Fletcher's Castoria: March 2024

Sunday, March 31, 2024

Powerline Pic

Sucks and Socks …

STAND UP FOR DEFEAT!

Around our home, we have many traditions ... one of which is the Polish one to mark Easter with a bowlful of Zosia's (Sophie's) white borscht sometime in the late morning ... while we are beginning to prepare for our Easter repast. This is a unique and very flavorful dish which evokes the old country. Here is the process of preparation as passed down from Zosia:

2 good quarts of cold water in a large enamel cooking pot
1 Polish Kielbasa (we get ours shipped from the East Village Market in NYC, 212-228-5590)

1 piece of smoked slab bacon (with the bones in ... optional ... from the same supplier)

Simmer these ingredients for 30 minutes ... don't boil!

Remove slab bacon and kielbasa and set aside

¼ cup flour (sour rye flour if available)
½ cup water
1 tbs salt
Mix together and slowly add to the above

Simmer for an additional 30 minutes

Add juice of one lemon

Add ½ cup of dried Polish mushrooms (try the Kielbasa supplier)

4-6 fresh egg yolks

1 pint sour cream

Wisk together and temper with a little of the hot liquid

Slowly add this mixture to the soup wisking all the while

Warning! if you boil this soup, it will break ...

Serve with peeled and chopped up hard boiled Easter eggs, small pieces of Kielbasa and the slab bacon. If you want to duplicate the picture, sprinkle on some parsley.

Grate fresh peeled horseradish root on top (to taste ... very traditional). Try your local supermarket for the horseradish root ... they often have it around Easter.

STAND UP FOR POLAND!

Good Sense

If I had a nivkel for every Joe Biden sensible idea … I’d have a nickel … but I’d have to give it back when he blamed it on Trump.

STAND UP FOR GOOD SENSE!

Mixed Metaphors

Insisting on tolerance opens the door to eventual intolerance. So, you drum-banging radicals, understand you are making your bed with burlap sheets.

Afterward; Obama seduced America with rhetorical poison.

STAND UP TO DEVIANCY!

Heaslines

Gaven Newsom requests pardon for award-winning producer

Key Fed inflation gauge rose 2.8% in February, as expected

Biden admin regulators set sights on credit card industry

Season of cicadas … trillions set to swarm

‘The last mile is harder’: Stubborn inflarion stalls Fed rate curs

Tesla’s awful quarter has Wall Street on edge ahead of delivery numbers

Behind the massive mail-in ballot push is a little-noticed executive order

Federal judge warns of Trump’s attacks in extraordinary rebuke

War looms for Europe, warns Poland’s Donald Tusk

Hundreds of trucks full of aid sit idle near Gaza border as crisis deepens

Georgia Republicans approve elections bill to adopt new rules ahead of November

NBC News chief on chopping block?

STAND UP FOR AMERICA!

Saturday, March 30, 2024

He’s Back!

With his well-honed analysis … a paean to Biden and a dump on Trump … or was it the other way? In any case, spend a few moments with Elections 2024. The Diplomad has resurrected himself in time for Easter.

STAND UP FOR COGENCY!

Interesting Factoids

Wellesley College

The total cost for attending Wellesley College next year will be $92,000 …. tuition, room & board, books, fees … not counting any student aid. This represents a trend and means that the wealthy can afford this expense … the very poor will be subsidized … and those in between will be screwed.

Once, 25% of collrge students came from the middle class. It is now down to 18% … a dangerous trend.

STAND UP FOT THE MIDDLE CLASS!

The Rear View

Use your imagination Pilgrim … conger up the image of Whoopi, Joy, Sunny, Sara, Ana and Alyssa … all standing up … turning around … and mooning America!

It’d would be worth a boatload of Emmys!

STAND UP TO ATTITUDES!

