The Pajama Pundit

President Trump Doesn't Understand Humor

2019-02-24T15:18:00.000-05:00

So, since it's been a while, let me take you back to October 2016. A simpler time. A time when most rational people thought that Hillary Clinton - like it or not - would be the 45th President of the United States. I have never been a fan of Hillary Clinton. It just so happens that there's a lot of proof right here on this very website, though you'll have to go for a ride in the Wayback Machine. But given the choice between her and Trump, I voted Clinton. I know many staunch Republicans who held their nose and voted for Hillary as well because Donald Trump was, well, Donald Friggin' Trump.

But, in the past two-plus years of his time in office, it is clear to me that the President doesn't understand much about the First Amendment.

What a great way to get back into the saddle - with a gem like this from our President:

Nothing funny about tired Saturday Night Live on Fake News NBC! Question is, how do the Networks get away with these total Republican hit jobs without retribution? Likewise for many other shows? Very unfair and should be looked into. This is the real Collusion!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2019

I wish that this was a fake account, but alas it is indeed the "real" Donald Trump - the President of the United States.

And yet, when I woke up on November 9th of that year I was greeted with the news that the guy who gleefully would say "You're fired" on The Apprentice was our new president. Yikes.

To the above tweet (our President's favorite medium for communication).

Whether or not Saturday Night Live is funny really depends upon the individual(s) with whom you are speaking. I think that - for the most part - SNL is funny. But I completely understand those who feel that it has something to be desired. Kyle Mooney in particular has a very, ermm, strange sense of humor.

But I digress.

Trump doesn't think SNL is funny. Fine. But, to insinuate that "Networks" (which is capitalized for some inexplicable reason) should have retribution for "Republican hit jobs"?! That's beyond comprehension, and the values of our country set forth in the Constitution.

Take Fox News for example. Under Trump's logic, the government should have investigated and carried out "retribution" on that network for it's insanely biased reporting during then-President Obama's time in office.

If the President truly believes these things about retribution for negative media coverage, then he (and many of his followers are only a few steps away from fascism. When Trump starts suggesting that there be a government-run media channel that only displays positive news stories about him and his administration, then I'll really start to worry.

Until then, I'm going to assume that he only likes the First Amendment when it suits him and his narrative.

The Pajama Pundit Re-boot Is Here

2019-02-24T00:45:00.000-05:00

Hide your sons and daughters.

Hello world. It's been a minute, no? The last post here was five years ago, and at that time posts were sporadic at best anyway.

So, what has changed? A LOT.

1. The Name. One of the many reasons that I slowed in blogging was lack of anonymity that I experienced. As you might recall (if any of our regular readers are still around), at one point Google decided that you couldn't be anonymous on the web - you had to provide a legitimate name to associate with your website. That, apparently, is no longer a requirement.

click to embiggen

2. Life. During the heyday of this site, Yours Truly was a stay-at-home-dad (and I wrote about it often). Nearly 10 years ago, I once again found myself in gainful employment. While awesome to be amongst the working living again, it left very little time to devote to this project. Which, as a side note, is too bad.

As you can see from the chart, we had grown quite a robust readership here and I hated to walk away from that. I still hate that we parted ways.

3. The Brand. Like a dummy, I didn't set up the original url (thepajamapundit.com) to auto-renew each year. One day at work I went to visit the site for shits-n-giggles and found this:

click to embiggen

Yeah. My domain name had been bought out from underneath me and some nameless, faceless entity is now hocking a "become a cop and protect freedom" spam site. Needless to say, I was pissed.

So I decided to walk away from this whole thing. For a while at least. Which brings us to number four...

4. Donald Trump. I'm not sure that I need to put much of a description here. In 2016, what I thought was the unthinkable happened: we the people elected Donald Trump to be the 45th President of the United States. I maintain a couple of other websites, as well as personal Facebook and Twitter accounts, and I've found that I'm tired of holding my digital tongue. I needed to re-discover my critical political voice. And I've got A LOT to say about President Trump that is, errr, ummm, critical in nature.

