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Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

Democracy is not a spectator sport.

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

“In this country American means white. everybody else has to hyphenate.”

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

You cannot love your country only when you win.

People are complicated. Love is not.

You are so fucked. Still, I wish you the best of luck.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

Too little, too late, ftfnyt. fuck all the way off.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

Tick tock motherfuckers!

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

It’s a good piece. click on over. but then come back!!

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

Everything is totally normal and fine!!!

It’s the corruption, stupid.

Stay strong, because they are weak.

Lick the third rail, it tastes like chocolate!

Well, whatever it is, it’s better than being a Republican.

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You are here: Home / Humorous / The Pain of the Last Two Years Summed Up in One Video

The Pain of the Last Two Years Summed Up in One Video

by John Cole|  October 8, 202110:58 am| 79 Comments

This post is in: Humorous

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@tomcardy

New government rules say if you mute yourself and then speak during a video call after working from home for 17 months I get to yell “BARNT” and leave

♬ original sound – Tom Cardy

Fucking brilliant.

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Reader Interactions

79Comments

  1. 1.

    MisterForkbeard

    October 8, 2021 at 11:04 am

    Tom Cardy is a (Australian) national treasure. Two videos to call out:

    The Big Breakfast, a tale of woe regarding a Mother’s Day breakfast: youtube.com/watch?v=EHIHl8Rw6W8&ab_channel=tomcardy

    A collaboration with an amazing singer (Julia Robertson) about vaccine deniers “Roll Up Your Sleeves Parody”: youtube.com/watch?v=_UgFPk2JfK8&ab_channel=ThomasPercy

  2. 2.

    Old School

    October 8, 2021 at 11:10 am

    Here’s the Twitter version of Cole’s TikTok post:

    Tom Cardy
    @Tomycardy

    New government rules say if you mute yourself and then speak during a video call after working from home for 17 months I get to yell “BARNT” and leave the meeting.

    3:17 PM · Sep 25, 2021·Twitter for iPhone

  3. 3.

    Fester Addams

    October 8, 2021 at 11:10 am

    Our tech support guys will use the acronym PEBKAC – Problem Exists Between Keyboard and Chair.

  4. 4.

    MisterForkbeard

    October 8, 2021 at 11:19 am

    @Fester Addams: PEBKAC is a time honored acronym. Everyone in tech learns it in their first year on the job because it’s always applicable.

    If he’s using it to your face, he’s probably both a good tech support guy AND a jerk :)

  5. 5.

    zhena gogolia

    October 8, 2021 at 11:24 am

    @Fester Addams: That’s me! I freely admit it.

    But I’m pretty good with Zoom.

  6. 6.

    Layer8Problem

    October 8, 2021 at 11:44 am

    @Fester Addams: ​

    You rang? :-)

  7. 7.

    Bill Arnold

    October 8, 2021 at 12:07 pm

    @Layer8Problem:
    :-)

    (spoiler)

  8. 8.

    Betty

    October 8, 2021 at 12:08 pm

    Never mind my comment. Not necessary.

  9. 9.

    RobertB

    October 8, 2021 at 12:10 pm

    @Fester Addams: ID10T error.

  10. 10.

    J.

    October 8, 2021 at 12:11 pm

    I fucking hate Zoom.

  11. 11.

    Anoniminous

    October 8, 2021 at 12:12 pm

    87.32% of computer problems can be traced to a loose nut banging away on a keyboard.

  12. 12.

    mardam

    October 8, 2021 at 12:13 pm

    My beef is with people on video calls who think it’s necessary during a staff meeting to tell you who they are when they begin to talk. I know who you are. I work with you.

  13. 13.

    sdhays

    October 8, 2021 at 12:16 pm

    @Anoniminous: 100%. Some of the loose nuts are operating the software and the others wrote it.

  14. 14.

    Just Chuck

    October 8, 2021 at 12:17 pm

    Had to look up “barnt”.  Aussie slang, love it.

