anglophone's Profile

Anti gay Kansas lawmaker gets only 12 months of probation after kicking a male student in the balls.

bobwjr comments on Sep 15, 2021:

It's Kansas heart of homophobic bible belt

anglophone replies on Sep 15, 2021:

Fuck Kansas, and bugger (not fuck) the judge.

Texas Governor: To Reduce Crime, “We Need to Restore God in Our Communities” | Hemant Mehta | ...

Redneckliberal comments on Sep 14, 2021:

WONDER WHICH ONE HE ENDORSES?

anglophone replies on Sep 15, 2021:

@RussRAB Your words make me wonder how many women and girls he has himself raped.

Texas Governor: To Reduce Crime, “We Need to Restore God in Our Communities” | Hemant Mehta | ...

Redneckliberal comments on Sep 14, 2021:

WONDER WHICH ONE HE ENDORSES?

anglophone replies on Sep 14, 2021:

The God of War, Rape, Looting and Pillage.

(_ucker KKKarlson is such a POS.

BitFlipper comments on Sep 13, 2021:

Didn't everybody already know this?

anglophone replies on Sep 13, 2021:

His sycophants and the mentally retarded can be fooled all of the time.

Missouri Parent Claims Classroom Pride Flag Will “Teach Their Child To Be Gay” | Hemant Mehta | ...

anglophone comments on Sep 13, 2021:

P.S. Anybody who has an issue with homosexuality should be buggered thrice daily for the rest of their lives.

anglophone replies on Sep 13, 2021:

@Lorajay You make a valid point.

The evil of the Jehovah's Witnesses laid bare: [abc.net.au] (edited for typo)

Beowulfsfriend comments on Sep 12, 2021:

Another cultists religion. My nephew had the perfect answer for when they stopped and knocked on his door - he answered in the nude.

anglophone replies on Sep 12, 2021:

"My willy beats your brains every time!" ;)

It did not take long for the Taliban to start imposing their vile misogyny on the population: ...

HippieChick58 comments on Sep 12, 2021:

Who did NOT see that coming.

anglophone replies on Sep 12, 2021:

For me it was a matter of when, not if.

While I have no time for the anti-vaxx dimwits of this world, this article might go some way towards...

racocn8 comments on Sep 12, 2021:

Certain personalities appear to prefer disinformation (lies). The fear and concerns are really there, but the people have lost the conventional understanding of the world and reality. In part, their religion has brainwashed them into this state. They reject and revile true information coming from ...

anglophone replies on Sep 12, 2021:

Thanks for sharing your thoughtful comment.

Well the old saying that "Fool and His money are easily parted" rings true around here today.

Emerald comments on Sep 12, 2021:

I always love reading these.

anglophone replies on Sep 12, 2021:

Same here.

Well the old saying that "Fool and His money are easily parted" rings true around here today.

anglophone comments on Sep 12, 2021:

To what extent is he aware of his own intellectual ineptitude?

anglophone replies on Sep 12, 2021:

@Triphid Sigh. A prime example of the Dunning-Kruger effect. I admire your patience with him.

Even on their death beds, some COVID-19 patients in Idaho still reject vaccination ...

Logician comments on Sep 12, 2021:

If these shots of dangerous POISONS are so darn wonderful, safe and effective, then why are so many of the fools who took them getting sick and DYING?!?! Look at Israel, around 90% of them have taken these shots, but those are most of the ones who are sick and dying over there!! Oopsie there, we...

anglophone replies on Sep 12, 2021:

@Jolanta I wonder if @Logician is familiar with the concept of efficacy, and if he is if he is then also familiar with the notion that efficacy varies between individuals. His "either they work or they don't work" would suggest that he is not. I also wonder why he asks rhetorically about these shots being dangerous poisons. He puts me in mind of Mr Spock of Star Treck.

Even on their death beds, some COVID-19 patients in Idaho still reject vaccination ...

HankSherman comments on Sep 11, 2021:

As one that experiences COPD on a daily basis, I know what its like when the brain lacks oxygen.....am thinking these people are suffering from a lack of oxygen.....seriously!!!

anglophone replies on Sep 11, 2021:

Lack of oxygen, or lack of brain in their case? (Yes, I can be a cynical bastard at times.)

