Bad Omen

Editor's note -- Flippantly Florida notes that Dave Barry's Year in Review 2012 didn't even notice the Mayan Calendar ended on Dec. 21st.

Dave Barry's Year in Review 2012

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/12/29/3160638_p4/dave-barrys-year-in-review.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/12/29/3160638_p4/dave-barrys-year-in-review.html#storylink=cpy

No Reply

Editor's note --  A Facebook commenter asked, "Shouldn't there be a matter-antimatter explosion from this?"

"You invented a time machine to come back and hit Reply instead of Reply All?"

Clever cartoon caption from 

The New Yorker.

Altered News

Editor's note -- Flippantly Florida is broadening its format to include Facebook Likes because this blog needs something new to do.

"Don't look at me in that tone of voice."

- DOROTHY PARKER

No Brainer

 Editor's note --  The Real Harry Reid.

The Wrongest Man To Ever 

Utter The Phrase "Fiscal Cliff" 

While John Boehner 

Shoots Daggers From His Eyeballs.

(AP) Democrats Toughen Stance On Trimming Benefits 

"Folks, I Can Tell You"

Editor's note --  The Real Joe Biden.

The Wrongest Man To Ever 
Utter Wrong Things For 
Four More Years.

This picture of Joe Biden was not in The Onion. 

The Vice President on the campaign trail in Wisconsin 

Photo: Getty

Not One Single Day!

Editor's note -- Diamond Joe has never been proud to be Vice President, although he did look sharp in his lucky debate suit. 

Via Mediaite and forwarded to The Onion:

Speaking before a campaign rally this afternoon, Vice President Joe Biden made a bit of an unfortunate gaffe.

“I’ll tell you what,” he said to the Wisconsin crowd, “there’s never been a day in the last four years I’ve been proud to be his vice president.”

Without realizing that he had essentially just said he despises being President Barack Obama‘s vice president, Biden smiled and continued: “Not one single day. Not one single day.”

Watch below:

Joe Biden: 'There's Never Been A Day In The Last Four Years I've Been Proud To Be His Vice President'

 http://mediaite.com/a/tuybr  cc:@TheOnion

"A Copious Stream"

Editor's note -- Diamond Joe unleashed a torrent of vomit on the debate stage while Martha Radditz continued to not interrupt him. 

Biden assured Raddatz that the incident was unusual and that he hadn’t “painted the floor like that in at least a month.”

All his opponent could do was splooge hot budget "wonk" in reply.

RT @OnionPolitics Biden Unleashes Torrent Of Vomit On Debate Stage onion.com/SV1SZT

Bibi Bomb

Editor's note --  The New Yorker held a caption contest because of Israeli P.M. Netanyahu's speech at the U.N. the other day. 

"I know that the subject is serious; that is just one reason why the graphic, which he apparently made at Kinkos, is so ridiculous," said Robert Mankoff, Cartoon Bureau.

"Thanks to Bibi for being such a good sport in agreeing to select the top three captions. That Bibi, he’s the bomb."

The Wall Street Journal tweeted the winning caption:  

David Wessel ‏@davidmwessel

N'Yorker Netanyahu Caption Contest: The Winners "We cannot let Iran acquire Christmas tree ornaments" http://is.gd/69Y0xm 

Keystone Address

Editor's note -- via The Onion -- Accepting his renomination at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, Vice President Joe Biden tapped the top of an Icehouse tallboy, cracked it open, and said, 

“Things are definitely better today than back in ’08, but is this the summer of ’87? Not a fucking chance,” said Biden,

The Vice President reminisced about his days as a carefree 44-year-old senator cruising the Delaware boardwalks.

A replier to Washington Post political wonk Ezra  Klein's retweet noted that the "dude should be drinking Keystone (Scranton)"

Ezra Klein ‏@ezraklein

RT @TheOnion: Biden Says Life Better Than It Was Four Years Ago But Nothing Can Touch Summer Of '87 http://onion.com/SooQbX 

Blond's Bling

Editor's note --  Mattel introduced The Blond's Blond Diamond Barbie Doll, its latest Barbie doll who is not officially a Drag Queen. 

The Daily Mail noticed the doll, if it were to be a Drag Queen, would have been modeled by the Ken doll.

