bluebird of bitterness

The paper chase

Bob — Sat, 25 May 2013 03:49:42 +0000

The BBC Business News reports:

Venezuela’s National Assembly has backed plans to import 39 million rolls of toilet paper, in an effort to relieve a chronic shortage.

Lawmakers voted to approve a $79m credit for the country’s ministry of commerce, which will also be used to buy toothpaste and soap.

The products are currently in short supply in Venezuelan shops.

The oil-rich nation relies on imports, but currency controls have restricted its ability to pay for foreign goods.

President Nicolas Maduro, who won a narrow majority in April’s presidential elections, maintains that the country’s periodic shortages of basic goods are the result of a conspiracy by the opposition and rich sectors of society. (continue reading)

The Bard of Murdock comments:

The socialist caucus
Now running Caracas
Is on the hot seat in the polls.
The national issue?
A shortage of tissue
That common folk purchase in rolls.

The problem is vivid.
The public is livid,
As price controls wipe out supply.
Now people are queuing
In hopes of accruing
A super absorbent two-ply.

The previous autumn
The market hit bottom,
When need far exceeded demand.
Which happens when masses
Are ruled by asses,
And finish with nothing in hand.

As public opinion
Throughout the dominion
Continues its negative trend,
The socialist caucus
Now running Caracas
Says all will be well in the end.

Happy birthday, Richard

Bob — Fri, 24 May 2013 19:25:14 +0000

Although I usually pay attention to these things, I somehow managed to miss Richard Wagner’s 200th birthday on Wednesday. (On the other hand, when someone is 200 years old, what’s another day or two one way or the other?) If you’ve never had the experience of watching or listening to Wagner’s magnum opus, Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), which requires approximately sixteen hours to perform, here is Anna Russell’s executive summary of it, which will save you about fifteen and a half hours:

(Thanks to my pal Bob Belvedere at The Camp of the Saints for this.)

Truth or consequences

Bob — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:23:02 +0000

Couldn’t tell a lie.

Can’t tell the truth.

Asked, “What is truth?”

Says it depends on what the definition of “is” is.

Wouldn’t know truth if it bit him in the @$$.

Can’t figure out what difference it makes.

That’s just asking for an audit

Bob — Thu, 23 May 2013 03:19:48 +0000

The Baby Bachelor

Bob — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:36:10 +0000

The Grunt of Monte Cristo, who is not generally prone to understatement, describes this one as “terminally cute” — which is actually rather apt.

Obama denies role in government

Bob — Sun, 19 May 2013 13:53:34 +0000

Via The Borowitz Report:

WASHINGTON—President Obama used his weekly radio address on Saturday to reassure the American people that he has “played no role whatsoever” in the U.S. government over the past four years.

“Right now, many of you are angry at the government, and no one is angrier than I am,” he said. “Quite frankly, I am glad that I have had no involvement in such an organization.”

The President’s outrage only increased, he said, when he “recently became aware of a part of that government called the Department of Justice.”

“The more I learn about the activities of these individuals, the more certain I am that I would not want to be associated with them,” he said. “They sound like bad news.”

Mr. Obama closed his address by indicating that beginning next week he would enforce what he called a “zero tolerance policy on governing.”

“If I find that any members of my Administration have had any intimate knowledge of, or involvement in, the workings of the United States government, they will be dealt with accordingly,” he said.

By Andy Borowitz.

Fr. Tony, Fr. Pat, and Fr. Tim react to news that the IRS targeted pro-life groups for harassment

Bob — Sat, 18 May 2013 22:16:44 +0000

It’s been a rough week

Bob — Sat, 18 May 2013 22:06:08 +0000

Prey on words

Bob — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:22:17 +0000

The great escape

Bob — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:46:25 +0000