Piggybacking on Michael’s post about the DC Madam- she was only 52.
I remember when 52 was really fucking old, and now it is just a few years older than me.
That sucks.
John +3
Open Thread
by John Cole| 77 Comments
This post is in: Previous Site Maintenance
The Grand Panjandrum
You’re not really old until the President is younger than you. So I won’t know until sometime in November if I am officially old or not. But that is the sacrifice I must make if I want Obama to be President. That just how I roll.
Dennis - SGMM
I call lightweight. Wait ’til it’s a few years younger than you.
Actually, I like most parts of being sixty. I’ve never been more comfortable in my own skin than I am now.
Just Some Fuckhead
It’s still pretty fucking old, JC. I bet you already had dinner around 3pm this afternoon, dincha?
ResumeMan
I thought you were in your 30s John. How ’bout that. Learn something new every day.
I remember when Reagan was shot. I was probably 13 or so. I remember my mom feeling so bad for the press secretary, James Brady, who got badly injured “he’s so young too, only 40.” I was thinking, YOUNG?!?! Hell I thought 40 was almost dead.
I’m 41 now of course, and it doesn’t seem that Brady was quite so ancient any more…
calipygian
I did a little math, and if Archie Bunker was 18 at the end of Dubya Dubya Two, The Big One, that means that his character was only 45-ish the first season of All in the Family.
When I was a kid, I thought Archie Bunker was old as shit – and he looked it, too.
Mary
You’re in your late 30s, John. You’re not allowed to piss and moan about 52 being close until you’re in your late 40s. That’s the rule. (I remember being a complete drama queen about turning 26. I want to go back and bitchslap that girl.)
Obama is about 6 months younger than me. I can live with that. We both qualify as Gen-Xers because we were born the same year as Douglas Coupland (December 30, 1961). That’s my reasoning, anyway.
demimondian
Feh, Mary — that puts you as a few months younger than me.
Child.
Mary
Wait a second — I’ll have to strip, get a sheet, get some flattering lighting, and get Annie Leibowitz. Be right back.
Genine
That’s very enlightened of you, Grand!
J. Michael Neal
On online friend told me today that the HR person interviewing him asked, “What would your mortal enemies note about you?”
I’m guessing that, “My mortal enemies would say nothing about me, because I killed them and ate their still beating hearts,” isn’t the answer that would get you the job.
Whatever he said, he did get the job. I hate him, and all the rest of you that have jobs, down to the very bottom of my soul.
Genine
lol I know what you mean. I used to think every inch towards 30 was getting old. The funny thing is- I feel much younger at 32 than I did at 22. In my twenties, everything was “the worst thing evah!” or it was the end of the world.
I don’t take myself or much of anything that seriously anymore. It’s even weird to think of myself as in my 30’s until something reminds me. My Little Pony had its 25th anniversary last year and I was like “What! 25 years!? That’s not true! I had a My Little Pony when I was… oh, yeah, I guess it is true.” lol
Genine
It depends on the job. For instance, you could probably get employment with KBR.
Umm… sorry?
Zuzu
I have a couple of years before I hit 60, but I agree. Plus, given the boomer track record for defying expectations, I think it really is true that 60 is the new 40.
demimondian
Ironically, I don’t much like the Cyrus portrait. Leibowitz has done much, much better, in my opinion; there’s nothing interesting in the subject as shown in the photo.
(Now, to be fair to Leibowitz, I can’t rule out the possibility that the wicked wicked woman meant to say exactly that about her subject. And, if she meant to do so, then that photo is the pictorial equivalent of Atrios’ blog post this morning.)
Incertus
Scary how that shit happens, isn’t it?
And in the open thread spirit, we’re having fun with horrible album covers over at my place, if anyone would care to drop by. You have to be old enough to remember what an album is, but I daresay that’s not an issue with you lot.
Zuzu
I can never get over it when I see a picture of someone who looks pretty old and beat up to me…and discover that they’re actually younger than me.
For instance …
Tsulagi
Well, if I come back later and see a post titled: “Hillary–I’d Hit That!”, I’ll know you stopped counting and you’re well into the second bottle.
RSA
But John rants like a much older man. . .
demimondian
Sorry, but nobody rants like TZ…
Incertus
Yeah, but that happens to you when you’ve had your soul sucked out of you by the Demon Prince of the 83rd Dimension.
Just Some Fuckhead
Goddammit, include warnings for those links please.
I was looking at porn in another browser window. Was.
J. Michael Neal
I’ve been unemployed for more than a year. I’ve probably put in 400 applications over the last six months, and gotten three interviews. They all turned me down because I’m overqualified.
Zuzu
True.
Jim
Want proof of how stupid Fox & Friends is? Taking clueless bastards to a whole new level. From the Dana Perino school of Journalism (“The Cuban Missile Crisis had something to do with missiles in Cuba, right?)
DougJ
It’s a strange and sad thing that in DC today, if you pimp girls out for a few hundred dollars an hour, you’re a social leper who is driven to suicide, but if you pimp a war that costs 10 million dollars an hour, you’re given a cushy job writing editorials at a prestigious newspaper.
Would that Kristol, Brooks, Gerson, Hiatt, and the rest had the sense of shame and embarrassment that this poor woman had.
Zuzu
And of course there are times I really, really am glad I’ve decided to just age gracefully.
Gloria Vanderbilt, age 84
cleek
yeah… this is the first election where one of the candidates is anywhere near my age. Obama’s the age where he could’ve been a friend’s older brother.
time is some scary shit.
Fledermaus
One article says that she had been saying that she would kill herself rather than go back to jail. Sad.
Yet Scooter Libby never even served a single day.
(Fledermaus soon to be +4)
Dug Jay
The new Clinton TV ad set to roll out this weekend in Indiana and North Carolina kicks ass, BIG TIME. The closing two lines say all that a voter needs to consider:
cleek
Obama nicely smacked Hillary McCain around on the gas tax pander…
Krista
Are you serious? 25 years? Fuck me, that’s depressing.
The Grand Panjandrum
@cleek: Thanks for the link —
Ouch! Thats going to leave a mark.
And Obama gets the twofer.
Genine
Maybe it’s depressing, initially, but, come Krista! We’re women in our 30’s! We’re totally empowered and stuff!
John Cole
Guy version- Try watching the Pens/Rangers game with the announcers reminding you every five minutes that Jagr has been in the league for 18 fucking years.
J. Michael Neal
It’s Versus. Your best bet is the Mute button.
Krista
As well as having the aforementioned great rack.
A Different JC
Thanks for that link cleek, and The Grand Panjandrum for highlighting the best stuff. Note it was a three-fer: he zapped McCain, Hillary and compared them both to Bush. He may not be able to bowl, but he can hoop.
Genine
Exactly! And we’re not ashamed, as the shirts I wear can attest to. So we’re older, wiser and still sexy. (Not to mention humble.)
Genine
Unisex version- Pac-Man will be 28 years old later this month!
myiq2xu
I’ll know I am old when I hear the phrase “great rack” and my first thought isn’t “tits”
cbear
I can’t speak for the other guys here, but I don’t really have anything I’m dying to comment on—pls feel free, totally free, to continue your discussion….
scrutinizer
Genine? Krista? You two gonna start cruisin’ the strip in a pink Caddy or somethin’?
Krista
Hey, there is a serious dearth of female commenters on here, particularly ones in my peer group. Let me have my bonding, goddammit.
Although knowing my luck, Genine is really DougJ or one of the other trolls, and I’ve just been reeled in like a trout.
Krista
And Scott Baio is 49…and pregnant.
cbear
let ’em talk boys, fer chrissakes let ’em talk.
AkaDad
I think I’ll be smoking 4 cigarettes today.
Andrew J. Lazarus
Thanks to Dick Cheney, when I hear about a great rack I assume it’s an enhanced interrogation device.
scrutinizer
Hey! I think cruisin’ the Strip in a pink Caddy would be fun. Bond on, by all means.
cbear
Oh hell yeah, bonding, that’s very, very important for you girls. Can we assist?
Genine
Oh, no, I’d never do that to you… or anyone else! I’m all for the bonding, this is fun!
Besides, I’m sure the guys wouldn’t mind the bonding if we were in baby-doll jammies at a slumber party or in bikinis by the pool rubbing sunscreen on each other or whatever imagery comes to mind for cbear. lol
scrutinizer
Me, I never think that. Although that brought a passage from The Letter of Marque to mind:
“…as just now I conceived the chapter in which Sophonisba confines Roderigo in the Iron Maiden on pretence of wanton play and begins to turn the screw…”
Ah, that wanton play—
scrutinizer
…moan…
Genine
You know, I’m very egalitarian and all, but a guy saying he’s pregnant too is just wrong, imo.
Krista
Keep this up, and we’ll increase the hits on this site quite a bit, methinks.
Tsulagi
Do you have a webcam? Take direction?
;)
cbear
lots of things are increasing, but can we avoid the pregnant men part of the bonding process? it’s very distracting.
Genine
Then John can up the fundraising goal from $15,000 in two weeks to $30,000 in two weeks.
‘Cos we got it like that!
cbear
I gotta $100 bucks burning a hole in my pocket right now….any ideas on how I could spend it??
bwaage
“Rich people, god bless us!”
Imagine what cable news would be like for the next week if it was Obama that said that.
Krista
Hm. You might be on to something. If the donations reach $15,000, we start elaborating more on this alleged pyjama party, with new chapters being added for every $5000 reached.
Bwah-ha-ha!
Genine
Brilliant! But it’s John’s blog and its known for high-brow political discourse.
Wouldn’t we change the nature of this blog and affect the readership? What about the regulars? They’re so delicate and sensitive…
Wilfred
Sami al-Haj -6:
6 years without charges and without trial, not a word in a US paper, here
demimondian
Umm, John?
Have you changed to blog while I was on hiatus? Somehow, delicate regulars and high-brow political discourse aren’t things I’ve thought of when BJuice has been mentioned in the past.
ThymeZone
Apparently something called “bonding” is de rigueur now.
Maybe we can get together some coupons for Super Glue?
Michael D.
I used to collect hockey cards. I have a few of Jagr’s rookie cards.
I’m 38. I thought I was older than most of you, honestly. I’m surprised by how many older (than me) people read this blog.
One thing I will note is that 60+ doesn’t seem so old to me any more. Not because I am getting older myself, but because I have spent several weeks over the past 3 summers at my parents’ RV park in Lakeland Florida. Everyone is 60+, and few act it.
Jasonconga
hello from germany! beautiful weather, going to the gym soon and then a private english lesson with the money manager of a prince, then eating a schnitzel and going to see some live reggae music at an irish pub. Have to meet the new girlfriend’s parents tomorrow. That’s as open as it gets…
cheers
grandpajohn
Yeah well wait until you are staring 71 in the face on your next birthday then you can really start pondering on where the hell all those years have gone and thinking about all those things you were going to do with your life that somehow never got done.And worst of all realizing that the results of the actions of those fucking assholes that have been destroying our country for the last 8 years means that in all probability my and most everyone else’s here children and grandchildren are facing a lower quality of life than the one that we lived, since we not members of the privileged rich of this country.
grandpajohn
Hey, I’m old enough to remember when 8 track tape players were the hottest thing going and you were nothing if you didn’t have one in your car.
Bob In Pacifica
Fifty-two. Right in my wheelhouse. When you’re looking for a woman you want one that can remember what you remember. And a woman who has momentarily forgotten what you’ve forgotten.
grandpajohn
At least there is one straight talker in this campaign, but it ain’t McBush and it ain’t Hil
Time to stand up and shout Amen, the true straight talk express has finally arrived
Buck
Right there with you. The older I get the better Grandma’s are lookin’
Woodrowfan
At a certain age when a man sees a pretty college coed he should be thinking “wow, I bet her Mom is HOT!”
Jamey
That’s because it’s stretched out to fit…
Jamey
That’s because you’ve never had to work as hard as I have to regain your boyish figure…
grandpajohn
well that age must be past 70 because I haven’t reached it yet. I still prefer to look at the hot college cutie over her mom, but then maybe I am just a perv
chopper
if i see the term GILF thrown around here in all seriousness, i’m outta here forever.
Ted
It might suck to be getting old – hell, I’ll be forty next year – very early next year too – and I’m not looking forward to it one bit – but then what’s the alternative?