Phillipe (left) and David Blond

Fashion designers Phillipe and David Blond, according to the Mail, have expressed their adoration for the doll ever since their label was born in 2007.

The Editor assumes Phillipe is pretending to be Barbie, while David is pretending to be Ken.

Blond Diamond Barbie

...

k. a. gardner ‏@karenagardner

Introducing #DragQueenBarbie! Mattel models its latest doll on cross-dressing designer from... http://bit.ly/RXRE85  via @MailOnline

Editors Are Actually Jerks

Editor's note -- ReFashioning Flipside is a new blog of old Flipside Florida stuff. When transferring one of its posts, the Editor noticed that why "Dolphins Are Actually Jerks?" was never actually explained.

Mmmm … Yellow Fin

 "WSM’s post explains [why WSM thinks dolphins are jerks]  some environmentalists  (such as Greenpeace)  mean well, but are not always helpful.  This is indicted by the title of the post, which includes the phrase 'ecological disaster'".

The answer is "Dolphin Free Tuna" fishing methods. @WhySharksMatter doesn't think it's worth saving dolphins, who are not endangered, at the expense of sea turtles, sharks, and many other fish species who are endangered.

k. a. gardner ‏@karenagardner

ReFashioning Flipside: (New Blog of Old Stuff) "Dolphins are Actually Jerks?" I had fun with this post!! http://wp.me/p2EOxr-25 

The Harvard Crimson

Editor's note -- Prof. Michael Herzfeld prepares for "Heathens Throughout History," a new program of study beginning this semester at the Department of Anthropology.

"TWO BARBARIANS AND A PROFESSOR OF BARBARIANS STUDIES"

k. a. gardner ‏@karenagardner

And a Barbarians Cartoon -- F. Scott Fitzgerald: “Thank You for the Light” : The New Yorker http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2012/08/06/120806fi_fiction_fitzgerald?mbid=social_retweet … via@NewYorker

Doodle Kuss

Editor's note -- The storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1782 had something to do with the French Revolution. Saturday was the 230th anniversary of Bastille Day.

Der Kuss (The Kiss) Gustav Klimt. 1907-1908

Saturday was also the 150th anniversary of Gustav Klimt's birthday. He had nothing to do with the revolution, but Google made a Doodle of his most famous painting anyway.

k. a. gardner ‏@karenagardner

Gustav Klimt honoured with (The Kiss) ‪#GoogleDoodle

 http://gu.com/p/392pa/tw  via @guardian

A Shout-out to Michael Kupperman!

Editor's note -- Remember the Comic Book Characters post? That was when Michael Kupperman went to New York Comic-Con 2011 in October with his new Mark Twain book. 

The Editor does not know if Michael Kupperman plans to be at San Diego Comic-Con 2012 later this week, but Quantum Mechanix will be, with an exclusive Battlestar Gallactica poster.

Number Six in a Cartoon Moment

Vivid primary colors and the sea of Ben-Day dots that make up our special version of Cylon Number Six, are a shout-out to the famed pop artist, Roy Lichtenstein.

Artist Megan Lara depicts the seductive humanoid Cylon in a pique as she experiences deja vu all over again. This poster, a Comic-Con International 2012 exclusive from QMx, rounds out a four-poster set of other women of Battlestar Galactica, including Starbuck, Athena and Laura Roslin.

Our pop art Six is printed on 18" x 24" 100-pound, satin-finish paper. Powerful, stark and cliché -- with a wink -- for $14.95.

k. a. gardner ‏@karenagardner

Battlestar Galactica: The ladies of Battlestar Galactica, painted in the styles of Klimt, Lichtenstein, and more - @io9 http://io9.com/5924253/the-la …

Codebreaker

Editor's note --  Alan Turing is the founding father of all computers, Google and every other Internet company today. Turing also cracked secret Nazi code, so he practically won World War II single-handedly.  

This past Saturday was Turing's 100th birthday. Google honored its ancestor with a coded Doodle. People could try to program it and once each level of six codes was solved, the next level got more difficult.

