3.12.25

Rosie the Robot Riveter

Smokey: Thought of you today... Got a text message from my dentist with a link to fill out medical forms with my history. Started filling them out when I realized, I just did this for this dentist recently.  I wanted to reply ala, b1-66er, "Dear faceless robot..."

b1-66er: I feel... so proud

S: It's a good line that faceless robot thing. I didn't understand it when you first sent it back in the year two thousand, but once you explained it to me, made perfect sense. Unfortunately, I think the founders thought you were calling them faceless robots, which they were, but didn't need the weekly reminder. (I jest, they actually had faces.)

2.12.25

A bit koin

b1-66er: Kash Patel Is Under Investigation for Using FBI Jet as Private Uber
This just seems SO WRONG
I mean, come on, look at his baller OG name...
What do you expect?

b1-67er: He should have the Kash to pay for his own jet. 

D4rw1n: He is a bit Patel-thetic

29.11.25

Jack hammering for joy


b1-66er: <meditation fortune>

The Dear Hunter: Oh. Then I'm happy ALL THE TIME

28.11.25

More Pigs

b1-66er: Now playing, Scorpion Manor.

b1-67er: I was prepared to hate Jazz Sabbath. But then I didn't. I like the swingy Peanuts Theme nature of it. 

25.11.25

A hole in your plan...


b1-66er: <pic>
Open question: 
Would you be more or less likely to use
Smart Rewards Financial Services
knowing their crayon bags behaved like this?

b1-67er: Doesn't seem smart at first glance...to a first grader. 

19.11.25

Red Better Day


The Dear Hunter: <pic>
Morning sun

b1-66er: Feels very "modern Christmas-y."
The shading and shadowing are spectacular.

DH: This camera does some interpretation I think. It looks a bit like a painting to me. But the sun did all the lighting.


[pic ©2025 Michigan Meadows, Ultd
All rights reserved 
Used by permission]

29.10.25

Jumpin' Jane Witch

b1-66er: Shouldn't the caption for this image be...

EXCUSE ME!


D4rw1n: At its tamest, yes 

Special K: I hope Sazerac is an anti-flatulent. 

22.10.25

Weaving the fabric

b1-66er (U.S.): How was your day?

The Accomplice (France): It was great! Easy morning getting to the train station. Easy train trip (high speed). Stupid moment of pickpocketing bullshit, then a great hotel, a fantastic visit to the Strasbourg Museum of Modern Art. Then a little walk around town (not far--that's saved for the day after tomorrow). Then a yummy regional dinner (Flammekueche--essentially flatbread)

21.10.25

Grand Palais Triptych

All pix by The Accomplice

©2025 Makes Me Tinguely Productions
used by permission
all rights reserved

8.10.25

Lucky to be good

b1-66er: https://youtu.be/H4Cgx4EY8zs?si=HwisDGfSadWWQoeh

b1-67er: Hmmm. I don't think I agree on his take. Some of his success is for sure because he was willing to write 10× the amount of stuff that he gets published. That's not lucky. That's just hard work and perseverance.  His book may not have been the best that year, but it was voted best because it was at least very good. That's not lucky, that's some combo of hard work and talent. 

4.10.25

"I'd buy that for a dollar!"

b1-66er: https://youtu.be/HrgrbM5hwog?si=LRhqfTLqlMGFRsLX

b1-67er: I assume that's a 250th anniversary in the "we had a good run, but now it's over" kind of way. 

20.9.25

Post Casa Bonita Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PCBTSS)

{this post refers to a Casa Bonita visit on 9/18/25.}

b1-66er: So...What's your take on Casa?

Special K: Casa, I enjoyed the old stuff and the food was good. Overall I'd say it's a little too polished now. A little too much enforced fun for me. 

b1: Roger. 

K: What about you?

b1: It's not really the same place. 

The food's considerably better. (I was surprised the sopaipillas are better.)

They take themselves too seriously. 

I should've sampled more of everyone else's dishes. (I didn't have a bit of your enchiladas.)

Their recounting of its development is a little like American West history.

 Whitewashed. 

I'm glad I went. 

Tipping is weird. Our server was essentially asking for a tip on top of the forced 18% service charge.

I might go back once to try another dish. 

Maybe

K: Yeah. I was backed up to waterfall and mariachi noise and was only getting about 20% of what she was saying. But I caught some of that weird surcharge thing. And the prices are high to begin with.

