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His explanation of Trump's explanations was even more awkward than Trump. I'm sure his media team will make an even wilder explanation than that. The "Yeah, but Trump was taken outta context and is really a good person" speech inception is starting to really freak me out. You've got people making excuses for the people excusing the excuses made the people trying to excuse Trump's excuses. And they're all apparently getting Sec/Asst. Sec appointments because...simulation.

Please work in an angle in your next 'Pickles' book where the shark appreciates electric boats because they don't leave so much liquid contaminant in the ocean. And one day attacks a bad man who wants heavy diesel on all boats, even ocean kayaks. I promise-I'll get you a prominent spot at the Children's Tent at the Texas Book Festival in '25 or '26

Wait, smell the marker or fitlump?

You gotta give the new Hitler Youth movement credit. Pastels are so much more festive than that drab grey and black they used to wear. It says, "I want to be oppressive, but I'm also here to party."

There's gonna be a bunch of groups like TXGR pop up in the next few years as the NRA erodes. Also, Murdoch could drug B.A. with one hit, within a 2-second window, to get him on the plane. But he couldn't hit a single target with an automatic rifle and 20 minutes. My arm issue is finally healing up, used a friend's Browning HP-Mark III (some special anniversary edition), at a range. Really liked it.

they banned a book that talked about the banning of books? Seriously? You could lock Ray Bradbury in a room with Hunter S. Thompson and 451 grams of mescaline and they couldn't come up with this shit. Let me guess what's next? Publishers have to take out insurance on the print-run in case the book won't make it onto library shelves, and the school board just so happens to offer re-insurance on that insurance? WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?

The Nicene Creed is one of the most frequently mistranslated tenants of Christianity. And that's saying something. But, as with most passages and creeds and doctrines---there are parts that stand out to me and are inspiring, a Light from Light---if you will. And other parts where I feel like John Torturo "That don't make no sense!" And I fully acknowledge that Christianity is not supposed to be "Luby's style", where you just pick and choose what you want and what you don't want. But then, why so many denominations? Isn't that the inevitable result of Cafeteria Style Christianity? My wife's cousin is probably the best and smartest Catholic priest I've ever known, and I've known a lot (I'm not Catholic). And whenever he comes to visit (conveniently for a KU/UT game of some sort guised as parish business). We have these robust discussions that even within Roman Catholicism, there are myriad orders and sects. I admire the work of the Jesuits, for once every century or so, some new pope would come along and condemn science and reason as an affront to God. But the Jesuit Order would maintain the findings and advancements in hiding so that all was not lost. If there is only one set of teachings, why is Christianity probably the most fractioned religion on Earth? Certainly geography and demography has something to do with it, along with translation issues across so many epochs and languages. The Old Testament is really just a historical account of creation, prominent Houses, punishments, lamentations, reigns of Kings, who begot who, and commandments. It's like "game of Thrones" without the Dragons. But it's not that complex a narrative. The New Testament gets a little more fungible, but the lessons remain the same---though we fuck them up at every turn. But other than translation issues and new applications to new times, neither testament is really that complex and difficult for adaptation. It's far less complex than the Quran or the Suttas/Abidhamma, the Vedas, or the Kojiki. Yet, it becomes the most poly-denominational religion the world has ever seen. Why is that?

I'm guessing like most "warning signs", it came from some kinda incident where a former POTUS almost killed themselves on accident. I think it's more of a concern by the SS not to want a former POTUS to die on their watch because of negligence so they just cleaned the board. I dunno, Trump has so little experience with firearms over the last 60 years and can barely negotiate a bottle of water...let alone a pistol at his bumbling age. It'd be in the best interest of the nation if he was given more weapons and more pills and encouraged to legally possess them to practice more.

I knew that former Presidents could still own firearms but they were never allowed to touch them with ammo. I'm sure there's some nuance where like Secret Service cleared the weapon so the former President could show it to a friend or whatever. I guess it's maybe that Trump customized pistol he received as a gift at that gunshop a few months back? Otherwise, there's no record of him at any gun club, shooting club, clay sports facility, hunting license, etc. since he left military academy high school. I dunno, I assume there's all kinda nuance to the rules, but W.'s former bodyman indicated that Bush could not handle a weapon with live ammo, even hunting. It was just something they have to give up. I assume back in the day of Teddy Roosevelt, it was kosher...but not anymore. But I guess, an exception could be made for, "Look at this tremendous custom weapon. Made just for me for how fantastic I am." I'm guessing with his eyes closed, some agent could make sure there was nothing chambered, nothing in the weapon at all but bullshit and fables. But if you gotta turn it over, you gotta turn it over. Every gun has a story, this one is just gonna be stranger than most.

Well I'm no internet sleuth, but what's her contact information?

They call Jimmy Hong to use the first pen?

I thought it was game #3 that was the nasty swamp-ass game, IIRC. I remember almost passing out in one of the far bathrooms that had no ventilation in the middle innings? Meh, 1 & 3 were both probably miserable. I remember game #2 was pleasant because we won, and because of that rain delay...though a little muggy that night...it was rather pleasant. I've been there other times besides the CWS and it's a great mid-sized city. Wonderful people. I'll leave it to the weather experts to explain the jet stream currents, but it doesn't get as miserable as other great plains/midwest cities of that longitude during the winter somehow. Still colder than most Texas could take. But yeah, it also gets brutally hot in the Summer, though it cools down nicely after dusk. Much as I hate Oklahoma, I'd prefer Tulsa over Omaha. Probably just for job purposes. Kansas City is another weird one up that way. Wife has a ton of family in/around that area. There's two cool little pockets and the rest is just the ugliest urban sprawl you've ever seen. With no topography or kind people. Almost none of her family gets together up there for holidays because it's just too far. They all say they live in "Kansas City", but in reality they're all like 40 miles from one another. It was a much more authentic city 40 years ago, but then---what wasn't? As the great Turk Pipkin once told me after some author next to us went on about how much Austin has changed since he grew up here before moving to New York, "Only time you worry about a Native Austinite is when they quit bitching."

A pair of new(ish) case precedents being set the last several years all around the country. Some version of: "Slowly reach for/drop your weapon and then raise your hands above/behind your head." -But I don't have a weapon! "You're not complying!" (opens fire, person had no weapon on them) Some version of: Good guy raises gun to person in threatening manner. Other person is unarmed and panics so attempts to strike the gun holder or grab their gun to protect themselves. Gun holder views this as an affront to his safety so they open fire on the unarmed person, claiming self-defense. The twisted version of this is you order pizza, amazon, or grubhub to your door. Delivery shows up, you shoot them claiming they were behaving in an erratic fashion and you felt threatened they were going to break into your home. All of these scenarios will only add up to a few dozen murders per year, but isn't one enough?

what about using one to power a boat near a shark?

Sad as this is, at least we know he has plenty of sharpie markers on which to tastefully write the names on the hull.

csb/ I went with a couple buddies to the 2009 CWS and we had to connect on the way home through DEN. And he was still fucked up from the night before and couldn't figure out the check-in kiosk deal (to be fair, those were still relatively new). So he has to go up to the counter and we're waiting on his drunk ass. And she's typing away, and can't find his reservation, and he mumbles, "I specifically booked from Omaha to Austin through John Denver airport." I still don't know if he was joking or having some kinda synapse issue, but the woman at United was not amused. I wonder if there's a JFK, Jr. airport somewhere? Quickly, to the darkweb!

That had to have been a legendary interview. "Kyle, I'd like to ask about your qualifications. Where did you attend college?" -I didn't. "Well where did you graduate high school?" -I didn't "When did you join our sister organization, the NRA?" -I didn't "Where did you receive training in outreach, fundraising, constituent relations, and so forth?" -I didn't "When did you realize you look exactly like the Bob's Big Boy mascot?" -I didn't "and what would you say is your biggest weakness is?" -I shoot too much. I mean, I care too much." "Yes, and what would you say is your biggest strength is?" -I once had a first aid-kit, I can shoot to kill, cry on cue, seem like the victim of molestation and look like a pedophile at the exact same time, and get kicked out of brewpubs and college speaking engagements on the reg." "when can you start?"

the only other really nice Spring like this in the last decade+ (cool evenings, ample rainfall, reasonable daytime highs) was 2020 during Covid. And that was a godsend because we had to find shit to do outside to get outta the house. But we had hell to pay that September/October when summer just said, "Ah fuck it, I don't feel like going home yet. Let's get another round." We always have hell to pay come August, it's just a question of whether it lets up by Halloween. And as nice as the precip has been, everytime I go fishing out in the HC, I realize how bad the drought still is. I really would like to have been there when they decided how far to excavate Lake Buchanan and Travis. And some junior engineer named Simone said that he heard from his cousin's ex-boyfriend's brother's friend who works up river at a Baskin Robbins that there's gonna be a lot of rainfall this year. So they all agreed to dig the lakes out 10' deeper than they should have. Ah well, was a wonderful spring in any event. See y'all underground in a few years...

