Cartoon Saturday

Yep, 2013 is shaping up to be a real doozie ...

Disgraced former cycling legend Lance Armstrong has admitted (to Oprah Winfrey, of all people) to using banned performance enhancing drugs ... after years of denying he had done so; a new and deadly hostage crisis is playing out in the Algerian desert as militant Islamists oppose Algerian government forces; no one has any idea what's going on in the continuing drama of Notre Dame football star Manti Te'o's imaginary girlfriend; Congress prepares to avoid doing its job yet again as Republicans prepared to vote on a three-month extension of the debt ceiling rather than working with their opposition to come up with a better plan; and residents of Beijing are suffering under a horrendous pall of unhealthy smog.

Another week that confirms how much we need something to laugh at besides Congress. Let's get to the cartoons ...

The latest twist on healthy dining ...

You might rather dine at this place, which is probably very popular with fellow blogger John ...

As good an explanation as any of why Congress can't get its head out of its collective backside ...

The importance of understanding the original requirements ...

The Cabinet-level office we really* need ...

The directions to the jury ...

One way in which happy hour is trying to stay happy ... particularly important since many states and localities actually allow people to pack heat in bars ...

As technology advances, so too do the potential mechanical problems with the latest cars ...

And speaking of new cars, you can get just about any option nowadays ...

And no matter what other options you may have in your car, it pays to understand how to use them properly ...

And that's it for another week. Agnes and I will be spending most of the day today babysitting our two hyperactive local grandchildren, which means that I probably won't need to do any other working out until the beginning of next week, if then. There's a reason why we have children while we're young. And tomorrow, I'll be fulfilling my agreement with Agnes to take her to the movies to see Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher** ... it was what I had to do to convince her to see The Hobbit with me earlier this month. 

Those of us living in the DC area are getting ready for hundreds of thousands of people to descend on the area for the presidential inauguration on Monday. If you're going to be one of them, the Washington Post has published a nice guide to help you sort through all your dining and sightseeing options***. And if you're a member of the elite 1% and planning to fly your private jet into DC to visit the government you've bought and paid for, you will be glad to know that Washington Dulles International Airport will be dedicating one runway for your use ... no need to have to compete with Real People for your landing rights, or endure any unnecessary waste of your valuable time.

Have a good day and a great weekend. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

* What I mean is really, really need.

** I think Tom Cruise is a useless twit, but the movie ought to be fun. And besides, how often does a paunchy, graying senior citizen get to take a beautiful lady to the movies?

*** Happily, there are also plenty of bars available if you need to drink ... whether to celebrate or to drown your sorrows.