Chocolate Break on a Warm Spanish Evening
28 August 2025 • by Bob • Guitar, Humor, Travel
I was perusing my collection of photos from my misadventure along the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain from two years ago, and I stumbled across this gem from my stop in Burgos.
Can anyone hazard a guess as to why I chose this specific cafe to sample the local chocolate-dipped churros?
No, Kamala Harris Did Not Say She's Coming After Trump Supporters
23 August 2025 • by Bob • Politics, Humor
There is a meme floating around which claims that former presidential candidate Kamala Harris uttered the following warning on June 18, 2020:
"And once Trump's gone and we have regained our rightful place in the White House, look out if you supported him and endorsed his actions, because we'll be coming for you next. You will feel the vengeance of a nation. No stone will be left unturned as we seek you out in every corner of this great nation. For it is you who have betrayed us."
Yes, she really said this!
First of all, no - Kamala Harris did not say that, and the source of this fictitious quote is a satire website. But these sorts of statements make me angry, because they're so easily refuted by the facts. For this specific example, see the articles Social Media Posts Treat Fictional Harris ‘Quote’ as Fact and No, Harris Never Said Trump's Supporters Would 'Feel the Vengeance of a Nation'. Whenever I see political tripe such as this show up on social media, all it does is reinforce the ignorance of the person who reposted it. Not just because the information these political dupes are posting is verifiably false, but also because it publicly demonstrates that these sycophantic suckers are incapable of both telling the difference between fact and fiction and being capable of simple searches that might uncover the truth. (Which is kind of frightening when you think about it.)
Don't get me wrong, Kamala has said a lot of stupid things, and that should have been a dead giveaway that this was fake. If Kamala had ACTUALLY wanted to say something like the original post, it would have been more like the following example:
"And once Trump is 'gone'... [Cackles] and 'gone' is, you know, a figurative place that isn't 'here'... [Cackles] And we've... [Cackles][Cackles] thank you. Thank you so much! [Cackles] And we've regained, or retaken ... [Cackles] or reattained... [Cackles] or 'returned' to our place, which... we believe... [Cackles] is our 'rightful' place, in the color-free... or rainbow-colored... [Cackles] 'House of the American People'... be aware, or be on the look out... [Cackles] or be prepared... to see that... if you supported him... meaning 'Trump,' of course... [Cackles][Cackles] and endorsed... or supported... or voted for... or thought about his actions, meaning the things that Trump did, or said, or wanted to do... [Cackles] because we'll be coming for you next... which means that 'we,' as a people who didn't vote for... [Cackles] you know, Trump... [Cackles] we will be coming after you... [Cackles] which means, of course, we'll we going after those people that... [Cackles] you know... [Cackles] 'liked' Trump or something... those people will feel the vengeance, or anger, or... [Cackles][Cackles][Cackles] or... reprisals... which means, you know... [Cackles] 'retribution'... which is a word that... like 'vengeance'... means... [Cackles][Cackles][Cackles] some form of 'repayment'... but not... [Cackles] ... in a 'good' way... you know? [Cackles] Thank you! Thank you so much! [Cackles] And that vengeance... or... [Cackles] hatred... will be coming from the... you know... the 'nation'... [Cackles][Cackles] which means, of course, 'ALL' of us... except, you know, those of 'us' who AREN'T part of 'us'... [Cackles] meaning those people... who... [Cackles][Cackles][Cackles] supported him... meaning 'Trump'... of course... [Cackles] or voted for him... or thought about staying at Trump Tower when they were in Chicago... which I didn't do when I was there... because, you know, I stand with all you people... I mean... all 'my' people, who are... [Cackles] ... you know... the people who DIDN'T vote for Trump... [Cackles] And those people, the Trump ones, they should know that no stone... which is a hard thing, like a 'rock,' which is also a hard thing that you can hit things with... [Cackles] which is usually a mineral of some sort... which is where we get the word 'miners' from, and we don't like miners because they're destroying, you know... [Cackles] the environment and stuff... [Cackles] But let me be very clear: when we say 'miners'... we don't mean 'minors'... because... [Cackles] even though they sound the same... [Cackles] they're not the same thing, because 'miners' are, you know, bad people... because of global warming and stuff... and 'minors,' you know, they're young, so they can't be 'miners'... and they can't vote... so they couldn't have voted for Trump, of course... [Cackles] So you see... those two words - 'miners' and 'minors' - they're not the same... [Cackles] And if those people... not the miners, or the minors, but the Trump people... if THOSE people are hiding under a... you know, a stone... or a rock... we won't leave that stone or rock unturned... [Cackles] or any stones or rocks unturned... meaning that, you know, we'll be turning them over... like a new leaf... [Cackles] so we can see, unburdened by what has been, of course... [Cackles][Cackles] where we seek out, or look for... or search for... [Cackles] 'you,' meaning those people who were with... you know... Trump... [Cackles] we'll find you in every corner... and a 'corner' is something that you find on round things, which... you know... are like us... [Cackles] because we're well-rounded people... [Cackles][Cackles] am I right? [Cackles] And we'll look in those corners, all of them, that are part of... or connected to... or joined with... this great nation... [Cackles] because it is you... meaning 'them'... [Cackles] who... you know, betrayed 'us'... who are NOT them... but were... [Cackles] you know... with Trump at some point. [Cackles][Cackles] Thank you! Thank you so much. [Cackles]"
Now, tell me the truth... you could hear that in your head in Kamala's voice as you read it, right? That's what Kamala Harris actually sounds like when she speaks, and that's why that original quote is easily outed as a hoax. Kamala simply doesn't have the speaking skills or presence of mind to deliver something as succinct as the original post - even with a teleprompter desperately trying to guide her.
