House Speaker Votes Continue

Several trolls in the so-called House Freedom Caucus have paralyzed the U.S. House of Representatives all week, blocking election of a presiding Speaker. The umpteenth round of voting will occur tonight, January 6th at 10 PM EST.

Update:

After 14 ballots, the House again failed to elect a Speaker. On this date two years ago, terrorists failed to disrupt Congress. Today, the terrorists inside the House did just that.

The House began voting for the 15th time at 11:50 PM.

New:

Early on Saturday, Kevin McCarthy was elected to the Office of Speaker of the House, or what’s left of it.

More:

“The ‘spoiler caucus’ is creating chaos,” David Winston, Roll Call

“The Chaos Caucus Is Now In Charge,” Michelle Cottle, New York Times

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Image (based on paraphrase of UT football coach Darrell Royal) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht,NotionsCapital.com

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.

Turkey Terror Stalks the Suburbs

This afternoon, turkey will be a welcome guest in most American homes, but don’t be fooled. Alive and free-range, Meleagris gallopavo is a danger to life, limb, and giblets. The wild birds have cracked roof tiles in California, dangerously disrupted traffic in western New York, colonized Connecticut, battled Bridgewater, Massachusetts residents, loused up lawns in the Bay Area, and terrorized Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

Wild turkeys are native to the U.S.A., so the Trump Administration won’t stop their suburban gang violence unless those great big Mexican wild turkeys take over. Note to Trump: los guajolotes grandes will just flutter over your wall.

Mosquito Festival!

The internet is just humming about Mosquito Festivals. If you’re just itching to go this summer, there’s only one pesky problem: Which one to go to? The mosquito festival in Texas has some pretty good music, but the one in Russia has a Most Delicious Girl Contest judged by swarms of bloodthirsty insects. There are ‘skeeter celebrations in Oregon, Indiana, Arkansas, Montana, New York State, and Italy. No wonder blood bank deposits are running low.

We just hope these insect-centered events live up to all the buzz, and to the high standards set by the big Blackfly Festivals of Vermont and Maine and the legendary Luckenbach Mud Dauber Festival & Chili Cookoff.

Related:

“How mosquitoes zero in on warm bodies,” Jonathan Webb, BBC News

“The 20 Most Mosquito-Plagued U.S. Cities,” Vicky Gan, CityLab

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Short Link: http://wp.me/p6sb6-lHs

Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.

Hopocalypse!

We warned you but you were too busy ranting about BP to listen. Now the plague is nearly upon us, a grasshopper infestation of epic proportions. The critters are poised to devour rangeland and crops in Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, all across the American West. It will be the worst grasshopper outbreak in 30 years. Stockpile food now.

 

Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.

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