And here we are. A re-boot. As you can see, I've spruced up the place a little bit since the last time that you were here. To refresh your memory, the joint used to look something like this:

click to embiggen

Not too shabby for someone who taught themselves HTML and CSS. I decided to upgrade to the format that you're seeing right now to capitalize on more of a "magazine" style look. Things are organized by subject, and things that interest you should be a bit easier to find.

Also, I have to give myself a bit of a pat-on-the-back. In dusting off the cobwebs I remembered that in 2012 I started a website called Donald Trump Sez - well before anyone thought that he would actually become POTUS. It's still out there, if you'd like to check it out.

So, have a look around and you can (hopefully) expect some more activity from this place. Welcome back home. Don't forget to add the 's' on the end of the URL.

"Muppets Most Wanted" Makes Fun Of The Internet

2014-01-14T12:36:00.000-05:00

How brilliant is this TV spot that aired during the Golden Globes on Sunday night? Awesome.

Head nod: /film

Baby, It's Cold Outside. REALLY Cold.

2014-01-07T12:49:00.000-05:00

Yes. Hello. Long time and all of that.

I'm taking a moment away from my (your?) workday to complain. About the weather. Shocking, I know.

It's cold outside. In case you are living under a rock, much of the United States is currently in the midst of a "cold snap". Or, if you are more dramatic, you might be calling it a "polar vortex".

Vortex? Really?

Yup. Apparently, that's an actual thing.

The photo above was taken this morning just before I left for work. It is a picture of the thermostat in my home. Do note the negative reading of minus five degrees (Fahrenheit).

So, for my friends in southern states (or Hawaii).... you suck.

That is all.

"The Avengers: Age Of Ultron" Teaser Trailer (UPDATED)

2013-09-26T13:05:00.000-04:00

UPDATE: As of 12:46pm EST, the video is fixed and working (until Disney snags this one as well).

Awesomeness. If you are unfamiliar with the Age of Ultron story, get caught up on your nerdosity here.

On a completely related note, TPW and I sat down last night to watch the pilot episode of "Marvel: Agents of SHIELD". Spoiler alert: it was awesome.

I had high hopes for the new ABC show when I first heard about it last spring. However, as with all-things-superhero, I was worried that they would "water down" the show for a more general audience. I was pleasantly surprised to see references to The Avengers movie, as well as several other Marvel properties.

The fact that Agent Phil Coulson (once again ably played by Clark Gregg) has returned was the not-so-secret part of the show that I enjoyed the most. Gregg does a great job of keeping the character light and funny, but also very serious about the important work that his team is doing.

Plus, his car is just badass.

I'm also anxious to get to know the rest of the team and find out what the mysterious references to "Tahiti" and Agent Coulson's recovery from the Battle of New York were all about.

I'll definitely keep coming back week after week to see what the team is doing.

"Ask A Slave" Web Series

2013-09-04T13:14:00.001-04:00

Brilliant. From the creator/actresses website:

A few years ago, after I graduated New York University, I returned to my home town in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area (or the DMV as it is affectionately termed) to start my life as an actor.

[...]

In the few years I lived in the DMV, I must have played every black woman of note that ever lived. From Harriet Tubman to Diane Nash to Claudette Colvin to Caroline Branham-- Martha Washington’s enslaved Lady’s maid. I liked to call myself the time-traveling black girl.

Studying American history and the lives of these women, while virtually living in their heads and experiences each day, made me feel like I was in some sort of twisted time warp. This was also the time of Barack Obama’s first term in White House and his subsequent run for a second term.

I ask you to remember the racial tension that was all around. We had people saying that the President would be planting watermelons on the White House lawn. Emails were forwarded proclaiming that this was the beginning of a race war and the end of the country as we know it. People bought guns. (A lot of guns.) A scientist reported the evolutionary explanation as to why black women were the least attractive of all the races. The Oprah Show ended. It was mass chaos.

And in the midst of all this, I was playing a slave. Everyday, I was literally playing a slave. I mean, I was getting paid well for it, don’t get me wrong, and we all need a day job. But all the same, I was having all these experiences, and emotions. Talking to 100s of people a day about what it was like to be black in 18th Century America. And then returning to the 21st Century and reflecting on what had and had not changed.

Currently, there are only two episodes online. However, the site says that new episodes will be released every Sunday.