They take themselves too seriously is exactly right. You can see the seeds of that attitude in the Casa documentary. I think Trey (or was it Matt?) needed to catch himself and back off a bit. 

It's not really the same place is also exactly right. It's now a sort of living Casa Bonita museum. 

b1: Casa. 
Bonita. 
Museum
Maybe 

Live Action CBM

Really, it's the Heritage Square of Casa Bonitas¹.

K: Great. 


¹ for the you-weren't-fucking-there-even-if-you-watched-South-Park-YOU-BASTARDS crowd... This is reference to a nearby Disneyland-midget spot of the same timeframe as Casa. Melodramas. Rides. Food.

13.9.25

Navel bunting

b1-66er: This one had 7 hits yesterday...


Special K: Wow. Even the Giants only had 3 hits yesterday.

b1-66er: Remain calm•
<TRD image>

""I-70 shut down for hours near Evergreen due to stolen truck with radioactive tool on board"

Special K: Send in the zombie truck. 

D4rw1n: Hmm radioactive zombie shrimp alert 

10.9.25

Aim higher

b1-66er: https://www.cpr.org/2025/09/10/evergreen-high-school-shooting/

b1-67er: As Colorado continues to vie for the assassin capital of the US

28.8.25

Lean +1!

b1-66er: -> JUST IN ON HOUSESEATS <-

YACHTZILLA ! MONSTERS of SOFT ROCK - THE BOYS ARE BACK

Get ready to experience the ultimate blast from the past as YACHTZILLA ! The Monsters of Soft Rock are back and ready to rock your world ! Join us for an evening filled with iconic tunes, good vibes, and plenty of signing and dancing. Don't miss out on this epic musical voyage. We'll "SEA" you there !

b1-67er: Full points for band name

25.8.25

Approaching shoe storm?

Karpov: I've been meaning to ask this—how are you doing off the MS meds?

b1-66er: The Accomplice might know better than I do...
... But I seem at least, "okay."
I'm not having any flare ups that I'm aware of...
... My general fatigue seems about the same. 
The weirdest thing about it is my  schedule was (unknowingly, I guess)  firmly posted around taking drugs 2× a day...
In fact, it was the reason I got out of bed in the morning (even when I didn't want to).
Now, I have the ability to lay around forever. For example, yesterday was a fasting day. I got out of bed @16:00.
Really, the only physical difference/anomaly I notice are bowel habits (of all things). 
Prostate drugs and vitamin D are really the only things I take.
Everything else is remarkably the same.
I shoot for midnight as a bedtime. I sleep. (Not all MS people can.)
I have no headaches.
The only thing I have to report, really, is there's nothing to report...

The Accomplice: I understand it to be a binary sort of situation. Stable or not. No other improvements or problems. 
He should continue "as-is" indefinitely, which would be amazing because he's been in solid condition for a long time, and the medication side effects are not trivial. Most people do stay unchanged in their aging study (99% of people don't need meds again). If something were to go wrong -the MS raised its ugly head- then there would be a new lesion and some new identifiable body slippage. A new symptom would appear; we'd freak out (or maybe just I would?) as we would try to decide whether it's MS, aging, or something else; they'd throw him back on meds, and... that new neural damage would be his permanently and they'd start their timers over for removing him from the meds again.
So, the answer is: so far so good. No news is the very best news.

b1: ...I had a drink a couple nights ago. First time in donkey's years
(A cocktail waitress had it and didn't know who'd ordered it. A "buttery nipple." [I guess it's a good thing she didn't have a line of heroin.])
I could not have taken that action in my med days -- knowing it would increase my liver damage.
I think my diet has as big an impact as anything. [And for sure the meditation doesn't hurt.]

TA: Meanwhile, I can't speak for how you feel being off the meds... I just get to observe behaviors? I assume you feel emotionally great that you no longer have to take those pills... And, hopefully everything else is "no news."

b1: Stable or not is an extremely good way to describe the situation. 
My next MRI will be interesting. They preferred I get one before I stopped meds...I preferred to not jackhammer my liver anymore.
I 'feel' fine. 
I haven't had a big euphoria moment in several months (i.e. "I feel better than I have in years,' but I haven't had any crashing depression either -- that's the dangerous one, and I'm certainly capable of it.