  15. 15.

    zhena gogolia

    October 8, 2021 at 12:17 pm

    @mardam: It makes people think they’re on TV.

  16. 16.

    Baud

    October 8, 2021 at 12:22 pm

    @mardam:

    This is Baud. I agree that’s annoying.

  17. 17.

    zhena gogolia

    October 8, 2021 at 12:23 pm

    @Baud: You’re on mute. All I can see is you flapping your lips.

  18. 18.

    Baud

    October 8, 2021 at 12:24 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

    That’s not my lips.

  19. 19.

    zhena gogolia

    October 8, 2021 at 12:34 pm

    @Baud: Jeffrey!

  20. 20.

    The Thin Black Duke

    October 8, 2021 at 12:37 pm

    @Baud: Dude! TMI!

  21. 21.

    jeffreyw

    October 8, 2021 at 12:37 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

    Not mine, either!

  22. 22.

    zhena gogolia

    October 8, 2021 at 12:38 pm

    @jeffreyw: I meant Toobin, of course.

  23. 23.

    Quicksand

    October 8, 2021 at 12:41 pm

    OK, so I KNOW it’s been nearly two years, but it’s still true that:

    My work laptop sometimes just randomly stops noticing that a hardwired headset is plugged in and refuses to use it;

    My bluetooth headset just drops its connection because it feels like it; and

    I sometimes accidentally speak while muted BECAUSE I’M TRYING TO BE POLITE WHEN I’M NOT SPEAKING FFS!

  24. 24.

    sab

    October 8, 2021 at 1:04 pm

    OT Davey Tree is here to euthanize our front yard locust tree. Yay!

  25. 25.

    sab

    October 8, 2021 at 1:14 pm

    Also too, they said they would take the dead branches off the roof. Husband and tree guys pronounce “roof” the same way. Rhymes with “hoof”.

  26. 26.

    Capri

    October 8, 2021 at 1:16 pm

    @Fester Addams:  The veterinary equivalent – This animal needs an owner transplant.

  27. 27.

    Central Planning

    October 8, 2021 at 1:16 pm

    @Baud: You’re double-muted.

  28. 28.

    Central Planning

    October 8, 2021 at 1:20 pm

    @sab: It rhymes with aloof. Not hoof.

  29. 29.

    sab

    October 8, 2021 at 1:22 pm

    @Central Planning: So say you and I. Not them

    ETA Kudo for the rhyme. Closest I came up with was “tooth” which was not close at all and kind of proved their point.

  30. 30.

    R-Jud

    October 8, 2021 at 1:26 pm

    I love Tom Cardy. My brother and I have been bellowing HAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR BUTTHOLE at one another for months (virtually, obvs).

  31. 31.

    Almost Retired

    October 8, 2021 at 1:28 pm

    I had never heard of PEBKAC before, but I’m confident many IT professionals have applied it to me.   Fortunately, my wife has a tech-related master’s degree so she functions as sort of a reluctant domestic tech support for my home office.  Unfortunately, on all matters tech-related, she treats me like a mildly precocious child or a reasonably teachable dog.

  32. 32.

    StringOnAStick

    October 8, 2021 at 1:34 pm

    @Almost Retired: As long as she’s not rubbing your nose into the carpet where you spilled your coffee, you’re doing OK.

  33. 33.

    sab

    October 8, 2021 at 1:38 pm

    The person working the chainsaw up in the crane bucket is a woman!

  34. 34.

    Old School

    October 8, 2021 at 1:43 pm

    @sab:

    Davey Tree is here to euthanize our front yard locust tree.

    Now you’re going to have to buy your locusts from the store.

  35. 35.

    sab

    October 8, 2021 at 1:49 pm

    @Old School: That will be pricey.

  36. 36.

    Sister Golden Bear

    October 8, 2021 at 1:50 pm

    @sab: A friend of mine used to be an arborist — with talon nails. Still have no idea idea how she managed to never break them.

  37. 37.

    not_a_cylon

    October 8, 2021 at 1:52 pm

    Tom Cardy is a treat and is dearly loved in this household. Business Man is especially silly and quoted frequently here.

