Stuff and Nonsense - 13 Apr 24
Folks –
Well, this week was quiet… I managed to do some housework, and cleaned up the place a bit (still a bit befuddled by the large amount of throw pillows, though, how many is “enough”?) … A question (I’m sure) every guy has asked at least once…
Watched the eclipse (on TV) with my sweetie… I could tell that after about 20 min (of a cross-country live feed) that “Tammy Smiling-face” in TX, and “Wally Nice-hair” in KS were struggling to maintain their excitement about the event… But it was still pretty cool to see live… On TV… From a couch… Near a bathroom… Oh, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who was expecting to see zombies either immediately/within 24 hours (deny it if you want, you were waiting too) … So, all in all “2/5 Stars; Would not recommend” …
Oh, and I almost forgot… I didn’t hit the Lottery (again) … Y’know, the billion-dollar one that someone in OR won… Hey, it happens… Congrats to the winner! Hold on… How do you “forget” that you didn’t win the lottery? It’s like “forgetting” your romantic weekend with Gal Gadot… If you don’t remember it, it probably didn’t happen… Probably…
Next week, more adventures… I’ll keep you posted …
Let’s see how the REST of the World handled last week …
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In Local News…
NYC will end a contract with a medical outfit that was providing shoddy care to migrants. And getting $432M to do it…
https://apnews.com/article/new-york-city-migrants-docgo-048c1cb735d881ef9fecb0c2ed1aad77
An NY appeals judge rejected former Pres. Trump’s third request this week to delay his “hush money” trial. Dude, be in court on Monday. Okay?
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2024/04/10/Donald-Trump-hush-money-trial-delay-rejected/8941712789499/
NYC Agencies are upset over a new procedure for inter-agency communications. “Red Tape” in City operations?? Shocking!
https://nypost.com/2024/04/09/us-news/lawmakers-furious-at-nyc-mayor-eric-adams-crackdown-on-comms-between-big-apple-agencies-elected-officials/
A former NYC Administration for Children’s Services boss was fined $4900 for stealing VISA cards set for needy kids. Sweet plea deal… Dirtball…
https://nypost.com/2024/04/09/us-news/ex-acs-director-dodges-prison-after-stealing-visa-cards-from-needy-kids-used-their-gifts-for-herself/
NYC Mayor Adams will get a high-priced lawyer (at taxpayer’s expense) for his sexual misconduct trial… Okay…
https://nypost.com/2024/04/08/us-news/eric-adams-taps-high-profile-attorney-in-elon-musks-inner-circle-to-defend-him-in-sex-assault-suit/
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Elsewhere in the Nation …
The Judge in former Pres. Trump’s classified documents trial ordered the identities of Government witnesses be removed from documents. Good call!
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2024/04/10/Trump-classified-documents-case-update/1091712726330/
The US approved the sale of $138M worth of HAWK missile systems to the Ukraine. Nice… Give them missiles, give Putin the middle finger!
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2024/04/10/HAWK-missile-systems-sale-Ukraine-approved/9971712720890/
… And the US is sending Ukraine seized Houthi weapons. Okay, mess with one, support another, doesn’t cost us cash. So far, so good…
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2024/04/10/transfers-weaponry-Ukraine/3641712732581/
FBI Director Wray testified in Congress, for a bump in his budget, and warned of attacks in the US… Way to scare up some cash!!
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2024/04/11/FBI-director-warns-of-attacks-in-US/6331712875895/
Congress is summoning Boeing’s CEO to testify on why parts of his planes fall off… Nice soundbite, “righteous rage” opportunity there!
https://apnews.com/article/boeing-whistleblower-congress-safety-fuselage-c406e90b087ca45f4fd8d426d1eadae1
A former US Ambassador to Bolivia was sentenced to 15 years in prison for spying on the US for Cuba. Enjoy prison, dirt bag…
https://nypost.com/2024/04/12/us-news/former-us-ambassador-sentenced-to-15-years-in-prison-for-spying-for-communist-cuba/
Pres. Biden hosted Japan’s PM Kishida, and apparently are planning some cool things, including a joint moon project… Very nice!
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2024/04/10/Japan-Biden-Kishida/4161712767670/
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Elsewhere on the Planet (and Beyond) …
The United Nations Security Council is moving ahead with Palestine’s application for membership… And Israel ain’t happy about it!
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2024/04/09/UN-moves-Palestine-membership-application-forward/5351712635888/
NASA figured out why the “Voyager 1” probe has been sending nonsense for the last few months… One corrupted memory chip … Now, to fix it…
https://gizmodo.com/nasa-voyager-corrupted-hardware-chip-anomaly-gibberish-1851390354
Ecuador is getting a LOT of heat, after their police stormed the Mexican Embassy to arrest Ecuador’s former Vice President! Not cool, guys…
https://apnews.com/article/mexico-ecuador-embassy-raid-878c73754d0f08bd74de1babfcdf1c2c
… And Mexico is taking Ecuador to the World Court for the incident! Okay!