Anderson Cooper Puts Pat Robertson On The "RidicuList"

2013-08-29T13:05:00.000-04:00

[via]
Oh Pat Robertson, you so crazy!

Literally.

I have to say that Anderson Cooper does a nice job of calling Pat Robertson out on his comments without delivering what could have been a profanity-laced tirade. Good on ya Anderson.

"I Have A Dream", Fifty Years Later

2013-08-28T15:58:00.002-04:00

Is freedom ringing? Why? Why not?

Back To School. Back To School.

2013-08-27T08:10:00.000-04:00

...to prove to dad that I'm not a fool.

Yup. That time of the year again. Back to school. My kids seemed ever so upset yesterday morning when we were leaving the house:

Rrrrrright.

I suppose that I should consider myself lucky that my kids actually want to go to school. Enjoy it while it lasts, as it were.

Shocking Hate Letter Sent To Family Of Autistic Child

2013-08-20T08:25:00.001-04:00

Spoiler alert: this letter contains some strong vitriol and blood-curdling hatred towards a child...

click to embiggenWow.

A family is in shock and a community has united after an anonymous hate letter was written about a young boy living with severe autism.

Karla Begley told CityNews her son Max, 13, stays with his grandmother in the morning during the summer time. It was at that home in Newcastle where letter was delivered on Friday.

“I was shaking when I was reading it,” Brenda Millson, Max’s grandmother, told CityNews. “It’s awful words. You don’t know why somebody would ever do such a thing.”

The typed, one-page letter refers to the young boy as a “nuisance” and a “wild animal” before suggesting the family move or “euthanize” the child.

Begley says the police have been contacted and should they have grounds, charges will be filed against the letter’s author.

Hit that link to see the video interview -- as if the image of the letter wasn't bad enough.

I originally found this story at a brilliant Facebook page called Checking Snopes.com Before Forwarding Dumb Emails, who summed it up best by saying, "We were hoping this was false.... but it appears to be true. This is so far over the top.... speechless."

Indeed.

Ashton Kutcher's Speech On The Teen Choice Awards

2013-08-12T12:58:00.001-04:00

I came across this very poor quality YouTube video of Ashton Kutcher accepting some award that is of no consequence on the Teen Choice Awards. It's worth watching.

I'll give you that the first 90 seconds are rough -- with all of the annoying screaming and all -- but push through it. Trust me.

I must admit that, prior to watching this video, if you had said to me, "hey dude, check out this video of Ashton Kutcher -- this guy is smart!", I would have told you that you were out of your damn mind. I've never like Kutcher, or much of his work.

I will freely admit that I now have a lot more respect for the guy. I'm not going to watch "Two And A Half Men" (that show is awful), but I had no idea that Kutcher was anything more than a "Punk'd" bit waiting to happen.

His three tenets -- Opportunity, Sexiness, and Living Life -- are spot-on. Particularly the bit about opportunity. Too many folks these days are "better than" certain things, especially jobs. "Opportunity looks a lot like work." Indeed it does folks. Indeed it does.

Kudos to you, Chris.

Joe Scarborough And Rick Santorum Spar Over Drones

2013-08-08T11:58:00.002-04:00

Far be it for Rick Santorum to actually agree with the Obama administration's policy on drone strikes (or any other policy for that matter).

Joe Scarborough is absolutely correct; the President's policy on terrorism is very similar to that of his predecessor.

Songify The News Vol. 3: Attack Of The Drones

2013-08-07T10:05:00.002-04:00

Lately, I haven't been staying abreast of the news. So, when I do check-in, it's nice to get it in the form of a delicious melody.

Sweetness.

Tmart Wireless Keyboard For iPad Product Review

2013-08-06T12:03:00.000-04:00

Recently I was approached by the folks at Tmart.com to review one of the many products that they have in their online store. Given my penchant for all-things-technological, they asked if I would take a look at a Bluetooth enabled wireless keyboard -- compatible with all sorts of mobile devices.

As it happens, I have been in the market for a wireless keyboard for my iPad. I have been looking for something that I could easily carry with me to and from the many meetings that I attend on a daily basis at work.