  38. 38.

    gene108

    October 8, 2021 at 2:04 pm

    @sab:

    Roof and hoof rhyme. Your post confuses me.

  39. 39.

    Lymie

    October 8, 2021 at 2:05 pm

    @Fester Addams: Loose nut behind the keyboard!

  40. 40.

    sab

    October 8, 2021 at 2:11 pm

    Every window in the front of our house has an outraged cat looking out at the tree people.

  41. 41.

    Anonymous At Work

    October 8, 2021 at 2:12 pm

    “You’re on MUTE!” was the quote of the year in 2020.  I need that on a T-shirt and a polo shirt with a collar (depending on who I am on ZOOM with…)

  42. 42.

    Benw

    October 8, 2021 at 2:17 pm

    @sab: thanks for that hilarious image!

  43. 43.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    October 8, 2021 at 2:22 pm

    @Anonymous At Work:

    “You’re on MUTE!” was the quote of the year in 2020.  I need that on a T-shirt

    or to paraphrase a button my sister wore in her irreverent youth: “You’re not on mute, I’m ignoring you”

  44. 44.

    Jeffro

    October 8, 2021 at 2:27 pm

    The modern equivalent here would be post-1980 Dems waiting to see if Jimmy Carter was going to run again, or post-1992 Reps waiting on GHW Bush.  LO

    [Pence] did not address the fact that numerous rioters at the Capitol called for his execution during the attack, demanding that he be hanged for not carrying out Mr. Trump’s wishes. And Mr. Hannity didn’t bring it up.
    Then there was a speech by Nikki Haley, another former Trump administration official whose relationship with Mr. Trump was damaged because she had declared herself “disgusted” with him after Jan. 6 and predicted that he’d “lost any sort of political viability.”
    But Ms. Haley, who served as governor of South Carolina and ambassador to the United Nations, praised Mr. Trump in an appearance at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif.

  45. 45.

    rikyrah

    October 8, 2021 at 2:30 pm

    I do believe her success is an example of ‘ timing is everything’.
    Without the pandemic, I don’t believe that Tabitha would have become such a huge success. I think the shutdown of the world gave her the moment to break through and become huge. I don’t think without the pandemic, we would have been as receptive to her message.

     

    Tabitha Brown (@IamTabithaBrown) tweeted at 7:37 AM on Thu, Oct 07, 2021:
    I made #1 on NY Times best seller list t.co/OveaA14Eko
    (https://twitter.com/IamTabithaBrown/status/1446092326212829184?t=jw44grpXMLaCWEksujXF8A&s=03)

  46. 46.

    Gravenstone

    October 8, 2021 at 2:33 pm

    @zhena gogolia: He said flapping, not fapping.

  47. 47.

    dnfree

    October 8, 2021 at 2:49 pm

    @MisterForkbeard: we didn’t learn it when I started in tech, because there were no keyboards—just keypunches and paper cards. Also, we weren’t all guys then.

  48. 48.

    Another Scott

    October 8, 2021 at 2:52 pm

    Meanwhile, at the Virginia bipartisan/citizen redistricting commission…

    Thread:

    After another lengthy legal debate the only idea the Va. Redistricting Commission has floated for how to move forward is a “decision tree” on race.

    Like a literal flowchart telling them when race should or shouldn’t guide their decisions.

    — Graham Moomaw (@gmoomaw) October 8, 2021

    As many of us (on the losing side of the state constitutional amendment) argued, this process is nonsensical and flawed and was apparently designed to be kicked to the state supreme court. And depending on appointed state court justices to be politically impartial is a silly bet at best.

    (via BlueVirginia.US )

    Grrr…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  49. 49.

    Jeffro

    October 8, 2021 at 2:57 pm

    @Another Scott: I vote for computer-drawn districts, programmed for compactness and compactness alone.  Let the chips (and voters) fall where they may.

  50. 50.