Headlines

Pro-Palestinian protesters interrupt Biden’s glitzy New York fundraiser

S&P 500 closes at fresh record, posts strongest first-quarter performance since 2019

VP Harris celebrates hundreds of thousands of jobs — in Central America

Pentagon in talks to fund peacekeeping force in Gaza …

Airlines report GPS jamming, Russia gets the blame

Baltimore disaster may be the largest-ever marine insurance payout, Lloyd’s boss says

Our two-tiered justice system: Trump lawyer and conservative legal icon John Eastman disbarrred

Update: Legal scholars push for Sotomayor to retire now …

Super PAC raises $1.2M after RFK Jr. announces his running mate

Japan flags ‘speculative’ yen moves, signals chance of intervention

Houston mayor says city is on verge of bankruptcy

Cheney draws big crowd in Iowa …

STAND UP FOR AMERICA!

Friday, March 29, 2024

Ingenious Complexity

Found this video on the daily timewaster blog. It details the complexity of an 18th century man-o-war. Watch it and appreciate man’s ingenuity in mastering the complexity of killing one another.

The video itself is a work of genius!

Afterward:

STAND UP FOR INGENUITY!

Barney Google

Click on: Google interfered in U.S. elections to kelp Democrats 41 times since 2008.

When Google was founded, its motto was “Don’t be evil.” Somehow it has lost its way.

Its new motto is “Do the right thing.” Guffaw!

Maybe Google should name its AI bot … which is based upon its search engine … “Sparkplug.”

STAND UP TO GOOGLE!

Today’s poser

Why wasn’t Hillary at yesterday’s big Biden fundraising gala?

STAND UP TO DARK-ER HORSES!

Send in the Clowns

With Stephen Colbert as ringmaster …

Afterward: Radio City Music Hall is so yesterday …

STAND UP TO AMERICA LAST!

One Word

Remember this scene from the 1967 film, “Mrs. Robinson?’ Dustin Hoffman (Ben) was given the one word key to the future … “plastics!”

Well, given that most plastics are petroleum-derived, this advice no longer holds. The key to the future now is “D.E.I.!” …

STAND UP FOR MRS. ROBINSON!

Headlines

As Russia attacks, Ukraine scrambles to dig enough trenches

Ahead of sentencing, SBF team argues for 5-6 years because FTX customers will get money back

Disney drops lawsuit against Gov. DeSantis after nearly two-year long legal battle

False witness? Trump attacks judge’s daughter … ‘Criminal contempt’ threat …

Hunter Biden’s bid to dismiss tax case meets judge’s skepticism

Yellen warns China’s surplus of solar panels, EVs could be dumped on global markets

Top centrist House Democrat joins Congressional exodus

Update: Puerto Rico declares epidemic after dengue cases soar …

2 bodies recovered in wreckage of Baltimore bridge

Putin says NATO won’t be attacked but F-16s will; Kyiv claims Russia knew terror attack was coming

Great: RFK Jr.’s sister worries his independent presidential bid could help Trump win election

Diddy’s dark world … Where is mogul?

STAND UP FOR AMERICA!

Thursday, March 28, 2024

In a Perfect World

Bernie Sanders would return to open up his posh Vermont summer lake “camp” and find it full of illegal-alien squatters.

STAND UP TO SOCIALISM!

Readers’ Contributions

On March 26th, Robert Frost would have been 150. Here a few recollections of what he said once to a group of Dartmouth freshmen as contributed by John D. and Rick R.:

Regarding blank verse: “Blank verse is like playing tennis with the net down. If someone tries to talk to me about blank verse, I tell them to go to Carl Sandburg.” (And Sandburg replied - "But with the net down you might do better...." they were pen pals.)

On poetry: “I never try to worry a poem into existence. A poem should begin in delight and end in wisdom.” (At which point Frost said it was like us --we were beginning college as freshman --presumably in delight -- and would leave as seniors with wisdom.)

His poem “Fire and Ice” … was sung by the Dartmouth glee club:

Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice.

From what I've tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it has to perish twice,

I know enough of hate to say that for destruction, ice is also nice and would suffice.

