Rep. Marie Newman responds to Marjorie Taylor Greene's anti-transgender sign with this takeaway: "She's welcome to her sign. No one is buying it, and it's not science."

Greene hung her sign on the wall across from Newman's office yesterday after Newman had put up a transgender pride flag in the same hall. Newman, whose daughter is transgender, was inspired to put up the flag after Greene had opposed the Equality Act. In case you missed the anti-transgender sign incident:

Watch this astounding Ukranian circus performer, Veronica Histova, hop up 9 steps with only one arm. Part of the fun, besides her incredible strength and ability, is watching her costume morph once she's upside down. The video was shot by Ludmila Nosenko, who posted this on her Instagram page.

From Woo Globe:

In this clip, Veronica can be seen preparing for the Youth Circus Festival in Weisbaden (Germany) by performing a mind-bending one-arm steps-jumping trick. The mask between her legs and the way she is using her legs to wave to the crowd make it look as if she is jumping up the steps on one leg and not one arm.

Should taxpayers subsidize poverty wages at large profitable corporations? That is the question of today's Senate Budget hearing, and Bernie Sanders, speaking as Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, is in top form as he calls Walmart the "largest welfare recipient" in the United States. "Walmart made over $15 billion in profit last year alone, and yet … Walmart pays wages so low that tens of thousands of their employees are forced to rely on public assistance in order to survive."

Here is a longer clip:

Snake catcher Luke Huntley obviously loves his job. After catching a venomous red-bellied black snake in a Queensland, Australia attic while balancing on narrow beams (which were surrounded by flooring), he smiles widely and says, "Beautiful! That was so much fun. That was the most fun I've had catching a snake in ages." Although in the video he estimates the snake's length to be 4 1/2 feet, he later tells Yahoo! that it was five feet long.

Red-bellied black snakes are typically 4.1-feet in length, according to Wikipedia.

Julie Nolke, known for her comedic three-part "Explaining the Pandemic to My Past Self" videos, puts into focus the most irritating thing about sweeping – the stubborn line of dust that never makes it into the dustpan. With Charlie Chaplin-style humor, this short mostly silent video is in a different style than most of Nolke's work, and I hope we see more from her like this.

After Rep. Marie Newman (D), whose office is across the hall from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q), tweeted a video Wednesday of herself putting up a transgender pride flag (strategically placed so that Greene would see it every time she opened her door), Greene shot back with a sign that says, 'There are TWO genders: MALE & FEMALE. 'Trust The Science.'"

Newman, whose daughter is transgender, had put up the flag "in protest over Greene's opposition to a LGBTQ rights bill," according to NBC News.

From NBC News:

Earlier in the day, Greene attempted to block the legislation, which is set for consideration Thursday, with a motion to adjourn. She tweeted that the move was "to give every Member of Congress time to rethink destroying #WomensRights and #WomensSports and #ReligiousFreedom before voting for the #EqualityAct!"

According to the bill's sponsor, Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., the bill would amend existing federal civil rights laws and prohibit "discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community in the areas of employment, education, credit, jury service, federal funding, housing, and public accommodations." …

Greene tweeted, "As mothers, we all love and support our children. But your biological son does NOT belong in my daughters' bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams."

Later in the day, tweets from other lawmakers weighed in:

When Ben Meiselas of the Meidas Touch Podcast tried to watch the Sunday news, he says "it was like a fucking Greatest Hits of all the Big Lie Trump supporters who all of the mainstream media brought on and basically let them spew these lies unchecked."

Meiselas says he's all for the media sharing the views of the QAnon-inspired far-right, "but if you want to have the crazy views … you gotta say, 'Excuse me, sir! Let me interrupt you there." And then when said crazy-thinker tries to interject with delusional Newspeak, you have to say, "No, no, shut the fuck up!"

He proceeds to explain exactly how the media should prepare for and deal with GQP guests – which is probably a lot easier said than done.

