In a café
I don’t think this dream took place in Ukraine, but I suspect it’s the product of current events.
Orange Crate Art
The oldest working barber
Anthony Mancinelli, the world’s oldest working barber, has died at the age of 108.
“In the old days”
Trump ranting.
Others
What most strikes me in reading the whistle-blower’s complaint is how many other people were aware of the actions that the whistle-blower has reported to Congress. One person spoke out. May others follow.
Plaids and rainbows
From Robert Kirk’s The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns, and Fairies.
Queeg
Donald Trump’s press conference (happening now) is turning into the courtroom scene from The Caine Mutiny.
“Though” and “the other thing”
The talking heads on cable news are quoting “I would like you to do us a favor,” which looks bad enough as is. But we would do well not to overlook the word that follows: “though.” You need money for military equipment. But Trump needs something too. And — if we read carefully — it becomes clear that the favor has several parts: a search for a mythical server, receptiveness to overtures from Barr and Giuliani, and an investigation (with Barr) into the Bidens. The words “the other thing” tie the parts together and point back to “I would like you to do us a favor though.”
Jack Elrod coloring books
Available as PDFs from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Fish, Wildlife and People: A Mark Trail Coloring Book (1987) and Wetlands Coloring Book (1999).
Mondays and Saturdays
Stan Newman, puzzle editor for Newsday, is posting old Monday (easy) and Saturday (hard) puzzles daily at GameLab.
Impeachment
It’s happening.
National Punctuation Day
Wait — what?
An alternative to Google Translate
DeepL.
John Shimkus, profile in courage
A Washington Post article about House Republicans leaving Congress notes that John Shimkus (R, Illinois-15), one of those leaving, “declined to say whether he had any problems with Trump.”
Meet Dr. Camel
Note to colorist: Proofread. Avoid carless errors.
The end of the dining car
I remember sitting in a dining car just once — white tablecloth, eggs.
Today’s Saturday Stumper
“Noticeably neutral display.”
“Tippy-top”
Donald Trump just stated that "our nuclear" is in "tippy-top shape."
Messing with the mail
From Time: “The Race to Prepare for a Potential U.S. Exit From the World’s Mail System.”
Merriam-Webster and they
There’s no doubt that it is an established member of the English language, which means that it belongs in Merriam-Webster’s dictionaries.
Ben Leddy hosts The Rewind
Here’s the latest episode of WGBH’s The Rewind, “Who Was the Father of Country Music?,” hosted by our son Ben.
Guess I’m dumb
Notice how Trump projects: not “Do you think I’d be dumb enough to” but “Is anybody dumb enough to.”
Weevils and hyphens
The area of Arkansas where these “Sweet Potatoes” were grown and stored appears to be not only “weevil free” but hyphen-free as well. Maybe the weevils ate the hyphens before moving on.
Gerber Dime on sale
I’m a fool, or at least a semi-fool, for a multi-tool.
Agitated?
Donald Trump has issued thirty-one tweets and retweets in less than three hours this morning, beginning at 4:08 PDT. A record?
From Rock Crystal
Adalbert Stifter’s Rock Crystal is an extraordinary piece of storytelling: cozy, eerie, dream-like, fairy-tale-ish.
Not to forget
Let’s not forget: Donald Trump told Corey Lewandowski — who was not a member of his administration — to direct Jeff Sessions to limit the scope of the Mueller investigation to interference in future elections and to prohibit inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Got obstruction?
“Coming in hot”
I had to ask: is that a midwesternism? A downstate Illinoism?
Milton’s Shakespeare
“Scholars believe they have identified the early owner of one copy of the text, who made hundreds of insightful annotations throughout: John Milton.”
Adventures in hyphenation
Stan Carey poses a question: What would serve as an apt compound modifier for the opposite of user-friendly ?
Ticonderoga sighting
No, Brig Hilton (Shirley Temple) is not gasping at the conductor’s Dixon Ticonderogas, even if they are sporting nifty clips.