All Hail Tryptophan!

I'm sure everyone is stuffing their faces instead of surfing the web, but when you come up for air here is a nice assortment of high-calorie links that will be waiting for you. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with just the right amount of family. As messy as the world can be, we have a lot to be thankful for.

Great-Grandpa Milton: The Pepys diaries, Google Rome

Drunkle Bob: (via Confederate Yankee) Russian academic, even more divorced from reality than his Western comrades (see what I did there?) thinks America is going to fracture like the Balkans. This guy is so nutty Ron Paul screens his phonecalls to avoid him. Europeans can be so cute when they try to explain America. I'll bet he thinks we still have stagecoaches.

Aunt Matilda who never did say what her job was: In From the Cold

Geeky Cousin Ernie: ISS Toolbag tracker site (yes, you can see the infamous toolbag with binoculars or a telescope), a fun physics based game involving crates (easy, hard), technological gadgetry at Gizmodo

Kids' Table: xkcd, Girl Genius, Buck Godot, Schlock Mercenary, Cute Overload

Victory in Iraq Day

Click the banner for more info. We're doing this ourselves because nobody will do it for us. All hail Zombie, chief instigator! We won. The child-killers lost. May it always be thus.

(photo source)

(photo source)

(photo source)

Wanted: cheap bunker, 2-4 year lease

How can I properly panic if what I'm panicking about keeps *changing*? I thought the one measly plus to this election was I wouldn't have to look at another Clinton (male or female) in high office again -- and now rumors swirl that Hillary could be Secretary of State? How many wars does Obama want to start? When I think of Mrs. Clinton the word "diplomatic" never crosses my mind. Now, if we had a cabinet-level position of "Mongol Warlord" she'd head the list. I can SO see her with the severed heads of her enemies dangling from her saddlebow.

Sunday Funnies

-Return of an old favorite: My Ninja Family. Currently sketches and panels without dialogue. A pity the archives don't go back to the earlier comics, but I live in hope.
-Girl Genius, where lots of people are trying to "help" Gil. Some into an early grave.
-The kitties of TwoLumps are still in Wonderland but are Having Doubts.
-Lawn Darts has had a brief birthday hiatus, but there is also Crowfeathers. Don't forget to vote in the Buzzcomix and TopWebComics polls at the top!
-xkcd connects software cryptography and the Second Amendment!
-Lackadaisy is still dark (sigh), Dresden Codak hasn't figured out the new comic yet, and Argghhh-onauts has a spavined fetlock or some hideous disease of the pencil.

LolElection

moar funny pictures

Veteran's Day

Thank you Dad. And Great-Uncle Henry (pictured) and Great-Uncle Jules, the crew of the B-17 "Old-Timer", Bob Goode, Jacob-who-likes-wasabi, John and BillT and Dusty and Neffi and the rest of the horde at Castle Argghhh!, Lex, the mob at Blackfive, Baldilocks, Michael Yon, and that anti-war protesting Vietnam Vet who thought I wasn't sincere when I thanked him for his service. I was.

Time to Hibernate

And by "We" I don't mean us ebil conservatives, or the 48% Messiah-deniers, I mean the United States. Possibly the world -- we'll see. Poland is already going Oh No Not Again. Medvedev wants to talk to Obama now, can you imagine? Don't forget to pack a Geiger counter if the menu involves tea, dude.

Yeah, we'll survive. The question I have is, how much damage will be caused that will take generations to fix? The first Carter administration got us an embassy takeover and tortured American hostages, a demoralized military we only NOW have gotten back in shape, gas lines, inflation, and a host of other evils.

I don't care what Obama says. It's pretty clear he feels free to alter reality whenever his past statements crimp his style, so I 'm just going to go on what he actually does. Which should be plenty.

Good thing I know how to grow my own food and churn butter ....

Some Cheerful Election News

Yes, there really is some! You see, my dear readers, in the state of Kentucky there is, no joke, a town rejoicing in the name of Rabbit Hash. A name behind which, undoubtedly, there is a story. The proud citizens of Rabbit Hash decided that they really needed a mayor, and the best way was to admit the sordid truth and allow anyone to vote, at a dollar a vote. Oh, and the mayoral candidates are all animals, and the filthy lucre accumulated in the election goes to the Rabbit Hash Historical Society. This year the candidates were ten dogs, one cat, one oppossum, one jackass, and one human being (!)

I am pleased to announce that "Lucy Lou" is this year's mayor. Apparently this election, like the human one, was fraught with drama. The kitteh was an early favorite, but slipped to third by the end of the day. I suspect foreign donations!

(the backstory on Rabbit Hash)

Snarkatron Preditcts

There is one thing, I believe, everyone regardless of party can agree on. Thank Ghu the election is over. What a splendid display of sausagemaking. I only hope it does not discourage any nascent democracies. Yeah, I am not happy with pretty much any of this election. Here's what I think is going to happen now that we've immanetized the eschaton:

1) Silly Americans. Of *course* we still have racism! The goalposts have just been moved. You watch. Jackson, Rangel, et al. have a very lucrative racket and don't want little things like reality getting between them and their cash flow. Plus racism has been very good to the Democrats.

2) We are definitely getting a recession, good and hard. It will last a year or more. I will be cutting my discretionary spending to the bone now and I suspect others will too, so recovery will be slow.

3) Russia will attempt to take over Georgia (again) and invade Ukraine.

4) Iran will push the confrontation envelope in the Straights of Hormuz to the point where lives are lost. Anybody's guess what happens after that.

5) I will experience a period of unemployment during the Obama administration, due to #2.

6) For the first time since the War on Terror started, the military will badly miss retention and recruitment goals.

7) My taxes will go up.

8) Democrats will still find a way to step on their cranks and blame someone, anyone but themselves.

I am greatly cheered in these dark times by thoughts of the supreme incompetence of the current Congress. Plus, I don't think the Obama voters realize exactly who they voted in as Leader of the Free World. No, I'm not saying Obama is really a methane breather from Rigel. He's someone who gets rather flustered when his teleprompter goes on the blink. Who took days to decide what he thought about Russia invading Georgia. Whose one public act we know about was selecting JOE BIDEN, the human dial tone, as his vice-president. Obama has as much structural integrity as those styrofoam Greek columns. He has finally reached a position where he HAS to make decisions and take action, and I suspect he's going to choke, massively, and rely on a huge cadre of advisors. One of them is going to become eminence grise' ... and that person is the one who will really be in charge. So watch who hangs around the White House in the coming years.

I remember the first Carter administration. I didn't like it, butI didn't have anything to lose then. Now I do. When I said I was cutting back on discretionary spending, I will make one exception. I think it is time I joined the NRA.

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For some thoughtful, non-panicked takes on recent events, Snarkatron recommends Varifrank, and Steven den Beste.

Sunday Funnies

-Argghhh-onauts has FINALLY updated. Supposedly because a new scanner was obtained. I think they just ran out of pink sequined thongs at the PX.
-The kitties of TwoLumps are exploring Wonderland and have discovered the Mad Tea Party. Mild violence involving hot water and dormice.
-Lawn Darts really takes the low road. Low road as in colonic exploration low. Don't forget to vote in the Buzzcomix and TopWebComics polls at the top!
-Lackadaisy is still on hiatus, Dresden Codak is contemplating a new direction, and xkcd has the saga of the Internet Secretary (guest appearances by the Ronulan Blimp and Cory Doctorow)