    Geminid

    October 8, 2021 at 2:58 pm

    @gene108: My parents were from Wisconsin, and I learned to say “cow” so it rhymes with “wow.” In the part of Virginia I live in now, country people pronounce cow “keow.” This may be a Scots-Irish thing.

  51. 51.

    WhatsMyNym

    October 8, 2021 at 3:01 pm

    @gene108:

    Roof and hoof rhyme. Your post confuses me.

    Same here.

  52. 52.

    Another Scott

    October 8, 2021 at 3:07 pm

    @Jeffro: I don’t think that will work.  People need to be overtly involved.

    E.g. there are rules and federal laws about disenfranchising minority voters.  That has to be explicitly considered, and is one of the reasons why the VA commission apparently failed (the GQP didn’t want to do so as I understand it).

    Yes, we know that the parties slice and dice the electorate and use computers to draw maps that help them, so a non-partisan commission must be able to do the same.  And compactness is important and can be programmed.  But human judgment needs to come into play too.

    I don’t know the best way to do this.  It can be a difficult problem.  Parties should not be picking their voters.  But if parties are winning overwhelmingly in a state, then they should get a closely similar percentage of the seats.  States that have the GQP getting 40% of the vote but 80% of the seats are broken.  It (seemingly obviously) violates “equal protection” if nothing else.

    My $0.02.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  53. 53.

    germy

    October 8, 2021 at 3:15 pm

    Breaking NBC: Biden has formally rejected Trump’s request to withhold White House records from the Jan. 6 select committee.t.co/DKsS3JJ1oa

    — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 8, 2021

  54. 54.

    Central Planning

    October 8, 2021 at 3:15 pm

    @WhatsMyNym: Does creek rhyme with wick or speak?

  55. 55.

    germy

    October 8, 2021 at 3:15 pm

    The Jan. 6 select committee on Steve Bannon defying the panel’s subpoena:

    “We will not allow any witness to defy a lawful subpoena or attempt to run out the clock, and we will swiftly consider advancing a criminal contempt of Congress referral.”

    — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 8, 2021

  56. 56.

    WhatsMyNym

    October 8, 2021 at 3:27 pm

    @Central Planning:

    Does creek rhyme with wick or speak?

    I’m familiar with both.

  57. 57.

    Gravenstone

    October 8, 2021 at 3:28 pm

    @Central Planning: In my original neck of the woods (NW Ohio), “speak”. Except for Lick Creek, which can only be said in a manner to rhyme with “wick”.

  58. 58.

    Central Planning

    October 8, 2021 at 3:32 pm

    @WhatsMyNym:

    I’m familiar with both.

    Me too. But it rhymes with speak.

    I’m sure there’s all sorts of regionalisms like that. Another is route – does it rhyme with moot or pout?

  59. 59.

    Tim in SF

    October 8, 2021 at 3:37 pm

  60. 60.

    MisterForkbeard

    October 8, 2021 at 3:40 pm

    @R-Jud: Ski-dap ba-dap!

  61. 61.

    artem1s

    October 8, 2021 at 3:42 pm

    @Central Planning: 

    Another is route – does it rhyme with moot or pout?

    depends. “I’m taking root 66 to get there”. “I’m going to rout this thru payables tomorrow”.

  62. 62.

    raven

    October 8, 2021 at 3:50 pm

    @artem1s: My new doggie is named Artemis!

  63. 63.

    Omnes Omnibus

    October 8, 2021 at 3:50 pm

    @artem1s: You are correct.

  64. 64.

    sdhays

    October 8, 2021 at 3:55 pm

    @Another Scott: I voted against it. Once again in the correct minority. Sigh.

  65. 65.

    Central Planning

    October 8, 2021 at 3:57 pm

    @raven: I have a friend who named their sphinx cat Artemis.

  66. 66.

    WhatsMyNym

    October 8, 2021 at 3:58 pm

    @Central Planning: Still doesn’t answer the question about roof and hoof.​

  67. 67.

