To our Jewish readers: Do you feel the love? Have you ever felt it more? The House Republicans are falling all over themselves with love for us. Speaker Johnson travels all the way up from DC to save us from the anti-Semites at Columbia. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) was with him and a shouting match erupted at one point. “I love the Jews more!,” she shrieked. “No — I do! I love the Jews more!,” Johnson countered. Back in DC, Foxx’s committee (Education) sent a blistering warning to Harvard as well: “We love the Jews!,” it said. “Like, totally.”
Johnson, of course, shares the views of Christian Nationalists, and Foxx is stridently anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQ, pro-Trump, and on and on. She even voted against Hurricane Katrina aid. And Owl Chatter doesn’t recall them speaking up at the time of the Charlottesville “Jews will not replace us” rally. But that’s okay — all is forgiven. We love you too, Ginny and Mike! We love you!
I thought a TANGRAM was what you get when you leave your grandmother out in the sun too long. But according to 40A today, it’s a seven-piece puzzle.
It’s a “dissection” puzzle, meaning you dissect the puzzle pieces and use them to form other shapes. The tangram’s historical Chinese inventor is unknown except through the pen name Yang-cho-chu-shih (dim-witted recluse). (Not kidding.)
Over 6500 different tangram problems have been created from 19th century texts alone, and the current number is ever-growing. Fu Traing Wang and Chuan-Chih Hsiung proved in 1942 that there are only thirteen convex tangram configurations (configurations with no recesses in the outline). Here they are:
And here are some popular tangram configurations. That shark is not the shark from the Jaws discussion from yesterday.
3D: “Pleated garment.” KILT.
This semester, every now and then, on my walk between Penn Station in NY and the subway on Sixth Avenue, I pass by a man walking towards me wearing a kilt. He has a serious don’t-mess-with-me look on his face, and walks with great assurance. I take it as a good omen when I see him. The dictionary defines kilt as a knee-length skirt of pleated tartan cloth. It was traditionally worn by men, but is worn by women now too. Needless to say, Phil was eager to take on this assignment.
Here are some lasses helping him out of some ditch he fell into. C’mon girls — put your backs into it!
And what did you say to upset this one, Philly? Can’t you see she’s armed?
Does she look like her mom? Or should I say her “MAMA?” This is Owen Elliot-Kugell, (Mama) Cass Elliot’s daughter.
Cass and Michelle Phillips were in the puzzle today as MAMAS. Michelle, I am happy to see, is still among us, and will be turning 80 in a few weeks, kinehora. She has 3 children, including Chynna Phillips. Here’s Chynna with hubby William Baldwin. They have 3 kids too.
I’m closing the shop now — that woman in the green kilt with the sword is scaring me. See you tomorrow.
The Wellington Files 