STAND UP FOR ROBERT FROST!

Diddy

Pilgrim, I am a mite angry when I see an accused serial pedophile Diddy festooned with Christian crosses. Did he believe he was performing sacred rites?

STAND UP TO PEDOPHILES!

Headlines

France’s Macron rattled as EU election defeat looms

Mortgage demand stalls, even as interest rates moderate

FBI claims no indication of terrorism in Baltimore bridge collapse

Biden: Government will pay ‘entire cost’ of rebuilding Baltimore bridge

Abortion proves winning strategy for Alabama Democrat

Ford sees opportunity for Mustang as competitors abandon V8 engines

Biden admin defends abortion pill access at SCOTUS

Search ends … Bridge to nowhere …’May Day’ saved lives …

Russia executed Ukraine POWs, UN report says

China meets U.S. executives as businesses navigate bilateral tensions

Biden says he used to take train over collapsed Francis Scott Key bridge which doesn’t have railroad tracks

Ronna out at NBC …

STAND UP FOR AMERICA!

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

AI Test Case

Just watching the National Transportation Safety Board’s press conference in which was described the multiple information sources related to the cargo ship accident in Baltimore harbor … and the likely gigabytes of data that needs to be analyzed to determine the cause.

Since Artificial Intelligence has been deemed the answer to all conundrums, why don’t we let all these various chatbots have access to this accident treasure trove of data and let them decipher the reason(s) for this tragedy.

I’m not optimistic for a breakthrough.

Afterward: Obviously, if the data set being referenced by the charbots was expanded with the comparable info from a few more such incidents, we might get a better answer. But, dear reader, think of the human intelligence and effort necessary to make this happen.

STAND UP FOR AI TEST CASE!

Campaign Interference

DA Alvin Bragg

In a clear case of campaign interference, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has teamed with Judge Juan Merchan to take former President Trump off the campaign trail for at least the six weeks that his upcoming hush money trial should take.

This stricture was compounded by another judge’s gag order just handed down … see full text of this order here. Essentially this “limited” order restricts Trump from directly or indirectly commenting on this trial, its witnesses, court personnel or evidence presented.

So not only are these conspirators trying to silence Trump … but they are removing him from the campaign trail for the duration of the trial … and likely longer since the chances are quite high that the Rotten Apple jury will find him guilty … despite the glaring weakness of this case.

But don’t be down Pilgrim … Trump will find a way to keep center stage … even if he needs to show his “contempt of court.”

STAND UP TO CAMPAIGN INTERFERENCE!

Woodsterman Pic

And yet it was the Trump Foundation and not the Clinton’s honeypot that New York State chose to close down … sad!

Afterward:

STAND UP TO THE CLINTONS!

Apt Analogy

If his bad decisions were raindrops, President Biden should be building an ark. — Fletcher

STAND UP TO INCOMPETENCE!

Today’s Poser

Is anything or anybody on the up and up?

STAND UP FOR VERACITY!

Headline's

‘Give us them damn Patriots’: Ukraine needs air defense now, minister says

Major bridge in Baltimore collapses after being struck by ship

Missouri AG to investigate Media Matters for potential fraud

Kamala Harris says ‘Consequences possible’ if Israel raids Rafah

Putin acknowledges ‘radical Islamists’ carried out Moscow terror attack

‘An extraordinary thing’: U.S. break with Israel on UN cease-fire vote triggers Netanyahu rage

U.S. abstains as UN Security Council presses demand for Gaza cease-fire

Assange scores major victory in fight against extradition

New York City Council appeals decision to strike down city’s non-citizen voting law

Trump’s net worth soars to $6.5 billion after media company stock jumps

Projection: Biden says Trump ‘feeble, confused, tired’

Feds raid dirty Diddy … ‘sex trafficking’ …

STAND UP FOR AMERICA!