Even on their death beds, some COVID-19 patients in Idaho still reject vaccination ...

zeuser comments on Sep 11, 2021:

I'm just angry at these assholes now.

anglophone replies on Sep 11, 2021:

Me too. The arrogance of these people ends up stealing hospital beds from other people.

Even on their death beds, some COVID-19 patients in Idaho still reject vaccination ...

DenoPenno comments on Sep 11, 2021:

I agree with Tom, but dying is no time to be vaccinated.

anglophone replies on Sep 11, 2021:

@TomMcGiverin Too fucking late, or too suicidally late?

Unvaccinated people 11 times more likely to die from COVID-19, CDC study shows [cbsnews.com]

KateOahu comments on Sep 11, 2021:

Glad I got my booster on Friday.

anglophone replies on Sep 11, 2021:

I cannot comprehend what drives anybody to be suicidally stupid.

Even on their death beds, some COVID-19 patients in Idaho still reject vaccination ...

MrDragon comments on Sep 11, 2021:

If they are so hell bound not to be vaccinated then so be it as they wish. They'll just have a painful death or suffer complications for the rest of their lives if they live. They are right about one thing, it's totally their choice. Everything has a price.

anglophone replies on Sep 11, 2021:

Evidence means nothing to such people. Prejudice trumps facts every time for them.

Seriously Texas is this actually the BEST you could do?...

p-nullifidian comments on Sep 11, 2021:

By his logic, a father who impregnates his daughter, or an uncle his niece, or a brother his sister, along with the world’s worst rapist (which may have been Genghis Khan) would be the most revered life giver! What’s wrong with these people?! The ethics here are upside down, and this ...

anglophone replies on Sep 11, 2021:

For me, he epitomizes the immorality of the Repugnicant Party.

Yet another republican caught with compromising photos of young boys. [msn.com]

TheDoubter comments on Sep 10, 2021:

what is it with these guys?

anglophone replies on Sep 11, 2021:

@Paganlyl Gop's will. I love it!

Yet another republican caught with compromising photos of young boys. [msn.com]

TheDoubter comments on Sep 10, 2021:

what is it with these guys?

anglophone replies on Sep 10, 2021:

The answer to your question is that such people are vile little shits who deserve to be shot.

Justice Department sues Texas over restrictive abortion law.

Unity comments on Sep 9, 2021:

There is a war going on here in America. We are everything but united. 😥

anglophone replies on Sep 9, 2021:

@MsKathleen I can go with that. My step-mother (whom I love dearly) and a number of friends and acquaintances, all from the USA, share your view. What frightens me is just how easy it was for Trumpty Dumpty to embolden white supremacists and such-like other trash.

Justice Department sues Texas over restrictive abortion law.

Unity comments on Sep 9, 2021:

There is a war going on here in America. We are everything but united. 😥

anglophone replies on Sep 9, 2021:

It has been clear to this overseas person that the United States of America is anything but united, and has been thus for decades. The attempts to hijack government by the evangelicals, the conspiracy theorists (QAnon, Proud Boys, etc) and the criminally stupid (Donald Trump) are plain for all to see.

Ohio Judge Reverses Previous Order Forcing Hospital to Treat COVID Patient with Ivermectin An ...

anglophone comments on Sep 9, 2021:

JFC: I just got "This account is under investigation or was found in violation of the Medium Rules." when I followed the link.

anglophone replies on Sep 9, 2021:

@johnnyrobish Thanks for the update.

Ohio Judge Reverses Previous Order Forcing Hospital to Treat COVID Patient with Ivermectin An ...

anglophone comments on Sep 9, 2021:

JFC: I just got "This account is under investigation or was found in violation of the Medium Rules." when I followed the link.

anglophone replies on Sep 9, 2021:

@johnnyrobish I would guess that some rabid anti-vaxxer and peddler of horse paste has reported your account.

