« Ace's Rockin' New Years Cafe | Main | Daily Tech News 1 January 2025 »

Overnight Open Thread (12/31/2024) [scampydog]

Syndey Harbor always looks like a fantastic place to ring in the New Year.

Happy New Year's Eve, Horde!

*****

Some different celebrations across this great land.

Moon Pie Over Mobile. Their slogan, "Get Your Piece of the Pie!"

New Year's Eve Pickle Drop.

Sardine and Maple Leaf Drop

3 pm -- close, YE OLE HOOKERS -- A flavorful bar that serves daily specials, charcuterie boards and desserts.

***** How about a little Best of 2024?

• Won the House
• Won the Senate
• JD Vance
• TRUMP

*****

Ponte Sisto bridge, spanning the River Tiber, Rome. Partial peek of St. Peter's Basilica in the background.

****
The quadrennial Pardon Palooza!

Ace, cobs, and commenters covered much of this in the past few days but here is a bit more to bat around.

The pardoning of the easily influenced and the willing malefactors is upon us. Normally I don’t pay much attention to this. However, the deliberate and premeditated conduct of this administration and the behind-the-scenes lever pullers has perked up my desire for “I want consequences and prosecutions.”

Quite the progression over the years. These counts include all grants of clemency (convictions pardoned, commuted, and rescinded). An unsurprising list of names at the top.

For any interested, here is an easy-to-read history of the pardon power.

Those curious on a deeper level, this is well-cited and serves as a good aggregation of cases. Some references to Burdick v. United States and Biddle v. Perovich, which relate to some of the discussions in the comments section over the past week.
Any experts and/or those well-read (this includes Lurkers) are encouraged to add some context in the comments

****
Pretty cold around these parts this time of the year. Which means it is Hotdish season! Tater Tot Hotdish being the gold standard. Tots, meat (venison, sausage, ground beef), cheese, cream of sumfin soup, onion, and veggies (for color only). Out of the oven, nuclear temperature, and down the hatch.

Hotdish (not Hot Dish) is far superior than a French cassoulet. The cassoulet has beans! This guy went across and well past the Rubicon on Hotdish history. No chance he is coming back.

****

A kit like the one pictured above recently sold at auction for $16,500 (including buyers premium).

****
Candidate insults are not getting any nastier over time. Sort of tame by comparison and a good reminder that our grandparents were likely tougher than us. Some historical gems here and here.
****
Song covers? Pretty meh, typically. Once in a while someone blows the lid off. Carrie Underwood (and her pins) with Paradise City cover at the 2013 CMA Fest. She nailed the Axl Rose (Davy Jones) dance moves.

****
Who knew that Billy Idol didn’t like commies? Amusing information about his Oktobriana tattoo from an interview on tumblr: “this Amazon Brigitte Bardot , Mata Hari spy type person who vanquishes the foes of Oktobriana ( The October Revolution ), you know , the foes of real communism. Well, in the end all these students got put in psycho hospitals, except for one guy who got out and brought the cartoon to London and printed it.”

****
Tonight’s ONT brought to you by moron style rebus, pictogram, brain teaser, visual pun silliness. Up to the standard of Voltaire and Frederick the Great? No.

Fun, easy, frivolous, and not completely devoid of imagination – but nearing it. Went straight down the comments list from the Café a few nights back and picked out ones that would work. Some proved to be too obvious (a picture of an Ewok, CBD) and others simply too long or tricky due to space limitations. Some are a stretch, some require a bit of a leap. You will be awarded no prize, nor will your AoS social credit score improve. Name the Morons.

This ONT is posted with a nod toward 2025 and the next four years. Send any leftover New Year's Eve libations to the Department of Tasting and Consumption. scampydog at protonmail dot com.