charlie Vickers), who is a new character introduced in the show. Galadriel is fighting for the future; Halbrand is running from the past. Their entwined destinies are just two of the stories woven together for a TV series that, if it works, could become a global phenomenon. If it falls short, it could become a cautionary tale for anyone who, to quote J.R.R. Tolkien, delves too greedily and too deep.



Oscar nominated movies to watch right now!
Perhaps more than ever before, this year’s Oscar nominees are living on streaming platforms. Multiple films from the nominations lineup originated on streamers—Netflix has The Power of the Dog and Don’t Look Up, while Apple TV+ enters the race with CODA and The Tragedy of Macbeth. As such, it’s never been easier to watch the theatrical noir of Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley (four nominations) or the towering visualsof Denis Villeneuve’s Dune (10 nods) without leaving home. While a few films (Licorice Pizza, West Side Story) can only be experienced in theaters, many of the rest are a tap away. 



Today's video - time for one of the short horror movies....three chilling minutes.....this is a good one, called "The Picture"...



Today's Israeli joke
The coach had put together the perfect team for the Chicago Bears. The only thing that was missing was a good quarterback. He had scouted all the colleges and even the Canadian and European leagues, but he couldn't find a super athlete who could ensure a Super Bowl win. 

Then one night while watching CNN he saw a war-zone scene in the West Bank . In one corner of the background, he spotted a young Israeli soldier with a truly incredible arm. He threw a hand grenade straight into a 15th story window 100 yards away.
 KABOOM! He threw another hand grenade 75 yards away, right into a chimney. KA-BLOOEY! Then he threw another at a passing car going 90 mph. BULLS-EYE! 

"I've got to get this guy!” the coach said to himself. "He has the perfect arm!"
 So, he brings him to the States and teaches him the great game of football. And the Bears go on to win the Super Bowl. 

The young man is hailed as the great hero of football, and when the coach asks him what he wants, all the young man wants is to call his mother.
 

"Mom,"he says into the phone, "I just won the Super Bowl !"


 
"I don't want to talk to you", the old woman says."You are not my son!"

 
"I don't think you understand, Mother," the young man pleads. "I've won the greatest sporting event in the world. I'm here among thousands of my adoring fans."

 
"No! Let me tell you!" his mother retorts. "At this very moment, there are gunshots all around us. The neighborhood is a pile of rubble. Your two brothers were beaten within an inch of their lives last week, and I have to keep your sister in the house so she doesn't get raped!" The old lady pauses, and then tearfully says,.......... "I will never forgive you for making us move to Chicago!"



Today's cycle of life joke

1.  When I was 13, I hoped that one day I would have a girlfriend with big Tits.

2.  When I was 16, I got a girlfriend with big tits, but there was no passion, I decided I needed a passionate girl with zest for life. 
 
3.  In college I dated a passionate girl, but she was too emotional.  Everything was an emergency.  She was a drama queen, cried all the time and threatened suicide.  I decided I needed a girl with stability.
 
4.  When I was 25, I found a very stable girl but she was boring.  She was totally predictable and never got excited about anything.  Life became so dull that I decided I needed a girl with some excitement.
 
5.  When I was 28, I found an exciting girl, but I couldn't keep up with her.  She rushed from one thing to another, never settling on anything.  She did mad impetuous things and made me miserable as often as happy.  She was great fun initially and very energetic, but directionless.  I decided to find a  girl with some real ambition. 
 
6.  When I turned 30, I found a smart ambitious girl with her feet planted firmly on the ground, I married her.  She was so ambitious that she divorced me and took everything I owned. 
 
7.  I'm older and wiser now, I'm looking for a girl with big tits.



Today's Irish joke
A  Utah Mormon was seated next to an Irish Catholic on a flight back to the States from  London . After the plane was airborne, drink orders were taken.
 
The Irishman asked for a whiskey and a glass of Guinness, which were promptly brought and placed before him. The flight attendant then asked the Mormon if he would like a drink.  
 
