Matt Of All Trades

 UPDATE Turns out kids in Alabama will be able to participate in  yoga sessions, with restrictions to appease fearful, ignorant "Christians." Yoga could be welcome in Alabama schools after all.   Sponsors of the bill legalizing it made some entirely unnecessary changes to their legislation, just to appease religious "conservatives" in the state, who fear anything other than their brand of Christianity.  According to Al.com: "The (Alabama State) Senate amended the bill to say that 'school personnel may not  use any techniques that involve hypnosis, the induction of a dissociative mental state, guided imagery, meditation or any aspect of Eastern philosophy and religious training." Never mind that yoga does not involve hypnosis, and earlier versions of the bill these "Christians" objected to already banned schools from using yoga for anything other than exercise.  But you gotta appease the crazies to get anything accomplished, right?   I know yo...

Alpacas are cute, and the Vermont farms they live on are lovely, except in instances where the farms are acquired through pandemic loan fraud, as prosecutors allege in  one Vermont case. The Federal Paycheck Protection Program was meant to keep businesses afloat during the pandemic as a way to preserve employment through the crisis.   It program was a big help, and it saved a lot of butts. However, as with everything else, there are a few cheaters involved, and now prosecutors are starting to poke around nabbing people who benefitted illegally. Among the people caught in this net is somebody who allegedly cheated to get this money in what I consider an only-in-Vermont way. He used the money to buy alpacas. Anyway, that's what prosecutors are saying about Dana McIntyre, 57, of Grafton, Vermont. He's charged with wire fraud and money laundering because he's alleged to have used some of the PPP money to buy alpacas for a farm in Vermont.  He was supposed to use the mon...

The Great Chick-Fil-A Sauce crisis of 2021 has some of the crazier members of the GOP freaking out.  It's always an American sport to blame whoever the current president is for any particular woe, whether hizonner had anything to do with the problem or not.  Democrats do it to Republicans. The GOP does it to Democrats. Just normal, stupid politics.  Sometimes, though, the stupidity rises to a whole new level. Introducing the Great Chick-Fil-A Sauce Crisis of 2021. Apparently, there are industry-wide shortages of some condiments, forcing Chick-Fil-A to limit sauce packets to a starvation level one sauce per entree, two sauces per meal and three sauces er 30-count nuggets. Oh, how will we ever survive?!?!?!?  The problem s eems to have a pretty reasonable source . The Centers for Disease Control says restaurants should refrain from using condiments like full sized ketchup bottles and salt and pepper shakers in favor of individualized packets. The resulting demand for t...

Why was Irish President Michael D. Higgins  fidgeting during a press briefing? There was a good and cute reason why. Leading politicians often step out dramatically from their offices or homes to deliver remarks to an awaiting press.  So it was recently with Irish President Michael D. Higgins, who stood on the lawn of his home in front of a microphone to deliver a tribute to actor Tom Hickey, who recently died.  Television viewers saw Higgins from his waist up as they watched the address.   As Higgins was speaking, why was he fidgeting his right arm so much? Was something wrong?  And it seemed the bottom of his suit jacket kept moving oddly. Hmm. A wider angle lens revealed what the issue is.   Watch the video and you will find out immediately (Cute moment warning!)

Randy Rain   Randy Rainbow is gracing our YouTube viewing again today with yet another video.   This time he takes to task all those GOPers in Congress who still are in the cult of Donald Trump by doing a takeoff on the " The Trolley Song" from the 1944 musical "Meet Me In St. Louis," starring Judy Garland.    This new version stars an ensemble cast consisting of Randy Rainbow, Randy Rainbow, Randy Rainbow, and others including the treasured Randy Rainbow.  You'll see what I mean when you watch the video.  As usual, Rainbow starts the festivities with a "news interview, in which our interviewer notes that Josh Hawley is "the most famous fist in the Senate if you don't count Lindsay Graham, but that's another story." Then we get into the musical, and Rainbow gleefully skewers the GOP throughout his tuneful trip to St. Louis.  Here's the vid. As always, click on the YouTube logo for best viewing. 

"No yoga for kids, please, we're Alabama!" Apparently, lawmakers in Alabama are afraid of some odd things.   Yoga, for example. Apparently, doing yoga could make you very un-Christian, or at least do un-Christian things, so it has no place in Alabama. At least that's the opinion of a number of Republican state legislators.  Last month, a bill that would have allowed yoga (allowed, not mandated) was shot down once again in the Alabama legislature.  According to the Associated Press, a bill was introduced to allow yoga in schools. The AP reported:  ".....representatives for two conservative groups objected, saying they were worried it could lead to the promotion of Hinduism or guided meditation practices. The Alabama lawmaker sponsoring the bill, a former college athlete, said the bill is about exercise and not religion.  'This whole notion that if you do yoga, you'll become Hindu - I've been doing yoga for 10 years and I go to church and I'm very m...