My first instance of an ant-vax friend coming down with covid has happened.

anglophone comments on Sep 8, 2021:

If she survives, will she have learned anything?

anglophone replies on Sep 8, 2021:

@UrsiMajor That is very sad.

Saw this beauty today when picking up my son from school (near Charlotte, North Carolina).

barjoe comments on Sep 8, 2021:

Fuck that guy

anglophone replies on Sep 8, 2021:

Fuck him? Maybe. Castrate him? Yes, that way it prevents any more stupid offspring from him.

The description of the FreeThinkers group includes the words ".

JackPedigo comments on Sep 8, 2021:

One major problem I see is that the 'box' frames a certain set of ideals and way of thinking. But, when one steps outside one box one often steps inside another. I have rejected many past 'norms' but have developed another set. That will change, hopefully, until the end but the new boxes will become...

anglophone replies on Sep 8, 2021:

@JackPedigo I am all too familiar with the ambiguity of words. I laugh in the face of all religitards who conflate the different meanings of the word "believe" (and who then go on to insist that I believe that there is no god).

The description of the FreeThinkers group includes the words ".

JackPedigo comments on Sep 8, 2021:

One major problem I see is that the 'box' frames a certain set of ideals and way of thinking. But, when one steps outside one box one often steps inside another. I have rejected many past 'norms' but have developed another set. That will change, hopefully, until the end but the new boxes will become...

anglophone replies on Sep 8, 2021:

I sense a shift on the meaning of the word "box" here. "To think outside the box" is a colocation, and @Marionville has in my view given an accurate description of the meaning of that colocation. When it comes to the shift from Newtonian mechanics to the Theory of General Relativity, the latter includes the former, and so it cannot be described as stepping outside one box and into another box. When it comes to ideals, my guess is that you are talking about values and possibly aspirations. I see those as being those things each individual regards as being important to themselves. It could be choices of food, sexual partner or political party for example. I can see an application of the boxes idea in this context: switching from one religion to another or abandoning religion altogether. My own atheism box is bounded by the walls (if you can call it that) of the Scientific Method. P.S. Thanks for the link. :)

The description of the FreeThinkers group includes the words ".

KateOahu comments on Sep 7, 2021:

COMpelled.

anglophone replies on Sep 8, 2021:

@MsKathleen By a PROpeller! ;)

What is the next number in this series? -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, ...

Willow_Wisp comments on Sep 8, 2021:

-1, 3, 1, -1, 3, the next numbers -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, and so forth and so on.... Three follows -1, and 1 follows 3 otherwise there's no progression in my solution which is a valid assumption considering the ...

anglophone replies on Sep 8, 2021:

@Willow_Wisp Sorry, not my poll, not my monkeys, not my circus. Perhaps @waitingforgodo would like to add his 31 cents' worth to the discussion.

What is the next number in this series? -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, ...

Willow_Wisp comments on Sep 8, 2021:

-1, 3, 1, -1, 3, the next numbers -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, and so forth and so on.... Three follows -1, and 1 follows 3 otherwise there's no progression in my solution which is a valid assumption considering the ...

anglophone replies on Sep 8, 2021:

@Willow_Wisp Um, when did negative 1 equal 7? Are you speaking octal? Fiat? Hold En? De Troit? Trouvé's tricycle?

What is the next number in this series? -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, ...

Willow_Wisp comments on Sep 8, 2021:

-1, 3, 1, -1, 3, the next numbers -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, and so forth and so on.... Three follows -1, and 1 follows 3 otherwise there's no progression in my solution which is a valid assumption considering the ...

anglophone replies on Sep 8, 2021:

@Willow_Wisp You want the algorithm? Easy! Take any number of the form 3+6n, n being a non-negative integer, and count the number of iterations of the Collatz function to arrive at 1. As the lighthouse said to the warship: "Your move!". ;)

What is the next number in this series? -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, ...