A casino in Washington state owned by the Cowlitz Indian Tribe celebrated the opening of a car garage by racing two delicious-looking cars, and set two Guinness World Records for fastest edible vehicles in the process. The replica Formula One cars were each 91% cake (12 layers). Michael Andretti drove the winning (white) car, which sped along at 17.08 mph and traveled 349.81 feet, while the black car was driven by his father, Mario Andretti. The race was then celebrated by slicing and eating up the cars.

Via UPI

Sometimes the line between reality and parody is so blurred it nearly disappears. For instance, take this clever "pandemic of voting" ad aired on The Daily Show last night. "There is a pandemic sweeping our nation – the pandemic of voting," it begins. And "only Republicans have a plan to stop its spread."

It then highlights the GOP attitude about voting in America – and their efforts to curtail it. "Do you want your kids to grow up in a country where anyone can vote?" the narrator says. The best line is spoken by Lindsey Graham: "If Republicans don't challenge and change the US election system, there will never be another Republican president elected again." While watching this I had to remind myself that this was, indeed, just a parody (kind of).

A car in Livermore, California was hit this morning not by another car, but a plane. Another driver on the road caught the tail end of it on video. According to ABC7, the small plane lost power, made an emergency landing, and crashed into a car, apparently pushing it out of its lane. Fortunately, nobody was injured.

A whale-watching group near Newport Beach, California hit the jackpot on Monday when an estimated 2,000 dolphins passed through. What a spectacular sight.

Video: Newport Coastal Adventure

Michael Abram, a professor at Oxnard College in California, berated a student in a physiology class who is hard of hearing because she didn't immediately answer him. When another student tried to defend her, explaining that she is hard of hearing, he responded, "She's not paying attention, she's not trying." He is now under investigation for his insensitive and vile behavior, and was put on paid administration leave.

From CNN:

Sarah Rand, a student in Abram's class, took the original video that was then posted on TikTok by someone she described as a family friend.

Rand told CNN she took the video with the intention of sending it to administrators to show the behavior and commentary she said she and other students have seen during Abram's classes this semester.

When asked at a press briefing Monday whether any prior complaints were made against Abram, administrators said they couldn't comment because that is part of the investigation.

Italy's Mount Etna, on the island of Sicily, has been exploding lava for almost a week and it's as beautiful as any fireworks show. From The Guardian:

Mount Etna's spectacular eruptions reached a peak on Monday when the volcano's lava fountains soared to 1,500 metres – a display described by one expert as "one of the most striking in the last few decades".

Europe's most active volcano has been on explosive form in recent weeks, spewing incandescent magma and a copious shower of ash, reaching as far as Catania. …

"This is certainly the strongest explosion in the southern crater that was discovered in 1971. We have not seen such high explosions for years but at the moment there is no risk to the population, apart from the smoke that can create breathing problems for a few hours, and the ash that covers buildings and streets."

Tiger Woods was in a serious roll-over car accident today in the Los Angeles area, according to CNN. He was extracted from the car with the "Jaws of Life" by LA County firefighters and hospitalized.

From CNN:

Woods, 45, suffered moderate to critical injuries after being pulled from his car, according to Los Angeles County spokesperson Henry Narvez.

According to Golf Digest, Woods suffered "multiple leg injuries" and was in surgery following the accident. Golf Digest quoted a statement from Woods' agent Mark Steinberg. Woods was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. CNN has reached out to the hospital for comment.

Woods' vehicle suffered major damage, according to authorities. The crash is under investigation.

Ted Cruz shows how fast he can move his thumb as he stares at his phone during today's senate hearing about the Jan 6 capitol attack. You'd think after his Cancún fiasco he'd at least pretend to show interest in the important matters of the day.

Reactions on Twitter were what you might expect:

Via Daily Dot

If your motivation to work out during the past corona year has been lacking, check out 81-year-old Erika Rischko on TikTok. The Germany-based octogenarian started posting videos of herself last spring doing all kinds of heavy-duty exercises, including planks, pull-ups, lifting weights, and even dancing.

After almost a year she has 124, 400 followers, more than 100 posts, and more than 2 million likes. As she told Reuters, "Move and do something! Don't just sit in a corner and mope. That's just the worst."