    LongHairedWeirdo

    October 8, 2021 at 4:03 pm

    @Anoniminous: Yes, and did you know that 86.217% of all statistics are simply invented on the spot? (Yes, I know, there’s profound debate on whether the final digit is significant, due to rounding error, and statistical drift of the collective imagination.)

  68. 68.

    Central Planning

    October 8, 2021 at 4:06 pm

    @WhatsMyNym: I’m on rhyming team aloof/roof/hoof

  69. 69.

    Omnes Omnibus

    October 8, 2021 at 4:12 pm

    @WhatsMyNym: It depends on how you pronounce hoof.

  70. 70.

    WhatsMyNym

    October 8, 2021 at 4:14 pm

    @Central Planning:   Roof and hoof can be pronounced the same way, or pronounced the same as aloof .  The issue is pronouncing them differently.

  71. 71.

    realbtl

    October 8, 2021 at 4:14 pm

    @raven: Ha!  Thought so from your posts.

  72. 72.

    Geminid

    October 8, 2021 at 4:15 pm

    @Central Planning: “I get my kicks, on Root’ 66.”

  73. 73.

    Central Planning

    October 8, 2021 at 4:22 pm

    @Geminid: I’ll admit that I’m right but other pronunciations are acceptable under artistic license.

  74. 74.

    Jeffro

    October 8, 2021 at 4:33 pm

    @Another Scott: People “need” to be involved, or people “have historically been”/”can’t imagine not being” involved?  I think it’s the latter.

    As long as the districts represent equal numbers of citizens, and they’re as compact as they can be made, that almost has to be more fair than the current system.

  75. 75.

    Geminid

    October 8, 2021 at 5:01 pm

    @Jeffro: As Virginia is still covered by provisions of the Voting Rights Act, racial distribution must be taken into account. Federal Judges intervened in Virginia districting twice the last decade, once to redraw Congresional districts. This resulted in the excellent Dan McEachin’s election to the 4th District. And later a court order  redrew 11 Delegate Districts east of Richmond.

    But a good mapmaking program could factor racial composition into a map generated along the lines you suggest. I would have liked to vote for such a system, but this was not an option, so I ended up voting for a flawed system that I decided was the lesser of two evils. And I knew Democrats have been kicking Republican ass on a map those assholes drew anyway, so I did not feel the independent commission was going to hurt us. I don’t think the Supreme Court will either. I expect they will hand this hot potato to a Special Master known to play things down the middle.

  76. 76.

    J R in WV

    October 8, 2021 at 5:33 pm

    @WhatsMyNym:

     

    @gene108:

    Roof and hoof rhyme. Your post confuses me.

    Same here.

    I had a great aunt from over in Giles County VA, ived much of her life in Atlanta. She said “house” as if it rhymed with “moose”… Other old-fashioned pronunciations as well, that I don’t recall that well. She was my grand-mother’s very older sister.

    Eleanor IIRC. Been gone for a long time now.

  77. 77.

    sab

    October 8, 2021 at 6:02 pm

    @J R in WV: In my husband’s family the boys all rhyme roof and hoof, just like their dad whose family had roots in central Ohio.  His sisters followed their mom with roof rhymes with aloof, like her parents from Pennsylvania. I follow my parents ( who agreed with each other) with the Connecticut Western Reserve accent of NE Ohio that is a lot like actual Connecticut.

    Basically we are all hicks and every region has its own accents. I think I will stop teasing my husband, because his feelings were hurt, although he is merciless to my nephew  from Columbus who married the Canadian and lived in Ontario for a while and picked up some of her accent.

  78. 78.

    MomSense

    October 8, 2021 at 6:04 pm

    @R-Jud:

    HAHAHA!!!

  79. 79.

    Uncle Cosmo

    October 10, 2021 at 11:45 am

    @gene108: Just FTR, down here in Balmermerlin, hon, roof rhymes with poof. Go roughly 55 miles NNE as Poe’s Crow flies (Lancaster PA) and it sounds more like puff. Go figger.

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