Willow_Wisp comments on Sep 8, 2021:

-1, 3, 1, -1, 3, the next numbers -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, and so forth and so on.... Three follows -1, and 1 follows 3 otherwise there's no progression in my solution which is a valid assumption considering the ...

anglophone replies on Sep 8, 2021:

@Willow_Wisp I find it odd that you should say that there are no even numbers in my sequence. Perhaps ternary sequences are more to your taste? ;) Oh, of kiss: "Keep It Simple, Sweetheart". And now I am about to be exceedingly rude: the simplest design of the Tay Rail Bridge did not seem to work so well: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tay_Bridge_disaster (On a personal note, I once lived not far from the location of that sad event.)

What is the next number in this series? -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, ...

Willow_Wisp comments on Sep 8, 2021:

-1, 3, 1, -1, 3, the next numbers -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, 1, -1, 3, and so forth and so on.... Three follows -1, and 1 follows 3 otherwise there's no progression in my solution which is a valid assumption considering the ...

anglophone replies on Sep 8, 2021:

Harrumph! You ASSume that the information given is complete. (To ASSume, to make an ass out of you and me). Prove me wrong. ;) More seriously, the sequence 7,10,17,7,111,26,34,16,24,32,107,14,14,22 ... 41,41,134,134,41,41 ...arises naturally from observations on the Collatz Conjecture.

The description of the FreeThinkers group includes the words ".

Marionville comments on Sep 8, 2021:

I’ve always understood the expression “thinking outside the box” to mean looking beyond the already known and accepted models in any sphere of human endeavour to find better or improved ones, or to find solutions to problems hitherto insoluble. In other words looking at things with a ...

anglophone replies on Sep 8, 2021:

@Marionville Everybody brings their own strengths to the world, and you are no exception. :)

The description of the FreeThinkers group includes the words ".

Marionville comments on Sep 8, 2021:

I’ve always understood the expression “thinking outside the box” to mean looking beyond the already known and accepted models in any sphere of human endeavour to find better or improved ones, or to find solutions to problems hitherto insoluble. In other words looking at things with a ...

anglophone replies on Sep 8, 2021:

P.S. The endeavour of mathematics includes looking for solutions to problems. Recent successes include the four colour theorem and Fermat's Last Theorem. As I understand it, the Collatz Conjecture still awaits proof, but Terence Tao may be onto something in that regard.

The description of the FreeThinkers group includes the words ".

Marionville comments on Sep 8, 2021:

I’ve always understood the expression “thinking outside the box” to mean looking beyond the already known and accepted models in any sphere of human endeavour to find better or improved ones, or to find solutions to problems hitherto insoluble. In other words looking at things with a ...

anglophone replies on Sep 8, 2021:

To misquote Telly Savalas "Ma'am, I like your style".

The description of the FreeThinkers group includes the words ".

KateOahu comments on Sep 7, 2021:

COMpelled.

anglophone replies on Sep 7, 2021:

PROpelled! ;)

The description of the FreeThinkers group includes the words ".

powder comments on Sep 7, 2021:

I think the main boxes are human doctrine; rules and laws we devise for human groups. Science also has a doctrine, with those thinking outside that box the ones who make strides like your Tesla's and Einstein's. Culture and society have norms and to think of solutions outside those norms, societal...

anglophone replies on Sep 7, 2021:

@powder I have a different perspective on Einstein's thinking in the example that you give. He was faced with the issue of the failure of the Michelson-Morley experiment and the need to comes up with an explanation, no matter outlandish it seemed at the time, to explain the observed behaviour of light. For me, his genius was to overturn the Newtonian view of time.

The description of the FreeThinkers group includes the words ".

powder comments on Sep 7, 2021:

I think the main boxes are human doctrine; rules and laws we devise for human groups. Science also has a doctrine, with those thinking outside that box the ones who make strides like your Tesla's and Einstein's. Culture and society have norms and to think of solutions outside those norms, societal...

anglophone replies on Sep 7, 2021:

Would it be reasonable to assign the phrase "critical thinking" to what you describe? I am thinking here of the willingness to challenge received opinion in whatever discipline is being discussed at the time.

The Ring of Fire - Marjorie Taylor Greene Says Horse Dewormer Poisonings Are Fake News ...