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexico-takes-ecuador-world-court-over-embassy-raid-2024-04-11/
The US is restricting travel to US employees in Israel, after Iranian threats of retaliation for an attack on their Embassy. They’ve got some points…
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2024/04/12/restricts-travel-Israel/6831712899136/
NASA said that one of its satellites almost collided with a Russian satellite in February. Both satellites passed within 10 meters of each other! Too close!
https://nypost.com/2024/04/11/world-news/russian-spacecraft-and-us-satellite-nearly-collided-in-close-call-nasa/
A real estate tycoon in Vietnam was sentenced to death for a $12.5B fraud case… Damn… They’re not playing around over there…
https://apnews.com/article/vietnam-truong-my-lan-sentence-fraud-trial-f0b97cf206f5656e09eb9c410861a153
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Some Stories that Just Caught My Eye This Week …
A new report states that March 2K24 was the hottest in history… Okay.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2024/04/09/EU-March-hottest-globally-since-records-began/6161712660264/
A man stole a decommissioned FDNY fireboat, got stuck, and stole another boat! Got to give you “style points”, pal… Enjoy jail!
https://apnews.com/article/new-york-city-decommissioned-fireboat-stolen-6432b2761299499d8e02de2b9768a568
… And tried to steal another boat the next day! Now, you’re just a pain…
https://nypost.com/2024/04/12/us-news/migrant-who-swiped-fdny-vessel-sail-boat-for-joyrides-is-freed-without-bail-and-immediately-strikes-again-witnesses/
NYC Mayor Adams isn’t happy with a TX Congresswoman who says NYPD Officers should “escape” NYC and move to TX. She ain’t all wrong …
https://nypost.com/2024/04/10/us-news/eric-adams-rips-texas-rep-beth-van-duyne-for-urging-nypd-cops-to-leave-ny/
An 85-yr-old woman in ID shot and killed a home invader, while handcuffed to a chair! Nice… A brilliant bit of bad-assery!
https://nypost.com/2024/04/11/us-news/idaho-mom-85-fatally-shoots-masked-intruder-while-handcuffed-to-chair-protecting-disabled-son-during-gunfight/
The US Post Office wants to raise the price of stamps… Only three months after the last price hike! I’m buying stamps!
https://nypost.com/2024/04/09/us-news/post-office-proposes-raising-the-price-of-stamps-again/
Olympic Track & Field gold medalists will get $50K at the Paris Olympics. Wait, doesn’t that make them pros, and ineligible for the Olympics?
https://apnews.com/article/world-athletics-olympic-prize-money-867d25da6c5a25abbaef5b5859f4e780
A woman who sold Pres. Biden’s daughter’s diary got a month in prison/home confinement. What, no fine??
https://apnews.com/article/biden-diary-aimee-harris-fa1081c11b34a18f7d216f9cac8bf4e6
A woman in FL got onto the highway, and started shooting at other cars… Why? “God told her to, because of the eclipse” … I highly doubt that…
https://nypost.com/2024/04/08/us-news/woman-shoots-random-drivers-on-florida-interstate-because-god-told-her-to-via-the-solar-eclipse/
… And another woman in FL came home to find an uninvited guest. An eight-foot alligator! Wish it had been in the other lady’s car!
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2024/04/08/Florida-woman-finds-nearly-8-foot-alligator-inside-her-home/3961712612059/
S. Korea launched its second spy satellite… Don’t we have enough crap up there already? Asking for about eight billion friends…
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2024/04/08/South-Korea-spy-satellite-SpaceX-launch-North-Korea-space-race/4631712553051/
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Some Interesting People Passed Away This Week …
NFL Hall of Famer Orenthal James “O.J.” Simpson, died…
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2024/04/11/Simpson-dies-Trial-of-Century/5611712848294/
Physicist/Nobel prize winner Peter Higgs, who proposed the existence of the “God Particle”, to explain how matter formed after the “Big Bang”, died…
https://nypost.com/2024/04/09/world-news/peter-higgs-who-proposed-the-existence-of-the-god-particle-has-died-at-94/
Journalist/News anchor Robert MacNeil (The “MacNeil/Lehrer Report”) died.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2024/04/12/robert-macneil-death-pbs-news-hour/5631712946521/
Medal of Honor recipient Ralph Puckett, Jr. died…
https://apnews.com/article/medal-of-honor-ralph-puckett-obit-fdd6bbcc63d72c9c702d71bd6c5335eb
Lori and George Schappell, the world’s oldest conjoined twins, died…
https://nypost.com/2024/04/12/us-news/worlds-oldest-conjoined-twins-lori-and-george-schappell-dead-at-62/
Well, that’s the way the week went… And I do hope yours met with your approval… We’ve got some great things to share this week, like “Wallace & Gromit entering “The Matrix”, a 1960s “April Fool’s” prank, “Predator: The Musical”, and lots more… As always, a huge thanx to my “co-conspirators”, who help me wander the wilds of the Web, looking for the weird and wonderful… You are truly heroes!!
Enjoy,
Phil