They sent me this Bluetooth V3.0 Wireless Keyboard for iPad 1/2 iPad Silver White:

The coupon booklet was a nice bonus:

The product was wrapped very well in it's box -- which came in a larger USPS envelope (not pictured):

The keyboard came with the coupon book as well as an easy-to-read user manual:

The only complaint that I have -- and it is a minor one to boot -- is that I thought that I would be getting a keyboard that would charge the internal battery via micro-USB. As you can see here, this keyboard operates by using two AAA batteries:

Why did I think that I was getting a micro-USB rechargeable keyboard? Well, the instruction booklet that came with the device said so:

Again, it's a minor thing that I have worked around. I am simply substituting the USB recharging capability with some rechargeable AAA batteries. No sweat.

I think that it is also worth noting that the product listing on Tmart.com's website correctly indicates that the power is from two AAA batteries. It is just the user manual that is incorrect.

As to the actual function of keyboard, it works great. I have used it for the past week or so in meetings and at my desk. The device is extremely lightweight and has a great "solid" feel to it. I don't worry that typing too hard will break any of the keys. Taking down notes is a lot easier when you don't have to use the on-screen keyboard on the iPad (avid Apple users will know what I'm talking about).

The keyboard is smaller than my desktop computer's keyboard. However, I do not feel that any of the functionality is lost. I can type just as fast and easily on the wireless keyboard as I can at my desk. Additionally, the smaller size of the wireless keyboard means that it is not only lightweight, but it fits into the pockets on my backpack quite nicely as well.

If you are interested in iPad keyboards, or thousands of other products ranging from apparel to home goods, check out Tmart.com.

An American Football Coach Coaches Association Football

2013-08-06T08:22:00.000-04:00

SNL alum Jason Sudekis plays Ted Lasso, an American football coach who has been hired to coach the Tottenham Hotspur in England.

Hilarity ensues...

[via Deadspin]
Not only is the sketch funny -- the Dallas Cowboys are apparently the humorous answer for everything -- I can very easily see this bit turned into a movie. Throw in Will Ferrell (or Fred Armisen) as Sudekis' assistant coach, and Vinnie Jones or Jason Statham as a rival Premier League coach or player, and you've got the makings of a fantastic comedy.

Just sayin'.

Jimmy Fallon, Robin Thicke, And The Roots Sing "Blurred Lines"

2013-08-05T22:10:00.000-04:00

...using classroom instruments.

Awesome sauce. Per the LNJF Youtube page, here is the instrumentation:

Jimmy Fallon - wood block, Casio keyboard
Robin Thicke - spoons
Questlove - wooden clacker
Mark Kelley - kazoo
Kamal Gray - xylophone
James Poyser - melodica
Captain Kirk - ukulele
Tuba Gooding Jr. - recorder, banana shaker
Frank Knuckles - cowbell
Black Thought -- maraca

Brilliant.

#SCOTUS Strikes Down #DOMA

2013-06-26T10:30:00.002-04:00

Via NPR:

In a highly anticipated opinon today, the Supreme Court ruled the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman, is unconstitutional.

"DOMA is unconstitutional as a deprivation of the equal liberty of persons that is protected by the Fifth Amendment," SCOTUSblog reports.

The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, was signed into law by President Bill Clinton, barring federal recognition of same-sex marriages for purposes such as Social Security survivors' benefits, insurance benefits, immigration and tax filing.

Section 3 of the law defines marriage as "a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife" and a spouse as "a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife." That provision had been struck down by eight lower courts before the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling in United States v. Windsor.

This decision means that legally married same-sex couples are now entitled to the same federal benefits as married opposite sex couples.

The majority opinion was written by Justice Anthony Kennedy and joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito dissented.

The live-blog is happening here.

Flipping Out: Flips Audio Product Review (#solo2social)

2013-06-12T10:19:00.000-04:00

And here we are with yet another product review. I love this stuff.

Late last week, I received a pair of black/electric lime Flips headphones. Very cool product.

Flips are not earbuds, like I've reviewed before. They are full-tilt headphones. Cans. Earmuffs. The big boys. But, unlike other big boys on the market, Flips have a unique quality; they are personal headphones, but can be transformed into a miniature speaker system. Observe (and please forgive the poor image quality)...