Redheadedgammy comments on Sep 7, 2021:

I just cannot listen to horse face bitch one more time! Somebody please take this bitch out!!!!

anglophone replies on Sep 7, 2021:

@dalefvictor What? Devaluation? What was that about a fistful of dollars? ;)

The Ring of Fire - Marjorie Taylor Greene Says Horse Dewormer Poisonings Are Fake News ...

Redheadedgammy comments on Sep 7, 2021:

I just cannot listen to horse face bitch one more time! Somebody please take this bitch out!!!!

anglophone replies on Sep 7, 2021:

@BirdMan1 I stand corrected. She is in urgent need of having some sense knocked into her.

Angry Christian Mom Boycotts Sonic Drive-In Over Harmless “Bra” Joke | Hemant Mehta | Friendly ...

Canndue comments on Sep 4, 2021:

She’s was voted “most likely to get undressed in the dark”….never had an orgasm…

anglophone replies on Sep 7, 2021:

Keep your hands off my clitoris!

The Ring of Fire - Marjorie Taylor Greene Says Horse Dewormer Poisonings Are Fake News ...

Redheadedgammy comments on Sep 7, 2021:

I just cannot listen to horse face bitch one more time! Somebody please take this bitch out!!!!

anglophone replies on Sep 7, 2021:

@Charlene A horse whip on a horse face? Neigh! ;)

The Ring of Fire - Marjorie Taylor Greene Says Horse Dewormer Poisonings Are Fake News ...

Redheadedgammy comments on Sep 7, 2021:

I just cannot listen to horse face bitch one more time! Somebody please take this bitch out!!!!

anglophone replies on Sep 7, 2021:

A repeated slapping across the face until she comes to her senses would be okay by me.

I was just contacted by someone who said that they were from Amazon and that someone had used my ...

anglophone comments on Sep 6, 2021:

I would cheerfully poke the eyes out of such people and castrate them at the same time, *without* any anaesthetic.

anglophone replies on Sep 7, 2021:

@Tejas What those vile little shits do to their victims is itself quite barbaric. I make no apology for wishing to give them their just desserts.

13. Not enough! 😆

The-Krzyz comments on Sep 6, 2021:

Thirteen of these, but I’ve come to prefer more out-of-the-way places and a nice stretch of countryside. Big-city culture is getting too homogenized. Last time I was in Paris, for example, it’s charms seemed lost in the frantic bustle, and I felt so much more relaxed and open to new experiences ...

anglophone replies on Sep 6, 2021:

I find very little difference between London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Sydney, Athens and Perth. The charm is elsewhere: Faro, Piriac-sur-mer, The Lynd, Hay-on-Wye, Oban.

Pastor Bob Enyart, Who Mocked AIDS Victims and Spread COVID Lies, Now Has COVID | Hemant Mehta | ...

Barnie2years comments on Sep 6, 2021:

Hope he at least has it bad enough to be a little smarter afterwards.

anglophone replies on Sep 6, 2021:

I very much doubt that he is capable of learning anything - he is too wrapped up in his own hateful world of delusion.

Every form of god divided and still dividing people.

BufftonBeotch comments on Sep 5, 2021:

I am continually bemused by the number of uneducated right wing xtians who have no clue that Islam is just another Abrahamic religion. They think Allah is a completely different made up woo. And I tell them they like Mary even more than the Catholics do.

anglophone replies on Sep 5, 2021:

Such shit-for-brains people are incapable of either learning or thinking.

A right-angled isosceles triangle is squared on the hypotenuse and on each of the other two sides.

anglophone comments on Sep 5, 2021:

9. Without loss of generality, assume the two short sides each have length 1. The hypotenuse has length sqrt(2). The area of the triangle is 1/2. The areas of the three resulting squares is 1, 1 and 2. The area of the resulting figure is 0.5+1+1+2 = 4.5 . 4.5/0.5 = 9. Q.E.D.

anglophone replies on Sep 5, 2021:

@waitingforgodo Okay, ancient Sanskrit it is then. I had wondered about using Linear B, but then I thought better of it.

