Motley Moose – Archive

Interrogatories

Have you or anyone you know actually bought anything from spammers?

Have you made the acquaintance of any Nigerian princes?

Have you ever tried truffles? Which kind, and did you like them?

What is your favorite charity?

Do you still read an actual newspaper? Which one?

The Twitter Emitter

In a stunning blow to satirists everywhere, Gov. Jan Brewer has outlawed the killing of guns by people.

— Top Conservative Cat (@TeaPartyCat) April 30, 2013

My govt passed legislation to make unions and First Nations more accountable. Also, my govt can’t account for $3.1B #cdnpoli

— Not Steve Harper (@pmoharper) April 30, 2013

Conservatives: “We are SO disgusted by Gosnell’s illegal actions that we want to make ALL abortions illegal so this happens more often”

— The Daily Edge (@TheDailyEdge) April 30, 2013

Before Twitter I used to have to fight with people I know.

— Joshua Malina (@JoshMalina) April 30, 2013

People like to imagine Me coming down to end civilization because it’s less scary than imagining being left alone and doing it yourselves.

— God (@TheTweetOfGod) May 1, 2013

My favorite thing about having a cat is that I no longer have control over my life.

— Matt Binder (@MattBinder) May 1, 2013

Ppl are giving their kids guns. A big day for me was when I thought mine could handle permanent markers.

— Hunter (@HunterDK) May 1, 2013

You wouldn’t want to let Plan B to fall into the hands of some irresponsible teenager — WHO WILL THEN HAVE A BABY.

— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) May 1, 2013

Life is like a box of chocolates. It’s really bad for you.

— God (@TheTweetOfGod) May 1, 2013

  Make sure you let your peeps know where to find you!  

Today’s funny:

[Senator Ted] Cruz is the Glenn Beck of the United States Senate, promoting new conspiracy theories just as easily as Mr. Beck adds new names to his chalkboard.

Twice a year, on the Solstice holidays, Basement Cat and Ceiling Cat are locked in mortal combat over the Light. At Winter Solstice, Ceiling Cat prevails and the light starts returning … gradually the memory of basement cat fades until the light and dark are equal on Spring Equinox. From that point on,  the light returns more rapidly and on May 1st we arrive at the midpoint between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice.

Interrogatories

How many of the month-long observances listed below apply to you?

What’s your favorite Mother Goose rhyme?

If you’ve ever really liked a TV commercial, which one(s)?

Describe the perfect sandwich.

What scarier, spiders or snakes?

The Twitter Emitter

I once had a big audition for an AT&T commercial but I dropped out halfway thru.

— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) April 29, 2013

Three cops have accidentally shot themselves in the last five days. Can’t wait for them to be in every classroom.

— David Waldman (@KagroX) April 29, 2013

Hell is reserved for people who believe others are going there.

— God (@TheTweetOfGod) April 30, 2013

@cdashiell Indeed. “A conservative is someone who stands athwart history, yelling ‘Stop!'”

— Jason Febery (@JasonFebery) April 30, 2013

Letting corporate donors pay for wedding catering is threatening my traditional marriage.

— David Waldman (@KagroX) April 30, 2013

When Jennifer Rubin & Ted Cruz fight, we all win.

— William K. Wolfrum (@Wolfrum) April 30, 2013

If the Founding Fathers were alive today, they’d quickly realize they probably should have worked harder to stay British.

— William K. Wolfrum (@Wolfrum) April 30, 2013

If you hate liberals and want a conservative religious gov’t w/no abortion or gay marriage, Iran is waiting for YOU.

— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) April 30, 2013

I guess it makes some sense that the WH press corps overstates the president’s power. That means they’re more important for covering him.

— David Waldman (@KagroX) April 30, 2013

“Why won’t Obama try harder to destroy all the horcruxes then use the Elder Wand to pass his agenda?”

— pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) April 30, 2013

Hard to tell the difference between White House press corps mindlessly feeding on Saturday, and “doing their job” today.

— Chris Dashiell (@cdashiell) April 30, 2013

Studies show that 100% of studies cited by right-wingers are phony.

— Chris Dashiell (@cdashiell) April 30, 2013

With God all things are possible; but with money all things are probable. And with a good accountant, they’re all deductible.

— God (@TheTweetOfGod) April 30, 2013

“Muslim headscarves? What a cruel & primitive superstition!” said the circumcised Western man.

— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) April 30, 2013

The best way to not lose hope is never to have it.

— God (@TheTweetOfGod) April 30, 2013

For those who are new … we discuss books.  I list what I’m reading, and people comment with what they’re reading.  Sometimes, on Sundays, I post a special edition on a particular genre or topic.

If you like to trade books, try bookmooch

I’ve written some book reviews on Yahoo Voices:

Book reviews on Yahoo

Just finished

(started and finished) Fletch by Gregory McDonald.  I. M. Fletcher, investigative reporter, is posing as a drug addict to investigate the illicit drug trade on a beach. Then a man makes him an offer: Kill me and I’ll pay you a bunch of money. Fast and funny.

Sleeping Dogs by Thomas Perry. The sequel to The Butcher’s Boy.  The butcher’s boy (a former hit man for the mafia) has retired to England and been living a quiet life for 10 years. But now he is recognized and comes out of retirement very fast.

Now reading

Cooler Smarter: Practical tips for low carbon living  by the scientists at Union of Concerned Scientists, a great group. These folk make sense, concentrating on the changes you can make that have the biggest impact with the least effort.

Thinking, fast and slow  by Daniel Kahneman.  Kahneman, most famous for his work with the late Amos Tversky, is one of the leading psychologists of the times. Here, he posits that our brains have two systems: A fast one and a slow one. Neither is better, but they are good at different things. This is a brilliant book: Full of insight and very well written, as well.

On politics: A history of political thought from Herodotus to the present by Alan Ryan. What the subtitle says – a history of political thought.  

He, she and it by Marge Percy. Near future dystopian SF set on Earth.

Visions of Infinity by Ian Stewart. A nontechnical look at 11 famous problems of math. So far, it’s a little too nontechnical for my taste.

Woodrow Wilson by John Cooper, Jr. A fairly admiring look at Wilson.

Measurement by Paul Lockhart. About mathematics and, especially, how it should be taught and learned. Lockhart is wonderful; his first book A Mathematician’s Lament was, in my view, the best book on teaching math ever written.

A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln and the 1848 US invasion of Mexico by Amy Greenberg. What the subtitle says, but very interesting. For instance, the 1848 war was the first US war to have a substantial group of anti-War Americans.

Just started

Good morning, Moosekind. Don’t forget to let your peeps know where to find you.

The common Moose, Alces alces, unlike other members of the deer family, is a solitary animal that doesn’t form herds. Not so its rarer but nearest relative, Alces purplius, the Motley Moose. Though sometimes solitary, the Motley Moose herds in ever shifting groups at the local watering hole to exchange news and just pass the time.