Kirk Israel's commonplace and blog. Quotes and links daily since 2001.
2026.07.26
Orpheus hesitated beside the black river.
With so much to look forward to he looked back.
We think he sang then, but the song is lost.
At least he had seen once more the beloved back.
    I say the song went this way: *O prolong
    Now the sorrow if that is all there is to prolong.*
Donald Justice, from "There is a gold light in certain old paintings"
We watched the movie "Hadestown: The Musical" (recorded live on stage, ala "Hamilton" and "Suffs") - a retelling of Orpheus. (and oddly this year we saw Sarah Ruhl's "Eurydice", another retelling and angle change of the Eurydice/Orpheus story.)

Worth catching "Hadestown" in its limited theatrical release!
LOL.
A. this is nuttily big brother looking, with angry Trump blocking the Constitution.
B. small blessings it's limited-ish run bullshit (25-30K to be done, from the Washington passport agency)
C. "Welcome, but be good"??? So... Trump doesn't know what passports are or who US passports are used by?
2026.07.24
Since the Lincoln assassination, every president alive has lived during Hoover's lifetime.


I finished "The Second Fredric Brown Megapack: 27 Classic Science Fiction Stories". He really was a great pulp writer.
Anyway, there was this cube, invisible to terrestrials, a mile over Philadelphia (and don't ask me why they picked Philadelphia--I don't know why anyone would pick Philadelphia for anything).
Fredric Brown, "Man of Distinction"
But let's drink to all men who work to put themselves out of work. Doctors work toward the day when the race will be so healthy it won't need doctors; lawyers work toward the day when litigation will no longer be necessary. And policemen, detectives, and criminologists work toward the day when they will no longer be needed because there will be no more crime.
Fredric Brown, "Crisis, 1999" (Unfortunately this seems to be true for some AI programmers...)
there's so much fun zeerust with this, like
2026.07.23
I used davinci.ai and seedream 5.0 and the "Retro Pop Graphic" style

Open Photo Gallery

2026.07.22
Jokes that make you feel smart if you get them.

I think 33 was the only one I had to reverse figure out from similar jokes.

And for 11, it's funnier if the mathematician finds the extinguished remnants, than relights the stuff, then goes to bed - since he was reduced it to a previously solved problem.
Lynette sent me for some cabbage, 2.5 lbs...
4.20 ? Must be the devil's lettuce!
Guess we have make some cabbage pie instead.

2026.07.21
FBI head Patel - October before an election, what fine time for a trip to visit Russia. ("Although Republicans on the panel concluded that Russia mounted an influence operation to "undermine the U.S. liberal democratic order," they rejected the intelligence community's conclusion that Russia aspired to help Trump win the 2016 election." -- I guess you only have to worry about election tampering when you worry it goes against your side?)
... if there is a terror attack between now and November, please bring at least the possibility it was a fake into account. Posting this now...
2026.07.20
world cup halftime had muppets doing Seven Nation Army (JP HOnk does a swingy version of that) and BTS' Dynamite, which is a song School of Honk does.

Spain Humiliates Trump After He Refuses to Get Out of Victory Photos what a joke our president is.

listen to me, this is so so important: you've gotta get used to really giving it your 60% as a default. like don't half-ass it necessarily but try not to go over 70% or so of an ass. you'll feel better and live a happier more fulfilled life, and on the rare occasions where you do need to lock the fuck in you'll be able to pull off bullshit that the sad miserable wretches giving it their 100% can never dream off, because they're busy draining themselves dry and you have energy reserves to spare.
bluering8
2026.07.19
Some AI slop, scenes from the Museum Of Natural History and other parts of NYC, 2 bandshots and the Museum of Science moose.

Open Photo Gallery