Mitch's Blog

In response to my earlier post, I’m now seeing comments from people who actually liked Gilligan’s Island. Nobody’s speaking up to defend the Brady Bunch though.

Judd Legum at Popular Information:: In the latest accusation, Beatrice Keul, a Swiss model, “said Trump grabbed her from behind ‘and forcibly raped her… tearing her dress and causing bleeding and bruising on multiple parts of her body.’"” An Oct.26 report by Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee includes detailed accounts of sexual assault involving 11 women. Five accused Trump of rape and sexual assault, including two who were minors at the time.

In 2023, Trump was found liable by a jury for the sexual abuse of E. Jean Carroll in 1996. “In 2005, Trump was also recorded bragging about sexually assaulting women. ‘I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything,’ Trump told Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush. ‘Grab ‘em by the pussy. You can do anything.’”

Most of the media is downplaying or ignoring the report and its new allegations.

People need to be reminded that Trump has raped children and women numerous times.

My journalism role model.

“When I moved in with my partner, I got into the habit of reporting all the little chores I’d done so she knew I was doing my fair share of the housework. Now realised that she is rarely interested so I just make things up. I’ve just recalibrated the TV aerial transistor.” — @fesshole@mastodon.social

The youngs do not appreciate that often we watched TV shows because there was nothing else on. We didn’t like The Brady Bunch or Gilligan’s Island, not really.

Do you answer phone calls from unknown numbers? Also, how do you manage junk texts? Do you block or screen texts from unknown numbers?

The Apple Pencil turned the Duo into my new favorite notebook, by Allison Johnson at The Verge:

Ignore the pile of previous favorite notebooks; this is the one that’s gonna change it all for me.

I share Johnson’s ambition to become a Notebook Person, but in reality I don’t write anything by hand anymore. Julie gave me a good little notebook that I carry with me and don’t use, and I’m currently intrigued by the Fineliner handwriting app on my iPad mini.

Don’t be a meat proxy (Niklas Gruhn) — On the proper use of AI chatbots.

Here’s why you can’t shake those unhinged political texts (Lauren Feiner / The Verge) — I think of the onslaught of political campaign messages as a tiny symptom of the breakdown of our polity. Nobody likes receiving them, nobody does anything about it.

“How did the hipster burn the roof of his mouth? He ate the pizza before it was cool.” — @IHasWisdom@mastodon.social

wife: you should go move the clocks
me: no problem
[three hours later]
wife: where the fuck are all the clocks?

— @uncleduke1969.bsky.social

Mundane Halloween costumes, from Japan

“It’s a not-so-wonderful life for George Bailey when a horde of flesh-eating ghouls come to town on Christmas Eve.” I love this. “It’s a Wonderful Night of the Living Dead.” youtu.be/AGsB9eJUr…

What John Goodman Knows About Fear (The New Yorker /Michael Schulman)

Goodman “discusses Tom Cruise, the Coen brothers, and his lifelong quest to feel at ease in his own skin.”

You were a Boy Scout? Did you pick up any kind of skills?

Smoking. How to hide it. Where to bury the cigarette butt. A pretty good slew of dirty jokes. Misconceived sexual information. And basic canoeing.

Also:

I was fifty-five years old when I got sober. I was really immature, and I just sustained that immaturity. I wanted to live in “Animal House” the whole time.

I am tempted by the new iPad mini, but I cannot justify the expense after all the money we’ve dropped for vet bills recently. So it’s appropriate that the dog is named Minnie.

My employer is rolling out a new HR system and they are asking us to provide selfies for the company directory. I couldn’t find a recent selfie that I like and I did not want to spend a lot of time looking so I just used this. I am entirely satisfied.

Here’s something I saw while walking. Isn’t this a nice house?

Currently reading: The Hunter by Donald E. Westlake 📚 I love his Dortmunder light comic crime novels. I’ve heard great things about the gritty, dark Parker series. I was skeptical but so far I’m enjoying it.

Readwise is taking on Kindle and Kobo for ebook supremacy (The Verge / David Pierce) — Readwise is launching an ebook store and reader software. I’m going to give it a try. There has been no significant innovation in ebook software in 20 years.