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Interesting Factoids

In 2021 Congress approved $1.2 trillion of infrastructure spending … mostly under the control of Pete Buttigieg. Of this, $1 billion has been allocated to our harbors, ports and waterways … while $5 billion has been earmarked for electric busses. This seems upside down thinking, Mayor Pete.

President Biden just indicated he will ask Congress for the money to rebuild the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore. Why not just reallocate the bust-out electric bus money?

STAND UP TO PETE BUTTIGIEG!

Contro-versy

Why can’t the Brits … particularly their upper class … stop their throat talking … and their affected pronounciations?

STAND UP TO THROAT TALKING!

Juxtaposition

STAND UP FOR LAST-SECOND ESCAPES!

Apt Analogy

The Biden presidency … and campaign for re-election …

STAND UP FOR ONE TERM!

Mostly Cajun Pic

Like father, like son …

STAND UP TO CASTREAU, EH!

Obvious Truth

If you want an accurate measure of someone … spend some time closely observing their pets … particularly their dogs.

STAND UP FOR TALISMANS!

Headlines

Massive barrage of missiles, drones hits Kuivm western Ukraine

Tammy Murphy drops out of NJ Senate primary to replace indicted Sen. Bob Menendez

Left has a meltdown over NBC hiring Ronna McDaniel; MSNBC says they won’t have her on

France raises terror threat warning to highest level …

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. flirts with Libertaeian nomination

Suspects in Moscow concert terror attack appear in court; Kyiv rocked by explosions

Trump’s ’Truth Social’ to become publicly traded

Kamala claps along with Puerto Rican song before realizing its protesting her visit

Theresa May: I wasn’t sure Trump would stay in NATO

As Trump’s $454 million fraud judgement looms, son Eric gripes ‘they want to bankrupt him’

Putin was warned by U.S. intel that ISIS was determined to arrack and ignored it

Big Tech’s latest obsession is finding enough energy …

STAND UP FOR AMERICA!

Monday, March 25, 2024

Dead Air

I’m speaking to MAGAs now … because you lefties brag about not watching the Fox channels.

Have you noticed that from time to time that FOX has up to a minute of dead air … between segments … where normally one would have seen a commercial?

My guess: this dead air is where MyPillow commercials would have run … but because Mike Lindell’s company got as much as $7 million behind in payments to FOX, these channels must have put him on a pay-as-you-go basis. So unless the money is on the barrel head the scheduled MyPillow commercial turns into dead air.

Obviously, this does not augur well for the future of Lindell’s company.

STAND UP FOR LIQUIDITY!

More Cute Animals

From Woodsterman blog

I gotta go …

LIE UPDIDE DOWN LIKE SLOTHS!

Kim Kardashian

Modern-day hippy …

STAND UP FOR FLOWER CHILDREN!

Headlines

Janet Yellen to make second trip to China next month

Biden signs $1.2 trillion spending package for government funding until October

Poll: GOP voters narrowly pick DeSantis as who they want as Trump’s VP

Putin vows revenge …

Blinken condemns Moscow terror attack as death toll rises to 133

It’s been four years since the market’s COVID low with the S&P 500 returning 25% annualized since then

CNN poll: Trump has commanding 8-point lead over Biden in Michigan

Kyiv says Russian Special Services behind attack …

Putin links Ukraine to Moscow massacre

Kyiv, Lviv under Russian attack: missile violates Polish airspace

Republican House Appropriations chair stepping down

Pope faces growing revolt … skips homily during Palm Sunday mass amid increasingly frail health

STAND UP FOR AMERICA!

Sunday, March 24, 2024

Have a Good Day!

STAND UP FOR OBSERVANCE!

Brave New World?

Pilgrim … it’s been two years since chatbots, based on the Large Language Model, have burst on the scene … creating euphoric predictions for their benefit. So I have to ask the obvious … has there been any real sapient breakthrough accomplished with these exemplars of artificial intelligence? If you know of a specific one, please inform the rest of us with details.

STAND UP FOR EVIDENCE!