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Weak XXIV

11 June 2026

No. 2,875 (cartoon)

My teenage nephew in Tuscaloosa blew his brains out.

What took him so long?

Learning difficulties.

12 June 2026

Judging Sex

“Did you see that story about the federal judge who was reprimanded for having sex in her chambers?” Brett asked. “I may be one of those dumb guys who doesn’t know much about girl stuff, but where else would a woman have sex except in her chambers?”

Yep, Brett is indeed one of those dumb guys.

13 June 2026

Whale Falls and Jet Falls

Researchers have discovered the largest and deepest whale graveyard ever: it’s spread across hundreds of kilometers of the Indian Ocean floor at a depth of seven kilometers, give or take. There are lots of ways to cut up a whale, and this is an amazing discovery any way you slice it. It’s not exactly new, though; some of the skeletons are five million years old.

I didn’t marvel at the science I couldn’t begin to understand. Instead, I thought of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, the jet that more or less disappeared over twelve years ago. Explorers have been looking for it, among other places, in the Indian Ocean. Since this massive boneyard was unknown until now, I think the odds of finding a single whaley-sized jet are even much worse than I ever imagined.

14 June 2026

My Audience of One

“Most writing should be done for an audience of one.”

I jotted that quote in my notebook months ago, and today I decided to find out who said it. I couldn’t locate the original quote, if there is one, but many writers expressed the same sentiment in different ways. They suggested writing for a single reader, real or imagined. The premise was that you might feel less inhibited if you were writing for a single person instead of the hoi polloi.

I was surprised. The reason I noted the quote originally was that I’ve always been writing these notebook entries for an audience of one: me.

15 June 2026

Jean Cocteau’s Amazing Day

This is the fifteenth day of June, time to again observe Jean Cocteau’s Amazing Day. It’s a joyous celebration of his profound and timeless insight, “Stupidity is always amazing, no matter how used to it you become.”

I reviewed the last decade of awards and noted that David Dunning and Justin Kruger have earned it twice, in 2019 and 2025, for their discovery of the Dunning-Kruger effect. Maybe I should give myself an honorable mention for missing the duplicate because I’ve been working without an editor for over thirty years. That’s certainly not smart.

I’ve seen the error of my ways, or at least today’s gaffes, and it’s time to belatedly acknowledge breathtaking stupidity on a previously unthinkable scale. Almost every day I think Drumph can’t do worse, yet almost every day he does.

Hail to the thief and his latest award!

16 June 2026

Bus Holes

All sorts of people ride the bus, including me on rare occasions; that’s why it’s accurately called public transportation. Everyone needs to be accommodated; the seats have drainage holes since people of all ages occasionally leak.

The idea may sound repulsive because it is, but, as we say in the Midwest, things could be worse. I’ve been on other buses with small puddles of some vile liquid sloshing around in a seat, so I think bus holes are slightly preferable. At least they’re great for starting a conversation with the fellow passengers who have no personal drainage concerns.

17 June 2026

I’m a Family of Four

I had to fill out a form, and one of the ridiculous questions I was required to answer was “How do you identify?” The long list of choices began with the usual gender options, followed by at least a dozen other possibilities I’ve never heard of. It certainly is wonderful to live in San Francisco!

I scrolled past all the options and ticked the “Other” box. When asked to explain, I wrote, “I can polish off a tray of frozen lasagna by myself in one sitting. The box promises that the ultraprocessed swill is for a family of four, therefor I identify as Family of Four.”

Coming next weak: more of the same.

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©2026 David Glenn Rinehart