The 2012 Turing Year is coordinated by the Turing Centenary Advisory Committee (TCAC)

There's a video on the Washington Post link (below) that shows how to break the code. The Editor did not get to Level Six (or even try).

k. a. gardner ‏@karenagardner

Who else is at #LevelSix? -- Alan Turing Google Doodle: At 100, celebrating the genius — by the numbers  

In Praise of Publius

Editor's note -- Special Feature: Publius parodies "The Hunting of the Snark" by Lewis Carroll in the comments at The Economist. Faedrus (the Troll) was trying to annoy The Usual Suspect (and everyone else), so Publius intervened.

publius50 in reply to The Usual Suspect 2.0

“Just the place for a Snark!” the Pascover cried,

 As he landed his crew with care;

Supporting each man on the top of the tide

 By a finger entwined in his hair.

“Just the place for a Snark! I have said it twice:

 That alone should encourage the crew.

Just the place for a Snark! I have said it thrice:

 What I tell you three times is true.”

The crew was complete: it included a Faedrus —

 A maker of Witfull Asides —

A Teacup brought to arrange their disputes —

 And a Gardner, to value their goods.

A Usual Suspect, whose skill was immense,

 Might perhaps have won more than his share —

But a Hedgefundguy, engaged at enormous expense,

 Had the whole of their cash in his care.

There was also an Ashbird, that paced on the deck,

 Or would sit making lace in the bow:

And had often (the Pascover said) saved them from wreck,

 Though none of the sailors knew how.

There was one who was famed for the number of things

 He forgot when he entered the ship:

His umbrella, his watch, all his jewels and rings,

 And the clothes he had bought for the trip.

He had forty-two boxes, all carefully packed,

 With his name painted clearly on each:

But, since he omitted to mention the fact,

 They were all left behind on the beach.

The loss of his clothes hardly mattered, because

 He had seven coats on when he came,

With three pairs of boots — but the worst of it was,

 He had wholly forgotten his name.

He would answer to “Publius!” or to any loud cry,

 Such as “Fry me!” or “Fritter my wig!”

To “What-you-may-call-um!” or “What-was-his-name!”

 But especially “Thing-um-a-jig!”

While, for those who preferred a more forcible word,

 He had different names from these:

His intimate friends called him “Candle-ends,”

 And his enemies “Toasted-cheese.”

“His form is ungainly — his intellect small —”

 (So the Pascover would often remark)

“But his courage is perfect! And that, after all,

 Is the thing that one needs with a Snark.”

He would joke with hyenas, returning their stare

 With an impudent wag of the head:

And he once went a walk, paw-in-paw, with a bear,

 “Just to keep up its spirits,” he said.

He came as a Thinker: but owned, when too late —

 And it drove the poor Pascover half-mad —

He could only think Whiskey! — for which, I may state,

 No materials were to be had.

Illustrations by Henry Holiday (1876)

• 
  

Legacy

Editor's note -- The Thames Diamond Jubilee River Pageant (final)

Members of the Royal Family (from left to right) The Duchess of Cambridge, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Prince of Wales, The Queen, Prince William and Prince Harry on the Royal Barge 'Spirit of Chartwell' during the Diamond Jubilee River Pageant on the River Thames, London, 3 June 2012.

© Press Association

.....

k. a. gardner ‏@karenagardner

The British Monarchy's photostream. #DiamondJubilee 

H/T: Beth Cleaver -- "As usual, Beatrice looks ridiculous."

Vibrancy

Editor's note: The Thames Diamond Jubilee River Pageant (cont.)

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and

 Prince Harry, prepare to board the Spirit of

Chartwell where they joined the Queen for

the Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the River 

Thames in London, 3 June 2012.

© Press Association

.....

k. a. gardner ‏@karenagardner

The British Monarchy's photostream. #DiamondJubilee 

H/T: Beth Cleaver -- "As usual, Beatrice looks ridiculous."

Expectancy

Editor's note: The Thames Diamond Jubilee River Pageant...

Members of the public take their places on the South Bank in readiness for the River Pageant, 

3 June 2012

© Press Association

.....

k. a. gardner ‏@karenagardner

The British Monarchy's photostream. #DiamondJubilee H/T: Beth Cleaver -- "As usual, Beatrice looks ridiculous." 

X Men

Editor's note -- Ringside at 

The New Yorker. Imminent X victory on 

the diagonal.

..............

The New Yorker ‏@NewYorker

Cartoon of the day: 

http://nyr.kr/JrYgG0