Regular headphones:

"Flipped" into speakers:

When using Flips as personal headphones, the speakers are powered by your audio device (in my case, I used my iPhone). However, when you "flip" the headset into portable speakers, they are powered by a 3.7V, 500mAH Li-Polymer Battery that you charge and re-charge using a Micro USB.

Since I am a fan of hip-hop, I immediately strapped the Flips to my head and cued up some Beastie Boys, and followed that with some Tribe.

As headphones, the lows are fantastic. Even at high volume, the distortion in the bass is very minimal. I have found that, typically, larger "can" headphones do not produce strong lows. Not the case with the Flips.

However, much to my surprise, it is the high-tones that I felt were just a bit lacking. Again, there was minimal distortion, which is good, but I found myself reaching for the EQ settings on my phone so that I could increase the treble. Not a huge negative, but something that I was not expecting.

Meanwhile, when you "flip" the headphones and turn them into the portable speaker (the "social" version), the sound quality is again, quite good. On the Flips website it is described as "a crowd pleasing listening experience". Honestly, I have some doubts about whether or not you can 'please a crowd', as they are still relatively small speakers (for example, you are still going to want to hire a deejay for your wedding reception). But, the sound produced was more-than-sufficient to have a mini-dance party with my kids. We rocked out to some Chemical Brothers and some Daft Punk, and had a great time.

The Flips fold to become more compact and come in a very cool carrying case:

One of the features that I find most interesting (and TPW simply LOVES) is that when the headphones are "flipped" into speaker mode, the volume level dramatically increases -- but when you "flip" them back to headphones, there is a "safety shut-off" that decreases the volume for a single listener.

Additionally, here is a promo video from the manufacturer:

So, the Flips retail for $120 (US) and can be purchased on the Flips Audio website as well as at your local Wal-Mart. However, if you purchase from the Flips website, I have procured a pretty good discount on the headphones, as well as shipping, for readers of our site:

Get $10 Off on Flips Headphones
Plus Rush Shipping Upgrade FREE
Enter Code: FA0010INT

This Offer is exclusive to purchases made online at www.flipsaudio.com and valid from June 12, 2013 through July 16, 2013.

Each unit purchased will receive $10.00 off the online retail price plus we’ll “upgrade” your shipping from ground to Rush 3-Day at no additional cost to you. This Offer is unlimited in quantity and cannot be combined with any other offers.

... and tell them that The Pajama Pundit sent you!

DIY Composting Bin

2013-06-06T09:16:00.000-04:00

Save the planet, bitches.

So, TPW and I decided that we have gotten tired of our hometown's (lack of) recycling services. Only clear glass, aluminum, and numbers 1 and 2 plastics need apply.

Booo.

We started gathering up the menagerie of other recyclables and taking them to a neighboring city to have them recycled. Momma Nature is loving us for it, I'm sure.

Additionally, we decided to start our own microbial factory. Gross, I know.

Don't misunderstand: we are not gardeners, by any stretch. My thumbs are so brown that I don't dare try to grow anything other than mold.

However, we do throw a lot of organic stuff into the trash, and that is just unnecessary.

Instead of paying upwards of (or more than) $100 for a new, prefabricated one, we decided to re-purpose existing material to build a home-made composting bin. Here's what we did...

I had an old, "spare" trash can laying around, not getting used. The basic, plastic cylinder type. I flipped it over and drilled holes in the bottom using my power drill:

Then I drilled holes in all the way around the sides of the can:

Next, I drilled holes in the lid, and fastened the lid to the can with some heavy-duty bungee cords. This is so that critters who are attracted to the smell (stray cats, racoons, even bears) have a difficult time getting inside the bin:

NOTE: Use the heavier rubber bungee, not the fabric type. The fabric will eventually wear out and possibly break or tear in weather.

Finally, I placed the bin outside, close to the door to our kitchen. I placed the composter up on a set of five bricks, so that the "juices" (eww!) could easily drain out of the bottom of the bin:

I placed the bin near the entrance to our kitchen because we are using a tiny bin in the kitchen that (we estimate) should fill-up every two or three days. Then, we simply step outside and dump the small kitchen bin into the larger composter.

