Random observations and comments from the Fairfax County, Virginia, Curmudgeon-at-Large.
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Can we please hurry up and get this month over with? Having failed to alienate enough allies, Der Furor this week threatened to "bomb the [feces] out of" Oman if it interferes with his plans (such as they are) to open the Strait of Hormuz, and ordered the Department of Defense (not War) to scale back "insulting" (to fellow autocrat Kim Jong-un) military exercises with South Korea ; the national…
You may want to get something to drink and get comfortable ... this one's a major rant. Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, we present the award for The Left-Cheek Ass Clown for August, 2026 to The United States Congress, with Special Recognition to the Republican Majority The current session of Congress, the 119th, is the least productive in history. Under the spineless and inept "leadership" of…
We've had a few days to come down from the high of Monday Mountains, so it's time to get another boost of natural beauty as we once again visit the temporary home of Thursday Trees. 1 - a hackberry tree in Korea ... 2 - good morning, Treebeard ... 3 - 4 - 5 - this is how I feel most mornings when I stumble out of bed ... 6 - in the Kew Gardens, London ... 7 - monsoon forest in the Zhangjiajie…
Cartoon Saturday is still four days off, but I have a good collection of special cartoons I need to use while they're hot and topical, and so ... Welcome to the Special Edition of Cartoon Saturday! Today's theme: the Navy Der Furor wants. Here we go ... A brief summary of the features of the new DF-Class battleship ... Since Der Furor wants to refit the Navy's aircraft carriers to use steam…
It's time once again for your weekly fix of inspiring mountain vistas ... 1 - Half Dome, Yosemite ... 2 - Lake Ediza, Sierra Nevada ... 3 - Mont Charvin, France, with flowers ... 4 - San Juan Mountains, southwestern Colorado ... 5 - South Tirol vista, Austria ... 6 - Triglav sunrise, Slovenia ... 7 - The Breithorn, Switzerland ... 8 - Thor's Hammer, Bryce Canyon, Utah ... 9 - Wasatch Mountains,…
Yesterday we celebrated the birthday (in 1863) of Ernest Lawrence Thayer , author of what is probably the most famous sports poem ever written. It's a poem made for reading aloud, and I (in all modesty) can do a world-class rendition of it after a beer or two. With a tip of the batter's helmet to Mr Thayer, let's go to the bottom of the ninth at Mudville for the story of Casey at the Bat By Ernest…
Is it too late to quit my subscription to August? Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will soon be equipped with tactical gloves which will deliver a painful electric shock to "gain compliance from combative individuals;" Mike "My Pillow" Lindell lost his campaign for the Minnesota governor primary but - surprise! - refuses to concede the loss ... in a GOP-only primary; White House press…
Hello, and welcome to the latest collection of editorial and signage ya-has ... I think that the person who planned this sale moonlights for Der Furor's economic policy staff ... The climate change crisis is worse than I thought ... That's a relief ... Mike sent me this monument to the importance of kerning ... I wonder if they moonlight as advisors on Der Furor's Iran war strategy ... I think I…
Welcome back to the temporary home of Thursday Trees! 1 - A baobab tree. I always thought they looked as if they'd been planted upside-down ... 2 - 3 - I took this picture during a bus trip from Whittier to Anchorage, Alaska, in 2004. During the Great Alaskan Earthquake of 1964, the ground level dropped between six and eight feet, and sea water rushed in to cover the land. The salt in the water…
There's a fascinating article by Matthew Aucoin in the September, 2026, issue of The Atlantic - The Mysterious Art of Conducting - that looks at the history and role of the orchestra conductor, the dignified figure who seems to do nothing but stand in front of the orchestra and wave his or her arms while the musicians make music. The article clearly explains why, as orchestras became larger and…
It's time once again for Monday Mountains ... get your weekly fix of alpine serenity. 1 - Nice campsite, eh? 2 - Mountains against a bright blue, cloud-dotted sky ... 3 - Do you suppose this mountain is giving the finger to someone? 4 - A twofer: beautiful castle and beautiful mountains! 5 - Chocolate Lake, California ... 6 - Agnes and I on the Dachstein, in the Austrian Alps ... 7 - Kauai, Hawaii…
One of my favorite groups is The Statler Brothers, whose wonderful blend of great voices coupled with clever lyrics and memorable lyrics is (IMHO) pretty much unmatched. This one is a great example of their talent ... Here are the lyrics: When the sun wakes up in the west And lays its head down in the east When they ordain Madalyn O'Hair* And she becomes a priest When a San Diego sailor Comes home…
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