He replied in disgust, "I'd rather be savagely raped by a dozen whores than let liquor touch my lips."

The Irishman then handed his drinks back to the attendant and said, "Me too, I didn't know we had a choice."



Today's true story.
A woman went to her rabbi with a serious problem. Her two female parrots had picked up a bad habit. Any time she had visitors, the two parrots would embarrass her by saying, in unison, "Hi, we're hookers. Want to have some fun?"
To her surprise, the rabbi broke into a smile, and explained that he had two male parrots which he had trained to pray and who had become very observant, spending much of the day praying in their cage. He was confident that, if the woman brought her two parrots over to his house, his two parrots would exert such a positive influence that her birds would turn into model parrots.
The next day the woman drove over to the rabbi's house and brought her two parrots into his home. As she looked around, she noticed a large cage with two parrots, each wearing a little yarmulka and tiny prayer shawl, and each holding a miniature prayer book while they rocked back and forth in prayer.
Sure enough, as soon as she placed her female parrots in the cage, they shouted out to their male counterparts: "Hi! We're hookers. Want to have some fun?"
One of the rabbi's parrots immediately turned to the other, squawking:" Moishe, put the fucking book down! Our prayers have been answered!"





Saturday, February 5, 2022

Davids Daily Dose - Saturday February 5th

 


1/. David Wallace-Wells on the state of Covid.....an excellent summary of where we 
are now, and where we are going in the future....
Illustration: Michael Houtz Photo: Getty Images
“Omicron is in retreat,” declared the January 19 headline of the New York Times’ Morning Newsletter, by David Leonhardt, which reaches millions of inboxes each weekday. That same Wednesday, according to Our World in Data, 3,830 new deaths were reported in the country — not just the highest figure in the Omicron wave but, putting aside a one-day post-Thanksgiving reporting anomaly, the highest since January 2021. 



2/. An SNL musical number, really good.....and note William 
Dafoe in an ad in the middle .....an amusing [and tuneful] 3 minutes....



3/. Umair with one of his more rational rants, but the subject will depress 
you - the revenge of Trump.....



4/. The Lincoln Project, taunting Trump.....one wonderful minute.....



5/. Bob Lefsetz with his interesting thoughts on the crash of Facebook......about bloody time, Zuck....

Turns out buying your way into the future is a bad strategy.

The biggest story this week for me was Facebook (I refuse to call it “Meta,” I’m on the fence with calling Google “Alphabet”) dropping out of the crypto game.

Facebook wasn’t first. Facebook had infrastructure. But when confronted with the concept of Facebook moving into the crypto sphere, seemingly everybody said NO WAY! This is what happens when you have a scorched earth policy towards competitors. When people have seen your trick and are now gun-shy.



6/. The more advanced we get, the stupider we become.... 



7/. Although this was written a couple of years ago, it's relevant today if not more so - the author looks 
at the fall of the Roman Empire and draws comparisons to our situation today.....
Well written and a fascinating piece of history.....
The fall of an empire is supposed to be a dramatic thing. It’s right there in the name. “Fall” conjures up images of fluted temple columns toppling to the ground, pulled down by fur-clad barbarians straining to destroy something beautiful. Savage invasions, crushing battlefield defeats, sacked cities, unlucky rulers put to death: These are the kinds of stories that usually come to mind when we think of the end of an empire. They seem appropriate, the climaxes we expect from a narrative of rise, decline, and fall.



8/. See if you can get through this five minute video about the brazen corruption of Joe Manchin without a rise in blood 
pressure....the most despicable scumbag in politics....
An excellent summary of this evil bastard screwing us all.....




9/. Tom Tomorrow sarcastic? Noooooo.....





10/. The Supreme Court is poised to make significant changes to our society in 2022.....think it 
won't happen or that it's just abortion? Think again.....

The Supreme Court’s six-member conservative supermajority will flex its muscle in a series of high-profile cases in 2022 that will agonize liberals while fulfilling some of the wildest dreams that have eluded the conservative movement since it came to power with Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential election.
The changes anticipated to abortion, affirmative action, gun rights, school prayer, rights of criminal suspects and the federal administrative state could transform U.S. law and upend American politics. This moment is the fruition of a decadeslong strategy by conservatives to seat justices willing to overturn elements of the New Deal order and rights revolution of the 1960s and ’70s that presidents and Congresses could not through executive action and legislation.




11/. The SNL cold open, I rate it only fair.....hard to be funny about Ukraine.....six minutes...



12/. Think of this story the next time you click on your Amazon app and buy some Chinese POS.........


I
t doesn’t take much imagination to realize that Amazon warehouse workers would benefit from having a union. The average Amazon warehouse worker leaves within just eight months – that’s an unmistakable sign that Amazon’s jobs are unpleasant, to put it kindly, and that many Amazon workers quickly realize they hate working there because of the stress, breakneck pace, constant monitoring and minimal rest breaks.




13/. We love Texas, don't we? Well don't we?






14/. A tiny piece of good news in an otherwise bleak week.....North Carolina may be getting some fair elections.....
And Madison Cawthorn may not be the House member from Asheville any more....
A protester holds a sign against gerrymandering during a voting rights rally at the White House.A protester holds a sign against gerrymandering during a voting rights rally at the White House.Photograph: Allison Bailey/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock




15/. Weekend Update #1....amusing, some decent ones....3 minutes...

Weekend Update #2.....the boys had fun with this segment, very good....2 minutes...

Weekend Update #3 - Peyton Manning.....also very good....4 minutes....




16/. And a little bit of science and geography for you.....watch why oceans and rivers don't 
necessarily mix together....a bit of "learnin" for ya..........



17/. Some good things coming up in the arts in the next few weeks.....from New York Magazine....





18/. Bob Lefsetz likes this show......sounds different, real and moving.....on Hulu....

So “In My Skin” is a BBC program, consisting of two five episode seasons, released in 2018 and 2021. It’s shot in Wales, so the accents can be hard to decipher, especially that of the main character, Bethan, so I advise keeping the subtitles on.

And “In My Skin” is not a theme park ride. Unless you consider everyday adolescent experience to be one.

You see Bethan’s father is an alcoholic, her mother is mentally ill, and Bethan oftentimes has to act like the adult of the family, all while trying to navigate her regular school and friend life. For those of us who grew up in a stable two parent family it’s quite an eye-opener, we read about this stuff but rarely experience it.




19/. You may have seen a preview of Movies coming out this year on Netflix, but here is a snarky story on how and 
why it was made. Some cutting humour in this story from the Guardian....
Read this first, then watch the Supercut.....makes it MUCH more enjoyable....

T
he worst part of anything film-related is the context-free montage. The worst part of going to the cinema is being pummelled with a context-free montage of upcoming attractions before the movie starts. The worst part of watching awards shows is being pummelled with context-free montages of all the films that were released in the previous 12 months. A context-free montage is less than a trailer. It isn’t even an advert. It’s a sizzle reel that reveals nothing about anything. There is no information. It’s the movie equivalent of sitting in front of the washing machine as a kid.


The Netflix Supercut....three minutes.....



Today's video - a classic.....the original "Born to Create Drama"....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzl86IjT
Today's short jokeA three year old boy was taking a bath and was looking at his testicles. He said to his mother: "Mom, are these my brains?""Not yet" she replied.
Today's maritime joke
A few days after his wife disappeared in a kayaking accident, a Bar Harbor man answered his door to find two grim faced Harbor Master officials:

"We're sorry Mr. Flynn, but we have some information about your wife." 

Cedric Flynn asked "Tell me, did you find her?"

One officer said, "We have some bad news, some good news and some really great news,"

Fearing the worst...Flynn said..."Give me the bad news first."

"We're sorry to tell you that this morning we found your wife's body in the Bay."

"Lord sufferin' Jesus!" exclaimed Flynn..."what could possibly be the good news?"