As much as I hate Jim Jordan, he wasn't laughing at Moskowitz. You could tell by his chuckle and body language, it was a sort of self depracating laughter at himself at the Comer. Like "Oh shit, he's right...this is all fucking ridiculous." I almost respect him for having the self-awareness to laugh like that, "Oh lord, seriously...what the fuck are we doing here?" Most of the people up there have no self-awareness, but for 60 seconds, Jim Jordan was an almost a real human being. Then he reverted and yielded back the balance of humanity.

You know Biff, as a Student of the Constitution...lemme learn you something. the dumbass in the video would never know this, but technically...we are the United States of America, a Constitutional Federal Republic. First of our name, mother of dragons. For short-hand, Representative Democracy works okay, even in academia. Not a direct Democracy. But we say "preserving Democracy", despite Trump wanting to overthrow it, because most people understand that "Democracy" means somebody gets to vote for some stuff, be it citizens or elected officials---not just one guy at the top doing what he wants (foreshadowing). We have historically been reticent to use the term "Constitutional Republic" as a government and citizenry because for so long, it reeked of "Constitutional Monarchy", the very thing we've been trying to avoid for centuries. Where...yeah, there's this document and some input from some people. But ultimately the decision rests with one man." We are a Republic, rooted in systems of Democracy and Federalism as laid out in the Constitution. Technically, a Constitutional Federal Republic of democratic voters. But that won't fit on the OAN chyron. Not all Republics are Constitutional and not all Democracies are Republics. It's like when Newman tells us that all certified mail is registered, but not all registered mail is necessarily certified. He's one of thousands of MAGA folks I've met over the years who could recite the 1st and 2nd amendments to you verbatim and how dear they hold them. Now, with Trump having used it 500 times in the last few years, they can also kinda, sorta tell you what the 5th amendment is. But you ask them what's behind their back and they pull an Izzard, "What, these? It's just 1A & 2A, and a number of other amendments I don't understand." I feel like a lotta these dipshits are gonna feel like Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Charlie Wilson's War" when he's talking about the Helsinki station chief job and learning Finnish coming in real handy in Virginia. "I've spent the last 4 years learning the Constitution for Trump, which should come in real handy here at this deportation camp!"

Oh, you and your sanctimonious pride month humblebrags. Is there a third rainbow above that one we can't even see? Been drizzling here in close-in SW Austin for about an hour. But the thunder show out to my East is substantial for this time of day. Pressure hasn't dropped much so I don't know if we'll get much overall rain out of it, but between this and yesterday, not the worst start to a June I've seen in the last 15 years.

Not sure if the Chicagoland area embraced the concept due to weather. But during quarantine, I saw a bunch of those little "Tiny Libraries" pop up all over Austin. It's like a 2x2x2 box with a little glass door on a stump where people could leave books for one another and grab a new book to read. Since our girls couldn't go the library, they loved it. And then she'd zoom with her friends about the book, it was like a socially distanced book club. Plus it was a great way for me to get rid of our book clutter problem in the house. Anyway, couple years later our ISD Superintendent asked my serve on the "Library Committee." I said fuck no. It's the same half-dozen parents causing all the bullshit at our school libraries, and I can't stand a single one of 'em (sure they'd say the same about me). So I had an idea similar to yours. What I offered to take away the 'questionable' books from the school and put them in our HOA park's little library kiosk deal. Then our HOA just announced its election slate for this summer. And sure as shit, one of the women causing all the ISD library fuss is also running for my HOA board. I do not want to meet the Final Boss in "Karen: I'd Like to Speak with the Librarian."

Half tradition and half phobia. There are some smaller regional airports and private air strips named for corporate brands. But nearly every single major commercial airport is named for a President, Senator, Judge, Celebrity, Musician, or other Public Figure. Who all have one thing in common, they're already dead. With very few exceptions, the vast majority of people for whom these airports are named aren't here. It's a way to honor their legacy, obviously. But the reason they don't solicit corporate partnerships/naming rights is because nobody associates an airport with any sort of positive experience. Could even be associated with a crash. Sure, your team might lose at AT&T Center or Minute Maid Park, but you still had fun-right? Nobody takes an hour to get through TSA and sits on the tarmac for another hour and thinks, "Well, it was still a good time."

Bob, "Well then I have to ask...why doesn't the track just take the train cars directly...to the customers?" -Haven't you been listening, there are no tracks or train cars? What the hell is the matter with you people?!?

She looks like the Karen of "I'd like to speak to the manager of faces!" And I realized the kid looks like Manny from "Modern Family" fucked Kyle Rittenhouse while at A&M.