Good morning Greg! I’m grateful that I somehow stumbled onto you several years back. You take a poem that is probably misunderstood by many and lead your readers to understand what the tyrant is thinking. 👏👏 As for Elmo and his bird app who knows what will happen... Ca Sera Sera! Maybe we should all take a break from tweeting? Please keep informing us. Your podcast is always entertaining, the 5/8 is funny and engaging ❤️ Chunk animation! And of course Karaoke is the best 🤣 Have a blessed Holiday Season. Best wishes to you and your family!
What can I say but good on that last duchess for smiling. Her best revenge, is what I'm thinking.
As you well imagine, many of us have had it having to hold our collective breaths over both these men/children. Alexandra Petri, noted satirist for the Washington Post, abandoned her satirical ways in her latest column. Like you, Greg, she speaks for so many of us.
I have many thoughts as I listen to both your podcasts and the Five8 videos. I especially take to the music played in the intro to Five8. Who should I credit for that? As well, the podcast music!
To you, LB, Bret, Chunk, your families, named and unnamed fans of all your works: Enjoy your holiday pick, be it Christmas, Hanukkha, Kwanza, et cetera! ...then have a Happy New Year!
Thanks so much, Lynell! Oh how I love Petri, but I'd missed that excellent column. One graf:
"There is something desperately boring about despots and plutocrats. And one of the frustrating consequences of an unequal society is that the rest of us have to care what is going on with them. Now Trump might be gone, but we still have a main character we don’t want. Not that this is a new phenomenon. The ancient historian Suetonius may not have been the most accurate source, but seeing people like Musk and Trump in action, I feel more sympathetic to his accounts of what boring people, given power answerable to their whims, wind up doing. I thought it was ridiculous when he said Nero, literally the emperor of Rome, decided that, actually, what he wanted to be was an actor — but here is Musk, one of the richest men on the planet, who has decided for no reason whatsoever that what he wants to be is a Twitter troll! And not even a funny one; just as transphobic and anti-vax and awful as the bog standard. I’m sorry I doubted you, Suetonius! Maybe if we are lucky Musk will start doing more of the fun caesar things, such as trying to get a horse into the Senate, and will stop his mission to turn Twitter into a hateful cesspool! But somehow I doubt it."
First Amendment "free speech" is no defense to any of the crimes that can send you to prison & fine you thousands for lying to IRS, DHS, FBI, or for lying for a profit or official job or power or other benefit. The 1A shouldn't be a defense to political & news lying either.
Quite an amazing, masterfully crafted piece Greg! The repulsively evil, precociously pious, piece of child-like fuckery that plays the Bill Mummy Twilight Zone character, is Musk! Although, incitus ass would be apropos! Sundays obviously bring out your literary genius, with great amusement for your readers, thanks!!
I am no longer embarrassed to admit that without these Sunday columns, I would be UNABLE to start my week. If you're off, like next week and maybe New Year's Day, I randomly seek out a past Sunday column and I'm good.
"...Musk has an army of fans, not all of them bots..." Subject for a future column: when does a person become a bot? There are now MANY examples of people that continue to fluff the monsters of our world long after they should be relevant. My take is that people who CONTINUE to follow, praise, or simply BE fans of someone like Musk or Trump, LONG after they've proven over and over what a drag they are on the human experience, are bots; ignorant of the real world, only believing what they hear from their "programmer."
Per Wiki: An Internet bot, web robot, robot or simply bot, is a software application that runs automated tasks over the Internet, USUALLY WITH THE INTENT TO IMITATE HUMAN ACTIVITY on the Internet, such as messaging, on a large scale. (emphasis mine)
It seems clear that these bots are not always "software applications." The bots the Muskovite claimed to be worried about before he blew $44 billion on the Bird App, came with him. He's ONLY interested now in seeing people PRAISE him, or worse, imitate him. I have changed my thinking somewhat on his national security threat status. I don't have a full handle on what his ultimate goal is, but it's NOT just so he can make liberals cry. The reality is that anything supporting the insurrectionist right-wing of the US is a national security threat. This certainly includes Musk -- which my fingers keep misspelling as "Muck." They seem to know more than me.