KĎ€: Thank you both, that sounds as good as you could have hoped for. I can see how some sign of slipping will be scary, but 99% is a reassuring stat. 

b1: In my discussions with the PA on "quitting day" I think she said 2-4% chance of relapse...
... But considering that I'm not even certain I've had relapse #1, I don't consider those odds to be legitimately troubling.

KĎ€: In the range of possible responses to my question,
.. But I seem at least, "okay."
I'm not having any flare ups that I'm aware of..."
Is considerably preferable to,
I no longer can walk out to my fire pit

b1: The way I see it, the thing about MS is not to overthink it.
If you do, your mind can go into holes wider than the planet by needlessly overanalyzing.

16.8.25

Battle of the IL Boardwalks!

Country
(The Accomplice)

City
(Suttonhoo) 

[Pix © 2025 Wooden Walks
All rights reserved
Used by permission]


{Both images sent to b1-66er this AM, without knowledge knowledge of the other photo.]

RAM IT!

Just awake from my third sleep. 

-Dream of the moment-

At the casino I see a woman lifting a RAM stick out of a backpack as she walks by someone else's video poker machine. 

I grab her by the arm and start hauling her over to security.

She begins by giving me lip service... then starts whining, advancing the conversation to insulting me.

 "I don't want to hear about your problems, excuses or reasons for your dumb actions. I have multiple sclerosis and have to put up with a dopey whining thieves who claim they're justified in their actions."

•••

The Accomplice:  Catch 'em!!!

•••

Smokey: Classic RAM theft dream

b1-66er: What a great great statement•

S:  If I had a dollar for every RAM theft dream I have had, I'd have...$0.

b1: I would have a dollar...
... and can prove it!

24.7.25

A chip too far

b1-67er: <pic>

Note the potato chips flavor lower right

b1-66er: Did you get some?

67: Oh hell no.


[pic ©2025 Greasey-Chippee, Unlimited
All rights reserved
Used by permission]

22.7.25

State of being

The Accomplice: <Whistler, BC>

[pic © 2025. Signs O Yer Life Resources
Used by permission]

21.7.25

Shocked to be grounded

b1-66er: https://youtu.be/JmbaFrh04J0?si=4X1g-giD3PHyVYLj 

b1-67er: I don't love the CIA guy's take. I understand it, and it MAY be a useful framework for a spy; but I think you act to try to build the world you want. People teach their kids about fairness so they can nudge the world to be fairer, and so the children will have integrity. Not because they are delusional dopes.

14.7.25

Duncan donuts

b1-66er: 'Danon YoCrunch yogurt just got recalled for containing plastic pieces'...
 _your_joke_goes_here_

D4rw1n: Danon YoYoCrunch. Now with genuine yo-yo parts 

Danon YowCrunch. Now with 100% more ow 

Danon YoCrunch. Yo, I broke a tooth 

66: "I thought the crunch was ALREADY here...
... Did they have to add plastic?"

D4: It is extra crunchy, yo 

The Accomplice: "Danon YoYou Crunch
"Now containing more parts of you"

9.7.25

"Hard on the left!"

b1-66er: Would YOU eat this fine Costco product? 
(Just opened and drained can of Pink Salmon.)





b1-67er: I can smell it from here. Pass.

Shellac luster

b1-66er: https://youtu.be/Ozb_6D6OAi8?si=WUODi3BE1SQqTmxR

b1-67er: The honky guy is funny. But not enough haiku in his story. He also lacked a surprise ending....

You need an egging

...Comes to mind as a possible ultimate line of his.

8.7.25

(Not) a berry fan

b1-66er: Dyson strawberry picker...

b1-67er: I haven't seen the rotary growing scheme before. I'm very skeptical that all of the required machinery is cheaper than putting the plants on shelves and supplying all of the light. Those guys are cheating a bunch, those berries have almost certainly been groomed by human hands to overhang the sides. If a person has to touch the berry at all, you have lost the benefits of mechanizing. Interesting rig, I'm surprised they built it out at that scale. 

6.7.25

MCD reinvestment

b1-66er: https://youtu.be/6b_nswwIYhI?si=H6RoDiN4XI0gyyZU

b1-67er: That's a good story, well told.

66: Yes.
The Moth is a haven of great stories.

The Great & Mighty Richardo: What is funny is  I also ran bin. My wife ran drive through...

Back then we always put women at the counter or drive through. Men were mostly on grill or in back preparing food. I get that the point of his story is not the accuracy of McDonald's job descriptions... 

