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“A comedy festival in the capital of Saudi Arabia has become a cultural flash point as major comedians face criticism for accepting seemingly lucrative deals to perform in a country that was virtually impossible to visit until 2019 and a pariah in much of the West for its human rights record.” — NBC News

Listen, I understand your arguments against appearing in this comedy festival, but I am going to entertain the citizens of Mordor despite the actions of their leader, Sauron, and those associated with him.

So many have come to me saying I can’t perform there because of all the various abuses and war crimes. But doing stand-up for a bunch of orcs and trolls and dark wizards doesn’t mean I endorse that sort of stuff, even though there is a provision in my contract that says I need to endorse that sort of stuff.

The tiny sparks behind spooky myths might have also started life on Earth

The post Ghostly Swamp Lightning Explained appeared first on Nautilus.

Trump’s order to send the Oregon National Guard to Portland appeared to surprise Pentagon officials.

The post Ignoring Court Ruling, Trump Sends Troops to Portland to Break Imagined Antifa “Siege” appeared first on The Intercept.

“President Trump’s declaration on Saturday that he had authorized the use of federal forces to ‘protect war-ravaged’ Portland, Ore., prompted bewilderment and frustration—and more than a little sarcasm—in the city this weekend.”
— New York Times

Help reshelve the books with pics of naked women in them that middle school boys have left strewn around Powell’s.

Put a stop to the ungodly ice-cream flavor combinations at Salt and Straw.

Institute a ban on wimps who use umbrellas.

Censor the outrageous cost for one, single penis-shaped Voodoo Doughnut.

Aggressive DOGE-style 20 percent reduction in the number of mediocre craft breweries.

Stop the radical liberal reeducation campaign to erase Oregon’s colonial history by allowing employees statewide to play The Oregon Trail during office hours.

Resurrect Shari’s Café and Pies, a tragic victim of cancel culture (not paying taxes).

Immigration experts warn the Trump administration is trying to keep a DACA recipient in detention so her protected status expires.

The post The Trump Administration Is Arguing It Can Hold Dreamers Indefinitely  appeared first on The Intercept.

Welcome to your new high-end Italian espresso machine. Or should we say buongiorno? Yes, we should. Your espresso machine only speaks Italian. To get the most out of the machine, you must learn the language.

We will wait.

Fourteen Months Later.

Remove the machine from the box. Carefully. You want to make a good first impression. Use a firm, yet gentle grip to establish trust. Too weak a grip, and your high-end Italian espresso machine will never respect you.

Important safeguard: Don’t film an unboxing video. Your espresso machine is wary about having a social media presence. Between you and me, it held some questionable beliefs during WWII and doesn’t want the public uncovering it.

Your Italian espresso machine is perfect for daily use; however, please keep in mind that the machine demands time off to rest, so daily use doesn’t really “work” for it.

As their hateful tattoos are covered up with colourful flowers and birds, three men reflect on catharsis and redemption

- by Aeon Video

Watch on Aeon

‘I tried, I’m sorry.’ An amateur artist does street portraits for free, with endearing if lacklustre results

- Directed by Rosie Baldwin

Watch on Psyche

In an age of ferocious religious bloodletting, Sebastian Castellio argued that everyone seems like a heretic to someone else

- by Michael W Bruening

Read on Aeon

Use ‘mindful self-coaching’ to help yourself overcome everyday ADHD challenges, from procrastination to feelings of overwhelm

- by Lidia Zylowska & Joohee Seo

Read on Psyche