Any change of Congress always comes with at least a month of sheer chaos, especially now, so let's all ENJOY the holidays this year like we haven't since 2015! Merry Christmas to you Greg and your family, along with LB, who rocks my world every week on the 5/8, Chunk, and everyone here. Happy Holidays to all who don't celebrate Christmas -- no matter what you may have heard from the deeply misinformed, this is NOT a Christian nation, it is a secular nation, open to all faiths, and those without faith. Someday maybe, we'll get there!
Steve B, pulling out all the stops for one of the last comments of the year!
Excellent point about bots. Why CAN'T people be bots, indeed? They more or less are. And I can't believe I've never thought to call him Elon Muck. Ha ha ha.
The Xmas stuff is funny...as celebrated in the US, the only Christian thing about it is the name. We put up a pagan tree, string up lights to ward off darkness, have yule logs, spend ridiculous money on gifts, put some of them in stockings, watch LOVE ACTUALLY and DIE HARD...none of that has anything to do with Jesus. Even the holiday songs are mostly written by Jewish composers. It's the only "religious" holiday that is also a federal holiday. My point is, the way most Americans celebrate Christmas isn't religious at all. It is the Feast Day of Capitalism! We should lean into that.
I seriously just like all the blinky lights -- I wish there was a good reason to have them all year. I wonder if rich, rich people put paper money and Krugerrands on their pagan trees... I have GOT to watch Die Hard this year, as a Christmas movie! Happiest of Festivus!
Good Lord, you find logic in all the strange places. Always a sharp turn down a bumpy road and a delight of unexpected proportions. But always makes my old brain spin as I try to arrive at some coherence or discernment. A test and a challenge at my age…
Good morning Greg! I’m grateful that I somehow stumbled onto you several years back. You take a poem that is probably misunderstood by many and lead your readers to understand what the tyrant is thinking. 👏👏 As for Elmo and his bird app who knows what will happen... Ca Sera Sera! Maybe we should all take a break from tweeting? Please keep informing us. Your podcast is always entertaining, the 5/8 is funny and engaging ❤️ Chunk animation! And of course Karaoke is the best 🤣 Have a blessed Holiday Season. Best wishes to you and your family!
Thanks so much, Christine! You too!
Morning, Greg, and all!
What can I say but good on that last duchess for smiling. Her best revenge, is what I'm thinking.
As you well imagine, many of us have had it having to hold our collective breaths over both these men/children. Alexandra Petri, noted satirist for the Washington Post, abandoned her satirical ways in her latest column. Like you, Greg, she speaks for so many of us.
https://wapo.st/3FG37Hl
I have many thoughts as I listen to both your podcasts and the Five8 videos. I especially take to the music played in the intro to Five8. Who should I credit for that? As well, the podcast music!
To you, LB, Bret, Chunk, your families, named and unnamed fans of all your works: Enjoy your holiday pick, be it Christmas, Hanukkha, Kwanza, et cetera! ...then have a Happy New Year!
Thanks so much, Lynell! Oh how I love Petri, but I'd missed that excellent column. One graf:
"There is something desperately boring about despots and plutocrats. And one of the frustrating consequences of an unequal society is that the rest of us have to care what is going on with them. Now Trump might be gone, but we still have a main character we don’t want. Not that this is a new phenomenon. The ancient historian Suetonius may not have been the most accurate source, but seeing people like Musk and Trump in action, I feel more sympathetic to his accounts of what boring people, given power answerable to their whims, wind up doing. I thought it was ridiculous when he said Nero, literally the emperor of Rome, decided that, actually, what he wanted to be was an actor — but here is Musk, one of the richest men on the planet, who has decided for no reason whatsoever that what he wants to be is a Twitter troll! And not even a funny one; just as transphobic and anti-vax and awful as the bog standard. I’m sorry I doubted you, Suetonius! Maybe if we are lucky Musk will start doing more of the fun caesar things, such as trying to get a horse into the Senate, and will stop his mission to turn Twitter into a hateful cesspool! But somehow I doubt it."
Happy holidays!
PS
Music is by Howie King, Sun of all Music.