A right-angled isosceles triangle is squared on the hypotenuse and on each of the other two sides.

anglophone comments on Sep 5, 2021:

9. Without loss of generality, assume the two short sides each have length 1. The hypotenuse has length sqrt(2). The area of the triangle is 1/2. The areas of the three resulting squares is 1, 1 and 2. The area of the resulting figure is 0.5+1+1+2 = 4.5 . 4.5/0.5 = 9. Q.E.D.

anglophone replies on Sep 5, 2021:

@waitingforgodo Would you prefer me to use traditional Chinese? ;)

Police Steal $87,000 From a Former Marine They Claim was Following a Truck Too Closely The ...

JonnaBononna comments on Sep 5, 2021:

Civil forfeiture. Cops do this in every state but 4- North Carolina, New Mexico, Nebraska and Maine have passed laws against it and only seize assets through criminal law. It's use picked up during the 80s as part of the "war on drugs", though it was used during the prohibition Era as well. It's ...

anglophone replies on Sep 5, 2021:

P.S. The corruption of cops in the U$A is second only to the corruption of cops in Mexico. The corruption of legislatures in the U$A is secondly only to the corruption of legislatures in China.

Police Steal $87,000 From a Former Marine They Claim was Following a Truck Too Closely The ...

JonnaBononna comments on Sep 5, 2021:

Civil forfeiture. Cops do this in every state but 4- North Carolina, New Mexico, Nebraska and Maine have passed laws against it and only seize assets through criminal law. It's use picked up during the 80s as part of the "war on drugs", though it was used during the prohibition Era as well. It's ...

anglophone replies on Sep 5, 2021:

Fuck the U$A.

Just awful clothing design or is she giving a big hint.

dalefvictor comments on Sep 5, 2021:

That is a rocket, right?

anglophone replies on Sep 5, 2021:

@Lizard_of_Ahaz Don't forget the lube! ;)

Who else thought the battle was over in 1973?

Killtheskyfairy comments on Sep 4, 2021:

Not me. It’s a constant struggle for women not to be second class citizens especially when men are running the country.

anglophone replies on Sep 5, 2021:

You put it extremely well.

Angry Christian Mom Boycotts Sonic Drive-In Over Harmless “Bra” Joke | Hemant Mehta | Friendly ...

Triphid comments on Sep 4, 2021:

In the fevered and deluded mind of Monica ( Moaner) Cole there is this vision of a child becoming traumatized because it's mother didn't have time enough to do her bra before take him/her to school. Wtf is wrong with crazy Chrustian female, would a few doses of Zoloft help I wonder?

anglophone replies on Sep 4, 2021:

She clearly has major issues with her own tits.

Angry Christian Mom Boycotts Sonic Drive-In Over Harmless “Bra” Joke | Hemant Mehta | Friendly ...

JonnaBononna comments on Sep 4, 2021:

It must be exhausting to always be looking for something to be offended by.

anglophone replies on Sep 4, 2021:

@KKGator Here's hoping.

Online dating: would you meet a grouchy looking person?

HippieChick58 comments on Sep 4, 2021:

I admire you for your tenacity. I totally believe some people just don't read, or pay attention to what they read. That was a waste of your time and his. I think your time is more valuable, he sounds like he's just taking up space until he shuffles off this mortal coil.

anglophone replies on Sep 4, 2021:

An alternative word for such people is "oxygen thief".

What's the anonymous anti-abortion tip-line?

Apunzelle comments on Sep 4, 2021:

The site got shut down (for now). **Pro-life abortion-reporting system dropped by website host GoDaddy.com** https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2021/09/03/pro-life-abortion-reporting-system-dropped-by-website-host-godaddycom/

anglophone replies on Sep 4, 2021:

Bugger it. That means I will now not be able to collect my $10,000 for every woman that I (falsely) report.

A takedown of the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses in Australia by two women who escaped: [abc.net.au]

David1955 comments on Sep 3, 2021:

I was just thinking reading this that one small benefit from this whole horrible COVID business is that God botherers have stopped God bothering at people's doors, least ways that's the case where I live. They used to be walking around regularly, usually receiving a wise crack or two from me for ...