Hump Day Odds and Ends

Normally I wouldn't post on Wednesday, but since I have to wait until 7:00 to drop my car off for servicing, I have some extra time ... and there's no shortage of things to rant about ...

From the Department of How Low Can You Go? comes this item I watched on TV this morning from my perch on the elliptical machine: Republicans Beg Kathleen Sebelius to Save 10-Year-Old Girl’s Life. Yes, Dear Readers, a 10-year old girl in Pennsylvania is dying of cystic fibrosis and in need of a transplant lung, and her family - understandably - is begging to have an exception made to the rules for allocation of transplant organs (which are based on age, not need). Naturally, this offers an opportunity for utterly shameless political ass-clownery as Republican legislators seek to make Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sibelius (and, by extension, the Democratic administration in general) appear brutal and heartless in the face of a child's suffering. Yep, I'm still disgusted with the whole political circus. Showboating Representative Darrell Issa should be calling for some new hearings any day now*.

In the mood for a snack that will help you recapture the joys of youth? A candy company in Texas has introduced new breast-milk-flavored vegan lollipops. According to the founder of the company, "... what slowly dawned on me was that my friends were actually producing milk so delicious it could turn a screaming, furious child into a docile, contented one**. I knew I had to capture that flavor." The lollipops actually contain no breast milk. Yum.

Have you been watching the TV series Hannibal, which tells the story of serial killer Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter (star of Red Dragon, The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, and Hannibal Rising, by Thomas Harris) before he was found out and captured? One of the unsung stars of the show is the lady who prepares the gourmet dinners featuring ... um ... unidentified meats served up by Hannibal to his FBI friends. Want to know how she creates the yummy-looking meals that are supposed to really be filet of people? Check out her blog, Feeding Hannibal. Yum.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is being excoriated by fellow Republicans for scheduling a special election to fill the seat of Democratic Senator Frank Lautenberg, who died this week, rather than just taking the opportunity to name a GOP empty suit to the seat. According to former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, 

"All Christie has to do is appoint a Republican. That's the correct move for him to make ... Now, I put it down as debilitating stupidity." 

Well, hell ... we expect debilitating stupidity in modern American politics. What's your point, Mr Armey?

And there you have it: a few odds and ends to think about as we endure hump day en route to the weekend.

Have a good day. Avoid debilitating stupidity***. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

* Check out the Borowitz Report ... Issa Demands Hearings Into Why No One Listens to Him.

** I'm going to order a gross (no pun intended) of them for distribution to Congressional Republicans. What could it hurt?

*** I know it's tough nowadays, but do your best.