First Amendment "free speech" is no defense to any of the crimes that can send you to prison & fine you thousands for lying to IRS, DHS, FBI, or for lying for a profit or official job or power or other benefit. The 1A shouldn't be a defense to political & news lying either.
Correct. Now if only the indictments can begin. Maybe 2023 will be the Year of the Indictments? Maybe? Maybe?
Greg. Great topic and column to end the year. Musk,=.........................Savant Fuhrer.
Thanks!
Quite an amazing, masterfully crafted piece Greg! The repulsively evil, precociously pious, piece of child-like fuckery that plays the Bill Mummy Twilight Zone character, is Musk! Although, incitus ass would be apropos! Sundays obviously bring out your literary genius, with great amusement for your readers, thanks!!
Happiest of Holidays to you LB, and all your families as well!
Thanks, Patrick! As if on cue, his mother went on Twitter to defend him:
https://twitter.com/gregolear/status/1604644753294999552
Lordy, rotten apple tree
Master class in lit crit!
Thanks, Teresa!
I am no longer embarrassed to admit that without these Sunday columns, I would be UNABLE to start my week. If you're off, like next week and maybe New Year's Day, I randomly seek out a past Sunday column and I'm good.
"...Musk has an army of fans, not all of them bots..." Subject for a future column: when does a person become a bot? There are now MANY examples of people that continue to fluff the monsters of our world long after they should be relevant. My take is that people who CONTINUE to follow, praise, or simply BE fans of someone like Musk or Trump, LONG after they've proven over and over what a drag they are on the human experience, are bots; ignorant of the real world, only believing what they hear from their "programmer."
Per Wiki: An Internet bot, web robot, robot or simply bot, is a software application that runs automated tasks over the Internet, USUALLY WITH THE INTENT TO IMITATE HUMAN ACTIVITY on the Internet, such as messaging, on a large scale. (emphasis mine)
It seems clear that these bots are not always "software applications." The bots the Muskovite claimed to be worried about before he blew $44 billion on the Bird App, came with him. He's ONLY interested now in seeing people PRAISE him, or worse, imitate him. I have changed my thinking somewhat on his national security threat status. I don't have a full handle on what his ultimate goal is, but it's NOT just so he can make liberals cry. The reality is that anything supporting the insurrectionist right-wing of the US is a national security threat. This certainly includes Musk -- which my fingers keep misspelling as "Muck." They seem to know more than me.
Any change of Congress always comes with at least a month of sheer chaos, especially now, so let's all ENJOY the holidays this year like we haven't since 2015! Merry Christmas to you Greg and your family, along with LB, who rocks my world every week on the 5/8, Chunk, and everyone here. Happy Holidays to all who don't celebrate Christmas -- no matter what you may have heard from the deeply misinformed, this is NOT a Christian nation, it is a secular nation, open to all faiths, and those without faith. Someday maybe, we'll get there!
Steve B, pulling out all the stops for one of the last comments of the year!
Excellent point about bots. Why CAN'T people be bots, indeed? They more or less are. And I can't believe I've never thought to call him Elon Muck. Ha ha ha.
The Xmas stuff is funny...as celebrated in the US, the only Christian thing about it is the name. We put up a pagan tree, string up lights to ward off darkness, have yule logs, spend ridiculous money on gifts, put some of them in stockings, watch LOVE ACTUALLY and DIE HARD...none of that has anything to do with Jesus. Even the holiday songs are mostly written by Jewish composers. It's the only "religious" holiday that is also a federal holiday. My point is, the way most Americans celebrate Christmas isn't religious at all. It is the Feast Day of Capitalism! We should lean into that.
I appreciate you, my friend.
Feast Day of Capitalism,”. You said it best.
I seriously just like all the blinky lights -- I wish there was a good reason to have them all year. I wonder if rich, rich people put paper money and Krugerrands on their pagan trees... I have GOT to watch Die Hard this year, as a Christmas movie! Happiest of Festivus!
It's good Greg,. It's Reeeal good
Love StacyO
Thanks, Stacy!
Good Lord, you find logic in all the strange places. Always a sharp turn down a bumpy road and a delight of unexpected proportions. But always makes my old brain spin as I try to arrive at some coherence or discernment. A test and a challenge at my age…