The officer continued, "When we pulled her up, she had 12 of the best looking Atlantic Lobsters that you've ever seen clinging to her...haven't seen lobsters like that since the 60's. We think you're entitled to a share of the catch."

Stunned, Mr. Flynn demanded, "If that's the good news, then what's the great news?"

The officer replied, "We're gonna pull her up again tomorrow."

Today's guy joke




Today's weeks worth of jokes

MONDAY

The mother of a 17-year-old girl was
concerned that her daughter was having sex.

Worried the girl might become pregnant and adversely impact the
family's status, she consulted the family doctor.

The doctor told her that teenagers today were very willful and any
attempt to stop the girl would probably result in rebellion. He then
told her to arrange for her daughter to be put on birth control and
until then, talk to her and give her a box of condoms.

Later that evening, as her daughter was preparing for a date, the mother
told her about the situation and handed her a box of condoms.

The girl burst out laughing and reached over to
hug her mother, saying,

'Oh Mom! You don't have to worry about that! I'm dating Susan!'

TUESDAY

A man went to church one day and afterward
he stopped to shake the preacher's hand.

He said, 'Preacher, I'll tell you, that was a

damned fine sermon. Damned good!'

The preacher said,

'Thank you sir, but I'd rather you didn't use profanity.'

The man said, 'I was so damned impressed with that sermon I put five
thousand dollars in the offering plate!'

The preacher said, 'No shit?'

WEDNESDAY

Brenda and Steve took their six-year-old son to the doctor.

With some hesitation, they explained that although their little angel
appeared to be in good health, they were concerned about his rather small penis.

After examining the child, the doctor confidently declared, 'Just feed him pancakes. That should solve the problem.'

The next morning when the boy arrived at breakfast, there was a
large stack of warm pancakes in the middle of the table.

'Gee, Mom,' he exclaimed. 'For me?'

'Just take two,' Brenda replied. 'The rest are for your father.'

THURSDAY

One night, an 87-year-old woman came home from
Bingo to find her 92-year-old husband in bed with another woman..

She became violent and ended up pushing him off the balcony of their 20th floor apartment, killing him instantly.

Brought before the court, on the charge of murder, she was asked if she had anything to say in her defense.

'Your Honor,' she began coolly, 'I figured that at 92,if he could screw, he could fly.'

FRIDAY

A Doctor was addressing a large audience in Tampa .

'The material we put into our stomachs is enough to have killed most of us sitting here, years ago. Red meat is awful. Soft drinks corrode your stomach lining. Chinese food is loaded with MSG. High fat diets can be disastrous, and none of us realizes the long-term harm caused by the germs in our drinking water. However, there is one thing that is the most dangerous of
all and we all have eaten, or will eat it. Can anyone here tell me what food it is that causes the most grief and suffering for years after eating it?'

After several seconds of quiet, a 75-year-old
man in the front row raised his hand, and softly said,

'Wedding Cake.'

SATURDAY

Bob, a 70-year-old, extremely wealthy widower, shows up at the Country Club with a breathtakingly beautiful and very sexy 25-year-old blonde-haired woman who knocks everyone's socks off with her youthful sex appeal and charm and who hangs over Bob's arm and listens intently to his every word. His buddies at the club are all aghast.

At the very first chance, they corner him and ask, 'Bob, how'd you get the trophy girlfriend?'

Bob replies, 'Girlfriend? She's my wife!'

They are knocked over, but continue to ask.'So, how'd you persuade her to marry you?'

'I lied about my age', Bob replies.

'What, did you tell her you were only 50?'

Bob smiles and says, 'No, I told her I was 90.'

SUNDAY

Groups of Americans were traveling by tour bus through Holland.

As they stopped at a cheese farm, a young guide led them through

the process of cheese making, explaining that goat's milk was used.

She showed the group a lovely hillside where many goats were grazing.

'These' she explained, 'Are the older goats put out to pasture when they no longer produce.'

She then asked, 'What do you do in America with your old goats?'

A spry old gentleman answered, 'They send us on bus tours!