POSTSCRIPT:
To be fair, Biden could have said something much like the original quotation 20 or 30 years ago before his brain had turned to cottage cheese. But if he had, his speech would have been stolen from a speech that someone else had given, since Biden was a career plagiarist - see https://tinyurl.com/yj2wdp7b - but I digress. 😉
The Unrest in Our Small Slice of the Forest
21 March 2025 • by Bob • Humor, Nature
In honor of March 21st being the International Day of Forests, I thought I'd share the following anecdote:
When my wife and I bought a house in Seattle many years ago, we had a single Maple tree in our backyard that was surrounded by towering Pine trees, which were, of course, blocking out the sun and clearly causing the lone Maple undo distress.
After a day of working in our yard to clear out some underbrush, my wife asked me how my labors were progressing, and I replied:
"There is unrest in our backyard
There is trouble with our trees
For our Maple wants more sunlight
And the Pines ignore its pleas."
Oh, sure - any self-respecting Rush fan could probably see that joke coming a mile away, but still - how could I resist? (IYKYK)
PS - My wife, who is no fan of the Triumvirate from Toronto, responded, "That's from a Rush song, isn't it?"
A Few Additional Suggestions for Renaming Geographical Locations
20 February 2025 • by Bob • Humor, Politics
In the wake of the "Gulf of America" renaming debacle, I think that Mexico should rename the "Gulf of California" to the "Gulf of Mexico," and California should rename "San Francisco Bay" to the "Gulf of California."
Meanwhile, "Cape Cod Bay" should be renamed the "Gulf of Ireland," the "Black Sea" should be renamed the "Gulf of Ukraine," "Long Island Sound" should be renamed the "Gulf of England," the "Red Sea" should be renamed the "Gulf of Saudi Arabia," and all the "Great Lakes" should be renamed the "Gulf of Canada."
While we're at it, the "Atlantic Ocean" and "Indian Ocean" and "Mediterranean Sea" should all be renamed the "Gulf of Africa," and the "Pacific Ocean" should be renamed the "Gulf of Antarctica."
I think that takes care of just about everything.
To be the Dogman
06 February 2025 • by Bob • Humor, Music
My granddaughter is obsessed with the children's superhero "Dog Man" these days, but I have to admit - every time she mentions him, I can't help but think of this song:
That's pretty much the same thing, isn't it?
The Glamour and Romance of Travel
28 January 2025 • by Bob • Travel, Humor
I believe I've stayed at this hotel on more than one occasion:
Stupid People Do Not Understand Genetics
10 January 2025 • by Bob • Humor, Science
A friend of mine posted the following image from Twitter (with the actual names removed to protect the innocent):
I responded that I like to mess with people who are that scientifically illiterate by saying things like, "You realize that when you compare a woman's XX chromosomes to a man's XY chromosomes, there are 8 branches in a woman's DNA and only 7 for a man, which means that women have 12.5% more DNA than men, and that extra branch is where DNA stores all the building blocks for intelligence and logic, which is why most women are smarter than you."
Yeah, sure - that statement about DNA isn't scientifically accurate, but it doesn't matter - because whoever the illiterate idiot is, they've already proven that they're too dumb to know better.
Ladies and Gentlemen: The Professor on the Drum Kit
13 December 2024 • by Bob • Music, Humor
I saw this image and it reminded me of an actual advertisement that I saw on a bulletin board back in the early 1980s in Tucson's Guitars Etc:
"Drummer wanted for band.
NO RUSH TYPES!!!
Drummer must be able to keep a straight beat."
IYKYK
The Trials and Trappings of Wealth and Fashion
09 July 2024 • by Bob • Humor, Travel
Several years ago my wife and I were in Venice, Italy, when the 58th International Art Exhibition (which was aptly titled "May You Live In Interesting Times") was about to open. Many of the richest people from around the globe had descended on this tiny, northern Italian city via their expensive megayachts and private jets, and their respective attendances were somewhat assured because the world's wealthy simply MUST be seen at events like these, lest they be perceived as "uncultured" by their peers.
As my wife and I caught sight of myriad jet setting millionaires and billionaires who were strolling along the canals of Venice wearing the latest fashions from Milan, Paris, and London, I made the following observation: when you're poor and you're weird, you're viewed as crazy; but if you're rich and you're weird, you're viewed as eccentric. When applying this revelation to the crowds that had gathered in Venice, this meant that everyone who wasn't an eccentric elite witnessed a never ending parade of unusual apparel adorning the ranks of affluent art show attendees, which was like watching a comedy show in which each performer was trying to outdo the last for having the most outlandish costume.
As one prosperous pair passed us wearing clothes that a clown wouldn't wear to a circus, I leaned over to my wife and remarked, "Some people are so fashionable that they don't realize how stupid they look." My playful observation cannot be overstated; I saw several nouveau riche who looked utterly ridiculous, even though in some circles they might be considered fashionable. The super rich who were visiting Venice during our tenure there were living out a textbook manifestation of The Emperor's New Clothes; and like the gullible saps in the fairy tale, they didn't realize that the joke was on them. I didn't take any photos - because that would be rude - but if you've seen the films in the "The Hunger Games" series, just imagine the crowds from "The Capital" walking around in real life; that's pretty much what we saw.
PS - to their credit, the affluent couple in absurd garments that I mentioned earlier were walking an exquisitely groomed Afghan Hound through the streets of Venice. I would imagine that poor animal was probably embarrassed to be seen in public with its owners.