However while conveying the true point, it's astounding how accurate his McDonald's details are. Actually triggered my memories of being there. (I also have lifelong friends I met there.)

66: Don't you sue me because of that story. 
I didn't force you to watch it.

GaMR: I'm my life with doing many jobs, I have never had one as difficult as McDonald's was. 

That job did, however, motivate me to do something else...

 Sometimes (in my crazy brain) I have thoughts of going back to McDonald's to see if I am better at tasks now than I was in the 80's.

Mcdonald's was an important part of my life.  I learned a lot there...

...Including that I didn't want to spend the rest of my life at McDonald's.

2.7.25

Show me the sonny

b1-66er: https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cq6mmq703ryt

D4rw1n: "Las Vegas man confirms new Dalai Lama penis quest"

29.6.25

... but this is what you get!

b1-66er: https://youtu.be/U6_hFjdaW4k?si=nlD5RKtY1jXFvL4B

b1-67er: Wow. I like Johnny Rotten, I like some of PiL (certainly better than the Pistols). But arguing that the Sex Pistols represented some profound philosophy is far fetched at best. 

Beyonce v. Potholes

b1-66er: BBC: 'Stop!' - BeyoncĂ© pauses show as flying Cadillac tilts mid-air

Special K: I would too.


K: "Not supposed to happen." Thanks, news guy.

b1: Everybody knows...
Flying Cadillacs RIDE FLAT•

28.6.25

I did NOT hear you knockin'...

b1-66er: A couple good pix of yesterday's GA fall...

b1-67er: Whoa. That's a big one. I hadn't heard of that one. And pieces were found on day 1. I guess they are hard to miss if they are on your living room floor.

22.6.25

PERception v. PERspective

b1-66er: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0q2krypkro#webview=1

b1-67er: Having one of those statues at a theme park for miniatures is genius. It makes you the miniature.

7.6.25

... Why free shipping is important ...

b1-66er: https://youtu.be/twwDv7jjjfw?si=Au8JIRDLt17CXJdc

b1-67er: We once shipped a cargo loader by Antanov (not this one, a smaller one). 
$180,000 loader.
$180,000 air freight bill.

6.6.25

Splitting public hairs

b1-66er: 'According to a notice posted by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), more than 19,200 12- and 24-pack cases of Dr Pepper Zero Sugar have been recalled. The recall was initiated after the soda, which is labeled as "zero sugar," was found to contain full sugar.'

Special K: So close. 

1.6.25

Choose your ammo

b1-66er: https://newatlas.com/brain/alzheimers-dementia/alzheimers-hope-sleep-aid-blocks-up-to-40-more-harmful-tau-deposits/

b1-67er: That sleep/Alzheimer's study is very interesting. Not a silver bullet, but maybe a powerful pellet gun.

15.5.25

Dr. Seuss v. Cypress Hill

b1-66er:
Now. 
(Pano. Tap to expand.)
<Edinburgh train station interior>
Also now.
<Ceiling window>

D4rw1n: Lovely 

Special K: Don't strain your brain, paint a train. 

6.4.25

Roll yer own (bumpered) punchline

b1-66er: "'Emotional support' tigers seized from Nevada home"

Special K: [Insert crass and cruel Siegfried and Roy joke here]

26.3.25

Flagged

b1-66er: "Iceberg Breaks Off Antarctica, Revealing Tentacled Creatures Beneath"

Special K: Hello! 

b1: THAT'S funny.

K: I picture waving tentacles. 

7.3.25

Eep opp ork• AH HA!

b1-66er: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/science/intuitive-machines-moon-lander-dead.html

b1-67er: Somebody has got to figure out who's doing all this lander tipping up on the moon

D4rw1n: Always good to land it. I blame moon man malefactors (possibly bored moon teens) for all the recent tipping action 

18.1.25

"...and hold the DDT, please"

b1-66er:New Atlas
"New 'giant marine pillbug' looks like Darth Vader and tastes like lobster"

b1-67er: Nothing says gourmet food like a giant rollypolli.


5.1.25

"We four goats of the southern hemisphere are..."


b1-66er: <pic>
We went to the Ethyl M Cactus Garden, 3 hours before close of the season last night...
... Thank merciful Jesus I was able to see the Xmas alpacas.

b1-67er: Nothing saws Christmas like an LED alpaca.

66: See? 
That's a way we absolutely agree.