Additionally, the cylindrical bin is good for rolling around in our yard. The rolling motion mixes the "brown stuff" (items that are high in carbon: dry leaves, dead plants and weeds, sawdust, cardboard, etc.) and "green stuff" (items that are high in nitrogen: fruit, vegetables, eggshells, coffee grounds, etc.) materials well.

For more info on composting, check here.

Now all I need to do is figure out what I'm going to do with my composted material...

Instantgram.me Review (#instantgramit)

2013-06-04T12:44:00.000-04:00

What is instantgram.me?

Instantgram is a personalized printing service that turns your Instagram images into lovely little magnets. Pictures are uploaded online and the cute magnets are delivered straight to the door. Each Instantgram Magnet is 5cm x 5cm / 1.97in X 1.97in.

Additionally, Instantgram offers printing of "Squares":

Each set of Squares contain 24 photos (10.16cm x 10.16cm / 4 x 4 inches). A set of Mini-Squares contain 48 photos (6.35cm x 6.35cm / 2.5 x 2.5 inches). You can print as many copies of individual images as you like.

Both the magnets and the "squares" cost $17 (US), which includes the cost of shipping.

I opted for the 5cm x 5cm magnets. The website says that the pictures on the magnets are "approximately the same size as they appear on your iPhone." Interesting, right?

Here are some side-by-side comparisons of my Instagram pictures with the corresponding magnets sent by Instantgram. The left side is the actual Instagram photo taken with my iPhone, the right is the magnet that I received from Instantgram.me:

I know that it's hard to see given the relatively poor quality of my pictures-of-pictures, but the magnets really did turn out great.

Overall, I would say that the Instantgram.me service is really good. The only drawback I found is that the company is based in Istanbul, Turkey, so it did take quite some time for the package to arrive at my home in Pennsylvania. However, in Instantgram's defense, their website clearly states "estimated delivery time is 10-21 business days, depending on region". My delivery time was 18 days.

So, unless you are in an extreme rush to get your tiny magnets, I think that the package is well-worth the price.

Lastly, I thought that it was a nice touch to add a multi-lingual 'thank-you' card in the shipment:

Head on over to Instantgram.me for more information -- and happy Instagramming!

Star Wars IV: A New Hope, In 60 Seconds

2013-06-03T12:57:00.000-04:00

...and as a cartoon.

So much awesome. There's one for The Matrix here, and for Back To The Future here. Enjoy the minutes.

Classic Art, Improved By Celebrities

2013-05-15T15:44:00.000-04:00

Buzzfeed has a listing of "25 Classic Paintings Improved By Celebrities". Clearly, the best example is Jack Nicholson:

Duh.

More here.

The United States Of Conspiracy (Infographic)

2013-05-10T12:18:00.001-04:00

I must admit my surprise at the height of some of these numbers.

Fourteen percent of Americans believe in Bigfoot/Sasquatch. Twenty-one percent of Americans believe that the government covered up a UFO crashsite at Roswell, New Mexico. Those are conspiracy theories that I am comfortable with people believing. I'm not sure why I'm comfortable with it, but I am. Perhaps it is because that, to some extent, I believe them. But I digress...

I am not comfortable with the four percent of Americans who believe that shape-shifting reptiles control the world. Seriously. Shape-shifting reptiles control the world? REALLY?!

I am also highly uncomfortable with the 18 percent and 28 percent of Americans who believe that the sun revolves around the earth, and that a "New World Order" is conspiring to rule the world, respectively.

I also find it intriguing that nine out of the 12 conspiracy theories displayed in this infographic are government-related. Even though only five percent of Americans believe that exhaust from airplanes contains sinister government chemicals, the cumulative effect of the results of these surveys points a heavy distrust of the government.

Source: The United States of Conspiracy

It's Classic Spock Versus New Spock!

2013-05-07T13:10:00.002-04:00

In a battle of wits. Or something.

I've never been a huge Star Trek fan -- but I thought the J.J.Abrams re-boot was very good. This commercial for Audi, featuring Leonard Nimoy ("Classic Spock") and Zachary Quinto ("New Spock") is equally awesome.

Enjoy.

Happy #StarWarsDay! #MayTheFourthBeWithYou

2013-05-04T10:41:00.000-04:00

Happy Star Wars Day, nerds. May The Fourth Be With You!

Here's some more fun Star-Warsy stuff: