James Joyner is the proud father of a brand new young’n. Helluva way to ring in the New Year. Top that, folks.
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Come for the politics, stay for the snark.
The Supreme Court cannot be allowed to become the ultimate, unaccountable arbiter of everything.
Let’s bury these fuckers at the polls 2 years from now.
New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.
The arc of the moral universe does not bend itself. it is up to us to bend it.
Nothing worth doing is easy.
Today in our ongoing national embarrassment…
They don’t have outfits that big. nor codpieces that small.
President Musk and Trump are both poorly raised, coddled 8 year old boys.
When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?
Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard
I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.
The republican caucus is covering themselves with something, and it is not glory.
Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.
Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.
Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.
If you’re gonna whine, it’s time to resign!
This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.
This chaos was totally avoidable.
Let there be snark.
Live so that if you miss a day of work people aren’t hoping you’re dead.
A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals
Optimism opens the door to great things.
We will not go quietly into the night; we will not vanish without a fight.
American history and black history cannot be separated.
Karen
He gets a tax break for this year? (You said top it)
Zifnab
Blog Spawn. :-p
Congrats.
Xecklothxayyquou Gilchrist
Top that, folks.
My wife and I will be celebrating the eighth New Year’s Day of our marriage on which we continue not to have any children at all or any intention of creating any!
All a matter of perspective, isn’t it?
The Other Steve
WOO HOO!
Davebo
A new reasonable coservative!
Unless she rebels that is.
Reverend Dennis
Congratulations! Too bad it didn’t come with a manual.
srv
Well, he could have named her Hillary Hussein Joyner.
Krista
Congrats!
And don’t let anybody give you any bullshit about not contributing to the world’s population. The Duggar family of Arkansas has already done your share and then some.
To steal shamelessly from Fark: it’s a vagina, not a clown car.
Juan del Llano
One of my brothers has the same birthday. The bad thing is, he never gets any presents, because who can remember after Xmas and all the rest?? The good thing is that any New Year’s Party he goes to can also be for him. :-)
Personally, I’ll stick with August 9th.
gbear
Nothing like having a birthday on a day when the three top choices for everyone are to either party and get drunk at a bar, party and get drunk at home, or curl up into a ball because the year has sucked so bad.
I’m happy with June 25th. It’s the anti-Christmas.
umm, best wishes to everyone for a non-sucky 2009.
John S.
Wow, I didn’t know people still had to wear that getup in the delivery room. I thought that was just something they put into movies for effect. When my son was born, I had the booties but no scrubs or mask. I assisted the doctor in delivery and cut the umbilical cord and everything!
Anyway, Happy New Year, Juicers!
KG
@ John S. – I think the get up is only used when dealing with C-sections since they are opening the mom up. But I don’t know for sure, not a doctor and never been in a delivery room when a kid was being born.
Ripley
I don’t know if it really tops Joyner’s news, but the related stories list makes for amusing, if not ironic, company.
John S.
@KG:
I totally did not think of that, but I suspect you are correct. Nothing too invasive going on with natural childbirth to have to worry about infection which is quite a bit different than being in a surgical environment.
David Hunt
I’m glad to read that the young Ms. Joyner has successfully made the transition from endoparasite to ectoparasite.
Congrats to the family.
Brick Oven Bill
I don’t understand the mindset of reasonably intelligent people who drive fancy cars and have only one child. Children are much more rewarding than a car nameplate. And they might buy you food when you’re old and there is no Social Security. I recommend fatherhood and lots of kids.
Congratulations to the new parents and happy new year to all.
passerby
See Katie Go. Go Katie Go!
Nice and pink, and those cheeks! She’s already workin’ it.
Good Bye 2008. Happy New Year John, Tim and all Balloon People.
Genine
That doesn’t seem like a very effective retirement plan. But then again, it won’t be affected by the Dow. However, thinking about it some more; feeding, clothing and sheltering them would be affected by the Dow.
Krista
Here’s a novel idea. They might not want more than one. And if they don’t have more kids than they can afford, then they can actually pay for their food themselves when they’re older.
I understand that mindset a lot more than I do the people who can barely afford to feed the children that they have, but they just keep popping them out while saying that "God will provide." Um…what if he doesn’t? Then what?
I just can’t understand or sympathize with the idea of risking the life and health of an innocent child by gambling on Divine Providence.
Laura W
Katie’s a very sweet name, and what an auspicious day upon which to be born.
My geriatric boy cat, Willie, is 17 today. It boggles the mind to imagine all of the twists and turns my life has taken over those years, to realize he’s been here every day and every night of it, just hangin’ out, chillin’ and supportin’. Say THAT about a 17-yr-old boy human!
NY’s Eve is my favorite holiday of the whole shitload that we celebrate, and no, not for the boozin’. I can do that any night. There is something about fresh starts, the promise of newness and do-overs that I love. Short-lived resolutions for self-betterment — kinder, more patient, less judgmental, blah blah blah blah blah.
CHEERS to all — regulars, trolls and lurkers alike… and thanks for a very interesting, educational and insanely funny year. (Or whenever I got hooked on the B-J hard stuff. Something about Hillary making me crazy back in late spring/early summer, as I recall.)
gbear
These guys win the award for ending the year on a really stupid note (frozen north edition).
Laura W, please send me a couple pints of your optimism. Sounds like a good brew.
Just Some Fuckhead
@Laura W: We have a 14 year old orange and white cat. (His mom was a calico.) We got him the year before my daughter was born and he just keeps on living even though he’s indoor/outdoor. He’s so old he always thinks it’s time to eat and so he’ll scream to be fed any time anyone gets near the kitchen.
I really hate cats.
J.D. Rhoades
Congratulations to them!
And Happy New Year, all!
Sebastien
(/end delurk mode)
Greetings everyone.
Here in communist/Sharia France, 2009 is less than 30 minutes away as I write. And boy, did our President laid it out thick in its vows… Shorter Mr Sarkozy: "2008 sucked, 2009 is gonna be worse. Don’t worry, I’m in charge."
Anyway, best wishes to you all.
South of I-10
@Krista: Thanks for saying it for me. If you are planning on having only one, you will hear it often. "Oh, but you can’t only have one!" Yes I can, now shut the hell up!
@Laura W: I have had two fantastic (use extreme sarcasm) days at work and that made me feel better.
Laura W
@Just Some Fuckhead: Shakes head, cleans reading glasses, reads post for the 3rd time….
You have a 15-yr-old daughter?
No, I see my problem now. I am assuming the kitty was a kitten when you got him.
He might have been 12, for all I know.
Do you know what they say about "assume", Fuckhead?
My 16-yr-old geriatric, Bianca, is the food screamer. Don’t get me started on her eating "issues". ONLY 9-Lives crap, and as soon as I think she likes one flavor, she goes off of it. All she wants right now is tuna and lunch meat turkey slices. Won’t even eat chicken breast, little punk. And CREAM. MUST HAVE CREAM in the mornings.
(FWIW, I was lookin’ at you (and beaucoup others, of course) when I said "insanely funny". You’re welcome.)
(See how "we" turned a newborn baby thread into a pet thread. My speciality, apparently.)
D-Chance.
Something we all can agree with… the use of Lincoln’s "bible" is an Obamanation and should not be a stain on the Era of Change.
Dreggas
@John S.:
Why do I envision a ribbon cutting ceremony? You know, almost like the scene where bart shows up as the new sheriff in Blazing saddles.
Ring The Church Bells!
Strike Up the Band!
JL
@Sebastien: Happy New Year! Is the new day and new year as wonderful as Laura W. imagines that it will be? Oh and best wishes to you also. Make sure that you check in often.
Laura W
@JL: No no no no no no no!
My psychotic delusions of well-being in 2009 for all does not extend to France, for Christ’s sake!
I have my
bordersboundaries, you know.(and Happy 2009, Sebastian. Your post made me laugh.)
Just Some Fuckhead
@Laura W: She’s 13. Born Easter Sunday 1995. (See my efforts to rejack the thread back to birthing?) Thanks for the kind words.
Sebastien
JL and Laura W: Thanks ! (damn ! My pitiable imitation of Sadly No ! made someone laugh ? The year starts well indeed !)
I’ve been checking BJ as religiously as this fervent agnostic is able for the last three years and one vow I form for this year is for it and its wonderful and talented crew of commenters to continue to shine.
(Edit: and I hope I don’t mangle the English language too bad…)
Krista
Sebastien, je vous souhaite une bonne année! Trust me, your English is much better than my French.
And Sadly No! is always worth imitating…you have good taste. :)
James Joyner
Thanks, John!
And, John C.: Yes, it’s just something they do for C-sections, since we went to the OR and opened mom up to extract the baby. During the 26 hours we tried delivering the way nature intended — counting the 14 hours spent trying to speed it along with chemicals — I was in street clothes. That includes the two-plus hours during which Kim was in heavy labor pushing with all her might for naught. (Unbeknown to everyone, Katie was face down and would never have come out without surgical assistance.)
Sebastien
I bow to your compliments and to your impeccable French, Krista.
As for my taste, well, I’m hanging around there so I must be doing something right.
Laura W
@Sebastien: Hey! Have you seen this? (I need to watch it again right now because Kathy Griffin is not taunting AC yet and making me laugh so hard I snort, so I’ll share it, ‘cuz I’m a giver, after all.)
Quebec is in France, right?
Sebastien
I think Québecois would rather say that France is in Québec. After all, they claim to speak French better than we do.
And its nice to know that cats can be as puzzled as us Humans by certain ways technology works (or not).
Carrie
@Sebastien:
..and we do, esti’d callisse de tabarnac…. ;)
Ash Can
Hats off to Mrs. Joyner. That was not a fun labor, and to have it end up in a C-section, ugh. Happily, a healthy baby is enough to blur the memories of the misery.
M-80 and I brought Bottle Rocket home on New Year’s Day 2000. Since then, the end-of-year holidays have been that much crazier for us, with his birthday in the middle of them. But it’s all worth it.
Krista
True story — I grew up in a bilingual community, but spent a lot of time speaking with the Quebecois in various jobs during my life. I’ve always had a very difficult time understanding them when they speak. And yet, I was in France for three days, and understood every single word perfectly and communicated with no problems whatsoever.
From my very unscientific observations, the Quebecois speak about twice as fast as the French, which probably accounts for a lot of the difficulties I’ve had.
Carrie
@James Joyner:
Congratulations to you and your wife on the birth of your beautiful daughter!
Now get some sleep, you deserve it.
Sebastien
@Carrie
Your provocations leave me completely benèze. ^_^
@Krista
Interesting. I never noticed the speed issue. The trouble for me always come from the accent (though I supposedly myself have a noticeable Charentais one) and the vocabulary.
Comrade Nikolita
@Krista:
TLC’s trotting them out in new shows, blech.
My boyfriend and I watched an episode recently where the whole family went on a road trip, and stopped in at the Creationist museum, where members of the family proudly proclaimed in front of the camera how strong their faith in God was, how humans and dinosaurs lived together, and how the Earth was only 6,000 years old. That was quite the laugh. We eventually changed the channel because it got to be too embarrassing for them.
Also, that mother needs her tubes tied. Someone who sees nothing wrong with 18 children needs her head examined.
@ James – Congratulations! =D
@Juan del Llano: Me too. I’ll stick to August 11th. ;)
bago
It’s a vagina. In and out people. Out out out is just a wee bit disturbing. Really, should favor an I/O balance on the I side.
JL
@Krista: How are you feeling?
Carrie
@Sebastien:
Voyons Sebastien,
c’était simplement une blague….
et oui malheureusement, tu as raison….
Krista
I know. Don’t get me wrong, I have no issues with people having kids (which is probably good, seeing as I’m currently pregnant), but I don’t understand why people are celebrated for managing to cope with the challenges that they have inflicted upon themselves.
By having a kid, I’m making a conscious choice that will most certainly prove to make my day-to-day life more challenging. The onus will be on me to keep it together, and I certainly do not think that I will deserve any sort of special praise or admiration for doing so. I also don’t expect any sympathy for how busy my life will become. I made my choices. Sympathy and/or admiration should be reserved for the people who handle lives that are more complicated due to complications being thrust upon them.
In other words, if you’ve chosen to have 18 kids, you get no sympathy from me about how busy your life is. You made your bed, so suck it up, Princess.
Krista
JL: I’m feeling quite well today, actually. Thank you. (Rant above notwithstanding.) I had a Virgin Caesar awhile ago and it was yummy.
Caesars aren’t popular in the U.S., are they? I recommend them, at any rate. Especially with lots of Tabasco.
Carrie
@Krista:
And a teaspoon of horseradish.
very tasty…
John S.
LOL
With the merciful difference of not having Gabby Johnson shouting racial epithets at me!
Sebastien
@Carrie
Et c’est bien ainsi que je l’ai compris. :)
In the patois Charentais, "benèze" means cool, at ease.
Now why be sorry ? The accent and vocabulary are precisely what makes of Québec French a pleasure to hear.
Carrie
@Sebastien:
I’m from l’Outaouais where we speak Franglais, english, french and a lot of swear words in between.
Have you ever seen the movie Bon cop, bad cop?
The french characters remind me so much of my brothers, i sometimes think it was written about them.
Sebastien
Carrie, I’m afraid we don’t give canadian movies in general and quebecois in particular the attention they deserve. But I’ve just parsed Wikipedia’s post on Bon cop, bad cop and I’m getting interested. I’ll have to check if someone had the good taste to get the DVD to our barbarian lands.
I just love the "shoot first, translate later" tag. XD
Alright, now time to get some sleep. Have nice celebrations when 2009 arrives !
bago
I always thought caesareans took a bit out of a girl.
Dave_No_Longer_Laughing
I saw the Dickies tonight. They played a fine show, but did not play "Tricia Toyota" – which slightly disappointed me.
Michael D.
James Joyner had sex? (Just kidding, James!)
Oh, and because the baby was born in December, according to Malcolm Gladwell, it will be a complete and utter failure at life in general and hocket in particular.
Michael D.
@John S.:
Probably because it was a ceasarian birth
Michael D.
@Sebastien:
It’s not just the speed issue, although Quebecios definitely talk a bit faster. It’s the slang. As children in Canada, we’re taught proper French. When we hear it spoken in Quebec, it is intermixed with a lot of slang and local dialect.
In France, the language is spoken properly (i.e., not better, just more formally – the way we’re taught.)
Michael D.
@Krista:
When we first moved here, we used to go to a lot of bars. My friend, Kim, loves Caesars. Every time she asked for one, the bartender/waiter would look at her like she was speaking some alien language.
In most gorcery stores, you can find Mott’s Clamato. I mean, what the fuck do people think that shit is for if it’s not to be mixed with alcohol to cover up the ungodly taste!?